Sunday, March 31, 2019
Jeanine Pirro on Weekend Update
Cecily Strong does an excellent parody of the perennially drunk and obnoxious Pirro.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
AOC back in the Bronx
For this town hall interview with Chris Hayes. AOC comes from lives like ours so she knows what it's like to suffer and struggle at the hands of an unjust system. Hence her drive to help the rest of us by correcting those injustices. And a key part of doing that is the Green New Deal, which she explains addresses a wide spectrum of issues. It is an urgent and necessary paradigm shift in the way we perceive and engage our world. She is truly of, for and by the people. Well worth the 15 minutes. More on the Green New Deal in this, and this video.
Duke v. Virginia Tech
Another great back and forth game down to the last play, just like the last Duke game. VT had one last chance to tie the game with a great play under their basket but the player missed the easy shot.
How to make small talk with an introvert
Basically, don't. But if you have something of significance to discuss, by all means.
Watch your language
Jefferson Smith gives Lunz credit for conservative framing, then gives tips on how to frame more progressively (5:05).
Schiff on the Barr Cover-Up
As interviewed by Maddow. Barr was hired specifically to cover up for Dump by spinning the Mueller Report, and will continue to do so by releasing the Report with redactions. Congress will have to subpoena Mueller to get anywhere near to what was in his Report.
Maher on the World Happiness Report
How come the happiest nations are all socialist of the democratic variety? He suggests reframing socialism as capitalism plus, what it really is.
Maher's monologue
The Barr Cover-Up is the first news, of course. Which then leads to Dump's idiotic response to it.
Friday, March 29, 2019
Barr to release Mueller Report by mid-April
According to Barr the liar, he will work with Mueller to redact certain information. Barr the liar also said that the Blight House will not get a privilege review. We'll see.
Fox judge sides with Schiff
"Schiff is correct: In that [Mueller] report there will be evidence of conspiracy. […] In that report will be evidence of obstruction."
Alex Jones admits he's psychotic, sort of
You can see the admission here, where during a deposition he claimed he was 'temporarily' psychotic in claiming the Sandy Hook killings were a false flag. Admitting the problem is the start of recovery, but he is only doing it to get out of liability. He doesn't really acknowledge he's nut. And the truth is, he is continually and seriously psychotic as evidenced by his ongoing conspiracy lunacy.
Highwitness news
Moondog edition. Kimmel sends McConaughey out on Hollywood Blvd. disguised as his character Moondog, who gives people THC-free treats but tells them they have THC in them. Hilarity ensures.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Schiff reams Repugs calling for his resignation
Epic takedown, Shiff listing a number of things that the Mueller investigation revealed that he and we the people find reprehensible yet the Repugs gladly accept. This is a clear statement of true American values of law and order versus the despicable corruption that dominates the Repugnantan Party.
Sanders: Get rid of health insurance companies
He said it, Repugs repeated it, and Sanders replied: "You're damn right." TYT calls Sanders the champion of the Dem candidates and the American people and they're right about that. He means what he says and he'll do what he says, unlike some of the other so-called progressives.
Barr reads Moby Dick, finds no evidence of whales
From Borowitz:
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Attorney General William Barr has just read the classic American novel “Moby-Dick,” by Herman Melville, and found that the book contains “no evidence whatsoever of whales,” Barr stated on Tuesday.
The Attorney General issued his statement on the absence of whales in the Melville classic in a two-paragraph book report released to the news media.
“Those who read ‘Moby-Dick’ looking for whales will be sorely disappointed,” Barr wrote. “There are no whales here.”
To illustrate his point, Barr quoted the book’s first sentence: “Call me Ishmael.”
“As you can clearly see, that sentence does not have a whale in it,” Barr wrote.
The Attorney General indicated that he hoped his report would put an end to “reckless speculation” about the existence of whales in “Moby-Dick.” “It’s time to move on,” he wrote.
Barr disclosed that, after waiting years to read “Moby-Dick,” he was able to finish reading it in approximately fifteen minutes.
Why is McConnel blocking release of Mueller report?
Likely because the Report implicates him in some at best unsavory acts of obstruction. Even Repugs in the House voted unamimously to release it.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Colbert: BarrNotes
Colbert parodies CliffsNotes, only BarrNotes inserts things not in the actual text.
