lundi 27 février 2023

More Attempts by Conservatives to Control a Woman's Body

Yet another ruling from a TX conservative federal judge is expected as early as today on the sale of mifepristone anywhere in the US. If he does, it's another win for the religious right to enforce their beliefs on every woman of child bearing years in the country.

Quote:

Federal judges in Texas have delivered time and again for abortion opponents.

They upheld a state law that allows for $10,000 bounties to be placed on anyone who helps a woman get an abortion; ruled that someone opposed to abortion based on religious beliefs can block a federal program from providing birth control to teens; and determined that emergency room doctors must equally weigh the life of a pregnant woman and her embryo or fetus.

Now abortion rights advocates — galvanized by the reversal of Roe v. Wade — are girding for another decision from a Texas courtroom that could force the FDA to remove a widely used abortion pill from pharmacies and physicians’ offices nationwide.

The wide-ranging lawsuit, brought by a conservative Christian legal group, argues that the FDA’s approval process more than two decades ago was flawed when it authorized the use of mifepristone, which stops the development of a pregnancy and is part of a two-drug regimen used in medication abortions.

“The FDA has one job, which is just to protect Americans from dangerous drugs,” said Denise Harle, senior counsel with the Alliance Defending Freedom, part of a conservative coalition that brought the suit in federal district court in Amarillo, Texas. “And we’re asking the court to remove that chemical drug regimen until and unless the FDA actually goes through the proper testing that it’s required to do.”

A decision in the case was expected as soon as Friday. If successful, the lawsuit would force federal officials to rescind mifepristone’s approval, and manufacturers would be unable to ship the drug anywhere in the United States, including to states like California, Massachusetts, Illinois, and New York where abortion remains legal.
Mifepristone has been used safely in France since 1987 and the US since 2000. It is listed as an "essential drug" by the World's Health Org., approved by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Yet the lawsuit claims it's a 'dangerous drug' which is clearly untrue. These groups won't stop until they reduce a woman's value to primarily a baby making machine.


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dimanche 26 février 2023

The Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade

Straight out of Catch-22:
Quote:

The Republican National Committee’s chairperson has said that all GOP primary candidates should sign a pledge promising to support the eventual party nominee if they wish to participate in the presidential debates.

Ronna McDaniel, the RNC’s leader since 2017, told CNN in an interview Sunday that even though the debate criteria have not yet been released, the loyalty pledge should nevertheless be a “no-brainer” for the party’s presidential hopefuls.

“If you’re going to be on the Republican National Committee debate stage asking voters to support you, you should say, ‘I’m going to support the voters and who they choose as the nominee’,” McDaniel told CNN host Dana Bash.

“Anyone getting on the Republican national committee debate stage should be able to say, ‘I will support the will of the voters and the eventual nominee of our party,’” she added.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...loyalty-pledge

Already, The Orange BLOATUS is umming and ahhing about the need to do this. Says he won't sign such an oath unless he is the winner. Any more proof needed of a mental breakdown?

Catch-22 was a tragi-comedic anti-war rant. In it, the Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade was conceived as a means to exclude a character from the crusade to make him appear disloyal, a cardinal sin. Is this what is happening to The Donster? Could it happen to a nicer psychopath?


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vendredi 24 février 2023

YHWH Demands and Loves Human Sacrifice

I am always quite amazed at apologetics for the Buybull containing clear and definitive proofs that YHWH demanded and accepted and got appeased by human sacrifice.

The ones who bewilder me most are the Christian apologists... given that the whole of the New Tall tales' theology is nothing but a grotesque and sordid human blood sacrifice with Zombification to boot.

But what also puzzles me is the poor quality of polemicists' proofs for YHWH's appetite for human sacrifice.

Invariably when the topic is discussed people go straight to Abraham and his son Jacob (Genesis 22:1-13) and then when the apologists retort how that is more of a proof that YHWH was against human sacrifice not for it... the not so informed polemicists bring up the tale of Jephthah and his daughter (Judges 11:30-40).

The apologists then have to contort and wriggle something or another which in their minds alleviates their Cognitive Dissonance satisfactorily for why this story does not definitively prove the case against YHWH.

Afterwards.... the more versed polemicists resort to parrying with these verses:
  • The firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast... I sacrifice to YHWH... (Exodus 13:1-16)
  • The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me... (Exodus 22:29-30)
  • 3,000 Hebrews sacrificed for the Golden Calf episode (Exodus 32:28)
  • 70,000 Israelites killed to appease YHWH's anger at David for obeying YHWH's order to take a census (2 Samuel 24:15).
  • 32 little virgins from the extirpated nation of Midianites sacrificed to YHWH as he demanded (Numbers 31:40)
But the above are again repudiated as not proof if one does enough mental contortions and acrobatics to formulate some CASUISTRY... but nothing more than casuistry that might beguile many polemicists, who then just give up in disgust and bewilderment.

However... there are verses that I never see any polemicists use...

I think the following verses are impossible to refute as an airtight clinching case for YHWH being a demander and accepter and enjoyer of human blood sacrifice.

That is not to say that some shrewd apologists have not tried and failed... and are always bound to fail because those verses unlike the ones mentioned earlier are not at all possible to repulse by any sane or rational or factual apologetics... nor even by chicanery and shenanigans... regardless of the splendidness of the mental gymnastics and dexterity of the sleight of pen and nimbleness of the linguistic legerdemain even the most seasoned of apologists could muster.

I am, nevertheless, intrigued what agnostics and secular-theists and even atheists might be able to concoct in rebuttal to these verses being an impossible to thwart proof that YHWH is a blood sacrifice demander and accepter and enjoyer.
  1. In these verses... YHWH COMMANDED and received human sacrifice in order to abate a famine he caused. In the story, David sacrificed 7 grandsons of Saul to YHWH... and then YHWH was pleased and ended the famine he caused.
    • 2 Samuel 21:1-14... And there was a famine in the days of David three years.... And YHWH said: 'It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites.'... the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore unto Saul... and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul... and they hanged them in the mountain before YHWH, and they fell all seven together; and they were put to death in the days of harvest... And after that God was entreated for the land.


  2. In these verses... YHWH commands the human sacrifice of a guy called Achan and his entire family and even his animals and possessions in order to resume helping and participating in the conduct of war crimes that he commanded and during which he started sulking and caused the death of some of the war criminals by not helping them anymore... and he received the human sacrifice he commanded and his anger was abated and YHWH did indeed resume helping and carrying out more war crimes.
    • Joshua 7:1-26... for Achan, the son of Carmi,... took of the devoted thing; and the anger of YHWH was kindled against the children of Israel.... And YHWH said unto Joshua... there is a curse in the midst of thee, O Israel... take away the accursed thing from among you... And Joshua... took Achan... and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had... And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones....and YHWH turned from the fierceness of His anger...


