Young Earth Warmists

Climate Change, the Long View | Power Line:

Mostly just posting to have these charts in one place for future reference.

This has been well covered in this Blog, but sometimes a little repetition is good, a little repetition is good ... Marco Rubio ;-)

Young Earth Creationists tend to put the age of the earth at 6-10K years.

Compared to them, our current warmists are like fruit flies compared to elephants! In order to reach their "scientific conclusions", they restrict their data to AT MOST 155-160 years (1860 to now), and in many cases MUCH less ... like "since 1979" for satellite data.

The linked article is short and has three excellent charts to give a little perspective. A scientist would take 160 years of climate data next to 100's of thousands of years ( I find the "billions" to be spurious, no real climate data available on those ranges) is far MORE laughable than your typical scientist likes to consider Young Earth Creation!

They want to show a "trend" on a couple hundred year scale when they have data from thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of years to answer for?

Here is the last 10K years of climate data, in GENERAL it has been getting warmer, seas have been rising and C02 levels have been getting higher that whole time. That is what it means to be in one of the 5 "interglacials" in the last 500K years. If you wanted to point out something "scientific" rather than political, the fact that the peaks of warmth seem to be getting lower and the length of the cold periods getting longer MIGHT give a bit of a pause if you also looked at the 500K data.

The following chart is the last 500K data of Vostok data ... the fact that the last 10K shows that while it HAS been getting warmer since the "little ice age", we are only in a "warm period" relative to that cool period ... which is why "climate scientists" talk "avg temp vs baseline" ... the "baseline" is 1981 - 2010.  (Gee, I wonder why they picked THAT?)

At least Young Earth Creationists COMPLETELY admit that they are acting with religion in mind -- but hey, at least it is an OLD religion! The Climate Faith is at best only been holding worship services since 1980!

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Gay Healthcare

It’s almost over for Hillary: This election is a mass insurrection against a rigged system - Salon.com:

Remember the "Vote No!" campaign on the marriage amendment in MN? We were assured over and over that "Nobody has any plans to make gay "marriage" legal in MN, that is simply a lie created by fearful and bigoted people".

They made gay "marriage" legal the year after the amendment failed. One of the advantages that evil has is that there are NO RESTRICTIONS on the methods you can use to win -- when there is no such thing as truth, what would a lie be?

Similarly, BOcare was "not socialized medicine", and "If you liked your healthcare, you could keep it". What it is is WEALTH TRANSFER!

Here we have a quote from this fine article:

As for the notion that voters can’t see that paying $1,000 in taxes beats paying $5,000 in health insurance premiums, it is an insult to the American people.

Note, this is AFTER those of us who managed to work long and hard to get some tiny chance of few years of a decent retirement have ALREADY suffered INCREASES in healthcare costs on the order of $5-$10K!!!!  BOcare has already increased our out of pocket costs by 5-10 TIMES, although a lot of that is due to it sitting in accounts as "pre-spent". Having been or currently being a "maker" vs a "taker" in the US is like being a Christian in a country that recently went Islamic -- you are getting a lot of raw deals, but there isn't any choice, and it only looks to get worse in the future. 

"American people" for Salon are the 50-60%  of Americans that already pay at most $1K in taxes TOTAL. In fact, the bottom 40% of the country already gets more than HALF of their income FROM the government!

So where do we go from here?

Twenty years on, Hillary still sees the world through the rose-colored glasses of that ’90s consensus. Not Bernie. He sees that in 2016 rising tides don’t even lift most boats, that growth comes at a steep price when it comes at all, and that new technology cost more jobs than it creates. He understands that when jobs flow to countries with weak governments and low wages, the American middle class can’t get a raise. He sees that public-private partnership meant pay-to-play politics, and that the whole system runs not on innovation but corruption. My guess is the middle class sees what he sees and wants what he wants: a revolution. If he can continue to drive the debate, they may get one.

Ah, "Revolution" ... ah, to WHAT?

