I didn't listen to all that much new music this year. Mostly classical for me in 2017. I tend to alternate. Anyway, the best new to me band (which you will hate, because that's how we do things here) is July Talk.
Happy New Year! I'm, uh, sure the next one will be better.
Sunday, December 31, 2017
I Suppose He Has 10 Days Left
I'm not sure at what point Vaporware becomes consumer and investor fraud, but...
This is summon, as described initially.
These are Tesla owners, much later, discussing summon.
In ~2 years, summon should work anywhere connected by land & not blocked by borders, eg you're in LA and the car is in NY
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2016
This is summon, as described initially.
Elon Musk has announced a new feature for the Tesla Model S that will allow you to ‘summon’ it to and from a parking spot, meaning it’ll drive itself in and out of the garage. Good news then, if you really hate parking.
And if you hate driving across country? Even better news. “Eventually, your Tesla will be able to drive anywhere across the country to meet you, charging itself along the way,” the company announced.
These are Tesla owners, much later, discussing summon.
Capitalism Can Only Be Failed
It's a somewhat fair joke about communists that they think communism has never failed because it has never been tried, but a similarly fair joke can be made about our capitalist cheerleaders. Lots of horrible things have happened under "capitalism," broadly defined, though one can always kick a bunch of things out of the definition of capitalism to make it seem better. Failures of capitalism are all due to betrayals of the ideals of capitalism. Sounds pretty familiar, really.
A lot of people in this country can't afford necessary dentistry. Half of Puerto Rico doesn't have any power...still. I blame our generous welfare system and [spins wheel] over-regulation.
A lot of people in this country can't afford necessary dentistry. Half of Puerto Rico doesn't have any power...still. I blame our generous welfare system and [spins wheel] over-regulation.
All In All
I don't think it's the prime liberal concern about "The Wall" (I can't get past "this is so goddamn stupid," to be honest), or border issues generally, but Americans living along the border get screwed by this stuff, both in terms of their properties being taken and bissected, and in terms of restricting freedom of travel. Once upon a time it was pretty easy to pop across the border to Mexico. It isn't anymore.
Free Parking
Parking is free on Saturdays during the holiday season here in the urban hellhole (it's not as if on street parking is actually expensive any other time). Maybe this policy made sense decades ago when they were desperate to attract shoppers from the suburbs, but now the problem is that...there isn't much on street parking (at least in dense retail areas). So free parking tells people they should drive in and then they circle around and cause traffic jams and get pissed off that there is nowhere to park (much more than just paying a few bucks would bother them if they could find a spot). The best you can say about the free parking policy is that it doesn't really encourage that many more people to drive in, but if not then what's the point?
Transit, of course, is not free.
Transit, of course, is not free.
What Law Was Broken?
Not saying there wasn't one, but I'm curious.
Looks like it's against hotel policy, but exactly what does it take to be "unlawfully carrying a weapon" in Texas? Our gun laws are so nuts that I don't know how you even violate the law anymore.
HOUSTON - A man has been arrested on multiple charges after police located a small arsenal of guns on the top floor of the Hyatt Regency on Louisiana Street downtown, Houston police said.
...
The man was arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon and trespassing. When investigators looked into his room further, they located an AR-15, a shotgun, a handgun and lots of ammunition, Macintosh said.
Looks like it's against hotel policy, but exactly what does it take to be "unlawfully carrying a weapon" in Texas? Our gun laws are so nuts that I don't know how you even violate the law anymore.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Saturday Discussion Topic
The Dems didn't have to lose (or lose so badly, at least) in 2010. They fucked up. Discuss.
BothSides
There are hacks on both sides. Everybody cheers for their team and every political operative lies a bit. Obama lied sometimes. His press people lied sometimes (we can debate the metaphysical meaning of lie, but whatever).
But there has always (in my lifetime) been a "hack gap." Democrats (or their surrogates) just don't lie that much. Maybe Democrats are more honest people, or maybe (and more importantly) the press freaks the fuck out when they do make certain kinds of lies (some kinds of lies official Washington always tolerates). Most members of the press pretend to be unaware of this. I don't believe they are unaware of this.
But there has always (in my lifetime) been a "hack gap." Democrats (or their surrogates) just don't lie that much. Maybe Democrats are more honest people, or maybe (and more importantly) the press freaks the fuck out when they do make certain kinds of lies (some kinds of lies official Washington always tolerates). Most members of the press pretend to be unaware of this. I don't believe they are unaware of this.
Google Sucks
Once upon a time google appeared on the internets and it was such a superior search engine that the rest basically died. Now... it is still good for certain things but is otherwise horrible. We don't talk about this enough.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Nobody Could Have Predicted
When Christie cancelled the ARC project to piss off the libs and become president (haha) a lot of transit nerds actually cheered. It was imperfect (true!) it's too expensive (true!) it's successor will be better (ok, maybe) it's successor will get federal funding (hahahaha are you new here?). Oh, sure, it'll just delay the project by a few years, but then we'll have some new tunnels.
In 10-20 years there won't be any train service through the NE. Heckuva job.
The president officially scrapped his predecessor's proposal to have the federal government underwrite half the cost of a multi-billion-dollar Amtrak tunnel connecting New Jersey to Penn Station, the busiest transit hub in the U.S. The lone existing tunnel is rapidly deteriorating, threatening to sever Amtrak's popular Northeast Corridor and to divert tens of thousands of New Jerseyans from their daily Manhattan commutes via New Jersey Transit.
In 10-20 years there won't be any train service through the NE. Heckuva job.
Not Inventing This
I'm not inventing the "you can't criticize us!" trope. This isn't from a NYTer - though they've been running defense and showing contempt for their customers since last night, but it is from a WSJer. "These criticism are unfair" is fine (maybe not correct, but fine!). This, however, is bizarre.
It’s nobody’s business what tactics a print reporter chooses to use in an interview and if you don’t like it, nobody is making you read it!
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) December 29, 2017
When Atrios Met Obummer
A million years ago a few bloggers, including me, got to go to the White House and spend about 45 minutes with Obummer and have a chance to ask a question. There were 5 of us there, I think. We basically had a chance to ask one question. We were all "liberals" and I don't think any of us really thought of ourselves as journalists (I don't want to speak for everyone, of course). I'll fully admit this was more a "cool thing you get to do and tell your friends about" than "a chance to ask that One Good Question to take the presidency down" but, hey, it wasn't as if I never criticized the guy (longtime readers might remember I criticized him quite a bit, especially but not just in the early days).
My thing was the foreclosure crisis. I had one question and no real chance for a follow up. I suppose I could have interrupted and tried to get into an argument, or whatever, but it wasn't a show all about me. I wasn't so deferential to Obama that I couldn't have done it, but I was deferential to the time limits and the fact that other people deserved their chance to ask a question.
So I asked a very open ended question. I knew this would just let him talk. But given the format - and that Obummer can talk - he was just going to do that anyway. I'm too lazy to hunt up the transcript but my question was something like, "Are you happy with the federal response to the foreclosure crisis?" My point was to make it open ended but also to try to get him up on his heels, if just a bit. Hard to fluster no drama Obama. And I don't claim I did, but he did actually get a bit defensive.
I didn't make any news that day (Joe Sudbay did, as Obama famously informed the world that he was "evolving" on same sex marriage. Good for Joe!). Some journalist even said the blogger questions were dumb! Fine, whatever, though compared to a typical press conference we did ok. Still I'm a big boy. Unlike the New York Times journalists, I can take the criticism!
Anyway, my point is, I get the "ask an open ended question to let them talk and see what happens" method. I used it. But I didn't get a follow up question. You don't need to interrupt if you have a follow up question. You can just...ask an appropriate question.
My thing was the foreclosure crisis. I had one question and no real chance for a follow up. I suppose I could have interrupted and tried to get into an argument, or whatever, but it wasn't a show all about me. I wasn't so deferential to Obama that I couldn't have done it, but I was deferential to the time limits and the fact that other people deserved their chance to ask a question.
So I asked a very open ended question. I knew this would just let him talk. But given the format - and that Obummer can talk - he was just going to do that anyway. I'm too lazy to hunt up the transcript but my question was something like, "Are you happy with the federal response to the foreclosure crisis?" My point was to make it open ended but also to try to get him up on his heels, if just a bit. Hard to fluster no drama Obama. And I don't claim I did, but he did actually get a bit defensive.
I didn't make any news that day (Joe Sudbay did, as Obama famously informed the world that he was "evolving" on same sex marriage. Good for Joe!). Some journalist even said the blogger questions were dumb! Fine, whatever, though compared to a typical press conference we did ok. Still I'm a big boy. Unlike the New York Times journalists, I can take the criticism!
Anyway, my point is, I get the "ask an open ended question to let them talk and see what happens" method. I used it. But I didn't get a follow up question. You don't need to interrupt if you have a follow up question. You can just...ask an appropriate question.
Not How It Works
The basic line from elite journalists these days is that we are an absolutely vital part of democracy so you must give us subscription money or the country is doomed. Also you cannot criticize us, customer.
As the ad money goes away, they need subscriptions. They'd better figure out who their customers are.
