New York City, Then and Now

A look back at some of the paintings of New York and photos of the same scenes now, via John Sloan.

Steps in interfaith understanding

Despite efforts on the Far Right to paint everything in black and white and to blame certain "others" in uncompromising terms as causing all our problems, some groups are taking baby steps toward interfaith understanding and moderation.

North American Muslim leaders praying at Dachau, for instance.

These days, it takes great courage to advance interfaith understanding and respect, despite the clear problems that arise when we label other faiths as completely evil. This kind of stuff needs to be spotlighted and encouraged.

Dodge complies with PETA complaint

Uses invisible monkey instead. Heh.

More on the Senate

As a follow-up to the George Packer piece I linked to below, Michael Kinsley puts some more flesh on the bones of "Washington" dysfunction.

Unfortunately the proper blame isn't being placed in the piece (hint: Which party benefits from a gummed-up Senate?). But awareness is being raised. And awareness is always beneficial.

Cool wedding proposal

Stopping time. Nicely done.

"[Y]ou have a Senate that’s designed not to advance change but to slow it.”

An excellent piece in The New Yorker about the problem that is the US Senate. It really started coming off the rails, IMO, when Republicans started moving to the Senate and acted as it it was exactly the same as the House.

This is what the internet is for

Broadcasting cool ways that people quit their jobs. Like via whiteboard.

Poor Spencer. Outed as a Farmville addict.

Hobbiton, then and now

The sheep have taken over Hobbiton!

Great bike story. You know you need one right now.

Bike justice in Brooklyn

The GOP Economic plan?

GWB all over again, perhaps?

"We're against whatever he proposes" is really not a plan so much as a political strategy.

How to win at rock, paper, and scissors

A how-to-guide. Mostly, this seems to involve quick flowchart-like thinking.

To your basements, people! Now dig!

Family saves home from foreclosure after finding rare comic in their basement.

I remember some of these guys. Maybe not as well as these cards immortalize them, however.

30 Worst Baseball Cards of All Time.

Some One Hit Wonders

In music, and elsewhere.

Prop 8 overturned--next stop SCOTUS?

Prop 8 ruled unconstitutional in US district court

Have only real about half of this decision. It is pretty much a slam dunk decision for the anti-Prop 8 folks.

I followed a bit of the trial, and the pro-Prop 8 people were really battered about by the lawyers for the other side. It was pretty silly at times. David Boies just destroyed them.

The Japanese keep losing their old people

Now the oldest woman might no longer be around.

The terror industry: The perfect private-public partnership for the neo-con age

How they square the circle: A case in a particular terror alert.

Know Your Meme

Great idea for a web site. Compiles, explains, and tracks various memes floating around the innertubes.

Realistic sobriety tests

Another classic College Humor original.

"He's climbing in yo windows, he's snatching yo people up..."

God love Antoine Dodson. Urban crime watch spokesperson:



Of course, the Auto Tune folks went to town with this:

Real bear rescues teddy bear from house

Soon coming to a big screen near you. With special effects.

The crazies of the crazies

Deep into the weeds here, but some of the far right want to restore the 13th Amendment. The original 13th Amendment.

Ten questions for Moms about Sarah Palin

When in doubt, choose B, yes?

World's oldest man discovered to have been dead for about 30 years.

Ouch. That'll cost him with the judges.

A perfect afternoon for me

Video compilation of dads catching foul balls while holding babies.

Escape routes for pickup lines

I literally LOL at the 4th one.

"Annie" actress returns as orphan's tormentor

Although it’s been 33 long years since McArdle first donned the red Annie wig, she told Roker she still has to resist the urge to burst into “Tomorrow” when the current Annie belts out the signature tune.

“It’s very hard for me,” she said. “I have to really, really focus to not slip back into it.”

Is Jesus a member of the Tea Party?

Tea Party Jesus illustrates the question.

Mila's Daydreams

I came across this on The Daily What, but Andrew Sullivan recently linked to this too: Quite possibly the cutest site on the internet.

A bedtime story video. Heh.

