Wednesday: Hili dialogue

March 3, 2021 • 6:30 am
Good morning on the first humpish day of the month: March 3, 2021: National Moscow Mule Day, a good drink when made properly: be sure to use a good ginger beer and, if you have one, a copper mug.  It’s also Canadian Bacon Day (what is Canadian bacon, you ask? It’s “back bacon“, but do they eat it in Canada?), 33 Flavors Day (but Baskin-Robbins touts only 31), National Cold Cuts Day, National Mulled Wine Day, and National Peach Blossom Day, a decent drink as well, and a good one for brunch.  Finally, it’s World Hearing Day, calling attention to deafness.

News of the Day:

First, some biology news: Researchers studying deep-sea sharks off New Zealand have shown that at least three species  glow in the dark.  Yes, their bellies are bioluminescent, as you can see in the photo below. Why do they do this? Here are two hypotheses, and you can read more in the original linked scientific article:

Researchers suggest these three species’ glowing underbellies may help camouflage them from any threats that might strike from beneath. [JAC: This seems unlikely, as they live in the dark abysses, and looking up a predator wouldn’t see a light background.]

In the case of the kitefin shark, which has few or no predators, it is possible that the slow-moving species uses its natural glow to illuminate the ocean floor while it searches for food, or to disguise itself while approaching its prey.

Figure from the paper; caption: ” Lateral and dorsal luminescent pattern of Dalatias licha. (A) Lateral daylight view and luminescent pattern highlighting the dorso-ventral luminous pattern.”

Nor do we know what biochemical mechanism causes the bioluminescence (h/t Jez)

As I predicted, Andrew Cuomo is toast; another woman has come forward with accusations that the governor touched her inappropriately and tried to kiss her. That makes three accusers total, and calls for his resignation have grown.

According to many news sources, including the Associated Press, six Dr. Seuss books have been deemed racist by Dr. Seuss Enterprises:  “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street”, “If I Ran the Zoo”, “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.” As the Enterprises said, the books:

. . . will stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author’s legacy said Tuesday.

“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises told The Associated Press in a statement that coincided with the late author and illustrator’s birthday.

“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” it said.

I haven’t seen the imagery, so I can’t report on it, but the evening news said it involved Chinese people with lines for eyes and bare-chested Africans wearing grass skirts. That sounds pretty dire, but they could alway re-do the figures.  Seuss was a prominent anti-racist, though, and some of his books explicitly teach this to kids.

UPDATE: I found one of the offending images shown by the Indian Express. You be the judge:

(Christopher Dolan/The Times-Tribune via AP)

Finally,  today’s reported Covid-19 death toll in the U.S. is 515,710, an increase of about 1,300 deaths over yesterday’s figure  The reported world death toll stands at 2,562,441, an increase of about 6,500 deaths over yesterday’s total. Both figures continue to fall.

The rate of new Covid cases has dropped precipitously—19% in the last two weeks, with a 29% drop in hospitalizations. Here’s the plot of new cases from the NYT (there’s a wee plateau at the end that I trust will be temporary before further drops):

Stuff that happened on March 3 includes:

  • 1820 – The U.S. Congress passes the Missouri Compromise.
  • 1859 – The two-day Great Slave Auction, the largest such auction in United States history, concludes.

This auction, which went from March 2nd to 3rd, saw the sale of about 436 men, women, children and even infants, all auctioned off by Pierce Mease Butler to pay gambling debts. Read this section to see the horror, and also read this about Butler.  The auction was also called “the weeping time” for obvious reasons. Imagine having families broken up on the spot. Here’s are the miscreants:

Pierce Mease Butler and his wife, Frances Kemble Butler, c.1855
  • 1873 – Censorship in the United States: The U.S. Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any “obscene literature and articles of immoral use” through the mail.
  • 1875 – The first ever organized indoor game of ice hockey is played in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as recorded in the Montreal Gazette.
  • 1891 – Shoshone National Forest is established as the first national forest in the US and world.
  • 1913 – Thousands of women march in the Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, D.C.

Here’s a photo of the procession, with the women all in white. They finally won the right to vote in 1920 when Tennessee became the last state needed to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

Rediscovery identifier:28110

Ataturk, a great secularist and modernist, brought Turkey into the modern era. Here he is introducing the new Turkish alphabet in 1928:

  • 1931 – The United States adopts The Star-Spangled Banner as its national anthem.
  • 1938 – Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.

