Monthly Archives: June 2013

Anyone Who Thinks Massive Surveillance Won’t Be Misused Is Ignorant of History

Posted on June 27, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Seriously, we haven’t figured out to make people better or more principled, and since, in the last decade, we have legalized torture, how could one possibly think that we have appropriate safeguards in place to prevent misuse of surveillance data … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Liberties, Civility Trolls | 1 Comment

Links 6/26/13

Posted on June 26, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: NIH is not spelled “NSF” Forget Gene Patents. Co-founder of 23andMe Patents Personalized Genomics Harry Reid vs. Sequestration: The Majority Leader’s Campaign To Save The NIH (good for him, but it’s too late for some scientists) … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 6/26/13

How Congress Screwed Up the Voting Rights Act Renewal

Posted on June 26, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Regarding the recent Supreme Court decision that, in essence, allows states to pass laws that will make it difficult for minorities, the poor, the elderly, and students to vote (and who just happen to vote Democratic. Coincidence no doubt), a … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Liberties, Democrats, Fucking Morons, Voting | 1 Comment

Did I Miss the Discussion About Constant Surveillance?

Posted on June 26, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

So I’m continuing to dig out from grant writing, and I see that NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly had some interesting things to say about the NSA revelations: Police Commissioner Ray Kelly launched a stinging rebuke to the federal government’s … Continue reading →

Posted in CIA Spy Shit, Civil Liberties | 2 Comments

Links 6/25/13

Posted on June 25, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: A Bee Eating Another Bee? US lawmakers seek deep cuts to NASA climate research Scientists Create Long-Lasting Batteries from Wood Trapped in an Underwater Air Bubble for Three Days: Harrison Okene’s shipwreck survival wasn’t a miracle. … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | 1 Comment

Knocking Down Pre-Clearence in the Voting Rights Act: Underneath It All, It’s Just Cynical Racism

Posted on June 25, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

If you haven’t heard by now, the Supreme Court in a 5 to 4 vote essentially gutted the Voting Rights Act’s ability to ‘preclear’ voting changes in certain areas that have a history of racial discrimination. In practice what this … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Liberties, Conservatives, Voting, We're Really Fucked | 5 Comments

Vote Markey

Posted on June 25, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

(Lobby of the Boston Public Library, Copley Square) If you’re in Massachusetts, there’s another election today, this one for U.S. Senate. For what it’s worth (probably only my vote), the Mad Biologist endorses Ed Markey, the Democrat, for Senate. Markey … Continue reading →

Posted in Massachusetts, Voting | Comments Off on Vote Markey

Links 6/24/13

Posted on June 24, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Preference for and Discrimination of Paintings by Mice Why the Ethanol Boom Means More E. Coli Burgers Compost Program Could Bring Dangerous Fungus into NYC Homes Academia doesn’t have a PhD problem, it has an attitude … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 6/24/13

The Long and Short of It

Posted on June 24, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Observed on the Boston Common: Friends are good to have…

Posted in Boston, Dogs | Comments Off on The Long and Short of It

When the Boston Globe Merged With the New York Times…

Posted on June 24, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

…I thought the Globe would still be a local paper. And what that means for local news. As I come out of my grant writing burrow (and its post-grant writing ‘do everything you didn’t do’ annex), there’s a bunch of … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston, News Media | 1 Comment