THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2023They hope Bragg finds the crime: Charles Blow wants Donald Trump prosecuted. The headline on his new column says so:Donald Trump Must Be ProsecutedDonald Trump must be prosecuted! But prosecuted for what?On that secondary point, Blow is quite unclear. As h … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2023Kevin Drum calls the roll: Given the whimsies of the gods, you knew it had to happen.In fact, it had already happened! We refer to the Stanford Law School free-for-all of Thursday last, March 9!You knew it had to happen! Last Friday night, a Gang of Five s … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2023In the meantime, we recommend this: We'll be losing a chunk of time this morning. For that reason, we won't be posting until this afternoon.In the meantime, why not ponder Kevin Drum's new post, "What is woke?" In our view, Drum makes some good, solid poin … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2023The Post and The Quiet Girl: Three days later, we're still thinking about the Oscars. We thought Jimmy Kimmel did an excellent job, except for the interaction with Malala. As for that, we're a bit sorry that Malala was there at all.We've been thinking abo … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2023Wokeness in the news: Long ago and far away, Saint Augustine said he was puzzled.“What then is time?" he famously wrote in the Confessions (A.D. 397). "If no one asks me, I know. If I want to explain it to a questioner, I do not know.” Famously, Augustine … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2023...Ruth Marcus says she's nervous: It's widely alleged that indictment is nearing for one Donald J. Trump.Blue cable cares about little else, especially between the hours of 4 and 6 P.M. Eastern. Just like that, along comes Ruth Marcus in the Washington Pos … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2023Also, could our own tribe be equally dumb? At least as a matter of theory, we tend to agree with Michelle Goldberg's recent column for the New York Times.In print editions, the column appeared in this past weekend's Sunday Opinion section. Online, the colum … | Continue reading
MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2023Terrible Oscar nom snub: These Oscar choices are quite subjective. Consider Everything Everywhere All at Once, a movie we haven't seen.Did we mention the fact that we haven't seen it? For that reason, we have no view on how good it is.That said, we have noti … | Continue reading
MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2023On blue cable, no one knew: Stephanie Ruhle had assembled another all-star group for her weekly "Friday Nightcap." As the second half of her program began, she pretty much said so herself:RUHLE (3/10/23): All right—you know what it's time for. Time for our " … | Continue reading
SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2023What time is it on the moon? At present, we the people are living through the shortest weekend of the year.Last night, we lost one hour as we set our clocks ahead. this evening, we lose something like four more hours thanks to the Oscar broadcast.Injury will … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2023Concerning the value of masks, the later Wittgenstein scores: All kidding aside, how about it?If you wore a mask during the recent pandemic, did that reduce the likelihood that you would come down with Covid?Roughly one month ago, "a respected scientific n … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023A groaner from Monday night: How dumb does it get on the lost boy's show?It can get extremely dumb; it's very dumb a great deal of the time. Today, we thought we'd offer another example, this one from Monday night.First, a bit of background:The fallacious fe … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023Our blue tribe still needs Lester Maddox: Yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay!Last evening, the joy was general among the stooges who attend to our tribe's psychic needs on Our Own Cable News Channel. As we watched them service our needs, we … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023It gets transcendently stupid: How dumb does it get on Tucker Carlson Tonight?On a minute-by-minute basis, it gets extremely stupid. Consider what happened last night when Tucker bloviated about where Covid came from.The silly lost child mentioned yesterday … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023Dowd heard a pair of old bigots: Does Tucker Carlson believe the things he says on his nightly TV show?We would assume that he doesn't. Among other astounding stupidities, the contradictions come thick and fast as he offers his novelized claims. We don't kn … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2023Joe keeps taking a pass: Last night was supposed to be the second night of Tucker's big exposé.He served a giant nothingburger. Then too, consider this:On Monday night, he served a stew of misdirection, fractured logic and wild, unsupported claims. And the … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2023Our tribunes heard secession: Rep. Greene had sallied forth with her latest dumb idea.In fairness, her new idea wasn't as crazy as some of her previous offerings. For some examples of what we mean, let's revisit one part of Elaina Plott Calabro's lengthy b … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2023Sisyphus, Carlson and Trump: How do misconceptions arise? We're talking about the kinds of misconceptions which can be quite destructive.Before we cite a recent personal experience, consider one part of Paul Krugman's column in today's New York Times. In the … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2023No Crazy Belief Left Behind: Especially if we're viewing the world from the liberal / progressive / Democratic perspective, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is a real piece of work.Especially if we're viewing the world from the liberal / progressive / Dem … | Continue reading
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023Hooray for Hollywood: No, it doesn't exactly matter. That said, this Sunday night is our nation's annual Oscars night. Also, we're interested in the sorts of things you can occasionally read in the New York Times, perhaps from interested parties.We refer to t … | Continue reading
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023Taking the David French Challenge: "I've looked at life from both sides now?" It's a well-known historical claim.Joni Mitchell was the first to report this accomplishment. She did so in this famous song from 1966 or 1967, which Judy Collins quickly recorded.I … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2023Also, here's what it says in the Post: We're headed off on a brief trip and we won't be posting today.That said, we scanned the front page of the (online) Washington Post at 5:45 A.M. This was the banner headline on the second news report from the top (with … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023Good luck trying that: Based on this piece for the Washington Post, Greg Sargent seems to think it's time for Dems to "wage war on Fox News."Good freaking luck with that!At issue are measures of basic competence. The Democratic Party leadership has shown li … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023Morning Joe moves on: Ambition can be a driving task master. That thought came to mind as we read the front-page report in yesterday's New York