Althouse: At the Sunrise Café...

April 26, 2020

At the Sunrise Café...

9A009F00-18C8-4036-8E46-333219C32261_1_201_a

... you can talk 'til dawn.

168 comments:

AustinRoth said...: So Google has “disappeared” the recording of what appears to be Tara Reade‘s mother calling the Larry King show.

More proof of both the fakeness of modern news, and the evilness and bias of Silicon Valley.; 4/26/20, 7:49 PM
madAsHell said...: Seattle is very progressive, and has eliminated plastic bags. Because......???

Today at the Safeway, I noticed they were packaging groceries in plastic bags. I reminded the clerk that plastic bags are forbidden. The clerk responded......"Amazon is sucking down all of the pulp products for their deliveries! Safeway requested, and received a plastic bag waiver from the city."

I had noticed lots of cardboard by the recycle bins on pick-up day, but I thought I was imagining things.; 4/26/20, 7:57 PM
JackWayne said...: California doctors Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi talk about Covid and explain why we should have never gone into quarantine.

And this pretty much what I’ve been thinking for 6 weeks. CV is a hoax.; 4/26/20, 8:01 PM
Original Mike said...: Russian agent walks!; 4/26/20, 8:03 PM
Lewis said...: As you realise - I go through periods of madness and intelligence - sometimes I'm that, sometimes I'm not that - luminosity is what they call it - so anything I say is semi-bogus - but that is true of everyone - never trust a statement of fact until you can 'verify' it - even then don't trust - my epistemological theory is this - everything is hypothetical, just some things are more hypothetical than others!; 4/26/20, 8:04 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: So Google has “disappeared” the recording of what appears to be Tara Reade‘s mother calling the Larry King show.

More proof of both the fakeness of modern news, and the evilness and bias of Silicon Valley.

It is an item of faith amongst pop culture channel hosts on Youtube that mentioning the Corona virus will get you "demonitized". It's funny the way they all talk around it.; 4/26/20, 8:05 PM
Lewis said...: Even God is hypothetical!; 4/26/20, 8:06 PM
gilbar said...: No bump in COVID-19 rates after Wisconsin's April 7 election, study says

The ratio of Wisconsin’s rate of new confirmed COVID-19 cases compared to the U.S. rate before the election was 0.34:1, meaning the state’s rate was about a third as high as the country’s. That dropped after the election to 0.28:1, with the state’s rate a little more than a quarter as high as the country’s, the researchers found.

So, Wisconsin's rate was a third as high as the rest of the country, before the election
AFTER the election, Wisconsin's rate was a quarter as high as the rest of the country

BECAUSE OF THIS gov evers has decreed that your lockdown must continue: INDEFINITELY; 4/26/20, 8:08 PM
320Busdriver said...: Sundance at TCTH has it all laid out. I would say yes. Bill Barr should do the right thing. And heads will roll.; 4/26/20, 8:08 PM
Lewis said...: Evidence matters, always matters - and rational thought!; 4/26/20, 8:09 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: Anyone here do the keto thing? I have noticed a supposedly paradoxical reaction with my metabolism:

When i go high fat/high protein/low carb, I gain weight. And my blood sugar rises.

I gave up and am back to my bad habits of eating a whole box of Wheat Thins, Goldfish by the school, etc., etc...and I have lost three pounds.

Curious.; 4/26/20, 8:11 PM
Lewis said...: Poetry as logic?

“An angel!" My hair dresser .

It’s merely individual, the four wings cramped,
A slight burn of candlelight
And we say “He’s O.k.” Arid so he is,
Broken not by any peculiar expulsion,
Cracked, rather, by a room.
And endless, endless those scribbled
Petitions back to God. You say
“Land on your feet!” which, of course,
Were broken before, even, the saints
Began their song. Because this age
Is so new, so endlessly new
And he, ancient, has forgotten, again,
How to say ‘Yes! - to God.

So, ‘across the water’ , he will drown,
And, yet, , ‘the attempt is worthy’,
Or, merely, vanity.
How endless the call!
And below him and above him the stair
That could never fail to climb, to descend

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

For, see, the precipitate stone: up,
Just the barred impossible: a roof,
Those walls, the handle of a door,
Window that cannot open: grubby, entirely?
His closed wings, vicious in a room.
Yes, this is useless. “There is no god.”; 4/26/20, 8:11 PM
Narr said...: "Demonitized"? How about "sodomitized"?

Luminous Lewis, that's a good theory, hypothetically.

Narr
I'm an Existincktualist; 4/26/20, 8:12 PM
narciso said...: The cournos translation wasnt very good

https://www.amazon.com/Petersburg-Andrei-Bely/dp/1906548439; 4/26/20, 8:15 PM
clint said...: @Anne-I-am

Sorry to hear that. Low carb worked extremely well for me. (But only if I do it all-the-way. I can't do "lower carb" for maintenance.) Anecdotally, I've heard that it works better for men, for some reason.; 4/26/20, 8:18 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: "First we fuck Flynn, then we fuck Trump" -- Andrew McCabe

"Fuck" must be FBI jargon for "treat with respect/by the book"

https://truepundit.com/suddenly-media-realizes-fbi-plotted-to-fck-flynn-true-pundit-told-you-that-1145-days-ago/

******
should opening businesses get patrons to sign a release?
*****

"Fat is burned in a flame of carbohydrate" so say some, fwiw; 4/26/20, 8:19 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Everyone's going crazy:

Crazy by Morissette

Crazy by Gnarls Barkley

Crazy by Patsy Cline; 4/26/20, 8:19 PM
narciso said...: A day ending in y

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/04/pelosi-suffers-brain-freeze-stutters-forgets-california-governors-name-calls-gop-leader-kevin-mccarthy-mitchell-video/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=PostSideSharingButtons&utm_campaign=websitesharingbuttons; 4/26/20, 8:20 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: clint,

Yes, I have read that women produce a lot more cortisol in reaction to fasting and to carbohydrate restriction.

I don't need to lose weight--I weigh 112 and am 5'7". I have a family history of Type II diabetes and dementia, so I tried the keto thing as a way to keep my blood sugar low. Imagine my surprise when I gained a few pounds and my blood glucose trended up above 100.; 4/26/20, 8:21 PM
320Busdriver said...: Anne

In Keto too much protein can be a problem.

Seems many women don’t do well either, my wife for example. Carbs 20-30/day.

Didn’t you say your BMI was 18.? I get it, not looking for weight loss.

I got a lot of good effects from a stable blood sugar/ energy level when I was in ketosis. Plus I lost 25...Ymmv; 4/26/20, 8:21 PM
Lewis said...: I should say 'my barber' but it was in the Czech republic and I forgot how they say it.; 4/26/20, 8:21 PM
Original Mike said...: "And heads will roll."

Naw, they won't. And the ratchet will click another notch.; 4/26/20, 8:26 PM
320Busdriver said...: I would be happy with just seeing Warner go down. Such a pri*#.; 4/26/20, 8:28 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: 302Busdriver,

Thanks for the input. Yes, my BMI is very low. I am just terrified of ending up like my mom and her mom.

I think everyone's metabolism is a little different. I know a lot more men who do well in ketosis than I do women, though.

I am an ultra runner, and there are a few elite ultra guys who do their 50 and 100 milers on a keto diet. I don't know of any females who do.

I think the fat is what gets me, actually. For decades, I was high protein, high carbohydrate, very low fat. I think when I add too much fat, I gain. I am part of a clinical trial at Stanford looking at glucose metabolism. The lead investigator has told me she wasn't looking for subjects like me! But I am the perfect control. They have had to stop every test with me because my glucose has crashed to below 35.

