July, 2013 archive
Some Boids 1
Some more pictures from my brother on Virginia’s Northern Neck (I can tell that his editing skills are improving).
Theft of Services 0
Republican legislator argues that public education fosters dependency–on the part of the parents:
Osmond argues that requiring children to attend school has caused some parents to “completely disengage themselves from their obligation to oversee and ensure the successful education of their children.”
More at the link.
I’ve known “disengaged” parents. They would have been disengaged in any event.
Nevertheless, it’s a novel twist on the right-wing effort to destroy public schools.
Republicans and the charter schools scammers are not going to rest until ignorance reigns, because ignorance is their friend.
Facebook Frolics 0
George Smith shares some hints for increasing your enjoyment of the Zuckerborg.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness proliferates potently.
According to USA Today, 126 people have been killed in mass killings across 19 states since July 20, 2012.
There’s an App for That 4
Then again, maybe not.
At Psychology Today Blogs, Nir Eyal explains why those smartphone programs that promise to change your life probably won’t.
Afterthought: 
I do have one app that might fall in this category. It tracks my bike rides via GPS and tallies up the distances, speeds, and so on, and can map them on Google maps. (When I use it is the only time I turn on the phone’s GPS.)
It does increase the enjoyment, but it doesn’t tell me when or where or how far to ride.
Ex Post Afterthought:
Also, it does not phone home to anyone.
Both Sides Not 0
The Booman wonders why the birthers haven’t turned on Senator Ted Cruz, who was actually born outside the borders of the United States.
One guess what the answer is.
NRA, Meet VRA 0
Dick Polman considers the Zimmerman verdict. A nugget:
But wait, didn’t Justice Roberts and his conservative high court allies decree just a few weeks ago that racism is passe in the USA; that, especially in the South, “things have changed dramatically”? Those five guys really need to get out more.
Read the rest.
Taft-Hartley States since before Taft-Hartley 0
It always comes back to theft of labor.
Misdirection Plays 1
Robyn Blumner explains why persons magically become “shiftless” as soon as they get laid off:
But by transforming the unemployed from working Americans who have lost a job through no fault of their own and need a financial bridge until they can find another one, into malingerers bilking the system, politicians are magically absolved of responsibility to help. In fact, the best action the state can take is to motivate these people to be self-reliant by making them more desperate. See: the world according to Paul Ryan.
Read the rest.
