Wednesday, February 28, 2018
And Change
Probably gotta spend more time with her lawyers.
Hope Hicks, the White House communications director and one of President Trump’s longest-serving advisers, said Wednesday that she was resigning.
You Do It
For various reasons, part of our culture is having serious contempt for public service workers. Everybody knows that teachers and bus drivers are overpaid. Their jobs do have something in common, in that you really need people who have a particular set of skills that most of us don't have, that set of skills that allows you to not completely lose your shit on a regular basis due to the various provocations of a highly stressful job.
Whenever people complain about greedy, lazy striking teachers or bus drivers because they earn SO MUCH MONEY (usually based on misleading press reports of total compensation rather than salaries), my response is: if it's such a great job, you do it. My local transit authority is always hiring bus drivers.
I wouldn't want either bus drivers or teachers to carry guns because while the ability to not lose your shit is a necessary skill for both jobs, the constant shit-losing provocations still make it pretty likely that people will occasionally. It's one thing to lose your shit when you're unarmed, and quite another to do it when you've got a death machine in your pocket.
Whenever people complain about greedy, lazy striking teachers or bus drivers because they earn SO MUCH MONEY (usually based on misleading press reports of total compensation rather than salaries), my response is: if it's such a great job, you do it. My local transit authority is always hiring bus drivers.
I wouldn't want either bus drivers or teachers to carry guns because while the ability to not lose your shit is a necessary skill for both jobs, the constant shit-losing provocations still make it pretty likely that people will occasionally. It's one thing to lose your shit when you're unarmed, and quite another to do it when you've got a death machine in your pocket.
Impossible Problems
They don't even propose any solutions. They just whine that everyone else should stop pointing out the problems.
Conservative London Tories see NI and even Ireland itself as colonies, nuisances that need to be subservient. Going to be interesting and even scary.
Today will be full of hysterical gibberish from prominent Brexit supporters. They will insist that Brussels is trying to annex Northern Ireland, that a foreign power is now on the attack against the UK - intent on carving it up as some form of punishment for its decision to leave the EU.
It's rubbish. What we have seen today is the chickens coming home to roost for Brexiters. They have been warned over and over again during the last 18 months that it is not possible to leave the single market and customs union and still maintain an open border in Ireland. There is no solution to this problem. It is no more solveable than someone demanding you make a sports car with square wheels. It simply cannot be done.
Conservative London Tories see NI and even Ireland itself as colonies, nuisances that need to be subservient. Going to be interesting and even scary.
Shrug
A bit too much is made with "THIS IS NOT NORMAL" regarding Trump (in some cases, it's just that he's an asshole), but our silly system of government, more than many, probably does require respect for "norms" due in part to the whole separation of powers/multiple branches thing. "LOL Executive Privilege is whatever I say it is" is not a good new standard, and one which will presumably persist until there's a Democrat in power.
Self-Driving Philadelphia
I don't think my urban hellhole provides the universal experience, but the thing with truly useful self-driving cars is that they need to be, well, universal, and if they can't make it here they can't make it everywhere.
Lots of pedestrians (and jay walking). Lots of construction. Potholes. Cyclists. Narrow streets which functionally have about 1.75 lanes a lot of the time. Buses and bus stops. Double parking delivery vehicles. Detours. Etc.
Also rain, snow...
As I keep saying, I think "safety" is a bit of a red herring. You can program them not to bump into things. You can't necessarily program them to not be nightmare drivers for everyone around them.
Lots of pedestrians (and jay walking). Lots of construction. Potholes. Cyclists. Narrow streets which functionally have about 1.75 lanes a lot of the time. Buses and bus stops. Double parking delivery vehicles. Detours. Etc.
Consider these recurring issues experienced by many of these companies’ vehicles:
Disengage for a recklessly behaving road user
Disengage for hardware discrepancy
Disengage for unwanted maneuver of the vehicle
Disengage for a perception discrepancy
Disengage for incorrect behavior prediction of other traffic participants
Heavy pedestrian traffic
Cyclist
Traffic light detection
Construction
Localization divergence
Poor lane markings
Vehicle cut in
Cyclist riding from sidewalk into crosswalk
Vehicle in cross-traffic ran red light
Software crash
Unexpected steering due to path change
Strong unexpected braking
Also rain, snow...
As I keep saying, I think "safety" is a bit of a red herring. You can program them not to bump into things. You can't necessarily program them to not be nightmare drivers for everyone around them.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
The Only News Is That It's News
Because of course.
Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports on the matter.
Among those nations discussing ways to influence Kushner to their advantage were the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico, the current and former officials said.
Also, Pot
Waaahhhh...young people don't vote, and they especially don't vote in midterms. Fucking young people.
Be the party that wants to legalize the weed while you can still get some electoral payoff out of it, idiots.
Be the party that wants to legalize the weed while you can still get some electoral payoff out of it, idiots.
Tomorrow's Always 3 Years Away
Could be!!!
IF YOU WORK on self-driving cars, the cocktail party question people always ask is probably: When will I get to interact with one? For two years now, Ford Motor Company has had an answer—in 2021. That year, Ford wants to launch a self-driving taxi service, and it wants to start making deliveries with driverless vehicles.
Gotta Give People Something To Be Intense About
It's generally accepted - and true, at least to some extent - that gun nuts and the NRA have such political success because the issue can turn out really intense single issue voters. Just say Obama (or Pelosi or Clinton or...) is gonna take away your guns and they show up to the midterms.
The thing is that D politicians rarely try to inspire their own intense single issue voters who could be turned out on issues, including, yes, the gun issue. But you can't turn out single issue reproductive health voters (I mean those who don't necessarily vote all the time) on "safe, legal, and rare." You can't turn out anti-war voters on "kindler, gentler wars, mostly with your pal Droney." You can't turn out gun control voters on "um...more background checks and... [thinks hard] raise the age of legally buying a gun that shoots a round 45 times per minute to the Bud Light buying age?" And Dems tend to speak in pundit approved gibberish speak. "Let's close the gun show loophole." Um, sure, what the hell is that again? How about we just take away all the damn guns.
The problem with this is that conservative single issue gun nut voters are trained to think that any hint of more gun control is a threat to their penises, and so moderate proposals to castrate them just a bit bring them out to the polls in force. Gonna snip off just a bit, Jimbo. Lukewarm proposals inspire the opposition but not supporters.
Maybe these political calculations are correct. Maybe "an abortion cart on every corner" will turn off the totebagging moderates more than it will inspire intense single issue votes. But don't be surprised when common sense rhetoric about "common sense proposals" doesn't inspire your base to turn out at midterms. Also, too, stop blaming those voters for not voting for you. It's your job to get them to the polls. Most people have better things to do than think about politics all the time. They don't necessarily know that "slightly less evil than the other guys" is both true and important, and pundit-approved moderate language and policy isn't necessarily going to reach them. Nobody's going to vote to bend the cost curve. They'll vote if you promise them they can go to the damn doctor.
Intensity can be there, but it's gonna require leadership to maintain it.
The thing is that D politicians rarely try to inspire their own intense single issue voters who could be turned out on issues, including, yes, the gun issue. But you can't turn out single issue reproductive health voters (I mean those who don't necessarily vote all the time) on "safe, legal, and rare." You can't turn out anti-war voters on "kindler, gentler wars, mostly with your pal Droney." You can't turn out gun control voters on "um...more background checks and... [thinks hard] raise the age of legally buying a gun that shoots a round 45 times per minute to the Bud Light buying age?" And Dems tend to speak in pundit approved gibberish speak. "Let's close the gun show loophole." Um, sure, what the hell is that again? How about we just take away all the damn guns.
The problem with this is that conservative single issue gun nut voters are trained to think that any hint of more gun control is a threat to their penises, and so moderate proposals to castrate them just a bit bring them out to the polls in force. Gonna snip off just a bit, Jimbo. Lukewarm proposals inspire the opposition but not supporters.
Maybe these political calculations are correct. Maybe "an abortion cart on every corner" will turn off the totebagging moderates more than it will inspire intense single issue votes. But don't be surprised when common sense rhetoric about "common sense proposals" doesn't inspire your base to turn out at midterms. Also, too, stop blaming those voters for not voting for you. It's your job to get them to the polls. Most people have better things to do than think about politics all the time. They don't necessarily know that "slightly less evil than the other guys" is both true and important, and pundit-approved moderate language and policy isn't necessarily going to reach them. Nobody's going to vote to bend the cost curve. They'll vote if you promise them they can go to the damn doctor.
Intensity can be there, but it's gonna require leadership to maintain it.
But it may be time to retire this narrative, or at least ask whether things really are finally changing on this front, as a new CNN poll strongly suggests.
The poll finds that a majority of Americans strongly support action and vastly outnumber those who strongly oppose action. It finds that 69 percent of Americans favor “stricter gun control laws,” and 52 percent do so “strongly.” Meanwhile, only 26 percent oppose them, with only 14 percent doing so strongly.
James Bennet Is A Dumdum
I don't really have anything to add that Ashley doesn't cover. As the kids say, read the whole thing.
If Bennet held his December meeting in an effort to win favor with the newsroom, it seems to have backfired, according to some people in the room.
“People were not satisfied with his answers,” one staffer who attended the meeting told HuffPost in a text message, “since his answers were equivocal bullshit that didn’t really address that the opinion section abuses fact and elevates white male conservative voices under the guise of ‘diversity of thought.’ And that he admits to making mistakes without any concern or even acknowledgement of what the consequences of those ‘mistakes’ actually are.”
As for what those consequences might be, the employee cited “erosion of trust in the rest of what the NYT does, people coming to conclusions based on incorrect facts and then never seeing the correction (if there is one), and choosing to pay money and give a platform to these white dudes instead of marginalized voices who wouldn’t otherwise get their story told (and marginalizing them even more by publishing their bad takes).” A Vanity Fair piece published on Monday quoted a senior newsroom figure who said, “The newsroom feels embarrassed.”
Just Part Of The Conservative Grift
I don't even think they believe this stuff. They just need their wingnut welfare.
