Patterico's Pontifications

Usually, Truth is what I can get people to believe — my friend Henry, talking about his life as a lawyer — and that’s why engineering and math are so hard; there, Truth is the absolute the world believes, not the people in the world.

htom (412a17) — 11/24/2013 @ 5:37 pm

It’s funny how the Left does Mental Twister about this issue. The Professor is spot on regarding the problems here. But that is part of the Left: intention is more important than accomplishment. Which explains this administration to a tee.

Most importantly, these characters in power don’t seem to “get” that their shortcuts and tricks can be used by their political opponents. Again, because they are “good” it makes what they do good. Their opponents are “bad,” which is why when their opponents do precisely the same thing, their conclusions differ.

But Jonathan Swift wrote about this hundreds of years ago. I’m sad, and I’m worried about what is slouching toward Bethlehem, waiting to be born. Personally, I think Jonah Goldberg was right. Fascism takes many forms, and not all of them goose-step with harsh accents.

Simon Jester (c8876d) — 11/24/2013 @ 5:41 pm

Who knew that previous experience running something could have come in handy?

Former Conservative (a685d7) — 11/24/2013 @ 5:43 pm

‘the Norwegian blue, finds it hard to pine;

http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/20208

narciso (3fec35) — 11/24/2013 @ 6:06 pm

Simon–this is for you. 🙂

http://www.youtube.com/embed/O0azojPPRhw?feature=player_embedded

elissa (ce1ea8) — 11/24/2013 @ 6:08 pm

We had to vote for it to find out what was in it.

AZ Bob (ade845) — 11/24/2013 @ 6:09 pm

Well not just Simon. Everybody should watch it— right to the end.

elissa (ce1ea8) — 11/24/2013 @ 6:11 pm

The point he’s trying to make is that engineering deals with hard cold facts. There are no appeals, no spin, no public opinion that matters — just math and physics.

Further, telling the engineers to “work faster” or piling more people onto a project (who have to be brought up to speed by people who were working on the project) does not actually speed it up.

Telling engineers that they cannot test their work incrementally does not actually reduce bugs, it embeds them. Then, when they do test it, they have to paw through much more to find the bugs, undo lots more to fix them, and deal with interactions that should have been avoided by getting rid of simple errors early.

In short, the blind were leading the sighted. Politicians and lawyers ought not run projects where lies can’t work.

Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 11/24/2013 @ 6:19 pm

l can’t thank you enough elissa.
laughing my buttocks off.

mg (31009b) — 11/24/2013 @ 7:56 pm

It’s like a live action dilbert cartoon, with contractors from Elbonia,

narciso (3fec35) — 11/24/2013 @ 8:00 pm

–laughing my buttocks off.==

heh, mg. I did too. It appears all the action’s over on the other thread. I hope my link gets a few more clickys before the night is over.

elissa (ce1ea8) — 11/24/2013 @ 9:10 pm

Further, telling the engineers to “work faster” or piling more people onto a project (who have to be brought up to speed by people who were working on the project) does not actually speed it up.

This is true.

However, nearly two months ago, Republicans in the House were offering President Obama a chance to give the engineers at least fourteen extra months to get the site online- and a blank check of concessions along with it.

That was a political failure to not wrangle every possible concession in exchange ensuring that any rollout problems will have a minimal effect on elections.

Michael Ejercito (906585) — 11/24/2013 @ 9:21 pm

Re: the video from elissa:

I’m not laughing. Those people vote. They choose our leaders.

Of course, they make a habit of showing up here to try to tell us we are stupid. So, there is that.

Regardless, with Reid’s action in the Senate, the low information voter is now ruling the nation. That is not funny.

Ag80 (eb6ffa) — 11/24/2013 @ 9:25 pm

Ag80- I bet your the life of the party.

mg (31009b) — 11/25/2013 @ 3:30 am

kessler has a whopper for today, and any day ending in y

narciso (342f74) — 11/25/2013 @ 5:01 am

Thanks elissa,

Funny and sad. Love the older couple at the end.

Stashiu3 (e7ebd8) — 11/25/2013 @ 5:07 am

So the Obama administration has declared that if 80% are able to get into the website and 20% unable to jump on and peruse the options, why that’s a success story.

My guess is that success story won’t fit on the Hopen’Change poster.

Colonel Haiku (01ad4d) — 11/25/2013 @ 6:02 am

Great vid, elissa. Not sure where that was filmed… Santa Monica? With the exception of the old couple at the end, the herd needs thinning.

Colonel Haiku (01ad4d) — 11/25/2013 @ 6:12 am

Karl Marx? Is he one of Zeppo’s grandkids?

nk (dbc370) — 11/25/2013 @ 7:07 am

Thanks, elissa. Great to see him crack up.

htom (412a17) — 11/25/2013 @ 7:13 am

Comment by Colonel Haiku (01ad4d) — 11/25/2013 @ 6:02 am

So the Obama administration has declared that if 80% are able to get into the website and 20% unable to jump on and peruse the options, why that’s a success story.

I;m not sure what that 80% is but it is probably more than just being able to log on.

Q. Why 80%?

A. This is probably similar to the idea of drawing a bullseye AFTER the bullet has been fired – except they have to project a bit in advance.

But since their wont is to be too optmistic, they’ll probably miss this target too.

Except for the fact I’m not sure how anybody would measure it.

Maybe they do have a measurement, in which we will hear of it only if they pass. And if they pass a few days later, they’ll shout that.

Sammy Finkelman (ebcaa1) — 11/25/2013 @ 4:11 pm

But….

The whole system of doing anything with the items in the shopping cart at healthcare.gov is not working, and should not be ready till well past January, if what is being reported in correct.

I don’t think they can do anything with the anything in the shopping cart now, except 1) process it more or less manually by printing it out and faxing or mailing it maybe, or 2) e-mail a garbled file, leaving it up to the insurance companies and state Medicaid agencies to evaluate and unscramble, and check back with the customer or client to see whether they have it right, and if this is their final decision.

Sammy Finkelman (ebcaa1) — 11/25/2013 @ 4:12 pm

OFA has developed talking points for Obots to facilitate discussion about Obamacare sign-up at the Thanksgiving Dinner table. So, all you people in mixed-politics families be forewarned and be prepared!

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/364823/load-holidays-and-watch-out-those-uncles-jonah-goldberg

elissa (20e85f) — 11/25/2013 @ 4:23 pm

You’re at Thanksgiving dinner and ObaminableCare comes up?… just pivot to Illegal Immigration or the IBRD*!

* Iranian Butt Rape Deal

Colonel Haiku (9ffca6) — 11/25/2013 @ 4:44 pm

“Q. Why 80%?”

Why, that was the first number pulled out of his as… er, hat.

Colonel Haiku (9ffca6) — 11/25/2013 @ 4:46 pm

what me worry;

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/healthcaregov-on-track-in-spite-of-another-outage-officials-say/

narciso (3fec35) — 11/25/2013 @ 4:48 pm

Oh and btw: