I've always been wary of Godwin's Law -- the internet maxim which says that if you are in an argument and you compare someone or something to Hitler or the Nazis, you automatically lose the argument. (Actually, Mike Godwin's original comment was more nuanced than Godwin's Law has become today. Wikipedia has a nice summary.) Granted, there's way too much of that going … [Read more...] about Don’t Let Godwin’s Law Protect Totalitarians
Dangers of Searching for a DUI Lawyer Online
If you've ever tried to use Google to find a lawyer for a DUI or traffic offense, you've probably stumbled across one of those relentlessly SEO optimized sites that isn't actually a law firm but promises to put you in touch with a lawyer. Basically, they're referral services. This always seemed annoying but harmless to me. To Spokane, Washington criminal defense attorney Steve … [Read more...] about Dangers of Searching for a DUI Lawyer Online
Goddesses and Falsifiability
My Nobody's Business co-blogger Rogier has a pretty good article up about divine delusions v.s. observable reality. It's a plea for rationality, even if faith and mysticism seem like more fun. As is often my way, I have a small quibble. Rogier and his opponent are discussing a Facebook poster's insistence that a bit of lens flare in a photo of a pyramid is actually a sign that … [Read more...] about Goddesses and Falsifiability
The Long Arm of the Justice Department
I know that everybody stuck here in the wake of the mortgage securities crisis hates bankers, but it still seems like there's something wrong about this: The news for Wegelin, its headquarters nestled in the town of St. Gallen next to the Appenzell Alps near the German-Austrian borders, would only get worse. Six days later the U.S. Justice Department, acting on plans it had … [Read more...] about The Long Arm of the Justice Department
Inappropriate At Work
I'm taking my employer's mandatory security training course, and I just ran across this paragraph: The World Wide Web is a powerful tool for such tasks as research, communication, marketing and more. It provides access to more information than we could read in our lifetimes. Unfortunately, it has also become inundated with sites that are completely inappropriate for our work … [Read more...] about Inappropriate At Work