https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1893020/#!po=59.6154
---Steve
Monday, November 28, 2016
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Cuba: Fidel Castro’s Record of Repression | Human Rights Watch
The repression was codified in law and enforced by security forces, groups of civilian sympathizers tied to the state, and a judiciary that lacked independence. Such abusive practices generated a pervasive climate of fear in Cuba, which hindered the exercise of fundamental rights, and pressured Cubans to show their allegiance to the state while discouraging criticism.
Many of the abusive tactics developed during his time in power – including surveillance, beatings, arbitrary detention, and public acts of repudiation – are still used by the Cuban government.
_- SteveFriday, November 25, 2016
The Washington Post: Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during election, experts say
Russian propaganda effort helped spread 'fake news' during election, experts say
The Washington Post
Researchers say sophisticated tools were used to boost Trump and undermine Clinton. Read the full story
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Thursday, November 24, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
The Drum: Intel bets big on AI ‘for business and society’
Intel bets big on AI 'for business and society'
The Drum
Calling AI "the next major turning point in human history," Intel CEO Brian Krzanich wrote an editorial likening the coming revolution to the Industrial Revolution, saying this so-called Intelligence Revolution will be driven by data, neural networks and computing power. And, conveniently, Krzanich said Intel is "uniquely capable" of accelerating the promise of AI and is therefore making "major investments" in technology and developer resources to advance AI for business and society alike. This Read the full story
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Sunday, November 20, 2016
The solution to lobbying is more lobbying - The Washington Post
The steady growth of corporate lobbying over the last four decades — the subject of my new book, The Business of America is Lobbying – has tipped representation in Washington overwhelmingly toward large corporations. The types of organized interests we might expect to provide a countervailing force to business — labor unions, groups representing diffuse publics like consumers or taxpayers – now spend $1 for every $34 business spends on lobbying, by my count. That's up from a 1-to-22 ratio in 1998. Of the 100 organizations that spend the most on lobbying annually, consistently 95 represent business.
_- Steve
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Stephen Smith shared a link: David Runciman · Is this how democracy ends? · LRB 1 December 2016
It is sometimes said that Trump appeals to his supporters because he represents the authoritarian father figure who they want to shield them from all the bad people out there making their lives hell. That can't be right: Trump is a child, the most childish politician I have encountered in my lifetime. The parent in this relationship is the American state itself, which allows the voters to throw a tantrum and join forces with the worst behaved kid in the class, safe in the knowledge that the grown-ups will always be there to pick up the pieces.
_- Steve
_- Steve
Friday, November 18, 2016
Beware the liberal thought police
http://theweek.com/articles/662656/beware-liberal-thought-police
One of the secrets of Donald Trump's electoral success was his refusal to abide by many of the limits that liberals have sought to place on acceptable political opinion and debate. In devising their response, liberals need to be careful. Yes, Trump is putting certain previously excluded issues on the table for first-order public deliberation. Liberals (rightly) oppose Trump's policy proposals on these issues. But the best way to respond is to make arguments against adopting those policies — to engage in first-order politics — and not to revert to second-order politics by repeatedly screaming "racism!" in the vain hope of getting these issues taken back off the table.
_- Steve
One of the secrets of Donald Trump's electoral success was his refusal to abide by many of the limits that liberals have sought to place on acceptable political opinion and debate. In devising their response, liberals need to be careful. Yes, Trump is putting certain previously excluded issues on the table for first-order public deliberation. Liberals (rightly) oppose Trump's policy proposals on these issues. But the best way to respond is to make arguments against adopting those policies — to engage in first-order politics — and not to revert to second-order politics by repeatedly screaming "racism!" in the vain hope of getting these issues taken back off the table.
_- Steve
Thursday, November 17, 2016
John McAfee on privacy: 'Everybody has something to hide'
And speaking to him in person, he echoes the sentiment, albeit in a more nuanced way. "I don't think governments or anyone has the right to invade anybody's privacy because it is the fundamental rock upon which a rational, smoothly functioning and polite society is built," he said.
"You take privacy away and I promise you – all three of those things will disappear. I'm gonna find out you're a supporter of Isis or you're sleeping with my daughter. We keep these things secret for a reason. We are not perfect and should not be expected to be perfect."
