Monthly Archives: January 2020

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Seriously, the Democrats Should Nominate Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, or Anyone With Charisma

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One of the big problems with the Democratic Party is that they want to win arguments and not elections. But in the American electoral system, you must first win elections.

I look at the Presidental candidates the Democrats have run and who have lost, and they have something in common – they are policy wonks. They’re the people you bring out when you want to win an argument. They line up facts and figures, they respond to their opponent’s substance and appeal to reason. In my lifetime, they’ve included charisma-free candidates such as Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton.

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Bicycling, Personal

Fuck Electric Cars

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Let me explain. I ride my bicycle between 4000 and 5000 miles each year. That’s not even counting my ebike, which I use for as many errands as I can, which accounts for another five hundred to six hundred miles a year.

I was reading this content-free article from “cleantechnica”.com where they assert without a shred of, y’know, proof that electric cars are better than gasoline-powered cars. Is it true that e-cars are better than gas cars in terms of energy efficiency? Honestly, I don’t know, but I also don’t care. Like the oil industry, the e-car industry is doing it’s dead-level best to obscure the pass-through pollution – the total pollution the vehicle generates from the manufacture, use, and disposal – it creates.

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Personal

To MxR Plays About Jukin Media, or Get Yourselves a Lawdog, Dudes

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Dear MxR Plays,

I’m going to say something to you that I doubt you’ve heard very much. In your dispute with Jukin Media, you’re screwed.

The essence of why you’re screwed is clear. You have no idea what fair use is. Let me break it down. Fair use is when you excerpt a portion of someone’s work in a transformational manner. It’s an inherently dodgy concept, I grant, but it breaks down into four things: that your use is a parody, educational, critical, or for research. While there are considerable blurry areas, there are also lots of clear ones, too. To my eyes, you’re not near the line, guys.

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Personal, Writing

Angry, Rant-y Blog Posts Activate!

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I’m going to try to get back into blogging because… why not? I know I suck at it – not in the sense of what I write is poorly written but in the sense that a blog full of a dude’s angry ranting isn’t something people want to read. Yet, a writer must write, and writing is best served writing what you know.

I know angry rants. So, write on!