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The ultimate AI point-missing
Via MindMatters as usual, the usual offbase question. Can AI create beauty? That’s not the danger. Most commercial art and writing was never meant to create beauty, even when it wasn’t weaponized by monsters. Now mechanized or offshored skills, whether in art or manufacturing, are meant to KILL PEASANTS. Nothing else. The Hollywood writers and…
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The ultimate sucker filter
A company surveyed potential buyers and found that 67% wouldn’t buy Xlon’s nightmarish infantile bizarre CBRTRK. I’m amazed that 33% of ANY SAMPLE could like such a grotesque monstrosity and want to pay $100k for it. Proves that the current crop of rich fuckheads are the stupidest creatures in history. Stupider than bacteria, stupider than…
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One little difference
In 1948 Chevy produced a film trying to ease the impatience of customers who were feeling the end result of postwar adjustments. It explains all the economic and material factors involved in restarting production after a NECESSARY WAR. The movie is objective and SYMPATHETIC. Our present situation is similar except that we are feeling the…
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Remodelers are the best historians
When a Facebook page or a Reddit page posts an interesting historical picture, a three-layer pattern emerges. First we hear from people who have seen or visited the place, and may misremember the location or other details. (I’m often in this group.) Then we hear from people who actually lived or worked there, or whose…
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Not a paradox
Seen on Twitter: Why are Canadian public health officials are so preoccupied with “destigmatizing” hard drugs when one of the greatest public health victories of our generation was the collapse of tobacco smoking – a change that was brought about by stigmatizing the practice. No contradiction, no paradox. Deepstate destigmatizes the harder drugs and stigmatizes…
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Persistent myth
One of the many persistent idiotic myths about the past is the condescending attitude toward women. This was true in the MAN’S WORLD of NYC, but never true in America. From REA News in 1940:
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Radartoons 3
An interesting temperature pattern shows up nicely in Wunderground’s graphics. Warm air pushing up from the south has already filled the higher altitudes, but hasn’t filtered down to the fog-locked lower areas. Not far south of here, some 60s are popping up! Hooray for El Nino!
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A fine Foy story.
From REA News in 1940…. John L. Jones of Silver Hill makes chairs. His father before him made chairs and his father before him and so on back for more generations than can now be counted; on back to the pioneer days of Tennessee and on back of that to the “ould sod.” But all…
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Human centered enviro
Senator Norris, the godfather of TVA, was also a strong patron of rural electrification and cooperatives. Here’s part of a letter he wrote to an REA coop. = = = = = START NORRIS: One of the greatest things, it seems to me, that has ever been done for the happiness and welfare of the…
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Trading, not eating
Repeating the old story: There was a speculative mania in sardines. A shortage pushed up prices, and before long there was an enthusiastic trade in tinned sardines. Then one day a buyer decided to open a can and eat a sardine or two. He got food poisoning and complained to the seller. The seller responded:…
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Parallels
Vivek and Pierre are different in origin but similar in personality. Both are bringing the same level of well-prepared and clearly presented NEW politics. Housing hell: How we got here and how we get out. pic.twitter.com/vVLsXMVM35 — Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) December 2, 2023 Presentation isn’t achievement, but it’s a big part of the game in…
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Before the Fairness Doctrine
American Radio Library has added a long booklet written by WGN in Chicago, providing a deep portrait of the purposes and intentions of broadcasters in 1928. At that point most stations were still run by stores advertising their own products, or by colleges or tech schools using the broadcast for training and ‘extension’. The authors…
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TVA part 1 of 4
I did a tribute to WPA last year. The Tennessee Valley Authority was another of the New Deal’s giant perpetual improvements to America. TVA and the smaller Bonneville Power Administration continue even now as the sole illustrations of government working like a business. Both still make a profit from selling electricity. They create real value…
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TVA, part 2 of 4
I’ve been putting together some digital replicas of TVA’s model city at Norris, obviously not trying to include the whole thing! Here’s the top view of the street plan with a scattering of houses. The original was somewhat denser, but nowhere near ‘walkable’. Norris was named for Senator George Norris, who had been pushing the…
Polistra's Mill
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