Saturday, April 30, 2016
The Dream Will Never Die
I'm pretty sure the people at the Post will never give up on their attempts to destroy Social Security.
Saturday
All out of hot takes at the moment. Things are afoot in Iraq. I suppose we can check back in another 6 months.
BAGHDAD — Protesters stormed Iraq’s parliament on Saturday, bursting into the capital’s fortified Green Zone, where other key buildings, including the U.S. Embassy, are located.
Live footage on Iraqi television showed swarms of protesters, who have been demanding government reform, inside the parliament building, waving flags and chanting. Lawmakers were berated and beaten with flags as they fled the building, while demonstrators smashed the windows of politicians' cars.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Try Before You Buy... Then Buy
I make a point of buying any music I intend to listen to more than a couple of times. Sure I use Spotify or similar to sample things, but if there's something I plan on returning to I buy it. If I'm going to a show I buy the CD at the show (if I don't already own it) because presumably that puts the most money in the pockets of the band. The discovery aspect of the streaming internet is great, but it really isn't a revenue generator for artists. Buy their music if you listen to it. $10-$15 bucks for an album isn't much.
Ya, ya, the kids on our lawns today don't make music that's as awesome as whatever music you happened to listen to when you were 16. That's the way the world works. But if you do listen to new stuff, especially, pay for it. The non-Bieber kids today aren't making any money, either.
Ya, ya, the kids on our lawns today don't make music that's as awesome as whatever music you happened to listen to when you were 16. That's the way the world works. But if you do listen to new stuff, especially, pay for it. The non-Bieber kids today aren't making any money, either.
Boo
I don't think it's wrong to open up public parks for some commercial activities (and this park normally has a hamburger stand), or occasionally requiring admission for some special event, but walling it off and making it admission fee only every night for 6-7 weeks is a bit much.
To Sleep, Perchance..
Been plagued by insomnia recently. More specifically, waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep for a couple of hours. Fortunately I am blessed and can usually just sleep in, but it's still annoying.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
BREAKING
One of my longstanding internet pet peeves is the desire by so many people to label news as BREAKING. It used to be on blogs but now it's twitter too. I probably saw your BREAKING news two hours ago. If you are the one actually breaking the news you can use the label, otherwise just stop it. I used to only half jokingly plea with Markos to have his site automatically delete the account of any diarist who put BREAKING in the title. News is almost by definition new, but most of it isn't BREAKING.
Casinos and Megamalls
Chris Christie has been the best 1980s New Jersey governor.
Entering the fifth year since Triple Five took over the Mills Mall, it has rebranded it as a retail, entertainment and Dreamworks amusement park, but the scarcity of hardhats on-site has local officials questioning whether the $3.1 billion project is on hold.
In 2011, as Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" blared at the sports complex, Gov. Chris Christie posed with tradesmen in union tees, promising the 2.9-million-square-foot project would break ground and put thousands of construction workers back to work within a year. In the past three years, the only part of the "million dollars a day," which Triple Five stated they would spend in work on-site, seems to be for architects, planners and engineers. Additionally, Triple Five recently announced that the $675 million in bonds, which East Rutherford has yet to issue to subsidize part of the $2 billion needed to complete the project, would not be for sale until early summer.
The Rot At The Top
Too often in academia, horrible people keep getting promoted because it's the easiest way to get "rid" of them (away from you, anyway). People are happy to write glowing recommendation letters for people they hate as long as it sends them to another institution. Still this is pretty brazen.
University of California President Janet Napolitano placed UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi on administrative leave Wednesday night and ordered a probe into “serious questions” raised about her involvement in campus jobs for family members, possible misuse of student service fee revenue and misstatements about her role in social media contracts.
As Long As You Apologized
Also, gonna take all these people hostage. Your fault if they lose their livelihoods.
WOLFSBURG, Germany — The chief executive of Volkswagen said on Thursday that he personally apologized to President Obama this week for cheating on vehicle emissions tests, while making what amounted to a plea for mercy as the German carmaker negotiates penalties with United States officials.
...
“I used the opportunity to personally apologize to him for our behavior,” Mr. Müller said during a news conference in Wolfsburg on Thursday. “I thanked him for the constructive cooperation with his officials. Of course I also expressed the hope that I will be able to continue to fulfill my responsibility to 600,000 employees and their families as well as suppliers and dealers.”
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Wednesday Night
While walking around South Philly yesterday, I saw an old dude wearing one of those "FREEDOM ISN'T FREE" t-shirts with the big flag and pissed off eagle that were all the rage when the Warbloggers ruled the country. Gave me PTSD.
Cruz-Fiorina!
Somewhat similar to their treatment of Marco Rubio, to a lesser degree, we were told over and over how much appeal Fiorina had. Why I remember when she debated at the kiddie table* and her polls surged all the way to SEVEN PERCENT or something similar. She was the next big thing. I'm not sure who she's supposed to appeal to, but...
Anyway, Trump's likely to take this thing. If he doesn't take it outright, he's going to be so close that trying to yank it from him on the second ballot would be rather hilarious. Sad! even.
*If ever there are 17 Dem candidates for president, I guarantee the networks won't tolerate a kiddie table. They'll just weed out the undesirables.
Anyway, Trump's likely to take this thing. If he doesn't take it outright, he's going to be so close that trying to yank it from him on the second ballot would be rather hilarious. Sad! even.
*If ever there are 17 Dem candidates for president, I guarantee the networks won't tolerate a kiddie table. They'll just weed out the undesirables.
One Bright Light
Chris Matthews' wife ran in the primary to be a congressional candidate last night. She lost. I know nothing about her and she might be a wonderful person. It's not right to put the flaws of her husband on her. But the thought of Matthews keeping his MSNBC perch while being a part of a DC "power couple" like that was a bit hard to stomach.
Hard to Kick the Habit
Hope to be wrong, but suspect that team Clinton (very broadly defined) will still be talking about Berniebros in September. I'm quite happy for Hillary Clinton to be the nominee, as I always thought she would be. I'm not happy with the months of "we would have won it easy if not for these meddling kids who won't vote in November" rhetoric. Better figure out how to appeal to them. Stop calling them immature and stupid. The goal is to win, not to make early excuses for why you're going to lose.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Fiorinamentum
Nights like this I'm reminded yet again of how much the political press tried to manufacture boomlets for all 17 (ok maybe not Jim Gilmore) clown car members despite the fact that except maybe for one brief week Trump has been clearly ahead in the polls the whole time.
