2016 archive
The Voter Fraud Fraud 0
Amy Fried explains that the Republican gut-out-the-vote effort is working as intended. Here’s a bit:
Stuff like this happens in all innocence.
All his life, my Granddaddy, who was born in the 1880s, was known as “Bailey A.” He went through life thinking that his middle names was “Ames”; indeed, we were related to an Ames family. Only when he died did we find that the middle name on his birth certificate was “Alford.”
The “Panama Papers” . . . 1
. . . contain no revelation, only confirmation.
If you didn’t already know that the system is crooked, you haven’t been paying attention.
Food for the Ears 0
Harry Shearer interviews David Cay Johnston about Donald Trump and related topics.
Johnston has followed Trump’s careen career for almost four decades. The discussion ranges over Trump’s business dealings, apparent ties with the mob, history of–er–prevarication, and much, much more, with a side trip into business tax law in theory and in practice.
Listen up, y’hear.
Society Is Social 1
In the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Bruce Peterson, taking issue with a previous column (linked in his article), explains that a civilized society is, indeed, social.
No summary or excerpt can do his article justice. Just read it.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Friends treat friends politely.
(snip)
“It’s a tragedy, a freak accident,” Berry said. “It was a misfire of a gun that ricocheted, hit the floor and unfortunately hit Chad. It’s crushing for everybody who was there and even more crushing for the one who was holding the weapon.”
Where I come from, a “misfire” means the damn gun doesn’t go off.
The Barnum and Bailey Election 2
At The Guardian, Frankie Boyle takes a blistering look at the U. S. Presidential campaign. A nugget:
Just read it.
Fifty Shades of Stupid 0
My school trips were so very tame.
Buried deep in the story is a qualifier that the students in question picked out the film, no one was forced to watch it, and everyone who did watch it was old enough to see it in a movie theatre.
But, really, now, there is no way that this could have turned out well.
One Person, One Person 0
A conservative reactionary attempt to create a class of non-persons* for apportionment purposes fails unanimously in the Supreme Court.
Even Clarence Thomas couldn’t stomach this one.
________________
*One suspects that “3/5s of a person” didn’t play well with the focus groups.
Clarence Page Is an Optimist 2
Clarence Page potters about:
Some Twitter users compared Trump to Voldemort in December after the billionaire developer and TV reality show star proposed a ban on Muslims entering the United States.
“How horrible,” Rowling responded in a tweet of her own. “Voldemort was nowhere near as bad.”
Follow the link to observe Page grasping at a straw: the desperate hope that Paul Ryan just might be the sane one in his insane party.
Cat Meets Windows “Lagoon” Screensaver, Wants To Go Fishing 0
. . . because the internet needs another cat picture.
Yesterday Was Good Weather for Ducks 0
So good, they decided to drop in at our front door.
Have Guns, Will Travel 0
Swampwater rides again!
Warning: Language.