Unfortunately, I was just ready to start the most interesting part, where the researchers supply a continuous glucose monitor and chart my blood sugar in response to different types of carbs and their combination with protein, fat and fiber. It is on hold until after the shutdown. Phooey.; 4/26/20, 8:29 PM
traditionalguy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/26/20, 8:33 PM
traditionalguy said...: General Flynn is going to be exonerated this week per Maria Bartaromo. That’s a big fucking deal. .; 4/26/20, 8:36 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: @trad guy
did he take a 'rubber bullet'? Has Wray been stalling release of info
so as not to taint concurrent investigations?
Will Flynn, who "knows where all the bodies are buried" now be free to let the fur fly?; 4/26/20, 8:37 PM
YoungHegelian said...: And, while the news is discussing just how crazy & anti-science all those deplorables out in Flyover Country are for wanting an end to the lockdown, we perhaps might want to pay attention to the anti-scientific ramblings of our betters.

There is a sizable fraction of the upper classes, especially upper class women, who believe the absolutely strangest shit health-wise .e.g. “We want to neutralize heavy metals because they slow-up the electromagnetic frequency of our cells, which is our energy field, and we need a good flow of energy."

I guess this is why Goop stays in business.; 4/26/20, 8:42 PM
320Busdriver said...: Anne that last part sounds cool. Hope you can get back in it soon. House arrest is causing me to want to go back into keto and not being able to join the regulars in my HIIT class and boredom are taking a toll. Good thing Tito’s is low carb ; ); 4/26/20, 8:43 PM
D. said...: Are you enjoying "Pandemic Theatre"?; 4/26/20, 8:44 PM
Original Mike said...: "I would be happy with just seeing Warner go down. Such a pri*#"

That's not happening (IMO). I want Brennan.; 4/26/20, 8:44 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: 96% of nearly 3,300 inmates with coronavirus were asymptomatic, survey shows; 4/26/20, 8:48 PM
D.D. Driver said...: @gilbar

That's because by election day, our Top Men had conceded that "duh, of course you should wear a mask in public places."

Handwashing, masks, and common sense will accomplish everything Ever's hide-under-your-bed strategy has accomplished (except for shattering livelihoods and aspirations).

Had our Top Men not told the original lie, many places would have used masking as intermediate mitigation tactic. And it would have worked.; 4/26/20, 8:57 PM
Ken B said...: YoungHegelian
One of my pet peeves is portraying medieval people as believing nothing but crazy shit. The amount of crazy now dwarfs the crazy from 1400. And the modern crazy is held in the face of education too.; 4/26/20, 9:04 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Norm!!(MacDonald, that is)

How is he still alive??
8 Minutes of Norm dragging on Hillary; 4/26/20, 9:06 PM
320Busdriver said...: Brennan would be good too!; 4/26/20, 9:07 PM
Jon Ericson said...: Corney.; 4/26/20, 9:10 PM
YoungHegelian said...: @Ken B,

One of my pet peeves is portraying medieval people as believing nothing but crazy shit.

At least the Medievals knew it wasn't a harmless little bunny!; 4/26/20, 9:15 PM
narciso said...: So homeland outright plagiarized red sparrow are you kidding me?; 4/26/20, 9:15 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Corney.
Yes-- James "8" Corney; 4/26/20, 9:18 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: narciso,

I thought you weren't going to watch the last episode? I don't remember this happening in Red Sparrow, though. I am only halfway through, but Carrie proved to be the insane True Believer that her lover Nicholas Brody was way back in Season 1.; 4/26/20, 9:20 PM
Narr said...: No, Ken B, a lot of modern crazy is IN the education.

Narr
Piled Higher and all that; 4/26/20, 9:21 PM
narciso said...: I read the spoiler, i dpnt have showtime anymore.; 4/26/20, 9:23 PM
Sebastian said...: Ietc.: "96% of nearly 3,300 inmates with coronavirus were asymptomatic, survey shows"

Obviously, we are dealing with a nasty silent invader, an unprecedented plague. And we don't know anything yet! This is entirely new! Deaths could explode any moment!

Clearly, we had to empty the prisons to save those poor inmates, afflicted by that insidious, entirely unnoticed, sneaky Wu thing.

In retrospect, what will stand out as the most striking mark of the insanity epidemic that gripped the U.S.? Shutting down all of sports? Shutting down K-12? Or emptying the prisons, just because?; 4/26/20, 9:26 PM
hawkeyedjb said...: My prediction remains the same as it was in November 2016: Whoever the Democrats put up in 2020 will defeat Trump. That means Joe Biden officially becomes president. Which means that his advisors will run the country. Whatever industries remain after the virus has its way will be in the crosshairs, with a few exceptions. Deplorables can settle in for a nice, long Green depression.

Hey, 2020. Those were the good old days.; 4/26/20, 9:27 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Ietc.
...Aw, C'mon, Seb!!; 4/26/20, 9:30 PM
walter said...: D.D. Driver said
That's because by election day, our Top Men had conceded that "duh, of course you should wear a mask in public places."
--
You think mask wearing was that prevalent throughout the whole state?; 4/26/20, 9:31 PM
bagoh20 said...: "In retrospect, what will stand out as the most striking mark of the insanity epidemic that gripped the U.S.?"

Just how fast we go from "nothing will ever be the same" to forgetting why we were scared into acting a fool. The only lasting thing will be the economic devastation that will drag this country from being the exception in the world and a real miracle to being just another stagnating, top down, over-extended economy with no way out and no where to go for help. We went from being either exceptionally smart or lucky economically to being dumb as a bag of hammers. The only positive is that maybe now people will stop being suckers for Chinese bullshit.; 4/26/20, 9:38 PM
Original Mike said...: Blogger hawkeyedjb said..."My prediction remains the same as it was in November 2016: Whoever the Democrats put up in 2020 will defeat Trump. That means Joe Biden officially becomes president."

I wouldn't take that bet. There is one whole lotta stupid in this country.; 4/26/20, 9:39 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: OK, so, savvy interwebz community. I just checked my email and had a notice from Xfinity that I had cancelled my service. Except I did NOT cancel my service. How does this happen?; 4/26/20, 9:40 PM
Mark said...: Might not actually be from Comcast.; 4/26/20, 9:42 PM
narciso said...: Check the url, on the email.; 4/26/20, 9:44 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: Mark,

It actually was. I just got off the wonderful "Chat" thing with them--and they cancelled the cancellation.; 4/26/20, 9:45 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: How does this happen?

God's mercy!; 4/26/20, 9:45 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: Earlier this year, I noticed that someone was free-riding on my service. I changed the password to an insanely complex thing that is a pain in the ass to type in to Netflix, etc. This pisses me off and makes me homicidal.; 4/26/20, 9:46 PM
YoungHegelian said...: @Anne-I-Am,

Except I did NOT cancel my service. How does this happen?

It's a phishing attack & it's not from Xfinity. They want to fake you off into entering your credit card info to stop the "cancellation".

What's your email client (e.g. Outlook, gmail or yahoo using the web interface)? If I know your email program (just the program NOT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!), I tell you how to check the email headers to prove it's not from Comcast.; 4/26/20, 9:46 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: YoungHegelian,

Except it was. I am not naive about phishing. I just went to my Xfinity account and contacted them independently. (There was no link in the email, anyway. It was just, "Thanks for using Infinity! Hope you use us again sometime!")

There was a cancellation order, and I got it cancelled. No credit card needed.; 4/26/20, 9:50 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: YoungHegelian,

I use apple icloud service. And I go through a VPN.; 4/26/20, 9:50 PM
narciso said...: Did they explain the mixup,; 4/26/20, 9:53 PM
YoungHegelian said...: @Anne-I-Am,

If this was real, then come Monday, I think you need to call Comcast and ask them exactly how that cancellation order came to be.

