Bill Cheng's Blog, page 21
September 11, 2014
What Obama Didn’t Say
Philip Gourevitch examines Obama’s speech on ISIS:
“He said that he’d consulted with Congress about taking the war to ISIS, but he did not say what that meant. He allowed that it’s always better to have congressional support, but he did not say that he would defer at any formal level to congressional approval or authorization (which may be fine with Congress).”
Photograph by Saul Loeb/Bloomberg/Getty
tamorapierce:
kate-wisehart:
fandoms-bands-and-ink:
give-a-fuc...
Another “unknown” victim of the pharmaceutical industries; the horseshoe crab. The horseshoe crab is used to anyone who has received an injectable medication. An extract of the horseshoe crab’s blood is used by the pharmaceutical and medical device industries to ensure that their products, e.g., intravenous drugs, vaccines, and medical devices, are free of bacterial contamination.
amielle, is this true????
This is to be true. However, if you read the link the companies (and there are only five of them licensed to do this, and it is EXTREMELY regulated) that bleed crabs take every precaution to not be assholes about it — they don’t use injured or weak crabs so they don’t risk hurting or killing them, they take the bare minimum (like donating a pint at the blood bank) and they return the crabs far enough away from the site they were harvested at so they don’t risk getting re-caught for bleeding.
Thaaats right. The crabs are returned to the open ocean. In the meantime, researchers are attempting to produce the necessary element to the blood without having to bleed the crabs.
Is it ideal? Not really. Crabs can’t talk to us and give consent to donate their blood, and it’s probably really scary and a bit painful. That’s why we’re working on finding a way to take the crabs out of the equation entirely.
Why is their blood so necessary? Because an ingredient in it is a superclotter that works around contaminants.
The FDA requires testing with that ingredient - LAL - because it’s the safest and most effective way to ensure that your medicines and medical devices (pacemakers, implants, stints, prosthetics) are clean and safe for human use.
There is no other safe means of determining that that are as effective. If you want possibly not-sterile pacemakers, then by all means, quit bleeding the crabs.
Personally, I’m just going to lobby for more science funding so we can get that synthetic LAL as soon as possible.
talk about being on the horn of a dilemma.
These are among the oldest animals on the face of the earth, if they aren’t the oldest. It makes me a little queasy to know they’re being kidnapped and milked and dumped someplace that’s not their home.
andrewismusic:
thehpalliance:
If you use YouTube, you need to...
If you use YouTube, you need to know this.
You’ve heard all these rumblings about Net Neutrality over the past several months. Let’s get real: this is about controlling online video. It is estimated that by 2017, video content will account for 80-90% of all global Internet traffic.
This isn’t just about not being able to binge-watch a series on Netflix. It’s about the future of online video as we know it.
Whether your YouTube channel is home to daily vlogs, short films, or just that one video from when the cinnamon challenge seemed like a good idea, you’re a video creator. Your content and comments help shape this community. Let’s keep it that way.
Net Neutrality means that your YouTube videos reach people at the same speed as clips from last night’s episode of the Tonight Show. It means a level playing field for video creators looking to reach an audience. But new Net Neutrality rules could mess that up.
Here’s the deal: Telecommunications companies already charge us to access the Internet through our homes and our phones. New FCC rules could allow them to also charge content providers (like YouTube, Netflix, and even PBS) for access to our eyeballs. It could create a fast lane for Jimmy Fallon’s clips, and slow lane for your YouTube videos.
It is really important that the FCC understands that online video creators care about Net Neutrality. Even if you’ve only ever uploaded ONE VIDEO, you are a creator and you have a voice.
If you can, please add your channel to our petition. We’ll deliver this to the FCC in September and demonstrate that the online video community cares about this issue.
Sign the petition, then spread the word.
yo - sign it
September 10, 2014
September 9, 2014
September 8, 2014
scottcheshire:
Phil Klay was nice enough to talk with me, at...
Phil Klay was nice enough to talk with me, at The Rumpus
Rumpus: Do you see yourself in a conversation with that American canon? Or in argument with them?
Cheshire: Well, when I first read people like Robinson or O’Connor they scared me, but in a good way. In a completely overwhelming way. Because they were using my own tools against me…
http://therumpus.net/2014/09/the-rumpus-interview-with-scott-cheshire/
September 7, 2014
scottcheshire:
From the Franklin Park Reading Series:
Kicking...
From the Franklin Park Reading Series:
Kicking off the fall season with fresh fiction from fav alums JUSTIN TAYLOR and MARIE-HELENE BERTINO and exciting debut authors SCOTT CHESHIRE, DOLAN MORGAN, and JENNIFER MARIE BRISSETT!
To celebrate our season opener, we’ll have deluxe raffle prizes and a $4 draft drink special. Admission, as always, is FREE!
FRANKLIN PARK READING SERIES: Fall Kick OFF!
September 8, 8-10pm
Franklin Park
618 St. Johns Park Place Cafe
Between Classon and Franklin Avenues
Crown Heights, Brooklyn
718-230-0293
Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Franklin Avenue
www.franklinparkbrooklyn.com
FREE
Huge thanks to our podcast partner, Late Night Library, for recording our events. Learn more at www.latenightlibrary.org.
