Facebook’s dramatic escalation makes more sense if the debate over the Australian code is a proxy war in a bigger global fight over how Facebook should be regulated. Facebook made clear that its message was meant for American ears when it gave its only interview about the threatened blockade to NBC News, declining all media requests in Australia. Globally, Facebook has avoided strong regulatory intrusion on its relationship with news publishers till now, partly by proactively striking deals with them to allay concerns about its market power, like the news tab it launched in the U.S. in 2019. But Facebook’s red line is now clear: Come for us like Australia is trying to do, and we’ll fight you.
That the code is not the main game here is of little comfort to Australians, who will bear the brunt of this escalation if Facebook does indeed ban news here. And there is every reason to think that it will. Australian officials have doubled down on the code in the wake of Facebook’s statement. For Facebook’s strong stance against the Australian proposal to resonate globally, it will need to follow through on its threat.
It’s strange to imagine what Facebook would look like if it banned news. On Nov. 3, Australians could log on to Facebook and not see a single news story about the Trump-Biden election. That’s not to say they wouldn’t be able to figure out the result (whenever the U.S. has one) from the content they see—individuals will still be able to post about the news without links, after all—but it won’t be the important facts researched, contextualized, and vetted by professional newsgathering outfits. Instead, it will be opinion and invective, memes, even misinformation and conspiracy. When Facebook is the primary lens through which many people access the internet, the impact on Australia’s information ecosystem starts to look pretty scary.
Friday, September 04, 2020
Curtains For Facebook?
This is how Facebook will begin to end. Do it!:
Cattle Marine
Lost at sea:
(CNN)A third man has been found floating in a life raft in the waters off Japan after a cargo ship with 43 people and almost 6,000 cows aboard went missing during Typhoon Maysak, according to the Japan Coast Guard.
...The area in the East China Sea was being battered by the powerful typhoon, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane with winds of at least 130 mph, at the time the ship went missing.
The 133.6-meter-long (438 foot) ship, crewed by 39 Filipinos, two New Zealanders and two Australians, was sailing from Napier, New Zealand, to Tangshan, China, according to the authorities in Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
The Panamanian-flagged ship left New Zealand on August 14 with a cargo of more than 5,800 cows, according to New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
A second storm in the region, Typhoon Haishen, is expected to strengthen to the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane by the end of the week. It's expected to threaten Kyushu on Sunday, and potentially affect the Korean Peninsula Monday.
Japan's meteorological agency is warning that the storm could be the third biggest to hit the country since records began almost 70 years ago.
A New Zealand animal rights group said the Gulf Livestock 1 incident illustrates why the export of live animals should not be permitted.
"These cows should never have been at sea. To make matters worse they're likely all pregnant," said Marianne Macdonald, campaigns manager for animal rights group SAFE NZ.
"This is a real crisis, and our thoughts are with the families of the 43 crew who are missing with the ship. But questions remain, including why this trade is allowed to continue," Macdonald said in a statement.
Take One For The Team
It started with a wink:
President Donald Trump urged Sarah Huckabee Sanders to “take one for the team” after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appeared to wink at her during a 2018 summit.
The former White House press secretary revealed the interaction in her forthcoming memoir, “Speaking for Myself,” which The Guardian obtained and reported on.
“Kim Jong-un hit on you!” Trump told his press secretary, according to the book. “He did! He f*cking hit on you!”
With Canada And Mexico Borders Closed, Americans Are Trapped In Their Own Health Care System
Trapped:
Only 1.5% of American adults who take prescription medications buy their drugs abroad, according to a June analysis by researchers at the University of Florida Gainesville, based on a 2015-2017 National Health Interview Survey.
But that's still an estimated 2.3 million people.
