Trump’s War on Knowledge
In a great article capturing the current efforts to make stupid “right”, Ariel Dorfman pulls together the stings in “Trump’s War on Knowledge.” From the NY Review of Books NYR Daily column, Oct 12, 2017.
Thinking about
How big is the federal workforce?
WAPO, Oct 3, 2017 … How big is the federal workforce? Much bigger than you think. A new study on “The True Size of Government,” by Paul C. Light, professor of public service at New York University, says the government’s “blended” workforce is 7 to 9 million strong — including contractors and grantees.
the Label Ball – Part 2
Part one, Creation of the Label Ball, can be read here . I entered the label ball into the Sonoma County Fair’s Amateur – Adult Home Arts – Other Paper Arts – Altered Art (yes, that is the full category) and won a 2nd place ribbon! This also comes with a $4 check, so, after … [Read more…]
We can’t have both
Louis Brandeis once warned the American people, that as a nation, “We must make a choice. We may have a democracy, or have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.” Democracy In Chains, p 211.
The real question about the Equifax hack
It seems to me that this breach as outlined by F. Manjoo in the NYT today is about trust. The crown jewels have been stolen. Because they all use the same dataset and we’ve always considered them interchangeable, there is no difference, TransUnion and Experian are as culpable as Equifax. So, now that the data … [Read more…]
MURDERERS EXECUTED.
Sonoma Democrat, 17 December 1857 We take the following account of the execution of three murderers at Sonora, Dec. 12th, from the Sonora Correspondent of the Morning Call: “The all-absorbing topic of conversation at this time is the hanging of Lyons, Poer and McAuley, for the murders perpetrated by them some time back. At ten … [Read more…]
Dicamba in the Field …
Monsanto and BASF, what could go wrong? Washington Post, Aug 29, 2017. “This miracle weed killer was supposed to save farms. Instead, it’s devastating them.”
Misinforming the Majority
An interview by Mark Karlin, Truthout magazine, with writer Nancy MacLean, who’s book ‘Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America’ shines a light on the work of economist James McGill Buchanan who’s work inspired the Koch brothers, among others. If you have the nerve after 6+ months of … [Read more…]
$9 Billion Nuclear Boondoggle Fits a Global Pattern of Troubles
From the IEEE Spectrum on South Carolina’s VC Summer nuclear power plant. “Public trust is at stake here, folks.” That’s how South Carolina’s top power industry regulator described the gravity yesterday of local utilities’ decision to walk away from a pair of partially-built nuclear reactors, according to Charleston’s Post and Courier newspaper. Public Service Commission … [Read more…]
LBJ Launches Medicare: ‘You Can’t Treat Grandma This Way’
LBJ Launches Medicare: ‘You Can’t Treat Grandma This Way’ Yes, our health system is broken, but broken systems can be fixed — not easily, but they can be fixed. By Bill Moyers | July 30, 2017 Watching the craziness in the Senate this week, as Mitch McConnell and the GOP’s zealots drove their clown car … [Read more…]