Monday, March 31, 2014
The Audition
Cuomo obviously isn't running for president, he's running for future plutocrat.
Know the players, know the game.
Know the players, know the game.
"Corporate Culture"
I just find its invocation to be weird.
With so much at stake, why didn’t GM act sooner?
The answer, according to many people familiar with the automaker, is a corporate culture reluctant to pass along bad news. When GM was struggling to cut costs and buff its image, a recall of its popular small cars would have been a terrible setback. By the time GM engineers began to face up to the potential gravity of the defect, the Great Recession had hit and the company was begging Congress for a taxpayer bailout that would become its financial lifeline.
Where Do Youse Live
I get a bit cranky about the whole concept of "gentrification," or at least most of the fretting about it. Yes I think it's sad when (especially poor) people get displaced by what we call "market forces." Yes I'm horrified by variations of "slum clearing" public policies which actively seek to displace people. And, most of all, I'm disgusted by the fact that better public services follow the arrival of money to neighborhoods, when in theory the quality of public services should be pretty uniform across a given municipality (at least).
But lots of people who fret about "gentrification"* publicly are either new arrivals to a supposedly gentrifying neighborhood, otherwise known as "gentrifiers," or people pontificating in the abstract from their exclusionary zoning enclaves where poor people have been assumed away.
*I put it in quotes because it isn't a very well-defined term.
But lots of people who fret about "gentrification"* publicly are either new arrivals to a supposedly gentrifying neighborhood, otherwise known as "gentrifiers," or people pontificating in the abstract from their exclusionary zoning enclaves where poor people have been assumed away.
*I put it in quotes because it isn't a very well-defined term.
Separation of Powers
Culture of Truth took a break this weekend. So here's Marcy on Chuckie T being ridiculous.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Sunday Happy Hour
Ted Kaufman, who served as Biden's replacement in the Senate for two years, has an op ed in the local rag outlining exactly why there have been no prosecutions of banksters. Bottom line, it's just not a priority, even though there has been a separate fund set up to do exactly that.
Angry? You bet I am. Even more angry than I was back in 2009 when, as a U.S. senator, I saw shocking paper trails that I believed would have convinced juries to convict some crooked CEOs if there were aggressive efforts to prosecute them. That’s why I worked hard for and co-sponsored the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, which in May 2009, gave an extra $55 million to the Justice Department over the next two years – over and above the Department’s normal appropriation. This money was specifically granted to bring to justice top executives who had engaged in fraud leading up to the financial meltdown.
Oh, well. Maybe next time.
Really Big Or Really Small
Obviously this baby blue blog shouldn't be too critical of anybody's web site design, but a big mystery to me over the past few years is that all Exciting New Site Designs seem to be directed at people with really big screens or really small screens. As in, dual monitor 27" or mobile devices. More recently some sites seem to be redesigned with touch screens in mind (not crazy, but premature).
"Our website would be awesome if only everybody upgraded to 27" screens" is stupid. The future is likely mostly desktops with decent but not huge screens at work (those cubicles aren't so big), and medium sized notebooks and tablets otherwise. Also, too, smartphones, but those sites can be designed separately. The first time I saw GIANT DUAL MONITORS was when I visited an IT department, then I understood what was going wrong. People designing this stuff were designing it for their toys, not ours.
"Our website would be awesome if only everybody upgraded to 27" screens" is stupid. The future is likely mostly desktops with decent but not huge screens at work (those cubicles aren't so big), and medium sized notebooks and tablets otherwise. Also, too, smartphones, but those sites can be designed separately. The first time I saw GIANT DUAL MONITORS was when I visited an IT department, then I understood what was going wrong. People designing this stuff were designing it for their toys, not ours.
Airline Mysteries
I'm old enough to have a dim memory (true? who knows) of the Time Before, when airlines would readily book you on another carrier if there was a problem with your flight. I don't mean pre-deregulation, when a ticket was basically good on any carrier, I mean after that when flying was still not totally horrible.
I've long been curious why airlines don't have a funny money system for rebooking you on another carrier. The obvious reason is, of course, that they've decided it isn't worth it, but it's still puzzling to me.
I've long been curious why airlines don't have a funny money system for rebooking you on another carrier. The obvious reason is, of course, that they've decided it isn't worth it, but it's still puzzling to me.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
A Horrible Person
I suppose I got bored with Papa Bear at some point - one can only take so much - but he really is a horrible person.
The Worst Person In The World
Dottie Sandusky.
Her claim that witnesses were manipulated into giving false evidence was a key element of her husband's criminal defense. The fact that jurors were not convinced doesn't sway her — she said jurors had made up their mind before the trial began.
"I trust my husband," she said. "That's what the world is about today. People don't trust anybody. And all these young kids, all they think about is sex."
Oh, Fer Cripe's Sake
The House will vote next week on a Republican bill to require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to focus its efforts on storm predictions instead of researching climate change.
Via thereisnospoon, @ Hullaballo.
Cause if we don't know about it and stop talking about it, it will just go away. Poof! Now we can build some more along the coast. See, everybody's happy.
Friday, March 28, 2014
TV Alert! C-SPAN After Dark
Sebelius v Hobby Lobby Oral Arguments on C-SPAN at 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Don't miss it!
Don't miss it!
The E-con
There are a couple of versions, but this one is basically: We should focus on economic growth because that greatly expands our ability to improve human welfare. But, well, let's not worry about the human welfare part, just the growth.
#CancelColbert
Twitter freaked out last night because of this (not endorsing everything at that link, but it explains it well enough).
Anyway, I do think the whole thing is pretty stupid with a minor caveat. There is a legitimate concern with this kind of humor, that your audience isn't laughing at your satire, they're laughing at the racism you have used in your satire. Dave Chappelle had to deal with this.
I saw the bit when it aired, and who it's aimed at is obvious (Dan Snyder and the racist name Redskins). Still invoking racism to be satirical about racism is always going to be a problematic. I think Colbert understands this well, and it's part of his brilliance (which is why I think this particular issue is stupid), but less smart comedians don't always get it right. Because they don't get it.
Anyway, I do think the whole thing is pretty stupid with a minor caveat. There is a legitimate concern with this kind of humor, that your audience isn't laughing at your satire, they're laughing at the racism you have used in your satire. Dave Chappelle had to deal with this.
I saw the bit when it aired, and who it's aimed at is obvious (Dan Snyder and the racist name Redskins). Still invoking racism to be satirical about racism is always going to be a problematic. I think Colbert understands this well, and it's part of his brilliance (which is why I think this particular issue is stupid), but less smart comedians don't always get it right. Because they don't get it.
The New Gadget Is Coming!
I'm not immune to the joys of our shiny new electronic toys, but at this point I get puzzled by the EXCITEMENT that still greets, especially, a new iPhone. I mean, these (smartphones in general) do pretty much all the amazing stuff you want them to do. I'm not saying no improvements are possible, but at this point we're likely to get the 2 steps forward 1 step back tweaks that generally characterize these upgrades (especially the software). Well, with Microsoft, it's usually 4 steps back 1 step forward, but that's a different post.
