Links tagged with “usa”
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Can Hospital Chains Improve the Medical Industry? : The New Yorker
About new ways large US hospital chains are trying to optimise things, but actually most interesting when talking about how The Cheesecake Factory does its logistics and training. (From August 2012 via ?)
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Life Inside the Aaron Swartz Investigation - Quinn Norton - The Atlantic
Quinn’s account of the Federal prosecution. Tough.
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Anna Catherine Dr to Summer Rain Dr - Google Maps
Impressive: two houses in Florida that back on to each other, but to get from one to the other by road is a 7 mile journey. (via Paul Mison)
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Shooters: How Video Games Fund Arms Manufacturers • Articles • Eurogamer.net
On the licensing deals between gun makers and video games. “We want to know explicitly how the rifle is to be used, ensuring that we are shown in a positive light… Such as the ‘good guys’ using the rifle.” (via @matlock)
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The rapidly increasing ideology of the US Republican Party
A chart showing the changing political positions of US political parties since 1789. I’d love to see something similar for the UK. (via Kottke)
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Over the Decades, How States Have Shifted - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com
Really nice visualisation of how different states have voted over time. (via The Functional Art)
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The Gay Path Through the Courts by David Cole | The New York Review of Books
Subscribers only unfortunately. But I liked this for its descriptions of how the Supreme Court rules on things, and how cases that are ostensibly about a particular crime are used to force a decision on constitutional issues. Also about how the Court tries (ideally) to follow, rather than lead, society.
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Top Ten differences between White Terrorists and Others | Informed Comment
Brilliant. One for the asymmetry file. (via Daring Fireball)
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Republicans for Revolution by Mark Lilla | The New York Review of Books
“People who know what kind of new world they want to create through revolution are trouble enough; those who only know what they want to destroy are a curse.” Also for the definitions of “liberal” and “conservative” half-way through, and the potted history of the origins of neoconservatism.
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Killing Our Citizens Without Trial by David Cole | The New York Review of Books
On drone killings: “As long as the Obama administration insists on the power to kill the people it was elected to represent — and to do so in secret, on the basis of secret legal memos — can we really claim that we live in a democracy ruled by law?”
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Escape into Whiteness by Brent Staples | The New York Review of Books
Some of the details of 19th and early 20th century courts etc deciding whether specific mixed-race individuals count as white or coloured are bizarre, as if part of some kind of epic theatre piece.
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Predators and Robots at War by Christian Caryl | The New York Review of Books
“The US Air Force now trains more UAV operators each year than traditional pilots.” “There are already more [military] robots operating on the ground (15,000) than in the air (7,000).” “…a pilotless aircraft … ‘has the same rights as if a person were inside it, … official policy.’”
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The Court: A Talk with Judge Richard Posner by Eric J. Segall | The New York Review of Books
Interesting (and subscribers only) but saving it for this quote: “We have a political system in which the definition of a gaffe is telling the truth.” Also, for some reason I love reading about the American judicial system.
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School ‘Reform’: A Failing Grade by Diane Ravitch | The New York Review of Books
I suspect much of this angry-making article applies to UK education too. Surely anyone working on, or funding, policies for education really should spend at least a few weeks with a variety of teachers and children.
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Category:Cuts of beef - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Translating between the American and British names for cuts of beef. Almost entirely different.
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Why French Parents Are Superior by Pamela Druckerman - WSJ.com
This crazy “French method” of parenting… isn’t it also known as “common sense”? if this is supposed to be eye-opening I now understand why so many small kids seem to do whatever they like. (via Kottke)
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People Here Actually Show Their Livestock - The Morning News
This is very simple but very lovely. There should be more of this. I’d like to read more unsensational, kind stories about what people around the UK are doing, for example. (via @gilest)
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Between the Lines - Features - Los Angeles magazine
Fascinating long article on the history of parking, parking meters, parking lots, parking costs, and how they all affect towns and cities. (via Kottke)
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Mohammed el Gorani and Jérôme Tubiana · Diary: Guantánamo · LRB 15 December 2011
This month it’s ten years since Guantanamo opened. People are still held there indefinitely. This is one former detainee’s account. Yay America! You must all be so proud.
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Made by Hand
I like what the subjects of this series are doing but (and I may be overly cynical) these narrow-focused, American-sincerity videos are a hand-crafted inch from parody.
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United States Early Radio History
A fascinating read, with loads of links to text and images from period articles and adverts.
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Our Universities: How Bad? How Good? by Peter Brooks | The New York Review of Books
I’m not sure why I keep finding these articles about universities so interesting. Maybe because it’s so hard to pin down what they’re *for*, never mind how to achieve that.
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Opinion - Image - NYTimes.com
Graphs and charts showing how inequality and household debt in the USA have risen since 1980, especially compared to the more equitable period from 1945-80 (even though productivity was still rising then too). (via Daring Fireball)
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Stop Coddling the Super-Rich - NYTimes.com
Billionaire Jim Andrews in ‘Doonesbury’ won’t be pleased when he reads Warren Buffett’s latest article.
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LRB · Howard Hotson · Don’t Look to the Ivy League
A good account of why the US’s market-based university system (admired by Tories) harms the public system and isn’t as good as a first glance at league tables suggests.
