Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

The Theory of Everything

Posted on July 12, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Via Ascription is an anathema to any enthusiasm, a chart showing the theory of everything.

Posted in Science/Medicine | 1 Comment

Bounce?

Posted on July 12, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Compare and contrast: Will Lester, AP, Kerry's choice of Edwards received favorably by public, but doesn't change the race and Newseek's latest poll showing Kerry 51%, Bush 45% (Kerry 47%, Bush 43%, Nader 3% in a 3-way race).

Of course these are not necessarily inconsistent: Kerry's bounce could be independent of Edwards.

Posted in Politics: US: 2004 Election | 2 Comments

Another Number Space Running Low

Posted on July 12, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Over the years, I've developed an interest in naming and numbering. And, as it happens, I'm in the market for a new car (station wagon or the like) since the lease on my current one expires soon. So it's interesting to read that the US's supply of VIN numbers is running out.

Posted in Shopping | 2 Comments

Fafblog Explains Why You Have to Read About Torture

Posted on July 11, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Fafblog—evidence for the hypothesis that the nation's mental ecosystem has powerful waffle-based antibodies against evil:

“But Fafnir I do not want to read about torture” you say because you are a lazy whining person. “I want to read about gumdrops an rainbows and Presidents who are made of gumdrops an rainbows an use them to blow up the terrorists.”

No you should really read it it is a very important issue now go or I will have Giblets hit you with the waffle again.

“Blah blah blah torture, blah blah blah human rights. I like watchin things blow up on television, it gives me a feelin of comfy security, readin about human rights violations makes me feel bad.”

That does it, Im tellin Giblets to go get the waffle! He's gettin the waffle now!

“Okay Fafnir I will do whatever you say just so long as Giblets an the waffle are not involved!”

It's so easy to kind of sweep it all under your brain an think “Well theres nothin more to be said an nothin more to think about it” cause let's face it nobody wants to think about their government participating in horror. An right now the level of torture talk has gone from “Torture: Bad!” to “Torture: Bad, But Not As Bad As Saddam Hussein” to “Torture: Bad, But What About Ticking Bombs?” to “Torture: Bad, But Not Necessarily Proof That The People Who Ordered Torture Are Bad” to “Torture: We Still Talkin Bout Torture?” to “Torture: Bad?” An before we get to “Torture: Sorta Like Mowin Your Lawn” I think we should try as hard as we can to wake up.

Posted in Iraq Atrocities | 2 Comments

Now If We Can Just Train the AI to Respond When They Say, “Get Me Rewrite!”

Posted on July 11, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

The Campaign Desk's Thomas Lang interviews veteran Pittsburgh newsman Dennis B. Roddy, and unearths an interesting view of the effect of blogs on newspaper journalism: it's brought back one form of old-time reporting.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs | 1 Comment

A Snapshot of Our Freedoms

Posted on July 10, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

I bet that there are thousands1 of stories like The Artist's Statement, but that few are as well expressed or documented. Basically, this photography student is assigned to take a motion shot, so he tries to take an action shot as a train goes over a famous local bridge. It's legal, he's even checked with the park rangers, but the local cops and then the feds come and act in a rude, intimidating and I'd say unconstitutional manner.

One of the many many costs of the 9/11 tragedy is that the reaction to it has given some of the worst tendencies in law enforcement an undeserved patina of legitimacy — an attitude that flows down from the White Palace and especially the torture-may-be-legal Aschcroft Justice Dept.

What can we do about this attitude? Asserting your rights can be painful if it promotes police violence, and expensive if it results in arrest, however unjust. Photographers should certainly carry this one-page statement of photographer's rights. And over time there will be test cases, and ultimately either changes in management that trickle down to the cops on the ground.

Meanwhile, I half feel like I should start carrying a camera in solidarity. If it gets bad — and in New York it is already verging on real bad — you have to ask what gets banned in public next: pencils and sketch books? tape recorded notes? Staring?

1 A few of these other stories appear in comments to this blogs.photoblogs.org post.

Posted in Civil Liberties | 8 Comments