April, 2013 archive
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Defend yourself, politely.
The licensed gun owner, however, told police that he gunned down the tiny dog because it was threatening him.
I get that little yippy dogs are annoying, but really.
Spill Here, Spill Now 0
Buccaneer Petroleum’s legacy continues, from the base of the aquatic food chain on up:
“Everywhere the plume went, the die-off went,” Hollander said.
The discovery by USF scientists marks yet another sign that damage from the disaster is still being revealed as its third anniversary looms. Although initially some pundits said the spill wasn’t as bad as everyone feared, further scientific research has found that corals in the gulf died. Anglers hauled in fish with tattered fins and strange lesions. And dolphins continue dying.
The full implications of the die-off are yet to be seen. The foraminifera are consumed by clams and other creatures, who then provide food for the next step in the food chain, . . . .
Good Old Golden Rules Days . . . . 0
Sequestrian Dressage 0
Dick Polman has some words for Republicans bemoaning sequestration and demanding, “Hey, cut the other guy’s stuff!” A nugget:
Do read the rest and savor his last paragraph.
I don’t want to spoil it.
Unseen 2
Dan Froomkin wonders why poverty, which is all around us (just look around), does not make the news. A nugget:
“Poverty exists in a wealthy country largely as a result of political choices, not as a result of pure economics,” argues Sasha Abramsky, a journalist whose upcoming book is called “The American Way of Poverty.” “The U.S. poverty rate is higher than most other developed nations, and the only way you can square that is there are political choices being made—or not being made—that accept a level of poverty that most wealthy democracies have said is unacceptable. We make these policy choices that perpetuate poverty, and then because poverty is so extreme, it becomes impolite to talk about.”
In this part of the world, about the only significant news coverage of poverty comes when a tent city gets cleared.
Stray Thought 0
Mad Men: Downton Abbey for the colonies.
News, Ripped from the Ticker 4
Read Harvard’s story on the fluoride study that Mr. Ticker refers to. Not surprisingly, it’s somewhat over-stated in the video.
After all, why should he be any more accurate than the networks (and he at least admits he’s a parody, something Meet the Press has not yet fessed up to).
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Walking your dog is a great way to meet your neighbors, politely.
Gibbie was charged with misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon and was released later Monday on bond.
Afterthought:
“Misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon”–what a curious concept.
Great Moments in Proofreading 0
Is there too little mold in your life?
Fight back now!
H/T Susan for catching this.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
My gut tells me that sequestrian dressage is starting to hit a rhythm, but it’s not mentioned in the report.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims rose to 354,250 from 343,000.
(snip)
Economists’ estimates in the Bloomberg survey ranged from claims of 330,000 to 400,000.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits fell by 8,000 to 3.06 million in the week ended March 23.
I don’t have as much faith in monetary policy as Ben Bernanke seems to. From later in the story:
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and his colleagues reiterated March 20 they will press on with monetary easing until the labor market outlook improves “substantially.”
Growing demand will help to sustain employment amid concern about the impact of the automatic federal budget cuts, or sequestration, which were triggered last month as lawmakers failed to reach a compromise on ways to reduce the nation’s deficit.
Campaigning from the Appalachian Trial 0
Once again, Republican tribalism trumps Republican professed* beliefs.
Frank Rich:
The chutzpah is astounding. A Democrat’s political career would be over (think: Anthony Weiner, Elliot Spitzer).
______________________
*”Professed”–what they claim they believe, as opposed to–oh, never mind.
Copyrights and Copywrongs 0
There’s a lot of “maybe” and “perhaps” in this report, but, given the history of draconian tactics by the MPAA and the RIAA, they are likely to be likelies.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Show your appreciation of nature, politely.
They found the female great blue heron first.
She huddled on the left bank of a pond off Greenfarm Road last month, left wing bloody and hanging off her body. She was too weak to fight or flee when Carolina Waterfowl rescue volunteers arrived to capture her.
Two days later, Caroline Hicks, one of the many residents who live around the small pond, found the heron’s mate in her yard in similar condition.
Both had been shot by someone authorities say intentionally targeted the birds. Rescue workers last week euthanized the herons after they were unable to repair their injuries.
Stray Thought 0
It is much better to take a long stretch than to serve a long stretch.
