Remember That?

Um, no.

Pretty Good List

Certainly haven't sampled all of these things, but this is a pretty good list of tasty treats in Philly.

A Winter's Tale

As with many of the discussions about the law and copyright and journalism, this is a view of what Very Important People should be allowed to do and what the rest of us should be allowed to do.

It often isn't the what, it's the who.

Wanker of the Day

Mara Liasson.

Stupid Development Tricks

Yes, a big mixed used development would be preferable by the stadiums, but inevitably a SoCal-style outdoor mall is what we'll get.

And Critics From The Right?

For some reason they seem to like those.

Good morning.

I know I said you should call and write, but it would be great if lots of people planned personal visits to their reps while they are supposedly back in their constituencies supposedly listening to their constituents. I'd really like them to be forced to have that conversation about how if they really want to be fiscally responsible, they need to explain why they won't support single-payer, which would cost us less than what we have now.

Update: Digby is on the look-out for ways you can help counteract the teabaggers who have been organizing disruptions of healthcare Town Hall meetings.

Further update: Here is an event that worked out nicely.

Signed,
Not Atrios

Wingnut Playground

I'm not cynical, so I figure only about a third.

Evening Thread

Just some filler.

Not The Point

When John Bolton saw Bill Clinton go to North Korea, his penis got a little bit smaller. And that's really what it's about.

Happy Hour Thread

Enjoy.

Sestak

Operation Make Arlen Behave is officially on.

Someone reminded me in email that I said I'd throw in $100 if he ran, which I will do...

Afternoon Thread

enjoy

I Think I Wrote About This Phenomenon Yesterday

Arthur Laffer on CNN:

If you like the Post Office and the Department of Motor Vehicles and you think they’re run well, just wait till you see Medicare, Medicaid and health care done by the government.

Suburban Hellholes

Not my cup of tea, but plenty of suburban areas are just fine, though we should still get rid of a whole host of policies which subsidize and encourage their development. The real problem places are those which have somehow been built up to urban level densities without having an appropriate transportation network to go with it.

Why Aren't All Latinos Like That Nice Fella Miguel?

That they lack even rudimentary self-awareness on this issue is impressive.

Impressively bad, of course.

Post'd

Funny.

Development

Matt has the right take on transportation infrastructure, though I will add a bit of caution. All new rail construction makes a lot more sense in places where land use and zoning rules will allow construction around stations which makes sense. This is somewhat less of an issue for HSR than for intra-city and intra-metro area transit but still true to some degree.

Boba Fett

I'm pretty sure we knew this in general terms, though the details matter of course.

Now, although the Justice Department has conceded it can’t rely on those confessions and can no longer imprison Jawad based on the laws of war, it’s said it may file new criminal charges against him based on previously unavailable eyewitness testimony to the crime. Those witnesses, however, according to Jawad’s U.S. military defense lawyer, were all paid in gifts or cash in exchange for their testimony.

U.S. Marine Corps Major Eric Montalvo, one of Jawad’s military defense lawyers, said he’s spoken to all of “the government’s star witnesses” and “they all have a couple of things in common.” First, “they know how to describe the day of the incident anywhere from two to five different ways, placing themselves in different locations for each of these descriptions and witnessing or not witnessing different things,” he said in a recent e-mail message. Second, “they have all received some sort of U.S. government compensation, from shoes and a trip to the United States to $400 for cooperation, which is a princely sum in Afghanistan.”

But There's Nothing There?

I really don't get the point of putting transit on the waterfront, which is a little section of car heaven in this city. I'm all for extending the trolley lines farther down Market Street, but then run them North and South along, say, 4th & 5th St.