Sample Ballots
Some people in the intertubes are upset about what they perceive as underhanded campaign tactics by the Clinton campaign here in the urban hellhole. It's standard practice for endorsing organizations, including the city party, to hand out filled in paper sample ballots (we have ancient machines for the actual voting), with the endorsed candidates listed, to people as they head into the polling places to vote. So, yes, the sample ballot I received helpfully told me to vote for Hillary Clinton.
As long as it's 10 feet from the polling place - a trivial distance - all of this is legal and completely standard in Philly elections. I'm not such a huge fan of the practice, but it isn't specific to the Clinton campaign or this election.
As long as it's 10 feet from the polling place - a trivial distance - all of this is legal and completely standard in Philly elections. I'm not such a huge fan of the practice, but it isn't specific to the Clinton campaign or this election.
Getoffmylawnism
I know I keep returning this subject, and I probably don't have anything especially new to say about it, but I guess support for Bernie by The Kids Today has brought a lot of it out recently. I'm increasingly amazed that The Kids Today seems to include anyone under 40, and that the olds (#notallolds) hate them with white hot passion. The Kids Today are Generation Screwed, and the Old Economy Steves of the world really should shut their pie holes. I'm glad you had your $400 in state tuition. Must have been nice. Only complete insane politicians would suggest that maybe The Kids Today should have something similar to the deal you got.
On the Move
The real moment of truth for Bertha.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is trying to quell anxiety over Bertha’s impending trip under downtown Seattle and the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
In a new video published by WSDOT, the department explains that “every square inch” where Bertha is tunneling under — two miles long and half a mile wide, 15 feet below the surface — will be monitored using “state-of-the-art” methods. The transportation department has hired Soldata to do the job. Soldata has monitored a range of projects across the globe, including rail tunnels in Barcelona and London.
Foxy
One big grift.
The frequent Fox News commentator who prosecutors say lied about a career with the CIA to win actual government work is scheduled to change his plea Thursday, court records show.
Wayne Simmons, 62, of Annapolis, Md., had been set to go on trial next month on charges that his claim of working for the CIA for 27 years was a lie, and that it was only by repeating such falsehoods that he was able to briefly get actual security clearances and real government contracting work in more recent years. He had pleaded not guilty in the case, and had asserted in an interview published recently in The New York Times Magazine that there were documents scattered around the world that would back up his claims about what he did.
Monday, April 25, 2016
The New Racism
This isn't a very well thought out post, but, hey, that's why it's a blog. Back in my day (the 80s-90s) there was of course racism. Everybody (white) in my neighborhood knew where the one black family lived, and I doubt anyone ever talked to them. But one thing was different. There seemed to be an exception carved out for athletes/actors/performers/etc. White people loved rooting for their favorite black players. No one got pissed off when Billy Dee Williams was cast in Empire Strikes Back. Suburban white kids eventually embraced rap music, and I don't mean Vanilla Ice. White people loved Bill Cosby, even before he anointed himself chief scold of the black community. These might be silly examples, and they certainly didn't reflect a lack of racism in general, but that's the way it was.
Now you get a bigot eruption when a black person gets cast in a movie, or Beyoncé releases a CD, or frankly any time there's some sort of prominent black person anywhere. Some of that's social media which gives any asshole a platform (like this sucky blog gives this asshole a platform!), but not just.
Now you get a bigot eruption when a black person gets cast in a movie, or Beyoncé releases a CD, or frankly any time there's some sort of prominent black person anywhere. Some of that's social media which gives any asshole a platform (like this sucky blog gives this asshole a platform!), but not just.
I Don't Think My Public High School Had Security Guards
Maybe my memory is faulty, but I don't actually remember that being a thing when I was a kid, let alone security guards armed to the teeth.
Fights were treated as behavior issues. I'm sure if something got completely out of hand they would have called the cops, but...
Fights were treated as behavior issues. I'm sure if something got completely out of hand they would have called the cops, but...
PA-Sen
I'll be voting for John Fetterman in the primary tomorrow. While he's unlikely to win, he's basically an out in front liberal on every issue and not exactly your typical candidate. He's a small town mayor with a strong sense of urban (in the broad sense, not the Big City sense) issues. I'd recommend that anyone who doesn't have strong preferences for McGinty or Sestak do the same.
BRT Creep
The cost savings of "real" Bus Rapid Transit over rail, especially factoring in the cost of regular bus replacement, aren't even that great, but the more important thing is that BRT projects inevitably get watered down from the moment planning begins. There are numerous ways to cut costs, and as they snip snip snip pretty soon you're just left with "a bus." Nothing wrong with buses! But they aren't BRT.
If you don't have a dedicated lane, it isn't BRT.
(via)
One of the main disagreements between the committee and representatives from MCDOT was over a change to the BRT U.S. 29 plan to have the bus lane double as a high-occupancy vehicle lane.
If you don't have a dedicated lane, it isn't BRT.
(via)
The Seattle Economy Is Doomed
I wouldn't be surprised if some businesses were negatively impacted by the minimum wage increase, and that it might impact teen employment opportunities somewhat, but it isn't going to have any major impact on an economy as booming as Seattle's, and there really wasn't much reason to think it would increase shop prices.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Tactical Nukes
The dream of building nukes we might actually use never dies!
We've gotten rid of every other taboo, might as well get rid of that one, too. Just to keep us safe, of course.
The United States, Russia and China are now aggressively pursuing a new generation of smaller, less destructive nuclear weapons. The buildups threaten to revive a Cold War-era arms race and unsettle the balance of destructive force among nations that has kept the nuclear peace for more than a half-century.
We've gotten rid of every other taboo, might as well get rid of that one, too. Just to keep us safe, of course.
More Presidential
If Trump's lickspittles tell the political press that he's going to be "more presidential" they'll dutifully type that up and have it be the new story line, even if he continues to bite the heads off of live bats on stage.
It Goes Up, It Goes Down
The problem with resource extraction economies is that when the prices tank or the resources dry up, economic, environmental, and infrastructure devastation are left behind.
