Saturday, December 13, 2014
Bipartisanship
One trick elite editorial boards regularly play is offering narratives of "bipartisanship" and "compromise" that don't really conform to their readers' understanding of those words. I mean, compromise is a good thing, right? Who doesn't love compromise!
But true bipartisanship, where lots of members of both parties actually agree on something (even if they pretend not to), is the way that Congress passes things that voters actually hate. Actual compromise would involve Dems giving up something in exchange for something Republicans want, and vice versa, not "let's pass this piece of shit that everybody but Fred Hiatt and our donors hate."
But true bipartisanship, where lots of members of both parties actually agree on something (even if they pretend not to), is the way that Congress passes things that voters actually hate. Actual compromise would involve Dems giving up something in exchange for something Republicans want, and vice versa, not "let's pass this piece of shit that everybody but Fred Hiatt and our donors hate."
Friday, December 12, 2014
Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V
I think plagiarism accusations are frequently a bit of a stretch. 700 word columns can't have the citation standards of an academic paper, and while people deserve criticism for being a bit sloppy it doesn't mean they have committed the high crime of plagiarism (and part of the problem is that there seems to be this Plagiarist/Not A Plagiarist duality, when of course there are grey areas).
But this is basically a C&P job.
But this is basically a C&P job.
That's a Problem
Woops
Passengers faced chaos today after London's air space shut down due to an air traffic control power outage.
The outage left flights grounded on runways at major London airports - including Heathrow - leaving thousands of passengers facing travel misery ahead of the weekend.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Cromnishambles
Never can quite tell what's just theater, but it seems Pelosi is battling against Reid and the White House on the cromnibus bill.
Might fail! Government might shut down!
again.
Might fail! Government might shut down!
again.
They Enjoyed It
As with just about everything else that happens in the name of our security state, things aren't usually done for the stated reasons. Money is often the reason, but it isn't the only one. Why torture a bunch of innocent people who you know have no information? For kicks and giggles, of course.
How About Getting It Just Right
From drought to deluge in Northern California.
Hopefully it at least improves the drought situation a little bit.
Hopefully it at least improves the drought situation a little bit.
Duckies
In the week ending December 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 294,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 297,000. The 4-week moving average was 299,250, an increase of 250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 299,000.
http://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf
http://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf
Quandary
We'd be in a difficult moral quandary if torture worked, if there actually were ticking time bomb situations where Dirty Harry's heroic rejection of the wussy Rules were admirable, necessary and effective.
But those situations don't actually exist. So we're not in a difficult moral quandary.
And yet.....
But those situations don't actually exist. So we're not in a difficult moral quandary.
And yet.....
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
If Only There Were Some Shovel Ready Projects
I know this is a boring tic of mine at this point, but even a modest amount budgeted for fixing water systems in much of the country would both create some jobs and save some money in the long run. Water damage isn't cheap.
Cromnibus
I'm so out of the loop that I don't even know why they're calling it that, but apparently the budget bill might go down in flames because some Dems don't want rich people to be able to give even more money to political parties and because conservatives have decided it's insufficiently mean to undocumented workers.
Deep Thought
The torture program we did not have was extremely important.
..adding, if I were one of these guys I'd just be hiding under the couch. Of course, I wouldn't have been one of these guys. Guess it takes a certain kind of person to establish a torture program.
..adding, if I were one of these guys I'd just be hiding under the couch. Of course, I wouldn't have been one of these guys. Guess it takes a certain kind of person to establish a torture program.
The Architects have been all over TV defending the torture program. pic.twitter.com/ECfdz7E69x
— Faiz (@fshakir) December 10, 2014
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Unpossible
Must be a dispatch from Earth-2.
The former president of the company that contaminated drinking water for 300,000 West Virginians this past January has been arrested on criminal fraud charges, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation complaint unsealed Monday.
Former Freedom Industries president Gary Southern was charged with bankruptcy fraud, wire fraud, and lying under oath during the company’s bankruptcy proceedings following the massive spill — a 10,000 gallon dump of a coal-cleaning chemical called crude MCHM into the Elk River. FBI Special Agent James F. Lafferty said in a sworn affidavit that Southern, in an attempt to protect his personal fortune of nearly $8 million and shield himself from lawsuits, developed a scheme to distance himself from the company and “deflect blame” to other parties.
True Genius
With thinkers like this, how can we lose?
Two. Months. Before. The Election. He. Found. The Mega-trend.
“Two months before the election I picked up on a mega-trend—a historic, acute and powerful anxiety among middle -class voters,” Israel told the crowd, according to a person in the room.
