The Commentariat -- April 25, 2021
Afternoon Update:
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here.
Rebecca Robbins of the New York Times: "Millions of Americans are not getting the second doses of their Covid-19 vaccines, and their ranks are growing. More than five million people, or nearly 8 percent of those who got a first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, have missed their second doses, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Contro and Prevention. That is more than double the rate among people who got inoculated in the first several weeks of the nationwide vaccine campaign.... [Stupid excuses] were expected, but another hurdle has been surprisingly prevalent. A number of vaccine providers have canceled second-dose appointments because they ran out of supply or didn't have the right brand in stock.... Several Walgreens customers said in interviews that they scrambled, in some cases with help from pharmacy staff, to find somewhere to get the correct second dose. Others, presumably, simply gave up." MB: So ~~~
(a) Walgreens screwed up;
(b) I'm skeert;
(c) Hey, I'll only get half-sick;
(d) Busy doing my nails.
Allyson Waller of the New York Times: "At Howard [University], the classics department is as old as the university itself. Established in 1867 -- the same year that Howard, one of the country's leading historically Black colleges and universities, was founded -- the department became a hub for Black thought, enlightening generations of students about Black people in antiquity.... The university plans to dissolve the department by the fall semester. The university's decision, which was reported in The Washington Post, has galvanized students and faculty members to preserve what the Society for Classical Studies says is the only classics department at an H.B.C.U.... An online petition in support of keeping the department has been signed over 5,000 times. Students have also brought awareness to the situation by using the hashtag '#SaveHUClassics' on their social media accounts."
Michael Wines of the New York Times: "An audit of the vote in Arizona's most populous county was meant to mollify angry Trump voters. But it is being criticized as a partisan exercise more than a fact-finding one.... When a parade of flatbed trucks last week hauled boxes of voting equipment and 78 pallets containing the 2.1 million ballots of Arizona's largest county to a decrepit local coliseum, it kicked off a seat-of-the-pants audit process that seemed more likely to amplify Republican grievances than to put them to rest. Almost half a year after the election Mr. Trump lost, the promised audit has become a snipe hunt for skulduggery that has spanned a court battle, death threats and calls to arrest the elected leadership of Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix. The head of Cyber Ninjas, the Florida-based firm that Republican senators hired to oversee the audit, has embraced Mr. Trump's baseless theories of election theft and has suggested, contrary to available evidence, that Mr. Trump actually won Arizona by 200,000 votes. The pro-Trump cable channel One America News Network has started a fund-raiser to finance the venture and has been named one of the nonpartisan observers that will keep the audit on the straight and narrow."
Adi Renaldi & Claire Parker of the Washington Post: "Indonesia has found the wreckage of a navy submarine missing since Wednesday and declared all 53 of its crew members dead, the country's military chief announced Sunday. Underwater images captured by a remotely operated vehicle showed the wreckage in the Bali Strait at a depth of 838 meters, officials said. A search and rescue team found debris including a vertical rudder, anchor and safety jackets."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Matt Viser of the Washington Post: When President Biden speaks before a joint session of Congress later this week, "He will have a historic backdrop: Two women, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Harris, for the first time will be in the immediate frame of the president -- something Biden is planning to note at the beginning of his speech. In a different historic marker, both will be wearing masks as part of the coronavirus protocols in the chamber.... The address marks the conclusion of the first chapter of Biden's presidency, one that he has sought to enter with a burs of activity meant to reshape the country's politics and its place in the world.... There will likely be only 200 people total in the chamber, according to a person involved in the planning. That's a fraction of the 1,600 people normally in attendance for the president's address to Congress." MB: The article is interesting. I am a bit put-off by Viser's description of Pelosi & Harris as "a historic backdrop," as if they're, well, window-dressing.
Katie Rogers & Carlotta Gall of the New York Times: "President Biden on Saturday recognized the mass killings of Armenians more than a century ago as genocide, signaling a willingness to test an increasingly frayed relationship with Turkey, long a key regional ally and an important partner within NATO. 'Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring,' Mr. Biden said in a statement issued on the 106th anniversary of the beginning of a brutal campaign by the former Ottoman Empire that killed 1.5 million people. 'And we remember so that we remain ever vigilant against the corrosive influence of hate in all its forms.'" The Guardian's story is here. President Biden's full statement is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Gillian Brockell of the Washington Post recounts the history of the Turks' massacre of perhaps 1.5 million Armenians during World War I. MB: The headline places "genocide" in quotation marks. I'm not sure why.
