Sunday, August 31, 2014
Sunday Night
Really not the best date/time of night for your newly sentient door locking mechanism to decide that your key is not sufficient for gaining entry to your house. Also, too, 5 minutes after your phone battery died.
History
Labor Day
In 1882, Matthew Maguire, a machinist, first proposed the holiday while serving as secretary of the CLU (Central Labor Union) of New York.[2] Others argue that it was first proposed by Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor in May 1882,[3] after witnessing the annual labour festival held in Toronto, Canada.[4] Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday on February 21, 1887. By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894, thirty states officially celebrated Labor Day.[3]
Following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, the United States Congress unanimously voted to approve rush legislation that made Labor Day a national holiday; President Grover Cleveland signed it into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.[5] The September date originally chosen by the CLU of New York and observed by many of the nation's trade unions for the past several years was selected rather than the more widespread International Workers' Day because Cleveland was concerned that observance of the latter would be associated with the nascent Communist, Syndicalist and Anarchist movements that, though distinct from one another, had rallied to commemorate the Haymarket Affair in International Workers' Day.[6] All U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the territories have made it a statutory holiday.
Forever Bombs
It's way above my pay grade to know if any particular episode of bombing the hell out of people manages to achieve some good, but I do know that every episode of bombing the hell out of people ensures that our primary reaction to basically anything "bad" in the world is bombing the hell out of people.
A few hundred million dollars could build a lot of toilets and proper septic systems.
A few hundred million dollars could build a lot of toilets and proper septic systems.
House Of The Week
Don't know, but probably not too hard to guess how these McLean residents earned their money.
Morning Thread
Digby's Hullabaloo gives us a list of ten movies suitable for Labor Day Weekend. My fave remains On The Waterfront.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Happy Hour
As a country, with all the money we spend on weapons, we may not be able to afford nice things, as Atrios posted earlier. I, however, can still afford a bottle of wine. The time has come.
Money Well Spent
Why we can't have nice things.
Give it another six months.
The U.S. has launched at least 110 airstrikes in Iraq since Aug. 8, U.S. military official say, and it now has hundreds of military advisers and other personnel on the ground there to assist Iraq in its fight against Islamist extremists.
How much is that costing U.S. taxpayers? An average of $7.5 million per day since mid-June, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said Friday. After more than three weeks of airstrikes and humanitarian operations in Iraq, that likely easily exceeds $600 million.
Give it another six months.
Vision
Well not so much actually.
All I've been reading is how the GOP is demographically doomed and trapped by its base. Good time for Dems to differenitate, right?
(I've obviously given up on the doing the right thing part.)
Friday, August 29, 2014
Somebody Listened To Me
Long said a Greatest American Hero remake could be a good show (could suck, too, but the premise is fine). Chuck was sort of a remake, but one with actually flying and less Adam Baldwin would be better.
Maybe We Take In Some Refugees?
The day the bomb everybody crowd gets on the teevee and suggests we could help people in ways that don't involve bombing them,I might listen.
If only we'd armed those militants when we had the chance...oh, wait.
GENEVA (Reuters) - Three million Syrian refugees will have registered in neighbouring countries as of Friday, but many remain trapped by the advance of Islamist militants or are having difficulty in reaching open border crossings, the United Nations said.
If only we'd armed those militants when we had the chance...oh, wait.
Quality Lawn Care
I guess it took people nearer to my age getting older to understand how much conservative resentment and anger is just olds hating on young people.
Not all olds, blahblahblah.
Not all olds, blahblahblah.
Horrible Geraldo
This kind of talk was common when I lived in England. Take a group, imply they aren't "really" American (or English), then set some arbitrary test for them to prove it. In England it was commonly that people of South Asian descent needed to prove they were English by rooting for the England team in cricket matches. It's so stupid.
Senators Behaving Badly
The thing is, I'm sure that plenty of reporters have seen lots of instances of senators and members of Congress behaving "badly" in a variety of ways and have chosen not to report on it. Maybe that's fine. Still the idea that some members of a bunch of rich old entitled mostly white guys in a pretty frat-boyish environment wouldn't say stuff that's at best inappropriate is pretty stupid. Of course some of them are jackasses.
Stupid Traditions
I mean, people can do whatever they want with this kind of thing but it's quite stunning that "Mr. and Mrs. [his name]" is still so ingrained in 2014.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Zephyr Teachout Super Wuster
Really, New Yorkers, consider getting rid of Cuomo. He's like the the worst of 1993 era democrats, with extra evil added. Vote Teachout/Wu for the comedy if nothing else!
Also, too, we're looking at you Rahm...
Also, too, we're looking at you Rahm...
Free Money
Our soon to be ex-governor seems to sorta be doing the right thing, though it might be better to just wait for the next governor and cut out the bullshit.
Digby and Rick Perlstein
Digby and Rick Perlstein are joining us tonight at 10pm Eastern to talk about The Invisible Bridge. It's his best book yet. (Crass commercialism link.)
ONE DOLLAR PER HOUR
I was actually in a car this weekend (shudder) and had to pay to park and it was ONE WHOLE DOLLAR PER HOUR. I thought it was pretty absurd that they had the full credit card machine kiosk system to take payment. Hard to believe it's even worth it given capital costs and credit card fees.
Obviously a big problem is this stupid country can't manage to use and circulate dollar coins.
Obviously a big problem is this stupid country can't manage to use and circulate dollar coins.
What A Lovely Little War
I grew up in an era, flawed as it was, when wars were history. The kids today, not so much.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Super Wuster
I met Tim once, though I doubt he remembers. Nice guy. Smart. If you're in NY, vote for him.
That'll Fix Everything
As I've written a million times, I don't have any problem with legalized gambling, it's just absurd that politicians think it's going to "revitalize" anything. Provide nice things for residents. Make your city a nice place to live. Clean the damn streets. That'll revitalize things. Places for tourists to drive in and drive out of, or for local gambling addicts to light their money on fire, are not going to do it.
For the record, there is a convenience store across the street from the Bellagio (what the fuck?).
The inside of the new Horseshoe casino looks like any gambling palace on the Las Vegas Strip, filled with blinking slot machines, blackjack tables, cocktail waitresses and crystal chandeliers.
But one glimpse of the Royal Farms convenience store across the street is enough to remind you: This is not the Bellagio. This is Baltimore.
For the record, there is a convenience store across the street from the Bellagio (what the fuck?).
Well That Isn't Very Good
Oy
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday forecast that the U.S. economy will grow by just 1.5 percent in 2014, undermined by a poor performance during the first three months of the year.
The new assessment was considerably more pessimistic than the Obama administration's, which predicted last month that the economy would expand by 2.6 percent this year even though it contracted by an annual rate of 2.1 percent in the first quarter.
Poptacular
Philly had a nice thing this summer, but it had too short of a lifespan. Its life has now been extended.
Morning Thread
I'm kind of fascinated by Burger King moving to Canada. They claim it's not a ruse to avoid U.S. taxes. I wonder if they will back down as quickly as Walgreen's and if not, will it make any difference to their bottom line. I'll boycott, but since I haven't eaten there in about ten years, it's not going to make much of a difference.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
I Know I'm Not A Coal Miner
Blogging isn't exactly a dangerous and stressful job, but you people really do talk too much.
Sunk
I have a friend who likes to justify certain decisions by invoking the sunk cost fallacy. The problem is she gets it backwards every time. I've tried to explain it to her, that she's embracing the fallacy, not acting in opposition to it, but I have had no luck.
Maybe economists aren't good for all that much, but they've managed to formalize a few good ideas. One is that the fact that you've dug a big hole doesn't necessarily mean you need to keep digging.
Maybe economists aren't good for all that much, but they've managed to formalize a few good ideas. One is that the fact that you've dug a big hole doesn't necessarily mean you need to keep digging.
