Bad error reporting, bad application, bad situation. No fruits of labor.
Joshua Blimes decides to keep himself open for unsolicited manuscripts. But read the rules. Always follow the damn rules. You aren't a special snowflake. Not yet. (Grokked from Jim Hines)
"An Italian man’s dream to open a modest restaurant became an archaeological obsession when he broke ground in order to repair a faulty toilet. The underground world filled with centuries of history he found beneath his building would dominate his life for more than a decade." Every DIYer has a story like that. (Grokked form Robert J Bennett)
"The Lone Ranger wasn’t just a legend perpetuated by books, radio shows, television series and movies; he was a real man, a crimefighter who lived with Native Americans in what would become Oklahoma—and he was black." (Grokked from Elizabeth Bear)
It's the new sitcom, Everybody Hates Ted. Your anger only makes him stronger. (Grokked from John)
"An Iranian official said 'Republican rivals of the current US administration' attempted to stall last month's Iranian-U.S. prisoner swap until the eve of the U.S. presidential election, Tasnim News Agency reported." I'm not so sure how much I believe this and how much is a disinformation campaign (this is a classic Cold War tactic), but there is historical precedent. If true, that's not only sedition, but full-on treason.
About all that chest thumping and dick waving going on at the last GOP debate regarding waterboarding and "enhanced interrogation" methods… "The director of the federal government team that interrogates key terrorism suspects has a message for people who want to see a return to waterboarding and other abusive strategies: They don't work." It doesn't work. You don't get reliable intelligence. People just tell you something, anything they think you want to hear, to stop the torture.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Linkee-poo, it starts when you're always afraid, the Man comes and takes you away
And it appears to be (almost) all over but the shouting, handwritten motions, outdated legal philosophy, and "you can't jail me, I'm a sovereign citizen!"
There's eddies in the space-time continuum. "Oh he is, is he? Well, good for Eddie."
Yes, Virginia, there will be an eighth Harry Potter book.
Why you can't start a fire with the Moon. With explanations. (Grokked from Dan)
The Year of the Monkey poster. Or, when designers go rouge. Actually, it's when designers fall in love with the process and forget to step back and critically evaluate their solutions.
The gender bias in medical research extends to the animal trials.
Do you miss Microsoft Windows 3.1.1? Then "Good news, everyone!"
The Global Fund uses a big stick to make sure their funds aren't embezzled or misused. Met the stick.
"It’s not a chicken-and-egg problem so much as an exclusionary system pretending to reward merit. As long as Oscar-bait films privilege white-savior narratives, actors of color will find it difficult if not impossible to get nominated for awards… inside a system designed to prevent this." How racism works. (Grokked from Justine Larbalestier)
You know that story about NASA spending millions of dollars to develop a pen that will write in zero-g and the Russians just used a pencil? Yea. Here's a little more about that story.
We'll just file this here and hope nobody notices. "In a document quietly posted alongside its formal response to the Senate Torture Report, the CIA admits some of the accusations its formal report denies." Somewhat of relevance to the GOP boners on display in the last debate over torture and waterboarding. (Grokked from Annalee Flower Horne)
What happens when you base your government's budget on fleecing your minority and poor population through a rigged judicial system and cops on the lookout to increase fines? When the Feds come in and say, "stop that shit", yea, any deal will practically break the bank until you fix the finances. Funny how that works that way.
Oh, and so much for that thought that "it'll be alright." Instead the DoJ says, "Nope" and sues Ferguson which will cost the city more to fight than if they had just accepted the deal. Oh, and then they'll have to accept the deal.
The Feds arrest Cliven Bundy as he flew in to support his son's occupation. Who could have seen that happening? I'm sorry, I'm still giggling over that. Especially the various reporters who ask, "Well, why was he arrested?" and then spout something about him coming to his son's support. No, he's a criminal who (and this is the part I keep laughing over) got on an airplane, and place where he and his supporters would be disarmed, and flew to an airport which means arriving in a secure area at a specific time, after being able to confirm his presence on the plane. Thank God for stupid criminals.
And then there were eight. And then there were seven.
There's eddies in the space-time continuum. "Oh he is, is he? Well, good for Eddie."
Yes, Virginia, there will be an eighth Harry Potter book.
Why you can't start a fire with the Moon. With explanations. (Grokked from Dan)
The Year of the Monkey poster. Or, when designers go rouge. Actually, it's when designers fall in love with the process and forget to step back and critically evaluate their solutions.
The gender bias in medical research extends to the animal trials.
Do you miss Microsoft Windows 3.1.1? Then "Good news, everyone!"
The Global Fund uses a big stick to make sure their funds aren't embezzled or misused. Met the stick.
"It’s not a chicken-and-egg problem so much as an exclusionary system pretending to reward merit. As long as Oscar-bait films privilege white-savior narratives, actors of color will find it difficult if not impossible to get nominated for awards… inside a system designed to prevent this." How racism works. (Grokked from Justine Larbalestier)
You know that story about NASA spending millions of dollars to develop a pen that will write in zero-g and the Russians just used a pencil? Yea. Here's a little more about that story.
We'll just file this here and hope nobody notices. "In a document quietly posted alongside its formal response to the Senate Torture Report, the CIA admits some of the accusations its formal report denies." Somewhat of relevance to the GOP boners on display in the last debate over torture and waterboarding. (Grokked from Annalee Flower Horne)
What happens when you base your government's budget on fleecing your minority and poor population through a rigged judicial system and cops on the lookout to increase fines? When the Feds come in and say, "stop that shit", yea, any deal will practically break the bank until you fix the finances. Funny how that works that way.
Oh, and so much for that thought that "it'll be alright." Instead the DoJ says, "Nope" and sues Ferguson which will cost the city more to fight than if they had just accepted the deal. Oh, and then they'll have to accept the deal.
The Feds arrest Cliven Bundy as he flew in to support his son's occupation. Who could have seen that happening? I'm sorry, I'm still giggling over that. Especially the various reporters who ask, "Well, why was he arrested?" and then spout something about him coming to his son's support. No, he's a criminal who (and this is the part I keep laughing over) got on an airplane, and place where he and his supporters would be disarmed, and flew to an airport which means arriving in a secure area at a specific time, after being able to confirm his presence on the plane. Thank God for stupid criminals.
And then there were eight. And then there were seven.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Linkee-poo, we are all of us in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars
The panic begins to settle in now that New Hampshire has voted.
We might hear about the detection of gravitational waves soon. First the Higgs, and now gravity waves, living in the future. (Grokked from Dan)
How I did it, by William Gibson. (Grokked from BoingBoing)
http://dlvr.it/KSbfm5 In being called out in public. Annalee Flower Horne makes some very good observations here, especially the one about more than likely people have tried to handle this privately and either they were ignored, or the situation didn't change. And mostly being called out in public is being done as a warning to others. Note, this is different than a boss, say, derating you in front of other employees (although sometimes that also follows the reasoning in this article). What's worse, IMHO, if when the punishment is public, but the reasons are kept private.
Preserving the Enterprise. On the Smithsonian's efforts to preserve the original 11 foot long filming model of the USS Enterprise. Also a video about the conservation project. (Grokked from Dan)
"But don't call me Shirley." Writing and comedy. (Grokked from Dan)
Making aerogels from recycled paper. Okay. (Grokked form John)
A second bacterium is discovered to cause Lyme disease.
When people talk about "not trusting the government" they're usually talking about being told things the disagree with. Like climate change. It's never really about the things government has lied to us about, like the grand experiment we all entered after Trinity. (Note, notable exception is the Flint water crisis) They did, however, confide in the film industry which was dealing with a widespread film-fogging problem. (Grokked from Astrid Julian)
That "polite society" all those gun activists talk about. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
What is racism and how does it function? Like this. "(NASA Administrator Charles Bolden) went on to serve in the Marine Corps as an aviator… later became a NASA astronaut… he returned to the Marine Corps and achieved the rank of major general… he was appointed the administrator of NASA, the first African American to hold the office… But that first critical step of attending the Naval Academy almost didn't happen, Bolden says, when his state representatives (Strom Thurmond) would not nominate him for consideration because he was black."
I'm sure this totally has nothing to do with the rumors of Karl Rove being able to adjust the reporting tallies of votes in elections. Nothing at all.
"By more than a 2-1 ratio, lawmakers in West Virginia's House of Delegates have approved a bill that would allow gun owners to carry concealed handguns without a permit." What could possibly go wrong?
