2011 archive
Just Because Someone Says It Don’t Mean It’s Worth a Listen 0
Paul Krugman on the phony balance of “on-one-hand-on-the-other-hand” (emphasis added):
Via Bob Cesca.
On! Wisconsin 0
Wisconsin Governor Walker is apparently a repeat offender. Rachel Maddow reports on how he made up a financial crisis in Milwaukee to bust a union. Now Milwaukee is paying significantly more than before for a lower level of service.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Via The Richmonder, who’s on a roll this week.
Republican Family Values, Fagin Dept. 0
As Glomarization pointed out in a post I linked to yesterday, these people are crazy.
Now, a Missouri Republican wants to repeal Missouri’s child labor laws.
It’s to be expected from folks who think puppy mills are good.
Next up, kiddie mills.
Keep No Fly Closed 0
Simon Jenkins comments of the pressure to intervene in Libya.
It’s a lot of macho posturing by politicians and commentators who want to be macho by remote control. They will not be in harm’s way and will watch their strategies unravel from the safety of their television rooms. It’s not like they got anything right about Afghanistan and Iraq. Or Viet Nam in 1954. Or Nicaragua in 1909. Or Guatamala in 1954. Or Iran in 1953. . . .
Here’s a nugget. I think the part I’ve emphasized catches the nut of the matter:
Read the whole thing. I find his arguments persuasive.
QOTD 0
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.,from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
The aim of the law is not to punish sins.
Calling a Teabag a Teabag 0
Glomarization wrote it up so I don’t have to.
Follow the link for her reasoning.
Facebook Frolics 0
The new trend: Giving up Facebook for Lent.
Afterthought:
The most impressive Lenten observance I have ever seen was done regularly by my old co-worker, Jack.
A smoker of three decades, he would regularly give up cigarettes for Lent. It was not an attempt to quit. He started smoking again after Lent.
Anyone who has ever tried to quit will know how impressive that is.
Armies of the Right 1
Oh My Gov! reports on Arizona Republican efforts to give their governor a personal army.
Republicans in the Arizona State Senate have recently introduced bill SB 1495 which would establish a “state guard” that can be called upon by the Governor, in this case the beloved Jan Brewer, to provide state security in the event of the federal government calling up the Arizona National Guard or (and this is the fun part) “for any other reason the governor considers to be necessary.”
The bill goes on to specify that the Governor would have the power to establish an “armed force for the safety and protection of the lives and property of the citizens of the state.”
As I recall, some other states tried something like that about a century and a half ago. It didn’t work out so well.
86 Recession Proofs 0
At least one industry is doing okay.
Its shares jumped 7 percent in morning trading.
Adventures in English 0
How “young” came to be paired with “stupid” came to be a cliche:
Only about a third of the young people said they feel such behavior is very dangerous.
QOTD 0
Bertrand Russell, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, Thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought is great and swift and free.
Can’t Win for Losing 0
So my friend volunteered to take calls for her local PBS station’s Beg-a-thon.
The first call she got was from a viewer complaining about the programming.
He Was Framed, Metaphorically Speaking 0
Conventional wisdom, which may be correct, has it that the right is better at “framing” issues–that is, twisting issues in their favor–than is the left. Andrew Sullivan cites an article that their shamelessness might have something to do with:
A piece from the latest On the Media investigates how this may work; it casts some light on how an issue’s “framing”–the language used to describe it–serves to influence subconsciously persons’ reactions. From the OTM website:
Follow the link to listen or to read the transcript, or listen below:
Facebook Frolics 0
On one level, this begs for snark, but, on a deeper level, it is somehow very sad.
The feature is being run in conjunction with Samaritans, which said several people had used it during a test phase.
Facebook is, after all, nothing more a than website with a database. Many, including me, have found it to be a useful tool, but it’s still a tool.
