tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17656590503104216922024-03-13T10:17:02.262-05:00Knight of NothingWhen All Logic Grows Cold and All Thinking Gets DoneKnight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.comBlogger422125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-52819396464781008522022-03-23T15:13:00.002-05:002022-03-23T15:14:26.856-05:00MFT / ESP Strike - Open Letter #2 Dear Superintendent Graff and Board Members: <div><br /></div><div>Get your act together. Get yourselves to the negotiating table with an offer that accommodates the needs of our teachers, our ESPs, and our students. You are embarrassing the city and the state with your antics, and children and families are suffering due to your inaction and stonewalling. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our schools need more, and you are the stewards of education in our community. Mr Graff, you and other Very Serious People keep saying, "we support the teachers' goals, but there is no money." </div><div><br /></div><div>I would like to see evidence of the first part of this sentence.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you support the teachers' goals, then please prove it -- go walk the picket line, and lobby the city and the state for more funding to do the right thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a lifelong resident of Minneapolis, I know we can do better. As a parent of an MPS student, I know we must. </div>Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-41692905071639612692022-02-15T18:31:00.000-06:002022-02-15T18:31:09.960-06:00An Open Letter to Superintendent Ed GraffSuperintendent Ed Graff
<br />MPSSup@mpls.k12.mn.us<br />answers@mpls.k12.mn.us <br /><br />Subject: Negotiations with MFT
<br /><br />Dear Superintendent Graff and MPS Board of Education:
<br /><br />I am writing as a parent of a 4th grader with an IEP who attends Minneapolis Public Schools. I wish to express my full support for the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Education Support Professionals and their positions in the current negotiations with MPS.<div><br /></div><div>I understand that MPS's budgetary constraints may seem insurmountable. And I know that COVID has been a challenge for everyone -- teachers, students, and families from across the city have all struggled over the past two years. My family is no different. But MFT's proposals are essential to fostering a work environment for staff that is conducive to teaching and learning, and I firmly believe that these proposals will improve the quality of education in Minneapolis for all of our children. To these ends, MPS must go much further to accommodate their proposals. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of particular importance to me are the issues of class size, mental health supports, and a living wage for ESPs. As a parent of a child who has special needs, my family felt the frustration of distance learning more keenly than most. We have witnessed first-hand the trauma that COVID has wrought upon students, families, and teachers. We know that the unprecedented disruptions of the past two years have created wider gaps in social and academic skills and achievement.</div><div><br /></div><div>To address these problems, smaller classrooms and in-school mental health care are no longer luxuries -- these are foundational requirements for Minneapolis schools. Moreover, all of the workers who provide the infrastructure that makes public education possible must be paid accordingly, and not be forced to worry about their own financial well-being. These must be our priorities as a city and as a society.</div><div><br /></div><div>I do not doubt that a strike would place an immense burden on many families, my own included. But my family and I are committed to bearing this burden in order to support not just our current students, teachers, and staff, but to build a better future for public education in Minneapolis.</div><div><br /></div><div>We believe in the community of MPS. As such, we must find a way to fund these extremely urgent and necessary changes to our district. </div><div><br /></div><div>You have a critical role as the steward of public education in Minneapolis. Please do more -- everything you can -- to accommodate MFT and their proposals. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for your consideration. </div><div><br /></div><div>cc:
<br /><div>Kim Ellison - kim.ellison@mpls.k12.mn.us</div><div>Jenny Arneson - jenny.arneson@mpls.k12.mn.us</div><div>Nelson Inz - nelson.inz@mpls.k12.mn.us</div><div>Kimberly Caprini - kimberly.caprini@mpls.k12.mn.us</div><div>Josh Pauly - josh.pauly@mpls.k12.mn.us</div></div>Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-31590633080098470962021-10-06T14:36:00.003-05:002021-10-06T14:37:34.299-05:00Another Right-Wing ShibbolethLike "political correctness" before it, "cancel culture" is almost exclusively a scare-phrase with little to no bearing on the actual problems of society.