When did "saving", "customizing" or "maintaining" stuff become "curating"?
What triggered this mini-rant was the New London Day's website, which tells users to "look at the bottom of your browser window for a new version of [the 'of interest'] feature, which allows you to customize and curate stories based on your preferences."
So remember kiddies, you don't fix up your old heap of a car, you "curate" it.
You're not a stamp collector, you're a "postage curator".
You're not a "hoarder", you're an "insatiable curator".
Can we find a cure for this overuse of "curate"? Maybe the forced administration of a little curare?
(And get offa my lawn, while yer at it.)
Monday, March 10, 2014
Skydivers and Airplanes
Luckily, nobody was killed in this collision.
Others have not been so lucky.
A long time ago, I flew into an airport where there was a skydiving operation. As I was taxiing out, a whole lot of skydivers began landing. I pulled the mixture, shut down, and waited for them to finish. One landed close enough to my airplane that it might have been interesting.
I set a new rule that day: I won't fly into or near an airport with an active drop zone.
Others have not been so lucky.
A long time ago, I flew into an airport where there was a skydiving operation. As I was taxiing out, a whole lot of skydivers began landing. I pulled the mixture, shut down, and waited for them to finish. One landed close enough to my airplane that it might have been interesting.
I set a new rule that day: I won't fly into or near an airport with an active drop zone.
In Lieu of...
When I was a young child, my family lived in the Boston area. One of my teachers was a folk music buff and she would sing various songs if we were good in class. One day, she sang "M.T.A." One of the smart-asses in the class asked her why Charlie's wife just didn't give him a nickel, instead of a sandwich.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
MH370 is Still Missing
The flight disappeared over the Gulf of Thailand an hour after takeoff from Kuala Lampur en route Beijing on March 8th.
All we have right now, two days later*, is the sort of ignorant speculation that is the hallmark of cable news networks and third-rate fishwrappers.
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* It was mid-morning on the 7th in the US when the flight departed.
All we have right now, two days later*, is the sort of ignorant speculation that is the hallmark of cable news networks and third-rate fishwrappers.
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* It was mid-morning on the 7th in the US when the flight departed.
Your Sunday Morning Rocket Noise
Saturn V engine test at the Marshall Center in Huntsville.
They really did mount five F-1s in a test stand and light them all off. The noise must have been terrific.
N.B: This is post no. 9,000.
They really did mount five F-1s in a test stand and light them all off. The noise must have been terrific.
N.B: This is post no. 9,000.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Time to Retire the 1911?
Both Peter and NJT have posts up about it, as well as links to at least one serious 1911 guru who is advocating tossing in the towel.
Still, if you're using 1911-pattern gun for home defense or carrying concealed, you probably don't need to overthink this. You're not showering the use and abuse on your heater that someone who carries it for duty use is. It's not exposed to the weather and you're probably not shooting it overly much. And chances are that you're not looking at needing to do more than shoot what's in the gun for any single situation.*
But if you're of the "prep for SHTF" crowd, those concerns may be of interest to you.
The 1911 is a fantastic pistol. John Moses Browning was a genius, he alone designed a pistol before the Great War that stood the test of time and combat. But there nothing out there in the world of design and manufacture that is immutable. Obsolescence overtakes everything, eventually.**
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* There are people who still use Single Action Army style revolvers for both uses.
** Except maybe Ma Deuce.
Still, if you're using 1911-pattern gun for home defense or carrying concealed, you probably don't need to overthink this. You're not showering the use and abuse on your heater that someone who carries it for duty use is. It's not exposed to the weather and you're probably not shooting it overly much. And chances are that you're not looking at needing to do more than shoot what's in the gun for any single situation.*
But if you're of the "prep for SHTF" crowd, those concerns may be of interest to you.
The 1911 is a fantastic pistol. John Moses Browning was a genius, he alone designed a pistol before the Great War that stood the test of time and combat. But there nothing out there in the world of design and manufacture that is immutable. Obsolescence overtakes everything, eventually.**
__________________________
* There are people who still use Single Action Army style revolvers for both uses.
** Except maybe Ma Deuce.
Caturday, Shelter Edition
Nap time in the cattery at an animal shelter.
Every week is Adopt a Cat Week.
Every week is Adopt a Cat Week.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Putin: A Reach Too Far
Lawmakers in Crimea voted unanimously Thursday to split from Ukraine and join Russia instead, and scheduled a referendum in 10 days for voters on the disputed peninsula to support or reject their decision.International norms for the last several decades have been that land grabs are illegal. The people on this planet pretty much got tired of the idea that there would be a war every few decades over to which nation places like Alsace and Lorraine belong to. So it was settled that the borders between Country F and Country P, regardless of how unfairly they might have been drawn, were fixed unless both countries peacefully agreed to realign them.
Russian lawmakers, clearly savoring the action, said that if Crimea votes to become part of Russia, they plan legislation that would speed up the procedure of making that happen.
That didn't preclude wars for independence, where the people in province X sought to split away. It didn't preclude the breakup of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia or the Soviet Union. But it's considered to be gauche to send your army across the border because you want a little lebensraum.
The Crimea and, for that matter, eastern Ukraine may well be majority Russian. But that does not give the Russians a reason to invade, for the same reason that the presence of a majority ethnic German population in the Sudentenland didn't justify that land grab.
