The American Civil War Podcast
@uscivilwar.bsky.social
Social page for the American Civil War podcast, located at: https://uscivilwar.substack.com/
Get in, loser. We're damning torpedoes!
Get in, loser. We're damning torpedoes!
I'm slightly worried given this studio doesn't even have a webpage.
The trailer is bad for other reasons: it doesn't indicate a single interesting hook. It's amounts to "Somebody went someplace and looked at something". Even trailers should indicate the stakes, style & reason to be interested.
The trailer is bad for other reasons: it doesn't indicate a single interesting hook. It's amounts to "Somebody went someplace and looked at something". Even trailers should indicate the stakes, style & reason to be interested.
December 12, 2025 at 5:21 PM
I'm slightly worried given this studio doesn't even have a webpage.
The trailer is bad for other reasons: it doesn't indicate a single interesting hook. It's amounts to "Somebody went someplace and looked at something". Even trailers should indicate the stakes, style & reason to be interested.
The trailer is bad for other reasons: it doesn't indicate a single interesting hook. It's amounts to "Somebody went someplace and looked at something". Even trailers should indicate the stakes, style & reason to be interested.
I feel stupid for even asking this, but I distinctly felt the Divinity series is only ever "loosely" in continuity. It really felt more like the different Batman series which have the "same but different" characters in new stories.
December 12, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I feel stupid for even asking this, but I distinctly felt the Divinity series is only ever "loosely" in continuity. It really felt more like the different Batman series which have the "same but different" characters in new stories.
Notoriously, Grand Juries are a thin defense and by design are not usually a barrier to prosecution - any case that can't get past the process is clearly too weak.
That the DoJ, which historically doesn't bring cases without overwhelming evidence, has lost even GJ's *repeatedly* says something.
That the DoJ, which historically doesn't bring cases without overwhelming evidence, has lost even GJ's *repeatedly* says something.
December 11, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Notoriously, Grand Juries are a thin defense and by design are not usually a barrier to prosecution - any case that can't get past the process is clearly too weak.
That the DoJ, which historically doesn't bring cases without overwhelming evidence, has lost even GJ's *repeatedly* says something.
That the DoJ, which historically doesn't bring cases without overwhelming evidence, has lost even GJ's *repeatedly* says something.
So, sure, it would be astounding expensive and have no practical economic function, but even if you somehow got the thing running, it would just be quickly obsoleted by Earth competition. There's no foreseeable market here; nobody needs this for anything.
December 11, 2025 at 5:36 AM
So, sure, it would be astounding expensive and have no practical economic function, but even if you somehow got the thing running, it would just be quickly obsoleted by Earth competition. There's no foreseeable market here; nobody needs this for anything.
But the bandwidth is going to be a bit of a problem. You're going to run into the limits of receivers and antennae, whereas on Earth you can just... lay down additional fiber.
A single fiber cable handles three orders of magnitude more than the ISS link if I'm reading it right.
A single fiber cable handles three orders of magnitude more than the ISS link if I'm reading it right.
December 11, 2025 at 5:34 AM
But the bandwidth is going to be a bit of a problem. You're going to run into the limits of receivers and antennae, whereas on Earth you can just... lay down additional fiber.
A single fiber cable handles three orders of magnitude more than the ISS link if I'm reading it right.
A single fiber cable handles three orders of magnitude more than the ISS link if I'm reading it right.
But it actually gets worse than that.
The absolute best latency possible - limited by the speed of light - is 240 ms. That's actually not very competitive for any task which requires tight latency.
But! Maybe they don't need superfast latency. You can do telephony over satellite and it's fine.
The absolute best latency possible - limited by the speed of light - is 240 ms. That's actually not very competitive for any task which requires tight latency.
But! Maybe they don't need superfast latency. You can do telephony over satellite and it's fine.
December 11, 2025 at 5:34 AM
But it actually gets worse than that.
The absolute best latency possible - limited by the speed of light - is 240 ms. That's actually not very competitive for any task which requires tight latency.
But! Maybe they don't need superfast latency. You can do telephony over satellite and it's fine.
The absolute best latency possible - limited by the speed of light - is 240 ms. That's actually not very competitive for any task which requires tight latency.
But! Maybe they don't need superfast latency. You can do telephony over satellite and it's fine.
And then, if some how manage all this, the solar panel requirements will be absurd. The ISS generates kilowatts of power - a datacenter is going to begin with megawatts and go up from there.
Now, cooling all this is technically *possible*, but... good luck.
Now, cooling all this is technically *possible*, but... good luck.
