Monday, March 07, 2011
Interpreting Chunky BoBo
Echidne tries, but it's really quite simple. Every Ross Douthat column on this subject is, basically, "the slutty sluts should stop being slutty," with the occasional "also, too, abortion bad." He just knows the world doesn't entirely share his hatred and disgust for women, so he tries to package it into any more palatable argument he can find, the way that Regular BoBo does.
Some Things You Can't Make Up
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER DEBATES
THE ROLE OF CIVILITY IN DEMOCRACY
Final event of major NEH-funded series
Features Filmmaker Ken Burns, former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton,
former Dept. of Justice Official John Yoo, and PBS’ Hari Sreenivasan
Presumably we'll hear about how uncivil it is to say Fuck John Yoo when he says it's ok to crush the testicles of children.
Free Lunch Republicans
No, nobody remembers Whitman's little scam. Or that Ground Zero air quality stuff for that matter.
Campaigning For President Is Hard Work
At least if you're in it to win it. Sure you can run a fake campaign and trick Politico into covering it and get BoBo or maybe even Chunky Bobo to write something nice about you, especially if you mention that you think girly parts are icky, but after that you have to raise money. More than that, you have to convince other people to raise money for you. And you have to convince other people to convince other people to raise money for you. Then after you're done hanging out with rich people you have to spend some time pressing flesh with the masses next to the deep fried snickers bar stall at the country fair. And some of those people are icky, and they're certainly not rich, but you have to talk to them anyway. A lot of them, at least in Iowa.
Turnover
Partisan considerations aside, it's good to get new people in the Senate. So, please, more retirements!
Generational Warfare
I think in a very broad sense there is a generational shift between those who experienced the cities-in-decline decades and those experiencing the cities-kinda-sorta-getting-better-again decades. So much urban policy was directed at jobs-and-destinations, desperately trying to attract large employers and turning cities into urban theme parks for suburban visitors, with cultural and sporting events being the draw.
An Actual Urban Hellhole
I don't know the long sordid history of attempts to improve Camden in full, but I do know that a lot of money was spent on "attractions" to attract outsiders, to turn it into some sort of destination for visitors, rather than to improve the lives of residents. And since nobody who plans this stuff seems to have any idea what they are doing, each "attraction" on the waterfront is basically an isolated building surrounded by acres of parking lot, ensuring that even if people, say, show up to the Aquarium, they park, visit, return to their cars, and leave.
The Jesus Cloak
Those of us who remember the Wayne DuMond atrocity know that Huck has long been a deeply dishonest man. But, you know, he's an affable Godly Christian, so he gets a pass. He wouldn't lie for Jesus, would he?
Poverty In America
I haven't watched, but, yes, kudos for the teevee actually showing the harsh reality of existence for many in the greatest country in the world.
In the current rules of discourse, $250,000 makes you poor when it comes to taxation and 50,000 makes you absurdly rich with respect to everything else. No none of this makes any sense.
In the current rules of discourse, $250,000 makes you poor when it comes to taxation and 50,000 makes you absurdly rich with respect to everything else. No none of this makes any sense.
I'll Miss The Glenny Hour
I don't often watch, but the running commentary I get through twitter and email is usually an amusing way to transition to the end of the day. Caliphate!
Losing Tic-Tac-Toe
So the Dems will ultimately fall all over themselves to take credit for the Republican budget cuts they acquiesced to, at which point the Republicans will run against them for cutting things. This is quite easy to do as cuts in the abstract are "good" while specific cuts are "bad."
Monday
And I started the week with yet another column from Chunky BoBo telling us which sex he thinks is naughty and which sex he thinks is nice.
Wakey, Wakey
Katha Pollitt
"Is the GOP going to set up a replacement network of clinics to provide Pap smears and breast exams and STD testing and such? Or is Jesus now the national gynecologist?"
"Is the GOP going to set up a replacement network of clinics to provide Pap smears and breast exams and STD testing and such? Or is Jesus now the national gynecologist?"
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Education Skeptic
I'm also somewhat of an education skeptic, especially given the pricetag. I don't know how the BoBos and Chunky BoBos of the world expect people to graduate college and start having babies on one income and $100K+ debt.
What's It All About Then
Today on This Week:
August 2009 on the Twitter:
And one day earlier:
Ties? Oh. Ties.
On getting President Gadhafi of Libya to step down, McCain said: “He's insane. But perhaps the people around him would begin to depart the sinking ship, and by, again, a no-fly zone, declaring our assistance or support of a provisional government, perhaps which is being formed up now. There's a lot of steps we can take, providing significant humanitarian aid.”
August 2009 on the Twitter:
Late evening with Col. Qadhafi at his "ranch" in Libya - interesting meeting with an interesting man.
