Remember when Amazon pulled books from Kindles a few years ago and everybody came to a realization that they no long own the product but are just renting? "Nest laid out its future in an ominously titled "What's Happening" page on Nest.com, and a notice on the Works with Nest page. It sounds like a brutal outcome for users, who are looking at a dead-end ecosystem, potentially broken smart homes, and the shattering of the Google/Nest privacy firewall." I know people who have added "smart-home" products to their houses. Now some of them that interconnected with the Nest thermostat will no long work. Surprise, you don't own your house either. (Grokked from John)
"Researchers analyzed the genomes of 101 fish species and found that three lineages of deep-sea fish, living up to about a mile (1,500 meters) below the surface, boast a specialized visual system to allow for color vision in inky blackness." It's called evolution. It's really quite amazing.
"More than a dozen states have moved to declare pornography a public health crisis, raising concerns among some experts who say the label goes too far and carries its own risks… The Arizona resolution that passed Monday doesn't ban pornography or create any other legal changes, but it could signal future action. Similar declarations have been passed in GOP-controlled states ranging from Tennessee to Montana and been adopted in the Republican Party's national platform." Trying to roll back the sexual revolution. They tried this in the 80s (young kids might not believe this, but you used to be able to get a Playboy with your Slurpee back in the day), they tried it again in the 00s. Is porn a problem? Yes (long dissertations about types of porn and what is exploitive and/or caustic to healthy relationships). But banning it doesn't do anything then offshore the problem and create a mystique. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
"Consider the place of knowledge and ideology in politics, how the open discussion of facts and ideas might throw light on complicated and difficult matters of policy and principle. How we might find paths to healing divisions while drawing new energy from our differences. Then consider the Texas republican who says that vaccines are 'sorcery', and luxuriate in the liberating insight that negotiation, compromise and debate are in fact completely useless." I thought this might be some selective editing, so I clicked on the full article linked from the article I'm linking here… yep, that's exactly what this elected representative meant to say. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"A vote on what would be the country's most restrictive abortion ban was postponed in the Alabama Senate on Thursday, after chaos erupted over the stripping of an amendment to allow exceptions in the case of rape or incest." It's not that they won't eventually vote to enact this draconian law, it's that they want people on the record for which version they supported.
"Hollywood has been outspoken against a controversial Georgia abortion law, and now the heads of three production companies are saying they will not film in the state." Here in Ohio they've pre-empted this action by rolling back movie-production tax credits in our new state appropriations bill. (Grokked from Dan)
"Florida’s new law lets teachers carry guns in class. Black and Latino students are worried." Unfortunately more kids will have to be injured and killed before any resemblance of sanity returns.
"The NRA encouraged its rabid supporters to harass gun safety activist Shannon Watts, even after she had already received death threats from NRA fans." Ah those fine people over at the NRA. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"When you interview a 99-year-old Supreme Court justice, one who has written some of the landmark opinions of modern times, you don't imagine in advance that the subplot of the interview is going to be Ping-Pong." Justice Stevens was appointed by Ford and was considered in the center of conservative politics at the time. His views didn't really change, but by the time he retired he was considered one of the more liberal justices.
How go the Trade Wars? "Donald Trump just laid another risky global bet -- escalating a trade war with China by imposing additional tariffs on Chinese goods in the midst of ongoing trade talks -- and neither he nor anyone else can be sure of what happens next." Wag that dog, Baby.
"Investors continue to hold on to the hope that both the U.S. and China will strike a deal in order to avoid a full-blown trade war." Such unimaginative people who have so much money. Look, for two and a half years the president has threatened these trade wars and Wall Street's take has been, "He wouldn't be stupid enough to tank us like that" only to have the present do exactly what he threatened (add in a few weeks of "will he won't he" and "well see what happens" talk). Get the fucking clue, Wall Street. He's just not that into you.
"China stocks soar to best one-day gain since March, as U.S. tariffs kick in." The international markets place their wager marker (the DJI is down over 300 points as I type this).
"The prices of the things we buy, from floor lamps to canoes and bicycles, are slated to go up, literally overnight, as the Trump administration makes good on a promise to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of imported Chinese products." The people in Walmarts won't be happy.
"U.S. authorities announced on Thursday that they have taken control of a coal ship North Korea was allegedly using to evade international sanctions."
"Late on May 6, Turkey’s election board invalidated the results of a March mayoral election that cost President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party control of Istanbul. The decision sent stocks tumbling, and the opposition party called the move a coup."
"President Trump tore into James Comey on Thursday night, hours after the former FBI director suggested in a wide-ranging CNN town hall that he be prosecuted." The president is demonstrably wrong here.
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