Category Archives: Uncategorized

Three Cheers

Three cheers for the Marin County Free Library! Especially the Civic Center branch!

Oyez

Robert believes it is important for citizens to have a direct experience watching and listening to the operation of government. Importantly, the federal government. He thinks it is undeniable that watching and listening to government workers doing their jobs gives one confidence that things are working better than they are portrayed in the popular media.

Here’s a link to the Oyez site, which provides a fantastic application for listing to oral arguments at the US Supreme Court.

There’s lots of cases to listen to.  Try it.

If you don’t know which one to chose, you might listen to one of the most important cases of the twenty-first century:

Bush v. Gore (Recount of votes in Presidential Election)

Roper v. Simmons (Execution of prisoners for crimes committed before age 18)

Van Orden v. Perry (Ten Commandments at statehouse)

District of Columbia v. Heller (Handgun ban in Washington DC)

Citizens United v. FEC (Regulation of electioneering communications)

Sailing Camp 2017

Rory is back in sailing camp this summer. This time with his friends Andy and David!

Looking good.

Official analysis here.

Swiss Family Pierce

The Pierces’ backpacking trip, planned for this week, was postponed due to too much snow in the Sierra.

Thus, we sailboat camped on the desolate shores of Tomales Bay . . .

After  leaving Inverness at about 4, due to some gusty winds we made a pitstop at Cypress Grove. Robert heated up some sweet beans and hot dogs for chow.  After a few nervous failed attempts, we shoved off at about 8:00, continued up the bay and  parked at Pelican North Beach where we fell right to sleep. Really, we washed ashore and woke up the next morning.

In the morning, we ate some oatmeal and took a walk up the hill to get a view of the bay and of Pierce Point Ranch. Then we jumped aboard trusty Sebake and sailed to Hog Island, where we walked on the beach for about 5 minutes. Mira would not let the family walk into the island proper because there was a sign saying that lots of birds nest there. Actually, as sign was not necessary as the birds are all in plain view, as was all their poop. Robert was happy to not venture too close.

We saw lots of pelicans, seals, and even a bald eagle we think.

We sailed down the bay and landed back at Inverness, where we ditched the boat and went home. Robert went back the next day and collected the boat.

Hope we can go back for some more camping some day.

Washington Post Police Killing Site

Robert did a good job at yesterday’s extended family dining table convincing everyone present that his is a hater.  The discussion was police shooting of black people and media portrayal of same. Robert has not learned to stay away from such topics.

Anyway, not to make a huge point, he has reviewed the Washington Post data on police shootings. The project has gotten kudos.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/police-shootings-2016/

It reports that for 2016 there were:

963 total police killings

By race:

Black:  233
Non-Black 667
Unknown Race: 63

Also, as to the 48 killings of unarmed people:

Black:  17
Non-Black 31

It is, of course, a difficult endeavor to use statistics to make a case for/against racial bias.  The studies appear to be mixed.

But, there clearly is plenty of police killing of non-blacks in the US.

Ahh . . . Politics

Can you say whiplash?

Just for fun, let’s all look back on what Paul Krugman was writing in the New York Times a few months back, shall we?

“The election was rigged by James Comey, the director of the F.B.I. His job is to police crime — but instead he used his position to spread innuendo and influence the election. Was he deliberately putting a thumb on the electoral scales, or was he simply bullied by Republican operatives? It doesn’t matter: He abused his office, shamefully.

 

The election was also rigged by people within the F.B.I. — people who clearly felt that under Mr. Comey they had a free hand to indulge their political preferences. In the final days of the campaign, pro-Trump agents have clearly been talking nonstop to Republicans like Rudy Giuliani and right-wing media, putting claims and allegations that may or may not have anything to do with reality into the air. The agency clearly needs a major housecleaning: Having an important part of our national security apparatus trying to subvert an election is deeply scary. Unfortunately, Mr. Comey is just the man not to do it.“

Here’s a good conversation.  Robert does not often find people in newspapers saying things he agrees with. Nice when it happens.

It says, in part, something that Robert has been trying to articulate for a week.

“Trump! Anybody who followed Comey through his Bush-era heroics, his destruction of Hillary and now this new incarnation should realize that he has a huge ego and a stupendous instinct for self-preservation. If I was president, my plan would be to flatter him delicately, asking for his opinion on law enforcement policy (like Obama did) and steer very, very clear of doing anything that would make him feel threatened.

The amazing thing about this latest story is that Trump never took the time to figure Comey out — the person with perhaps the most capacity in all Washington to do him harm. Once again we see that this alleged dealmaker isn’t even as crafty as your average entry level secretary.”