Cloud services will fatten off the tax-paying public, and neither Manchin nor Sinema say boo. Ditto the flakes' flake, MTG.

 Seattle Times carrying an AP feed from Dec. 8 - final two paragraphs:

Among the most influential organizations to rethink its approach of depending on a single cloud provider was the Pentagon, which in July canceled a disputed cloud-computing contract with Microsoft that could eventually have been worth $10 billion. It will instead pursue a deal with both Microsoft and Amazon and possibly other cloud service providers such as Google, Oracle and IBM.

The National Security Agency earlier this year awarded Amazon a contract with a potential estimated value of $10 billion to be the sole manager of the NSA’s own migration to cloud computing. The contract is known by its agency code name “Wild and Stormy.” The Government Accountability Office in October sustained a bid protest by Microsoft, finding that certain parts of the NSA’s decision were “unreasonable,” although the full decision is classified.

Manchin and Sinema must feel Amazon and Microsoft fit well into the policy biases each holds. Or else what, they only bleat when requested to by higher station officials? They leave the executive branch to spend freely? Old folks need dental care and the Pentagon and NSA need giant corporations? Strange world.

And what, Marjory Taylor Greene sits asleep at her Q-switch? Isn't  there the chance Q may have an insight? Cloudophilia threatens, instead of or in addition to pedophilia? Who knows?

For readers who might wonder upon seeing the earlier two items posted today, "Does this guy have anything good to say about anyone or anything?"

 Yes. Paul Wellstone, Bernie, Ice Cream and the BWCAW, while having nothing but scorn for those tiny-minded politicians who'd harm the latter for eternity in wanting to tout a few short-term stinking little Iron Range mining jobs arising out of Polymet and Twin Metals gambits - with each of those two corporations being a shell fronting for separate foreign mega-mining giants who don't give a shit about US and our national legacy wilderness outdoor treasures.

Time is overdue for changing mining law. But I digress.

From NY Times: "Within Tesla, some argued for pairing cameras with radar and other sensors that worked better in heavy rain and snow, bright sunshine and other difficult conditions. For several years, Autopilot incorporated radar, and for a time Tesla worked on developing its own radar technology. But three people who worked on the project said Musk had repeatedly told members of the Autopilot team that humans could drive with only two eyes and that this meant cars should be able to drive with cameras alone."

Link. 

People sit behind windshields  with wipers, and still struggle in heavy snow traffic. Or with glare off an auto in front of theirs. At night, lane markers in headlight glare are a challenge.

Anybody with a car with a back-up camera knows about slush wiping as an almost daily duty.

And Elon doesn't? 

Get real.

Over huckstering might be a trait Musk shares with Trump. Tesla has pushed the envelope, given how the auto industry is. Tesla gave us electric propulsion via lithium batteries, while our U.S. of A. auto industry gave us the 1980 Cadillac where, big tech breakthrough, they took the 1970's tail fins off.

5:441980 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 Gateway Classic Cars...

 

Without government pollution and mileage standards Detroit would still like us to have the same damned thing. Japanese firms ate Detroit's lunch, awakening the slumbering beast, and now, Elon says, "Two eyes good, cameras better, enough is enough?" 

 

Elon is slumbering. Or has Starlink starlight in his eyes. 

 

Finally, self-driving cars will be fine until they learn to do texting while driving.

Dec. 8, Tina Smith emails about the "Historic" infrastructure bill. Lady, pass the one the poeple want.

 She bulk-emailed -

Historic Infrastructure Bill Will Benefit Minnesota for Years to Come 

I was at the White House in November when President Biden signed the historic bipartisan infrastructure bill into law. I pushed hard to get the measure through the Senate and over the finish line because in the coming months and years, it will create thousands of jobs, make our state more competitive and improve the lives of rural, urban, suburban, and Tribal communities across Minnesota.

Last week, I also joined the President when he visited Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) in Rosemount to talk about how the new law will directly improve the lives of all Minnesotans. At that event, he highlighted not only how it will make badly needed upgrades to our roads, bridges and water systems, but also advance two of my top priorities: addressing the climate crisis and expanding broadband service to Minnesota communities that aren’t yet connected. 

The estimated impacts on key areas in Minnesota are historic. Minnesota will receive at least:

• $4.5 billion for Minnesota highways
• $302 million for Minnesota bridges
• $680 million for lead service line replacements to update Minnesota’s water infrastructure
• $297 million for Minnesota airports
• $856 million for Minnesota transit systems in rural, suburban and urban areas
• $68 million for electric vehicle charging in Minnesota
• At least $100 million to expand broadband to the tens of thousands of Minnesota households that currently do not have internet access

As these historic investments are put in place in the coming years, Minnesotans will benefit in many ways.

- Tina Smith

 

Lady, business got theirs, and what, I am supposed to cheer?

Already Tina and Amy sat fully silent while Sinema and Manchin did Biden's dirty work of killing the better half of the so-called "Build Back Better" bill, and she now coarsely insults Minnesotans by saying Business got theirs, rah, rah, rah.

The midterms will give both Houses to the Republicans because of the shit being pulled on the "help families, young and old" end of things. 

 How stupid does this lady think voters are? Yes Trump lied. Yes Trump was a disaster. Yes Trump screwed the regular people. But so did Obama when he was ignoring the regular families being foreclosed right, left, and center while generously funding the finance sector after they'd tanked the market with their securitized mortgage debt sack of crap, after that bubble popped. 