As the ad money goes away, they need subscriptions. They'd better figure out who their customers are.
Someone Does The Work
Maggie got all snippy with Daniel.
Donald Trump made 25 false claims in his latest New York Times interview
Said with equal respect, your public persona has become based in part on the very real idea that this president is quite different than others. That goes for almost all manner of interaction https://t.co/rcKd1ybEJs
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 29, 2017
The NYT Does Not Understand Journalism
It's so bad it doesn't deserve the hate clicks. NYT journalist gets to interview Trump. Journalist basically says, "just pretend you're tweeting for 45 minutes." Trump monologues. Journalist nods along. NYT reporters get very defensive.
The point of being a good interviewer is being a good interviewer. That isn't one thing, of course, but it certainly isn't failing to ask a single follow up question or ever pressing the president to explain his YUGE KNOWLEDGE about, well, everything. He knows the most things of any president about all the big bills, you see. Obvious follow up..."name one." "Tell me something about the tax bill." Anything?
The point of being a good interviewer is being a good interviewer. That isn't one thing, of course, but it certainly isn't failing to ask a single follow up question or ever pressing the president to explain his YUGE KNOWLEDGE about, well, everything. He knows the most things of any president about all the big bills, you see. Obvious follow up..."name one." "Tell me something about the tax bill." Anything?
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Cold
Not that it never gets this cold here, but we usually get a few day of it in a row and that's it. Not a 10+ day cold spell.
Roy Moore
I guess he'll move on to the next grift. I'd like to say Alabama is having a great liberal resurgence, but it's really just Moore was too gross for them. Still credit where credit is due. It's actually asking a lot for most voters to switch parties Would I be able to vote for Pat Toomey?
Still Just A Rat In The Cage
Shh Bono.
The U2 frontman shared some insight into the state of music with Rolling Stone, and explained that he believes a revolution may soon be on the horizon because boys need somewhere to put their rage.
"I think music has gotten very girly. And there are some good things about that, but hip-hop is the only place for young male anger at the moment — and that's not good," he said.
Who Would Be Stupid Enough To Work For Trump
I think there was a moment when "everyone" thought they could put Trump on the throne and then control him, or at least just go about their daily grift. That's still probably true (the daily grift part) of senior people that Trump doesn't pay much attention to. Sauron's eye not especially all seeing. But otherwise...who would go work in that hellpit now? Probably there are people who will, but they're really stupid people.
Black People Voting Is Evidence Of Voter Fraud
They fundamentally don't think black people should be allowed to vote. I think too many people see voter disenfranchisement as purely self-serving. You know, Republicans just want to win so if they can stop Democrats from voting they're more likely to win. I'm sure it's that way for some. But for many...they just don't think black people should be allowed to vote.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Loyalty
Never work with Trump.
President Trump's legal team plans to cast former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn as a liar seeking to protect himself if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing, according to three people familiar with the strategy.
It's A Bit Unpleasant
I don't fault the workers who are probably paid shit, but there's something a bit... unpleasant about visiting my local theater? I'm not even sure how to explain it. I could point to some of the obvious things - absurdly priced concessions - but it's more than that. And I don't care about the food/drink because I probably wouldn't buy it even if cheap. Also I used to make fun of European theaters because of the ads...and then, well, not too pleased about paying my $14 to watch a bunch of ads.
Though a version of this story is written every year and really the trends in ticket sales aren't that bad.
For most people, going to movies in the theater is more of a hassle than a joy — why sit in an uncomfortable chair and spend upwards of $10 to get a ticket, plus the cost of popcorn and a drink? As the number of shows on television and subscription services surges and home theater systems improve, it takes a lot to get customers to leave their homes.
Though a version of this story is written every year and really the trends in ticket sales aren't that bad.
One Quick Trick
Gotta win elections. The people who we give a lot of money to so that they win elections gotta actually win them.
Old People Don't Like Paying For Schools
It'd be nice to believe we're all in it together in this lovely social compact, but we all have priorities. Communities with ageing populations are going to be less interested in paying for schools, and people on relatively fixed incomes understandably aren't big fans of their property taxes going up.
Just a random thought. Good enough for a holiday week blog post.
Just a random thought. Good enough for a holiday week blog post.
Fake News
I hate the focus on "fake news" because it's nothing new and for years I've watched journalists respect "fake news" (talk radio, Fox news, etc.) as long as it had big financial backing.
When Rush Limbaugh has been treated like a king for years, it's a bit weird to get upset about dumb shit on facebook.
When Rush Limbaugh has been treated like a king for years, it's a bit weird to get upset about dumb shit on facebook.
How Does Anything Work
He is so stupid.
Recently, Trump bemoaned the Republicans’ loss in a special election in Alabama and in part blamed Sessions, whose departure from the Senate to head to Justice necessitated the election.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Flat
I love the urban hellhole but we have no hills. I spent a month in an undisclosed location which rhymes with Sharona this past summer where I went on a 7-8 mile hike up into the hills most mornings. That was nice I miss it.
28
Every year my resolution is to read more books. 24 is my basic goal. 2 a month! Not hard! I rarely manage. This year I did!
The Sellout
Starter for Ten
The Goldfinch
Last Night In Montreal
A Landing on the Sun
The Lowland
The Interpreter
My Name is Lucy Barton
Everything I Never Told You
The Miniaturist
The Stockholm Octavo
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
Lincoln in the Bardo
Shift
Old Filth
NW
The Peppered Moth
The Underground Railroad
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
The Girl in the Road
The Children's Book
The Singer's Gun
The Summer Before The War
The Moor's Account
The Man In The Wooden Hat
Dust
Little Fires Everywhere
The Sellout
Starter for Ten
The Goldfinch
Last Night In Montreal
A Landing on the Sun
The Lowland
The Interpreter
My Name is Lucy Barton
Everything I Never Told You
The Miniaturist
The Stockholm Octavo
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
Lincoln in the Bardo
Shift
Old Filth
NW
The Peppered Moth
The Underground Railroad
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
The Girl in the Road
The Children's Book
The Singer's Gun
The Summer Before The War
The Moor's Account
The Man In The Wooden Hat
Dust
Little Fires Everywhere
Lost
Oopsie. Just a little mistake. Not intentional so stop saying that.
Thousands of government papers detailing some of the most controversial episodes in 20th-century British history have vanished after civil servants removed them from the country’s National Archives and then reported them as lost.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Banning The Lot Of You
I am sorry but I have had to ban most of the commenters on this website because they said "Merry Christmas" and this is still against the law and I don't want to go to jail.
Everything Stops
A few years ago I was in London for Christmas. There was no public transit. At all. This was actually quite amazing. Obviously some people work on Christmas, but to an amazing degree nobody actually worked. Yes, again, of course some people did. Things do not stop for your silly holidays. But much more than here... everything stopped. It was weird.
Legend
Even in the early days of the internet, the Star Wars Holiday Special was kind of a myth. People whispered about it, but nobody really believed it was real. "Streaming video" was not a thing back then. So people talked about it and described it but... it was a myth. How could this be real?
I am pretty sure I saw it when it was on TV. The one time it was on TV. I remember reading about it on nerd forums in the late 90s when people would debate whether it was actually real. It's real! God it's horrible.
I am pretty sure I saw it when it was on TV. The one time it was on TV. I remember reading about it on nerd forums in the late 90s when people would debate whether it was actually real. It's real! God it's horrible.
Christmas Is About Poop
Sure the South Park guys gave us Mr. Hanky, but they must have been inspired by Catalonia. There are two poop-related Christmas traditions in Catalonia. First is the caganer. Any nativity scene in Catalonia has a pooper. The original was just the pooping peasant, but of course because capitalism you can buy poopers of all kinds.
The other tradition it the Caga Tió. While Santa climbs down the chimney to bring us our presents, Caga Tió is the present pooping log. You sing a song, beat him with a stick, and then he shits out your presents. I am not making this up.
The other tradition it the Caga Tió. While Santa climbs down the chimney to bring us our presents, Caga Tió is the present pooping log. You sing a song, beat him with a stick, and then he shits out your presents. I am not making this up.
shit, log,
shit turrón,
hazelnuts and mató cheese,
if you don't shit well,
I'll hit you with a stick,
shit, log!
Why Are People So Cruel
On this day, the fake birthday of the baby Jesus, it's a good question to ask. I don't think I'm a particularly nice and generous person, but I hope I draw the line (mostly) at active and aggressive cruelty. I might not always give the homeless person some money, but I won't run across the street to kick them, either.
When I read stories of, say, police brutality or ICE abuses, I just can't quite fathom how people are capable of that. I'll even allow the "panicky cop shoots someone" defense, but some of these stories are just about sadism. I guess when I was a teenager and my brain was broken as is the norm of teenagers I could have been a bully, but I grew up? I don't get it.
When I read stories of, say, police brutality or ICE abuses, I just can't quite fathom how people are capable of that. I'll even allow the "panicky cop shoots someone" defense, but some of these stories are just about sadism. I guess when I was a teenager and my brain was broken as is the norm of teenagers I could have been a bully, but I grew up? I don't get it.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
The Original "Electronic" Music
I recently saw a performance of a Conlon Nancarrow composition that wasn't one of his player piano pieces, but it reminded me of his... player piano pieces which I had forgotten about.
