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"This is the Voice of Moderation. I wouldn't go so far as to say we've actually SEIZED the radio station . . . " About Important Notes Follow on Twitter: ObWi Subscribe to Our Other (RSS) Feed Subscribe to Our Feed ObWi's Banning Policy About our Mascot Posting Rules Authors Doctor Science liberal japonicus russell Ugh Alumni Andrew Olmsted Bob Mackey Charles Bird Edward Winkleman Eric Martin Fiddler Gary Farber Hilzoy Jacob Davies Katherine Lindsay Beyerstein Moe Lane Publius Sebastian H Slartibartfast Thomas Nephew von Search WWW obsidianwings.blogs.com Blogroll bastard.logic Daniel Larison Attempts Balkinization Balloon Juice Benjamin David Steele Brad DeLong Cato-at-liberty Charlie Pierce cleek Crooked Timber Daily Kos Debate Link Down With Tyranny! 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My daughter is back from California, doing the last three months of her exchange in front of her computer in our living room. Ouch. And I'm trying to figure out what I will do when school starts, which has been pushed back to 20 April, but I honestly think the whole term is going to be ERT. This is not to get all of you talking about ERT, unless you want to. This is more to point out that the whole situation makes me think of the Kirk Douglas movie " Lonely are the Brave " and even though I've often pushed for more online stuff at my workplace, I am feeling more than a little bit like Kirk Douglas' character, Jack Burns. Anyway, discuss that, or ERT, or your favorite movies. And stay safe. Posted by SuperUser at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (49) April 02, 2020 Makes the world go around by liberal japonicus I've heard it tell round these parts, a few are interested in this. NPR present their dissection. https://www.npr.org/2020/03/26/821457551/whats-inside-the-senate-s-2-trillion-coronavirus-aid-package Of course, need to be careful, they are taking money from the public trough and some argue that if we had just spent the money on what was important, we wouldn't be in this situation. But for everyone else, discuss what looks good and what doesn't. Posted by SuperUser at 06:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (142) A poetry thread by liberal japonicus Time to dig out your faves. Been reading Adrianne Rich and share this one with you. What Kind of Times Are These by Adrienne Rich There's a place between two stands of trees where the grass grows uphill and the old revolutionary road breaks off into shadows near a meeting-house abandoned by the persecuted who disappeared into those shadows. I've walked there picking mushrooms at the edge of dread, but don't be fooled this isn't a Russian poem, this is not somewhere else but here, our country moving closer to its own truth and dread, its own ways of making people disappear. I won't tell you where the place is, the dark mesh of the woods meeting the unmarked strip of light— ghost-ridden crossroads, leafmold paradise: I know already who wants to buy it, sell it, make it disappear. And I won't tell you where it is, so why do I tell you anything? Because you still listen, because in times like these to have you listen at all, it's necessary to talk about trees. Adrienne Rich, "What Kind of Times are These" from Collected Poems: 1950-2012. Posted by SuperUser at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (25) March 30, 2020 Rumblings by liberal japonicus Well, rumor here in Japan is that Tokyo will go into strict lockdown relatively soon. One of the reasons Japan has taken a slowly slowly approach, according to this chatter, is that Abe doesn't want to crash the Nikkei and since March is the end of the fiscal year, April will see it sooner rather than later. While a number of bodies have recommended it, another push is because of the death of Shimura Ken, a very famous TV comedian due to the virus, which seems to have sharpened minds. Imagine if Johnny Carson had gotten it and died. As to what everyone has to look forward to, a friend of mine in Korea as part of her job works with journalists. A journalist met her and later had a positive test for corona. She got tested and turned out negative, BUT she has to stay at home for 2 weeks. She gets a call twice a day to make sure she is home, she had to put an app on her phone to send information twice a day as well. Her "burough" in Seoul delivered masks, hand sanitizer, cleaner for the house, a trash pouch and a thermometer to her and she has strict instructions not to leave the house. (Fortunately, Korea has a lot of delivery food services, so that's not a problem) If she is caught going out, there is a 3 million won (about $2,400) fine. And they have flattened the curve... Posted by SuperUser at 07:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (263) March 29, 2020 Urbi et Orbi by liberal japonicus Thought I would open another thread, this time centered around Pope Francis' recent homily, in which he gave the blessing in the title, explained by this wikipedia page . The Urbi et Orbi address and blessing is the most solemn form of blessing in the Catholic Church, and is reserved for the most solemn occasions. These occasions include Easter, Christmas, and the proclamation of a newly elected pope concluding a conclave. And CoVID-19. The text is here, an explanation is here . Just to be clear, I'm not Catholic and when asked, I say I was raised Christian. I balk at the missionary impulse in the homily, but find some of the ideas and discussion worth considering. So, another thread that is for all intents and purposes open, but I would be very interested in what others think about what the Pope said. Posted by SuperUser at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (16) March 27, 2020 Check please! by liberal japonicus Posted on a friend's facebook, who said he got it from Popbitch A man in hospital is one of the first to use the new Dyson ventilator. Doctors say he's picking up nicely. So a thread for jokes. No politics..... unless it's funny. Posted by SuperUser at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (29) March 24, 2020 What do you say to Covid if it were your barber? by liberal japonicus Thinking about this . Answer below the break. Continue reading "What do you say to Covid if it were your barber?" » Posted by SuperUser at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (123) The other other stuff (politics) by JanieM In response to Girl from the North Country's request. I suppose it's futile, but I'm going to ask anyhow. Can we try to keep it to -- reportage and not bloody-minded rants about the facts being reported, and -- constructive ideas and links to useful info, actions, etc.... It's hard enough to fight off despair even when not being clobbered over the head with it all day long. Posted by SuperUser at 07:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (273) The Other Stuff by JanieM I wrote on the 1192 tsukuro! thread about my mom getting injured in a fall this morning, but I don't want to have dragged that thread off topic, so here's another. Sort of an open thread, but no politics, please. If you have practical thoughts on taking action politically, go to the "Returning Fire" thread and share. We can use all the ideas we can get. Posted b...