titles of nobility there was a pretty good indicator of the holder of the title being a complete total sociopath

https://youtu.be/Fx446n4WF5c?t=107

making a mistake.

I don’t intend this as a personal criticism, more of a whinge about the world in general. But this sort of thing isn’t a mistake, and it bugs me when that language is used to describe it.

You could argue “I made a mistake” when you choose the wrong course of action when presented with a tricky dilemma. Or when you’re misled by someone, or misread the circumstances.

But even associating with Epstein after the truth about him became known isn’t a mistake.

Is it better for them to remove the app altogether and have users on Apple forced to use it through the website?

Yes. Clearly yes, for everyone. This sort of shit only continues because people don’t do that.

OMG yes

It’s not just noise, and not just cars.

The sound of “fast” for me is a liquid cooled two stroke motorcycle engine. Imprinted on them in my teens. And the smell of “fast” is burned fully synthetic two stroke oil. It’s been thirty years and I still get a positive emotional reaction to hearing and smelling a “modern” two stroke engine running.

These days I drive a “boring” emissions compliant diesel (not a VW 😜) and ride a four stroke. But I deeply understand the emotional connection people have to the sensory experience of their vehicles. For me it’s freedom, excitement, speed, challenge.

Probably worth mentioning: https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-ice/people/

I can’t think of anything sane. That is, a high explosive in liquid form, that you’d actually carry around as a weapon, as opposed to set down in an empty field very carefully then run like hell.

Oh, yeah. Currently low humidity, though.

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.

Comparing Trump to Stalin is funny, actually, because no matter the mistakes and errors Stalin made over his decades as the leader of the soviet union, he was never a genocidal imperialist.

Wait, what? The USSR wasn’t an empire? The Holodomor wasn’t a genocide?

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.

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.