Here’s the discover, a gusher on this date from Dammam No. 7, the first commercial oil well in Saudi Arabia.  Now we are friends with this dictatorship, and shame on Joe Biden for not punishing the Prince for ordering the death of Jamal Khashoggi.

This one, one of Gandhi’s many hunger strikes, lasted only 3 days.

From Wikipedia:

The air-raid Civil Defence siren sounded at 8:17 pm, triggering a heavy but orderly flow of people down the blacked-out staircase from the street. A middle-aged woman and a child fell over, three steps up from the base and others fell around her, tangled in an immovable mass which grew, as they struggled, to nearly 300 people. Some got free but 173, most of them women and children, were crushed and asphyxiated. Some 60 others were taken to hospital. News of the disaster was withheld for 36 hours and reporting of what had happened was censored, giving rise to allegations of a cover-up, although it was in line with existing wartime reporting restrictions.

And here is that song, which sounds like rock and roll to me:

Four officers were tried, and none were convicted. The riots then began, and 64 people were killed. King eventually got a multimillion dollar civil settlement from Los Angeles.

Here’s a news report that shows part of the video. Talk about police brutality!

Notables born on this day include:

  • 1847 – Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-American engineer and academic, invented the telephone (d. 1922)
  • 1882 – Charles Ponzi, Italian businessman (d. 1949)

Yes, the Ponzi who gave his name to the scheme he perpetrated:

 

The original “blonde bombshell” died at only 26 from kidney failure. She died during the filming of the movie “Saratoga,” also starring Clark Gable. They finished filming with a body double. Here’s a report on that last movie with some scenes:

  • 1923 – Doc Watson, American bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2012)

Here’s Doc singing one of his most famous songs:

  • 1959 – Ira Glass, American radio host and producer
  • 1968 – Brian Cox, English keyboard player and physicist
  • 1982 – Jessica Biel, American actress, singer, and producer

Those who passed away on March 3 include:

I call him “Taco Bell,” which angers my classical-music friends, who think I don’t know the composer’s real name.

  • 1959 – Lou Costello, American actor and comedian (b. 1906)
  • 1987 – Danny Kaye, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
  • 1993 – Albert Sabin, Polish-American physician and virologist (b. 1906)
  • 2018 – Roger Bannister, English middle-distance athlete, first man to run a four-minute mile (b. 1929)

Here’s Bannister’s great run, set in 1954, narrated by the runner himself. The present record is 3:43.13 set in 1999 by the Moroccan runner Hicham El Guerrouj.

Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili has climbed up to the second floor and is on the roof of the veranda, where sometimes she asks to be let into the flat of Paulina and her husband. That’s where Kulka and Szaron live.

Hili: I don’t see Kulka, I will come and visit.
Kulka: And then I will jump on her.
(Picture: Paulina R.)
In Polish:
Hili: Kulki nie widać, wejdę z wizytą.
Kulka: A wtedy ja na nią skoczę.
(Zdjęcie: Paulina R.)

From Charles:

From Jesus of the Day:

From Jean:

A tweet from Simon. We’ve learned lately at Botany Pond that mallards hate to walk on ice, and would much rather swim a longer distance than have to cross ice. This shows that very well:

Reader Barry found a whole thread of tweets showing cartoons using classical music written by great composers. Here are four specimens:

Tweets from Matthew, who’s quite enamored with Mars and Perseverance. He says that the video is only 1.5 minutes in this tweet but 30 minutes on YouTube. The video comprises concatenated images taken from Perseverance’s mast camera:

A dead Irishman had a recording, made before his death, put in his coffin and played to the amazed funeral goers. Leave ’em laughing!

a. Why are the Lithuanians honoring Tony Soprano?
b. Where are the ducks?

The assertion in the tweet is certainly true, and very well demonstrated, by this video, but I don’t know how general it is.

And this is fantastic! Sound up.

120 thoughts on “Wednesday: Hili dialogue”

  1. “Nor do we know what biochemical mechanism causes the bioluminescence”

    Amazing – I guess the sharks rub the sea floor and get bacteria on themselves. Isn’t deep sea bioluminescence always symbiotic bacteria?

