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Author Topic: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa  (Read 466400 times)

Ray

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10920 on: June 20, 2021, 12:13:58 pm »

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-18/four-huge-power-plant-upsets-pushed-texas-to-brink-of-blackouts

Four Huge Power-Plant Upsets Pushed Texas to Brink of Blackouts
All told, generators across the second-largest U.S. state were either down for repairs or running at reduced capacity when triple-digit heat was baking Texas, according to data compiled by Wood Mackenzie Ltd.’s Genscape unit. But the biggest impacts came from just a handful of facilities: a Vistra Corp.-owned 1.15-gigawatt nuclear reactor, and three other giant facilities owned by Talen Energy Corp. and NRG Energy Inc.


The brink; it ain't over yet.

A revealing quote from the article is, "It’s Been a Decade Since Houston Was This Hot, This Early On."

So Texas has had ten years to prepare for another similar heat wave, but has failed to do so. How stupid!  :(
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James Clark

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10921 on: June 20, 2021, 02:56:24 pm »

A revealing quote from the article is, "It’s Been a Decade Since Houston Was This Hot, This Early On."

So Texas has had ten years to prepare for another similar heat wave, but has failed to do so. How stupid!  :(

We had a decade to prepare for frozen power generators as well.  Didn't help then, either.  Our idiot Republican (but I repeat myself..) ex-governor (and former Trump Sec Energy) claims that we Texans prefer it this way.  I assume the Texans that died last winter don't agree, but hey, they're dead, and probably would have voted Democrat (insert joke here ;) ) so our current government is probably cool with that.
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Robert Roaldi

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10922 on: June 20, 2021, 03:39:20 pm »

Electrical generation capacity planning isn't exactly a new thing. There is well over a century of accumulated experience in this domain across the entire planet. There should really be no surprises left.
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LesPalenik

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10923 on: June 20, 2021, 04:29:59 pm »

Electrical generation capacity planning isn't exactly a new thing. There is well over a century of accumulated experience in this domain across the entire planet. There should really be no surprises left.

And the tools today are so much better - in the capacity planning and optimization, and also in the energy storage options. It seems that in some places all the technological advances are outweighed by the decrease of the mental capacities and commitments of the planners.
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Robert Roaldi

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10924 on: June 21, 2021, 09:41:24 am »

Speaking of Texas, I came across this entertaining podcast about myths surrounding the Alamo, https://www.npr.org/2021/06/16/1007186936/challenging-the-myths-of-the-alamo. It's about 45 min long.

The interviewee has written a book about the various myths surrounding the siege and battle at the Alamo. Historians have long uncovered truths about the episode that call into question the popularly held myths, the information is not new among historians, but it seems to be new(ish) among the general public. It's not at all surprising that Disney TV programs or Hollywood got their facts wrong, but an hilarious fact to emerge is that the Texas legislature has mandated which history is allowed to be taught in schools, i.e., the mythological one. Speculation about John Wayne's political push to make the Hollywood version is very interesting as well. The podcast tells a story about a recent armed militia demonstration protesting the teaching of the revised history, which I find especially hilarious given that historians have been uncovering facts about the incident for 30 or 40 years now.

Ham-handed attempts at propaganda can be quite funny, except they can do real harm.
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Robert

TechTalk

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10925 on: June 21, 2021, 07:37:47 pm »

This delegate at the recent Georgia State Republican Convention is more than a little confused about, well... everything it seems. Two short TikTok videos capture the moment. Click on images in links to open in fullscreen.

https://www.tiktok.com/@gagopmom/video/Georgia State Republican Delegate Tells Republican Muslim Attendee She's Not Welcome

https://www.tiktok.com/@gagopmom/video/Part 2 - Muslims Are Not Supposed To Be In This Party
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Peter McLennan

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10926 on: June 21, 2021, 10:10:12 pm »

And the tools today are so much better - in the capacity planning and optimization, and also in the energy storage options. It seems that in some places all the technological advances are outweighed by the decrease of the mental capacities and commitments of the planners.

