Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Jindal + Rebuttal Panned + Suck It!!!
Now, to Bobby Jindal's rebuttal (on behalf of the Republicans) to President Obama's address last night.
I struggled through. Oh, that sweet-as-honey-southern-boy-awww-shucks-shit is back again (Carter, W.). You know the public drinks that shit up. We Americans fucking love it. And coming from a Rhodes scholar (ahem, Clinton)? It is the political equivalent of KY... the new kind with warming sensations.
Ahh, but not so fast, this is only your first date with us!
This was no sweet-tea-on-your-front-porch-fanning-yourself-summer-evening-chat. What happened, in between the "Happy Mardi Gras" to the "God Bless America" was that Jindal's cadence and message came off more as an old man twanging away on an out-of-tune banjo. The drawling address was a rehash of the same worn-out platform proselytizing that we hear from the likes of Boehner, Cantor, Kyl and the lot... the same we have heard from W. and Turd Blossom. These ideas have decidedly not worked.
And at at times, it simply lacked coherence. If this was his coming-out party as the great hope for the Republicans in 2012, I can only sigh and hope that all these programs Obama is instituting start paying dividends.
But don't take it from me... I'm an east-coast-lefty-elitist-windbag. Take it from some of this country's foremost conservative windbags on Fox News:
BRIT HUME: "The speech read a lot better than it sounded. This was not Bobby Jindal's greatest oratorical moment."
NINA EASTON: "The delivery was not exactly terrific."
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: "Jindal didn't have a chance. He follows Obama, who in making speeches, is in a league of his own. He's in a Reagan-esque league. ... [Jindal] tried the best he could."
JUAN WILLIAMS: "It came off as amateurish, and even the tempo in which he spoke was sing-songy. He was telling stories that seemed very simplistic and almost childish.
Ahh. It's good! Too good, perhaps.
Why? Jindal is a Republican. With self-purported democratic "friends," including a rebel Sheriff — they were almost arrested together! And his biography, born to Indian-American immigrant parents, working his way up through school, and Congress. He was on the ground for the tragedy of Katrina, and in spite of all the anger at the administration, he was able to become the Republican Governor of Louisiana. He plays the core Republican message close to the vest. Turning down Recovery funding for Louisiana for welfare expansion ($100M out of $3.8–3.9B) to make a principled [read as: partisan] point. And don't forget he is a new face, a different face for the lilly white GOP.
Shoot! Doggone it! Simple math says you got the Republican answer to Barack Obama. Only more self-made, and more self-reliant. Republicans should be patting themselves on their backs.
Remember, this is just the first dipping of toes into the national political waters and really won't mean much in the long run to the GOP. Perhaps it shouldn't. I mean look at the line-up they're fielding these days. [Shudder!]
And just as a personal snarky side note: My biggest fear, as far as the media of politics goes, is having to listen to Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal actually speak for the duration of the 2012 cycle. I can just see it coming now. I may have to just kill myself, kill myself dead.
I struggled through. Oh, that sweet-as-honey-southern-boy-awww-shucks-shit is back again (Carter, W.). You know the public drinks that shit up. We Americans fucking love it. And coming from a Rhodes scholar (ahem, Clinton)? It is the political equivalent of KY... the new kind with warming sensations.
Ahh, but not so fast, this is only your first date with us!
This was no sweet-tea-on-your-front-porch-fanning-yourself-summer-evening-chat. What happened, in between the "Happy Mardi Gras" to the "God Bless America" was that Jindal's cadence and message came off more as an old man twanging away on an out-of-tune banjo. The drawling address was a rehash of the same worn-out platform proselytizing that we hear from the likes of Boehner, Cantor, Kyl and the lot... the same we have heard from W. and Turd Blossom. These ideas have decidedly not worked.
And at at times, it simply lacked coherence. If this was his coming-out party as the great hope for the Republicans in 2012, I can only sigh and hope that all these programs Obama is instituting start paying dividends.
But don't take it from me... I'm an east-coast-lefty-elitist-windbag. Take it from some of this country's foremost conservative windbags on Fox News:
BRIT HUME: "The speech read a lot better than it sounded. This was not Bobby Jindal's greatest oratorical moment."
NINA EASTON: "The delivery was not exactly terrific."
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: "Jindal didn't have a chance. He follows Obama, who in making speeches, is in a league of his own. He's in a Reagan-esque league. ... [Jindal] tried the best he could."
JUAN WILLIAMS: "It came off as amateurish, and even the tempo in which he spoke was sing-songy. He was telling stories that seemed very simplistic and almost childish.
Ahh. It's good! Too good, perhaps.
Why? Jindal is a Republican. With self-purported democratic "friends," including a rebel Sheriff — they were almost arrested together! And his biography, born to Indian-American immigrant parents, working his way up through school, and Congress. He was on the ground for the tragedy of Katrina, and in spite of all the anger at the administration, he was able to become the Republican Governor of Louisiana. He plays the core Republican message close to the vest. Turning down Recovery funding for Louisiana for welfare expansion ($100M out of $3.8–3.9B) to make a principled [read as: partisan] point. And don't forget he is a new face, a different face for the lilly white GOP.
Shoot! Doggone it! Simple math says you got the Republican answer to Barack Obama. Only more self-made, and more self-reliant. Republicans should be patting themselves on their backs.
Remember, this is just the first dipping of toes into the national political waters and really won't mean much in the long run to the GOP. Perhaps it shouldn't. I mean look at the line-up they're fielding these days. [Shudder!]
And just as a personal snarky side note: My biggest fear, as far as the media of politics goes, is having to listen to Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal actually speak for the duration of the 2012 cycle. I can just see it coming now. I may have to just kill myself, kill myself dead.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
I need a saw
Well, I have to say that [luckily] the economic downturn/crisis/disaster hasn't really had much of a tangible effect on us, until now. And how it has is not in any catastrophic way — honestly, it isn't even that bad, really.
But what has happened, or technically has not, makes me incredibly angry. Angry at banks and predatory lending, angry at the belligerent securities and stock markets, and angry at the millions of people who weren't taking care of their keep and contributed to this unbelievable bust.
Let me say, we are fortunate. Of course, our retirement savings have taken a dive — a huge dive — but we were still able to buy a [heap of a] house and got a great interest rate to boot. Hell, we have good jobs, health insurance, and a wonderful dog. And my wife still loves me from what I can tell.
The following sounds terrible in light of the true hardship many families are facing, but here goes...
We can not get a loan from our banks. A small loan that would allow us get work done on the "investment heap" we bought last December. A heap, that has great potential. A heap, that in spite of all this craziness, has $80K in equity.
Work, that is necessary and value-boosting. Work that we got a remarkable price on from our contractor. Work that is not do-it-yourself-sweat-equity-I-am-capable-of-swinging-a-hammer-and-measuring-shit-before-I-cut work.
I shouldn't even call it work, I should call it home improvement. Hell, let's go with "Community Development". As it would boost the value of the houses around us as well.
Banks that just two months ago, happily approved us for a loan at $150K more than we ended up spending. These troglodyte institutions now say, "No dice, we are not lending." And mind you... we are asking for nowhere near this much — we are just asking to use a portion of our own equity. Our own money. We want to use our own money. We have golden credit, good income, and have a financial history many can only dream of. And, let me reiterate, we are not allowed to use our own money.
Blah, blah, blah. Bitch, bitch, bitch. It is out of our control, and the situation we are facing is not a result of our own lack of discipline. I understand the basic premise of this whole damn disaster, so I get why banks are not lending. It doesn't make me any happier about it, it makes me more indignant.
We were going to do our part in a small bit of economic stimulus. So, a sincere fuck you to every person and institution who didn't take care of their keep.
Now I need to go buy a saw.
But what has happened, or technically has not, makes me incredibly angry. Angry at banks and predatory lending, angry at the belligerent securities and stock markets, and angry at the millions of people who weren't taking care of their keep and contributed to this unbelievable bust.
Let me say, we are fortunate. Of course, our retirement savings have taken a dive — a huge dive — but we were still able to buy a [heap of a] house and got a great interest rate to boot. Hell, we have good jobs, health insurance, and a wonderful dog. And my wife still loves me from what I can tell.
The following sounds terrible in light of the true hardship many families are facing, but here goes...
We can not get a loan from our banks. A small loan that would allow us get work done on the "investment heap" we bought last December. A heap, that has great potential. A heap, that in spite of all this craziness, has $80K in equity.
Work, that is necessary and value-boosting. Work that we got a remarkable price on from our contractor. Work that is not do-it-yourself-sweat-equity-I-am-capable-of-swinging-a-hammer-and-measuring-shit-before-I-cut work.