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cancel culture is so pervasive that there's barely any evidence it exists, great stuff. <a href="https://t.co/ACraqTwKl8">https://t.co/ACraqTwKl8</a></p>— Michael Hobbes (@RottenInDenmark) <a href="https://twitter.com/RottenInDenmark/status/1440313473326477319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-71772032296505993942021-10-01T13:22:00.000-05:002021-10-01T13:22:12.777-05:00The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves, Lost Cause Dept.There are some ridiculous people out there writing ridiculous things.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">No, I'm pretty sure I can say how I would have ruled on this not very hard question. <a href="https://t.co/rHHC8iNzPF">pic.twitter.com/rHHC8iNzPF</a></p>— Jane Coaston (@janecoaston) <a href="https://twitter.com/janecoaston/status/1436427502470193155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-34113418825386582322021-09-21T10:49:00.002-05:002021-09-21T11:02:55.231-05:00A Grim Milestone<p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’re now hitting 2,000 deaths per day and looks like COVID19 will once again become the leading cause of death on a daily basis in America. By Mon Tues this week we’ll likely exceed the number of Americans who died in the 1918-21 flu pandemic (675,000) <a href="https://t.co/ujzGGmAca3">https://t.co/ujzGGmAca3</a></p>— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterHotez/status/1439575771073368067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Covid has now killed more Americans in 18 months than all the wars of the 20th century combined. And people are out here complaining that requiring unvaxxed workers to get tested once a week is an unreasonable burden. Be serious.</p>— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesSurowiecki/status/1436161411445624834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-11905965143011013632020-06-30T16:04:00.002-05:002020-06-30T16:07:06.161-05:00Help Save The Art Academy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've written about <a href="https://theartacademy.net/">The Art Academy</a> before. It is a hidden gem of the Twin Cities; a unique place to learn traditional drawing and painting techniques that have been improved and streamlined by modern pedagogy. I love this school, and the owners have become dear friends.<br />
<br />
The Art Academy has been hit very hard by the COVID pandemic; they are unable to hold classes without compromising the safety of students and staff. If you have the means, please consider supporting the school as they try to weather this crisis. 100% of the proceeds of this fundraiser are going to staff salaries and recurring business expenses. Thank you!<br />
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Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-85000083906887983882019-05-16T10:31:00.003-05:002019-05-16T10:34:58.827-05:00This Really Kind of Explains It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jxLixLSoKfsc7-R-0D0pF7LVeeIXrcPFBeUg5z8csDnwgOcNi4yo-w08XSSkOo4l1LYkrkPyv6-vcTYCYMkKwI3fXBidKO3AiH5yp-JgpUgAHBhLGWfrX-XwMqZsuL4CslFvnq1OFAo/s1600/DB-quote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="591" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jxLixLSoKfsc7-R-0D0pF7LVeeIXrcPFBeUg5z8csDnwgOcNi4yo-w08XSSkOo4l1LYkrkPyv6-vcTYCYMkKwI3fXBidKO3AiH5yp-JgpUgAHBhLGWfrX-XwMqZsuL4CslFvnq1OFAo/s320/DB-quote.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
... maaan," says college sophomore, taking a bong hit while sitting on the floor of his cluttered dorm.
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Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-33944973923629220222019-04-16T21:39:00.001-05:002019-04-16T21:44:03.663-05:00Against Elitism In Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A while back, I participated in an online discussion about the relative importance of high culture versus popular culture. In the discussion, there were some arguing that high art has a special place above mere "popular" art. I made the point that much of what we consider today to be "high art" was made by craftsmen working to please a patron for a payday, and that renders the distinction between the two less clear than it may seem.<br />
<br />
As strange as it sounds, a production artist on a movie or in an advertising house works under virtually the same constraints as Michelangelo: he is paid to deliver a certain piece in a certain medium by a date specified by someone else. And once one understands that "high art" and "popular art" in western culture have almost always shared a commercial motivation, enforcing boundaries between the two categories become more difficult.<br />
<br />
I paint at an art school that teaches traditional and Renaissance drawing and painting methods; Bistre & Verdaccio underpainting as well as direct painting. But the school also teaches manga, superhero comics, illustration, origami, and has even given classes on miniatures painting. The director of the school told me that a student once complained to him that someone was painting a cowboy in one of the Renaissance painting classes. "Why is he painting that in this class?" His reply: "he just likes cowboys."<br />
<br />
Here is a person who has every reason to look down at pop art, a person who has spent his whole life immersed in classical Western tradition and has forgotten more about Renaissance painting than most anyone will ever know, waxing enthusiastic about cowboys and "mere" comic book artists. It changes one's perspective.