How Sanders will pay for his proposals
Since this is always the first question, here are his answers. Basically having everyone pay their fair share.
AOC does it again
She knows exactly what's at stake.
"People are dying. They are dying. And the response on the other side across the aisle is to introduce an amendment five minutes before a hearing in a markup? This is serious. This should not be a partisan issue. This is about all of our constituents and all of our lives. Iowa, Nebraska—broad swaths of the Midwest are drowning right now. They’re under water. Farms, towns that will never be recovered and never come back. And we’re here and people are more concerned about helping oil-companies than their own families—I don’t think so. I don’t think so!"
Another, expanded version of the video here with commentary.
"People are dying. They are dying. And the response on the other side across the aisle is to introduce an amendment five minutes before a hearing in a markup? This is serious. This should not be a partisan issue. This is about all of our constituents and all of our lives. Iowa, Nebraska—broad swaths of the Midwest are drowning right now. They’re under water. Farms, towns that will never be recovered and never come back. And we’re here and people are more concerned about helping oil-companies than their own families—I don’t think so. I don’t think so!"
Another, expanded version of the video here with commentary.
Safe to presume this is Ocasio-Cortez’s next viral video from a committee hearing pic.twitter.com/SrBd6MY5Xx— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) March 27, 2019
Centrists want civility?
Meaning Democratic centrists. We need to fight and fight hard for saving the planet. And you can't be civil with those who want to destroy it. This is literally a battle for survival with killers who hope we try civility, for they know we will lose with that ineffective strategy. And unfortunately people and the planet will die in the process.
Caveat: This is a call to fighting hard with words and political action, nothing more. Do no harm but take no shit.
Caveat: This is a call to fighting hard with words and political action, nothing more. Do no harm but take no shit.
AI will never conquer humanity
From this piece located at the publications page of the International Computer Science Institute. "Mathematical models help describe reality, but only by ignoring its inherent integrity." Computers work on binary logic and the world is full of 'noise.' Hence computers, and mathematical models for that matter, can only approximate reality by eliminating that noise.
"Can a bunch of bits represent reality exactly, in a way that can be controlled and predicted indefinitely? The answer is no, because nature is inherently chaotic, while a bunch of bits representing a program can never be so, by definition."
Which leads us to ask: "Are our mathematical models just a desperate, failed attempt to de-noise an otherwise very confusing, extremely blurred reality?"
So yes, math and computers are quite useful as long as we keep the above in mind instead of assuming they reveal reality as it is. And as long as we also search for that noisy humanity in the spaces between binary logic, which will never be revealed by math or computers.
"Can a bunch of bits represent reality exactly, in a way that can be controlled and predicted indefinitely? The answer is no, because nature is inherently chaotic, while a bunch of bits representing a program can never be so, by definition."
Which leads us to ask: "Are our mathematical models just a desperate, failed attempt to de-noise an otherwise very confusing, extremely blurred reality?"
So yes, math and computers are quite useful as long as we keep the above in mind instead of assuming they reveal reality as it is. And as long as we also search for that noisy humanity in the spaces between binary logic, which will never be revealed by math or computers.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Krugman: Repugnantans hate healthcare
He's come to the above conclusion given their fixation on destroying Obamacare. Meanwhile they have no replacement. He can only speculate as to why they hate it because there is no legitimate reason other than they just hate people getting any help from the government. You know, just like they don't except for tax breaks, subsidies, and on and on. Of course they are sure they deserve such help because they are superior beings ordained to privilege; the world owes them. The rest of us can just go die if we can't afford private health insurance because, continuing the fake rationale, it's our fault for not having the money due to laziness, sloth, whatever.
Bottom line: They just hate people period and at best don't give a shit if they die. At worst, they take away their health insurance to ensure they indeed die a slow and horrible death. Because, you know, they deserve it.
Bottom line: They just hate people period and at best don't give a shit if they die. At worst, they take away their health insurance to ensure they indeed die a slow and horrible death. Because, you know, they deserve it.
Johnston: Why we need to see the Mueller Report
There are several unanswered questions not addressed by Barr. He also notes that Greenwald is assuming too much from Barr's misleading summary.
