I really wanted a different headline, but it wouldn't fit.
So Chip Saltsman recently distributed a CD to other Republicans with a song parody that is pretty hard not to describe as "racist." Now look - this is clearly stupid and idiotic, but you never know. Maybe it was just a joke. Maybe Chip's new to politics, or doesn't really get involved in the political side of things that often.
In fact, as you probably know, this isn't the case at all. Saltsman is a candidate to become chairman of the RNC - essentially, a position where one's knowledge of how to handle political situtations is all that matters. More amazing, though, is the fact that this issue has become something on which (some) Republicans are actually rallying around him!
I don't understand! Your party just got demolished in an election, and your response is gonna be, "Yeah, I know he didn't realize that race is a sensitive issue in this country, but I still think he's got enough of a pulse on the people to be our party's chief political strategist." Seriously?!
I don't care what your party stands for or what you think the country stands for - if you don't try to claim the center/moderate ground you're merely endangering yourself as a party.
December 30, 2008
December 29, 2008
Probably our first poetry post
My uncle's friend wrote this. It's kind of stupid, but also kind of entertaining. It's timely, at least. I also don't know why the last few lines are slashed-though or how to fix them.
T'was the night before inauguration and what to my dismay
The market was tanking, I lost my 401K!
The stocks were hung, in downfall they stuck
While Bush did nothing, a truly lame duck
The republicans were nestled, their heads in the sand
With visions of defeat of the republican brand.
And Cheney with his gun, his heart a pace
Looking for someone, to shoot in the face.
When out on the house floor, there came such a clatter
I sprang to the internets to find what was the matter.
Away to my screen I ran with a flash
Hoping the market, had not c rashed.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Showed me someone I needed to know.
When what to my eyes, I paused, with a comma
But a vision of hope, It was Barack Obama!
With excitement and conviction in each of his steps
I wondered what he and his elves, would do next.
More rapid than eagles his appointments they came
And he whistled and shouted, and called them by name.
Now Emanuel! Now, Dashle! Now Richardson and Biden!
On, Clinton, On Napolitano, and Gates, no sense in hidin’!
To fix the economy, our reputation and more.
And to stop the killing of this unnecessary war.
As Obama stood still, the republicans they trembled
Remembering 8 years of a disaster they had assembled.
They have broken our banks, and doubled our debt.
They scared us to death with weapons of threats.
They squandered a surplus, They started a war.
They shredded our constitution, littered on the floor.
They attack our unions, our immigrants and those who are gay.
They claim to be Christians, yet on the sick they prey.
We may never recover from this hole they dug.
But we will climb to the top with a American tug. The republican party have destroyed all that matters
They deserve nothing more but to hold the damn ladder.
But his voice did change, along with a smile.
Thinking of the bills that soon would be filed.
Protect those who are old and young alike
Restore our honor and our military might.
Protect our planet, and clean our air.
While creating a surplus we can leave to our heirs
Fix our economy, and health care for all.
And honor those who fought, and those who fall.
Obama sprang to his feet, to his team he gave a shout.
The challenges seem impossible, hard work needed no doubt
But I heard him exclaim ere he talked and ran.
Hey! It is not just a slogan, YES WE CAN!
T'was the night before inauguration and what to my dismay
The market was tanking, I lost my 401K!
The stocks were hung, in downfall they stuck
While Bush did nothing, a truly lame duck
The republicans were nestled, their heads in the sand
With visions of defeat of the republican brand.
And Cheney with his gun, his heart a pace
Looking for someone, to shoot in the face.
When out on the house floor, there came such a clatter
I sprang to the internets to find what was the matter.
Away to my screen I ran with a flash
Hoping the market, had not c rashed.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Showed me someone I needed to know.
When what to my eyes, I paused, with a comma
But a vision of hope, It was Barack Obama!
With excitement and conviction in each of his steps
I wondered what he and his elves, would do next.
More rapid than eagles his appointments they came
And he whistled and shouted, and called them by name.
Now Emanuel! Now, Dashle! Now Richardson and Biden!
On, Clinton, On Napolitano, and Gates, no sense in hidin’!
To fix the economy, our reputation and more.
And to stop the killing of this unnecessary war.
As Obama stood still, the republicans they trembled
Remembering 8 years of a disaster they had assembled.
They have broken our banks, and doubled our debt.
They scared us to death with weapons of threats.
They squandered a surplus, They started a war.
They shredded our constitution, littered on the floor.
They attack our unions, our immigrants and those who are gay.
They claim to be Christians, yet on the sick they prey.
We may never recover from this hole they dug.
But we will climb to the top with a American tug. The republican party have destroyed all that matters
They deserve nothing more but to hold the damn ladder.
But his voice did change, along with a smile.
Thinking of the bills that soon would be filed.
Protect those who are old and young alike
Restore our honor and our military might.
Protect our planet, and clean our air.
While creating a surplus we can leave to our heirs
Fix our economy, and health care for all.
And honor those who fought, and those who fall.
Obama sprang to his feet, to his team he gave a shout.
The challenges seem impossible, hard work needed no doubt
But I heard him exclaim ere he talked and ran.
Hey! It is not just a slogan, YES WE CAN!
December 26, 2008
News Flash: Elections 2010 and 2012 possibly still too close to call
Continuing my series on "Hey, the Republicans aren't going to lose forever," I present this WSJ article about the last time the Democrats won over 360 EVs, 58 Senate seats, and 257 House seats.
Two years afterward the Republicans took the Congress for the first time in 50 years.
Two years afterward the Republicans took the Congress for the first time in 50 years.
December 24, 2008
Teams of the Decade
Continuing an earlier post on NFL history, I wanted to comment on the teams of this decade.
First the best:
It's actually unbelievably close. The New England Patriots thus far have the best record of this decade, at 101-42. However, the Indianapolis Colts are close behind at 100-43. At distant third is the Pittsburgh Steelers with a record of 93-49-1. Philadelphia is also over 60% for the decade.
The race for the bottom is not nearly as close. At 40-103, the Detroit Lions need to have a perfect season next year to have even the slightest hope of catching the Houston Texans (39-72) for the bottom. Put it another way: Houston didn't enter the league until 2002. So their records indicate that Detroit could have lost every game in 2000 and 2001, and then essentially tied the Texans thereafter. Arizona, Cleveland, and Oakland are also below 40% for the decade.
First the best:
It's actually unbelievably close. The New England Patriots thus far have the best record of this decade, at 101-42. However, the Indianapolis Colts are close behind at 100-43. At distant third is the Pittsburgh Steelers with a record of 93-49-1. Philadelphia is also over 60% for the decade.
The race for the bottom is not nearly as close. At 40-103, the Detroit Lions need to have a perfect season next year to have even the slightest hope of catching the Houston Texans (39-72) for the bottom. Put it another way: Houston didn't enter the league until 2002. So their records indicate that Detroit could have lost every game in 2000 and 2001, and then essentially tied the Texans thereafter. Arizona, Cleveland, and Oakland are also below 40% for the decade.
Damn You Boston
So the Patriots beat the Rams in the Super Bowl a few years back. The Red Sox followed it up with a World Series victory over the Cardinals. No worry, I thought. At least the Bruins and the Celtics are terrible.
Well these days the Bruins are 2nd in the NHL in pts. They have scored more goals than any other team, and they've allowed fewer goals than any other team.
But as all Bostonians (?) know, the Bruins are the second best Boston team in session right now. The Celtics are 27-2 after winning their 19th consecutive game. (Who'd have thought the Patriots would be third, not to mention they're behind Miami via tiebreaker for the division lead!)
So I figured I'd do the work, and I found that the feat ties them with none other than the Los Angeles Lakers for 4th all time. The Celtics play the Lakers in their next game.
Upping the ante, the Lakers also hold the record for the most consecutive games won. In the 1971-72 season, the Chamberlain-led team won on November 5 and didn't lose until January 9, for a total of 33 games and good for a 50% longer streak than the second place team, 2007-08's Houston Rockets with 22. To beat the Lakers' record, the Celtics will have to win every game up through their home-and-home with Toronto on January 11 and 12.
Finally, their one-way magic number against the Nets (currently 2nd in their division) is 41 out of a total of 107 games. So if 38.3% of those games result in a Celtics win or a Nets loss, Boston wins the division. Wow.
Well these days the Bruins are 2nd in the NHL in pts. They have scored more goals than any other team, and they've allowed fewer goals than any other team.
But as all Bostonians (?) know, the Bruins are the second best Boston team in session right now. The Celtics are 27-2 after winning their 19th consecutive game. (Who'd have thought the Patriots would be third, not to mention they're behind Miami via tiebreaker for the division lead!)
So I figured I'd do the work, and I found that the feat ties them with none other than the Los Angeles Lakers for 4th all time. The Celtics play the Lakers in their next game.
Upping the ante, the Lakers also hold the record for the most consecutive games won. In the 1971-72 season, the Chamberlain-led team won on November 5 and didn't lose until January 9, for a total of 33 games and good for a 50% longer streak than the second place team, 2007-08's Houston Rockets with 22. To beat the Lakers' record, the Celtics will have to win every game up through their home-and-home with Toronto on January 11 and 12.
Finally, their one-way magic number against the Nets (currently 2nd in their division) is 41 out of a total of 107 games. So if 38.3% of those games result in a Celtics win or a Nets loss, Boston wins the division. Wow.
Obama team probe of Obama team finds no Obama team impropriety
At the risk of seeming somewhat critical of Obama on something, I must say I pretty much liked this article.
Screw you, Drudge
I've got to say - the right wing media largely deserves credit for being nicer to Obama than I was expecting (except you, Sean.)
Well, add Matt Drudge to the list. Don't know how long it'll still look like this, but despite it being increasingly apparent that Obama had nothing to do with the Blagojevich scandal in any way, Drudge Report has a black-and-white (read: menacing) photo of Obama and Blagojevich (possibly whispering?) with the headline PRESIDENT-ELECT INTERVIEWED BY PROSECUTORS.
That's not helping this country, dude.
Well, add Matt Drudge to the list. Don't know how long it'll still look like this, but despite it being increasingly apparent that Obama had nothing to do with the Blagojevich scandal in any way, Drudge Report has a black-and-white (read: menacing) photo of Obama and Blagojevich (possibly whispering?) with the headline PRESIDENT-ELECT INTERVIEWED BY PROSECUTORS.
That's not helping this country, dude.
To punt or not to punt?
When I read that some whacko high school football coach in Arkansas decided to stop punting for the year, I was a taken back a little.
As I read down the article, however, I came to find he's got a mind for probability and a Class 5A State Championship.
As I read down the article, however, I came to find he's got a mind for probability and a Class 5A State Championship.
