Thursday, June 30, 2016
We All Need Hobbies
I suppose we should be grateful that there's something quaintly retro about God bothering people (generally women) about sex. It's only somewhat quaint, as they've been pretty good about eroding access to necessary reproductive health, but despite this sad fact, the rhetoric seems to come from another place and time. The Kids Today who aren't leading completely cloistered lives are mostly just going to roll their eyes at this stuff. That wasn't the case in my day. People have sex and gay people are real and maybe not even horrible people. We weren't exactly sure of that when I was a teen, as stupid as that sounds.
I'm Not Gonna Deal With This Mess I Created
That's Corbyn's job, after all. Well, our job is to blame him for failing to despite not having any actual power. No Boris for you.
LONDON (Reuters) - Former London Mayor Boris Johnson, who had been considered one of the favorites to replace David Cameron as Prime Minister, said on Thursday he would not be standing.
The End Of Socialism In America
The commies in Alaska aren't going to be getting their share of production.
Say what you want to about freedom-loving Governor Palin, but she knew that what rugged Alaskan individualism required was larger checks from the government.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Facing a multibillion-dollar deficit, Alaska's governor on Wednesday cut in half the annual checks that give all residents a share of the state's oil wealth, but he kept enough money in place to award everyone a $1,000 payout.
Gov. Bill Walker's administration said the checks had to be reduced in order to save the program.
Say what you want to about freedom-loving Governor Palin, but she knew that what rugged Alaskan individualism required was larger checks from the government.
That's The Way It's Supposed To Work
Just what you paid for.
Somewhere I read that the next iPhone's new digital (only) headphone jack will be awesome because it will allow advanced equalizer features. What will they think of next? A music database that doesn't corrupt itself regularly? Software updates that don't brick your hardware? Nah.
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Audiences may soon need to put their phones away at live concerts after Apple patented a technology that blocks the iPhone's camera feature.
The new software, which hasn't been officially introduced by Apple, would reportedly allow venues to use an infrared beam to disable a mobile phone's camera, preventing users from taking videos and photos.
Somewhere I read that the next iPhone's new digital (only) headphone jack will be awesome because it will allow advanced equalizer features. What will they think of next? A music database that doesn't corrupt itself regularly? Software updates that don't brick your hardware? Nah.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
No One Will Listen To Me
Which is why I think it's hilarious that my driverless car skepticism makes people more mad than Mac v. PC. But the reason it matters is that people will listen to this guy and people like him, and we're going to be spending more and more money on Vaporware in the name of mass transit by people who don't understand and hate mass transit, but are sure the society that hasn't perfected the Roomba is going to have cheap automated taxis for everybody.
And even if your driverless cars work (they won't in my lifetime), they won't be cheap and they won't solve congestion and they won't magically get rid of the peak commuting problem. Of course we'll all be telecommuting our 4 hour work days by then. That's been promised for decades, too.
Very wealthy interests who both hate and don't understand mass transit agree!
The future looks so bright I gotta wear shades.
Weird how there will be surge pricing on Uber every day during rush hour! Those bus subsidies were just too expensive, but those uber subsidies will be affordable for everyone!
And even if your driverless cars work (they won't in my lifetime), they won't be cheap and they won't solve congestion and they won't magically get rid of the peak commuting problem. Of course we'll all be telecommuting our 4 hour work days by then. That's been promised for decades, too.
“If they put a $27 billion tax on the table to be the most modern city in the world with driverless cars, and GPS data plotting for trips, and still have bus rapid transit and things that make sense — I would vote for that,” Dori said. “That is a tax I would vote for if we would embrace the future.”
“The future is driverless cars … and electric vehicles that are far more efficient than anything we can conceive of,” Dori said. “If we embrace modern technology we could improve the gridlock around here.”
Very wealthy interests who both hate and don't understand mass transit agree!
Using public records laws, the Guardian obtained dozens of emails and documents submitted to Challenge cities by Sidewalk Labs, detailing many technologies and proposals that have not previously been made public.
Some will be controversial, including spending transport subsidies for low-income residents on ride-sharing services such as Uber, requiring cities to upgrade to Sidewalk’s mobile payments system, and modernizing public parking to boost city revenues.
Sidewalk Labs was spun out from Google last June with a mission to “improve city life for everyone”. Since then, it was part of a consortium that deployed several hundred free Wi-Fi kiosks in New York and is rumoured to be designing a city from the ground up for self-driving cars. Now, it’s offering Columbus a three-year demonstration project consisting of 100 Wi-Fi kiosks and free access to Flow.
The future looks so bright I gotta wear shades.
Weird how there will be surge pricing on Uber every day during rush hour! Those bus subsidies were just too expensive, but those uber subsidies will be affordable for everyone!
I Got Mine
Related, if only somewhat tangentially, to the last post, is the number of people who are one minor disaster (unexpected health event, for example, either for yourself, your kids, or your ageing parent ) away from ruin, yet weirdly fail to realize that. They made it work, why can't you? Hopefully most people won't be made homeless by such events (though some are, of course), but they might have to pull their kids out of college (no entrepreneurial future for them!), or withdraw what little is in their retirement account (save early!), or destroy their future careers/earnings due to having to take care of an ailing parents.
Do the right thing, work hard, even been fortunate enough to have pretty good backup support from the bank of mom and dad. You're still one bad roll away from the darkest timeline. Once you're in that hole, it's really hard to get out.
Do the right thing, work hard, even been fortunate enough to have pretty good backup support from the bank of mom and dad. You're still one bad roll away from the darkest timeline. Once you're in that hole, it's really hard to get out.
We Do We Hate The Kids Today
Some people are just assholes and love the idea that The Kids Today, who are most definitely more beautiful and having more sexytime, are not getting a good deal, but a lot of people are just genuinely clueless.
Close to free college is the really obvious one, but there are so many other ways. Listen to your financial advisors, kids! Start saving for your retirement early! Also pay back that student loan! Also save for a mortgage! Also have babies like Jesus intended! Make sure to buy a nice car as there's no public transportation for you, loser.
The "joke" used to be that no one could afford to be poor anymore. Now you can't afford to be middle class.
Government used to provide some nice things for people. It doesn't anymore. Fortunately your kids can all be entrepreneurs. I wonder if there's a French word for that?
Close to free college is the really obvious one, but there are so many other ways. Listen to your financial advisors, kids! Start saving for your retirement early! Also pay back that student loan! Also save for a mortgage! Also have babies like Jesus intended! Make sure to buy a nice car as there's no public transportation for you, loser.
The "joke" used to be that no one could afford to be poor anymore. Now you can't afford to be middle class.
Government used to provide some nice things for people. It doesn't anymore. Fortunately your kids can all be entrepreneurs. I wonder if there's a French word for that?
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
ONE YEAR'S SALARY
It really isn't enough to coax anyone to retire any more than a year earlier than they were planning to do so anyway. This is either completely stupid or there's some other purpose I'm not getting.
And, no, I don't believe it's "the first time the college has offered early retirement packages." It might be the first time it's been publicized and universal, but I'll vote for Trump if they've never paid someone to leave before. It's what these colleges do.
College professors do manage to hold on to a few job perks that are unobtainable fantasies for most people who aren't, say, top management of large corporations or college football colleges. One year free salary sounds like a pretty good deal! Fine. But as I said it really isn't enough to encourage anyone to actually retire earlier than they would have anyway.
...ah, on first read I missed that despite the focus of the article on faculty, it's really administrators and staff members (also eligible) who are the bulk of the retirements. That makes more sense.
(via)
This is the first time the college has offered early retirement packages, says Krislov. Since about 90 percent of faculty is tenured, many end up working way past the traditional retirement age of 65. “[The buyouts] allow us to have more predictability in knowing who is going to be working and until when,” he says.
To take the buyout, employees must be at least 52 years old and must have worked at Oberlin for at least 10 years. The college will then pay their salaries for a year after they leave and waive health insurance premiums during that time.
And, no, I don't believe it's "the first time the college has offered early retirement packages." It might be the first time it's been publicized and universal, but I'll vote for Trump if they've never paid someone to leave before. It's what these colleges do.
