Category: Skepticism

COVID +5 Years

March 26, 2025 / / 0 Comments

A lot of places were doing their five year retrospectives based on the issuance of Trump’s emergency order. I mark it when The Wife and I were sent home to work from home. We were suddenly reordering our lives so that we could both telework full-time. We had to learn how to become not only husband and wife, but coworkers in a sense.

Looking back, COVID accelerated and intensified sentiments and feelings that were bubbling under the surface. The distrust of the elites and institutions was reinforced by their actions. Their absolute imperiousness against even the most reasoned pushback of their assertions. Their absolute craven cowardice against the mob. Well, the mob whose approval they desperately wanted. My personal goodwill evaporated when the elites and their sycophants kept schools closed well beyond when the evidence showed it wasn’t effective. The education loss will reverberate for decades.

And now we’re living in the backlash. Those who were persecuted under the previous elites now have the whip hand. And just as their predecessors, they will use their power to punish those they consider their enemies.

I still trust most people will do their best during emergencies – right up until the chattering classes and their paymasters get involved.


Monday Links

January 27, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The executive orders were coming fast and furious, so a lot of the Reason links will be dealing with them.

First, let’s talk about how bad Biden’s last minute preemptive pardons were.

The Volokh Conspiracy has an overview of the illegality of many of Trump’s executive orders. Then another article focusing on the EO trying to end birthright citizenship.

Trump signs EO to ban Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). I don’t have a problem with stable coins which are private cryptocurrencies pegged to the dollar or other fiat currency. I worry about when the government has control and then outlaws all others.

Trump to sign EO banning funding of gain of function research. In light of a story below, this sounds like a good idea. It would be better if Congress did its job and passed the legislation.

Trump is firing Inspectors General. I have a hard time understanding why getting rid of the watchdogs is a good idea. Especially considering how much everyone complains about government corruption, waste, and abuse.

Why Trump blanket pardoning those charged for January 6 is not a good thing. Do I think that some of the protesters were overcharged and over-sentenced? Yes. But there should have been a review to separate out the violent from the non-violent.

Why companies are ditching ESG.

Several states maintain “bias-response hotlines” and encourage people to call for “hate speech”. Because it’s a valuable “pre-crime” tool, irrespective of First Amendment protections.

Now on to other stories.

Sarah Isgur in The Dispatch has a thinkpiece on the quiet lawlessness of the Biden Administration. This one has been making the rounds and it’s a very good read. Particularly in light of one side screaming about how Trump destroys norms. He does, but it would be good if they admitted how much Biden did as well.

BBC article on the CIA now stating COVID is more likely to have leaked from a Chinese lab.

From XDR, Microsoft has renamed Office 365 to Copilot 365. Yeah, it’s annoying.

Wired reporting on how hackers managed to remotely start and unlock Subarus. The company says it’s all patched now, but as Borepatch says security isn’t often at the top of the list – most of the time isn’t on the list at all.

BBC article on a new South African law to take land without compensation when “just and equitable and in the public interest”. Nope, that won’t be abused at all.

Savatage’s guitarist discusses their plans for their comeback. I know they have a new album coming out and they’ve been doing more touring. Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch a show when they come to Tampa. Because hometown and all.

Monday Links – The Return

January 13, 2025 / / 0 Comments

New year, and time for links. I took a break and a bunch of stories happened. I’m not going to recriminate myself. I needed it. Anywhoo, this is also a bit of a tab clearing edition, so hold on.

Reason first.

New European rules have pretty much enshrined USB-C. I like USB-C. I think it’s a great technology. I hate it being forced down everyone’s throats at the point of Europe’s guns. I also hate that this will make it harder for new charging technology to be brought forward.

Based on their track record last time around, and looking at a recent ruling, the US Supreme Court is not going to be a rubber stamp for Trump.

