Tintin counterattacks wildly, but to little effect. Why, it is as if he does not even know that Santa is a Republican. Bwah-ha-ha!
(Via.)
Saturday, December 25, 2010
The Great Casino
It's all the same thing.
Wall Street executives usually protest when their business is compared to a casino. But there is a logic to privately held Cantor’s Vegas subsidiary, casino industry experts say.
“Guys who trade Treasuries are doing it for basis points, and sports betting is not much different,” said Jeffrey B. Logsdon, an entertainment and gaming analyst for BMO Capital Markets. “Trading a million dollars in Treasuries is different than trading a billion. Sports betting is the same. You want the spread, volume and you see yourself as a match maker.”
Friday, December 24, 2010
Santa Bomb!
"Tintin" makes some sort of effort at retaliation...
Of course, we have in our arsenal a Hall n' Oates-flavored Sarah Palin spooge-anthem sung by Don Simmons himself.
We are prepared to discuss a schedule for Tintin's reparation payments.
Of course, we have in our arsenal a Hall n' Oates-flavored Sarah Palin spooge-anthem sung by Don Simmons himself.
We are prepared to discuss a schedule for Tintin's reparation payments.
Religion in America
I'd guess there are two main reasons people lie about their degree of religious adherence/church attendance. One is that there are is a lot of cultural pressure equating participation in formal Christian religion with morality. Good people go to church! The other is that a lot of our traditions, despite having secular aspects to them, do have a link to religion, and a lot of people have a hard time decoupling the two. It isn't a problem for me. We celebrated Christmas (tree, gifts and Santa) and Easter (easter egg hunts and chocolate bunny heads) in my non-religious house growing up.
I was chatting about this with Dan Savage once (namedrop alert!!), and he said something along the lines of "non-religious Catholics need to learn how to be Jews," meaning it's possible to hold on to the various rituals and traditions without actually being a believer, as many non-religious Jews do.
I was chatting about this with Dan Savage once (namedrop alert!!), and he said something along the lines of "non-religious Catholics need to learn how to be Jews," meaning it's possible to hold on to the various rituals and traditions without actually being a believer, as many non-religious Jews do.
The Year In Lists
Didn't personally come across an immense amount of good new music this year. The iTunes machine tells me I listened to Dr. Dog's Shame Shame the most, so they win the plug.
Virginia Is For Banksters
Somewhere to not buy a house.
Last year, the state legislature overwhelmingly passed a law making it easier for lenders to defend themselves when accused of giving homeowners too little warning of impending foreclosures.
The process moves so quickly in Virginia - one of the fastest states in the nation - that homeowners can receive less than two weeks' notice that their house is about to be sold on the courthouse steps.
That confronts homeowners with an almost impossible deadline. To get a court to stop the sale in that narrow window, they must gather evidence, file a lawsuit and potentially post a bond with the court that could total thousands of dollars. Instead of trying to find a lawyer and prepare a suit, many borrowers run out the clock trying to deal with their lender.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Season's BLEEDINGS!
Because nothing says The Hellidays without a YouTube war, CHECK YER STOCKING, Tintin. Dashing through the snow, with a one horse open SLAY!
Check out the Pam Gellar screech solo...
Check out the Pam Gellar screech solo...
Strange World
Some days I think I'm the only one who has noticed that unemployment is at 9.6%.
Except the unemployed, of course.
Except the unemployed, of course.
Holiday Schedule
Usual end of the year blog slowdown is here. Will keep posting, just won't be at my computer 12 hours a day like I usually am.
Happy holidays. Better luck next year with the War On Christmas!
Happy holidays. Better luck next year with the War On Christmas!
The Way The World Doesn't Work
As Ireland lights another pile of money on fire, I'm reminded that another way to save the big banks and let rich assholes continue to receive absurd bonuses would have been to give people money to pay down their debts. Banks would have gotten their money, and people would have less debt. This would never happen because it would grossly unfair to help some people so we'll do the fair thing and just give money to rich assholes.
But I Thought Harold Ford Was the Junior Senator From New York
One of the silliest made up media narratives was how Gillibrand was a DOOOOOOOOOOMED politician.
Must Love SEPTA
My local transit authority is hilarious flawed and certainly deserves much of the criticism locals heap on it, but overall the hellhole is quite fortunate to have as comprehensive a system as it is. It's biggest strength, for better or for worse, is probably the regional rail system, and we could certainly use another subway line or two (not likely), but overall we're pretty lucky.
On the SEPTATRAIN for quick trip to Wilmington.
On the SEPTATRAIN for quick trip to Wilmington.
If It's What People Wanted You Wouldn't Have To Mandate It
Posts like these inevitably get commenters saying something along the lines of "people like grass!" I think Matt's a bit more anti-land use regulation in general than I am, but the point is that if that's what people really wanted it wouldn't be necessary to regulate it. And while there's nothing wrong with a bit of green, pointless setbacks and other ways in which developers meet development regulations are often really out of place in a dense urban area.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
QEII
I said before the most likely major impact of QEII was that it would goose stock prices. That doesn't mean it was bad policy relative to doing nothing, but it does mean that a true helicopter drop of some sort would have been much more effective.
