Rock on.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Data
I spent the last two days at the Personal Democracy Forum. By far, the most important presentation came from the Obama administration's IT folks. They have created an engine for providing data feeds from Federal departments. It includes GAO and departmental data that drills down to the purchase order level. Adherence to budgets and schedules are part of the base system, as are both contractors AND the contact information for the official responsible for the project.
It's live, it's beta, it's "iterative." They say they launched with 47 data feeds. Now it is over 100,000.
Happy Hour Thread
As is the Tuesday custom I'll be out Drinking Liberally soon. 6-?, Triumph Brewing Co. at 2nd and Chestnut in Old City at 117 Chestnut. $3 beer, $4 house wine, couple of food specials...
In Case You Didn't Notice, There's A Recession
Foreclosures happened because people were given loans they couldn't afford to pay back, and they happened because housing price declines meant people couldn't refinance and weren't as invested in remaining if they were underwater, and they're going to happen as option ARMs start recasting. And, of course, they're going to happen because people don't have jobs.
June 30 (Bloomberg) -- Delinquency rates on the least risky mortgages more than doubled in the first quarter from a year earlier as U.S. efforts to help homeowners failed to keep pace with job losses that pushed more borrowers toward foreclosure.
Prime mortgages 60 days or more past due climbed to 2.9 percent of such loans through March 31 from 1.1 percent at the same point in 2008, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Office of Thrift Supervision said today in a report. First-time foreclosure filings on the loans rose 22 percent from the fourth quarter, the report said.
I Love The Haters!
Newspaper commenters never fail to amuse me when they discuss my urban hellhole. But more importantly I'm glad my local transit authority is confirming that they will eventually add bus schedule information to Google maps.
Meanwhile
Over there.
We tried to stop this. Oh well.
CNN confirms car bomb kills at least 20 people in Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
We tried to stop this. Oh well.
But Their Real Views Were Always Obvious
Only the obfuscation attempts by wanker pundits and "I CAN'T HEAR YOU" deliberate ignorance by everyone involved in the farce have obscured this fact. The broad anti-abortion movement isn't just anti-abortion, it's anti-sex generally and most importantly anti-women having agency over their bodies and sexual activity. This is not true of all anti-abortion people, but it is true of the anti-abortion movement.
Lots of people are squishy about abortion, though I firmly believe the vast majority of people in this country are pro-choice for me if not for thee, but those involved in the anti-abortion movement don't just care about embryos and fetuses, they care about punishing women for unapproved fucking.
Lots of people are squishy about abortion, though I firmly believe the vast majority of people in this country are pro-choice for me if not for thee, but those involved in the anti-abortion movement don't just care about embryos and fetuses, they care about punishing women for unapproved fucking.
Stomping On Green Shoots
I've obviously maintained my rather pessimistic view of the medium term economic outlook, and actions by state governments aren't going to help things.
But on Monday, as lawmakers raced to hammer out an agreement over school funding, state agencies began preparing 31,000 workers to be temporarily out of a job. Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels has warned residents that most of the state's services -- including its parks, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and state-regulated casinos -- would be shuttered unless a budget is passed today.
Indiana is one of five states -- along with Arizona, California, Mississippi and Pennsylvania -- bracing for possible shutdowns this week as time runs out for lawmakers to close billion-dollar gaps in their fiscal 2010 budgets.
Crazy Futuristic Ideas
It's so absurd that anyone would think that a streetcar would be incongruent with a city's "colonial appeal" when it's filled with cars. Newport, RI:
Though a modern streetcar system may seem out-of-place with the city's colonial appeal, officials say it could actually be a throwback to the early 20th century, when trolleys operated in the city. Plus, Bronk said, there's nothing quaint about the city's traffic.
"Does four lanes of automobile congestion, is that in keeping with the colonial period? It's not," he said. "Is a highway downtown in keeping with the colonial era? It's not."
Hunting For Ponies
I do love the contortions undergone by people looking for any silver lining.
The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday showed home prices in 20 major cities tumbled by 18.1 percent from April 2008. The 10-city index fell 18 percent from the year before.
April, however, marked the third straight month both indexes didn't set record price declines. And yearly losses in 13 metros improved compared to March.
Early Night
Knock knock. Who's there? Kevin K is Worse Than Hitler. (Feel free to click the links to The Rhetorician's site; the repeated "I have 15 years of experience in media" line has been making me giggle for hours, and the delight at making a Big Splash at Memorandum is, well, savory. This is very excellent wingnuttery.)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Those People We Want To Find Common Ground With?
Aren't interested. I'm shocked!
Many abortion rights advocates and some Democrats who want to dial down the culture wars want the White House to package the two parts of the plan together, as a single piece of legislation. The plan would seek to reduce unwanted pregnancies by funding comprehensive sex education and contraception and to reduce the need for abortion by bolstering federal support for pregnant women. Supporters of the approach say it would force senators and members of Congress on both sides of the abortion battle to compromise their traditional positions, creating true common ground that mirrors what President Obama has called for.
But more conservative religious groups working with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships say they would be forced to oppose such a plan—even though they support the abortion reduction part—because they oppose federal dollars for contraception and comprehensive sex education. This camp, which includes such formidable organizations as the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops and the Southern Baptist Convention, is pressuring the White House to decouple the two parts of the plan into separate bills. One bill would focus entirely on preventing unwanted pregnancy, while the other would focus on supporting pregnant women
.
Interesting
I have zero knowledge of the actual legal issues here, but...
The 5-4 ruling by the high court was unusual. Justice Antonin Scalia, arguably the most conservative jurist, wrote the majority's opinion and was joined by the court's four liberal judges.
The five justices held that contrary to what the Bush administration had argued, states can enforce their own laws on matters such as discrimination and predatory lending, even if that crosses into areas under federal regulation.
Deep Thought
Ross Douthat thinks some peoples' sex lives are too hot, some are too cold, and some are just right.
Doing It Wrong
It is frustrating how many cities are determined to overbuild stadiums and arenas, and do so in such a way that does nothing for them.
Family Business
This exchange between Joan Walsh and Chris Matthews has resonated with me for awhile. I think guys like Alito and Matthews see race issues as a kind of zero-sum tribal competition. One extra goody for the black guy means one less goody for the Irish- or Italian-American guys. And they don't really see anything wrong with perceiving the world that way, unless you're an African-American of course in which case it's racism.
Dick
Booman:
I don't remember ever being a Milbank fan, but there was a time when his mild irreverence was aimed upwards. If your irreverence is aimed at the riffraff, you're doing it wrong.
He lost his outsiderish up-and-coming edge. His condescension stopped reaching up and started hammering down. Instead of telling us that our betters are full of crap, he told us that his lessors were unworthy. And, at some point he reached a stage of inness where he felt comfortable enough to wallow in his sense of accomplishment and to develop a sense of entitlement.
I don't remember ever being a Milbank fan, but there was a time when his mild irreverence was aimed upwards. If your irreverence is aimed at the riffraff, you're doing it wrong.
Sex On The City
It was bad enough that MSNBC had Rudy on to talk about the Sanford affair, and even worse that they simply ignored Rudy's own Sex On The City scandal.
Those Noises From The Left I Do Not Hear Them
Yes, we know.
It's a weird phenomenon, not limited to Feinstein. Noises from the right are all that can be heard in congressional offices.
It's a weird phenomenon, not limited to Feinstein. Noises from the right are all that can be heard in congressional offices.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Nico and Dana
...over email, Nico says Milbank whispered "You're such a dick" into his ear after the segment.