Smug
One weird question I get from suburban friends is... how do you shop for groceries??? OK I don't have kids so that task is a bit simpler but you can actually shop for food without a giant parking lot. There are 4 giant supermarkets within 12 minutes walking distance from me (2 have parking garages, 2 have lots if that's your thing...you can actaully drive if you want to). Also I live right by the Italian Market which is where Rocky runs by flaming garbage cans but is also an open air produce market with butchers and fishmongers and Italian and Mexican specialty stores. Also the Reading Terminal Market is an 8 minute bus ride away and that's where all your dreams come true.
The Darkest Timeline
In some weird CW superhero show parallel universe Donald Trump is president.
haha that's our universe. fuck everything
haha that's our universe. fuck everything
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Avocado's Number
One of the weirdest "memes" of the olds is how young people are spending all their money on a piece of fruit (avocado) on toast (some sort of grain that is ground and then turned into dough and baked) and this is evidence that they are spending all their moneys on a wasteful thing. Avocados are not expensive. Avocados are not new to mainstream Merica. I ate them when I was a child and I am old. I suppose putting them on toast and charging 6 bucks in Brooklyn is new, but anything on toast costs six bucks in Brooklyn. Eggs are cheap, too, but less cheap if you pay someone to put them on toast for you. I know back on the good old days you could get eggs on toast for 2 bucks in Brooklyn, but now that costs six bucks. I don't think that's because millennials like avocados. Also they are (supposedly) healthy.
Peak Stupid
If only people were so willing to light their money on fire investing in Eschaton World Industries. At least I occasionally have a good joke (very occasionally, but still).
Do people who write these things live in this world? I mean, my bus doesn't always come when it is supposed to but at least it doesn't make pit stops.
But these prognostications miss what will be one of the biggest developments of all: In a world full of autonomous autos, transportation will become free. Not just hands-free, or driver-free, or go-wherever-you-want free. But free as in beer: complimentary, gratis. Summon a car and travel for nothing—that is, so long as you are willing to make a stop or two en route at sponsoring locations.
Picture a not-too-distant future where a trip across town is available to anyone who will spend 15 minutes in McDonald’s on the way. Not a fast-food fan? Then for you it’s Starbucks, a bookstore, the game parlor. Rides with a child stop at the Disney store, while teenage girls are routed via next decade’s version of Zara and H&M. Unlike today’s UberPool, with its roundabout routes and multiple passenger pickups, “UberFree” features tailor-made routes and thoughtfully targeted stops.
Do people who write these things live in this world? I mean, my bus doesn't always come when it is supposed to but at least it doesn't make pit stops.
Cat People Got Nobody
Since it's the holiday season I can write vanity posts. I don't care about the cat vs. dog debate. Enjoy your pets! But a weird slander on cats (and therefore cat people) is that cats aren't affectionate. Sure some are assholes and some are semi-feral. If you don't give them sufficient human contact early they're probably always going to be a bit suspicious. But my little assholes bug me all day long. One insists on sleeping on my computer as I try to provide powerful blogs for you and the other one waits for me in bed every night. When I take the occasional nap it's like Christmas squared for one of them as he demands to join in the festive slumber. Frankly, I wish they were a bit less affectionate. Too much work.
Christmas Eve Eve
Only two days before our annual Eschaton Christmas tradition!!! Are you excited???
Friday, December 22, 2017
Both Sides
The myth of the last several decades is that bothsides wanted similar outcomes, but they just disagreed about the way to get there. Evil socialist communist liberals thought that big government was the answer, and hot sexy randian conservatives thought the private sector was the answer, but but both, ultimately, thought that the welfare of all human beings was important.
This was bullshit. The goals were not the same (I'll leave aside the issue of how much elite goals of both parties were, actually, the same). But it was the myth the press propped up for decades. Should federal money go to welfare queens, or to heroic capitalists in Jack Kemp's empowerment zones? The question was ridiculously framed as, "which would be better for the poor?" Instead of, "who should receive the welfare." That rich people should get all the welfare won. Heckuva job, opinion shapers.
This was bullshit. The goals were not the same (I'll leave aside the issue of how much elite goals of both parties were, actually, the same). But it was the myth the press propped up for decades. Should federal money go to welfare queens, or to heroic capitalists in Jack Kemp's empowerment zones? The question was ridiculously framed as, "which would be better for the poor?" Instead of, "who should receive the welfare." That rich people should get all the welfare won. Heckuva job, opinion shapers.
Shame
Just got this: Ten women who have accused Mark Halperin of sexual misconduct send statement to @msnbc rebutting @morningmika’s comments this morning about Halperin: pic.twitter.com/wgDStvilwM
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) December 22, 2017
Home For The Holidays
I'm an international man of mystery and sometimes I am not where you think I am! Kidding (well, half kidding), but the last couple of holiday seasons I was not here in the urban hellhole and now I am. Gonna cook a goose. I have no other point.
Holiday Schedule
I know I am always a lazy blogger, but as we move into the long holiday (CHRISTMAS MR. TRUMP I MEANT CHRISTMAS) weekend, blogging will be suckier than usual, as is the custom.
I Hate That I Even Know Who This Person Is
With any luck you don't, but it's fun watching someone get chewed up on the internet.
Turn The Machines Back On
oops
Coinbase, one of the biggest bitcoin marketplaces in the U.S., said Friday that buying and selling was temporarily disabled amid price rout
I Might Ride That To The Airport Or The Baseball Game
This is right.
And good transit to airports or baseball stadiums might be good projects (though not if these destinations are the primary purpose, usually), but transit decisions are driven by people who imagine riding transit is something they would do occasionally in certain circumstances, instead of by/for people who use it every day.
Many poor transit investments have arisen from a too-small group of fortunate people assuming that everyone shares their tastes and priorities. They forget that to be elite is to be a minority, and it makes no business sense to design transit around elite tastes if what you really want are lots and lots of riders.
And good transit to airports or baseball stadiums might be good projects (though not if these destinations are the primary purpose, usually), but transit decisions are driven by people who imagine riding transit is something they would do occasionally in certain circumstances, instead of by/for people who use it every day.
Would You Like To Talk To Your Abuser?
What is wrong with these people? The important thing is Mark Halperin's feefees, apparently.
The accusations against Halperin were... pretty bad. I mean, I hate ranking these things, and I often think we lack the words to describe these things precisely (because they aren't precise), but Halperin wasn't just accused of being an asshole boss, he was accused of sexual assault. More importantly, he denied those accusations (though admitted to being a bad boy generally), so what is he apologizing for? If his accusers are telling the truth, and he says they're lying, he's defaming them. Abusing them again. They're supposed to have coffee with him? Fuck you, Mika.
The brains of elites are broken.
The accusations against Halperin were... pretty bad. I mean, I hate ranking these things, and I often think we lack the words to describe these things precisely (because they aren't precise), but Halperin wasn't just accused of being an asshole boss, he was accused of sexual assault. More importantly, he denied those accusations (though admitted to being a bad boy generally), so what is he apologizing for? If his accusers are telling the truth, and he says they're lying, he's defaming them. Abusing them again. They're supposed to have coffee with him? Fuck you, Mika.
The brains of elites are broken.
"History Buff"
Where does this term come from? There are no "math buffs" or "ballet buffs" or "pottery buffs." I suppose I could google that for me.
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Infallible Great Men
The internet exposes you to lots of people you might not otherwise come across, and one interesting group are the fanboys of infallible Great Men. I'm not giving examples of these Great Men to criticize them specifically. That isn't the point. Elon Musk and Steve Jobs come to mind. There are others and they aren't limited to tech or any position on the political spectrum. Again, this isn't about whether those guys specifically are Good or Bad, just that if you say one bad thing about any of them on the internet you're going to get a disproportionately angry response from certain quarters. I mean, maybe Musk is great but...but none of us perfect, and does he really need the Elon Musk defense squad?
What Are We Going To Do, Bomb Them All?
Nikki Haley tried to threaten ALL the countries at the UN and the vote was a squeaker.
The scary thing is we might bomb them all, but the Trump administration abandoning anything resembling sane diplomacy might not be the worst thing in the world. Except for the bombing part, of course. We actually don't have to influence everything the world, and it's far from clear that it's good when we do. "America's Decline" in the sense of other countries tuning us out has been going on since the Bush administration. Their obsession with Iraq led to them ignoring the rest of the world, and I never had the sense that the Obama administration reversed that very much (above my pay grade!). (I don't mean Obama was BAD LIKE BUSH I mean our focus narrowed and our influence shrank).
The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly rejected the Trump administration's decision to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. By a lopsided 128-9 vote Thursday, the diplomats gathered in New York City ignored U.S. objections and approved a resolution calling on countries to avoid moving their embassies to Jerusalem.
