vxbush 6/22/2020 6:03:41 AM

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Morning, campers. Walking into work today I saw several stickers put up that said "Stop Killing Black Lives". And while this was in an area that is totally Democrat party adherents, these folks felt like it was necessary to put up stickers--and then leave the backing paper for the stickers on the ground as trash. 

I'm with OR--these people have drunk the Koolaid and, as others have shared, rational argument isn't going to win the day. 

vxbush 6/22/2020 6:54:30 AM

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buzzsawmonkey 6/22/2020 7:02:17 AM

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The intractability of the "protesters" is caused by, and directly proportional to, the non-existence of any genuine grievance. Even the few of them who may have grown up in less-than-luxurious circumstances, in comparison to someone even better off, grew up in circumstances at least as comfortable as, and usually far more privileged than, their parent(s).

What, then, have they to complain about? The very pamperedness in which they were reared. They have suckled their entire lives not only on the bounty and generosity of America, but on tales of the heroes who preceded them. They have grown up on tales of how their grandparents overcame adversity, of how their parents protested, and perhaps rectified, injustice. How can they measure up to the bravery, to the nobility, of such giants?

They can't---and their yearning for causes to fight, for dragons to slay, has driven them mad. They are simultaneously protesting their parents and grandparents---"See? We, too, are suffering injustice! No, youdidn't solve the problems!"---and furnishing excuse for their refusal to accept adulthood, by creating imaginary injustices and evils to slay.

vxbush 6/22/2020 7:14:48 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 3:

I would like to also see a better explanation of why black folks in England don't seem to have this issue of racism--but then maybe it is there and I simply don't know. Why is there such a huge disparity in the activities/actions/grievances of blacks in the UK vs. the blacks in America? 

buzzsawmonkey 6/22/2020 7:40:35 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 4:

Well, there have been race riots in Britain; was it 20, or 30 years ago that largely-black Brixton, in South London, exploded in violence and looting? I believe there have been other examples, too, though I'm not up on them.

However, the fact that British blacks are largely from former British colonies, and therefore "citizens of the Empire" from the start, and that the now-independent nations they come from (whether shitholes or not) are still independent countries, makes a difference, I think.  It has been axiomatic for years that West Indian blacks, from Jamaica or other former British possessions, do better in the US than American blacks do; the book "Manchild in the Promised Land," which was a big deal back in the Sixties, describes the rivalry/hostility between American blacks in Harlem and their West Indian neighbors.  Even today, it appears that black immigrants from Nigeria or Kenya or Jamaica do better, faster, than native-born American blacks.

It appears that on some level, the knowledge of being "from" somewhere as a full citizen makes a profound difference in one's attitude.  

vxbush 6/22/2020 7:55:56 AM

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In #5 buzzsawmonkey said: It appears that on some level, the knowledge of being "from" somewhere as a full citizen makes a profound difference in one's attitude.  

That would seem to be more a matter of nurturing, and being told stories by your parents--and thus being indoctrinated into a mindset by your parents and grandparents. 

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 8:14:33 AM

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In #5 buzzsawmonkey said: ell, there have been race riots in Britain; was it 20, or 30 years ago that largely-black Brixton

Rule of thumb:  In our age bracket, everything that we think happened about 30 years ago actually happened about 40 years ago...

1981 Brixton riot

JCM 6/22/2020 8:16:05 AM

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Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 8:16:11 AM

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In #5 buzzsawmonkey said: black immigrants from Nigeria or Kenya or Jamaica do better, faster, than native-born American blacks.

If I'm not mistaken, Nigerian-Americans are among the highest-income ethno-national groups in the US, period, irrespective of race. 

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 8:21:10 AM

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In #3 buzzsawmonkey said: They are simultaneously protesting their parents and grandparents---"See? We, too, are suffering injustice! No, youdidn't solve the problems!"---and furnishing excuse for their refusal to accept adulthood, by creating imaginary injustices and evils to slay.

