Rock on.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
You Fucked Up, You Trusted Us!
I am shocked.
Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for 100,000 Scots to sign a petition urging Westminster to keep promises on devolution.
...
The outgoing SNP leader and first minister said Mr Brown was "calling for guarantees on the delivery of something which he himself said during the referendum campaign was already a done deal".
Free Labor Concussion Game
I don't know if there's anything that can be done to reduce the number of life altering injuries in football, but at least even the lowest paid players in the NFL are compensated pretty well. College football is really just a criminal enterprise, with people getting rich off of gladiator games by unpaid participants who are often completely abused.
You Only Have To Slow To 39 MPH?
Unfamiliar with that particular exit ramp, but I'm pretty sure that it isn't too hard to slow down from "highway speed" to 39mph.
Though if that many people are speeding they should change the road design. In other words, if safety rather than revenue collection is the goal then better road design can "cause" people to slow down. That is to say, it can be a valid speed trap but still be a speed trap!
(via)
Though if that many people are speeding they should change the road design. In other words, if safety rather than revenue collection is the goal then better road design can "cause" people to slow down. That is to say, it can be a valid speed trap but still be a speed trap!
(via)
I Remember When Norm Mineta Made Transportation Spending Bipartisan
Those glibertarians, always wanting to put Republicans in charge.
Takers
I have no idea what President Romney would do in practice, but I'd be pretty damn scared of Dictator Romney. I really think he meant the 47% remark, even if he regrets saying it.
It Was Great When It All Began
Good puncturing of one of the myth that Los Angeles was the first "car city." It wasn't. It was really the first major trolley city.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Flu Begone
Think I'm basically better. Went from not being able to eat, to being able to eat, to actually thinking food sounded pretty good. Usually blessed that my bugs, when I get them, are of the 24-48 hour variety.
Just making excuses for my sucky blogging, of course.
Just making excuses for my sucky blogging, of course.
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Well, not quite, but all you lovely people who are generous enough to click on the various amazon links that appear here (anything directly linked in a post, search box down to the left, banner ads down to the right) before buying your gifts contribute to my Christmas bonus and also, too, take money from Jeff Bezos.
Not endorsing Amazon. Don't like them, don't shop there! But if you do choose to shop there...
Not endorsing Amazon. Don't like them, don't shop there! But if you do choose to shop there...
Miserable Failure
American Dream will never open, or if it does it'll be bankrupt in 2-5 years, depending on how much taxpayer money Christie shovels at it.
Obviously Revel closing doesn't help the local Atlantic City job market, and a giant ugly empty building in East Rutherford isn't helping, but the idea that "those projects" would somehow turn around the economy is nuts.
But they're what he bet on, nonetheless. Double 0.
American Dream, the vacant East Rutherford megamall that Christie once called “the ugliest damn building in New Jersey, and maybe America,” hasn’t signed investors almost a year after his administration agreed to public financing and a $390 million tax break, the biggest of its kind in state history.
The Republican governor had planned for the $3.8 billion mall to open in 2013. Instead, it will be at least two years before the first of an expected 35,000 employees clock in. The jobs will come too late to offset this year’s loss of as many as 10,000 positions in a wave of Atlantic City casino closings, including Revel, which closed this month. Without those projects, the state’s recovery continues to trail the nation’s.
Obviously Revel closing doesn't help the local Atlantic City job market, and a giant ugly empty building in East Rutherford isn't helping, but the idea that "those projects" would somehow turn around the economy is nuts.
But they're what he bet on, nonetheless. Double 0.
Taking Both Sides In A Civil War (Which Has Many More Sides)
I suppose this Diehl column is valuable for what it doesn't express - compassion for the victims in the region. Yes, sure, it has the obligatory charge that Assad "appears to be stepping up its own bombing raids against the nonextremist opposition" but even that is just part of the chess game. It isn't that Assad is hurting people, it's that he's hurting the opposition.
The true hole in Obama's Syrian policy, if we actually give a shit about anything except our endless futile attempt to rig the risk board, is failing to take in refugees or even spend the money so other countries can. That's the true hole in the souls of all of the pundits who claim to care about the poor civilian populations (which, to his credit in some sense, Diehl barely does).
We will help with our love bombs. And when that doesn't work, we'll love bomb some more.
The true hole in Obama's Syrian policy, if we actually give a shit about anything except our endless futile attempt to rig the risk board, is failing to take in refugees or even spend the money so other countries can. That's the true hole in the souls of all of the pundits who claim to care about the poor civilian populations (which, to his credit in some sense, Diehl barely does).
We will help with our love bombs. And when that doesn't work, we'll love bomb some more.
Run Mittens Run
Republicans didn't like him the first time he won the nomination and they won't like him if he wins it again, and yet...
I can't quite explain how I think it's actually possible, aside from the rest of them being horrible, and yet...
I can't quite explain how I think it's actually possible, aside from the rest of them being horrible, and yet...
Good Guys And Bad Guys
If I ran a restaurant I'm pretty sure the thing which would signal "bad guy" and make me reach for the alarm button or call 911 would be, you know, a gun. But, hey, it's their world and I just live in it.
And what happens when a "good guy with a gun" decides he spots a "bad guy with a gun."
I blame lead.
"I just need to see a weapon. I need you to be carrying a gun," says Bergeron's owner Kevin Cox.
That's right. The restaurant began offering a 10% discount a couple of weeks ago, for bringing in both your appetite and your gun.
"As long as everybody has a gun we're all the same size," says Cox.
And what happens when a "good guy with a gun" decides he spots a "bad guy with a gun."
I blame lead.
Morning Thread
Long, but interesting look at how the Koch Brothers made their fortune.
Since Koch Industries aggressively expanded into high finance, the net worth of each brother has also exploded – from roughly $4 billion in 2002 to more than $40 billion today.That money came from someplace.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Not One Person Raised Their Hand And Said, "Uh...Maybe We Should Rethink This?"
Do not understand people.
The panel for that discussion will include the following people: Chris Berman, Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Adam Schefter, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Jon Gruden, Mike Tirico, Stuart Scott, Steve Young and Ray Lewis.
Up to 11 men, all between the ages of 39 and 74 will sit at the table for a domestic violence discussion on ESPN. Zero women. Victims of domestic violence in America are most likely to be women aged 20-24.
Speed
What I found interesting is just how fast we go through the "who are the scariest Hitlers of them all" cycle. It's like down to 3 days now.
Lunch Thread
Fortunately the flu didn't turn out to be the plague so I should recover in a reasonable amount of time, but probably best if I mostly spend the day on the couch watching crappy teevee.
.92
I'm no Denver expect, but they still have a ways to go..
Cars take up a lot of space, and parking drives up the cost of construction a lot.
Holland Residential is building Platform at Union Station, a 287-unit project touching the nexus of rail, light rail and bus lines. It will provide only 263 parking spaces, which works out to a ratio of 0.92.
Cars take up a lot of space, and parking drives up the cost of construction a lot.
Liberal Lies
It's amazing how many people are taken in by the climate scientist con.
The newlyweds forged a compromise. They would search for a home in Norfolk to be near Josh's office. But it could not be in a flood plain, susceptible to rising seas, storm surge and escalating flood insurance prices.
Their decision is one glimpse into the changing dynamics of coastal real estate. A growing awareness of sea level rise and flooding, coupled with rising flood insurance premiums as the federal government phases out subsidies, has the potential to reshape segments of the Hampton Roads market.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Friday, September 26, 2014
Overnight
My local sportsball team won their sporting contest, maintaining their guaranteed last place spot.
Too Low
The Great Recession proved that a 2% inflation target is too low, especially when the Fed tends to treat it as an upper bound rather than a target. It needs to be higher.
Mysteries
When I'm richer than God I'll probably, you know, just retire.
William H. Gross, who built Pimco into one of the largest money managers in the world and has been called “the bond king,” has quit the firm he founded and will join Janus Capital.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Surveillance State
I guess it's the new normal.
I guess the "even when they have valid search warrants" is heartening. But, you know.
