Author: polistra
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Just the same!
Bitcoin news site Protos warns people to be super-careful when attending the annual Bitcoin Conference. = = = = = START PROTOS: Long also advised to keep your eyes on your drink to avoid the risk of anyone spiking it. Others suggest watching your back “literally” in case there are any “wrench attacks,” a phrase…
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Lindy pens
Seen in one of the old radio trade mags, an ad for Lindy pens. Pens of this shape were common in the 60s. Now all pens have pretty much converged to the standard shape, except for Bic. I’d totally forgotten about Lindy pens, which seemed to fit my left-handed style better than the usual shape.
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Why philosophy is fucked
Seen on substack: = = = = = Most people don’t realize how ridiculously hard one needs to think in order to thoroughly grasp certain philosophical problems. It took me well over a decade to really grasp the sorites paradox, for instance. And one often needs more years of investigation to realize the depth of…
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We need a Carney
Carney is trying to rebuild Canada’s PHYSICAL industries including petroleum and mining. We haven’t even thought about changing our ways. Here’s a list of 28 “breakout” startup firms, all growing fast and hiring. NOT ONE is physical or even derived from physical. Nobody is developing a new Cellophane Tape or Facial Tissue or Bun Sandwich,…
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Oughta be a word
When I read that yesterday was Cellophane Tape Day, my first thought was “Huh? Is that a newly invented alternative to scotch tape?” No, it’s just the official generic name for scotch tape. When the trademark becomes generic (scotch tape, kleenex, hamburger), reverting to the untrademarked term (cellophane tape, facial tissue, bun sandwich) is a…
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Perfect illustration
Here is a perfect illustration of the problem with Democrats and “journalists”. Both are doing everything possible to guarantee that Trump rules forever. Both have forgotten the basic notion of business or “democracy”. In real business or real “democracy” you have several competing choices, each attempting to offer a BETTER PRODUCT that will be PLEASING…
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What’s the important difference?
Along with the grounding power of tradition, there must be a simpler and more practical reason why Canada was able to learn from Trump’s attack, while the US Democrats have been allegedly opposing Trump since 2015 while ACTUALLY campaigning for him. Constants and variables: Trudeau’s sudden shift toward doing the right thing after many years…
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Black Rod
The king’s presence in parliament was announced by Black Rod. Many years ago I was tickled by the ancient offices with strange names like Portcullis Pursuivant. Each officer and ceremony continues to represent a tradition or an incident. Human memory was meant to be a continuum, not a digital sequence. The old world maintains this…
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Checking an old observation
Several years ago I noticed that online algorithms came in two sharply different types. Commercial algorithms do a splendid job of judging your taste in things. When you buy something online, you immediately see ads for appropriately similar things. The ads don’t steer you into the most popular product right now, or a product that…
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Thanking nature
Nature relentlessly makes beauty whether anyone is seeing and reviewing it or not. The overgrown stand of plums and lilacs and roses west of my house is a good windbreak, helping to protect the house. The wild roses bloom briefly every summer, forming a wall of yellow beauty 10 feet tall and 20 feet wide.…
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Implausible but true
Those old 1950s films about the Post Office mentioned that mail carriers were still using horses in some places. Seemed unlikely to me, but horses were common on urban routes, both milk and mail, until 1950. One of the new PO podcasts describes an even more improbable kind of mail service, which is still fully…
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Asserting OG
Carney has made an interesting move. He invited King Charles to open the new session of parliament with an official Speech From The Throne. The clear message in gangster terms is “We are still part of the old gang, and still under the protection of the old gang. Your upstart gang rebelled and claimed some…
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First answer, second answer
Continuing from previous item. The tech tyrants assure us that reshoring is impossible because an iphone would have to cost three times as much if we made it here. First answer: Well, houses already cost three times as much as they should, and you’re not arguing with house prices. You didn’t prevent Larry Fink from…
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Reality vs reality TV
“Conservatives” are reading the script of Trump’s fake reality TV show, parroting Dear Leader’s fake criticism of China. In fact we handed China our mines, factories, engineer training, and business training. Then we shut down our own mines, factories and schools. China was BOUND to succeed when it owned all the ingredients that formerly led…
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Post office podcast
The Postal Service has a long series of podcasts. They’ve been producing these half-hour programs for 4 years; I just now heard about it. Great listening for an analog fan and an FDR fan. The post office is one of the best parts of the mainly fucked federal government, true to the FDR spirit. It…
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