_- Steve
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Stephen Smith shared a link: House GOP to vote on bringing back earmarks | TheHill
House GOP to vote on bringing back earmarks | TheHill from Mazel Tov Cocktail's Tweet
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Stephen Smith shared a link: Steve Bannon Suggests There Are Too Many Asian CEOs In Silicon Valley | The Huffington Post
Steve Bannon Suggests There Are Too Many Asian CEOs In Silicon Valley | The Huffington Post from George Takei's Tweet
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Steve Bannon, the man President-elect Donald Trump has chosen to be his chief strategist, expressed dismay at the number of tech execs who are immigrants from Asia.
But Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico to keep people out, has said he wants immigrants educated at Ivy League universities and therefore capable of success to stay.
Bannon is the executive chairman of Breitbart News, a site that regularly airs white nationalist viewpoints. He and his beliefs have come under scrutiny since America's next president appointed him to the senior leadership role in the incoming administration on Sunday.
Trump was a guest on his Sirius XM "Breitbart News Daily" radio show when Bannon made the remarks on Nov. 5, 2015.
"People are coming in and they're taking jobs and people are getting paid less money," Trump said during the broadcast. "A lot of it has to do with borders."
But people who are capable of making lots of money and building big businesses should stay, the New York businessman stressed.
"When someone is going to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn, Stanford, all the greats" and then they graduate, "we throw them out of the country, and they can't get back in," Trump said.
"I think that's terrible," added Trump, who was a regular guest on the show. "We have to be careful of that, Steve. You know, we have to keep our talented people in this country."
Trump asked Bannon if he agreed with him, but the Breitbart executive chairman seemed to have trouble responding to this suggestion.
"When two-thirds or three-quarters of the CEOs in Silicon Valley are from South Asia or from Asia, I think..." Bannon said. "A country is more than an economy. We're a civic society."
Bannon's "facts" were, in fact, well off. A May 2015 study found that 27 percent of professionals working in Silicon Valley companies were Asian or Asian-American. They represented less than 19 percent of managers and under 14 percent of executives, according to the report.
During the exchange on Asian migrants, Trump told Bannon that he wanted people to come into the country.
"You got to remember, we're Breitbart," Bannon replied. "We're the know-nothing vulgarians. So we've always got to be to the right of you on this."
The future Republican president then moved on to tell Bannon of his plans to build a "great" wall as his central immigration policy.
_- SteveTuesday, November 15, 2016
The president and the press - Columbia Journalism Review
http://www.cjr.org/analysis/the_president_and_the_press.php
Actual news is almost never made, since the White House has new tools allowing it to release and manage news on its own schedule and terms—its online news report is but one of these.
_- Steve
Actual news is almost never made, since the White House has new tools allowing it to release and manage news on its own schedule and terms—its online news report is but one of these.
_- Steve
A Conversation with Peter Thiel - The American Interest
http://www.the-american-interest.com/2012/02/01/a-conversation-with-peter-thiel/
There has been a tremendous slowdown everywhere else, however. Look at transportation, for example: Literally, we haven't been moving any faster. The energy shock has broadened to a commodity crisis. In many other areas the present has not lived up to the lofty expectations we had. I think the advanced economies of the world fundamentally grow through technological progress, and as their rate of progress slows, they will have less growth. This creates incredible pressures on our political systems. I think the political system at its core works when it crafts compromises in which most people benefit most of the time. When there's no growth, politics becomes a zero-sum game in which there's a loser for every winner. Most of the losers will come to suspect that the winners are involved in some kind of racket. So I think there's a close link between technological deceleration and increasing cynicism and pessimism about politics and economics.
_- Steve
There has been a tremendous slowdown everywhere else, however. Look at transportation, for example: Literally, we haven't been moving any faster. The energy shock has broadened to a commodity crisis. In many other areas the present has not lived up to the lofty expectations we had. I think the advanced economies of the world fundamentally grow through technological progress, and as their rate of progress slows, they will have less growth. This creates incredible pressures on our political systems. I think the political system at its core works when it crafts compromises in which most people benefit most of the time. When there's no growth, politics becomes a zero-sum game in which there's a loser for every winner. Most of the losers will come to suspect that the winners are involved in some kind of racket. So I think there's a close link between technological deceleration and increasing cynicism and pessimism about politics and economics.
