Rock on.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
What The Hell's A Research Paper
I think a major consequence of the lack of reading non-fiction other than textbooks is that when in late high school or college teachers want research paper type things, the students have a lot of trouble largely because they've never read any. They aren't familiar with the basic model. This gets interpreted as "they don't know how to write," which I guess is somewhat true, but they don't know how to write in a particular style because they have spent so little time reading that particular style.
Obviously this is good enough for a blog post, and not "I am an education expert," but I do, at least, have experience teaching at the college level....
Obviously this is good enough for a blog post, and not "I am an education expert," but I do, at least, have experience teaching at the college level....
Gated Ghetto
When "good" neighborhoods go bad.
I've read quite a few stories like this, but I really don't have any sense of just how widespread this basic phenomenon is.
The 427-home Willowalk tract, built by developer D.R. Horton, featured eight distinct "villages" within its block walls. Along with spacious homes, Willowalk boasted four lakes, a community pool and clubhouse. Fanciful street names such as Pink Savory Way and Bee Balm Road added to the bucolic image.
Young families seemed to occupy every house, throwing block parties and holiday get-togethers, and distributing a newsletter about the neighborhood, Eddie Lopez recalled.
...
When the development opened in 2006, buyers were drawn to the area by advertising describing it as a "gated lakeshore community." Now, many in Hemet call Willowalk the "gated ghetto," said John Occhi, a local real estate agent.
There are dozens of places like Willowalk, and they are turning into America's newest slums, says Christopher Leinberger, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. With home values at a fraction of their peak, he said, it no longer makes sense to live so far from the commercial centers where jobs are concentrated.
I've read quite a few stories like this, but I really don't have any sense of just how widespread this basic phenomenon is.
Goldilocks
I don't mind punching hippies if it actually achieves something, but I just don't see that it does...
Lunch Thread
Thinking it's a ramen kind of day, so I will walk to the sushi place that serves it.
...boo, no ramen on menu today. At least it's warm enough to sit outside.
...boo, no ramen on menu today. At least it's warm enough to sit outside.
Psychology
Just to explain what I mean in the post below a bit more, my world is very small. In my standard daily routine, I usually don't travel more than about 1.75 miles from my house, except when I'm being good and running regularly. Obviously that's in part because I work at home, but if had a commute the 1.75 mile range would apply to my life other than the commute. Majority of my friends live nearby, and the friends who live nearby are the ones I see the most often. Anything under half a mile is easy walking distance, more than that I might take the bus or occasionally the subway, depending on mood and weather. Except for special occasions, I'm unlikely to attend any event which isn't accessible by transit, though car sharing is convenient when the need arises.
In LA, the world is very big. Culture and social expectations are such that traveling fairly long distances regularly is considered to be normal.
In LA, the world is very big. Culture and social expectations are such that traveling fairly long distances regularly is considered to be normal.
LA SUPERTRAINS
Contrary to popular perception, much of LA is quite dense and a hell of a lot of people use mass transit. And if the mayor gets his way, more better transit is coming. I think two things make it difficult for LA to be a great transit city. The first is simply the psychology of the place. People really don't think anything about driving an hour in any direction. It makes the set of potential places - retail, friends, whatever - one might visit quite large. The second is that while LA is actually quite dense, in much of the city it's a very even density. Light rail and subway systems are more useful if things are clustered around stations. With the trains, development patterns will likely change if the local authorities let them, but that takes time.
I guess there is a third thing, that despite having all that lovely weather people are strangely allergic to walking.
I guess there is a third thing, that despite having all that lovely weather people are strangely allergic to walking.
Gathering Steam
Some day I'd like the DC media to explain their enduring obsession with someone who is unpopular and will never hold elected political office again. Maybe she's good for ratings and page views? That's an excuse to cover her, I guess, but not an excuse to pretend she has some tremendous political future. She doesn't.
Jobs Report Estimate
Official report comes out Friday, monthly private estimate is out today.
US private employers shed 23,000 jobs in March, missing expectations for an increase in jobs although fewer than the adjusted 24,000 jobs lost in February, a report by a private employment service said Wednesday.
Drill, Baby, Drill
Who'd we elect again?
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is proposing to open vast expanses of water along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling, much of it for the first time, officials said Tuesday.
Health Insurance Exchanges
Important to remember that insurance companies may be listed, but they may also be taken off the list. I imagine that fact had something to do with their hasty retreat from declaring that they were not required to cover children with pre-existing conditions immediately. It's a start.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Comments
Seem to be FUBAR. Maybe this will work. If not, I'm sure the geniuses at js-kit will get on it quickly.
Transit and Teevee Geekery Combine
On Chuck it was suggested that one could get to Mexico via Union Station in Los Angeles. You can! But very unAmerican to suggest it.
Wingnuttery I Can Believe In
Actually, I'm playing fair kind of guy and I do wish the Census would get as accurate of a count as possible. So, turn in your damn forms wingnuts.
Asshole Apologizes
I guess that's progress.
(via pam)
(The Hague, Netherlands) A retired American general has apologized for a remark to the U.S. Senate suggesting that gay Dutch soldiers were partly to blame for the Srebrenica massacre by Serb soldiers in Bosnia, according to the Defense Ministry.
(via pam)
The War On Easter
I'll do my part by eating a bunny.
I've never been interested in being a proselytizing atheist/agnostic, and also don't feel particularly oppressed by these things, but religious people who lose their shit over what is or isn't on a local municipal calendar should walk in my shoes for a couple of days.
I've never been interested in being a proselytizing atheist/agnostic, and also don't feel particularly oppressed by these things, but religious people who lose their shit over what is or isn't on a local municipal calendar should walk in my shoes for a couple of days.
Parking
The population of San Francisco is about 800,000. They have about 440,000 public parking spaces. 72% are free.
As I've written several times, cars aren't really the problem, it's parking, specifically the fact that despite what people who believe that there should always be a free spot precisely where they want it think, there is often an oversupply of parking even in urban hellholes. Parking takes up space, reducing density and the walkability of areas. Parking requirements raise the cost of construction.
As I've written several times, cars aren't really the problem, it's parking, specifically the fact that despite what people who believe that there should always be a free spot precisely where they want it think, there is often an oversupply of parking even in urban hellholes. Parking takes up space, reducing density and the walkability of areas. Parking requirements raise the cost of construction.
SIX PERCENT
I admit to not actually understanding why the Greek "crisis" is such a big deal. If they can issue debt six percent...it, well, isn't.
Chunky Reese Witherspoon Made Them Do it
Been trying to resist addressing Father Ross's latest, but it's just another reminder that conservatives have a very hard time distinguishing between consensual sex, which harms no one and a few people manage to actually enjoy, and rape or statutory rape in which consent is not there or society has deemed consent is not possible.
Loophole
So it took, what, a week for the insurance companies to begin circumventing the health care bill?
Atrios calls them skimmers, which is true enough. But, as George Lakoff has pointed out (couldn't find a good link) their business model, necessarily, is finding ways to deny treatment. The firms that can provide the least treatment will acquire the ones who provide more. Or rather, have acquired them.
Update: Steve Benen tells me the insurers decided this might not be the best PR move.
Atrios calls them skimmers, which is true enough. But, as George Lakoff has pointed out (couldn't find a good link) their business model, necessarily, is finding ways to deny treatment. The firms that can provide the least treatment will acquire the ones who provide more. Or rather, have acquired them.
Update: Steve Benen tells me the insurers decided this might not be the best PR move.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Moral Clarity
Yes all people should be innocent until proven guilty, but I thought even right wingers generally frowned on terrorist attacks on cops and their families.
Persecution
Poor pope.
The leader of the nation’s second-largest diocese urged his congregation to pray for the pope, saying he was suffering some of the same unjust accusations once faced by Jesus.
The Angry Left
I wouldn't be surprised if there's a more specific grudge inspiring the desire to attack police officers. Just really not clear to me that right wing wackos would really see local police officers as symbols of "the authority of the government of the United States."
Petty Gossip
I have to admit to being surprised by some of the argumentation in defense of the Church I find around the internets, including those coming from the pope himself. It's a simple story, really, bad stuff happened and people covered it up and enabled the perps to do more bad stuff. Not that complicated, really, and "other people did bad stuff too" or "you fail to understand the nuances of catholic doctrine and hierarchy therefore it's all ok" don't really change that.
