Saturday, December 22, 2018
Slattery
Which steel slat fence building company just reserved half a million worth of Trump hotel rooms?
Snapchat, But For ChatSnapping
I am often wrong about such things, but I'd say the lesson of the hunt for app tech unicorns over the last few years is that they are trendy, become super popular overnight, then have a hard time finding an actual revenue model, fail to somehow eat the entire world a la amazon and facebook in their own ways, and finally see the user bases fade as something else trendy comes along.
Money gets burned away, businesses expand to crazy levels, and then what would probably have been be neato profitable niche products get destroyed (or, in some cases, bought by one of the big players and then destroyed, though that's a slightly different story).
Money gets burned away, businesses expand to crazy levels, and then what would probably have been be neato profitable niche products get destroyed (or, in some cases, bought by one of the big players and then destroyed, though that's a slightly different story).
"I've been on welfare and food stamps...did anyone help me?"
Always mockable, but a lot of America thinks like this for somewhat understandable reasons. Means testing and punitive measures and impossible paperwork might make Bob and Eileen happy, but they neither help people nor ultimately make any sort of safety net more broadly popular.
Shutdown
Last place to come to for Bush nostalgia, but I do think he had a glimmer of awareness of the consequences of his actions. Sometimes. Not much. A little.
Not Trump.
Not Trump.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Skate
Been reading the Musk fanboy forums because I have no life and wish to continue boring you, and what's angered them about the dumb tunnel is that the cars don't move on some sort of skate, meaning cars have to run on their on power, meaning they're mad that their battery is going to be draining as they travel instead of getting a "free" ride.
Also it's the stupidest fucking thing on the face of the planet since Doug Feith, nerds.
Also it's the stupidest fucking thing on the face of the planet since Doug Feith, nerds.
D Team
Even the "best" Trump administration officials have been horrible human beings, no matter how much our great reporters stand erect for any military man who was a reliable source over the years. But still I'll allow that Mad Dog Theranos was at least slightly more competent than most of the rest of them, given that most of the rest of them can't even tie their shoes.
We're increasingly finding out whether chaotic stupid evil is preferable to lawful evil.
We're increasingly finding out whether chaotic stupid evil is preferable to lawful evil.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Random Observation
Whatever the brain worms are telling him, I'm pretty sure that I'd generally prefer Donald Trump be running Not War instead of War, almost no matter what.
Can't Stop Won't Stop
The point of this is that Musk has a tendency to... um.. exaggerate the capabilities of his misleading named safety enhancement feature to the level of dangerous fraud.
Even I would have thought that custom programming (if necessary) the dumb car to travel down a tunnel all by itself would have been easier than rigging it some tacked on extra alignment wheels. I get that driving in the real world is complicated, but how can you not be able to program the system with complete accuracy and maybe just some extra sensors?
So bizarre.
Even I would have thought that custom programming (if necessary) the dumb car to travel down a tunnel all by itself would have been easier than rigging it some tacked on extra alignment wheels. I get that driving in the real world is complicated, but how can you not be able to program the system with complete accuracy and maybe just some extra sensors?
So bizarre.
The Rule Of Stupid
It's my rule of for what gives scandals legs, but it also applies to Musk-related phenomenon. The pseudo-scandals that people talk about for days or weeks have longevity in part because there's an element of stupid about them and much of the conversation is "AGGGHGHHHHGHGHGH I CAN'T BELIEVE WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS IT IS SO STUPID WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT." So it is with a stupid car tunnel which maybe we wouldn't have to talk about but something similar is what Rahm Emanuel thinks is a GREAT PLAN for a O'Hare-Chicago express transport system (it already has a pretty good mass transit option, so this is a dubious idea no matter what the plan). And even if no public money is actually spent on it (haha not how these things ever work), there's the cost of other plans to do other things ignored because of the shiny stupid one.
Distinctions Without Differences
When the Trump era is over, and a Democrat is once again in the White House having impeachment threatened against her and jail for every White House employee because she wore a dress that was deemed to be one inch too short by Lindsey Graham, and similarly trivial "offenses," I know exactly how they'll manage it. I've long observed how the Republican spinners are masters at focusing on irrelevant details to somehow distinguish Democrat Crimes from Republican Heroism. You see, Chuck Todd, in this case it was a green dress, while in that case it was a red dress, as Chuck Todd nods along sagely, the light of understanding flickering in his eyes, as he suddenly understands that Both Sides don't actually do it, because one side wears green and that makes it a crime, while the other side wears red and that makes it patriotic. Short green dress bad, short red dress good!
