Modest As Cake

Edward Tufte to the Rescue of the Stimulus!

2010-03-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

http://gawker.com/5490075/obama-hires-internets-favorite-pretty-chart-guy

Oh, it's true. This news couldn't be any better -- well maybe if they also hired Hans Rosling.

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html

Hans Rosling is also a sword-swallower, so this "beautiful data" field is pretty competitive...

Hey! Tufte - Rosling celebrity death-match!

Aww...

2010-02-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/imagecache/gallery_img_full/image/image_file/P020510PS-0231.jpg

FYI: Your name changes depending on which language you are speaking

2010-02-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

http://155.188.165.139/about-us/loreley-rigsby-esp.jsp

That's Loreley Burgos-Rigsby, to her Spanish-speaking friends.

http://www.nationwide.com/about-us/loreley-rigsby.jsp?NWOSSiPos=3&NWOSSi=accident+forgiveness

But "Lori Rigsby" to her English-speaking friends!

Our evening with Andre... and Wally

2010-01-07T06:05:00.000-08:00

The film "My Dinner With Andre" was released in 1982. Last night at the Walter Reade Theater, Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn got together after we all watched the movie together. Both of them had been at earlier screenings of the movie this year, for example at Soho House with Candice Bergen (Louis Malle's widow). Seeing them in person was a real-life example of being in a time machine. The two guys on the screen: longish late-1970's hair, talking the evening away until the restaurant was empty.

When I saw the movie in 1982 as a new college graduate, they seemed impossibly sure of themselves, adults nestled in an intellectual framework, with confidence that their experiences, their opinions, their most minute decisions and thoughts, were all important to share with the world. Last night, the two guys on stage: affable, collegial, surprised that their movie had even been considered by Louis Malle when they were shopping for directors. Surprised that the themes they talked about foreshadowed political developments like the Bush years (their concerns about people "being asleep" allowing fascistic forces take away what people deserve most: authentic connection with each other).

Wally described their ongoing collaborations as "lives of bizarre unity." Andre described the process of audio-recording a long series of conversations, having them transcribed, and then trying to work them into a narrative script. He said he was told that he wasn't much of an actor, and that perhaps someone like Peter O'Toole should be asked to play his part. Malle responded, "That's a great idea. But then who are you going to get to direct?" Andre said that the only direction he was given by Malle was the same direction given by John Huston to his father, Walter Huston: "speak faster." The goal in both cases was for the actors to shed their theater voices, to not have enough time to pause and therefore not enough time to "act."

Wally said he asked Malle why he chose to direct "My Dinner With Andre" as well as "Vanya on 42nd Street," another collaboration with Gregory and Shawn that was stripped down, just actors in a decaying theatre space. Malle reportedly replied: "I always loved the talkies."

Awww... They get their own Subway

2009-12-31T16:45:00.000-08:00

http://www.asylum.com/2009/12/29/citys-most-exclusive-restaurant-is-a-subway-sandwich-shop/

Found: Super-Earth -- and only 40 light-years away!

2009-12-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8901

December 16, 2009
Astronomers announced today that they have discovered a "super-Earth" orbiting a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth. They found the distant planet with a small fleet of ground-based telescopes no larger than those many amateur astronomers have in their backyards.

New York, home of Spider-Man (oh and thanks for putting his secret identity right there on that plaque)

2009-12-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad they're all home and safe, where they belong!

2009-12-14T15:16:00.000-08:00

It just goes to show, if you have faith, and put enough posters on enough utility poles in your community, eventually someone will step forward and say:

"Hey, I found the 20 million missing emails from the Bush Administration you were looking for!"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/14/bush-emails-found-22-mill_n_391557.html

Makes you wonder if the cute little critters were just hiding under your porch the whole time, or maybe in some

other

undisclosed

location.

Let the prosecutions begin. Dick? Karl? Bushie? Don't be shy.

Velvet Underground at New York Public Library, December 8, 2009

2009-12-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

It's not a complicated thing to describe what happened at the New York Public Library's LIVE event on Tuesday.

Three people who used to play music together were interviewed by a music journalist. People in the audience parsed each word, and each silence, and each movement, for personal meaning.

