2016 archive
Disestablishmentarians 0
Oh, my.
(snip)
The endorsement comes a week after Richard Armitage, who was deputy secretary of state in George W. Bush’s administration, said he would back Clinton over presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.
The “establishment Republicans” are starting to make their choices, and they aren’t playing Trump.
Elsewhere, establishment Democrats are holding a sit-in at the Capitol Building, for Pete’s sake. I was in my share of demonstrations when I was young and in my salad days (and even when I was older and my lettuce was somewhat wilted . . .), but that’s a new one on me.
And good on the Democrats for ditching Robert’s Rules of Order and taking a stand.
I suspect that a sit-in on the House floor was not on Republicans’ radar.
I have been predisposed to stoicism and pessimism from birth (I have read Aurelius and found it compelling), and living life and paying attention has done nothing to dissuade me from expecting the worst, but I shall still delight in the confusion of mine enemies.
Football uber Alles, the Prevent Defense Dept. 0
Play college football. Doing so gives you magical powers to prevent prosecution.
Aside:
It’s not that I think they should necessarily be prosecuted, but it’s Louisiana, folks. What do you think would be happening to them if they were just two random black kids from down the street?
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
It would appear that Reconstruction v. 2.0 needs to be installed.
One of the things that continually amazes and bemuses me, when it’s not horrifying and disgusting me, is the ability of racists to convince themselves that, somehow, their racism isn’t racist. It’s something I’ve observed since I first became aware.
Nothing better illustrates how easily persons turn a blind eye upon themselves.
Droning On 0
It looks as if we nay not have robotic radio-controlled delivery after all.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for Amazon to start delivering Prime orders by drone.
New rules for commercial use of drones under 55 pounds were finalized by the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday, and things don’t look good for Amazon’s planned drone deliveries.
Under the new regulations, drones have to stay within unaided sight (read: no binoculars or the like) of the pilot or an observer, even if the drone has cameras.
The FAA got this one right.
Too many members of the Geekosphere suffer from arrested development: They think like teenaged boys. “Because you can” is an insufficient reason in and of itself for doing something, especially something as stupid as filling our airspace with robots with rotating blades.
The Trump Express 0
Image from Reed, Robert, Train Wrecks: A Pictorial History of Accidents on the Main Line (New York: Bonanza Books, 1958) p. 77.
(When I worked for the railroad, I got a delight in “sharing” this book with new hires, ideally right before their first train trip. I guess that today that would be considered hazing).
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Woo the damsel of your desires with politeness.
According to ClickOrlando.com, Sumter County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of gun fire at the woman’s home and arrested 69-year-old Howard Sparber.
Deputies said that Sparber fired dozens of gunshots to gain entry to the house, but the woman turned out not to be home at the time.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Imagine this: you go to a yard sale and the Civil War breaks out.
Thomas Lee Campbell, 54, is facing charges of brandishing a firearm and vandalism for confronting Cierra Mayes in his yard after he had already shoved branches through her car windshield and left a nasty note reading: “F*ck you.”
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness. It’s catching.
Police said before handing the pistol to the 23-year-old, the 20-year-old man attempted to clear a live round from the firearm’s chamber and remove other bullets from the gun.
While taking out the magazine and attempting to eject a round, the gun apparently slipped out of the 20-year-olds’ hands. As he attempted to catch the gun, the pistol fired.
Afterthought:
Note how “he dropped the gun” somehow turned into “the gun slipped . . . out of his hands.”
Follow the reportage of gunnuttery closely and you will see it’s almost always the gun’s fault. It’s never the gun nut’s fault. The gun mysteriously “goes off” or “discharges” without intervention of human agency.
Words matter.
There is a reason that, some years ago, the National Safety Council stopped referring to automobile “accidents” and started referring to “crashes” in defensive driving courses (and I’ve taken a few–something do with reduced insurance rate). Until gun nuts are held responsible in the popular mind for their gunnuttery, gunnuttery will continue apace.
Merchants of Death 2
In related news, a letter-writer to The Roanoke Times reminds us that to the victor belong the spoils.
Video via Kos.
A. Trickle-On Econommics 0
Q. What’s the matter with Kansas?
“He Fits the Profile” 0
And he’s not who you think he is.
House of Card Sharks (Updated) 0
Josh Marshall thinks that there is no there, there.
Addendum:
Yup. Sound and fury, signifying nothing.