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Little fact buried
Unlike previous galaxy-size item, this one is extremely local. Via Spokesman, the VA hospital in this neighborhood is going through some management turmoil. The hospital is a huge facility, dominating the skyline in this quarter of town. It looks like it could handle several hundred patients, and I always imagined it was handling massive numbers…
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Big fact buried
Via New Scientist: The international bureau that supervises weights and measures has decided to handle the Leap Second differently. Part of the change is driven by increasingly precise technology like GPS. Adding a second every year or so causes frequent changes and frequent errors in those systems. Instead of resetting the official clock itself every…
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Beeyond beelief but true
A Redditor made a video of a bee depositing a LONG chain of stuff, and wondered if it was royal jelly or some other special concoction. Nope, it’s just poop! Amazingly, bees are perfectly housebroken. They never shit in the hive. They hold it in during bad weather. When it’s time to open the door,…
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AI CO
During Bush’s worldwide concentration camp of 2020 through 2022, a few “courts” pulled cruel pranks on normal people who didn’t appreciate being tortured. The “courts” granted INDIVIDUAL exemptions from lockdown but NOT exemptions from torture. Pointless “victory”. You still couldn’t buy food or use the bus without strangling, and you couldn’t get into the places…
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Family candy, niche switch
This story wouldn’t normally fit my range of interest but it hits some of my favorite topics. 1. Niche switches. 2. The exceptional survival of family-run candy companies. 3. When an industry fades, its supply chains also fade, making revival impossible. John Carpenter, producer of many horror movies, recognized that movies are no longer mass…
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Rare agreement
When both “parties” agree on something GOOD it’s a rare and precious event. We know that both “parties” always agree to make war on Russia, or make war on anyone Israel dislikes. Aside from genocide, they usually plan their fake disputes to guarantee perpetual evil. One side will pretend to pass a good law, knowing…
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Always fussing in the wrong place
Seen at Substack. All I want is (world peace and) the universal adoption of the Oxford comma, is that too much to ask?! Grammarrhoids enforce made-up “rules” while missing real rules. The Oxford comma is just a placement that helps clarity in some situations. There’s a straightforward rule about commas vs semicolons. Should be: All…
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More things learned from others
Recently I gathered up some learnings acquired from others. It’s time to add one more, which really should have been part of the previous listing. = = = = = START REHASH: Most of my learning comes from painful experience. I couldn’t have figured out these facts on my own, and I’m grateful to the…
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Solomon
An old-fashioned story with a satisfyingly old-fashioned ending. I hadn’t heard of the Douglass family until this year. Harlan Douglass was Spokane’s only billionaire. He built and owned lots of cheap apartments, the places where you expected crime before the current homeless lunacy. As he got senile his children started playing the classic heir games.…
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Max cool.
Coolest man in history. Can retire the word now. Seen in Reddit. After the horrendous 1938 hurricane that devastated New England, they set up temporary open morgues to identify bodies. Charles Keville walked up to a body that was tentatively tagged with his name. Said “Nope, that ain’t me.” and walked away. = = =…
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Wasn’t forced
Obvious comparison: Constant software updates are the modern version of Forced Obsolescence, previously practiced in cars for men and clothing for women. Better thought: No, it’s not the same. GM changed the looks of its cars every year so status-seekers could lord it over lesser neighbors. Fashion changed hemlines and colors and shapes every year…
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Foy Rebellion rerereprint
France learned a major lesson from the 1789 revolution. After the EXTREME dose of Innovative Disruption in every aspect of life, the French became the world’s best PRESERVERS. They tried to maintain everyday objects and skills instead of discarding them. Wars and revolutions and depressions often induce this healthy immune response. America was in skill-preservation…
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RAAS
Mark Tooley writes a clear account of the rapidly declining mainline religions. Made me think about offshoring and subscription software. The older mainlines followed Rome’s locked-in subscription model. Individual churches sent part of their money to headquarters and in return got stability and assistance. The churches didn’t fully own their property even when they were…
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The ultimate troll
Continuing the series of bullshit standard stories. This one is especially peculiar because it was firmly debunked a LONG time ago, then continued as truth. Timothy Dexter lived around the time of the American Revolution. He was the Luckiest Entrepreneur Ever, held up as an example for youngsters who wouldn’t try new businesses. The official…
Polistra's Mill
Be your own beacon.
