Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Urban Hellhole
Ugh. My neighborhood.
A teenage boy is recovering after getting shot in his left buttocks during an argument on a South Philly corner, police said.
Lacking Self-Awareness
Indiana will soon find it is impossible to satisfy the homosexual lobby. They will immediately be back for more. And more.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanJFischer) March 31, 2015If Indiana surrenders to Big Gay on RFRA, they have no idea about the forces they are releasing into their state.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanJFischer) March 31, 2015
Travels In Unsafe Lands
Beutler:
Not so long ago I went on a weekend hiking trip with some same sex couples. As hiking tends to be in the middle of nowhere, so does accommodation. It occurred to me - and no doubt it occurred to those couples, as I assume it regularly does - that presuming whatever hotel we booked would have no issue with that was actually not a 100% bet. All was fine, and in fact the hotel clerk was a trans woman which diminished the likelihood of problems significantly, but nonetheless it was a small educational moment. Having to worry about shit like this is kind of a big deal.
As a purely logistical matter, Indiana’s RFRA stacks the deck for discriminatory businesses. Same-sex couples denied hotel rooms, or meals, or even wedding venues could theoretically sue, and many probably would. Where protected by non-discrimination law, some might even win. But the effect in the moment, when the gay customer seeks to pay for a service, would be the same as if the discrimination had been state-sanctioned: The customer would have to find other accommodations.
Not so long ago I went on a weekend hiking trip with some same sex couples. As hiking tends to be in the middle of nowhere, so does accommodation. It occurred to me - and no doubt it occurred to those couples, as I assume it regularly does - that presuming whatever hotel we booked would have no issue with that was actually not a 100% bet. All was fine, and in fact the hotel clerk was a trans woman which diminished the likelihood of problems significantly, but nonetheless it was a small educational moment. Having to worry about shit like this is kind of a big deal.
The War On Some Women Who Have Miscarriages
Perhaps the more important reason to stay the hell out of Indiana.
On Monday, the state of Indiana sentenced 33-year-old Indian-American Purvi Patel to 20 years in prison on charges of feticide - an act that causes the death of a fetus - and neglect of a dependent. She received a 30-year-sentence on the felony neglect charge, 10 of which were suspended. A six-year sentence for feticide will be served concurrently.
Jubilee
One maddening thing about the financial crisis was that fixing it was so easy. They gave free money to the banks. They could've given free money to everybody (in various ways). They chose not to do so.
All that quantitative easing bought big shitpile. It also could've helped actual people and bought real stuff.
All that quantitative easing bought big shitpile. It also could've helped actual people and bought real stuff.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Sharing The Bikes
Hey, it's finally here.
I'm too much of a coward to bike into center city, though if stations are located in appropriate places I might use it to travel between residential neighborhoods on journeys which don't require me to go through center city. Anyway, hope it functions well.
...for locals, map here, some strange coverage holes.
I'm too much of a coward to bike into center city, though if stations are located in appropriate places I might use it to travel between residential neighborhoods on journeys which don't require me to go through center city. Anyway, hope it functions well.
...for locals, map here, some strange coverage holes.
Failure Is Proof Of My Ability To Succeed
I suppose it's actually smart. If Fiorina keeps talking about how awesome she was running HP then it will become truthy. Reporters won't bother to offer up any contradiction, and it will become a fact for the purpose of the campaign.
Not that she'll win or anything.
Not that she'll win or anything.
Nothing To See Here
Climate change isn't something I follow comprehensively, but it seems like all the latest news "uh oh, this is worse than we thought."
I guess we'll find it soon enough... is it going to be catastrophic or merely horribly expensive?
I guess we'll find it soon enough... is it going to be catastrophic or merely horribly expensive?
Rules For Democrats
It is funny that legislation passed when Democrats are in control doesn't simply require majorities, or even super majorities, but some new super-super majority standard.
Probably next the Dems will have to live by a modified version of the supposed "Hastert Rule" - unless it's supported by a majority of the Republican caucus, it just can't be passed.
Probably next the Dems will have to live by a modified version of the supposed "Hastert Rule" - unless it's supported by a majority of the Republican caucus, it just can't be passed.
Useless Green Spaces
While I have a reputation for being anti-park around these parts, I'm not. Great parks are great! But not all "green spaces" are great parks, or in any way useful for human inhabitants. Small bits of green are often just useless spaces, and without upkeep they're just empty overgrown lots. Sure a bit of green and a few trees can be nice, but not necessarily relative to the alternatives.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Mercury Fur
I really wonder what happens with all of this.
Just allegations and this particular case doesn't sound very well-founded, but there's does seem to be something here...
Enoch Powell, the Conservative anti-immigrant firebrand, is being investigated as an alleged member of a claimed Westminster paedophile network after his name was supplied to police by a senior Anglican bishop.
Just allegations and this particular case doesn't sound very well-founded, but there's does seem to be something here...
The Bill Comes Due
Even relatively new places are starting to experience the sticker shock of repair costs for infrastructure.
Gotta pay somehow.
Gotta pay somehow.
And Pay Off My Student Loan And Save For A Downpayment
Such helpful advice.
People who start early can get away with saving a tiny portion of their pay and still have a decent chance at having enough money in retirement (in other words, their money won’t run out before they die). But those who put it off need to save dramatically more to catch up.
Morning Thread
Here's a link to Echidne's post on IS and Women: Part 3: The Western Female IS Militants. I highly recommend you bookmark it and read it when you have some time to think it over. As usual, important stuff that needs to be examined.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
We Did That
I do think that absent liberal bloggers, and the general netroots associated movement at the time, they would have destroyed Social Security.
So, one victory at least.
So, one victory at least.
Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit
I hate everybody.