The Sushi Authorities are disappointed in what you call sushi.
"Cliven Bundy may travel to Portland, Oregon, to protest the arrest of his sons…" What could go wrong? Also pointed to providing insight into these people's thought processes. "'This is a call to action for any elected representative in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, the State of Washington, and Ohio. You have constituents in federal custody. Please visit and contact them to voice your support for free speech, the right to assemble, and civil disobedience,' Bundy said in the statement. 'It is your duty to hold federal agencies at bay, protecting the people in your state.'" Um, no, that's not actually their duty.
Gov. LePage comes to grips with his racist statement. You know, after protesting that no, no he wasn't talk about black drug dealers. Not at all.
The convoluted path of justice in Texas. More on the Planned Parenthood smear campaign and the grand jury that indicted the makers of the video and not Planned Parenthood.
The Nuge is an anti-semite? Who could have guessed? (Maybe I shall call him, the Nougat)
"Trump… has the reality television star's ability to operate entirely without shame, and that permits him to operate entirely without restraint. It is the single scariest facet of his personality. It is the one that allows him to go where others won't, to say what others can't, to do what others wouldn't." And this is his exact appeal to his supporters. Because they all have their own ideas on how to make America Great again. They also have their own ideas on how we would "all" be winners. And Trump is so vague, he allows them (because it's a conscious choice) to project their solutions on to him. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
We might hear about the detection of gravitational waves soon. First the Higgs, and now gravity waves, living in the future. (Grokked from Dan)
How I did it, by William Gibson. (Grokked from BoingBoing)
http://dlvr.it/KSbfm5 In being called out in public. Annalee Flower Horne makes some very good observations here, especially the one about more than likely people have tried to handle this privately and either they were ignored, or the situation didn't change. And mostly being called out in public is being done as a warning to others. Note, this is different than a boss, say, derating you in front of other employees (although sometimes that also follows the reasoning in this article). What's worse, IMHO, if when the punishment is public, but the reasons are kept private.
Preserving the Enterprise. On the Smithsonian's efforts to preserve the original 11 foot long filming model of the USS Enterprise. Also a video about the conservation project. (Grokked from Dan)
"But don't call me Shirley." Writing and comedy. (Grokked from Dan)
Making aerogels from recycled paper. Okay. (Grokked form John)
A second bacterium is discovered to cause Lyme disease.
When people talk about "not trusting the government" they're usually talking about being told things the disagree with. Like climate change. It's never really about the things government has lied to us about, like the grand experiment we all entered after Trinity. (Note, notable exception is the Flint water crisis) They did, however, confide in the film industry which was dealing with a widespread film-fogging problem. (Grokked from Astrid Julian)
That "polite society" all those gun activists talk about. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
What is racism and how does it function? Like this. "(NASA Administrator Charles Bolden) went on to serve in the Marine Corps as an aviator… later became a NASA astronaut… he returned to the Marine Corps and achieved the rank of major general… he was appointed the administrator of NASA, the first African American to hold the office… But that first critical step of attending the Naval Academy almost didn't happen, Bolden says, when his state representatives (Strom Thurmond) would not nominate him for consideration because he was black."
I'm sure this totally has nothing to do with the rumors of Karl Rove being able to adjust the reporting tallies of votes in elections. Nothing at all.
"By more than a 2-1 ratio, lawmakers in West Virginia's House of Delegates have approved a bill that would allow gun owners to carry concealed handguns without a permit." What could possibly go wrong?
The Sushi Authorities are disappointed in what you call sushi.
"Cliven Bundy may travel to Portland, Oregon, to protest the arrest of his sons…" What could go wrong? Also pointed to providing insight into these people's thought processes. "'This is a call to action for any elected representative in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, the State of Washington, and Ohio. You have constituents in federal custody. Please visit and contact them to voice your support for free speech, the right to assemble, and civil disobedience,' Bundy said in the statement. 'It is your duty to hold federal agencies at bay, protecting the people in your state.'" Um, no, that's not actually their duty.
Gov. LePage comes to grips with his racist statement. You know, after protesting that no, no he wasn't talk about black drug dealers. Not at all.
The convoluted path of justice in Texas. More on the Planned Parenthood smear campaign and the grand jury that indicted the makers of the video and not Planned Parenthood.
The Nuge is an anti-semite? Who could have guessed? (Maybe I shall call him, the Nougat)
"Trump… has the reality television star's ability to operate entirely without shame, and that permits him to operate entirely without restraint. It is the single scariest facet of his personality. It is the one that allows him to go where others won't, to say what others can't, to do what others wouldn't." And this is his exact appeal to his supporters. Because they all have their own ideas on how to make America Great again. They also have their own ideas on how we would "all" be winners. And Trump is so vague, he allows them (because it's a conscious choice) to project their solutions on to him. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Linkee-poo wishes you could swim like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Is it too late to start writing? "The clock ticks even louder for those of us 'of a certain age.' In addition to worrying that our window of publishing opportunity is closing, there’s also that pesky mortality thing looming in the back of our minds. This only adds to the steaming pot of Insecurity Stew many of us keep simmering on our mental stovetops." Om my yes. Or, "I'm sorry I can't hear you saying 'no' over the chiming of this clock in my head."
Hipster Fairy Tales? Okay, it's a review of "The Tale of Tales, Giambattisa Basile's 17th-century book of fairy stories."
What cultural appropriation looks like. It came seem like homage or respect from the perspective of the people doing it, but like art, it's in the eye of the beholder. This is what happens when you don't do your homework and just reach for the easy.
"A 1,500-year-old underground Byzantine church has been discovered in Turkey with unseen before frescoes depicting Jesus." (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
A bacterium that can focus light to determine the direction of its source. And so falls another creationist myth (not that they'd see it that way). (Grokked from David Klecha)
NPR Planet Money's podcast on CEO pay and the 90s spike. Or why changing the tax code needs to be approached very carefully. Or at the very least, how one rule can take, and the loophole in the very next clause can give it all back plus compound the problem. Also, not only is this why CEO pay exploded, it also explains why corporations are so highly focused on stock price and quarterly results. Yes, this country does transfer wealth. Still. A lot of it. But it's all going to the top.
So how's Michigan representatives doing with solving the crisis in Flint? Ah, passed a bill outlawing oral and anal sex. I'm sure that'll help fix the problem. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
The Labor Department is proposing new rules to allow companies to charge employees with high BMIs more for their insurance. So if you were wondering when the next shoe would drop after charging smokers more for their insurance, here it is. And this has nothing to do with actual health or costs. It all has to do with companies wanting to offload the cost of insurance, but still having to offer insurance to remain competitive.
Dear Eric Trump, you're a fucking ignorant, privileged snot. Okay, that was unfair to mucus membranes everywhere. "Eric Trump responded… 'And then somebody complains when a terrorist gets waterboarded, which quite frankly is no different than what happens on college campuses and frat houses every day.'" Jesus, the incompetence of these people. As Gene Hackman said in the 70s Superman, it's amazing that brain generates enough electricity for him to walk. But then again, your father is a shining example of human excrement. And your other brother is just as ignorant of life. ""You know, we weren’t trust fund babies. We were very fortunate. We experienced great things, but we were spoiled the right way. We were spoiled with great education, great experiences, we weren’t spoiled with cash." That's called "privilege". You'd know this if you had half a brain and could examine your own life without the mental blinders.
And speaking of having the same damn argument over and over again. "Indeed, there are other fundamental reasons to oppose not just the presence of women in the infantry but their forcible conscription into its ranks. Such a policy inverts natural law and the rules that have grounded our civilization for thousands of years." The National Review editorial board weighs in on the whole "should women be required to register for Selective Service." Funny, I remember having this argument in the 80s (and the 90s, and the 2000s…). Also, they like to say that war is just too terrible for us to send the women folk. However, they're just find sending all our young boys into the meat grinder. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
Hipster Fairy Tales? Okay, it's a review of "The Tale of Tales, Giambattisa Basile's 17th-century book of fairy stories."
What cultural appropriation looks like. It came seem like homage or respect from the perspective of the people doing it, but like art, it's in the eye of the beholder. This is what happens when you don't do your homework and just reach for the easy.
