Monthly Archive: May 2016
We are Still Conflicted and Uncomfortable with Democracy
Americans constantly re-elect a congress they despise, and they hold other contradictory views too. We are still deeply uncomfortable with this whole democracy thing.
An Obligatory Take on The Kindergarten Thermidor
1/ my tardy, obligatory take on kindergarten Thermidor – this is about updating the criteria for counter-revolutionaries, not free speech
— Jonathan Zhou (@Zhou___) May 23, 2016
2/ I see some on the centre-right express sympathy for our petit Robespierre – he would guillotine you in an instant, why bother
— Jonathan Zhou (@Zhou___) May 23, 2016
3/ the reigning purge-manuals specify that you can only harass and defame people for being sexist or racist, not classist
— Jonathan Zhou (@Zhou___) May 23, 2016
Read More: The Kindergarten Thermidor
Really Uncompelling Broadcasting
We could have asked the bartender to change the channel.
But we didn’t.
Why? Why?
BLINDED TRIALS: The Democratic Party’s Current Civil War’s Uncivil Tactics
Elizabeth: Russell and I have decided to write this post as a discussion, even though we are largely in agreement. We’ve both watched the conscious and celebrated rise of incivility as political tactic within the Democratic party with some dismay (see Russell’s post about his experiences as a Hillary delegate at the Maine Democratic Convention). {…}
Having stated our basic position at the beginning, though, let me take the opening part of the conversation to make a case for the opposition — that is, sometimes we need incivility. Because I think it’s true. Then I’ll loop back later, after Russell has had his say, to argue why I think incivility has been inappropriately used lately in the current Democratic Party infighting.
From: The Democratic Party’s Current Civil War’s Uncivil Tactics – Blinded Trials II
Machine Bias: There’s Software Used Across the Country to Predict Future Criminals. And it’s Biased Against Blacks. – ProPublica
When a full range of crimes were taken into account — including misdemeanors such as driving with an expired license — the algorithm was somewhat more accurate than a coin flip. Of those deemed...
Bank of America wins reversal of $1.27 billion penalty in U.S. mortgage case – Reuters
Housingwire breaks a story on a $1.27 billion verdict reversal
Controversy Is Good For Business
From Old Navy to Ghostbusters, corporations love when we “fight” over their products.
Why the ‘Right to Die’ Will Always Be Controversial
Assisted euthanasia is a touchy subject for many and likely will be for the foreseeable future.
WTF Texas?
A serious bleg: Can someone who follows Texas politics explain what’s going on with its state’s GOP platform?
New York Times staffer tweets out op-ed critical of Trump, faces anti-Semitic avalanche – The Washington Post
On Twitter and other social-media platforms, it can be difficult to determine who supports whom. Yes, several of the people making anti-Semitic statements had references to the presumptive GOP nominee in their Twitter IDs and photos, though those references could mean anything. What has been clear for some time is that criticizing Trump while being Jewish is a hazardous online activity. On Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro, a prominent conservative commentator, documented the anti-Semitic backlash that followed his own opinionating about Trump. {…}
Shapiro Wednesday offered a further exploration at National Review under the headline, “Trump’s Anti-Semitic Supporters.” He writes: “I’ve experienced more pure, unadulterated anti-Semitism since coming out against Trump’s candidacy than at any other time in my political career. Trump supporters have threatened me and other Jews who hold my viewpoint. They’ve blown up my e-mail inbox with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. They greeted the birth of my second child by calling for me, my wife, and two children to be thrown into a gas chamber.”
How “High-Rise’s” orgy scenes got made on a budget: “‘Game of Thrones’ has pumped the per-person cost of nudity through the roof” – Salon.com
Laing attends various parties in the high-rise: costume parties, children’s parties, social get-togethers and even orgies. How did you film the orgies, Ben? Wheatley: It’s really tough filming orgies, I’ve found. Amy was laughing,...
