July, 2017 archive
“Social Media” Isn’t 0
The second paragraph in a story in today’s local rag states:
Linda has asked that her last name not be used for fear of harassment on social media.
“Freedom of Speech” Does Not Mean “Freedom from Accountability” 0
Josh Marshall offers some sensible and well-reasoned thoughts on the recent outing of a Reddit troll known for hate-full and racist posts.
“Thou Shalt Not Covet” 0
(But looting and smuggling are A-okay.)
Hobby Lobby will pay $3 million and return thousands of biblical artifacts smuggled into the U.S.
The craft store chain imported the items into the U.S. after deciding in 2009 to start collecting “a variety of historical Bibles and other artifacts.” Hobby Lobby said the cuneiform tablets and lay bullae were antiquities “consistent with the company’s mission and passion for the Bible.”
According to the story (follow the link), the items were mislabeled for import and purchased from anonymous sources. Furthermore, looting the historical artifacts of other countries is against the law. (I recall seeing reports of such rumors during the Iraq war.)
Shame Hobby Lobby doesn’t have the same passion for honesty and integrity that it claims to have for covetousness. Maybe it should read that Bible sometime.
Aside:
A bit of advice: When someone loudly proclaims his or her own Christianity, lock up your possessions and your children.
Blow-Back on Brownback 0
Sam and his guest discuss what happened when Kansas tried to implement the Laughable Curve. It wasn’t pretty.
QOTD 0
Rex Stout:
Nero Wolfe: How do you pass the time?
Noel Ferris: I don’t. It passes me.
Stout, Rex, “Counterfeit for Murder” in Homicide Trinity (New York: Viking Press, Bantam Edition, 1966). p. 170
BIrds of a Feather 0
Reka Basu reads the Declaration of Independence and recognizes a familiar figure in the text.
“Words Mean What I Want Them To Mean” 0
At the Boston Review, Lawrence B. Glickman examines the evolution of the conservative political vocabulary. He points out the much of what passes for conservative discourse has its roots in opposition to Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal and is as flawed and fraudulent now as it was then. A snippet:
Immunity Impunity
0
In The Charlotte Observer, Tonya Jameson recounts the experience of being accused at gunpoint by an off-duty policeman of stealing a car which she had legally purchased. At the time, she was in the seller’s driveway putting the new license plates on the car so it could be legally driven from the seller’s home.
The officer in question was not disciplined.
Here’s a snippet from the article regarding why the officer was not disciplined (emphasis added):
Follow the link. Read the whole thing.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Small acts of politeness can deliver a bang.
While another family member was opening a 45 caliber derringer pistol, the gun accidentally discharged and struck Williams in the left hand and left thigh, Lambert said.
Whatever happened to concept of making sure a gun isn’t pointed at anyone?
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? 0
Perhaps the Austrian police can answer that question.
Happy Fourth 0
“Let’s Say It with Firecrackers” from the 2016 Broadway production of Holiday Inn.
Now that the barbecues and celebrations are over, why not go read the U. S. Constitution. It’s surprisingly short, clocking in at about 5,000 words, and you’ll find it doesn’t say a lot of stuff right-wingers say it says.
Trumpling “Administration” 0
At The Guardian, Carol Anderson thinks that “Trump Administration” is a misnomer; she suggests that “regime” is a more apt term. A snippet:
Follow the link for more examples.