Twits on Twitter 0
Elie Mystal points out that Twitter is basically a fact-free zone and pretty much everybody knows it.
The Courage of Their Conniptions, Reprise 0
Bobby Azarian attempts to understand the unwavering loyalty of Trump’s base, suggesting 14 reasons to account for it. Here’s one of the less disturbing ones; follow the link for the others.
3. America’s Obsession with Entertainment and Celebrities
Essentially, the loyalty of Trump supporters may in part be explained by America’s addiction with entertainment and reality TV. To some, it doesn’t matter what Trump actually says because he’s so amusing to watch. With the Donald, you are always left wondering what outrageous thing he is going to say or do next. He keeps us on the edge of our seat, and for that reason, some Trump supporters will forgive anything he says. They are happy as long as they are kept entertained.
Digital Door Openers 0
If you are considering getting–or have already gotten–one of those web-based digital assistants and have all kinds of internet enabled gadgets and geegaws, you may want to think again. Two researchers at William and Mary have been investigating that stuff, and what they found is not reassuring. Here’s a bit:
The problem, Nadkarni and Poshyvanyk explained, is that a data store-based system provides hackers the ability to access all devices in the home, from light switches to security alarms. An adversary can compromise one low-integrity product, like a sprinkler or a third-party lighting app, and modify a data store variable that another high-integrity product, such as a security alarm, depends on. This can have a whole host of unwanted consequences.
This example is particularly telling for us, as we just got a new heating system which includes precisely the sort of function described above.
We opted not to get the app. Dammit, we are not so lazy that we cannot walk upstairs and push a button, for Pete’s sake.
Remember, as manufacturers rush to push out new digital gadgets, security is always an afterthought.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Cleanliness is next to politeness.
(snip)
“He advised that he was cleaning the gun and removed the magazine. He advised he then checked the magazine and did not see a bullet inside,” the report noted. “He then advised he pulled the trigger so that he could disengage the slide to remove it. He advised that once he pulled the trigger, the gun went off.”
The story also mentions that he was so caught up in fondling his portable penis cleaning the gun that he did not realize the woman was shot until he heard her screams.
A Shunning City on a Hill 0
In the Roanoke Times, a descendant of pilgrims who came to America on the Mayflower pens a stunning rebuke to the cold-hearted callousness of Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security, and by extension, to the administration in which she serves. An excerpt:
How Stuff Works, Truth Overwhelmed Dept. 0
David A. Asch and Raina Merchant detail the erosion of truth as a result of the explosion of “social” media; they identify three factors. An excerpt (emphasis added):
Second is selective deafness. When Walter Cronkite was the “Most Trusted Man in America,” many received their news from that single source. Now, Americans can select news feeds from thinly parsed media channels. It’s only human to want to hear what you want to hear. But what is a good strategy for music is not a good strategy for news. The problem is less that those into homeopathy can subscribe to homeopathy-favorable channels — it’s that they can do so to the exclusion of everything else. Selective deafness creates the “echo chamber” people decry.
Third is that lies are chameleons. Truth comes in only one form, but lies can be shaped to match any taste. The suffering want hope, and those unencumbered by the truth have an easier time giving it to them.
