Verbatim: What Is a Photocopier? – Video – NYTimes.com.

In 2012, on my Facebook feed, I stumbled across a hilarious excerpt from a legal transcript. In a deposition in Ohio, a lawyer became embroiled in an absurd argument about the definition of a photocopier.

D: When you say “photocopying machine,” what do you mean?

PL: Let me be clear. The term “photocopying machine” is so ambiguous that you can’t picture in your mind what a photocopying machine is in an office setting?

This is so great. More please!

‘Smart’ Firearm Draws Wrath of the Gun Lobby – NYTimes.com.

This sounds like pretty decent tech. I’m not surprised that the pro-gun lobby is against it, but I am disturbed by the tactics of some gun nuts who feel that they can harass and even threaten someone because they dislike the tech. If you don’t like the laws (in NJ) then change them. If you don’t like the tech, don’t buy it.

And when you were finished handwriting a section of code – perhaps a full program, perhaps a subroutine – you’d gather these sheets together (carefully numbered in sequence, of course) and send them along to the folks in the data entry department.

They’d type it in.

And the next day you’d get a report to find out if it compiled or not.

via Getting Started, circa 1983

Slate: Craig Ferguson is Leaving Late Late Show. That’s Bad News, Even if You Hate Late Night Television.

This is a good article about the end of Craig Ferguson’s term on the Late Late Show. I can’t say I watch late night TV too often (or any TV for that matter), but the times I have watched his show I’ve enjoyed it. I’m sad to see him go. This video that goes along with the article is a great exemplar of why he’s so good. He’s not just funny, he’s sincere and smart and honest and watching his show is like hanging out with a good friend.

Student evaluations of college professors are biased and worthless..

Student as customer. That is how some administrators view the business if education. There’s really not much reason otherwise to give any weight to a student’s uninformed opinion of their teacher’s abilities. That’s not to say the the teacher can’t gleam something useful from the evaluations. But the information would seem to have much empirical value.

F.C.C., in a Shift, Backs Fast Lanes for Web Traffic – NYTimes.com.

Ok, last one for now.

FCC will seek input on 'pay-for-priority' Net neutrality proposal | Networking – InfoWorld.

Digital rights groups Public Knowledge and Free Press objected to the plan to allow commercial traffic management agreements, sometimes referred to as peering agreements.

The term “peering agreement” doesn’t feel right to describe what’s going on here since it has traditionally been used to describe the interconnections between network providers. A practice that has made the interconnectedness of the Internet possible. Peering agreements can still come in to play with net neutrality, but don’t play quite as large a role as bandwidth discrimination.

Washington’s revolving door: Cellular lobby and FCC have traded leaders | Ars Technica.

And so a reason for the recent Net Neutrality decision is clear.

Net Neutrality Finally Dies at Ripe Old Age of 45 | Mother Jones.

This is a disturbing development that will have serious and detrimental consequences for the future of the Internet. I will gladly sign up for the first ISP who makes Net Neutrality a core mission statement and acts accordingly.

How Do We Know the Earth Orbits the Sun? | Science Blogs | WIRED.

This is a nice article. The writing is casual, like you’re talking to a friend. The ideas posited are easily grasped. But even better is the way the article gives insight into thinking like a scientist.