2010 archive
The Constitution of the United States of America 0
If you haven’t read it, now would be a good day to do so. It’s not that long, fewer than 10,000 words. (From the Government Printing Office.)
Reading it will put you ahead of Republicans and Teabaggers. Reading and understanding it will put you ahead of gLibertarians, who tend to carry copies of it around but do not understand the meaning of “as amended”).
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings
of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.
The President’s Weekly Address 0
It is time to pour wind on oily waters.
Spill Here, Spill Now, Flack Always 0
Alex Beam in the Boston Globe pens a note to Buccaneer Petroleum. A nugget:
The next best thing to caring is advertising that you care.
Thank heavens no one remembers that you were once the British Persian Oil Company, a colonial oligopoly probably more responsible for the ongoing bloodbath in Central Asia than any other business or government in history. But why dwell on the negative, especially now?
Your critics temporarily hold the upper hand — the “little people,’’ the media sermonizers, the pusillanimous politicians who were hectoring you for handouts just a few months ago. This, too, shall pass. Like Americans everywhere, they need their overpowered cars, their grandiose, climate-controlled McMansions, and their scalding hot showers every day. A year from now, they’ll be begging you to drill more, deeper, farther from shore.
Windmills? How charming. Good for grinding flour, less useful for powering the most wasteful economy in the history of mankind.
Gallows humor keeps us from tears.
Why the News Industry Is Failing, One More Example Dept. 0
Most of the headlines I’ve seen are describing this as a “flub” or something similar.
It should more accurately be labeled a “realization,” as the writer at the link points out.
The Cat’s Whispers 0
I once asked my vet why my cat did something (she would eat the front half of a mouse and leave me the back half as a present; I wanted know why the front half).
Dr. Epstein looked at me for a long moment and said, “Don’t ask me to explain anything cats do.”
Frankly, I doubt (un)reality television can do better, but they’ll probably make a damn sight more money providing far less of a service than my vet.
Virginia Attorney General Explained 0
Ben Goldacre considers research into the interplay between preconceived notions and science at the Guardian (there’s a lengthy description of the study at the link):
This casts light on Cuccinelli .
Light Bloggery 0
Redwing Park
QOTD 0
Thurgood Marshall, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony, or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.
Spill Here, Spill Now, She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Corner When She Comes Dept. 0
BBC:
Once oil becomes caught in the Gulf of Mexico’s fast moving Loop Current, it could be carried thousands of miles, around Florida, up the Atlantic coast of the US, and then out into the open ocean.
An animation by the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) suggests that concentrations of oil in the water south of Florida will start to become detectable around 70 to 90 days after a leak starts. The Deepwater Horizon rig sank on the 22nd April.
Animated map at the link.
Mudflats has more wild well pictures, even while reminding us that BP is going all out to prevent news coverage. Buccaneer Petroleum knows that out of sight is out of mind with much of the American public.
Fil-Am Friendship Day 0
Filipino American Friendship Day, July 3, Redwing Park, 1398 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach, Virginia, 9:30 a. m. till dark.
Tomato Juice 0
My Daddy told me how, during the Depression, he and lots of other persons learned how to make tomato juice in restaurants by pouring catsup into a glass of water.
Fortunately, he grew up on Pine View Farm, so his family always had food.
Steven D at the Booman Tribune recalls some facts, leading up to some lessons from history. Here’s a excerpt from the “lessons” portion towards the end of his post:
You can’t say that about the policies promoted by republicans and conservative Democrats over the last 30 years. Those polices led to corruption, fraud, and an economic implosion on a massive scale unknown since the Great Depression. They have also set Americans against fellow Americans and put a heavy anchor on our ability as a nation to compete and succeed in the world.
The entire post is worth the 10 minutes it takes to read.
Californication 0
From the state government who put the “fun” in dysfunctional: Ever notice how Republicans try to stick it to employees when the elected representatives fail to do their jobs?
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered some 200,000 state workers to be paid the minimum wage because no budget has been passed.
The state controller is refusing to carry out the directive. Details at the link.
“We Want Our Country Back” 0
Well, no, they don’t. They want a fantasy land that never existed.
In the Guardian, Michael Tomasky looks at the America John Boehner-Boner grew up in. Some nuggets:
In the America John Boehner grew up in, private-sector union membership was around or above 30%. Today’s figure is 7%. The right to form a union was broadly accepted. Outside of a few small turbulent pockets, there was no such thing as today’s union-busting law firms hired by management to go into workplaces and intimidate workers.
In the America John Boehner grew up in, the country had a president – a Republican president – who believed the following:
Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.
Larval Air 0
“Bugs just began to fall out of the overhead compartment” causing panic on board, passenger Desiree Harrell was quoted as saying by Associated Press.
All the passengers were then asked to get off so crews could clean the plane.
The airline said a container of spoiled meat brought on by a passenger caused the delay of the flight to Charlotte.
I started at the railroad in the complaint department; we were in the same department as the baggage claims guy.
One summer, he got a claim from someone who wanted to be reimbursed for a side of pork. Seems he had put it in a suitcase and checked it in the baggage car from Georgia to New York City.
The claim was denied.
Bubblicious Popping Sounds 0
Not just in San Jose (emphasis added):
The Great Recession continues to cast a deep shadow over Silicon Valley’s economy, with new figures released by the Santa Clara County assessor’s office today revealing the disturbing disappearance of thousands of businesses during the last year.
The report also confirmed a historic plunge in overall property values, with Santa Clara County’s assessment roll for 2010-11 dropping about 2.4 percent, from $303.8 billion to $296.47 billion. Not counting a massive decline after Proposition 13 went into effect in 1978, this year’s reduction is the largest since 1933 — in the early days of the Great Depression.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 1
Creeping upwards once more:
Republicans and Blue Dogs appear to have a two-pronged strategy to remedy this:
- Cut back on unemployment benefits so fewer persons swell the number of recipients, and
- Throw more people out of work.
Bingo. Unemployment problem solved.
Greater Wingnuttery LI 0
Teacherken explains.