Links for 1/5/09
- From the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/03/AR2009010301993_pf.html
The Maryland State Police surveillance of advocacy groups was far more extensive than previously acknowledged, with records showing that troopers monitored — and labeled as terrorists — activists devoted to such wide-ranging causes as promoting human rights and establishing bike lanes.
and…
One of the possible “crimes” in the file police opened on Amnesty International, a world-renowned human rights group: “civil rights.”
From now on, when people ask me why I’m a member of the ACLU, I’m just going to forward them this article. Even putting aside arguments over the legitimacy of the police infiltrating peaceful activist groups, the amount of time and money wasted on “security” in this country is astounding.
- From the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/world/europe/27house.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
The concept of the passive house, pioneered in this city of 140,000 outside Frankfurt, approaches the challenge from a different angle. Using ultrathick insulation and complex doors and windows, the architect engineers a home encased in an airtight shell, so that barely any heat escapes and barely any cold seeps in. That means a passive house can be warmed not only by the sun, but also by the heat from appliances and even from occupants’ bodies.
I really want one of these houses. Our last house had no real heat or air conditioning, which I liked, but it was far from perfect. The idea of capturing warm or cool air in a house as needed seems so natural that it’s hard to understand why we haven’t been doing it for centuries.
- From the Wall Street Journal Online: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123111279694652423.html
President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are crafting a plan to offer about $300 billion of tax cuts to individuals and businesses, a move aimed at attracting Republican support for an economic-stimulus package and prodding companies to create jobs.
Wait, did Democrats just propose the largest 2-year tax cut in history?
I’ll be honest and say I don’t know enough about economics to intelligently assess this, so I’m going to have to wait for commentary before making up my mind. However, I do know that tax rebates (which are part of the proposed cuts) failed to stimulate the economy, so it’s not clear to me how this one is supposed to help.
On the other hand, I may be the only person in the world who would advocate for a spending cut and a tax increase.
- And finally, a new blog called Decabled: http://decabled.com/2009/01/04/why-decabled/
our goal is simply to show that you can consume media with more choice and at your leisure in an easily scalable manner, making it so you naturally partake in a wider field of entertainment and activity than you would with the cable connected. Maybe some of this time is playing Wii Fit, maybe some of it is enjoying interactive experiences online, but hopefully it gives you more time to create something of your own or just go enjoy the world outside.
Blow up your cable boxes! You don’t need them anymore.
