March, 2014 archive
Unintended Consequences 0
Dick Polman considers the legacy of Fred Phelps and draws a surprising conclusion: that his bigotry and hate-full-ness rebounded against itself. A snippet (emphasis added):
The Duke of Hazardous by the Numbers 0
Facing South does the math. A nugget:
Factor by which that exceeds the amount of wastewater spilled into the Dan River last month from another Duke Energy coal ash dump due to a broken pipe: 2
Date on which the environmental watchdog Waterkeeper Alliance flew a plane over Duke’s Cape Fear site and spotted pumps at the impoundments, leading it to notify regulators: 3/10/2014
It’s the System, Stupid 0
Aside:
When I watched this on YouTube, it was preceded by a painful, poorly-acted advertisement full of pro-Keystone XL Pipeline propaganda.
End of a Musical Era 0
Rap music has now been thoroughly co-opted.
I dare you to watch it all the way through.
(He must be doing pretty well; the store just moved into new quarters.)
Brackets 0
Not here.
The NCAA is irretrievably corrupt and undeserving of attention.
Will the sports writers of America notice?
Probably not.
The circus pays for their bread.
News Flashers 0
No doubt someone will blame this on all the marijuana on the East Slope.
Rebranding 0
A kinder, gentler KKK, my anatomy (emphasis in the orginal).
The Duke of Hazardous Hauls Ash 0
Just what makes this “news”? It’s “olds.”
State Department of Environment and Natural Resources spokesman Jamie Kritzer says the action violated Duke’s wastewater permit at its Cape Fear plant.
Ricin Beans 0
George Smith explores the recent ricin kerfuffle in Pennsylvania, where a kid sent powdered castor beans to his ex-girlfriend’s new squeeze. You really cannot top his headline, which encapsulates the sacrifice of True Love (or abuse, or manipulation, or something):
Read the rest.
A Case of Malayse 0
Stu Bykofsky is fed up with the coverage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
Talking about the facts, or so-called facts, provides a case study of the weakness of breaking-news journalism, often called the first draft of history. It’s the first draft, not the final draft.
He goes on to compare the coverage to the last days of the TV show Lost (the fascination for which ever escaped me).
He sums up in one column why I avoid broadcast news. It’s become venal voyeurism for vapid viewers, less nutritious than a Hostess Twinkie.
Emily Pasted 0
Beware the courtesy cops.
When Morris (seen at right) asked the man what he had said, the attacker picked up a chair and struck Morris in the elbow. Morris said that the man then grabbed him by the throat and tried to head-butt him. At that point, Cara Martin, a 17-year-old Taco Bell worker, interceded and ordered the man to leave the restaurant.
Tax the Trades 0
Put the brakes on the banksters’ three-card monte.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” (Updated) 0
More self-politenss.
She called authorities, and Iredell EMS and first responders came to the home. They reported that Tatum had a single gunshot wound to the chest.
According to the story, he was using “steel targets.”
Afterthought:
This is “Darwin Award” territory.
Addendum:
My first idea for a precaution would be, “Don’t use steel targets.”
Jesus.
