First Looks category archive

Bob Cesca:

Wouldn’t it be great if embarrassing stupidity was always a cause for resignation? A sizable chunk of the House of Representatives would be replaced almost daily.

The smell was really heavy yesterday and this morning:

Smoke from a North Carolina wildfire has been reported in the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas this morning, state officials say.

This peat fire that started on May 5. It could burn for months.

• What: Virginia Beach Democratic Committee Third Thursday Dinner
• When: June 16th, 6:00 PM
• Where: Kelly’s Hilltop Tavern, 1936 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23454 (map), in the nonsmoking section.

This week, there is a guest speaker:

Adrianne Bennett, candidate for the House of Delegates 21st District, running against Republican Ron Villanueva

Show up, order off the menu (separate checks), socialize, and talk politics–or whatever else interests you.

See the website for more information.

Donvite explains what that means. A nugget:

Last week I was heading to work at 7:15 am. It was one of the hotter days. I pulled up to the light on RT202 across from Widener University. To the left of me was a black man in an old red Ford Probe with his windows rolled down. He already looked hot as hell. I’m assuming the a/c wasn’t working. Ahead of him was a white state cop in an “unmarked” car. I said to myself, “I bet he gets pulled over.” Now, keep in mind, the cop was ahead of the car. As I drove away, the cop changed lanes to the left lane, slowed down, pulled back into the center lane behind the probe right around the hotel and before the Concord mall, his lights came on, and he pulled over the black guy.

2 times in the past year I got out of a ticket. I no longer worry about what I’m doing wrong when I drive. I’m white.

In an otherwise unsurprising column on Congressman Weiner and the “boys will be boys” mentality, Elmer Smith of Philly dot com comes forth with this:

Truth be told, men have turned these lowered expectations to our advantage. The advice I share with young married men is that they should strive to attain what I call heathen status.

Heathen status is conferred when your wife abandons all hope of reform. One day, she sees you stretched out on the couch with the remote in one hand balancing a beer on your belly and tells herself that this is as good as it’s ever going to get.

Via Down with Tyranny.

Via Mano Singham.

Tweet of the Day, courtesy of Mr. Feastingonroadkill.

Drinking Liberally is a support group for liberals, where you can realize you are not alone.

When: 6 p., Wednesday, June 8.

Where:
Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub
241 Granby Street
Norfolk, Va. (map)

More about Drinking Liberally.

Street parking is tight at the tail end of rush hour, but the Freemason Street Parking Garage is two blocks away.

I have some copies of Linux Mint for anyone who’s interested, first come first serve, just because I can.

I can’t remember where I found this.

Basic rule of communication. For example.

This column appeared in the local rag several weeks ago, but only recently became available on line.

The writer interviews two persons who participated in the real Cannonball Run. A nugget:

The cockpit of the Ferrari 308 is far from spacious, less so when equipped with two radar detectors – one in front, one in back – and a CB radio. Add the constant drone of engine and road noise, and you have some idea of its ambience.

“Things were getting bad,” Baker recalled. “We had scheduled where the gas stops were to be and I blew by it at 12 o’clock when nothing else is open, only because a state trooper is on me.”

Follow the link for the rest.

Via Feastingonroadkill.

CSI: Seoul version.

There will be a solar eclipse tonight, midnight, June 1, Norway daylight savings time, which is 6 p. m. US EDT. Norway is UMT +1.

You can watch it on line here.

H/T Susan for the link.

Addendum, Later That Same Day:

Screen captures tomorrow.

In the Boston Globe, Alex Poulos foresees the growth of surveillance, not by the government, but by business, not for “security,” but for “marketing purposes, to enhance your shopping experience” (not his words; my paraphrase of marketese).

He predicts a presence that is increasingly intrusive, invasive, horizontally integrated (so there’s no escaping it), and interactive (in the computer sense).

Here’s a snippet from his comments. Follow the link for the rest.

INTERACTIVE. In-person shopping will be a performance art. “Real life’’ will mean what you do online — work, socialize, train your virtual pet, and “grow’’ your avatar’s personality so it’s “more you’’ in networking with other avatars while you sleep. . .

Soon 3-D ads will be common. But later, we’ll have 4-D advertising — smell will be produced, to stimulate appetite.

Special wingnut edition.