I never know whether the press pretends to be stupid when they play along with this kind of thing, but they inevitably do.
I never know whether the press pretends to be stupid when they play along with this kind of thing, but they inevitably do.
Our Way
Aviation is just one example. There are 700 things sorta like the aviation problem. But it's one that is easy to understand so it's good to talk about.
We'll stop your island from plunging into the sea, but only just.
Aviation gets a rescue package. International flights have no WTO-style back-up system, so without something in place we'd simply not be able to fly to or from Europe. The EU are offering a point-to-point system allowing us to continue doing so. But there are conditions. It only lasts for one year. We can no longer fly within Europe. We can only fly there and back.
We'll stop your island from plunging into the sea, but only just.
Droney
Gonna have to figure out what to do about these things.
Gatwick airport remains closed after another sighting of drones over the runway, causing disruption to thousands of passengers that is likely to last at least another 24 hours.
Passengers arriving at the airport were informed that flights would remain suspended until 11am at the earliest. Police were still attempting to bring the drones down on Thursday morning, 13 hours after they first appeared.
Project Fear
Not that long ago people pointing out that maybe Brexit, especially of the "no deal" variety, could be complicated and even bad and that maybe governments should start preparing to deal with it were blasted as trying to scare the population. They were, you say, making this political thing political, instead of just embracing the will of the people. Now those some people are trying to frighten the shit out of everyone in order to get them to vote for May's "deal" which somehow is the real will of the people. Or something.
But He's Made Tunneling Cheaper!
This is a stock response to mocking Musk's tunnel. And it's something "everyone" keeps asserting and it might be true (above my pay grade). But a lot of the "wow that was a cheap and fast tunnel" is due to the fact that the tunnel is really small, and some of it is due to the fact that when you're counting the costs of tunneling it depends on which costs you include. Cheaper is easy if you aren't too worried about the access points and minor things like ventilation shafts.
Infrastructure costs in the US are ridiculously high for various reasons but those reasons largely aren't technological and don't magically disappear just because Elon pretends they can.
But, yes, sure, if he's managed to build a better tunnel digger then good for him. I hope he finds a useful application for it.
Infrastructure costs in the US are ridiculously high for various reasons but those reasons largely aren't technological and don't magically disappear just because Elon pretends they can.
But, yes, sure, if he's managed to build a better tunnel digger then good for him. I hope he finds a useful application for it.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
They Already Claim To Have Standards
Any time there's a sufficiently bad bigot eruption in conservative media, and advertise boycott movements being, assholes like Shack Jafer (find it yourself but really you've read it before) write their 500th column about how such movements will destroy free speech and lead to the erasure all "controversial" political views being expressed by people with 8 figure salaries. Networks already make decisions about which views get on the air (and we have many more White Power Hours than Black Panthers Explain The World hours) and advertisers already make decisions about what to associate their BRAND with. Complaining about advertiser boycotts and similar are just asserting that no one should ever criticize the decisions of big companies. BRANDS have policies (implicit or explicit) of not associating with racists in obvious ways, and pointing out that they are, in fact, associating their BRANDS with racists is just holding them to their own proclaimed standards. Also, too, Capitalism is Great and glibertarians against capitalism is always hilarious. Tucker Carlson is a product Fox is selling, not an important part of our democracy or our sainted press (when reporters suggest teevee bloviators are Important Journalists I wonder what it is they think is so important about journalism other than the paycheck), and boycotting his advertisers is no different than boycotting a department store that started selling golliwogs.
If you're more upset about the criticism of highly paid racists than, you know, the racism, ...
I vaguely remember an exchange I had a billion years ago with Shafer in the comments of some sucky blog or another. He was fixated on this idea that a news outlet had THE RIGHT to do whatever it wanted to (I forget what this was about). Yes, of course, and I have the RIGHT to criticize them and to call for boycotting their advertisers and to personally not buy the products of their advertisers. And advertisers have the right, and in fact make decisions constantly, about where to spend their advertising dollars. Sometimes they choose Fox News over this sucky blog, imperiling my free speech!!! "We" have the same stupid conversation every year.
If you're more upset about the criticism of highly paid racists than, you know, the racism, ...
