- The case for having the federal government guarantee a job for every9oe who wants one – Democracy Journal
I’m worried about unintentional effects if this were to happen, but I’m also intrigued by the idea. - One of the “Death Panels” Republicans talk about.
End-of-life counseling is a good thing. - What’s in a name? More than we can imagine – Media Diversified
“The truth is, I only became Millie less than a year ago. Before that, I had a Sikh Punjabi first name.” - The Conservative Christian Boycott of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Is the Height of Hypocrisy
- In Trump’s ‘Maternity Leave’ Plan, The Devil — and the Stereotypes — Are In the Details | American Civil Liberties Union
Unmarried women are excluded. So are fathers. - Supreme Court Won’t Hear Case, But Justice Thomas Questions Constitutionality Of Asset Forfeiture
One of those rare cases when I’m rooting for Justice Thomas to prevail. - House GOP would let employers demand workers’ genetic test results
- After decades in America, the newly deported return to a Mexico they barely recognize – The Washington Post
- Trump’s Childcare Plan Will Only Help the Rich | The Nation
- The boycott against Beauty and the Beast is about much more than the movie – Vox
In terms of the business the movie will do, or the audience’s access, it’s meaningless. But it is a chance for one or both sides to make a public display of their principles. - Former Colorado GOP chairman Steven Curtis charged with voter fraud – 7NEWS Denver TheDenverChannel.com
Last year, he said this: “It seems to be, and correct me if I’m wrong here, but virtually every case of voter fraud I can remember in my lifetime was committed by Democrats.” Incidentally, Curtis’ alleged voter fraud was committed with an absentee ballot (he’s accused of forging his wife’s ballot), so voter ID laws would do nothing in a case like this. - The prison business is booming in rural America and there’s no end – Business Insider
- Payment Processors are Still Policing Your Sex Life, and the Latest Victim is FetLife | Electronic Frontier Foundation
- The new hysteria over campus speech – Lawyers, Guns & Money : Lawyers, Guns & Money
- Charles Murray and the Problem With ‘Hiring Out’ to Understand the White Working Class – The Atlantic
- Marriage Equality = Fewer Adolescents Killing Themselves. Some Implications: | And Taking It Personally
- The FDA Has Revolutionized Drug Approvals Over the Past Decade | Mother Jones
Approval wait times for new drugs may now be as low as we could reasonably want them to be. - It’s Not Just Uber | Jacobin
Sexism is not a solved problem. - Dartmouth researchers find no evidence of bused-in voters
Yet another lie about large-scale voting fraud that will be leveraged to justify voter suppression. Wheeee! - Report: Trump transition ordered government economists to cook up rosy growth forecasts – Vox
- Seven Troubling Questions About Transgender Theories, Answered | Thing of Things
Ozy answers some evangelical right concern-trolling. - A Conservative Wisconsin Legislator Models Political Correctness – The Atlantic
Conor’s framing creates a false equivalence; legislators acting this way are a far greater threat to free speech than campus protesters are. But I guess we should be grateful that he was actually willing to criticize a threat to free speech from the right. - The Debate Link: Personal Responsibility and the Infantilization of the American Right
This is an older post, but it’s spot-on, and Trump’s ridiculous claim that the Democrats are to blame for the AHCA’s Hindenburg moment has brought it to my mind again. - Paper Cutouts by ‘Paperboyo’ Transform World Landmarks into Quirky Scenes | Colossal
The asset forfeiture practice just makes me crazy. The author of the story is right–when you describe the practice to people who don’t know about it they are certain you must be lying or exaggerating about it. “That can’t be right in the US”.
It is another area where grassroots right and left agree but almost nothing gets done.
Wow, I did not expect where the “what’s in a name” essay went–though perhaps I should have. Thanks for that, and all links, as usual!
NYT reports on growing diversity in comics’ protagonists–and authors.
News flash: In America, minorities have higher mortality rates than whites.
