Last weekend at the Values Voters Summit, a meeting of far-right leaders, KY Governor Matt Bevin suggested that the election of Hillary Clinton would be the occasion for bloodshed. He specified that this would be blood of the tyrants and the patriots but worried that the ensuing conflict could even engulf his nine children, perhaps even his grandchildren. Now, this kind of alarmist rhetoric is nothing new from the alt-right. They preach Armageddon regularly, repetitively, and at tiresome length. But Gov. Bevin is an elected sitting official of the state of Kentucky, and as such, should not be blathering this tripe. Bad enough we get overblown nonsense from candidates running for the Presidency. On the campaign trail, especially THIS campaign trail, I’ve almost gotten used to a certain tabloid-like style, as candidates tweet their way across the landscape. But I still expect (unfairly? unlikely?) a modicum of common sense and judgement from those holding office. DON’T DO STUPID SILLY SHIT like calling for Hillary’s blood! It just makes you look crazy or deluded or LIKE YOU SHOULDN’T BE IN OFFICE IN THE FIRST PLACE. Sigh.
Author: Kel
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I Faced The Zombie Apocalypse Armed Only With A Smartphone
My computer died last week. The hard drive was fucked, and I found myself staring at the black screen of death. Just to make sure of this, I called tech support, they did their thing and confirmed the worst. I had been anticipating this, since my computer was an older machine, relatively speaking. It had been glitchy for some time, esp. after I gave in to the wheedling obnoxious and persistent demonic voice of Microsoft and installed the update of Win10. My PC and I were both perfectly happy with Win7, and I had every intention of ignoring the FREE update but hit WRONG key when the evil box appeared yet again….and ended up with Win10. Everything was fine for maybe a week, then the Troubles started. My browsers developed infuriating twitches and crashed like the Great Depression had hit. I’d call tech support, spend hours on the phone, be assured the problem was resolved, only to have it recur the next day. Finally an astute (or honest) tech told me that I was running Win10 on a system that was not intended for it. Well, yeah. I had figured that was part of the problem. But it was a little too late to do anything about it at this point. The damage was done; the horse had run; use whatever cliché comes to mind. Suffice to say, I knew the end was nigh; I was hoping, though, that the PC would last until I relocated in several months, just b/c I’m OCD and like everything tidy. But time and tech conspired to foil that plan. I had Dell build me a sweet new machine with all the bells and whistles I had been wanting, down to the color. (What, you didn’t I’d buy something cheap off the shelf from some big-box store, did you ?) It took about a week, so I had to spend that time WITHOUT A PC with only my smartphone! And I have discovered that a smartphone is NOT very smart, that is, it is no replacement for a PC. Here are some of the things I COULDN’T do on my smartphone: blog: amend an eBay listing; post reviews on sites; navigate around sites except in very restricted ways; empty my mailbox. I’m old enough to remember (before PCs were even around) when phones were constricted by landlines, and after this experience I found myself missing my old landline! Had the zombie apocalypse actually occurred, I probably would have used the smartphone for a weapon, and trust me, my aim is NOT that good. I’m far more accurate online. I’m comfortable with a computer and fairly geeky, but phones just drive me nuts. I often leave mine at home when I go out, simply b/c I refuse to be tethered to it-though I will take my laptop! Anyway, my PC has arrived-a wonderful little machine (thanks, Dell!), so I’m here, finally, and I survived !
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When The Music’s Over By Peter Robinson-A Review
The latest Inspect banks novel, this mystery did not seem as satisfying as his previous works. It tended to drag, and while the topic of historical abuse is a timely one, Banks failed to engage me. His development of the characters rang flat, and there was far less of Inspector Banks, Jazz Singh, and the others we’ve come to like in his novels. Even his descriptions of the landscape, usually evocative, captured only fragments of the harsh cityscape he meant to convey. He did present a nuanced representation of the racial tension in present day Britain and the problems that presents in terms of policing and pursuing cases. In view of the current struggles going in Europe and the U.S. over immigration, the novel did good a good job there. But, perhaps because he was concentrating on the politics of the novel, the book never quite rose to any heights. A pity, that.
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Yet Another Entry On Immigration
I’ve been reading with interest the recent articles on Europe’s struggle’s with their influx of immigrants. Angela Merkel ‘s ratings in Germany are lower than they’ve ever been and the Christian Democratic Union recently suffered a defeat in a state election by an anti-immigration party. Denmark, which has long prided itself on its progressive policies, is suffering a blow to its self-image, as it deals with the realty of integrating newcomers who aren’t so readily adaptable to traditional Danish culture. France, with its very secular government, issues the burkini ban, though this has been overturned in the courts. And Britain exited the EU altogether, with immigration being one of the major reasons.
