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The First Amendment
May. 25th, 2017 01:31 pmIn the justly beloved movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, there is a scene in which the naive new senator is entrapped by a group of cynical reporters, who dupe him into being photographed in easily-misinterpreted poses. When he learns of the deception, he races through the streets of Washington, tracking down and assaulting each of the reporters. The audience is clearly intended to understand, or even approve of, his actions - though, to be fair, he does wind up learning that he fell into a rookie's trap, and resolves to become a better senator.
Last night, Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte, on being asked a question he did not want to answer, apparently assaulted a reporter, body-slamming him to the ground and then ordering him out of the room. (Gianforte has been charged with misdemeanor assault.) Response from the left blogosphere has been furious; from the right has come tepid condemnation, or in some cases approval. Anecdotes are coming in that at least some Republican voters, entering the polling places for today's special election, still intend to vote for Gianforte despite last night's incident.
I find the attitude of these voters repellent, but, with Mr. Smith in mind, I guess I can understand it.
Last night, Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte, on being asked a question he did not want to answer, apparently assaulted a reporter, body-slamming him to the ground and then ordering him out of the room. (Gianforte has been charged with misdemeanor assault.) Response from the left blogosphere has been furious; from the right has come tepid condemnation, or in some cases approval. Anecdotes are coming in that at least some Republican voters, entering the polling places for today's special election, still intend to vote for Gianforte despite last night's incident.
I find the attitude of these voters repellent, but, with Mr. Smith in mind, I guess I can understand it.
Protests, and the Lack Thereof
May. 22nd, 2017 09:36 amApparently Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was very pleased by the fact that there were no protesters - "not one bad placard" - during their visit to Saudi Arabia. The fact that this might be because Saudi Arabia does not allow protests does not seem to concern him.
Well, at least he's not the Secretary of State.
Well, at least he's not the Secretary of State.
My father hated Harry Truman - absolutely despised him for his handling of the MacArthur affair during the Korean War. (I once heard him refer to HST as "Hairy Ass Truman".) He and I had more than one loud argument over the matter, but no minds were ever changed.
I've been thinking about Truman a fair bit lately, and especially about two of his most famous aphorisms (the first of which my father occasionally used, despite his opinion of the man):
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
"The buck stops here."
Can't imagine why those keep coming to mind.
I've been thinking about Truman a fair bit lately, and especially about two of his most famous aphorisms (the first of which my father occasionally used, despite his opinion of the man):
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
"The buck stops here."
Can't imagine why those keep coming to mind.
Special Counsel
May. 17th, 2017 05:48 pmRobert Mueller, eh? Most of my sources seem to think he's a good choice - and he was involved, along with Comey, in the resistance to warrantless wiretapping during Bush the Younger's presidency. He seems to have been given a pretty broad remit, too.
Let's see what happens.
Let's see what happens.
Tuesday Night Massacre
May. 9th, 2017 05:28 pmSo, the Orange One has fired FBI director Comey. On the one hand, I shed no tears; Comey's actions just before the election were an egregious breach of protocol, and probably were a contributing factor to the debacle of Election Day. On the other hand, I cannot help but be reminded of the events of October 1973. The sole difference I can see is that Jeff Sessions isn't fit to shine Elliot Richardson's shoes, or William Ruckelshaus's either. (Robert Bork's, ehh, maybe.)
I was raised a Republican. The Saturday Night Massacre was the event that began my journey away from that party.
It's time for an independent prosecutor.
I was raised a Republican. The Saturday Night Massacre was the event that began my journey away from that party.
It's time for an independent prosecutor.
Protests, and the Lack Thereof
Mar. 26th, 2017 06:07 pmThere have been massive protests in Russia, in opposition to the Putin regime. Hundreds of people have been arrested for participating in illegal assemblies.
There appears to have been no comment from the White House on these developments. Gee, I wonder why?
There appears to have been no comment from the White House on these developments. Gee, I wonder why?
Browsing through YouTube, I decided to give ear to some more recent singers. (I've been listening to a lot of 50s & 60s lately.) I started off with Katy Perry's "Roar", which I still like but which brings back memories of the campaign video she cut for Hillary last year. That sore's still a little raw....
I then tried Adele's "Hello". I haven't, to my knowledge, heard her before, but oh, my, she has a powerful voice, in more than one sense. I may have to look further.
Meanwhile, my list of groups/singers to go after next shopping trip currently includes Katy Perry, Sweet, Lou Rawls, Joan Jett, Chad & Jeremy, and the Kinks; I also want to get the 2007 reissue of Al Stewart's Last Days of the Century album, for "Helen and Cassandra".
I then tried Adele's "Hello". I haven't, to my knowledge, heard her before, but oh, my, she has a powerful voice, in more than one sense. I may have to look further.
Meanwhile, my list of groups/singers to go after next shopping trip currently includes Katy Perry, Sweet, Lou Rawls, Joan Jett, Chad & Jeremy, and the Kinks; I also want to get the 2007 reissue of Al Stewart's Last Days of the Century album, for "Helen and Cassandra".
Hoocoodanode
Feb. 28th, 2017 09:38 amDonald Trump, Feb. 27, 2017: "Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated."
