Each added stories about the effect of heat on human reaction times and mental health makes me look forward with additional unease to the World Cup games to be held in Qatar in 2022. Qatar is a country already subject to routine temperatures that can be barely tolerated by inactive people. In recent years, new … Continue reading Mental effects just one more reason why the World Cup should never have been allowed to be in Qatar in 2022
Tag: politics
Senator Schumer is under pressure to fight Republican railroading of federal judges
Senator Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, has a long reputation of seeking the limelight but also of failing to stand firm on principle. For many Democrats, Progressives, and those who think long-term, his failure to fight against the continuous stream of judicial candidates being selected and proposed by the most ideological branches of the Republican … Continue reading Senator Schumer is under pressure to fight Republican railroading of federal judges
Facial recognition — a surveillance technology with huge abuse potential
Amazon has been increasingly involved with the development of facial recognition technology for its own use and for sale to others. Recently, the popular press has begun to pay attention to the possible misuses and abuses of the technology. With Amazon (as with a similar matter with Google technology in China), there have been internal … Continue reading Facial recognition — a surveillance technology with huge abuse potential
Is it legal to record police activity even from hiding? YES
Civil rights activists in Massachusetts have a habit of recording police activity without regard to whether or not something questionable is happening. Police in that state have routinely attempted to stop the recordings and have even either confiscated the cameras/phones or arrested those operating them. To avoid this, many civilians have taken to recording from … Continue reading Is it legal to record police activity even from hiding? YES
Opinion invalidating ObamaCare has an interesting logic
The decision invalidating ObamaCare? It’s based on 21 states’ argument that ObamaCare must fail entirely because of the Congressional removal of the mandate that everyone either get insurance or pay a penalty. Take a look. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5629711-Texas-v-US-Partial-Summary-Judgment.html
100 ways to make a change if “black lives matter” resonates and you’re not black
I find this list fascinating, not only because of its many "ah-ha!!" moments but because I do so many of these things without thought. https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/ne95dm/how-to-be-a-white-ally-to-people-of-color?utm_source=vicefbus THE LEAST YOU COULD DO | By Kesiena Boom | Apr 19 2018, 1:23pm 100 Ways White People Can Make Life Less Frustrating For People of Color Just a few suggestions … Continue reading 100 ways to make a change if “black lives matter” resonates and you’re not black
A decidedly pragmatic view of how to solve California’s wildfire problem
These solutions do not require wholesale removal or grooming of California's open space. But they do require regulation of building materials and spacing, investment in utility equipment that's often the cause of the fires, and refining/expanding today's early warning systems. Does California have the will to move forward? A must-read. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612430/california-must-reinvent-its-practices-and-policies-for-a-deadly-new-fire-reality/ Sustainable Energy California needs … Continue reading A decidedly pragmatic view of how to solve California’s wildfire problem
It’s Back! The Nation’s Resistance T-Shirt
I won't ordinarily list an item that's for sale, but this T-shirt was so popular when it was first offered that it instantly sold out. This outstanding and colorful illustration was originally used for a "The Nation" cover. Now it's on offer again. I have one and can confirm that's accurate size-wise across and in … Continue reading It’s Back! The Nation’s Resistance T-Shirt
How the recount problems differ between GA, FL, and AZ
The Arizona, Florida, and Georgia election recounts, explained Republicans are busy filing lawsuits against counting votes in these three closely contested elections. By Kay Steiger, Li Zhou, Tara Golshan, and P.R. Lockhart Updated Nov 10, 2018, 4:31pm EST SHARE Florida Gov. Rick Scott is leading in the race for US Senate, but his lead is shrinking as more votes get counted. … Continue reading How the recount problems differ between GA, FL, and AZ
If you want news filtered by humans, not algorithms, choose Apple News
This article summarizes a considerably longer NY Times article, the link for which is at the bottom of this post. Artificial intelligence or algorithms that incorporate human biases are simply not as good as a knowledgable human who operates without bias. https://www.macrumors.com/2018/10/25/human-curation-apple-news/ Human Curation Sets Apple News Apart From Algorithm-Focused News Sources Like Google and … Continue reading If you want news filtered by humans, not algorithms, choose Apple News
Washington Post’s excellent list of why you’re likely not to know who won before you go to bed on Election Night
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/politics/voting-quirks/?utm_term=.c00152704cd8 Election 2018 Analysis Think you’ll know who won on election night? Not so fast … Reporting by Bonnie Berkowitz, Illustrations by Shelly Tan Oct. 29, 2018 If you plan to stay awake on election night until you know the outcome of every race — or even until you know who controls the House and Senate — you may … Continue reading Washington Post’s excellent list of why you’re likely not to know who won before you go to bed on Election Night
Here’s a housing plan that might work to provide homes AND reduce inequality
https://slate.com/business/2018/10/elizabeth-warren-housing-plan-racial-wealth-gap.html? Elizabeth Warren’s New Housing Proposal Is Actually a Brilliant Plan to Close the Racial Wealth Gap By MEHRSA BARADARAN and DARRICK HAMILTON OCT 26, 20182:12 PM Elizabeth Warren addresses a town hall meeting in Roxbury, Massachusetts, on Oct. 13. Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images Recently in Moneybox Home Sales Are Getting Rekt. It’s Maybe Time to Worry. Tesla Has … Continue reading Here’s a housing plan that might work to provide homes AND reduce inequality
Abycats' Thoughts 