"A 1,500-year-old underground Byzantine church has been discovered in Turkey with unseen before frescoes depicting Jesus." (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
A bacterium that can focus light to determine the direction of its source. And so falls another creationist myth (not that they'd see it that way). (Grokked from David Klecha)
NPR Planet Money's podcast on CEO pay and the 90s spike. Or why changing the tax code needs to be approached very carefully. Or at the very least, how one rule can take, and the loophole in the very next clause can give it all back plus compound the problem. Also, not only is this why CEO pay exploded, it also explains why corporations are so highly focused on stock price and quarterly results. Yes, this country does transfer wealth. Still. A lot of it. But it's all going to the top.
So how's Michigan representatives doing with solving the crisis in Flint? Ah, passed a bill outlawing oral and anal sex. I'm sure that'll help fix the problem. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
The Labor Department is proposing new rules to allow companies to charge employees with high BMIs more for their insurance. So if you were wondering when the next shoe would drop after charging smokers more for their insurance, here it is. And this has nothing to do with actual health or costs. It all has to do with companies wanting to offload the cost of insurance, but still having to offer insurance to remain competitive.
Dear Eric Trump, you're a fucking ignorant, privileged snot. Okay, that was unfair to mucus membranes everywhere. "Eric Trump responded… 'And then somebody complains when a terrorist gets waterboarded, which quite frankly is no different than what happens on college campuses and frat houses every day.'" Jesus, the incompetence of these people. As Gene Hackman said in the 70s Superman, it's amazing that brain generates enough electricity for him to walk. But then again, your father is a shining example of human excrement. And your other brother is just as ignorant of life. ""You know, we weren’t trust fund babies. We were very fortunate. We experienced great things, but we were spoiled the right way. We were spoiled with great education, great experiences, we weren’t spoiled with cash." That's called "privilege". You'd know this if you had half a brain and could examine your own life without the mental blinders.
And speaking of having the same damn argument over and over again. "Indeed, there are other fundamental reasons to oppose not just the presence of women in the infantry but their forcible conscription into its ranks. Such a policy inverts natural law and the rules that have grounded our civilization for thousands of years." The National Review editorial board weighs in on the whole "should women be required to register for Selective Service." Funny, I remember having this argument in the 80s (and the 90s, and the 2000s…). Also, they like to say that war is just too terrible for us to send the women folk. However, they're just find sending all our young boys into the meat grinder. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
Monday, February 8, 2016
Linkee-poo is running
What copyedits look like. (Grokked from Justine Larbalestier)
"New York will investigate high levels of radioactive contamination found in groundwater at Indian Point Energy Center, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday." Well, that's going to leave a mark.
Ohio is only the fourth most depressing state to live in. Or, Ohio, Where Seasonal Affective Disorder is an Official Winter Sport. (Grokked from CC Findlay)
So, what is it like to live in a world of unexamined privilege and discrimination based on "cultural norms"? If you're a man with breast cancer, it's quite obvious. And I can appreciate this, the whole breast cancer story has been built around "women at risk for breast cancer." Want to see how it "normally" works in society, try finding the same thing for women with heart disease. Because "normally" it's "men have heart attacks." And both are just as dangerous. One, because most men don't know they are also at risk for breast cancer, and two, heart disease and especially heart attacks present differently in women. Both of those end up being deadly. All the more so because people in the health care industry also hold those beliefs. Also, just for the record, as a rad tech student I asked our mammography techs that if they had a male patient, if I could be present as a student to learn how mammography is done. And yes, we did have male patients, unfortunately just not on the days I was there.
Why is it important to pay attention to local politics? Crystal City, Texas is a prime example. The Fed have arrested nearly everyone involved in local government on corruption, bribery, fiduciary malpractice, and human trafficking charges. Way to go Texas!
You may have heard me (and others) talk about how far to the right the conservative party has swung over the last 3 decades. You may wonder exactly what I mean by that. Okay, here's an example. "Eight years ago at this time, there was a senator running for president en route to winning his party’s nomination. He supported closing Guantanamo, banning torture, passing comprehensive immigration reform, and creating a cap-and-trade system to address the climate crisis…That candidate’s name was John McCain. His running mate endorsed the same platform. Her name was Sarah Palin." They still continue to the right, always to the right. (Grokked from the Slactivist)
Not only is Jeb!'s Mother campaigning for him, his Super PAC aired an ad featuring G. W. Bush. I'm sure that won't be seen as a negative. I'm also sure we won't see any remixes of it. Nope, positives all the way down.
Oh, most of your family has been killed or inducted at gun point to fight a civil war, and you barely escaped being killed yourself while making a desperate run across the border? Well Donald Trump will fly over to your camp and tell you to you face, "go fuck yourself." Now that's compassionate conservatism in action. I'm really getting close to the point of just looking at the GOP line up and shouting, "Burn it! Burn it all with cleansing fire!"
You know, being a progressive I'm used to our own candidates getting into the Firing Squad Circle Formation. It actually is kinda funny when it happens to other people.
"New York will investigate high levels of radioactive contamination found in groundwater at Indian Point Energy Center, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday." Well, that's going to leave a mark.
Ohio is only the fourth most depressing state to live in. Or, Ohio, Where Seasonal Affective Disorder is an Official Winter Sport. (Grokked from CC Findlay)
So, what is it like to live in a world of unexamined privilege and discrimination based on "cultural norms"? If you're a man with breast cancer, it's quite obvious. And I can appreciate this, the whole breast cancer story has been built around "women at risk for breast cancer." Want to see how it "normally" works in society, try finding the same thing for women with heart disease. Because "normally" it's "men have heart attacks." And both are just as dangerous. One, because most men don't know they are also at risk for breast cancer, and two, heart disease and especially heart attacks present differently in women. Both of those end up being deadly. All the more so because people in the health care industry also hold those beliefs. Also, just for the record, as a rad tech student I asked our mammography techs that if they had a male patient, if I could be present as a student to learn how mammography is done. And yes, we did have male patients, unfortunately just not on the days I was there.
Why is it important to pay attention to local politics? Crystal City, Texas is a prime example. The Fed have arrested nearly everyone involved in local government on corruption, bribery, fiduciary malpractice, and human trafficking charges. Way to go Texas!
You may have heard me (and others) talk about how far to the right the conservative party has swung over the last 3 decades. You may wonder exactly what I mean by that. Okay, here's an example. "Eight years ago at this time, there was a senator running for president en route to winning his party’s nomination. He supported closing Guantanamo, banning torture, passing comprehensive immigration reform, and creating a cap-and-trade system to address the climate crisis…That candidate’s name was John McCain. His running mate endorsed the same platform. Her name was Sarah Palin." They still continue to the right, always to the right. (Grokked from the Slactivist)
Not only is Jeb!'s Mother campaigning for him, his Super PAC aired an ad featuring G. W. Bush. I'm sure that won't be seen as a negative. I'm also sure we won't see any remixes of it. Nope, positives all the way down.
Oh, most of your family has been killed or inducted at gun point to fight a civil war, and you barely escaped being killed yourself while making a desperate run across the border? Well Donald Trump will fly over to your camp and tell you to you face, "go fuck yourself." Now that's compassionate conservatism in action. I'm really getting close to the point of just looking at the GOP line up and shouting, "Burn it! Burn it all with cleansing fire!"
You know, being a progressive I'm used to our own candidates getting into the Firing Squad Circle Formation. It actually is kinda funny when it happens to other people.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Linkee-poo wanders through the sports ball weekend
Just a heads up that the hospital work is going to explode for the next month as a departure in a choice position settles out throughout the workforce. This may disrupt regular postings.
Matt (f'ing) Wallace on publishing/submitting. YMMV.(Grokked from Chia Evers)
So, how's that "the next generation will embrace ebooks" thing going? Ninety-two percent of college students prefer paper books over ebooks (for anything longer than an article). That good, huh. Who'd a thunk it. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)
Marginalia. In case you didn't know (and didn't read your Umberto Eco). (Grokked from Steven Brust)
Fred Clark on recent events in his life (well, okay, in January), human worth, the supposed "Wisdom of the Market", and optimism. Mr. Clark, aka the Slactivist, is also running his own fund raiser. "What’s the best way to allocate the resource of this scrawny, brainy guy who has years of experience honing a useful craft? Let’s employ him as muscle. Brilliant." Well, I'm not exactly scrawny, but damn, that's exactly what I was thinking during my last job search. And it well and truly sucks to be in that position and has been the main impetus behind my own reboot. Hang in there, Fred.