Blight House will see Mueller report first
So said AG Barr. And the Blight House will redact anything it deems inappropriate. Could this cover-up be any more obvious? The only remedy it seems if for the House to subpoena Barr, Mueller and anyone else to get to the truth of what's in the report. And of course that will be a legal battle likely going all the way to the Supreme Corp., where Dump and the Repugs have installed two lackeys. The US has become a fascist regime, but we must keep resisting and take back our government in the next election.
Time to be bold
Change always starts on the fringes with bold ideas and policies. There is no time to waste with half measures. This is especially so when the majority of Americans support such life-changing ideas as Medicare For All, corporations and the rich to pay their fair share, the Green New Deal and so on. Now is the time to act, since these ideas that were once on the fringe are now mainstream. Anything less is obstruction against a better world for all.
Greenwald's and Taibbi's Mediagate agenda
Sanders: Dump wants all of Obamacare gone
Sanders comments on this cruel act that would leave 30,000 people to die annually. If that isn't genocide then what is?
"Over 30,000 Americans could die every single year if Trump gets his way and destroys the Affordable Care Act. Our job is to fight back against his efforts to take health care away from millions of people. We must make health care a right through Medicare for All."
"Over 30,000 Americans could die every single year if Trump gets his way and destroys the Affordable Care Act. Our job is to fight back against his efforts to take health care away from millions of people. We must make health care a right through Medicare for All."
Colbert: Reasons Dump is a bad Presidunce
While Colbert is disheartened by Barr's cover-up as if it is true, he points out that even if we scratch off Russian collusion there are still numerous legitimate reasons he sucks. And there are still numerous investigations going on even if we eliminate Russia. This is far from over.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Constitutive absence
Continuing this post, Deacon argues in this article "that the key to understanding emergent phenomena is to understand organization in terms of what is not included, not realized, not present – a property he describes as 'constitutive absence.' […] Everything that has emerged is the result of a hierarchy of constraints – specific forms of absence that give rise to further, even more complex forms of absence."
Abramson: 50 things wrong with Barr's farce
From his Twitter feed:
1/ Barr begins by conceding that, in accordance with DOJ regulations, the report he has received from Mueller only summarizes "prosecution or declination" decisions—meaning that it may well not include much of the raw evidence Mueller compiled, and be sparsely conclusory in form.
2/ Though Mueller may not have included raw evidence in his report—which mainly summarizes who he charged or didn't and why—Barr observes that "the report explains that his staff thoroughly investigated" the allegations, thus confusing the raw evidence and what Mueller told Barr.
3/ This means that we have not 2 but 3 data-points to work with:
(1) Mueller's case file.
(2) Mueller's summary of prosecution and declination decisions.
(3) Barr's summary of Mueller's summary.
Barr writes his letter in a way that quickly conflates #1 and #2—and it *matters*.
4/ So let's say Data-point #1 (Mueller's case file) establishes 80% proof of a crime being committed; Data-point #2 (Mueller's summary of prosecution and declination decisions) might simply say, "not enough to indict." Barr's letter (Data-point #3) can then *imply* "no evidence."
5/ As we've seen—and will see in this thread—that's exactly what Barr does: he carefully chooses his words in describing Mueller's "declination" decisions in a way that obscures how much evidence there may have been, leaving the impression—instead—there may have been none at all.
6/ Barr had a choice here: he could summarize the evidence or summarize the *summary* of the evidence. The decision he made was to summarize the summary, knowing that him doing so would feed into Team Trump's false narrative that criminal evidence exists in an all-or-none binary.
7/ But by *leading off* his "summary of the summary" by referencing the raw evidence—"the Special Counsel and his staff thoroughly investigated..."—it sounds like he's working from the raw evidence, not a summary of the evidence. This is a pretty basic legalistic bait-and-switch.
8/ The next thing Barr does is outrageously mischaracterize the scope of Mueller's investigation—wildly misquoting the public appointment letter that led to the 22-month Mueller probe. Why mischaracterize a public document like this (especially such a famous one)? Let's find out.
9/ Here's the DOJ document that authorized and set the scope for Mueller's investigation. Note, first, that it tasked Mueller with investigating "coordination" between Team Trump and the Russian government; it pointedly did *not* use the word "conspiracy."
