lucius septimius 9/2/2020 5:54:26 AM

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Well this is some good news:  BBC backs down on plan not to sing Hail Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory at the Proms.

At the end of the article are listed the offending lyrics to both, and if you're that offended by them, you're a cretin.

doppelganglander 9/2/2020 6:07:50 AM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 1:

Why is it the self-described progressives are unable to let go of the past and recognize,  you know, progress?

vxbush 9/2/2020 6:19:42 AM

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I want to thank whoever it was who posted the New York Times article on the problems of PCR testing. This was the thing that made me chuckle, though: 

Other experts informed of these numbers were stunned.
“I’m really shocked that it could be that high — the proportion of people with high C.T. value results,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. “Boy, does it really change the way we need to be thinking about testing.”

Stop and think for a minute. "Other experts", who are supposed to already know this stuff, are shocked by these results, and freely admit that despite the fact that they are experts (and experts are supposed to know everything about this) they didn't know how big the C.T. values were. It demonstrates that "experts" are only "experts" because they have been labeled so by people who don't know--the media. Oh, folks within the field might call them experts, but for the most part we're depending on the media to tell us this, and this is another data point on just how little is known by some of these experts. 

Otherwise, good morning, everyone. 

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 6:24:54 AM

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Well, Morning Sedition really outdid itself today.   Another turncoat formerly with the Administration, an assistant secretary in Homeland Security, gave a big leg up to the Left's "Trump-is-racist-and-sympathetic-to-white-supremacists" line.

They also had a nice featurette about the suburban/exurban vote possibly flipping for Biden; they went to North Carolina, naturally, since Trump is going there today.   They pounded the drums for "Russian interference" in the election (they just love that one, and cannot let it go), and also had a feature about some black McDonald's franchisees suing the parent company because they claim they were "steered to bad locations" and had "increased security costs," which sounds like they are trying to fault McDonald's for the quality of their own neighborhoods.

There was also something in passing about vote fraud and the difficulties of mail-in voting, where allegations were simply dismissed outright as "unfounded."  If only the border wall were made of narrative, these people would be ideal building hires.

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 6:29:52 AM

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Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 7:31:19 AM

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So, I neglected to mention the other day the topic that of course is of the most vital importance to all of you: My dreams.

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 7:41:01 AM

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Washington, DC city government panel declares that it's un-Washingtonian to have things named after, er, Washington (inter alia).

lucius septimius 9/2/2020 7:41:54 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 6:

Maybe you need to call these guys.

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 7:43:29 AM

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Boom

lucius septimius 9/2/2020 7:47:39 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 6:

I had a dream the other night about escaping from the Soviet Union into Finland.  I was with a group of people, most of whom I had to leave behind -- three of us got out.  But even though we'd gotten across the border we knew that we still wouldn't be safe until we got to the west.

Last night's dream was about being put on trial for something I hadn't done.  No movie actors, though the Queen of England did appear.

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 7:48:43 AM

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In #10 lucius septimius said: Last night's dream was about being put on trial for something I hadn't done. 

Ah, academia.

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 7:55:29 AM

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In #10 lucius septimius said: Last night's dream was about being put on trial for something I hadn't done. 

You're not a Northwestern U. Law professor by any chance, are you?

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 7:56:10 AM

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In #10 lucius septimius said: I had a dream the other night about escaping from the Soviet Union into Finland. 

When you finally made it, did you celebrate by paying for a Lapp dance? 

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 8:01:47 AM

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In #12 Occasional Reader said: You're not a Northwestern U. Law professor by any chance, are you?

Professor Raymond Shaw is the kindest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.

JCM 9/2/2020 8:04:38 AM

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lucius septimius 9/2/2020 8:31:20 AM

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In #15 JCM said: Representatives of the Japanese Government signed the formal surrender documents on the quarterdeck of the USS Missouri (BB 63).

Nowadays, General McArthur would be bowing and apologizing to the Japanese for American neo-colonialist imperialism and the culture of violence.

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 8:39:06 AM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 16:

That's precisely what the people who whine and wring their hands about our dropping the atomic bombs are doing, retroactively.

vxbush 9/2/2020 8:43:26 AM

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In #17 buzzsawmonkey said: That's precisely what the people who whine and wring their hands about our dropping the atomic bombs are doing, retroactively.

Yet again, modern sensibilities do not translate into the past. 

lucius septimius 9/2/2020 8:50:13 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 17:

I used to show students examples of Japanese English-Language school materials from the war -- essentially the Japanese version of the Weekly Reader (who remembers those?)  They contained all sorts of justifications for atrocities, celebration of the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" and naked jingoism of the worst kind.  Of course now such materials would be banned.

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 8:51:47 AM

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In #19 lucius septimius said: Japanese English-Language school materials

How did they do in terms of LGBTQ+ outreach and inclusivity?

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 9:02:08 AM

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At Insty:

"The UK’s “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme where the government paid half of restaurant-goers meal tickets has been a success by its own lights, coaxing people to go out to eat again and even – mirabile dictu – being the rare example of a temporary government program that actually ended and came in under budget. However, the bill now has to be paid and the government is contemplating doubling corporation tax..."

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.  Who knew?

And by the way: "Eat out to help out'?  Who was the cunning linguist who came up with that slogan?

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 9:05:02 AM

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In #21 Occasional Reader said: And by the way: "Eat out to help out'?  Who was the cunning linguist who came up with that slogan?

Probably a cousin of the advertising genius who decided to use oral sex to sell fruit, and came up with a spokescharacter called "Chick Eat a Banana."

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 9:05:52 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 22:

Well, whoever it is should be called to the carpet for a good tongue-lashing.

