A detective story of shifting rationalizations.
In 1841, Graham’s Magazine published Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and, in so doing, created the modern detective story genre.
Poe vs. Property
Author: Cory Doctorow
Pluralistic: 23 Nov 2022 Citizens United and the FTX meltdown
Today's links
- Citizens United and the FTX meltdown: The Keating Five were amateurs.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2012, 2017, 2021.
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Continue reading "Pluralistic: 23 Nov 2022 Citizens United and the FTX meltdown"
Pluralistic: 22 Nov 2022 Tax prep services send sensitive financial info to Facebook
Today's links
- Tax prep services send sensitive financial info to Facebook: And they didn't even know they were doing it.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 21 Nov 2022 Universities secretly sold their students to online casinos
Today's links
- Universities secretly sold their students to online casinos: It's varsity-level corruption.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Anything That Can’t Go On Forever Will Eventually Stop
Ticketmaster and Ideas Lying Around.
A lot of regulations went up in flames in the Reagan/Thatcher era: labor laws, environmental rules, finance frameworks. But the most consequential shift of the age was the change in antitrust law, specifically, the advent of the “consumer welfare” standard that supposed that monopolies were mostly totally amazing, miracles of coordination and efficiency that would make all our lives better thanks to the singular genius of the men (and a few women) who led them.
Continue reading "Anything That Can’t Go On Forever Will Eventually Stop"
Pluralistic: 17 Nov 2022 Private equity health-care monopolies are on a profitable killing spree
Today's links
- Private equity health-care monopolies are on a profitable killing spree: And you thought it was bad before.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 15 Nov 2022 Tracers In the Dark
Today's links
- Tracers in the Dark: Andy Greenberg's gripping true crime tale of cryptocurrency forensics.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Continue reading "Pluralistic: 15 Nov 2022 Tracers In the Dark"
Pluralistic: 14 Nov 2022 Even if you're paying for the product, you're still the product
Today's links
- Even if you're paying for the product, you're still the product: Incentives matter, but impunity matters more.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
They Want to Kill Libraries
The Last Place in America Where You Are a Person, Not a Customer
In August, a small group of vocal, angry Idahoans targeted the Boundary County Library, demanding that the library purge 300 books on a list of “inappropriate” materials that circulates widely among right-wing conspiracy groups.
Boundary County Library didn’t have the books that the conspiracy theorists were angry about. Nevertheless, the group harassed and threatened the library staff, demanded the removal of the library board, and continued to target library staff even after they quit their jobs.
These conspiracists are part of a small but vocal minority of people who’ve been hoaxed by deep-pocketed right-wing media barons, who have propagated a lie that libraries are full of “groomers” who expose children to “inappropriate” materials as part of a program of sexual abuse.
Every accusation is a confession. The upper ranks of evangelicals and the Catholic Church are filled with pedophile abusers; as is the slate of MAGA election candidates.
The “groomer” panic is all astroturf. It’s a cynical ploy to whip up scared and easily confused people and point them at libraries, and not just libraries that have Genderqueer on the shelf or host Drag Queen Story Hours. They’re targeting all the libraries.
They’re targeting the very idea of libraries.
Pluralistic: 13 Nov 2022 The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've ever broken
Today's links
- The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've ever broken: If you only pay attention to how things work, you'll be screwed when they fail.
- Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading