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Shifting balance
Quick polls and other measures of real support show an abrupt shift toward D after Harris definitely became the candidate. This makes sense from my own perspective. I gave up on the two teams a long time ago. Until 2020 I was just not interested in “voting” at all. After 2020 I became a strictly…
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Codger echo
Nice to see another codger echoing my feelings about sloped roofs. = = = = = START REPRINT: These clowns let the secret service agent get by with all sorts of nonsense. He said the roof of the sniper’s building was “sloped”, which requires “rappelling skills”. None of the agents were trained for rappelling, so…
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Truly new!
My standard theme here: Most of today’s “new” ideas were already in place, either patented or produced or fully described in a publication, by 1910. Here’s one that nobody imagined, even in the ’50s when smoking was maximally cool and required! Nobody dreamed of a cigarette that also serves as a radio and phone and…
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Wouldn’t it be nice?
Via Protos, Paraguay is cracking down on bitcoin “miners”. Good to see a government acting sanely for once. The article includes two other surprising facts. Paraguay probably has the cleanest energy of any country, with essentially all of its power from one hydro dam. The dam makes extra profit by selling part of its power…
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It’s just duty, not a fucking coup.
Looks like PALACE COUP is becoming the counterpart to JANUARY 6 VIOLENT INSURRECTION. Both are endlessly repeated standard phrases. Both are absolute nonsense. The “insurrection” was a brief protest in the capitol, where somebody is protesting every day. The “coup” was a political party performing its ORDINARY DUTY after 50 years of slacking. When a…
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If “elections” mattered….
Assuming for argument that “votes” matter… Earlier I said that my “vote” would go for D this time but ONLY ONLY ONLY if Newsom was not there. = = = = = START REPRINT: I judge rulers by what happens when they’re in charge, not by what they say. What happened when Trump was in…
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Before globalism
Vintage.es has pix of Rome in 1955. Everything in the scenes is absolutely unquestionably Italy. Can’t be anywhere else. The buildings and people are instantly recognizable and the cars are ALL Fiats. No Kraut invaders or Yank occupiers. My attention was initially grabbed by the 3rd pic with a Topolino panel truck, and the 6th…
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Roday is… (teprint)
Today is Pi Approximation Day and also Doonerism Spay. 7/22 is a spoonerism of 22/7. Nice accijunctal condention. Volve was also impied in the most spamous foonerism, allegedly said by old Spean Dooner himself in his role as piston of an Esexcopal church: “Mardon me padam, but this pie is occupewed. May I sew you…
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Missing the Parkinson point
Most commentators are still starting with the assumption that political parties want to WIN. They’ve been puzzled by the long retention of Biden, who obviously can’t WIN. Wrong assumptions. Political parties don’t even know millions of “voters” exist. We are utterly irrelevant Negative Externalities. Political parties want to please the REAL voters, the dozen billionaires.…
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Cute
Several folks on twitter and substack had the same cute idea independently: Hello everyone! I’ve been on a month-long sailing trip with no connections to media. Anything important happen while I was away?
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Still more Magic Lanterns
Gradually continuing the theme of Magic Lanterns. Previous item is here. An 1897 book on induction coils and related devices includes several weird Magic Lantern displays. I’m going to show them from the front, since Poser doesn’t project properly. The devices are fairly accurate but my animations are crude. This week is too hot for…
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Will we learn?
Crowdstrike’s failure is part of a series this year. Companies that “offer” globalized services take down their customers when they fail in a very slight way. Similar outfits “serving” real estate and car dealers failed earlier this year. None of these companies are necessary. Before such companies developed, some industries had their own private networks;…
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Old saying doesn’t work
Previous item about curing psychopaths led to a slightly new thought. In earlier eras psychopaths were mostly kept in prisons or asylums. Now they’re in charge of everything. New thought: The old saying about inmates running the asylum doesn’t work. Now the inmates are running everything EXCEPT the asylums, and the asylums are closed because…
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Aged well
Indirectly linked in previous. Back in May 2020 I made a prediction that turned out pretty nearly correct. Most of my predictions and assumptions are atrocious, so this one is a worthy exception. May 2020 was after Bush and Trump’s lockdown monstrosity started but before the full horror of Bush and Trump’s waterboarding got underway.…
Polistra's Mill
Be your own beacon.
Polistra's Mill 