If anything, the actions of Russia are giving the Ukrainian government a reason to further marginalize its Russian population, if not engage in a bit of ethnic cleansing in the way that the Czechs expelled Germans after 1945.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Our Star System is a Whole Lot of Nothing
The Solar System to scale,* with the Moon sized as a single pixel.
No wonder the Reavers were crazy.
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* The link was corrupt, now fixed. Please try again.
No wonder the Reavers were crazy.
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* The link was corrupt, now fixed. Please try again.
Stupid Spook Shit; CIA Edition
If you've followed even a bit of the Snowden Affair over the ten months or so, you will know that Sen. Feinstein, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been one of the most reliable defenders of the NSA and the rest of the intelligence community as they seek to spy on everyone all of the time. She seems tho have found nothing wrong with the NSA monitoring all of our communications without any probably cause whatsoever. It's probably not too much of an exaggeration to remark that if the NSA installed cameras in the women's bathrooms at JFK airport, that Feinstein could be counted on to defend the practice.
Keeping that in mind, it was a bit of a surprise to learn that the CIA has been spying on her committee.
Because pissing off the people who decide how much money your agency is going to get doesn't really make a lot of sense.
Nor is providing firm evidence to the Senate that yes, you guys truly are out of control.
There used to be a joke that the difference between the Navy and the Boy/Girl Scouts was "competent adult leadership". Seems to me that the same joke applies to our intelligence community.
Keeping that in mind, it was a bit of a surprise to learn that the CIA has been spying on her committee.
Because pissing off the people who decide how much money your agency is going to get doesn't really make a lot of sense.
Nor is providing firm evidence to the Senate that yes, you guys truly are out of control.
There used to be a joke that the difference between the Navy and the Boy/Girl Scouts was "competent adult leadership". Seems to me that the same joke applies to our intelligence community.
Emperor Alexander Channels His Inner Putin
He moaned recently that there has to be some way of "stopping journalism".
No doubt that he's kind of wistful that the NSA can't do an Anna Politkovskaya on Snowden and Greenwald.
The Emperor's whining about the damage done to the NSA is sort of like a criminal bemoaning getting caught. The NSA has done all sorts of damage to this country because they thought that they would never be found out. But secrets do have a way of escaping their confines, especially when someone is in the loop who thinks that the Constitution isn't just a "goddamned piece of paper" or "quaint and outdated".
I think it's worth restating this point: That the NSA's claims that its wiretapping and vacuuming up of our electronic communications have prevented terror attacks have proven to be a tissue of lies, a fantasy spun by delusional power-mad maniacs.
As much as I will be pleased to see Emperor Alexander joining the senior pundit circuit like his predecessor, I have no illusions that his successor will be any different from either Alexander or Hayden. Nowhere have I seen any evidence that, when presented with some shiny new surveillance tool, anyone at the NSA asks "should we be doing this."
No doubt that he's kind of wistful that the NSA can't do an Anna Politkovskaya on Snowden and Greenwald.
The Emperor's whining about the damage done to the NSA is sort of like a criminal bemoaning getting caught. The NSA has done all sorts of damage to this country because they thought that they would never be found out. But secrets do have a way of escaping their confines, especially when someone is in the loop who thinks that the Constitution isn't just a "goddamned piece of paper" or "quaint and outdated".
I think it's worth restating this point: That the NSA's claims that its wiretapping and vacuuming up of our electronic communications have prevented terror attacks have proven to be a tissue of lies, a fantasy spun by delusional power-mad maniacs.
As much as I will be pleased to see Emperor Alexander joining the senior pundit circuit like his predecessor, I have no illusions that his successor will be any different from either Alexander or Hayden. Nowhere have I seen any evidence that, when presented with some shiny new surveillance tool, anyone at the NSA asks "should we be doing this."
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Another Unabashedly Hypocritical Remark From Lurch
“It is not appropriate to invade a country and, at the end of a barrel of a gun, dictate what you are trying to achieve.”Unless we do it, that is.
I understand that Kerry was a professional politician for decades before becoming a diplomat. But still, how can he say things like that without throwing up on the spot?
The other disquieting thing is that the who Ukrainian crisis has become a European endorsement of mob rule. At least if the mobs are outside of the EU, that is. They weren't so keen when it was the Greeks massing and protesting over the terms of the bailout dictated by
Ukraine was, more or less, a functioning democracy. Viktor Yanukovych was the duly elected president. He was probably as corrupt as they come, but then again, so was his political adversary, Yulia Tymoshenko. Ukraine is a bit of a mess, anyway. Roughly equal numbers of people tilt towards Russia as do towards the EU. Like Russia, Ukraine is more or less a semi-functional kleptocracy that is really run by oligarchs. Their major exports are steel, Antonov aircraft, and surplus military hardware left over from the USSR.
But still, it was kind of a democracy. However, Yanukovych wasn't doing what the EU or the US wanted, so he had to go, now, rather than wait for elections.
Hypocrisy may be the lubrication of choice for diplomacy. But like all lubricants, sparing use should be called for. American and EU policy towards the Ukraine Crisis is just drenched in it.
UPDATE: What the Rude One said.
The Defining Difference Between Russia and the U.S.
Our respective borders.
We are reasonably invasion-proof. Racist-based paranoia aside, even in 1942, it was pretty clear to rational thinkers that Japan couldn't mount an invasion of the United States. Besides the oceans, there is a major desert in northern Mexico, and some not-insignificant mountainous terrain. Getting the Southwest and Texas out of Mexican hands pushed any invasion from the south back across that terrain. While the Canadian border is relatively open across much of its length, the Canadians don't have the resources to mount an invasion, so any allies would have to cross the oceans.
