Where does the popular phrase “no taxation without representation” really come from? John Hampden, who ignited a resistance against the King of England, is arguably the source. The modern belief — a government should not tax its populace unless represented — was developed in the years leading to English Civil War, following Hampden’s very public … Continue reading British Ship Money: 1630s Origins of “Taxation Without Representation”→
Rowan Atkinson has some brilliant things to say about why nobody should be in a rush to buy an electric car. In terms of manufacture, [modern ICE] cars have paid their environmental dues and, although it is sensible to reduce our reliance on them, it would seem right to look carefully at ways of retaining … Continue reading “If you really need a car, buy an old one and use it as little as possible”→
Interesting thoughts by someone realizing their whole life improved when they quit orienting their life around gasoline. Every side of the EV industry is focused on fast charging, and making it faster. It should be—on a road trip or otherwise needing to minimize downtime, it’s crucial to plug in somewhere that can charge as rapidly … Continue reading Slow Chargers Save Time→
In 2019 I was invited to speak to a San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) about robot dangers. Here’s a slide I presented documenting a long yet sparse history of human deaths. Note, this is known civilian deaths. The rate of death from sloppy extrajudicial Palantir has … Continue reading Robots Been Killing People for Years: USAF Brings It Up And People Get Scared→