Understandably, a lot of people continue to be upset about the results of this election. One thing that keeps coming up in my feeds are people advocating for the electoral college to change that result. The idea is that if 37 Republican electors can be convinced to change their vote, Trump can be prevented from … Continue reading Lessons from the election of 1824 and Silvio Berlusconi
Category: Zeitgeist
Why Trump won, and a calmer assessment of the situation
The filmmaker Michael Moore, who had predicted a Trump win several months ago, went on Morning Joe on Friday and discussed why Trump won. It was painful to watch, but the main point that struck home was when Moore pointed out that many Trump voters were previously Obama voters. What this tells me is that we … Continue reading Why Trump won, and a calmer assessment of the situation
Well, we went and did it
Obviously I see the results of this election as a tragic mistake, one that we'll be feeling for a long time. It's hard not to see this as a victory for fear, hatred, and bigotry. The man who came to political prominence by calling into question the citizenship and legitimacy of the first black president … Continue reading Well, we went and did it
Early access to exit poll data, universal suffrage, and other election ruminations
So, tomorrow is election day here in the US. If you're a US citizen and you haven't voted yet, now's the time to make plans. As I noted in the last post, this is not the year to sit the election out. The most recent projections still show Clinton with a slight to modest lead, … Continue reading Early access to exit poll data, universal suffrage, and other election ruminations
Voting in the general election, 2016 edition
Today early voting started in my state, and because voting on November 8 would be a hassle, I made use of it. It probably won't surprise any of my regular online friends that my vote went to Hillary Clinton. To be upfront, the Republican candidate would not have gotten my vote, even if they had been … Continue reading Voting in the general election, 2016 edition
The necessity of dexterity for civilization
Today's SMBC highlights something about humanity that is often overlooked, something that any extraterrestrial intelligence that builds a civilization would have to have. Click through for hover-text and red button caption. Source: Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - The Mammal Conspiracy We often talk about the intelligence of dolphins, whales, cephalopods, elephants, and other species. But … Continue reading The necessity of dexterity for civilization
Sites for tracking the US election
One of the problems with following election news here in the US, is that the various media outlets often try to convey a sense of drama in the outcome, even when it's not really there. For this reason, I try not too pay much attention to most of the prognosticators out there. Their track record been … Continue reading Sites for tracking the US election
Thoughts from a Baton Rouge native
I rarely comment on contemporary news. Usually we as the public have incomplete information, which often shows any immediate commentary to be wrong when the facts eventually come out (if they ever do). Unfortunately, by the time they do, the public has often lost interest. But with the recent killing of a black man by police in my … Continue reading Thoughts from a Baton Rouge native
Real Science vs. Fake Science
One of the best and most succinct explanations of the difference between real science and pseudoscience that I've seen.
SMBC: A treatise on machine ethics
via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal A better question might be, if a robot has conflicting programming, what will it do? That seems to be where most human moral dilemmas arise, when our instincts are in conflict.
SelfAwarePatterns 