July, 2018 archive
A Simple Stand for an E-Box 0
I mentioned earlier that, thanks to a lightning strike, I recently purchased a ThinkPenguin E-Box computer. To free up some desk space, I built a simple little stand for it using bits and pieces of lumber in my scrap this-will-come-in-handy pile.
Russian Impulses 0
Shaun Mullen keeps track of the Russia investigation so I don’t have to.
Pursuing a Purity of Paleness 0
Will Bunch minces no words in describing Donald Trump’s policy towards immigrants, at least, towards immigrants who aren’t from Norway. A nugget:
The United Nations defines ethnic cleansing as “rendering an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove from a given area persons of another ethnic or religious group.” It’s hard to look at the big picture of Trump’s policies on refugees and harsh immigration enforcement and not conclude the goal is to make America more ethnically homogeneous.
In a harsh, realpolitick sense, Trump’s policies may be the only last-gasp long-term survival policy for his Republican Party, which has shown itself each election cycle to be increasing older and more white even as it’s held onto Congress and regained the White House. But immigration brutality is also the policy most guaranteed to earn the continued political gratitude of the conservative base that elected him.
The Lie of the Land 0
Jay Bookman stands analyzes the Trumpeted allegations of aggrandizement. A snippet (emphasis added):
That’s troubling in its own right, to see an American president lie about and create false expectations about the remains of the fallen. At any other time in our history, under any other president, to fake such an announcement would be a major scandal. But under this president, we all know it to be part of a long-running pattern of behavior in which Trump claims credit for great success that in fact never materializes.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
The hunt for politeness continues.
The story points out that the varmint hunter was not wearing blaze orange. It doesn’t mention his (apparent) antlers and bushy white tail.
Recommended Reading 0
The Wars of the Jews, by Flavius Josephus.
Surprisingly enough, this is a rip-snorter. If you want to learn about Roman siege tactics, this is the book for you.
A couple of warnings:
When Josephus refers to a rebel leader named “Josephus” in the text, he refers to himself. He was initially one of the Jewish rebels against Rome, then was captured by the Romans, and ultimately concluded that the rebels were, as my old boss would have said, “in error.”
Also, the translator wastes much energy in trying to align Josephus’s words with the Christian scriptures, but, fortunately, such is confined to the footnotes.
Also, if you can, kick a few bucks to Project Gutenberg. It is one of the best things on the inner webs.
Break Time 0
Off to drink liberally.
The Lie of the Land, Reprise 0
At the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Michael Rich and Jennifer Kavanaugh discuss our national epidemic of truth decay.
Unoriginalism 0
Steve Chapman explains why Constitutional “originalists” are neither “Constitutional” nor “originalists,” but are rather sophists of the highest order.
Rendering unto Caesar 0
Tony Norman reflects of the strange relationship between evangelical “Christians” and Donald Trump. A snippet: