Jack started the week with a bang, as he tore into... wait, let me check my notes... Senator John McCain's funeral, which he describes as "a perfect example of hypocrisy for the ages." It was undeniably uncivil to dis-invite the President of the United States from what would otherwise be a display of unified and bi-partisan Washington community respect for a departed … [Read more...] about Jack Marshall Watch 2018-09-10
The Mystery Of the Oscillator That Didn’t
I am continuing my attempt to self-educate myself at electronics by working through Charles Platt's book Make: Electronics: Learning Through Discovery, 2nd Edition.I'm currently working on an oscillator circuit. I was going to take a picture of my actual breadboard with the circuit on it, but this representational diagram from the book is a lot cleaner:The … [Read more...] about The Mystery Of the Oscillator That Didn’t
On Heroic Op-Eds From Disobedient Employees
If I declare myself to be Emperor of the United States, it's safe to say not much would come of it. Just because I say I'm in charge doesn't mean I'm actually in charge. To be in charge, you have to have people willing to follow you, and I don't have a lot of people who want to be my minions.(Yes, I know I wouldn't be the first Emperor of the United States. God rest Emperor … [Read more...] about On Heroic Op-Eds From Disobedient Employees
Jack Marshall Watch 2018-09-03
In Monday's roundup, Jack quotes with approval Steven Mintz complaining about incivility: Civility is about more than just politeness. It is about disagreeing without disrespect, seeking common ground as a starting point for dialogue about differences, listening past one’s preconceptions, and teaching others to do the same. Indeed, “civility represents a long tradition of … [Read more...] about Jack Marshall Watch 2018-09-03
Some (Very) Basic Electronics
In an attempt at self-improvement, I'm trying to teach myself some basic electronics.I was fascinated by electronics when I was a kid. I remember my parents had given me a Science Fair electronics kit, which was a shallow wooden box that had electronic components mounted inside, with spring terminals wired to each of the leads. You could wire components together by bending … [Read more...] about Some (Very) Basic Electronics