In short, geography has given us security.
That is not the case for Russia. There are no major geographic obstacles between Moscow and Paris, other than some rivers. Three times in the last three centuries, European armies have attempted to conquer Russia.* The only defense that geography offers Russia against invasion from the west is distance.
If you understand that, then you understand why the Russians were pleased when the Yanukovych government tilted away from the EU. If you understand that, you will understand why the Russians viewed the addition of Poland and the Baltic states to NATO as a threat to their own security.
Beyond that, as we have shown little hesitation to bring about regime change by using our own military when it suits our purposes, it gripes me to hear the whining from clowns ranging from John Kerry to John McCain when somebody else does it.
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* 18th Century- Sweden. 19th Century- France. 20th Century- Germany. I rather doubt that the Russians have forgotten that the Ukrainians sided with the Swedes.
We are reasonably invasion-proof. Racist-based paranoia aside, even in 1942, it was pretty clear to rational thinkers that Japan couldn't mount an invasion of the United States. Besides the oceans, there is a major desert in northern Mexico, and some not-insignificant mountainous terrain. Getting the Southwest and Texas out of Mexican hands pushed any invasion from the south back across that terrain. While the Canadian border is relatively open across much of its length, the Canadians don't have the resources to mount an invasion, so any allies would have to cross the oceans.
In short, geography has given us security.
That is not the case for Russia. There are no major geographic obstacles between Moscow and Paris, other than some rivers. Three times in the last three centuries, European armies have attempted to conquer Russia.* The only defense that geography offers Russia against invasion from the west is distance.
If you understand that, then you understand why the Russians were pleased when the Yanukovych government tilted away from the EU. If you understand that, you will understand why the Russians viewed the addition of Poland and the Baltic states to NATO as a threat to their own security.
Beyond that, as we have shown little hesitation to bring about regime change by using our own military when it suits our purposes, it gripes me to hear the whining from clowns ranging from John Kerry to John McCain when somebody else does it.
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* 18th Century- Sweden. 19th Century- France. 20th Century- Germany. I rather doubt that the Russians have forgotten that the Ukrainians sided with the Swedes.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Why Hasn't John Kerry's Head Exploded?
When he makes statements like this:
Let's admit the fact that Putin took a page out of our own playbook: Gin up a false rationale for military action, get legislative approval and then invade another country.
This is an example of the enduring legacy of the Bush Administration: When it comes to things such as being against wars of aggression and torturing people, we, as a nation, do not come to the table with clean hands.
I probably shouldn't be so hard on Kerry, for he is only playing the cards that he has. But if his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, asked him: "So, it's only not aggression when you Americans do it," it's hard to come up with a decent answer.
"You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pretext," [U.S. Secretary of State John] Kerry told the CBS program "Face the Nation."Right. As a senator, Kerry voted to invade another country based on a completely trumped up pretext.
Let's admit the fact that Putin took a page out of our own playbook: Gin up a false rationale for military action, get legislative approval and then invade another country.
This is an example of the enduring legacy of the Bush Administration: When it comes to things such as being against wars of aggression and torturing people, we, as a nation, do not come to the table with clean hands.
I probably shouldn't be so hard on Kerry, for he is only playing the cards that he has. But if his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, asked him: "So, it's only not aggression when you Americans do it," it's hard to come up with a decent answer.
Time for Somebody to Slap the Crap Out of Miss Lindsey?
[Sen. Lindsey] Graham, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said there needs to be more than threats coming from the White House, and called President Barack Obama “weak and indecisive” on matters of foreign policy.Right. As opposed to, say, George W. Bush, who was so strong and decisive on foreign policy matters that when the Russians invaded Georgia in 2008, he did what, exactly?
Bush sent some ships to the Black Sea to deliver "humanitarian aid" and urged the Russians to abide by the terms of the cease-fire. And that, pretty much, was it.
Of course, you wouldn't expect the stenographers in our national press corps to think of questions like that, let alone ask them of chickenhawks like Graham.
In Lieu of, Well, Something
It's hard to believe, now, that radio stations used to play this song, full length.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Your Sunday Morning Jet Noise
AV-8B Harrier:
The video does not do justice to the noise a Harrier makes when one is in a hover. It is L-O-U-D!
The video does not do justice to the noise a Harrier makes when one is in a hover. It is L-O-U-D!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
NSA Wonders: What, You Haven't Covered Up or Disabled Your WebCam By Now?
I wish that I could mock those who think that the NSA and the GCHQ are watching them through their webcams. But it seems that they are, to some extent.
Cut out a small square from an index card. Place it over the lens of the webcam on your laptop. Then use a strip of electrical tape to hold the piece of cardstock in place.
By the way, Stephen Colbert is at least partially right: This is our fault. We keep voting for the senators and congressmen who voted for the Patriot Act and who keep re-authorizing it.
Cut out a small square from an index card. Place it over the lens of the webcam on your laptop. Then use a strip of electrical tape to hold the piece of cardstock in place.
By the way, Stephen Colbert is at least partially right: This is our fault. We keep voting for the senators and congressmen who voted for the Patriot Act and who keep re-authorizing it.
Caturday, Chiaroscuro Edition
Jake warms two sides of himself on the heated cat bed.
There is only a short period of time when the sun is beaming on that heated pad. He generally makes the most of it.
