Author: polistra
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Who’s learning, who’s not
Canada has learned and started doing the right thing. New Scientist mag has learned and at least stopped doing destructive things. Rome has learned and started LEADING the revolution in the BEST direction. Democrats and “journalists” haven’t shown the slightest sign of awareness or intelligence. Least surprising of all, Hollywood is doubling down on the…
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Odd dream reference
Had a positive dream this morning featuring a character known as “1990s activist Anna Stan”. That was her full name, like Bearded Clarinetist Acker Bilk. Decided to see if there really was such a character. There was an Anna Stan (also spelled Sten). The dream character looked like her. She was a Russian actress with…
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Good woke, reprinted
Linked in previous, worth a reprint. = = = = = REPRINT FROM 2019: This academic movement is more important and more valid than it sounds. First, how it sounds: = = = = = START QUOTE: Since apartheid ended in 1994, South Africa’s universities have struggled to transform themselves, leading to escalating student protests…
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Ve haff vays…
Youtube has come up with a new way to use AI for punishment. I’m noticing it in some of the car sales film channels. When you watch the clip online it comes through normally. But when you download it, the sound has been replaced by an AI-generated GERMAN version. It’s a perfect dub. These old…
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Antonym
I noticed a package of chocolate S’Mores in the grocery store. What about a S’Less? Spinach Cookies. Artichoke Chips. Limburger burger. Liver Krispies. Blood Pudding. Granola Bars. Oops, some of those aren’t fictional. Old-fashioned “health food” was nothing but S’Lesses. Not the best way to sell a basically good thing.
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General Delivery
Our idiot “mayor” and grotesque brainless “council” have passed a new “law” telling businesses to avoid asking for addresses on new employees. Supposedly this will make it easier to hire the homeless. I doubt it. First reaction: WOKE SHIT! Second reaction: Well, like much of the woke shit in education, this is actually a return…
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Daily random pissoff
Random pissoff about “cybersecurity”. In the computer world, because of “cybersecurity”, you have to keep turning on your password every time the computer decides to clear its history. You can’t access a PAID subscription without going through security measures like TSA scanning at the airport or courthouse. In the real world a subscription keeps going…
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NonKarens need not apply
Why churches are mostly made up of Karens. Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky, has issued new norms for the posture of the faithful during Mass. To guard against “confusion and disunity,” the archbishop said that the congregation should kneel from the Agnus Dei until after Communion. The archbishop said that the faithful should receive…
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WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
British energy minister Miliband announced that solar power systems made in China have “kill switches” on the inverters. The switches can be activated by wi-fi, so China can black out large parts of Europe and US whenever it wants. The US government was “aware” of the sabotage but didn’t say anything. Perhaps the “awareness” explains…
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Real hoops, fake hoops
Sometimes the Pharma route, drugs for anxiety and pain, seems attractive. But I’ve managed 75 years without such helps, and probably can continue. I prefer the drug of Little Victories. This old dog knows how to take the Victory drug! When a real hoop like a sudden jury call pops into my path I get…
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Finally getting smart!
A real smart grid: this summer Avista will start burying power lines in some fire-prone areas near Spokane. One is the Dartford area, which seems to be a frequent firer. The huge 1991 firestorm was caused by trees hitting powerlines. So far Avista doesn’t have plans for the city itself, but maybe it will happen…
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Why I read Wolf
I always check Wolf Richter’s column. Often it’s “not in my department”, but sometimes he provides a huge SO THAT’S WHY! His latest AHA is a description of the Treasury General Account, which is exactly like a normal checking account. All regular income (taxes, fees, bond sales) is deposited in the TGA, and all regular…
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I’m not shocked
Bloomberg is shocked by China’s tech progress. I’m not shocked. I saw how it happened. China thinks about its own people and serves its own country. China has long-term plans. China owns its corporations, so the corporations work for China. In the 80s China was sending thousands of students to OUR universities and research facilities,…
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Metrology bitching
Time for my regularly scheduled metrology bitching. One of the literary types on Substack noted that Sam Johnson was paid the miserly sum of 1575 pounds for his dictionary. Modern freelancers should be happy to get more than that. Miserly? Hardly. Depending on the measurement standard, Johnson got somewhere between $300k and $1 million in…
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Reassuring, sort of
I guess it’s reassuring. Amid the invasion by celebrities turning Substack into MSNBC and increasing Andreessen’s share value, the native Substackers are still quibbling about Oxford commas and em-dashes. I stopped using em-dashes about 10 years ago, obviously not because it resembled ChatGPT. Simply because the usual way of doing it—like this—is confusing. Words are…
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