The Trump administration on Friday released a long-awaited application for federal family planning funds that does not explicitly exclude Planned Parenthood but puts a new emphasis on conservative priorities such as abstinence and natural family planning.
Officials said the federal Title X program would provide $260 million to health care providers.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Hopey Changey
Oh boy.
One of President Trump's closest political aides is slated to appear before the House Intelligence Committee to testify behind closed doors in its ongoing investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, multiple sources say. White House communications director Hope Hicks was supposed to appear before the committee in January, but her interview was abruptly postponed while counsel for the White House and committee sorted out the scope of her testimony.
I Guess I'm Overqualified For The Position Of NYT Opinion Page Editor
Because I'm good at this (also, shouldn't he be?).
Actually think he's lost his capacity entirely.
Same, really. Erik Prince, a longtime left-leaning senator. Potato, potahto.
I've lost the capacity to gauge the opprobrium—what’s irrational versus what’s a reasonable amount of Internet outrage these days,” said James Bennet, editorial-page editor of The New York Times, and someone talked about as a future contender for the Times’s top newsroom job. “Look,” he went on, “we’re recruiting different types of writers than we have traditionally, and I’ll make some mistakes. It’s just gonna happen.”
Actually think he's lost his capacity entirely.
There was an episode last March when two prominent national security reporters at the Times took the unusual step of publicly disparaging a Times op-ed, written by the former British M.P.-turned-contentious Twitter phenom Louise Mensch, who has been criticized for fanning conspiracy theories pertaining to Russia. Another eruption involved an op-ed by Blackwater founder Erik Prince, which was alternately lambasted as a “pro-mercenary,” “advertorial,” and a “sales pitch for more mercenaries.” On the anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration, Bennet devoted the entire editorial page to letters from Trump supporters. And Bennet himself committed the sort of unforced journalistic blunder that can bruise careers at a place like the Times when he inserted an editing error that led to a lawsuit, later dismissed, by Sarah Palin.
Same, really. Erik Prince, a longtime left-leaning senator. Potato, potahto.
Cool, Bro
Super special.
Tesla is widely known for periodically leaving lighthearted "Easter Eggs" in its automobiles, mostly taking the form of hidden surprise-and-delight features in their in-car electronics. First-day reservation holders of the new Tesla Model 3 waiting patiently for their car may be in for a different sort of surprise, however: A diecast model replica of their new EV.
As noted by Tesla fan-site Elektrek, CEO Elon Musk has been promising "something special" for early Model 3 hand-raisers for some time now. There had been speculation in Tesla forums that the mystery gift(s) could take the form of something like an exclusive paint color or complimentary Supercharger access, but for now, at least, a Mini-mM model version seems to be the most likely prize. (First-day reservationists previously also received a poster of Model 3 design renderings as well as a thank-you card).
A Nation Of Armchair Warriors
The vigilante fantasy and the heroism fantasy are of a pair. Most of us are unlikely to be action heroes, both because of circumstance and because we're pudgy middle aged dudes who lack a particular set of skills. The vigilante fantasy lets people convince themselves that their bully (and usually racist) fantasies are actually noble ones. George Zimmerman seems to have truly believed he acted nobly instead of shamefully.
Not everyone needs to be a hero, but it seems like too many people really believe they would be if only.
He wouldn't have (as if he can even run) and would have been stupid to if he had.
Not everyone needs to be a hero, but it seems like too many people really believe they would be if only.
President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would have personally run into a Parkland, Florida., school during the shooting there earlier this month, even if he were unarmed.
"I really believe I’d run in there even if I didn’t have a weapon," Trump told governors meeting at the White House to discuss school safety and other issues.
He wouldn't have (as if he can even run) and would have been stupid to if he had.
Outrage Of The Hour
One problem with the darkest timeline is that the hits keep coming. Everything, from the latest stupid tweet to the serious policy decisions, is worthy of outrage, and it's difficult to maintain a good sense of what really matters and what is just theater, if outrageous theater.
More Cars
Regulated medallion tax regimes, even if the systems in some cities were bad, existed for reasons. They existed to restrict the number of cabs so that the services could make money and so that there weren't, well, too many cabs.
I've had to start using one of the services (not the really bad one) when I need a cab because they're driving the hailable cabs outs of business and you can't get one anymore. There's always a car within 3 minutes of picking me up (and many more swarming around) and it isn't as if I live in the hotel/business district.
I never had any idea why people thought they'd mean "fewer cars." They aren't a substitute for car ownership, or for the kinds of car trips you make with personal cars, for most people. They're a substitute for walking, public transportation, and, yes, medallion cabs. There were restrictions on the number of medallion cabs.
I've had to start using one of the services (not the really bad one) when I need a cab because they're driving the hailable cabs outs of business and you can't get one anymore. There's always a car within 3 minutes of picking me up (and many more swarming around) and it isn't as if I live in the hotel/business district.
BOSTON (AP) — One promise of ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft was fewer cars clogging city streets. But studies suggest the opposite: that ride-hailing companies are pulling riders off buses, subways, bicycles and their own feet and putting them in cars instead.
I never had any idea why people thought they'd mean "fewer cars." They aren't a substitute for car ownership, or for the kinds of car trips you make with personal cars, for most people. They're a substitute for walking, public transportation, and, yes, medallion cabs. There were restrictions on the number of medallion cabs.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
The Good Guy With A Gun Problem
Wasn't even his, but when law enforcement arrives they're going to aim and likely fire at the person with the gun. Because presumably they're the bad guy.
And, of course, no matter what the laws say, being a brown person with a gun is an execution-without-trial offense.
In the time between when police were dispatched and when officers arrived, a handful of churchgoers wrestled Jones to the ground. One of the congregants was able to grab Jones' gun.
Officers entered the building and saw the churchgoer holding the gun and opened fire, according to the Amarillo Police Department. The churchgoer was hospitalized in stable condition.
And, of course, no matter what the laws say, being a brown person with a gun is an execution-without-trial offense.
The Penis Hat Brigade
So there's this guy you know who wears a giant penis hat around everywhere. He forms a club for other penis hat wearers. There's a kind of fellowship of the penis hat. They have competitions for who has the best penis hats, the biggest ones, the ones with the most bling, etc. They walk among us, proudly wearing their penis hats, telling each other how cool they look with their penis hats. They hang out in malls and movie theaters, parade up and down their suburban neighborhoods, wearing their giant penis hats, all while the rest of us just point and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh because they're a bunch of fucking idiots.
We would laugh if the penis hats didn't kill people, anyway.
We would laugh if the penis hats didn't kill people, anyway.
Games Kitties Play
Jump over me one way, land on the corner table. Jump over me the other way, land on my laptop. Have to reboot constantly because he keeps pressing key combinations that do weird things that I don't know how to undo.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Finally Some Important Innovation
Good plan.
A patent application published Thursday from the self-driving arm of Google's parent company detailed an elaborate system to prevent motion sickness in its vehicles.
The method involves determining routes that could minimize motion sickness. For example, sensitive passengers would be given a relaxed ride on gentle roads. Those people who are more in a rush could select a faster but slightly rougher trip.
What Happened To Our Oakeshottian Burkean Purity?
Trump brings it out more than usual, but we regularly get conservatives lamenting that their movement is filled with racist hucksters, mad because the new kids say the quiet bits a bit too loudly and because they're getting in on their grift.
One doesn't have to rehash the whole modern conservative party from Goldwater to Nixon and onward. Elite conservatives promoted Sarah Palin to be Vice President. OK, maybe this was just a little mistake. Once they did that of course they had pretend they wanted her to win. Fine. Then they (not all of them, but most) spent at least 2 years promoting her as the leader of their movement (it's sort of been memoryholed, but Politico was Sarah Palin Daily from 2009-2011 or so, and not simply because Politico writers were interested in her).
One doesn't have to rehash the whole modern conservative party from Goldwater to Nixon and onward. Elite conservatives promoted Sarah Palin to be Vice President. OK, maybe this was just a little mistake. Once they did that of course they had pretend they wanted her to win. Fine. Then they (not all of them, but most) spent at least 2 years promoting her as the leader of their movement (it's sort of been memoryholed, but Politico was Sarah Palin Daily from 2009-2011 or so, and not simply because Politico writers were interested in her).
Morning Thread
Reading that Manafort created a paper trail because he didn't know how to convert a PDF file to Word cracked me right up. Put me in such a good mood, I went and got a haircut.
h/t G
h/t G
Friday, February 23, 2018
Friday Crass Commercialism
I've had a Roku for awhile and I'm quite happy with it. I'm no expert on which precise doohickey to get internet video onto your TV is best for your particular wants/needs, but it works as advertised and is simple. Good for travel, too, just bring it with you.
Leaving New York City
OK, I never lived in New York City, but at some point real estate prices hit a point (and my tastes changed) such that I realized I didn't want to live in New York City anymore. In your 20s you can live in flop houses with several roommates, etc..., but most of us don't imagine living that way for the rest of our lives. So, put your time in living like a student with the idea that eventually your income will go up enough that you'll be able to set yourself up long term. Obviously in NYC that doesn't mean the 3000 sq. ft detached home, but it does mean finding a place you can imagine living "the rest of your life."
I don't know what the overall long term trend in the Bay Area is, but prices have certainly hit the point where even if you can afford to go live a few years, unless you're getting techbro VC money, at the moment it's impossible to envision being able to stick around longterm. And it isn't just SF, it's the entire very large area.
Comparing moving truck rates isn't a new methodology, and these kinds of points always have a "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded" element to them, but while supply and demand logic might work for some things - if there aren't enough people around to be supermarket cashiers, eventually they gotta raise the wages if they want to hire anyone - it doesn't work as well for jobs like teaching which have less flexibility.
I don't know what the overall long term trend in the Bay Area is, but prices have certainly hit the point where even if you can afford to go live a few years, unless you're getting techbro VC money, at the moment it's impossible to envision being able to stick around longterm. And it isn't just SF, it's the entire very large area.
Rent a moving truck from Las Vegas to San Jose and you'll pay about $100. In the opposite direction, the same truck will cost you 16 times that, or nearly $2,000.
