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mostlysignssomeportents · 4 years

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Pluralist, your daily link-dose: 22 Feb 2020

Today’s links

Tax Justice Network publishes a new global Financial Secrecy Index: US and UK, neck-and-neck

What Marc Davis lifted from the Addams Family while designing the Haunted Mansion: Amateurs plagiarize, artists steal

ICANN should demand to see the secret financial docs in the .ORG selloff: at least it’s an Ethos

Wells Fargo will pay $3b for 2 million acts of fraud: they shoulda got the corporate death penalty

This day in history: 2019, 2015, 2010

Colophon: Recent publications, current writing projects, upcoming appearances, current reading

Tax Justice Network publishes a new global Financial Secrecy Index (permalink)

The Tax Justice Network just published its latest Financial Secrecy Index, the leading empirical index of global financial secrecy policies. The US continues to make a dismal showing, as does the UK (factoring in overseas territories).

https://fsi.taxjustice.net/en/

Both Holland and Switzerland backslid this year.

Important to remember that “bad governance” scandals in poor countries (like the multibillion-dollar Angolaleaks scandal) involve rich financial secrecy havens as laundries for looted national treasure.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/19/isabel-dos-santos-revealed-africa-richest-woman-2bn-empire-luanda-leaks-angola

As Tax Justice breaks it down: “The secrecy world creates a criminogenic hothouse for multiple evils including fraud, tax cheating, escape from financial regulations, embezzlement, insider dealing, bribery, money laundering, and plenty more. It provides multiple ways for insiders to extract wealth at the expense of societies, creating political impunity and undermining the healthy ‘no taxation without representation’ bargain that has underpinned the growth of accountable modern nation states. Many poorer countries, deprived of tax and haemorrhaging capital into secrecy jurisdictions, rely on foreign aid handouts.”

Talk about getting you coming and going! First we make bank helping your corrupt leaders rob you blind, then we loan you money so you can keep the lights on and get fat on the interest (and force you to sell off your looted, ailing state industries as “economic reforms”).

The Taxcast, which is the Network’s podcast, has a great special edition in which the index’s key researchers explain their work. It’s always a good day when a new Taxcast drops.

https://www.taxjustice.net/2020/02/20/financial-secrecy-index-who-are-the-worlds-worst-offenders-the-tax-justice-network-podcast-special-february-2020/

What Marc Davis lifted from the Addams Family while designing the Haunted Mansion (permalink)

It’s always a good day — a GREAT day — when the Long Forgotten Haunted Mansion blog does a new post, but today’s post, on the influence of the Addams Family TV show on Mansion co-designer Mark Davis? ::Chef’s Kiss::

https://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-addams-family-and-marc-davis.html

It’s clear that Davis was using Addams’s comics as reference, but, as Long Forgotten shows, the Davis sketches and concepts are straight up lifted from the TV show: “Amateurs plagiarize, artists steal.”

Some of these lifts are indisputable.

“Finally, it’s possible that Davis took a further cue from the insanely long sweater Morticia is knitting in ‘Fester’s Punctured Romance’ (Oct 2, 1964), but in this case I wouldn’t insist upon it.”

Likewise, from the TV show, “Bruno” the white bear rug that periodically bites people was obviously the inspiration for this Davis sketch for the Mansion. Long Forgotten is less certain about “Ophelia,” but I think it’s pretty clear where Davis was getting his ideas from here.

Davis was an unabashed plunderer and we are all better for it! “We’ve seen many other examples of Marc Davis taking ideas from here, there, and anywhere he could find them, but not many other examples of multiple inspiration from a single source.”

ICANN should demand to see the secret financial docs in the .ORG selloff (permalink)

ISOC — the nonprofit set up to oversee the .ORG registry — decided to sell off this asset (which they were given for free, along with $5M to cover setup expenses) to a mysterious private equity fund called Ethos Capital.

Some of Ethos’s backers are known (Republican billionaire families like the Romneys and the Perots) but much of its financing remains in the shadows. We do know that ICANN employees who help tee up the sale now work for Ethos, in a corrupt bit of self-dealing.

The deal was quietly announced and looked like a lock, but then public interest groups rose up to demand an explanation. Not only could Ethos expose nonprofits to unlimited rate-hikes (thanks to ICANN’s changes to its rules), they could do much, much worse.

