Sunday, May 31, 2015
RIP Beau Biden
No knowledge of the guy really, but Joe's had way more family deaths before their time than most.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Shit Continues To Be Fucked Up And Bullshit
I'm no saint. Probably generally a less generous person than I should be. But I really don't get how our society can be so callous to the most vulnerable.
Shame
I'll admit to feeling a bit sorry for Hastert. Don't quite know where on the inappropriate<->criminal scale his actions fell (the "sexual abuse," not the structuring and lying), but at least at the moment it sounds more like hush money than "keep myself out of jail" money. Anyway, I feel sorry because if my perception of events is in the ballpark, then it's really pretty sad that it was worth it to him to pay that much money to essentially hide the fact that he had, or wanted to have, sex with men. A life in the closet is hard.
These subjects get a bit tricky because it was apparently a teacher-student relationship, which is of course at the very least highly inappropriate (not familiar with relevant criminal statutes that were operative at the time), but that doesn't make him a pedophile.
These subjects get a bit tricky because it was apparently a teacher-student relationship, which is of course at the very least highly inappropriate (not familiar with relevant criminal statutes that were operative at the time), but that doesn't make him a pedophile.
The All Powerful Left
Our perfidy is boundless.
Rep. John Delaney (Md.), a centrist House Democrat, on Friday warned that voices on the left have "hijacked" his party’s message.
"With Washington already broken, the last thing we need is a left-wing version of the tea party," Delaney wrote in a Washington Post op-ed published online Thursday evening. "But I am worried about where some of the loudest voices in the room could take the Democratic Party."
Friday, May 29, 2015
Very Late Night Thread
If you can't sleep I recommend this excellent 2014 article on multinational firms Gone Wild. Or my post on Scott Walker, Dennis Hastert and other odd events.
Friday Night
My recent experiences with the some of the "joys" of homeownership might finally be ending...
Life Is Long
Can't always outrun your past.
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert paid a man to conceal a sexual relationship they had while the man was a student at the high school where Hastert taught, a federal law enforcement official told NBC News on Friday.
I Do Not Think This Is A Good Idea
It probably isn't the worst idea ever, but people who are driving should be focusing on the driving. Since I haven't driven very much for years my driving instincts have degraded quite a bit, and I acknowledge that other people can handle more distractions than I currently can when I drive (I can barely have a conversation simultaneously anymore), but do you really need facebook updates popping up on your windshield?
Life Shouldn't Be So Hard
Krgthulu's basic point is that too many people are one missing paycheck away from disaster. It's not how people in the richest country in the world (not really, but that's what we tell ourselves) should be living.
Vaporware
The self-driving car really isn't going to happen any time soon.
Curious why Google has been touting it to credulous journalists as much as they have been. It just isn't going to work, at least not the fantasy version.
Curious why Google has been touting it to credulous journalists as much as they have been. It just isn't going to work, at least not the fantasy version.
Sad
I have no idea exactly what the situation with Hastert is, and I'm obviously not his biggest fan, but it is kind of baffling to imagine just what would inspire a man at the end of his career, and out of politics, to feel the need to give into a blackmail request.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Past Misconduct
Unless it was criminal I don't think we need to know what it was, but on the other hand what the hell is worth $3.5 million in blackmail money?
Um What
Okay.
Former U.S. Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert was charged Thursday with attempting to evade banks' reporting requirements and lying to the FBI about his actions.
He was charged with structuring a cash withdrawal of $952,000 so as to get around the rule that banks must report such transactions over $10,000. The charges also allege that he lied to the FBI about his actions.
Young Earth Creationism
There are various flavors of creationism, ranging from "God created the universe" to "the Earth is 6000 years old and evolution is a lie." Nothing can shake the faith of the faithful, I guess.
I went to a private school for my last couple of years of high school, so I can't complain on church-state grounds. But the guy tasked with teaching us evolution basically taught us the straw man version of evolution. Meaning, he "taught" all of the bogus critiques of evolution (no transitional fossils!!!) that creation science people throw out all the time. I knew enough at the time that I knew he was feeding us bullshit. Did he know he was? I can never figure this stuff out. No matter how many times you debunk the claims...
I went to a private school for my last couple of years of high school, so I can't complain on church-state grounds. But the guy tasked with teaching us evolution basically taught us the straw man version of evolution. Meaning, he "taught" all of the bogus critiques of evolution (no transitional fossils!!!) that creation science people throw out all the time. I knew enough at the time that I knew he was feeding us bullshit. Did he know he was? I can never figure this stuff out. No matter how many times you debunk the claims...
Heckuva Job
Remember Christie took the tunnel money and spent it on roads. And now...?
This whole ZOMG CAN'T POSSIBLY INCREASE THE GAS TAX stuff is straight out of 1993. Pennsylvania did it and nobody noticed. Gas prices fluctuate so much that no one will really notice if you add 10 cents to it.
And, yes, it's a regressive tax, but it's the best one we have, so...
SECAUCUS, N.J. — Bridges across the state are falling apart. Roads are rife with potholes. Frustrated New Jersey Transit riders are facing another fare increase.
As many commuters bemoan the mounting delays and disruptions, state officials say New Jersey is confronting a transportation funding crisis with no easy way out. Voters are so fed up, support is growing for a revenue option long viewed as politically untenable: raising the state’s gas tax, which is the second lowest in the country.
This whole ZOMG CAN'T POSSIBLY INCREASE THE GAS TAX stuff is straight out of 1993. Pennsylvania did it and nobody noticed. Gas prices fluctuate so much that no one will really notice if you add 10 cents to it.
And, yes, it's a regressive tax, but it's the best one we have, so...
Really Don't Think An SUV Would Have Helped
Yah maybe an inch of water more than your Civic could handle, but don't drive either through flood waters if you can possibly avoid it?
Morning Thread
A friend went to celebrate her 70th birthday at a casino in Connecticut. Not my choice, but whatever. She hadn’t been for many years and was kind of surprised at what things cost. The breakfast buffet was $24/person. For dinner, her friend ordered a pork chop, $47. And since she wanted some mashed to go with that pork chop, ka ching, another $9 added to the bill. Scooter rental, $35/day.
