Well, don't just shake your head and say, "There you go again , being cynical." Check out Josh Gerstein's well done piece in Politico.com (6/30) on recent court decisions that have stymied the Obama administration from continuing to assert broad executive powers to hold terrorist suspects, and to assert that the courts have no role in determining the status of the detainees over seas. Federal judges appointed by Bush 43 have given the Obama DOJ lessons in why you don't want to piss off a federal judge with stupid arguments. The courts are openly attacking the administration and questioning the credulity of the cases that seem to evaporate in the light of judicial review.
So, we marvel at the marvie ironies of Bush 43 appointees reading the riot act to Obama lawyers over claims of executive privilege. The title of the article by Gerstein is "George W. Bush appointees break Barak Obama on terror policies."
http://www.politico.com/
In the mean time, the gift that keeps on giving, the gov. Sanford story. His penchant for giving press conferences and interviews (that none really want to hear) have become an stimulus package so to speak. The AP reported that its staff had access to the gov. crying in his office again, speaking about god and doors opening ( look before you leap). This is well beyond SNL and should be an entire panel at the American Psychiatric Association's next convention. Rush Limbaugh thinks Obama made Sanford do it because the poor man was so distraught over the path of America's decline; Sanford just said screw it, and he is did just that. Does Rush take regular urine tests or not?
By the way, has anyone heard from California lately? Recent stories that the Obama administration has told the state's leaders to drop dead on the state's fiscal crisis reminds me of the famous Gerald Ford position during the New York City fiscal crisis during the 1970's. Are these guys serious? True, the state has a bunch of idiots in the legislature and propositions have been passed by brain dead voters on several occasions to exacerbate the current crisis; still, California generates about 20% of the GDP of the country. Standing alone, the state is the world's 8th largest economy. It just doesn't seem smart or sane to be playing the fiscal rectitude game right now. They need serious help or we will be calling troops back from Afghanistan sooner than we think.
Sweet Dreams
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
God, Guns, Banks and Killing the Budda
Today's NYTimes was shimmering with tips from the cosmos....well, little bits of demented diamonds falling from the heavenly web edition. Katherine Q. Seeley article ( are you ready for this title) "God, Firearms and America come Together at a Church in Kentucky." The article does nothing to dispel one's horror at the title of this piece. This story comes from Louisville where indoor plumbing has been a tradition for generation.
One quote from the good pastor, Ken Pagano (Jersey transplant) "But for a deep seated belief in God and firearms, this country would not be here today." This article is not a screen play for a Michael Moore movie or Borat II. This is as unreal as reality can get. A must read for those of you who are thinking of retiring to a gentler southern clime.
Breathless, I staggered to "the City Room" and ran into Dominick Tao's piece on a spat between the NYPD and " the banking community." It appears that bank heists are up for 2008 over the previous year by 57%. This surge in bank robbing entreprenurialism has alarmed the NYPD; they in turn have suggested to the banks and the City Council that more bulletproof glass would be a good idea. The bankers have a more Diggers like approach to the issue. They don't think it's a good idea to frustrate the bad guys, who may take out their frustrations upon the bank staff and customers....precisely the reason why I carry 250K in small denominated bills when I go to B of A. I'm with the bank guys. Let them get the cash and get out, so that the NYPD may have the fun of chasing them. I am with the banks on this one. The real bank robberies have already happened in the financial bail outs; these amateurs who get maybe 11-12 grand a heist are just pests compared to Bernie and the Wall Street "Banksters" crowd...
Finally, I was lifted into the stratosphere by the Blog ktB (Kill the Budda). The post by Jeff Sharlet entitled, " Michael Jackson, Mark Sanford,& the Synagogue of Satan" left me tingling with joy at the shear lunatic brilliance of the piece and its creator...we are not worthy.
love and piece,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29
http://killingthebudda.com/ktblog
One quote from the good pastor, Ken Pagano (Jersey transplant) "But for a deep seated belief in God and firearms, this country would not be here today." This article is not a screen play for a Michael Moore movie or Borat II. This is as unreal as reality can get. A must read for those of you who are thinking of retiring to a gentler southern clime.
