Month: July 2016

The Dangerous Acceptance of Donald Trump

Jason Tate

The New Yorker:

The American Republic stands threatened by the first overtly anti-democratic leader of a large party in its modern history—an authoritarian with no grasp of history, no impulse control, and no apparent barriers on his will to power. The right thing to do, for everyone who believes in liberal democracy, is to gather around and work to defeat him on Election Day. Instead, we seem to be either engaged in parochial feuding or caught by habits of tribal hatred so ingrained that they have become impossible to escape even at moments of maximum danger.

Sponsor: Thank You Audible

Audible
Sponsored Post

My thanks to Audible.com for sponsoring Chorus this week. They are currently offering a free 30-day trial that comes with two free audio books, and if you’ve got any kind of commute, I can’t recommend finding some time to listen to audibooks enough. One of the things I love about Audible is how easy they make the return process — if you order something to check out, start it and don’t like it, they’re really great about letting you return the book without any hassle.

I’ve been currently reading Armada, so if you’re looking for something new to check out, that’s definitely worth giving a look.

The Last VCR Will Be Manufactured This Month

Technology
Jason Tate

Ananya Bhattacharya, writing for QZ:

Surprising fact: there’s a company still making video-cassette recorders, or VCRs. But that will change at the end of this month.

Japan’s Funai Electronics, which makes its own electronics, in addition to supplying companies like Sanyo, will produce the last batch of VCR units by July 30, Nikkei reported (link in Japanese). The company cites difficulty in obtaining the necessary parts as one of the reasons for halting production.

Reddit Is Still in Turmoil

Reddit
Jason Tate

Kate Conger, writing at TechCrunch:

However, sources say Reddit’s internal turmoil can be traced back to the company’s ongoing struggle to leave its antagonistic culture behind. Several employees fended off uncomfortable comments from users and management alike, sources claimed. “Management is terrible, a complete reflection of what the site is like,” one source said.

Donald Trump’s Nomination Is Terrifying

Jason Tate

Ezra Klein, writing for Vox, on the nomination of Donald Trump for President:

He has had plenty of time to prove me, and everyone else, wrong. But he hasn’t. He has not become more responsible or more sober, more decent or more generous, more considered or more informed, more careful or more kind. He has continued to retweet white supremacists, make racist comments, pick unnecessary fights, contradict himself on the stump, and show an almost gleeful disinterest in building a real campaign or learning about policy.

Here is what we know — truly know — about Trump. Here is why he should not be president.

It is downright terrifying that there’s even a chance this man could be President of the United States.