Author's archive
“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0
Now it is Kimball Shinkoskey, writing at the Las Vegas Sun, who hears a rhyme.
She is responding to “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan’s statement on May 26 that “spreading lies about elections is free speech.” Here’s a bit of what she has to say:
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*Mark Twain.
If One Standard Is Good, Two Must Be Better 0
Writing at AL.com, Roy S. Johnson finds (Alabama, since he’s in Alabama) Republicans’ reaction to be ironic, bemusing, and not at all surprising. Here are a couple of snippets from his article (emphasis added):
They were all-in on “rule of law” as long as most rulings tilted in their favor.
Now that one of their own—their big boo-thang—is a felon, justifiably convicted under rule of law by a jury of his peers, Alabama’s top Republicans are wailing louder than the bundled occupants of a neonatal nursery. Call it the big boo-hoo.
(snip)
With the 2024 presidential election looming in November and felon Trump the presumptive Republican nominee, I’m not shocked at the party-line tears shed by the faithful. Even if it exposes their party’s blatant and pitiful hypocrisy about justice and the rule of law.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Another child:
And another news writer who is ignorant of the difference between “accidentally” and “negligently.”
Too many guns. Too much stupid.
We are a broken society.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
At the Idaho State Journal, Nick Geir attacks a full ennead of Donald Trump’s lies about events that the U. S.-Mexico border with a most starting weapon: actual data.
Here’s one lies he dissects (emphasis in the original):
83% appear for asylum hearings
Trump pulls yet another figure out of the air: he asserts that only 3% of those who claim asylum show up for their court hearings. I’ve looked at several studies and the number of asylum seekers who do report ranges from 83% to 92%. It is essential to note that migrants who report to authorities are not, under the 1980 Refugee Act, illegal aliens.
Follow the link for the remaining octad.
The Surveillance Society 0
Joanna Pozzulo, writing at Psychology Today Blogs, warns about the increasing use of automated surveilance technology, particularly facial recognition. She points out that, despite the faith that persons put in these machines, they are by no means infallible.
She makes three main points:
- Surveillance cameras are becoming ubiquitous with facial recognition software often present as well.
- The accuracy of facial recognition significantly decreases for women, young adults, and racialized people.
- Mistaken identification can lead to wrongful prosecution and conviction.
Given the proliferation of these technologies, I think her piece is well worth a read.
Apocalypse Now? 0
A caller argues that we are in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Yet another child . . . .
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Methinks my old Philly DL friend Nox makes some pretty good points. Here’s his opening line:
Follow the link, where he expands on his discusses the disconnect.
WATB 0
So far tonight, I’ve gotten three texts on my cellular phone (purporting to be) from Donald Trump whining that he is the victim here.
Yeah.
Right.
Aside:
And, yes, I instructed my cellular provider to block those numbers.
Also, too, their market research seems to be somewhat less than–er–impeccable.