And one day earlier:
TRIPOLI, Aug 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Republican Senator John McCain praised Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi for his peacemaking role in Africa and said Congress would support expanding ties, Libyan state news agency Jana said on Friday.
Ties? Oh. Ties.
Since Washington ended its major sanctions on Libya, U.S. energy companies including ExxonMobil and Chevron have been active in Libya.
Politics Is Unseemly
While I'm certainly not a fan of the Kochs' political agenda, and obviously we can talk about the whole politics/campaign finance/money issue, it's also the case that actual rich philanthropists should consider spending more time on politics than on charitable giving for many issues. Spending more time on politics doesn't necessarily mean spending money to elect people to federal office, it can simply mean recognizing that some issues are best dealt with by the government. There's nothing wrong with private charity, but it isn't always a substitute for the universality that the state can provide.
Sunday Bobbleheads
This Week has the elusive John McCain.
Face the Nation has McConnell and Kerry.
Meet the Press has Bill Daley and Michele Bachmann.
Document the atrocities!
Face the Nation has McConnell and Kerry.
Meet the Press has Bill Daley and Michele Bachmann.
Document the atrocities!
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Their Business Is Foreclosure
We've been trying to tell people that the banskters are just stealing homes. Hopefully they tried to steal the wrong one this time.
Quiet Riot
I follow a search term of my local transit authority on the twitter, as people complaining about it amuses me and it's also the best way I've found to find a cross-section of local people who tell me stuff about the urban hellhole. And the gas price complaints are growing (as in, oh crap I'm going to have to start taking SEPTA).
Cable Cars
There may be perfectly good reasons, but I have wondered why cable cars haven't been implemented more as a transit solution. Relatively small footprint, can handle decent capacity, no right of way issues, fairly inexpensive.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Scooters
Perhaps a small thing, but, yes, there are plenty of people who aren't actually paraplegics who still need mobility aid. I sense some eyerolling when, for example, people in such devices board the bus despite not being obviously disabled, but lots of people have pain and impediments which aren't immediately visible.
Manhattan Is The Only City
Take away the straw men that he's usually doing battle with, and I doubt there's all that much difference between the picture Kotkin paints and the way I see the world, though the rhetorical emphasis does differ. I actually think lots of people don't want to live in urban hellholes, even though I quite like mine. I just want to make the suburbs better by making them more "urban," and while I think that requires a bit more change than Kotkin generally writes about, my vision of the end result probably isn't that much different.
Small Progress
My local transit authority is adding Sunday service to Delaware. I occasionally use that line to conduct some secret business in Wilmington. The big issue, for me, is that as with many other lines there's a failure to make the most of it by having appropriate development around stations. Certainly some of this might be demand driven, some of those communities are poor and have been in decline, but some of it is likely due to the various restrictions in place.
The Scandal Machine
I'm actually quite surprised that the Republicans haven't yet cranked up the fake scandal machine. I thought they'd start partying like it was the 90s, only it'd be easier now to keep the fake outrage going 24/7.
Huck and Mittens
We learned in the last election that evangelicals won't vote for a Mormon and that there were many Republicans who were up front with the fact that they didn't like Huck because he was too Christian.
Mistakes
Lots of things contributed to urban decline in this country, but the poor placement of urban highways was certainly one of them.
The Arora Saga
I don't even understand this statement, but I think it means he's going to vote the right way.
And Austerity
As I said, jobs report is good but not good enough news. Public employment is actually down, and with federal, state, and local cuts coming...
What Digby Said
She has so many good posts up about the budget negotiations, I couldn't pick just one.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Not Quite As Crappy As The Other Guys
Maybe one day a certain political party will outline a truly competing policy vision...
...maybe like this.
...and the White House has commenced negotiations by agreeing to a bunch of cuts. No I am not making this up.
...maybe like this.
...and the White House has commenced negotiations by agreeing to a bunch of cuts. No I am not making this up.
Not So Much Anti-Union Rhetoric Either
You get anti-union rhetoric here in my urban hellhole, but I'd guess younger people just haven't heard all that much of it nationally. Back when I was growing up the big unions were about even with the mafia in terms of corruption in the popular discourse.
Politicians Lie
And for some it's ok as long as they're lying for Jesus. You don't always get a chance to punish them for it, but putting someone on the blogospheric shit list is a start. Sam Arora, you are on my shit list.
Is Our Politicians Learning?
No I do not know why Dems have to re-learn these basic facts every other year or so. Nor am I optimistic that this from Claire McCaskill is actually, you know, true.
Because NPR told me this just a few days ago.
I'm sure what she, uh, really means is that she won't support any cuts to current benefits. Future scheduled benefits? You betcha.
Happy to be wrong.
This week we have a lot of tough decisions to make -- but I can tell you a few things for sure:
1. I don't think anyone is going to propose cutting Social Security benefits -- if they do, I'll vote against those cuts.