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    1. I had essentially the same question, it seemed unlikely (but I don’t know) that the luminescence was from the shark itself. The “glowing bacteria bath hypothesis” seems reasonable.

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      1. I winder if it just helps sharks see each other? Finding s mate in the abyss must be an abysmal job…

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        1. The question would be, how specifically can the bacteria adhere to only that exterior region of the shark – and are there examples of other animals coated externally with bacteria – because I only know of such symbiotes that are internal.

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  2. I daresay I was introduced to many of my favorite classical pieces by cartoons. This is in addition to what I picked up from the Marx Brothers (Anvil Chorus) or the Three Stooges (Sextet from Lucia). They were all well-known, popular pieces in those days.

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    2. The 3 Stooges did the Lucia sextet🙀 What, did they sing two parts each? One of my favorite pieces of music. Do I dare google this?🤣
      https://youtu.be/C-i026SPq3g
      Dr. Brydon, you have made my day/week/month! That is hilarious!!
      And “Sextet by lucy”🤣😂

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  4. I can never listen to “Ride of the Valkyries” without hearing “Kill Da Wabbit, Kill Da Wabbit…” in the back of my mind.

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  5. Re: Seuss. Having read Mulberry Street to kids on umpteen occasions, I can’t see why they are consigning the entire story to the trash heap rather than simply replacing the illustration of “a Chinese man who eats with sticks” with a less offensive one. It literally appears only once in the book. It’s not critical to the story and in fact most kids probably wouldn’t give it more than a single glance. If the copyright owner wants to alter it, I say go for it; nobody (except maybe some purists) is going to care. Heck you could alter the entire reference (words and image) without much trouble. “An acrobat doing tricks.” “A clock-maker fixing his ticks”, etc.

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    1. The copies of the Racist Six in my local library all have numerous holds – everyone is scrambling to get their last look before the books disappear from existence.

      I guess on the bright side, nobody really cares about these titles – they sort of get ignored, unless a young Dr. Seuss scholar really wants to take in the ouvre.

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    2. I can’t see why they are consigning the entire story to the trash heap rather than simply replacing the illustration …

      Because it’s virtue signalling. The more costly the signal, the more virtue is thus displayed. As when Starbucks closed down 8000 stores for the day after one incident (in which race was likely not a factor), the self harm being part of the signal.

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      1. Could very well be. Or mercenary manipulation of virtue signaling. “Hmmm, woke new parents aren’t buying Dr. Seuss books, as they’re considered old and retrograde. Let’s put a campaign together where we announce we’re on board with getting rid of racism and ditch some lower-selling books as an example. That should boost our overall sales.”

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    3. A plausible scenario is a library putting the books on display – what will the propaganda say? “These books are racist”? “You should be ashamed of these books and you are a racist if you don’t see a problem”?

      A display would be the right thing to do, but for people to decide for themselves!

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    4. I cannot imagine the sort of twisted hate that would be behind someone stating that Chinese people eat with sticks.
      Except that making such an observation would be completely appropriate in 1937, before WW2. After the war and occupation, chopsticks would be much less notable.
      It is important to note that Dr. Seuss Enterprises is not run by his family or heirs, but is a division of Random House. A division run by someone who checks all the right progressive boxes.

      I really think that the woke people are particularly interested in destroying that which is considered wholesome by the majority of people. It is not an endearing trait.

      Also, it has been pointed out to me that the group demanding restrictions on speech, the removal of unacceptable art, and the banning of books has never ended up being the good guys.

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  7. Re Dr Seuss and the Chinese boy. I’d say that it is not “racist”. Stereotypes and cartoons that play on stereotypes are not automatically racist, they also need to be demeaning and indeed intended to demean the race. Simply highlighting cultural differences does not do that.

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        1. “Caregiver number 1, caregiver number 2, are the people I see who eat with chopsticks racist?”

          “Yes, unless they aren’t white, and remember to include yourself as racist for looking at it or saying anything about it, and never use chopsticks unless you choose to identify as non-white. Well done.”

          “What about the tongs you use to serve the salad?”

          “Ah – that is racist-adjacent. But do not use the word “serve”, if you don’t want to be called racist again. You are getting it!”

