Monday, May 19. 2008
 Columbia's Brain and Mind Symposium has archived (on online video) a wonderful and relatively non-technical series of lectures by the world's greatest neuroscientists.
These talks were presented in 2004 as a part of Columbia University's 250th Anniversary. (h/t, Neurophilosophy)
Over the transom: "Damascus barrels consist of a combination of forged iron and steel. Strips of iron and steel are braided in different forms into a band. This is then wound around a mandrel and welded. The manufacture proceeds little by little; the form is worked with light hammering until all the small rods or wires are joined into a solid piece. The mandrel used as a form is then removed by boring it out. Depending upon how the wires are braided and twisted, there appears upon the finished barrel after browning or bluing a more or less fine Damascus-like figure. The finer and more regular these appear, the greater the worth of the barrel. The cheapest Damascus barrels were the so called “band” Damascus barrels. Better types according to the quality are the so called “Horseshoe,” “Rose,” “Bernard,” “Crolle,” “Moiré," and “Laminette.” Other fine types of Damascus included those made in England, known as “Laminated Steel,” and the genuine English Damascus produced in Marshall’s workshops in Birmingham. Confidence in quality of Damascus was so great that even ordinary steel barrels were either painted or covered with decalcomania showing Damascus patters. These imitation Damascus are even now occasionally to be found. The improvements in barrel steels have now, however, practically driven Damascus off the market. Until the year 1900 approximately one third to a half of the Belgian guns were produced with Damascus barrels. In Subl, however, the switch over to the use of the much superior open-hearth steel type, the elastic limits of which even in the very cheapest types, are equal to the very best Damascus barrels, i.e. about 45 kilograms per square millimeter, was undertaken considerably earlier." Source: Stoeger’s The Shooters Bible, 48th Edition, page 57, 1957: 
...in proportion as the evil decreases the denunciation of it increases; and as fast as natural causes are shown to be powerful there grows up the belief that they are powerless.
Herbert Spencer was a giant of his time. His socio-political "law" is discussed at Cafe Hayek. You have the best, most modern, and most widely available medical care in the world? But it's terrible - because some few fall through the cracks! You have terrible storms, with wind and rain? Surely governments or the UN can fix that! Spencer's Law surely applies to many areas of life today.
This is not my blog. I contribute things, but that's it. I'm not in charge. So I am not responsible for what is said here. I'm simply responsible for my own behavior, and to choose my friends wisely. But as my father often told me, nothing good happens in a bar after midnight; so if you choose to stay in there, whatever happens is partly your responsibility. I have sharp Internet elbows. I say outrageous things for effect from time to time. When you try to use humorous turns of phrase, it's easy to piss people off. In general, the Internet could easily be renamed: A Pigpen for Pissed off People anyway. If I woke up tomorrow and everybody's URL began with PPP instead of WWW I'd be down with that. I still say we should call a "call a spade a spade." But some people like to find offense where it isn't because they've got nothing else but outrage. They're willing to manufacture outrage to suit their crabby worthless worldview. If someone didn't care for my politics, they might take issue with the expression "call a spade a spade," for instance. They're hoping that they could wield a sort of moral Kryptonite they could use to say that any particular argument is settled, because you're obviously not even of sufficient moral stature to dispute with. Political Correctness is the attempt to end discourse by introducing extraneous moral elements that, in general, are imaginary.
But what of the flip side? What of people who claim that their right to express themselves is being impinged by PC, when in reality, no such extraneous elements are being introduced to the equation?  This image, among others, was inserted in the comments here at Maggie's, to mock the people in it. But not in just a humdrum way. They were used as a sort of intellectual club to try to beat the political opponents of the person that used the picture. It was an exponential, not just an arithmetical, extension to the insult.
The person that offered it has nothing of any merit to say about anything. If they told me the sun was rising in the East today, I'd check. If they did have anything of merit to say, they wouldn't have to resort to using a picture like that to complain about being enjoined from fantasizing about the murder of their political opponents. I must be immune to the charms of the urge to mock the mentally disabled. Because I don't see it. I see two people, in every way my equal in the eyes of the creator, looking directly into the camera -- unashamed, friendly, outgoing, sunny, and smiling. They are useful to other people. They are --get this-- happy. Contrast their demeanor with the crabby, xenophobic, greedy, unfriendly, spiteful, whining, paranoid, and anti-intellectual outlook of the person that placed it here, and the cowardly context of the original sentiment expressed. Yes, indeed, the photo depicts people who aren't "smart enough" to drink their own urine and eat Spam in their bunker while telling people on the Internet they're praying for an apocalypse that never comes so you can say "I told you so." I'll take a planet filled with people like the picture, please.
