You Thought The Immigration Ban Was Bad . . . Now It's MUTUAL

"Thrown For A Loop" by Herr D on heromachine.com

Are you SERIOUS?! Who's reported that?

Every major news outlet. Wire services more slowly, but agreed.

I'm banned from Europe? Wow. I can't -- GO there -- don't have the money, but, HA!

This is funny?

Yes! The EU never squabbles as much as Congress has recently, but STILL. Yikes. Europe collectively depises the antics of our current President. Good to know they have sense over there.

You maintain intelligent life is to be found in Europe?

There's some here too, just, it tends to be the people who have to work out how to deal with the bad decisions bosses make. Not the rich or powerful.

Where it is survival. Understood. This pertains to the saying you mentioned? Riding shoulders?

Yes. People are fond of saying others ride their coattails, but it really is the other way around mostly.

Ah.

Herr D May Decide To OwnThis Blog, Place Limited Ads--Hairy Left Instructions

"Dat Bass" by Herr D on heromachine.com. Prizes can be punishment.-Shelob

What?

Do you understand the offer?

[pause] Yes. 

It will not make you rich. As you have pointed out, his content is not that popular.

It's more popular than my writing. Does this mean Hairy isn't returning?

Hairy is expected to return or send more blog episodes for you to include. When is uncertain.

And I'm just going to figure out this stuff? I'm not even a programmer since DOS languages went away.

Yes. You may also offer content of certain different kinds. Will you accept?

[pause] If I can figure it out.

Pleas In A Blog

1. Please, everyone? Wear your masks. Every day. Avoid crowds. No matter who you are. I value your life.

2. Be kind to people. Especially now. Everyone is having a hard time.

Yeah, that's it, Shelob. Post that for us?

Ad Nausea--Cryin' Won't Help

 

"Super Facepalm" by Herr D on heromachine.

Herr D? Are you prepared for commentary?
What
Will you comment upon a commercial?
Ok
[plays ad for Trump]Special condition: you may comment upon him specifically at this time.

[agitation of laptop, uncertain meaning] He hasn't changed a bit. He's still lying.
Specifics?

The economy WASN'T doing better before COVID19 hit--it was doing approximately as bad as when he took office. My few international contacts asked me whether we"had more breadlines" because of Trump or whether the numbers they had were right. All I could tell them was that food bank use WAS up, underemployment had skyrocketed, unemployment was about the same. We were NOT the envy of the world. We were making America worse again under our laughingstock of a failed leader. Now our failure as a nation to react to COVID19 as well as we WERE prepared to do so under . . . Shelob? You claimed to have insight into this. I think Obama, Clinton, both Bush's, and Reagan would have done better.
Current information says that those presidents and Carter and Ford would have reacted more successfully.

So every recent president.
Before Ford, some presidents historically did react to unforeseen crises deftly. Kennedy, notably. The reason to withhold judgement is that less is certain about many of the presidents' personality traits.

Well, as far as the ad goes, I wish it made me laugh, 'cuz cryin' won't help. It's all stupid-wrong. I hope most people know better. I'm not sure that they do.
Thank you. [disconnect]

No Spare Change Yields Better Change: One Year's Wait For Donations? That's Herr D's Suggestion

0 $↻ .*⇶⍐ (One year no money yields better function.)-titlebot, italicsbot

 

[in chat] Sorry I wasn't available. The agency rolled up the exits and I didn't have any time.
Understood. When you did not go to heromachine or a game site for forty hours, italicsbot pointed out you were behaving out of set. Your employment was listed as a priority by Hairy. Did you look at the recent recorded entry?

No! I--[redacted]

[returning after reading] That's a good one. I enjoyed that. I've actually done that bottle trick with tater tots in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. 
Were you asked to leave a diner?

I did it at home, so no. He ate ketchup on brownies?
 Uncertain. His memory had recently been deeply affected by strobing.

. . . Right. [probable both-eye roll]
 Have you watched the news lately?

Yeah, another man wrongfully killed by police. That stuff is awful. I wish I thought protesting made change. It CAN bring attention to an issue, but it doesn't really seem to change it. When the KKK marched at Virginia Tech, I made sure to avoid the area. I didn't want anyone to think I supported them or that they deserved any attention. Racism really is nothing more than judging a book by its cover. Foolishness.
Historically, protests are recorded as succeeding.

Yeah, but that's history. Nowadays things are a bit different. Maybe instead of marching or standing in the way until a few troublemakers give the police an excuse to act against all of the protestors, something else could be done.
Do you have a suggestion? Hairy has noted you are creative.

[possible startle reaction, by agitation of laptop] Well--huh. Yeah, I've got one. The police call my house often. They want donations. Everyone start saying 'no' until we haven't had one of these deaths for a whole year. Tell them why on the phone. The police act like they can police themselves. Let them show us they can.
One year of no deaths?

No, a year of no unarmed, handcuffed people being killed by the police in the 50 states of America and DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Then everyone donate once. Then no donations until a year passes with no public outcry about police shooting someone with their hands up. Money is a great motivator. It's a hell of a lot better than getting tear-gassed or shot with a rubber bullet. Or arrested. I gotta go, Shelob. More work. [exits]

Science On Humans Is Like Ketchup On Brownies, Said Hairy

 

"Secret Identity" by Herr D on heromachine.com. Fitting in is not competence.-Shelob

[event previously set: Herr D cannot guest blog--ERGO: Reserve blog episode retrieved and posted]

Today's topic is the flaws of science.

Science itself cannot be flawed.

Uh--the current treatment of the scientific method--those flaws.

. . . Right?

Flaws exist in human activity of all kinds. Human science is no different.

Remind me to tweak your exactness subroutines.

Reminder set for three neap tides from now.

Okay! Science is like ketchup.

Contains sweetener.

Hah! Not what I meant. Ketchup comes out onto the brownies you want to eat, just like it should. That is to say, most of it. But when you have, say, 11% to 15% left, most of it sticks to the sides. Then you have to do something else.

Commercials exist depicting impacts upon the bottle or reaching in with a knife as other methods.

Yeah, you can't just pour it. Now, REGULAR scientific institutions pressure publishing and generalizable results. That's the science you can get LOTS of REALLY quickly.

Then there are those 'sticky' exceptions. You can't get those generalized (researched) as efficiently, so it's harder to publish those. That means it's harder to make money off them. And THAT means it's harder to learn about them because the best minds in the world are occupied with pushing those data points off the graph--or in this metaphor, leaving them in the bottle, away from public view.

Exceptions are ignored?

Sometimes! Then, of course, there are those people that know what to do. They grab the bottle, cut their brownies into strips, drop them into the bottle, roll the bottle between limbtips--

Hands.

Hands. Then they pour the ketchup-covered brownies  out onto the plate again.

What are the brownies in this metaphor?

Lessons! Lessons to be consumed by hungry minds.

And by consume you mean to learn.

YES! Those who know how can use the lessons themselves to extract more truth--or facts, I guess.
That would be the Socratic method, or inspired and probing questions, or occasionally speculative fiction. People who do that are at a great disadvantage. Not like regular scientists! Scientists get funding and cushy labs and grants and acclaim and publishing credits.

Those OTHER guys just get asked to leave the diner.

Were you ejected from that diner? Your suitbot is dented.

[sigh] Nevermind. Just post this whenever Herr D can't guest blog for me. [exits]

Event set.