College professors do manage to hold on to a few job perks that are unobtainable fantasies for most people who aren't, say, top management of large corporations or college football colleges. One year free salary sounds like a pretty good deal! Fine. But as I said it really isn't enough to encourage anyone to actually retire earlier than they would have anyway.
...ah, on first read I missed that despite the focus of the article on faculty, it's really administrators and staff members (also eligible) who are the bulk of the retirements. That makes more sense.
(via)
What Blairites Were Busy Doing Instead of Campaigning for Remain
Remember this is what they're using to justify trying to oust Corbyn, that he didn't try hard enough to prevent Cameron from fucking up the country. The reality is, they saw an opportunity long before the vote was taken. The "reasons" were inserted after.
That was two weeks before the referendum. I wonder how those media storms just happen? Of course the press is really playing along with the "IT'S ALL CORBYN'S FAULT" narrative. New Labour is in their blood. 20 years from now Labour still won't have won an election and it will be Corbyn's fault.
That was the plan!
Labour rebels believe they can topple Jeremy Corbyn after the EU referendum in a 24-hour blitz by jumping on a media storm of his own making.
Moderate MPs who believe Mr Corbyn can never win back power think his failure to close down public rows which flare up and dominate the news channels leaves him vulnerable.
By fanning the flames with front bench resignations and public criticism they think the signatures needed to trigger a leadership race can be gathered within a day.
That was two weeks before the referendum. I wonder how those media storms just happen? Of course the press is really playing along with the "IT'S ALL CORBYN'S FAULT" narrative. New Labour is in their blood. 20 years from now Labour still won't have won an election and it will be Corbyn's fault.
Launching a coup in the Labour Party at this moment has diverted attention away from those responsible for this national crisis — not least by staggering resignations to ensure Labour’s woes dominate the news cycle for as long as possible.
That was the plan!
Also Will Hasten Scottish Independence
The "core" of countries rarely likes their own peripheries. Scotland throwing its weight around will cause antipathy because many English people don't really believe in Scotland (or Wales).
Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, has suggested that her Parliament could withhold consent, sparking a constitutional crisis.
That, in turn, could be an opportunity for leaders wishing to avoid a Brexit. The next prime minister could tell voters that he or she would like to carry out their will, but that leaving Europe is impossible without Scottish approval.
"Old World"
Just about every "Old World" city I've ever spent time in has had daily trash removal and daily (if not twice daily) street cleaning (machines, by hand, etc.).
Keeping its character involves keeping it at least in part as an affordable lower income place to shop for produce/meat etc., not failing to clean its streets. Amazingly you can have Old World charm and clean streets! Hard to comprehend, I know.
The Italian Market has long been known as a gritty, trash-strewn place, and Gambino said cleaning services will be the BID’s main priority.
“It’s definitely going to be a cleaner place,” Gambino said, while noting that a number of approvals are still needed before the BID can be created. “It’ll be more enjoyable for people. That alone will make a great impact. We’re hoping that the look will continue to be Old World, but just upscale.”
Keeping its character involves keeping it at least in part as an affordable lower income place to shop for produce/meat etc., not failing to clean its streets. Amazingly you can have Old World charm and clean streets! Hard to comprehend, I know.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Ted Nugent?
Forget politicians, Trump's gonna bring on a parade of D-list celebrities, though even compiling that list will be difficult.
The Hard Shit Is Corbyn's Job
Nasty smelly Corbynses failing to do the work to save Cameron.
David Cameron reportedly told aides following his resignation speech: "Why should I do all the hard s**t?"
Stop The Tories Before They Kill Again
Much of Corbyn's shadow cabinet has resigned, based on the idea that Corbyn didn't work hard to enough to stop the Leave campaign.
Never mind that many in one of the main political parties, which happens to be in power, pushed for the referendum and that the next Prime Minister of the UK is likely to be that party's public face of the Leave campaign. Never mind that the referendum was put out there in order to make sure that Labour lost the last election.
No matter what happens, it's always the fault of The Left. Silly Labour and their Brexit referendum! That dastardly Corbyn, making those Tories hit themselves over and over! Mean, nasty, Left! Always putting themselves first!
Never mind that many in one of the main political parties, which happens to be in power, pushed for the referendum and that the next Prime Minister of the UK is likely to be that party's public face of the Leave campaign. Never mind that the referendum was put out there in order to make sure that Labour lost the last election.
No matter what happens, it's always the fault of The Left. Silly Labour and their Brexit referendum! That dastardly Corbyn, making those Tories hit themselves over and over! Mean, nasty, Left! Always putting themselves first!
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Trump's No. 2
A fitting description and I suppose somebody has to carry his bags.
"He needs some stability," Stu Spencer, a GOP strategist for half a century, told the Los Angeles Times recently. "He needs some class. He needs somebody that people trust. Anybody of that caliber who attaches themselves to Trump is insane."
Other names that have been bruited for Trump's No. 2 include Govs. Christie of New Jersey and Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, as well as Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the first senator to endorse Trump and a vigorous defender. Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and John Thune of South Dakota have also surfaced as possibilities.
Maybe It Is Both?
There seems to be a bit of a straw debate between those who focus on racism as an explanation for Trump fans and those who focus on economic troubles and a misguided response to them. Also too Leave voters in the UK. They aren't mutually exclusive.
Sunday, Sunday
It's Sunday! I have family-related program activities today, which means there could be a lot or a little blogging! You never know! Exciting!
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Compared To What?
I've never run a marathon. Back when I was young and beautiful I probably maxed out at 20 miles or so training. I've done a couple of half marathon races, though I'm not in any kind of shape to do anything like that at the moment. I think running marathons is a bit nuts, though half marathons didn't seem that unhealthy to me. But nuts compared to what? Once you get in shape (recognizing this stuff gets a bit harder as you age at least if you don't maintain it, and that's assuming your body is going to cooperate at all), it isn't that big of a deal to run one. No I haven't done it, as I said, but once you achieve a level of running fitness. tagging on a few additional miles is usually doable. If you can run eight without wanting to head to the emergency room you can, with some difficulty, run 13.
Anyway, so, yeah, running a marathon isn't one of my goals. I think they are a bit nutty, but people do lots of nutty things. Unless you're an idiot and you're running through damaged joints or similar, they aren't that nutty.
Anyway, so, yeah, running a marathon isn't one of my goals. I think they are a bit nutty, but people do lots of nutty things. Unless you're an idiot and you're running through damaged joints or similar, they aren't that nutty.
Friday, June 24, 2016
When Texas Secedes
The conversation with Uncle Sam will be something like:
You aren't going to close your military bases, are you? Well, yes.
You aren't going to close the borders and enact border checks, are you? Well, yes.
You aren't going to require visas for Texan patriots to visit the US, are you? Quite possibly.
You aren't going to end all of those transfer payments you make? Hell yes.
What about the Social Security owed to our residents? Interesting question, isn't it.
There aren't going to be tariffs between our nations, are there? Everything is negotiable.
My child just married an American. Will he be able to live in the US? That's complicated...
etc.
You aren't going to close your military bases, are you? Well, yes.
You aren't going to close the borders and enact border checks, are you? Well, yes.
You aren't going to require visas for Texan patriots to visit the US, are you? Quite possibly.
You aren't going to end all of those transfer payments you make? Hell yes.
What about the Social Security owed to our residents? Interesting question, isn't it.
There aren't going to be tariffs between our nations, are there? Everything is negotiable.
My child just married an American. Will he be able to live in the US? That's complicated...
etc.
Fuck The UK
I could be wrong, but I doubt that too many people with power in Europe are in the mood to place nice with the UK these days. The UK has long been a bit of a whiner about the EU, rightly or wrongly, even though they have generally gotten what they wanted out of the deal (for things of any importance, anyway). That bit of water provides a bit of a buffer for the UK and they didn't to act as if that buffer has magic powers that should shield them from any of the problems that countries with actual land borders face. A bit of the bullying sibling who wonders why he only gets 3 times as much food as everyone instead of just 2.
And as for EU-related program activities, fuck the UK. I don't actually want the UK to be fucked. I rather like it, and these types of referendum are, to me, a bit stupid. But you can't have it both ways. In or out. Out has consequences
And as for EU-related program activities, fuck the UK. I don't actually want the UK to be fucked. I rather like it, and these types of referendum are, to me, a bit stupid. But you can't have it both ways. In or out. Out has consequences
All Hail Boris
Over his tenure as Mayor of London, Boris probably went from inevitable next prime minister to not, but with Cameron resigning soon, who else? All hail PM Boris.
Moochers and Scroungers
As far as I can tell, Leave was popular because enough people believe that all of the immigrants are on the UK's secret welfare system, even as they get squat. Labour under Blair, despite his rather extreme flaws, was actually pretty good at giving goodies to people. Brown was, too, though he was mocked for his supposedly ridiculous spending after the financial crisis, because even most serious lefties believed that austerity was necessary. Spending during the recession? On things other than bailing out banks and rich people? Crazy talk. Brown got it right, even though he was genuinely doing some "ridiculous" spending because shoveling money out the door as fast as possible was actually good policy.
As austerity became the dominant philosophy what could Labour offer? We'll cut your goodies but continue the (nonexistent) secret welfare system for immigrants! The Tories promised to cut goodies but at least cut the (nonexistent) secret welfare system, too. Easy choice, really. England for England and all that.
There is actually a kind of secret welfare system. The EU provides it...
As austerity became the dominant philosophy what could Labour offer? We'll cut your goodies but continue the (nonexistent) secret welfare system for immigrants! The Tories promised to cut goodies but at least cut the (nonexistent) secret welfare system, too. Easy choice, really. England for England and all that.
There is actually a kind of secret welfare system. The EU provides it...
Cornwall has issued an urgent plea for reassurance that it will not be worse off following the Brexit vote.
The county has received a "significant amounts" of funding from the EU for the past 15 years due to its "relatively weak economy".
But, following the vote to leave the Union, the council says it is seeking urgent reassurance money allocated to it will still be received.
Left
Heckuva job, Cameron.
...I was about to make a joke that the London PTB would blame Scotland and the SNP for the results. So much for jokes.
Remain, of course, won every Council in Scotland and therefore Scotland. It did not win in England, probably due to those lacklustre campaigns by the Tories and Labour.
...I was about to make a joke that the London PTB would blame Scotland and the SNP for the results. So much for jokes.
Turnout in Scotland has been considerably lower than expected. The SNP, the dominant party which ran huge campaigns for the independence referendum, UK election and Scottish elections, has run a lacklustre campaign with minimal ground activity.
Sturgeon had more to say about criticising the remain camp than making the positive case for Europe and she was nowhere to be seen until the dying days of the campaign.
Remain, of course, won every Council in Scotland and therefore Scotland. It did not win in England, probably due to those lacklustre campaigns by the Tories and Labour.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
It Doesn't Make Sense, But It Does
The logical thing would have been to express your anger at austerity by voting for the other party, but there was the austerity party and the austerity-but-we-are-a-bit-sorry-for-it party. Ed Miliband ran a campaign about as competent as a typical Dem midterm campaign. Voters are still pissed, and someone gave them a target...
Better to blame immigrants than have no one at all to blame.
In Cardiff, the Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood, is concerned that the vote is going to be very close in Wales. She said places that have suffered economically through austerity seem to be those that are voting out.
Better to blame immigrants than have no one at all to blame.
Nobody Knows Nothin'
Some UK press reporting on comments by Leave people like Farage suggesting that they have probably lost. Maybe they did! Final actual poll (no public exit polls) has them losing! But that's pretty much all they know, which is the same as everybody else.
Afternoon Thread
I'm not sure why - it should just make us all despair - but occasionally it's comforting to be reminded that other countries have buffoons for politicians, too. Quite likely the next Prime Minister of England:
A bit more chance of that than Trump becoming president.
A bit more chance of that than Trump becoming president.
Don't Talk To Me
Since I don't drive much, and haven't for years, the instincts have eroded a bit. I'm an okay driver, still, I think (everybody thinks they're above average drivers), but it does require a healthy chunk of my brainpower to maintain the concentration I need to drive. I really can't cope with people in the car talking to me. Apparently it isn't just rare drivers like me.
(via)
It sounds weird, but according to federal data, more than half of distracted driving accidents were caused by conversations with passengers. Sometimes, it seems, we all just get way too lost in dialogue.
The next most likely distraction is your phone: texting, dialing numbers, Googling things, looking at your directions, changing a song, taking a selfie. All that only accounts for 12 percent of distracted driving accidents.
(via)
Extra Thread
Busy with some stuff. I gather there was Supreme Court opinionating today. Someone on the internet has to have explained it all.
Or Maybe Not
The way to avoid a big confrontation is to not start one. Rounding up all of the hippies will look bad and be very expensive (lawsuits). If the city can't have an event like this without handling them appropriately, using every effort to deescalate confrontation at all moments, than they shouldn't have them.\\
Yes it's possible that police intervention is necessary. The key is that police intervention isn't assumed to be necessary. In NYC in 2004 it was clear that rounding up the hippies was the job. It was about showing who was boss.
A day after the city said it would house in Holmesburg Prison protesters arrested during the Democratic National Convention, plans have changed.
"In the event of any arrest, we will first use other jails in the system," Shawn Hawes, spokeswoman for the city's prison system, said Wednesday.
Yes it's possible that police intervention is necessary. The key is that police intervention isn't assumed to be necessary. In NYC in 2004 it was clear that rounding up the hippies was the job. It was about showing who was boss.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
When We Want
Pretty sure that for most people who aren't tenured academics, working "when we want" due to the glories of the technology that makes telecommuting possible means we're essentially on call to respond to emails etc. 16+ hours per day. "When we want" means "all the damn time" not "between my trips to the shooting range."
But we've been hearing this basic story for 25+ years (longer really). Somehow it doesn't ever quite seem to pan out. Reasons why, or good guesses about them, aren't that complicated. Maybe one day we'll be able to operate a fleet of robots from our home office, though we're probably going to have to have a bit better broadband access in most of the podunk places (and non-podunk places) where we're supposed to operate our mobile widget factories. I'm sure comcast will get right on that, just as soon as they get a cut of the widget profits.
It's said that people like me want everyone to live packed like sardines into tiny urban apartments (My house is pretty big. That's not a boast, just always trying to make the point that the density required for urban living doesn't require giant condo towers with tiny apartments). But conservatives regularly make the opposite claim, arguing that people want/should want to live in isolation. Sometimes that means "rural" sometimes that means "small town" and sometimes that means "suburban." I don't really care where you live, I just think some policy choices we've made/keep making are stupid and expensive. It's true that some people do want rural life, and good for them, though I'm not sure what happens to these areas when conservatives get their way and millions of people flock to them. Maybe everybody doesn't like dense cities, but all those people gotta go somewhere. Those somewheres at least need roads, water systems, and oh, hey, superior broadband systems. I'm sure rural areas will all be wired up nicely by the year 2180 or so.
But we've been hearing this basic story for 25+ years (longer really). Somehow it doesn't ever quite seem to pan out. Reasons why, or good guesses about them, aren't that complicated. Maybe one day we'll be able to operate a fleet of robots from our home office, though we're probably going to have to have a bit better broadband access in most of the podunk places (and non-podunk places) where we're supposed to operate our mobile widget factories. I'm sure comcast will get right on that, just as soon as they get a cut of the widget profits.
It's said that people like me want everyone to live packed like sardines into tiny urban apartments (My house is pretty big. That's not a boast, just always trying to make the point that the density required for urban living doesn't require giant condo towers with tiny apartments). But conservatives regularly make the opposite claim, arguing that people want/should want to live in isolation. Sometimes that means "rural" sometimes that means "small town" and sometimes that means "suburban." I don't really care where you live, I just think some policy choices we've made/keep making are stupid and expensive. It's true that some people do want rural life, and good for them, though I'm not sure what happens to these areas when conservatives get their way and millions of people flock to them. Maybe everybody doesn't like dense cities, but all those people gotta go somewhere. Those somewheres at least need roads, water systems, and oh, hey, superior broadband systems. I'm sure rural areas will all be wired up nicely by the year 2180 or so.