Fear Of A Black Planet
I've tried and failed to write a bunch of posts on this general topic. I suppose the tl;dr version is just "white people fear black people" and they fear black people in part because the media makes black people scary. I live in what was at least recently a majority black neighborhood, and still might be, and I, you know, don't actually fear my neighbors. Crazy.
Toss
Probably the greatest political thing that could happen for The Left would be tossing Cuomo, who is a complete tosser.
What Is Wrong With People
As someone who won't go into the 10 item lanes with 11 items, I just don't understand how people think they can get away with this stuff.
The fight started when the male passenger, seated in a middle seat of row 12, used the Knee Defender to stop the woman in front of him from reclining while he was on his laptop, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak.
A flight attendant asked him to remove the device and he refused. The woman then stood up, turned around and threw a cup of water at him, the official says. That's when United decided to land in Chicago. The two passengers were not allowed to continue to Denver.
Freight Rail
We ship a lot by rail in this country, which obscures the fact that our freight rail system is actually extremely congested (in places) and falling apart (in places).
Not A Drop
Not the municipal systems, yet...
PORTERVILLE (AP) - Government officials and community groups say hundreds of rural San Joaquin Valley residents no longer can get drinking water from their home faucets because California's extreme drought has dried up their individual wells.
Quality Lawn Care
As someone who is increasingly an old, I admit I am fascinated by the proliferation of getoffmylawnism. People have no obligation to be aware of or care about current/pop culture which is obviously aimed at the tastes and sensibilities of the youngs, but it's funny how many people seem to be angered by the fact that not everything is directed at them.
Consider the crap that you liked when you were 16 before judging today's sixteens on their horrible taste. Doubt you had a pure consumption diet of Brahms and Shakespeare.
Consider the crap that you liked when you were 16 before judging today's sixteens on their horrible taste. Doubt you had a pure consumption diet of Brahms and Shakespeare.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Edgy
I'm guessing that word is not being used in the way that most of us would use it.
Welcome back to our all-star panel of really old horrible white people.
Welcome back to our all-star panel of really old horrible white people.
They Know Even Less Than What They Say
What actually struck me here is George Steph's "I think." Did he not know for sure, or was he just scared to contradict Nooners? If he didn't know, exactly what is he being paid for? If he did know, what's the point of his show?
Salty
Salt's long been one of those things that everybody knows is "bad" but for most people really isn't. We need to eat some, and a pretty big dose of it doesn't seem to be bad for us at all.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Who Is On My Lawn Today
Even when I mostly agreed with them, I rolled my eyes at aging "rock critics" and their take on the music that The Kids Today were listening to.
Parenting Today
I really don't know how people cope with this bullshit. Kids are different and I'm fine with individual parents making choices for their own kids, but the idea that 10-year-olds can't cruise around on their bikes, or whatever, in those safe suburban neighborhoods you moved to precisely because they were supposed to be safe is ridiculous. "Stranger danger" is mostly fictional and at historic lows, kids are usually capable of not lighting themselves on fire the instant an adult is not in the room, and the real danger to kids is automobile accidents.
Summerless Summer
Not entirely, of course, but here in Philly we usually get 4-5 weeks or so of crappy hot 90+ weather, with the temperature hardly dropping at night. I don't think we've broken 90 more than a few days this year, and even when it has been hot the overnight temperature as been at most low 70s.
Not complaining.
Not complaining.
Guess Where Teen Pregnancies are the Highest
If you guessed the South and Southwest, you win. The teen pregnancy rate for Mississippi is 46.1, Connecticut 15.1. Huge difference. Perhaps the South should look at the policies where the rates are lowest and adopt some of them. I doubt they will, though.
Intelligence
What, you mean the data center that stores all your sexts doesn't tell us who to bomb in Syria? weird.
A U.S. offensive in Syria against the radical Islamist group that beheaded an American journalist would likely be constrained by persistent intelligence gaps and an inability to rely on fleets of armed drones that have served as the Obama administration’s signature weapon against terrorist networks elsewhere, U.S. officials said.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
What Could Possibly Go Wrong
First we give them the death toys, then they use the death toys...
WASHINGTON — Jolted by images of protesters clashing with heavily armed police officers in Missouri, President Obama has ordered a comprehensive review of the government’s decade-old strategy of outfitting local police departments with military-grade body armor, mine-resistant trucks, silencers and automatic rifles, senior officials say.
And Then The Fox News Gig
Bounty hunting.
NEW YORK ( MainStreet) Supporters of Darren Wilson the Ferguson, Mo., police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, sparking days of tumultuous protests are opening their wallets for the cop who used lethal force against an unarmed teenager.
A GoFundMe campaign initiated by someone named Allison Wilson raised $235,100 from 5,900 people in four days, before it was closed Friday afternoon.
Morning Thread
Echidne is back from vacay and writing sexy posts about trolls and statistics. Who knew?
Friday, August 22, 2014
Who Cares
I have theories, but I do get a bit puzzled by the intensity of general anti-immigrant (read: anti-latino immigrant) sentiment in this country. Not surprised that it exists, just surprise at the intensity of the issue in certain segments of the population. I'll switch back and forth between undocumented and documented immigrants a bit here probably, but what the hell could possibly motivate people to picket and scream at a bus full of refugee kids?
On the flip side, here in the urban hellhole nobody seems to care. My fair city is hardly a shining example of racial harmony, but anti-immigrant sentiment appears to be incredibly muted. Of course it exists, it just doesn't seem to exist with any intensity in the city.
On the flip side, here in the urban hellhole nobody seems to care. My fair city is hardly a shining example of racial harmony, but anti-immigrant sentiment appears to be incredibly muted. Of course it exists, it just doesn't seem to exist with any intensity in the city.
Take That, Stupid Libturds!
Gun nuts and military fetishists both get very upset if you stray outside their jargon. And, yes, the distinction between an automatic and semi-automatic weapon is, for most normals, irrelevant jargon. Sure it's important to make these distinctions if we're making laws about these external death penises, but conceptually, for most of us, a gun that can shoot a large number of rounds fast is an automatic weapon.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
I Wonder Where They Got Their Cash And Weapons
Total mystery.
He said the group was "as sophisticated and well-funded as any organization we've seen.
"Oh, this is beyond anything we've seen," he said emphatically in response to a question as to whether the Islamic State represented a "9/11-level threat" to the U.S.
Hagel said the U.S. needs to "take a cold steely look" at the group "and get ready."
Might Be A There There
I haven't looked deeply into the criminal case against that other horrible politician named Rick, but the Marcus types seem to be more concerned with criminalizing politicians than, as they state, criminalizing politics. Elites should not face consequences!
Anyway, no educated opinion on this issue personally, but the CW might not be quite right..
Anyway, no educated opinion on this issue personally, but the CW might not be quite right..
Locks
I usually try to resist picking on The Kids Today but... wtf.
Don't leave your vaginas unlocked on the quad, ladies.
May Chris Herries never get laid again.
Some men feel that too much responsibility for preventing sexual assault has been put on their shoulders, said Chris Herries, a senior at Stanford University. While everyone condemns sexual assault, there seems to be an assumption among female students that they shouldn’t have to protect themselves by avoiding drunkenness and other risky behaviors, he said.
“Do I deserve to have my bike stolen if I leave it unlocked on the quad?” Herries, 22, said. “We have to encourage people not to take on undue risk.”
Don't leave your vaginas unlocked on the quad, ladies.
May Chris Herries never get laid again.
Thursday Crass Commercialism
Been playing a couple of eurogame board games recently because, hey, we all need new hobbies sometimes. Not especially on the genre, of course, but Settlers of Catan, the one everyone knows, is pretty funm as is Small World.
Much easier to learn if someone who knows teaches you, but not too hard to figure out on your own.
Much easier to learn if someone who knows teaches you, but not too hard to figure out on your own.
