I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Linkee-poo has had enough of silly love songs

Some numbers from writing, first four months of freelancing. Don't quit the day job. (Grokked from someone, sorry)

A 20d that lights up when you roll a natural 20. 'Cause you know you want one. (Grokked from Dan)

Using light to generate sound to image the brain. Okay, that's interesting.

3D XPoint memory coming soon. Okay, most of the graphics on the page are examples of how worthless Powerpoint is, but still this is Good News, People™. (Grokked from John)

About the copyright on the "Birthday Song"… (Grokked from Dan)

"Monthly premiums for California's 1.3 million Covered California customers will rise a modest 4 percent, on average, officials with the agency said Monday. This increase is slightly less than last year's increase of 4.2 percent for consumers who bought policies on the state's health insurance marketplace." I'm sure there's something to blame for that. Oh, I know, people with power actually watching what's going on. But in other news, apparently coordinated care for Medicare ends up with people actually using the healthcare system. Strange that.

"People still aren’t getting the message that taking selfies with wild animals can be a very bad idea." Man takes selfie with rattlesnake, gets bitten. And then gets a $153,000 hospital bill. So he was bitten twice. (Grokked from John)

Alaska is on fire. Just what fire is doing to Alaska, with information on what the ground of Alaska is composed of (hint, it's full of carbon).

A chart of news sources and how well they're trusted broken down by generations. Okay, that's interesting. (Grokked from John)

Donald Trump's lawyers (you know, the guys who found out the truth about President Obama) are a piece of work. Triggery for both rape, ignorance, and being an ass in public.

"A panel discussion on CNN got heated Sunday when former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) argued that 'Black Lives Matter' is a poor message because it makes white people feel less valued." And here I thought Ken had disappeared. Go home, Ken. You're drunk. "Young black people are 4.5 times more likely to be killed by police… and while black Americans comprise just 13 percent of the U.S. population, they make up 26 percent of those shot by police." (Grokked from Morgan J Locke)

Building molecular transistors with individual atoms acting as gates. Wow. Living in the future. Of course, it'll take 20 years until it's commercially available, so don't get your hopes up. (Grokked from Dan)

Quote of the day: You may have 2 ears and 1 mouth, but you need 6 cranial nerves to speak and only 1 to hear. Evolution calls bullshit on your aphorism.

Driven

While doing artwork, whenever I'm under a lot of stress I tend to crank the music. And my selections also go toward the harder side of music. To give you a sample of what the last two months have been like, this song has been in heavy rotation.


Driven to the margin of error
Driven to the edge of control
Driven to the margin of terror
Driven to the edge of a deep, dark hole
Yea, that pretty well describes it. So much for a summer.

Happy birthday, Geddy Lee. Thanks for the music.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Linkee-poo saddles up my horse and rides into the city

I would say we're on the downhill run for the next two weeks, but I know better. The big project has pushed back many small projects will are now "emergencies" to finish. While managers are all happy about finishing the big project, the workers know that the hard times are just beginning when the big project it finished. The consultants get to leave and collect their billing. That and with not being able to spend extra time at clinical, I'll be there over this fall.

God checker. For your world building and research needs. (Grokked from Neil Gaiman)

Think we've socially advanced? I've got a Glamour article you've got to read then. Then tell me how far we've come. (Grokked from John Scalzi)

Your computer security is lacking. A survey between the everyday users and security experts.

"'We can tailor these recipes to the photosynthesis response of the plant,' says van der Feltz. 'By being able to tweak the spectrum—the color the plants see—and put the lights exactly where they need it, we can dramatically increase yields and improve fruit density and quality.'" This isn't exactly new, they've been doing this with fluorescents for years now. But now it's LEDs, and it's vertical (urban) farming (which will be a thing of the future, because we'll have to). "'If we can eliminate the risk of disease and climate for the grower, then we can also create different varieties that are optimized for taste, or nutritional value, or perhaps speed of growth.'" My money is on optimizing the speed of growth (because that's what we've been doing for centuries… know how long it takes to go from egg to chicken mcnuggets?). Oh, and we'll never eliminate the risk of disease. That's just marketing bs. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)

"Despite its well-known toxic side effects, many end-stage patients and their doctors have considered chemotherapy worth trying, believing it may ease discomfort or buy time… Now, a study suggests that even those stronger patients may not benefit from end-of-life chemotherapy — and that for many, their quality of life may worsen in their final weeks compared with patients who forgo last-ditch treatment." Fuck cancer.

"Two low-profile Texas brothers have donated $15 million to support Sen. Ted Cruz, a record-setting contribution that amounts to the largest known donation so far in the 2016 presidential campaign." Good thing Judge Scalia told us that money won't corrupt the politician or the electoral process, or this would be a thing to worry about. Note, if you read the article, that means four/five people (if you consider the brothers one entity) have funded $37M of Sen. Cruz's superPAC's $38M raised. (Grokked from John Scalzi)

Remember those people who took it upon themselves to stand armed guard outside recruitment centers? "The Defense Department, reacting to armed citizens appearing in front of military recruiting offices…, has asked that 'individuals not stand guard' on federal property." The real soldiers, sailors and marines want the wannabes and posers to go home.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Linkee-poo left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time

Universal Studios mistakenly asks Google for a takedown notice of their own computer. Or at least the computer of the person who wrote the DMCA takedown notice.

Maybe we weren't responsible for megafauna extinctions. But, maybe we were indirectly responsible. It's a little bit of "looking of The reason." It's sort of like the extinction of the dinosaurs. They were already dying out (reduced diversity and reduced numbers) as we approached the time when the asteroid hit. It doesn't mean the asteroid didn't slam the lid shut on their coffin (which it didn't really do after all, notice all the avians around us). (Grokked from Neil Gaiman)

Oh look, the bees are back. Note they're talking the number of colonies, and not the number of actual bees. (Grokked from Dan)

For your bemusement, warning keep tin-foil hat firmly on before clicking. Just one week after our breaking news article possibly tying in the 9-11 supertramp cover image with Biblical prophecies from Revelation 17-18 and Jeremiah 50-51. We have found even more “coincidences” which bring this subject matter to the realm of padded room material!" (Grokked from John)

"Simply signing a document isn't enough, however. There's no substitute for regular communication with friends and family about end-of-life preferences." That.