A new sin tax
To begin: "A study by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest showed that soft drinks were the single biggest contributor to calories in the American diet [...]"
That's right, soda beat out meat, starches, grains, fruits, and vegetables; it beat candy, cookies, and cakes. That quotation makes me feel uncomfortable drinking a soda, even if I am able to ignore the various environmental reasons for avoiding the drinks (e.g. creation of plastic bottles and draining of aquifers near bottling plants, particularly in impoverished areas in other countries (e.g. India)).
Now it seems as if Gov. Patterson is trying to change this frustrating/disgusting consumption pattern. Under Patterson's new budget plan for 2009, "[...] consumers will have to pay an 18% tax on non-diet sodas and sugary drinks." Obviously this faces resistance from drink companies and the American Beverage Association, but I am all for this policy. Sin taxes are (or at least should be) designed to discourage behavior that has a demonstrable negative effect on the person or a negative spillover effect on the community as a whole (e.g. soda leads to obesity which raises all health care costs). I think that taxing what largely amounts to a luxury good as a manner of both improving the overall level of health in the community and as a budget deficit filler is a fantastic idea. I would love to see the price of soda skyrocket to the point where it becomes as unappealing to consumers as its lasting effects are to those who actually study these effects.
Also, I have no qualms about the fact that this policy is regressive. Poverty is highly correlated with (and sometimes causally linked to) obesity, which is also causally related to soda consumption. At this point soda needs to be made a less appealing option so that money spent on calories is directed at the (slightly) healthier available alternatives as economic pressures force people to buy cheaper foods. I know that the healthy foods are the expensive foods, so it is all the more important that we push people toward the healthier end of their available consumption spectrum as their available spectrum shifts to a lower dollar level. We can take this recession and use it as a tool to shift preferences so that they take into account the true cost of the decision to drink soda. Basically, if we can get poor people to make healthy decisions we will be taking a lot of the burden off our health care system, which helps everyone and will hopefully create a positive-feedback loop that leads to lower levels of poverty (as, say, total time out of work due to poor medical treatment declines).
In the end I am actually also just happy to have another, better excuse to quit drinking soda. I hope that was coherent; I am very cold and it is pretty early.
That's right, soda beat out meat, starches, grains, fruits, and vegetables; it beat candy, cookies, and cakes. That quotation makes me feel uncomfortable drinking a soda, even if I am able to ignore the various environmental reasons for avoiding the drinks (e.g. creation of plastic bottles and draining of aquifers near bottling plants, particularly in impoverished areas in other countries (e.g. India)).
Now it seems as if Gov. Patterson is trying to change this frustrating/disgusting consumption pattern. Under Patterson's new budget plan for 2009, "[...] consumers will have to pay an 18% tax on non-diet sodas and sugary drinks." Obviously this faces resistance from drink companies and the American Beverage Association, but I am all for this policy. Sin taxes are (or at least should be) designed to discourage behavior that has a demonstrable negative effect on the person or a negative spillover effect on the community as a whole (e.g. soda leads to obesity which raises all health care costs). I think that taxing what largely amounts to a luxury good as a manner of both improving the overall level of health in the community and as a budget deficit filler is a fantastic idea. I would love to see the price of soda skyrocket to the point where it becomes as unappealing to consumers as its lasting effects are to those who actually study these effects.
Also, I have no qualms about the fact that this policy is regressive. Poverty is highly correlated with (and sometimes causally linked to) obesity, which is also causally related to soda consumption. At this point soda needs to be made a less appealing option so that money spent on calories is directed at the (slightly) healthier available alternatives as economic pressures force people to buy cheaper foods. I know that the healthy foods are the expensive foods, so it is all the more important that we push people toward the healthier end of their available consumption spectrum as their available spectrum shifts to a lower dollar level. We can take this recession and use it as a tool to shift preferences so that they take into account the true cost of the decision to drink soda. Basically, if we can get poor people to make healthy decisions we will be taking a lot of the burden off our health care system, which helps everyone and will hopefully create a positive-feedback loop that leads to lower levels of poverty (as, say, total time out of work due to poor medical treatment declines).
In the end I am actually also just happy to have another, better excuse to quit drinking soda. I hope that was coherent; I am very cold and it is pretty early.
December 23, 2008
Dangling Modifiers
I'll keep it short: I read this blurb in NYT about dangling modifiers ("As the Blues forward tried to deflect the puck past the goalie, he snatched it with his glove.").
Hardly any time at all later, I read this article at HuffPo, which began with this sentence:
"A friend of French money manager Thierry de la Villehuchet told a paper that he committed suicide in his New York office early Tuesday morning."
Wow. I've never heard anyone report their suicide to a newspaper before.
Hardly any time at all later, I read this article at HuffPo, which began with this sentence:
"A friend of French money manager Thierry de la Villehuchet told a paper that he committed suicide in his New York office early Tuesday morning."
Wow. I've never heard anyone report their suicide to a newspaper before.
Topless presidents
Huffington Post has a pretty funny slideshow of presidents without shirts on. Now, most of these pictures are fine, but I have to ask two questions: 1. Why is Nancy Reagan's top sooo low. No one wants to imagine, let alone see, what dwells under her clothing; 2. Is the former Chinese president being helped out of the water or kidnapped? In either case, what is the explanation?
Somehow Obama's and Clinton's pictures are the only ones that do not creep me out. Perhaps that is a product of my own familiarity (I can test this hypothesis by finding a topless Bush 43 picture and gauging my level of revulsion, though it would be hard to discern the basis of my disgust); perhaps they are not the physical monsters that many presidents have been (Taft, I am looking in your direction). Whatever the reason, I am glad that we do not have to see Reagan without a shirt ever again.
Somehow Obama's and Clinton's pictures are the only ones that do not creep me out. Perhaps that is a product of my own familiarity (I can test this hypothesis by finding a topless Bush 43 picture and gauging my level of revulsion, though it would be hard to discern the basis of my disgust); perhaps they are not the physical monsters that many presidents have been (Taft, I am looking in your direction). Whatever the reason, I am glad that we do not have to see Reagan without a shirt ever again.
Notes on Congress
CQ politics has a really cool tool that for each Congressman shows the proportion of the time they (1) voted with the president, (2) voted with their party, (3) voted at all.
No senator voted with the president less often than Ted Kennedy. Interestingly, no senator voted with the president more often than John McCain. The two senators from Maine, both Republicans, were the least loyal senators to their party.
Of those not campaigning (or cancerous), Senate artifacts Robert Byrd and Daniel Inouye (71 combined years in the Senate) missed the most votes.
********************************
In other news, it's already been a big deal that Vietnamese Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao brought down uber-corrupt William Jefferson (try as you want, you can't add "Clinton", nor can you make a "movin' on down" joke) in Louisiana. Well, as if that wasn't enough, when a reporter asked, Cao (Anh?) said he would be interested in being a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (One Two Three). Just for reference, though others have tried, there has never been a non-black member of the CBC. There have been two black Republicans in congressional history, one was a member of the caucus (and generated frequent controversy) and the other declined to join.
And if that's still not enough for you, just enjoy what my current Congressman is bringing to race relations.
No senator voted with the president less often than Ted Kennedy. Interestingly, no senator voted with the president more often than John McCain. The two senators from Maine, both Republicans, were the least loyal senators to their party.
Of those not campaigning (or cancerous), Senate artifacts Robert Byrd and Daniel Inouye (71 combined years in the Senate) missed the most votes.
********************************
In other news, it's already been a big deal that Vietnamese Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao brought down uber-corrupt William Jefferson (try as you want, you can't add "Clinton", nor can you make a "movin' on down" joke) in Louisiana. Well, as if that wasn't enough, when a reporter asked, Cao (Anh?) said he would be interested in being a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (One Two Three). Just for reference, though others have tried, there has never been a non-black member of the CBC. There have been two black Republicans in congressional history, one was a member of the caucus (and generated frequent controversy) and the other declined to join.
And if that's still not enough for you, just enjoy what my current Congressman is bringing to race relations.
December 22, 2008
Wow, outsourcing is unpopular
A group of my coworkers just gathered around one of the cubes to give our AA a Christmas gift. When we found out that one of the people they all know (financial industries seem to be rather incestuous) had just gotten laid off, the conversation eventually ended up on outsourcing.
Now, I understand that, to a greater degree than anything I can think of, outsourcing typifies the NIMBY problem. So it's not surprising that economists love it and the people hate it.
(Let me say quickly that my underestimating the unpopularity of outsourcing in the first place is why I'm writing this. I'm writing it assuming the audience is pro-outsourcing, but as I've guessed incorrectly before, speak up if you are opposed.)
Boy, was I surprised to hear them talk about it. These are all people in a consulting industry, all of whom make more money than I'm going to for a long time, and yet they could not have felt much more strongly about it. They went so far as to say that the government should not be allowed to send a single government job overseas, nor should it be allowed to do business with companies that outsource.
(My company, Buck Consultants, is owned by ACS, which does many other things but is largely an outsourcing company. As a side note to this side note, it also administers student loans, so you may actually get mail from them for that. I do, and it really confused me the first time, since I'm also an employee.)
Again, I was just really surprised by this. I wish that whenever a job got outsourced we could magically bestow the unlucky American with all the skills he needed to get a new job. Still though, there are benefits to it, and its the inevitable wave of the near-to-medium future, and not one of them showed even the slightest hesitation about their opposition.
(I was interrupted a number of times while writing this. Also, today's been one of those extra-caffeine days. If either of those things is overly apparent/distracting in my writing I apologize.)
Now, I understand that, to a greater degree than anything I can think of, outsourcing typifies the NIMBY problem. So it's not surprising that economists love it and the people hate it.
(Let me say quickly that my underestimating the unpopularity of outsourcing in the first place is why I'm writing this. I'm writing it assuming the audience is pro-outsourcing, but as I've guessed incorrectly before, speak up if you are opposed.)
Boy, was I surprised to hear them talk about it. These are all people in a consulting industry, all of whom make more money than I'm going to for a long time, and yet they could not have felt much more strongly about it. They went so far as to say that the government should not be allowed to send a single government job overseas, nor should it be allowed to do business with companies that outsource.
(My company, Buck Consultants, is owned by ACS, which does many other things but is largely an outsourcing company. As a side note to this side note, it also administers student loans, so you may actually get mail from them for that. I do, and it really confused me the first time, since I'm also an employee.)
Again, I was just really surprised by this. I wish that whenever a job got outsourced we could magically bestow the unlucky American with all the skills he needed to get a new job. Still though, there are benefits to it, and its the inevitable wave of the near-to-medium future, and not one of them showed even the slightest hesitation about their opposition.
