A Healthy Look Around

Bachmann fun

2011-08-19T12:39:00.001-04:00

Whatever you do, don't let those undead countries bite you!

Son of S&P

2011-08-09T10:53:00.001-04:00

S&P reactions include a very good Nate Silver piece, taking them to task for generally being very bad at what they do.

Turns out they made a $2 trillion error, which they admitted but brushed aside as unimportant.

My own belief is that this is a bit of a makeup call, after really blowing things on housing and derivative ratings.

[BTW, any winger looking for "blame" for the Great Recession need look no farther than the ratings agencies for the biggest culprits. Their fake, optimistic ratings made risky financials look quite rosy, staving off a free market correction which would have been far less painful if done earlier.]

The mind of the tea party

2011-08-08T14:16:00.002-04:00

Tea Party head: We should be spending more on military because it stimulates the economy.

When memes get mixed up by the short-sighted, comedy results.

Fighting over balls

2011-07-25T16:06:00.001-04:00

Illinois family's feud over dad's baseball collection.

Wake me when silly season is over.

2011-07-05T16:41:00.001-04:00

New Republican meme: White House is "hiding data" which proves the stimulus didn't work.

If at first the facts don't fit the meme, put out a new one accusing the other side of hiding ones that help your point. Or something like that.

Making a difference, one kid at a time

2011-07-03T19:14:00.002-04:00

A case for locally grown and purchased food. By an 11-year old.

Glenn Beck's History Timeline

2011-06-30T18:46:00.001-04:00

Classic.

The "tell"

2011-06-29T11:09:00.001-04:00

Jon Kyl (among other Republicans) now against a payroll tax holiday.

The stated reason: "It won't do much."

The "tell" as it were, regarding the GOP plans to keep the economy spluttering for political reasons is that they are now against straightforward tax cuts it they can help Obama. In other words, if a tax cut has the possible benefit of actually working to improve the economy, they are not for it because Obama might get credit.

New York State -- the next in line?

2011-06-20T12:50:00.001-04:00

New York State might be on the cusp of allowing same-sex marriages.

Apparently the tact of preserving (and even expanding) religious freedoms in the bill is helping to move it along.

The big tell

2011-06-16T10:38:00.002-04:00

The GOP declines to take up the President's offer to try another stimulus plan made up entirely of tax cuts.

As noted elsewhere, this is "the big tell." Clearly the GOP plan is to try to keep the economy sputtering until after the election.

The Boston Diocese: Where some are welcome!

2011-06-11T14:47:00.000-04:00

Boston parish cancels Mass planned for Gay Pride Week, with the theme "All Are Welcome."

This went from a poorly worded flyer announcement to looking like the Boston Dioceses does not, in fact, believe that all are welcome.

When it doubt, go with Christ. It is far better to do the right thing and look foolish than to pull back in the hopes the embarrassment will pass.

TGIF

2011-06-10T22:17:00.001-04:00

Just called my cell phone number from my office phone to help me find the cell. Got a message: "The person you are calling is not reachable."

Like a movie IRL

2011-06-10T15:53:00.001-04:00

Spectacular photos from Chilean volcano eruption

On Rick Santorum (formerly R, PA/VA)

2011-06-07T10:22:00.000-04:00

Greg Sargent makes some solid points about Rick Santorum's bizarre candidacy.

Money quote: It’s not that Santorum thinks that Republican primary voters really want to get rid of Social Security; it’s that he believes what they want is a candidate willing to be as radical as they think of themselves as being.

Partly this is the primary season, where candidates run hard to the right (or left, for the Dems) and some candidates go off into the ditch. But one of the reasons why Obama looks like a fairly solid re-election candidate is that none of the Republican candidates seem the least bit interested in staying on the road at all.

Full disclosure: For Santorum's last election I was a contributor to a group blog Dumpsantorum.com (which, like many sites, has gone down the rabbit hole). But having an opinion that Santorum is a wacko far Right politico who wraps himself in his religion only when it matches his political agenda is hardly one that I'm alone with, and looks like it will be shared by many more people until he drops out of the race.

