Monday, May 31, 2010
Water Main Break In The Neighborhood
Just beating a dead horse here, but my local teevee just informed me that there was a major water main break somewhere. Basically most of the the city's water system needs to be redone and it's a pretty easy way to shovel money out the door. You don't need elaborate plans and environmental impact studies to fix the water/sewer system.
Evening Thread
There may indeed be good reasons, but I really don't get why the government isn't handling the cleanup.
Skynet
It's always a bit interesting to watch science fictiony/horror films that aren't made in the US, as they suggest crazy things like when the anti-christ comes he might show up in Spain instead of Los Angeles, or that our future android overlords might be born in China.
Honoring The Fallen
Adding to this post, the best thing we can do for the troops is to not send them to pointless fucking wars where a lot of them become the fallen and many more become physical and psychological wrecks.
I'm sure I could've done more, but I tried my best there. Nothing I could've done to compete with Colin Powell's scary vial of white powder I'm afraid.
I'm sure I could've done more, but I tried my best there. Nothing I could've done to compete with Colin Powell's scary vial of white powder I'm afraid.
But I Thought It Was Food Poisoning
That's what Tony told me, and he's paid a lot of money so that means he's never wrong.
The hospital treated four workers who were injured when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded into flames on April 20. Since then, it has treated nine clean-up workers for chemical exposure and one for a work-related accident.
Then They're Wrong
There are practically limitless public infrastructure projects that would both be quality stimulus and be good growth inducing investment. I don't read minds, but if Obama's people think there's no more stimulus to be had then they're wrong.
The Urban Hellhole Contains Multitudes
One thing I've come to realize recently is the extent to which suburbanites and tourists who visit the urban hellhole mostly only see some of the least interesting parts. "The City" is bits of Market St., the area around Independence Hall, the Ben Franklin Parkway, Penns Landing, the stadium area, Rittenhouse Square. Some of those are actually nice (Rittenhouse Square) and some are completely awful (Penns Landing), but none of them really give any kind of sense of what urban hellhole existence is really like.
Apocalypse Now
Poor Tony Hayward wants his life back.
"I was just sitting here thinking our way of life is over. It's the end, the apocalypse," said fisherman Tom Young of Plaquemines Parish on the coast. "And no one outside of these few parishes really cares. They say they do, but they don't do nothing but talk. Where's the action? Where's the person who says these are real people, real people with families and they are hurting?"
BP's new plan carries the risk of making the torrent worse, top government officials warned Sunday. Meanwhile, churches echoed with prayers for a solution.
"There are people who are getting desperate, and there are more getting anxious as we get further into the shrimping season and there is less chance they will recover," said the Rev. Theodore Turner, 57, at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Boothville, near where oil first washed ashore. Fishermen make up about a third of his congregation.
Also, Labor Day
I really hate the annual ritual of writing columns about how people don't behave properly on Memorial Day. People don't get many vacation days in the greatest country on Earth, and sitting around pretending to be sad or watching Spielberg war porn doesn't really honor those who served either. Not going to read the minds of those who served, willingly and enthusiastically or otherwise, but when after I die Atrios Memorial Day is declared, feel free to grill some burgers and have a few beers in my name. I'll be honored.
No Consequences
Except maybe Hayward's fee fees are hurt because people say mean things about him and he has to cut his vacation short.
Oh, and the destruction of the economy and environment in the Gulf. I guess we shouldn't forget that.
May 31 (Bloomberg) -- BP Plc said in permit applications for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico that it was prepared to handle an oil spill more than ten times larger than the one now spewing crude into the waters off the southern United States.
Oh, and the destruction of the economy and environment in the Gulf. I guess we shouldn't forget that.
They Have Cell Phones!!!
One of my growing pet peeves is older annoying pundits pointing out the poor people aren't really so poor because they have some fancy new technology that wasn't around when they were walking to school uphill both ways. Often these new gizmos are quite inexpensive and, importantly, increasingly necessary to have in order to have a goddamn low wage service job.
Also, TVs and DVD players.
Also, TVs and DVD players.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
So tired of everyone in charge being whiny ass titty babies.
Of course, he most likely will get his life back, unlike, say, Gulf shrimpers. And with salary and bonus at about $4.5 million, it's not such a bad life.
"The first thing to say is I'm sorry," Tony Hayward said when asked what he would tell people in Louisiana, where heavy oil has already reached parts of the state's southeastern marshes.
"We're sorry for the massive disruption it's caused their lives. There's no one who wants this over more than I do. I would like my life back."
Of course, he most likely will get his life back, unlike, say, Gulf shrimpers. And with salary and bonus at about $4.5 million, it's not such a bad life.
Holiday Weekend
Nice day here in the urban hellhole. Gonna go dodge the bullets and head out to the farmers market.
Sunday Bobbleheads
This Week has Colin Powell. Not yet sure if he brings his vial of scary white powder. I predict his appearance will be a slam dunk! Also, Bobby Jindal and some BP flack. Fair and balanced!
Meet the Press also has the same BP flack and Carol Browner.
Face the Nation has, oh, weird, the same BP flack, Carol Browner, and Edward Overton, described as "environmental scientist."
Document the atrocities!
Meet the Press also has the same BP flack and Carol Browner.
Face the Nation has, oh, weird, the same BP flack, Carol Browner, and Edward Overton, described as "environmental scientist."
Document the atrocities!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Butts
Over the years I've been a bit surprised by the willingness of many smokers, even ones who would never consider littering otherwise, to just throw their butts everywhere.
Why They Hate Us
As Greenwald said on the twitter the other day, some crazy Muslims believe that flying sky robots are hunting them down for no good reason. Wacky!
Miserable Failures
Occasionally when I chat with DC folks I run up against an idée fixe of one type or another, a belief so ingrained and reinforced culturally that there's zero chance of nudging them towards a different way of thinking. And, well, hey, they're the professionals and maybe they're right! But there are certain things which are obviously foolish and wrong, yet somehow, perhaps caused by something in DC's water fluoridation system, everybody in that town believes with an unshakable faith. That social security is in some kind of crisis and people care more about deficits than jobs are two of them.
Under The Sea
The danger all along is that people would measure the magnitude of this catastrophe by how much oil washed up onshore. That in itself might end up being quite catastrophic, but it's just the beginning.
Morning Thread
The Oil Drum. Pretty technical, but a good place to keep up to date.
Junk Shot. Top Kill. Both may be suspended. Or not. BP will inform us when they feel it is appropriate. Thank you very much.
Junk Shot. Top Kill. Both may be suspended. Or not. BP will inform us when they feel it is appropriate. Thank you very much.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Get Your War On
There are various anecdotes about Bush, such as this one and the gog and magog which probably can never be confirmed with certainty. Not sure history will ever know just how batshit insane Bush was when he was in charge.
Shoveling Money Out The Door
Arizona putting transit expansion plans on hold.
Charlotte expansion plans may not happen.
Spending money just isn't that hard.
Charlotte expansion plans may not happen.
Spending money just isn't that hard.
Fake Scandal Machine
Even completely out of power the Republicans get journalists to dance whatever dance they want them to that day, and it's a reminder of what life was like in the 90s when they'd just kick up any random thing, hold hearings, and subpoena everybody.
Fake Scandals
All journalists know this Sestak job thing was never a story, but they'll keep harping on it anyway.
What are they good for again?
What are they good for again?
Good Enough For A Blog Post
As Ben says, it of course wouldn't be completely easy and would be risky for my local transit authority to significantly reduce transit pass prices, but it's also the case that it isn't just about revenue. They want to increase the use of passes to reduce the need for cash fare collection, which can slow buses down quite a bit.
Passes are aimed at commuters who are twice daily users, and as such should be priced at around 5 round trips. 5 round trips on the subway/bus cost $14.50* and a weekly city only pass currently costs $20.75. You can use a pass more often that, and also for higher priced regional rail trips within the city (and added benefit of off peak and airport trips), but the point is that a pass isn't worth buying for people who just use it to commute, and it should be if it's important to reduce cash fare collections.
