tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092Wed, 06 May 2026 07:30:09 +0000Eclectic JukeboxFilmHolidayBlogsHackeryHumorOscarsElectionsBushTortureObituariesHuman RightsCivil RightsWarPoetryIraqCheneyRightwing Cartoon WatchMedia AccuracyHealth CareEconomicsMusicThe War SeriesBooksAuthoritarianismReligionThe ConstitutionBanned BooksBigotrySatireVeteransComedyReligious RightThe HolocaustConservatismFaulty LogicMedia ReformNeoconsThe JudiciaryWingnutsCartoonsRacismThe Chart ProjectBlog Against TheocracyLaborSurveillanceFalse EquivalenciesJon Swift RoundupVagabond ScholarBlogswarmsCongressPlutocratsPropagandaTelevisionMedia BiasCharitiesTerrorismFox NewsGeneral SillinessJournalismSportsAdsFroomkinIranMLKPolitical Attack AdsCaliforniaThe ArtsThe Daily ShowVotingArmistice DayBlogroll Amnesty DayClass WarfareHurricane KatrinaMiddle EastPlamegatePop CultureActingBlogger AidEducationMedia AccountabilityTheaterAccountabilityBallot PropositionsBarack ObamaBlogger DeathsCondoleezza RiceDirty TricksHoward KurtzIntelligence AgenciesJusticeKarl RovePTSDPersonalPolitical StrategyScience FictionShakespeareLGBT IssuesPeacePunditryRoundupsSupreme CourtTrumpAl FrankenAnti-Blog SnobberyCIACorruptionCoulterDoonesburyEnvironmentFaithGlenn BeckJohn YooRumsfeldSarah PalinSillinessWorkers' RightsWritingActivismAlan GraysonComicsGingrichHistoryJohn McCainLiberalismMemesPolice MisconductScienceSitting in with the BandAlberto GonzalesBig Freakin' DealBill MoyersDoublespeakFBIFolk MusicFootballFundraisersGender IssuesHypocrisyMitt RomneyNatural DisastersNews of the WeirdPandemicPentagonPhilosophyProtestsRantsSnarkSocial Safety NetStephen ColbertTaxesThomas JeffersonWall StreetAbramoffAfghanistanBill ClintonCapital PunishmentChris MatthewsCreativityDavid BrooksFEMAFederal BudgetFreedom of the PressFun and GamesGeorge TenetHeadlinesHitlerIdiocyJohn GibsonJoseph McCarthyLee SiegelLink LoveLiteratureLos AngelesManipulated IntelMark FoleyMcCarthyismMedia CorrectionsMilitaryOperaPBS NewsHourPolitical PhilosophyPoliticiansPrivacyRandiansReproductive FreedomRick PerlsteinRobert NovakRoss DouthatScandalsScumbagsShout-OutSigns of the ApocalypseSocial SecurityTeabaggersThe Civil WarThink TanksTom DeLayTony SnowWar on ChristmasWilliam BennettAbortionAlan GreenspanAnimationAnthropologyAntonin ScaliaBen DomenechBernie SandersBill KristolBill O'ReillyBirthdaysBody ImageBrechtBrit HumeBush QuizCensorshipChurch-State SeparationCool ThingsCrazy PeopleCritical ThinkingDavid FrumDebatesDialogueDionneElizabeth WarrenEthicsExhibitsFallowsFascismForeign PolicyFun with GraphicsFun with WordsGOP Echo ChamberGeneral IrresponsibilityGenocideGuerilla TheaterHeroesHeroismHoward DeanHungerIronyJim WebbJoe KleinJohn BoltonKrauthammerLame ExcusesLibbyLibertariansLiebermanMcCainMichelle MalkinMuppetsMurray WaasNPRNed LamontNeil PostmanNew YorkerNon-ScandalsNot CoolOrwellPaul RyanPaul WellstonePePetitionsPodcastsPrudesPublic BroadcastingPulitzersQuizzesRaceRachel MaddowRemembrancesRichard CohenScoundrelsSecond Draft of HistorySexual AssaultSeymour HershShameless ImmaturityShort CinemaSocial JusticeSocratesStalinState of the UnionStudentsSuskindThe Big ConThe HomelessThe United NationsThe WebTrollsValuesVietnamWar-MongeringWhistleblowersWoodwardZealotryZenOccasional blogging, mostly of the long-form variety.http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)Blogger1500125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-2143515382299188315Sat, 27 Dec 2025 03:39:00 +00002025-12-27T08:26:02.802-08:00Jon Swift Roundup(The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves) ( A Jon Swift picture.) Welcome to the 2025 edition. It's been a long and eventful year, full of civil rights abuses, corruption and other skullduggery, but also some bright spots. It's nice to connect with others a bit and compare notes. This tradition was started by the late Jon Swift/Al Weisel, who left behind some excellent http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2025/12/jon-swift-roundup-2025.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-1174201063680805279Thu, 25 Dec 2025 03:30:00 +00002025-12-24T19:30:58.593-08:00BushCheneyCivil RightsHuman RightsIraqPlutocratsTortureDick Cheney, who died in November, was by far the most powerful U.S. Vice President in history, and not coincidentally, was one of the Americans who most harmed the United States (and the world) in living memory. That ignominious club includes Newt Gingrich, Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, and although it's arguable who's done the most damage, Cheney's lasting http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2025/12/dick-cheney-and-dark-side.