Jake sometimes makes a cry that sounds as though he's in pain when he uses his litter box. I've come to realize that he is telling me that the litter level is either low or it needs changing altogether. He was doing it on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. I dumped the litter, scrubbed out the box and put in fresh litter. Not a peep out of him since.
There is only a short period of time when the sun is beaming on that heated pad. He generally makes the most of it.
Jake sometimes makes a cry that sounds as though he's in pain when he uses his litter box. I've come to realize that he is telling me that the litter level is either low or it needs changing altogether. He was doing it on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. I dumped the litter, scrubbed out the box and put in fresh litter. Not a peep out of him since.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Why Russia Has the US by the Shorties Over Ukraine
One word: Afghanistan.
The "Northern Distribution Network" runs through Russia. The Pakistan route has been unreliable.
The Administration has said that it would be "grave mistake" for Russia to move on Ukraine. But our interest in keeping the northern supply lies to Afghanistan open will probably surpass any annoyance that we may have over whatever Russia does to Ukraine.
Ukraine isn't bound to us by any treaty that I am aware of. With Yanukovych claiming that he is still the rightful president of Ukraine, if he invites the Russians to act, they may have all the cover that they feel that they need.
UPDATE: In a comment, Snowdog posted a link to a Daily Mail story which claims that the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 obligates the UK and US to go to war over Ukraine. The problem for the Daily Mail is one of reading comprehension. The text of the Budapest Memorandum does no such thing. All it pledges us to do is not use an economic lever against the Ukrainians, to not nuke them, to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and, in the event of aggression against Ukraine, to trot immediately to the UN Security Council and seek a resolution to do something.
Which, as everyone who signed the Memorandum knew in 1994, and which the Daily Mail could apparently not comprehend now, would mean nothing if the Russians moved into Ukraine. Because the Russians have a permanent seat on the Security Council and have the power to veto anything that is being considered by that august body.
Go read it if you like, and judge for yourself. It's not a long document.
The "Northern Distribution Network" runs through Russia. The Pakistan route has been unreliable.
The Administration has said that it would be "grave mistake" for Russia to move on Ukraine. But our interest in keeping the northern supply lies to Afghanistan open will probably surpass any annoyance that we may have over whatever Russia does to Ukraine.
Ukraine isn't bound to us by any treaty that I am aware of. With Yanukovych claiming that he is still the rightful president of Ukraine, if he invites the Russians to act, they may have all the cover that they feel that they need.
UPDATE: In a comment, Snowdog posted a link to a Daily Mail story which claims that the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 obligates the UK and US to go to war over Ukraine. The problem for the Daily Mail is one of reading comprehension. The text of the Budapest Memorandum does no such thing. All it pledges us to do is not use an economic lever against the Ukrainians, to not nuke them, to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and, in the event of aggression against Ukraine, to trot immediately to the UN Security Council and seek a resolution to do something.
Which, as everyone who signed the Memorandum knew in 1994, and which the Daily Mail could apparently not comprehend now, would mean nothing if the Russians moved into Ukraine. Because the Russians have a permanent seat on the Security Council and have the power to veto anything that is being considered by that august body.
Go read it if you like, and judge for yourself. It's not a long document.
Our Comfortable Black Hole
Are we living inside of a black hole?
As I gather, this is the concept: At the center of a black hole is a singularity. Singularities are thought to be extremely dense and extremely tiny.
But a singularity can explode. One did, nearly 14 billion years ago, and we live in the universe that was created by that event.
So suppose that the singularity at the center of a black hole did explode. Since nothing that moves slower than the speed of light can (in theory) escape a black hole, would the resultant universe be contained inside of the event horizon of the black hole?
If somehow we could slip past the event horizon of a black hole and then return, would we discover that what we thought to be a black hole was instead, another universe? And if we could travel faster than the speed of light and go beyond the edge of our own universe, would we then find ourselves in a much vaster universe?
Or would crossing the event horizon of a black hole, or of our own universe, be a dimensional shift and the size of the new universes that we found ourselves in would seem to be about the same as our own? Is the "final frontier" truly that final?
Would the heat death of the universe, from another viewpoint, be the same as the evaporation of a black hole?*
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* Not that I understand any of the math.
As I gather, this is the concept: At the center of a black hole is a singularity. Singularities are thought to be extremely dense and extremely tiny.
But a singularity can explode. One did, nearly 14 billion years ago, and we live in the universe that was created by that event.
So suppose that the singularity at the center of a black hole did explode. Since nothing that moves slower than the speed of light can (in theory) escape a black hole, would the resultant universe be contained inside of the event horizon of the black hole?
If somehow we could slip past the event horizon of a black hole and then return, would we discover that what we thought to be a black hole was instead, another universe? And if we could travel faster than the speed of light and go beyond the edge of our own universe, would we then find ourselves in a much vaster universe?
Or would crossing the event horizon of a black hole, or of our own universe, be a dimensional shift and the size of the new universes that we found ourselves in would seem to be about the same as our own? Is the "final frontier" truly that final?
Would the heat death of the universe, from another viewpoint, be the same as the evaporation of a black hole?*
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* Not that I understand any of the math.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Take Away Barney Fife's Bullets, Please
Because they're now shooting senior citizens for the heinous crime of being disabled:
But let's take another tack and call ol' Barney into a classroom.
OK, Barney, let's do a bit of visual recognition training, shall we? Ready? There will be a test at the end.