In My Fantasy World
Urban highways like the stretch of I-95 in Philly would never have been built, but even I don't think just getting rid of a stretch in the middle of the city is a particularly good idea. Get the money to bury it.
Sunday Bobbleheads
Face the Nation has Susan Rice and RNC Chairman Haley Barbour.
This Week has David Axelrod and Chuck Grassley, then a roundtable with Michael Dyson, Peggy Noonan, and Kathleen Parker.
Meet the Press has Attorney General Lindsey Graham and GM Chairman Mitt Romney, then a roundtable with Mike Murphy, Dee Dee Myers, and David Brooks.
What year is it again?
This Week has David Axelrod and Chuck Grassley, then a roundtable with Michael Dyson, Peggy Noonan, and Kathleen Parker.
Meet the Press has Attorney General Lindsey Graham and GM Chairman Mitt Romney, then a roundtable with Mike Murphy, Dee Dee Myers, and David Brooks.
What year is it again?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
I Love It When They Impotently Stamp Their Feet
If you ever demonstrate an ability to actually raise money for these organizations, they might start caring what you think. Before? Unlikely.
Local PSA
Septa trolleys, subways, and regional rail (and PATCO) schedule data has been EATED by Google maps, so if you choose transit as your preferred mode of travel it will tell you how/when you can go somewhere. For example, South Philly to the zoo!
Hopefully buses will be added soon...
Hopefully buses will be added soon...
PayGo At The Pump
California might try to encourage pay-by-mile auto insurance. Sadly they're not contemplating instituting a pay-at-the-pump measure. A big issue with driving is that people don't accurately perceive the per mile cost of driving, even without thinking about externalities.
Friday, June 26, 2009
EATED
Neighborhood Community Bank, Newnan, GA gets EATED.
Community Bank of West Georgia, Villa Rica, GA gets EATED.
Community Bank of West Georgia, Villa Rica, GA gets EATED.
Meanwhile
Over there.
Nearly 200 people were killed and hundreds wounded in attacks over the past week in Baghdad and elsewhere in the country, with the deadliest attacks aimed at Shiites. The violence has raised fears of a new bout of sectarian warfare of the sort that ripped Iraq apart in 2005, and which could lead Iraqis once again to seek the protection of militias and armed groups instead of government forces.
Conference
It would certainly be nice if all of this was theater and the health care bill is just going to be made awesome magically in the Conference Committee. But there's no way to know that, and no way to exert any pressure once it gets to that point.
Probably Not A Bad Idea
But I think getting rid of V-J Day would be better..
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The country's smallest state has the longest official name: "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."
A push to drop "Providence Plantations" from that name advanced farther than ever on Thursday when House lawmakers voted 70-3 to let residents decide whether their home should simply be called the "State of Rhode Island." It's an encouraging sign for those who believe the formal name conjures up images of slavery, while opponents argue it's an unnecessary rewriting of history that ignores Rhode Island's tradition of religious liberty and tolerance.
The Village
It's gossip, so who knows, but...
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough was all set to appear this Sunday on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos until yesterday, when Scarborough canceled because David Gregory, the host of NBC's "Meet the Press," allegedly threw a fit.
"What is David Gregory so afraid of?" asked one network insider.
Stephanopoulos was first pitched to have Scarborough as a guest by Scarborough's "Morning Joe" co-host on MSNBC, Mika Brzezinski.
"About three weeks ago, George got a handwritten note in the mail and a copy of Scarborough's book, 'The Last Best Hope,' " said our source. "The note said, 'Would you consider putting Joe on your show?' "
Last week, the booking was finalized. "She [Brzezinski] said she checked with all the high-ups at NBC," said our source.
But on Wednesday night, Stephanopoulos was alerted there might be a problem. Scarborough is said to have informed him, "I'm terribly sorry, but David Gregory had a fit." Yesterday morning, Scarborough canceled his appearance, leaving Stephanopoulos scrambling to find a replacement guest.
Medical-loss ratio
Via digby, Ezra summarizes testimony from ex-health care executive Wendell Potter. Last time reform was happening, 95 cents of every premium dollar was used to pay for medical care. Now, it is a shade under 80 cents.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Getting It Right
If I were more confident that they'll actually get it right I'd be fine with my local transit authority once again delaying its deadline for new fare card system proposals. The most difficult part is, I think, designing a system which is simple and easy to use for both regular and occasional riders. The existing system is, if not perfect, good enough for commuters who purchase weekly or monthly passes (these are priced high enough that they're not worth it for anyone other than daily commuters). It just sucks for occasional riders because they make it very difficult to actually purchase a token or train ticket.
And They'll Hand Him A Large Megaphone
I have no doubt Ralph Reed will have no problem getting tons of free media. It's how things work in the Village.
Kids Today
Aside from legal and constitutional issues, I just cannot understand the mindset such that someone in authority might think it's worth stripsearching a teenage girl over suspicion of freaking advil possession. I mean, I don't think it should be ok for schools to strip search anyone for rules transgressions. If there's a crime, get the cops involved. But I can at least get (not agree with of course) why someone might overreact if the suspected drug was one with a marginal recreational use and there were associated safety concerns, if the kids all started chugging nyquil or something. But it's freaking advil!
Credulous
Zach Roth writes:
I don't think this is quite right. I think members of the press believe politicians and their staffs lie, they just think that they don't have the guts to lie to them. It is, as I said before, a belief based in part on the idea that they will use their journalism power to damage anyone who does. But then they don't.
None of these are the biggest crimes in the world, but still: It feels absurd to have to point this out, but politicians and their staffers frequently have reason to dissemble, about issues far more important than an extra-marital affair. Too often, though, the press treats public statements from elected officials' offices -- especially those purporting simply to provide information, like the Appalachian Trail line -- as self-evidently accurate. It's as if, despite everything, some in the press can't quite bring themselves to believe that politicians might try to mislead people.
I don't think this is quite right. I think members of the press believe politicians and their staffs lie, they just think that they don't have the guts to lie to them. It is, as I said before, a belief based in part on the idea that they will use their journalism power to damage anyone who does. But then they don't.
Procyclical
Obviously my pet projects are more important than anything, but aside from that it's really bad from an economy perspective to be pulling back on public projects.
Phoenix officials have put the brakes on the new light-rail system's first expansion, saying it cannot afford to build tracks or operate trains along another 3 miles of 19th Avenue.
The delay of at least 16 months means the soonest the light-rail extension can open is 2014, about six years after the starter line opened.
Gannon
The strange thing about the Gannon affair was how "nothing to see here, move along" was the general attitude of those in the press.
Hey, A Good Ruling
The oral arguments were a bit worrying, but it seems the Supremos have decided that strip-searching a girl over suspected possession of advil does indeed cross the line.
Hissy Fits Of The Entitled Press
I've long been puzzled why elite news outlets cling to authority rather than expertise as their reason to be.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
Still in holy crap territory.
The department said initial claims for jobless benefits rose last week by 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 627,000. Economists expected a drop to 600,000, according to Thomson Reuters.
Several states reported more claims than expected from teachers, cafeteria workers and other school employees, a department analyst said.
The number of people continuing to receive unemployment insurance rose by 29,000 to 6.74 million, slightly above analysts' estimates of 6.7 million.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Time Crapsule
It's impossible to convey how fucked up things were back then, but that shouldn't stop us from trying.
Opportunity
While certainly not a bad city overall, it is a bit of a mystery why members of Congress haven't gold-plated the entire place. More money for metro is a start.
