November, 2018 archive
Hatred in the Workplace: A Cavalcade of Craven 0
Over at Above the Law, Richard B. Cohen corrals a flock of work-place discrimination and harassment cases. It’s worse than I could have imagined.
Here’s a bit; follow the link for the herd.
And there were death threats. Death threats! In the workplace!
An assistant manager allegedly told him, “We will hang you. We will seriously lynch you if you call in again this week.” And another asked him if he was “ready to commit suicide,” and even offered him “assistance” if he wanted to do it.
Yes — he was fired.
The Returned Fire Next Time 0
Thom and his guest discuss whether Donald Trump is suggesting war crimes.
Mark Twain Understood America 0
If you want to understand the rise of Donald Trump, dig out a copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and read the chapters about the Duke and the Dauphin.
The Voter Fraud Fraud 0
Writing at AL.com, a CPA experienced in investigation financial fraud applies his experience to Florida vote-counting debacle and finds no evidence of fraud. In doing so, he lists a number of items he does see evident in Florida and describes how they are not evidence of fraud. He starts by pointing out that fraud, by definition, is intentional.
It’s an interesting, timely read. Here’s a bit:
(snip)
Lesson 5 – Other violations of election law alleged are not fraud. In heavily Republican Bay County, Florida, the Supervisor of Elections allowed some citizens to vote by email despite that not being allowed by law. While this may be illegal, there was no misrepresentation of truth or concealment of material fact. This does not meet the definition of fraud.
Fly the Fiendly Skies 0
There’s something about being aloft that makes some persons want to get higher.
Bleach Bite 0
The Kansas City Star reports that progress is being made towards an accommodation. Farron may be a bit overwrought in this recording, but I have witnessed enough incidents here and in other places I’ve lived in which the underlying motive was to make homeless persons just go away that I’m inclined to think he is on to something here.
QOTD 0
Ricky Gervais:
You have options. You can either continue to be miserable or you can just stop being angry at everyone and accept the way things are. Allow yourself to live.
The Art of the Con 0
Shorther Catherine Rampell: Look at Mark Whitaker’s resume.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Another one of those responsible gun owners joins the hunt for politeness.
Rather, it was a 72-year-old woman who fell victim to the deer hunter, the post says.
Deputies with the sheriff’s office were called to the “tragedy” in Yale at 1:43 p.m. on Sunday, and they arrived at 2:15, according to the statement.
The Johnson County Sheriff said the fatal shot was an accident, KARK reported, as the hunter mistook the woman for a deer.
Must have been her antlers . . . .
By the by, shooting at a target without making certain of what it is cannot be minimized as an “accident.”
It’s prima facie negligence.
Whistlin’ for Dixie 0
Elie Mystal suggests that the silencer is off the Federalist Society’s dog whistles. A snippet:
(Broken link fixed.)
The Watchers 0
A New Hampshire court wants Amazon’s Alexa digital surveillance device assistant to testify in a murder trial. Here’s a bit from the story:
“The court finds there is probable cause to believe the server(s) and/or records maintained for or by Amazon.com contain recordings made by the Echo smart speaker from the period of Jan. 27 to Jan. 29, 2017 … and that such information contains evidence of crimes committed against Ms. Sullivan, including the attack and possible removal of the body from the kitchen.”
The story goes on to say that Amazon is inclined not to cooperate “without a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us”* in the interests its customers’ “privacy” (because, I reckon, that belongs to Amazon).
I will be curious to see how this turns out.
But this is certain: So long as persons unthinkingly invite Big Data into their personal spaces and willingly subject themselves to perpetual corporate surveillance, we will be seeing more like this.
Me, I can flip my own damn light switch.
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*Like, maybe, just supposin’ here, a judge’s order?
