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Archive for 2016
September 30, 2016
THE PHOTOGRAPHER IS MICHAEL YON, WHO MANY INSTAPUNDIT READERS WILL REMEMBER: How a Combat Photographer Named a Phenomenon to Honor Soldiers.
WHY ARE “HUMANITARIAN AID” EFFORTS SO OFTEN CESSPITS OF SEXUAL ABUSE? Workers At Calais Migrant Camp Exploiting Refugees For Sex.
Calais aid workers volunteering in the Jungle have been accused of having sex with migrants, some of whom are believed to be underage, according to a whistle blower.
The revelations have caused a furious row on Facebook, with some volunteers claiming the allegations should have remained secret and criticised the whistle blower for expressing his concerns.
According to the whistle blower, some volunteers avail of the service of the Jungle camp prostitutes, while others have multiple partners in one day. . . .
Other aid workers have complained that unscrupulous volunteers are treating the camp like a ‘free for all festival’ and ‘find it difficult to keep it in their pants’.
The original allegations were aired on a Facebook thread concerning the People to People Solidarity group, which has since been deleted. . . .
Several volunteers severely criticised the whistleblower for discussing the abuse allegations in an open forum.
However, one volunteer defended him claiming: ‘It always really worries me that we’re more concerned with the press/our reputation than we are with the sexual abuse itself.’
According to the Independent, some volunteers believe sexual relationships between aid workers and refugees is ‘natural’ while others believe it breaks the ‘usual codes of conduct’.
The UNHCR said it has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy concerning the sexual exploitation of refugees in such camps.
Maybe it’s just “Emergency Sex.”
HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Christina Parreira worked in Nevada’s legal brothels in order to pursue her PhD. “I decided that I wanted to do it as an insider instead of just, you know, as an outsider.”
LA TIMES HAS TRUMP OVER HILLARY BY FIVE+ POINTS: It’s just one poll (hat tip Drudge), but October starts tomorrow. A lot of people (include me in this group) think Trump’s “presidential appearance” at this event (a month ago) changed voter perceptions.
ARCANE AND PROBLEMATIC: The taxonomy of porn.
In 2015, Stoya launched the porn site TrenchcoatX.com with fellow adult-film star Kayden Kross. The site’s first iteration sought to avoid traditional porn’s arcane and problematic search tags by forgoing them. “At first, when the site launched we put up descriptions of the movie, and each scene. There were no labels on any of it, which was nice and utopian,” Stoya explained.
But the seeming utopia ran into a challenge: How could users tailor the site’s content to their preferences, and (more crucial to the founders) how could the site enable customers to prevent content from popping up that they might find traumatizing?
It’s marvelous, the things we’re encouraged to worry about.
THE CLINTON DEFENSE IS REALLY A CROOKED INVESTIGATION: The House is considering legislation making the laws governing the mishandling of classified information more explicitly stringent. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) said military personnel accused of violating the Federal Records Act and the Espionage Act are trying to use “the Clinton defense” to escape prosecution. Basically the Clinton Defense is “I didn’t intend to mishandle classified information.” What it really is: a crooked investigation where the fix is in. FBI Director Jim Comey said he could not recommend Hillary be prosecuted for mishandling classified information because he couldn’t show “intent.” Comey’s excuse is utterly specious. He acknowledged Hillary’s mishandling of classified information was grossly negligent –and grossly negligent mishandling of classified information is already a crime. We can’t let Comey put a criminal in the White House.
DOCTORS: Breaking Bad News To Patients.
AT AMAZON, Clean up your yard for fall.
TWISTING TITLE IX: How did a 44-year-old law prohibiting sex discrimination in education become one of this decade’s greatest threats to student and faculty rights on campus? FIRE’s Robert Shibley explains in latest episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast.
UPDATE [From Glenn]: Here’s Shibley’s book.
TROLL LEVEL: SUPER GENIUS. So Brave: This University of Michigan Kid Selected ‘His Majesty’ as Personal Pronoun.
