Monday, November 16, 2020

Big Brother will keep you safe, forever.

https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/16/australia_contact_tracing_review_payment_recommendation/

Australia to track Coronavirus encounters with payment card records

Australia will develop the capability to use payment records in the service of coronavirus contact tracing.

A National Contact Tracing Review released last Friday called for a raft of information technology responses to the pandemic, on grounds that containment of the novel coronavirus will be needed even after a vaccine emerges. The report notes that Australia has generally done very well managing the pandemic, but that some contact tracing efforts still rely on handwritten records and contact details are inconsistently recorded in public venues such as restaurants.





Contrast with the Russian standard (You disagree? You need help!) Is this why Trump moved to Florida?

S.D.N.Y.: Mental health detentions don’t require actual showing of dangerous behavior; probability enough

From FourthAmendment.com:

A mental health detention requires “requires only a ‘probability or substantial chance’ of dangerous behavior, not an actual showing of such behavior.’” … Probable cause for involuntary hospitalization may be established from ‘information gleaned from informants[,] … normally the putative victim or eyewitness, unless the circumstances raise doubt as to the person’s veracity.’ … “However, the ‘harm to self or others’ standard is not met by evidence suggesting merely that the person is emotionally disturbed. See Myers, 819 F.3d at 634 (‘A person may be annoyed, uncooperative, and irrational without presenting a danger to herself or of violence to others.’).” “Insofar as plaintiff contends that the undisputed evidence assembled by defendants does not warrant summary judgment under the ‘harm to self or others’ standard, she is correct. Defendants do not identify, nor has the Court found, any cases holding that probable cause existed for a mental health seizure on facts similar to the ones in this case. To the contrary: courts in the Second Circuit generally find probable cause for a mental health seizure only where there were threats of harm to others, suicidal threats, clear evidence of self-harm, the possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon by a mentally disturbed person, or some combination of those factors. ….” Guan v. City of New York, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 212611 (S.D. N.Y. Sept. 18, 2020).





For my researchers.

https://books.google.com/ngrams/info#

Google Books Ngram Viewer

When you enter phrases into the Google Books Ngram Viewer, it displays a graph showing how those phrases have occurred in a corpus of books (e.g., "British English", "English Fiction", "French") over the selected years.

[Try searching for “facial recognition” here: https://books.google.com/ngrams Bob]





A ‘culture break’ for shut ins.

https://www.bespacific.com/virtual-art-museums-and-online-exhibits-you-can-visit-during-pandemic/

Virtual art museums and online exhibits you can visit during pandemic

Rappler – “In the months we’ve been in lockdown due to the pandemic, a means of escape has been through art. Whether it be books, songs, films, or a newfound passion for painting, art has been our solace. To celebrate Go To An Art Museum Day on November 9, we’ve curated a list of museums you can visit in the comfort of your homes and at your own pace.…”



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