Louisiana Congressinal Race. Ally Mutnick of Politico: "Progressives suffered a disappointing setback on Saturday, after their favored candidate lost to a more establishment-aligned opponent in a special congressional election in Louisiana. State Sen. Troy Carter, who was backed by top leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, beat state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson in a runoff to fill a vacant House seat that quickly turned into a turf war for sparring factions of the Democratic party. He overcame more than a million dollars in outside spending backing Peterson to win, 56 percent to 44 percent, when The Associated Press called the race. The district is majority Black and safe Democratic territory; it includes almost all of New Orleans and stretches north toward Baton Rouge. The former incumbent, Cedric Richmond, vacated the seat to join the Biden administration." The Washington Post story, by Dave Weigel, is here.
Paul Kane of the Washington Post: "Following her vote to impeach Donald Trump, Rep. Liz Cheney has received a groundswell of financial support from the most powerful figures in traditional GOP politics and the corporate world.... Almost the entire traditional Republican power structure is standing behind Cheney at this tough moment -- but not House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).... As House Republicans gather Sunday for a three-day retreat meant to unify around a new policy agenda, the former president, residing 170 miles south of the GOP's Orlando gathering, continues to be a divisive figure, pitting the small band of Republican lawmakers critical of him against the majority that remains loyal. And the fault line in the conference runs over Trump's role in cheering on the rioting criminals who ransacked the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6." MB: Frankly, I hope they get in a massive fistfight. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Donald Trump: A Clear & Present Danger. Katelyn Polantz & Marshall Cohen of CNN: "... Donald Trump's continued promotion of the 'big lie' about the 2020 election could still incite his followers to violence, the Justice Department and judges noted repeatedly this week, as courts weigh the future dangerousness of US Capitol riot defendants. Two federal judges this week brought up the disinformation about 2020 from right-wing figures, and even Trump himself, as they considered keeping alleged Capitol rioters in jail before trial. And prosecutors from the Justice Department are arguing more explicitly that violent threats stemming from Trump-backed conspiracy theories are still alive, and that Trump supporters could be called to act again."
Craig Timberg & Paul Sonne of the Washington Post: "While the world was distracted with ... Donald Trump leaving office on Jan. 20, an obscure Florida company discreetly announced to the world's computer networks a startling development: It now was managing a huge unused swath of the Internet that, for several decades, had been owned by the U.S. military. What happened next was stranger still." MB: I would summarize the rest of the story, but I don't understand a word of it. It's the most popular story on the WashPo site right now (1:45 pm ET Saturday), so I'm linking it. But I don't get it. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Claire Colbert of CNN: "... Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell, aka the 'MyPillow Guy,' are among the winners -- if you can call them that -- of the 41st Golden Raspberry Awards, which are handed out to the worst in cinema every year.... The award for Worst Picture went to Lindell's documentary 'Absolute Proof,' which claims that a Chinese cyberattack flipped the 2020 election -- despite there being no evidence to back up the claim. Lindell, a vocal supporter of ... Donald Trump, also got a Worst Actor Razzie for the film. Giuliani's awkward appearance in 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' ... won the Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor. Giuliani and his pants zipper were also recognized as the Worst Screen Combo."
Capitalism Is Awesome! Ctd. David Gelles of the New York Times: "The coronavirus plunged the world into an economic crisis, sent the U.S. unemployment rate skyrocketing and left millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. Yet at many of the companies hit hardest by the pandemic, the executives in charge were showered with riches. The divergent fortunes of C.E.O.s and everyday workers illustrate the sharp divides in a nation on the precipice of an economic boom but still racked by steep income inequality. The stock markets are up and the wealthy are spending freely, but millions are still facing significant hardship. Executives are minting fortunes while laid-off workers line up at food banks.... For executives who own large stakes in giant companies, the gains have been even more pronounced. Eight of the 10 wealthiest people in the world are men who founded or ran tech companies in the United States, and each has grown billions of dollars richer this year, according to Bloomberg." ~~~
~~~ Marie: And millions of the peasants voted for Donald Trump, who did all he could to make them poorer. The "genius" of Donald & Mitch & Josh, et al., has been to convince the nitwits & suckers that Blacks & Hispanics took their jobs & Asians made them sick & killed their grannies. ~~~
~~~ Zachary Carter, in a New York Times op-ed, highlights the groundbreaking theories of British economist Joan Robinson who "upended the misogynistic good-old-boys' network of economists and devised theories around competition and labor vital to the antitrust debates of today."
