Saturday, January 31, 2009
Is This A Joke?
Meet the Press tomorrow:
Mark Zandi, former McCain adviser. Steve Forbes, former Republican candidate for president and basic conservative crazy person. Erin Burnett, of unknown political affiliation (to me) but was last seen fluffing Rush Limbaugh and generally expresses such viewpoints. John Kerry, Democrat. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican.
NBC Meet the Press--The stimulus package; financial bailout; the economy: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas); Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.); Erin Burnett ("Street Signs," "Squawk on the Street"); Steve Forbes, Forbes magazine; Mark Zandi, Moodys. Moderator: David Gregory.
Mark Zandi, former McCain adviser. Steve Forbes, former Republican candidate for president and basic conservative crazy person. Erin Burnett, of unknown political affiliation (to me) but was last seen fluffing Rush Limbaugh and generally expresses such viewpoints. John Kerry, Democrat. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican.
Women Need To Be Punished For Having Sex
Kudos to Mark Steyn for spelling out the conservative position so clearly. Usually they obfuscate a bit more.
Baby Bullet
When people are overly impressed by a train which goes all of 79 mph max, you know we've got a long ways to go.
New SUPERTRAIN
Never been to Portland so don't have any sense of this project, but free WiFi is a nice touch.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Infrastructure
Another shovel ready project.
- Residents of the 2700 block of Croydon Street in Bridesburg have been suffering with a sinkhole for the last 12 hours. Resident Tiffany Dever said home foundations are cracking, and a water department truck fell in at one point. A spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Water Department said crews were on the scene. Repairs to a 6-inch water main are nearly complete, and then crews will start fixing a larger brick sewer line, Lauren Copeland, public relations manager for the department, said this afternoon.
A Brief Economics Thought
Am I the only to whom it's occurred that monetary policy through the banking channel (as opposed to, say, actually dropping money from helicopters) is only likely to be effective if banks are pretty good at allocating capital efficiently, and recent history tells us that the existing set of clowns in charge completely suck ass at this?
I Really Couldn't Care Less
But after repeated balloting, Mike Duncan has decided to call it quits and let someone else be RNC Chair.
Bad Bad Bank
CNBC tells me the latest version of Super Shitpile, the "bad bank," may not happen... basically, I think, because no one can agree on just how much money to light on fire.
Deep Thought
Someone should tell the Republicans that letting them screw the economy is not actually an effective stimulus.
Nobody Could Have Predicted
Are there any elected officials who don't assume their failures are universal ones, and therefore not their fault?
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg began his budget address on Friday afternoon — one of his most significant policy pronouncements as he seeks to persuade voters to return him to a third term in office this November — warning that New York City will need state and federal action, union concessions and more belt-tightening to close a mounting fiscal gap.
He outlined a four-part plan to close a projected the $4 billion gap for the 2010 fiscal year by reducing expenses by roughly $1 billion, obtaining another $1 billion from the federal government through more generous Medicaid reimbursements, securing another $1 billion from unions and the state by renegotiating labor contracts, and raising $900 million from tax increases, including a possible rise in the sales tax rate to 8.75 percent from 8.375 percent.
...
“It’s fair to say that nobody was prepared for the severity of the downturn we are experiencing,” he said.
Arson
This story has gotten some national attention, though I think Coatesville is often erroneously described as a "Philadelphia suburb." It's a former steel town about 45 miles away with a large African-American population (not suggesting racial motive here).
Just this week, 15 Coatesville rowhouses burned to a crisp. The city's on edge. Nervous residents are sleeping in their clothes with their most cherished possessions close by, just in case.
Some living through the horror of the flames. All living in fear that it will happen again.
Sadly, chances are it will. After all, the city has suffered 15 deliberately set fires already this year, equal to the total number there last year. Those match-happy terrorists are still on the loose, no doubt high-fiving each other for their attention-grabbing arsons.
67
That's what the retirement age for Social Security is already scheduled to increase to. Just how long should people be working in construction?
Dr. Doom
I guess people should have listened.
Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- At the World Economic Forum two years ago, Nouriel Roubini warned that record profits and bonuses were obscuring a “hard landing” to come. “I really disagree,” countered Jacob Frenkel, the American International Group Inc. vice chairman and former Israeli central banker.
No more. “Roubini was intellectually courageous, and he called the shots correctly,” says Frenkel, whose AIG survives only on the basis of more than $100 billion of government loans. “He gained credibility, and he deserves it.”
...
“The consensus is catching up with me, but it’s still behind,” Roubini said in an interview in Davos. “I don’t know what some people are smoking.”
Shrinkage
-3.8%.
That's an annualized rate.
Economy shrinks at 3.8 percent pace in fourth quarter, worst showing in quarter-century
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economy shrank at a 3.8 percent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, as the deepening recession forced consumers and businesses to throttle back spending.
That's an annualized rate.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Progress
Health care for kids. Communism!
WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats moved one step closer to handing President Barack Obama an early health care victory Thursday, passing a bill extending government-sponsored health insurance coverage to about 4 million uninsured children.
The bill, which was approved 66-32, authorizes an additional $32.8 billion over the next 4 1/2 years for the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The House plans to take up the same measure next week.
Deep Thought
The last time the media was so interested in the views of the minority party was in 1993. I wonder why that is.
That Number Keeps On Growing
Just give them the deed to the country and be done with it.
I'm so old I can remember when everyone agreed there should be no bailouts.
I'm so old I can remember when everyone agreed there should be no bailouts.
Route 23 SUPERTRAIN
I will not be content until they put money in the bill to restore the Route 23 SUPERTRAIN, which "suspended" operation in 1992.
Deep Thought
Illegal immigrants will be able to drive on roads built using funds from Obama stimulus package.
Stockpile
Wonder what this is about.
State Police have discovered a massive cache of weapons at the home of a former Vineland Police officer who was taken into custody on aggravated assault charges.
...
Chopper 3 was over the four-acre property after investigators discovered a massive cache of weapons in an apparent underground bunker. Apparently nearly 250 weapons were found along with a half million rounds of ammunition during a search of the grounds.
Suburban Models
It is frustrating how big chains often stick to suburban models when they move into urban environments. Near me there's a Superfresh with a block-destroying blank wall facade, and on the next block there's a Whole Foods which fortunately engages the street making for a pleasant pedestrian experience.
Cutting Cartoons
Village Voice Media, owner of many alt weeklies, has cut cartoons. If you, like many other people, pick up the weeklies for comics and no longer find them there, you should contact your local publication and express your disappointment. Politely, of course.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
Ouch.
Jobless rolls jumped to a record peak in mid-January, while new orders for durable goods fell for a fifth straight month in December, data showed on Thursday, underscoring the deepening economic malaise.
