The Truffle

Because Sunday night isn't complete sans Shatner

2010-07-11T21:11:00.000-04:00

From the "reality check" department

2010-07-11T11:06:00.002-04:00

Karoli's response to the Eric Altermans and Jane Hamshers. Worth reading.

We're the ones we've been waiting for, and all that

2010-07-10T23:43:00.002-04:00

Via Blue Wave News, Van Jones' speech at the Campus Progress National Conference, which rang true to this cautiously optimistic liberal. More from Mr. Jones, via HuffPo:

We are trying to build a pro-democracy movement in a country that, at least for eight years, was run by [inaudible] authoritarians. And it is not going to be easy. But I tell you, the most important thing I can say is... We feed the fearmongers. We feed the politics of division, by giving it so much attention and letting it fill up the space in our mind. We have to feed the hope. This country is an extraordinary -- I get choked up -- this is an incredible, beautiful country...

That little idiot box off in the corner trying to depress you and make you feel like this is a horrible country and everybody believes evil things about the president... it is just not true. Cut it off, just cut it off and walk down the street and talk to real people in this country. They are sophisticated. They are wise. They don't know exactly what to do but they are open to being engaged. That's the country we live in. and my hope about your generation is that you will take a lot of this chatter a lot less serious.

Question

2010-07-10T23:01:00.002-04:00

Next time a teabagger blithers about spending and deficits, won't some nice journalist ask if he supported Bush--and, if so, whether he did anything to speak up against Bush's spending?

But what about the angry stupid white vote?

2010-07-10T22:56:00.002-04:00

Some Jan Brewer-type yahoos have come up with a brilliant idea: Deny citizenship to native-born children of illegal immigrants! Screw that 14th Amendment! Who needs it?

Jonathan Blanks has an even better idea.

As you may recall, beginning in 1860, millions of Americans renounced their citizenship and took up arms against their former country. Their deeds, through direct confrontation or diseases brought on by wartime conditions, ended up in the deaths of over 300,000 loyal Americans--100 times the number killed on September 11, 2001. By the logic outlined above, that treason should be recognized and all the descendants of those who took up arms, aided their traitorous comrades, or participated in the government of the insurrectionists should have their citizenship revoked as they are progeny of traitors. They owe their heretofore recognized citizenship to the birthright. That is, of course, unacceptable.

These descendants often still fly the flag of treason and commemorate their forebears' disloyalty in numerous ways. Thus, the combined legislation should include the confiscation and destruction of all property bearing the treasonous flag, including but not exclusive to real estate, monuments, clothing, transportation, and music--so we can once and for all rid the nation of "Freebird."

Blondie break!

2010-07-10T22:54:00.002-04:00

Always loved this song and band. Remember "American Bandstand"?

Terry Savage, Clueless Moron

2010-07-07T22:14:00.005-04:00

Chicago money columnist Terry Savage has written the most unintentionally hilarious column of the year thus far.

First a question: What is up with these people named Savage? They think that just because they have a unique surname, they have to turn it into a lame-o brand or slogan. There is Dan Savage, of the Savage Love column. There's Michael Savage and his Savage Nation (which sounds better than Weiner Nation). And Terry Savage, for some reason, ends every single column of hers with "That's the Savage Truth." As if adding her surname makes it truer.

The Savage Truth, alas, is that she is one screwy individual. Okay. You could chalk it up to the heat, which makes people a bit crabby. But the incident I'm about to describe took place in what was presumably an air-conditioned car. So what's her excuse for getting mad at little girls?

See, Ms. Savage was riding along with her brother and his fiancee in a tony Chicago neighborhood. They came upon three girls who, with their nanny, were at a lemonade stand. Ms. Savage's happy fantasies of mini-capitalism were destroyed when the girls announced they were giving the lemonade away. Not selling it. No sir. Giving it away. These aren't little capitalists. They're--gasp!--philanthropists!

"No!" I exclaimed from the back seat. "That's not the spirit of giving. You can only really give when you give something you own. They're giving away their parents' things -- the lemonade, cups, candy. It's not theirs to give."

Earth to Terry. Ever heard of getting your parents' permission to do stuff?

Now, as I mentioned, this was a wealthy neighborhood. These little girls have a nanny. Which means their parents have plenty of money to spend on cups and candy and lemonade. Oh, and Terry? DUH.

Oh, but the fun continues.

"You must charge something for the lemonade," I explained. "That's the whole point of a lemonade stand. You figure out your costs -- how much the lemonade costs, and the cups -- and then you charge a little more than what it costs you, so you can make money. Then you can buy more stuff, and make more lemonade, and sell it and make more money."

Meanwhile, one of the little girls turned to her nanny and said, "Why is the mean lady yelling like this?" And the nanny explains that maybe the mean lady is visiting from one of those homes where people go when they can't take care of themselves very well.

At this point, the brother really should've told Terry to STFU. Instead, he took a strawberry lemonade from the kids and no doubt left Terry seething. See, for Terry Savage, this is a sign of a big, big problem: People want something for nothing. And, like a yoga master on uppers, she's twisted and contorted herself, trying to connect free lemonade to a larger point about there being no such thing as a free lunch.

Terry, Terry, Terry. Let me suggest something that you, in your "Capitalism, HO!" frenzy, didn't consider. The little girls may have been taught to be grateful for the things they have. They may actually have friends whose parents have lost their jobs and whose nice, well-kept homes were foreclosed. Their friends and neighbors may be really hot because they don't have money for air conditioning. So they decided to do something nice by giving their neighbors free lemonade to cool off.

It's called charity, Terry. I thought capitalists were big on charity. Since you're a money expert, you know that charity can be beneficial to rich people since they can write it off on their taxes. Or maybe rich people just want to share the wealth. No offense, Terry, but one of those girls could become the next Brooke Astor or Melinda Gates. I imagine years from now, their names will be emblazoned on plaques in libraries and parks and hospitals, and they'll chuckle over you, the mean, clueless lady who bawled them out for being nice.

This I firmly believe

2010-07-02T19:29:00.001-04:00

Forget Bobby Jindal. Lindsey Graham is truly the GOP's answer to Kenneth the Page.

No. Just NO.

2010-07-01T22:29:00.003-04:00

Now, Fox Chicago suggests that Chicago get rid of its public libraries. As a librarian's daughter, I have a two-word response to this: Up yours.

(Via Badtux.)

Crybaby conservative alert!

2010-07-01T22:22:00.002-04:00

Wingnuts are mad at Joe Biden for using the word "blitzkrieg." "Waaaaaaah! He's bein' mean an' comparin' us to Nazis!"

On that note, a music break.

Note: I interviewed Tommy Ramone once. Kewl dude. He now plays bluegrass and looks like a hippie. 'Tis true!

Prog blog time!

