First Looks category archive

Thom talks with David Frum about Donald Trump. Excerpt:

Authoritarianism goes where the people are, and where is the traffic? It’s on line. If the public realm is the town square, you try to take over the town square. If the public realm is Twitter and Facebook, you try to take over Twitter and Facebook.

(snip)

The benefit of controlling a modern bureaucratic state is not the ability to persecute the innoncent; it is the ability to protect the guilty.

Via Job’s Anger.

Republicans seem to believe that all conceptions are immaculate.

. . . .we learned that wonky, Republican genius, Paul Ryan doesn’t understand how insurance works. Now the GOP trots out an oldie but a goodie: “Why should men pay for prenatal coverage?”

“What mandate in the Obamacare bill does he take issue with?” Doyle asked Shimkus, using the formal parlance of congressional committees.

“What about men having to purchase prenatal care?” Shimkus said.

At that point, one could hear the room start to stir.

“I’m just . . . is that not correct?” Shimkus said. “And should they?”

Follow the link for much, much more.

Off to drink liberally.

When fellowship is needed, join us . . . .

When: Thursday, March 9, 6 p.

Where:
Croc’s 19 Street Bistro
620 19th Street (Map)

More here.

Virgil:

It never troubles the wolf how many the sheep may be.

Via Job’s Anger.

Ringo Starr:

So this is America. They must be out of their minds.

Via Jaunita Jean.

It’s working.

Via Job’s Anger.

Via Job’s Anger.

Things to do.

Jayne Mansfield:

If you’re a preacher, you talk for a living, so even if you don’t make sense, you learn to make nonsense eloquently.

Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source. Use computers to do what you want, not what someone else wants you to do. Learn how to use GNU/Linux and its plethora of free and open source software to get stuff done with computers.

It’s not hard; it’s just different.

What: Monthly TWUUG Meeting.

Who: Everyone in TideWater/Hampton Roads with interest in any/all flavors of Unix/Linux. There are no dues or signup requirements. All are welcome.

Where: Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk Training Room. See directions below. (Wireless and wired internet connection available.) Turn right upon entering, then left at the last corridor and look for the open meeting room.

When: 7:30 PM till whenever (usually 9:30ish) on Thursday, January 5.

Directions:
Lake Taylor Hospital
1309 Kempsville Road
Norfolk, Va. 23502 (Map)

Pre-Meeting Dinner at 6:00 PM (separate checks)
Uno Chicago Grill
Virginia Beach Blvd. & Military Highway (JANAF Shopping Center). (Map)

Join the forums.

I still got the miseries, but today for the first time they seem a little less miserable. One hopes that normal insanity–well, “normal” may be too much to hope for during the Trumpling of America–will resume by the weekend.

Read more »

I got me a case of the miseries (as my South Carolina grandmother would have said).

Posting will be sporadic for their miserable duration.

You heard of ice-fishing? Now there’s ice-hunting.

A hunter was injured recently after accidentally shooting himself in the chest when he used the butt of his rifle to test how thick an icy surface was.

Massachusetts Environmental Police said the hunter hit the butt of his muzzleloader rifle to check the ice.

The gun discharged, hitting him in the chest.

According to the story, bystanders competently administered first aid. The hunter and his quarry are both singly in treatment together.

Marshall Thompson, as Arthur Poe:

Most people can resist anything except temptation.