TOS, no less.
Steady. As. She. Goes.
How many episodes do you recognize? Your geek cred depends on it!
Standards
I see that Mozilla fired its first black CEO this week, because he was against gay marriage six years ago. At least, I assume he was black, since support for Prop 8 was highest among the black community.
What? Oh, not black?
Well, doubtless they'd have handled it the same way if he had been.
Break.
Some say the opposite of love is hate. Others say the opposite of love is indifference. Indifference isn't a bad thing, though. Generally you should beware of the move off indifference that comes from forcing people to care about you. They may not care about you just the way you'd hoped.
I'm inclined to indifference about other people, but I have very certain opinions about being forced to do anything.
What? Oh, not black?
Well, doubtless they'd have handled it the same way if he had been.
Break.
Some say the opposite of love is hate. Others say the opposite of love is indifference. Indifference isn't a bad thing, though. Generally you should beware of the move off indifference that comes from forcing people to care about you. They may not care about you just the way you'd hoped.
I'm inclined to indifference about other people, but I have very certain opinions about being forced to do anything.
Name that poet
I got 14 of these questions wrong (out of 50), and in half of those cases I didn't even get the sex of the poet right. Wouldn't you think that would be easier to guess?
A Brief Return
I have returned from the Wild. A brief rest, and then I will be gone again -- this time, by motorcycle, as far as Massachusetts. I should have at least periodic internet access, though, so my absence may not be as obvious.
The trip was a qualified success. The food I took did not in any sense need to be heated. It was good and pleasant to eat. I did construct an alcohol stove out of a beer can, which weighs less than an ounce (plus the fuel you carry, of course), and which allows you to cook -- or make coffee.
If you want to make one, here's a quick explanation of an easy method. A much more thorough site on the subject can be found here. I modified mine a little further by turning down and in the edges with a pair of pliers, to eliminate the danger of cuts on the metal. I also added more air intake holes for cleaner burning.
Also of great use to me were these excellent tips on lightweight backpacking. My total pack weight, including five days of food (but only 3 liters of water, expecting to need to find more daily) was right at thirty-five pounds.
The THOR pack functioned adequately during the hike, and was fairly comfortable.
Pros for the pack: Though not a purpose-designed backpacking pack, the THOR is adaptable to a lot of other situations besides backpacking. It would make a pretty good pack for air or train travel, I think. It is designed as a three-day pack, but I was able to carry enough for five days. You could easily use it as a Bug Out Bag, or to strap to the back of a motorcycle. If you need extra space, the overall MOLLE construction allows you to rig extra gear.
Cons: The exterior pockets except for the main compartment are smaller than with many three-day packs. Indeed, internal capacity is much smaller -- 2575 cubic inches instead of 3280 like the model I carried in Iraq. This is compensated for by the extensive MOLLE, which is fine if you are experienced and comfortable rigging gear to MOLLE. Many people would prefer a backpacking pack with a larger internal capacity, so they can stow their gear inside instead of rigging it to the outside. The tradeoff is that such a pack is bulkier, which makes it less flexible.
I think their Reaper pack might be a good middle ground, as it has the capacity to expand its internal storage substantially and has a larger secondary pocket instead of several small external pouches. It also has plenty of MOLLE webbing.
Weather was beautiful, although it suddenly is getting warm about the middle of the day. Seems like it was snowing only yesterday, and suddenly it's hot.
Clever Scots
The Bing cover page picture today is of something called the "Falkirk Wheel," which is a rotating boat-lift lock that connects two sections of canal, with a 40-foot change in elevation, in the Forth Valley in Scotland. Clicking on the information links took me to a fantastic video explaining how the lift works. It uses 1.5 kWh per lift, the equivalent of the electricity needed to boil eight teakettles.
The video is on this page, over on the right.
The video is on this page, over on the right.
Because We Don't Have Enough Conspiracies to Think About
The US is looking to give up control of the Internet to an international consortium of dubious provenance and more dubious imperatives.
The USPS' first class mail delivery monopoly is under increasing stress from actual competition via the Internet: email, IM, Twitter, etc.
The move to tax commerce that occurs via the Internet is gathering steam.
Are these tied together?
Eric Hines
The USPS' first class mail delivery monopoly is under increasing stress from actual competition via the Internet: email, IM, Twitter, etc.
The move to tax commerce that occurs via the Internet is gathering steam.
Are these tied together?
Eric Hines
Off To The Wild
I will be gone for several days, trying out your wonderful suggestions for trail food. I have Boar's Head sausage and hard cheese, walnuts and almonds, dried fruits, and several kinds of bread. Pictured is the Julekage, which turns out to be fantastic. Thank you all.
Snakes on a patio
It's getting so that when I walk into my vet's office, they look up and say, "Another snake bite?" In a sure sign that spring is here, a water moccasin gave up the ghost at the base of my stairs this morning, but not before hitting the newest little 18-lb. squirt of a dog on the nose. By the time the NPH got downstairs to see what all three dogs were making such a ruckus about, the snake's body was over here, and the head was over there, still hissing "to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee."
The little dog is not awfully swollen and has already been to the vet for injections of antibiotics and prednisone. I didn't hear her squeal when the snake struck her, but when she got the shots you could hear her shriek a mile away. She makes the same noise when I pull a sticker out of her foot, the little faker. For that matter, if she's caught at the rear of the pack and can't get out the door fast enough, she emits the same ear-piercing scream, so that at first I thought I must have stepped on her and torn off a leg at least. So she doesn't feel very well, but she seems to be OK.
I'm contending with venomous attacks myself. Earlier this week some kind of critter stung me here and there on the back and side. I never saw what it was, but the bites have turned into large angry red places, so I'm breaking down and seeing a doctor later this morning. It's a hostile world.
