October, 2014 archive
Over the Top and through the Woods 0
Am I the only person who thinks Halloween jumped the shark a couple of decades ago?
Halloween Hologram 0
Short version: The manufacturer of the display just grabbed any old image of the inner webs without verifying that it was free to use. Long version: Follow the link.
The United States of Phobia 0
Kevin Horrigan comments on fear and the mongers of fear. A nugget:
To judge from the news, we Americans are the most fearful people on Earth. We’ve come to be proud of how afraid we are, strapping on our guns and parading through the streets.
A Monstrous Election 0
Daniel Ruth compares the relative merits of Florida governor Lex Luthor Rick Scott, Attila the Hun, and Godzilla. He finds the choice difficult. Here’s a bit of his reasoning:
Working to his advantage is Mr. Godzilla’s unfortunate overexposure to radiation. This might well suggest a Godzilla administration in Tallahassee would be far more sensitive to environmental concerns, which have languished during the Scott administration.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
The face of politeness:
. . . a southwest Iowa man is in critical condition after accidentally shooting himself in the face.
Red Oak police say 28-year-old Cody Allen Keith Tunnell was handling a weapon when it went off. He told authorities he thought the weapon was unloaded.
Basic gun safety says not to point even an empty gun at another living creature. Now, about those IQ tests for gun buyers . . . .
Nutshell 2
Southern Beale sums up the hysteria, which, you will note, is being ginned up by the usual right-wing fear mongers.
We are a society of stupid.
Afterthought:
I was agin’ the body scanners, mostly because I considered them a waste of money and effort, silly security theatre, not because I thought they violated civil liberties. Civil liberties are no more; corporations have stolen them. For example (via Bruce Schneier):
Citizens Benighted 0
Timothy Egan wants to lead a tour.
How did we lose our democracy? Slowly at first, and then all at once.
Follow the link for a travelogue.
The Culture of Violence 0
The pathology of white violence grips another city.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still looking up a mite:
The four-week average of jobless claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, fell to 281,000 in the period ended Oct. 25, the lowest since May 2000, from 281,250 the week before, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington. Compared with the prior week, applications for benefits rose by 3,000 to 287,000.
(snip)
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits rose by 29,000 to 2.38 million in the week ended Oct. 18.
Legacy, Bushie Style 0
Thom and Vincent Bugliosi consider how President George the Worst’s Great and Glorious Patriotic War for a Lie in Iraq fathered ISIS.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Play politely.
The shooting happened in the 7600 block of SE 121st Place in Belleview, deputies said.
The teen told deputies he and the 14-year-old were “playing around” with guns.
The older teen “stated the victim was pointing a .20 gauge shotgun at him” at which time the older teen “picked up a 9mm handgun, pointed it at the victim and accidentally fired the gun,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness is essential to marital bliss.
(snip)
The investigation determined that Snyder and his wife were not cleaning the gun when it discharged. Instead, Snyder was demonstrating to her how to properly load the weapon when it discharged. The bullet struck her in the lower abdomen and exited out her upper thigh, police said.
. . . bringing new meaning to the term, “lying together.”
