It’s getting to be that season again, so make it so, make it so, make it so.
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Writing Fads That Need to Die, Part 1
Welcome to a new series (maybe), in which we explore some ways people are killing the written language. 1. Using the word “because” purposely without “of.” “The world works. Because science.” This is dumb. Replace with “Because of science.” Although that’s pretty dumb as well, but at least it’s grammatically correct. 2. The use of capitalized letters on fake proper nouns to “make some kind of point.” This kind of shit is popping up everywhere. Like: “It was a Totally Big Deal, or at least he thought it was.” Stop that. That is not a proper noun or...
Continue reading...New York Times Columnist Line of the Day – 12 November 2014
If you frequent this here premier “web log,” there’s a good chance you may once or twice have read the New York Times op-ed page. You might even recognize the names of the columnists, who every day spout the most conventionally wise of the conventional wisdom. This is a feature that is dedicated to these folks, highlighting one line that is either funny, ridiculous, strange, or actually intelligent or well-written. Today’s is yet another from Thomas Friedman, who in his column today, “Freud and the Middle East” (oh brother), writes: Just as there is a little bit of West Bank “Jewish settler”...
Continue reading...So what’s next?
This morning, we went over the preordained Republican takeover of the Senate. So, other than having to hear “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says” over and over, what will the next two years look like? For the most part, you’d be correct in assuming that it’d look a lot like the last four years: With Democrat Barack Obama still the president, and a Republican-controlled House and Senate, it’s going to be a loud not much. Yet even with that caveat, we can still look into what a unified legislature is going to at least try, and perhaps...
Continue reading...Voters decide the government is doing too much to help them
A hearty number of column inches (so anachronistic!) are being devoted today to explaining various reasons Democrats lost yesterday and Republicans won. It’s the long-running day-after tradition, and it’s rarely illuminating. But, you got to fill the papers, they say. Truth is, we all knew this was going to happen two years ago. Hell, we were all pretty sure even six years ago, when this class of senators was elected. Without a presidential election to buoy them, these unlikely Democratic faces representing deeply conservative states would not be long in their seats. The reason why is not surprising....
Continue reading...New York Times Columnist Line of the Day – 4 November 2014
If you frequent this here premier “web log,” there’s a good chance you may once or twice have read the New York Times op-ed page. You might even recognize the names of the columnists, who every day spout the most conventionally wise of the conventional wisdom. This is a feature that is dedicated to these folks, highlighting one line that is either funny, ridiculous, strange, or actually intelligent or well-written. Today’s is from David Brooks, whose whole column today, “Death by Data,” could just be the line of the day, brings us this nugget: They’re not asking: How can I guarantee affordable contraception? OH...
Continue reading...Michigan Senate candidate hits other Senate candidate with ties to loan Sharknado or something
In this weird and kind-of awful ad, Michigan Republican Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land accuses Democratic Senate candidate Gary Peters for having ties to a loan shark. With Sharknado, because that’s not over.
Continue reading...Watch: Today in Political Buffoonery
So you’re the unpopular governor of a state that hasn’t been doing well, and you’re having some issues in your reelection campaign. Your opponent is the relatively unpopular former governor, whose rank opportunism led him to switch parties. Yet, you’re polling neck-and-neck. Of course, the proper thing to do if you’re Florida Governor Rick Scott is to refuse to participate in the gubernatorial debate because your opponent, former governor Charlie Crist, had a little fan put in the base of his lectern. Because being a petulant little bitch is a good way to appeal to Florida voters? The Tampa Bay Times...
Continue reading...There was an original video for Chris Isaak’s Wicked Games that was directed by David Lynch
Chris Issak’s “Wicked Game” was not a quick success. Despite being released in 1989, it didn’t achieve real attention until it appeared on the soundtrack of David Lynch’s movie Wild at Heart. In fact, David Lynch directed a video for the song as it was rereleased for the movie soundtrack. It definitely casts a different emotional context than the one in which he rolls around on the beach with a model.
Continue reading...Nevermind is 23 years old
Here’s your reminder that Nirvana’s Nevermind was released 23 years ago today: September 24, 2014. Armed with new veteran producer Butch Vig and a happier outlook on life by Cobain, the songs were cleaner, catchier and much more accessible than its predecessor, Bleach (and definitely its successor). It also introduced a new drummer in Virginia’s own David Grohl, whose drumming was arguably as integral to Nirvana’s sound as Cobain’s songwriting. It also changed rock music forever. Sure, the words mostly made absolutely no sense whatsoever, but I guess that’s the whole point.* * One of the most amusing things from the Nirvana Wikipedia page is...
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