On Wednesday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he plans to seek $3 billion for Metro transit capital improvements, some of which would likely be spent to replace some those old Series 1000 cars, purchased between 1974 and 1978.
Gullyvornya
Time for the IOUs.
LOS ANGELES — Signaling that California is slipping deeper into financial crisis, the state’s controller said Wednesday that his office would soon be forced to issue i.o.u.’s to scores of the state’s creditors, the first time since 1992, when 100,000 state employees were paid with them.
Lies and the Lying Liars
It would be nice if the supposedly respectable cable news nets would decide that their job was to actually inform viewers instead of to mislead them.
Strategy FAIL
I don't know why the Dems never learn this lesson. If you start with the compromise position, you will and up compromising on that. They prefer a strategy of pulling together a coalition and getting them all to buy in on something they can agree with, but than that of course gets watered down into crap no one actually supports.
Just To State The Obvious
In a sane country it would be none of my business who Sanford was was having an affair with, and in a sane country gay people would be allowed to get married no matter what people like Sanford think about it.
And btw, Fox, Sanford is not a Democrat.
And btw, Fox, Sanford is not a Democrat.
Sanford Presser
Starting to melt down...Wonder what he's going to spill.
...God's laws are there to protect us from ourselves...
...apologizing to people of faith across the country. Guess I don't get one.
...again about God's law there to protect you from yourself. Consequences... press conference is consequence.
...unfaithful with "dear dear friend from Argentina."
...God's laws are there to protect us from ourselves...
...apologizing to people of faith across the country. Guess I don't get one.
...again about God's law there to protect you from yourself. Consequences... press conference is consequence.
...unfaithful with "dear dear friend from Argentina."
Meanwhile
Over there.
At least 52 people have been killed by a bomb blast in the Sadr City area of Baghdad, say officials.
Deep Thought
I had no idea that the Appalachian Trail went all the way to Argentina.
Slightly more seriously thought: one conceit journalists have is that sources can't lie to them because if they do they will use their power to punish those who lied to them. This never actually seems to happen.
Slightly more seriously thought: one conceit journalists have is that sources can't lie to them because if they do they will use their power to punish those who lied to them. This never actually seems to happen.
Morning Thread
The Appalachian Trail is not just for Republican Governors:
Good thing this wasn't ACORN or Glenn Beck would have to show us where Dick Cheney touched him again.
Two people asked a Pentagon official cooperating with prosecutors in an investigation into the American Israel Public Affairs Committee to fake his own death to avoid testifying against two pro-Israel lobbyists charged in the case, according to the Justice Department.
Good thing this wasn't ACORN or Glenn Beck would have to show us where Dick Cheney touched him again.
Dead of Night
If you don't live in a city and if you own a car you're worse than, like, Saruman, and the Ents hate your heartland ass.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Press
The weird thing is that, reading the twitter streams, the journos aren't the least bit embarrassed.
Link updated to presser video.
Link updated to presser video.
I Get Press Releases
This is good news.
Changing land use practices is key for reducing carbon emissions, and changing our transportation priorities is key for changing land use.
WASHINGTON, DC — Reps. Henry A. Waxman, James L. Oberstar, Anthony D. Weiner, Earl Blumenauer, and Doris Matsui today announced a new agreement that will allow states to use funding from the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) to invest in clean transportation projects that reduce global warming pollution.
Under ACES, states will receive allowances for clean energy and energy efficiency investments. In the original legislation, these allowances could be used for purposes such as building retrofits to increase efficiency, investments in renewable energy such as wind turbines and solar panels, or for establishing a “Smart Grid.” However, the original legislation did not provide any of these allowances to the transportation sector.
Under the agreement announced today, states will be allowed to use up to 10 percent of these allowances for transportation. They can use allowances to fulfill the state matching requirement to receive federal funds for projects like public transportation systems, clean fuel buses, or construction of bicycle facilities.
Changing land use practices is key for reducing carbon emissions, and changing our transportation priorities is key for changing land use.
Progress
Continuing to watch this testimony, Kay Bailey Hutchison doesn't really know what the hell she's talking about but she's genuinely interested!
"We Can't Do Infrastructure On The Cheap"
Ed Rendell is testifying to some transportation subcommittee about high speed rail and related. That's an obvious point but somewhat important.
Carshare
Longtime readers who pay attention to my peculiar obsessions know that I really don't have anything against cars - they're very useful things! - but instead what I really hate is parking. Specifically, I hate land use regulations which require new residential developments to have multiple spots per unit and require new commercial developments to have massive parking lots for workers and customers. It's one thing to have such requirements in car-centric suburbia and exurbia, it's quite another to have them in existing dense areas where a substantial number of residents do not own cars. My block could not legally be built new today. Parking takes up an immense amount of space, and substantial reduces the quality and walkability of a neighborhood. Underground parking garages are somewhat better, but they're very expensive to construct and can reduce the economic viability of any project. Above ground garages, if done right, are marginally better but are also quite expensive.
So it's good that some municipalities are willing to reduce parking requirements by allowing developers to include carsharing spots. Less required parking = more potential for "good density" = less need for cars = fewer cars = less need for parking!
So it's good that some municipalities are willing to reduce parking requirements by allowing developers to include carsharing spots. Less required parking = more potential for "good density" = less need for cars = fewer cars = less need for parking!
We're All Bus Riders Now
I'm curious about inter-city bus ridership figures in the NE corridor and elsewhere. Certainly seems to be a lot more options, and trips, than there were just a few years ago.
To the google!
...according to this, (.pdf) service volume as measured by departures increased by 8.1% from '06-'07 and by 9.8% from '07-'08 nationally, after declining from 1960-2006.
...commenter fred notes the study doesn't include the "Chinatown buses" which obviously greatly understates growth generally in recent years. Lots of Chinatown buses!
To the google!
...according to this, (.pdf) service volume as measured by departures increased by 8.1% from '06-'07 and by 9.8% from '07-'08 nationally, after declining from 1960-2006.
...commenter fred notes the study doesn't include the "Chinatown buses" which obviously greatly understates growth generally in recent years. Lots of Chinatown buses!
What's Good For John McCain Is Good For The Universe
To answer DougJ's question, it's because John McCain is a severe narcissist. He certainly doesn't think he's putting himself ahead of country, he's just not really able to distinguish between the two.
Better Maps
Designing a useful transit map is a difficult thing. There's a tradeoff between providing a useful understandable diagram of the system and providing something which more closely matches actual geography. There's also the question of how much information to provide. If there's too much it's confusing, if there isn't enough...well, there isn't enough!
The primary map provided by my local transit authority could be improved. It emphasizes the regional rail system over everything else. The trolley line routes (green) aren't completely represented, and one trolley line is left off entirely. It's even left off their map of trolley lines! On the rail lines, stations with greater service frequency, generally due to handling multiple lines, should have greater emphasis. Inclusion of certain high frequency bus lines, especially ones without close substitutes, should be considered. Perhaps just a better inner area map, leaving off the the outermost parts of the suburban rail lines, could be created to complement the existing map.
The primary map provided by my local transit authority could be improved. It emphasizes the regional rail system over everything else. The trolley line routes (green) aren't completely represented, and one trolley line is left off entirely. It's even left off their map of trolley lines! On the rail lines, stations with greater service frequency, generally due to handling multiple lines, should have greater emphasis. Inclusion of certain high frequency bus lines, especially ones without close substitutes, should be considered. Perhaps just a better inner area map, leaving off the the outermost parts of the suburban rail lines, could be created to complement the existing map.
