Calling racial wolf crying what it is might not be popular but that’s not important to me. I imagine that you're not likely to be swayed by Heather Cox Richardson's views, but when Richardson, Kevin McCarthy and Liz Cheney all recognize nativist, racist dog whistling for what it is, perhaps this is...

Context is everything. What a Nobel Prize Winner says in the NYT is judged, at least by me, on a different scale than a blog dispute about popular fiction. For me, a personal attack is a personal attack. Krugman's is weak sauce. And she's probably going to win the most prestigious award in SF writi...

My main question regarding Tottenham is whether they'll keep Gareth Bale. Yeah, Gareth Bale was my first love when I first started following the Premier League and Spurs in particular. I was overjoyed when he returned this year. Truth be told, though, it hasn't been a great fit. I don't know enough...

As for white people gettin no respect, I didn’t say that or think it. Yeah, my bad. If my wife has told me once she's told me a thousand times that my own peculiar shorthand will get me in trouble, and it does. I did not mean that literally but rather than trying to unwind it I'll just take it as a...

The Magna Carta holds a lot more gravitas in the states than it does in the Uk. That fact in itself is quite interesting. I did not know this and no explanation for it springs immediately to mind other than America's longstanding but waning Anglophilia. OTOH, the thing has quite a place of honor at...

Ha! Whatever else, we do seem to have similar tastes in the vernacular.

Is the phrase "promote Anglo Saxon political traditions" as funny in the states as it is on the other side of the pond? https://thehill.com/homenews/house/548731-pro-trump-lawmakers-form-caucus-to-promote-anglo-saxon-political-traditions I don't have a good handle on just how funny this is on your ...

Anybody notice Paul Krugman's op-ed column on Adrew Yang in today's NYT? Whatever the merits of Krugman's substantive case, I was really brought up short by the very personal nature of his attack on Yang. They’ve got their sights on Andrew Yang now because he thinks for himself. Same as with Bernie...

Anybody notice Paul Krugman's op-ed column on Adrew Yang in today's NYT? Whatever the merits of Krugman's substantive case, I was really brought up short by the very personal nature of his attack on Yang. Personal nature of his attack? That's sweetness and light! Even in my world, where bad math is...

Is the phrase "promote Anglo Saxon political traditions" as funny in the states as it is on the other side of the pond? https://thehill.com/homenews/house/548731-pro-trump-lawmakers-form-caucus-to-promote-anglo-saxon-political-traditions I don't have a good handle on just how funny this is on your ...

Is the phrase "promote Anglo Saxon political traditions" as funny in the states as it is on the other side of the pond? https://thehill.com/homenews/house/548731-pro-trump-lawmakers-form-caucus-to-promote-anglo-saxon-political-traditions I don't have a good handle on just how funny this is on your ...

Anybody notice Paul Krugman's op-ed column on Adrew Yang in today's NYT? Whatever the merits of Krugman's substantive case, I was really brought up short by the very personal nature of his attack on Yang.

Right, I read that part. I know that’s what was and is said. But among the things that I know about humans are if we can we will and whether or not we should doesnt much enter into it. Sooner or later if the means are there it will happen. Reassurance to the contrary means little to me. “Oh we woul...

The calendar says April 16th; the view from my window says it's fucking snowing outside.

Forgot to say that we watched This is a Robbery, a short series about the Gardner Museum heist. It's well intentioned and it's a great story but this was some seriously bad storytelling. Very disappointing. Also finished The Americans, which was not disappointing. But I still haven't figured out wha...

Mundane Mayhem wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:46 pm

I don't see any reason there couldn't be a list of DBT dates forthcoming.

Wondering the same thing. I'm sure the DBT team is busy planning and lining up dates but I haven't heard a word about the where and when of it. I've been saying September myself, but that's a totally uninformed guess.

Surprising nobody, I woke up this morning thinking it was obvious I should buy a ticket, so I did. Unless the weather is atrocious I will presumably go. Even if it's less than ideal it's still the DBT's, still the rock show and there will still be plenty of heAthens there to reconnect with after a y...

Cautiously holding out hope that this isn't the first show back. If it is I will probably do my best to make it, but I'd much prefer a "home game" show for them, as opposed to a festival. I don’t know. This festival draws about 6000 so it ain’t gonna be full of Heathens. They ain’t the headliner. T...

PS By New England standards, Greenfield is nowhere near metro Boston. OTOH, by Texas standards, it's practically next door.

pearlbeer wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 14, 2021 11:15 am

Tinnitus -- how many couches you got up there?

So I guess my yelp reviews are pretty bad, huh?

I’m not for mandating much of anything. I’m for letting people make their own decisions and mistakes. But I’m also not for them then being saved by the government from the consequences. Eat what you want to eat. Do all the different drugs you want. But it’s on you. As you know, I'm not with you 100...

boyyourself wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:19 am

Mandate the elimination of processed carbohydrates and mandate lifting weights.

Assuming that your substantive suggestions are best practices, I'm surprised by "mandate." If I understand correctly, that doesn't seem consistent with your general views about the use of government power.

Hey, boyyourself, the experts agree with you. Now what?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... p_opinions

This is America so why should we discuss the merits and demerits of government investing in the future in a variety of ways when we can just argue and whine about the definition of "infrastructure?" What a pointless, disingenuous exercise on both sides. But I'll tell you this, anyone who doesn't thi...

I wasn't going to comment on Justice Breyer's speech about the Supreme Court, specifically about his warning not to mess with it because I figured it was so ridiculous it wouldn't last a single news cycle, yet here it is last on Monday and "people" seem to still be talking about it. For a guy who sa...

As many of you know I am a huge fan of Heather Cox Richardson. She is being interviewed about her book How the South Won the Civil War in a free virtual program Thurday 4/8 at 6pm. Registration required. I got the notice by email so I'm not sure how to link it, but I assume if you search any or all ...

If I believed he was acting on principle--but he's not. My knowledge of Arkansas politics being extremely limited, what would you ascribe his motivations to? In case anybody missed it, the state legislature overturned the governor's veto anyway. Overturning a veto in AR requires...wait for it... a ...

This is a seemingly fair, balanced and knowledgeable "general interest" (i.e. not overly technical but evidence based) take on the Swedish "experiment" and experience with COVID. https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/swedens-pandemic-experiment?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_040...

Hey, JohnA, you must be pleased with your governor, for the moment at least. Hat tip to Gov. Asa Hutchison for vetoing a bill banning certain surgeries and medications for transgender minors. He stated that the bill exemplified government overreach and that such decisions should be left to families ...

My wife and I have been finding the fifth season of The Americans to be less than compelling and generally not up to snuff so it was amusing when my wife, as is her wont, went to the internet for background and learned very quickly that season 5 is "the disappointing one." LOL, good to know we're no...