Because NPR told me this just a few days ago.
NAYLOR: McCaskill seems ready to make some folks mad. She says spending on entitlement programs, including Social Security and Medicare, which consume most of the budget, will have to be trimmed. She suggested the retirement age for Social Security might need to be raised for future recipients, and that Medicare might need to be means tested. She also said there were plenty of places to cut Defense spending, and that tax loopholes should be closed.
I'm sure what she, uh, really means is that she won't support any cuts to current benefits. Future scheduled benefits? You betcha.
Happy to be wrong.
Turn Them Off
Yes our politics would be much better if cable news was banned from congressional offices.
Fracking The Whole State Up
Unsurprisingly, our new GOP governor has put evil stupid people in charge of things.
They Hate Us For Our Freedoms
Horrible things happen in war, which is why we shouldn't have stupid fucking wars. We'll never get there, but I'll know that actual serious people are in charge when we seriously question just whether the proper response to a bunch of guys flying planes into buildings was a large invasion and decade-long occupation of a country none of them were actually from.
Screw The Bondholders
Lowenstein tiptoes just a little bit too much around the point he's making (though he does make it clear), which is that local governments have obligations to their citizens which are more important than their obligations to their creditors.
They're Bullies
Joan Walsh highlighted this on the twitter:
Those of us who have made attention to Fox's PR department over the years know that retribution is, indeed, likely. Say something nasty about them and they're likely to issue a press release with highlights from your divorce settlement, or whatever.
Fox News is run by Roger E. Ailes, a former Republican strategist, who was personally involved in the contracts for Mr. Gingrich, Ms. Palin and others. Although there are no federal prohibitions against people being on the payroll of a television or radio station while running for office — or contemplating such a run — executives at competing networks have watched Fox’s handling of the could-be candidates with some astonishment.
One such executive on Tuesday called it unethical to have a presidential candidate on a network payroll.
If a candidate is thinking about running, as Mr. Huckabee and Ms. Palin have said they are, they should be treated as de facto candidates, this executive said. He requested anonymity for fear of retribution by Fox.
Those of us who have made attention to Fox's PR department over the years know that retribution is, indeed, likely. Say something nasty about them and they're likely to issue a press release with highlights from your divorce settlement, or whatever.
Oh Just Give Them A Do Over
They made money on big shitpile, they made money on the bailout, they made money illegally chucking people out of their homes, but, hey, they didn't really do anything wrong.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Huckabust
The stupid or lying question is an eternal one, but either way he was trafficking in Prime Wingnuttery.
Random Factoid
2010 US mainland population density was about 104 people/sq. mile. If we spread out evenly across the country, including the bits that aren't exactly flat or inhabitable, we could each live on about 6 acres, or about 7 football fields.
Asymmetry
I'm all grown up now, so I'm not really surprised by the somewhat unethical and certainly nontransparent way some journalists go about their business, but I don't quite remember them all egging Henry Waxman on back in the day.
Alternatives To Congestion Pricing
Since implementing it is politically difficult, I think there are some perhaps less objectionable actions which achieve much of the same result in places where such schemes would be desirable. Basically, instead of charging people more to drive you can charge them more to park. As the biggest target of a congestion pricing is peak commuting hours, focus on parking that such people are likely to use. The first is to make employees "pay" a market rate for their employer provided parking. If employers want to provide this as a benefit, they can hand it over in cash, and if the employee wishes to then rent a company parking space they can. If not they can pocket it, buy their supertrain pass, whatever. The second would be to slap a bigger tax on daily parking rates at other garages. These are also easier to implement.
...adding, doesn't matter much to me if I-76 is a parking lot most days during the commute. I offer these ideas to help you, drivers, not punish you.
...adding, doesn't matter much to me if I-76 is a parking lot most days during the commute. I offer these ideas to help you, drivers, not punish you.
Rising Oil Prices Will Bankrupt Us All
Had to get a carshare car for an errand this morning. In the good old days they had company gas credit cards in the cars, until people started busting the windows and stealing them. Now they have people who try to keep the cars fueled, but if it goes below a quarter tank you have to fill it up on your dime and then send them the receipt for credit. And, yes, $3.49 is expensive!
I've written about carshare before, but let me just restate that it really is the service which makes being carfree desirable over the long run. Cars are useful things, and sometimes you "need" one to a greater or lesser extent. I've always hated borrowing other peoples' cars, and the fact is fewer and fewer of my friends have them anyway.
Welfare Queens
I suppose the good news is there's no racial code in here that I'm aware of, other than the fact everyone not me who gets government help is an undeserving minority. But more than that, I'm quite sure there are people who drive BMWs who can't afford their copayment. They could have purchased the car in better economic times. They could be driving a 20-year-old BMW. They could have borrowed the car from a friend.