If it came out of the blue as you describe then that deserves an explanation. Jeez, it's hard to get rid of Comcast even when you want to, much less why would they dump a paid up account.; 4/26/20, 9:55 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: YoungHegelian and narciso,

Yes, the chat guy said he will escalate it, because it should not have happened and is very concerning. I will call tomorrow and explore it further.

And LOL, right?!? You want to dump your cable people, and it is like climbing out of the La Brea tar pits. Then out of the blue, wham! Goodbye!; 4/26/20, 9:57 PM
narciso said...: More like the pit in dark knight rises; 4/26/20, 10:01 PM
320Busdriver said...: Remember when we used to get on an airplane and fly somewhere? Gee, that was swell.; 4/26/20, 10:07 PM
Narr said...: Kafka gets called out a lot here, and I'm beginning to think his most profound and prophetic work might be "In The Penal Colony."

Narr
No . . . no . . . NO! NOT THE CABLE PEOPLE!!; 4/26/20, 10:08 PM
Jon Ericson said...: It's the optimum moment in time to induce panic that one's entertainment may be in jeopardy so as to cause maximum return on the scammer's investment.

e.g. 35 out of a thousand vs 12 out of a thousand.; 4/26/20, 10:10 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Ken B:

One of my pet peeves is portraying medieval people as believing nothing but crazy shit. The amount of crazy now dwarfs the crazy from 1400. And the modern crazy is held in the face of education too.

That's true, but also we have an unimaginably larger store of knowledge to draw from, plus a lot more time on our hands. For feudal serfs, spending time pondering the mysteries of the world probably was't a high priority.; 4/26/20, 10:11 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: I am so fucking bored. I am so fucking bored that I have decided to study Bayesian probability. Because it is better than shooting myself in the head.; 4/26/20, 10:11 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: Alternatively, does anyone want to talk about targeted therapy in newly diagnosed AML in patients unfit for high-intensity chemotherapy?; 4/26/20, 10:13 PM
narciso said...: I tried escher godel bach by hofstadler, that was painful.; 4/26/20, 10:13 PM
Narr said...: @320Busdriver! I saw three FedEx jets leaving here this afternoon. I had got used to the quiet, but this kind of silence could cost a fortune, and it was good to see them.

There used to be more than that every hour.

Narr
And the 0300-0600 rush was even busier; 4/26/20, 10:14 PM
320Busdriver said...: Season 3 of Ozark had a cool ending. Good for quarantine days.; 4/26/20, 10:15 PM
320Busdriver said...: @Narr
It’s about the only way to make money flying today. Cargo that is.

Megacorp says we’re flying 5% of our normal pax loads for this time of year. When the sugar runs out there will be blood.; 4/26/20, 10:19 PM
J. Farmer said...: Alternatively, does anyone want to talk about targeted therapy in newly diagnosed AML in patients unfit for high-intensity chemotherapy?

I'd rather shoot myself in the head.; 4/26/20, 10:19 PM
walter said...: Yes Gilbar,
Apparently we need to have more elections to kill covid.; 4/26/20, 10:20 PM
narciso said...: Id be out of my depth, but im curious one would accomplish it.; 4/26/20, 10:21 PM
Original Mike said...: Remember when we used to get on an airplane and fly somewhere? Gee, that was swell.

I don't know. The last plane I got on, they (Australian Immigration, to be specific) refused to let us board until, at the very last moment, they deigned that we could. Not in a huge hurry to that again.; 4/26/20, 10:23 PM
Narr said...: narciso, if Godel, Escher, Bach give you pain, forget the first two and put on a Brandenburg concerto.

A-I-A, can you calculate the probability of studying Bayesian probability being better than shooting oneself in the head? I haven't tried either one, not in a serious way.

Narr
The math seems intimidating; 4/26/20, 10:23 PM
fleg9bo said...: I am so fucking bored. I am so fucking bored that I have decided to study Bayesian probability. Because it is better than shooting myself in the head.

You could try learning Spanish verb conjugations. Probably more useful.; 4/26/20, 10:26 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: Narr,

I can't do that yet! I haven't studied Bayesian probability yet! Uh-oh. This seems like a Catch-22.

I could never shoot myself in the head because I had a doctor I called on once (a psych) tell me about a female patient he had who got drunk in order to get the courage to...shoot herself in the head. Which she did. And she woke up with a headache. So...she did it again. And she woke up again.

At that point, she decided God was sending her a message, and she called 911.; 4/26/20, 10:28 PM
Original Mike said...: "I am so fucking bored. I am so fucking bored that I have decided to study Bayesian probability. Because it is better than shooting myself in the head."

I studied Bayesian statistics. It's a toss up.; 4/26/20, 10:28 PM
320Busdriver said...: Is mass covid testing, and I mean testing those who are NOT sick, the only sane way to go WOT on the economy? Asking for a friend.; 4/26/20, 10:28 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: fleg9bo,

I kind of sort of have the Spanish verb thing. Enough to read Spanish. I kind of, sort of, want to learn German. Not sure why, except it seems useful. I have the Romance languages down. Don't want to learn a new alphabet, so Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian are right out.; 4/26/20, 10:29 PM
J. Farmer said...: @narciso:

I tried escher godel bach by hofstadler, that was painful.

I admire even making the attempt. My brother-in-law is a programmer and a math and chess guy and is big into AI and the singularity and that whole field. He is a huge fan of Hofstadler's book The Strange Loop. I long gave up on trying to read about the "hard problem of consciousness." It just hearts my head.; 4/26/20, 10:31 PM
narciso said...: Even if you assume a p value then what

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayes%27_theorem; 4/26/20, 10:33 PM
Narr said...: Heavens, look at the time!

And if it's clear and not too late for you Mountain and Pacific Timers. Look at the heavens!

Narr
Can't miss 'em; 4/26/20, 10:34 PM
stephen cooper said...: it might be all the winnie the pooh memes but Ian Fleming type plot, if Philip DIck were on the phone all the time.; 4/26/20, 10:35 PM
walter said...: Farmer,
That's quite a targeted approach.. but not considered therapeutic.; 4/26/20, 10:38 PM
Achilles said...: Anne-I-Am said...
Anyone here do the keto thing? I have noticed a supposedly paradoxical reaction with my metabolism:

When i go high fat/high protein/low carb, I gain weight. And my blood sugar rises.

I gave up and am back to my bad habits of eating a whole box of Wheat Thins, Goldfish by the school, etc., etc...and I have lost three pounds.

Curious.

I don't do the keto thing. It requires very very specific timing, dedication, and discipline to achieve positive results.

Very much like a body builder diet.

Intermittent fasting and low carb is doable for me. My family makes it hard as they like early breakfast and late dinner. I can't sleep when my stomach is very empty but I can wake up in the morning and delay breakfast pretty easily.; 4/26/20, 10:47 PM
Clark said...: I studied AI with Doug Hofstadter at IU when Gödel Escher Bach was in page proofs. He was a great guy, an engaging teacher, and a pretty good Go player.; 4/26/20, 10:50 PM
madAsHell said...: I kind of, sort of, want to learn German.

Hang out here long enough, and you might.....; 4/26/20, 10:50 PM
narciso said...: Can you expLain it then; 4/26/20, 10:51 PM
J. Farmer said...: @walter:

That's quite a targeted approach.. but not considered therapeutic.

Certainly not without really good aim. It's odd how many cases there are of people who have been shot in the head but never realized it at the time. Way more interesting than Phineas Gage, which they still insist on teaching despite the fact that no real useful information can be learned from it.

It was always curious to me how much time you spend in psych classes learning historical concepts like Freud's pcyhosexual development, operant and classical conditioning, Skinner box, Piaget's model of cognitive development, etc. only to be told that no one considers it reliable anymore and it isn't pursued academically. Students leave a General Psychology class and know more about the history of the field than what's current.; 4/26/20, 10:53 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: Achilles,

It has been an interesting thing to observe. I can fast easily. It is just that my mouth gets bored.

