Seems that themes come in batches, the newest theme for me is the old Jetson’s promise of leisure time replacing work, somewhere in the future we’d all work at what we’re good at and there would be enough (food and other goods and money) to go around. I’m firmly convinced that since the dawn of … [Read more…]
The Guardian published the contents of a speech by Cohen: In a speech last night at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen attacked Facebook and other social media platforms for enabling the proliferation of hate speech and misinformation. The speech was striking in its sincerity – Baron Cohen appeared as … [Read more…]
From the California Digital Newspaper Collection: Sacramento Daily Union 25 January 1861 https://cdnc.ucr.edu/ Pressed into the Slave Trade.— New York, December 30.—By the arrival of the steamer Canark, from Nassau, N. P., on the 24th, we have accounts of the wreck of the American ship America, on Cape Lobos, with 500 Africans on board, destined … [Read more…]
It all started innocently enough, a good review of an old classic and then another and another, soon I was hooked. They are all free as I check them out from the library and few are in great demand so renewing was easy enough. I always know they are there and can go back and … [Read more…]
In the November 2019 Smithsonian Magazine is a fine essay The Untold Story of the Secret Mission to Seize Nazi Map Data, about HOUGHTEAM headed by U.S. Army Maj. Floyd W. Hough. It explores the exploits of Major Hough and his team and I immediately thought of the parallels between him, Maj. Duane Marvey and … [Read more…]
New Yorker Magazine Culture Desk The Heavy, Meditative, and Tender Music of Les Filles de Illighadad By Amanda Petrusich November 11, 2019 If you listen long enough, and make yourself open enough, it is possible to reach a kind of holy place while experiencing the music of Les Filles de Illighadad. Les Filles de Illighadad … [Read more…]
The Observer: Climate change deniers’ new battle front attacked Robin McKie Science editor Sat 9 Nov 2019 ‘Pernicious’ campaign is unfair on well-meaning people who want to help – expert: The battle between climate change deniers and the environment movement has entered a new, pernicious phase. That is the stark warning of one of the … [Read more…]
Few thought it would arrive so quickly. Now we’re facing consequences once viewed as fringe scenarios. New York Times By Eugene Linden Nov. 8, 2019 So far, the costs of underestimation have been enormous. New York City’s subway system did not flood in its first 108 years, but Hurricane Sandy’s 2012 storm surge caused nearly … [Read more…]
In a series of articles found on the California Digital Newspaper Archive from U.C. Riverside, here is some of the story of the capture of the American Slaver Wildfire as reported in May, 1860, well before the Civil War. Sacramento Daily Union – 19 June 1860 Capture of a Slaver off the Coast of Africa.— … [Read more…]
From SwissInfo: Telecommunications: Switzerland calls time on phone booths On the move The first box was installed in 1881 in the Fraumünster post office in Zurich. Peak booth was reached in 1995, when more than 58,000 could be found dotted around Swiss villages and cities. However, the success of mobile phones at the end of … [Read more…]