Pluralistic: 06 Oct 2021

Today's links

We paid to develop Merck's covid pill: And now they're charging us a 4,000% markup on it.
This day in history: 2016, 2020.
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Machine learning sucks at covid: Every "AI" covid tool was useless.
Podcasting "Are We Having Fun Yet?": The first three parts of my ongoing Medium series on queueing, aggregate demand management and theme parks.
This day in history: 2020, 2016, 2011, 2006, 2001
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

The worst Democrat in Congress just lost his job: Dan Lipinski primaried by the amazing Marie Newman.
Canada Reads documentary on Radicalized: The Great Canadian Book debate is indefinitely postponed, but here's an hour on my book!
Africa's Facebook modders are world leaders: Technological self-determination through adversarial interoperability.
Imagineering in a Box: Interdisciplinary theme park design lessons from Khan Academy and Disney.
Data is the New Toxic Waste: It was never "the new oil."
How to structure a fair covid bailout: Stimulus, not private jets.
Fox News is a suicide cult: Telling your elderly viewers to perform tribal loyalty by engaging in high-risk behaviors is a career-limiting move.
Grocery supply chains are resilient: One less thing to worry about.
Magic in the time of coronavirus: Never let a good crisis go to waste, card-trick edition.
This day in history: 2010, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, current writing projects, upcoming appearances, current reading

Ethiopian factory sports Jack Ma quotes: Global trade currents are shifting fast.
Charter orders all workers to keep showing up: Even the 15% of its workforce who could work from home.
MAGA firefighters dismiss coronavirus as Democrat hoax: And/or a Chinese bioweapon.
Flatter Me, a compliments card game: Kickstarting now.
American Airlines blew billions, now it wants a bailout: Socializing losses, privatizing gains.
John Green's mutual aid manifesto: The only way through is together.
How to split a single ventilator for four patients: Peer-reviewed simulations.
Bigoted Republican Congressjerk votes against coronavirus relief because it might cover same-sex partnerships: Rep Andy Biggs wants to send us all to meet Jesus.
Epidemiology and public health in 14 minutes: An epidemiologist and an sf writer make an outstanding science communications team.
3D printed ventilator hero got a patent threat: Human rights vs property rights.
If nothing is for sale, how will covid stimulus work? Can you fix a supply shock with stimulus?
How to make your own toilet paper: A craft for your isolated kiddos.
Plague precautions from 1665: No feasting, but you can tipple in a bar until 9PM.
This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, current writing projects, upcoming appearances, current reading

The Masque of the Red Death and Punch Brothers Punch: My latest podcast is Poe/Twain bathos crossover.
Fill in your census online: Otherwise you and people you care about literally won't count.
Naomi Klein: this disaster has no room for disaster capitalism: It's our moment to seize.
Scalzi's canceled bookstore: Support your local indie bookseller, especially now.
My Twitter account was suspended: I got in trouble for putting trolls on a list called "Colossal Assholes."
Talking digital writing careers with the Writing Excuses podcast: Covering a lot of ground in 15 minutes.
A new anxiety podcast from Nightvale's Joseph Fink: Proud to be in the debut episode.
Patent trolls try to shut down covid testing: Monkey-selfies, Theranos, Softbank – it's a garbage matrioshke!
How to live with your kids: "Working and Learning from Home with Young Children."
Brave files GDPR complaint against Google: Sharing data between Google services is a no-no.
This day in history: 2005, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, current writing projects, upcoming appearances, current reading

HRDAG analyzes the best covid-19 studies: Ninja statisticians FTW.
Chelsea Manning's supporters pay off her $256,000 fine in a day: She had our back so we have hers.
The Onion is there for us: Doing for pandemic what they did for 9/11.
The CIA's information security is really terrible: Root password was "123ABCdef".
Euroleaks: exposing the secret workings of the Eurogroup: Where they decided to strangle Greece.
Things to do with kids during lockdowns: A crowdsourced list.
Covered Dish: A site for stories of mutual aid during a crisis.
How to pull your business out of China: A guide for the anxious.
This day in history: 2005, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, current writing projects, upcoming appearances, current reading

Masque of the Red Death: Macmillan Audio gave me permission to share the audiobook of my end-of-the-world novella.
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth: A new podcast audiobook of my 2005 end-of-the-world story.
Ada Palmer on historical and modern censorship: Part of EFF's Speaking Freely project.
Glitch workers unionize: First-ever tech union formed without management opposition.
Women of Imagineering: A 384-page illustrated chronicle of the role women play in Disney theme-park design.
Tachyon celebrates 30 years of sff publishing with a Humble Bundle: DRM-free and benefits EFF.
Honest Government Ads, Covid-19 edition: Political satire is really hard, but The Juice makes it look easy.
TSA lifts liquid bans, telcos lift data caps: Almost as though there was no reason for them in the first place.
CBC postpones Canada Reads debates: But you can read a ton of the nominated books online for free.
Star Wars firepits: 750lbs of flaming backyard steel.
This day in history: 2005, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, current writing projects, upcoming appearances, current reading