I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Linkee-poo, close your mouth, you're drawing flies

Are we fucked, or are we fucked?

"In other words, millennials didn't go for it, and the regulars got turned off. In fact, Applebee's isn't the only big restaurant chain struggling." ZOMG, millennials are killing Applebees… only, not so much. Basically, they failed at their rebranding (if it was chasing a market that wasn't there, or they just didn't hit the right note, that's for someone else to determine). All the restaurants in that category are hurting, Applebees was the one that spent a shitload of cash to rebrand, so they're hurting the most. Plus, you know, given my personal experience there, I'm not all that hep to go back anytime soon.

"The jury in the Taylor Swift assault trial ruled in favor of the singer and her mother Monday, rejecting a radio DJ's claims that they unjustly had him fired from his job after allegedly groping the singer during a 2013 backstage meet-and-greet." While the media focused on her performance during the cross-examination, if felt a lot like it was more prurient than praiseworthy. Waiting to see how many times they could say "ass" on the air. But still, good for her. Hopefully that symbolic victory can lead to better outcomes and lives for everybody.

"The Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department have opened the public comment period on the rewriting of standards for greenhouse gas emissions for cars and light trucks for model years 2022-2025." Because fuck the environment. Look, the auto industry always fights these and says they're impossible and they could never make it work… and then there's an oil shock and suddenly they're able to meet the standards and find a way to make it work for consumers. Other countries are discussing how soon they can get to all electric vehicles, we're still squabbling about getting to an average 40mpg. And here's the odd thing, as Americans we love larger and more powerful vehicles, the ideal platform for and the performance ratio of electric engines. the only things holding us back are infrastructure (easily remedied) and 40 years of the American Auto Industry marketing and hype that makes the public wary of electric engines. Doesn't mean gas is going away soon (we also like to drive long distances), but vehicles like the Volt, Bolt, and Prius demonstrate how we could integrate electrical engines and keep to our love of the car. All that's missing is the engine growl.

"Nearly 100 previously unknown volcanoes lurk beneath Antarctica, and scientists still don't know how many of these volcanoes are active." I believe that's the opening line to a disaster movie. "However, as climate change warms the continent, thinning the ice, some of the now-dormant volcanoes could roar back to life, the scientists said in a statement." Okay, it's been decades since my last Earth Sciences course, but I don't think volcanoes work that way.

Speed bumps filled with non-Newtonian fluids. Well, okay then. Going slow they're like liquid. But the more force you hit them with the more solid the bump. (Grokked from Dan)

"The organization suggests keeping passwords simple, long and memorable. Phrases, lowercase letters and typical English words work well, Grassi tells NPR's Audie Cornish. Experts no longer suggest special characters and a mixture of lower and uppercase letters. And passwords never need to expire." Yeah, tell that to the IT Departments. At the day job we have a little issue with passwords, but at the hospital, boy howdy. At the hospital I have a desktop computer login, logins for each of the X-ray machines (4 of which I use on a normal basis), then there are the software logins. During a typical day that means being logged into 4 pieces of software (IDX/RIS, EMR, PACS, and a patient tracker), all of which have separate logins (for EMR, I have to log into a software launcher, and then into EMR as well… yeah, I don't get that one either). On a bad day, at 2 or 3 more pieces of software. And all those things time out quickly, requiring us to keep re-entering our passwords. There is a badge swiping system, but it hasn't been rolled out for us yet.

"A recent study found that women preferred the body odor of men who ate a lot of fruits and vegetables. Whereas men who ate a lot of carbohydrates gave off a smell that was less appealing… Men who ate a lot of meat did not produce a sweat that was any more — or less — attractive to women. But meat did tend to make men's odor more intense." You are what you eat.

"Earlier this summer, a modest little startup in Barcelona, Spain, unveiled its newest product — a biodegradable, Internet-connected funeral urn that turns the ashes of departed loved ones into an indoor tree." Uh oh, someone forgot to water Grandma while we were on vacation.

I'm developing a theory of whyTrump keeps reposting racists' tweets. He or someone he knows and trusts follows a shitload of them. You know, for purely platonic reasons that aren't related to their rampant white nationalism or conspiracy theory promotion. (Grokked from Joshua Parker)

"Texas A&M has canceled a white nationalist protest planned in September, citing safety concerns." I have thinky thoughts about this. But, it appears as if no campus organization actually invited the group, so, yeah, buh-bye.

"Originally published by The Daily Caller and later syndicated or aggregated by several other websites, including Fox Nation, an offshoot of Fox News' website, it carried an unsubtle headline: 'Here's A Reel Of Cars Plowing Through Protesters Trying To Block The Road.' Embedded in the article was a minute-and-a-half long video showing one vehicle after another driving through demonstrations." But now those websites are trying to scrub their postings. To bad the governments that enacted laws to help indemnify drivers who hit protestors aren't as contrite. (Grokked from Tobias S. Buckell)

"In a stunning reversal from comments he made just one day prior, President Trump said on Tuesday 'there's blame on both sides' for the violence in Charlottesville, Va." That's just one of the ignorant statements he made, but then if you're in the news you've only got so much space. "Alt-Left"? Okay, seriously, given the prevalence of the "well, people kept calling them Nazis, what did you expect them to do" arguments online, I'm about half-way to accepting that gauntlet. I was going to joke about the President going full-bore on the "crazy, racists, conspiracy toting Uncle at Thanksgiving Dinner," but really that's just too damn depressing.

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