Bondage-Themed Night Club
I think quite often these "expenses" gotchas are misleading, but this one is a bit hard to explain...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Erickson Claims He Is Product Of Rapid Evolution
From Media Matters:
I, for one, am glad that he cleared that up. It happens to the best of us. Just last week I tripped an elderly man who was crossing the street. But, I've evolved. I would never do that in public again. I'm a different person now.
Erickson tried to come off as contrite throughout the interview, and after Kurtz noted that Erickson had called Michelle Obama a "Marxist harpy," Erickson had this to say: "Since that time I've really learned, headed into, frankly, the David Souter comment, that I don't have to get personal in blogging to make my point. I definitely evolved over time."
I, for one, am glad that he cleared that up. It happens to the best of us. Just last week I tripped an elderly man who was crossing the street. But, I've evolved. I would never do that in public again. I'm a different person now.
Busview Is Coming!!
Only two routes so far, but this might be the "killer" ap for me which finally makes me upgrade my 300 year old cell phone.
Wonder What This Is About
Hmmm
Probably the first wave of the Obama administration rounding up all Christians and sending them to death camps.
The FBI conducted raids Saturday night in the Washtenaw and Lenawee county area in an investigation involving members of Hutaree, a Christian-oriented militia group based in Lenawee County, AnnArbor.com has learned.
The nature of those raids has not been made public. FBI Special Agent Jason Pack, who is based in Washington, D.C., said he did not know how many people were taken into custody. Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit, could not be reached today.
Probably the first wave of the Obama administration rounding up all Christians and sending them to death camps.
Security
When I talked to James Fallows and Bruce Schneier on Thursday, this didn't come up. Perhaps it should have.
It is not obvious to people, especially senior government officials and corporate executives that security by obscurity is a very bad idea. It seems obvious that you should keep your sources and methods secret, including your encryption algorithms. But while you do not want to out your spies ("sources"), it makes no sense to keep your methods secret.
Effective methods have to be tested, and the only way to test them is to put them out in public. Electronic voting machines are a good example of this kind of failure, while the papal picking process is an example of how to do it right. (While the result looks like a mistake, the voting process did accurately count the College of Cardinals vote.)
It is really a bad thing to have inadequately tested systems in place. And any system that relies on security by obscurity is inadequately tested.
And don't get me started on the idea of full body screeners at airports. They are not just stupidly intrusive. They don't work. And, as Bruce noted in the interview, the shoe bomber and the underpants igniter's attempts failed. The current, unstated but in place, security system of passengers and crew not permitting a hijacking or a bomber on an airplane works really well.
It is not obvious to people, especially senior government officials and corporate executives that security by obscurity is a very bad idea. It seems obvious that you should keep your sources and methods secret, including your encryption algorithms. But while you do not want to out your spies ("sources"), it makes no sense to keep your methods secret.
Effective methods have to be tested, and the only way to test them is to put them out in public. Electronic voting machines are a good example of this kind of failure, while the papal picking process is an example of how to do it right. (While the result looks like a mistake, the voting process did accurately count the College of Cardinals vote.)
It is really a bad thing to have inadequately tested systems in place. And any system that relies on security by obscurity is inadequately tested.
And don't get me started on the idea of full body screeners at airports. They are not just stupidly intrusive. They don't work. And, as Bruce noted in the interview, the shoe bomber and the underpants igniter's attempts failed. The current, unstated but in place, security system of passengers and crew not permitting a hijacking or a bomber on an airplane works really well.
Sunday Bobbleheads
This Week has Valerie Jarrett.
Meet the Press has Schumer and Lindsey Graham.
Face the Nation has DeMint, some random crazy person, and Tim Kaine.
Document the atrocities!
Meet the Press has Schumer and Lindsey Graham.
Face the Nation has DeMint, some random crazy person, and Tim Kaine.
Document the atrocities!
Shrill
The Shrill One is on target.
We could raise taxes that much and still be one of the lowest-tax nations in the advanced world. Or we could save a significant share of that total by not being totally prepared for the day when Soviet tanks sweep across the North German plain.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Democracy
Michael O'Hanlon was on my radio earlier telling me how awesome everything was.
BAGHDAD, Iraq_ At least four Sunni Muslim candidates who appear to have won parliamentary seats on the winning ticket of secular leader Ayad Allawi have become targets of investigation by security forces reporting to the narrowly defeated Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, according to interviews Saturday with relatives, Iraqi security forces and the U.S. military.
Congestion Tolling
It's hard making people understand that congestion is an unpriced externality, and therefore congestion tolling isn't just about taking money from people it's about reducing the amount of congestion and, yes, converting a bit of lost value due to time wasted in traffic into revenue which could be used to other things, including (admittedly unlikely) rebating it back to people.
It's an unpriced externality because people don't take into account the fact that their car being on the road slows things down just a little bit for everyone else.
It's an unpriced externality because people don't take into account the fact that their car being on the road slows things down just a little bit for everyone else.
We're All Stephen Colbert Now
Actually we aren't, and whatever the flaws of our messed up and evolving cultural concepts of race, they exist, are still important, and we should have good data.
Morning
It seems that Glenn Beck and Jim Wallis are having a twitter fight, or something. Some days I cannot care about such things.
WOTD Nomination
Bobo.
Let's see. Ms. Pelosi is the mother of five children and seven grandchildren. She has been involved in politics her entire life and when her youngest child became a senior in high school she decided to run for political office herself. She has been a member of the House since 1987. She worked hard and rose to eventually become Minority Leader and now the first female Majority Leader. She has been quite effective in that office. When the President said he wanted health care reform passed by July 31st, she said okay and delivered. She remained strong all last Fall and into the Spring and delivered again last week. Brava Madame Speaker.
Last night on the Newshour, Bobo kind of grudgingly admits that she is an effective leader, but then says "Maybe she got it from her father or brother." He goes on to say maybe it's just in her blood. I don't know? Maybe it's because in her 70 years on the planet she has worked hard and learned a few things along the way? Even with her girly bits? Nah. Must of gotten it from her brother who has not held office since 1971, or her father who died in 1987. Certainly nothing she accomplished on her own.
If not WOTD, certainly a Grade A Asshat.
Let's see. Ms. Pelosi is the mother of five children and seven grandchildren. She has been involved in politics her entire life and when her youngest child became a senior in high school she decided to run for political office herself. She has been a member of the House since 1987. She worked hard and rose to eventually become Minority Leader and now the first female Majority Leader. She has been quite effective in that office. When the President said he wanted health care reform passed by July 31st, she said okay and delivered. She remained strong all last Fall and into the Spring and delivered again last week. Brava Madame Speaker.
Last night on the Newshour, Bobo kind of grudgingly admits that she is an effective leader, but then says "Maybe she got it from her father or brother." He goes on to say maybe it's just in her blood. I don't know? Maybe it's because in her 70 years on the planet she has worked hard and learned a few things along the way? Even with her girly bits? Nah. Must of gotten it from her brother who has not held office since 1971, or her father who died in 1987. Certainly nothing she accomplished on her own.
If not WOTD, certainly a Grade A Asshat.
Friday, March 26, 2010
I Have Been On Two Of These
Luxury long distance train travel can make people forget that trains are really great for practical medium distance travel, but it is a nice way to see the countryside.
...link fixed.
...link fixed.
Meet the New Boss
Quite possibly the same as the old old boss.
Judith Miller remains the Queen of All Iraq.
BAGHDAD — A secular coalition led by Iyad Allawi, a former Iraqi prime minister, won the most votes in Iraq’s parliamentary elections, narrowly edging out Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, according to results released Friday.
Judith Miller remains the Queen of All Iraq.
Okay To Email Occasionally
One weird thing that's happened since I've started blogging is a sharp decline in the frequency with which other bloggers email me things they think I might find interesting. Right this second is probably the wrong time to do it, as if I get a bunch of emails simultaneously it probably won't help you much, but while I process an immense amount of information every day I don't in fact have the entire internet jacked into the back of my head.
Principal Modification
I'm a bit more optimistic about the new mortgage mod plan. Some way of lowering principals was always the only real, if imperfect, way of addressing the foreclosure crisis.