Personal propaganda

2011-06-02T10:41:00.000-04:00

Besides having a cool name (or, 2/3 or a cool name), this piece is interesting how it takes a propaganda shot and makes it a little personal. And not just because it was the author's family in the shot.

So maybe the propagandists were right all along.

Laffer Curve Madness

2011-06-01T19:09:00.000-04:00

In the current debate over tax policy (which should be more about tax loopholes and avoidance than tax rates, but there you go), sometimes, zombie-like, certain economic philosophies continue to be bandied about as though they haven't been thoroughly debunked.

Greg Mankiw takes another dagger at Laffer in the course of a good debate about economics and policy presentation, from 2007.

Some hard truths about taxes

2011-05-31T14:03:00.001-04:00

Bruce Bartlett continues to show that "pragmatic conservative" isn't an oxymoron for everyone.

GOP Race 2012

2011-05-24T12:36:00.001-04:00

Herman Cain, lecturing people to read the Constitution, quotes from the Declaration of Independence by mistake.

This guy is going to be a lot of fun until he flames out. Every race needs an Alan Keyes--looks like Cain is stepping up to be the latest.

Great letter by Ronald Reagan

2011-05-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

No kidding. In support of libraries.

Really, dude?

2011-04-24T13:57:00.001-04:00

Meanwhile on Mars, Michigan legislator of a certain party introduces a bill requiring foster children to purchase their clothes second hand.

No word on whether they get additional punishment for asking for more porridge.

NASA's Earth Day photos

2011-04-24T13:36:00.001-04:00

Amazing.

Smart like a fox...

2011-04-14T12:04:00.001-04:00

Justin Bieber refuses to be used!

Or something.

A Randian time

2011-04-12T15:29:00.001-04:00

Andrew Sullivan dismisses Rand, and his readers pile on. Good stuff.

I know the feeling...

2011-04-04T23:48:00.002-04:00

Woman goes crazy at Gauguin exhibit--"This is evil!" and starts pounding on painting.

Just skip it. No one will notice.

2011-03-31T21:32:00.001-04:00

BP ignores Deepwater Horizon spill in its "Sustainability Report," citing the lack of an exact spill amount

Drug court

2011-03-28T20:41:00.001-04:00

"tough love" or "FU, Druggie!"?

Geraldine Ferraro 1935-2011

2011-03-26T17:43:00.000-04:00

Story, and statement from the family

A trailblazer. I shook her hand once at the Ditmars N train station where she was stumping for the Congressional candidate. Don't remember the candidate's name, but I was pleased to say hello to Ferraro.

Guns and more guns. Or, bringing a tank to a cockfight.

2011-03-24T19:52:00.001-04:00

Sheriff Arpaio in the news again. Who brings a tank to a cockfight? Sheriff Joe, that's who.

This isn't an immigration problem of his--more of a "might is right" problem. Also, a demonstration that conservatives, at one time, had it right to be skeptical of giving too much unchecked power into law enforcement. By pouring (literally) billions of borrowed tax dollars into tanks and other military grade weapons for local and county police departments, we set up a system where the way they fight crime becomes self-fulfilling.

And it is a habit that is hard to break.

What passes for news on the Right

2011-03-24T14:04:00.001-04:00

John Stossel, wondering why there is a BIA: "no group in America has been more helped by the government than the American Indians"

"What's in Spock's scanner?"

2011-03-11T01:43:00.002-05:00

They could have gone a lot of ways with that question, but this is a good one.

Are you subject to the scrutiny of conspiracy theorist, with their malleable rules of evidence?

2011-03-08T19:18:00.000-05:00

Generate your own "Kenyan" birth certificate!

Charlie Sheen quotes as New Yorker cartoons

2011-03-03T08:58:00.001-05:00

You know you want them.

On Libya, Obama, and timing.

2011-03-02T02:09:00.001-05:00

A great letter to Andrew Sullivan about the ODS sufferers Kirstol and Wiseltier, on Libya.