"Senate GOP leadership is moving toward a vote on a bill that would cease federal funding to Planned Parenthood due to concerns about the reproductive health provider raised by heavily-edited videos recently posted online by an anti-abortion group." It's almost like that was the plan.

Why, they were right. When they outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns. Supposedly law abiding citizens decide not to follow the laws.

Donald Trump may be using illegal immigrants as laborers to build his grave site. Most people are keying in on the "illegal immigrant" part. For me its, "He's building a gravesite on his golf course? Who died and made him Pharaoh?"

And now, at about a 15 months out from the next presidential election (don't let them fool you, there's an election this November as well), where do the parties stand in the popular mind? Well, the Pew Center has a nice long poll with analysis. The take-away? "The Republican Party’s image has grown more negative over the first half of this year." Now the Democratic Party isn't faring that much better, but the dip in the "approval" ratings the GOP has have gone down significantly. Even among Republicans. What this shows is people like the GOP when they're running for office, but not when they're actually governing. Also it could be the effect of the candidates getting their dog-whistling in early so they can use the "that's old news" defense when called on it later. (Grokked from Dan)

Okay, when William Shatner is calling you silly, that's Game Over™.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Linkee-poo look at me, I'm on the way to the promised land

Sorry, so tired I forgot to format the links.

Explaining graphic design to four-year olds. I wish the people I work with would get this. (Grokked from Xeni)

"Unlike any other living thing on Earth, electric bacteria use energy in its purest form – naked electricity in the shape of electrons harvested from rocks and metals." The world is stranger than we think. (Grokked from Karl Schroeder)

If you've ever had an eye test, or some kind of neural damage, you've experienced a doctor giving you what seems like a random movement test. Follow the finger without moving your head, putting their hands over yours and telling you to lift as hard as you can, those sorts of things. What they're testing are your cranial nerves (these don't go through your spinal column). There are 3 that affect eye movement all by themselves (each will move your eyes in a different direction). So, I understand just what they're testing here with hearing and literacy in toddlers, but I'm not entirely convinced of it's efficacy. It's interesting science, but the brain is very plastic, and I'm afraid this test will be used to shunt kids into categories they don't belong in. On the other hand, a lot of kids might (might) get some help at a crucial stage. On the third hand, that'll mostly be rich kids with educated parents.

Snotbot. Because SCIENCE! (Grokked from John)

Some companies are moving away from the annual performance review. They point out a lot of reasons why reviews suck (time, brainspace, and results wise). "'Employees that do best in performance management systems tend to be the employees that are the most narcissistic and self-promoting,' said Brian Kropp, the HR practice leader for CEB." you say that like it's a bad thing. Dude, seriously, have you met any MBAs? Guess who made this crap up? Full disclosure, just got the email about Annual Review Time. It's that time of year where we realize that we spend too much time on bullshit, and we never got to our personal goals because we were too busy doing the actual fucking work we were hired to do. Also, we just moved to one of those "forced curves" evaluation. "Shocked," our CEO said, "shocked to find our employees are weighted heavily into the 4 and 5 space…" so we now have an enforced Bell Curve. Guess what happened to productivity and moral as all our high-performers realized they wouldn't be recognized for their high performance, but forced onto an artificial curve. But most people don't remember why annual reviews came into being. Unfortunately it didn't solve the real problem, which was people being dicks (mostly in middle-management). (Grokked from someone, Morgan J Locke I think)

Nearly no consequences for drunk executives who poured beer on Native American children’s heads. Noted as comment to above, and again just where the PC police (in reference to below)? Also noted in the vein of, "maybe if it's not blacks people can see the racism built into the system." (Grokked from Saladin Ahmed)

When he's a commie fighting rebel, or even a former Hitler Youth it's all fun and games and the conservatives love the Pope. However, when it's a poor brown kid from South America everybody gets huffy.

"New documents obtained by NPR and ProPublica reveal that the Red Cross may not have an accurate accounting of how all the money was spent." 9/11 and now Haiti. The Red Cross has got some 'splainin to do. Once that hits the public zeitgeist, we may not see a very able or well funded Red Cross in the US.

"Armed civilians are standing guard outside military recruitment centers across the United States -- even if the military doesn't necessarily want them there -- in the wake of last week's killing of five service members in Chattanooga, Tennessee." What could possibly go wrong.

You know how the conservative blowhards at Fox News like to talk about how their speech is stifled by the Political Correctness Police? That's all well and good, until they want to enforce their own PC policing. Donald Trump is an ass (actually, he's representative of a lot of business execs and their mindset), and he's been giving a hellalotta hints to walk back his comments about McCain, but Donald is Donald. Bill O'Reilly trying to play the PC police is just hilarious.

I wonder if conservatives will now rethink their stance on "at-will" employment? Yea, probably not. They'll double down on the PC police line and play the victim. All the company will need to do is document they asked the employees not to fly the Stars and Bars to work, and point to their anti-discrimination and diversity policies. Although, it's kinda iffy with the rulings of where and when employees can have guns in their cars and whether the judge rules that the cars are inviolate property, or because they're on company property that the company's rules apply.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Linkee-poo won't be your Yoko Ono

Have you been pwned? (Grokked from John)

Cats and Death book binding. Some of my favorite napery. (Grokked from Mary Robinette Kowal)

The Smithsonian launches a Kickstarter campaign to restore, conserve, and preserve Neil Armstrong's space suit that walked on the Moon. Because they didn't have the funding to do it themselves. (Grokked from John)

"The British Library puts 1,000,000 images into the public domain." w00t! OMG. I'll, uh, I'll be in my bunk. (Grokked from Morgan J Locke)

The best affordable fan? Maybe. Now I just wish someone would publish the best affordable carpet shampooer.

