Mammon category archive
The Galt and the Lamers 0
Sam and his crew skewer the glibertarian gibberish of Elon “Drivers Can Play Video Game on Their Touch Screens” Musk.
Words fail me.
Plenty of Phish in the Sea 0
Above the Law explores the successful phishing attack on Robinhood (the investment outfit, not the outlaw of legend) and discusses some of the methods used by the attackers. The article is oriented towards attacks on businesses, but, as spams and scams seem to be increasing against both businesses and individuals, the article is well worth your while.
Here’s a bit (the article’s business orientation in clear in this snippet):
Successful phishing subject lines included these in the top 10 for 2021:
a. Password Check Required Immediately
b. Vacation Policy Update
c. Important: Dress Code Changes
d. ACH Payment Receipt
e. Test of the (insert law firm name) Emergency Notification System
f. Scheduled Server Maintenance – No Internet Access
g. COVID-10 Remote Work Policy Update
h. Scanned Image from (insert domain name)
i. Security Alert
j. Failed Delivery
While on the subject of spams and scams, I will mention that some of our most frequent callers in recent weeks has been auto warranty scammers. And now they are using the U. S. mail.
In the past three days, I’ve gotten three official-looking letters telling me that my warranty is about to expire (it’s not; I checked just on general principles) and directing me to call a toll-free number (I didn’t). The three letters had one feature in common.
No return address.
There was official looking verbiage where the return address was supposed be, but nowhere in any of them was a mailing address for a place of business.
(Syntax error corrected.)
Ghostbusting 0
The Orlando Sentinel’s Scott Maxwell offers an explainer about dark money and ghost candidates. He focuses on two cases in Florida, but I have read of ghost candidates happening in other places to.
It is a worthwhile read.
All That Was Old Is New Again 0
Thom dicusses Republican efforts to bring back child labor.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
I recently listened to a podcast in which one of my favorite podcasters spent five minutes discussing a comment that podcaster made on Twitter. The complaint was that the person to whom the comment was directed (and which the podcaster admitted had been a mistake) had responded with a screenshot of the comment, rather than with a “quote tweet.” The podcaster’s point was that said podcaster could have responded to a “quote tweet” by admitting the response was wrong and apologizing for it, but could not respond to the screenshot. (My reaction was relief and self-congratulation that I never became a twit on Twitter.)
That such an inconsequential incident, such a tempest in a twitpot, could assume such significance, if only for a short time, is, frankly, distressing, which leads me to recommend Dr. Charles Johnson’s post at Psychology Today Blogs, in which he takes a look at how our metastasized “social” media has monopolized our attention and distorted our discourse, and at what we can do about it. Here’s a bit of what he has to day:
All That Was Old Is New Again 0
In a century and a half, we have gone from children in the coal mines to children at the counters.
Here’s part of what the artist has to say; follow the link for the rest.
The Fee Hand of the Market 0
All That Was Old Is New Again 0
Brian Greenspun, publisher of the Las Vegas Sun, considers a piece by the Smithsonian Institute’s Jon Grinspan and suggests that it should be required reading. Here’s a bit of Greenspun’s article:
The Alumnus 0
Thom talks with Art Cohen about his experience in exposing the Trump University con.