The Pope Is Still Alive
One weird thing I remember from when the pope became the pope was that there seemed, at the time, to be a concerted effort to convince the world that, well, yes, the scary conservative white guy got the job but NO WORRIES because he's so sick that he'll probably keel over any minute now and then there will finally be an African or Latin-American pope.
Disability
One can support government disability programs and still think Obama's HCR plan is a bad idea, but you can't really wrap up that opposition with a glibertarian bow.
Something
The devil is in the details and it sounds like this might not be aggressive or generous enough, but hopefully it's a step in the right direction.
The new aid programs, funded from the $50 billion allocated to housing rescue under the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program, will also allow borrowers to erase mortgage debt down to a maximum of 115 percent of their home's value by refinancing through the Federal Housing Administration.
Enemies
In a mostly sensible EJ Dionne column we get this:
The church has "enemies?" Critics and detractors, sure, but enemies?
Of course, this will not be easy. Enemies of the church will use this scandal to discredit the institution no matter what the Vatican does. Many in the hierarchy thought they were doing the right thing, however wrong their decisions were. And the church is not alone in facing problems of this sort.
The church has "enemies?" Critics and detractors, sure, but enemies?
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Not Optimistic
A senior treasury official did say something was in the works, but then it was kinda walked back a bit. NYT sez:
BREAKING NEWS 6:46 PM ET
Administration Plans Program to Cut Mortgage Debt of Troubled Borrowers
Insert Inappropriate Dick Nixon Joke Here
I just got this in my inbox, subject "Brookings Institution scholars Jonathan Rauch, Tom Mann and Henry Aaron offer their thoughts on what a shift to Republican control of the House this fall would mean for President Obama. "
Someone really needs to check the mercury content of the water cooler there.
Jonathan Rauch: “The country’s biggest problems are too large for one party to handle, at least in any consistent way. The Democrats did pass health reform on a party-line basis, a remarkable accomplishment, but they did it by the skin of their teeth and with a Senate supermajority which has evaporated. That is not a trick they can keep performing. Under those conditions, the only way to achieve sustainable bipartisanship is to divide control of the government, forcing the parties to negotiate in order to get anything done. That pulls policy toward the center, which encourages reasonableness.”
Someone really needs to check the mercury content of the water cooler there.
Getting Bigger
After decades of shrinking, my urban hellhole might be growing again. Probably attributable to the first wave of forced resettlements.
A good moment to remark on city demographic numbers. Sometimes when you see them you're seeing city-as-municipality, sometimes you're seeing them in terms of some broader metro area calculation. The news media isn't always that good at distinguishing between them, and there's no clear right way to draw the boundary, but obviously they measure different things..
A good moment to remark on city demographic numbers. Sometimes when you see them you're seeing city-as-municipality, sometimes you're seeing them in terms of some broader metro area calculation. The news media isn't always that good at distinguishing between them, and there's no clear right way to draw the boundary, but obviously they measure different things..
Passes
Reconciliation passes Senate. I never heard anything to suggest the vote was in doubt, but, well, it is the Senate. On to the House. Then we can start herding Republicans into internment camps, and the rest of you into urban hellholes.
The Angry Left
It seems that right wingers aren't making threats or doing anything violent, but if they did that'd be fully justified.
Or something.
Or something.
Turn The Machines Back On
Really really awful policy.
California home buyers can begin claiming $10,000 tax credits starting May 1 under a bill expected to be signed soon by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The legislation allocates $200 million for more state tax credits — twice what was offered last year to 10,659 buyers of new, unoccupied homes. The state's newest housing stimulus will grant $100 million in tax credits to first-time buyers of existing homes and $100 million to anyone who buys a new, unoccupied home.
Cars Cost Money
The WaPo covers the study about housing and transprt costs that I linked to yesterday. There are two things to highlight here:
*Even though no one wants to live in an urban hellhole, quality urban hellholes are actually quite pricey.
*It seems that some people, perhaps because they have no experience with it, are unable to imagine life without one car per driving age member of the household, and do not factor in transport cost differences when considering where to live. So the expensive urban hellholes aren't actually as expensive as they think.
The main point is that cars are really expensive (payments, insurance, registration/fees/inspection/taxes, maintenance, gas), but it's an expense many people just assume is necessary.
Nothing in this post passes any judgment whatsoever on your location choice.
*Even though no one wants to live in an urban hellhole, quality urban hellholes are actually quite pricey.
*It seems that some people, perhaps because they have no experience with it, are unable to imagine life without one car per driving age member of the household, and do not factor in transport cost differences when considering where to live. So the expensive urban hellholes aren't actually as expensive as they think.
The main point is that cars are really expensive (payments, insurance, registration/fees/inspection/taxes, maintenance, gas), but it's an expense many people just assume is necessary.
Nothing in this post passes any judgment whatsoever on your location choice.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
Slightly better, but still bad.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 442,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The report included annual revisions to the weekly unemployment claims seasonal factors going back to 2005.
Using the old seasonal factors, claims would have dropped only to 453,000, a Labor Department official said. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected claims to slip to 450,000 from a previously reported 457,000 the prior week.
And On And On
The Senate couldn't make any changes to the bill because then it would have to go back to the House...but the parliamentarian has found problems so now they'll have to make changes and send it back to the House.
Trying To Dial Back
Yesterday, I noticed McCain calling for greater voter registration and voter turnout in November as a way to combat the Obama administration and their "radical" policies. No mention of Teabaggers or angry people. I guess he's finally realized that they've gone way too far in firing up the masses.
Diane, at Cabdrollery has some thoughts on it as well.
Diane, at Cabdrollery has some thoughts on it as well.
Yurp Is So Silly
A big reason that UK government spending is so high is that... drumroll... most of the health care sector spending and most of the education sector spending, including higher, are...government spending. And not all government spending is, by anyone's measure, the 'welfare state[s]' as this article asserts.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Our Moral Betters
Heckuva job.
Top Vatican officials — including the future Pope Benedict XVI — did not defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys, even though several American bishops repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church, according to church files newly unearthed as part of a lawsuit.
The internal correspondence from bishops in Wisconsin directly to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope, shows that while church officials tussled over whether the priest should be dismissed, their highest priority was protecting the church from scandal.
Reform
Hopefully Bowers Johnson is also correct. Basically the culture of the Senate seems to be that everyone in the minority has the power to completely fuck things up when they want to, and that works ok as long as people show a little restraint and only invoke those powers occasionally. But now the Republicans are going Galt with grumpy old McCain and shutting down committee meetings along with everything else. It'd be nice if Dems finally started to acknowledge that the Greatest Deliberative Body In The History Of The Multiverse basically sucks and need to be changed.
Chief Justice Roberts Johnson Is Right
I really don't understand why Obama hasn't made NLRB recess appointments.
Depressing
I'm not sure if there is a whole lot more the Fed can realistically do in the short term to fight unemployment, but we generally have a problem if the institution is mostly only concerned with one if its mandates. The Fed's inflation target is too low.
Obama's Making Them Do It!!!
Getting fun out there.
Updated: 12:54 p.m. Federal and local authorities are investigating a severed gas line at the home of U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello’s brother, discovered the day after Tea Party activists posted the address online so opponents could “drop by” and “express their thanks” for Perriello’s vote in favor of health care reform.
The gas line to the home’s propane tank was slashed, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Not Selling
Very low number of new home sales. Perhaps BoA's principal modification plan is due to people finally recognizing that no matter how hard they try - and they have tried - they can't reinflate the bubble.
Principal Modification
Obviously I'll wait to see what Bank of America actually does with this program, but I've long been confused about why banks haven't been engaging in principal modifications. I know of the suggested reasons, but they didn't quite make sense to me.
The Moustache Of Understanding
Continuing to out-parody himself he actually writes this sentence today:
Basically, he wants a large political movement of people who are of course out there and who completely embrace his mostly incoherent political beliefs.
I want a Tea Party of the radical center.
Basically, he wants a large political movement of people who are of course out there and who completely embrace his mostly incoherent political beliefs.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
That's Fast
No opinion about NYU's expansion plans - not my city - but I was struck by this.
Things are a bit different in really big cities, but as someone who has spent time/taught at various universities I can say that those with a significant residential component - even in big cities - are substantially different, and probably better for students, than those without.
