January, 2012 archive
New Frontiers in Flackery 0
Der Spiegel reports that the current killer cold wave in Europe has a corporate sponsor–the manufacturers of the German version of the Mini Cooper:
Now that’s cold.
This Is Not Right 0
Seventy-one Fahrenheits and healthy foot-tall daffodils preparing to bloom are not proper on a Junuary January (clearly I misplet “January,” but perhaps “Junuary” is appropriate) day in these lattitudes.
The Whole Picture 0
Steven M. predicts that, if Mitt the Flip does indeed lock down the Republican nomination for president, the punditocracy will convince itself that the Republican Party has beaten back the crazy and returned to being the party of Ev Dirksen and Nelson Rockefeller.*
“Look at what’s going in the states,” counsels Steven M. citing several examples, “and don’t buy the myth of a mellower GOP.”
__________________
*The evidence is that Mitt wears nice suits, doesn’t shout, and looks good in group photos
Droning On, Simply Because They Can 0
George Monbiot, writing at the Guardian, dissects the arrogant wantonness of raining death from the skies. A nugget:
This danger is acknowledged in a remarkably candid assessment published by the UK’s Ministry of Defence, which also deploys drones, and has also used them to kill civilians. It maintains that the undeclared air war in Pakistan and Yemen “is totally a function of the existence of an unmanned capability – it is unlikely a similar scale of force would be used if this capability were not available”.
Aside:
I do think that drawing a parallel between President George the Worst and President Obama, as he does in an early paragraph, is an example of rhetoric outdistancing evidence–not that I would ever fall into that trap–but the author’s larger point stands.
/strong
QOTD 0
Harry Truman, from PoliticalProf.
Supporter: “Give ‘em Hell, Harry!”
Harry Truman: “I don’t give them Hell. I just tell the truth about them and they think it’s Hell.”
Gagging for Dollars 0
Thom Hartmann discusses Bank of America’s gag response. From the blurb:
According to BusinessWeek, Bank of America is pushing back when offering loan modifications to people who are complaining publicly. The catch is the borrower must stay quiet and remove any previous criticisms of the bank from public records, like tweets or facebook.
Droning On to Endless War . . . 0
. . .by raining death from the skies in far away places with strange sounding names.
Dick Destiny explains.
One wonders when it becomes killing fighting merely for the sake of killing fighting.
Follow the link for the rest.
Facebook Frolics 0
In the Guardian, Charlie Booker considers sharing, the automated electronic version that strips your computer life naked by default.
A nugget:
You know how annoying it is when you’re sitting on the train with a magazine and the person sitting beside you starts reading over your shoulder? Welcome to every single moment of your future. Might as well get used to it. It’s an experience we’ll all be sharing.
Read the rest.
iWhitewash 0
The Guardian reports that Apple “has come out fighting” in response to the increasing public awareness that its overpriced, over-hyped iGadgets are produced by an exploited, underpaid, off-shore labor force.
A snippet from the end of the article:
(snip)
However, the company’s own list made for grim reading. It revealed that a staggering 62% of the 229 facilities that it was involved with were not in compliance with Apple’s 60-hour maximum working week policy. Almost a third had problem with hazardous waste.
Certainly the “accusations . . . are contrary to” their values.
Accusations are contrary to my values to.
Especially when I’m guilty.
QOTD 0
Corazon Aquino, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
It is true you cannot eat freedom and you cannot power machinery with democracy. But then neither can political prisoners turn on the light in the cells of a dictatorship.
Great Dismal “Maroons” 0
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“Maroons” was a term applied to escaped African slaves rumored to have hidden for generations in the Great Dismal Swamp, which at one time covered over 1,000,000 acres in this part of the world (what’s left is about a tenth that size and still trackless).
The local rag has an excellent story on the efforts of an archaeologist to discover whether the rumors were true. While you are reading it, ask yourself this:
If slavery were so benign an institution as supporters of the Lost Cause pretend (here’s Chauncey Devega dismembering one such statement by Ron Paul), why were the slaveholders’ biggest fears escape and revolt?
Sometimes Side Effects Can Be Good Things 0
Such as this possible side effect of Romney’s sense of entitlement to the Presidency:
Attacks by opponents portraying Bain Capital LLC, Romney and other buyout managers as corporate looters who enrich themselves at the expense of ordinary workers have put a spotlight on the industry that will affect negotiations about future investments,
(snip)
“Private-equity managers’ wealth and tax rates are on display at a time when pensions are getting squeezed,” said Joseph Alejandro, treasurer of the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. “Public investors should raise questions about whether the business is overly generous for managers. I hope the renewed attention on the industry will lead to discussions on fees and greater controls like claw-backs.”
The more scrutiny they get, the worse they are going to look.
The shadows are their best friends.
SOPA/PIPA 0
If you’re still not sure why all the fuss about SOPA/PIPA, listen to last week’s episode of the Network Security Podcast (podcast download at the link).
The podcast normally reviews computer security news from the week, concentrating on issues of substance, rather than the gee-whiz scary stories and consultant hackery that makes it into television news and newspapers. Such stories are designed to create FUD leading to consultancy contracts to design defenses that won’t work against threats that don’t exist. (Dick Destiny keeps a close eye on that kind of stuff).
On last week’s NetSec podcast, the panelists chose to concentrate on one issue: SOPA/PIPA and the internet protest of a week ago Wednesday. That spun into a fascinating conversation that explored copyright, piracy and allegations of piracy, and corporate business models and practices for nearly an hour–twice the usual length of the podcast.
If you were unclear on the implications of SOPA/PIPA/ACTA before, you won’t be after loading this up in your podplayer.