Nashville prosecutors have made sterilization of women part of plea negotiations at least four times in the past five years, and the district attorney has banned his staff from using the invasive surgery as a bargaining chip after the latest case.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit
One of the America Is Awesome stories I remember from high school is the "we don't have debtors' prisons!" story.
But we do.
But we do.
Hospitality
This is a charming tale.
(via)
MCDOWELL COUNTY (WVVA) -
Phone calls, emails and Facebook messages were sent to us here, at WVVA by parents concerned for their children's safety.
People reported seeing a man and woman traveling through McDowell County this week, snapping photographs as they drove through each town. And those people wanted to know why.
"I received a call that there was a suspicious vehicle, a light brown Volvo station wagon, Massachusetts plate, and there was a male and female in the Raysal area taking pictures of some children," says Chief Deputy, Roger Deel.
Jennifer Adkins, the mother of three kids, and a resident of Raysal, is the one who contacted Chief Deputy Deel. She also confronted the photographers, with a group of others.
(via)
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Progress
Baby steps against the "war on drugs."
Addiction is a health problem, not something which should be a crime.
Addiction is a health problem, not something which should be a crime.
Editorializing In The Headlines
Well okay then.
Here's the thriving Seaport District with its thriving parking. Very thriving. Think I'll head down there and park and thrive for awhile.
What the original Boston Tea Party was actually about
Analysis of Leaked Trans-Pacific Partnership Investment Text
"After more than five years of negotiations under conditions of extreme secrecy, on March 25, 2015, a leaked copy of the investment chapter for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was posted. Public Citizen has verified that the text is authentic. Trade officials from the United States and 11 Pacific Rim nations – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam – are in intensive, closed-door negotiations to finish the TPP in the next few months."The leaked text provides stark warnings about the dangers of 'trade' negotiations occurring without press, public or policymaker oversight. It reveals that TPP negotiators already have agreed to many radical terms that would give foreign investors expansive new substantive and procedural rights and privileges not available to domestic firms under domestic law."
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
The Worst Winter
Locally, we've certainly had winters with more severe weather (much more snow), but I don't remember having this much extended gloomy cold with little respite. Make it end.
Shut up West Coasters.
Shut up West Coasters.
Dorm Living
Often there's resistance to building dorms for college students, let alone dorm-like buildings for residents more broadly. And by not building enough dorms to house the local student population, students often take over housing that would be desirable for families (3&4 bedroom) in roommate situations.
Price Signals
It's been a long time since I read The Research, but the problem with variable tolling with posted price changes is that the price communicates (correctly or not) to drivers just how hellish the alternative is. A low toll suggests that you don't really "need" to pay the toll, while a high toll suggests that you'd better pay it or you're going to be on a parking lot for awhile.
With phone traffic apps, people have other quick ways of getting information. Still, over some range, raising the price might actually increase the number of drivers.
With phone traffic apps, people have other quick ways of getting information. Still, over some range, raising the price might actually increase the number of drivers.
Metro's algorithm modifies the per-mile toll as frequently as every five minutes, based on how many cars are using the lanes. Tolls range from 25 cents to $1.40 a mile, for a maximum one-way price of $15.40 along the 11-mile route. As cars enter the lanes, the price at that moment appears on overhead digital signs. In theory, a higher toll will discourage some drivers from using the lanes, freeing up space and speeds for the remaining users.
But that isn't always happening. Paying the maximum charge along some miles of the route is "almost a guarantee" during the 5 a.m.-to-9 a.m. rush hour, said Kathleen McCune, Metro's congestion reduction director. Even then, toll-lane traffic stays thick.
The Full Grift
Make everybody pay.
(Bloomberg) -- Charter schools are selling a record amount of municipal debt. For investors, the challenge is that defaults by the publicly funded, privately run institutions have also never been higher.
...
While charter schools are gaining popularity across the U.S. as an alternative to local systems, their default rate reached an all-time high last year of 5 percent of outstanding issues, according to a biannual study by the New York-based Local Initiatives Support Corp. That’s up from 3.8 percent in 2012.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Just A Few More Friedmans
And on and on...
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says the U.S. will keep its current complement of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through the end of 2015, instead of cutting the number by about half as originally planned.
It says the size of the U.S. troop presence for 2016 will be decided later this year.
In The Membrane
One random extremely educational moment I experienced was going on an urban archeology tour of a former prison site in Providence, RI. They were knocking down some buildings and the prison foundations were underneath. The prison was actually built to be a new "humane" prison in the penitentiary model, much like Eastern State here in Philly (worth a visit, by the way). Prisoners were supposed to sit in solitary silence and contemplate their crimes.
The tour guide read some excerpts from the warden's diary. This is a caricature, but it went something like "Day 3. All of the prisoners seem to be going mad. I do not understand why."
Solitary confinement is torture. It drives people insane.
The tour guide read some excerpts from the warden's diary. This is a caricature, but it went something like "Day 3. All of the prisoners seem to be going mad. I do not understand why."
Solitary confinement is torture. It drives people insane.
The prisons are one of the most misunderstood institutions of government. Solitary confinement drives individuals insane. And mandatory minimum sentences are a bad idea. These were the assertions of U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer in testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee Monday afternoon.
So He's Tom Friedman?
Everything is horrible.
Doug Ollivant, who worked in the National Security Council for Mr. Obama and President George W. Bush, said Mr. Ghani is a “Western-oriented” leader who would be comfortable rubbing shoulders with intellectuals at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, or the Aspen Ideas Forum in Colorado.
“He’s a creature of Washington, a creature of Aspen and Davos,” he said. “He’s extremely comfortable moving in these circles.”
Monday, March 23, 2015
Wacko Birds
Senator John McCain on who gets media attention:
If only there were some press outlets and television networks that would give some attention to Senator McCain in order to disprove his point. Oh, wait...