License To Steal
As I've written a million times, when I decide I get to break into your house and steal all your stuff I'll probably go to jail for a long time.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
If Jon Stewart Can Do It
Then maybe a charismatic fairly popular tall skinny guy with a fancy podium and the ability to get people to point TV cameras at him almost any moment can figure out how to do it.
A Nation Of Warriors
Every time Hugh Hewitt ladles a bit of ranch onto his iceberg, he'll literally be on the front lines in the war on terror.
Creationism
The issue isn't that so many people believe in creationism, it's that they believe in Young Earth Creationism, and that basically scientists y'all MF lying and getting me pissed.
Murkowski
I certainly don't blame Republicans for supporting Miller for the election, but it was admittedly a bit weird when they were supporting him during the post-election after he was destined to lose.
Interesting
We can make our own judgments about what Barbour really thinks, but apparently he's concluded that being an old school racist < not being an old school racist when it comes to national electoral politics.
Plenty of new school racists thriving, of course.
Plenty of new school racists thriving, of course.
Census
Population and apportionment date coming out soon. Watching the streaming show.
Population up from 281,421,906 to...308,745,538.
..NE up 3.2%, Midwest 3.9%, South 14.35, West 13.8%.
...Nevada +35.1%, Michigan shrunk a bit. Texas +20.6%.
Apportionment info coming now...
...New York and Ohio both lose 2 seats....Also MA, too..
Final count: Texas +4, FL +2, AZ, GA, NV, SC, UT, WA +1
NY -2, OH -2, IL, IA, LA, MA, MI, MS, NJ, PA -1.
See you in 2020!
Population up from 281,421,906 to...308,745,538.
..NE up 3.2%, Midwest 3.9%, South 14.35, West 13.8%.
...Nevada +35.1%, Michigan shrunk a bit. Texas +20.6%.
Apportionment info coming now...
...New York and Ohio both lose 2 seats....
Final count: Texas +4, FL +2, AZ, GA, NV, SC, UT, WA +1
NY -2, OH -2, IL, IA, LA, MA, MI, MS, NJ, PA -1.
See you in 2020!
Harassing People For No Reason
Well I suppose there are reasons, but preventing terrorism isn't one of them.
I've never understood the focus on subway systems as terrorism targets. Yes they could be like anything else, but there are a lot easier ways to do things. Just get yourself a bus or truck, load it up with explosives, and drive it into the nearest crowd or building.
I've never understood the focus on subway systems as terrorism targets. Yes they could be like anything else, but there are a lot easier ways to do things. Just get yourself a bus or truck, load it up with explosives, and drive it into the nearest crowd or building.
Fracture-Critical
While the very brief Age Of Infrastructure Spending is most likely gone forever now, I was always mystified by people who suggested it was hard to spend money. Fix the damn bridges.
Shitpile
Building and maintaining a proper cadastre is really difficult. It takes decades, centuries even, relying on both formal law and common law constructs. There are many elements built in to preserve real property boundaries and proof of ownership--as granted (and owned) ultimately by the state. But once it is in place, it is a very resilient construct.
You can't just wave it all away. Not even in New Jersey.
You can't just wave it all away. Not even in New Jersey.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Not Going To Work That Way
Those who object to the secularization of Christmas would object even more if it ceased to be a national holiday or if some secular alternative were offered in its place. Of course most of this complaining isn't really religion based but tribal. I don't really think Lou Dobbs or Bill O'Reilly are particularly religious people, they're just mad that not everyone is "American" in precisely the same way they are. Douthat is actually religious, and he's mad that everyone isn't as perfect of a Christian as he is.
White Citizens Councils
1956 article from David Halberstam.
Look,” said Nick Roberts of the Yazoo City Citizens Council, explaining why 51 of 53 Negroes who had signed an integration petition withdrew their names, “if a man works for you, and you believe in something, and that man is working against it and undermining it, why you don’t want him working for you—of course you don’t.”
In Yazoo City, in August 1955, the Council members fired signers of the integration petition, or prevailed upon other white employers to get them fired. But the WCC continues to deny that it uses economic force: all the Council did in Yazoo City was to provide information (a full-page ad in the local weekly listing the “offenders”); spontaneous public feeling did the rest.