Well, the Reagan - 2006 growth wasn't good enough! The "consensus" in the '90s wasn't right. Technology isn't the answer. "Public-private partnership" doesn't work. SO??

Well, it would seem to me that the "only choice" that folks like Salon can see is complete Socialism ... or Fascism. Either government takeover of the means of production, or leave the capital ostensively in the hands of "private", but completely regulate it and 100% state what salaries, benefits, "profits", etc are. So much for "partnerships" -- it would seem that FORCE is the "only answer".

Why is it again that anyone is supposed to somehow "trust" the left? They avow no morals, they claim that truth does not even exist.

Pretty much everything in this country seems to be heading to be as fecund as a gay "marriage"! 

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Leaving America, Third Year of BO Record!

Record Number of U.S. Citizens, Green-Card Holders Cut Ties With U.S. in 2015 - WSJ:

I wrote on this back in 2013 ... we have a lot of people LEAVING the US. While the people entering tend to be poor with a high demand for public services, low education and a high risk for criminal activity, the ones leaving are the inverse -- wealthy, healthy, with a lot of skills.

But, they are being robbed by an entity called "The US Government",  and it will tax them as long as they have citizenship -- they don't even have to live here.

So, they are renouncing their citizenship in record numbers.

One could call it "The BO effect" -- people that have an option are voting with their feet.

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Lindsey Graham Defines Politician!

Lindsey Graham: Ted Cruz worse than Barack Obama - CNNPolitics.com:

Lindsey Graham is a politicians politician -- arrogant, corrupt and especially shifty. I consider him a poster child for why we desperately need SMALLER GOVERNMENT!

How does one ever trust anyone that talks like this ...

Asked why his fellow senators are reputed to have such a distaste for Cruz, Graham accused the winner of the Iowa GOP caucuses of being an "opportunist" to his core -- one who "gets ahead at our expense" and will "run down other Republicans" to advance his own ambitions.

So while running down a fellow Republican you complain that the other guy runs down Republicans!

Sounds about right. Pretty much the definition of "politician"!

We have lost a LOT since Reagan's "11th commandment", "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican!"

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Rubio Repeats to ROBO-U

Chris Christie’s suicide mission may make this a good night for Trump and Kasich [With Comment by John] | Power Line:

When I heard about the Rubio programed response failing into repeat mode last night, I was reminded of the old 70's SciFi movie "Westworld"  that had the marvelous line "Nothing can go wrong ... go wrong ... go wrong ..."

If the Democrats were writing the script, I don't think any of them would be smart enough to come up with having the bright, good looking, current leading establishment candidate utter basically : “Let’s dispel with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing, He knows exactly what he’s doing." MULTIPLE TIMES!

Yes, yes, I certainly get his point ... I in fact agree and have blogged on it a number of times. If you look at BO's past, his books, his associates and supporters, he **IS** accomplishing exactly what he has declared he wanted to do since before he wrote the "Dreams" book. Which is basically make CERTAIN the the US is NOT an "exceptional nation" by the time he leaves office.

In modern politics however, being "correct" often not very important, but looking stupid,  for a Republican it can easily be terminal!

He basically is the R equivalent of BO in some ways -- looks good, talks well as as long as it is read from a script, and it is very true, he has never run anything, or accomplished much of anything.

It is REALLY starting to look like the Republicans are going to screw this up -- it seems that Cruz can at least be made out to be "unlikeable, spooky, etc", Rubio is shallow and inexperienced, Trump is  ... well, Trump, we have talked a lot about him.

What could go wrong?






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Cruz, Rubio, TP Zeitgeist

Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio Made History. Didn’t You Hear? - The New York Times:

Here we have the obvious being stated directly and openly by The New York Times:

With Senator Ted Cruz taking nearly 28 percent of the vote and Senator Marco Rubio getting 23 percent, each vastly surpassed the results for any other Latino candidate in any previous United States presidential contest. 

How is that not being celebrated as historic or at least worth a headline for a day or two? 