...
The number of people remaining on the benefits roll after drawing an initial week of aid, or continued claims, rose 159,000 to a higher-than-forecast 4.776 million in the week ended Jan. 17, the most recent week for which data is available.
The Labor Department said this was the highest reading since its records on this series began in 1967. Analysts had expected continued claims to be 4.65 million.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
How It Should Be
If I were advising the Republicans I would've told them to vote against the stimulus package. I would tell them to make the point clearly that if they were in charge, the bill would be a different bill. They're a competing political party and they need to, you know, highlight the fact that their vision for America is actually different. I appreciate that members of both parties don't always toe the line completely, but on a bill as big as this it makes perfect sense for it to play out as it did.
Of course the flip side is that Dems should've pushed the best plan that could pass the Senate instead of pushing some pointless fantasy about bipartisanship.
Of course the flip side is that Dems should've pushed the best plan that could pass the Senate instead of pushing some pointless fantasy about bipartisanship.
Rules Their World
Marc Ambinder twitters from the briefing:
After all that's happened, they still take their cues from him without any shame.
Tapper asks the Drudge question
After all that's happened, they still take their cues from him without any shame.
ZOMG TEH SEXXXX
Alex Koppelman tries to grappel rationally with Republican horseshit, but there's really no point. This is just about Republicans squealing OH NOES DEMS HEART TEH SEX, the media giggling like tweens, and the Dems running for cover from the BIG SCARY VAGINA.
Local Notes
Drinking Liberally, South Philly Edition, begins tonight at 6pm at the South Philly Tap Room. 1509 Mifflin St., conveniently located not too far from the Snyder St. station on the Broad St. Line or the various bus lines which run down Broad St.
SUPERSAL
I'm slightly confused by this. I get that upstate New York politicians tend to hate all things New York City, but Gillibrand's SUPERTRAIN would presumably be good for New York cities not named "New York City" such as Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, and Albany.
Simple Answers To Simple Questions
Tintin asks:
No.
This has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.
The question is, after reviewing the current composition of Op-Ed contributors at the WaPo, is there anyone too stupid not to get an offer of column space from Hiatt?
No.
This has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
For Tanta
She was correct. I can see arguments for why 30-year fixed mortgages with appropriate due diligence under our current system should be exempt (and maybe agree with!), but any "exotic" mortgages (variable rate, liar loans, option arms, etc...) should go on the pile. Bankruptcy court isn't pleasant for any of the parties. Both creditors and debtors are punished, and in a time when "ability to pay" was not given much consideration lenders do deserve punishment.
He's Really Gone
It really is rather odd without George Bush to kick around anymore. Still, the media still chase around every Republican talking point that's fed to them, so not all that much has changed.
CBO Forecast
Rather grim.
The nation's current recession is likely to be the longest since World War II, and by some measures could be the worst since the Great Depression, a new Congressional Budget Office forecast said Tuesday.
Without a major economic stimulus plan, "the shortfall in the nation's output relative to its potential would be the largest – in terms of both length and depth – since the Depression of the 1930s," said new CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf in testimony prepared for the House Budget Committee.
Dark Ages
Krugman's post is wonkish but you should still read it, though the admittedly I'm not sure where this really falls in the stupid vs. Straussian gambit (lying) debate.
Lucy And The Football
I am just shocked to discover that Republicans will vote against the bill which has been made shittier to please them.
Just shocked.
Just shocked.
One Child
As with the Schiavo case, the conservatives and the Villagers are completely out of their minds on this issue.
Learn, Dems. Please. People fuck and use condoms and support money for family planning.
Learn, Dems. Please. People fuck and use condoms and support money for family planning.
But They Always Go Up, Right?
At least that was in the assumption I put in the model I used to make my $30 billion bet.
Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Home prices in 20 U.S. cities declined 18.2 percent in November from a year earlier, the fastest drop on record, as foreclosures climbed and sales sank.
Monday, January 26, 2009
As Predictable As The Rising Sun
Not sure there's a word for "rule by Republican hissy fit." Perhaps we need to coin one.
WASHINGTON – House Democrats appear likely to jettison family planning funds for the low-income from an $825 billion economic stimulus bill, officials said late Monday, following an appeal from President Barack Obama at a time the administration is courting Republican critics of the legislation.
Several officials said a final decision was likely on Tuesday, coinciding with Obama's scheduled visit to the Capitol for separate meetings with House and Senate Republicans.
What's It All For Then?
I'm always amazed at how mainstream journalists never acknowledge that anything they do could possibly have an impact on anything.
ZOMG TEH SEXXXXX
There's nothing logical about the contraception freakout. The Republicans are betting on the idea the our media will react like 9 year old boys to anything remotely having to do with sex (they're right) and that the public will react likewise (don't think they're right anymore).
Experiences I Do Not Recommend
I get this occasionally. Do not envy me.
Q: Since early childhood, I've suffered from sleep paralysis. My father suffered from it, as well as my brothers. There have been many times when I thought I'd never awaken from it. What causes it? What can I do to prevent it from happening?
A: For folks unfamiliar with your frightening affliction, here is a description: When you awaken from sleep, your body is temporarily frozen. For, on average, a period of 15 seconds to a minute, you're paralyzed. You can't move or speak, and there's often a feeling of suffocation. There may be a period of hallucinations where dreaming and consciousness overlap. It usually happens upon awakening, but can also happen when falling asleep.
SUPERTRAINS
Gillibrand begins her new job by reaching out to the all-important SUPERTRAIN constituency.
Then he left Gillibrand to deal with the press.
"We talked a lot about the economy," she said of the lunch, and ticked off their wish-list of projects for which they hoped to get federal aid. "One area that we all agree on," she said, "is that we really want high-speed rail" -- specifically a fast rail line along the I-87 corridor and over to Buffalo. Gillibrand said they also discussed unemployment benefits, and getting more federal reimbursement for state Medicaid payments.
DC Notes
All the right people I know say he's awesome and people in DC can go to a fundraiser for Tom Geoghegan this evening. He's running in the primary for Rahm's old seat. Election's on March 3.
People not in DC can just donate!
People not in DC can just donate!
Bye Bill
Admittedly, aside from helping to cause the deaths of thousands of US troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Bill Kristol's been pretty good for the progressive cause.
Local Notes
Just a little plug for R5 Productions and their Punk Rock Flea Market, which isn't just punk rock. They do their best to make as many shows they bring to town as they can all ages, which is difficult due to the economics of touring and stupid licensing/liquor laws.
*THIS* Sunday February 1st 10:00am to 4:30pm
At The Electric Factory (7th and Willow Sts - Just Below 7th and Spring Garden Sts)
All Ages / 21+ To Drink / $3 entry donation
THE PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET - WINTER EDITION !