2010-06-20T14:19:00.002-04:00

It's early 1970s German R&B/prog outfit Frumpy, fronted by the incredible Inga Rumpf. Ms. Rumpf has had a nice, long career as a band frontwoman and a solo artist but remains unknown, alas, in the US. Seriously, it's weird being one of six people in the US who've heard of her. Her more recent output is R&B rather than prog. And I love R&B, so...

Some perspective, please

2010-06-18T23:55:00.003-04:00

Yes, President Obama isn't perfect. Yes, he should just close Gitmo already. Yes, it would be great if he'd act on his campaign promise of more transparency in government. But c'mon, people, he's not another George W. Bush. A quick comparison of their administrations will show this. Criticize the guy, sure, but let's not pretend it's still 2005, hear?

For those who can't stomach Final Placement and Brokencyde...

2010-06-18T23:52:00.001-04:00

...here's William Shatner's interpretation of the Harry Chapin classic "Taxi." How did this clip go unnoticed for so long?

A new motto

2010-06-16T22:06:00.003-04:00

"Loony left" and "moonbat" are now synonyms for "proven right all along."

Sarah Palin, Victim Feminist

2010-06-15T20:18:00.009-04:00

Sarah Palin's latest quest to find something to stand for has led her to call herself a feminist and talk about "mama grizzlies." Why feminists don't simply laugh their asses off is beyond me. Oh, I know why--it's because somehow Palin's new schtick has earned her a Newsweek cover story, which means that Very Serious Media People are supposed to take it seriously. Jezebel, at least, is having fun Photoshopping said Newsweek cover.

Let's leave aside the part about Palin making Wasilla's rape victims pay for their rape kits. And her stand on abortion. (Here, I should emphasize that I believe it's possible to be a feminist and oppose abortion. It would be really cool, however, if Feminists for Life and their ilk would push contraception, work to make adoption easier, and promote responsible, realistic sex education. It would also be helpful if they'd admit that the days of botched abortions are not an era any woman would want to revisit. But I digress.)

The truth is that if--IF!--you accept that Palin is a feminist, you have to admit that she's exactly the kind of feminist that her fellow conservatives have always claimed to loathe: a victim feminist.

Starting in the 1990s, some would-be pundits--feminist and otherwise--starting dividing feminists into "good" and "bad" camps. And the so-called victim feminists were in the "bad" camp. Women weren't supposed to whine. Women weren't supposed to complain about the patriarchy. Women weren't supposed to discuss sexual assault or similar crimes or misogyny in general, because, uh...that was too victim-y. Or something like that. It was the newest schtick for right-wing feminist-haters: simply howl, "Stop whining!"

So who do they embrace as a new conservative Republican feminist role model? A professional victim who hides behind a "maverick" facade. She lied about threats to her daughters. She whined about Family Guy. She blamed other people for the epic fail that was the Katie Couric interview. She's against everyone. Everyone's out to get her. She is hopelessly thin-skinned. She is, well, victim-y.

Such a figure might find kindred spirits among other right-wingers with delusions of victimhood. However, conservatives are, once again, trying to have it both ways.

And, come to think of it, Palin's victim schtick is kind of strange and pathetic when you consider all the hatred, vitriol, and misogyny faced by Hillary Clinton for decades. Even an anti-Hillary group called Citizens United Not Timid (note the acronym). Marie Cocco breaks down the woman-hating garbage flung at Clinton on the presidential trail. Much, much nastier stuff than a botched TV interview.

There are smart, hard-working, respectable Republican women. Some have, unlike Palin, actively supported women's rights. Case in point: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Back in the 1970s, when she was a Texas state representative, she and Sarah Weddington (the attorney in Roe v. Wade) worked to prevent the publication of rape victims' names. Or Maureen Reagan and Betty Ford, who were both outspokenly pro-ERA and pro-choice.

In the meantime, Palin remains utterly devoid of intellectual curiosity. It's cool that she claims to be a feminist. Perhaps now conservatives will stop being afraid of the word. However, Palin should also explain her idea of what feminism is. And if she gets tangled in her words, hopefully she won't blame the interviewer.

Correction: It was Vanity Fair that gave Precious Princess Palin's Newsweek cover the Photoshop treatment, not Jezebel.

Yikes! Something worse than Final Placement!

2010-06-15T20:12:00.002-04:00

Seriously, I have finally found one of those bands that's really, truly unlistenable. Besides Nickelback, of course.

The band in question is Brokencyde (it's supposed to be pronounced "broke inside"). The only people who know about this band are commenting on how terrible they are. They're not even lovably bad like Final Placement. For one thing, there probably will never be an online petition to get Brokencyde to play SXSW.

Click if you dare.

Somewhere, a wingnut's head just exploded

2010-06-13T22:47:00.003-04:00

GWB's daughter, Barbara, supports health care reform AND is glad the health care bill was passed. Something tells me Chris Wallace won't invite her back any time soon. I have a mental image of Wallace screeching, "Get me Liz Cheney next time!"

Crybaby conservative alert!

2010-06-13T22:31:00.002-04:00

The Kentucky Senate race is looking to be fuuuuuuuun. Now, Rand Paul is complaining about liberals. Yes, according to him, liberals are displaying "intolerance."

Just for once, I'm going to dispense some advice to one of these people: Stop whining. Mr. Paul, you were on the Rachel Maddow Show and Ms. Maddow gave you an opportunity to explain yourself. You dodged her questions, and it was really cringe-worthy.

If you can't handle it, go back to eye surgery.

The lighter side of environmental disaster

2010-06-13T09:11:00.001-04:00

The latest installment of Wingnutz Iz Funnee

2010-06-12T23:20:00.002-04:00

From Balloon Juice, a story involving a teabagger trying to free another teabagger from jail and conduct a citizens' arrest. Actually, Commander Guy has the whole, complete story. Oh yeah, and the perpetrator of this wingnut jail break informed law enforcement in advance.

I guess it's more exciting than standing around with misspelled signs.

My personal theory re tea partiers

2010-06-12T19:18:00.001-04:00

They use "socialist" and "Communist" as euphemisms for "uppity Negro."

I totally heart this band

2010-06-06T16:47:00.001-04:00

Mudhoney, "Good Enough."

Crybaby conservative alert!

2010-06-06T16:21:00.003-04:00

"After the last eight years, it’s good to have a president that knows what a library is."

That's Sir Paul McCartney, after accepting a prize from President Obama. All of a sudden, the wingnutosphere remembered that insulting the president (specifically, the one before Obama) is ANTI-AMEHRIKIN!

This is very amusing, given that right wingers have been trying to forget GWB even existed since, I dunno, 2007. They even kept him away from the 2008 Republican convention. After all, Bush-bashing had become a universal past-time, indulged in by everyone from comedy writers to Mayans.

Now, all of a sudden, in a sudden rush of 2003-style faux outrage, right-wing politicians and pundits are mad at McCartney. John Boehner whined to Human Events about it (and lots of commenters joined in the whining). Human Events reporter Connie Hair tried to buff GWB's scholarly credentials by pointing out his Harvard MBA (thank heaven for legacy admissions, eh, Connie?).