Usually NYPL LIVE events on Tuesday evenings are polite affairs, with a tidy string of New Yorkers lining up inside the building's stone hallway, starting at about 6:00. Many are usually people over 50, who have brought reading materials, and iPods, so that they can catch up on the New Yorker or NPR. They often radiate dismay that one of their favorite institutions cannot provide seating while they wait, but they are a mannered bunch. Mild confusion about ticketing is a constant: Do I stand in the line for people who printed their tickets at home? Is that other line of people more special, or less special, than my line of people?

By 6:00 on this particular Velvet Underground event Tuesday, it was clear that the line would be forming outside, on a ramp, and had, in fact, begun to form well before 6:00. Several nervous women in sharp-toed black boots and dyed-black hair patrolled the line, plaintively asking if anyone had extra tickets, in the same voice used by hungry children panhandling at bus stations. The line grew quickly, snaking from 42nd Street down Fifth Avenue.

Security asked the line to back up, away from the double-doors leading into the lobby. A sudden whiff of festival-seating fear was in the air. Simultaneously, people who were practiced in the black art of self-confidence began to appear near the doorway. Some young women cried into their cellphones while inching to the front; some clumps of balding, disheveled musicians were led in by a man declaring, "This is MY event, and these are MY guests." By the third time he had led six people through, the line completely despised him. Later reports indicated that the event was "oversold," but it is more accurate to say that nonpaying guests of the event were in force in unprecedented numbers, as were people who had press IDs.

The NYPL LIVE events typically have a few rows of reserved seats. In this case, fully half of the seats were labeled as reserved. Twenty-year-olds asked 50-year-olds if they had ever heard Lou perform live. The audience speculated that there would be a musical performance, but this was not to be the case. However, the audience was suddenly rapt when "Heroin" was played from vinyl on stage. The audience was also treated to genuine repeated needle drops as the tech struggled to use the turntable; no one minded.

David Fricke was the interviewer of Lou Reed, Mo Tucker and Doug Yule. David has a compulsive fan-boy air about him. Much of the questioning was like watching a Mr. Spock fan interview Leonard Nimoy; that is to say, Fricke came close to the VU equivalent of wearing Vulcan ears. Fricke's approach was initially reverent, analytical, micro-detailed. However, he soon began to compete with his icons ("Actually, that was written when I was in high school", "I'm a collector") and didn't have the sense to let interview questions bloom. Reed began to tell a story of taking his songs at age 14 to Harlem, and Fricke cut him off. Fricke stuck to his own agenda, and his own list of questions, most of which included the words "seminal" and "influence." His anxiety level rose as Reed gave one-word answers and then left the stage without explanation. Upon his return, Reed corrected Fricke with a sharp gaze when Fricke said that in the music industry, "Well, there's no "them" now." If Fricke could excise the tic-word "actually" from his vocabulary, future interviewees would be grateful.

Reed told a great story of being pulled over in California in a car that included Nico and Warhol. He quoted the police as saying: "You're really near the state line -- why don't you cross it?" Reed's life-long deadpan has evolved into a riveting mixture of Buster Keaton and the elderly Jerry Lewis. He recounted being approached by someone: "Remember me?" and his response: "Oh, please." He despaired of ever putting the rumor to rest that his birth name was "Louis Firbanks," complaining that he "couldn't get into Wikipedia" to edit his own entry. Despite his crotchety quality ("No one knew anything back then"), he was composed, reflective, and responsive. His most loving words were reserved for Warhol, for his musical influences, including Ornette Coleman, and for Mo as a unique, irreplaceable drummer.

Mo and Doug were content to play Lou's long-lost friends from Long Island. Mo explained that early on VU was oddly paired with other performers, referring with glee to an accompanying female contortionist act as a "compatible booking." They nodded in agreement when Reed said, "I can't imagine where we would have been without Andy."

While Fricke attempted to give the band members credit for awareness, or even calculation, of their avant garde impact, Reed deflated him each time: "Andy fed us." "I was not capable of thinking 40 years in the future." "We didn't wear black because of anything; that's what we wore. It was cheap."

