Nilay Patel has a piece at the Verge on the availability of ad blocking plugins for the web browser in the new version of iOS. She has an interesting theory of what motivated Apple to allow ad blocking, that it was essentially to attack Google's revenue model. But the overall piece seems to take the … Continue reading On ad blocking
Category: Society
Sex laws over the millenia
Last week I listened to an episode of Fresh Air on NPR, where Terry Gross interviewed Eric Berkowitz on his new book, 'The Boundaries of Desire', about sex laws over the last century. But what interested me more in the interview was the brief introductory discussion of sex laws in ancient societies, which led me to read … Continue reading Sex laws over the millenia
Great decisions by the court; now a caution
It's been a good week for liberals. The Supreme Court once again, in dismissing a ludicrous lawsuit, decided not to tank Obamacare, and in a historic decision, recognized the right of same sex couples to marry. By any measure, the court has moved the country forward in a progressive way this week. Now a caution. … Continue reading Great decisions by the court; now a caution
A Democrat in a two party system
John Scalzi, as he periodically does, is responding to reader questions, and one was on his attitude toward Republicans. If you're familiar with Scalzi, then you can probably guess that his attitude toward Republican politicians isn't generally positive. I found a lot to agree with in his post, notably on his social positions such as being pro-choice … Continue reading A Democrat in a two party system
Black Sails and the dynamics of power
I recently discovered the TV series 'Black Sails'. Its a show on Starz about pirates in the Bahamas during the golden age of piracy. It's a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel 'Treasure Island'. If you've read that book or seen film adaptations of it, then you're familiar with the characters Long John Silver, … Continue reading Black Sails and the dynamics of power
Thoughts on exercise for people who hate exercise
Well, another new year is upon us, and a lot of people are going to be making new year's resolutions to get in shape (or get back in shape). As it turns out, I'm going to be too, although not for any reasons related to the new year (I've never been particularly big on new … Continue reading Thoughts on exercise for people who hate exercise
Why I voted Democrat across the board
This Tuesday, November 4, is election day here in the United States. If you are a US citizen, and you didn't do early voting, then you need to go vote. Getting people, particularly young people, to vote in the midterms is always tough. I know when I was young, I was barely aware that the midterms … Continue reading Why I voted Democrat across the board
The Great Recession was less severe than the Great Depression because we do learn from history.
As is quickly becoming usual, Tina at Diotima's Ladder asks excellent questions: Roosevelt and Obama: Did we avoid a Great Depression? | Diotima's Ladder. For the past week I’ve been rushing home every night to catch The Roosevelts: An Intimate History by Ken Burns. I’m not really a big Ken Burns fan. And yes, it’s the fiddle music. … Continue reading The Great Recession was less severe than the Great Depression because we do learn from history.
The effort at healthy living should be balanced against the fact that we are all mortal.
Ezekiel Emanuel has an interesting article at The Atlantic: Why I Hope to Die at 75 - The Atlantic. Seventy-five. That’s how long I want to live: 75 years. ... I am sure of my position. Doubtless, death is a loss. It deprives us of experiences and milestones, of time spent with our spouse and … Continue reading The effort at healthy living should be balanced against the fact that we are all mortal.
On theories of why civilizations collapse and our own times
After my post on the Bronze Age collapse and resulting discussion, I looked at other material about the collapse of civilizations, but after doing that, realized that I have some thoughts about what might be necessary for developing a theory about why collapses happen, what areas of expertise you need to have a chance at formulating … Continue reading On theories of why civilizations collapse and our own times
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