FASTER, PLEASE: ‘Artificial pancreas’ for type 1 diabetes wins FDA approval. It’s basically an insulin pump with a glucose sensor, which I’d say is only about 75% of an artificial pancreas. But still better than a pump that has to run on a timer or manual control.
SKYNET SMILES: Aggressive Quadrotors Conquer Gaps With Ultimate Autonomy.
PUNCHING BACK TWICE AS HARD: This University of Michigan Kid Selected ‘His Majesty’ as Personal Pronoun.
Nothing like illustrating absurdity by being absurd, to coin a phrase.
UPDATE: All hail His Majesty Grant Strobl.
HIT THE ROAD, HEADPHONE JACK: USB-IF Announces USB Audio Over USB Type-C Standard For Digital Audio.
Are you miffed that the latest iPhone doesn’t have a dedicated 1/8″ audio jack? Well, Apple likely won’t be alone, as other smartphone OEMs may be looking to ditch the venerable headphone jack in order to take advantage of audio over USB-C.
This week, the USB-IF (Implementers Forum) announced “USB Audio over USB Type-C”, and it’s touting it for much the same reasons that Apple does with its latest iPhone. USB-IF expects this standard to be used for headsets, mobile devices, docking stations, gaming setups, VR solutions, and more. Notebooks are not mentioned, but it seems certain they’ll all support USB-C in the near-future, which of course will be able to be used for audio.
We’re just a hardware refresh or two away from wondering what all the fuss was about.
21ST CENTURY HEADLINES: Colorado gives marijuana candy a new look to avoid confusion.
A requirement that edible marijuana products come with a diamond-shaped stamp and the letters T-H-C — not just on the packaging but on the brownies, candies and other edibles themselves — takes effect Saturday.
The rule referencing marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient was added after complaints that the treats look too much their non-intoxicating counterparts. It is the first such requirement in any legal weed state.
Colorado’s new “universal symbol” for foods that contain marijuana is designed to give the treats a distinct look even after they’re out of the packaging. In other words, a pot cookie being passed around a high school cafeteria no longer will look so innocent, giving parents a way to identify marijuana edibles without smelling or tasting them.
That seems like a prudent regulation.
I’M SKEPTICAL: Physicists have figured out how to create matter and antimatter using light. I think they’re saying that this method would draw energy from the vacuum, meaning that you could create antimatter without massive energy inputs. I’d love for this to be true, but until it can be reduced to engineering I’ll remain skeptical.
And on second thought, I’m not 100% sure that I’d love for it to be true. At least, a cheap way of producing antimatter in useful qualities would be much more dangerous and destabilizing than nuclear weapons, right?
SECURITY THEATER: Dallas TSA Agents Love To Seize Cash.
TOO BIG TO FAIL, OR TOO BIG NOT TO TAKE US ALL DOWN WITH THEM? Fines, Withdrawals, Job Cuts. It Was an Ugly Day for Global Banks.
LAYERS AND LAYERS OF FACT CHECKERS AND EDITORS: New York Times Editor Interviews His Hero Elvis Costello and Four Corrections Ensue.
Found via Kathy Shaidle, who adds, “Hot tip, ladies: If you ever meet a man who calls Elvis Costello his ‘hero,’ run screaming into the night…”
FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORMED: New York’s Carnegie Deli will close at end of 2016.
HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE, LEGAL EDUCATION EDITION: Kentucky Bar Passage Rates Crater: UK, Louisville Down 15%, 20% Since 2011.
So are the bar exams getting harder, or the graduates getting less-well-prepared? I suspect it’s mostly the former, but all I have is a suspicion.
WOW, NEVER SAW THIS ONE COMING: Wonder Woman Is Queer, According to Her Comic Book Writer.
Flashback: Holy Mobius Loop, Batman! Huffington Post Vindicates Fredric Wertham.