 |
| Abstract art on the potato farm. |
Buy a drone with a GoPro camera, and you can do photos too. It looks neat, but what's it costing rural communities?
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
One potato, two potato, mechanized many, with consequences concerninfg water resources.
Buy a drone with a GoPro camera, and you can do photos too. It looks neat, but what's it costing rural communities?
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
A holiday thought. We as a nation deserve better than a huge pile of it. Anyone misled to believe senior people in the Democratic Party's inner party want Citizens United overturned is a lost soul.
 |
| Pompous platitudes presented at Davos, per paired teleprompters, link below. |
Links here, here, and here, and then a giant Davos pile, here.
Woo-woo, look at this. Inner Party; as inner as it gets. Unopposed it is worse, opposed it remains. An example of how English as a Second Language education effort can reach beyond grammar and vocabulary. You can watch that Davos stuff, the not absent but only occasional misreading of the teleprompter, with English as your first or second language; and you can enjoy what you hear - if it brings you joy more than loathing. Steve Bullock and Tulsi Gabbard admittedly are imperfect, but are quantum leaps above what the final 2020 two-party money-driven pairing will be for you to hold your nose and vote, exactly as was 2016.
 |
| quantum leaps are feasible, given the ground state |
At least we don't have Doug Wardlow to kick around anymore. Or not? Happy holidays.
_________UPDATE__________
George Orwell wrote a 1946 essay not greatly distant from his fiction. Think, Twitter and those who Tweet, in terms of the direction our language takes us.
It is interesting Orwell, cutting cleanly:
The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.
Then later at length:
In prose, the worst thing one can do with words is surrender to them. When you think of a concrete object, you
think wordlessly, and then, if you want to describe the thing you have been visualizing you probably hunt about until you find the exact words that seem to fit it. When you think of something abstract you are more inclined to use words from the start, and unless you make a conscious effort to prevent it, the existing dialect will come rushing in and do the job for you, at the expense of blurring or even changing your meaning. Probably it is better to put off using words as long as possible and get one’s meaning as clear as one can through pictures and sensations. Afterward one can choose – not simply accept – the phrases that will best cover the meaning, and then switch round and decide what impressions one’s words are likely to make on another person. This last effort of the mind cuts out all stale or mixed images, all prefabricated phrases, needless repetitions, and humbug and vagueness generally. But one can often be in doubt about the effect of a word or a phrase, and one needs rules that one can rely on when instinct fails. I think the following rules will cover most cases:
1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Sometimes a barbarous common usage can best convey feeling lost if a move toward better manners overrules an instinct. Barbarous things need to be discussed in fit terms to where delicate words can misstate or tone down a belief. Yet understatement sometimes is best to expose an insincerity. Often it is so, but effective understatement is difficult to master and easy to be lost with scan readers. The essay is short and worth more than scan reading. It carries a laugh or two for those liking irony.
Monday, December 24, 2018
Trump's quick eviction of Mattis to install an acting DoD civilian technocrat head was a good move, as is curbintg troop deployments.
A nation's military by necessity for having stable government should be civilian controlled, as with a police force clearly subordinate to a mayor and council; or a sheriff being subordinate to a county board.
The status of the F 35 SNAFU and cost overruns begs better leadership. Strib carrying an AP feed:
The man has run public company divisions on a tighter budget than the Pentagon enjoys, and had technology over manpower aims while in the private sector. Traditional conservatives should love Shanahan's chops.
Rotary aircraft would include the Osprey, a technological innovation that works, even having had birthing pains, and having gotten 787 bottlenecks straight after the decision to build in South Carolina as a "right to work" state vs. Washington where experience was greatest but where unions were strong made things work despite the nastiness of Boeing top management in making that anti-worker decision.
The Pentagon needs a flush, and a civilian top dog offers that possibility. The military after going voluntary has been brass-heavy for decades and needs a flush. That the Kurds suffer is not new; they've been sold out and screwed over for most of a century or more, and this is just one more step in that direction. The Afghan situation, without direct confrontation of Palkistan was a loser and downsizing the loss makes sense.
When a sensible change is made it should be acknowledged, despite it coming from Mr. HushMoney.
Can you imagine the situation had it been Pence making the choice? A crusadeer like Boykin would not be a good idea, but it would most likely be the idea Pence would cherish. Trump deserves credit for not marching that dangerous and stupid road. So far . . .
_____________UPDATE______________
It is not an unmindful praise at issue. Naming one of the death vendors to head the war and death part of the federal government who has been reported as wanting to streamline purchasing from the vendors is a naming recognized as greasing the skids for the vendors.