Please wait while your car updates. Hackers remotely hijack a Jeep by using the onboard computer. If this isn't in your cyberpunk, you've just been outdated. (Grokked from John)

Fifteen questions that push the limits of human stupidity. Oh, darling, humans are much more stupid than that. Only 15? You aren't trying hard enough. (Grokked from Catherine Asaro)

Cheaper solar panels which pay-back faster (from 2 years to a few months). Not ready for prime time, and I think the comparison between an individual's exposure to lead versus the environmental damage of gold mining is a bit specious, but interesting. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)

June Fourth (and now my blog is banned in China, if it already wasn't). "Memory is dangerous in a country that was built to function on national amnesia." The past is edited to make it more sanitary. In this case, the Chinese government has been quite successful in erasing the Tiananmen Square student protests, which ended in a massacre of those students (I can still recall the audio only reports of that night when the Chinese troops were ordered to clear the Square). Sometimes it is a strategic defense, especially for a country built on conformity and compliance. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)

Sometimes it doesn't take a repressive government attempting to quell dissent. Sometimes we'd rather just forget what makes us uncomfortable and doesn't fit within the narrative of ourselves and our culture. In case you think China is the only place that has this happens. Many people in the US forget those images of people jumping from the burning World Trade Center, in my experience especially those who vowed to "Never Forget."

You keep using that word. I doona think it mean what you think it means. "Hero" is now the shibboleth of the GOP. In the tree-fort clubhouse they can wiser to each other, "We're all heroes, you know."

Think with your .22 you're ready for the apocalypse or to engage your Second Amendment Option? You're just a fuckin' punter compared to this guy. Now, he's ready.

Tweet of my heart: @KameronHurley And, honestly, if you don't HOPE that your NEXT book will be THE BOOK, however unlikely, you will not have the stamina for this biz.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Linkee-poo, if I could dig down deep in my heart, feelings would flood on the page, would it satisfy ya, would it slide on by ya, would ya think the boy's insane?

Keyboard shortcuts for novelists. (Grokked from phiala)

Jim Hines kicks the day job to the curb. You go, Jim. For aspiring writers waiting for the dream, please note the main instigating event. Most of the people I know who are writing full time have a similar circumstance.

Living with a highly creative person. In case you ever wondered why I write, it's because my wife said I should inflict my humor on people other than just her. It's a little stereotypical (not all creatives are alike). (Grokked from Dozelle Young)

So, ever complained about how your computer is haunted or possessed? There's an app for that. Well, at least some helpful Wiccan practitioners. "Though tech problems are not the only ones Talley tackles, she is routinely called upon to debug people’s tech woes with spiritual energy." I used to joke about dancing naked in the light of the full moon and my chicken-bone necklace back in the days of SCSI interfaces (oh you kids, you don't know the fun we had in the early days of computing). Maybe I had something going there. (Grokked from Dan)

For every moment you think there are shining examples of the better angels of our nature, such as people going out to protect the nests of endangered sea turtles, there's stories like this that bring me back to earth. "A 72-year-old Marine veteran who volunteered to protect a sea turtle nest got beaten and shot in the butt for his troubles."

We're boned. Yep, climate scientists are growing tired of sugar coating it to try and convince certain people among us to actually do something about climate change. So now the government report concludes that even if we froze carbon outputs, the seas will continue to rise for centuries. That means when they talk about the tipping point, they're now talking in the past tense. (Grokked from Morgan J Locke)

June of 2015 was the warmest June on record and will possibly lead us to another warmest year on record. For the record, 2014 was also the warmest year on record at the time. Nothing to worry about here. I'm sure Sen. Inhofe is saving up some snowballs in his freezer to help us all out. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)

Shit just got serious. Ashley Madison, a "dating" site for married people (I would guess mostly men) looking for affairs is hacked. They're also holding the data for ransom (asking the sites run by the parent company to be taken down… dudes, seriously selling yourselves short here). On the positive side, I now expect lawmakers will finally get serious about cyber security and holding companies accountable. (Grokked from Dan)

Fresca quietly takes control of the 18-34 demographic in a series of night time raids. Oh, Onion, never leave us. (Grokked from Brandie Tarvin)

A Muslim cemetery is going in Farmersville, Tx. And the locals are none too happy about it. Thinking it'll draw that radical islamic thing they've all been worried about. Reminds me of a Robin Williams routine, "WTF asshole, he's dead?!" And I'm sure even if they didn't uses vaults in their burials, any chance of ground contaminate is overwhelmed by the large amounts of bullshit being discussed behind closed doors down there.

"Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, was 'one of the South's first civil rights leaders,' a GOP state representative from Tennessee wrote in an op-ed published Thursday." I just don't have the spoons for this political season.

More on how Fox News is actually a propaganda/disinformation campaign being waged for the benefit of conservative politics. (Grokked from Justine Larbeliester)

Scott Walker explains his wife's position on same-sex marriage. Of course, it's his. I'm starting to change my mind of wanting Trump to advance toward the nomination and now think it would be great fun for Walker to be there. Although his assholiness is a little more subtle and not a lot of people will get it. Seriously, Scottie? How about, "My wife's position is her own, and she will make a clarifying statement if and when she's ready." I'm sure he doesn't order for her at restaurants or anything.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Linkee-poo clears the baffles

Not enough time to actually look at things on the web. Wish I could say it was because of writing, but because of the day thing and the PTO thing, and the reboot thing. I used to have a life.

Scott Siglar says, keep your damn audiobooks rights. For reasons. For lots of little, green(ish) reasons. (Grokked from John Scalzi who is name dropped)

Google hiding messages on their lcd screens. (Grokked from Dan)

Some KickStarter tips. (Grokked from John Scalzi)

Fox News wants you to know, no fatties. Apparently because some overweight kids aren't ashamed of themselves for being overweight, the anorexics of the world must be upset. (Grokked from Seanan McGuire)

Human trafficking, slave labor and squalid conditions only happen overseas, not in our Shiny Citadel of Capitalism. "An Alabama company has agreed to a $20 million settlement and admitted that workers it brought from India to rebuild oil rigs after Hurricane Katrina were deceptively recruited and then forcibly corralled in squalid, overcrowded camps." Oh fuck. (Grokked from Morgan J Locke)

Some science deniers are thinking that New Horizons' mission to Pluto was faked. I mean, if we really are all in a holographic projection being made that simulates the universe and convinces us we live in a time-forward, 4D space, sure. Like "Everything Is Awesome", in that universe "Everything Is Faked." But… wait, what were we talking about? (Grokked from Dan)

Indian pipe. The parasitic plant that I have in my back yard (flashes back to Day of the Triffids).

Trump as stealth candidate. That's an interesting theory you've go there, Sparky. So, how do you explain his 2008 and 2012 performance? (Grokked from Dan)

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Linkee-poo is working for the man

Oh look, it's another 80 hour week. Fantastic.