It's really important to give these crybaby conservatives a reality check--because, seriously, these people couldn't kidnap a clue at gunpoint. From Salon:

It is practically universally acknowledged by objective observers, and by many right-wing admirers of the former president, that George W. Bush is, to put it charitably, intellectually incurious. Being an unintellectual regular-guy was part of his political appeal.

Hippie '60s musician Paul McCartney, whose famous band championed a number of left-wing radical causes, made a joke about how he was glad to have a liberal intellectual as president instead of a conservative anti-intellectual....

"Beatle disrespects conservative politician" is pretty "dog bites man."

Via Balloon Juice, a tantrum from a former Cheney staffer. And Roy Edroso has compiled more hissy fits.

Me, I wish Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann would follow up with additional outrage. That would be fun.

Things that make me doubt God's existence

2010-05-30T20:33:00.004-04:00

Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church still exist and are still acting like evil, soulless ghouls. No, wait, that's insulting to evil, soulless ghouls. Picketing Ronnie James Dio's memorial service? Well, given that these freaks usually target soldiers' funerals, RJD is in very good company.

I really hope that Ozzy Osbourne is able to outlive Fred Phelps. I hate to imagine what will happen if he goes first.

Of course, if God DOES exist, maybe a bunch of angry Dio fans will kick the crap out of these people. Gah, they're so repulsive.

Reason #905 I miss '90s music

2010-05-28T15:50:00.001-04:00

Garbage, "Stupid Girl."

Well, THIS is interesting

2010-05-28T15:40:00.002-04:00

Charlie Crist, ex-Republican, now independent, has changed his mind about DADT. He used to support it. He now says it should be repealed.

Mustang Bobby has a theory on the about-face.

So why the sudden switch? A couple of reasons come to mind. First, he's going after the moderate to progressive voters that are not completely sold on Kendrick Meek, the Democrat in the race; second, he sees that DADT repeal is moving through Congress and it polls very well (some give it a 75% approval rating), thereby making it a safe place to be since he's not worried about pissing off the right-wing base any more. And if Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) is in favor of it, that makes it okay to go there.

That it might actually be the right thing to do for gay and lesbian soldiers who want to serve their country without living a lie probably never crossed his mind.

Meanwhile, GOP congresscritter Connie Mack makes a conservative case against Arizona's dumbass immigration law.

Meanwhile, back in Kentucky

2010-05-27T23:38:00.002-04:00

The Other Dude Running for Senate, a.k.a. Jack Conway, comments on Randy and Precious Princess Palin. From Edicts of Nancy:

"Rand Paul has this tendency to get in public or get on national cable shows and feel like he wants to give me a lecture on constitutional law," said Conway. "I'm the attorney general of Kentucky. He didn't go to law school. I did. I don't need a lecture on Constitutional law from Rand Paul or Sarah Palin."

The senate debate between these two is going to be fun.

Just a shallow thought

2010-05-27T23:33:00.001-04:00

Is it me, or does Jake Gyllenhaal's hair look awful in those Prince of Persia pictures?

The Justin Beibers of really bad Christian rock

2010-05-27T23:20:00.002-04:00

It's Final Placement, a group of earnest Christian teens from Midland, Texas. Judging from this video, Midland, Texas is one ugly-looking town. Anyway, despite their best efforts, Final Placement have become a new internet meme. There was even a Facebook petition to get them to play South by Southwest. Their first (and thus far, only) release, "Shine," has been covered on piano and ukelele. And the guitar solo...well, it just has to be heard to be believed.

Like "Born in East L.A.," without the funny

2010-05-26T19:02:00.002-04:00

Police arrested a Puerto Rican man and threatened to have him deported. Even AFTER his mother showed up with his birth certificate. Imagine how much fun it's going to be in Arizona if someone doesn't strike down that stupid immigration law. Hispanics can, unfortunately, expect more of this kind of grief in the months ahead.

My new favorite cover song!

2010-05-25T21:48:00.002-04:00

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain performs "Theme from Shaft."

Speaking of Randy-poo Paul...

2010-05-25T21:46:00.002-04:00

Elayne Riggs suggested this as his new libertarian paradise.

I'm going to be following this guy for the next few months. Something tells me he'll be the gift that keeps on giving.

Signs of feminism's progress

2010-05-25T21:40:00.002-04:00

When female Republicans are just as loopy and dubiously qualified as their male counterparts. More from Balloon Juice.

Bad news for anti-choicers

2010-05-25T21:08:00.005-04:00

It seems Americans really do support abortion rights after all.

See, three recent polls have indicated a slight majority of respondents consider themselves "pro-life." Except that a recent Slate article breaks it down: Republicans and GOP-leaning independents are more likely to call themselves "pro-life." Gallup editor Lydia Saad told Slate that "Republicans, in particular, may be less willing to identify as 'pro-choice' if they perceive that aligns themselves with the Democrats or Obama." In other words, partisanship is a factor. What else is new?

Meanwhile, Nate Silver shows that support for Roe v. Wade remains high. Sixty-eight percent of poll respondents oppose overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, an ABC News/Washington poll has similar results: fifty-eight percent said Roe v. Wade should be upheld. Needless to say, it is perfectly possible to oppose abortion on a personal level and still support choice.

Besides, polls are snapshots of certain attitude at a certain point in time, and said attitudes are always open to change. More from Slate:

The upcoming Supreme Court nomination process could potentially shift things back to the pro-choice label. It's not about Elena Kagan per se, but Gallup senior editor Lydia Saad says that when the abortion issue is raised in relation to the Supreme Court, the issue tends to help the pro-choice side—because, in the end, most people don't want to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The article finishes by saying: "At this point, the embrace of the pro-life label appears politically--rather than morally--motivated."

It would make sense for anti-abortionists to support birth control and comprehensive sex education. So far, none of them have shown any interest in this. Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and their ilk should take the lead here and point out this hypocrisy. These organizations should also note that insurance plans often don't cover contraception (when I was on the Pill, I paid for it out of my own pocket). In other words, these organizations should be more proactive, rather than reactive.

Rand Paul and cognitive dissonance

2010-05-25T20:49:00.003-04:00

Yes, there are already a lot of media takedowns of Rand Paul. However, Katha Pollitt has an excellent one showing the limits of Rand Paul's libertarianism: Apparently, it doesn't extend to women's reproductive rights. Randy is so anti-choice that he supports laws with doofy names, like the Sanctity of Life Amendment and the Human Life Amendment. Basically, laws saying that life begins at conception and abortion should be outlawed in case of rape and incest. You know, a return to the days of back-alley abortions. Really un-libertarian stuff.

