Disturbing.
There's a lot going on here pic.twitter.com/ewQbIqE5cJ
— jordan (@JordanUhl) April 24, 2018
Please no
Apr 24th, 2018 10:04 am | By Ophelia BensonCourage calls to courage
Apr 24th, 2018 9:59 am | By Ophelia BensonA statue commemorating the life of the suffragist, Millicent Fawcett, has been unveiled opposite Parliament.
She campaigned for women’s right to vote during the early 20th Century and is seen as one of the most influential feminists of the past 100 years.
Prime Minister Theresa May paid tribute to the “truly great” campaigner’s “lasting impact” after it was unveiled.
The bronze casting, by the artist Gillian Wearing, is the first statue of a woman erected in Parliament Square.
How did it happen?
… Read the restIt followed a campaign by the feminist writer and activist Caroline Criado Perez, who also led last year’s successful effort to get Jane Austen to appear on the £10 note.
She said she
It’s the status, peasant
Apr 24th, 2018 9:21 am | By Ophelia BensonA basic trope about the reasons for Trump’s appeal to voters is the economic anxiety factor. Niraj Chokshi at the Times points to a study that cites status anxiety.
… Read the restWhite, Christian and male voters, the study suggests, turned to Mr. Trump because they felt their status was at risk.
“It’s much more of a symbolic threat that people feel,’’ said Diana C. Mutz, the author of the study and a political science and communications professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where she directs the Institute for the Study of Citizens and Politics. “It’s not a threat to their own economic well-being; it’s a threat to their group’s dominance in our country over all.”
The study is not the first
From simplistic to nonsensical
Apr 24th, 2018 8:29 am | By Ophelia BensonMassimo Piglucci on Michael Shermer on moral philosophy:
… Read the restYou may have noticed that I don’t opine on quantum mechanics. Or jazz. The reason for this is that — although I’m very interested in both topics — I just don’t know enough about them. Not enough to be able to offer an informed opinion, at any rate. So I sit back, read what other, more knowledgeable people have to say about quantum mechanics and jazz, form my own second-hand opinion, and try to avoid embarrassing myself by pontificating in public.
Apparently, my friend Michael Shermer does not follow the same philosophy. At least, not when it comes to the field of moral philosophy. He has recently published a column in
The brain knows but the mind is at a loss
Apr 23rd, 2018 12:49 pm | By Ophelia BensonI had an odd realization a few days ago, which is that I don’t know where the keys on the keyboard are. I know how to hit them fast and accurately, but I don’t consciously know where they are. I do know the QWERTY part, as a unit, but even that doesn’t translate to knowing where the E or the T is on its own. I know the how well enough that it’s overridden the where.
I did a little Facebook post about it and other examples of the phenomenon came rolling in – phone numbers, piano keys, the moves we make when driving, figure skating, ballet. I added my library card number – I’ve noticed many times that I … Read the rest
He meant exactly what you think
Apr 23rd, 2018 12:17 pm | By Ophelia BensonThere was that tweet the other day where Trump linked immigrants and “breeding,” so that was startling. I objected on Twitter but didn’t get around to doing so here.
What exactly did President Donald Trump mean by “breeding” when he tweeted Wednesday about cities that will not cooperate with the federal government to deport the undocumented.
This is Donald Trump. He meant exactly what you think.
Ya it’s not ambiguous. We don’t talk about people “breeding” unless we’re intent on insulting them.
… Read the restThe tweet, offered Wednesday morning, argued that Californians prefer his hard-line policies to those of Gov. Jerry Brown.
“There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested &
This is the state of gun laws
Apr 23rd, 2018 11:36 am | By Ophelia BensonGod damn can this be true?
Nashville mass killer used AR-15 seized by IL police after his arrest at White House while seeking to meet Trump. Father returned rifle and other guns to him before he killed in TN — and that's not illegal. This is the state of gun laws in America 2018. https://t.co/ilVz3TStmE
— Tony Pipitone (@TonyNBC6) April 23, 2018
Nashville mass killer used AR-15 seized by IL police after his arrest at White House while seeking to meet Trump. Father returned rifle and other guns to him before he killed in TN — and that’s not illegal. This is the state of gun laws in America 2018.
From the NBC News article:
… Read the restFour people were killed and
The Fox White House
Apr 23rd, 2018 11:19 am | By Ophelia BensonWatch Fox News write Trump’s lines for him. Watch Trump dutifully deliver them.
Trump’s tendency to echo the network’s shows was documented on Sunday’s “Reliable Sources” on CNN.