I think I've mentioned here before how my jaw dropped when I heard a black Yalie, back during the Halloween Costume E-Mail OMG!!! Incident, claim something to the effect that her suffering from having to read a gently-worded e-mail to the effect that "you may see Halloween costumes you don't like; deal with it", was comparable to living under Jim Crow. 

vxbush 6/22/2020 8:34:10 AM

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In #9 Occasional Reader said: If I'm not mistaken, Nigerian-Americans are among the highest-income ethno-national groups in the US, period, irrespective of race. 

I have heard some folks (no, I can't remember who) who suggested that folks from any other country than the U.S. who comes here are, in essence, a self-selected subset of that country and thus aren't necessarily a representative sample of folks from that country. YMMV.

But that is an interesting factoid, if true. 

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 8:36:59 AM

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Seattle City Councilpersyn Sawant: CHAZ-CHOP shooting could be "right-wing", Trump "bears direct responsibility"

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 8:39:38 AM

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In #8 JCM said: Teen wounded in another weekend shooting in Seattle's CHOP area

Another white supremacist Impossible Mission Team operation!

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 8:59:49 AM

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So there's this little sort of Shrine of Leftist Virtue-Signalling* that's popped up just up the street from me. The local Progs tape up various messages, mostly of the BLM variety.

And of course, the gun-grabbers are there, too. One professionally-printed sign pleads for gun control now moar than evar!, by stating that, and I quote: "Gun violence disproportionately targets African-American communities."

Damn those racist guns! I wish the guns would stop targeting black people like that. I'm surprised I've never walked in on my own gun collection gathered for a cross-burning or something, what with the inherent racism in the heart of every gun, and so forth.

*Actually, the Shrine is almost a perfect precis of urban leftism.  It was a diner for a long time, and the owner loved to shove his leftist politics in everyone's face; e.g., I had to walk by a giant sign featuring Hillary's leering visage during the 2016 campaign every time I walked by the place; followed by constant signs attacking Trump.  Then, one day, the diner closed... and the owner apparently completely abandoned the property.  It's been sitting empty for like two years now, and is literally falling to pieces.  So, now that's the place the local lefties decided to post all their BLM signs... which are now, also, falling to pieces.  It's a living metaphor of contemporary leftism in America. 

JCM 6/22/2020 9:04:47 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 12:

Baghwan Shrill Sawant.... yeah dahlin' 'cause we all know commies are always about peace and love and tolerance.

JCM 6/22/2020 9:52:45 AM

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104 shot, 14 fatally, over Father’s Day weekend in Chicago

Five children were among the 14 people killed, including a 3-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl killed in separate shootings in Austin on Saturday.

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 9:59:19 AM

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Reply to JCM in 16:

Man, those super secret white supremacist ninja infiltrators sure were busy.

lucius septimius 6/22/2020 10:02:40 AM

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In #17 Occasional Reader said: Man, those super secret white supremacist ninja infiltrators sure were busy.

Obviously we need fewer police. 

vxbush 6/22/2020 10:07:36 AM

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Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 10:18:37 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 19:

Are they virtue-signalling like mad about Black Lives Mattering and such?

vxbush 6/22/2020 10:19:02 AM

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vxbush 6/22/2020 10:31:12 AM

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vxbush 6/22/2020 10:37:11 AM

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vxbush 6/22/2020 10:39:19 AM

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JCM 6/22/2020 10:41:17 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 24:

I've been wondering how long it would take them to dust off that IP. It was pretty decent on the Newton. It's an enhancement I've been waiting for to upgrade my iPad.

vxbush 6/22/2020 10:41:46 AM

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vxbush 6/22/2020 10:53:39 AM

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vxbush 6/22/2020 11:25:15 AM

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vxbush 6/22/2020 11:27:12 AM

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vxbush 6/22/2020 11:36:12 AM

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Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 11:37:47 AM

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In #23 vxbush said: Universal search? Yes, please. 