The Little Things
While normally good liberals cheer on things like "environmental impact statements," there are situations when they're unneccessary, delay things, and are just welfare for consultants. The dream of restoring my beloved #23 trolley just became a bit more likely.
Past Performance Is No Guarantee Of Future Behavior
Our identity-verification security system doesn't make any sense, and what made even less sense was this "if you pay a bit of extra money you get faster identity verification" system.
This was Steven Brill's baby. I have no idea why it was ever allowed to exist.
A major vendor that fast-tracks fliers through airport security for an annual fee of $199 will end operations tonight, according to its website and a former employee, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers in the lurch.
The website of the so-called Clear program, launched by New York-based Verified Identity Pass Inc. four years ago, today carried this message:
“At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear will cease operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.”
This was Steven Brill's baby. I have no idea why it was ever allowed to exist.
Learning
I suppose it's a good thing that the Dems might be starting to figure out that the Republicans will try to kill any meaningful health reform. But, uh, duh?
Health Care Horror Stories
I've been wondering why MoveOn or some other such organization hadn't done something like compile stories 0f people tragically affected by the private health insurance system. Obama has been compiling.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Important News of the Day
Jon&Kate reveal that they have purchased crooked playhouses for their numerous children.
CRE Eyesores
Fortunately no major ones in Philly, yet, that I'm aware of, though there are some not-being-fully-completed projects.
More
CNN says 4 dead. Not sure if they know for sure, but it sounds like they think one rear-ended the other. They can run 24 trains per hour (.pdf) on the red line in theory, and while I don't know how often they do that, from experience the actual headways are pretty impressively short.
Couldn't Do It
What's weird about the complete implosion of Latino support for Republicans is that every pollster and political strategist has known for years that wooing Latino voters would be of key importance for both parties, and absolutely critical for the Republicans. And they just couldn't do it.
Thanks, Rush!
Thanks, Rush!
And Since I Keep Picking On Gullyvornya
My state is apparently going that way too, and the local Very Smart Thinking is about as smart as the national Very Smart Thinking. Let's destroy the place, that'll show'em!
The Western Pennsylvania Democrat in the hallway says we should do this: With no GOP support for a tax increase and with questionable Democratic support (though His Edness is scheduled to meet today with House and Senate Dems to sell it), pass a big-cuts budget without new taxes and see what happens.
Meanwhile
Over there.
Remember: All the Very Serious People thought the Iraq war was an awesome idea.
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Bombings killed at least 21 people in Baghdad and surrounding areas on Monday, including high school students on their way to final exams, as violence intensified before a planned withdrawal next week of U.S. troops from urban areas.
Remember: All the Very Serious People thought the Iraq war was an awesome idea.
So Strange
I continue to be puzzled by this bizarre new bit of journalist conventional wisdom that they deserve to be compensated every time someone makes use of their material in any way.
Because journalists never make use of information or research from other people or publications without compensating them.
Google’s promotion of Wikipedia content is hardly new: its search engine routinely lists Wikipedia articles as the first result for a search. But their use on the news site — especially as newspaper publishers have been complaining that Google was building a competing news site using headlines and snippets of newspaper articles — adds a new wrinkle to the question of how publications can control and charge for their content.
In response to critics’ concerns over the accuracy of what appears on Wikipedia, the articles there, particularly about breaking news, can be meticulously sourced. The article “Iranian Presidential Election, 2009,” for example, had more than 200 footnotes by the weekend. So, in essence, many Wikipedia articles are another way that the work of news publications is quickly condensed and reused without compensation.
Because journalists never make use of information or research from other people or publications without compensating them.
Progress
Federal politicians have largely been lagging behind the public in moving towards supporting full marriage equality. Good for Chris Dodd.
Exhausted
I was curious whether continuing jobless claims declined at least in part due to inreasing benefit exhausting rate. And indeed it did.
Haven't We Been Here Before
I know they have a nice organic market-sounding name, but these health co-ops senators have just invented are basically how HMOs were originally structured and marketed as the way to save the American health care system. That worked out well.
You Know What Else Is Missing From Recovery?
I liked the headline on the front page of wapo.com.
Because there's one other major thing missing from the recovery... an actual recovery.
Missing From Recovery: Jobs
Because there's one other major thing missing from the recovery... an actual recovery.
What's It All About Then
John Thune (R-Dipshit) explains:
Nearly a month after President Barack Obama picked her for the Supreme Court, Republican senators say Sonia Sotomayor isn’t serving as the political lightning rod some in their party had hoped she would be.
“She doesn’t have the punch out there in terms of fundraising and recruiting, I think — at least so far,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who most likely will be elected as the No. 4 Republican in Senate leadership this week.
Morning Thread
by Molly Ivors
It's probably not good that this is the first thing I want to hear on a Monday morning, is it?
It's probably not good that this is the first thing I want to hear on a Monday morning, is it?
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Infinite Summer
I'm probably too lazy to slog through Infinite Jest again, but I liked Kottke's description of the relationship between writing and blogging.
It's a beast of a book. It's opaque and daunting at first, but slowly pattern emerges and it becomes something simple and wonderful. Join in if you haven't read it, if only so you're well read enough to get the title of this blog. Or not.
Writing is something I don’t know a great deal about either. I earn my keep as a blogger, which profession most people assume is synonymous with writing but really isn’t, in the same way that basketball players run but aren’t runners and architects draw but aren’t, uh, drawers.
It's a beast of a book. It's opaque and daunting at first, but slowly pattern emerges and it becomes something simple and wonderful. Join in if you haven't read it, if only so you're well read enough to get the title of this blog. Or not.
CBO Score
FTW
I won't dwell on the 70 plus point polling numbers for a public health care option. I'll just note that Y says the watered down global warming bill, as would a public health care plan, scores well on the CBO, bipartisan net expenditure scale.
It's Popular AND It Will Get A Good CBO Score
Maybe someone should tell Max Baucus and some of the blue dogs?
News Shocker: Republicans Don't Like Obama
For some reason, the Villagers think it's very important news each and every time a Republican criticizes Obama. Don't get me wrong, I certainly think it's appropriate for the press to present or even somewhat amplify the views of the minority party, provided those views have any merit or substance, but the coverage often treats the fact that they're unhappy with Obama as news in and of itself. It's weird.
Sunday Bobbleheads
This Week has Lindsey Graham, Chris Dodd, and a panel recorded in 1996 with Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts, George Will, and Robert Reich.
Face the Nation has President John McCain.
Meet the Press has Netanyahu, Secretary of Defense Sam Nunn, and Chief Justice Fred Thompson.
Face the Nation has President John McCain.
Meet the Press has Netanyahu, Secretary of Defense Sam Nunn, and Chief Justice Fred Thompson.
Morning Thread
by Molly Ivors
There was 4' of water in the cellar of Liberal Mountain this morning. The rain should feel free to stop anytime.
There was 4' of water in the cellar of Liberal Mountain this morning. The rain should feel free to stop anytime.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
A Miniature Golf Course
Wow, what Camden needs really is the most banal of suburban "attractions." How about just a walkable neighborhood with the right mix of neighborhood serving amenities? Urban Theme Park thinking isn't helpful.
Modern Zoning
NYT has an article about New England "3-Decker" homes being demolished due to foreclosure and disrepair. Boston is trying to preserve them because it would be illegal to rebuild the neighborhoods that currently exist.
Boston, home to roughly 15,000 three-deckers, is taking a different approach. It has not demolished any abandoned three-deckers because city officials want to preserve as many affordable housing units as possible, said Evelyn Friedman, chief and director of the Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development.