"They were elected, nobody believes that there was a corrupt election, anything else," McCain said. "But I also think that when, you know, it's always the wacko birds on right and left that get the media megaphone."
If only there were some press outlets and television networks that would give some attention to Senator McCain in order to disprove his point. Oh, wait...
Well That's A Concern
Catastrophic versions of the effects of climate change, in which things happen too fast to realistically adjust to at any cost, involve things such as gulf stream reversal. ruh-roh.
All Class
Stupid college student does something horrible and stupid, but probably doesn't deserve the punishment.
Bicycle Death Race 2015
If you're not local you won't know, but JFK Boulevard is a major, if relatively short, arterial on which cars drive fast. I have no idea what the posted speed limit is, but in practice it's "however fast we can get away with." I also have no idea whether it's a smart place for a protected bike lane, but if it isn't this is not the reason...
Abraham, a former D.A., said she could not support a proposed protected bike lane on the exceedingly wide and busy JFK Boulevard because many elderly people lived there who “could be injured or even killed by a speeding bicyclist.”
Please Write Another Story About How Great Republicans Are At Tech
There are 3 stories political reporters love to write (or that their editors love to assign). First is "Dreamy Republican candidate for president is dreamy." The second is "random conservative media figure you haven't heard of is the future of conservative intellectuals." The third is "Republican tech gurus really have this whole tech thing figured out this time really we mean it."
Oops.
Oops.
Why Does The NY Daily News Editorial Board Even Live In New York City?
Actually, maybe they don't, but let's assume. I understand that in places where pedestrians are somewhat uncommon that drivers, who are likely rarely pedestrians themselves, see them as nuisances. Understanding that does not mean I think it's ok, but I get it. In most of NYC, except for those whose 24/7 town car service literally takes you from door to door for every journey, everybody is a pedestrian. Everybody should feel a bit concerned about being run over by cars when they cross with the light in the crosswalk. "That could be me" should be a pretty easy thought to get to.
Possibility
In practice no one is getting 30 days in jail. They're getting a $250 fine and a misdemeanor charge. For killing people. When they had the clear right of way in a crosswalk with the light.
"driving habits that are generally tolerated." Well then.
The NYPD last week arrested Alexander Smotritsky of Brooklyn after he fatally bowled over 61-year-old Xiali Yue on a right turn, as she attempted to cross with the light.
...
The new law criminalized failures to yield, with the possible 30-day imprisonment for a collision with a pedestrian. That’s wrong because:
-It misuses criminal law as a tool for changing driving habits that are generally tolerated.
"driving habits that are generally tolerated." Well then.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Stupid Ideas
I love the trains, and I'm usually on board for relatively "stupid" projects, based on the idea that if we build stupid roads we can build some stupid trains too, but the Path extension project truly is stupid.
Only Chris Christie could concoct a rail project I'd oppose. Actually, that's not true. His twin across the river, Andrew Cuomo, also has a stupid project I'd oppose.
When he killed the ARC tunnel to New York nearly five years ago, Christie said -- with all apparent sincerity -- that he wanted to find another way to increase trans-Hudson capacity. He even endorsed Amtrak's plan, the Gateway tunnel project, saying he was "thrilled" with it.
But the governor has never actively pushed for this tunnel. In the Port Authority's 10-year capital plan, the commissioners allotted zero money for it. They did, however, include a redundant $1.5 billion extension of the Path train to Newark Liberty International Airport, a ridiculous scheme that Christie cooked up with United Airlines.
The governor has long had his own agenda at the Port Authority, and apparently, the Gateway project just wasn't on it.
Only Chris Christie could concoct a rail project I'd oppose. Actually, that's not true. His twin across the river, Andrew Cuomo, also has a stupid project I'd oppose.
Crazy Lefty Money
Insights:
“Unless they get the crazy lefty money machine going nationally, it’s not going to matter that there’s a resurgent left,” said an adviser to Mr. Emanuel who did not want to speak publicly about strategy. “The liberals at Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park can think great thoughts and read poetry for Chuy, but nothing else will happen.”
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Zoning Out The Poors
One annoying thing about the "gentrification" conversation is that it's most of the rest of the country that for 7+ decades effectively zoned away the poors, and that's without even getting into other more racially focused exclusionary policies. The real gentrification concern isn't that some neighborhoods will get too pricey, it's that when they do, the poors simply won't have anywhere to go.
It's still policy.
It's still policy.
Actual Urban Hellhole
In order to see a show, last night I headed up to a part of the city I'd actually never been to, one a bit notorious for prostitution and the drug trade. And, well, yeah. I've seen a few drug deals happen in my neighborhood, but practically everyone on the streets (and despite being cold and slushy, quite a few people were out) appeared to be selling, buying, or begging for drugs. Pretty rough.
For The Children
I can't find it now or remember who it was, but an English journalist tweeted something along the lines that there wouldn't be political pressure to build more housing until property owners of a certain age recognized that while their high housing prices were wonderful, that their kids were still living in them was not.
The issues aren't quite the same in this country, but it's the same basic framework. What's it going to take for more people to realize that despite their hippity hop and their iPhones, The Kids Today are entering into a world with a much shittier deal than previous generations got. Education costs, stagnant wages, and no benefits are more the issues here than housing costs (except for a couple of cities). Why don't people notice?
The issues aren't quite the same in this country, but it's the same basic framework. What's it going to take for more people to realize that despite their hippity hop and their iPhones, The Kids Today are entering into a world with a much shittier deal than previous generations got. Education costs, stagnant wages, and no benefits are more the issues here than housing costs (except for a couple of cities). Why don't people notice?
Morning Thread
The Halifax Examiner has some great pics up of what can really be called snowpocolypse. Oy, our snow from yesterday is already melting.
Friday, March 20, 2015
And Speaking Of
Exhibit #343455 that university administrators don't really have a very good sense of just what their institutions are for.
American Education Policy
The Onion gets it.
Not endorsing the actual portrayal of students, just the apparent belief of our elites that it's a valid view.
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Education released a comprehensive, nationwide evaluation of American schools Monday indicating that attempts to teach absolutely anything to these little shits is just a huge waste of everybody's time.
"We remain committed to providing every student in the country with access to a high-quality education," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan, adding that good schools are a key component to the success of American democracy. "But to be honest, none of that matters. We're not talking about promising young scholars here—we're talking about a bunch of fucking animals."
Not endorsing the actual portrayal of students, just the apparent belief of our elites that it's a valid view.
Pay Up
It's one thing to argue that vaccines are ineffective and dangerous (wrong, but still), another to argue that known well-studied deadly diseases don't actually exist.
Pipeline
The interesting question is who thought he'd be a good hire in the first place?
Maybe Sulliview could find out?
I really just get tired of this shit. I used spend a lot of time playing whackamole with little success. The "racial realists" and the people who hire them seem to be impervious to facts.
Maybe Sulliview could find out?
I really just get tired of this shit. I used spend a lot of time playing whackamole with little success. The "racial realists" and the people who hire them seem to be impervious to facts.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Protection
What's it like to live like this?
Do people who don't live in war zones really believe they need "protection"? I mean, I guess I know the answer. My experience with gun nuts is that they dream of their vigilante moment. But, you know, if you want that moment so badly maybe don't live in Lake Stevens, WA?
(via Kagro, who is on the Responsible Gun Owner beat).
Michael's maternal grandparents said the day prior to the shooting, they brought gun locks over for Michael's father because they say he often left guns out in the presence of their grandchild.
"He told me he would never put those on his personal firearm because he needs those for protection. And I said, 'What about Michael?' He said, 'Michael won't touch it.' Michael didn't deserve to be shot and it was the irresponsibility and the stupidity of one person," Faith Thayer, Michael's grandmother, said.
Do people who don't live in war zones really believe they need "protection"? I mean, I guess I know the answer. My experience with gun nuts is that they dream of their vigilante moment. But, you know, if you want that moment so badly maybe don't live in Lake Stevens, WA?
(via Kagro, who is on the Responsible Gun Owner beat).
Florida Man
Nice little governor you've got there.
The group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says it’s filed a complaint arguing a state employee was reprimanded for speaking about climate change at an official meeting and keeping notes on the subject in official minutes.
The complaint says that on March 9, Barton Bibler, a longtime worker for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, got a letter of reprimand, was ordered to take two days leave and then was told not to return until he had medical clearance of his fitness for duty.
Whack A Racist Mole
I remember Razib from the bad old days of blogging, when along with warmongers and glibertarians, "racial realists" (racists who pretended The Science was on their side), were everywhere.
So, yeah, good job New York Times! Looking forward to hearing about just how stupid black people really are, because we never hear that. Brave and bold!
So, yeah, good job New York Times! Looking forward to hearing about just how stupid black people really are, because we never hear that. Brave and bold!
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
New Trolleys
What's left of Philadelphia's trolley system was (mostly) preserved because of a tunnel system that couldn't have been realistically converted to bus use. The last major round of car purchases didn't go so well, as I understand it. The cars were heavier than spec and caused problems. Hopefully the next round is better.
All the smart transit nerds hate on building new streetcar lines that don't have dedicated lanes/rights of way. I don't think they're entirely wrong, but they do tend to downplay the fact that even when fighting with traffic, streetcars have faster and smoother acceleration/braking than buses. They're a better ride, and there are capital/maintenance cost advantages over buses as well.
But in any case, in an existing urban area, if you aren't going to tunnel, then good luck finding those dedicated lanes. It can be done, but...
All the smart transit nerds hate on building new streetcar lines that don't have dedicated lanes/rights of way. I don't think they're entirely wrong, but they do tend to downplay the fact that even when fighting with traffic, streetcars have faster and smoother acceleration/braking than buses. They're a better ride, and there are capital/maintenance cost advantages over buses as well.
But in any case, in an existing urban area, if you aren't going to tunnel, then good luck finding those dedicated lanes. It can be done, but...
On Moderation
Being a "moderate Republican" just means wearing a decent suit, having a "serious" demeanor, and not being too public about the fact that your hobby is biting the heads off of live bats.
Shorter Tom Friedman
All this killing hasn't done much good in the Middle East, so what I suggest is... more killing.
no link, you can find it.
no link, you can find it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
BYOB
Our liquor laws are absurd and I'd prefer that we just had cheap licenses, but the one good side effect is no cork fee BYOB restaurants that can only make money if they make good food.
Urban Parking
(Yes, my dear readers, I know it's your favorite subject.)
If I had a bit of money I'd pick a few locations around the city and poll the customers of local businesses what their primary means of arriving (car, transit, walking) was. I suspect many business owners overestimate the importance of parking because it's something people complain about, and that they also certainly overestimate the negative impact of removing just a spot or two for alternative purposes.
I could be wrong!
If I had a bit of money I'd pick a few locations around the city and poll the customers of local businesses what their primary means of arriving (car, transit, walking) was. I suspect many business owners overestimate the importance of parking because it's something people complain about, and that they also certainly overestimate the negative impact of removing just a spot or two for alternative purposes.
I could be wrong!
Mercury Fur
Two systems of justice, two codes of conduct.
Scotland Yard is facing new allegations of a cover up after it was reported that an undercover police investigation that had gathered compelling evidence of child abuse in the 1980s was scrapped shortly after detectives moved in to make arrests.
BBC Newsnight said it had been told that during a three-month secret inquiry, officers had gathered a substantial amount of evidence – including photographs and video taken from inside a London flat - of men abusing boys aged around 14 years old.
Unpossible
Not going to hold my breath for this one.