If a .ORG registrant dropped its domain, Ethos could sell access to misdirected emails and domain lookups – so if you watchdog private equity funds and get destroyed by vexation litigation, Ethos could sell your bouncing email to the billionaires who crushed you.

More simply, Ethos could sell the kind of censorship-as-a-service it currently sells through its other registry, Donuts, which charges “processing fees” to corrupt governments and bullying corporations who want to censor the web by claiming libel or copyright infringement.

Ethos offered ISOC $1.135b for the sale, but $360m of that will come from a loan that .ORG will have to pay back, a millstone around its neck, dragging it down. Debt-loading healthy business as a means of bleeding them dry is a tried-and-true PE tactic – it’s what did in Toys R Us, Sears, and many other firms. The PE barons get a fortune, everyone else gets screwed.

The interest on .ORG’s loan will suck up $24m/year — TWO THIRDS of the free money that .ORG generates. .ORG is a crazily profitable nonprofit – it charges dollars to provide a service that costs fractional pennies, after all. In response to getting slapped around by some Members of Congress, the Pennsylvania AG, and millions of netizens, Ethos has made a promise to limit prices increases…for a while. And they say that they’ll be kept honest by the nonbinding recommendations of an “advisory council” whose members Ethos will appoint and who will serve at Ethos’s pleasure.

In a letter to ICANN, EFF and Americans for Financial Reform have called for transparency on the financing behind the sale: “hidden costs, loan servicing fees, and inducements to insiders.”

https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-seeks-disclosure-secret-financing-details-behind-11-billion-org-sale-asks-ftc

Wells Fargo will pay $3b for 2 million acts of fraud (permalink)

Wells Fargo stole from at least two million of its customers, pressuring its low-level employees to open fake accounts in their names, firing employees who refused (refuseniks were also added to industry-wide blacklists created to track crooked bankers). These fake accounts ran up fees for bank customers, including penalties, etc. In some cases, the damage to the victims’ credit ratings was so severe that they were turned down for jobs, unable to get house loans or leases, etc.

The execs who oversaw these frauds had plenty of red flags, including their own board members asking why the fuck their spouses had been sent mysterious Wells Fargo credit cards they’d never signed up for. Though these execs paid fines, they got to keep MILLIONS from this fraud (which was only one of dozens of grifts Wells Fargo engaged in this century, including stealing from small businesses, homeowners, military personnel, car borrowers, etc). Some of them may never work in banking again, but they’re all millionaires for life.

Now, Wells Fargo has settled with the DoJ for $3b, admitting wrongdoing and submitting to several years of oversight. That’s a good start, but it’s a bad finish.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51594117

The largest bank in America was, for DECADES, a criminal enterprise, preying on Americans of every description. It should no longer exist. It should be broken into constituent pieces, under new management. There would be enormous collateral damage from this (just as the family of a murderer suffers when he is made to face the consequences of his crimes). But what about the collateral damage to everyone who is savaged by a similarly criminal bank in the future, emboldened by Wells Fargo’s impunity?

Wells Fargo is paying a fine, but will have NO criminal charges filed against it.

https://newsroom.wf.com/press-release/corporate-and-financial/wells-fargo-reaches-settlements-resolve-outstanding-doj-and

If you or I stole from TWO MILLION people, we would not be permitted to pay a fine and walk away.

“I’ll believe corporations are people when the government gives one the death penalty.”

This day in history (permalink)

#15yrsago: Kottke goes full-time https://kottke.org/05/02/kottke-micropatron

#15yrsago: New Zealand’s regulator publishes occupational safety guide for sex workers: https://web.archive.org/web/20050909001954/http://www.osh.dol.govt.nz/order/catalogue/pdf/sexindustry.pdf

#10yrsago: Principal who spied on child through webcam mistook a Mike n Ike candy for drugs: https://reason.com/2010/02/20/lower-pervian-school-district/

#10yrsago: School where principal spied on students through their webcams had mandatory laptop policies, treated jailbreaking as an expellable offense https://web.archive.org/web/20100726204521/https://strydehax.blogspot.com/2010/02/spy-at-harrington-high.html

#10yrsago: Parents file lawsuit against principal who spied on students through webcams: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/pennsylvania-school-webcam-students-spying/story?id=9905488

#1yrago: Cybermercenary firm with ties to the UAE want the capability to break Firefox encryption https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/02/cyber-mercenary-groups-shouldnt-be-trusted-your-browser-or-anywhere-else

#1yrago: Fraudulent anti-Net Neutrality comments to the FCC traced back to elite DC lobbying firm https://gizmodo.com/how-an-investigation-of-fake-fcc-comments-snared-a-prom-1832788658

Colophon (permalink)

Today’s top sources: Naked Capitalism (https://nakedcapitalism.com/).