The answer is not that complicated: Neither Mr. Cruz nor Mr. Rubio meets conventional expectations of how Latino politicians are supposed to behave.

The phrase that flashes before brain is "the banality of evil" ... how natural it is for evil, in the form of oppressive groupthink, "just the way things are", "everyone thinks this way", or  "how else could it be"? Becomes as natural as the air we breathe.

"The Party" (TP-D) controls the definitions, the categories, the "zeitgeist"-- the spirit of the age, intellectual fashion, the school of thought.

Classical Liberalism -- the kind that valued independence of thought, rule of law, and economic freedom was the opposition of single party rule. The kind of rule that defines how people MUST think to even be identified as part of their own racial group.

Take Ben Carson -- one would be hard pressed to hear anything about his blackness, and indeed, like Cruz and Rubio, TP does not consider him to be black. Part of being black is voting TP and ascribing to the TP position on issues ... the zeitgeist. Bill Cosby lost his blackness when he dared comment that blacks needed to have some level of decent public behavior after riots like Ferguson. He was thus labeled an "Uncle Tom" and so lost the immunity that had allowed him to treat women like Bill Clinton has for decades with impunity.

TP decides! For the bulk of the population they decide much of "normal thought" every day  -- they ARE the "zeitgeist", so what they say and do on a daily basis is "just the way things are".

America was intended to be a country with freedom of speech and thought and diversity of IDEAS! As TP so calmly and "chillingly" (if you are not a sheep) points out, even the vaunted "diversity" today is ONLY "diversity as defined by TP"!

You think Rubio and Cruz are Hispanic and Cosby and Carson are Black? TP is in charge of that definition as they are of ALL definitions. TP defines what is black or white, good or evil, intelligent or backward, and the vast majority of your fellow citizens are VERY comfortable with that power being held by TP.

In fact, so are you and I unless we make CONSCIOUS effort to FORCE ourselves to look at reality outside the confines of the  TP controlled environment!

This is the way that freedom ends. All categories are subsumed to being only "Of the Party" or it's enemy! Racial, ethnic, geographical, religious, social, intellectual, family, gender and class distinctions become merely  "are they a member of THE PARTY, or are they not"? The party defines and administers all the old categories, which are only recognized and defined in relation to TP.

Are you "Hispanic"? TP decides. "Educated"? Whatever TP chooses is the answer. Is your group one that deserves special treatment in hiring, education or government largesse, or are you in a group that is "bitter, hateful, lagging, racist" or otherwise to be sanctioned, controlled and maligned in the daily news and scolded by BO?

The banality ... the "common feeling", the "resignation to what MUST be right because it is EVERYWHERE" ... this is where the Gulag and the Gas Chamber become a barely noticed element of "the way things are".

Evil always hides best in plain sight. True evil is always dressed up as "the good". It is in fact SO GOOD that any disagreement with it is by it's very nature "evil" -- don't worry. TP is happy to inform you of EVERYTHING ... your race, your religion, your intelligence and yes, most importantly, your MORALITY.

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Magic Spells and Tribute To Barbarians

Blog: DC government will pay criminals not to commit crimes:

Our nations capital has decided that some sort of a program that pays some people not to commit crime is a good thing to try. The linked article likens it to the ancient practice of paying off barbarians to not attack your city ... paying "protection money" to the Mob might be an even better example.

The part about things like this that always impresses me is the general liberal government idea that economic incentives are a sort of black magic spell that if the proper incantations are used, can accomplish anything you like.

Thus, raising taxes on cigarettes is a proven way to reduce consumption, where taxing corporations at the highest levels in the world is not supposed to act as an incentive for them to keep profits off-shore, or even move to a less onerous tax climate as many have done.

Providing all manner of subsidies for not working we are assured has no effect on anyone trying to get a job  -- raising taxes on working people has no disincentive effect. It is all in the incantation!

One can envision a DC social worker meeting with a "client"....