Oops I Rubio'd Myself
I suppose with 17 members of the clown car it was hard to go wrong betting against people, but the "Rubio sends starbusts up everyone's leg" crowd never made any sense to me. He comes across as an annoying not very precocious man-child. Maybe he's good looking in some sense, but he has zero charisma. They aren't quite the same thing. Sure policy should matter more than theater, but for the starburst crowd it's all about the inept theater criticism. Besides, they've all been pushing the same nonsense so attempting to actually differentiate them on policy was a waste of time. Some put on their metaphorical bow ties and specs long enough to convince Very Serious People that they're wonky, but the policy from the wonks was pretty much the same as the policy from the non-wonks.
Who has convinced the boy blunder that he was destined to be president? Weird.
Who has convinced the boy blunder that he was destined to be president? Weird.
The Important Plans
Reopening the Eagles Jail would make more sense.
Gonna lock some hippies up, because that's what you do.
The city's shuttered Holmesburg Prison will be available during the Democratic National Convention to hold arrested protesters if necessary.
Shawn Hawes, spokeswoman for the city's prisons system, said the facility is being readied on an if-needed basis for the convention, July 25 to 28.
"If we had to activate Holmesburg, that would be out of necessity for a mass-arrest kind of processing situation," she said. "We're always ready to open whenever necessary, so, like the city, we're hoping for the best, preparing just in case."
Hawes was quick to say that the portion of the prison to be used is the recently renovated gymnasium - currently available for overflow when the city's jails are over capacity - not the cell blocks where horror movies have been filmed.
Gonna lock some hippies up, because that's what you do.
May We Live In Interesting Times
We all probably have to admit that all of this is a bit more interesting when there are actual interesting things happening, even if we might differ quite a bit on just what is interesting. A leave vote (for Brexit) would be much more interesting than a stay vote. Change vs. status quo, blah blah. As I've said I'd vote to stay in Yurp, though that isn't because I think the EU is unambiguously a force for good. Still a policy vote aimed at right wingers is likely give right wingers what they want, not enshrine your left wing fantasy version of "what happens with Brexit." Xenophobia is the biggest driver of the current support for Brexit and I'm one who thinks that the UK (and the US) has become a much better place due to the relative ease to move there from many countries. Many of the people who support it will be pissed when they discover that it'll likely mean taking away most of the good stuff of the EU that "normal" people benefit from while the other stuff remains. Fortunately we'll all know who to blame for the horrible Tories: immigrants.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Can We Bring Back That Walrus And His Bucket
What's galling is that people get paid oodles of money to destroy journalism companies and then complain that it's all the internets fault. There are actually people who know how these new fangled interwebs work, and I don't mean the ones who are usually asked to give TED talks. To be fair, I have never watched a TED talk.
Maybe it was good that the journalists didn't sully their beautiful minds understanding how the business side worked. It was bad that the business side didn't either.
Maybe it was good that the journalists didn't sully their beautiful minds understanding how the business side worked. It was bad that the business side didn't either.
Agendas
Mercifully, journalists usually leave out potential conflicts or source motivations because that would just make things too complicated for readers. Oh, and, make it harder for them to WIN THE DAY.
Fruit From The Poison Tree Isn't Poisoned
One would think that the evisceration of the 4th amendment would be something that conservatarians (other than Radley Balko) would at least pretend to care about. But everyone knows that Officer Friendly is just going after the Bad Guys, and if he has to break a few rules to do so, then good for him. Officer Friendly will never go after me like that, because somethingsomethingdon'ttakemygunsaway.
Having some protection from illegal searches seems to be a pretty important right, especially if you're scared that President Atrios is going to take all of your guns away. Still, as long as people just see it as something that happens to Others then...
Having some protection from illegal searches seems to be a pretty important right, especially if you're scared that President Atrios is going to take all of your guns away. Still, as long as people just see it as something that happens to Others then...
At Least We Have Thoughts And Prayers
As I've written a million times, when I am your benevolent dictator I will, in fact, take all of your guns away. Until the Sacred Ritual of Bl'oggggg is performed and I achieve that power, nothing is going to happen. I can't even get interested in the things they try to make happen. This time it was banning gun sales to people on the Terrorist Watch List. Yes if we have a "terrorist watch list" that isn't just one more way for various important officials to find lucrative employment after their government "service" then it's insane that people on it can buy guns. But the List is just some bullshit nobody takes seriously, so tying the ability to buy guns to it is at best just more theater. Of course it's insane that anyone can buy assault weapons (and your ever-shifting definition of what an "assault" weapon REALLY IS in some metaphysical sense makes you a dupe, not clever, Mr. Gun Nut Gun Groper who never served in the military you Cosplay).
And, of course, even that bullshit can't get through Congress. At best you can make people make "tough votes," but Dems can't stand to keep things simple so, you know, both sides and it's all very complicated and all that.
And, of course, even that bullshit can't get through Congress. At best you can make people make "tough votes," but Dems can't stand to keep things simple so, you know, both sides and it's all very complicated and all that.
Monday, June 20, 2016
I Can Answer That
You found yourself in Luton because it's one of the airports that serves London? Also, too, Cambridge and Oxford? Looks like hell, really. There are no cars on that street!
This has been another episode of simple answers to simple questions.
This has been another episode of simple answers to simple questions.
Pivot
It is funny (not really "ha ha" funny), that savvy campaign reporters have enshrined certain campaign narratives. Here comes the pivot!!!
It's not that they're wrong, it's that it's just Cokie Roberts level theater criticism. He positioned himself like that, now he's positioning himself like this. And we'll play along! Probably! Unless we don't!
It's not that they're wrong, it's that it's just Cokie Roberts level theater criticism. He positioned himself like that, now he's positioning himself like this. And we'll play along! Probably! Unless we don't!
Grifters Gonna Grift
We love the poor children most of all. They are truly generous.
Probably not all that unusual, really.
The directors of the Hershey School oversee an educational facility in central Pennsylvania for impoverished children, but you might not know it from their expense reports.
...
All 10 spent $362,000 in travel, meals and hotels over the last 21/2 years, including at least 60 limousine rides, often from the Philadelphia and Baltimore airports.
Then there was the $6.9 million that board members were paid for their service over the last three years, an unusually lucrative perk for a board overseeing a school for poor children.
Probably not all that unusual, really.
We Do Love Our Children
Bad pay, bad job conditions, poor to nonexistent full time career opportunities, and you know the grifters are taking money to make sure it doesn't work well. Nobody could have predicted.
Philadelphia-area school administrators such as Nerelli now struggle to find ways to cope with a shortage of substitutes unlike anything they have ever faced. They congregate multiple classes in the gym and put one teacher in charge. They pay regular faculty to give up prep time. They take over classrooms themselves.
Earlier this month, the Delaware County Intermediate Unit announced a new two-day program to train "guest teachers" for the sub-starved districts it serves. It is open to anyone with a bachelor's degree, in any subject.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Imagine How Bad It Would Be Without The Bombing
Occasionally I tangle with some of the "bomb everything in the name of humanitarianism" crowd. The ones who sort of know what they're talking about, in that they at least can find some of these places on the map, always ultimately justify their favorite solution to every problem by suggesting that things would be a lot worse if we didn't pour grease on the kitchen fire. The rules are that if we don't bomb enough things are our "fault." Why do you love death and economic misery, hippie? If we do bomb enough (though can you ever really bomb enough?) then things are not our fault. The ungrateful recipients of our care packages just don't understand the joy in loving freedom bombs. Actually helping people - real sustained humanitarian aid, helping refugees - is just silly hippie stuff that we couldn't possibly do. Also, you're a big racist for not wanting to bomb people.
Sometimes they go full neocon and just argue that if we don't prove that we have the biggest most frightening dick on a daily basis then the world will collapse, but mostly they're just thinking of the children and how best to help them. With our bombs.
This was a very mean post that probably hurt the feefees of those people who really just want to bomb children for their own good. That was very uncivil of me, and my tone makes me a very unserious person.
Sometimes they go full neocon and just argue that if we don't prove that we have the biggest most frightening dick on a daily basis then the world will collapse, but mostly they're just thinking of the children and how best to help them. With our bombs.
This was a very mean post that probably hurt the feefees of those people who really just want to bomb children for their own good. That was very uncivil of me, and my tone makes me a very unserious person.
