Tag Archives: politics

The Blackest Burger, The Sun is Trying to Kill Us, Congress Sells Out, and Remembering 9-11

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This entry is part 96 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

Today was a very long day at work.

There are another couple of days like that looming in the near future.

It really didn’t help that there was a lot more on my mind today than work.

I would have rather spent the day reading about politics and how Congress just dropped the ball on real campaign finance reform.

I would have rather had the time to really read and listen to all the personal stories of how lives changed 13 years ago.

I would have much rather gotten a nap at some point.

But, that’s not what was.

So, instead, I read a couple of articles, watched a couple of videos, and did the minimum non-work stuff needed to keep from going absolutely batty today.

Pretty much all of that is in the feed.

So, here you go.

Weather, Ice Bucket Muppets, Free Range Kids, More From Furguson, and Some Movies

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This entry is part 83 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge continues to spread (and pull in tons of money and awareness). Now we’re up to Muppets like Cookie Monster and Kermit the Frog participating.

I continue to be amused. (And, in some cases, impressed.)

There’s still lots of problems in Furguson… and there are so many media-types there to get a piece of the action that they’re becoming a bit of a problem themselves. Pro tip, news-hounds: if there are more of you than there are protesters, you should probably dial it back a bit and decide amongst yourselves who’s going to go cover another part of the story.

Then there’s a new survey out that says a whole lot of people don’t think any kids under 12 should ever be out and about unaccompanied. That’s just ridiculous. Most of the people who think that have obviously forgotten that they likely survived a whole lot of unaccompanied time growing up. (Especially if they’re my age or older.) These are likely the same parents that complain like crazy about being run ragged trying to get their kids to all the meticulously planned (and structured) activities they’ve pushed them into. Send ’em out to climb a tree, dammit. Falling teaches you about physics… and risk management. Coddling them until they’re in their teens gives you “adults” who can’t deal with the real world.

And, as you scroll through the feed, you’ll also see a few trailers for movies that look new and different and interesting. Probably not blockbuster theater “success” stories like Guardians of the Galaxy… but likely infinitely better writing and acting than all the movies everyone will hear about.

Here’s the feed…

Bees, Furguson, Fictional Horrors, and Needed Distractions

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This entry is part 80 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

I spent more time than I probably should have discussing the goings on in Furguson, MO, today.

Can’t say that before yesterday I’d really ever heard of that St. Louis suburb before, but after today it’s going to be hard to forge.

You see, there’s some massive police action going on there. That’s in reaction to some massive public action–including looting and riots. And that’s in reaction to a shooting that left a black man definitely dead and a cop reported injured.

Chains of events like this aren’t all that uncommon.

It’s a symptom of the ongoing and underlying racial and economic divides we’ve got going on here. That we’ve had going on here pretty much forever.

It’s tragic all around.

First that there’s any legitimate question that an altercation with a law enforcement officer was uncalled for or that the cop’s response was out of scale. Further that pretty much any any event between white people and people of a different race will far too often set off protests and riots.

I’d like to say “It didn’t used to be this way…” But that’s not entirely true. There is a tremendous history of those in power (who have always happened to be white, and almost always male here in the United States) abusing those of different races, genders, and sexual orientations. So much so that any “event” involving a minority has to be deeply questioned and, in many communities, serves as a flashpoint for the pent up frustrations of the population.

In Fuguson, the death sparked riots (which, in and of itself is an utterly counter-productive reaction–“Let’s mess up our own town to protest the actions of the powers that be!”). Those riots sparked a highly militarized police response (which, in some cases, was definitely called for–if you’re setting things on fire and robbing stores, the cops are kind of supposed to stop that). The problem is, because the police force itself was seen as the aggressor in the ongoing tension in the town, having them show up at even peaceful gatherings looking like an occupying military force and then moving in on the crowd isn’t going to do anything but incite resistance and more distrust.

Which is exactly what’s been happening over the past four days.

