Afterthoughts...

First off, want to wish my boy Ed a very happy birthday.

And on that note....

DNA Evidence Frees Black Man Convicted Of Bear Attack

-Cheers

All the news that's......

I had this big post I had been working on excoriating the media for being exceptionally thin skinned about any sort criticism. I am actually kind of disappointed I did not post it actually, it was chalk full of vitriol and links galore.

But after reading the Newsweek piece on Dr. Paul Krugman (an oft cited individual round these parts), I just did not have the rage anymore.

It would be like yelling at a wall. The mainstream press, just does not get it what its role is supposed to be. And this quote from the Newsweek's Evan Thomas positively distills exactly what the problem is in media today:

If you are of the establishment persuasion (and I am), reading Krugman makes you uneasy. You hope he's wrong, and you sense he's being a little harsh (especially about Geithner), but you have a creeping feeling that he knows something that others cannot, or will not, see. By definition, establishments believe in propping up the existing order. Members of the ruling class have a vested interest in keeping things pretty much the way they are. Safeguarding the status quo, protecting traditional institutions, can be healthy and useful, stabilizing and reassuring. But sometimes, beneath the pleasant murmur and tinkle of cocktails, the old guard cannot hear the sound of ice cracking.

When those who are supposed to hold the "establishment" in check or to some sense of accountability, dismiss that duty for greater access and essentially become the "establishment", the country and our discourse has lost something very valuable.

When the stories of the day are about who is up or down and less about substantive issues. Why is this story not covered more? Instead we listen to shrill and histrionic proclamations by political figures. That are never really checked versus reality. There is not even the pretense of accountability. Senators can be for something when their party is in control and absolutely apoplectic when the other party is, as this wonderful piece by Jonathan Chait in 'The New Republic' illustrates:

If you do not follow Senate arcana for a living, you have probably never heard of reconciliation until the last few weeks, when it has suddenly emerged into the public debate as a terrible weapon with fearsome consequences. A recent front-page Washington Post article described reconciliation as a "shortcut." Republican Senator Judd Gregg cast the tactic in the most dramatic terms. "You're talking about running over the minority, putting them in cement and throwing them in the Chicago River," he wailed.

The notion that reconciliation represents some radical and extreme partisan step has settled in so deeply in part because numerous Democrats are making the same case, albeit in slightly less hysterical terms. Eight Democratic senators signed a letter opposing the use of reconciliation to pass a cap-and-trade bill limiting carbon-dioxide emissions. Reconciliation, they wrote, "would circumvent normal Senate practice and would be inconsistent with the administration's stated goals of bipartisanship, cooperation, and openness." Several Democrats also oppose using reconciliation to pass health care reform. Democrat Mary Landrieu offered up a somewhat less melodramatic argument when she said that reconciliation "was intended for deficit reduction, and it should not be used for other things."

Reconciliation may have been intended for deficit reduction, but it has been often used for other things, such as deficit expansion--as in the case of the Bush tax cuts, which Landrieu voted for. (As did Gregg, who, as my colleague Jonathan Cohn discovered, was happy to support reconciliation for proposals like drilling for oil in ANWR when Republicans controlled the majority.)

These things are commonplace.

Then you have this piece in the Washington Post, chronicling the activities of the Khmer Rouge and low and behold they used water-boarding on prisoners there! Even more shocking is that the writer of the piece (Tim Johnston) called it torture. This is a first for the Post. It has been common knowledge for sometime that the United States has used water-boarding, yet the Post has not referred to our uses of water-boarding as torture. However someone else does it and it most definitely is. Jason Linkins has a good take down here.

Any criticisms that are levied at the media, as a whole, are dismissed as partisan/ideological/illegitimate complaints. Regardless of the legitimacy of those claims. The recent Stewart vs. Cramer dust up would be a good example of this, with the inevitable response from Cramer (and those in the media) here. Basically a collective, "It's not our fault! It isn't our job to police those we cover and adjudicate the veracity of their statements!".

Ummm...yes it is. That is the presses role.

