History

Closure of the Eurasian frontier in the 1750s was more consequential on the world historical scale than closure of the North American frontier a century and a half later. The Inner Asia that had shaped the histories of the entire Eurasian continent* since the Iron Age, was now… https://t.co/lqI0J0zDeF

— Kamil Galeev (@kamilkazani) December 31, 2024

 

Republican voters prioritize a smaller number of issues and care about them more than do Democratic voters.

From The New York Times, Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities  The subheading is A poll from The New York Times and Ipsos found that Americans believe abortion, L.G.B.T.Q. issues and climate change concern Democrats more than the cost of living.

I have been saying this for the past three Democratic administrations.  You look at the chosen policy and legislative priorities and then you look at Gallup's Most Important Problems survey and there is almost always a gulf between what the public wants addressed (usually the economy and security) and what the Party priorities are, usually the normalization of some marginal group or social practice.  Venn diagrams with no intersection.

From the Times:

Many Americans say they do not believe the Democratic Party is focused on the economic issues that matter most to them and is instead placing too much emphasis on social issues that they consider less urgent.

Asked to identify the Democratic Party’s most important priorities, Americans most often listed abortion, L.G.B.T.Q. rights and climate change, according to a poll from The New York Times and Ipsos conducted from Jan. 2 to 10.

The issues that people cited as most important to them personally were the economy and inflation, health care and immigration, the poll found. The kinds of social causes that progressive activists have championed in recent years ranked much lower.

And given the results of the DNC election this weekend in Washington, D.C., it appears that the Party still has no interest in focusing on the priorities of the electorate.  

In a broad sense, the poll, which surveyed a representative sample of 2,128 adults nationwide, found that Americans think the Republican Party is more in sync with the mood of the country. The issues that people said mattered most to Republicans were also, for the most part, the issues that mattered to them: immigration, the economy, inflation and taxes.

The reporters mention another gap - that between Democratic voters and the Party.  Those surveyed said that the top five Democratic Party perceived priorities were:  Abortion, LGBT, Climate Change, the State of Democracy, and Health care.

There is this cryptic paragraph about those responding to the survey who identify as Democrats:

Even self-identified Democrats were only somewhat more likely than other Americans to mention abortion and L.G.B.T.Q. issues as important to them personally. Democrats did not rank either among their top five concerns.

So Democrats in the survey did not identify Abortion and LGBT as among their top five concerns.  If they don't share the top two priorities, it makes you wonder whether Democrat voters even identify Climate Change, Democracy, and Health Care as among their top five.  Seems a strange omission from the reporters.  

Fortunately there is a link to the survey.  Going to the source, we can answer the question raised but not explored by the reporters.  In contrast to what people see as the parties top priorities, what are the top priorities of Democratic voters?

They are:

The economy/inflation (36%)

Health care (36%)

Climate Change (25%)

State of Democracy (21%)

Housing (17%)

The Democratic party does address three of the top five Democratic voter priorities (Health care, Climate Change, and State of Democracy).  Interestingly, two of those three (Climate Change and State of Democracy) are abstract, conceptual and ideological in contrast to the three concrete issues (the Economy/inflation, Health care, and Housing).  

The Democratic Party prioritizes only one concrete Democratic voter goal, Health Care.  

Even within the Party the gap between Party policy and Democratic voter priorities seems large.

How well does the Republican Party perceived priorities (Immigration, Economy, Taxes, Guns, and Abortion), all very concrete, match against the priorities of Republican voters?  Republican voter priorities:

The economy/inflation (61%)

Immigration (43%)

Health Care (24%)

Taxes (24%)

Crime (23%)

All five voter objectives are concrete and the Republican Party priorities address three of them (Economic/inflation, Immigration, and Taxes.)  Only 11% of Republican voters mention Abortion as a top priority and only 10% prioritize Guns.  However, there is a bit of an issue given an overlap on Guns and Crime.  

It is worthwhile to contemplate the numbers on page 9 of the report.  A lot more nuance than the heavy handed reporting.  

One thing unremarked upon is that the Democratic voter priorities are much less focused than are Republican voter priorities and much more diffuse (conceptual/ideological goals as opposed to concrete issues).

Republicans have eight top (greater than 10%) priorities:

The economy/inflation (61%)

Immigration (43%)

Health Care (24%)

Taxes (24%)

Crime (23%)

Corruption (15%) 

 

Abortion (11%)

Guns (10%)

In contrast, Democrat voters have thirteen top (greater than 10%) priorities.  A consequence of that greater range is the intensity of prioritization is necessarily less.  Republican voters prioritize a smaller number of issues and care about them more than do Democratic voters.

