I got up early this morning and the quality of the moonlight slanting in from the west was so striking it reminded me of that old barbershop quartet song. Orion appeared above the trees, fully visible for the first time this season. Through a trick of the light, it stood alone. While moonlight and mist obscured most stars, Orion was clear and strong. Even the fuzzy “stars” of his sword were visible. Although generally when it comes to the sky I couldn’t tell Cassiopeia from the Perseid meteor shower, I learned to love this constellation when I was a kid…
Category: Government
Government evils — but I repeat myself
If you date the Great Recession from the collapse of Lehman Brothers (which is arbitrary but a satisfyingly dramatic point to hang the story on), it is 10 years old today. Of course we all know the recession “officially” ended ages ago, brilliantly conceived and executed government bailouts saved the global economy, and the whole world has put all that unpleasantness behind it for yet another era of Eternal Prosperity. But then, we also all know … otherwise. So here are 10 myths and misconceptions people still believe about the causes of the catastrophe. And here, from Daniel Lacalle via…
David French of the National Review calls Amber Guyger’s murder of a man in his own home “the worst police shooting yet.” I don’t know about that, but it certainly has all the elements, including favoritism and the typical cover story. From Wired: How to move a million people out of a hurricane’s way. Good luck, mid-Atlantean readers! She made it through Hurricane Harvey — though not necessarily well. Now Sara Cress gives advice on how to prepare for a flood. (NPR broadcast; not sure whether transcript will be online by the time this posts, but she mentions things people…
Tuesday I painted under the eaves. Painting, unlike most other tasks I’ve been doing, is a good activity for thinking. My random thoughts that day were circling around Nike having reignited the “take a knee” controversy, using Colin Kaepernick’s protest in the most cynically commercial way. Now, Nike may see Big Bux in buying the face of the millionaire athlete who can now make money off that greatest of all contemporary triumphs — personal oppression. But the thing that’s always mystified me about the entire “take a knee” flapdoodle is why — on the first hour of the first day…