Still, the downturn has depressed local economies. The traffic that energized and disrupted rural life has subsided. Sales of clothing, food, and vehicles are down. Skilled welders have taken jobs at Walmart. Unemployed workers stay home and don't spend.
"Just the sheer volume of people in restaurants, hotels, even at some charity events, they're definitely not there anymore," said Stan Foster, chief operating officer of Superior Energy Resources L.L.C., a Brockway, Pa., gas field-services company.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Spring Fundraising Funstravaganza Day The Last!
It's been a great week. We've laughed. We've cried. And many of you have been generous and supported this sucky blog. Thank you!
Happy Krauthammer Day
(one day late)
Punditry means never having to admit you are wrong, no matter how many innocent people you helped to kill.
Punditry means never having to admit you are wrong, no matter how many innocent people you helped to kill.
Law School Follies
I taught at an institution which was early in the process of starting a law school (which they eventually did). Everyone just saw it as establishing a giant pile of money which they could get their fingers into. The "institution" saw it as ka-ching ka-ching for the institution, as in it would make money overall, though I'm not sure why and that is unlikely to have turned out to be true. But more than that, every faculty member and administrator who thought they could glom onto it somehow (joint appointment, join the law school administration, etc.) correctly thought that they could enhance their lives and incomes greatly (salary increases, course reductions, etc.). Things are not going well for law schools now.
...adding, nothing against law schools, it's just that they're the extreme version of very bad trends in academia, which tend not to be covered because safe spaces at elite Ivies are more important topics of conversation.
...adding, nothing against law schools, it's just that they're the extreme version of very bad trends in academia, which tend not to be covered because safe spaces at elite Ivies are more important topics of conversation.
Friday, April 22, 2016
30 Years
For some reason being bearish about the future of self-driving cars pisses people off more than most things I post. I don't really understand why. I'm not suggesting we ban the things or anything. At worst, I'm wrong! But even the Google people think they might be 30 years away. 30 years hopefully fails my "not in my lifetime" prediction, but it's still not anytime soon. For the last few years lots of people have talked about them as if they're just around the corner. Just a few Friedmans away.
I'm sure the perceived feasibility of these things is colored a lot by where you live. I live in an old urban hellhole where the street grid was laid out a couple of hundred years ago and road conditions are often less than perfect. If the majority of your driving experience is on well-maintained multi-lane suburban stroads or highways, you probably have a different perception of the difficulties. But a true self-driving car has to manage both of these things, and plenty of other types of driving. People focus too much on safety. I think safety is the easiest problem to solve. Tell car not to bump into things. It might not make the overall driving experience safer, if the cars behave a bit weirdly, but I'm not surprised that the cars aren't having accident problems. It's the functionality problem. 80% or 90% isn't enough to be a self-driving car in the fantasy sense of just push the button and have a car show up and then you tell it where to go. 80% or 90% might not be that hard! But it isn't enough.
I'm sure the perceived feasibility of these things is colored a lot by where you live. I live in an old urban hellhole where the street grid was laid out a couple of hundred years ago and road conditions are often less than perfect. If the majority of your driving experience is on well-maintained multi-lane suburban stroads or highways, you probably have a different perception of the difficulties. But a true self-driving car has to manage both of these things, and plenty of other types of driving. People focus too much on safety. I think safety is the easiest problem to solve. Tell car not to bump into things. It might not make the overall driving experience safer, if the cars behave a bit weirdly, but I'm not surprised that the cars aren't having accident problems. It's the functionality problem. 80% or 90% isn't enough to be a self-driving car in the fantasy sense of just push the button and have a car show up and then you tell it where to go. 80% or 90% might not be that hard! But it isn't enough.
Spring Fundraising Funstravaganza Day 6!!!!
I somehow missed day 4 and 5. Other things were happening. Thanks to all who have contributed!
Good for Terry Mac
Criminal convictions shouldn't follow anyone around for the rest of their lives, in any way.
And kudos for acknowledging the explicitly racial (racist) element of this.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — More than 200,000 convicted felons will be eligible to vote and run for public office in Virginia under a sweeping executive order announced Friday by Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
McAuliffe said his actions would help undo Virginia's long history of trying to suppress the black vote.
And kudos for acknowledging the explicitly racial (racist) element of this.
I Have A Unicorn In My Pocket
The Theranos story is pretty fascinating.
Nearly three years later, with Theranos under siege on multiple regulatory fronts and its reputation in tatters, it’s clear that the relationship has been a disaster for Walgreens. The company has been trying to distance itself, halting expansion of Theranos testing in its stores and, in January, threatening to end the partnership if Theranos did not meet regulatory standards within 30 days.
But that deadline has come and gone. With this week’s news that Theranos is under criminal investigation for, among other things, possibly defrauding Walgreens and other investors, the question is: What will it take for Walgreens to end its troubled relationship?
Nobody Could Have Predicted
Christie's NJ legacy: trying to prop up casinos in AC (fail) and a megamall no one will ever go to (likely fail).
The 80s are calling. They want their economic development strategies back.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — It looks like there will be more delays on construction of the anticipated ‘American Dream’ entertainment complex in the Meadowlands, as developers struggle to finance the completion of the project.
Triple Five, the project’s developer, was supposed to start selling $1 billion in public bonds last month to pay for the project’s completion, WCBS 880’s Stephanie Colombini reported. But now, that self-imposed deadline is being pushed to the early summer.
The 80s are calling. They want their economic development strategies back.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
And He Was Funky
Back when I was a yute I walked into one of my professor's offices. He was visibly upset and actually wanted to talk to someone. So I listened. One of his contemporaries had just died. He was upset not just because he had lost a friend (I don't remember how close they actually were), but because he realized it was just the start of a time of life in which this would become a regular occurrence.
I wasn't a contemporary of Prince's, of course, but I was part of the original MTV generation. All we did was watch MTV most of the time. Music videos were our thing. And Prince was there from near the beginning.
I wasn't a contemporary of Prince's, of course, but I was part of the original MTV generation. All we did was watch MTV most of the time. Music videos were our thing. And Prince was there from near the beginning.
What Will We Do Next?
Seems like when the primary is over a lot of people are going to be bored. Picking fights on twitter and writing "Why I'm voting for..." essays are exciting ways to fill the day.