10/ "Coordination" is far broader than "conspiracy," as a) it comes from counterintelligence—and thus includes far more conduct than the criminal system would recognize as problematic, and b) it has a broad lay meaning on par with "collusion"—not a narrow statute like Conspiracy.
1/ Barr begins by conceding that, in accordance with DOJ regulations, the report he has received from Mueller only summarizes "prosecution or declination" decisions—meaning that it may well not include much of the raw evidence Mueller compiled, and be sparsely conclusory in form.
2/ Though Mueller may not have included raw evidence in his report—which mainly summarizes who he charged or didn't and why—Barr observes that "the report explains that his staff thoroughly investigated" the allegations, thus confusing the raw evidence and what Mueller told Barr.
3/ This means that we have not 2 but 3 data-points to work with:
(1) Mueller's case file.
(2) Mueller's summary of prosecution and declination decisions.
(3) Barr's summary of Mueller's summary.
Barr writes his letter in a way that quickly conflates #1 and #2—and it *matters*.
4/ So let's say Data-point #1 (Mueller's case file) establishes 80% proof of a crime being committed; Data-point #2 (Mueller's summary of prosecution and declination decisions) might simply say, "not enough to indict." Barr's letter (Data-point #3) can then *imply* "no evidence."
5/ As we've seen—and will see in this thread—that's exactly what Barr does: he carefully chooses his words in describing Mueller's "declination" decisions in a way that obscures how much evidence there may have been, leaving the impression—instead—there may have been none at all.
6/ Barr had a choice here: he could summarize the evidence or summarize the *summary* of the evidence. The decision he made was to summarize the summary, knowing that him doing so would feed into Team Trump's false narrative that criminal evidence exists in an all-or-none binary.
7/ But by *leading off* his "summary of the summary" by referencing the raw evidence—"the Special Counsel and his staff thoroughly investigated..."—it sounds like he's working from the raw evidence, not a summary of the evidence. This is a pretty basic legalistic bait-and-switch.
8/ The next thing Barr does is outrageously mischaracterize the scope of Mueller's investigation—wildly misquoting the public appointment letter that led to the 22-month Mueller probe. Why mischaracterize a public document like this (especially such a famous one)? Let's find out.
9/ Here's the DOJ document that authorized and set the scope for Mueller's investigation. Note, first, that it tasked Mueller with investigating "coordination" between Team Trump and the Russian government; it pointedly did *not* use the word "conspiracy."
10/ "Coordination" is far broader than "conspiracy," as a) it comes from counterintelligence—and thus includes far more conduct than the criminal system would recognize as problematic, and b) it has a broad lay meaning on par with "collusion"—not a narrow statute like Conspiracy.
Hartmann on Barr's cover up
Hartmann lays out Barr's history and he was hired to do more of the same. Barr did not quote a single sentence from Mueller's report, instead interpreting it to vindicate Dump, the exact job he was chosen to do. See the link to know exactly why Barr was chosen for this specific purpose.
The evolution of synergy
Good quick summary of some of Deacon's ideas. Deacon: "We need to stop thinking about hierarchic evolution in simple Darwinian terms. We need to think about it both in terms of selection and the loss of selection or the reduction of selection. And that maybe it's the reduction of selection that's responsible for the most interesting features" (9:40).
This is the real deficit problem
Big money doesn't pay it's fair share. If they did then we'd have a surplus.
AOC: Dump is part of a bigger problem
And one we must continually battle and defeat with daily political activism.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
AG releases summary of Mueller report
According to this story:
"The investigation led by Robert S. Mueller III found that neither President Trump nor any of his aides conspired or coordinated with the Russian government’s 2016 election interference. […] Mr. Barr also said that Mr. Mueller’s team drew no conclusions about whether Mr. Trump illegally obstructed justice. Mr. Barr and the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, concluded that the special counsel’s investigators lacked sufficient evidence to establish that Mr. Trump committed that offense, but added that Mr. Mueller’s team stopped short of exonerating Mr. Trump."
Now to see the whole Report and for the House to investigate to determine how accurate that statement is.
