March 22, 2016
Legalize It All: How to Win the War on Drugs
"We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” - John Ehrlichman, a senior aide to Richard Nixon. [more inside]
Another whirl on the Sovereign Citizen carousel?
On March 21, a court unsealed the last name on the Malheur indictments: Jake Ryan, who is charged with digging a latrine trench through sacred Paiute grounds. [more inside]
An animal that looks like a food or a food that looks like an animal?
Duckling or plantain? Labradoodle or fried chicken? (The first viral one.) Puppy or bagel? (The most viral one.) Sheepdog or mop? Chihuahua or muffin? Shiba Inu or marshmallow? Parrot or guacamole? Kitten or ice cream? Shar pei or towel? Sloth or chocolate croissant? Trump or dead chicken? Pita bread or my cat? Cat or pancake? Pomeranian or pancake? Dalmations or ice cream? BBQ chips or Fall leaves?
The Oregonian and The Portland Mercury briefly profile Karen Zack, the meme’s creator. Additional coverage from NPR, The Huffington Post, The Daily Mail, Tech Insider, and BuzzFeed.
The Oregonian and The Portland Mercury briefly profile Karen Zack, the meme’s creator. Additional coverage from NPR, The Huffington Post, The Daily Mail, Tech Insider, and BuzzFeed.
Andrew S. Grove, Intel Chief Who Spurred Semiconductor Revolution, Dies
Sowing the seeds of (self)-love
Today, Nebraska unveiled a new license plate design to commemorate the state's 150th anniversary. It's a simple design, particularly when contrasted with past plates. The sole design feature is that of The Sower, the statue that's mounted on top of the State Capitol in Lincoln.
Being the Internet, there's already reaction to the new design, particularly as to what The Sower appears to be doing with his hand.
Beyond the languages I claim as my own
Jalada, a pan-African writer's collective, has just published their first Translation issue. Thirty three writers from across fourteen African countries came together to create this work of art, an entire issue showcasing a previously unpublished story by Ngugi wa Thiong’o.
(Previously) [more inside]
The Augustus Countdown
If we can’t make our republican system of government work, eventually the people will clamor for a leader who can sweep it all away "The historical model I keep invoking is the Roman Republic, which didn’t fall all at once when Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon or his nephew Octavian became the Emperor Augustus, but had been on such a downward spiral of norm-busting dysfunction for so long (about a century) that it was actually a relief to many Romans when Augustus put the Republic out of its misery. In “Countdown” I pointed out the complexity of that downward trend: about half of the erosion in Rome was done by the good guys, in order to seek justice for popular causes that the system had stymied." [more inside]
post-traumatic stress and the expansive anatomy of empathy
"...parrots, among the oldest victims of human acquisitiveness and vainglory, have become some of the most empathic readers of our troubled minds. Their deep need to connect is drawing the most severely wounded and isolated PTSD sufferers out of themselves. In an extraordinary example of symbiosis, two entirely different outcasts of human aggression — war and entrapment — are somehow helping each other to find their way again." What Does A Parrot Know About PTSD? [NYT] [more inside]
Speeding up your favorite Brum news website
The Birmingham Mail, a tabloid newspaper covering England's second city, has an 'online news portal' with a reputation for being a bit slow. Not to fear, Brummie news addicts! A Chrome Extension, announced by a local alternative media website, now usefully blocks some of that deeply annoying slowing-down-the-browser content. With data, they explain why.
More info about screws than you could possibly require
“the tear is an intellectual thing”
The Luxury Of Tears by Matthew Sweet [1843: The Economist] The old idea that people in developed countries suppress their emotions is being overturned. As Matthew Sweet discovers, we cry more as our societies get richer.
Rob Ford Dead at 46
Procrastinating Metafilter Post
Brussels Under Attack
Brussels explosions: Many dead in airport and metro terror attacks BBC: "Many people have been killed or seriously injured in terrorist attacks at Brussels international airport and a city metro station, Belgium's PM says.
Two explosions hit Zaventem airport at about 07:00 GMT, and another struck Maelbeek metro station an hour later.
The government has not confirmed casualty numbers. Brussels transport officials say 15 died at Maelbeek and media say up to 13 died at the airport.
Belgium has now raised its terror threat to its highest level.
The attacks come four days after Salah Abdeslam, the main fugitive in the Paris attacks, was seized in Brussels."
Supersonic flight - from a startup
Startup aerospace company Boom is hoping to bring back civilian supersonic transport. Faster and cheaper than the Concorde at $5,000 for Mach 2.2. [more inside]
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