At the WCC’s initial meeting at Indianola, Mississippi, in the summer of 1954, it was decided to isolate and silence white dissenters. The Council organizers knew that the Negroes would need white leadership and help—ministers, editors, school-board members—and it resolved to use social ostracism to deny these to them. In Holmes County, Mississippi, a mass meeting sponsored by the WCC asked Dr. David Minter and Eugene Cox and their families to leave the county. Minter and Cox had been running a cooperative farm for Negroes under the auspices of the Presbyterian church. After the Court decision they were seen as a danger. The Cox and Minter families, however, had never been very much involved with the community, and so they stayed on—in spite of threats and the cancellation of their fire-insurance policies. Nevertheless, Negroes became afraid to come out to their farm, and the two families found themselves isolated. The neighboring minister, a conservative and one of the two men who had defended them at the mass meeting, was transferred out of his parish. (A South Carolina minister lost his church after co-authoring a resolution Which denounced economic sanctions against partisans of integration as un-Christian.)
In another Mississippi city, two doctors were told that their white patients would be denied the use of a new hospital unless they agreed not to bring Negro patients even into the segregated wing. (The Council leaders, who expect the Court eventually to abolish segregation in hospitals, believe that the best policy is to keep Negroes out altogether.) And in Clinton, Tennessee, where mob demonstrations greeted the opening of the school year last month, principal D. J. Brittain received so many threatening and abusive telephone calls that he had to change his number.
Just Some Good Ole Boys
It's wrong to see racist revisionist history as ignorance or faulty memory. Barbour's obviously counting on the idea that the South Will Rise Again to support his presidential plans.
And as is usually the case with straight up old school racism dressed up as affection for the past, the media will largely ignore.
And as is usually the case with straight up old school racism dressed up as affection for the past, the media will largely ignore.
Perhaps They're Actually In Favor Of Coerced Child Brides?
It is the more logical explanation.
More generally, we all know that most anti-choice politicians are anti-choice for thee but not for me. Their daughters/wives/mistresses/girlfriends will, in their minds, of course have all desired and necessary "health services," including, of course, abortion.
More generally, we all know that most anti-choice politicians are anti-choice for thee but not for me. Their daughters/wives/mistresses/girlfriends will, in their minds, of course have all desired and necessary "health services," including, of course, abortion.
Primary
It's hard to see any movement on immigration reform given that Republican politics will largely be oriented around presidential primary politics, beginning in 6 months or less. They'll all be rushing to out crazy each other on all of these issues. I guess we'll just have to gut social security instead, because that will really be popular.
Failing Upwards
Krugman:
It isn't just the ideas, but the people, too. I don't know how many times Larry Summers and Bob Rubin will be allowed to destroy the world.
The free-market fundamentalists have been as wrong about events abroad as they have about events in America — and suffered equally few consequences. “Ireland,” declared George Osborne in 2006, “stands as a shining example of the art of the possible in long-term economic policymaking.” Whoops. But Mr. Osborne is now Britain’s top economic official.
And in his new position, he’s setting out to emulate the austerity policies Ireland implemented after its bubble burst. After all, conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic spent much of the past year hailing Irish austerity as a resounding success. “The Irish approach worked in 1987-89 — and it’s working now,” declared Alan Reynolds of the Cato Institute last June. Whoops, again.
But such failures don’t seem to matter. To borrow the title of a recent book by the Australian economist John Quiggin on doctrines that the crisis should have killed but didn’t, we’re still — perhaps more than ever — ruled by “zombie economics.” Why?
It isn't just the ideas, but the people, too. I don't know how many times Larry Summers and Bob Rubin will be allowed to destroy the world.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Real liberal media
Digby and Susie Madrak on Virtually Speaking at 5:00 PM Pacific/8:00 PM EST should be bitchin'. Listen here.
Signed,
Not Atrios
Signed,
Not Atrios
City/Suburb Fight!
Just for fun.
The longer I live here the more I come to realize how most "day trippers" have little sense of the city at all. They hit the downtown (though we don't call it that), and a couple of other spots, and leave imagining the city consists of skyscrapers and overcrowded bars. Though happy if they hate the place. The hate just makes me stronger!
The longer I live here the more I come to realize how most "day trippers" have little sense of the city at all. They hit the downtown (though we don't call it that), and a couple of other spots, and leave imagining the city consists of skyscrapers and overcrowded bars. Though happy if they hate the place. The hate just makes me stronger!
Bad As It Is, Though Also Maybe Bad to Change
I'm no fan of our state monopoly on liquor sales, mostly because the selection in most stores is pretty bad, but I'm also not completely excited about privatizing it either. There's a civil service workforce who expect long careers, and I expect cronyism to diminish whatever benefit/revenue the state might get. I could get on board a plan to slowly phase the system out, but junking it overnight would be quite disruptive for people.
Sunday Bobbleheads
This Week has Kerry, Lugar, and some guy from USaID.
Meet the Press has Joe The Biden, Cory Booker, and Mark McKinnon.
Face the Nation has Sessions, Klobuchar, Graham, and Levin.
Document the atrocities!
Meet the Press has Joe The Biden, Cory Booker, and Mark McKinnon.
Face the Nation has Sessions, Klobuchar, Graham, and Levin.
Document the atrocities!
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