Not without a universal warrant, dammit!

vxbush 6/22/2020 11:44:58 AM

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In #31 Occasional Reader said: Not without a universal warrant, dammit!

Heh. 

vxbush 6/22/2020 11:51:26 AM

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LOTS of virtue signaling at the end of the Apple keynote. Reminders that everyone wore face masks except the on-air talent and everything was sterilized and followed Santa Clara County safety protocols. Sheesh. 

To be honest, I didn't see a lot that really made me go, "oh, wow." What I saw reiterates that Apple is pushing forward to become a complete one-stop shop for hardware and software. I do see some fun things with Apple Watch, with the ability to share faces and a built-in automatic hand-washing feature (yes, that will be helpful for me). But lots of little innovations that taken individually don't mean much. Together, they are nice, but little that is ground breaking. 

I was hoping to see more AR/VR stuff discussed, but they didn't even tough it. That's a shame, because having a holodeck-like experience would be a very cool thing to release now, where I can "be" with someone virtually when I can't be there in person. Alas, we're still not there yet. 

vxbush 6/22/2020 11:57:50 AM

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In #34 vxbush said: they didn't even tough touch it

FFTM. 

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 12:13:00 PM

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In #34 vxbush said: LOTS of virtue signaling at the end of the Apple keynote. Reminders that everyone wore face masks except the on-air talent and everything was sterilized and followed Santa Clara County safety protocols. Sheesh. 

But nothing about Black Lives Mattering?  I'm shocked.

Bloody racists!   Turn the mob loose on Apple HQ!

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 12:15:58 PM

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So I'm listening to a web presentation from some high muckety-muck about "post-covid recovery" (was asked to do so by my employer to see if there are any issues for us).

Apparently, the Covid pandemic has proven the need for... "tackling climate change".  Oh, and "promoting diversity and inclusion, and a more equitable economy".

Our "elites" are utterly mad. 

lucius septimius 6/22/2020 12:20:25 PM

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In #37 Occasional Reader said:

They have to tack those onto any public pronouncement about anything, sort of how every murder in Europe between 1933 and 1945 was declared "another instance of Jewish ritual murder" by the German press.

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 12:32:03 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 37:

It is "very clear" that we have to transition entirely away from hydrocarbons to "green energy". 

The pandemic proves this.

Somehow.

These people are barking mad. 

buzzsawmonkey 6/22/2020 12:38:58 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 39:

I find it fascinating that even as the computer models for coronavirus infection/death have been shown to be worthless, the "elites" are doubling down on the entirely-computer-model-driven nonsense of "climate change."

lucius septimius 6/22/2020 12:39:05 PM

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In #39 Occasional Reader said: It is "very clear" that we have to transition entirely away from hydrocarbons to "green energy". 

Ironically, on the backs of Africans:

We’d need some 75 billion solar panels … or 4.2 million 1.8-MW onshore wind turbines … or 320,000 10-MW offshore wind turbines … and some 3.5 billion 100-kWh backup batteries. The concrete, steel, copper, lithium, rare earth elements, aluminum, cobalt, plastic and other materials to build them would require vastly more mining and manufacturing than the world has ever seen – nearly all of it with fossil fuels.

Environmentalists oppose almost all mining anywhere in the United States, and even by US companies operating overseas under rigorous Western rules. That means essential metals and minerals get mined and processed in places like Baotou, Inner Mongolia, Bolivia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, mostly under Chinese control, under minimal to nonexistent labor, wage, environmental, reclamation, and worker health and safety regulations. The mining and industrial areas have become vast toxic wastelands.

For cobalt alone, over 40,000 Congolese children, as young as four years old, slave away alongside their parents in mines, for a dollar a day, risking cave-ins and being exposed constantly to filthy, toxic, radioactive mud, dust, water and air. That’s today – for today’s battery, solar panel and wind turbine needs. Imagine how many would be needed to serve the Green New Deal. 400,000 perhaps? 4,000,000?

buzzsawmonkey 6/22/2020 12:40:12 PM

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Just by the way...my favorite "climate change models" are in the Victoria's Secret catalog.

