Monday morning links

Quicksearch

Blog Administration

Open login screen

RSS Readers

Monday, September 28. 2015

How Keith Richards became everyone’s favourite Rolling Stone

Eyes down, minds elsewhere, ‘deadwalkers’ are among us

1902: “I am loving New York and having a great time.”

A Trucker Explains What You're Doing Wrong on the Highway

Urban forms: Fall and Rise of the "Euro Block"

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) Guide for the Perplexed, 2015

Do children still need to read the classics of English literature?

Confirmed: Pope’s Encounter With Illegal Alien Girl Was Staged

A Dozen Things 'The New Yorker' Gets Wrong about Free Speech (And Why It Matters):

In the article, Sanneh likens free speech advocates (like me, I assume) to "gun nuts," claims that campus speech codes have mostly been repealed (which is completely false), then bizarrely questions if people can believe in a diversity of belief. Those of us who are big fans of the concept of pluralism found the latter particularly mystifying.

The Clock Faker Goes International

Low Interest Rates Mask the Effects of Job-Killing Policies

How Uncle Sam Uses Behavioral Science

The GOP should "de-traffick" Planned Parenthood

5 Judges: Forcing Contraception Reg on Nuns Like Providing 'Only Non-Kosher Food' to Jewish Prisoner

Maine Mayor Wants Website to Post Name and Address of Welfare Recipients

Liberals Are Done Debating

“They can’t get to yes” = “They won’t give the Democrats everything they want”

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 07:00 | Comments (16) | Trackbacks (0)

Trackbacks

Trackback specific URI for this entry

No Trackbacks

Comments

Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

People are really missing the point about the clock incident. The 'fake clock' stuff is like an adult ridiculing a 14 year old because he can out-shoot him at basketball.

The big problem (and it is someone alluded to in the poptart discussion) is that we've become a nation fearful of our own shadow (especially police and education admins). Kids have always built stuff from junk, and from factory made parts (remember Heathkits?). But I come from an era where a kid that did this would not be viewed as a threat. He would be positively reinforced, especially by school authorities. Hell, teachers didn't even get upset if we brought our pocket knives to school as long as we behaved. Do people now even have any concept of that???

THAT"S the problem about this that bothers me. People see a circuit board and scream bomb. They're terrified of even a picture of a gun. And they are pushed in this direction by the government who finds fear a useful distraction. It's easy to trample on freedom when the populace is kept in a state of fear.

#1 jay on 2015-09-28 07:53 (Reply)

" . . as long as we behaved."

That's a part of the problem; given the background with his family, then this "condition" that you mentioned doesn't apply.

Was this a setup by his father to test the school's reaction? Were they trying to start a lawsuit?

Also, I don't know your age; but, when I was a kid, yea, sure, encourage the kid; but, with today's atmosphere of threats the kid (for being smart) should have know better than to bring in something that looked like a bomb (and allow it to start beeping in class). Or maybe the kid wasn't so smart after all? Maybe he was a tool being used by his father?

While I agree that we have to some extent become fearful of our own shadows; I'm not sure I agree in this case. It just sounds too much like a set up.

#1.1 charles on 2015-09-28 09:43 (Reply)

No, jay. Our family built stuff from Heathkits, too, and still fool around with tech. This kid knew exactly, exactly what he was doing and insisted on disobeying the physics teacher who told him to put it away. He was a smart ass and got in trouble for that. And there's another part of me who find the PR so quickly available to the media quite remarkable, not to mention all the goodies various dummies in the corporate world (as well as our president) bestowed upon him manipulative -- game planned from day #1.

#1.2 jma on 2015-09-28 13:13 (Reply)

Jay - as one who grew up in a time and community where time bombs were a reality, let me explain: you needed a clock or watch, a detonator, and explosives. That I learned before I graduated from high school, though it took a Dick Francis novel to sort out the wiring required. So I'm not so sanguine as you about the innocuousness of this incident.

Actually, I am more concerned as to why a teen would remove the innards of an old clock, pop it in his "pencil case", and then present it as his invention. This makes no sense, unless said teen is out to cause a ruckus. I know kids do dumb things; back in the day, making rockets was the fashion, and there was one student who had serious injuries after a misfire. But this one is really odd. As the Commander-in-Chief should have said: "You didn't invent that."

#1.3 Frances on 2015-09-28 22:03 (Reply)

Last year I was in LA for a business trip and stopped by my grad school alma mater, USC. When I go there I was horrified - all the students had turned into zombies. Everyone was shambling around with their heads down.

#2 NJSoldier on 2015-09-28 08:19 (Reply)

"People see a circuit board and scream bomb"

The context of the story is that his sister made a bomb threat prior to this incident and his family is vocal in their anti-American beliefs. In that context the teacher/school did not over react and would have been negligent to ignore this staged event.

"post names and addresses of welfare recipients"

In my county once a year every county employee is listed by name and his salary is printed beside it. Why not the citizens are paying for this? I have for some time advocated for a public list of everyone receiving welfare to include their individual and total benefits, and why not the citizens are paying for this? I am also in favor of drug testing welfare recipients. I have worked for the federal, state and local governments and they require a proof of citizenship and random drug testing. Why not?