The thirteen Democratic voter priorities:

The economy/inflation (36%)

Health care (36%)

Climate Change (25%)

State of Democracy (21%)

Housing (17%)

Taxes (16%)

Abortion (16%)

Guns (14%)

Immigration (13%)

Education (13%)

Polarization (13%)

Racism (12%)

Crime (12%)

An Insight

In Ode III.29, Horace beautifully expresses his Epicurean philosophy of seizing upon the moment by living in the here and now for the future is unforeseen:

"A man will be happy and in control
of his life if he can say at each day’s end, ’I have lived’. pic.twitter.com/rIZEHjhNuD

— Michel Lara (@VeraCausa9) December 31, 2024

I see wonderful things

A family of swans in the morning mist

📹 aaaminsk

pic.twitter.com/RxiDPEswon

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) January 20, 2025

 

Offbeat Humor

Quite possibly one of the greatest commercials I’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/I1Uk2feiXU

— Lloyd Legalist (@LloydLegalist) December 30, 2024

 

Data Talks

Meta-analysis of 87 studies: There is a negative relationship between ethnic diversity and social trust. pic.twitter.com/bqiiMb1y0S

— Jonatan Pallesen (@jonatanpallesen) December 30, 2024

 

Waiting for the Light, 2001 by Jay Spyker (America)

Waiting for the Light, 2001 by Jay Spyker (America)

Click to enlarge.

History

today I learned that from the 1930s to the 1960s, the state-of-the-art in pregnancy tests was to inject the urine of a woman in a frog and check a few hours later if the frog was ovulating pic.twitter.com/4JmzpDaSLs

— Étienne (@etiennefd) December 23, 2024

 

An Insight

My grandfather came out of the military fighting the Japanese, finished college, got married, bought a house, stayed in that house for decades in the same job - and had a family.

Now real estate guys tell me staying in a house longer than 6 years is unusual. Jobs aren’t secure.…

— FischerKing (@FischerKing64) December 30, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

Head stabilisation of a kestrel
pic.twitter.com/2QmppEWRNW

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) December 31, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

😂😂😂 https://t.co/NlS6P7BOYH

— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) December 29, 2024

 

Data Talks

The most important way to solve the fertility crisis is to educate young people on how crucial it is to get started early on family. Achieving financial and career success may take a long time, but family can't wait very long! 2/4https://t.co/KTNQ1C4UYm

— More Births (@MoreBirths) December 30, 2024

 

Song for Margaret, 1973 by Carl Rice Embrey

Song for Margaret, 1973 by Carl Rice Embrey (America, 1938-2022)

Click to enlarge.

History

👌 https://t.co/v5u3UyFb3K pic.twitter.com/xmv9s2Uabm

— Coddled affluent professional (@feelsdesperate) December 30, 2024

 

An insight

I'm sorry but if you genuinely thought Biden was fine before the debate, despite the ample evidence to the contrary, you should only be trusted to use kids safety scissors under adult supervision. pic.twitter.com/SgBJQ4QupL

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) December 30, 2024

I see wonderful things

In the US, the age-standardized death rate from cardiovascular diseases has declined for decades and is now almost four times lower than it was in 1950.https://t.co/p0FLMljLzj pic.twitter.com/bLNTqz8B0m

— Saloni (@salonium) December 31, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

The ads on Spotify/YouTube tell you a lot about a country.

UK ads: mental health service, govt talking about tax filing, site for selling second hand clothes

US ads: iPhones for your whole family for only $99 a month!! Get a HUGE truck for only $300 a month, no down payment!!

— Fergus (@F_McCullough) December 30, 2024

 

Data Talks

90 nation study..."we predicted and found that women also valued romantic love more than men, with this association being the strongest among all the predictors in the present study" https://t.co/aXYyCgiQfa

— David Schmitt (@PsychoSchmitt) December 30, 2024

 

The First Awakening of Eve by Valentine Cameron Prinsep

The First Awakening of Eve by Valentine Cameron Prinsep (British, 1838-1904)

Click to enlarge.

History

Things used in everyday life are the real archaeological treasures! These sewing #needles were made from animal bone some 15,000 years ago. Some designs simply don't need to be improved, because form and functions were perfectly matched from the start. Form follows function! 1/2 pic.twitter.com/L6EgSuzRIE

— Nina Willburger (@DrNWillburger) December 18, 2024

 

An Insight

The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.