FBI Director James B. Comey sharply criticized Apple and Google on Thursday for developing forms of smartphone encryption so secure that law enforcement officials cannot easily gain access to information stored on the devices — even when they have valid search warrants.
I guess the "even when they have valid search warrants" is heartening. But, you know.
I've Been All Around This Great Big City
When things change a lot in just half a mile, where somebody lives greatly impacts their perspective on the city. I'm not saying any one perspective is the right one, just that where you live is going to impact it quite a bit.
Residency
I think it's fair to have some expectation that your political representatives spend a bit of time in the state that they're supposed to represent, but we really should come up with some solution to the "residency scandal" problem. They work in DC. That's their primary job. It isn't crazy for them to basically move their lives and families to the area. And not rich ones (not that there are all that many) can't afford to maintain two households. Yes, yes, they get paid a decent amount and have travel budgets, but maintaining two households costs a lot of money.
BREAKING NEWS MUST CREDIT ESCHATON
According to the NPR, Holder is about to resign announce his eventual resignation.
50 Years Later
Things are still the same between Ray and Dave.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Dave Davies said told the magazine, “It would be a shame if Ray [Davies] and I didn’t do something next year. I’m prepared to talk. If Ray’s got some great ideas, let me hear them. I have my own ideas about how it should be presented. But I don’t want it to be a Ray Davies show where he lets his little brother stand in the corner, which he likes to do. It has to be done properly and respectfully. We have so much great music that goes back so many years. We both want to do something next year.”
Aspirational
Also, too, imminent.
The United States government has yet to confirm whether Mr. Fadhli died in the strike, and American officials have given differing accounts about just how close the group was to mounting an attack, and about what chance any plot had of success. One senior American official on Wednesday described the Khorasan plotting as “aspirational” and said that there did not yet seem to be a concrete plan in the works.
Innovative Ways To Make Shit Even More Fucked Up And Bullshit
Awesome.
And poor Emilio Estevez is out of a job.
Ms. Bolender was three days behind on her monthly car payment. Her lender, C.A.G. Acceptance of Mesa, Ariz., remotely activated a device in her car’s dashboard that prevented her car from starting. Before she could get back on the road, she had to pay more than $389, money she did not have that morning in March.
...
Some borrowers say their cars were disabled when they were only a few days behind on their payments, leaving them stranded in dangerous neighborhoods. Others said their cars were shut down while idling at stoplights.
And poor Emilio Estevez is out of a job.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
What Could Go Wrong
I'll give BillO some credit, his proposal probably is a rough version of what will ultimately happen. Why put our troops at risk when you can pay people even more money to put themselves at risk?
Privatize everything.
Privatize everything.
How Many Sides Can We Be On
All of them apparently.
But the greatest damage, they said, may be to the Free Syrian Army, the moderate rebel faction that enjoyed U.S. support for years.
By focusing exclusively on Islamic State insurgents and al Qaida figures associated with the Khorasan unit of the Nusra Front, and bypassing installations associated with the government of President Bashar Assad, the airstrikes infuriated anti-regime Syrians and hurt the standing of moderate rebel groups that are receiving arms and cash as part of a covert CIA operation based in the Turkish border city of Reyhanli.
Theories Of The BoBo Class
I do get a bit mystified when I see the mansions that people have. I don't mean McMansions, which are mystifying for somewhat different reasons, but the 8000 sq. ft+ places. There really just isn't any way to fill that space unless you have a Duggar-sized family or you entertain a hell of a lot of people very often. It's just dead space and kind of creepy.
People regularly reference Veblen, but too often fail to mention that one reason to read him is that he's very funny.
People regularly reference Veblen, but too often fail to mention that one reason to read him is that he's very funny.
Surrendered
Hopefully whatever justice is in this case actually happens.
I said in the comments yesterday that it was obvious to me from the beginning that these were young adults from the suburbs, not locals. The point wasn't that outside agitators are causing all of the violence in Philly, or that gaybashing couldn't be a local thing. We have plenty of horrible and deadly violence committed by locals for various reasons. But a certain kind of "bar fight"-type violence, with people getting liquored up and taking swings at strangers for no bigger slight than "he looked at me funny," is generally a young suburban male phenomenon. Those "Philly" Eagles fans who get in fights in the stadium are generally from the suburbs. They aren't drunk because they had a couple of $8 Miller Lites, they're drunk because they've been tailgating since 8am.
I spent some time growing up in the burbs here, I know how younger people out there see the city. It's an urban playground, a place to go get drunk where rules don't apply. They see public spaces as anything goes spaces, rather than shared spaces where we all need to figure out how to get along.
To their credit, at least they usually don't have guns.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — All three suspects facing charges in connection with the assault of a same-sex couple in Center City surrendered to police Wednesday morning.
Each one of the suspects faces two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of conspiracy.
I said in the comments yesterday that it was obvious to me from the beginning that these were young adults from the suburbs, not locals. The point wasn't that outside agitators are causing all of the violence in Philly, or that gaybashing couldn't be a local thing. We have plenty of horrible and deadly violence committed by locals for various reasons. But a certain kind of "bar fight"-type violence, with people getting liquored up and taking swings at strangers for no bigger slight than "he looked at me funny," is generally a young suburban male phenomenon. Those "Philly" Eagles fans who get in fights in the stadium are generally from the suburbs. They aren't drunk because they had a couple of $8 Miller Lites, they're drunk because they've been tailgating since 8am.
I spent some time growing up in the burbs here, I know how younger people out there see the city. It's an urban playground, a place to go get drunk where rules don't apply. They see public spaces as anything goes spaces, rather than shared spaces where we all need to figure out how to get along.
To their credit, at least they usually don't have guns.
Good Thing There's That Other Evil League Of Evil
Gotta thwart something.
The certainty, it is near.
The barrage of airstrikes was aimed mainly at a militant group, the Islamic State, that is no longer among the al-Qaeda “associates” envisioned by the military authorization passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The group is not even suspected of planning attacks against the United States.
The unfolding U.S. air campaign has employed weapons — including dozens of 3,000-pound Tomahawk missiles launched from U.S. warships — that have flattened targets in ways destined to test Obama’s doctrine requiring “near certainty” that no civilians be killed.
The certainty, it is near.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Arrest Warrants
I'm not optimistic there will be genuine justice in this case, but at least some alleged perps will have shitty lives for awhile (obviously if they aren't the actual perps then that isn't a good thing).
The District Attorney's Office today approved arrest warrants for three suspects in the Sept. 11 attack on a gay couple near Rittenhouse Square.
Philip Williams, 24, Kevin Harrigan, 26, and Katherine Knott, 24, will be charged with two counts of aggravated assault and related offenses in the incident, District Attorney Seth Williams said.
All three reside in Bucks County.
If You Ignore The Need To Drive There
"Green" ratings really need to take that into account. Apple's ridiculous new building is horrible.
But Probably More Crowded
Residential density was higher in Manhattan a hundred years ago, but it's probably (I don't know!) still more crowded generally due to much greater commuter and tourist populations.
Still people generally have the wrong idea that density requires tall buildings. Parking and setbacks are the anti-density forces. You can fit a lot of people in a neighborhood of 3 story rowhouses if there isn't a massive amount of off street parking and setbacks. No setbacks doesn't mean no lawns or outdoor spaces, just no pointless mostly non-usable space setbacks.
Still people generally have the wrong idea that density requires tall buildings. Parking and setbacks are the anti-density forces. You can fit a lot of people in a neighborhood of 3 story rowhouses if there isn't a massive amount of off street parking and setbacks. No setbacks doesn't mean no lawns or outdoor spaces, just no pointless mostly non-usable space setbacks.
Mind On My Money And My Money On My Mind
I've told this story before, but years ago I was at a hotel bar in Palm Springs, half overhearing the conversation of the people at the next table. They were some species of "government contractors" and were basically discussing their good fortune over expensive cocktails. The phrase that jumped out at me was, "Katrina happened, and then everybody got rich." Presumably the were getting paid $50 a pop to truck in water bottles or similar (I actually have no idea).
But they were makers, not takers.
But they were makers, not takers.
We Seem To Have A Theme Today
Obviously we just need to do more of what wasn't working.