(130+ tables of vendors selling old records, clothes, art, music, food, junk, bicycles, stereo equipment, instruments, automobiles, tools, posters, furniture, computers, skateboards and lots of other stuff ! All proceeds goto making sure that all ages shows remain a reality at the first unitarian church !)
It's back! that time again for the bi-annual (twice a year) PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET. R5's most popular reoccurring event/show/whatever by far. We continually have over 2000 visitors and 100+ tables of old records, clothes, art, music, food, junk, bicycles, stereo equipment, instruments, automobiles, tools, posters, furniture, computers, skateboards and lots of other stuff this past June. It's all going down at The ELECTRIC FACTORY located just below 7th and Spring Garden Sts - a big spacious venue - giving them ability to host over 130 vendors in one single room. Their biggest market to date!
.
All proceeds raised will goto the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies to ensure that all ages shows continue to remain a reality at The First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia - mainly an annual payment for their liability insurance policy. Do not let the "name of the event" lead you to believe that it's just punk records, clothes etc. - it's a full on flea market with everything from furniture, to laptops / computers , to stereo equipment, to handmade apparel, to vegan treats, information from various non profit groups, book stores, artists selling their work, bicycles & skateboards and whatever else they can fit onto the ballroom floor at The Electric Factory .
In addition to the normal flea market stuff there will also be a full bar and food service kitchen to make the day go by a little faster.
Big Rail
I was thinking yesterday that part of the problem is that we don't really have the equivalent of the highway building industry to lobby for money. Freight companies throw some weight around, but their interests aren't exactly aligned with those of commuter rail advocates. Bring on Big Rail!
Or Maybe We Could Just Increase Social Security Benefits?
Impossible for Villagers to consider, of course....
Ouch
Pretty close to 20% of their workforce.
The heavy equipment maker, Caterpillar, said Monday morning in a statement that it planned to cut 20,000 jobs as part of an aggressive effort to lower cost as the economy continues to slow.
He Wasn't The Worst They've Ever Had
I rise up in defense of William Kristol. Does no one remember Ann Althouse's brief stint?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Elections Have Consequences
Suck on this.
WASHINGTON — President Obama will direct federal regulators on Monday to move swiftly on an application by California and 13 other states to set strict automobile emission and fuel efficiency standards, two administration officials said Sunday evening.
The directive makes good on an Obama campaign pledge and signifies a sharp reversal of Bush administration policy. Granting California and the other states the right to regulate tailpipe emissions would be one of the most emphatic actions Mr. Obama could take to quickly put his stamp on environmental policy.
Bloodbath
Actual numbers come out Friday, but the guesses aren't pretty.
GDP is expected to have fallen at a 5.5% annualized rate in the final three months of last year, according to the median forecast of economists surveyed by MarketWatch. That would be the biggest decline since the 6.4% drop in early 1982 and one of the worst quarters in the post-World War II era.
Nuts
Doesn't anyone around this guy have the power to let him know?
- Impeached Gov. Blagojevich, on the first leg of his media blitz timed to the start of his impeachment trial, in an NBC interview broadcast on The Today Show Sunday compared himself to human rights heros Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gahdhi.
Bipartisanship Sucks
I actually hope every Republican votes against the stimulus package, and I hope that instead of trying to please them the Obama team comes up with what they think the right package will be. The Republicans should lay out a competing vision, which won't pass because they aren't in charge. Then, 2 and 4 years from now voters can judge the results and if they aren't pretty they'll know who to blame and decide that the competing vision would have been a better one.
With bipartisanship you'll not only get a compromise that sucks, when it's time to throw the bums out no one will be quite sure which party should be blamed. Then what new candidates do is just run against some generic "Washington."
Democrats have the presidency and big majorities. Instead of hiding behind the spread-the-blame-around tactic, they should announce their vision and run with it.
With bipartisanship you'll not only get a compromise that sucks, when it's time to throw the bums out no one will be quite sure which party should be blamed. Then what new candidates do is just run against some generic "Washington."
Democrats have the presidency and big majorities. Instead of hiding behind the spread-the-blame-around tactic, they should announce their vision and run with it.
Evil or Incompetent
As with the "stupid or liars" debate one doesn't really have to choose, but still it's an interesting question.
Supervillains
From the beginning, I think the Villagers bought into the idea that "terrorists" weren't simply bad guys who wanted to blow some stuff and people up, but actual supervillains with special powers. It's why they all seem to love Gitmo, because they think supervillains need some sort superprison to keep them contained.
Terrorists in quotes not because there aren't actual terrorists, but because not everybody the US government has labeled one and detained is actually one.
Terrorists in quotes not because there aren't actual terrorists, but because not everybody the US government has labeled one and detained is actually one.
CA Is Broke
Heckuva job.
-
The controller says California is down to Plan D on its checklist of paying bills. Its cash reserves are piddling; the special funds it borrows from are tapped out, and no one in the private sector is going to lend it any cash at a reasonable interest rate.
That leaves what in state government circles are called "payment deferrals" and what in real life is called "stiffing your creditors."
Sunday Bobbleheads
Document the atrocities.
ABC's "This Week" — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
___
CBS' "Face the Nation" — Vice President Joe Biden.
___
NBC's "Meet the Press" — National Economic Director Lawrence Summers; Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio.
___
CNN's "State of the Union" — David Plouffe, Obama presidential campaign manager; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Kent Conrad, D-N.D.; Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.; Doug Feith, former undersecretary of defense; Charles Swift, former naval defense attorney.
"Fox News Sunday" _ Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Swept Back Under
Elections have consequences.
Or we could just keep giving them all free money with no oversight or accountability.
-
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration plans to move quickly to tighten the nation’s financial regulatory system.
Officials say they will make wide-ranging changes, including stricter federal rules for hedge funds, credit rating agencies and mortgage brokers, and greater oversight of the complex financial instruments that contributed to the economic crisis.
Broad new outlines of the administration’s agenda have begun to emerge in recent interviews with officials, in confirmation proceedings of senior appointees and in a recent report by an international committee led by Paul A. Volcker, a senior member of President Obama’s economic team.
A theme of that report, that many major companies and financial instruments now mostly unsupervised must be swept back under a larger regulatory umbrella, has been embraced as a guiding principle by the administration, officials said.
Or we could just keep giving them all free money with no oversight or accountability.
Meanwhile
Over there.
BAGHDAD, Jan. 24 -- Assailants detonated a booby-trapped vehicle by remote control Saturday near a police convoy in western Iraq, killing five policeman and wounding 11. It was the most lethal attack on a violent day as the country prepares to hold provincial elections in a week.