Between 1991 and 2001, the number of students living in N.Y.U. housing tripled to 12,000, from 4,000, as the university raised its national profile. (In the early ’90s, 50 percent of its students came from the metropolitan area; now that figure has declined to 10 to 15 percent.) By 2031, N.Y.U. expects its total student body to grow to 46,500 students, up from the current 41,000.
Things are a bit different in really big cities, but as someone who has spent time/taught at various universities I can say that those with a significant residential component - even in big cities - are substantially different, and probably better for students, than those without.
Local Programming
Join us for the great Philly Center City Drinking Liberally at our new location upstairs at Jose Pistola's, on 15th between Locust and Spruce, 6-?, beer and other specials...
Winning Is Fun
Whatever the merits of the health bill, it reminds me that for some reason Dem legislators have a hard time remembering that winning is a lot more fun than losing, and that winning tends to get you good positive press.
Who's The Boss
Both admissions by Frum are telling. The first is that the GOP thought Jake Tapper's "sister organization" Fox News worked for them, and the second is that the GOP now works for Fox.
I Know They Shouldn't Listen To Me
But, really, GOP, running on repealing HCR is the greatest strategy ever. Run with it.
Almost Right Away
I'm a bit skeptical about the anti-rescission part of the bill being effective, but I do think the administration has undersold some of the good bits of the bill which take effect soon.
SUPERSUPERTRAIN
I have some sense of the difficulties of increasing the average speed along the Amtrak route in the Northeast, but I don't have a good idea of what it would cost to overcome those difficulties.
Pelosi House Office Building
Both the naming and the destruction of the parking lot are good ideas, though let me advocate (unlikely to happen) that any office building in that spot include some street level retail.
Alternatively, they could build an apartment complex for House members. We have this rather dumb system where lawmakers have to simultaneously live in DC and maintain a residence in their home districts. Aside from the nuisance of travel, while this isn't a problem for wealthy members of Congress (and most are, of course, wealthy), it is actually a problem for non-wealthy members. You hear stories of people sleeping in their offices, etc. A studio apartment complex so that those who wanted could have an affordable pied-Ã -terre would really be a good idea. Also with street level retail.
Alternatively, they could build an apartment complex for House members. We have this rather dumb system where lawmakers have to simultaneously live in DC and maintain a residence in their home districts. Aside from the nuisance of travel, while this isn't a problem for wealthy members of Congress (and most are, of course, wealthy), it is actually a problem for non-wealthy members. You hear stories of people sleeping in their offices, etc. A studio apartment complex so that those who wanted could have an affordable pied-Ã -terre would really be a good idea. Also with street level retail.
There's Nothing We Can't Face Except For Bunnies
It's the kind of thing that only dirty fucking hippies on the internets point out, and which never really makes it to the elite salons like Fred Hiatt's Crayon Scribble Page, but the anti-abortion movement is also anti-contraception, and their evil prudery/desire to punish women has succeeded in making access to emergency contraception harder than it should be.
Lunatics
Herbert:
But most Villagers see them as authentic representatives of Real America. Whatever.
For decades the G.O.P. has been the party of fear, ignorance and divisiveness. All you have to do is look around to see what it has done to the country. The greatest economic inequality since the Gilded Age was followed by a near-total collapse of the overall economy. As a country, we have a monumental mess on our hands and still the Republicans have nothing to offer in the way of a remedy except more tax cuts for the rich.
This is the party of trickle down and weapons of mass destruction, the party of birthers and death-panel lunatics. This is the party that genuflects at the altar of right-wing talk radio, with its insane, nauseating, nonstop commitment to hatred and bigotry.
But most Villagers see them as authentic representatives of Real America. Whatever.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Armchair Revolutionaries
The scary thing is, of course, is that while most of them will remain with butts firmly planted in chair...
Ratzinger
Elites everywhere are never held accountable for their actions.
...oops, just realized this is 4 years old, though obviously has some relevance given current events.
In 2001, while he was a cardinal, he issued a secret Vatican edict to Catholic bishops all over the world, instructing them to put the Church's interests ahead of child safety.
The document recommended that rather than reporting sexual abuse to the relevant legal authorities, bishops should encourage the victim, witnesses and perpetrator not to talk about it. And, to keep victims quiet, it threatened that if they repeat the allegations they would be excommunicated.
...oops, just realized this is 4 years old, though obviously has some relevance given current events.
Ruh-Roh
I'm surprised Reid and co. went there... Bet McCain's having a full-on ragegasm right about now.
Rescue Me
Heckuva job.
As Lehman Brothers careened toward bankruptcy in 2008, the New York Federal Reserve Bank came to its rescue, sopping up junk loans that the investment bank couldn't sell in the market, according to a report from court-appointed examiner Anton R. Valukas.
The New York Fed, under the direction of now-Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, knowingly allowed itself to be used as a "warehouse" for junk loans, the report says, even though Fed guidelines say it can only accept investment grade bonds.
...
The Valukas report found clear evidence that the New York Fed knew that Lehman was sending it garbage that it had no intention to market. In other words, the baskets of assets were created for the specific purpose of selling to the Fed for far more than they were worth.
The Village And Public Opinion
It isn't just Republicans who are all over the place on the importance of public opinion, it is, as Glenn suggests, a general Villager thing. When public opinion disagrees with the basic Village Consensus, there is no one more noble and brave than the politician who goes against public opinion. When the public is aligned with Village Consensus, then there is nothing more important than enacting the will of the people.
Inevitable
Around the internets some are taking issue with my assertion that a year ago some sort of HCR seemed inevitable. Perhaps it was just irrational exuberance at the time, but certainly everyone I talked to, from congressional staffers to people working for HCAN, seemed to think it was basically inevitable, the only question being how good it would be, specifically whether or not there would be a public option. At the time, such irrational exuberance also led people to think that we had a good chance of decent climate change legislation and EFCA. Obama was very popular at the time, and one assumed that popularity could translate into some quick results.
Apologize Chris
Chris Matthews should have Grayson on and apologize to him, at least once the Senate actually passes this thing.
Above It All
The way Scalia sees things versus Stevens reminds me of how reporters and opinion journalists see themselves as different from bloggers, that they have some superior ability rise above it all and create unsullied output.
Looking Back
My marker for Obama was whether he'd get a health care bill with a public option. He didn't. A year ago passage of some sort of health care reform seemed inevitable, and not a tremendous challenge. Only a year of dithering and bipartisaning and gangs of wankers and pre-compromising and, frankly, failure to put forward something simple and popular jeopardized it.
The bill's more good than bad, but it isn't what we should have gotten. It isn't what we voted for.
The bill's more good than bad, but it isn't what we should have gotten. It isn't what we voted for.
Armchair Revolutionaries
My least favorite online creature is the armchair revolutionary, someone who suggests political violence should happen but is, of course, not going to bother to take care of things himself.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
219-212
One version of HCR has passed. House/Senate still need to pass reconciliation bill to make it less crappy, and of course BO needs to sign.
Sunday Night Thread
It occurs to me that House Republicans are some of the stupidest people in the country.
Principled
The abortion issue is also regularly presented by the media as an issue of "conscience." My conscience tells me that having more poor women die of stupak is a bad thing, but the media will never portray being pro-choice as a "conscience" issue.
My Great Big Health Care Reform Post
Both on substance and politics, better to pass it than not. It does not do the important work of sowing the seeds of the insurance industry's destruction, leaving the skimmers in place, and only takes baby steps towards moving them to the regulated public utility model. It also doesn't get rid of their anti-trust exemption, leaving the effective monopolies in place. This leaves us open to continued abuses by the industry and fails to do the most important cost-cutting measure, cutting out the paper pushers who serve no useful purpose in the economy. But there is good in the bill, too, and one has to be a bit Hopey that over time demands by the public will make the bad and unpopular stuff less bad and less unpopular.
Just Not That Much Of A Political Junkie
I've really never been able to follow it the way some people follow sports.
So Bored
Just pass this thing and move on, please.
...adding, just realized I violated my own pundit rules by suggesting that the whole thing exists for my entertainment. I didn't actually mean that, just that this whole process has dragged on to the detriment of everyone involved with it.
...adding, just realized I violated my own pundit rules by suggesting that the whole thing exists for my entertainment. I didn't actually mean that, just that this whole process has dragged on to the detriment of everyone involved with it.
Heckuva Job
Voters in California played their role, of course, but another thing we can thank our awesome news media for is the governator.
