Meta-spam!

This morning, the following email was in my box:

U.S. DoS - Public Communication Secretaria del Poderjudicial [secretaria@poderjudicial.gob.ni] Sent: Monday, May 04, 2015 3:14 AM

The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, has registered and notified you as one of the 2015 DV Green Card Lottery Selectee. USCIS Immigration Service Email: U.S.C.I.S@usa.com Tell: +12705944738 Rafaela Urroz Immigrant Non-Immigrant Visa Unit

I am not making this up. Note that there is no link to click on to transmit my personal information and that I already have permission to work in the US.

It also purports to be from the US State dept., but is from a Nicaraguan government address.

But there are websites out there claiming that the "Kentucky Consular Center" does indeed process green card lottery winners.

So, what is the scam here people? Where is the money making opportunity? Is it a coincidence that Nicaragua sounds a lot like Nigeria?

Nut, But not JUST a nut. Troll, but not JUST a troll.

Okay, so my man Windwheel is a nut.  But he's not JUST a nut.  And he's a ridiculous, scabrous troll.  But he's not JUST a troll.

He is also a performance artist.  It's NSFW, it's deeply offensive.  And you will have fun.  I'm sorry, you will never get that 20 minutes back.  But check it out.

The idea of Socio-proctology alone is worth the price of admission (i.e., free).

If you read this post, you're a bad person

Amazing piece on Slate , titled, "If you send your child to private school, you're a bad person"

Here's the thesis:

it seems to me that if every single parent sent every single child to public school, public schools would improve. This would not happen immediately. It could take generations. Your children and grandchildren might get mediocre educations in the meantime, but it will be worth it, for the eventual common good.

According to the article, this happens because it's the activist parents who take their kids out, so if they were in, their activism would be channeled into improving the public school.

As of 2007 (latest data I saw, thanks to Andrew Young), 88% of kids go to public schools. So if they stink at this level of participation, somehow getting the last 12% in would make a long-run difference? This I doubt.

I also think, as Alex T. pointed out many years ago, that exit makes voice effective. Or put another way, voice without exit is of limited use (think about complaining at the DMV).

People, you do not owe the government blind support and cooperation. You absolutely do not.