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 9:06:21 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 21: Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 22:

Speaking of which...

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 10:04:49 AM

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JCM 9/2/2020 10:26:13 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 25:

Clearly Mayor Big Wheel did not understand the fable of The Frog and the Scorpion.

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 12:52:02 PM

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In #26 JCM said: Clearly Mayor Big Wheel did not understand the fable of The Frog and the Scorpion.

I think it's the fable of the Prog and the Scorpion that you have in mind.

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 1:16:29 PM

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JCM 9/2/2020 1:27:48 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 28:

Your non-papers please!

JCM 9/2/2020 1:41:05 PM

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Data shows out-of-towners traveling long distances to join up with locals, turning protests violent

West Hollywood; Seattle; Portland; Pasco, Wash.; and Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

These are just a handful of the cities where recently arrested Kenosha, Wis., rioters are listed as coming from. And as riots continue to pop up across the United States, such data has fueled speculation about the origins of the agitators and how they might be organized.

Conspiracy; to riot, to commit arson, vandalism. Based on published purpose conspiracy to commit insurrection.

lucius septimius 9/2/2020 1:46:20 PM

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JCM 9/2/2020 1:50:39 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 31:

Maf is hard!

lucius septimius 9/2/2020 1:50:51 PM

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In #29 JCM said: Your non-papers please!

"Wait, yes I have them right here."

"These non-papers non-expired three weeks ago; you'll have to come with us."

(runs, is shot in front of huge poster of DeBlasio that reads "ce ne sont pas des non-documents" Police pry open his dead hands which hold crumpled up pieces of blank paper)

lucius septimius 9/2/2020 1:51:45 PM

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Reply to JCM in 32:

I guess so.  I've been banging my head on the desk all day trying to make sense of the numbers only to conclude that they make no sense.

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 2:14:48 PM

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In #28 buzzsawmonkey said: you need to have documents proving you're "undocumented."

Paging Mr. Kafka... paging Mr. Kafka... please pick up the white privilege courtesy phone... 

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 2:20:44 PM

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In #31 lucius septimius said: I've spent most of my day wrestling with two studies, both of which have serious flaws.  In one case, despite being published by major press, there are some simple arithmetic errors (pro tip:  if every figure in a column is an even number, the sum cannot be an odd number).  In the other case, the author bases her entire argument on a statistical claim that is patently absurd and easily disproven.  Again -- it got published.  It's amazing, really.

Similar thing from My World: Back in the mid 90s when I was with an NYC law firm, we were hired by a major bank to deal with an issue, after they'd fired the previous law firm.

This bank had been party to a financing contract with a large Mexican corporation, the contact for which allowed the NY bank to call an event of default if (among other things) the Peso depreciate by more than X%.  Came the Mexican Peso Crisis, the bankers and lawyers all agreed, yep, we can call an event of default; and so they did.  

What all these bright boys and girls forgot was that of course, there are always two ways to calculate a percentage change; by comparing the delta to the "before" figure, or the "after".  

They'd done it wrong. 

The Peso had NOT, in fact, per the agreed formula, depreciated by more than X%... and the Mexicans had quickly figured that out, and sued the NY bank.

Oopsie. 

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 2:26:46 PM

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Reply to JCM in 30:

These are mostly peaceful protests for social justice and against racism!

Also: Any violence has been perpetrated by sekrit white supremacist infiltrators.

Also: Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.

Occasional Reader 9/2/2020 2:36:19 PM

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Old and busted: "The b*tch set me up"

New hotness: "The b*tch: I was set up"

Oh, and Nancy, I do believe what you did there is actionable libel.  Enjoy!

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 2:38:35 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 38:

She should simply offer unconditionered surrender.

lucius septimius 9/2/2020 2:48:25 PM

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In #36 Occasional Reader said: Mexicans had quickly figured that out, and sued the NY bank. Oopsie. 

Reminds me of a story told to me by a woman friend who is in corporate finance.  She described how some new hire had made a minor error that ended up costing the company more than his salary in a single day.  She remarked that the sort of people who say in college that they'll get serious and work hard when it really matters never seem to find, even in the workplace, a situation that really matters. 

lucius septimius 9/2/2020 2:50:18 PM

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In #39 buzzsawmonkey said: She should simply offer unconditionered surrender.

Madame de Pompadour

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 2:55:24 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 41:

Let's not forget that "pelo" in Spanish means "hair."   Thus, "pelo---sí" actually means, "hair---yes!"

JCM 9/2/2020 3:00:12 PM

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Portland-area law enforcement declines to send officers, deputies to help with protests

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Over the weekend, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said she would ask nearby counties to send officers and deputies to Portland to help with protests. All three agencies have since declined to send personnel and other agencies have told KATU they would do the same.

Those other agencies know a tar baby when they see one.

Kosh's Shadow 9/2/2020 3:10:43 PM

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In #16 lucius septimius said: In #15 JCM said: Representatives of the Japanese Government signed the formal surrender documents on the quarterdeck of the USS Missouri (BB 63). Nowadays, General McArthur would be bowing and apologizing to the Japanese for American neo-colonialist imperialism and the culture of violence.

But back then:

From this article

“In Navy custom whenever a dignitary comes aboard there are sideboys — enlisted men — who stand at attention along the gangway, saluting him.

“MacArthur was so aware of the psychology of that moment.

“He knew the Japanese had an inferiority complex about their height, so he sent word that none of the sideboys should be less than 6 feet, 2 inches tall. Years later, covering the Celtics, I remember thinking that was something (Red) Auerbach would have done.

Today, that would be considered a terrible thing to do to the Nips

buzzsawmonkey 9/2/2020 3:23:32 PM

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