Ok, that’s not new. But a pair of Princeton researchers are updating their report of rising morbidity and mortality among middle-aged non-Hispanic whites—especially among people without college educations—due to suicide, drug abuse, chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, etc. Apparently this is a long-term trend, but its effects were masked by improvements in health outcomes for heart disease, etc. This trend is unique to the US; other developed nations do not show this trend.
The report is alarming. But is it accurate? The answer is—it’s complicated.
Clearly morbidity among white (non-Hispanic) women 45-54 is rising in the South and Midwest.
But what about morbidity among those without college educations? This is complicated by the fact that the size of the group of people without college educations has changed over time. In 2000, 25% of people 25+ yrs old had college degrees; today it’s 33%-ish. So when we compare morbidity rates among people without college degrees between 2000 and 2017, we’re comparing different groups of people.
If we assume that richer people have lower morbidity rates, AND that richer people tend to have more education, then what the data may show is that roughly 8% of people who used to be averaged into the demographic that had no college degree are now averaged into the demographic that DOES have a college degree—and that this 8% was selected from among the most affluent, and most healthy, among the non-college educated group. Thus, even if there had been NO change in morbidity rates over time, the data would show that the AVERAGE morbidity rate would rise for people without college educations because we’re now calculating that average over a smaller (and likely poorer) segment of the population.
Slate publishes graphs of morbidity trends among white non-Hispanics BY STATE. It’s fascinating. Yeah, I can guess the direction things are headed in Louisiana—but in Hawaii? Whoda thunk?
Yet another cartoon superhero: Perfect Cancer Patient!
Freedom Caucus member Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.):
As I have said elsewhere, on the morning of Nov. 8th 2016 the world saw us as the United States of Predictability. On the morning of Nov. 9th 2016 the world saw us as the United States of Hold My Beer and Watch This.
Another news flash: Man to Tell Woman What to Do.
But in this case the woman is Batgirl. And the man is Joss Whedon.
Eye witness to a Title IX Witch Trial
I found this bit interesting:
President Donald Trump reorganized his National Security Council on Wednesday, removing chief strategist Stephen Bannon from a key committee and restoring the roles of top intelligence and defense officials, according to a person familiar with the decision and a notice published in the Federal Register.
Read the whole thing for details. Essentially Trump has set it back to its normal configuration.
Colin Kaepernick is back in the news because some media folks are floating the idea that he’s being blackballed. As it happens, I just now had to read my company’s ethics and code of conduct rules and certify that I had read them. The following section brought our debate on his rights to do what he did where he did them to mind:
If the NFL has such a policy, then he broke it. I wonder how many of you have something like this in your company policies?
RonF, I have worked under such a rule before. At least in my case, all our examples were about electoral politics–pertaining to the election of specific candidates and/or ballot issues–rather than than the broader “any social issue that touches on politics.” (And the time somebody got in trouble for breaking the rule, it was electoral politics, too.) I don’t know how courts would interpret such a rule, and I lack the requisite knowledge to find out in a quick Google search.
I’d say, given the commentary surrounding it, it’s also doubtful that you could make a claim anybody thought Kaepernick was speaking for the NFL. Use of company time and resources could still be under question.
In any case, something may be contractually allowed while still being the wrong thing to do.
I agree that no one would think he was speaking on behalf of the league. But he did use company time. I agree that the question of “personal political activities” vs. electoral politics is a question that would probably end up being interpreted by a court should the NFL a) have such a policy and b) decide to apply it to Kaepernick.
Should choosing to sit during the national anthem really be considered a misuse of company time, rather than protected speech?
This is also a more complex issue because the company isn’t asking him to do nothing. They’re asking him to make a political statement by standing up for the national anthem. The statement Kaepernick is saying consists of him refusing to make the political statement his employers want him to.
I don’t know how this would play out in court. But I certainly hope the courts would find that employers don’t have the right to demand that employees join in company political statements. (With exceptions for jobs where making such statements is germane, like being the President’s press spokesperson.)