<br />
<br />
I am in favor of standards, just not standards that depend on the age of a piece or an arbitrarily determined list of classics. Sure, Michaelangelo is great: but not because he's old; it's because he spent a lifetime honing and mastering a craft, and his work shows that. So does the work of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=bernie+wrightson">Bernie Wrightson</a>.<br />
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Right now is truly a unique time to be alive -- the luxury of leisure time has allowed large numbers of people an opportunity to both consume and even produce art in incredible quantities -- far more than a single person could ever absorb in an entire lifetime. Let's celebrate the skill and passion, and not worry so much about creating a canon.</div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-34888436237462283362019-01-17T09:56:00.000-06:002019-01-17T09:58:06.405-06:00Leopard Seal FTW<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Worth a watch!<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" scrolling="no" src="//assets.nationalgeographic.com/modules-video/latest/assets/ngsEmbeddedVideo.html?guid=89fc6949-eefd-4f38-a2b9-335b93bad85e" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
Read the story <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140311-paul-nicklen-leopard-seal-photographer-viral/">here</a>.</div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-20491363678480484332019-01-14T09:41:00.001-06:002019-01-14T10:02:33.186-06:00The Purpose of Travel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign."<br />
--Robert Louis Stevenson
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<br />
"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."<br />
--Henry Miller.<br />
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"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home."<br />
--James Michener<br />
<br />
" The traveler is active; he goes strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes 'sight-seeing.'"<br />
--Daniel J. Boorstin<br />
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"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."<br />
--Mark Twain</div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-68201931847578761712018-12-17T07:09:00.002-06:002018-12-17T07:32:16.672-06:00What I Hate About Being An Adult Today: An Ongoing And Neverending Series<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
Random observations of grown-up life in the last week -- </div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>there is water damage in the ceiling of my home office again </li>
<li>that means the second floor toilet is almost certainly leaking again</li>
<li>I got pink eye from my kid </li>
<li>the house and car insurance payments are due and they've jacked the rates again</li>
<li>I need to shop for fucking insurance again </li>
<li>speaking of insurance, my company changed health insurance providers</li>
<li>have I mentioned that I really hate researching insurance providers and policies? </li>
<li>it will be time to do taxes soon </li>
<li>my retirement savings are in the toilet</li>
<li>that kind of brings it full circle </li>
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Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-53011779466097051582018-07-28T22:58:00.000-05:002018-07-28T23:11:45.737-05:00Nerd Power<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For the 1d4-1 people who may be wondering why I haven't been posting to my blog in so long, well, it's because all of my spare time and energy has been poured into my Dungeons & Dragons campaign website:<br />
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<a href="https://sword-coast-drifters.obsidianportal.com/posts?order_by=oldest&page=1">The Adventures of the Sword Coast Drifters</a><br />
<br />
Since last fall, I've been playing the fifth edition of the venerable role-playing game, and it has rekindled my passion for all things D&D.<br />
<br />
I haven't really acted as a Dungeon Master in more than ten years. So my group started with the introductory adventure that comes with the <a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/rpg_starterset">D&D 5e Basic Set</a>. It turned out to be a modern classic! We just transitioned into <a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/storm-kings-thunder">Storm King's Thunder</a>, and it looks to be another terrific adventure.<br />
<br />
Being the game's referee can be a big time commitment all by itself, but I've added a whole new dimension to the DM's chore: after each session, I write the story of what happened. I've tried to write these like episodes of a show or chapters in novella, rather than merely mechanical summaries of the game. It's a time-consuming challenge, but I've been enjoying it immensely! A worthy respite from the horrible things that are happening in the world. Check it out if you have time to kill. </div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-5839684121480732712018-01-30T04:28:00.000-06:002018-01-30T04:45:10.001-06:00Deplorables<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"I think there's blame on both sides. And I have no doubt about it, and you don't have any doubt about it either. ... <b>But you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides.</b>"</blockquote>
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Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-31207046749309378342017-11-20T21:42:00.001-06:002017-11-21T06:59:04.850-06:00Dear Senator Franken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I voted for you twice. I have been an ardent supporter, and I was proud of the way in which you worked to oppose President Trump's nominations, particularly Betsy DeVos and Jeff Sessions. I also lauded your efforts to push for thorough investigations of Russian election tampering, and to fight the Republican legislative agenda. I have called your office to thank you for all of these things.<br />
<br />
So when Leeann Tweeden wrote her essay last week, as a constituent and genuine admirer, I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt -- you have worked hard for Minnesota, and you have championed many of the issues that are personally important to me.<br />
<br />
I cannot, however, ignore the second set of allegations against you that were published this morning in the <a href="http://www.startribune.com/woman-to-cnn-franken-had-hand-wrapped-tightly-around-my-butt-cheek-at-state-fair/458819893/">StarTribune</a>. For the good of Minnesota, I think it is time for you to make arrangements to end your career in the senate.<br />
<br />
I did not weigh in publicly before now, because I was trying to be patient, and I was experiencing so many conflicting feelings. After your eloquent and personal apology to Leeann Tweeden and her acceptance of it, I breathed a sigh of relief and I was prepared to move on. From my remote vantage point, it seemed as though Tweeden was at least open to the idea that whatever happened between the two of you was a misunderstanding.<br />
<br />
This second story recasts all of that. The incident occurred at the State Fair - the quintessentially Minnesotan family-oriented event. It was openly discussed by the accuser at the time, and it happened when you were our sitting senator. Even though what is alleged by the second woman is not as bad as what Tweeden said happened to her, it is still terrible, and perhaps worse in its own way: it happened in a context where your conduct should have been far beyond reproach.<br />
<br />
I am not saying this out of fear of the narrative that will be spun in some circles -- people often tell tales regardless of truth. My concern is the actual harm that you did to these women. For that, you should step down. Minnesota needs a senator who better represents the values of the progressive movement.<br />
<br />
This is not an easy letter to write, and it is not a knee-jerk reaction -- this is my considered opinion as a voter in Minnesota. I have spent a great deal of the last four days thinking and listening to people -- especially women -- and now that I have heard a second accuser step forward, I have come to a realization: you can no longer effectively serve us, your constituents. This story will follow you wherever you go, and it will render you irrelevant at best. I shudder to contemplate the worst-case scenario.<br />
<br />
I would rather not take a chance on a special election. But these allegations are not going to go away.<br />
<br />
Please do the right and honorable thing. Make us proud one more time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-25756255776134229692017-09-29T16:07:00.000-05:002017-10-14T06:09:21.593-05:00Monsters, Bigots, Theocrats, Lunatics, and Grifters*<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Monster: </b>Greg Abbot. <i>"<a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/hurricane-harvey-sylvester-turner-greg-abbott/">Turner 'has all the money that he needs,'</a> [Governor Greg] Abbott said. 'In times like these, it's important to have fiscal responsibility as opposed to financial panic.' The governor went on to accuse the mayor of using Harvey recovery efforts as a 'hostage to raise taxes.'"
</i><br />
<br />
<b>Bigot:</b> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/president-donald-trump-racist-examples_us_584f2ccae4b0bd9c3dfe5566">Donald Trump</a>. Enough said.<br />
<br />
<b>Theocrat:</b> Ted Cruz. <i>"<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/ted-cruzs-campaign-is-fueled-by-a-dominionist-vision-for-america-commentary/2016/02/04/86373158-cb6a-11e5-b9ab-26591104bb19_story.html">Cruz's approach to politics</a> is inseparable from this theology. His goal is to lead a Christian occupation of the culture and then wait for the Second Coming of Christ."</i><br />
<br />
<b>Lunatic:</b> Roy Moore. <i>"<a href="http://theweek.com/articles/727310/roy-moore-lunatic-bigot-zealot-senator">Moore has suggested</a> that 9/11 and mass shootings are God's punishment for Americans turning away from Christianity."
</i><br />
<br />
<b>Grifter:</b> Tom Price. "<i><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/21/tom-price-private-charter-plane-flights-242989">The overseas trips</a> bring the total cost to taxpayers of Price's travels to more than $1 million since May, according to a POLITICO review."
</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-chip-funding-20170929-story.html">All of the above. </a>
<br />
<br />
<b>These are not outliers. This is the core of the Republican Party. </b><br />
<br />
<i>*With acknowledgements and respect for the invaluable <a href="http://driftglass.blogspot.com/">Driftglass</a>.</i></div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-24955871948217458962017-09-01T13:23:00.000-05:002017-09-01T13:32:41.487-05:00Hero Nurse Defends Constitutional Rights of Unconscious Man<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2015/07/rest-in-peace-mom.html">My mom</a> was <a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2007/11/my-mom-does-real-work.html">a nurse</a>, so I've been thinking a lot about <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/09/01/this-is-crazy-sobs-utah-hospital-nurse-as-cop-roughs-her-up-arrests-her-for-doing-her-job/">today's viral story</a> about the nurse who was arrested for refusing to allow a police officer to draw blood from an unconscious patient without a warrant. In my opinion, too much focus has been placed on the shitty cop who arrested her, and not enough on her plainspoken but deep-seated heroism. She is not just my mom: she is every nurse I've had the honor to know.<br />
<br />
We ask far too much of nurses as it is! Nurses have to be experts in the multi-disciplinary field of health care, but also in human relations, administration, data management, and technology. And now they have to be hostage negotiators and constitutional scholars to get though a shift without being arrested by some overzealous cop? Jesus.<br />
<br />
In addition to covering for bad behavior, the fetishization of law enforcement distracts from celebrating other everyday heroes. We need to ask more from police officers. We should not ask so much from nurses. They are in the shit every day for all of us. </div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-24479946935382683412017-08-27T09:12:00.001-05:002017-08-30T15:08:33.295-05:00Game of Thrones Predictions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>SPOILER ALERT! -ed.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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The <i>Game of Thrones </i>season finale airs tonight, and I've been thinking a lot about how they will wrap up S7 in preparation for the show's final season. Season 8 will be only 6 episodes long, which is not many, considering how much they have to resolve. Here are some fanciful thoughts about what might happen to lead into the final season... </div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="auto">
1. Clegane Bowl - the Hound appears to be headed for King's Landing, so this seems like a strong possibility. I hope it happens. It's pretty logical from the trailer for E7: Cersei springs a trap on Dany, Jon, & company, and the Mountain and the Hound end up fighting one another. Maybe the Mountain is vulnerable to dragon-glass. </div>
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<br /></div>
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2. Jaime - I think he will either die or switch sides, or both. Like Clegane Bowl, switching sides could take place in the context of a big melee, and perhaps Brienne will be involved in his shift. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="auto">
3. Sansa and Arya - the events in Winterfell from the last episode didn't make any sense, unless... Arya and Sansa are actually conspiring together against Littlefinger! Arya, disguised as Sansa, kills Littlefinger. BOOM! We know that Littlefinger almost single-handedly started the War of Five Kings, but really, he can't be a central villain if no one knows who they are fighting against. The show has two main villains for S8: Cersei and The Night King. Does it really need a third? Time for him to go. </div>
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<br /></div>
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4. The Valyrian knife - it was featured prominently this season, and I think it's time we learned who was behind the assassination attempt against Bran. Cersei? Jaime? Littlefinger? If it turns out to be Littlefinger, and he is killed, that would neatly wrap up his storyline. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<div>
5. Jon & Dany - unfortunately, it looks like they are going to get together, unless there is some timely exposition from Bran, who has all but disappeared in the last couple episodes. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="auto">
6. The Night King - the final shot of the episode will be of the Night King riding his newly undead dragon over the army of the dead on their interminable march toward the Wall. (I think they've been walking towards it since before S1 started.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
What do you think? Do you have any predictions? </div>
</div>
</div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-57246569414275102242017-07-11T11:21:00.002-05:002017-07-11T12:44:40.987-05:00Republicans Did This<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/donald-trump-jr-was-told-campaign-meeting-would-be-with-russian-government-lawyer-according-to-emails/2017/07/11/70b957e2-664c-11e7-9928-22d00a47778f_story.html">Today's news is not really surprising</a>. It's been clear who the Trumps are for many, many years: he and his family are unscrupulous business people willing to take any advantage, no matter how <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/13/donald-trumps-worst-deal">shady</a> or <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/06/09/donald-trump-unpaid-bills-republican-president-laswuits/85297274/">underhanded</a> or <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/31/judge-approves-25-million-settlement-in-trump-university-cases/">illegal</a>, in order to come out on top or earn an extra buck.<br />