I think that my body likes tons of carbs. And forget the fasting. When I just eat the carbs I want, when I want, my fasting blood glucose is in the 70s. My weight is stable at about 110. I can run 80 miles/week and feel good.

I think everyone is different.

It takes some figuring out. I just ran a 50-miler (just before the lockdown), and I didn't eat for the entire race. I had carb-loaded very heavily, and actually had GI distress about mile 30 because of it. But I didn't feel low blood sugar or anything. Maybe we can get our bodies to the point where they use whatever they need to get us through. Who knows. It is a mystery.; 4/26/20, 10:55 PM
StephenFearby said...: @Anne-I-Am

Re: Dementia

In last night's cafe (4/26/20, 2:38 AM) I replied to you on this subject at some length with information that you may find interesting.

You probably missed it after retiring for the night among the avalanche of 282 posts.; 4/26/20, 10:56 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: J F,

You are getting more and more abbreviated, heh.

I think there are kernels of truth in most of the historical concepts. They just aren't useful as overarching explanations. I suspect that is because there is no such thing as an overarching explanation. Human behavior/cognition/spirituality/emotion is complicated beyond our ability to parse. But it is our nature to look for Rosetta Stones.; 4/26/20, 10:58 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Anne:

When i go high fat/high protein/low carb, I gain weight. And my blood sugar rises.

That is interesting. What were you using to monitor blood sugar levels?

I don't believe in following any highly restrictive diet plans because I just can't be that regimented around food. Given all the conflicting data, I still have no idea what is the right balance of lipids, proteins, and carbs. I do think a bit more lipids and protein and a bit less carbs is probably a good idea, and not consuming too much added sugar.

One hypothesis I read that I found rather compelling was that the obesity epidemic is due not just to increased consumption of sugar but also because of the increased omega-6 linoleic acid from vegetable oils.; 4/26/20, 11:00 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: StephenFearby,

I actually did see it, thank you. I just saw no point in responding at 8 am PDT. I will look into the B deficiency idea with my mom and dad. My mom is a Type II diabetic who smoked for 50 years (2 packs/day), with high cholesterol, so I think the etiology of her dementia can fairly be attributed to small vessel disease. She never tried to control her blood sugars. It would be nice to think that there is a magic bullet, but her MRIs are pretty stark. Lots of damage.

Parkinson's is closely tied to Lewey Body dementia. I will make the suggestion to my sister to add some B12 complex to his diet. Can't hurt. It has gotten noticeably worse with this lockdown bullshit. Stress and fear. But, who cares? Ammirite? If we save one fat, hypertensive person who couldn't be bothered to take care of herself, it will all be worth it, right?; 4/26/20, 11:03 PM
Yancey Ward said...: In Pelosi's defense, she got Kevin McCarthy confused with former SF Giant and league MVP Kevin Mitchell. It is an easy mistake to make.; 4/26/20, 11:12 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Anne:

You are getting more and more abbreviated, heh.

I think all the gin and cigarettes this week are catching up with me.

Human behavior/cognition/spirituality/emotion is complicated beyond our ability to parse. But it is our nature to look for Rosetta Stones.

I completely agree. Ironically, the one concept in psychology that's been most validated and has thus far not suffered any significant setbacks from the replication crsis is the g factor, or general intelligence. And yet, it's the one whose importance is most consistently denied or ignored because it has unpalatable political implications.; 4/26/20, 11:12 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: J Farmer,

I was using an Accucheck (sp?) glucometer. The actual value isn't as important as the trend, obviously.

I want to explore this more, reading some more studies. Because just because something is true for me doesn't mean it is a general rule. I may be something of a sport.

I do think there is a huge difference between men and women--especially pre-menopausal women. There is an ultra runner, female, who has done more research into the male/female divide and has come down on the side of females reacting far differently to fasting than men. It does make intuitive sense that women, staying behind and nurturing children, might have different metabolic needs than men, going out on the hunt for days at a time, not able to eat regularly, etc. etc.

It is just a fascinating thing--and non-partisan! I don't know about the vegetable oils. When I eat non-processed food, the only fats I get are butter, olive oil and coconut oil. Then I go to town on a box of Wheat Thins or Cheese-Its, and all bets are off.

My diet for years was lean meat, all the carbs I wanted, and almost no fat. My BMI was 18. I weighed 108 lbs. I was well-muscled, for being such a lightweight. I moved out to Cali and my diet shifted to high protein/high fat. I gained weight.

It is sort of a gerbil wheel for my mind. I never have enough to think about, so this is something else to think about and explore. The study at Stanford that I am doing is fascinating.

I guess a crucial takeaway is that "data" are uncertain, and conclusions are always provisional. If something like this is as complicated as it is, why do we think other things are simple and obvious?; 4/26/20, 11:12 PM
Hey Skipper said...: A-I-A: “
Earlier this year, I noticed that someone was free-riding on my service. I changed the password to an insanely complex thing that is a pain in the ass to type in to Netflix, etc. This pisses me off and makes me homicidal.”

Get a password manager. 1Password, or something like it, is essential.; 4/26/20, 11:13 PM
buwaya said...: Im reading "Case Red The Collapse of France" Robert Forczyk

He takes a ground-up approach to the much thrashed over problem of 1940.
That is, something of a nuts and bolts view of their military failures - not enough of specific x, y or z at the time it mattered.

I'm not convinced by all his conclusions, but its well worth a read. There are some telling points about the many years of budget poverty the French Army lived through, that had profound effects in May 1940.; 4/26/20, 11:17 PM
narciso said...: This is kind of sanctioned torture of seniors they need human contact, i dont think facetime suffices.; 4/26/20, 11:20 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: JF,

You and I would have a wonderful time over a bottle of wine, or whatever. The g factor, indeed. And the unpalatable political ramifications.

And yet, if we would force ourselves to have that difficult conversation, could we make life more valuable and meaningful for those that aren't fortunate enough to fall on the right hand of the gaussian curve?

My IQ is off the charts. My path in life has been accordingly easy, except for the obstacles that I throw up in my way. I am extraordinarily blessed--as is all of my family. I have lots of interaction with people whose path is far less easy. And I have spent a lot of time with people whose path is even more incredibly difficult--because they didn't win the lottery.

I used to be maybe typically dismissive of the unlucky. After reading (Charles Murray, for instance) and thinking about it, I am convicted (in the Christian sense). We (our society) have a duty to work toward a culture where everyone can have a chance at meaningful and successful life--even though I have no idea what that looks like or how to make it happen.

I am short-cutting a lot here, hoping that you are following me.; 4/26/20, 11:20 PM
stephen cooper said...: starts with LOVE STORY (lab assistant worried about her boyfriend, rushes procedures to make it on time to their post-work dim sum date) moves to
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (they just miss not transferring the disease, she kissed him - usually he kisses her - and he is confused so he kisses her back twice so as not to lose his masculine persona in the dyad), moves to
BLADE RUNNER (Did I just taste the scent of a replicant in that kiss) moves to
MOONRAKER (the villain seducing supermodels by promising them MEALS IN SPACE, except it was not space, it was the local bat and chihuahua meat wet market ), moves to
THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (Remember those videos of people suddenly collapsing - we get it now, it was hypoxia by people who were afraid not to work and did not realize there lungs were working at Everest level while they were traipsing the sidewalks of Wuhan), moves to
THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE as blue state governors impose NORTH KOREAN Restrictions on the populace, cue to the HBO Miniseries of 2040 with a Winnie the Pooh like Communist dictator being praised on all the USA airwaves while the populace either cowers at home or claps at their windows to show support
(Philip Dick was, like me, pro-life).; 4/26/20, 11:21 PM
stephen cooper said...: and twice a day they are going to call you to make sure you are at home
until they get the implants and the vaccines up to speed; 4/26/20, 11:23 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: narciso,

Yes it is torture. And I have to wonder. Is it worth isolating people like my mom in order to possibly, possibly! prolong her life another six months? She is miserable. My dad is miserable. We are wracked with guilt over my parents' misery.