Breathless, I staggered to "the City Room" and ran into Dominick Tao's piece on a spat between the NYPD and " the banking community." It appears that bank heists are up for 2008 over the previous year by 57%. This surge in bank robbing entreprenurialism has alarmed the NYPD; they in turn have suggested to the banks and the City Council that more bulletproof glass would be a good idea. The bankers have a more Diggers like approach to the issue. They don't think it's a good idea to frustrate the bad guys, who may take out their frustrations upon the bank staff and customers....precisely the reason why I carry 250K in small denominated bills when I go to B of A. I'm with the bank guys. Let them get the cash and get out, so that the NYPD may have the fun of chasing them. I am with the banks on this one. The real bank robberies have already happened in the financial bail outs; these amateurs who get maybe 11-12 grand a heist are just pests compared to Bernie and the Wall Street "Banksters" crowd...
Finally, I was lifted into the stratosphere by the Blog ktB (Kill the Budda). The post by Jeff Sharlet entitled, " Michael Jackson, Mark Sanford,& the Synagogue of Satan" left me tingling with joy at the shear lunatic brilliance of the piece and its creator...we are not worthy.
love and piece,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29
http://killingthebudda.com/ktblog
Food Fight Between WaPo and Nico of Huff Post
Saturn Smith posted on Salon.com's Open Salon 28 June 2009 a video clip of Dana Milbank and Nico Pitney going at one another as if in a genteel version of The Jerry Springer Show: for those who can read without moving their lips ( guilty). This is hilarious. Almost as good as Obama's and the Iranian President's bloviations ( much used term of Obama staffers).
Salon is dangerously close to The Onion's territory. Stories such as the food fight (Wapo vs Nico) are so delicious that one needs to run a mile after reading them...they are too good not to be fattening.
http://www.salon.com/
Salon is dangerously close to The Onion's territory. Stories such as the food fight (Wapo vs Nico) are so delicious that one needs to run a mile after reading them...they are too good not to be fattening.
http://www.salon.com/
Madoff to Read Classics as Rehab while doing time
Yes, we have an in with the Bureau of Prisons and have suggested a grueling reading program for Bernie starting with Proust and descending to Ayn Rand. It is possible that his attorney could plead that Rand is just too much punishment for a man Bernie's age. True sadists would, of course, have him read De Sade and if he acts out, French literary theory from the 60's on. Too horrible to contemplate; he does not deserve your pity.
The CIA used aural torture of its suspects. Why not have Matoff listen to old records of T.S. Eliot reading "The Hollow Man." That would fix his wagon. Everyday would seem as if it were 150 years. Bernie could be sent to the Modern Language Association meetings for the next 150 years or just one year...same difference.
Please add your suggestions of fit reading as punishment for transgressive behavior of the felonious kind....perhaps Genet?
The CIA used aural torture of its suspects. Why not have Matoff listen to old records of T.S. Eliot reading "The Hollow Man." That would fix his wagon. Everyday would seem as if it were 150 years. Bernie could be sent to the Modern Language Association meetings for the next 150 years or just one year...same difference.
Please add your suggestions of fit reading as punishment for transgressive behavior of the felonious kind....perhaps Genet?
The Big Sleep, Krugman loses it and Macho Man
The dead seem to be everywhere these days. In the past week, a veritable celebrity massacre has occurred and not a word from the President or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reassure us that the administration will have a "war on death" plan soon. Could it be that the infighting between Homeland Security and DOD is retarding the longevity offensive we need to push back death and keep all of us around to consume our way out of the current depression ( recessions are for punks). We note the passing of pitch man Billy Mays an feel a twinge of guilt for all those times we mute buttoned him. Sorry Billy. Unfortunately, he is replaceable.
Paul Krugman the nice professor from the NYTimes has gone ballistic and accused those who voted against the climate legislation of committing treason. This is not the Dr. Krugman I have come to love. He called them ignorant, self interested and venal and treasonous. I would have thought that ignorant and self interested would have covered it. He is going to face some real heat on this comment from this Sundays online NYT opinion piece. He is sounding too much like the meat heads he so justly dislikes. Bad, bad, bad Dr. Krugman.
In the mean time I discover Charles M Blow of the NyTimes who's mission is data visualization. I don't have a clue what that means, but he got my attention with his remarks on "the Affaire Sanford." We quote the maestro himself, " 'Hiking the Appalachian Trail.' Is that what we're calling it these days" This line alone should get him a Peabody or a job on The Daily Show, writing for Jon Stewart.