Better kick the poors some more.
The chancellor is on course to miss his deficit-cutting target this year, according to the latest figures, giving him a headache in the run up to the 2015 election when the economy takes centre stage.
Weak tax receipts pushed borrowing to £11.6bn in August excluding bank bailouts, £700m more than a year earlier according to the Office for National Statistics. Borrowing in the fiscal year so far, from April to August, was £45.5bn, £2.6bn higher than the same period last year.
Better kick the poors some more.
Even More Hitlers
Is there any way this makes sense, or that if it does we could possibly know? I mean, Jeebus, Syria is 6000 miles away from the east coast. The idea that we have this kind of non-sext-based intelligence is absurd.
Khorasan is yet another new evil league of evil, btw.
Khorasan is yet another new evil league of evil, btw.
Good Morning
Bomb, bomb, bomb
Bomb Iran
Oh, wait. Syria this time. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
Bomb Iran
Oh, wait. Syria this time. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
Monday, September 22, 2014
I Mitigate Myself
Aside from the current controversy, I can't ever remember a single person saying "Stanley wrote something really smart today..." which is kind of the minimum for a critic.
After Writing About Politics For Twenty Years It's Starting To Occur To Me
Area pundit discovers that self-styled fiscal conservatives don't actually care about the deficit.
There's Always Money In The Nuclear Missile Silo
Of course there is.
It is part of a nationwide wave of atomic revitalization that includes plans for a new generation of weapon carriers. A recent federal study put the collective price tag, over the next three decades, at up to a trillion dollars.
Liberal Lies
As I've said, climate change mostly isn't my beat. And I'm even a slight skeptic, not about climate change itself, or that humans are largely responsible, but about the idea that climate change will be inevitably catastrophic instead of simply extremely costly. Extremely costly is still a huge problem! And extremely costly isn't just referring to lost real estate, it'll be extremely costly in terms of lives and quality of life for many people. But, uh, this isn't looking good...
I'm aware that catastrophic scenarios are possible, if not necessarily Day After Tomorrow level catastrophic. But in any case, extremely costly is reason enough to be concerned.
I'm aware that catastrophic scenarios are possible, if not necessarily Day After Tomorrow level catastrophic. But in any case, extremely costly is reason enough to be concerned.
Put Down The Damn Phone
If "distracted walking" is contributing to an increase in pedestrian deaths, it's probably the case that most of the increased deaths aren't actually the fault of the pedestrian. If you're crossing in a crosswalk with the light and a car mows you over that isn't your fault, even if you're looking at your phone. Still it's the case that as a pedestrian one needs to be aware of drivers behaving badly, and you can't do that if you're staring at your phone.
I can be an idiot like anybody else, but I generally put the phone down if I'm crossing the street (not that I'm necessarily staring at it all the time otherwise). Even if you have a crosswalk and the light, it's best to pay attention. At some level it doesn't matter who is at fault if you're dead.
I can be an idiot like anybody else, but I generally put the phone down if I'm crossing the street (not that I'm necessarily staring at it all the time otherwise). Even if you have a crosswalk and the light, it's best to pay attention. At some level it doesn't matter who is at fault if you're dead.
Bye Qatar
I wonder just who is going to eat the cost of this divorce.
A top Fifa official announced today that he does not think that the 2022 World Cup will not be held in Qatar because of the scorching temperatures in the Middle East country.
Tax Cut Fairies
Fred Hiatt's crayon scribble page notices that Brownback is making a dog's breakfast out of Kansas, but they still cling to the fantasy that the tax cut fairies might just exist, and of course there are cuts, just not THOSE cuts, that can be made.
I think "fail-safe designed to protect essential state services" is code for "not voting to cut essential state services."
Other Republican-led states have embarked on tax-cutting programs. But few if any have done so without a fail-safe designed to protect essential state services, such as mechanisms that would abort tax cuts if revenue drops, or allow them only after revenue rises.
I think "fail-safe designed to protect essential state services" is code for "not voting to cut essential state services."
Did The Tea Party Do Anything Cool This Weekend?
A dozen teabaggers can make national news. A few hundred thousands dirty hippies, not so much.
Joe Lieberman's Greatest Accomplishment
Pretty sure the "lure" is the thing.
Over the past four years, employees have left DHS at a rate nearly twice as fast as in the federal government overall, and the trend is accelerating, according to a review of a federal database.
The departures are a result of what employees widely describe as a dysfunctional work environment, abysmal morale, and the lure of private security companies paying top dollar that have proliferated in Washington since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
...
The department’s woes date to the George W. Bush administration. Within a few years after DHS began operations in 2003, senior-level vacancy rates were already high and many top officials were leaving the fledgling department for jobs with private security companies. Among the most prominent is the Chertoff Group, a security consulting firm led by former DHS secretary Michael Chertoff, which employs so many former officials it is known in homeland security circles as a “shadow DHS.’’
Sunday, September 21, 2014
The Smartest Guys In The Room
Dudebros who work in business of lighting money on fire strangely bad at operating business which involves customers lighting money on fire.
The Greatest Medical Care System In The World
Otherwise known as the shit is fucked up and bullshit system.
The only appropriate response is "not gonna pay it, assholes."
The only appropriate response is "not gonna pay it, assholes."
Nickel And Dimed
While your local monopoly can get away with this crap, I really don't know why companies in relatively competitive industries think it's "smart" to piss off their customers regularly.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Uber'd
One of the most annoying subgenres of 1st World Problems is people complaining that the taxi service Uber is less than perfect. This is a totally and completely shocking development. I thought that having an app meant they were perfect!
I'm not against services like Uber. I worry that they'll hurt the hailable cab supply, and I think all good cities should have readily hailable cabs. They should operate under whatever existing regulatory regime there is, though it is also the case that many cities have regulatory regimes which aren't exactly good for either drivers or customers.
But Uber isn't magic. They're just cab drivers who get summoned with an app. And if you're bragging about how cheap your cab ride was, it means that your driver isn't getting paid shit.
I'm not against services like Uber. I worry that they'll hurt the hailable cab supply, and I think all good cities should have readily hailable cabs. They should operate under whatever existing regulatory regime there is, though it is also the case that many cities have regulatory regimes which aren't exactly good for either drivers or customers.
But Uber isn't magic. They're just cab drivers who get summoned with an app. And if you're bragging about how cheap your cab ride was, it means that your driver isn't getting paid shit.
Gilded Cage
We just do so much for the poors in the country that they're actually rich! But in a cage.
Restraint
I'm not really sure how this happens, but I'm glad the default mode for the White House security isn't "shoot on sight."
WASHINGTON — A Texas man who scaled the White House fence made it through the North Portico doors on Friday night before being apprehended, the Secret Service said.
The intruder, Omar J. Gonzalez, 42, was arrested just inside the doors and taken to George Washington University Hospital after complaining of chest pains, said Ed Donovan, a Secret Service spokesman.
Wakey, Wakey
Our Ruth Calvo has a great post up over at fdl about the discovery of a fabric remnant said to be at least 800 years old. A friend of Ruth's, that is involved with the dig, was able to get picture before the artifact was removed and shielded protection. Fascinating stuff.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Update
The sunny weather in London suddenly turned dark and ugly, with rain bucketing down and hail making a significant racket on the roof.
In other news, I succumbed to an overwhelming urge to listen to Elvis Costello.
Conservative Gotham Residents Against Gotham
I do never tire of this genre. I think it was the Fonzie of Freedom who, years ago, wrote a piece about how, yah, he actually liked New York City better than Wyoming (or whatever place it was that was supposed to represent small government heaven.)
The Happiest Man In America
BoBo's column is pretty trippy, but I did enjoy this comment that someone made.
One reason middle-aged people, especially men, have a tough time making friends because, like an old truck driver acquaintance once told me, "I can't afford any friends". Friends are expensive, because there is no such thing as an unselfish friend--they are all seeking something out of the relationship, else they wouldn't enter it. Brooks is a naive fool if he thinks otherwise.