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-4393196670746998156Wed, 12 Nov 2025 03:37:00 +00002025-11-11T19:37:56.396-08:00Holiday(Click on the comic strip for a larger view.) In 1959, Pogo creator Walt Kelly wrote: The eleventh day of the eleventh month has always seemed to me to be special. Even if the reason for it fell apart as the years went on, it was a symbol of something close to the high part of the heart. Perhaps a life that stretches through two or three wars takes its first war rather seriously, but I still http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2025/11/armistice-day-111125.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-7547611183681366012Sun, 22 Jun 2025 06:15:00 +00002025-06-21T23:15:52.855-07:00IranPropagandaTrumpWarDonald Trump claims that the U.S. has bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, effectively declaring a war without the congressional authorization required by the Constitution. Israel had already started bombing Iran (leading to Iranian counterstrikes), and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump for his support. There's much more to come, but The Guardian and the Associated Press havehttp://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2025/06/trump-declares-unwise-and-illegal-war.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-7490862825820640553Sun, 08 Jun 2025 05:46:00 +00002025-06-07T22:52:37.886-07:00ProtestsIn the Los Angeles area, protests to ICE raids have formed in at least three areas: near a Home Depot in Paramount, near a Home Deport in the Westlake district, and downtown LA near the Metropolitan Detention Center. From local station KTLA: The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] conducted a raid in Paramount on Saturday morning, a day after federal agents raided several locations http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2025/06/los-angeles-protests-6725.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-2906242761127652619Thu, 20 Mar 2025 05:32:00 +00002025-03-20T01:28:25.449-07:00Blogger Deaths Blogger and journalist Kevin Drum died earlier this month at the age of 66 after a long battle with cancer. His most recent website, where his wife Marian announced the sad news, was self-named, but with a fun URL that included "jabberwocking." You can read tributes and obituaries from Digby, Josh Marshall, Paul Glastris at Washington Monthly where Kevin blogged, Mother Jones where he blogged, http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2025/03/kevin-drum-19582025.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-449390799573760389Sun, 09 Mar 2025 07:00:00 +00002025-03-20T01:23:39.684-07:00FilmOscars The Oscars for the films of 2024 were a fun affair. Host Conan O'Brien was in fine form, with sharp writing and some clever ad-libbing, and plenty of the goofy silliness of his most enjoyable work. I rarely see movies in the theaters anymore since the closing of the much missed Arclight Cinemas in Los Angeles and elsewhere. The Arclight theaters didn't run ads, prized good projection and sound http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-oscars-for-films-of-2024.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-2359550927670563490Fri, 31 Jan 2025 07:00:00 +00002025-05-29T00:54:28.881-07:00BigotryMonday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a date chosen based on the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camps. It's an appropriate time to reflect on bigotry, hatred, authoritarianism and also war. This year, I find myself thinking about Donald Trump, conservatives, and the Republican Party; Elon Musk and oligarchs; and the Israel-Hamas war. Against all wisdom, Donald http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2025/01/bigotry-hatred-authoritarianism-and-war.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-7409082295983608018Thu, 26 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +00002024-12-27T08:51:00.105-08:00Jon Swift Roundup(The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves) ( A Jon Swift picture, or possibly a visual summing-up of 2024.) Welcome to the 2024 edition. It's been a tough year for many folks, and interesting times loom ahead. But it's always a good time to celebrate independent voices, insightful political commentary, and thoughtful reflections on culture and the arts. This tradition http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2024/12/jon-swift-roundup-2024.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-4921780105632892355Tue, 12 Nov 2024 07:11:00 +00002024-11-12T00:20:17.742-08:00Holiday(Click on the comic strip for a larger view.) In 1959, Pogo creator Walt Kelly wrote: The eleventh day of the eleventh month has always seemed to me to be special. Even if the reason for it fell apart as the years went on, it was a symbol of something close to the high part of the heart. Perhaps a life that stretches through two or three wars takes its first war rather seriously, but I still http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2024/11/armistice-day-111124.