I shouldn't even call it work, I should call it home improvement. Hell, let's go with "Community Development". As it would boost the value of the houses around us as well.
Banks that just two months ago, happily approved us for a loan at $150K more than we ended up spending. These troglodyte institutions now say, "No dice, we are not lending." And mind you... we are asking for nowhere near this much — we are just asking to use a portion of our own equity. Our own money. We want to use our own money. We have golden credit, good income, and have a financial history many can only dream of. And, let me reiterate, we are not allowed to use our own money.
Blah, blah, blah. Bitch, bitch, bitch. It is out of our control, and the situation we are facing is not a result of our own lack of discipline. I understand the basic premise of this whole damn disaster, so I get why banks are not lending. It doesn't make me any happier about it, it makes me more indignant.
We were going to do our part in a small bit of economic stimulus. So, a sincere fuck you to every person and institution who didn't take care of their keep.
Now I need to go buy a saw.
That Old Bastard + Didn't Really Expect This + Suck It!!!
From Rupert Murdoch:
As the Chairman of the New York Post, I am ultimately responsible for what is printed in its pages. The buck stops with me.
Last week, we made a mistake. We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted.
Over the past couple of days, I have spoken to a number of people and I now better understand the hurt this cartoon has caused. At the same time, I have had conversations with Post editors about the situation and I can assure you — without a doubt — that the only intent of that cartoon was to mock a badly written piece of legislation. It was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by many as such.
We all hold the readers of the New York Post in high regard and I promise you that we will seek to be more attuned to the sensitivities of our community.
As the Chairman of the New York Post, I am ultimately responsible for what is printed in its pages. The buck stops with me.
Last week, we made a mistake. We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted.
Over the past couple of days, I have spoken to a number of people and I now better understand the hurt this cartoon has caused. At the same time, I have had conversations with Post editors about the situation and I can assure you — without a doubt — that the only intent of that cartoon was to mock a badly written piece of legislation. It was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by many as such.
We all hold the readers of the New York Post in high regard and I promise you that we will seek to be more attuned to the sensitivities of our community.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Krugman + Banking on the Brink + Op-Ed
What we want is a system in which banks own the downs as well as the ups. And the road to that system runs through nationalization.
Read the entire column here.
Read the entire column here.
Obama + Financial Responsibility + Live Stream
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Friday, February 20, 2009
McCain + Iseman + Suck It!!!
To the staff,
Vicki Iseman has dropped her lawsuit against The Times, just weeks after it was filed. We paid no money. We did not apologize. We did not retract one word of the story, which was a compelling chapter in the tale of Senator John McCain and his political rise.
The story stands as a powerful examination of a presidential candidate who cast himself as an ethics reformer and scourge of special interests, yet seemed blind at times over the course of his career to appearances of conflicts of interest.
The article was the result of deep reporting, dozens of interviews and an abundance of caution. I am as proud now of the work of the reporters -- David Kirkpatrick, Jim Rutenberg, Stephen Labaton, and Marilyn Thompson -- as I was the day it ran.
In Friday's paper we are publishing a note to readers that repeats what we had already said in countless interviews, that the article did not state or intend to conclude that Ms. Iseman had engaged in a romantic relationship with Mr. McCain.
We let Ms. Iseman's lawyers have their say in a commentary on the Web, with a response from Bill Keller. Why? Because that's what we do. We let people we write about have their say.
Dean Baquet
More here.
Vicki Iseman has dropped her lawsuit against The Times, just weeks after it was filed. We paid no money. We did not apologize. We did not retract one word of the story, which was a compelling chapter in the tale of Senator John McCain and his political rise.
The story stands as a powerful examination of a presidential candidate who cast himself as an ethics reformer and scourge of special interests, yet seemed blind at times over the course of his career to appearances of conflicts of interest.
The article was the result of deep reporting, dozens of interviews and an abundance of caution. I am as proud now of the work of the reporters -- David Kirkpatrick, Jim Rutenberg, Stephen Labaton, and Marilyn Thompson -- as I was the day it ran.
In Friday's paper we are publishing a note to readers that repeats what we had already said in countless interviews, that the article did not state or intend to conclude that Ms. Iseman had engaged in a romantic relationship with Mr. McCain.