Not mental capacities, GREED.
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Robert Roaldi

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10927 on: June 22, 2021, 10:54:52 am »

This delegate at the recent Georgia State Republican Convention is more than a little confused about, well... everything it seems. Two short TikTok videos capture the moment. Click on images in links to open in fullscreen.

https://www.tiktok.com/@gagopmom/video/Georgia State Republican Delegate Tells Republican Muslim Attendee She's Not Welcome

https://www.tiktok.com/@gagopmom/video/Part 2 - Muslims Are Not Supposed To Be In This Party



I find this very interesting because many of the muslims I've known and worked with would tend to fall on the conservative side of many issues, especially what could be called "traditional family values", for want of a better characterization.

But facts of the matter are beside the point. That lady was speaking in well recognized code. Go back in history, and not that long ago, and you could replace the term "muslim" with "Italian", "Catholic", "Irish", depending on the era. Nothing new here. Stupid never sleeps.
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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10928 on: June 24, 2021, 09:04:33 am »

Interesting ban in Florida, https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/10/us/critical-race-theory-florida-ban-trnd/index.html. Maybe they were encouraged by Texas's Alamo school legislation. I can see this catching on. Maybe some states will ban the teaching of anti-vax ideas or evolution or creationism or who knows what. Might spill out of the realm of education to other areas too, these kinds of things often overshoot. Seems like an odd thing to happen in a place where "free speech" is supposedly held in such high regard.
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digitaldog

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10929 on: June 24, 2021, 11:13:25 am »

Interesting ban in Florida
Another knee jerk reaction to a topic those banning don't have a clue about.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/01/us/critical-race-theory-explainer-trnd/index.html
Mr. Potato head didn't work so well, Dr. Suess either so this is the new target from those who also tell us, the insurrection on 1/6 was like a 'normal tourist visit'. Morons!
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Frans Waterlander

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10930 on: June 24, 2021, 12:11:05 pm »

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digitaldog

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10931 on: June 24, 2021, 12:17:02 pm »

It takes one to know one.
Without such OT and moronic comments Frans, we would have no one to laugh at. Thank you again for proving this and your contribution to these forums.  ;D
It takes one to know one.
Do you yet know how to take (let alone make) a photograph you can share with us?  ???
« Last Edit: June 24, 2021, 12:21:46 pm by digitaldog »
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digitaldog

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10932 on: June 24, 2021, 12:23:41 pm »

More good news:
Giuliani suspended from practicing law in New York over bogus election fraud claims
Like this guy, how much lower can he sink?  :-X
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JoeKitchen

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10933 on: June 24, 2021, 03:14:53 pm »

Interesting ban in Florida, https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/10/us/critical-race-theory-florida-ban-trnd/index.html. Maybe they were encouraged by Texas's Alamo school legislation. I can see this catching on. Maybe some states will ban the teaching of anti-vax ideas or evolution or creationism or who knows what. Might spill out of the realm of education to other areas too, these kinds of things often overshoot. Seems like an odd thing to happen in a place where "free speech" is supposedly held in such high regard.

Nice straw man! 

Oh, by the way, you cant teach whatever you want in schools, such as 2+2=5 or that we can judge people based on the color of their skin, what CRT is really doing. 

PS, you can keep on ignoring this if you want, but Gallop has shown that the majority of Republicans and independents are against CRT.  It is an election liability for the Dems. 
« Last Edit: June 24, 2021, 03:19:23 pm by JoeKitchen »
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digitaldog

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10934 on: June 24, 2021, 03:39:41 pm »

Oh, by the way, you cant teach whatever you want in schools, such as 2+2=5 or that we can judge people based on the color of their skin, what CRT is really doing.
Specifically which schools?
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digitaldog

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10935 on: June 24, 2021, 03:50:40 pm »

PS, you can keep on ignoring this if you want, but Gallop has shown that the majority of Republicans and independents are against CRT.
"If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."-Bertrand Russell

If fifty million people don't know what "CRT" is, they still don't know what they are for or against. Seems the majority of Republicans (if we are to believe the polling) are not too bright anyway; look at how many Republicans were willing to go to support former President Donald Trump's unprecedented efforts to subvert the 2020 election!