Paul Krugman has advice for Obama

2010-05-24T21:10:00.000-04:00

Roosevelt turned corporate opposition into a badge of honor: “I welcome their hatred,” he declared. It’s time for President Obama to find his inner F.D.R., and do the same.

More here.

A new rule for Republican politicians

2010-05-09T19:34:00.003-04:00

Alas, I can't take credit for it.

If you really, honest-and-truly believe that government is the problem, not the solution, then don't run for political office.

Some Friday night music

2010-05-07T21:28:00.001-04:00

Dusty Springfield, "People Get Ready."

Crybaby conservative alert!

2010-05-02T13:43:00.003-04:00

Most recent addition to the Whinerpalooza: Stephen Baldwin. And why is Mr. Baldwin whining? Because people have been making fun of him. From his Web site:

He has been publicly ridiculed and insulted by people who think that he has been abandoned by God. A simple search through the internet will reveal that people not only mock Stephen, but mock God.

Oh good gravy. Has Stephen Baldwin elevated himself to demi-godhood? Seriously, this is another right-winger with an inflated persecution complex. Thus, mocking Stephen Baldwin = TEH BLASHPHEMY!!1!1!

He also compares himself to Job. And is soliciting donations so he can be "restored," whatever that means. Can't Alec Baldwin give him a guest spot on "30 Rock" to shut him up about this persecution complex?

Check out the site. It has to be seen to be believed.

And now for some ELO...

2010-04-30T23:30:00.003-04:00

Seriously...you can't get more 1970s than this clip:

A blast from the past

2010-04-25T15:08:00.002-04:00

Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan caught on live mike, dissing Precious Princess Palin.

"We can't spell, but we can write poetry."

2010-04-25T14:52:00.003-04:00

Poetry that doesn't scan, that is. From The Stranger, some tea partier channels his/her inner Allen Ginsberg:

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW
BLIND OBAMA
YOU HAVE WAKEN UP A SLEEPING GIANT
WE THE PEOPLE UNITED WE STAND
AS ONE NATION
TO SAY NO
YOU MUST GO
WE THE PEOPLE SAY
NO YOU MUST GO
IMPEACH OBAMA
AND BRING HIM TO JUSTICE
IMPEACH IMPEACH
BRING HIM TO JUSTICE WITH ALL THE OTHER TRADERS
TO WE THE PEOPLE AND THE CONTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHO STAND TOGETHER AND WILL NOT FALL
PLAY WE MAY BUTT WHEN NEEDED WE COME STAMPEDING PROWD AMERICANS READY
TO FACE ANY ENEMIES FOREIGN OR DOMESTIC
WE THE PEOPLE SAY
THE CONTITUTION IS IN OUR HEARTS
ONLY A TRUE AMERICAN KNOWS ITS TRUE PATH AND WILL DEFEND UNTIL DEATH
YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOW'N FREEDOM WILL STAND FOR THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE

Well, despite the line about bringing Obama to justice "with all the other traders," at least this person can spell "impeach." Then again, perhaps this particular teabagger was complaining about eBay or a baseball card exchange gone bad. Yeah, that's it.

Coming soon: The Teabagger Poetry Slam!

(Via Princess Sparkle Pony.)

A GOP history lesson

2010-04-24T13:13:00.003-04:00

Via Tomfoolery, a comparison between the GOP of Barry Goldwater and the GOP of Sarah Palin.

To quote Barry the G:

[T]he use of God’s name on one’s behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I’m frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ and ‘D.’ Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?

I suspect that if Goldwater were alive today, he'd be an independent or a member of the Libertarian Party.

Dear Blogger

2010-04-24T13:12:00.001-04:00

You have some of the most ugly-ass general templates I've ever seen. Can't you design some new ones? Why do you think I downloaded a template from outside? Seriously guys, those templates are eyesores.

Why didn't someone thing of this before?

2010-04-23T22:06:00.003-04:00

(Via Balloon Juice)

Some advice...

2010-04-23T21:51:00.000-04:00

...care of Badtux:

If your every criticism of Obama starts with "I'm not racist, but..." or ends with "it's not about color"... dude. Quit being in denial and get fitted for your bedsheet and pointy hat ASAP, 'kay?

Blossom Dearie

2010-04-23T21:46:00.002-04:00

The wonderful and underrated jazz singer Blossom Dearie passed away last year. To my generation, she's best known as the lady who sang "Unpack Your Adjectives" and "Figure Eight" on Schoolhouse Rock. Here she is, performing in the mid-1980s.

Life's little foot-in-mouth moments

2010-04-19T19:30:00.002-04:00

Via Brilliant at Breakfast, a blast from the past: Bobby Jindal scoffs at volcano monitoring.

Can't wait for the Icelandic government's response to this one.

Waterloo: Great song, lousy strategy.

2010-04-18T14:47:00.003-04:00

Stephen Bates wonders why the heck Republicans would want to derail financial reform. It's the Waterloo approach: Jim DeMint telegraphed their moves last year, claiming that if health care reform went down in flames, it would be Obama's Waterloo. Of course, health care reform did not go down in flames. Now, the GOP has decided to give the Waterloo strategy another shot. At some point, some wingnut welfare recipient will point out that this is completely nuts and will be shown the door.

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

2010-04-18T12:40:00.008-04:00

Via Balloon Juice comes this tale of rich conservatives with sour grapes--erm, I mean, right-wing populists:

I stopped by Freedom Plaza on Tax Day to check on the progress of the nation's populist revolt.

On the stage, I saw the great populist leader himself: Grover Norquist, who, after getting two Harvard degrees, developed his common-touch lobbying for the tropical island paradise of the Seychelles. Norquist spoke from a lectern bearing a Tea Party emblem and a simple message: "The people speak."

And which people might those be? The people of the Seychelles tourist industry? Or the people of British Petroleum, Fannie Mae, the Distilled Spirits Council and the Interactive Gaming Council? Norquist represented them all, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

It gets better from there. Seriously, these teabaggers are being played like a cheap kazoo.

From the cognitive dissonance department

2010-04-17T23:50:00.001-04:00

This article at The Nation is a must-read. Basically, Rupert Murdoch is going green while Faux News tries to debunk global warming.

Rush channels his inner Pat Robertson

2010-04-17T22:36:00.002-04:00

He blames Iceland's volcano on the health care bill. And claims it's "God speaking."

Ben Domenech, Wingnut Welfare Recipient

2010-04-17T19:59:00.006-04:00

Ben Domenech was recruited several years ago as a Washington Post affirmative-action hire: They needed a conservative blogger to balance...uh, I guess to balance journalism that conservatives didn't like. Ben was then revealed as a serial plagiarist and had to resign this position.

So what happened? CBS News hired the guy. They wanted to outdo CNN, I guess. CNN, of course, had hired Eric "Gimme my wife's shotgun and I'll point it at them thar census workers, pardner!" Erickson. How can CBS outdo the conservative crazy? By bringing in a winger with less ethics than Erickson, I guess.

