Feb 24

Never Will

Dangerous Conspiracy Theorist Doesn’t Believe Vaccines Work.

A dangerous conspiracy theorist based in Washington doesn’t believe vaccines work, concerned sources reported Tuesday. He spouted his deadly rhetoric in a speech today, going on about how even if Americans get two doses of the vaccine they should keep triple-masking, avoid going outside, and stay in their homes and die alone.

Love this one, too. It gets right in there on the reason that there is and going to be a lot of vaccine skepticism. I feel that, too. Why bother being vaccinated if there is no obvious benefit? Yes, I am going to get vaccinated ASAP, but I wish I could convince liberals just how terribly destructive the whole, “Even after you get vaccinated, you must be swathed in PPE, hiding inside, crying into a Level 5 suit” shtick is. But like most people, they never learn and never will.

Feb 24

Born Locked Down

Oh, just wait till the lockdown lifers are crying about how we must lock down again in 2022, 2023, 2024….well, you get the picture. It’ll happen and I hope we have the spine to laugh at them.

Feb 24

Supposed To Do

People are poisoned by SUV thinking, but this is actually a really good design for the intended purpose:

1) High front and side visibility. Less likely to hit anyone. Hopefully it, being modern, has backup cameras and such.

2) Boxy shape maximizes cargo area for size, and accessibility.

3) Low grille and bumper means fewer pedestrians are harmed if struck.

4) Tall side window makes it easier to deliver to mailboxes at varying heights.

5) Relatively small size makes it easier to maneuver and to park.

6) Relatively small wheels and tires increases fuel efficiency (including electric).

7) Low ride height makes it more stable and less likely to harm someone in another vehicle if an accident occurs.

8) And of course, right-hand drive for I hope obvious reasons.

Feb 24

End Point

No chance of Covid not going endemic, even if you use this strict definition (which is not what every epidemiologist uses, btw) or a less strict one. Some do consider AIDS endemic, too.

Feb 24

Really Happened

To think this was a real tweet that someone made on purpose. Someone who is respected. Fuck me (not in the incel sense, already well taken care of, thanks).

Feb 24

Tract

I wouldn’t say “easy.” That’s not fair in many ways, though there is something to that idea. However, I think philosophy and philosophers make a problem space tractable, something that can be thought about coordinatedly at all, and then scientists take over. Of course this is only one branch of philosophy, and there are others that are just as vital.

There is also the output side. Once scientists “know” something, philosophers are needed for contextualizing what is known, why it is known, how society can deal with this knowledge, and how it relates to the rest of knowledge. This is called epistemology, and is as crucial as (for lack of a better term) speculative philosophy.

So, no, I wouldn’t say science is ever “easy,” but without philosophy it’s not much at all nonetheless.

Feb 24

Cost Sig

If people or nations send costly signals, believe them. Costly signals are hard to fake and should be believed unless there is a very good reason not to do so.