2017 archive
Dog Gone* 0
Canine recruit found to be insufficiently fiendly.
The story goes on to say he was adopted by the governor of Queensland.
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*Sorry. Couldn’t resiste.
How Stuff Works, Trickle-On Economics Dept. 0
Warning: Language.
Groups Think 0
Afshan Jafar, professor of sociology at Connecticut College, discusses how stereotypes reinforce stigma and bigotry. He’s discussing contemporary stereotypes of Muslims, but he could as easily be discussing any other group target for bigots to take the blame.
Here’s a bit; follow the link for the rest.
As a professor of sociology at Connecticut College, this is a lesson I teach my students early, by asking them to finish the sentence: “Muslim women are … ?” which they do readily and predictably (by using words such as “oppressed,” “silenced,” “passive,” “subjugated” and sometimes by using what they consider to be positive words such as “beautiful” or “strong”). I then ask them to imagine instead that the question is “Christian women are … ?” The second question makes no sense, they say. How, they ask, could we speak for all Christian women or make a universal remark about them?
American Taliban 0
In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tony Norman marvels at evangelical “Christians” (Michael in Norfolk calls then “Christofacists”) support for Donald Trump. A snippet:
In the universe that I come from, Christians would rather have been fed to the lions than to have been allied with a vulgarian like Donald Trump. In this simulated universe, the American faction of Christianity appears to worship a Jesus that has contempt for the poor, hates refugees and embraces militarism. Here, Jesus blesses wealth and power and those who seek it relentlessly.
“Surveillance Capitalism”* 0
El Reg looks at how it works. A snippet:
For example, a person’s mobile phone usage could affect the ability to get a loan. The Cracked Labs report describes how Singapore-based Lenddo calculates credit scores based on online behavior. It assesses mobile data, browser data, application data, transactional data from telecom companies, and web and social network data.
“The company even includes computer mouse click data and data about how people fill out web forms,” the report explains. “In this vein, ‘always running out of battery’ might impact one’s credit score; conversely, an extremely well-maintained smartphone might raise a red flag in the system, too.”
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*What a well-turned phrase.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Practice makes polite.
(snip)
According to a police report, neighbor Ennio Fulgoni heard a loud bang and then his neighbor knocked on his door asking for help.
Fulgoni dialed 911.
The reports also said the man, who was bleeding, was getting ready to go to the gun range when one of the guns accidentally discharged.
Droning On 0
Boys and their toys.
But that’s what he said happened one early evening in mid-March, when he spotted a drone hovering outside his window in the Skye condos on South Caldwell Street. He said he believes the drone spotted him watching it, took off then returned soon after, slowly going up the side of the building and peering at windows.
“It’s creepy that someone’s looking in your window,” Roth said. “You figure you’re 18 stories up no one’s going to be watching you, right?”
Much more at the link.
And, in more news of boys and their toys . . . .
Misdirection Play, Comeyuppance Department, Reprise 2
Dick Polman marvels at the strategies the Trumpettes are using to try to discredit James Comey.
The resident curmudgeon at my local rag opted for Number Three on Polman’s list.
Aside:
Oh, man, when I picked up the paper after getting a cuppa yesterday morning, I wondered to myself, “Is she really crazed enough to go there?” and, by jingo, she is and she did.
Misdirection Play, Comeyuppance Department 0
Joe Patrice looks at Trump’s lawyer’s threat to sue James Comey for “leaking” and explains why there’s no there there.
Tales of the Trumpling: Snapshots of Trickle-Down Trumpery 0
Real Big Men.
In a note to parents, Hosford Middle School Principal Kristyn Westphal said the boy, who is a person of color, was “accosted” at a bus stop near Southeast Division Street and 28th Place.
Other students witnessed the incident, Westphal wrote, and a police report was filed soon after.
The story goes on to report that racist posters had been posted in the neighborhood earlier in the day.