What accounts for the difference? The simple laws of supply and demand, says economist Mark J. Perry. With so many people leaving the Bay Area, there are not enough rental trucks to go around. Perry, a University of Michigan professor, published his findings in a new study with public policy think tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
CBS News reported recently that operators of a San Jose U-Haul business have trouble getting their rental vans back "because so many are on a one-way ticket out of town." The revelation inspired Perry to compare the costs of U-Haul rentals for trucks leaving San Jose versus those heading into the city.
Comparing moving truck rates isn't a new methodology, and these kinds of points always have a "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded" element to them, but while supply and demand logic might work for some things - if there aren't enough people around to be supermarket cashiers, eventually they gotta raise the wages if they want to hire anyone - it doesn't work as well for jobs like teaching which have less flexibility.
The Battle Of Ideas
One maddening thing about The Acceptable Discourse in DC is that there are people who are paid to lie. It is their job to lie. The bothsides view of this is, well, it's everybody's job, so whatever. Still there's a difference between, say, Big Tobacco lying, and The People Who Fight Against Big Tobacco lying. Let's just stipulate that Both Sides lie. But the financial incentive for the latter to lie is... um, I guess if you're a spokesperson your job is to be an effective "advocate" so maybe you earn your salary by lying if necessary?... but there isn't a billion dollar industry behind going after Big Tobacco. The Big Money is not so big.
The incentives to lie are not identical, so even if none of us are pure, having Both Sides coverage of issues, where one side is The Committee On Feeding Your Children More Lead, and the other side is Save Our Children From Lead Poisoning, means you're going to get a bit more dishonesty from the former.
Related: newspapers really don't have to run PR pieces pushed by the lobbying firms of billion dollar companies. It's just information laundering.
The incentives to lie are not identical, so even if none of us are pure, having Both Sides coverage of issues, where one side is The Committee On Feeding Your Children More Lead, and the other side is Save Our Children From Lead Poisoning, means you're going to get a bit more dishonesty from the former.
Related: newspapers really don't have to run PR pieces pushed by the lobbying firms of billion dollar companies. It's just information laundering.
To Plead Or Not To Plead
I guess we're leaning "plead" right now.
President Trump’s one-time campaign aide Richard Gates is expected to plead guilty in the special counsel’s criminal case against him, setting up the potential for Gates to become the latest well-informed Trump insider to assist in the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential contest, according to sources close to the matter.
Apparently Nazis Are Nazis
Much has been a bit a bit disconcerting over the past 18 months or so, but a big one was the degree to which mainstream media figures pretended that self-described Nazis aren't, well, Nazis. Nazi doesn't just mean "person with dodgy views on race" (that's, you know, the conservative movement generally) or even "white nationalist." It means people who explicitly identify with the perpetrators of genocide and see mass extermination as a "solution" to a "problem." It ain't about the sexy uniforms you fucking assholes.
Late last month, ProPublica reported that the California man accused of killing a gay and Jewish University of Pennsylvania student was an avowed neo-Nazi and a member of Atomwaffen Division, one of the country’s most notorious extremist groups.
...
“I love this,” one member wrote of the killing, according to copies of the online chats obtained by ProPublica. Another called Woodward a “one man gay Jew wrecking crew.”
Car Washes Are A Metaphor
Cost (for those who dream of running robot taxis) and convenience (for the rest of us) are the entire point. And yet...
The most cutting-edge cars on the planet require an old-fashioned handwashing.
Car washes have been automated for decades, but companies developing fully autonomous vehicles must rely on a human touch to keep their cars and trucks in working condition.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Grand Old Police Blotter
Was wondering if this story was just going to disappear forever.
,..book'em danno,
BREAKING: St. Louis prosecutor's office indicts @EricGreitens "on a Felony Invasion of Privacy charge." More to come on https://t.co/dOlpIcJGPk #moleg
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) February 22, 2018
I just saw MO Gov. Eric Greitens being led away in the custody of the St. Louis Sheriff.
— Robert Patrick (@rxpatrick) February 22, 2018
,..book'em danno,
Walker, an early Greitens supporter, called for him to resign in the days after the allegations surfaced. He renewed those calls Thursday when asked whether the House should pursue impeachment.
“I called for him to step down three weeks ago because I thought this was going to happen. … My understanding was he was led off in handcuffs and that’s not a good sign for our executive of the state of Missouri,” Walker said. “He should resign.”
Legal Troubles
TLDR: Paul Manafort laundered millions of dollars in Russia-backed blood money to live a "lavish" lifestyle -- while working for "free" for the Trump campaign. https://t.co/L5qYTKaQJX pic.twitter.com/D1oqO1SNSr
— Tyler Hansen (@tjhansen) February 22, 2018
"Medicare Extra For All"
The name is dumb, but a victory of sorts.
People forget how much ACA was sold not just as "best possible" but "ACTUALLY, good."* Much of this got lost in the "public option or not public option debate," but it wasn't just bad for reasons hippies like me thought, it was bad on their own described terms by failing to live up to its promises as they seemed to believe.
*yes, yes, it's ACTUALLY better than what came before. I know. No need to tell me.
People forget how much ACA was sold not just as "best possible" but "ACTUALLY, good."* Much of this got lost in the "public option or not public option debate," but it wasn't just bad for reasons hippies like me thought, it was bad on their own described terms by failing to live up to its promises as they seemed to believe.
*yes, yes, it's ACTUALLY better than what came before. I know. No need to tell me.
150 Security Guards
Trump suggests "a little bit of a bonus" for trained teachers who are armed, throwing out 10%, 20% and 40% as possible percentages of teachers who might be qualified.
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) February 22, 2018
Also: "You can't hire enough security guards... Your need 100, 150 security guards.”
I don't even know what to say.
Over There
The UK press, while long worse than ours in some ways (their tabloids are vicious, have extreme right wing agendas, and quite often go after normal people instead of public figures), was also better than ours in others. It's really getting bad over there.
This is an exciting time for journalism, because all week the main story in several newspapers has been the revelation that Jeremy Corbyn gave secrets to a Czech spy in 1986, despite there being no evidence whatsoever. So at last it seems that those publications are free to print stories without bothering with the old restriction that there had to be some inkling they might be slightly true in some way.
Gun Nuttery
Gun nuts believe their position is popular. It isn't. They have (have had) intensity on their side for two reasons. One reason is that "gun nuts" are, well, nuts, and they are single issue voters about it. There isn't an equivalent voter opposition. The second is that there isn't an equivalent opposition from electeds. When Democrats do propose gun measures, they're...ant steps. Maybe they're good policies, but even supporters recognize that they're not likely to do much about the basic problem of people killing themselves and each other because it's too damn easy to buy a gun. One side has "give us all the guns all the time fuck you libturds" and the other side has "maybe we should ban bump stocks?". You can't really build a big movement around that.
The outcome of Heller (individual right in 2nd amendment) was supposed to open the door to sensible gun regulation. Fine, it's a right, so we can't take away all your guns, but that doesn't mean we can't have some reasonable regulations. That was a stupid view because that isn't how politics works (nor is it how conservative judges are likely to see Heller). But little things like "constitutionality as interpreted by the Supremos" never stop conservative activists.
The outcome of Heller (individual right in 2nd amendment) was supposed to open the door to sensible gun regulation. Fine, it's a right, so we can't take away all your guns, but that doesn't mean we can't have some reasonable regulations. That was a stupid view because that isn't how politics works (nor is it how conservative judges are likely to see Heller). But little things like "constitutionality as interpreted by the Supremos" never stop conservative activists.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Baby Steps
Our local media have so far treated our new DA like he plans to not just free Mumia, but to make a clone army of Mumias so they can kill all the cops. So far he's doing the kinds of things he said he'd do. The kinds of things our suburban power brokers which exert great influence on the city get very upset about.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Wednesday that prosecutors would no longer seek cash bail for people accused of misdemeanors and some nonviolent felonies, a significant policy shift that could have a wide-ranging impact on the city’s criminal justice system.
Where We Fucked Up
I don't need narcissistic navel gazers about "why I was wrong" but I would like more people who have been in power at key moments and over key time periods and who were responsible for, or party to, key decisions, to explain what they got wrong. I don't know want to know why they got it wrong (well, you, see, those hippies had always been wrong before...I trusted in rich people as they are known for their selflessness... ) except to the extent that illuminates how these things go wrong in general. I don't want to know about how bad decisions were made because of "politics" except as an admission that at the time you were completely full of shit and justified it on the merits. I just want to hear what was wrong.
The people who lead us - even the good ones- have fucked up a lot for decades. I don't get the sense that many of them realize it.
The people who lead us - even the good ones- have fucked up a lot for decades. I don't get the sense that many of them realize it.
Such Fun
Keep'em coming.
New sealed criminal charges have been filed in federal court in the criminal case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller against Donald Trump’s former campaign aides Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, a court record seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed.
Microtransit
Longer read for those interested in my peculiar obsessions. I'll just add that people too often confuse "will this be useful for me if it is implemented in a particular way that happens to benefit me?" which is basically "this might provide me with an extremely cheap on demand cab service" with is this generally a cost-effective thing which will be useful for lots of people?
Also, everybody loves to talk about the "last mile problem." The last mile is a 20 minute walk. The last half mile is a 10 minute walk. Unless your cheap cab is waiting for you at the station and whisks you home directly (which semi-flexible on demand routes will not), and the same to the station, you aren't going to save much time on that. Also, "the last mile problem" with car-sized vehicles faces the same problem as every other transit problem. We have a peak commute problem. It's called rush hour (or daily rush 4 hours, depending on where you live). Need a lot of microtransit at peak times specifically.
Sure robot cars will change all this. Well, some of this. The peak commute problem doesn't change. Let's talk when we have robot cars.
Also, everybody loves to talk about the "last mile problem." The last mile is a 20 minute walk. The last half mile is a 10 minute walk. Unless your cheap cab is waiting for you at the station and whisks you home directly (which semi-flexible on demand routes will not), and the same to the station, you aren't going to save much time on that. Also, "the last mile problem" with car-sized vehicles faces the same problem as every other transit problem. We have a peak commute problem. It's called rush hour (or daily rush 4 hours, depending on where you live). Need a lot of microtransit at peak times specifically.