<br />
Everyone knew this when Trump entered the presidential race.<br />
<br />
Everyone knew this when Trump won the Republican nomination.<br />
<br />
Everyone knew this on election day.<br />
<br />
But Republicans stuck together. And thanks to an <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-comey-letter-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/">incredible confluence</a> of <a href="https://www.vox.com/world/2017/6/13/15791744/russia-election-39-states-hack-putin-trump-sessions">unlikely events</a> and the <a href="http://time.com/4558510/electoral-college-history-slavery/">vestiges of slave power</a>, Republicans put Trump into the White House.<br />
<br />
Never forget: Republicans did this. They liked it. It felt good. It made them feel alive.<br />
<br />
And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT3gVZS6Eq0">America</a> will be paying <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/climate-change-earth-too-hot-for-humans.html">the price</a> for <a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/06/29/how-rex-tillerson-destroying-state-department-215319">decades</a>.<br />
<br /></div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-35317001737263442752017-06-14T15:29:00.001-05:002017-06-14T16:05:58.146-05:00Dear Senator: Fight the AHCA with Everything You Got<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>A template for anyone inclined to write a senator to oppose the Republican "health care" bill.</i><br />
<br />
Dear Senator NAME:<br />
<br />
I am writing to ask that you object to all "Unanimous Consent" requests until such time that the AHCA is fully and openly debated, with public hearings, impact statements, industry input, expert testimony, and CBO scoring. As I see it right now, there is nothing that Republicans can offer in exchange for your consent that justifies accommodating senate business for this horrible bill. I therefore urge you to use every parliamentary tool and procedure available to you, including withholding consent, in order to stave off this disaster for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans, and millions of Americans.<br />
<br />
This is not a difference in policy in which reasonable people may disagree; if this bill is made law, people will die. They will die for a morally repulsive reason: to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest among us. And Republicans are pursing this objective in the most cynical way possible. It is up to you to stop them.<br />
<br />
There are 23 million people counting on you.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your work on behalf of all Minnesotans.<br />
<br />
With my kind regards,</div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-1581139852164609692017-01-31T13:44:00.000-06:002017-02-03T07:27:32.651-06:00Keep Calm and Carry On<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When Barack Obama was president, one of the most amusing manifestations of cognitive dissonance in his critics was that they cast him simultaneously as both a <a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.in/2013/09/the-world-according-to-larry.html">bungling incompetent <i>and </i>a cunning, manipulative mastermind</a>. But now I see partisans on the left giving Donald Trump similar treatment.<br />
<br />
Don't fall for it!<br />
<br />
What's happening is not complicated. Simply apply Occam's Razor (or perhaps <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-scythian-slice-of-trump-s-razor">Trump's Razor</a>): Trump is a greedy, racist con-man with no interest in or aptitude for government or policy, except insofar as they can serve his pride and avarice. No one expected him to win, but due to the quirks of our system (and a <a href="http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2017/01/comey-and-the-media-threw-the-election-to-the-worst-president-ever">massive assist from the FBI and the media</a>), he did. And now he is bungling through, doing awful but contradictory things on behalf of his various advisers and constituents.<br />
<br />
Yes, he has some <a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.in/2016/12/orange-is-new-darkness.html">true villains in his coalition</a>, and they have been emboldened by his victory. And this will have real and horrific consequences for far too many people. Meanwhile, supposedly decent Congressional Republicans appear to be ignoring his aggressive yet fumbling attempts to take executive action. But there is a simple explanation for this as well: Trump is useful to Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, not the other way around. They tolerate him because they need him to sign tax cut legislation and remove financial and environmental regulations. If Trump is unpopular, that focuses more attention on their activities too. This they do not want, because their policy goals are very unpopular. McConnell, Ryan, and other Republicans will distance themselves from Trump the moment it is clear that his unpopularity threatens their goals.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.in/2017/01/forever-fighting-fight.html">So keep fighting</a>, because <a href="http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/?s=protest&x=0&y=0">it is</a> <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/01/protest_works.html">working</a>. But keep calm and carry on. </div>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-35449449073162633822017-01-29T09:35:00.001-06:002017-01-29T09:42:36.745-06:00Forever Fighting The FightRemember when we fought British Aristocracy?<br />
