June, 2011 archive
Crocodile Fears 0
Why has the Republican Party suddenly gotten concerned with the rule of law when, for decades, they haven’t given a damn?
Shaun Mullen explains. An excerpt:
So it is no surprise that war fits comfortably with the contemporary Republican embrace of American exceptionalism, neocon saber rattling trumping diplomacy, and rewarding rapacious defense contractors for their profit-making death machines and lavish campaign contributions.
So recent statements from House Majority Leader John Boehner, among other Republican bigs, questioning President Obama’s embrace of the NATO-led mission against Moammar Quadaffi in Libya, as well as more muted criticism of the war in Afghanistan might appear to be a break with the party’s bloody past.
It is not, of course, and is merely yet another manifestation of criticizing everything that Obama says and does.
Facebook Frolics 0
What is it about touching keyboards that disengages the brain relay, rendering the courtesy circuit inoperable?
We Need Single Payer 0
Field reports from the field:
Follow the link for the citation.
QOTD 0
Laurence J. Peter, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for.
Whiskey and Water–Not a Good Mix 0
At least, not on the water:
“I was absolutely shocked. I couldn’t imagine that a boat this big could end up so far off the beach,” Schuld said.
When I had a boat, I didn’t need alcohol to make it fun.
Plus, it can dangerous out there, what with the drunks and all.
Picture at the link.
You would have trouble getting a jet ski that far up the beach.
“Waste, Fraud, and Abuse” 0
Blah, blah, blah.
The truth is, there just isn’t that much of it in real terms. The real waste, fraud, and abuse are in what items are funded, not in how the funds are spent.
Click for a larger image.
Meanwhile, piles of money are set on fire in the Middle East and South Asia.
Drinking Liberally Wednesday in Virginia Beach 0
Fun and fellowship for liberals. Join us.
When: Wednesday, June 22, 6 p
Where:
Kelly’s Tavern
1936 Laskin Rd, # 201
Virginia Beach, Va. (Map)
More here.
I hope to shake my summer cold by them.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct 0
NCAA is holding a retreat to consider ways to fix the cesspool that is big time NCAA athletics.
The Boston Globe has an excellent editorial on this. Here’s a bit:
My guess is that they will be more concerned with whitewash than with deep cleaning.
I’ve lost interest in college sports. The parade of cheating–in the front offices, not on the fields–the exploitation of the players, and the sell outs to the media have done me in.
I’ll watch the bowl games on New Year’s Day, but that’s about it.
Sowing the Wind . . . . 0
Harold Meyerson considers the wingnuttiness of most of the declared candidates for the Republican Presidential nomination and wonders who’s responsible.
Then he suggests an answer:
Legal Vigorish 0
Da mob got nuttin’ on dis racket:
Fifteen minutes after turning over the car’s title to a title lender in Suffolk, he emerged with the cash his girlfriend needed.
That was in late August.
Today, Wood regrets being in such a hurry. After paying more than $700 so far for the $500, he still owes $1,265, much of it interest, and is behind on his monthly payments, he said.
If he fails to pay what he owes, the 20-year-old Suffolk resident likely will lose his car, which is essential for getting to work and running errands for his girlfriend, Wood said.
Follow the link for much more.
Mitt the Flip Drives His Flivver Around and Around and Around and Keeps Running into Himself 0
In Mitt World, it’s always Opposites Day.
Joan Venocchi considers Mitt’s position on the auto industry (first, criticizing McMaverick during the campaign of the Republican nomination for proposing nothing, then criticizine President Obama after the election for doing something) and on Michigan’s overall employment situation (not so hot, despite the improvement in the auto sector):
One could argue the Mitt the Flip is a weather vane/vain (either spelling works) blowin’ in the winds of whatever the hell sounds good today.
Legacy 0
Celebrate thirty years of Reagonomics’s making the rich richer and the poor poorer.
From MarketWatch:
Well, it turns out that working longer is indeed an option, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute latest study. The only problem is that the latest research shows that you’ll have to work much longer than you anticipated. In fact, many Americans will have to keep on working well into their 70s and 80s to afford retirement, according to the study, titled “The Impact of Deferring Retirement Age on Retirement Income Adequacy.”
What’s more, it’s even worse for low-income workers, according Jack VanDerhei, one of the co-authors of the study. Those who earned (on average over the course of their careers) less than $11,700 per year, the lowest income quartile, would need to defer retirement till age 84 before 90% of those households would have just a 50% chance of affording retirement.
Much more at the link, if you can bear it.
________________________
Note: Yeah, except for that pesky no-jobs-to-be-had thing.