There are things that they could focus on, which they always promise to focus on but don't deliver, like improving battery life and making iTunes not the worst piece of software ever created, but otherwise iPhone 6 will basically be like iPhone 5, except a bit different, and maybe a bit bigger. EXCITING.
I have a very old Android model. It's great. Especially because I can swap the damn batteries.
There are things that they could focus on, which they always promise to focus on but don't deliver, like improving battery life and making iTunes not the worst piece of software ever created, but otherwise iPhone 6 will basically be like iPhone 5, except a bit different, and maybe a bit bigger. EXCITING.
I have a very old Android model. It's great. Especially because I can swap the damn batteries.
Minor League
It's just a step, but hopefully a first step in destroying the horrible institution that is the NCAA.
That issue was thrown into bold relief this week with a ruling by a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board that football players at Northwestern University may have the right to form a union and bargain collectively. Although team unions on campus still face formidable obstacles, and are years away if they ever do come into existence, the ruling highlights a growing battle over how much so-called student athletes should share in the billions of dollars they generate for their schools and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Why Did We Invade Iraq
Errol Morris was on Colbert last night, discussing Don Rumsfeld.
Shorter version: nobody has any fucking idea.
I used to spend some time trying to figure this out. Those of us who were against it were against it, in part, because it didn't make any fucking sense at all. The nation was gaslighted by the Very Serious People who had no idea why the fuck they thought this was a glorious adventure.
The stated reasons were bullshit, the implicit reasons were gibberish. Yes you can chalk it all up to OIL or making the military industrial complex rich or whatever. I'm not dismissing those reasons. But everybody seemed to have their own reasons. For Christopher Hitchens it seemed to about the Kurds. And punching hippies.
Left blogs thrived largely because it provided about the only place we could gather and say... uh, you know this is crazy, right?
Shorter version: nobody has any fucking idea.
I used to spend some time trying to figure this out. Those of us who were against it were against it, in part, because it didn't make any fucking sense at all. The nation was gaslighted by the Very Serious People who had no idea why the fuck they thought this was a glorious adventure.
The stated reasons were bullshit, the implicit reasons were gibberish. Yes you can chalk it all up to OIL or making the military industrial complex rich or whatever. I'm not dismissing those reasons. But everybody seemed to have their own reasons. For Christopher Hitchens it seemed to about the Kurds. And punching hippies.
Left blogs thrived largely because it provided about the only place we could gather and say... uh, you know this is crazy, right?
Walking To The Market
I'd say the most important walkable neighborhood amenity is a nearby quality supermarket, and lacking one is a huge barrier to going without a car for those who are inclined to do so. Good urban supermarkets are actually a challenge, as even I grudgingly admit they need some parking. Space for loading docks can be an issue, and regular deliveries don't make the close neighbors very happy.
Small Victories
Given the routing of the one way streets here, there's basically no reason for cars to use this stretch except to access the parking spots or "oops, I missed the turn onto 23rd st." They've creatively made the change "parking neutral," sadly necessary for any nice things, by moving the free car storage plots to either side of the pedestrian area.
Just The Facts
Good empirical research takes is hard and takes a long time. The idea that you can essentially duplicate that at the pace of web journalism is absurd, as is the idea that however smart you are you can bigfoot into the realm of legitimate experts in every field and quickly substitute your judgment for theirs. Obviously we all do that, some, but it's called punditry and opinionating, not data journalism. Knowing a bit of math and statistics doesn't make you an expert in everything. Academia isn't perfect, but there are reasons it takes years to get advanced degrees. There's a a lot to learn, and original research is hard.
And Your Response Was
So the Christie story is now "I was told about it but I forgot." But he didn't, at the time, respond "no dude that's wrong don't do that."
We Do Love Our Children
I just don't understand how any approach to children under, say, 8, isn't primarily a behavioral approach and not a punishment framework approach.
But, really, we do love our children.
But, really, we do love our children.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Late Night
For some reason the remains one of my favorite recent indie-pop-rock songs*.
*I am old, so recent in this case is "only 9 years old."
*I am old, so recent in this case is "only 9 years old."
Small Urban Parks (Especially) Should Be Made For People
I know this is one of my more unpopular opinions for reasons I can never quite figure out, but small urban parks need to be designed to accommodate visiting humans. Converting a small lot or two into unwelcoming greenery really doesn't add anything to a dense urban streetscape. I am not against trees and greenery - I am all for welcoming greenery! - just for the idea that in these contexts these spaces should be designed for people to enter them, and not to just glance at while walking by. This is in part, though only in part, because such spaces actually require a lot of upkeep and if there are no people using them that tends to fade away.
Do These People Live In This World, Know Actual Humans
I'll mostly stick to the mens, though of course it isn't just the mens, but in all of this nonsense discussion of contraception I really just wonder what the hell is wrong with people. Have these people ever had sex? Do they know any women? Have they not ever given much thought to why they haven't Duggar-sized their familes? Do they not realize that just about every fertile sexually active woman has had a miscarriage at some point (whether those women knew it or not)?
I don't get it. I'm pretty sure all my dudebro friends in college actually understood this stuff. They wanted to get laid, and they didn't want to be responsible for anyone getting pregnant. They had pretty good incentives for actually having conversations with women about how these things worked.
I don't get it. I'm pretty sure all my dudebro friends in college actually understood this stuff. They wanted to get laid, and they didn't want to be responsible for anyone getting pregnant. They had pretty good incentives for actually having conversations with women about how these things worked.
Paul
I'm not one who trusts that Rand Paul is even credibly "libertarian" on things like surveillance and perpetual war even if he occasionally makes some noises about them. But in any case, the idea that he's "socially liberal" is bonkers.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Happy Hour Thread
Read Echidne's post on the Supreme Court hearing wrt to birth control coverage under the ACA and order a double. You'll need it.
Tuesday Crass Commercialism
My friend's novel is out in paperback today!
Buy it or you're violating my sincerely held religious beliefs!
Buy it or you're violating my sincerely held religious beliefs!
So Just One Horrible, Then?
I suppose this gets right at it.
Our creepy hangups are awesome, but all the rest are horrible.
(ht limerickey)
Kagan also suggested that corporations could challenge other federal laws, like minimum wage and family leave requirements and protections against child labor, based on their religious beliefs.
But Hobby Lobby's lawyer, former Solicitor General Paul D. Clement, said such a "parade of horribles" would not actually come before a court, and no company had challenged a minimum wage law, for example, based on religious considerations.
Our creepy hangups are awesome, but all the rest are horrible.
(ht limerickey)
Hobby Lobby
I'll let the lawyers chat about the actual legal issues, though on these sorts of things I think it's mostly pointless. It ain't about the law, it's about the outcome. The issues are whether we privilege a specific set of supposedly Christian beliefs* (the Court would never do it for any of those other "fake" religions), and whether medical care for women is as important as medical care for men.
*Nor would they do it for most supposedly Christian beliefs, just the ones relating to restricting and punishing female sexuality, because that's all it's about anymore.
*Nor would they do it for most supposedly Christian beliefs, just the ones relating to restricting and punishing female sexuality, because that's all it's about anymore.
You Mean If People Have No Jobs Then They Have No Money?
