FOCUS | Facebook Is Using You

Posted by Michael Butler, Monday, February 6, 2012

NYT Op-Eds (3)

"Charles Murray’s 'Coming Apart' describes the most important cultural trends today and offers a better understanding of America’s increasingly two-caste society" (Brooks); "Thanks to a gap between discrimination laws and disability laws, it’s possible for a pregnant woman to be forced from her job" (Guest Op-Ed); "With use of drones, the world could get clear, instant evidence of atrocities in Syria" (Guest Op-Ed)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, January 31, 2012

NYT Editorial & Op-Eds (10)

"The system for reviewing presidential appointments is broken. Changing the rule is a risky course, but it is the only way to get the nation’s work done" (Editorial); "A student movement led by Camila Vallejo and centered on reforming Chile’s educational system is upending the society" (Guest Op-Ed); "Millions of children take drugs to help them pay attention — but do they really help?" (Guest Op-Ed); "Focusing on public expectations of privacy means that our rights change when technology does" (Guest Op-Ed); "While Cynthia Nixon’s critics have good reason to worry about how her words will be construed, they have no right to demand silence and conformity from her" (Bruni); "Would it be ethical to produce, or take, a drug that makes us more likely to help others?" (Guest Op-Ed); "What is it about runways that brings out the fire in our cool president?" (Dowd); "There is a big gap in how C.E.O.’s and political leaders look at the world" (Friedman); "The power of the state can crowd out other forms of community" (Douthat); "Religious people are more likely to donate to charity" (Guest Op-Ed)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, January 29, 2012

NYT Editorials & Op-Eds (4)

"President Obama has promised a full inquiry into the mortgage meltdown. Could this finally lead to clear results that hold those who broke the law accountable?" (Editorial); "The Supreme Court was correct to rule that placing an electronic surveillance on a suspect’s car violates privacy rights, but it left too many questions unanswered" (Editorial); "Evangelical concerns about Mitt Romney’s faith ultimately say more about the insecurities of the establishment denominations than about Mormonism itself" (Guest Op-Ed); "The Supreme Court’s decision to give a death-row inmate another chance presents a puzzle for anyone who witnessed the sharp right turn the Roberts court took during the 2006-2007 term" (Greenhouse)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, January 26, 2012

Space: The next war zone? – U.S. Military – Salon.com

Posted by Michael Butler, Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Store Front in Berlin – You Tube

fascinating, thanks to Tom Pierson
Posted by Michael Butler, Tuesday, January 24, 2012

NYT (4): National News

SCOTUS says GPS use by police violated privacy rights; Giffords will leave House; As "right-to-work" "line of scrimmage" develops at Superbowl, unions face yet another problem: lockouts.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Monday, January 23, 2012

NYT (8): Foreign Affairs

Bahrain opposition unimpressed by King's suggested reforms; Taiwan elections stir democracy-minded hearts in China; Hacker who hit Israeli credit card accounts strikes again, crippling sites of ElAl and Stock Exchange; Romanian protests over austerity measures turn violent; Hard lesson learned, Nigerian leader reinstitutes gas subsidy; Sarkozy vulnerable due to economic situation; Pakistan's highest court initiates contempt of court proceedings against PM; Captain of capsized liner likely to face charges.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, January 17, 2012

TomDispatch – Nick Turse: Drone Disasters

Posted by Bill Swiggard, Sunday, January 15, 2012

NYT (5): Foreign Affairs

Al-Maliki welcomes terrorist group into politics; Egyptian prosecutors call for death for Mubarak; Cyberattack exposes financial details of 20,000 Israelis; German president remains unrepentant and obstinate; In irony, U.S. warship threatened by Iran saves Iranians taken by pirates.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, January 7, 2012

NYT Op-Eds (3)

"Technology is a means of enabling freedom, not an end in itself" (Guest Op-Ed); "If Mitt Romney ends up winning the Republican presidential nomination, let’s hope that he reverts to the moderate pragmatist he was for most of his career" (Kristof); "Can’t wait to see what the Republicans do next. New Hampshire is lovely this time of year" (Collins)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, January 5, 2012