 Dems for School Choice, in Florida
Shoot the messenger. Steyn at NRO, about that radical mosque Rock star! 75,000? The triumph of image over substance. It works well on the kids. Related: James Lewis on the iconography of Obama. The empirical cost of weddings. Captain Capitalism. I think these fancy weddings are BS. A party planner I interviewed one time told me that the success rate of marriages varies inversely to the cost of the wedding. Kudlow: Pols are striking out on energy A thoughtful and principled argument for a tax: Conspiracy Speaking of taxes, Mike Adams on the Fair Tax Everything is so scarey. The Omniphobia Epidemic Is the AP good for America? Pajamas A warmer climate would reduce hurricanes. Why we like to grow our own. The full transcript of Bush's Knesset speech. HMS Exeter found off Java. (h/t, Theo) The Age of Educational Romanticism. Charles Murray at New Criterion The Global Warming Myth. What is settled is the politics, not the science. (h/t, Icecap) Holding things responsible for what men do with them.
From a collection of photos of wrecks at Dark Roasted Blend. h/t, Dr. Bob 
Sunday, May 18. 2008
 Please, dear commenters, we ask that you refrain from comments which the average person would consider "rude, crude, or socially unacceptable." Mind your manners!
Obama blames FOX and email (?) for expected loss in KY. He's baaack! Osama still wants the rest of Israel's land...and Spain...and Europe...and...Oh, here's the new report Alfred E. Neuman's artist-creator died Carnival of the Insanities today UN Human Right's Council to monitor US elections. Good grief - the guy is from Somalia. Repubs forgot who they are. VDH reminds them Willisms says: Not only would socializing the remainder of non-socialized health care be terrible policy, it would feed back into the politics. It would put serious constraints on the conservative movement, creating new Democrats vested in the system and binding our hands when it comes to major tax reform, Social Security reform, and other innovative ideas.
Who is Frank Buckles?
The technical definitions of solipcism and sophistry tend to elude my memory. I study them, and a month later they slip away. "Sophistry" is of course often used as a general insult towards arguments with which one might disagree, but that usage degrades the meaning. AVI did my work for me today, on sophistry. His handy practical definition: "Sophistry is a phrase so neat you can't see the loose end that would unravel it. It's flawless, but wrong." Sleight-of-mind. One of the examples he offers is: You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war. Hmm, wait a minute - why can't you do both? I'll offer this one: If the glove don't fit, you must acquit. Wait a minute - a glove gets to make the decision? One more: Heard from a New Zealand interviewer last week re global warming:
"It's very important for New Zealanders to try to help, even if it doesn't make a difference." It is? Futility is an essential part of the Kiwi national character? Thus sophistry is designed to defeat thought, not to provoke thought. Such assertions are designed to ward off that "Hey, wait a minute, does that make sense?" reaction. Always check the premises before discussion, even if they sound OK. Or especially if they sound OK. You can read AVI's piece here.
My gardening buddies and I journey to this place each May for our vegetable plants. We go because they are the only place around here that has 30 varieties of tomatoes (including the yellow pear-shaped cherry tomatoes and all sorts of heirloom tomatoes), and 15 varieties of Basil and five varieties of Italian parsley, etc., in their herb shed (not that you want that many - it's just fun to see them all). This was yesterday morning: 
 
 Well, the world's largest turkey in Frazee, MN (photo on right) got his goose cooked a few years ago. Overcooked turkey - too dry, not good.
However, the largest turkey ever raised was 86 lbs (39 kilos). That big guy must have been a fine source of left-overs for some lucky family. The problem would be running out of cranberry sauce and stuffing.