On the Internet Nobody Knows You're a Comedian
Let's just call this cranky Sunday because why not. Because I read too much of the internet I read a lot of very bad attempts at humor. You know, Homer Simpson level "it's funny because it's true" bad humor. OK we all make some bad jokes sometimes, it's just the some days I feel like I read all the bad jokes on the internet.
If you actually make me laugh, you win a cookie.
If you actually make me laugh, you win a cookie.
Sunday Funnies
A good PR firm must have written this. A subsidy is not a subsidy! OK it's only half of the subsidy some claim!
It all ignores the fact that no one is going to go to this stupid megamall, if for no other reason than it's never going to open. Still, as long as the project can stay on life support, "everybody" gets rich!
It all ignores the fact that no one is going to go to this stupid megamall, if for no other reason than it's never going to open. Still, as long as the project can stay on life support, "everybody" gets rich!
2040s
Those self-driving cars will be here any minute.
Happy to be wrong, but I expect my flying car will be self-driving, too.
My rightness or wrongness does not matter, what matters is how much we orient our public policy to vaporware? Already they're being used as excuses to not spend money on mass transit. Of course, even if they work you still have the peak car (commuting congestion) problem. Sure boosters claim they'll effectively increase highway capacity.
I'll be on the bus.
The car has gotten mixed reviews. It has some truly intuitive and innovative features, like the display screen and an artificial intelligence named "Eleanor" that can act as a personal assistant.
But it also looks like that. One reviewer called the car "butt-ugly." Another called it "sublimely crazy."
Rolls-Royce's auto division, owned by BMW, has always been out there, trying to push the envelope on luxury and style. Certainly the 103EX does both. It clearly courts buyers who want to be noticed.
Will people buy it? We'll have to wait a long time to see. The company says the model could hit the road in the 2040s.
Happy to be wrong, but I expect my flying car will be self-driving, too.
My rightness or wrongness does not matter, what matters is how much we orient our public policy to vaporware? Already they're being used as excuses to not spend money on mass transit. Of course, even if they work you still have the peak car (commuting congestion) problem. Sure boosters claim they'll effectively increase highway capacity.
I'll be on the bus.
Morning Thread
The list of companies saying they will not sponsor the Republican National Convention in Cleveland keeps growing. It may be easier, at this point, to start listing the companies that will sponsor the event.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Everything I Thought Was True Is A Lie
Nobody could have predicted.
Mateen had allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS in a 911 call during the attack, as The Two-Way has reported. But as further details emerge about the shooter, investigators say Mateen's profile is more like that of a "typical mass shooter" than an individual radicalized by ISIS, as NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports.
In fact, intelligence officials and investigators say they're "becoming increasingly convinced that the motive for this attack had very little — or maybe nothing — to do with ISIS."
Wring Cycle
Elect Tories, Tories cut public services, everybody blames immigrants for their lack of parking, people vote to leave Brexit. And then Scotland will go.
Heckuva job, Cameron, and Osborne, two of the world's worst people. Of course they're right wingers so nothing they do is wrong.
Heckuva job, Cameron, and Osborne, two of the world's worst people. Of course they're right wingers so nothing they do is wrong.
Shit Is...
That it's horrible is obvious, of course, but what a weird other world it is...
A 51-year-old Bucks County man was arrested after he was found living with 12 girls, including a teenager he considered his wife, and a baby and a toddler he fathered with her, authorities said Friday.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Anything But What You Want It For
I'm betting the two most complicated functions in the next iteration of Word will be "save document" and "print document."
I pick on Apple (I have good reasons!) but the only reason I avoid picking on Microsoft is that I've avoided (probably not for long) the last few rounds of upgrades. The history of Microsoft involves ignoring innovation, and then suddenly deciding that they need to integrate it into everything. "So people like notifications on their phone? That's pretty much all our new operating system will do! Remember Pointcast from 1997 or so? It's like that only more annoying! The internet of things! People want Facebook in their $800 toaster!"
I pick on Apple (I have good reasons!) but the only reason I avoid picking on Microsoft is that I've avoided (probably not for long) the last few rounds of upgrades. The history of Microsoft involves ignoring innovation, and then suddenly deciding that they need to integrate it into everything. "So people like notifications on their phone? That's pretty much all our new operating system will do! Remember Pointcast from 1997 or so? It's like that only more annoying! The internet of things! People want Facebook in their $800 toaster!"
Sucky Blogging
At peak (hopefully) insomnia so I've barely slept for a few weeks. Might need to chase the elusive nap this afternoon..
Prove We Have Big Dicks
Diplomacy usually gets easier after we blow some shit up and "remove" our negotiating partner.
Basically, we have to kill a bunch of people in order to prove that we're "serious."
More than 50 State Department diplomats have signed an internal memo sharply critical of the Obama administration’s policy in Syria, urging the United States to carry out military strikes against the government of President Bashar al-Assad to stop its persistent violations of a cease-fire in the country’s five-year-old civil war.
Basically, we have to kill a bunch of people in order to prove that we're "serious."
Thursday, June 16, 2016
What Does It Really Mean For People
While there's been talk about the impact of Brexit on the supposedly Big Important Things such as The City and Big Finance, trade, etc., there's been very little discussion about what it would actually mean for ordinary UK citizens. Nobody really knows. What will those currently residing elsewhere in Europe, or who are the equivalent of US snowbirds with their lovely Spanish accommodations, be faced with? Most people won't ultimately care much about the things which elites think are important (elites find ways for this stuff if they need to, anyway), but they will care if they have to cut their annual 6 month stay in Costa del Sol to 3 months... or zero.
I think a lefty case for leaving the EU can be made, but that most good that could result would depend on lefties actually running Britain. The EU has the potential to hamper more lefty policies, but that's redundant when the Tories are in charge. If I could vote I'd vote to stay, but I can imagine scenarios such that leaving would be a good thing. Those scenarios just aren't going to materialize.
And then Scotland will go. Congratulations, David Cameron....
I think a lefty case for leaving the EU can be made, but that most good that could result would depend on lefties actually running Britain. The EU has the potential to hamper more lefty policies, but that's redundant when the Tories are in charge. If I could vote I'd vote to stay, but I can imagine scenarios such that leaving would be a good thing. Those scenarios just aren't going to materialize.
And then Scotland will go. Congratulations, David Cameron....
Tokyo Is A Beautiful Planet
I don't want to make too much a not very important flub (whether he believed it to be factually true or not), but I do find too many Americans, both those who don't travel and those for whom traveling is just going from resort to resort - golf course to golf course - have no good sense of the scale of other countries. They're real places. Even Yurp is a bit "different," and not just because of those no-go zones. Lots of people living their lives.
Belgium's about the size of Maine. That's a big city!
Belgium's about the size of Maine. That's a big city!
While bringing up recent terror attacks in Europe, Trump stated that “Belgium is a beautiful city.” He almost certainly meant the capital, Brussels.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Make New York Mojofied Again
I'm sure there are parts of the state that could use a bit of extra mojo, but don't think NYC and surrounding do...
When the Hudson tunnels go NYC is going to need a lot of that mojo. Of course there won't be enough time or money. At least there will be a niceshopping experience airport.
EAST ELMHURST —A fired up Vice President Joe Biden returned Tuesday to LaGuardia Airport, which he once said resembled a “third world country,” to help break ground on a $4 billion renovation project there.
The vice president cheered the state's investment in infrastructure, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo said will help the state get its "mojo" back.
When the Hudson tunnels go NYC is going to need a lot of that mojo. Of course there won't be enough time or money. At least there will be a nice
Cant Walk, Can't Park
The regional rail system in the hellhole metropolitan areas is heavily underutilized because there's very little transit oriented development near stations. If people did The Math they'd see that you can't realistically build enough parking near existing stations without building parking garages that would be way taller than any other building is allowed to be in most of these places, so there isn't enough parking but no one can walk to the stations, either.
Nothing To See Here
It's all those damn kids on the lawn.
The streak continues: May was record warm for the globe, according to NASA data released Monday.
It’s now even more likely that 2016 will be the hottest year ever recorded, despite the demise of one of the strongest El Niños on record.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Night Thread
I was about to type "Friday" but then apparently it isn't, so have some Wednesday Crass Commercialism instead. I enjoyed We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.