Sure robot cars will change all this. Well, some of this. The peak commute problem doesn't change. Let's talk when we have robot cars.
We'll Get Chucked Out Of Power Eventually
Looks like the Tory plan is to postpone the true reckoning is long as possible (while probably fucking with free movement, the main good thing about the EU), and then dump it in a successor government's lap.
The British government is seeking an open-ended transition period after Brexit, according to a Whitehall position paper shared with EU member states, which is likely to inflame tensions in the Conservative party.
So It's A Bus
No way this stuff ever makes money. The goal is to con municipalities into giving them contracts and driving out actual local bus services. buses fit 40 people. These don't.
Express Pool will work like Uber Pool, in that drivers will pick up separate passengers and drop them off at different locations. The difference is that Express Pool will usually ask the riders to walk a few blocks to a pickup location, “dynamically located” to maximize trip efficiencies, said Ethan Stock, Uber Express Pool’s product lead, in a video-conference with reporters. Same goes for drop-offs: riders will be let out close to their destination, instead of directly in front of it.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Maybe Read Your Own Damn Newspaper
What the hell?
Maybe we won't see John Lott anymore, but they'll probably replace him with Mary Rosh.
Maybe we won't see John Lott anymore, but they'll probably replace him with Mary Rosh.
Perfectly Aligned Incentives
What could go wrong.
Hospitals are increasingly offering “patient-financing” strategies, cooperating with banks and other financial institutions to provide on-the-spot loans to make sure patients pay their bills.
The Greatest Obstacle To Participation In Public Debate
I get why conservatives want to say "lefty college students" though I don't actually get why centrist-types who claim to be liberals do, other than "that hot hippie chick who sold Socialist Worker papers when I was at Ann Arbor laughed at my small penis."
Most people don't have the luxury of being able to "say what they want" without facing potential lifelong financial ruin, and I don't mean because of libel/defamation suits. I mean because most of us exist in a precarious at will employment existence. A few "idiotic"* college students yelling at Charles Murray, who will be paid quite nicely no matter what, don't qualify as anything worth remarking on.
As with the "pundit defense force" generally, which battles people choose says a lot about them. Even elite college students mostly have no power, and often the "idiots" doing these things are members of marginalized groups who have good reason to object to racists and homophobes and misogynists, who already get paid to write things for our elite publications, getting a stage and a microphone in their communities. The heckler's veto is still speech, and it's unclear why it's more offensive speech than "paying a racist a bunch of money out of your tuition fees." The man with the microphone has already been granted a disproportionate voice and you have to yell to be heard above the sound system. There is no "debate among equals" in these situations.
*I don't necessarily agree that they are "idiotic" (depends!) but I don't feel like arguing specific cases here. Just making the point that what a few college students at a few elite campuses do does not matter one bit unless you imagine you are one of those people who will be paid money to go talk at college students and might, also, too, be yelled at.
Most people don't have the luxury of being able to "say what they want" without facing potential lifelong financial ruin, and I don't mean because of libel/defamation suits. I mean because most of us exist in a precarious at will employment existence. A few "idiotic"* college students yelling at Charles Murray, who will be paid quite nicely no matter what, don't qualify as anything worth remarking on.
As with the "pundit defense force" generally, which battles people choose says a lot about them. Even elite college students mostly have no power, and often the "idiots" doing these things are members of marginalized groups who have good reason to object to racists and homophobes and misogynists, who already get paid to write things for our elite publications, getting a stage and a microphone in their communities. The heckler's veto is still speech, and it's unclear why it's more offensive speech than "paying a racist a bunch of money out of your tuition fees." The man with the microphone has already been granted a disproportionate voice and you have to yell to be heard above the sound system. There is no "debate among equals" in these situations.
*I don't necessarily agree that they are "idiotic" (depends!) but I don't feel like arguing specific cases here. Just making the point that what a few college students at a few elite campuses do does not matter one bit unless you imagine you are one of those people who will be paid money to go talk at college students and might, also, too, be yelled at.
Nothing Is More Important Than The Lifetime Income Streams Of Elite Tenured Columnists
And let's face it, it's a pretty good gig. If you've got a highly paid gig spewing crap about stuff you know little about, while other elites kiss your ass and consider you a part of the club, you're going to want to keep it and have it be as cushy and lucrative as possible AND you're to get a bit annoyed when people, often people who know a lot more than you, point out that you have an undeserved gig spouting nonsense about stuff you know little about.
Blogging isn't much different, except for the lack of respect and lack of riches and, hopefully in my case at least, the understanding that I am not a member of a tiny club of truly elite people who are uniquely qualified to opine in public without fear of criticism. When political blogging became a thing a long time ago, there were two basic reactions: 1) Why are these people qualified to opine on things? 2) It isn't fair that they don't have editors and producers I can complain to so I can try to get them fired.
As for 1), well, I never had any idea what the expertise of most of the people who opine about everything for money was. Once upon a time it was a kind of golden watch at the end of a journalism career, but then after complaints from conservatives about the "liberal media" all of these idiot conservatives with no qualifications except usually nepotism were being pushed onto the opinion pages. And of course no one knows where cable news street meat really comes from.
And 2), well, yes, it's hard to get me fired. It's also hard to get David Brooks fired, so I guess we're even, except for the salary differential.
The clubby "columnist defense force" is always pretty funny, especially as it comes from the same people who are screaming about snowflake college students and their safe spaces. The price of being a rich public figure is now that people are mean to you on the internet in ways you can mostly easily ignore. Boo fucking hoo.
People tend to circle the wagons around their own kind. This is normal. It's also illuminating because it shows who people like Chait actually think "their people" are.
Blogging isn't much different, except for the lack of respect and lack of riches and, hopefully in my case at least, the understanding that I am not a member of a tiny club of truly elite people who are uniquely qualified to opine in public without fear of criticism. When political blogging became a thing a long time ago, there were two basic reactions: 1) Why are these people qualified to opine on things? 2) It isn't fair that they don't have editors and producers I can complain to so I can try to get them fired.
As for 1), well, I never had any idea what the expertise of most of the people who opine about everything for money was. Once upon a time it was a kind of golden watch at the end of a journalism career, but then after complaints from conservatives about the "liberal media" all of these idiot conservatives with no qualifications except usually nepotism were being pushed onto the opinion pages. And of course no one knows where cable news street meat really comes from.
And 2), well, yes, it's hard to get me fired. It's also hard to get David Brooks fired, so I guess we're even, except for the salary differential.
The clubby "columnist defense force" is always pretty funny, especially as it comes from the same people who are screaming about snowflake college students and their safe spaces. The price of being a rich public figure is now that people are mean to you on the internet in ways you can mostly easily ignore. Boo fucking hoo.
People tend to circle the wagons around their own kind. This is normal. It's also illuminating because it shows who people like Chait actually think "their people" are.
Everything I Needed To Know About Politics I Learned At The Applebees Salad Bar
Not gonna click BoBo's latest, but it's that trifecta of Red America whisperer, liberals are doing it wrong, and even when liberals are right they're mean and, actually, they're wrong.
Why should anyone pay for this? Don't.
Why should anyone pay for this? Don't.
So What You're Saying Is That It Will, Then
Funny.
Regarding the 2nd paragraph he means those things will all be worse.
David Davis will tell business leaders in Austria that fears the Conservatives will plunge Britain into a “Mad Max-style world borrowed from dystopian fiction” after leaving the EU are unfounded.
The Brexit secretary will claim that Theresa May’s government wants to oversee a race to the top in global standards, listing workers’ rights, City regulation, animal welfare and the environment as areas for potential improvement.
Regarding the 2nd paragraph he means those things will all be worse.
Monday, February 19, 2018
New Map
"Looks" sensible and still favors Rs, but it'll still be portrayed as dirty dealing by Dems somehow.
"Commonsense Solutions"
Really one of my numerous pet peeve phrases. What should we do? Enact commonsense solutions! What are they? Well the commonsense ones! What are they? The ones I support! Because everything I support is common sense, of course, not like things those clowns to the left and those jokers to the right support! Incremental! Cautious! Commonsense!
Faux-centrism will destroy us all.
Faux-centrism will destroy us all.
Meet George Jetson
I've long laughed at "concept cars" at car shows - even before my self-driving car obsession - because they get a lot of press for no good reason. They're usually the present's idea of what "the future" looks like and of course nothing actually futuristic works yet. Double with the self-driving cars. This one is fascinating. If a car is self-driving...then the driver will be able to do other things! Cool, bro.
But, of course, the “driver” of the I.D. Vizzion will be freed from the need to pay attention to the road, and so the importance of the performance specs is debatable. Instead, the driver will be able to join the passengers in enjoying the ride. They’ll be able to interact with the car’s “virtual host,” which can be done either by voice or gesture control. VW says this digital assistant will know “the personal preferences of the vehicle guests” — that’s my favorite new way to refer to passengers; can’t wait to use it myself someday — in a way that allows it to adapt the car’s “digital ecosystem” to each of them.
Shotgun, Rifle, Handgun, "Assault Weapon"
I put the last in quotes because if you talk to gun nuts there's no such thing as an "assault" weapon and debating the distinctions between not, semi-, and fully automatic is like trying to determine how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, but aside from that, how many guns do people need? There are some people who really do hunt and some people, like farmers, in rural areas who probably have legitimate gun needs, but most gun nuts are just suburban and exurban yahoos who at best like to trek out into the woods and unsafely blow the shit out of things and at worst have vigilante fantasies about slaughtering the dark hordes who are coming to take their women. But even these people...how many damn guns do they need?
At some level it doesn't much matter what they like to spend their money on. Not much difference between 4 and 40 guns ultimately. But if you have 40 guns, I worry a bit about you.
At some level it doesn't much matter what they like to spend their money on. Not much difference between 4 and 40 guns ultimately. But if you have 40 guns, I worry a bit about you.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Everything's Great
OK that's in the Sunday Review not the daily opinion section, which have different editors, but..
No You're The Mark
I recommend this twitter thread from Goldy (click through for the rest.)