Last week was the ten year anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo massacre – and Reason has a thinkpiece on the cowardice of the leadership class to blame freedom of speech than murderers. Fanatical murderers are the ultimate heckler’s veto, and the cowardice of institutions to admit that has been a growing embarrassment.

Coverage of Meta’s decision to eliminate “fact-checkers” among other changes. There’s been talk that Zuck is not only trying to ingratiate himself with the incoming administration, but finally feels the environment is strong enough for him to push back against the “hostage-takers” among his staff. Both of which are kind of pathetic reasons when you think about it. It still gets me a result I want, considering FB is normally how I distribute the blog.

The feds jailed a Montana rancher for – checks notes – cloning a sheep.

An analysis of Seattle’s recent minimum wage hike. Spoiler alert – it hurt the workers it purported to help.

Ohio is going to charge people to get access to body cam videos. I’m actually going against Reason on this one. Since fees are capped at $750, it may be reasonable. However, considering governments generally are horrible at timely providing information, I can sympathize with organizations worried it’s just another speed bump in transparency.

Reason examining Biden’s decision to block the sale of US Steel to Nippon Steel.

On to other news stories.

The Free Press is covering the current scandal in the UK about the plight of girls being raped and authorities ignoring it. Plus the anger of the politicos at Elon for shining a light on their disgrace instead of their underlings for not handling the issue.

NYT covers the new congesting pricing implemented for entering Manhattan. Congestion pricing is one of those ideas I like in concept, but don’t trust the government to implement. For example, all the fees from this new tax are supposed to go to a public transit system already overfunded and incompetent with no demand for improvement in the system.

Headline from the Economist – “Why people over the age of 55 are the new problem generation.”

WaPo on the shadow war between India and Pakistan.

Bloomberg on the power demands of new AI datacenters and it’s probable impact on the grid. This might be the needed kick in the pants to decentralize and modernize the nation’s power grid. And get more nukes.

From Reuters, Apple is to pay $95 million to settle a privacy case because of Siri. First, that’s a blow to Apple’s self-image of being the best in privacy. Second, I assume all the personal assistants are always listening.

Also from Reuters, US court stops last minute implementation of net-neutrality rules. As much as I hope that’s the nail in the coffin for that particular gambit, people still want to implement communism.

Wired has a think piece on why families should establish secret passwords.

Tampa Bay Times reports on the death of a Scientologist spokesperson turned vociferous critic. Cancer sucks.

With CES, we have some neat new tech.

The Verge discusses BMW’s new iDrive. The idea of a Heads-Up Display for the car intrigued me, and the limited one on the BMW that The Wife and I rented last summer was nifty.

Also from The Verge, LG has a new “AeroCatTower” which will purify the air while your cat sits – and weighs them. Depending on the cost, one of these may show up at Ward Manor. It’s just too nifty.

From CNET, a tiny kitty that sits on your cup and blows on hot beverages to cool them.

Engadget has a couple of articles on new power devices – Ecoflow’s new solar hat and Anker’s new solar umbrella.

A light item.

Finally! We have Macross – on Hulu instead of Disney+.

There’s an Old Saying About Truth and Fiction

January 6, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Truth can be stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense.

New Years saw one asshole murder a bunch of people and another one try. I can’t imagine the pain and grief of the survivors and the families of all the victims. I can only offer my heartfelt sympathies.

First, in New Orleans, some asshole strapped an ISIS flag to a rented pickup before plowing into a group of revelers. Then he decided to get out and get into a gunfight with cops that he lost. Fourteen people lost their lives to this asshole’s rampage and dozens more were injured.

Then, some asshole decided to IED Trump Tower in Vegas using a bunch of fireworks and assorted other explosive material in the back of a Cybertruck. At least this asshole only managed to kill himself.

I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but damn the conspiracies shot off around the interwebz. The timing of the attacks and the identities of the assholes were fertile grounds. Not to mention that for the last five years, too many in leadership of our institutions have not only been caught lying to the public, but actively using the power of their position to not only discredit, but destroy their opponents’ lives.