And for married men, the difficulty in making friends is compounded by their wives, who jealously seek to eliminate any source of happiness that might be afforded their husbands outside of the marriage. A wife is never happy if she thinks her husband might be happy without her. As male friends provide happiness outside of the marriage for husbands, wives rarely willingly accommodate them.
The same thing is not true in reverse--wives cultivate scores of friends and husbands happily go along, else they be considered an impediment to the wives' happiness, which would violate the whole premise behind the marital compact--that women agree to marriage on the condition that their husbands will put their happiness above their own.
Husbands and wives can be friends, and should be, but carefully so, as the marital relationship is a dialectic. Each party is constantly striving to have their own will expressed. Being too friendly with an antagonist like a spouse can lead to being taken advantage of.
Unsettling
Well then.
As if to underscore the lack of clarity, the Pentagon has not yet given the mission a formal name — like Operation Enduring Freedom, its designation for the Afghanistan war — which has unsettled Pentagon reporters.
Fire
Woke up around 4 in the morning because it smelled like the neighborhood was burning down. Must have been this, but that's over 4 miles away.
The Nays have it
Good morning. It's a warm, sunny day here in London, and lots of people are breathing a sigh of relief and others, well, aren't. But it will come back again, you know, if the Tories aren't true to their word, which they won't be.
Only three precincts voted Yes. That came as a surprise to a lot of people, but folks in the Orkneys don't expect any more from the elite of Scotland than they do from those toffs in Westminster.
Meanwhile, you might not expect it to be good news when the court rules that Kansas must remove the Democratic candidate from the ballot, but it's actually great news.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Aye
Again, I have no idea if independence will be good in some general sense for Scotland (like any other policy change there will be winners and losers), but it is the case that the worst people have been trotting out the worst arguments against it. It's hard not to root for 'Yes.' We'll know soon!
Small Menus
A decent rule of thumb is that the smaller the menu, the better the food is likely to be. There are exceptions. A diner with 37 different egg-centric dishes probably can manage all of those combinations perfectly well, for example. But generally...
SECRET EMAILS
The real story here is "unethical Hillary Clinton supporters violate confidence, selectively leak emails from confidential email list."
No I'm not on that email list.
No I'm not on that email list.
Morning, Morning
Oh dear, it seems Mike Huckabee is a serious contender for the 2016 Republican Nomination. Gah, it's going to be a long two years.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
What could go wrong
Happy to be convinced otherwise, but pretty sure 'arming Syrian moderates' just means handing a bunch of weapons to random people.
Our intelligence agencies are too busy looking at your sexts to have any clue.
Don't Know Nothing
The degree to which Republican presidents get a pass on anything which goes against the prevailing narrative is "hilarious."
They're tough and our enemies are frightened of them!!!
They're tough and our enemies are frightened of them!!!
Playground
There's a certain type of visitor to the city that just sees it as a playground, who fails to recognize that people actually live here. The urban/suburban divide in Philadelphia is much more stark than anywhere else I've ever been. Step one foot over the city boundary and it's a different world (the Northeast part of the city is somewhat suburban in character, but that's the exception).
Beating up some people on the street is just what one does for a bit of fun in an urban playground, after all.
Beating up some people on the street is just what one does for a bit of fun in an urban playground, after all.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Chit Chattery
The timing of peak comments always changes on this little blue blog. Sometimes mid afternoon is Peak Comment, sometimes early evening, sometimes a bit more late night. There seems to be this notion that after 250 comments A New Thread Must Be Established. Is this correct? I mean, I know past commenting systems which relied heavily on user machine java would tend to freeze up, but does disqus, whatever its other faults?
Happy to provide a place for community, but I'd rather not post up open threads if they really aren't needed.
Happy to provide a place for community, but I'd rather not post up open threads if they really aren't needed.
Who Are They Talking To
I have no idea what will happen in Scotland, nor any real opinion about what should happen, but the condescending sneering by the ruling classes kind of made the 'Yes' case.
Priorities
Sportspuck arena!
A $450 million bond sale to finance a Detroit hockey arena neared final approval with consent of the city taxing authority that will help pay for it.
Safety
As I said in comments below, I'm not a huge fan of red light cameras. Traffic laws, and their enforcement, should be primarily about safety, not revenue "enhancements" for a municipality (also, too, all law enforcement). Sometimes the safe thing on the road isn't the legal thing, and machines or the evidence they produce can't necessarily pick up on that.
Milbank took to the twitters:
And, well, no, at some level I don't have a problem with ticketing people for going 56. But we do have some established expectations that this doesn't happen, that police generally give people a little wiggle room, and it's also the case that sometimes speeding, at least temporarily, might be the safer thing to do. If the state of PA announced tomorrow that no, we really mean it, speed limits really are a maximum, and not a suggested driving speed, then ticketing people for going 56 would be fine. The bigger issue is that driving 56 in 55 MPH zone isn't creating any kind of safety hazard. Enforcing the 55 limit so harshly wouldn't really improve safety conditions.
I actually had no idea, until today, that people (not all people) believed that rolling stops were part of our accepted driving culture. I mean, I get that people do them. I'm sure I've done them! We all do bad and dumb things sometimes. I'm sure I've driven 75 in a 55 mph zone, too, but the point is blowing through a light, even at 5mph, is much more like driving 75 than driving 56. It is a clear safety hazard, certainly for pedestrians but also for other drivers unless you truly think your senses are that perfect. If I did a rolling stop and got a ticket, I'd suck it up! I deserved it!
Drivers who do rolling stops through signs or lights to make right turns don't look for pedestrians. They're scanning for oncoming traffic from the left, and can't possibly take the time to scan for oncoming pedestrians from the right. Because they're moving. I see this regularly, noticing where heads are pointing as I'm almost hit in intersections.
Milbank took to the twitters:
And, well, no, at some level I don't have a problem with ticketing people for going 56. But we do have some established expectations that this doesn't happen, that police generally give people a little wiggle room, and it's also the case that sometimes speeding, at least temporarily, might be the safer thing to do. If the state of PA announced tomorrow that no, we really mean it, speed limits really are a maximum, and not a suggested driving speed, then ticketing people for going 56 would be fine. The bigger issue is that driving 56 in 55 MPH zone isn't creating any kind of safety hazard. Enforcing the 55 limit so harshly wouldn't really improve safety conditions.
I actually had no idea, until today, that people (not all people) believed that rolling stops were part of our accepted driving culture. I mean, I get that people do them. I'm sure I've done them! We all do bad and dumb things sometimes. I'm sure I've driven 75 in a 55 mph zone, too, but the point is blowing through a light, even at 5mph, is much more like driving 75 than driving 56. It is a clear safety hazard, certainly for pedestrians but also for other drivers unless you truly think your senses are that perfect. If I did a rolling stop and got a ticket, I'd suck it up! I deserved it!
Drivers who do rolling stops through signs or lights to make right turns don't look for pedestrians. They're scanning for oncoming traffic from the left, and can't possibly take the time to scan for oncoming pedestrians from the right. Because they're moving. I see this regularly, noticing where heads are pointing as I'm almost hit in intersections.
Urban Gondolas
I've wondered out loud before why they aren't more common. There quite likely are good reasons! I just don't know what they are.
Um, You Didn't Stop?
Drivers are so weird.
A "slow-rolling stop" is, you know, not a stop. I'm sure there are cases of red light cameras snagging people who shouldn't be snagged but by your own damn admission this isn't one of them.
(ht mtsw)
A week later, I got another “Notice of Infraction” — this one saying I had run a red light a few blocks away. I had made a legal right on red after a slow-rolling stop — but I got a $150 ticket, same as if I had blown straight through the intersection at full speed
A "slow-rolling stop" is, you know, not a stop. I'm sure there are cases of red light cameras snagging people who shouldn't be snagged but by your own damn admission this isn't one of them.
(ht mtsw)
Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit
Really don't think enough of us olds grasp just how difficult things are for The Kids Today, that even the ones who did All The Right Things can't manage get the things we mostly took for granted at that stage in life.
Still let's mumble something about how they should have all gotten STEM degrees even though there aren't any STEM jobs either.