(I was interrupted a number of times while writing this. Also, today's been one of those extra-caffeine days. If either of those things is overly apparent/distracting in my writing I apologize.)
The more things change, the more they stay the same
As always, I really liked this Christopher Buckley article in The Daily Beast. My favorite line was "the fugitive." I stared at that French phrase at the beginning for a long time trying to translate it ... once I was quite satisfied with myself I read the line that follows, only to have one of those Homer "doh" moments.
December 21, 2008
Slavery
Here's an interesting article on modern slavery and its prevalence around the world. Apparently there are now more slaves on the planet than at any time in history (though I have no idea if that is adjusted for population size/growth).
Last week was a busy week for me, but I should be back to posting regularly this week.
Last week was a busy week for me, but I should be back to posting regularly this week.
December 19, 2008
So I Guess the Question Is: How Powerful *Are* the Kennedys?
Basically, unless I'm missing something, it seems apparent that while Caroline Kennedy might not be a terrible choice for Senator, she's certainly less than ideal in a state with a number of big names (with big qualifications) who also want the seat. I just don't see any way that the governor's best choice is to appoint her.
Unless, of course, being a Kennedy somehow gives her special leverage over the governor. While this is certainly possible, I'm not sure I really see it ... though it is difficult to imagine someone saying "no" to the Kennedys without there being any ramifications.
So I don't know. Thoughts?
Unless, of course, being a Kennedy somehow gives her special leverage over the governor. While this is certainly possible, I'm not sure I really see it ... though it is difficult to imagine someone saying "no" to the Kennedys without there being any ramifications.
So I don't know. Thoughts?
Seven Pounds
Curious about movies coming out and how good they are, I decided to check out some reviews this morning. One that stood out (I'm not even done) was Will Smith's Seven Pounds, which all-in-all got average reviews. One review that was not average, however, was A.O. Scott's review in The New York Times:
"Frankly, though, I don’t see how any review could really spoil what may be among the most transcendently, eye-poppingly, call-your-friend-ranting-in-the-middle-of-the-night-just-to-go-over-it-one-more-time crazily awful motion pictures ever made. I would tell you to go out and see it for yourself, but you might take that as a recommendation rather than a plea for corroboration."
UPDATE: On the other hand, The Wrestler got astoundingly good reviews. (Yahoo, RT)
"Frankly, though, I don’t see how any review could really spoil what may be among the most transcendently, eye-poppingly, call-your-friend-ranting-in-the-middle-of-the-night-just-to-go-over-it-one-more-time crazily awful motion pictures ever made. I would tell you to go out and see it for yourself, but you might take that as a recommendation rather than a plea for corroboration."
UPDATE: On the other hand, The Wrestler got astoundingly good reviews. (Yahoo, RT)
Bristol's in the news
Her future mother-in-law got nailed with six felony drug charges by an undercover operation. Also, apparently, Bristol is due tomorrow.
December 18, 2008
I Still Hate Sean Hannity
Yesterday on Radio Show (paraphrase):
And now we hear that Rahm Emanuel is on the tapes having 21 phone calls with Governor Blagojevich! And they won't tell us what's on the tapes. But we know Rahmbo is a bitter partisan Clinton-era official, and since they won't tell us what's on the tapes, it's seems pretty clear that he was willing to play with the governor's scheme.
Today on Radio Show (paraphrase):
And now we hear that there's hardly anything incriminating at all on the tapes, and that the usually-bitter Rahmbo was calm and straightforward! And this is just more Clinton-era politics, folks. First the scandal breaks and they make it seem as huge and incriminating as possible, and then when things aren't so bad, nobody pays attention. The Clintons did it to us before, and now their acolytes are at it again!
(almost without a pause to think)
And now there's one more question. We need to know what Obama knew and when he knew it. He has not gone on record about this whole thing and we the American people cannot stand for what he and liberal friends are trying to do to corrupt Washington.
*******************
All smartassery aside, I really don't know how you live with yourself, even if you take the angle that you're playing a character on the radio. This is obscene.
And now we hear that Rahm Emanuel is on the tapes having 21 phone calls with Governor Blagojevich! And they won't tell us what's on the tapes. But we know Rahmbo is a bitter partisan Clinton-era official, and since they won't tell us what's on the tapes, it's seems pretty clear that he was willing to play with the governor's scheme.
Today on Radio Show (paraphrase):
And now we hear that there's hardly anything incriminating at all on the tapes, and that the usually-bitter Rahmbo was calm and straightforward! And this is just more Clinton-era politics, folks. First the scandal breaks and they make it seem as huge and incriminating as possible, and then when things aren't so bad, nobody pays attention. The Clintons did it to us before, and now their acolytes are at it again!
(almost without a pause to think)
And now there's one more question. We need to know what Obama knew and when he knew it. He has not gone on record about this whole thing and we the American people cannot stand for what he and liberal friends are trying to do to corrupt Washington.
*******************
All smartassery aside, I really don't know how you live with yourself, even if you take the angle that you're playing a character on the radio. This is obscene.
December 17, 2008
Law and Adultery
A prominent South Korean actress has been found guilty of adultery and sentenced to a suspended six-month jail sentence, apparently meaning she won't have to actually serve the time.
This reminds me of an argument I don't often get to have. I have no problem with adultery being illegal.
Now let me say first that I don't think it should be treated as a criminal matter at all and the idea of serving jail time for adultery is ludicrous. Nonetheless, marriage is a binding legal contract and, like all contracts, the involved parties should be liable if the contract is broken.
Now, I have no idea how this plays out in court. It could very well be that cheating spouses get shafted in divorce proceedings. Either way, I take the typically-unpopular stance that I don't have a problem with laws on adultery.
PS - South Korea? Really? You guys can't be pulling that 18th century crap anymore if you want to be part of the real developed world.
This reminds me of an argument I don't often get to have. I have no problem with adultery being illegal.
Now let me say first that I don't think it should be treated as a criminal matter at all and the idea of serving jail time for adultery is ludicrous. Nonetheless, marriage is a binding legal contract and, like all contracts, the involved parties should be liable if the contract is broken.
Now, I have no idea how this plays out in court. It could very well be that cheating spouses get shafted in divorce proceedings. Either way, I take the typically-unpopular stance that I don't have a problem with laws on adultery.
PS - South Korea? Really? You guys can't be pulling that 18th century crap anymore if you want to be part of the real developed world.
Good Article on Economy
There's nothing particularly outstanding about the content of this article, but as I read it, I realized I wish all economic articles were written this way. It assumes the reader doesn't have a Ph.D. in economics but is smart enough to grasp an outline of the ideas. I really appreciate that, and apparently I'm not alone in wishing more articles struck the balance.
December 16, 2008
More cities I wouldn't have expected
King of Prussia, PA
In other news, I apparently am descended from Prussian royalty. Yeah, that worked out pretty well.
In other news, I apparently am descended from Prussian royalty. Yeah, that worked out pretty well.
News and Notes
I'm sure you've thought to yourself before how annoying (and similar) the "extreme" graphics employed by CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News are. Well, if you've ever thought the same thing about their sound effects, you're not alone.
In other news, the Arena Football League is cancelling its 2009 season. It was, however, quick to point out that it is cancelling only the 2009 season. Here's my favorite quotation: "This is the farthest thing from the league folding. This is, in my opinion, just showing us the league will not fold."
Finally, despite my knowledge that it is grammatically imperative to use the word "quotation" where I did above, I felt like losing part of my soul for not using the more conversational "quote."
In other news, the Arena Football League is cancelling its 2009 season. It was, however, quick to point out that it is cancelling only the 2009 season. Here's my favorite quotation: "This is the farthest thing from the league folding. This is, in my opinion, just showing us the league will not fold."
Finally, despite my knowledge that it is grammatically imperative to use the word "quotation" where I did above, I felt like losing part of my soul for not using the more conversational "quote."
December 15, 2008
NY budget
So I know very, very little about NY State politics, so I could be way off-base here, but Governor Paterson's plan to balance the budget sounds like bullshit to me. Higher sales taxes, higher fees in state parks, higher tuition to CUNY and SUNY, cuts in government aid to education, Medicaid, and public employees' benefits...and no income tax increase on the highest income bracket.
I have no idea whether there was a better way or or his hands are tied, but it doesn't feel good...
I have no idea whether there was a better way or or his hands are tied, but it doesn't feel good...
December 13, 2008
He's gone
Hall & Oates did a great tribute to Alan Colmes (who's leaving Hannity & Colmes this year) on Thursday's TDS in a reworked version of "She's Gone." I thought the lyrics were worth posting:
Anytime you need a token liberal
Nothin' but a body to fill a chair
The barest shadow of a person
Alan Colmes is always there.
But all those years of non-existence
Can really run a person down.
Now he's leaving Hannity forever
Alan, please don't go!
You're the only non-douchebag on that show
He's gone. Bye bye,
Oh why
He was the Tango to his cash
And he's gone.
Oh why
To the extent
That I hadn't noticed he was there
But he's gone.
Oh why
What went wrong?
He's gone. Bye bye
Oh why?
He was the Laurel to his Hardy
He's gone
To spend
More time
Not being seen with his family
He's gone
What went wrong?
The Year in Ideas
I love the yearly issue of NYT Magazine that contains the "Year in Ideas." Some of these are pretty amazing. Enjoy.
December 12, 2008
Two Bailout Proposals
OK, so I didn't even read the first one. It apparently says that only two automakers should get bailout money, based on whoever will bid the lowest price. More interesting than the idea? The source. What's Eliot Spitzer doing back in the news?
Another idea ... Why do the taxpayers have to cough up this dough? How about the government does a 401(k)-style match, essentially a subsidy for investing in the automakers specifically, so that most of the money is still coming in from the private sector? Administratively complicated, but theoretically superior, at least as far as I can tell.
Another idea ... Why do the taxpayers have to cough up this dough? How about the government does a 401(k)-style match, essentially a subsidy for investing in the automakers specifically, so that most of the money is still coming in from the private sector? Administratively complicated, but theoretically superior, at least as far as I can tell.
MN-Sen: What's going on?
So, Intrade contracts on Franken winning the election in Minnesota have held tight between 30 and 35 for about a week and a half now, which is rather remarkably consistent. In the last two hours, however, the price has shot up to very close to 50.
HuffPo has allegations about Coleman corruption all over their front page, but that wouldn't have any bearing on the election. So if anyone's got any idea about anything else that might be making this happen let me know. If it's just reaction to the allegations, well, just one more bit of evidence that political betting markets aren't efficient.
HuffPo has allegations about Coleman corruption all over their front page, but that wouldn't have any bearing on the election. So if anyone's got any idea about anything else that might be making this happen let me know. If it's just reaction to the allegations, well, just one more bit of evidence that political betting markets aren't efficient.