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Old coding competition

Does anybody remember a coding competition that used to run in the '90's (I think), where the aim was to pack as much functionality in a 32kbit or 64kbit memory block?

If I remember correctly, it was generally focused on audiovisual, but there were some variations around that theme.

Some of the stuff that was done was pretty damn awesome .

Any info would be appreciated :)


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jeudi 23 février 2023

Criticism of particle physics beyond the standard model - 22 minute fast moving video

I love this woman and have been seeing a lot of her around these days. I don't know enough about particle physics to critique her POV but she makes a good case.

[yt]lu4mH3Hmw2o[/yt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu4mH3Hmw2o

Quote:

Why do particle physicists constantly make wrong predictions? In this video, I explain the history and status of the problem. My list with "good" and "bad" problems in the foundations of physics is here: http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2019... Note: I don't mean to say this is a complete list! 👉 Transcript and References on Patreon ➜ https://www.patreon.com/Sabine 💌 Sign up for my weekly science newsletter. It's free! ➜ https://sabinehossenfelder.com/newsle... 📖 Check out my new book "Existential Physics" ➜ http://existentialphysics.com/ 🔗 Join this channel to get access to perks ➜ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yN...

00:00 Intro
00:30 The History of the Problem
08:29 The Cause of the Problem
14:52 Common Objections and Answers
19:37 What Will Happen?
Advertisements:
Quote:

20:04 Learn Physics on Brilliant


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mercredi 22 février 2023

Should the USA have open borders?

Very simple question: should the USA allow anyone and everyone to come into the USA and live her?

Lots of migrants try to get here, many come in illegally and never go home.

Should we just make this our official policy? Or should we enforce the laws that are on the book, being around 800,000 new immigrants a year are allowed in, with extra slots for tens of thousands of refugee applicants, and the rest are rejected at the border?


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The Political Weaponizing of Conspiracy theories By Fox Fraud News.

Why does Fox Fraud News weaponize Conspiracy theories so dumb they violate the very laws of Physics in this Universe and are as such self debunking Horse Manure, what is Fox Fraud News Trying to Fertilize with their constant Rain of Manure?


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[Split Thread] Epstein murdered

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcooky (Post 13959431)
Over there in Fantasyland, every client of Maxwell and Epstein who had sex with under-aged or trafficked girls would be charged, prosecuted, found guilty and sentenced to long jail terms, but over here in Realworld, this is only going to happen if there is a direct complaint made to Law Enforcement by an actual victim against a specific person.. and that rarely happens because the victims are afraid to speak out... ask yourselves why that might be!!

[...].

Well, the fact is that those clients have so much power that could get Epstein killed in prison and get away with it . It´s not surprising that many people have a very low opinion of the justice system and believe in crazy conspiracies.


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mardi 21 février 2023

Excellent cosmology lecture from the Royal Institute

I'm a lay person who tries to keep up-to-date on cosmology—dark matter, dark energy, attempts to unify the theories of the large and small—stuff like that. I devour the stuff that's available online.

I didn't expect much from this lecture because I've seen so much of the material elsewhere but I was wrong. I found it insightful. The speaker gives a very thorough detailed lecture on where things stand in this field. Lots of basics for the new person plus a number of new ideas for those of us seeking out new revelations.

RI is the Royal Institute and it's a lecture hall steeped in history. The audience is thin but given they are wearing masks I suspect the pandemic is the reason. Either that or students don't know what they are missing. :D

If you just want the most interesting bit, skip ahead to minute 37 and give the professor at least to minute 44 to spell out what he has to say.
If you only look right after the BB you see neutrinos and photons. Not that nothing else is there, rather one just can't see it from that limited viewpoint.

As the Universe expands add dark matter and atoms. Present day add dark energy but in the future because the expansion continues to decrease the density of matter there will only be dark energy left.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dh2UL7R9II

[yt]1dh2UL7R9II[/yt]


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lundi 20 février 2023

Racial diversity in "white", but not "black" movies

Watched the live action version of "Pinocchio" yesterday. Movie takes place in late 1800s small Italian village. So why were there black people in the village? Why did Frozen 2 also have black people in a clearly 18th century European village?

And yet, everyone in Wakanda of the Marvel movies, is black. No exceptions. Why no racial diversity there? Why no racial diversity in Mulan?


Look, I get it. Hollywood movies are notoriously lacking in racial/ethnic diversity. Too many all-white casts. And yes, as Wakanda is in Africa, so obviously all citizens would likely be black. Mulan took place in China, so all were East Asian.

So why isn't an 18th century Italian village all white?

If diversity is really important, it should be applied evenly, fairly, and without illogical double standards and exceptions.


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Medium finds missing woman in UK river

Psychic find missing woman Nicola Bully in river.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...la-Bulley.html


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[Split Thread] Why do some liberals fear conservatives?

The question could also be asked, Why do some liberals fear conservatives?


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dimanche 19 février 2023

Sanitizing Roald Dahl

Let's talk about it then...

Quote:

Roald Dahl’s children’s books are being rewritten to remove language deemed offensive by the publisher Puffin.

Puffin has hired sensitivity readers to rewrite chunks of the author’s text to make sure the books “can continue to be enjoyed by all today”, resulting in extensive changes across Dahl’s work.

Edits have been made to descriptions of characters’ physical appearances. The word “fat” has been cut from every new edition of relevant books, while the word “ugly” has also been culled, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is now described as “enormous”. In The Twits, Mrs Twit is no longer “ugly and beastly” but just “beastly”.
And this one...

Quote:

In previous editions of James and the Giant Peach, the Centipede sings: “Aunt Sponge was terrifically fat / And tremendously flabby at that,” and, “Aunt Spiker was thin as a wire / And dry as a bone, only drier.”

Both verses have been removed, and in their place are the rhymes: “Aunt Sponge was a nasty old brute / And deserved to be squashed by the fruit,” and, “Aunt Spiker was much of the same / And deserves half of the blame.”
I'm going to say this is an outrage and I demand that the changes not be made!

As pointed out in this tweet...

Quote:

kids like Roald Dahl because he is the weird kid in the playground who wants to show you a box full of worms and slugs, and trying to rewrite him into a preacher of didactic virtue is going to ring inevitably false to the spirit of the books
and

Quote:

roald dahl: lemme tell you about something ****** UP

roald dahl (revised): lemme tell you about something ****** UP but also remember that women can be business leaders.


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Alaska woman pleads guilty to killing 'best friend' after man catfished her

With best friends like this, who needs enemies?