— Niccolò Machiavelli | The Prince ⚔️ (@NiccoloDaily) December 8, 2024

 

An Insight

The future may be painful and confusing for vast swaths of the laptop striver class. https://t.co/tnpwVSfavr pic.twitter.com/QRH4qKEtCB

— Zarathustra (@zarathustra5150) December 16, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

Diamond beach Iceland, glacial ice on black volcanic sand that was once lava

📹bradenstanley

pic.twitter.com/VwLFnZIam7

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) December 18, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

pic.twitter.com/4n245II96f

— Rodin=American citizen. (@PaintingRodin) December 17, 2024

 

Data Talks

The Biden Admin paid Reuters over $300 million in government contracts. 11 different Biden government agencies targeted Elon's businesses. All 11 agencies paid millions to Reuters. Reuters then won the Pulitzer Prize for "their work on Elon Musk and misconduct at his businesses" pic.twitter.com/3IGGtuHv7L

— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) December 17, 2024

 

Silent Night Skate, 2017 by Leonard Koscianski

Silent Night Skate, 2017 by Leonard Koscianski, (America, 1952 - )

Click to enlarge.

History

Let’s take a Roman bath! In Ostia @PBS https://t.co/s2eC142eJV pic.twitter.com/PO1pGYHZkX

— Darius Arya (@DariusAryaDigs) December 18, 2024

 

An Insight

I nominate this for tweet of the year.

Should honestly by handed to every person along with their high school diploma. https://t.co/P31sa7nqfY pic.twitter.com/oUOIA22xkP

— Joshua Rainer (@JoshRainerGold) December 15, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

How a polar bear walks on a fragmented ice pack in a wavy sea.

[📹 benjaminhardman]pic.twitter.com/3fjXTVwnLJ

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 18, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

my Irish mother married my Jewish father, and meals can get pretty argumentative

even the ones I eat alone pic.twitter.com/v4kw0bGuQg

— Jeremy Kauffman 🦔🌲🌕 (@jeremykauffman) December 17, 2024

 

Data Talks

I'm sorry but if your average meal lasts about 20 minutes then your food just can't be that good https://t.co/9AML8x8jCc pic.twitter.com/rn5KMsevii

— François Valentin (@Valen10Francois) September 2, 2024

 

Keep the Home Fires Burning by Gary Bunt

Keep the Home Fires Burning by Gary Bunt (England, 1957 - )

Click to enlarge.

Rat-Catching at the 'Blue Anchor' Tavern

Heh.  I like the illustration that accompanies Unleashing the Deep State Rat Catchers by John Kass.  

Rat-Catching at the 'Blue Anchor' Tavern, Bunhill Row, Finsbury, London, unknown artist.

Click to enlarge.

You can guess the drift of the article but his set up:

We don’t hunt rats for sport these days, though we should, because all dogs need a job. Back in London in the 1850s, the people weren’t sentimental as we are in America. Then, London was bursting at the seams. The United Kingdom was enjoying economic prosperity during the Victorian Age. They bred fine carriage horses and fine dogs. And they hated rats that spread disease and death. And I also hate them. Not dislike, but actually hate.

He is not awfully fond of the Washington, D.C. Deep State rats either.

History

About 1 out of every 5 persons in the Ottoman Empire was a slave during the 16th century.

— i/o (@eyeslasho) December 17, 2024

 

An Insight

The greatest two years of my Army career was cavalry squadron command. It’s inconceivable that an Army officer doesn’t want to command. And yet…

This culture is broken. It must be fixed. @PeteHegseth @CynicalPublius https://t.co/HqxnybKR7H

— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) December 16, 2024

I see wonderful things

5 types of classical music interpreted by Fabrício Di Paolo.

[🎹 Lord Vinheteiro]pic.twitter.com/FzAGsBXcYy

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 18, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

Well that’s Christmas sorted🎄 #TomcatTuesday
📹 fighters_around_world1 pic.twitter.com/yoJySFFtHW

— F111Driver (@F111Driver) December 17, 2024

 

Data Talks

No one, in the history of humanity, has ever shuffled a deck of card as you do in a certain moment. Or at least the chances are extremely low.

[📹 oxford.mathematics]
[♠️ David Spiegelhalter]pic.twitter.com/kFetztsBsV

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 17, 2024

 

Sunday Service by Gary Bunt

Sunday Service by Gary Bunt (England, 1957 - )

Click to enlarge.