The headline employment situation has improved, but the long-term unemployed are totally screwed. Without long-term unemployment benefits, foreclosures will follow.
Raise Your Minimum Wage
I respect Teh Research and there has been more than Card & Kreuger's work, but it's really difficult to see how a moderately sized municipality will have negative job impacts from modest minimum wage increases. Minimum wage jobs tend to service local demand. This isn't about whether McD's franchise #13847578853 locates above or below the border between Lower and Upper Northrup when you're talking state-wide or city-wide laws. Sure, on the margins a few jobs might get hit, the employment mix might change a bit, and teen employment might take a tiny hit, but...so what? Maybe a few more people can put some food on their families.
Look Homeward
It isn't that I think no attention should be paid to apparent foreign travesties of justice, but we do have quite a few here, too. *cough* private prison system *cough* drug war *cough* solitary confinement.
We've known solitary confinement is torture for a long time. Yet we still do it.
We've known solitary confinement is torture for a long time. Yet we still do it.
Monday, March 24, 2014
The Climate Mafia
If only climate scientists could come up with a military option.
Clearly they don't have the math.
The key message from leaked drafts and interviews with the authors and other scientists: The big risks and overall effects of global warming are far more immediate and local than scientists once thought. It's not just about melting ice, threatened animals and plants. It's about the human problems of hunger, disease, drought, flooding, refugees and war, becoming worse.
The report says scientists have already observed many changes from warming, such as an increase in heat waves in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Severe floods, such as the one that displaced 90,000 people in Mozambique in 2008, are now more common in Africa and Australia. Europe and North America are getting more intense downpours that can be damaging. Melting ice in the Arctic is not only affecting the polar bear, but already changing the culture and livelihoods of indigenous people in northern Canada.
Clearly they don't have the math.
MONORAIL
Oh jeebus.
Grifters gonna grift. Marks gonna give them your tax money.
But members of the Virginia Beach City Council appear so enamored of the possibilities for a solar-powered magnetic-levitation train - An extension to the Navy base! Another to Greenbrier! - that they're losing sight of reality.
...
The company assembled elevated tracks on campus in 2001, with the goal of providing a test bed and a transportation network for its "dumb track, smart train" system.
It didn't work. Despite years of effort, the company could never get the system operating.
Grifters gonna grift. Marks gonna give them your tax money.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Sunday Follies
Oh do I still have a blog?
At first I thought it said "human waste," so there's that I guess.
At first I thought it said "human waste," so there's that I guess.
Cab Drollery
Our friend Diane at Cab Drollery could use a little turkee. If you have any to spare, think about hitting the paypal button. She has been in the trenches, keeping us both informed and amused, for many years now. Time for us to pay it forward. If ever you were going to do it, now is the time.
Afternoon Thread
Delaware is a blue state, doesn't mean we don't have our loons. Take Sheriff Christopher, no, I mean really, take him:
“Whatever mandate comes down from the governor goes down to the colonel, who is appointed by the governor and passes it down to the troops,” Christopher explained. “They are basically subject to any type of order that comes down, and if they are insubordinate and resist it they are going to lose their job, whereas the sheriff can say, ‘I’m sorry, you have no control over me. I am a stand-alone entity; I am autonomous from your mandate because I am an elected member of the executive branch and you are of the legislative branch, and I don’t have to enforce any pretended legislation. All I have to do is serve the people, and if they don’t want it, I’m not forcing it upon them.’”
Hating Nate
While I'm not all that impressed with the 538 rollout, the horserace gasbag response has been hilarious.
Timothy Egan:
In relaunching his data-driven FiveThirtyEight website this week, Nate Silver took a swipe at old-school commentators. He recalled the famously off prediction of Peggy Noonan, who criticized people “too busy looking at data on paper” to pick up on the “vibrations” of a Mitt Romney victory in 2012. “It’s time for us to start making the news nerdier,” Silver wrote in his manifesto.
Data journalism has certainly done much to clean up the guesswork in a profession still struggling to find its way in the digital age. On election eve, it’s far better to look at the aggregate of all scientific polls than to listen to a pundit’s hunch.The fact-free hunches are on the air a little earlier than election eve.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Look Forward
We don't do much anti-trust enforcing today. Sometimes it's honestly a bit hard to make the case (the internet explorer/microsoft thing sorta killed anti-trust enforcement in tech because it was dumb). But last I checked, price- and wage-fixing were still illegal per se.
Bygones.
Bygones.
Yes We Are Cool, Losers
I don't know what's more hilarious, the book (as portrayed) or the review.
I guess we're the cool kids now!
I guess we're the cool kids now!
Friday, March 21, 2014
Paycheck to Paycheck
I've made this point many times, that one big divide in this country is between people who mostly live paycheck to paycheck and those who don't. You can be pretty high income and exist in the former category. Obviously for the most part being higher income is better than being lower income, and I extend my greater sympathies to the truly poor. But having high "mandatory" monthly expenses - mortgage, car expenses, student loans, etc. - can give higher income people a pretty high level of economic distress. Maybe some of these people made dumb choices - like us all - and they should've made better ones to live more securely. Still these dumb choices are often hard to undo, and worrying about having enough money to get through the end of the month is high stress no matter where you fall on the income distribution.
QOTD
Coates:
There is no evidence that black people are less responsible, less moral, or less upstanding in their dealings with America nor with themselves. But there is overwhelming evidence that America is irresponsible, immoral, and unconscionable in its dealings with black people and with itself. Urging African-Americans to become superhuman is great advice if you are concerned with creating extraordinary individuals. It is terrible advice if you are concerned with creating an equitable society. The black freedom struggle is not about raising a race of hyper-moral super-humans. It is about all people garnering the right to live like the normal humans they are.
PhillyCon
I have no idea if it makes financial sense for Philly (or any city) to host a political convention, but it is probably about the best city for such a thing. I don't mean that in a ra ra Philly booster sense, just that it has the facilities, it has the hotel rooms, it has decent enough public transportation, it has plenty of bars and restaurants, and the arena is accessible with a quick bus or subway trip. Boston was kind of a mess in 2004 because their arena was fairly centrally located, but the location of Philly's would mean the absurd security zone wouldn't shut down the city. Well, it shouldn't have to at least.
History's Greatest Monsters
Philly squirrels are assholes. It's impossible to plant anything, as they'll pull everything edible off of the plants. Chickenwire can keep them out, but that's a pain. They don't like hot peppers, but they'll sample each and every one just to be sure, then toss the rejected bit down. They seem to mostly live on a diet of things taken from Popeye's dumpster. Once my cat ran out onto the back porch and one dropped half a chicken parm samwich on its head. At least he doesn't try to run out much anymore.
The Weird Ferry Fascination
For some reason politicians who don't normally love public transit have a soft spot for ferries. The capital startup costs can be pretty low - a boat, maybe a couple of docks - but the subsidy per ride is generally obscenely high, and ferries usually don't go from population center to employment center. They're generally low ridership boutique travel options because they don't quite go from somewhere convenient to somewhere convenient. (Yes, of course there are exceptions). They aren't very fast.