*More for people who need to transfer, but point is for healthy chunk of commuters a pass just isn't worth it.
Passes are aimed at commuters who are twice daily users, and as such should be priced at around 5 round trips. 5 round trips on the subway/bus cost $14.50* and a weekly city only pass currently costs $20.75. You can use a pass more often that, and also for higher priced regional rail trips within the city (and added benefit of off peak and airport trips), but the point is that a pass isn't worth buying for people who just use it to commute, and it should be if it's important to reduce cash fare collections.
*More for people who need to transfer, but point is for healthy chunk of commuters a pass just isn't worth it.
Actual Journalism!
Felix gets a statement from Brad Miller.
I'm somewhat skeptical, though I do gather that the issue of banks calling in performing loans and derailing projects is a genuine one.
I'm somewhat skeptical, though I do gather that the issue of banks calling in performing loans and derailing projects is a genuine one.
HOA Hell
Be very careful about buying into one.
Michael Clauer is a captain in the Army Reserve who commanded over 100 soldiers in Iraq. But while he was fighting for his country, a different kind of battle was brewing on the home front. Last September, Michael returned to Frisco, Texas, to find that his homeowners' association had foreclosed on his $300,000 house—and sold it for $3,500. This is story illustrates the type of legal quagmire that can get out of hand while soldiers are serving abroad and their families are dealing with the stress of their deployment. And fixing the mess isn't easy.
...
Seeking to avoid hearing about the situation in Iraq, May stopped watching the news. She rarely answered the door, and Michael says he couldn't tell her when he went "outside the wire"—off-base. May also stopped opening the mail. "I guess she was scared that she would hear bad news," says Michael. That was why she missed multiple notices from the Heritage Lakes Homeowners Association informing her that the family owed $800 in dues—and then subsequent notices stating that the HOA was preparing to foreclose on the debt and seize the home.
Morning and Shit
The company said early in the day that the operation known as a "top kill" was continuing, but announced later that it had been suspended since around midnight Wednesday so crews could bring in more heavy drilling mud to shoot into the blown-out well 5,000 feet underwater.
Really? Then what the hell were we watching all day yesterday?
Really? Then what the hell were we watching all day yesterday?
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Boo
I don't think the fare hikes are insane, but the increase on transfer fares is annoying. Basically transfers should be free, though lacking any kind of modern fare collection system I get why they aren't. They're hiking the transfer fees because they want to encourage people to buy monthly passes, but you know what would also encourage people to buy monthly passes... lower prices! The city zone only pass is overpriced. If they cut the price by 35% and heavily marketed it (and, of course, made it easier to buy one...) they might get good results! Or I might be wrong, in which case they can raise the price again...
Thursday Night Thread
Good for local congresscritter Patrick Murphy for leading the way on DADT repeal in the House (and before he was in it). It passed, and also passed the relevant Senate committee earlier.
...adding, it doesn't repeal it, just makes it possible for the prez to do so...
...adding, it doesn't repeal it, just makes it possible for the prez to do so...
Of Course They Will
If I were a White House staffer, I'd quit the day Republicans take power, because it'll be subpoena and impeachmentpalooza.
Bush's Katrina Was Katrina
For years conservatives said Katrina was all the fault of stupid looting black people, now apparently Rove is ready to admit otherwise.
Dysfunctional
In a world in which our political system responded semi-rationally when presented with problems, this disaster would lead to a rethinking about the joys of deep water drilling, a greater chance of quality environmental legislation passing, and, of course, taxing the hell out of the rich people who are destroying our country. But that isn't necessarily the case...
As I Was Saying
This is a big fucking deal.
David Hollander, associate professor of chemical oceanography at the school, says the thick plume was detected just beneath the surface down to about 3,300 feet. He says it's more than 6 miles wide.
Just The Beginning
Obviously stopping the gusher, if they manage, is a very good thing, but it doesn't magically make all that oil disappear.
More Powerful Than God
Beck's obsession with Cass Sunstein is a mystery to me. Lots of liberals don't really like the guy either.
Depressing
I dream of the day when people in the news industry come to terms with the fact that subscription revenue never paid the bills. I caught a bit of this yesterday and it didn't make me optimistic about the future of my local newspaper. I have nothing against them charging if it works, but it won't.
People Losing Their Jobs?
I guess that's progress. It's been so long since anyone in government has held accountable for anything.
What's In His Heart
The linked slate piece is a few years old, but it's a reminder that we've endured years of pundits telling us to ignore what matters - what McCain does as a policymaker - and instead understand what is deep within his soul, at least as imagined by the pundit who is too stupid to understand that maybe, just maybe, Johnny Mac is, like most politicians, pretty good at telling people what they want to hear.
Inflation Inflation Everywhere
That so many people are given platforms to assert something which is quite obviously not true is mystifying.
We're at panic levels of national unemployment. If only people would panic about that.
We're at panic levels of national unemployment. If only people would panic about that.
Morning
Guess we won't know until later if top kill is working. The gusher looks about the same to me, but wtfdik, ianae.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Move Along Folks
Nothing to see here.
WASHINGTON — A top BP worker who was aboard the Deepwater Horizon in the hours leading up to the explosion declined to testify in front of a federal panel investigating the deadly oil rig blowout, telling the U.S Coast Guard he was invoking his constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination.
Who's The Boss
I think there are two issues, the attempt to deal with the well and the subsequent and ongoing cleanup of the Gulf. BP should pay the bill, obviously, but it is not clear why they should be in charge.
Depressing
The way things seem to work these days, I imagine the consequences of this oil spill will be that BP gets to be in charge (by statute, not simply custom as has been the case) of the Interior Department and Congress will increase the middle class tax bracket to 60% to pay for the cleanup.
Also, pre-oiled shrimp. So there's that.
Also, pre-oiled shrimp. So there's that.
Where Are My City's Immigrant Haters?
One thing I've been a bit puzzled by is the relative lack of anti-immigrant sentiment here in the urban hellhole. There's a large and growing population from Puebla, Vietnam, and elsewhere around my area, and aside from Joey Vento's antics, I don't get the sense that there's much backlash. There's some racial tribalism going on in the schools which is causing some problems, but I really haven't had much awareness of any kind of general nativist sentiment.
Job Boom
Temporary cleanup jobs provide some economic assistance for the afflicted region, but what will the health consequences be for many cleanup workers?
No It Isn't Safe
At this point people would be nuts to eat Gulf seafood. This opinion is not based on rigorous scientific testing. It is based on the pictures of all the goddamn oil and chemicals in the ocean.
Inscrutable
I'm not quite sure which is worse, the "people in other countries believe crazy things" genre or the "isn't it weird that people in other countries get upset when soldiers enter their homes and point weapons at them" genre. But, anyway, good thing that people in other countries don't think crazy things like the US has WMD!!!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Fail
We spend an immense amount of money planning for things which won't happen, fighting wars for no purpose, and bailing out assholes who are destroying the country.
Not feeling hopey changey lately.
Not feeling hopey changey lately.
The Health Of Our Nation
Like the banksters, these guys think they're indispensable.
Sadly, as with the banksters, our elites probably agree.
Some images of the impact of Dr. Ebeneezer B. P. Tidewater's Health Tonic and Earwax Remover.
"Costs for the industry as a whole will go up and the key question, I think, is whether it's going to continue to be economic to drill in the Gulf of Mexico," Taylor said. "What may happen is that production may be moved offshore, that is outside of the United States, in which (case) I think our nation is the worse for it."
"I think Gulf of Mexico drilling activity is very important for the health of our nation," he said.
Sadly, as with the banksters, our elites probably agree.
Some images of the impact of Dr. Ebeneezer B. P. Tidewater's Health Tonic and Earwax Remover.
Grotesque Transactionalism
I think Jane sometimes overdoes the Veal Pen metaphor, but there's certainly lots of truth to it.