Many medicines and medical services are cheaper in neighboring Canada and Mexico, thanks to price controls and the power of the US dollar. The difference is great enough that US insurer PEHP, which covers Utah's state employees, offers partially paid trips to Vancouver and Tijuana "to help you save money on your prescriptions." In popular Mexican resort towns like Cabo San Lucas on the West Coast, or Tulum on the East Coast, pharmacies, doctors and dentists targeting US clientele dot the main drag, their prices on bright display. And the difference between those prices and the costs of the same drugs at US pharmacies can mean life or death.
No drug is a better-known example of that calculus than insulin, a vital hormone in the body's metabolism. Seven million American diabetics don't produce it naturally -- or not enough of it -- and need to inject it throughout the day. Without it, dangerous levels of glucose build up in the blood, damaging organs and producing a painful stupor. In a worst case scenario, lack of insulin can kill within three days.
Americans have been going to Canada for insulin since scientists learned how to produce it in labs at the University of Toronto in 1921.
The Circus Came To Roswell - And Still Hasn't Left
A new home:
Israel, 16, and Aldo, 20, members of Do Portugal, a 40-member traveling circus from central Mexico, are rehearsing on a recent weekday in the show’s purple and white striped tent on the grounds of the Eastern New Mexico State Fair. The circus has been marooned here since mid-March when coronavirus restrictions shut down New Mexico.
When that happened, a troupe not accustomed to staying in any one place for more than two weeks was faced with no place to go and the harrowing possibility of no place to be.
“Luckily, the state fair came to us and said we could stay here as long as we need to and use the fair’s electricity and water,” said circus manager Damian Portugal.
Leslie Robertson, assistant office manager for the fair, said that there was never any question about that.
“From (fair) board President Larry Hobson on down, the Eastern New Mexico State Fair is about community, family and children,” Robertson said. “There was no option. They had no place they could go. Now, the circus is part of the fair family.”
A Question Circulating Online
Why is murder an appropriate response to property damage, but property damage isn’t an appropriate response to murder?
The Indifferent Gourmet
I’m approaching 64 years, but living the bachelor life, I’ve never made an omelette. I thought today I’ll make an omelette. (I don’t know how to make an omelette, but that’s a minor detail. I’ve seen other people make omelettes, and maybe that’s enough.)Well, it’s a pretty bad omelette. I used too many vegetables and they’re too coarsely cut. Maybe needs salt. But it tastes pretty good, and that’s enough of a success.
Maybe I’ll tackle other projects....
Census Work
It's been an interesting month as a Census Enumerator. I'm getting better and better at it. I think being older helps - people accord me more respect. I'm losing weight too - six to eight pounds less now than the beginning of August. Lots of walking. Meeting people I would otherwise never meet.
One class of folks I’ve heard neighbors mention are those who, at the start of the Covid pandemic, picked up and left their homes for parts unknown. I see the empty houses and apartments and wonder. Where are they? What are they doing now? Will they ever come back? It’s as if they had an evacuation, but I didn’t get the memo.
When I first started, I expected to find two subsets of people among those who hadn't turned in their census information: 1.) Anti-gummint, don't-tread-on-me, rebel types waving Confederate flags, and 2.) Illegal aliens dodging ICE. Interestingly, at least in Sacramento, the first group seems nearly-absent. (I wonder what things are like in Yuba City?) There are some people here who refuse to participate in the Census, and seem cynically anti-government, but they seem to be as much anti-Trump as pro-Trump. And among Spanish-speakers, whatever their immigration status (about which we don't inquire), no one seems particularly-worried about disclosing information. (There are some Asians who DO seem worried, though.)
People seem quite a bit nicer than I expected. Even when pressed for time, people give me their full, polite attention. It's demanding walking around in the Sacramento heat, but I don't have to worry about peoples' bad attitudes too.
Covid-19 is out there: it's a fact of life. I've seen signs on several houses warning off visitors. The weirdest incident was when I knocked on a door in a luxury apartment complex. A shirtless African-American caretaker with cryptic tattoos on his arm and chest answered. I could see there was some kind of plastic curtain hanging just inside the door. He whispered a warning about the resident's fever. (I just wished he had worn a mask.) The Fallen Place was in there. Unnerving.
