Tag Archives: however

Robots Love Gossip and Conspiracy Theories Too

by Lenard6121 Posted on October 12, 2016

Mother Jones

First it was the failure of robot vacuums. Then Tesla’s autopilot slammed into a truck in broad daylight. Now boosters of AI have to deal with another fiasco. The Washington Post reports that Facebook’s shiny new algorithm for selecting trending topics is severely broken:

As part of a larger audit of Facebook’s Trending topics, the Intersect logged every news story that trended across four accounts during the workdays from Aug. 31 to Sept. 22. During that time, we uncovered five trending stories that were indisputably fake and three that were profoundly inaccurate. On top of that, we found that news releases, blog posts from sites such as Medium and links to online stores such as iTunes regularly trended.

“I’m not at all surprised how many fake stories have trended,” one former member of the team that used to oversee Trending told the Post. “It was beyond predictable by anyone who spent time with the actual functionality of the product, not just the code.”

That’s pretty embarrassing. However, I did a little back-of-the-envelope calculation, and at this rate I figure that Facebook’s algorithm won’t catch up with Donald Trump until 2038. Say what you will about Moore’s law and neural nets and all that, but humans are just fundamentally better at bullshit and lies than computers.

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Robots Love Gossip and Conspiracy Theories Too

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The Most Environmentally Friendly Ways to Dispose of Dog Poo

by UCNMatthia Posted on September 24, 2016

If youre a dog parent, you know that cleaning up after your pup is a must. The big question, though, is how to dispose of your dogs poop. At first, it might sound like a no-brainer. Since poop is completely natural and biodegradable, you probably assume that throwing it in the garbage (usually wrapped in a biodegradable doggie bag) is no big deal. Unfortunately, thats not actually the case. Read on to discover why this tactic isnt great for the environment, and what you should do instead.

The Problem with Biodegrading

The truth is, even completely compostable items do not biodegrade when they are placed in landfills, as theres no oxygen present to kickstart the process. So, neither your dogs droppings nor the biodegradable doggie bag are going to break down completely if theyre relegated to the garbage.

Another issuewhen poop breaks down (if it gets the chance to do so at all), it releases methane gas. This is precisely why (well, one reason why) factory farms are such a huge burden for the environment.

What About Flushing?

The EPA, on the other hand, recommends flushing your dogs poo down the toilet. However, this comes with some pretty big problems, too. Water isnt exactly an expendable resource, and with water waste being a huge problem, most of us dont want to waste the 1.6 gallons of water we use every time we flush the toilet.

Additionally, many states here in the U.S. (especially California) are currently in a state of drought. Water conservation is an important practice, and flushing the toilet every time your dog poops is hardly environmentally friendly.

What You Should Do Instead

If you have a small dog and can conceptually use the toilet to dispose of his or her droppings, Grist recommends doing to in one swoop. Wait until youve used the toilet yourself, close the lid, head out to the yard to gather some waste, and flush it all together (provided there isnt way too much stuff in the toilet!).

Another option is to set up a pet waste digester. The Bark recommends punching holes in an old garbage can, cutting off the bottom and positioning it in your yard away from areas where you generally spend time (so as to eliminate the presence of unpleasant smells). Add a septic starter and a little water to the concoction, and throw doggie do in as needed. The holes poked into the bin will allow oxygen to degrade the matter, and eventually, itll provide a nice layer of compost for the yard area around it. Just make sure not to use this compost in your veggie garden!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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The Most Environmentally Friendly Ways to Dispose of Dog Poo

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Friday Cat Blogging – 26 August 2016

by cgzgrady03 Posted on August 26, 2016

Mother Jones

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What kind of cat is Hilbert? Here is this week’s peek into his personality.

On Tuesday Marian made a tuna sandwich for lunch. That means tuna juice too, so she squeezed out the tuna juice into two saucers and put them out. Hopper came bounding over immediately and started lapping up the juice. Hilbert was slower off the mark, but eventually he figured out what was going on and shambled over.

But when he got to the saucers, he didn’t head to the unoccupied one. He went around the long way and stuck his snout into Hopper’s saucer and pushed her away. She shrugged, and headed over to the other saucer, which she lapped up. She had been almost done with the first one anyway.

So there you have it. Hilbert is more interested in taking away Hopper’s tuna juice than in actually having any tuna juice of his own. However, he also has a brain the size of a peanut and is unable to effectively carry out his nefarious intentions. In the end, Hopper got all the tuna juice.

In other words, he is not a cat we’d want to elect as president. But as a king? Sure. So here is his majesty up on the balcony, surveying his vast domains. I’m not sure what he’s looking at. Probably a crow walking across the skylight.