XKCD on kerning. Bwahahahaha. (Grokked from Kelly Link)
"More than 40 years after her burial in an unmarked Philadelphia grave, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, gospel’s first superstar and its most celebrated crossover figure, is enjoying a burst of Internet celebrity." This year I think people have finally caught the hang of Black History Month. (Grokked from Patrick Nielsen Hayden)
"Scientist have spotted hills made of ice floating in a sea of frozen nitrogen in Pluto’s 'heart,' one of the dwarf planet’s must (sic) distinct regions because of its shape." The universe is stranger than you think. (Grokked from Christopher Moore)
RIP Moore's Law. We knew it was coming (and really hadn't been in good health for the last decade). (Grokked from John)
Five things to understand about people who have lost a child. (Grokked from Janiece)
"Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." Steven Brust rants about the nattering nabobs of negativism.
"The incinerated partial remains of at least 274 American troops were dumped in a Virginia landfill, according to government records…" :: staring slack-jawed :: "Changes in disposal policies came about after an in-depth review at Dover was ordered in 2008 by then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates." I should hope fucking so. I often metaphorically ask for heads to roll, this time it's not so metaphorically. (Grokked from Janiece)
When conservative candidates talk about changing the direction the country is going, understand that they want to reverse this. Note that GDP "slowed" to 0.7%, which isn't good.
"You had a surge of federal money for sterilizations, mainstream feminists calling for easier access to them, a fear that overpopulation would soon destroy the planet and the fear that poor women were burdening the country with children whom taxpayers would need to feed, clothe and educate." And they complain about funding Planned Parenthood. (Grokked from Janiece)
Tweet of my heart: @StevenBrust Ever notice how those who say the problem is people wanting too much stuff are people who can afford lots of stuff? #nocontext
Matt (f'ing) Wallace on publishing/submitting. YMMV.(Grokked from Chia Evers)
So, how's that "the next generation will embrace ebooks" thing going? Ninety-two percent of college students prefer paper books over ebooks (for anything longer than an article). That good, huh. Who'd a thunk it. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)
Marginalia. In case you didn't know (and didn't read your Umberto Eco). (Grokked from Steven Brust)
Fred Clark on recent events in his life (well, okay, in January), human worth, the supposed "Wisdom of the Market", and optimism. Mr. Clark, aka the Slactivist, is also running his own fund raiser. "What’s the best way to allocate the resource of this scrawny, brainy guy who has years of experience honing a useful craft? Let’s employ him as muscle. Brilliant." Well, I'm not exactly scrawny, but damn, that's exactly what I was thinking during my last job search. And it well and truly sucks to be in that position and has been the main impetus behind my own reboot. Hang in there, Fred.
XKCD on kerning. Bwahahahaha. (Grokked from Kelly Link)
"More than 40 years after her burial in an unmarked Philadelphia grave, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, gospel’s first superstar and its most celebrated crossover figure, is enjoying a burst of Internet celebrity." This year I think people have finally caught the hang of Black History Month. (Grokked from Patrick Nielsen Hayden)
"Scientist have spotted hills made of ice floating in a sea of frozen nitrogen in Pluto’s 'heart,' one of the dwarf planet’s must (sic) distinct regions because of its shape." The universe is stranger than you think. (Grokked from Christopher Moore)
RIP Moore's Law. We knew it was coming (and really hadn't been in good health for the last decade). (Grokked from John)
Five things to understand about people who have lost a child. (Grokked from Janiece)
"Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." Steven Brust rants about the nattering nabobs of negativism.
"The incinerated partial remains of at least 274 American troops were dumped in a Virginia landfill, according to government records…" :: staring slack-jawed :: "Changes in disposal policies came about after an in-depth review at Dover was ordered in 2008 by then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates." I should hope fucking so. I often metaphorically ask for heads to roll, this time it's not so metaphorically. (Grokked from Janiece)
When conservative candidates talk about changing the direction the country is going, understand that they want to reverse this. Note that GDP "slowed" to 0.7%, which isn't good.
"You had a surge of federal money for sterilizations, mainstream feminists calling for easier access to them, a fear that overpopulation would soon destroy the planet and the fear that poor women were burdening the country with children whom taxpayers would need to feed, clothe and educate." And they complain about funding Planned Parenthood. (Grokked from Janiece)
Tweet of my heart: @StevenBrust Ever notice how those who say the problem is people wanting too much stuff are people who can afford lots of stuff? #nocontext
Friday, February 5, 2016
Linkee-poo hopes the world sees the same person that you’ve always been to me
Some days I wonder just what the hell I'm doing in the day job.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is online for all your Latiny and Old English gratification. (Grokked from Sarah Goslee)
Need a good checklist to make sure your convention is accessible all your guests? Well, SFWA has a pretty good checklist. (Grokked from Merrie Haskell)
Terry Gilliam reveals how he did it. His cut-out animation, that is. (Grokked from Neil Gaiman)
The slow turn of cultural perceptions. In this case, about how Dads are perceived in our Western Civ. (Grokked from Marie Vibbert)
We are special. As a species. And here you see the blind spot in most science. We can not see the world except through our eyes. By the same reasoning, lactobacillus is also a special snowflake. And all life on earth is special, unlikely to have an exact analog in other biosystems. Although animals will fill similar niches, and we believe the basic functions of life would be the same, you can look at life on Earth and see how many different ways nature solves the same problems in different ways. So, we are probably unique in the universe. But so is the ant.
Tweet of my heart: @KameronHurley Agency life is weird. Many clients come and go. You have to both care VERY much (to do great work) & not at all (if work is lost).
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is online for all your Latiny and Old English gratification. (Grokked from Sarah Goslee)
Need a good checklist to make sure your convention is accessible all your guests? Well, SFWA has a pretty good checklist. (Grokked from Merrie Haskell)
Terry Gilliam reveals how he did it. His cut-out animation, that is. (Grokked from Neil Gaiman)
The slow turn of cultural perceptions. In this case, about how Dads are perceived in our Western Civ. (Grokked from Marie Vibbert)
We are special. As a species. And here you see the blind spot in most science. We can not see the world except through our eyes. By the same reasoning, lactobacillus is also a special snowflake. And all life on earth is special, unlikely to have an exact analog in other biosystems. Although animals will fill similar niches, and we believe the basic functions of life would be the same, you can look at life on Earth and see how many different ways nature solves the same problems in different ways. So, we are probably unique in the universe. But so is the ant.
Tweet of my heart: @KameronHurley Agency life is weird. Many clients come and go. You have to both care VERY much (to do great work) & not at all (if work is lost).
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Linkee-poo keep me safe, lie with me, stay beside me, don't go, don't you go
John le Carré on the art of fiction. (Grokked form Terri Windling)
Good news for mice! Scientist have bred a mouse that allows them to (with a drug) kill off cells that have stopped dividing, leading to 25% longer and healthier life. Unfortunately, it's not so easy in humans, and those cells may be protecting us from some cancers.
Buzz-kills! The CDC recommends that sexually active women who are not using birth control should avoid alcohol consumption. While scientifically a valid statement (as alcohol consumption while pregnant, especially in the early stages, can cause birth defects, not all of which are noticeable), slightly tone-deaf in delivery. So people are rightfully outraged. Also, it's a recommendation not a mandate. This is what the CDC does, "Hey, there's this health problem, how do we reduce morbidity and mortality?" And if you don't think this is a problem when I work in X-ray, you haven't had one lately. I've gotten pretty used to asking, "any chance of pregnancy, when was your last menstrual cycle?" I also know when and where to ask (especially if the patient is a minor with parents in the room). Why, because if you are pregnant and we X-ray you (I try to shield even for the most minor exams) it is exactly the wrong time for the fetus (x-ray exposure in the early weeks typically leads spontaneous abortion, although not always). If it's an abdominal exam, oh yea, I am much more strict about that (note there are times when we must, a doctor needs to sign off on those as they are taking responsibility).
While it seems a simple argument to add women to the registration for Selective Service (aka, the Draft), the arguments here are pretty subtle and long standing. There is a subtext of "if women are also drafted, there is less political support for continuing Selective Service" which is why this argument also occurred in the 80s. It was an attempt to abolish Selective Service. There is the subtext of equal rights, why shouldn't women also be considered for the draft? And there is the final contention over opening all combat roles to women. While it's an order, I bet you can't swing a cat in the Officers Club without hitting someone who vehemently disagrees with it. But seriously, it's time to either kill Selective Service, or make it mandatory for all citizens/residents aged 18 to 25.
