Archive of entries posted on August 2021

Friday Night Open Thread: Even Morality

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If people were perfect, I wouldn’t have to keep harping on this theme. But I’m not, so I will.

Murder.

Several of our readers, I assume, are not guilty of murder. Good! This boosts our credibility, at least in the morality department. A life is a precious thing — a once-in-a-lifetime gift, you might say. But we all know that there are depraved people who murder. And we all know that sucks.

I am getting depressed writing this, so bear with me.

Why would anyone murder another person? I assume (I haven’t done it, myself) it’s mostly to get someone out of the way, or to commit a crime, or to cover up another crime, or to cover up a cover-up. It is never right and should be stopped. What is the Democrats’ plan to stop it? Letting murderers out of jail, on a promise not to do it again. I am here to speak against this.

If a murderer gets out of jail, what is his natural thought process? “I am going to murder again, and probably the same people who pissed me off on the day of my trial” seems to be as likely to spring to his murderous mind as anything else.

(I said “his” because women don’t seem to do this as often, but don’t let female murders out of prison either. The same thought process, in a slightly higher register, but sometimes not, in the name of equity should be presumed to apply to them.)

Once the murderers are out of confinement, they become very, very dangerous to their next victims. Is this moral?

Thank God there is a Second Amendment to help you answer this question of morality! Because Democrats won’t.

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Do you have something you’d like to share? A link? A joke? Some words of wisdom? A topic to discuss? It’s our nightly Open Thread, and you have the floor.

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Paging Dr. Venkman

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After Nearly a Decade, an Interdisciplinary Collaboration To Model a 3D Spider Web Leads To Many Surprising Results
Massachusetts Institute of Technology via Phys.org | 8/10/21 | Anya Ventura

A spider web can be videorecorded from multiple angles in like fifteen seconds. What took ten years to create a 3-D model?

In 3-D, it’s believable that the results of the female researchers were many and surprising to their male colleagues.

… Meanwhile, materials scientist Markus Buehler, the McAfee Professor of Engineering at MIT, had been studying orb webs—the flat, radial Halloween staples—for years.

Buehler? . . . Buehler? . . .

Another huge taxpayer grant coming their way. Peter Porker.

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NASA Scientists Create Images of a Braless Ganymede, moon of Jupiter

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“Cleavage, the final frontier.”

Is the Spice Channel still a going concern? I would’ve gone with “Spice: The Final Frontier.”

Alright, as for the real story….

Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the largest planetary satellite in the solar system. It’s also one of the most intriguing: Ganymede is the only moon with its own magnetic field, it is the most differentiated of all moons, and it likely possesses a subsurface ocean of liquid water.

– Phys.org

Per IMAO reporter Scott T., the PhDs in the room were heard to say ““heeny heet!”

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Thursday Night Open Thread: Kow Tow Now

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A New Low in Leftist Fanaticism
Powerline | 07/08/2021 | Steven Hayward

Politico reports a stunner today: the climatistas are begging President Biden not to be too tough on China for human rights violations, or anything else, because . . . it might be bad for the climate!
. . .
Over 40 progressive groups sent a letter to President Joe Biden and lawmakers on Wednesday urging them to prioritize cooperation with China on climate change and curb its confrontational approach over issues like Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong and forced detention of Uyghur Muslims.

Ah, priorities. Something a computer model tells you might happen in a hundred years vs. some things your eyes tell you are happening right now.

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Do you have something you’d like to share? A link? A joke? Some words of wisdom? A topic to discuss? It’s our nightly Open Thread, and you have the floor.

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Sunset Bolivar

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A Million to 1: Venezuela’s Currency Losing 6 Zeros
Associated Press | August 5, 2021

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela says it will make a million-to-1 change in its currency soon, eliminating six zeros from prices in the local currency as hyperinflation continues to plague the troubled South American nation.

Venezuela’s central bank on Thursday announced the change to the bolivar will go into effect Oct. 1.

The new 100 bolivar bill will be the highest denomination. It is equivalent to 100,000,000 of the current bolivar.

This is the third adjustment since socialist leaders began governing Venezuela. The bolivar lost three zeros in 2008 under now-deceased President Hugo Chávez, while his successor, Nicolás Maduro, eliminated five zeros in 2018.
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The 1 million bolivar bill is currently the highest denomination, but it is scarce. More than seven of those bills are needed to buy a 1.3-gallon (5-liter) bottle of water.

Their credit card statements must use really tiny fonts.

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