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Friday Cat Blogging – 26 August 2016

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It’s Still World Cat Day

by AbdulTihtsobwxb Posted on August 8, 2016

Mother Jones

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I’m heading out to lunch, but before I do let’s continue with our bathtub theme for World Cat Day. Whenever Marian or I get up in the night to use the bathroom, Hopper zips in a few seconds later and immediately jumps into the bathtub. I’ve never figured out why. There’s nothing in the bathtub for her to play with, but that’s where she likes to be. However, she only likes it when one of us is in there doing our business. The rest of the time she shows no interest at all.

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It’s Still World Cat Day

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What Camping Gear Can You Buy Used, and What Needs to Be New?

by QuintonZhp Posted on August 1, 2016

Camping can be expensive — especially camping comfortably. What can you buy used to save a little money and keep stuff out of the landfill? What should you absolutely buy new? Here’s a rundown of gear that falls into each category.

Buy These Used

Cookware – Pots, pans, plates, bowls, cups and eating utensils all make sense to buy used, as long as they’re not charred or so beat-up that they won’t cook evenly. Cast iron is especially good to buy used, because it lasts forever (and it’s much cheaper used). If you find an old and rusty cast iron, you can bring it back to life with these instructions.
Cookstove – As long as the used cookstove works and operates safely, it’s fine to buy used. If you’re not backpacking and need something like a Coleman stove, you can get a used one inexpensively. It’s not too difficult to repair if needed, either.
Backpack – Backpacks can be expensive, and buying a used one could save you a lot of money. However, a backpack really needs to fit your own back, so don’t buy a used pack without trying it on first. Also, examine zippers, the frame, and the belt if there is one. If the zipper is rusted or the pull doesn’t work, you should probably skip it. Repairing a broken zipper can be expensive in and of itself. If the frame is bent, the pack won’t fit you properly, so pass on that as well.
Flashlights, Tables, Stools – As long as this equipment is in good working order, buy it used and save some money!

Buy These New

Sleeping bag – Most folks might feel comfortable buying a used sleeping bag. But I have friends who did that right before a big trek, only to discover when it was too late that the bag was full of bed bugs. I prefer to buy a new bag if I need one, even if it’s expensive.
Jacket and Hats– I prefer to buy a new jacket and hats rather than used primarily for hygiene reasons. If I need a new jacket and don’t have the money for full price, I shop at outlet stores or wait until end-of-season sales.
Water Bottle – This might be a personal preference, but I prefer a new water bottle over a used one.They’re generally inexpensive new, but if you want to buy used one,make sure to thoroughly clean it first.

Possibly BuyThese Used

Tent – If you’re considering buying a used tent, check to make sure it has no holes, has a rainfly, and has all the stakes, ties, and other pieces it needs to provide adequate protection against the elements. The reason I put it in the “possible” column is because tents can get very mildewy if they’re not dried out properly in between uses. Before you buy a used tent, give it the sniff test. If you pick up a whiff of mildew, don’t buy it. Once mildew gets into a tent, it’s very hard if not impossible to get it out.
Camelbak – A Camelbak is a backpack that contains a “reservoir” with a long straw so that it’s easy to drink water as you hike or bike. It’s fine to buy the backpack used. But the reservoirs can get mildewed if they’re not kept clean. If you come across a used Camelbak you like, still replace the reservoir.

To find used gear, check out Craigslist, eBay or any of these online used equipment sites recommended by GearGuy.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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What Camping Gear Can You Buy Used, and What Needs to Be New?

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The Seattle Minimum Wage Experiment: Mixed Results So Far

by DamianPinner892 Posted on July 29, 2016

Mother Jones

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I’ve mentioned before—only half jokingly—that I’m happy to see other people experiment with a $15 minimum wage. It’s the best of all worlds: it provides us with test beds to see what happens, but if it’s a disaster it won’t affect me personally.

Seattle was one of the first to do this, and as a first step they raised their minimum wage to $11 about 18 months ago. It’s probably still too early to draw any sweeping conclusions about what happened, but we do have some preliminary results from the Seattle Minimum Wage Study Team at the University of Washington. Their basic methodology is to compare Seattle with surrounding regions (plus a composite “Synthetic Seattle”) to see how it compares. So what have they found so far?