How About You Do This Chicago
We were all told the story of how it was Rahm's dream to be mayor of Chicago. The mystery is, why? His policies have shown that he doesn't really like the place, or at least most of the people who live there.
A 4 point lead for an unannounced candidate against an incumbent mayor with high name recognition and national media fluffing might be slim, but it's also a big deal.
CHICAGO (WLS) --
New poll numbers out from the Chicago Tribune suggest a mayoral race featuring incumbent Rahm Emanuel and teachers union president Karen Lewis would be a close one. It gives Lewis a slim 4 percent lead.
It also suggests that Mayor Emanuel's approval rating is falling sharply, currently at 35 percent which is down from 50 percent a little more than a year ago, with more than half of city voters disapproving of how the mayor handled his first term.
A 4 point lead for an unannounced candidate against an incumbent mayor with high name recognition and national media fluffing might be slim, but it's also a big deal.
Almost Getting It, But Not Quite
The reason why Ayn Rand novels appeals to people at a certain stage of (arrested) development is precisely because she tells the story of supposedly awesome people who just aren't quite as loved and appreciated by everybody as they deserve to be. Her books are less about the awesome awesomeness of capitalism and more about the hurt feefees of the supposedly underappreciated.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Looks Like The Perfect Spot For A Convention Center
I mean, who wouldn't want to go to a convention there?
It'd be great if occasionally we "wasted" money on actual nice things that benefited residents.
It'd be great if occasionally we "wasted" money on actual nice things that benefited residents.
Acceptable Deaths
That auto accident fatalities are just background noise (except to the friends and families of victims of course) is pretty fascinating.
Affordable Housing
One way to get affordable housing in gentrifying/fied areas is essentially to bribe developers with extras. You know, you can add 3 stories of market rate housing if you offer some essentially subsidized housing for lower income (though usually not that low) households. The other way is to allow and/or mandate that developers build "shittier" housing. Smaller units with fewer amenities. One of those amenities is parking. Parking spaces are expensive in places where land isn't cheap. If you require parking, you're going to increase the cost of the units.
American Exports
Bad ideas.
You’ll find the original Rancho Santa Fe community nestled between golf courses and tennis clubs in sunny southern California. The version of it that I know best, however, is in the suburbs of Shanghai: this themed Chinese subdivision, modelled on the posh Californian suburb, features the same Mission-style homes with red tile roofs and the same lush green lawns encircling driveways mounted with basketball nets. There’s at least one car in each garage, terracotta planters overflowing with flowers, and a clubhouse with tennis courts and swimming pools to soothe the stress of a long day at the office. And just in case the connection isn’t clear enough, China’s neighbourhood even has a familiar name: its developers called it “Rancho Santa Fe”.
But as I sat in a beat-up Buick not long ago, snarling through bumper-to-bumper traffic in a slow trek from Rancho Santa Fe, in the suburbs, to Shanghai’s city centre, it was clear that Chinese developers had done more than duplicate California’s Mediterranean-themed architecture. McMansion communities like Rancho Santa Fe have also helped recreate the golden state’s car headaches and endless sprawl, thanks to planners and policymakers who have repeated the urban design sins of developed countries. For China, California dreaming has turned into a nightmare.
There Was A Moment
When a few plucky libertarians wondered out loud if this time they would side with the blah people against the cops.
Oh well.
Oh well.
Morning Thread
Here's Hecate on Michael Twitty's post #Ferguson: My Thoughts on an American Flashpoint.
Both excellent reads.
Both excellent reads.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Cars Don't Buy Things, People Do
I do wish more clueless city business people, you know, do the math. A parking spot takes up about 180 sq. feet. Optimistically that 180 sq. feet might, on average, house a vehicle that brought in 2 people to your retail district. There is just no room for all people to journey in only by car, unless you build mall sized parking lots.
(via)
(via)
Helter Skelter
Racist fear sells guns, but nothing would increase support for gun control more than lots of African-Americans engaging in open carry. Not that I'd recommend they do that, because stand your ground.
Just Obey, Citizen
It's really that simple.
Respect his authoritah. He's not just a cop, but a "professor of homeland security at Colorado Tech University." It's all good people.
Even though it might sound harsh and impolitic, here is the bottom line: if you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you.
Respect his authoritah. He's not just a cop, but a "professor of homeland security at Colorado Tech University." It's all good people.
America's Restive Provinces
Violence erupts.
Just where is the violence coming from?
Just where is the violence coming from?
Ryan spent the night in St. Louis County Jail, where he remains this morning. According to officials there, he is due to be released without charge—the initial pretext for his detention was “failure to disperse”—within the hour. Ryan and Lukas Hermsmeier, a reporter for the German newspaper De Bild, were both apprehended last night—and shot with beanbags and rubber bullets—while attempting to return to their car after a night of reporting. When they were shot at, they had their hands raised in the air and were shouting, “Press! Press! Press!”
Monday, August 18, 2014
Just Don't Give A White Person A Parking Ticket
Just continue to be amazed that killing an unarmed black teenager is OK because reasons.
Georgia Man
"Accidentally" firing your gun and hitting someone (especially if you happen to kill them) should always carry a felony charge. Maybe I can't take all of your guns away, but if you decide to play with your external death penis you should be legally responsible for what it does to people.
Not A Drop
I can get the impact on agriculture, but still really don't get what happens when the faucets go dry.
I Am Not Obligated To Visit Your Institution
I haven't read deeply enough about the Salaita situation to have a well-informed opinion, but "we have decided that your institution sucks and will not be visiting it and we are making clear why that is" can hardly be thought of as some sort of free speech or academic freedom violation.
Shaking Down Your Money Makers
The point of law enforcement actions shouldn't be to profit. Yes it's possible that necessary fines/enforcement actions actually bring in money, but it should never be the goal. "Write more speeding tickets so we make more money" can't be part of the mission of a cop. Making money should not be their jobs, even without the obvious racial component.
The region’s fragmentation isn’t limited to the odd case of a city shedding its county. St. Louis County contains 90 municipalities, most with their own city hall and police force. Many rely on revenue generated from traffic tickets and related fines. According to a study by the St. Louis nonprofit Better Together, Ferguson receives nearly one-quarter of its revenue from court fees; for some surrounding towns it approaches 50 percent.
Municipal reliance on revenue generated from traffic stops adds pressure to make more of them. One town, Sycamore Hills, has stationed a radar-gun-wielding police officer on its 250-foot northbound stretch of Interstate.
With primarily white police forces that rely disproportionately on traffic citation revenue, blacks are pulled over, cited and arrested in numbers far exceeding their population share, according to a recent report from Missouri’s attorney general. In Ferguson last year, 86 percent of stops, 92 percent of searches and 93 percent of arrests were of black people — despite the fact that police officers were far less likely to find contraband on black drivers (22 percent versus 34 percent of whites). This worsens inequality, as struggling blacks do more to fund local government than relatively affluent whites.
Job Retraining
Maybe it helps sometimes, but it's also just another way to scam people.
Whenever the economy is bad, it's the way to blame the unemployed instead of the fact that there aren't any jobs. If only they'd learn the right skills!!!
In 2009, Mr. DeGrella, began a course at Daymar College — a for-profit vocational institute in Louisville — to become a cardiology technician. Daymar officials told him he would have a well-paying job within weeks of graduation.
But after about two years of studying cardiovascular physiology and the mechanics of electrocardiograms, Mr. DeGrella, now 57, found himself jobless and $20,000 in debt. He moved into his sister’s basement and now works at an AutoZone.
Whenever the economy is bad, it's the way to blame the unemployed instead of the fact that there aren't any jobs. If only they'd learn the right skills!!!
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Apparently Someone In America Owns A Gun
And this is an excuse to deploy tear gas.
This is standard operating procedure in America, where all people with guns are attacked with chemical weapons.
This is standard operating procedure in America, where all people with guns are attacked with chemical weapons.