I vaguely remember an exchange I had a billion years ago with Shafer in the comments of some sucky blog or another. He was fixated on this idea that a news outlet had THE RIGHT to do whatever it wanted to (I forget what this was about). Yes, of course, and I have the RIGHT to criticize them and to call for boycotting their advertisers and to personally not buy the products of their advertisers. And advertisers have the right, and in fact make decisions constantly, about where to spend their advertising dollars. Sometimes they choose Fox News over this sucky blog, imperiling my free speech!!! "We" have the same stupid conversation every year.
Autopilot
Musk couldn't even train a car to navigate his own tunnel without enhancements.
Also, too, this is a dumb idea even if it works perfectly. It's one of those "I don't even know where to start" things but the capacity will be ridiculously low, speeds never what have been suggested, and like every tunnel/bridge/highway off ramp/etc... bottlenecks at both ends.
Tuesday afternoon, the Boring Co. gave reporters demonstration rides through the tunnel in modified Tesla Model X SUVs, going between 40 and 50 miles per hour. Engineers have attached deployable alignment wheels to the two front wheels of the Model X. Those alignment wheels stick out to the side of the main wheels and act as a bumper along the track walls inside the tunnel, keeping the Model X on course and preventing the vehicle from running into the side walls of the tunnel.
Also, too, this is a dumb idea even if it works perfectly. It's one of those "I don't even know where to start" things but the capacity will be ridiculously low, speeds never what have been suggested, and like every tunnel/bridge/highway off ramp/etc... bottlenecks at both ends.
What Are They Good For
On one hand 3500 people in a nation of 65 million are basically useless no matter what their purpose is, on the other hand...just what is their purpose? We have this weird notion here, too, that in an emergency, "the troops," can do, well, stuff, but they mostly aren't trained to do "stuff." Not that stuff, anyway. They aren't even trained to do law enforcement (mostly). It isn't their job!
Ah. "Disruption." Not to, say, the food supply. But, you know, disruption, like people being disruptive because of a lack of food supply.
Lots of people want to watch the world burn, and elites globally often have a sense that what the world needs is a good culling. I generally think authorities aren't afraid of "disruption." They're hoping for it.
Emergency no-deal Brexit contingency plans must now be implemented across government, cabinet ministers have agreed, including reserving ferry space for supplies and putting 3,500 armed forces personnel on standby to deal with any disruption.
Ah. "Disruption." Not to, say, the food supply. But, you know, disruption, like people being disruptive because of a lack of food supply.
Lots of people want to watch the world burn, and elites globally often have a sense that what the world needs is a good culling. I generally think authorities aren't afraid of "disruption." They're hoping for it.
The Wall
I'm sure it's happened but news reporters generally don't explain why, given that Republicans have controlled Congress the entire time of Trump's presidency,- and still do, it is necessary for the Democrats to give Trump his stupid wall.
America's Mayor
Once our grand gatekeepers in journalism give you sainthood it's never quite revoked, but watching Rudy beclown himself so much that even his biggest sycophantic media fans have had to dial it down a bit has been fun.
(CNN)A newly obtained document shows President Donald Trump signed a letter of intent to move forward with negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Russia, despite his attorney Rudy Giuliani claiming on Sunday the document was never signed.
Adiós, Torrevieja
It was fun while it lasted.
The European Commission will at noon today publish its preparation plans for no-deal Brexit. Here are some highlights based on early info: (thread)
— Dave Keating (@DaveKeating) December 19, 2018
1) UK nationals residing in other EU countries will from 29 March no longer have the right to live/work there.
America's Worst Company
Facebook.
They're all bad and they all abuse your data but Facebook lies, lies again when they get caught, and will continue lying about their lying.
Having said that, very excited to go work on the Zuckerberg 2020 campaign for the traditional salary of $50 million per year. He's got all the best campaign data!
They're all bad and they all abuse your data but Facebook lies, lies again when they get caught, and will continue lying about their lying.
Having said that, very excited to go work on the Zuckerberg 2020 campaign for the traditional salary of $50 million per year. He's got all the best campaign data!
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Google Glass
The problem is that almost everything short of the fantasy version actually working doesn't have anything except *maybe* some niche applications. "This technology is really neato! It must do...something useful. If only we can figure out what.
Segways are really neat. They are! And yet... not very useful.
Minor shortcomings combined with people just underestimating the usefulness of an actual human being for doing things like operating a bus or a delivery service mean all these concepts are just not going to economically useful. The problems with the latter are so obvious that I find the whole concept puzzling. America is a wonderful country with a great economy where you can hire a delivery person for peanuts and tips. How important is it to not pay these people? Come on.