Wages up. For starters, they spend a surprising number of pages confirming that, yes, wages went up. Apparently Seattle employers are complying with the law. However, the Seattle economy has been booming recently, so it’s hard to know how much of the increase is due to the minimum wage law and how much would have happened anyway thanks to the tight job market. They conclude that the law was responsible for an average hourly increase of 73 cents among workers who were previously making less than $11.
No impact on availability of jobs. But what about jobs? Did the number of low-wage jobs go down? Yes it did—but less than in areas that didn’t increase their minimum wage: “The half-percentage-point reduction in persistent jobs at these businesses between mid-2014 and late-2015 is actually a positive development, as these businesses contracted more slowly than usual in the historical record. We find the exact same pattern in Synthetic Seattle, suggesting that the minimum wage had little or no net impact on the number of persistent jobs.”
Hours worked decreased. How about hours worked? Did low-wage employers reduce their hours? Yes: “We estimate that hours per employee declined between 7.5 and 9.9 over a quarter, or 35-40 minutes per week.”
Employment decreased. How about employment of low-wage workers? Unsurprisingly, it went down: “While these low-wage workers increased their likelihood of being employed relative to prior years, this increase was less than in comparison regions. We estimate that the impact of the Ordinance was a 1.1 percentage point decrease in likelihood of low-wage Seattle workers remaining employed.”
No effect on business closures. Did more establishments go out of business? Not really. It was a wash: “For single-location establishments that paid more than 40% of the workers less than $15 per hour at baseline, we find a slightly larger negative impact of 1.0 percentage points. Yet, this modest increase in business closure rates was more than offset by an increase in the rate of business openings….The net effect is an estimated 0.9 percentage point increase in business openings as a result of the Minimum Wage Ordinance. This increase in both business closures and business openings perhaps should not come as a surprise. A higher minimum wage changes the type of business that can succeed profitably in Seattle, and we should thus expect some extra churning.”

Bottom line: wages went up, but employment went down. This is about what you’d expect. However, I’m a little unclear on how to reconcile this employment decrease with the finding that the number of persistent jobs didn’t change. Perhaps there was a decrease in seasonal or intermittent jobs? It will probably all become clearer in future reports.

Needless to say, the real test will come over the next few years, as the minimum wage climbs to $15.

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The Seattle Minimum Wage Experiment: Mixed Results So Far

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Friday Kitten Blogging – 15 July 2016

by EdisonNeild7936 Posted on July 15, 2016

Mother Jones

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A friend of mine was visiting this week and got a new kitten while he was here. Why? Because the breeder happened to be nearby, so it was more convenient than making a special trip later just to pick her up. As a result, our house endured a kitten invasion for several days. She has no name yet, but she’s a calico Siberian with all the exuberance of kittenhood—which means that most of the time she looked about like this:

However, she occasionally slowed down enough for my camera’s shutter to catch a better view:

Isn’t she adorable? Unfortunately, that view was not shared by everybody. We mostly kept her isolated in her own room, but we took her out to play periodically and occasionally she squirmed away, as kittens will. Here’s her first—and only—meeting with Hilbert:

Poor Hilbert. He lasted about five seconds under her gimlet eye. Then he turned tail and ran under the bed. Courage is not his strong point.

Anyway, she’s a tiny fluffball who is going to grow up into a great big fluffball. That’s the way of Siberians. And I have a note for scientists: she currently weighs nothing. I suspect that her fur has antigrav properties, which someone should probably look into. Could be useful.

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Friday Kitten Blogging – 15 July 2016

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Conservatives Win Pyrrhic Victory in Facebook War

by DaveMaxfield Posted on May 24, 2016

Mother Jones

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Facebook has caved in to conservative demands that it revamp its Trending Topics feed. Brian Fung describes how the algorithm works:

To be considered for a place in the Trending Topics portion of the site, a topic must generally be mentioned 80 times per hour or more. Facebook takes steps to exclude repeated events that don’t constitute news, such as the hashtag “lunch,” which usually produces more activity during lunchtime, the company said in its letter.

I’m glad to see that Facebook is on top of this. However, I suspect that conservatives are going to be disappointed in the results. Facebook has agreed to stop using external news sites to help it decide which topics are truly trending, and this is likely to have two effects: It will make the Trending Topics feed (a) stupider and (b) more liberal. After all, if you rely entirely on Facebook users, you’re relying on an audience that skews young and college educated. How likely is it that this will favor stories about Agenda 21 and Benghazi?

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Conservatives Win Pyrrhic Victory in Facebook War

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Uber Needs to Start Acting Like a Grownup

by TiffinyDarley Posted on May 15, 2016

Mother Jones

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Adam Ozimek is dismayed by progressive excitement over the regulation of Uber in the city of Austin:

There’s a lot of celebrating in some corners about Austin’s recent passage of a law mandating that ridesharing companies like Uber fingerprint their drivers….Amazingly, many aren’t trying very hard to hide the fact that they aren’t mostly concerned about whether this policy is a good idea!…I find this celebration a little puzzling given that we are just now beginning to exit the era where local taxi regulations were almost everywhere an embarrassing milieu of cronyism designed to protect politically powerful incumbents who offered shoddy service. The history of local taxi regulation should be an embarrassment, not a model we celebrate our inability to escape from.