Alaska woman pleads guilty to killing 'best friend' after man catfished her and offered to pay $9 million for murder videos

Quote:

An Alaska woman pleaded guilty to killing her "best friend" after a man she met online said he would pay her $9 million if she sent him photos and videos of her committing murder.

Denali Brehmer, 22, pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder in the June 2019 death of Cynthia Hoffman, the Alaska Department of Law said.

Hoffman, 19, died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Her body was dumped in the Eklutna River, about 27 miles northeast of Anchorage, court documents state.

The Anchorage District Attorney’s Office previously said that Brehmer, who was 18 at the time of the crime, started planning the murder after a man she met online told her that he would give her money in exchange for evidence of her killing someone.

Brehmer knew the man as "Tyler" and had begun a relationship with him, but authorities said he had catfished her and created a fake persona as a millionaire from Kansas. His real name is Darin Schilmiller from Indiana, authorities said.


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samedi 18 février 2023

Jimmy Carter

I was too young to appreciate much of anything of the events of his presidency, but from what little I know of his life, he seems to be a person of humility, decency and integrity.


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[Continuation] The Trump Presidency (XXX)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacyhs (Post 14010445)
There are many who plead guilty in order to get a life sentence rather than death so they'd disagree.

They haven't yet served the sentence of life without the prospect of parole.

Mod Info

Continued from The Trump Presidency: Part 29
Posted By:jimbob


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vendredi 17 février 2023

Hidden Foreign Exchange Debt Swaps

While perusing banking related issues, I noticed this article:
Dollar Debt In FX Swaps And Forwards: Huge, Missing And Growing.


When a company borrows money to build a plant in a foreign country it finds
itself subject to foreign exchange fees, among other things, that add up over
the life of the loan.

Instead, it can meet with another foreign company who wants to build
a plant in this country. Assuming the same amount of borrowed money
for each company they agree to swap the loans making the loans local
for each company.

Saves money and the owners get a new plant, except no one told them
about the loan.


Looks to be about 100 trillion or about ten times the size of the 2008
housing crisis.

But is it worse than, the same, or better than? I can't decide.


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The MAGA movement and law and order

I'm reading some books on the 1968 Chicago convention, Vietnam war and the 70s popular trends.

it struck me how different the protest is from the left and the right. We had the truckers protesting the Covid lock downs, but other than that, the protest from the MAGA folks was at Trump rallies. There were some major events with armed Proud Boys and so on, but the majority of the events were in the safe confines of some building or outdoor event center. There was parking! Vietnam protesters did not need cars or parking.

The same restrained attitude to protest came up with the BLM protests. The black people protesting were all "looters and criminals" according to MAGA.

It's all sanitized to give a safe family type of protest for them. No thought involved, even the signs they held ups were printed by Trump.

The violence did appear but those were basically young men with nothing to do, libertarians, not the white working class that Trump captured.

Separate from the MAGA protests, the anti-abortion movement has always been public.


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Live on BBC. Sentencing of Russian spy at the Old Bailey

HERE (BBC)

Quote:

A former security guard at the UK embassy's in Berlin is set to be sentenced at the Old Bailey shortly for spying for Russia

David Ballantyne Smith, 58, has admitted passing secret information to the Russian authorities


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[Moderated] Transwomen are not women - part XI

Mod InfoThread continued from http://www.internationalskeptics.com...d.php?t=361690
Posted By:sarge


Quote:

Originally Posted by Abooga (Post 14010833)
Well, the Spanish government seems to have given the final ok to our own gender reform law, "La Ley Trans". As far as I understand, (news outlets are not giving much detail) you can self-id and it just requires a simple declaration, no medical certificates or any other kind, then there is a waiting time of "up to 3 months", then a second declaration, then another wait of "up to one month" and done. In previous drafts there were some provisions of possible fines if the declaration was deemed false, I'm not sure if it's like that still.

I didn't think it would pass. There have been many important feminist voices against. At the beginning these voices were ignored and shut down with accusations of transphobia etc. , following a familiar pattern, but lately these gender critical voices were appearing quite visibly in mainstream media...
We'll see how it goes. Spanish laws give many benefits to women so this loophole will presumably be exploited. Still, laws here are usually drafted in an ambiguous way and then judges create some jurisprudence one way or the other, perhaps they will try to close the loophole that way.

Next year general elections will take place so this law might not last. We shall see...

Oh, please keep us in the loop on how it's working, what challenges are presented, and how it evolves!


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jeudi 16 février 2023

ISF Presidential GOP Nominee 2024 Campaign HQ

The race for the Nomination has started, with multiple candidates very unsuccessfully throwing their various headgear into the ring.

Let's brainstorm what the successful campaign strategy for the Republican nominee for 2024 is going to look like!


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mercredi 15 février 2023

Did America take out the Nord Stream pipelines?

How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline

The New York Times called it a “mystery,” but the United States executed a covert sea operation that was kept secret—until now
Seymour Hersh

Feb 8

https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/...he-nord-stream


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Unisex facilities

Putting aside all issues of trans and GNC inclusion, what is your take on the general trend towards unisex bathrooms?

Personally, I'd say it's a positive development, mostly for the reasons given here: https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9780814759646.003.0022

ETA: Just realized the original PDF was pulled offline. My apologies.


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Ohio toxic train wreck.

This happened almost two weeks ago, but the news isn't getting better...

Quote:

The 100-car freight train that derailed February 3 was carrying hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene and butyl acrylate, the US Environmental Protection Agency said. Of those, the vinyl chloride gas that caught fire could break down into compounds including hydrogen chloride and phosgene, a chemical weapon used during World War I as a choking agent, according to the EPA and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/15/us/oh...nts/index.html


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Agnosticism = Gateway Drug to Self-Righteousness

Agnosticism is an egregious delusion... it is a gateway drug to the self-righteousness drug of secular-theism.

In 2023, no sane rational educated functioning human can conscientiously maintain belief in the biblical turpitude.

So what can one do other than chucking in the garbage the entirety of the irrefragably immoral and antithetical to reality codswallop that is their faith?

Well.... grabble for and clench tightly onto the buoy of agnosticism.

It is what enables one, every year to participate in a ritual that celebrates the slaughter of children by a god that does not exist and observe the empty seat and table-setting for Elijah the prophet of a god that did not exist, in a house built on a land wrenched away from the bloodied arms of its autochthonous inhabitants, in the name of a promise and prophecy by a god that cannot exist.

By calling myself a secular-Jew I can carry on believing in the stuff in the Buybull that suits me and still be able to delude myself that I am a sane rational scientific 21 century intellectual.