Benjy delivered the goods, repeating a rumor that potential supreme court nominee Elena Kagan is a lesbian. I'm on Team Who-Gives-A-Shit-If-She's-Gay. The White House denies she's gay. While I don't want to assume anything on Mr. Domenech's part, I'm sure he was aware that his right-wing readers might have certain opinions (possibly negative) about a big ol' lezzo on the Surpreme Court.

Now little Benjy's trying to talk his way out of trouble. As in: "Sure, it was a rumor! But...but...I talked to people! And I care about gay rights. Don't you?"

August J. Pollack:

So, let's recap, CBS. You went ahead and:

1. Hired someone whom you were aware of (proven) allegations he was a liar,
2. Hired someone who was fired by another place to "maintain journalistic integrity,"
3. Hired someone who required another major news outlet to remind itself they have to "verify its news and opinion content is sourced completely and accurately."

And lo and behold, you got someone who offered a shoddy and pointless lie that pretty much places CBS's "journalistic integrity" on the level of TMZ.com.

Walter Cronkite. He used to work for you.

Just... you know, throwing that out there.

I so want to hear what Olbermann and Maddow have to say about all this.

(Via Oliver Willis.)

Oh yay

2010-04-17T19:58:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow, I begin jury duty. Time to stock up on paperbacks. This is gonna be soooooooooo fun.

I'm one of those people who keeps getting called while others are called once or twice in their lives. What's up with that?

Chanteuse blogging

2010-04-03T18:29:00.002-04:00

C'est Francoise Hardy, avec "Voila."

Le Boyfriend made a funny!

2010-03-30T19:02:00.005-04:00

On the GOP stripper club visit: "This is their version of a stimulus package."

See, this is one of many reasons I wuv him.

More fun at the RNC's expense here (via Badtux).

Another loon threatens a congressman

2010-03-29T19:43:00.002-04:00

Democrats aren't the only ones being threatened. Some wack job has threatened to kill Eric Cantor and his family. This should be condemned against anyone, regardless of party.

I hope that our elected officials are hiring extra security. I'm really nervous someone's going to get killed.

How the GOP tried to boost the economy

2010-03-29T19:34:00.002-04:00

By spending donor money at strip clubs. I'm sure this nation's titty bars will thank them. I certainly hope they are good tippers.

Comedy gold of the day:

The Republican National Committee spent about $30,000 in February on private airplanes and limousines. But those charges were overshadowed by the $1,946.25 charge at Voyeur West Hollywood, which was described by The Los Angeles Times last year as a “high-end nightclub” with an interior “reminiscent of the masked orgy scene” from the movie “Eyes Wide Shut.”

Y'know, Jesse James is getting boring. Someone needs to interview the women at this club.

And, in other news, water is wet and Kermit is green

2010-03-29T19:25:00.001-04:00

Ricky Martin has come out of the closet, describing himself as a "fortunate homosexual man." I haven't thought about this guy in several years, actually. Does he still do anything?

I LOVE this song!

2010-03-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

Heart, "Barracuda"

Return of the bow-tied empty suit

2010-01-11T23:24:00.003-05:00

From TBogg:

Having exhausted all of the possibilities of television (due to excessive cancellations), Tucker Carlson has discovered that cool beans internet thingy that all of the kids are getting on their iComputers and stuff...

Yup, Li'l Tucker is trying to launch a rightie HuffPo. Apparently, he found funding for this venture from someone who isn't a family member. (Daddy is a former ambassador and Corporation for Public Broadcasting head--and a big GOP donor to boot. Mommy is a frozen food heiress. If you ever wondered how Li'l Tucker got a foot in the door and where his family money comes from...now you know.) The funder for this [s]money loser[/s] internet venture is named Foster Friess. Yes, that's his name. Foster. Friess.

Anyway, Li'l Tucker has ripped off HuffPo's headline format for the lamely titled Daily Caller. And alas, HuffPo is ragging on the president often enough, so there really isn't much need for this inane venture.

From TBogg's comment section:

I can’t wait to see this thing fail harder than Rush hopped up on viagra and Dominican boys.

Wheeeeeeee! Let the snark begin!

Surprise, surprise

2010-01-11T23:20:00.002-05:00

The Disasta from Alaska has a job at Faux News. Can everyone stop taking her seriously now? Please?

Blogger or Wordpress

2010-01-11T23:14:00.002-05:00

Which shall it be?

I like Wordpress' templates, but Blogger is so much more user-friendly...Sigh. Decisions, decisions.

Dear Oklahoma: Why do you vote for assholes?

2009-12-21T19:53:00.002-05:00

Via WaPo, we find that Senator Tom Coburn, an Okie like fellow douchebag Jim "I Don't Believe in No Stinkin' Global Warming!" Inhofe, was holding out for one small, slim chance that health care reform wouldn't pass.

"What the American people ought to pray is that somebody can't make the vote tonight," he said. "That's what they ought to pray."

It was difficult to escape the conclusion that Coburn was referring to the 92-year-old, wheelchair-bound Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.) who has been in and out of hospitals and lay at home ailing. It would not be easy for Byrd to get out of bed in the wee hours with deep snow on the ground and ice on the roads -- but without his vote, Democrats wouldn't have the 60 they needed.

A sitting senator wishing for a colleague's death. Disgusting.

Of course, the reporter, Dana Milbank, went on a "Democrats do it toooooooo!" tirade, referring to Sheldon Whitehouse's speech. Excuse me. Mr. Milbank? Senator Whitehouse didn't suggest that another senator should die. These false equivalencies are getting tiresome.

Repeat after me: DWI in La-Z-Boy

2009-12-21T19:47:00.001-05:00

From MSNBC:

A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to driving his motorized La-Z-Boy chair while drunk.

A criminal complaint said 62-year-old Dennis LeRoy Anderson told police he left a bar in the northern Minnesota town of Proctor on his chair after drinking eight or nine beers.

Prosecutors say Anderson's blood alcohol content was 0.29, more than three times the legal limit, when he crashed into a parked vehicle in August 2008. He was not seriously injured.

(Via Stuperb)

From the "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them" Department

2009-12-20T22:27:00.004-05:00

Did the Disasta from Alaska really think she could make up stories without someone doing some fact-checking?

In "Going Rogue" Palin wrote:

"In that first year, I was alerted to threats against Willow by students at her Juneau school, one particularly disturbing. Someone posted a note on an Internet site threatening to gang-rape her at school. I never felt safe for her after that. Later, the same thing happened to Bristol."

Willow Palin attended Dzantik'i Heeni Middle School, while Bristol Palin attended Juneau-Douglas High School.

Palin provided no details about where the Internet site was, how seriously she took the threats, how she knew it was posted by students, or what steps she'd taken to ensure her family's safety.

Former Juneau School District Superintendent Peggy Cowan was superintendent during the period in question and said she never heard of such concerns.