If it all looked a bit ridiculous, that’s because self-driving is still a technology in search of a purpose. With driverless passenger services from the likes of Waymo, Uber and General Motors slow to become realities, the autonomous industry is casting about for practical uses — and hitting upon experiments like food deliveries from cars that make a golf cart seem spacious.
Segways are really neat. They are! And yet... not very useful.
Minor shortcomings combined with people just underestimating the usefulness of an actual human being for doing things like operating a bus or a delivery service mean all these concepts are just not going to economically useful. The problems with the latter are so obvious that I find the whole concept puzzling. America is a wonderful country with a great economy where you can hire a delivery person for peanuts and tips. How important is it to not pay these people? Come on.
Yes That's His Real Name
So the EU are going to charge Brits €7 to travel to Member States after Brexit. Just a thought.......did any of them want to charge my Great-uncle Thomas in 1917 or my wife’s Dad or uncle in 1944?
— Lord Digby Jones (@Digbylj) December 17, 2018
Complaining about every little imagined "injustice" from Europe is going to give these people things to complain about for the rest of their lives.
Ending free mobility means ending free mobility. Who knew?
Not Our Job To Clean The Puke Out Of Your Carpet
Some things will be mutually beneficial and likely happen quickly, but the EU won't be interested helping the UK out just because they're nice.
The joke is that UK politicians don't seem to realize that their counterparts in the EU are able to read The Telegraph, where they heap scorn on those nasty Europeans (that UK politicians always refer to Europe, not just the entity of the EU, as if it's another place doesn't help.)
The European Union will rule out doing mini deals with the U.K. to ease the chaos of Britain crashing out without a divorce agreement, and instead take unilateral steps to protect its interests, a person familiar with the bloc’s plans said.
If the British Parliament fails to ratify the withdrawal treaty before the country’s scheduled leaving date of March 29, the EU won’t seek a “managed no-deal,” the EU official said. It would instead put in place a bare minimum of unilateral emergency measures, and only if the U.K. reciprocates with its own actions, according to plans due to be published later this week.
The joke is that UK politicians don't seem to realize that their counterparts in the EU are able to read The Telegraph, where they heap scorn on those nasty Europeans (that UK politicians always refer to Europe, not just the entity of the EU, as if it's another place doesn't help.)
Not Just Him
I'm surprised by this because I figure Moonves knows a lot about lots of bad men who worked around him.
Les Moonves, the once-powerful head of CBS, will not receive any severance payment in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations, CBS’s board of directors announced Monday.
Monday, December 17, 2018
Getting Stoned Will Make Waiting For The Subway More Enjoyable
Cuomo's says he wants to legalize marijuana. Not sure how much he's going to follow through on that and the rest of his long list of a liberal policy agenda.
I'm at the "legalize everything that currently gives cops excuses to harass and ruin the lives of young black men" stage of thinking about this stuff. Not that it will stop them.
I'm at the "legalize everything that currently gives cops excuses to harass and ruin the lives of young black men" stage of thinking about this stuff. Not that it will stop them.
Preppers
How do you prepare for your planes not being able to land anywhere?
Those of us with memories longer than a week remember how serious discussion of the actual consequences of "no deal" was labeled "Project Fear" and characterized as a subversive and dishonest plot by Remoaners to undermine the will of the people.
Now they're going to start talking it up to scare people in voting for May's deal.
Planning for a no-deal Brexit is expected to be ramped up this week with up to £2bn to be allocated to government departments after the cabinet signs off on the contingency plans at its weekly meeting on Tuesday.
Theresa May wants the increasingly serious no-deal preparations to dominate the Brexit discussion at cabinet, even though ministers worried about the stalled negotiations with Brussels are openly canvassing alternatives.
Those of us with memories longer than a week remember how serious discussion of the actual consequences of "no deal" was labeled "Project Fear" and characterized as a subversive and dishonest plot by Remoaners to undermine the will of the people.
Now they're going to start talking it up to scare people in voting for May's deal.
America's Worst Publication
The Weekly Standard.
From the Weekly Standard’s April 28, 2003 issue — that is, a month after the U.S. invasion of Iraq — this may simultaneously be the worst, funniest, and most terrifying writing ever published in the English language. For instance, its opening paragraph includes the phrase, “Now that the war in Iraq is over.” You must read it for yourself; it cannot be explained, only experienced.
