You could knock me over with a feather if these people were going to be skilled machinists able to create a design and then clean up the steps done by robots by the end of this. From what I know of government apprenticeship programs for unemployed adults, they’re usually taught just what it takes to be placed in a…

It’s called “machining”, and although tasks like this are generally performed by computer numeric controlled (CNC) machines, the piece still needs to be designed, and the stock (metal to be cut) must be set up in the machine, and the order of operations determined (there are an almost infinite number of ways you can…

Well, no. Every aspect of food preparation has been automated, it’s still worthwhile to know how to cook. There are machines that simulate sex, both for pleasure, and to artificial inseminate women. Nothing against either of those, but don’t believe the non-automated version of those is busywork. Player pianos did…

Several years ago, I read an article about the Finnish government’s complete overhaul of their services for children a few decades ago. The first step was the famous Finnish baby box - a cardboard box that doubles as a cradle - filled with essentials for a newborn child. Because it is Finland, it includes essentials…

I was one of two kids in my class in elementary school grade (year after year) who qualified for free/reduced. I had a special colored lunch ticket that I was humiliated by — so much so that I’d often opt to go without rather than flash that thing. So many kids would rather be hungry than embarrassed. I was one. I am…

And not just that, but I think the BIGGEST thing (which is pointed out in the article) is that now all kids can eat.

Kids should eat. People should have food. Food shouldn’t be politicised.

It’s an extension of what was so eloquentl expressed here:

That report was such propaganda horseshit.

She doesn’t care about their success at all, she just wants to make all schools Christian. That’s her only goal and she’s hired a lot of people with all that money to determine the most subtle, slimiest way possible to do it.

I just listened to that yesterday and came here to see if anyone was commenting about it (you can listen to the whole thing on podcast, which I suppose you probably know - that’s how I get it). Her speech to the conservative ladies in which she decries those who want a stronger system in favour of one that champions…

I just listened to that episode too, and found the whole thing strange. She paid for an impoverished girl’s private education and bought her mom a car to help her get to work. And then she hired the mom to be her personal laundry woman, which is nice I guess, since the mom was having trouble holding a job. But they…

Part of the conservative ethos is that private charity is just as good as and can replace public policy and funding, so this makes sense in a way. She picked a family she thought was “worthy” of the help, and gave it. She didn’t consider the other kids who were still in the school and that they all might benefit from…

Last night I listened to an NPR show @ Betsy DeVos and her time as a mentor in a low income school. I missed the beginning, but the teachers who were interviewed talked about how profoundly misguided she was. She took a shine to one family and bought them a car, but never tried to figure out what would actually help…

I guess I don’t understand. Why is it a bad thing to protect against sex discrimination? Or to keep pollution out of our air & water? Or to pay people equally for the same job? Or to have regulations in place to keep buildings from falling down or people from being poisoned? I just can’t wrap my mind around whatever…

All of the people saying that drinking acid shouldn’t make your stomach less acidic are clearly not studentsc of biomedicine or even basic chemistry. Of course adding an acid into your gut would cause a reduction in ACID PRODUCTION by the parietal cells of the gut endothelium. The body is seeking equilibrium…

Donnie is gonna be pissed when he finds out that he is not allowed to keep the gifts:

Exactly. This is pure racist spite that will hurt the economy and destroy hundreds of thousands of families for no discernible upside. I think it’s time to admit that Trump is a white nationalist and his party is a white nationalist party. The GOP can’t even hide behind “law and order” on this one- it’s just…

Yep! Pence knows how this game is played. He’s hitting all the right notes. It’s not even rocket science to hit most of those notes— Trump could’ve gotten major points for skipping the branding & just talking to / comforting survivors, I mean he wouldn’t even have to help clear debris.

He was taking photos of 2 women kissing, wouldn’t stop, and one of them grabbed the camera strap so he punched her.