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty from Darragh O'Connell on Vimeo.

HT: TDW

"This was a very rare incident".

I should hope so.

You gotta love the British for being understated.

Sara Palin's language

Andy Borowitz might be into something here.

37 states now looking into Street View data theft probe

Google was the pied piper, apparently, collecting data as it went. Why, I dunno.

Need a baby name?

We will, come Jan/Feb. Some of these might work.

Buried Stonehedge Twin Located

Wooden version located just 900 meters away.

Judge knocks down the law preventing people from lying whether they have won military awards.

And a sigh of relief from would-be soldier/politicians is heard throughout the land.

Four Crazy Nobel Prize Winners

Another good one from cracked.com

The girl on the wall

A live action/animation hybrid short.

No, I gotta take this

The World's Most Important Call

Next up for John: A rule that opponents of his favorite baseball team must bat while sitting...

John Boehner, not known as the sharpest tool in the shed, floats the GOP's latest lead balloon: "No new federal regulations for one year."

Yup!

From XKCD.com

London's Secret Underground Tube Station

In an office building.

Vatican on the sex scandal

"Yes it is very, very bad. As bad as ordaining women!"

The Rev. Roy Bourgeois, an American priest with the Maryknoll religious order, said that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith sent him an excommunication letter within two months after he participated in a ceremony ordaining women, but that the Congregation had taken years while it considered the requests of bishops to defrock pedophiles.

“What I did, supporting the ordination of women, they saw as a serious crime,” Father Bourgeois said. “But priests who were abusing children, they did not see as a crime. What does that say?”

He added, “It’s leading to this ever-deepening crisis in the church in which so many people have left or are questioning how they can stay.”

They are all over those women-ordaining priests. But screwing kids--they got a process to follow....

Beautiful song

Sometimes I've heard a song for weeks before I actually listen to it--even good songs. That ever happen to you?

I heard "Heaven is a Face" for weeks before realizing who the artist was (Stephen Curtis Chapman). Even then I thought this was one of those nice "daddy" songs by singer/songwriters discovering the pleasures of fatherhood. But after listening to it, I realized it was more of a psalm--a song prayer--about the loss of SCC's 5-year-old daughter.

I won't post about that horrible, horrible accident--look on Wikipedia for more. But in that light that song turns into a beautiful thing.

You tube has a video of him singing it live for the first time, lyrics in front of him as he's still working through the song.

Another youtube video:

Anti-mosque ad rejected

For once, a media company's aversion to controversy causes the right thing to be done.

Cigarette companies using child labor

Can their image get any lower?

Doesn't look like any of these "blood cigarettes" got into the US brands, as if smokers really care.

Ship found in remains of WTC site

NYT story. Clearly 9/11 was planned by a world-wide coalition of archeology buffs.

Amazing that a young country like the US can still find itself finding its past among its midst. Imagine cities such as Rome, London, or Istanbul. You can't swing a cat there without hitting something historical.

A racked workoutC

If you're like me (you know, perfect except for this little flab thing that suddenly arrived about ten years ago), then this workout is for you.

Cool prank

Jewel goes undercover at a karaoke bar to sing her own songs.

Pakistan is #1!

In sex related searches on Google.

The factory method of lawsuits

Debt collection law firms swamping the courts with software-generated lawsuits.

There really should be a better system against suing someone wrongfully than having the suit thrown out.

The limits of online dating

A very interesting video about the limits of online dating, by Dan Ariely. It points to the problem of trying to solve the problem of dating (or, at least how to maximize return) but the limits of online searching actually make the problem worse.

LeBron

I've avoided writing about LeBron--it isn't bitterness, but more a matter of trying to figure out why he made the decision he did. I suspect it is because he surrounded himself by his own "team" and, as anyone following politics these days can attest, an echo chamber is a piss poor way to make decisions.

Meanwhile, Nate Silver estimates LeBron will lose $150 million, in the end

If he doesn't win multiple championships in Miami, he's likely to lost a lot more than that.

Moka coffee

Giorgio Milos is getting coffee. Mmmm, coffee.