Social Worker: "Bob, thanks for coming in, we need to go over your yearly benefits package. I see here that you are an able 35 year old presently unemployed, is that still the case?"

Bob: "Yes, it is, but I'm looking real hard for a job!"

Social Worker: "I understand completely! We raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour, require all employers to provide two weeks paid vacation, 6 weeks of family leave, health benefits, free child care and provide a federally mandated and tracked worker advisory group that meets 1 hour a week on the clock to give employees a voice in the business, yet hiring has gone DOWN!" We are doing all we can do, and I understand you are as well! It is often difficult to understand the job market!

We will continue to provide your subsidized apartment, cell phone, internet and cable TV along with $400 a month in Food Stamps and $1,000 a month in federal support payment.

I see here you have a criminal record.

Bob: "I was framed".

Social Worker: "No doubt racially motivated! This year we have a new program where you can receive up to $9,000 a year for attending a couple of classes if you promise to not commit any violent offenses during the year."

Bob: "I dunno, my schedule is pretty busy ... how much class we talkin here, I never did like school much!

Social Worker: "Couple of hours, very flexible schedule,  ... no tests. We understand that you have a life, and that takes priority with us! "

Bob: "I guess I could maybe do that ... so, if I would be framed again, would I have to give the money back?"

Social Worker: "Not if you spend it directly -- not a good plan to build up any savings account or anything, I'm sure you are avoiding that."

Bob: "Yeah, I like to keep any extra funds stashed in weed, whiskey or bling if you catch my drift.!"

Social Worker: "Thanks for stopping by Bob. Be sure to call me if you have any problems ... oh, I almost forgot. This is an election year. If you would like to vote in November, we can pick you up, and there is normally a small token of appreciation for our clients, OR, if you would rather, you can sign your absentee form here today and we can handle it for you.

Bob: "Say, two years ago I got a couple bottles of Malt and a carton of smokes!".

Social Worker: "Bob, I'm sure that was a gift from an appreciative campaign worker on the bus! There is no reason that you can't sign your absentee here today and still help out with the fall vote -- there is no identification required at the polls, and I'm sure there will be appreciation from the campaigns again in the fall.

We do have a program where I can provide you a Hillary button that has a small sticker on the back which many of the liquor stores in the area are providing a VERY significant one time discount on if you catch my drift".

Bob: "Yeah, I'll sign it ... the rich guys have it all rigged, I'm glad to see that we are getting a little something for all the work we do! .... See ya round Dawwwg !

Social Worker: "Thanks again Bob"


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Time Reborn: From The Crisis In Physics to the Future of the Universe

http://www.amazon.com/Time-Reborn-Crisis-Physics-Universe/dp/0544245598

Perhaps one of the best cases I'll ever see of someone passionately trying to escape from shadow of God and going to ANY lengths in an attempt to create a "completely new way of thought" in order to imagine that he is free from any transcendent concepts.

I had to go back and review my blog on "Reason And Analysis", because in many ways this book was more "attempted philosophy" than physics.

Smolin tells us what is bothering him on page 11:

There is a cheapness at the core of any claim that our universe is ultimately explained by another more perfect world standing apart from everything we perceive. If we succumb to that claim, we render the boundary between science and mysticism porous.  

Our desire for transcendence is at root a religious aspiration. The yearning to be liberated from death and from the pain and limitations of our lives is the fuel of religions and mysticism. Does the seeking of mathematical knowledge make one a kind of a priest with special access to an extraordinary form of knowledge? Should we simply recognize mathematics for the religious activity it is? 

He wants to explain the universe ONLY in terms of itself, and does a good job of pointing out how the incredible correlation of mathematics to the observable world in Newtonian Physics, Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, and the fact that all those "models" are timeless -- in that the formulas work in any place and time and are even reversible in time, is a "cop out". WHY!!! Why do they work? Why THESE particular formulas and initial values? He must know WHY!

