CRANKY OLD FART'S
NEWS & LINKS
#357 [archive]
It's obvious, ain't it? Every thing Republicans do and stand for is about furthering cruelty.
Even when the headlines are so ridiculous they're kinda funny (see below), the backstory behind the news is always about making someone's life worse — the gays and trans, women, the blacks, the poor, the victims, some individual who's offended someone, or anyone who's not rich, white, and male.
Wish there was some creative or clever way to sum it all up, except to say again, holy fuck Republicans are bastards.
• "Common sense" Republicans tour Rikers: "It's a great atmosphere in there"
• Republicans recruit social media influencers to rally support for corrupt Texas AG
"Acting on a tip from a reader, The Wausau Pilot & Review reported that during the meeting, the owner of a shredding and recycling company, Cory Tomczyk, called a 13-year-old boy a 'fag'. Mr Tomczyk, who is now a Republican state senator, denied using the slur and demanded a retraction. When The Pilot & Review stood by its article, Mr. Tomczyk sued.
"Three additional people who attended the meeting later gave sworn statements that they had heard Mr Tomczyk use the word. And during a deposition, he admitted having said it on other occasions.
"In late April 2023, a judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Mr. Tomczyk had not met the legal standard for proving that the report defamed him.
"But that was not the end of the matter for the small and financially pinched Pilot & Review, a nonprofit that has already racked up close to $150,000 in legal bills from the case. Mr. Tomczyk has filed an appeal. And the publication’s founder and editor, Shereen Siewert, said she has no idea how she can continue paying both her lawyers and her staff of four."
• Arkansas warns school districts not to offer AP African American Studies
• Pornhub sues Texas, saying new age-verification law shafts porn-site users
• Iowa school district uses artificial intelligence to help remove library books
• All cops continue being bastards
And in better news...
• The Guardian unmasks North Dakota Nazi publisher
• Antifa group says it has names and addresses of Nazi company's customers
• North Korea says runaway US soldier wants refuge from mistreatment, racism in US
North Korea seems an odd place to escape to,
especially after this poor schmo delivered "a profanity-laced tirade
against Koreans." But what the heck, I'm not offended by his defection, treason, wanderlust, whatever you call it.
I sincerely wish him a happy life
in his new home.
🖯 MY BROWSER HISTORY 🖯
• How systemic barriers keep the formerly incarcerated from rebuilding their lives
"Because one of my felonies is for drug possession, I can’t get any cash welfare benefits. The welfare system automatically assumes anyone with a prior drug conviction will spend their money on dope rather than rent, utilities, gas, and food. It doesn’t matter that all my drug tests are clean, or that I’m a graduate of Sobriety Works. The conviction is on my record and that’s the only context that matters."
• The dark secrets buried at Red Cloud Boarding School
• Steve Albini: Now he's a nice guy
♫♬ AUDIO ♫
• Fortunate Son — Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Incense & Peppermints — Strawberry Alarm Clock
❔ MYSTERY LINKS ❔
• Click
• Click
• Click
• Click
• Click
👁 VIDEO 👁
• Georgia District Attorney's news conference on indictment of former President Trump
• "Our circus grew out of a small juggling club called Creative Motion"
⚰️ OBITUARIES ⚰️
Cranky Old Fart is annoyed and complains and very occasionally offers a kindness, along with anything off the internet that's made me smile or snarl. All opinions fresh from my ass. Top illustration by Jeff Meyer. Click any image to enlarge. Comments & conversations invited.
Tip 'o the hat to the AVA, BoingBoing, Breakfast at Ralf's, Depsidase, Kottke,org, Looking for My Perfect Sandwich, MetaFilter, Miss Miriam's Mirror, RanPrieur.com, Voenix Rising, and anywhere else I've stolen links, illustrations, or inspiration.
Special thanks to Linden Arden, Becky Jo, Wynn Bruce, Joey Jo Jo, John the Basket, Dave S, Name Withheld, and always extra special thanks to my lovely late Stephanie, who gave me 21 years and proved that the world isn't always shitty.
Doug, re: your story today on Travis King and his stay in North Korea. There is no question that, while things have improved for minorities in the United States Army, and might someday improve for women, there are serious pockets of racism in all the United States military services. Whether they would be bad enough to drive you or me or anybody we know into the DPRK is another question.
ReplyDeleteThe press boys in the DPRK lost credibility with me when they reported that Fearless Leader, on his first visit to the only 18-hole golf course in North Korea, shot an 18. This was an actual news story emanating from the DPRK about two years ago. It didn't get much coverage in the west for obvious reasons. A command and control nation whose alleged press can't lie with credibility has a cloudy future.
I hope the young American makes it out, gets an honorable discharge from the Army, receives therapy and counseling on the government's dime, and is reunited with his family. Then I hope he goes out and shoots any score at all at his local golf links.
John
You are right about Republicans, sure as it's hot in Texas.
ReplyDeleteIt's not your most important story today but the rishtwing hostility toward education is easy to understand. They're stupid and they don't want their children to get smarter than their parents.
Can the College Board just say if you don't accept the AP advanced courses, on Africanan American studies then no AP at all for Arkansas and Florida.
My brothers were all full of worries about the college entrance exams in the '70s, but as I always knew that wasn't my path I never took a test nor worried, so my ignorance of the College Board is limitless.
DeleteI do think someone somewhere ought to be cracking down on such rot. Perhaps kids graduating from high school in a state that's refused all modern educational standards ought not be considered high school grads for college entry purposes.