January, 2015 archive
“May You Live in Interesting Times” 0
Werner Herzog’s Bear expects an interesting year. He is not optimistic.
Read the disquieting rest.
The Triumph of the Regency 0
The Regent is the consensus winner of TPM’s “Golden Duke Awards,” awarded in honor of Congressman Randy “Grease My Palm” Cunningham. Here’s what one of the judges had to say:
Follow the link for the rest of the winners.
Victims All 0
At the Bangor Daily News, a little paper with big writers, Alex Stead excoriates white racists’ “victimhood.” A snippet:
Chiksika, the elder brother of Tecumseh, said of white people, “The whole white race is a monster who is always hungry and what he eats is land.” He, of course, said this in response to what he and his tribe had seen of European settlers’ behaviors. Chiksika said to his brother, “When a white man kills an Indian in a fair fight it is called honorable, but when an Indian kills a white man in a fair fight it is called murder. When a white army battles Indians and wins it is called a great victory, but if they lose it is called a massacre and bigger armies are raised.” Whites have long been known for this tendency.
Read the rest and, the next time you hear a white folk whining about “those people,” have your grains of salt ready.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Ring in the New Year politely (emphasis added).
The circumstances behind the shooting remain unclear; all that is known is McCollom’s service weapon discharged, and a bullet struck his wife.
. . . and yet another gun that goes off all on its ownsome.
It would seem that the gun nut slogan, “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people,” is demonstrably false. According to news reports, guns seem to discharge without human intervention multiple damn times a day.
Sucklers at the Public Teat 0
The suckling pigs are not who you think they are.
Pro Bowls 2
If you are watching college football today, you are indeed watching Pro Bowls.
Suffer the Children 0
Death panels, Republican style:
In his 153-page ruling, U.S. Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan said lawmakers had for years set the state’s Medicaid budget at an artificially low level, causing pediatricians and other specialists for children to opt out of the insurance program for the needy. In some areas of the state, parents had to travel long distances to see specialists.
The low spending plans, which forced Medicaid providers for needy children to be paid far below what private insurers would spend — and well below what doctors were paid in the Medicare program for a more powerful group, elders — amounted to rationing of care, the order said.
The state of Florida says the ruling is in error, this never happened, no one saw a thing, it was that other state over there, and, besides, it was a long time ago.
Boys (and Girls) in a Bubble 0
Hunter Smith wonders at the culture of fear that has turned playgrounds into padded paddocks and at the frequent fear fads. I can’t say I agree with everything he says, but I do think it’s worth a read. A snippet:
This mindset extends well beyond the playground. Our country is plagued by a culture of fear. Politicians, talking heads, religious leaders, and bloggers all agree we are doomed, they only disagree on the means of our demise.
I know that the playground at my elementary school would not pass muster today, as no shredded tires were within miles of it and the swings had seats, not slings.
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*We had one of those. I think my brother may still have it. You drop the ears of corn in the top, turn the crank, and the corn kernels come out one shoot and the stripped cob out another.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Celebrate politely.
A shot was fired, which, according to the police report, went through a couch, the man’s leg, and into his abdomen.
Note the passive voice: “A shot was fired,” apparently by unknown agency. The person who dropped the gun had nothing to do with it. He was an innocent victim who just happened to be in the way when whatever it was activated the firing mechanism.