_- Steve
Stephen Smith shared a link: We need to talk about the online radicalisation of young, white men | Abi Wilkinson | Opinion | The Guardian
We need to talk about the online radicalisation of young, white men | Abi Wilkinson | Opinion | The Guardian from Stacey Dunn's Tweet
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When we fret about young people leaving western countries and going to fight with Isis, it's common to focus on the role of the internet in their political radicalisation. It's time we discussed the radicalisation of angry, young white men in a similar way.
_- Steve
Monday, November 14, 2016
Neoliberalism: the deep story that lies beneath Donald Trump’s triumph | George Monbiot | Opinion | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/14/neoliberalsim-donald-trump-george-monbiot
Those who tell the stories run the world. Politics has failed through a lack of competing narratives. The key task now is to tell a new story of what it is to be a human in the 21st century. It must be as appealing to some who have voted for Trump and Ukip as it is to the supporters of Clinton, Bernie Sanders or Jeremy Corbyn.
_- Steve
Those who tell the stories run the world. Politics has failed through a lack of competing narratives. The key task now is to tell a new story of what it is to be a human in the 21st century. It must be as appealing to some who have voted for Trump and Ukip as it is to the supporters of Clinton, Bernie Sanders or Jeremy Corbyn.
_- Steve
Stephen Smith shared a link: Google’s top news link for ‘final election results’ goes to a fake news site with false numbers - The Washington Post
Google's top news link for 'final election results' goes to a fake news site with false numbers - The Washington Post from Washington Post's Tweet
The propaganda of alt right fake news continues. Can we call Breitbart the American Pravda yet? The official news source of the Trump administration.
The propaganda of alt right fake news continues. Can we call Breitbart the American Pravda yet? The official news source of the Trump administration.
_- Steve
The Huffington Post - US: Joe Biden Trolls Donald Trump In Bittersweet Post-Election Meme
Joe Biden Trolls Donald Trump In Bittersweet Post-Election Meme
The Huffington Post - US
Vice President Joe Biden pulled pranks on president-elect Donald Trump in a bittersweet meme that's been sweeping the web. ... Read the full story
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Sunday, November 13, 2016
Stephen Smith shared a link: Nine Must-Read Books in the Age of Donald Trump
Nine Must-Read Books in the Age of Donald Trump from Marc A. Di Giacomo's Tweet
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The messy truth about the gulf between Trump, Clinton voters
http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/12/opinions/van-jones-messy-truth/index.html
_- Steve
http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/12/opinions/van-jones-messy-truth/index.html
_- Steve
What Donald Trump's "America First" vision of the world looks like - Election 2016 - CBS News
The GOP front-runner asserted that the U.S. also "cannot be the policeman of the world" when it comes to allies in the Asia Pacific region, suggesting he would like to see Japan and South Korea develop nuclear weaponry in order to combat North Korea.
"Unfortunately, we have a nuclear world now," Trump said. "Would I rather have North Korea have [nuclear weapons] with Japan sitting there having them also? You may very well be better off if that's the case. In other words, where Japan is defending itself against North Korea, which is a real problem."
Stephen Smith shared a link: How to Restore Your Faith in Democracy - The New Yorker
How to Restore Your Faith in Democracy - The New Yorker from The New Yorker's Tweet
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Saturday, November 12, 2016
Friday, November 11, 2016
Stephen Smith shared a link: Conservatives vs. Trump’s infrastructure plan - POLITICO
Conservatives vs. Trump's infrastructure plan - POLITICO from POLITICO's Tweet
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Stephen Smith shared a link: Democrats, Trump, and the Ongoing, Dangerous Refusal to Learn the Lesson of Brexit
Democrats, Trump, and the Ongoing, Dangerous Refusal to Learn the Lesson of Brexit from GetRealPoofy ✘'s Tweet
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Those who have been warning of the grave dangers these powers pose have often been dismissed on the ground that the leaders who control this system are benevolent and well-intentioned. They have thus often resorted to the tactic of urging people to imagine what might happen if a president they regarded as less than benevolent one day gained control of it. That day has arrived. One hopes this will at least provide the impetus to unite across ideological and partisan lines to finally impose meaningful limits on these powers that should never have been vested in the first place. That commitment should start now.