Modern zoning laws, Ms. Friedman said, would never allow three units on such small lots.
“If we have four three-deckers on 12,000 square feet and could only get two on that amount of land now,” Ms. Friedman said, “we are losing six units. So it’s very important to us to sustain them.”
Meanwhile
Over there.
KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) — A truck bomb killed 22 people and wounded dozens more in a town south of the oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Saturday, the head of the morgue at Kirkuk hospital said.
Friday, June 19, 2009
EATED
First National Bank of Anthony, Anthony, KS gets EATED
Cooperative Bank, Wilmington, NC gets EATED
Southern Community Bank, Fayetteville, GA gets EATED
Cooperative Bank, Wilmington, NC gets EATED
Southern Community Bank, Fayetteville, GA gets EATED
Wingnuttery
It's like the 90s again, only on blogs instead of Geocities.
I do wonder what Alamo Girl is up to these days.
I do wonder what Alamo Girl is up to these days.
Even Worse Riverfront Use Than Huge Ugly Slot Parlors
That honor goes to Camden's prison, which is fortunately closing and being demolished. I just hope the city doesn't continue their redevelopment model of putting big event locations (outdoor music venue, aquarium, and local professional baseball team ballpark) by the river and surrounding them with acres and acres of parking lot.
Liberal
I think one mistake people, including me, have been making in discussing Froomkin was to assert that he's a liberal and, as Glenn Greenwald said, is almost alone in the mainstream media in criticizing Obama from the Left. This is true, in some sense, but only because our political discourse has become so weird. I mean, a decade ago, whatever I thought of conservatism, I wouldn't have considered "following the law" and "constitutional limits on executive power" and "skepticism about government secrecy" and "acknowledgment of the 4th amendment" and "accountability for government misdeeds other than blowjobs" and "lying our way into war is maybe wrong" and, perhaps, most of all, "torture is bad" to be just "liberal" positions. But since we just came off the age of Bush, where only liberals actually got upset about these things, and conservatives haven't yet (for some reason) become all that concerned that Rahm Emanuel might be bugging their phones, these are now apparently "liberal" positions. So in our discourse Froomkin became an extreme leftist, even though I don't remember him actually expressing opinions on the vast range of issues which, in non-crazy times, we associate with liberalism.
This Is Excellent News For Republicans
Though I'm not sure how, I'm sure that the fact that everyone hates them is excellent news.
Crouch
While some Democrats are just, you know, bad, it seems that others are just perpetually frightened of the right. I don't know how many victories and how many seats it will take to convince them that it isn't 1994 anymore, but I guess until then it's useful to remind them that they did actually win.
A Brief Reminder
The last coalition of the willing helped cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people in a war based on lies.
Awesome branding, assholes. Surprisingly appropriate, however!
Awesome branding, assholes. Surprisingly appropriate, however!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A Brief Flashback From A Forgotten Time
For no particular reason.
Oh well.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a major victory for the White House, the Senate early Friday voted 77-23 to authorize President Bush to attack Iraq if Saddam Hussein refuses to give up weapons of mass destruction as required by U.N. resolutions.
Hours earlier, the House approved an identical resolution, 296-133.
The president praised the congressional action, declaring "America speaks with one voice."
"The Congress has spoken clearly to the international community and the United Nations Security Council," Bush said in a statement. "Saddam Hussein and his outlaw regime pose a grave threat to the region, the world and the United States. Inaction is not an option, disarmament is a must."
Oh well.
Experts And Sucky Bloggers
As I keep saying...
WASHINGTON — Call it son of subprime. Experts warn that a new wave of mortgage foreclosures may be coming soon and could rival the default rates for subprime mortgages and slow efforts to find bottom in a prolonged national housing slump.
The mortgages in question are $230 billion of option adjustable-rate mortgages, creative lending products that flourished at the height of the housing boom. In an option ARM, a borrower can opt to pay less than his or her monthly balance due, and the difference is tacked onto the outstanding loan balance.
...
"They're probably going to default at a rate that makes subprime look like a walk in the park," warned Rick Sharga, senior vice president for RealtyTrac, a foreclosure research firm in Irvine, Calif.
Public Option
As Hunter says, there isn't meaningful reform without a public option. More than that, reform without a public option is actually likely to make things worse, pouring even more money into the corrupt insurance industry and giving them even more political power.
And someone should inform Baucus that if he wants to get a good CBO score he just needs to include a robust public option. But saving money is less important that keeping insurance companies happy, so that's not going to happen.
And someone should inform Baucus that if he wants to get a good CBO score he just needs to include a robust public option. But saving money is less important that keeping insurance companies happy, so that's not going to happen.
Will
While pundits seem to cling to "will" as an absurdly important factor, it is true that effort can matter. And while the Obama team did, in theory, support bankruptcy cramdown they didn't actually put any effort behind that.
Deep Thought
Our health care plan should be approved by a bipartisan group of white guys who hold no elective offices.
Clock is Ticking
I do not think a long extension is a good idea. Time to change transportation funding now.
Urban Supermarkets
There are 5-6 large ones within walking distance of my place, so it isn't a problem for me, but it is a problem in many parts of the city. They really are make-or-break neighborhood amenities, so I really applaud this program which is attracting them back to neighborhoods.
An innovative effort to bring supermarkets and fresh food to poor neighborhoods has been so successful, it has spawned imitators elsewhere and earned its creators a visit to the White House.
"We met for an hour-and-a-half with a bunch of [President] Obama's domestic policy people," said Philadelphia state Rep. Dwight Evans of his June 5 trip to Washington with other partners in the program. "They asked us to give them some ideas on whether this could become a federal program."
Called the Fresh Food Financing Initiative, the program has combined state funding with private money and the expertise of two Philly-based nonprofit entities to develop more than 60 food markets in under-served communities across Pennsylvania.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
Still in holy crap territory.
Initial claims for state unemployment insurance rose 3,000 to a higher-than-expected seasonally adjusted 608,000, the Labor Department said. Analysts polled by Reuters were expecting claims to dip to 600,000 from a previously reported 601,000.
However, so-called continued claims tumbled 148,000 to a smaller-than-anticipated 6.69 million in the week ending June 6, the latest week for which data is available. It was the lowest level since May 9, and the largest one-week drop since November 2001.
Morning Thread
by Molly Ivors
Welcome from the rainy, gray northeast. In Ireland, they call this a "soft" day. Here, it just makes me want to sleep.
Welcome from the rainy, gray northeast. In Ireland, they call this a "soft" day. Here, it just makes me want to sleep.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
BFFs
Oddly, while I don't really know either of them personally, I think I actually met them both on the same day.
Happy Hour Thread
Enjoy.
Here's some high speed train pr0n. 303 miles from Paris Gare du Nord to London St Pancras in 2 hours 3 minutes.
Here's some high speed train pr0n. 303 miles from Paris Gare du Nord to London St Pancras in 2 hours 3 minutes.
No One Should
If not for moralizing hypocritical politicians we'd never have to hear things which are really none of our business.
High Speed
While Supertrains which are truly SUPER would be great, I think there's a bit too much focus on top speed. If you can get average speeds on routes to be reliably around 90-100 miles that's pretty damn good. Faster would be better, of course, but 100 mph average still makes rail and awesome option for many routes.