The Justice Department is weighing whether evidence of wrongdoing in currency trading means banks violated old deals resolving probes into the rigging of benchmark interest rates that included promises they wouldn’t break the law, said two people, who asked not to be identified because final decisions haven’t been made.
The Justice Department can tear up the deals if it finds the banks committed any crime after they were negotiated. The agreements, which are similar to putting banks on probation, leave the institutions exposed to criminal charges if they are revoked.
Holding Out For A Hero
Someone important is going to have to make the trans-Hudson tunnels their pet project, or someone else is going to have to deal with a lack of trans-Hudson tunnels.
Monday, March 16, 2015
When The Tunnels Go
I have no idea if the current NJT/Amtrak tunnels between NJ and NYC are going to fail any time soon, but it seems that there's a nontrivial possibility that they will. I know some transit nerds who cheered when Chris Christie canceled the last tunnel project because they thought it was flawed. It was flawed, a bit, but I never really understood the criticisms. But, here we are, 2015, 5 years later, and...nada.
Old People Vote
Another thing I used to be sanguine about, then got more panicky, but now am a bit more sanguine about is Social Security and Medicare. The Dems still haven't been very good at making these things part of their brand, because Fred Hiatt, but they're getting a bit better and the Republicans are starting to retreat.
The elderly are basically uninsurable and the current retirement crisis means a lot of them are going to experience the latter years of their lives in poverty. Promising them goodies would be a pretty smart thing to do.
The elderly are basically uninsurable and the current retirement crisis means a lot of them are going to experience the latter years of their lives in poverty. Promising them goodies would be a pretty smart thing to do.
Nothing To See Here
As I've written, I used to be a bit more sanguine about global climate change. Starting to get more panicky.
If They Get That Wrong
I used to look forward to my weekly Economist subscription delivery. I'd generally take it to my local coffee and bagel shack for Sunday brunch and read through it. Then I got a bit smarter and started to notice that they were often way wrong (not I disagree with, just totally wrong) on things I knew about, which presumably meant that they were completely bonkers on things I didn't know much about. You know, if they can't even get America right, how can they know a damn thing about Zimbabwe?
I'm not sure how offensive I'd rate this cover, but at the very least it's completely stupid. The Latino world is very large and diverse, Latino immigrants to the United States are a very large and diverse bunch, and especially referring to them as "chilies in the mix" is profoundly stupid. Offensive, yes, but really just ignorant.
I'm not sure how offensive I'd rate this cover, but at the very least it's completely stupid. The Latino world is very large and diverse, Latino immigrants to the United States are a very large and diverse bunch, and especially referring to them as "chilies in the mix" is profoundly stupid. Offensive, yes, but really just ignorant.
All Doors
Buses should let all people board through all doors, either with sidewalk fare payment or multiple fare validators on board the bus. Yes you increase the possibility of fare evasion, but so what?
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Wudder
I really just can't figure out how close the emergency is, or what actually happens if it happens.
Been close before - parts of Florida, Atlanta - but then nature stepped in and fixed things.
Been close before - parts of Florida, Atlanta - but then nature stepped in and fixed things.
Afternoon Thread
Some of the old timers of this land occasionally talk of a bright glowing orb in the sky that used to appear. I'm not sure why they spread these hopeful lies to youngsters like myself.
Sweet Briar
As I wrote before, this is obviously a grift, it's just about figuring out who and how.
We know the why: because they can.
We know the why: because they can.
Coded By Colors
I actually kind of miss the days when cable news constantly had the "terror alert" color code on the screen. It was a regular reminder that certain parts of the country had gone bugfuck nuts and that they wanted the rest of us to go bugfuck nuts, too.
Full Employment
We need the Fed to focus on actual inflation, not decide ZOMG NAIRU MUST BE 6.5% MUST RAISE RATES NOW. Inflation is easy to kill, jobs are hard to create.
The market for quality customer service staff is getting competitive. Over the last year, retailers like Ikea, Gap and most recently Walmart have increased wages in an effort to retain staff, improve customer service and cut down on training and recruiting. As the market for low-wage workers tightens, Dollar General hopes to entice good workers with a more full-time schedule, rather than higher wages.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
"Everybody" Gets Rich
Including Al Qaeda.
The C.I.A.’s contribution to Qaeda’s bottom line, though, was no well-laid trap. It was just another in a long list of examples of how the United States, largely because of poor oversight and loose financial controls, has sometimes inadvertently financed the very militants it is fighting.
Why Don't We Just Keep Killing People
We only have one hammer, and when we use it "everybody" gets rich.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Hire Jeff Deeney
Never actually met him, but he's a local social worker with immense amounts of empathy for his clients, something less than reputable people don't receive enough of (while "reputable" moral monsters like David Brooks get paid lots of money to not give any fucks).
Give that man a job.
Here's some more stuff he's written.
...to be clear he was fired from his Social Worker job, not from any publication.
This Marshall Project article you liked so much? https://t.co/blxyblYqgX I was just terminated for writing it.
— jeff deeney (@jeff_deeney) March 13, 2015
Give that man a job.
Here's some more stuff he's written.
...to be clear he was fired from his Social Worker job, not from any publication.
Wudder
The Water Wars seem to be a constant issue, yet the emergency never seems to arrive, except in a few isolated spots (not diminishing problem for those affected, just that not many are affected.)
Don't Flush Wet Wipes
My PSA of the day.
With its sewer system under siege, tallying millions of dollars in equipment damage across its underground maze, New York City is confronting a menace that has gummed the gears of plumbing networks around the world: the common wet wipe.
Morning Thread
Our friend UNE has a post up at Sadly No! about the ... a system set up to make lives more difficult and privilege obvious.... Life really shouldn't be that complicated.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
And Speaking Of Grifting
I am not omniscient, but I am guessing the only real question is who has figured out how to profit from this.
