2012 archive
Epitaph for an Economy 1
The Philadelphia Inquirer pens a paean to the last Silverliner II commuter cars, self-propelled electric train cars designed for commuter service, which first entered revenue service nearly 50 years ago.
Indeed, when I lived in Narberth, Pa., I rode to work and play in Center City almost every day on Silverliner II trains. They weren’t particularly elegant and were about as streamlined as bricks, but they worked.
They worked for almost half a century.
The Budd factory and the Baldwin Engine Works, as well as most other heavy manufacturing in Philly, are long gone.
One little sentence about halfway through the story encapsulates the legacy of vulture capitalists and bubblicious banksters, an epitaph for an economy:
Mitt the Slips under the Radar 0
Dick Polman considers Mitt the Flip’s reaction to the Supreme Court ruling on Arizona’s Driving while Brown law.
Much more at the link.
Mitt the Flip: There’s no there, there.
Afterthought:
One who can believe in anything, believes in nothing.
One who can believe in nothing has no soul.
Comment Rescue, Republican Beatitudes 1
From commenter Mary, commenting on this post. This is too marvelously done not to have wider exposure–at least as wide as my little backwater on the innerwebs can give it.
The Sermon on the Radio
Limbaugh. 5:3-13
3 Blessed are the physically wealthy,
for they shall rule the earth.4 Blessed are those who are not Mexican,
for they will not be deported.5 Blessed are the bankers,
for they will foreclose on the meek.6 Blessed are those who cause others to hunger and thirst,
for they shall be called capitalists.7 Blessed are the merciless,
for they will be called good businessmen.8 Blessed are the corporations,
for they are people too.9 Blessed are the war profiteers,
for they will be called good Americans.10 Blessed are those who persecute because of self-righteousness,
for theirs is the pulpit and podium.11 Blessed are you when you insult others, persecute others and falsely say all kinds of evil against others because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward on earth, for in the same way persecuted the great conservatives who were before you.
The Fire Ant Next Time 2
Dick Destiny questions today’s meme that the Supreme Court’s upholding of the Affordable Care Act will somehow energize the right wing.
He seems to be in sort of a “for Pete’s sake get real” mood:
Follow the link to find out what fire ants have to do with anything.
The Rule of Law 0
In Wingnut World, the the only law that matters is the law of “my way or the highway.”
They are interested in rule, not law.
Sauce for the Goose . . . 0
McClatchy:
Writing in The Atlantic magazine, Anne-Marie Slaughter cited her own downshift from powerful State Department official to mere Princeton University professor as evidence that they cannot, at least not as US society now stands.
Notice how no one ever wonders why men can’t have it all?
It’s because men expect to have it all by birthright. And by and large get away with it.
I’ll give you an example:
I had stayed home with my sick son. The next day, the boss, who had raised two sons after a nasty divorce from a nasty man, called me into her cubby and asked, “Why have you been missing so much time to stay home with your kid?”
“My wife said to me, ‘Why should I always be the one to miss work?'”
Boss looked at me for about 15 seconds, then said, “You know, you’re right. Get out of here.”
Best boss I ever had.
Speaking of Political Thuggery . . . 2
. . . as I was in the previous post, score one for the forces of truth, justice, and the American way over thuggery.
Afterthought:
This is why I have generally ignored all the agonizing over how the decision would turn out.
Congress Issa Contemptible 3
At the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Duquesne University law professor Ken Gormley considers contemptible Congress. He focuses on the Republican Party’s willingness to sacrifice everything–history, the law, ethics, the Constitution–to political thuggery.
A nugget:
If Rep. Issa believes he has the power to hold the nation’s chief law enforcement officer in contempt, what would stop Attorney General Holder from returning the favor by arresting Rep. Issa on the streets of Washington for “seditious behavior?” The only thing stopping him would be the Constitution’s command that powers be separated to preclude such monkey business.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
No significant change:
(snip)
The four-week moving average decreased to 386,750 from 387,500, which was the highest since the week ended Dec. 3.
QOTD 0
Oscar Wilde, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius.
Twits on Twitter, Cosplay Dept. 0
At Psychology Today, Stephanie Newman argues that twit cosplay–twitting as someone who isn’t–on Twitter is somehow a good thing.
As near as I can interpret her argument, it seems to boil down to “if it feels good, do it.”
But I’m must a cranky old man.
Facebook Frolics, Man in the Middle Dept. 0
Facebook attempts to bamboozle users into using at-facebook-dot-com email addresses.
Typical.
The link describes how to stop displaying the at-facebook-dot-com email address, but, consistent with its practice, Facebook moved the settings around again and it took me about five minutes to find it. There is no way to make that at-facebook-dot-com email address go away, though.
Anyone who tries to email me at that address, forget it. I’ll never check it and, if I stumble over it in a drunken stupor, I’ll just delete the mails.
Thanks to Todd for reporting this.
Truth in Advertising 0
H/T Chris.