It seems the casinos have taken a page from the airline industry. If they can’t get increased profits from gambling alone, they’ll just keep adding fees and make their extra profit by charging for items that used to be free. How long before Holiday Inn starts charging for breakfast and/or internet service?
It seems the casinos have taken a page from the airline industry. If they can’t get increased profits from gambling alone, they’ll just keep adding fees and make their extra profit by charging for items that used to be free. How long before Holiday Inn starts charging for breakfast and/or internet service?
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
I Wonder What Gave Them Away
Perhaps it was the cunning plan to hold a summer World Cup in Qatar.
ZURICH — Swiss authorities conducted an extraordinary early-morning operation here Wednesday to arrest several top soccer officials and extradite them to the United States on federal corruption charges.
But Everything Was Perfect In The 50s
It is "funny" if not quite "ha ha funny" watching how the press treats crazy Bernie Sanders and his crazy Eisenhower era ideas.
But those Iowa voters are SWOONING over Carly!!!
But those Iowa voters are SWOONING over Carly!!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
The Most Amazing Movie Ever Made
I actually didn't love the Mad Max: Fury Road. It wasn't quite... I don't know, enjoyable? To me, anyway. But it was two solid hours of "holy crap I can't believe they actually made this movie." The narrative structure is inverted. Everything flows from the action, and there's almost no dialogue, but still the backstory is unveiled (slowly) and a world is created. I actually can't even comprehend what went into choreographing, filming, and editing what is mostly a 2 hour car chase, mostly without CGI. Someone dubbed it Steampunk Mario Kart. About right.
There Are Some Gay People Here
Can't expose their beautiful minds to such things.
One thing missing from TLC Network Party at Penn's Landing on May 30 will be the Duggars of “19 Kids and Counting.” With Josh Duggar's child molestation accusations, the party goes on without them, but still featuring Kate Gosselin and the Cake Boss.
When Worlds Collide
I suppose the good news is that foreign corporations might be able to sue to declare the Ex-Im bank in violation of TPP conditions.
Oopsy
I don't know a damn thing about Libya. Don't claim to. I do know that there was a moment a few years ago when suddenly it became The Good Cause. We had to intervene, because reasons, and because this time we would intervene and it would all go well. Even people who opposed the Iraq war put on their Very Serious Person hats and started lecturing us hippies about Just War and Humanitarian Reasons and Supporting The Rebels or whatever the hell. I can't even remember at this point. I mostly just rolled my eyes because there was nothing to be done except write a few contradictory blog posts and wait for the inevitable "oh, that didn't quite work out as planned."
And it didn't. Don't hear much about Libya from those people anymore. Call me when Humanitarian Reasons involves something more than Bomb Bomb.
And it didn't. Don't hear much about Libya from those people anymore. Call me when Humanitarian Reasons involves something more than Bomb Bomb.
So Scary
Not sure how the precious dears get through the day.
“The world is a very scary place right now, especially for people of means; they feel cornered and threatened,” said Tom Gaffney, the president of Gaffco Ballistics, which has installed a number of safe rooms around New York City. “When you have so much to lose, and you can afford to, you put a premium on your safety.”
Monday, May 25, 2015
Holiday Over
Neighbors had a not typical (for them) very noisy party. Not complaining, people are allowed to do such things. And they brought it inside early, so yay good neighbors.
Peons
I've never used Uber, but I do call normal cabs sometimes. Usually I just go to the corner and hail them when I need one, but I'll call them for a guest or if luggage is involved. And when I do, I make sure to be on the lookout for when they come because I know it's really inconsiderate to make them wait.
Every Clown Car Member Gets The Love From The NYT
Paragraph 8:
While supporters in Iowa noted that she had doubled her standing in state polls, it was a statistically insignificant change from 1 percent to 2 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released May 6. (That may seem piddling, but the same poll had Mr. Santorum, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2012, also at 2 percent, while 5 percent supported Mr. Bush.)
So There Was A Happy Ending Then
Back before a few hundred hippies opposed the Iraq war, a few dozen suggested that maybe going to war in Afghanistan wasn't necessarily such a great idea. Obviously after 9-11 you weren't going to get much traction by arguing we didn't have any right to kick somebody's ass, but the Very Serious People weren't going to even consider that there were better options. It's been 13+ years, and, well, how did it all work out then?
Pretty well, I guess.
KABUL, Afghanistan — Facing a fierce Taliban offensive across a corridor of northern Afghanistan, the government in Kabul is turning to a strategy fraught with risk: forming local militias and beseeching old warlords for military assistance, according to Afghan and Western officials.
Pretty well, I guess.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Haters Gonna Hate
One thing which will never stop entertaining me is the suburbanites who spend their days on my local newspaper site trashtalking the urban hellhole. I think it's hilarious! I don't care if people are city mice, country mice, or suburban mice. People make choices based on their preferences and constraints, financial and otherwise, and good for them! I have some opinions about public policy related to such things, but that's not a knock on individual preferences and choices.
I don't know what motivates them, but I hope they never stop. It's always a source of merriment. It's a weird hobby, I admit, but we all need hobbies.
I don't know what motivates them, but I hope they never stop. It's always a source of merriment. It's a weird hobby, I admit, but we all need hobbies.
Strange End
To a long weird life.
MONROE, N.J. --
A famed Princeton University mathematician whose story was the basis for the movie "A Beautiful Mind" and his wife were killed in a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike, police say.
...
Nash won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994. He was portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 2001 film "A Beautiful Mind".
Morning Thread
Echidne has two excellent posts up. The first about the Duggers (what else) with links to the history and aims of the Quiverful movement. The second is out of Chechnya where a 17 y.o. woman was pretty much forced to marry a pal of the president even though he was already married to someone else. After the story exploded on social media, the president exhorted his country men to just lock up their women so they couldn't post any more comments or pictures. The whole thing backfired.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Vacation's All I Ever Wanted
Not on vacation, but not usually not much to blog about on holiday weekends. Glad we've left that shite winter behind.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Summer in the City
The summer parks are proliferating again and people are out and about in the urban hellhole.