I’m highly skeptical that either asshole planned their attack with the other asshole. Their motives are too different. The style of attack is too different. Plus the evidence of them knowing each other seems to be they were on the same military base at the same time. Sorry, but unless they were in the same unit at the same time, that’s kind of like saying they were in the same mall at the same time.

I’m highly skeptical that Las Vegas asshole was framed. Yes, bits of evidence can escape damage in a fiery explosion. Look at the bits that escaped the airplanes that crashed into the towers on 9/11. As to the fact that a Green Beret had a Desert Eagle in .50? Let me relate a small bit of my life. I have a good friend who spent time among the Green Beanies. He knows the weapons he was issued up, down, back, and forth. Anything outside those? He asks me because I know more. The idea that even a Green Beret would be seduced by image of a .50 cal Deagle is completely believable to me.

I know a single blog post is not going to convince those who don’t want to be convinced. And I won’t be able to address all the myriad streams of conspiracy that arise from these events.

All I ask is that you use the same skeptical eye that you would against those you don’t trust.

Monday Links – Clearing the Tab

November 18, 2024 / / 0 Comments

This is going to be a long one. Build up from last week, and a busy news week over all.

A slew of Reason first.

One good thing about the return of Trump to the White House – Lina Kahn will be removed.

If DOGE wants to successfully cut government spending, it must take on entitlements. Of course, it could also start with energy subsidies. Personally, they should cut all subsidies. Of course this is all predicated on Trump wanting to act financially responsible, which he hasn’t demonstrated any desire.

There are good reasons to oppose Gaetz’s nomination. I’m kinda leaning to the whole admitting to taking drugs and sleeping with underage girls. And the whole being the vanguard of treating Congress as a place to build the brand instead of doing, you know, actual work.

The FDA ordered Costco to recall and destroy 80,000 lbs of butter because the packaging failed to list it was made of dairy. Because rules must be followed – even when they make no fucking sense.

Apple quietly included an inactive phone reboot in the latest iOS update. It looks like if the phone has been locked and inactive for several days, the phone returns to a factory state. Of course, law enforcement is all pissed off because they can’t “get to evidence. “

A first amendment fight where Texas authorities are using whatever laws they can to shut down a citizen journalist.

A bi-partisan group of Congressfolk and Senate are asking for the courts to step in to allow a family to sue after the FBI raided the wrong house.

That concludes the Reason portion of our blogcast. Now on to other news stories.

From Reuters, it seems that Amsterdam had some trouble with antisemitic bands were attacking Israeli soccer fans. This did not come across my normal newsfeeds. I had to go searching for it after a friend on FB posted about an Arab man who escorted a group of Israelis to safety. I’m sorry, but why did I have to go searching for a story about pogroms in Europe?

Also from Reuters, the CFPB wants to put Google under “federal supervision.” Um, what? Oh, you want access to their records? Fuck you. That’s what discovery is for.

From CNBC, FEMA fires employee who told relief workers to skip anyone with a Trump sign in their yard. I’m using CNBC, because honestly, this is the kind of story I would be skeptical about. Any story that fits too neatly into one or the other camp’s narratives, I get sketchy about without confirmation. Also, I’m surprised someone got fired.

From Tech Crunch, Mozilla Foundation lays off almost a third of its workforce and is shuttering its advocacy branch.

I got this one from Military.com just for the headline – Commander of Navy Leadership and Ethics Center Fired over Personal Conduct. This seems so indicative of the current state of military leadership.

Borepatch discusses some recent security issues with using AI in healthcare. Having recently completed my annual required HIPAA training, it astounds me that this wasn’t taken into account when deploying AI tools into the healthcare setting. But as Borepatch routinely reminds us, security isn’t usually among the top considerations when deploying new tech.