I get help from children. I was trying to get into a gated area. Even though her brother chastised her for talking to strangers, an 8-year-old girl directed me to a gate and warned me about slipping in the mud. She seemed very concerned that I do what I needed to do even though she had never seen or met me before. Sacramento's answer to Lisa Simpson!
I love the dogs! One doleful dustmop of a terrier was trying to keep people away from his master's door. Poor guy! I meet many trusting dogs trying to please as I enter their yards. I entered one compound that had a big gate with a 'beware of dog' sign. I expected a Baskerville hound. Instead, I surprised a small terrier and a bunch of puppies. I unnerved a powerful Rottweiler when I entered his yard this afternoon. Not even a bark from him. One Pitbull/Boxer cross dog was alone on a Saturday afternoon, and he just wanted some company. He was happy to see me. His water was low, so I gave him some of mine.
Knocked on one door. No one was home, but a voice spoke. The homeowner was in a distant city planning a funeral, but could observe me through a camera. Technology! She tried to interview, but it didn't work. On April 1st, she had had 14 people in her house, and there were just too many complicated names and birthdays to make the process efficient. She'll try to finish online.
If you haven't finished your Census work, do it now!
One class of folks I’ve heard neighbors mention are those who, at the start of the Covid pandemic, picked up and left their homes for parts unknown. I see the empty houses and apartments and wonder. Where are they? What are they doing now? Will they ever come back? It’s as if they had an evacuation, but I didn’t get the memo.
When I first started, I expected to find two subsets of people among those who hadn't turned in their census information: 1.) Anti-gummint, don't-tread-on-me, rebel types waving Confederate flags, and 2.) Illegal aliens dodging ICE. Interestingly, at least in Sacramento, the first group seems nearly-absent. (I wonder what things are like in Yuba City?) There are some people here who refuse to participate in the Census, and seem cynically anti-government, but they seem to be as much anti-Trump as pro-Trump. And among Spanish-speakers, whatever their immigration status (about which we don't inquire), no one seems particularly-worried about disclosing information. (There are some Asians who DO seem worried, though.)
People seem quite a bit nicer than I expected. Even when pressed for time, people give me their full, polite attention. It's demanding walking around in the Sacramento heat, but I don't have to worry about peoples' bad attitudes too.
Covid-19 is out there: it's a fact of life. I've seen signs on several houses warning off visitors. The weirdest incident was when I knocked on a door in a luxury apartment complex. A shirtless African-American caretaker with cryptic tattoos on his arm and chest answered. I could see there was some kind of plastic curtain hanging just inside the door. He whispered a warning about the resident's fever. (I just wished he had worn a mask.) The Fallen Place was in there. Unnerving.
I get help from children. I was trying to get into a gated area. Even though her brother chastised her for talking to strangers, an 8-year-old girl directed me to a gate and warned me about slipping in the mud. She seemed very concerned that I do what I needed to do even though she had never seen or met me before. Sacramento's answer to Lisa Simpson!
I love the dogs! One doleful dustmop of a terrier was trying to keep people away from his master's door. Poor guy! I meet many trusting dogs trying to please as I enter their yards. I entered one compound that had a big gate with a 'beware of dog' sign. I expected a Baskerville hound. Instead, I surprised a small terrier and a bunch of puppies. I unnerved a powerful Rottweiler when I entered his yard this afternoon. Not even a bark from him. One Pitbull/Boxer cross dog was alone on a Saturday afternoon, and he just wanted some company. He was happy to see me. His water was low, so I gave him some of mine.
Knocked on one door. No one was home, but a voice spoke. The homeowner was in a distant city planning a funeral, but could observe me through a camera. Technology! She tried to interview, but it didn't work. On April 1st, she had had 14 people in her house, and there were just too many complicated names and birthdays to make the process efficient. She'll try to finish online.
If you haven't finished your Census work, do it now!
