December, 2017 archive
Bait-and-Already-Switched 0
Paul Krugman marvels at the swiftness of the switch.
(snip)
Yet even the most cynical among us are startled both by how quickly the bait-and-switch is proceeding and by the contempt Republicans are showing for the public’s intelligence.
In fact, the switch began even before the marks swallowed the bait.
Follow the link for details.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Provide child care politely.
Investigators said it appears to be an accidental shooting. Police said a babysitter, 33, was the one who shot the boy and was the one who took the victim to the hospital.
. . . just another day in the NRA’s Garden of Eden.
Afterthought:
Had the child been packing, no doubt he could have returned fire so as to amplify the politeness.
How Stuff (Doesn’t) Work, Trickle-On Economics 0
Note: Recorded on location, so the sound is a bit echoey.
The Craving of the Craven 0
In Portland, Maine, Press Herald, Sally Chappell discusses “wealth addiction,” the phenomenon in which persons who have more riches than they can ever use crave more, more, more.
Here’s an excerpt:
Rule of Lawless (Updated) 0
It was Richard Nixon who famously said, “When the President does it, that means it’s not illegal.”
Addendum, Later That Same Day:
Dick Polman dubs it “the divine right of Trump.” A snippet from his article:
Just in Time for Christmas 0
Badtux has a suggestion:
Follow the link for his reasoning.
A Cavalcade of Hoaxes 0
Brian Greenspun, publisher of the Law Vegas Sun, tries to sort them out.
Make TWUUG Your LUG 0
Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source. Use computers to do what you want, not what someone else wants you to do. Learn how to use GNU/Linux and its plethora of free and open source software to get stuff done with computers.
It’s not hard; it’s just different.
When: Monthly TWUUG meeting at 7:30 p. m. on the first Thursday of the month (December 7, 2017). Pre-meeting dinner at Chicago Uno, JANAF shopping center, 6:00 p. m. (map)
Who: Everyone in TideWater/Hampton Roads with interest in any/all flavors of Unix/Linux. There are no dues or signup requirements. All are welcome.
Where: Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk Training Room (map). (Wireless and wired internet connection available.) Turn right upon entering, then left at the last corridor and look for the open meeting room.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
The hunt for politeness continues.
The injured hunters were taken to the Audubon County Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. They were treated and later released.
. . . just another example of responsible gun owners being responsible.
Recantation, Both Sides Not Dept. 0
In The New York Times, Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein concede that they got it wrong. Oh, they make a half-heared defense of their past position, but, really, now. Here’s a nugget:
Which is not to say that we were totally off base in 2006. We stand by our assessment of the political scene at the time. What is astounding, and still largely unappreciated, is the unexpected and rapid nature of the decline in American national politics, and how one-sided its cause. If in 2006 one could cast aspersions on both parties, over the past decade it has become clear that it is the Republican Party — as an institution, as a movement, as a collection of politicians — that has done unique, extensive and possibly irreparable damage to the American political system.
We need more respected (forget whether they deserve respect–in many cases, that’s a whole nother story) voices in the media to realize that no, both sides don’t do it.
And Thereby Hangs a Tail
0
Frankly, this is a new one on me.
And it’s not the first time.
Almost a year ago , over 3 feet of hair was cut from Chloe’s 4-foot tail. Back then, the tail of the Hollars’ black-and-white Tennessee Walking horse, Matt, also was shorn.
The owners think the tails were stolen because “the flaxen color is especially prized for use in hair extensions and craft projects.” The story goes on to point out that such thefts have been reported sporadically in the past. They are cruel, also, as the horses’ tails are now too short to brush away insects and may take four or five years to grow back.
The Voter Fraud Fraud, Can’t Stand the Light of Day Dept. 0
The Maine Secretary of State, who is on Donald Trump’s voter fraud commission, has decided that he must file suit to find out what it is doing.
Words fail me.
Afterthought:
I have not lived in a state with a “Secretary of State.” I must confess that I am not exactly sure what a Secretary of State does. Then, again, I lived in Pennsylvania, which has prothonotaries, and I never figured out what they did either.