But! The ELITES know best.; 4/26/20, 11:23 PM
Gahrie said...: This is kind of sanctioned torture of seniors they need human contact, i dont think facetime suffices.

Pretty much the only times I have left my House since March 13 is to go visit my parents every Sunday. I have a higher chance of getting sick from them than they do from me.; 4/26/20, 11:25 PM
narciso said...: Im guessing the general insolvency brought about by the depression, the economica of a popular fromt govt the officer corps distaste for said govt, plus not enough competent officers like degaulle.; 4/26/20, 11:25 PM
narciso said...: My grandmother broke her hip and she was in hospital for a year and a half, we would visit her at odd to see how she was doing. Maybe if they had cut newsons ear like the getty punk he might have learned some humility, as they were the vintners to the gettys doubtful.; 4/26/20, 11:29 PM
Birkel said...: I agree with J Farmer at 10:19PM.; 4/26/20, 11:30 PM
Birkel said...: Anne-I-Am,
Have you monitored your nighttime O2?

One credible theory is that low blood oxygen at night can accelerate or exacerbate the onset of dementia.

Just a thought.; 4/26/20, 11:36 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: Birkel,

OK! OK! All of you people, don't shoot yourselves in the head! But there is a lot of fascinating research being done! And things are looking better all the time!

Seriously, the use of targeted therapies in hematology bodes well for solid tumors. And even more intriguing--there are a few heme drugs being explored for their activity in CoVid.

This is the amazing value of basic science--how a chemical works in a cell to inhibit or transform a process can be translated to seemingly unrelated areas of interest.; 4/26/20, 11:38 PM
narciso said...: It does seem like this outbreak seems to have more humours then atrict molecular details; 4/26/20, 11:41 PM
Arashi said...: So is kim il jong pnining for the fjords? OR jsut having a bad hair day? No worries...

I am still working on replacing my garage door opener that destroyed itslef after 30 years of loyal service. The bushing that supported the drive gear kind of disnintegrated. The only complication is that I ahve to modify the rail for the opener as there is a beam across the garage that keeps a standard opener from fitiing. Waiting of the kit to shorten the drive belt to arrive. At least the microwave, that is on its last legs, continues to function.

So now that there is actual evidence that a large part of the population has had the ChinaFlu but been asymtoptomatic, how much longer will the governors keep us on lockdown? May, June, until after the election?

Other random thoughts - will my neighbors, that have not shown their faces outside their home (we have large lots on my street, at least 3/4 of an acre) actually come out into the daylight if the lockdown ends - or will they stay in the house scared out of their wits for the forseeable future? Will there by a baseball season?; 4/26/20, 11:41 PM
Anne-I-Am said...: Birkel,

How would I do that? My mom did have sleep apnea. And of course, did not use her CPAP. But by the time they discovered that...

I think there are many factors in any dementing process. Unfortunately, many of them begin long before we begin to worry about our cognitive prospects.

I do the things I can. I don't use antihistamines. I avoid benzodiazepines. I take Lipitor (the wonder drug). I am very active. I stay thin (although I can't really take credit for that).

And I give it all up to my Lord. Because this life on earth is not the most important thing, for those of us who believe. And none of us can expect to live forever (OK, stephen cooper, IN THIS FORM, barring the Rapture RIGHT THIS SECOND).

I could get run over by a bus. I could get hit by a meteor. Life is uncertain. I want to live now in a way that aligns with my faith; I want the people around me to know how much I love them. I want to alleviate suffering where I can. I want to see the beauty that God has prepared for us all around me, every day. After that? I don't really have control, do I? So, no sense in stewing.; 4/26/20, 11:44 PM
narciso said...: There was an interesting braziliam series called apocalipto, like left behind but taken more seriously and better production value the man of perdition ended up being an architect with global ambitions, they showed the rapture and the consequences of it, in stark terms another twist is mant of the characters knew about the but antichrist but didnt put two amd two together; 4/26/20, 11:52 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: I read
The Collapse of the Third Republic: An Inquiry into the Fall of France in 1940 by William L. Shirer years ago.

It was interesting. One of his conclusions was that the Republic was somewhat tainted from birth as everyone in the room wanted a monarchy, but everybody wanted a different dynasty so they went with a republic as everyone's second choice. The prewar period was fraught as well, with constant collapses of the government while crucial events were in train.

As I recall one of the biggest mysteries, which Shirer didn't really solve, was what the heck happened to the French Air Force, which played nothing like the role it should have. Another was the real circumstance of the surrender. Shirer was able to talk to many of the players, who were mostly still alive at the time. It was odd that everybody in the room claimed to have been in favor of retreating to Algeria and continuing to fight, but the actual vote came up for surrender..; 4/26/20, 11:58 PM
narciso said...: A problem that continued inti the fourth republic.; 4/27/20, 12:07 AM
Roughcoat said...: "Case Red The Collapse of France" Robert Forczyk: mediocre effort, poorly argued. Forczyk attacked me in print for criticizing it.

William Shirer was a journalist not an historian. His history books are flawed accordingly.; 4/27/20, 12:15 AM
Clark said...: Narciso: "Can you expLain it then"

If this was directed at me re: Gödel Escher Bach. Even back in the day when the book was familiar to me, I don't think I would have undertaken to explain it to anyone. However, I would have committed to reading it together with them and discussing it. (I met just about every Saturday morning for years with a fellow philosophy grad student at the University of Chicago. We read and discussed many works of Heidegger, and then we did a wide-ranging tour through the history of philosophy on the subject of free will.); 4/27/20, 12:18 AM
stephen cooper said...: well to be fair I think any future "Rapture" is insignificant, or unsurprising, just another slow news day, even, compared to the facts we already know - John was the greatest of prophets, but lesser prophets, like Enoch and Elijah, had previously been taken up bodily into heaven, and then there was Mary the Mother of God and Serah who first told her beloved grandfather that his beloved son was alive and well in Egypt, of all places ---- none of whom died, and that will always be true ....... and of course that sort of thing could have continued in later years, who here is going to tell me I am foolish for thinking Saint Therese was already in heaven before she died, or Saint Elizabeth, look at what they could do, of course earth and heaven were indistinguishable to them when they were praying for people like my grandparents, who really really needed prayers, all four of them, SAD!, and of course I am grateful; 4/27/20, 12:19 AM
buwaya said...: Re the Third and Fourth Republic - "The Short Reign of Pippin IV", John Steinbeck

Funnier than "Grapes of Wrath" anyway.; 4/27/20, 12:21 AM
stephen cooper said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/27/20, 12:30 AM
Roughcoat said...: "Tankers": newest in the Russian movie genre about tank warfare in WW2. It's terrific of course. The Russians make the best tank movies. Available free on YouTube.; 4/27/20, 12:34 AM
chickelit said...: Anne-I-Am said...I kind of sort of have the Spanish verb thing. Enough to read Spanish. I kind of, sort of, want to learn German.

By Guy Stern's "Essential German Grammar." It's brief and pithy but of course won't give you everything -- namely a voice and ear for it. But that whole Dover series is commendable.

When I recently approached Modern Greek, I chose Pimsleur as a starting place. This teaches one voice and ear, but I soon got confused trying to carry just sounds vocalics in my head. So I started transcribing Pimsleur with Google Translate to get a feel for the written language. Greek is as facinating as Latin.