And the villagers rejoice. Bloom County returns. Maybe you have to be of a certain age, but I think my squee just broke.

Jeb gets his "47%" comment out and over quickly before too many people are taking notice.

When the wells go dry. Driving the water truck in California.

Just because I keep wondering when and who will bring this up, "Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's 24-year-old daughter has been charged with prescription drug fraud, Tallahassee police said today." January 29, 2002. Fodder for the whisper campaign.

"Oklahoma GOP compares welfare recipients to national park animals." Must be that vaunted "compassionate conservatism" we keep hearing about.

That culture and heritage as defined by the designer of the Stars and Bars flag. In case you're still confused. "'As a people we are fighting to maintain the heavenly ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race; a white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause. Such a flag would be a suitable emblem of our young confederacy, and sustained by the brave hearts and strong arms of the south, it would soon take rank among the proudest ensigns of the nations, and be hailed by the civilized world as THE WHITE MAN’S FLAG.'"(Grokked from Eric)

Monday, July 13, 2015

Linkee-poo is too tired for coherence

Apparently the people and Land Rover have been watching old James Bond movies. (Grokked from Dan)

The 81 Shade of Mikey. Let's give it to Mikey. He won't like it, he hates everything. The Hucklebees with 81 things he hates (some of which he was okay with, before the winds blew the other way). (Grokked from the Slactivist)

In case anyone is still confused over "The Cause" for which all those grandpappies fought and died. All the declarations of succession. Fun drinking game, hold your breath until you read the first instance of slavery, and then take a drink everytime it's mentioned after that. Don't worry, it's typically mentioned in the second paragraph, the first paragraph being devoted to "we succeed for the following reasons". Also you should be good and drunk quickly. (grokked from Mary Robinette Kowal)

"'If a team member sees two Humvees full of soldiers driving through town, they're going to follow them,' (leader of the Texas branch of a civilian surveillance group calling itself 'Counter Jade Helm,' Eric Johnston) told the newspaper. 'And they're going to radio back their ultimate location.'" What could possibly go wrong with that? Trailing military vehicles full of soldiers, many of who have found counter-insurgency warfare and might be a little edgy being followed by unmarked vehicles, that seems sensible.

Why do people think that the Civil War was not about slavery? Because one side intentionally tells them it wasn't. Guess which side. (grokked from John Scalzi)

Oh, and about your "states rights". The South said, "Fuck your states rights" when Kansas was about to be made a state and would have voted to be a free or slave state (hint, they were leaning Free).

Because this seems to be what we're going to talk about this summer, bringing British slavery into the light. (Grokked from CC Findlay)

Friday, July 10, 2015

Linkee-poo saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand walking through the streets of Soho in the rain

Heroin use is up, as are deaths from overdoses. Yet to see governments panic. I don't think everyone remembers what was necessary the last time heroin stole our citizens' lives.

The Hurdy-Gurdy Man, if that's not a title for next seasons American Horror Story is damn well should be. And before anyone posts, yes, I know a hurdy-gurdy is not what a organ grinder grinds, but that's what I grew up knowing as a hurry-gurdy.

There's this scene in Dharma and Greg where Greg's Dad (rich man), sitting in First Class, decides to take cookies to Dharma's parents (hippy) sitting in Economy. As he steps behind the curtain you can here him exclaim, "They pack you in like cattle back here." Yea, there's a whole new plan to do that. (Grokked from John Scalzi)

Mapping segregation as still evident in the 2010 Census (and the various updates). Pointed to because of earlier conversation and I worked on the Census.

Show me the money. Who is still poor, how many made it to low-income, middle-class, and rich from 2001 to 2011.

They burn churches, don't they?

There's a report that the gun used by the 5-time deportee who shot a woman on a San Francisco pier was registered to a federal agent. This story is like a rotting onion that you keep peeling and peeling away stinking layer after stinking layer.

The pros and cons of flying the Confederate Flag. Oh Onion, never leave us. (Grokked from John Scalzi)

This is the real meaning of "market forces" when a conservative says it. basically they want you to pay more. In this case, Lyndsey Graham thinks military retirees should pay more for their Tricare insurance. (Grokked from Jim Wright)

Part of the problem. Ministers who don't understand the religion they purportedly are evangelizing. "'Our goal is for them to discern whether God is calling them,' Lane said in an interview. 'We actually have no interest in them running unless they have a calling from God.'" Or, you know, an email from a political hack. Either one will work.

The Donald Trump (rich-man) clueless train keeps on rolling. Until now Donald's money has insulated him. Now in the public spotlight we can see just what a creepy portrait of Dorian Gray he is.

You know that thing were suddenly Congresspeoples realize that some amendment was slipped into a bill that nobody really knew about and changes some other law either effectively annulling it or modifying it to be meaningless. You know how one side claims the others snuck it in at the last minute, late at night, when nobody is watching and how that side then claims that no, everything was above board and we all knew what was going on and it's just sour grapes by the losing side. Turns out the side claiming the amendments were snuck in are correct. This isn't how the sausage is made. But apparently this is how the GOP runs the House. This is how Speaker Boehner does business. Not like they wouldn't try to sneak other things past the American Public.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Linkee-poo, here am I, your special island! Come to me, come to me!

Since, obviously from today's news, Skynet has awoken. It's time to move to Bali Hai.

Rejections for Writers! (I've gotta make that t-shirt) (Grokked from Steven Gould)

The Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)

Jim Hines with a depression update.

The Codex Gigas, otherwise known as "The Devil's Bible". I just never get tired of reading about objects like this. (Grokked from Neil Gaiman)

DARPA develops a search engine to glom the dark and deep web. What it sounds like is marrying Big Data with Search Engine. And I'd love to have those tools on Google (not to look for what they're looking for, but imagine how that would change shopping and news websites).

What disturbs the dust cloud around Beta Pictoris? Although now my head is writing "The Doom that Came to Beta Pictoris", well, because my brain is just like that. (Grokked from Mrs. Tadd)

"The women proved something in their months of tough (Marine) training, says Pineda… They're ready to serve in ground combat." They already have, but now they meet the "official" requirements.