History

Leda. Detail gold ring depicting Leda and Zeus transformed into a swan from Thessaly, 2nd. BC. Collection: Benaki Museum (Athens, Greece). pic.twitter.com/dX33PRcXh5

— Ghost of Hellas (@ghostofhellas) December 16, 2024

 

An Insight

Orwell v/s Huxley

That last line will haunt me... pic.twitter.com/hXjsIvXHEJ

— Jash Dholani (@oldbooksguy) December 16, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

The WWII Battle of the river plate, re-enacted (1951)

[📽️ British Pathé]pic.twitter.com/K6DiVixnQT

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 18, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

You don’t get more CNN than this. 😬😬 pic.twitter.com/RfJFOEbe3g

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) December 16, 2024

 

Data Talks

If you pay organizations according to the number of homeless people they “manage”, you create an incentive to maximize the number of homeless people, which is exactly what happened here https://t.co/Xj9RYC63ao

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2024

 

Winter in Aizu (series) by Saito Kiyoshi

Winter in Aizu (series) by Saito Kiyoshi (Japan, 1907-1997）

Click to enlarge.

History

Pleistocene prints: a massive, 6-fingered hand and a child's foot

From the Kimberley region, northwest Australia. Likely over 17,000 years old pic.twitter.com/0x8MoSqVWx

— Mungo Manic (@MungoManic) December 9, 2024

 

An Insight

My theory: The US experiences generational waves of a form of secularized puritan Great Awakening, continuing the prior pattern of religious Protestant awakenings. The waves hit every 20-30 years. Four in the last century: actual Communism in the 1920's-30's ("Red Decade"),… https://t.co/fxKYhoAeDh

— Marc Andreessen 🇺🇸 (@pmarca) December 15, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

Dog rescues a bird trapped inside..🐕🐾🐦😊 pic.twitter.com/JV0sKTTeCS

— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) December 16, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

Instead of creating a BluSki account, just read "Lord of the Flies" to see how it'll end. https://t.co/a9bfqFJ4SZ

— Jon Gabriel (@exjon) December 15, 2024

 

Data Talks

HUGE pic.twitter.com/obRgb2OO3S

— Barkin • ברקין • Баркин • 巴尔金 (@B2RKN) December 16, 2024

 

Ponies in the Snow, C.F. Tunnicliffe

Ponies in the Snow, C.F. Tunnicliffe (England, 1901-1979)

Click to enlarge.

History

The pectoral in the form of a 'Scarab' from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (1341-1323 BC), Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt.

Ancient Egyptian jewelled scarab amulet with the cobras of protection on each side wearing the crown of Upper Egypt; the lotus & suns on bottom edge represent… pic.twitter.com/kb8BqMetBt

— ArchaeoHistories (@histories_arch) December 16, 2024

 

An Insight

remember to read the paper, anon https://t.co/SigWZ8PbKc pic.twitter.com/EhHi4pTiB5

— Jean 🍌 Leon (@_JeanLeon) December 15, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

Baby elephant asking for treats
pic.twitter.com/CtY5iU2iXR

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) December 16, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

pic.twitter.com/aDGEdUzeQh

— Aviation (@webflite) December 15, 2024

 

Data Talks

Very glad to see this trend finally reversing pic.twitter.com/hl1wOtMmNd

— Alec Stapp (@AlecStapp) December 16, 2024

 

Engetsu Island, Shirahama, 1951 by Kawase Hasui

Engetsu Island, Shirahama, 1951 by Kawase Hasui (Japan, 1883-1957)

Click to enlarge.

Winter Landscape, 1927 by Valerius de Saedeleer

Winter Landscape, 1927 by Valerius de Saedeleer (Belgian, 1867–1941)

Click to enlarge.

History

Starship is the largest rocket ever built.

It’ll only get longer and it’ll help us colonize Mars. pic.twitter.com/3deogefIMh

— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) December 15, 2024

 

An Insight

The point of European anti-Jewish propaganda is to point out Jews look Middle Eastern. The point of Arab anti-Jewish propaganda is to point out Jews look European. The two combine hilariously in pro-Iranian propaganda attacking al-Julani for looking like Herzl... pic.twitter.com/Kx3I0p7TPB

— Uri Kurlianchik (@VerminusM) December 14, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

This huge moose chasing a grizzly bear pic.twitter.com/9MRoiP1r7X

— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) December 16, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

A news reporter asked Michael Jordan if he thought the ’90s Bulls could beat LeBron’s Lakers.

MJ: Yes.
Reporter: By how much?
MJ: Two or three points.
Reporter: Why so close?
MJ: Most of us are almost 60 now. pic.twitter.com/FQqNrhCmA5

— Hoops © (@HoopMixOnly) December 12, 2024

 

Data Talks

https://t.co/c5jCiJGeMO pic.twitter.com/aIrhaLlEB6

— LiorLefineder (@lefineder) December 16, 2024

 

Chorus of angels by Gustav Klimt

Chorus of angels by Gustav Klimt from Beethoven Frieze, Secession Building, Vienna.  (Austria, 1862-1918)

Click to enlarge.