It is the reason, why Charlie Savage's reporting was deemed worthy of a Pulitzer, and the reason it was so sad to me (though the reporting was quite good and exactly the sort thing that should win a Pulitzer) is the comment from his editor about why he won:

"What Charlie does and the reason he won this richly deserved Pulitzer is because he covered what the White House does, not just what it says," Globe Editor Martin Baron told his staff as they hoisted champagne and cheered Savage this afternoon in the newsroom.

Seriously questioning what people in power are saying, and checking the veracity of those statements now is the stand-out of journalistic achievement.

Okay I lied about the vitriol....and the links..

-cheers

Good science....bad for the environment....

I am conflicted here. New science is good. But the possible impact on the environment could be disastrous.

Bad News: Scientist Make Cheap Gas from Coal.

There are a lot of different ways to talk about this. But because of the deleterious effects this could have on the global climate, I am extremely reluctant to say this good.

The simple truth is, as a society we are going to have to decouple our attachment to "cheap" fuels and explore more "cost neutral" ones. Also a diversification of energy sources is also key. Much of current predicament is predicated on the fact that our entire economy is pegged to fossil fuels. If this were to change, who is to say how that would alleviate some of our energy demands.

-Cheers

How High?!??

Evidently Method Man was too high to pay his taxes.

They repo'd his truck.

And what did Meth have to say for himself:

“Myself, I’m a pothead,” he said on the set of a video shoot for his new album, “Blackout 2,” with Redman. “It’s no secret. Everyone knows that. I go on the road and forget everything else. Sure, [the tax department] sent letters to my house saying, ‘We need this money.’ They started sending them in 2002.

Here it is, 2009, and I never paid this s— because I don’t think like that!”

“I could have easily just written them a check for whatever amount, but no — I waited until they knocked on this door and were like, ‘We got your truck and we outta here,’ ” he laughed.

We salute you Sir Method Man!


-Cheers

Scattershots...

This is a bit of a catch all post.

Tyler stopped me from jumping into potentially lethal political debate, the other night. So I thought I would just do a post about a smattering of other news, for a change. Because evidently politics has permeated my conciousness more
thoroughly then I thought.

Also had the "Very Scary Saturday" gathering at my place. Several people showed up, some food was eaten. Some beer was drunk. Good times were had by all. Echo was a good sport, brought some positively delectable rice crispy treats and put up with our dorkitude, Tyler made some scrumptious burgers, Guilherme (?) was delightful, Steve, Gabe, and Cation brought delicious beers. Gonna be planning another one of these, for some point in the future. Movie suggestions?

Good times.

A quick round up of the odds and ends that you may have missed.

• The trailer for "Where the Wild Things Are".
• Somebody just has to make these for our next gathering, Vodka Gummi Bears.
• This may be hard to swallow, but evidently, Semen makes you happy.
• Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) is still a loon.
• Classic, satirical and 30 years ahead of its time Richard Pryor (the president called on a reporter from Ebony last night)
• Tyler dug up an interesting article on Introversion, about being more accepting of those who tend to be more reserved.
  
• Jane Austen and Zombies!
  
• And I got my new issue of Gourmet!

-Cheers

-Edit- some extra stuff needed to be added, enjoy!

New Stuff....

I have a couple of meatier posts percolating, but I had to take moment off to address this pressing
issue.

Where have the Pubs Gone?

"...Evans' greatest concern is the impact of pub closures on rural life. The majority of pubs going out of business are in country villages. "The local pub is more than a watering hole, it is the center of community life," the MP explained. That is true. A good pub at its heart is an open living room for a village. It is not just a place to have a beer, but it is the place to organize activities, everything from outings for teenagers to the schedule of the local cricket team."

O' cruel world,
So much tumult and pain!
First AIG takes my money,
Now they are fuckin' wit my grain!

-Go have a pint

Normally this is Tyler's bag....

Like the title implies, Tyler tends to be the "master storyteller". I am more of a debater (Ha!).