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Saturday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Anthony Faiola, et al., of the Washington Post: "A long-simmering debate over the glaring gap in vaccine access -- largely between rich and poor countries, but among some developed nations, too -- is now boiling over, with global figures and national leaders decrying the vaccine plenty in a few nations and the relative drought almost everywhere else. African nations such as Namibia and Kenya are denouncing a 'vaccine apartheid,' while others are calling for policy changes in Washington and a broader rethink of the intellectual property and trademark laws that govern vaccine manufacturing in global pandemics.... In some countries with high vaccination rates -- including the United States, Britain and Israel -- coronavirus numbers are decreasing or plateauing. But globally, the number of new cases per week has nearly doubled since February, according to the WHO, particularly as some nations in the developing world witness their highest infection rates yet."
Beyond the Beltway
Alanna Richer & Lindsay Whitehurst of the AP: "At least six people were fatally shot by officers across the United States in the 24 hours after jurors reached a verdict in the murder case against [Derek] Chauvin on Tuesday. The roll call of the dead is distressing[.]... The deaths, in some cases, sparked new cries for justice. Some said they reflect an urgent need for radical changes to American policing -- a need that the Chauvin verdict cannot paper over. For others, the shootings are a tragic reminder of the difficult and dangerous decisions law enforcement face daily."
Montana. Iris Samuels of the AP: "Gov. Greg Gianforte [Violently R] on Friday signed a bill that prohibits state and local law enforcement in Montana from enforcing federal bans on firearms, ammunition and magazines. Supporters of the law have said it would protect the Second Amendment from stiffer gun control laws that could come from federal legislation or executive orders by President Joe Biden in the wake of several mass shootings that took place this year, including a recent shooting that killed eight people in Indianapolis. Opponents of the bill have said it would make it difficult for local law enforcement to collaborate with federal authorities on issues beyond gun access when such collaboration is essential to protect public safety, including in cases of domestic violence and drug offenses." (Also linked yesterday.)
New York. Jan Ransom of the New York Times: "... more than half of the officers in New York City's jail system who were disciplined over a 20-month period gave false, misleading or incomplete accounts on official forms or in statements to investigators, according to a New York Times analysis of records recently made public after a long court battle. The data suggests pervasive attempts by guards to cover up uses of force or other infractions at a time when the city has tried to rein in violence in the jails.... The city jail system, including the notorious Rikers Island complex, has long been a source of complaints of brutality by guards.... Until now, the disciplinary records of correction officers and their supervisors had been largely kept secret by state law. That changed last summer when, in response to pressure from protests against police violence and racism after the killing of George Floyd, New York legislators repealed 50-a, the section of the state civil rights statute that shielded most law enforcement misconduct records from the public."
** Igor Derysh of Salon: "Republicans in at least 14 states have introduced legislation that would seize power from election officials or limit their authority, apparently in response to unfounded attacks from ... Donald Trump and allies who sought to overturn his election loss. Republican state legislators across the country have responded to Trump's baseless election challenges, which were roundly rejected by dozens of judges, by rolling out more than 360 bills aimed at restricting voting access in nearly every state. But while much of the attention has focused on measures that would limit ballot access..., some of the proposals include provisions that would strip election officials of power and even impose criminal penalties for officials who defy the new restrictions.... Georgia's massive bill ... also includes more insidious measures that could allow Republicans to give 'themselves power to overturn election results,' Sylvia Albert [of] ... Common Cause said...." ~~~
~~~ Texas. Let's Not Let the "Urban People" Vote. Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "Twenty-four-hour voting was one of a host of options Harris County[, Texas, (includes Houston)] introduced to help residents cast ballots, along with drive-through voting and proactively mailing out ballot applications. The new alternatives, tailored to a diverse work force struggling amid a pandemic in Texas' largest county, helped increase turnout by nearly 10 percent compared with 2016; nearly 70 percent of registered voters cast ballots, and a task force found that there was no evidence of any fraud. Yet Republicans are pushing measures through the State Legislature that would take aim at the very process that produced such a large turnout. Two omnibus bills ... are seeking to roll back virtually every expansion the county put in place for 2020. The bills would make Texas one of the hardest states in the country to cast a ballot in. And they are a prime example of a Republican-led effort to roll back voting access in Democrat-rich cities and populous regions like Atlanta and Arizona's Maricopa County, while having far less of an impact on voting in rural areas that tend to lean Republican.... In Texas, Republicans have taken the rare tack of outlining restrictions that would apply only to counties with population of more than one million, targeting the booming and increasingly diverse metropolitan areas of Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
News Ledes
Washington Post: "John Richards, a British newspaperman who attracted a flurry of international attention when he founded and later resignedly disbanded the Apostrophe Protection Society, a self-styled bulwark against the 'barbarians' laying waste to a humble yet essential element of the English language, died March 30 at a hospital in Boston, a town in Lincolnshire, England. He was 97."
