This New Gilded Age 0
Thom wonder why the richest country in history is the only wealthy country where working people need welfare to survive.
“If We Don’t Talk about It, Then It Must Not Have Happened” 0
The Trump maladministration’s attempt to expurgate America’s history of the parts is doesn’t like continues apace.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
It was supposed to be a father-daughter fishing outing.
It turned into the daughter’s first encounter with a rock-throwing name-calling racist.
Devolution 0
Apparently, there is a growing group of supposedly educated persons who don’t believe in the existence of germs. (I’m certain that the germs just can’t wait to make their acquaintance.)
We are a society of stupider.
Stray Question 0
What’s worse, a stupid joke or a stupid joker?
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Sam and the crew note that persons are starting to push back at ICE and its brown shirt tactics.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
A little paean to politeness in the park:
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They were strolling through the park one day,
In the merry merry month of June,
Then someone pulled out his rod to play
Upon it a polite little tune.
QOTD 0
Rex Stout:
The avoidance of idiocy should be the primary and constant concern of every intelligent person.
Stout, Rex, The Rubber Band in a dual volume with The Red Box (New York: Bantam Dell, 2009) p. 44.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Trustworthy? That bridge in Brooklyn is still on the market.
Along those lines, you might want to listen to Harry Shearer’s conversation with Gary Marcus on this week’s episode of Le Show. It starts at about the eight minute mark.
Aside:
We recently watched The Matrix.
Methinks they got it wrong.
Machines didn’t subordinate mankind. Mankind seems quite willing, eager even, to subordinate themselves to the machines.
“But It’s One of Them“ 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, psychology professor Todd Nelson considers why persons are so susceptible to prejudice–that is, prejudging others–and offers some suggestions as to how not to fall into the prejudice trap. Given that dis coarse discourse seems flooded by merchants of hate, I found it a timely read.
Here’s a tiny bit:
Vaccine Nation 0
Thom discusses the Trump maladministration’s decision to cancel research into a vaccine against bird flu.
Today’s Republican Party does not care about–in fact, disdains–the concept of the general welfare.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
We are again reminded that politeness is a family value.