More Californians disapprove of the job performance of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger than any governor in modern state history including Gray Davis, who was ousted by Schwarzenegger in a popular uprising, according to a Field Poll released today.
Seventy-one percent of California voters surveyed said they disapprove of Schwarzenegger's handling of the job, while 23 percent approve. The low ratings are shared across all demographics including party affiliation, region of the state, age and race or ethnicity.
Sunday Bobbleheads
This Week has Secretary of State Rove, Plouffe, and then they show a old re-run with Daschle, Lott, Sam Donaldson, and George Will.
Face the Nation has Van Hollen, McConnell, Clyburn, and Durbin.
Dancing Dave's Meet the Press has some orange colored alien visitor, Hoyer, Steele and Kaine.
Document the atrocities!
Face the Nation has Van Hollen, McConnell, Clyburn, and Durbin.
Dancing Dave's Meet the Press has some orange colored alien visitor, Hoyer, Steele and Kaine.
Document the atrocities!
Breaking News
by Molly Ivors
It's been a while, folks, but I have something so earth-shattering to announce that I feel okay about coming back to our shared space to do it.
Maureen Dowd is right.
I know, I know. It's terrifying. I myself am askeered of the implications of radical reorganization of the planets. But props where props are due.
I have not really considered myself a Catholic since the ascension of Benedict: Anytime "pope" and "Hitler Youth" appear in the same sentence, it should make anyone uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it was the evil of his work with the Inquisition that really pushed me away: John Paul II gave Ratzinger free reign to root out liberal Catholicism, which he did with zeal, and is still doing.
Glenn Beck would be proud, but it's not a faith I, or my father or my late mother, who dedicated their lives to the church, would recognize.
It's been a while, folks, but I have something so earth-shattering to announce that I feel okay about coming back to our shared space to do it.
Maureen Dowd is right.
I know, I know. It's terrifying. I myself am askeered of the implications of radical reorganization of the planets. But props where props are due.
I have not really considered myself a Catholic since the ascension of Benedict: Anytime "pope" and "Hitler Youth" appear in the same sentence, it should make anyone uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it was the evil of his work with the Inquisition that really pushed me away: John Paul II gave Ratzinger free reign to root out liberal Catholicism, which he did with zeal, and is still doing.
Glenn Beck would be proud, but it's not a faith I, or my father or my late mother, who dedicated their lives to the church, would recognize.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Guns
It is good to know that Fred Hiatt is not always wrong.
The WaPo editorial page thinks background checks make sense before you give a crazy guy a gun.
The WaPo editorial page thinks background checks make sense before you give a crazy guy a gun.
But Will You Pinky Swear?
He probably actually means it, but I'm just not convinced the powers that be are willing to do what it takes to make it so.
March 20 (Bloomberg) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said government bailouts of large financial firms are “unconscionable” and must be ended as part of a regulatory overhaul following the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.
“It is unconscionable that the fate of the world economy should be so closely tied to the fortunes of a relatively small number of giant financial firms,” Bernanke said today in a speech in Orlando, Florida. “If we achieve nothing else in the wake of the crisis, we must ensure that we never again face such a situation.”
The Government Show
I know this makes me a bad political blogger, but I really just can't get worked up about all of the process issues. Wake me up when something passes. The government show is boring.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Urban Hellhole, Actually Not Too Tall
One weird thing I repeatedly see in these types of discussions is the belief by many that walkable urban=skyscrapers. There's one 6 storyish building recently converted into condos near me, but otherwise there really isn't any residential development above 3 stories nearby (and very little commercial). That's true of most of the city.
People Who Buy In The Suburbs Like Suburbs
Yes existing homeowners in existing neighborhoods are often quite happy with the product that they purchased (house, neighborhood, local amenities, basket of local public goods attached to it), and don't want it to change very much. But those voters only exist after they've purchased the homes that are built, and the laws and zoning codes/rulings which prevent developers from doing other things are in place before they get there. And all of the various subsidies for certain kinds of development, of course.
I will grant that even in my urban hellhole, demands for parking for new projects do often come from existing residents. While I'm usually not one to play the "dumb voter" card, I do think some, though not all, of these people are acting against their interest because they don't understand the consequences of what they're advocating for. More parking=more cars, not necessarily more available parking.
...and, yes, often people are against infill development no matter where they live, sometimes rationally and sometimes I think not. There's a giant empty parcel near me which will one day be developed. It "should" be a big development, though not any big development, because it's on a main artery and next to a subway stop. Some in the neighborhood will probably oppose anything with too much commercial/retail, with legitimate concerns about delivery trucks and similar. Some in the neighborhood will probably, mistakenly, oppose anything which doesn't include a lot of parking. I probably will neither be happy with what a developer proposes nor with what fixes the local neighborhood tries to attach to it. All of that means there will be a lot of opposition to any proposal, but that doesn't mean that there should be an empty lot there forever.
I will grant that even in my urban hellhole, demands for parking for new projects do often come from existing residents. While I'm usually not one to play the "dumb voter" card, I do think some, though not all, of these people are acting against their interest because they don't understand the consequences of what they're advocating for. More parking=more cars, not necessarily more available parking.
...and, yes, often people are against infill development no matter where they live, sometimes rationally and sometimes I think not. There's a giant empty parcel near me which will one day be developed. It "should" be a big development, though not any big development, because it's on a main artery and next to a subway stop. Some in the neighborhood will probably oppose anything with too much commercial/retail, with legitimate concerns about delivery trucks and similar. Some in the neighborhood will probably, mistakenly, oppose anything which doesn't include a lot of parking. I probably will neither be happy with what a developer proposes nor with what fixes the local neighborhood tries to attach to it. All of that means there will be a lot of opposition to any proposal, but that doesn't mean that there should be an empty lot there forever.
Is Rachel Ugly?
I guess it's television Friday. I agree that the character of Rachel on Glee is portrayed as talented, annoying, and badly dressed, but I actually never got the sense that they meant to portray her as physically unattractive. Maybe I missed it. Otherwise I agree with the basic sentiments of the linked post.
It's Always Sunny In My Urban Hellhole
Finally got around to watching the series, which is a pretty funny show in the wacky-exploits-of-horrible-but-somehow-lovable-people genre. I hadn't realized just how much if the show, at least in the first season, was shot on location, much of it in my neighborhood. It strikes a nice balance in portraying the hellhole warts and all, without either trying to portray at as more beautiful or more ugly than it is.
Bloggy Memories
Not sure why I thought of this, but was just remembering that way back in the early days of political blogging, back around the Glorious Days of Warblogging, there was a lot of celebration of general guyness. You know, super rebellious activities like watching sports and drinking alcohol and ogling pretty women. I never really understood where the sense that such acts were rebellious or brave and manly came from, but I guess the warblogging culture provided some online male bonding that these people were lacking.
Bad People
I guess I continue to be surprised by just how loathsome some of these people are. What motivates people to go after an 11-year-old over his dead mother, or a disabled person?
Call The WAAAHMBULANCE
Not in favor of harassing people, of course, but nor do I believe that this is a real concern.
March 19 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Treasury Department refused to disclose names of Citigroup Inc. executives who haggled over bailout terms in late 2008 after the bank said they might be harassed like the American International Group Inc. workers pilloried for taking big bonuses.
The names were blacked out from 1,792 pages of e-mails and documents released to Bloomberg News in response to an August 2009 Freedom of Information Act request tied to the bank’s $45 billion bailout. The Treasury also blacked out contents of some of the e-mails, saying they were internal deliberations exempt from disclosure.
If "Graham" Is In The Bill Title
It's probably bad. Aside from how it treats immigrants, do no politicians consider the backlash of additional burdens on citizens?
...are Democrats just incapable of playing the outside game? You can't serve up a piece of shit like that and expect it to have any support. Without support, you can't have any reform. It's really that simple.
...are Democrats just incapable of playing the outside game? You can't serve up a piece of shit like that and expect it to have any support. Without support, you can't have any reform. It's really that simple.
Heckuva Job
And they did nothing.
And, strangely, "The Street" doesn't seem to be too upset by this.
- Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Reserve officials were warned by a leading Wall Street rival that Lehman Brothers was incorrectly calculating a key measure of its financial health months before its collapse in 2008, people familiar with the matter say.