Well that didn't take long ...
"Hey, you think we've waited long enough? Can we start calling our opponents un-American now that we've got the power?"
"Long enough? Jenny, we just won the election. Like, barely a month ago. I mean, hell, we haven't even taken office yet. There's still only 51 Democrats in the Senate and there's still a Texan in the White House. I'm not sure that counts as 'waiting'."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But this auto bailout thing - I really want it! I can't believe I have to wait even longer. This is totally unfair!"
"Dude, you can just wait a month and then we'll be in power."
"But I want it now! You know what? Screw it, I'm calling the Republicans un-American."
"No! You can't do that! That'll make us look just like those oth- ... too late."
"Long enough? Jenny, we just won the election. Like, barely a month ago. I mean, hell, we haven't even taken office yet. There's still only 51 Democrats in the Senate and there's still a Texan in the White House. I'm not sure that counts as 'waiting'."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But this auto bailout thing - I really want it! I can't believe I have to wait even longer. This is totally unfair!"
"Dude, you can just wait a month and then we'll be in power."
"But I want it now! You know what? Screw it, I'm calling the Republicans un-American."
"No! You can't do that! That'll make us look just like those oth- ... too late."
"Inhaling Fear"
...is the title of a NYTimes op-ed today (side note: "a NYTimes" or "an NYTimes"? the latter sounds right to me (thanks to vowel sound at the beginning of the pronunciation of the letter "N"), but, N being a consonant, I though maybe it should be the former...).
Anyway, it's about how brain studies have shown that anti-smoking ads actually lead people to crave a cigarette more and how anti-smoking efforts should be reformed.
I don't know how to fix this, because I don't really understand why people smoke at all (because it's relaxing and looks cool, of course, but the health risks just seem so obviously a deal-breaker, for me), and I don't even know if it's the government's place to tell people not to do something that's legal. Acccording to the op-ed, they're using money from a Big Tobacco settlement on these ads, which is better than taxpayer money, but are public funds being used for similar campaigns, like encouraging kids to exercise? I'm not really cool with that (despite the fact that I obivously think that children should exercise and not smoke cigarettes).
Anyway, it's about how brain studies have shown that anti-smoking ads actually lead people to crave a cigarette more and how anti-smoking efforts should be reformed.
I don't know how to fix this, because I don't really understand why people smoke at all (because it's relaxing and looks cool, of course, but the health risks just seem so obviously a deal-breaker, for me), and I don't even know if it's the government's place to tell people not to do something that's legal. Acccording to the op-ed, they're using money from a Big Tobacco settlement on these ads, which is better than taxpayer money, but are public funds being used for similar campaigns, like encouraging kids to exercise? I'm not really cool with that (despite the fact that I obivously think that children should exercise and not smoke cigarettes).
And I couldn't have said it better
OK, so it appears that the aforementioned constitutional crisis, wherein Hillary Clinton would be ineligible to be Secretary of State because she was in Congress when Congress gave the position a pay raise, has been averted. And I couldn't have said it better myself:
"She’ll make $4,700 less per year than the current black Secretary of State, because that’s how Barack Obama’s America rolls."
"She’ll make $4,700 less per year than the current black Secretary of State, because that’s how Barack Obama’s America rolls."
Cynical Politics?
OK, so it's possible I'm just being overly political here, but do you think it stands to reason that Barack Obama appointed Janet Napolitano to DHS as an olive branch to John McCain, as it removes a very large (and really the only) challenger to his Senate seat in 2010? Just a thought ...
December 11, 2008
I try to get out, but they just pull me back in.
GMail just introduced some pretty great new features. Not only does AIM now integrate with GChat, but now GMail supports Tasks. It really is upsetting how happy these features make me.
December 10, 2008
Blagojevich Update: Jesse Jackson, Jr.
As you've probably heard by now, Jackson is allegedly implicated in the tapes as being willing to pay for the Senate seat in question. If so, a potentially enormous political career has ended before it even begun.
Quick Thought on NY-Sen
Hillary's Senate seat is also open to a gubernatorial appointment. While speculation flies fast that Governor Patterson is looking to Caroline Kennedy, I for one do not buy this at all. NY has plenty of good candidates and she just doesn't seem like the Senate type. Notably, Patterson has more or less said he doesn't want to appoint a white male from NYC ... Carolyn Maloney has been endorsed by "Women's groups" according to electoral-vote.com. Also there's Andrew Cuomo, but this guy on NPR just said Patterson doesn't want to give him the seat (competition for him?)
GoogleWatch continues!
Here's the latest information on trends in searches on Google. Nothing mind blowing, but the list did introduce me to a few things I had never heard of (e.g. Tuenti, a Spanish-language equivalent of Facebook).
I mean what if 'Cloverfield' happened, right?
(as an aside, I really liked the first half or so of that movie, which was about what this post concerns - "what if you were just living your life, at a party or whatever, when all of a sudden real shit starting going down?" - but I wasn't so crazy about the whole alien/monster thing).
Anyway, Carly should really be writing this post, as she knows more than I do about this stuff, but our conversation about it yesterday sparked me. I don't have any real insight, just questions: What kind of "major disaster" should we be worried about? How should we prepare? Whose responsibility is it to help protect us, and they preparing effectively?
Some peoples' answers to these and other questions are in these articles:
A report on "Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism," courtesy of Carly
An op-ed about how to distribute the Anthrax vaccine, should there be another attack
The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism's report, saying there probably will be, and it will be soon
A discussion of how to protect people in fancy hotels in dangerous places, in the wake of the Mumbai attacks
Anyway, Carly should really be writing this post, as she knows more than I do about this stuff, but our conversation about it yesterday sparked me. I don't have any real insight, just questions: What kind of "major disaster" should we be worried about? How should we prepare? Whose responsibility is it to help protect us, and they preparing effectively?
Some peoples' answers to these and other questions are in these articles:
A report on "Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism," courtesy of Carly
An op-ed about how to distribute the Anthrax vaccine, should there be another attack
The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism's report, saying there probably will be, and it will be soon
A discussion of how to protect people in fancy hotels in dangerous places, in the wake of the Mumbai attacks
Homework
OK I need your help. I've basically got the go-ahead to implement some sort of voluntary office competition, in which whoever reduces their utility bills the most wins a prize.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to out-do all of the logistical complications. First, you obviously have to go by percentage since we don't all live in the same-sized houses. But do you go month-by-month? If so, I could write off every other month by putting my heat on 85 degrees and easily winning the following month. And creating a baseline represents difficulties ... ideally we would compare all the bills for 12 months of 2009 to 12 months of 2008, but that's too administratively complex.
So I'm throwing my hands up. Ideas?
Unfortunately, I have not been able to out-do all of the logistical complications. First, you obviously have to go by percentage since we don't all live in the same-sized houses. But do you go month-by-month? If so, I could write off every other month by putting my heat on 85 degrees and easily winning the following month. And creating a baseline represents difficulties ... ideally we would compare all the bills for 12 months of 2009 to 12 months of 2008, but that's too administratively complex.
So I'm throwing my hands up. Ideas?
This is pathetic.
Apparently MSNBC chose to play the same footage of five Blackwater contractors walking across the street fifty-four times in fifteen minutes. That is correct: 54 in 15. That would be 3.6 plays per minutes, or one play every 16 2/3 seconds.
The most frustrating part of this for me is that I know this happens all the time. Watching TV news is unbearable because the repetition and simplification is so drastic and blatant. This is really not okay.
The most frustrating part of this for me is that I know this happens all the time. Watching TV news is unbearable because the repetition and simplification is so drastic and blatant. This is really not okay.
What is the Republican Party to do? (Part 47)
If you remember my superboring lecture way back in the day, I compared the left-right spectrum of politics to ice cream stands along a beach.
Looking at the senate, let's start from the left. First off, there's a lot of Democrats. Secondly, there's quite a spectrum of them. There's your Schumers and Kennedys, sure, but there are also Landrieus and Byrds. So let's imagine that the Democrats start at the far left (say point 0) and extend halfway over (point 50).
The Republicans? Well, there's not very many, as you know, and you may also know that the Republican senators who lost were pretty moderate. The ones left are much more often the DeMints and the Chamblisses of the world. So if you start at the far right (point 100) and extend left, you'd probably only go, say, 30 points over (to point 70).
This leaves a 20-pt gap (again, everything is obviously quite arbitrary) from points 50-70 that is up for grabs. I'm not sure if I've presented this in a manner that makes any sense, but if so, you'll see that the Republicans have the option of moving to the right (and into obscurity) or taking up some of that middle, at least for now. If they don't move at least in the short run, there's gonna be a long night in store for them in November 2010.
Looking at the senate, let's start from the left. First off, there's a lot of Democrats. Secondly, there's quite a spectrum of them. There's your Schumers and Kennedys, sure, but there are also Landrieus and Byrds. So let's imagine that the Democrats start at the far left (say point 0) and extend halfway over (point 50).
The Republicans? Well, there's not very many, as you know, and you may also know that the Republican senators who lost were pretty moderate. The ones left are much more often the DeMints and the Chamblisses of the world. So if you start at the far right (point 100) and extend left, you'd probably only go, say, 30 points over (to point 70).
This leaves a 20-pt gap (again, everything is obviously quite arbitrary) from points 50-70 that is up for grabs. I'm not sure if I've presented this in a manner that makes any sense, but if so, you'll see that the Republicans have the option of moving to the right (and into obscurity) or taking up some of that middle, at least for now. If they don't move at least in the short run, there's gonna be a long night in store for them in November 2010.
Joe the Annoyer
He may still be getting publicity for the wrong reasons, but at least he is lowering his own credibility in the process.
Corruption in Government: What to Do?
Why did this all happen? In my opinion, the answer is simple.
As governor of a state like Illinois, I'm sure you frequently meet with some of the most powerful people in the country. And some of the richest. And you probably help a lot of those rich people become richer (not necessarily in corrupt ways). Yet the governor of Illinois makes a salary of $150,000, more or less. And what was he trying to get? In real terms, not very much: a position with a salary of $300,000 (and other stuff, sure, but really not that much - not a $120M no-bid contract anyway).
In one of my econ classes we studied Singapore or Hong Kong or somewhere like that, wherein government employees were given huge salary increases. The result? There was more competition for government jobs so better individuals ended up getting the positions. Also, since salaries were already high, the temptation for corruption was less because (1) it took more money to even be worth it and (2) the fear of losing one's job made it even less likely the person would want to engage in corrupt activites.
So my counter-intuitive solution is to pay these guys more. Because if one of the most powerful people in the state is only making $150,000, what else should we expect to happen?