A police officer in South Carolina shot a 70-year-old motorist who was reaching for a cane during a traffic stop because he thought the man was grabbing a rifle from the bed of his pickup truck, investigators said. The man was expected to survive.I suppose this could be good for a rant of how this shooting is Yet Another Example of How the Police Regard Themselves as an Occupying Army.
But let's take another tack and call ol' Barney into a classroom.
OK, Barney, let's do a bit of visual recognition training, shall we? Ready? There will be a test at the end.
Happy Mahashivaratri
(What it's about)
I wonder if in India, whether or not they have a cable news network that is shrieking about the "War on Mahashivaratri". I would not be a bit surprised if they do.
I wonder if in India, whether or not they have a cable news network that is shrieking about the "War on Mahashivaratri". I would not be a bit surprised if they do.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
A Bit of Humor for Farmer Frank
ST. LOUIS—Agricultural biotech giant Monsanto unveiled its latest strain of genetically modified corn Wednesday, claiming that the new, hardier seed yields 400 percent more litigation against small independent farms than the company’s previous GMO products.Might be humor, but it's awfully close to reality.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
A Real CLM (and Always Will Be), and Other DoD News
NAPLES, Italy — The Navy relieved the commander of the USS Taylor on Tuesday, about two weeks after the Florida-based frigate ran aground in the Black Sea.Not much to say about that one.
On another note, there's probably lots coming out about the planned postwar defense cutbacks. Anyone who didn't see this coming must have been smoking a lot of crack, for that's just the way it is.
No big surprise that the Army is going to take it in the shorts. They always do.
What's also not a surprise is that the Air Force is going to try, yet again, to kill off the A-10, the best ground attack airplane in the world. Because the Air Force has always hated that airplane. It's not supersonic, it doesn't have swept wings and its not designed for air-to-air combat. So rather than having an airplane designed for close-air support, and one that is built to take the punishment such a role can mete out, the AF will probably want to use the F-35 for CAS.
Right. Use a $300 million dollar airplane for CAS, my ass. They're not ever going to fly it close enough to the ground to get shot at by a MANPAD, let alone a Dushka or some flavor of ZSU. The only utility for CAS that the F-35 will have will be the same as another drone: Dropping smart bombs from very high up and far away.
Better that they take the A-10 and give it to the Army.
The stupid zoomies also want to scrap the U-2s, even though the drone that those fools planned to replace them with turned out to be more expensive to fly than a U-2.
(And let's disestablish the Air Force, while they're at it.)
Monday, February 24, 2014
"Fuck You For Your Service"-- Stay Classy, Wisconsin Los Angeles
UPDATED: Title changes as El Putzo worked out of Randstad's Los Angeles office.
So there's this putz by the name of Sergio Ortiz, a recruiter at Randstad, which was contracted to run the hiring for some company in Stevens Point, WI. A young Army veteran named Gabriella Barrett applied for a customer service job at the company.
Sergio Ortiz, in an email exchange, told her that he didn't understand why she had listed her Army service time, as that was meaningless to him. When she got into a discussion about it with Ortiz, he wrote her in an e-mail: “I believe you choose to go into the Army for a paycheck not my freedom. So you will not be getting a thank you from me. I would have freedom regardless of your voluntary service.”
Nice going, Ortiz. The draft ended in 1973. Everyone serving since 1975 has done so voluntarily, as well as those serving since 1946 in the Navy and Air Force. All of the men and women who came home from Iraq and Afghanistan in transit cases volunteered to go. The men and women in the military and VA hospitals all volunteered to go over there. The men and women who will deal with injuries for the rest of their lives, including closed-head brain injuries, all volunteered to go. Besides the casualties of the two most recent wars, the Marines killed in the Beirut bombing, the airmen killed in Khobar Towers bombing, the men and women who were killed or maimed in actions large and small, the aircrew of Ranger 12, the crews of the USS Thresher and Scorpion and those killed or injured in training accidents of one kind or another all volunteered.
No doubt it goes deeper. If a firefighter were to save Ortiz from a burning building, ol' Sergio would probably just harrumph and say "yer only doing yer job."
And I'll bet that he's a shitty tipper, as well.
Anyway, as soon as this story hit, the folks at Randstand burned skid-marks in the carpet as they rushed to shove Ortiz out the door. Might have something to do with the fact that Randstand is a Dutch company, and if it hadn't been for the U.S. Army, the language spoken today in their headquarters town of Diemen would be German (or Russian).
Here's the thing, kids: You can be an asshole. But if you're an asshole and you go on record in a company email as being an asshole, you might end up being fired. And as JayG points out, that sort of digital stupidity will follow you forever.
So there's this putz by the name of Sergio Ortiz, a recruiter at Randstad, which was contracted to run the hiring for some company in Stevens Point, WI. A young Army veteran named Gabriella Barrett applied for a customer service job at the company.
Sergio Ortiz, in an email exchange, told her that he didn't understand why she had listed her Army service time, as that was meaningless to him. When she got into a discussion about it with Ortiz, he wrote her in an e-mail: “I believe you choose to go into the Army for a paycheck not my freedom. So you will not be getting a thank you from me. I would have freedom regardless of your voluntary service.”