We let Ms. Iseman's lawyers have their say in a commentary on the Web, with a response from Bill Keller. Why? Because that's what we do. We let people we write about have their say.
Dean Baquet
More here.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Keith + Michelle Bachmann + Parallel Universe
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Keith + Al + Improve the Discourse
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Obama + Lincoln Bicentennial
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Keith + Lawrence O'Donnell + Health Care Lies
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Phenomenal
This may be one of the best Craig's List posts of the Winter. You know, this, and all the Missed Connections.
Classic
(CNN) – Sarah Palin once accused Barack Obama of “palling around with terrorists,” a catchphrase intended to highlight Obama’s connection to former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers.
Now that the campaign rhetoric has subsided, Ayers has an idea for a new show starring his Alaskan nemesis.
“I did send her a note after the election,” he says of Palin in the upcoming issue of the New York Times magazine. “I suggested that we have a talk show together called ‘Pallin’ Around With Sarah and Bill.’ I haven’t heard back.”
Lincoln + Bicentennial + Truth
This is a fantastic special. If you are looking for the reconciliation between myth and truth, it is well explored.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Pepsi + The Gravitational Pull
Want to know how Arnell justifies the new Pepsi logo? Thanks to a mole, now you can.
I warn you, it is out there, man. I mean, I am all about defending design choices, but this is fucking out there. Talk about a lofty goal for your brand.
I have to see the style guide.
Obama + Town Hall + Ft. Myers + Live Stream
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Monday, February 9, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Corner Store
It is strange being so far removed from one's childhood, by the distances of time and geography. Interrupted by the immediacy of one's daily routine. And to see an image that makes it all come rushing back.
For many residents, the Corner Store was a staple. A place for last minute items and a bit of gossip, their daily news, their bit of community. The white picket fence you lean on to chat with your neighbors, in a place without many fences.
When I was real young, my grandmother ran the store. It had penny candy and hunters hats, staples like sugar and flour, cleaning supplies, magazines, beer. It had a small dark bar to sit at and sip your coffee with a few odd stools that looked old even then. Sitting in these stools, were salty, worn, good folks — folks who seemed hard and made you mind your manners just by being there. I was never comfortable, at any age, sitting in those stools.
I remember eating dinner there some nights with my grandmother when my mom had to work. And staring at the newspapers, eye level at that time, that were right next to the box of Swedish Fish. I would always pick a few out of.
For many of my friends, it was a place where their parents worked at one point or another, or they had their first job. It changed a lot over the years. Owners, hours, size, even the position of the cash register.
To me it is, ultimately now, a thing of memory. The first place I ever attended an apple pie contest. When I was six, I bought a pack of cigarettes at the Corner Store. Carltons, and they were for my mother. It was before this sort of thing was frowned upon. It was where I got caught stealing at the age of 8. And though they probably should have followed me around the store from that point on, they didn't, because they trusted that I had learned from it. And, for the most part, I had.
To this day, it's the one place that I knew exactly everything they had for sale and which shelf it was on.
I remember dropping a gallon of milk when I was about 10 while crossing Bear Notch Road. It smashed right there in the road, in front of a dark car. Debbie and Dave gave me another one, no charge.
I remember tourists in the parking lot, on their way in or out of the Notch, scratching their heads at the prospect of a store close while their was still sunlight.
I remember knowing the gloom of winter had really begun when the store closed early, because of winter hours.
I remember being among friends and family the first time I went to the store after my car accident with Brett. How Debbie insisted I take the sandwiches that I ordered, and I insisting that I pay. And the warmth and sadness and fog of that moment.
I must have run to that store on an almost daily basis until I left town for good in college. And, no matter what, I always stopped on the way back through.
In the last few years, the cheese steaks weren't as good, the faces not as familiar, and I felt more like a tourist than a local. I bought mostly beer on the way to friends houses, only now with no one to talk to along the way, no familiar glance, no picket fence to lean upon.
I guess this is what eventually happens the older you become, the further away you travel. And slowly, surely that place becomes less and less your own. The familiarity fades. The roots remain, but the branches no longer bare so much fruit.
Some great performances in here...
Live from Abbey Road on the Sundance Channel. Search around. I am pointing you specifically to The Black Keys set.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Back the McCaskill Plan
Let your Senator's know that you agree with Claire McCaskill. Click here.
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