New York Times: "On Aug. 7, 1959, Arlene Pieper completed the Pikes Peak Marathon, a grueling mountain course in Manitou Springs, Col., that no other woman had finished in its brief history. She ascended 8,000 feet to the 14,000-foot summit and descended the same way in 9 hours and 16 minutes.... Her achievement did not produce a thunderclap in sports world and stayed something of a secret.... She was the first woman ever to complete a sanctioned marathon in the United States.... Ms. Pieper -- who was known most recently as Arlene Pieper Stine -- died on Feb. 11 in Capitola, Calif., south of San Jose. She was 90."
Marie: If you don't read obituaries, you're missing something. They may appear in newspapers, but they are more interesting (and better-written) than most newspaper stories.
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I see it's about to be Sunday, so herewith a Sermon (note the tongue's location...)
"It took a while, but I think I found the answer.
When some conservative Republicans recently floated the idea of forming a new caucus based on “uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions” (apnews.com), I wondered what they meant.
I was familiar with early American history, pre- and post-Columbus, knew something of the long contest between France and England for dominance of the New World, and more than a smattering about the American Revolution and our country’s early years, but this Anglo-Saxon tradition thing was new to me.
I wondered what these people were talking about, so I looked it up.
The northern European tribes of Angles and Saxons invaded what we now know as Britain in bits and pieces over hundreds of years, beginning around 500 C.E. They held sway in various parts of today’s Britain until the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over that time, small, independent groups formed around local kings. These smaller groups were sometimes united by force of arms into larger units ruled by more powerful kings, but regardless of the government or territory’s size, the Anglo-Saxon social and political order was comprised of distinct classes. Below kings were various nobilities, then a mass of powerless peasants, slaves--and women (wikipedia.com).
What of these Anglo-Saxon political traditions did some Republicans wish to duplicate in 2021?
Surely not a group of small, often-warring units ruled by kings? Or the vast majority reduced to the status of poor peasants or outright slavery?
And in these “uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions” I could find no hint whatsoever of the democracy we know and nurture today, where all adult citizens, men and women, should have an equal voice in choosing their government.
Conservatives often wish to turn back the clock to some fondly imagined better time.
Please tell me ancient Anglo-Saxon England isn’t it".
Ken,
Sorry, but I think it is. The Anglo-Saxon thing, that is. Oh, except without the A-S grasp on reality and the high functioning intellect. Also, the current A-S holes are quite a bit more wedded to fairy tales and superstition. But, yeah, that’s pretty much it.
I suppose we must be encouraged that even Margie & her KKK coterie know that it is out of favor to publicly proclaim "White people rule," so some among them decided they could substitute "Anglo-Saxon" for "White" and pretend they aren't racists at all. The fact that Anglo-Saxons were a barbaric, illiterate, feudal and constantly-warring people is is a bit problematic, I reckon. But, all in all, better to espouse "uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" than "uniquely White political traditions." We know what they mean.
Anyhow, Camelot!
Well and good, then, to talk of Angles and Saxons, but what about the Jutes, eh? Always last, then forgot. But then, we recall, it was the Picts who held the line then, bowing to the A-S interlopers and your Vikings, but chanting "Jutes will not replace us!" And where are they now, eh? They might as well be Geordies.
And don't forget the word WASP––the W of course stood for White and in my salad days if you were a WASP you was somebody, yes indeedy and usually you had the coins to prove it. Philip Roth had a good tine with that line in "Goodbye Columbus." The sting from those creatures leaves its mark for a lifetime–-skin deep, as they say.
P.S. Gee, I almost forgot the P––stands for Protestant––Jews, Catholics, Muslims et al were not part of the party and Blacks, Asians & Indians not even considered unless they were the ones serving you the food and the drinks.