As a secular-christian one can love Jesus and believe in cherry picked bits without having to avow Jesus the god... but rather extoll Jesus the Julius Caesar or George Washington like character the great teacher who started a cult of the end of the world in the name of his father the god that does not exist.

It is too late for theism... the Genie is out of the bottle and no one can shove it back into it.... but at least agnosticism can still allow one to keep the bottle while patrolling forums, relentlessly and indefatigably hawking claptrap to prevent any further proofs that might shatter the bottle too.



.


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Nicola Sturgeon resigns as First Minister of Scotland

Even though I have little idea what comes next, I have one thing to say about this.

Whoopee.


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mardi 14 février 2023

Team Jorge

Revealed: the hacking and disinformation team meddling in elections

Quote:

  • ‘Team Jorge’ unit exposed by undercover investigation
  • Group sells hacking services and access to vast army of fake social media profiles
  • Evidence unit behind disinformation campaigns across world
  • Mastermind Tal Hanan claims covert involvement in 33 presidential elections

A team of Israeli contractors who claim to have manipulated more than 30 elections around the world using hacking, sabotage and automated disinformation on social media has been exposed in a new investigation.

The unit is run by Tal Hanan, a 50-year-old former Israeli special forces operative who now works privately using the pseudonym “Jorge”, and appears to have been working under the radar in elections in various countries for more than two decades.

He is being unmasked by an international consortium of journalists. Hanan and his unit, which uses the codename “Team Jorge”, have been exposed by undercover footage and documents leaked to the Guardian.

Hanan did not respond to detailed questions about Team Jorge’s activities and methods but said: “I deny any wrongdoing.”
Worth a read in full, in my opinion. It looks like a pretty big deal to me.


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Nikki Haley announces for 2024

So Nikki Haley is running for President. Can she beat Trump? Can she win the general? She's always struck me as a sleazy Trump apologist, but she might get some votes.
Quote:

Former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley announced Tuesday in a video that she will run for president in 2024, becoming the first major rival to challenge former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/14/polit...ent/index.html


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The Cult of Andrew Tate

Want to understand it? This person will help you (and give you a good laugh if you have anything resembling a sense of humour);

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STOY_OCjbqY

23:49 - most enlightening.


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Christian College in Florida cancels King's Singers concert due to homophobia

I just heard this extraordinary and outrageous story from Petroc Trelawney on Radio 3 and felt obliged to share it.

https://operawire.com/the-kings-sing...-to-homophobia

Quote:

The King’s Singers have revealed that their Feb. 11, 2023 concert was canceled due to homophobia.

The ensemble took to social media posting, “we are deeply saddened that our concert at Pensacola Christian College was canceled at two hours’ notice on Saturday, February 11th. The school gave its reasons for cancellation as “Concerns” expressed about the ‘lifestyle’ of members of our group.”

The ensemble added, “it has become clear to us, from a flood of correspondence from students and members of the public, that these concerns related to the sexuality of members of our group.”

The ensemble went on to state that they had performed at the University before and said that it entered the contract knowing that it was a Christian institution. They also added that it was the first time that the ensemble was canceled for this reason.
The King's Singers FFS. What the hell is wrong with these people.


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lundi 13 février 2023

Skeptical Inquirer Presents

Skeptical Inquirer Presents
Medical Myths and Superstitions: How Our Instincts Can Lead Us Astray
Featuring: Erika Engelhaupt
February 16, 2023 - 7:00 pm EST

Quote:

The popular online event series Skeptical Inquirer Presents returns on Thursday, February 16, at 7:00 p.m. ET for a live conversation with author Erika Engelhaupt. She’ll discuss her book Gory Details, which uncovers fascinating stories about medical treatments involving all manner of bodily fluids while exploring the concepts of disgust and magical thinking. Engelhaupt will also talk about more extreme examples of delusions of infestation, in which people with no other signs of mental illness become convinced that insects have taken over their bodies.
Free registration is required to take part in this live Zoom event, so sign up right now.

https://skepticalinquirer.org/video/...ead-us-astray/


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Aircraft - Rate of Climb

Just a quick question about commercial aircraft rate-of-clime after take-off.
I live 5 miles from the airport (CLE). I was wondering what the altitude is of the commercial aircraft that pass over my house.


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Execution of Raheem Taylor in Missouri

This case was not on my radar, but at the very least it bears more examination. "He was nearly 2,000 miles away when the bodies were found inside the home he shared with Rowe, shot in the head. Police seized on Taylor as their sole suspect, pursuing witnesses to confirm their theory of the crime while ignoring evidence to the contrary. At Taylor’s trial, the prosecution relied on a dubious statement provided by Taylor’s brother, Perry — a statement Perry had vociferously recanted — and on testimony from a medical examiner who dramatically changed his estimated time of death in order to implicate Taylor."

From another story at The Intercept, "During the visit, both Deja and her mother, Taylor’s former girlfriend, say that Taylor called Rowe in St. Louis and put Deja on the phone to chat with one of Rowe’s daughters. In other words, in the days after Taylor boarded that westbound flight, Rowe and her children were very much alive." The police got Mr. Taylor's brother to incriminate him after a long interrogation, but his brother recanted* the accusation.

Witnesses who change their testimony shows up frequently in wrongful convictions, not that I am presently making this claim about Mr. Taylor (I would need to know more). However, it is troubling that his claim of innocence had not been fully investigated, from what The Intercept indicated. Mr. Taylor had led far from a perfect life, but that does not make him guilty.
EDT
Vehemently recanted, and he indicated that the accusation was highly coercive


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Rivers and Biodiversity

So there was an interesting article in my local paper about extending a protected nature reserve and this time to include a further nine hectares of a riparian forest. What is a riparian forest?

Quote:

A riparian forest or riparian woodland is a forested or wooded area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary, canal, sink or reservoir.
Etymology

The term riparian comes from the Latin word ripa, 'river bank'; technically it only refers to areas adjacent to flowing bodies of water such as rivers, streams, sloughs and estuaries. However, the terms riparian forest and riparian zone have come to include areas adjacent to non-flowing bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, playas and reservoirs.
Wiki

Whilst the nearest river to me, the Aurajoki (River Aura), is less than one kilometre away, the local river closest to my heart is the Savijoki, that is an offshoot of the Aura: a long winding narrow river, little more than a babbling brook in places, which nonetheless has provided the agricultural heartland of this rich fertile area. ‘Savi’ means clay (joki = river) and it is this clay sediment that makes for the fertility of the soil.