Transparent aluminum apparently is an actual thing now. Living in the future. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)

They have waged cruel warfare… Eric on Trolling Woodrow Wilson, how much of our history is racists, and why that's not a mitigating factor in removing the Stars and Bars and Confederate Hero names from public institutions.

Dear NJ Democrats, don't be stupid. Although there's a lot in that short article that will allow a person not familiar with NJ politics understand all they need.

There's a lot to be said for the President raising the salaried-exempt floor to $50,000. Here's another benefit. "But a long-awaited proposal that would increase the number of employees eligible for overtime pay could mean more companies curtailing the use of work email after hours." Also noted for the common refrain of "if you're salaried, you're expected to work 50-60 hours." No. Not really. This is a business law like "you must maximize shareholder value." There is no law like that. It's just the legacy of long held, poor management practices (I wanted something stronger there, but if I say "legacy of sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies in upper management" a lot of people would have turned off before finishing).

"'Additionally, our Legislature has signaled its support for pursuing changes to our state Constitution that will make it clear the Ten Commandments monument is legally permissible. If legislative efforts are successful, the people of Oklahoma will get to vote on this issue.'" Conservatives just don't know when to give up.

I guess the Stormfront was "visited by the FBI in connection with last month's shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina." And now they're doing their own fund raiser to a legal defense fund. If they're able to connect Dylan Roof to Stormfront, that's a game changer. And about time.

"Arctic air temperatures are increasing at twice the rate of the rest of the world—a study by the U. S. Navy says that the Arctic could lose its summer sea ice by next year, eighty-four years ahead of the models—and evidence little more than a year old suggests the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is doomed, which will add between twenty and twenty-five feet to ocean levels. The one hundred million people in Bangladesh will need another place to live and coastal cities globally will be forced to relocate, a task complicated by economic crisis and famine—with continental interiors drying out… and for their pains the scientists themselves—the cruelest blow of all—have been the targets of an unrelenting and well-organized attack that includes death threats, summonses from a hostile Congress, attempts to get them fired, legal harassment, and intrusive discovery demands so severe they had to start their own legal-defense fund, all amplified by a relentless propaganda campaign nakedly financed by the fossil-fuel companies." We're boned. "'I don't agree. I don't think we're fucked. There is time to build sustainable solutions to a lot of these things. You don't have to close down all the coal-powered stations tomorrow. You can transition. It sounds cute to say, 'Oh, we're fucked and there's nothing we can do,' but it's a bit of a nihilistic attitude. We always have the choice. We can continue to make worse decisions, or we can try to make ever better decisions.'" Some optimists. After all, when there is life, there is hope. I say we're boned because the other side, the denier side, is so damn entrenched and well funded (and successful in their disinformation campaigns they aren't even trying hard anymore, snowballs in the Senate anyone?) that the change necessary to avoid some of the worst of it won't come soon enough, except for bloody revolution. Given then coming displacement of people, that might not be avoidable either. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Linke-poo, come back, baby, rock 'n roll never forgets

What's my collective noun. (Grokked from Dan)

Doctors getting more patients up and moving faster. Remember when "rest and relaxation" was the medicine of the day? Apparently after a brain injury (like a stroke), the sooner they get you back on your feet the better off you are.

Your communicator is ready. A Bluetooth accessory for your cell phone. (Grokked from Ken McConnell)

Why a bike stays up. (Grokked from Dan)

What it meant (and still means) to be white. An example of a family in the Jim Crow South, who because of the shapes of their children's noses and the shade of their skin were ostracized from the white community and "Local authorities expelled the Platt kids from Lake’s white schools and forced the family to move out of their white neighborhood and into a house without running hot water and other basic amenities." This was 1955, still living memory.

The secrets of Empire. In this case, the British Empire and what they did, and tried to do, to keep that empire. And all about the documentation. When I was younger, a lot was made of the Nazi pre-occupation is documenting everything. I never understood that focus because keeping records is what governments do. In this case, the British, while they burned and dumped a lot of those records as they pulled back, also kept a lot at Hanslope Park, England. And it was only by circumstances that lawyers for the Kenyan Mau Mau discovered this. It's a hard story to listen to, and trigger warnings abound. Humans, we're really shitty to one another.

I'm sure the police don't knowingly use civil forfeiture laws to increase their own budgets on the backs of the poor who have few resources to challenge them in court. Civil forfeiture laws need revamped. I agree with their initial intent, but how they're being used is completely against that intent. And, IMHO, those departments who have been abusing their power need to have criminal cases of fraud and illegal money laundering brought against them. Nobody has it worse in jail than a cop. Throw a few chiefs in jail for perpetrating these extra scams (note in the article that two scams are happening, by the fraudulent insurance salesmen and then by the civil authorities) and you'll see a lot of this abuse end. (Grokked from the Slactivist)

What white privilege looks like. In this case, former Mayor Guiliani defends Donald Trump saying, "'… I certainly think that it doesn’t reflect on Donald Trump as a man who is a very charitable and a good man. I’m sure if he really had a chance to say it he’d reverse it,' Giuliani said." So, Donald, given ample chance to reverse it for the past month, what do you say? "'What can be simpler or more accurately stated? The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.,' (Trump) said in the statement." There is an outcry of comedians hoping Trump will stay in until the bitter end, but I hope not. Because of his extreme views, he makes the other's extreme views look moderate by comparison.

Revising the hoary, "No atheists in foxholes", Si Robertson, of Duck Dynasty fame, goes a little farther. "'I don’t believe — there's no such thing as an atheist,' he told the Christian Post in an interview published on Friday. 'Because there's too much documentation. Our calendars are based on Jesus Christ… Whether you believe in Him or not, every time you sign your calendar, you write down the day's date, you're saying He's here.'" Okay, Si, when when I write Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, am I then a Norseman? What if it's Friday the 13th in May? Man, triple score Norseman. If I write down a Saturday in January, does that make me Roman? This is the Christianity of the Conservatives, it is no deeper than this. A veneer of words and a belief that "God is just like me and is on my side", everything else doesn't matter. Also, the movie they're promoting, "Faith of Our Fathers", also known as, "Milking the Flock".