Such misery.
Such misery.
Reckless
Yes, yes, cyclists and pedestrians can behave badly sometimes, but they're unlikely to kill anyone but themselves when they do. More police need to take car "accidents" which are often not accidents more seriously. If you drive unsafely, you run the risk of killing someone. Don't do it.
I Like To Speed
I think people have legitimate objections to red light cameras. Not that I support people randomly blowing reds, but sometimes, especially if yellows are too short, it's safer to blow a red at the last second than to slam on the brakes. But speed cameras that are calibrated to only flag drivers going 10+ mph over the speed limit really aren't objectionable. Yet people object!
And one man harangued the mayor in an animated discussion after his press conference, saying the city had installed speed cameras across Staten Island not to improve safety but to raise money for the city's coffers.
"You want the revenue!" Chris Altieri angrily said after de Blasio walked over to talk to him.
The mayor, seemingly growing irritated yet keeping his composure, asked, "Can you really look me in the eye and say we don't want to save people's lives? Do you really believe that?"
The Trucks, They Will Self-Drive
While I'm a giant skeptic about self-driving cars transforming our future any time soon, I do think the self-driving truck issue could be a real one. They won't have to be able to go everywhere, but instead run fixed routes. Beginning and end point infrastructure can be installed privately and probably relatively cheaply. I don't think every truck will become a robot truck (more than meets the eye!) but I'd bet the some will in the not too distant future.
Early Morning Thread
I wonder if Child Protective Services has opened a case on the Duggers and, if not, why not?
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Totally Tubular
New Tube map! Not happy about the central line not being nice and straight anymore (even if it's more geographically accurate), but good to see TFL pulling more of the "Overground" rail network into the system (warning .pdf).
Assholes
And the limit is effectively $20 because few ATMs give out fives (or even tens) anymore.
For these reasons, cash is one of the most valuable resources a poor person in the United States can possess. Yet legislators in Kansas, not trusting the poor to use their money wisely, have voted to limit how much cash that welfare beneficiaries can receive, effectively reducing their overall benefits, as well.
The legislature placed a daily cap of $25 on cash withdrawals beginning July 1, which will force beneficiaries to make more frequent trips to the ATM to withdraw money from the debit cards used to pay public assistance benefits.
Since there's a fee for every withdrawal, the limit means that some families will get substantially less money.
Still Growing
The Census department tells me Philly increased its population by FOUR THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIVE people from 2013-2014. Obviously that's not a huge number, but the continued, if slow, population growth after several decades of population decline really changes things. I don't think policymakers have yet adapted to the new reality, but they are, I think, getting closer to it..
Music World Mysteries
Why do orchestras go on tour so much? My local orchestra, which went into bankruptcy, is currently touring Europe. And, hey, good for them, sounds fun. Maybe the nice people in Europe pay them well. But I'm pretty sure Europe has their own orchestras, so why do they pay well to bring in some Americans? It costs a lot of money to move 90 people and their instruments around the world. I'm not suggesting that all orchestras are interchangeable commodities, that there's no difference, but the idea of touring orchestras in an era of uncertain arts funding is just weird.
Of Course He Can
Unless people truly believe there's no way to beat Hillary Clinton, then it's ridiculous to think that Bernie Sanders can't win. Of course he can. Can doesn't mean will, but he's a very experienced and charismatic (in that weird way only politicians can get away with) candidate.
Mercury Fur
What the hell.
Police across the country are investigating more than 1,400 men – including 261 high-profile individuals – over allegations of child abuse in the past, a senior officer running the national operation has revealed.
The scale of alleged child abuse across society – both recent and non-recent – was stark, said Ch Const Simon Bailey, who runs Operation Hydrant, the national coordinating team overseeing the various inquiries.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Just Throw It In The Warehouse
To me, an incredibly maddening thing about the "rape kit" backlog is that immediately after being the victim of a horrific and traumatizing physical crime, in order to actually report the crime and have any chance at all of it being investigated, rape victims have to subject themselves to another humiliating and potentially re-traumatizing ordeal. That this supposed necessary evidence is just thrown in the corner is despicable.
The Things We Can Afford
They do play 8 home games per year, after all.
Taxpayers could end up investing nearly $1 billion in the new Chargers stadium under the plan released this week by the mayor’s stadium task force, a Voice of San Diego analysis of the plan shows.
The Economy Of Los Angeles Will Be Destroyed
FIFTEEN WHOLE DOLLARS AN HOUR how can the jaayuuubb creeaturrzz possibly create jobs in those conditions???
My handy dandy calculator tells me working full time at $15/hr for 50 weeks per year gives an annual income of THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
That was ok money when I graduated college....22 years ago.
My handy dandy calculator tells me working full time at $15/hr for 50 weeks per year gives an annual income of THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
That was ok money when I graduated college....22 years ago.
The Day After
The urban hellhole election went about as well as could have been expected. Let's hope the newbies don't disappoint.
Morning Thread
Our friend Echidne of the Snakes is having a fundraiser. While you're over there donating a bit, read about codpieces and what they have to do with the Cannes Film Festival. See, this is why we need the Snake Lady to continue.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Voted
In a (mostly) one party town the primary basically decides the election, though it will be many months before the "winners" actually take office. Not everything is about race, but of course race matters. We will have had African-American mayors for 24 of the past 32 years once the current Mayor's term is up. It's a plurality African-American city, or very near it (bet the next Census changes that, though just). I voted for the white guy, not because he's white, but because the black guy is neck deep in the school reform movement. Charter schools aren't unpopular, but the school reform movement is. People see the distinction. Choice can be great, choice which siphons off money to largely unaccountable for profit schools isn't. To some extent "school choice" is like "electric company choice" and "health insurance choice". For the most part, people don't want to waste their damn time. They want the default choice to be a good one. If it isn't, maybe they want an out, but they really would just prefer to not have to choose.