"That was never reported to my office," she said. "I am completely confident that I never heard that."

Cowan was contacted in Barrow, where she is now the superintendent at the North Slope Borough School District.

Had a report been made to Juneau schools, Cowan said she would have worked with the principals at the schools to determine how seriously the threats should be taken and how to ensure the safety of the children.

Juneau Police Chief Greg Browning similarly said his department has no record of ever being alerted to such threats.

His department's school resource officers are in Juneau schools daily, and would likely have been alerted to such threats, had they been made, he said.

Does anyone believe a governor or other elected official would be that lackadaisical about her kids' safety that she wouldn't contact the superintendent or law enforcement? Me neither. Actually, a better question is this: Did Sarah Palin really think nobody would fact-check her statements?

(Via Lawyers, Guns, and Money.)

Ooooooh! Michael Steele is TEH TERRIRIST!!1!

2009-12-13T18:23:00.005-05:00

Via Ed Brayton comes the Notorious GOP, a.k.a. Michael Steele and his interns gettin' doooowwwwwn!

But wait--is this a terrorist fist jab?

At some point, a Fox News anchor's head will explode.

No wonder the GOP pretends Rush is the party leader.

Oh dear. Wingnuts foiled again

2009-12-13T17:37:00.003-05:00

A judge blocked the ban on funding for ACORN. At least one of the ~~yellow elephants~~ young conservatives involved in the sting on ACORN isn't going to be happy.

One commenter on this case sums up my feelings exactly:

ACORN has the misfortune of being an organization with extremely worthwhile goals (even if they do upset the rich folks bankrolling Faux News) and yet filled with associates that apparently don't take their role as ethical exemplars seriously and as a result end up besmirching the organization as a whole. Even if the right-wing operatives that want to strip ACORN of its ability to fulfill its mission use extremely underhanded tactics, ACORN itself can only survive by sticking to the highest levels of ethical conduct. It's clearly an indictment of their organization that the leadership cannot communicate this fact to its staff. However, the legions of inner-city poor who have benefited from their works shouldn't have to pay the price for the stupidity of a few staffers. ACORN leadership should step down and replace itself with professional managers who can rehabilitate the organization so it can accomplish its very worthwhile goals of ensuring democracy, freedom, and opportunity for all.

I'm in a suppressive kinda mood today

2009-12-12T23:20:00.000-05:00

Hence "The 8 Days of Scientology."

Assorted reading

2009-12-12T15:57:00.003-05:00

Farnsworth sums up my feelings on Afghanistan.

I hate to see Obama pouring even more military and money into that rathole. But at this point I don't know what else can be done--there's no easy solution now. We've stepped into another lake of quicksand...

Hey, how could've I have missed a band with a great name like Salad? I thought I was a '90s music hipster. Sigh...

I have nothing to say on Tiger Woods, except that professional athletes sleeping with bimbos is hardly front page news. Oh, and golf is boring.

Via BlueGal, we have Andy Mckenna, former head of the Illinois GOP, who thinks Illinois' minimum wage ($8.00/hour) is too high. Mr. Mckenna missed his calling. He should be writing for the Onion.

President Obama says banks don't get it re financial reform. Uh, Mr. President? You do remember you've got Geithner and Summers in your cabinet, right? These aren't exactly reform-minded guys.

British Invasion blogging

2009-12-12T15:22:00.002-05:00

I've been on a Hollies kick lately. Truly an underrated band--perhaps the most grossly underrated group of the 1960s. They're a link between the purest of pure British invasion pop and the power pop artists of the 1970s (Raspberries, Big Star et al.). They were also great singers and musicians. The hits continued even after Graham Nash quit the band (a proposed Dylan cover album was the last straw before he hightailed it to Laurel Canyon).

From the 1960s, "I Can't Let Go." This should've been a huge hit in the USA.

From the 1970s, "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress."

Okay, I'm back

2009-11-22T18:33:00.001-05:00

I have a question:

Am I the only one sick of vampires? I don't want to read any Twilight books, see any Twilight movies, read any Sookie Stackhouse novels, or watch any vampire related shows. There are too many vampires. Enough already! Can't we have more werewolves?

Okay, there are exceptions.

I've moved.

2009-06-24T23:33:00.001-04:00

Check out my new blog addy. Nothing against Blogger; just wanted a change of scene.

I'm curious...

2009-06-24T18:39:00.001-04:00

...Where do wingnuts get the impression that liberals support Islamic terrorism? If that were true, wouldn't there be a lot of liberals in Gitmo?

Really, they're just making things up. Again.

Crybaby conservative alert!

2009-03-14T14:20:00.003-04:00

Li'l Tucker Carlson still hasn't forgiven Jon Stewart for being mean to him on "Crossfire."

Say, what has Tucker been up to these days, anyway?

Welcome to Planet Clueless

2009-03-01T15:38:00.002-05:00

In 2006, Rush Limbaugh claimed he'd been "liberated" from his role as GOP stooge. Now, he's the freaking party's de facto leader, declaring once again, at CPAC, that he wants Obama to fail.

This is good for the Democrats. In the words of Rahm Emmanuel on "Face the Nation":

He's asked for President Obama and called for President Obama to fail. That's his view. And that's what he has enunciated. And whenever a Republican criticizes him, they have to run back and apologize to him and say they were misunderstood. He is the voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party. He has been up front about what he views and hasn't stepped back from that, which is he hopes for failure. He said it and I compliment him for his honesty. But that's their philosophy that is enunciated by Rush Limbaugh and I think that's the wrong philosophy for America....

When a Republican did attack him he clearly had a turn-around and comeback and basically said that he apologized and was wrong. I think do think he's an intellectual force, which is why the Republicans pay such attention to him.

Earth to GOP! Earth to GOP! Didn't Limbaugh's blatherings about Michael J. Fox cost you guys a senate seat in Missouri?

Something tells me that the party's going to get their asses kicked yet again in 2010. Suppose the Republicans are down to 35 Senate seats and 150 House seats by 2011. Will they get a clue then?

I second this idea

2009-02-28T18:08:00.000-05:00

From Cleek:

Obama should go on TV and read the dictionary definition of “socialism“. Then he should ask, “Have I ever suggested that the government should take over the means of production? No? THEN SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU IGNORANT DOUCHEBAGS. Thank you. And God Bless America.”

ELO, "Sweet Talking Woman"

2009-02-28T16:09:00.001-05:00

In memory of Kelly Groucutt, ELO bassist (1945-2009):

CPAC: The song parody

2009-02-28T16:05:00.002-05:00

"C-P-A-C"
(Sung to the tune of the Village People's "Y.M.C.A.")