One Weird Campaign
The Bush campaigns made it seem like Republicans had a specific set of superpowers well-suited for presidential campaigns. This ability was largely due to the fact that if Republicans kicked the soccer ball, the press would follow. McCain and Romney's people tended to kick it under the porch or off a cliff. The press would still follow, but then wonder just what the hell they were doing there.
They'll still follow Trump, but he isn't playing soccer. He's playing foozball.
They'll still follow Trump, but he isn't playing soccer. He's playing foozball.
сантехников
Their man in DC.
Russian government hackers penetrated the computer network of the Democratic National Committee and gained access to the entire database of opposition research on GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to committee officials and security experts who responded to the breach.
How the Future Will Be Determined
I'm actually not kidding here. Fail to provide your citizens with the public services that they expect, and...
People aren't happy with Tory austerity, but even that commie Corbyn hasn't done a very good job (so far) of convincing people there's a better way. The pie has shrunk, and if Brits can't have nice things than immigrants certainly shouldn't.
But at the end when she asked the hall about the referendum, the mood changed. “We didn’t come to talk about that!” one angry woman said, others agreeing. “We came about parking!”
People aren't happy with Tory austerity, but even that commie Corbyn hasn't done a very good job (so far) of convincing people there's a better way. The pie has shrunk, and if Brits can't have nice things than immigrants certainly shouldn't.
Serve
A big pet peeve of mine is how we maintain this little fiction that being one of the most powerful people in the country is a way to "serve." Want to serve? Go empty some bedpans at a VA hospital. That's service. Being a US senator? That's a cushy, powerful job, which almost guarantees you a lifetime of lucrative employment.
"When it visits your home state, when it impacts a community you know well, it really gives you pause to think a little bit about your service to your country and where you can be most useful to your country," Rubio said.Rubio was 30 in 2001. If he'd really wanted to serve he probably had a couple of options then.
"My family and I will be praying about all this and we'll see what I need to do next with my life in regards to how I can best serve."
Monday, June 13, 2016
Keep Shuffling Poor Kids Between "Failing" Schools
This is about actual moving, not just moving between schools, but I do not know how all of the supergeniuses who run our education system fail to understand that moving a kid from one school to another - regularly - is a big fucking deal, and generally not in a good way. I moved around a lot as a kid and while I'm sure there were some positive experiences, overall it was pretty stressful. Even just moving from elementary school to middle school, accompanied by at least some of my peers, was pretty damn stressful. Poor kids often have a lack of stability in their lives, anyway, so the obvious solution is to... add more. And then give all the money to the grifters, declare success, and go home.
Important Apple Announcement Today
iTunes will no longer be what happens if you put Windows 8 and Flash in a blender.
Hahaha. It'll be worse, sillies.
Hahaha. It'll be worse, sillies.
Farce
We've been here before.
But the $6 billion project, much like the first highways built half a century ago, puts a disproportionate burden on minority and low-income residents whose homes are in its path.
Nearly 80 percent of the registered voters living at properties that Florida’s Department of Transportation plans to demolish are black and Latino, according to a Tampa Bay Times analysis.
In a four-mile stretch near Tampa’s downtown, at least 340 minority residents will be displaced.
Loser! Sad! Hilarious!
The worst thing about the obsession with theatre criticism coverage of politics is that the people who do it are usually really really bad at it. So Chris Christie is a super charismatic macho man's man, the Alpha Dog of the bunch. In reality he's the dweeby kid who keeps getting pansted by the jocks even as he begs for more. "One day they'll let me hang with the cool kids!" he thinks, as the "kick me" sign remains attached to his back and his face is newly slushied.
Governor Chris Christie, of New Jersey, another of Trump’s opponents early in the campaign, has transformed himself into a sort of manservant, who is constantly with Trump at events. (One Republican told me that a friend of his on the Trump campaign used Snapchat to send him a video of Christie fetching Trump’s McDonald’s order.)
Broken
When there's a horrific mass shooting, there's a bit of discussion about the role of mental illness. Religion and culture are blamed for some of these events, and mental illness is suggested as a likely culprit in others. Leaving aside the fact that we grant that it's somehow not the fault of some people who commit these atrocities - just bad chemicals in the brain - and it is the fault of others and their religion, there's always a bit of another backlash to the desire to attribute some of these events to the mental illness of the perpetrators. Correctly, people point out that there isn't isn't a link between diagnosed mental illness and this kind of violence.
I'm no expert and have no desire to play one on TV on this subject, but whatever we call it, there seems to be something deeply wrong with anyone who would go kill 50 strangers. That doesn't mean that everyone who is diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder is likely to - or more likely to - commit violent acts, just that I'm not sure how to see these people as anything other than mentally off kilter? You gotta be broken to do this type of thing.
I'm no expert and have no desire to play one on TV on this subject, but whatever we call it, there seems to be something deeply wrong with anyone who would go kill 50 strangers. That doesn't mean that everyone who is diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder is likely to - or more likely to - commit violent acts, just that I'm not sure how to see these people as anything other than mentally off kilter? You gotta be broken to do this type of thing.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Assholes With Guns
We're a very paranoid country, scared of mostly fake risks while ignoring real ones. Sadly there are enough people out there who, for whatever reason, want to kill, and we make it easy for them because freedom.
Right On Cue
Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2016
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Doesn't Lying To A Judge Tend To Anger Them?
Nah, probably not.
SAN FRANCISCO -- The former Stanford swimmer convicted of sexual assault on an unconscious woman failed to reveal his drug and alcohol use in a letter to the judge.
Brock Turner told Judge Aaron Persky that he was an inexperienced drinker and that "the party culture and risk taking behavior" during his four months at Stanford led him to make a bad decision.
But court documents released Friday show that prosecutors cited several examples of Turner using hard drugs and alcohol at Stanford and in high school. Prosecutors say text messages recovered from his cellphone showed Turner discussing using LSD and ecstasy and smoking marijuana and dabs of butane hash oil, known as "wax," from as early as April 2014.
We Support Universality Even For Rich White People!
I suppose liberals make the occasional "fuck, Oklahoma, they brought this on themselves" kind of joke but that's just gallows humor. I don't know any liberals who really think that we should have the secret welfare system for black people and that working class white people should be on their own(Whoever they are. For some reason we don't have working class blah people. Must be all the secret welfare!) Sure means testing every nice thing has been a part of the Dem way of doing things for a long time, but it isn't a liberal thing, and if anything it's there to convince those white people (unsuccessfully) that the Obamaphones for the blahs aren't the latest iPhones, or whatever.
Still the good point here is that government should provide services. Those services should be universal. Sure some services might be aimed more at poor people, and the free money spigots tend to be aimed more at rich people, but they can still be universal as long as everything isn't means and asset tested. If we think rich people shouldn't be getting free free public higher education then there's a pretty easy way to take care of that which will take in a lot more money, and be a lot less of a hassle, than having immense bureaucracies. It's called progressive taxation.
Still the good point here is that government should provide services. Those services should be universal. Sure some services might be aimed more at poor people, and the free money spigots tend to be aimed more at rich people, but they can still be universal as long as everything isn't means and asset tested. If we think rich people shouldn't be getting free free public higher education then there's a pretty easy way to take care of that which will take in a lot more money, and be a lot less of a hassle, than having immense bureaucracies. It's called progressive taxation.
That's a Hike
The real point is that a mile walk, for people without mobility issues, takes about 21 minutes. You don't need to prove your awesome commitment to walking by walking 16 miles. That's recreational walking and/or exercise, not "getting around" walking. You don't convince people that modest distances can easily be a part of normal daily life by setting out on a 5-6 hour walk. Of course plenty of people don't live within a mileish from good transportation that takes them where they need to go, but for those who do, the "last mile" really isn't a big deal.
Forces of Evil in a Bozo Nightmare
The Donald can't lose. Well, of course, he can lose. That's the point. But he can't lose this competition to that woman. He's the favorite to win this reality show, the host, the star, and the best competitor, and the steak knives are going to be his.
So how does this play out? I don't know.
So how does this play out? I don't know.