Times about the political career of former president Jimmy Carter, a person who is generally understood to be bot … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2023...for what Tucker Carlson did: In this morning's widely praised report, we discussed some of what Tucker Carlson did in Monday night's opening monologue.Just this once, let's be frank: We don't even have a word for what this "lost boy" did.Also, we don't … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2023As blue tribe America slept: As we noted yesterday, the headline on Kate Cray's short piece asked an excellent question:"How Should We Teach the Story of Our Country?" Especially given the recent dispute about a new Advanced Placement course, that headline … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2023The topic was never discussed: It seemed to us that Tucker Carlson was especially demagogic / disordered last night. He has truly become a master of the leap in logic and the unfounded factual claim mixed with the smirk and the sneer, along with his very … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2023We can't have such discussions now: Long ago and far away, we had a delusional moment.In fact, it happened over the weekend. We saw this headline in The Atlantic and we dreamed of a better day:How Should We Teach the Story of Our Country?At least in theo … | Continue reading
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2023How humans deal with ideas: At the end of last month, Leonard Downie attempted to detonate a bit of a bombshell at the Washington Post.Downie is a former executive editor of The Washington Post. Today, he's a professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Jou … | Continue reading
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2023How should our history be taught? Long ago and far away, as mere juniors in high school, we read The Jungle. It was a required text in a high school literature course.At the time, The Jungle was a sixty-year-old novel—a "muckraking" novel at that! Today, … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2023Can anyone here play this game?: Will Dominion Voting Systems win its lawsuit against Fox?We can't answer that question. Reviewing a report in today's New York Times, a different question came to mind:Can anyone here play this game?This new report attem … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023Professor Gates may be wrong: Yesterday afternoon, we returned to a news report we'd looked at once before.It appeared last week in the Washington Post. Headline included, the news report started like this:As red states target Black history lessons, blue … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023For that reason: A bit of a delay is afoot. For that reason, we won't be posting until this afternoon. | Continue reading
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2023In search of The Stop WOKE Act: We sometimes think of the Ron DeSantis administration as the gang that can't blunderbuss straight.The bluster is general; the clarity is quite hard to find. Some will say that the incoherence is a political strategy. We'd … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2023Tomorrow, Gates gone wrong: What are public school students being taught about our American history?What are public school students in Florida being taught? How about in other states? What are they being taught in honors classes? What are the other kids … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023Renounces past use of the N-word: Parker and Goodwin begin their report with a germ of a semi-valid point.In print editions, their report appears on the front page of this morning's Washington Post. Within the sprawling online Washington Post, their re … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023At best, one cheer for Joy Reid: What should high school students be taught in our public school? What skills / attitudes / points of view should they be encouraged to develop?You're asking an excellent question! At one point in the current scrum about … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2023...Lawrence missed the boat: Tucker Carlson finally has his hot, sweaty hands on the goods!We refer to thousands of miles of surveillance footage from the January 6 attacks. Mike Allen broke the news in Axios, starting off like this:ALLEN (2/20/23): Hous … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2023That's what Al Sharpton said: What do you want American kids to be taught about American history?Surely, they should be exposed to—in that sense, they should be "taught"—an array of basic facts. But what should they be "taught" after that? Should they be … | Continue reading
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023The way one state's mandate works: As we noted this morning, the College Board's new Advanced Placement course won't affect all public school kids.By definition, advanced placement courses are mainly designed for higher-performing kids. Last week, the Was … | Continue reading
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023The Furies discuss public schools: On the front page of today's New York Times, we find a report which starts by mentioning one teacher in one British school.His students are being exposed to garbage. That said, is this the best way for a teacher to teach … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2023Fox News disappears: Three cheers for the print edition of the Washington Post!This very morning, there it sat, above the fold on the paper's front page. The headline above the news report said this:Fox aired false claims to avoid losing its audienceIn … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2023Everything all at once: We're happy to praise Nicolle Wallace for something she wisely chose to air on yesterday's Deadline: White House.As was completely appropriate, Wallace spent the bulk of her two hours discussing the new revelations concerning the … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023Troubled youngster allowed to unload on "low-IQ plastic surgery disaster:" The New York Times put it on today's front page—on the front page of today's Business Day section.Assuming the Times reporting is fully accurate, it might have belonged on page A1— … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023Home, home on the range: On Valentine's Day—this past Tuesday—one of our tribe's "most favorite" stars made an extremely dumb comment.In fairness, her comment came in the form of a love letter to tribal belief. Speaking of the state of Florida's pushback … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023Also, watching The Fabelmans: As the minutes have ticked by today, the Feiler faster thesis (FFT) seems to have struck again.A new arrival on the front has shoved the debate about the College Board aside. We'll put the new arrival off until another day. … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023Even among our own: It's hard to believe, but we're so old that we can remember when the column by Nicholas Kristof—and a second column on the same page—seemed to offer a chance to understand these deeply unfortunate times.In fact, the columns appeared … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023Kevin Drum says maybe not: Did the College Board adjust the contents of its new Advanced Placement course in response to criticisms or suggestions by the DeSantis administration?In yesterday's lengthy front-page report, the New York Times seemed to sug … | Continue reading