Wednesday, August 05, 2020
Tuesday, August 04, 2020
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
If the Democrats do want to replace Joe Biden at the top of the ticket then they are going to need to do it at the Convention in August in Milwaukee. But if they have the Convention they run the risk of all the crazies in the Party acting crazy in the national spotlight. But if they try to replace Biden without a Convention then the Democrats will look like elitists running things behind the curtains and the confidence of the rank and file will be shattered... "What ever crushes individuality is despotism, no matter what name it is called." - John Stuart Mill... It has been widely reported that gun and ammunition sales are way up due to the Wuhan virus, riots and the "defund the police" rhetoric. I'd be curious if sales of Carhartt clothing is also up as these new gun owners try to adopt a look they think is common among their more blue collar brethren. "Look at me - I have a Carhartt jacket that means I know how to handle myself!"... Saw a local news story about their in-house political poll which was conducted by Survey Monkey. Survey Monkey! And people wonder why local news isn't taken seriously... The book I'd like to read is a fictional autobiography of Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch. First person just like the book Grendel by John Gardner... "I don't spend my time pontificating about high-concept things; I spend my time solving engineering and manufacturing problems." - Elon Musk...
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Offshore wind power a vast boondoggle that New York can no longer afford. As an aside the Town of Princeton MA pays the highest electric costs in the State because years ago they installed a couple of windmills now known as the White Elephants because they no longer work (but the Town is still paying for them)
- South Dakota expects 250,000 bikers for Sturgis rally. This will be interesting to watch. Also interesting despite the huge cuts to State revenues across the US (average down 29%) - South Dakota's State revenue is up 1-2% during the Wuhan virus pandemic.
- Japan upping its air defense with a big F-35 order. China has been pushing its "neighbors" and its not surprising that these neighbors like Japan are preparing to push back.
- Interesting - is Patreon in danger of being destroyed? Go Woke Go Broke?
Monday, August 03, 2020
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
I love everything about the recently completed Crew Dragon mission which finally brought the launch of US astronauts from US soil back to a being a reality. But perhaps my favorite bit of trivia was that the toilet on the Crew Dragon is called the "Commode O Dragon"... "Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants." - Epictetus... I would love to watch a show or listen to a podcast where a Dalek (from Doctor Who) asks scientists and writers questions in his Dalek voice... When your party bases everything on identity politics should you be surprised when the chickens come home to roost?... "The more sweat on the training field, the less blood on the battlefield." - Col. David Hackworth... "Stupid people are ruining America." - Herman Cain (rest in peace)...
Slavery
Tyler Cowen published an article, How Not to Fight Modern-Day Slavery. The article is in response to a Bill being proposed by Senator Josh Hawley. Not sure if I agree with Tyler Cowen's position because it seems to be "Slavery - what are you going to do?" with hands throw up in the air. Then again I'm also unsure of the unintended consequences of Senator Hawley's bill.
What I'd suggest is simple and straightforward. The United States demands that the United Nations require nations to make slavery illegal within their nation's borders. If the nation does not comply then that nation is removed from the UN. If the UN fails to comply with this requirement then the US leaves the UN. Either nations that continue to allow slavery are forced to leave the UN or the United States leaves the UN. Either outcome is OK by me.
As Americans can't we all agree that the US should not be in any organization that allows member nations to support slavery? In modern times shouldn't this be an acceptable baseline among civilized nations?
It should also be pointed out that in 1865 when Congress officially voted to end slavery in the US the vote tally was 119 "yea" and 56 "nay" with 8 Congressmen not voting. Every Republican Congressman voted to end slavery (along with 16 Democrats). All of the "nay" votes and all of the not voting Congressmen (the voting "Present" of the day) were Democrats.
Sunday, August 02, 2020
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- The Tesla autopilot data is impressive. Very impressive.
- Worth revisiting from time to time - Naval Ravikant's American Spring
- Laws for the Navigation of Life. Good stuff!
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our responsibility for the future." - John F. Kennedy. We could certainly use with more of that attitude today... Heh Heh... Still say that if low calorie beer was called "skim" instead of "light" they would be much less popular. Michelob Ultra is really skim beer... Four Dimensional Symmetry would be a great name for a blog and Carnal Acquaintances would be a good name for a band... Thinking of adopting the Latin phrase "Pax et bonum" as my all-purpose greeting. It translates to English as "Peace and all good." Think it can be used the same way Hawaiians use "Aloha"... Heh Heh (true)... "If you accomplish something good with hard work, the labor passes quickly, but the good endures; if you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure, the pleasure passes quickly, but the shame endures." - Gaius Musonius Rufus...
