Well that sucks. Several houses in Belgrave including mine have been without power since 18:30. Would have been good to have aircon this evening.
On the positive side I’m feeling virtuous for having recently run up the generators, checked the oil, topped up the petrol, etc. So we have a fridge / freezer and, if we still have no power tomorrow, will still be able to work.
Work done, drinking a cold cider and playing JSAB with the teenage offspring, then off to the pool.
42-ish here in Belgrave. Current status: finished work, drinking a cold cider, then off to the pool.
Already planning Australia Day. Think I’ll celebrate with a pint of VB (not my usual tipple) and a read of The Lucky Country.
Are you guilty?’ said Winston.
’Of course I’m guilty!’ cried Parsons with a servile glance at the telescreen. ’You don’t think the Party would arrest an innocent man, do you?’ His frog-like face grew calmer, and even took on a slightly sanctimonious expression. ’Thoughtcrime is a dreadful thing, old man,’ he said sententiously.
But, but, your custom skins destroy our carefully on-brand design!
Considering starting a local computer club. Had a really good experience running a one-off installfest and thinking there should be IRL options for like-minded geeks to meet up on the regular.
Here’s an idea: a catalogue of companies who pulled this shit during the bubble, so we know who not to buy from when it bursts.
Why do people keep trying to “fix” a democracy
Because we’ve seen the alternatives, time and time again. Historically the medicine has been worse than the disease.
Only if it were implemented in one place, as a centralised ballot. Why not have States individually run their own?
… in fact, I wonder if it’d be legal under US law (I’m not an American myself) for a State to unilaterally start using sortition to provide their representatives? 🤔
How did we get to a place where “Hitler was bad” is no longer the default in mainstream US politics?
I’d argue it started with:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_clean_Wehrmacht
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731#Surrender_and_immunity
Note that the article is appealing to the Republicans to stop Trump. Tells you all you need to know about the efficacy of the Democrats in opposition.
Compare with Jefferson’s letter to Adams on the matter of the Barbary states …
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-10-02-0058
Our instructions relative to the Barbary states having required us to proceed by way of negotiation to obtain their peace, it became our duty to do this to the best of our power. Whatever might be our private opinions, they were to be suppressed, and the line marked out to us, was to be followed. It has been so honestly, and zealously.
…
These are the reasons which have influenced my judgment on this question. I give them to you to shew you that I am imposed on by a semblance of reason at least, and not with an expectation of their changing your opinion. You have viewed the subject, I am sure in all it’s bearings. You have weighed both questions with all their circumstances. You make the result different from what I do. The same facts impress us differently. This is enough to make me suspect an error in my process of reasoning tho’ I am not able to detect it.
Trump writes - and thinks! - like a young and petulant schoolchild in comparison with Jefferson.
Probably, poor and uneducated
I’ve known a lot of poor and uneducated people in my time, and last I checked, none of them did that to a kid.
It’s a reasonable criticism. Just remember that the enemy of your enemy isn’t your friend, they’re your ally.
Time to see whether our elected representatives here have any spine …
In the same speech, he warned: “You gotta win the midterms. Because if we don’t win the midterms, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached.”
Is he campaigning for the Democrats now?
Must admit I’m sitting here in Australia, thinking about our uranium reserves, and thinking “uh oh”.
Oh, yeah. Currently low humidity, though.