And more news in the "it's everybody else's fault, except us" brand of conservative politics, a Congressional hearing on the Flint Water crisis/poisonings. Everybody but the people involved in forcing the change of water to the Flint River, or the process of imposing an Emergency Manager on local governments, will be there to take the heat.
With friends like these. Speaker Ryan agrees with the Black Caucus that Congress should update the Voting Rights Act to mend the gaping hole put in it by the Supreme Court. However, not enough that he'll pressure the committee chairman to release the legislation.
Yes, all the Sturm and Drang about Obamacare from the insurance industry is about getting leverage to blunt rules that are coming down the pike. Because they can't make as much money as they used to.
First stage, denial. Jeb! has to ask an audience to clap after he gave a "fiery" speech. That's gonna leave a mark.
And then there were nine. Oh Ricky, you went and lost that number. So much for my bet. And then he struggles to justify his endorsement of Rubio. And that shows just what is wrong with this election. There are no reasons on the Right for what they're doing, at least none they can admit in the open.
And this is exactly why the FBI released that video of the chase and death of LaVoy Finicum. Also, so much for the 4 still inside to get their wish of just being "let go".
Good news for mice! Scientist have bred a mouse that allows them to (with a drug) kill off cells that have stopped dividing, leading to 25% longer and healthier life. Unfortunately, it's not so easy in humans, and those cells may be protecting us from some cancers.
Buzz-kills! The CDC recommends that sexually active women who are not using birth control should avoid alcohol consumption. While scientifically a valid statement (as alcohol consumption while pregnant, especially in the early stages, can cause birth defects, not all of which are noticeable), slightly tone-deaf in delivery. So people are rightfully outraged. Also, it's a recommendation not a mandate. This is what the CDC does, "Hey, there's this health problem, how do we reduce morbidity and mortality?" And if you don't think this is a problem when I work in X-ray, you haven't had one lately. I've gotten pretty used to asking, "any chance of pregnancy, when was your last menstrual cycle?" I also know when and where to ask (especially if the patient is a minor with parents in the room). Why, because if you are pregnant and we X-ray you (I try to shield even for the most minor exams) it is exactly the wrong time for the fetus (x-ray exposure in the early weeks typically leads spontaneous abortion, although not always). If it's an abdominal exam, oh yea, I am much more strict about that (note there are times when we must, a doctor needs to sign off on those as they are taking responsibility).
While it seems a simple argument to add women to the registration for Selective Service (aka, the Draft), the arguments here are pretty subtle and long standing. There is a subtext of "if women are also drafted, there is less political support for continuing Selective Service" which is why this argument also occurred in the 80s. It was an attempt to abolish Selective Service. There is the subtext of equal rights, why shouldn't women also be considered for the draft? And there is the final contention over opening all combat roles to women. While it's an order, I bet you can't swing a cat in the Officers Club without hitting someone who vehemently disagrees with it. But seriously, it's time to either kill Selective Service, or make it mandatory for all citizens/residents aged 18 to 25.
And more news in the "it's everybody else's fault, except us" brand of conservative politics, a Congressional hearing on the Flint Water crisis/poisonings. Everybody but the people involved in forcing the change of water to the Flint River, or the process of imposing an Emergency Manager on local governments, will be there to take the heat.
With friends like these. Speaker Ryan agrees with the Black Caucus that Congress should update the Voting Rights Act to mend the gaping hole put in it by the Supreme Court. However, not enough that he'll pressure the committee chairman to release the legislation.
Yes, all the Sturm and Drang about Obamacare from the insurance industry is about getting leverage to blunt rules that are coming down the pike. Because they can't make as much money as they used to.
First stage, denial. Jeb! has to ask an audience to clap after he gave a "fiery" speech. That's gonna leave a mark.
And then there were nine. Oh Ricky, you went and lost that number. So much for my bet. And then he struggles to justify his endorsement of Rubio. And that shows just what is wrong with this election. There are no reasons on the Right for what they're doing, at least none they can admit in the open.
And this is exactly why the FBI released that video of the chase and death of LaVoy Finicum. Also, so much for the 4 still inside to get their wish of just being "let go".
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Briar Rabbit
Okay, crazy wild-ass conspiracy theory to follow.
Donald Trump is a Republican plant. Not the leafy kind, the kind that waves it's hands and keeps you from noticing someone is making bunny-ears behind you for the class picture.
I know what you're thinking, but give it a moment (and I'll probably discount this tomorrow).
First off, the Right has a long history of shouting "Wolf" and the Left only to kept the Left from claiming the Right is the Wolf. If you've been watching Fox news you've seen this play out a thousand times. And this strategy was outlined in a number of memos that came out from Newt Gingrich in the 90s on how to influence people and win elections. And it was early on that the Right claimed that Donald Trump was a plant from the Democratic Party.
See, one of the lessons the Right learned in 2012 was that people actually listen and pay attention now. I know there's been a lot of "Mitt Romney lost because he couldn't sway minorities… he was too moderate… he was establishment…" blah blah. Remember all their polling told them they would win easily. But you know what, the electorate had almost 6 months of Romney, and that was all they could take. Actually we had enough of Mitt as he was dragged to the Right to win the Primaries, he couldn't swing hard enough to the Center to win in the general election (the Right wouldn't let him, and there were all those statements he made during the Primaries that came back to haunt him, "Corporations are people, too, my friend" and "I'm a conservative's conservative").
So, what better way to remove that threat as all the candidates swing hard to the Right to win the primaries than give the public Bread and Circuses. What did the English Parliament call Trump, "a buffoon, a clown…". But an entertaining one. As all the other candidates make their dog whistles to the Right, Trump is out there in front blatantly calling out the political game and sucking up all the air in the room, not to mention all the air time from the news. So the Right gets to hear the candidates, but the general populace only gets to hear Trump.
Trump is winning what the Right considers their "staunch supporters", they kind they believe will come out and vote for anyone with an "(R)" after their name. All to keep those godless liberals from office. So, the RNC thinks Trump can do his dance, keep all the yokels satisfied and keep the Left distracted.
Why would he have not only missed the last debate before Iowa, but also counter schedule his own event? Maybe to keep the general public's eyes from the debate, but allow the hard core caucusers get a clear view of the candidates.
The RNC and Fox News keep going from loving him to having fits about him. But lately those fits have held a tinge of "Don't throw me in the briar patch" about them. Plausible denial.
And what does Trump get? Publicity. Lots of it. And he gets to call himself a winner. Fawning fans that love him, feeding his narcissism. And in the end, maybe a President that will see to his interests as a very rich guy. Also, if he plays his cards right, it might be him (do you think Trump would never try to double-cross someone?).
Just some idle thoughts.
I'm sure it's not true.
Donald Trump is a Republican plant. Not the leafy kind, the kind that waves it's hands and keeps you from noticing someone is making bunny-ears behind you for the class picture.
I know what you're thinking, but give it a moment (and I'll probably discount this tomorrow).
First off, the Right has a long history of shouting "Wolf" and the Left only to kept the Left from claiming the Right is the Wolf. If you've been watching Fox news you've seen this play out a thousand times. And this strategy was outlined in a number of memos that came out from Newt Gingrich in the 90s on how to influence people and win elections. And it was early on that the Right claimed that Donald Trump was a plant from the Democratic Party.
See, one of the lessons the Right learned in 2012 was that people actually listen and pay attention now. I know there's been a lot of "Mitt Romney lost because he couldn't sway minorities… he was too moderate… he was establishment…" blah blah. Remember all their polling told them they would win easily. But you know what, the electorate had almost 6 months of Romney, and that was all they could take. Actually we had enough of Mitt as he was dragged to the Right to win the Primaries, he couldn't swing hard enough to the Center to win in the general election (the Right wouldn't let him, and there were all those statements he made during the Primaries that came back to haunt him, "Corporations are people, too, my friend" and "I'm a conservative's conservative").
So, what better way to remove that threat as all the candidates swing hard to the Right to win the primaries than give the public Bread and Circuses. What did the English Parliament call Trump, "a buffoon, a clown…". But an entertaining one. As all the other candidates make their dog whistles to the Right, Trump is out there in front blatantly calling out the political game and sucking up all the air in the room, not to mention all the air time from the news. So the Right gets to hear the candidates, but the general populace only gets to hear Trump.
