You think those Google recruiters would know not to contact me, but the other day I got another perky “Opportunities at Google” email from one of them, telling me that they’d found my “online profile” and that based on my experience they think I “could be a great addition to our team!” Riiiiight. Since I just deleted my LinkedIn profile, I emailed them asking where they’d found this “online profile”, since it was obviously outdated. Oddly enough, it seems they’d found a page about me Continue reading → In case you missed it (and if you’re not in Australia, you probably did), right-wing radio personality Alan Jones gave a speech to the Sydney University Liberal (i.e. conservative — yeah, I know) Club in which he said that Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s father, who recently passed away, had “died of shame” because of his daughter. This is part of a string of really nasty, misogynistic slurs against the PM, from Jones and other right-leaning journalists, commentators, and even MPs. Anyway, there are a number Continue reading → Via Chris Blow (@unthinkingly) and his tweet on the subject, I found out that the US Democrat party has released a voter registration app via github. Wired’s all over it, calling it — as the app’s README does — an open source app. Only it’s not. The LICENSE file contains the following text: This permission does not include: (a) any use of the Software other than for its intended purpose Its intended purpose is to enable voter registration. As commenters on Hacker News have pointed Continue reading → Yarn Bombing & Its Discontents – Why do we respond so differently to paint on walls and wool on trees? I think this is the most thoughtful piece I’ve read about yarn bombing so far. Big data is our generation’s civil rights issue, and we don’t know it – They can guess your race or gender based on your taste in music, then use it to set your credit limit or your insurance premiums. This could be a problem. » The Amazons of Edwardian London: Continue reading → Ravelry API – Wait, what? How did I miss this. Ravelry has an API now, and they’ve been using it internally since Feb 2012, so it isn’t just an unloved add-on. (You probably can’t follow the link, which is to the Rav API forum, unless you’re a member. But anyone who might be interested in this probably is already, so…) Our real first gay president – Newsweek says Obama’s the US’s “first gay president”, ignoring James Buchanan, who was openly gay in the 19th century. Continue reading → Mitt Romney, Bully In Chief? – s.e. smith brings a solid analysis of Mitt Romney’s school “pranks” (read: homophobic bullying) and what it could mean for his possible presidency. Chumbawamba – The Diggers’ Song – YouTube – Who knew that Chumbawumba had recorded an album of songs of political rebellion from 1381-1914? Not me for sure. This is their rendition of “The Digger’s Song”, a 17th century song by the same group that Billy Bragg sings about in “The World Turned Upside Down”. MOTU 4pre Continue reading →