Wednesday, September 02, 2020
Remembering Some Of The Interesting People I'm Meeting at My New Job 4
Wednesday September 9, 2020: Mostly Curtis Park.
Very friendly family in the apartments near Highway 99 and 2nd Ave. Tried to sledgehammer my way to killing off repeat cases on X Avenue, 28th St., and 2nd Avenue. Cambodian family. Tried to kill off 2333. Stopped for ice cream at Gunthers.
Tuesday September 8, 2020: Some Curtis Park and Cases Near Elk Grove.
Got haircut at Norm's this afternoon. Good to lose the shaggy look. Two interviews near Elk Grove - friendly people there, but a few neurotic people too. Surprised to find an AirBNB near where the Nelsons used to live. Hitting too many people who say they've submitted their census forms already online.
Monday September 7, 2020: Labor Day. Some Curtis Park and Cases Near Elk Grove.
Blundering around a new neighborhood, right near Elk Grove. One interview with Belizean family.
Sunday September 6, 2020: South Oak Park and Farther East
Too many houses in Oak Park have tall metal fences and impenetrable gates. Wasted too much time there. Young man on MLK Blvd., and a young family near Highway 99. Two interviews SE of Oak Park - mixed-race family, and a Spanish-speaking family..
Saturday September 5, 2020:
Friday September 4, 2020:
Thursday September 3, 2020: Two Clusters near Sacramento Executive Airport, and South MLK Blvd.
Cleared several hard-to-get apartments on 41st Avenue. Hard work, with some proxy work. Two guys at one apartment who didn't cooperate, and seemed very cynical. Another nice young family in another apartment.
Cleared a long-standing, hard-to-get house on MLK. Fellow had been very hard on other workers, but he opened up to me. Sweet! Still having trouble with other sites on south MLK, though. Time-consuming.
Met my supervisor mid-afternoon. He handed me supplies and told me cryptic news. His favorite worker on his team is a fellow named Eric. Apparently he's awesome. I need to be more like Eric. Supervisor urged me to use more proxies, which I use only sparingly (I think people need to be given the full opportunity to enter their own data.) Apparently some slow workers are being laid off, but I've made the cut to continue for awhile.
Interviewed two mostly-Spanish-speaking families. Solemn and a bit formal, but that seems to be my style, and theirs. I'm not supposed to use anyone younger than 15 as a translator, but a solemn 13-year-old girl did just fine.
Had to go home to charge phone. Lost momentum. Mystified by what may have been a group home.
Knocked on one door. No one was home, but a voice spoke. The homeowner was in a distant city planning a funeral, but could observe me through a camera. Technology! She tried to interview, but it didn't work. On April 1st, she had had 14 people in her house, and there just too many complicated names and birthdays to make the process efficient. She'll try to finish online.
Wednesday September 2, 2020: One Cluster near Sacramento Executive Airport, South MLK Blvd., and an Apartment Complex off 47th Ave. East of Highway 99
South City Farms, right under the glide path for landings at Sac Exec Airport. A descanso for Preston Smith: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article244330037.html
Had a very pleasant conversation with an elder in a family of nine. She'll fill out form online. Also, a very pleasant interview with a Mexican-American woman. Good start to the day.
Spoke with a man and his sister (?). They both spoke almost exclusively Spanish. He was digging out a sewer line. Really hard work. Long, formal Spanish names. Tried to get family relations right.
Afterwards, I entered a compound out back of the house that had a big gate with a 'beware of dog' sign. Expected a Baskerville hound - instead, surprised a small terrier and a bunch of puppies.
Went to a place east of Highway 99 and was surprised to find a fellow worker named Marco already there. We met previously a couple of weeks ago at the luxury apartments. He arrived first, and spoke better Spanish, so I let him take the lead here.
And people help. I was trying to get into a gated area, and even though her brother chastised her for talking to strangers, an 8-year-old girl directed me to a gate and warned me about slipping in the mud. Seemed very concerned that I do what I needed to do.