Hugo nominators! My story “Unauthorized Bread” is eligible in the Novella category and you can read it free on Ars Technica: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/unauthorized-bread-a-near-future-tale-of-refugees-and-sinister-iot-appliances/

Upcoming appearances:

The Future of the Future: The Ethics and Implications of AI, UC Irvine, Feb 22: https://www.humanities.uci.edu/SOH/calendar/event_details.php?eid=8263

Canada Reads Kelowna: March 5, 6PM, Kelowna Library, 1380 Ellis Street, with CBC’s Sarah Penton https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cbc-radio-presents-in-conversation-with-cory-doctorow-tickets-96154415445

Currently writing: I just finished a short story, “The Canadian Miracle,” for MIT Tech Review. It’s a story set in the world of my next novel, “The Lost Cause,” a post-GND novel about truth and reconciliation. I’m getting geared up to start work on the novel now, though the timing is going to depend on another pending commission (I’ve been solicited by an NGO) to write a short story set in the world’s prehistory.

Currently reading: I finished Andrea Bernstein’s “American Oligarchs” this week; it’s a magnificent history of the Kushner and Trump families, showing how they cheated, stole and lied their way into power. I’m getting really into Anna Weiner’s memoir about tech, “Uncanny Valley.” I just loaded Matt Stoller’s “Goliath” onto my underwater MP3 player and I’m listening to it as I swim laps.

Latest podcast: Persuasion, Adaptation, and the Arms Race for Your Attention: https://craphound.com/podcast/2020/02/10/persuasion-adaptation-and-the-arms-race-for-your-attention/

Upcoming books: “Poesy the Monster Slayer” (Jul 2020), a picture book about monsters, bedtime, gender, and kicking ass. Pre-order here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626723627?utm_source=socialmedia&utm_medium=socialpost&utm_term=na-poesycorypreorder&utm_content=na-preorder-buynow&utm_campaign=9781626723627

(we’re having a launch for it in Burbank on July 11 at Dark Delicacies and you can get me AND Poesy to sign it and Dark Del will ship it to the monster kids in your life in time for the release date).

“Attack Surface”: The third Little Brother book, Oct 20, 2020.

“Little Brother/Homeland”: A reissue omnibus edition with a very special, s00per s33kr1t intro.

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lilacleli · 7 years

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Colors

“You were red, and you liked me cause i was blue You touched me and suddenly i was a lilac sky”

-Colors by Halsey

•Grey•

It was at midnight when i met her. My party is a blast and everyone is having a great time except me so i decided i needed to go away for a bit and relax myself. I was on my way to my room when i heard my friends arguing about “who’s the richer character”. “I bet you $10 its Batman” Easton said “Okay well i bet on Tony Stark since he owns the good suit” Tristan states while wearing a smug expression. I went pass them and went to my room to chill for a bit and that’s where i see her.

•Lilac• Dear God does this party sucks or what. I wasnt really fond of going out of my room non else going to this party its just that Julia forced me telling me there’s food. Ha. Of course its the only reason why i went out. And of course she was wrong there isnt any food here ugh But oh well im in this decent room now. The only room that doesnt actually smell like booze or smoke or weed and isnt actually “occupied”. The person that owns this room must have shared the same love for comics as me. I mean, holy shit they had lots and some are limited edition but, hey, who on earth fixes their comics like that? Like, wtf? Such precious things shouldnt be placed like that. I MEAN ITS SUPPOSED TO BE IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION IN A STORAGE BOX AND NOT JUST THROWN AWAY AT THE SIDEEEE. And ugh some has grease stains on it ugh poor comics. Poor poor limited edition comics. I wish you were mine. But oh well we cant all have everything we want ha. So i’ll just read you.

-Purple- She was in the middle of reading when he came in. They stared at each other for a bit. His blue eyes met her hazel ones. He was in shock to see someone entering his room. While her, she was eavesdropping to the guys arguing outside.