I don’t know enough to vouch for its accuracy, but I did find this article on employers and how much they’re allowed to force political activities on their employees when I was looking for sources for my previous comment, and it turns out it may not be as obvious as you think, Amp.
Well, that was an interesting and depressing article. Thanks, Harlequin.
This is the most egregious one in the list IMO and seems like a real problem to me. Note, however, that there is not agreement on facts, and the above statement (as edited by me) more accurately reflects the dispute; here’s other info.
Not only was the compulsion investigated, but it was flatly denied by management, which suggests it is NOT viewed as acceptable. You can’t stop people wanting to do bad things occasionally, but if you investigate and threaten punishment, then they don’t get normalized.
Not sure what the problem is, here. If you think it’s an issue can you explain why? People get lobbied all the time; they can still vote for who they want.
Not sure what the problem is here either. Voting is secret. Management can lobby all they want, and they can inform employees of their views on the effect of pending legislation. Why not?
This involves non-secret stuff so could be more squicky, and raises more concerns. That said it seems fine absent some sort of evidence that they were monitoring who did/didn’t reach out politically.
This is the other bad one. I’m not a fan. That said there’s a reasonable argument that this relatively generic platitude (as opposed to directly supporting a particular political candidate) should be fine to require, especially in those employees who have direct personal interactions with customers.
As for it being a “depressing” article overall: We have ~200,000 businesses in the US with over 100 employees. These folks obviously looked over multiple years and they’re obviously doing their best to focus selectively on finding bad apples. If this is the worst they can find, the problem doesn’t seem so bad.
New topic: bed.
Are Sleep Number beds worth it? Do people actually use those adjustment-thingies? Do you really raise your knees? Does it really get your spouse to stop snoring? Do they break? Is there a pit/crease where the two mattresses meet? Are there better options? Any favorite authorities on this question?
They’re a big investment. But I expect to spend a third of my life in bed–more if I’m lucky. Or unlucky. So it’s worth considering.
I am unexpectedly in a position to talk about a thing!
I’ve had a queen size Sleep Number bed for about 15 years now, through about 6 or 7 different homes. It’s possible that newer models are different than mine, so grain of salt and all that.
But overall, it’s been really nice. This one is more comfortable than most regular mattresses I’ve slept on, where I can usually feel the springs. On the other hand, sleep number mattresses come with a foam topper, which I have not tried on regular mattresses, so it might not be a fair comparison.
I don’t use the remote ever except when re-inflating the mattress (e.g. after a move). My spouse and I both just like the medium setting best. Maybe other couples might get more use out of this feature, I dunno.
I have no idea what you’re talking about with raising knees. Is that in their newer ads or something like that?
I also don’t know about any effects on snoring. That’s luckily not a problem either my spouse or I have had.
Both of the air bags in my bed have been replaced once apiece due to slow leaks. The warranty covers a percentage of part costs based on how long since purchase. Both leaks happened at around 10 years out, where 50% is covered, and I ended up paying $100 per replacement, which is not so bad. Also their warranty website is titled “Rest Assured”, and I have to give props to a good (bad) pun.
There’s not a noticeable gap between the air bags because the bags are placed inside a foam structure that presses them tightly in, and also the whole thing is covered by another sheet of foam.
It’s nice that it’s comfortable, but my favorite thing about the mattress is how easy it is to move to a new place. Deflate it and take it apart and it’ll fit into a car’s backseat. I’ve cut the two longer foam bars in half to compress it even further.
They are kind of expensive though. I wouldn’t be surprised if strong competitors have emerged since I got mine.
Thanks!
I only used a Sleep Number bed once, in a hotel, and I found it incredibly uncomfortable. I think it might have been broken, though — I kept setting the number, and then when I looked at the remote half an hour later, the number had decreased by 10 or 20.
Ruchama, yep, that’s a leak. :-)
I had never before realized that the sleep number mattresses were essentially air mattresses. Although now that you mention it, I guess they’d have to be.