Later, headed to a former motel on 47th just east of Highway 99 that was just crammed with what seemed like single mothers and tons of kids. A toddler began to attach herself to me, and I swear she was trying to give me, clearly a stranger, some guidance. Crazy place! Upon leaving, looking at the arrangement of concrete tables and benches on the grass, I realized I had been here before, for a birthday party a decade ago.
Arrived too late at an apartment complex on 47th Avenue. Tried to cram in interviews. Twin Cambodian young women. A young family. The father worried about his son's privacy, so his son was described as 'Person 3' in the record. And apartment dweller was suspicious. Another tried to hide his flask, and seemed amiable. Another family hesitated to interview.
Not enough time to get it all done.
A lot of good interviews, though. I'm getting better at this!
Tuesday September 1, 2020: Two Clusters near Sacramento Executive Airport
A few interviews today. Several people with roots in Mexico, including one fellow who seemed eager for conversation. One house was labeled as Covid quarantine, and I didn't try to interview there. A Fijian whose last name is coincidentally the same as a Native American language. A woman eager to to do the census. Frustrated by the residents at an apartment complex. I greatly-enjoyed doing an interview for a couple whom previous enumerators had classified as just impossible. It was easy, actually.
Monday August 31, 2020: Two Clusters - Oak Park and Alder Grove
Two clusters, like a barbell: east and west. Started with the east one. Talked with a family up on X Street. Interviewed a mother and her kid, also on X Street. Struck by her accent - seems to be associated with people born around 1990. Used a police woman who specializes in building entry as a proxy for a vacant apartment.
The Alder Grove cluster was harder. Just a few interviews: a woman with two small children. At the end, a woman and her son - they are Miwok/Washoe. Tried to find a proxy for a group of in-movers, but they just seemed too young to care. A woman who lives in the Arden area saw me and asked me to interview her, because she's been missing the local enumerators, so I did. At the end of the day, I bought a snack from a local vendor, who seemed frightened of me. I wondered if he was a migrant with document issues.
Very friendly family in the apartments near Highway 99 and 2nd Ave. Tried to sledgehammer my way to killing off repeat cases on X Avenue, 28th St., and 2nd Avenue. Cambodian family. Tried to kill off 2333. Stopped for ice cream at Gunthers.
Tuesday September 8, 2020: Some Curtis Park and Cases Near Elk Grove.
Got haircut at Norm's this afternoon. Good to lose the shaggy look. Two interviews near Elk Grove - friendly people there, but a few neurotic people too. Surprised to find an AirBNB near where the Nelsons used to live. Hitting too many people who say they've submitted their census forms already online.
Monday September 7, 2020: Labor Day. Some Curtis Park and Cases Near Elk Grove.
Blundering around a new neighborhood, right near Elk Grove. One interview with Belizean family.
Sunday September 6, 2020: South Oak Park and Farther East
Too many houses in Oak Park have tall metal fences and impenetrable gates. Wasted too much time there. Young man on MLK Blvd., and a young family near Highway 99. Two interviews SE of Oak Park - mixed-race family, and a Spanish-speaking family..
Saturday September 5, 2020:
Friday September 4, 2020:
Thursday September 3, 2020: Two Clusters near Sacramento Executive Airport, and South MLK Blvd.
Cleared several hard-to-get apartments on 41st Avenue. Hard work, with some proxy work. Two guys at one apartment who didn't cooperate, and seemed very cynical. Another nice young family in another apartment.
Cleared a long-standing, hard-to-get house on MLK. Fellow had been very hard on other workers, but he opened up to me. Sweet! Still having trouble with other sites on south MLK, though. Time-consuming.
Met my supervisor mid-afternoon. He handed me supplies and told me cryptic news. His favorite worker on his team is a fellow named Eric. Apparently he's awesome. I need to be more like Eric. Supervisor urged me to use more proxies, which I use only sparingly (I think people need to be given the full opportunity to enter their own data.) Apparently some slow workers are being laid off, but I've made the cut to continue for awhile.