Nice going, Ortiz. The draft ended in 1973. Everyone serving since 1975 has done so voluntarily, as well as those serving since 1946 in the Navy and Air Force. All of the men and women who came home from Iraq and Afghanistan in transit cases volunteered to go. The men and women in the military and VA hospitals all volunteered to go over there. The men and women who will deal with injuries for the rest of their lives, including closed-head brain injuries, all volunteered to go. Besides the casualties of the two most recent wars, the Marines killed in the Beirut bombing, the airmen killed in Khobar Towers bombing, the men and women who were killed or maimed in actions large and small, the aircrew of Ranger 12, the crews of the USS Thresher and Scorpion and those killed or injured in training accidents of one kind or another all volunteered.
No doubt it goes deeper. If a firefighter were to save Ortiz from a burning building, ol' Sergio would probably just harrumph and say "yer only doing yer job."
And I'll bet that he's a shitty tipper, as well.
Anyway, as soon as this story hit, the folks at Randstand burned skid-marks in the carpet as they rushed to shove Ortiz out the door. Might have something to do with the fact that Randstand is a Dutch company, and if it hadn't been for the U.S. Army, the language spoken today in their headquarters town of Diemen would be German (or Russian).
Here's the thing, kids: You can be an asshole. But if you're an asshole and you go on record in a company email as being an asshole, you might end up being fired. And as JayG points out, that sort of digital stupidity will follow you forever.
Ukraine: Russians Laying the Groundwork?
Ukraine's new acting government is not legitimate, Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev has said. "If people crossing Kiev in black masks and Kalashnikov rifles are considered a government, it will be difficult for us to work with such a government," the prime minister said. ... "There is a real threat to our interests and to the lives of our citizens," he said. "There are big doubts about the legitimacy of a whole series of organs of power that are now functioning there."In other words:
"They've got to be protected, all their rights respected, `till somebody we like can be elected."Medvedev doesn't say a word without Putin's approval. The drums are beginning to beat in Moscow. There will be some incident in Sevastopol or elsewhere in eastern Ukraine which will serve as the justification for a Russian intervention.
Sherlock
If you watched the third show of third season of "Sherlock" on PBS, you might have noticed something.
The episode was based on the original story "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton". Milverton was a blackmailer and that is how he made his living.
In the episode, Milverton was a foreign-born newspaper and media mogul who used the information he had to apply pressure to influential people in order to promote his business interests. Which is to say, he was a high-class blackmailer.
But given the similarities, at least on the surface, between the modern version of Milverton and a certain foreign-born newspaper and media magnate, one might expect that the conservative's war against PBS is going to be ramped up a tad.
The episode was based on the original story "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton". Milverton was a blackmailer and that is how he made his living.
In the episode, Milverton was a foreign-born newspaper and media mogul who used the information he had to apply pressure to influential people in order to promote his business interests. Which is to say, he was a high-class blackmailer.
But given the similarities, at least on the surface, between the modern version of Milverton and a certain foreign-born newspaper and media magnate, one might expect that the conservative's war against PBS is going to be ramped up a tad.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
The Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony Was Today, and So...
With the Winter Olympics over, it's anybody's guess as to when the Russians move to "restore stability" in Ukraine.
The Russians were going to give Ukraine a bailout of $15 billion, but that's not going to happen, now. The Russians re not going to pay to help a government that is tilting towards the EU (and, to the Russians, Germany). The Russians may not want to be in charge of Ukraine, for they know full well that having an empire is nothing but trouble, but they want Ukraine as a buffer to Europe and NATO.
But if Ukraine is going to tilt hard towards the EU and NATO, don't be surprised if the Russians do something about it.
The Russians were going to give Ukraine a bailout of $15 billion, but that's not going to happen, now. The Russians re not going to pay to help a government that is tilting towards the EU (and, to the Russians, Germany). The Russians may not want to be in charge of Ukraine, for they know full well that having an empire is nothing but trouble, but they want Ukraine as a buffer to Europe and NATO.
But if Ukraine is going to tilt hard towards the EU and NATO, don't be surprised if the Russians do something about it.
Your Sunday Morning Jet Noise
MiG-25. This is the trainer version, note the second cockpit.
Seems as though they're having a bit of a problem getting the left engine to run its afterburner.
Seems as though they're having a bit of a problem getting the left engine to run its afterburner.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Ukraine: Is the EU Behind It?
One of the things that tends to get lost in the reportage about the current mess in Ukraine is this: President Yanukovych is the duly-elected president of the nation. He is from the side of the Ukrainian political spectrum that leans towards Russia, not towards the European Union.
So it was not any big surprise that Yanukovych scrapped a deal to join the EU.
Not that joining the EU was any great deal, what with the current financial mess in the Eurozone. But I digress.
The protests started when the supporters of the deal, who were not the same people who supported Yanukovych, opted to take their displeasure to the street and to try and force Yanukovych, the duly-elected president, to step down. Yanukovych wasn't having any of that shit. So the protests got ramped up, and the police response got ramped up and they got to the point of shooting at each other.
But now they've reached a deal, maybe.
I'm kind of surprised, actually. I half-believed that things would get a lot worse and then Yanukovych would ask the Russians for the loan of a couple of motorized rifle divisions to help "restore stability".
And I kind of doubt that the EU will offer much in the way of financial aid to the Ukrainians. Because at the end of the day, financial aid from the Eu means that the Germans will have to cough it up, and they're probably getting sick and tired of the EU demanding more money from Germany.
So it was not any big surprise that Yanukovych scrapped a deal to join the EU.
Not that joining the EU was any great deal, what with the current financial mess in the Eurozone. But I digress.