The hierarchy of language is listening --> speaking -->reading -->writing, with the passive activities easiest.; 4/27/20, 12:39 AM
walter said...: Boy..as someone who struggled through two semesters of German in college, I really, really suggest considering a more pleasant and more widely used language.; 4/27/20, 12:56 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Anne:

I used to be maybe typically dismissive of the unlucky. After reading (Charles Murray, for instance) and thinking about it, I am convicted (in the Christian sense). We (our society) have a duty to work toward a culture where everyone can have a chance at meaningful and successful life--even though I have no idea what that looks like or how to make it happen.

I came to a similar conclusion myself. I used to be a strong advocate of personal responsibility and the role that self-destructive life choices make in explaining people's outcomes as opposed to systemic forces that keep them oppressed. In As I became more convinced of the role that genes and early childhood experience play in shaping behavior, personality, and intelligence, I had to realize the obvious tension this had with me worldview. So I think this notion presents challenges for both sides of political divide. It would suggest that neither systemic oppression or personal responsibility is satisfactory in addressing the problem.

One solution that I advocated for a long time was some kind of guaranteed income or basic payment but have always been ambivalent on the idea. People do not work simply to get a paycheck but also because doing useful work reinforces worth and gives someone status. I still think it would be preferable to our current patchwork of welfare systems.

And now for my foolishly candid take: Frankly, I have very little expectation that anything will be done to address this. And at the risk of sounding like a reactionary, I cannot imagine how this culture survives multiculturalism. In a way, I do agree with the New York Times' 1619 project. Once the country went down the road of bring sub-Saharan Africans here to be chattel salves, our fate was sealed. The south attempted to protect itself by keeping people's separated, and while I understand the motive, I could never support as a morally tenable system. I would prefer a benign, peaceful separation but no way that could ever happen. So, we're stuck. The black-white gap will persist across numerous domains (school performance, legal involvement, occupations, income, etc.), the political-legal-cultural structure will always be blamed, and the call for more effort to mitigate the gap will continue. I see no way out of this cycle, and I see no way how a nation can persist while containing such internal tension between its people.; 4/27/20, 12:57 AM
walter said...: Perhaps you are missing the social distortions that came out of Civil Rights era.
Was our fate sealed or did we go astray with "good intentions" driven remedies?
I take it you don't care for Sowell on these issues.; 4/27/20, 1:10 AM
William said...: Re meaningful work: Here in NYC the clerks at the pharmacy and grocery stores seem cheerful and well disposed. I know I'm grateful for their services and try to show it. In ordinary times, a grocery clerk stocking shelves doesn't ordinarily merit the thanks of a grateful nation, but just now they do. Everybody wants to do something brave and meaningful in their lives and now grocery clerks have that opportunity. I'm reading a lot into some superficial observations, but they really do seem friendlier and nicer....Some day their lives will go back to tedium and buying lottery tickets, but right now they are on the front lines performing a brave and useful service. Plus they've got a steady paycheck with overtime and, in some stores, a bonus.; 4/27/20, 1:12 AM
William said...: You can knock Shirer's merits as an historian, but he had few as a writer. His book on the Third Reich was probably the most intensely readable history book I have ever read....I'm having a god-awful time getting through Chernow's bio of Grant. I breezed through the Civil War years, but it's been tough sledding since. Civil service reform doesn't have the same narrative drive as those great battles. Plus, at least in Chernow's telling, Grant seems a rather dull man. At any rate, he loved his wife and didn't have any interesting vices besides the occasional bender and being just too darned trusting of his friends.; 4/27/20, 1:22 AM
walter said...: Perhaps being recognized as "essential" workers is a factor, William.; 4/27/20, 1:23 AM
stephen cooper said...: Saint Therese died in 1897 and Saint Elizabeth died in 1906.

There are lots of people who are still fairly young (well, still middle-aged, anyway) whose grandparents were married before 1897.

And lots more, if we are looking at 1906.

Of course, nobody who got married in either of those years is still collecting social security, or is still anxiously hoping the grandkids will send them Christmas cards or birthday cards, or at least dial the phone and give them a call.

But 1906 was just yesterday, and 1897 is not that much further back in time ----- look, none of my grandparents (one pair married in the 1890s, the other pair married around 1910) even once sent me a birthday card, and I have never heard that any one of them ever said anything kind about me, but I know this: GOD LOVES THEM JUST AS MUCH AS GOD LOVES ME.

and I know exactly which saints were alive to pray for them and for all the people that they would have loved or would have wanted to love

any saint who was alive and praying for my grandparents, none of whom ever sent me so much as a birthday card, is still alive, as far as I am concerned

the rapture is just a future headline, those prayers are the real story

lots of comments on the internet, every day, every year, and this comment is just out there because I think it is important to say thank you to the saints who prayed for my grandparents when they were young.
well the saints are always young, but Therese was in her 20s when my grandparents met and Elizabeth was a teenager

i don't worry much about death; 4/27/20, 1:24 AM
William said...: It wasn't just the French army that collapsed. The British army in the east collapsed. Earlier in the decade, if France had responded aggressively to the German occupation of the Rhineland, the German army would have collapsed. The German General Staff were none too fond of Hitler and the German populace were none too eager to go to war. Unfortunately Hitler won the war in France before they organize retreat and collapse.; 4/27/20, 1:28 AM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: check out Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) for dementia/stroke; 4/27/20, 1:36 AM
William said...: The Soviet army, despite stupendous losses never collapsed. Go figure....It seems that the only time the Russian people ever felt that their sacrifices and lives were meaningful was during the war with Germany. Those that survived the war remembered those years as the happiest of their lives according to one book (Applbaum-The Gulag) that I read.; 4/27/20, 1:37 AM
Gospace said...: Anne-I-Am said...
Anyone here do the keto thing? I have noticed a supposedly paradoxical reaction with my metabolism:

Keto or carbs, ultimately (calories in) < (calories out) is required to lose weight. I find it easier to maintain that equation on keto.

A1C definitely dropped when I was on strict keto.; 4/27/20, 1:37 AM
J. Farmer said...: @walter:

Perhaps you are missing the social distortions that came out of Civil Rights era.
Was our fate sealed or did we go astray with "good intentions" driven remedies?

Our fate was sealed, but a lot of the remedies compounded the problem. I think that race is grounded in biology, and that biological differences explain the different distributions in cognitive performance and behavior. In a meritocratic society, gaps between blacks and whites will persist. We have already had over half a century of concerted effort to close the gap to no avail. I think it's pretty naive to expect members of the black community to accept innate differences as an explanation for why their communities lag behind. And white liberals are probably even less likely to accept it. And so the hunt for the phantom perpetrator will continue.

I take it you don't care for Sowell on these issues.

I like a lot of Thomas Sowell's work. I know that he rejects the biological explanation and opts for a cultural one. His book Black Rednecks and White Liberals is pretty good. The Nigerian-American John Ogbu mmde an interesting case about "involuntary minorities" and their relationship to the mainstream culture. I think he made a lot of good points, but ultimately I wasn't convinced of his thesis.; 4/27/20, 1:46 AM
Gospace said...: narciso said...
I tried escher godel bach by hofstadler, that was painful.

You can read that, kind of skip over the math parts, and still get a really good understanding of what Hofstadter is talking about. But between that and The Emperor's New Mind by Penrose, you can really gain an understanding about a lot of things.