Probably would get a bigger bang for the buck by subsidizing bike sharing more.
Probably would get a bigger bang for the buck by subsidizing bike sharing more.
California Crunchies
My sense of anti-vaxxers is that they aren't really politically liberal, on balance, even if they exhibit trappings of liberalism. It's a kind of liberal-libertarianism. You know, yes, I shop at the farmer's market and drive a Prius but I usually don't bother to vote and when I do it's to prevent new development on my street.
Somebody On The Internet Is Wrong
This basic belief is so common... and it's wrong.
Even if we pretend that state and federal gas taxes cover all federal and state road expenditures, the rest of the road system isn't. Your local pothole filling authority is financed through property tax mostly, as is your winter weather road problem alleviation authority. Buses tend to ride down local roads, so the idea that bus riders don't contribute to the streets they use is ridiculous.
Obviously people will differ on what priorities should be, but many drivers have convinced themselves that their gas taxes pay for roads, therefore they're somehow "unsubsidized." It just isn't true.
Driver pay for almost all transportation infrastructure in this country including transit through the gas tax. That's why I support raising the gas tax to improve our infrastructure. It's a perfect tax, ecept for the fact that public transit gets a free ride on those tax payers (drivers) who by definition don't use transit. Raise the gas gas tax, but only after leagally mandating gas tax funds go to roads and bridges. Transit should come from rider fares, property taxes, and general funds.
Even if we pretend that state and federal gas taxes cover all federal and state road expenditures, the rest of the road system isn't. Your local pothole filling authority is financed through property tax mostly, as is your winter weather road problem alleviation authority. Buses tend to ride down local roads, so the idea that bus riders don't contribute to the streets they use is ridiculous.
Obviously people will differ on what priorities should be, but many drivers have convinced themselves that their gas taxes pay for roads, therefore they're somehow "unsubsidized." It just isn't true.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Real Estate Is Cheap Here
Jon expands on the point here.
As I said, I'm a good liberal who is happy to do whatever is politically possible to make the lives of local poor people easier. For some reason I don't quite get, providing subsidized affordable housing is usually more popular than most poverty relief programs. If that's the best we can do, so be it. But real estate really is cheap here. There's a full range of housing stock variety, unit size, and neighborhood quality. Land really is close to free in parts of the city.
Poverty is a problem, lack of cheap housing isn't.
As I said, I'm a good liberal who is happy to do whatever is politically possible to make the lives of local poor people easier. For some reason I don't quite get, providing subsidized affordable housing is usually more popular than most poverty relief programs. If that's the best we can do, so be it. But real estate really is cheap here. There's a full range of housing stock variety, unit size, and neighborhood quality. Land really is close to free in parts of the city.
Poverty is a problem, lack of cheap housing isn't.
Tragedies
I know this is a few days old, but probably nothing represents the Very Serious People better than this quote.
Sometimes people wonder just how WWI happened.
I do not see a military option and it’s tragic.
Sometimes people wonder just how WWI happened.
More Loading Zones
It is a mystery to me why places don't embrace more loading zones and, in trade, enforce double parking violations. Philly's especially bad as the streets are narrow, and a double parked delivery truck usually means that the buses can't get by. Deliveries are necessary, but they shouldn't be blocking streets as often as they do.
They Sucked On It Tom
I think it [the invasion of Iraq] was unquestionably worth doing, Charlie.
...
We needed to go over there, basically, um, and um, uh, take out a very big stick right in the heart of that world and burst that bubble, and there was only one way to do it.
...
What they needed to see was American boys and girls going house to house, from Basra to Baghdad, um and basically saying, "Which part of this sentence don't you understand?"
You don't think, you know, we care about our open society, you think this bubble fantasy, we're just gonna to let it grow?
Well Suck. On. This.
Okay.
That, Charlie, was what this war was about. We could've hit Saudi Arabia, it was part of that bubble. We coulda hit Pakistan. We hit Iraq because we could.
America's premier foreign policy columnist everybody!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Things That Make Me Want To Chug Charlie Pierce's Antifreeze
NPR featuring commentary from someone from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, followed by a critical piece on Russian lobbying.
The Easiest Stories
Superhero movies lean towards origin stories because they're the easiest stories to tell. One person has power, spend 45 minutes explaining where it comes from and their early life, another 30 minutes on their interaction with "normals," and then 30 minutes battling the bad guy and you're done.
It's the "battling the bad guy" part that's the hardest to do well. I like superhero comics, but their big failure is their need to not just have a superhero, but a supervillain. And then many supervillains. And then quickly they veer away from what is actually their most interesting story, which is...what if there are a couple of SUPERPEOPLE among us? Too soon there are thousands of superpeople and that's no longer our world.
It's the "battling the bad guy" part that's the hardest to do well. I like superhero comics, but their big failure is their need to not just have a superhero, but a supervillain. And then many supervillains. And then quickly they veer away from what is actually their most interesting story, which is...what if there are a couple of SUPERPEOPLE among us? Too soon there are thousands of superpeople and that's no longer our world.
Where The Cars Aren't
But, sadly, elites (government and press) drive and tend to dictate policy.
No I don't want to ban everybody's cars, but drivers help destroy neighborhoods by demanding that every development has massive amounts of parking so that they can keep their essentially free on street parking spots.
No I don't want to ban everybody's cars, but drivers help destroy neighborhoods by demanding that every development has massive amounts of parking so that they can keep their essentially free on street parking spots.
Symptom
Whatever one thinks of Bill and Hill personally, their ability to surround themselves with truly horrible people is impressive. Mark Penn's a convenient - and uniquely awful - scapegoat, but it's ridiculous to see him as The Problem. Look in the mirror all you people talking to Mother Jones.
3%
Like the new design, but really find it hard to believe it's actually worth forging a one pound coin.
Clear Eyed Truth Tellers
I hope one thing people have learned from this sucky blog is always avoid people who believe that they float above it all, that unlike the rest of you blinkered ideologues they have The Facts.
Nothing against expertise and facts, just against those who think they have unique access to The Truth.
Nothing against expertise and facts, just against those who think they have unique access to The Truth.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
I Didn't Sign That
I'd probably sign a ballot access petition for someone in the KKK party (if I was legally eligible) as I think collecting such signatures is just part of proving you're putting in enough work to be a real candidate, not a part of proving that you have supporters. I would have signed this one, but I didn't.
The Job Of The NSA Is Spying So How Can We Object To Their Spying
I see this argument a lot. From stupid people.
And Those Ideas Are?
Matt Miller wins the EGOT for vapidity on a campaign website.
What about the boomerang??? THE BOOMERANG???
wanker
I’m a proud Democrat; but too often, politicians in both parties care more about winning elections than solving problems. Yes, we must stop the Tea Party and its reckless agenda. But we also have to tackle huge challenges – from the runaway costs of college and health care, to the threat of climate change, the shortage of good jobs, and internationally lagging schools. This means embracing bold ideas – not career politicians who pretend to take action while changing little that matters.