The standard model just assumes "it is" -- and this obviously smacks WAY too much of "god" to Smolin. So, he goes for the "other great idea" -- Darwin. "Natural" Selection -- we MUST have had a LOT of universes, so therefore, each black hole is creating yet another universe, and the fact that we see a lot of black holes in our universe "must mean" that there is "natural selection" of universes and the fact that we have a "large number" of black holes "must mean" that we are in an "adaptive universe".

Evolution (of universes) requires time ... "real time", not "relative time", so he especially hates the ideas of relative space-time, "the block universe" and the multiverse. I go into those here a bit if you have not been suitably exposed

A lot of his thinking is based Leibniz's "Principle of Sufficient Reason" ... Everything must have a reason (cause).  Smolin wants to go farther, and make the "cause" be randomness -- as in Darwin, "lots and lots of random tries" and EVENTUALLY you get ANYTHING, including in this case, the laws of physics and the initial conditions of the universe. Although Smolin no longer finds the "laws" to be "laws", but rather "precedents" that may well be "evolving" from our "current approximations".

My nasty brain wonders if the Principle of Sufficient Reason would be required to have a reason? Smolin apparently chooses to be nicer to himself than that.

He is not however so kind to non-believers in Global Warming, religious people, etc. He finds that:

"If our civilization is to thrive, it would be helpful to base our decision making on a coherent view of the world, in which to, to begin with, there is consilience between the natural and social sciences. The  reality of time can be the foundation of this new consilience, in which the future is open and novelty is possible on every scale from the fundamental laws of physics to the organization of economics and ecologies. " 

Oh, "consilience" ... all the knowledge of the universe fitting together and us understanding the implications for "ultimate meaning" ... whole book on it covered here. "Coherence" is a great idea, but while you are in the process of throwing out the standard model of physics for a new evolutionary "precedence model", it seems possible that there may be a "slight delay" in achieving such a "coherent / consilient" view!

I looked up Smolin on the web ... he is 60, so I'm thinking he is having a midlife crisis. In the epilog you get insightful quotes like "The problem of consciousness is an aspect of what the world really is. We don't know what a rock really is, or an atom, or an electron ..." ... so therefore, understanding MUST be "about relationships" ... oh, and "Consciousness, whatever it is, is an aspect of the intrinsic essence of brains". Hmmmm

He sums it up with "the only certainty is that we will know more in the future".

Well, assuming that we survive the scourge of Global Warming, there aren't any monster natural disasters, rogue gravity waves, epidemics, etc, we will LIKELY have "more data", but is that really "knowledge"? I'd argue that prior to Einstein and certainly prior to Quantum Mechanics, many people at least THOUGHT they "knew more".  Is consciousness being an intrinsic essence of brains somehow supposed to guide us to "a better world"? Oh, and what would "better" be? (hint ... science has no ideas)

I enjoyed his descriptions of the standard model of Physics. I think they were in some ways better because he was trying to be critical of  rather than just explaining. Ultimately though, it comes down to one of two basic beliefs as covered in the "Reason and Analysis" link:

1). "Something" (God) created what we see with order, timeless and laws DISCOVERABLE BY US -- and that "something" is the "root" ... the causeless cause.

2). OR, the "root" is chaos -- there "just was" a lot of "chaotic stuff", for "no reason". The "wind of time" kept blowing over that junkyard of "stuff" and EVENTUALLY, it just "happened" to arrive at  the 747 universe where I'm typing this.

What Smolin (and some others) add to #2 is that EVERYTHING is RANDOM -- including the laws of physics, the relation of matter / energy, the speed of light, "the wind of time", EVERYTHING!!!

On top of that entirely random EVERYTHING -- including "pre-universe", he adds the faith statement that (due to randomness we assume) that "everything MUST have a REASON" (oh, and randomly developed consciousnesses of unknown character is able to discern those reasons! Tidy!)

But, hey, people that believe in God, math, laws of physics, etc are "cheap mystical priests".

Some guys handle their midlife crisis by buying a convertible and chasing a younger women I'm told ... in a completely random universe, perhaps ????