The scary thing is we might bomb them all, but the Trump administration abandoning anything resembling sane diplomacy might not be the worst thing in the world. Except for the bombing part, of course. We actually don't have to influence everything the world, and it's far from clear that it's good when we do. "America's Decline" in the sense of other countries tuning us out has been going on since the Bush administration. Their obsession with Iraq led to them ignoring the rest of the world, and I never had the sense that the Obama administration reversed that very much (above my pay grade!). (I don't mean Obama was BAD LIKE BUSH I mean our focus narrowed and our influence shrank).
Fall's Over
Oh well.
Real driverless cars could come to the Phoenix area this year, according to a Monday report from The Information's Amir Efrati. Two anonymous sources have told Efrati that Google's self-driving car unit, Waymo, is preparing to launch "a commercial ride-sharing service powered by self-driving vehicles with no human 'safety' drivers as soon as this fall."
Never Trust "The Cloud"
It's just somebody else's computer, and they can pull the plug anytime.
I learned this way back in the early internets when some photo storage service (I forget which) suddenly shut down.
Good for temporary storage and flexibility, so you can access your stuff from multiple locations. Not a long term option. This isn't some startup. It's Amazon.
I learned this way back in the early internets when some photo storage service (I forget which) suddenly shut down.
Amazon Music will end its streaming support for users' uploaded MP3 in 2019, the service announced this week with a statement on its website.
Amazon Music Storage subscription plans, which let users upload music from their Mac or PC and stream them alongside the in-app on-demand and radio options, will be accepted until Jan. 15, 2018. Then, the service will run until January 2019, when it will be removed entirely.
Good for temporary storage and flexibility, so you can access your stuff from multiple locations. Not a long term option. This isn't some startup. It's Amazon.
Not Quite Rich Enough
One "good" thing about likely media coverage of the tax bill going forward (and some of it now) is that our media loves to talk about the lifestyles of the "not quite rich enough." You know, living in New York on "only" $400,000 per year. That kind of thing. That's because they're talking about themselves and their friends.
The tax bill is not good for a lot of these people (details vary, blahblah, a full analysis is available in the margin of this blog post). Who cares about the poors, why can't I fully deduct my $30,000 in property taxes???
The tax bill is not good for a lot of these people (details vary, blahblah, a full analysis is available in the margin of this blog post). Who cares about the poors, why can't I fully deduct my $30,000 in property taxes???
Morning Thread
There is ratfuckery afoot.
Here's Digby to explain it all. She's also having her annual request for donations. A few shekels sent her way would be appreciated. Only if you can afford it, of course.
Here's Digby to explain it all. She's also having her annual request for donations. A few shekels sent her way would be appreciated. Only if you can afford it, of course.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Gotta Give People Something To Vote For
The issue has never been annoying bernie bros who piss you off on the internet. It's the vast number of people who don't bother voting because why should they. Don't say "voter suppression" because while that matters, lots of people don't even try to vote. Their vote doesn't have to be suppressed. And arguing that team 'D' would win if only things were fair doesn't make team 'D' actually win. There are no refs calling penalties. It doesn't work like that.
"Trump sucks" might win 2018, but if Dems don't deliver than "Dems suck" will win in 2020.
"Trump sucks" might win 2018, but if Dems don't deliver than "Dems suck" will win in 2020.
Loofah
I hope Mackris gets even more money!
Two women who reached sexual harassment settlements with Bill O’Reilly joined a defamation lawsuit against Mr. O’Reilly and Fox News on Wednesday, asserting that statements that he and the network made depicted them as liars, political operatives and extortionists.
The women are Andrea Mackris, a former producer on Mr. O’Reilly’s show on Fox News who sued him for sexual harassment in 2004, and Rebecca Gomez Diamond, a former host on Fox Business Network who reached a settlement with Mr. O’Reilly in 2011 after coming forward with sexual harassment allegations against him. Both women had recorded conversations with Mr. O’Reilly, and he paid both settlements, according to people briefed on the matter.
Just A Little Problem
I know I'm the crazy one, but I rarely even drive and I know how hard this problem is.
Maybe it is because I rarely drive that I see it as a less... not sure what the word is... natural thing to do. Driving is hard! It is not like programming a robot forklift to stock shelves.
One of the problems with LIDAR and other mounted sensors is that they can easily get covered in snow, affecting their ability to “see.” LIDAR also gets confused when its lasers get absorbed by snowflakes and water droplets, said Huei Peng, the director of Mcity in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a simulated urban environment for testing autonomous vehicles. “The snow presents challenges you will never experience in sunny California,” he said.
Maybe it is because I rarely drive that I see it as a less... not sure what the word is... natural thing to do. Driving is hard! It is not like programming a robot forklift to stock shelves.
While I'm Trying To Remember The WORLD'S GREATEST BLOG POST
I did watch a movie last night. I don't watch that many these days (either in the theater or at home). It was good. Probably no one in the US saw it as it only had very limited distribution. It's called Pride and it's about (fictionalized, not documentary) gay and lesbian activists supporting the coal miners during the 80s strike in the UK. Bill Nighy! Imelda Staunton! Dominic West (McNulty)! What more could you want?
Morning
I had a great idea for THE BEST BLOG POST EVER before I went to bed and then of course I forgot.
So, welcome to the Kleptocracy, everybody.
So, welcome to the Kleptocracy, everybody.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Maybe She Said "Sexy"
Quite a moment just now. We asked Susan Collins about House Republicans vowing not to pass the provisions McConnell promised her to win her tax vote. She stared for several seconds and said she thought the press's coverage of the tax bill has been extremely sexist.
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) December 19, 2017
There's A Simple Solution
When you're done, say "I am am sorry, I will be right back with your tip," then walk across the street, get some cash, and go give it to the person.
I get annoyed by people who don't carry cash. I don't mean having 200 bucks in your pocket at all times, but 20 or so. I don't care how convenient all the other payment methods are, they just don't work everywhere.
People who don’t carry cash aren’t oblivious to the plight of these workers. Maya Chung, 27, hasn’t carried paper money since she was a teenager, instead relying on a combination of digital apps, PayPal and plastic to get through her day. Her building in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn doesn’t have a doorman, but when she visits the nail salon she perpetually finds herself embarrassed not to have cash for gratuities.
“Every time I go there without cash they miss out on their tips cause they don’t have the mechanism to put it on the credit card, and I always feel bad,” said Ms. Chung, a digital reporter at InsideEdition.com. Still, she can’t seem to remember to visit the A.T.M. before she goes. “I’m just not thinking about it because I’m so programmed to never have cash on me.”
I get annoyed by people who don't carry cash. I don't mean having 200 bucks in your pocket at all times, but 20 or so. I don't care how convenient all the other payment methods are, they just don't work everywhere.
I Forget Whose Line It Was
Something like... "I don't understand why conservatives want poor mothers to work and rich mothers to stay at home." That was more about social conservatism than economic conservatism, but...
The update for this tax bill is... "I don't understand why conservatives want poor people to work and rich people to stay at home." It takes money from people who work (because they have to) and gives it to people who don't.
The update for this tax bill is... "I don't understand why conservatives want poor people to work and rich people to stay at home." It takes money from people who work (because they have to) and gives it to people who don't.
Dem Fan Fiction
I see a lot of this type of commentary, I hope it is true (and more than a little true), but I'd like to be convinced.
I see even prominent Dem types (Obama administration people, Think Tankers, etc) saying things like, "I used to be a moderate, but the Republicans have gone too far this time so now I'm a socialist." This is a caricature, of course, but I don't really get it. Have opinions on desirable policy changed, or was compromise for the sake of compromise really so baked into Dem thinking that they're even stupider than I thought? I get compromise-as-pose (though I suspect people often misunderstood who Obama and some senators are posing for) from politicians, and I get compromise-as-necessity from them, but compromise-as-compromise because...? What the hell.
The next Democratic government will focus on the expansion of Medicaid and/or Medicare, ...
I see even prominent Dem types (Obama administration people, Think Tankers, etc) saying things like, "I used to be a moderate, but the Republicans have gone too far this time so now I'm a socialist." This is a caricature, of course, but I don't really get it. Have opinions on desirable policy changed, or was compromise for the sake of compromise really so baked into Dem thinking that they're even stupider than I thought? I get compromise-as-pose (though I suspect people often misunderstood who Obama and some senators are posing for) from politicians, and I get compromise-as-necessity from them, but compromise-as-compromise because...? What the hell.
Ugh
This is not supposed to happen.
The train that careened off a bridge outside Tacoma, Washington, killing three people was traveling at 80 mph on a 30-mph stretch of track, federal investigators confirmed late Monday.
Monday, December 18, 2017
Or You Could Just Do Away With The Algorithm
Instead of piling algorithms on top of algorithms on top of algorithms to fix the problems of your algorithms, how about let people choose which friend and brands and businesses or whatever to like or follow or whatever we call it this week and run the posts in reverse chronological order. If I see stupid shit I can block it myself.
Somebody Really Screwed Up
Shit happens, but today was the first day of service along a new route and a new train (first train? not sure).
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- An Amtrak Cascades train has derailed onto the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near Olympia.
Prediction
We'll bail out the banks and leave the homeowners with nothing.
Just a feeling, really. No idea where this idea came from.
