lucius septimius 10/25/2022 5:19:01 AM

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Occasional Reader 10/25/2022 6:42:47 AM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 1:

reflect on the good memories. Chin up.

Occasional Reader 10/25/2022 6:43:25 AM

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Just as it would’ve seemed improbable to me 10 years ago that I’d be agreeing with Glenn Greenwald, it would’ve seemed improbable that I’d be agreeing with a Saudi “royal“. But here we are.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11349621/Saudi-Crown-Prince-MBS-mocks-Biden-79-making-fun-gaffes-questioning-mental-acuity.html

vxbush 10/25/2022 7:39:40 AM

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In #3 Occasional Reader said: Just as it would’ve seemed improbable to me 10 years ago that I’d be agreeing with Glenn Greenwald, it would’ve seemed improbable that I’d be agreeing with a Saudi “royal“. But here we are.

In the same week? Isn't that a sign of the apocalypse?

JCM 10/25/2022 7:55:04 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 3:

Trump tweeted Cofefe and it was cause for the dems to talk 25th amendment.

JCM 10/25/2022 8:59:03 AM

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How bad is CA?

SNCF is the France High Speed Rail operator, they contracted to advise CA HSR.

“SNCF was very angry. They told the state they were leaving for North Africa, which was less politically dysfunctional. They went to Morocco and helped them build a rail system.”

buzzsawmonkey 10/25/2022 9:46:46 AM

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Reply to JCM in 6:

Sadly, it's behind the NYT paywall.

JCM 10/25/2022 9:51:30 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 7:

Sorry, sometimes I get things at NYT and they appear to be open.

My commentary is the French, thing Africa is more functional than CA.

buzzsawmonkey 10/25/2022 10:01:17 AM

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In #8 JCM said: My commentary is the French, thing Africa is more functional than CA.

They're probably right.  It wouldn't surprise me to learn that NY---city and state both---are in the same class as California. 

I've written here before about the fact that despite all the Lefties babbling endlessly about "electric" transportation, not one of them has mentioned, let alone advocated, the option of wholly-electric buses---trolley-buses, which run on tires, not rails, and electricity from overhead cables---which served most major US cities for at least 50 years.  Instead they continually squander money on expensive "hybrids" which have dual propulsion systems, extra weight, and less space.  It's how you know that none of these people are serious.

buzzsawmonkey 10/25/2022 10:35:57 AM

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She: "What's that bulge in your pants?"

He: "That's my gender a-firming."

JCM 10/25/2022 12:10:22 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 9:

Several years ago I caught an article which basically debunked CA HSR.

It was about the track leasing plans.... they planned on leasing existing track. From UP ad BNSF.

HSR to be HSR can't be on shared trackage.

vxbush 10/25/2022 2:27:34 PM

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In #11 JCM said: It was about the track leasing plans.... they planned on leasing existing track. From UP ad BNSF. HSR to be HSR can't be on shared trackage.

Wow. Just..... wow. 

buzzsawmonkey 10/25/2022 2:50:23 PM

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Reply to JCM in 11:

As I've observed here before, all the people who want to "regulate the planetary climate" and demand the power and unlimited resources to do so are people who have proven themselves incapable of competently managing and running recently-built, closed, man-made systems. They cannot competently run power grids, or municipal water systems or trash pickup; they cannot competently maintain, let alone repair, the "roads and bridges" they are always prating about; they cannot competently run or maintain the public housing they increasingly want people to live in, or the public transportation systems that they want people to rely on.

More than that; they cannot competently direct disaster recovery/relief from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, wildfires, volcanic eruptions or earthquakes---let alone control or prevent such disasters.

Yet they want people to believe that they can, and should, be permitted to try and regulate the planetary climate, which is infinitely more subtle and varied and complex than any of the recently-built, closed, man-made systems they have already repeatedly proven incapable of managing.

Occasional Reader 10/25/2022 4:34:01 PM

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JCM 10/25/2022 4:40:01 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 13:

Like those who say "communism hasn't been done right". The implication that they could. The arrogance in that statement.

You are absolutely correct. They think they can manage incredibly complex systems.

But not one of them could make a pencil.

Kosh's Shadow 10/25/2022 4:41:28 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 13:

There was an article I saw recently about how the models the government uses to determine policies - not just "climate change" but everything - get less and less reliable as detail is added.

Here it is
Number-crunching math models may give policy makers major headache

Mathematical models that predict policy-driving scenarios—such as how a new pandemic might spread or the future amount of irrigation water needed worldwide—may be too complex and delivering "wrong" answers, a new study reveals.

Experts are using increasingly detailed models to better predict phenomena or gain more accurate insights in a range of key areas, such as environmental/climate sciences, hydrology and epidemiology.

But the pursuit of complex models as tools to produce more accurate projections and predictions may not deliver because more complicated models tend to produce more uncertain estimates.

Kosh's Shadow 10/25/2022 4:43:53 PM

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In #15 JCM said: Like those who say "communism hasn't been done right". The implication that they could. The arrogance in that statement.

As I have said, the search for a system of "equitably" distributing wealth is the search for the Philosopher's' Stone of Political Alchemy; trying to turn people's baser instincts to gold. It won't work any better than the alchemists could turn lead to gold.

After some experiments, it is time to blame the theory. 

Same mistake with "climate change" models. Instead of fixing the models, they change the data.

buzzsawmonkey 10/25/2022 4:52:37 PM

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In #17 Kosh's Shadow said: As I have said, the search for a system of "equitably" distributing wealth is the search for the Philosopher's' Stone of Political Alchemy; trying to turn people's baser instincts to gold. It won't work any better than the alchemists could turn lead to gold.

I really, really like that.

Kosh's Shadow 10/25/2022 5:07:13 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 18:

Thanks. I came up with that expression back in the Swamp days.

JCM 10/25/2022 5:29:38 PM

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Well turning lead to gold is technically feasible.

You need a particle accelerator, lots of energy... and gold derived from the process won't pay for the accelerator or the energy used.

I did the equations in quantum mechanics class for fun once.

Kosh's Shadow 10/25/2022 5:39:59 PM

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Reply to JCM in 20:

Yes, but the alchemists could not have transformed lead into gold. Their theories were based on the Aristotelian 4 elements.

Kosh's Shadow 10/25/2022 5:41:01 PM

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In #20 JCM said: Well turning lead to gold is technically feasible. You need a particle accelerator, lots of energy... and gold derived from the process won't pay for the accelerator or the energy used.

Largely because it produces a very small amount of gold at a time.

JCM 10/25/2022 6:05:54 PM

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Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 21:

Picky, picky, Aristotelian 4 elements to quantum mechanics.... they would have figured it out.....

/s

Kosh's Shadow 10/25/2022 6:42:39 PM

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In #23 JCM said: Picky, picky, Aristotelian 4 elements to quantum mechanics.... they would have figured it out.....

4 elements, 4 fundamental forces, same thing.////

From weakest to strongest: gravity, weak force, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force

Kosh's Shadow 10/25/2022 6:43:37 PM

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'World's dirtiest man' dies shortly after bathing for first time in decades

"Uncle Haji," known by international media as the "world's dirtiest man" due to the fact he didn't bath for over 60 years, died at the age of 94, after falling ill shortly after his first bath, Iranian media reported on Tuesday.