2023-11-26

etc

More than half of US households are now armed

How do we arm the rest? I'd like to see the Federal government open the National Guard Armories as civilian weapons training and supply centers. Complete a basic handling test, and get a free long gun or pistol and a monthly allotment of like 1,000rd to practice with. Offer advanced classes for bigger weapons up, to crew served artillery for families and poker buddy groups. Neighborhood AA emplacements.

This would give the "gun control" fans an easy way around the Second Amendment issues with legislating how the guns are used; because they could be loaned property of the government and you'd accept conditions along with the firearm. It might well dent the rich private market for weapons, too, which would presumably make them even happier. The 2nd Amendment fans should likewise be enthused with this proposal; a populations trained and supplied with arms is the whole point.
Estimates of World Seaborne Trade in Real Time

New Deal Why America Abandoned the Greatest Economy in History
Should all startups hire fractional AI Officers?
Effective obfuscation - by Molly White - Citation Needed

Some have fallen into the trap, particularly in the wake of the OpenAI saga, of framing the so-called “AI debate” as a face-off between the effective altruists and the effective accelerationists. Despite the incredibly powerful and wealthy people who are either self-professed members of either camp, or whose ideologies align quite closely, it’s important to remember that there are far more than two sides to this story. Rather than embrace either of these regressive philosophies — both of which are better suited to indulging the wealthy in retroactively justifying their choices than to influencing any important decisionmaking — it would be better to look to the present and the realistic future, and the expertise of those who have been working to improve technology for the better of all rather than just for themselves and the few just like them.

We’ve already tried out having a tech industry led by a bunch of techno-utopianists and those who think they can reduce everything to markets and equations. Let’s try something new, and not just give new names to the old.

Since October 7, I have experienced a significant shift in my political beliefs

just as Germany went from being Nazi to being a great defender of democracy, the right wing in the United States has transformed from having a history of denying rights to now being a leading force in the fight for individual freedom and the defense of the individual. The left instead, which once fought for democracy, now supports causes that attack individual freedom, Judaism and Israel.
RedSteeze, Others Point Out Why 'Pro-Hamas' Rioters In NYC Are Able To Get Away With It – Twitchy

The scientist who was branded alarmist for exposing the fate of coral reefs
Mortality risk from United States coal electricity generation
A climate of trauma – Prof Jem Bendell

As the world’s climate professionals turn their attention to COP28 in Dubai, highlighting the subtle but pervasive role of trauma in influencing our behaviours can bring wider attention to this important topic and open new arenas for meaningful action on the environmental predicament. That is why I am pleased to participate in the trauma-aware Climate Consciousness online summit that runs in parallel with the deathly programme in Dubai.