Remarks Trump made last week — railing against the Russia investigations and attacking his enemies — were juxtaposed with previous clips of Fox personalities saying almost exactly the same things.
The same things paraphrased. He uses his own 30 or 40 words, but the content is identical.
Mind you, it must flow both ways. Fox knows what Trump thinks, and what makes him happy or livid, and it feeds him his lines accordingly. No collusion! Democrats mad! Sore losers! Hillary!!
… Read the rest“Typically talking points in the past have gone from politicians to partisan
Always worse than we know
Apr 22nd, 2018 6:11 pm | By Ophelia BensonI never have understood that Trump insult “Sleepy Eyes” that he uses for a particular tv news host. Jim Wright has an explanation.
… Read the restAnother Sunday morning, another attack on the press from the President of the United States.
“Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Fake News NBC just stated that we…”
Wait.
Back up.
Sleepy Eyes?
Sleepy eyes? What? I asked (rhetorically I thought) my audience on Twitter, what does “Sleepy Eyes” even mean as an insult?
Huh?
Sleepy Eyes Chuck of the Fake News? I said, “it’s like he’s tweeting really bad fanfic one line at time. Fifty Shades of Fly Hair Tiny Hands.”
Sleepy eyes.
Ok. Sure.
Except … well, I should have known better. Several readers pointed
A threat to the Judeo-Christian way of life
Apr 22nd, 2018 11:50 am | By Ophelia BensonOh, great – religious war against environmentalists. Peter Walker on Facebook:
… Read the restDramatic day in Modesto. Speaking to several dozen farmers and ranchers, Ammon Bundy repeated many of the stories about Harney County and the Malheur Refuge that I’ve researched and found incorrect. But he also took a much more overtly religious approach. Federal “tyranny” seemed almost forgotten. Instead, much of his criticism was aimed at environmentalists (including some at length, personally, by name) who he said drive federal policy and represent a threat to the Judeo-Christian way of life. Those who he claims adopt a “Green” religion are a threat to humanity itself. Meanwhile, the environmentalists he mentioned were outside the door chanting and protesting. Overtly framing it as
The cast is notably international
Apr 22nd, 2018 10:46 am | By Ophelia BensonLaurence Tribe observed on Twitter that the cast of Casablanca included only two actors born in the US, which I found interesting.
Ha. Off the top of my head…Claude Rains, Bergman obvs, Paul Henried, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, the woman who starts singing the Marseillaise… https://t.co/cMEFbeFeed
— Ophelia Benson (@OpheliaBenson) April 22, 2018
I misspelled Henreid. At any rate, Tribe was making a point about immigrants, and a couple of people replied to pick nits and he deleted the tweet, but it was interesting and he was right. The foreign cast was notable at the time. Wikipedia:
… Read the restThe play’s cast consisted of 16 speaking parts and several extras; the film script enlarged it to 22 speaking parts and
A tendency toward a corrupting belief
Apr 22nd, 2018 9:56 am | By Ophelia BensonJennifer Palmieri has an interesting take on Comey and what he did in 2016.
She’s never met him but they have mutual friends and a lot of DC overlap, since she was director of communications in the Obama administration and then in Clinton’s campaign.
… Read the restI don’t harbor ill will toward him. Our mutual friends attest to his high character, and his book, A Higher Loyalty, shows him to be a thoughtful person, generous boss and a colleague who—despite being prone to bouts of self-absorption—seems able to laugh at himself. Even though he is a Republican, I have never thought that he allowed his personal political views to drive his decisions as FBI director. I also value Jim Comey’s adherence
Not applicable
Apr 22nd, 2018 8:18 am | By Ophelia BensonThere are, we are told, two sides to every question. We must not, we are told, live in a bubble where we never encounter dissenting views. Free speech, we are told, requires inviting and welcoming every opinion no matter how distasteful or threatening.
I give you Great Hearts Monte Vista charter school:
… Read the restA Texas charter school is apologizing after a teacher gave an assignment to an eighth grade American History class, asking students to list the positive aspects of slavery.
“When I first read it, I thought, this was b.s.,” said Great Hearts Monte Vista eighth-grade student Manu Livar.
Students in the class were supposed to complete an assignment on the “positive aspects” and “negative aspects” of the life
Quietly removed
Apr 21st, 2018 11:37 am | By Ophelia BensonThe SPLC removed the list that included Maajid Nawaz as an “Anti-Muslim Extremist” (their words). The National Review has details…and so far no equivalent on the left that I can find seems to, which as Maajid frequently points out is pathetic.
