🔗 Articles: Fri 08.Mar.2024
NYT: George Santos Says He’s Running for Congress Again
Mr. Santos, who was expelled from the House in December, filed paperwork to run in a different district held by Representative Nick LaLota, a Republican.
TorStar: Ford government backs down in scrap over Womens’ Day
Bowing to pressure, the Ford government granted Liberal, Green and Independent MPPs time to speak about International Women’s Day in the Ontario legislature after initially denying them the opportunity.
On Wednesday, government House Leader Paul Calandra said no to a motion that would have allowed the group of female MPPs five minutes — in total — to address the importance of the day. But after an outcry — which was backed by the Official Opposition NDP — and a news conference Thursday morning by seven MPPs to denounce the move, the Tories backed off.
The Conservatives continue to work on their image as misogynists.
TorStar: Ontario jail inmate numbers spike in last year, now well over capacity, data shows
Ontario’s jails have seen a dramatic increase in the number of inmates over the past year with the majority of the facilities well over capacity, new data obtained by The Canadian Press shows.
Here’s an idea: build more courts and hire more judges, crowns & court staff and reduce long delays before trial in Ontario.
CBC Ottawa had this on the noon news on March 8 but has no story on their website.
PBS NewsHour: Takeaways from Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address
Hours before delivering the address, Biden posted on his X account a video of him getting advice on delivering the big speech from actors, including Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, and Geena Davis, who have played president in the movies and TV.
Wait! He’s still on Twitter?! That’s not very “woke”…
PBS NewsHour: ‘Dragon Ball’ creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68
Akira Toriyama, the creator of the best-selling Dragon Ball and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics, has died, his studio said Friday. He was 68.
Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga series, which started in 1984, has sold millions of copies globally and was adapted into hugely popular animated TV shows, video games and films.
Toriyama died March 1 of a blood clot in his brain, Bird Studio said in a statement.
6.Mar.2024
Former chief justices Sidney Linden, Brian Lennox and Annemarie Bonkalo do not name Ford in their statement, in which they express concern with “potential political influence” in the appointment of jurists to the provincial court, which handles the bulk of Ontario’s criminal caseload and a large number of family matters.
“The suggestion that there be a political litmus test for judicial appointment would return the court to practices that we would have thought had disappeared years ago,” they wrote.
9to5Mac: Ivory for Mastodon adds quote posts on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Tapbots is out with a new version of its popular Ivory for Mastodon client on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. With this week’s update, Ivory now supports quote posts for the first time.
As a platform, Mastodon itself doesn’t support quote posts, but this solution from Tapbots is a clever workaround. If a post contains a link to another post on Mastodon, Ivory will show you that post directly instead of just the link. Additionally, you’ll see a new “Quote” option on Mastodon posts inside Ivory.
Monthly or annual subscriptions.
TheStreet: Shipping company files surprise Chapter 7 bankruptcy, liquidation
The covid pandemic forced companies to consider their supply chain in ways they never had to before. Increased demand showed the weakness in the trucking industry and drew attention to how difficult life for truck drivers can be.
That was an issue HBO’s John Oliver highlighted on his “Last Week Tonight” show in October 2022. In the episode, the host suggested that the U.S. would basically start to starve if the trucking industry shut down for three days.
“Sorry, three days, every produce department in America would go from a fully stocked market to an all-you-can-eat raccoon buffet,” he said. “So it’s no wonder trucking’s a huge industry, with more than 3.5 million people in America working as drivers, from port truckers who bring goods off ships to railyards and warehouses, to long-haul truckers who move them across the country, to ‘last-mile’ drivers, who take care of local delivery.”
The show highlighted how many truck drivers face low pay, difficult working conditions and, in many cases, crushing debt.
“Hundreds of thousands of people become truck drivers every year. But hundreds of thousands also quit. Job turnover for truckers averages over 100%, and at some companies it’s as high as 300%, meaning they’re hiring three people for a single job over the course of a year. And when a field this important has a level of job satisfaction that low, it sure seems like there’s a huge problem,” Oliver shared.
Wired: General: ‘My Career Was Done’ When I Criticized Flawed Warplane
Don Harvel thought he was cruising to a well-deserved retirement after 35 years flying cargo planes for the U.S. Air Force. Then in the spring of 2010 he was tapped to investigate the fatal crash of a high-tech Air Force tiltrotor aircraft — and everything changed.
The Osprey V-22 was just returned to service.
NYT: Steve Lawrence, Who Sang His Listeners Down Memory Lane, Dies at 88
With his wife, Eydie Gorme, and sometimes on his own, he kept pop standards in vogue long past their prime. He also acted on television and on Broadway.
*Not a fan of either the headline or the URL, given the facts. And “in vogue long past their prime”? What does that even mean?!*
DP Review: Firmware update brings Pixel Shift and bird detection to Nikon Z8
Nikon has released firmware version 2.0 for its Z8 high-end mirrorless camera, adding features for still and video shooters.
Fans of avian photography will be pleased to see the addition of a dedicated bird detection mode. As with the Z9, Nikon claims improvements in recognition, tracking, and AF performance in various circumstances. The mode (distinct from that included as part of animal detection mode) should be able to recognize a wider range of birds in a wider array of poses, even against complex backdrops.
A new Auto Capture feature will take a photo or video when one or more specified criteria are met. Those criteria are distance, motion, and subject detection so, for instance, as soon as that deer enters the frame headling right to left, the Z8 can go to work.
The Pixel Shift feature first seen on the Zf has also arrived. The camera can take 4, 8, 16, or 32 photos by shifting the sensor by ½ or 1 pixel and then saving them as individual NEF files. The 4 and 8-shot modes provide improved color resolution and less noise at the sensor’s native 46MP resolution, while the 16 and 32-shot modes produce whopping 180 Megapixel files with even more detail. The files must be merged in NX Studio before they can be shared or edited.
A new Picture Control mode has been added for portrait photographers. The “Rich Tone Portrait” mode retains skin details while preventing highlights from clipping, making it ideal for wedding and portrait photography.
The camera also gains a wider choice of shutter sound effects to indicate the firing of the camera’s silent electronic shutter. Options include sounds that mimic the shutter of the Nikon F5 or S-series rangefinder, rather than the default DSLR-style sound effect.
DP Review: Nikon is acquiring RED Digital Cinema: Digital Photography Review
Nikon has just announced it will be acquiring US cinema camera manufacturer RED Digital Cinema. Founded in 2005 by Jim Jannard, RED has produced cinema cameras that were used in the production of over 25 percent of top-grossing films in the mid 2010sas well as Oscar winners like 2021’s Mank.
Museum of Science (YouTube): Being a Woman in STEM with Bernadette Dineen
“I think I was born a scientist” Meet Bernadette Dineen, a graduate student at Tufts Chemistry Department. In this inspiring interview, Bernadette shares her unique perspective on being an autistic woman navigating through academia. From her undergraduate experience at a small liberal arts college to her current work on astrobiological and astrochemical projects, Bernadette’s story highlights the importance of inclusivity and representation in the sciences. Despite facing obstacles as a first-generation college student, Bernadette’s determination to break barriers in STEM shines through. Join us as we explore her journey of resilience, perseverance, and the pursuit of a world where authenticity is celebrated in academia.
Isn’t she great!
Last Updated: 08.Mar.2024 23:50 EST