It’s a problematic and unfortunate situation that has done near irreparable damage to the community in many ways. Law enforcement and those in power are going to have a very difficult climb to even get back to the strained point of tolerance they had with the residents before this all fell apart. The residents are going to have to deal with numerous issues this is inevitably causing in their own community–when neighbors of yours are burning down buildings you shop at, there’s going to be some lingering frisson there.

And then the country, not as a whole but as a divided population of “us” and “them”, has yet another example of why they shouldn’t trust those we’ve put in power. That brings us one step closer to collapse… and that helps no one get anything positive done.

Anyway, there are 70 or so back and forth exchanges, all filled with fantastic and diverse opinions attached to the articles about it in the feed. Definitely check those out.

Also, there are baby ducks swimming in a sink.

And a dancing tree.

Just to balance things out.

Here’s the feed…

More on Robin Williams, Some Solid Harto, and Possible Political Insight

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This entry is part 78 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

Lots of people are still reeling in one way or another from Robin Williams’ suicide.

It’s especially tragic since, for a long time now, he’s been aware and willing to get help when he needed it. Just last month he checked himself into rehab for a “tune up” so he wouldn’t fall off the wagon.

I figure what hit him on Monday kind of snuck up on him. Totally blindside by a wave of depression that sucked him under so quickly and completely that, if he could look now, he’d be just as shocked and surprised as the rest of us are.

But, what’s done is done and from it a number of conversations have started. Some are telling stories of his impact on our lives–through the various movies and television shows we knew him from. Others have more personal stories to tell–actors and comedians who worked with him at one point or another are sharing snippets of memory, filling in bits of his life that, until now, few have ever heard. And then there are the really important discussions–about depression and suicide and how to reach out (and respond when reached out to).

That’s important stuff, indeed.

It doesn’t always help. Sometimes nothing does. But being aware, being willing, and putting yourself out there, regardless of which side of the reaching you’re on, is difficult but rewarding more often than not.

It can make a difference. And if it does so just once, well, that’s a pretty huge difference for that one person… or for you.

Here’s the feed…

Sounds of Space, Questionable Business, Questionable Politics, and Some Movie Stuff

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This entry is part 70 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

With Comic Con passed, there are a lot of movie announcements floating around out there now.

Sequels, reboots, spin offs, and even some original properties that all sound really interesting.

The problem, of course, is that most of them are a year or more away.

I remember the “good old days” when you wouldn’t hear about a movie being made until maybe a few months before it came out. Rarely was something even rumored (let alone hyped) for two years (and, these days, sometimes two years before filming even begins).

The publicity machine is kind of insane.

And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve checked the upcoming releases list and thought, “Wait… didn’t that already come out, like, a year ago?” Nope. I’ve just been hearing about it for so long that it seemed like it had already been here and gone.

That strikes me as a little counter-productive.

But it’s not just movies that do it.

We’ve seen that kind of creep in politics, too.

Now, almost as soon as a Presidential election is over, the “news” outlets start speculating on who’ll be running in the next one–even before the President-elect takes his oath of office. And then the actual race for any given position more or less starts two years before the actual vote will take place.

That’s two years where politicians are doing more campaigning and image building than actual thoughtful governing. (Though these days, I wonder if they ever spend any time doing that.)

Then there’s also the inevitable “Christmas Creep”… where those trees show up earlier and earlier in the stores every year. Last year I saw stuff in regular stores (not craft stores, I understand them getting stuff out there early–people need time to actually make stuff) in early September.

And, back at the beginning of July, everyone was already talking about Back to School shopping. School just got out in mid-June. Has summer break been reduced down to roughly two weeks?

Why are we always pushing so hard to speed up the recognition of these things? Why can’t we enjoy not knowing what’s on the movie schedule two years from now? Why do we have to start pushing Christmas before October even begins? Why can’t we let politicians do something other than just plan their next campaign? And, perhaps most importantly, why can’t our kids get more time to just be kids during a lazy summer?

I don’t know. But I do know I haven’t much cared for that compression and acceleration for a long time now. I think it’s part of a larger problem and the root of a good number of troublesome things…

Anyway, here’s the feed…