We aren’t getting even entry-level jobs, which could enable us to pay our own bills. Not only are we not buying houses, many of us aren’t renting, either: About a third of millennials still live with their parents, earning us the irksome epithet “boomerang generation” — a play on “boomer generation,” the presumed victim here.
Still let's mumble something about how they should have all gotten STEM degrees even though there aren't any STEM jobs either.
Markers
I'm not sure on the spot casino lending should be legal, or if it is it should be on a "lender beware" basis...
SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia has gone to court in a bid to recoup more than $520,000 from 63 gamblers who have failed to repay markers - casino loans - issued in the last four years.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Dinner Thread
Layer of sliced onions, layer of cut potatoes, layer of cubed lamb meat. Cover in chicken stock, add some thyme sprigs, s&p to taste. Bring to boil and simmer for an hour.
Money's Everywhere
I admit that after viewing politics closely for years, I really don't get the obsession with trying to restrict money in federal election campaigns, especially seeing it as a goal which transcends all others. Sure it sucks that money influences elections, but I think the 'money corrupting politics/policy' problem is much deeper than that and I'm not sure that the elections part is really the important part. More than that, it just isn't clear that walling off federal election campaigns from the rest of the world has been good for either democracy in general or liberal policy goals specifically. I think it has helped to separate "issues" (policy) from "politics" which helps to separate politicians from accountability.
Anyway, yes, rich assholes shouldn't be able to influence elections and control the country. But even if we make it harder for them to influence elections, they're still going to control the country. I don't know how to fix that, but I just don't think the campaign finance law regime helps much, and might even hurt.
Anyway, yes, rich assholes shouldn't be able to influence elections and control the country. But even if we make it harder for them to influence elections, they're still going to control the country. I don't know how to fix that, but I just don't think the campaign finance law regime helps much, and might even hurt.
Your Favorite Candidate Sucks
Let's face it, they all do. But my preferred candidate has flaws which I can overlook, while yours does not.
Little Rahm Grew Up Dreaming Of One Day Becoming Mayor Of Chicago
We all have dreams.
His dream is imposing dystopia in order to enrich himself. Should give him an award, probably.
Nearly half of the principals in the district responded to a survey by the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association and said that ever since the school district awarded $340 million in two custodial management contracts in February to private concerns, their schools have been filthy, according to Catalyst Chicago. Principals reported serious problems with rodents, roaches and other bugs, filthy floors, overflowing garbage bins, filthy toilets, missing supplies such as toilet paper and soap, and broken furniture — issues they said they didn’t have before. Now, many said, they spend a lot of time trying to clean their buildings.
His dream is imposing dystopia in order to enrich himself. Should give him an award, probably.
Deep State As Deep As We Thought
I guess there's something to being, at least in some sense, honest about it.
Honest by implication, at least.
The Justice Department intervened late Friday in a defamation lawsuit against United Against Nuclear Iran, a prominent advocacy group that pushes for tough sanctions against Tehran. The government said the case should be dropped because forcing the group to open its files would jeopardize national security.
The group is not affiliated with the government, and lists no government contracts on its tax forms. The government has cited no precedent for using the so-called state-secrets privilege to quash a private lawsuit that does not focus on government activity.
Honest by implication, at least.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Sunday Thread
Not entirely slacking on the weekend. Sitting here trying to come up with some sort of semi-interesting post, but think it's just one of those days when I have nothing to say.
Go local sports franchises!
Go local sports franchises!
Afternoon Thread
And, just in case you thought we were living in a post-racial America:
h/t QC,N
African-American actress Danièle Watts claims she was "handcuffed and detained" by police officers from the Studio City Police Department in Los Angeles on Thursday after allegedly being mistaken for a prostitute.
h/t QC,N
"Needed Nearly 1,100 Parking Spaces"
Yes it's LA where despite beautiful weather nobody walks and nobody rides mass transit, but it's right by the damn subway.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Who Are You Talking To
Judging from various comments around the intertubes, lots of people in Scotland appear to think that BBC coverage of the independence referendum has been seriously skewed again. I'm not there and can't judge the merits of that claim, but if it does have merit it really does highlight, again, the problem. Is the London-centric BBC really going to sway voters in Scotland to vote no by offering coverage of the subject that appeals to English people?
It's weird.
It's weird.
Nothing Fits The Neighborhood Better Than A Rotting Building
The owner is to blame but awareness of the inevitable neighborhood opposition to anything hasn't helped.
Really don't know where they parking will go, but maybe they have figured it out..
The Royal, on South Street near 15th, was built in 1920 and is on the city's historic register.
But the building has been vacant for more than 40 years, and nearby residents and business owners have become frustrated as it deteriorated into blight.
...
"Some near neighbors have expressed concerns about having a project of this scope and density and how it would fit in with their neighborhood," Vidas said.
But she added that the plan calls for providing one parking space for every two units, which will help address some concerns.
Really don't know where they parking will go, but maybe they have figured it out..
Friday, September 12, 2014
Who's The Boss
Pretty obvious.
WASHINGTON — Tensions between the CIA and its congressional overseers erupted anew this week when CIA Director John Brennan refused to tell lawmakers who authorized intrusions into computers used by the Senate Intelligence Committee to compile a damning report on the spy agency’s interrogation program.
Well Then
Not even sure what to say about this.
Obama administration officials repeatedly threatened the family of murdered journalist James Foley that they might face criminal charges for supporting terrorism if they paid ransom to the ISIS killers who ultimately beheaded their son, his mother and brother said this week.
Chickifying The Game
Rusty remains as repulsive as ever.
His obsession with seeing the NFL as some sort of reflection of his own twisted sense of masculinity is fascinating.
His obsession with seeing the NFL as some sort of reflection of his own twisted sense of masculinity is fascinating.
Sucks To Be A Kid Today
I really don't understand how what seems to be, at worst, disobedience becomes a police matter.
What Could Go Wrong
We sure do train a lot of people to get better at killing other people.
It's worked out so well so far, might as well keep doing it.
BEIRUT, Lebanon — President Obama’s determination to train Syrian rebels to serve as ground troops against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria leaves the United States dependent on a diverse group riven by infighting, with no shared leadership and with hard-line Islamists as its most effective fighters.
It's worked out so well so far, might as well keep doing it.
Wakey, Wakey
Here's Matt Stoller on how Cuomo won the primary. Shorter: Cuomo spent $11 million, Teachout $500,000.
h/t T
h/t T
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Rescue thread
For London, I have a pretty decent house, but some days it just hurts that even the best house painter in the world could not make my row house look like this.
In other news, some guy has a book with a promotional video.
I think it would just be simpler to say that the neocons and the neoliberals are all just a bunch of Tories who have made America into a much crappier country than it used to be.
I Don't Want A Subway Turnstile To Have Access To My Bank Account
I'm not one who is especially paranoid about such things, but there are good reasons for people to be a bit more comfortable with declining balance cards or similar than with giving a random machine the power to drain your account when you pass by.
I'm not against phone payment technology, I just don't understand the weird belief that it will make everything better.
I'm not against phone payment technology, I just don't understand the weird belief that it will make everything better.
You Could Make Them Swappable
I guess wading into the gadget wars is essentially trolling, but I really can't believe that iPhone batteries still won't be swappable (without breaking open the case). I bought 3 extra batteries and a separate charger for my last phone and never had to worry about the whole charging issue again (unless I forget to charge them, of course).
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
F.U.
For several years, every time I caught a pundit making some sort of Friedman Unit statement ("the next six months...") about Iraq, I'd stick it in my little calendar so it would pop up and I could remind us that, well, here we still are. Not that it made any difference, but at least we had FUn!
I guess I'll put a 2 FU away reminder in my calendar. We'll check back then! Time does fly...
I guess I'll put a 2 FU away reminder in my calendar. We'll check back then! Time does fly...
Problem With The Stream
I stepped away from the internet for an hour and now I can't figure out what the latest Roger Goodell news actually is.
...ah there it is.
...ah there it is.
Also, Too, the City Council
It is maddening that too many people in charge of making decisions about transit systems have very little perspective about them from a user's point of view. Obviously my policy preference is "more mass transit," but even aside from that, I often read stories about proposed or new systems and it's clear that the people in charge are making lots of little stupid design decisions that reflect that fact that none of them have ever actually relied on, or even regularly used, mass transit.