Morning thread
Good morning. For the last few days, I've been running around what looks like a giant aircraft hanger full of science fiction fans and a lot of cookies and beer. It's convenient having this thing practically on my doorstep, but aside from it being exhausting to have to get around in such a big place (a lot of people are renting the mobility scooters at 25 pounds sterling a day), I'm having a good time talking to old friends I haven't seen in ages. However, since I unplug when I walk out my door, I haven't been reading much news. So, what's been happening?
Also, here's another article on militarized policing. I was raised to be afraid of the commies because they would do stuff like this. Land of the free and home of the brave and all that.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Worst. Idea. Ever.
Governor Nixon just ordered a curfew in Ferguson. Making everyone who goes outside a criminal is totally the smart thing to do.
oy
oy
Friday, August 15, 2014
Mo'ne
Congrats to her on pitching a shutout game.
Anyone who has watched a bit of high school field hockey knows that "girl games" aren't necessarily gentle, and on what planet is baseball not "female friendly?"
Anyone who has watched a bit of high school field hockey knows that "girl games" aren't necessarily gentle, and on what planet is baseball not "female friendly?"
Those People
In the suburb/exurb of my teen years, there was one black family living in the neighborhood. And, yes, everybody in the neighborhood knew precisely which house they lived in. I'm not saying they faced any overt hostility (maybe they did? don't know), or were excluded from the social activities of the neighborhood, though it wasn't a neighborhood with many neighborly social activities. But there was a black family. We knew where they were.
Must Credit The Right
People who live in communities most affected by police militarization are, you know, Democrats and liberals. Also, poor people and black people who no one ever listens to. Still it's always those cool kids on the right who are out in front on all of the important issues.
Clean The Damn Streets
While putting a new coat of paint on the city just for visitors would be a bit annoying, if the DNC comes to Philly and they don't engage in a massive street cleaning effort beforehand it'll show how clueless the powers that be are.
Kicking The Blahs And The Poors
Not going to say anything that isn't totally obvious here, but the degree to which police feel free to abuse the local population depends on the race and socioeconomic status of the individuals and the neighborhood generally. Take your baton to a rich white person and you might actually face some consequences. Bullets in the back of a young black guy who is presumably guilty of something - we just need to figure out what - and you probably won't.
The only point of racist stop and frisk policies is to find excuses to arrest young black males. If you frisk people you might find weapons or drugs. That's it. Everybody but black people in this country are supposed to be carrying guns on them at all times and disproportionately locking up black people for their drug use is completely racist, even if my local African-American mayor likes to pretend he's unaware of this point.
The only point of racist stop and frisk policies is to find excuses to arrest young black males. If you frisk people you might find weapons or drugs. That's it. Everybody but black people in this country are supposed to be carrying guns on them at all times and disproportionately locking up black people for their drug use is completely racist, even if my local African-American mayor likes to pretend he's unaware of this point.
Don't Shoot
I just don't get the mentality of thinking it's ok to shoot an intruder without having any sense of whether they are a threat or not. Ok, fine, if someone points a gun at you. Otherwise?
A Loudoun County sheriff’s deputy shot his teenage daughter at their Winchester home after mistaking her for an intruder, then crashed his car as he tried to race her to the hospital, according to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Stuck In The Middle With You
I'm sure I succumb to this sometimes, but I still get enraged when pundits pull the "straw men to the left of me, straw men to the right" game. It's such a lazy way to express an idea. There are other ways to advocate a position than setting it off against imaginary opponents.
48,000 Is A Lot
People tend to compare "entire road network" to "one limited transit line" when thinking about ridership. The capacity of one highway lane with just the perfect amount of traffic (meaning full capacity but not congested overcapacity) is optimistically 24,000 40,000 per day. Of course that's not how highways work in practice. At peak times they're congested, and at off peak times they're undercapacity. 48,000 daily ridership is a lot.
The Transit Pass Problem
One reason it's difficult to quantify how well expanded transit service does, revenue wise, is that lots of people use weekly or monthly passes so you don't actually get any more revenue. It's why many transit services resist later or overnight service. Of course longer term you might get more revenue in that more people decide it's worth it to buy a pass. Revenue matters, but passenger numbers matter too.
(G)Libertarianism
The thing is that liberals see most self-identified libertarians as being completely full of shit. At best, they're in the "I've got mine screw you" and "freedom for me but not for thee" crowds, at worst they're complete sociopaths.
But leaving behind the degree of fullofshitness, there is a liberal view of abuse of state power which self-described libertarians often mention but rarely get that passionate about. Much better to fret about high taxes or occupational licensing. Unwarranted mass incarceration, unaccountable police brutality, authorizing the state to kill its own citizens, absurd civil forfeiture procedures... these are all clear abuses of state power! Much of the rest of it is just a debate over what should be appropriate policies, not whether they're abuses (though glibertarians tend to call anything they don't like an abuse of state power).
There are people such as Radley Balko who take this stuff on! Good for them! Liberals would like libertarians more if they spent more time on the militarization of the police and the approved abuse of (especially) minority populations rather than, say, seatbelt laws and top marginal tax rates. Because top marginal tax rates aren't actually a libertarian issue, just a conservative one.
But leaving behind the degree of fullofshitness, there is a liberal view of abuse of state power which self-described libertarians often mention but rarely get that passionate about. Much better to fret about high taxes or occupational licensing. Unwarranted mass incarceration, unaccountable police brutality, authorizing the state to kill its own citizens, absurd civil forfeiture procedures... these are all clear abuses of state power! Much of the rest of it is just a debate over what should be appropriate policies, not whether they're abuses (though glibertarians tend to call anything they don't like an abuse of state power).
There are people such as Radley Balko who take this stuff on! Good for them! Liberals would like libertarians more if they spent more time on the militarization of the police and the approved abuse of (especially) minority populations rather than, say, seatbelt laws and top marginal tax rates. Because top marginal tax rates aren't actually a libertarian issue, just a conservative one.
Paid Sockpuppetry
Not so much for the post, but for the rather obvious sockpuppets the commenters unearth.
Displaced
Against doctor's advice, I'm watching cable news, and there's this guy from the Pentagon telling me that 1.5 million Iraqis have been displaced since ISIS showed up. No defense of ISIS, but that just sounds like a total bullshit number. That's, you know, the population of Philadelphia.
Scary Black People
The New Black Panther Party is basically 4 guys in Philly. OK that's not entirely true, but close enough.
My vast experience reading the comments sections of newspapers informs me that a lot of white people really believe that if they step one foot over the invisible line into a black urbanish neighborhood that they'll be instantly slaughtered by the post-apocalyptic super-predators who reside there.
My vast experience reading the comments sections of newspapers informs me that a lot of white people really believe that if they step one foot over the invisible line into a black urbanish neighborhood that they'll be instantly slaughtered by the post-apocalyptic super-predators who reside there.
Journamalism
I don't know how much Joe Scarborough gets paid, but presumably it's a lot. Whenever I hear about the lack of money for "real journalism" I think about people like him. He gets paid a lot of money to be a rich smug asshole on teevee for reasons nobody except the MSNBC brass understands.
If you notionally work in the field of "journalism" and your response to journalists being ordered to turn off their cameras and leave from a tear gas soaked area where no satellite trucks could get to is that they're just attention seeking whores who should do as they're told, well...
If you notionally work in the field of "journalism" and your response to journalists being ordered to turn off their cameras and leave from a tear gas soaked area where no satellite trucks could get to is that they're just attention seeking whores who should do as they're told, well...
Outside Agitators
You know, it's not at all inaccurate to blame the Ferguson nightmare on "outside agitators."
That's a perfectly apt way to describe these cops and what they're doing.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Summit
Message: Pretend to do something.