"The investigation led by Robert S. Mueller III found that neither President Trump nor any of his aides conspired or coordinated with the Russian government’s 2016 election interference. […] Mr. Barr also said that Mr. Mueller’s team drew no conclusions about whether Mr. Trump illegally obstructed justice. Mr. Barr and the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, concluded that the special counsel’s investigators lacked sufficient evidence to establish that Mr. Trump committed that offense, but added that Mr. Mueller’s team stopped short of exonerating Mr. Trump."
Now to see the whole Report and for the House to investigate to determine how accurate that statement is.
Pace layering
Article subtitle: How complex systems learn and keep learning. I appreciate this different take on hierarchy, as
"the relationship between components in a system that have different change-rates and different scales of size. […] Consider the differently paced components to be layers. Each layer is functionally different from the others and operates somewhat independently, but each layer influences and responds to the layers closest to it in a way that makes the whole system resilient."
This is much more like the dynamic systems and autopoietic approaches that operate via structural coupling versus the hierarchical complexity approach, where the latter sees each layer being subsumed into the higher via the same scale-free, fractal dynamic. I call the former approaches hier(an)archical synplexity to differentiate them.
"the relationship between components in a system that have different change-rates and different scales of size. […] Consider the differently paced components to be layers. Each layer is functionally different from the others and operates somewhat independently, but each layer influences and responds to the layers closest to it in a way that makes the whole system resilient."
This is much more like the dynamic systems and autopoietic approaches that operate via structural coupling versus the hierarchical complexity approach, where the latter sees each layer being subsumed into the higher via the same scale-free, fractal dynamic. I call the former approaches hier(an)archical synplexity to differentiate them.
2Cellos - Smells like teen spirit
The video starts with one of the best drum solos I've ever heard. Then the 2 cellos join the orchestra to do this Nirvana classic. Quite the fusion of classical and rock.
Several DC indictments under seal
Some could be Mueller indictments that were filed under Deputy AG Rosenstein to ward off the corrupt Dump AG appointees from obstructing the investigation. It's reading tea leaves at this point so to be continued.
The real American center
The progressive agenda is approved by most Americans. Hence the BS establishment media presentation of what is right, left and center. Calling Biden, Klobuchar and Bloomberg the center is "a brazen distortion of reality, a shameless and demonstrable lie that is repeated day after day in newspaper op-eds and cable news headlines." Whereas Sanders, Warren and AOC "are much closer in their views to the vast majority of ordinary Americans than the Bloombergs or the Bidens. They are the true centrists, the real moderates; they represent the actual political middle." See the link for specific policy details and polling data to prove the case.
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Hate crimes rise where Dump holds rallies
Continuing the last post: "A recent study by scholars from the University of North Texas has shown that 'counties that had hosted a 2016 Trump campaign rally saw a 226 percent increase in reported hate crimes over comparable counties that did not host such a rally.'" Dump's hate speech and violent incitement have a direct relation to this sort of behavior.
Who can't disagree in a civil manner?
Being civil with these folks is casting pearls among swine. I'll save my pearls for those who can appreciate them. "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." --Matthew 7:6
AOC gets death threats
And then there's the increasing alt-right (white male) death threats against AOC. Funny how the Repugs ignore them while complaining about nasty social justice warriors who legitimately criticize their white, racist privilege and power hungry, smug superiority. And that justifies threatening their lives? The video has plenty of examples of Repug media using language that incites such threats. Free speech?
How does music affect the brain?
The blurb:
"In this episode of Tech Effects, we explore the impact of music on the brain and body. From listening to music to performing it, WIRED's Peter Rubin looks at how music can change our moods, why we get the chills, and how it can actually change pathways in our brains."
For me the most interesting part was later in the video (10:20), how when we improvise we shut down the pre-frontal planning part of the brain and 'just go with the flow,' which is our most creative and innovation moments. This though does depend on having used the pre-frontal cortex in learning the techniques of music to get them so ingrained in memory that we are then free to play with what we've programmed.
"In this episode of Tech Effects, we explore the impact of music on the brain and body. From listening to music to performing it, WIRED's Peter Rubin looks at how music can change our moods, why we get the chills, and how it can actually change pathways in our brains."
