Month: September 2005

In the spirit

David Brooks has captured the spirit of the Roberts thing: Joseph Biden Jr. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thought this might be a good moment to give the committee a complete history of my heroic sponsorship of the Violence Against Women Act, but before I do that I’d like to interrupt myself by mentioning that … Continue reading “In the spirit”

David Brooks has captured the spirit of the Roberts thing:

Joseph Biden Jr. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thought this might be a good moment to give the committee a complete history of my heroic sponsorship of the Violence Against Women Act, but before I do that I’d like to interrupt myself by mentioning that I ride the train every day, often speaking with regular Americans, but before I do that I’d like to interrupt my interruption of myself by asking the chairman to restrain the nominee. During my first round of questioning, the nominee continually interrupted my questions by trying to give answers. I could barely keep up my train of thought on stare decisis.

Edward Kennedy Starry De Cysis? Didn’t she do a fan dance down at that old burlesque house in Providence?

Very nice, and polite to boot.

Airgo re-writes the laws of physics

My friends in Palo Alto have topped themselves with a new chippie: Airgo Networks today announced its third generation True MIMO chipset with support for data rates up to 240 Mbps. The company said its technology makes wire-free offices a reality… “When MIMO was first unveiled, it reversed over 100 years of scientific thinking by … Continue reading “Airgo re-writes the laws of physics”

My friends in Palo Alto have topped themselves with a new chippie:

Airgo Networks today announced its third generation True MIMO chipset with support for data rates up to 240 Mbps. The company said its technology makes wire-free offices a reality…

“When MIMO was first unveiled, it reversed over 100 years of scientific thinking by harnessing natural radio wave distortions, which were previously perceived as interference, to deliver dramatically increased speed, range and reliability,” said Greg Raleigh, President and CEO of Airgo Networks. “With True MIMO Gen3 technology, our team has achieved a scientific milestone by proving that wireless can surpass wired speeds.”

WiFi+MIMO may be literally like a rocket ship, but not really faster than all wired networks, or even as fast as the UWB wireless network, but Greg can dream.

Rioting in New Orleans

The real story of Katrina is the mainstream media riot: What is the real story of Katrina is (I suggest) not so much that nature wrought fury on land, water, people, property, and animals, not at all anything about racism, not much about federal government incompetence. The real story is that the mainstream media rioted. … Continue reading “Rioting in New Orleans”

The real story of Katrina is the mainstream media riot:

What is the real story of Katrina is (I suggest) not so much that nature wrought fury on land, water, people, property, and animals, not at all anything about racism, not much about federal government incompetence. The real story is that the mainstream media rioted.

They used the storm and its attendant sorrows to continue their endless attack on George W. Bush. Wildly inflated stories about the number of dead and missing, totally made up old wives’ tales of racism, breathless accounts of Bush’s neglect that are utterly devoid of truth and of historical context — this is what the mainstream media gave us. The use of floating corpses, of horror stories of plagues, the sad faces of refugees, the long-faced phony accusations of intentional neglect and racism — anything is grist for the media’s endless attempts to undermine the electorate’s choice last November. It is sad, but true that the media will use even the most heart breaking truths — and then add total inventions — to try to weaken and then evict from office a man who has done nothing wrong, but has instead turned himself inside out to help the real victims.

Let’s hope this narrative replaces the official one in the days to come.

See related observations by Jeff Goldstein, Jim Pinkerton, John Cole, and Knoxville’s answer to Lewis and Clark professor Jack Bogdanski, Glenn Reynolds.

Roberts hearing transcript

Here are some of the highlights of today’s interrogation of Judge Roberts. First, we have questions from the illustrious Senator Kennedy: KENNEDY: The stark and tragic images of human suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina have reminded us yet again that civil rights and equal rights are still the great unfinished business of America. … Continue reading “Roberts hearing transcript”

Here are some of the highlights of today’s interrogation of Judge Roberts.

First, we have questions from the illustrious Senator Kennedy:

KENNEDY: The stark and tragic images of human suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina have reminded us yet again that civil rights and equal rights are still the great unfinished business of America.

The suffering has been disproportionately borne by the weak, the poor, the elderly and infirm, and largely African-Americans, who were forced by poverty, illness, unequal opportunity to stay behind and bear the brunt of the storm’s winds and floods.

ROBERTS: If I may interrupt, your eminence, I’d like the record to reflect my opposition to floods. Floods involve large quantities of water, which can make people drown. I hate it when people drown. In fact, drowning seriously pisses me off. When I hear about somebody drowning, I want to kick some ass, some big, fat, arrogant, shameless ass. Like yours, Senator Fat Ass Drowning Kennedy. Please continue, you disgusting son of a mobster’s bitch.

KENNEDY: If we could move on. Now, the Brown decision was just the beginning of the historic march for progress toward equal rights for all of our citizens.

In the ’60s and ’70s, we came together as a Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, and passed the historic civil rights legislation that signed by the president to guarantee equality for all citizens on the basis of race, then on gender, then on disability.

ROBERTS: Right on, your honor, I’m all for the march of progress. It seriously chaps my ass when some people are left behind as others march, or swim if you prefer, to a better, happier, and longer life. Just because a woman can’t swim as well as her drunken sot of a big fat disgusting big-headed boss I don’t think she should be left behind to drown and die. That’s wrong and it’s not what our Constitution stands for, you horny twit. What else you got?

KENNEDY: Let me, if I could, go to the Civil Rights Restoration Act. In 1981, you support an effort by the Department of Education to reverse 17 years of civil right protections at colleges and universities that receive federal funds. [blah blah blah…you hate Negroes don’t you?… blah blah blah.]