Trump is winning what the Right considers their "staunch supporters", they kind they believe will come out and vote for anyone with an "(R)" after their name. All to keep those godless liberals from office. So, the RNC thinks Trump can do his dance, keep all the yokels satisfied and keep the Left distracted.
Why would he have not only missed the last debate before Iowa, but also counter schedule his own event? Maybe to keep the general public's eyes from the debate, but allow the hard core caucusers get a clear view of the candidates.
The RNC and Fox News keep going from loving him to having fits about him. But lately those fits have held a tinge of "Don't throw me in the briar patch" about them. Plausible denial.
And what does Trump get? Publicity. Lots of it. And he gets to call himself a winner. Fawning fans that love him, feeding his narcissism. And in the end, maybe a President that will see to his interests as a very rich guy. Also, if he plays his cards right, it might be him (do you think Trump would never try to double-cross someone?).
Just some idle thoughts.
I'm sure it's not true.
Linkee-poo cradle me, close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep
Phosphorus starts with pee. Those wacky alchemists, they'd try anything to turn base materials into gold. The start of an NPR series on serendipitous scientific discoveries, or happy accidents. Say, have I ever mentioned how our founding fathers used to make saltpeter?
"I'm your server, not your sex toy." A woman's perspective on the male gaze in the work place. Yea, I've had that conversation with some of my (male) employees when I was a manager. (Grokked from Ferrett Steinmetz)
So, got yourself one of those fancy pedometer/health trackers, eh? Well they might be helping other people track your health as well. Seriously, in this day and age for developers to not use some standard protection techniques is really just deplorable. And yea, I have one of these trackers now, for the wellness program at the PRN job. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Turns out, some of those employers who decided to cut workers' hours to avoid giving them healthcare coverage under Obamacare aren't having such a good time with it. They have motivational problems, retainment problems, and quality of worker issues. Who'd a thunk it? Although there is the opposite, workers who are right on the cusp who now qualify for free medicaid, but would have to pay more for regular insurance if they got more hours.
"'Instead of saying, We screwed up, they said, Obamacare is the problem and we may not play anymore,' Lee said in an interview with California Healthline. "It was giving an excuse to Wall Street and throwing the Affordable Care Act under the bus.'" Companies blaming Obamacare for their own screw-ups and economic problems? Why, that's unpossible!
For all those people who think we're not doing anything about ISIS/ISIL/DRASH, we're not doing so much that we have to buy a heckalotta more smart bombs 'cause we're running out. Good thing President Obama is a coward and not leading the world, 'cause that would be even damn more expensive if he were. Time to buy Boeing stock. (Grokked from John)
Because it's the day after Iowa, six actual historical super villains. Yes, there's a Nazi or two in there. (Grokked from Vince O'Conner)
Why is this culture of hate speech and outrage a bad idea? "I don’t know if he was there to kill me." That's why. Because people don't understand it's a game or a strategy, because it's their life. And they believe the lies they've been told, even though they'll spout that all politicians are liars, but not there politicians. Never the ones they agree with. And stoking the fires of hate and divisiveness drives the type of people like the guy in this story. And it drives them to react to crimes they believe are being committed against them, when absolutely nothing of the sort is happening. This is why we rage at the language of the Right. (Grokked form Annalen Flower Horne)
"Fine says one sure way of identifying an outsider is a prominently displayed sidearm. She shoots a scornful glance at a trio of men standing in front of her, their arms crossed, their holsters hanging out." More on Harney County and the confrontation between locals and outside agitators (one of whom wondered how many of those "locals" were "paid actors"). Some analysts that have looked at the political landscape say that there are two Americas people exist in. There's a heck of a lot more than two.
Did Clinton rig the coin tosses to win in Iowa? Shakes Magic 8-Ball, "Signs point to no." It doesn't quite work that way, but it feeds some preconceived notions that Hillary Clinton is both incompetent and wily canny that she couldn't win outright, and so somehow "fixed" six coin tosses to go her way.
"'For strong liberals the estimated drop in turnout in strict photo identification states is an alarming 7.9 percentage points,' researchers found. 'By contrast, strong conservatives actually vote at a slightly higher rate – 4.8 points – in strict ID states, all else equal.'" Working as planned. Just in case anyone still doubted the purpose behind voter ID laws. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
"Last year, she made 10 trips – to her local driver’s license office, to the bank to obtain personal documents, to Social Security offices in Raleigh and home again – to get an ID that she was certain would allow her to vote." So much for the vaunted ease of getting an voter ID. (Grokked from Mur Lafferty)
Not only does the Trumpster feel he wasn't treated fairly by the media (insert standard conservative whining point #2), he also thinks he should've gotten credit for trying. I mean, "funding his own campaign." Not like he wanted a trophy for participation, but yea, wanting credit for showing up.
Then Dr. Carson and Bill O'Reily play a game of Rabbit Season/Duck Season over who was to blame for the Cruz campaign's letter to inform Carson caucusers that the good doctor had suspended his campaign (even though that appears to be rumors based on his "returning to Florida" which he now says, "was to get fresh clothes"). Apparently Dr. Carson wasn't given the memo to blame CNN, instead of the Cruz campaign. But I'm sure they could all agree it was Pres. Obama's fault.
So much for any actual work getting done in the Senate this year. Although, truth be told, it's an election year. Nobody should have expected anything anyway. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
And then there were ten. I knew we'd get to an Agatha Christie novel sooner or later.
So, more guns makes us safer, huh? Man shoots dog when he meant to shoot his wife after a drunken argument. I think the dog would disagree with more guns making us safer. On the plus side, the man was actually charged with attempted murder and arrested. 'Cause that doesn't always happen.
"I'm your server, not your sex toy." A woman's perspective on the male gaze in the work place. Yea, I've had that conversation with some of my (male) employees when I was a manager. (Grokked from Ferrett Steinmetz)
So, got yourself one of those fancy pedometer/health trackers, eh? Well they might be helping other people track your health as well. Seriously, in this day and age for developers to not use some standard protection techniques is really just deplorable. And yea, I have one of these trackers now, for the wellness program at the PRN job. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Turns out, some of those employers who decided to cut workers' hours to avoid giving them healthcare coverage under Obamacare aren't having such a good time with it. They have motivational problems, retainment problems, and quality of worker issues. Who'd a thunk it? Although there is the opposite, workers who are right on the cusp who now qualify for free medicaid, but would have to pay more for regular insurance if they got more hours.
"'Instead of saying, We screwed up, they said, Obamacare is the problem and we may not play anymore,' Lee said in an interview with California Healthline. "It was giving an excuse to Wall Street and throwing the Affordable Care Act under the bus.'" Companies blaming Obamacare for their own screw-ups and economic problems? Why, that's unpossible!
For all those people who think we're not doing anything about ISIS/ISIL/DRASH, we're not doing so much that we have to buy a heckalotta more smart bombs 'cause we're running out. Good thing President Obama is a coward and not leading the world, 'cause that would be even damn more expensive if he were. Time to buy Boeing stock. (Grokked from John)
Because it's the day after Iowa, six actual historical super villains. Yes, there's a Nazi or two in there. (Grokked from Vince O'Conner)
Why is this culture of hate speech and outrage a bad idea? "I don’t know if he was there to kill me." That's why. Because people don't understand it's a game or a strategy, because it's their life. And they believe the lies they've been told, even though they'll spout that all politicians are liars, but not there politicians. Never the ones they agree with. And stoking the fires of hate and divisiveness drives the type of people like the guy in this story. And it drives them to react to crimes they believe are being committed against them, when absolutely nothing of the sort is happening. This is why we rage at the language of the Right. (Grokked form Annalen Flower Horne)
"Fine says one sure way of identifying an outsider is a prominently displayed sidearm. She shoots a scornful glance at a trio of men standing in front of her, their arms crossed, their holsters hanging out." More on Harney County and the confrontation between locals and outside agitators (one of whom wondered how many of those "locals" were "paid actors"). Some analysts that have looked at the political landscape say that there are two Americas people exist in. There's a heck of a lot more than two.
Did Clinton rig the coin tosses to win in Iowa? Shakes Magic 8-Ball, "Signs point to no." It doesn't quite work that way, but it feeds some preconceived notions that Hillary Clinton is both incompetent and wily canny that she couldn't win outright, and so somehow "fixed" six coin tosses to go her way.
