October, 2009 archive
Texting Twits 0
In Delaware, a bogus Amber alert is circulating via text messages.
No Inn at the Room 0
California continues to crumble:
Foreclosures climbed to 47 in January through September from 15 a year earlier and properties in default more than quadrupled to 259, Irvine, California-based Atlas Hospitality Group said in a statement. Atlas specializes in selling hotels. The survey didn’t include states other than California.
Why Do Republicans Hate America? 1
Back when Joe Scarborough was on in the evenings, I used to enjoy his show. He was conservative, but he was sane.
I really did not care what city got the Olympics. The United States has had them several times.
It’s probably time that South America got a chance. Concomitantly, I see nothing wrong with the President’s supporting his country’s and his adopted city’s bid. It falls into the category, “So what?”
When Obama shaves in the morning, some wingnuts will find a way to say he’s doing it wrong and thereby threatening God knows what simply because he’s Not White Like Them.
He’s a scary black man who makes them foam at their mouths and act stupid, except it’s not an act.
Jesus.
Afterthought: I got my country back. It’s called an election and I worked my heart out. Sheesh.
Drink Liberally 0
Triumph Brewing Company, 2nd and Chestnut, Philadelphia, 6 p. Tuesday.
Whether or not I make it depends on whether or not I get the family room painted.
Live charitably.
The Fee Hand of the Market 0
Wellpoint wants guaranteed profits from health “insurance.” The only thing they want to insure is their income.
Pah!
I must stop here. Beyond lies profanity.
Stray Question 0
Why am I getting copies of Popular Mechanics in the mail? I certainly didn’t subscribe to it.
Twits on Twitter 2
It seems to me that this arrest is a little over the top.
The pair were found sitting in front of a bank of laptops and emergency frequency radio scanners. They were wearing headphones and microphones and had many maps and contact numbers in the room.
Official police documents allege the two men used Twitter messages to contact protesters at the summit “and to inform the protesters and groups of the movements and actions of law enforcement”.
Greater Wingnuttery XLII 0
In a letter to the editor in today’s local rag, the writer says:
Wingnut spelling bee:
Coup.
E-L-E-C-T-I-O-N.
Coup.
Wingnut arithmetic:
-
Legislative Branch = 1
Executive Branch = 1
1 + 1 = 3
Afterthought: That’s the kind of arithmetic behind voodoo economics.
Stray Thought 0
Crossword puzzles that rely on intentionally missplet words are evil and presage the breakdown of civilized society.
We Need Single Payer 0
Just a silly little millimeter:
The problem: Her cancer was in a bile duct just outside the liver. Had it been in the liver, the treatment would have been approved. The difference is “a matter of millimeters,” says Rattei.
Then there’s this.
Good Old Golden Rule Days 0
Bennett Cerf told the story of the wealthy alumnus getting a tour for his alma mater from the college president, who’s drooling over a prospective donation.
The prez takes him to his old dorm room. They knock on the door and the current resident opens it. The alumnus says, “Same old room.”
He looks around. “Same old desk. It was a wreck when I lived here.”
He opened the closet to reveal a girl cowering in the corner. “Same old girl.”
“It’s, it’s my sister, sir,” stammered the resident.
“Ahhh,” said the alumnus. “Same old lie.”
Back when I went to school, you had to sneak ’em in:
Bubblelicious 1
Still bursting:
Back story: They invested in what Wall Street was selling.
Follow the link to find out whether your insurance company is on the short list.
Behind the Olive Green Door 0
Stuff goes on that we don’t want to know about.
Secrecy is the enemy. The plain light of day is the friend.
Sauce for the Goose 0
Sauce for the gander. Elizabeth Day at the Guardian:
It came courtesy of an Institute of Child Health study of more than 12,500 five-year-olds that suggested the children of working women are less active and more likely to eat unhealthy food.
The subsequent reaction was rather predictable.
There was the usual thrown-together media debate between muffin-baking housewives and BlackBerry-wielding career women and the stripped pine kitchens of middle England reverberated with the sound of rustling crisp packets as harassed nannies rapidly emptied the cupboards of junk food
But amid all the fuss there was a conspicuous silence from the nation’s men. Interesting though the findings were, it was striking that there was no comparative evaluation of what impact a working father might have on his children. In fact, the role of the male parent had been quite deliberately ignored: according to Professor Catherine Law, who led the study, there was no need to include them because fathers’ employment levels had not substantially changed whereas the numbers of working mothers had increased dramatically in the last few years.
Tell It Like It Is 1
The man who summarized the Republican health plan as follows:
In your heart, you know he’s nailed it. In Republican (and Blue Dog) Land, personal wealth of insurance company execs trumps all, even the health of their fellow citizens.
The Fee Hand of the Market 0
From a story on banks’ reducing their overdraft fees:
That’s the sandwich that, to me, came to epitomize the dangerous presumption that the market will always take care of itself, and its corollary: that banks and other businesses can do no wrong if their intentions are laid out ahead of time in the fine print.
The high-priced hoagie came from a Wawa, but the convenience store chain wasn’t to blame. It was a $4 sandwich, to be precise, plus a $31 overdraft charge – triggered when college student Jeremy Spiller bought it with his Visa debit card and his bank balance fell 11 cents short.
Banks claim that they approve payments and then slap customers with overdraft fees, rather than simply declining the purchase, so as to better serve their customers.
It is possible to say, “Hey, Bank, I can’t keep track of all the coffee I buy on my debit card; just decline the payment.” But you have to opt-out of the fee-generation machine.
Serving their customers.
Up on a platter.
Gratuituous Undeserved Feeling of Superiority Dept. 0
I went to the Wawa last night to get eggs for today’s breakfast and, as I exited my vehicle, got to watch someone back out of a parking place and into a light pole.
Stray Thought 0
Painting walls can be really boring.
