Author's archive
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Thom dissects Tucker Carlson’s (latest) racist dog-whistle.
The Crypto-Con 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Richard Maxwell and Toby Miller examine why persons fall for the crypto-con. Here’s how they start their piece:
Marketers celebrate this moment of “pester power” for its shattering of rationality and the cultivation of a lifelong vulnerability to the shopping frenzy. Never mind that kids can learn to identify those frenzied feelings and develop tools to deal with them, which include slow and deep breathing to calm the body and soul. That psychological skill is not much welcome in our culture of consumerism.
This brings us to the latest craze to gin up the masses—cryptocurrency and the useless stuff you can buy with it in the hope of a big payday.
Follow the link to see how they end it.
Useful Idiots 0
At The Seattle Times, Mike Vaska argues that four columns are enough. A snippet:
Follow the link to read how he marshals his evidence.
The Fifth Column Flip-Flop 0
Aside:
My old Philly DL friend Noz thinks that Vladimir Putin has maneuvered himself in a corner. Noz is less than optimistic about the implications thereof.
Me, I don’t do predictions as a matter of policy. Hell, understanding the past is hard enough. I must say, though, that Noz is much more familiar with that part of the world than I.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
At the Des Moines Register, a “dreamer” tells his story. A snippet:
This is terrible for my parents. They came here to give me new opportunities; they couldn’t have known it might tear our family apart. Because that’s what’s coming. When I turn 21, just two and a half years from now, I’ll no longer qualify for a visa as my parents’ dependent. If their green card doesn’t come through by then, I’ll be forced to leave the country — even if I haven’t finished my studies.
Follow the link for the complete article.
The Legacy 0
Without question, the most poisonous legacy of Richard Nixon is his Southern Strategy, which has come full circle and, as E. J. Montini points out, consumed the Republican Party.
Vaccine Nation 0
There’s trouble on the mean streets of vaccine nation.
The Cost of War 0
Citing an article from The Atlantic, Michael in Norfolk suggests that it may be a lot higher than Vladimir Putin anticipated.
In One Ear . . . . 0
Boy, it sure sounded like the D. J. on my local classical music station just said, “That was soulless William Bennett on the flute.”
Fatal Attraction 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Ronald Riggio notes an oft-overlooked bit of obvious: Someone cannot be a leader without followers. He goes on to explore several reasons why persons choose to follow bad leaders–bad, that is, in the sense that they do bad things.
Here’s one of the reasons he suggests, one that I think is of particular import in the current state of our polity, where, if over half the registered voters show up at the polls, it’s considered an “overwhelming turn-out” and where puny turn-outs are common in state and local elections.
Follow the link for the rest.
(Spellink errors fixed.)
The Climates They Are a-Changing 0
The dinosaurs did not know that the meteor was headed their way.
We see the meteor and choose to do (almost) nothing.
The Disinformation Superhighway Goes to War, Reprise 0
Rebecca Watson discusses the role of the disinformation superhighway in spreading misinformation in a time of crisis and suggests precautions persons can take to avoid “sharing” mis- and disinformation.
Read the transcript.
Tin Foil Hats 0
Yes, anti-vaxxers are wearing them now. For real. In New Zealand.
Psychologist Robert Bartholomew says, “Blame the Nocebo Effect.”