...adding, the issue is that in many places marginal improvements of existing infrastructure (track repairs, additional tracks on existing right-of-ways, electrification of non-electrified routes, etc.) can do a lot to get rid of the bottlenecks and congestion/competition with freight rail which limits achievable average seed. Real high speed rail will require all new infrastructure, essentially. That isn't to say I'm against the latter, but to the extent that a decent financial commitment to rail infrastructure can greatly improve service quality on existing infrastructure it's worth pursuing too.
...adding, the issue is that in many places marginal improvements of existing infrastructure (track repairs, additional tracks on existing right-of-ways, electrification of non-electrified routes, etc.) can do a lot to get rid of the bottlenecks and congestion/competition with freight rail which limits achievable average seed. Real high speed rail will require all new infrastructure, essentially. That isn't to say I'm against the latter, but to the extent that a decent financial commitment to rail infrastructure can greatly improve service quality on existing infrastructure it's worth pursuing too.
The Least Important
No matter how you package it, the free market fairies aren't a solution to the health care problem. People shouldn't need to shop for better insurance, their insurance companies should pay for the care they need. The moment you find out your insurance company sucks is the moment you kind of need it to not suck.
Joe Klein Thinks This Is Awesome
Nobody could have predicted...
WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency is facing renewed scrutiny over the extent of its domestic surveillance program, with critics in Congress saying its recent intercepts of the private telephone calls and e-mail messages of Americans are broader than previously acknowledged, current and former officials said.
...
He said he and other analysts were trained to use a secret database, code-named Pinwale, in 2005 that archived foreign and domestic e-mail messages. He said Pinwale allowed N.S.A. analysts to read large volumes of e-mail messages to and from Americans as long as they fell within certain limits — no more than 30 percent of any database search, he recalled being told — and Americans were not explicitly singled out in the searches.
The former analyst added that his instructors had warned against committing any abuses, telling his class that another analyst had been investigated because he had improperly accessed the personal e-mail of former President Bill Clinton.
Gambling Our Way To Prosperity
While I'm certainly not a fan of the state forcing casinos on local municipalities, and think the idea that they are going to be some sort of economic panacea is absurd, if we're going to have casinos it's much better if they actually have table games instead of just being hellish slot parlors.
Bygones
I frequently get very angry at the fact that... none of these people seem to care. Then I remind myself that as stewards of the Village mores, they are my betters.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Good
Pressure works.
Reacting to a rising tide of anger from gay and lesbian supporters at a series of slights and deferred promises, President Obama will tomorrow sign an executive order extending health benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
GOP Hates Walking
Because Americans can't do it, my friends. Or something.
Personally, I've never been averse to walking but it's definitely the case that the longer I've been living Philadelphia, the longer my sense of what "easy walking distance" is has become. I'm not even saying that I walk more, just that the psychological sense of what is far and what is close has changed.
Personally, I've never been averse to walking but it's definitely the case that the longer I've been living Philadelphia, the longer my sense of what "easy walking distance" is has become. I'm not even saying that I walk more, just that the psychological sense of what is far and what is close has changed.
Local Programming
All you local people who haven't yet stopped by Drinking Liberally should do so. 6-? at Triumph Brewing at 117 Chestnut St. in Old City. Conveniently located one block south of the 2nd st. station on the Market-Frankford line (the blue one) and also can be reached using buses #21 and #24 on Chestnut St. Those coming from Jersey can take PATCO to 8th&Market then switch to the MFL...
Normally we're upstairs, but this week we will be at a new exciting location which the hostess should be able to inform you about...
Normally we're upstairs, but this week we will be at a new exciting location which the hostess should be able to inform you about...
Monsters Among Us
That's just a few blocks from me.
Animal officers removed a seven-foot gator from a house on the 1300-hundred block of Warnock Street Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania SPCA.
Lord Saletan
I think it was digby who started calling the various slate boys by their title, "Lord." I'm not sure exactly what she meant by it, but it seemed a proper title for a bunch of people whose rank and privilege could only be explained by inheritance rather than merit. What's constantly fascinating in a car wreck kind of way is how he writes as if he's constantly discovering new and exciting arguments and ideas that most of us thought through and dismissed about 20 years ago. I don't know if he always truly believes that he's coming up with Brilliant New Ideas That No One Ever Thought Before, or if that's just his writing style, but either way it's amusing and/or annoying as hell depending on my mood.
Gullyvornya
No help is coming.
The Obama administration has turned back pleas for emergency aid from one of the biggest remaining threats to the economy -- the state of California.
Top state officials have gone hat in hand to the administration, armed with dire warnings of a fast-approaching "fiscal meltdown" caused by a budget shortfall. Concern has grown inside the White House in recent weeks as California's fiscal condition has worsened, leading to high-level administration meetings. But federal officials are worried that a bailout of California would set off a cascade of demands from other states.
Not Just Republicans
It would be one thing if this was just a story about Republicans being big hypocrites. Water wet and all. But this premise - voting against funding = hating military and killing troops - was fully incorporated into the basic mainstream press narrative for years.
Does anyone remember up or down vote?
Does anyone remember up or down vote?
For The Millionth Time
Supporting development which allows for some mobility without automobiles does not equal move your family to Manhattan.
A Great Place To Raise Children
Steve Offutt:
I get that people think that low density suburbs are great places to raise children. This might be true. But they're generally horrible places for teenagers.
Everywhere I read about the teenage driving "epidemic" (if it were a disease killing thousands of teenagers every year, imagine the response of our government), the solutions are always about changing licensing, rules, training, parental responsibility, etc. Never do I read about changing society so that teens (and others) just don't need to drive—or as much.
I get that people think that low density suburbs are great places to raise children. This might be true. But they're generally horrible places for teenagers.
Maybe If We All Wear The Right Shade Of Green
Don't misunderstand, there's nothing wrong with displays of solidarity, but I find much of the chest thumping to be akin to a McCainiac worldview. It's always about us, and if only we show enough will to do an undefined something, then the ponies will appear. It isn't about us, there's little we can actually do, and the things we are tempted to do because we imagine we Must Do Something will be catastrophically counterproductive.
Shadows
Like Glenn, I really don't get how certain people square their support for the Iranian people with their desire to bomb the shit out of them.
Where's Joe Klein
I'm so old I can remember when voting against war funding bills - some of them anyway - was an America-hating thing to do.
Gullvornya
Well, we tried to warn you about Arnold...
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, though of course it's important to remember that while it may be "interesting" it also involves real people and their fates.
SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - California lawmakers were poised to miss their constitutional deadline on Monday for a state budget, bringing the state's government closer to running out of cash.
Democrats and Republicans in the legislature's budget conference committee worked through Monday afternoon on a variety of proposals addressing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to close a $24.3 billion budget shortfall, but they failed to find common ground on its most dramatic proposal: eliminating the state's welfare system.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, though of course it's important to remember that while it may be "interesting" it also involves real people and their fates.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Late Night
For some reason it's much harder to find crappy vids to annoy you on the Youtubes than it used to be.
Maybe this will work.
Maybe this will work.
Plus Ca Change
I guess it's a pretty giant step up from the days when the warbloggers were actively calling for war, but, yes, it's very much the same vibe.
That the internet in its various forms provides ways for people to communicate to mass audiences which they would not otherwise have is truly wonderful. That people think changing templates to the color green is a revolutionary act is... well, something else.
Time to bring Neal Pollack back from the dead.
That the internet in its various forms provides ways for people to communicate to mass audiences which they would not otherwise have is truly wonderful. That people think changing templates to the color green is a revolutionary act is... well, something else.
Time to bring Neal Pollack back from the dead.