Also, by the way, Blagojevich is under no legal pressure to resign his seat, and could even appoint a senate replacement today, should he desire.
As governor of a state like Illinois, I'm sure you frequently meet with some of the most powerful people in the country. And some of the richest. And you probably help a lot of those rich people become richer (not necessarily in corrupt ways). Yet the governor of Illinois makes a salary of $150,000, more or less. And what was he trying to get? In real terms, not very much: a position with a salary of $300,000 (and other stuff, sure, but really not that much - not a $120M no-bid contract anyway).
In one of my econ classes we studied Singapore or Hong Kong or somewhere like that, wherein government employees were given huge salary increases. The result? There was more competition for government jobs so better individuals ended up getting the positions. Also, since salaries were already high, the temptation for corruption was less because (1) it took more money to even be worth it and (2) the fear of losing one's job made it even less likely the person would want to engage in corrupt activites.
So my counter-intuitive solution is to pay these guys more. Because if one of the most powerful people in the state is only making $150,000, what else should we expect to happen?
Also, by the way, Blagojevich is under no legal pressure to resign his seat, and could even appoint a senate replacement today, should he desire.
Better version of our gameshow...
Well, I think this may be the death knell of Bush, Kennedy, or Other, our fantastic quiz show. Who (Allegedly) Said It? asks contestants to who said each phrase, Rod Blagojevich or Tony Soprano. Well done, Beast.
December 09, 2008
Stimulus/Rebate
I've heard from a number of source, not the first of which is this one, the following bailout proposal. Since the $350B left to spend in the bailout package is approximately equal to two months of federal government income, just have a two month holiday on all taxes of all forms.
This sounds totally reasonable, but the same way a flat-dollar rebate (though there were adjustments to fix this) is extremely progressive, this tax holiday would be extremely regressive. Many poor Americans pay no tax at all (and I suppose the shut off valve for taxes wouldn't take away earned income tax credits ...) and of course those who pay the most in taxes would see the most benefit. So of course conservatives are all over this but don't be fooled - it's a (thinly) veiled regression of the tax code.
This sounds totally reasonable, but the same way a flat-dollar rebate (though there were adjustments to fix this) is extremely progressive, this tax holiday would be extremely regressive. Many poor Americans pay no tax at all (and I suppose the shut off valve for taxes wouldn't take away earned income tax credits ...) and of course those who pay the most in taxes would see the most benefit. So of course conservatives are all over this but don't be fooled - it's a (thinly) veiled regression of the tax code.
My turn
OK, if Bart gets to post cute animals (which I haven't looked at yet) then, even at the risk of being that crazy guy who likes cats, I'm taking a turn, too.
These are my two cats, Pax (the tigerish one) and Rex (the pantherish one). They're both in the 8-9 month range. I swear this wasn't my intention; I needed pictures off my camera for a project, but as I was going through them (277 of 'em) I couldn't help but appreciate these few.
These are my two cats, Pax (the tigerish one) and Rex (the pantherish one). They're both in the 8-9 month range. I swear this wasn't my intention; I needed pictures off my camera for a project, but as I was going through them (277 of 'em) I couldn't help but appreciate these few.
Corruption, Part II
Rod Blagojevich, governor of Illinoise, has been arrested this morning for getting financially friendly with potential Obama Senate replacements.
Democrat Pat Quinn is temporarily in charge of the gubernatorial responsibilities.
Democrat Pat Quinn is temporarily in charge of the gubernatorial responsibilities.
Liberal Media? Perhaps so ...
It makes sense right? The media should totally follow the story of a guy if he's in Congress, making laws on behalf of his constituents, and ends up clearly guilty of accepting bribes, yet nonetheless manages to stay extremely close in his reelection bid, only to finally be declared the loser of the razor-thin election roughly a month after the fact? It's totally fair that the media follows that story, right?
Well, the media has not been doing it's job in following around Bill "Cold Hard Cash" Jefferson. Jefferson, or BCHCJ as I call him for short (not really), was finally defeated in his re-election bid in Louisiana's 2nd district. To speak to the relevance of his defeat, the Democrat was defeated in this heavily black district by none other than Vietnamese Republican (don't laugh) Anh "Joseph" Cao.
I know the bribery aspects of his story are older, but I have no idea why this guy got almost no coverage when Ted Stevens was all over the news. I guess Senators have roughly 4.35 times as much power as Representatives (though Stevens got more than 4.35 times as much coverage) and I suppose the whole 60-seat thing really drove the narrative on the Senate election this year. Either way, even very involved people I know don't know about BCHCJ, so I think the story was underreported. Either way, he lost, so hurrah to that!
Well, the media has not been doing it's job in following around Bill "Cold Hard Cash" Jefferson. Jefferson, or BCHCJ as I call him for short (not really), was finally defeated in his re-election bid in Louisiana's 2nd district. To speak to the relevance of his defeat, the Democrat was defeated in this heavily black district by none other than Vietnamese Republican (don't laugh) Anh "Joseph" Cao.
I know the bribery aspects of his story are older, but I have no idea why this guy got almost no coverage when Ted Stevens was all over the news. I guess Senators have roughly 4.35 times as much power as Representatives (though Stevens got more than 4.35 times as much coverage) and I suppose the whole 60-seat thing really drove the narrative on the Senate election this year. Either way, even very involved people I know don't know about BCHCJ, so I think the story was underreported. Either way, he lost, so hurrah to that!
December 08, 2008
Dulling the pain of being broke...
There's an article in Times blogs today about Prohibition. To tell you the truth, it's not actually that interesting, but one thing did make me think: Along with the amendment's unpopularity by '33, another factor contributing to its reversal was the revenue it would generate, in its sales and large tax, to bolster the depressed economy. This has always been one of the most convincing arguments I've heard for legalization of marijuana (not that I need to be convinced, obviously, I mean one of the most compelling things to tell people who do): legalize it, tax the shit out of it, and inject an amount of money that I can't even fathom (because I'm bad at math) into the (legal) economy. Given our current economic conditions, no time like the present...
(btw, if you guys are, I'm very interested in having a conversation about drug policy in general...)
(btw, if you guys are, I'm very interested in having a conversation about drug policy in general...)
The Democratic Senate Majority, Prisoner's Dilemma Style
Nate's got a particularly good article on how it's possible for 58 seats to be better than 59.
(In response to the article: of course, the moderate Republicans in question could work out deals with each other ahead of the vote)
(In response to the article: of course, the moderate Republicans in question could work out deals with each other ahead of the vote)
OK, so now the back-patting is legit
Anybody ever heard of this magazine anyway?
(And, for the record, I called MN-Senate for Coleman, a result that is currently trading at 69% on Intrade)
(And, for the record, I called MN-Senate for Coleman, a result that is currently trading at 69% on Intrade)
Football History
So, probably only Bart will be interested in this, but I'm working on putting an Excel spreadsheet together with a win-loss record for each team throughout its history. Long story short, Cleveland is officially regarded as being one team throughout its history. As part of the deal to move the Browns to Baltimore, Art Modell agreed to let the city keep the team's "history," so Baltimore is regarded as a 1996 expansion team and Cleveland is regarded as a 1946 expansion team that suspended operations from 1996-1998. I'd have never guessed.
Ugh
I know you're sad to see Tom Brady out this season, but at least you don't have the Rams. We've got two touchdowns in our last five games. We're also 2-0 this season when scoring 17 pts.
No Comment
It just seems so wrong.
Eh, let's double down while we're at it.
Dammit, I just realized this was my 200th post.
Eh, let's double down while we're at it.
Dammit, I just realized this was my 200th post.
"At Least He Kept Us Safe"
In this group, it's hard to imagine many missed the Peggy Noonan article last week, lobbing a Hail Mary attempt to hold on to something positive about the Bush Administration, and citing the fact that there were absolutely no terrorist attacks at all period totally zero not a single one during Bush's presidency, unlike lazy-ass Bill Clinton, who let the USS Cole (is that a book? Why am I italicizing it?) get blown up by al-Qaeda.
Anyway, of course I threw up a little in my mouth reading the original article, but I think this summary is a little more interesting than what I would have written.
(Oh, and if I hear Bill O'Reilly or Peggy Noonan make one more comment about how we should have had more regulation before the collapse I'll lose it completely)
Anyway, of course I threw up a little in my mouth reading the original article, but I think this summary is a little more interesting than what I would have written.
(Oh, and if I hear Bill O'Reilly or Peggy Noonan make one more comment about how we should have had more regulation before the collapse I'll lose it completely)
Bush's Final Days
Despite everybody being all Hopey and Changey, don't forget that one of the worst presidents in American history is still in the oval office, and for the first time since 9/11 has, in some ways, a sympathetic image, not to mention the fact that no one is watching.
Here's a mediocre but interesting "by the numbers" on his presidency.
(What struck me most was FOIA requests vs. FOIA processors over time)
The same site is also keeping a watch on his 11th hour activites.
Here's a mediocre but interesting "by the numbers" on his presidency.
(What struck me most was FOIA requests vs. FOIA processors over time)
The same site is also keeping a watch on his 11th hour activites.
December 07, 2008
An exception for servants...
Bush's new neighborhood did not allow non-whites to live there until 2000. Fantastic way to continue the legacy of a terrible presidency.
The train Nazi (Not the Nazi train)
Here's a pretty entertaining article by Christopher Buckley about how it feels to have public enforcer responsibilities fall to you. Damn free-rider problem.
I also recommend everyone check out at least a book or two of Buckley's, as the tend to be fluffy fiction with some fun laughs along the way. Thank You For Smoking is the best of his book that I have read.
I also recommend everyone check out at least a book or two of Buckley's, as the tend to be fluffy fiction with some fun laughs along the way. Thank You For Smoking is the best of his book that I have read.
December 05, 2008
Ziegler vs. Silver, Part 37
A show called The B Cast has an episode in which John Ziegler and Nate Silver debate Ziegler's recent polls that Ziegler claims prove Obama supporters are not well-informed about some of the negative aspects of Obama's past (e.g. Ayers, Wright, etc.). The episode is quite long, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. The bickering is kind of hilarious.
An interesting note on Ziegler: he was profiled in The Atlantic by David Foster Wallace in April of 2005. "Host," the profile, was later included in Ira Glass' The New Kings of Non-Fiction. I really enjoyed the descriptions of why he is a fantastic talk-radio host.
An interesting note on Ziegler: he was profiled in The Atlantic by David Foster Wallace in April of 2005. "Host," the profile, was later included in Ira Glass' The New Kings of Non-Fiction. I really enjoyed the descriptions of why he is a fantastic talk-radio host.
Animals!
None of these deserve their own post, so I decided to do a list of links. Enjoy.
The Pug Head Tilt.
The stealth cat.
Panda sneeze.