Raze Whiskey
Raze out the written troubles of the brain,
And with some sweet oblivious antidote
Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff
Which weighs upon the heart
- Macbeth
Raze would make a great name for a whiskey. And those verses would look great on a label. As an aside - Oblivious Antidote would make a great name for a cheap brand of Gin or Vodka.
Saturday, August 01, 2020
2020 Presidential Election
Rivers of blood I see, and hills of slain,
An Iliad rising out of one campaign,
A thousand villages to ashes burn,
In crackling flames a thousand harvests burn.
- Joseph Addison
Addison's poem was about the Duke of Marlborough but the poem easily could be read as an ode to the 2020 Presidential election.
Friday, July 31, 2020
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- "Peaceful" Protests. Borepatch with a nice historical parallel to the world we're living in.
- Interesting bit of history. I had never heard of Varosha.
- The Chinese government is evil. Even The Atlantic has come around to that conclusion.
- Statement by Jeff Bezon to the US House Judiciary Committee. Interesting but long read.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Growing up in the 1970's we believed many silly things like quicksand being a huge danger (and plot device for almost every TV show) and that evil geniuses would build their lairs under active volcanoes but probably the most insidious belief it turns out was that pubic hair was natural and acceptable... So HBO Max thinks an Amy Schumer docuseries is a reason to subscribe to the streaming service? Really? Good luck with that... "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." - George Bernard Shaw... Meat Whistle would be a great name for a band... The new season of Porlandia is going to be on FIRE!!!... 2020 has had so many twists, turns, deaths and unexpected outrageous situations that nobody will care about what George RR Martin's imagination can cook up for the next Game of Thrones book (as if the lousy final season of the HBO series didn't already kill any interest in the new book)... "As I know more about mankind, I expect less of them." - Samuel Johnson...
Harry Potter
According to the books, Harry Potter would have turned 40 years old today. Happy birthday Harry!
Big day Harry Potter and the First Colon Exam could be his next big adventure.
Thursday, July 30, 2020
China and the NBA
ESPN reports on abuse at NBA Academies in China.
I read this as ESPN in full CYA mode. They don't have billion dollar TV or shoe contracts with China to protect. They see which way the wind's blowing in the US regarding China. ESPN also understands that "we didn't know" won't be accepted as an excuse. They even went as far as a mention of "World War II [Nazi] Germany" in the article. They fully understand just how evil the Chinese Communist Government is.
The NBA knew and kept cashing the checks anyway. Remember that the next time any player or coach gets on their high horse about conditions in the US. They knew!
To quote ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski "Fuck You!"
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- CDC Director says there are more suicides and overdoses than COVID-19 deaths. This should be bigger news.
- How to bring New York City's refugees back home. Good points but many will never return and the healing won't really begin until NYC has a Mayor who's not a complete doofus.
- Great conversation between Shane Parrish and Naval Ravikant. Well worth the two hours of your time if you've never heard it (or if you have - to bask in the wisdom a second, third, or more times).
- Speaking of Naval - his his list of recommended reading (some great books on this list)
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Many people misunderstand the famous Harry Truman "Buck Stops Here" sign he used to keep on his Presidential desk. That was a poker term Truman liked. The "Buck" was the "puck" or disk or marker used to denote whose turn to deal it was. It was not slang for a dollar bill or anything else. The dealer had to decide what game he was about to deal. It was a metaphor for "decider" so he was the "Decider in Chief" as George W might have phrased it... A little Lord of the Rings humor... It might be the hangover talking but I think the hardest thing to do in baseball is to bunt for the cycle... I wonder if in Adam Smith's wildest fever dreams he ever thought the "Invisible Hand" could be something as nefarious and pernicious as the Chinese Communist Party has been these past two decades... I think going forward it would be helpful that whenever you hear or read the word "expert" your mind adds the word "witness" to the sentence. It would be helpful because the phrase "expert witness" has become somewhat of a pejorative meaning the expert witness expounds whatever side or set of facts that suit the side that is paying them. It's no wonder that certain scientists and healthcare professionals can switch beliefs simply based upon what political party happens to occupy the White House... Not for nothing but nine days ago I wrote, "Wish I could get odds that Joe Biden's initial announced VP pick (whoever that ends up being) will have to be walked back and replaced (for whatever reason)." Now this happens and is immediately walked back. Let's see if a different person is later announced...
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