Some shows are better than others.
2024-10-28
2024-10-27
2024-10-26
2024-10-25
2024-10-24
2024-10-23
2024-10-22
Nutrition Tier Lists: Nuts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8HuhaKObZs
I buy mixed nuts to put on my salads. I'm going to start buying walnuts and almonds since they are so healthy.
2024-10-21
2024-10-20
We Asked 100 Wisconsinites Who They’re Voting For
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZSHATpWMUQ
I found this interesting. Based on what I see, I don't want to live in Wisconsin.
Trump Serves Customers At McDonald's Drive-Through In Pennsylvania
After the Trump conviction, I thought that the election was over.
After the first Trump assassination attempt, and his stunning reaction, I thought that the election was over.
After Trump serves french fries to drive-through customers in Pennsylvania, I think the election is over.
2024-10-19
2024-10-18
The Hershey's Kisses Rate of Inflation
In 1968 or 1969, my sister and I went to one of those old-fashioned corner markets in Madison, Indiana, and bought Hershey's Kisses at the price of two per penny. These weren't in a package but sold in pairs.
Today, the packages of Hershey's Kisses at Walmart vary slightly in price depending on the size, but they average about $8 per pound. So the average price of a Hershey's Kiss is 8 cents each. (Each Hershey's Kiss weighs 4.5 grams or roughly 1/100th of a pound.)
This makes the Hershey's Kiss rate of inflation over 55 years 1600%. During the same period, the official rate of inflation, which I always find suspect, is 850%. Either the official rate is wrong, or Hershey's Kisses rose faster than inflation.
--
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
Today, the packages of Hershey's Kisses at Walmart vary slightly in price depending on the size, but they average about $8 per pound. So the average price of a Hershey's Kiss is 8 cents each. (Each Hershey's Kiss weighs 4.5 grams or roughly 1/100th of a pound.)
This makes the Hershey's Kiss rate of inflation over 55 years 1600%. During the same period, the official rate of inflation, which I always find suspect, is 850%. Either the official rate is wrong, or Hershey's Kisses rose faster than inflation.
--
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
55% increase total violent crime over 3 years
While the FBI claims that serious violent crime has fallen by 5.8% since Biden took office, the NCVS numbers show that total violent crime has risen by 55.4%. Rapes are up by 42%, robbery by 63%, and aggravated assault by 55% during Biden's term. Since the NCVS started, the largest previous increase over three years was 27% in 2006, so the increase under Biden was slightly more than twice as large.
The increases shown by the NCVS during the Biden-Harris administration are by far the largest percentage increases over any three years, slightly more than doubling the previous record.
2024-10-17
Neanderthals Were Absolute Freaks Of Nature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxgQcYGvWG0
Neanderthals had a broad nose, sloping forehead, and bony eye bridges. I've seen humans with mild similar features as humans are quite diverse. People of European ancestry often have a small percentage of Neanderthal DNA.
Around 50,000 years ago, Homosapiens had mostly died off due to a drought in Africa caused by an ice age in Europe. Around 7,000 individuals lived on the southern coast of Africa and had adapted to this life. They fished for first the first time, built the first permanent structures, and invented new tools. As the drought went away, these humans expanded their territory at a rate of about a mile per year. Within 2,000 years they were reaching other continents.
A skull was found in the vicinity of Isreal that was 50% Homosapien and 50% Neanderthal. It is believed that as Homosapiens moved into Europe they sometimes bred with Neanderthals.
2024-10-16
2024-10-15
2024-10-14
Magnus explained why Chess is popular
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aGc5lYv3cvI
Chess is too complicated for humans to completely master, but Magnus Carlsen has come closer than anyone.
2024-10-13
2024-10-11
2024-10-10
2024-10-09
2024 Wisconsin: Trump vs. Harris | The Tide has turned? Maybe
https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2024/wisconsin/trump-vs-harris
Conservative media has been predicting this for a while now.
It goes without saying that the polls might not be accurate.
My early voting experience yesterday was interesting. It was all older people, probably because they don't have to work, and about 90% men. I think that this supports my theory that Trump voters are more motivated. They feel betrayed by the system for multiple reasons, so they are motivated to try to turn things around.
People in Indiana know that Trump is going to win the state no matter what. Yet, people felt compelled to turn out in large numbers on the first day of early voting. They want their voices heard even if it isn't going to matter.
2024-10-08
2024-10-07
2024-10-06
Endocrine Disruptors - Common Chemicals That Severely Alter Your Hormones - Dr. Shanna Swan
It is important to be skeptical of claims. This person could be correct, but her claims are not without controversy. She doesn't offer evidence. I'm not saying she has to in a YouTube video, but she needs to point us toward the evidence.
My concern is that you can have a causal link between two things but that is not proof of causality. I'm concerned about "single-factor analysis" where only one factor is considered.