Last paragraph of that letter is spot on:

In retrospect, the Obama/Clinton game is mature, carefully thought through and focused on the long-term consequences of the use of power. The Wieseltier/Kristol game is ill-considered, emotional and places a thoroughly unwarranted emphasis on the deployment of US military power without appreciating the negatives that go with such moves. Put otherwise, the Obama Team has learned some lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan, and Wieseltier/Kristol are prepared to commit the same mistakes, all over again.

Humanity is saved!

2011-03-01T21:59:00.001-05:00

Rush Holt (D-NJ) beats Watson.

NZ earthquake

2011-02-24T01:17:00.000-05:00

Some amazing photos from New Zealand, where a large earthquake struck, essentially, downtown Christchurch in the middle of the workday.

This might get overlooked with all the serial protesting in the Middle East and the standoffs in Wisconsin, but your prayers would be appreciated, I think.

Gaza and Israeli policy

2011-02-16T11:40:00.001-05:00

More wikileaks information about Israel's policy toward Gaza.

Despite acknowledging that Hamas was actively working to maintain the ceasefire (and that none of the rocket launches were from Hamas), Israel decided to take them out anyway.

Nice. I think they call this "bargaining in bad faith."

Trick shooter of the day.

2011-02-09T20:10:00.001-05:00

Football throws? You betcha.

Fun with word swapping

2011-02-07T10:37:00.000-05:00

While [Indonesia/America] has more [Muslims/Christians] than any other country, the [Southeast Asian/North American] nation of [240/308] million has long been seen as moderate and largely secular. A small but vocal—and sometimes violent—minority has at times sought to impose its will, serving as a sort of moral police for the country.

original article

Queen for a day.

2011-02-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

The Leona Helmsley-like former ambassador to Luxembourg.

I like how the staff got so fed up, some volunteered to transfer to embassies in war zones.

Amish bootleggers

2011-02-04T10:35:00.001-05:00

A story of milk, the FDA, and hipsters (that last one is mere projection on my part)...

A ost-DADT military?

2011-01-31T20:41:00.002-05:00

What social conservatives fear: A military respectful of a gay marriage.

Ketterson sent a copy of the marriage license. That changed everything.

“I was respected,” he said. “From that moment on, I was next of kin. They were amazing.”

A little fast, guys...

2011-01-24T12:28:00.001-05:00

GOP already claiming credit for forthcoming economic recovery.

The cost of DADT

2011-01-21T18:10:00.000-05:00

In financial terms: About $200 million over 5 years.

So lemme get this right: The GOP was elected to reduce the deficit and cut spending. Among their first acts is to take steps to ensure DADT remains military policy, and to vote to repeal a health care plan which cuts federal spending.

Riiiiight.

Nutters...

2011-01-17T15:53:00.001-05:00

Wingnuts confuse closed captions with audience instructions.

If they can't find Obama criticism to use, they'll make some up.

What Its About

2011-01-17T14:46:00.000-05:00

Even for a blog like mine, which will be discovered, after my death, with great surprise by people, Michael Chabon's signoff at TNC's guest blogger strikes me as being pitch perfect.

Maybe blogger helps Chabon's writing, too....

Canoing through McDonalds

2011-01-16T16:02:00.002-05:00

Flooding in Brisbane, Australia makes it happen. Take a look.

Is it the South? Or the Tea Party? Or both?

2011-01-14T11:59:00.001-05:00

Tennessee Tea Party curricula demands: No teaching about minorities which gets in the way of our deifying the Founding Fathers.

Haiti

2011-01-12T20:49:00.001-05:00

Haiti in pictures: One year later.

payin the bills...

2011-01-12T16:53:00.000-05:00

How to make $10 million, 50 Cent at a time.

Oops. Right wing backpeddle edition.

2011-01-10T19:04:00.002-05:00

Stopping violence. By any means necessary.

HT: The Daily What.

In response to the horrible attacks on Christians in Egypt...

