TBogg looks at the current state of "Joe" the "Plumber."
The whole WaPo piece he excerpts is worth a read, too. A good example of the facts showing their well-known liberal bias.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Jon Swift on Curtis Sliwa's Radio Show
The Web's most reasonable conservative hits the big time!
Go visit Jon for the full story, including reactions.
On Reading Wingnuts
… Rod Dreher, bedeviled by Dirty Hippies, 60s Division; CPAC attendees and commentators, bedeviled by the Librul Media; and Professor Reynolds, bedeviled by free enterprise, as personified by the Rocky Mountain News, R.I.P.
As usual, the interest is not in hearing what these people have to say but in charting which direction their melted brains are flowing this week.
Let's say that should we have unexpectedly acquired the habit of brevity overnight we'd note here that Phil Gramm was right about the nation of whiners, and merely wrong in the direction he was pointing, and leave it at that.
-- Doghouse Riley
Fortunately, no such habit was acquired. Go.
The rePubOLITICO
Political junkies won't exactly be shocked to hear me say that The Politico is fast turning into Fox News Online, but their complicity in the damage control efforts as Exorcist Bobby Jindal tries to spin his head way out of being caught lying in his last big speech is nothing short of embarrassing.
(h/t: Jim Newell/Wonkette)
WaPo Descent Watch: Cartoon Edition
Or rather, suppression of cartoon edition.
(h/t: Juli Weiner/Wonkabout)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Ammo
If you're ever trapped in a debate with a glibertarian who insists that The Free Market is always, always, always the bestest way to handle everything ever, and you know he's wrong but you're having trouble saying why, crisply, then read Paul Krugman's post, "What should government do? A Jindal meditation."
Part of it is bashing Bobby Jindal, which is fun, but the other benefit is some clear language, which I've bolded:
What is the appropriate role of government?
Traditionally, the division between conservatives and liberals has been over the role and size of the welfare state: liberals think that the government should play a large role in sanding off the market economy’s rough edges, conservatives believe that time and chance happen to us all, and that’s that.
But both sides, I thought, agreed that the government should provide public goods — goods that are nonrival (they benefit everyone) and nonexcludable (there’s no way to restrict the benefits to people who pay.) The classic examples are things like lighthouses and national defense, but there are many others. For example, knowing when a volcano is likely to erupt can save many lives; but there’s no private incentive to spend money on monitoring, since even people who didn’t contribute to maintaining the monitoring system can still benefit from the warning. So that’s the sort of activity that should be undertaken by government.
h/t: Atrios, who reemphasizes nicely:
... volcano monitoring is a public good, something with a precise definition in the world of economics (as opposed to a publicly provided good, which is just anything the government happens to fund).
Maybe you already knew these terms, but I didn't.
Accountability Now
Does Not Compute
Read this story from the NYT about Accountability Now and then read the Sam Stein story on the same subject. The latter is much more accurate.
There's a difference between Democrats from more conservative districts who, while not representing my political views, do manage to represent their constituents' views, and Democrats who engage in "centrist" wankery despite representing liberal districts, or Democrats who use the conservative tilt of their district as an excuse to get on board with anything the Chamber of Commerce supports.
Maybe I'm not as critical a reader, but I don't find much difference between the two articles. Sam Stein's is more detailed, so assuming he's got his facts right (safe bet), I guess his is more accurate in that sense. Maybe the NYT piece's throwaway line, not matched in Stein's piece …
But it also illuminates a deepening wrinkle for President Obama, whose attempt to build a broad governing coalition — often by tempering some of his more liberal positions — has already angered some of his supporters on the left.
… could be what be what irked Atrios. Such gratuitous "some say" padding, whether to achieve faux-balance or to heighten the all-important Conflict! aspect that the MSM seems to need in every last political analysis story, is annoying, although by now, I read right over such content-free fluff.
Anyway, no dispute with Atrios's second paragraph, and it sounds like Accountability Now has about the same philosophy. I do like the idea of beefing up the left -- or what Howard Dean famously called "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party" -- and getting rid of people like Holy Joe Lieberman and some of the Blue Dogs who threw so much sand into the recent stimulus bill negotiations, but I must confess I feel a bit of a chill here. Three words always lurk when contemplating the Dems, especially when they're in power: Circular. Firing. Squad.