647 Pages
Have fun reading! Hopefully there's free money for baby blue bloggers in there somewhere...
Nobody Could Have Predicted
That buying Merrill and Countrywide (!!) were really fucking stupid ideas... Except, perhaps, for the "if we do this the government will give us free money" part.
Heckuva job, everyone!
Heckuva job, everyone!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Repealed
Elections have consequences.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama on Friday quietly ended the Bush administration's ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option.
I Won
Yes, it's good to remind people of that. It's amazing how fast Republicans - and our media - seem to forget it.
Infrastructure and SUPERTRAINS
People like infrastructure, and the showings and recent ballot measures, along with record ridership figures, show that they're starting to like SUPERTRAINS too. So it'll be a real shame if there isn't significant funding for mass transit projects in the stimulus.
Do Not Get
Without even getting into the actual accuracy of the latest bit of wingnut porn about how 61 released Gitmo detainees supposedly returned to take up arms against the US, can anyone explain how this is supposed to represent a failure of Obama's policies? He didn't let them go. Liberal bloggers didn't let them go. The ACLU didn't let them go.
And if George Bush has "kept us safe," what exactly is it that these terrorists have done?
And if George Bush has "kept us safe," what exactly is it that these terrorists have done?
"Jack Bauer Exception"
The stupid thing is that there will always be a "Jack Bauer Exception." If the "never gonna happen" ticking time bomb scenario happens AND some agent has actually captured the terrorist with the codes and location of said bomb (god this is absurd) AND that agent determines that by playing a little smacky face he can get the information AND that this actually, you know, works, then either because no jury would convict or because the president could pardon someone they'd get off or whatever.
Of course that absurd situation will never actually happen so we don't have to bother thinking about it.
Of course that absurd situation will never actually happen so we don't have to bother thinking about it.
Small Vain People
Aside from the incompetence, I've been struck at just how absurd our rulers have been over the past several years.
Another person pointed out to me that after Rice’s arrival in 2005 the tone of official State Department publications changed; they began to praise and glorify Rice. “No prior secretary,” said the twenty-year veteran, “did anything like this.”
Complaints
Could someone please explain to this Inquirer reporter the difference between parking rates and parking violation tickets? The people in this article are particularly upset because they've been given $36 tickets because their parking meters expired. I sympathize! But $2/hour parking? That's cheap! And, yes, there are pre-paid cards you can buy so you don't need all the change and meters are being switched over to ones which take credit cards, too.
And more than that, one of the people is angry because their plan to feed the meter all day while at work didn't work! That isn't what 2 hour on street parking is for!
And more than that, one of the people is angry because their plan to feed the meter all day while at work didn't work! That isn't what 2 hour on street parking is for!
Lucy and the Football
Nobody could've predicted that the Democrats would start out with a compromise bill that the Republicans would oppose.
Capitalism!
Funny.
NEW YORK, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ.O) said on Friday it will launch options trading on its three-week old Government Relief Index, which tracks the performance of companies bailed out by U.S. taxpayers.
...
The Government Relief Index lists 24 companies that received at least $1 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, and other government aid plans. (Reporting by Jonathan Spicer, editing by Gerald E. McCormick).
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Positive Steps
Lilly Ledbetter.
WASHINGTON -- A wage discrimination bill that heralds the pro-labor policies of the Democratic-controlled Congress and White House cleared the Senate Thursday and could be on President Barack Obama's desk within days.
The legislation reverses a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that narrowly defines the time period during which a worker can file a claim of wage discrimination, even if the worker is unaware for months or years that he or she is getting less than colleagues doing the same job. It has been a priority for women's groups seeking to narrow the wage gap between men and women.
The House is expected to act quickly to again approve the measure, sending it to Obama for his signature. The House passed a nearly identical version two weeks ago but then combined it with another bill that the Senate didn't consider.
The Final Wambulance Ride
They are right, actually, which is why I liked it.
He may have been gracious, but he also left him with a giant steaming pile of poop to clean up. Thanks for nothing, George!
WASHINGTON — On the plane, no longer Air Force One but now Special Air Mission 28000, they talked about the speech. George W. Bush, the former president, was heading home to Texas with his inner circle, having just left the west front of the Capitol, where his successor first thanked him for his service and then proceeded to trash it.
The Bush team had worked assiduously to make the transition smooth for incoming President Obama and stayed out of the way as he used the post-election period to take leadership of the economy even before being sworn in. And now, as far as some of them were concerned, the new president had used his inaugural lectern to give the back of the hand to a predecessor who had been nothing but gracious to him.
He may have been gracious, but he also left him with a giant steaming pile of poop to clean up. Thanks for nothing, George!
Big News Day
So Wolf has a piece on the 3300 dollar Blackberry Obama's gonna carry. That's what, the cost of two hours of Secret Service in public? Also, the press won't let the White House post pool reports. Too much transparency, apparently.
Not The Most Important Thing
But I have noticed how most culture/pop culture criticism, especially on TV, increasingly just takes the gossipy junior highish "everbody sucks" approach.
Come to think of it, it's not unlike most political coverage.
Come to think of it, it's not unlike most political coverage.
Even More Drinking Liberally
West Philly peeps now have their very own. Starts tonight, 6 pm, at The Blarney Stone at 3929 Sansom St.
Conveniently located near the 40th st. station on the MFL.
RSVP here.
Conveniently located near the 40th st. station on the MFL.
RSVP here.
Missing the Point
Ran into a growing anti-choice protest in DC. One group was carrying signs which read "We Choose Life" which kinda misses the point of the whole policy debate I think.
And Microsoft
The hits keep coming.
Rather than issuing its second-quarter results in the customary fashion after the market closed, Microsoft rushed out the news Thursday morning that it will lay off up to 5,000 of its 94,000 employees over the next 18 months, including 1,400 people Thursday. The layoffs span across research, sales, finance and technology roles, the company said.
With A Little Leadership
Often the people get it right.
A majority of Americans in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll oppose the use of torture in terrorism investigations, backing Barack Obama's pledge that "under my administration, the United States does not torture." But there's an even split on whether he should investigate whether laws were broken in the way suspects were treated under the Bush administration.
Overall, 58 percent support the prohibition Obama declared before taking office, but there's a wide gap across party lines: 71 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents in the poll said torture should never be used, but most Republicans, 55 percent, said there are cases in which the U.S. should consider using torture against terrorism suspects.
...
Put together, all Americans break 50 percent in favor of investigations, 47 percent opposed.
Please Make It Stop
CNN just informed me that Obama hasn't yet taken any action on most of his campaign promises.
All Very Strange
I was about to comment on the fact that Caroline Kennedy was out, but that seems to maybe be in some dispute. Or not.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Shorter Carl Levin
If we get Russia to join with us on our missile defense boondoggle, we can destroy the Iranian menace once and for all.