<br />
Remember when we fought Confederate Slave Power?<br />
<br />
Remember when we fought German Nazis?<br />
<br />
Remember when we fought Russian Totalitarianism?<br />
<br />
None of these villains were completely defeated. Though they may take different forms, now we are fighting all at once.<br />
<br />
Maybe total victory against these regressive forces is impossible. Either way, the fight is a marathon, not a sprint.<br />
<br />
Gear up.Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-16412036603778245892017-01-04T23:33:00.004-06:002017-01-05T00:07:02.742-06:00Ten Years<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Maybe writing this blog will make me a better writer. Or maybe this space will become just another bit of litter on the garbage-laden information stupor highway. </i>--Knight of Nothing, January 2007</blockquote>
Ten years ago this week, I hung out my shingle in the blogosphere, and the result lies somewhere between these two predictions. I've split the difference!<br />
<br />
<b>Here are the top ten posts as of 1/4/2017, by traffic:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-losing-arguments-against-same-sex.html">The (Losing) Arguments Against Same-Sex Marriage</a><br />
Sep 5, 2012; 40 comments; 5348 page views<br />
<br />
Far and away the most popular post I ever wrote, this essay was posted on social media and subsequently widely shared and discussed. It was the closest I ever came to going viral. Still pretty proud of this post and what it represents. Hoping to prevent any backsliding now in 2017, and I'll be working to prevent it in the coming year.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2013/11/katniss-everdeen-feminist-icon-or-yet.html">Katniss Everdeen: Feminist Icon, or Yet Another Sexist Stereotype?</a><br />
Nov 22, 2013; no comments; 1706 page views<br />
<br />
A quote post. Most of the traffic for this piece is probably due to hot keywords ("Katniss" & "feminism") and a contrarian point of view.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2007/05/somewhere-in-my-soul-theres-always-rock.html">Somewhere In My Soul There's Always Rock And Roll</a><br />
May 14, 2007; 4 comments; 1300 page views<br />
<br />
A snapshot of what was in rotation on my CD player in the Spring of 2007.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2012/07/catholics-and-gay-marriage.html">From The "Monkey Grabs Woman's Breast" Dept.</a><br />
Jan 6, 2009; 1 comment; 775 page views<br />
<br />
Here we see evidence that lowbrow humor is apparently popular on the internet. Who knew? Fun fact: after "knight of nothing," the top keyword search used to find my blog is "monkey grabs boob." I wish this wasn't in the top ten, but oh well.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2012/07/catholics-and-gay-marriage.html">Catholics and Gay Marriage</a><br />
Jul 17, 2012; 10 comments; 748 page views<br />
<br />
Another serious post from 2012. In some ways, this essay is better than my more popular post on the subject: it is more focused and personal.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2007/11/300-minus-299.html">'300' Minus 299</a><br />
Nov 19, 2007; 7 comments; 698 page views<br />
<br />
By the time I wrote this movie review, I was mostly going for humor. Early on, though, I entertained the possibility of evolving into a film reviewer. And why not? Blogging seemed so easy in that first year: after only two months of writing this blog, I was actually contacted by a marketing person from one of the films I reviewed. I thought I might just hit the big time as a writer. Ha ha! Oh, to be so young as that again. (P.S., I liked that film, but the review is a poorly written mess.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2013/11/goodbye-little-friend.html">Goodbye, Little Friend</a><br />
Nov 7, 2013; 9 comments; 505 page views<br />
<br />
A post about my love/hate relationship with my dog, who was hit by a car.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2016/07/hillary-clinton-is-trustworthy.html">Hillary Clinton Is Trustworthy</a><br />
Jul 26, 2016; no comments; 448 page views<br />
<br />
A link post. Wish it had made a bigger impression in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2011/04/10000-burpees-day-one.html">10,000 Burpees: Day One</a><br />
Apr 1, 2011; 6 comments; 344 page views<br />
<br />
Nuff said.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://knightofnothing.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-myth-of-self-made-man-debunked-again.html">The Myth of the Self-Made Man, Debunked Again</a><br />
Oct 21, 2013; 5 comments; 325 page views<br />
<br />
Remember when Ted Cruz was everywhere in 2013? God, that guy was insufferable, and it turns out that the apple didn't fall far from the tree, because his dad is just as bad. It is small comfort that he's now on bended knee to President-elect Trump.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
