And second shot!
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When Wilhelm Marr invents pseudoscientific jargon for his anti-Jewish hatred, why should anyone else use the same jargon, rather than try to use clearer language…?
It seems to me we shouldn’t use his jargon.
1st, because he invented it as a euphemism, and it isn’t as clear as the alternatives. We may know what terms like deportation east, liquidation, auto-da-fe, etc. refer to, but they make it easier to refuse to know.
2nd, there’s the argument that proper capitalization implies that there is such as thing as “Semitism,” so we should use the same term but with improper capitalization, which is somehow supposed to help, but how…?
3rd, there’s the fact that Semitic is a language group. So if we use Marr’s term only to refer to anti-Jewish hatred, we obscure language relationships, but if we use it to refer to other applicable hatreds, well, we need a clear alternative to refer to anti-Jewish hatred.
4th, there’re bad definitions which insist the broader definition has something to do with race, and anyone who refers to the language group believes in race.
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Terrible migraine.
I need to stop making exceptions, and just refuse to eat anything with too much fructose.
I also need to find a reliable way to block smooth scrolling. If I page dowbn to try to avoid the usual scrolling-related migraines, more and more sites jack that to fire smooth scrolling and give an even worse migraine.
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I can disable smooth scrolling by reducing the browser refresh rate.
In Firefox, layout.frame_refresh -1 is system default, 0 is as fast as possible, natural numbers are refreshes per second. Now when glitches cause parts of the screen to strobe, 1/second is still too fast, and I’ve filed a bug report asking for values between 0 and 1, and another asking for options to switch the setting without having to go through about:config each time. And when typing 1/second feels awkwardly slow. And when watching videos instead of just listening, the system default works better.
I’ve also written another draft of my historical notes. Would anyone be willing to offer feedback? And if so, how should I share these?
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It’s not a new discovery, it’s not true, and it’s not right
Some people periodically announce that “stupid” people are having more children than “smart” people, so human intelligence must gradually decline. Apparently a certain movie-- involving Brawndo-- repopularized this a while back.
sigh
Eugenicists have been saying that, one way or another, since the 19th century.
In practice eugenicists often used social status as a proxy for intelligence, leading to mass sterilizations of minority communities. And also worthless data.
That idea inspired forced sterilization campaigns here in the united states, it inspired anti-immigrant laws which tried to exclude groups they considered inferior, it inspired Aktion-T4, and it continues to shape transplant eligibility rules, safety standards, social security policies which cut off certain payments if people marry, and and policies which sterilize prisoners and detainees, or force iuds on people under guardianship.
So it’s ethically wrong.
And it’s factually wrong too.
Birth rates vary with social circumstances, tend to decline with increasing wealth, and tend to decline for all classes with increasing wealth in the demographic transition. Brain development varies with childhood nutrition, alcohol exposure, lead exposure, etc. as much as genetics.
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We’re not getting anywhere near the worst of the heat wave, but I’ve been drenched in sweat for weeks. Unable to function in the day. Trying to catch up at night.
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I’ve stopped wearing pony tails because of my latex and spandex allergies. But with the inescapable heat, maybe I should braid my hair to get it out of the way. I’m not sure what’s a good guide to that, to different techniques, etc.
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“The Founders Decided” is a cult of personality
If I disagree with some of their decisions, it doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t understand their infallibly wise wisdom. It can mean I have the benefit of hindsight.
Their great wisdom led to the spread of slavery. That, and the senate, led to the Missouri Compromise, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and as a result, the Civil War.
Such wisdom.
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Garbage truck sounds a hell of a lot stabbier today. I hope they haven’t switched out their backup beaters for new backup stabbers.
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I still haven’t heard back from my doctor about an in-network dermatologist. Or from the billing department for the out-of-network one to get a price estimate. I am now trying to contact my Medicaid provider for help.
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Some interesting thoughts on auditory perception, though it’s mostly about not being an asshole:
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If I said that Tervey was an alternate name for a certain region, could you guess which one?
An actual region? Because were it to be imaginary, I’d say Topsey.
Turkey, though, for real?
No, not Turkey or anywhere in Turkey. Sorry.
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I just had a horrific nightmare. Imagine a parasitic plant, it pierces your skin, it hurts, it joins with your nervous system, it hurts, it grants you immortality and indestructability and strange powers, but it will curse and ultimately destroy anyone or anything you care about.
Couldn’t sleep, for some reason.
So I have a list of in-network dermatologists, need to double-check which ones are in-network at practices they’re practicing at, other than cancer wards, and which ones are accepting new patients.
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I have an awful headache, sore throat, cough, and feel like I’m burning up. The thermometer reads 98.6, which is high for me but not feverish.
So last year, I tried to contact my state congresscritter about someone, apparently the state lottery, putting strobing ads on vending machines. I don’t buy lottery tickets, but I do buy groceries, and this isn’t safe. And unlike private ads, it’s the government’s doing, and unlike dangerous safety signals, there’s no legal mandate, so it’s something that the government could easily stop doing.
I visited the state assembly’s website, got sick, couldn’t find the contact info there. I contacted the webmaster, got no reply.
I eventually contacted a disability advocacy group. They contacted the webmaster, got no reply.
The Americans with Disabilities Act relies on private lawsuits, but apparently, if you want to ask for advice, you pretty much can’t sue, and there’s no way I’m going to sue without asking for advice, so I can’t.
I have found an in-network dermatologist, contacted my general practitioner a couple days ago, not sure if I need to wait for a new referral or what.
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And another video appointment fell through due to browser incompatibility. I spent 15 minutes getting the runaround on the pain, I’d have settled for an over-the-pain appointment.
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