Here's looking at you

The New York Times publishes a series on cell phone tracking; this is the first installment (does not seem to be behind a paywall). It's very definitely worth a read. Cool illustrations, too. 

Opinion | Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy - The New York Times

https://nyti.ms/2ZdWBC7

So I'm steaming into Walgreen's this afternoon…

…wearing my Bowler and a red scarf (and some other things, but those are the highlights) and listening to Mozart on earbuds, and two teen-age boys are coming out at the same time and one of them says to me, hey, you look mad dope.

I have no idea.

But at least it wasn't mad dog.

Being a little, um, catty here, aren't we?

Movie Review: 'Cats' a Strange Species Mashup | National Review

Cats took far too long to make its way to the big screen, and today it feels like a splashy re-launch of the hottest Atari video game of 1982.

http://bit.ly/2M8iaOY

Disclosure: I never saw Cats nor ever wanted to; I like the poem and it always seemed a good idea to me to just let well enough alone.

Atari was cool, though.

Those Russians are on a real winning streak

Earth's magnetic north pole is speeding towards Russia

So, what exactly does this mean for the fate of humanity? Well, very little. These types of changes to the planet's magnetic poles aren't believed to be tied to any end-of-the-world scenarios, despite what popular science fiction movies would have you believe.

http://bit.ly/35A5c4e

We are easily amused

Charlestown Lobster Heist "Was a Very Boston Experience for Everyone"

A thief stole thousands of dollars in crustaceans, then crashed into another lobster truck.

http://bit.ly/2s1TtNn

(Will Affleck make the movie?)

So if Google can figure out how to get your chewing gum too…

Scientists Extract Entire Human Genome From Ancient 'Chewing Gum' : Shots - Health News : NPR

https://n.pr/2PCncWl

Flivver no more

Driving surveillance: What does your car know about you? We hacked a 2017 Chevy to find out. - The Washington Post

On a recent drive, a 2017 Chevrolet collected my precise location. It stored my phone's ID and the people I called. It judged my acceleration and braking style, beaming back reports to its maker General Motors over an always-on Internet connection.

https://wapo.st/2sB56L4

So then it's true

Michigan family refuses to eat 141-year-old holiday fruitcake

Despite its old age, a food safety specialist told the "Today" show that the 141-year-old cake is safe to eat.

http://bit.ly/2Z2Grv5

Smile

The US, like China, has about one surveillance camera for every four people, says report - The Verge

http://bit.ly/2spaNvz

Many years ago I worked in a building where even the toilet paper was classified. There was nothing secret about the toilet paper, of course; this was just the Army's way of saying nothing in the building was to be taken out of the building except one or two specific items, which were the only specific items we were allowed to take in. 

One of those specific items was a comb. It being a military installation, everyone inside it was always likely to undergo a snap inspection by some (br)ass, and it wouldn't do to not look shaped up and neat.

If I still had hair I would be thinking about carrying a comb everywhere again. For the cameras.