Along with this in the New Yorker.
And a lot of them have highly paid positions in major media outlets, are members of Congress, or are even president of the United States! Some are even editors of the New Yorker who published the funniest post-9/11 thing I ever read by the guy who now edits The Atlantic!
All this "facebook is sapping our vital essences" and "fake news" stuff ignores the fact that the real fake news is often the "real" news, not some bullshit websites linked to on facebook. The New York Times partnered with Steve Bannon's crew during the election season (I do keep telling you to delete your subscriptions)! I don't mean fake news in the Trump sense of "news I don't like" or even understandable mistakes. I mean the designed to manipulate you bullshit, either directly by the "journalists" themselves or their editors, or because the journalists themselves are also easily manipulable (they know manipulation is part of the game, yet somehow they are impervious!).
To some degree, if "the Russians" were that successful at election manipulation, it just means that our professionals aren't good enough at it. They're doing the same job.
1/ I know most journalists believe that their own coverage is not easily manipulated by Russians or anybody... which is weird, considering that there are multiple multi-billion dollar industries dedicated to manipulating media coverage.
— Goldy (@GoldyHA) February 17, 2018
Along with this in the New Yorker.
The power of news illiteracy. At the heart of the Russian fraud is an essential, embarrassing insight into American life: large numbers of Americans are ill-equipped to assess the credibility of the things they read. The willingness to believe purported news stories, often riddled with typos or coming from unfamiliar outlets, is a liability of today’s fragmented media and polarized politics. Even the trolls themselves were surprised at what Americans would believe. According to the indictment, in September, 2017, once U.S. authorities had begun to crack down on the fraud, one of the defendants, Irina Viktorovna Kaverzina, e-mailed a family member, saying, “We had a slight crisis here at work: the FBI busted our activity (not a joke). So, I got preoccupied with covering tracks together with the colleagues.” She went on, “I created all these pictures and posts, and the Americans believed that it was written by their people.”
And a lot of them have highly paid positions in major media outlets, are members of Congress, or are even president of the United States! Some are even editors of the New Yorker who published the funniest post-9/11 thing I ever read by the guy who now edits The Atlantic!
All this "facebook is sapping our vital essences" and "fake news" stuff ignores the fact that the real fake news is often the "real" news, not some bullshit websites linked to on facebook. The New York Times partnered with Steve Bannon's crew during the election season (I do keep telling you to delete your subscriptions)! I don't mean fake news in the Trump sense of "news I don't like" or even understandable mistakes. I mean the designed to manipulate you bullshit, either directly by the "journalists" themselves or their editors, or because the journalists themselves are also easily manipulable (they know manipulation is part of the game, yet somehow they are impervious!).
To some degree, if "the Russians" were that successful at election manipulation, it just means that our professionals aren't good enough at it. They're doing the same job.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Smaller and Cheaper
My experience with performing arts (music, theater, dance, etc.) in basically every city I've ever spent time in is that the smaller, more inexpensive, less well-known companies are almost always more rewarding, and certainly more rewarding in a bang for the buck sense. It always takes time to find such things - less free and paid media promoting them - but worth doing!
And Why Would He Do That
It's pretty clear that Javanka just saw their access to the presidency as the ultimate grift.
My belief (what do I know) is that most of our intelligence apparatus is corporate espionage, broadly defined, in that it's about keeping the money flowing to our corporate titans. Can't really blame Jared for wanting to get a piece of that.
Kushner has been present at meetings with the president where classified information was discussed and has access to the President’s Daily Brief, a digest of intelligence updates based on information from spies, satellites, and surveillance technology, according to people with knowledge of his access.
And apart from staff on the National Security Council, he issues more requests for information to the intelligence community than any White House employee, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions.
My belief (what do I know) is that most of our intelligence apparatus is corporate espionage, broadly defined, in that it's about keeping the money flowing to our corporate titans. Can't really blame Jared for wanting to get a piece of that.
Knowns And Unknowns
One thing about interfering with another country's elections and trying to pick another country's leaders (however you go about it) is that I don't think most of the geniuses who think they understand other countries actually do, and certainly not the politicians and political appointees who have grand games in mind but little knowledge. I mean, half the Republicans think Nigel Farage was the prime minister of the UK. I mean this as an example. I don't think politicians in other countries are much brighter (ok, a bit brighter, maybe, we have uniquely stupid politicians, but the other country I follow - Britain - doesn't have ones who are much smarter).
Everybody wants to rule the world, but most people are way too stupid to get it right.
Everybody wants to rule the world, but most people are way too stupid to get it right.
Morning Thread
I know several people who are not going to be enjoying this President's Day weekend. Several may be in Florida. Others in NYC. Still, a few others in D.C.
Friday, February 16, 2018
It's A Dumb Design, Brent
Funny.
Bloomberg reports that multiple employees have found themselves unexpectedly running into the glass walls that are the design hallmark of Apple Park. Some workers reportedly even put post-it notes on the walls to make their presence more obvious. But the visual warnings were removed because they detracted from the office's sleek design.
Not The Twist I Expected
Hmm.
Indictment at the link...skimming now...
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office said Friday that a grand jury indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities for alleged interference in the 2016 presidential elections, during which they boosted the candidacy of Donald Trump.
...
Three defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
Five defendants are charged with aggravated identity theft.
Indictment at the link...skimming now...
What's It All About Then
Even taking a rather rosy view of all levels of law enforcement in this country, I think it's fair to say that they're engaged in a constant push to expand the surveillance state, erode any and all 4th amendment protections, etc. I'm not interested in arguing that they're "bad" here, so I'll accept the story that they're good guys who just want it to be a bit easier to catch the bad guys and Keep Us Safe.
When someone contacts you on the tincan-and-string device and gives you a tip, that's making it easy to catch the bad guys and Keep Us Safe. Easier than all the high tech toys and no knock warrants and whatever else.
When someone contacts you on the tincan-and-string device and gives you a tip, that's making it easy to catch the bad guys and Keep Us Safe. Easier than all the high tech toys and no knock warrants and whatever else.
The F.B.I. failed to act on a tip in January from a person close to Nikolas Cruz warning that he owned a gun and might conduct a school shooting, the bureau acknowledged on Friday, in its first admission that it might have been able to prevent the deadly attack at a Florida high school.
The tipster said Mr. Cruz had a “desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts” and advised the F.B.I of “the potential of him conducting a school shooting,” the agency said in a statement.
Sure
People are so stupid about mass transit.
Even boosters (people who believe in the technology and who are likely overly optimistic about these things) put the capacity at <1000 per hour. I doubt - even if it works! - it's half that, but...
Sure, give away a right-of-way for a ridiculously expensive low capacity trip to the amusement park 60 miles from Cleveland. Everyone's gonna hop in their cars, drive to downtown Cleveland, get on the hyperloop, get off, take the shuttle bus to the amusement park..Or just drive there in an hour (less from the western suburbs of course).
28 minutes from Cleveland to Chicago implies an *average speed* of 730 mph. Adding a roller coaster stop isn't going to help that goal...
Someone pay to me to do consulting for this stuff. I can day drink and play video games for 6 months and then come up with my shocking findings.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Hyperloop Transportation Technologies announced it has signed agreements with the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and the Illinois Department of Transportation to study several high-speed routes that would zoom between Cleveland and Chicago in as little as 28 minutes.
Even boosters (people who believe in the technology and who are likely overly optimistic about these things) put the capacity at <1000 per hour. I doubt - even if it works! - it's half that, but...
The work could take six to 12 months, and will examine potential routes for a Hyperloop line along with the cost, ridership, and possible station locations, she said. Public rights-of-way along I-80, I-90 and the Amtrak rail line will be explored.
"One of the things we want to do is go to Cedar Point," Gallucci said.
Sure, give away a right-of-way for a ridiculously expensive low capacity trip to the amusement park 60 miles from Cleveland. Everyone's gonna hop in their cars, drive to downtown Cleveland, get on the hyperloop, get off, take the shuttle bus to the amusement park..Or just drive there in an hour (less from the western suburbs of course).
28 minutes from Cleveland to Chicago implies an *average speed* of 730 mph. Adding a roller coaster stop isn't going to help that goal...
Someone pay to me to do consulting for this stuff. I can day drink and play video games for 6 months and then come up with my shocking findings.
Big, If True
Pretty good plan.
There was an armed cop there, but oh never mind...
RALEIGH
A North Carolina lawmaker says letting teachers bring guns to school would help save lives in situations like the school shooting that occurred in Florida on Wednesday – and a legislative committee wants to hear more about the idea.
There was an armed cop there, but oh never mind...
In a Facebook comment on another user’s post, Pittman speculated the Florida shooter was part of a conspiracy to “push for gun control so they can more easily take over the country.”
That user’s post later was deleted. Some people online had circulated this photo of a man who is not the suspected shooter, according to Snopes.
Pittman’s full comment: “Not surprising to see the people depicted on his T-shirt. So many of these shooters turn out to be communist democrats, that I suspect they are doing these things to push for gun control so they can more easily take over the country.”
Nobody Cares About The People Who Ride The Bus
Well, they do care about buses that tourists and so-called "choice" riders might ride (airports, special events), because the powers that be imagine they might ride those buses sometimes (but never do), but the buses that the poors ride, not so much.
Upswipz
Above my pay grade, but my guess is the latest tech boom is basically over. Not that there's no more money to be made, just that the era of coming up with a new "killer app" or "a juicer, but connected to the internet" and managing to make a bunch of money is over. The big players will continue to consolidate and continue to make money. But a new dating app or Angry Birds or social app (like Snapchat, but slightly different!)? Probably not.
If This Was A Democrat...
I suppose it'd be good if nobody cares about this stuff again (I don't mean that this behavior is never relevant for public figures, but not in the faux-Victorian morality the Washington Scolds regaled us with during Lewinksy Madness).
Trump and McDougal began an affair, which McDougal later memorialized in an eight-page, handwritten document provided to The New Yorker by John Crawford, a friend of McDougal’s. When I showed McDougal the document, she expressed surprise that I had obtained it but confirmed that the handwriting was her own.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Obligatory Safe Space For The Snowflake Joke
Much more reasonable the black college students being a little bit upset that their campus invites someone to tell them that they are stupider than white people.