When it was time for questions from the audience, Fricke again inserted himself in follow-up questions rather than giving the band opportunities to tell their stories. A master interviewer, like Ira Glass, would have set the band to musing. A master filmmaker like Al Maysles would have helped the band express emotions that captured the historic nature of the reunion moment. But none of us in the audience could have done better than David Fricke did, face to face with his resolutely down-to-earth heroes.

Radical Militant Librarians!

2009-10-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.instantattitudes.com/shirts/t052.html

Thanks, Boingboing!

We are coming for your chlorophyll...

2009-10-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

What a satisfying development! A new state of matter.

2009-09-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.physorg.com/news167925273.html/?

"Transparent aluminium," indeed. You can do this at home, with some Reynolds Wrap and a soft X-ray laser.

First and second

2009-09-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

First of all, Michelangelo was right. His representation of celestial everything was remarkably accurate for a guy who didn't have a deep-space telescope.

Second, way to go, NASA.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/multimedia/ero/index.html

Mmmm! Phase change material!

2009-08-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

http://gizmodo.com/5342478/physicists-create-perfect-coffee-mug-that-keeps-perfect-temperature

A President who really gets symbolic gestures.

2009-08-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/04/obama-sings-happy-birthda_0_n_251088.html

Nicely done, Invisible Hand of Hillary Clinton!

2009-08-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks for setting those journalists free.
Excellent use of Spousal Asset.

Happy Birthday!

2009-08-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

It's all about keeping your eye on the ball, having balance, and keeping it fun.

A lovely New York City confluence

2009-07-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

Well, you can buy the Michelle Obama comic book at Forbidden Planet.

And then, just blocks away at Fashion Institute of Technology, you can walk into a free exhibit of...

Isabel Toledo's "Fashion from the Inside Out."

And what is in the Isabel Toledo exhibit, behind glass, iconic, a piece of history?

Yes, Michelle Obama's inaugural dress!

And, with great respect to Isabel Toledo, the dress only works when it is on... Michelle Obama. The mark of a master designer -- the dress comes to life on the person it was intended for.

Highly recommend: Decade Under the Influence

2009-07-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

"Cinematic success is not necessarily the result of good brain work...

but of a harmony of existing elements in ourselves that we may not have ever been conscious of...

an accidental coincidence of our own preoccupations at a certain moment of life and of the public's."

Francois Truffaut

Good Lord! Save the field-dressing for the moose, Sarah!

2009-07-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

Dreamers

2009-07-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/05/23-2

via ze frank

"The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer..."

Paul Hawken, May 2009

Maira Kalman Hearts Thomas Jefferson

2009-06-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/time-wastes-too-fast/

I'm no handwriting expert...

2009-06-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

And while it would be adorable if the President of the United States actually did sign this whiteboard "Dream hip dreams!", I'm thinking it's more likely that it says "Dream big dreams!"

Women need Dr. Tiller. Fortunately, he's still here.

2009-06-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

http://iamdrtiller.com/

Quick! Opera fans! Reference Manon Lescaut!

2009-05-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sola! Perduta! Abbandonata! Go, Puccini!

(Alone! Lost! Abandoned!)

Government Liquidation

2009-05-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/arts/design/13neto.html?_r=2

Thanks, Boingboing. Does this mean times are good, or times are bad?

Gross National Happiness: Bhutan

2009-05-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

We have a saying in Bhutan: 'If it is medicine, you should take it from an enemy. But if it is poison, you should refuse it from a friend.'"

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/bhutan/gnh.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5224306.stm

I wish I had a President who can have social skills AND can be smart in every situation...

2009-05-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

DONE!

Here's Obama having a bright idea while on Date Night.

Yes, a good place for them to be is out in the country. Where they will be greeted as liberators.

2009-05-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

Given Obama's command of Washington, it's a good idea for Republicans to take their case outside of the capital, said William Bennett, a CNN contributor and Republican strategist.

"Look, you have to face reality. Barack Obama owns Washington. The Democrats own Washington. So a good place to be is out in the country.

"[Obama's] a huge political figure. I don't agree with him, but the guy blocks the sun. He won the election. He commands everything in sight. He's got a Democratic Congress with him. The media still likes him very much," Bennett said.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/02/gop.townhall/index.html

Active Citizenship

2009-04-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Bill and Lara meet for the first time

2009-04-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

AP photo/Martin Meissner -- German Zoo!