"'For strong liberals the estimated drop in turnout in strict photo identification states is an alarming 7.9 percentage points,' researchers found. 'By contrast, strong conservatives actually vote at a slightly higher rate – 4.8 points – in strict ID states, all else equal.'" Working as planned. Just in case anyone still doubted the purpose behind voter ID laws. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
"Last year, she made 10 trips – to her local driver’s license office, to the bank to obtain personal documents, to Social Security offices in Raleigh and home again – to get an ID that she was certain would allow her to vote." So much for the vaunted ease of getting an voter ID. (Grokked from Mur Lafferty)
Not only does the Trumpster feel he wasn't treated fairly by the media (insert standard conservative whining point #2), he also thinks he should've gotten credit for trying. I mean, "funding his own campaign." Not like he wanted a trophy for participation, but yea, wanting credit for showing up.
Then Dr. Carson and Bill O'Reily play a game of Rabbit Season/Duck Season over who was to blame for the Cruz campaign's letter to inform Carson caucusers that the good doctor had suspended his campaign (even though that appears to be rumors based on his "returning to Florida" which he now says, "was to get fresh clothes"). Apparently Dr. Carson wasn't given the memo to blame CNN, instead of the Cruz campaign. But I'm sure they could all agree it was Pres. Obama's fault.
So much for any actual work getting done in the Senate this year. Although, truth be told, it's an election year. Nobody should have expected anything anyway. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
And then there were ten. I knew we'd get to an Agatha Christie novel sooner or later.
So, more guns makes us safer, huh? Man shoots dog when he meant to shoot his wife after a drunken argument. I think the dog would disagree with more guns making us safer. On the plus side, the man was actually charged with attempted murder and arrested. 'Cause that doesn't always happen.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Linkee-poo is full up for the evening
Tomorrow is going to be a lot of hard work where I may be without internet for much of the day. So, since many of these are sometime time sensitive, you all get a double-dose of linkee-poos. If all goes well, I might be able to get some out tomorrow, but I'm not betting on it.
As we type this, results from Iowa are just tricking in. Gods help us all.
On writing the "other" when the other is you. An Asian-American writer talks about why they don't write about Asians. (Grokked from Julia Rios)
The old practices are the best practices. Dutch police are looking at using trained eagles to take out rouge drones. Out fly that asshole. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)
And, a breakdown of the drone already delivering your packages (within the warehouse). (Grokked from John)
Is too much exercise bad for you. There are studies out there looking at extreme endurance athletes and heart disease. I have to say, I'm not as surprised as they researchers. I've known a few of these people (and have seen more of them on TV, because "aren't they the ideal!"). They push too far. That's actually their whole point. Also, most of them don't have a well balanced diet (because they burn so many calories, they tend to carb and fat load). We already have research that binge eating is bad for you. "'We don't think that long-term exercise is dangerous, because long-term endurance athletes live longer than other people,' (the lead researcher) says."
Using a twitter bot to tweet your slow connection speed to your ISP. Okay. Maybe there is a good use for bots after all. (Grokked from John)
So, I remember this article on reimagining the icons for bathrooms. And the article writers came to the conclusion that they just loved this one solution so much they thought the rest of us were stupid for not employing it. It was two piles of poop (in an ice-cream swirl), one pink, one blue. So many designers that it was "fabulous." And then I pointed out the obvious and pissed on everyone's parade. Everyone that was paying attention, that is. I'm sure the authors of that article still though the colored poop was a fantastic updated solution for an older problem. Yea, no it wasn't. Not all handicaps are visible. Color-blindness is one. This is also why I absolutely loath high-key solutions (little color variance between areas, or the colors appear to be the same level of "grey"). And there are a great many designers who believe it's the only way to go (because it's tougher to make it work properly). Fuck them. Design is communication. If you're not able to get that communication across to the widest audience possible (even if they disagree or misinterpret) you've failed. And by fail, I mean you need to be slapped about with Gardner's History of Art. (Grokked from Ferrett Steinmetz)
Egypt formalizes and vows enforcement of their "short-term" bride law. In the US, we call them escorts. And, yes, this is formalizing sex trafficking and forced marriages, not to mention exploitation of the poor in a country that offers few social services. "And while there are no hard numbers on how many Egyptian women are married off to much older foreign men, human rights groups say it's a thriving business, and in parts of the country, whole villages resort to selling their daughters to support the family."
A little bit about Iowa's great unemployment rate, but sluggish economy. There's a whole lot to unpack from that short article. Including pay issues and internal training.
I just can't even… A commentator on an article about the A Birthday Cake for George Washington thinks it's about the same to be a slave for good ol' George as it is being a tax payor now. Might even be better to have been the slave. Why? Because Ol' Wooden Choppers was a stand up kinda guy. And, yes, you'd think the comments on NPR would be a refreshing break from the cesspool of most comment sections. You would be wrong. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
"All of this was investigated and all of it was found to be crap." The twenty-five years of lies and hatred against Hillary Clinton, all of which we can expect to be rolled out again in the next 10 months. (Grokked from Jason Sanford)
"Tension flared in the deeply divided town of Burns, Oregon, on Monday as 500 demonstrators on both sides of an armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge squared off, brandishing signs and yelling at each other days after one of the occupiers was shot dead by state police." As I said before, this will not end well. "'I want to feel safe in my town,' said Lindsay Davies, 37, a mother of three who says her young children are afraid of the armed protesters walking around the community. 'It feels like a threat when people are carrying guns and you see guns all over the place.'" I feel your pain Mrs. Davies, and I sympathize.
I don't care which side you're on, but don't be a dick. Disagree with the candidates all you want, but don't be a dick about the supporters unless they're making asses out of themselves (or are already in the public sphere).
"'So if you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them,' Trump said at his rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa." Then he promised to pay legal fees to anyone who did. I wonder if anyone has explained to the Trumpster that if that actually happened now, he would also be criminally and civilly liable for those actions? So I wonder when some smart lawyer will take up the challenge and then sue for damages. Especially if all they do is just show the tomato, not make to throw it.
Hmmm, that's pretty dark for The Onion. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
As we type this, results from Iowa are just tricking in. Gods help us all.
On writing the "other" when the other is you. An Asian-American writer talks about why they don't write about Asians. (Grokked from Julia Rios)
The old practices are the best practices. Dutch police are looking at using trained eagles to take out rouge drones. Out fly that asshole. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)
And, a breakdown of the drone already delivering your packages (within the warehouse). (Grokked from John)
Is too much exercise bad for you. There are studies out there looking at extreme endurance athletes and heart disease. I have to say, I'm not as surprised as they researchers. I've known a few of these people (and have seen more of them on TV, because "aren't they the ideal!"). They push too far. That's actually their whole point. Also, most of them don't have a well balanced diet (because they burn so many calories, they tend to carb and fat load). We already have research that binge eating is bad for you. "'We don't think that long-term exercise is dangerous, because long-term endurance athletes live longer than other people,' (the lead researcher) says."
Using a twitter bot to tweet your slow connection speed to your ISP. Okay. Maybe there is a good use for bots after all. (Grokked from John)
So, I remember this article on reimagining the icons for bathrooms. And the article writers came to the conclusion that they just loved this one solution so much they thought the rest of us were stupid for not employing it. It was two piles of poop (in an ice-cream swirl), one pink, one blue. So many designers that it was "fabulous." And then I pointed out the obvious and pissed on everyone's parade. Everyone that was paying attention, that is. I'm sure the authors of that article still though the colored poop was a fantastic updated solution for an older problem. Yea, no it wasn't. Not all handicaps are visible. Color-blindness is one. This is also why I absolutely loath high-key solutions (little color variance between areas, or the colors appear to be the same level of "grey"). And there are a great many designers who believe it's the only way to go (because it's tougher to make it work properly). Fuck them. Design is communication. If you're not able to get that communication across to the widest audience possible (even if they disagree or misinterpret) you've failed. And by fail, I mean you need to be slapped about with Gardner's History of Art. (Grokked from Ferrett Steinmetz)
Egypt formalizes and vows enforcement of their "short-term" bride law. In the US, we call them escorts. And, yes, this is formalizing sex trafficking and forced marriages, not to mention exploitation of the poor in a country that offers few social services. "And while there are no hard numbers on how many Egyptian women are married off to much older foreign men, human rights groups say it's a thriving business, and in parts of the country, whole villages resort to selling their daughters to support the family."
A little bit about Iowa's great unemployment rate, but sluggish economy. There's a whole lot to unpack from that short article. Including pay issues and internal training.