Laser kitty.
Octopus escaping through a one-inch hole.
Cute puppy howling.
Panda escape.
Raccoon steals carpet.
Best friends (duckling and puppy).
Cat eats with fork and chopsticks.
Tired cat one.
Tired cat two.
Sleepy bear in China.
Pathetic baby panda.
Puppies vs. cat.
Christian the Lion.
Jessica the Hippo.
That's all for now. My main goal was to ensure that I was not regularly posting animal videos, which can become quite annoying for the recipients. Congratulations to anyone who makes it through all of these.
The Pug Head Tilt.
The stealth cat.
Panda sneeze.
Laser kitty.
Octopus escaping through a one-inch hole.
Cute puppy howling.
Panda escape.
Raccoon steals carpet.
Best friends (duckling and puppy).
Cat eats with fork and chopsticks.
Tired cat one.
Tired cat two.
Sleepy bear in China.
Pathetic baby panda.
Puppies vs. cat.
Christian the Lion.
Jessica the Hippo.
That's all for now. My main goal was to ensure that I was not regularly posting animal videos, which can become quite annoying for the recipients. Congratulations to anyone who makes it through all of these.
As if the world didn't hate the US enough...
Well done, Burger King. Finally we can have those who have no frame of reference when it comes to hamburgers tell us which fast food brand they would buy if presented the opportunity (and enough money to make it worthwhile to spend a few dollars on US junk food). This is like having Nell judge an intellectual debate and claiming that because she can't speak English she is an impartial judge. Even if one ignores the annoying paternalism of this ad campaign it is impossible to ignore the waste that went into the production of these ads and the documentary that will premiere in a few days. Bragging about the use of "13 planes, 2 dogsleds, and 1 helicopter," comes across as ignorant and irresponsible in a time of economic difficulties and a looming energy crisis. All of that said, I hope the Whopper wins.
A Little Overzealous
Dear Missouri,
We know you feel bad. You've gotten it right all but twice since 1900, and the second time you got it wrong, it was against our generation's JFK or FDR or Jesus. That's a pretty big screw up, and we know you want to make it up.
This time, however, I think you've gone a little too far. Now, I like Barack Obama. I think he's a cool guy. And St. Louis has a decent tradition of naming stuff after presidents, like Washington University and the terribly-named Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (better known as "The Arch"). But I don't think that already naming streets for Barack Obama, let alone streets that are (1) pivotal in my life and (2) named by some crazies as one of the 10 best streets in America is the answer. I mean, you can't even say he's a better president than George W. Bush. So let's chill on the accolades and let him try governing first.
Sincerely,
Everyone except Chris Matthews
We know you feel bad. You've gotten it right all but twice since 1900, and the second time you got it wrong, it was against our generation's JFK or FDR or Jesus. That's a pretty big screw up, and we know you want to make it up.
This time, however, I think you've gone a little too far. Now, I like Barack Obama. I think he's a cool guy. And St. Louis has a decent tradition of naming stuff after presidents, like Washington University and the terribly-named Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (better known as "The Arch"). But I don't think that already naming streets for Barack Obama, let alone streets that are (1) pivotal in my life and (2) named by some crazies as one of the 10 best streets in America is the answer. I mean, you can't even say he's a better president than George W. Bush. So let's chill on the accolades and let him try governing first.
Sincerely,
Everyone except Chris Matthews
Online shopping
I am curious to find out what websites you all use to shop online. Here's my list:
BookFinder.com
Overstock.com
PriceGrabber.com
BigLots.com
Woot.com (and Wine.woot and Shirt.woot)
I also use CurrentCodes.com to seek out coupons and discounts before making any purchases. I have had great experiences with BookFinder, particularly when searching for textbooks. Overstock isn't fabulous, but it can be good. I don't know PriceGrabber and BigLots well, but have heard good things.
BookFinder.com
Overstock.com
PriceGrabber.com
BigLots.com
Woot.com (and Wine.woot and Shirt.woot)
I also use CurrentCodes.com to seek out coupons and discounts before making any purchases. I have had great experiences with BookFinder, particularly when searching for textbooks. Overstock isn't fabulous, but it can be good. I don't know PriceGrabber and BigLots well, but have heard good things.
December 04, 2008
Interesting Article
Also in reference to Colbert...written by a guest he had the other night.
Jeffrey Goldberg's The Things He Carried
It's a great article. In my "line of work" we often use airports as the benchmark for effective security. In reality, this just is not the case. We need a new approach to security, not these ineffective band aids implemented to make the general public feel better. Rather, security has to be a state of mind, embraced by all. And then maybe we can free up some of those funds for better intelligence...
Jeffrey Goldberg's The Things He Carried
It's a great article. In my "line of work" we often use airports as the benchmark for effective security. In reality, this just is not the case. We need a new approach to security, not these ineffective band aids implemented to make the general public feel better. Rather, security has to be a state of mind, embraced by all. And then maybe we can free up some of those funds for better intelligence...
Liberal media hypocrisy
So I don't know if you guys watch The Daily Show and Colbert Report as religiously as I do, but if you didn't see it you should check out last night's episode on comedycentral.com.
Firstly, there was a great, funny but half-serious Stewart/John Oliver bit about the Mumbai attacks. Just worth watching.
But then, Ariana Huffington was the guest, proving what I knew from previous interviews with her but always manage to forget: Bitch is crazy. Just crazy accent (not her doing, obviously, just adds to the effect), crazy mannerisms, crazy awkward quasi-flirting with Jon. The whole segment is essentially her call for everyone to "blog your secret passions" and, rather than mulling over and refining your random thoughts before putting them out in the world, immediately posting them on the internet. And using it to form intimate relationships without that pesky face-to-face contact. Not what I want to read, but I guess I have no real problem with people doing that, but if that's what the head of The Huffington Post considers the standard, my respect for it has lowered considerably.
But that's just her wackiness. The part I'm really pissed off at this: The night or two previous, Jon had done a great segment comparing MSNBC to Fox News (kind of obvious, but still funny and worth checking out). Chris Matthews is Bill O'Reilly, Joe Scarborough is Combs, etc., including Keith Olbermann as Sean Hannity ("partisan ideologue who fears for the world if it's in any way touched by the hands of his political enemies"). So Ariana was clearly offended by it and says something to the effect of "liberal bloggers are blogging very angrily about that." Jon seems genuinely surprised ("don't people have better things to do?"), as was I: I mean, it was a comedy bit, right? So I went to HuffPo to check it out, and indeed, people are mighty pissed that Jon defiled their god, Olbermann, but putting him the same sentence with the devil, Hannity.
I hate Hannity as much as anyone - more for being an ignorant asshole than a conservative - and I tend to agree with Olbermann's positions more often, but Jon's assessment was correct: they're both over-the-top partisan ideologues. And this is the part that pisses me off: All over liberal blogs, especially HuffPo, and even in real-life conversation, I hear people blasting Bill O'Reilly, Fox, & Co. for their spin tactics, selective information, and misleading, out-of-context quotations, and lauding Olbermann as a hero. He's exactly the same, just on the other side. It frustrates me to no end that these people hide behind the argument of journalistic integrity, when that's clearly not what's important to them - it just sounds better than "he's a jerk whom I disagree with."
Ok, sorry, this has turned into a rant. But I find lack of logic among the people I agree with much more frightening than any amount of power, misinformation, or pure evil in the hands of those I don't.
Firstly, there was a great, funny but half-serious Stewart/John Oliver bit about the Mumbai attacks. Just worth watching.
But then, Ariana Huffington was the guest, proving what I knew from previous interviews with her but always manage to forget: Bitch is crazy. Just crazy accent (not her doing, obviously, just adds to the effect), crazy mannerisms, crazy awkward quasi-flirting with Jon. The whole segment is essentially her call for everyone to "blog your secret passions" and, rather than mulling over and refining your random thoughts before putting them out in the world, immediately posting them on the internet. And using it to form intimate relationships without that pesky face-to-face contact. Not what I want to read, but I guess I have no real problem with people doing that, but if that's what the head of The Huffington Post considers the standard, my respect for it has lowered considerably.
But that's just her wackiness. The part I'm really pissed off at this: The night or two previous, Jon had done a great segment comparing MSNBC to Fox News (kind of obvious, but still funny and worth checking out). Chris Matthews is Bill O'Reilly, Joe Scarborough is Combs, etc., including Keith Olbermann as Sean Hannity ("partisan ideologue who fears for the world if it's in any way touched by the hands of his political enemies"). So Ariana was clearly offended by it and says something to the effect of "liberal bloggers are blogging very angrily about that." Jon seems genuinely surprised ("don't people have better things to do?"), as was I: I mean, it was a comedy bit, right? So I went to HuffPo to check it out, and indeed, people are mighty pissed that Jon defiled their god, Olbermann, but putting him the same sentence with the devil, Hannity.
I hate Hannity as much as anyone - more for being an ignorant asshole than a conservative - and I tend to agree with Olbermann's positions more often, but Jon's assessment was correct: they're both over-the-top partisan ideologues. And this is the part that pisses me off: All over liberal blogs, especially HuffPo, and even in real-life conversation, I hear people blasting Bill O'Reilly, Fox, & Co. for their spin tactics, selective information, and misleading, out-of-context quotations, and lauding Olbermann as a hero. He's exactly the same, just on the other side. It frustrates me to no end that these people hide behind the argument of journalistic integrity, when that's clearly not what's important to them - it just sounds better than "he's a jerk whom I disagree with."
Ok, sorry, this has turned into a rant. But I find lack of logic among the people I agree with much more frightening than any amount of power, misinformation, or pure evil in the hands of those I don't.
King of Kong
Saw this movie again last night. Didn't like it the first time - not sure why. It was great the second time. I think maybe some of you saw it. It's a documentary about the Donkey Kong high score record and I thought it was a scripted mockumentary for a while, but it's all true. Anyway, aside from that I saw that one of the guys in the film broke 16 arcade video game records in one day in 2007. That is just amazing.
Beards!
I highly recommend everyone check out the slightly disturbing Daily Beast article that includes a gallery of Obama with beards of different styles.
And for those of you uninformed on the matter of beards I submit The World Beard and Moustache Championships.
And for those of you uninformed on the matter of beards I submit The World Beard and Moustache Championships.
Quick Links
Life is putting a whole bunch of pictures on Google. Some say these pictures are "important" or "historical."
Minnesota recount data. With 98.67% recounted, Franken leads Coleman 1,188,736 to 1,177,465. In my mind this is a lead of 11,271 votes, but since no media outlet is reporting it that way, I must be missing something.
Presidential portrait morph. Exactly what it sounds like.
Eisenhower's Wiki article. Random, I know, but I'm reading it. Did you know his grandson married Nixon's daughter? Because I didn't.
