Not by a longshot... … [Read more...] about Al Franken’s Battle Is Hardly Over
Blago the Clown
Israeli Onslaught May Work in Obama’s Favor: Financial Times Deutschland
Could it be that Israel's offensive in Gaza will make it possible for a President Obama to 'start off fresh' in regard to that particular Middle East crisis? That is the forecast of the Financial Times Deutschland editorial board. This editorial from the business daily says in part: "As long as he's not in office, he can't be assigned responsibility for the escalation. … [Read more...] about Israeli Onslaught May Work in Obama’s Favor: Financial Times Deutschland
Scoop: A City Without A Murder
The year 2008 would just as soon be forgotten in many parts of the country, but not for National City. This municipality of 60,000 mostly Mexican-American population sandwiched between urban San Diego and the more affluent Chula Vista recorded no homicides the entire year. It was the first time since 1963 that National City went a calendar year without a homicide. Four … [Read more...] about Scoop: A City Without A Murder
Obama Picks Ever-Solid Centrist Panetta To Head CIA
President Elect Barack Obama has picked what some consider a surprise choice to head the Central Intelligence Agency: Leon Panetta, a former White House chief of staff, former Congressman, critic of torture as a policy -- and about as centrist and solid a public official on the scene today: President-elect Barack Obama has selected Leon E. Panetta, the former congressman … [Read more...] about Obama Picks Ever-Solid Centrist Panetta To Head CIA
Obama’s OLC Pick
Both Glenn Greenwald and Hilzoy are very happy about Obama choosing Dawn Johnsen as his Office of Legal Counsel head. They go into sufficient detail so I won't add much. That said, it is very heartening that he chose someone that spoke in depth about the need for the Executive to voluntarily give up power by monitoring itself and making sure that it followed both the letter … [Read more...] about Obama’s OLC Pick
Same Sex Conservatism?
Via Alex Massie I see that David Cameron's Tories now have a second -- second -- openly gay, prominent member of his shadow cabinet who has publicly entered into a civil partnership [Nick Herbert]. The Telegraph reports, [T]he civil partnership ceremony was held at Lambeth town hall in south London last week and was attended only by close relatives. The reception, a small … [Read more...] about Same Sex Conservatism?
A Faith-Based Market Rally
Have you seen or heard anything in recent months that points to a near-term improvement in the economy? I haven't. The economic news in this period has been uniformly awful. Bankrupcies and foreclosures continue to soar. Job losses mount at a frightening rate. Consumer and business confidence keeps plunging. So why has the stock market gone up 16 percent since the end of … [Read more...] about A Faith-Based Market Rally
Minn. Supreme Court Denies Coleman Petition
Minneapolis Star Tribune: The Minnesota Supreme Court today rejected a bid by Republican Norm Coleman to have hundreds of rejected absentee ballots considered in the U.S. Senate recount, apparently clearing the way for a state board to certify election results showing Democrat Al Franken on top — and also opening the door to a post-recount lawsuit that the Coleman campaign … [Read more...] about Minn. Supreme Court Denies Coleman Petition
Fear of Failing
Underlying all the finger-pointing about what went wrong and the nervous apprehension over how to fix the economy is a feeling that generations of us have never had--being unable to control our own future. The hopeless faces in those Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans photographs of the Great Depression are alien to 21st century Americans, but some of their dread is seeping … [Read more...] about Fear of Failing
Blago Blog
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star … [Read more...] about Blago Blog
Recipes Online: Crowdsourced or From Top Chefs
Continuing in my food vein, I wish I'd done this before the holidays. Even though they've passed, we'll still be cooking... Foodista aims to be the Wikipedia for food: Each recipe can be collaboratively edited and improved. Scrumptious photos for each dish are pulled in from Flickr, and descriptions are pulled in from Wikipedia itself. You can add or remove ingredients, see … [Read more...] about Recipes Online: Crowdsourced or From Top Chefs
Pay for Play Fever Sweeps the Nation
The International Herald Tribune might be trying a bit too hard in the old watchdog department today as they "uncover" a connection between Hillary Clinton and one of the donors to Bill Clinton's foundation. This one takes place nearly in my back yard, so I've gotten to watch some of the history here. A developer in New York state donated $100,000 to former President Bill … [Read more...] about Pay for Play Fever Sweeps the Nation
Mark Bittman: Food Matters
Laura Miller on the anti-foodies' foodie: The essence of the Bittman approach is simplicity, ease and quality, but that means he has to walk a fine and constantly shifting line. Americans' attitudes toward what we eat are laden with class and cultural baggage. It's no coincidence that when the conservative Club for Growth PAC produced its famous 2004 television commercial … [Read more...] about Mark Bittman: Food Matters
Obama Inaugural: Of Prosaic Times & Poetry
In these prosaic times, Barack Obama seems to have decided to add a bit of flight of fancy. "This is only the fourth time in our history that a President has featured a poet at his inaugural. I hope that this portends well for the future of the arts in our everyday and civic life,” says Elizabeth Alexander, the Yale professor who has ben invited to deliver her poem after … [Read more...] about Obama Inaugural: Of Prosaic Times & Poetry
Sometimes An Early Notion
Is it tacky to start ruminating over the potential presidential run of someone whose name has only really just come up before the person who just got elected has even taken office? I don't know, but it's starting to happen. While Katheryn Jean Lopez might be right that Jeb Bush for President isn't the craziest idea out there, she also points out why flying the idea already … [Read more...] about Sometimes An Early Notion
Netflix Broadband TV Ushers In A New Era of Television
And a headache for cable and telephone companies. Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix: We want to watch what we want, when we want, where we want, and discover the content how we want. So how well are we doing in the areas of “where,” “when,” “what” and “discoverability”? We’re about 15 percent of the way to “what you want,” 100 percent at “when you want,” 15 percent towards … [Read more...] about Netflix Broadband TV Ushers In A New Era of Television
The Optics of Roland Burris
Watching Morning Joe today, Scarborough's guest came up with the perfect description of exactly how bad Roland Burris' arrival in Washington will be for Harry Reid and the United States Senate. No matter how many times Reid and his colleagues insist that this isn't about Burris, no matter how often they chatter on about how it is the process and the Governor that are the … [Read more...] about The Optics of Roland Burris
Quote of the Day
"Since ancient times, almanackers sought the future from the stars and from animal entrails, forecasting the weather, the tides and the phases of the moon. This was valuable work, of course, but really only useful to farmers and sailors and werewolves." John Hodgeman The Areas of My Expertise If you would like a fun, light read to start off your new year, pick up a copy … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day
Donors Rush To Save Wikipedia From Advertisements
Wikipedia's founder, Jimmy Wales's gambit has paid off. He made a direct appeal to the users of this free online encyclopaedia to help him raise $6m (£4.1m) to cover its running costs for 2009 or be prepared to see advertisements splashed all over this pioneering, innovative and valuable referral website. And, boy, what a response Wikipedia got from its … [Read more...] about Donors Rush To Save Wikipedia From Advertisements