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Bretigne Shaffer

Interests: This is also the personal blog of bretigne shaffer, and i will include announcements about projects i am working on or have completed, interesting things i see or do, and/or "stuff i've made" to read about my films and books, and occasional musings on nothing in particular. if you're not interested in the personal stuff - and why should you be? - just click on the "punditry" or "stuff I've made" category to see only that stuff.

Recent Activity

Laughing at Auschwitz: the Banality of Evil in Pictures

Hannah Arendt, in her coverage of the war-crimes trial of Adolf Eichmann, alerted us to the "banality of evil." Eichmann was not, she observed, a maniacal monster filled with hate, a psychopath, or indeed, anyone very different from most of... Continue reading

Posted 2 days ago at On the Banks

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The Best Two Minutes and Ten Seconds of Television You Will Ever See

SPOILERS. It's possible that it is too early to call this, but I don't think so. For those who have been watching Stranger Things (maybe not so much for those who haven't), this clip is destined to go down in... Continue reading

Posted 3 days ago at On the Banks

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A Doctor's View on the Vaccine Debate

Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, a GP in Scotland, writes: When it comes to the science, it does amuse me that vaccination began before anyone understood any of the science – of anything to do with microbes and the immune system. It... Continue reading

Posted 4 days ago at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Saving Humanity by Learning How to Live with Tech.

I had some really amazing conversations at FEECON last month. Lots and lots of really smart, interesting, independent-minded people there, and lots to talk about. One of my favorite conversations was with another homeschooling mom (there were lots of those... Continue reading

Posted 4 days ago at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Way Behind, but ...Sky Pirates!

OK, yes, I have not been doing a great job of updating my Daily Log each day. In other news though, my book is finished! Yesterday, I received the proofing copy of Annabel Pickering and the Sky Pirates!!! There are... Continue reading

Posted Jul 11, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: All I Have to Say About Google

Yesterday, RT reported that: "An embarrassing new leak shows Google employees discussing disabling features for YouTube creators they describe as ‘Nazis,’ even as the company denied allegations of political bias based on earlier leaked documents. "In an email published on... Continue reading

Posted Jun 26, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Scarecrows

Today was depressing - if I focus on the news, that is. SB 276, the draconian bill that I wrote about here and here, passed out of the CA Assembly Health Committee today by a vote of 9:3, with 2... Continue reading

Posted Jun 20, 2019 at On the Banks

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Amendments to SB 276 Are More Draconian than the Original Bill (A Partial Analysis)

Image: Public domain. As I wrote last week, California legislators (and one in particular) are trying to tighten restrictions on the granting of exemptions from the vaccines required for school. The bill, SB 276, seeks to replace doctors with state... Continue reading

Posted Jun 19, 2019 at On the Banks

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CA Legislators Aim to Replace Doctors with the State in Granting Vaccine Exemptions - My Article for FEE

Image: Public domain. From my article on Fee.org last week: At the time, Pan assured parents that exemptions based on medical criteria would remain in place and would not be interfered with: "If a physician feels that there is a... Continue reading

Posted Jun 19, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Report From FEECON 2019 - Part 1

So I almost didn't make it to FEECON 2019. The first part was entirely my mistake. (Or, as some might put it: The expected consequence of my not being fully skilled in navigating life in a police state.) I had... Continue reading

Posted Jun 17, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Taking a Break, Heading to FEECON, MailChimp Screws Over its Customers

I'm heading to Atlanta tomorrow, for FEECON, so I won't be posting until (probably) next week. If you don't know what that is, just watch the video. I've never been before, and am really looking forward to it! But then,... Continue reading

Posted Jun 12, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Unbelievable Asshattery from the UK, and My Little Girl's Second EEG

This is my little girl, when we first discovered that she was having seizures. This was her second EEG, which we did at home. I've never posted pictures of her on my blog before, or on social media at all... Continue reading

Posted Jun 9, 2019 at On the Banks

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A Real Solution, from Caitlin Johnstone

Caitlin Johnstone absolutely nails it here. "Those who control the narrative control the world. I'm fond of saying that, not just because it's true, but because it points to the solution as well as the problem. When you truly see... Continue reading

Posted Jun 8, 2019 at On the Banks

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A Very Interesting Take on the US Govt's Case Against Assange

This piece, from John T. Nelson, is well worth reading in its entirety. To summarize: "Why might Assange not stand trial in the United States for espionage? ...the US-UK extradition treaty may strictly prohibit it. Espionage is generally considered a... Continue reading

Posted Jun 8, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Pulling Weeds

Now that we have a trampoline, I can let my little girl bounce and play on that while I do garden work, and don't need anyone else to supervise her. We did this today, and I spent a lot of... Continue reading

Posted Jun 7, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Greek Heroes and Preserved Lemons

Yesterday, I participated in a webinar in which John Kiriakou told his story of blowing the whistle on the CIA's policy of torture, and of paying dearly for his heroic act. I had been vaguely aware of his story before,... Continue reading

Posted Jun 6, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: A Letter Sent and a Lawsuit Filed

I sent my letter to Julian Assange today. Or rather, my mom took it to the post office for me. I have this image of her, all grandmotherly now, tottering up - OK, she doesn't totter - to the desk... Continue reading

Posted Jun 5, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: My Letter to Julian Assange

This is my entry from yesterday. Which was a little crazy. Anyway, I think this fulfills both the "personal" and "politics/current events" portions of my log. This is the letter I will be sending to Julian Assange (as you can... Continue reading

Posted Jun 4, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: OK So Here's Another Thing About Japan...

We went out to dinner with my parents and my sister and her family, and when I was in the restroom, I saw this sign. It's a variation of the same sign you see in all restrooms in all restaurants... Continue reading

Posted Jun 1, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: My Favorite Thing in the World

...for today. Sometimes I am shocked by something that I already knew, but hadn't directly experienced in a while. Like this: The Japanese totally get comfort food. Like, at a level that is kind of superhuman. Beyond the biggest pile... Continue reading

Posted May 31, 2019 at On the Banks

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How Many California Parents Actually Know What this Vaccine Bill Means for them?

I wonder how many parents in California understand what SB276 will mean for them: It not only takes the authority to write a medical exemption from school vaccines out of the hands of doctors, and puts it in the hands... Continue reading

Posted May 31, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Julian Assange and our Dining Room Table

This is actually my post from yesterday. I didn't get to finish it because children demanded attention, and... I wasn't able to get back to my computer. The lesson here is that I need to do these things earlier in... Continue reading

Posted May 29, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: The Unknown Gardener

It occurred to me a while ago that the reason the world is in such terrible shape right now, and so many awful things are happening all over the globe, is that I haven't been tending very well to my... Continue reading

Posted May 27, 2019 at On the Banks

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Daily Log: Best Day Ever, and a Realization

So yesterday was "the best day of my life!" for my son (one of many, in fact, to hear him tell it). But this one was pretty special. The studio where we both do kung fu had a "spring boutique"... Continue reading

Posted May 26, 2019 at On the Banks

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Astrid Lindgren, the author of Pippi Longstocking, kept a journal of her life, and the events around her, as World War II came to Sweden. I have decided to do something similar. I am going to endeavor to make one... Continue reading

Posted May 25, 2019 at On the Banks

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