There's lots of cute animals on the internet, but this is the most endearing thing I've ever seen involving pets.
Minnesota recount data. With 98.67% recounted, Franken leads Coleman 1,188,736 to 1,177,465. In my mind this is a lead of 11,271 votes, but since no media outlet is reporting it that way, I must be missing something.
Presidential portrait morph. Exactly what it sounds like.
Eisenhower's Wiki article. Random, I know, but I'm reading it. Did you know his grandson married Nixon's daughter? Because I didn't.
There's lots of cute animals on the internet, but this is the most endearing thing I've ever seen involving pets.
December 03, 2008
Fairness Doctrine
A little anti-climactic here ... I just read an article or two about it (one was in the LA Times) and it seems this is largely the right wing presenting a straw man in which they try to scare their audience with these terrible things the Democrats will do that they really don't seem too interested in (although the LAT article did say Chuck Schumer was for it - eww.)
Why do we have the USPS?
(Wiki - USPS)
Excuse me if my thoughts are disorganized.
OK, so according to Wiki, USPS is the 3rd-largest employer in the United States (I thought it was first). While there are of course costs to the sender of a regular piece of first-class mail, the essential mission of the USPS is to provide daily delivery of mail to every U.S. citizen for free.
This doesn't make any sense.
Let me put it another way. If you had to pay the actual cost to receive your mail every day, would you? For most people, three times a week would probably be plenty.
And then there's another issue. Let's imagine Mike in Montana who lives five miles from his nearest neighbor, and Nick from New York City who lives in a 50-story high rise. Let's assume that every American in the country receives daily mail service except these two. What is the cost facing the postal service to start delivering to Mike? To Nick? It's clearly ludicrous that these two have the same access to mail delivery for the same price.
Now, I'll be honest - a lot of my frustration has come from the fact that clearly taxpayers are paying a huge price for this service to which many are probably indifferent (at least in terms of getting mail 1-3 times a week instead of six). The Wiki article, however, seems to imply that it operates independently of the government, although this was also true of Fannie and Freddie, in that no taxpayer money went directly into the company, but that taxpayers implicitly held responsibilities if their liabilities got out of hand, which is exactly what happened. So I don't know to what extent it is the case that we all have to subsidize this service, but what I do know is that it is by government mandate that USPS, no matter how private or public it is, must deliver mail every day, and that from a cost-benefit perspective, this is clearly ludicrous.
I hope this ended up cohesive, albeit rambly and lacking a conclusion.
PS - I understand, and am not opposed to, government-guaranteed mail service for the 19th century and even parts of the 20th. Also, I guess in the back of my mind when I think about this stuff is "for what reason is it better to have USPS do Task X than to have FedEx or UPS do it?"
Excuse me if my thoughts are disorganized.
OK, so according to Wiki, USPS is the 3rd-largest employer in the United States (I thought it was first). While there are of course costs to the sender of a regular piece of first-class mail, the essential mission of the USPS is to provide daily delivery of mail to every U.S. citizen for free.
This doesn't make any sense.
Let me put it another way. If you had to pay the actual cost to receive your mail every day, would you? For most people, three times a week would probably be plenty.
And then there's another issue. Let's imagine Mike in Montana who lives five miles from his nearest neighbor, and Nick from New York City who lives in a 50-story high rise. Let's assume that every American in the country receives daily mail service except these two. What is the cost facing the postal service to start delivering to Mike? To Nick? It's clearly ludicrous that these two have the same access to mail delivery for the same price.
Now, I'll be honest - a lot of my frustration has come from the fact that clearly taxpayers are paying a huge price for this service to which many are probably indifferent (at least in terms of getting mail 1-3 times a week instead of six). The Wiki article, however, seems to imply that it operates independently of the government, although this was also true of Fannie and Freddie, in that no taxpayer money went directly into the company, but that taxpayers implicitly held responsibilities if their liabilities got out of hand, which is exactly what happened. So I don't know to what extent it is the case that we all have to subsidize this service, but what I do know is that it is by government mandate that USPS, no matter how private or public it is, must deliver mail every day, and that from a cost-benefit perspective, this is clearly ludicrous.
I hope this ended up cohesive, albeit rambly and lacking a conclusion.
PS - I understand, and am not opposed to, government-guaranteed mail service for the 19th century and even parts of the 20th. Also, I guess in the back of my mind when I think about this stuff is "for what reason is it better to have USPS do Task X than to have FedEx or UPS do it?"
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
"Swedish researchers presented evidence that the brain, when tricked by optical and sensory illusions, can quickly adopt any other human form, no matter how different, as its own."
Basically, they use VR and the power of suggestion to "trick" people into believing they're in another body - to the point that the subjects actually flinch when the external body is poked.
Pretty cool.
Basically, they use VR and the power of suggestion to "trick" people into believing they're in another body - to the point that the subjects actually flinch when the external body is poked.
Pretty cool.
Best reporting ever.
Apparently it is not hard for one to steal skyscrapers in New York (at least temporarily). Seriously. The Daily News stole the Empire State Building in about an hour and a half.
Well done, shitty newspaper.
Well done, shitty newspaper.
The Big Three Killed My Baby
Reason 8,756 I love The White Stripes: Occasionally topical songs! (Very rare, as Jack White doesn't believe in political music as an effective means of creating change.)
"The Big Three Killed My Baby" is a song that rips into the Big Three, with some fairly entertaining lines like, "Better ideas are stuck in the mud," and, "Don't let 'em tell you the future's electric/ 'cause gasoline's not measured in metric."
If you would like the song just email me.
Lyrics:
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobodys coming home again
Their ideas make me wanna spit
A hundred dollars goes down the pit
Thirty-thousand wheels a rollin
And my stick shift hands are swollen
Everything involved is shady
The big three killed my baby yeah yeah yeah
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobodys comin home again
Why don't cha take the day off and try to repair
A billion others don't seem to care
Better ideas are stuck in the mud
The motor's runnin on tucker's blood
Don't let 'em tell you the future's electric
'cause gasoline's not measured in metric
Thirty-thousand wheels a spinnin
And oil company faces are grinnin
And now my hand are turnin red
And i found out my baby is dead yeah yeah yeah
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin home again
Well i've said it now
Nothings changed
People are burnin for pocket change
And creative minds are lazy
And the big three killed my baby yeah yeah yeah
And my baby's my common sense
So don't think im puttin up some esense
And my baby's my common sense
Yeah im about to have another blow up (2x)
"The Big Three Killed My Baby" is a song that rips into the Big Three, with some fairly entertaining lines like, "Better ideas are stuck in the mud," and, "Don't let 'em tell you the future's electric/ 'cause gasoline's not measured in metric."
If you would like the song just email me.
Lyrics:
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobodys coming home again
Their ideas make me wanna spit
A hundred dollars goes down the pit
Thirty-thousand wheels a rollin
And my stick shift hands are swollen
Everything involved is shady
The big three killed my baby yeah yeah yeah
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobodys comin home again
Why don't cha take the day off and try to repair
A billion others don't seem to care
Better ideas are stuck in the mud
The motor's runnin on tucker's blood
Don't let 'em tell you the future's electric
'cause gasoline's not measured in metric
Thirty-thousand wheels a spinnin
And oil company faces are grinnin
And now my hand are turnin red
And i found out my baby is dead yeah yeah yeah
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin home again
Well i've said it now
Nothings changed
People are burnin for pocket change
And creative minds are lazy
And the big three killed my baby yeah yeah yeah
And my baby's my common sense
So don't think im puttin up some esense
And my baby's my common sense
Yeah im about to have another blow up (2x)
The big three
This is the best source of information on whether or not the big three should be bailed out that I have seen.
Hillary's next battle.
Apparently Hillary Clinton will always be fighting an uphill battle in politics. This time it is because the salary for the Secretary of State was increased while Hilary was serving in the Senate, which, according to the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, makes her ineligible for the SoS position. Apparently Nixon ran into this and got around it, but his solution doesn't look feasible in this case.
December 02, 2008
oh GREAT
Chambliss Wins Georgia Senate Runoff
Saxby Chambliss, an incumbent Republican senator, was
re-elected by Georgia voters on Tuesday in a substantial
victory, ending Democratic hopes for a 60-vote majority in
the Senate that would make it difficult for Republicans to
filibuster the Obama administration's legislative agenda.
Saxby Chambliss, an incumbent Republican senator, was
re-elected by Georgia voters on Tuesday in a substantial
victory, ending Democratic hopes for a 60-vote majority in
the Senate that would make it difficult for Republicans to
filibuster the Obama administration's legislative agenda.
Interesting Article on Fatal Internet Security Flaw
One can only imagine how much time hacker-types spend fantasizing about everything from wizards to French maids. But imagine being a hacker who found a way to more-or-less take control of the entire internet. One who found a flaw so critical, so fundamental, he could easily get into the email and back account of anyone he wanted, to redirect any internet request as he saw fit.
This is the story of Dan Kaminsky.
This is the story of Dan Kaminsky.
Presidential Pardons
This article, about Eric Holder's involvement in the Marc Rich pardon, reminded me of a question I've often pondered:
Why the hell do Presidential pardons even exist anymore?
Why the hell do Presidential pardons even exist anymore?
December 01, 2008
Not All Limbaughs Are Crazy, But More Than One Is
This Thanksgiving I was down in Jackson, MO, enjoying my grandparents' company and a lovely meal. After Friday breakfast my grandmother handed me a column from the Southeastern Missourian to read, and once the whole table's interest had been piqued, I read it aloud.
It's by David Limbaugh, brother of Rush. Their whole family is from Cape Girardeau, MO, where I was born. You'll all be glad to know that my grandmother informs me that Rush Limbaugh's grandfather, a prominent member of the southeast Missouri community, was both a scholar and a gentleman and would be rolling in his grave if he had half an idea what kind of hate his spawn is spewing.
Anyway, I guess I just wanted to point this article out because it is particularly appalling (and thus worth a read for those with tolerant stomachs), and it also led me to learn that the Limbaugh family is not entirely scum.
It's by David Limbaugh, brother of Rush. Their whole family is from Cape Girardeau, MO, where I was born. You'll all be glad to know that my grandmother informs me that Rush Limbaugh's grandfather, a prominent member of the southeast Missouri community, was both a scholar and a gentleman and would be rolling in his grave if he had half an idea what kind of hate his spawn is spewing.
Anyway, I guess I just wanted to point this article out because it is particularly appalling (and thus worth a read for those with tolerant stomachs), and it also led me to learn that the Limbaugh family is not entirely scum.
