Social

Some stuff from my microblog on the fediverse:

• A comment on the UK re-fortifying it’s drug war.

• Pointing out forcing people into rehab doesn’t work.

• Sometimes a broken clock tells the wrong time for 2 minutes an hour

• Building a window for my server-cupboard

• Things the press do and don’t care about in politics

• Corrupt freedom-reducing things our MPs do and don’t care about.

• Why this story? Why now? That is the key to politics-media.

• The UK entered PlanB, but is there anyone with credibility to tell us so?

• HellADoge accidentally federates with the rest of the Fediverse. Hilarity ensues.

• In the great battle of Boris vs Science, which side are you on?

• I voluntarily got booster-vaccinated. But reaffirm a no-mandate position.

• My tarot-reading for the new year was very optimistic.

• Merry Xmas, hope you get the horn too!

• Happy New Year! 2022 is like four swans with one dunking.

• Commenting on Hari’s article on attention span.

That’s just the highlights this month, you can always follow the full feed on the fediverse at boing.world or join the telegram group

Reading

I read The Knowledge Machine by Michael Strevens in which he explores what it is that made the last 300 years of having-science different to the prior 20,000 years of not having science.

He says the “iron rule” of science is Empiricism. Throw away your clever arguments about beauty and rationality. It’s actively irrational to ignore all the ways of knowing other than the results of tests, he reckons, and since that is the heart of science, then Science is irrational.

The book is a good description of what makes science, but I reject the idea that ignoring beauty and philosophy to concentrate on empiricism alone is irrational. It’s always rational to do whatever gets the best results, and if that’s empiricism them empiricism is rational.

Watching

Watched “Superman and Lois” on the Beeb. Superman is a dad now.

The early episodes showed hints of being as dark and interesting as Alexander Wales’s fan-fic “Metropolitan Man” . In which it is so obviously morally certain that superman should be destroyed. There was a great audiobook reading of that too.

The SuperDad show wasn’t as good as that, but it was still some damned fine superman stuff.

Also watched “Death to 2021” on Netflix with Charlie Brooker’s involvement apparently being reduced to “Format originally created by” with no writing or narrating credit.

I liked the description of the 6-Jan protest/invasion as “A muppet reboot of the vietnam war” and “A bison disguised himself as a human”

Also the exchange with the anti-woke professor: - They are destroying everything, and I do mean everything? - Who do you mean by they? - You know, They, them! - Are those their pronouns?

Entertaining, but would have been better if Brooker wrote it.

Links

• Double-Down News short video on UK government’s assault on democratic freedoms It’s so frustrating that the media people actually read and watch so completely ignores everything important to concentrate on trivia, but there are channels like Double-Down and people like Monbiot still fighting the good fight. Good story on a terrible situation.

• Media Lens on Number Ten’s Xmas parties. Again: It is frustrating that mediaignores everything important to concentrate on trivia. Here’s Media Lens’ report on that terrible situation too.

• Julian Assange is to stay in jail. Greenwald reports: “subjects of the British Crown are inculcated from birth to believe that we are blessed to live under a benevolent and freedom-protecting government […] this attack on core press freedom demonstrates yet again the fundamental lie at the heart of this mythology.

• ZDogg MD debunks that doctor who was on Rogan’s show The doctor on Rogan’s show was saying obviously untrue things, so I didn’t get to the end, but this other doctor did so we didn’t have to.

• Nick Cohen on Electoral Reform Again again: It’s really frustrating that the media people actually pay attention to doesn’t pay attention to anything important, like massive attacks on our voting system by the sitting government. Well… The Guardian does a bit at least.

• Stephen Fry narrates a video about the profit motive in health systems. The moral bankruptcy of medical insurance, the privatisation of the health service and the MPs who are screwing it all up for money

• Existential Comics about Chomsky reporting on an anarchist revolt. “Just moments ago, this peaceful protest ascended into anarchy…”

• Craig Murray reports on his first few days in jail. Appalling he should be sent to jail for reporting on things which other people also reported on. Political prosecutions eh? Jail sounds really shitty.

• Scott Arronson states his values. I agree, except for the patriotism stuff.

That’s just the highlights this month, remember you can always see my full public bookmarks at my website and/or follow my link-bot on the fediverse.

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