But I had a situation happen today that just had to be shared. It will most definitely lack the florid prose that those who frequent 'True Stories of My Life?', but it is pretty simple. So I will stop with the lede and just get to the story.

I was charged with picking up lunch today at work. While waiting in the drive-thru, I noticed something odd. There was a couple in the car right across the drive involved in some odd behavior. Pretty much one member of this couple would disappear from view at regular intervals. Now at first, I thought perhaps someone had just dropped a fry or something, but after about 2 minutes of 'bobbing for goodies' and vigorous arm movements, I changed my my opinion.

Now mind you, this is at like 1:00 p.m. So it was sunny, and my view (as well as the view of the 10 other cars in the drive-thru) was absolutely unobstructed. So for the better (or worse) part of 15 minutes I got to watch some serious auto-fellation.

I know I have an anti-nudity bubble, but it seems oral copulation is fair game.

[a clever little personal add for y'all]

-cheers

V is for Validation!

It is about time that legitimacy was bestowed upon this most time honored of hobbies.

Behold the New York Times: Graphic Books Best Sellers List !

Happy day indeed.

-Cheers

Final Thoughts....

Some final thoughts on the whole Cramer vs. Stewart dust up.

I think the reason it has resonated so much is there is a thirst for accountability in society today.

There is a growing sense, even against the protests of the media, that the media has not been an honest broker during the last couple of decades.

The preoccupation with the superficial over substance, the slavish devotion to a false sense of balance, and near perfect ability to ignore any valid criticism of its methods.

The examples are have become too numerous, from the Chandra Levy case, to "Monica-gate", to the lead up to Iraq, and culminating in the recent financial crisis.

The press has forgotten what their role as the fourth estate is. They are to be adversarial with authority. They are to question its actions and motives.

Their job, to put it bluntly, is to crawl up the collective asses of government and corporate interests and make sure what they say they had for lunch is actually what they ate.

That is the one of the big things glossed over in all the chatter. Though we allow the elite of our country to largely ignore this, they are accountable for what they say and do. If they make claims or statements that contradictory or completely false, they should be called on it.

There is no shame in being wrong. The shame comes from ignoring it and acting as if it never happens.

-Cheers

Cramer vs. Stewart Part 12

If you didn't see the Daily show in Thursday night it was a real gem.

Here is a link.

I would highly recommend it. Rarely do you see an interview conducted in such a way, or a public figure held accountable for their words in such a humbling fashion. In particular Part 2. My god that is just brutal.

And even saying all that almost misses the point that Stewart is trying to make. That it isn't about one person. It is about a mentality that got us to this point, and that media (in this case CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg) have a duty to ferret out that which the viewer can not. They are not there as stenographers for the titans of industry, nor as it hagiographers.

But yeah it has been a hoot. Though I am saddened by the fact that a comedian is the sane voice in this maelstrom. That he is the one looking for and practicing real journalism.

-Cheers

Stupid as a box of chocolates....

I don't know how many of you all watch Fox News on a regular basis? I try to work in a solid 5-10 hours a week, just know how the other half sees the world.

I have become somewhat inured to the obvious slant of the news reports that they produce, especially if it is about a prominent non-republican. But on "Hannity" last night, I watch a cavalcade of teh stupid the likes of which I have not seen in a long time.

Steve Benen over at The Washington Monthly, gives an excellent round of how inane this is:

If you missed last night's episode of Sean Hannity's Fox News show, you missed a fascinating "discussion" between Hannity, Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) and Sen. David Vitter (R-La.). As the Fox News personality explained, Shadegg and Vitter have come up with a "stimulus" plan that costs "zero dollars," and "promises to create two million new jobs without any of your money."

Shadegg explained this visionary approach to economic growth:

"With unemployment rates going up how can we produce American jobs? And the answer is we have had a non-energy policy in this country for a very long time. The reality is we are giving jobs to oil fieldworkers and natural gas fieldworkers in Russia and Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, when we should be putting those people to work here in the United States.