Interviewed two mostly-Spanish-speaking families. Solemn and a bit formal, but that seems to be my style, and theirs. I'm not supposed to use anyone younger than 15 as a translator, but a solemn 13-year-old girl did just fine.
Had to go home to charge phone. Lost momentum. Mystified by what may have been a group home.
Knocked on one door. No one was home, but a voice spoke. The homeowner was in a distant city planning a funeral, but could observe me through a camera. Technology! She tried to interview, but it didn't work. On April 1st, she had had 14 people in her house, and there just too many complicated names and birthdays to make the process efficient. She'll try to finish online.
Wednesday September 2, 2020: One Cluster near Sacramento Executive Airport, South MLK Blvd., and an Apartment Complex off 47th Ave. East of Highway 99
South City Farms, right under the glide path for landings at Sac Exec Airport. A descanso for Preston Smith: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article244330037.html
Had a very pleasant conversation with an elder in a family of nine. She'll fill out form online. Also, a very pleasant interview with a Mexican-American woman. Good start to the day.
Spoke with a man and his sister (?). They both spoke almost exclusively Spanish. He was digging out a sewer line. Really hard work. Long, formal Spanish names. Tried to get family relations right.
Afterwards, I entered a compound out back of the house that had a big gate with a 'beware of dog' sign. Expected a Baskerville hound - instead, surprised a small terrier and a bunch of puppies.
Went to a place east of Highway 99 and was surprised to find a fellow worker named Marco already there. We met previously a couple of weeks ago at the luxury apartments. He arrived first, and spoke better Spanish, so I let him take the lead here.
And people help. I was trying to get into a gated area, and even though her brother chastised her for talking to strangers, an 8-year-old girl directed me to a gate and warned me about slipping in the mud. Seemed very concerned that I do what I needed to do.
Later, headed to a former motel on 47th just east of Highway 99 that was just crammed with what seemed like single mothers and tons of kids. A toddler began to attach herself to me, and I swear she was trying to give me, clearly a stranger, some guidance. Crazy place! Upon leaving, looking at the arrangement of concrete tables and benches on the grass, I realized I had been here before, for a birthday party a decade ago.
Arrived too late at an apartment complex on 47th Avenue. Tried to cram in interviews. Twin Cambodian young women. A young family. The father worried about his son's privacy, so his son was described as 'Person 3' in the record. And apartment dweller was suspicious. Another tried to hide his flask, and seemed amiable. Another family hesitated to interview.
Not enough time to get it all done.
A lot of good interviews, though. I'm getting better at this!
Tuesday September 1, 2020: Two Clusters near Sacramento Executive Airport
A few interviews today. Several people with roots in Mexico, including one fellow who seemed eager for conversation. One house was labeled as Covid quarantine, and I didn't try to interview there. A Fijian whose last name is coincidentally the same as a Native American language. A woman eager to to do the census. Frustrated by the residents at an apartment complex. I greatly-enjoyed doing an interview for a couple whom previous enumerators had classified as just impossible. It was easy, actually.
Monday August 31, 2020: Two Clusters - Oak Park and Alder Grove
Two clusters, like a barbell: east and west. Started with the east one. Talked with a family up on X Street. Interviewed a mother and her kid, also on X Street. Struck by her accent - seems to be associated with people born around 1990. Used a police woman who specializes in building entry as a proxy for a vacant apartment.
The Alder Grove cluster was harder. Just a few interviews: a woman with two small children. At the end, a woman and her son - they are Miwok/Washoe. Tried to find a proxy for a group of in-movers, but they just seemed too young to care. A woman who lives in the Arden area saw me and asked me to interview her, because she's been missing the local enumerators, so I did. At the end of the day, I bought a snack from a local vendor, who seemed frightened of me. I wondered if he was a migrant with document issues.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)