Nancy Astor, 1908 by John Singer Sargent

Nancy Astor, 1908 by John Singer Sargent (America, 1856–1925)

Click to enlarge.

Wang Peng, Famous Sociologist

Wang Peng, Famous Sociologist

by Paul Eldridge

Wang Peng, Famous Sociologist

Suggests to the Emperor the

Only possible means of Im-

Proving the People of The Empire

Having read the inscriptions

Upon the tombstones

Of the Great and the Little Cemeteries, 

Wang Peng advised the Emperor

To kill all the living

And resurrect the dead.

History

I would really like to see this done for British monarchs and Russian czars. https://t.co/GUq4gLdZVV

— S. Lant (@Shiftant) December 15, 2024

 

An Insight

The reason you do not give sources one hour deadlines, except under extremely extenuating circumstances, is that you risk embarrassing yourself by publishing something false, as ProPublica came perilously close to doing. They were very lucky he came up with his acceptance letter… https://t.co/9VZAkgn2Y5

— Megan McArdle (@asymmetricinfo) December 12, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

A million people protested in central Seoul and left the area spotless by cleaning up after themselves pic.twitter.com/x1fB8sX85r

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 16, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

“ I need the carrot” 🥕
pic.twitter.com/RPZr074mIN

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) December 14, 2024

 

Data Talks

In theory the WNBA is a for-profit business but in practice it’s a perennially money losing DEI NGO that’s now intentionally failing to leverage a generational superstar that could finally bring it profitability.

Sad!

Remember this next time WNBA players cry about being poors! https://t.co/808mz0Xaeh

— Coddled affluent professional (@feelsdesperate) December 14, 2024

 I love the community notes feature.

On The Hunt, 2024 by Jef Bourgeau

On The Hunt, 2024 by Jef Bourgeau

Click to enlarge.

History

Rudolf Virchow, the father of cellular pathology, once gathered district-level German data on the proportions of children with different eye colors.

If I'm not mistaken, this study was the first of its type and scale. pic.twitter.com/2EXJWzysT4

— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) December 15, 2024

 

An Insight

I keep coming back to this insight. pic.twitter.com/1ROB3nch01

— Henry Shevlin (@dioscuri) December 12, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

An eagle snatching a deer in midairpic.twitter.com/EiNQh7PiRe

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 16, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

The Finnish language - Destroying Google Translate since 2006 pic.twitter.com/fkTHQWhMJ9

— Very Finnish Problems (@VFinnishProbs) December 11, 2024

 

Data Talks

This is a cool table from a new paper on polygenic scores among members of different occupations.

Notable:

- ADHD is less common for professionals, more common for less prestigious occupations
- Artists are more prone to schizophrenia, depression, and verbal tilt pic.twitter.com/eeBfRgI9gz

— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) December 12, 2024

 

Foggy Town by Marie Muravski

Foggy Town by Marie Muravski

Click to enlarge.

History

A teenaged student at King's College (nowadays Columbia University) named Alexander Hamilton publishes A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress, in response to the loyalist Samuel Seabury's Free Thoughts on the Proceedings of the Continental Congress. pic.twitter.com/6CYRwD75um

— Today in the American Revolution (1775) (@TodayinAmRev) December 16, 2024

 

An Insight

Noam Chomsky on the pseudointellectualism of postmodern literary theorists.

"If you look at what's happening, I think it's pretty easy to figure out what's going on. I mean, suppose you're a literary scholar at some elite university or an anthropologist or whatever. If you do… pic.twitter.com/OXhXbBBgkL

— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) December 13, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

Every aspect of Sir Christopher Lee's life is astonishing. He met Rasputin's assassins, witnessed the last guillotine execution, hunted Nazis, recorded a heavy metal album, spoke nine languages, was Ian Fleming's cousin (author of James Bond), and was the only actor in “The Lord… pic.twitter.com/sIJGkU3HWr

— Creepy (@creepydotorg) December 14, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

The Syrian rebels are very childish pic.twitter.com/tLQdtO2b8I

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 10, 2024

 

Data Talks

The fact that the US is more popular in Vietnam than in countries like Poland never ceases to amaze me.

The war wasn't even 50 years ago and people moved on pic.twitter.com/ecRIZ7Z0Kf

— François Valentin (@Valen10Francois) November 28, 2024

 

Absence by C.H. Sisson

Absence

by C.H. Sisson

Go back, or forward, to a time

When I am not here. What remains?