December 11, 2025 at 5:26 AM
And then, if some how manage all this, the solar panel requirements will be absurd. The ISS generates kilowatts of power - a datacenter is going to begin with megawatts and go up from there.
Now, cooling all this is technically *possible*, but... good luck.
Now, cooling all this is technically *possible*, but... good luck.
It would also be so large and complex that you would need a, dunno, call it a hundred-strong support crew, which we just don't know how to support in orbit. But don't worry, Elon Musk is just going to invent sentient robot slaves to handle that. (Super easy! Barely an inconvenience!)
December 11, 2025 at 5:22 AM
It would also be so large and complex that you would need a, dunno, call it a hundred-strong support crew, which we just don't know how to support in orbit. But don't worry, Elon Musk is just going to invent sentient robot slaves to handle that. (Super easy! Barely an inconvenience!)
First, a serious data center is going to run something like 20 million cubic feet minimum, and that could be a low-ball estimate.
To put that into perspective, that's around five hundred thousand (!) times the size of the ISS at 35,500 ft^3.
To put that into perspective, that's around five hundred thousand (!) times the size of the ISS at 35,500 ft^3.
December 11, 2025 at 5:20 AM
First, a serious data center is going to run something like 20 million cubic feet minimum, and that could be a low-ball estimate.
To put that into perspective, that's around five hundred thousand (!) times the size of the ISS at 35,500 ft^3.
To put that into perspective, that's around five hundred thousand (!) times the size of the ISS at 35,500 ft^3.
They're fine if the limit is there to accomplish something. I liked them in Fallout: New Vegas on Survival mode, because I was really thinking about making sure I packed what I needed.
Too many games add them just because. Mechanics should create interesting choices and decisions in gameplay.
Too many games add them just because. Mechanics should create interesting choices and decisions in gameplay.
December 11, 2025 at 1:05 AM
They're fine if the limit is there to accomplish something. I liked them in Fallout: New Vegas on Survival mode, because I was really thinking about making sure I packed what I needed.
Too many games add them just because. Mechanics should create interesting choices and decisions in gameplay.
Too many games add them just because. Mechanics should create interesting choices and decisions in gameplay.
Look, he just wants 25% GDP growth while imposing 50% tariffs and trying to evict 1/6 of the United States population while locking us into a war with Venezuela. What's the problem, Carl?
(/s, obviously)
(/s, obviously)
December 11, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Look, he just wants 25% GDP growth while imposing 50% tariffs and trying to evict 1/6 of the United States population while locking us into a war with Venezuela. What's the problem, Carl?
(/s, obviously)
(/s, obviously)
Immediately thought of this:
December 10, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Immediately thought of this:
Rather, the point is that in a Liberal society, we are free to make of ourselves something different. Mechanics can study Aristotle and sci-fi writers can (potentially, if the stars align on the sacred day) learn some math. If we start on tracks to learn skills and only skills, we may never try.
December 10, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Rather, the point is that in a Liberal society, we are free to make of ourselves something different. Mechanics can study Aristotle and sci-fi writers can (potentially, if the stars align on the sacred day) learn some math. If we start on tracks to learn skills and only skills, we may never try.
But would be remiss if I failed to mention my love of the Spoon River Anthology.
I discovered new modern perspectives on war and politics from studying the Civil War. And then I compared modern business practices to the Civil War era. These are not brilliant insights or anything original.
I discovered new modern perspectives on war and politics from studying the Civil War. And then I compared modern business practices to the Civil War era. These are not brilliant insights or anything original.
December 10, 2025 at 1:59 AM
But would be remiss if I failed to mention my love of the Spoon River Anthology.
I discovered new modern perspectives on war and politics from studying the Civil War. And then I compared modern business practices to the Civil War era. These are not brilliant insights or anything original.
I discovered new modern perspectives on war and politics from studying the Civil War. And then I compared modern business practices to the Civil War era. These are not brilliant insights or anything original.
Thus we make Liberal Arts students acquire some leaven of math and science, and Business majors should at least touch science and literature.
Not everyone will benefit from every topic; I find most poetry off-putting, narcissistic and discordant in ways I can't explain.
Not everyone will benefit from every topic; I find most poetry off-putting, narcissistic and discordant in ways I can't explain.
December 10, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Thus we make Liberal Arts students acquire some leaven of math and science, and Business majors should at least touch science and literature.
Not everyone will benefit from every topic; I find most poetry off-putting, narcissistic and discordant in ways I can't explain.