#3 GoneWithTheWind on 2015-09-28 09:09 (Reply)

The " context of the story " is trumped by the 'Narrative' that says this MUST be racism.

We should own the concept of 'Crusades', embrace it and stop paying attention to media manipulation.

#3.1 John the River (Link) on 2015-09-28 09:58 (Reply)

jay: Like Providing 'Only Non-Kosher Food' to Jewish Prisoner

No, it's like requiring the prisoner to sign a form saying his religion requires Kosher food.

#4 Zachriel on 2015-09-28 09:39 (Reply)

“They can’t get to yes”

Heck of a complaint to make about the new Congress-critters 'elected' to say, "NO!, to you and the horse you rode in on".

Deadwalkers... That reminds me, 'The Walking Dead' is back in my Netflix queue.
Did you ever hear about the subway shooting where the thug was taped by security cameras entering the car, pulling out his gun, pointing it at his victim and pulling the trigger; but until the loud noise happened, not one person in the crowded car saw a thing because they were all playing with their toy.
Can't say it often enough, 'Situational Awareness".

#5 John the River (Link) on 2015-09-28 09:50 (Reply)

A Trucker explains . . .

He left off one important thing; generally, trucks are NOT allowed in the left lane. This is clearly posted on most interstates, but, most car drivers don't see those signs since they don't apply to cars.

What this means is if a truck is tailgating you in the middle lane you need to get out of his way!

He is already in his "fast" lane and cannot, by law, move into the left lane. You are BLOCKING him - so move! More likely than not, the trucker is using his "fast" speed down a hill to gain momentum to make it up the next hill. Unlike your car, this type of speeding down a hill to go up the next hill saves a lot of gas. This has a huge impact on his bottom line; especially, if he is an independent trucker. By blocking him you are taking money from his wallet.

I'd also add, as a car driver blocking the trucker, you are in his "office" space keeping him from doing his job efficiently. So, move out of his way!

#6 charles on 2015-09-28 09:57 (Reply)

The trucker missed two of my biggest pet peeves when truck driving. The first one is the person that passes you on a two-lane highway only to slow to a near stop and turn off within a half mile. In my old truck it takes a long time and a lot of fuel to get back up to speed. The second peeve is similar. You are the only one driving on the main highway through town and some a$$wipe pulls right out in front of you, drives a block and turns off, usually without signaling so you don;t know if you can pass him or not.

One time I was taking a load of corn to town and had to slow way down for a deer. The d#ckhead behind me decided to blow by me and he nailed it.

There is a significant percentage of people out there that need to have their licenses revoked on grounds of general ignorance and stupidity.

#6.1 feeblemind on 2015-09-28 11:11 (Reply)

I agree with the trucker, but I've noticed a deterioration in the quality of big rig drivers in recent years too. Just staying in a lane seems to be a major problem for alot of them.

But besides the overly aggressive maniacs who cross lanes, pass on right in merge areas and obsessively feel the need to occupy any and every open space more than 1 car length long in heavy, fast moving traffic, the worst are the "racers" he mentions.

These folks gradually slow down and down, but then when you try to pass them, they wake up and want to "race". And inevitably, while passing them at a steady 73 mph, they speed up to exactly 73 and make me look like the a-hole blocking the left lane. So I have to either speed more than I wanted to complete the pass, or slow down and pull back in behind them and wait for them to slow back down to 65 mph again...

#6.2 forest on 2015-09-28 11:18 (Reply)

Re speech codes: How is it the protesters demanding free speech in the 60's are now running the universities with speech codes?

#7 Blick on 2015-09-28 10:14 (Reply)

Forcing Contraception Reg on Nuns Like Providing 'Only Non-Kosher Food' to Jewish Prisoner

Only by force will the state recognize limitations on its own authority, and the existence of other authorities to which its subjects owe loyalty.

The state, its toadies, minions, and sycophants recognize no "render unto caesar what is caesar's and render unto God what is God's;" in its mind and their mind there is only caesar. No other authority exists.

#8 ErisGuy on 2015-09-28 12:18 (Reply)

Actually, I have a nasty feeling they also think they are gods, just as the Caesars did.

#8.1 Frances on 2015-09-28 16:39 (Reply)

Good video on speed limits and authoritarianism. Why let physics and common sense get in the way of draconian laws and revenue enhancement programs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKdbxX1pDw

#9 Mark on 2015-09-28 22:46 (Reply)

Add Comment

Name
Email	(Your e-mail will not show in your comment)
Homepage
In reply to
Comment	By commenting on this site you agree to the site rules listed here. Email addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for email notifications. Quick reference guide: [i] italics [/i], [b] bold [/b], [u] underline [/u], [url] (web address) [/url]. More tips here. Enclosing asterisks marks text as bold (word), underscore are made via _word_. E-Mail addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for E-Mail notifications. To prevent automated Bots from commentspamming, please enter the string you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly. Enter the string from the spam-prevention image above: BBCode format allowed
	Remember Information? Subscribe to this entry

Maggie's Farm

Our Recent Essays Behind the Front Page

Categories

Quicksearch

Links

Blog Administration

RSS Readers

Monday, September 28. 2015

Monday morning links