The new security team
A comparison of the new:
And the old:
Clinton clearly did not get the message that the gravity of state security issues must be met with a firm gravitas that is, preferably, so strong that one can only look at one's own feet. Maybe she missed the memo about shortsightedness; maybe this is the first in a long line of changes to come. Let's hope for the latter.
And the old:
Clinton clearly did not get the message that the gravity of state security issues must be met with a firm gravitas that is, preferably, so strong that one can only look at one's own feet. Maybe she missed the memo about shortsightedness; maybe this is the first in a long line of changes to come. Let's hope for the latter.
Netflix gets more awesome
OK, so I know that the Xbox 360 is not likely to be common hardware among our crowd, but I figured I'd share this nonetheless. When I got on mine the other day (I'm not a big video game player, but I got it on the cheap) I noticed that Xbox Live was doing a cross-promotion thing with Netflix.
So basically the way it works is the movies available for "Instant Watch" I can now watch on the Xbox. I'm excited about this because while instant watch is available for your computer, connecting mine to the TV is kind of a pain, and so I don't really make much of use of it.
The downside: not that many titles are available yet and I did have to buy an Xbox Gold membership ($50 a year allows you to play online - a ripoff, sure, but hey, now I can play Netflix movies and I can play sports games with my friends). And one other thing, which is kind of stupid but mostly hilarious: Mark informs me that Sony Pictures titles are not available for viewing through the Xbox.
So basically the way it works is the movies available for "Instant Watch" I can now watch on the Xbox. I'm excited about this because while instant watch is available for your computer, connecting mine to the TV is kind of a pain, and so I don't really make much of use of it.
The downside: not that many titles are available yet and I did have to buy an Xbox Gold membership ($50 a year allows you to play online - a ripoff, sure, but hey, now I can play Netflix movies and I can play sports games with my friends). And one other thing, which is kind of stupid but mostly hilarious: Mark informs me that Sony Pictures titles are not available for viewing through the Xbox.
Election 2008 won't go away
Tomorrow is the long-awaited runoff between spawn of Satan Saxby Chambliss (here's the latest reason to dislike him) and Jim Martin. I'll save the introduction; the Democrats' hope for 60 senators will finally die tomorrow.
And in Minnesota, the same trend continues, wherein every bit of information we get only goes to further show how little information we have. Norm Coleman's lead has expanded ever so slightly, still generally in the 200s. However, he's also been challenging more ballots than Franken, quite possibly (and smartly, though Franken caught on quickly) to fabricate a lead for the news. Coleman's shrewd strategy is to win the first count and the second, and then even if Franken wins the court battle, Coleman can say that the Democratic Secretary of State and State Supreme Court took democracy from the hands of Minnesotans. Intrade contracts have dropped to 25 for Franken, but I'd say this is a pretty 50-50 battle, and there's no way to go any further than 60-40 in either direction.
I said before that I thought Minnesota's would be the closest Senate race, but even I wouldn't have predicted it would be this close.
And in Minnesota, the same trend continues, wherein every bit of information we get only goes to further show how little information we have. Norm Coleman's lead has expanded ever so slightly, still generally in the 200s. However, he's also been challenging more ballots than Franken, quite possibly (and smartly, though Franken caught on quickly) to fabricate a lead for the news. Coleman's shrewd strategy is to win the first count and the second, and then even if Franken wins the court battle, Coleman can say that the Democratic Secretary of State and State Supreme Court took democracy from the hands of Minnesotans. Intrade contracts have dropped to 25 for Franken, but I'd say this is a pretty 50-50 battle, and there's no way to go any further than 60-40 in either direction.
I said before that I thought Minnesota's would be the closest Senate race, but even I wouldn't have predicted it would be this close.
A different side of Google
This article (which I have only started, but find interesting) discusses the potentially embarrassing/illegal/scary/disappointing role of Google in defining modern free speech. I hope to see angry, swear-riddled rants (preferably in video form, as it is only fitting) discussing this to be posted soon.
November 30, 2008
KENKEN
Check out this new puzzle that the New York Times has begun to publish regularly. Below are the rules and a sample 4x4 KENKEN puzzle. (As a disclaimer: The name of the game seems to always be written in all capital letters. I hate this and copied it only for the sake of accuracy.)
Mission Accomplished!
Bush finally caved and agreed to a timetable for withdrawal. I hope that this is the one independent act of the long-time puppet, an acknowledgment of the true(r) mandate received by Obama.
November 26, 2008
Wal-Mart 2008
RealClearMarkets just posted a really interesting writeup of an updated Wal-Mart effect. In the same way that I am upset by my dependence on Google in the electronic world I am concerned by the increasing dominance of Wal-Mart in the retail sector. Possible discussion topics for people to use as rant starting points: dangers and advantages of a dominant chain in such an important market (remember how large a portion of income is spent on groceries, clothing, and relatively cheap entertainment goods); visceral reactions to Wal-Mart based on domestic and/or international labor issues; a comparison of Wal-Mart's and Google's strategies and popularity.
Another grammar check: If I am going to the house owned by Marcia and Dave am I going to "Marcia and Dave's house" or to "Marcia's and Dave's house"? I argue that the first is grammatically correct but that the second makes a whole hell of a lot more sense based on the fact that it demonstrates the possessive for each individual. Perhaps the entire sentence structure is flawed and should simply be rephrased to avoid confusion.
Another grammar check: If I am going to the house owned by Marcia and Dave am I going to "Marcia and Dave's house" or to "Marcia's and Dave's house"? I argue that the first is grammatically correct but that the second makes a whole hell of a lot more sense based on the fact that it demonstrates the possessive for each individual. Perhaps the entire sentence structure is flawed and should simply be rephrased to avoid confusion.
TV on the Internet
I just read about Sling.com, a new website that streams television shows for free. I haven't really checked it out yet, but the review I read said it is about the same as Hulu.
The sites I know of for watching TV online:
Hulu
Sidereel
Sling
Anyone know of any others?
The sites I know of for watching TV online:
Hulu
Sidereel
Sling
Anyone know of any others?
10 Republicans Who Should Go
I really enjoyed this list of "10 Republicans who should go away."
My personal favorite on the list was Dick Cheney, whose writeup included, "Cheney has always remained largely behind the scenes due to a distinct lack of personality and aura of extreme evil, but wields his influence expertly with his nuanced understanding of the dark arts of politics. Cheney is the epitome of a political hack, a gutless grey blob of a man with a record of detached violence and personal greed."
My personal favorite on the list was Dick Cheney, whose writeup included, "Cheney has always remained largely behind the scenes due to a distinct lack of personality and aura of extreme evil, but wields his influence expertly with his nuanced understanding of the dark arts of politics. Cheney is the epitome of a political hack, a gutless grey blob of a man with a record of detached violence and personal greed."
Billion Dollar Losers
Here's another slideshow, this of the top twenty largest losers in the financial meltdown. While it's hard to feel sorry for anyone who can lose a billion dollars, some of these guys lost substantially more than half their net worth and, well, it's kinda tough not to feel sorry for anyone that happens to.
Presidential Turkey Pardons
This is pretty stupid, but it's worth it just for the pictures of Reagan and Bush 43.
November 25, 2008
President-Elect Obama
By the way, I just want to say I'm thrilled with how Obama is doing so far. I know we don't have that much to go on yet but everything he says has been extremely reasonable, and solution-oriented above politics-oriented. Even his hint that he may wait for the Bush tax cuts to expire instead of repealing them immediately, while a bit to the right of my own economic philsophy - is an encouraging signal that he won't make the even-worse mistake of going too far to the left on the economy. That's all I've got.
Wiki White House
I enjoyed this article about the potential for Obama's version of whitehouse.gov. While most of the listed features are not really feasible (at least not in one large jump), overall I agree that it is time for government to have a mechanism for public response that is more personal than protests and the occasional visit to the voting booth. Perhaps a true democracy will emerge in digital form.
November 24, 2008
Check out this balance, Liberals!
It is a wonderful day for those of us who support the liberal media conspiracy and its subversive, communist goals. One of the most outspoken, principled, and "hard-hitting liberal[s]" of our time will now have his own show. We should all send wonderful letters to Fox News describing our jubilation.
Hilarious for NYU Politics majors
Check out this upcoming History Channel show. The premise is that Bruce Bueno de Mesquita is a modern-day Nostradamus. Seriously.
Update: Carly and I just hung out with Steve, so I accidentally wrote Machiavelli instead of Nostradamus. I'm an idiot. My apologies.
Update: Carly and I just hung out with Steve, so I accidentally wrote Machiavelli instead of Nostradamus. I'm an idiot. My apologies.
Utility often seduces me
This short Times piece could have been written by me, and I feel basically the way the writer does: Slightly creeped out by Google's familiarly with my personal information, but unable to resist its handy tools. Any thoughts on this or internet privacy issues in general?
UPDATE: I could/should delete this, considering Carly just posted the same article, but I think it's pretty funny to compare the fact that we posted the same thing and said the same stuff about it within 3 minutes of each other.
UPDATE: I could/should delete this, considering Carly just posted the same article, but I think it's pretty funny to compare the fact that we posted the same thing and said the same stuff about it within 3 minutes of each other.
I enjoyed reading this article. I followed a similar progression to using many of Google's features. And as for a large corporation kind of controlling my life, I believe Carr said it rather well: "If Google owns me, it’s probably because I am in favor of what works"
Cabinet profiles (12/15)
I would like to have one central place with articles profiling potential Cabinet members (and those filling Cabinet-level posts). This will make it easier for me to learn about them. Does anyone agree or disagree? Perhaps I will just create a table in this post that can be edited by anyone who would like to add a link (see below).
General links related to the composition of Obama's Cabinet and/or administration:
General links related to the composition of Obama's Cabinet and/or administration:
- "Well Done" - The New Republic
- "Obama Unveils Team to Tackle 'Historic' Crisis in Economy" - The New York Times
- "Obama Defends Cabinet: The Change Will Come From Me" - Huffington Post
- "The Five Best Jobs Obama Has Yet to Fill" - Politico
- "Obama, Aides Considering Appointing Energy 'Czar'" - The Wall Street Journal
| Cabinet-Level Position | Candidate | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| Vice President | Sen. Joseph Biden | |
| White House Chief-of-Staff | Rep. Rahm Emanuel | |
| Environmental Protection Agency | ||
| Office of Management and Budget | Peter Orszag | |
| National Drug Control Policy | ||
| Trade Representative |
| Other position | Candidate | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| National Security Advisor | Marine General James L. Jones | "Who Is Jim Jones?" - The New Republic |
| Head of White House Economic Council | Lawrence H. Summers | |
| Head of Council of Economic Advisers | Christina D. Romer | |
| Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council | Melody Barnes | |
| White House Social Secretary | Desirée Rogers |
|