Month: January 2020

So Donald Trump ordered a drone attack which killed a Iranian general, Qassem Suleimani, in Iraq,^[1] in response to a siege of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad^[2] that had ended, likely with the promise of an expulsion of U.S. troops from Iraq.^[3] Read more →

1. ^[1]Julian Borger and Martin Chulov, “Iran general Qassem Suleimani killed in Baghdad drone strike ordered by Trump,” Guardian, January 3, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/03/baghdad-airport-iraq-attack-deaths-iran-us-tensions↩
2. ^[2]Luke Harding, “Trump accuses Iran over storming of US embassy compound in Baghdad,” Guardian, December 31, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/31/us-embassy-stormed-in-baghdad↩
3. ^[3]Isabel Coles, “Iraqi Parliament Votes in Favor of Expelling U.S. Troops,” Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/iraqi-parliament-votes-in-favor-of-expelling-u-s-troops-11578236473; Erin Cunningham, “Iran announces it is suspending its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal,” Washington Post, January 5, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/body-of-commander-slain-by-us-strike-arrives-in-iran-to-crowds-of-mourners/2020/01/05/4ca3281a-2f17-11ea-bffe-020c88b3f120_story.html; Mustafa Salim and Liz Sly, “Supporters of Iranian-backed militia end siege of U.S. Embassy in Baghdad,” Washington Post, January 1, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/supporters-of-iranian-backed-militia-start-withdrawing-from-besieged-us-embassy-in-baghdad-following-militia-orders/2020/01/01/8280cb34-2c9e-11ea-9b60-817cc18cf173_story.html↩

On the one hand, it’s a better time to be vegan than ever before. The advent of the Beyond and Impossible Burgers have led even fast food places embrace plant-based meats whether by those producers^[1] or even of their own design.^[2] I even saw Beyond Burgers being flogged on the digital sign outside an Eat’n Park near my apartment.
Read more →

1. ^[1]Kate Taylor, “Evidence is mounting that fast-food chains from Chick-fil-A to McDonald’s will be forced to add vegan menu items — or face the consequences,” Business Insider, May 13, 2019, https://amp.businessinsider.com/vegan-items-sweep-fast-food-chick-fil-a-mcdonalds-eye-options-2019-5↩
2. ^[2]Jenny Kirkham, “‘Hands up this isn’t great’: KFC admits selling chicken instead of vegan burger to vegetarians,” Liverpool Echo, January 3, 2020, https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/kfc-vegan-burger-chicken-vegetarian-17511479↩

On a site that is now off line, most likely in 2011, I reacted to graffiti I’d seen along San Pablo Avenue in Oakland, California. It said, “Kill Cops Not Neighbors.”

I noted that police are the only people in our society who are authorized to use even lethal force against other people and that they do so largely in service to propertied interests. I would, now, if I did not then, add that police rarely become police because they want to be told to obey the speed limit and that police must at least be comfortable carrying weapons. Read more →

Update, January 3, 2020: A brief item in the Telegraph reports that the judge has accepted that veganism is indeed a “philosophical or religious belief” subject to protection.^[1] That would be a necessary but insufficient condition for the sacked employee, Jordi Casamitjana, to prevail, however, and the piece makes no mention of any disposition on the employer’s claim that he committed “gross misconduct.”

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So here’s an interesting case: A man discloses to fellow employees, not the public, but fellow employees, that his employer, the League Against Cruel Sports, “invested pension funds in firms involved in animal testing.” Said employer fires his ass, alleging gross misconduct.^[2]

Which seems to me to be a rather extreme overreaction. Read more →

1. ^[1]Telegraph, “Veganism is a philosophical belief and is therefore protected by law, judge rules,” January 3, 2020, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/03/veganism-philosophical-belief-therefore-protected-law-judge/↩
2. ^[2]British Broadcasting Corporation, “Sacked vegan brings landmark discrimination case,” January 2, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50969168↩

It is difficult for me to imagine a stupidity in a population so great as to require the cops to warn people against shooting their guns in the air. But according to a local television station,

“What goes up must come down.” Police in Pittsburgh and all around the area are urging residents to not fire their guns into the air to celebrate New Year’s. https://t.co/uX3Q3T0e2z

— KDKA (@KDKA) December 31, 2019

There it is, in all caps, STUPID! Read more →