What about the boomerang??? THE BOOMERANG???
wanker
Nobody Cares What David Brooks Or Joe Scarborough Thinks
If I was the chief of staff in a Dem congressional or campaign office I would ban cable news and the Washington Post from the place. Dems manage to convince themselves that things that are actually popular aren't, and them run from them. More than that, even if things aren't all that popular, no matter what Dems do they're still going to be the gayabortionpeacenikwelfarelovers. So embrace it.
Obamacare isn't perfect (not near), but there's no way to actually run from it. So own it.
Obamacare isn't perfect (not near), but there's no way to actually run from it. So own it.
Do Not Vote For Horrible Person Matt Miller
CA-33 people. Really just don't do it. Here's a lovely flashback.
Still, the real question for those who prefer their Bush presidencies in one-term doses is not whether today's attacks are fair, but whether they are smart.
My instinct is no. At some point - three months or six months or 12 months from now - indisputable proof of Saddam's weapons will emerge. When that happens, what will shrill, wrongheaded liberals who weirdly sound as if they're staking everything on Saddam Hussein's honesty seem to be but ... a bunch of shrill, wrongheaded liberals!
The boomerang will hit hard - and it will hit the whole Democratic Party.
The more sophisticated case for attacks on Bush's "intelligence hype" is that even if dubious, they will damage his credibility - raising doubts that will stick usefully for 2004. Republicans used this technique with ludicrous but tenacious assaults on Al Gore's "honesty" in 2000, and it hurt.
My own judgment, however, is that the boomerang risk when Saddam's weapons are eventually found is far, far greater than any credibility hit Bush will take. My point to the left: Why risk this boomerang when there are better, truer ways to bash Bush?
It Was The Stupidest Of Times
Um, you first?
Hundreds of thousands are dead. Bygones, Paul.
Back on on March 14, 2003, the Times interviewed several liberal academics/experts who backed the war. Of course, there's Kenneth Pollack, but also Paul Berman, Michael Ignatieff and, surprise, Elie Wiesel, the great writer on the Holocaust. Berman: "It's something of a scandal in my eyes that hundreds of thousands of people are not marching in support of the oppressed Iraqis."
Hundreds of thousands are dead. Bygones, Paul.
Assholes
In some ways bridgegate isn't the biggest deal in the world. It just demonstrates that we handed an immense amount of power to some particularly nasty 13-year-olds.
Not just bullies, but childish bullies. I blame lead.
Gov. Chris Christie’s campaign manager was kept informed of complaints over traffic backups near the George Washington Bridge even while lanes remained blocked, according to emails released Monday about the apparent political payback plot orchestrated by the governor’s aides.
Not just bullies, but childish bullies. I blame lead.
Years
I put this chart up a while ago, part of the NBER President's presentation at the annual economists' conference. The NYT went into some detail on the subject yesterday.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Philly Doesn't Have An Affordable Housing Problem
I'm a good bleeding heart commie so I'm all for doing whatever is politically possible to help poor people, but Philly doesn't actually have an affordable housing problem. There's plenty of affordable housing. We have a poor people problem.
In much of the city land is close to free. This isn't SF or NYC or DC where absurd land prices have boosted housing/rental prices. Lack of affordable housing just isn't the problem. Lack of money is.
In much of the city land is close to free. This isn't SF or NYC or DC where absurd land prices have boosted housing/rental prices. Lack of affordable housing just isn't the problem. Lack of money is.
Walking Is Hard
The aversion people have to walking is fascinating to me. A fairly leisurely 1 mile walk takes 22 minutes. It isn't a big deal (for people without any mobility issues of course).
Just Trust Them
No reason to worry about abuses of power by our glorious surveillance state workers.
I bet that usually the consequences include "promotion." That seems to be how things work these days.
WASHINGTON — The CIA's chief of Iran operations was placed on paid administrative leave and sent home from agency headquarters after an internal investigation found he had created an abusive and hostile work environment that put a crucial division in disarray, according to current and former officials.
...
According to a Los Angeles Times report in July, an internal CIA workplace survey in 2009 found that those who left the spy agency frequently cited bad management as a factor, particularly in the clandestine service. In interviews, former officers said they felt poor managers suffered no consequences.
I bet that usually the consequences include "promotion." That seems to be how things work these days.
Hire A Damn Driver
No one should drink and drive, though I'm somewhat sympathetic to "normal" people who live in places where if they drink outside the house they're inevitably going to be drinking and driving. I don't mean people who get plastered and drive, just people who maybe have that one extra glass of wine that puts them over the line.
But rich assholes have no excuse. Hire a damn driver.
But rich assholes have no excuse. Hire a damn driver.
Rupert
The privileged are always freaked out when the marginalized and mostly powerless actually manage to achieve anything.
You're a horrible person, Rupert.
You're a horrible person, Rupert.
The Blah People
Kudos to Krgthulu for spelling it out more clearly than people usually do.
Though he should include a mention of the secret welfare system.
Just to be clear, there’s no evidence that Mr. Ryan is personally a racist, and his dog-whistle may not even have been deliberate. But it doesn’t matter. He said what he said because that’s the kind of thing conservatives say to each other all the time. And why do they say such things? Because American conservatism is still, after all these years, largely driven by claims that liberals are taking away your hard-earned money and giving it to Those People.
Though he should include a mention of the secret welfare system.
CoT: Fruitless Sundays
Translation. And exegesis.
DDay and Stuart Zechman discuss, among other things, Fluffy called onto the carpet.
DDay and Stuart Zechman discuss, among other things, Fluffy called onto the carpet.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Modest
One wonder what it takes to be immodest these days.
A cell phone and a refrigerator if you're a poor.
A cell phone and a refrigerator if you're a poor.
Sunday Crass Commercialism
My friend's novel is coming out in paperback next week! Order it before all of the other cool kids do!
Resolving To Be Resolute
There's much to be written about the absurdity of the press in those days, but certainly the miracle of the repeated talking points deserves some attention.
Also, too, not over it. There are some probably nice and smart and lovely people who to this day I can't stand due to their Iraq war support. It wasn't so much the support of the war, it was the opposing of the opposers. It was one thing to think it was a grand idea, quite another to spend your time attacking those who disagreed with you. And, frankly, that was how all of the armchair warriors went to war.
Also, too, not over it. There are some probably nice and smart and lovely people who to this day I can't stand due to their Iraq war support. It wasn't so much the support of the war, it was the opposing of the opposers. It was one thing to think it was a grand idea, quite another to spend your time attacking those who disagreed with you. And, frankly, that was how all of the armchair warriors went to war.
Little Old Ladies Walking To And Fro
When I travel I am reminded that the world we've created in most of this country is utterly inhospitable to the elderly. Sure retirement communities provide a bit of life for those who can afford them, but too many people are going to end up being suburban shutins.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Move To The Urban Hellhole
If you "like" to drink this much, you should really move to a place where you can stumble home.
Afternoon Thread
Apparently the anniversary of the Greatest War Ever is coming up soon. Much profanity to follow.
But Killing Them Is Helping Them
This is a good Tony Benn quote.
I'll listen to "humanitarian interventionists" the day one of their interventions in the name of humanitarianism doesn't involve spending lots of money on weapons to kill people. Doubt that day will ever come.
If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people.