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    3. I think the point is that this is an example of pigeonholing an entire people into one thing, giving the implication or impression that there’s nothing else to the culture and nothing else the people do than this. In contrast, the white guys in the story take on a variety of roles – cops, mayor, brass band players, etc. – but nobody else is shown being like that. (There are also zero women in the story – I guess in Marco’s imagination, women don’t do those things…welcome to 1937).

      So I really don’t mind if someone says they’re offended by the Chinese guy image. Depicting people in a one-dimensional manner can be derogatory, even if that one dimension you depict is not itself actively or directly insulting. I also really don’t mind if Seuss Co. or whomever owns the story chooses to change that image. It just seems like overkill to me to eliminate the entire story from future publication because people object to this one image.

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      1. That is a clear assessment.

        I think people should be free to examine the material and decide for themselves.

        For a publisher to cancel the production of the specific titles is not an accident. It is a posthumous assertion that Dr. Seuss himself consciously sought to denigrate and “pigeonhole” one entire “race” while simultaneously contrasting that with the “supremacizing” of his own preferred race.

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        1. Some very brief research indicates that the opposite was going on. Rather than consciously seeking to be racist, it appears Seuss was consciously trying to get more inclusive over time. Mulberry street is a good example. When it was originally published, the figure was depicted as bright yellow and Seuss used the appellation “Chinaman.” But then later, Seuss himself directed that the book be changed to remove the color and say “Chinese man” instead.
          The image may still evoke feelings of offense to someone born in the 2000’s, but I’d opine that that’s not a bad attempt at getting more aware for a guy born in 1907

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        2. @ThyroidPlanet
          How about the ones depicting Africans that resemble monkeys? Amazing how many people want to preserve racist stereotypes so that people can “decide for themselves.” And perhaps the publisher simply made a business decision, rather that delving into the authors original intent and philosophy.

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          1. Oops – I skimmed over this personal charge leveled at me so now I have to force out a hasty defense :

            “Amazing how many people want to preserve racist stereotypes so that people can “decide for themselves.” ”

            The artwork – three characters on one page on one picture and no words of any sort but I await my copy – appears the object of discussion. That can be argued and rebated, as you and I can handle difficult things like this, how we know the image represents what we say it is, how that is, the decade, zeitgeist, and on and on, to understand the problem – because there are problems. If we must, over a lame, ignored book in the catalog of one author.

            I don’t see how all of that supports your charge that me personally wish to “preserve racist stereotypes“, nor do I wish to defend myself against a serious charge like that. That is why I argued books should be kept in a library. Perhaps in a separate section, etc., and meaning they should not be destroyed or removed from a public library. I thought that was a straightforward, 1st amendment grade proposition.

    4. “And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street” was a favorite of both of my sons. Their China-born mother saw nothing offensive in the illustration in question. We all saw the Chinese boy in the context of the circus-parade story of the book, entirely appropriate and indeed unremarkable.

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    6. Additionally, a cartoonist drawing an Asian character with lines for eyes is not so offensive if he’s also drawing White characters with dots for eyes (as seen in same image!). Cartoonists simplify appearances down to the bare minimum and Dr. Seuss was not one of those anime artists who portrays every character with eyes bigger than dinner plates.

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  8. The rate of new Covid cases has dropped precipitously—19% in the last two weeks, with a 29% drop in hospitalizations.

    It’s worth remembering that the reason for the big spike was people getting together for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays…and we have St. Pat’s right around the corner. So I’d expect a minor bump up sometime around the end of March.

    I’m also not sure whether school openings will change the rate. I’m both not sure what other places in the US are doing (my county is going to in-class for 2 days/week soon), and what effect it will have. We are not out of the woods yet.

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  9. Now I have that Scheherazade in my head. These pieces are must-hear. Gonna make a playlist!

    It is a rarity to hear genuine orchestration, composition, skill, and all that in cartoons now – let alone anything written well. It is mostly pablum. Not a perfect example : the Trolls movie had one fleeting aural glimpse of that one gem of a melody in that one movement of that one Mendelssohn violin concerto – took me weeks to identify it! I’ll try to find a link…

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  10. It’s also Canadian Bacon Day (what is Canadian bacon, you ask? It’s “back bacon“, but do they eat it in Canada?) Sure do–just ask Bob and Doug!