FOCUS | AP: Officials Say Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquake

Posted by Michael Butler, Tuesday, January 3, 2012

NYT Op-Eds (3)

"Mitt Romney likes to use the song 'Eye of the Tiger' at his campaign events. But 'Karma Chameleon' might be a better tune for him" (Bruni); "The largest slice of the Republican Party may have found a champion in Rick Santorum" (Brooks); "Addiction to the hand-held device is a modern curse" (Cohen)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, January 3, 2012

NYT Editorial & Op-Eds (10)

"The Keystone pipeline is bad energy policy and doesn’t do enough for the economy. President Obama should argue for alternative fuel sources and clean energy jobs" (Editorial); "The obsession with deficit reduction is wrongheaded and ill-informed" (Krugman); "Extreme positions on the campaign trail in Iowa do damage to the Republican Party" (Bruni); "An unusual political trajectory has taken Ron Paul from the fringe to the caucuses" (Douthat); "As our elected 'leaders' exasperate us with narcissism and paralysis, some Hollywood figures are actually showing a moral compass on humanitarian issues" (Kristof); "Egos in disguise: 'humble' men and the women who 'shove' them" (Dowd); "Our refusal to see what we know is true has led to one global disaster after another" (Guest Op-Ed); "Extremists on both sides of the drug-policy issue have taken over the conversation. We must give centrists a voice, or America’s drug problem will only get worse" (Guest Op-Ed); "Trying to escape the constant stream of too much information" (Guest Op-Ed); "Forget egocentric New Year’s resolutions. It’s time for New Rules for how the world should work" (Maher)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Monday, January 2, 2012

how-social-media-is-ruining-your-mind

from Bill Altmiller
Posted by Michael Butler, Wednesday, December 21, 2011

NYT Editorial & Op-Eds (3)

"President Obama has caved in to political pressure and will sign a dangerous bill that will make indefinite detention and military trials part of American law" (Editorial); "When it comes to views on economics, Republicans have been consistent, clear and wrong" (Krugman); "High-level stupidity is there for the ages, courtesy of technology" (Egan)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, December 16, 2011

NYT (6): National News

Occupy movement attempts blockage of West Coast ports, with mixed results and response; American citizens getting ensnared in immigration crackdown; AG Holder says U.S. will challenge new voting laws that may disenfranchise; NTSB calls for outright ban of cellphone use while driving; Amanpour returns to CNN; A surprising legal ruling re selling NYC Metrocard "swipes."
Posted by Ian Alterman, Wednesday, December 14, 2011

NYT (4): National News

Occupy movement finds a new home in livestreaming; In CA, a plan to charge inmates for their stay; In wake of NYPD Facebook debacle, a move toward new residency requirements; Many possibilities, but no "dream candidate" in NYC mayoral race.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Monday, December 12, 2011

NYT Editorials & Op-Eds (11)

"The results of the Kyoto Protocol have been dismal, and there is almost no chance that there will be a replacement when it expires next year" (Editorial); "A federal court was doing its job when it replaced Texas’s redistricting map with a fairer one" (Editorial); "When the police look military: The Occupy movement brings out the martial character of law enforcement" (Guest Op-Ed; see also related Op-Chart); "The word 'apology' has become so politicized in our own discourse that no president can admit to doing it" (Guest Op-Ed); "Is brain of Newt the potion for an anti-intellectual party?" (Bruni); "Most Americans can get online. But too many can’t afford high-speed access" (Guest Op-Ed); "Should mail be a guaranteed government service because it is essential to our well-being? Or has it outlived its utility?" (Guest Op-Ed); "Better a protest movement that casts itself (however quixotically) as the defender of “the 99 percent” than one that just represents Democratic interest groups" (Douthat); "A legacy deal for Obama on gas mileage will make a significant contribution to America’s energy, environmental, health and national security agendas" (Friedman); "A cozy alliance between processed food makers and companies that serve school lunches is making students fat and sick" (Guest Op-Ed); "For Newt Gingrich, the founding fathers were anticolonial patriots. The president, on the other hand, is an anticolonial socialist" (Dowd)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, December 4, 2011

NYT Editorials, Op-Eds, Letters (5)

"The government is trying to limit the force of the Privacy Act, which would allow agencies to act improperly with impunity" (Editorial); "The potential for trading on insider information from the halls of Congress is undeniable and needs to be policed" (Editorial); "Gingrich says poor children do not have working parents as role models. He couldn’t be more wrong" (Blow); "Who knew that these days the little red schoolhouse is somewhere in the ether" (Collins); "From J.F.K.'s Grandson" (Letter)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, December 3, 2011

VIDEO: TED

A must-see TED presentation on the future of energy - which can all be free!
Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Atlantic (5)

"With a friend like Pakistan, who needs enemies?"; China and Walmart are strange bedfellows - or maybe not; A U.S. reporter kidnapped by Qaddafi's forces tells her story; "Romney touts his business experience, but does it really matter?"; A new camera revolutionizes photography.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, November 17, 2011

NYT Editorial, Op-Eds, Letters (8)

"Washington must press the army to stop meddling and commit to a free and fair vote, which is scheduled to begin in a few weeks" (Editorial); "President Obama and leaders of Congress don't seem to be addressing Occupy Wall Street's concerns. Why?" (Debate); "The Supreme Court will explore the permissible limits of government watchfulness over our daily lives" (Greenhouse); "A public funding system would stop the influence of big money in politics" (Guest Op-Ed); "The Constitution supports the mandate to buy health insurance" (Guest Op-Ed); "This week the ever-unpopular House passed a bill that requires states with strict gun laws to honor weaker ones from other states. What’s a few concealed weapons between friends?" (Collins); "Brazil’s agribusiness interests are pushing for a law that would condemn vast areas of the Amazon rainforest to extermination" (Guest Op-Ed); "Occupy Wall Street: The Next Chapter" (Letters)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, November 17, 2011

NYT (13): National News

XL pipeline decision to be delayed until after 2012 elections; Voters defeat a host of GOP-backed measures nationwide; AZ recall election defeats anti-immigration zealot; Democrat wins in pivotal L.I. election; Fed appeals judge upholds health law; SCOTUS casts wary eye on "Orwellian" GPS technology; How spending on political ads is creating media merger frenzy; Both sides hate new plan for offshore drilling; IOM panel unhappy with current digitization of medical records; Coca-Cola single-handedly stops environmental bill for Grand Canyon; Not surprisingly, Cain lawyers use smear campaigns to blame the victims of sexual harassment; Perry's "oops" moment at debate may sink his candidacy; First test of National Emergency System not exactly flawless.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, November 10, 2011

NYT Editorials & Op-Eds (13)

"Evoking a squalid past, Alabama challenges the Department of Justice’s authority to investigate whether the state’s new immigration law has brought civil rights abuses" (Editorial); "Without a warrant, the use of tracking technology can be an unreasonable search, with no guarantee that it won’t be broadly abused in the future" (Editorial); "Low voter turnout has pushed our politics toward increased polarization" (Guest Op-Ed); "Is the WikiLeaks movement, which changed the face of journalism and the entire informational ecosystem, going to go away? (Guest Op-Ed); "Many believe America’s shadow war with Iran is about to ramp up dramatically" (Guest Op-Ed); "The new embattled partisan environment allows conservatives to pit taxpayers against tax consumers" (Guest Op-Ed); "When economists tackle small problems, they lose any vision about what the economic system should look like" (Guest Op-Ed); "These conservative and liberal plans for cutting health care spending are dead ends" (Guest Op-Ed); "If ever you needed an example of how easily, spuriously or conveniently we gin up our outrage, last week was it" (Bruni); "The ruling class proves, again, that it is too smart for its own good" (Douthat); "Andrew Carnegie’s legendary library-building has been surpassed, in some respects, by an American you’ve probably never heard of. This is his story" (Kristof); "Native sons have gone from working for Western companies to running Indian companies that are offering solutions to India’s problems" (Friedman); "Examining the death tolls from history’s wars and revolts, and their accompanying scourges" (Guest Op-Chart)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, November 6, 2011