June 30, 2021
Bill Cosby free, now and forever.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Cosby had been denied a fair trial "That’s why Cosby—with the assurance that he wouldn’t be prosecuted—divulged in a civil case brought by Constand that he had given quaaludes to women he had pursued sexually, as explained by The New York Times. But years later, after Castor’s departure from office, his successor Kevin Steele did not uphold Castor’s deal. When Steele moved forward with criminal charges, Cosby’s testimony in the civil case was used as evidence." [more inside]
That's chutzpah right there
Clifford Stoll, yes that Cliff, has had the Amazon listing for his Klein bottles stolen by hijackers and there doesn't seem to be anything he can do about it
Into the Unknown Unknown
Donald Rumsfeld GW Bush defense secretary is dead at 88.
protecting outliers
It's important for the US Census to collect and publish a lot of information. It's also important for individual respondents to retain their privacy. Re-identification techniques pose a problem, so The Markup's Julia Angwin interviews Cynthia Dwork, one of the creators of the "differential privacy" approach, about how differential privacy could help ensure the US can meet both goals.
God in Love Unites Us
The Methodist Church in Britain allows same-sex marriage in 'momentous' vote: Following a half-decade of consultation, and in an overwhelming 254-46 vote in favour, the Methodist Church is now the largest religious denomination in Britain to support same-sex marriage.
Where do bad links go when they die?
Quarantine, but for information. Harvard Law and The Blue's Jonathan Zittrain makes the long, strong case that everything on this mutable, decaying, glorious mess of an Internet is worth a heroic effort to save, even the things that are wrong and bad and should largely be, but not completely, forgotten. Sub-point: tip your librarians.
“We Sing This Song For You, Wuhan!”: A Short History of Wuhan Punk
"Who was first, Beijing or Wuhan? This is a very controversial question, as both cities claim to have given birth to Chinese punk. As always, the issue is more complex than it appears; the answer is not merely chronological, but also involves ethics and politics. Claiming that Wuhan is the true birthplace of Chinese punk means one favors political engagement over style, raw punk energy over complex musical arrangement. I am myself non-objective on the matter, as shown by the tattoo on my upper arm or the patch sewn on my jacket: I frankly lean toward Wuhan. For me, if there is one song that embodies Chinese punk, it’s not “All the Same” (都一样), the self-proclaimed “first Chinese punk song” by UnderBaby; it’s “Scream For Life” by SMZB. Here’s why."
Tulare County's never-ending drought
From Julie Cart for Cal Matters: Severe drought is gripping most of California, but its misery isn’t spread equally. While most of the state compares today’s extreme conditions to previous droughts, people in Tulare County speak of drought — in the singular, as in a continuous state of being. ...The entire West is suffering from extreme dryness, heat and fire risk, and the small, rural towns of northern Tulare County, outside of Visalia, are caught in its vortex. [more inside]
Unparalleled in living memory and unmatched in the modern game
A lot of athletes are incomparable and revolutionary in their respective sports. There are too many wonders in the world for any one person to pay attention to all of them... But if it’s even conceivable that you could care about baseball—or about boundary-breaking human achievement, regardless of the field—you should try to pay attention to Ohtani. Ben Lindbergh on Shohei Ohtani's incredible two-way performance this season in Major League Baseball, "Shobaes", and the oddity of an elite athlete who is "improbably pleasant".
Francesco Lepore likes to challenge the status quo.
"On a recent afternoon, over a lunch of arancine and cannoli in a Palermo apartment that he shares with his partner, Michele Nicolosi — an abundantly tattooed Italian post office employee with a similar beard, identical outfit and warm sense of humor — Mr. Lepore described a saga worthy of Stendhal." A Latin Expert’s Odyssey, From the Vatican to the Gay Rights Movement - Jason Horowitz, NYT Rome bureau chief. Archive link.
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