Shorter Harry Reid
Carl Levin will investigate previous administration.
Union card check is important, don't yet have the needed 95 votes.
Union card check is important, don't yet have the needed 95 votes.
Shorter Stabenow
Expect Obama to sign executive order on stem cells soon.
Will pass SCHIP expansion next week.
Will pass SCHIP expansion next week.
Shorter Senators
I'm not much for liveblogging, but my takeaway:
Brown: health care needs to and will happen, stimulus bill should have lot of water/sewer projects
Dorgan: decentralization (energy production, financial markets) is something to pursue
Schumer: wants more SUPERTRAINS
Brown: health care needs to and will happen, stimulus bill should have lot of water/sewer projects
Dorgan: decentralization (energy production, financial markets) is something to pursue
Schumer: wants more SUPERTRAINS
Senators Talking
I'm sitting here at the Senate Democratic Progressive Media Summit. Senators Dorgan, Schumer, and Brown are taking questions about the stimulus and related. It's interesting hearing politicians talk about things when they aren't trying to do the Meet the Press boogie and they have a chance to talk about actual policy issues. Sometimes they even sound like they know what they're talking about!
Stopped SUPERTRAIN
Sitting a little ways out from the station. Intercom's a bit too quiet to hear, but I believe the conductor said that Union Station was being evacuated.
...never mind. Moving again!
...never mind. Moving again!
Things Change
I've been thinking a lot about what it's like to suddenly wake up in a world where there's a nontrivial chance that the important political/policy news of the day will be something better than "horrible." While this administration and the Congress will disappoint, as they do, they will, at least, be somewhat better than the we're used to and at times might even make us proud.
Fortunately we'll still have the stupid media to kick around! So at least we won't be bored.
Fortunately we'll still have the stupid media to kick around! So at least we won't be bored.
The Horror Of The Bush Years
Official Washington will never let their beautiful minds be bothered this stuff, but for 8 years we've been ruled by very bad people who have committed numerous criminal atrocities. But, in the Village, the only thing politicians and high level political appointees should be punished for is putting their winkies where they shouldn't.
Scotus Sanity
This one's finally dead.
I appreciate the concerns people have about children and the internets, but this was just bad law.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government lost its final attempt Wednesday to revive a federal law intended to protect children from sexual material and other objectionable content on the Internet.
The Supreme Court said it won't consider reviving the Child Online Protection Act, which lower federal courts struck down as unconstitutional. The law has been embroiled in court challenges since it passed in 1998 and never took effect.
I appreciate the concerns people have about children and the internets, but this was just bad law.
On the SUPERTRAIN
Headed to DC to plot how to implement the mandatory gay abortions for all program.
Madoff
Ponzi scheme aside, I like this racket whereby people pay their fund manager to hand their money to some other guy.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Sixteen Luxembourg-based funds that have put euro1.9 billion ($2.46 billion) into a massive pyramid scheme allegedly operated by U.S. financier Bernard Madoff have stopped investor withdrawals, the country's fund industry said.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Stand Athwart Yelling Stop
Good:
WASHINGTON (AP) — One of President Barack Obama's first acts is to order federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until his administration can review them.
The order went out Tuesday afternoon, shortly after Obama was inaugurated president, in a memorandum signed by new White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. The notice of the action was contained in the first press release sent out by Obama's White House, and it came from deputy press secretary Bill Burton.
Moments in Transition
It'll be interesting and, more often than not, frustrating to watch as the new reality takes hold in Washington. The Village conventional wisdom has been stuck in 1984 for 25 years now, and obviously things have changed. The media have been taking their cues from Republicans for so long it's difficult to see how that will change quickly. But things have changed.
Afternoon Thread
It seems (mixed reporting) Kennedy had a seizure but was more stable by the time he was taken away by the ambulance.
Gasbags Not Immune
It is good to see that the gasbags aren't entirely immune to reality, able to notice that people like Obama and that the inauguration attendance isn't exactly normal.
I'll allow myself one more moment to be grumpy, remembering 2001 when they were immune to reality. They went to great lengths to protect the viewing public from the protests, and the NYT published a lovely photo of George Bush which made it seem as if he'd actually walked the parade route, which he didn't do.
I'll allow myself one more moment to be grumpy, remembering 2001 when they were immune to reality. They went to great lengths to protect the viewing public from the protests, and the NYT published a lovely photo of George Bush which made it seem as if he'd actually walked the parade route, which he didn't do.
Your Liberal Media
CNN is currently giving us coverage from Karen Tumulty and Michael Reagan.
Nothing ever changes.
Nothing ever changes.
The Worst People In The World
Are finally leaving town. Good riddance.
And one last hearty fuck you to the Wise Old Men Of Washington! You made this all possible!
assholes
And one last hearty fuck you to the Wise Old Men Of Washington! You made this all possible!
assholes
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wow
NYT Co is taking out a subprime loan.
Not bad! If they'd let me I'd scrape together the pennies under my couch cushions and lend it to them for 14%.
The New York Times Company said Monday it had reached an agreement with the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú for a $250 million loan intended to help the newspaper company finance its businesses.
Under the terms of the deal, Mr. Slim, who already owns 6.9 percent of the Times Company, would invest $250 million in the form of six-year notes with warrants that are convertible into common shares, the company said in a statement. The notes also carry a 14 percent interest rate, with 11 percent paid in cash and 3 percent in additional bonds.
Not bad! If they'd let me I'd scrape together the pennies under my couch cushions and lend it to them for 14%.
Things Change
Was chatting with the lord and master of Philly Drinking liberally about having a State of the Union night party. My first mental reaction was, "Yeah, it'll be fun to mock and boo." Oh, wait.
#1
If, in fact, there are no more pardons coming I won't be completely surprised. Pardoning the people below him would remove any 5th amendment reasons to not testify, and Bush has never shown much sign of giving a shit about other people.
Zero Value
Better than free money for investors.
Plenty of companies go under and wipe out shareholders. You can argue that the banking system needs to be preserved, and that even individual institutions need to be preserved in some form, but there's zero reason that shareholders of large banks are special creatures who deserve to be bailed out.
Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc slumped by the most in two decades in London trading on concern the government may have to take full control of the bank after forecasting the biggest loss ever reported by a U.K. company.
The stock dropped 67 percent, the most since September 1988, to 11.6 pence, paring the Edinburgh-based lender’s market value to 4.6 billion pounds ($6.7 billion).
“Nationalization at zero value is implicit in the price,” said Derek Chambers, an analyst at Standard & Poor’s Equity Research Ltd. who has a “hold” rating on the stock. The stock price “is an option on the vague chance that it doesn’t get nationalized.”
