Pluralistic: 19 Aug 2021

Today's links

Machine learning's crumbling foundations: Doing 'data science' with bad data.
Hench: The madcap rage of life under vigilante rule.
This day in history: 2001, 2006, 2011, 2020
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Vaccine refusal and health insurance: Insurers to unvaccinated: "Drop dead."
Congress has allocated enough money to end the eviction crisis: But they asked the states to hand it out.
Utilities governed like empires: One bad account disconnection can cost you everything.
This day in history: 2001, 2006, 2011, 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

On the occasion of John Varley's quadruple bypass: Raising funds for a beloved sf giant.
This day in history: 2006, 2011, 2016, 2020
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Monopolies made America vulnerable to covid: Pharma, hospitals and other health industries were weak before the pandemic.
The Ministry For the Future: Kim Stanley Robinson's final (?) novel.
Graffitists hit dozens of NYC subway cars: Party like it's 1984.
Breathtaking Iphone hack: Zero-click wireless worms.
This day in history: 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Jeremy Meyer's typewriter assemblages: Symmetry is everything.
HHS to pharma: stop bribing writing docs: No more cash-for-Rx.
The Attack Surface Lectures: Part 1, Politics and Protest.
Youtube-dl is back: EFF to the rescue!
Someone Comes to Town Part 23: The latest in my podcast.
This day in history: 2005, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Witch: Kill Bill meets Thomas Hardy.
Attack Surface on the MMT Podcast: Imagining the first days of a better world.
Private equity's profitable murder: Leonard Green, Prospect Medical Holdings, and the vast fortunes built on the dead.
The Years of Repair: A Message From the Future (II).
Block Google-Fitbit: A merger made in hell.
This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

I'm being inducted into the Canadian SF/F hall of fame: A club that would have me as a member!
Mexico's copyright vs self-determination and national sovereignty: Colonialism 2.0.
Self-bricking medical device: "Once EXOGEN delivers 343 treatments, it will not provide further treatment."
Apple's internal Right to Repair fight: Ifixit got leaked receipts.
Challenge questions suck: Your favorite food is pizza.
This day in history: 2005, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Full Employment, the podcast edition: There's no AI employment crisis, but there IS a climate emergency.
Life as a fake Amazon reviewer: A security economics case-study.
Don't talk about cancer on FB: Facebook greets cancer diagnoses with a torrent of quack remedy ads.
Privacy as a right, not a product: Putting a pricetag on your data makes you less private.
Primary Richie Neal [D-MA]: Meet the powerful "Democrat" who defends surprise billing and zero taxes for private equity.
This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Indie booksellers during the pandemic: Better news that you might expect.
Podcasting Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town: "A glorious book unlike any book you've ever read."
Billionaires thriving on our pandemic losses: Plutocracy is comorbid with pandemic.
Pandemic proves ISP data-caps were always a pretense: Rent-seeking vs capex.
Hospital cuts healthcare workers' pay, pays six-figure exec bonuses: Denver Health Medical Center shows us who really matters.
This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading