January, 2016 archive
Trump’s Chumps 2
In an excellent editorial yesterday, the Roanoke Times editorial board tried to understand the appeal of Donald Trump, in particular, why some persons think that he’s a “strong” leader.* Here’s a bit:
It’s always hard to separate style from substance when it comes to people’s political views, but is it possible that there is something about Trump’s mere style that conveys strength?
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*In my view, he’s seen as “strong” for the same reasons that A Christmas Story’s Scut Farkus was seen as strong.
“Blood on Their Hands” 0
Chauncey Devega talks with Pap about right-wing media’s role in promoting bloodshed.
The Pee Hand of the Market 0
The Labor Department nails a Pennsylvania company for penalizing employees for being human beings.
(snip)
On Nov. 1, 2012, the Labor Department filed a lawsuit, saying the company violated the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act because employees weren’t earning the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour due to the company’s policy of requiring workers to clock out while they were going to the bathroom or grabbing coffee or a smoke.
The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require companies to give workers short personal breaks – under 20 minutes. But if employers offer those breaks, they have to pay workers for them.
One wonders whether the executives ever have to go.
Probably not, as they are obviously full of it.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Expose children to politeness at an early age.
Police said another child shot the toddler in the torso around 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Wood Glen Apartments on North Cary Street in LaGrange.
No doubt, had both kids been packing, this would not have happened. At least, that is Gun Nut logic.
Welfare Cowboys 0
In related news, Elie Mystal has some thoughts on how to react to what Josh Marshall calls “white privilege performance art.” Here’s a nugget:
White people occupying federal land has been met with less resistance from the police than black people occupying a CVS. I think race is playing a factor here.
The National Guard has been federalized and deployed to Oregon. As no civilians have been taken hostage, authorities are contemplating missile strikes against the compound. President Obama will address the nation tonight… oh wait, no he won’t. No troops have been deployed. No news helicopters are circling. Did I mention that the malcontents are white?Meanwhile, PoliticalProf tries to explain the intellectual (I use the term very loosely) underpinnings of the Bundy Bund.
Image via Balloon Juice.
Facebook Frolics, Fomenting Fear and Begetting Bigotry Dept. 0
Der Spiegel explores how the German right uses Facebook and other forms of “social” media to spread lies about Syrian refugees. Here’s a bit; follow the link for the rest:
“Utter nonsense,” says the director of the Halberstadt zoo, Marina Breitschuh. No one plundered the zoo, she adds, and all the animals, including the goats, are doing just fine. There are also no right-wingers threatened with termination among the zookeepers, she says. Breitschuh was, however, familiar with the rumor of the slaughtered goats, but the story she heard allegedly took place in Erfurt. One call to the Thuringian capital was all it took to confirm: no missing animals.
“This is a very common pattern,” says Andre Wolf from Mimikama, an online platform in Austria that fights Internet abuse. Once a fabricated story is clearly refuted, those behind it will often uproot it to another location and begin spreading the rumor there. “Some stories are like old acquaintances,” says Wolf. “They resurface every few weeks or months from the depths of the Internet.”
Sound familiar?
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Seal your love with politeness.
However, on January 1, 2016 at 934 W. Washington Street Sandusky police said an accidental gun shot went off from Kennedy’s 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Castile was shot in the neck by her fiancé. She died at Firelands Hospital nearly two hours later.
(snip)
Police believe Kennedy was trying to show a friend his gun and the weapon discharged.
And another gun that fires itself.
When will someone get all these rogue guns that fire themselves off the streets and out of the hands of “responsible gun owners”?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Make TWUUG Your LUG 0
Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source. Learn how to use computers to do what you want, not what someone else wants you to do.
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 7.
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.
None Dare Call It Terrorism 0
Meet the terrorists in Oregon. It’s a calvacade of crazy.