People Are Horrible
I don't drive much and was a rather late adopter of smartphone type gadgets. The first time I drove with a smartphone I had to stick it in a bag so that I'd ignore it. So, yeah, I get the temptation to look at the damn things while driving. But looking is one thing (still usually wrong!), actively using it is another. Put the damn things down.
The Things, They Change
60% approve of same sex marriage.
Interracial marriage didn't hit that level of support (as polled) until 1997.
Interracial marriage didn't hit that level of support (as polled) until 1997.
Not As Fun As Benghazi Questions
Or "are you running for president?" questions, but some of this policy stuff might matter.
Sure it's the route to celebrity for ugly people, but most political journalists don't achieve celebrity. I do not know why people go into political journalism to do their best to ignore actual policy issues. Campaign journalism is actually boring, except maybe the booze you can expense to your organization. Policy, not so boring! If you care, anyway.
Sure it's the route to celebrity for ugly people, but most political journalists don't achieve celebrity. I do not know why people go into political journalism to do their best to ignore actual policy issues. Campaign journalism is actually boring, except maybe the booze you can expense to your organization. Policy, not so boring! If you care, anyway.
Better Buses
The problem with "better buses" is that it is so easy to degrade any actual improvements even in the planning stages, let alone after the fact. Get one muckity muck complaining that they waited too long at a traffic light and your signal priority system gets turned off.
Not A Square Dance
Jay Rosen's right. The "press" (#notallpress) have this weird notion that they are an indispensable part of the choreography that is modern presidential politics. They aren't. They have no established and designated "role" in this process. And much of their whining about "access" is basically whining that they aren't the first people to get the equivalent of press releases. I mean scoops!
I'm all for journalism, but holding the microphone or printing the release isn't journalism. It's just being a middleman. And it's always good for everybody if we cut out the middlemen.
I'm all for journalism, but holding the microphone or printing the release isn't journalism. It's just being a middleman. And it's always good for everybody if we cut out the middlemen.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Hellhole Election Tomorrow
Local elections are hard, especially in a (mostly) one party town. In national elections you can hold your nose and vote Team D or Team R depending on your preferences, and even if your party's candidate is pretty horrible you can be reasonably sure he/she is better than the alternative, by those preferences. In local elections a candidate's past and, yes, personality actually do matter significantly more.
No Worries
No one will have to pay.
Repair work on tunnel boring machine Bertha will take longer than expected because workers found more severe damage than they anticipated, state officials told Seattle City Council members Monday.
The seals inside Bertha and the steel casings around them are completely ruined, with the damage so profound that pieces fell into gears deep in the machine, where 24 electric motors rotate the circular cutter drive, said Todd Trepanier, Washington Department of Transportation administrator for the Highway 99 tunnel project.
Polite Society
If only there had been some good guys with guns.
WACO, Tex. — A police spokesman said on Monday that 192 people were being charged in the shootout among rival motorcycle gangs at a busy shopping plaza in the Central Texas city of Waco on Sunday that left at least nine bikers dead and 18 others wounded.
Noisy Night
Molly I&I, & some friends, caught Mac McCaughan in Brooklyn Saturday night. Fantastic!
What I really dug about the show was that Mac was so clearly having a good time being there. The venue was maybe 200 people, everyone into the music. You know what's fun? Being in a cool venue with about 200 people, everyone into the music and having a good time. Shit doesn't need to be complicated.
After the show MollyI had a quick conversation with Mac about the Undertones, because of course that's what happened.
Anyway go buy the new Mac McCaughan record.
What I really dug about the show was that Mac was so clearly having a good time being there. The venue was maybe 200 people, everyone into the music. You know what's fun? Being in a cool venue with about 200 people, everyone into the music and having a good time. Shit doesn't need to be complicated.
After the show MollyI had a quick conversation with Mac about the Undertones, because of course that's what happened.
Anyway go buy the new Mac McCaughan record.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Sunday Night
If Mad Max is the kind of thing you like, then go see Mad Max. Really is kind of ultimate in genre.
Webbmania
Is everybody feeling it?
PORTSMOUTH - Former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., said he is close to making a decision on running for President, and he is weighing what it takes to mount a serious campaign.
That's A Lot
Ruh-roh.
When groundwater levels sink low enough, the soil can compact and cause the land surface to sink. Land subsidence can crack irrigation canals, buckle roads and permanently deplete water-storage space.
In some areas of the San Joaquin Valley, the land has been sinking as much as a foot a year. The Department of Water Resources expects to get a report next month that will help officials better understand the extent of subsidence.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Happy Hour and/or Dinner Hour
Chicken wings and mac and cheese here. Definitely losing my foody cred, but it's all good. White wine.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
60-40
Years ago I had a random bar chat with a local bar owner (not at his bar). He's known around town, known to be a good guy, liberal politics, etc. He was being candid about a situation he was worried about at his bar. The problem was that it had become popular with African-Americans.
He said that they were great customers, that he had no problem running a bar which was filled with black people. The problem was this.
The issue was that there just weren't enough black customers to give him the level of business that he wanted. If there were "too many" black people in the bar, white customers wouldn't come in at all, and then he wouldn't have enough customers.
Anyway, it seemed like he was being candid and not racist. He wasn't suggesting he was going to try to "solve" this problem in any way, just that it was a genuine business issue, because white people are racist.
He said that they were great customers, that he had no problem running a bar which was filled with black people. The problem was this.
Sixty-forty: that’s a dining room that’s 60 percent white and 40 percent black. Forty percent is the tipping point, they all said. More than 40 percent black, and suddenly, they said, the numbers don’t just flip. More than 40 percent, and — said one— the whites scurry to their holes like mice. Soon, he said, you’re looking at a restaurant where the clientele is predominantly black.
The issue was that there just weren't enough black customers to give him the level of business that he wanted. If there were "too many" black people in the bar, white customers wouldn't come in at all, and then he wouldn't have enough customers.