We have witnessed the greatest implosion of American capitalism in nearly a century, and the only grassroots movement the cataclysm seems to have birthed is a right-wing populist backlash. When the country suffered a trauma that massively discredited the establishment rulers, the Democratic Party became the establishment. And progressive groups in DC, under stern White House orders not to cause trouble (don't show up at his door! he's a donor! we might nominate him for something!), descended into what one organizer calls "grotesque transactionalism."
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I don't root for a crashing stock market, but I do suspect that it's the only thing that gets the attention of our elites.
In case they've forgotten, lots of people have lost their jobs and homes.
In case they've forgotten, lots of people have lost their jobs and homes.
Fare Simplification
A single fare has certain advantages, but the broader context is making riding the system as simple as possible. DC Metro's fare system is pretty good for occasional users, just buy a declining balance pass and swipe it when you board. My local transit authority is awful in this regard, though hopefully the promised new fare collection system will improve things...
Move Along Folks
Herbert:
I don't know what the administration can do about the spill, but I do know what they can do about making it known who and what's at fault.
Steadily increasing numbers of anxiety-ridden coastal residents are watching not just their livelihoods but an entire way of life slip away. Even as BP’s lawyers are consumed with the task of limiting the company’s liability, the administration continues to insist it has little choice but to follow the company’s lead in fighting the spill. That is dangerous nonsense.
President Obama has an obligation to make it unmistakably clear that BP’s interests are not the same as America’s interests. He needs to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people who are taking the brunt of this latest corporate outrage. The oil has now stained nearly 70 miles of the Louisiana Coast. No one can say what terrible toll the gusher is taking in the depths of the gulf. And spreading right along with the oil is a pervasive and dismaying sense of helplessness from our leaders in Washington.
I don't know what the administration can do about the spill, but I do know what they can do about making it known who and what's at fault.
Suburban Animals
Giving my urban hellhole a bad rep.
A 21-year-old New Jersey man pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to several charges arising out of an incident in which he vomited on a man and his 11-year-old daughter at a Philadelphia Phillies game.
They Suck More Than I Expected
The frustrating thing is that they seem to not respond to new facts on the ground, or new rainbows in chocolate milk in the ocean.
We Should Probably Look Forwards
Because accountability is so, well, dirty fucking hippie, really.
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators responsible for oversight of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico allowed industry officials several years ago to fill in their own inspection reports in pencil — and then turned them over to the regulators, who traced over them in pen before submitting the reports to the agency, according to an inspector general’s report to be released this week.
The report, which describes inappropriate behavior by the staff at the Minerals Management Service from 2005 to 2007, also found that inspectors had accepted meals, tickets to sporting events and gifts from at least one oil company while they were overseeing the industry.
Capture
Back in 2008, I talked to George Lakoff, the Don't Think of an Elephant guy, at Virtually Speaking. He pointed out that there was a huge failure of framing on the part of the media (and, implicitly, the left) regarding regulatory policy under Bush. He said that the media thought of toxic cat food, toddler toys with lead-based paint, approved drugs that endangered patients' health and so forth all as different, individual stories, when in fact they were the same story.
Personally, I heard a lot about the gutting of the EPA as an agency that enforced laws passed by Congress because I knew some people working there. The environmental waivers granted off shore drilling operations were part of the public record. That these routine law violations were not considered newsworthy was part and parcel with a media acceptance of executive branch and industry circumvention of laws on the books.
Personally, I heard a lot about the gutting of the EPA as an agency that enforced laws passed by Congress because I knew some people working there. The environmental waivers granted off shore drilling operations were part of the public record. That these routine law violations were not considered newsworthy was part and parcel with a media acceptance of executive branch and industry circumvention of laws on the books.
Monday, May 24, 2010
F.U.
Six months ago:
The administration's plan contains "off-ramps," points starting next June at which Obama could decide to continue the flow of troops, halt the deployments and adopt a more limited strategy or "begin looking very quickly at exiting" the country, depending on political and military progress, one defense official said.
"We have to start showing progress within six months on the political side or military side or that's it," the U.S. defense official said.
Three Beltways
I know that not everyone wants to live in an urban hellhole, but I do not think that is a good idea. I admit that on those rare occasions I head out to suburban freewayland I become amazed that so many people live like that. I don't mean "in the suburbs," I mean the completely crazy amount of drivers there are, both on the freeways and on the main surface arteries.
...adding, echoing something Philly Boy says in comments, I grew up mostly in the Philly burbs and things really were different then. Obviously some of it is simply that the increase in population/development has outpaced highway capacity, but it's more than that. The modern suburb has since been "perfected," and there additional things which have made automobile travel a more frustrating experience, such as the rise of single access road development along major surface arteries.
...adding, echoing something Philly Boy says in comments, I grew up mostly in the Philly burbs and things really were different then. Obviously some of it is simply that the increase in population/development has outpaced highway capacity, but it's more than that. The modern suburb has since been "perfected," and there additional things which have made automobile travel a more frustrating experience, such as the rise of single access road development along major surface arteries.
Perhaps Not A Good Job
Damn.
Marine toxicologist Riki Ott said the chemicals used by BP can wreak havoc on a person's body and even lead to death.
"The volatile, organic carbons, they act like a narcotic on the brain," Ott said. "At high concentrations, what we learned in Exxon Valdez from carcasses of harbor seals and sea otters, it actually fried the brain, (and there were) brain lesions."
...
Burris said that when he went to a doctor after feeling ill on Sunday, the doctor told him his lungs looked like those of a three-pack-a-day smoker, and Burris said he has never smoked.
Uh, NYT?
Perhaps you could wait until Super Oil Well Killer Dude actually does his job before providing the hagiography.
And What Army
I'm sure some sternly worded letters will get BP to behave.
The effort to stanch the vast Gulf of Mexico oil spill was mired by setbacks on Monday as state and federal officials feuded with BP over its failure to meet deadlines and its refusal to stop spraying a toxic dispersant in the Gulf.
SUPERTRAINS Don't Actually Have To Be So Super
I'm certainly all for, say, taking some of the money we spend on our glorious military adventures and building high speed rail everywhere (though my preference would be for more of a focus on intra-city mass transit), but I think with all the talk about high speed rail people fail to recognize that many corridors don't actually need 150 MPH trains. 60 MPH average speed gets you between Phoenix and Tucson in 2 hours, 100 MPH average (not difficult to achieve, don't need tilting trains etc.) in just over an hour.
Men In Nice Suits
I certainly don't know what can be done about the oil spill, but I'm reasonably sure BP's financial interests don't line up perfectly with the interests of everyone else living in the Gulf, no matter how much they're theoretically on the hook for what's happening.
Their PR has been great, however, and I'm sure all the Very Serious People have listened carefully to what The Men In Nice Suits had to say. They always do.
Their PR has been great, however, and I'm sure all the Very Serious People have listened carefully to what The Men In Nice Suits had to say. They always do.
Locavore
I certainly applaud any efforts to bring accessible and reasonably priced fresh food to underserved neighborhoods, but we should acknowledge that there's a fundamental conflict between the small farm locavore movement and bringing inexpensive food to poor people. Not all food at farmers markets is expensive, but it's also the case that there are reasons for the adoption of large scale commercial farming. It's cheaper. In Philly some farmers markets are mostly aimed at higher income people, while some markets, including the Italian Market, mostly obtain their produce from the wholesale produce terminal.
"Providing more inexpensive fresh produce options" and "providing fresh produce options from small local farmers" aren't the same goals.
"Providing more inexpensive fresh produce options" and "providing fresh produce options from small local farmers" aren't the same goals.
What It Means
It just means that states can't declare that debts can be paid in seashells or ReaganDollars, though they can, if they want, declare that debts can be paid in gold or silver.
The concept of legal tender is that creditors must accept it as payment for any debt. If they say I owe them $500, while they can accept payment in whatever fashion makes them happy, they have to accept cash and can't demand it in chickens instead. The bit in the constitution prevents individual states from declaring things other than gold and silver to be legal tender.
