Daily Shaarli

All links of one day in a single page.

December 30, 2020

NIST Internet Time Service

The table below lists the time servers used by the NIST Internet Time Service (ITS). The table lists each server's name, IP address, and location, organized geographically within the US from North to South and then from East to West. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that the names of the servers are correct, we control the names of only the nist.gov servers. If you have difficulty using the name of a system, you can access a server using the IP address directly.

Scientists study melatonin as possible COVID-19 treatment

When asked if people who take melatonin are less susceptible to the virus because they are getting better sleep or because of the supplement itself, Cheng said researchers don’t know the “exact mechanism” yet.

“But more and more data comes out that support our hypothesis,” he told KIRO 7, adding that studies increasingly show melatonin also can help regulate the immune system. //

Other studies also have shown that melatonin reduces chronic and acute inflammation, the station reported.

Azores Airlines Launches New Not-Quite-Transatlantic Route - Simple Flying

Fans of unusual air routes will love the latest route announcement from Azores Airlines. It is launching a new route in summer 2021, from the Azores to Bermuda. Operated by the A321neo, this is a 3,580 kilometers route within the Atlantic Ocean.

Conquest’s Second Law of Politics in America

Robert Conquest (d. 3 August 2015) was a brilliant British historian and commentator. He wrote an absolutely GREAT book on Joseph Stalin’s terror campaign in the USSR: The Great Terror: Stalin’s Purge of the Thirties. He was a prolific writer and commentator who also wrote science fiction. During a lifetime of observing political machinations in the West, he also developed three laws of politics:

Everyone is conservative about what he knows best.
Any organization not explicitly right-wing sooner or later becomes left-wing.
The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies.
All three laws are great and true, but the focus of this article is on the second law. When the law is examined in the evolution of important American institutions over the past 60 years or so, the theory behind it is proven almost beyond the shadow of a doubt. Let us look at some examples.

Hunter Biden Laptop Lawsuit Gives Twitter Unpleasant Legal Choices

The lawsuit alleges Twitter defamed the computer store owner in an attempt to justify its censorship of The New York Post’s story on Hunter Biden selling access to his father.

The Time Andrew Weissmann Was Reversed 9-0 by the Supreme Court and 85,000 People Still Lost Their Jobs

: So if the company had a policy to destroy client documents under certain circumstances in the ordinary course of business, that policy predated the Enron problems, and the company was destroying Enron documents consistent with that policy, they were committing a crime BEFORE they received a subpoena for the records?

Weissmann: Yes.

Q: Following a policy for any client not in the news would be ok, but following the same policy for Enron prior to getting a subpoena sends you to jail or puts you out of business — even when you stop the moment you get the subpoena?

Weissmann: Yes.

The Supreme Court said the correct answer was “No.” //

The outer limits of this element need not be explored here because the jury instructions at issue simply failed to convey the requisite consciousness of wrongdoing. Indeed, it is striking how little culpability the instructions required. For example, the jury was told that, “even if [petitioner] honestly and sincerely believed that its conduct was lawful, you may find [petitioner] guilty.” App. JA–213. The instructions also diluted the meaning of “corruptly” so that it covered innocent conduct. Id., at JA–212. //

The Supreme Court Justices who joined in rejecting “Weissman’s Law” were:

Chief Justice Rehnquist — wrote the opinion.

Justice Scalia

Justice Thomas

Justice O’Connor

Justice Kennedy

Justice Souter

Justice Stevens

Justice Ginsburg

Justice Breyer

Not a single Justice wrote a concurring opinion. Not one wrote separately to say “I agree with the outcome, but I disagree with the opinion of the Chief Justice for the following reasons….”

Every Justice REJECTED Weissmann’s view of “criminality” without hesitation.

Ric Grenell Has a Message for Biden & the Dems: 'Let's Be Honest; the America First Policy Is Never Going Back in the Bottle'

“What Donald Trump has done with pushing the America First agenda is never going to cease,” added Grenell. “Future presidents may try to couch it a little bit differently, or they may try to roll it back, but they are going to be unable to do that.” //

“Those days are over. The American people are much more engaged now because of Donald Trump, and they’re going to expect their government to put America first. I’m really proud of President Trump.

Coverage of “wooden satellites” misses the point – Ars Technica

Given all this, it's completely unclear what problem wooden satellites are meant to solve. Still, the idea of figuring out how to process wood so that it would function in this context is an intriguing materials science problem, and might have some very down-to-earth applications. So, here's to hoping that the project goes ahead regardless.

Stacey Abrams' Sister is Apparently a Federal Judge, and She Just Made a Garbage Decision

Ari Fleischer
@AriFleischer
This makes no sense. A judge (the sister of Stacey Abrams) ruled that when someone tells the US Postal Service they have moved they still can vote from their old address.

Rules have no meaning any more. This is nuts.

Well-Read Classics

Well-Read Classics
All Books: Books by Subject

Well-worn and comfortable, just like a favorite pair of jeans, these classic literature books will give your library that lived-in and cozy vibe. Hardback books in fair condition or better, these books are perfect for interior decorating, TV/movies/stage/photo props, AND MORE!

Book Details

  • Height 8" to 12".
  • Fair to good condition.
  • Books may or may not have dust jackets.
  • 6 to 10 books per foot.

Ordering Information

  • Minimum order 2 feet.
  • Shipping billed at cost.