Getting Around Vs. Getting There
Any article about anything in Philly always brings out the haters, which is good for a laugh. It also reminded me of something I'd been meaning to write about, which is how much the emphasis of public transit in this country, where it exists, is on commuting. This is most obvious in suburbs, where cross-suburban transit is (often understandably) completely inadequate, and peak hour commuter rail service is the focus. But it's also the case even within cities, where outside of the central urban core service is also focused on bringing people into it, and service for people trying to get around more generally ranges from non-existent to infrequent and inconvenient. Obviously New York is always the exception to everything urban and transit-related in this country, but even in Manhattan going up and downtown is generally a lot easier than going crosstown. Funneling people from outlying areas to employment centers has more of an emphasis than moving people around generally. Obviously there's a certain logic to it, but the emphasis has shifted a bit too much in that direction.
As for what this has to do with Chestnut Hill, a neighborhood about 11 miles from Center City... well, it's one of those places which is nice enough but would be much much nicer if it were better served by transit, both of the getting around variety and of the traveling the 11 miles into center city much much faster variety. The main routes in to the center include one high frequency but slow for the usual reasons bus (use to be trolley grumble) line and two low frequency commuter rail lines. And buses-to-get-you-around options are fairly limited.
Just in case you're still reading, all of this is an excuse to discuss some ideas outlined in a Daily News story which I can't seem to find at the moment regarding beefing up service frequency on commuter rail lines and other routes within the wider urban area, erasing the distinction in this area between the commuter rail system and everything else and making it more convenient and easier to ride. Basically this would be similar to the way that London is integrating (trying to, anyway) commuter train service with the intra-city transport system, combining the London Overground with the London Underground. The ideal result would be a kind of better version of BART or the Metro in DC, both of which combine relatively good but not as good as they should be intra-urban transit with longer distance, somewhat lower frequency suburban commuter service.
Oh well, dare to dream!
As for what this has to do with Chestnut Hill, a neighborhood about 11 miles from Center City... well, it's one of those places which is nice enough but would be much much nicer if it were better served by transit, both of the getting around variety and of the traveling the 11 miles into center city much much faster variety. The main routes in to the center include one high frequency but slow for the usual reasons bus (use to be trolley grumble) line and two low frequency commuter rail lines. And buses-to-get-you-around options are fairly limited.
Just in case you're still reading, all of this is an excuse to discuss some ideas outlined in a Daily News story which I can't seem to find at the moment regarding beefing up service frequency on commuter rail lines and other routes within the wider urban area, erasing the distinction in this area between the commuter rail system and everything else and making it more convenient and easier to ride. Basically this would be similar to the way that London is integrating (trying to, anyway) commuter train service with the intra-city transport system, combining the London Overground with the London Underground. The ideal result would be a kind of better version of BART or the Metro in DC, both of which combine relatively good but not as good as they should be intra-urban transit with longer distance, somewhat lower frequency suburban commuter service.
Oh well, dare to dream!
Truncated
Another large BK.
- Extended Stay Hotels, saddled with a huge debt burden from its $8 billion top-of-the-market buyout, filed for Chapter 11 protection Monday, in one of the largest bankruptcy filings by a commercial real-estate company.
Broader And Better Briefings
This is welcome. The existing briefing system seemed to be more about letting just enough people in the loop so that everyone-therefore-no-one was responsible instead of actually allowing for meaningful Congressional oversight.
Let's Just Call It A Draw
One of the rogue NY democrats has flipped back. I think this will leave the current leadership in power, though it also means nothing will actually get done.
What To Do With The Empty Big Box
Following up on my characteristically brief post from yesterday, as Ryan says an additional problem with newer suburban and exurban development is that it is incredibly inflexible. Large McMansions can't easily be split into multiple apartments the way large urban homes have been over the years, and who knows what big box warehouses can be converted to other than warehouses. And from what I see whenever I head up 95, we already have plenty of empty warehouses. Inflexible zoning laws make conversion that much harder, of course, but even without them it isn't clear just how to repurpose some of this stuff.
Though despite my obvious preferences, I'm not actually one who thinks Great and Glorious Exurbia is going to disappear any time soon. Foreclosures and empty storefronts just might make it quite a bit less pleasant.
Though despite my obvious preferences, I'm not actually one who thinks Great and Glorious Exurbia is going to disappear any time soon. Foreclosures and empty storefronts just might make it quite a bit less pleasant.
Iran
My uneducated opinion is that everyone seems to be disproportionately obsessed with this country largely due to the fact that for the past several years we've been worried Cheney's gang would decide to bomb the shit out of it for no particular reason. I personally have no filter that allows me to determine just who actually might have any idea what they're talking about on the subject.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Repurposing
Obviously the land can be reused, but it's hard to see what the obvious repurposing of the buildings is...
Gullovornya
IOUs may be on their way.
But they've been unable to mend a $24 billion rip that has appeared in it since then – and that could cause as much trouble as if they were still squabbling over the budget itself.
That's because without a budget patch in place by the end of this month, state finance officials say there's a chance state government might have to do what it hasn't done in 17 years: issue IOUs instead of paying its bills.
Layoffs
American Airlines is cutting a lot of jobs.
Hope I'm wrong, but don't see a quick improvement coming..
Hope I'm wrong, but don't see a quick improvement coming..
Sunday Bobbleheads
Meet the Press has Joe Biden, Mike Murphy, and Joe Scarborough
This Week has Kathleen Sebelius, GM CEO Mitt Romney
Face The Nation has Mitch McConnell and Dick Durbin.
Document the atrocities!
This Week has Kathleen Sebelius, GM CEO Mitt Romney
Face The Nation has Mitch McConnell and Dick Durbin.
Document the atrocities!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The Old Bigotry
There really is nothing Pat Buchanan can say which will cause MSNBC to remove his cot from the green room.
I Feel For Ya
That kind of thing only happens in less exceptional countries.
TEHRAN — The Iranian government declared an outright election victory for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday morning, and riot police officers clamped down on a growing demonstration by supporters of the opposition candidate, Mir Hussein Moussavi, who insisted that the election had been stolen.
Friday, June 12, 2009
LaHood
US News interviews Ray LaHood. The administration is certainly making the right noises. Let's hope the follow through is good too.
And Speaking Of The Stadiums
While it's been a long time since I've driven to the complex, when I did drive in from the burbs in my younger days my experience was that if there was one major event driving wasn't too bad, but if there were multiple events... bad idea!
Stadium FAIL
One of the great mysteries to me is why the stadium complex developers have so far been uninterested in putting anything but stadiums and acres of parking lot there. It's a shame that the baseball stadium wasn't put somewhere closer to center city, though I understand the difficulties/resistance to doing that. But it's still puzzling to me that there hasn't been any interest in trying to develop the strip between the subway station and the stadiums or put anything there at all. There's talk that some sort outdoor mall type complex might go in once they knock down the old hockey arena, but just developing along the street grid would make more sense.
Such a lost opportunity to create a lively area/attraction.
Such a lost opportunity to create a lively area/attraction.
Taking It In The Shorts
I wonder if wingnuts will get mad at Boehner for daring to suggest that all they thought was glorious and good maybe wasn't. They tied themselves to Bush and to the Iraq war and they still haven't let go.
Overflow
Interesting that our local water authority will soon start charging for asphalt and other impervious surfaces to reduce the overflow problem.
Small Businesses
If I were the benevolent dictator, one thing I would do is change how our government officially defines small businesses. The standards (.pdf) vary across industry classsifications, but maximum of 500 employees is common. I think when most people are thinking about "small businesses" that isn't actually what they're conceptualizing. They're instead thinking about much much smaller operations. So when Republicans, especially, go out there and talk about the impact of this or that policy on "small businesses" there's an emotional resonance which probably isn't actually valid. Lots of pretty big companies are technically "small businesses."
