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....
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