Author Archive for: Rayne
About Rayne
Blogger since 2002, political activist since 2003, geek since birth. Opinions informed by mixed-race, multi-ethnic, cis-female condition, further shaped by kind friends of all persuasions. Sci-tech frenemy, wannabe artist, decent cook, determined author, successful troublemaker. Mother of invention and two excessively smart-assed young adult kids. Attended School of Hard Knocks; Rather Unfortunate Smallish Private Business School in Midwest; Affordable Mid-State Community College w/evening classes. Self-employed at Tiny Consulting Business; previously at Large-ish Chemical Company with HQ in Midwest in multiple marginalizing corporate drone roles, and at Rather Big IT Service Provider as a project manager, preceded by a motley assortment of gigs before the gig economy was a thing. Blogging experience includes a personal blog at the original blogs.salon.com, managing editor for a state-based news site, and a stint at Firedoglake before landing here at emptywheel as technology’s less-virginal-but-still-accursed Cassandra.
Entries by Rayne
Wednesday: Big Wheels Turning
/4 Comments/in automobiles, Culture, Cybersecurity, Domestic Policy, Education/by RayneHard to believe this was made in 1982. Yeah, the production quality doesn’t match today’s digital capabilities, but the story itself seems really prescient. How can an ethically-compromised bloviating bigot manage to fumble his way into office? Now you know. Bet you can even offer constructive feedback on how director Danny DeVito could update this […]
Tuesday: Change of Pace
/12 Comments/in automobiles, Culture, Domestic Policy, Energy Policy, Environment/by RayneI need a break — a change of pace after the last several day’s nonstop doom-and-gloom observing what has become an American version of the Day of the Dead. Add the nauseating bullshit misogynist circus piling on the “church faint” by a post-menopausal woman wearing too much clothing in humid weather while recovering from pneumonia. […]
‘Picking on’ Volkswagen: Why Follow Dieselgate?
/15 Comments/in automobiles, Culture/by RayneOne of our commenters described my attention to Dieselgate as ‘picking on’ Volkswagen. It’s not as if there haven’t been scandalous problems with other automotive industry manufacturers, like General Motors’ ignition switches or Takata’s airbag failures, right? But Volkswagen earns greater attention here at this site because: 1) A critical mass of emptywheel readers are […]
Thursday: Alien Occupation
/10 Comments/in automobiles, Climate Change, Culture, Domestic Policy, Energy Policy/by RayneSince I missed a Monday post with a movie clip I think I’ll whip out a golden oldie for today’s post. This movie — especially this particular scene — still gets to me 37 years after it was first released. The ‘chestburster’ as scene is commonly known is the culmination of a body horror trope […]
Tuesday: In a Season of Crime
/2 Comments/in Culture, Domestic Policy, Energy Policy, Environment/by RayneRide the train, I’m far from home In a season of crime, none need atone I kissed your face — excerpt, Sue (or In a Season of Crime) by David Bowie Bowie left us an amazing parting shot with his 25th and final album, Blackstar. The cut featured here is a free jazz/jazz-rock fusion work […]
Wednesday: If I Had a Heart
/2 Comments/in Culture, Cybersecurity, Domestic Policy, Energy Policy/by RayneCrushed and filled with all I found Underneath and inside Just to come around More, give me more, give me more — excerpt, If I Had a Heart by Fever Ray Today’s featured single is from Fever Ray’s eponymous debut album ‘Fever Ray’, the stage name for Swedish singer, songwriter and record producer Karin Elisabeth […]
Monday: A Different Ark
/2 Comments/in Culture, Cybersecurity, Drones/by Rayne[Caution: some content in this video is NSFW] Today’s Monday Movie is a short film by Patrick Cederberg published three years ago. This short reflects the love life of a youth whose age is close to that of my two kids. A few things have changed in terms of technology used — I don’t think […]
Thursday: Only You
/11 Comments/in automobiles, Culture, Cybersecurity/by RayneSometimes when I go exploring for music I find something I like but it’s a complete mystery how it came to be. I can’t tell you much of anything about this artist — only that he’s German, he’s repped by a company in the Netherlands, and his genre is house/electronica. And that’s it, apart from […]