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  11. Some might say the Turner song back in 1951 was not quite rock-and-roll as there was no guitar. On the other hand, 1951 was a good years for autos and they were built like tanks. My first was a 51 dodge two door coup. Of course by 1966 most people had not seen one.

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    1. Another candidate for First Rock & Roll Song is “Move It On Over” by Hank Williams from 1947. If it had been released 10 years later, it would definitely be considered rock & roll.

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    2. Keep in mind though that many of Little Richard’s and Fats Domino’s songs are piano and not guitar-oriented. And their music was definitely rock’n’roll. Some have pointed to Fat Domino’s “The Fat Man” (1949) as the first rock’n’roll record.

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  12. Thank you for the picture of Ataturk, someone I admire. Once studied a little Turkish as part of a linguistics course and the reforms he brought in were interesting and very good. One part of the language is interesting in the way it can help with spelling, sometimes termed vowel harmony in English – basically once the sequence of the first two vowels in a word are known there can only be certain sequences that follow.

    It is a tragedy to see how Erdogan has ruined a great person’s secular work.

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  13. Four officers [involved in the Rodney King beating] were tried, and none were convicted.

    Following their acquittals in California state court, the four were indicted on federal charges of violating King’s civil rights. Two of the four (Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell) were convicted after a jury trial, and sentenced to 30-month prison terms, a substantial downward departure from the 70 to 87 month range specified by the federal sentencing guidelines. Their sentences were subsequently upheld by SCOTUS.

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  14. I gather Colbert was weighing in on Dr. Seuss – I must admit I can’t bring myself to hear what he said, as I expect the full Elect judgement. If someone can let us know I’d appreciate it.

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    1. Really disappointed in Colbert. He was one of the first people targeted for cancellation by the twitterati. Fortunately for him it hadn’t really taken off yet, and the woman who was the driving force behind it turned out to be just a jargon spouting dim bulb. I guess he’s forgotten that.

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    2. What’s truly ironic is that Colbert was targeted for cancellation because of an Asian stereotype character named Ching Chong Ding Ding that he did on his show.

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    3. Sadly unsurprising during times of great cultural polarization. People sort themselves into two camps and each denies any validity toward the concerns of the other.

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  16. Why are the Lithuanians honoring Tony Soprano?

    Never know where the Chechen commando that Paulie and Christopher lost in the Pine Barrens might’ve turned up.

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  17. Cuomo could quit the Dems and join the GQP, thereby turning a negative into a positive–just needs a few donors and a bagman to distribute the payoffs.

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  18. I loved Doc Watson. One of my favorite songs that he would sing was “Life Gets Teejus, Don’t It?” Appropriate for our ongoing Covid existence.

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    1. The people at the top of the pyramid get paid off handsomely — seeing that serves as the incentive for the suckers at the bottom to keep forking over their dough.

      Today, they call it “multi-level marketing.” It’s how folks like the DeVos family made a fortune with things like Amway.

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  20. I’m no fan of Andrew Cuomo but since he denies the accusations and calls for an investigation, the calls for his resignation bother me. Of course, anyone can call for his resignation at any time and for any reason as our speech is free. Still, why not let the investigations run their course before calling for his head?

    This bothers me because it’s yet another variety of cancel culture. Here, I care less what happens to its victim. Instead, it represents a trial in the public square which diminishes the rule of law. If we can make Andrew Cuomo quit in disgrace, we can forgo the investigation and trial. If he admits to what he’s accused of, then no problem. (Actually, if he’s accused of any real crimes, the official process still must proceed.) This is partly cancel culture and partly lack of faith and/or impatience with our criminal justice system.

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  22. Regarding Seuss, I hope there is an organization out there that archives censored and cancelled media. I’d hate to think that such things as To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street could be lost down the memory hole.

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    1. I hope so, too, but if so, I’d bet their website would be removed from every existing search engine and would exist only on the dark web. Re cartoons and classical music, the “Largo al Factotum” should be cancelled in cartoons – it makes fun of Italians.

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    2. There will be samizdat versions but eventually all copy machines will be licensed and have their own watermark to identify the source. Publishing Mulberry Bush will be a hate crime.

      I wish I knew whether I am joking or not.

