Steven N. Fettig

May 18, 2012

My good friend, Willie Soon, on climate science - in terms of the sun, water vapor and CO2: http://t.co/tsFBBCyy (and comments on alarmists)

@metra wants to increase ridership (I assume). Great way to do so by prohibiting traveling with more than one bag this weekend ( #NATO).

May 17, 2012

GM’s Akerson Ready to Trade No. 1 for Profit - Businessweek

@nickgillespie & @reasontv are on the ball again. Gov't spending is *up* again in Wisconsin: http://t.co/lGtRMinP

RT @chrishudsonjr: Perhaps one of the most important accomplishments of my administration has been minding my own business. –Calvin Cool ...

May 15, 2012

Steven favorited @stephen_wolfram's tweet: It's the 10th anniversary of NKS today! What does the future hold? http://t.co/hgux6kSd

May 14, 2012

Compiling Icinga on Mac OSX 10.6 - HowTos - Icinga Wiki

@autoknowitall Yes and no (re #X5M) - will be in the market, but not sure if now is the time.

May 12, 2012

RT @reasonpolicy: 200 Year Supply of Oil in Green River Formation http://t.co/vIYm1DFZ "peak oil" is "peak idiocy" #tcot #tlot

May 11, 2012

f this s o'clock

Question for Scott Walker Recall Fans: How Much Higher Should Wisconsin's Taxes Be? - Hit & Run : Reason.com

May 10, 2012

I'd like to know the answer, 2: “@nickgillespie: Q for #ScottWalker #Recall Fans: How much higher should #WI taxes go? http://t.co/xh2aKHpM”

May 8, 2012

RT @tylercowen: "In Germany, skepticism about government stimulus is informed by the country’s experience with reunification."

RT @Dailytakes: Should he win, would Barrett put Falk in his cabinet as DNR Secretary? Will any reporter ask him this question? #wiright ...

RT @iowahawkblog: "Sustainable energy" is the least sustainable thing ever invented.

May 7, 2012

I'm not French, nor in France, so what do I know: In a world where we live longer, why is Hollande pushing for a lower retirement age?

RT @iowahawkblog: Let's take a lesson from France and Greece, and vote ourselves Germany's money.

Interesting, but consolidation in media doesn't actually correlate to *control* of the news. Worthy of a view anyway: http://t.co/Ymw5retz

May 6, 2012

RT @reasonpolicy: If the Prez and Congress are empowered to give bailouts or benefits to anyone, they'll inevitably give where they get ...

Where Did the Taco Come From? | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian Magazine

RT @EmilySkarbek: Does the Internet Need a Global Regulator? http://t.co/kJCUqYMZ by @adamthierer via @jerrybrito

GM rakes in big profits, avoids U.S. income tax | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com

May 5, 2012

RT @aaronbailey: Why don't restaurants use iPod touches with credit card readers, like Apple Stores, to take orders and payments?

Briggs on Chris Mooney on Stupid Conservatives

While I don't consider myself a conservative, I also don't consider myself a liberal. How's that? Pretty simple: I disagree with some standard conservative thinking relating to homosexuality, abortion, narcotics and church/state relations (in the vein of Bush, Jr.'s faith based government programs) and I disagree with liberals on state run healthcare, agency regulations, progressive taxation and state delivered equality. I tend to look at both isles (sometimes arrogantly and sometimes objectively - I am only human…) with a bit of disdain because of their arguments often representing the flip side of both coins. One topic, however, that boggles my mind is the latest round of claims (mostly from liberal personalities and "scientists") that conservatives are dumber than their liberal counterparts. Somehow, faith makes conservatives delusional. I'm curious. Does this mean there are no faith oriented liberals? I may not have the faith of my [typically conservative] family, but I know that they are all of above average intelligence. The idea that their faith makes them dumber than others (or myself) is absurd and I cringe when I see those types of statements made.

I was introduced to Dr. Brigg's website some years ago and thoroughly enjoy the process he uses when either dissecting someone else's missteps in statistical analysis or his attempts at explaining a reasoned approach towards statistical interpretation. From his latest blog post: Read more »

RT @AgainstCronyCap: How the TSA wastes your money http://t.co/KS0xmtfp

My thoughts (http://t.co/IP1nZnpV) on @mattstat's "Why Republicans Deny Science—And Reality: Request For Help" http://t.co/QSufAGYn

May 4, 2012

Elonka's List of Famous Unsolved Codes and Ciphers

I love the headline: "Franklin Delano Walker" http://t.co/HuZBDVq2

May 1, 2012

Recovering data from a Apple RAID using Data Rescue 3 by Prosoft Engineering | ProsoftEngineering

April 30, 2012

RT @reason: This Just in: Successful Company Chooses to Legally Maximize Profit Rather Than Reward High-Tax Jurisdictions http://t.co/hX ...