Anyway, it seemed like he was being candid and not racist. He wasn't suggesting he was going to try to "solve" this problem in any way, just that it was a genuine business issue, because white people are racist.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Christianity Should Not Be Judged By People Like David French
Perhaps surprisingly, I actually agree with that. I don't think the public face of Christianity in America is all that representative of Christianity in America. Our media has generally equated it with sex-obsessed gay haters, and while those people exist, they surely don't represent all Christians.
But, you know, be the change you wish to see. If you don't want your religion to be equated with that, don't use your prominent public outlet to perpetuate that. If Christianity is all about the goodness and kindness and love and giving then how about stopping the hating.
But, you know, be the change you wish to see. If you don't want your religion to be equated with that, don't use your prominent public outlet to perpetuate that. If Christianity is all about the goodness and kindness and love and giving then how about stopping the hating.
Maybe Just Don't Invite Them To Your Hotel Room?
This is absurd for a lot of reasons, but a big one is that the bar for the press reporting on a congressional "sex scandal" is, as far as I can tell, pretty high. If you're really that paranoid just leave the damn office doors open.
Menz is weird. And horrible.
It's no secret that Congress is dominated by men, but as women work to make inroads in the congressional boys club, some female staffers face a huge impediment to moving up: They're not allowed to spend one-on-one time with their male bosses.
In an anonymous survey of female staffers conducted by National Journal in order to gather information on the difficulties they face in a male-dominated industry, several female aides reported that they have been barred from staffing their male bosses at evening events, driving alone with their congressman or senator, or even sitting down one-on-one in his office for fear that others would get the wrong impression.
Menz is weird. And horrible.
And Their Enablers
Krgthulu
But the "approved mistakes" aren't simply approved by Fox News and The Right, they're also generally approved by the Washington Elite Consensus. Maybe we're at the point where the Iraq war was a wee mistake, bygones, but all the people who supported it supported it for the right reasons and the hippies were still wrong. Inflation didn't happen, but it's still around the corner, etc. The Right still rules our discourse largely because elites are on the right.
So the only “experts” left standing are those who made all the approved mistakes. It’s kind of a fraternity of failure: men and women united by a shared history of getting everything wrong, and refusing to admit it. Will they get the chance to add more chapters to their reign of error?
But the "approved mistakes" aren't simply approved by Fox News and The Right, they're also generally approved by the Washington Elite Consensus. Maybe we're at the point where the Iraq war was a wee mistake, bygones, but all the people who supported it supported it for the right reasons and the hippies were still wrong. Inflation didn't happen, but it's still around the corner, etc. The Right still rules our discourse largely because elites are on the right.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Evening Thread
Crappy blogging day, even by the usually sucky standards of this place. Hopefully tomorrow will be better, because tomorrow is...!
Thursday Freaks Of Nature Blogging
But are they tasty?
It’s one of the most basic biology facts we’re taught in school growing up: Birds and mammals are warm-blooded, while reptiles, amphibians and fish are cold-blooded. But new research is turning this well-known knowledge on its head with the discovery of the world’s first warm-blooded fish — the opah.
Gonna Need A Bigger Clown Car
Hilarious.
So, tax cuts?
Former New York Gov. George Pataki says he will announce whether or not he will pursue a presidential run on May 28.
In an appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Pataki, a Republican, named the date of the announcement and dismissed the notion that he is too moderate to win a GOP primary election.
"I have no doubt that when I lay my ideas out there and go through my background and what I've been able to do, people are going to say 'this is a guy who could lead our country,'" he said.
So, tax cuts?
They Hate Democracy
It's worth noting that both the provisions of the TPP (as far as we know!) and the fast-track process are designed to drastically reduce the role of elected officials in determining public (not just trade!) policy.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Human Shields
Something about that Bush gene pool.
Bush also dismissed "hypothetical" questions about the origins of the Iraq war as a "disservice" to U.S. troops who died or were injured in the war, and to their families.
It Ain't Over 'Till It's Over
I don't claim to have omniscient judgment on these issues. Local politicians are harder to judge that national ones, generally, but as far as I can tell Kenney is the best of the lot.
Not that I care, but I find it a bit amusing at how little coverage Philly politics gets nationally. Sure bigger cities, and of course Washington, get more coverage for obvious reasons, but places like Boston and Atlanta tend to get more coverage for reasons I've never quite figured out.
James F. Kenney holds a commanding lead in Philadelphia's Democratic mayoral primary, according to an independent poll conducted within the past week.
With less than a week until Tuesday's primary, a survey of 600 likely voters showed Kenney with 42 percent support, far ahead of both former District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham and state Sen. Anthony H. Williams, each of whom were favored by 15 percent of those polled.
Not that I care, but I find it a bit amusing at how little coverage Philly politics gets nationally. Sure bigger cities, and of course Washington, get more coverage for obvious reasons, but places like Boston and Atlanta tend to get more coverage for reasons I've never quite figured out.
But Why
Oy if true.
I have no idea what driving a train is like, but this isn't some middle of the nowhere stretch. It's in the middle of the city. Can't imagine why someone would gun it in this area, with a known curve.
Investigators of Tuesday's deadly Amtrak derailment say they are focusing on reports that the train was traveling more than twice the 50-mile-an-hour speed limit when it entered a sharp curve in Frankford.
I have no idea what driving a train is like, but this isn't some middle of the nowhere stretch. It's in the middle of the city. Can't imagine why someone would gun it in this area, with a known curve.
Projectile
I saw someone on the twitters last night post something like "My Dad was on a SEPTA train that got shot at right before the Amtrak crash." I guess there was something to that.
Just before Tuesday's deadly Amtrak derailment, a SEPTA commuter train in the same corridor was crippled by a projectile sent through the engineer's window.
SEPTA officials said their investigation was continuing, but that there was no immediate indication the two incidents were related.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Afternoon Thread
A shout out to the asshole from New Jersey who paused at the stop sign (appropriately) and then gunned it as soon as I stepped into the crosswalk. He wasn't going to hit me, but still.