Wingnut! Do you feel out of place?
I say, wingnut! Why that frown on your face?
Are you sick of 'Bama, Hillary and Joe?
There's gathering where you should go

Wingnuts! Pundits giggling at you?
Hey wingnut! You're rubber and they're glue
Because wingnuts! Are Americans true
So show them you're patriotic

Bring yourself to the C-P-A-C
Yes, you'll have fun at the C-P-A-C
We will make you look sane!
We will make you look hip!
Believe us, it's worth the trip!

C-P-A-C! You'll have fun at the C-P-A-C!
Joe the Plumber is there! So are Coulter and Steele!
So come over to cool your heels!

Wingnuts, we've got teabags unused
Our plans for a tea party fell through
But we'll pretend that it was a success
As we dig our way out of this mess

Wingnuts! Where is Jindal? Here's Mitt!
Where is Sarah? Our movement's in deep shit
But they passed on our gathering this year
Are they really so ungrateful?

Oh, who cares, it's the C-P-A-C!
We're having fun at the C-P-A-C!
You will be among friends. It's a trip and a half!
You can speak and no one will laugh.

C-P-A-C. You're not alone at the C-P-A-C
We're conservatives true--no RINOs need apply
If you're Specter, then say goodbye

Wingnuts! Yes, it's true we were trounced
But wingnuts! We still know how to bounce
Back to power! Ask Goldwater and Ron
Read our history--you'll know we're not wrong!

Wingnuts! We will use hip-hop slang!
Oh yeah, wingnuts! We'll come back with a bang!
We'll be current! And we'll be cutting-edge!
Are there old ideas we can dredge?

C-P-A-C...We'll still have fun at the C-P-A-C
You will be among friends. It's a trip and a half!
You can speak and no one will laugh.

C-P-A-C...We're having fun at the C-P-A-C...

Dare I ask where these people come from?

2009-01-29T20:28:00.002-05:00

Chip Saltsman was, just a short time ago, one of the assorted wannabe GOP leaders. A candidate for party chairman, in fact.

Now, however, the wannabe is a won't-be. Note to other GOP hopefuls: Do you guys want to be a Southern party forever? If the answer is "no," then quit with the racist crap, will you please?

Would that this were real...

2009-01-21T20:43:00.001-05:00

The letter Bush left for Obama.

Close captioning gone wrong

2009-01-21T19:33:00.000-05:00

From Best Week Ever, via Socialite Life.

The new patriotism

2009-01-20T22:24:00.002-05:00

With Obama's election, Americans are suddenly patriotic again. How cool is that?

They painted Barack Obama as an unpatriotic, "terrorist sympathizing" candidate whose values are foreign to the American way of life. How could it be that his ascendance to the presidency should be the occasion for the new patriotic spirit sweeping America?

Yesterday on the mall in Washington hundreds of thousands belted out "This Land is Your Land" led by 90-year-old labor activist and folk singer Pete Seeger who was blacklisted in the 50s. The eyes of white middle aged working guys moistened as they listened to a black children's choir sing "America the Beautiful". And throughout the crowd -- even among the aging 60s activists who had struggled against the Vietnam War -- there was a genuine, deep admiration for the men and women who risk it all every day in our armed forces.

And it's not just in Washington. As unlikely as it might seem to the right, the election of Barack Hussein Obama has caused an intense feeling of patriotism to well up across the country.

I guess a president that inspires optimism and that wonderful we're-all-in-this-together spirit will do that.

A music break

2009-01-20T22:22:00.001-05:00

Lena Horne singing "Stormy Weather." Hope that wherever she is, she's loving this inauguration.

Oh, boo hoo

2009-01-19T20:15:00.003-05:00

Alberto Gonzales isn't the only Bush staffer who can't get hired. Via WaPo:

As President-elect Barack Obama's team transitions into the federal government tomorrow, President Bush's political appointees will be locked out, and in these tough economic times many of them are scrambling to find new jobs. High-ranking White House loyalists have deluged Washington headhunters with pleas for jobs. Corporations and nonprofit organizations have stopped hiring. With the GOP out of power, jobs on Capitol Hill are scant and K Street lobbying firms have trimmed their golden parachutes.

So this is the new reality: Instead of boasting to friends and colleagues of new jobs in goodbye e-mails, many longtime Bush aides have offered home phone numbers and Gmail and Yahoo e-mail addresses as their new contacts.

"For Republicans, the inn is full," lamented veteran GOP operative Ron Kaufman, a close White House adviser to former president George H.W. Bush and an executive at Dutko Worldwide. "You have lots of folks in the House and Senate on the streets and 3,000 administration appointees on the streets at a time when the job market is shrinking anyways. It's just not a fun time."

The crappy job market is the worst of their worries, though WaPo won't acknowledge this. That said, where are the rich benefactors of the farright, the ones funneling their inherited billions into wingnut-welfare think tanks? Where is the Heritage Foundation? Where are the American Enterprise Institute, the Independent Women's Forum, the Hoover Institution? Wingnuts look after their own, yes? Won't some of them offer jobs to these otherwise-unemployable Bush dead-enders?

Via Bazzfazz.

Uh-oh!

2009-01-19T20:03:00.001-05:00

It's President Bush's last day in office (man, it feels so good to write this), and he hasn't pardoned Scooter Libby. Who wants to bet Scooter's tell-all will be hitting bookshelves in two or three years?

The stupid! It BUUUUUURRRRNS!

2009-01-18T21:10:00.003-05:00

This is just funny. Beelzebub and Lucifer--uh, I mean, Mike Huckabee and Ann Coulter--are doin' the "I'm more of a wingnut than YEW!" thang.

Meanwhile, here's the condensed Rush Limbaugh: "Waaaaaaaah! Liberals were mean to Bush in 2001! They never liked him! Why should we conservatives be nice to Obama, huh? Waaaaaaaah!"

Krispy Kreme are TEH BABY KILLERS!!1!1!

2009-01-18T20:19:00.002-05:00

Apparently, this isn't a joke:

KRISPY KREME CELEBRATES OBAMA WITH PRO-ABORTION DOUGHNUTS Washington, DC (15 January 2009) -

The following is a statement from American Life League president Judie Brown:

“The next time you stare down a conveyor belt of slow-moving, hot, sugary glazed donuts at your local Krispy Kreme, you just might be supporting President-elect Barack Obama’s radical support for abortion on demand - including his sweeping promise to sign the Freedom of Choice Act as soon as he steps in the Oval Office, Jan. 20.

Hear that, kids? When you eat Krispy Kreme doughnuts, you kill babies.

How can Judie Brown say this crap with a straight face, anyway?

Some people never learn

2009-01-18T20:11:00.002-05:00

Them Beltway folks sure is silly. I mean, there's clueless, and then there's clueless. From WaPo:

With a black first family in the White House and a diverse group of appointees and Cabinet nominees, the all-white dinner party feels all wrong. Certain hosts are suddenly grappling with a new reality: They need some black friends. Overnight, black politicians, lawyers and journalists are hot properties, receiving engraved invitations from people they never got invitations from before.