At least Democrats won't defend it this time, but they won't care either.
Now Puerto Rico is bracing for another blow: a housing meltdown that could far surpass the worst of the foreclosure crisis that devastated Phoenix, Las Vegas, Southern California and South Florida in the past decade. If the current numbers hold, Puerto Rico is headed for a foreclosure epidemic that could rival what happened in Detroit, where abandoned homes became almost as plentiful as occupied ones.
About one-third of the island’s 425,000 homeowners are behind on their mortgage payments to banks and Wall Street firms that previously bought up distressed mortgages. Tens of thousands have not made payments for months. Some 90,000 borrowers became delinquent as a consequence of Hurricane Maria, according to Black Knight Inc., a data firm formerly known as Black Knight Financial Services.
Just a feeling, really. No idea where this idea came from.
At least Democrats won't defend it this time, but they won't care either.
So They Say '31 Is Gonna Be A Good Year
Ron Howard: It wasn't.
"Small businesses will have the lowest taxes since 1931" ... Ivanka Trump discusses impact of tax reform pic.twitter.com/NVuVBmeiU5
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) December 18, 2017
Symbols
Just let it all fall apart.
Shit happens, but functioning backup generators should... should... be a priority.
A few years back London got a bit of snow. OK, fine, London doesn't deal with snow of any nontrivial amount very often so you don't expect things to be perfect, but it was revealed that Heathrow basically didn't have a snow plan. That doesn't mean they didn't have a perfect one, it means they basically didn't have one. The airport operators had focused on running the best airport mall they could - that's how they were raking in the dough - and weren't too concerned with the rest of the whole running the airport thing. Lots of functions are handled by individual airlines and their contractors, but an airport shut by snow needs a bit more collective action.
A major power outage halted air traffic Sunday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for 11 hours, grounding all of the hub's outgoing flights and halting incoming traffic for tens of thousands of travelers hoping to land at the world's busiest airport.
Shit happens, but functioning backup generators should... should... be a priority.
A few years back London got a bit of snow. OK, fine, London doesn't deal with snow of any nontrivial amount very often so you don't expect things to be perfect, but it was revealed that Heathrow basically didn't have a snow plan. That doesn't mean they didn't have a perfect one, it means they basically didn't have one. The airport operators had focused on running the best airport mall they could - that's how they were raking in the dough - and weren't too concerned with the rest of the whole running the airport thing. Lots of functions are handled by individual airlines and their contractors, but an airport shut by snow needs a bit more collective action.
A Good Boy Letter From The Teacher
The boy ain't right.
I have no idea where any Mueller investigation is going, but this really must be Cobb telling him anything he can to prevent him from firing Mueller. Not sure what the ethic of that is, but...
Until those next signs emerge, Trump is boasting to friends and advisers that he expects Mueller to clear him of wrongdoing in the coming weeks, according to sources familiar with the conversations. The President seems so convinced of his impending exoneration that he is telling associates Mueller will soon write a letter clearing him that Trump can brandish to Washington and the world in a bid to finally emerge from the cloud of suspicion that has loomed over the first chapter of his presidency, the sources said.
I have no idea where any Mueller investigation is going, but this really must be Cobb telling him anything he can to prevent him from firing Mueller. Not sure what the ethic of that is, but...
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Look At How Horrible Republicans Are
It just isn't enough. It might win you one election, but then...
Better Things Are Not Possible
OK then..
Expanding access by restricting eligibility. Cool idea, bro.
Similarly, Northam said he has no plans to try to force Republicans to accept a broad expansion of Medicaid. Instead, he has begun talks with lawmakers in both parties about overhauling the state’s Medicaid system to expand access to health care while better defining eligibility to control costs.
Outgoing Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) tried every year to push the legislature to accept millions in federal money to expand the health program to hundreds of thousands of low-income Virginians. Northam campaigned heavily on the promise of getting more Virginians access to health care.
Expanding access by restricting eligibility. Cool idea, bro.
Just A Bit Of A Slip
Get used to these kinds of announcements.
It’s been awhile since we heard anything about Volvo’s audacious experiment to deliver 100 self-driving cars to regular people in Sweden for testing. The program, called Drive Me, was supposed to kick off in 2017, but now the company says it’s pushing the date to 2021.
But Their Emails
I sorta missed all of the fun yesterday. They are so stupid and they run the world. The universe is funny.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
The One Quick Trick
Sure there was a moment when we thought Dick Cheney might go to jail, but otherwise I really don't remember anyone thinking there was some way to stop the Bush administration. I am all for Mueller doing his thing, but there seems to be this weird idea that Trumpism can be taken down before 2020. Sure Trumppeople and Trumpspawn might be. Maybe even Trump (doubtful). But Trumpism is here until the next election.
Does Anybody Remember MOOCs?
I'm not right about everything, but remember when MOOCs were going to destroy the university? Good times.
Microaggressions
Getting your butt pinched once is probably not the biggest deal in the world. Getting your butt pinched regularly, and having to worry about the social and career dynamics of that, is kind of a big deal.
There Are No Refs
I'm all for working the Refs, but Dems need to stop thinking the referees actually exist. The supposed "objective institutions" (media law, enforcement, whatever) have never been in the business of just calling balls and strikes and even if they were they don't have the power to stop 15 men from coming on the field (badly mixing my sports metaphors).
Argue on the merits, not process or hypocrisy. No one cares about process and hypocrisy.
Argue on the merits, not process or hypocrisy. No one cares about process and hypocrisy.
NERDS
I'm getting close to middle age (or am already, whatever). I like nerdstuff. I was never an uber-nerd. I'm not sure I read a comic until I was 35 except the Superman and Batman omnibus volumes my parents bought when I was about 9. But I read the sci-fi and I liked the Star War and the Lords of the Ring and all that.
My big pet peeve is people of my age who try to judge all this stuff from a Serious Critic perspective. I watch all the dumb CW superhero shows. Sometimes they are better than dumb (specifically, the first season of The Flash was really good! Watch that). Usually they're just dumb. Doctor Who has been my favorite thing in life ever since I stumbled across it one Sunday afternoon and Tom Baker turned into Peter Davison and I still haven't recovered.
But even though I still like this stuff... Comeon, I'm 45. I am not the target audience. Serious Critics are not the target audience. Either your kids like them or they don't and that's really the point.
My big pet peeve is people of my age who try to judge all this stuff from a Serious Critic perspective. I watch all the dumb CW superhero shows. Sometimes they are better than dumb (specifically, the first season of The Flash was really good! Watch that). Usually they're just dumb. Doctor Who has been my favorite thing in life ever since I stumbled across it one Sunday afternoon and Tom Baker turned into Peter Davison and I still haven't recovered.
But even though I still like this stuff... Comeon, I'm 45. I am not the target audience. Serious Critics are not the target audience. Either your kids like them or they don't and that's really the point.
Everything
Everything is pretty horrible, but it is true that The Kids Today have some good things. They have the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy in their pockets and can listen to every song and watch almost every show effortlessly. I don't think that's a substitute for the shit they have to deal with, but it's pretty cool.
Friday, December 15, 2017
The 80s
Ok 1990, but close enough, were so weird. This is actually a good song despite being horrible for obvious reasons. (Good in the sense that it's actually a bit more sophisticated than its hair metal veneer makes you think).
Damage
I had a celebrity crush on Mira Sovino once upon a time. Her pop is good too, though I didn't have a crush on him.
Just seeing this after I awoke, I burst out crying. There it is, confirmation that Harvey Weinstein derailed my career, something I suspected but was unsure. Thank you Peter Jackson for being honest. I’m just heartsick https://t.co/ljK9NqICbm
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) December 15, 2017
A Perfect Job For Eschaton World Industries
I hope we are hired.
Senior White House official Jared Kushner and his legal team are searching for a crisis public relations firm, according to four people familiar with the matter.
Release A Star War Every Week
Half a joke, but I do find it a bit of a mystery that movie studios don't actually milk their cash cows as much as they can. Sure people talk/complain about how everything's a sequel, etc, but they could probably film two hours of Luke Skywalker on an exercise bike and people would pay 10 bucks to see it.
Nobody has yet embraced my long-suggested plan of returning to the "serial" model. Release those things every 3 months.
Nobody has yet embraced my long-suggested plan of returning to the "serial" model. Release those things every 3 months.
Evil Team Of Evil
One big problem with the supervillains in comic books and Star Wars and similar is... it isn't clear what motivates them. I have not seen the new Star War, but I don't really know what motivated any of the bad guys in any of the other movies. Yes, sure, money power blahblahblah but there's too often just an "evil for the sake of being evil" aspect. What is all that evil really for? Maybe I should get an exclusive interview with the Koch Brothers to delve into this question.
The Rules Changed
"The American Dream" has always been a bit of a fantasy, especially as race and class and gender greatly determine who gets to dream, but the basic post-war upward mobility thing in which "we" could all count on some economic stability and maybe even a bit of prosperity if we did what we were supposed to do has fallen apart. I'd say it started cracking during Reagan/Bush...the internet boom papered over those cracks for a bit...then the housing bubble papered over them again... and 10 years later, everything is fucked up and bullshit for The Kids Today.
