May, 2011 archive
Blame the Victim 0
It’s a hallowed tactic of bigots.
Drafting an Obituary on the Typewriter 0
I’ve made my living with a keyboard almost my whole career.
Raja Murthy, the author, goes on to survey the history of the typewriter and its last refuges of use.
Somewhere around here I have to old Royal manual portable that followed me from high school to college and onward. I haven’t opened the case in years, but I can’t bring myself to throw it away.
A Newt Is a Small Lizard 0
Jay Bookman of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recalls the Gingrinch’s Greatest Hits.
Breaktime 0
Off to drink liberally.
Stating the Obvious 0
Writing at Bloomberg, economist and professor William K. Black considers the price of coddling bankster crime. A nugget:
We have seen this in the financial crisis that started in 2008 and in an earlier era, when the savings-and-loan industry collapsed.
In the Texas “Rent-a-Bank” scandal of the 1970s, for example, two ringleaders created a fraud network of 50 lenders that caused billions of dollars in losses. The watchdogs removed and sanctioned one of the main culprits, but because the crimes weren’t prosecuted, the same crooks reappeared in the 1980s to do it all over again, only on a bigger scale. Unless you imprison the fraudsters, sophisticated financial scams grow ever more destructive.
It seems as if we have forgotten this lesson.
Read the whole thing.
Facebook Frolics 0
Given that, according to Zuckerberg, at Facebook “the default is social,” this surprises us how?
Security firm Symantec discovered that programs were inadvertently sharing access tokens which could be used by advertisers.
It estimates that, as of last month, 100,000 applications were still enabling leaks.
This sort of stuff is exactly why you don’t see me logged into Facebook very often.
You also don’t see me walking naked on the beach very often either.
Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo-Wildwood 0
When I lived in Greater Philly Co-Prosperity Sphere, I visited Wildwood from time to time. and always enjoyed it. No place does tacky beach resort with more elan than Wildwood.
And Morey’s Pier was always a favorite stop.
Here, the owner of Morey’s and several other piers reveals the key to carny rides:
Achieving that balance is where “the art and science of amusement-ride designing comes in,” Morey said. “The art is making a scary, thrilling ride and the science is in making sure the passengers are safe but they are unaware of the safety. That would take the thrill out of it.”
The first roller coaster I rode was at Morey’s piers.
Wedding Blues 0
I predict in-law troubles for the betrothed couple:
The 50-year-old Rock Hill man was at White Horse Restaurant on Camden Avenue for a wedding party for his daughter Friday night, according to a Rock Hill police report. After the bill arrived, he was angry he had to pay for the alcohol because he thought the groom’s father was supposed to pay for all of the dinner, the report states.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Always be polite to your spouse or significant other to ensure domestic tranquility.
Facebook Frolics 0
Boo-bleepin’-hoo:
In a 14-page letter sent to the FEC on April 26, three lawyers working on Facebook’s behalf argue that small campaign ads on the social networking site should be exempt because displaying disclaimers would be impractical. TPM was alerted to Facebook’s letter by a source.
Facebook touts its status as a “gathering point for the American electorate” and argued that changing the size or format of their ads “would cause a significant disruption to Facebook’s basic advertising model.”
To paraphrase Church Lady, “They’re so special.”
Drinking Liberally Tomorrow in Norfolk 0
Drinking Liberally is a support group for liberals, where you can realize you are not alone.
When: 6 p.
Where:
Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub*
241 Granby Street
Norfolk, Va. (map)
More about Drinking Liberally.
Street parking is tight at the tail end of rush hour, but the Freemason Street Parking Garage is two blocks away.
______________
*Firefox reports that Jack Quinn’s website may have been hijacked by crackers as of April 30.
A Newt Is a Small Lizard 0
Since the Gingrinch is running for the Republican presidential nomination, it’s safe to say that his current marriage should last at least until the Republican convention.