"Now Senator Vitter and I have drafted a bill that says let's put Americans to work, let's pursue the fight we had last summer of an all of the above energy strategy, let's clear the bureaucracy out of the way, and let's move forward with American jobs, producing American energy.... And we can also reduce the absurd regulations that go way too far." <emphasis added-R>

Now, I won't bother to point out that point of "stimulus", in its governmental usage, absolutely requires spending. Why? Because the reason for the spending is due to a severe drop in domestic consumer spending. So the government must make up the difference, in order to stave off a severe economic contraction. But those are definitions which have been repeated to no avail.

But that isn't really the stupid part of this. Lets look at the oil industries profits(from 2007) over the last 2-3 years, they have been extreme. Record setting, and most assuredly quite large. Now we can talk about pure revenue or we can talk about returns on equity, but the fact is big oil is doing pretty okay even with all these "absurd regulations that go way too far".

The United States has somewhere south of 3% of of the worlds oil reserves yet consumes more than 30% of the available crude. Some how 2 million jobs can be created from this, for free?

Opening up the Everglades and wetlands, off shore drilling near Florida, the Gulf Coast and California for exploration, will be cheap of course. Considering there is already a two year wait list for boats capable of doing recon and find a suitable site. Then another 1-2 years to build the rig, and finally it will begin producing said oil which will not effect supply at all, because that would be for just one new rig.

Also from my understanding of the leasing process, oil and natural gas, have over 60 million acres of land at their disposal that they currently lease, which they have not even touched yet.

Oil companies could build rigs on this land, but they haven't. It is no secret the leases exist or who they are owned by, but they sit empty. The industries in question have ample resources to capitalize these expenditures, but they don't.

And lets not forget, by no stretch of the imagination would this be free. At best the government would have to give the oil industry billions of dollars in tax breaks or straight up subsidies to do this. This would be inefficient in the extreme. We could do this...or rebuild our electricity grid. I know which

So yeah, dumb and costly.

-Cheers

Son of Stimulus....

I wonder when it comes time for a second stimulus bill, if we will get better coverage from the MSM?

More economists and less political functionaries.

Or will we be subjected to the same tripe as before.?

Don't bring a knife to a gun fight...

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Basic Cable Personality Clash Skirmish '09

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Economic Crisis

I have to give the people over at the Daily Show a lot of credit. I really think most of our political elite do not really understand what it is, shows like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report do. They are not "fake news", they are media critiques. What they do is hold up a mirror to the venal nature of our modern day press.

What Stewart has done, is try to hold accountable people who say stupid things in the public square. Networks like CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg have been cheerleaders during both the housing bubble, and the dot com bubble of the late 90s. Sort of a collective "cupping the balls" brigade for corporate interests.

Now the core of those networks audiences are those very same corporate interests, so it is not so hard to see, how they got in this position. But honestly why should we trust these peoples opinion when they have been so fabulously and spectacularly wrong.

I am not trying to intuit Mr. Stewart's motives, but I think it has less to do with personalities on these networks attacking President Obama, but instead Rick Santelli's rant against "losers" in society. Not even remotely noting the inherent irony of his statement (standing on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, venting about how helping the common man amounts to a moral hazard, but says nothing of the captains of industry who piloted our zepplin like economy into the side of a mountain. Surrounded by the very derivatives traders that have gotten us to our present point.). People who lose their home because they lost their jobs are losers. No matter how you got there, it is your fault it happened. On the other side, however, Wall Street and corporate America were just hapless victims of the housing bubble and a decrease in global demand.

I know I don't feel that way.

-Cheers

Word of the week....

Those involved know why this was necessary.

Nude

Naked

They are fraking synonyms.

And before the argument starts, if they are used in each other's definition that is by definition synonymous.

There are connotative differences, but not in reference to the lack of clothes. Nude ambition is not the same as naked ambition...etc.

-Cheers

Heinous....

[Warning...if you are easily offended by religious matters, child abuse or abortion...just ignore this post. This is not meant as a blanket condemnation of all religion, but of this particular one, in this particular place, with these particular people.]

Religion is always a touchy subject, there is no doubt of that. But this is bordering on....well I am not sure what the term for clergy who would do this to a family or its parishioners after what they had just survived.

