29 July 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Million-Dollar Fender Bender
My father sent me word of this heart-breaking -- to car lovers! -- tale of valet parking gone very wrong.
29 July 2011
29 July 2011
If You Don't Adopt a Kitten b/c You Think It "Looks Like Hitler," You Are a Complete Idiot and a Hopeless Human Being
Seriously, who wouldn't want to adopt this little fellow? I would step up in a heart beat. Come on, People of England, do the right thing and feel the love!
29 July 2011
29 July 2011
Recession: Worse Than You Thought
Read this to see why the recession was worse than we thought and why -- as I said all along -- this focus on the debt was misplaced at best, catastrophic at worst.
29 July 2011
29 July 2011
Spray Bottle Babies
Saddened by debt limit mania? Watch this. Even a DINK-or-die like myself thinks these kids are cute as hell.
29 July 2011
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29 July 2011
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Debt Limit: Going Backward
We will not get an increase on the debt limit prior to the deadline. David Kurtz explains why at TPM:
29 July 2011
Just minutes after President Obama urged the parties to come together and avert this default crisis, things are actually going backwards in the House. And in pretty incredible fashion.
To secure enough votes from his own members for his plan, Speaker Boehner is amending it to basically turn it into Cut, Cap, and Balance Lite.
Here's the key new provision that is apparently going to win enough GOP votes to pass the bill:
The debt ceiling would be raised immediately but not by enough to get the government through next year. To get the second debt ceiling increase, House Republicans want a balanced budget constitutional amendment to pass both chambers first and be referred to the states.
Never going to happen, but that's where we are. It makes you wonder if there's any compromise plan that can get through this House. That's why, even though my gut says there's no way the U.S. is stupid enough to default, I still can't see a clear, viable way out of this.
29 July 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Debt Limit: Contact Congress
It is crunch time for raising the debt limit. Folks in Massachusetts need to contact Senator Brown and urge him to buck the Republicans in the Senate and support a compromise bill. Tell him that you support the president.
This issue directly affects the well being each and every one of us. The ramifications for the national economy and for the economic vitality of every American are severe. Anything that we can do as citizens to help bring about an adequate resolution is a step in the right direction. Do not delay. If you use social media, I urge you to contact your friends and encourage them to contact their members of Congress as well.
You can reach Senator Brown here. I included the following text.
For extended information on the debt talks, check out Talking Points Memo.
Thanks and good luck to us all.
26 July 2011
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This issue directly affects the well being each and every one of us. The ramifications for the national economy and for the economic vitality of every American are severe. Anything that we can do as citizens to help bring about an adequate resolution is a step in the right direction. Do not delay. If you use social media, I urge you to contact your friends and encourage them to contact their members of Congress as well.
You can reach Senator Brown here. I included the following text.
I support President Obama's approach in the debt limit negotiations. The debt limit needs to be raised and new revenues must be part of the package. I fully understand that this issue affects me and my family directly and in a very real fashion. My vote across the board in 2012 rides on this issue.You can find the contact information for any member of Congress here.
For extended information on the debt talks, check out Talking Points Memo.
Thanks and good luck to us all.
26 July 2011
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Debt Limit Deal: Unlikely
I'm increasingly of the gloomy outlook that we will not reach a deal to raise the debt limit. Josh Marshall wrote a piece today at TPM that ends with a clear picture of why. He first outlines the picture as it stands right now in the context of the press not covering the story well (to say the least).
He then goes on to express his fears, which are my own.
We are going over a cliff indeed.
26 July 2011
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It's been said many times. But it's never enough: the conventions of journalistic 'objectivity', as currently defined, frequently make journalists violate their biggest duty, which is honesty with readers. The top headline running now on CNN reads: "They're all talking, but no one is compromising, at least publicly. Democratic and GOP leaders appear unwilling to bend on proposals to raise the debt ceiling."
By any reasonable measure, this is simply false, even painfully so. It might be right to say they are not agreeing, that's demonstrable. But I don't think any observer -- one who has actually watched the specifics of the debate -- honestly believes that neither side is compromising. Indeed, even the firebreathers on the Republican side aren't suggesting this. Their argument is that the nature of the 'crisis' is so great that there can be no compromise on their basic demands. That is what it means when they say they will not support any new taxes as part of a global deal.
The current offer from Sen. Reid (D-NV), even if doesn't quite add up to the $2.7 trillion because of its assumptions about future spending on wars, is more dramatic and Republican-leaning than what Speaker Boehner was demanding a few months ago and has zero revenues, which has been the primary demand of Republicans from the beginning.
Talking Points Memo on FacebookIt is not partisan or spin to say that the Democrats have repeatedly offered compromises. The real driver of the debate is that the fact that Republican majority in the House can't agree to win. Even Fred Thompson is urging Republicans to declare victory and get out. But that's the point. Their leaders cannot control their caucuses. The real problem at the moment isn't that neither side's caucus can accept the other side's 'plan'. The real issue is that Speaker Boehner doesn't have the votes in his caucus for his own 'plan'.