Barack Obama, Feb. 25, 2010: "You know, the truth of the matter is, is that—health care is very complicated."
Barack Obama, Feb. 25, 2010: "You know, the truth of the matter is, is that—health care is very complicated."
Mitch McConnell, 2016: "One of my proudest moments was when I told Obama, 'You will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy.'"
Mitch McConnell, 2017: "Apparently there's yet a new standard now, which is not to confirm a Supreme Court nominee at all. I think that's something the American people simply will not tolerate."
Mitch McConnell, 2017: "Apparently there's yet a new standard now, which is not to confirm a Supreme Court nominee at all. I think that's something the American people simply will not tolerate."
The Ordinary
Jan. 29th, 2017 12:01 pmEven in the midst of crisis, life goes on. This semester, I'm teaching History of Math (of course) and Linear Algebra I, which I haven't taught in a while. I was scheduled to teach A Geometric Introduction to Topology, but not enough students signed up, so it was cancelled. Instead, I'm teaching a section of GenEd Statistics. So far, the classes seem to be going well, but serious grading hasn't yet begun.
I'm back in the groove on cooking, too; I made a batch of chicken cacciatore last week, and minestrone casserole is cooking away in the kitchen for this week's dinners. I want to get back to some non-slow-cooker dishes sometime this year - maybe in summer; I've got some new Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cookbooks I'm anxious to try.
On the reading front, my Kindle's Current collection holds Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, E. E. Smith's Skylark 3, Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill, and a translation of the Laxdaela Saga. I'm enjoying the Kipling, in particular; the saga is starting to get interesting; secrets are beginning to be revealed in the Bronte, and the Smith is, well, Smithian.
Life goes on, even in the midst of crisis. Last I heard, customs officials at Dulles are refusing to comply with the court order. This could get even uglier than it already is....
I'm back in the groove on cooking, too; I made a batch of chicken cacciatore last week, and minestrone casserole is cooking away in the kitchen for this week's dinners. I want to get back to some non-slow-cooker dishes sometime this year - maybe in summer; I've got some new Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cookbooks I'm anxious to try.
On the reading front, my Kindle's Current collection holds Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, E. E. Smith's Skylark 3, Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill, and a translation of the Laxdaela Saga. I'm enjoying the Kipling, in particular; the saga is starting to get interesting; secrets are beginning to be revealed in the Bronte, and the Smith is, well, Smithian.
Life goes on, even in the midst of crisis. Last I heard, customs officials at Dulles are refusing to comply with the court order. This could get even uglier than it already is....
In the Shadows
Jan. 29th, 2017 08:00 amWhile much of the nation's attention is focused on Trump's despicable, illegal, and unconstitutional order concerning refugees, a more subtle drama is being neglected. Another of Trump's orders restructures the National Security Council. The Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been removed from the list of Regular Members; they will be invited when "issues to be discussed pertain to their responsibilities or expertise".
You know who's been added to the list of Regular Members? Reince Priebus, whose sole experience has to do with political campaigning, and Steve Bannon, a self-proclaimed Leninist - not in the ideological sense, but in the sense of someone who wants to tear down the government and both major political parties. Neither is remotely qualified, by experience or by temperament, to be involved in top-level discussions of national security.
But then, neither is the current President.
You know who's been added to the list of Regular Members? Reince Priebus, whose sole experience has to do with political campaigning, and Steve Bannon, a self-proclaimed Leninist - not in the ideological sense, but in the sense of someone who wants to tear down the government and both major political parties. Neither is remotely qualified, by experience or by temperament, to be involved in top-level discussions of national security.
But then, neither is the current President.
In the light of the Trump administration's recent shameful executive order regarding refugees, I have today made a donation to USA for UNHCR. (UNHCR is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also known as the United Nations Refugee Agency.) I urge those of you who are in a position to help to do likewise.
Despair Not!
Dec. 10th, 2016 10:00 amFor those who are tempted to despair by the events of the last month - and the prospect of worse to come in the next couple of years - here is A Brief for the Defense.
Hat-tip to Abi Sutherland at Making Light.
Hat-tip to Abi Sutherland at Making Light.
Now We Wait
Nov. 8th, 2016 06:39 amWell, I've done my biennial duty. I left the house about 5:45, and reached the polling place a couple of minutes before it opened. I was twelfth in line; the process went smoothly, except for one elderly lady in front of me, who apparently hadn't voted in some years.
There are years when I have to think hard how to vote for some offices. Not this year.
There are years when I have to think hard how to vote for some offices. Not this year.
"Please re-elect Gerald"
Oct. 21st, 2016 09:53 amThis shows a pretty funny campaign ad that's been put out by a man who's running for re-election as a county commissioner in Travis County, Texas. It's not nasty, mean, or anything - it's just a neat bit of self-deprecation, and it works wonderfully.
The Conspiracy Revealed
Oct. 20th, 2016 02:15 pmDonald Trump claims that there is a vast conspiracy (perhaps even a Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy?) determined to keep him from the Presidency.
He's right. Just how vast - just how many people are involved - we will find out on November 8. I'm betting there are at least 70,000,000 of us.
He's right. Just how vast - just how many people are involved - we will find out on November 8. I'm betting there are at least 70,000,000 of us.