Minnesota Vice -- Enemy Combatant, Criminal, or Aspiring War Criminal?

Alleged ISIL recruits from Twin Cities argue for 'combatant immunity' - StarTribune.com:

We have heard since the early 2000's that "Terrorism" as in "War On" were non-sense terms, and that these matters ought be handled has simple criminal proceedings.

Definitions are always a giant problem for the left, and strangely enough the Star Trib seems to have joined with BO in reviving the ancient term "Levant" as in "ISIL", ceding at least linguistically the entire Eastern Mediterranean to Islamic State ... covered here.

W was of course all wrong to indicate that we are at war with those that want to establish a Caliphate intended to expand to control the entire planet. Strangely though, the people that are fighting US are VERY clear what they are and what it is they want to accomplish!

Five Twin Cities men accused of plotting to go to fight alongside ISIL in Syria are asking a federal judge to drop murder conspiracy charges on grounds that they have “combatant immunity” under both common and international law. 

They say combatants are immune from criminal prosecutions for acts of war, including murder, against military targets.

Huh? THEY claim that they are "combatants" in a war, and as such have "combatant immunity"! No doubt BO will help us all out and tell us they are NOT "Islamic, combatants, etc" ... when it comes to gender, all are free to declare their own at whatever point they desire, however when it comes to someone declaring what religion they are or what type of violent activity they are engaged in, we must wait for the proper emanation from BO! I thought the prosecutor said it best ...

“They are, if they must be categorized within the international law of armed conflict, best categorized as aspiring war criminals,” the prosecution said.

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Clive the Cat, Found Fat and Happy

Clive the Cat, Missing for a Year, Found Fat and Happy — in Pet Food Warehouse - NBC News:

Some nice pics of Clive on the link ... Norwegian Forrest Cat. We are pretty sure that our Cabbage, noted philosopher cat, has some Norwegian Forrest in his blood lines.

The nice thing about cats is that I suspect Clive wasn't all that lonely either.

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Jimmy Carter Backs Trump

Famous left-winger Jimmy Carter backs Donald Trump in the Republican race for President - Mirror Online:

Well sort of ... he likes Trump better because he believe that Trump doesn't stand for anything, but Cruz does.

Gotta love the liberal mind -- people that stand for something just scare them to pieces!

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Obama, Defender of the Faith

Obama defends the faith | Power Line:

Good column.

If we judge by actions and words, we know that Islam is the faith that Obama feels it is important to defend both at home and abroad. One often wonders if he isn't the worlds foremost authority on what is and isn't "Islamic".

Today he went to a Mosque from which  at least one known terrorist was convicted, identified as a breeding ground for terror and watched. The Mosque was led for 15 years by a radical cleric that worked with a federally designated al Qaeda front group.

Apparently THAT particular Mosque IS "Islamic", yet it clearly supports terror. One can only assume where BO stands on the issue!



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Groundhog Day, Again

Groundhog Day -- A Movie for All Time

We started a new tradition tonight I hope. Watching "Ground Hog Day" on Ground Hog Day. This is always my favorite scene ... "Don't Drive Angry!".

NRO has a tradition of running the same Jonah Goldberg column every Ground Hog Day, and I think it is an excellent tradition.

I was raised Baptist, but one of the things now dear to me in the Lutheran Church is the Church Year and the various elements of the liturgy. The Bible says to not use "meaningless repetition" and somehow the Baptists applied that to the liturgy, but fortunately not to Christmas or Easter (they do those every year!).

Matt 6:7 "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words."

As an Elder, I will be taking Communion to a dear shut-in woman with Alzheimers in February, and one of the lovely things is that she still remembers the Communion prayers and creeds -- not perfectly, but significantly. She tends to always say "I like that the whole church says and does these things ... I don't know why, it just feels right ..." The definition of "meaningless" doesn't include Christ instructing us on how to pray -- but we never did the Lord's Prayer in church when I grew up.

