Friday, October 8. 2021
There has always been national division about all sorts of things, from the time of the American revolution. Most Americans, or at least a large fraction, had no interest in separation from the crown. Disagreement is just natural but it sometimes seems surreal to me what people want from government. Like, everything they need including happiness. Good luck with that. Serfdom was a predictable life, but not something Americans wanted.
From Klavan, re national division:
Socialism is immoral because it rests on a benign fantasy that masks a malignant truth. The fantasy is that a nation’s production, distribution, and wealth can be entrusted to a benevolent state dedicated to the common good. There is no such state. There are only people with power. Long centuries of constitutional restraints have schooled these naked apes in the habits of decency. But as the restraints weaken, the habits fall away. Not sometimes—always. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Socialism, which centralizes power, leads to oppression and human misery. Like the t-shirt says, you can vote your way in, but you have to shoot your way out.
Thursday, October 7. 2021
Wednesday, October 6. 2021
Monday, October 4. 2021
I've read, and watched, quite a bit on this Facebook Whistleblower. I can't say I disagree with much of what she is saying, although I think you can apply all of it to most of our major media outlets today, not just Facebook. I began to question her motivations, in particular after she told her story of a friend who went from being a like-minded Progressive liberal to something other than this (implying 'lies' on Facebook turned that person into a conservative, I'm assuming). God forbid information should make you change your mind or your views - particularly if there's one less of these Progressives in the world!
I may agree with much of what she says she's seen or even believes. I'd even like to stop what she's hoping to stop (hate speech, misinformation, lies, bullying). I can't say she knows how to stop those things. In fact, I know she can't. She THINKS she can. After all, she writes algorithms for a living, and she believes algorithms can fix anything. She's clearly a socialist of some nature, after all, she points out that Facebook puts 'profit' before stopping 'hate speech'. I found that claim interesting, since all major media outlets do this. After all, what are CRT, Cancel Culture or Wokism if not hate speech? And the major outlets are sharing those ideas quite freely and openly. So yes, profit is put ahead of stopping hate speech.
The critical part here is that she seems to think it can be reduced or stopped. I suppose it can, to a small degree. But if you want to (as she does) rely on algorithms, which she writes for a living, then what she's really saying is "I'd like to be able to control what information is fed to people at all times, and limit it to what I believe is acceptable."
I believe in choices. And we all make them. We choose to be on (or off) Facebook, social media, the internet or TV. Once we've chosen what to engage, we choose what to believe or not believe in our information resources. Sometimes (whoops) it's a lie or misinformation, though most times it's probably not (though I suppose if you listen to Biden and Fauci and assume they are authorities on anything, you're welcome to believe almost anything is 'truth' or 'science'). Part of adulting is learning to use common sense and pursue productive, effective, and meaningful parsing of data and information. I'm not sure what the whistleblower is hoping to achieve, but if it is to 'save' Facebook (as she claims) then I'm likely to believe that she's hoping to engage more situational design leading to social outcomes she believes are 'best for society'. I doubt I share her views on what's 'best' for society.
Saturday, October 2. 2021
Thursday, September 30. 2021
Wednesday, September 29. 2021
Can There Be Any Doubt That Hillary Was Behind The Trump/Russia Collusion Hoax?
No. Never was any doubt, but the news pushed it so hard that the gullible believed it.
Tuesday, September 28. 2021
Monday, September 27. 2021
Sunday, September 26. 2021
Biden Immediately Reversing Trump Rules on Immigration Was ‘Open Door Signal’ and He Was Warned It Was Dangerous
It was on purpose, without the consent of the population or its representatives.
Saturday, September 25. 2021
We have a new record - 2 Maggie's Farmers arrived to join us from Los Angeles, which represents a new long-distance visit. Always pleased when our readers travel to join us.
Originally, I was worried nobody would make it. As it turns out, we had a hardy group of 10 people and we had a great day. Thank you to everyone who joined us, each of whom had a little bit extra to add to the commentary as we wound our way from Chelsea, through Greenwich Village, the East Village and down into the Lower East Side. MacDougal Street allowed us to work through a Beatnik/Rock and Roll section, which was followed by a series of Stanford White buildings, among a variety of other interesting and fun items like Edna St. Vincent Millay's townhouse, Commodore Vanderbilt's first Manhattan home (replaced by a more modern building), Triangle Shirtwaist Fire building, the Turkish and Russian Baths, and many other locations.
We had a great lunch and a few beers at McSorley's. As I was mapping and herding, I didn't take too many pictures. Bird Dog was, and I'm sure he will share them.
Thanks to our good friend, the Manhattan Contrarian, for purchasing some delicious muffins at Magnolia Bakery, which we all shared.
We missed many of our regulars, and hope you will join us in the Spring when do this again in 2022.
Fossil footprints show humans in North America more than 21,000 years ago. The footprints, the earliest firm evidence for humans in the Americas, show that people must have arrived here before the last Ice Age.
Vanderleun takes a look at deToqueville
Thousands of NYC teachers haven’t been vaxxed. What — they’re all Trump supporters?
What's that about Trump and vaccines? Trump led the way in making the vaccine happen in record time, and asked people to get it
Man, 20, and woman, 23, are arrested after cops find 21kg of carfentanil - enough to kill 50 MILLION people
Black man arrested for ‘N-word’ graffiti, swastikas at Emory University
Photographer Who Took Photos of Border Patrol's Horse Unit Takes a Sledgehammer to 'Whipping' Lie
Yet another political hoax
Melbourne Australia Police and Riot Squads Fire Upon Peaceful Protestors While Media Frame COVID Anti-Lockdown Protests as Domestic Extremists
Consequences of Failure: The Politics of Saigon and Kabul
Friday, September 24. 2021
Thursday, September 23. 2021
Wednesday, September 22. 2021
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Mick Jagger had a beer at Charlotte’s Thirsty Beaver —
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