Texas Dems are on the lam to stop a fair redistricting plan, and US Senate Dems use filibuster to block court appointments that have majority support. Taken together, these moves represent a reliance on anti-democratic means of advancing an agenda with which the majority clearly does not agree. So they’re now the Anti-Democratic Party, nothing … Continue reading “The Anti-Democratic Party”
Texas Dems are on the lam to stop a fair redistricting plan, and US Senate Dems use filibuster to block court appointments that have majority support.
Taken together, these moves represent a reliance on anti-democratic means of advancing an agenda with which the majority clearly does not agree. So they’re now the Anti-Democratic Party, nothing more and nothing less.
US Congress set to honour Blair The Congressional Gold Medal was first struck to honour the first US President, George Washington, for his services in the Revolutionary War of Independence against Great Britain.. Now Tony Blair is set to become the first Briton since Sir Winston Churchill to receive such an honour. Winnie was half … Continue reading “Here here” US Congress set to honour Blair The Congressional Gold Medal was first struck to honour the first US President, George Washington, for his services in the Revolutionary War of Independence against Great Britain.. Now Tony Blair is set to become the first Briton since Sir Winston Churchill to receive such an honour. Winnie was half American, so the honor is greater than it appears. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Chunnel, wailing and gnashing of teeth: The French government believes it is the victim of an “organized campaign of disinformation” from within the Bush administration, designed to discredit it with allegations of complicity with the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein. It seems unlikely that the Administration cares all that much about France’s image. Even the cattle are freaky in Marin County: A dozen Holstein cows grazing near Skywalker Ranch in Marin County apparently got spooked and ran off a 50-foot cliff, according to authorities. Motorists on Lucas Valley Road saw the cows cascade over the hilltop at about 11 a.m. Wednesday, said Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Doug Pittman. … Continue reading “Cheap burgers for all” Even the cattle are freaky in Marin County: A dozen Holstein cows grazing near Skywalker Ranch in Marin County apparently got spooked and ran off a 50-foot cliff, according to authorities. Motorists on Lucas Valley Road saw the cows cascade over the hilltop at about 11 a.m. Wednesday, said Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Doug Pittman. Some of the cows tumbled end-over-end as they slid down the slate and gravel cliff, witnesses told sheriff’s deputies. They probly saw a nekkid 50-year-old hippie rising from a hot tub and couldn’t take it. Study reveals plunge in big fish numbers Fully 90 percent of each of the world’s large ocean species, including cod, halibut, tuna, swordfish and marlin, has disappeared from the world’s oceans in recent decades, according to the Canadian analysis — the first to use historical data dating to the beginning of large-scale fishing, in the … Continue reading “Fish stocks falling” Study reveals plunge in big fish numbers Fully 90 percent of each of the world’s large ocean species, including cod, halibut, tuna, swordfish and marlin, has disappeared from the world’s oceans in recent decades, according to the Canadian analysis — the first to use historical data dating to the beginning of large-scale fishing, in the 1950s. Fish stocks are down, but fishing isn’t necessarily the culprit. There’s been a huge increase in the whale population since prohibitions on whaling took effect a decade ago, and whales eat massive numbers of fish. Responsible whale harvesting will restore part of the fish population, and responsible fishing will keep it stable. In US waters, the trend is “steady, incremental improvement.” The New York Times reports on their massive group therapy session over Jayson Blair: “Our paper has a commitment to diversity and by all accounts he appeared to be a promising young minority reporter,” Mr. Raines said. “I believe in aggressively providing hiring and career opportunities for minorities.” “Does that mean I personally favored Jayson?” … Continue reading “Group therapy in New York” The New York Times reports on their massive group therapy session over Jayson Blair: “Our paper has a commitment to diversity and by all accounts he appeared to be a promising young minority reporter,” Mr. Raines said. “I believe in aggressively providing hiring and career opportunities for minorities.” “Does that mean I personally favored Jayson?” he added, a moment later. “Not consciously. But you have a right to ask if I, as a white man from Alabama, with those convictions, gave him one chance too many by not stopping his appointment to the sniper team. When I