I would like to see more research.
Plastic is getting a bad reputation, and some of it seems justified. We are exposed to chemicals from plastic.
"Fears over falling human sperm count may be overblown — Harvard Gazette
2024-10-05
2024-10-02
15 Years Later, I Finally Understand Inglorious Basterds
According to the video, Inglorious Bastards symbolizes American national identity, and the decline of film as a form of storytelling.
How NOT to Land a Parachute
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-qj4h2Gl7YU
In the past, I wanted to try skydiving, but not anymore. I'm getting older and it is too risky.
I have heard that in parachute training they make you fall from increasing heights until you can fall and land from a height of 16 feet. That's a pretty big drop. According to the laws of physics, you would be traveling at 32 feet per second.
Will Save Your Life Next Week
This is very interesting.
Having good tires makes a big difference.
War kills a large number of people worldwide.
Republicans are registering more new voters than Dems in Pennsylvania
Zoom out: Republicans have registered more new voters across the Keystone State so far this year (94,603), compared to Democrats' 87,325 as of last week, per the state.
- But Dems still hold a commanding lead for total registered voters statewide with 3.9 million compared to Republicans' 3.5 million as of last week.
What we're watching: Voters not affiliated with either major party could prove decisive in this year's election.
- Those voters now top 1.3 million across the state after adding more than 76,000 since Jan. 1.
If the polls are to be believed, then Pennsylvania will decide the election. It is mostly clear how the other states are going to vote.
However, a number of sources are claiming that the polls are not accurate.
My contention is that the right is more motivated this time around. The left is also motivated, but I don't think that Kamala has the same level of loyalty that Trump does.
The Tallest and Shortest American Presidents
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iGBnnKk9vHg
Kamala Harris is 5' 4".
I have observed that leaders are more likely to be tall. Many ancient kings were tall but also needed to be strong enough to fight in wars.
Reportedly, the average ancient Roman was about 5' 6", and both Julius and Augustus Caesar were about 5' 7" to 5' 8". Often the wealthy were taller due to better nutrition.
2024-10-01
Bobby Kennedy Jr. and Food Safety
Trump brought RFK Jr. on board to help win the election, but I see Robert Kennedy Jr as a bit of a red hearing. He claimed that he and Trump would improve the American diet and make America healthy in just four years. He talked about banning seed oils and High Fructose Corn Syrup, the latter of which is chemically identical to sugar.
If you don't want government coercion for your own good, I would not support Robert Kennedy. He also tends to promote conspiracy theories: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/10/10/rfk-jr-launches-independent-2024-run-here-are-all-the-conspiracies-he-promotes-from-vaccines-to-mass-shootings/
Trump had to promise RFK Jr. something to get him on board. We don't know what that is, but maybe Kennedy will be the head of the FDA. I think that is what he wants.
As far as 1000 substances banned in Europe in American foods, I want to see research done. The trouble with the European Union standards is that they are a bit like California which takes regulations too far. (For example, the California standard on heavy metal contamination is 500 times stricter than what the Federal Government regards as safe. This became an issue about Dark Chocolate when Consumer Reports claimed that many brands were unsafe because they didn't meet California regulations. I eat dark chocolate every day for its reported health benefits. I'm not worried.)
Trump did say something about doing research. That would be good. I don't want bad substances in my food either, but I also don't want unnecessary government coercion.
Has America Completely Lost Its Mind? - Ben Shapiro
This is interesting.
Ben Shapiro talks about conspiracy theories and then adds some comments slightly critical of COVID-19 vaccines.
2024-09-30
2024 RCP Electoral College Map | RealClearPolling
https://www.realclearpolling.com/maps/president/2024/toss-up/electoral-college
Trump is showing stronger results in Arizona. He still trails in Nevada, Wisconsin, and Michigan. He has a microscopic edge in both Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and he needs both to win. Either state could be a toss-up and if he loses one of them then he would need to flip another Rust Belt state like Wisconsin to win.
I've been assuming that Trump would win Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina while losing Nevada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. If true, then Pennsylvania will decide the election.
With only 6 electoral college votes, Nevada won't actually matter under the current scenario. It is mathematically insignificant.
Although it would hurt the Republicans at least in the short term, I want to disband the Electoral College and go to a popular vote for President. The problem is that your vote really doesn't count if your state always votes one way. The other problem is that just a few battleground states decide the election.
2024 Pennsylvania: Trump vs. Harris | RealClearPolling
https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2024/pennsylvania/trump-vs-harris
Wow. This is a major change for Pennsylvania. Some YouTubers have been predicting this for a while, and many claim that the pro-Harris poll results are exaggerated. I should point out that the Bloomberg poll has always appeared to be an outlier. It is not consistent with other polls and was reportedly wrong in previous years.
BTW, Ben Shapiro predicts that in October the press will suppress any negative news regarding Harris.