But the alternative is running the show by the death deliverers, whose bias is as was said by one during Vietnam days, "It's not much of a war but it's the only one we've got."
Don't seek attribution, it was published, but pinning it to one specific member of the officer corps is not worth the research time.
Getting the "war ticket" punched, combat command experience is a part of the "up" dimension of "up or out." It leads to mindsets which are counterproductive to pacifist ideals.
Selling technocratic "deterrence" is a better background, and money spent buying high-tech death tools gets recycled into the general consumer economy with that old multiplier effect of money in circulation that Econ 101 praises.
Cutting out the slack of bureau inertia has appeal as an argument, since the waste is great already, and minimization of it is hence easily envisioned.
What is most dangerous is the belief set of generals such as Boykin that a holy crusade is good for national character. It is not.
Civilian leadership at the Pentagon can be better in planning and research of weapon possibilities, with spin-off capable to consumer products, GPS being an example, with the alternative being how to most effectively deliver death and demoralization to "the enemy" using the equipment now in the arsenal and the training techniques that have long insensitized persons in killing "the enemy" while under one of several civil commandments to not kill our own, that being crime.
Downsizing the entire circus is likely easier among vendor technocrats who have more transferable skill sets than generals possess. Generals know how to climb a ladder and how to boss things once atop. They get into Pentagon consultancies, the schmoozing side of things, less than the technocrat side of let's make its radar cross section lower by doing this or that with carbon fiber composites.
The fact that an obscene majority of an obscene federal spending budget goes to the killing machinery, euphemistically called "defense," is at the heart of what a long term end should be the aim, and a start would be downsizing the military academies; as well as closing off a big part of the pentagon making it a war history museum or such. The fewer having a stake in the money flows to the death industries, the better; but long term attrition is needed because of the moods of those with vested interests, and how they might react to citizen effort to downsize their toys and games and meal tables.
Again, happy holidays.
May the next year be more sane than the last, and may that trend continue.
The status of the F 35 SNAFU and cost overruns begs better leadership. Strib carrying an AP feed:
A fracture developed last week over Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and worsened after Mattis' public disagreement with Trump, aired in his resignation letter.
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will take over as acting secretary on Jan. 1, Trump announced in a tweet Sunday. He had worked for more than three decades at Boeing Co. and was a senior vice president when he became Pentagon deputy in July 2017.
In the new year Trump wants to focus on streamlining purchases at the Pentagon, an issue on which Shanahan has already been working, a White House official said. The official asked not to be identified publicly discussing personnel matters.
U.S. officials said they didn't know if Shanahan would be Trump's nominee to replace Mattis. During a lunch with conservative lawmakers Saturday at the White House, Trump discussed his options. They were "not all military," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was among those attending.
Shanahan's biography on the Pentagon's website does not list military experience for the longtime Boeing executive. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington, then a master's degree in mechanical engineering as well as an MBA from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In addition to work in Boeing's commercial airplanes programs, Shanahan was vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems and of Boeing Rotorcraft Systems. In a March 2016 report, the Puget Sound Business Journal called Shanahan a Boeing "fix-it" man who was central to getting the 787 Dreamliner on track after production problems in the program's early years.
An acting defense secretary is highly unusual. Historically when a secretary has resigned, he has stayed on until a successor is confirmed. For example, when Chuck Hagel was told to resign in November 2014, he stayed in office until Ash Carter was confirmed the following February.
Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general, had been expected to retain his position as Pentagon chief through February. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, not the president, notified Mattis of Trump's decision to put in place Shanahan, said a senior administration official who insisted on anonymity to discuss personnel issues.
The sudden change stripped Mattis of any chance to further frame national security policy or smooth rattled relations with allies over the next two months. But U.S. officials said the reaction to Mattis' decision to leave — it sparked shock and dismay on Capitol Hill — annoyed Trump and likely led to pushing Mattis out.
The man has run public company divisions on a tighter budget than the Pentagon enjoys, and had technology over manpower aims while in the private sector. Traditional conservatives should love Shanahan's chops.
Rotary aircraft would include the Osprey, a technological innovation that works, even having had birthing pains, and having gotten 787 bottlenecks straight after the decision to build in South Carolina as a "right to work" state vs. Washington where experience was greatest but where unions were strong made things work despite the nastiness of Boeing top management in making that anti-worker decision.