New polls show GOP willingness to subvert 2020 election
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/24/politics/polls-trump-2020-election-subversion/index.html
Their polls found that after the election, a supermajority of Republicans backed Trump's efforts to overturn the results: 86% said his legal challenges were appropriate, 79% said they weren't confident in the national vote tally, and 68% said Trump really won. Another 54% said Trump should never concede, and a plurality said state legislatures should override the popular vote.
Additionally, only 34% of Trump voters said they would accept Biden as the legitimate president, according to the post-election polls. That pales in comparison to similar surveys conducted by Gallup after previous controversial elections -- 68% of Al Gore voters in 2000 accepted George W. Bush's legitimacy, and 76% of Hillary Clinton voters in 2016 accepted Trump's as president.


"The central belief of every moron is that he is the victim of a mysterious conspiracy against his common rights and true deserts." -H. L. Mencken
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JoeKitchen

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10936 on: June 24, 2021, 04:23:53 pm »

Just to add to my post, no one, not a single person on the right, is suggesting that we do not teach accurate American history, including slavery and racism in the USA and all the other bad parts of our history.  This is what the left is suggesting the right is doing, which is why it is a straw man argument, whether you realize it or not.  Instead, the right is suggesting that we should not be teaching CRT, which teaches people we should judge others based on their race. 

For those whom do not know, which I suspect includes many here, Critical Race Theory is a method at looking at societal interactions with the chief factor underscoring all outcomes being racism, essentially Critical Theory (a marxist ideology) being extended to race instead of class.  It pushes the idea that the predominant factor in all outcomes is racism, and, as such, all western institutions (freedom of speech, private property rights, etc) should be looked at critically, and torn down if need be.  It also states that members of the predominant race (whites in the USA) are racist by default.  Non-whites are victims by default.  In addition to tearing done institutions, additional solutions are to embrace racism against those whom are part of the race that engaged in past racism. 

Ibram X Kendi, a big proponent of CRT, once stated that the cure for past racism is present racism, and the cure for present racism is future racism.  This just locks us into a cycle of perpetual racism. 

Lets look at two issues with this theory.  First, it demoralizes everyone, regardless of race, and institutes nihilism into the culture.  Whites are taught they are oppressors, regardless, causing internalized hatred, leading to depression.  Non-whites are taught they are oppressed, which internalizes the idea that anything they do really does not matter, leading to depression.  Nihilism soon follows. 

Second, this breads tribalism and more racism.  CRT teaches us to look at each other based on race as the number one factor.  This is tribalistic bull shit and will only push people to want to associate with people of their race, and it is being championed by the left.  Look at all of the recent segregated college graduations this past year.  Many on the left celebrated these, insisting it helped minorities feel more comfortable to only be with people of their own race, the same argument used in favor of Jim Crow a century ago.  The left is celebrating professionals, like NYC psychiatrists, who admit to getting rid of all their white friends and fantasizing about killing all white people.  That is tribalism. 

Finally, this brings us to the real danger, an increase in hate crimes.  We are already seeing it!  Anti-semitism and anti-semitic attacks are on the rise, from all types of people.  This started on the left (in NYC and LA) but is now giving credence to those bigots who practice it on the right as well.  We are seeing a drastic rise in Asian hate crimes coming mainly from blacks with the oh so common excuse being that Asians are the "model minority" that have internalized whiteness.  Eventually, a large minority of whites, whom make up 60% of the population, are going to start engaging in this behavior too.  There is a real danger here. 

This is all being brought to us by Critical Race Theory, which does nothing but divid us.  You can get lost in the legal ease or semantics of CRT if you so choose, but if you look at the fruits this tree is bearing, it is obvious it is poisonous. 
« Last Edit: June 24, 2021, 04:30:13 pm by JoeKitchen »
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digitaldog

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10937 on: June 24, 2021, 04:26:49 pm »

Nice straw man straight from the Kitchen!
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Robert Roaldi

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10938 on: June 24, 2021, 05:57:29 pm »

... Oh, by the way, you cant teach whatever you want in schools, such as 2+2=5 or that we can judge people based on the color of their skin, what CRT is really doing.  ...

