August, 2013 archive
Deja Vu All Over Again (Updated) 0
Reg Henry is concerned about a rush to war.
That had the makings of a mistake anyway. A moderate rebel in Syria might be someone who allows you a blindfold before he chops your head off. If amnesia did not have such a national hold, we might remember that arming the Mujahideen when the Russians occupied Afghanistan seemed like a good idea at the time, but the blowback gave us Osama bin Laden and his pals.
(snip)
The same critics who urge Mr. Obama to war now will be urging him to more war later.
It appears that we can’t learn from history.
Hell, we can’t even learn from the present.
Addendum, Later That Same Morning:
PoliticalProf talks sense.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
For all practical purpose, flat.
(snip)
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits dropped by 14,000 to 2.99 million in the week ended Aug. 17. The continuing claims figure does not include the number of Americans receiving extended benefits under federal programs.
The four-week moving average, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figures, rose to 331,250 last week from 330,500 the previous week.
Bloomberg’s “experts” were pretty close.
As my old boss used to say, “Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while.”
The Fee Hand of the Market 0
Out on the Left Coast, some Native American folks want to build a new casino.
Others claim that it will ruin their (no doubt gated) communities.
Who’s behind the opposition?
Why, natch, it’s not the neighbors. It’s an astro-turf campaign.
It’s the other casino (in concert with the world’s biggest casino, the one in Lower Manhattan).
Dan Morain reports:
Brigade Capital Management, a secretive investment house, dumped $261,100 into the campaign to qualify the referendum earlier this month. Two other New York investment firms chipped in $89,000. Table Mountain casino, a 30-minute drive from Madera, gave $350,000, the start of a campaign that will cost millions.
This sounds like classic Abramoff.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness must be learned young.
Another student mentioned the gun to a Jordan Hill Elementary School teacher, who found the gun Tuesday afternoon, according to Judy Parker, spokeswoman for Griffin-Spalding County schools. The teacher brought the backpack and gun to the principal, who called police and the child’s parents, Parker said.
Crash Course 0
I lived near and drove in Philly for a quarter century.
This is old news.
Passing a Mileystone (Updated–Kicked to the Top) 0
It occurs to me that the silly and stupid fuss over Miley Cyrus’s silly and stupid performance at the MTV awards is emanating from persons who think Hannah Montana is real.
Afterthought:
After I drafted this (you really don’t think I spend all day on this stuff, do you?), I stumbled over an interesting and reasonably sane conversation on this topic at Delaware Liberal.
Addendum, the Next Day:
This article puts the ruckus into a cultural and historical perspective that seems sensible.
Cooch and the Cuckoos Fail To Follow Suit 0
Instead, they try to trump women’s rights by playing the Weiner card. (Wait for it–it’s right at the end of this short clip.)
Because, when you cut through the “family values” rhetoric, it’s all about wiener über Frauen.
Via Mother Jones.
The Secesh 0
Because it worked so well the last time.
Grand County commissioners will discuss joining 11 other Colorado counties in forming a 51st state.
Syria 0
Don’t go there.
It’s a lose-lose situation, yet another endless war.
Despite the glorious delusions of the war faction (none of whom, it should be noted, would actually be in harm’s way), we are not the Omnipotent States of America.
If the Great and Glorious Patriotic War for a Lie in Iraq and its companion piece in Afghanistan have proved nothing else, they have proved that.
Afterthought:
These folks are always willing freely to sacrifice other persons’ children for their fantasies of potency. Why don’t they just buy themselves some Viagra?
Pah!