The Pentagon needs a flush, and a civilian top dog offers that possibility. The military after going voluntary has been brass-heavy for decades and needs a flush. That the Kurds suffer is not new; they've been sold out and screwed over for most of a century or more, and this is just one more step in that direction. The Afghan situation, without direct confrontation of Palkistan was a loser and downsizing the loss makes sense.
When a sensible change is made it should be acknowledged, despite it coming from Mr. HushMoney.
Can you imagine the situation had it been Pence making the choice? A crusadeer like Boykin would not be a good idea, but it would most likely be the idea Pence would cherish. Trump deserves credit for not marching that dangerous and stupid road. So far . . .
_____________UPDATE______________
It is not an unmindful praise at issue. Naming one of the death vendors to head the war and death part of the federal government who has been reported as wanting to streamline purchasing from the vendors is a naming recognized as greasing the skids for the vendors.
But the alternative is running the show by the death deliverers, whose bias is as was said by one during Vietnam days, "It's not much of a war but it's the only one we've got."
Don't seek attribution, it was published, but pinning it to one specific member of the officer corps is not worth the research time.
Getting the "war ticket" punched, combat command experience is a part of the "up" dimension of "up or out." It leads to mindsets which are counterproductive to pacifist ideals.
Selling technocratic "deterrence" is a better background, and money spent buying high-tech death tools gets recycled into the general consumer economy with that old multiplier effect of money in circulation that Econ 101 praises.
Cutting out the slack of bureau inertia has appeal as an argument, since the waste is great already, and minimization of it is hence easily envisioned.
What is most dangerous is the belief set of generals such as Boykin that a holy crusade is good for national character. It is not.
Civilian leadership at the Pentagon can be better in planning and research of weapon possibilities, with spin-off capable to consumer products, GPS being an example, with the alternative being how to most effectively deliver death and demoralization to "the enemy" using the equipment now in the arsenal and the training techniques that have long insensitized persons in killing "the enemy" while under one of several civil commandments to not kill our own, that being crime.
Downsizing the entire circus is likely easier among vendor technocrats who have more transferable skill sets than generals possess. Generals know how to climb a ladder and how to boss things once atop. They get into Pentagon consultancies, the schmoozing side of things, less than the technocrat side of let's make its radar cross section lower by doing this or that with carbon fiber composites.
The fact that an obscene majority of an obscene federal spending budget goes to the killing machinery, euphemistically called "defense," is at the heart of what a long term end should be the aim, and a start would be downsizing the military academies; as well as closing off a big part of the pentagon making it a war history museum or such. The fewer having a stake in the money flows to the death industries, the better; but long term attrition is needed because of the moods of those with vested interests, and how they might react to citizen effort to downsize their toys and games and meal tables.
Again, happy holidays.
May the next year be more sane than the last, and may that trend continue.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Consumer fraud public interest litigation - Minnesota's AG and the DC AG file and we wait to see.
Lori Swanson, current Minnesota AG, sues Comcast.
District of Columbia sues Facebook, bless their hearts.
Cost them money, get their attention, curb abuse somewhat or at least try, and hope for some increment of better behavior.
In general -- Private enterprise has no respect for you, but there can be a learning curve. If they can sell you down the river without consequences, bon voyage. Good citizenship may come but only after consequences. If sleaze pays, expect it in double doses.
District of Columbia sues Facebook, bless their hearts.
Cost them money, get their attention, curb abuse somewhat or at least try, and hope for some increment of better behavior.
In general -- Private enterprise has no respect for you, but there can be a learning curve. If they can sell you down the river without consequences, bon voyage. Good citizenship may come but only after consequences. If sleaze pays, expect it in double doses.
What about Mexico? Can their citizens contribute to gofundme?
Link. Coverage. Screen Capture:
Laura Ingraham would not tout a fraud, would she? Under the FOX imprimatur?
Pete Hegseth donated twenty bucks, so you should too.
(really just guessing about Pete, another guess, meet his speaking fee price and he'll show up and tout it)
____________UPDATE_____________
If you're one of the 63 million people who voted for Trump and you will not pony up your eighty bucks like the item says, you're a freeloading cheap bastard and deserve the scorn of a nation. The scorn of a Whitehoused Trump. Of Jarad and Ivanka. Don Jr.
_________FURTHER UPDATE_________
Always remember, the true and honest Republicans are the ones favoring private initiative. Others may favor collectives, so go for the best of both worlds, collective private initiative; fund that dream of an American heritage, kick in extra even for flags on top. China makes flags, less expensive and of a hardy enough fabric to stand up to wind lashing against the razor wire.
