2015 archive
Ryan’s Nope 0
Daniel Ruth muses about why Paul Ryan is reluctant to become Speaker of the House. A snippet:
(snip)
. . . .it might be more accurate to suspect Ryan has surveyed today’s political landscape and sees a GOP nuclear winter meets the Star Wars bar scene on the horizon.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Not bad.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, decreased to 265,000 from 267,250 in the prior week.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits declined by 50,000 to 2.16 million in the week ended Oct. 3, the lowest level since November 2000.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
There can be no such thing as too much politeness.
QOTD 0
Alford North Whitehead:
Fools act on imagination without knowledge, pedants act on knowledge without imagination.
Twits on Twitter 0
It is wise to think before you twit.
The Candidates Debate 0
In their most recent podcast, Bob and Chez go on at length that politics should not be entertainment and that treating it as entertainment opens the door to clowns and morons.
Ya’ think?
Political Junkie
0
It’s all about the merch.
The “Gun Complex” 0
Pythia Peay tries to understand the gun complex (no, not the interlocking network of manufacturers, marketeers NRA, retailers, and ammosexuals gun owners; the mental condition). I’m not sure how much of her reasoning holds together, but I do think it’s worth a look. Here’s a bit:
Certainly by that definition, America could be said to have a “gun complex.” As each senseless shooting blurs into the next (Umpqua Community College was the 294th mass shooting event in 2015 (link is external)) and still the country cannot come together to find a way to prevent guns from falling into the hands of the mentally ill, enact stronger background checks and sensible legislation that will keep assault weapons off our streets—protective measures that a majority of Americans would like to see (link is external)—then the American body politic is in the grip of a stubborn cultural complex.
Merchants of Death 0
The ruling came in a negligence lawsuit filed by the officers against Badger Guns, a shop in suburban Milwaukee that authorities have linked to hundreds of firearms found at crime scenes. The lawsuit said the shop ignored several warning signs that the gun used to shoot the officers was being sold to a so-called straw buyer who was illegally purchasing the weapon for someone else.
Criswell predicts that the merchant will appeal, fully equipped with lawyers provided by the Gun Manufacturers’ Marketing Association NRA.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Demonstrate politeness to the children:
Vermont State Police are investigating after the 26-year-old babysitter discharged the weapon Saturday night near the children — ages 1 and 2 — in Bridgewater, located 17 miles east of Rutland.
Industrial Revelation 0
The real story is in the aside (emphasis added).
“College” is now an “industry.” It’s biggest product, it appears, is penury.
Debate Watch Party 0
I don’t do debates; I can read about them the next morning.
If you do, there is a Drinking Liberally Debate Watch Party scheduled for Patricia’s Place. See Meetup for details (login required).
The Privatization Scam 0
It always works out so well.
But Source4Teachers fell short, again, finding educators for just 19 percent of classrooms missing their teachers Friday. The day before: 22 percent.
The company has never come close to the 75 percent it promised the Philadelphia School District by the first day of classes when it signed its $34 million contract.
If you understand that there is such a thing as the public good, you realize that private gain is inimical to it.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Be polite to animals.
State police said Caleb Gotjen of Garrett, Somerset County, fired at the horse as it was hauling a buggy carrying Marie and Marvin Yoder and their 1-year-old daughter on Oct. 4 in Summit.
And, in more news of the polite . . . .