So, give Biden credit for ending the Afghanistan boondoggle, but he's done nothing else but tout a bill his cable company business donors wanted. 

Big deal. Am I to applaud? 

Already the people's bill has been largely gutted, so pass it already! Do the job.

Is William Cory Labovitch an idiot? (Based on things he recently wrote, which Strib published.) You read and decide.

Links, here (most recently), and here. Ilhan Omar is one of the few inspiring Minnesota Democrats (as is her predecessor in office, AG Ellison). The remainder of Minnesota's Democrat office holders? They revel in placing themselves, by choice, where the middle of the road is rutted most deeply. People need representation, not overly cautious careerists. Yet, while the opinion here is clear, the question posed is really whether you agree with what Strib has published by this appologist for the status quo.

UPDATE: One more data point from mid-year 2017.

 

 

Tom Winter - Running to be Montana's second House of Representatives member.

 Tom Winter is a Montana Dem House candidate who has me on his mailing list. This is one of those "It speaks for itself" emails -

Why Build Back Better can’t wait

Eric,

I’ve been following the Build Back Better Act as it makes its way through Congress. And the more I see, the more important it looks to me that the decision-makers in Washington pass this bill right away.

We need to build a Montana where our people can feel safe from the different economic, environmental, and public health calamities our communities have been experiencing and will continue to experience. I believe the Build Back Better (BBB) legislation helps us build that Montana.

We owe it to the generations before us and the ones that come after to make this historic investment.

If you think it’s vital for Congress to pass Build Back Better before breaking for the holidays, will you join me and show it?

Add your name to my petition to Congress now to show you support passing Building Back Better before the holidays. Our voices are stronger when we speak together.

It’s not radical to believe that if you work a full-time job you should be able to afford a roof over your head, food on the table, and an education for you and your family.

What’s radical is having the power to change it and failing to pass anything.

Our children are being left behind as Montana is one of the only states without pre-k for kids and parents. The BBB will help stabilize lives by bringing pre-k to Montana’s kids both in the cities and rural underserved areas.

Our forests are burning, and our rivers are drying up, threatened by an ever-increasing pace of climate-induced natural disasters. The BBB bill will address Montana’s climate crisis with a focus on equity for Native Americans and rural communities specifically.

Every Montanan individually will benefit from thousands of dollars of direct and indirect investment in their communities — financed by *finally* getting the ultra-rich to pay their fair share.

We need the BBB, and we need it ASAP. Add your name today.

Montana is turning into a playground for out-of-state wealth — just ask the billionaires skiing at the Yellowstone Club. Montana families will be healthier, more prosperous, and safer when billionaires pay their fair share.

Standing with you in this fight,

Tom

-------------------

 So, to not forget further helpful info; the Winter homepage and contribution page, online, respectively are: 

https://www.winterformontana.com/

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/winter-for-montana-2?refcode=webhome

Given Montana's current overly Republican representation in Congress, helping to oppose that means helping to fund one who'd push for Build Back Better aims; (and likely might listen to and talk to Bernie and Jayapal), were he to be elected. 

Give to help that possibility. 

Also, Winter is not without legislative experience; having served in Montana's government, with a history of sponsoring progressive legislation.

 Explore his campaign's website. Consider a donation. 

For snail mail contributions, this is from the footer from the Winter email opening the post -

Winter for Montana
PO Box 8248
Missoula, MT
59807

Is Elon Musk today's Ayn Randian hero? Under aim to be cabined, cribbed, confined by Internationalist bureaucrats?

 Ars Technica link, republishing a Financial Times item.

Beyond the headline question should you read and say, "Yes," is it a good, bad, or too late a thing, Internationalists awakening their voices? As opposed to the question Ayn Rand featured early in the very long book, "Who is John Galt," should we ask, "Is Elon Musk John Galt's offspring?" Or Werner vonBraun's? Both together? Launching his Cherry Red Roadster in a space launch - because he could, while having a lead where Bezos might feel rocket envy?

UPDATE: What might Pynchon say? That being a question posed under the possibility that Musk might be Pynchon, where only his publisher and editor know. Mysteries abound. Such as is the Maidenform bra still sold (it is) and is it still popular among dreamers?

FURTHER: More mystery - Would the FBI need to get a court order before putting an Apple Air Tag onto your automobile? And if they did that without a court order would your only privacy remedy be suppression of evidence in a criminal trial, or could you sue and get a money judgment? An enough-to-retire jury judgment? Or would the entire question go away under state-secret National Security precedent, norms, doctrine, and practices?

Try this mystery question: What exactly did Pete Hegseth do while in the military assigned to Guantanamo detainee detail? Mysteries do abound. The Trump role re Jan. 6, you tell me, since Bannon wants to tell nobody? Mysteries abound and prosper. How about: Has there ever been a successful Sumo wrestler with a small butt? Or six-pack abs? Other questions are no mystery at all; e.g., who broke the headgear floor ban in the House of Representatives? (Ilhan Omar) Before her if you wanted to throw your hat in the ring, you could not do so in the House unless you carried your hat in instead of wearing it. Now, is it only religious headgear allowed, or could Odd Job wear his hat on the House floor, if elected from a House district?