Category: Thimk!

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“Consensus Science” Isn’t. Science, That Is

Whenever I see or hear someone refer to “SettledScience®” or “consensus science” I think of the late 19th century when the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) here in the United States expressed concerns about the potential for the end of knowledge. Sadly, this is not a rare phenomenon in science, just a slight twist on the “We know it all; don’t bother us with anything new or contradictory” bent of “SettledScience®.”

Settled science or consensus science ain’t science. Settled science is a classic example of the kind of UNnatural stupidity that causes enormous harm. The most nefarious (and, I fear, widespread) form of stupidity is WILLFUL ignorance, and, due to conceptual and even pre-conceptual bias and the tendency among many to simply confirm their biases with “research,” this nefarious form of stupidity has always ALSO infected science.

In the public square, this frequently translates into “Scientism,” is a cultic adulation of “science” by fanbois who worship at the feet of “SettledScience®,” “scientific consensus” or other anti-scientific belief systems. And yes, the cult is, sadly, VERY widespread in our society.
Most people, let alone “Scientism” cultists, do not have the first clue about the scientific process and if asked about the value of falsification of a hypothesis versus replication and verification of a hypothesis (or any other aspect of the scientific process) would have no response but “Science!”

And unnaturally stupid self-made morons both abound and are the backbone of the electorate. No wonder the Framers sought to curb democratic impulses. Sadly. . . *sigh*

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“You’re lost in the woods. What gun do you take with you for all purposes?”

Silly question. Presupposes I could get lost in the woods. Maps. Compass. Planning. Oh, plane crash? Outlier. Supposes I were to a.) get on a plane despite my aversion to Thugs Standing Around, b.) disregards the hassle would I have to put up with to even be ABLE to transport a firearm past Thugs Standing Around and c.) I’d still have a compass in stupidly TSA-limited EDC bag *heh*) and general knowledge of the area downed in.

Still, noodling around in the woods, if only one firearm carried, it’d probably be a Ruger 10/22 Takedown (model 11100, because 18.5” barrel as opposed to the 16.x” barrel. There’s room in the pack). If allowed 2, then selecting a handgun would be variable. Depends on area. Alaska? Yeh, not going there, and not only because I don’t want a .44 magnum as a backup. *ouch* Don’t own one anyway. VERY different to piney woods in America’s Third World County™ where a handgun that can handle “snakeshot” might be the choice (depending, in part, on area and season).

Still, “lost in the woods”? Who does that? Oh, yeh. Dunning-Krugerands. The same folks as would ask such a silly question. Got it.

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Just a Wee FYI

Just an FYI: you probably (almost certainly) do not know everything you think you know. (I know I do not, which, perhaps, makes learning new things daily much easier for me in a way.)

No one’s knowledge is exhaustive, even in areas of professional specialization. KNOWING that there is always more “out there, somewhere” to learn about every topic one is aware of (there are many topics that you and I aren’t even aware are areas of knowledge–think on that one, eh? 😉 ) can, if one lets it, encourage one to just keep on learning.

A day w/o learning something new–even, or perhaps especially, when it is something new about something “old,” old knowledge to us–IMO, is a day wasted.

Just sayin’.

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Warning Signs

1.) The book blurb for a self-pub contains orthographic and grammar errors as egregious as this, first sentence of a blurb did,

“A global flu pandemic has wiped out ninety nine [sic] percent of the worlds [sic] population.”

The first page of the book includes, among other offenses, “He staggered back, unable to breath.”

You might well, with signs like this, think, “Hmmm, Cupcake, if you haven’t bothered to learn basic English, why should you expect to have English speakers/readers buy your book?”

Oh, and if “Cupcake” thinks so highly of his own subliterate capabilities (and is so dismissive of his readers) as to eschew paying a competent line editor to mend his execrable grasp of grammar and vocabulary, well, that’s another strike against him and his “literary” non-efforts.

(And yeh, the butchery of English continued in that case, until I finally exited the snippet and sought some mind-cleansing in better-written text.)

Note: there is a lot of non-fiction written nowadays that is just as bad as in the fiction referred to above. Damn democratic influences in the arts! *heh*

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Propaganda Clues

This “apology” for Texas is clear, blatant propaganda, and could be a textbook case for student analysis. I’ll just point to a couple of the really obvious points of interest and let the student winkle the others out for themselves, mmmK? 😉

Here’s a sample:

After citing one Texas political loon and another would-be politician with some strange views (though she shows more historical literacy than the writer does), the writer says, “You might gather from this that Texas K-12 schools leave a lot to be desired.” Now, while the wannabe pol was, at the time of the writing, running for (not sitting on) the Texas State Board of Education, which is also responsible for the Texas university system the writer praises, the other pol has nothing at all to do with Texas education. Both of these “proofs” are irrelevant.

And in this, and further rags on the Texas K-12 schools, the writer includes nothing to support his statement about the poor state of K-12 education in Texas.

But of course, despite having the nation’s largest ratio of non-English-speaking (mostly illegal) immigrants, Texas public schools actually rank in the top third nationally, much better than the writer’s home state of Oklahoma, or bastions of his Blue State views such as Illinois and Wisconsin.