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Topsify - Top 40 chart playlists for Spotify
Exactly what I was after — I feel I should listen to the Top 40 once in a while and maybe this will help me do it. But the charts are in the “wrong” order, with number 1 first.
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All Programs Considered by Bill McKibben | The New York Review of Books
An overview by Bill McKibben of the good bits of American public radio, comparing radio to other media, outlining its difficulties. Some things I should listen to, given the time.
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The Myth of Charter Schools by Diane Ravitch | The New York Review of Books
If I ever see ‘Waiting for “Superman”’, I should read this again. A relentless critique of the film’s arguments for US charter schools over public schools, probably applicable to the UK’s academies too.
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John C.H. Grabill’s Photos of Western Frontier Life | Plog — World news photography, Photos — The Denver Post
Lots of photos of late 19th century America, centered on the town of Deadwood. Some lovely images there. (via The Online Photographer)
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The REAL Death Of The Music Industry
Some good graphs and stats about the US recorded music industry. I’m amazed at how few albums and singles per capita are bought, even at the industry’s peak (now: 1.25 albums, 3.7 singles, per year). (via Daring Fireball)
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LRB · August Kleinzahler · Diary
I really enjoyed this description of a road trip in the American West, although it’s for subscribers only.
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Americans Are Horribly Misinformed About Who Has Money - Politics - GOOD
It’s staggering, as ever, to see how financially unequal the country is, but also fascinating to see how people don’t realise it. I’m not sure I’d have responded much more accurately, and it’s also probably similar in the UK. (via @ianbetteridge)
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The inhumane detention conditions of Bradley Manning - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com
I increasingly find myself thinking that if the USA were a country that was mainly, say, Muslim, or full of dark-skinned, non-English-speaking people, the “West” would be deploring its behaviour, talking about sanctions, etc.
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Wikileaks and the Long Haul
Yes. I’m unsure about the Wikileaks thing too, but the US’s government’s reaction to it is the thing that scares me.
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Our Banana Republic - NYTimes.com
“From 1980 to 2005, more than four-fifths of the total increase in American incomes went to the richest 1 percent.” And yet still many average people vote for the Republicans. (via Daring Fireball)
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Modern Two-Party System in the Senate Timeline
Fascinating and detailed graph of shifts in Republican/Democrat senators from 1857-2006. I’d love to see something similar for the UK.
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Monbiot.com » Toxic Brew
[Slight ‘Rubicon’ spoiler ahead.] Interesting, scary stuff about Koch Industries, the Tea Party, and astro-turfing. But, pessimistically, I can’t help thinking of ‘Rubicon’s Spengler saying: “Make your report Will. Knock ‘em dead … Do you really think anyone is going to give a shit?” (via @edmittance)
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Mac Bundy Said He Was ‘All Wrong’ by William Pfaff | The New York Review of Books
About the Vietnam War, but also good on parallels with Iraq/Afghanistan, and how only one or two ideas can shape events that affect continents, very similar to that Adam Curtis article about a “global terror network”.
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America, My New-Found-Land by Tony Judt | The New York Review of Books
I enjoyed this piece on how alluring America is to a European.
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Put up or shut up - Roger Ebert’s Journal
24 per cent of Republicans believe Obama is the Antichrist. The Antichrist. Hard to know where to start, but I guess Ebert’s thoughts are a first step. Today, I am liking Britain.
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Confessions of a Tea Party Casualty | Mother Jones
Fascinating to read about the “tea party-isation” of the Republican party, with more reasonable office-holders running scared. Scary, but fascinating. (via Daring Fireball)
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Dailymotion - The Daily Show: An Energy-Independent Future - a News & Politics video
Just in case you were even slightly optimistic after Obama promised US energy independence. They’ve been saying that for at least 36 years. Thirty. Six. Years.
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LRB · Gareth Peirce · America’s Non-Compliance
Good description of quite how scary America is in terms of lack of civil rights for those accused of crimes (never mind convicted), whether in America or not.
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The Revision Thing | The Texas Tribune
A fascinating view of what the Texas State Board of Education (which effectively determines what children across the US study) changed in the US History standards.
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A Great Conservationist, by Jingo - The New York Review of Books
Enjoyed this about Theodore Roosevelt. I didn’t know he was so involved with creating national parks etc. Subscribers only.
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Tea Party Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right - NYTimes.com
interesting article on the “Tea Party” Right in America. Also scary. Hadn’t realised how much they had in common with crazy paranoid Patriots.
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That’s quite good. Off of 4chan.
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What all this Leno/Conan/Late Night Gubbins is about: a primer for friends in the UK (from little.red.boat )
Lengthy but clear explanation from Anna Pickard. Hurrah! I’m hoping she does get started on ‘Saturday Night Live’…
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Schneier on Security: The Comparative Risk of Terrorism
Some examples of how many Americans will die from different causes each day. eg, 50 murders, 85 suicides, 120 in traffic accidents. Every day.
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HomeAway Vacation Rentals: Beach Houses, Condos, Cabins, Villas & Vacation Rental Homes
Could do with “sort by distance from a given point” and better maps of each place’s location, but handy otherwise.