Former Merrill Lynch officials said they contacted regulators about the way Lehman measured its liquidity position for competitive reasons.
And, strangely, "The Street" doesn't seem to be too upset by this.
I guess what surprises me
is not that Stupak gets his marching orders from Catholic Bishops and Focus on the Family, but that he sees absolutely nothing wrong in admitting that, for him, 59,000 Catholic women have no relevance in the discussion at all.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Making References
I was struck by this comment.
Yes of course pure plagiarism is bad, but I also think that making unattributed references in, say, a political speech is much more problematic than it used to be. Perhaps because digital culture is making people think about issues they haven't before, I think we're actually getting a bit stupider about such things. If I were a politician I wouldn't make anything but the most obvious references in a political speech for fear of being accused of plagiarism, while back in the day making unattributed allusions and references was what good literature and speechwriting entailed.
In any case the distinction is between “passing off the work of others as your own” and “making references that you expect your audience to be educated enough to understand.”
Yes of course pure plagiarism is bad, but I also think that making unattributed references in, say, a political speech is much more problematic than it used to be. Perhaps because digital culture is making people think about issues they haven't before, I think we're actually getting a bit stupider about such things. If I were a politician I wouldn't make anything but the most obvious references in a political speech for fear of being accused of plagiarism, while back in the day making unattributed allusions and references was what good literature and speechwriting entailed.
Even More Troubles For DSCC Chair John Edwards
Ruh-roh.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury looking into the aftermath of Sen. John Ensign’s extramarital affair with a former staffer, adding a new political problem for GOP leaders in their response to the dual criminal and ethics probes of the Nevada Republican.
The NRSC was asked to turn over documents related to Ensign’s tenure as NRSC chairman. Ensign chaired the committee during the 2007-08 cycle.
Truly Weird Arguments
Problems with the NHS stem, in part, from the fact that relative to other Western countries, they don't spend too much money on it. But basically no one wants to get rid of it, they just want it to improve.
All Those Nice Urban Places Couldn't Be Built Today
Not everyone wants to live in an urban hellhole, but I'll be happy if my blog can contribute one tiny thing to the discourse by getting a few more people to understand that most of the urban spaces - including relatively small towns! - that we think of as nice places to visit, if not to live, could not be built today given the existing regulations even in those municipalities. In existing cities the prime culprit is parking requirements, and outside of existing cities it's the whole menu of density restrictions, setbacks, etc. Having said that, I don't at all doubt that lots of people want to live in a low density single family detached housing development. I'm not trying to make it illegal to build those! But even some of those people who want to live in a single family detached housing development might want to be within spitting distance of a walkable street level retail corridor. Also generally illegal.
More Troubles For John Edwards
Oh, wait, it's that other guy. The one who actually holds elected office.
LAS VEGAS -- Nevada Senator John Ensign is in the crosshairs of a Department of Justice criminal investigation.
The criminal probe stems from a romantic affair Ensign had with the wife of his key staffer and close friend, Doug Hampton, and what Ensign has done to help Hampton financially.
Subpoenas have been issued to at least six Las Vegas businesses. The Justice Department came to Las Vegas to interview several prominent business and political figures in what appears to be a wide-ranging and deadly-serious criminal probe.
Pissing Off Hippies
Oddly, CBO score was going to be the Last Great Chance to push this bill in a more progressive direction, as there are policy options (public option, Medicare buy-in) which would have made things cheaper and reduced costs, but since hippies like those options they won't happen and so Labor is going to suck on it instead.
Nuns? We Don't Need No Stinking Nuns!
Our pal Bart, who wants more poor women to die from stupak, only listens to the dudes about how best to achieve his goals.
Obsession
Arnold's obsessed with "fraud" in this program, so he's gonna treat recipients like criminals.
The Schwarzenegger administration is considering buying $5,000 high-tech devices to photograph and fingerprint Californians who get subsidized in-home care for the elderly and disabled.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Bad Fed
It hasn't been interested in using the consumer protection powers/obligations it has, so I have no idea why anyone would expect them to use any new powers they if they get them.
Vindicating Rahm
I'm so old I can remember when having the House pass the Senate bill and then pass a fix in reconciliation was crazy dirty fucking hippie fantasy shit. Now apparently it's Rahm's great triumph!
Somebody Hit The Panic Button
If I'd gone back in time to the end of 2008 and told the incoming Obama administration that they would pass a large stimulus bill, but nonetheless unemployment would rise to around 10% by the end of the year and then stay there for about another year and that Jonah Goldberg would, at some point, say something intelligent, they probably would have been more likely to believe the latter than the former. If they did believe me, they would have freaked because 10% unemployment for an extended period is really really bad.
It isn't that the administration and Congress have done nothing since then, but when the jobs situation became more urgent they didn't really adjust. We had a brief message: focus on jobs moment a couple months back but that seems to have faded.
Yes a "jobs" bill just passed, but it won't do much for jobs.
It isn't that the administration and Congress have done nothing since then, but when the jobs situation became more urgent they didn't really adjust. We had a brief message: focus on jobs moment a couple months back but that seems to have faded.
Yes a "jobs" bill just passed, but it won't do much for jobs.
Making Stuff Up
Other journalists still surprisingly willing to defend their "sister news organization" despite their habit of just making things up.
We have authority because we earned it has morphed into we have authority because we're backed by a giant international corporation.
We have authority because we earned it has morphed into we have authority because we're backed by a giant international corporation.
Journalists is Weird
For years I've watched so many of them sidestep actual criticism to address whatever straw man they've constructed for the day. If they're this dense - deliberately or not - about issues related to their own profession then we shouldn't be surprised when they're dense about issues less central to their daily existence.
Greater Economic Pain For Other People
I'm pretty sure Michael Kinsely has enough money to watch the suffering proles from on high without doing much suffering himself.
The sins of elites can only be washed away by the suffering of the rest of us.
The sins of elites can only be washed away by the suffering of the rest of us.
Contemporary Journalism
It seems like we're just in this world where every day Republicans make some shit up. The first round of reports just report the "controversy" without bothering to explain who is right or wrong. Then the second round of reports maybe gets around to pointing out that oh, well, actually the Republicans are full of shit.
Then the next day we move on to some other invented horseshit and the cycle continues.
Then the next day we move on to some other invented horseshit and the cycle continues.
According to AEI
"In the last Congress that Republicans controlled, from 2005 to 2006, Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier used the self-executing rule more than 35 times, and was no stranger to the concept of “deem and pass.”"
I guess Pelosi isn't committing treason afterall.
I guess Pelosi isn't committing treason afterall.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Too Lazy To Check The Math
But Matt's general point is correct: when something has a relatively small probability of being true and an imperfect test for it exists, most positive tests will be false.
CNN
I think even liberals have too much bought into the notion that CNN is, by the standards of these things, more down the middle than the other cable nets. The real story with CNN is that they don't do much political coverage during the day, and during the evening when they do cover it, they employ a very large rogues' gallery.
As for Erickson, I'm not shocked that CNN hires a conservative. We're used to that. I'm just shocked that they'd employ somebody as stupid as he is.
As for Erickson, I'm not shocked that CNN hires a conservative. We're used to that. I'm just shocked that they'd employ somebody as stupid as he is.
Rigged Game
I think the reaction to the Lehman scandal (not particularly strong generally) is very telling. The investor class should, much more than me, care that a major company was engaged in accounting fraud and should worry, much more than me, that other companies are doing the same. That they aren't says a lot about how the game really works.
Bullies
One fairly recent development has been the inevitable attacks by the right on any person who attempts to, in some small way, contribute to the public discourse to advocate for liberal causes.
It's Michelle Malkin's world. We just live in it.
It's Michelle Malkin's world. We just live in it.
Silly Ezra
Being a conservative columnist for the NYT means you are, actually, entitled to your own facts.
The Obama Show
Whatever the ideology (professed or genuine) of a beltway pundit, you know they're past their sell-by date when they start carping about how the presidential show isn't as pleasing as it once was. It isn't there to entertain you or make you feel good about yourself, it's there to run the government and ideally advance good policy. Once you start thinking it's about whether it makes you feel happy inside, it's time to get another job like, say, a non-union janitorial position.