@BrownDogWelding …and the air!

@BrownDogWelding One word of advice: when in doubt, Bender-ize it!

@BrownDogWelding Dude, your artwork gets more amazing as time goes on. That's badass.

RT @nickgillespie: @RepRonPaul vs. Paul Krugman slug it out on Bloomberg TV. Full vid http://t.co/Aywao8gE

April 29, 2012

RT @reasonpolicy: Homeschooling Statistics Research - http://t.co/YuL4AEAu What we know about how well #homeschooling works,many what we ...

April 28, 2012

It seems true that there have been no cyber terror events of record, but then again, what is cyber terrorism? http://t.co/RRp60L0h #CISPA

RT @reasonpolicy: The entitlement mentality is really settled in when the big fight is over slight change in how much, not if, we subsid ...

@BrownDogWelding Word.

@BrownDogWelding Ahhh, there's the good ol' MI pessimism, my friend ;) Politics is horribly corrupt, but worse in some places than others.

@BrownDogWelding (re freedom and liberty: it is a sneaky little truth that the two are intertwined. Better said, property & freedom.)

@BrownDogWelding I'm serious. Every little bit of engagement with their corruption helps… We just take that for granted.

@BrownDogWelding You can change the corruption issue by either demanding it from your reps (it works) or getting involved yourself.

@BrownDogWelding Remember, there's always someone else who has enough to pay the taxes… (so the argument goes…)

@BrownDogWelding I am not sure taxes will be the reason. I think the concept of liberty needs to be readdressed and the rest will follow.

@BrownDogWelding I think the sys is corrupt, but the people, as a majority, aren't. How many ppl do you know (left or right) who are crrpt?

@BrownDogWelding If we could get most people to accept that Social Security is a ponzi scheme, we'd go a far way to change. That's 1 example

@BrownDogWelding I don't think it needs to go that far. I think people need to accept less frm gvt and demand change.

@BrownDogWelding We're doing it RIGHT NOW, though, with Social Security and Medicare. It is insane!

@BrownDogWelding My problem is that no one is being held accountable. Politics as usual and the taxpayers bail everyone out. It isn't right.

@BrownDogWelding I'm saying the mgmt and union bosses who set up these plans were lying to the people they were supposed to protect.

@BrownDogWelding I'm not saying that the people should have known. If you're reading that into my comments, we're talking past one another.

@BrownDogWelding re false pretense comment: absolutely. Agreed. 100% People were lied to. Plain and simple. Madoff style, nonetheless.

@BrownDogWelding If the plan was constructed to fund future liabilities with future income (w/ no principle), it is a ponzi scheme.

@BrownDogWelding Reasonable is determined very easily: ponzi schemes have never worked.

@BrownDogWelding I think we agree… Promises are promises and the people making them were liars and should be treated as such.

@BrownDogWelding I'm not talking about entitlement mentality. I'm blaming the bosses in mgmt AND unions for agreeing to these dubious plans.

@BrownDogWelding The other was a sys where workers were they told money was being put aside AND the returns would be higher than reasonable.

@BrownDogWelding One system, which you're talking about was told money was being put aside - which didn't happen.

@BrownDogWelding We're probably talking about 2 different issues: the way pensions were funded versus the way pensions were funded.

@BrownDogWelding That's my point exactly. A pension/retirement system that puts aside money *now* is always better than promises 2 pay l8r

@BrownDogWelding One of those 2 systems is more likely to succeed. What is more likely: the Dollar being around in 100 yrs or your company?

@BrownDogWelding There is a difference between a system that sets aside money *now* versus one that makes *promises* to do so later.

@BrownDogWelding One more thing: I think there were many who knew these pension/retirement promises would be broken and simply didn't care.

@BrownDogWelding We aren't and can't be clairvoyant. Whatever $ we hope to have in the future should be set aside today.

@BrownDogWelding Your reasoning is solid, but the problem is that you should *never* expect the future to be the same as today.

@BrownDogWelding I've never understood people's acceptance of a retirement system that is a ponzi scheme. Broken promises are inevitable.

Broken, bad or insidious promises? Unfunded retiree benefits and unpossible promises: http://t.co/8OQcuntS

April 27, 2012

Alliant Energy's Half Truths and Almost Lies (Wisconsin Electricity)

I received what amounts to an advertisement along with our latest electricity bill from Alliant Energy this week. As part of their ongoing efforts to educate the public on ways of saving money on electricity, they had a section of their two page (front and back) pamphlet dedicated to "fun facts" on wind energy. Unfortunately, they are not telling the public two very, very important facts.