How do we know a work is art is by the artist attributed?

A National Gallery exhibit examines forgeries and other questions of attribution.

What to do if you win the lottery

Some good advice. Even though it is really for me.

120 beagles rescued from bankrupt lab in NJ

Cool video. Great dogs!

My wife and I have only had rescues here (sometimes we foster dogs as well), and we were early volunteers for Petfinder as well. Almost enough to break your heart to see that dog wagging his tail through the van window.

Are you a nerd? Looking to date?

Here's a handy guide.

What if the Earth stood still?

Assuming a gradual slowdown rather than a stomp-on-the-breaks, the result would be a megacontinent and polar oceans.

Boeing wins huge WTO case against Airbus

The wink-wink loans given to Airbus over the years by 4 European governments has just been ruled as being anti-competitive by the WTO.

The DLC has a good overview, and more links.

CA State employees now paid minimum wage

The result, IMO, with an out-of-control referenda system.

A bonus kick in the pants: Other employees who are not federally protected by minimum wage requirements, such as some of the state’s doctors and lawyers, will go without pay from California’s government for the month of July.

Remember Gallagher?

He still touring. As an old, bitter, asshole.

Hi, I'm Troy McClure

and you might know me from such films as...

Saw this on The Daily What a few days ago and it is still funny stuff.

BTW, anyone else notice that Andrew Sullivan appears to be seeding his blog with TDW selections, but typically sourced to the original places rather than TDW? I think if someone (like myself, or you, for that matter) reads The Daily What every other day or so, about half of Andrew Sullivan's posts become deja vu.

He's still got it...

Funny Steve Martin tour rider...

From the batshit crazy wing of the GOP....

Michelle Bachmann denounces the global economy.


I guess the common air we breathe will be the next socialist plot to be denounced...

Smoothing the square (pixels)

Originator of the square pixels trying to fix his 53-year-old mistake.

Cats

two on the same theme:

11 Most Profound Simpsons Quotes

Classics. And more in the comments.

Don't ask for help on a forum

How an internet meme starts...

Satelitte image of the day

Taken last Saturday:

Funniest police blotters

Pardon the tits across the top.

Getting a read on the "Tea Party.

The Two Faces of the Tea Party.

I cannot recommend this piece enough. This is spot-on in so many ways.

On best friends, and children

I had the exact same reaction when I read the New York Times piece, but (as usual) E. D. Kain puts it much better that I would have.

Manute Bol: Humanitarian and NBA star passes away.

Too young. And with too much work to do.

For those keeping score at home

The top 6 (so far!) Republican gaffes about the oil spill.

About the best I can spin this is that the GOP really, really is not good at politicizing this issue. One that begs to be spun, frankly.

Pictures of a supercool subway system in Sweden

The wonders of non-competitive bidding.

Keeping up with the Tuners

Obama autotunes his ass kicking

Meanwhile, (via TDW), some news of the day.

Norway's PC problem

Why do the most liberal countries have such a hard time with speech?

I think we'll be staying awhile. For your own protection, you understand.

Say goodbye to the US pulling out of Afghanistan anytime soon.

New (and in-depth) economic news from the Fed

Lots of information in the Beige Book to digest. 538 notes:

The overall conclusion of both these report is clear: the economy is expanding, albeit at a slower pace. Personal consumption expenditures are in an uptrend, business investment is increasing and real estate -- while not a hot bed of activity -- is not the drag it once was. However, there is still a long way to go. The unemployment rate is still incredibly high and initial unemployment claims need to start dropping soon.

There appears to be little discussion given to the fact that a flat housing market hinders mobility for workers, contributing to flat jobs numbers. Otherwise, we're about where we should be: Conservative purchasing by consumers (including paying down debt) and some green shoots in the economy in areas where we hope to see them.

It does appear that the worries of a double dip recession are behind us, but IMO the longer we are in a slow rebuilding phase the better it is for the economy long-term.

Adolescent humor of the day

Bart Simpson apparently is calling TV stations now:

Rember Gitmo?

