6 chapters across the catalog
The "Herman Cain Awards" subreddit and websites like SorryAntiVaxxer.com have gained notoriety for mocking individuals who spoke against mandates and later died of COVID-19. The death of Orange County Republican Kelly Ernby sparked a debate in the Los Angeles Times about whether such mockery is "ghoulish" or a "necessary" tool for public health messaging.
Paul Krugman on the Technological Productivity Gap
New York Times economist Paul Krugman published a column titled "The Big Meh," arguing that despite the hype surrounding iPhones and the Internet of Things, technological advances have not significantly boosted the U.S. economy. Krugman asserts that economic growth has reverted to the sluggish trends seen in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Fifth Estate Movie and Global Surveillance News
The hosts round up several news items, including the upcoming premiere of the Julian Assange biopic "The Fifth Estate." They discuss Glenn Greenwald's collaboration with Jeremy Scahill on U.S. assassination programs and a New York Times report by Laura Poitras on NSA social connection mapping. Additionally, they note the Amsterdam Internet Exchange's plan to establish direct lines to the U.S. East Coast.
Google is reportedly confirmed to bring gigabit fiber internet service to Austin, Texas, competing with established providers like Time Warner. The service is expected to cost approximately $70 per month for internet or $120 for a bundle including television and a tablet. Concerns are raised regarding the level of data control Google maintains over its subscribers through these infrastructure projects.
ICANN has officially taken over the maintenance of the Time Zone Database, which is used by Unix, Linux, Mac OS, and various programming languages to coordinate time across geographic regions. The hosts note that ICANN now effectively "owns time" on the internet, further consolidating its control over global digital infrastructure.
Old Time Radio and Copy-Paste Internet Culture
The hosts recommend "Old Time Radio" (OTR) collections available on Mevio as a superior form of entertainment compared to modern "copy-paste" internet culture. They lament how the internet has become a "game of telephone" where dubious articles are endlessly propagated through blogs without original sourcing. This trend is described as a failure of responsibility in the digital publishing age.