Grfiters Gonna Grift
And media organizations like Politico make it so damn easy because it's their grift too.
The group’s website provides few details about when the coalition was launched or who’s working for the group. But the team behind the Progressive Coalition for American Jobs includes some of the most senior members of Obama’s campaign team. Lefty site Daily Kos reported Mitch Stewart, the former aide the president tapped to run Organizing For America, and Lynda Tran, the former OFA press secretary are involved. A press release earlier in the week announcing the group came from 270 Strategies, the campaign firm started by Stewart and Obama’s former field director, Jeremy Bird.
Tran told BuzzFeed News the purpose of the group was to boost liberal voices who support the Obama trade agenda.
Private Toll Roads Keep Going Bankrupt
But, hey, "public-private partnerships" are always good because I have absolutely no idea.
Who Keeps Putting Money Into These Things
The people who go to casinos aren't the people the casinos want to go to casinos. Why they don't realize this I have no idea. James Bond in a tuxedo is not to be found.
Really It's About Us
There's something about the Clintons that make the DC press reveal that ultimately they think that they are central actors in The Politics Show, not the politicians. Usually this little bit of narcissism is more carefully hidden, but when the Clintons are involved, it's "fuck it, we're doing it live."
"Everybody" Gets Rich
Couch change in the great war grift, but still.
I'm sure the grift was worse than that, but some things are easier to identify than others.
The largest nonprofit contractor working for the U.S. Agency for International Development during the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan billed the government $1.1 million for staff parties and pricey retreats — three of them held at one of the poshest destinations on the East Coast, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania.
International Relief and Development Inc. of Arlington, Va., collected hundreds of millions of dollars to work in the war zones and help impoverished nations around the world. At the same time, its executives were using IRD’s government overhead account to fund the parties and retreats between 2007 and 2010, according to financial records provided by IRD to The Washington Post.
I'm sure the grift was worse than that, but some things are easier to identify than others.
I Want Charles In Charge Of Me
Don't we all?
How did I never know Chachi's last name was Arcola? That was the name of my middle school...
How did I never know Chachi's last name was Arcola? That was the name of my middle school...
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Other People Spend Money On Things I Disapprove Of
This is my least favorite genre of lefty commentary. Except for those who are really rich, as in "fuck you money" rich, most of us face serious budget constraints. Budget constraints don't necessarily mean poverty, but we all have to prioritize our consumptions choices. And, well, so what if someone buys a slightly more expensive car instead of whatever it is people are supposed to be spending money on. We all have interests and hobbies and desires. I admit I find the interests of other people puzzling sometimes, but, really, go for it. Whatever floats your boat. Few of us have dedicated ourselves to a life of poverty and charity.
What's Evan Bayh Up To Now
Ezra got a bit suckered once upon a time, but got his revenge as well as he could.
Now it's more war all the time. It's the greatest grift of all, really. War breaks out, and "everyone" gets rich.
Now it's more war all the time. It's the greatest grift of all, really. War breaks out, and "everyone" gets rich.
And More
Baby steps...
FERGUSON, Mo. — The embattled police chief of Ferguson, the focus of bitter complaints of racial discrimination within his department that turned into national protests after one of his white officers fatally shot an unarmed black teenager last August, will resign his post, according to a city official who spoke Wednesday on a condition on anonymity.
F-Words
It's not the most offensive thing in the Morning Joe segment, but my long big pet peeve with Villagers is their regular (if declining) pretense that swear words make them hit the fainting couch and represent the downfall of civilization. I don't spend much time there anymore, but I used to go to DC fairly regularly for various things. People swear. Reporters swear. Politicians swear. Senators I met five seconds ago said the "f-word." I'm sure the f-word gets dropped in the Morning Joe Morning Zoo show green room regularly. It is not alien to the culture, and that some blackity black man dares to use the "f-word" (that would be "fuck" you fucking fucks) in a song does not suggest anything about black culture, rap, hip-hop, or anything related, other than that in this modern age sometimes black people get to talk just like powerful white people do. By saying fuck, you fucking fucks.
A Head Rotating Forever
I've never really understood "mainstream" Christian (recognizing that especially in the US there really isn't such a thing) thinking on demons/possession/hell/the devil/angels/ghosts/etc. That is, the whole Christian-linked supernatural world which is fun for fiction but doesn't actually seem to be all that "Christian." Except when it is.
Passyunk
I live pretty close to this stretch. It was just starting to come back to life when I moved here, but nothing like it is now. In a city with decades of declining population (now slowly reversing), people got used to fairly moribund neighborhood retail corridors. They're coming back.
Something
Gonna take a lot more to fix that place, but...
Officials in Ferguson, Mo., announced Tuesday night that John Shaw, the city manager, was leaving his position.
The move, which the city called “a mutual separation agreement,” comes in the wake of a scathing Justice Department report that criticized Shaw and other Ferguson officials for the city’s discriminatory and predatory behavior toward citizens.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Sads
I usually try to resist dumping on young adults who are still in their stupid years, but, uh, I don't think so..
Mark Zachary, 54, pulled his truck into the lot and went inside. Mr. Zachary was a member of the fraternity when he was a student at Oklahoma State University in the late 1970s, and he said he had asked the members if they needed help in moving. They declined his offer, he said.
“These guys messed up real bad, and I think they know they have,” Mr. Zachary said, adding that the house was barren and the students were quiet. “Everybody’s sick to their stomach. The guys that actually did the chanting, trust me, they feel worse than anybody in the country right now.”
Sinners Are Other People
I get why certain religious communities focused on hating gay people as opposed to a few other supposed "sins" that a certain book talks about. If you aren't gay, you aren't going to sin. Makes life easy, really.
I'm sure cakes are baked for plenty of "sinners," just not that kind...
I'm sure cakes are baked for plenty of "sinners," just not that kind...