"Over the past six years, Colorado has conducted one of the largest ever real-life experiments with long-acting birth control. If teenagers and poor women were offered free intrauterine devices and implants that prevent pregnancy for years… would those women choose them?… They did… and the results were startling. The birthrate for teenagers across the state plunged by 40… while their rate of abortions fell by 42 percent, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. There was a similar decline in births for another group particularly vulnerable to unplanned pregnancies: unmarried women under 25 who have not finished high school." Strange how that works. And while you'd think the Pro-Life group would embrace this as a really good way to reduce abortions, remember that they've labeled IUDs as abortion machines (in fact, they're against all contraceptives). "'If we want to reduce poverty, one of the simplest, fastest and cheapest things we could do would be to make sure that as few people as possible become parents before they actually want to,' said Isabel Sawhill, an economist at the Brookings Institution." The problem, the private funding that made the program possible is running out, and there's the battle over Obamacare's coverage of birth control. But, if you're a fiscal conservative this should be an easy choice. "The state health department estimated that every dollar spent on the long-acting birth control initiative saved $5.85 for the state’s Medicaid program, which covers more than three-quarters of teenage pregnancies and births." Seems like a no-brainer. Here's a BoingBoing article if you can't see the NY Times. (Grokked from everybody)

And then there's the local GOP group in Iowa who decided to decorate their 4th of July and re-election float. Yes, I'm sure Marion County has 3 confederates buried in the cemetery, how many Union soldiers are buried there as well? And in other news, Dinesh D'Souza is an ass. Seriously, GOP activists, there's enough shit to go around that you don't have to make shit up.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Linkee-poo is still achy after the weekend, no rest for the wicked

The women win it.

Prime Day. You'd think it was a Transformers kinda thing, but it's just Christmas in July. Amazon's big sale for Prime members on July 15th. (Grokked from Dan)

Conservapedia, you're just a font of comic relief. In this case, conservative parables. The stories we tell ourselves. Or what conservatives tell other conservatives. (I'm not entirely certain all of these are not jokes being played on Conservapedia) (Grokked from John)

And we have a nominee for the Darwin Awards. Man not only ignores sign warning about alligators, but actively mocks it. Is summarily eaten by said alligators when he goes swimming. I'm sure he was just reveling in his freedom and no sign is gonna tell him what he'll do. (Grokked from John Scalzi)

Because I forgot to include the link last time. "Up until a few weeks ago, I worked at a historic site in the South that included an old house and a nearby plantation. My job was to lead tours and tell guests about the people who made plantations possible: the slaves." You might be able to guess the rest, if not, read on. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)



"Donald Trump admitted on Saturday that the wave of condemnation and crumbling business relationships, which followed his remarks calling immigrants 'rapists,' has caught him a little off guard." And then, in classic Trump style, this… "'I didn't know it was going to be quite this severe,' Trump said on Fox & Friends.'But I really knew it was going to be bad.'" Sure ya did, Bubba. Sure. Racist is as racist does.

Who hacks the hackers. A company sets itself up as the anti-internet, we'll protect you from hacking attacks with some tools and then gets hacked themselves. (Grokked from Dan)

Discovery's Shark Week isn't about real science? Shocked, shocked I am…

Life in a Northern Town. If you mean what life is like on the frozen tundra of Russia. (Grokked from Morgan J Locke)

Well, he was just flying it because you can't "political correct" him into a corner. Except now he's fired for flying the Stars and Bars from the firetruck, without consulting anyone. Ah, I see the Stupid Season has already begun.

Here's some cold water, "On the other hand, even though abortion has been legal since 1973, you wouldn’t know it in certain zip codes. From 2010 to 2014, 231 abortion restrictions were enacted in state legislatures across the country. Fifty-one abortion restrictions have been enacted in the first six months of this year alone. The majority of American women now live in a state that is openly hostile to abortion rights. Safe clinics are evaporating before our eyes. The right to a safe and legal abortion isn’t just threatened; in some parts of the country, it’s rapidly becoming extinct." Your (mostly) conservative politics on a plate. Right there. This is what conservatives believe in. And letting you carry a gun any damn place you please (except State Capital Buildings, in most circumstances).

Tweet of my heart: @Popehat Never shop for food when you're hungry. Never shop for alcohol right after reading the comments.

Double dip: @ITregillis To write alternate history is to try to walk a straight line through a hurricane of butterfly wings.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Linkee-poo wishes you a Happy Fourth

Some things about the previous post. I'm ashamed that I was so relieved when he put the gun in the trunk that I didn't memorize the license plate. I'm also ashamed that I didn't have presence of mind to check for other potential collaborators and gave him all of my attention. This is also why I don't have a firearm, besides that I wouldn't have time to properly keep up with training.

The Hot Chicks Smart Men Summer Reading Program is up and running.

Pledging allegiance in America.

How to recognize gaslighting. Named for the famous movie, but good to know so you can see if it's happening to you or to someone else you know. (Grokked from Janiece)

Brandie Tarvin, on the things you know when you're poor. Emoji like a Canadian, eh. Courtesy of Tim Hortons, because. (Grokked from Dan)

"The stars of the The Big Bang Theory will be putting their very big paychecks to good use. Actors on the sitcom… members of the crew and the CBS show’s co-creator Chuck Lorre, have created a scholarship… for science students seeking financial aid." (Grokked from Janiece)

How Queen conquered America and then went away. Freddie, we miss you. I was a stupid kid and didn't get it then, I do now. Fortunately I got a clue before he passed. (Grokked from Dan)

My jetpack.

"Cup-peeing and mouth-swabbing are Reagan-era relics that frequently do little more than boosting the revenues of companies that analyze samples." For both of my current drugs I had to pee in to little cups. But, for the most part, it is pretty useless. Especially if it's not actually followed up with a truly random screening afterward (but that's more expensive). So why do companies do it (well, of my two employers one is a government contractor and the other is in healthcare, two heavily regulated and ethics based businesses)? "(T)here are three main reasons why drug testing remains so common. One is that companies still mistakenly believe in its effectiveness. Another is that some insurance companies might give discounts to employers who test. But the third is more political, more symbolic: Some companies use it to project a clean-cut, anti-drug image." I have a feeling the insurance part, including discounts on workman comp, has a lot to do with it. (Grokked form Janiece)

A AbsoluteWrite post on that whole hammer clause in Leviticus. So when someone tells you, "The Bible says," you can respond with, "Well, actually it doesn't…" And back it up. (Grokked from AbsoluteWrite)

