You should read this for 3/2/2019:
Art and Film
Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes Will Direct Patrick Stewart Once More for the Picard Show
Books, Writing, and Language
More from Nora Roberts: How to spot scammers…and raise hell
Food and Drink
History and Archaeology
Given the inhuman scale of ecological crises like climate change and food insecurity, family farming offers a seductive mythology, anchored in a fantasy of permanence and human scale. But it’s a mythology all the same, and one largely disconnected from the history of rural family life in America.
A 2,000-year-old tattoo needle still has ink on the tip Archaeologists found the oldest tattooing tool ever discovered in North America.
Science and Nature
Migrating blue whales rely on memory to find their feeding grounds
On their annual migration, their path takes in the spots that have proven to be the most reliable feeding grounds over the years. In doing this, the whales may bypass hotspots that pop up and fade from one year to the next, suggesting that they rely heavily on memory to find a solid meal. But in a world where “normal” is shifting rapidly, the endangered whales may no longer be able to rely on the abundance of those old, faithful feeding grounds.
Singing mice could offer clues about how human brains manage conversation “One part of the mouse’s brain creates the song, another coordinates the duets.”
Society
Warren Buffett Letter: Full Text
This is the annual letter that Warren Buffett (and Charlie Munger) deliver to Berkshire Hathaway share holders. I started reading these about twenty five years ago, and have learned a lot from them in terms of basic accounting principles for understanding stocks and investments.
‘Not In Compliance’: Wilbur Ross, The Trump Official Who Keeps Watchdogs Up At Night
Ross failed to divest assets when he said he would — despite telling ethics officials he had done so. His inaccuracies and omissions have also prompted serious questions about whether he took official actions that could affect his personal financial interests, which would violate conflict of interest law — something he has repeatedly said he hasn’t done.
PG&E: It’s likely our equipment was “ignition point” for deadly Camp Fire
Technology
The Trauma Floor The secret lives of Facebook moderators in America
The video depicts a man being murdered. Someone is stabbing him, dozens of times, while he screams and begs for his life. Chloe’s job is to tell the room whether this post should be removed. She knows that section 13 of the Facebook community standards prohibits videos that depict the murder of one or more people. When Chloe explains this to the class, she hears her voice shaking.
Returning to her seat, Chloe feels an overpowering urge to sob. Another trainee has gone up to review the next post, but Chloe cannot concentrate. She leaves the room, and begins to cry so hard that she has trouble breathing.
AI won’t relieve the misery of Facebook’s human moderators “The problem of online content moderation can’t be solved with artificial intelligence, say experts”
Moderating content doesn’t have to be so traumatic
How to hear (and delete) every conversation your Amazon Alexa has recorded
Internet trolls forced Rotten Tomatoes to limit comments on new movies
Women’s Work
Carrie Ann Lucas Dies At Age 47, You Probably Haven’t Heard Of Her And That’s A Problem
This photo of Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley, and Tlaib from the Cohen hearing says it all
💩🔥💰 Trumpery 💩🔥💰
H/T Elizabeth: China approves Donald Trump-branded spas, escort services, hotels and massage parlours without US Congress permission
The President’s lawyers applied for the trademarks in April last year, at the same time the then Presidential candidate Trump was accusing China of “ripping off” the US and deliberately manipulating its currency to its own advantage.
Janet Yellen: Trump Is An Even Bigger Idiot Than He LooksThe former Federal Reserve chair cannot adequately express how dumb our president is.
From NPR: ‘Low IQ,’ ‘SPECTACULAR,’ ‘Dog’: How Trump Tweets About African-Americans
NPR examined Trump’s Twitter feed between June 1 and Labor Day. It provided a snapshot of a president who directs venomous tirades at black public figures who bash him, while singling out black celebrities who support him for praise.
Pay It Forward and Make It Better
How New Orleans Reduced Its Homeless Population By 90 Percent
This is the key point:
“You just accept them as they are and you provide the housing first,” Kegel says. “Then, once they’re in their apartment, you immediately wrap all the services around them that they need to stay stable and live the highest quality life that they can live.”
