c-otr.bsky.social
Research scientist, engineer, professor Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
“If someone arrives at a position via irrational means, you cannot get them to abandon that position via rational means. This is why con-artists are so powerful.”
53 posts
328 followers
253 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter
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A 1-star review for Google Maps and the “Gulf of Toddler Tantrums” it is. What a farce.
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Almost inevitable. His metrics and eye test were poor for a large chunk of his Kraken tenure, especially this season. He seems like a great guy; I hope he succeeds wherever he goes! But the Kraken won’t pay $10.9M for goaltending to have 35 & 31 in net next year. Net belongs to 35 now.
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It’s a really HUGE top!! The spin is actually reasonably fast for an object this size. The precession angle is only 23 degrees or so.
Planets spin due to how they were formed. The process is really cool! And, no friction to slow down the spin.
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If earth rotated faster, we would have less wobble. The days would be shorter and the seasons less diverse. If earth rotated more slowly, the tilt angle would get larger, and seasons would vary even more noticeably. Don’t know if this explanation helps - it seemed to help my students. 😁
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If you think of it more like a spinning top, rather than as a ball, it starts to make more sense. If you pull the cord hard, the spinning top stays almost vertically upright. But as the rotational speed slows, it starts to precess, or wobble, a bit. That slight wobble is what gives us our seasons.
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Corruption knows no party boundaries. But the GOP incentivizes corruption at levels that are incredible! Billionaires have little incentive to hedge their bets anymore. What can Dems give them now that is better than what they have? Not much.
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The ultra wealthy certainly try to “reduce” the damage Dems can do - hence Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, et al. But it’s hedging. The GOP nakedly pursues oligarchy. No point in hedging anymore. The GOP controls enough now. No need to control Dems behind the scenes. Just support oligarchy.
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Of course - but that coincides with the GOP, not the Dems. These jokers don’t want Medicare for All, they don’t want unions, they don’t want higher taxes for more social services. What makes you think they support Dem social policies enough to exchange the financial benefits of GOP?
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A fairer system and Brian Thompson is still alive, just wealthy instead of fucking obscenely wealthy. He could’ve chosen a different path with lower profit margins. He didn’t choose that. He willfully chose obscene wealth. He got a different outcome. He is the victim of his own insatiable greed.
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She’s not right. Brian Thompson murdered thousands of people. No one cared. Not you, & not Joyce Carol Oates. He was held accountable for his murders in the only way left available to his victims. Avoid future CEO murders? Don’t incentivize massive profits over human suffering.
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Corporations will “hedge their bets” by supporting Dem candidates in clearly blue areas. But the execs that run those corporations are as “red” as red gets. They’re wealthy white guys that don’t give a shit about anyone else. It’s not some grand conspiracy. It’s pretty naked greed.
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I think you’re giving the wealthy more intellectual credit than they deserve. I’ve met several of these jackinapes. They aren’t that clever or that smart, collectively. Most are like Trump - nepo babies that didn’t earn a thing. Many of them are fascist leaning because it means “more for them”.
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Definitely. The obscenely wealthy control the GOP. They rely on the belligerently ignorant to give them carte blanch in the name of “freedumb”.
The Dems are too scattershot to be “controlled” which is likely why they have popular policies but lose elections.
Citizens United was deadly…
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Well, Brian Thompson was a murderer that didn’t need any guns to kill thousands of people. Just greed and power.
Gun law reform is needed. We won’t get it soon, but it’s needed.
Perversely, corp execs might tread a bit more lightly as a result. Their own power structure keeps the guns flowing.
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Yes. That’s exactly what will happen. This killing did not “solve” the fundamental problem. But it did get the attention of the parasites in a way that caused a slight change in behavior. They reacted. But genuine change needs to happen at the ballot box. We horrifically fucked that up a month ago.
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In the age of Trump, let me ask you. What’s your solution? Anything better than the platitude you posed? Trust the system? The current system is what PUT us here. Work to make the system better? Of course. Not easy, and going to get even harder now. A gun shouldn’t be the solution. But here we are.
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Aetna changed their fucked up anesthesia policy NOT because it was wrong, but they were terrified they might be next.
If you had Aetna insurance & had surgery, you’d be on the hook for tens of thousands of $ for any complication. Go look at a bill if you don’t believe. Now? Looks a bit different.
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Society should not allow the obscenely wealthy such a dominant position - taxes, regulations, rules, etc. UHC cheated desperate people out of services already paid for. The system, instead of stopping it, rewarded them with ungodly wealth. Violence was inevitable because the system is broken.
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When the options for justice are all taken out of your hands, you will assuredly encounter desperately furious people that you fucked over that will choose violence. These wealthy parasites fear nothing from the system. The system protects them, it doesn’t hold them accountable. There is the problem
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I’ve faced off with insurance assholes many times over coverage we rightfully deserved - wife has chronic illnesses and is a cancer survivor. The ACA prevented my personal bankruptcy, & I personally thanked Pres Obama when I met him. These insurance assholes only under leverage. Nothing else.
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Vengeance indeed does NOT equal justice. But justice is not a concept faced by wealthy people in the US. We just voted for LESS justice, in fact.
What happened the next day with Aetna & anesthesia limits? You think they reversed course because they changed their minds on policy? Nope. It was fear.
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Indeed, although what would “Justice” have looked like for Brian Thompson?? A lawsuit? Govt regs? Increased taxes on his wealth?
You’re joking, right? None of those things were ever going to happen. The entire system of power in the US is explicitly designed to protect the wealthy.
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Doesn’t mean much, but I’m sorry. There’s no excuse for this crap and it’s on men to stop tolerating it. We seem to be living in the stupidest effing timeline…
I always learn something from your posts and I love the passion you have for the work! Keep it up! 😎
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Wordle 1,267 4/6
⬛⬛⬛🟩⬛
⬛🟨⬛🟨⬛
⬛⬛⬛⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
3 to 4 is pretty typical for me. I have my 3 go-to words and then the next 3 guesses are left to get the actual word. On the plus side, I haven’t “failed” yet, as I tempt fate by saying that. 😂
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Nëhpëts - a chest of drawers that utilizes hardware that is neither metric nor standard and is only available at IKEA.
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This is an absolute BOMB from Montour!! Whoa! Dostal heard that puck more than he saw it!
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I’m Steve and I’m not nearly as smart as I think I am, mister! 😂
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I’ve taught short courses at universities in India. It’s common to see ads for skin-bleaching products. There’s a subculture that craves “lighter” skin. I simply didn’t ask, and I went about my day.
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I had to look, via VPN, at the website for this garbage. $10k+ for a “signed” guitar, which is of willfully dubious origin; likely East Asia & imported by “Veteran-owned” company. No refunds or returns. Let’s see what they go for on Reverb in 6 months. Egads, we live in the stupidest timeline…🤦♂️
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You can’t cure crazy and you can’t fix stupid. I appreciate your insights and your advice. I’m glad to see you here! 😎
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I’d like all of it. Love the photos, love the insights and snark. Whatever you’re willing to post.
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Mine is very faint, but present. You can lead a fool to logic, but you cannot make him think.
I’ve traveled to over 25 different countries, requiring so many immunizations; I can’t even keep count. Seeing other countries that don’t have immunizations is a stark reminder of how lucky I am. SMH…
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Nice! I work in Mt Vernon, live in Bellingham. Hopefully the weather hasn’t soured you on our neck of the woods! And the coffee tends to be good here!