_________FURTHER UPDATE__________
Will not fade in the most intense of border sunlight. Colors will not run even in pouring rain. Buy now; get a free flag lapel pin with each order, supplies limited so don't delay. Duty free at present - there is no better deal.
 |
| ----- snip ----- |
Laura Ingraham would not tout a fraud, would she? Under the FOX imprimatur?
Pete Hegseth donated twenty bucks, so you should too.
(really just guessing about Pete, another guess, meet his speaking fee price and he'll show up and tout it)
____________UPDATE_____________
If you're one of the 63 million people who voted for Trump and you will not pony up your eighty bucks like the item says, you're a freeloading cheap bastard and deserve the scorn of a nation. The scorn of a Whitehoused Trump. Of Jarad and Ivanka. Don Jr.
_________FURTHER UPDATE_________
Always remember, the true and honest Republicans are the ones favoring private initiative. Others may favor collectives, so go for the best of both worlds, collective private initiative; fund that dream of an American heritage, kick in extra even for flags on top. China makes flags, less expensive and of a hardy enough fabric to stand up to wind lashing against the razor wire.
_________FURTHER UPDATE__________
Will not fade in the most intense of border sunlight. Colors will not run even in pouring rain. Buy now; get a free flag lapel pin with each order, supplies limited so don't delay. Duty free at present - there is no better deal.
Make America MEANER STILL: The man is just a mean bastard. And it is probably Pence behind it.
Wanting to starve people just to be the son of a bitch he is. He and his pack of equal savants.
And add in Paul Ryan as an equivalent awful person, the bunch are an embarrassment to a nation.
Make America MEAN again. It's been mean enough already, don't pile on. OCCUPY was handled meanly, but that was the other guy. Meanness is bipartisan, so we need more or better parties. We sure as hell need more OCCUPY.
___________UPDAATE___________
We don't need any greater militarized cop forces, but we are quietly getting them. Figure that out.
_________FURTHER UPDATE________
Trump is just a sqint-eyed mean bastard. Pence does not squint. Beyond squinting, cloned individuals. Vote the bastards out. Those in both parties. Big-time broom time, 2020 cannot come soon enough. Stamp out evil. Stamp out Hegseth. We do not want apartheid walls. We are better people than those having them.
__________FURTHER UPDATE___________
The problem is and has been the rich fucking the rest of us, and dumping on Spanish speakers is a nastily-intended diversion. Bless Jarad and Ivanka and their hardships, if any. Fred Trump schooled his one child to be no different than Fred but with pretenses. Pretended genteel is far off the mark. Real genteel does not pay hush money, having no cause to. Stir in a little Roy Cohn, and you have what exactly?
Gov.-elect Tim Walz said he is "hugely disappointed" by the proposal.
"There's a reason that the farm bill took a year to pass — because they insisted on these ridiculous rules that are more reporting requirements. They don't do anything. And it's to set up a narrative that people who need food assistance are somehow not worthy of getting it."
As a member of Congress, Walz said, he worked on the language in the farm bill, and "we thought we put this to rest. But, again, I just want to stress: Five days before Christmas and all they have to do is come after people who need food assistance? The state of Minnesota has more compassion than that."
The Minnesota Department of Human Services, which administers the SNAP program along with the counties, said it was still analyzing the impact of the proposal and did not have an estimate of how many SNAP recipients would be affected.
"Right now we anticipate that this rule is likely to increase hunger and destitution in Minnesota for some of the poorest people in our state," said Roberta Downing, assistant commissioner for external relations.
And add in Paul Ryan as an equivalent awful person, the bunch are an embarrassment to a nation.
Make America MEAN again. It's been mean enough already, don't pile on. OCCUPY was handled meanly, but that was the other guy. Meanness is bipartisan, so we need more or better parties. We sure as hell need more OCCUPY.
___________UPDAATE___________
We don't need any greater militarized cop forces, but we are quietly getting them. Figure that out.
_________FURTHER UPDATE________
Trump is just a sqint-eyed mean bastard. Pence does not squint. Beyond squinting, cloned individuals. Vote the bastards out. Those in both parties. Big-time broom time, 2020 cannot come soon enough. Stamp out evil. Stamp out Hegseth. We do not want apartheid walls. We are better people than those having them.
__________FURTHER UPDATE___________
The problem is and has been the rich fucking the rest of us, and dumping on Spanish speakers is a nastily-intended diversion. Bless Jarad and Ivanka and their hardships, if any. Fred Trump schooled his one child to be no different than Fred but with pretenses. Pretended genteel is far off the mark. Real genteel does not pay hush money, having no cause to. Stir in a little Roy Cohn, and you have what exactly?
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