What is here is what I see,

For I trust visibility,

Find that I get wet when it rains

And think that sense and reason chime.

No sense, no reason. For the past,

The living stand in for the dead

And try to see what others saw,

Though disappearance is the law

For what is seen, and what is said,

Though cast in bronze, can never last.

And so one can imagine sand

Carried back by receding tides,

And yet not understand a word

The ocean said when it was heard.

The present never co-incides

With any past that comes to hand.

Go forward. I am here no more:

No word of mine can extricate

The listener from the cord that binds

Him in the twist of other minds.

Unheard before, and now too late,

My words have lost the flesh they wore.

I am not even silence, as

The rows on rows of marshalled dead

Who left no word they did not speak.

An echo that is faint and weak

Remembers me for what I said,

Happy to lose the man I was.

Snowbound by Jo Grundy

Snowbound by Jo Grundy 

Click to enlarge.

History

The Sun Never Sets on the Anglo-Saxons (part 1) @razibkhan https://t.co/72qXhEpqr7 Evolutionary biology and genetics were both born in the mid-1800’s. Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species came out in 1859, transforming the intellectual life of Victorian England. The Origin of… pic.twitter.com/o8JDYo1qOD

— Razib 🥥 Khan 🧬 📘✍️📱 (@razibkhan) December 13, 2024

 

An Insight

This never quite hit home until I have kids who ask me the same question one million times and I end up answering, “seriously, I’ve got this, I promise you! I’m your mom! Trust me, I got this.”

Ohhhhh that’s what she’s saying 😂🫠 https://t.co/nIzHzbaHgX

— Emily Zanotti 🦝 (@emzanotti) December 12, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

Went out without her. pic.twitter.com/KM1Y9eWTbU

— Geoff (@kwoade) December 13, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

Spoiler Alert: It's the same cities that were supposed to be under water by 2000 and 2020. https://t.co/ICpxiuH6XG

— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) December 9, 2024

 

Data Talks

MSM in 2020: Trump is going to pardon all his friends and family. We are going to see blanket pardons for hundreds of people. Trump will be selling pardons and commutations. We are about to witness the greatest abuse of Presidential power ever. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/lSZkERyBfL

— MAZE (@mazemoore) December 8, 2024

 

Cathedral in Winter, 1821, by Ernst Ferdinand Oehme

Cathedral in Winter, 1821, by Ernst Ferdinand Oehme (Germany, 1797-1855)

Click to enlarge.

Delphic Maxims

From The Delphic Maxims.  

The Delphic maxims are a set of moral precepts that were inscribed on the Temple of Apollo in the ancient Greek precinct of Delphi. The three best known maxims – "Know thyself", "Nothing in excess", and "Give a pledge and trouble is at hand" – were prominently located at the entrance to the temple, and were traditionally said to have been authored by the legendary Seven Sages of Greece, or even by Apollo. In fact, they are more likely to have simply been popular proverbs. Each maxim has a long history of interpretation, although the third of the set has received comparatively little attention.

A further 147 maxims, documented by Stobaeus in the 5th century AD, were also located somewhere in the vicinity of the temple. The antiquity and authenticity of these maxims was once in doubt, but recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed that some of the sayings quoted by Stobaeus were current as early as the 3rd century BC.