For me the most interesting part was later in the video (10:20), how when we improvise we shut down the pre-frontal planning part of the brain and 'just go with the flow,' which is our most creative and innovation moments. This though does depend on having used the pre-frontal cortex in learning the techniques of music to get them so ingrained in memory that we are then free to play with what we've programmed.
Sam Harris on the New Zealand terrorism
He has come out with a statement about the Christchurch killings to address those nasty Social Justice Warriors "who are actually hoping to get us all killed." Seriously? I'm guessing Jordan Peterson and Ken Wilber fans will love it though.
Free hate speech
Continuing this post, the following is from Richard's excellent FB post on the topic.
"The fake conservative defense of free speech is really a defense of hate speech. What other kind of speech is being repressed?* They try to frame it as a defense of "all" speech because that's the only remotely plausible way to defend extreme hate speech, bullying, white supremacy, Nazi rallies, racist propaganda, efforts to recruit and radicalize the disaffected, etc. They will also cynically use "free association" for the same purposes.
The irony is of course that the more power we allow the radical right to gain, the more they will attack the freedoms of others and the more they will escalate their attacks on free, open society, diversity, and modern democratic, cosmopolitan civilization. And the radical right won't stop at repressing the speech and other rights of those who oppose them. Radical right ideology, unchecked, invariably leads to violence and murder.
This is a classic example of Popper's paradox of tolerance (which they mock even as they exploit it).
Some fear that regulating extreme speech is a slippery slope. Partisan information control is a slippery slope with a clear historical and contemporary warrant (justification) for that argument. Since that is already a slippery slope in its own right, regulating hate speech doesn't necessarily make it more so. Nor is control of hate speech necessarily partisan.
My view is that hate speech is a a form of aggression with a slippery slope towards violence and murder. That particular slippery slope concern has a detailed historical warrant vis a vis open democratic societies. Its not theoretical fear mongering. Hate speech >> fighting words >> incitement to violence >> violence.
Useless tech upgrades
Maher's New Rule on the topic has several LOL moment abouts endless upgrades with shit no one wants or needs.
Friday, March 22, 2019
Fischer's developmental web
From this piece:
"Skills are constructed over time, and as Dr. Fischer's research has shown, variability in skill performance is normal. Development is not like climbing a ladder, where each step up equates to the perfect achievement of a new set of skills. Instead, development is like a spider's web, with growth in change through many pathways at once. Different skills can be at different levels of complexity at the same time. There can be differences across domains, where (for example) math skills might run ahead of social studies skills. Or there can be differences within domains, where multiplication skills might run ahead of division skills. There is also variability within a single skill. Students may demonstrate a skill in one context, and fail to do so in another. A period of building skill followed by regression is also normal. When students are building a new skill or concept, they are likely to 'forget' what they've learned a few times before the new skill can be taken for granted."
"Skills are constructed over time, and as Dr. Fischer's research has shown, variability in skill performance is normal. Development is not like climbing a ladder, where each step up equates to the perfect achievement of a new set of skills. Instead, development is like a spider's web, with growth in change through many pathways at once. Different skills can be at different levels of complexity at the same time. There can be differences across domains, where (for example) math skills might run ahead of social studies skills. Or there can be differences within domains, where multiplication skills might run ahead of division skills. There is also variability within a single skill. Students may demonstrate a skill in one context, and fail to do so in another. A period of building skill followed by regression is also normal. When students are building a new skill or concept, they are likely to 'forget' what they've learned a few times before the new skill can be taken for granted."
Kimmel on Dump's narcissistic personality disorder
Kimmel elaborates on George Conway's Tweet, the latter Kelly Ann Conway's husband.
AZ drops Interstate Crosscheck voter purging
AOC on moderation and incrementalism
"Ten percent better than garbage isn't what we should settle for" (1:10). She goes on to note that moderation is a cynical attitude that puts down ambition and vision as naïve, when moderation is really just capitulating to apathy, ineffectiveness and the status quo.
The result: Conald Dump and his fascist Dumpsters. Repugs love when Dems go moderate because they know Dems then lose and further empower them. It's why they are united in their hatred and war against AOC and anyone like her, for that sort of vision and dedication is effective in bringing down the greed and fascism that has a stranglehold on our country.