This is not an argument against Accountability Now by any means. Just me being a worrywart. It sounds from the stories Atrios linked to that this organization is going to be something to watch, and the odds are, I'm going to agree with most of their goals. Lord knows the definition of "the center" has been pushed way to the right over the past three decades, with concomitant shifting by the Democratic Party, and we could use a strong push back to the left. As long as this doesn't turn into the sort of purity purge currently being pushed by some conservatards on their side, and it sounds like the AN founders are well aware of how stupid that would be, I'm all for it.
(I'm sure they'll be relieved to hear that.)
The Hits Keep Coming
Bad as Bobby Jindal's post-Obama response speech was, it looks like it's just gotten worse. His big story? About standing shoulder-to-shoulder with that sheriff against the horrible liberal Washington bureaucrats (from the Bush Administration, but never mind that!)? Turns out Jindal was lying.
Eric Boehlert wonders if this means, according to Villager rules, Section Al Gore, that he's now disqualified from being president. Of course we know the answer to that: IOKIYAR!
More Popcorn, Please!
In recent days, Republican leaders were called cheesy, off-putting, disastrous, untrustworthy, and inconsequential, not by Democrats, but by their party's own members, from high-profile commentators to Governors.
-- Paul Jenkins
The whole thing is a delight to read.
Good Rant
Perhaps it resonated because of that cartoon I just posted, but the latest of Charles Pierce's weekly letters to Eric Alterman struck me as teh awesome.
Doubling Down
Zachary Roth of TPM reports that in his next column, George Will will defend the global warming denialism he set forth in a column that ran two weeks ago.
Roth also reports WaPo editor Fred Hiatt is standing by his refusal to run any corrections to Will's first column, which has been thoroughly torn to shreds. (Links that I've gathered up on that here.)
[Added] More on Hiatt here and here. Short version: he's trying to spin this as a "debate." Shall we expect pro-Creationist columns coming soon to a WaPo page near you, Fred? Teach us the controversy, please do!
(h/t: County Fair)
[UPDATE] Don't miss Dan winning the Internet in the Comments.
Cartoon of the Day
Actually, this is only part of the larger original cartoon by Chan Lowe. This bit seemed more timeless, and sharper, to me.
(h/t: Comics Curmudgeon/Wonkette)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Hey, Nate Silver ...
... you can't be too happy about this, can you?
And yeah, I checked: fiveforty.com is already taken. Bastards.
(h/t: Jim Newell/Wonkette)
Flash Security Update
Adobe has released a security update for its Flash player, which you almost certainly have if you've ever watched any video or animated image online. The update patches five potential security holes. You'll want to do this right away -- some of the flaws are rated "critical."
The latest version number, for Windows, Mac, and Linux, is 10.0.22.87. To check which version of Flash you currently have installed, visit:
http://www.adobe.com/products/flash/about/
Assuming you need an update, visit the link labeled Player Download Center, right on that same page (or by clicking my link.
Important: You'll have to do the upgrade separately if you use different browsers, once for Firefox/Opera/Safari and once for Internet Explorer. (I don't know if Chrome is included in the first group or not.) Just revisit the above links.
Also note: the Internet Explorer update is done in place, and you'll be offered the chance to install the Google Toolbar at the same time. Uncheck that box before proceeding. The update for Firefox, et al, is done by downloading an installer file, closing your browser, and double-clicking the downloaded file.
In both cases, for me, the update was painless and only took about a minute per browser.
Brian Krebs has details, if you want them.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
How Far Are We From Peak Wingnut Again, John?
John Cole, 13 October 2008:
As I look around the blogosphere, and view memeorandum, it occurred to me that we may have hit and passed Peak Wingnut.
In his defense, he quickly recognized the error of being optimistic about that bunch.
John Cole, 29 October 2008:
My Peak Wingnut theory has got to be an early front runner for the von Hoffman award of the year.
(NB: The von Hoffman award is not a Good Thing.)
The election came and went, as did Inauguration Day, and the snarky comments piled up, prompted, of course, by external events.
John Cole, 28 Jan 2009:
I think I need to delete my peak wingnut post before it is used against me every day for the rest of my life.
John's a good man, so of course he wouldn't. Still, it's hard not to keep teasing him, especially when today, I'm trying to decide which is the wingnuttiest thing I've read in the last five minutes: Alan Keys saying, "Stop Obama or the US will cease to exist," or Glenn Beck and a panel of Fox News-hired military shills, "wargaming" the looming civil war. Yes, in this country.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Wingnuts In High Places
Richard Shelby, "sometimes known as Dick Shelby, is the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama. Originally elected to the Senate as a Democrat, Shelby switched to the Republican Party in 1994 when it gained the majority in Congress."