Quote:

one of the three nature reserves established [...] is located on the banks of Savijoki in the village of Sillilä. The area is scenically beautiful, partly with steep sloping meadows and patches of bank erosion. Between the river Savijoki and the field on the east side of it, the meadow is in its lower parts a meadow with mesian tall grass.

In the southern part of the area, the nature reserve also includes a slope and a riparian forest. On the meadow patches on the steepest slopes, there is plenty of bougainvillea and yellow heather, as well as some cat's bell. There is no real juniper forest in the area, but a few individual junipers diversify the area's landscape.
TS

The bird life is typical of meadow and coastal thickets, which includes the skylark, wood sparrow and red sparrow. The rarest bird is the plover, whose presence in Finland has decreased to such an extent it has become a ‘very endangered’ species.

There are some notable hiisikirnu ‘sacrifice’ stones (cup shapes scooped out of boulders) at the Sillilä bridge end of the river. Ancient West Finns used to worship a deity named Hiisi (which early Christians deemed the devil) and they would leave sacrifices (usually plants and seeds) in the cups of these mysterious stones, hidden amongst the leafy groves. These rocks are protected by the Antiquities Board as protected monuments. Quite a few place names in the area refer to Hiisi. At the back is a grove of walnut bushes, which a local resident believes could help with sheep grazing and to drive out coastal snakes. There are foxes, badgers, racoons and rare flying squirrels.

So the plan is to protect the area of natural outstanding beauty from the following threats:

Quote:

Threats to riparian forests:
• Cleared for agricultural use because of the good soil quality
• Historically, trees used as wood fuel for steamships, steam locomotives, etc.[2]
• Urban development (housing, roads, malls, etc.)
• Grazing
• Mining
• Disrupted hydrology, such as dams and levees, which reduces the amount and/or frequency of flooding
• Invasive species
wiki, ibid

So let’s hear it for the humble river.


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[Split Thread] Do winter coats float

Funny thing, it you actually try to submerge the jacket in a bath to wash it, it's bloody murder to get it to stay under.

Mod Info

Split from Nicola Bulley, missing persons case
Posted By:jimbob


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dimanche 12 février 2023

the real expedients and hedonists are the good and virtuous people

The good are selfish beings in pursuit of their permanent, real and eternal interests. in this world, while avoiding evil, they also avoid disasters/sadness, especially remorse of conscience, and are blessed with the pleasure of their good deeds, worship and virtuous life. Even the sacrifices they make in this world provide them with immediate spiritual pleasure, as well as individual and social material pleasure in the long run. they are in ease and beauty (in total).

On the other hand, the wicked and perverted oppressors are the ultimate sacrifices (in total), destroying and destroying their own lives and the lives of those around them in this world and the hereafter. they have made a mess of their lives, their trials, everything and said goodbye. they are the eternal losers in torment, both material and spiritual...therefore they are mindless.

The Qur'an "shows what are the 'real interests' of human beings" and "shows the means by which these interests can be achieved, the means by which lasting salvation can be attained. "

Some of the commands and prohibitions that seem like sacrifices are actually desires that in the long run provide pleasure and benefit both in this world and in the hereafter.

Those who play chess know well that you can bait a queen and checkmate your opponent after a few moves. Taking that queen may seem like a win for the opponent at the time, but after a few moves it will turn into a great misery for him.

The Qur'an warns people against such traps, and shows them how to make"checkmate", that is, to gain the ultimate victory and avoid suffering.

3:117 The example of what they spend in this world is like a wind in which there is a frost; it afflicts the field of the people who wronged themselves, and thus destroys it. God did not wrong them, but it was themselves that they wronged.

2:265 The example of those who spend their money seeking God's grace, and to save themselves, is like the example of a garden on a high ground which is subjected to a heavy rain, and because of that it produces double its crop! If no heavy rain comes, then light rain is enough. God is Seer over all you do.

Emre_1974tr


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Solution to worker shortage: Put the kids to work.

More backsliding: Some states want to relax restrictions on child labor.
Quote:

Legislators in Iowa and Minnesota introduced bills in January to loosen child labor law regulations around age and workplace safety protections in some of the country’s most dangerous workplaces. Minnesota’s bill would permit 16- and 17-year-olds to work construction jobs. The Iowa measure would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work certain jobs in meatpacking plants.

The Iowa bill, introduced by state Sen. Jason Schultz (R), would permit children as young as 14 to work in industrial freezers and meat coolers, provided they are separate from where meat is prepared, and work in industrial laundry.

At 15, they would be able to work as lifeguards and swimming instructors, perform light assembly-line work after obtaining a waiver from state officials, and load and unload up to 50 pounds of products from vehicles and store shelves with a waiver “depending on the strength and ability of the fifteen-year-old.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...ld-labor-iowa/


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AI-generated Art and Copyright

Recently there has been an explosion of new computer-based tools for generating art using artificial intelligence. This issue is that the AI has been trained using data sets including copyrighted works without obtaining the permission from the copyright holders. Now there are lawsuits.

This video explains the legal principles (there is an ad right in the middle of the video, sorry; it's fairly simple to fast-forward past it though):

[yt]gv9cdTh8cUo[/yt]

Ultimately it boils down to whether this is covered under the principle of Fair Use. If it is, then they don't need to obtain the permission of the copyright holders. This in turn depends on whether the new works created are "derivative" or "transformative".

Beyond the legal question, is it right from a moral/ethical perspective? Will it destroy the livelihoods of human artists? Even if it does, does the benefit outweigh the cost?


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samedi 11 février 2023

US fighter jet shoots down third object over Yukon

A US fighter jet assigned to NORAD has now shot down a third object. This one, which was flying over the Yukon, was shot down on orders from Prime Minister Trudeau.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/polit...orthern-canada


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Alphabet Inc.

Just another conspiracy theory;

on 9/10/2001 (the day before the 911 attacks, conveniently) Donald Rumsfeld officially made it known that $2.3 trillion ($2,300,000,000,000) was "missing", "unaccounted" for from the Pentagon books. This money was (in all probability) used to subsidise, in effect create the "tech platforms" as we know them - ever find it odd how Google found the money to build its absolutely vast server farms so early on? Advertising revenue? Really? - and extend its long-established 'influence' of the so-called legacy media (in which the CIA has long acknowledged it's had "assets" working since the 1950's, practically form its inception) to the internet as ADSL lines were being rolled out across the developed world.

The Google parent company is Alphabet Inc. - the very word that the CIA itself used in the term it coined as far back as the 60's for the collective arms of federal government (as is often the case, it seems certain parties couldn't help making their little in-jokes).

A pivotal part of strategy was creating the same bloated, compartmentalised bureaucracy in these organisations as in government, stuffing them with thousands upon thousands of well-paid but barely competent drones - "moderators", "trust and safety officers" and such like - who literally ticked the right boxes (on their job application forms).