Adults, Slack-jawed

2009-04-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what smug oblivion looks like?

2009-04-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hurray for Richard St. John: Eight Words, Three Minutes

2009-04-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

Plus, he interviewed me for his book:

"Passion is huge. I think being irrationally passionate is extremely healthy. Gravitate towards the things you love."

Boy, I wish we had had Die Klicky-Bibel when I was a kid...

2009-04-08T04:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.klicky-bibel.de/index2.htm

Technical note: kids can't recreate stigmata if nails click into cupped hands.

Media Witness Return of War Casualty for First Time in 18 Years

2009-04-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/05/media-allowed-to-witness-_n_183346.html

All News Programs Should Use Tilt-Shift Technology

2009-04-04T14:11:00.001-07:00

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

... and should have a lilting soundtrack.

Crocus = Rational Exuberance

2009-03-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Moveon.org!

2009-03-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

So... tax rates for the rich were much higher under Reagan, and under Nixon, than they would be under Obama's proposed policies. And they would just return to the level they were before Bush gave the rich really good deals on tax cuts.

Hardly warrants a reasonable person summoning outrage of any kind, really.

This Finger-Pointing Approved by the American People

2009-03-13T06:00:00.001-07:00

Jim Cramer said he wants "kangaroo courts" for these banking guys... And of course, Freud is thrilled by this, since he knows that kangaroo courts are, by definition, sham courts. "Let's go after these people," indeed. The guy can't even pronounce "Eric Sevareid".

I could not be more proud of a comedian than I am of Jon Stewart. What a brilliant interview. It cut through Jim Cramer's absurd "reformer-journalist-commentator" PR image.

Jon: "My mother is 75. And she bought into the idea that long-term investing is the way to go. And guess what?"
Jim: "And it didn't work."

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=221516&title=jim-cramer-interview-outtake

Republican asshats in Tennessee

2009-03-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

So the Republicans decided to make a bumper sticker that absurdly references the "out-of-control" congress: Honk if you're paying my mortgage.

So saner people provide saner suggestions: Honk if you'd rather check my birth certificate than govern.

Other great ideas include:

http://www.liberadio.com/2009/02/26/honk-if-im-having-trouble-paying-my-bills/

• “Honk if you took a big bonus just before the government bailed out your worthless company.”–Hecate

• “Honk if you paid for your bankers’ cocaine” — MasterD, damn yankee

• “Honk if you’re sorry the Republicans didn’t get to put your social security into the stock market.” — rootless-e

• “Honk you’re driving on a taxpayer funded highway.”– Libby

• “Honk If You Think my Uterus Belongs to You”–Culture of Truth

• “Have your driver honk if I’ve been paying your taxes for you.”–minusp

• “Honk if you want Bush back.”–(anti-noise-pollution sticker)–Dirk Gently

And the winner is …. (drum roll, please!):

“Honk if you’re going to the job fair.” –Duane V

Ah, erudition and cogency

2009-03-06T13:54:00.001-08:00

John Cheever on John Updike:

"The only contemporary writer I know now who gives me the sense of the fact that the life we perform is in an environment that enjoys a grandeur that escapes us."

...the life we perform.
...a grandeur that escapes us.

Yes.

This is delightful!

2009-03-05T05:22:00.000-08:00

Hurray for Graphic Design!

2009-03-04T05:12:00.000-08:00

Noted:
1. remixed red-white-and-blue
2. plus green
3. plus peace
4. plus hard, mechanical work perhaps of a healthcare nature
4. plus globe / ozone layer
5. plus O of course.

Invoking simple machines http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_machine was a lovely idea. Not to quibble, but I would have liked to see that the cogs could actually mesh.

But it could turn out that things do work, but Rube Goldberg needs to be named Work Process Czar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGngcQb_0qg

Summary: Why AOL Should Suck It

2009-03-01T12:36:00.001-08:00

Apparently, AOL is the refuge of Olds who hope that "real conservatism" needs to be brought back -- because God knows having a progressive president for a month is clearly a mistake after eight years of... what was Bush exactly? Because I didn't hear any complaints from Limbaugh while Bush was president.

Starbucks Wisdom: Commitment

2009-02-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

Grande Caramel Macchiato quote from Anne Morriss:

The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating -- in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.

http://decisiontolead.com/

And here's her blog!