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      1. “There will be samizdat versions …”

        At least we can pretend we are in a thrilling spy movie. (Had to look up “samizdat”).

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  23. This is straw that broke the camel back for me. Seuss is one of the two fictions writers who have significantly change my life (Shakespeare is the other). I cannot live happily in a world where children cannot read every Seuss book but I cannot pay money to these censors. I blame the Democrats for their lack of spine and doubt I will ever vote for one again.

    There are few issue that are so important that to me that they override everything else. For decades, homophobia prevented me voting for Republicans. Seuss censoring will prevent me from voting for Democrats. I prefer a world with Melania reading Seuss and Trump as president to one where my future grandchildren will be deprived of Seuss.

    And for those of you who say it just 6 books, that is not where it will end. Originally it was just Civil War general statues. I was happy with Stonewall Jackson being removed. I was hesitant about Robert E Lee. I was appalled, but not surprised, with Jefferson and Lincoln. They are on a roll and will not stop until the Grinch is dead and buried.

    Hop on Pop is the most important book in my daughter’s life but it will not be published when she has children.

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    1. Do you realize that the Biden administration and Democrats didn’t cancel Seuss, right? It’s the publishing company submitting to pressure, and not from the government. I don’t like this either but I’m not going to vote Republican because of this.

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      1. Biden was the first president in years to avoid the S-Word in his Read Across America Day speech. Was that the publishing company as well? Biden is not stupid enough to make this decision but his staff clearly is. I blame the Democrats for their lack of spine.

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          1. Reading Dr. Seuss is controversial. Is that a sentence you ever thought would be uttered?

          2. This issue is definitely overblown. Fox News is talking about it constantly. I do think that racism in Dr. Seuss books is something to worry about but the response to it is wrong. It would be better if they had added some sort of warning to parents to each of the offending books. That way parents could (a) choose whether they want their kids reading them, (b) decide to use it as a teaching moment, explaining the issue to their child, (c) allow adults to buy the books and ignore the warning. Not publishing them at all is just an overreaction demanded by the Far Left.

          4. Pls don’t tarnish the name of the wonderful Fox in Sox in Box – with lox🤓

      2. Why do you think they submitted to pressure? Maybe they made a business decision, maybe the books weren’t selling, maybe they want to sell books in Africa and Asia and these images were a negative, who knows? And the idea that Seuss is “cancelled” is silly, as they still reprint 90% of his work.

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        1. Surely it’s a business decision. They probably didn’t sell that many of those titles and just decided not to risk general cancelling from the public. When someone says Seuss has been cancelled, I wouldn’t take it as incorrect just because not all his books have stopped being published. When a person has been cancelled, they aren’t removed from the planet and its history. All cancellation is partial.

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        2. I knew you were going to say that.
          “And for those of you who say it just 6 books, that is not where it will end. Originally it was just Civil War general statues. I was happy with Stonewall Jackson being removed. I was hesitant about Robert E Lee. I was appalled, but not surprised, with Jefferson and Lincoln. They are on a roll and will not stop until the Grinch is dead and buried.”

          The Cat in the Hat is also being attacked by “scholars.”

          ‘[Katie Ishizuka] points out that the Cat in the Hat, perhaps Seuss’ most famous character, is based on minstrel stereotypes.

          “The Cat’s physical appearance, including the Cat’s oversized top hat, floppy bow tie, white gloves, and frequently open mouth, mirrors actual blackface performers; as does the role he plays as ‘entertainer’ to the white family—in whose house he doesn’t belong,” says Ishizuka. She isn’t the first scholar to point out racial stereotypes in Dr. Seuss’ picture books.’
          https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=cat-hat-racist-read-across-america-shifts-away-dr-seuss-toward-diverse-books

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    2. So you hate cancel culture, and your solution is canceling all democrats. Ironic.
      And are you just not going to vote from now on, or worse, vote for Republicans? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

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        1. For Republicans, the truth hurts when it calls them out and is construed as “mean”; mean and the truth aren’t mutually exclusive. Whereas the daily dump of 4-years-worth of Trump tweets filled with lies, insults and bullying each and every person who didn’t kiss his ass is perfectly fine.