2024-09-29
How Private Equity Is Ruining Everything
I don't know if I agree with the conclusions, but I can't refute them either.
The Decay Of The American Medical Establishment | Dr. Drew Pinsky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPKJaVo_o6o
This is an interesting discussion.
We live in a post-truth world where the narrative becomes the truth.
The problem with the political right is that they spin the story of COVID-19 vaccines.
For example, a couple of years ago, an executive from Pfizer admitted to the European Union Congress that they didn't have time before releasing to test whether the vaccine stopped the spread of the disease. Then every right winger claimed that Pfizer admitted that the vaccine doesn't stop the spread of the disease and that it has been proven that it doesn't stop the spread of COVID. However, those studies were eventually done. I have read them. They showed that you were much less likely to spread the disease if you were vaccinated.
People forget that four years ago COVID had a 5% death rate in the United States. My cousin died from it. The vaccines were a godsend, but when COVID-19 was at its worst, only about 60% of the public were fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 died down because natural immunity took over. The Omicron Variation was less deadly but way more infectious, so everybody got it. When I got it I suffered from fatigue for two months before I felt normal again.
2024-09-28
2024-09-27
2024-09-26
2024-09-24
2024-09-23
The Origin of Modern Computing
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/U2dxl_AkiFI
Although he tried, Babbage never completed his mechanical computer, reportedly due to running out of money.
In the 20th century, somebody built the Babbage computer, and it worked. It had some similarities to electronic computers except that it was mechanical.
2024-09-22
2024-09-21
2024-09-20
WOW: Kamala Goes On Awkward Narcissistic Rant
For some reason, the video loops after 27 seconds. It gives the false impression that Kamala is repeating herself. I would prefer that the video stopped after 27 seconds.
The comments on YouTube are interesting.
The dirty little secret of the election is that Kamala Harris is not likable, nor particularly competent, nor compelling as a leader. However, the extreme left would vote for a dish rag if doing so advances their agenda.
So I believe that more people will vote for Trump. The polls today aren't necessarily indicative of how the election will go.
Evidence points to Wuhan market as source of covid-19 outbreak | New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2448671-evidence-points-to-wuhan-market-as-source-of-covid-19-outbreak/
We may never know, because the Chinese government is not trustworthy.
2024 Election Map Based On Polling Averages From ALL 50 STATES!
14 minutes ago
The current polls in Pennsylvania don't show Trump ahead, although he could still win the state. So I see Trump at 262. I have been saying Pennsylvania will decide the election because the other states are clear. However, Trump has a small chance of flipping Wisconsin, so either state could win the election for him.
PA...Close...but still more registered democrats
The Pennsylvania Department of State reports that Democrats now hold their slimmest voter registration advantage in decades. Republicans, meanwhile, have added nearly 40,000 voters since 2020. In Washington County, this wild shift has greatly increased the temperature and radicalized the tone of local politics. Allegheny County isn't there yet, but the currents are detectable.
The numbers paint a grim picture. Allegheny County hemorrhaged nearly 7,800 residents last year alone, placing it in the top 10 for population loss nationwide. Even more alarming, the county has shed 50,000 jobs in the past five years – five times more than any other Pennsylvania county. The county's most impoverished suburbs, home to many recent immigrants and other non-white minorities, are facing another round of white flight. On top of that, the future looks even bleaker for those officials tasked with educating future generations of gainfully-employed citizens: Pittsburgh Public Schools are mulling the closure of 16 schools, a move that would disproportionately impact working-class neighborhoods.
To understand where Allegheny County might be headed, one need only look south to Washington County. Once a union-labor stronghold for the Democrats, Washington County has rapidly become a petri dish for MAGA politics. In 2020, Trump won 61% of the vote there. But it's not just about presidential politics. MAGA true believers have capitalized on low turnouts to seize control of local government, turning once-staid county commission meetings into wild shouting matches.
The rapid transformation of Washington County offers a playbook for how the GOP might chip away at Democratic dominance in Allegheny County. It hinged on voter apathy – depressing moderate-voter turnout, particularly those who saw Washington County's Democratic machine as irreparably gridlocked and hopelessly corrupt, while galvanizing the MAGA base in both the primary and general elections.
2024-09-18
Disney Plus: You paying more for less is their brilliant business strategy
Good video!
A Google search shows that Disney+ is offering three months for $1.99 per month. This is the version with ads.
Last year on Black Friday I got a combination of Disney+ and Hulu for a year for $3 per month.
There was a similar offer on HBO Max, now just called Max. It is my favorite streaming service.
Years ago, I got the Disney+ pre-start discount where I was paying around $4 per month by paying for three years in advance. The problem is that I didn't see a ton of new content that I wanted to watch. I had already seen most of the stuff worth watching.