He dumps all over the poor Red States and their lust for Internet porn and assorted audio-visual aids. He quotes from a learned treatise on the Porn industry that yours truely has now read; it is an amazing study in the marketing characteristics of the porn industry, with titillating details e.g. Red States consume just as porn as Blue States and the state that consumes the most internet porn per 1000 broadband users is Utah. How sweet is that. This learned study was done by one Professor Edelman of the Harvard Business School and appears in the Journal of economic perspectives, volume 23, number 1, Winter 2009. There is some rough language such as " regression analysis."This should be considered adult reading material. The actual title of the article is " RedLight States: Who Buys Online Adult Entertainment?"
start with http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27opinion/27/blow.html
I owe Charles Blow for starting my day with a cosmic grin on my face. He has his own blog called Blog By the Numbers. Check it out.
We move on to "The Death of Macho" by Reihan Salam in of all places Foreign Policy posted 6/22 on the FP website. It is actually an intelligent analysis on the stresses facing men in the global economy now and going forward. Worth the read. Macho man, poor macho man. Sigh.....
Obama Speak on the Sunday talkies:
David of Alexlrod has accused the President of Iran of playing politics when he objected to U.S. statements on the current Iranian crisis. Isn't politics his job sort of. Have we missed the irony of the Alxelrod. Apparently, the high minded D of A lives in the land of OZ where politics is not the job of the head of state. Mucho weird.
Thank you for your support,
http://www.attackandcritique.blogspot.com/
Paul Krugman the nice professor from the NYTimes has gone ballistic and accused those who voted against the climate legislation of committing treason. This is not the Dr. Krugman I have come to love. He called them ignorant, self interested and venal and treasonous. I would have thought that ignorant and self interested would have covered it. He is going to face some real heat on this comment from this Sundays online NYT opinion piece. He is sounding too much like the meat heads he so justly dislikes. Bad, bad, bad Dr. Krugman.
In the mean time I discover Charles M Blow of the NyTimes who's mission is data visualization. I don't have a clue what that means, but he got my attention with his remarks on "the Affaire Sanford." We quote the maestro himself, " 'Hiking the Appalachian Trail.' Is that what we're calling it these days" This line alone should get him a Peabody or a job on The Daily Show, writing for Jon Stewart.
He dumps all over the poor Red States and their lust for Internet porn and assorted audio-visual aids. He quotes from a learned treatise on the Porn industry that yours truely has now read; it is an amazing study in the marketing characteristics of the porn industry, with titillating details e.g. Red States consume just as porn as Blue States and the state that consumes the most internet porn per 1000 broadband users is Utah. How sweet is that. This learned study was done by one Professor Edelman of the Harvard Business School and appears in the Journal of economic perspectives, volume 23, number 1, Winter 2009. There is some rough language such as " regression analysis."This should be considered adult reading material. The actual title of the article is " RedLight States: Who Buys Online Adult Entertainment?"
start with http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27opinion/27/blow.html
I owe Charles Blow for starting my day with a cosmic grin on my face. He has his own blog called Blog By the Numbers. Check it out.
We move on to "The Death of Macho" by Reihan Salam in of all places Foreign Policy posted 6/22 on the FP website. It is actually an intelligent analysis on the stresses facing men in the global economy now and going forward. Worth the read. Macho man, poor macho man. Sigh.....
Obama Speak on the Sunday talkies:
David of Alexlrod has accused the President of Iran of playing politics when he objected to U.S. statements on the current Iranian crisis. Isn't politics his job sort of. Have we missed the irony of the Alxelrod. Apparently, the high minded D of A lives in the land of OZ where politics is not the job of the head of state. Mucho weird.
Thank you for your support,
http://www.attackandcritique.blogspot.com/
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Times They Aren't Changing: preventative detention
Rachel Maddow called out Obama on his recent speech proposing an official policy rationalizing preventative detention in national security cases. Of course, many of you served detention in high school. This proposal on detention is somewhat different and shows Obama is either brain dead, self deluded or more cynical than I am. Google "you tube" and watch Rachel man handle ( if that turns you on) this proposal to justify something he railed against during his campaign.
Glenn Greenwald in the opinion section of Salon.com June 28, 2009 smacked the Washington Post upside the head for floating a story that was clearly designed by the Obama media factory to test the winds in opposition or support on his preventative detention proposals. Greenwald riped the Post for uncritically swallowing the sound bites from the ever lovely anonymous sources; one beauty was that civil liberty organizations favor one approach to preventative detention over another. Say what?! Greenwald was on a role and just stomped the Posties pretty good. I found it disheartening that not only the Posties were involved, so was ProPublica an investigative reporting group. Man, you have got to read Greenwald, like dog with a bone. He also embedded the Rachel bomb to the Bama man.