I was going to dig through the archives to round up a few of my favorite posts, but I'll save that for another day.Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-53620096484077258702016-12-12T05:54:00.002-06:002016-12-12T09:00:00.480-06:00"Get Over It"In a discussion thread about the potential consequences of a Trump presidency, one commenter offered me this hoary advice:<br />
<blockquote>
<i>Get over it. Let a businessman take a crack at it.</i></blockquote>
I am certain many others have encountered similar admonishments. But what is this really telling us to do? In the interest of saving everyone's time, I have compiled a list of things that we are being asked to "get over":<br />
<ul>
<li>that members of the FBI up to and including its director materially tampered with the election by selectively releasing information about one candidate.<br />
</li>
<li>that Russian agents hacked one political party with the intent of damaging that party's candidate and influencing the outcome of the election. The beneficiary of this responded to this not by condemning the cyberattack, but by attacking American intelligence services.<br />
</li>
<li>that the "businessman" in question...</li>
<ul>
<li>has global financial interests and has refused to divest himself from his businesses, release his taxes, or offer any other assurance that he will put the country's interests before his own.<br /> </li>
<li>has been embroiled in more than 3500 lawsuits, declared bankruptcy on multiple occasions, and in at least one instance, committed outright fraud.<br /> </li>
<li>bragged proudly and publicly about adultery, sexual assault, and lechery.<br /> </li>
<li>did no preparation for the job of POTUS.<br /> </li>
</ul>
<li>that the "winning" candidate lost by almost 3 million votes, but will be installed as the victor thanks to an antiquated system designed to empower rural white slave-holders.<br /> </li>
<li>More repugnant than anything else, we are being asked to "get over" the fact that seemingly normal people made common cause with literal Nazis and Klansmen -- i.e., actual villains -- in order to elect a racist, plutocratic, authoritarian degenerate. </li>
</ul>
Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-38801080700555538412016-12-07T06:56:00.000-06:002016-12-07T06:56:23.025-06:00Confidence Man<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>fast-talk (verb): to persuade with facile argument, usually with the intention to deceive or to overwhelm rational objections.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Gish Gallop (noun): the fallacious debating tactic of simply drowning your opponent in a torrent of small, interlocking arguments intended to prevent your opponent from being able to rebut your conclusions in real time.</i></blockquote>
OH NOES DONALD TRUMP TWEETED THAT THERE WAS VOTER FRAUD AND THAT FLAG BURNERS SHOULD BE PUNISHED AND HE LIED ABOUT THE BOEING CONTRACT FOR THE NEW AIR FORCE ONE AND HE IS STILL COMPLAINING ABOUT SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE AND...<br />
<br />
This is the the way Trump will have the media and his critics chasing their tails for the next four years while he goes about looting the treasury and implementing policy that enriches himself and his cronies: create a fountain of distracting and self-perpetuating bullshit. I'll give him this: when it comes to television, he is a puppetmaster. He's running a clinic on distracting fast-talk while <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/05/politics/ivanka-trump-jared-kushner-dc-move/index.html">tending to his business interests</a> and <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/when-will-trump-voters-realize-theyve-been-had-2016-12-02">assembling an administration which will be run by Goldman Sachs</a>.<br />
<br />
Trump will finally become the billionaire he's always claimed to be.Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765659050310421692.post-40335159662955450112016-12-01T21:46:00.000-06:002016-12-01T21:52:50.337-06:00Orange Is The New DarknessHere's what I can't understand: in this election, people who appear on the surface to be good and decent made common cause with literal Nazis and Klansmen in order to elect a racist, plutocratic, authoritarian degenerate. In this task they were abetted by a Russian dictator and his spies.<br />
<br />
AND. FOR. WHAT.<br />
<br />
A fucking tax cut? Because abortion is icky? Hillary had an email server? Because brown people are so scary? I just do not get it. I do not think I will ever be capable of getting it. Might be time to revisit <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man's_Search_for_Meaning">Viktor Frankl</a>.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://driftglass.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-chuck-todd-show.html">inimitable Driftglass</a>, in July:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Democratic Party held a brilliantly coordinated, four-day political convention.
The Republican Party held a four-day, wingnut Ghost Dance intended to resurrect the Confederacy.
</blockquote>
Here's the punchline: it worked.<br />
<br />
Long will it be before I can forgive those who collaborated with Trump and his deplorables.Knight of Nothinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00258071389769083850noreply@blogger.com0