From Tynan Motors, a focus group of Hyundai owners told the motor company that they want physical controls back. I don’t mind the touchscreen in the Ward Wagon, but it also has physical knobs/buttons for all the major controls. And I won’t buy another car where that isn’t the case.

A couple of articles by Tam. One on what keeps the 1911 so popular. A second on the “Wheelgun U-Turn.” You really need to read it.

Now for some light items.

Take a look at this Spaceship Size Comparison. It’s floated around the internet for years. A copy of it will soon grace my office walls.

Heard about Ammosquared on the ACP podcast. Interesting way to buy ammo. Will have to investigate further.

Apparently, there is a local company that takes you out on boats and lets you shoot machineguns. That sounds like it needs further investigation.

Quick Monday Links

October 14, 2024 / / 0 Comments

This is going to be a quick post.

From Forbes (via The Brother) discussing the dangers of spreading false AI images during emergencies. Why is this above the normal Reason links? Because I fell for one of the images and put it up last Thursday. I have edited the post, but leaving it up as a reminder to myself and others.

Now on to a few Reason links.

More fallout from extended school closures – drops in ACT scores. Of course, it looks odd with student grades being at highest levels.

Feds going after a landlord for not showing an apartment to people with emotional support animals.

A look at FEMA and states buying properties that have been repeatedly flooded out. This is a use of eminent domain I don’t have a problem with. Why? Because the .gov backstops flood insurance.

From TFB, there’s some friction in Canada between the federal government and the provinces over the recent federal gun legislation.

From The Tampa Bay Times, a look at neighborhoods not in flood zones that flooded during Milton. Many of these folks relied on those flood zone maps to decide whether to buy flood insurance. I have told all of the new residents in our neighborhood that they need flood insurance. It’s Florida – you will need flood insurance.

From GQ, a look at the restoration of Notre Dame after that horrible fire.

Don’t Let The Bastards Win

September 23, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Monday Links will return next week. I needed a break.

I saw this meme on the Book of Faces and thought it was a good example of creating a deceptive meme with a false comparison.

The reason is to drive a schism between people. To create outrage in some. To make others feel justified in their position. It’s not to educate, enlighten, or enhance the discussion. It’s just there for emotion.

The point of this meme is supposed to make people think tacos are more regulated than guns and outrage them. Except it’s a false comparison. It’s comparing the regulations of running a business compared to the rules buying a product. You will notice it makes no mention of all the regulations surrounding the selling of firearms. Or the lack of regulations in purchasing a taco.

If I see a meme that makes me angry, it behooves me to stop and ignore it. Because I’m not going to let the bastards win. If someone asks me about them, I will do my best to use my critical thinking skills to find the truth. Because I’m not going to let the bastards win.

Here’s a list of logical fallacies to remember to help with thinking critically.

Some Asshole Took A Shot

July 17, 2024 / / 0 Comments

My normal 72 hour hold has expired. So, I feel somewhat more confident in discussing the attempted assassination of Trump.

Not a Political Assassination – Unless something comes out, this has all the hallmarks of an attention seeking crazy. The color of the car parked next to him could have had more influence on his decision to kill Trump than any political stance. Just like the asshole that tried to kill Giffords, you can’t try to map rationality on the criminally irrational. Thankfully, he was also bad at judging wind speed.

Secret Service Response – There are legitimate questions on how someone managed to get that close with a rifle. It needs to be a very open investigation to try and quell the conspiracy theories. Although judging from my FB feed, it’s already too late for that. But we need the actual facts to refute the stream of bullshit already pouring out. My default unless proven otherwise is any errors had less to do with malfeasance and more to do with bureaucracy, incompetence, and complacency.

Heroism – One man lost his life because of some asshole. Corey Comperatore died shielding his family from the rain of fire. From his daughter’s statement, they are both horrified by what happened to their loved one and proud of his final act. I can sympathize with that sentiment.