I'll listen to "humanitarian interventionists" the day one of their interventions in the name of humanitarianism doesn't involve spending lots of money on weapons to kill people. Doubt that day will ever come.
For My Mental Health And My Liver
I'm not sure I can take the resurrection of the... holy shit... White House Travel Office "scandal"...
Friday, March 14, 2014
Friday Night
13 years after 9/11 and we're building a giant data center to store all of your sexts, but apparently tracking airplanes is unpossible.
#1 Liberty Bell #2 Rocky Steps
That was the order of attempted destinations that a young European man, who I met on the airport train, was planning to visit during his brief Philly layover. Embrace it.
Area Journalist Shocked By Drunk Driving Fatalities
Over 30,000 people die in automobile-related fatalities every year. I never understand when one event suddenly makes people notice. It isn't as if they aren't on the local news every night.
Where The Poors Are
Cities, by definition, have large populations and therefore large absolute numbers of poor people, but actual poor communities really aren't where people think they are.
Laws Are For The Little People
I'm not optimistic that Harris and Schneiderman will really step up, but let's hope.
...oy, old post, which sort of reinforces the point. I blame jetlag.
...oy, old post, which sort of reinforces the point. I blame jetlag.
They'll Never Let Them Rise Again
Krgthulu doesn't quite bring it to the logical conclusion, that elites will do everything in their power to put the brakes on wage increases whenever any evidence (real or not) of such increases appears.
It isn't just sado-monetarism. It's sadism.
It isn't just sado-monetarism. It's sadism.
The Whole Jawn
This quote is amazing, but the building problem here really is terrible. "Investor" property owners who never actually seem to invest any money in their properties just hoard buildings forever and don't do anything to maintain them, the fuckers.
Also, jawn is a totally useful and fun all-purpose word that in a decent world would spread beyond Philadelphia someday.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Crazy Ideas
They're everywhere.
A Democratic aide confirms to me that Merkley will campaign on strengthening Social Security in a way that includes the push to make benefits more generous, not less.“Strengthening social security and putting a few extra bucks in seniors’ politics (just going to assume that should be pockets -ed) is good politics,” the aide tells me. “Democrats shouldn’t run away from their strength on Social Security. In fact, they should put it close and center. Social Security is a successful government program that’s been central to the Democratic Party’s identity for decades.”
As the proprietor of this here website often says, people might even like expanded Social Security benefits. Including voters!
NOTE: Social Security expansion is also endorsed in the Progressive Caucus budget, so that's 70 more House Democrats on board.
"Doctor Shortage"
Not surprisingly most of the loudest people talking about a "doctor shortage" think the answer is paying doctors more and letting a few more people into the doctor cartel, but we could also just let nurse practitioners do more stuff.
What's It All About Then
Mysterious.
U.S. investigators suspect that Malaysia Airlines 3786.KU -2.04% Flight 370 stayed in the air for about four hours past the time it reached its last confirmed location, according to two people familiar with the details, raising the possibility that the plane could have flown on for hundreds of additional miles under conditions that remain murky.
Expansion
I suppose the GOP thinks stories like this won't distract people from Kenyan Islamist Socialism.
For the most financially destitute Mainers, the Senate debate and vote Wednesday that dimmed the prospects for Medicaid expansion was more than a political and ideological battle. It likely put health insurance out of reach for them this year.
“I’m left out in the cold,” said Gail MacLean, 64, a farmer from Gray.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Hand-Painted Billboard WPA
Our state doesn't allow local governments to ban billboards outright, even though they deplete value from nearby properties, so all the stuff you have to do to de facto ban billboards leaves you open to litigation.
But there's one option that's guaranteed to work, because it falls comfortably within the city's powers to regulate building materials. If somebody wants to put up a bigass ad, we can make them hand-paint it on the side of a building. Give those art students some jobs!
All Blowed Up
I admit that in hindsight "let's put gas lines throughout our cities" is a bit of a strange idea, but as someone whose house sits on those gas lines, I'd probably prefer it if they got a bit more maintenance.
Blame the Blahs
The way some of our anti-poverty programs are set up, low earners really can face high marginal tax rates. If earning very little qualifies you for public assistance, and then you start earning some more money and the public assistance goes away, you could end up earning not much more, or even less, than when you were getting public assistance.
That's the not-crazy center-right critique of American anti-poverty efforts. And it's not the one Paul Ryan is using here. He's blaming it all on inner city blah culture:
That's the not-crazy center-right critique of American anti-poverty efforts. And it's not the one Paul Ryan is using here. He's blaming it all on inner city blah culture:
“[W]e want people to reach their potential and so the dignity of work is very valuable and important and we have to re-emphasize work and reform our welfare programs, like we did in 1996,” Ryan told Bennett. “We have got this tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning to value the culture of work, so there is a real culture problem here that has to be dealt with.”
Crisis
The CIA's attempts to suppress the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on its interrogation methods has made its way out of page A12 land, because DiFi's unhappy that the CIA has been suppressing documents in real time and spying on the staff members working on the report.
Via Anne Laurie, Amy Davidson at the New Yorker has a summary.
Emptywheel hopes DiFi is ready for battle.
Via Anne Laurie, Amy Davidson at the New Yorker has a summary.
Emptywheel hopes DiFi is ready for battle.
Executive Or Professional
Progress.
Well then.
The "strong opposition" will come from the people who brought you decades of stagnant wages. I suppose we should listen to them yet again.
On Thursday, the president will direct the Labor Department to revamp its regulations to require overtime pay for several million additional fast-food managers, loan officers, computer technicians and others whom many businesses currently classify as “executive or professional” employees to avoid paying them overtime, according to White House officials briefed on the announcement.
Well then.
The proposed new regulations would increase the number of people who qualify for overtime and continue Mr. Obama’s fight against what he says is a crisis of economic inequality in the country. Changes to the regulations will be subject to public comment before final approval by the Labor Department, and it is possible that strong opposition could cause Mr. Obama to scale back his proposal.
The "strong opposition" will come from the people who brought you decades of stagnant wages. I suppose we should listen to them yet again.
The Bluest Blue Dogs
They'll never be your favorite politicians, but some of them are overperforming relative to their districts. Others not so much.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Evening Thread
Politicians are more likely to meet with campaign donors than with local constituents, a new study suggests.
So money matters in American politics. Also, water is still wet.
So money matters in American politics. Also, water is still wet.
The Greatest Democrats
Meet the Democrats whose voting records are more progressive than their district's partisan lean requires.
That's A Lot Of Money
Pretty sure it should be "million.
The poors and their billion dollar free buses.
Much of the debate has focused on the company's exclusive buses that shuttle employees to and from work. And housing prices in the area are skyrocketing. So in a move that appears to counter that narrative, Google announced last month that it would pay San Francisco $6.8 billion to let low-income students aged 5-17 ride city buses for free.
The poors and their billion dollar free buses.
They Kicked The Can
Nobody could have predicted that 5 years later...
"Everybody" thought everything would just return to normal in recovery summer. Almost 4 years ago.
“The program was a temporary Band-Aid,” said Greg McBride, a senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com. “Five years later, that Band-Aid is going to be ripped off.”