2024-09-17
2024-09-15
2024 Pennsylvania: Trump vs. Harris | RealClearPolling
I have been saying that Pennsylvania will decide the election. Most of the other states are solid enough that it is going to come down to Pennsylvania, which is super close.
The vast majority have already made up their minds, so a small percentage in one state could decide the national election. The result may depend upon turnout.
The Bloomberg poll appears to be an outlier from the other polls. It appears to exaggerate the Democrat advantage and was way off in the last two elections. If I were to cut the Bloomberg margin for Harris in half, I get an average poll result of 0.1% for Trump. Otherwise, Harris is ahead by 0.1%. The bottom line is that the state is too close to call. (Rumor has it that the Harris campaign is worried about Pennsylvania, but the Trump campaign should be worried too.)
Early voting in Pennsylvania was supposed to start tomorrow but has been delayed by court challenges by 3rd party candidates.
Why Japanese People Are Not Obese Like People In The US?
I assume that it is not just "healthy" food but the quantity of food that people like to eat. Americans love to overeat. I think that eating out is the cause of obesity because it is not only junk food but the large portion sizes.
I wonder if buffets are an American-only phenomenon?
Watch "Lithium is dangerous"
On Sun, Sep 15, 2024 at 12:10 AM Albert wrote:
When these batteries die, get rid of them immediately, Here's why.
I knew pure sodium is super reactive with just about everything, especially water, and can explode. I didn't know that about Lithium. They both produce hydrogen gas when they react with water. Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium are all on the first column of the period table, meaning they have similar chemical properties.
Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride are very safe. I buy "Lite Salt" which has 50% of each.
Most batteries you would buy in the store are alkaline, containing potassium hydroxide, which is not so reactive but corrosive.
Rechargeable batteries use Lithium-ion.
Lithium carbonate in small quantities can be used as an anti-depressant.
2024-09-14
Churchill
Lately, I have been seeing people who are Hitler Apologists, claiming that Hitler didn't want war with Britain and that Winston Churchill was a warmonger who started World War II by declaring war on Germany. A YouTuber, "Zoomer Historian" has made many videos with this distorted view of history.
Had Hitler only invaded Austria, which Germany might have had a historic claim to, he might have been just a footnote in history. But then he invaded Czechoslovakia claiming that he only wanted a part of the country, the Sudetenland, which was ethnically German. Hitler made an agreement with Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, that he would renounce any claim to the rest of Czechoslovakia. However, Hitler violated the agreement and took the rest of Czechoslovakia. Had Hitler stopped there, he once again might have been just a footnote in history. However, he invaded Poland, claiming that he only wanted one city that was ethnically German. He took the whole country anyway. Britain and France had made promises to Poland to help protect the country. They warned Hitler that if he invaded Poland they would declare war, but Hitler didn't believe them. After the invasion they declared war and World War II started.
2024-09-13
Why Is the New York Times Legitimizing a Holocaust Denier?
The Nazis were not simply ill-provisioned bumblers who somehow failed to keep their prisoners alive. The thirty-three thousand bullet-riddled corpses at Babyn Yar did not die of exposure. Denying the Nazis' overtly murderous intentions is just one more way of denying the Holocaust, pure and simple.
2024-09-10
Is salt actually bad for you? Why do some people like salt way more than others do?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy2ncip_ILA&t=4599s
The first hour of this video gets deep into the science and is also interesting.
The Asterisk on Kamala Harris’s Poll Numbers - The Atlantic
How did the polls get worse from 2016 to 2020, with everyone watching? In the aftermath of Trump's surprise 2016 victory, the public-opinion-research industry concluded that the problem was educational polarization. If pollsters had made a point of including enough white people without college degrees in their samples, they wouldn't have underestimated Trump so badly. During the 2020 cycle, they focused on correcting that mistake.
It didn't work. Even though polls in 2020 included more white non-college-educated voters, they turned out to be disproportionately the white non-college-educated voters who preferred Biden. The new consensus is that Republican voters are less likely to respond to polls in the first place.
It didn't work. Even though polls in 2020 included more white non-college-educated voters, they turned out to be disproportionately the white non-college-educated voters who preferred Biden. The new consensus is that Republican voters are less likely to respond to polls in the first place.
Public Polling Has It All Wrong (Again) - by Mark Harris | ColdSpark
With Kamala Harris as the nominee, politically engaged, wealthy, educated, white voters are taking up too many spots in the Democratic quotas, pushing out downscale, lower-turnout Democrats who are much more likely to be undecided or Trump voters. Whereas a college-educated Democrat might be 95% for Harris, a non-college one might be 88%. That seven-point gap matters and is not reflected in public polling.
Don't take just my word for it. POLITICO reported that even Democratic pollsters are admitting their internal (read expensive) surveys are much less optimistic than public polling, and they are also worried about this blue mirage.
