Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Bike Crash Roundup

Well wishes to Professor Strauss, who was in a bike accident this weekend. Upon learning this fact, I asked if the perpetrator was a taxi cab near the bookstore. Random question, you think? Well, it would be, except Jill saw a cyclist get clocked by a taxi while she was walking to the bookstore Saturday. Turns out it was a different guy. Cyclists are getting mowed down left and right in Hyde Park.

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It's like Gran Turino, but in real life (and a little less dramatic)!

Mellisa Harris-Lacewell to the SCLC: You call yourself a civil rights organization?

Relatedly, Bill Clinton has just come out for gay marriage. Patrick Appel is not impressed.

Israel is dropping charges against a settler filmed shooting at Palestinians, on the grounds that evidence in the trial might "harm the security of the state" (specifically, operational data about the Shin Bet). I understand the need to maintain operational secrecy, but you want to know what else harms the security of the state? Letting terrorists walk off.

J.K. Rowling talks body positive (via).

Ta-Nehisi Coates takes on the "hard truth" narrative surrounding Obama.

A former legal adviser to the IDF gives his take on targeted killings.

If you're wondering why I'm not blogging about the Sotomayor confirmation hearings, this roughly states my view. Call me if Sotomayor breaks down and admits that she secretly harbors a desire to kill all White folk.

The other reason is that when I read blurbs like this, all I can think of is "wow, White people sure are desperate to clarify that people of color are the real racists!"

1 comment:

PG said...

I find the hearings interesting not for anything about Sotomayor, but what they reveal about the Republican Senators. The differences among Sessions, Graham and Hatch are significant in indicating which part of the party each is playing to.