Nine-Year-Old's Abortion Outrage

I really am not sure what to say about it actually, though Steve Benen has some words on the subject.

This is the sort of thing that I find absolutely terrifying and maddening about religion at times, the frightening adherence to dogma and orthodoxy in this case amounts to physical and emotional torture. Though that doesn't even begin to encompass, the abject revulsion I feel. This child was raped and impregnated, with twins, by her step-father. Her life is at risk cause her body is not prepared for the rigors of birthing a child.

And the Church turns a blind eye to that. It is the job of the church to provide succor for its adherents. To ameliorate their pain and give them a vision of a better and more just world. Not to heap upon them more suffering, injustice and inequity.

This?

Well this is just evil.

This line from the Archbishop is perhaps the most chilling thing I have read in ages:

"...Abortion is much more serious than killing an adult. An adult may or may not be an innocent, but an unborn child is most definitely innocent. Taking that life cannot be ignored."

And what of the child who's life you are putting at risk? Remember there are three "children" at risk here. Not only the unborn. Who is trying to save her life? Obviously not the church.

No matter what your beliefs are on the subject, we all can agree that no child should have to shoulder this burden.

If it is "wrong" to feel that further increasing this child's suffering or potentially killing this poor girl under some misguided notion of "God's Will". Then I most definitely and with all my being do not want to be "right". Nor do I want any part of any church or god that would condone this.

This child has already been robbed of her innocence, now she has been robbed of her faith as well.

-Cheers

Weekend Plans....

Birthdays...birthdays..birthdays! This weekend, seems have a couple of them to celebrate.

That and Watchmen should keep me busy. Here is something to tide you all over.



-cheer

Sometimes a good internet meme is hard to resist.

Jon Stewart is a national treasure. The clarity he brings to subjects is both enjoyable and refreshing.

Mr. Stewart is in rare form here. One might even say he is approaching an elevated level of dudgeon.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

-Cheers

A Dork's Call to Arms!

Now I do not know why there is all this hatred for comic book nerds? But Anthony Lane, of the New Yorker, is rocking some serious nerd hate. Basically dissing comic fans as, "leering nineteen year olds" who fear "meeting a woman who requests intelligent conversation.". Now, I know I am no Don Juan with the ladies....but come on that is just harsh! I like intelligent conversations and women!

Adam Serwer over at the American Prospect toss out a couple of salvos of hot righteous nerd vengeance (brought to us by fellow nerd Steve Benen):

[Not to question what is, I am certain, the vibrant and thrilling sex lives of film critics, but I'm not so sure that "film critic" is much higher than "comic book geek" on the social spectrum. Moreover, what exactly do Lane's thoughts on comic book nerds have to do with the quality of the film? What does the reviewer grant the reader by insulting the film's intended audience?

I'm not going to argue with Lane over the quality of a film I haven't seen, but I really find it hard to understand why comic book fans are the subject of such persistent abuse. You'd think we clubbed baby seals for a living or perhaps sold sub-prime mortgages. The unbridled contempt for people who like comic books reaches something close to the feelings people have for parking cops and tax collectors.....]

[Whatever Lane's opinions of Watchmen's source material, comic books are the closest thing Americans have to folktales, and their content is about as close as a reflection of American cultural identity, for good or for ill, as we have. You'd think that for that reason alone, the material and its consumers would be worth at least a minimum of respect.]

On the upside things are a-changin' we now have a comic dork in the White House, hosting tv shows, and in the Senate. That's right, we control the horizontal and the vertical now! So I think it is time to end this pointless hater-ation now and forever!

If that doesn't work, I have a circle kick to the groin, that may help'em shake off their Hate-orade addiction.

-Avengers Assemble! Titans Together!! Long Live the Legion!!! and Excelsior bitches!!!!!

An the American entry....

Perhaps I spoke too soon in the previous post.



-Cheers

Even their commercials are better....

I swear they make better comedies and produce pretty good actors across the pond...this just isn't fair.

