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Showing posts from July, 2024

People losing their damn minds: Perception and emotion are horrible guides to making rational decisions

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U.S. violent and property crime rates have plunged since 1990s, regardless of data source/Pew Research Center Okay, I'm not a fan of the man but I'm glad he's all right. Of course, the grazed ear thing could just as well have been a full blast to the chest, but lo! The MAGA Lord is immortal. That's really all I care to say about the matter. The pundits and peanut galleries will continue their cant and cavil ad nauseam and the press will do whatever the hell it does.  To that last point, I've been wondering why people lose their shit over debates, why we have them, and how damn dumb are folks - looking at you, Democrats - anyway. Debates are performative and viewers are told what they've seen by analysts who figure you're too stupid to figure out for yourself what you watched. In some cases, that might be necessary. If I listened to a debate or discussion between two neuroscientists or abstract mathematicians, I'd need someone to translate what I was hear...

Democracy doesn't die in darkness: the lights are on

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Huh, the Supreme Court building...looking morally vacant. i hope no one was surprised by the SCOTUS ruling on limited immunity regarding the 45th president's criminal cases. I'm unpleasantly shocked that it finally happened, but now that's passed, all I can think of right now is ruminating on how it's all come to this. Essentially, thr ruling paves the way for any number of possible futures of govnance in this country. i don't feel like reading tea leaves, but in the short term, it has rendered holding power at the highest level accountable nearly impossible.  The ruling is vague enough to tie up cases in what is to be considered "official business" at any given point in a president's tenure, but no matter how you may want to spin it, its meaning is clear; the president cannot be tried for criminal acts while in office. The president is now quite literally "above the law" and this, to anyone paying attention - and I'll definitely be revis...