Conservatives don't understand Civil Rights. Take Mikee Hucklebees, please (rimshot). Civil Rights was a movement, mainly lead by African-Americans, and while they stood to gain significantly, it wasn't just for them. We all have Civil Rights (no matter what our heritage). Including WASPs. The Civil Rights Movement was done to extend those basic civil liberties and rights to African-Americans because they had been denied them. As to Mikee's assertion that gays weren't hosed, or had dogs sicked on them, or beaten by police, or denied jobs, discriminated against, etc. He's right, in this country they haven't been enslaved. But for all the rest, do I really have to say Stonewall or Matthew Shepard? But it's not about Mikee (and his ilk) not knowing their history (they know it full well, Hucklebees is not an ignorant person), it's about trying to divid the liberal base (set the gays and the blacks at each other's throats). Dear Log Cabin Republicans, conservatives don't believe you exist in their ranks. You might want to remind them. (Grokked from Dan)

"However, Judge Collier did not go along with that arrangement and directed the attorneys to file within 21 days 'briefs addressing whether the factual basis in the proposed plea deal agreement contains communication on defendant's part amounting to a true threat as required under' one section of federal law." Yea, I'm sure he didn't really mean to recruit "gunners" to go with him into an Islamic community and shoot the place up and destroy the mosque. So let's let him go. After all, he's Whitey McWhiterson, so I'm sure he's good. And our justice system is color-blind, and there's no racism going on. Also, the government really didn't prove it's case by entering the phone taps, Facebook posts, actual attempts at recruitment and his own statements about how he really wanted to do this. (Grokked from Saladin Ahmed)

Apparently filipinos aren't especially happy with us this July 4th Friendship day. The lingering effects of American colonialism and empire.

Tweet of my heart: @leeflower Hey folks: please be considerate of combat veterans and other folks with PTSD this weekend. Fireworks sound like bombs.

For me, the explosions don't trigger me so much, it's the sounds of launch that sets off my anxiety.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Bang, Bang Crazy - my own story

I fucking hate people. Don't get me wrong, individually I love some of you. I'm awfully fond of a larger number of you. I care deeply for a large number of you. And a great hunk of you, well, you're all right (wink).

Then there's the rest of humanity. Mostly ignorant, panicky, unpredictable, anti-vaxxer and generally clogging up the malls at Christmas Time. You know what I'm saying?

And it's near Fourth of July. I love fireworks… when done by professionals. If you have anything more than a bottle rocket or lady-fingers (do kids still call them that?) you piss me off. When I hear a mortar going off in my neighborhood I start entertaining fantasies of slipping up on these people in the dark and trying to remember the exact angles for an under the ribs thrust, where to target the kidneys, and how to quickly slit a throat. Tell me you haven't entertained those thoughts as well. Tell me you haven't had the thought, "I bet they blow their fingers off, or start a fire." Today we had a discussion at the day thing where people were all too happy to say they love it, that sound of launching mortars. That "thumpt" sound. How one guy watched Americans in Mexico launching rockets on the beach, landing them on people's tents who were camping on the beach, melting the fabric. Fun times. Fun times.

So what I'm saying is, I was a little primed.

After work I went to the Oakwood Village Sam's Club to pick up things for this weekend. Oakwood is an interesting mixture of people. There are some richer, whiter suburbs nearby, but it's right around the eastern Cleveland industrial suburbs and lower-income housing, and has a large percentage of African-American neighborhoods (Cleveland is still pretty segregated, the lingering effects of intentional segregation actions of realtors and banks from the 60s to the 80s). The crowd at the store is about a 50/50 mix of white and minority (mostly African-American, but a good mix of Asian and Hispanic, probably 10% or so). Most of the workers are African-American (70-80%). It's someplace that I am very conscious of not being "in the majority". This isn't a problem. I don't feel unwelcome, it's just something I notice.

(ed note I didn't express myself very well here, let me try again. Oakwood is the beginning of the outer suburbs of Cleveland. The area is a mix of working class, middle class, upper-middle class neighborhoods with richer neighborhoods to the east, farther into the outer suburbs. The closer in to Cleveland from this direction (SE) the higher the percentage of minorities. Just a little north from here, along Mayfield, there is a lot more diversity of population in neighborhoods. In this area (and much of the East of Cleveland) you can find African-American families in all the communities (from working class to rich, with a large percentage in the middle and upper-middle class neighborhoods in this area). The percentages drop a little in the working class neighborhoods (which tend to be the most diverse). However East Cleveland, and it's suburbs, still have the lingering effects of so many decades of overt, and then covert, racial segregation and white flight. Their are neighborhoods were in one block, the ethnic demographics of the community change quickly, even though the relative income levels remain the same. Cleveland's diversity is like a patchwork quilt.)

I'm leaving the club, the young couple in front of me (white, from one of the richer suburbs judging by their clothing and items in the cart, some prepared meals, no staples) is having some problems wrangling their kids to get across the driveway in front of the store. So I'm making my move to the right outside to get around them. Area is filled with people packing up cars, line coming out of the store (pretty sure the couple and myself are the only white people in the group coming out of the store).

A red Pontiac Grand Prix (the trunk is distinctive, it's a common car for this neighborhood), pulls into the aisle way in front of us and stops, the trunk pops, and a late twenties white guy, "athletic build" gets out of the passenger side. He has a gun in his right hand. Small rifle, probably 22-short, lever action.

At this moment the adrenaline hits. Some smart part of my brain says, "this is going down now, Buchheit, you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. They're burning churches, at least one in Ohio." The larger part of my brain is shouting "FUCK FUCKER FUCKITY FUCKER FUCK!"

There's a crowd. There is no cover. A step and I'm around the mother and kids. I now have the cleanest approach. I have a Sam's Club cart (large, about 40-50lbs) with about 50-60 lbs in it (juice and other things). I have no protection and I'm 20 feet away.

"FUCK FUCKER FUCKITY FUCKER FUCK!"

And that, judge, is when time proverbially slows down. There's a driver (obviously), I believe someone else was in the back. The car is a coup, not a big worry about the person in back. Guy, while built, doesn't have a fully balanced stance, isn't walking with purpose (he's taken maybe one step at this point).