The concept of legal tender is that creditors must accept it as payment for any debt. If they say I owe them $500, while they can accept payment in whatever fashion makes them happy, they have to accept cash and can't demand it in chickens instead. The bit in the constitution prevents individual states from declaring things other than gold and silver to be legal tender.
All The Trains Will Go To The Burbs
While local politics surely plays a role, in recent years getting money for new rail projects has required being able to show that the project will result in reduced travel time. Since reduced travel time requires some sort of grade separation, in a dense urban area this entails either subway, elevated, or massive eminent domain. All of those options are too expensive, so reduced travel time on a route requires finding a relatively non dense area with significant distance between stops. So the trains go to the burbs. That isn't necessarily bad, and I'd say it's good to the extent that land use rules around the routes change (too often they don't), but it's part of the reasons why new transit systems have a heavy suburban component.
We're moving away from that standard at DOT under LaHood, but it's how things have been.
We're moving away from that standard at DOT under LaHood, but it's how things have been.
Closed
I hope the authorities are keeping up with the reality of the health threats, but in any case more people are losing their means of generating income. I guess they can switch to harvesting tar balls.
Morning and Shit
I'm watching the live feed from CNN of the Gusher in the Gulf. Every now and again it seems to go from a distinct plume to just about all black. Don't know if that's because the camera angle is changed or what. Ah, now it's cleared somewhat again.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Christie'd
This does not accord with my own priorities.
[Updated to add:] Actions like this just add policy risk to investment decisions, and thus diminish the effectiveness of supportive policies going forward. Well done Mr. Christie.
Last week, New Jersey ran out of four months' worth of solar rebates in a day. Less money was available than originally budgeted for in December because Gov. Chris Christie took $158 million from the Clean Energy Fund to help close an $11 billion state budget gap.Oh well, at least Congress is going to pass some version of a cap and trade bill this year. Right?
[Updated to add:] Actions like this just add policy risk to investment decisions, and thus diminish the effectiveness of supportive policies going forward. Well done Mr. Christie.
Virtually Speaking
Jay Ackroyd and I are about to babble about the bobbleheads on our media, not theirs, right now. I know what's going on because I read Culture of Truth!
I Don't Believe There's Nothing To Be Done
Perhaps there's no way to stop the spill, but there's no way that there's been a best response to the ongoing disaster.
More than that, someone needs to get on the teevee and point out that no, it is not ok for any actor - state, big corporation, or terrorist - to destroy the coastlines and economies of several states. You don't just get to say 'woopsy' and move on. Gigantic fuckups need to have consequences for the perpetrators, even though these days that seems like an amusing notion.
More than that, someone needs to get on the teevee and point out that no, it is not ok for any actor - state, big corporation, or terrorist - to destroy the coastlines and economies of several states. You don't just get to say 'woopsy' and move on. Gigantic fuckups need to have consequences for the perpetrators, even though these days that seems like an amusing notion.
A Sad Thing That Is Probably True
Much as the financial crisis gave the banksters more power than ever, the crisis in the Gulf will simply embolden Big Oil.
Yummy Shrimp And Oysters
Wonder how long it's going to take before people realize that fishing in the Gulf won't be safe for years, even if there's anything to fish.
Sunday Bobbleheads
Meet the Press has Sestak, Cornyn, Menendez, and NotRandPaul
This Week has Kaine and Steele
Face the Nation has Gibbs, Sestak, and Lamar!
Document the atrocities.
This Week has Kaine and Steele
Face the Nation has Gibbs, Sestak, and Lamar!
Document the atrocities.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Very, Very Moderate
Move along folks.
The gooey oil washing into the maze of marshes along the Gulf Coast could prove impossible to remove, leaving a toxic stew lethal to fish and wildlife, government officials and independent scientists said.
Crisis
Can't read minds, but really not sure the powers that be quite know what's happening to the Gulf...
BP To EPA:Fuck Off
This is all going to work out so well.
From reports on the ground it's sounding like BP is just claiming as their own territory anywhere the oil goes. It's like their invading army.
BP has told the Environmental Protection Agency that it cannot find a safe, effective and available dispersant to use instead of Corexit, and will continue to use that chemical application to help break up the growing spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
BP was responding to an EPA directive Thursday that gave BP 24 hours to identify a less toxic alternative to Corexit -- and 72 hours to start using it -- or provide the Coast Guard and EPA with a "detailed description of the alternative dispersants investigated, and the reason they believe those products did not meet the required standards.
From reports on the ground it's sounding like BP is just claiming as their own territory anywhere the oil goes. It's like their invading army.
Priorities
Glad to see they're all correct.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Bay County, Fla., sheriff's deputies arrested more than a dozen people Wednesday in a sweep at Panama City Marina, a staging area for contracted workers loading oil boom on boats, according to media reports.
Most, if not all, of the people arrested were believed to be illegal aliens, the Northwest Florida Daily News newspaper reported.
Morning
I think it would be great if the N.Y. Times or some other big newspaper sent a couple of reporters to Louisiana. One to get arrested when denied access to the beaches or the people and one to report the story. Won't happen, but it would be a great start at redemption.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Run Away
Rand Paul was supposed to on Meet the Press this Sunday, but he cancelled.
Perhaps they could invite on the person who got the most votes in a Kentucky Senate primary that day?
Bet not.
Perhaps they could invite on the person who got the most votes in a Kentucky Senate primary that day?
Bet not.
Vivid Orange Globs
But the damage will be very, very moderate.
I hope I'm just a pessimist, but this is not looking good. Beaches being closed.
I hope I'm just a pessimist, but this is not looking good. Beaches being closed.
Car Free
One thing I hope no one mistakenly interprets (on these subjects people seem to misunderstand a lot) from what I write is that not having a car is some sort of grand liberal lifestyle statement. I don't have a car because having a car costs quite a bit of money and I don't need one. When I had one once upon a time I used it maybe twice per month and it wasn't worth the expense. The fact that I don't need one is a consequence of both circumstances (the metro area I live, that I work at home, the location of spouse's job, existence of decent car sharing program) and choices (live in the urban hellhole). I like living this way and glad I can. Your mileage may vary.
Shit Happens
And besides, it's a beautiful rainbow in chocolate milk sheen. Probably tastes good, too.
Landfall
I used to say it won't 'real' until it hits land. Now I think it won't be real until it hits Florida.
Hope Is Not A Plan
But elites fear inflation and deficits and don't care enough about people actually working.
Hope I'm wrong, but I worry a couple of years from now they'll be saying that nobody could have predicted...
They always do.
Hope I'm wrong, but I worry a couple of years from now they'll be saying that nobody could have predicted...
They always do.
BP conceded Thursday that more oil than it estimated is gushing
into the Gulf of Mexico as heavy crude washed into Louisiana's wetlands for the first time, feeding worries and uncertainty about the massive monthlong spill.
No shit Sherlock.
Should we believe another word that comes out of their mouths? Ever?
Morning.
No shit Sherlock.
Should we believe another word that comes out of their mouths? Ever?
Morning.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Taking Sides
The press takes sides against Democrats so often that it's a bit jarring when they aim fire against a Republican. I have no idea if Rand Paul's apparently evolving views on the Civil Rights Act (either side or the change) will negatively impact his chance to win a Senate seat, and nobody on the cable teevee does either, yet they've decided that it's a problem. Might be, but might not be!
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I see it continued to be an exciting day at the dog track. Maybe the Serious Men In Nice Suits will realize there's a problem.
HAMP
I don't know for sure that people in DC thought it wouldn't work in any meaningful sense, but... I don't know why they would have.
Afternoon Thread
It seems that 7pm baseball game is actually at 1pm, so I boarded the SUPERTRAIN to the ballpark and am probably now eating a hot dog.
Perhaps Missing The Point
Just got an emailed press release from Florida Senate candidate Kendrick Meek demanding that BP give more money for an ad campaign to promote Florida tourism. Now, in a world where people have the wrong idea that Florida is about to be covered in a glorious rainbow in chocolate sheen and are therefore not making travel plans there's a certain logic to this. However, in a world where Florida is actually about to be covered in a glorious rainbow in chocolate sheen I don't really think a tourism ad campaign is going to do the trick.