The protests started when the supporters of the deal, who were not the same people who supported Yanukovych, opted to take their displeasure to the street and to try and force Yanukovych, the duly-elected president, to step down. Yanukovych wasn't having any of that shit. So the protests got ramped up, and the police response got ramped up and they got to the point of shooting at each other.
But now they've reached a deal, maybe.
I'm kind of surprised, actually. I half-believed that things would get a lot worse and then Yanukovych would ask the Russians for the loan of a couple of motorized rifle divisions to help "restore stability".
And I kind of doubt that the EU will offer much in the way of financial aid to the Ukrainians. Because at the end of the day, financial aid from the Eu means that the Germans will have to cough it up, and they're probably getting sick and tired of the EU demanding more money from Germany.
Because It's Friday
Working steam on the Norfolk and Western, back when they burned coal to haul coal.
A Child Can Change the World
Credit also has to be given to those two police officers who asked the librarian: "Why don't you give the kid the books?"
(Some more details)
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Quite Possibly the Last Post That You'll See Here on Climate Change
Phil Plait at Bad Astronomy has a post up regarding the disappearance of old Arctic Ice. Essentially, the Arctic is on track to be ice-free in 30 years or so. The fabled snows of Mt. Kilimanjaro will likely soon be gone.
So why am I not going to blog about it anymore?
Because I agree with this guy: It's likely far too late to do anything about it.
I think that it was almost inevitable from the get-go. Even if it had been made crystal-clear to the politicians back when the First World was moving away from coal, nobody would have had the will to say "hey, we can prevent this from happening." No, we did what humans have always done, assume that "dilution is the solution for pollution". Which works until the system is overloaded. Which is why waiting for rivers to clean themselves stopped working decades ago. Which is why the air in many Chinese cities is almost unbreathable.
But we still persisted in the illusion that there were systems that were so large that we couldn't fuck them up: The atmosphere, the oceans.
Only now we have. By next year, atmospheric carbon dioxide will probably be over 400ppm year-round. The oceans are acidifying (not to mention all of the crap we've dumped into them).
So congratulations to humanity, for we've well and truly manage to fuck up our world, bringing about an extinction event unseen since the K-T (or K-Pg) Event, which was triggered by the Chicxulub impact 66 million years ago.
Now we have to adapt to it. For if we don't, if civilization goes away, there will be no restarting it. Almost all of the stuff that helped propel our society above the Stone Age is gone. The easily-obtainable copper, iron and tin deposits are played out. The coal that was mineable from the surface is gone. The oil that was bubbling from the surface has been exploited.
A hundred or two million years from now, after plate tectonics has punched up some new mountains, things might be different. There may even be another intelligent species to take advantage of it.
So why am I not going to blog about it anymore?
Because I agree with this guy: It's likely far too late to do anything about it.
I think that it was almost inevitable from the get-go. Even if it had been made crystal-clear to the politicians back when the First World was moving away from coal, nobody would have had the will to say "hey, we can prevent this from happening." No, we did what humans have always done, assume that "dilution is the solution for pollution". Which works until the system is overloaded. Which is why waiting for rivers to clean themselves stopped working decades ago. Which is why the air in many Chinese cities is almost unbreathable.
But we still persisted in the illusion that there were systems that were so large that we couldn't fuck them up: The atmosphere, the oceans.
Only now we have. By next year, atmospheric carbon dioxide will probably be over 400ppm year-round. The oceans are acidifying (not to mention all of the crap we've dumped into them).
So congratulations to humanity, for we've well and truly manage to fuck up our world, bringing about an extinction event unseen since the K-T (or K-Pg) Event, which was triggered by the Chicxulub impact 66 million years ago.
Now we have to adapt to it. For if we don't, if civilization goes away, there will be no restarting it. Almost all of the stuff that helped propel our society above the Stone Age is gone. The easily-obtainable copper, iron and tin deposits are played out. The coal that was mineable from the surface is gone. The oil that was bubbling from the surface has been exploited.
A hundred or two million years from now, after plate tectonics has punched up some new mountains, things might be different. There may even be another intelligent species to take advantage of it.
SLAPP Suits and the Streisand Effect: Tactical Rifles, Inc. vs. Sniper's Hide
So this is apparently what happened. Over at Sniper's Hide, one of the gurus there ordered a rifle from Tactical Rifles. The rifle cost north of eight grand. The rifle apparently had the sort of fit and finish problems that would be unacceptable on a $400 Savage, let alone a custom build costing twenty times that much.
The guru wrote about the problems and his efforts to fix them, first with trying to get the company to stand behind their product and then having to pay someone else $1,600 to make it right. Discussing that apparently caused no shortage of butthurt among the people at Tactical Rifles.
Tactical Rifles' response was to file a lawsuit claiming defamation or some shit like that. The folks at Sniper's Hide have raised the cash to fight back.
I don't know how many people had ever heard of that company before. The market for custom sniper rifles that cost that kind of money is probably pretty small.
But I'm pretty sure that the market for rifles that cost over eight AMUs and then take nearly another two AMUs to make right is vanishingly small.
What I do know is that a hell of a lot of people are going to be familiar with Tactical Rifles' repuation, and not in a good way, because of this litigation. That's the Streisand Effect for you.
The guru wrote about the problems and his efforts to fix them, first with trying to get the company to stand behind their product and then having to pay someone else $1,600 to make it right. Discussing that apparently caused no shortage of butthurt among the people at Tactical Rifles.
Tactical Rifles' response was to file a lawsuit claiming defamation or some shit like that. The folks at Sniper's Hide have raised the cash to fight back.