Self-Driving Buses
Much more promising than self-driving cars, though their proponents still don't seem (happy to be corrected!) to understand the concept of mass transit. You can't have fixed route/fixedish schedule system which doubles as a drop you off at your door taxi and be high capacity and have low headways without an incredibly massive fleet.
All The Parking People
It just isn't worth spending lots of money on rail if you're just going to surround the stations with acres of subsidized parking lots. There should be dense development surrounding stations up to about .75 miles at least (that's a 16 minute walk). Rail's only worth building if it provides true alternatives, not just a highway bypass. Sure these transformations take time, but we build plenty of highways in anticipation of future development. We can build rail in anticipation of a different kind of future development.
Morning, Morning
Rumor on twitter that Colorado is ditching caucuses and returning to primaries. Good news if true.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Why Are Clinton People So Cranky
(I mean campaign people, and high profile surrogates, not all Clinton supporters.)
If Bernie had dropped out a month ago (or, frankly, if he dropped out yesterday), there would be no horse race to cover, and no "both sides" (on the Democratic side) necessitating some balance between critical pieces of Clinton and critical pieces of Sanders. So any press coverage of Clinton would be one sided and critical, elevating nonsensical stuff into front page news.
Really don't see how Sanders staying in has hurt Clinton. That might not be true forever, of course, but up until now I really don't get it.
If Bernie had dropped out a month ago (or, frankly, if he dropped out yesterday), there would be no horse race to cover, and no "both sides" (on the Democratic side) necessitating some balance between critical pieces of Clinton and critical pieces of Sanders. So any press coverage of Clinton would be one sided and critical, elevating nonsensical stuff into front page news.
Really don't see how Sanders staying in has hurt Clinton. That might not be true forever, of course, but up until now I really don't get it.
Humanitarian Interventions
Oh the humanity.
It isn't clear exactly where all of these people are coming from. Their circumstances aren't necessarily directly or even indirectly due to our actions. But I submit there are cheaper and more effective ways to help people other than dropping lots of bombs.
Hundreds of people are feared to have drowned in the southern Mediterranean last week, in what would be the deadliest migrant shipwreck in months.
A repurposed fishing boat overloaded by smugglers with up to 500 Africans hoping to reach Italy from eastern Libya may have sunk, survivors told the UN refugee agency.
It isn't clear exactly where all of these people are coming from. Their circumstances aren't necessarily directly or even indirectly due to our actions. But I submit there are cheaper and more effective ways to help people other than dropping lots of bombs.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
The Silliest Season
Stupid punditry, people making stupid arguments for their candidate and against the other one, ostensibly neutral "analysts" who are clearly in the tank for one candidate or another.
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH
Spring Funstravaganza Day 3!
Glad we got past the Great White Scare from this morning. Thanks to all who have contributed so far. Consider helping to make my blogs mighty and strong.
Party Switching
There's controversy about the fact that if you wanted to change your party affiliation in New York in order to vote in the primary of your choice then you had to do it way back in October. That's ridiculous. But, having said that, I really don't like open primaries. These are contests in which members of the party choose delegates who then vote for the candidate. Also, plus, superdelegates. Sure a case can be made that the whole system is stupid, but the part that isn't stupid is the notion that these aren't elections in the normal sense. This is a process through which party members choose a candidate.
As I said, I think New York's deadline is ridiculous, but requiring people to make the effort to switch parties a week or a month out isn't. And in closed primary states, don't be an idiot and register as an independent. Nobody cares. You haven't stuck it to The Man by asserting your independence. You've just made your life harder if you ever do want to vote in a primary. New York is a bit different because the Working Families Party does manage to throw some weight around (or did until they endorsed Cuomo), but otherwise...
As I said, I think New York's deadline is ridiculous, but requiring people to make the effort to switch parties a week or a month out isn't. And in closed primary states, don't be an idiot and register as an independent. Nobody cares. You haven't stuck it to The Man by asserting your independence. You've just made your life harder if you ever do want to vote in a primary. New York is a bit different because the Working Families Party does manage to throw some weight around (or did until they endorsed Cuomo), but otherwise...
Too White, Too Bright
Overnight somehow the colors got messed up on the blog. I didn't do it. I've tried pulling various ads etc. and that didn't work. I edit the site through blogger and it looks ok...and then it doesn't again. Disqus is the likely culprit as overnight they flipped on ads without my permission. I managed to delete the ad but the problem remains. I'm a bit scared to pull Disqus even temporarily because I'm not sure what happens if I re-install it. Anyway, for now the baby blue blog is as white as white can be. Hopefully not too hard on the eyes.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Lack of Awareness
Sometimes I wonder if journalists ever read newspapers.
They're all a bit thinner now, and before the internet there was no such thing as clickbait (well, tabloid headlines were close), but once upon a time newspapers had this thing called "the news." They also had the funny pages, the crosswords, the advice column, a gossip column, and news about the Kardashians of yore. They had real estate and auto sections, which were basically advertorial. They had entertainment listings and reviews. I'm not saying any or all of them were bad, but they were the equivalent of the exploding watermelon of the time. They gave people some dessert with their vegetables. Buzzfeed does all kinds of things to draw eyeballs to their site, and those eyeballs fund the "serious" news. Whether they're good at that I'll leave for others to judge, but the exploding watermelon isn't news. It is entertainment.
It is true that legacy news orgs never figured out that dessert on the internet would be different than dessert in print, but the news section is the news section and either it's decent or it isn't, no matter how videos of things blowing up are run on the site.
Earlier this month, a couple of inventive young go-getters at BuzzFeed tied enough rubber bands around the center of a watermelon to make it explode. Nearly a million people watched the giant berry burst on Facebook Live. It racked up more than 10 million views in the days that followed.
Traditional journalists everywhere saw themselves as the seeds, flying out of the frame. How do we compete with that? And if that’s the future of news and information, what’s next for our democracy? President Kardashian?