Friday, June 10, 2016
Not Going To Be The Delegates
If the conservatives who believe they really should and/or do run the country want to get rid of Trump, they aren't going to be able to rely on the delegates to do it. I'm not saying they'll have to make him an offer he can't refuse, but they will have to make him an offer he doesn't want to refuse.
Give Him A Little Push
There is more chatter about pushing Trump out. I wonder if they can. Count me among those who don't think he really wants to be president. Presidenting is hard. The campaign show is fun, the presidenting show probably somewhat less fun but still pretty fun, and winning sure as hell is fun, but actually presidenting is not so fun. Also, I'm sure the Donald doesn't want to lose to that woman. He's a winner. He wins! That's what winners do. Certainly they win against women, especially that one.
If there's some way for him to bow out with honor, he just might do it. Certainly better than losing. Losers lose! I'm just not sure how he does that.
If there's some way for him to bow out with honor, he just might do it. Certainly better than losing. Losers lose! I'm just not sure how he does that.
Thursday, June 09, 2016
Who Gets The Money?
Back in my day, a million years ago, a certain public institution I was aware of was jumping on the synergistic public-private partnerships which seemed to involve giving away very expensive land in exchange for the privilege of giving away very valuable public funded patents. To grease the wheels of these arrangement, faculty would get a few crumbs (most faculty will do just about anything for a few crumbs), key administrators would get more than a few crumbs, politicians were convinced they could get away with cutting funding and c) profit!. Someone would actually profit, anyway.
This might be an unfair characterization of these things. I never understood them because, well, I didn't understand them. Building tech office parks on prime university land because...what again? I suppose it was not for mere mortals like me to reason why.
Somebody's making money. It isn't the students.
This might be an unfair characterization of these things. I never understood them because, well, I didn't understand them. Building tech office parks on prime university land because...what again? I suppose it was not for mere mortals like me to reason why.
Somebody's making money. It isn't the students.
Wednesday, June 08, 2016
Afternoon Thread
I sincerely hope that both Hillary and Bernie are taking a few days off. I'm amazed at how they were been able to keep up the schedule they followed this past year. I got tired just watching them.
If Only That Party Existed...I Wonder What We'd Call It..
The Mustache of Understanding writes this column fairly regularly, and some other pundits as well. It's either so dishonest or stupid that little Tommy gets to laugh all the way to the bank every time he writes it. I wonder how those meetings in the White House go. "Mr. President, what we need are common sense solutions to [insert all the stuff Obama usually claims to support." "Those are some interesting ideas, Mr. Friedman. Fortunately we already subscribe to your newsletter, and have been considering very seriously many of the ideas that are contained within it."
Tom Friedman's fantasy party isn't exactly my fantasy party, but the Democratic party has pretty much been that party for a very long time now. Sure even from a Friedman-esque center-right perspective they aren't perfect, but they're as perfect for Little Tommy as a political party that is run by humans in the actual world as they could possibly be.
Tom Friedman's fantasy party isn't exactly my fantasy party, but the Democratic party has pretty much been that party for a very long time now. Sure even from a Friedman-esque center-right perspective they aren't perfect, but they're as perfect for Little Tommy as a political party that is run by humans in the actual world as they could possibly be.
Nobody Told Us They Needed To Work In Warm Waters
Guess we'd better spend some more money.
The Royal Navy’s fleet of six £1bn destroyers is breaking down because the ships’ engines cannot cope with the warm waters of the Gulf, defence chiefs have admitted.
They also told the Commons defence committee on Tuesday that the Type 45 destroyers’ Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines are unable to operate in extreme temperatures and will be fitted with diesel generators.
Tuesday, June 07, 2016
They Just Came Up With It On Their Own
Yah I totally bet that Wall Street isn't a big fan of the legislation that their lobbyists probably wrote.
NEW YORK -- Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping plan to dismantle Wall Street reform passed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.Those Republicans, just legislatin' without any prompting or encouragement whatsoever!
...
Also, Wall Street did not rush to support the proposal and has shown more interest in reviewing the effect of the rules already put in place rather than adapting to a new set of regulations.
No-Go Zones
Anyway who pushes that particular fantasy might as well just put on a dunce cap and wear an "I'm with stupid" t-shirt with the arrow pointing upwards. I've spent a lot of time in London, one of the places where the Muslim hordes have supposedly had some success in reinstating the caliphate. I was even there during the last riots which, while they involved ethnic Muslims to some degree, weren't in any meaningful way "Muslim riots." There isn't a place in London I wouldn't feel comfortable walking around any time of night or day, and to the extent that I'd worry about crimes (mugging, petty theft) it'd be in more touristy areas. Crimes of opportunity and all that. Those British crime dramas are fun, but I think there's more crime on the telly than in the entire real version of the country.If there was any evidence non-Muslims and/or police were being targeted systematically in any neighborhood, the British press would collectively lose their shit, not just publish obvious lies about it in the tabloids.
No Wheels
When I was a young teenortwentysomething "everybody" I knew had a car. Okay, not quite anybody. Lots of college students didn't bother, especially on campuses where they discouraged it (and by discouraged it I mean "not much free parking.") And having a car didn't necessarily mean your name was on the title. Maybe you just bummed your parents' beater. But the idea of being that age and not having a car was really a weird one. Sure plenty of poor people didn't have cars even then, but it was first on the list of things you'd buy if you could afford it.
I read various local forums, and there's a constant stream of people asking how they can get to their news jobs/internships/whatever out in the suburbs without driving. Despite having a pretty comprehensive suburban rail system, Philly doesn't have nearly enough transit oriented development to make the most of it. The rails and stations are there, but they don't do people much good if they're a 2-3 mile journey from the office park.
I read various local forums, and there's a constant stream of people asking how they can get to their news jobs/internships/whatever out in the suburbs without driving. Despite having a pretty comprehensive suburban rail system, Philly doesn't have nearly enough transit oriented development to make the most of it. The rails and stations are there, but they don't do people much good if they're a 2-3 mile journey from the office park.
It's Always Two Months Away
We've been waiting for the Fed to do its rate hike moves since 2010 or so. They're constantly overoptimistic about the current and future states of the economy, and they're clearly obsessed with the nonexistent monster under the bed, inflation. It's just around the corner, you see, and when it happens there's absolutely nothing we can do because if there's one thing we know nothing about it's fighting inflation. We know so little about it we can't even mange to cause any inflation to fight!
Monday, June 06, 2016
Welcome to My World
I've long had this fantasy of an assembling a caravan of about 1000 Philly cars/driver and then going to park them (legally) in some suburban neighborhood somewhere. The point, of course, would be to make a point. Visitors to my hellhole think nothing of parking in residential neigborhoods, and I don't think they should except when they block crosswalks, sidewalks, bus routes, and fire hydrants and similar.(locals engage in bad parking behavior, too).
Waze and similar probably do not affect the newest suburban developments, which often have single access roads, but older developments still provide "shortcuts" between places for those in the know. Now everybody can be in the know.
Waze and similar probably do not affect the newest suburban developments, which often have single access roads, but older developments still provide "shortcuts" between places for those in the know. Now everybody can be in the know.
When the traffic on Timothy Connor’s quiet Maryland street suddenly jumped by several hundred cars an hour, he knew who was partly to blame: the disembodied female voice he could hear through the occasional open window saying, “Continue on Elm Avenue . . . .”
The marked detour around a months-long road repair was several blocks away. But plenty of drivers were finding a shortcut past Connor’s Takoma Park house, slaloming around dog walkers and curbside basketball hoops, thanks to Waze and other navigation apps.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
What will I do with all of my David French lawn signs? Good thing I don't have a lawn, I guess.
For about 5 minutes Bill Kristol managed to convince some people that maybe he was competent at something (actually recruiting a 3rd party candidate). You'll know better next time,Charlie Browm suckers!
For about 5 minutes Bill Kristol managed to convince some people that maybe he was competent at something (actually recruiting a 3rd party candidate). You'll know better next time,
Sunday, June 05, 2016
Slavery: Good or Bad?
The election of the Kenyan Muslim Socialist to the position of emperor definitely cracked upon the racism box which had been very slowly closing over the past few decades. Not saying that until Obummer everything was perfect, just overall the trends were going in the right direction and in an increasing number of contexts it just was no longer ok to be an obvious racist. And now Trumpf has blown it wide open, bringing us back to 30 years ago.
