F.T.C. Settles Privacy Issue at Facebook →
Accusing Facebook of engaging in "unfair and deceptive" practices, the federal government on Tuesday announced a broad settlement that requires the company to respect the privacy wishes of its users and subjects it to regular privacy audits for the next 20 years.
First Google, now Facebook. Guess Microsoft was really ahead of the curve on the whole 'judicial oversight' thing.
The symbol on every Apple command key to this day — a stylized castle seen from above — was commonly used in Swedish campgrounds to denote an interesting sightseeing destination.
— The Sketchbook of Susan Kare, the Artist Who Gave Computing a Human Face
Oskar the Blind Kitten vs Hair Dryer - Epic Cat Battle (via Youtube)
So cute.
Water Utility Hackers Destroy Pump, Expert Says →
Joe Weiss, a managing partner for Applied Control Solutions, cited an official government report from the state where the regional water district was located. It was dated November 10, two days after the hack was discovered. The document indicates that the utility had been experiencing unexplained problems with its computerized system in the weeks leading up to the breach.
The researcher is concerned:
What the hell is going on with DHS? Why aren't people being notified?
DHS is apparently not:
At this time there is no credible corroborated data that indicates a risk to critical infrastructure entities or a threat to public safety.
Other than the "official government report" stating that the water utility was experiencing "unexplained problems," of course.
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope everyone took the day to reflect on how much we're all blessed with every day.
We want to stay here to prove to the regents and state that we are part of this movement and that we want our tuition to go back to what it used to be, which essentially should be free.
— Oscar Varela, 21, a fifth-year economics major who helped organize Tuesday's Occupy Cal demonstrations (via The Associated Press).
An economics major should surely know that tuition can't be free. Why do people (particularly in the UC system) think that education is a right and that a university is really anything other than a business? A generally philanthropic business, yes, but a business nonetheless.
Reminds me of something, I just can't think of what right now...
Liam Neeson simultaneously nails and botches improv with Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Warwick Davis on "Life's Too Short"
The Keyframe Bias →
The keyframe bias is rooted in the way our memory works. To cram more information into the canteloupe-sized piece of flesh between our ears, we spawn formulas and look for exceptions, discarding the predictable and retaining the keyframes.
It's easier to transmit and evaluate frozen moments than impart direct experiences, and our ability to look for keyframes and write off the rest is also how we refine the patterns in our head, how we learn and grow. At the same time, these processes can also lead us further from the truth, developing us in a way that ultimately inhibits growth. We must realize that the keyframes are merely slivers of our total experience, that the fullness of life happens between the frames.
"The fullness of life happens between the frames." What a great line, what a great analogy, and such a good truth. Memories are not sufficient to recreate experiences and feelings.