What Problems Are 'Mobile Payment' Systems Trying To Solve
For years I've marveled at the obsession with the idea that what people really want to do is pay for things with their phones. Yes they might offer minor security and (more dubiously) convenience improvements. Yes some people will want to. But cash and credit cards are pretty convenient, and while they should transition to a chip and pin system like the rest of the world, card users mostly don't pay for credit card fraud.
Rolling Out New Product
I guess we will find out just how lovely our lovely new war is tonight. Gotta keep the Dick Cheney wing of the Democratic party happy.
Morning Thread
You think the Apple Watch is filled with gizmos, here, have a gander at a Japanese toilet. Ultimately, I have to just shrug and move on.
Tuesday, September 09, 2014
Nope
Teachout and Wu are being beaten handily. Teachout has conceded. Everyone I voted for is losing, including the guy running against the State Senator who couldn't find a way to beat Rangel.
It Hadn't Already?
Without excusing, I can understand bad responses by the league and team, but it's pretty amazing that a major sponsor didn't eject him right away.
Again, not defending the team and league, I just thought from a purely cynical brand calculation perspective, Nike wouldn't have wanted to be associated with Rice based on what was already completely known. I guess I was wrong.
Nike has severed its endorsement deal with Ray Rice.
Again, not defending the team and league, I just thought from a purely cynical brand calculation perspective, Nike wouldn't have wanted to be associated with Rice based on what was already completely known. I guess I was wrong.
Others
I've spent two years living in London, and a significant amount of time in Spain. Both places have similar issues with regions having legitimate claims to distinct linguistic and cultural identity. The independence movements are biggest in Scotland and Catalonia, but not entirely limited to them.
In both countries I was always pretty amused by the weird denial and contempt for the "fringe" regions by people in the dominant ones - Southern England/London in the UK, and Castile/Madrid in Spain - along with a tendency to infantalize the people in the other regions. It's a bit hard to describe because it was inherently contradictory, but basically there's a denial that linguistic/cultural identity differences actually exist, essentially denying that Catalans actually do speak Catalan for any other reason than to be difficult, or that people in the North of Britain aren't just putting on those funny accents so they sound like characters in a teevee show about people from The North. It's aided by the fact that lots of people in the fringe regions do learn to code switch, to speak "proper" English, for example. It makes their "real" accents* seem like their fake ones.
Simultaneously, there's a degree of contempt for those other people. Why don't they speak correctly? Why do they insist on doing things a bit differently? A common comment from people outside Catalonia when discussing the region is something along the lines of, "Barcelona is really nice, but the people are horrible."
I'm not saying everybody literally believes these things, but it's a gut reaction that gets expressed in various ways.
Anyway, was just thinking about these things in the context of Cameron, Clegg, and Miliband heading up to Scotland, and Miliband, in particular, calling on everyone to fly the Saltire. We'll just fly this silly flag for a couple of days and make everything better you naughty children!
Yeah, that'll help.
*I'll leave it to others to argue about the degree to which contemporary Scots and other related dialects are separate languages, but they're certainly different.
In both countries I was always pretty amused by the weird denial and contempt for the "fringe" regions by people in the dominant ones - Southern England/London in the UK, and Castile/Madrid in Spain - along with a tendency to infantalize the people in the other regions. It's a bit hard to describe because it was inherently contradictory, but basically there's a denial that linguistic/cultural identity differences actually exist, essentially denying that Catalans actually do speak Catalan for any other reason than to be difficult, or that people in the North of Britain aren't just putting on those funny accents so they sound like characters in a teevee show about people from The North. It's aided by the fact that lots of people in the fringe regions do learn to code switch, to speak "proper" English, for example. It makes their "real" accents* seem like their fake ones.
Simultaneously, there's a degree of contempt for those other people. Why don't they speak correctly? Why do they insist on doing things a bit differently? A common comment from people outside Catalonia when discussing the region is something along the lines of, "Barcelona is really nice, but the people are horrible."
I'm not saying everybody literally believes these things, but it's a gut reaction that gets expressed in various ways.
Anyway, was just thinking about these things in the context of Cameron, Clegg, and Miliband heading up to Scotland, and Miliband, in particular, calling on everyone to fly the Saltire. We'll just fly this silly flag for a couple of days and make everything better you naughty children!
Yeah, that'll help.
*I'll leave it to others to argue about the degree to which contemporary Scots and other related dialects are separate languages, but they're certainly different.
That Makes 5
According to various news organizations on the twitters, Trump Entertainment has filed for bankruptcy, and another AC casino (Taj Mahal) will be closing in November.
Kill Them All And Let God Sort Them Out
Our friends in Northern Virginia need some more scratch, after all.
Monday, September 08, 2014
Progress
Maybe somebody finally explained the racial inequities in enforcement and consequences to him.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Mayor Nutter today agreed to sign into law a bill that essentially decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana. But he says he’ll sign it only after City Council tweaks certain details of the measure.
Off Team/Suspended
So the Ravens got rid of Ray Rice and the NFL has now indefinitely suspended him for knocking out his then-fiancee in a casino elevator.
Curious about something: if a professional golfer was in same situation, would the PGA ban them from tournaments? Should they?
I'm certainly not complaining about the (eventual) result, I'm just slightly bothered about the general practice of the league dishing out semi-random punishments to players for off-field behavior while not at all bothered by the team cutting him loose. I'm just not sure why. If the league is going to issue punishments for off-field behavior (and they do) then they certainly should issue such punishments for domestic violence incidents like this, and it was absurd that their initial response was a 2 game suspension. Still I find the general practice weird.
Curious about something: if a professional golfer was in same situation, would the PGA ban them from tournaments? Should they?
I'm certainly not complaining about the (eventual) result, I'm just slightly bothered about the general practice of the league dishing out semi-random punishments to players for off-field behavior while not at all bothered by the team cutting him loose. I'm just not sure why. If the league is going to issue punishments for off-field behavior (and they do) then they certainly should issue such punishments for domestic violence incidents like this, and it was absurd that their initial response was a 2 game suspension. Still I find the general practice weird.
Farewell To Fall Fundraising Funstravganza!
It has been a truly fun week. Thanks to all who participated and to all who didn't! We'll always have the memories...
Gambling Our Way To Prosperity
In violation of federal law, too! (though admittedly one which seems like bullshit to me).
The Christie administration issued a directive Monday declaring that New Jersey casinos and racetracks, effective today, may offer sports-betting pools to their patrons.
...
New Jersey voters in 2011 approved a plan to allow sports betting in the state, but the law implementing the plan was struck down by two federal courts. A plea for an appeal was not taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court this year.
Everybody Gets Rich
War, just what is it good for...
VIENNA (AP) — Zalmay Khalilzad, who served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Nations under President George W. Bush, is being investigated by American authorities for suspected money laundering, Austrian officials said Monday.
...
He sits on the boards of the National Endowment for Democracy, America Abroad Media, the Mideast studies center at Rand Corp., the American University of Iraq and the American University of Afghanistan. He also is a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and writes about foreign policy issues and frequently appears on U.S. news shows.
Colonies
As I said, I certainly wouldn't tell anybody how to vote on the Scottish Independence question, but I have been fascinated by the recent developments/rhetoric. A lot of it has been fear fear fear about short term problems which, while real, are solvable. But even a lot of the "let's all hold hands Britain!" rhetoric (mostly from English people) has betrayed the fact that they don't think of it as Scotland leaving Britain so much as they think of it as Scotland leaving England.
Training
Just a bit more training...
They're probably going to need some more guns, too.
The next phase, which would begin sometime after Iraq forms a more inclusive government, scheduled this week, is expected to involve an intensified effort to train, advise or equip the Iraqi military, Kurdish fighters and possibly members of Sunni tribes.
They're probably going to need some more guns, too.
It Was Only a Matter of Time
A woman in Pennsylvania obtained an abortion pill for her daughter, who was sixteen and had decided she didn't want to carry the fetus to term.
For this crime, the mother has been sentenced to 12-18 months in jail.