Okay, so Wikipedia lets us know he's a scumbag. What else?
Well, there's this: Steve Benen reports it appears that he's joined the Cult of the COLB.
[Added] Ben Smith's post (via Steve's) has now been updated with a little blame for the newspaper that originally quoted him backpedaling.
[Update 2009-02-23 14:55] The paper reporting Shelby's COLB talk stands by its reporting. (via, via)
[Added] Here's an update, direct from the Cullman Times, the paper originally reporting.
Been A Long Time Since I Wanted A T-Shirt With Anything Printed On It
However ...
That's right! It's Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock!
Video explanation:
(h/t: Jay Garmon | pic. source)
[Update 2011-11-18] New embed, alt. video link.
Poster of the Day
You can see more, and buy copies with proceeds going to a good cause, at mikero.com.
(h/t: claymisher)
NB: Commenters lobbying on behalf of punctuated equilibrium will be banned.
New (to me) Word: Bathetic
I've seen bathetic before and not always thought it a typo, but this time, since I saw it among Roy Edroso's other words reviewing Milk, I bothered to look it up. It means, especially in the way Roy used it, a weak, cheap, or insincere portrayal of emotion, or a similarly bad attempt to draw or convey emotion.
Also, now we can add bathos to hathos on a list of rhymes for poetry we hope never to write.
P.S. I know it's my fault for mentioning the movie, but please keep all bathhouse jokes to yourself.
Bleg
While reading an article about a French petroleum company operating in Yemen, I not too surprisingly came across the word audace, which made the apophthegm "l'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace!" pop into my head. (And yeah, I'm in a consonant-wasting mood this morning. Thanks for noticing.)
I Googled the phrase and the consensus seems to be that Frederick the Great said it but probably it originated with Georges Danton, and further, that Danton's original line was "Il nous faut de l'audace, et encore de l'audace, et toujours de l'audace."
Anyway, anyone ever heard of this saying uttered in the sense that I remember it? Maybe there were two mathematicians at court, and one said it about the other, as a way of both delivering a compliment and letting the boss know they paid attention when he spoke?
Afterthought: I do recall that F the G also sponsored Lagrange for a time, but the only other thing I know about that guy, when I can remember that he didn't write Mécanique Céleste, is that ZZ Top named a whorehouse after him, which if nothing else certainly can't be said to be a place where one boldly goes where no man has gone before.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
OTM Reacts to the Geert Wilders News
A few days ago, I posted several times on the topic of Geert Wilders. (See here, here, here, and here.)
This week's On The Media noted the story, too, and decided to re-run a segment they did last year. Here's their blurb:
War of the Worlds
Earlier this month, right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders was denied entry into the United Kingdom to screen his controversial film about Islam. The British government's decision sparked the ongoing debate about free speech, xenophobia, and a clash of cultures when it comes to Muslim immigrants in western societies.
In a piece that aired last April, Bob talked with some of the main players in the struggle to define the future of free speech in Europe.
Here is the audio (after the usual forty second long NPR promotional intro):
(alt. audio link, where direct download (MP3) is also available)
Our Automated Keyword-Based Matching Algorithm Ensures Your Ad Appears Next To The Articles Your Customers Read!
Seen on one of the computer security blogs I regularly read:
Cheap laughs aside, the security flaw in Adobe Reader and Acrobat sounds worrisome. There is no patch for it yet. There is a minor band-aid type thing you can do until an update is made available -- follow the link for details.
A better option: use the free FoxIt Reader instead -- smaller, faster, and according to Brian Krebs, believed not to be suffering the same vulnerability.
For Your Consideration
Tasteful background image you picked out for your Twitter page there, Malkin.
You wouldn't be suggesting any sort of connection, now, would you?
[UPDATE 2009-02-23 13:05] Looks like she changed it. I'd like to think I was a contributing factor, but probably not.
Smackdown! Bad Astronomer vs. Parasite Rex!
Phil Plait and Carl Zimmer do this week's Science Saturday diavlog on Bloggingheads.tv.
Surely you don't need me to tell you how great that is. Go! Go!
Truth in advertising disclaimer: Actually, there isn't any fighting.
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