•Grey•

“Nahh they’re wrong because its actually Black Panther who’s the richest since he owns the island where Varbranium or the shit used in Captain Americas shield is found and hey that shit is really really expensive” I think about it for a bit, getting interested and kind of forgetting she’s in my room “Is that legit?” I asked her. She looked at me with this face that clearly states ‘Do i look like im shitting you?’ “I do know this stuff and if you want, search it but im pretty sure its Black Panther” i contemplated a bit but nodded my head and went out to my friends “No no its not Ironman or Batman idiots because its actually Black Panther since he owns the island where the metal for Captain Americas shield is found and that shit is very expensive. And if you dont believe me search it up.” I said confidently. Theyre looking at me like i grew another head but they took their phones out and searched it and thank God she was right or else ugh. They handed me the $10 while i gave them a smirk and walked away. They’re still gawking when i saw them from my room. I went inside and saw that she’s still there but she was looking at them. “I think you just blew my friends minds” i told her and she just looked at me with a raised brow and chuckled lightly “well its nice sharing knowledge but anyhow i think you got the reward” She said looking at my hand where the money is in. She looked up at me and smiled sweetly “Well hun, be a doll and order us pizza because this party may seem awesome, but it doesnt have food though” She said grimacing. “Hey excuse you but theres food here in MY party” She had that sudden realization kind of facial reaction but she fixes it immediately “well i sure can’t find any and i’ve been here for an hour. Its all booze” rolling her eyes. “Well its a party, i had some chips and a couple of finger foods but hey people doesnt mind much about the food because mostly they came for the free alcohol” i told her as a matter a fact. She rolled her eyes at me and faced the comics back “ugh whatever just order something im hungry” i looked at her challengingly while she just looked up at me and gave me a ‘what?’ expression “Its my money i got from the bet.” “Yeah, but you see you wouldnt have that money if it isnt for me so im sure i have a share there and i know you wont say no to pizza i mean who can? So just make yourself useful and order us one” i gawked at her. Usually girls are too intimidated by me to tell me things to do, so this is new for me. “Oh and i dont like Hawaiian so just please order pepperoni or cheese or whatever just no pineapple and anchovies yuck” She told me after looking up from the comic book. I was gawking at her for a while till she coughed and raised a brow “You okay there pal? Are you high? If not can you understand me?” She asked while moving her fingers infront of my face. I snapped out of it and tried to catch her finger which she moved. I went to get my phone and call the pizza place near my house to order a large pepperoni pizza. After ordering i set my phone down at my bedside table. “It’ll be here in about 10 mins tops” i told her “oh okay, great” she said excitedly while standing up “hey, im gonna go out there for a bit to get drinks, do you want anything?” She asked. “Are you getting any alcohol? Because if not.. i uh actually have a mini fridge near the closet there with water and sodas and stuff” i said while checking my phone for other notifs. She was silent till i looked at her to see her gawking at me and looking at the fridge “wow, just shit you’re living the life bro oh my gosh” i chuckled at her reaction and went to the fridge. “What do you want?” She cleared her throat and pointed at the water bottle. I got her that and took a soda for myself. “Thanks” she said, giving me a small smile. She took a drink and looked back at the comics infront of her ldquo;So we’ve established that this is your party and this is your room so you own these babies right here” She said pointing at the comics “Did you know that you’re shit at packing them? Like how can you just leave these there? They’re limited edition” she said with wide eyes. “Okayyy” i said tilting my head a bit. Curious about what she’s pointing out here. “DUDE these comics are limited edition. That means they’re meant to be taken care of and not left at the side with pizza grease or summat. Its just, i know they’re yours but as a poor comic collector this is such a big crime to me like how can you just do this to these expensive babies??” She rambled. She looks passionate yet laughable because she looks so serious. I cant help but laugh at her. “Why are you laughing??” She asked frantically. “Its just that, you’re really passionate about this” I smirked at her. “Of course i am this is my life i mean i live for this. I love reading and these things are precious to me.” She said while putting a hand at her heart. I cant help but laugh at her again, making her slap my arm. “Shut upppp” she whined. “Did you know there’s a proper way of storing these babies? And if you want i can help you store them! No wait i’ll actually store them for you! Just let me find a box” she stood up to find a box. “I didnt agree yet. What if i just want them scattered there?” I asked her while im still sitting on the floor looking up