(1) Follow God,

(2) Obey the law,

(3) Honor the gods,

(4) Honor your parents,

(5) Yield to what is just,

(6) Know by learning,

(7) Understand by listening,

(8) Know yourself,

(9) Desire to marry,

(10) Recognize opportuny,

(11) Think mortal thoughts,

(12) Know when you are a guest,

(13) Honor Hestia (or ‘the hearth’),

(14) Rule yourself,

(15) Help your friends,

(16) Control your temper,

(17) Exercise good sense,

(18) Honor providence (or ‘forethought’),

(19) Do not make an oath,

(20) Love friendship,

(21) Hold on to education,

(22) Pursue glory,

(23) Strive for wisdom,

(24) Speak well of the noble,

(25) Do not defame anyone,

(26) Praise virtue,

(27) Do what is just,

(28) Be gracious to your friends,

(29) Ward off your enemies,

(30) Practise nobility,

(31) Shun evilness,

(32) Be impartial,

(33) Protect what is yours,

(34) Keep away from what is others’,

(35) Listen to everything,

(36) Be auspicious in speech,

(37) Be pleasant to your dear ones,

(38) Nothing too much,

(39) Save time,

(40) Look to the future,

(41) Hate violence,

(42) Honor suppliants,

(43) Fit in with everyone,

(44) Educate your sons,

(45) When you have, be generous,

(46) Fear deceit,

(47) Speak well of everyone,

(48) Be striving for wisdom,

(49) Choose what is holy,

(50) Act with knowledge,

(51) Shun murder,

(52) Pray for what is possible,

(53) Consult the wise,

(54) Examine your character,

(55) Give back when you have received,

(56) Do not look down on anyone,

(57) Act with skill,

(58) Give what you mean to,

(59) Honor generosity,

(60) Do not envy anyone,

(61) Keep up your guard,

(62) Approve of hope,

(63) Hate slander,

(64) Aquire justly,

(65) Honor good people,

(66) Know the judge,

(67) Control your marriages,

(68) Recognize Fortune,

(69) Avoid a pledge,

(70) Speak plainly,

(71) Have dealings with those like you,

(72) Control your expenses,

(73) Be happy with what you have,

(74) Have a sense of shame,

(75) Repay a favor,

(76) Pray for good fortune,

(77) Be content with Fortune,

(78) Observe and listen,

(79) Work for gain,

(80) Hate quarrel,

(81) Detest disgrace,

(82) Control your speech,

(83) Shun violence,

(84) Choose what is just,

(85) Make use of your possessions,

(86) Judge unswayed by bribes,

(87) Accuse the present,

(88) Speak with understanding,

(89) Have nothing to do with violence,

(90) Live without sorrow,

(91) Deal kindly,

(92) Reach the end without hesitation,

(93) Be courteous to everyone,

(94) Do not curse your sons,

(95) Control your wife,

(96) Treat yourself well,

(97) Be easy to speak to,

(98) Answer promptly,

(99) Labor with glory,

(100) Act without regret,

(101) Repent of your transgressions,

(102) Control your eye,

(103) Give counsel in time,

(104) Act at once,

(105) Protect friendship,

(106) Be grateful,

(107) Purse agreement,

(108) Hide what is secret,

(109) Fear what is powerful,

(110) Pursue what is useful,

(111) Await the right moment,

(112) Dissolve enmities,

(113) Accept old age,

(114) Do not boast about strength,

(115) Practice auspicious speech,

(116) Avoid enmity,

(117) Acquire wealth justly,

(118) Do not forsake good repute,

(119) Despise evilness,

(120) Take risks with caution,

(121) Do not grow weary of learning,

(122) Do not cease being frugal,

(123) Hold oracles in awe,

(124) Love those you raise,

(125) Do not fight the absent.

(126) Honor your elder,

(127) Teach the young,

(128) Do not trust your wealth,

(129) Respect yourself,

(130) Do not begin violence,

(131) Honor your ancestors,

(132) Die for your home,

(133) Do not despair of life,

(134) Do not mock the dead,

(135) Do not be troubled with the unlucky,

(136) Court favor without harm,

(137) Do not be distressed over everything,

(138) Have children with the wellborn,

(139) Do not make a promise to anyone,

(140) Do not wrong the dead,

(141) (Be content) to do well as a mortal,

(142) Do not trust your Fortune,

(143) As a child, be well-behaved, 

(144) As a youth, be in control of yourself, 

(145) In middle age, be just, 

(146) As an elder, be reasonable, 

(147) When you are dying, do not lament!

History

The fact that the Brits have largely decided to move back to old English lands in France never ceases to amuse me. pic.twitter.com/5TdleSCKAu

— François Valentin (@Valen10Francois) December 2, 2024

 

An Insight

To Assess or to Advocate?
The IPCC is at risk of losing its credibilityhttps://t.co/cAIVYHkSlB pic.twitter.com/MGtN1M8pjK

— The Honest Broker (@RogerPielkeJr) December 11, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

AMERICA IS BACK.

Our National Anthem as good as it gets.#ArmyNavy 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/5KPcImecAL

— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) December 14, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

Spotted on Facebook pic.twitter.com/zvEFRTSBZf

— Classical Studies Memes for Hellenistic Teens (@CSMFHT) December 7, 2024

 

Data Talks

This is the mother of all “now it can be told” stories from the New York Times.

“The immigration surge of the past few years has been the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the great immigration boom of the late 1800s and early 1900s[.]”

60% of the surge has been illegal. pic.twitter.com/mxcdA7uEbc

— Jeff Eager (@Jeff_Eager) December 11, 2024

 

Brick House Kitchen, ca. 1932 by Tirzah Garwood

Brick House Kitchen, ca. 1932 by Tirzah Garwood (England, 1908-1951)

Click to enlarge.

History

This model doesn't seem to work in Africa and the Middle East where wheeled transport was abandoned in favour of alternatives such as caravans.