My cynical summary of Baptist theology was "If the Catholics do it, we don't".

BTW, I am NOT "anti-baptist, or even anti-dentite" ... like all human religion, Baptists have flaws, Lutherans have flaws, and mooses are the sum of all flaws!

You may not think of  the movie "Ground Hog Day" as a religious or philosophical movie, but I agree with Goldberg, it definitely is. Read the review, and if you get a chance, watch it ... again.

Perhaps when we "get it", then this life is taken from us -- and loving that it goes is part of loving it.

“The curse is lifted when Bill Murray blesses the day he has just lived. And his reward is that the day is taken from him. Loving life includes loving the fact that it goes.”

I hope you bless this Ground Hog Day!

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Air France 747, Goodbye To An Icon!

Stunning! This Is How You Say Goodbye To An Icon | All Things Aero:

A video that I enjoyed watching on the link. I used to watch the contrails from the farm as a kid, and on the rare occasions that I got to see a big city airport I always dreamed of getting on a 747.

It wasn't until my first over the pond business trip to England in late '80s that I rode one of the iconic double deckers from Minneapolis to Gatwick outside of London. The "ship of the skies" ... a slow and stately takeoff roll, a pretty level deck angle on climb. DC-10's of the era flexed and shook, with typically one or more overhead bins popping open. The 747 was solid, quiet and calm.

Sometime in the early '90s I read "Wide-body: The Triumph of the 747" a superb book. Remember, they built this beast prior to much in the way of computing power being available, and it was a REAL technological and business stretch. The book is also full of a lot of stories of the history of Boeing, including how the swept wing planes have a tendency to "Dutch Roll" which if not dampened can become violent.

On a customer acceptance flight, the customer pilot miscorrected and the roll became so violent that 3 of the 4 engines were thrown from the plane. It crash landed killing a high level Boeing exec and I believe their chief pilot -- 4 survived, largely because he was able to get the plane to the ground in a semi-controlled manner. "Bugs" in planes are often more costly than bugs in computers!

I definitely recommend the book if you have an interest in this industry changing jet.

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Minsky, Creativity, AI Koan

Marvin Minsky and the Creative Economic Mind:

This one is worth reading all of!

Marvin Minsky observations are common in physics books I like to read -- "Time Reborn" that I'm finishing up now has many.

The AI Koan covered in the column is:

In the days when Sussman was a novice, Minsky once came to him as he sat hacking at the PDP-6. 

“What are you doing?” asked Minsky.

 “I am training a randomly wired neural net to play Tic-tac-toe,” Sussman replied.  

“Why is the net wired randomly?” asked Minsky. 

 “I do not want it to have any preconceptions of how to play,” Sussman said.  

Minsky then shut his eyes.  

“Why do you close your eyes?” Sussman asked his teacher.

 “So that the room will be empty.”  

At that moment, Sussman was enlightened.

Are you enlightened? It's a Koan ...

The column links together a lot of topics that I think are interesting, but the big points at the end are that government has a strong history of slowing down creativity and business in many and varied ways. He has a quote I think is worth remembering:

Government is what happens when the power to say no meets the power to move slow.

I'd argue that quote is only true relative to productivity and growth. Government can move VERY fast when increasing it's own power and destroying individual liberty!

He discusses the removal of the "Prudent Man Rule" in '79 which allowed a burst of venture capital to be unleashed, and the allowing radio spectrum to be used under Reagan, which gave us cellular phones and WiFi.

He sums it up at the end with a paragraph that is worth pondering for a bit ...

Our current national mood is very grim: anti-immigration, because we fear foreigners will steal our jobs; anti–Big Business, which wants to help foreigners steal our jobs; anti-finance, because we fear Wall Street will somehow figure out a way to make money stealing our jobs; anti-technology, because we fear that robots will steal our jobs. And we are, too often, anti-entrepreneur, too, resentfully suspecting that somehow the men and women who create the things that we do not want to live without are somehow getting over on us.

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