          The GOP also tried to cancel Liz Cheney and other GOP politicians who spoke against the Big Lie. And Trump plans to cancel any GOP primary contender who doesn’t offer fealty. It’s strange that so many people think that cancel culture goes one way. Yes, it’s predominantly a woke issue, but the GOP acts like it is only cancel culture if the left does it.

          Perhaps this will be a wake-up call for politicians going forward; it’s time to dump twitter, as it is obviously detrimental to a healthy political career (for the democrats, anyway).

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          1. Yes. Most of the Woke surely know in their hearts that cancelling is all about power, not fairness or principle, but won’t admit it. The Republican politicians are more honest about their demonstrations of power using faux outrage aka cancelling. In fact, this might help cancel Cancel Culture. People on all sides will recognize its corrosion and start to fight back. Perhaps it will all start with Dr. Seuss.

      2. Huh? Canceling is preventing the sale of books or preventing someone’s livelihood. Voting against spineless Democrats is my right as an American and, in my opinion, the best way to support my favorite American writer.

        “I prefer a world with Melania reading Seuss and Trump as president to one where my future grandchildren will be deprived of Seuss.” Lincoln, Beethoven, Shakespeare, math education and Seuss are under attack and I will support the people who are fighting back pretty much regardless of their other views. You have other priorities and that’s fine. Vote away. Opine away.

        Just don’t be surprised when things you love are declared bigoted hate speech.

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        1. I don’t understand why you connect not reprinting Dr. Seuss books to the Democrats…or Republicans, for that matter. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, founded by Ted Geisel’s family, controls his legacy and work. They make the decisions on what to do with the books. What does that have to do with politics?

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          1. Do you think think the people objecting to the supposed racism are on the left or on the right or a mix? Are the people objecting to getting rid of the books Democrats or Republicans or a mix? Is the president who omitted mention of Seuss a Democrat or a Republican? Was the press secretary who failed to use the name Seuss a Democrat or a Republican?

          3. I don’t think they made this decision because of objections by Democrats. I know that it followed a review by a panel of educators and other experts that studied it for a year, according to Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the company that was founded by Dr Seuss’s family, that controls the author’s books and characters.

            And why you bring up the fact that the president didn’t mention Dr Seuss by name is a mystery, since Biden didn’t mention any individual author in his proclamation. It’s almost like you have an agenda.

          4. The panel of experts was almost certainly left wing because educators always are. Crying racism is a leftist tactic as you are certainly aware from this blog. Democratic politicians are almost always silent on this type of book removal by publishers and they are silent now.

            I will support those who support Jefferson, Shakespeare, Beethoven, math education and Doctor Seuss. Unfortunately, that is not the party I registered for back in 2008. I guarantee that I will vote for any democrat who supports all of them. When given the chance to support Seuss, Psaki didn’t. As far as I know, no Democrat in Oregon has supported any of them publicly.

          5. “Crying racism is a leftist tactic as you are certainly aware from this blog.”

            I am not aware of that from this blog or anywhere else. I am aware that denying racism is a right-wing tactic as evidenced by your comments.

        2. “Huh? Canceling is preventing the sale of books or preventing someone’s livelihood.”

          You sound a tad paranoid or at least alarmist to me. I don’t give a damn that this or that book gets “cancelled”. From where I’m standing, I can purchase every single book, including “Mein Kampf” that has ever been “cancelled”. Stopping the publishing of a book is not cancelling, unless you’ve bought into the fever swamp of the republican’s only standing platform: cancelling leads to fascism. Guess what, they’re already there. F. Scott Fitzgerald was cancelled for awhile, Hemmingway too and Christians wanted to cancel Atwood…still might be trying. It goes on and on and forever and ever. Don’t fret, you can still purchase any work you want (assuming you live in the states).

          When I can no longer get any book I f’n want at the local University book store, or B&N, or the public library, or Amazon et al. send me a note, and I’ll apologize. But if something like THAT actually happens, the world will be struggling with something a category more catastrophic than “cancel culture”. I probably won’t get your note.

          Reply

          1. I can no longer buy 6 Seuss books on Amazon. That’s a fact.

            They are no longer being published. That’s a fact.

            Many, many kids will no longer have the pleasure of reading them. That’s a fact and a great loss for them and society.