The initiative was based on the flawed assumption that the economy would bounce back more quickly, undoing the damage wrought by plunging home prices and high unemployment. The program lowered the monthly mortgage payments of qualified borrowers for five years, presumably long enough for them to regain their financial footing.
"Everybody" thought everything would just return to normal in recovery summer. Almost 4 years ago.
Middle Schoolers: Old Enough For Regular Buses
Back in my day, they bused middle school kids to school if they lived more than a mile away. That made some sense because it was the suburbs and so the local transit options were super janky.
But busing middle school kids to school on yellow school buses doesn't make any sense here in the urban hellhole because our public transit service is pretty decent. And the service could be even better if the local transit agency could get a big infusion of ridership and fares from middle school students.
Just give the families who need it the same financial assistance deal we give the high schoolers and let the others decide whether transit, biking, or walking makes sense for them.
But busing middle school kids to school on yellow school buses doesn't make any sense here in the urban hellhole because our public transit service is pretty decent. And the service could be even better if the local transit agency could get a big infusion of ridership and fares from middle school students.
Just give the families who need it the same financial assistance deal we give the high schoolers and let the others decide whether transit, biking, or walking makes sense for them.
Identity "Verification"
Just on more pointless part of security theater.
Law enforcement and counterterrorism officials said Monday that the stolen passports might not have had anything to do with what happened to the jet. Still, they said, the episode had cast a spotlight on a flaw in security defenses built over the past decade to counter illicit travel and illegal trafficking of people, drugs and other contraband.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Myspace Is Groovy
Yea, if I were a student I would want to be friending my profs. Maybe I'd even poke them!
The Kids Today do, to a surprising degree, ignore their emails. I get that emails (mostly) stopped being a social thing, but they're still a professional thing. The Kids Today should probably learn that.
The Kids Today do, to a surprising degree, ignore their emails. I get that emails (mostly) stopped being a social thing, but they're still a professional thing. The Kids Today should probably learn that.
Simple Solutions To Simple Problems
I don't agree with the policy predictions (either that they should or (hopefully) will happen), but, yes, the retirement catastrophe is here.
If only there were some simple low cost program that could be easily expanded to meet the needs of current and near retirees. Thinking, thinking...
If only there were some simple low cost program that could be easily expanded to meet the needs of current and near retirees. Thinking, thinking...
Safe Seats
No Republicans hold any seat more liberal than a D+5 district in Congress, and they only have that one D+5 seat because of the stupid new "top-two" primary in California.
Basically Gary Miller's newly-redistricted seat seemed like such an easy pick-up for Democrats in 2012 that it drew too many candidates into the race, and then they proceeded to split the vote too many ways for any one Democrat to make it into the top two. So Gary Miller got fucking reelected! Miller's retiring this session, but it'll probably happen again unless the CA Dems get their shit together.
Anyway, the point is that every Democrat in a seat more liberal than a D+5 has basically no chance of being unseated by a Republican, and they can all vote like Bernie Sanders if they really want to. But too many of them don't want to so we can't have nice things.
Riding That Train
Obviously on a per capita basis this isn't true, but there's definitely been a reversal of transit ridership trends.
Attention Must Be Paid
I don't especially care that there's no liberal equivalent of CPAC in terms of media attention, but it's worth examining why. Coverage of the bizarro (liberal) CPAC would be all about how major Dem politicians needed to "distance themselves from the controversy" and about how "has the Left finally gone too far? (for the hundredth time)". Years of attempted nutpicking at Take Back America or Yearly Kos have produced none of this, because the liberal conferences aren't the bizarro versions of CPAC.
But they do love their CPAC. Because conservatives are awesome!
But they do love their CPAC. Because conservatives are awesome!
Sunday, March 09, 2014
The MSFT Way
Stupidly put our operating system in your critical security dependent devices all across the globe and we'll be sure to make them useless at best in just a few years.
An estimated 95% of American bank ATMs run on Windows XP, and Microsoft is killing off tech support for that operating system on April 8. That means Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) will no longer issue security updates to patch holes in Windows XP, leaving those ATMs exposed to new kinds of cyberattacks.
Pick a Party
The Democratic Party hasn't done (or perhaps our crappo anti-majoritarian institutions haven't allowed them to do) a whole lot of nice things for Millenials since the downturn hit, but there's still no excuse for being registered as an "independent" especially if you live in an overwhelmingly Democratic city or state.
You don't have to be thrilled about it, but this is the only way your vote counts in these places because the real election is the primary. Unless your state has open primaries where registered independents can vote, you don't get to vote in the only election that counts. Treat yourself to all the democracy. Pick the party that's closest to your views and vote in every primary for the least bad person.
PSA
Like everyone else, I've been getting a lot of annoying phone calls that all seem to be scams. In the back of mind, however, was always the little idea that maybe, just maybe, they aren't scams so I did a bit of googling. Guess what, they are. 800 Notes gives a list of 16 ways you can be scammed. I'm sure there are even more. What kind of surprised me is that some of these scams are perpetrated for the sole purpose of creating a list of actual suckers people that will not only answer the phone but a press a button when prompted. The list can then be sold. The takeaway from my limited research is never, ever press a button, and yes, they are all scams. Also, too, it's probably a good idea to re-register with the National Do Not Call Registry every couple of years.
I wrote this post a few days ago when I re-registered not to receive phone solicitations. It seems to have worked. I've gone two whole days without a phone call from someone trying to scam me.
I wrote this post a few days ago when I re-registered not to receive phone solicitations. It seems to have worked. I've gone two whole days without a phone call from someone trying to scam me.
High Noon
David Sirota wrote an excellent piece outlining how The Newshour, on PBS, is actually half owned by a private media group that is in turn owned by an a bazillionaire right winger. So our pledge money is going to support activities we most rail against. I'm wondering why we didn't know this years ago.
With public broadcasting officials refusing to answer questions about its pending ownership transfer deal with Liberty Media, Pando requested basic information about the existing financial and editorial contract between Liberty Media, MacNeil-Lehrer Productions, WETA and the hundreds of PBS stations that air the NewsHour. More specifically, we asked exactly how much money taxpayers spend each year to subsidize the show’s whopping $28-million-a-year budget, and what kind of editorial control PBS has over the Liberty Media property.
In response, a MacNeil-Lehrer Productions spokesperson revealed that “PBS funding represents roughly half the PBS NewsHour revenue budget.” By that count, every year approximately $14 million of public money goes to the for-profit Liberty Media’s subsidiary through the non-profit PBS. However, the spokesperson provided no documentary evidence of that, nor did she even permit Pando to review the existing contract between WETA and Liberty Media. When asked how that squares with the CPB’s demands for transparency, the MacNeil-Lehrer Productions spokesperson said: “Contracts between funders and producers are not public.”
Saturday, March 08, 2014
Wrestling Bears Bare-Chested. Or Happy Hour.