(The "whizz-kid geniuses" who became richer than Midas, the likes of Zuckerberg and Dorsey, would have been carefully selected and groomed for their positions - there's plenty about Zuckerberg's career in particular that is otherwise inexplicable).

Despite the ocean of cash, this couldn't be maintained indefinitely and the first to succumb to the haemorrhaging of money in its wage bills was Twitter, which gave Musk the opportunity for his 'hostile' take-over bid. More recently the pattern seems to be extending to others, not least the daddy of them all, Google, in its recent announcement of thousands of abrupt sackings.

If you're not au fait with the current proceedings, I'd suggest a search in Youtube for "Forbes house oversight twitter".


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vendredi 10 février 2023

Another Repub congressperson "reinvents" herself.

New Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has told different versions of her past.
Quote:

Twelve years before she was elected as the first Mexican American woman to represent Florida in Congress, Anna Paulina Luna was serving at Whiteman Air Force Base in Warrensburg, Mo., where friends said she described herself as alternately Middle Eastern, Jewish or Eastern European. Known then by her given last name of Mayerhofer, Luna sported designer clothing and expressed support for then-President Barack Obama.

By the time she ran for Congress as a Republican, she had changed her last name to Luna in what she said was an homage to her mother’s family. A staunch advocate for gun rights, she cited on the campaign trail a harrowing childhood that left her “battle hardened.” She said she and her mother had little extended family as she grew up in “low-income” neighborhoods in Southern California with a father in and out of incarceration. She said she experienced a traumatizing “home invasion” when she was serving in the Air Force in Missouri.

Luna’s sharp turn to the right, her account of an isolated and impoverished childhood, and her embrace of her Hispanic heritage have come as a surprise to some friends and family who knew her before her ascent to the U.S. House this year. A cousin who grew up with Luna said she was regularly included in family gatherings. Her roommate in Missouri had no recollection of the “home invasion” Luna detailed, describing instead a break-in at their shared apartment when they were not home, an incident confirmed by police records.

“She would really change who she was based on what fit the situation best at the time,” said the roommate, Brittany Brooks, who lived with Luna for six months and was a close friend during her military service.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...can-biography/


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Breaking: U.S. shoots down an 'object' over Alaska...



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All-male Beckett play canceled for only hiring male actors

From https://www.irishcentral.com/culture...godot-canceled

Quote:

A Dutch production of the Samuel Beckett play "Waiting for Godot" was canceled because the show's Irish director only allowed men to audition, despite Beckett clearly stating that the cast should be five men.

The play, which features two central male characters Vladimir and Estragon who are joined by other male characters as they wait for someone who never arrives, had been in rehearsals since November.

It was due to be staged at the University of Groningen’s Usva student cultural center in March, but the production was canceled when the venue discovered the casting call had been open to men only.

The venue subsequently informed the production team that the male-only casting call went against the university's inclusivity policy.


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jeudi 9 février 2023

Nancy Mace @ Washington Press Club

Pretty fun stuff, not the best delivery, but I like roasts and she really roasts her own party as much or more than the other party.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?c50566...rep-nancy-mace


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"Christian nationalism" is a real threat.

Survey indicates that a lot of Americans identify themselves as or support "Christian nationalists."
Quote:

“Christian nationalism is a new term for a worldview that has been with us since the founding of our country — the idea that America is destined to be a promised land for European Christians,” PRRI president and founder Robert P. Jones explained in a news release on the survey of more than 6,000 Americans. “While most Americans today embrace pluralism and reject this anti-democratic claim, majorities of white evangelical Protestants and Republicans remain animated by this vision of a white Christian America.”

The poll used the following beliefs to gauge how deeply respondents embraced Christian nationalism:
Quote:

“The U.S. government should declare America a Christian nation.”

“U.S. laws should be based on Christian values.”

“If the U.S. moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore.”

“Being Christian is an important part of being truly American.”

“God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society.”
PRRI found that 10 percent (“adherents”) of American adults believe in these ideas overwhelmingly or completely; 19 percent agree but not completely (“sympathizers”); 39 percent disagree (“skeptics”) but not completely; and 29 percent disagree completely (“rejecters”).
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...n-nationalism/


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mercredi 8 février 2023

Studio Monitors for Computer Audio

I've been some some mixing of my band and thought some decent studio monitors were *cough* justified.


I am now onto my fourth set and not really sure what to say. They all promise the earth but all sound different. One of them must be lying.


1. Yamaha HS5. Had to get a sub HS8S Subwoofer because they have no bass response at all.
2. Tannoy Gold 7. I like the idea of concentric speakers to give better stereo image. Since Tannoy is now owned by Behringer everyone just piles on to them but I thought they sounded OK.
3. Adam T7V. These have to be the best, don't they. They use the fancy tweeter. I don't know that they sound better than the Tannoys and the tweeters don't seem to have that good a stereo image either.
4. ILoud MTM Reference. They have a built in DAC and come with a microphone to perform automatic REM EQ. They only have miniature 3" speakers but *magic* fixes that. Surely these have to be OK.

They do seem to have the best stereo image. They are also a lot brighter.


But who knows, they all sound different. They quickest test is to just play white noise and flip between two speakers. In theory, all these flat response, full frequency, brutally honest studio monitors should sound the same, but no, they don't.


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mardi 7 février 2023

[Continuation] Brexit XII

The Carlisle United Supporters Club and the Supporters Club of Carlisle United were both singing, but the United Supporters Club of Carlisle had lost his voice.



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[Continuation] Electric universe theories here (2)

Imagine if that sunward drift of electrons to maintain quasi neutrality, included “borrowing” some electrons from the interstellar plasma.


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The right goes to war against "the woke"

https://tomklingenstein.com/woke-rev...2CrrIbyVSUpgNc

Quote:

"America is in the middle of a Cold Civil War between woke revolutionaries—who believe America is and has always been systemically racist (evil), so that it must be deconstructed, de-legitimized (i.e., destroyed)—and those who believe that America is good, that its principles are the greatest antidote to racism ever created, and that preserving America and its principles is the highest and most urgent political calling. Let’s call these patriots “Americanists."
Comments welcomed.


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lundi 6 février 2023

Delicious Science Clickbait!

Astronomers are terrified at the discovery of a giant blueberry in space.
https://srody.com/the-scientists-rep...ed-by-accident


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Prognosticators (and Just Who is Peter Zeihan)

Every once in a while, one of these talking heads swims up, either in newspaper columns, or Youtube feeds, or whatever. The latest for me is Peter Zeihan.

