The problem with the gender gap.

The United States has the worlds largest energy reserves. And it’s not just coal!

The Commodore computer is back. Sort of. Not really. It’s kind of surprising to me that a new entrant into the PC world didn’t license the once-familiar name. I know that it was considered on multiple occasions, but nobody really went forward with it.

Verizon is ending one-year contracts for new cell phones. I’m not surprised that they would claim it’s due to lack of consumer interest. But seriously, it’s one of those things that doesn’t actually cost the company anything (since people on one-year contracts pay more for the phone itself), so what’s the real reason? The real reason is, according to internal memos, lack of consumer interest. Which I guess doesn’t surprise me too much. I considered a one-year contract when we signed on, but the way they subsidize phones makes it so that you’re really better off taking a chance on a two-year contract. Of course, in a perfect world, I could switch to Verizon without having to buy a new phone to do so.

The FCC has ruled that mobile carriers have to share their data towers with smaller competitors. Not surprisingly, I consider this a good thing. Particularly in light of the relative scarcity of major carriers. If their position in the marketplace is protected – and it is by spectrum limitations – then they have public-interest responsibilities to the society that grants them that protection.

If you’re going to claim disability and seek alimony, be careful what you say on Facebook.

Canadian broadcasters seek to regulate Netflix. They actually have a bit of a point. Canadian broadcasters are required to air a certain number of Canadian programs. No such requirement exists for Netflix and as Netflix is a continued competitor for viewing eyes, that gives Netflix a distinct advantage. On the other hand, Canadian broadcasters never bothered to release all of Da Vinci’s Inquest to DVD. If they’re looking for ways to make more money, getting mileage out of the shows they do make would be a good start. Okay, that’s a lame retort, but it’s been bugging me lately.

Women have a higher tolerance for discrimination (than men) against just about everybody, all the way from a particular group I’d rather not discuss to the genetically disadvantaged. I add the asterisk because the poll was conducted following the 9/11 attacks, which may not be the best time to be asking about foreigners. Notably, and possibly worthy of future comment, women understate their tolerance for discrimination while men overstate theirs.

Fun and informative videos: You Suck At Photoshop.

Three cheers for the Michigan legislature and governor Rick Snyder, who took a step towards sanity on the subject of sex offender registries. You no longer have to register if you had consensual sex with a minor if you were under the age of 20 at the time. Apparently their arms were twisted by the feds, so perhaps I should be cheering Barack Obama or Eric Holder.

Decided to put the second pic below the fold because while it cracks me up, it’s not above-the-fold material.


Category: Newsroom

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6 Responses to Linkluster XXXV

  1. Brandon Berg says:

    Women have a higher tolerance for discrimination (than men) against just about everybody…

    Other way around, unless I’m misreading the abstract:

    Regardless of domain, tolerance is greater among men than among women.

    Granted that this is an exceedingly poor wording. From context, I’m pretty sure that they mean tolerance for discrimination, which is nearly the exact opposite of what people usually mean when they say “tolerance.”

  2. trumwill says:

    I stand corrected! My mind got turned around by the wording.

    Score one for conventional wisdom.

  3. Brandon Berg says:

    There’s an ungated version of the paper here.

    It’s not at all clear from the abstract, but all of the questions are premised on the assumption that the discrimination is rational and produces some real benefit. For example, one asks if the government should practice a certain form of discrimination if it can be proven to reduce crime.

    And the question about the group you’d rather not discuss isn’t at all what I expected it to be based on the abstract. Honestly, I’m not sure why it’s controversial at all.

  4. Mike Hunt says:

    “tolerance of discrimination” is an odd turn of phrase. It belongs in the paradox Hall of Fame.

    ===

    Maria just criticized the concept of making fun of random people in pictures. I wonder if she will give you a pass on your second one because it is so easy.

    ===

    If you’re going to claim disability and seek alimony, be careful what you say on Facebook.

    You can easily remove the prepositional phrase from that sentence.

    ===

    You no longer have to register if you had consensual sex with a minor if you were under the age of 20 at the time.

    [shrill parent]A minor is incapable of consent. A minor is incapable of consent. A minor is incapable of consent. A minor is incapable of consent. A minor is incapable of consent. A minor is incapable of consent. A minor is incapable of consent. A minor is incapable of consent. A minor is incapable of consent. A minor is incapable of consent.[/shrill parent]

  5. Maria says:

    Maria just criticized the concept of making fun of random people in pictures. I wonder if she will give you a pass on your second one because it is so easy.

    My post was not just about making fun of random people; it was about making up whole stories about them and their lives and families and jobs, etc., based only on a photograph, and then fitting those stories into a convenient ideological “frame.” And then inviting people to lob angry comments at them in the context of that “frame.”

  6. trumwill says:

    Mike,

    You can easily remove the prepositional phrase from that sentence.

    Indeed! Though especially when…

    [shrill parent]A minor is incapable of consent.

    Yet they are old enough to be burdened with child support if they are male and become a father.

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