Getting the vapors. Take me to the fainting couch.
The director of the EPA’s Office of Criminal Enforcement, Henry Barnet, told Politico that Pruitt was “approached in the airport numerous times” and had profanities “yelled at him” during his travels.
Barnet told the publication that one specific incident saw a person approach Pruitt and shout “Scott Pruitt, you’re f---ing up the environment” while recording it on a cellphone.
Getting the vapors. Take me to the fainting couch.
Something Is Wrong With The NYT
And not saying it would be less sad it there were poor kids, obviously. Just such a waste to see kids with so much opportunity before them wiped out.
— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) February 15, 2018
Assholes
Blame lead or the culture or Fox News, but whatever the cause, a significant number of people in this country are total assholes. Just really mean people. Those of us who, while not saints, at least have a bit of empathy and aren't necessarily prone to kick homeless people for laughs, find this hard to comprehend. Yet...
Did You Know Nazis Don't Like Jews Very Much?
The self-identified "alt-right" including but not just those who happily refer to themselves at Nazis, or at a minimum invoke clear Nazi symbolism, don't like Jews very much. They aren't coy about this. They don't keep it a secret.
After years of watching the modern conservative movement try to marginalize Leftists of any kind for being anti-Semitic, often through little more than tenuous guilt-by-barely-association links, and the "objective" media willing piling on, it's been a bit puzzling to watch. Admittedly often the "leftists are anti-Semites" charges were based on the ever-popular "the real racists are the ones who cry racism" because likening people to Nazis was somehow worse than people maybe being Nazis, so I guess things haven't changed that much, but still you'd think this would be less important than people who were loudly and proudly actual anti-Semites. And, you know, not just anti-Semites, but Nazis, who have a few ideas of what just should be done about the Jewish problem. These things are not hidden!
So all the dapper Nazi photo shoots and loving profiles of the "alt-right" really have shocked me. Explicit bigotry against most minority groups is tolerated and even perpetuated by our elite media outlets, but there was a line there which limited the promotion of Antisemitism. And then there wasn't.
After years of watching the modern conservative movement try to marginalize Leftists of any kind for being anti-Semitic, often through little more than tenuous guilt-by-barely-association links, and the "objective" media willing piling on, it's been a bit puzzling to watch. Admittedly often the "leftists are anti-Semites" charges were based on the ever-popular "the real racists are the ones who cry racism" because likening people to Nazis was somehow worse than people maybe being Nazis, so I guess things haven't changed that much, but still you'd think this would be less important than people who were loudly and proudly actual anti-Semites. And, you know, not just anti-Semites, but Nazis, who have a few ideas of what just should be done about the Jewish problem. These things are not hidden!
So all the dapper Nazi photo shoots and loving profiles of the "alt-right" really have shocked me. Explicit bigotry against most minority groups is tolerated and even perpetuated by our elite media outlets, but there was a line there which limited the promotion of Antisemitism. And then there wasn't.
What's It All For
One thing about the ubiquitous surveillance state is that it never seems to actually prevent any terrorism. Oh, yes, sure they like to hint that They Keep Us Safe regularly, but if they were really busting up plots they'd be screaming it in every news outlet there is, like they do every time the FBI entraps some poor mentally challenged loner with a scary sounding name.
To Use Them For What They Are For
Some guns are designed for hunting. Some for self-protection. There's some overlap between the two, but not too much. The rest are designed to kill people. I think the "self-protection" fetish in this country is stupid and dangerous. A gun for home protection isn't useful if you follow guidelines for safety. Not much use when the intruder comes if it's unloaded and/or locked away. Carrying when you're out and about might be useful, but will probably result in a situation escalating far beyond what it should (personally I don't think we should accept that executing an unarmed mugger is okay, but YMMV).
But, OK, fine, hunting and self-protection. Remington is going bankrupt and the reason probably is that they make guns for hunting and self-protection (well, that and a little class action suit). They mostly don't make guns that are just designed to efficiently kill people for the lolz. I'm not saying REMINGTON IS GOOD. Just that their business mostly wasn't these.
Gun nuts collect lots of guns. I suppose there's a certain madness that affects collectors of just about anything, but Hummels aren't designed to kill people. The guns that gun nuts collect are (I specify "gun nuts" because I suppose you can collect revolutionary war rifles and not be a gun nut). That is their sole useful purpose. And not even in a "self-defense" kind of way. They are offensive weapons designed to slaughter people.
What's the point of this hobby if you aren't planning and hoping to use them for their clear intended purpose?
But, OK, fine, hunting and self-protection. Remington is going bankrupt and the reason probably is that they make guns for hunting and self-protection (well, that and a little class action suit). They mostly don't make guns that are just designed to efficiently kill people for the lolz. I'm not saying REMINGTON IS GOOD. Just that their business mostly wasn't these.
Gun nuts collect lots of guns. I suppose there's a certain madness that affects collectors of just about anything, but Hummels aren't designed to kill people. The guns that gun nuts collect are (I specify "gun nuts" because I suppose you can collect revolutionary war rifles and not be a gun nut). That is their sole useful purpose. And not even in a "self-defense" kind of way. They are offensive weapons designed to slaughter people.
What's the point of this hobby if you aren't planning and hoping to use them for their clear intended purpose?
Death Cult
If you dip into the gun nuts swamps of the internet, and their enablers/sympathizers among supposedly respectable conservatives, it's quite clear that they get very excited when there's a mass shooting event, even at a school. Not quite as excited as they do when a "good guy with a gun" kills a black person, but almost.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Stalemate
On most issues you can, if you try really really hard, argue that "both sides" are intransigent and if only tipnronnie would get together for a drink a "compromise" could be reached which would be good by definition because compromise is always good no matter how many babies it splits. This is often bullshit, but you can sorta do it without being completely dishonest. But on guns? No. There is literally nothing Republicans will support that will in any way make it harder to purchase, carry, or use a gun. Nothing. Except the basic "guns are illegal for black people" which is effective if not actual policy anyway.
So when people like Kristof push this bullshit... well, fuck them. He knows better. He just can't bring himself to say "this is on the Republicans."
I don't think the tiny things Democrats would support (a lot of them aren't exactly into taking all your guns away as I am) would do all that much, but they're more than nothing. For Republicans it's nothing.
So when people like Kristof push this bullshit... well, fuck them. He knows better. He just can't bring himself to say "this is on the Republicans."
This breaks our hearts. If only it would also break our stalemate and lead to more sensible gun policies in America--like these https://t.co/avVvSu95nH https://t.co/LJNH5vWU3J
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) February 14, 2018
I don't think the tiny things Democrats would support (a lot of them aren't exactly into taking all your guns away as I am) would do all that much, but they're more than nothing. For Republicans it's nothing.
Lighting Money On Fire
Fun to run a business like this.
Despite a turbulent year for the ride-hailing company, sales were $7.5 billion. But the company also posted a substantial loss of $4.5 billion. There are few historical precedents for the scale of its loss.
Nothing Really Matters, Anyone Can See...
Washington Post health care reporter.
One could bring up many possibilities, but because she's a health care reporter...
The first year of the Trump administration was dominated by an attempt to repeal ACA and replace it with basically nothing. I can't even remember what was in the final bill before Saint McCain did the right thing for once, but at various times the ability for people with pre-existing conditions to obtain insurance, and therefore medical treatment for their possibly life-threatening ailments, was seriously threatened. I'd guess (I am making this up because I am not a health care reporter) close to a majority of Americans over 50 have a nontrivial medical condition that at the very least requires ongoing monitoring and medication, and of course many more of all ages plus we all have friends and family who could be in that situation even if we aren't personally.
Also, too, there's currently a flu epidemic.
Policy matters. How could you be a policy reporter and not know this?
I actually think it's super weird how people are blaming their diminished sense of well-being on the Trump administration. Personal events determine my quality of life; not who's in the WH.
— Paige W. Cunningham (@pw_cunningham) February 14, 2018
One could bring up many possibilities, but because she's a health care reporter...
The first year of the Trump administration was dominated by an attempt to repeal ACA and replace it with basically nothing. I can't even remember what was in the final bill before Saint McCain did the right thing for once, but at various times the ability for people with pre-existing conditions to obtain insurance, and therefore medical treatment for their possibly life-threatening ailments, was seriously threatened. I'd guess (I am making this up because I am not a health care reporter) close to a majority of Americans over 50 have a nontrivial medical condition that at the very least requires ongoing monitoring and medication, and of course many more of all ages plus we all have friends and family who could be in that situation even if we aren't personally.
Also, too, there's currently a flu epidemic.
Policy matters. How could you be a policy reporter and not know this?
Wednesday Belgian Endive Blogging
I found the "invention" of the endive to be pretty fascinating.
Likely merely a "local" discovery, but still.
Endive has a unique story—it’s a youngster in the vegetable world, which is ironic considering that the root it’s grown from, called chicory, is one of the earliest plants cited in recorded literature. Endive, on the other hand, was a relatively recent discovery, thanks to a lucky accident. In 1830, a farmer named Jan Lammers in Brussels, Belgium, stored some chicory roots in his cellar because he was planning to dry and roast them for coffee (it was commonly used as an additive or coffee substitute). But then he left his farm for several months to serve in the Belgian War of Independence, and when he returned he discovered that his chicory roots had sprouted small, white leaves that were tender, crunchy, and delicious.
Likely merely a "local" discovery, but still.
The Best People
They're all grifters. The best ones, no doubt.
Veterans Affairs Secretary David J. Shulkin’s chief of staff doctored an email and made false statements to create a pretext for taxpayers to cover expenses for the secretary’s wife on a 10-day trip to Europe last summer, the agency’s inspector general has found.
Vivieca Wright Simpson, VA’s third-most senior official, altered language in an email from an aide coordinating the trip to make it appear that Shulkin was receiving an award from the Danish government — then used the award to justify paying for his wife’s travel, Inspector General Michael J. Missal said in a report released Wednesday. VA paid more than $4,300 for her airfare.