 Megan McArdle has a crush on Bobby Jindal
Even the NYT agrees: An Atrocious Farm Bill Why not to buy Merrill Lynch right now. The neurological roots of sexual pleasure. Dr. X Pelosi snubbed by Iraq leaders Repubs have strayed from Freedom. Dem Project Obama an appeaser? Shame on you. Steyn. Related: Obama calls for his Mommy: Surber/ Related: Will Obama respond directly to the charge? Rick Moran. "If the shoe fits, whine about it": Betsy. On the other hand, Moderate Voice is impressed by the fast and unified Dem response. They obviously have a rapid response team in place. A conspiracy so lunatic only 60 Minutes could fall for it. Hinderaker Fat people cause global warming. Moonbattery PJ O'Rourke's Cato speech. A quote: It is the avowed purpose of politics to bring the policies of our nation down to a level where they are good for everyone. No matter how foolish, irresponsible, selfish, grasping, or vile everyone may be, politics seeks fairness for them all. I do not. I am here to speak in favor of unfairness.
Harkin: McCain too military to be Pres. AIG and Elliot Spitzer, in the WSJ. A quote: ...the AIG case, like so many others that Mr. Spitzer brought, was an example of prosecutorial excess. Instead of uncovering some great fraud by a titan of industry, its main result has been to damage the company, and harm innocent managers and shareholders.
Photo: You don't need camouflage if you are transparent. (You could make the same statement about human personality.) The Glasswing Butterfly of Central America. Photo from this site.
Matthew 28: 16-20 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
Saturday, May 17. 2008
A quote from McCain's NRA speech, via Classical Values: Senator Obama has said, if elected, he will withdraw Americans from Iraq quickly no matter what the situation on the ground is and no matter what U.S. military commanders advise. But if we withdraw prematurely from Iraq, al Qaeda in Iraq will survive, proclaim victory and continue to provoke sectarian tensions that, while they have been subdued by the success of the surge, still exist, and are ripe for provocation by al Qaeda. Civil war in Iraq could easily descend into genocide, and destabilize the entire region as neighboring powers come to the aid of their favored factions. A reckless and premature withdrawal would be a terrible defeat for our security interests and our values. Iran will view it as a victory, and the biggest state supporter of terrorists, a country with nuclear ambitions and a stated desire to destroy the Sta te of Israel, will see its influence in the Middle East grow significantly. The consequences of our defeat would threaten us for years, and those who argue for premature withdrawal, as both Senators Obama and Clinton do, are arguing for a course that would eventually draw us into a wider and more difficult war that would entail far greater dangers and sacrifices than we have suffered to date. Thanks to the counterinsurgency instigated by General Petreaus, after four years of terribly costly mistakes, we have a realistic chance to succeed in helping the forces of political reconciliation prevail in Iraq, and the democratically elected Iraqi Government, with a professional and competent Iraqi army, impose its authority throughout the country and defend its borders. We have a realistic chance of denying al Qaeda any sanctuary in Iraq. We have a realistic chance of leaving behind in Iraq a force for stability and peace in the region, and not a cause for a wider and far more dangerous war. I do not argue against withdrawal because I am indifferent to war and the suffering it inflicts on too many American families. I hold my position because I hate war, and I know very well and very personally how grievous its wages are. But I know, too, that we must sometimes pay those wages to avoid paying even higher ones later. I want our soldiers home, too, just as quickly as we can bring them back without risking everything they suffered for, and burdening them with greater sacrifices in the years ahead. That I will not do. I have spent my life in service to my country, and I will never, never, never risk her security for the sake of my own ambitions. I will defend her, and all her freedoms, so help me God. And I ask you to help me in that good cause. Thank you, and God bless you.
 12 ga. ammo that you would not believe! (Thanks, Habu. That site is a kick.)
My only concern is the danger of that confetti load. Won't that damage the Environment? What if the confetti isn't biodegradable? Or causes Global Warming? Their other loads seem very fine, though, and intriguing in many ways. A shotgun, in fact, is a far more serious weapon than a handgun for 99% of life's possible heavy-duty problems, but is a bit more difficult to conceal. When young 'uns aren't around, I keep one loaded (12 ga. pump, buckshot) and handy, just like my ancestors in CT did. You hope you never need it, but you use it with righteous force if you ever do because I hear from Vergil that there is still room in Motel Hell for bad guys. You can get those PC t-shirts here. The wording is "Should be a convenience store, not a government agency." (Ignore "continue reading." It's a glitch.)
Continue reading "And even more Gun Fun"
As of today, we can put vegetables in the ground up here. Got the garden ready? 
Further Instructions (1913)
Come, my songs, let us express our baser passions.
Let us express our envy for the man with a steady job and no worry about the future.