April 25, 2012

RT @kurt_loder: Some very strange places that actually exist (via @mental_floss): http://t.co/EmcGxDwN

Glorious repurpose-ment: http://t.co/KyjC8nDK I especially like the "Earth Friendly Portable Meditation Pod"

RT @radleybalko: Today's badass award goes to @Popehat. He also may be the first lawyer to have groupies. (See the comments.) http://t.c ...

Hacking VLAN switched networks

This shouldn't make me smile: http://t.co/6OktwOuF

April 24, 2012

Skinny Review: Das Keyboard for Mac is superb. Very comfortable and functional. I like it much better than the Tactile Pro Keyboard.

Synergy Network Security Guide

April 22, 2012

Personal Epistemology's Dilemma - A Metaphysical Question from Gilson

I'm always on the search for where the distinction is between the unknowable in its pure form - i.e. what we never know - to what is unknowable in its scientific form. I think that evolutionary scientists and philosophers have it right in that we can know how animals evolve and how consciousness works. Whether or not we're near a complete understanding of these things is debatable. In my estimation, we are far from having a Grand Unified Theory or having the type of understanding of consciousness in the way we understand a gasoline powered engine. One of my personal dilemmas is where god or God comes into the picture. To what extent are we an ant farm left to our own devices, the devilish toy of observation, versus a organizational system in which a supreme being interacts with the lower life forms and objects? I simply don't know. I grew up in the Catholic tradition and value a lot of the insight with which I was raised, but I question the meaning or definition of miracles and how a concept like heaven unfolds.

As I was going through From Aristotle to Darwin and Back Again by Étienne Gilson, I was struck by this passage: Read more »

RT @radleybalko: That horrifying quote came from an American federal prosecutor. http://t.co/wGnjSS54 (2/2)

RT @radleybalko: "It’s not illegal to watch something on the television. It is illegal...to watch something in order to cultivate your.. ...

Two srw switches with vlans and pfsense gatway - Cisco Home Community

April 21, 2012

The badass brain - probably the only thing that makes Chuck Norris sit back in awe: http://t.co/R84qil99 #Kindle

April 20, 2012

Fascinating story on how the case was built against Rajaratnam. I find, however, the constant SEC-needs-more-$ dubious. http://t.co/OBZ5mjJH

Consciousness & Never Being the Right Time to Write

One reason why my blog is so rarely updated by actual writing (instead of tweets or whatever new fangled short-form writing is available) is because it is never the right time to write. I'm back, however, on my reading kick and am in a new phase of exploring the topic of consciousness. The continuation of my blog is really going to depend on my willingness to loosely explore thoughts instead of trying to present a coherent set of ideas and "produced" articles.

On to consciousness: Daniel Dennett is my go-to guy simply because of the wealth and coherence of his writing. I can't find many (or any other) people so aware of technology and the implications of the evolution of artificial intelligence. He asks an important question that was really being explored by the COG program at MIT (for which there remains very few references these days) - if we are going to say that there is consciousness, then it can't be off limits to testing. I quote: Read more »

April 19, 2012

Whence preconditions of industrialization or scientific progress?

From Kealey's book, "The Economic Laws of Scientific Research" - page 28:

"The fall of the Graeco-Roman hegemony teaches that the government funding of academic science will not generate useful technology in the absence of an appropriate, capitalist economy. This is so different from the conventional history that we must underline it. A standard textbook like Buchanan's Technology and Social Progress emphasizes in the author's own italics, on the very second page, that 'A strong state, in short, is a necessary precondition of industrialization' but we have shown that, historically, the reverse is true. In antiquity, it was the strong states that suppressed technology, and the weak ones that fostered it, because the weak ones were too weak to rob individuals of their freedom. As we shall see, it took the Dark Ages and their attendant chaos to liberate the human spirit and so fructify commerce, technology and a healthy science." Read more »

What is it with no-real-info-journalism? Even though they are pegged as OpEds, the short articles in @Slate and @WSJ are terrible!

April 18, 2012

Reasonable reasoning from an atheist, Penn Jillette: God Is Not. Great! http://t.co/FcHBki8N (@reasonmag)

April 17, 2012

RT @reason: Why Iceland President's Left-Wing Critique Is Right http://t.co/5kr1cZ3Y

April 16, 2012

Who said politics was intelligent? “@drawandstrike: The stupidity of the Buffett Rule in one easy to grasp chart: http://t.co/I5sNmLHN”

April 15, 2012

PETA sent me a membership form in the mail. Unfortunately, I'm sticking my belief that PETA stands for People Eating Tasty Animals.

Muhammad Abduh – Wikipedia

Salafismus – Wikipedia

April 13, 2012