Bus Bike Racks Are Fine
Cyclists know how to use them and it only takes a few seconds to load and remove them. Really shouldn't be controversial.
The Poors Are Horrible People
And the only way to help them is to get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to remind them of this fact on the pages of the New York Times as often as possible.
Monday, March 09, 2015
Don't Let The Door
Well maybe let it.
The Missouri Supreme Court announced Monday that it will take the "extraordinary action" of reassigning all Ferguson municipal court cases to the circuit court, starting next week.
In a press release, the court announced the move was intended "to help restore public trust and confidence in the Ferguson municipal court division."
Ferguson municipal judge Ronald J. Brockmeyer resigned his position this afternoon, a spokesman at his law office said. He will continue his other municipal court positions, including as prosecutor in Dellwood and judge in Breckenridge Hills.
The End of Racism
College students are still in their stupid years, but how hard is it to not be on video being clearly racist?
Assholes.
Assholes.
Are Other Countries Real?
I do wonder how many of our great leaders in Congress have actually traveled. And I don't mean elite programmed travel in the bubble of handlers or at resorts, I mean actually spending some time out in the world on their own two feet. I often get the sense that whether the rest of the world actually exists is an open question.
Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran
If we put a stop to Iran's nuclear program, then we won't have good reasons to go to war. We can't have that.
Sunday, March 08, 2015
Let's Find The Most Vulnerable People We Can And Kick The Crap Out Of Them
What a horrible person.
In a move that would cut the population of New Jersey's three publicly run psychiatric hospitals by 30 percent, the Christie administration has given community mental health providers an ultimatum: Find new places to live for 430 patients by March 16, or the state won't pay you.
Shiny New
One thing that annoys me about all the MOOCS WILL REPLACE UNIVERSITIES discussions is that it's 2015. Literally the only thing that can be done relatively easily now that couldn't be done as easily 10-15 years ago is streaming video. That's it. And streaming video has been pretty easy to do for about the last 8-10 years. Otherwise, all of the technology needed to make an accessible course in a box has existed for quite some time. There isn't any new magic here.
Well He Took One Course And Got A Shiny Badge
Do not understand how people who actually attended college think "online learning" is really a substitute.
I know they don't, really, but everyone needs a grift.
I know they don't, really, but everyone needs a grift.
Useful
It's amazing how turning everything to shit can be "useful" if your last name is Bush. I wonder how that happens.
Saturday, March 07, 2015
Nobody Could Have Predicted
But, really, can we just get a real "chip and pin" credit card system like the rest of the world has?
Menus
Not that I care much for the fortunes of McDonald's, and I'm rarely in them except for perhaps the occasional visit during a rare road trip, but if I were to offer advice it'd be: make the damn menus simple and readable. I'm not sure exactly what it is but it takes me 5 minutes just to figure out what the item I am considering buying costs. Maybe it's the screens, maybe it's the fact that they front the "value meals" or whatever they're called and hide the individual items, but I find them to be incomprehensible.
Morning Thread
Yannow, people, as Digby notes, children aren't pets. They can't be "re-homed" because you've decided you don't like them. This is kind of basic to being a parent. Reuters did a pretty comprehensive piece on the subject a couple of years ago. Americans Use the Internet to Abandon Children Adopted From Overseas.
Friday, March 06, 2015
Fuck You, Lewis
I'm certainly not one to fall on to the fainting couch over a bit of profanity, but thinking "fuck you" was a debate winning phrase was something I got over at about age 14. The problem isn't that Rahm's a rude hothead, it's that he's a crass asshole who isn't very bright. Also, bad man. boo.
Friday Crass Commercialism
I've only met Daniel a couple of times, but we have a lot of mutual friends and the New York Times likes his new book so you should buy it.
Special Interest Groups
For America's Worst Editorial Board, the poors, schoolkids, and the mentally ill are "special interest groups."
Charter school operators are, of course, The Real Americans.
Charter school operators are, of course, The Real Americans.
Consultants
If you mange to find work for yourself doing job candidate searches, you should probably be vaguely familiar with anti-discrimination laws...
Issues Millenials Care About
Deeply, I'm sure.
But now we have Philly 3.0, a new "Super PAC" fronted by youthful leaders T.J. Hurst and Ali Perelman, that purports to represent all things millennial.
Word on the street is that they are quietly pushing some decidedly un-hip prerogatives on behalf of the group's backers - parking magnates Robert and Joe Zuritsky, of Parkway Corp.
Rumored to have millions to drop on the primary, 3.0 says it's looking to spend it on youthful, insurgent City Council candidates who will push issues millennials care about. But at least two Council hopefuls they approached were quizzed on, of all things, their support for reducing the city's parking tax, a source told us.
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Giving Away The Store
Good luck, New Jersey!
For more than a decade, the New Jersey attorney general’s office conducted a hard-fought legal battle to hold Exxon Mobil Corporation responsible for decades of environmental contamination in northern New Jersey.
But when the news came that the state had reached a deal to settle its $8.9 billion claim for about $250 million, the driving force behind the settlement was not the attorney general’s office — it was Gov. Chris Christie’s chief counsel, Christopher S. Porrino, two people familiar with the negotiations said.
Too Dense But Not Dense Enough
There really isn't a solution to LA's traffic woes, other than massive depopulation. It has too high of a population density to support the car-centric development, but as most of the development is car-centric there isn't much chance of reducing the number of cars on the road. That can and will change over time (and has to some degree), but adding a couple more freeway lanes here and there at great expense isn't going to help. Nor would building my fantasy subway network overnight if such a thing were possible. Development patterns have to change.