[Note: for those who have been paying attention in the past, I do also believe–note, statement of opinion only :-)–that Texas pubschools are in a horrific state, BUT that state is certainly better that more than 2/3 of the rest if the country’s states.]

So, argument by assertion. Irrelevant “facts” and no recognition of contradicting facts. Pure hand waving.

Next up: Sneers at the UT Austin bell tower being lit orange with every athletic triumph. . . morphing into sneers at Texas law allowing students to carry firearms on campus, in class.

Historically illiterate or simply deliberate propaganda? The guy knows all about the importance of the UT Bell Tower, and rants on about athletics vs. academics using it as an emblem of misplaced priorities, then sneers at Texas Law allowing self-defense on campus. The connection is strangely drawn. Some students actually fought back against Charles Whitman in the 1966 Bell Tower shooting spree. *meh* That was 1966. Of course it was too far back to mean anything to the dork writing the article. Probably. Still, the strained evolution from the sneering at the “oranging” of the Bell Tower for inconsequentials, to his lefthanded presentation of guns in the classroom, plain and simple propaganda. Argument by statement with no substance.

With those two samples to go on, I leave it as an exercise for the student to strip out other elements. Have fun!

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Pejoration of Language is Inevitable

But why does it always seem to stem from illiterates and liars?

Illiterates, for example, tear down useful words and phrases through simple ignorance and sometimes stupidity. An example from something I read recently will illustrate this point: “[I]t’s the exception that makes the rule.” This corruption was obviously drawn from the old adage, “The exception proves the rule,” which actually means, “The exception TESTS the rule.” The writer of “the exception. . . makes the rule” never bothered to learn what the original adage actually said and so his corruption makes at least some sort of (non)sense, based on his poor literacy.

Worse are those who wittingly corrupt words, terms and phrases to mean something opposite of their once common senses. Take for example a self-proclaimed “liberal democrat” whose words and deeds prove him to be a tyrannical statist bent on corrupting democracy.

That’s why I so often call out and condemn both illiterate and disingenuous abuse of English. “Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” as it were.

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Let’s Think That Through, Shall We?

Went to Lowe’s to buy another $40 gallon of paint and maybe a new paint sprayer (long story on the old one ;-)). Bought neither one. Did buy a new paint brush, though.

Got home. Rechecked the paint. Glad I held off, because I almost bought another can of trim instead of the color I needed for the walls. Back tomorrow (well, today now that it’s the wee hours) for the right color (and taking the paint can, not just the label from what I thought was the right paint can pasted in my notebook. Yep. I referenced the wrong paint label to the sales clerk. Oops. *heh*).

Still not getting the paint sprayer, because the can label says “Nope. Don’t do it. You’ll be sorrrrrrry!” Or words to that effect. *heh*

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Check Different Angles Out, First

I occasionally see/hear frustrated people writing/muttering (or louder) about revolution as the solution the “feddle gummint” seems to be pushing its citizens subjects towards.

Better think long and hard on that, is my first council. We’re a loooooong way from needing a “solution” that, urm, revolutionary. Besides, as a “Dwarven Rifleman” (interesting fictional character) observed,

“It may seem a fine thing in song or story to be ankle-deep in the blood of your enemies but in reality it’s slippery, smells bad and is nearly impossible to get out of your socks afterwards.”

Yeh. Think long and hard before electing to pursue a course that would likely ruin every pair of socks you own. . . Just reconsider, mmK?

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Root and Branch: Extirpate the IRS

Conservative group’s lawsuit targets IRS employees personally

Look, folks, let’s just say it openly and without reservation: The IRS is simply evil. Period. I’ll accept no qualifications about “good people” working in the IRS. No, if they were truly good people, they’d find a job not working for an evil organization. Period. End of story. No excuses.

The fish rots from the head and from its inception, the IRS has rotted and is nothing but a poisonous evil whose sole function is to do evil and enable further evil to be done. Any lame justifications that it collects revenue for legitimate purposes fall, because most “feddle gummint” functions nowadays are constitutionally illegitimate (hence, based on lies, evil). Nope. The IRS has to go. Now, how to get there. . .

Pressure–and never, never, never stop pressuring–congresscritters to abolish the IRS and the oppressive, tyrannical, capricious income tax system it administers. Get involved in local politics in order to gain influence on political parties’ selection of candidates, at ever higher levels of government. Join with other “outsiders” to invade and take over the political apparatus of whatever party or parties you may have a chance to “subvert” to bring them back in line with constitutional principles.

And never, never, NEVER stop pushing back–twice as hard, and harder. If you are attacked, as the person and her organization in the linked article above have been, push back as that organization has. Make it as personal as the bureaucraps themselves make it. Hold them PERSONALLY responsible.

Keep it in bounds–not their bounds, the law’s bounds–but make sure they know it IS personal, because that’s the central meaning of The Founders’ Constitution”–personal, individual liberty and responsibility is THE central reason the Constitution was written to SET BOUNDARIES BEYOND WHICH GOVERNMENT MUST NOT GO!

The “feddle gummint” needs to be told to sit down, shut up and LISTEN to the PEOPLE. . . and then sit down and shut up–PERIOD!–wherever the Constitution says they have no business going.