Blogger since 2002, political activist since 2003, geek since birth. Opinions informed by mixed-race, multi-ethnic, cis-female condition, further shaped by kind friends of all persuasions. Sci-tech frenemy, wannabe artist, decent cook, determined author, successful troublemaker. Mother of invention and two excessively smart-assed young adult kids. Attended School of Hard Knocks; Rather Unfortunate Smallish Private Business School in Midwest; Affordable Mid-State Community College w/evening classes. Self-employed at Tiny Consulting Business; previously at Large-ish Chemical Company with HQ in Midwest in multiple marginalizing corporate drone roles, and at Rather Big IT Service Provider as a project manager, preceded by a motley assortment of gigs before the gig economy was a thing. Blogging experience includes a personal blog at the original blogs.salon.com, managing editor for a state-based news site, and a stint at Firedoglake before landing here at emptywheel as technology’s less-virginal-but-still-accursed Cassandra.
It’s your second morning-after this week, this one launching the countdown on Christian calendars to Easter. I’m a lapsed Catholic, but we do observe Lent in my household. My agnostic son resists, but I’ve explained this is an opportunity to be mindful about others’ experience of going without. We are privileged to choose to give […]
Mardi Gras. The day before Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday. In Brazil, it’s Carnival — plenty of parades with costumed dancers and samba. In New Orleans, it means king cake, beads, and more parades, but here in Michigan, it means pączki. No parades in the snow, just an icy trek to the Polish bakery for some […]
Most of the time, I’m here in Michigan and I’m taking out the garbage every Monday. — Bob Seger Morning-after blues now set in, feeling the weight of too much beer and cheese, doing the Walk of Shame, reeking of regret. Gotta’ love American excess in all things, including sports. Take out last night’s garbage, […]
If humans could see the full spectrum of radiation, the San Francisco Bay Area shines bright like the sun this evening — not from lighting, but from communications. The Super Bowl concentrates more than 100,000 people, most of whom will have a wireless communications device on their person — cellphone, phablet, or tablet. There are numerous networks conveying […]
I got nasty habits; I take tea at three. — Mick Jagger Hah. Just be careful what water you use to make that tea, Mick. Could be an entirely different realm of nasty. Late start here, too much to read this morning. I’ll keep updating this as I write. Start your day off, though, by […]
You know the joke: 4:30 p.m. is better than an hour away from 5:00 p.m., right? Thursday is better than a week away from the weekend. For folks traveling home for the Lunar New Year holiday in China, there are four days left to get home, and the train stations are crazy-full. But today is […]
Whoa. Halt. Stop. The brakes need firm application, even mid-week. Zika virus infects media with crappy reporting I can’t tell you how many times in the last 24 hours I yelled at my computer, “Are you f****** kidding me with this crap?” With so many news outlets focused on hot takes rather than getting the […]
Okay, campers, rise and shine! It’s Groundhog Day! Like that genius film Groundhog Day we are stuck in an unending, repeating hell — like the dark circus that is our general election cycle in the U.S. The lesson: it’s hell by choice. Let’s choose better. What’ll we choose today? BPS, replacement for plastic additive BPA, […]
This morning will not launch without coffee. I don’t care how you deliver it, just bring it or nothing will start and finish today without it. Need more of it than usual given the wacky stuff I’ve been reading into the wee hours over the weekend — like this stuff: Former DHS Secretary now University […]
Sun Tzu said, “There are five occasions when victory can be foretold: When the general knows the time to fight and when not to fight…” Fridays are lousy times for fights, eh? Unless it’s just for fun. Speaking of fun… Oil crash wreaking havoc with MIC Huh. Who could have guessed when buyers of defense […]