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Another exciting day at the dog track.
The depressing thing is it takes a crashing stock market for elites to take the economy seriously, though sadly the remedy will probably be "more free money for rich people."
The depressing thing is it takes a crashing stock market for elites to take the economy seriously, though sadly the remedy will probably be "more free money for rich people."
Government Regulation Of Private Business
Government regulates - and, of course, provides the necessary conditions for the existence of - private business in all kinds of ways. So when people have a particular concern about, say, the Civil Rights Act, as opposed to, say, parking requirements, it's reasonable to wonder why.
Very, Very Modest
The universe is a pretty big place after all, so relatively speaking this is no big whoop.
The thing about some of these smallish ecosystems - once they're destroyed, they aren't coming back.
In Magnolia Springs, an influx of oil from the ongoing Gulf spill would threaten more than just recreation. In this small south Baldwin community, oil could harm one of Mobile Bay's most sensitive and important ecosystems and efforts are under way to prevent such damage.
The thing about some of these smallish ecosystems - once they're destroyed, they aren't coming back.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
471K lucky duckies.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 25,000 to a seasonally adjusted 471,000 in the week ended May 15, the highest level since the week ended April 10, the Labor Department said.
Analysts polled by Reuters had expected claims to fall to 440,000 from the previously reported 444,000, which was revised marginally up to 446,000 in Thursday's report.
Morning and Shit
I've got to stop watching CSPAN. Although, it was nice watching DeFazio and Nadler question BP CEO McKay. They were both knowledgeable of the subject and agressive. Several times McKay looked like a deer caught in the headlights. I'm still trying to figure out why the U.S. Government needs his permission to do some independent testing of the gusher. It may well be just 5000 barrels a day. Maybe it does look like lots more because of the gas gushing at the same time. Or maybe not.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Afternoon Thread
Apparently cloture is in a quantum state of passing and not passing.
...not passing, a couple of dems want more amendment votes.
...not passing, a couple of dems want more amendment votes.
Novel Ideas In Journalism
Actually telling people what is... true.
I always hate during the campaign season when "fact checking" becomes a sudden fad, as they tend to overreach and it becomes an exercise in 'both sides make stuff up' gotcha journalism. But an actual commitment to fact checking as opposed to "fact checking" would be welcome.
I always hate during the campaign season when "fact checking" becomes a sudden fad, as they tend to overreach and it becomes an exercise in 'both sides make stuff up' gotcha journalism. But an actual commitment to fact checking as opposed to "fact checking" would be welcome.
Take Back America's Future Now For The Future
Annual conference coming up in DC. I get free 'blogger's row' registration and will be there.
Journamalism
Either the NYT just ran with oppo research they were fed without bothering to check, or they did their own snipitty snip snipping.
Given recent history, I imagine they'll address the issue in 10 years or so.
Given recent history, I imagine they'll address the issue in 10 years or so.
Get Out Of My Urban Hellhole
That's one cranky new urbanist. Click through for even worse crank.
Anyway, yes, there is a wee problem with suburbanites treating parts of the city as adult theme parks, but it really isn't...a problem.
Anyway, yes, there is a wee problem with suburbanites treating parts of the city as adult theme parks, but it really isn't...a problem.
Jobs
As Mike Lux says, people are pissed because the economy sucks. I'm personally a bit tired of hearing about all of the problems with shoveling money out the door. It isn't that hard. My local transit authority has had to cancel most of its on the shelf capital projects due to failure to receive planned revenue from tolling a highway. Those projects are basically shovel ready. They were scheduled. They aren't happening. I bring this up because it's what I know, not because I think my local transit authority is the most important thing in the world. Fix some bridges, fix some sewers, fix some train tracks. Just do it.
We've Been Subprime For A Very Long Time
From the beginning, the press got the housing bubble/foreclosure crisis completely wrong, seeing it simply as a problem of 'subprime' (read: nasty poor people) borrowers, when in fact it was obviously a problem for the entire housing market. Borrowers with worse credit scores were having problems first, both because they had less of a cushion and because many were victims of extreme predatory and fraudulent lending practices, but it was obvious long ago that that it wasn't just a problem for the nasty poor people.
Not Over
And our elites are unwilling to confront the magnitude of the genuine problems we face.
NEW YORK - One out of seven U.S. households with a mortgage ended the first quarter late on mortgage payments or in the foreclosure process, although the pace has ebbed now that unemployment appears to have peaked, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.
Maybe The Next One?
Critz's victory is no great victory for liberals obviously, but for weeks Republicans and reporters have been primed to treat the inevitable Republican victory there as some sort of sign that the Republican wave was going to destroy the Democrats in November. It shouldn't be big news that a Republican would win a district that went for John McCain, and he, uh, lost. For those who are counting, that's 7 straight special elections won by Democrats. I'm sure the Republican wave will start building any minute now.
Nothing To See Here
Move along folks.
CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reports it's an ominous sight. The oil is thick and black and stretches about a quarter mile down a beach. It goes beyond the booms into the sensitive marsh lands which are home to migratory birds.
...
When CBS News tried to reach the beach, covered in oil, a boat of BP contractors with two Coast Guard officers on board told us to turn around under threat of arrest. Coast Guard officials said they are looking into the incident.
So I Guess That Was A Lie Then
I'm sure people will be punished appropriately.
In its 2009 exploration plan for the Deepwater Horizon well, BP PLC states that the company could handle a spill involving as much as 12.6 million gallons of oil per day, a number 60 times higher than its current estimate of the ongoing Gulf disaster.
In associated documents filed with the U.S. Minerals Management Service, the company says that it would be able to skim 17.6 million gallons of oil a day from the Gulf in the event of a spill.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
End Of The Specter Era
There are a lot of reasons Arlen managed to work his fake moderate game for so long, but I'm glad that era is over. I hope (and am mildly optimistic) that Joe Sestak will be a better senator than one might expect, but in any case getting rid of Arlen was a worthy goal in and of itself.
Heckuva Job Establishment Dems
Oops.
Appearing on the "Ed Show", Rendell didn't apply even the slightest bit of sugar coating to his advice. Specter, he said, would kill Sestak in a primary largely because he has a history of aiding constituents, has the backing of the party machinery, and is supported by the president.
"I'm a great admirer of Joe Sestak and worked hard to get him elected and re-elected," Rendell said. "And I'm going to work hard to get him re-elected when he runs for Congress next year. Not for the Senate. Joe should not run for the Senate in the Democratic primary. He would get killed."
"[Sestak] doesn't want to be marginalized," Rendell reasoned. "He doesn't want to get 15 or 18 percent [of the vote]. Joe should run for Congress again; establish some seniority. His time will come... but it is not this year."
Sestakmania
Site was down for awhile (and don't want to link and help kill it), but with 25% in Sestak is up 51.4/48.6.
Nothing To See Here
I really don't get the point of the oil spill denialism that pops up in places. The reality will be apparent.
Department Of Bad Ideas
The thing about local business regulations is that they truly disproportionately impact "the little guy" in favor of large business. Boo Councilmen Clarke and Greenlee.
Fiscal Conservatives
They might like doing away with the mortgage interest tax deduction, until a Democrat proposes it at which point it'll be The Worst Thing Evah.
What Is It Good For
At least 130 US troops have died in Afghanistan this year. No I don't know what they're doing there.
Election Day
Will hopefully vote in an election where Arlen Specter is on the ballot for the last time.
I think people who try to figure out how, say, weather will impact the vote are reaching into unknowable territory. But, for the record, it is raining here in the urban hellhole.
I think people who try to figure out how, say, weather will impact the vote are reaching into unknowable territory. But, for the record, it is raining here in the urban hellhole.
I Hope She's Right
Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Monday in an interview on PBS’s “NewsHour”: “By the time the oil is in the loop current, it’s likely to be very, very diluted. And so it’s not likely to have a very significant impact. It sounds scarier than it is.”