Somehow I missed I Am a Strange Loop. I'll have to find a copy and peruse it.; 4/27/20, 1:49 AM
stephen cooper said...: That being said, Mercy to the Guilty is Cruelty to the Innocent, but, keeping that in mind ....
to withhold mercy and not forgive where God has let us know that mercy and forgiveness might be effective is to take poison into our own hearts and expect the unforgiven to die
(adam smith and augustine of hippo, quoted with slight variations in the Augustine quote).

and yes, four grandparents, not a single kind word from any of them, not a single visit, not a single birthday card. not completely their fault, and I expect the forgiven to live forever; 4/27/20, 1:54 AM
buwaya said...: The futile search for the magic formula that will close the black-white "gap" has been disastrous for US education, and since the education system controls access to American leadership ranks in every aspect of life, its general culture and society as well.

The intractability of the problem has, above all, created a culture of elite bitterness and hatred against America and Americans. Most nations (as in their ruling classes and controlling institutions) do not actually hate themselves, their core population and cultural essence. America does.; 4/27/20, 2:01 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: "I could get run over by a bus. I could get hit by a meteor. "

When you get hit by a meteor, God had it out for you.

When you get hit by the bus, the bus driver had it in for you.

You can be proactive about the second one.

If you're not squeamish.

I am Laslo.; 4/27/20, 2:01 AM
J. Farmer said...: @buwaya:

The intractability of the problem has, above all, created a culture of elite bitterness and hatred against America and Americans. Most nations (as in their ruling classes and controlling institutions) do not actually hate themselves, their core population and cultural essence. America does.

White guilt. Incredibly, among several different ethnic groups and ideologies, white liberals were the only ones to express an out-group preference. That is, they expressed a preference for members of a group other than their own. How much this is a reflection of actual feelings versus virtue signaling I'm not sure. But either way it's a disturbing finding. They are the ones leading the woke revolution. Among Democrats, whites were the only ones who expressed discomfort at having a white candidate. They prefer to use a gender-neutral term like Latinx, even though Hispanics have no interest. They express outrage over the "Redskins" while native American communities could not care less. And as we've all seen lately, as gays mostly just go on with their lives, they have a newfound affinity for a ragtag team of gender dysphorics.; 4/27/20, 2:12 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: Havey Keitel would not let the bus driver take his life.

Sure, the bus driver could slam his vehicle into Harvey Keitel, but Harvey Keitel would stand his ground.

The bus driver would realize that he just hit Harvey Keitel: he fucked up.

Everything the bus driver had worked for in this life would now be rendered meaningless by the vengeance of Harvey Keitel.

The smart ones on the bus will have averted their eyes. The ones that watched: they will be haunted, forever.

And the ones that DID close their eyes: they will have still listened to the sounds. Pitiful cries and begging for Mercy, and the sound of Harvey Keitel's breath, so terribly raw and guttural: there are no words, just the sounds, almost felt more than heard.

Inside the bus they will still be able to feel the sour heat of Harvey Keitel's breath. They will still smell the strangely metallic vengeance that seeps from his pores.

The strangely metallic vengeance that seeps from his pores is not sweat: there is no moisture, no weakness is shown.

Harvey Keitel will be gone before the police arrive. The police will know that it was him -- of COURSE it was him -- but they will choose to do nothing about it. They know better than to have everything they have worked for in this life rendered meaningless in such a futile manner.

Harvey Keitel will continue to walk the streets, and vengeance will continue to be meted out in a way that only Harvey Keitel understands.

Cross to the other side of the street, people; cross to the other side of the street.

I am Laslo.; 4/27/20, 2:21 AM
walter said...: "We have already had over half a century of concerted effort to close the gap"
Whatever you ascribe to biology was more likely amplified by and beyond those "well intentioned" efforts.
Yet, you offer more in a different label of UBI or the like.; 4/27/20, 2:22 AM
Lewis said...: Bad Verse.

Half a line of bad verse
Are the days of this house

Or if you try to hear
Your own or an others voice
Listen carefully for the cars
In the nights silence

Or in the roads
Whose feet may search
Stone and drain
For absence as certainty
Forgotten with last year’s ghost.; 4/27/20, 2:25 AM
walter said...: We could continue further into such stratification, I suppose.
Here in the blog we have Great Scot routinely championing the Scots/Irish variant.; 4/27/20, 2:26 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: When one is fucked by Harvey Keitel, one is not so much fucked by Harvey Keitel's cock, but by a cock connected to Harvey Keitel: a cock connected to his insatiable oneness, connected to his fevered thoughts, connected to his heart three times the size of an average man and the color of tanned and scarred leather.

It is primal: Harvey's world is jungle, Harvey's world is fear or be feared.

Ask Robert DeNiro. He will not speak the words, but the look in his eyes will tell you all that you need to know.

I am Laslo.; 4/27/20, 2:31 AM
J. Farmer said...: @walter:

Yet, you offer more in a different label of UBI or the like.

Well, there are pragmatic reasons for preferring UBI. It's much easier to administer, doesn't require case management, and doesn't create the same perverse incentives. Although, the degree to which the old AFDC program contributed to the rise in single-motherhood is not entirely known. The widespread availability of "the pill" starting in the early 60s likely had an even bigger effect.

Whatever you ascribe to biology was more likely amplified by and beyond those "well intentioned" efforts.

The gap was evident before those "well intentioned" efforts were ever implemented. The black-white gap in IQ has been pretty stable and consistent over the years. As of yet, we have found no interventions that can substantially boost IQ. If there was any particular "well intentioned" effort that you think may be a more plausible explanation for the gap, I'm more than willing to consider it. I've worked with this community for 20 years, and I only got more pessimistic with each year.; 4/27/20, 2:52 AM
walter said...: Maybe the wrong decades to work in, Farmer.
Sowell's experienced a few more.; 4/27/20, 3:20 AM
walter said...: (and maybe your profession selects for certain traits.); 4/27/20, 3:21 AM
stevew said...: "and twice a day they are going to call you to make sure you are at home until they get the implants and the vaccines up to speed"

What happens when I don't answer the phone?; 4/27/20, 4:54 AM
Joan said...: walter, I don't think that's it. My own views are somewhere between Sowell and Farmer's.

Like J.Farmer, I started out (young and naive) believing that personal responsibility was the most important factor in outcome (for lack of a better catch-all term), but the older I got and the more direct experience with groups of people at different socio-economic levels I had, the more I saw that was just my ignorance manifesting itself.

I don't believe in structural racism here in the US (it's rampant in Europe, especially in France) but there are massive structural differences between the classes. Economic status is far more determinant of outcome than race, from what I've seen personally. Poor whites make the same kind of bad decisions that poor people of other colors make, especially about money.

Back when I was working in software, I hired a kid who was the first person in his family to go to and graduate from college. He was bright and eager and, I soon learned, a Coke head. We got paid every other Friday so he missed work (or arrived very late) every other Monday, since he spent the weekend Coked out of his mind. He had never had so much money in his life and no idea what to do with it. Sadly, he also had no one to tell him, or provide a good example for him. After a couple of months of this with the pattern well-established, I caught him sneaking into work the round-about way so as not to walk past my office. I told him I didn't care one bit what he did with his money or how he spent his weekend, but whatever he did, he had to make sure it didn't interfere with his ability to do his job and show up on time to do it. That thought had not occurred to him. He shaped up for a little while but I did have to escalate his absenteeism to a formal warning. Unfortunately I don't know what happened to him, because I left that company, but I always think about him as an example of a really smart person who landed a great-paying job right out of college and should have been set for life, but probably wasn't, because he just didn't know how to live in that world.

That kid was my first encounter with the kind of world-view mismatch that's only getting worse as the years go by. I've had many more in the intervening years, and I don't know what's to be done about it.