Good Plan, Bro
Cunning, really.
Disability benefits are tiny, and it is really difficult to actually qualify. But, yeah, disability advocates should advocate for spending a lot of money to do even more screening because the disabled poor don't have enough problems.
Paul's solution: Persuade advocates to stop just clamoring for more funding and start thinking about efficiency. "I think it’s important that all the advocates for disability realize that it’s in their best interest to make sure that people who are disabled are receiving money," he said. "So, there’s a lot of reforms that we’ve talked about–having more certainty in annual exams, having the exams done by doctors who have not seen the patient and can be objective in confirming the disability. There’s a lot of reform we can do, and the key is getting the advocates involved."
Disability benefits are tiny, and it is really difficult to actually qualify. But, yeah, disability advocates should advocate for spending a lot of money to do even more screening because the disabled poor don't have enough problems.
And What Army
That people are opposed to same sex marriage... eh, whatever... that it's such a priority... I just don't get it.
Texas Republicans are pushing legislation to bar local officials from granting same-sex couples licenses to marry, launching a preemptive strike against a possible U.S. Supreme Court ruling next month that could declare gay marriage legal.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Not Going To Tell You
I'm a complete skeptic about self-driving cars. I don't think they'll ever really work (ever is a long time, obviously at some point SkyNet will activate), if they do work I don't think they'll improve the things people say they'll improve, and we do have to solve the consequences of accidents problem.
Happy to be wrong!
Happy to be wrong!
We Must Cut It Before They Cut It
I was just thinking back over the last 20 years ago of "Social Security reform" history. This is from memory, because I am a lazy blogger, but basically even though it had already been "reformed" not that long ago there was a deep belief that more "reform" was inevitable. This led to group of supposedly left-leaning thinktankers and similar to come up with their own blueprints for "reform," with the idea that their cunning plan would be at least slightly better than the conservative cunning plan. And, sure, that was probably true, mostly in shifting a bit more in benefits to the poor. These things take on a life of their own, however. When you've made your career tackling a certain subject, you keep doing it. It's what you do. So the impulse to "reform" Social Security - by making cuts! - goes on.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Professor Writes Book Called "The Dumbest Generation," Mad None Of Them Worship Him
Probably because you're old, boring, sucky, and keep telling them to get off your lawn?
People is so weird.
People is so weird.
But What Can We Do About It
I know it's part of the Republican religious texts that there's no such thing as "man-made climate change." Not our fault! Okay, fine, but if your state is being threatened with massive flooding, maybe it's time to move beyond the blame and just figure out what to do about it.
And, yeah, I get that they're more in the "denying it at all" camp than "just denying that it's man-made" camp, but when the waters rise...
But the state has yet to offer a clear plan or coordination to address what local officials across Florida's coast see as a slow-moving emergency. Republican Gov. Rick Scott is skeptical of man-made climate change and has put aside the task of preparing for sea level rise, an Associated Press review of thousands of emails and documents pertaining to the state's preparations for rising seas found.
Despite warnings from water experts and climate scientists, skepticism over sea level projections and climate change science has hampered planning efforts at all levels of government, the records showed. Florida's environmental agencies under Scott have been downsized, making them less effective at coordinating sea level rise planning in the state, documents showed.
And, yeah, I get that they're more in the "denying it at all" camp than "just denying that it's man-made" camp, but when the waters rise...
Do It Again Do It Again
Huzzah.
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush would have authorized the 2003 invasion of Iraq, as his brother and then-president George W. Bush did, he told Fox News' Megyn Kelly in an interview to be aired Monday.
No We Didn't Fix It
Recent events in Baltimore and elsewhere have, I think, raised awareness that the pre-civil rights era wasn't ancient history that got solved and everybody lived happily ever after. High crime rates of the late 80s/early 90s made all sorts of bad practices seem to be justified in the eyes of many, but with the significant drop in urban crime rates in many places, that's no longer the case. Suddenly more people are asking WTF?
On the Hook
The lawsuits over who eats the cost overruns for this project will go on long past the lifetime of the tunnel.
Saturday, May 09, 2015
We Have Elections
Happy for someone to convince me otherwise, but pretty sure that Jim Kenney is the guy to vote for in the urban hellhole Dem mayoral primary. Hopefully he'll be better than expected, but that everybody else seems to be totally horrible is reason enough.
We Do Love Our Children
So much that we don't want to pay the people we entrust them with.
The district, which says it is wrestling with a $1.1 billion deficit weighted with pension payments, wants to save millions of dollars by having teachers pay more into their pension fund. The district wants to end a long-standing agreement that limits teacher paycheck deductions for pensions, the union said.
That CTU said the result would be a 7 percent cut in take-home pay for members. The union also says health care premiums could take another 3 percent under a district proposal.
Friday, May 08, 2015
You Elected Lex Luthor
What the hell Florida.
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) – Gov. Rick Scott, after his mother’s death in 2013, went on TV to explain his decision to drop his strongly-held opposition to President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.
Scott said his mother’s death changed his perspective and he could no longer “in good conscience” oppose expanding health care coverage to nearly 1 million Floridians.
Scott conceded this week that was all a ruse. He now says his support for Medicaid expansion was a calculated move designed to win support from the Obama administration for the state’s proposal to hand over control of Medicaid to private insurance companies. At the time, he denied that his support was tied to a deal with the federal government.
Jersey
That it isn't a priority for Christie shows how little he understands the economy of his own state (or doesn't care). Northern New Jersey is increasingly a bedroom community for NYC. Sure there will still be the PATH trains, but take out the NJT/Amtrak tunnels and you have serious problems.
When The Tunnels Break
Plenty of transit nerds had problems with the tunnel project that Christie cancelled, though not for the fake reasons Christie cancelled it. But they all had a naive sense that some other better project would just magically appear in time. That hasn't yet been the case. These things take forever to plan, let alone fund and build.