I don't know how many people had ever heard of that company before. The market for custom sniper rifles that cost that kind of money is probably pretty small.
But I'm pretty sure that the market for rifles that cost over eight AMUs and then take nearly another two AMUs to make right is vanishingly small.
What I do know is that a hell of a lot of people are going to be familiar with Tactical Rifles' repuation, and not in a good way, because of this litigation. That's the Streisand Effect for you.
Can a Devout Muslim Travel in Space?
I'm not trying to be snarky about this.
When I was in the Navy, at various times, a couple of the ships that I was on had young officers who were cross-decked from various Arab navies. When they got together for prayer, one of them would call up to the duty quartermaster and ask for the relative bearing to Mecca, as they had a religious duty to pray facing the Kaaba in Mecca.
In space, the requirement would be to face towards Earth. But that presents it's own problems. In essence, the requirement to determine the Qibla arose in a two-dimensional world. But space is a three-dimensional environment. If one were on a ship in deep space or on another world, the Qibla could be up, down, or at any angle from the vertical.
On a ship traveling for any distances, I think it would be presumable that the ship would have rotating elements to provide a form of artificial gravity. Which would make things rather difficult, unless the the Qibla were along the rotational axis.
Anyway, if I do a science fiction story, I might try to work that into it to see how it'd play out.
When I was in the Navy, at various times, a couple of the ships that I was on had young officers who were cross-decked from various Arab navies. When they got together for prayer, one of them would call up to the duty quartermaster and ask for the relative bearing to Mecca, as they had a religious duty to pray facing the Kaaba in Mecca.
In space, the requirement would be to face towards Earth. But that presents it's own problems. In essence, the requirement to determine the Qibla arose in a two-dimensional world. But space is a three-dimensional environment. If one were on a ship in deep space or on another world, the Qibla could be up, down, or at any angle from the vertical.
On a ship traveling for any distances, I think it would be presumable that the ship would have rotating elements to provide a form of artificial gravity. Which would make things rather difficult, unless the the Qibla were along the rotational axis.
Anyway, if I do a science fiction story, I might try to work that into it to see how it'd play out.
Yahrzeit
Gracie passed two years ago.
It took me a long, long time to reach the point where I could look at pictures of her, let alone write about her, without puddling up. She was a happy cat. While she took no guff from the male cats of the household, she was never nothing but kind and loving to me. She didn't like going to the vet, but once she was there, she was a trouper about what had to be done. And I suspect that a little of her kindness rubbed off on me. My life was enriched for her being a part of it.
I wish I had had some more years with her, but I cherish the ones that I had.
It took me a long, long time to reach the point where I could look at pictures of her, let alone write about her, without puddling up. She was a happy cat. While she took no guff from the male cats of the household, she was never nothing but kind and loving to me. She didn't like going to the vet, but once she was there, she was a trouper about what had to be done. And I suspect that a little of her kindness rubbed off on me. My life was enriched for her being a part of it.
I wish I had had some more years with her, but I cherish the ones that I had.
The True Haven for Conservatives
Russia, as Jason Jones discovered.
Low taxes, companies permitted to cram religious values down their employees' throats, legal to abuse gays, liberals whipped by Cossacks in the streets-- you have to wonder why Roger Ailes hasn't required everyone at Fox to learn Russian, or if Sean Hannity isn't moving to Moscow.
Low taxes, companies permitted to cram religious values down their employees' throats, legal to abuse gays, liberals whipped by Cossacks in the streets-- you have to wonder why Roger Ailes hasn't required everyone at Fox to learn Russian, or if Sean Hannity isn't moving to Moscow.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Dear Maytag: Why I Won't Buy a New Washer and Dryer From You.
I have a stackable Maytag washer and dryer. They're old and they have been giving good service. But the lid latch assembly is acting up.
So I called the local repair guy to make an appointment. He later called me back to ask if I still wanted his guy to come out. Seems that the parts for the latch are not available and if the latch is bad, then there is nothing they can do.
I went out and tried it again and it works. I tried it ten times and it works.
But damn, if a part goes, I have to buy both a new washer and a new dryer? Because Maytag won't make new parts to force people to get rid of their old better-constructed machines and buy their new pieces of shit?
Thanks for nothing, Maytag.*
__________________
* Yeah, I know: This is the sort of shit that happens when Bain Capitalraids gets involved with companies, like they did with Maytag. So I guess I can add this to the reasons why Rmoney should only die in a in a crotch fire.
So I called the local repair guy to make an appointment. He later called me back to ask if I still wanted his guy to come out. Seems that the parts for the latch are not available and if the latch is bad, then there is nothing they can do.
I went out and tried it again and it works. I tried it ten times and it works.
But damn, if a part goes, I have to buy both a new washer and a new dryer? Because Maytag won't make new parts to force people to get rid of their old better-constructed machines and buy their new pieces of shit?
Thanks for nothing, Maytag.*
__________________
* Yeah, I know: This is the sort of shit that happens when Bain Capital
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Another Step Towards the Panopticon
DHS apparently wants to link all of the license plate readers out there into one ginormous tracking system.
Because nobody in the government would ever think to abuse that sort of database for personal or political reasons.....
Remember the mantra of the DiFis of the world: "If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear."
(H/T)
Because nobody in the government would ever think to abuse that sort of database for personal or political reasons.....
Remember the mantra of the DiFis of the world: "If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear."
(H/T)
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