He then goes on to express his fears, which are my own.
A week or so back I was talking to a guy who's a big time investor. The sort of person who has more money than you or I could ever imagine -- and knows all the market side of this stuff -- but doesn't have an intimate feel for Washington. And this person basically asked: What's the story? What's actually happening here? Is this theater? Are they actually going to do this? Run us off this cliff?
I hemmed and I hawed because I'd been thinking about the question myself for so long and I wasn't sure I had any good answer. And what I finally came up with was this. Yes, at some level it's a game of chicken. Something we can all understand pretty intuitively in human nature and game theory terms. But to really get what's really going on you've got to understand one key point: one of the two cars doesn't have a driver in it. Which changes everything.
We are going over a cliff indeed.
26 July 2011
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Thursday, July 21, 2011
Oh, Look... A Turtle on Wheels!
Okay, only one wheel. From The Huffington Post:
Roll on, Crazy Diamond.
21 July 2011
A 12-year-old African tortoise that recently had its front left leg amputated due to injury is now moving just fine, thanks to a swiveling wheel attached to his shell by doctors at Washington State University's veterinary hospital.
The 23-pound tortoise, named Gamera after the giant flying turtle of the old Japanese monster movies, is gaining weight and generally thriving with his new appendage.
Roll on, Crazy Diamond.
21 July 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Pluto Has a New Moon
The dwarf planet formerly-known-as-a-planet Pluto has something new to bolster its spirits. A fourth moon was discovered while astronomers were investigating whether it had rings. You can check out the find here.
20 July 2011
20 July 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
David Brooks: Republican Culprits
I blogged on July 6th about a colum by conservative David Brooks and his misgivings about how Republicans were handling the debt limit debate. Yesterday, he posted a follow-up, naming names.
19 July 2011
19 July 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Debt Debate & a Lack of Hope
George Packer at The New Yorker has a new article outlining his thoughts on the debt limit debate, specifically the president and the Republicans in Congress. Worth the read.
18 July 2011
18 July 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
IDIOSYNCRASIES OF ENGLISH
A friend forwarded these in a chain e-mail. Not all are brilliant, but many are cute.
1. DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY THINGS AND DON'T PET THE SWEATY THINGS.
2. ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR.
3. ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION.
4. IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?
5. THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE.
6. I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE'S THE SELF- HELP
SECTION?" SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.
7. WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS?
8. IF A DEAF CHILD SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HANDS WITH SOAP?
9. IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT
CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?
10. IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?
11. WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO "GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?"
12. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT?
13. IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?
14. WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?
15. WHY DO THEY LOCK GAS STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM?
16. IF A TURTLE DOESN'T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED?
17. CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS?
18. IF THE POLICE ARREST A MIME, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN
SILENT?
19. WHY DO THEY PUT BRAILLE ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH BANK MACHINES?
20. HOW DO THEY GET DEER TO CROSS THE ROAD ONLY AT THOSE YELLOW ROAD SIGNS?
21. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD?
22. ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.
23. DOES THE LITTLE MERMAID WEAR AN ALGEBRA?
24. DO INFANTS ENJOY INFANCY AS MUCH AS ADULTS ENJOY ADULTERY?
25. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR?
26. IF ONE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER DROWNS, DO THE REST DROWN TOO?
27. IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?
28. IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE YOU DONE?
29. WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP' TO HAVE AN 'S' IN IT?
30. WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED "HEMORRHOIDS" INSTEAD OF "ASTEROIDS"?
31. WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T SHOOT AT THEM?
32. WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR CREAM?
33. CAN AN ATHEIST GET INSURANCE AGAINST ACTS OF GOD?
15 July 2011
1. DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY THINGS AND DON'T PET THE SWEATY THINGS.
2. ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR.
3. ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION.
4. IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?
5. THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE.
6. I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE'S THE SELF- HELP
SECTION?" SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.
7. WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS?
8. IF A DEAF CHILD SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HANDS WITH SOAP?
9. IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT
CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?
10. IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?
11. WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO "GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?"
12. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT?
13. IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?
14. WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?
15. WHY DO THEY LOCK GAS STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM?
16. IF A TURTLE DOESN'T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED?
17. CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS?
18. IF THE POLICE ARREST A MIME, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN
SILENT?
19. WHY DO THEY PUT BRAILLE ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH BANK MACHINES?
20. HOW DO THEY GET DEER TO CROSS THE ROAD ONLY AT THOSE YELLOW ROAD SIGNS?
21. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD?
22. ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.
23. DOES THE LITTLE MERMAID WEAR AN ALGEBRA?
24. DO INFANTS ENJOY INFANCY AS MUCH AS ADULTS ENJOY ADULTERY?
25. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR?