In the U.S. Presidential candidate and Republican nominee Donald Trump is known for his hard stance on immigration. He has issued calls for bans on Muslims entering the U.S., said that he would build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. to secure the border, and deport 11 millions undocumented immigrants. This has been with widespread approval among his supporters, most of whom are Caucasian. When he appeared to be softening his stance, there was an immediate backlash.
I live in a small Appalachian town in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. It’s usually voted one of the coolest small towns in America. We recently had one of many local Fests. Since these tend to get widely publicized and b/c we have visitors coming in for plays at the Barter, there were a LOT of people on the streets. I saw a number of Muslims, and the women were fully covered, including headscarves. I went out of my way to speak to them and welcome them to our town. My conversational Arabic is somewhat rusty, but I managed. When I left, though, I wondered where they were going to eat. We have no halal restaurants. Hell, we don’t have any kosher or vegan restaurants, either! This is strictly a town for omnivores! Had my apt been in better order, I would have invited them HERE for a meal, since I’ve had to go dairy-free/gluten free so I do a lot of vegan meals. (I do have a dog but would have confined her to bedroom.) My pots wouldn’t have been halal, though, since I have cooked meat in them in the past.
Why is there this fear/discrimination across Europe and in the U.S. against immigrants? In Europe it is largely against Muslims; here it is against Hispanics AND Muslims. Is it because they have darker skin? Different customs? Different religion? This should not be viewed with FEAR! We live in a global society society now. Let us learn to respect that others have different customs and know that this can enrich our society. And as to a different religion, Muslims seem much less aggressive, institutionally- speaking, than do Christians. Among my Muslims friends, not a one has ever made an effort to convert me or told me I’m going to hell. I don’t see Muslim televangelists or find Muslim persecution-movies, such as God’s Not Dead. Yes, there ARE terrorist organizations such as ISIL, but those are run by extremists. As an atheist, I don’t support any religion and think all should be practiced privately, not state-supported in any way. But I do NOT want to see anyone discriminated against merely for holding certain religious beliefs.
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The Senility Of Vladimir P By Michael Honig-A Review
I am not as blown away by this novel as are other reviewers. Another Animal Farm it is not. Michael Honig Tells the story of Putin’s nurse, and indirectly Putin. as he cares for a Putin brought low by Alzheimer’s. Sheremetev is that rare man in this Russia-someone who is NOT on the take. But circumstances of family tragedy coupled with his growing awareness of his patient’s utter immoral nature conspire to drive even him to break his ethical code. The lively cast of characters who surround Sheremetev at the dacha add interest to the book as their true natures and histories are revealed. Sheremetev and his crisis of conscience leads him to an unexpected act, but it is Vladimir himself and the Russia he created-venal, corrupt, and unscrupulous-that is ultimately to blame for what befalls Patient One. A very good novel, yes, very readable-but great? No.
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Wild Scrabble
So I followed the World Scrabble Championship match Sunday with bated breath. Kudos to Brett Smitheram who won with “braconid” and thereby earned the game, trouncing his partner by a whopping 174 points with that one word alone. I f you are wondering just what the word means, it refers to a parasitic wasp. I love Scrabble and play online at the Internet Scrabble Club. Before I found that site, I played on FB but playing there was frustratingly slow, and the quality of players I would encounter were variable. Sometimes the responses were downright bizarre. I had one person-(I assume this was a male but don’t know for certain)- demand that I take my clothes off before playing, telling me that “this was scrabble for the grown-ups, chickie.” I declined to play this person. It traumatized me to the point where I shut down my FB profile altogether, something I had wanted to do anyway. I had found The Internet Scrabble Club, a MUCH more professional venue for serious Scrabble players and am very happy there.
But let me recount my Scrabble adventures in RL! I mourn the loss of my Scrabble buddy to relocation. He was a colleague from work, a fellow librarian, and the only person I’ve found willing to play around here. We’d meet every Friday evening for dinner and a game. When I initially moved here, a friend who lives in a much larger city, suggested that I advertise on CraigsList for a Scrabble partner. Naive me, I did so. That might work in a larger venue. HERE, it only garnered me offers to play for kinky sex. I quickly took the ad down, horrified at the responses. I only wanted a plain vanilla SCRABBLE PARTNER. People apparently thought it was code for something else, but I’m still not sure what. SMH. I can’t find ANYONE who will play me. I’ve got a nice board, the latest edition of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary…..I’ll provide endless cups of very high quality hot tea to fuel the game! Of course, I DO play for blood and don’t consider a game well-played unless both players have scored well over 400 points.
My landlord loves me. I pay my rent early. I always inform him if there’s ever a problem (and he always gets it fixed). I look after his place, should his family go on vacation. My dog plays with his dog. I never throw bashes. A hotly contested Scrabble game is as wild as I get. What better tenant than a librarian with a non-barking whippet? (The whippet yodels, she rarely barks. And she has my landlord wrapped firmly around her front paw. He not only brings her steak scraps, he brings whole steaks, plus organic treats he buys specially for her from the vet’s office.) Now, if ONLY I could FIND a Scrabble partner!
