Last thread on trolls
The goal of trolls? To take over a thread and ultimately a blog, and get everyone to dance to your tune. The technique? Have a feed and jump on the thread immediately, setting the tone and the topic. If at … Continue reading →
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On the topic of trolls
I’m on vacation for a few more days, and am unusually busy–having fun. A novel idea. Therefore my access to computers is far more limited than usual. For example, yesterday I hardly saw a computer at all except to post … Continue reading →
The theme and variations vs. the symphony: on love
I try to do about three miles of brisk walking every day for exercise. On rainy or snowy days, I’m off to the gym and its treadmill, which feels like–well, like being on a treadmill. But on beautiful days or … Continue reading →
Bush in Iraq
And speaking of propaganda, Bush’s visit to Iraq is a nice piece of it. The quote I like the best: I’ve come to not only look you in the eye. I’ve also come to tell you that when America gives … Continue reading →
On a Gaza beach: what hath conspiracy theories wrought?
Conspiracy theories are widespread and exceedingly popular. They appeal to the all-too-human need to make order out of chaos, and to assign blame to a convenient and/or strategic scapegoat. They arise spontaneously, or they can be manipulated for political and … Continue reading →
Roundup
Every now and then I do some linking. Now seems to be one of those times: (1) At the news of Zarqawi’s untimely demise, many in the blogosphere (including myself) reached towards “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” for inspiration. … Continue reading →
Laryngitis and sympathy
A few weeks ago I had a bout of laryngitis. It’s a funny thing, laryngitis; an excellent tool for making a person feel powerless. Something most of us ordinarily take for granted—the voice—mysteriously vanishes without a word of warning. Now … Continue reading →
Seattle innovations: storms in the produce section
Yesterday I was in a large Asian grocery store in Seattle. When I say large, I mean mega-supermarket size. About a hundred types of soy sauce, fifty of tofu–oh, perhaps that’s hyperbole, but definitely many more than I’ve ever seen … Continue reading →
Why Zarqawi’s death matters
Despite the chorus of “yes, buts…” on the left that, although Zarqawi was indeed a nasty man who deserved to die, his death will only serve as the inspiration for more terror and was therefore not such a great event, … Continue reading →
Plus é§a change, plus c’est la méªme chose
I was rummaging around the house where I’m staying, looking for something to read, when I encountered an old favorite from my childhood, choreographer Agnes De Mille’s memoir And Promenade Home. While skimming through it, I came across a passage … Continue reading →
Targeted assassinations and Zarqawi: he’s really most sincerely dead
As Alan Dershowitz quite rightly points out (via Solomonia), the manner of Zarqawi’s death is really no different from what is known as “targeted assassinations,” often condemned when performed by Israel, and yet in the case of Zarqawi roundly applauded … Continue reading →
Seattle: observations from the green city
I’ve barely scratched the surface of the Seattle experience, but I already have the following observations: Seattle is indeed a very green city. It’s not only green in the literal sense, because of all the rain, but in the political … Continue reading →