The idea that the economic health of Atlantic City is especially important to New Jersey is silly. It's gotten so much focus from politicians over the years. Obviously the economic health of AC matters to the people who are going to lose their jobs, etc. I'm not minimizing that. It's just that New Jersey's a big place. AC isn't that big.
Governor Chris Christie has announced that he will convene a bipartisan summit of state and local leaders to address the future of Atlantic City and kick off a working group to address the challenges confronting Atlantic City and its changing landscape.
The idea that the economic health of Atlantic City is especially important to New Jersey is silly. It's gotten so much focus from politicians over the years. Obviously the economic health of AC matters to the people who are going to lose their jobs, etc. I'm not minimizing that. It's just that New Jersey's a big place. AC isn't that big.
Generation Lead
I know this is less quantifiable, though perhaps one could tease out some data on things like "bar fight arrests," but if the more directly quantifiable effects of lead are true, then other effects are likely present. Lead created a lot of assholes.
DNC 2016
The committee is in town on their "where should we hold our convention" tour. Aside from the fact that it would make it easy for me to attend, I don't particularly care if it's here, and I don't want a fairly broke city shelling out any money for it, but the truth is Philly probably is the best place in the country (that I'm aware of, of course, I am not omniscient) for such an event.
I've been to a few of these things. There's the main event, and the side events. The main event is the big thing, of course. You need a basketball arena. You need to make the security people happy, meaning for better or for worse they need to be able construct a security zone around the arena. That security zone ideally shouldn't, you know, shut down a big part of your city. You need people to be able to get to and from, and in and out of, the arena without too much (of course, there is a lot) hassle.
The arena isn't in the middle of the city here, but it is accessible by a quick subway ride. Security people for these things seem to be frightened by rail. They shut it down in Boston in 2004 and in Denver in 2008 (ridiculous given that buses are a much greater threat potential), but hopefully the station is just far enough away from the arena that they wouldn't do that here. A security zone might bug a few residential blocks in South Philly, but wouldn't be that much of a big deal.
Then you need to house a hell of a lot of people. I'm not sure if the exact numbers on Philly hotel rooms, but we have quite a lot within good range of the arena. And there's good transit out to Jersey and the burbs to add on to that.
Aside from the main event, there are side events. You need conference rooms and bars and restaurants to host all of the various delegate happy hours and interest group shindigs and whatnot. Philly has plenty of that within easy access of the arena.
I've been to a few of these things. There's the main event, and the side events. The main event is the big thing, of course. You need a basketball arena. You need to make the security people happy, meaning for better or for worse they need to be able construct a security zone around the arena. That security zone ideally shouldn't, you know, shut down a big part of your city. You need people to be able to get to and from, and in and out of, the arena without too much (of course, there is a lot) hassle.
The arena isn't in the middle of the city here, but it is accessible by a quick subway ride. Security people for these things seem to be frightened by rail. They shut it down in Boston in 2004 and in Denver in 2008 (ridiculous given that buses are a much greater threat potential), but hopefully the station is just far enough away from the arena that they wouldn't do that here. A security zone might bug a few residential blocks in South Philly, but wouldn't be that much of a big deal.
Then you need to house a hell of a lot of people. I'm not sure if the exact numbers on Philly hotel rooms, but we have quite a lot within good range of the arena. And there's good transit out to Jersey and the burbs to add on to that.
Aside from the main event, there are side events. You need conference rooms and bars and restaurants to host all of the various delegate happy hours and interest group shindigs and whatnot. Philly has plenty of that within easy access of the arena.
Baloney Wars
Michael Kelly was one of the most vicious Iraq war advocates, perhaps second only to Andrew Sullivan. Vicious in that he wanted war, but was most interested in lobbing grenades at those who didn't. I offer no defense of Senator Clinton's vote for the Iraq war, but that "baloney war" happened in large part due to people like Michael Kelly. To elide that fact is ridiculous.
...more.
...more.
Gore’s speech was one no decent politician could have delivered. It was dishonest, cheap, low. It was hollow. It was bereft of policy, of solutions, of constructive ideas, very nearly of facts — bereft of anything other than taunts and jibes and embarrassingly obvious lies. It was breathtakingly hypocritical, a naked political assault delivered in tones of moral condescension from a man pretending to be superior to mere politics. It was wretched. It was vile. It was contemptible. But I understate.
The Divine Revel
No one seems to be very optimistic that there's anything that can be done with the building.
What a mess. Heckuva job, Chris Christie.
"The milk has been spilled on this building. And despite how it has been touted, Revel is really a good example of everything that is actually bad about casinos," said Cape May architect Michael Calafati.
"It's a hermetically sealed . . . big-box structure that sort of sits on the Boardwalk and doesn't necessarily interact with what is around it the way the former grand hotels of Atlantic City once did, like the Dennis Hotel or later the Claridge," Calafati said.
What a mess. Heckuva job, Chris Christie.
Morning Thread
Interesting factoid on the local news last night. It costs $3 million/month just to keep the electricity going for the Revel Casino in Atlantic City. I'm thinking a day trip just to see the monstrosity up close and personal.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Nice Work
Never screw up, always screw down...
A former Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and his son agreed to plead guilty to charges stemming from a scheme to lure investors to their hedge fund with false promises about investment strategies, according to federal prosecutors.
Gabriel Bitran, a former professor and associate dean of MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and his son, Marco Bitran, lied to investors in GMB Capital Management LLC who provided more than $500 million to the fund, prosecutors in Boston said. The Bitrans’ funds incurred losses of more than $140 million of investors’ money while they paid themselves millions of dollars in management fees, prosecutors said.
Empty Buildings
I'm a bit curious what will happen to Revel after it closes. It seems the entity which owns it is barely functioning. One unmonitored pipe burst and you have an uninhabitable building. Empty buildings don't last long.
Who Can Say
A good column from the public editor about the bullshit coverage of the fake Rick Perlstein "plagiarism" story.
Buy Rick's book and make the cult of Reagan cry.
Buy Rick's book and make the cult of Reagan cry.
Extraction
I've said it before, but Atlantic City is failing because they had 40 years to take all of that money they were vacuuming up and use it to create a nice place and they didn't. I don't have any problem with legalized gambling, it's just not a strategy for any sort of local economic development, especially if none of the money is actually used for economic development. It's probably the wrong long run strategy, but casinos are designed to trap people inside, to ensure every dollar gets spent inside, and the people who run them aren't interested in any positive spillovers to neighboring businesses. AC could be a perfectly nice beach city with casinos. But it won't be.
Heckuva Job
Christie doesn't get enough attention for his love of lighting taxpayer money on fire for stupid projects.
And now...
— New Jersey’s economic development agency, citing the prospect of thousands of jobs and billions in future tax revenue, approved tax incentives Tuesday to help complete the financing for the half-finished Revel casino project.
And now...
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Atlantic City’s Revel Casino Hotel says it will shut down in September after failing to find a buyer in bankruptcy court.
The company announced the move Tuesday, saying it would close its doors Sept. 10.
The $2.4 billion casino opened just over two years ago, and never turned a profit.
Monday, August 11, 2014
The View From Somewhere
I don't want to get to deep into it, but once upon a time I was annoyed about all of the people trying to make blogging "respectable" by pretending they were doing the interesting/entertaining/funny blogwriting while still being nonideological blahblahblah. Can't do any of that without having an identifiable perspective. Seems to be less of a thing now.
Teachout-Wu
I thought the ballot challenge was wrong but not entirely insane, but the judge has kept Teachout on the ballot. Consider giving a wee donation to defeat the horrible Cuomo.
In America, We Are Incredibly Generous To Poor People
No, really, we are. We spend massive amounts of money to provide them with free food and lodging. I don't know why the liberal media covers up this fact.
Clang
States usually don't turn down free money. Yes, it's free money for those people, but ultimately that money is going to flow into the pockets of doctors and hospitals.
Arming And Arming
We'll blow up the weapons we gave to the last good guys and give some weapons to the new good guys.
