I’m completely worn out. Yesterday I finally got around to completing the corporate tax returns and annual reporting paperwork for my prison volunteer organization. It took the rest of the day. I’m trying to rest as much as possible today, because tomorrow will be busy packing and doing last minute preparations for my three day prison volunteer trip. Therefore my Memorial Day article will be a repost of last year’s.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:17 (average 4:45). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: Remember Douglas Adams’s 1979 novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”? It began with some technology snark, dismissing Earth as a planet whose life-formsas a planet whose life-forms “are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.” But that was then, in the early stages of the information technology revolution.
Since then we’ve moved on to much more significant things, so much so that the big technology idea of 2015, so far, is a digital watch. But this one tells you to stand up if you’ve been sitting too long!O.K., I’m snarking, too. But there is a real question here. Everyone knows that we live in an era of incredibly rapid technological change, which is changing everything. But what if what everyone knows is wrong? And I’m not being wildly contrarian here. A growing number of economists, looking at the data on productivity and incomes, are wondering if the technological revolution has been greatly overhyped — and some technologists share their concern.
Click through for this thought provoking editorial by Paul Krugman.
From Upworthy: Watch David Blight elaborate on the story of what happened those days in Charleston, S.C. in this PBS clip.
I consider this a most fitting commemoration.
From Crooks and Liars: Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared on this Sunday’s Reliable Sources and spoke to host Brian Stelter about his recent criticism of the media and their demands for a food fight between Sanders and his opponent in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, Hillary Clinton.
As is his norm, Bernie is spot on.
Cartoon:
Yes, I do know that a chimp is an ape, not a monkey.
18 Responses to “Open Thread–5/25/2015”
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the PBS video is a beautiful tribute to all those who served
4:31 average same. My computer locked the timer at 0:44 and didn't let me move anything till 1:17, so I had to restart. The original exposure did not make it go any faster. But I wouldn't expect to outrun an eagle anyway.
NY Times – The concept that new technologies at thispoint are more fun than fundamental does apply to the consumer – but it also applies to the developers. In the absence of being presented with the kind of problems that tech can solve, they are instead using their imagination I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I agree the hype is a bad thing – and the marketers being more orless compelled to market someone's child of imagination is for sure not good. Not really the developers' or the marketers' fault – it's their bosses.
Upworthy – Lona (Care2) uses the words grace and dignity to characterize the black people of Charleston in 1865. Grace and dignity still chcracterize black people today. I am daily amazed by this. On a lighter note, there really is no need for the Barbecuers to feel guilty. It's still a tradition to have a big communal meal after a funeral. And, I believe, a healthy tradition.
Crooks and Liars – Well, riht back to the NT rimes. The problem is not so much with the product as with the marketing. In this case, by the product, I mean actual news, which gets marketed out of existence. If any one can make that stick, it will be Bernie. At least we know he will not allow himself to be distracted and he will not let anyone else get away with it unchallenged.
Cartoon – Of course you know the difference between a monkey and an ape. So did Clarence Darrow, I'll wager. William Jennings Bryan, probably not so much, especially during a nervous breakdown. Prior to that he was not a complete ignoramus.
P.S. Oh my God in heaven! Probably many already know this; I just heard:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/804/202/928/?z00m=23739978&redirectID=1688467919
Thanks for the alert, Joanne. I signed. This is the dumbest thing I have heard in a while.
Thanks Patty, and Pat A for the heads up – this may be a better link –
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/804/202/928/this-12-year-old-police-victims-family-should-not-have-to-pay-18000-for-his-body/
And now this. I'm sorry to kind of bury this, but it was kind of buried on me – I might easily not have seen it. That would probably have been better for my blood pressure, but I would rather know about these things than not. If there is such an outrage, I should know – we all should know – if you don't know, you can't even scream.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/news-gods-are-testing-your-outrage-tolerance-449081411877
Apoplectic does it for me — the gun & ammo manufacturers, DuPont paying only $99K in fines for 4 lives lost because of its negligence, and the rest! Then I listened to Steve Kornaki with a piece on the Santa Barbara oil leak and on Hillary Clinton's e-mail issues, and well, apoplectic is guaranteed.
Thanks for the post, TC! Moving, as always!
3:24 I can't even move the pieces around fast enough, let alone fit together, to beat TomCat's time today.
2:52 I hope that sea eagle is not some "toothless" old bird that can be highjacked by Puddy Tat! Too majestic to become eagle fricassée for the Puddy Tat's dinner. Just in case, Patty where are you?
4:02 I was not soaring with the eagles today.
Please pass the catnip sauce!
Enjoyed the short video of the history of Memorial Day on the PBS clip
above. I learned something new today.
I hope you have an enjoyable and productive trip.
NY Times: Krugman is so right. The hype goes on, but the only ones benefiting financially are the owners of the mega tech companies. I love the internet, it gives me free access to so many things. One article leads me to another and I am learning something every day. But that doesn't pay my bills. We need to be paying attentiona to the ways most people are trying to earn a living. When you are replaced at work by a robot, who will pay your bills?
Upworthy: Thanks for this clip, I had never seen it before.
Crooks and Liars: If even half our senators and representatives had as much sense as Bernie Sanders, we would all be better off.
Cartoon: They would if they could!
Puzzle — 2:52 I hope that sea eagle is not some "toothless" old bird that can be highjacked by Puddy Tat! Too majestic to become eagle fricassée for the Puddy Tat's dinner. Just in case, Patty where are you?
NY Times — Having started in banking before the advent of computers, I have an appreciation for what the technology can do, and what it can't do. I started when we had hand cranked adding machines . . . didn't even rely on electricity. I said one day that there had to be a little hamster inside the thing using his fingers and toes to count. They could add, subtract, and multiply if you knew how to do it . . . it wasn't hard! Then came the electric adding machine and then the calculator. Eventually we had computers that communicated with a branch controller and then we moved up to personal computers. And the technology is still moving forward. But people have generally become lazy when it comes to numbers and information. There is too much reliance on the computer and not enough understanding of the processes behind the information . . . the how! And this "laziness" shows up in our overall thinking. With all this technology, our lives have improved but they have also tended to isolate us from eachother. It also makes us slaves to it . . . how many have had their cell phone at the supper table and answered it during a family meal? I am not against new technologies. We just have to learn how to control them rather than being controlled by them.
Upworthy — As Canadians, we celebrate Remembrance Day 11/11 which started following WWI, the war to end all wars. I did not know the origins of Memorial Day, but now I do. Excellent piece.
Crooks and Liars — I have always said that a good game of hockey is fast, and clean, not a WWF matchup. To me, that is what Bernie is saying . . . no personal attacks. A nice clean campaign on the issues. And the media should be a part of that campaign.
Cartoon — Republicans are filing apeel? Won't that be rather smelly when the apeel starts to rot?
You are quite right Lynn – all electronic devices should be turned off for each meal – and for half an hour or so afterwards!
TY TC – very busy days ahead for you (and for me in my own little way). I read Paul Krugman's essay, and I think he may be right, certainly most jobs making these iThingamajigs seem to be abroad where they pay them little more than slaves and the working conditions are appalling.
Thanks all. Of course I'm in a hurry. Hugs to all!