Considering starting a local computer club. Had a really good experience running a one-off installfest and thinking there should be IRL options for like-minded geeks to meet up on the regular.

Here’s an idea: a catalogue of companies who pulled this shit during the bubble, so we know who not to buy from when it bursts.

Why do people keep trying to “fix” a democracy

Because we’ve seen the alternatives, time and time again. Historically the medicine has been worse than the disease.

Only if it were implemented in one place, as a centralised ballot. Why not have States individually run their own?

… in fact, I wonder if it’d be legal under US law (I’m not an American myself) for a State to unilaterally start using sortition to provide their representatives? 🤔

How did we get to a place where “Hitler was bad” is no longer the default in mainstream US politics?

I’d argue it started with:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_clean_Wehrmacht

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731#Surrender_and_immunity

Note that the article is appealing to the Republicans to stop Trump. Tells you all you need to know about the efficacy of the Democrats in opposition.

Compare with Jefferson’s letter to Adams on the matter of the Barbary states …

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-10-02-0058

Our instructions relative to the Barbary states having required us to proceed by way of negotiation to obtain their peace, it became our duty to do this to the best of our power. Whatever might be our private opinions, they were to be suppressed, and the line marked out to us, was to be followed. It has been so honestly, and zealously.

…

These are the reasons which have influenced my judgment on this question. I give them to you to shew you that I am imposed on by a semblance of reason at least, and not with an expectation of their changing your opinion. You have viewed the subject, I am sure in all it’s bearings. You have weighed both questions with all their circumstances. You make the result different from what I do. The same facts impress us differently. This is enough to make me suspect an error in my process of reasoning tho’ I am not able to detect it.

Trump writes - and thinks! - like a young and petulant schoolchild in comparison with Jefferson.

Probably, poor and uneducated

I’ve known a lot of poor and uneducated people in my time, and last I checked, none of them did that to a kid.

It’s a reasonable criticism. Just remember that the enemy of your enemy isn’t your friend, they’re your ally.

Time to see whether our elected representatives here have any spine …

In the same speech, he warned: “You gotta win the midterms. Because if we don’t win the midterms, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached.”

Is he campaigning for the Democrats now?

Must admit I’m sitting here in Australia, thinking about our uranium reserves, and thinking “uh oh”.

They at least used to be …

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_Party

I am souring on mainstream, respected news outlets

What do you suppose their job is?

Historically, angry Marxist-Leninists with guns have been very useful allies in dealing with NAZIs! But history suggests that things didn’t work out too well afterwards, for those ruled by the angry Marxist-Leninists with guns …

Oh sure, there are competent individuals in most any regime. Wernher von Braun, Hanna Reitsch and Otto Skorzeny spring to mind.

What I meant was though that fascist regimes as a whole do not govern competently, for a variety of reasons, including promotion for loyalty. I’d argue though that the main reason is philosophical: their disdain for intellectualism and reason.

The original fascists weren’t competent either. That’s a myth.

No, though they did see if they could bend the process for me. Turns out not.

Keeping doors open is important. I once had a great contracting gig as an exec EM with an org that had more or less fired me (declined to renew my contract while keeping the rest of the team) some years ago. Second time around they wanted my approach, first time I stepped on toes.

Unless the reason is something truly egregious, don’t burn bridges on your way out, even if you’ve had a bad time. Organisations change as their management changes, and you never know where you’ll be in a decade’s time.

I experienced a similar thing a few years ago, applying for a management position with a nonprofit. (A nonprofit!)

My reply …

Hi $PERSON,

Your application was strong and we’re really pleased to advise you that you’ve progressed to the next stage.

Great! Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

We’d like you to answer a few quick questions using our online video platform, SparkHire. This will help us get to know more about you and what skills and experience you can bring to the role, the team and $NONPROFIT.

…

A set of questions will appear on the screen (some filmed, others just text) and you’ll have the opportunity to create video recordings of your answers, within a specified time limit. You can review and re-record your answers as many times as you need.

I’d love to catch up either face to face, in a video chat, or even a phone call to discuss how I could use my skills and experience to help out the $NONPROFIT team. To be honest though I’m not at all keen on recording a one-way video interview.

I do have several concerns with SparkHire (no data retention policy that I could find; and enhanced privacy protection for EU customers only; email instructions years old that referenced Flash).

But my main concern is that the idea of one-sided video interview feels … well, one-sided and dehumanising. To be honest it’s quite the opposite of what I’d have expected from the employee experience of an organisation like $NONPROFIT.

Even if I were placed in the role, I’d be reluctant to refer friends if they were also required to participate in a one-sided video interview.

Please drop me an email at $EMAIL or give me a call on $PHONE if you’d like to chat further, either virtually or in person.

What if the intent is to filter out people who won’t put up with this sort of shit? It might be working very well indeed from the perspective of the hiring managers.