QUOTE OF THE DAY, WRIGHT BROTHERS DAY EDITION:

As a scientific achievement, as a demonstration of cool nerve, or as an example of control of brain and muscle, cultivated to the point where it becomes instinctive, Wilbur Wright’s flight up the Hudson on October 4 is memorable. But the leap by which popular imagination flies to the interpretation that this performance establishes commercial supremacy of the aeroplane is purely fantastic. Emotion has run away with reason.

[…]

We do not query the interest or excellence of the Wrights’ mechanical achievement. There is no reason apparently why they should not vastly better any recorded performance—fly thousands of feet high, or hundreds of miles in distance. Our skepticism is only as to the utilitarian value of any present or possible achievement of the aeroplane. We do not believe it will ever be a commercial vehicle at all. We do not believe it will find any very large place in the world of sport. We do not believe its military importance is as great as is commonly supposed, or will extend (except accidentally) beyond the range of scouting and courier service. Even here it remains wholly indeterminate how much (except mutual destruction) can actually be accomplished by men in flying-machines, if other men in other flying-machines are trying to prevent the accomplishment. And even the attempt must always be limited by the absolute dependence of aerial navigation upon weather conditions which in most places and in average seasons exist during only a minor fraction of the time.

—The Engineering Magazine, 1909. Text in bold highlighted by Matt Novak of PaleoFuture, in a post headlined, “Doubts About the Airplane in 1909: ‘Emotion Has Run Away With Reason.’”

As Clarke’s First Law stipulates, “When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.”

THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD: I’ve just gotten back from seeing Peter Jackson’s stunning new documentary in honor of the centennial of the end of WWI, along with a half-hour making-of video narrated by Jackson, at a theater in Fort Worth this afternoon. There will be another showing in American theaters on December 27th, and it’s well worth seeing in a movie theater, before the inevitable streaming and Blu-Ray releases. There’s a bit of a SPOILER ALERT in this New York Times review, but it gives a sense of the power of these images and how they were restored:

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SO SOME PEOPLE ON THE SITE ARE GETTING REDIRECTED TO AD PAGES WHEN THEY CLICK ON A LINK. Even when it’s a link to comments. It’s some sort of crap that has sneaked in via the ad network and the ad folks have been trying to block it but it’s insidious. Clearing your browser cache seems to make it go away. I’ve experienced it a couple of times myself. It is affecting some other sites, but it almost feels like some kind of attack. Anyway, sorry to those who have been affected, and we’re working on it. It’s by far the worst such thing I’ve ever experienced on this site.

TUMBLR IS A STEAMING PILE: Tumblr’s Porn Filter Flags Its Own Examples of ‘Permitted’ Nudity.

OPEN THREAD: Because we care.

LAWBLOG CONCURRING OPINIONS IS CLOSING UP SHOP. Orin Kerr has some thoughts.

I’M SO OLD I REMEMBER WHEN THEIR MOTTO WAS “DON’T BE EVIL” INSTEAD OF “SURE, WHATEVS:”

RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS: Federal court declares New York ban on nunchucks unconstitutional. “A federal court says New York’s ban on nunchucks, the martial arts weapon made famous by Bruce Lee but prohibited in the state for decades, is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. Judge Pamela Chen issued her ruling Friday in federal court in Brooklyn.”

SOUL OF A BIGOT: “Despite her incredibly rapid ascent up the greasy pole, Minnesota Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar holds herself out as a victim of bigotry and intolerance. As is frequently the case in dealing with devout leftists, however, what we have here is a serious case of projection.”

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Plus, Amazon Fire Kids tablets – Holiday Sale.

THE MENTAL STATE OF THE RULING CLASS: A very nice review of Todd Henderson’s novel, Mental State, which I liked. “One of the more interesting aspects of Mental State—which was authored before Donald Trump descended the elevator, but only released this year—is the exploration of an emergent human type: the careerist, left-of-center, deep state bureaucrat.”

OUT OF THE UNCANNY VALLEY: These incredibly realistic fake faces show how algorithms can now mess with us.

YES, BUT WHAT WILL CONGRESS MAKE OF THEM? Reed O’Connor’s Obamacare Ruling Opens Up New Possibilities for America’s Health Care.

YOUR DAILY TREACHER: Make America Great Again by Cheering When People Lose Their Jobs at Christmastime.

SEE, QUANTUM MECHANICS CAN EXPLAIN HOW SOMETHING COMES FROM NOTHING: This fascinating experiment by a team led by a Spanish researcher is sure to spark new debate in the media, academia and various public policymaking bodies about origins, intelligent design and creation. I’m skeptical (scroll all the way to the end, please) but am very much interested in what folks here think.

WHICH ISN’T MUCH LIKE, YOU KNOW, A REGULAR R8: Audi comes out swinging with what amounts to a four-seat, electric R8.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES! Would Human Extinction Be a Tragedy?

DAILY BEAST: ‘Vice,’ the Dick Cheney Biopic, Might Be the Worst Movie of the Year.

The big complaint? The movie “at best marginally humanizes Dick Cheney and at worst lionizes him.”

Well, we can’t have that.

NOW THAT’S CHANGE I CAN BELIEVE IN: Colorado grocers can offer full-strength beer on Jan. 1.

Prior to 2019, the beer sold at grocery and convenience stores is limited to 3.2 percent alcohol by weight, or 4 percent alcohol by volume. To find beer with higher alcohol content — typically known as full-strength beer — you must shop at liquor stores.

The law that takes effect Jan. 1 essentially eliminates the two tiers for sales and allows all retailers licensed to sell beer to do so, regardless of alcohol content.

So this means you can soon buy full-strength beer at liquor stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, and big box retailers, such as Walmart, Target, Costco and Sam’s Club. The hours for beer sales every day are 8 a.m. to midnight.

Where can I buy wine and liquor in Colorado?

The new law will not change where you can buy wine and liquor. Only licensed liquor stores can sell wine and liquor in Colorado. Hard cider is considered wine under the law, so to find the full-strength versions you will still need to buy from a liquor store.

We have a ways to go yet.

HAPPY WRIGHT BROTHERS DAY: Monday marks 115 years since Wright Brothers’ historic first flight.

NOT A SPOOF: I have no words.  They have out-smugged the PBS tote bag.

ROBERT ROMANO: With FBI Misconduct Against Flynn Revealed, Mueller ‘Obstruction’ Probe Evaporates.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Trigger Technique: Understanding the Basics.

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