Plenty of companies go under and wipe out shareholders. You can argue that the banking system needs to be preserved, and that even individual institutions need to be preserved in some form, but there's zero reason that shareholders of large banks are special creatures who deserve to be bailed out.
Economists
As a profession they haven't behaved very well for quite some time. That isn't to say ECONOMISTS ARE TEH SUXXXOR, just that a culture has developed which seems to put tremendous pressure for people to maintain the public face of economics as some sort of tribute to the genius of Larry Kudlow. This isn't about economists being economists, it's about them being public intellectuals. And most have handed that job over to conservative hacks.
Get Your Barack On
For local people looking for something to do tomorrow evening, the City Paper and Philly Drinking Liberally and assorted other organizations are having a little party.
6 pm-? at the Plough and the Stars, in Old City on 2nd street near the corner of 2nd. and Chestnut, conveniently located near the 2nd st. MFL so you can get your Barack On and maybe not have to drive home.
RSVP here.
6 pm-? at the Plough and the Stars, in Old City on 2nd street near the corner of 2nd. and Chestnut, conveniently located near the 2nd st. MFL so you can get your Barack On and maybe not have to drive home.
RSVP here.
Cutting Against The Grain
I'm glad we're all admitting now that what doesn't cut against the American grain is taking money from taxpayers and giving it to shareholders.
Super Shitpile
Krugman's column should be read by all good people today. All along there's been a general unwillingness to acknowledge that the banks lost a lot of money. It isn't a problem of liquidity, or a problem of temporarily mispriced assets. The problem is that they lost a lot of fucking money.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
More Thread
Can the Iggles come all the way back?
UPDATE:
Yes, they can.
UPDATE II:
Close, but ultimately no.
UPDATE:
Yes, they can.
UPDATE II:
Close, but ultimately no.
Deep Thought
The Surge was so successful that the we'll need to have 150,000 troops in Iraq for at least 18 more months.
Super Shitpile
It was a bad idea when Paulson proposed it about 15 different times, and it's a bad idea now.
Local Notes
Come join the sexy and charming Philadelphia Drinking Liberally gang as we, along with the liberal media, cheer for an Iggles victory today at Triumph Brewing Co., 117 Chestnut St. in Old City, conveniently located near the 2nd St. MFL stop.
Poor Kurt Warner is going to regret ever leaving the Iowa Barnstormers.
Poor Kurt Warner is going to regret ever leaving the Iowa Barnstormers.
The Final Pony
Bye George.
"The good news for Bush: That 31 percent figure is 7 points higher than it was in November, a typical 'nostalgia bump' that most outgoing presidents get," Holland added. "The bad news is that except for the rating Richard Nixon has when he resigned, that's the lowest approval rating an outgoing president has received in the six decades of scientific public opinion polling."
They Like Him
I continue to be surprised by Obama's approval/popularity. He's even getting some Bush dead ender support. From email (CNN):
1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his presidential transition?
Approve Disapprove No Opinion
Whites 81% 17% 3%
Blacks 96% 3% 1%
Sunday Bobbleheads
Document the atrocities.
•ABC’s “This Week,” — Guest: David Axelrod, senior adviser to President-elect Barack Obama.
•CBS’ “Face the Nation,” — Guest: Lawrence Summers, Obama’s choice for director of the National Economic Council.
•CNN’s “State of the Union,” — Guests: President-elect Barack Obama; David Axelrod, adviser to Obama; Dana Perino, press secretary to President George W. Bush; Bush White House counselor Ed Gillespie.
•“Fox News Sunday,” — Guests: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat; Robert Gibbs, Obama’s choice for press secretary.
•NBC’s “Meet the Press,” — Guests: Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s choice for chief of staff.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Finally
Looks like the new Hudson tunnel will finally be built.
The prospects for a second rail tunnel under the Hudson River to Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan received a major boost on Wednesday when federal authorities approved an environmental assessment for a $9 billion tunnel planned by New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority.
...
The new service also would allow more New Jersey Transit riders to reach New York without having to change trains in Newark or Secaucus. A second tunnel would also relieve pressure on the century-old tunnel that New Jersey Transit shares with Amtrak. The project’s six new tracks in Manhattan, which would terminate beneath 34th Street, would also allow commuters to connect underground to the subways and PATH trains at Avenue of the Americas.
It Took A Couple Of Years
But suddenly our great newspapers are discovering the "stereotypes" they helped to perpetuate weren't, you know, true. Subprime loans were never the problem, just an early warning signal about shoddy and predatory lending practices.
But interviews and a Washington Post analysis of available data show that the foreclosure crisis knows no class or income boundaries. Many borrowers ensnared in the evolving mortgage mess do not fit neatly into the stereotypes that surfaced by early 2007 when delinquency rates shot up. They don't have subprime loans, the lending industry's jargon for the higher-rate mortgages made to borrowers with shaky credit or without enough cash for a down payment.
The wave of subprime delinquencies appears to have crested. But in October, for the first time, the number of prime mortgages in delinquency exceeded the subprime loans in danger of default, according to The Post's analysis.
Choices
Yglesias:
While many things in my posts about this stuff are often misunderstood by people, the thing that people seem to most fail to grasp is the basic point that in almost all of the country it is illegal to build a neighborhood like mine. This is even true in my neighborhood!
Obviously, though, what’s available in the city isn’t going to be enough for many people. And personally while I recognize a lot of virtues to New York City, I prefer living in a smaller city. And others will prefer small towns or rural areas or suburbs. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Getting planning policy right isn’t about saying that there’s one kind of neighborhood that people ought to live in. Indeed, just the reverse. It’s about saying that public policy shouldn’t be aimed at exclusively promoting a particular vision of car-only suburbanism. If we had the mirror-image of our current policies—it’s illegal to build parking lots or garages, there’s no money available for work on roads, no structure can occupy less than 90 percent of its lot, no building can be shorter than six stories, no home can have more than 2,000 square feet—that would be stupid and bad.
While many things in my posts about this stuff are often misunderstood by people, the thing that people seem to most fail to grasp is the basic point that in almost all of the country it is illegal to build a neighborhood like mine. This is even true in my neighborhood!
Epidemic
Some alien force is kidnapping all of our hedge fund managers.
Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Arthur Nadel, a hedge-fund manager in Sarasota, Florida, has disappeared and clients are concerned they may have lost hundreds of millions of dollars, according to law enforcement officials.
Friday, January 16, 2009
This Will Work Out Well
LA Times:
(via cr)
- Reporting from Sacramento -- State Controller John Chiang announced today that his office would suspend tax refunds, welfare checks, student grants and other payments owed to Californians starting Feb. 1, as a result of the state's cash crisis. ... The payments to be frozen include nearly $2 billion in tax refunds; $300 million in cash grants for needy families and the aged, blind and disabled; and $13 million in grants for college students.
