Author's archive
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
Jay Bookman discusses Donald Trump’s debasement of political debate. A nugget:
Nobody could have done what I’ve done for #PuertoRico with so little appreciation. So much work! pic.twitter.com/k2jAkIpfjI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2017
In ordinary times, such a childish whine for attention would be considered extraordinary evidence of a leader’s incapacity and weakness, and cause for global concern. It is literally inconceivable coming from any other major political figure, perhaps in history, and in fact is inconceivable from anyone else beyond the age of 10.
In the era of Trump, it’s just a Sunday.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Paul Krugman discusses how the legacy of slavery still taints the United States, using the Virginia gubernatorial race as a springboard. A snippet (emphasis added):
Aside:
As a Virginian who is subjected to Gillespie’s campaign commercials, I can attest that they are truly vile and duplicitous.
The Snaring Economy 0
You’re on the air at your AirBnB:
Sure enough, when the couple got a closer look, what appeared to be a smoke detector was actually a camera pointing directly at the bed, according to ABC Action News.
Details at the link.
Hate in the Mainstream 0
Ashley C. Rondini suggests that the right-wing makes up dangers to use the resultant fear as vector to spread their politics of hate. Here’s a bit.
These ideas should sound familiar for another reason: They now echo from our nation’s highest office as rhetorical strategies President Trump repeatedly returns to, bearing a familiar narrative structure.
Follow the link for the whole thing; it’s worth the three minutes of your time that you will need to read it.
A. Victimization 0
Q. What’s in a name?
The emails were identical except that half appeared to come from a DeShawn Jackson or a Tyrone Washington, names that have been shown to be associated with African-Americans. The other half used names that have been shown to be associated with whites: Greg Walsh and Jake Mueller. The email sent to each local officeholder was determined by chance.
Most inquiries yielded a timely and polite response. But emails with black-sounding names were 13 percent more likely to go unanswered than those with white-sounding names. This difference, which appeared in all regions of the country, was large enough that it was statistically unlikely to have been a matter of mere chance.
Much, much more at the link. Do please read the whole thing.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
inculcate politeness from a young age.
Officers learned that two (13-year old–ed.) boys had made threats against school staff, students and property.
Investigators discovered the two had made up a list they described as a “kill list” and that they were discussing plans to carry out their threats.
Police contacted the boy’s parents and the adults whose names were on the list.
Investigators also executed off campus searches and collected evidence, including firearms.
Responsible Fiscals 0
Republican “fiscal responsibility” is a con for the rubes. Indeed, Republicans are quite happy to waste public money so as to con the rubes.
What Happened in Puerto Rico? 0
Lee Camp looks at the uncovered parts of the story.
Warning: Language.
“Just Because He Could” 0
Much ink and many electrons have been consumed in wondering about the motive for the Las Vegas shootings. As I write this, no possible motive–at least not one that would make sense to most of us–has been proposed.
At Psychology Today Blogs, Joe Navorro suggests that such a motive may not be the issue.