They'll Still Have Drivers
I mean, "human monitors."
These figures are kind of meaningless unless you know how much they're gaming the results by driving lots of "easy" miles. Also, I suspect (but don't know) they're obscuring first/last 100 feet problems. But even if you take it at face value that you can run an automated taxi service that only needs a driver once every 5 thousand miles, you still need a driver (I mean "human monitor") all the time if you need one once every 5 thousand. Neat if true! Still not good enough, and no way they work that well in my urban hellhole, which is pretty easy to drive in compared to, say, Boston.
What also may have gone unnoticed was a January news item that Waymo had ordered "thousands" of Chrysler Pacifica minivans from Fiat Chrysler (NYSE:FCAU), which is the car Waymo used in the 100-vehicle early rider program. The order signals that Waymo is ready for widespread deployment, with Waymo CEO John Krafcik announcing, "with the world's first fleet of fully self-driving vehicles on the road, we've moved from research and development to operations and deployment."
...
Not only did Waymo score more miles, but its disengagement rate fell to 0.18 per thousand miles, down from 0.20 in 2016. For reference, a disengagement occurs when a human monitor has to assume control of the autonomous vehicle. Waymo's figure was also well below GM-Cruise, which scored a 0.8 disengagement rate, though GM claimed this was a huge 1400% improvement from 2016, which, admittedly, is also impressive.
These figures are kind of meaningless unless you know how much they're gaming the results by driving lots of "easy" miles. Also, I suspect (but don't know) they're obscuring first/last 100 feet problems. But even if you take it at face value that you can run an automated taxi service that only needs a driver once every 5 thousand miles, you still need a driver (I mean "human monitor") all the time if you need one once every 5 thousand. Neat if true! Still not good enough, and no way they work that well in my urban hellhole, which is pretty easy to drive in compared to, say, Boston.
Don't Shit Where You Eat
Whenever we have "sports fans assault someone" or "sports fans burn down the city" stories, I'm always pretty sure they're coming from the suburbs. One reason is simply that people who attend sporting matches skew white and higher income and, yes, suburban. The other is that as someone who mostly grew up in the suburbs, I get the attitude which is that the city is a place where the normal rules don't apply and you can just fuck shit up because that's what you do. There's plenty of homegrown theft and vandalism and violence, but it's different. It isn't "let's turn over a car for lulz after having 10 beers." Or "let's get liquored up and go start some fights in the city." And, basically, don't shit where you eat for no reason at all.
Again, this isn't "city people good, suburban people bad," it's about suburban people sometimes not seeing the city as a place where people actually live. Just an urban funhouse where The Purge rules occasionally apply.
The one arrest they made was of some young guy from the Main Line.
Philadelphia police asked the public for more help on Tuesday in finding revelers involved with multiple cases of vandalism in the aftermath of the Eagles' first Super Bowl win.
...
In the other clip, a man in a kelly green Eagles jersey is shown holding a crosswalk sign and talks to the camera, appearing to say, "We're gonna tear this whole city apart."
Again, this isn't "city people good, suburban people bad," it's about suburban people sometimes not seeing the city as a place where people actually live. Just an urban funhouse where The Purge rules occasionally apply.
The one arrest they made was of some young guy from the Main Line.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Abolish ICE
First candidate to propose this (meaningfully) gets my vote, unless they're beaten by someone demanding a war crimes tribunal.
Idiot could have robbed them all blind and probably even gotten a personal slave or two (they're all the rage now). Mistake was fucking with the credit card companies.
SEATTLE (AP) — The chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Seattle has been charged with stealing immigrants’ identities.
Raphael A. Sanchez, who resigned from the agency effective Monday, faces one count of aggravated identity theft and another of wire fraud in a charging document filed Monday in U.S. District Court.
Prosecutors with the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section allege that Sanchez stole the identities of seven people “in various stages of immigration proceedings” to defraud credit card companies including American Express, Bank of America and Capital One.
Idiot could have robbed them all blind and probably even gotten a personal slave or two (they're all the rage now). Mistake was fucking with the credit card companies.
Cunning Plans
Politico has published a piece from some University of Chicago law professor and someone else (I didn't bother to google) which is about importing immigrants to be personal slaves. No they don't call it that, but that's what it is. You can find it yourselves.
The worst thing about being wealthy in America is you just can't always abuse your personal servants as much as you can in some other countries. Time to fix that apparently.
The worst thing about being wealthy in America is you just can't always abuse your personal servants as much as you can in some other countries. Time to fix that apparently.
The Internet Of Shit
Over the air automatic software updates for a large fleet of vehicles can be...a problem.
This is only tangentially related, but generally I do not get the touch screen interfaces for cars. You have to look at them as there is no tactile feedback. Meaning it's hard to adjust the radio or the heat or whatever when you're actually driving. Knobs and buttons you can feel for, once you're used to them.
Being able to update your car’s user interface over the air means better access to new features, with fewer trips to the dealer, and — ideally — a quick fix if something’s wrong. But there are inevitably going to be hiccups when a behemoth like, say, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles tries to update the infotainment system it pushes on many of its sub-brands and something breaks. This weekend, as Jalopnik noticed, FCA sent an over-the-air update to its Uconnect platform that is causing infotainment systems in cars to reboot every 45 seconds or so.
...
It’s not just the radio that these customers have lost access to. Uconnect also includes controls for heat and A/C, heated seats and steering wheels, rear-view cameras, and is needed to power things like the vehicle’s voice assistant and even the “SOS” feature. Even with redundant physical buttons — which are becoming rare in a screen-first world — not all of these controls will be available until FCA issues a fix.
This is only tangentially related, but generally I do not get the touch screen interfaces for cars. You have to look at them as there is no tactile feedback. Meaning it's hard to adjust the radio or the heat or whatever when you're actually driving. Knobs and buttons you can feel for, once you're used to them.
I Keep Telling You To Cancel Your Subscriptions
I really didn't think that in 2018 we'd still have John Lott to kick around.
There is nothing conservatives can do to get off the op-ed circuit list.
There is nothing conservatives can do to get off the op-ed circuit list.
Democracy Dies In McArglebargling
The Post has hired McArdle. Of course they have. Where else can we find such well-researched ideas.
The reall issue with Grenfell was the cladding material used on the building, which was not appropriately fireproof and which is banned for such uses in communist countries like the United States. Accepted figure seems to be that the added cost of fireproof cladding would have been about $450,000, or $3750 per unit. Figure a 20 year lifespan (I am making this up) and that's 15 bucks per month per unit (add financing, take away depreciation - I don't know how UK taxes work on this stuff).
Cost benefit analysis is very serious, especially when you don't even make a half-assed attempt to do it as I just did in 5 minutes or understand any of the issues involved. But, hey, the people died because capitalism is always good.
How could anyone react to it all? The easiest way to recover one’s bearings was to look away from Trump for a while. The worst piece of journalism of the year — or as bad a piece as any, and a failure defining our moment — didn’t even have to do with the United States. It was a think piece by Megan McArdle for Bloomberg View, dashed off immediately after the Grenfell Tower fire.
It didn’t really have to do with Grenfell. With less than half the eventual death toll on the books, McArdle felt the urge to warn, in abstract economist terms, against overvaluing the lost lives. “It’s possible that by allowing large residential buildings to operate without sprinkler systems,” McArdle wrote, “the British government has prevented untold thousands of people from being driven into homelessness by higher housing costs.”
The reall issue with Grenfell was the cladding material used on the building, which was not appropriately fireproof and which is banned for such uses in communist countries like the United States. Accepted figure seems to be that the added cost of fireproof cladding would have been about $450,000, or $3750 per unit. Figure a 20 year lifespan (I am making this up) and that's 15 bucks per month per unit (add financing, take away depreciation - I don't know how UK taxes work on this stuff).
Cost benefit analysis is very serious, especially when you don't even make a half-assed attempt to do it as I just did in 5 minutes or understand any of the issues involved. But, hey, the people died because capitalism is always good.
Owning The Libs
I get that's Trump's primary appeal (and Libs includes the Blahs of course), but I still have a hard time understanding Trump-as-Alpha-Male or generally the whiny loser MRA-types who think they took the red pill but actually took the WATB pill. I get the macho hero worship of football stars or action heroes or similar, but Trump? Sure sticking it to the Libs is cool, but I didn't think whining all day every day like Trump does was.
I Tried To Warn The Transit Nerds
Not that it would have made any difference, but a lot of transit nerds kind of shrugged when Christie killed the last tunnel project because they weren't very thrilled about the specifics. But in transit it's usually "this" or "nothing," not "this" or "some better plan I sketched on a napkin."
Now the only real hope is that the powers that be were exaggerating, or were wrong about, the remaining lifespan of the existing tunnels. Clock is ticking...
(Of course Trump's budget isn't going to be enacted as is, but...)
Yet the $12.7 billion Gateway project did not even rate a mention in the much-ballyhooed blueprint for revamping American infrastructure that was unveiled Monday by President Donald Trump.
Trump's Fiscal Year 2019 budget, also released Monday, cuts funding for Amtrak's long-distance passenger trains and eliminates the very federal program through which the project was supposed to be funded.
Now the only real hope is that the powers that be were exaggerating, or were wrong about, the remaining lifespan of the existing tunnels. Clock is ticking...
(Of course Trump's budget isn't going to be enacted as is, but...)
Monday, February 12, 2018
Monday Night
Tomorrow is Tuesday.
This nonsense seems to repeat every 7 days. Maybe we're in a time loop.
This nonsense seems to repeat every 7 days. Maybe we're in a time loop.
I Keep Telling You To Cancel Your Subscriptions
Honestly stunned pic.twitter.com/mDHOhe3eYN
— David Klion (@DavidKlion) February 12, 2018
Bari Weiss is a NYT opinion editor and is always horrible.
..ugh twitter image embed never works right:
1)
2)
So Shocked
I think she's full of shit, but just in case she really believed such a promise perhaps she should pay me lots of money to explain these things to her.
The White House had promised Collins, a moderate, that it would seek a vote before recess on guaranteeing payments to health insurers in order to stabilize Obamacare markets, a key issue for her. But under intense opposition from pro-life groups and from House conservatives, no such vote materialized.