Two points. First the most obvious, women are going to seek out and obtain abortions legal or otherwise. It was true before Roe, going all the way back to Biblical times, and it will be true even if you manage to completely overturn Roe. Second, the reporter presents a boyfriend tricking his girlfriend into taking an abortifacient as somehow equivalent to a mother following her daughter's choice. Psst, they are not.
Whalen told authorities there was no local clinic available to perform an abortion and her daughter did not have health insurance to cover a hospital abortion, the Press Enterprise newspaper of Bloomsburg reported.
For this crime, the mother has been sentenced to 12-18 months in jail.
Two points. First the most obvious, women are going to seek out and obtain abortions legal or otherwise. It was true before Roe, going all the way back to Biblical times, and it will be true even if you manage to completely overturn Roe. Second, the reporter presents a boyfriend tricking his girlfriend into taking an abortifacient as somehow equivalent to a mother following her daughter's choice. Psst, they are not.
Sunday, September 07, 2014
Sunday Night
Years later, nothing cracks me up more than fake celebrities harassing fake Alex Trebek.
Fall Fundraising Funstravaganza
Day 6 already? Times does fly, but it flies with fun!!!
Consider a wee donation.
Consider a wee donation.
Why Does Everyone Pretend Cuomo Is A Presidential Contender
It is one of the great media mysteries. The man will never get through a Democratic primary. The man will not be in three-way tie for third place in a presidential primary.
Omnishambles
At this point it's hard not to think that Tories wanted to drive Scotland away and suckered Labour into helping them.
A last-minute all-party plan to devolve further powers to Scotland over tax, spending, welfare and a host of other areas will be unveiled in the next few days, George Osborne has said.
Upshot
I hate this, and had to share. Nate Cohen at The Upshot, NYT's replacement for 538, claimed today that gerrymandering doesn't matter, that super majorities in Dem districts are somehow natural phenomena, and he used PA as an example.
He didn't include the district map, with those funny shapes around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia:
The best example may be Pennsylvania. President Obama won the state by five percentage points in 2012, thanks to a whopping 83 percent of the vote in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, where Democrats combine nearly unanimous support among nonwhite voters with large margins among young and well-educated liberals. Mr. Romney didn’t win a single Pennsylvania county, let alone a district, by as much as Mr. Obama won Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The large Democratic margin in these cities allowed Mr. Obama to carry the state, but it did not translate to a majority of House districts.
He didn't include the district map, with those funny shapes around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia:
He also apparently didn't read Sam Wang in the NYT on the same topic.
Third, gerrymandering is a major form of disenfranchisement. In the seven states where Republicans redrew the districts, 16.7 million votes were cast for Republicans and 16.4 million votes were cast for Democrats. This elected 73 Republicans and 34 Democrats. Given the average percentage of the vote it takes to elect representatives elsewhere in the country, that combination would normally require only 14.7 million Democratic votes. Or put another way, 1.7 million votes (16.4 minus 14.7) were effectively packed into Democratic districts and wasted.Of course, Nate's recommendation is to nominate more Blue Dogs....
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Flying Foxes
A friend who just visited Australia was telling me about "flying foxes" last night. Giant bats! Sounded terribly frightening! What's next, Australia, egg laying mammals with duck bills and a crippling poison? Miniature spiders with deadly venom? Floating sacks of deadly jelly? Poison centipedes of unusual size?
But the "flying foxes" are actually really cute. They're just puppies with wings. They don't have echolocation. They basically have the diet of bees. Well, big bees, anyway (and not the crazy Australian bees).
(ht for general idea to Margafret)
But the "flying foxes" are actually really cute. They're just puppies with wings. They don't have echolocation. They basically have the diet of bees. Well, big bees, anyway (and not the crazy Australian bees).
(ht for general idea to Margafret)
NINETY MINUTES
Well it will all be sorted then.
Recognizing rapidly deteriorating conditions in Atlantic City, which is losing four casinos this year, Gov. Christie last month called for a summit on the city's future.
The closed-door summit, expected to last up to 90 minutes, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at the offices of the Casino Reinvestment Development Corp. in Atlantic City.
Give Jeff Bezos's Money To Me
Truly the best way to support the baby blue blog is to make Jeff Bezos give me money. No I'm not telling you to shop at Amazon. Don't shop there if you wish to shop elsewhere. But if you do shop there, clicking through one of the links on this blog diverts some of Jeff's revenue to me. Commissions vary depending on various things, but they're about 7% generally. Buy a computer, or an expensive camera, and I probably get all of Jeff's profit!
Friday, September 05, 2014
Is It Still The Most Fun Time Of Year?
Local NPR pledge drives always irk me because there's so much smugness. You know, you dear listeners are the bestest and smartest and you prove that by listening to the bestest and smartest station, NPR, and also by giving to our station which pays half a million+ to its chief.
The blog has been good to me financially over the years. A pretty good gig. In the salad days I didn't put out the begging bowl, because advertising did pretty well. It still does ok. And reader generosity has made up the difference. We're in the phase of the internet ad cycle where companies believe the most annoying browser freezing ads are the best way to sell their products. I don't want to run those (yes I know there are occasional autoplay ads which shouldn't happen and which I try to kill any time I see them).
But no smugness. If you've got a bit to spare, and have some fun here, consider a wee donation.
The blog has been good to me financially over the years. A pretty good gig. In the salad days I didn't put out the begging bowl, because advertising did pretty well. It still does ok. And reader generosity has made up the difference. We're in the phase of the internet ad cycle where companies believe the most annoying browser freezing ads are the best way to sell their products. I don't want to run those (yes I know there are occasional autoplay ads which shouldn't happen and which I try to kill any time I see them).
But no smugness. If you've got a bit to spare, and have some fun here, consider a wee donation.
Who, What, And Why
Chuck Toddler
Perhaps you can explain exactly who you're pissed at, what we should be pissed off about, and why?
Something something gridlock Something something partisanship Something something get things done Something something entitlement reform. Probably.
“I’m as pissed off as anybody else is at Washington,” he says.
Perhaps you can explain exactly who you're pissed at, what we should be pissed off about, and why?
Something something gridlock Something something partisanship Something something get things done Something something entitlement reform. Probably.
What A Man What A Man
The weird (and wrong) thing is that it's easier to be brought down by the little things than the big things usually, but I had missed (or more likely forgotten) that McDonnell could have spared his family the tawdry (due to defense strategy) trial and his wife's convictions if only he'd plead guilty to one felony.
Identity
Who cares if there were nice white people in America in the 19th century or if their stories are reflected in a book about slavery? The only way someone would react that way is if they feel some sort of kinship with those white people. And why do people feel that way? While we're all impacted by historical legacy, I actually don't care, aside from mild curiosity, what my actual ancestors were up to in 1850, let alone some group we've shoved into a racial category called "white" from a particular time who I may or may not be descended from. Whether they were good and wonderful really has no bearing on me. I'm not really connected to them.
Morning
Haven't had time to read the whole thing yet, but Echidne gives us a comprehensive analysis of the Rotherham Report.
This is going to be a two cup morning.
Welcome to Rotherham, England, a manufacturing town near Sheffield. Right now the town is famous for a reason it would not have chosen: The Rotherham Report: In this town of 250,000 inhabitants at least 1400 young girls were sexually groomed, raped, gang-raped and pimped over a period of sixteen years while many of the authorities responsible for protecting the girls did nothing or actively suppressed information about the wide-spread abuse.
This is going to be a two cup morning.
Thursday, September 04, 2014
Not A Drop
When I post about the drought in California, I inevitably get emails/comments from people basically saying whatevs, no biggy. Months ago when I posted a link to an article about the downgrading of the El Nino probability I got a few angry emails about how it was bullshit.
And, you know, I have no idea! But it's September. El Nino is still likely to be a bust. The drought is still severe. I have no idea what will happen. But the responses remind me of how locals explained the movie Magnolia when I lived in SoCal (the frog apocalypse metaphor specifically). Basically, every California resident expects and is in extreme denial of the inevitable arrival of doomsday. They know they're living on fault lines, but no one should ever point it out. Because it's California, baby.