Heckuva job.
Heckuva job.
Saturday, June 04, 2016
And Then What
Brexit vote on June 23. For good or for bad the EU was designed to make it not easy to escape. Every EU citizen and resident is under a complex set of interlocking regulations regarding mobility, residency, marriage, employment, health care coverage, other "benefit" coverage, etc. If the UK leaves the EU, then...? Do they get chucked off the continent immediately? Does it cause trouble for marriage co-residencies (Britain was already mucking that up by basically making it impossible for poors to bring their spouses in)? What will happen to all of those Spanish holiday properties when the Visa requirement kick in?
To the extent that actual consequences have been focused on, it's been on the banking system, the economy, and finally getting rid of those pesky immigrants (some of them, anyway), Consequences for most Brits? Nobody knows...
To the extent that actual consequences have been focused on, it's been on the banking system, the economy, and finally getting rid of those pesky immigrants (some of them, anyway), Consequences for most Brits? Nobody knows...
Keep Dreaming
When I'm proven wrong you can all point and laugh at me, but self-driving cars are Vaporware. I admit I don't get why this isn't obvious to everyone, but I suppose that just makes me the crazy one.
Be back, gotta go rescue my Roomba.
Be back, gotta go rescue my Roomba.
Friday, June 03, 2016
How About Teach Them To Honk Never?
Okay, that's a slight exaggeration, but in my experience most people who honk the horn just do so to be assholes. If you live in a densely populated neighborhood where the houses go right up to the sidewalk, a few too many honking assholes can really ruin the blissful silence of the urban hellhole (which actually is pretty quiet most of the time). Sure there are good reasons to honk, I'd just put them at about 5% of actually honking.
Anyway, no worries. It's 2016 and we still don't have our automated cars, honking or no honking, which we won't have in my lifetime. That's one of my more unpopular opinions, for some reason, even though I'm pretty sure I'm powerless to affect the course of events on this one. Just don't think they're going to happen (yes, more automated, yes more cruise control plus, but no getting 95% of the way there isn't enough). I don't even worry about safety, though that depends on how you look at it. It won't be that hard to get them to not hit things, it'll be harder to get them to drive in such away that they don't cause accidents. It'll certainly be hard to make them so that people don't want to honk at them.
Anyway, no worries. It's 2016 and we still don't have our automated cars, honking or no honking, which we won't have in my lifetime. That's one of my more unpopular opinions, for some reason, even though I'm pretty sure I'm powerless to affect the course of events on this one. Just don't think they're going to happen (yes, more automated, yes more cruise control plus, but no getting 95% of the way there isn't enough). I don't even worry about safety, though that depends on how you look at it. It won't be that hard to get them to not hit things, it'll be harder to get them to drive in such away that they don't cause accidents. It'll certainly be hard to make them so that people don't want to honk at them.
Sometimes We Get Results
Or, at least, play a part.
Aside from yay team, it's important to remember that this isn't just some ideological thing, though it is that, too. It's a recognition that the retirement crisis is here and it's very real. I'd say there's a broad enough consensus (does not include zombie-eyed granny starvers) that however we get to the goal, society should be structured in such a way that the vast majority of people hit retirement age with some economic stability. The current system has not done that, and whatever Exciting New Ideas we can come up with for the ideal retirement program (obviously I'm partial to plans which rhyme with brocial maturity), we have a crop of people in retirement or entering retirement soon who have no hope of coming up with that kind of post-retirement income stream. The only way to keep them off the streets, or for the lucky few working them until they die, is to provide non-trivial across the board benefit increases.
And if you're worried Donald Trump's Social Security payment is too large (none of them are very large, so worrying about this is silly and the only people who claim to worry about such things are just using it as an excuse to not help anyone), you can just increase tax rates on rich people. That's the easy way to means testing, and how a progressive tax system is supposed to work.
Aside from yay team, it's important to remember that this isn't just some ideological thing, though it is that, too. It's a recognition that the retirement crisis is here and it's very real. I'd say there's a broad enough consensus (does not include zombie-eyed granny starvers) that however we get to the goal, society should be structured in such a way that the vast majority of people hit retirement age with some economic stability. The current system has not done that, and whatever Exciting New Ideas we can come up with for the ideal retirement program (obviously I'm partial to plans which rhyme with brocial maturity), we have a crop of people in retirement or entering retirement soon who have no hope of coming up with that kind of post-retirement income stream. The only way to keep them off the streets, or for the lucky few working them until they die, is to provide non-trivial across the board benefit increases.
And if you're worried Donald Trump's Social Security payment is too large (none of them are very large, so worrying about this is silly and the only people who claim to worry about such things are just using it as an excuse to not help anyone), you can just increase tax rates on rich people. That's the easy way to means testing, and how a progressive tax system is supposed to work.
Jobs
Not a lot of new ones, but unemployment rate is still nice and low.
Still we have a Fed that is constantly desperate to take away the punch bowl before the party has really even begun. It takes a long time to recover what was lost from an extended recession. People may have some jobs now, but they still got no money. As long as policy is made by people who haven't lived paycheck to paycheck in a long time (if ever)...
Still we have a Fed that is constantly desperate to take away the punch bowl before the party has really even begun. It takes a long time to recover what was lost from an extended recession. People may have some jobs now, but they still got no money. As long as policy is made by people who haven't lived paycheck to paycheck in a long time (if ever)...
Pastor Gerson Issues His Edict
Apparently he's having a hard time finding the One True Evangelical.
The man worked for W. He was part of the White House Iraq Group. I'm sure all the lectures about "a distasteful offering of incense to the emperor for the sake of the greater good" just means "but Trump will reject my incense!!!".
So much of what goes on in DC involves the tension between the people who actually run the country with some democratic legitimacy, and the people who think they should and/or do actually run the country.
The man worked for W. He was part of the White House Iraq Group. I'm sure all the lectures about "a distasteful offering of incense to the emperor for the sake of the greater good" just means "but Trump will reject my incense!!!".
So much of what goes on in DC involves the tension between the people who actually run the country with some democratic legitimacy, and the people who think they should and/or do actually run the country.
Thursday, June 02, 2016
Summer of Love
Occasionally I'm reminded of Whitewater. No, nobody can explain Whitewater to The Kids Today. Nobody ever knew what Whitewater was supposed to be about back when it happened. It was a small land deal in which the Clintons lost a bit of money and then there were blowjobs and the rest is history. Even if one imagines that this cool sweet money losing land deal was as corrupt as corrupt could be and that the Clintons were in on all of that sweet money losing corruption, it's pretty much "Tuesday" in the life of the Donald.
Wednesday, June 01, 2016
Has Somebody Been Reading This Blog?
Obummer is giving a speech on the economy.
.@POTUS: "time we finally made Social Security more generous & increased its benefits" so retirees get "dignified retirement they’ve earned"
— Jesse Lee (@jesseclee44) June 1, 2016
Probably the Best Part of Obamacare
While John Roberts incoherently semi-sabotaged it, the best part of Obamacare - and the part that its critics (myself included) probably downplayed the importance of at the time - was the Medicaid expansion. On one hand, yay Obamacare, on the other hand, I think there's a little lesson there...
Freedom Fighter
Obviously this guy has other quirks, but what is it about traffic tickets that drive people insane. Do the crime, pay the freaking $230 fine. If I ran the zoo I'd half the amount of the fines and double the number of tickets issued (roughly, anyway, point is to increase enforcement), but I doubt that'd make most drivers happy, either.
Sanders, who lives in Frisco, Tex., tried to beat a traffic ticket and lost. So when it came time to pay the $222.60 fine, he paid in cash. Two buckets full of pennies, to be exact. He dumped them on the counter of the municipal court clerk’s office. To judge from the video he posted, it was like someone hitting the jackpot, except a lot less fun.
America's Id
I suppose scamming students for profit is just what we call Capitalism these days, but you'd think running a scam (until caught) Veterans charity fundraiser might look "bad" for the Donald.
Nah, IOKIYAR and we all live in the grifter economy now.
But let's keep talking about Bernie Bros.
Nah, IOKIYAR and we all live in the grifter economy now.
But let's keep talking about Bernie Bros.
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