2011-01-06T13:14:00.000-05:00

In Egypt, calls by Muslims to act as human shields in Christian services.

Any chance the Christianists in the United States would likewise shield their Muslim brothers from attacks? I thought not.

Funny how often Muslims act more Christ-like than US conservative "Christians."

Dems in the US Senate start the process to change filibuster rules

2011-01-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

Udall begins the process of changing the rules today.

Three important elements:

-an end to secret "holds"
-a filibuster can only occur after debate begins (in other words, a filibuster cannot be used to prevent debate from beginning)
-the party holding the filibuster needs to actually hold the floor to do so.

Simple but important steps, IMO.

New GOP House: First order of business is to suspend their own budget rule

2011-01-05T11:14:00.001-05:00

New GOP House decides to suspend its own spending rules to try to overturn health care.

This is the point at which their talking points clash. Will they work on cutting the deficit? Or will they work on overturning the health care law? they can't have both.

This was a favorite trick of the GOP during the Bush Administration. They put large parts of the "War on Terror" off-budget in order to message the numbers of the federal budget.

Cantor, as usual, looks pretty stupid trying to explain this all away.

The Joy of Stats

2011-01-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

Few things on the internet are worth an hour of time at a sitting. This one is. An engaging discussion of the role of statistics.

Yes, sounds exciting! Er, no. But I dare you to give it 5 minutes and then not start putting off whatever you were planning on doing the other 55.

My first book. Kinda.

2010-12-30T14:43:00.000-05:00

I just found out that an anthology idea of mine has finally been released by Skinner House Books. Paula did a great job on this.

The idea was a book of poems on the idea of race. Not the strident stuff, or those that paint another race as merely "other," but an anthology of people who are really just trying to figure it out. We can't (and shouldn't) hide our race, gender, or other things that make us what we are, but how does racial differences affect, good and bad, how we interact with other people? The poems aren't answers to these questions, but are genuine grapplings with them.

I was very pleased when both Skinner House jumped on my idea right away, and recruited a book editor who was right on board with what I was getting at. They've done an awfully nice job on this--a great mix of new and old, known and unknown writers.

[BTW, the idea came out of a reading of Lucille Clifton's "my dream about being white" at a particularly receptive time].

WTF was he thinking, saying that stuff?

2010-12-29T15:06:00.001-05:00

Merle Haggard: Country Music's Socialist Mole

Recirculating the books...

2010-12-29T14:28:00.000-05:00

I can understand the dismay of the preservationists, but I agree with David Markson that books are meant to be used. That's why he donated his entire library to The Strand.

London 360

2010-12-25T20:27:00.000-05:00

One of those cool links I meant to post earlier. 360 degrees of London, with magnification. Very cool.

Some Christmas piano music

2010-12-23T20:23:00.000-05:00

Christmas is about choirs and bells and Noddy Holder shouting at you. But if you look hard enough, the [piano] music exists. What is there?

Filibuster reform

2010-12-23T14:39:00.001-05:00

The issue of filibuster reform (that is, a change in the Senate's rules regarding the ability of invoke cloture on a bill) has been bubbling for some time. Mostly this is pushed by younger senators (typically, of either party) who find the rules cumbersome, needless, and giving far too much power to the minority party.

Obama recently pointed out that there were more cloture votes last year than in the 1950's and 1960's combined. Since many of the GOP House members from the 80s and 90s started moving to the Senate and continuing the back row bomb throwing strategies they perfected in the lower house, this is an issue with a long track record.

That said, Senate Dems are unanimous in backing filibuster reform. This is an interesting new development that might finally push through reforms that will ensure the long-term health of that body.

First step, IMO, would be to take up Sen Merkley's suggestion about filibuster requirements. There is, at present, no work involved in calling for a filibuster. Making the minority party actually work for the filibuster seems to be the minimum we can do.

Thoughts?

End of year lists

2010-12-22T18:54:00.006-05:00

A place to park 'em.

12 insane news stories of 2010

Words of the Year

2010 Viral Video Retrospective

A meta-list: Top 20 Top 10's.

