I used this in conversation, and I had forgotten where I had seen it. I think this might be the original source for me: Of all the prejudices of pundits, presentism is the strongest. It is the assumption that what is happening now is going to keep on happening, without anything happening to stop it. … Continue reading Sociology/Psychology of the Last Five Minutes
Category: articles
US Approves Google Plan To Let Political Emails Bypass Gmail Spam Filter
"The US Federal Election Commission approved a Google plan on Thursday to let campaign emails bypass Gmail spam filters. The FEC's advisory opinion adopted in a 4-1 vote said Gmail's pilot program is permissible under the Federal Election Campaign Act and FEC regulations "and would not result in the making of a prohibited in-kind contribution." The FEC said Google's … Continue reading US Approves Google Plan To Let Political Emails Bypass Gmail Spam Filter
Our Technology Sickness—and How to Heal It
"Because of the digital revolution, our lives are being transformed by three grand bargains. The intellectual bargain: we have more knowledge but less capacity to concentrate and focus. The social bargain: we are much more available but much less attentive. And most importantly, the emotional bargain: we are much more connected, but much less empathetic. … Continue reading Our Technology Sickness—and How to Heal It
Those That Leave Arizona
"Arizona Department of Corrections Director David Shinn said Arizona communities would “collapse” without cheap prison labor, during testimony before the Joint Legislative Budget Committee Thursday."-Jimmy Jenkins, "Arizona communities would 'collapse' without cheap prison labor, Corrections director says." azcentral.com. July 14, 2022 Reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin's story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. Let's … Continue reading Those That Leave Arizona
Doubting Uncle
"“The dead don’t stay where they are buried. . . . You may meet the dead anywhere.” ......Treated (as some adults do treat children) as if he is older than his years...Here is a grievous portrait, grievous most of all in its unforgetting attention; grievous most of all in its kindness. This is what a … Continue reading Doubting Uncle
The Maintenance Race by Stewart Brand
"‘My rule is, a new boat every day’. His years at sea had taught him that if you don’t fix something when you first see it beginning to fail, it is very likely to finish failing just when it is the most dangerous and the hardest to deal with, such as in the midst of … Continue reading The Maintenance Race by Stewart Brand
Abortion Pill Demand Is Driving an Underground Network
To Aiken, the international abortion pill market feels resilient because it is beyond the purview of any one country’s authorities. “If someone’s based outside of the country, it is unclear how to exactly force them to comply with the law in another jurisdiction,” she says. “It's not clear what folks who are very motivated to … Continue reading Abortion Pill Demand Is Driving an Underground Network
How to Admit You’re Wrong
Related to yesterday's post, where the ideas are of a piece: "Kathryn Schulz loosely defines being wrong “as a deviation from external reality, or an internal upheaval in what we believe” — with the caveat that wrongness is too vast to fit neatly into either category.......“We’re highly motivated to reduce that uncertainty,” Fetterman says. “Oftentimes, … Continue reading How to Admit You’re Wrong
The Quietus Albums of the Year, Mid-Year 2022
"There is a running joke that gets posted in the comments on Facebooks or our mentions on Twitter whenever we post our albums of the year and half-year charts – or in my case as a Quietus editorial staff member, said directly to my face at family gatherings by snarky relatives – that we're making … Continue reading The Quietus Albums of the Year, Mid-Year 2022
The World Needs Uncles, Too
I'm never having children. It's a decision I made at a very young age and have never wavered from. There are a number of things I can point to in my childhood that led me to this decision. The town I lived in when I was young had the highest teenage pregnancy rate per capita … Continue reading The World Needs Uncles, Too
The Ryder Review: Independent Legal Review of the Governance of Biometric Data in England and Wales
"First, strong law and regulation is sometimes characterised as hindering advancements in the practical use of biometric data. This should not be the case. In practice a clear regulatory framework enables those who work with biometric data to be confident of the ethical and legal lines within which they must operate. They are freed from … Continue reading The Ryder Review: Independent Legal Review of the Governance of Biometric Data in England and Wales
How to Write Poetry to Communicate With Aliens
"If you were to attempt to communicate with an alien lifeform, what would you want to say? And, just as importantly, how would you say it? It’s a question that has inspired countless science fiction stories and fueled real debate between scientists involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Now, a digital artist and academic … Continue reading How to Write Poetry to Communicate With Aliens
Participatory Economics Overview: What, Why, How
"Vision is not only about the future, but also the present. What would having a vision like the one called participatory economics imply for today’s practical choices?Broadly considered, if you want to get someplace new, it behooves you to take steps towards where you want to go, not steps that take you somewhere else. An … Continue reading Participatory Economics Overview: What, Why, How
Streak 1: Ends on Day 647
Forgot to post something today. The streak notification from yesterday.
cafebedouin.org 