(via cr)
History
People expect Bush to be thought of as worse than Nixon.
We've come a long way since "Everybody sort of likes the president, except for the real whack-jobs, maybe on the left -- I mean -- like him personally.
We've come a long way since "Everybody sort of likes the president, except for the real whack-jobs, maybe on the left -- I mean -- like him personally.
Already Out $64 Billion
I'm so old I can remember when such a number would cause the Villagers to faint. Of course, it still would if you spent it on doctors' appointments for sick poor kids.
Local Notes
For those who want to mix their politics with their sports, come watch the Iggles on Sunday with the Philadelphia Drinking Liberally crowd.
Date:
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Time:
2:30pm - 7:00pm
Location:
Triumph Brewing Co., upstairs bar
Street:
117 Chestnut St.
Date:
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Time:
2:30pm - 7:00pm
Location:
Triumph Brewing Co., upstairs bar
Street:
117 Chestnut St.
Waiting Sucks
But I think what sucks about it is the uncertainty. I mind waiting for the metro in DC much less than I mind waiting for the subway in my local transit system because the former has reasonably accurate time until arrival estimates displayed. I mind waiting for the bus even more because while I know that the subway runs at regular intervals, buses can easily have their schedules screwed up by traffic, necessary detours, etc.
Point being: more information=much more rider happiness.
Point being: more information=much more rider happiness.
The End Of The Error
It is admittedly quite difficult to contemplate reality without George Bush as president. I wish I had some actual deep thoughts on this subject, but it's hard to actually digest.
And The Hits Keep Coming
Industrial production down 2% in December. November revised figure of -1.3%, originally reported as +.6%.
Lighting A Pile Of Money On Fire
Throw it on the bonfire, quick!
...though the $20 billion is just the appetizer:
So absurd.
Bank of America [BAC 8.32 --- UNCH (0) ], the largest U.S. bank, lost $1.79 billion, or 48 cents per share, in the fourth quarter, compared with a year-earlier profit of $268 million, or 5 cents. Net revenue increased 22 percent to $15.68 billion.
At Merrill, the loss was $9.62 per share, driven by significant writedowns of troubled assets.
Bank of America announced the results hours after it won $20 billion in new capital from the government's $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
...though the $20 billion is just the appetizer:
The government said earlier today it will invest $20 billion in Bank of America and guarantee $118 billion of assets to help the company absorb Merrill and prevent the financial crisis from deepening.
So absurd.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
"Absorb"
Suck on this, America!
The government is near a deal to give Bank of America a $20 billion capital injection and potentially absorb about $100 billion in losses on toxic assets, people involved in the transaction said Thursday.
Lighting A Pile Of Money On Fire
BURN BABY BURN!!!!!!!
Government Guarantees for Bank of America to Be Between $100 Billion-$200 Billion, CNBC Has Learned (story developing)
"How could we let something like that happen?"
Um, I dunno Arnold, how could you?
2/3 vote requirement for a budget is a big part of the problem. A California news media that keeps its citizens blissfully unaware of what goes on in Sacramento, and who is to blame (Republicans) is another part. And, of course, pretending that government is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee for so long hasn't helped.
(via CR)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- With the state facing fiscal collapse, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will urge lawmakers today to put aside partisan differences to close the state's ballooning budget gap.
...
"This disruption has stopped work on levees, schools, roads, everything," Mr. Schwarzenegger plans to say. "It has thrown thousands and thousands of people out of work at a time when our unemployment rate is rising. How could we let something like that happen? I know that everyone in this room wants to hear again the sound of construction. No one wants unemployment checks replacing paychecks."
2/3 vote requirement for a budget is a big part of the problem. A California news media that keeps its citizens blissfully unaware of what goes on in Sacramento, and who is to blame (Republicans) is another part. And, of course, pretending that government is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee for so long hasn't helped.
(via CR)
Reverse Midas
Froomkin sums up the Bush legacy pretty well.
He took the nation to a war of choice under false pretenses -- and left troops in harm's way on two fields of battle. He embraced torture as an interrogation tactic and turned the world's champion of human dignity into an outlaw nation and international pariah. He watched with detachment as a major American city went under water. He was ostensibly at the helm as the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression took hold. He went from being the most popular to the most disappointing president, having squandered a unique opportunity to unite the country and even the world behind a shared agenda after Sept. 11. He set a new precedent for avoiding the general public in favor of screened audiences and seemed to occupy an alternate reality. He took his own political party from seeming permanent majority status to where it is today. And he deliberately politicized the federal government, circumvented the traditional policymaking process, ignored expert advice and suppressed dissent, leaving behind a broken government.
The Schloz
Keep on running!
WASHINGTON (AP) — If confirmed as attorney general, Eric Holder says he'll review the decision not to prosecute a former Justice Department official for making false statements to Congress.
An inspector general report this week found that Bradley Schlozman, the former head of the civil rights division, misled lawmakers about whether he politicized hiring decisions.
It Is The Bank of AMERICA After All
Just nationalize the lot of them and end this.
Bank of America, the largest U.S. bank, is seeking billions of dollars of government aid after it realized that credit losses at Merrill Lynch & Co, which it bought on January 1, were much higher than expected, a person familiar with the matter said.
A spokesman for the bank declined to comment. Bank of America has already received $25 billion under the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program. The bank is scheduled to report its quarterly results on January 20.
"Bank of America appears to be in meltdown," said Anton Schutz, president of Mendon Capital Advisors in Rochester, New York, which owns the bank's shares. "But what is the government going to do, and how big will it be? Everybody's assuming the worst."
Keith Davis, a bank analyst at Farr, Miller & Washington in Washington, expressed concern that Bank of America may have grown too fast, buying Merrill and the nation's largest mortgage lender, Countrywide Financial Corp, since June.
Destroy The Country, Save The Citi
Bailouts might be justifiable if common stockholders were wiped out and the gov't had voting shares. Otherwise, just a big bonfire of cash! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc. plunged as much as 25 percent in New York trading on concern the bank may be forced to seek more government assistance on top of the $45 billion of U.S. funds that it already received.
“Citi’s got their hand out from now ‘til the end of time,” said Peter Kenny, a managing director in institutional sales at Knight Equity Markets in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Fear Of Blackmailing The Gay
That excuse unraveled when Michelangelo Signorile reported that NBC's Pete Williams, then Dick Cheney's Assistant Secretary of Defense, was gay. This helped lead to the push to overturn the ban until Sam Nunn sabotaged it and left us with DADT...
Better Light More Money On Fire
It's the only thing we can do.
