Reach for the Stars @antares@qoto.org

@jimjollings

I really enjoyed the first two books of the Wayfarers series, but I just couldn't get into Spaceborn Few. I put it down after 24 chapters. It just wasn't holding my attention at that point.

(This is an invitation to convince me to pick it up again, BTW.)

@jacobtlevy I would prefer 16 year terms staggered at 2 year intervals. Each President gets to appoint 2 of the 8 associate justices per presidential term. The Chief Justice should serve a 4 year term and be appointed in the first year of each presidency.

Further, I thinkg each Justice should be allowed to designate a successor from among the confirmed members of the Federal circuit courts who would 1) succed the justice if they are unable to complete their 16 year term, and 2) decide cases in which a justice recuses themselves.

I am continually frustrated by the number of people on social media who want to change democratic systems in a way that would be an obvious vector for abuse.

Most recent one was to require federally elected officials to pass a security clearance background inspection. They erroneously think that it would only filter out GOP demagogues like DJT and MTG. But lets be honest, would the DoD under Trump have done a fair background check or would any rumor or innuendo have been enough to disqualify all the serious democratic candidates.

Same thing with not allowing indited or convicted felons to run for office. You may thing this is aimed at Trump, but what happens when Pres. DeSantis (it could happen) convicts hundreds of Democratic candidates of illegally facilitating abortions and in that way has them disqualified from standing for office.

In Trump era of politics where honor and integrity no longer matter it is vitally important that our actions not be ones that can be turned against us by populists with no morals.

@markwyner I think DeSantis is full of shit, but he is using the same rhetoric you are to band speech in his state. It scares me that so many people think that giving the state the power to ban "hate speech" will not lead immediately to "hate speech" becoming defined as whatever the people currently in power don't want other to hear. I want the First Amendment around to protect all of us from a potential future Pres. DeSantis.

@augieray @japierce Clean well-fitting respirators worn in clinical setting by people with training in their proper fitting and use and under regular supervision work to prevent infection. Wearing a surgical mask or loose fitting respirator that are removed and replaced regularly to eat, drink, and communicate has been shown to be entirely without merit. If the mask is not leaving marks on your face when you remove it, it is not working. If you took your mask off and put it back on it is not working. If you have facial hair your mask is not working. if you have makeup on your mask is not working. This is exactly what the Cochrane study found even among trained groups of study participants less than half managed to actually use a mask in a way that would be effective.

@markwyner So when Gov. DeSantis of Florida prohibits the teaching of CRT because it leads to "discrimination, hostility, and violence" is he right? Any time you offer the government the power to identify prohibited speech there will be some one in government ready to prohibit your speech.

@japierce @augieray The overwhelming evidence is that masking does not prevent or slow the transmission of Covid-19 in the general population. It would be far more effective to just return to virtual worship.

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6/full

@w7voa My best translation

QST QST QST KDWN (3x) BK: "Please share the following message from KDWN with all a stations."

QUA KDWN, QRT 1 March 2023 BK: "This is news about the station KDWN: This station will end transmission 1 March 2023"

SIGN ON 7 APRIL 1975 QTH LV NV USA PWR 50KW QRT 1 March 2023 : "Signed on 7 April 1975 located in Las Vegas Nevada United States of America with a transmission power of 50 kW last transmission 1 March 2023."

RIP AJ Williams RIP Art Bell w6bb/sk BK: " Rest in Peace AJ Williams; Rest in Peach Art Bell whose HAM radio call sign was W6OBB/SK"

TNX FER LISTENING 73: "Thanks fer listening; Best regards"

KDWN QRT (3x): "KDWN final transmission"

@thetheoryofmeh in other words policy is settled by public debate.

@thetheoryofmeh scientists engaged in the debate on those laws and used their credentials to bolster their arguments, which is fine by the way, but when scientists cross over from facts to policies they then have to argue with non-scientis.

@curiouscatastrophe @thetheoryofmeh politicans always make policy based on what will keep them in office. Science is the work of experiment and evidence politics is the are of comprimise.

@thetheoryofmeh Science "human caused CO2 emissions are leading to global climate change."

Policy "We need to shutter all coal power plants and switch from personal vehicles to public transit."

Science "there is a new highly transmissible virus."

Policy "close public schools and mandate masks and vaccines."

Science "(c. 1985) there is a new STD that attacks the immune system spreading rapidly among Gay men"

Policy "Gay men should not donate blood or adopt children."

@funranium just remember that the California legislature voted down 3 different property tax relief bills the year Prop13 passed. The HJTPA is a direct response to the legislature failing to address a mountain of tax evictions that came with the hyperinflation of the 1970s.