The Freedom Train
As Krugman says, trains really are the best way to travel, at least for travel times that are roughly competitive with air travel. That fact doesn't automatically mean that therefore we should spend huge amounts of public money on it, but, you know, it does mean that people like trains for more reasons than their insidious collectivist promotion.
Jobs
Actual number comes out Friday. Estimate of private sector job growth is +217K, which is decent enough.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Morality
I suppose I appreciate the effort, but after years of similar previous efforts I think it's safe to say that the Village believes that "morality" is about women not having sex or abortions, and people not being gay, and that's basically it.
It's An Investment And A Consumption Good
I think it's wrong to assume that NIMBYism is entirely, or even largely, motivated by a simplistic desire to maintain or increase property values. Homes aren't just investments, they're also consumption goods, and by choosing a particular neighborhood people have expressed a preference to live in a particular type of neighborhood. I'm sure increasing allowable buildings heights or re-zoning to allow commercial uses would increase property values in many parts of DC by a significant amount, but many residents would still oppose that because they want their neighborhood to be the way it is.
Dagny Taggart, Collectivist Heroine
I was going to make the obvious point when I saw this Will thing earlier, but Krugman beat me to it.
Can't wait for all the great train porn in ATLAS SHRUGGED THE MOVIE PART THE FIRST.
Can't wait for all the great train porn in ATLAS SHRUGGED THE MOVIE PART THE FIRST.
Suck.On.This.Walker.
Ha ha.
MADISON, Wis. -- A Dane County judge has ordered Wisconsin officials to open the Capitol to all members of the public during normal business hours.
Kids Today
Not being around them regularly anymore, I'm curious about something. Do the kids today (teens, young adults) watch old movies, and by "old movies" I mean in relative terms. Back in my day the video store was one of the few windows to other worlds we had, so we did watch quite a few movies from the past. I'm not saying we diligently worked our way through 60 years of classic movies, but certainly saw a lot of things from the 60s onward.
Those People We Hate Why Don't They Love Us
No there's certainly no place for violence of any kind in these situations, but like Eric I've been amused when Fox people are shocked to discover the people they spend much of their time in opposition to from a prominent platform don't like them. This is a bit of a change, really. I remember protesting at Fox News during the 2004 RNC and their hosts and employees weren't surprised. They knew the deal.
Nice Pension You Have There
It's catching.
From the perspective of a casual orchestra-goer, the management sucks. Obviously I can't have any deep insight into many important decisions that have been made over the past several years, but their marketing and other things which I can perceive are pretty poorly done. But, clearly, the workers must suffer. I know that pretty well-paid orchestra members are not on the top of the list for people to weep for, but they're still labor facing the same crap from management that everybody is.
Players - who could see a 20 percent cut in base pay and the loss of 10 positions - are taking the threat seriously. They would like any eventual deal to include a commitment that management will not seek bankruptcy protection, whose stigma they feel would both damage the orchestra's reputation and dampen fund-raising and ticket sales.
Some orchestra board members are advocating bankruptcy - despite the fact that the group has no debt and an endowment well north of $100 million - because they believe it would allow management to no longer fulfill its pension obligations, board members and others say.
From the perspective of a casual orchestra-goer, the management sucks. Obviously I can't have any deep insight into many important decisions that have been made over the past several years, but their marketing and other things which I can perceive are pretty poorly done. But, clearly, the workers must suffer. I know that pretty well-paid orchestra members are not on the top of the list for people to weep for, but they're still labor facing the same crap from management that everybody is.
If Obama And Liberals Are For It We're Against It
It might work as a political ploy to blunt Republican arguments against health care reform, but nothing's actually going to get Republicans to support it. It's the signature Obama administration law, it's what the teabaggers pretend to hate even though they have no idea what it is, and so Republicans have to hate it.
Morning Thread
by Molly Ivors
Dear Bobo:
Investing in education means paying teachers, you ignoramus. Who do you think does the actual, you know, educating? It's not unions against kids. It's unions trying to help kids. And when you make them fight over even the most basic issues, it impedes their ability to do their jobs effectively.
Love,
Molly Ivors
P.S. If you give great teachers 30 kids at a time, they are not going to be such great teachers. Teaching is based on personal contact, time to prepare and respond. More kids means poorer teaching. Just so we're clear.
Dear Bobo:
Investing in education means paying teachers, you ignoramus. Who do you think does the actual, you know, educating? It's not unions against kids. It's unions trying to help kids. And when you make them fight over even the most basic issues, it impedes their ability to do their jobs effectively.
Love,
Molly Ivors
P.S. If you give great teachers 30 kids at a time, they are not going to be such great teachers. Teaching is based on personal contact, time to prepare and respond. More kids means poorer teaching. Just so we're clear.
Adding....
... That if you do want to donate to Planned Parenthood, which you should, you can always go here.
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