August, 2017 archive
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Bree Newsome makes a convincing argument that, even though they lost the war, the Secesh won the peace.
Civic Duty, Part Two 1
This is what happened during voir dire, that phase of jury duty during which the jury pool is narrowed down to the jury. I may not have the sequence exactly correct, but, if I have a few questions out of sequence, it will not impeach my larger goal, which is to dispel the Bull* (with apologies to Michael Weatherly), that television and movies promulgate.
How Stuff Works, Fake News Dept. (Updated) 0
Dick Polman dissects the production of a bit truly fake news, that is, news that is made up out of whole cloth to achieve a political end, or, in this case, made up from Fox fur (as opposed to the more common “fake news = news I don’t like”). A snippet:
Addendum, Just a Bit Later:
Shaun Mullin has more. A nugget:
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Fly the politely.
Officials said the gun was found in Kyle Maguire’s luggage at 6 a.m. Wednesday at a security checkpoint inside Terminal A.
The polite one has several conceal-carry licenses, but none or valid in Massachusetts or aboard airliners.
(Link fixed. That’s two missing links in two days. I wonder what’s next–maybe Piltdown man.)
Always Wrong 0
Google seems to think it is competent to decide which of the Gmail emails I receive are “important.”
Experience indicates otherwise.
All the News that Fits 0
Thom recalls being told outright by a broadcasting exec, “We don’t carry liberals.”
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness is child’s play.
Police say the boy’s parents walked out of the room momentarily when the boy picked up a loaded gun.
He accidentally shot and killed himself, according to police.
Per the NRA, had there been more guns in the house, no doubt this would not have happened.
Under the Sheets 0
In an article about the failed attempts to repeal the ACA, Solomon Jones skewers the innate hypocrisy of contemporary Republicanism. A snippet:
Read the rest.
Civic Duty, Part One 1
Once before in these electrons I’ve mentioned being called for jury duty. On that occasion, we assembled in a room and waited. Once all the juries for the day were empaneled, those of us remaining were sent home.
This was a much different experience from that one. It was also much different from what you see on TV courtroom shows. Oh, the TV may have the shape of the model correct, but they dress it up in unrecognizable garments.
I decided to post about my experience because most persons resist jury duty like the plague and because those who have not been called might like to know to expect. Please note that the experience may vary in different jurisdictions.
Misty Water-Colored Mysteries 0
I am pleasantly occupied reading Some Buried Caesar, the first Nero Wolfe mystery I read. I read it the first time in a trilogy while riding in the back seat of my parents’ car on the way to visit my grandmother.
It was the first Nero Wolfe story I read, the first of many.
It’s just as good a story now as it was then.
Make TWUUG Your LUG 0
Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source. Use computers to do what you want, not what someone else wants you to do. Learn how to use GNU/Linux and its plethora of free and open source software to get stuff done with computers.
It’s not hard; it’s just different.
When: Monthly TWUUG meeting at 7:30 p. m. on the first Thursday of the month (August 3, 2017). Pre-meeting dinner at Chicago Uno, JANAF shopping center, 6:00 p. m. (map)
Who: Everyone in TideWater/Hampton Roads with interest in any/all flavors of Unix/Linux. There are no dues or signup requirements. All are welcome.
Where: Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk Training Room (map). (Wireless and wired internet connection available.) Turn right upon entering, then left at the last corridor and look for the open meeting room.