The result: Conald Dump and his fascist Dumpsters. Repugs love when Dems go moderate because they know Dems then lose and further empower them. It's why they are united in their hatred and war against AOC and anyone like her, for that sort of vision and dedication is effective in bringing down the greed and fascism that has a stranglehold on our country.
US votes down UN's anti-Nazi resolution
Continuing this post, the US voted against the UN's anti-Nazi resolution because it infringes so-called free speech. It was 1 of the 3 nations that voted against it. This highlights the absurdity of so-called freedom of speech at the cost of, at the very least, accepting hate and bigotry. The US has a very strange notion of freedom compared with most of the rest of the world.
Meyers interviews AOC
One topic is Pox's obsession with her. Another is the sad commentary that some Repug Congress people take Pox as gospel like our Presidunce.
All speech is not free speech
Right now Dump is signing a 'freedom of speech' Executive Order for college campuses. This is the crux of this whole Peterson thing. Does free speech mean you're free to say anything, even if it incites violence? I'm not saying Peterson does this, but some of the extreme people he defends in the name of free speech do. Btw, the Constitution does have exceptions to free speech, like inciting violence, making false statements, fighting words and offensive speech. This is exactly the kind of speech that the alt-right and Dumpsters spew. It is unconstitutional and needs to be challenged on those grounds.
Sanders campaign pledges carbon neutrality
He pledges to offset the travel carbon footprint by "partner[ing] with the Vermont-based NativeEnergy to offset the costs of travel for Sanders and his staff, as well as the emissions generated by venues and attendees at campaign events. NativeEnergy works to invest in renewable energy and carbon reduction projects."
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Homo naledi: New human species discovered
From the blurb:
"In 2013, a treasure trove of unusual fossils were uncovered in a cave in South Africa, and researchers soon realized: these were the remains of a new species of ancient humans. Paleoanthropologist Juliet Brophy takes us inside the discovery of Homo naledi, explaining how this mysterious ancestor is forcing us to rethink where we come from -- and what it means to be human."
"In 2013, a treasure trove of unusual fossils were uncovered in a cave in South Africa, and researchers soon realized: these were the remains of a new species of ancient humans. Paleoanthropologist Juliet Brophy takes us inside the discovery of Homo naledi, explaining how this mysterious ancestor is forcing us to rethink where we come from -- and what it means to be human."
Peer to Peer: The Commons Manifesto
Can be downloaded at this link. The blurb:
Not since Marx identified the manufacturing plants of Manchester as the blueprint for the new capitalist society has there been a more profound transformation of the fundamentals of our social life. As capitalism faces a series of structural crises, a new social, political and economic dynamic is emerging: peer to peer.
What is peer to peer? Why is it essential for building a commons-centric future? How could this happen? These are the questions this book tries to answer. Peer to peer is a type of social relations in human networks, as well as a technological infrastructure that makes the generalization and scaling up of such relations possible. Thus, peer to peer enables a new mode of production and creates the potential for a transition to a commons-oriented economy.
World Happiness Report 2019
Can be found here. The US dropped to 19, while the Scandinavian social democracies once again dominate the top 10. Corporate power and wealth inequality were listed as reasons for the US's poor performance.
1 Finland, 2 Denmark, 15 UK, 19 USA, 140 India & 156 South Sudan— Munish Datta (@MunishDatta) March 20, 2019
World Happiness Report ranks 156 countries levels of happiness based on factors such as life expectancy, social support, corruption & by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to behttps://t.co/IZihHiT52e pic.twitter.com/h8qMHrV9xo
From capitalism to the collaborative commons
"As expected, Mackey lost the bargain with the devil capitalism, as any such bargain inevitably will as long as one remains wed to it" (89-90), "From capitalism to the collaborative commons."
Dump is killing insulin patients
This is not hyperbole. Dump promised to lower drug prices and insulin prices have skyrocketed, leaving many patients who cannot afford it to die. And he has the power to lower those prices. Once again it was a Big Lie and the consequences are a pogrom against hard working Americans who built this country. While that is the literal truth I only advocate that Dump be removed via the voting process, or of the legal process if and when it has been proven he has committed crimes. I'd suggest that policies that cause genocide are crimes, but that is to be determined by history, the courts and voting citizens. Get active people.