That's Vladimir Putin in the imagination of many American conservatives. These recent comments reveal a yearning not only for a Strong Daddy Leader in the US (traditional among conservatives) but for something closer to Godzilla as the leader: Someone who can demolish cities without a thought:
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin:
Well, yes, especially under the commander-in-chief that we have today because Obama's -- the perception of him and his potency across the world is one of such weakness. And you know, look, people are looking at Putin as one who wrestles bears and drills for oil. They look at our president as one who wears mom jeans and equivocates and bloviates.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee:
"I know the only time that Vladimir Putin shivers is when he takes his shirt off in a cold Russian winter,"
And the pundit Rush Limbaugh:
Well, did you hear that the White House put out a photo of Obama talking on the phone with Vlad, and Obama's sleeves were rolled up? That was done to make it look like Obama was really working hard—I mean, really taking it seriously. His sleeves were rolled up while on the phone with Putin! Putin probably had his shirt off practicing Tai-Chi while he was talking to Obama.
Limbaugh was unintentionally hilarious in that quote when he picked tai chi (probably not one of Putin's actual martial arts) as his example.
It is a difficult internal martial art which uses very slow and apparently gentle movements in the training stages. Its basic martial strategy consists of deflecting the attack and of using the attacker's own power against him or her; the very reverse of how Putin has acted in Ukraine or elsewhere.
That unintentional hilarity is worth pointing out, because it shows the lack of thinking in the conservative admiration of lack of thinking. The best bear wrestlers are other bears, after all.
Weekend agenda
1. Catch up on The Americans, quietly one of the best shows on TV right now. (The first season is streaming for free for Amazon Prime members.)
2. Take whatever chocolate chip cookie recipe you've been using, set it on fire, and then make these cookies instead.
3. Listen to this Fresh Air interview with novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and then read her marvelous book "Americanah."
4. Read Anna Holmes on Harriet the Spy, Scout Finch, and How to Be a Good Bad American Girl.
5. Listen to Leonard Bernstein conducting Beethoven's 9th all the way through, because you can.
2. Take whatever chocolate chip cookie recipe you've been using, set it on fire, and then make these cookies instead.
3. Listen to this Fresh Air interview with novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and then read her marvelous book "Americanah."
4. Read Anna Holmes on Harriet the Spy, Scout Finch, and How to Be a Good Bad American Girl.
5. Listen to Leonard Bernstein conducting Beethoven's 9th all the way through, because you can.
Fluffy pink unicorns dancing on rainbows for everyone
Remember people if there are fewer people in unions the
economy will blossom and a rising tide will lift all boats. And most importantly remember the greatest threat to Democracy today comes from unions not the Koch brothers or the heirs to the great fortune of Andrew Mellon.
Going Dry
Not sure what these California communities are going to do if the drought continues... or what happens when larger population centers start to dry up.
R.I.P. Bartcop
You will be sorely missed.
Mrs. Bart has medical bills and a mortgage that needs to be paid off. If you have a bit of turkee you can spare, this would be a good place to spend it.
Mrs. Bart has medical bills and a mortgage that needs to be paid off. If you have a bit of turkee you can spare, this would be a good place to spend it.
Friday, March 07, 2014
Too Many Fiefdoms
Hyper-local governments are beloved by some progressives I know, but they're wrong. Carving up states into a million tiny political subdivisions with no capacity to actually do shit is a tea person's dream come true. Just ask Greg Mankiw.
Here in Pennsylvania, there are four times as many part-time police officers as full-time ones. There are 1740 volunteer fire departments and 25 paid ones. 1679 planning commissions for 67 counties.
These are shitty shitty public services.
Here in Pennsylvania, there are four times as many part-time police officers as full-time ones. There are 1740 volunteer fire departments and 25 paid ones. 1679 planning commissions for 67 counties.
These are shitty shitty public services.
From the Department of Crass Political Mailers
Can you guess this mailer's subject and sender from its cover?
I'm sure you all guessed the American Beverage Association in opposition to a proposed soda tax in San Francisco to reduce obesity.
Thanks for playing!
I'm sure you all guessed the American Beverage Association in opposition to a proposed soda tax in San Francisco to reduce obesity.
Thanks for playing!
The Evolution Of The Word Hipster
Not that I really care, but once upon a time (not that long ago), hipster referred to 20somethings with tattoos, the men had beards, and they wore skinny jeans. They served you coffee by day, played gigs with their bands, and maybe tended bar a few shifts. They were into geek culture. They weren't rich and they certainly weren't elite. Now it's just a new word for "yuppie."
Jobs
+175K. Ok but not good enough. Unemployment up to 6.7%.
At this rate, we'll be back topre-recession unemployment in..2019.Huzzah. (Stat according to email from EPI, which I can't find a link to). Apologies, I misread, 5 years to reach pre-recession labor conditions, which accounts for potential labor force growth.
The usual suspects portray this as GOOD NEWS but it really isn't.
At this rate, we'll be back to
The usual suspects portray this as GOOD NEWS but it really isn't.
Cutting Their Way To Prosperity
Austerity can never fail, it can only be failed.
All that suffering, because Osborne prefers sadism to economic growth.
Osborne faces £20bn black hole in UK public finances, says report
Austerity may last until 2020 and chancellor may have to make further cuts to welfare, local government and police, claims FT
George Osborne is facing a £20bn black hole in the public finances, which means that austerity may have to continue until 2020, according to research by the Financial Times.
In a blow to the chancellor, who hopes to run a budget surplus in the next parliament, the research suggests that austerity may have to last a year longer than expected because the government will not be able to rely on economic recovery to eliminate part of the deficit.
All that suffering, because Osborne prefers sadism to economic growth.
Cool Story Bro
The paper bag story is from An Invisible Thread. It is not from a Scott Walker staffer. Either Paul Ryan is a big liar or he has horrible reading comprehension skills:
The paper-bag lunch story is from a 2011 book about a hungry, panhandling kid in New York City. http://www.aninvisiblethread.com/about
And the kid in the book wasn’t turning down gov’t subsidized lunches at school, he was reacting to a private benefactor’s offer to pay for his cafeteria lunches at school.
By Gingrich's Hammer
By the sons of Ryan.
It is, in a way, nice to see the likes of Mr. Ryan at least talking about the need to help the poor. But somehow their notion of aiding the poor involves slashing benefits while cutting taxes on the rich. Funny how that works.
Thursday, March 06, 2014
Without the Filibuster, However Could the Senate Safeguard Rapists' Rights?
Sen. Gillibrand's anti-sexual assault in the military bill goes down in "defeat" because it only managed to gain the support of a majority of Senators.
Hooray for the Senate.
Best coast happy hour thread
If you'd like something beautiful to read while you enjoy a cocktail, then head on over to my dear friend Leah Reich's collection of short essays called A Year of Wednesdays.
Cheers.
Cheers.
At Least 30 Chairs
PA liquor laws are the most stupid:
Wrong. Grocery stores can sell beer as long as they meet the requirements, as per Pennsylvania law, and limit how much customers can purchase.
When a grocery store in Pennsylvania wants to sell beer, they need to apply for the same sort of license a restaurant would—aptly titled “Restaurant Liquor,” or an “R” license. The idea behind an “R” license is that the establishment’s main purpose is to sell food to the public. The interior dimensions of an “R” license establishment must be at least 400 square feet and be equipped with at least 30 chairs, at tables.
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