Loosely Speaking

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Friday, March 22, 2019

Too many choices!

There are simply too many would-be Presidents jumping into the arena these days, mostly Democrats this time. One of them keeps popping up on Facebook wanting donations from grassroots sources as she is not accepting any PAC funds. Okay... But what does she stand for? What other issues are important to her? All I know is she wants us to fund her run. Others I know little about, but I am paying attention, listening to what they have to say and how they say it. So far, topping my list of possibles... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Shakespeare's histories

Yesterday I watched Kenneth Branagh's HENRY V again. It is one of my most favorite films, and one of the very best productions of Shakespeare ever made. Branagh makes the language understandable, accessible to the modern ear. His passionate style of acting brought him an Oscar nomination, also one for his direction. (He didn't win, but the film did take the Oscar for costuming.) Someone then asked if I've ever seen the series THE HOLLOW CROWN which recounts in a series of 2 hour film adaptations... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

a curmudgeon speaks...

Okay... Can you tell that Rupert Murdoch now owns the National Geographic Magazine? "...galloping..." "...stumbling..." "...staggering..." Colorful language creates maybe a more arousing impression to general readers, but hardly makes clear that all this is about a geologic time scale, not our daily/weekly human time scale. It's colorful and emotionally evocative, that word "galloping" but it suggests an urgency that does not exist, a concern that is, as it happens, negligible in human terms. We... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Oh, come on, people!

About the governor whose college yearbook photo has stimulated screams and moans and demands he step down as governor. Kids are not known for being culturally smart or sensitive. The real question should be, what does he believe now, what do his adult actions indicate? If he has not grown past the guys in the photo, then sure, he should be held accountable. But should he step down because he may--or may not--have posed in a photo 30 years ago that ended up on his yearbook page? And who are the... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Measles in Oregon and Climate Change

Right now there is a serious outbreak of measles happening in southwestern Washington State, with 35 cases among a population of 22% non-immunized school kids. Some of these kids may die because their parents opted to disbelieve the doctors who long ago discredited that first claim linking vaccines to autism. Part of the anti-vax problem stems from lack of trust in authority and claimed expertise. It is part of the American Dysfunction, that we expect to be lied to, gas-lighted, taken advantage... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, January 28, 2019

Staying alive

Another of my Canadian friends is working his way slowly through the 'free' medical system up in the Great White North. He had a stroke a few months ago, and is now having headaches that last days while his clinic nurse consultant tells him, that's normal, not to worry. This is someone trained to soothe and comfort, to reduce stresses and concerns. I think he should try to get his next actual doc appointment moved up. Sometimes something could be more urgent than merely important. This is my... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, January 25, 2019

discussion happening on Facebook...

The discussion began with the headline about Ireland voting to boycott goods from Israeli settlements. It went pretty directly to whether being anti-Israel is the same as being anti-semitic. I jumped in to say they are not the same. Most people responding seem to agree with me. A few don't, and by their words, they don't seem to be particular sensitive to nuanced issues. I think there is a problem going deeper than modern history, with any and every culture that claims 'chosen by God' status and... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Cursive, foiled again!

There are those who would cease to teach penmanship--specifically cursive writing--in today's school curriculum. Their argument is that cursive writing is not necessary, and that instead the fine art of keyboarding has supplanted it. They say, too, that it is difficult to learn, a hardship for kids. What's the problem with offering something a little challenging for the kids--of whatever age? It's 26 letters. It's a method that can be smoother and easier on the hand than printing. It isn't that... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

The latest tempest

This whole event of the kids in the MAGA hats, the Indian elder with the drum, and the Black Israel community reps is a study in the emotional hair triggers that are so prevalent in the US these days, and how social media amplifies the knee-jerk/panic/feat-to-anger reaction in a 'viral' way that later becomes an exercise in chagrin, to those who leaped onto the seemingly PC band wagon before finding out any facts. Some will be embarrassed, some will never admit they were that wrong, and go... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Spectrums and bell-curves.

Not all billionaires are the same, nor Libertarians, nor any other labeled group. In fact, in any such group are likely to be both the high- and low-energy extremes, high- and low-functioning--and most will be in the middle.. High level Libertarians pick up the garbage that low level Libertarians throw around. High level rebels write pamphlets, low level rebels make bombs. High level money-gatherers spread the wealth to community and humanitarian endeavors, low level ones buy politicians to make... Sign in to see full entry.

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