They're all a bit thinner now, and before the internet there was no such thing as clickbait (well, tabloid headlines were close), but once upon a time newspapers had this thing called "the news." They also had the funny pages, the crosswords, the advice column, a gossip column, and news about the Kardashians of yore. They had real estate and auto sections, which were basically advertorial. They had entertainment listings and reviews. I'm not saying any or all of them were bad, but they were the equivalent of the exploding watermelon of the time. They gave people some dessert with their vegetables. Buzzfeed does all kinds of things to draw eyeballs to their site, and those eyeballs fund the "serious" news. Whether they're good at that I'll leave for others to judge, but the exploding watermelon isn't news. It is entertainment.
It is true that legacy news orgs never figured out that dessert on the internet would be different than dessert in print, but the news section is the news section and either it's decent or it isn't, no matter how videos of things blowing up are run on the site.
Spring Fundraising Funstravaganza Day 2!
We sure are having fun, aren't we, boys and girls. Thanks to all who have given so far.
Humanitarian Intervention
Our Very Serious Foreign Policy Community only pretends to care about people when it provides an excuse to blow people up. There's a bit of a contradiction there, which should be obvious yet usually manages to escape notice.
Maybe we could take in a few more refugees?
It's not the same thing, of course, but it reminds me of how so many pundits suddenly started to pretend to care about poor Chicago schoolkids when the teachers were threatening to strike. They might lose a couple of days of school! The teachers obviously don't care about their students! Rahmbo closing a bunch of neighborhood schools in minority communities didn't really bother them.
Hundreds of refugees are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea after their boats capsized on the way to Europe, a Somali ambassador has said.
Maybe we could take in a few more refugees?
It's not the same thing, of course, but it reminds me of how so many pundits suddenly started to pretend to care about poor Chicago schoolkids when the teachers were threatening to strike. They might lose a couple of days of school! The teachers obviously don't care about their students! Rahmbo closing a bunch of neighborhood schools in minority communities didn't really bother them.
The Ads Are Horrible
So many mobile sites are basically unreadable on a phone. And no one on this planet has every purchased an item based on the sudden blaring auto-on ad that's practically impossible to turn off. I make no claims about the effectiveness of any internet advertising, but obviously companies have been paying a premium for these highly intrusive ads because I have no idea why. Don't any of them use the internet themselves?
Also, too, having a deliberate strategy of letting facebook eat your content because 3) profit? I don't get it.
The trouble, the publishers say, is twofold. The web advertising business, always unpredictable, became more treacherous. And website traffic plateaued at many large sites, in some cases falling — a new and troubling experience after a decade of exuberant growth.
Online publishers have faced numerous financial challenges in recent years, including automated advertising and ad-blocking tools. But now, there is a realization that something more profound has happened: The transition from an Internet of websites to an Internet of mobile apps and social platforms, and Facebook in particular, is no longer coming — it is here.
Also, too, having a deliberate strategy of letting facebook eat your content because 3) profit? I don't get it.
That's A Lot of Rain
It would certainly be bad if we got that much in the urban hellhole.
Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District, said that "significant widespread flooding" was reported northwest of Houston. He added that a total of between 12 and 16 inches of rainfall was expected in the area by daybreak.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit
Stop doing this, airlines. Some people speak other languages.
On April 6, UC Berkeley senior Khairuldeen Makhzoomi was supposed to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland, get to campus and go to class. Instead, Makhzoomi was removed from Southwest Airlines flight 4260, detained by security officers, questioned by the FBI and refused service from Southwest after speaking Arabic before his flight took off.
Already?
Apparently it's the 14th anniversary of this sucky blog. A good time to kick off SPRING FUNDRAISER FUNSTRAVAGANZA. Don't give if you can't afford to. If you are inclined to give, please note that I resist putting up those ads that are ruining the internet for everyone. I assume they make money for sites - though I have no idea why - but I don't want you to have to play a video game (find the "X" and then another "X" and then turn off the volume on your computer! and then restart your browser because flash locked it up!) to read this site. Give to support what I do if you wish! If not, that's fine too!
People sometimes find asking for reader support to be distasteful. And, really, it's fine if you do. But my local NPR station does it all the time, as does yours, (listener, not reader, obviously) and look where the money goes...
People sometimes find asking for reader support to be distasteful. And, really, it's fine if you do. But my local NPR station does it all the time, as does yours, (listener, not reader, obviously) and look where the money goes...
Any Subject Can Be Funny
At the risk of sounding like I'm railing against Political Correctness (which is a silly concept but it's good enough shorthand for this post), I have noticed an increased tendency by people to rule various subject matter off limits for humor. I've long been a fan of dark comedy. You can, potentially, find the humor in anything. Just because an issue is serious doesn't mean it can't be mined for humor. Of course it would be disgusting to make fun of rape victims, but that doesn't mean it would be impossible to find a way to find appropriate humor in the subject of rape (This is a tough one, but I put it out there as an extreme example). Hitler and the Holocaust weren't very funny, but Mel Brooks managed.
Trying to find humor in serious subjects is hard and I wouldn't recommend that most people try to go there. They're probably going to do it badly. But that's not the same thing is declaring things "off limits." Humor is cathartic. We need that.
Trying to find humor in serious subjects is hard and I wouldn't recommend that most people try to go there. They're probably going to do it badly. But that's not the same thing is declaring things "off limits." Humor is cathartic. We need that.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Weirdest Primary Ever
I suppose it's only possible in the age of social media, but it seems to come down "your candidate's supporters are jerks! no your candidate's supporters are jerks jerkface!"
Whichever side is right, it's a dumb way to choose or advocate for a candidate.
Whichever side is right, it's a dumb way to choose or advocate for a candidate.
Euro Style
European cities tend to solve the urban gas station problem by just setting up a couple of unattended pumps, often by the entrance to parking garages, with a small "loading" zone cars can pull into. That way they don't use much real estate.
The gas station at the corner of Lafayette and East Houston Streets in SoHo is an industrial outpost in a Manhattan neighborhood of luxury lofts and even more luxurious shopping. It has existed on the corner for decades — first as Gaseteria, later as BP, but nearly always selling gas. For cabdrivers, it was a way station in an unruly city, where they could fill up, use the restroom, or kneel for afternoon prayers on one of the communal kilims the owner let them keep stowed beside the convenience mart.
It closed on Thursday, to be replaced by a glass-and-steel luxury office building, turning some four square miles at the southern end of the borough into a gasoline desert. Today, the only reminder that this stretch of SoHo was once a forest of filling stations known as Gasoline Alley is a coffee shop of the same name that sells single-origin coffee beans from Burundi.