There are a lot of reasons for this, but I keep coming back to the very simple one: public universities used to be something you could kinda sorta work your way through, and now even public university students are graduating with 30 grand of debt. Too many olds don't understand this. It's depressing.
There are a lot of reasons for this, but I keep coming back to the very simple one: public universities used to be something you could kinda sorta work your way through, and now even public university students are graduating with 30 grand of debt. Too many olds don't understand this. It's depressing.
Paris Is Hell
This piece from John Elledge does a pretty good job getting across what I have often tried to communicate on this shitty blog: You don't have to have midtown Manhattan skyscrapers to have the kind of population density that makes for a good city. Not everybody wants to live in a city! Cool. But even city dwellers often don't get that city doesn't mean "the place where the skyscrapers are." Paris is basically 6 story buildings everywhere. Philly isn't quite dense enough in a lot of places. Too many 2 and 3 story rowhouses and the population often isn't quite high enough to support local commercial corridors. That doesn't mean we should tear down all those blocks and replace them, but a few more 6 story buildings in appropriate places (often prevented by zoning laws) would probably be beneficial. That cool coffee shop can't stay in business unless there's enough foot traffic.
Nice Things
Buying a house is complicated. There are so many things to consider and of course you can't possibly competently consider them all. I got lucky. Not that everything in my house is perfect (the joys of homeownership are neverending), but in various ways the location is a lot better than I knew when I moved in (almost 10 years! time flies). I knew I was pretty close to the subway, which is useful and good, but what I didn't really think about was the bus. I live close to a bus route with frequent service. OK late night and Sunday service is a bit spotty, but otherwise it runs every 10 minutesish. I have a lovely little app on my phone which shows me where the buses are and I can run to the corner and get hyperlooped into Center City, as we call it here in the urban hellhole, in about 7 minutes. It's not that far. I can and do walk sometimes, too.
Personal cars are "freedom" some places but in the city they're a nightmare. You'd have to be nuts to actually drive and park in Center City if you had another option. I love my bus.
Personal cars are "freedom" some places but in the city they're a nightmare. You'd have to be nuts to actually drive and park in Center City if you had another option. I love my bus.
Visionaries
One reason mass transit is so crappy most places in the US - even where it exists - is too many of the people involved in the planning have never actually used it. People like Musk come along and tell them something cool and they actually listen. This is probably the stupidest idea I have ever heard but lots of people think it sounds cool. Even if it worked perfectly as envisioned the capacity of such a system would be ridiculously low.
What if it's my car...but better and faster and has no congestion and takes me anywhere I want to go! Cool idea, bro. See you on the 405.
What if it's my car...but better and faster and has no congestion and takes me anywhere I want to go! Cool idea, bro. See you on the 405.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
I've Even Lied
I tried to have a less than sucky blog today but somehow it still sucked! Sometimes you work really hard and ... then nothing.
I still like The Orville. It's Star Trek: TNG with dumb Seth McFarlane jokes and while they can't quite figure out the balance it's the best ST:TNG since ST:TNG.
I still like The Orville. It's Star Trek: TNG with dumb Seth McFarlane jokes and while they can't quite figure out the balance it's the best ST:TNG since ST:TNG.
I'm So Old I Can Remember When I Was Young
Old people are bad
Young people are supposed to be able to make youthful mistakes.
Within the Times itself, the Thrush scandal has created something of a schism. On one side, according to newsroom sources, there is a cohort of young, millennial, New York-based employees for whom the event has been particularly upsetting. These employees, these sources note, are generationally hyper-attuned to issues related to race, gender, and newsroom diversity, which they often discuss on the Times’s internal Slack app. For some within this cohort, there’s a sentiment that the Times should set an example amid our cultural awakening—that it would be hard to keep Thrush employed while continuing to lead the charge in covering the reckoning that has entangled him.
Things are different in the Washington bureau. While there are some who feel deeply uncomfortable with his conduct, the prevailing sentiment among Thrush’s colleagues in D.C. is that he should not lose his job over the contents of the Vox report, according to a half-dozen members of the bureau—men and women—with whom I spoke for this article, in addition to several other well-placed Times figures who are regularly in touch with the bureau. The Vox piece, the logic went, castigated Thrush for “bad judgment around young women journalists,” but did not make any allegations regarding sexual harassment, sexually motivated quid pro quo, sexual assault, or predation. (If any such charges were to come up in the Times probe, many suggested, he would obviously lose his goodwill.) For now, Thrush’s support extends all the way up to bureau chief Elisabeth Bumiller, according to people familiar with her thinking. (Reached by phone, Bumiller declined to comment.)
Young people are supposed to be able to make youthful mistakes.
Alpha
Trump favorability among Fox viewers (%):
— Adrian Gray (@adrian_gray) December 13, 2017
Jun: 90
Oct: 74
Dec: 58
(Suffolk) https://t.co/qioNBOEVYm
At some point even the faithful realize the "alpha dog" is just an annoying cuck.
Life Sucks
Hopefully your life doesn't suck and I admit, all things considered, mine has been pretty good, but I've had a few tragedies. Most people have. Shit happens. Shit certainly will happen eventually. Mortality and all that. You don't have to be a saint to have a bit of empathy for other people. I am not a saint. But the cruelty of Republicans astounds me.
Nazis
I suppose it was a long time ago. Even in college I remember somebody on my hall studying for an history type course asking, "So...world war 2...that was the one with Hitler, right?" But, really, Nazis are Nazis and we shouldn't have to keep explaining that.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Trump Voters Who Still Like Trump
Have we had one of those since yesterday's election?
I would like every editor who spent a year assigning those to answer the simple question: why?
We never had those pieces in the Obama years.
I would like every editor who spent a year assigning those to answer the simple question: why?
We never had those pieces in the Obama years.
Haloscan
I wonder what happened to Jeevan. He was cool and actually responded to site-specific issues. He showed up in the comments sometimes. Then he sold to, um, js-kit, and then disqus took over the world, and? I don't even know. Seems like there should be more competition in the "comment system" world but I am stupid.
But for good or bad, the limits of haloscan have given me an anxiety syndrome that I can't shake. At about 250 comments it would...not work so well. So my "oh shit I need a new post" instinct is set to about 250 comments. It's hard coming up with something to say every 250 comments.
But for good or bad, the limits of haloscan have given me an anxiety syndrome that I can't shake. At about 250 comments it would...not work so well. So my "oh shit I need a new post" instinct is set to about 250 comments. It's hard coming up with something to say every 250 comments.
The White House's Best Employee
Actually not joking.
AP reports Omarosa Manigault, the Apprentice villain turned senior White House official, is leaving the building.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) December 13, 2017
Would You Vote For Pat Toomey?
Revisiting this point... I don't think I would. As Democrats we don't really think of there being a "Democrat equivalent" to Roy Moore, but try to imagine that you are a Republican for a minute. Doug Jones is a babykiller who likes *those people*. Yes that's horrible..but, you know, they're Alabama Republicans. Asking them to vote for Doug Jones isn't so different from asking me to vote for Pat Toomey.
On the issues I don't really know what the D mirror image of Roy Moore would even be, but let's say that a month before the election with a closely divided Senate, the D candidate had their own series of "mall stories." What would you do?
Roy Moore won the primary. That's nuts. But I actually give a lot of credit to those Alabama Republicans who ultimately didn't vote for him (I'm not taking away from any efforts on the other side - Dem turnout). I wouldn't have voted for Pat Toomey. Maybe I would have stayed home.
On the issues I don't really know what the D mirror image of Roy Moore would even be, but let's say that a month before the election with a closely divided Senate, the D candidate had their own series of "mall stories." What would you do?
Roy Moore won the primary. That's nuts. But I actually give a lot of credit to those Alabama Republicans who ultimately didn't vote for him (I'm not taking away from any efforts on the other side - Dem turnout). I wouldn't have voted for Pat Toomey. Maybe I would have stayed home.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
The Bye-Bell
One thing which has long confused me is how self-professed Christians who believe that the bye-bell is everything and they're going to spend eternity being digested in Satan's bowels if they don't follow it correctly have no idea what's in there. I know that none of this applies to all Christians (either the lack of knowledge or the belief in a literal hell) but it does for a lot of US Christians. I also don't mean that they lack some sort of deep theological training or that I am saying, ACTUALLY what the Bible says is... I mean trivial things that even an atheist like me knows. Name the four Evangelists. What are the Old and New Testaments. That kind of thing.
Your Moment Of Zen
Roy Moore campaign spokesman responds with silence when asked if he knew people can be sworn in with a text other than the Christian bible pic.twitter.com/B65qIKBjlI
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) December 12, 2017
Tuesday Night
I might leave the house. Apparently there is some Cambodian food to be eaten somewhere. Get your Moore/Jones coverage elsewhere!
Honor
Most cultural myths of bygone eras, especially ones about the past, are bullshit, but I'm pretty sure the cultural myth about the South was more "if you try to date my daughter I'm going to get my shotgun" not "please try to feel her up at the mall, kindly respected gentleman."
