Thursday, July 27, 2017

TECHNOLOGY: Three reasons why Trump is backing exascale computing.

On the one hand, I'm having a bit of trouble comprehending the need for a computer capable of one quintillion floating point operations per second (an exaflop); on the other hand, from my life in defense-oriented R&D, I can understand the need to maintain a significant lead in basic science research.

I just hope funding this research doesn't impact 'blue-sky' research - think of the once-vaunted Bell Labs, where where William Shockley discovered the transistor effect in semiconductors and Claude Shannon 'invented' the field of information theory. While both were funded, at least in part, by defense-related grants, neither had any immediate or direct military application. Yet our current world of cell phones and computers wouldn't exist without them.
YEAH, IT'S WEIRD: Senate won't pass health care bill until House agrees not to pass it.
SCIENCE? OR 'SCIENCE'? Author fools scientific journals with paper about midi-chlorians.
ANY EXCUSE to disparage the Trump administration.
LARRY CORREIA:
For all the people having a massive come apart this morning because the military won’t take transsexuals, get ahold of yourself. They didn’t want me because of asthma and bad feet! There is a giant list of reasons why they will refuse people, medical, mental, or other. Most of which have way less logistical baggage involved.

It is an organization that should be dedicated to killing people and breaking their shit, not a country club.

I’ve also heard Mattis is trying to get rid of all the useless sensitivity training and 28 hour PowerPoint presentations too. Because if it gets in the way of making war, it’s dumb.

It isn’t about just you. It is about the team. They got rid of that stupid Army of One slogan because it ain’t.
The link is here.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Why I’m leaving UK academia.

Linked from Instapundit, who adds "It’s that way here, too. And it hasn’t made things better."
TOTAL BLACKOUT for facts which a non-corrupt media would find worth a mention:
Major cable news networks have given no coverage to the burgeoning scandal involving IT staffers to former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, according to a Washington Free Beacon analysis.
Reporting by the Daily Caller News Foundation has revealed that Wasserman Schultz's top information technology staffer Iman Awan was arrested Monday after trying to flee the country amidst investigations into Awan concerning banking fraud and a criminal cybersecurity probe. Awan wired over $280,000 to Pakistan after the FBI recently recovered multiple smashed hard drives from Awan's home.

Despite being blocked from the House computer network since February amid allegations of "committing serious, potentially illegal, violations on the House IT network," Awan remained employed by Wasserman Schultz's office. He and four of his relatives have received $4 million by working for Democratic members of Congress since 2009.

Wasserman Schultz finally fired Awan on Tuesday, after he attempted to flee the country. His wife already fled to Pakistan with $12,000 in cash. Awan and his relatives had full access to the emails of the Democratic members they worked for, and Wasserman Schultz's password to her iPad she used while she was head of the DNC.
To quote Iowahawk, via Instapundit, "Journalism is about covering important stories. With a pillow, until they stop moving".
ARE THERE REALLY 15,000 transgender people serving in the military?

Well, if by 'transgender' you mean everyone who ever thought "Gee, I wonder what it would be like to be of the opposite sex" then the answer is probably 'maybe'. Otherwise, no.
TURNING DOCTORS INTO CLERKS: Our progressive ruling class knows you better than you or your doctor.

I don't think so, and I want no part of 'progressive' medicine.
WOUNDED WARRIOR hammers purveyors of PC in the military.

Do you really want this idiot sharing a firebase in the middle of the Iraq desert?

Where is Cpl. Klinger when you need him?
COGENT COMMUNICATION: What is “Good” English?

Technical writing was bad when I was still working; my son tells me it's only gotten worse since Muriel retired.
PROGRESSIVE STUPIDITY INSANITY: a 'right' to a stable climate.

Uh, okay. Define 'stable'.
POWERLINE: Of tools and their toolkit. 'Tools' does not refer to those of the mechanical variety.