2017 archive
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
At The Sacramento Bee, Shasha Abramsky points out that words matter.
Stormy Weather 0
Eleven, eleven, can someone give me eleven?
Located in the central Atlantic about 760 miles southwest of the Azores, the hurricane poses no threat to land and would probably be unremarkable if not for its place in the record books. The last time a hurricane season produced 10 consecutive storms was in 1893, according to Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach, when tracking hurricanes largely relied on ships and barometric readings.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Practice politeness with gravitousy:
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Hunter Kosht of Hayesville had gone into a wooded area for privacy to talk to his girlfriend on a cell phone.
Kosht was struck by one of the shots fired by Levins, Richert said, adding that the bullet went all the way through Kosht’s neck but missed any vital areas.
The story goes on to say that Levins has been charged with misdemeanor SUI (shooting under the influence–no, that’s not the technical wording of the charge, but it might as well be.)
Drinking Liberally Virginia Beach Tomorrow 0
When fellowship is needed, join us . . . .
When: Thursday, October 12, 6 p.
Where:
Croc’s 19 Street Bistro
620 19th Street (Map)
More here.
I’ve Been Published . . . 0
. . . at my local rag.
Tales of the Trumpling: Snapshots of Trickle-Down Trumpery 0
Trumpling high school football.
“Our cheerleaders and members of our band were insulted, using racial terms– the most divisive racial terms you can use,” Dr. Wagner Marseille said.
Quakertown Superintendent Dr. William Harner is ironically- a Cheltenham grad. He says a dozen middle school students were interviewed and two 8th graders were found to have engaged in the rock throwing and racial slurs.
Via Raw Story.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Er, yeah.
Follow the link. This one has ancillary twists and turns which I do not feel competent to address.
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
Jay Bookman discusses Donald Trump’s debasement of political debate. A nugget:
Nobody could have done what I’ve done for #PuertoRico with so little appreciation. So much work! pic.twitter.com/k2jAkIpfjI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2017
In ordinary times, such a childish whine for attention would be considered extraordinary evidence of a leader’s incapacity and weakness, and cause for global concern. It is literally inconceivable coming from any other major political figure, perhaps in history, and in fact is inconceivable from anyone else beyond the age of 10.
In the era of Trump, it’s just a Sunday.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Paul Krugman discusses how the legacy of slavery still taints the United States, using the Virginia gubernatorial race as a springboard. A snippet (emphasis added):
Aside:
As a Virginian who is subjected to Gillespie’s campaign commercials, I can attest that they are truly vile and duplicitous.
The Snaring Economy 0
You’re on the air at your AirBnB:
Sure enough, when the couple got a closer look, what appeared to be a smoke detector was actually a camera pointing directly at the bed, according to ABC Action News.
Details at the link.
Hate in the Mainstream 0
Ashley C. Rondini suggests that the right-wing makes up dangers to use the resultant fear as vector to spread their politics of hate. Here’s a bit.
These ideas should sound familiar for another reason: They now echo from our nation’s highest office as rhetorical strategies President Trump repeatedly returns to, bearing a familiar narrative structure.
Follow the link for the whole thing; it’s worth the three minutes of your time that you will need to read it.