Fortunately, I also believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. If we could de-toxify the media (legacy and social), that would help a lot. If we could stigmatize virtue-signalling instead of rewarding it, that would be great, too. I think Trump is working very hard at these Augean-stable-like tasks. I also believe Trump has done a lot of good for race-relations in his time in office, but not nearly enough to undo the damage that 2 terms of Obama did.
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Anne-I-Am... wtf? With your stats, I can't believe Lipitor is called for. Statins are nasty, nasty drugs. I'm willing to bet your odd metabolism may have something to do with having a whack endocrine system, post-thyroidectomy. If you have high cholesterol your thyroid meds most likely need adjusting and that is a much safer route for you over the long term than taking Lipitor. Just my 2 cents as a long-term thyca survivor/patient advocate.; 4/27/20, 4:58 AM
Mr. Forward said...: Frog alert.; 4/27/20, 4:59 AM
D.D. Driver said...: "You think mask wearing was that prevalent throughout the whole state?"

Nope. And it didn't need to be. But it was deployed in the real problem spots. Particularly, Milwaukee where the Top Men could only figure out how to open give polling places in the whole city. But, it didn't matter Safe Social works. We don't have to continue down the abstinence only approach.; 4/27/20, 6:44 AM
Darrell said...: Escorts in the time of Covid-19. But camgirls are seeing so much business that they can't walk anymore. Dildos don't get tired.; 4/27/20, 6:44 AM
D.D. Driver said...: "You think mask wearing was that prevalent throughout the whole state?"

Nope. And it didn't need to be. But it was deployed in the real problem spots. Particularly, Milwaukee where the Top Men could only figure out how to open give polling places in the whole city. But, it didn't matter Safe Social works. We don't have to continue down the abstinence only approach.; 4/27/20, 6:44 AM
D.D. Driver said...: *five polling places; 4/27/20, 6:46 AM
grackle said...: Thank you Lewis for your poetic endeavor – and courage, for it takes courage to offer up a poem, especially in the context of this blog. I’ve already critiqued Lewis’s poetry elsewhere so I will not compound that particular felony at this time. Instead I will offer a poem meant for children and other souls with young hearts:

The spirited sparrow

If you should startle him he flies
off all aflutter from surprise;
should he feel he needs to be shy
he becomes a speck in the sky.

No fancy dresser he, lest
His tiny seamstress be stressed.
True, his daily garb looks plain
but shows neither tear nor stain.

His missus first sewed a coat, then a vest,
patched with a pocket the size of a pea.
She thought nut brown and soft gray to be best
for her slight gent with black eyes and goatee.

Garments fitted, attire complete;
even his surprised chirps seem neat.; 4/27/20, 7:05 AM
iowan2 said...: Personal responsibility will not fix an IQ gap. That's a given. But we are talking about a full productive life. That is not predicated on IQ. It's predicated on character. Morals, manners, core values of service to others. Delayed gratification, work ethic, honesty...

The answer to that is family. That's what I don't know how to fix. Education is a mess, because parents. Parents that refuse to see the value of sending their child to school well rested and fed, won't see to it the child is reading. These areas need improved and the state is incapable of seeing the need, forget about crafting meaningful systems to make improvements.
Parents need to take back the job of parenting from the state. But I don't see how that shift in humans will take place.
Most likely the break down started with Social Security, and the notion everyone can retire at age 65. The perception that the state will care for me into my old age
Pre SS, my golden years were dependent on my childrens ability to create a good life for themselves, and then care for me when I could no longer work based on my declining productivity as a I aged. If my kid could read and care for themselves, my old age was going to uncomfortable. Parents had incentive to rear productive children. To many social safety nets in place today.; 4/27/20, 7:19 AM
Fernandinande said...: "hard problem of consciousness."

No doubt you already know that people make decisions unconsciously before they're consciously aware of having made the decisions. Since humans are very social animals, I think consciousness and the illusion of free will evolved as a means to understand and predict how other people will act, through the misnamed "theory of mind", which is just knowing that "other people's (re)actions are similar to my own". So if you're (self)aware of how you'd act - imagination - in a certain situation, you have a good idea how other people would act in the same situation.; 4/27/20, 8:11 AM
William said...: I'm coming late to this party, but here are some obvious objections to J. Farmer: There's an IQ gap between the races. IQ is inherited...Okay so far, but tell me this: If IQ is inherited and most black people in America are part white, why wouldn't they inherit the IQ gene from their white ancestors. Is IQ some kind of recessive gene?....I believe cultural differences are far more likely to explain these disparities than genetics....Enslavement and Jim Crow laws are not a good way to pick up on the fine points of how to integrate into western civ.....On my father's side, I'm three generations away from Ireland. Many of the Irish were landless peasants, and they endured eight centuries of harsh treatment by the English. The Irish never picked up on the joy of being part of Great Britain although they did master the language.; 4/27/20, 8:12 AM
Fernandinande said...: If IQ is inherited and most black people in America are part white, why wouldn't they inherit the IQ gene from their white ancestors. Is IQ some kind of recessive gene?

There isn't an "IQ gene"; IQ is polygenic and they've already identified several hundred genes which control IQ.

If you look through the symptoms of the various genetic disorders, most of them have some detrimental effect on cognition.; 4/27/20, 8:54 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: Blogger buwaya said...
"Most nations...do not actually hate themselves, their core population and cultural essence. America does."

One night, in a bar in Paris, a Frenchman remarked to me that "No one hates their own country the way you Americans do."

Yes, I had to agree. Some Americans.; 4/27/20, 9:18 AM
Lewis said...: Poor, naked wretches, where so e’er you are,

That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,

How shall your houseless heads, and unfed sides,

Your loop'd and window’d raggedness, defend you

From seasons such as these?

King Lear Act III, Scene IV, Lines 28-32.; 4/27/20, 10:34 AM
Nichevo said...: Anne-I-Am said...
Anyone here do the keto thing? I have noticed a supposedly paradoxical reaction with my metabolism:

When i go high fat/high protein/low carb, I gain weight. And my blood sugar rises.

I gave up and am back to my bad habits of eating a whole box of Wheat Thins, Goldfish by the school, etc., etc...and I have lost three pounds.

Curious.

4/26/20, 8:11 PM

AIA, for ultimate effectiveness the diet should not be too high in protein-a true last ditch keto diet would be about 900 kcal/day worth of, say, macadamia nuts. Even bacon is scarcely high enough in fat.

I am finding that, while Atkins worked shockingly well for me fifteen years ago, now scarcely anything seems to make a difference. What does seem to be moving the needle down, occasional Krispy Kreme binge aside, is ten thousand steps a day. Or do more, but at least some regular steady exercise appears to be helping.

Not that I can't eat my way out of weight loss! But whereas the Atkins advice back then was that exercise was not important, maybe with advancing years it is more so.; 4/27/20, 4:19 PM
Nichevo said...: Laslo Spatula said...
Havey Keitel would not let the bus driver take his life.

Laslo Spatula said...
When one is fucked by Harvey Keitel,

Laslo! Is this you back to your old self? A welcome sight to see, I do assure you.; 4/27/20, 4:37 PM
Lewis said...: Nativity
“Notre crime est del’homme” Lamartine. ‘L’homme.’

Everything stained: The tea stains the cup,
The cup stains the counter, the foot stains the snow,
The moon stains the air. Everything said.
I am told this is not an original thought.
Below, what was forgotten and cold,
As if it were not merely, actually true,
There was a birth, the unthinking was done
And this messy mix of snow and blood
Produced a word that meant ‘goodbye’ or ‘hello’,
Unsorting a chaos into ‘this one and that’
And saying “Insofar as I am here, that is there.”

Or if they are ‘mad’, we are ‘mad’, since
Neither they nor we can prove the obvious:
That Johnson kicked a stone but Berkeley
Was already dead, that the delusion suffices
To make a few words bring a cup of tea
And that, without God, preserving the hollow
Takes so long to say, everyman
Could seek to find
Putrefaction of his mother,
Of his brother, of his kind.; 4/27/20, 5:29 PM