I hope it doesn't require state laws to prevent teaching that 2+2=5.  ;)



.... PS, you can keep on ignoring this if you want, but Gallop has shown that the majority of Republicans and independents are against CRT.  It is an election liability for the Dems.

I don't follow. Why would you think that I care about American election liabilities?

As for CRT, surely discussing it as part of a Civics or Sociology course is a valid thing to do. Does it really require legislation to counteract the effects of discussing it? Was it being taught in schools as a de facto standard for societal analysis so that it needed to be stopped by legislation because it was doing harm? Was it even being discussed in any Florida schools to being with?

This is code. Everyone knows it's code.
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digitaldog

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Re: Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa
« Reply #10939 on: June 24, 2021, 06:11:34 pm »

As for CRT, surely discussing it as part of a Civics or Sociology course is a valid thing to do. Does it really require legislation to counteract the effects of discussing it?

It's the hypocrisy of the right which they tell us is called cancel culture. And yet, look what NationalReview has to say about the term:
 
"The recent public furor over cancel culture has not been about whether or not
we will cancel people or ideas, but about which people or ideas we will cancel.
All cultures involve the 'cancellation' of certain behaviors and viewpoints. Without these taboos, there
can be no social regulation of behavior and mores and hence no real culture at all. In the modern
West, for instance, we cancel people who insist on being naked in public spaces. We also cancel
racists and men who beat their wives, and our culture is all the better for it. Cancellation is the price
we pay for civilization
"
Cameron Hilditch in NationalReview.com

Like I said, Mr. Potato head and Dr. Suess didn't work for them so this is the racist, rage of the month for the right. 

Meanwhile:
Only 1.3 percent of
white Americans are
experiencing poverty
that goes back three or
more generations, a new
Brooking Institution
study found. Among Black
Americans, 21.3 percent
are the third generation of
their family to be poor.

Bloomberg.com

And this is a good read outside of the Kitchen:
https://theweek.com/politics/1001555/critical-race-theory-is-the-new-death-tax

"Critical Race Theory" (CRT) is everywhere. It's invoked on Fox News every day. Thousands fight about it on Twitter around the clock. It's inspiring badly misguided efforts at censorship by Republican state legislatures.

But the name is bogus. The cluster of ideas and attitudes "CRT" is supposed to describe have a tenuous connection to the actual academic field of critical race theory. That field itself has little connection to "critical theory," which originated with the mid-20th-century Marxist thinkers of the Frankfurt School for Social Research. And these controversial ideas and attitudes aren't just about race. They are transforming the way Americans (and not just Americans) think about and respond to many ethnic minorities, feminism and gender, and bullying and other forms of harassment in the workplace and classroom.

So why is "CRT" constantly invoked? Because, as muckraking conservative Christopher Rufo has helpfully explained, it's a very useful moniker for demonizing opponents and winning battles in the culture war. Think of it as the latest in a long line of politically effective marketing and branding tools employed by the right — like "death tax" and "marriage penalty." The pithy epithet is easy to remember and deploy in an argument, and it plants an ominous image in the minds of rank-and-file Republicans, thereby mobilizing them to use political power to smite their ideological enemies.   

That's exactly what's been happening around the country with CRT. 

This is unfortunate. The trend the term so imperfectly describes is real and pernicious. It cries out for an intelligent civic response. Instead we're getting distorted sound bites and ignorant (but politically potent) talking points deployed to advance the right's broader political ambitions — above all its quest to regain power in Washington.

What term would be better? I still prefer "woke politics" as a way of describing the distinctive moral and spiritual style of political engagement sweeping through American public life. Author Wesley Yang has proposed the term "Successor Ideology," which I appreciate, while also conceding that it makes little sense without a sentence or two (or more) of explanation.

But almost anything would be better than "Critical Race Theory," with its vaguely menacing overtones. Too bad it's too late to change the terms of debate. CRT has proven itself to be political gold for the right — and that, unfortunately, is more than enough for conservatives to keep using it.
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