February, 2021 archive
Public Servants 0
One of the most venal efforts of the previous federal administrator was attempting to turn public servants into his private minions.
All the News that Fits, Q Who? Dept. 0
David dissects Tucker Carlson’s gaslighting about QAnon (Warning: Short ad at the end).
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
The Bangor Daily News has a fascinating article how algorithms, which websites (particularly “social” media) use to promote “engagement” (that is, suck us in and keep us there), can go wrong. Here’s one example that the author gives:
Happily, Amazon’s researchers caught the problem and, when they found they couldn’t fix it, scrapped the algorithm. But how many such situations have gone unnoticed and uncorrected? No one knows.
I commend it to your attention.
Geeking Out 0
My old Zareason laptop started showing signs of age a couple of weeks ago. In particular, the display was going dark unpredictably (not blank–just dark). I’ve had it so long that I don’t remember how long I’ve had it. As my old mechanic in New Jersey used to say, it doesn’t owe me a dime. (Unfortunately, Zareason is no more; it has joined the ranks of businesses that have fallen victim to the pandemic, which is a damned shame, as Zareason was a pleasure to do business with; indeed, I’m typing this post on a Zareason desktop.)
So I spent today configuring my new laptop from ThinkPenguin, which arrived yesterday right on schedule.
I ordered it with Debian, which has long been one of my favorite Linux distros. ThinkPenguin installed Debian with the default desktop environment of Gnome. As I loathe Gnome with the fire of a thousand suns (Gnome spells “simplify” d-u-m-b-d-o-w-n), I installed KDE Plasma (in Linux world, multiple desktop environments can coexist quite nicely on the same machine) and started tweaking Plasma.
So far it’s working like a champ
It’s almost where I want it, and I’ll have it all tuned up in a day or two. The top things left on my list are to configure the hosts* file, install and configure GKrellM, and set up a cron job to updatedb every night.
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*Yeah, I know the link is to a Windows-centric site, but a Windows HOSTS file and a Linux hosts file work the same way, because they both must comply with internet standards. I’ve been using the MVPS hosts file for two decades in my campaign against pop-up windows, and it works quite nicely, thank you very much.
Twits on Twitter 0
Just when you thought “social” media couldn’t get more vapid . . . .
The Mess with Texas, Electric Boogaloo Bamboozle Dept.
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Paul Krugman explains the flawed reasoning behind the failure of the electricity industry in Texas. A snippet:
In fact, some people see nothing wrong with what happened in Texas in the past week. William Hogan, the Harvard professor widely considered the architect of the Texas system, asserted that drastic price increases, while “not convenient,” were how the system was supposed to work.
But kilowatt-hours aren’t avocados, and there are at least three big reasons why pretending that they are is a recipe for disaster.
Follow the link for those three big reassons.
Cancel Culture, Unreconstructed Style 0
As Leonard Pitts, Jr., points out (see below), until white America is willing to confront its past, it will continue to deny its present.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Expose the firefighters striving to save your house to your politeness.
The story goes on to report that he’s facing a third surgery.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Farron points out how thoroughly Nixon’s Southern Strategy has come full circle and consumed the Republican Party.
Leonard Pitts, Jr., Channels The Who . . . 0
. . . and tells America to look in the mirror.
The Piper Wants that Payment 0
Georgia county election officials are suing deadbeat Don for wasting their time.
Drunk on the Kool-Aid 0
The Arizona Republic’s E. J. Montini marvels at Trump’s grip on his cultists. A snippet:
These are not just “Trump Republicans.” They’re Trump cultists.
More at the link.