The plan outlines itself in my head. No time to save people, no place to hide behind. But I have that cart, he hasn't raised the rifle yet. He won't expect resistance so quickly. I take a large step forward, knees bent, lowering my center of gravity and extending my stride. Plan finalized, I have my approach, it is non-verbal but goes something like this.

No chance of defense, offense then. The person in the back won't be able to get out of the coup in time, they're behind the driver. I can't see the driver but can guess their position from the car, they're blocked from seeing what will happen. I have 4 steps to get speed. He won't expect the cart. He'll raise the hand with the rifle in it to protect himself. I can grab the barrel. I can spin it out of his grip, go counter clockwise (pulling him forward into the cart and then away). As long as he doesn't fire I'll have the gun. If he fires, it's gonna burn. Continue spin, butt whip at the neck-shoulder junction as hard a possible. This will stop my spin and put me in a good spot to drop to a shooting position and shoot the driver. Next shot will be the stunned gunman. And then I'll deal with person in back.

I don't recognize the gun. It's obviously lever-action (first ping in my head). I know how those work. Who knows what condition it's in.

Why the fuck did they pop the trunk? (Second ping)

He's not holding it correctly (third ping). His hand is over the trigger guard, he's not holding it by the grip, still single-handed (ping). He's taken his third step now.

Something is wrong. Why is the trunk open? The Washington DC sniper set up a nest in their truck. But why get out of the car then? (ping) Why a 22-short? (ping)

Half step.

There are groceries in the trunk (ping). Who goes shopping before shooting?

He's not moving correctly. No balance, no attempt to raise the rifle.

Stop, hold cart back yanking arms. Probably look like I just tripped. This isn't right. Time resumes normal flow.

Person puts gun in trunk and closes it. I breathe again.

I've stopped in the driveway. My heart is hammering. Every cell in my body is still screaming. But he no longer has gun. He gets back in passenger seat they drive away.

He was wearing a t-shirt and kakis (olive drabbish). Probably works somewhere doing something physical, or used to play football (has a fullback's shape). And I want to slap the ever-loving shit out of him.

I don't know who you are, but, dude, you are so fucking lucky I don't have a firearm and wasn't carrying. You are also lucky that I have some skills left and part of my brain questioned what the other part had already determined what was happening. If I had a firearm on me, you would have been dead, and probably the driver as well. You took off before I could recover fully. Which was probably good for both of us.

In retrospect, you probably realized it was a Bad Idea™ to drive that neighborhood with an gun in the open. Hell, it might have been just an air rifle (although there was no orange tip or cartridge, all black matt finish).

You probably don't know just how close you came to grievous injury.

When I'm around police officers and I feel they aren't respectful of the weapons they carry I want to disarm them. If you're not in uniform, I feel the need to disarm you.

Why the fuck did you stop in the middle of the crowd, right at the exit of the store, to move this gun to your trunk? It's a big parking lot, there's plenty of space at the edge.

My chest still hurts. I'm still a little shaky. I'm having difficulty focusing on other things.

This is why this gun culture is bad (besides the "accidental" shootings and feeding the pipeline for guns to get to criminals). This is why the mantra "More Guns Make Us Safer" is a bunch of bullshit. If you own a firearm you are responsible for it, and for how you behave with it. The problem is, while you may think you're being responsible, you might not be. My guess is this guy thought he was being perfectly reasonable and "safetying" the weapon.

Jesus on a Pogo Stick that was close.

"FUCK FUCKER FUCKITY FUCKER FUCK!"

Linkee-poo doesn't give a damn about my bad reputation

Want to create a more realistic world for your Fantasy/SF stories? Really bad at all that earth sciency stuff? How about the Earth Primer app? It's $10, but might be worth it to you. (Grokked from Phiala)

Girl Scouts rock. Remind me to double my cookie order next year. (Grokked from Random Michelle K)

"But the downside (to having bread before dinner) may be more than just some extra calories. Turns out, eating all those carbs before a meal can amp up our appetites and spike our blood sugar." You say that like it's an accident. This is exactly why restaurants serve bread before meals. Not only does it lead to a "satisfied" feeling, but it leads to over eating.

Depression is a liar. Some self-help questions and potential responses. (Grokked from Random Michelle K)

"The number of extreme weather and climate-related events is rising." On The Economist no less. I'm sure it'll all be fine. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)

"Hundreds of thousands of people protested worldwide, for instance, after the Danish cartoons were published some years ago. While some people might genuinely dislike this Milwaukee work, there doesn’t seem to be any comparable level of outrage." That sounds perfectly reasonable (said with the contempt that means "that sounds perfectly potty"). Although there is a difference between publishing the Danish cartoons of Mohammed and the portrait of the Pope done in condoms. One was specifically meant to harm, the other was meant as commentary. While there is a prohibition in Christianity from taking the Lord's name in vain (how's that worked out over the years), the Pope is fair game (even from other Popes). So while both can be considered offensive, the intent is strikingly different. (Grokked from Ferrett Steinmetz)

Death at an Early Age. The story of a substitute teacher fired for reading Langston Hughes to disaffected black students in the 60s. Pointed to for a number of reasons (why teachers have tenure, as reference for the current battles over Common Core and AP History, teachers who try and get kids interested in their subjects are often not celebrated but fired, the cycle of schools pushing kids through and making us all out of ticky-tacky, institutionalized racism, the effects of violence against kids).

"Up until a few weeks ago, I worked at a historic site in the South that included an old house and a nearby plantation. My job was to lead tours and tell guests about the people who made plantations possible: the slaves." You might be able to guess the rest, if not, read on. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)

One of the side effects of the drug culture. "When meth is smoked, dangerous chemicals are released into the air that can cling to clothing, carpets and walls." And then, you buy that house without knowing the previous owner was a drug user. And then those chemicals leach out.

"Internet preacher: Because SCOTUS gay marriage ruling, Putin will destroy America for Jesus." Um, I think you must have gotten the wrong program. Can't tell which players are working for which team if you don't have the right program.

Dear Fox News, people in glass houses shouldn't, and the TV is one giant, glass house. "Conservative author and Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich tried to set the record straight on Monday, urging 'the left' and President Obama to forgive America for racism in the way that family members of the Charleston, South Carolina victims forgave the alleged killer." You really, really do not want to go there as the nation grows tired of being polite to ignorant people.