_- Steve
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Stephen Smith shared a link: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: What it means to be black during a Trump administration - The Washington Post
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: What it means to be black during a Trump administration - The Washington Post from Washington Post's Tweet
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Stephen Smith shared a link: Hyperpartisan Facebook Pages Are Publishing False And Misleading Information At An Alarming Rate - BuzzFeed News
Hyperpartisan Facebook Pages Are Publishing False And Misleading Information At An Alarming Rate - BuzzFeed News from Will Oremus's Tweet
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_- Steve
Stephen Smith shared a link: 12 Trump promises and how he could fulfill them - The Washington Post
12 Trump promises and how he could fulfill them - The Washington Post from Washington Post's Tweet
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Stephen Smith shared a link: Speaking Out After the Presidential Election? We’ve Got a Few Tips - FIRE
Speaking Out After the Presidential Election? We've Got a Few Tips - FIRE from Sarah McLaughlin's Tweet
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Behind Trump's victory: Divisions by race, gender and education | Pew Research Center
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/behind-trumps-victory-divisions-by-race-gender-education/
In the 2016 election, a wide gap in presidential preferences emerged between those with and without a college degree. College graduates backed Clinton by a 9-point margin (52%-43%), while those without a college degree backed Trump 52%-44%. This is by far the widest gap in support among college graduates and non-college graduates in exit polls dating back to 1980. For example, in 2012, there was hardly any difference between the two groups: College graduates backed Obama over Romney by 50%-48%, and those without a college degree also supported Obama 51%-47%.
_- Steve
In the 2016 election, a wide gap in presidential preferences emerged between those with and without a college degree. College graduates backed Clinton by a 9-point margin (52%-43%), while those without a college degree backed Trump 52%-44%. This is by far the widest gap in support among college graduates and non-college graduates in exit polls dating back to 1980. For example, in 2012, there was hardly any difference between the two groups: College graduates backed Obama over Romney by 50%-48%, and those without a college degree also supported Obama 51%-47%.
_- Steve
Tuesday, November 08, 2016
Monday, November 07, 2016
Saturday, November 05, 2016
Stephen Smith shared a link: Top Ten Books to Give to Adolescent Boys Who Say They “Hate Reading” by Oona Marie Abrams | Nerdy Book Club
Top Ten Books to Give to Adolescent Boys Who Say They "Hate Reading" by Oona Marie Abrams | Nerdy Book Club from Oona Marie Abrams's Tweet
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_- Steve
The New York Times: Should We Be Scared of Butter?
Simply substituting 5 percent of calories from saturated fats with the equivalent amount of polyunsaturated fats reduced total deaths by 27 percent, and replacing saturates with monounsaturates (from foods like olive and canola oil, nuts and avocados) reduced deaths by 13 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish also "modestly" lowered total mortality, the researchers found.
However, when saturated fats were consumed in place of carbohydrates, there was no significant drop in cardiovascular death rates and slightly higher death rates from cancer
Should We Be Scared of Butter?
The New York Times
It's back on the table, but not in the quantities the meat, dairy and fast-food industries might have you ingest. Read the full story
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Friday, November 04, 2016
MIT Technology Review: Machines Can Now Recognize Something After Seeing It Once
Machines Can Now Recognize Something After Seeing It Once
MIT Technology Review
Most of us can recognize an object after seeing it once or twice. But the algorithms that power computer vision and voice recognition need thousands of examples to become familiar with each new image or word. Researchers at Google DeepMind now have a way around this. They made a few clever tweaks to a deep-learning algorithm that allows it to recognize objects in images and other things from a single example—something known as "one-shot learning." The team demonstrated the trick on a large Read the full story
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Stephen Smith shared a link: Five Independent Signs Of New Physics In The Universe
Five Independent Signs Of New Physics In The Universe from Ethan Siegel's Tweet
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_- Steve
Wednesday, November 02, 2016
Tuesday, November 01, 2016
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