26. IF ONE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER DROWNS, DO THE REST DROWN TOO?
27. IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?
28. IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE YOU DONE?
29. WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP' TO HAVE AN 'S' IN IT?
30. WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED "HEMORRHOIDS" INSTEAD OF "ASTEROIDS"?
31. WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T SHOOT AT THEM?
32. WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR CREAM?
33. CAN AN ATHEIST GET INSURANCE AGAINST ACTS OF GOD?
15 July 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Republican Goals & the Debt Limit
Following my earlier post on the article by conservative David Brooks, I wanted to post links to two follow-up pieces to the topic. The first is a TPM post by David Kurtz and the second is a response to that post.
I am not holding out a lot of hope.
12 July 2011
Addition: Well, this has been a fast-moving day.
I am not holding out a lot of hope.
12 July 2011
Addition: Well, this has been a fast-moving day.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Love Is A Battlefield: Literal Video Version
Not as good as Total Eclipse of the Heart, but it is worth it anyway for the scene starting at 3:00. Enjoy.
8 July 2011
8 July 2011
Atlantis Launch: Look What We Can Do
This morning, I watched the final launch of a space shuttle. We have a remarkable, resourceful IT department at the company for which I work. They managed to get the NASA feed onto a conference room television. It was great fun watching the launch pad prepare for lift off...the shuttle actually lift off... the two smaller tanks separate... the shuttle rotate with the earth in the background... and finally the main tank separate and seeing the shuttle rise up in the background. God's speed!
During an episode of one of my favorite television programs, Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night, one of the characters goes to see the Lion King on Broadway. Thereafter she exclaims, "I didn't know we could do that!" Having felt that wonder at seeing that musical myself, I understood the full force of her statement. It has resonated with me ever since and I often find myself saying "look what we can do" at times when my amazement at human creativity and ingenuity overwhelms my misanthropic self. How could one not feel this way when listening to Mozart, when gazing at van Gogh's Starry Night, when standing on China's Great Wall, and on and on.
Watching Atlantis this morning I said, Look what we can do!"
Many often complain about the cost of the space program. I never have. Listening to NPR yesterday, a scientist said that no significant earthly problem could conceivably be solved by spending this money elsewhere. Regardless of the veracity of this statement, I understand his greater point. Moreover, a great many scientific discoveries have emerged from our space program, including the very small size of the computer on which I am typing this post. That it sits near my feet rather than filling ten rooms behind me is a direct result of the Apollo program. And we need this sense of wonder, this discovery as a species. It makes us better, richer in spirit, broader in intellect.
China and India are ramping up for a huge expansion in their space programs, including manned flights. Perhaps one day they will go to the moon. I say more power to them. The cause of humanity will be advanced thereby. Chinese, Indian, or American, I will say, "Look what we can do."
8 July 2011
During an episode of one of my favorite television programs, Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night, one of the characters goes to see the Lion King on Broadway. Thereafter she exclaims, "I didn't know we could do that!" Having felt that wonder at seeing that musical myself, I understood the full force of her statement. It has resonated with me ever since and I often find myself saying "look what we can do" at times when my amazement at human creativity and ingenuity overwhelms my misanthropic self. How could one not feel this way when listening to Mozart, when gazing at van Gogh's Starry Night, when standing on China's Great Wall, and on and on.
Watching Atlantis this morning I said, Look what we can do!"
Many often complain about the cost of the space program. I never have. Listening to NPR yesterday, a scientist said that no significant earthly problem could conceivably be solved by spending this money elsewhere. Regardless of the veracity of this statement, I understand his greater point. Moreover, a great many scientific discoveries have emerged from our space program, including the very small size of the computer on which I am typing this post. That it sits near my feet rather than filling ten rooms behind me is a direct result of the Apollo program. And we need this sense of wonder, this discovery as a species. It makes us better, richer in spirit, broader in intellect.
China and India are ramping up for a huge expansion in their space programs, including manned flights. Perhaps one day they will go to the moon. I say more power to them. The cause of humanity will be advanced thereby. Chinese, Indian, or American, I will say, "Look what we can do."
8 July 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Total Eclipse of the Heart: Literal Video Version
If the 80s was the decade of your youth, you'll find this very funny. Thanks to my sister.
7 July 2011
7 July 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
David Brooks: Republicans and Normalcy
Conservative David Brooks has written an op-ed questioning whether the Republican party of today is a "normal" -- read logical -- political party. The topics are the debt limit and taxes, and the Republican response to the negotiations over both. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, it is worth a read.
Dangerous times are these.
6 July 2011
Dangerous times are these.
6 July 2011
Beach Walker Creations
From the BBC comes a wonderful story about an inventor who creates artificial "life forms" that move about the beaches of the Netherlands powered by the wind. Really cool. Thanks to my mother for this link.
5 July 2011
5 July 2011
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