Really?
She also said the scary plumes may not be oil. They could be something else. We have to wait until the samples are analyzed. Okay. And remember, there's no more than 5,000 barrels/day gushing. BP is capturing 1000/day and hopes to eventually capture up to 2000, before plugging the leak entirely in the next week or two. Drilling for the relief well is finally under way.
After watching Lubchenco on the Newshour last night, I came away knowing less than I did before. Pretty much the opposite of what is supposed to happen.
Really?
She also said the scary plumes may not be oil. They could be something else. We have to wait until the samples are analyzed. Okay. And remember, there's no more than 5,000 barrels/day gushing. BP is capturing 1000/day and hopes to eventually capture up to 2000, before plugging the leak entirely in the next week or two. Drilling for the relief well is finally under way.
After watching Lubchenco on the Newshour last night, I came away knowing less than I did before. Pretty much the opposite of what is supposed to happen.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Because Bob Kerrey, Tom Keane, and Tom Daschle Need Something To Do?
Yes I'm a bit negative about 'presidential commissions.' I'll be more positive if experts, rather than ex-politicians, get to do the job.
Please No
I once thought the urge for urban highway construction might finally be gone. Guess I was wrong.
More Height
Just to flesh out the post below a bit, in general terms, absent regulation, the economics would lead to developers building taller buildings where land prices are highest. Land prices are presumably highest in the center or centers, and around high quality transit locations. So absent the height restriction you'd have taller buildings in those locations, but potentially shorter buildings as you move away from peak land price locations. In other words, the building height restriction constrains the supply of real estate in prime locations, which causes land prices to be bid up further away, increasing the number of places where developers want to build the maximum height buildings.
Punchline: absent the height restriction, you'd get taller buildings in some places, but also shorter buildings in others. Incentives to knock down townhouse blocks in order to replace them with megablock 12 story projects would be lower in other parts of the city.
Punchline: absent the height restriction, you'd get taller buildings in some places, but also shorter buildings in others. Incentives to knock down townhouse blocks in order to replace them with megablock 12 story projects would be lower in other parts of the city.
Height
To some extent I understand why people like the building height limit in DC, though it should also be remembered that increasingly the effect is to create a city of uniform 12ish story buildings. I'm not sure how desirable that is either.
Perhaps There Is A Beginning Of The End
Like Kevin I'm a bit more optimistic after reading it, but something tells me withdrawal is always a Friedman Unit away...
Beck's Getting Extra Creepy
Seriously.
And:
[W]hat's coming is horrific. I don't even want to speak it out loud
And:
[Y]ou have to be prepared to take rocks to the head. You have to be prepared to lose everything
Run Away
I actually don't think this reflects well on the White House. Either support Specter, or don't.
Our Libertarian Allies
Yglesias:
With respect to institutionalized libertarianism, follow the money is a likely explanation, but generally the libertarian lack of concern with things which actually impact the economic freedom that they tend to babble about for large numbers of people is often baffling. Maybe it's just that more complex property rights issues are confusing for them.
- I think the biggest issue here is simply that American cities are so overwhelmingly populated by liberals. Consequently folks on the right don't think much about cities and when they do it tends to get lazy and slipshod. Ask a conservative about rent control, and he'll give you chapter and verse on how it distorts things, likely blissfully unaware that rent control is largely non-existent these days. Ask about parking mandates or FAR limits or whatever and you draw a blank stare. I also want to specifically call out Randall O'Toole of the Cato Institute and the Reason Foundation. I'd like those outfits to be my allies on these topics, but O'Toole is a pawn of the sprawl lobby who's willfully blind to the ways in which current government regulations are anti-urban.
With respect to institutionalized libertarianism, follow the money is a likely explanation, but generally the libertarian lack of concern with things which actually impact the economic freedom that they tend to babble about for large numbers of people is often baffling. Maybe it's just that more complex property rights issues are confusing for them.
PPA
I always have to hold my nose when rooting for anything which might increase the revenue received by our local parking authority, as for various reasons it's the local Republican patronage machine.
Under The Sea
Who knew there is stuff there too?
'At first we had a lot of concern about surface animals like turtles, whales and dolphins,'' said Paul Montagna, a marine biologist at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi who studies Gulf reefs. ''Now we're concerned about everything.''
On Sunday, researchers said computer models show oil has already entered the loop current that could carry the toxic goo toward the Keys, the third-longest barrier reef in the world.
Where's The Oil
Nobel Peace Prize in Geology winner Brit Hume confirms what I've been saying, that the oil gusher won't be "real" until there are pictures of it on shore no matter how much of the ecosystem is destroyed.
Sestakmania
Well, the election tomorrow... cautiously optimistic I won't have to choose between Specter and Toomey in November.
If Sestak wins, it's because of this.
If Sestak wins, it's because of this.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Our media, not theirs
After a horrific day of watching insane people on the Sunday talk shows, you might want to hear what McJoan and emptywheel have to say about it on Virtually Speaking, right about now.
Signed,
Not Atrios
Signed,
Not Atrios
Keep Building
Oddly, it probably makes economic sense given the incentives. People are willing to pay a premium for new, land prices have fallen, there are significant negative externalities in neighborhoods with significant foreclosures/empty homes, and there are additional difficulties in trying to purchase homes in foreclosure or short sales. So, the builders keep building.
That doesn't mean that it's a good idea from the perspective of the municipality, but that's a different issue...
That doesn't mean that it's a good idea from the perspective of the municipality, but that's a different issue...
Sunday Bobbleheads
Face the Nation has Difi and Kyl
Dancing Dave's Meet the Press has Schumer and McConnell.
This Week has Sessions and Leahy.
Document the atrocities!
Dancing Dave's Meet the Press has Schumer and McConnell.
This Week has Sessions and Leahy.
Document the atrocities!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Pre-Oiled Shrimp
Don't see the problem. I cook mine in oil.
The sheen is tasty!
Capt. Lyle Dehart of the shrimping vessel Rocking Angel caught oily shrimp around midnight on Friday in Bayou Severin, near Sister Lake. Shrimpers on the boat reported that their fingers stuck together when they touched the shrimp.
Officials from Wildlife and Fisheries boarded the boat on Saturday morning, noting that there was oil on the deck and the shrimp had black on their legs and heads. Samples were taken to confirm the substance is from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The sheen is tasty!
Shovel Ready
I just don't buy these concerns. Yes certain kinds of projects were never going to happen with stimulus money, but there are plenty of on the shelf projects that could have happened if the money showed up. My local transit authority has plenty - not new SUPERTRAINS, just years of deferred maintenance projects (stations, bridges) - as does my local water authority. My local transit authority did get some stimulus money for projects, of course, but it could have gotten more. Maybe the money can't get out the door quite as fast as we would like, but it can get out there fast enough.
Don't Overreact People!!!
At some point he'll realize that it isn't overreaction to the oil spill that's harming tourism but, you know, the fucking oil spill.
They still don't get that they have a big problem on their hands.
"What I was trying to say is gasoline is not coming up off the coast," he said. "I'm not saying you couldn't smell anything, but I did not (smell anything)."
Overreaction to the odor could harm tourism, Bryant said.
"If people having conventions hear there's an odor of gasoline, they might want to cancel," he said. "My comments were meant to say 'You're not going to detect or be offended by any unusual odor.'"
While Bryant has heard reports of crude oil-related odors, "I don't know how that is a great issue," he said.
They still don't get that they have a big problem on their hands.
Chaff
The telcos are back again, spreading falsehoods and distortions in the pursuit of removing competition from the all too free internet space.
While I don't feel sorry for Ted Steves, one of the reasons he made the idiotic Tubez comments was that he was trying to parrot the contemporary telco talking points Mike McCurry was peddling.
The goal here, as with FinReg or FISA, is to create enough confusion and misunderstanding that the media throws up its figurative hands and just reverts to he said/she said.