Judgmental gods and societal development
From Science Magazine. OMG! "It's my god, my god, talking about myyyy god, my god." Sung to this tune.
"Many scholars argue that moralizing gods were needed to build large-scale societies, an idea sometimes known as the “big gods” hypothesis, although it applies to impersonal supernatural moral laws like karma as well. Hunter-gatherers live in small bands in which everybody knows everybody else, so immoral behavior is virtually guaranteed to be discovered and punished. But in larger, more anonymous societies—from networks of interconnected villages to the first cities—people can break the rules without anyone noticing. If everyone did that, society would fall apart, so moralizing gods were needed to keep an eye on everyone and encourage cooperation instead of cheating. The more people cooperate, the more the society can grow."
"Many scholars argue that moralizing gods were needed to build large-scale societies, an idea sometimes known as the “big gods” hypothesis, although it applies to impersonal supernatural moral laws like karma as well. Hunter-gatherers live in small bands in which everybody knows everybody else, so immoral behavior is virtually guaranteed to be discovered and punished. But in larger, more anonymous societies—from networks of interconnected villages to the first cities—people can break the rules without anyone noticing. If everyone did that, society would fall apart, so moralizing gods were needed to keep an eye on everyone and encourage cooperation instead of cheating. The more people cooperate, the more the society can grow."
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Sanders on Wheeler's fossil fuel fellato
Sanders FB comment on Wheeler's climate science denial, the latter now leading the EPA. This is a dire situation endangering humanity. Hence the absolute necessity of the Dems keeping the House, winning back the Senate, and getting Bernie in the Presidency.
"No, Mr. Wheeler. We actually know for a fact that we have 12 years to left to stop the worst consequences of climate change. Andrew Wheeler is nothing more than a front man for the fossil fuel industry. There is a revolution occurring in renewable energy, and the idea of going back and listening to the short-term needs of the coal industry or the oil industry makes no sense at all. And yet that is what happens when we add yet another climate change denier and fossil fuel industry lobbyist to the EPA."
"No, Mr. Wheeler. We actually know for a fact that we have 12 years to left to stop the worst consequences of climate change. Andrew Wheeler is nothing more than a front man for the fossil fuel industry. There is a revolution occurring in renewable energy, and the idea of going back and listening to the short-term needs of the coal industry or the oil industry makes no sense at all. And yet that is what happens when we add yet another climate change denier and fossil fuel industry lobbyist to the EPA."
Maddow: Secret meeting, Dump campaign and Putin's $ man
See the report here. An excerpt:
"Trump’s national security adviser had contacts with that guy, too? The money guy close to Putin who everybody’s been lying about talking to? We’ve never heard this allegation before. [...] If this is true, this is a whole new element of the Trump-Russia scandal we didn’t know about. This is a whole new contact between the Trump campaign and the Trump transition and the Kremlin that we didn’t know about before. Why would the Trump transition at the highest levels be secretly communicating with the guy who runs Russia’s sovereign wealth fund for Putin?"
"Trump’s national security adviser had contacts with that guy, too? The money guy close to Putin who everybody’s been lying about talking to? We’ve never heard this allegation before. [...] If this is true, this is a whole new element of the Trump-Russia scandal we didn’t know about. This is a whole new contact between the Trump campaign and the Trump transition and the Kremlin that we didn’t know about before. Why would the Trump transition at the highest levels be secretly communicating with the guy who runs Russia’s sovereign wealth fund for Putin?"
Voting record for the Parties
Excellent graph that shows policies the Parties overall vote for and against. Unfortunately it is not a gif so I can't post a copy, so see the link. Here are some examples to consider when you vote next time. The Parties are not even close to being the same.
Dems are for countering Russian vote interference, Repugs against.
Dems are for internet freedom, Repugs against.
Dems are for funding education, Repugs against.
Dems want to restrict money in politics, Repugs don't.
Dems for gun control, Repugs against.
Dems for financial regulation, Repugs against.
Dems are for countering Russian vote interference, Repugs against.
Dems are for internet freedom, Repugs against.
Dems are for funding education, Repugs against.
Dems want to restrict money in politics, Repugs don't.
Dems for gun control, Repugs against.
Dems for financial regulation, Repugs against.
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