"This was the voice of moderation until 13 Sept, 2025"
by liberal japonicus If I were an editorial cartoonist, I'd probably draw an end of year cartoon that had the current year being wheeled out on a gurney, with EMTs pounding on his chest and preparing the paddles, while the incoming baby new year watches him being wheeled out with a WTF look. But given … Read more
–by Sebastian H I have a constant frustration with the legal system: that its mechanisms often cause a focus on the wrong thing. I don't mean that it focuses in areas I think are unimportant–though that happens too. I mean that even if it is looking in an important area, the structure of the legal … Read more
by russell This is a post with two motivations. The first is to ask a question that has been baffling me since the start of the Republican debates and primaries: why can't Jon Huntsman get any traction? The second motivation is to lay out some bait for OC to jump in and give us his … Read more
Otherwise knows as the what did you get thread. So have at it. Our swag is below the fold.
by Doctor Science A German friend points out that English could really use: Verschlimmbesserung, noun [from Verbesserung (improvement) and Verschlimmerung (deterioration/worsening)]: intended improvements or upgrades that end up making everything worse. Verb form: verschlimmbessern kaputtreparieren, verb (“kaputt” + “repair”): repair or tinker with a thing to the point that it becomes broken. Warning sign for … Read more
by Doctor Science Thea Gilmore, at YouTube. Link from R.G. The Claw of the Conciliator is the second part of Gene Wolfe’s series The Book of the New Sun. It has the following epigraph, from Osip Mandelstam: In the distance disappear the mounds of human heads. I dwindle — go unnoticed now. But in affectionate … Read more
by russell This had me in stitches. Then, I was profoundly depressed for a couple of minutes. Then, I scratched my head for about a half hour. Then, I laughed some more. My favorite bit: Cooperman, 68, said in an interview that he can’t walk through the dining room of St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, … Read more
by Doctor Science
I’ve been on a Dutch painting of the Golden Age kick recently, so I dug out Simon Schama’s The Embarrassment of Riches and was noodling around in it, looking especially at how women’s lives and work were portrayed.
The most distinctive aspect of Dutch women’s work was the constant cleaning:
The spick-and-span towns shone from hours of tireless sweeping, scrubbing, scraping, burnishing, mapping, rubbing and washing. They made an embarrassing contrast to the porridge of filth and ordure that slopped over the cobbles of most other European cities in the seventeenth century. “The beauty and cleanliness of the streets are so extraordinary,” ran an English account, “that Persons of all ranks do not scruple, but even seem to take pleasure in walking them.” [p 375]
Streets so clean you’d want to walk there, wow.
by russell OK, so the Iraq War is now officially over. They've lowered the flag, the last combat troops crossed the border today at 4:27 UTC. I think the big — bigger than Vatican City — embassy is still there and open for business, so I'm sure there are still some Americans there with guns, … Read more
by Doctor Science
Sorry about the lack of posting, gang. In addition to doing a lot of that “work” thing, I’ve been shopping for a used car. I don’t know if anyone predicted, back in 1996 or so, how much that old-school business would change in the next ten years. Now, although buying a used car is still a pain in the butt, it’s not a *nightmarish* one.
.
by liberal japonicus
When you read the title, you should be hearing a bunch of louche pop stars sing-shouting out of tune. "Let them know it's Christmastime'. After you have finished muttering imprecations about me putting that song in your head, read on.
by Eric Martin Below is an excerpt from a truly brilliant piece written by Catherine Connors, which examines on some of the themes and motifs that were prevalent at the TEDWomen conference that she attended last year. With clarity and eloquence, Connors lays bare the ways in which even ostensible celebrations of woman-empowerment can, even if inadvertantly, serve to … Read more
by liberal japonicus From the Guardian During the UK's 38-year membership of the European Community, and latterly Union, the true believers had, too often in their eyes, to make special exceptions for the "awkward Anglo-Saxons". The "Brits" wielded handbags and threatened vetoes, insisting all the time on remaining at the top table of discussions despite … Read more
by liberal japonicus
Your thread about odd time signatures, holiday music and the War on Christmas, with a video and some meaningless reminiscing below the fold.
by Doctor Science It’s that time of year again — the one where I need to figure out gifts for various friends and relatives. Fortunately, it’s also the time of year when critics and reviewers put together “N Best Xs of the Year” lists. Even more fortunately, almost everyone on my list *loves* books. So: … Read more
by russell
I'd been wanting to head down to the Occupy Boston site, just to see what was what as much as anything else. Last Friday, I took the day-after-Thanksgiving holiday as my opportunity.
I checked the website to see what they were asking for that day. Shopping list in hand, I headed over to my local Dollar Store and loaded up on stuff like snacks, juice, Band-Aids, and baby wipes, hopped on the T, and headed for town.
by liberal japonicus Just recently, one of the keys to my morning net surfing has been to go to the Guardian's Leveson inquiry page and catch the live blog for the previous day's session. Because of the time difference, I'm getting it after it has finished, so I can read thru the whole thing. Just … Read more