ripperdoc's clinic

Great satire like any good scifi should be. Read and rejoice!

An interesting read on US biggest privately held company, Koch Industries, which is largely unknown to the public.

Koch Industries, Inc. owns a diverse group of companies that are engaged in trading, operations and investments worldwide. It has a presence in 50 countries in such industries as petroleum, chemicals, energy, fibres, resins, fertilisers, pulp and paper, ranching, securities and finance. 

(via @GreatDismal)

Ironic, eh? Eventually, will not raise any eyebrows. Or what about chemical companies lobbying for more capital punishment…

Using automation software that slogs through Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, LinkedIn, blogs, and “thousands of other sources,” the company develops a report on the “real you” —- not the carefully crafted you in your resume. The service is called Social Intelligence Hiring. The company promises a 48-hour turn-around.

The reports feature a visual snapshot of what kind of person you are, evaluating you in categories like “Poor Judgment,” “Gangs,” “Drugs and Drug Lingo” and “Demonstrating Potentially Violent Behavior.” The company mines for rich nuggets of raw sewage in the form of racy photos, unguarded commentary about drugs and alcohol and much more.

The company also offers a separate Social Intelligence Monitoring service to watch the personal activity of existing employees on an ongoing basis…. The service provides real-time notification alerts, so presumably the moment your old college buddy tags an old photo of you naked, drunk and armed on Facebook, the boss gets a text message with a link.

Buying up a part of Madagascar big as half of Belgium, not to feed the locals but to supply palm oil for Korea (more of those beauty products, perhaps?)

An altruistic millionaire spends a fortune on high-tech vehicles and an arsenal of non-lethal weaponry — including sonic blasters and photonic disruptors — for a vigilante battle against similarly-armed villains. Nope, it’s not a comic book plot. This is real life, according to a story in the New Yorker about the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s recent tussle with some Japanese whalers.