So, like any idiot looking to be later bombarded by an algorithm, I watched a couple of his videos. They were short and sweet, coming in at less than 10 minutes (although a couple sounded like they were culled from other interviews).

Question 1 (on Zeihan):

Anyone know the background on this guy? I tried to read the comments or find some scuttlebutt on line. Many comments seem to be sort of anti-globalization rants. It's hard for me to tell if these commentors are fer him or agin him. What's the scoop?

Question 2 (more generally):

He and others sometimes make actual predictions (look for oil prices to be X by end of this summer, sort of thing). Has anyone checked up on these predictions? I mean, kudos for making them, because it puts oneself out there. On the flip side, could it be that nobody cares about their predictions? Like certain politicians, is the only thing that is important is what they say in the moment, and how it makes people feel?


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Two major earthquakes hit Turkey, Syria

Over a thousand dead after a quake early Monday morning and another a few hours later, levelling apartment blocks and other buildings, the shock felt across several countries.

https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/re...s-turkiye/news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/64533954

Thousands more injured, with heavy rain and snow forecast for some of those areas affected potentially severely affecting rescue attempts.

Horrific scenes.


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Indian miracle guru confronted by skeptics

An Indian guru claims that he can heal all sorts of ailments, and he can read people’s minds. However, he is not unopposed:
Bageshwar Dham Sarkar: The Indian guru making headlines over 'miracle' cures
Quote:

Shyam Manav, who runs an anti-superstition movement through his organisation Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, offered to pay 3m rupees ($36,500; £30,000) if Mr Shastri correctly read the minds of 10 people chosen by him.
The challenge was made when Mr Shastri was holding a camp in the city of Nagpur in Maharashtra - the state where Mr Manav is based.
When Mr Shastri left the city without taking the challenge, some said he'd run away.
Various magicians and mentalists have also stood forward and claimed they could do the same as Mr Shastri, but without magic.

On the other hand, fraud pays:
Quote:

One of his schoolmates told BBC Hindi that a few years ago, Mr Shastri disappeared for a year. It was after his return that politicians and other influential people started visiting the temple to meet him.
"Until five years ago, he used to travel on motorbikes," he said.
Today, he travels in a convoy of a dozen cars and flies around, sometimes by private jets, in India and abroad.
He has gained the support of the ruling Hindu fanatics because he argues for making India a Hindu state.


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dimanche 5 février 2023

U.S. investigates aborted FedEx landing in Texas, two planes cleared for same runway

U.S. investigates aborted FedEx landing in Texas, two planes cleared for same runway

Quote:

The Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board are investigating an aborted landing in Austin, Texas, on Saturday morning by a FedEx cargo plane that had been set to land on a runway on which a Southwest Airlines jet was also cleared to depart from, the agencies said.

The two planes came close to colliding when the FedEx plane was forced to overfly the Southwest plane to avoid a crash, two sources briefed on the matter told Reuters.

“Shortly before the FedEx aircraft was due to land, the controller cleared Southwest Flight 708 to depart from the same runway,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

The NTSB separately said it was investigating “a possible runway incursion and overflight involving airplanes from Southwest Airlines and FedEx.”

The incident occurred in poor visibility conditions in Austin. The FAA said FedEx Express Flight 1432, a Boeing 767 cargo plane, which had departed from Memphis, was cleared to land on Runway 18-Left around 6:40 a.m. while the aircraft was several miles from the airport. The Southwest plane had not yet departed when the FedEx plane was nearing the runway.

“The pilot of the FedEx airplane discontinued the landing and initiated a climb out,” the FAA said.

It was not clear precisely how close the two airplanes came to colliding, but flight tracking website data suggested they came very close.
Flightradar24 will show you that it was pants ******** close:

https://twitter.com/jxlars/status/1622010477520764928

There are claims that air traffic control gave the pilot of the Southwest flight plenty of time to take off in advance of the FedEx landing but the pilot took too long to get going.


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[Split Thread] Why do some conservatives fear liberals?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgidm86 (Post 13998993)
Well said.

I would only say that if by "we" you mean everyone and not just forum members and other skeptics, that for the vast majority of people their provisional opinion quickly becomes permanent.

I've changed views on a lot of things in my life, most of them fairly recently, and the ability to examine my own beliefs was the reason. That ability was taught to me, and I actively try to improve my thinking skills. Many people don't even know what this paragraph means :)


Yes, agreed. Being able to change one's mind, that seems such a simple thing. And yet that's clearly beyond the powers of most people, or so it often seems.

Heh, even within this forum, actually, it's only the rare member who readily acknowledges it when they're clearly shown to be mistaken. Despite most of us self-describing as skeptics, most of us don't seem to be very good at changing our mind when warranted, even about incidental things we happen to be generally arguing about, and far less things that are more than of incidental interest to us.

But then we all like to think of ourselves as oh-so-skeptical, us here in this place; and it's always those others that are so inexplicably inflexible and irrational and unwilling to change their mind! Who knows, might others view us likewise, and might we in fact be more inflexible than we like to think we are?! That's something to always be careful about, isn't it.


-----

Yep, it's very cool, your having been able to change your thinking and your opinion about such a fundamental part of your worldview. Apologies if I'm mixing you up with someone else --- in which case do please correct me --- but I seem to remember you as having started a thread to discuss this change in how you see things. It was, again unless I'm mistaking someone else' thread for yours, about your politics I think, about throwing away right-wing blinkers and embracing a more heretical left-oriented worldview (aka, a worldview better synched with reality!).

To have been able to do that, that's very, very commendable.



eta:
Again, apologies if I've got this all mixed up with someone else! I don't remember if I even posted in that thread I'm talking about, most probably not, but I did read it. If I've got all of that wrong, then do please go ahead and spell out what recent change in opinions you were speaking of here, if you'd like to that is.



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Mystery of why rechargeable batteries self-discharge solved

Quote:

Dal researchers' chance discovery could help extend battery life by replacing tape that causes self‑discharge

It happens far too often: you plug your laptop in and walk away only to return hours or days later to find it has lost some of its charge despite sitting idle and unused.
The phenomenon — called self-discharge — has frustrated users and industry alike, and puzzled manufacturers trying to determine why lithium-ion battery cells tend to lose some of their charge over time.

...

That's when they found that the polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, in the tape decomposes and creates the molecule that leads to the self-discharge. The molecule is called a redox shuttle because it can travel to the positive side of the electrode, then to the negative side and then back to the positive side. So, it shuttles between the electrodes and that creates the self-discharge, just like lithium is supposed to do. The problem is that the shuttle molecule is doing it all the time in the background, even when no lithium is supposed to move when the battery just sitting there.