I just can't even… A commentator on an article about the A Birthday Cake for George Washington thinks it's about the same to be a slave for good ol' George as it is being a tax payor now. Might even be better to have been the slave. Why? Because Ol' Wooden Choppers was a stand up kinda guy. And, yes, you'd think the comments on NPR would be a refreshing break from the cesspool of most comment sections. You would be wrong. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
"All of this was investigated and all of it was found to be crap." The twenty-five years of lies and hatred against Hillary Clinton, all of which we can expect to be rolled out again in the next 10 months. (Grokked from Jason Sanford)
"Tension flared in the deeply divided town of Burns, Oregon, on Monday as 500 demonstrators on both sides of an armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge squared off, brandishing signs and yelling at each other days after one of the occupiers was shot dead by state police." As I said before, this will not end well. "'I want to feel safe in my town,' said Lindsay Davies, 37, a mother of three who says her young children are afraid of the armed protesters walking around the community. 'It feels like a threat when people are carrying guns and you see guns all over the place.'" I feel your pain Mrs. Davies, and I sympathize.
I don't care which side you're on, but don't be a dick. Disagree with the candidates all you want, but don't be a dick about the supporters unless they're making asses out of themselves (or are already in the public sphere).
"'So if you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them,' Trump said at his rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa." Then he promised to pay legal fees to anyone who did. I wonder if anyone has explained to the Trumpster that if that actually happened now, he would also be criminally and civilly liable for those actions? So I wonder when some smart lawyer will take up the challenge and then sue for damages. Especially if all they do is just show the tomato, not make to throw it.
Hmmm, that's pretty dark for The Onion. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
Linkee-poo there's nothing halfway about the Iowa way to treat you, when we treat you, which we may not do at all
I don't often point to these things, but Jim Wright is running a fund raiser. I have always lusted after some of Jim's woodworking, now I have the impetus to hit the buy button. So besides donating to Jim and then maybe having him select you as a donor to get one of Jim's woodturned items (that bowl looks awesome), you could also buy things from Jim's etsy store.
Self-publisher makes good, start up her own imprint to publish other self-published authors. She's not the first one I've heard of (there are a few others mentioned in the article). Also note which genre she's publishing (erotica), which has been underserved by more mainstream publishers (and is also a main component of most of the authors she is bring onboard with her imprint). Also pointed to for this line, "Over the last five years, close to 40 independent authors have sold more than a million copies of their e-books on Amazon, the company said." Forty is a far cry from the "thousands" other have stated (although selling millions isn't a good metric for "making a good living"). Also note that mostly what she's doing is marketing, although she offers other services. (Grokked from John Scalzi)
A transgender Girl Scout proves a transphobic neighbor wrong by selling thousands of boxes of cookies. One, props to Girls Scouts (which is why I buy their cookies, which I guess my normal supplier this year had graduated, but her mom is still active in the troop), and two, props to the foster mother who helped prove to this little girl that she is valid and people will accept her. (Grokked form Chuck Wendig)
I've never called, because I know it's a scam, but Planet Money investigates the "Work From Home" racket. There are some legit work from home businesses, the website Rat Race Rebellion supposedly vets some of these jobs (site was mentioned at the end of the Planet Money episode as providing help for the story), but a great many are just trying to get your money. Use cautiously (note, even for legit freelancing there are enough places that will stiff you for payment to make you fully investigate whom you're working for).
The viking sacrificial practice of the blood-eagle. Trigger warnings for excessive violence in the portrayal and the embedded video from the Vikings series. (Grokked from Tania)
First, you must unlearn what you have learned. Or the six lessons you need to forget before you start coding for a real company. Not entirely applicable to other careers, although all careers will have their differences between what you learn in the classroom and what is done in the real world. I don't care how much your school states they only hire professionals with real life experience (was the case for both my graphic design and radiology technologist degrees). Why? Because everyone does it differently, ISO9001 and "Best Practices" be damned. (Grokked from Ferrett Steinmetz)
Kids these day, "So next time an acquaintance talks about what a computer genius their kids are, sigh really loud and roll your eyes and tell them what dum dums they are." Yea, I've had that conversation before. (Grokked from John Scalzi, I think)
So, if a groundhog sees its shadow and goes back in, it means six more weeks of winter. If it doesn't, Spring comes early. What does it mean if the groundhog dies the day before Groundhog Day? This can't be good. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? Flexiramics (flexible ceramics). Okay, that's interesting. (Grokked from John)
Apparently Illinois can't pass a budget. Pointed to because this is the result of partisan impasse and just how deep government spending reaches into everyone's life.
A lot of people are going to be hungry very soon as SNAP waivers expire. SNAP, or food stamps, have been tied work requirements since the 90s, typically allowing for only 3 months of assistance. In the Great Recession that time limit was waived. It's now coming back.
A reminder about what happened at Ruby Ridge.
A profile of Iowans voting tonight. I got nothing. Okay, well, I'm sure this will come of as East Coast Elitist (it is after all the New York Magazine) and how the raging liberals on the coast don't understand "fly over country." But that's just Mid West Elitism of "we know better because we're closer to the Earth." Well no, dumbass. Because even in Texas, a place that loves it some guns and is making sure you can carry (open and concealed) everywhere, they don't want them in the State Capital, because that would just be crazy. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
Self-publisher makes good, start up her own imprint to publish other self-published authors. She's not the first one I've heard of (there are a few others mentioned in the article). Also note which genre she's publishing (erotica), which has been underserved by more mainstream publishers (and is also a main component of most of the authors she is bring onboard with her imprint). Also pointed to for this line, "Over the last five years, close to 40 independent authors have sold more than a million copies of their e-books on Amazon, the company said." Forty is a far cry from the "thousands" other have stated (although selling millions isn't a good metric for "making a good living"). Also note that mostly what she's doing is marketing, although she offers other services. (Grokked from John Scalzi)
A transgender Girl Scout proves a transphobic neighbor wrong by selling thousands of boxes of cookies. One, props to Girls Scouts (which is why I buy their cookies, which I guess my normal supplier this year had graduated, but her mom is still active in the troop), and two, props to the foster mother who helped prove to this little girl that she is valid and people will accept her. (Grokked form Chuck Wendig)
I've never called, because I know it's a scam, but Planet Money investigates the "Work From Home" racket. There are some legit work from home businesses, the website Rat Race Rebellion supposedly vets some of these jobs (site was mentioned at the end of the Planet Money episode as providing help for the story), but a great many are just trying to get your money. Use cautiously (note, even for legit freelancing there are enough places that will stiff you for payment to make you fully investigate whom you're working for).
The viking sacrificial practice of the blood-eagle. Trigger warnings for excessive violence in the portrayal and the embedded video from the Vikings series. (Grokked from Tania)
First, you must unlearn what you have learned. Or the six lessons you need to forget before you start coding for a real company. Not entirely applicable to other careers, although all careers will have their differences between what you learn in the classroom and what is done in the real world. I don't care how much your school states they only hire professionals with real life experience (was the case for both my graphic design and radiology technologist degrees). Why? Because everyone does it differently, ISO9001 and "Best Practices" be damned. (Grokked from Ferrett Steinmetz)
Kids these day, "So next time an acquaintance talks about what a computer genius their kids are, sigh really loud and roll your eyes and tell them what dum dums they are." Yea, I've had that conversation before. (Grokked from John Scalzi, I think)
So, if a groundhog sees its shadow and goes back in, it means six more weeks of winter. If it doesn't, Spring comes early. What does it mean if the groundhog dies the day before Groundhog Day? This can't be good. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? Flexiramics (flexible ceramics). Okay, that's interesting. (Grokked from John)
Apparently Illinois can't pass a budget. Pointed to because this is the result of partisan impasse and just how deep government spending reaches into everyone's life.
A lot of people are going to be hungry very soon as SNAP waivers expire. SNAP, or food stamps, have been tied work requirements since the 90s, typically allowing for only 3 months of assistance. In the Great Recession that time limit was waived. It's now coming back.
A reminder about what happened at Ruby Ridge.
A profile of Iowans voting tonight. I got nothing. Okay, well, I'm sure this will come of as East Coast Elitist (it is after all the New York Magazine) and how the raging liberals on the coast don't understand "fly over country." But that's just Mid West Elitism of "we know better because we're closer to the Earth." Well no, dumbass. Because even in Texas, a place that loves it some guns and is making sure you can carry (open and concealed) everywhere, they don't want them in the State Capital, because that would just be crazy. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
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