What You're Eating Is Wrong
Yes this is another dumb microtrend* story, but it also highlights the fact that people on food stamps can't win. Whatever they eat is wrong. If it's "bad" food it's unhealthy, if it's "good" food it's indulgent luxury.
*microtrend (n): not actually a trend, just something some reporter made up for the purposes of writing a story.
(ht amanda)
*microtrend (n): not actually a trend, just something some reporter made up for the purposes of writing a story.
(ht amanda)
Procedure
I'd like to say that I don't really know why the GOP thinks arguing about arcane procedural crap will be effective, but I actually do know. It's because the media will trumpet it and congressional offices will see it on their always-tuned-to-cable-news-teevees and get scared.
Nobody cares, of course, outside the beltway bubble.
Nobody cares, of course, outside the beltway bubble.
Comity
Bobo is doing it again, blaming Democrats for the lack of comity and bipartisanship in the Senate. No need to link. You've read it before. Deep, concern troll sighing.
Steve Benen says it more briefly.
Steve Benen says it more briefly.
The Destroyed Institutional Left
Er, I was apparently the only Left Institutional Guy left awake for this. Crap. Uh, hello. Andrew Breitbart said he would destroy, um, Us.
Uh, here is a My Morning Jacket video to enjoy as we wait for Andrew Breitbart to destroy us. I guess...
Uh, here is a My Morning Jacket video to enjoy as we wait for Andrew Breitbart to destroy us. I guess...
Monday, March 15, 2010
Feeling A Thrill Up My Leg
Politics is so dumb.
PIMA COUNTY, AZ (KOLD) - Senator John McCain's staffers announced Monday that Sarah Palin will join him in rallies in Tucson and Phoenix.
Republican Concern Trolling
Frankly, I think they do it because it works. It says a lot about dems if they can't figure out that they can't do much worse than zero Republican votes.
Infinity Parking Isn't Enough
I don't dismiss neighborhood concerns about parking, but in this story you can get a sense of the difficulties even neighborhoods which are relatively walkable have in trying to move towards greater walkability. Basically, residents assume any development will bring with it massive numbers of cars and they ensure that's the case by building massive amounts parking.
...ooops. link fixed.
...ooops. link fixed.
Trolley Time
Somewhat interesting when people actually bother to study impacts of decreasing the number of stops on a line. Total travel time includes walk to stop and waiting, so removing a stop can increase walking time, while vehicle travel time is what benefit most from decreasing the number of stops.
On this particular route, minimal stop removal is best for decreasing total travel time.
On this particular route, minimal stop removal is best for decreasing total travel time.
Amanpour
A furrinish lady hosting This Week? Crazy talk.
I don't think turning it into a primarily foreign affairs show is a good idea, though a show which was about factual policy issues rather than the dreary who's up who's down personality politics would be a positive step.
I don't think turning it into a primarily foreign affairs show is a good idea, though a show which was about factual policy issues rather than the dreary who's up who's down personality politics would be a positive step.
What's Fred Hiatt's Crayon Scribble Page For Again?
Certainly not informing readers of things which are actually true.
Those Poor Men
Within Douthat's "the real victims of the Iraq war are its primary architects" column, he does find one nut. I haven't seen the Green Zone and don't have any sense of whether his characterization of it is correct, but it is important to remember that it wasn't simply evil neocons who brought us this lovely little war, it was also our media-industrial complex generally and, as Douthat writes, the "swath of the liberal intelligentsia" who decided to "play Orwell."
Banksters
This bank was eaten by the FDIC.
(Reuters) - A former president of a privately-held New York bank, Park Avenue Bank, was arrested Monday on charges including bank bribery, embezzlement and fraud, a federal prosecutor said.
...
The charges against the former bank president include self-dealing, bank bribery, embezzlement and fraud on the New York state banking department, FDIC and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the statement by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said.
Water Water Everywhere
I've mentioned this a few times, but just adding on to the Times article linked in this post, I've long chafed at those who suggested "shovel ready projects" were hard to find as fixing water/sewer systems is both an obvious need and in many places fairly simple. Dig up road, replace pipe, fix road, repeat. There are places with more complex engineering issues, of course.
The Greatest and Bestest and Most Noble
The Bush administration was riddled with stupid and evil people doing stupid and evil things which lead to hundreds of thousands of needless deaths for no good purpose. Tom Friedman's "suck on this" was a better justification for the Iraq war than most of those given by the Bushies, and that one is of course self-evidently stupid and evil. I really have no interest in reading people who think otherwise.
Good Books I've Recently Read
I think many of us who spend too much time reading crap on screen neglect our book reading a bit. I know I have. For me, really, it isn't the book reading failure that I have a problem with... it's the book reading recommendation failure. As is the case for all kinds of creative works, word of mouth - and the amplified internets equivalent - is how we'll help creatives earn a few bucks.
Ham on Rye: A Novel
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel
Spin
Ham on Rye: A Novel
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel
Spin
And therefore logically...
The world's most predictable right-wing talking point:
Yeah, just like the Tailhook Scandal is a cautionary tail that heterosexuals should not be allowed to become naval aviators.
(via some folks at Firedoglake)
"It's a cautionary tale" of a superior officer allegedly seeking to prey upon subordinates that argues against repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, said Elaine Donnelly, head of the anti-repeal Center for Military Readiness.
"That kind of abuse would become far more frequent" if gays were allowed to serve openly, Donnelly said.
Yeah, just like the Tailhook Scandal is a cautionary tail that heterosexuals should not be allowed to become naval aviators.
(via some folks at Firedoglake)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
We Don't Need Potable Water Or Functioning Shit Pipes Anyway
This really is how empires die.
State and federal studies indicate that thousands of water and sewer systems may be too old to function properly.
For decades, these systems — some built around the time of the Civil War — have been ignored by politicians and residents accustomed to paying almost nothing for water delivery and sewage removal. And so each year, hundreds of thousands of ruptures damage streets and homes and cause dangerous pollutants to seep into drinking water supplies.
Sunday Bobbleheads
Face the Nation has Gibbs, Lamar!, Wasserman Schultz and AHIP CEO Ignani.
This Week has Axelrod and Attorney General Graham.
Dancing Dave's Meet the Press has Axelrod, Dave's Dancing Partner Rove, Clyburn, and Durbin.
Document the atrocities!
This Week has Axelrod and Attorney General Graham.
Dancing Dave's Meet the Press has Axelrod, Dave's Dancing Partner Rove, Clyburn, and Durbin.
Document the atrocities!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Lipsey-Lancaster
One of the best descriptions of the difference between liberal and conservative economists I've read was, I think, by Dani Rodrik,* who lumped them into groups of people who think we operate in a first best world and people who think we operate in a second best world. First best world economists instinctively think that any additional distortion to the magic free market (higher taxes, regulation, etc.) causes increased economic inefficiency (conservative economists), while second best world economists (liberals) recognize that for various reasons there are lots of distortions from efficiency already, and so the overall impact of further ones is, without knowing much else, ambiguous and potentially overall positive. You can politically be a liberal and still be conservative first best world economist, which is how I'd describe the majority of members of the profession.
It isn't that economists are unfamiliar with Lipsey-Lancaster, it's that they don't spend enough time thinking about its implictions on an ongoing basis.
*yes, Dani Rodrik.
It isn't that economists are unfamiliar with Lipsey-Lancaster, it's that they don't spend enough time thinking about its implictions on an ongoing basis.
*yes, Dani Rodrik.
File Under Assholes
Total assholes.
- Jene Newsome played by the rules as an Air Force sergeant: She never told anyone in the military she was a lesbian. The 28-year-old's honorable discharge under the ''don't ask, don't tell'' policy came only after police officers in Rapid City, S.D., saw an Iowa marriage certificate in her home and told the nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Fenway
Aside from the fraud potential, I generally don't understand all of the short term financing deals that go on. What's the point?
- Lehman's battles show that the repo market, the lifeblood of Wall Street, often isn't as routine as some investors believe. The basic mechanics involve firms raising cash to fund operations by posting high-quality assets, with an obligation to repurchase them within days. ... In one such tussle, Lehman had posted as collateral with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. over the summer of 2008 a security called Fenway, which Lehman claimed had a value of $3 billion. J.P. Morgan concluded the security "was worth practically nothing" just days before Lehman went under, prompting the big bank to demand more collateral from Lehman.
If You Revise The Last Number Downwards...
