Zappos.com recently had a data breach. As data breaches go, it was not nearly as bad as it could has been: no full credit card numbers leaked, nor any plaintext passwords. What makes it special, then? It’s somewhat special to me, since it is, to my knowledge, the first time that I have been part… Continue reading Zappos Data Breach
Author: Nathan Hunstad
The misappropriation of morality
It’s been pretty fun to watch the GOP presidential race and all of the non-Mitt-on-Mitt violence going on, as you may imagine. However, never did I expect to hear people like Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry attack Mitt Romney using language that sounds like it would be more at home coming out of the Occupy… Continue reading The misappropriation of morality
Regulating Banks
Now that the CFPB has somebody in charge despite Republican efforts to the contrary, it can actually start getting into the business of what it was created to do: protect consumers by regulating financial products. And it just so happens that some news I read today provides a handy example for thinking about what exactly… Continue reading Regulating Banks
Obama Reaps the McConnell-wind
President Obama made a recess appointment today to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which caused Republicans to absolutely flip out (A Fox News blog screamed that he “mocks the Constitution”, which I have to say gave me quite the chuckle). Is Obama a dictator? Is he wielding absolute powers? Does Fox News distort the truth?… Continue reading Obama Reaps the McConnell-wind
The reality of debt
It may be the night of the Iowa caucuses, but I don’t feel like commenting on the hilarity therein: if you want to read about how Michele Bachmann thinks one of the most important issues facing the U.S. is light bulbs, how Rick Santorum wants to allow states to outlaw birth control, or how Herman… Continue reading The reality of debt
New photos up: Christmas
I’ve uploaded a few photos from our trip to Omaha for Christmas. A couple samples below the fold.
Installing Ubuntu on a Dell Inspiron 1501
It’s been a while since I did a tech update, but nothing like doing OS installs on a Friday night. My nearly 5 year old laptop, a Dell Inspiron 1501, is on its last legs. The only thing I use it for is BOINC, so I figured that installing Ubuntu would give it a bit… Continue reading Installing Ubuntu on a Dell Inspiron 1501
First Amendment Nuttiness
The First Amendment to the Constitution is probably the most misunderstood amendment, likely because it is the one that most people know about. Few things are funnier than hearing it misused by people who say things like “You can’t ban me from this website, I have First Amendment rights!” It’s one thing for internet trolls… Continue reading First Amendment Nuttiness
Spare a dollar (coin)?
The U.S. is going to continue to fail at introducing a dollar coin until it removes the dollar bill at the same time. This isn’t terribly hard to understand. It also isn’t hard to understand the benefits: coins last much longer, are more convenient for things like vending machines, parking meters, buses, and other low-denomination… Continue reading Spare a dollar (coin)?
Subverting Success
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell famously said that the number one priority of Republicans is to make Obama a one-term president. As a necessary conclusion from this assertion, Republicans are trying to deny any kind of success to Obama. Even if that means deliberately subverting a program that aims to expand health care coverage to… Continue reading Subverting Success