Poor things.  There's so much "global warming" they can barely be persuaded to retain the wispiest of undergarments.

JCM 6/22/2020 12:46:42 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 41:

Yet they freak out if we suggest the small contained nuclear reactors that would bring energy to African put an end to the issue of cooking fire smoke and water quality.

Who really hates black? The people that use them for politics and refuse to allow their advancement? Or some racist schmuck like me who thinks clean air and clean water, and above subsistence farmer are better for people?

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 12:58:10 PM

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"People all around the world have realized they don't want to go back to their pre-COVID lives, but rather, maintain blue skies.'

"People everywhere want more government now, not less."

This is really kind of terrifying to listen to.  And there's not a single word of dissent among the participants. 

JCM 6/22/2020 12:58:56 PM

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In #44 Occasional Reader said: "People everywhere want more government now, not less."

But not Trump......

vxbush 6/22/2020 1:03:54 PM

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In #36 Occasional Reader said: But nothing about Black Lives Mattering?  I'm shocked.

Oh, that was at the beginning. They are making a special outreach to black programmers to give them the tools they need to succeed. I honestly tuned out at that point, figuring it doesn't apply to me as a pasty white chick, but as far as empty gestures go, I think this actually has a better chance of creating some positive change. 

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 1:10:55 PM

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In #44 Occasional Reader said: And there's not a single word of dissent among the participants. 

FINALLY, one voice of semi-realism is raised... e.g., "if you make energy too expensive, it will impoverish people, and also they'll just turn to burning firewood to keep warm, which is even dirtier.... everyone here keeps saying that hydrocarbons are on their way out, and yet in fact, the market for them is very robust, because they're a very cost-effective energy source in most countries."  And this one voice came from an unexpected quarter, without getting into details. 

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 1:19:23 PM

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In #46 vxbush said: a special outreach to black programmers to give them the tools they need to succeed

And what on earth does that actually mean? 

lucius septimius 6/22/2020 1:23:46 PM

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In #48 Occasional Reader said: And what on earth does that actually mean? 

It means waiving the usual qualifications and hiring as many black programmers as possible.  And then make sure you have a small number of competent people to do the actual work.

That's the dirty secret of most HBCs, by the way.  They hire white academics on short term contracts and have them do the actual teaching.  Meanwhile the big professorships are sinecures given to people who don't actually teach.

vxbush 6/22/2020 1:27:48 PM

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In #48 Occasional Reader said: And what on earth does that actually mean? 

Some details are here. 

Occasional Reader 6/22/2020 1:31:13 PM

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Reply to vxbush in 50:

"He highlighted Apple's Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, which will distribute $100 million to "challenge systemic barriers that limit opportunity for communities of color in the critical areas of education, economic equality and criminal justice." 

Oh, well.  That's clear as mud... 

/nothing against you, vx, I'm just saying this looks like the usual corporate danegeld/voluntary shakedown

vxbush 6/22/2020 1:36:31 PM

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In #51 Occasional Reader said: nothing against you, vx, I'm just saying this looks like the usual corporate danegeld/voluntary shakedown

Oh, I don't disagree. But I knew I would mess up the details and that's why I linked to that story. I could have sworn he said something about making hardware and free developer kits available to black developers, but maybe I heard that wrong. 

doppelganglander 6/22/2020 2:43:39 PM

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Reply to vxbush in 46:

If 50 years of affirmative action has not brought black programmers to parity in the workplace, hiring practices are not the problem.

JCM 6/22/2020 3:20:55 PM

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Reply to vxbush in 52:

Most of the dev tools are free for download at apple. I'm registered with Apple as developer. Mostly because of my work on hardware with them a couple of jobs ago. I just use it now to play with their beta release stuff.