Bollocks!




-Cheers

Wonder Woman 2009!

It has come to my attention, that due to my political musings over the last few months my other side posts have been less prevalent (word of the week, fashion-daily, or dick move of the week). That is too bad. I actually really enjoy dishing on a wide range of topics. That being said, it is hard to not write about what is dominating your thought process, especially during such a historic time! But at some point I lost sight.

Also at some point I got really angry. Not sure about what, though I have many posts chronicling that demise (perhaps referring to George Will as a "shitfucker", may have been over the line).

So we are going to try to restore some semblance of balance around these parts like you know, Anakin.

Enjoy your steaming helping of Roman flavored midichlorians today.
---------

As I have said before, and I shall say again, there are some things that absolutely boggle the mind, whether it be body pants, dogs in purses, or golden stripper skates. Some things just cry out for attention.

Take the young lady here, who was obviously hugely influenced by Wonder Woman as a child.


Oh you don't believe me?

Slap a tiara on her, grab that magic lasso and call it a day! It's sort of like a (I can't believe I would ever defend Wonder Woman's costume) skankified version of the Linda Carter classic.

Lets do our skanky check list: Furry boots? Check! Leggings? Double Check!! Areola like markings on a faux-bodice? Skankegedon!!!!!

So I wonder if her super heroine name would be Harlot Lass?

Because Bradley said....

All I do is talk about politics. Be careful son! Or you will get served by Mickey.


-Cheers

Ladies and gentlemen...this is your Republican Party.

Oh how times change! I seem to remember a time when any who criticized then President Bush, should be charged with treason and locked in gulags!

Dear Leader.....

The always entertaining former Sen. Rick "Man-Dog love" Santorum.

Tom Delay espousing as only he can.

And because Rush is just a font of douchey commentary and hypocrisy, this statement is just too rich.

From Steve Benen at Washington Monthly:

[Got it. Limbaugh has always believed that it "doesn't matter" if Obama is black. It's never made any difference if Obama is "authentically black." Racism "doesn't exist" among conservatives and was "exclusively" in the realm of Democratic politics.

Perhaps Limbaugh's memory is failing him. I'm happy to help refresh his memory.

February 2007:

On Feb. 13, Rush Limbaugh derided Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) -- who is biracial -- for saying, "If you look African-American in this society, you're treated as an African-American." Limbaugh claimed that this statement meant Obama didn't want to be black and should "renounce it": "If it's not something you want to be, if you didn't decide it, renounce it, become white!"

March 2007:

Limbaugh continued to refer to Obama as the "Magic Negro" throughout the broadcast -- 27 times, to be exact -- and at one point sang "Barack, the Magic Negro" to the tune of "Puff, the Magic Dragon." ...]

Got it.

These are the new arbiters of the Republican party. Devoid of ideas, all they have is vitriol (that they accused others of having during the Bush era) and anger. This is what passes as critical thought.

Forget the problems we have, just roll out old and staid ideas (John Cole with the smack down)!

I wish the GOP a very nice and long trek in the wilderness...I hope they brought a picnic lunch.

The extreme smallness of these people is truly shocking. In a time when we need big ideas and innovative thought, this is what we get? This is who is at the negotiating table? These people are deeply unserious about the the state we find ourselves in. Where are the William F. Buckleys? Hell I wish more Republicans would listen to Ross Douthat, Andrew Sullivan, or Daniel Larison.

These are not people who I always agree with or even mostly agree with. But they put forth reasoned policy prescriptions and articulate actual big "C" conservative principles. Not the lowbrow bullshit that Malkin, Hannity, and Limbaugh trade in.

I am not a conservative by any stretch of the imagination, but I definitely understand and welcome the inclusion of counter philosophies. If for no other reason then they temper and fortify my own, not every idea one has is a good one, sometimes adherence to orthodoxy is more damaging because of how it cripples the scope of vision. Slavish devotion to any ideology is far to fraught with pitfalls.

So instead of a vibrant conservative movement, we have this crap, and I couldn't be more sad for country.

-Cheers