Weekend link dump for March 28

“In the simplest terms, Gates gets splashy headlines for his interest in problems that, according to Q and MAGA types, are overblown or don’t even exist — the climate crisis, the strain of overpopulation where resources are scarce and pathogens that can wipe out millions in the West as well as poorer countries. Therefore, it stands to reason that this is all a front for some nefarious secret agenda, which he can bankroll indefinitely.”

“Being an Asian woman means moving through spaces with the constant anxiety that someone is about to make you their sex object or punchline.”

“There is a robust symbiosis between misogyny and white supremacy; the two ideologies are powerfully intertwined.”

Everything you ever wanted to know about that Geico “Scoop There It Is” TV commercial but were afraid to ask.

“Rights of the dead and the living clash when scientists extract DNA from human remains”.

“As U.S. drivers buy more full-size and heavy-duty pickups, these vehicles have transformed from no-frills workhorses into angry giants. And pedestrians are paying the price.”

“How scary are cow burps exactly? Measured by their planet-warming power, methane-filled livestock belches are the equivalent of 850 coal plants burning year-round. But scientists have found that spicing up cattle feed with a little seaweed can dramatically reduce the methane they produce.”

“‘Evidence is trending’ toward sedition charges for some involved in the Capitol insurrection”.

RIP, Elgin Baylor, all-time great NBA player and executive, who was also a civil rights leader.

RIP, Kent Taylor, CEO of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain.

Some people just have no idea who supported or voted for what in Congress.

A delightful thread of famous person reaction GIFs, posted by the famous people themselves.

Just some funny dog photos. Isn’t that enough?

If fear of lost commerce is what it takes to veto nasty anti-trans legislation, then that’s what it takes.

RIP, Jessica Walter, Emmy-winning actor known for Arrested Development among many other roles.

RIP, Don Bankston, former Fort Bend County Democratic Party Chair and District Court judge.

RIP, George Segal, longtime actor known for roles from The Owl and The Pussycat to The Goldbergs.

RIP, Dr. Bobby Brown, former MLB player and executive, Korean War veteran, and cardiologist.

“Overlooked is that Biden and his team are also making a strategic bet. Limiting his exposure to the press and, by extension, the public isn’t simply a defensive ploy to avoid an embarrassing gaffe. It’s a conscious calculation that people don’t need—or want—to hear from the president on an hour-by-hour basis, that they will be satisfied if he can revive the economy and end the pandemic. After all, Americans just had a president who entered their life and refused to leave, who gripped the megaphone and wouldn’t let go. Biden has no wish to resurrect Donald Trump’s in-your-face presidency.”

RIP, Larry McMurtry, legendary author and screenwriter known for Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show, and Terms of Endearment, among many others.

“Georgia is an all-hands-on-deck crisis for our democracy.”

RIP, Beverly Cleary, beloved children’s author.

RIP, Leon Hale, beloved Houston Chronicle columnist and damn Texas treasure. Seriously, whether or not you have any idea who Leon Hale is, go read that obituary.

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4 Responses to Weekend link dump for March 28

  1. Jason Hochman says:

    I didn’t know that Leon Hale had died. That lousy Houston Chronicle Web site didn’t even put the announcement on their homepage. After all the years that he worked at the Post and then the Chronicle, you would think that they would have written much more about him. At least they gave some mention to Larry McMurty and Beverly Cleary, who are two other excellent writers who died just this week.

    Leon Hale just had a virtual event through Brazos Books about his new book, Retirement Journal. He really didn’t have too much time being retired. He decreased the frequency of his column in the Chronicle to once a week, but still wrote the weekly column until his well into his 90s. He was just a month or two short of turning 100.

    When I first moved to Houston, I got the paper Chronicle delivered and he was still doing his spring “Primavera” trip down to the border. This is the time of year he would just be getting back with stories about the trip, eating cabrito in a Mexican cafe, and splitting the driving with his Old Friend Morgan. He must have been around 80 years old when he stopped taking the trip, after Old Friend Morgan was in failing health and unable to go. I learned a lot about the Texas Gulf Coast, East Texas, and the Hill Country from his columns. I learned about many Texas writers and artists, too. I hope to get a copy of his latest book soon.

  2. Jason Hochman says:

    Fascinating linked article under: Some people just have no idea who supported or voted for what in Congress.

    It doesn’t mention that some people have no idea what their own parents supported or voted for in congress. I saw Don Lemon talking with Al Gore, and they were talking about how we gotta eliminate filibusters because they are a Jim Crow or Jim Eagle relic. But Al Gore, Sr. filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and voted against it. Gore, Sr. did vote for some civil rights and voting rights bills though. But still, he should be cancelled, and Al Gore, Jr. should have gathered up the bones of Al, Sr. and fed them to dogs or dog faced pony soldiers and denounced his racist parentage.

  3. voter_worker says:

    The truck article is a clue that mask and covid vaccine refusal will be transferred to the vehicle sector as autonomous and electric vehicles become more of a thing. Expecting owners of massive trucks to happily adopt EVs and autonomous technology is only going to result in more cultural divisiveness.

  4. Jason Hochman says:

    voter_worker; if you are referring to the piece about trucks being transformed into “angry giants,” I may have to disagree that it will cause a cultural divide. The angry giants are expensive, and bought by the wealthy elites, who are all about wanting other people to sacrifice, while they live it up. They want everyone to wear a mask, and save energy, but they may or may not do so. It is the control that turns them on, an adjunct of their white privilege, although they criticize everyone else for white privilege.

    The trucks do cause much more severe injury or death when they hit pedestrians, since they are tall enough to strike the torso or head, causing damage to vital organs.

    I find it odd that trucks are now luxury vehicles, even though Texas people see them as cowboy or tough guy vehicles. I remember my uncle always had a pickup, when a pickup had one bench seat, covered in vinyl. Easy to clean, but always scorching in summer and cold in the winter. Perhaps an AM radio with one or two little speakers in the dash or door panel. Manual transmission. (By the way, I am advocating returning all cars to manual transmission. That would eliminate 70% of drivers right off the bat.)

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