That isn't in contradiction to notions of women marrying younger, etc. You called her father and asked for permission. You didn't sneak in through the bathroom window.
These are all myths, of course, I'm not asserting any of it as true, I'm just saying that those myths involve honor and respectability (whatever that means), not creepy old men. Wear your tuxedo to the debutante ball. Don't creep her at the arcade.
That isn't in contradiction to notions of women marrying younger, etc. You called her father and asked for permission. You didn't sneak in through the bathroom window.
These are all myths, of course, I'm not asserting any of it as true, I'm just saying that those myths involve honor and respectability (whatever that means), not creepy old men. Wear your tuxedo to the debutante ball. Don't creep her at the arcade.
We Went To The Murder Club And Roy Moore Didn't Murder Anyone. Good Guy.
I've been mulling this over since last night (god my life sucks) because... um.. what the hell?
There are so many things wrong about this that one doesn't know where to begin. I guess I'll just leave it at: if someone I know ever asks me to write a recommendation letter, I hope I don't front it with "Good person. Did not have sex with child prostitutes even when he had the opportunity."
Staehle said that, when he and Moore arrived, they soon realized the man had taken them to a brothel. The third man, Staehle suggested, essentially tricked them. “I could tell you what I saw but I don’t want to,” Staehle said mischievously.
“There were certainly pretty girls. And they were girls. They were young. Some were very young,” Staehle acknowledged. But according to Staehle, Moore was shocked by what he saw. “We shouldn’t be here, I’m leaving,” Moore said, according to Staehle.
They asked the third man to leave with them but he didn’t want to. So Staehle and Moore took his Jeep and left him there all night with sex workers, who they agreed were underage. The man returned to base the next morning on the back of a motorcycle, Staehle said with a grin.
There are so many things wrong about this that one doesn't know where to begin. I guess I'll just leave it at: if someone I know ever asks me to write a recommendation letter, I hope I don't front it with "Good person. Did not have sex with child prostitutes even when he had the opportunity."
Social Media
I've said this before, but once upon a time most normies had the luxury of paying very little attention to politics. I don't think you have to pay very much attention to politics to know which lever you plan to pull in the voting booth, at least for national elections. Sure it's good to have a rough idea of what goes on and maybe call or write a sternly worded letter to your Rep. occasionally, but certainly once all the Dixiecrats became Republicans, either you were a little liberal or a little conservative and you knew what to do. Truly undecided voters, most of the time, are weird.
On a related note, while I certainly don't want him to win, I get why Republicans will vote for Roy Moore. I wouldn't say that if he were running for governor, but what's he going to do in the Senate? He's just going to vote the way Mitch wants him to and little else. I suppose if he's a camera hog he might tarnish team Rs brand (if that's still possible), so that might be a reason to be wary, but otherwise...so what if he's in the Senate? If there was a Dem running in Pennsylvania with Roy Moore's, uh, record, I would want the powers that be to do everything legal to get him off the ballot, or find a way to otherwise replace him with somebody else, but would I really vote for Pat Toomey?
But back to my original point. Social media pushes this stuff onto everybody's facebook and twitter etc. Unless you are completely unconnected to anyone who pays any attention to politics, the news of the day is going to show itself to you. My friends used to know little of the day to day freak show stuff unless they read my sucky blog (or somebody else's sucky blog) . Now they do.
On a related note, while I certainly don't want him to win, I get why Republicans will vote for Roy Moore. I wouldn't say that if he were running for governor, but what's he going to do in the Senate? He's just going to vote the way Mitch wants him to and little else. I suppose if he's a camera hog he might tarnish team Rs brand (if that's still possible), so that might be a reason to be wary, but otherwise...so what if he's in the Senate? If there was a Dem running in Pennsylvania with Roy Moore's, uh, record, I would want the powers that be to do everything legal to get him off the ballot, or find a way to otherwise replace him with somebody else, but would I really vote for Pat Toomey?
But back to my original point. Social media pushes this stuff onto everybody's facebook and twitter etc. Unless you are completely unconnected to anyone who pays any attention to politics, the news of the day is going to show itself to you. My friends used to know little of the day to day freak show stuff unless they read my sucky blog (or somebody else's sucky blog) . Now they do.
Monday, December 11, 2017
Some Of My Best Friends Are Jeeews
We live in the worst timeline.
Kayla Moore, wife of Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, accuses media of painting couple as anti-Semitic. pic.twitter.com/Vcczj6pNPv
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 12, 2017
They'll Bulldoze It Within 30 Years
Apple's monument to 1960s "Planet of the Apes" chic will last about as long as the typical stadium.
IT'S ONLY FAIR IF TRUMP RESIGNS!!@!#^&*^@#$*&
People should bow out of public life - face some minimal consequences for their actions - or they shouldn't. It isn't a deal between "sides." It's fair to hold the "objective media" accountable for what they focus on and what they don't - one could forgive the casual news consumer for thinking Harvey Weinstein was both Hillary's lover and son and that he actually procured all of his victims to be sex slaves for her - but the universe doesn't actually dish out justice in this fashion.
To the extent that we hold "our side" to account we should do it on our terms, not theirs.
To the extent that we hold "our side" to account we should do it on our terms, not theirs.
Voter Suppression
It isn't news to be that Republicans have been deeply in engaged in this for a long time (obviously historically but more recently in new and different ways). What are the "democrats" (very broadly defined including every left-leaning activist group including this sucky blog if you want) doing about it?
I pay a reasonable amount of attention to this stuff and I'm not aware that enough is being done. Tell me I am wrong! I get that there are limits to what can be done against Republican legislatures and governors and conservative judges and...I'm not stupid. I don't think The Left can wave their magic wand and fix that problem.
But I do suspect that if you have, say, 10 million bucks to spend on a campaign, paying an army of people to drive people to the DMV/courthouse/whereeveryougottago instead of paying ads for on the 11 o'clock news might be a smart choice.. I could be wrong!
Gotta do what you can within the constraints. If you gotta hire people to hunt up birth certificates do that. If you gotta pay people to run buses from nursing homes to DMVs do that. I have no idea what you need to do (varies by location, obviously) but...do those things.
I pay a reasonable amount of attention to this stuff and I'm not aware that enough is being done. Tell me I am wrong! I get that there are limits to what can be done against Republican legislatures and governors and conservative judges and...I'm not stupid. I don't think The Left can wave their magic wand and fix that problem.
But I do suspect that if you have, say, 10 million bucks to spend on a campaign, paying an army of people to drive people to the DMV/courthouse/whereeveryougottago instead of paying ads for on the 11 o'clock news might be a smart choice.. I could be wrong!
Gotta do what you can within the constraints. If you gotta hire people to hunt up birth certificates do that. If you gotta pay people to run buses from nursing homes to DMVs do that. I have no idea what you need to do (varies by location, obviously) but...do those things.
Get Out
I don't see enough movies, and certainly not in a timely enough fashion, to have Strong Opinions about who should win awards for what. I tend to prefer TV. Movies are short stories and I've never really liked short stories. Once they started making better TV with season long story arcs those shows became novels. I like novels. I just find the 2 hour +/- movie format constraining. Good TV - especially good TV without commercials - is better to me. As a side note, the problem with commercials isn't so much that they interrupt the story. I can deal with that. The problem is they force the writers to write to the format. There's a minor cliffhanger at every commercial break. It's constraining. Without the commercials they can go nuts. You see this if you watch BBC shows on BBC America. The problem with the commercials isn't the commercials, it's that they get inserted in places where there shouldn't be pauses. Writers for commercial television write for those pauses.
But back to movies. Get Out was great. See it if you haven't. If you haven't it's not quite what you probably think it is from some of the promos/criticisms you might have read, which make it seem like it's about how white suburban racists are racist. Duh. It's more complex than that. Also it's funny and it's a horror movie! Though not that scary. You'll be fine.
My favorite scene is at the end, which I'll put after the bump because... SPOILERS!
But back to movies. Get Out was great. See it if you haven't. If you haven't it's not quite what you probably think it is from some of the promos/criticisms you might have read, which make it seem like it's about how white suburban racists are racist. Duh. It's more complex than that. Also it's funny and it's a horror movie! Though not that scary. You'll be fine.
My favorite scene is at the end, which I'll put after the bump because... SPOILERS!
Please Stop
No, really, stop.
I’ve noticed that there’s a cultural caste system if you live in or around Philly. And in the eyes of the media and tastemakers, you’re the high school Band Geek: Earnest. Unsexy. The kid standing by your locker with a piccolo while the jocks and hipsters grab all the dates and glory.
You’re the straight-A student with a too-heavy bookbag and an after-school job at the YMCA. The cool kids are in Philly. They drink Sugar Wash Rum and tool around on shabby-chic bicycles. You pay car insurance and decide state and national elections; the cool kids would only carshare to your zip code if it meant wrapping their tattooed arms around a rare batch of Tired Hands milkshake India Pale Ale.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
He Uses The Telephone. A Lot.
