You’ve heard of Bridezilla. And the Wedding Guest from Hell. Now meet The Mad Bomber Groom. Guess you gotta give him points for creativity. Not brains. Definitely not brains. But creativity. Experian, the worst and most pervasive of the big three credit bureaus sold data to an identity-theft “service”. Nooooo, really? And you say both parties are doing it?? Impossible! Quite impossible! Well, that’s one way to ensure that politicians actually get your message. Good idea. But I’d trust it a lot more if it didn’t come from Google. Death panels. Not a good thing. But yes, they’re real (Hellllooo,…
Category: Miscellaneous
The links in this first batch were meant to go in Friday’s “Waves of History” post, but I was running out of time. So here they are — perhaps for some inspiration? Kevin D. Williamson on citizens pushing back. There’s now an online whistleblower support system. Originally written by Aaron Swartz. Maybe in death he’ll be able to prevent someone else from being hounded into suicide by vicious prosecutors. Borepatch: “Obama Agonistes.” Justin Raimondo: “American Apocalypse.” “13 nutrition lies that made the world fat and sick.” It may not be instantly apparent what this one has to do with resistance…
Sure, it’s miles away from 3D printing metal guns. Ages. But this gadget is probably making the ATF nervous about the future. And maybe someday soon some far more advanced version will make gunfolk very cheerful. (H/T MJR) Okay. Short quiz: When’s the last time you felt your life was endangered by a Jack Russell terrier? A. Absolutely freaking never; are you kidding me? B. Once, when one was riding on the back of a charging Rottweiler. C. There was that time my ex tried to stuff a Jack Russell terrier down my throat; that was scary. D. When I…
Happy Columbus Day. At least to you federal workers, bankers, and Catholic school kids. (Do Catholic schools still give Columbus Day off? When I was a kid in government school I spent many hours pondering whether getting an extra holiday would be ample compensation for getting knuckles rapped with rulers by terrible fierce nuns.) It’s a good thing you’re really celebrating a three-day weekend, rather than celebrating that dude. (The other guy mentioned had his own problems, but he did beat old Chris by a moral mile — and then some.)
“Dogs are people, too.” At least in their abilities to feel and anticipate — something that will come as no surprise to anybody who’s lived with them, but is apparently news in neuroscience. (Tip o’ hat to MLS) Federal theater of the absurd. (I also agree with Carl that the Crazy Horse monument is so superior to Mt. Rushmore in every way that even after the silly feddies remove the barriers I’d still just drive on past and watch free enterprise at work a few miles down the road.) Erm … I don’t usually read Glamour. But I found this…
… also general tab clearing The specific, state-by-state insurance cost increases coming to you courtesy of Obamacare. (Not all states are listed; some, like mine, that have already made insurance unaffordable will see less impact.) “That’s not autism!” A touch of sanity. (Personal note: I have one severely autistic relative who cannot function in the world. I have another who is your basic typical introverted, socially non-adept geek who would today be diagnosed with Aspergers, though he is a fully — if quirkily — functioning person. “Autism spectrum” doesn’t begin to put these two meaningfully into the same category.) Ten…
On the darker side It’s just theory and the technology of it is very much over my pretty little head. But Bruce Schneier notes that it’s possible to insert surveillance almost undetectably at the microchip level. More evidence that while the NSA may know what you’re doing, it has no idea what its own people are doing. The ACLU doesn’t come right out and call the FBI America’s secret police. But pretty close. Alas, they still imagine the agency might investigate and reform itself. (Via Sipsey Street) But of course, it’s all just okey-dokey-hunky-dory-nifty-zorch because none of it’s unconstitutional! On…
Good news. There’s a typeface designed to be hard for NSA computers to read. Bad news. It’s pretty hard for humans to read, too. More of an art/protest project at this point (though created by a former NSA contractor). But just a taste of how smart people will ultimately defeat the Stasi. Kent McManigal on avoiding being sucked into people’s negative vortexes. You know those strange names parents are giving their kids, these days? Names like Naiphthan, Elyivya, and Nevaeh, and J’oshau? Well, we can all be glad nobody’s getting stuck with these names any more. And speaking of names…
“The FBI was the obvious suspect.” What a perfect choice of words. (H/T JB) Rescued fighting dogs now “being trained to love.” Don’t really think they need training to love; mainly to trust after the hells they’ve been through. Happier dogs — and cats — at The Fluffington Post. Are pants-pissing cowards attracted to police work? Or does the job bring it out in them? At least this time when the cops were forced to investigate themselves for shooting dead an unarmed man they didn’t find that “procedures were followed.” Summers is out. And here’s a nice little act of…
Swarms of tabs are buzzing ’round my head again. Some contain news that fills me with such loathing I can’t decide whether to blog about it or run for cover. I’ll avoid the most loathsome for now and merely blog the good, the bad, the indifferent, and the funny to clear my browser and my head. The NSA disguised itself as Google to enable even more spying. Part of me says this is bad in the same sense that the CIA’s longstanding practice of disguising its agents as journalists is bad (for the health of actual journalists). Part of me…