While I don't feel sorry for Ted Steves, one of the reasons he made the idiotic Tubez comments was that he was trying to parrot the contemporary telco talking points Mike McCurry was peddling.
The goal here, as with FinReg or FISA, is to create enough confusion and misunderstanding that the media throws up its figurative hands and just reverts to he said/she said.
The New Hate
Fox News informs us that if everyone in the nation decides to hate a specific woman from Illinois, that will make everything better for everyone.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Eated
|
That's Our Timmeh
And if he turns out to be wrong, well, nobody could have predicted...
May 14 (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner voiced confidence that Europe will resolve the debt crisis wracking the region and said the U.S. economy is strong enough to withstand any fallout.
Sheen
I don't think he quite understands that his state's economy is about to be destroyed.
Or maybe he doesn't care?
Oil has not started washing up on shore in any large quantities, and Barbour likened much of the spill to the gasoline sheen commonly found around ski boats.
"We don't wash our face in it, but it doesn't stop us from jumping off the boat to ski," Barbour said.
Or maybe he doesn't care?
Simple Answers To Simple Questions
Boehlert asks:
Yes.
This has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.
Can the Daily Caller get any dumber than this?
Yes.
This has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.
Nothing To See Here
Move along.
An oiled brown pelican was found on the rocks along Bayou Rigaud at Grand Isle on Thursday, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said.
Wildlife and Fisheries biologists caught the bird and brought it to Fort Jackson, where veterinarians are rehabbing oiled birds.
And Speaking Of Austerity In A Recession
Nobody could have predicted that a cyborg sent from the future to destroy mankind would...
in-home healthcare for the elderly and disabled, likely pushing them into more expensive nursing home living. This isn't just cruel, it's fiscally stupid.
heckuva job Village, for bringing us Arnold. Good luck California!
Programs the governor has signaled would be targeted include in-home healthcare for the elderly and disabled, welfare and other social services. Reductions for public schools are expected to be included as well.
in-home healthcare for the elderly and disabled, likely pushing them into more expensive nursing home living. This isn't just cruel, it's fiscally stupid.
heckuva job Village, for bringing us Arnold. Good luck California!
Thread
So, here's Schneier on the problem of worst-case thinking. We live in a world where we are being protected from carrying drinking water onto an airplane, but not from having a geyser of oil shooting up out of the bottom of the ocean.
Meanwhile....
Signed,
Not Atrios
Meanwhile....
Signed,
Not Atrios
Morning
Time for BP to admit it doesn't know what the hell it is doing. I'm thinking nobody else does either and nobody else particularly wants to get involved cause some blame might attach if they do. Too bad. This is bigger than that.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Nobody Could Have Predicted
As usual:
But scientists and environmental groups are raising sharp questions about that estimate, declaring that the leak must be far larger. They also criticize BP for refusing to use well-known scientific techniques that would give a more precise figure.
The criticism escalated on Thursday, a day after the release of a video that showed a huge black plume of oil gushing from the broken well at a seemingly high rate. BP has repeatedly claimed that measuring the plume would be impossible.
Bright Flight
This guy has a great career ahead of him as a commenter on newspaper web sites.
Pretty sure I've never seen a wino slumped in a South St. doorway.
(ht reader R)
Pretty sure I've never seen a wino slumped in a South St. doorway.
(ht reader R)
Small Business
Politicians routinely fetishize the "small business owner" perhaps just slightly less than they fetishize "the troops" or "the family farmer," so it'd be nice if that love translated into policy.
Elizabeth Warren called it "infuriating" that the Troubled Asset Relief Program has not achieved its objective in funneling some of the $700 billion in appropriations to small businesses.
A report the commission released Thursday found that big-bank lending portfolios to small businesses dropped 9 percent from 2008 to 2009, more than double the 4.1 decrease of its overall lending portfolio.
Othering Everybody
The wingnut mind.
I forget which scifi show (perhaps several) had the genocidal robot killing off everybody "alien," tho the genetic parameters were a bit too narrow so the robot just kills everybody.
I forget which scifi show (perhaps several) had the genocidal robot killing off everybody "alien," tho the genetic parameters were a bit too narrow so the robot just kills everybody.
Oh Well
So they messed up a bit, no big whoop.
I'm not optimistic that the people saying there will be criminal action are correct. Mary Landrieu will probably chain herself to a BP executive if they try to take one away in cuffs.
WASHINGTON — In the days after an oil well spun out of control in the Gulf of Mexico, BP engineers tried to activate a huge piece of underwater safety equipment but failed because the device had been so altered that diagrams BP got from the equipment's owner didn't match the supposedly failsafe device's configuration, congressional investigators said Wednesday.
I'm not optimistic that the people saying there will be criminal action are correct. Mary Landrieu will probably chain herself to a BP executive if they try to take one away in cuffs.
Freedom
The GOP purity trolls who have taken out Bennett and Crist have some rhetorical elements that are, charitably, sometimes difficult to understand in policy terms. For me one of these is equating carrying handguns in public places as an expression of freedom.
I noticed this recently on a trip to northern Florida and southern Georgia, just in time, as it has turned out, to see the indigenous wildlife. (There was a surprising number of bald eagles, and some spectacular swallow-tailed kites, not to mention the local bison population.)
In any case, there was a teenager wearing an anti-Obama t-shirt. I forget the precise cleverness of phrasing, but a central element was that Obama wanted to take away his guns, and therefore limit his freedom. Aside from the not being true part, and the implied treason, it was hard to under stand what he was trying to say.
And now I see this notion of freedom includes carrying guns into bars. Both Virginia and Tennessee have passed bills allowing people to carry a concealed handgun into establishments that serve alcohol. (It turns out that Plaxico Burress was a freedom fighter with a bad sense of timing and place. Who knew?)
The James Brady lobbying effort has found the open carry movement unpopular, but as always, the NRA carries the day over merely popular legislative positions.
I noticed this recently on a trip to northern Florida and southern Georgia, just in time, as it has turned out, to see the indigenous wildlife. (There was a surprising number of bald eagles, and some spectacular swallow-tailed kites, not to mention the local bison population.)
In any case, there was a teenager wearing an anti-Obama t-shirt. I forget the precise cleverness of phrasing, but a central element was that Obama wanted to take away his guns, and therefore limit his freedom. Aside from the not being true part, and the implied treason, it was hard to under stand what he was trying to say.
And now I see this notion of freedom includes carrying guns into bars. Both Virginia and Tennessee have passed bills allowing people to carry a concealed handgun into establishments that serve alcohol. (It turns out that Plaxico Burress was a freedom fighter with a bad sense of timing and place. Who knew?)
The James Brady lobbying effort has found the open carry movement unpopular, but as always, the NRA carries the day over merely popular legislative positions.
Morning Thread
Trying a new containment dome today, it's shaped like a top hat. I hope it works, but I'm not holding my breath.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Oy
The tendency of people on our team to assume good faith of those on the other team continues to astound.
The presumed political reality is that letting the Bush tax cuts expire is much easier to do now than later. That might be incorrect, but it is probably what Feldstein believes.
The presumed political reality is that letting the Bush tax cuts expire is much easier to do now than later. That might be incorrect, but it is probably what Feldstein believes.
YouCut
Because Republicans never run out of stupid pointless ideas, though admittedly I'm glad they waste time with this stuff. Keeps them busy.
Porkbusters!!!!
Porkbusters!!!!
What's All This God Stuff
Unlike most people in this country - I've met very few! - I was raised basically without any understanding or knowledge of religion. I don't mean that my parents taught me to be an atheist, they just didn't really tell me anything about it. Once I got older I was bit puzzled by at all, and while I suppose at various points I tried a bit harder to get it I was always left a bit confused. It's possible that this means that I've been leading an empty miserable life relative to what I could have had, but there's really no way to even begin to try to explain that to me let alone convince me of it.
Of course all of you people who don't live in urban hellholes do, in fact, lead empty miserable lives, with or without God.*
*I am not being serious.
Of course all of you people who don't live in urban hellholes do, in fact, lead empty miserable lives, with or without God.*
*I am not being serious.