A new wave of bank losses is overwhelming the federal government's emergency response, as financial firms struggle with the souring U.S. economy, the rapid deterioration of global markets and the unexpectedly high costs of shotgun mergers arranged by federal officials last year.
The problems are intensifying the pressure on the incoming Obama administration to allocate more of the $700 billion rescue program to financial firms even as Democratic leaders have urged more help for distressed homeowners, small businesses and municipalities. Senior Federal Reserve officials said this week that the bulk of the money should go to banks.
Some Fed officials suggested that even more than $700 billion may be required, and financial analysts at Goldman Sachs and elsewhere say banks will have to raise hundreds of billions of dollars from public or private sources.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
Still high.
Initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits rose 54,000 to a seasonally adjusted 524,000 in the week ended Jan. 10 from an upwardly revised 470,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said.
...
...The four-week moving average for continuing claims, at 4.498 million, was the highest in 26 years.
Parties
If you are in the ultimate SUPERTRAIN zone of the NYC metropolitan area, you should know about some pre-inaugural events: Living Liberally Ball on the 18th, and the Planned Parenthood Bon Voyage Bush event on the 19th.
Otherwise, morning thread.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
I Guess There's Still Time?
This isn't on CNN's site anymore, but it was there on 1/10/08.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- President Bush met with Palestinian leaders in the West Bank on Thursday, predicting that a Middle East peace treaty would be signed by the time he leaves office in 2009.
SUPERTRAINS
Look, a route between any cities under about 500 miles apart is a candidate for a high speed rail route. That isn't to say all such routes should be built, depending on cost, difficulties of assembling rights of way, populations in the cities and expected ridership, etc.., but for such distances such routes are easily competitive with air travel in terms of customer preference.
The limited stop train makes it from Barcelona to Madrid, about 385 miles, in 2:35. That's city center to city center, no need to travel to/from the airports, no need to show up to the station an hour and a half beforehand, etc.
The limited stop train makes it from Barcelona to Madrid, about 385 miles, in 2:35. That's city center to city center, no need to travel to/from the airports, no need to show up to the station an hour and a half beforehand, etc.
Saving Shitty Companies And Their Shitty Executives
Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea after all. Nobody could have predicted, yada yada...
Committees
In case you were curious about what your new senator got.
Related, it appears Reid outboxed McConnell for once and managed to get +3 Dems on most committees.
Related, it appears Reid outboxed McConnell for once and managed to get +3 Dems on most committees.
I Know That Store
Supermarket troubles.
Acme markets will close three area supermarkets following news that its parent company, Supervalu Inc., lost nearly $3 billion during the last quarter.
Stores in Ambler, West Chester, and Collegeville will be shut down during the next two months, according to a report on KYW Newsradio. A fourth store in Newton, NJ, will also be shuttered.
Retail Bloodbath
Not pretty.
Sales at U.S. retailers fell at a steeper-than-expected rate in December, government data showed on Wednesday, as a deteriorating economic environment forced consumers to cut back on spending during the key holiday period.
The Commerce Department said total retail sales fell 2.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted $343.2 billion last month following a revised 2.1 percent drop in November, previously reported as a 1.8 percent decline.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Tears of Instapundit
Oops:
The mood in the hall of the General Assembly Tuesday morning oozed with anxious anticipation.
Republicans stood poised to take control of the Tennessee General Assembly for the first time in nearly 140 years. Even Gubernatorial candidate Zach Wamp roamed the halls. "What I say to all my new colleages here in the state house and state senate is with this new majority, is you cant just be the opposition party now because the burden is on you to govern."
...
What happened next some may describe as the political play of the decade as all 49 Democrats backed Kent Williams, a Sophomore Republican from Carter County, a district just miles from Mumpower's hometown.
During the voice vote on the Speaker's position, the House clerk called every Democrat first, then every Republican, except Williams. The 49 to 49 split was then decided by Williams.
Williams accepted the position amid cheers and boos, prompting state troopers to enter the House chambers ready to respond to an outburst.
Estate Tax
Yes, it's good news that the Dems are aiming for a reasonable estate tax exemption while also not having the final year of what Krugman called the "Throw Momma From The Train Act," during which the estate tax is completely repealed before reverting back to what it was previously.
Encouraging Ridership
Reader J writes in:
Obviously booze on the train has potential problems, but especially when we're talking about the general post-work period during which few people will have had a chance to drink too much before they get in the train it isn't that big of a deal. A couple drunks on the train is preferable to a bunch of drunks on the road.
My two experiences with booze on a train:
In Chicago (lived there '98-'07), the western suburban commuter trains allow you to BYO alcohol as long as it's not in a glass bottle. As a result, the train station is filled with little bodegas selling beer cans and single serving plastic wine bottles. Also as a result, the experience at my office was that 75%+ of the western suburban commuters took the train. The dry northern and NWern burbs ran at roughly a 25% commuter rate.
In Denver, the ski train (lived here '07-present) to/from Winter Park serves beer and wine on the return trip. It is essentially impossible to book a ticket less than a month in advance -- and the trip is both expensive ($59 round trip) and long (2.25 hours, compared to 1.5 hours driving under normal conditions). It is a gorgeous ride, though.
Obviously booze on the train has potential problems, but especially when we're talking about the general post-work period during which few people will have had a chance to drink too much before they get in the train it isn't that big of a deal. A couple drunks on the train is preferable to a bunch of drunks on the road.
Booze On The Train
A few people have written in suggesting that they should just sell booze on the train. Amtrak does, and you can also get it on some Long Island Railroad and Metro North trains, where I also think they have a "BYO" policy just in case you come prepared.
Asymmetrical Incentives
The other thing, of course, is what happens when journalists screw up. They screw up all the time! That's fine. We all screw up, and most non-malicious screwups shouldn't be hanging offenses. Still, as we know, some journalists have their careers and reputations destroyed for relatively harmless screwups. Some, like Jeffrey Goldberg, continue to have illustrious careers in elite magazines like Atlantic Monthly. Looking at the pattern, if you screw up in a way which attacks the powerful and elite interests, which quite often are aligned with conservative/Republican governance, you're ruined. If you screw up in a way which leads to hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis...bygones!
Along Those Lines
Some things are accepted as fact even though they are completely false, such as the fact that entitlement spending in the US needs to be curtailed. Now it's true that health care spending, including Medicare spending, is out of control and should be curtailed. That isn't a problem with Medicare, but instead it's a problem with our ridiculous health care system. Every sentient being knows this is true, along with the related point that there's absolutely nothing wrong with Social Security, but the Villagers just "know" that the richest country in the history of the world can't possible afford to pay for your parents' health care. And they repeat it over and over and over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)