2016 archive
Drinking Liberally Virginia Beach Thursday 0
Fun and fellowship for liberals. Join us and talk about anything in a relaxed atmosphere.
When: Thursday, July 14, 6 p.
Where:
Croc’s 19 Street Bistro
620 19th Street (Map)
More here.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Be polite to your visitors.
But a police investigation revealed that Acelin was visiting McCann at his home when the shooting occurred. Police say McCann accidentally shot Acelin while removing a handgun from his waistband.
Driving While Black 0
A caller describes her experiences to Thom.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
One more time, when you hear someone wax romantic about “The Lost Cause,” ask, “What, exactly, was the cause that was lost?”
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness toddles along.
No word yet on whether this was another gun that mysteriously fired itself or whether it had an accomplice.
No, History Is Not Repeating Itself 3
Persons who were not there are comparing what happened last week (and may continue to happen this and subsequent weeks) to 1968.
I can attest that the only similarity is in the size of the headlines. In 1968, despite the violence and assassinations, there was a feeling of optimism and hope, of persons standing up against the corrupt “system”–a corrupt war, racism and theft of labor, corrupt corporations fouling the air and the water, women subjected by social norms to the whims of men (who were as piggish then as they are now).
The feeling I sense today is desperation and loss, not optimism and hope: Persons attempting to fight off resurgent racism and a militarized “law enforcement” implicitly empowered to execute black and brown folks with impunity; a usurious economy built on leeching the blood from the poor and what’s left of the middle class; a world that will literally drown, becoming engulfed by water as the seas rise from climate change engendered by those willing to sit back and watch the rising tide from their enclaves on the hill; a political establishment held hostage by the forces of reaction, when it’s not actively abetting them.
Other than that, I reckon things are okay.
Shaun Mullen seems slightly more optimistic than I. Here’s a bit of what he wrote; follow the link for the rest:
The Snaring Economy 1
A Danish court realizes that running a for-profit gypsy cab outfit is not “sharing,” even if you do with your iJunk:
It is now expected that Friday’s ruling will clear the way for cases to proceed against an additional 40 Uber drivers who have been charged with violating taxi laws.
More at the link.
Let’s Call It the “Sinatra Syndrome” 0
Shorter Charlotte Rampell: Pols say, “It’s my way and I’ll get it if want to.”
Afterthought:
Rampell must have received her official Villager membership card and secret decoder ring. She just could not resist starting out with, “Both sides do it,” even though they don’t. Remember, a difference in degree can be large enough to indeed be a difference in kind.