The little dog is not awfully swollen and has already been to the vet for injections of antibiotics and prednisone. I didn't hear her squeal when the snake struck her, but when she got the shots you could hear her shriek a mile away. She makes the same noise when I pull a sticker out of her foot, the little faker. For that matter, if she's caught at the rear of the pack and can't get out the door fast enough, she emits the same ear-piercing scream, so that at first I thought I must have stepped on her and torn off a leg at least. So she doesn't feel very well, but she seems to be OK.
I'm contending with venomous attacks myself. Earlier this week some kind of critter stung me here and there on the back and side. I never saw what it was, but the bites have turned into large angry red places, so I'm breaking down and seeing a doctor later this morning. It's a hostile world.
She Sounds Vaguely Dissatisfied
I normally ignore the writings of Ms. Coulter, but the title of this piece (which the Jackson Clarion Ledger softened to "Thanks for nothing, Mickey Kaus") got my attention.
If the predictions of leading Obamacare adviser Ezekiel Emanuel's prediction that employer-based health care will be nearly destroyed by the ACA. Ezekiel, which is a very fitting name for a prophet of doom, thinks that about two-thirds of those who currently have employer-backed health care will lose it.
Waivers can drag this out for a while, but eventually people are going to get punched in the mouth.
If the predictions of leading Obamacare adviser Ezekiel Emanuel's prediction that employer-based health care will be nearly destroyed by the ACA. Ezekiel, which is a very fitting name for a prophet of doom, thinks that about two-thirds of those who currently have employer-backed health care will lose it.
Waivers can drag this out for a while, but eventually people are going to get punched in the mouth.
Etiquette and Protocol
Every medium has them. Right, NBC?
Just In: Air Force fires nine nuclear missile commanders over two-year cheating scandal— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 27, 2014I wonder how many people had heart attacks before they got to word nine?
Fire escape
So our little fireball turned out to be no big deal, but here's some nail-biting video from yesterday's five-alarm apartment-building fire in Houston. (I recommend watching with the sound turned off.) The construction worker shows real presence of mind.
Update: Hey, didn't anyone like this? I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
Update: Hey, didn't anyone like this? I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
Our pipeline just blew up
Nobody was hurt, as far as I can tell. Maybe an oyster boat caught the pipeline with its dragline. Besides the impressive video, the main effect seems to be that our peninsula will be without natural gas for the foreseeable future. Luckily we're on a propane tank, being the extra-boonified section of this part of the boonies.
Cool tech
Someone pointed me to IEEE Spectrum for better than usual science journalism. Here are some catchy articles about nano-labs on tiny fiber-optic tubes, infrared contact lenses, and (for Cassandra) an electrical tiara said to relieve migraine headaches.
KDS
Koch Derangement Syndrome. If it weren't for the leftist press and certain close relatives, I'd never even have heard of the Koch brothers, although it turns out they control all my thoughts. Harry Reid can't seem to shut up about them lately, in his increasing desperation to change the subject. The Washington Post ran a typical hit piece recently, blaming the Koch brothers' support for the Keystone XL pipeline (about which they have been studiously neutral) on their status as the biggest lessees of the associated tar sands (which is untrue). John Hinderaker (PowerLine) ran an intelligent response. The Washington Post struck back, explaining that it's not important whether an article is both false and malicious, as long as it promotes spirited debate. It's an interesting approach; would the WaPo be pleased with a thought-provoking article accusing Barack Obama of kidnapping and eating the passengers of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?
Hinderaker replies again, with an attempt to demystify the double-standard:
Hinderaker replies again, with an attempt to demystify the double-standard:
So we have a contrast that couldn’t be clearer: the Washington Post published a false story about support for Keystone because it fit the Democratic Party’s agenda. It covered up a similar, but true story about [wealthy Democratic donor Tom Steyer's] opposition to the pipeline (and about “green” politics in general) because that, too, fit the Democratic Party’s agenda. I don’t think we need to look any further to connect the dots.
This Should Be Fun
Anyone want to take Paul Krugman's side against Nate Silver?
Goodness knows that you'd have made a ton of money in 2008 if you'd bet heavily on an analysis that 'ran counter to what a lot of professional economists said.' You'd still be making money, in fact: economic stories featuring the word "unexpectedly" have become a joke, they're so common.
Similarly, climate science has been developed by many careful researchers who are every bit as good at data analysis as Silver, and know the physics too, so ignoring them and hiring a known irresponsible skeptic to cover the field is a very good way to discredit your enterprise. Economists work hard on the data; on the whole you’re going to do better by tracking their research than by trying to roll your own, and you should be very wary if your analysis runs counter to what a lot of professionals say.My guess is that he's right about that: not that there is no expertise anywhere, but that the loud claims to expertise are safely -- indeed wisely -- ignored.
Basically, it looks as if Silver is working from the premise that the supposed experts in every field are just like the political analysts at Politico, and that there is no real expertise he needs to take on board. If he doesn’t change that premise, his enterprise is going to run aground very fast.
Goodness knows that you'd have made a ton of money in 2008 if you'd bet heavily on an analysis that 'ran counter to what a lot of professional economists said.' You'd still be making money, in fact: economic stories featuring the word "unexpectedly" have become a joke, they're so common.
The Path By The Water
The British legal system has decided to accept the inequality of women, at least for Islamic wills.
Under ground-breaking guidance, produced by The Law Society, High Street solicitors will be able to write Islamic wills that deny women an equal share of inheritances and exclude unbelievers altogether."High Street" is a British term roughly equivalent to the American "Main Street." What's being discussed here is not a centralized action, then, but the kind of thing that will flow naturally from small actors across the country.
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