Christianity, Culture, Vocation
It’s illegal to buy a car direct from the factory or over the internet. You have to go through a local dealer. The electric car company Tesla is trying to change that. But state and local governments are resisting. That, arguably, goes against the free market and against the trends of the new technology. But do we really want online commerce to kill off small businesses that are the backbone of many small town economies? [Read more...]
The “morning after” pill, designed to induce abortion immediately after sex, will now be available without a prescription to any female 15 and over. This, my friends, is bigger than Roe v. Wade. [Read more...]
Patheos, which hosts this blog, is going to be making some major upgrades, including moving to a higher-end server, that should decrease load times, eliminate spam, prevent a host of problems, and make possible new features. One new feature that will be added before moving to the new server is the Disqus system for comments.
Comments will stream as they are made. You can go back and forth to and from different discussions. You can follow different commenters whose thoughts especially interest you. If I’m understanding it aright, you can follow and take part in related discussions that bridge different blogs. Here is a description of the few features, some of which I don’t fully understand: For Websites – DISQUS. [Read more...]
As a follow-up to our ZeroTV discussion, I present to your information about Aereo, a website that will stream live television broadcasts that it picks up over the free airwaves. Broadcasters and Cable moguls alike are trying to stop this venture in the courts, but so far to no avail.
I have questions for both sides of the controversy: (1) How are broadcasters harmed if a website shows their over-the-air programming as opposed to that programming being shown on a television set? (2) What is the advantage of watching live broadcasts on a computer screen as opposed to watching it over a television screen? (3) Television stations are howling that their content is being “stolen.” But how can it be stolen if the stations are giving it away for free? (4) Why would viewers pay $10 per month for Aereo when they can get the same programming on a bigger screen for free? [Read more...]
The U.S economy is still in the doldrums. But former general and CIA director David Petraeus and Brookings scholar Michael O’Hanlon see the possibilities of a new economic boom on the horizon. IF the government doesn’t mess it up. [Read more...]
The television industry is worried about a growing new category called “Zero TVers.” Not to be confused with people who don’t watch TV at all, these viewers will watch programming. But not what’s broadcast or cabled onto a TV set. They watch on their computers or, instead of on huge HDTV screens, on their cellphones. Or they might have an HDTV monitor, but are content to watch old programming they rent via Netflix. Does this describe you? [Read more...]
Did you know that you don’t own your DNA? Different companies hold the patent to about 41% of your genes. That means whenever those DNA strands are tested by a doctor, the company collects a royalty. Later this month, the Supreme Court will hear a case that will potentially rule on whether human DNA can be patented. [Read more...]
I have learned a new word, though I’m quite familiar with the reality. From BBC News – Why your inbox fills with bacn instead of spam:
Bacn is becoming what spam once was – the nuisance that fills up your inbox and makes it hard to pick out the important messages you have to read and which require a reply.
Bacn is all those reminders, newsletters, notifications, limited offers, alerts and other ephemera sent by websites, e-tailers and other services you have used ever since you made your first mouse clicks on the web. [Read more...]
The military has instituted a new medal, the Distinguished Warfare Medal, to honor great deeds performed by those who operate drones and other high-tech military systems operated from afar (such as, presumably, cyberwarfare). The problem is that in the hierarchy of medals, the Distinguished Warfare Medal outranks the Bronze Star (which is given for valor in combat) and the Purple Heart (which is given for getting wounded). The new medal has sparked outrage and ridicule from troops on the ground who have to face getting shot at, as well as veterans who had to put their lives on the line, unlike drone warriors. As a result of the uproar, military brass are reviewing the ranking. [Read more...]
A private space venture is seeking a married couple to take a 501-day space flight, a fly-by to Mars and back. The couple should be past child-bearing age–since radiation levels could pose a problem to the reproductive system–and be able to function and get along in a living space half the size of an RV for more than 16 months. The planners are looking for a married couple because of the need for strong compatibility and intimate emotional support during that 16 months flying through the void.
Any volunteers? [Read more...]
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