Condemned to repeat it
I just read that Bernie Sanders is not only exploring a plan to run in the 2016 presidential primaries (fine with me; hope he doesn't expect to win) but might run for president as an independent. I...
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exponentials?
I just read an interesting contribution by dbeall entitled 'The mathematic of Ebola' which included a figure from Forbes purporting to show exponential growth of Ebola infection in the three most...
View ArticleThe Stupefaction of America: Defining Idiocy Down
It is appalling, and still somewhat surprising, that the people who cut the funding for medicine and science in the United States now hope to present themselves as the best choice to deal with problems...
View ArticleOrigins of the Great Twentieth Century Capitalist Cargo Cult
Origins of the Great Twentieth Century Capitalist Cargo Cult: An Agony in Three Fits Despite the significant number of uninformed people who like the sound of ‘Ponzi Scheme’, social security has...
View ArticleCargo cult part 2
As the country uncertainly readies itself for another in our periodic series of national IQ tests, with dubious prospects in the offing, we've been privileged to hear an outpouring of all sorts of...
View ArticleCargo Cult part 3
The first two sections explored the implications of exponential (e.g. constant rate) economic growth, the inevitable failure of the gold standard, innovation as a prime driver of economic expansion,...
View Articlepropaganda and email
Over the last few days I've had some interesting 'conversations' with right wing neighbors and relatives, some face to face and some online. Even those separated by thousands of miles have exactly the...
View Articlefrom a polling place, west georgia
Just finished my election day journey into the twilight zone. Unless I'm traveling, I don't do early voting because I like to show up early in the morning and observe the procedures; here in the 'burbs...
View ArticleA petition, of sorts
Now that the United States has predictably failed another national IQ test, leaving the legacy of FDR protected only by the uncertain will of Barrack Obama and facing government shutdowns, massive...
View ArticleNo Pravda in Izvestia
I can't help but notice that all of us, including me, can't help taking about the ravings of Faux News as if if were an actual news organization that employed journalists, reported on real world...
View ArticleEntropy, Race and the Future of America
The inevitable consequence of the empowerment of police and security organizations as a result of national cowardice is the gradual development of a police state atmosphere with all the ugly trimmings....
View ArticleThe Bush Brothers are Bank Robbers
The world and country stagger forward, and we wait for 2016 to see what strange beasts are shambling toward the Potomac to be born. The undead corpse of the Bush family dynasty is stirring in its crypt...
View ArticleModern Pre-enlightenment America and the Hundred Year Culture War
It has often been difficult to explain the crazy oscillations in American politics and policies to European colleagues. Citizens of more homogenous countries find it difficult to imagine the scale of...
View ArticleDo Social Security Payments Cover Benefits?
Recently I've seen increased reemergence of the story that Social Security benefits weren't sufficiently funded by contributions. Because I've been asked by several people (here blue zen) to repost...
View ArticleEbola Update
As many have noted in passing, Elbola disappeared from the easily distracted minds of average Americans with the fall election and the sudden catastrophic loss of coverage on Fox News. Apparently the...
View ArticleJeb Bush fires hipster tech officer
Appropriately, Jeb Bush's recently hired “chief technology officer” lost his job in Detroit, according to the NY Times this morning. Ethan Czahor, best known as co-founder of Hipster.com, couldn't...
View ArticleResponsibility and Murder
We’ve now had almost fifteen years of continual anti-Muslim propaganda. Certainly murderous extremist Muslim groups have been a trigger for the xenophobic response, but it’s widely recognized that...
View ArticleSenator Cottonmouth and the Mystery of the Subpar Solons
It’s widely recognized that the compromises made by the founders to protect small states are choking the country. Both the electoral college and the right of each state, no matter how small, to elect...
View ArticleKruz Kabubuki
Has anyone else noticed how much the bizarre and over the top posturing of Senator Ted Cruz recalls the stylized posing and makeup of Japanese Kabuki drama/dance performances?
View ArticleFlorida Governor
I'm writing to ask for help in a modest project. Some of you may have a laugh from time to time looking at the internet superhero 'Florida Man' feeds on twitter and reddit. I feel that between the...
View ArticleIdiots on parade
Just had the dubious pleasure of hearing the Governor of Ohio on CNN boasting about his economic success and massive popularity in his state. While the whole interview wasn't softball, he got away...
View ArticleCNN is Faux Lite
Having spent part of the day listening to Dog Blister and his colleagues spewing bullshit on Faux Lite, I have developed a serious rage that drove me to write this. It is clear to even to people who...
View ArticleCarly Failurina, Publican Phenom
I wrote the original version of this diary in May, but the emergence of Ms. Failurina from under a rock adjacent to that of The Donald prompted me to repost it. Originally, reports out of Iowa, the...
View ArticleWeasel Walker Quits!
The nasty, lying sneaky Walker is gone, ad likely his cafrppy political career is over as well. He failed so dismally that he'll never again enjoy tyhe kind of financial backing he got in the past from...
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