Safety Dance
Last time I was in New York I was struck by how poorly it serves pedestrians in many places, and I really don't see that as a "pedestrians versus cars" thing. I don't think cars in Midtown are very well-served by the fact that the sidewalks are so narrow that pedestrians spill out onto the street to avoid the crush, or that poorly timed lights lead to box blocking at every intersection; a nuisance for pedestrians, but traffic jam causing for automobiles. (Some) Drivers howl if you suggest taking a lane away for, say, wider sidewalks or a protected bike lane, but to me those 3-4 lane urban streets make things worse for drivers because aggressive drivers (and in a city of cabs there are a lot of those) are constantly switching lanes. At the very least that makes driving more stressful, though I'd imagine that quite often it actually slows things down.
Smart improvements can be win-win, hopefully they spend the money well...
Smart improvements can be win-win, hopefully they spend the money well...
Morning Thread
Even though Weather Underground is predicting 5-9" of the white stuff, I have hopes it's going to give us a miss.
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
Four
If you didn't see it, the interview David Carr did with Glenzilla, Laura Poitras and Edward Snowden, you should. Saw CitizenFour last week. It's among the best documentaries I've seen.. I'll be talking to digby about it tomorrow evening.
World-class
I think it's an incredibly stupid description of cities but I also think what the writer of this sentence:
actually meant to write was:
New York is perhaps the only world-class American city that has not yielded entirely to the whims of the automobile.
actually meant to write was:
New York is perhaps the only world-class American city.
Maybe That's Not Such A Good Job After All?
Who would have thought that years of demonizing teaches, removing worker protections, reducing salaries and benefits, and telling people that it's really only something 22-year-old Ivy grads should do for a couple of years out of college might start to convince people that maybe it isn't such an awesome career?
Really hard to comprehend.
Really hard to comprehend.
Tuesday, March 03, 2015
Add One Wheelbarrow Filled With Salt?
If sanitation workers have time to ticket, they have time to throw some salt down. Maybe they can do both at the same time?
Even if the city isn't taking responsibility for clearing sidewalks, they can at least do the properties they're ticketing. Consider the ticket a bill for the job.
Even if the city isn't taking responsibility for clearing sidewalks, they can at least do the properties they're ticketing. Consider the ticket a bill for the job.
More Fucked Up Bullshit
Not that it's surprising.
In compiling the report, federal investigators conducted hundreds of interviews, reviewed 35,000 pages of police records and analyzed race data compiled for every police stop. They concluded that, over the past two years, African-Americans — who make up about two-thirds of the city’s population — accounted for 85 percent of traffic stops, 90 percent of citations, 93 percent of arrests and 88 percent of cases in which the police used force.
Black motorists were twice as likely as whites to be searched but were less likely to be found in possession of contraband such as drugs or guns.
$10.10
The new governor continues to be good, proposing increasing the state's minimum wage to $10.10/hour. I have no idea what will get through the Republicans who run the legislative branch, but we will see..
And Even More
We've collectively decided that putting kids in 3000 pounds of metal traveling at 65 MPH is safe, while letting them walk unsupervised can potentially get them taken away from you and placed in a foster situation. Also known to be safe.
ugh.
ugh.
Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit
Arne Duncan is too busy looking for teachers to kick to enforce laws to help defrauded students.
Monday, March 02, 2015
Larry Summers Is A Genius
All hail the great man for concluding what many others did long ago.
But when Larry says it, it's revolutionary.
But when Larry says it, it's revolutionary.
Progress
This is mostly of local interest, but it's also a bit of progress in the war on the war on public schools.
Green's notionally a Democrat (it's Philly, anyone with political aspirations is notionally a Democrat at least at some point in their career), and then he hitched himself to the fortunes of our last (Republican) governor. Those fortunes did not prove to be so fortunate, which should have been rather obvious at the time. Dumbest. Move. Ever.
Days after Bill Green defied Gov. Wolf by voting to approve new charter schools, the governor has stripped Green of his chairmanship of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission.
Marjorie Neff, a retired Philadelphia public school principal, will be the new chair of the five-member governing body of the Philadelphia School District, she confirmed Sunday.
Green's notionally a Democrat (it's Philly, anyone with political aspirations is notionally a Democrat at least at some point in their career), and then he hitched himself to the fortunes of our last (Republican) governor. Those fortunes did not prove to be so fortunate, which should have been rather obvious at the time. Dumbest. Move. Ever.
America's Worst Humans
The City of Cleveland.
He was 12. He's dead.
But when it comes to the Nov. 22 shooting and Tamir's actual death, the city is very clear.
Tamir died because he did not "exercise due care," according to the city. The answer marches in lock step with declarations from police representatives and city leaders over the past three months. A litany of claims closes out the city's legal response, asserting that no civil rights were violated when Officer Timothy Loehmann shot the boy.
He was 12. He's dead.
Sunday, March 01, 2015
One Big Grift
I get the belief - and to a somewhat lesser extent the reality - that one needs money to win a presidential primary, but I also think it's about finding marks and fleecing them.
Long before the season of baby-kissing and caucus-going begins in early primary states, a no less decisive series of contests is playing out among the potential 2016 contenders along a trail that traces the cold-weather destinations of the wealthy and private-jet-equipped. In one resort town after another — Rancho Mirage, Calif.; Sea Island, Ga.; Las Vegas — the candidates are making their cases to exclusive gatherings of donors whose wealth, fully unleashed by the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, has granted them the kind of influence and convening power once held by urban political bosses and party chairmen.
Even a single deep-pocketed donor can now summon virtually the entire field of candidates. No fewer than 11 Republican White House hopefuls will fly to Iowa this week to attend the Iowa Agriculture Summit organized by Bruce Rastetter, a businessman and prominent “super PAC” donor. Each will submit to questions from Mr. Rastetter, who said he wanted the candidates to educate themselves on agriculture policy.
Wakey, Wakey
Weather Underground predicting 1-3" of ice pellets this morning. I don't know why I bothered to check.
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