Support
It's a great idea but we, uh, won't pay for it.
Mostly unrelated, but I just continue to be disturbed by the degree to which THE crisis is "the financial crisis," that is a bunch of wealthy bondholders who are a bit worried about their bad bets. I think the Wall St. vs. Main St. metaphor isn't very good because nobody ever really explains what it means, and in suburban America "Main St." doesn't generally exist, but the fact is here and abroad it's the fate of rich investors which is what matters.
Mostly unrelated, but I just continue to be disturbed by the degree to which THE crisis is "the financial crisis," that is a bunch of wealthy bondholders who are a bit worried about their bad bets. I think the Wall St. vs. Main St. metaphor isn't very good because nobody ever really explains what it means, and in suburban America "Main St." doesn't generally exist, but the fact is here and abroad it's the fate of rich investors which is what matters.
Though It Must Be Said
It is true, shockingly, that the Senate financial regulation bill seems to get a bit better each day. Normally I assume - even with 59 "good guys"! - that whatever bill gets dropped is about the best one you can hope for and the goal is to fight back a bunch of shitty amendments. So far, not happening here. No worries though, I'm sure they can still screw it up in conference (hopefully a joke).
Openings
While I certainly want awesome policy, with a little work you can get on the right side of an issue in the mind of the public even if in reality you aren't sticking it the banksters.
Dems are just really bad at playing these games.
Dems are just really bad at playing these games.
Terrible Cuts
Arnold plans to finish terminating California, bringing austerity to their great recession.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will kick off serious budget discussions Friday with his May budget revision. The governor is likely to propose reductions in everything from social services to schools to state worker compensation.
"What you can expect generally is no taxes and terrible cuts, absolutely terrible cuts," said Schwarzenegger press secretary Aaron McLear. "We're not going to get through the deficit we have without some really tough decisions and some really terrible cuts."
Suddenly SCOTUS Needs Empathy
Jeff Sessions had the same talking point a couple of days ago. I wonder how it is that prominent Republicans think that they can get away with doing 180 degree turns on their talking points. Funny how things work.
It'd Be Nice
Hopefully oil company liability cap levels are greatly increased. Oddly it wouldn't surprise me if the biggest obstacles to doing so are certain gulf state senators. Funny how things work.
Morning and Shit
If you're thinking the oil gusher isn't getting much press, you're right. BP has been trying to handle the problem with spin, and to some extent they've been successful. Unfortunately, spin isn't capping the well and won't clean up the oil or the contamination caused by the dispersants.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
FAIL
I don't know if they really thought their mortgage mod program had any chance of working as advertised (it didn't), but it certainly did not work.
Bye Gordon
Gordon Brown has resigned, and looks like we'll have the Tory-LibDem alliance after all.
Good luck with that!
Good luck with that!
What About The Beautiful Rainbows In Chocolate Milk
Wasn't watching the hearing, but gathered from The Twitter that certain gulf state senators are unaware that offshore drilling has probably completely fucked their states' ecologies and economies.
Drill, baby, drill.
Drill, baby, drill.
Everybody Loves Arlen
I suppose you have to respect the guy's ability to get support from people, despite the fact that not so long ago Harry Reid said, in an on the record meeting, something along the lines of "we have Arlen except when we need him." It's true that he's been behaving better lately, but for his long career that was basically Arlen, a fake moderate who was never quite there when he was needed, and often completely batty on things (like suggesting out of office Clinton should be impeached a second time for the Marc Rich pardon.)
Hopefully enough Dems in the state remember that they've been voting against the guy for decades.
Hopefully enough Dems in the state remember that they've been voting against the guy for decades.
The Great Disentangling
As I've said, the problem with CNN hiring Erick Erickson isn't that he's conservative or that he's said some naughty things, it's that he's an idiot.
Getting Closer
As I keep saying, this is an ecological disaster whether or not there's a visible impact on the shorelines, but...
And Speaking of Supertrains
News from a third world hellhole somewhere out there.
May 11 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood rode on a 502 kilometer-per-hour (312 mph) magnetic- levitation train in Japan, stoking optimism that the Asian nation may be able to sell the technology overseas.
“We are right at the beginning of an opportunity for American cities to be connected by high-speed trains,” LaHood said today after his 27-minute ride at a test track in Yamanashi, west of Tokyo. “I’m delighted with this opportunity to really experience all the technology.”
I Bet They Don't Even Have Toilet Paper
Other countries have their problems obviously, but I think too many Americans imagine the rest of the world is just a third world hellhole. That's why if we become a third world hellhole we'll still imagine we have it better than everybody else. And if some suggests otherwise, instead of building a SUPERTRAIN, we'll find another lovely little war to fight. The degree to which a narrative of unsolvable problems, or problems which can only be solved on the backs of the old and poor, has been with us is astounding, given that we are of course the greatest and richest country in the world.
Somebody On The Internet Is Wrong
I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the degree of intra-dem fighting on the internets, but I have been. People disagree with each other about stuff. Sometimes those disagreements exist because of factual misinformation or faulty reasoning, but quite often those disagreements exist because people prioritize things differently or have different interpretations and inferences about things which aren't perfectly knowable. And that's, you know, fine.
The Good War
I don't know how to end it all.
The US airbase at Bagram in Afghanistan contains a facility for detainees that is distinct from its main prison, the Red Cross has confirmed to the BBC.
Nine former prisoners have told the BBC that they were held in a separate building, and subjected to abuse.
Monday, May 10, 2010
What's Going On
As soon as Sestak went on TV with ads linking Specter to Bush, the polls started to shift.
Uh, Washington Post?
Nobody noticed what's wrong with this paragraph?
The idealized vision of suburbia as a homogenous landscape of prosperity built around the nuclear family took another hit over the past decade, as suburbs became home to more poor people, immigrants, minorities, senior citizens and households with no children, according to a Brookings Institution report to be released Sunday.
Psychotic Death Cult
Weird people.
(ht Kate Sheppard)
28% of Republicans said the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico made them more likely to support drilling off the coast to an equal 28% who said it made them less likely to be supportive.
(ht Kate Sheppard)
Lib-Lab
Well, the coalition which was sorta supposed to happen when Tony Blair first took power, but didn't because ultimately Labour didn't need the Lib Dems, might actually happen now. Bye Gordon.
How Real Americans Get There
Coincidentally, some stats about New York commuters. 48% use subway or bus, with some additional people taking trains.
Free Money For Rich People
It's important to remember, as it's usually obscured, that the massive European bailout is mostly a massive bailout of European banksters. As was the case here, it can be argued the bailout is the best course, but it also rewards rich people for fucking up.
Meanwhile
Over there.
Locally, some guy failed to set gasoline on fire.
BAGHDAD (AP) -- A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a textile factory Monday in a crowd that gathered after two car bombings at the same spot in the worst of a series of attacks that killed at least 84 people across Iraq, the deadliest day this year.
Locally, some guy failed to set gasoline on fire.
Magnitude
Our media friends are having a very hard time understanding the magnitude of this "spill."
James Fallows comes to their aid.
James Fallows comes to their aid.
Morning Thread
or dread. I think I may just hide for a few days. Seems like the responsible thing to do.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Bad Wolfpack
Not exactly sure what they're going to do with all this money, but I'm sure it'll all flow into the hands of deserving people.
Major Landfall
Projected for Tuesday. (big .pdf file)
I predict no one will regret their support or involvement in this activity. Nobody could have predicted after all.
I predict no one will regret their support or involvement in this activity. Nobody could have predicted after all.
Sunday Bobbleheads
Meet the Press has Holder.
This Week has Holder and Attorney General Giuliani.
Face the Nation has John Brennan, Dodd, Shelby, and Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen.
This Week has Holder and Attorney General Giuliani.
Face the Nation has John Brennan, Dodd, Shelby, and Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen.
Pretty Shitty News
I wonder what the next plan will entail. I notice the fact that there may be more than 5,000 barrels gushing per day is creeping into the MSM.
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