Don't take just my word for it. POLITICO reported that even Democratic pollsters are admitting their internal (read expensive) surveys are much less optimistic than public polling, and they are also worried about this blue mirage.
2024-09-07
Does the Erucic Acid Level Make Canola Oil Unsafe?
I have looked at many articles. The vast majority say that Canola Oil is safe in moderation.
Most of the oils in Canola Oil are healthy, but Canola Oil also contains Erucic Acid. Erucic Acid is toxic (to heart health) so it seems to me that it would be better not to consume any. However, the exact amount of Erucic Acid in Canola Oil is unclear. Almost all sources claim that the Euric Acid level is 2% or less by law, although the article below says that it is barely detectable, only around 0.01% in Canadian-made Canola Oil.
Although the government classifies Canola Oil as safe, the recommended safe level of Erucic Acid is about 7 mg per kilogram of body weight. For me, that would be about 3/4 of a gram.
"For reference, 1 tablespoon of canola oil can contain a maximum of 280 mg of erucic acid. This means a person who weighs 80 kg can have around 2 tbsp of canola oil per day. "
https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/is-rapeseed-oil-healthy
The problem is that we don't know if it actually has that much Erucic Acid.
The same article mentions that Canola Oil has a tiny amount of trans fat.
Two tablespoons isn't that much. I used to cook popcorn with 2 ounces of Canola Oil. That is about 4 tablespoons, so I could have exceeded the recommended level of Erucic Acid.
According to this page, the Erucic Acid level in Canola Oil is not 2% but 0.2%. So that should make Canola Oil safe in moderation.
https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/canola-oil-properties.html
For several months, I have been using Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead. It is at least five times more expensive than Canola Oil, but I only use it 2 or 3 times per week. The cost is not a big issue.
Olive Oil is a key component of the Mediterranean Diet. Many sources claim that Olive Oil does not have any trans fat.
According to at least a couple of sources, you can use Olive Oil for frying if you don't get it too hot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PIEamGRnVQ
The smoke point of Canola Oil is 399 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this, it is considered heat resistant and good for frying. The smoke point of Olive Oil varies from 350 to 430 degrees.
If I am being honest, other things in my diet are riskier than Canola Oil. I need to work on those as well.
Most of the oils in Canola Oil are healthy, but Canola Oil also contains Erucic Acid. Erucic Acid is toxic (to heart health) so it seems to me that it would be better not to consume any. However, the exact amount of Erucic Acid in Canola Oil is unclear. Almost all sources claim that the Euric Acid level is 2% or less by law, although the article below says that it is barely detectable, only around 0.01% in Canadian-made Canola Oil.
Although the government classifies Canola Oil as safe, the recommended safe level of Erucic Acid is about 7 mg per kilogram of body weight. For me, that would be about 3/4 of a gram.
"For reference, 1 tablespoon of canola oil can contain a maximum of 280 mg of erucic acid. This means a person who weighs 80 kg can have around 2 tbsp of canola oil per day. "
https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/is-rapeseed-oil-healthy
The problem is that we don't know if it actually has that much Erucic Acid.
The same article mentions that Canola Oil has a tiny amount of trans fat.
Two tablespoons isn't that much. I used to cook popcorn with 2 ounces of Canola Oil. That is about 4 tablespoons, so I could have exceeded the recommended level of Erucic Acid.
According to this page, the Erucic Acid level in Canola Oil is not 2% but 0.2%. So that should make Canola Oil safe in moderation.
https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/canola-oil-properties.html
For several months, I have been using Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead. It is at least five times more expensive than Canola Oil, but I only use it 2 or 3 times per week. The cost is not a big issue.
Olive Oil is a key component of the Mediterranean Diet. Many sources claim that Olive Oil does not have any trans fat.
According to at least a couple of sources, you can use Olive Oil for frying if you don't get it too hot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PIEamGRnVQ
The smoke point of Canola Oil is 399 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this, it is considered heat resistant and good for frying. The smoke point of Olive Oil varies from 350 to 430 degrees.
If I am being honest, other things in my diet are riskier than Canola Oil. I need to work on those as well.
2024-09-05
2024-09-04
Baking the Original Brownie - The History of Brownies
@john2001plus
7 hours agoI heard that during medieval times, around holidays like Christmas, parents would make sweet treats they would leave out for their children. When the children would ask where the treats came from, the parents would respond, "Brownies", which were elves.
12 replies
@atlas4698
6 hours ago
I'm gonna do this if I have kids.
@firstlast1047
6 hours ago
Not a Brownie fan...Too much chocolate. But, thanks for the coherent recipe. I'm not adverse to baking brownies for others.
@user-po3ir2tx5z
5 hours ago (edited)
Interesting... is this the source of Madison Ave's idea for the Keebler Elves?
Timeline of Gaza | 3500 BCE to October 7th, 2023
His conclusions are in my opinion a bit biased. The Palestinians have had multiple good offers for peace since 1948 and have refused all of them.