I really don't get why the business press focuses on expectations of percentage change and then basically ignores the revisions to the previous months numbers.
They Fucked The Whole Thing Up
Chris Hayes:
In the past decade, nearly every pillar institution in American society — whether it's General Motors, Congress, Wall Street, Major League Baseball, the Catholic Church or the mainstream media — has revealed itself to be corrupt, incompetent or both. And at the root of these failures are the people who run these institutions, the bright and industrious minds who occupy the commanding heights of our meritocratic order. In exchange for their power, status and remuneration, they are supposed to make sure everything operates smoothly. But after a cascade of scandals and catastrophes, that implicit social contract lies in ruins, replaced by mass skepticism, contempt and disillusionment.
It's Always Good News For Newt Gingrich
Another puff piece on the man who will never hold elected office again. Why? Beacuse THREE HUNDRED PEOPLE went to see him.
Our media is so dumb.
Our media is so dumb.
I Guess I'm Just Hopelessly Naive
The President, a majority of Congress and a majority of the Senate all want a public option, or at least they all claim to want a public option. We, the people, want a public option. None of that seems to matter because a handful of Democratic senators, most from small states, have decided they are willing to let the entire bill go under if it is included. While there are many good things in the HCR package, without the public option, how will the insurance companies be kept honest? Because they say so?
Honest, honey, I'll pull out. You can trust me.
Honest, honey, I'll pull out. You can trust me.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Moral Leadership
Examples to follow.
I've seen the basic Vatican defense elsewhere as something along the lines of "plenty of abuse happens by people who aren't priests." This is of course true, but it's not about bad priests, it's about the institutions and powerful people who cover for them and fail to protect other victims.
- BERLIN — A widening child sexual abuse inquiry in Europe has landed at the doorstep of Pope Benedict XVI, as a senior church official acknowledged Friday that a German archdiocese made “serious mistakes” in handling an abuse case while the pope served as its archbishop. The archdiocese said that a priest accused of molesting boys was given therapy in 1980 and later allowed to resume pastoral duties, before committing further abuses and being prosecuted. Pope Benedict, who at the time headed the archdiocese of Munich and Freising, approved the priest’s transfer for therapy. A subordinate took full responsibility for allowing the priest to later resume pastoral work, the archdiocese said in a statement.
I've seen the basic Vatican defense elsewhere as something along the lines of "plenty of abuse happens by people who aren't priests." This is of course true, but it's not about bad priests, it's about the institutions and powerful people who cover for them and fail to protect other victims.
Optimism
I hope he's right and I'm wrong.
- March 12 (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, offering his most optimistic outlook on the economic recovery to date, predicted the U.S. will rebound from the recession faster and more vigorously than other advanced economies.
Actual Jobs Bill
I do think concerns about local governments becoming too dependent on federal money, given difficulties such entities have in ever raising taxes, were somewhat real, but such concerns are dwarfed by the urgent need to pump money into the real economy and keep these municipalities from cutting jobs and basic services.
Bank Failure Thursday
I wonder if the unusual Thursday FDIC action was because the problems with that bank were so acute, or because today will be a very busy day...
Their Sister Organization
Kudos to Howell Raines, but the embrace of Fox News by mainstream media outlets really has been puzzling. It isn't simply that they're conservative (charitable view) or Republican (more true), but that they're... you know, just a really crappy news organization if one thinks the job of a news organization is to accurately inform readers/viewers about relevant current events. I don't have a problem with ideological news outlets, though they should be up front about their slant, but ideological news outlets should still try to be somewhat fact-based.
Lehman
Don't know enough to have a sense of where on the negligence-complicit spectrum it is, but Lehman was misleading investors while telling the NY Fed the truth.
Words
I'm sure I've fallen into this trap sometimes, but people really should stop saying things like "the market is threatened" (see headline at story linked below). Prices might be threatened by foreclosures, but the market will presumably still exist. And while falling prices are bad for current homeowners, and potentially bad for people who own the debt, they're good for people who might be interested in buying a house, though potentially very bad for the wider economy.
The administration hasn't done enough to stem foreclosures, and the continued epidemic might seriously damage the economy and the precious banking system. Oh, and lots of people will lose their homes.
Spring fundraiser:
About 5 million to 7 million properties are potentially eligible for foreclosure but have not yet been repossessed and put up for sale. Some economists project it could take nearly three years before all these homes have been put on the market and purchased by new owners. And the number of pending foreclosures could grow much bigger over the coming year as more distressed borrowers become delinquent and then, if they can't obtain mortgage relief, wade through the foreclosure process, which often takes more than a year to complete.
The administration hasn't done enough to stem foreclosures, and the continued epidemic might seriously damage the economy and the precious banking system. Oh, and lots of people will lose their homes.
Spring fundraiser:
A Very Interesting And Relevant Person
Who will undoubtedly be the next senator from the great state of California.
Or, you know, not, but kudos to Ezra for pissing him off so much.
Or, you know, not, but kudos to Ezra for pissing him off so much.
Howie
Roethlisberger, Massa, Ensign, Woods: Sex, Power And Sports
By Howard Kurtz
March 12 (Washington Post) -- "Here we go again."
So true.
posted by Culture of Truth
Second Cup Thread
Lately, I've been forgetting that second cup. Then wondering why I'm so tired.
And can we please pass HCR now. Pretty please. With a cherry on top.
And can we please pass HCR now. Pretty please. With a cherry on top.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Zoning and Land Use
Despite my efforts on this humble blog, I still think many people don't quite get that, as Yglesias says, walkable urbanism is illegal to build in most places, often including existing walkable urban areas (meaning, new development faces restrictions that make it impossible to build new or redo existing areas in walkable fashion).
But the point of the post is to respond to a commenter over there who brings up Houston. Houston doesn't have zoning, though deed restrictions set up a kind of de facto zoning to some extent, but it still has land use regulations and building codes. Zoning and land use generally get jumbled up, but zoning is more about what kind of function you can have on a property, while land use restrictions are about what kind of building you can build, whether there are setback and parking requirements, etc. So building walkable urbanism in Houston is as difficult (illegal) as anywhere.
But the point of the post is to respond to a commenter over there who brings up Houston. Houston doesn't have zoning, though deed restrictions set up a kind of de facto zoning to some extent, but it still has land use regulations and building codes. Zoning and land use generally get jumbled up, but zoning is more about what kind of function you can have on a property, while land use restrictions are about what kind of building you can build, whether there are setback and parking requirements, etc. So building walkable urbanism in Houston is as difficult (illegal) as anywhere.
El
Elevated lines are a lot cheaper than subways, but they do have a negative impact on nearby areas. On the other hand, more modern rail systems (DC metro/Bart versus Chicago or Philly Els) are a lot quieter which can reduce the negative impact somewhat.
Question Will Never Be Answered
I don't know why reporters have a complete double standard on their treatment of scandals. I don't think we'll ever get an explanation.
Do Not Understand
The whole point of forging a compromise is to... get a deal done. I don't get why Democrats like to stick with the compromise even when there's no deal. The point is to say, "suppport this, or we're gonna pass some crazy commie hippie shit."
March 11 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said he will release his version of legislation to overhaul financial rules, signaling that talks on a compromise with Republican Bob Corker have collapsed.
...
“I have been fortunate to have a strong partner in Senator Corker and my new proposal will reflect his input and the good work done by many of our colleagues,” Dodd said. “Our talks will continue and it is still our hope to come to agreement on a strong bill all of the Senate can be proud to support.”
Our Dumb Country
School cancels prom because of fear of TEH GAYYYYYYYYYY.
I really hope that members younger generation are less dumb about sex and sexuality.
I really hope that members younger generation are less dumb about sex and sexuality.
Walking Away
It is, of course, partriotic, moral, and much easier to do when it's a corporation doing it.
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Commercial real estate owners are walking away from properties that have become untenable as investments, just as homeowners have walked away from houses they can no longer afford to pay off or sell.
The latest commercial property owner to do this is Vornado Realty Trust (VNO), the $13 billion real estate investment trust, which warned last week that it would walk away from two loans totaling $235 million.
The trend is likely to escalate in coming months as more loans mature and refinancing remains difficult and costly. As with residential properties, there is less incentive for owners to hold on to properties when the buildings are worth less than what is owed on their mortgages.