January, 2009 archive
Legacy 0
Jon Swift reviews everything that George W. Bush has done to for the nation.
(Man, I wish I could write that good!)
Thumbnail Definitions 0
–Franklin D. Roosevelt
Stolen from the comments at the Booman Tribune and independently verified.
And here’s a bonus quotation.
Oh, Stop with the Republicrap Already 0
Via Dan Froomkin (emphasis added):
“‘I don’t think he needs to apologize. I think what he needed to do is take bold, aggressive action and he has,’ Cheney said. ‘I don’t think anybody saw it coming.’ . . .
Who saw it coming?
Everyone. Anyone.
Rubini. Krugman. Krauss. Just to name three.
But “I don’t think anyone saw it coming” is sure a nice out for those who did it, ain’t it.
The People or the Party? 0
McClatchy:
Natch, we all know what it’s going to be.
The Party, not the people.
It has to do with using ideology to deny the Real World. (Via Andrew Sullivan.)
The Dumb Ones Get Caught 0
And I thought nothing happened in Delaware today:
Early today, troopers closed in on the pair after receiving reports from two women whose cars were damaged.
Warrants have been signed against the teens charging them in eight incidents.
Oh, yeah. The smart ones get bailouts.
This Means Nothing to Me (Updated) 3
Thank heavens!
Prediction: Lots of favorable teaser articles from persons who think Windows is computing; followed by a much-ballyhooed release; followed by massive fail; followed by rumors of how the next next Windows release, codenamed Passaic or Fresno or something or other, will fix all the problems; followed by . . . oh, never mind.
Addendum, the Next Morning:
Typical Microsoft Bletch and Switch tactics.
Bushonomics: The Gift that Keeps on Giving Taking
0
Life is also tough in contractor-land:
Job losses over the whole of last year totalled 2.6 million, the biggest annual loss since 1945 when 2.75m jobs were shed, the US labour department said.
The bulk of the year’s job losses came in the last four months when 1.9m people were laid off. In December alone, US employers cut 524,000 jobs. The original numbers for October and November were also revised higher.
“Once You Let the Dogs off the Leash, There’s No Way To Get Them Back on” 0
How the Bush administration betrayed the blood and ideals of the founders and two and a half centuries of American law and practice. From the Fresh Air website:
In his 2008 book, Torture Team, Sands argues that the harsh interrogation policy that emerged after Sept. 11 came from high-ranking government officials and top military figures.
Sands warned in a June 2008 Fresh Air interview that the impact of the Bush administration’s conduct would be felt internationally: “The terrible tragedy of these memos and that dark period is that they have migrated into the hands of people who now say, ‘Well, Americans do it. We’re going to do it also.'”
But Sands believes that President-elect Barack Obama can begin to restore the U.S.’s global reputation. In a Dec. 4 article in The Guardian, he recommended that the next administration conduct a comprehensive, independent investigation of alleged abuses committed against detainees since Sept. 11, 2001.
Sands is a professor of law at University College London, where he directs the Centre for International Courts and Tribunals.
Follow the link to listen to the interview.
Foxy 1
No fox in this henhouse.
Score One for the Good Guys 0
This is what can happen when you follow the money:
The $2.5 million verdict will likely cripple the Imperial Klans of America, which has 16 chapters in eight states.
Support the SPLC here.
Scranton Chainsaw Massacree 0
Parking must be tough in Scranton:
(snip)
Kane was angry because a friend of Zaleski’s parked in front of his house across the street. Police say when Zaleski asked who was at the door, Kane said it was his worst nightmare, told him, “Open the door or I’ll cut it down,” and started sawing.
Full Disclosure: I’ve been to Scranton (and Wilkes-Barre, for that matter). I didn’t see anyone carrying chainsaws.
The Day in 100 Seconds Meta Thread 0
Nothing captures the vapidity of modern coverage of political news more effectively than Josh Marshall’s compilations:
In Your Name 0
Below the fold.
Warning: It’s pretty rough. But it’s your tax dollars at work.
Via the Booman Tribune.
And Now for Something Completely Different 0
H/T Alison for the vid.
Still Crazy after All These Years 0
Not just crazy. Bleeding delusional.
I cannot wait until Lt. First Son gets a boss who lives in the real world.
H/T Karen for the link and the nitro pill for my heart palpitations.
Casting Call 2
Christopher Lee to play Ann Coulter? Inquiring minds want to know.
Tone Deaf 0
No more sense of history or self-awareness than a box of rocks.
Ripped from the Rerun 2
A Law and Order rerun I saw last night started with a lost pair of pants.