Israel, who represents a suburban district on Long Island and chaired the DCCC for two tough cycles, said nearly two-thirds of registered voters said they felt neither party could solve their problems and decided not to bother showing up to the polls.
“Whatever party taps into this middle class anxiety will be in the majority for a long time,” he told the group of donors.
Two. Months. Before. The Election. He. Found. The Mega-trend.
Torture
The Editors.
...i'll post the whole thing under the jump so I don't have to go to the damn wayback machine every time I'm looking for it. The Editors can sue me.
...i'll post the whole thing under the jump so I don't have to go to the damn wayback machine every time I'm looking for it. The Editors can sue me.
Core
I actually think that if we're going to increase transit service, it's best to commit to strengthening its core than adding a bit more on the periphery. We aren't going to run everything everywhere, so provide better service in some areas so that the people who think the service is important will, over time, choose to live along those corridors.
Monday, December 08, 2014
Ruh-Roh
Happy to be wrong, but I bet there are some who have, internally, called for the viaduct to be closed. I recommend they cc: many people on this recommendation.
Not Your Playground
I should probably work on my grand essay about the attitude of suburbanites about Philly. I spent many of my formative years in the burbs here so I know a bit about the subject. But, basically, it amounts to "the right of the Philly suburbanite to head home from an Eagles game shall not be infringed."
The urban hellhole is a place they visit, and the red carpet must be rolled out for them. That the city as an entity has spent 30+ years or so catering to this general view - that visitors matter more than residents - has reinforced this.
The urban hellhole is a place they visit, and the red carpet must be rolled out for them. That the city as an entity has spent 30+ years or so catering to this general view - that visitors matter more than residents - has reinforced this.
The Money
Zandar:
I find myself wanting to restate a certain point these days. Yes, Dean's strategy was about empowering state and local parties to bring the fight everywhere, but it was less about fighting everywhere and more about empowering locals to fight everywhere.
The party organizations (without Dean) basically do fight everywhere! Not necessarily in every single congressional district, but they dump lots of money into red state senate races and reddish districts.
The 50 state strategy was more about taking control away from the DC party organizations, to take the money out of Washington, taking the power (and filthy lucre) away from the corrupt and stupid DC consultant class.
It wasn't about fighting everywhere, it was about not running all of those fights from DC.
I’ve long been a proponent of more Democrats (Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy)
I find myself wanting to restate a certain point these days. Yes, Dean's strategy was about empowering state and local parties to bring the fight everywhere, but it was less about fighting everywhere and more about empowering locals to fight everywhere.
The party organizations (without Dean) basically do fight everywhere! Not necessarily in every single congressional district, but they dump lots of money into red state senate races and reddish districts.
The 50 state strategy was more about taking control away from the DC party organizations, to take the money out of Washington, taking the power (and filthy lucre) away from the corrupt and stupid DC consultant class.
It wasn't about fighting everywhere, it was about not running all of those fights from DC.
Details
My local transit authority will finally unveil its new fare system. Presumably it'll be better than the current token system and paper transfer system, if it works, but there are details I haven't heard that worry me. It appears transfers still won't be free. A system like this should allow a fare to cover a boarding on any bus/subway/trolley within some time frame (an hour, probably). In London, a lot of convenience is added by the fact that instead of requiring people to buy daily or weekly passes (at least for some travel zones), the card just maxes out at the daily fare and stops charging you.
Build All The Trains Everywhere
But ultimately it's a big problem that San Jose is 51 miles from San Francisco and that SF is increasingly a bedroom community for it.
51 miles is a long commute, no matter how you do it.
The plan calls for erecting poles and wires above 51 miles of track from San Francisco to San Jose, installing power supplies along the rail corridor and purchasing a new fleet of trains. Caltrain anticipates construction beginning in 2016 and finishing by 2021.
51 miles is a long commute, no matter how you do it.
Sunday, December 07, 2014
Bertha'd
I've watched this project out of the corner of my eye. It certainly seems like a completely idiotic project, though I don't know Seattle well enough to be able to really have any opinion. I guess the real questions are what it would take for the powers that be to pull the plug, and ultimately who is going to pay for the (possible) debacle...
All That Space
Until the Great Redistribution, rich people are going to spend their money on stuff rich people want to spend it on, but I just can't fathom why anyone would want 30,000 square feet or more. I also don't understand how these places really fit the single family residential zoning model I assume they're under, though presumably the answer is "rich people get what they want."
Anti-ALEC
It's really distressing that so much obviously good, popular public policy is off the table.
As distressing is bad, unpopular public policy coordinated across state legislatures.
A dirty hippie reply to ALEC launches this week.
As distressing is bad, unpopular public policy coordinated across state legislatures.
A dirty hippie reply to ALEC launches this week.
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