Davison online
The life and times of the world’s
most self-deluded online superstar
News & Commentary
16 States in 4 years
Universal or near-universal school choice programs
UK Supreme Court says legal definition of ‘woman’ excludes trans women, in landmark ruling
The UK Supreme Court gets it right.
SENTENCED TO THE SIDEWALK: One woman’s misery reveals flaws in Oregon commitments
A sad poignant example of the consequences of the liberal orthodoxy.
In and around Portland, teachers are missing more school than ever. Their bosses don’t want to talk about it
Oregon teacher morale is next to last. Not stunning that teachers are absent more than most.
Oregon voter registration errors began years earlier than DMV officials acknowledged
Democrats on the wrong side again.
Oregon education
Democrats have fully controlled Oregon state government since 2012.
Fencer disqualified for refusal to compete against transgender opponent
This is probably what is going to take to save women’s and girls’ sports.
Portland councilors explore climate tax increase to stave off looming cuts to parks, public safety – oregonlive.com
Another wild misunderstanding of how incentives and disincentives work.
Protesters convicted of trespassing during 2024 Portland State protest as new DA follows through on promise
About time
At age 3, child assigned male at birth picked a girl’s name and clothing. What did these parents do?
This is the divide.
Essays
Folding@home
Scientists need your help in fighting the virus. Time to be a hero.
Proteins are long chains of amino acids that perform a vast array of functions within organisms. They differ from one another primarily in the sequence of their amino acids. These sequences typically fold into specific three dimensional structures that determine what the proteins do.
Viruses, including everybody’s new favorite, have proteins that suppress the immune system, help reproduce themselves, and so forth. Determining exactly how these proteins work is important in creating therapeutic treatments.
The (Practical) Biological Impossibility of Non-Binary
NOTE: Society is coarse nowadays. What is Not Safe For Work (NSFW)? When everything goes, maybe nobody cares? Regardless, this brief essay is about sex, the language we use to describe reproduction. Human sexuality typically makes for mature reading. Depending on your workplace—perhaps this is fine for a medical office, but you know, hold off if you’re teaching Pre-K—you might want to read this in a more private setting.
We start with biology. Or, rather, we’d like to start with biology. I’d love to start with biology. Why can’t we start with biology? Well, because in today’s world, we can’t even agree on that.
The singular “they”
Several years ago we crossed the lexicographic Rubicon as Merriam-Webster gave “literally” the same definition as “figuratively.” Outrage by language purists understandably followed. Responses from pundits to Merriam-Webster’s pronouncement were, uh, uncharitable…
Tesla Model 3
This may come as something of a shock, but I’m about to spend $60k on a car, the Tesla Model 3. There are some good reasons not to, the most obvious being the eye-popping price tag. It’s also a fair question as to whether or not cars are the future of transportation. (In big cities the answer is a resounding, “No, they’re not.†The future there is ebikes, electric scooters, Segaways, and the like.)
Still, I have five major reasons to head down this path, and I thought it might be illuminating for some to hear what they are.