Blacks have gone from barely being on the list to being in charge of the list.

"Everyone knows that his campaign was about inclusion," Jarrett said. "We would expect that spirit of inclusion to also reflect on Washington's social scene."

They finally realized that the young black kids with the hors d'œuvre trays don't count, eh?

This has been another edition of The Beltway Is Totally Out of Touch.

Via Booman Tribune.

And if you thought the video below was weird...

2009-01-17T14:00:00.003-05:00

Someone with a lot of spare time has posted Far Side Reenactments. Thanks to Elayne Riggs, who checks out this stuff so other people don't have to. I owe her some black metal links.

Okay, I'm scared to say this...

2009-01-17T13:53:00.002-05:00

But the video below, combining the Scissor Sisters' quasi-disco and three goofball black metal videos, works, in a seriously perverse way. I originally discovered this in the Facebook group Any Picture Can Be Improved by Adding Immortal to It.

Move over, Peggy Noonan!

2009-01-17T13:43:00.005-05:00

You too can be a political speechwriter! Here's how!

My fellow Americans, today is a floppy day. You have shown the world that "hope" is not just another word for "chapeau", and that "change" is not only something we can believe in again, but something we can actually smack.

Today we celebrate, but let there be no mistake – America faces heavy and delicious challenges like never before. Our economy is sordid. Americans can barely afford their mortgages, let alone have enough money left over for dopes. Our healthcare system is odd. If your kidney is sick and you don't have insurance, you might as well call a sales representative. And America's image overseas is tarnished like a keychain floppy disk. But groping together we can right this ship, and set a course for Dubai.

Finally, I must thank my tipsy family, my luscious campaign volunteers, but most of all, I want to thank Hawaiians for making this historic occasion possible. Of course, I must also thank you, President Bush, for years of dribbling the American people. Without your spacey efforts, none of this would have been possible.

This is 2009's Next Big Thing

2009-01-15T23:14:00.001-05:00

Victoria Hesketh, aka Little Boots, performing "Meddle."

A fitting end to the eight-year disaster

2009-01-15T23:07:00.002-05:00

Bush's farewell speech was brushed aside as the miraculous plane landing in the Hudson monopolized the news. He's boring. He keeps saying the same shit over and over. And basically, he sucks. We all know this.

It'll be fun to hear the wingers whine about Obama for the next four years. This time, sensible people can say, "Well, do you really think anything was better under Bush?" That should shut them up.

Think YOU'VE been embarrassed?

2009-01-14T22:05:00.003-05:00

A former Republican aide has been caught scalping tickets to Obama's inauguration...just hours before the practice became illegal. Oops.

Don't do it, Caroline!

2009-01-14T21:13:00.003-05:00

I used to like Caroline Kennedy. Now...not so much.

Sure, she was a curiously pallid figure, but she was classy. She had a low-key life writing books, serving on assorted foundation boards, raising money for the New York City schools, and carrying the Camelot torch. After watching her mother run the paparazzi gauntlet, you couldn't blame her for avoiding a life on the public stage.

There are only two things that could explain her current interest in La Hill's Senate seat:

a. Uncle Ted put her up to it, because there just has to be a Kennedy in the Senate.

b. She's going through a mid-life crisis.

I'm inclined to believe the former. Uncle Ted's not long for this world, so he's nudging his publicity-shy niece into the spotlight. Weirdly enough, she's playing along with it--and why? If anyone's gone out of her way to avoid controversy during her half-century on the planet, it's Caroline Kennedy.

This is not a bad thing, of course. Except when you're in politics, where controversy is unavoidable. It pains me to say this, she's basically a Caroline-come-lately. As Jane Hamsher notes:

Her leadership could have been really helpful when we were trying to keep the progressive lights on and getting the stuffing beaten out of us by a very well-financed right wing for the past eight years. But when things were tough, she was nowhere to be found.

Now that the Democrats are in power, she'd like to come in at the top.

Case in point: Kennedy's co-wrote two books about civil liberties. And, as Al Giordano notes, she and coauthor Ellen Alderman did their own exhaustive research; these books were not vanity projects.

I don't doubt Kennedy's commitment to the Bill of Rights and privacy. Given her expertise, she could've spoken out against warrantless wiretaps or the FISA bill. She and Alderman could've even updated their books with new chapters on, say, the Patriot Act or the rights of Gitmo detainees. She could have done consulting work for the ACLU (as Bob Barr and Dick Armey have done). Instead, she was editing A Patriot's Handbook and Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

I have nothing against political families; the new US Senate has two cousins from the legendary Udall clan, after all (and another Udall relative was just voted out). I just want them to prove themselves instead of coasting in based on star power.

Katha Pollitt, writing in the latest issue of the Nation, adds two possible candidates: Elizabeth Holtzman (a civil libertarian like Kennedy) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney as candidates. Maloney has served eight terms in the House of Representatives--in fact, she's Kennedy's congresswoman. "Moving her to the Senate would free up her district...so Kennedy can run for her seat and get into office the old-fashioned way," Pollitt suggests.

Computer spam = WMDs? GROOOOAAAAN!

2008-12-11T13:38:00.005-05:00

Badtux does the linky thang to a Wired piece about the civilization-destroying threat posed by...computer malware and spam.

Don't look at me. It's the right-wing Hoover Institution sounding the alarm over what their distinguished fellows (suppresses chuckle) call eWMDs. That's short for electronic weapons of mass destruction. In other words, malware programs, viruses, and those annoying FREE MEDS e-mails are somehow as dangerous as nukes and biological weapons. And the US should enlist the National Guard to track down these idiots--er, I mean, terrorist masterminds.

Sounds like someone at Hoover got carried away after deleting the junk mail from his e-mail inbox.

Another group, calling itself the Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency, has suggest sanctions for countries that harbor cybercriminals. File this one under Ideas that Sound Badass But Are Totally Unworkable. Why do I have a feeling these cybersecurity "experts" aren't very familiar with operating systems?

Good Gawd, now I've seen everything

2008-12-10T23:01:00.002-05:00

Hey kids! It's the Clean Coal Carolers! A new energy policy can't come soon enough...

What? No political cronies?

2008-12-10T20:42:00.002-05:00

The Wall Street Journal notes that Obama "appears to be moving left with some of his new choices" for cabinet posts. Specifically, he's an energy czar and an EPA head who are actually serious about reducing greenhouse gases. He has also hired a Nobel Prize-winning physicist for Secretary of Energy. In other words, he's hired competent people who are serious about their jobs.

I am, needless to say, somewhat optimistic about this new administration.

(Via The Great Beyond.)

Speaking of black metal...

2008-12-10T20:17:00.002-05:00

This has got to be the most ridiculous idea since grunge fashion.

If Abbath Doom Occulta starts appearing at runway shows, you'll know civilization has truly gone to hell in a handbasket.

Via The Daily Swarm.