look into my heart for the truth of that, the answer is yes.” I think the point is that Mr. Raines is paid to be an executive editor of a major daily paper, not to be a “white man from Alabama,” and as such he’s a dismal failure. His paper is losing credibility and circulation, his quixotic campaigns, like one on behalf of rich, white, female golfers in Georgia and another one against the liberation of the Iraqis, are an embarassment to the entire staff, and the policy of removing the firewall between the Op-Ed pages and the news pages has hurt the paper and the people it serves enormously. He should resign. The evil Bush-hater Lisa Rein has video and audio files from the alleged Warblogging panel at the O’Reilly Etech conference on her blog, but I can’t recommend them to anybody who knows what a warblog actually is. The discussion is moderated by spiky-haired peroxide punker Xeni Jardin, who was dedicated to keeping the discussion mired … Continue reading “Clueless panel” The evil Bush-hater Lisa Rein has video and audio files from the alleged Warblogging panel at the O’Reilly Etech conference on her blog, but I can’t recommend them to anybody who knows what a warblog actually is. The discussion is moderated by spiky-haired peroxide punker Xeni Jardin, who was dedicated to keeping the discussion mired in personal trivia such as whether consumers want to know more about the personal lives of journalists. The star attraction, Stuart Hughes, is a BBC producer who lost a foot in Northern Iraq and talked at great length about his semi-conscious decision to share the details of his physical therapy on his blog. Hughes confesses that he didn’t know what a warblog was until after his personal journal had been linked by some blogs. Seldom do you get deep insight from a panel at a computer show talking about social issues, but this was lame even by the most generous standard. Had the panel been more inclusive – open, that is, to actual warbloggers – it might have been different, but O’Reilly wants to keep geeks in the dark about these things. The Register reports some very good news: Howard Carmack – the Buffalo Spammer – has been arrested and charged in New York for four felony (i.e. criminal) and two misdemeanour counts relating to his alleged fraudulence in obtaining Internet access accounts to send more than 825 million spam emails. That’s one down, several million to … Continue reading “Progress” The Register reports some very good news: Howard Carmack – the Buffalo Spammer – has been arrested and charged in New York for four felony (i.e. criminal) and two misdemeanour counts relating to his alleged fraudulence in obtaining Internet access accounts to send more than 825 million spam emails. That’s one down, several million to go. Prompted by an article by David Warren in the Ottawa Citizen, bloggers Daily Pundit, Roger Simon, and Charles Johnson ponder the possibility that the Baghdad blogger’s a Baathist. I’m not convinced he’s not simply a hoax, but in any event I’m pretty sure he’s not the “ordinary Baghdadi” he claims to be. He criticized Saddam … Continue reading “Salam Pax: Hoax or Baathist?” Prompted by an article by David Warren in the Ottawa Citizen, bloggers Daily Pundit, Roger Simon, and Charles Johnson ponder the possibility that the Baghdad blogger’s a Baathist. I’m not convinced he’s not simply a hoax, but in any event I’m pretty sure he’s not the “ordinary Baghdadi” he claims to be. He criticized Saddam just enough to establish some credibility, and then forcefully condemned the war. Since his main concern is for his home furnishings, he comes across like a clumsy parody of a gay man. So whatever his situation and motivation, he’s not what he appears to be, at least not as far as I can tell. NBC has officially axed Mr. Sterling: Missing from the fall lineup and presumed to be dead are “In-Laws,” “Just Shoot Me,” “Hidden Hills,” “Watching Ellie” (the “Seinfeld” curse strikes again!), “Mister Sterling” and “A.U.S.A.” …which proves studio dawgs aren’t as dumb as they appear to be. In its place: “Miss/Match” stars Alicia Silverstone and Ryan … Continue reading “Sterling recall successful” NBC has officially axed Mr. Sterling: Missing from the fall lineup and presumed to be dead are “In-Laws,” “Just Shoot Me,” “Hidden Hills,” “Watching Ellie” (the “Seinfeld” curse strikes again!), “Mister Sterling” and “A.U.S.A.” …which proves studio dawgs aren’t as dumb as they appear to be. In its place: “Miss/Match” stars Alicia Silverstone and Ryan O’Neal. Silverstone plays a divorce lawyer working for her father (O’Neal). Dad, in turn, has a knack for matchmaking. This series has been described as “lighthearted.” sounds like progress. Now if they’d just added Baghdad Bob to the show, they might have had a chance. Gray Davis, you’re next, sucka. 
Here here
Cheap burgers for all
Fish stocks falling
Group therapy in New York
Clueless panel
Progress
Salam Pax: Hoax or Baathist?
Sterling recall successful