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-8875393788755310021Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:43:00 +00002024-11-06T19:44:04.837-08:00ElectionsVotingIt would be nice if basic sanity and now democracy itself weren't on the line every presidential election, but here we are again. Donald Trump attempted a coup to overturn the 2020 election he lost, but apparently, that doesn't disqualify him as a candidate for conservatives and Republicans. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell verbally condemned Trump for his failed insurrection, http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-state-of-nation-pre-election-2024.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-6101280761581234261Sun, 29 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +00002024-09-29T12:04:27.496-07:00Banned Books It's the end of Banned Books Week, which celebrates banned and challenged books. My archive in the category is here. Last year, we looked at how an extremely small number of individuals drive a majority of book challenges. The American Library Association's list of the most challenged books always has some continuity with previous years, and as usual, LGBT content is a frequent reason for http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2024/09/banned-books-week-2024.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-2878302320343335583Thu, 04 Jul 2024 22:03:00 +00002024-07-04T15:03:48.797-07:00HolidayAlthough the United States of America is a flawed nation, it's good to remember that, in addition to other causes, it was founded in opposition to a monarchy and unaccountable power. We can add plenty of nuance and caveats to that statement (constitutional monarchy, property rights, slavery, treatment of Native Americans, women's rights, etc.), but that core principle of the democratic over the http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2024/07/independence-day-2024.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-806884501999506221Mon, 18 Mar 2024 04:01:00 +00002024-03-17T21:02:43.556-07:00Holiday Happy St. Patrick's Day! I've featured "The Parting Glass" before. It's a Scottish song, but is popular in Ireland and as a closing number for Irish traditional music groups. It's also used for the ending of the 1998 Irish film Waking Ned (or Waking Ned Devine in North America), which I watched this weekend and is a funny, charming movie. I probably first heard the Clancy Brothers' version. http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2024/03/st-patricks-day-2024.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-5066168147597330152Sun, 17 Mar 2024 02:00:00 +00002024-05-05T01:27:23.835-07:00FilmOscars 2023 had some notable films. Since the pandemic, I rarely go to movie theaters anymore, but did see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Godzilla Minus One. At home I saw the twin juggernauts, Oppenheimer and Barbie, as well as Killers of the Flower Moon and Asteroid City. I was glad to see both documentary winners, 20 Days in Mariupol (feature) and The Last Repair Shop (short). More http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2024/03/oscars-and-year-in-review-2023.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-3453143741577931814Tue, 26 Dec 2023 16:29:00 +00002023-12-26T08:29:33.295-08:00Jon Swift Roundup(The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves) ( A Jon Swift picture, which always seems timely during Republican presidential primary season.) Welcome to the 2023 edition! It's been an interesting year. This tradition was started by the late Jon Swift/Al Weisel, who left behind some excellent satire, but was also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs. The late http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2023/12/jon-swift-roundup-2023.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-7959681404998063706Sat, 11 Nov 2023 19:11:00 +00002023-11-11T11:11:00.138-08:00Holiday(Click on the comic strip for a larger view.) In 1959, Pogo creator Walt Kelly wrote: The eleventh day of the eleventh month has always seemed to me to be special. Even if the reason for it fell apart as the years went on, it was a symbol of something close to the high part of the heart. Perhaps a life that stretches through two or three wars takes its first war rather seriously, but I still http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2023/11/armistice-day-111123.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-6082880345223416900Sat, 11 Nov 2023 11:25:00 +00002023-11-27T18:51:16.898-08:00IraqThe War SeriesThe 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War was earlier this year in March, so the war seems like a fitting subject for this Armistice Day or Remembrance Day or Veterans Day. My 10th anniversary Iraq War post, "The Dogs of War," was pretty comprehensive and there's not much I'd add to it, especially if we include my other posts on Iraq, the war series and torture. It's worth looking at http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-iraq-war-in-2023.