2021 archive
How Stuff Works, Racism in Schools Dept. 0
Apparently, one town has decided that, if no one talks about it, it must not have happened.
All the News that Fits 0
Fox News’s Jesse Watters wants to shoot the messenger.
Decorated 0
Ubuntu MATE with the Fluxbox window manager. The wallpaper is from my Christmas collection.
I have been having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year. Part of the problem is that it’s been a year of lousy news, but I think an even bigger issue has been that the climates they are a-changing. When the temperature’s in the 70’s, it just doesn’t seem very Christmasy for these parts.
For Pete’s sake, I drove to the recycling center with the top of my new(er) Mustang convertible down a couple of weeks ago.
In December.
(I must admit, though, that the last few days have felt a bit more like winter late fall.)
Vaccine Nation 0
In the midst of a larger article about addressing parents’ concerns about getting their children vaccinated against COVID-19, Jaime Sidani, Beth Hoffman, and Maya Ragavan spotlight the role of “social” media in perpetuating ignorance and lies. A snippet (emphasis added):
One more time, “social” media isn’t.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
While you are doing your Christmas shopping, remember to demonstrate politeness.
Twits on Twitter 0
Twits who let them eat cake.
The Forever Cake 0
In a fascinating article, Jeffrey Miller explores the history of the much-maligned fruitcake and explains why they last forever.
For example, I did not know that fruitcakes were the Roman Imperial army’s MREs. (And I would not be surprised if some of those Imperial fruitcakes weren’t still around languishing in the back of a cupboard somewhere.)
The Boulevard of Beta Testers 0
Alex Pareene talks with Sam and his crew about Elon Musk’s “self-driving” (sic) cars. Pareene offers a theory regarding Musk’s disregard of the public safety and the seductive appeal of anything labeled “tech.”
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Exercise politeness while preparing to promote yourself on “social” media.
One more time, “social” media isn’t. Indeed, methinks it is proving itself to be plague and curse upon the polity and upon politeness.
Going Off Script 0
Will Bunch offers a theory as to how Donald Trump’s attempted coup d’etat failed. It’s a rather long and nuanced read, so I recommend that you go directly to the source.
Aside:
We may never know how close the plan came to succeeding–too close–but the very existence of such a plan warns us that the polity was, and still is, under grave threat from persons who have convinced themselves (have been convinced?) that sedition is somehow patriotism.
Will Lack of Preparation Prove Pestilential? 0
John J. Petillo, president of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., is concerned that the neglect of education in civics bodes ill. He writes in the Hartford Courant:
Follow the link for more.
QOTD 0
Tamzin Malleson, in the voice of Kate Wilding:
Know why women make the best belly dancers? Because we’re always tiptoeing around the male ego.