Government continues to argue for the indefinite holding of Gitmo detainees. Because it doesn't know what else to do, it seems.

Get outta my lane

A sticker response to cars in bike lanes

Great Sex Advice

Not.

Funny stuff, though. Something tells me many of those writers have never had sex in a relationship before.

TV Land: Where the Print News Never Changes

Weird.

what if political scientists wrote the news?

Saw this on Slate a few days ago--should have posted it then. It really gets going about halfway through.

On Netanyahu and Obama

The relationship between Netanyahu and Obama is certainly prickly. But it doesn't really need to be presented as neo-con fiction.

Obama Administration on detentions: Same as it ever was

Besides doubling down on Afghanistan, Obama seems intent on holding onto Bush's legacy of deciding for himself the when, if, where, and how long of detaining people.

Jon Stewart pwns Beck, Part XX

Beck: No one else is showing you this clip!

ragheads

"I was just kidding when I called Obama and Nikki Haley ragheads."

What is with the stupid South?

Bill Cosby's quest to save the American black man

I've been reading and mulling over this amazing TNC column about Bill Cosby for some time now. I was aware of Cosby's work at getting the black community to take more responsibility (and his NAACP speech) but this really fleshes out his work.

A great piece. I'm not so certain that Du Bois can be pigeonholed in the way he is in the article (and I think TNC misses an opportunity to connect Du Bois and the NAACP, which Du Bois headed for some time as well as edited The Crisis for many decades). Du Bois advocated a wide range of solutions to the pervasive problem of racism in America, including Cosby's basic point of self-responsibility (as well as a rise of African-American intellectuals, as it were, acting as African American mentors). The integration Du Bois advocated wasn't really the kind of "stooging" as is presented here--it was more of a recognition of the goals of reaching toward societal mores, which were largely realized (and controlled by) whites.

Later, of course, Du Bois became more of a pan-africanist, communist, and began looking for models outside the United States upon which blacks could draw for self-determination. But by this time (early 60's) he was an embarrassment to many black leaders, who branded him an "integrationist" (code word for a Tom) for not being militant enough, a false charge that still carries some weight.

Two areas upon which Cosby and Du Bois would agree, however, is that self-determination (whether for an individual or a race) comes from within rather than outside. And racial progress for blacks is doomed without mentors (principally, men) helping others.

Your daily tear up...

Leave Me from Daros Films on Vimeo.

Net worth of US Presidents

From Washington to Obama.

Just keeping it in perspective...

In case you are feeling small. Here's why.

Excuse me, is that a...Oh My God It Is

My question: Was it a real penis casting a shadow, or a cutout?

Police using wiretapping laws against being taped themselves

A disturbing trend.

The article doesn't make clear that the problem isn't the taping in the first place, the the distribution of the taping. An important point, IMO, that is completely glossed over.

No No-No

I watched the last few innings of the Detroit/Cleveland game today (though it wasn't until the final inning that I realized that the Detroit pitcher, Armando Galarraga had a perfect game going instead of a no hitter.

Regardless, the first base umpire missed a call on Damon 's ground ball in the bottom of the 8th, keeping things alive for the Tigers to score two runs in the inning (making it 3-0 going into the 9th). The ump would return the favor with an awful call with 2 outs in the ninth, calling Jason Donald safe on a close play in which replays showed him to be out by a half-step (which, in baseball terms, might as well be a mile).

Donald couldn't believe it. Neither could anyone else. And while Galarraga did the professional thing and went back and got the last guy out, the way the Tigers went after the ump was terribly unprofessional.

Regardless, the umpire's Wikipedia page was repeatedly hacked after the game, including (at one point) started as:

"Ángel Hernández (born August 26, 1961 in Havana, Cuba) is a horrible umpire in Major League Baseball, and is the only MLB umpire to be legally blind."

Heh. Only in 2010...

Destiny?

Two born in the same hospital on the same day to wed.

16 items you'll only see in Chinese Wal-Marts

That is, not in Wal-Marts elsewhere. How they can call themselves a superstore and not stock these elsewhere I dunno.....

"You people, fix it. Now"