Morning Thread
Some good news via Digby
After more than a century without a single baby tortoise sighting on the Galapagos island of Pinzón, a small group of the tiny, shelled youngsters have been spotted again.
Friday, April 15, 2016
'Tis The Season
The deficit hysterics emerge at appropriate times to bully new administrations, especially Democratic ones, into embracing the idea that there's no way we can afford nice things. Except tax cuts. For some reason they solve the deficit problem!
Village in the Sky
Aside from the parking I have fewer problems with this development (the criticisms are valid, just not necessarily that important), but urban retail relies on foot traffic. There is no foot traffic on the roof.
Solid Logic
In the US it's liberals who are the Real Racists, in the UK it's liberals (Labour) who are the Real Tax Dodgers.
Having published his tax returns, it also emerged Corbyn was fined for sending in his accounts late, which David Cameron tried to make a joke about. This was reassuring because it suggests he’s got over the deep trauma he suffered last week. And you can understand his point: as any businessman knows, it’s far better to be paid nothing on time rather than the right amount a week late.
It also turns out Corbyn paid too much tax, having stated he earned more than he did. We could quibble about the too much/too little detail – but he paid the wrong amount. This seems to be the Conservative argument about tax avoidance: we’re all up to it in our own way, so if you give your son three quid for mowing the lawn without paying VAT, you’re no different to an investment banker squirreling £10bn in the Virgin Isles so he can keep the lot and buy a Rembrandt to use as a dishcloth.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Anyone Remember Policy?
The coverage of the primary has mostly been about which campaign can get the press to cover the outrage of the day.
One of these people will be president.
One of these people will be president.
The Worst Blogging Day
In addition to needing to rest due to illness, Kabletown was out for much of the day.
Department Of Really Bad Ideas
Phones glow. They're distracting.
Also, too, 2015 had record (in nominal terms) US box office receipts. Think people are still going to the movies.
One of the largest cinema chains in the US is considering letting customers use their mobile phones during films.
AMC chief executive Adam Aron said he wanted to encourage so-called millennials to visit the cinema.
He told Variety magazine: "You can't tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That's not how they live their life."
Also, too, 2015 had record (in nominal terms) US box office receipts. Think people are still going to the movies.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit
Not that this is actually news.
Though that a "task force" concluded this so definitively is news. The important thing is what they do about it.
“The community’s lack of trust in CPD is justified,” the task force wrote. “There is substantial evidence that people of color — particularly African-Americans — have had disproportionately negative experiences with the police over an extended period of time.”
The report gives validation to complaints made for years by African-American residents here who have said they were unfairly targeted by officers without justification on a regular basis. It raises the pressure on Mr. Emanuel and other Chicago leaders to make significant changes at a pivotal time for the nation’s second largest municipal police force, which has been under intense fire from residents and under scrutiny from the federal authorities. It includes more than 100 recommendations for change.
Though that a "task force" concluded this so definitively is news. The important thing is what they do about it.
Afternoon Thread
Too funny. Many Republicans, including Kelly Ayotte and Jeb Bush, have said they will not be attending the Republican Convention being held in Cleveland
I wouldn't either.
link fixed
I wouldn't either.
link fixed
It's On The Corner
That's why it's called a corner store.
It isn't, actually. Plenty of people arguably need cars for their commute, but most people don't drive to the corner store. Usually that would be pretty crazy. Why live in the city if you just want to drive everywhere?
"This is Philadelphia. People drive to the corner store. This is what we do.”
It isn't, actually. Plenty of people arguably need cars for their commute, but most people don't drive to the corner store. Usually that would be pretty crazy. Why live in the city if you just want to drive everywhere?
Put It Away
I held off getting a smartphone type thingy for a long time because I really didn't like the idea of always being connected. Sure I had a cell phone, but it was barely functional other than for making/receiving calls. Soon after I got my smartphone I actually had to go for a long drive and I had to stick the thing into a paper bag to stop me from being tempted to look at it while I was driving. I'm not a train dispatcher, obviously, but it was a lesson in how tempting those little gadgets are. Put them away.
BERLIN — A railway dispatcher apparently caused the deadly collision of two trains in the German state of Bavaria on Feb. 9 because he was playing a game on his cellphone until just before the accident, according to state prosecutors.
Morning Thread
Seems a lot of regular posters here are having health related issues. Get well, damnit, that's an order!
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Puke Funnel
Zomigod? What if it favors Anita Hill??? Your liberal media (WaPo).
Both Sides must get their due, no matter what the truth is.
Both Sides must get their due, no matter what the truth is.
Morning Thread
Staying with the sports meme, we have a Single A baseball team, The Blue Rocks. Tickets are less than $10 and it is a very pleasant way to spend a summer afternoon. We even pay some attention to the game.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Sports
I like sports more than I used to. I'm not a huge fan, but I eventually figured out that pretending care about something that doesn't matter at all can be kind of fun. Throw in some nice weather, a beer, a hot dog, and it's not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
This primary lacks the beer and the hot dog.
This primary lacks the beer and the hot dog.
Mr. Or Mrs. November
People who care about what happens in Democratic primaries are going to vote for the Democrat. People who care about what happens in Republican primaries will vote for the Republican. Yes there are some exceptions to that, and I'm sure a few of them will write endless narcissistic essays on why they can't vote for candidate X. And, hey, whatever. A candidate has to assemble a coalition and it's their job to do that. But the idea that politically engaged people are the ones who are the problem is silly. It's the people who tend not to vote, the people who don't pay too much attention. Those are the people you need to reach, not the people writing boring essays about why they aren't going to vote.
The State Abuse Of Power Story Cycle
This isn't really in response to anything specific at the moment, but it always follows this pattern:
1) It isn't true.
2) There's some truth but the details are wrong.
3) Everyone knew that anyway, why is this even news?
1) It isn't true.
2) There's some truth but the details are wrong.
3) Everyone knew that anyway, why is this even news?
They Won't Work
I find the focus on safety with respect to driverless cars to be weird. That's the easy part. Don't drive into stuff. Pretty sure technology can handle that. That doesn't mean they'll necessarily enhance safety overall. Robot cars that don't drive like humans do might cause problems. But the easiest thing is programming them to not drive into things.