And, you know, I have no idea! But it's September. El Nino is still likely to be a bust. The drought is still severe. I have no idea what will happen. But the responses remind me of how locals explained the movie Magnolia when I lived in SoCal (the frog apocalypse metaphor specifically). Basically, every California resident expects and is in extreme denial of the inevitable arrival of doomsday. They know they're living on fault lines, but no one should ever point it out. Because it's California, baby.
Careers Interrupted
No way to really quantify this, but anecdotally I've noticed that a lot of eveintheliberals and career "objective journalists" have started to be a bit more sympathetic to concerns that maybe the economy - and their retirement accounts - aren't quite what they should be.
Guilty
I never followed the McDonnell stuff too much. The tawdry stuff - the defense strategy - seemed to overwhelm the actual corruption. I admit I find it all to be pretty weird. You get one term as Virginia governor. Cash out later.
Trump'd
They keep falling...
Atlantic City's Trump Taj Mahal warned in a recent financial filing that it was in danger of running out of money to pay its bills and make debt payments.
Trump Taj Mahal Associates L.L.C., the legal name of the entity that owns the 24-year-old casino, said in the filing August 22 that it needed to borrow more money or restructure the existing $232 million in debt it had on June 30.
How About We Take In Some Refugees?
I know that at this point I am just trying to troll people who don't read this blog and don't care about anything that I have to say, but I would like to get the idea out there that our sainted "humanitarian interventionists," who have never met a problem they wouldn't like to bomb, and who frequently accuse us dirty hippies of just not having as much love to give the world as they do, should every now and then be asked about what non-military humanitarian interventions they might support. Because they just have so much love to give.
Or Maybe You Could Give Free Money To People In Spain?
As has been the case in the US, it's good that the central bank actually recognizes that they have a problem, but it's not clear that the tools that they're willing and able to use will help much.
(Reuters) - The European Central Bank cut interest rates to new record lows on Thursday, unexpectedly lowering borrowing costs to try to lift inflation from rock-bottom levels and support the stagnating euro zone economy.
The Scottish Play
I haven't paid much attention to the independence question, don't have any deep insight into it, and certainly wouldn't consider it my place to say how people should vote on the subject, but I have been quite fascinated with the rhetoric coming from both major UK parties about it. I mean, basically their rhetoric has been the same, with perhaps a bit more leaning on "fear fear fear" from the Tories and "let's all hold hands" from Labour, but overall it's been incredibly condescending, precisely the opposite you'd want. If I were in Scotland, I'd probably vote Yes just to give them the middle finger over it.
Wednesday, September 03, 2014
Happy Hour Thread
I just keep looking at this rendering with horror. These people are so stupid (or perhaps so smart).
Fall Fundraising Funstravaganza Day 2
Are we having fun yet? Thanks so much to all who have given. Those who don't are still allowed to be here, because that's the kind of blogger I am.
Maybe The Little Lady Senator Is Lying
I'm not saying she's lying, but she might be lying, because, well, I haven't seen Senator Dudes be big dudeholes to little lady senators, so they probably didn't. Senator dudeholes are all very sweet and this is the greatest deliberative body in the history of the universe, or at least it was until the little lady senators starting telling lies about Senator Dudes.
Hey, Somebody Noticed
With all the press the Divine Revel has received, Christie's name has been strangely absent much of the time...
The man with the reverse Midas touch.
ATLANTIC CITY – Revel Casino Hotel, labeled a “game changer” by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) when it opened in April 2012, closed early Tuesday morning as part of an economic implosion in this historic city’s gambling industry.
...
For Christie, however, Revel’s closure is a particular embarrassment. Two and a half years ago, the governor hailed the newest addition to the boardwalk as a “turning point” for the city. When initial investors bailed, his administration guaranteed $261 million in tax incentives. At its opening, Christie even made a plea for his state’s favorite son, Bruce Springsteen, to play a concert at Revel.
The man with the reverse Midas touch.
Craziness
I just don't know what to say to this one:
Incarcerated For Writing Science Fiction
I mean, this wasn't just one weird parent, or one weird school principal, this was like an avalanche of crazy on a tiny little molehill. That wasn't even a molehill.
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
Everybody Hates Corbett
Like BooMan, I've never quite figured out why Corbett is so unpopular. I get the reason he's unpopular - fracking/education funding are primary issues - just not why he's that unpopular. PA is a bit more blue than most of the states it usually gets lumped in with - it really isn't a swing state in presidential elections - and I get the sense that even self-identified Republicans aren't quite as tribal as they are in some other places - but it's still pretty bizarre.
The flip side is people here love to vote split tickets - makes them independent minded dontcha know - so I doubt it means much for Congressional races either way.
The flip side is people here love to vote split tickets - makes them independent minded dontcha know - so I doubt it means much for Congressional races either way.
Happy Hour Thread
Henceforth it shall be known as George Jefferson Station.
The world weeps for the lack of the Sherman Hemsley/Jon Anderson album we were once promised.
The world weeps for the lack of the Sherman Hemsley/Jon Anderson album we were once promised.
The Most Fun Anyone Could Have
A reminder that it's pledge week here at the baby blue blog. Also, too, open thread.
Bosses
The war on teachers is in part about grifters making money, and in part about pretending the people in charge - administrators, principals, city councils, state legislators, school boards - are utterly powerless over what happens on their watch.
Boss man can do no wrong.
Haven't read, butAlyssa's* Dana's book sounds interesting.
*I swear I fixed that error before I scheduled the post for publish.
Boss man can do no wrong.
Haven't read, but
*I swear I fixed that error before I scheduled the post for publish.
I Suppose Everybody Gets Rich No Matter What
Such a fun game.
And bipartisan enough for Fred Hiatt to (probably) love it!
In a filing submitted Friday and effective that day, former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) and former Senator John Breaux (D-Louisiana) are listed as the main lobbyists under the Gazprombank account for the firm Squire Patton Boggs, lobbying on “banking laws and regulations including applicable sanctions.”
And bipartisan enough for Fred Hiatt to (probably) love it!
So Many Options
Above my pay grade, but I'm reasonably sure we could cripple a Russia behaving badly financially through various means if we really wanted to. But that would mean some people here and in Yurp would make a few less bucks. Probably we should just start bombing, because that way everybody makes money.
2014 Fall Fundrasing Fallganza!
Semi-regular plea for reader contribution. This isn't charity (I would tell you if I needed money), this is your NPR money, your magazine subscription money. This is your "wow it's weird people give money to Andrew Sullivan" money. No need to give. I'm not poor, if your circumstances are tight... don't give. But if you have a few extra bucks and enjoy this sucky blog, you can aid my continued efforts to not add stupidly offensive ads.
If Only There Were Shovel Ready Projects
$8 billion is pennies, really, and yet...
Too many people around the world need to be liberated for us to focus on pesky little things like domestic infrastructure.
With each day, it seems, another accident illustrates the cost of deferred maintenance on public works, while offering a frustrating reminder to this cash-strained municipality of the daunting task it faces in dealing with the estimated $8.1 billion it would take to do the necessary repairs. The city’s total annual budget is about $26 billion.
Too many people around the world need to be liberated for us to focus on pesky little things like domestic infrastructure.
Not In My Lifetime
Yes I think getting older has caused me to be more pessimistic about the promise of new technologies, but I really just don't think self-driving car fantasy will come true without a tremendous (and stupid) investment in public infrastructure.
What Could Go Wrong
Everybody loves flying death robots, and our crack intelligence teams certainly always know who the bad guys are.
There's this weird country on the other side of the world that flies killing machines over your city on a regular basis. Does no one consider how one might grow up in that environment?
The Pentagon is preparing to open a drone base in one of the remotest places on Earth: an ancient caravan crossroads in the middle of the Sahara.
After months of negotiations, the government of Niger, a landlocked West African nation, has authorized the U.S. military to fly unarmed drones from the mud-walled desert city of Agadez, according to Nigerien and U.S. officials.
There's this weird country on the other side of the world that flies killing machines over your city on a regular basis. Does no one consider how one might grow up in that environment?