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Wild Scrabble
So I followed the World Scrabble Championship match Sunday with bated breath. Kudos to Brett Smitheram who won with “braconid” and thereby earned the game, trouncing his partner by a whopping 174 points with that one word alone. I f you are wondering just what the word means, it refers to a parasitic wasp. I love Scrabble and play online at the Internet Scrabble Club. Before I found that site, I played on FB but playing there was frustratingly slow, and the quality of players I would encounter were variable. Sometimes the responses were downright bizarre. I had one person-(I assume this was a male but don’t know for certain)- demand that I take my clothes off before playing, telling me that “this was scrabble for the grown-ups, chickie.” I declined to play this person. It traumatized me to the point where I shut down my FB profile altogether, something I had wanted to do anyway. I had found The Internet Scrabble Club, a MUCH more professional venue for serious Scrabble players and am very happy there.
But let me recount my Scrabble adventures in RL! I mourn the loss of my Scrabble buddy to relocation. He was a colleague from work, a fellow librarian, and the only person I’ve found willing to play around here. We’d meet every Friday evening for dinner and a game. When I initially moved here, a friend who lives in a much larger city, suggested that I advertise on CraigsList for a Scrabble partner. Naive me, I did so. That might work in a larger venue. HERE, it only garnered me offers to play for kinky sex. I quickly took the ad down, horrified at the responses. I only wanted a plain vanilla SCRABBLE PARTNER. People apparently thought it was code for something else, but I’m still not sure what. SMH. I can’t find ANYONE who will play me. I’ve got a nice board, the latest edition of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary…..I’ll provide endless cups of very high quality hot tea to fuel the game! Of course, I DO play for blood and don’t consider a game well-played unless both players have scored well over 400 points.
My landlord loves me. I pay my rent early. I always inform him if there’s ever a problem (and he always gets it fixed). I look after his place, should his family go on vacation. My dog plays with his dog. I never throw bashes. A hotly contested Scrabble game is as wild as I get. What better tenant than a librarian with a non-barking whippet? (The whippet yodels, she rarely barks. And she has my landlord wrapped firmly around her front paw. He not only brings her steak scraps, he brings whole steaks, plus organic treats he buys specially for her from the vet’s office.) Now, if ONLY I could FIND a Scrabble partner!
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The Money Cult By Chris Lehmann-A Review
Make room on your bookshelf next to Jeff Sharlet’s The Family and C Street and Kevin Kruse’s One Nation Under God. The Money Cult offers yet another look at the entwined history of American Christianity and capitalism. Rather than the Weberian analysis given by Kruse, Lehmann takes the stance that the underlying foundation of the American Protestant tradition is in fact a Gnostic one, which I found to be fascinating. He traces this back to Puritan times, then begins his history of economic Christianity. He does a very detailed job, including an explanation of Mormonism as the quintessential American religious experience. He does not neglect the modern evangelicals, and indeed the book begins with the popular Joel Osteen. If you are looking for a reason not to view Christianity with a jaundiced eye, this book is not for you. He casts it, at least the American Protestant version, as not so much a spiritual pursuit as a thinly veiled economic and financial system that revolves around profits, power, and the creation of wealth.
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The Money Cult By Chris Lehmann-A Review
Make room on your bookshelf next to Jeff Sharlet’s The Family and C Street and Kevin Kruse’s One Nation Under God. The Money Cult offers yet another look at the entwined history of American Christianity and capitalism. Rather than the Weberian analysis given by Kruse, Lehmann takes the stance that the underlying foundation of the American Protestant tradition is in fact a Gnostic one, which I found to be fascinating. He traces this back to Puritan times, then begins his history of economic Christianity. He does a very detailed job, including an explanation of Mormonism as the quintessential American religious experience. He does not neglect the modern evangelicals, and indeed the book begins with the popular Joel Osteen. If you are looking for a reason not to view Christianity with a jaundiced eye, this book is not for you. He casts it, at least the American Protestant version, as not so much a spiritual pursuit as a thinly veiled economic and financial system that revolves around profits, power, and the creation of wealth.
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River Road By Carol Goodman-A Review
Everyone has secrets, or so it seems in this novel by Carol Goodman. The main character, a professor who might or might not have a problem with alcohol, struggles to untangle both the web of deceit she finds herself caught up in and he rown knotty personal life. The book begins with a terrible accident, but Nan finds that nothing is what it appears to be. There are so many threads that could be followed in this plot that the novel loses its momentum and fails to follow any one of them successfully. It devolves into a college drug scenario (reefer madness, anyone?), pulls an unbelievable villain out of the blue, and throws in a town and gown romance for good measure. Don’t waste your time reading this one. I give it a firm thumbs down.