They're still not going to work any time soon, not as promised anyway. The "take me anywhere I want to go" driverless car isn't going to happen in my lifetime. Enhanced cruise control, sure. I'm just not entirely sure of the benefit of that.
They're still not going to work any time soon, not as promised anyway. The "take me anywhere I want to go" driverless car isn't going to happen in my lifetime. Enhanced cruise control, sure. I'm just not entirely sure of the benefit of that.
The Weirdest Crushes
I wonder if editors of our liberal media outlets are aware of the fact that they run endless puff pieces on Republicans and almost never do the same for Democrats. I'm not saying Democrats never get good press. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. But they don't get the kind of endless stream of profile-ish pieces that Republicans do. There were 17 candidates in the Republican primary. Every one of them (except maybe Jim Gilmore) got a medal from the New York Times at some point. Paul Ryan isn't even running. They still gave him a medal!
Sunday, April 10, 2016
The Stupidest Argument
That winning some states matters more than winning others in the primary (aside from the rather important issue of delegate counts, of course). And, yes, Both Sides have made this argument implicitly or explicitly.
Saturday, April 09, 2016
Gambling Our Way To Prosperity
I don't really have a problem with legalized gambling, but as an economic development strategy it's bonkers. And we should know this by now.
Drug Ads
I find them to be the weirdest thing on TV. I suppose people do have serious medical issues and they're desperate for any suggestion to help them, but the disclosure requirements (a good thing!) would make me not want to take any of these things. "May cause anal leakage, suicidal thoughts, homicidal thoughts, seizures, migraines, incurable insanity, limb detachment, incurable athlete's foot, heart attack, stroke, lycanthropism...." really don't sell these things, do they?
Cameron
I doubt this is the catalyst that will lead to his resignation, but I suppose it is possible.
Lunch Thread
I'd tell y'all to go out and play, but it's snowing, fer cripe's sake.
Not sticking, thank goodness.
Not sticking, thank goodness.
Friday, April 08, 2016
Trump'd
He has one schtick: the bully. As pure theater I'm curious how he'll do this once the primary is over. But obviously this isn't theater.
The World, It Changes
My needing to jump start a car reminded me of the deep dark ages of the mid 1990s. I was supposed to pick up a friend at the airport pretty late at night. Maybe 11ish. My car would not start! I don't remember what was wrong with it. I think something more serious than a dead battery. But, anyway, I couldn't pick up my friend. More than that, there was no good way to contact him and tell him I could not pick him up. We did not have the cell phones then. There was some minor chance I could've reached him by calling the airport, but unlikely. It was late on what I think was a Sunday night, and as I was a student I didn't know that many people with cars, so I just didn't show up. It was fine, he took a cab and made it home, but I still felt like a jerk. Always being able to contact people really has changed things.
The Stupids
So Hillary Clinton took a photo op subway ride (stupid) and then was criticized for having to swipe her card a few times before it worked (nuclear stupid, and I mean the criticism). Those swipe turnstiles always fail.
Threaded
Had to jump start a car this morning. Dear readers should know how traumatic this kind of thing is for me.
Thursday, April 07, 2016
Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit
During my 5 minutes of daily NPR listening (shower radio), they began a report about how "saving social security" was a priority for older voters. I immediately hit the off button, as I was pretty sure (don't know! I turned it off!) that what NPR hosts considered to be "saving social security" was a bit different than what those polled voters thought (they want to keep getting their checks, and bigger ones hopefully). Anyway, the retirement crisis is still looming, and few seem to understand this.
Better Hacks
As I've said, I don't really care who anyone is voting for in this primary. I'm a Sanders sympathizer in that I sympathize with anyone who manages to pull things a bit to the Left, but that's not the same thing as saying I think he'd be a better candidate or president. This primary seems to have created an industry of people whose job it is to convince absolutely no one to vote for their candidate. It's not enough to be correct, you actually have to be able to persuade people. Telling voters they're young and stupid or old and out of touch really doesn't persuade them.
Who Knew
When stories about Washington figures (in this case now ex-) come out I always wonder about the story behind the story. Specifically, who knew? Colleagues, staffers, members of the press?
For months, federal authorities have hinted at the motive behind the hush-money payments former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has admitted to making: the sexual abuse of a teenage boy when Hastert was still a suburban high school teacher and wrestling coach.
But now, a Tribune investigation has uncovered new details of the case — at least four people have made what law enforcement sources say are credible allegations of sexual abuse against Hastert.
Wednesday, April 06, 2016
I Think I Had Something To Say
I was about to write a post and then I got called away and now I have no idea what I was going to write.
Airport Pre-Check Makes No Sense
And now airline security, which got a bit better (faster) for awhile, is now a nightmare again.
There's no logic to pre-check. Just reduce the security theater for everyone.
There's no logic to pre-check. Just reduce the security theater for everyone.
Shovel Ready Projects
This does not seem like a wise choice.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has postponed work to finish New York’s third water tunnel, a project that for more than half a century has been regarded as essential to the survival of the city if either of the two existing, and now aged, tunnels should fail.
The new tunnel has already been completed and is carrying water into Manhattan and the Bronx. But segments that would supply Brooklyn and Queens, home to five million people, though also virtually finished, still await the building of two deep shafts.
If calamity or age forced the shutdown of City Water Tunnel No. 2, which is 80 years old, the primary water supply to much of Brooklyn and Queens would be lost for at least three months, city engineers said, the time it would take for an emergency activation of the sections of Tunnel No. 3 in Brooklyn and Queens that have already been finished.
Hamsterdam
I'm no expert on this issue, and I think I've only been to this part of the urban hellhole once, but it was eye opening. Open drug deals and prostitution everywhere. It was eye opening.
Tuesday, April 05, 2016
Maybe I Shouldn't Be Singing This Song
Congrats to the local college basketball team. I remember when they won in 1985. I'm not meaning to be a jerk here, but why are they having a parade in the city? Villanova really isn't that close to the city. Don't get me wrong, I don't care. Have a parade! Have it on the moon if you want to! But why not have a big parade locally (to Villanova)? Why is having a parade in the city the necessary thing? These are rhetorical questions.
Headlines
No, they ruled against the School District of Philadelphia, which is a corrupt and evil organization run by the state, not the city. It's not a ruling against "Philly Schools."