….It’s very interesting how many erstwhile progressives have shown little concern for the rights of those who have been accused of a crime, and the disproportionate impact of a policy on minorities, in just this circumstance. Too excited by the prospect of local government regulating a rich tech company, there has been little time to consider these traditional progressive worries.

This might be true. And I certainly can’t speak for all progressives. But I’d offer a couple of counterpoints:

Municipal regulation of the taxi industry has indeed been an embarrassment, and to the extent that Uber fights it, they’re doing God’s work. At the same time, Uber has been almost thuggishly aggressive about defending its apparent belief that they should be immune from any regulation whatsoever. To hear them talk, they’re really nothing more than a database that provides a lookup service for car owners. What happens after that has nothing to do with them.

As a progressive, this attitude does bother me. Uber is a company that basically employs hundreds of thousands of drivers. The public has a right to expect them to act like the multi-billion company they are, and to treat both their employees and their customers within the confines of expected corporate norms. The Austin case may or may not be misguided, but as a fight to show Uber that they aren’t above the law, I can understand the enthusiasm.

In any case, I’m not sure the Austin case is misguided. The taxi regulations that Uber is justified in fighting are the ones that have turned the whole industry into little fiefdoms of cozy little cartels. However, the regulations demanding that taxis be safe and drivers be reliable are pretty good ones. Requiring Uber to keep ex-felons out of taxis may have some downsides, but it’s also got plenty of upsides. It’s certainly not a slam dunk that this is a bad idea.

Overall, I’m a fan of Uber. They provide a great service, and breaking up the taxi cartels is almost certainly a boon to Americans everywhere. At the same time, they’re not a startup anymore. They’re a multinational, multi-billion dollar corporation that needs to accept public oversight in the areas of employment law, safety regulation, and reasonable licensing. They don’t seem very willing to do this, and sometimes the public needs to fight back and win.

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Uber Needs to Start Acting Like a Grownup

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Celebrating Bats on Bat Appreciation Day

by lilazepps099 Posted on April 16, 2016

Bats do a whole lot more than cruise the skies at night. They play an important role in balancing our ecosystem, eating harmful insects and acting as natural pest control. And although some people think bats are freaky looking, there are hundreds of reasons to love these flying mammals.

5 Fun Bat Facts For Bat Appreciation Day

1. Bats are the only flying mammals. Talk about bragging rights! These guys can cruise up to 60 miles per hour.

2. Bats use echolocation. Consider bats the dolphins of the sky. They use echolocation not for communication, but for finding food in the dark.

3. A quarter of all mammals are bats. There are over 1,000 bat species in the world, making up 1/4th of all mammals! However, over 50 percent of these species are declining, either already endangered or on their way.

4. Bats have only one baby per year. Similar to humans, bats typically only have one bat baby (called a pup) per year. Just like people, bats will occasionally have twins.

5. Bats often eat their body weightsdaily. Insect-eating bats can consume over 1,000 insects every night. That’s one efficient mosquito trap!

Unfortunately, many once-abundant bat species in the U.S. are now endangered, and all of them are threatened.

Why Are They at Risk?

Bats are at risk for two main reasons. The first is habitat loss, which unfortunately is no one’s fault but our own. As we continue to develop more and more forest land, bats are losing their homes.

The second reason we’re seeing fewer bats is due to a fatal and fast-spreading fungal disease called white-nose syndrome, which attacks bats during hibernation, invading their skin, causing dehydration and creating a need for the critters to leave their caves early in search of food and water. Caused by a fungus from Eurasia, the disease has killed at least 5.7 million bats since it arrived to North American in 2006. White-nose syndrome has been found in 26 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces.

How You Can Help

1. Don’t use pesticides. While you may be using poison to keep pests off your plants, insects are bats top food sources, so chemicals are easily transferred to our flying friends.

2. Stay out of caves. By accidentally entering a hibernation site, you can disturb a bat’s natural cycle and harm the overall population.

3. Fight for forest conservation. Habitat loss is a huge contributor to the decline in bat population. Do all you can to fight for our natural forest reserves to help promote safe spaces for bats to live.

4. Adopt a bat. Don’t worry, you don’t have to take it home. These virtual bat adoption kits range from 25 to 55 dollars, and your donation will go toward protecting bat habitats and educating the public on why these flying friends are so important.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Celebrating Bats on Bat Appreciation Day

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