Yesterday I made this comment on Charlie Pierce's blog at Esquire, and I stand by it:
The MAGAts who run Congress probably think that He, Trump owns Alaska's (and Ukraine's) resources and is therefore entitled to trade them to his KGB handler in exchange for a Noble* Prize. The rest of us need to do something about that, and I propose this: demand a commitment to deMAGAfication from any candidate for office who seeks our support. DeMAGAfication of government agencies, deMAGAfication of the courts, and deMAGAfication of "deals" made by the MAGAt-in-Chief. Of course a decent nation honors its commitments -- even those made under the previous regime -- but we can worry about that AFTER we Make America Decent Again.
--TP
*sic; look it up
British usages have long interested me. GftNC's observation that "smart" more or less equals "posh", for instance.
I remember reading somewhere that, at one time at least, a "clever" horse did not mean a witty or intelligent one but rather a well-formed or well-outfitted one. I wonder whether that's still true in the UK.
In the US, would "a clever work-around" and "a smart work-around" mean exactly the same thing? Or is there an articulable distinction there?
--TP
The inimitable Tom Lehrer died at 97 a couple of days ago. It's some small comfort to learn that the good don't always die young.
People surely exist who enjoy both Tom Lehrer and Ozzy Osbourne in equal measure; alas, I am not among them.
Which is too bad, because my 21yo nephew is a dedicated heavy metal rocker. He is the lead guitarist and main songwriter of DefCon:Dead, a widely-unknown college band. I have gone so far as to attend a couple of their gigs, and survived. I can even say I genuinely like a couple of their songs, in the privacy of my house where I get to operate the volume control. But I still can't quite "get into" heavy metal.
It was my nephew who texted me the news of Tom Lehrer's death yesterday, because he has been a fan from a young age (my doing, of course). His reaction to Ozzy's death was: "He was a hero to my heroes." The kid knows his heavy metal genealogy, it seems.
Anyway, I mention all this to say that my nephew is one of those who are so made as to enjoy both Tom Lehrer and heavy metal, and I kind of envy him for that.
--TP
Pro Bono: Perhaps the greatest calculator ... was Kepler
PB, if you haven't seen this 3Blue1Brown video, you really should take a look. The mind-boggling explanation of what Kepler accomplished starts at around 18:20, but the whole thing is great.
--TP
bc: Lastly, in order to attract conservatives, IMHO, you have to at least want to hear another point of view.
Good to see you again, bc!
Put me down as definitely wanting to hear "another point of view" on any topic at all. Also put me down as willing to challenge any point of view -- time permitting, and if I feel like it.
Is it possible that, unlike you, some conservatives find it frustrating to be challenged when they set forth their "point of view" on ObWi? I mean, "hearing" and "accepting" are different things. Any posted comment is "heard" in a literal(-ish) sense. If it elicits no response, would that be less, or more, frustrating than a bunch of replies "refuting" it?
Hoping you pop up more often, and bring friends with you:)
--TP
Pro Bono: I see no problem with discussing religious perspectives, so long as we're not expected to follow arguments from scriptural authority.
"Expected" by who? Surely not by the hosts, than whom there is no higher authority in a blog comment section. Also, to "follow" an argument can mean two different things. I can follow an argument that the earth is flat, for instance, without feeling obliged to follow it up with a refutation.
I called myself "emotionally inert" earlier. What that means is: if a god-botherer citing chapter and verse declared in these pages that I am doomed to hell, I would not be offended, frightened, or otherwise annoyed. If I had a bit of time to kill, I might comment back sarcastically or contemptuously -- but only for my own amusement.
Basically, I can't get worked up about much of anything in a blog comments section. "Yo mama wears army boots" may be ad hominem but I figure sensible people hardly expect me to deny it lest I appear to accept it.
Some people (perhaps the "self-defined conservatives" wonkie speaks of) may be more sensitive than I am, of course.
--TP
I actually miss most of the commenters who have been banned during my roughly 2 decades here. Does anybody have the full list?
Like the poor sod in the Monty Python sketch, I come here for an argument. Maybe I'm too emotionally inert, but I can't remember ever feeling hurt by a blog comment to or about me. Annoyed, sure, but annoyance tends to inspire me to argue back, rather than depress me.
Arguing with pig-headed opponents can be a bore, but what's a better way to waste time? Watching a horror movie? Listening to a sermon? Tastes differ, of course, and everyone is free to choose their own favorite time-wasting activity. For me, that was Obsidian Wings, once upon a time. I hope it becomes that again, someday.