People are always telling me "the Kurds really are the good guys!!!" And, ok, fine, but that's not really the point. The point is our only strategy ever is to increase the probability of killing. Because weapons.
The US has begun shipping arms and ammunition to the Iraqi Kurdish forces fighting IS, a State Department spokeswoman has confirmed.
“We’re working with the government of Iraq to increasingly and very quickly get urgently needed arms to the Kurds,” Marie Harf told CNN.
People are always telling me "the Kurds really are the good guys!!!" And, ok, fine, but that's not really the point. The point is our only strategy ever is to increase the probability of killing. Because weapons.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Getting Clean
I think the first time I heard about local chef/restaurateur Mike Solomonov was hearing the tale of how he was having a nightmare of a time opening his restaurant, Zahav, and was wasting away the hours in frustration at one of my local dive bars. In exchange for improving their menu, they had to hire his chefs.
Always strains me to link to a Panchito story, but a good tale of beating addiction.
Always strains me to link to a Panchito story, but a good tale of beating addiction.
Arming! Training!
I know we spend stupid amounts of money creating a giant data center to store your sexts on our very serious intelligence agencies who of course can tell, perhaps with a high tech sorting hat, who is in Slytherin and who is in Gryffindor, but the idea that we really have the human intelligence to know who the "good rebels" are and that if we dump a few warehouses of guns and missiles on them they'll be able to put them to good use is just absurd. We cannot know that. This is just an impossible bit of knowledge in a volatile civil war situation. We can pick sides, but the side will always only be "that guy is bad, so his enemies must be better."
In The Bubble
I think Dems mostly will defend Obama's "hawkishness" (to whatever extent you think that exists) but Clinton's rhetoric is the easiest way to bring the anti-Clinton band back together. Odd.
More arming! More training!
Well, his former secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, isn’t buying it. In an interview with me earlier this week, she used her sharpest language yet to describe the "failure" that resulted from the decision to keep the U.S. on the sidelines during the first phase of the Syrian uprising.
“The failure to help build up a credible fighting force of the people who were the originators of the protests against Assad—there were Islamists, there were secularists, there was everything in the middle—the failure to do that left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled,” Clinton said.
More arming! More training!
Fear Fear Fear
Lindsey Graham is DC media's idea of a Very Serious Person.
Wolverines will save us!
"If he does not go on the offensive against ISIS, ISIL -- whatever you want to call these guys -- they are coming here," he added. "This is just not about Baghdad, this is just not about Syria, this is about our homeland. And if we get attacked because he has no strategy to protect us, then he will have committed a blunder for the ages."
Wolverines will save us!
Horrible Laws
I hate curfew laws.
Just criminalizes being a teenager, teaches kids that being outside is somehow wrong.
Under the city's previous curfew, unchaperoned children under 17 had to be home by 11 p.m. during the week and midnight on weekends. On Friday that changed to 9 p.m. for children under 14. Ages 14 to 16 are required to be home by 10 on school nights and 11 p.m. on weekends.
Just criminalizes being a teenager, teaches kids that being outside is somehow wrong.
The Greatest Trick The Devil Ever Pulled
Was convincing people to use the term "urban sprawl" when they mean "suburban sprawl."
Saturday, August 09, 2014
Mysteries
If only there were some market mechanism such that more workers could be attracted into particular jobs.
Consider this: The American Trucking Associations has estimated that there was a shortage of 30,000 qualified drivers earlier this year, a number on track to rise to 200,000 over the next decade. Trucking companies are turning down business for want of workers.
Yet the idea that there is a huge shortage of truck drivers flies in the face of a jobless rate of more than 6 percent, not to mention Economics 101. The most basic of economic theories would suggest that when supply isn’t enough to meet demand, it’s because the price — in this case, truckers’ wages — is too low. Raise wages, and an ample supply of workers should follow.
Nobody Knows What They're Talking About
I'd hope there are some people in the Pentagon tasked with actually knowing what they're talking about, given how much money we spend, but when the various war loving pundits demand war, do you think any of them have any clue what they're talking about? Who the players are, what the geography is like, just what life is like, etc. It's just a game of Risk.
War Is The Answer
WaPo says that after we finish destroying all of the American weapons we need to supply more weapons.
So, yeah, do that!
The United States should offer sustained military support to friendly forces that fight the Islamic State, beginning with the Kurds and including moderate Syrian rebels and Iraqi Sunni tribesmen. It should seek to erode the Islamic State’s military power as much as possible with airstrikes. It should not press for a new Iraqi government unless Shiite leaders and their Iranian sponsors agree to a fundamental restructuring of power. And it should forge a political and diplomatic strategy that encompasses both Iraq and Syria and their interrelated conflicts. The primary aim should not be to minimize U.S. involvement — as Mr. Obama would have it — but to defeat the forces that are destroying the region.
So, yeah, do that!
Friday, August 08, 2014
Sketchy
I read the Philadelphia Reddit board sometimes and half the posts (exaggeration) are things like "I'm driving in this weekend and where can I find parking and not get killed" or "is X neighborhood safe???"
And, frankly, it isn't the "sketchy" (poor, minority) neighborhoods where visitors should worry about the kinds of crime they worry about. Muggers don't waste their time in poor neighborhoods because they're, you know, poor.
Poor neighborhoods do tend to have more violent crime, but it's a different kind of crime.
And, frankly, it isn't the "sketchy" (poor, minority) neighborhoods where visitors should worry about the kinds of crime they worry about. Muggers don't waste their time in poor neighborhoods because they're, you know, poor.
Poor neighborhoods do tend to have more violent crime, but it's a different kind of crime.
Afternoon Thread
Haircut day. Restarting the circle of life: bearded preppie->aging bearded hipster -> aging bearded hippie -> bearded preppie.
Path
Hopefully we can do some more arming and training.
I guess it didn't occur to anybody that the bad guys with guns could take the guns from the good guys with guns. Or maybe that's a feature.
To put it bluntly: It appears that the US is destroying artillery the US paid for, after it was abandoned to its enemies by troops the US paid to train. Under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi army had significant heavy weaponry, but much of it was destroyed or decommissioned in the 2003 US invasion. Efforts to provide American-made mobile artillery was seen as a key step toward making the new Iraqi military an independent force. In the past few weeks, millions of dollars of US weapons have fallen into ISIL’s hands.
I guess it didn't occur to anybody that the bad guys with guns could take the guns from the good guys with guns. Or maybe that's a feature.
Humanitarian
I wasn't just being flippant below. Maybe there comes a moment when the only way to save people is to start bombing, but even aside from the whole killing people thing, using our military is really really expensive. If we occasionally showed a bit more interest in non-bombing humanitarian related program activities (and, yes, we are dropping water and MREs for the Yazidis) I'd be a bit more open to the bombing when it happened.
I guess we did paint all those schools.
I guess we did paint all those schools.
Thursday, August 07, 2014
Exotically Flavored Pop Tarts
Too lazy to look it up because these people bore the hell out of me but I think it was Virginia Postrel who years ago made a similar point based on the availability of a multitude of toilet brush choices at Target.
Freedom!
Freedom!
Not A Drop
Australians said it recently, too, but now NOAA is saying that El Nino is unlikely to come to the rescue.
A powerful El Niño that had been emerging in the Pacific Ocean is fizzling out, evaporating hopes it will deliver a knockout punch to California's three-year drought.
F'd
As I regularly say, climate change isn't really my beat, but it sounds like we're going to have to start moving from the "how to prevent it" phase to the "how to deal with it" phase.
Not that we'll do that, either.
Not that we'll do that, either.
Tawdry
Am I wrong that the McDonnell trial isn't getting much notice? I mean, the WaPo is covering it fully as it is a "local" story but it seems to be largely ignored by other national media.
Not complaining, it's just that it seems to have all of the elements for big coverage, for better or for worse.