Final Thoughts- This country is very lucky for a five mph wind and some fast shooting by the countersniper team. There are no grand conspiracies to let Trump die by an assassin’s bullet. There were likely multiple small mistakes that led to tragedy for three people. Over heated political rhetoric likely had little influence on this attack, but it’s still corrosive the American political soul. Remember that sometimes crazy nobodies change the course of history.

Monday Links

June 10, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Going to be shorter this week. We start off with Reason.

Reporting on Dr. Faucci’s latest appearance before Congress. It will probably be a generation for us to get a real accounting of the mistakes surrounding COVID. If Faucci’s hubris is not included, I will be very surprised.

A trio of senators want to mandate insurance coverage for IVF. Because health insurance isn’t expensive enough. Now you want to make them cover even more expensive treatments. How about a bill to decouple health insurance from employment and let insurers sell policies across state lines? Then let folks make the decision as to what coverages they need/want.

The Maldives have decided to deny entry to anyone with an Israeli passport. Really, because that’s going to do something?

Now on to other stories.

From Ground News, an aggregation on Boeing’s new spacecraft lifting off. I like the idea of competition in the space realm. Not sure I’d trust Boeing considering it’s recent troubles.

Streamlight has an article on travelling with flashlights. Personally, for travel through the airport, I keep a small Streamlight in my pocket. My Pro-Tac’s get packed away in my checked luggage.

After all of the rigamarole surrounding Disney and the State of Florida, the new entity has agreed on a fifth park. This is really a case of business as usual once the politics of the day subsides.

For our last entry, I have this nifty video from TFB.

Monday Links

May 27, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I hope everyone is having a good Memorial Day weekend. There will be a bit of tab clearing since we didn’t have a links post last week.

I’ve got a slew of Reason articles to start.

A look into how bad science is keeping bad regulations around nuclear power. We need more nuclear power. Because we need more power. Because we need to reduce our dependence on oil. Not just climate change, but because of the politics and other environmental hazards of oil.

A look at how zoning regulations empower the people we don’t want to have power.

Surprise, surprise, the real reason for self-checkout bans is not the stated reason of stopping theft. Incentives matter, and that doesn’t change once the issue becomes political.

No, Super Size Me was not a documentary. It was a bullshit publicity stunt that did nothing to address what it purported to address. Other than getting Mickey D’s to change it’s branding.

NYT says that looser gun laws caused the spike in homicides. Um, yeah. Keep thinking that.

This one about a New York man being convicted of building guns made the rounds of the gunblogs, but here’s Reason’s coverage. The judge telling the defense the Second Amendment doesn’t work here was surprisingly unsurprising.

Now on to other sources.

From Ground News, we have an aggregation of Uvalde parents suing Meta, Microsoft, and Daniel Defense because the bad guy was on Facebook, played Call of Duty, and used a DD rifle. I’m kinda glad the plaintiffs are pulling in Meta and Microsoft, as they can slap down those better than Daniel Defense.

From 404 Media – all those nifty northern lights that folks were able to see earlier this month? Yeah, that same coronal storm caused issues with tractors talking with GPS, which has resulted in issues with planting. Which will definitely have some downstream effects in the food supply chain.

Nature published an op-ed decrying climate scientists being climate activists. This has been one of the big problems with doing anything about climate change. The moment you step out of being a neutral dispenser of information to a partisan, whatever information you provide is degraded. Either because a swath of the population will no longer believe you, or your information becomes shaded. Because incentives matter.

Ars Technica has an article on a company that had its Google Cloud account completely wiped out. Including the backups. Fortunately, the company had backups other than Google, but it’s an interesting case study.

Via The Brother, here’s the transcript from a talk Bert Hubert delivered on Cyber Security and war.

From the local TV station, we have an article about a homeowner who killed an intruder, by stabbing him, after the intruder shot her in the face. In a fight for your life, don’t stop until you can’t fight anymore. Or the threat is stopped.