— Jacob Burckhardt, who died in 1897
“Sometimes, the simple things are more fun and meaningful than all the banquets in the world ...”
― Brushstrokes of a Gadfly,
The New York Times – “When the most consequential law governing speech on the internet was created in 1996, Google.com didn’t exist and Mark Zuckerberg was 11 years old. The federal law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, has helped Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and countless other internet companies flourish. But Section 230’s liability protection also extends to fringe sites known for hosting hate speech, anti-Semitic content and racist tropes like 8chan, the internet message board where the suspect in the El Paso shooting massacre posted his manifesto. The First Amendment protects free speech, including hate speech, but Section 230 shields websites from liability for content created by their users. It permits internet companies to moderate their sites without being on the hook legally for everything they host. It does not provide blanket protection from legal responsibility for some criminal acts, like posting child pornography or violations of intellectual property. Now, as scrutiny of big technology companies has intensified in Washington over a wide variety of issues, including how they handle the spread of disinformation or police hate speech, lawmakers are questioning whether Section 230 should be changed…
Trump says it would be ‘strategically nice’ to buy Greenland FTx
“Sometimes, the simple things are more fun and meaningful than all the banquets in the world ...”
― Brushstrokes of a Gadfly,
“What is the shortest word in the English language that contains the letters: abcdef? Answer: feedback. Don’t forget that feedback is one of the essential elements of good communication.”
World’s Oldest Webcam’ To Be Switched Off BBC
World’s Oldest Webcam’ To Be Switched Off BBC
Can Plato and Proust save Silicon Valley? (not how I would put it, and it has some errors of fact, but still of some interest)
Trump says it would be ‘strategically nice’ to buy Greenland FTx
The Fashion Line Designed To Trick Surveillance Cameras Gizmodo. I don’t need new clothes but am making an exception for this…But this looks like she’s achieving the reverse of her stated aim by forcing The Borg to get better at surveillance faster. Or is she really looking to get taken out of action in the form of a lucrative consulting contract by one of the bad guys?
The Worst Type Of Person You Can BeCurrent Affairs (UserFriendly). I hope any readers in Louisiana (or regular New Orleans visitors) e-mail the owners of the store and say they are appalled by this behavior and have told everyone they know to boycott the store unless it compensates the musician for the damage they did to him. Also complain on FB and Twitter.
CEO compensation has grown 940% since 1978: Typical worker compensation has risen only 12% during that time Economic Policy Institute (furzy). It’s actually even worse than that since the commonly-cited measure of CEO pay lowballs it. See How the SEC Enabled the Gross Under-Reporing of CEO Pay. It looks as if the EPI used the conventional method for stock option valuation, which means the picture is even worse than they indicate.
Insurance Companies Are Paying Cops To Investigate Their Own Customers Buzzfeed (DK). “[A]n extraordinary alliance between private insurers and public law enforcement agencies — one that transforms routine claims into criminal evidence, premium-paying customers into suspects, and the justice system into a hired gun for a multibillion-dollar industry.” - “justice system.”
U.S. health panel recommends doctors screen all adults for illicit drug use WaPo
Insurance Companies Are Paying Cops To Investigate Their Own Customers Buzzfeed (DK). “[A]n extraordinary alliance between private insurers and public law enforcement agencies — one that transforms routine claims into criminal evidence, premium-paying customers into suspects, and the justice system into a hired gun for a multibillion-dollar industry.” - “justice system.”
U.S. health panel recommends doctors screen all adults for illicit drug use WaPo