2024-09-03
2024-09-01
2024-08-31
Is This The Most Absurd Time In History? - Rudyard Lynch
Humans respond to incentives or the lack thereof. If there are no incentives then society falls apart. With the right incentives, society stays together.
Shared myths also hold societies together. Even if the myths are a complete lie, people with common values are incentivized to cooperate. They get along.
There are a large number of people who want to overturn the current system and replace it with some form of benevolent authoritarianism. The problem is that this never turns out well. What follows is a hellish existence for at least some people.
I think that people are primarily motivated by fear. The world is a dangerous place and filled with uncertainty. Fear can cause normally peaceful and rational people to suddenly turn violent.
I think that most people in their minds perceive something in the world as an existential threat. In the 1960s it was communism. Even little kids talked about it. Our country had what we perceived were enemies.
It used to be that despite our differences, most people in the United States shared the belief that the United States was a force for good in the world. Now we perceive each other as the enemy.
2024-08-30
RFK ENDORSES Trump, Kamala’s Still Hiding
This was the Monday program. I listened to part of it on the radio and watched the video.
He makes good points. I like Ben Shapiro, but he is a bit repetitive.
Either candidate could easily lose the election by saying something stupid.
Trump voters are extremely motivated. There will be an enthusiasm gap. If Trump voters turn out an extra 2 or 3%, which they will, then that will be enough to sway the election.
BTW, my vote doesn't matter. Indiana will vote for Trump regardless of whether I vote. Because of the Electoral College, six or seven battleground states will decide the election.
The only problem with a direct presidential election is that it would give high-population cities and states a great deal of power. The Democrats would win most of the elections. The Electoral College was designed to provide slightly more representation to low-population states.
2024 RCP Electoral College Map | RealClearPolling
Three days ago, it looked like Trump would win the electoral college. However, his small lead switched to Harris in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Nevada.
The election is close, but Harris is ahead.
I think that the country should reject Harris' policies. However, she is not winning with details or policy, but with DEI, leftism, and lies.
Trump has time to make his case. I think that her popularity will fade, but I can't predict the future.
Harris' problem: She's a complete phony
'Her political problem was always simple to identify but difficult to solve. Her policy positions, many of which have been part of her public record for decades, are radically out of step with those of most Americans, and trying to renounce them won't be remotely believable.
So, in the lead-up to the CNN interview, her staff laid the groundwork for her and notified reporters on background that the candidate had allegedly changed her views on some big things.
For example, how will she ever convince natural gas workers in western Pennsylvania that she supports fracking to protect their jobs when she hasn't and doesn't?
She was adamantly and emphatically against fracking when she ran for president early in the 2020 Democratic primary cycle (she bowed out in December 2019), and she was an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, which sets its sights on eliminating fossil-fuel use.
In that vein, she's been a major cheerleader for the Biden-Harris efforts to force Americans to buy electric vehicles they clearly do not want, regardless of how much her campaign says she doesn't want to require that anymore.
She stole former President Donald Trump's proposal to stop taxing tips for service industry workers and somehow discovered a child tax credit proposal even though she voted against it as a senator when it was part of the Trump tax cut package in 2017.
Placed in charge of the Biden-Harris administration's alleged strategy to address illegal immigration, she has overseen the unsecuring of our southern border. Now, she is masquerading as an immigration hawk. Her television ads even have images of Mr. Trump's border wall, a national security measure that she once called "un-American."
She has been quite clear in her views on illegal border crossing and has said multiple times that she does not believe it should be a crime. Today, of course, that tune has changed.
She has consistently supported the "defund the police" movement but is now desperately trying to walk that back.'
So, in the lead-up to the CNN interview, her staff laid the groundwork for her and notified reporters on background that the candidate had allegedly changed her views on some big things.
For example, how will she ever convince natural gas workers in western Pennsylvania that she supports fracking to protect their jobs when she hasn't and doesn't?
She was adamantly and emphatically against fracking when she ran for president early in the 2020 Democratic primary cycle (she bowed out in December 2019), and she was an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, which sets its sights on eliminating fossil-fuel use.
In that vein, she's been a major cheerleader for the Biden-Harris efforts to force Americans to buy electric vehicles they clearly do not want, regardless of how much her campaign says she doesn't want to require that anymore.
She stole former President Donald Trump's proposal to stop taxing tips for service industry workers and somehow discovered a child tax credit proposal even though she voted against it as a senator when it was part of the Trump tax cut package in 2017.
Placed in charge of the Biden-Harris administration's alleged strategy to address illegal immigration, she has overseen the unsecuring of our southern border. Now, she is masquerading as an immigration hawk. Her television ads even have images of Mr. Trump's border wall, a national security measure that she once called "un-American."
She has been quite clear in her views on illegal border crossing and has said multiple times that she does not believe it should be a crime. Today, of course, that tune has changed.
