Linkee-poo, times is harder than ever been before

The alligators took a rest, but are back at it.

"Gordon made landfall late Tuesday near the Alabama-Mississippi border with near-hurricane level winds, according to the National Hurricane Center."

"J.R.R. Tolkien fans can get their hands on what might be the late author's final work. The Fall of Gondolin was published August 30 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in the US and HarperCollins in the UK. J.R.R. Tolkien died in 1973, but since his death, his son Christopher, now 93, has edited a number of his father's works, including this one." (Grokked from Dan)

Ah, those stuffy lexicographers and their dictionaries, breathing the rarified air of the ivory tower. "So there you have it: you will probably wish to avoid ’till, use ’til advisedly, and use both until and till freely. And if you use till in writing and someone tells you that you have made an error, simply take the extra L off the end of the word and poke them in the eye with it." Yes, Merriam-Webster has been brining their A-Game to social media. (Grokked from Dan)

Ah, digital photography and filmogrophy is wonderful. It's like the transition from nitrate to safety-film. A fantastic solution for the ages. No longer would we lose films to fire or physical decay like the old days. "The problem with LTO (linear tape-open) is obsolescence. Since the beginning, the technology has been on a Moore’s Law–like march that has resulted in a doubling in tape storage densities every 18 to 24 months. As each new generation of LTO comes to market, an older generation of LTO becomes obsolete. LTO manufacturers guarantee at most two generations of backward compatibility. What that means for film archivists with perhaps tens of thousands of LTO tapes on hand is that every few years they must invest millions of dollars in the latest format of tapes and drives and then migrate all the data on their older tapes—or risk losing access to the information altogether." (Grokked from John)

"But this summer, I went back to Campbell for my 45th high school reunion. I wanted to see old friends — and also to look back on the huge economic shifts that had reshaped our lives… Last spring, I retired from full-time work at NPR. But I haven't stopped thinking about the economy, and I can see that the data show inequality is growing among retirees. What happened to Nicolaou and me can tell you a lot about what has changed in just one generation — and for millions of retirees, the changes aren't good." So much to unpack in this story about "going home" (hint, you can never go home). Not the least of which is my rage against the boomer generation. And 45 years is not one generation, it's 2 (I know she meant for her generation, how it's not like their parents). And seriously, retiring in your 50's. I know a few boomers who could do that. I don't know of any X-ers or Millennials who are even dreaming about that (except for the rarified uber-class of tech "pioneers").

"For the first time in Oregon's history, toxins from a nearby algae bloom had made their way into a city's tap water. The danger was limited—toxins were at low enough levels to only pose dangers to vulnerable populations, like children, pets, or nursing mothers." Welcome to global climate change. It's going to fuck us up. We're boned.

"Rachel Martin talks to co-author Jonathan Haidt, who argues in a new book that a culture of 'safetyism' — including safe spaces and trigger warnings — is setting up a generation for failure." While I think there are some legitimate points to be made here, this is one large serving of codswallop. Another goddamn late boomer who just doesn't understand the kids and that the culture has changed. Get with the program, prof, our you'll also be left behind. Here's the thing, growing up we were expected to just accept a certain amount of racism and misogyny as being normal. We were told the fucked-up relationships (abusive, co-dependent, controlling) around us were normal. And the X-ers started with "No." The Millennials (and whatever they end up calling the next generation who are in high school now) moved on to "Fuck no!" So students find the painting of Ulysses as sexist, but you think it's just art. Gee, sorry Johnathon Haidt that the kids aren't accepting your worldview. For someone who talks about the fragility of the ego, yours appears to be awfully fragile. Way to much to unpack without writing a dissertation. As Iniago told us, "there is too much, let me sum up," the world has changed. Your generation had the opportunity to do it in your time. Don't be upset with the kids for actually making the change you should have and not putting up with your bullshit. The kids are all right.

"Remember the stories over the past year or so about mysterious attacks at U.S. embassies harming diplomatic staff and their families? William J. Broad's story in the New York Times today reports that doctors and scientists are now coming to the conclusion that microwave weapon strikes capable of causing “sonic delusions” and brain damage are to blame." Microwave weapons? Gee, he said, where have I heard of that one before? (Waves to my Russian friends) (Grokked from Dan)

"An American soldier killed by an Afghan ally on Monday was the highest-ranking enlisted soldier of a unit that forms the U.S. Army’s newest adviser brigade deployed to Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said. The brigade deployed in February as part of the Trump administration’s latest strategy in America’s longest-running war." With a rundown on how the war goes in Afghanistan.

"But even the president’s deputy press secretary wouldn’t have been able to make that (Woodward) interview happen, because Trump says he never talks to the man." Because the president has no idea just how the hell he should be doing business. And the whole, "I never heard…" falls apart as he admits he did hear about the request and rejected them.

"President Trump has long derided the mainstream media as the “enemy of the people” and lashed out at NFL players for kneeling during the national anthem. On Tuesday, he took his attacks on free speech one step further, suggesting in an interview with a conservative news site that the act of protesting should be illegal." Straight-up banana republic shit.