ROBERTS: Wrong again, space turkey, I was just watching some porn with Clarence the other night. It was the sequel to Long Dong Silver called Big Head Kennedy about a guy who goes around raping women and getting away with it because of his mafia connnections; his uncle is a senator. I recommend it to your worthless criminal ass.

Civil rights law is complicated business, and you aren’t going to understand my answer without some serious help from the tutor who took all your tests for you at Harvard. But let’s play the game, here’s my answer [8 minute tutorial on civil rights law.]

I was right, wasn’t I? Now go have a drink before you embarrass your children any more.

KENNEDY: My time is up, Mr. Chairman.

SPECTER: Thank you very much, Senator Kennedy, now go fuck yourself.

Next up: Senator Feinstein asks about abortions, comparable worth, and Mrs. Roberts’ cookie recipe.

Katrina Coverage

Jeff Goldstein tells the truth about Katrina coverage, and Kevin Drum lies like a rug. The national shame regarding Katrina begins with local government in Louisiana and ends with the shoddiest journalism I’ve seen in my lifetime.

Jeff Goldstein tells the truth about Katrina coverage, and Kevin Drum lies like a rug.

The national shame regarding Katrina begins with local government in Louisiana and ends with the shoddiest journalism I’ve seen in my lifetime.

Louisiana Pork

Remember last week when all the Democrats were saying that Bush cheaped-out on the New Orleans levees because he’d rather kill Iraqis? Like so much of what we heard, this was total crap: In Katrina’s wake, Louisiana politicians and other critics have complained about paltry funding for the Army Corps in general and Louisiana projects … Continue reading “Louisiana Pork”

Remember last week when all the Democrats were saying that Bush cheaped-out on the New Orleans levees because he’d rather kill Iraqis? Like so much of what we heard, this was total crap:

In Katrina’s wake, Louisiana politicians and other critics have complained about paltry funding for the Army Corps in general and Louisiana projects in particular. But over the five years of President Bush’s administration, Louisiana has received far more money for Corps civil works projects than any other state, about $1.9 billion; California was a distant second with less than $1.4 billion, even though its population is more than seven times as large.

The Post goes on to say that the Army Corps is a micro-managed agency thanks to earmarks directing its funding to specific projects. You want new locks, you can forget about higher levees. That’s life.

H/t Protein Wisdom.

The only sensible choice

California voters passed an initiative a few years ago limiting marriage to one man/one woman. The Legislature flipped-off the voters this year and passed a bill changing that definition, but Gov. Arnie says he will veto it: Sacramento — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, under growing pressure from his conservative supporters, promised Wednesday to veto the gay-marriage … Continue reading “The only sensible choice”

California voters passed an initiative a few years ago limiting marriage to one man/one woman. The Legislature flipped-off the voters this year and passed a bill changing that definition, but Gov. Arnie says he will veto it:

Sacramento — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, under growing pressure from his conservative supporters, promised Wednesday to veto the gay-marriage bill passed less than a day earlier by the Democrat-led Legislature.

The Legislature’s action trampled over Proposition 22, an initiative passed overwhelmingly in 2000 that banned same-sex marriage in California, said a spokeswoman for the governor.

“The governor believes the matter should be determined not by legislative action — which would be unconstitutional — but by a court decision or another vote of the people,” said Margita Thompson, Schwarzenegger’s press secretary. “We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails the vote. Out of respect for the will of the people, the governor will veto AB849.”

As long as Prop. 22 is law, this bill would be inoperative anyhow.

Poor Airgo

It looks like the good guys are going get together and win after all: MANHASSET, N.Y. — Intel has convinced fellow chip makers Broadcom, Atheros and Marvell to join forces outside of an IEEE wireless LAN group to develop an interoperable physical and media access control (MAC) layer scheduled to be presented for IEEE acceptance … Continue reading “Poor Airgo”

It looks like the good guys are going get together and win after all:

MANHASSET, N.Y. — Intel has convinced fellow chip makers Broadcom, Atheros and Marvell to join forces outside of an IEEE wireless LAN group to develop an interoperable physical and media access control (MAC) layer scheduled to be presented for IEEE acceptance by November.

By working independently of the IEEE’s 802.11n next-generation task group, Intel has angered task group members who accuse the Intel-led alliance of everything from co-opting the IEEE process to outright antitrust violations that could draw Federal Trade Commission (FTC) scrutiny.

Suspicions have been amplified by the PC-centric nature of the alliance as well as the secretive approach the group has taken, including the signing of nondisclosure agreements. The omission of Airgo Networks Inc. (Palo Alto, Calif.) from the alliance has also fueled accusations that the alliance is trying to offset Airgo’s competitive advantage.

The main issue here is avoiding years of litigation around Airgo’s massive collection of junk patents.

Screw the rules

Carole Migden is one California’s most powerful legislators, and the rules don’t apply to her: Nobody was surprised that state Sen. Carole Migden voted in favor of her own cosmetics bill. The problem was that she did it in the wrong legislative house. Toward the end of Wednesday’s floor session, Migden, a San Francisco Democrat, … Continue reading “Screw the rules”

Carole Migden is one California’s most powerful legislators, and the rules don’t apply to her:

Nobody was surprised that state Sen. Carole Migden voted in favor of her own cosmetics bill. The problem was that she did it in the wrong legislative house.

Toward the end of Wednesday’s floor session, Migden, a San Francisco Democrat, pushed the voting button of a GOP assemblyman who was temporarily away from his desk.

Her action violated Assembly rules and drew an angry response from Republicans.

Midgden declined to speak to the press on the issue; they’re too common.