"It's something we never expected because no one looks at these inactive components, these tapes and plastic foils in the battery cell but it really needs to be considered if you want to limit side reactions in the battery cell," he says of the tape made from PET, a strong, lightweight plastic used widely in packaging and pop bottles.
https://www.dal.ca/news/2023/01/16/d...discharge.html

Probably a big discovery.


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samedi 4 février 2023

MDMA and Psilocybin approved as psychiatric medication

From Australia: "MDMA, the active ingredient in party drugs such as ecstasy, will be able to be prescribed to some patients experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"Psilocybin, a compound found in psychotropic "magic" mushrooms, will be listed as medicine for for treatment-resistant depression.

"All other uses of psilocybin and MDMA will remain prohibited."

'TGA psychedelics decision met with relief, cautious optimism and 'serious reservations':
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-...onse/101931618

Do other countries do this?
Is it premature to do this without long term clinical trials?
Or is it worth a try in those situations?


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Supreme Court justices used personal emails for work, sources say

Supreme Court justices used personal emails for work and ‘burn bags’ were left open in hallways, sources say

Quote:

Long before the leak of a draft opinion reversing Roe v. Wade, some Supreme Court justices often used personal email accounts for sensitive transmissions instead of secure servers set up to guard such information, among other security lapses not made public in the court’s report on the investigation last month.

New details revealed to CNN by multiple sources familiar with the court’s operations offer an even more detailed picture of yearslong lax internal procedures that could have endangered security, led to the leak and hindered an investigation into the culprit.

Supreme Court employees also used printers that didn’t produce logs – or were able to print sensitive documents off-site without tracking – and “burn bags” meant to ensure the safe destruction of materials were left open and unattended in hallways.

“This has been going on for years,” one former employee said.

The problem with the justices’ use of emails persisted in part because some justices were slow to adopt to the technology and some court employees were nervous about confronting them to urge them to take precautions, one person said. Such behavior meant that justices weren’t setting an example to take security seriously.

The justices were “not masters of information security protocol,” one former court employee told CNN.

In a statement attached to the final report, the court called the leak a “grave assault” on the court’s legitimacy and the marshal of the court issued a road map to improve security.
Color me shocked! LOCK THEM UP!!!


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Chinese Spy Balloon conspiracies in 3...2...1...

Might as well get this thread started,it's only a matter of time, before there's more...

Did something go 'boom' as the balloon flew over Montana?
At least one person thinks so.

https://www.newsweek.com/video-alleg...racies-1778938


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Nicola Bulley, missing persons case

The news and social media has exploded over the disappearance of a lady Nicola Bulley, who was walking her dog next to the river Wyre in England, 9 days ago and has not been seen since. The dog, its harness and her phone were found at or next to a bench, next to the fast flowing, deep river. There is a ten minute gap between the last sighting of her and her going missing.

The police are being criticised for concentrating on searching the river and supposedly not looking for her elsewhere, though it is clear that after 9 days, with all the publicity and no witness, dash cam or CCTV sightings, that she is unlikely to have walked off elsewhere, leaving her dog and phone behind.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-64522796

That leaves she has faked her disappearance and kidnapping left, but there is no evidence for either. I think it is reasonable for the police to concentrate all resources on searching the river.


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vendredi 3 février 2023

Lawyer Suspended for Misconduct

Here's a lawyer who had an . . . innovative . . . concept for dealing with legal problems.

https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/g...ry%3Aba%3Alink


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Chinese Spy Balloon Over Montana

A Chinese spy balloon has been spotted over Montana. One thing I liked about the video I saw was that the Moon was in the same shot, then panned over to the balloon, which shows some equipment dangling from the bottom. Hopefully that would dash any conspiracy theories or "Oh, it's just the Moon" comments. The story is also backed up by several sources.

Actually I think it's kind of interesting that China can do that, but somewhat concerning. I can't think of much they could discern that they haven't already from that height. I would be more concerned about what it's carrying, and the implications of more of them carrying deadly substances.

I think it's a deception that the military is saying it won't shoot it down for fear of hurting people on the ground. It's Montana! There's nobody there! But I guess it does make sense to try to capture it intact. I'd like to see them use the pincer grab that was used in a Batman movie. That would be cool.

(eta)
Just in: US Secretary of State Blinken has postponed his upcoming China trip because of this.


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jeudi 2 février 2023

Green Comet 2023, seen or unseen?

I wanted to go see it this week, then tonight, but a winter storm, root canal, and light pollution precluded my planned viewing.
(Sadly, it is about a 2 hour drive to somewhere I can see the night sky- and iffy even then.)

I'd rather hear some posters share if they have seen Mr. Green Comet himself flying by!!
Pics if you had the tech to do it. :thumbsup::D

*eta -Feb 2 was supposed to be the closest proximity to Earth and best to view. But likely need good binoculars, at least.

Next viewing: in 50,000 years.


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[Split Thread] Conditions of USA agricultural workers




Quote:

Six have so far been identified by the local coroner's office. They are: Yetao Bing, 43; Qizhong Cheng, 66; Aixiang Zhang, 74; Jingzhi Lu, 64; Zhishen Liu, 73 and Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50.

There are photos and descriptions of where this guy lived. He and 27 other people. Link below.

You got mostly elderly people who were killed which makes me think this is the average age of all the workers. Maybe not but there are a lot of seniors out in the fields according to the article. I see them myself if I drive 10 miles south.

This is a problem (I think it is) nobody wants to fix, left or right, because we need cheap veggies and campaign donations from the agriculture industry. They get a pass and always have.

I can't say that the way these people are treated contributed to this shooting but I can see how it might.

We seem to be totally okay with an industry that underpays it's employees, pays so low in fact that they must live at work in shacks in muddy fields (I see it where I live too), expected to pay for damage to equipment, and are often senior citizens.

I am tired of this industry getting a free ride on taking advantage of people. If it means more expensive food for the rest of us I am fine with that.

If the agriculture industry has enough money to pay politicians then it has enough to take care of its workers. And why should they need to pay off politicians at all? Hmmmm? I wonder!

What would they do if we didn't have South America on our border? Who'd pick the veggies then and how much would they need to pay to get workers? Could there be a reason that they hire the most poor and desperate people?

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...s-17747595.php

Sorry if off topic but I'm not sure that I am.


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mercredi 1 février 2023

The Last of Us Episode three

I just watched Episode three of The Last of Us.

A Friend had suggested that I might be interested even though I am not a huge fan of Zombie Apocalypse moves and TV shows.

I was moved.

Although I suspect some people might start getting upset about the "Gay Agenda" given that
the focus of the episode was a Gay love story involving two middle aged men.


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