June, 2017 archive
Path to Pariah 0
Thom and Pap discuss Trump’s exit from the climate accords.
Because Isolationism Worked Out So Very Nicely the Last Time* . . . . 0
Werner Herzog’s Bear comments on the New Isolationism. A snippet:
It might be tempting to be happy about this. But the retreat of America on Trumpist grounds does not mean an end to imperialism, but rather an amoral Realpolitik grounded in the fickle whims of our idiot king. It also means a global power vacuum and coming instability. Just look up the end of Pax Romana in the third century CE. It wasn’t pretty, and this shift won’t be either.
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*Learn about the last time.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness is a family value.
The bullet ricocheted off the concrete and hit the son in the ankle during the 10:49 a.m. incident.
The Paris Discords 0
Josh Marshall points out that Donald Trump campaigned on leaving the Paris Climate Accords, but he believes there is more behind yesterday’s announcement of withdrawing from them. A snippet (emphasis added):
Trump is scared. He’s entering a a widening gyre of political crisis over Russia. He’s scared and he’s angry and he needs friends. So he’s more and more likely to hug his base – both the most aggressive advisors and the most committed supporters. He’s trying to bring back Corey Lewandowski, his wildest and most troubling-driving advisor who has the unshakable loyalty and lickspittledom Trump now requires. Indeed, we can take it as a given that as the Russia scandal crisis deepens Trump will become more aggressive and more extreme in his policies both to maintain his emotional equilibrium and reinforce his backing from a shrinking base of supporters. This is as certain as night follows day.
Much more at the link.
Good Help Is Hard To Find
0
Nobody wants to be Trumpled at work.
Tales of the Trumpling: Snapshots of Trickle-Down Trumpery 0
LeBron James’s home gets tagged with the n-word:
Several hours after the episode was disclosed, James discussed it at what became a frank and emotional news conference in Oakland at Oracle Arena, the home of the Warriors. James said the vandalism illustrated the difficulties black people faced in America.
It does not matter to the racist how accomplished a Not White person becomes. The racist will always feel superior.
Feeling superior when you got nothing to feel superior about is at the heart of racism.
Computer Games 0
My local rag reports on a stock manipulator who tried to bite Fitbit by fraudulently driving its stock price up, but ended up getting bit himself.
Investigators were able to see what websites the user of that email account had visited and found he had checked out at least two on Nov. 8 to see whether his computer’s IP address was disguised.
Investigators also connected the email account behind the fake tender offer to Murray by researching information the user provided when it was set up. Among other things, investigators discovered there was a backup email address on file.
More on how they tracked him down at the link.
All the News that Fits 0
Warning: Language.
Providence Lost Spurned
0
Headline: Republican Congressman Says God Will ‘Take Care Of’ Climate Change
A man is climbing to his roof as floodwaters rise.
A fellow leaving the area in his Range Rover shouts as he passes by, “Do you want a ride? I have to go now before the water rises higher.” The man replies, “No, God will provide.”
Now the man is on his roof. Two fellows come by in a boat and ask if he wants to be picked up. He says, “No, God will provide.”
A little later, a helicopter flies over and, using a megaphone, a crewman asks if whether he wants the winch lowered. He says, “No, God will provide.”
By now, the house is immersed. As the waters rise, the man cries, “God, why have you forsaken me?!” A voice from the heavens replies, “What do you mean? I sent you a car, I sent you a boat, and I sent you a helicopter.
“Why did you ignore me?”
Tales of the Trumpling: Snapshots of Trickle-Down Trumpery 0
David Skorton, secretary of the Smithsonian, said in an email announcement that he had to share “deeply disturbing news” that the rope was found in an public exhibition space Wednesday afternoon. It was in the Segregation Gallery on the second floor of the history galleries.
According to the story, another noose was found at the Hirschhorn last week.
Words fail me.