Not everyone will benefit from every topic; I find most poetry off-putting, narcissistic and discordant in ways I can't explain.
The Liberal education asserts that letters are not merely for the elite, but for everyone; that knowledge is worth acquiring even when one doesn't yet understand it, and that you will discover ideas and topics that one never imagined.
December 10, 2025 at 1:59 AM
The Liberal education asserts that letters are not merely for the elite, but for everyone; that knowledge is worth acquiring even when one doesn't yet understand it, and that you will discover ideas and topics that one never imagined.
I say this because we live in an age when education is under Phillistinic assault by the willfully ignorant, men and women who went to great trouble to learn nothing, though they may have developed many skills. I doubt that education would have improved them morally. But education is moral anyhow.
December 10, 2025 at 1:59 AM
I say this because we live in an age when education is under Phillistinic assault by the willfully ignorant, men and women who went to great trouble to learn nothing, though they may have developed many skills. I doubt that education would have improved them morally. But education is moral anyhow.
When I heard about the Altman interview, I immediately thought of his gleeful excitement over the Bored Ape nonsense.
Is that still going on? Do the Bored Apes yet speak of their imminent takeover of the world economy or whatever?
Is that still going on? Do the Bored Apes yet speak of their imminent takeover of the world economy or whatever?
December 10, 2025 at 1:35 AM
When I heard about the Altman interview, I immediately thought of his gleeful excitement over the Bored Ape nonsense.
Is that still going on? Do the Bored Apes yet speak of their imminent takeover of the world economy or whatever?
Is that still going on? Do the Bored Apes yet speak of their imminent takeover of the world economy or whatever?
Not being British and viewing British politics only from afar, there would be a huge psychological hurdle to it, no?
British leaders also undoubtedly know they wouldn't get the old favorable position back exactly, so even tougher to sell to public opinion.
British leaders also undoubtedly know they wouldn't get the old favorable position back exactly, so even tougher to sell to public opinion.
December 9, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Not being British and viewing British politics only from afar, there would be a huge psychological hurdle to it, no?
British leaders also undoubtedly know they wouldn't get the old favorable position back exactly, so even tougher to sell to public opinion.
British leaders also undoubtedly know they wouldn't get the old favorable position back exactly, so even tougher to sell to public opinion.
And existing "inferior" technology can and has done much the same for decades. Missiles with tracking have been in active military service since the 50's.
I'm not saying there is no value in the new technology; it can be useful under different circumstances and that's good.
I'm not saying there is no value in the new technology; it can be useful under different circumstances and that's good.
December 9, 2025 at 7:42 PM
And existing "inferior" technology can and has done much the same for decades. Missiles with tracking have been in active military service since the 50's.
I'm not saying there is no value in the new technology; it can be useful under different circumstances and that's good.
I'm not saying there is no value in the new technology; it can be useful under different circumstances and that's good.
One minor point: I respectfully disagree with him as Czar Nicholas II did not intend there to be any war at all. Rather, he was a poor communicator who did not take Japan seriously, and took no action to resolve the dispute before tensions drifted into violence - not unlike WW1.
December 9, 2025 at 7:16 PM
One minor point: I respectfully disagree with him as Czar Nicholas II did not intend there to be any war at all. Rather, he was a poor communicator who did not take Japan seriously, and took no action to resolve the dispute before tensions drifted into violence - not unlike WW1.
Obviuosly not a book, but Isaac Meyer has an excellent series on his podcast here:
The specific series on the war is titled "The Maelstrom" but other do involve Russia around that time. Search for "Russ" to find them.
historyofjapan.libsyn.com/size/5/?sear...
The specific series on the war is titled "The Maelstrom" but other do involve Russia around that time. Search for "Russ" to find them.
historyofjapan.libsyn.com/size/5/?sear...
History of Japan
A weekly podcast on Japanese history, covering everything from prehistory to the modern era.
Additional information available at the podcast blog, at www.historyofjapan.wordpress.com
historyofjapan.libsyn.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Obviuosly not a book, but Isaac Meyer has an excellent series on his podcast here:
The specific series on the war is titled "The Maelstrom" but other do involve Russia around that time. Search for "Russ" to find them.
historyofjapan.libsyn.com/size/5/?sear...
The specific series on the war is titled "The Maelstrom" but other do involve Russia around that time. Search for "Russ" to find them.
historyofjapan.libsyn.com/size/5/?sear...
Not having been there, couldn't they replace the sign but keep it intact and on display with a signage explaining the history?
December 9, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Not having been there, couldn't they replace the sign but keep it intact and on display with a signage explaining the history?