Today I had a phone screen with a Microsoft manager who works on the HoloLens. A fun looking project, and I find that I wish I’d thought to tell him about my former life as a maker of musical instruments and pieces, since it seems so in line with what they’re making. And told him of work with Brickell and Cagent, and how Microsoft had bought the latter twenty years ago. Strange. I find I quite want this job. And I’m a little impressed with myself over some of the things I’ve built. And maybe I want to build some more. That’d be a relief.

So, I’m a little confused. I’m applying for citizenship, and as part of that process I will have to answer 10 questions that may include ones about the US system of government. I have duly studied, and to the question “what is the function of the Supreme Court”, one of the accepted answers is “to determine whether or not an action is constitutional”.

We are in the process of impeaching the last president, and this constitutionality question has come up: can you impeach a President who is no longer in office? However, it appears that this question was not decided by the Supreme Court, but by a simple vote in the Senate.

I’m confused. Is the Senate not itself conforming to the Constitution in this case? What am I supposed to tell he examiner?

“A person is only whole when their heart is broken”

from the Zohar, the classic medieval work of Jewish mysticism, via Dr. Susannah Heschel

Attacking the U.S. Capitol is not an act of patriotism. Obviously.
— Read on www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/worst-revolution-ever/617623/

Wow. A clear-eyed look at the “insurrectionists” everyone’s been wringing their hands over for a week.

This year I edited another book, worked on fascinating projects at Fluxx, and learned many learnings. I’m co-hosting an event on 14th December, and you’re welcome to join me: Fluxx Talks: How…
— Read on medium.com/fluxx-studio-notes/52-things-i-learned-in-2020-6a380692dbb8

These are interesting things. Fluxx sounds like an interesting place.

Nice turn of phrase. Captures where I’m at.

I’m watching the climax of a historic day. The Senate are calling the roll on Ted Cruz’s objection to acceptance of the vote count. So far, only Cruz has voted Aye. I’m looking forward to the final count in the Senate.

Trump has sabotaged Cruz brilliantly … if accidentally. Cruz intended for today to be his; an opportunity to take command of the Republicans with a principled objection, for which he will be lauded by the mass of Trump supporters who will be solidly behind him when he assumes power as the next Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. Cruz is angling to challenge McConnell for control of the party. Trump is being marginalized as irrelevant.

Instead, Trump made it all about him, as is his wont, and crashed the party, in the process destroying Cruz’s plan. Now, Cruz looks like a lone whiner whose only supporters will forever be known as the thugs who crashed the Congress, incidentally killing one of their own. Nobody is coming out in support. McConnell, in contrast, made a stirring, patriotic speech that elevates him in the eyes of the entire country, Democrat and Republican alike.

Brilliant. I’m sure Cruz will be back to try it on again another day, but for now he looks like a craven opportunist. That’s the way we want it. Meanwhile, we’re back to obsessing about “what will Trump do next?”

Update: yeas 6, nos 92. Cruz is out there on his own.

An Engineering Argument for Basic Income – Utilizing fault-tolerant design in critical life support systems
— Read on scottsantens.com/engineering-argument-for-unconditional-universal-basic-income-ubi-fault-tolerance-graceful-failure-redundancy

Best argument I’ve heard for. What is the best argument against?

It’s relevant to economics, epidemiology, traffic, and the spread of misinformation.
— Read on arstechnica.com/science/2021/01/synchronized-violin-players-reveal-uniqueness-of-human-networks/

Humans tune out contradictory stimuli from other humans instead of attempting to accommodate it. Interesting.

A completely unexpected bipartisan win for civilization? This matters, a lot! https://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-completely-unexpected-bipartisan-win.html

Huh. Progress! I like the further idea, that all things claimed as property must have someone publicly claim them.