And since it's the Lord's Day we have the story of Sister Teresa Forcades, Spain's most provocative Catholic nun, who is warning against the use of the vaccines. She has been progressive within the Church so this stance is curious at best but reveals again the vast problems we have with faith in the medical field. She distrusts big pharma but I imagine trusts in the Lord ––faith–-such a conundrum!
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/23/world/europe/spain-covid-vaccine-nun.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
Home team privileges...
Jesus! Another recount? What is this, the 45th attempt to steal the election for the Fat Traitor? And it’s being “run”, so to speak, by the Arizona Senate Republicans. We’re assured accountability and fairness! But as with all things Republican these days, this “audit”, or whatever the hell they’re calling it, stinks like a dumpster fire at the abattoir.
It’s another “well thought out” confederate cluster fuck. Just as the “audit” was set to start, it was discovered that they had no procedures in place, no rules, zero security, and no oversight. Also there’s still no assessment of cost or how this circus will be funded (although as with all things Republican, the taxpayer will be gouged for another unnecessary and dangerous fishing expedition.).
But wait, it gets better. Arizona R’s have hired a Florida firm called Cyber Ninjas to do the recount. A company that has never done this sort of work before, apparently, but which specializes in uncovering methods for stealing or replacing data with false information. That sounds ominous.
The problems here are legion. Let’s start with this “audit” company. Two things strike me as bad right off the bat: Florida, and “ninja”. Florida is self explanatory. Ninjas, historically, were paid assassins who specialized in deception. Fill you with confidence? Oh yeah, and Cyber Ninjas refuse to disclose their working procedures, and R’s are declaring that neither they nor I these ninja guys can be held legally liable if some unforeseen but entirely predictable disaster should befall the Maricopa County ballots. Oh, waaaay more confidence now.
Then we find out that R’s are insisting that the “auditors” use blue ink pens, not the standard red ink pens used in legitimate recounts, the easier to change ballots or make a few thousand look illegitimate.
Years ago I was playing in a baseball tournament game. One of the guys on our team also worked as an umpire and when a question of rules came up, he brushed aside all concerns. “We’re the home team. We can do whatever we want” he declared. This idea was sketchy enough that this line became an instant laugh getter for years after and were I to call one of my former teammates and start off with that line, I wouldn’t need a phone to hear the chortling.
But this is how a republicans operate (see McConnell, Mitch). They make up shit as they go along. We’re the home team, and we can do whatever we want.
But worse than all this is the guarantee that other R’s in plenty of other states will want their own “audit”. They wouldn’t want to appear unTrumpy enough not to try to steal the election back. Again.
And at some point one of these “audits”, run by skeezy interlopers with no security, no oversight, and no rules, will “find evidence” of election fraud.
Play ball!
“We’re the home team. We can do whatever we want”. Perfect. The racists like the Georgia woman, MTG or Cruz or Hawley, or Moscow Mitch have been living this one their whole lives. There are no guard-rails with those people except us.
Akhilleus,
And the Repugnant con goes even deeper, is more fraudulent, than that.
In Arizona, for instance, the site of this latest "audit" outrage, outside of its likely gerrymandered legislature the R's aren't even the "home" team, no more than they were nationally in the November election, and no more than they have been for decades when all the votes are counted.
Bray as they might, Republicans are now the country's minority party, very much a straggle of uncomfortable visitors in a land where the former "visitors" whom them ignored and demeaned for centuries are fast becoming the real home team.
A summary of recent party identification trends:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-number-of-americans-identifying-as-republican-is-the-lowest-its-been-in-a-decade-gallup-poll-11617812129
@Ak: Carrying along the sport's analogy: When my youngest son's High School football team beat their biggest contender for regional championship the beaten team simply refused to contend. After the game, in the parking lot, they started beating up some of our players including our son who cold cocked one of his assailants. The police were called and according to a write up in the local rag the losing team refused to accept their loss, accusing our team of "bad plays."
Our "Home Team" won fair and square because they played the game better. The GOP is no longer the Home Team and refuse to accept they lost. But––they still think they can do whatever they want!
And according to an Arizona Mirror article I linked back in late March, "The audit team that Senate President Karen Fann (Rrrrr) selected to examine the 2020 general election in Maricopa County will be led by a company owned by an advocate of the 'Stop the Steal' movement who repeatedly alleged on social media that the election was rigged against former President Donald Trump.... Cyber Ninjas is owned by Doug Logan, who has been an active promoter of baseless conspiracy theories alleging widespread election fraud last year, including in Arizona."
