Author Archives: Jeff Porten

This feature alone is a strong incentive to switch back to an iPhone. Are you listening, @projectfi? The Verge on Twitter

Dear Democrats: the most important things to respond to this week does not include the fucking statues. Yashar Ali on Twitter

This is fascinating. The POV Trump is getting is absolutely breathtaking. Analysis | Now you can see what Donald Trump sees every time he opens Twitter

I rarely share links I don’t agree with, but here’s one with important food for thought about the viral crying Nazi video. https://twitter.com/emkayanders/status/897907963444068354

My take: sure, that’s possible. You have to take into account that that video was published for a reason, and it surely wasn’t so all of us could feel schadenfreude. But I think it was more likely to be from a stunning lack of self-recognition. M. K. A. on Twitter

This is 2,000 pounds of awesome. Juror interviews at the Shkreli trial. [Readings] | Public Enemy | Harper’s Magazine

There is a coordinated campaign to depict all liberals as violent agitators, and the goals and endgame of this campaign scare the living shit out of me. FACT CHECK: Antifa Member Photographed Beating Police Officer?

Friendly reminder: every time you use the term alt-right, you’re buying into neo-Nazi and Fox News spin. AP doesn’t use it. As for alt-left: Bob Lannon on Twitter

Oh, shit. Yesterday I wrote in the FBI’s favor. Sounds like I’m a complete fucking idiot.

“The family’s statement said that the FBI should have known that Varnell has schizophrenia, and that he had been found mentally incompetent by a court and placed under his parents’ legal guardianship.” Family Says Man Charged In FBI Right-Wing Terror Sting Is Mentally Ill, Incapable Of Attack | HuffPost

For those who are interested: I’ve updated this piece with a lengthy postscript on my views of First Amendment protections for protestors who plan to commit violence. (TLDR: they don’t have any.)

Don’t identify the Nazis | The Vast Jeff Wing Conspiracy

This was my favorite part of the last partial eclipse I was in. “Look for dim dapples of sunlight on the ground under trees. A leaf canopy may form many pinhole projectors, and during a partial eclipse each dapple will show an identical dent. Or make little holes between the fingers of your two hands laid across each other, as shown in the photo at lower left.” The Solar Eclipse for the Rest of Us – Sky & Telescope

This was my favorite part of the last partial eclipse I was in. “Look for dim dapples of sunlight on the ground under trees. A leaf canopy may form many pinhole projectors, and during a partial eclipse each dapple will show an identical dent. Or make little holes between the fingers of your two hands laid across each other, as shown in the photo at lower left.” The Solar Eclipse for the Rest of Us – Sky & Telescope