Not complaining, it's just that it seems to have all of the elements for big coverage, for better or for worse.
Morning Thread
The folks at First Draft are celebrating their tenth anniversary. Whodathunk it? Anyway, they're having a fund raiser. Anything you can afford to kick in would be appreciated. We need more bloggy goodness like Athenae on the left.
Wednesday, August 06, 2014
WIC'd
Was in line behind a Latina woman with not awesome English attempting to use WIC vouchers in a supermarket. The cashier was being a bit of a dick about it. He wasn't too bad, I think he was just frustrated with the whole thing too, but assuming he knew what he was talking about, basically:
The 24 ounce cans of beans weren't eligible. She had to get the <16 ounce cans.
The supermarket branded jumbo eggs weren't eligible. She had to get the large eggs.
Lactaid milk wasn't eligible. Other milk would be.
The corn tortillas weren't eligible. The flour ones would be.
There were a couple of other things that I forget, but you get the idea. When the ordeal started, I thought she was just using SNAP benefits which don't allow everything but do allow "most" things. If I had realized more quickly, I would have (and should have) just offered to pay. She was there with a young boy, too.
Paternalistic nutrition aid programs are ok in theory, but this was just ritual humiliation for what I think was $20 worth of vouchers. Also, too, accounting and other administrative costs.
Just give people some damn money.
The 24 ounce cans of beans weren't eligible. She had to get the <16 ounce cans.
The supermarket branded jumbo eggs weren't eligible. She had to get the large eggs.
Lactaid milk wasn't eligible. Other milk would be.
The corn tortillas weren't eligible. The flour ones would be.
There were a couple of other things that I forget, but you get the idea. When the ordeal started, I thought she was just using SNAP benefits which don't allow everything but do allow "most" things. If I had realized more quickly, I would have (and should have) just offered to pay. She was there with a young boy, too.
Paternalistic nutrition aid programs are ok in theory, but this was just ritual humiliation for what I think was $20 worth of vouchers. Also, too, accounting and other administrative costs.
Just give people some damn money.
Other People, Other Places
One problem we have is that people in this country don't travel to other countries, and even if they do they do the "resort/tourist bus" version of travel, which turns other countries into playgrounds or open air museums. No need to notice that other people actually, you know, live there.
There are some obvious and inescapable reasons for that. Lots people don't have any damn money. Other countries are, for the most part, pretty far away and inconvenient to get to. But it is a shame that too many people who do actually have the means and time to travel don't, or if they do they don't stray too far from the tourist track.
I don't mean this in some sort of high culture sense, like "people should watch more opera!" or "people should read more great books!". I mean it in the sense that there is a lack of understanding that people actually live in other countries and societies that are a bit different, but they still (in some places) have perfectly lovely lives.
There are some obvious and inescapable reasons for that. Lots people don't have any damn money. Other countries are, for the most part, pretty far away and inconvenient to get to. But it is a shame that too many people who do actually have the means and time to travel don't, or if they do they don't stray too far from the tourist track.
I don't mean this in some sort of high culture sense, like "people should watch more opera!" or "people should read more great books!". I mean it in the sense that there is a lack of understanding that people actually live in other countries and societies that are a bit different, but they still (in some places) have perfectly lovely lives.
Grifters Gonna Grift
I know it's nothing new, but through the years I've been amazed at the lack of reflection among the Keepers Of The Flame Of Serious Journalism about why they automatically provide a platform to anyone with sufficient monetary backing.
Those PR people get paid more than you do, journalists. No need to dance when they say dance.
Those PR people get paid more than you do, journalists. No need to dance when they say dance.
Mysteries
Obviously the general affirmative action program for conservatives in the media helped, but I've generally been mystified by Erick Erickson's continued success/influence/whatever. He doesn't even come across* as a stupid person's idea of a smart person, he just comes across as a stupid asshole.
*whether he's actually intelligent or not is a different question.
*whether he's actually intelligent or not is a different question.
Morning Thread
Here's some Avedon to peruse while you sip the first cup. She provides links and an update on the Keystone Pipeline. Don't hear too much about that these days.
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
They Is What They Is
A big divide in political commentary is between those who have a kind of world-weary understanding and acceptance of How Things Are and those who think maybe things could change a bit. There's a box, and we can nudge things around within that box, but anyone standing outside the box who points and screams that the box is total bullshit is totally ridiculous. I'm not talking Overton Window stuff, I'm not talking about ideas, I'm actually talking about how things function. You know, just accepting the the surveillance and security states are a part of life, that only rich assholes get elected to the Senate, that of course regulatory agencies are captured by those they regulate etc.
Maybe it's ridiculously pointless to suggest that the NSA, you know, should not exist, but maybe the NSA, you know, should not exist.
Maybe it's ridiculously pointless to suggest that the NSA, you know, should not exist, but maybe the NSA, you know, should not exist.
The Worst Person In The World
Charles Ramsey.
The thing is that "broken windows" policing doesn't require locking people up and fucking up their lives for minor infractions. Police generally have the authority and power to say, "hey, don't fucking do that," without citing people or arresting them. Just tell people to throw their goddamn beer away if they're drinking outside.
And of course enforcement is totally selective. People regularly drink in one park near me. I don't have a problem with that. They behave. It isn't a big drunk party, just people having a beer or three with their game of bocce. They're also mostly white and appear to be well off so the police leave them alone. I'd be fine (not fan, but fine) if the police decided to stop the party, but there would be no need to cite people. Just show up a couple of times and tell people to knock it off. "Problem" solved.
The thing is that "broken windows" policing doesn't require locking people up and fucking up their lives for minor infractions. Police generally have the authority and power to say, "hey, don't fucking do that," without citing people or arresting them. Just tell people to throw their goddamn beer away if they're drinking outside.
And of course enforcement is totally selective. People regularly drink in one park near me. I don't have a problem with that. They behave. It isn't a big drunk party, just people having a beer or three with their game of bocce. They're also mostly white and appear to be well off so the police leave them alone. I'd be fine (not fan, but fine) if the police decided to stop the party, but there would be no need to cite people. Just show up a couple of times and tell people to knock it off. "Problem" solved.
Any Right Wing Hissy Fit Must Get Attention
Shame on the New York Times for it's "oh who can tell what the truth is" coverage of the fake Rick Perlstein "plagiarism" scandal.
This doesn't even rise to the level of semi-semi-plausible accusation, but plagiarism is one of those subjects which makes people stupid. Plagiarism is not the same as copyright violation (something can be both, but they're different concepts). Citation standards vary across mediums, disciplines, and contexts. Slightly sloppy paraphrasing with a citation should generally be seen as...slightly sloppy paraphrasing with a citation, unless, perhaps, it's pattern. Facts cannot be copyrighted. One should, as a custom, cite sources of facts unless they're common knowledge but what is "common knowledge" is defined by custom and the whole concept is... custom.
Anyway, make the cult of Ray-Gun cry. Buy Rick's book!
This doesn't even rise to the level of semi-semi-plausible accusation, but plagiarism is one of those subjects which makes people stupid. Plagiarism is not the same as copyright violation (something can be both, but they're different concepts). Citation standards vary across mediums, disciplines, and contexts. Slightly sloppy paraphrasing with a citation should generally be seen as...slightly sloppy paraphrasing with a citation, unless, perhaps, it's pattern. Facts cannot be copyrighted. One should, as a custom, cite sources of facts unless they're common knowledge but what is "common knowledge" is defined by custom and the whole concept is... custom.
Anyway, make the cult of Ray-Gun cry. Buy Rick's book!
Civilization
I'm almost never out this late, but good that they're extending it. Hopefully it goes 7 days at some point.
SEPTA is extending its pilot 24-hour weekend service on the Broad Street and Market Frankford Lines through Nov. 2, the transit agency said Tuesday.