She has consistently supported the "defund the police" movement but is now desperately trying to walk that back.'
Michael Moore says Kamala Harris would be ‘most progressive’ president in history: ‘I feel so hopeful’
Filmmaker and activist Michael Moore is "over the moon" about the possibility of electing Vice President Kamala Harris as the "most progressive" president in American history.
New Rules for Radicals -- How To Reinvent Kamala Harris
1. Remake Harris as an entirely fresh happy face. She's about joy and vibe -- which trumps position papers and policy statements. Banish all thoughts that she is an incumbent vice president and co-owns the last four years of the Biden administration.
2. Ignore/deny that Harris as vice president could have long ago enacted her new makeover proposal -- or could do so right now in the remaining five months of her administration's tenure. She was the last person out of the room when Biden made those awful decisions.
3. For the next 70 days, reinvent Harris as a moderate. Xerox much of Donald Trump's current more popular agenda. Have Harris claim it as her own. Reboot her as a border hawk, a China hawk, a defense hawk, a budget hawk, and a law-and-order hawk.
4. The word-salad Harris must not do a single unscripted media interview, live town hall, extemporaneous chat, ambush hot mic, or lecture without a teleprompter.
Harris would turn nation into Kamalafornia, where illegal immigrants get free money
Way back when we didn't even know who the candidates would be in November's election, I said that there would be one choice above all.
The choice for the country would boil down to "Which direction America?" And if you boiled that question down further the question would be "California or Florida?"
Like Gavin Newsom, Kamala is one of those West Coast politicians who after ruining a city and then a state seems to hope that they can roll out the same disaster across the whole land.
The choice for the country would boil down to "Which direction America?" And if you boiled that question down further the question would be "California or Florida?"
Like Gavin Newsom, Kamala is one of those West Coast politicians who after ruining a city and then a state seems to hope that they can roll out the same disaster across the whole land.
Jack Smith, Democrat-Lawfare Complex Hit Man
'The combined effect of these rapid-fire developments should have sent an unmistakable message to Smith: Abort your mission. This is doubly true given the impending November election, for which a certain criminal defendant will appear at the very top of the ballot. After all, the DOJ's own internal Justice Manual stipulates that "federal prosecutors ... may never make a decision regarding an investigation or prosecution, or select the timing of investigative steps or criminal charges, for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party."
Come again?
Any reasonable prosecutor -- or so-called prosecutor -- would have conceded defeat and dropped the lawfare madness. Instead, in his superseding indictment filed this week in Washington, D.C., Smith doubled down in every possible way.
Smith only made cosmetic changes to his original charging document, removing certain factual allegations that clearly involve a president's plenary constitutional conduct but retaining other alleged acts that still fall under the broader scope of "official" presidential conduct. Astonishingly, Smith left in both his counts against Trump that invoke the very Sarbox provision the Supreme Court just held in Fischer cannot be invoked for Jan. 6-related prosecutions -- including Smith's anti-Trump case in Washington.'
Come again?
Any reasonable prosecutor -- or so-called prosecutor -- would have conceded defeat and dropped the lawfare madness. Instead, in his superseding indictment filed this week in Washington, D.C., Smith doubled down in every possible way.
Smith only made cosmetic changes to his original charging document, removing certain factual allegations that clearly involve a president's plenary constitutional conduct but retaining other alleged acts that still fall under the broader scope of "official" presidential conduct. Astonishingly, Smith left in both his counts against Trump that invoke the very Sarbox provision the Supreme Court just held in Fischer cannot be invoked for Jan. 6-related prosecutions -- including Smith's anti-Trump case in Washington.'
2024-08-29
Climate Tipping Points are Real, Stop Denying It
This seems like old news. Climate Alarmism is based on worst-case scenarios, which is what the IPCC likes to assume. I have seen multiple sources claim that it will take 5,000 years for the Arctic ice to melt. Meanwhile, we will run out of most fossil fuels by the year 2100. We only have about 46 years of oil reserves remaining. If by some miracle I live to 110, I will see us run out of oil.
It is going to take a lot of heat to melt the permafrost. I have seen claims of a 5-degree increase but other claims of 3-degrees and another claim that it will start melting at 1.5 degrees, which is about when we run out of most fossil fuels.
Geologists look at Climate Change differently. In at most 10,000 years, we are going to be in another period of mass glaciation where New York is covered by glaciers. Massive cold is the long-term climate threat. We would already be in the cool-down cycle except for those pesky humans who put some CO2 into the air.
CO2 is a valuable resource. It is plant food. The world is CO2-starved. The CO2 level has been in a nose dive for the last 40 million years because calcifying marine organisms sequester CO2. This is why we have been in the Pleistocene ice age for the last 2.5 million years. During the last period of glaciation, the CO2 level got to 180 parts per million, just barely above the level where all terrestrial plans die. Long term, this downward trend will continue unless humans intervene. We are not the enemy of nature but its salvation.