Morning Thread
Our Fate Is Your Fate, a compilation of blog posts from the writers at First Draft, put together by our very own Athenae. It's now available for purchase. I have my copy, but haven't had a chance to read it yet. That's today's assignment and am I looking forward to it.
Probably worth it just for the gumbo recipe.
First Draft is home to a team of talented writers who get up every day and take a look at what’s broken in the world and try to fix it. It’s the virtual living room for hundreds of readers: politically savvy, mouthy, generous, profane and interesting people who want to know not just what’s wrong with the world but what to do about it. This book collects some of our best stories from the past 10 years: Bush's re-election and subsequent implosion, Scout's reporting from NOLA after Hurricane Katrina, Holden's story about Terri Schiavo and his sister, my final Galactica thread, the Freepi obsession the morning after Obama's election, a malaka or two, and Jude's gumbo recipe.
Probably worth it just for the gumbo recipe.
Monday, April 04, 2016
Moving People
Generally, the focus should be on moving people, not cars. The last couple of times I was in midtown Manhattan, the sidewalks were at crush level. People were spilling out into traffic to avoid being crushed because there just was no room on them. New York has big avenues. You could take away a lane of parking and/or traffic and widen the sidewalks. This won't happen, of course, because moving cars is the most important thing. But a hell of a lot more people were on the sidewalks than were in those cars.
So Much Savvy
An annoying thing about this primary is how much liberal pundits and commentators have copied the savvy style of "objective" political journalists. I certainly don't have a problem with opinion journalism, advocacy journalism, or even hackery (as long as it is effective hackery), but hiding opinions as "analysis" is especially annoying. Just own it.
A Casino Will Save The Day
One day I will figure out why people think casinos are incredible draws and economic development engines. Is it corruption or stupidity? I really don't know.
I'm actually not all that against gambling, just the notion that it's some wonderful attraction.
National Harbor opened eight years ago in the middle of a recession. Today, it’s an economic and entertainment center for Prince George’s County. Now, some experts and officials say the arrival of the MGM National Harbor casino complex later this year could bring the waterfront community to a new pinnacle.
I'm actually not all that against gambling, just the notion that it's some wonderful attraction.
Morning Thread
Here's an understandable explanation of statistics and how pollsters work by Echidne. Give it a try, it's really very reachable for the less math inclined such as myself.
Sunday, April 03, 2016
Evening Thread
Between the new falafel(SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP BILL O'REILLY)/gyro/etc. cart and new banh mi place around the corner, my bargain lunch options have improved recently.
Otherwise, I got nothin'.
Otherwise, I got nothin'.
Oversleeping Again
Well not by this much, had some things to do this morning. But we had crazy howling winds here all night last night. Did not make for easy sleeping.
How Exactly Would That Work
I gave a talk at a college the other day, and a young somewhat upset Muslim student talked to me afterwords about just what the hell Trump's "Muslim ban" would mean. I said that "we" (including Trump!) do business with lots of rich majority Muslim countries, so of course "the right" Muslims (the rich ones) would be allowed in. And boom, there it is.
Saturday, April 02, 2016
I Could Be Wrong On The Internet
It wouldn't be the first time. But the reason I harp on what I consider to be the ridiculousness of self-driving cars is that I think the only way they'll "work" (and even then, not well enough) in my lifetime is if an absurd amount of money is spent on building public infrastructure to make them work, instead of building more sensible things like mass transit. I also don't buy the various pro-urbanism arguments for them, which amount to "we won't need urban parking lots or to own cars" because you still have the commute problem. In a car-centric world, you have to have enough cars so people can go to work by car if you don't have that lovely mass transit system.
If they really do work as promised without upgrading the technology of our entire road network, maybe that would be a good thing. I just don't believe they'll work well enough. Of course in the future we might all upload our brains into robot bodies and finally get our jetpacks. When I say it won't work, I mean it won't work in anything resembling the timeline that boosters say it will. I don't think it'll work in my lifetime, and I plan to live at least a few more years.
If they really do work as promised without upgrading the technology of our entire road network, maybe that would be a good thing. I just don't believe they'll work well enough. Of course in the future we might all upload our brains into robot bodies and finally get our jetpacks. When I say it won't work, I mean it won't work in anything resembling the timeline that boosters say it will. I don't think it'll work in my lifetime, and I plan to live at least a few more years.
No One Listens To Atrios
They aren't going to work.
Volvo's North American CEO, Lex Kerssemakers, lost his cool as the automaker's semi-autonomous prototype sporadically refused to drive itself during a press event at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
"It can't find the lane markings!" Kerssemakers griped to Mayor Eric Garcetti, who was at the wheel. "You need to paint the bloody roads here!"
What The Hell Is The Internet Doing
The number of sites I just can't bother with anymore because of the popover ads and the scrolling text that makes it impossible to actually read any of the content without getting seasick keeps increasing. Trying to read a damn article is like playing frogger now. It's making me wish for the golden future when facebook just eats all the content because whatever its flaws, facebook doesn't do that. Yet, of course.
Put the Damn Lights Back
During my recent visit to the suburbs I had to cross a 4 lane street at a place with no traffic light. They did have the "beacons" where you push a button and a yellow light flashes which is suppose to tell the drivers to stop. And there's a big crosswalk painted on the street. Basically, it was frogger. The cars would not stop. It does not work.
Friday, April 01, 2016
Hacks to the Left of Me, Hacks to the Right
It's long been observed that the Democratic party has a bit of "hack gap" in that the Republicans just have more and better hacks, and more media outlets willing to let them be hacks. At least in this primary season, the Dems have caught up somewhat in the "more" part but not in the "better" part. I honestly can't figure out who anyone's message is aimed at. I'm sure there still are persuadables in this primary, but no one seems to be interested in actually persuading. I AM RIGHT. YOU ARE WRONG. YOUR VOTERS ARE OLD AND OUT OF TOUCH. YOUR VOTERS ARE YOUNG AND STUPID. Good luck with that.
Afternoon Thread
Might take the afternoon off (or might not! you never know!). Sometimes we all need a personal day.
People Is Weird
As the writer says, there can be legitimate reasons to get rid of a pet when you have a baby, but...wow.
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