Knocking down one meme, anyway...

2010-12-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

Obama really isn't going to give away the country to the Indians.

If reactions of this sort to the crap-makers on the Right were more common in the last election, we might have had people voting with actual facts on their minds. It is no surprise to me that we had such a high percentage of people wrong on the facts who helped put into office Republicans across the board.

Answer: The 2010 Mid Term elections

2010-12-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

Question: What will ginning-up voters fed a steady diet of lies and distortions get you? (pdf)

Was your Gawker information hacked?

2010-12-17T14:29:00.002-05:00

Gawker has a number of different websites, and if you have been following the tech news lately then you know their database was hacked and over a million email addresses and passwords were taken.

This simple tool lets you know if your email address was included in the stolen information. If you utilize the same password, it might be prudent to change it on other sites if your email address comes up as being hacked.

Best damn marriage proposal ever.

2010-12-16T18:57:00.000-05:00

I should probably start a web site about these.

How about: Muppet style?

The trailer is really pretty sweet.

50 years ago: Park Slope crash

2010-12-12T13:42:00.000-05:00

These stories still resonate, 50 years later. Particularly the comments for stories like this one.

The Astronaut Post

2010-12-10T20:37:00.000-05:00

Neil Armstrong answers a blogger with some questions.

How would NASA rescue an astronaut floating away? Surprisingly, one option isn't "leave him."

Happy Hannukah!

2010-12-08T16:15:00.000-05:00

Have a ham.

HT: Jeffrey Goldberg

What's the unemployment rate?

2010-12-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

Dunno what this means--a Gallup non-adjusted unemployment rate.

Anyone with some experience on this measurement tool? Useful in this economy, or statistical trickery? Or both?

More "Christian" ministery

2010-12-02T11:41:00.002-05:00

MN Christian minister accuses Rep Ellison of recruiting among the gay community to institute Sharia in the United States.

As noted in the comments, "It is called hitting the trifecta of bigotry."

If there is one thing Muslim sharia law is known for, it is the incredible compassion and tolerance for the members of the LGBT community...

The Brooklyn Bees

2010-12-01T20:07:00.000-05:00

No, not a baseball team. The actual bees. And their bright red honey.

More TSA

2010-11-28T18:07:00.001-05:00

Our New Safety Overlords

The whole thing is cringe-worthy.

Non-accountable bureaucrats who make up their own rules, appealing to never-attained "safety" the whole time? A lot of silence from the Right, who were up in arms over fake death panels.

TSA ctd

2010-11-26T13:20:00.000-05:00

James Fallows with another smart column, this one on the acceptance of risk.

Slip and slide in Seattle

2010-11-24T20:55:00.001-05:00

No animals were harmed in the filming of this icy Seattle street.

TSA gropin'

2010-11-22T00:45:00.002-05:00

Lots of virtual ink being spilled these days about the new TSA--apparently you can either be photographed nude or be groped by a stranger--your choice! Bruce Schneier has all the latest scoop you'll need.

I rarely fly--maybe once a year or so. The humiliation of going through those security zones is enough to keep me away--sounds like I'm not going to be in a rush to go back.

UPDATE: My man Rush Holt is on the case.

I guess it is a start, right?

2010-11-22T00:43:00.001-05:00

Fox pundits dish on Palin during commercial break.

Judge Kimba Wood strikes a blow

2010-11-20T11:07:00.002-05:00

Nicely done, in my opinion.

Like a New York line jumper.

2010-11-19T17:00:00.002-05:00

What few people outside Central America seemed to notice was that there was a problem with the punchline: in the weeks since Google acknowledged that its map was in error, Nicaragua has refused to remove its troops.

START treaty

2010-11-19T12:08:00.000-05:00

Incoming Senators, not content with winning their elections, try to impose their will on the Senate early.

Larrison rightly slaps them around. The START Treaty should be ratified. Now.

More on the START treaty. Like Josh Marshall, I hadn't realized that the old treaty had expired already, and that we have no way to verify or inspect Russia's nuclear weaponry and haven't for nearly a year.

Trust Putin? Then you should cheer on efforts to stall this new treaty.

"What if the largest countries had the biggest populations?"

2010-11-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

This is kind of a cool map. Zoomable as well.

Holy crap--a must-see!

2010-11-17T20:49:00.002-05:00

Hitting all the right notes--here's a preview for Cowboys and Aliens.

Clearly the liberal media's fault

2010-11-12T12:57:00.002-05:00

And the inter tubes explode from irony overload...

File this under "We'll see..."

2010-11-10T15:00:00.001-05:00

About half of the new GOP members promise to term limit themselves.

That hasn't proven to be an easy promise to keep, no matter what party the person saying it is.

Sarah Palin's handlers get heavy...

2010-11-10T11:26:00.001-05:00

Sarah Palin's got some censorship issues on Facebook.

Can't be challenging the diva, can we?

The tunnel people of Las Vegas

2010-11-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

The problem of homelessness isn't one we talk about too much here in the US anymore. Used to be a real talking point, but then the economic recovery of the Clinton Administration took that off the table for many people. But I suspect we'll soon be seeing more stories like this one, of people taking to the tunnels to live.

Europe, as seen by ,,,

2010-11-07T18:08:00.000-05:00

Frank Jacobs with another series of funny maps...

The Truth About Mudlinging

2010-11-05T18:49:00.001-04:00

Worst campaign season ever.

I hate blogging about now, because it just makes me frustrated and crazy over all the crap. Longer post to come, but meanwhile:

The Truth About Mudslinging.

Things that make you go WTF?

2010-11-05T09:59:00.002-04:00

So many possible captions for this little story...

Damn--story removed already. Basic story: Drunk woman living in a motel goes to her ex's room a few doors down demanding a certain, um, sexual act to be performed on her. He ex says no, but his friend says yes, but then changes his mind because she wasn't "fresh." She then grabs a knife and threatens to cut them if one of them doesn't proceed...

It is the kind of story for which the Internet was invented. Gotta love America.

New monkey species found, eaten.

2010-10-29T01:19:00.001-04:00

No, this isn't a headline from The Onion.

That would be this one.

When traveling to the Maldives, don't forget your translator

2010-10-29T00:52:00.002-04:00

Maldives investigating an abusive marriage vow renewal ceremony.

Clearly they need an English-only law...

26 Sexy Costumes That Should Exist

2010-10-27T20:23:00.000-04:00

via Cracked.com.

One sample:

Sexy Nemo? Seriously?

World's longest tunnel completed through the Alps

2010-10-27T20:20:00.002-04:00

Just over 35 miles. Nice.

Oldest known photograph of a person

2010-10-27T20:19:00.000-04:00

Actually, two people, from the Queen City, from 1848.

Our country was only 72 years old. Wisconsin had just become a state a few months before--making just 30 at that point. It was a lot easier to name state capitals then...

All sky picture

2010-10-26T19:15:00.000-04:00

Its all over the interwebs already, so might as well be here as well. Trying to get the darkest sky possible, Stéphane Guisard did a lot of prep work and got an amazing, made-for-the-internet shot. take a look.

I'm going to have to lie down after seeing these

2010-10-26T13:16:00.002-04:00

World's tallest climbing tower.

Interactive NYC Subway photo timeline

2010-10-24T19:56:00.001-04:00

I *loved* the subway when I lived in NYC. And while it has a timeless feel to it, most of it really isn't that old, relatively speaking. The New York Times has a cool photo timeline on the subway--enjoy.

Hide your dogs

2010-10-24T19:07:00.000-04:00

Keep the serial comma!

2010-10-24T19:05:00.002-04:00

Jeff Weintraub with a good one.

Things I don't have to think about

2010-10-24T18:29:00.002-04:00

John Scalzi with a nice list.

Print 'em out and put them on your cubicle wall...

2010-10-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

50 Funniest Jokes of all Time