            I am sure I will be able to buy used, expensive, samizdat versions if I have grandchildren but that does not change any of the facts. If I ever buy any Seuss book I will be giving money to idealogue censors I despise.

          3. If you can’t buy those six books on Amazon it’s because they are sold out, although If I Ran the Zoo appears to have been been restocked. Fox News has been encouraging all their sheep to buy all the Dr Seuss books they can before they are banned — you know, like “buy guns now” before the Democrats ban them. Currently, nine of the top ten books on the Amazon Best Seller List are Dr Seuss books.

            Apparently, Fox News folks don’t realize they are enriching the very people who “cancelled” their hero, the Seuss family foundation. You know, the owners of the material, who can do whatever they think best with it.

          4. “ … like “buy guns now” “

            with a little “buy gold”, or buy baseball cards, or antiques. As if the victims will become millionaires.

            It is very pathetic because the books in question are very lame, weird, and ignored compared to the strongest work of Seigel, and it will all be interpreted as potential racist propaganda foisted on kids and parents – as Seuss is something of a children’s literature hero. Now he will shrink away as a villain. Why take the risk.

            It is … something… because Seigel drew strong political cartoons that were definitely for adults. I think I learned that on this website.

          5. I looked up Zoo and Mulberry street, and they are certainly available – as $500+ collectibles!

            That is – pardon my language – F’ed up!… but of course, entirely expected.

            This also means, of course, the library copies are … well, just sitting there, aren’t they….

    1. “Green Eggs and Ham” is written in iambic tetrameter — four feet (eight syllables) per line, with the stress on the second syllable of each foot.

      If the fool is going to try to be clever in public, the least he should do is avoid embarrassment by making it scan.

      Reply

      2. ““Green Eggs and Ham” is written in iambic tetrameter — four feet (eight syllables) per line, with the stress on the second syllable of each foot.”

        WOW – thank you!

        Reply

          1. WOWWW!

            I wish a teacher would’ve just used this first instead of diving into advanced stuff to teach the forms. Maybe now I’ll be able to learn some.

          2. A great book on stuff like alliteration, antithesis, anadiplosis etc. etc. (just some of the As…) is Mark Forsyth’s The Elements of Eloquence. He is really funny, and takes some of his examples from Beatles and Rolling Stones lyrics amongst more obvious sources like Shakespeare, Dickens, and Oscar Wilde.

          5. I should be on commission! Hope you both enjoy it. (His earlier book The Etymologicon is also brilliant.)

          7. My go-to book on rhetorical devices is Arthur Quinn’s Figures of Speech. I don’t know whether it’s necessarily the best, but it was my first on the topic and the one I’ve long clung to as a reference.

      3. There was a young man from Japan
        Whose limericks never would scan.
        When folk asked him why,
        He would always reply,
        Because I always try to get as many syllables into the last line as ever I possibly can!

        Reply

  25. I JUST saw the cartoon. Pretty bad.

    So is the n word in Just So Stories.

    Neither should not be removed from libraries.

    Reply

  27. “Here’s are the miscreants:”
    Not only was Kemble an abolitionist, she was also long gone from Pierce Butler’s life by the purported time of that Wikipedia image, so either the date in the Wikipedia caption is wrong or the attribution of “wife” is.

    Reply

    1. Yes. Thanks for stating that fact. The PBS article gives the story. The Wikipedia image certainly gives the false impression that they were a couple at the time. I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t googled Fanny Kemble, never for a moment imagining she was this “Frances Kemble.” Their juxtaposition in the photo appears to me to be manipulated. Something strange about the entire entry if you ask me.

      Reply

  28. “Dr. Seuss Enterprises” seems like a very rich and successful company, especially since multiple Hollywood films have been made from the good Doctor’s books. So instead of deciding to get rid of the offending books, why don’t they edit and publish “safe” editions instead? Why get rid the entire book when you can bowdlerize it? Even the Victorians knew that!

    Reply

  30. For the record :

    “Thing 1” and “Thing 2” from The Cat in the Hat are illustrated as humanoids, with white (very white) skin, and arguably a hair style that would be suggestive of certain styles – not sure which. Not that I ever worried about what they were exactly. Until now.

    http://clipart-library.com/clipart/356242.htm

    BTW – do not go to Dr. Seuss fan site for this.

    Reply

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