lee.ourand.me

Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.

Felt germane to some current events. And also some other current events.

The Americans who voted for this will continue to be astounded by any suggestion that these actions are—in any way—cruel or bear any resemblance to any historically bad actors.

Merlin Mann has a way with words. He somehow makes this piece of advice I’ve heard a thousand times actually feel compelling. Challenge accepted, Merlin.

Dan Sinker writes about the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s, their immense power in Indiana, and the man, George Dale, who relentlessly fought to bring ‘em down.

It is destructive and it is awful and not everyone lives to see the other side, but it always, always fails. It takes work. It takes fighting back. It takes throwing punches. It takes doing whatever it takes to beat it back, to protect those that are most vulnerable from its many attacks. And through it all, it feels impossible that we will win.

But we will.

Watch as Jorge Manrubia Díez uses Turbo 8 to make a responsive UI in a Rails app.

Good grief. The way Turbo 8 is shaping up is really impressive. It really does feel like another giant step forward for Rails productivity. Also really wild just how simple the DOM diffing technique is—how have none of us thought about doing this since pjax’s inception in, what? 2011?

50 Years of Hip-Hop Samples 1973-2023. This thing is really well done.

Kemosabe’s a hedgehog. And he’s got a voice like an angel

Some Scots can’t say “Pulple Burglar Alarm”

The band of Intergalactic Monsters. Tiny Desk Concert. Solid.

Anyone in the market for a $3,000 backpack that follows you and, oh, is also a smart speaker?

The internet was just a funner place in 2014