--TP
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Giving Away the Store”
Yesterday I made this comment on Charlie Pierce's blog at Esquire, and I stand by it:
The MAGAts who run Congress probably think that He, Trump owns Alaska's (and Ukraine's) resources and is therefore entitled to trade them to his KGB handler in exchange for a Noble* Prize. The rest of us need to do something about that, and I propose this: demand a commitment to deMAGAfication from any candidate for office who seeks our support. DeMAGAfication of government agencies, deMAGAfication of the courts, and deMAGAfication of "deals" made by the MAGAt-in-Chief. Of course a decent nation honors its commitments -- even those made under the previous regime -- but we can worry about that AFTER we Make America Decent Again.
--TP
*sic; look it up
On “A New Gilded Age”
British usages have long interested me. GftNC's observation that "smart" more or less equals "posh", for instance.
I remember reading somewhere that, at one time at least, a "clever" horse did not mean a witty or intelligent one but rather a well-formed or well-outfitted one. I wonder whether that's still true in the UK.
In the US, would "a clever work-around" and "a smart work-around" mean exactly the same thing? Or is there an articulable distinction there?
--TP
On “Everyone is a hero in their own story”
The inimitable Tom Lehrer died at 97 a couple of days ago. It's some small comfort to learn that the good don't always die young.
People surely exist who enjoy both Tom Lehrer and Ozzy Osbourne in equal measure; alas, I am not among them.
Which is too bad, because my 21yo nephew is a dedicated heavy metal rocker. He is the lead guitarist and main songwriter of DefCon:Dead, a widely-unknown college band. I have gone so far as to attend a couple of their gigs, and survived. I can even say I genuinely like a couple of their songs, in the privacy of my house where I get to operate the volume control. But I still can't quite "get into" heavy metal.
It was my nephew who texted me the news of Tom Lehrer's death yesterday, because he has been a fan from a young age (my doing, of course). His reaction to Ozzy's death was: "He was a hero to my heroes." The kid knows his heavy metal genealogy, it seems.
Anyway, I mention all this to say that my nephew is one of those who are so made as to enjoy both Tom Lehrer and heavy metal, and I kind of envy him for that.
--TP
On “The law of the letter”
Pro Bono: Perhaps the greatest calculator ... was Kepler
PB, if you haven't seen this 3Blue1Brown video, you really should take a look. The mind-boggling explanation of what Kepler accomplished starts at around 18:20, but the whole thing is great.
--TP
On “An open thread on July 4th”
bc: Lastly, in order to attract conservatives, IMHO, you have to at least want to hear another point of view.
Good to see you again, bc!
Put me down as definitely wanting to hear "another point of view" on any topic at all. Also put me down as willing to challenge any point of view -- time permitting, and if I feel like it.
Is it possible that, unlike you, some conservatives find it frustrating to be challenged when they set forth their "point of view" on ObWi? I mean, "hearing" and "accepting" are different things. Any posted comment is "heard" in a literal(-ish) sense. If it elicits no response, would that be less, or more, frustrating than a bunch of replies "refuting" it?
Hoping you pop up more often, and bring friends with you:)
--TP
"
Pro Bono: I see no problem with discussing religious perspectives, so long as we're not expected to follow arguments from scriptural authority.
"Expected" by who? Surely not by the hosts, than whom there is no higher authority in a blog comment section. Also, to "follow" an argument can mean two different things. I can follow an argument that the earth is flat, for instance, without feeling obliged to follow it up with a refutation.
I called myself "emotionally inert" earlier. What that means is: if a god-botherer citing chapter and verse declared in these pages that I am doomed to hell, I would not be offended, frightened, or otherwise annoyed. If I had a bit of time to kill, I might comment back sarcastically or contemptuously -- but only for my own amusement.
Basically, I can't get worked up about much of anything in a blog comments section. "Yo mama wears army boots" may be ad hominem but I figure sensible people hardly expect me to deny it lest I appear to accept it.
Some people (perhaps the "self-defined conservatives" wonkie speaks of) may be more sensitive than I am, of course.
--TP
"
I actually miss most of the commenters who have been banned during my roughly 2 decades here. Does anybody have the full list?
Like the poor sod in the Monty Python sketch, I come here for an argument. Maybe I'm too emotionally inert, but I can't remember ever feeling hurt by a blog comment to or about me. Annoyed, sure, but annoyance tends to inspire me to argue back, rather than depress me.
Arguing with pig-headed opponents can be a bore, but what's a better way to waste time? Watching a horror movie? Listening to a sermon? Tastes differ, of course, and everyone is free to choose their own favorite time-wasting activity. For me, that was Obsidian Wings, once upon a time. I hope it becomes that again, someday.
--TP
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.