You are very idle, my songs,
I fear you will come to a bad end.
You stand about the streets, You loiter at the corners and bus-stops,
You do next to nothing at all.
You do not even express our inner nobilitys,
You will come to a very bad end.
And I? I have gone half-cracked.
I have talked to you so much that I almost see you about me,
Insolent little beasts! Shameless! Devoid of clothing!
But you, newest song of the lot,
You are not old enough to have done much mischief.
I will get you a green coat out of China
With dragons worked upon it.
I will get you the scarlet silk trousers
From the statue of the infant Christ at Santa Maria Novella;
Lest they say we are lacking in taste,
Or that there is no caste in this family.
Why is the press exempt from McCain-Feingold, when they are so obviously working for the Obama team? Two examples of MSM lying - not spinning, flat-out lying - this week: The WaPo The NYT I guess I have to calm down and get used to this, or I will give myself a stroke.
 This is a weekly Saturday morning feature that will slowly, over time, turn you into a full-fledged computer expert. More info here.
Lesson 6: Building A Home Page
Project time! Okay, the big mean Dr. Mercury has been boring you to tears with lessons on ugly, sordid things like file structure and backing up systems and such, so today we're actually going to get our hands dirty. We're going to construct a local web page with all of your favorite links on it. I semi-promise you, this is one cool thing your buddies don't have.
The biggest problem with browsers is fussing around looking for bookmarks or 'Favorites'. All you want to do is hit the news sites, or stop by Google or TVGuide or Wikipedia for some quick info, and you end up hunting all over the place for the dang bookmarks. You memorize some of their locations over time, but if suddenly you want to check something on some site you don't visit very often, you could spend endless minutes looking for the dang link. Enter the personal private professional custom deluxe local web page. Don't leave home without it.
Continue reading "Dr. Mercury's Computer Corner: Lesson 6 - Building a home page"
Friday, May 16. 2008
 Why are Obama and the Dems freaking out about Bush's Knesset speech? Because he hit a nerve, and rightly so.
Rove: The GOP must stand for something. I suggest Patriotism, Freedom, Free Markets, Opportunity and Optimism. That would offer a dramatic contrast. Related: Hillary's lessons for McCain A $1 image stabilizer for your camera. Very cool. This "deeply unpopular war." Villainous. Nobody would be complaining if it had been quicker, and nobody expected a proxy war by Iran. Brazil update. A contemporary bust of Julius Caesar found McCain opposes the Farm Bill. Me too. It's welfare and political bribery. If you like peanut butter, an invention long overdue. Excellent essay by Prof Deneen re oil and politics. He is stuck on the Peak Oil thing, though. I am stuck on the pro-nuke power thing, and we will never need to worry about energy. A positive view of No Child Left Behind You want government medical care? Who do you trust? Tigerhawk loves Starbucks Obama not a hit in the Bluegrass State Civil servants make us all tax slaves. Copyright and the 1st Amendment. Volokh Here's what the Polar Bear story was all about - preventing oil drilling and mineral exploration Kerry, Redux. Pathetic.
Patchwork Nation, from the CSM. Push "reset map" to clear the counties and start over. I took their "Where do you fit in?" survey. It said " Your zip code puts you in XXX, which we've identified as Monied 'Burbs community type. Based on your responses, you have a 85 % match with other people in your community type." I hope that doesn't make me a Country Club Repub, cuz I am not. Depressing to fit so much in a mold.
How DNA works (a big h/t to Flares for finding this). You can tell me all day long that existence is simply mechanical and not a miracle, but I won't buy it. At the end of this bit, at the bottom of the YouTube screen, click on the other DNA and protein-construction videos. It's Biochem 101, without the details. Amazing visualizations, I think.
From Peggy Noonan's critique of today's Repubs, Pity Party: Mr. Bush has squandered the hard-built paternity of 40 years. But so has the party, and so have its leaders. If they had pushed away for serious reasons, they could have separated the party's fortunes from the president's. This would have left a painfully broken party, but they wouldn't be left with a ruined "brand," as they all say, speaking the language of marketing. And they speak that language because they are marketers, not thinkers. Not serious about policy. Not serious about ideas. And not serious about leadership, only followership. This is and will be the great challenge for John McCain: The Democratic argument, now being market tested by Obama Inc., that a McCain victory will yield nothing more or less than George Bush's third term.
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