Remember when POTUS took credit for the commercial airline safety record? POTUS is an instinctive storyteller. The process is called controlling the narrative. It consists of cherry picking the factoids, and to a lesser degree, the facts — or re-arranging the frame.
Category: Nobody Asked, But
Memento Mori
Memorial Day has come and gone. Now we can retreat to normal levels of hypocrisy for most of the rest of the year. But we will also have to live with the remorse that arises when we miss out on the better mattress sales.
No Country for Old Men
I’m reading The Ghosts of Langley: Into the CIA’s Heart of Darkness by John Prados. The narrative references a CIA operative who admired Tommy Lee Jones, particularly his character, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, in the movie, No Country for Old Men.
Sundowner
Maybe when we become superannuated, we should have reversed our trajectory a la Benjamin Button. Our competencies are not so easily misperceived when we are wet behind the ears. Although the spirit is still willing, the body becomes weaker everyday … and the spirit begins to follow.
Trial and Error
Almost two months ago, I wrote a blog article in which I felt gratified that my teen granddaughters were experimenting with civil disobedience. They participated in the worldwide climate strike. It is OK if they took the wrong side, because they were right to speak out. Experimenting is good. The worst thing that can happen is that they might favor a wrong philosophy, but never re-examine that decision.
Underwear in a Wad
I don’t even want to hear my opinion on the outcome of the Kentucky Derby, but here it is anyway. There are rules for voluntary participation. And sometimes the rules may be misapplied. But the basic rules of voluntary behavior are 1) end it, and 2) move on. Nobody wants to recontend the Derby, except those who have direct skin in the game.
Electrocuting Dogs
“If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell,” wrote Carl Sandburg. Although this is specific advice for lawyers, it can be general advice for us all. Unfortunately, the less beneficial aspects of this advice are often explored.
Obsolescence
One of the frictions that promotes change is obsolescence. I have looked, this morning, at a drone photo of Hong Kong. As a species blessed (cursed?) with rational problem solving skills, we seem at the same time to lack problem avoidance skills.
Pangolins
Once again, I have anecdotal evidence about humanity that is very dreary. Mark Twain said, “Always do right. This will gratify some, the rest will be astonished.” The reason for astonishment seems to be that there are damned few who are compelled to do right — much fewer always to do right.
Anarchy Just Is
Statists and ancoms, too often, ask, “How does anarchy work?” or “How does your version of anarchy work?” They somehow think that because I am an anarchist that I am obligated to explain it to them as a system, like a tractor or ice cream. I am under no such obligation — in fact, my own conception of anarchy evolves from day to day.