at her “Well i dont care. My heart wouldn’t be in peace if i left those there so im stacking them properly with or without your permission” One of the guys from outside knocked on my door to tell me the pizzas here. I went out to grab and pay for it. “Wow man what’s with the pizza? And why are you taking it up to your room? Did you finally took a girl up there? Woah bro youre finally getting some action in your own room” Easton laughed with the other guys. “Ugh no, shut the fuck up” I grumbled on the way back to my room. I turned back to the door to see her peaking “Oh you’re backkkk with food” she rushed to get the pizza from me and sat down with it on the floor. “Hey get some napkins please and another bottle of water for me. Thanks” she said while taking one of the pizza. “Ugh its so good, finally im so hungry” she said while devouring the pizza. “I heard what those guys said. Let me just clear it to you that im not here for your own pleasure or here to drink or share a joint with you” she said with an awkward laugh “And if im kind of cockblocking you from anyone i can leave just give me the pizza and let me fix the comics real quick” She said while wiping her hands at the napkin. “No, its fine, and im actually on the way here earlier to chill a bit and im not interested in you, no offence-” she scoffed and rolled her eyes “or in lighting up a joint with you” “ok cool, so i’ll just stack these. Please watch closely so you’ll know how to properly do it because these really needs to be taken care of” she said while stacking the comics in the box. “Ok ok, just stack them and i’ll look” We spent almost an hour stacking them up alphabetically because she insisted since “its better to find what you need when theyre in an alphabetical order” We finished stacking and put the box on the side of my bed. She picked up another slice and sat down beside me. “Why are you here anyways? I mean you’re not here for the free drinks, you’re not also here for the weed, youre also not here to find a hook up and from my observation youre not also here to secretly rob me,so what brings you here to my party?” She looked up at me, pizza still in her hand. “Im here for the food but since this party is lacking of it and i hate drinking, i went to find the quietest place to chill since my cousin, the one who took me here and promised me food is still down there partying or exchanging saliva with her boyfriend” She said looking at her pizza and taking a bite. “Who’s your cousin? And why haven’t i seen you before?” I looked at her curiously. “Oh my cousins name is Julia, she’s a junior while me, im an upcoming sophomore majoring in Early Childhood Education and i just moved here from San Diego” she said while picking some of the pepperoni on the pizza “That’s cool, hope you enjoy it here” i said awkwardly “Are you this awkward with welcoming new people?” She asked with an amused expression. I scoffed “No, its just, i dont know what to say” She laughed a bit and looked straight at me “How bout you comic dude, what year are you?” “Im a junior and i major in Psychology” i told her “That’s cool, hope you enjoy it” She said mocking me. I rolled my eyes at her and looked at her properly. Hazel eyes, long brown hair, long lashes, button nose and heart shaped lips. She’s chubby and small too, wearing an oversized sweater and jeans rolled up at the end, which is a bit cute, to be honest. All in all she’s not that bad but she’s far from my type.“Now comic dude tell me, Who’s your fave superhero?” She asked and it all went down from there. We talked for a bit til she checked her phone and groaned “Ugh Julia is looking for me now. She finally remembered that im in this party too” She said while looking at her phone again “ooohhh and now she’s tired and wants to go home because now she kinda feel bad i spent my first day in LA here. Awhh how sweet” She said sarcastically. “Well at least now she’s thinking of you” i smiled at her “Yeah yeah whatever. Thanks for the pizza, comic dude and also for the company. I think i’ll find her now” She said standing up and brushing the side of her jeans, giving me a small wave. I watched her walk to the door till it occured to me that we dont actually know each other. She’s almost at the door when i called her “Hey wait” she glanced at me. “We’ve been talking all night about stuff and i just realized we dont actually exchanged names” She looked at me and laughed “We didn’t? Gosh my parents would be so disappointed in me, not being well mannered and all” She said while wiping her hands at the end of her sweater. “Well i think mine would be disappointed too so i’ll just start. I’m Greyson or Grey, but some call me JJ for reasons.” I said holding out my hand to her. “Well hi Greyson or Grey that’s sometimes called JJ for reasons. My name is Lilac and im pleased to meet you” she said shaking my hand. “Lilac… that’s a very unique name” “I know” she said with a smug expression.

-Purple- The room is quiet, a bit of music can be heard from outside. Two colors met, waiting to be blend. Grey met Lilac and Lilac met Grey. Their hands intertwined with a promise of a new beginning that despite their difference, holds a colorful future.

#drabbles #beginnings #colors #shortstories

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