Climate Alarmists are data deniers. The data shows that it took 140 years for the temperature to rise 1 degree Celsius, and that started from an exceptionally cold period in the 1880s. Climate change happens very slowly and we have plenty of time to adapt, and humans are by their nature very adaptable.
If Climate Change were to accelerate, then I would agree that some action is needed. Iron Fertilization of iron-poor oceans would allow plankton, which are the basis for the marine food chain, to flourish and sequester CO2. I don't know why this wouldn't work.
The solutions to the so-called climate crisis are draconian in that they require complete government control over energy. This crisis is pushed by people who want government control.
It is going to take a lot of heat to melt the permafrost. I have seen claims of a 5-degree increase but other claims of 3-degrees and another claim that it will start melting at 1.5 degrees, which is about when we run out of most fossil fuels.
Geologists look at Climate Change differently. In at most 10,000 years, we are going to be in another period of mass glaciation where New York is covered by glaciers. Massive cold is the long-term climate threat. We would already be in the cool-down cycle except for those pesky humans who put some CO2 into the air.
CO2 is a valuable resource. It is plant food. The world is CO2-starved. The CO2 level has been in a nose dive for the last 40 million years because calcifying marine organisms sequester CO2. This is why we have been in the Pleistocene ice age for the last 2.5 million years. During the last period of glaciation, the CO2 level got to 180 parts per million, just barely above the level where all terrestrial plans die. Long term, this downward trend will continue unless humans intervene. We are not the enemy of nature but its salvation.
Climate Alarmists are data deniers. The data shows that it took 140 years for the temperature to rise 1 degree Celsius, and that started from an exceptionally cold period in the 1880s. Climate change happens very slowly and we have plenty of time to adapt, and humans are by their nature very adaptable.
If Climate Change were to accelerate, then I would agree that some action is needed. Iron Fertilization of iron-poor oceans would allow plankton, which are the basis for the marine food chain, to flourish and sequester CO2. I don't know why this wouldn't work.
The solutions to the so-called climate crisis are draconian in that they require complete government control over energy. This crisis is pushed by people who want government control.
Why Don't We Have 128 Bit CPUs?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKbNOmysJQo
This is something I wondered about.
The fact is that 64 bits is large enough to hold almost any number we would need. Even 32 bits is adequate. There might be special cases in science where a higher level of precision is required, for example, if you need to calculate a flight path to Pluto. Still, current 64-bit computers can do 128-bit computations if needed but less efficiently than a 128-bit processor.
With the extra circuitry required for a 128-bit processor, the space on the CPU die is better spent having more processors. So there is no reason for general-purpose CPUs to ever be 128-bit.
Graphics cards, which do a massive number of calculations every millisecond, can have processors that use more than 64 bits so that they can move data to and from memory in larger chunks. This is a special case.
2024-08-28
Kindness
https://youtube.com/shorts/BQYli7vqS_U?si=Y5Qi93gZwP3wlOTd
Maybe the real lesson is that everything you do in public is captured on camera.
Maybe the real lesson is that everything you do in public is captured on camera.
2024-08-27
2024-08-26
2024 RCP Electoral College Map | RealClearPolling
https://www.realclearpolling.com/maps/president/2024/toss-up/electoral-college
If the election were held today, Trump would win. Harris needs the entire Rust Belt to win. She is leading in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, but Trump has been leading in Pennsylvania by 1% for the last two weeks.
Trump is also leading in Nevada and Arizona, but they only get him to 268. Pennsylvania alone gets him to 270, but without it, he loses. Pennsylvania will decide the election, which is something I predicted months ago.
My theory is that Trump voters are more motivated and will turn out in greater numbers.
2024-08-25
2024-08-24
Pollster: 'Fundamentals' Of Election Are 'Unchanged'
Tucker Carlson just BLEW THE LID on Kamala Harris' campaign!!
I've not been a fan of Tucker Carlsen because he tends to exaggerate and twist things into conspiracy theories.
However, he hits the nail on the head here...
STAR WARS JUST CANCELLED ANOTHER MOVIE! (maybe)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCn_MhDQeCk
I liked the Acolyte better than most people, because most of the fans hated the show, but the finish failed to deliver and turned the series into a daytime soap opera. However, most YouTubers judged the show negatively before it even aired. The ratings were abysmal, and almost nobody watched this show.
Disney and Lucasfilm failed partly because their Star Wars shows pushed a woke agenda, which I can live with, but the shows mainly failed because the writing was weak.
However, Rogue One is a great movie, and Andor season one is a fantastic television spin-off of Rogue One and the best Star Wars Disney has made.
The Mandorian season 1 was pretty good and the second season was excellent. However, the third season was barely passable.
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