Student of the Lotus

Listening.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@bquittem explains Bitcoin through fungal evolutionary strategy. Love it.

https://t.co/JKnwj7LXKw

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@robertgraham @hicksticks2001 Nope; not until results displayed.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@m7mdkurd @saifedean "In all countries and conflicts, CPJ removes names from its database if subsequent evidence shows individuals were not journalists or media workers, were not active in those capacities at the time of their deaths, or were engaging in combat."

Seems reasonable.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@hicksticks2001 @robertgraham The "First option" was listed first, and the "Second option" second. Unless it displayed differently for different people, in which case 🤷

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@AurelianofRome @megbasham If there were church bells going off by my house at 5am, I'd complain too.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

Compromise: kick him out but make sure to take a moment to acknowledge his grandparents' ownership of the house whenever you have guests over.

[Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz]

Some guy broke into my house and set up residence in the study room. He says his grandparents used to live in this house and now he won't leave.

My family and I tried to kick him out but he got very violent. He brings in his friends and they help beat us up if we ever try to make him leave.

They keep saying I hate the guy because of his religion. I don't even care about his religion, I just don't like sharing my house with some random outsider who broke in here out of nowhere and took my stuff.

"The poor guy just wants one room to call his own," his friends say in his defense. "You and your family have all the surrounding rooms in the house, and yet you have a problem with the guy having sovereignty over ONE room? That's kind of bigoted and evil."

He keeps throwing stuff at me and my family if we get too close to his door, saying we make him feel afraid. His friends say it's understandable because his room is surrounded by enemies who hate him just for existing, but we don't hate him for existing, we hate him because he forcibly inserted himself into our home and keeps throwing stuff at us.

And what's weird is whenever I explain my situation to normal people they completely understand where I'm coming from and agree the guy is being a dick, but if I talk to the police or the local paper they always side with the guy. Almost everyone in town hates this guy now because of how he's been acting, but everyone in power does everything they can to protect him. It's like there's a total disconnect between the authorities and the will of the public on this particular issue.

It's having a nastier and nastier effect on the community at large all across town. The police have been showing up to arrest anyone who says they think the guy's being an asshole. The paper keeps printing these obnoxious lies telling everyone that me and my family are the real criminals and the guy is actually sweet and awesome. It's really unfair.

Things have been so tense and hostile ever since this guy showed up. I honestly think it would be better if he'd never moved in here at all, but whenever I say that his friends claim I'm saying the guy should be exterminated and try to get me in trouble.

It's a real mess, man.

That guy sucks.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@greendragonhq @Patrickwebb Hard to prosecute someone when they've got a blanket pardon for unspecified crimes. Someone thought Fauci might want that.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@wil_da_beast630 You can't possibly hold modern inhabitants of those countries responsible for the actions of their ancestors; they're owed more than just an apology!

[Jack @tracewoodgrains]

Hi, “certain kind of liberal” here. Always good to see people engaging on the specifics.

A quick summary of my view here:

People learn at different rates. It is overwhelmingly clear that some portion of this variance is genetic; I leave the specifics of what is genetic and what is early childhood to domain experts. Every time I see a successful intervention to increase someone’s rate of learning, I’m thrilled. But people learn at different rates.

Like many, I was drawn to this at first because I did well on tests and was bored in school. It’s not flattering because it’s scandalous, it’s flattering because it’s nice to find something you’re good at! But over time, I became obsessed with a disconnect:

People learn at different rates. But virtually every time politicians talk about school, and every time you look at what’s happening in education policy, you see flat baselines. What percent are “proficient” or “at grade level”? Below a flat line? Crisis. Above it? Privileged; no concern.

Everyone knows kids learn at different rates. And for generations, education policy has been obsessed with burying that, centered around a goal of flattening learning rates. This has distorted research, it has distorted policy, and it harms countless kids in countless schools every day.

Because—forget about anything to do with genetics, and just test kids. Is someone ready for algebra? Teach algebra. Are they ready for novels? Give them novels. Do they need basic phonics practice? Give basic phonics practice. Are they struggling with addition? Teach addition.

Some kids will progress faster. Some will progress slower. The question is not “are they going at the same speed?” but “are they being challenged appropriately? are they being productively taught to their level?”

I would love to shut up about ability differences. But the trouble is, I’m not wrong on the facts. The people who work to flatten education into a one-size-fits-all mess because they refuse to say kids learn at different rates are, and until liberals get serious about it, they will continue to pursue intellectually bankrupt policies that hurt the kids they claim to help, at all levels.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@mysteriouskat But the cheese tho

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@HistoryBoomer Pecan is an inferior pie.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@HistoryBoomer Shit, I have hair.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@HistoryBoomer Someone on my high school debate team pulled the "there are two options, so it's a 50/50 chance" bit when arguing something related to the risks of HIV becoming transmissible airborne. He did not win the debate.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@avidseries I have a vivid memory of seeing my parents sitting quietly at the kitchen table, and that moment being the closest thing to a fight I'd ever seen between them.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@peterboghossian @drrollergator As the True President should.

[Katherine Brodsky @mysteriouskat]

You know what, an argument can be made that corporations can be complicit in the deaths of people. Here's the reason Mangione was not justified in committing murder. We cannot live in a society where each person determines who is guilty and deserves to die—we have legal systems for that. If the United Healthcare CEO is complicit in deaths, then laws need to be made to address this. We don't live in the wild wild west. We used to. But we grew up. Piker didn't. Neither did Mangione.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@HistoryBoomer If goods production goes way up, the Fed is there to ensure the dollar loses enough value for prices go up at least 2% in $ terms anyway.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@RealDianeYap @DiggingInTheDi1 Look up the difference between necessary and sufficient conditions.

[Student of the Lotus @atlach7]

@HansFiene If she's bearing the mental load of remembering the "right milk" and "right apples", it is fully within her power to free herself.