Obviously not the most important thing, but I think I'm going to have nightmares about all of the reports of Donald Trump calling friends and colleagues dozens of times per day just to boast about himself and his tweeting or his crowd sizes or some witticism he unleashed (they're all witty) or whatever. Can you imagine being one of those people? Like, oh fuck Donald Trump is on the phone...again... but it isn't just Donald Trump, it's President Fucking Trump so I sort of have to take the call but there's 20 minutes of my life I will never get back. Over and over and over...
Promises, Promises
The headline is bad (they never had a focus on the middle class), but otherwise this article at least goes against the conventional wisdom "THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE VOTED FOR!!!" nonsense.
This implies some good faith from Trump that was never there, but it just isn't the case that every time Trump supports something horrible it's just what the voters wanted. Don't get me wrong, I think the 27-32%er MAGA crowd are as horrible as you can imagine (Though even some of them probably thought they were going to get some of the secret welfare system that black people get. Joke's on them.). But Trump "promised" a lot of things during the campaign (and even after) and if a few hundred thousand people got suckered by that then, well, that's all that had to happen.
Whatever savvy people believed about Trump The Economic Populist, not all voters are so savvy and Trump isn't actually delivering just what he promised.
The GOP tax plan on the cusp of becoming law diverges wildly from the promises President Trump and top advisers said they would deliver for the middle class — an evolution that shows how traditional Republican orthodoxy swamped Trump’s distinctive brand of economic populism as it moved through Washington.
The bill was supposed to deliver benefits predominantly to average working families, not corporations, with a 35 percent tax cut Trump proposed on the campaign trail as part of the “Middle Class Tax Relief and Simplification Act.”
This implies some good faith from Trump that was never there, but it just isn't the case that every time Trump supports something horrible it's just what the voters wanted. Don't get me wrong, I think the 27-32%er MAGA crowd are as horrible as you can imagine (Though even some of them probably thought they were going to get some of the secret welfare system that black people get. Joke's on them.). But Trump "promised" a lot of things during the campaign (and even after) and if a few hundred thousand people got suckered by that then, well, that's all that had to happen.
Whatever savvy people believed about Trump The Economic Populist, not all voters are so savvy and Trump isn't actually delivering just what he promised.
That's Something
I'm not one to be too eager to praise Republicans (remember the most historic op-ed ever written by Jeff Flake? Me neither), but credit where credit is due.
Alabama's senior GOP senator, Richard Shelby, unloading on Roy Moore in intvw w @jaketapper: "When it came to the 14-year-old story, that was too much for me...I couldn't vote for Roy Moore...The state of Alabama deserves better...I think the Republican Party can do better."
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 10, 2017
What's Wrong With Trump
Every time I try to think what the conservative #nevertrumpers object to about Trump, I can't come up with much. He's gauche and crass. He isn't part of their inner circle. He doesn't listen to their sage advice. Okay, he might blow up the world, but a lot of the neocon nevertrumpers want to do that, too. Sure he says the quiet part out loud, but so does every Republican sometimes. Their policy objections are....?
Saturday, December 09, 2017
The President Show
On teevee.
Before taking office, Mr. Trump told top aides to think of each presidential day as an episode in a television show in which he vanquishes rivals. People close to him estimate that Mr. Trump spends at least four hours a day, and sometimes as much as twice that, in front of a television, sometimes with the volume muted, marinating in the no-holds-barred wars of cable news and eager to fire back.
The Best People
Rahm knows how to pick them.
CHICAGO (AP) — The head of Chicago’s public schools system on Friday stepped down from his job amid allegations by the system’s inspector general that he engaged in a “full-blown cover-up” to block an ethics investigation.
Friday, December 08, 2017
Baster Optional
I think we all assumed this was this case.
Female aides said Franks suggested intercourse to impregnate them
Estate Fight
One reason California real estate prices are so bizarre is because of Prop. 13 which basically locks in property taxes at sale and even lets kids inherit their parents homes with that same locked in tax value. 40 years later this makes things really weird.
My question is... sure the kids can inherit the property, but illiquid assets are a bit of a problem when there is an estate with multiple kids. Gotta sell. The original prop. 13 population is heading towards the, uh, afterlife phase. Anyway, just not something I've ever seen addressed. I suppose I could google that for me.
My question is... sure the kids can inherit the property, but illiquid assets are a bit of a problem when there is an estate with multiple kids. Gotta sell. The original prop. 13 population is heading towards the, uh, afterlife phase. Anyway, just not something I've ever seen addressed. I suppose I could google that for me.
77
My first memory of The Beatles was hearing that John Lennon was killed. Maybe I'd heard of them before that but that's what I remember, now. I was 8. He was killed when he was 40. He'd be 77 today. It's weird to imagine a timeline in which he wasn't killed. Maybe not so different! Maybe very different.
Nazis
Perhaps not the important point, but imagine the rich intellectual culture of Steve King.
Diversity is not our strength. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, “Mixing cultures will not lead to a higher quality of life but a lower one.” https://t.co/ZlMXzcc87w
— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) December 8, 2017
Catalunya Lliure
This is too complicated even for the margins of the blogpost, but the situation in Spain is pretty messed up. There's a weird bias against regional independence movements premised on the idea that they're somehow fake. Nobody really speaks Scots or Welsh or... but they do. Also people speak Catalan. Sure everybody in Catalonia speaks Castilian, too, but outsiders don't get that a second language is still a second language, even if you are fluent in it. You can be fluent in a language without being adept at it, and there are things (like university admissions) which require people to be adept.
Language isn't the only issue, of course. Catalonia has been a distinct region for hundreds of years. But the important issue is not "is independence good or bad?" Not my judgment call. Probably not yours, either. But the crackdown from Madrid on free speech and assembly related to the independence movement is obscene. It's bad.
Language isn't the only issue, of course. Catalonia has been a distinct region for hundreds of years. But the important issue is not "is independence good or bad?" Not my judgment call. Probably not yours, either. But the crackdown from Madrid on free speech and assembly related to the independence movement is obscene. It's bad.
I Got Mad Online A Lot
We all have our issues. It's wrong to think of a hierarchy of issues. It's a dumb criticism designed to derail any interest in anything But The Most Important Issue. How dare you care about [spins wheel] animal rights when there are homeless people in America? How dare you care about homeless people in America when there are [spins wheel] starving people somewhere else? We focus on the things we know about and think we might be able to influence, whether that involves getting mad online or volunteering. We all have our thing.
I got mad online a lot about the housing crisis. I didn't just get mad online. I tried to do something about it. I have no exaggerated sense of my potential power, but I did try. I went to DC and talked to people. Congresspeople! Senators! I plotted and schemed. I even talked to Obummer once!
The Obama administration response to the financial crisis was very bad. And unlike many things which happened during the Obama administration, the excuses are limited. They couldn't blame Republicans or even Joe Lieberman. They had a big no strings slush fund that they could spend and they didn't even spend it! And people suffered.
I got mad online a lot about the housing crisis. I didn't just get mad online. I tried to do something about it. I have no exaggerated sense of my potential power, but I did try. I went to DC and talked to people. Congresspeople! Senators! I plotted and schemed. I even talked to Obummer once!
The Obama administration response to the financial crisis was very bad. And unlike many things which happened during the Obama administration, the excuses are limited. They couldn't blame Republicans or even Joe Lieberman. They had a big no strings slush fund that they could spend and they didn't even spend it! And people suffered.
How Much Does Affordable Housing Cost
This conversation comes up a lot in the urban hellhole for reasons I don't quite understand. We have a lot of cheap housing here, and the "gentrified" areas are still a pretty small part of the city. We also have a lot of poor people and that is bad because they are so poor that nothing is affordable for them.
But "everybody" agrees affordable housing is a noble and good goal. I'm not even arguing with this, I just have no idea what people think is "affordable." Saying the word doesn't make it so.
But "everybody" agrees affordable housing is a noble and good goal. I'm not even arguing with this, I just have no idea what people think is "affordable." Saying the word doesn't make it so.
Thursday, December 07, 2017
The Ivories
I've realized one thing I like about Beethoven's piano sonatas is that I can actually comprehend being able to play them. Of course I can't play them. I learned about 2/3 of a page of one and was pretty proud of that though of course I play it really badly. But I can comprehend the possibility of playing them even though they are hard. Some piano pieces..nah. Humans can't do that.
Bye Trent
We (I mean me) don't talk enough about just how horrible most Republicans are. Franks is one of the worst. I don't know what this is about but good riddance.
...the claim is he talked to staffers about being surrogates. uh, ew?
Republican Arizona Rep. Trent Franks is expected to resign, multiple sources tell CNN on Thursday.
...the claim is he talked to staffers about being surrogates. uh, ew?
The Trump Promises
Anyone who really believed Trump's better campaign promises was a sucker, but I am annoyed that people pretend he didn't make them. Yes he won on bigotry, but he also won on defending Medicare and Social Security and other similar things. That Trump is only keeping his Pepe promises doesn't mean that he didn't make other ones and pundits should stop saying that this is what people voted for. Remember Trump the "populist"? It was bullshit, but it was the campaign.
Also, too, populism in a democracy should not be an epithet. It's, you know, democracy.
Also, too, populism in a democracy should not be an epithet. It's, you know, democracy.