What you may find is that it makes you feel as though a sweaty, middle-aged man is pointing a gun at you and fervently explaining that people like you who wear red shirts are human scum and you, all of you, are about to get what’s coming to you, at last. Then you look down and notice you are not wearing a red shirt, but the man with the gun is.
When you’re finished reading the piece, remember that this was published just five months before the New York Times hired David Brooks as an op-ed writer. In other words, the Times saw this gibbering, so disconnected from reality it is functionally insane, and thought: This is exactly who we want explaining the world to our readers.
They'll Be On CNN Labeled "Patriot Party Members" Or Some Shit
I am lazy but I'm reasonably sure I'd take the job of being a member of Congress, even on my way out, a bit seriously. And I say that being aware that it's kind of a crappy job most of the time.
Great framing, as always, New York Times. These Congressman are just tired of Washington which as we all know is just a complete hellhole compared to Bugnuts, Alabama, where they will return for the winter break before beginning their new jobs as [check notes] Raytheon lobbyists.
They're lazy and scoping out their next gig you assholes.
WASHINGTON — Just days before a deadline to avert a partial government shutdown, President Trump, Democratic leaders and the Republican-controlled Congress are at a stalemate over the president’s treasured border wall. But House Republican leaders are also confronting a more mundane and awkward problem: Their vanquished and retiring members are sick and tired of Washington and don’t want to show up anymore to vote.
Great framing, as always, New York Times. These Congressman are just tired of Washington which as we all know is just a complete hellhole compared to Bugnuts, Alabama, where they will return for the winter break before beginning their new jobs as [check notes] Raytheon lobbyists.
They're lazy and scoping out their next gig you assholes.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
I Am Very Dumb
I am also not an oracle and say many dumb and wrong things, but the weird thing is that very often people criticize me for things I don't have any memory of thinking or expressing. This is annoying! I am quite happy to admit that I was wrong but quite often people say things like "wow Atrios remember when you said Venus was inhabitable" and well no I don't remember saying that but I guess I might have?
Stans
There are people I don't like and the hero worship of them grates me especially, but in general I just don't get the whole phenomenon. Except me. You can worship me. Give me all your money. All hail Atrios. Tithe to go to heaven. Praise AtriosJeebus.
I think uncritical sage support is more of a right wing thing, but it isn't just. I don't want to fight about anybody in particular so I won't mention names, but over the long history of doing this sucky blog I've never stopped being surprised by people saying things like, "Person X has never been wrong about anything." Everybody is wrong about stuff!
I think uncritical sage support is more of a right wing thing, but it isn't just. I don't want to fight about anybody in particular so I won't mention names, but over the long history of doing this sucky blog I've never stopped being surprised by people saying things like, "Person X has never been wrong about anything." Everybody is wrong about stuff!
Road Rage
I don't know why so many people in cars get so mad that "road rage" is something we all understand to be real, but they do. I'm not entirely sure if lacking a human to direct the rage at will make people more or less angry, and more or less actually violent, but we will find out...
And no I don't want people to destroy the robot cars. The robot cars don't make me mad! Just the credulous hype and actual and potential theft of public money to perpetuate the fraud.
People have thrown rocks at Waymos. The tire on one was slashed while it was stopped in traffic. The vehicles have been yelled at, chased and one Jeep was responsible for forcing the vans off roads six times.
And no I don't want people to destroy the robot cars. The robot cars don't make me mad! Just the credulous hype and actual and potential theft of public money to perpetuate the fraud.
Now THAT'S GOING TOO FAR, SIR
The basic belief that the global elite (no not ((globalists))) have a special legal and taxation system all for them (none) which should apply (look forward, people), as long as they don't color *too far* outside the lines faced by your typical EITC recipient, has consequences.
Some of the big name "white collar" criminals from an earlier era (not that there was ever a golden era of this stuff, but maybe a bit better) must just stare that their teevees with dropped jaws sometimes. Their crimes wouldn't make them criminals now. An unwillingness to do them would make them unemployable in the white collar crime sector, I mean finance.
This is how we got Trump.
Some of the big name "white collar" criminals from an earlier era (not that there was ever a golden era of this stuff, but maybe a bit better) must just stare that their teevees with dropped jaws sometimes. Their crimes wouldn't make them criminals now. An unwillingness to do them would make them unemployable in the white collar crime sector, I mean finance.
This is how we got Trump.
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