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-3712162843087837686Fri, 06 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +00002023-10-06T04:44:06.575-07:00Banned Books It's Banned Books Week, which celebrates banned and challenged books. My archive in this category is here. Last year, we looked at how LGBTQ issues have been targeted, especially in Florida. Unfortunately, the situation has gotten worse: Recently, "librarians in public schools in Charlotte County, Florida, were instructed by the school district superintendent to remove all books with LGBTQ http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2023/10/banned-books-week-2023.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-7304811916503376652Sun, 01 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +00002023-10-02T14:32:37.812-07:00CheneyConservatismFalse EquivalenciesMitt RomneyPlutocratsPart One: The Tyranny of the Minority Two government professors at Harvard have a new book out called The Tyranny of the Minority, which accurately warns that the Republican Party has been increasingly anti-democratic and right-wing, despite or because of losing the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections. The book, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, is a follow-up tohttp://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-tyranny-of-minority-and-extremism.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-6181210569885102426Tue, 30 May 2023 06:11:00 +00002023-06-04T11:05:53.102-07:00FilmOscars The 2022 version of All Quiet on the Western Front is a decent war film. I just wish it wasn't called All Quiet on the Western Front, because it keeps only the basic framework of the novel and makes significant changes that weaken the core story. That's a shame, because this is the first German film version of the justly famous German war novel by Erich Maria Remarque, and I was intrigued to http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2023/05/all-quiet-on-western-front-2022.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-3551025240966307815Sat, 29 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +00002023-04-29T00:13:33.501-07:00PoetryApril is National Poetry Month, and before it's over, I wanted to feature a poem. As usual, I'll link the wonderful Favorite Poem Project. I'll also link the Academy of American Poets website, one of the better poetry sites available. The organization posts poems on Facebook occasionally, but from time to time donors get a poem in the mail as well. I received the one below and quite liked it. Adahttp://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2023/04/national-poetry-month-2023.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-6676246142923808924Sun, 19 Mar 2023 06:00:00 +00002023-05-09T23:38:22.894-07:00FilmOscars The pandemic has certainly changed movie-going, at least for me. I used to see 20 to 30 films a year in the theater (more in earlier decades), but in 2022, didn't see any. I did catch several Oscar nominees via streaming services or on disc. This year's Oscar recipients included at least two comeback winners and another two long-time stalwarts finally getting recognized, making for a pleasant http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-oscars-for-films-of-2022.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-506845293788393128Wed, 01 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +00002023-03-01T00:59:44.847-08:00ConservatismThe state of the union and its responses earlier this month were revealing for both rhetoric and policy. President Joe Biden started his state of the union speech on a collegial tone, saying nice things to the conservative Republicans in Congress. He did draw distinctions between their policies, and Republicans booed and yelled at him at times, but that said more about them than Biden. He http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2023/02/conservatives-are-still-awful-feb-2023.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14857092.post-4511227981333016199Mon, 26 Dec 2022 21:34:00 +00002022-12-26T13:36:02.689-08:00Jon Swift Roundup(The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves) ( A Jon Swift picture.) Welcome to the 2022 edition! It's been an interesting year for elections and investigations, among other things. This tradition was started by the late Jon Swift/Al Weisel, who left behind some excellent satire, but was also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs. The late Lance Mannion http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2022/12/jon-swift-roundup-2022.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Batocchio)11