Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 5:55:16 AM

1

Howdy.

“Sigh”, as Hillary Rodham famously said.  Looks like I will be eliminating NYC from my post-Christmas travel plans with Little OR, in order to keep the peace with his increasingly Omicron-worried mom.   Well, we’ll still see my family, anyway, that’s the most important part; and the silver lining is, this will save me a bunch of money.

vxbush 12/20/2021 6:05:27 AM

2

In #1 Occasional Reader said: this will save me a bunch of money.

Well, I suppose that's one help these days. Myself, I wouldn't mind spending beaucoup money to go to the destination in the picture. Wow. 

lucius septimius 12/20/2021 7:01:46 AM

3

Reply to vxbush in 2:

I'm headed down to the beach after Christmas for a spell.  I need a vacation. Of course from what I get in the media, Florida is knee-deep in rotting corpses deliberately murdered by DeathSantis, so there's that.

Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 7:37:59 AM

4

Reply to lucius septimius in 3:

Are you sure Florida is even still there? I thought it had been wiped out by the rising sea levels already.

Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 7:46:31 AM

5

doppelganglander 12/20/2021 8:11:18 AM

6

Kosh's Shadow 12/20/2021 8:16:26 AM

7

Went to the first place in a while that requires masks - where we have our dogs groomed (no animal husbandry jokes please)

Other places suggest, but don't require them for vaccinated people.

lucius septimius 12/20/2021 8:17:38 AM

8

Reply to Occasional Reader in 5:

Did you ask them to elaborate? I'd love to hear the (obviously unhinged) explanation.

As one of our agents out in the wilderness, we depend on your scientific observations.

lucius septimius 12/20/2021 8:18:15 AM

9

In #6 doppelganglander said: Also, it was 40 degrees outside.

It's cold because of Global Warming.  Didn't you know that?

Kosh's Shadow 12/20/2021 8:33:29 AM

10

In #5 Occasional Reader said: And I’ve already heard one of them blame Trump for the Omicron variant.

All part of his plan of insurrection! Kill the Democrats with COVID while his people take ivermectin!///////////////////////////////////////////

Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 8:40:25 AM

11

In #6 doppelganglander said: CLIMATE ACTION NOW.

Did you throw cold water on them? 

Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 8:42:46 AM

12

In #8 lucius septimius said: id you ask them to elaborate? I'd love to hear the (obviously unhinged) explanation.

I did not ask, but he said something like "if he had just done his job at the beginning...".

Apparently, if Trump had just [something something] in February 2020, that would have stopped the [dramatic music] OMICRON VARIANT! in November 2021; but somehow, that [something something] wasn't something that Joe Biden could do at any time from January - November 2021.  

JCM 12/20/2021 8:52:07 AM

13

Reply to doppelganglander in 6:

ME: What action would you like?

THEM: The Green New Deal!

ME: You know the United States implement the Green New Deal will affect model temperature rises by 0.01°C, don't you?

doppelganglander 12/20/2021 9:15:04 AM

14

Reply to lucius septimius in 9:

Reply to Occasional Reader in 11:

Reply to JCM in 13:

Had the light been red, forcing me to stop, I would have shouted IT'S CALLED WEATHER!

In the past, I've ended conversations by getting the person to agree that earth's climate has changed many times throughout history; then I ask what the correct climate/temperature is.

Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 9:32:52 AM

15

In #14 doppelganglander said: then I ask what the correct climate/temperature is.

You know who else asked that question?

HITLER!!!!!!!!

lucius septimius 12/20/2021 9:48:21 AM

16

In #14 doppelganglander said: then I ask what the correct climate/temperature is.

What do they say?

doppelganglander 12/20/2021 10:55:56 AM

17

Reply to lucius septimius in 16:

Nothing, usually, or "Hurrumf hurrumf, that's not the point." There is no answer because there is no optimal temperature or climate. A change in one part of the world might make another part uninhabitable.  

JCM 12/20/2021 11:07:07 AM

18

Reply to lucius septimius in 16:

Are you being paid by Big Oil?

JCM 12/20/2021 11:15:05 AM

19

Reply to doppelganglander in 17:

Goes back to the lack of teach of critical thinking.

Anyone taking a quick look at any climate data other than Mann's fraudulent hockey stick would realize there is no ideal or normal temperature.

Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 11:26:34 AM

20

In #1 Occasional Reader said: and the silver lining is, this will save me a bunch of money.

And the other silver lining is, given that his mom and I have held off on vaccinating him, it seems an NYC visit would be a complete pain in the ass, as we'd have to order all our meals in, and would be unable to visit practically any indoor venues. 

Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 11:28:33 AM

21

In #19 JCM said: the lack of teach of critical thinking.

Well, there's lots of critical race theory being taught... does that count? 

JCM 12/20/2021 11:52:55 AM

22

Reply to Occasional Reader in 21:

Critical Theory is the antithesis of Critical Thinking.

buzzsawmonkey 12/20/2021 12:10:35 PM

23

Reply to JCM in 22:

+++++++++++++++++++++++

vxbush 12/20/2021 1:04:30 PM

25

Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 1:33:51 PM

26

In #25 vxbush said: Random thought this weekend: If we follow the naming conventions for things such as winter wool, rubber seal, iron tub, etc., then a fire hydrant should be a source of fire, not the quencher of fires. 

"Why do we drive on a parkway, but park on a driveway?"

-Steven (Stephen?) Wright 

vxbush 12/20/2021 2:03:32 PM

27

In #26 Occasional Reader said: "Why do we drive on a parkway, but park on a driveway?"

Yes, precisely!

Kosh's Shadow 12/20/2021 3:13:36 PM

28

In #22 JCM said: Critical Theory is the antithesis of Critical Thinking.

It is, from its roots with Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. That is considered the first work of "critical theory"

JCM 12/20/2021 3:20:15 PM

29

Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 28:

My college philosophy course. We read Plato, Kant, Descartes, and one other I can't remember.

Final was a blue book essay, there was a question about each one, we got to pick just one. I hadn't read Kant, but the question seemed the easiest. So I spent two hours bloviating about something I had not read and got a A+.

That was my take away about philosophy, if you can get them to buy your bullshit... It's all good.

Kosh's Shadow 12/20/2021 3:29:27 PM

30

Reply to JCM in 29:

My college roommate major in Math, minor Philosophy. (For me it was Physics and History)

He said that to do math, all you needed was a blackboard, chalk, and an eraser. For philosophy, you didn't need the eraser.

Other than the Monty Python song, my knowledge of philosophy came from reading Bertrand Russel, A History of Western Philosophy, on the subway when I lived and worked in Boston. I have forgotten most of it.

Occasional Reader 12/20/2021 3:40:39 PM

31

In #29 JCM said: That was my take away about philosophy, if you can get them to buy your bullshit... It's all good.

Dust... in the wind... all we are is dust in the wind.   

JCM 12/20/2021 3:50:53 PM

32

Reply to Occasional Reader in 31:

HA!

That's our political problem. Political solutions are philosophical, dust in the wind.

Used to be called political science.... Let's try and idea, collect data and revise.

Now it's try and idea and throw money at it infinitely.

Kosh's Shadow 12/20/2021 4:23:59 PM

33

Reply to JCM in 32:

Socialism is the Philosopher's Stone of Political Alchemy, trying to turn people's baser instincts into gold.

buzzsawmonkey 12/20/2021 9:51:36 PM

34

Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 33:

+++++++++++++++++++++++