The most recent 20 comments posted to Making Light by Chuck Divine:

Damn. My sympathies Teresa, Xopher, all. I count myself luckier everyday that the only things I need to get through life are aspirin and antihistamines (both only occasionally).

Some of my more conventionally liberal friends ask why my politics is, in some ways, skewed toward the libertarian. My short answer: Ralph Nader.

When Nader's book "Unsafe at Any Speed" came out I was a college student majoring in physics. Since I was too poor to afford a car, I sublimated my desires by reading Car and Driver magazine. Back in the 1960s Car and Driver was a magazine noted for being critical of Detroit. It wasn't always critical, but it said things the rah rah car mags wouldn't say. It was also a real enthusiast for quality European cars. When I was finally working, Car and Driver was one of the reasons I bought a BMW 2002 as my first new car.

Nader, since he was a lawyer and not an automotive engineer or even, apparently, an auto enthusiast, cited a fair number of people with solid credentials in his book condemning Detroit. Car and Driver -- and those critics Nader used -- roundly condemned the man and his positions. That's right -- knowledgable Detroit critics slammed Nader. That got my attention.

In the years following I encountered a variety of leftists. Most of the ones I met were thoughtful, reasonable people. I could agree -- or disagree -- with them. They seemed to have democratic world views. Some, though, were like Nader. They exhibited highly authoritarian personalities and were quick to condemn people who didn't follow their particular line. Yes, there are people like that on the right as well. Tom DeLay comes to mind.

I don't like these kinds of highly authoritarian individuals. They do our species and world great harm. About the only time they do anyone any good is when they are led by more democratic people who can tell when something is worth doing or not worth doing.

I'm going to bring this to the attention of Senator Mikulski's and Congressman Hoyer's respective staffs.

Again, my sympathies to all affected.

I run (literally) with the Hash House Harriers. We go for a run and then have a beer. Some groups stop in the middle of the run for a beer. Yes, really. We also engage in singing obscene songs some of the time. What kinds of people do this? Believe it or not, most of us are serious runners. We're also skewed to the rather bright. At one run of about 75 to 100 people, there were five people with at least one physics degree.

Anyway, around the holiday season, we've been known to sing "Walking Around in Women's Underwear". Imagine this, if you will. You're walking through a back alley in Washington, DC. You come upon a bunch of people dressed in running. Everyone is holding a beer. They'e all laughing and joking. Soon everyone breaks into singing "Walking Around." Yes, it's a bit surreal.

I was in my first year at Rutgers in New Jersey. Early in the afternoon I was sitting in the library studying when someone I didn't know came in and "Kennedy's been shot." It didn't make any sense. Late that afternoon I went to my last period physics class. The professor had scrawled a note on the blackboard announcing the assassination and cancelling class. That's when I took it seriously.

I have vague memories of going home that weekend. Lots of us did. There was a lot of shocking news on the TV. One other memory I have is of the Rutgers University Chorus (Choir?) appearing on TV singing some sort of requiem.

Yes, it was a depressing week. Even for Republican Protestants who'd never attended anything (except maybe a sports event) at a Roman Catholic institution. Oh -- that describes my family at the time.

Would things have been different if Kennedy had lived? Possibly, although I wouldn't have bet huge amounts of money on it. Conflicts were already increasing in the U.S. Blacks were fighting for equality. The Berkeley Free Speech movement dated to 1963. The SDS was founded in 1962. Barry Goldwater was a major political figure by 1960 or so. People were really scared of Communism. Sputnik, Cuba, the Berlin Wall, the Cuban missile crisis, etc. pushed many buttons. Too few people realized how empty the threat was, how bad off the Soviet Union actually was.

To me Kennedy was just a President -- not a miracle worker. I think people later on too often created a fantasy that life wouldn't be the way it was by a decade later if Kennedy had lived. Kennedy did some good things, some bad things.

Today I'm a bit of an optimist for the long term. It's my lifetime that worries me.

Capclave was moderately interesting. Your panel on blogs and your GOH interview were the best parts of programming I saw.

The parties on Saturday were amusing. Your blogger party -- the short time I was able to stay -- was interesting in that there were several small groups interacting. I was the guy in the grey sweatshirt and AIAA baseball cap who chatted with Jim Henley briefly about running.

Did you stay through today (Monday) for the Emily's List 20th Anniversary Luncheon? I ran into John Pomeranz of WSFA there today.

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