Beat Sweeteners Or Deep Pathology
I guess we're due for our parade of fluff pieces on Republicans grifters "hopefuls" who are going to spend the next couple of years auditioning for a Fox News gig running for president.
To the beltway press, there's just something about Republicans. They're so attractive, so charming, so thrilling.
To the beltway press, there's just something about Republicans. They're so attractive, so charming, so thrilling.
Remember The Good Old Days When Everybody Agreed About Everything
The persistence of DC-centric nostalgia for a time that never existed is so weird. I don't even know what the word "polarization" means most of the time. We all know the history. Due to some historical quirks, the Democratic party especially but the Republican party as well were made up of weird geographic and ideological coalitions that didn't actually make any sense. This is only a good thing if you think political parties shouldn't actually stand for anything coherent nationally. Slowly everybody sorted themselves out a bit better and now, roughly speaking, we can say the Democrats are like this and the Republicans are like that.
I guess Mr. Cleaver didn't argue about politics very much, or something.
I guess Mr. Cleaver didn't argue about politics very much, or something.
Grifters Gonna Grift
If anyone in any way associated with "liberals" did this we'd still hear about it 50 years from now.
Monday, August 04, 2014
Early Happy Hour
Actually watched some CNN today, though with the sound off. The Fonz is trying to sell me a reverse mortgage. Perhaps it is time for a drink.
Entertainment
I'm pretty sure I've met Zephyr Teachout, though it was a long time ago and the old mind might be playing tricks on me. Sometimes I get confused about who I just know virtually and who I've actually met. Pretty sure my last real interaction with her was actually quite hostile. But, you know, bygones.
I've definitely met her running mate Tim Wu, though I doubt he remembers. He seemed to be a smart nice guy. Net neutrality is his (big) thing.
But, anyway, unseating Cuomo would be, at the very least, hilarious. So do that New Yorkers.
I've definitely met her running mate Tim Wu, though I doubt he remembers. He seemed to be a smart nice guy. Net neutrality is his (big) thing.
But, anyway, unseating Cuomo would be, at the very least, hilarious. So do that New Yorkers.
Cuomo Smash
Vote Teachout/Wu.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, “crazed with anger” and increasingly abusive to those around him, fears the first round of public polling since the “Morelandgate” scandal will take a major toll on his — until-now — sky-high popularity, administration insiders say.
Of A Feather
By accounts (published after he lost, of course), Cantor's staff were pretty much the worst people in the world so I don't feel too much sympathy, but what a dick.
Damn Cyclists
I sort of understood this behavior back in the glorious days of The Car Chase, when every action movie had a nutso car chase and macho driving was always glorified. But, really, what the hell.
A speedster and his pal were killed after their vehicle flipped over on the LIE and burst into flames early Saturday, cops said.
The two men were in a 2004 Subaru traveling westbound at 107 miles per hour when the driver, a 30-year-old man, of Jamaica, Queens, lost control of vehicle, smashing into the median where the LIE meets the Van Wyck Expressway, according to police.
Hopefully Safe
No idea about advice about flushing your systems though.
Not sure what I would do if I were there.
Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins declared today that the area's water is safe as he lifted a do not drink ban that affected residents for more than two days.
Not sure what I would do if I were there.
Competence Everywhere
I'm so glad all the money and power flows to the best and the brightest.
We're so awesome.
Beginning as early as October 2009, a project overseen by the U.S. Agency for International Development sent Venezuelan, Costa Rican and Peruvian young people to Cuba in hopes of ginning up rebellion. The travelers worked undercover, often posing as tourists, and traveled around the island scouting for people they could turn into political activists.
In one case, the workers formed an HIV-prevention workshop that memos called "the perfect excuse" for the program's political goals — a gambit that could undermine America's efforts to improve health globally.
We're so awesome.
Is There Any Plan But Hope
I gather the plan is just to hope the problem fixes itself?
Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins opened a rare, 3 a.m. press conference today by emphatically stating on a couple of occasions it is "my decision" to keep the advisory against drinking the city's tap water or returning to normal usage operations in effect until further notice, even though the latest test results from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggest the algae-induced toxin has probably dissipated to safe levels by now.
Sunday, August 03, 2014
My Stories
I'm at the odd intersection of being behind on shows I watch and not having anything new to watch. Maybe the old stuff is leaving me cold and I haven't found any new stuff.
Yes, I know, shoot your teevee blah blah.
Yes, I know, shoot your teevee blah blah.
Summer In The City
As an (increasingly) old, I don't participate in all the fun stuff that's around but I'm happy for the kids to enjoy their time on the lawns. Philly's slowly gotten better at providing the occasional nice space for people to congregate outside and enjoy an adult beverage or two, with more bars and restaurants figuring out how to provide such spaces given the relatively small lot sizes most of them have, and with semi-public endeavors in various spots.
That the weather has remained almost cool most of the time has helped.
That the weather has remained almost cool most of the time has helped.
"Improving"
Think they're gonna need a better fix.
Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins said during today's first news briefing that results of water samples are improving, but that the region still has a long way to go before it can safely resume drinking tap water.
...
But when asked by a Blade reporter how it can't be - given that the annual algae season has only begun and usually doesn't peak until late September - Mr. Collins said he could offer no assurances.
How Long
How long can a medium sized metro area last without a useable water system?
Test results have been delayed.
At some point people who can will evacuate temporarily...
Toledo’s public water will remain under a do-not-drink advisory until at least 6 a.m. Sunday pending the return of results from test samples sent out to three different laboratories, Mayor D. Michael Collins said during an evening news conference.
Test results have been delayed.
At some point people who can will evacuate temporarily...
Morning Thread
Esquire has a profile of the doctor, who works at the only abortion clinic in Mississippi. The man deserves a medal. And then, there is this:
h/t TV
Although it has the highest obesity rate, the highest rate of gonorrhea, the highest child-mortality rate, and one of the highest teenage-pregnancy rates, the governor turned down Obamacare's Medicaid expansion.
h/t TV
Saturday, August 02, 2014
Saturday Evening
Due to a slight error in planning ended up walking an immense amount today with less than ideal shoes. My feet hurt. And I have to leave the house again.
Not A Drop
Fun.
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio's fourth-largest city has warned residents not to consume its water after tests revealed the presence of a toxin possibly related to algae on Lake Erie.
Friday, August 01, 2014
Priorities
Better that the Johns are being arrested than actual prostitutes, but I do think Philly's finest probably could find better things to do than spend their time engaged in borderline entrapment activities.
Much as with the drug industry, the sex industry is problematic, but it really isn't clear what purpose is being served by locking people up for being involved in it.
Much as with the drug industry, the sex industry is problematic, but it really isn't clear what purpose is being served by locking people up for being involved in it.
Wow
I suppose there's something comforting about the fact that years later the perfesser can still surprise.
My Local Orchestra
Back when I was a wee lad (well, teen and college student), my local orchestra would put on about 20 (at least that's what I remember) free summer concerts at the outdoor stage. Well, the lawn seats were free anyway. They'd put "coupons" in the local paper and you'd mail them in and they'd send you tickets. You could bring your blanket and your picnic and your bottle of wine (if of age, ahem) and enjoy a pleasant evening. They probably did do a few "pops" type events but mostly they did real classical programs. I learned to like orchestral music and have bought quite a few tickets since then.
The number of those concerts dwindled over the years, and the proportion of movie score/pops shows increased. Maybe that's smart marketing, but I doubt it.
The number of those concerts dwindled over the years, and the proportion of movie score/pops shows increased. Maybe that's smart marketing, but I doubt it.
Not A Drop
I read quite a lot about this without having any good sense of what happens if it all goes bad.
A major El Nino is looking less and less likely...
California’s drought has reached levels so high and widespread that it’s now the most severe drought ever recorded by the federal government in the state, according to new data released Thursday.
A major El Nino is looking less and less likely...