A top transportation official from the Obama administration pleaded with transportation officials from throughout the metropolitan area to pull together on a plan to build new rail tunnels under the Hudson River before it is too late. The existing tunnels — the only rail links between the city and New Jersey — are 105 years old and in urgent need of an overhaul.
The White House ranks the proposal, known as the Gateway project, as the most important planned piece of rail infrastructure in the country, said Peter M. Rogoff, an under secretary in the federal Transportation Department. He said the Obama administration was “eager, if not anxious,” to reach an agreement on how to pay for the project, which is expected to cost at least $8 billion.
Jobs
+223K, unemployment rate is 5.4%. Another good but not quite good enough month. Obviously the situation has improved, but, you know, it's 2015...
Well That Didn't Go Very Well
I'm no expert on UK politics, though I do follow it pretty constantly, but pretty sure one problem (not the only one) is that Labour has the early aughts Dem disease. "Not quite as evil as the other guys" is not a winning strategy. It isn't really about going more Left, though on some issues it could have been, it's about clearly highlighting the distinctions. You know, making clear just what it is you stand for, whatever the hell that is.
I wrote "early aughts Dem disease" but it's also the midterm election Dem disease that we still have with us. In 2010 and 2014 I couldn't have told you what the Dems were running for. Yes all the smart political consultants tell us these elections are local and it's wrong to nationalize them and blah blah blah. They collect a nice paycheck. And lose. Huzzah.
I wrote "early aughts Dem disease" but it's also the midterm election Dem disease that we still have with us. In 2010 and 2014 I couldn't have told you what the Dems were running for. Yes all the smart political consultants tell us these elections are local and it's wrong to nationalize them and blah blah blah. They collect a nice paycheck. And lose. Huzzah.
Morning Thread
I'll let others who have followed the English elections do the analysis. About all I can say is, damn.
Thursday, May 07, 2015
Count Faster
The ballot counters in the UK don't do a much better job than ours do, so even with the time zone difference it'll probably be a late night. Which would be fine, except I'm not feeling that great today, and it's all about me.
You And What Army
Pretty sure the fine folks at the NSA had a good laugh about this one.
A federal appeals court ruled on Thursday that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of U.S. phone records is illegal, dealing a startling blow to the program just as Congress is weighing reforms to surveillance authorities.
Rise of the Nutters
Voting Day in the UK. Might be complicated as two party alternating rule has been displaced by the coalitions...
Morning Thread
Corinthian College was just one big grift. Proudly ripping off poor people to help the rich.
Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Pivot
At least there are some tiny signs we might be moving to reform our criminal justice system and slowly claw back the norm of mass incarceration.
Lock up enough people and eventually a hell of a lot of people start becoming aware of the injustices in the system.
Lock up enough people and eventually a hell of a lot of people start becoming aware of the injustices in the system.
Hot Tub Time Machine
Admittedly the most amusing, if also the most ineffective, campaign mailer I've ever received.
Well Hello There
Um
An aide to state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris and two others are accused of operating a rogue police force that claimed to exist for more than 3,000 years and have jurisdiction in 33 states and Mexico, authorities said Tuesday.
Stop That
A jaywalking ticket for people who simply start crossing the street when the countdown clock starts should not be $197.
It's one thing to go after people engaged in genuinely unsafe behavior, another to go after them for a technical violation of the law which makes no sense and they probably aren't even aware of.
It's one thing to go after people engaged in genuinely unsafe behavior, another to go after them for a technical violation of the law which makes no sense and they probably aren't even aware of.
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Familiar
I remember back in 2000 when there was a bunch of chatter about how Al Gore couldn't possibly be president if he won the most electoral college votes but lost the popular vote. Of course George Bush lost the popular vote and then there was some other stuff that is best forgotten, but that narrative had been put in place just in case. And in the UK, something similar is happening...
Back to the Past
Grifter Huckabee is in. We're all supposed to believe in the regular folks just a nice guy vision of him. He's quite obviously a profoundly nasty man, even aside from policy preferences. But since everyone has amnesia about what really happened in the 90s and after, we can have one reminder.
Wayne DuMond was convicted of raping a distant relative of Bill Clinton. Before trial, he claimed that vigilantes broke into his house and castrated him, though there is some suspicion that this was self-mutilation. This of course evolved into a widespread belief on the right that Klintoon had sent his thugs to avenge his relative, or at the very least DuMond was an innocent man unfairly incarcerated. This was touted in media outlets, both left and right (mostly), for years. While he later tried to distance himself from this, obviously due to pressure from the fever swamps, Huckabee had supported DuMond's early parole. Not long after, DuMond was convicted for rape and murder of another woman, and was a suspect in yet another rape and murder.
Wayne DuMond was convicted of raping a distant relative of Bill Clinton. Before trial, he claimed that vigilantes broke into his house and castrated him, though there is some suspicion that this was self-mutilation. This of course evolved into a widespread belief on the right that Klintoon had sent his thugs to avenge his relative, or at the very least DuMond was an innocent man unfairly incarcerated. This was touted in media outlets, both left and right (mostly), for years. While he later tried to distance himself from this, obviously due to pressure from the fever swamps, Huckabee had supported DuMond's early parole. Not long after, DuMond was convicted for rape and murder of another woman, and was a suspect in yet another rape and murder.
Ride More Often
I get that elites have justifiable reasons for not using public transit, but the problem is too many of them (in urban hellholes where lots of people rely on it) never used it, even before they were 'elites'. Maybe use it a bit more often, and you'll know what people deal with, good and bad.
In a stern, bullet-pointed missive on Monday, the mayor described a star-crossed attempt at riding the subway to a speaking engagement in Midtown Manhattan. A train never came — and when the mayor resurfaced, his security vehicles were nowhere in sight.
“The detail drove away when we went into the subway rather than waiting to confirm we got on a train,” Mr. de Blasio wrote in the email, addressed to Deputy Inspector Howard Redmond, the head of his Police Department security detail. “We need a better system.”
...
Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, is not a regular subway rider: Like mayors before him, he is driven most places in a police-issued sport utility vehicle. Still, at times, the mayor’s email resembled a typical rider’s lament. “We waited 20 mins for an express only to hear there were major delays,” Mr. de Blasio wrote. “This was knowable info. Had we had it, we would have avoided a lot of hassles.”
Nice Work
Heads I win, tails you lose.
For investors in hedge funds, like big pension funds, 2014 was not a lucrative year. But for those who managed their money, the pay was spectacular.
The top 25 hedge fund managers reaped $11.62 billion in compensation in 2014, according to an annual ranking to be published on Tuesday by Institutional Investor’s Alpha magazine.
Morning Thread
Who needs coffee? Raped, now pregnant ten year old denied an abortion, and her mom has been imprisoned for failing to provide proper care. Sure it's Paraguay, but this is what the anti-choicers want for us.
Monday, May 04, 2015
Late Night
One thing about blogging is that there are always topics that try to suck you in... they're so stupid, yet so compelling...must.. resist....
Also, Too
Some college/university freshman are minors, so all of those institutions are going to have to foot the bill to comply with this ridiculous law, forcing expensive background checks on literally all current employees.
In A Nutshell
Parking problems.
I get that business owners at times have specific parking needs, but four blocks is not far. You can park. Just a few blocks away. You can also walk. You can also take public transit, as this part of town is pretty well-served by it (depending on which way you are going admittedly).
If people are getting tickets because they're running in to pick up a pizza, it means they're parking in a very illegal spot. Probably in front of a hydrant, or in a spot which blocks a bus.
Do your customers usually drive here?
We have a lot of customers that drive from out of town. People who used to come here as a kid, or met their wife here, and now they live in New Jersey or the suburbs. The parking situation is getting crazy. People run in to pick up a pie and get a $20 or $30 parking ticket. I can’t park, myself. I park four blocks away.
Do you live far away?
Not really. I should walk. Or ride a bike! I go to the gym at Fourth and Bainbridge and I just saw the city built a thing where you put money in and pick up a bike. Bike rentals. They’re nice bikes, too, with a basket to carry things in. Maybe I should do that here, get a bike station out front.
I get that business owners at times have specific parking needs, but four blocks is not far. You can park. Just a few blocks away. You can also walk. You can also take public transit, as this part of town is pretty well-served by it (depending on which way you are going admittedly).
If people are getting tickets because they're running in to pick up a pizza, it means they're parking in a very illegal spot. Probably in front of a hydrant, or in a spot which blocks a bus.
Morning Joe Still Loves Him
Americans (and probably others) do have a fondness for putting assholes in charge, based on the notion that they'll kick the asses of the "right" people. Christie just beats on everyone.
Christie’s overall job rating currently stands at 35% approve to 54% disapprove among New Jersey residents and 35% approve to 56% disapprove among the state’s registered voters. This marks a significant drop from just a few months ago and is an all-time low in Christie’s net job rating.
Sunday, May 03, 2015
Hell On Earth
I haven't spent enough time in Scandinavia to have a deep understanding of any of the countries. Places always have problems and troubles and complexities that aren't immediately apparent to people who just visit for a few days. But it'll certainly be good to have someone out there actually pointing out that maybe some other places do it right. As with everything else in our political discourse, it's ok to praise other countries in order to justify conservative goals. You know, we need charter schools so our kids test as well as Korean kids!!! or whoever we're supposed to be "losing" to this week.
Gonna Need More Bikes
Judging by my random survey of bikeshare availability, they're gonna need more bikes.
Hellhole Grumbling
I know Sunday is "park anywhere day" but in front of hydrants? Blocking crosswalks?
gr.
gr.
Primary Colors
I know I only experience this because I read too much of the internet, but why does primary season bring out the ridiculous narcissists? And it's only May. 2015.
Elections Elsewhere
It's been depressing to watch Labour do the "slightly less evil than the other guys" schtick that we're so used to here. They might trip over the finish line anyway, but I doubt it. I just don't get why it's so hard to find obviously popular policies and campaign on them, even if you're full of shit.
Saturday, May 02, 2015
Not Sure He Knows How This Game Is Played
Every time Ed Miliband seems like he knows what he's doing, 5 seconds later he shows that he doesn't.
Friday, May 01, 2015
Two Predictions: One Good, One Bad
The Baltimore cops will effectively have their own "riot" tonight, jacking up everyone they can.
But they've been put on notice, so it might be their last hurrah.
Hopefully only the second one has any truth to it.
But they've been put on notice, so it might be their last hurrah.
Hopefully only the second one has any truth to it.
Actual Charges
The state's attorney is actually going to charge 6 police officers in events surrounding the death of Freddie Gray. Not sure what the actual charges are.
Never optimistic that cops will be convicted for even obvious illegal wrongdoing, but failure to charge them, as is common, is proof the system is rotten from top to bottom.
Never optimistic that cops will be convicted for even obvious illegal wrongdoing, but failure to charge them, as is common, is proof the system is rotten from top to bottom.
Who's Serious?
Basically anyone with a pulse is taken seriously by our media if they run for president as a Republican. I don't see one this week, but the NYT has run weekly fawning profiles of all the wannabees - even before they declared! - over the past couple of months. If you're a Democrat, however, and you're slightly to the left of Jeb Bush, you aren't "serious."
I ain't gonna bet on Bernie Sanders winning the nomination, but I wouldn't bet on Jindal, Perry, Christie, etc... either.
I ain't gonna bet on Bernie Sanders winning the nomination, but I wouldn't bet on Jindal, Perry, Christie, etc... either.
So Petty
Probably not just about lane closures.
The inquiry by the U.S. Attorney's office, however, soon expanded beyond the bridge, looking into whether David Samson, a close Christie ally and adviser, used his position as chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — which operates the George Washington Bridge — to steer contracts and business to his powerful law firm, Wolff & Samson.
Samson stepped down from the Port Authority last year. He retired from his law firm last month, which was quickly renamed. No one answered the door at his home this morning.
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