May, 2011 archive
Q. What’s Blowing in the Wind 0
A. The Opinions of the Gingrinch.
Afterthought:
If the Gingrinch is a “Republcan intellectual,” then “Republican intellectual” is an oxymoron.
Via TPM.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
A little better, but this over 400k.
Declining firings and gains in hiring are helping sustain consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy, even as food and fuel costs increase. While payrolls have climbed for seven consecutive months, a jobless rate close to 9 percent underscores the need for a pickup in employment that will spur growth.
There Be Dragons 0
The Eye of Sauron turns to Hungary:
Actually, this is rather clever.
Area 51 0
Terry Gross opens Area 51 to some Fresh Air. From the website:
In Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base, Jacobsen details how several agencies — including the Atomic Energy Commission, the Department of Defense and the CIA — once used the site to conduct controversial and secretive research on aircraft and pilot-related projects, including planes that traveled three times faster than the speed of sound and nuclear-propelled, space-based missile launch systems.
Follow the link above to listen or read the transcript here.
On! Wisconsin, Wanton Random Cruelty Dept. 0
Signs of Spring 0
The UPS guys’ knees are in bloom.
Little Ricky Bondage Master 0
The Republican sadistic streak resurfaces:
Santorum was on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, and responded to a question about Sen. McCain’s (R-AZ) repeated assertions that torture doesn’t work and that there’s no evidence that it led to the killing of Osama bin Laden.
(snip)
“And so this idea that we didn’t ask that question while Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was being waterboarded, he doesn’t understand how enhanced interrogation works.” I mean, you break somebody, and after they’re broken, they become cooperative.
Why don’t they just go buy some magazines from one of those yellow (why are they always yellow?) stores with the windows blocked out and satisfy their needs in private?
I’m tired of hearing their skeevy fantasies.
The Comcastics 0
Contextual Criticism 0
Noz has an excellent suggestion.
Follow the link to find out his reasoning.
Dog Whistles 0
Political blogs will frequently refer to rhetorical “dog whistles,” meaning statements that sound innocent until their connotations are dissected.
One famous “dog whistle” was Ronald Reagan’s references to “welfare queens.” It said, “welfare fraudsters,” (and anyone can deplore fraud, unless it’s committed by Wall Street banksters, apparently), but it meant “persons of the not-white persuasion.”*
At We Are Respectable Negroes, blogger chaunceydevega challenges us to understand the dog whistles, using the Gingrinch as his example:
I think it would be more fun to rehab Gingrich’s logic.
Follow the link to see the rehab treatment.
________________
*One attempt to trace the history of Mr. Reagan’s remark to see whether it contained any truth concludes that it did contain an eensy-weensy itty-bit, but that the facts were completely contrary to the tune played on the dog whistle.
Sovereign Dangerous Silliness 0
Except it’s not all that silly.
Folks who call themselves“sovereign citizens” have been known to kill people.
According to the search warrant affidavit:
Simmons stopped Jones because he saw hand-written words “Virginia” and “private use” placed over the man’s license plate.
Jones locked his doors and barely cracked open his window and refused to identify himself. He told Simmons he was a “free citizen on a free highway” and provided different names. The trooper asked for identification at least 10 times.
Humpty-Dumpty Huckster History 2
Am I the only person who sees parallels between Republicans’ making up history to suite their cause and Soviet Russia’s making up history to suite its cause?
Click to see the image at its original size and location
August J. Pollack, the cartoonist, comments. A nugget:
Follow the link for more about the cartoon.
If you feel particularly brave (or foolhardy) Mr. Pollack links to the Huckabee Hucksters History site.
I’m not going to help the Huckster’s Google juice.
Virginia Beach Democratic Committee Third Thursday Dinner 0
- What: Virginia Beach Democratic Committee Third Thursday Dinner
- When: May 19th, 6:00 PM
- Where: Kelly’s Hilltop Tavern, 1936 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23454 (map), in the nonsmoking section.
This week, there is a guest speaker:
-
Michael Signer, 2009 candidate for Lt. Governor, and current head of the Dominion Project PAC will be speaking about the New Dominion Project and its goals.
Show up, order off the menu (separate checks), socialize, and talk politics–or whatever else interests you.
These tend to be smaller gatherings, highly informal, and a lot of fun.
Also, don’t order the “Philly Cheese Steak.” It’s not Philly, and it’s certainly not a “Philly cheese steak.”
See the Facebook page for more information.
Trademarking Valor 0
In a world where everything is marketing . . . .
That is, in Disney World:
In the application, the trademark would cover clothes, footwear, toys, games, Christmas ornaments, snow globes and other items.
This is absurd and sick-making, not only due to the greed, but also due the disrespect to the military and to the pure icky cynicism it betrays.
Via Le Show.
RonPaulCare 0
Proctor and Ossman figure out Ron Paul’s health care plan. The revelation comes about 22 minutes into the podcast at the link:
“He wants to legalize heroin and he wants to get rid of Medicare.
I’ve got it!!
You legalize heroin and get rid of Medicare, so when people get sick, . . . they just shoot up and everything is cool!
Note: Next Monday, the “Current Show” link will update to a new show and this show will be moved to the Show Archive.