NHS Does Kind Of Suck
The thing is, the NHS does kind of suck. But still no serious British politician discusses scrapping it. They promise more money, they might suggest tinkering around the edges. They promise to, if not necessarily succeed at, making it better. But it isn't going anywhere.
Fear of Density
Narberth is the kind of place I'm often alluding to in my "force you all to live in Manhattan" posts. It's a suburb, but it's walkable and on transit. The main corridor looks very urban, but once you move off that it's a fairly typical, if dense, suburb. Someone wants to demolish an ugly house which doesn't really fit into the neighborhood, and replace it with 4 on a 1.36 acre plot. Google doesn't have a view of the house, though I think it's on this corner behind the trees (update: jac provides view). It's right off the main corridor which is, as I said, quite urban and dense. But for some people, even those who choose to live in such an area, density is always bad.
Obviously this project isn't going to make or break the neighborhood either way, but it's a good example of a pervasive attitude: density is bad.
...oops, I had the map wrong. That was actually a spot in Philly. The house is actually a bit farther out in Narberth, somewhere around here I think. It's still very close to the main commercial corridor, though not immediately adjacent to it. The neighbors' objections are a bit more understandable.
Neighbors and preservationists, though, object to the plan filed March 27 in Borough Hall. They say the house, built in 1919 for the daughter of an Ardmore industrialist, should be restored.
"We'd love a public park, a less dense use, or restoration of the existing house," said Jim Lobb, head of 30 "concerned neighbors" opposing the plan.
Obviously this project isn't going to make or break the neighborhood either way, but it's a good example of a pervasive attitude: density is bad.
...oops, I had the map wrong. That was actually a spot in Philly. The house is actually a bit farther out in Narberth, somewhere around here I think. It's still very close to the main commercial corridor, though not immediately adjacent to it. The neighbors' objections are a bit more understandable.
Reputation
I just started reading this story about Rumsfeld, but this jumped out at me.
So where did this reputation come from? Who perpetuated it?
Despite his reputation as a shrewd politician and skilled bureaucratic infighter, he burned so many bridges on Capitol Hill and strained so many relations in the administration that few apart from Cheney were willing to stand up for him in the end.
So where did this reputation come from? Who perpetuated it?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Right Wing Extremists
Just adding to what John says, I think the Right reacted the way they did to the DHS report because A) they're most happy when they're victims and B) they've spent years equating The LEFT, which is everyone to the left of Joe Lieberman, with Some Random Nutcase With A Sign Somewhere and Anyone Who Did Anything Bad Ever, that they assumed that the DHS report, even though it was written under the Bush administration, was doing something similar with The Right.
Big Train
We actually do have a Big Train in this country, but it's freight rail, not passenger. I have no clue about this issue, but freight rail offering up rights of way for electricity transmission in exchange for electrification of their routes certainly sounds like a great idea. While it won't magically resolve problems for passenger trains on freight rail tracks, it could at least create greater domestic demand for electric locomotives.
Evening Thread
Possible discussion topics:
Mac vs. PC
What authentic barbecue is.
George Lucas.
Julie Newmar vs. Eartha Kitt.
Mac vs. PC
What authentic barbecue is.
George Lucas.
Julie Newmar vs. Eartha Kitt.
Grenade
Wonder what this is about.
PHILADELPHIA - Police say they have arrested a man who was walking along a downtown Philadelphia street with a grenade and a knife.
"The worst is yet to come"
A lot of commercial real estate loans were also temporarily interest-only, and they too are going to start recasting.
Loans that postpone principal payments had become the norm by the time the commercial-mortgage bond market peaked two years ago, said Frank Innaurato, managing director of analytical services at Realpoint LLC, a Horsham, Pennsylvania-based credit- rating service.
“The proliferation of interest-only loans was symptomatic of the loose underwriting standards of that time,” Innaurato said. “Borrowers were taking advantage of the best terms possible.”
Property owners turned to Wall Street to finance office towers, apartment complexes and hotels as banks bundled the debt and sold it to investors. A record $230 billion in commercial mortgage-backed securities were sold in 2007, up from $93.3 billion in 2004, according to Morgan Stanley data. About $750 billion of such debt is outstanding, bank data show.
SUPERBUS
As Yglesias says, middle class people generally don't ride buses because they own cars and bus service often sucks. But if you make bus service better - better route integration, higher frequency, real time service information - people will choose to ride it more frequently.
Ultimately, mass transit systems of any kind, including bus systems, make a lot more sense in areas which weren't built with the idea that automobiles would be the sole means of getting around. Lower density suburbs and exurbs, particularly ones with single access road neighborhoods, will never be transit friendly. There may be bus systems in some of these places, but they will inevitably be used only by people who have no other options, because getting around by bus in these areas does indeed suck.
Ultimately, mass transit systems of any kind, including bus systems, make a lot more sense in areas which weren't built with the idea that automobiles would be the sole means of getting around. Lower density suburbs and exurbs, particularly ones with single access road neighborhoods, will never be transit friendly. There may be bus systems in some of these places, but they will inevitably be used only by people who have no other options, because getting around by bus in these areas does indeed suck.
Everyone Bad Is A Lefty
We've spent several years having fundamentalist anti-women anti-gay Muslim extremists being somehow aligned with liberals, and now anti-government anti-Semitic white supremacists are as well.
Gullyvornya
50 days until the end, says the Controller.
"Without immediate solutions from the governor and legislature, we are less than 50 days away from a meltdown of state government," Chiang said in a statement.
A Lot
To answer Adam's question, much of our response to terrorism has been based on irrational fear of The Other.
Though there was no justification, our response to terrorism included invading Iraq. We did that because Thomas Friedman thought some brown people needed to suck on this, and because Richard Cohen thought violence would provide him with needed therapy. We should never forget that these people are racist monsters whose personal psychodramas could only be soothed by the indiscriminate killing of people they obviously do not see as human.
Though there was no justification, our response to terrorism included invading Iraq. We did that because Thomas Friedman thought some brown people needed to suck on this, and because Richard Cohen thought violence would provide him with needed therapy. We should never forget that these people are racist monsters whose personal psychodramas could only be soothed by the indiscriminate killing of people they obviously do not see as human.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
Still awful.
Initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits fell 24,000 to a seasonally adjusted 601,000 in the week ended June 6, the Labor Department said. It was the fourth straight week the number of claims declined or was unchanged.
Analysts polled by Reuters were expecting claims to drop to 615,000 from a previously reported 621,000.
However, the number of people staying on the benefit rolls after collecting an initial week of aid rose to a record 6.82 million in the week of May 30, the latest week for which data is available.
It was the 19th week in a row so-called continued claims set a record.
Sobering questions
Susie Madrak over at C&L has some details from Elizabeth Warren on the pitfalls that remain.
Warren:
Letting the lenders out now — earlier than many had envisioned, and without the industry reforms some consider necessary to prevent future crises — raises many sobering questions for policy makers, bankers and taxpayers.
Trying to set compensation limits bank by bank and job title by job title just doesn't make as much sense as raising marginal rates at say, the $500K, $1 million, and $10 million brackets.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Legitimacy
I've never really understood what the purpose of the national press club was, but I think they should understand that they confer legitimacy on people when they grant them space. Providing space doesn't mean you endorse their views, of course, but you still grant them legitimacy.
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