For those of you who still hold out hope that Bambi's mother was only wounded and that Obama is really going to be better than his predecessor, my hat is off to you. Just let me know what your smoking. Greenwald and Salon.com are to be thanked for calling it as it is: a freaking disgrace for the Posties to be used by the administration to propose such an Obamination. I am especially puzzled by the Post, my favorite mainstream media outlet. What gives? This is Judith Miller land on WMDs.
http://dir.salon.com/topics/opinions/
Glenn Greenwald in the opinion section of Salon.com June 28, 2009 smacked the Washington Post upside the head for floating a story that was clearly designed by the Obama media factory to test the winds in opposition or support on his preventative detention proposals. Greenwald riped the Post for uncritically swallowing the sound bites from the ever lovely anonymous sources; one beauty was that civil liberty organizations favor one approach to preventative detention over another. Say what?! Greenwald was on a role and just stomped the Posties pretty good. I found it disheartening that not only the Posties were involved, so was ProPublica an investigative reporting group. Man, you have got to read Greenwald, like dog with a bone. He also embedded the Rachel bomb to the Bama man.
For those of you who still hold out hope that Bambi's mother was only wounded and that Obama is really going to be better than his predecessor, my hat is off to you. Just let me know what your smoking. Greenwald and Salon.com are to be thanked for calling it as it is: a freaking disgrace for the Posties to be used by the administration to propose such an Obamination. I am especially puzzled by the Post, my favorite mainstream media outlet. What gives? This is Judith Miller land on WMDs.
http://dir.salon.com/topics/opinions/
Friday, June 26, 2009
Taking The Hill
I have barely enough time these days to read," Bicycling: World's Leading Bike Magazine." The blogosphere sucks up all within its reach. I know there is life out beyond the blog but is it air conditioned?
We are in mourning this a.m. for the passing of Jacko and Farah. Today, is a bad hair day the world over. We had barely gotten Ed McMahon's demise comprehended when the lights went out for many of us....for whatever reason. Still, there is hope for another day with the announcement by The Hill of the 50 most beautiful people in D.C. for 2008. You have got to read these profiles.
Still, we must go on and take on The Hill.com, a wildly entertaining blog about the congress. How could it be other than entertaining when it is about capital capers. Perhaps my lack of sleep made me a bit more giddy than usual at the piece on a congressional committee attempting to force more money on the administration for F-22 fighter planes. The Secretary of Defense says he doesn't want them, the country doesn't need them and there isn't anyone around who could possible be a threat to the already huge air force we have in place. Of course, as the movie "Independence Day" proved, you never know who is out there in the far reaches of the galaxy. The Obama administration is preparing to veto the appropriation bill and Gates will way in to stop the buying of a weapon's system with no mission. This is about jobs in the home district and these congressional patriots are willing to give their all to put more money into a program, that the Defense Secretary says is useless to the needs of the military mission.
While we hear sticker shock over health care, tens of billions in obsolete and useless weapons programs rubble along, almost unstoppable. Kind of funny in a way...if you have a sick sense of humor.... And who doesn't have a sick sense of humor these days? Okay, Hanna Montana!
More later, once I get some more sleep,
http://blogspot.attackandcritique.com
http://thehill.com/
We are in mourning this a.m. for the passing of Jacko and Farah. Today, is a bad hair day the world over. We had barely gotten Ed McMahon's demise comprehended when the lights went out for many of us....for whatever reason. Still, there is hope for another day with the announcement by The Hill of the 50 most beautiful people in D.C. for 2008. You have got to read these profiles.
Still, we must go on and take on The Hill.com, a wildly entertaining blog about the congress. How could it be other than entertaining when it is about capital capers. Perhaps my lack of sleep made me a bit more giddy than usual at the piece on a congressional committee attempting to force more money on the administration for F-22 fighter planes. The Secretary of Defense says he doesn't want them, the country doesn't need them and there isn't anyone around who could possible be a threat to the already huge air force we have in place. Of course, as the movie "Independence Day" proved, you never know who is out there in the far reaches of the galaxy. The Obama administration is preparing to veto the appropriation bill and Gates will way in to stop the buying of a weapon's system with no mission. This is about jobs in the home district and these congressional patriots are willing to give their all to put more money into a program, that the Defense Secretary says is useless to the needs of the military mission.
While we hear sticker shock over health care, tens of billions in obsolete and useless weapons programs rubble along, almost unstoppable. Kind of funny in a way...if you have a sick sense of humor.... And who doesn't have a sick sense of humor these days? Okay, Hanna Montana!
More later, once I get some more sleep,
http://blogspot.attackandcritique.com
http://thehill.com/
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