Black feminist physics

From Maggie’s Farm 

“This week, the Divisional Dean of Social Sciences at the University of Oregon sent an email to faculty ‘to encourage you all to attend this exciting presentation!’, by a visiting physicist, which was described as follows:

 

“Title: Scientists vs. Science: Race, Gender, and Anti-Intellectualism in Science

 

“Abstract: Black thought can help us free science from the white supremacist traditions of scientists. Scientists vs. Science will use Black feminist and anti-colonialist analyses to show that white supremacy is a total epistemic system that affects even our most ‘objective’ areas of knowledge production. The talk hinges on the development of the concept of white empiricism, which I introduced to give a name to the way that anti-intellectual white supremacy plays a role in physicists’ analysis of when empirical data is important and what counts as empirical data. This white empiricism shapes both Black women’s (and other) experiences in physics and the actual knowledge produced about physics. Until this is understood and addressed directly, systems of domination will continue to play a major role in the practice of physics.”

 

https://quillette.com/2021/06/02/in-defense-of-the-universal-values-of-science/

 

Got that? Physics must be taught from a “Black feminist and anti-colonialist” perspective. E will no longer equal mc squared. Two objects can occupy the same space at the same time. The speed to escape Earth’s gravity will no longer be 25,020 mph.

 

 

What punishment is fit for this stupid father?

Father of 10-year-old drove his kid ‘to participate in a drive-by shooting with a paint gun.’ The homeowner fired back. 

From ABC News and The Associated Press

MIAMI -- Thinking his home was under attack, a Florida homeowner shot and wounded a 10-year-old whose father had driven him to participate in a drive-by shooting with a paintball gun, police said.

Michael Williams, 26, told Opa-locka police his son begged him to drive by a home where young people were gathered Sunday night so he could fire his paintball out the window, according to a police report released Tuesday.

Williams drove by the home as his son fired off several rounds, police said. The homeowner confused the paintball for real gunfire, telling police he thought his family was being attacked. He fired one shot, which struck the child. The boy then lost his balance and was run over by his father's vehicle, police said.

No additional details on the child's injuries or condition were released. Williams drove the child home and his mother called 911, according to police.

The Miami Herald reports the father was charged with child neglect with great bodily harm. According to a police report, Williams “acted recklessly by agreeing to conduct a drive-by paint ball shooting,”

It was not clear if Williams had an attorney who could comment on the charge.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/boy-shot-man-returns-paintball-fire-real-gunfire-78028379

Link at Valor Guardians

 

 

 

 

 

Notes from riding

Totally plastic 

Based on the bent and dented sedans and small SUVs I saw on flatbed trailers in five days, not much damage is required to total a car these days. All had front-end damage, and some had a bit of twisted metal, but none seemed to have the kind of damage I would associate with a parts car from 50 years ago. Of course, 50 years ago people would have said, “Why, that kind of damage you could pull out of a Model T with a horse and a come-along.”

Watch the floor

We made a truly necessary pit stop at a Stop-‘N-Rob called Harry’s on an edge of Chattanooga. I went in first, cause when an old man’s bladder sends a “NOW!” signal, it is telling the truth. I don’t expect anything other than clean from a commercial business’s bathroom. What I do not ever expect is to see feces on the floor. Harry’s had feces, several leavings about the surface area of a quarter and maybe a quarter-inch thick. I have seen a lot worse things, so I avoided the leavings, did my business, washed and dried my hands and on the way out mentioned to the man at the cash register: “There is feces in the floor!” That man, an East Indian, shrugged and pointed to an older black man sitting on a stool in a corner, using an electronic device and giving to mind to me or my outburst. My guess is, he owned the station. As I was going out, I said to an incoming couple, “Be aware, if you’re going into the rest room, there is feces on the floor.” When I told my wife and my daughter, my daughter shook her head. “No,” she said. “No, no. I can hold it.” 

Just so you’ll know

I packed all my clothes for the trip in my 35-year-old rucksack. In one pouch I put the S&W Model 10 and a box of ammunition. I said to my wife and daughter, “If you’re handling the rucksack, don’t grab the right side pouch. It has a pistol and ammunition in it.” My wife knew I had the Model 19 in a gun case beneath the passenger seat. She said, “How many guns did you bring?” I said, “Two. I thought about bringing four, but decided on two.” She said, “Why do you need an arsenal?” I didn’t say anything, but an arsenal would be contents of the gun safe loaded in the back of the car.

Relatives

We visited my older and middle sisters while in Tennessee. My older sister’s husband is retired from barge and boat handling on the Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. He’s had an interesting life.

Belgian police, army, intelligence services searching for armed soldier for 17 days

 From The Brussels Times

“A manhunt for career soldier Jürgen Conings (46) has been underway in Belgium since 17 May, when Conings allegedly stole an arsenal of deadly weapons from a military barracks and went on the lam.”

(The “arsenal” consisted of a machine gun, a rocket launcher and a pistol. Stuff that will do damage, but an arsenal?)

“Far-right political party Vlaams Belang confirmed Conings was a member of its party in 2020. Party spokesman Jonas Naeyaert said the party cannot be held responsible for the actions of former members, and that there is no link between Vlaams Belang and the actions of Conings.”

(We got your back. NOT.)

https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/belgium-all-news/170779/far-right-terrorist-manhunt-marc-van-ranst-ludivine-dedonder-alexander-de-croo-the-hunt-for-jurgen-conings-a-timeline/

Link from https://gunfreezone.net/jurgen-conings-is-the-hero-we-need/

 

 

 

So ethnically insensitive

 

Off the road again

My wife, my daughter and I spent five days away from home, going to Jackson, Tennessee, so my daughter could get a new dog. She has two, but decided those needed a puppy. 

Harvey is a brindle black pug. He is my daughter’s sixth pug. I don’t care for pugs. My wife has a pug/English bulldog, Winston, named by me. We were among 100 families or individuals who applied for the dog from a pug rescue. I don’t remember his used-to-be name. When my wife showed his picture and asked what we should call him, I said, “Winston.” He looks like a Winston. He is now three years old and more than 60 pounds.

Our other dog is a black standard poodle, Baker, who is five months old. We had two standards – Victor and Charlie – for 13 years. When Victor died, my wife and I decided our next dog would also be a standard, but not one who would reach Victor’s 95 pounds or Charlie’s 65 pounds. Black standards are smaller than creams or reds.

I also named Victor and Charlie. I decided on Baker because I wanted a name from the military phonetic alphabet. Nothing from the NATO alphabet fit, so I went to the World War II-Korean War version. Also, I have a (so far) 50,000-word story, “Travels with Baker,” and the name fit for a new dog.

Harvey is a cute puppy, and I am glad he fits my daughter’s life.

Public service announcement