I really don't understand why a judge has allowed these people anywhere near a single ballot, much less all of them. This country is a mess.
Marie,
Well shit. That there “audit” is sure to be on the up and up now. A Stop the Squeal guy will be in charge of everything. No wonder they don’t want any oversight.
And speaking of judges, when the Arizona Democrats asked for this “audit” bullshit to be halted until everyone knew the rules and procedures, some R judge whacked them over the knuckles and declared that he was refusing to stop it unless Democrats posted a million dollar bond to cover any “costly delays”. Entirely illegal, by the way, but even though they’re the minority party, they still act like they’re the home team and can do whatever the hell they want.
The lame-ass NYT story on the Arizona sham "recount" does not include a key piece of information broadcast on MSNBC on Friday night: A reporter was allowed to sign up for a full shift as an observer. She observed workers with blue pens, an absolute No-No, and reported it to the Cyber Ninja guy who first said it was fine and later said Oh, the reporter was right.
The ballots and machines were kept under minimal security. They have now been irretrievably compromised. End of story.
Who is more trusted these days to tell the truth, a law enforcement officer or a used car salesman?
Escape to the past. Find out when you last had beach front property. Watch the world transform and track anyplace through history.
Just finished reading a NYT article on rural EMS in rural America and how it is disappearing due to lack of funding and volunteers. Wyoming was the focus but it applies to all of the country. For a great swath of the country the conclusion was plain. Someone is always going to have to subsidize Rural America.
RAS,
Very cool link. Thanks. If trilobites had the foresight to invest in oceanfront real estate, think how rich they’d be today. Although oceanfront property 280 million years ago would be Bozeman, Montana today. But hey, at least they’d be smarter than the governor.
A couple things: Bobby Lee we have so many city folk moving into my flyover spot that even though they play-act as conservative Rs, they are urban babies who wouldn't know self- reliance if it came delivered by Amazon. They expect the same level of services and much lower taxes. The Texans, the immuno, and politico compromised are all flocking to the wide open spaces because they like the racial ratio I'm thinking.
Following along from yesterday I saw this one: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/21/upshot/high-school-girls-politics.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage§ion=The%20Upshot#commentsContainer. I say again: young people are the future. When we leave the campsite of political discourse totally fucked up and ugly, we by our actions don't want anyone to follow up behind us. When we don't cultivate the next crop of leaders, we are terrible examples. I see so much resource grabbing by those who already have so much and it doesn't matter if you're a CEO or Moscow Mitch, Grassley, or Feinstein. The denouement of the resource grab could be called the Ginsburg Effect and the consequences of it are seldom pretty. And it is a shame that some who have done so much for so many will be known by the last thing they did. Or didn't do.
Sad, sad news: Mr. Apostrophe is gone, and we shall not see his like again.
It's a shame, that apostrophes go to the contraction but not the possessive, when considered for the same word. The apostrophe does have its quirks.
As my granddaughter (1st grade) says:
"That's the top one. The bottom's a comma, right?"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/john-richards-dead/2021/04/25/9c7c1994-a425-11eb-a774-7b47ceb36ee8_story.html
@Patrick: Your granddaughter is mighty smart. Maybe one day she can become "Ms. Comma," and settle the burning debate over the Oxford comma.
Not that I am without sin, and I did not know of Mr. Richards or belong to his society, but I once gently defaced a nicely enameled park sign in Nova Scotia, scratching out an apostrophe placed in a plural formation where it did not belong.
I used to tell my students there was a limited supply of the little buggers, so they should be conserved for proper use. Admittedly, that brought more smiles than adjusted behavior.
But this apostrophe business reminds me:
Are both of these constructions correct?
"the soldier's horse" and "that horse of the soldier's."
Seems that in the second the "of" makes the apostrophe unnecessary, but frequent usage suggests I'm wrong about that too.
By the way, I thought the Oxford comma matter was settled law...
So, what does Larry think beer is - distilled effluent decanted from industrial cattle and/or hog manure lagoons?
Ken, The horse of the soldier. Neither "s" nor apostrophe required.
Gloria,
Thanks. That's all I needed this AM.
And if the horse belonged to two soldiers, I'd retain the "s" and rely on the literate to know what I meant.