Collins berated Short for reneging on the deal and then walked off after Short tried to explain, according to two people familiar with the exchange.
“I was disappointed the deadline slipped,” Collins told POLITICO in an interview.
I'm The Crazy One
One reason I find new things to obsess about is that I gotta find something to post/talk about on this sucky blog. Just makes the "job" easier. Also I become obsessed when everybody is crazy except for me (always understanding that I might be the crazy one). You know, crazy things like the Iraq War is bad, Democrats don't win by being "not quite as evil as the other guys," expansionary austerity isn't a thing, maybe mortgage relief would be smarter than banskter relief, the tea party was just Republicans, nobody cares about the deficit except Fred Hiatt and sucker Dems, urban hellholes can be kind of nice, having to drive a car everywhere sucks, and, of course, self-driving cars are "never" going to work.
Everyone seems to make money from being wrong about these things. I'm doing it wrong, obviously.
Everyone seems to make money from being wrong about these things. I'm doing it wrong, obviously.
In Philly We Ride The Hoagiemobiles
Americans is weird.
The Hague (AFP) - Veteran US journalist Katie Couric is being mercilessly mocked on Twitter after claiming the Dutch success at Olympics speed-skating was because skating is an "important mode of transport" in their country.
...
But during Friday's opening ceremony as the Dutch team entered the stadium, Couric pondered "why are they so good, you may be asking yourselves?"
"Because skating is an important mode of transportation in a city like Amsterdam," she told audiences tuned into US broadcaster NBC television.
Type The Press Release
I'm obviously not one who thinks Democrats are beyond criticism, but "Nancy Pelosi DOOOMS Democrats" has been the Republican storyline since 2003 and they keep fucking that chicken, with the help from their enablers in the Times.
Fair question. So, let's turn to, um...the Republican Chief Deputy Whip?
As Congress turns to the difficult topic of immigration — the Senate is expected to begin debate this week — some are wondering if Ms. Pelosi is the person to lead her party on an issue that goes to the heart of Democratic divisions in the era of President Trump.
Fair question. So, let's turn to, um...the Republican Chief Deputy Whip?
Ms. Pelosi “didn’t have any cohesive message,” Representative Patrick T. McHenry, Republican of North Carolina and the chief deputy whip, told reporters. “She negotiated the deal. Her team was in on it. She acknowledges it.”
“And at the end, her team broke,” he said. “So I see a fractured caucus on the other side.”
Sunday, February 11, 2018
It Is True That Multiple Sources Rhyming With Skyvanka Said This
Behind closed doors: The president has told multiple people that he believes the accusations about Porter, and finds him “sick.” https://t.co/tsLhL8VkKM
— Axios (@axios) February 11, 2018
Which is not the same as it being true, especially as:
Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018
shruggy.
Maybe It Was All... A Lie?
Only crazy liberal bloggers have been stupid enough to claim, for years, that Republicans didn't care about "fiscal responsibility" (however you want to define that), but that they just wanted tax cuts for rich people, drastic cuts to social programs, and regulation friendly to big businesses (which does not, of course, mean "less regulation" or "deregulation" usually, so stop saying that too). Base Republican voters mostly care about racism and pissing off the libs. Also, too, the Tea Party wasn't about "Teh Deficit" and wasn't some nonpartisan transpartisan coalition. It was racist Republicans. How did we miss the Trump phenomenon? wonder political journalists on their 87th visit to a Pennsyltucky diner. Because you have been willingly peddling misinformation about your supposed field of expertise for decades.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
We're Only All Going To Die If It's On The News
Obviously I'm linking to a news article so it is getting some coverage, but the severity of the flu season isn't getting that much coverage given how many people are dying.
It's enough that there could be panicked newscasts nightly. Or, as we see, not! What is covered has such power to impact our perception of dangers.
It's enough that there could be panicked newscasts nightly. Or, as we see, not! What is covered has such power to impact our perception of dangers.
Why Don't We Just Impeach Him?
I don't mind people saying Trump should be impeached - though they should be a bit specific about precisely why - but there is no "we." Need the majority of the House to impeach (that's after the process actually starts) and 2/3 of the Senate to convict and hahahaha. I mean, it isn't going to happen. I'm not saying no revelation could lead it to happening, but no revelation as of now is going to make it happen. And while this isn't an argument against driving Trump from office on the merits, it also isn't one quick trick to ending Trumpism, because Trumpism mostly isn't about Trump. It's about the Republican party.
We wouldn't have the daily drama with President Pence, but otherwise things would be just as bad. Maybe worse!
We wouldn't have the daily drama with President Pence, but otherwise things would be just as bad. Maybe worse!
The Worst People
As Trump cycles through the list of people actually willing to work for Trump, they're going to get more and more hideous...
Friday, February 09, 2018
Where Did I Hear That Name
Meadows... Meadows...
Oh, right.
I'm not sure Cohn and Mulvaney can do every job? They're totally running out of people...
Several Trump confidantes reached by ABC News said the president is considering multiple names as possible Kelly replacements, among those, top economic adviser Gary Cohn, Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney and Rep. Mark Meadows.
Oh, right.
The House Committee on Ethics is still investigating Rep. Mark Meadows’ (R-NC) handling of sexual harassment complaints against his former chief of staff, numerous sources have confirmed to The Daily Beast.
And though the primary source of interest has been why Meadows, the Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, continued to pay his former top aide Kenny West long after complaints were made about West’s behavior and even following West’s termination, another wrinkle has recently emerged. A former Meadows aide has testified to the committee that top staff and, perhaps, even Meadows himself were made aware of West’s behavior far earlier than has been publicly reported.
I'm not sure Cohn and Mulvaney can do every job? They're totally running out of people...
Why I'm Cranky
Seeing more and more of this type of thing.
For perspective, 30 years ago was 1988. Been stasis ever since.
Montana Sen. Jon Tester didn’t have any specific ideas in mind, but offered some principles the party should look at. “It wouldn’t increase the debt on our kids by a trillion-four, and the middle-class tax breaks — what we have would be permanent,” he said.
He was, however, fairly pessimistic about any changes happening in the near future. “There are a lot of things that could be changed in that, but I don’t see any effort to do any of those things,” he conceded. “I think we’ve got what we’ve got for the next 30 years.”
For perspective, 30 years ago was 1988. Been stasis ever since.
Why Do You Get Arrested For Fare Jumping
But not for stealing much more expensive parking?
I know the answer, but the powers that be need to be asked it more by journalists who are in touch with... haha I kid.
...oops, meant this link, but that one is good too, though different.
I know the answer, but the powers that be need to be asked it more by journalists who are in touch with... haha I kid.
...oops, meant this link, but that one is good too, though different.
But That's All They Have
I don't think "Trump is a unique threat to the country" was a particularly good message - or at least, not enough of one - but take that away and...what's left?
And I'm not against cutting deals that are actually reasonable deals, but you can cut deals and still go for the throat. Republicans always do.
And yet, today, in the highest circles of Democratic party politics, resistance is waning. “This is normal enough,” many key Democrats seem to be saying. When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in advance of Trump’s State of the Union several weeks ago, he focused on finding ways to “work with” the president, such as infrastructure.
Bipartisan rhetoric is nothing new from politicians, but Democrats appear to be slipping towards making substantive policy concessions to Trump. Particularly in the Senate, Democrats have, bit by bit, begun acceding to Trumpian demands. Their attempted shutdown failed after less than three days, as many in the party pushed for a more conciliatory approach.
And I'm not against cutting deals that are actually reasonable deals, but you can cut deals and still go for the throat. Republicans always do.
The General Is Just Not Wise To The Weird Morality Of DC
To be fair, this isn't entirely crazy, because he's been a creature of it for years so one can forgive him for being surprised that "beating your wife" would be frowned upon by them.
Friends and associates noted that with Mr. Kelly’s lack of experience in Washington politics, he may not have been attuned at first to how the domestic abuse allegations against Mr. Porter would be perceived.
The Crime Was Getting Caught
Nobody cared about the beating accusations because nobody cared about the beating accusations. For a certain kind of man (this is somewhat a generational "code of honor", but not just), it's ok to do anything you want to women, it's just not ok to get caught doing it. You know, cheat on your wife, but don't let her know about it, and certainly don't let her know about it in a way she can't pretend she doesn't know by having it become public. Do what you want, but just don't be dumb enough to get caught. The assault isn't the problem, the pictures are. And throw in Trump's narcissism, and the real problem is that it makes Trump look bad.
No one there cared, they just didn't want it to make them look bad. That's Porter's "crime" (and now Kelly and Hicks).
The president, for his part, was deeply displeased with how his staff had handled this latest self-inflicted crisis. According to two sources with direct knowledge, Trump began commenting in the West Wing about how awful press coverage had been of the Porter scandal and “how terrible” it looked that the White House was forced to back down and—in a jarringly uncharacteristic move from Trump-world—ultimately cop to a grave error.
No one there cared, they just didn't want it to make them look bad. That's Porter's "crime" (and now Kelly and Hicks).
Nobody Cares About The Deficit
I've said this for years, though it wasn't quite true. Democratic politicians genuinely thought it was important. Centrist wonks thought it was important. It dominated all of the budget (especially, but not just, when Democrats were in charge) coverage by our objective political press.
Now can we stop pretending the Republicans care about the deficit? Haha the deficit scolds will be back as soon as Dems are in charge again. Only really stupid people can not see that Republicans run up the deficit, with tax cuts, wars, and occasionally some domestic spending, when they are in charge, and then the Democrats reduce it to win the love and adoration ofvoters Fred Hiatt, while not being able to fund any of their supposed other priorities, then we repeat. It's been that way since 1980. Not as if they have been hiding it. "Reagan proved deficits that don't matter," said Dick Cheney.
Now can we stop pretending the Republicans care about the deficit? Haha the deficit scolds will be back as soon as Dems are in charge again. Only really stupid people can not see that Republicans run up the deficit, with tax cuts, wars, and occasionally some domestic spending, when they are in charge, and then the Democrats reduce it to win the love and adoration of
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)