Bill Jouris

by wj    Here's your chance to predict the results (if you get in early), or comment on them (after the fact), of Trump's meeting with Putin today.    Recently, Trump has characterized this as a "listening exercise."  Which is probably, perhaps by accident, accurate. If not quite in the way he meant it.   … Read more

by wj  I've been looking at the pictures of the redecorated Oval Office (and other White House "improvements").  It occurs to me to wonder, is it just an artifact of what got preserved, or did the ultra wealthy of the first Gilded Age (not to mention the aristocracies of the 1700s) actually have good taste?  … Read more

by wj  "Rare earths" (lanthanide elements) are not particularly rare.  What they are is quite difficult to separate and refine, because they are so similar.  But there are differences, and those differences are critical is determining which one will work well (or at all) in any particular technical application.  Once upon a time, perhaps half … Read more

by wj Between the fires raging in Southern California and the ice storms in the eastern part of the country, it's pretty obvious that climate change is starting to hit us big time. The obvious question is, Why do people here in the US have such trouble accepting that? The answer, I think, is simple: … Read more

by wj JanieM gave us a great upbeat musical post.  But we have this election tomorrow, and I expect that everybody is going to feel compelled to talk about it.  Wednesday, if not before.  So, to keep from polluting her thread, here’s an Open Thread for you. Just to kick it off, here’s a chance … Read more

by wj There’s an old aphorism: Prediction is hard; especially about the future. I’ve seen it attributed to various sages, including Yogi Berra and Albert Einstein.  The thing is, it’s not true. Prediction is very, very easy.  What’s hard is accurate prediction.  So, since it’s easy, I’m going to venture a prediction.  (Aided by the … Read more

by wj  We're overdue for another Open Thread.  And this coming week's Democratic National Convention seems likely to provide cause for comment.  So here's your chance!  Open Thread

by wj    lj mentioned in comments to the previous thread that he's been at a conference this past week.  Well, I'm doing the same.  In Kigali, Rwanda.  And was inspired. I suspect that, for any of you who are over 50, when you hear "Rwanda" the next word that comes to mind is "genocide."  … Read more

by wj  You may have seen, as I have, arguments back and forth concerning police vs mental health approaches to combatting violent crime in our cities.  Just for sheer novelty, here is a little something that may be of interest.  The results of a city (Richmond, CA) which actually tried it.  Richmond, 2006: A man … Read more

by wj  (No, it’s not what you think!  This is an Open Thread that doesn’t start out about politics.  No matter what you assumed from the title.) Last spring, I decided that spending all my time sitting (either in front of a computer screen or with a book) was probably not the best idea.  So … Read more