“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness goes viral.
The two men got into an argument, with the driver, William Sauro, 53, briefly getting out of his car. When Sauro went to drive away, he hit Alvarez with the vehicle, police say. Alvarez then allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired at least four shots at the car. One went through the windshield.
Another customer captured the end of the altercation on video, which shows a man advancing, gun drawn, toward the reversing car.
Tales of the Trumpling: the Trumpling Goes Viral 0
Trumpled in the grocery store:
The man coughed on an employee, who backed away from the encounter.
A second employee intervened, and that’s when the man said that racial minorities are to blame for the coronavirus pandemic. Both employees were minorities, one black and the other of Asian descent.
The story goes on to report that the man was arrested, detained for a short time, then released “as police prepare a case for consideration of charges,” whatever that means.
One Insure Thing 0
Wendell Potter, at one time a flack for CIGNA, reminds us that for profit insurance companies exist for profit. They don’t want you to get sick, and, if you do, they don’t want to take care of you. Here’s a bit (emphasis added):
Taking Stock 0
Writing at the Idaho State Journal, Mike Jones wonders when the stock market became such a big deal that certain politicians have become willing to ask old folks to sacrifice their lives for the Dow-Jones Average. A snippet; more at the link:
I still don’t know much about how the stock market works. Based on the little bit I have studied it, I surmise investing in stocks is a lot like betting on horse races — both are fixed, you just have to be lucky and guess the fix correctly.
And, in more news of taking stock . . . .
The Bully’s Pulpit 0
Julie Delegal points out that both sides don’t. Follow the link for her reasons.
And Now for a Brief Respite 0
From my brother on Virginia’s Northern Neck:
The April Fool 0
The sad thing is that this is quite plausible.
Geeking Out 0
Ubuntu MATE with the Fluxbox window manager, xclock, GKrellM, and QMMP on a Zareason Mediabox. The wallpaper is from my collection.
The Snaring Economy 0
The Inky reports on the lack of protections–sick leave, worker’s comp, etc.–for those ensnared in the “gig” economy. Here’s a snippet (emphasis added):
(snip)
But even as their work is deemed “essential” in the face of government-mandated business closures, the delivery workers who power these apps are in a precarious position. There is no law that requires companies such as Instacart or GoPuff to keep their workers safe on the job. And if they get sick or hurt on the job, they do not qualify for sick pay or worker’s compensation. That’s because most app-based gig workers are classified — or misclassified, depending on whom you ask — as independent contractors, who aren’t afforded the same legal protections as employees.
I was an independent contractor for several years, designing and delivering training for several clients. I paid quarterly estimated income tax installments and my own health insurance premiums.
Delivering pizza for a pittance (plus tips) because it’s the only work you can find is not the same thing.
Metamorphosis 0
Juanita Jean takes the Liberty (University) to explain.