We Hunted The Mammoth
By David Futrelle
In the wake of every mass shooting, we hear the inevitable cries from NRA types not to “politicize” the tragedy by pointing out the obvious fact that stricter gun laws would make such tragedies less likely in the future. We watch the trolls and shitlords of the alt-right flood the internet with disinformation and conspiracy theories. These reactions are now as predictable as the reappearance of the sun on the horizon every morning.
UPDATE: 2:30 PM 10/2/17: The death toll has risen to 58, with more than 500 injured. Though it was first reported that Paddock was killed by police it now appears he shot himself before the police entered his room. There are still no details as to Paddock’s possible motives. The original post follows.
As I write this, the media is reporting that 50 have been killed and more than 400 others have been injured in a mass shooting at an open-air concert in Las Vegas. Police have identified the shooter as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, who opened fire on concertgoers from a hotel room in the Mandalay Bay complex overlooking the venue, killing dozens before himself being shot dead by police.
It’s been a while.
I’ve been taking time off from the blog for as I try to deal with an assortment of health issues that have been hitting me especially hard in recent weeks. This year has been a tough one for me, health-wise, as I’ve continued to deal with seemingly unending chronic migraines as well as worsening sleep problems that have seriously derailed my life and my work.
Progress in dealing with these issues — and several others I’d rather not go into right now — has been frustratingly slow, in part because my particular problems have proven rather resistant to treatment and in part because, well, let’s just say our healthcare system here in the US isn’t what you’d call perfect.
But things have been getting a little better in recent days and I’m hoping I can get back to regular posting shortly.
Thanks for your patience. I very much appreciate your support.
— David
By David Futrelle
John McCain announces that he’s now a “no” vote on the Graham-Cassidy anti-healthcare bill, and gets hailed as a “hero,” proving that the  standards for “heroism” amongst Republican senators is pretty damn low. But if McCain is your senator, you should probably call to thank him for this minimal act of human decency.
By David Futrelle
Today, two catastrophic natural disasters, and the ongoing unnatural disaster that is political life in the US today. Also, Liam Gallagher makes tea!
First, the devastation left behind by Maria in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the Caribbean.
By David Futrelle
In normal times, a president literally threatening to obliterate an entire country would be the lead story on every news outlet for weeks. But this is the age of Trump, so this alarming development has to compete, news-wise with: A GOP determined to take away health care from 20 million people, some dramatic developments in the investigation that could bring the nuke-talking president down. And then there are the hurricanes and earthquakes.
By David Futrelle
I‘m having a lovely unplanned migraine vacation today (not a vacation from migraines but a staycation with a migraine) so instead of a regular post. which would require a working brain on my part, here are some creepified pics of the younger generation of Trumps (plus Jared).
By David Futrelle
Sarah Huckabee Sanders wants an ESPN commenter fired for having an opinion about Trump that she doesn’t like. Meanwhile, no one can stop her terrible father from making awful jokes on Twitter. Meanwhile, Apple introduces some new face recognition thingy.
By David Futrelle
The deeply bitter dudes who call themselves Incels – short for “involuntarily celibate” — are jealous of pretty much every other human being, living or dead, aside from their fellow incel brethren. So I suppose it was only a matter of time before they started feeling jealous of inanimate objects.
By David Futrelle
Over the weekend, the UK’s prestigious Daily Star ran an important work of serious journalism warning of an impending, if underappreciated, threat to humankind. In an article with the sobering headline “Sex robot ARMIES: Fears hackers could create killer cyborgs and turn technology on punters,” the Star informed the poor punters of the word that the sexbots they’ve been longing for might just take up arms against them. Or at least knives. And possibly welding torches.