Full paper here: https://t.co/YFfMPuLSg9 pic.twitter.com/h49nvDrgDE

— François Valentin (@Valen10Francois) December 3, 2024

 

An Insight

Seems like a good time to remind people: pic.twitter.com/Y7IG3W4KNT

— The Rabbit Hole (@TheRabbitHole84) December 11, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

La Machine is a French production company based in Nantes, France known for urban theatre

their latest creation, a nearly 50-foot-tall robotic Minotaur, roaming the streets of Toulouse, France.

pic.twitter.com/7Eut1F6FBF

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) December 13, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

pic.twitter.com/WEvpnVqpiM

— Classical Studies Memes for Hellenistic Teens (@CSMFHT) December 9, 2024

 

Data Talks

What’s America’s largest ethnic group, and why did we get it wrong for so long?

For years, German ancestry seemed the most common in the USA.

But when Census started allowing people to put down multiple "origins"... a new winner topped the list = British pic.twitter.com/Uc3hdGi9lK

— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) December 9, 2024

 

Snowstorm in a Pennine Valley by Stanley Roy Badmin

Snowstorm in a Pennine Valley by Stanley Roy Badmin (England, 1906-1989)    

Click to enlarge.

History

Spot the Mayans and the Incan Empire from % of European admixture... pic.twitter.com/yFw48GqNGt

— François Valentin (@Valen10Francois) December 4, 2024

 

An Insight

Idk, maybe Democrats should try to win elections instead of cater to neurotic privileged weirdos. https://t.co/83m8xPToqh

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) December 8, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

Roadside trench management
pic.twitter.com/KbYI8BLKiI

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) December 13, 2024

 

Offbeat Humor

I'm looking forward to seeing if any student will top this email during this final-paper season. pic.twitter.com/50it4k8IwB

— Joseph Fasano (@Joseph_Fasano_) December 8, 2024

 

Data Talks

Americans are now one-third less likely to die from cancer at the same ages as Americans in 1990 pic.twitter.com/WEp2YzQDBk

— Saloni (@salonium) December 10, 2024

 

Policy without empirical rationalism or public discussion leads to dealy outcomes

On May 1, 2020 I posted Look both ways and hold onto to your wallet.  Atlanta City Council, in the midst of Covid lock downs and without debate or public discussion, passed an ordinance lowering speed limits from 30 to 25 MPH per the Vision Zero fad out of Sweden.

There was much to criticize about the process.  And I did.  

Among the issues was whether the legislation would indeed reduce the death rate from 73 (in 2019) to zero.  In the original post, I pointed out that only perhaps 25 deaths of the 73 occurred in areas with speed limits of 30.  The reduction in speed limits would not get the city close to Vision Zero and there were good reasons, based on the experience of other cities to anticipate there would be no reduction in deaths.  And some cities had experienced an increase of deaths under Vision Zero policies.

Rereading that post today, approaching five years later, made me wonder what had been the outcome.  How many people die in traffic accidents in the City of Atlanta in 2024?  Even taking into account that the size of the city's population is estimated to have risen about 5% since 2019. 

The City Council increased the cost of traffic in Atlanta and increased the time it takes to get anywhere.  What has been the benefit of that legislation?  How much was the death rate reduced from 73?

From Atlanta is the worst U.S. city for driving in 2024 by Josh Green.  From this study, it appears that there were 90 traffic deaths in Atlanta in 2024.  Up nearly 25% from 2019.  The per capita death rate is the third worst on the list.  

City Council spends a lot of money marking down speed limits, makes transportation in the City more expensive and slower and still sees a 20-25% increase in deaths.  

An outcome fully anticipated in that original post.  

Marine Solitude (1852), by Anton Melbye

Marine Solitude (1852), by Anton Melbye (Denmark, 1818-1875)

Click to enlarge.

History

A cheek-piece from a #Roman helmet, beautifully worked with an image of the winged goddess Victory holding a battlefield trophy, made from the arms & armour of the defeated enemy. As this is high-quality work, the helmet it was originally part of probably belonged to an officer. pic.twitter.com/V2IkKphl3H

— Dr Jo Ball (@DrJEBall) December 9, 2024

 

An Insight

Scientifically dubious/meritless constructs like implicit bias and microaggressions aren't so much empirical claims as reflections of the will to power of a faction that has pulled off a coup within academia. This coup has ramified beyond higher ed into K-12, law, public policy. https://t.co/5HxbpZXXHI

— Jake 🇺🇸 (@omni_american) December 8, 2024

 

I see wonderful things

Steam train with coal as its fuel

📹 rockymountainssteam

pic.twitter.com/duiR693SrU

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) December 13, 2024