… Read the restThe Southern Poverty Law Center has removed the “Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists” from their website after attorneys for Maajid Nawaz, a practicing Muslim and prominent Islamic reformer, threatened legal action over his inclusion on the list.
The report, which had been active on the SPLC’s website since it was published in December 2016, was intended to serve as a resource for journalists to identify promoters of hateful propaganda; but it included a number of liberal reformers such
Yes but what did you FEEL?
Apr 21st, 2018 11:05 am | By Ophelia BensonThe Times suggests the Republicans may have made a booboo in demanding that Rosenstein hand over the Comey memos. All the memos have done is show that Comey has been consistent.
Democrats said the memos helped establish that Mr. Comey was not a disgruntled employee who made up stories about the president.
“Thanks @HouseGOP for urging release of the Comey memos!” Representative Jackie Speier, Democrat of California, gleefully wrote on Twitter.
Thanks @HouseGOP for urging release of the Comey memos! Oddly you’ve proved Comey’s consistency and bolstered arguments for obstruction of justice and collusion. Perhaps finish the job and call for the release @POTUS’s taxes next? https://t.co/mHqx4gTrNI
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) April 20, 2018
That made me laugh quite … Read the rest
Respect
Apr 21st, 2018 10:28 am | By Ophelia BensonFunniest headline ever:
Trump won’t attend Barbara Bush funeral ‘out of respect’ for family, White House says
Aka he wasn’t invited and they had to explain it somehow, so they chose an absurd non sequitur. The usual form of “respect” in this sitch is to go to the funeral. The White House is saying that Trump’s presence at the funeral would be a token of disrespect. Why? Well because Trump is so disreputable.
But also of course there’s just the hilarious transparency of it – “They don’t want me there and it’s because I’m SO AWESOME I might spoil it for everyone else.”
… Read the restPresident Donald Trump will not join first lady Melania Trump in attending the funeral services for Barbara
No more thank you and sorry
Apr 21st, 2018 9:33 am | By Ophelia BensonThis is, in a way, small, but the sheer malice and hatefulness of it are huge.
BREAKING: Trump DHS has formally directed Citizenship and Immigration Services to remove all instances of "thank you" & "we regret to inform you" from denials of #immigration apps.
Not the most important immigration news happening today, but just thought you'd like to know.
— VERY LEGAL & VERY COOL (@matt_cam) April 19, 2018
BREAKING: Trump DHS has formally directed Citizenship and Immigration Services to remove all instances of “thank you” & “we regret to inform you” from denials of #immigration apps.
Not the most important immigration news happening today, but just thought you’d like to know.
Yeah that’s what we need – less “I’m … Read the rest
Guest post: Why Priss Choss is unlikely to say No
Apr 20th, 2018 5:38 pm | By Ophelia BensonOriginally a comment by Screechy Monkey on So what does a British person look like?
I’m not an expert in British constitutional law, but I’m fairly confident that the Queen does not have the power to decide who will or will not succeed her, without an Act of Parliament. So any rumor about some secret decision to disinherit Charles shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Of course Charles could refuse to accept the Throne when the time comes, or officially relinquish his place in the line of succession. I’ve heard it argued over the years that he ought to do so because of his unpopularity and/or unsuitability to the job. And occasionally there’s a rumor that he will do so, and I … Read the rest
External standards
Apr 20th, 2018 1:58 pm | By Ophelia BensonComey was on the Colbert show the other day. The Times took some notes.
In recent days Trump has been furiously tweeting about Comey, even suggesting he should be put in jail.
Colbert asked him how he felt about Trump’s twitter insults.
… Read the restComey told Colbert that the episode seemed to reflect the reasons he decided to write “A Higher Loyalty”: to remind the country that it should not take the president’s public acts too lightly.
“My first reaction to those kinds of tweets is a shrug — like, ‘Oh, there he goes again.’ But actually then I caught myself and I said, ‘Wait a minute. If I’m shrugging, are the rest of the country shrugging? And does that mean
Turn of the worm
Apr 20th, 2018 12:05 pm | By Ophelia BensonYou know how Trump treats even people close to him like shit? Maybe it’s going to bite him in the ass now.
… Read the restFor years, a joke among Trump Tower employees was that the boss was like Manhattan’s First Avenue, where the traffic goes only one way.
That one-sidedness has always been at the heart of President Trump’s relationship with his longtime lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen, who has said he would “take a bullet” for Mr. Trump. For years Mr. Trump treated Mr. Cohen poorly, with gratuitous insults, dismissive statements and, at least twice, threats of being fired, according to interviews with a half-dozen people familiar with their relationship.
“Donald goes out of his way to treat him