O Canada!

2009-02-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

http://www.johnwmacdonald.com/blog/2009/02/obama-what-does-this-day-mean-to-you.html

Thanks to Humanyms for this link.

Americans, please listen to these Canadians answering questions about what Obama's visit to Ottawa means to them.

Happy, thoughtful, intelligent -- even the 9/11 conspiracy guy isn't hoarse and wild-eyed.

When in doubt, channel your inner Canadian!

*Sigh. Spirograph without all the work!

2009-02-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.subblue.com/projects/guilloche

I'm sorry: Guilloché patterns.

The Marvel Universe is a Perfect Place

2009-02-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

The Obama Spider-Man comic accomplishes what Justice Roberts could not:

The perfect oath of office!

Don't Break Hearts!

2009-02-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

http://vimeo.com/3089746

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Thank you, Washington Post's Laura Stanton! The Stimulus Explained

2009-02-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/02/01/GR2009020100154.html

Edward Tufte would be proud!

Bush's Legacy: No Dollar Left Behind

2009-02-10T05:59:00.001-08:00

What? Representative Kanjorski said what?

2009-02-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/02/09/rep-kanjorski-550-bi.html

What?

The Capital Markets Subcommittee Chair, Rep. Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania, tells C-Span how the world economy almost collapsed in a matter of hours.

At 2 minutes, 20 seconds into this C-Span video clip, Kanjorski reports on a "tremendous draw-down of money market accounts in the United States, to the tune of $550 billion dollars." According to Kanjorski, this electronic transfer occured over the period of an hour or two.

Kanjorski: "The Treasury opened its window to help. They pumped a hundred and five billion dollars into the system and quickly realized that they could not stem the tide. We were having an electronic run on the banks. They decided to close the operation, close down the money accounts, and announce a guarantee of $250,000 per account so there wouldn't be further panic and there. And that's what actually happened. If they had not done that their estimation was that by two o'clock that afternoon, five-and-a-half trillion dollars would have been drawn out of the money market system of the United States, would have collapsed the entire economy of the United States, and within 24 hours the world economy would have collapsed."

"It would have been the end of our political system and our economic systems as we know it."

Chris Anderson of TED spoke of Keynes today

2009-02-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

http://www.gutenberg.ca/ebooks/keynes-slump/keynes-slump-00-h.html

The 1930 "great slump":

The world has been slow to realize that we are living this year in the shadow of one of the greatest economic catastrophes of modern history. But now that the man in the street has become aware of what is happening, he, not knowing the why and wherefore, is as full to-day of what may prove excessive fears as, previously, when the trouble was first coming on, he was lacking in what would have been a reasonable anxiety. He begins to doubt the future. Is he now awakening from a pleasant dream to face the darkness of facts? Or dropping off into a nightmare which will pass away?

He need not be doubtful. The other was not a dream. This is a nightmare, which will pass away with the morning. For the resources of nature and men's devices are just as fertile and productive as they were. The rate of our progress towards solving the material problems of life is not less rapid. We are as capable as before of affording for everyone a high standard of life—high, I mean, compared with, say, twenty years ago—and will soon learn to afford a standard higher still. We were not previously deceived. But to-day we have involved ourselves in a colossal muddle, having blundered in the control of a delicate machine, the working of which we do not understand. The result is that our possibilities of wealth may run to waste for a time—perhaps for a long time.

At this moment the slump is probably a little overdone for psychological reasons. A modest upward reaction, therefore, may be due at any time. But there cannot be a real recovery, in my judgment, until the ideas of lenders and the ideas of productive borrowers are brought together again; partly by lenders becoming ready to lend on easier terms and over a wider geographical field, partly by borrowers recovering their good spirits and so becoming readier to borrow.

Go, RSW! Thanks for starting so many great conversations.

2009-02-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dg1Mj4Kyag

"We are made by our failures. We are made by what goes wrong...We are better when we are vulnerable enough to say what didn't work."

The Republican Sliver of the Pie

2009-02-07T03:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/06/job-loss-chart-what-36-mi_n_164828.html

There's a time for political theater, and there's a time for leadership. Guess what time it is.

New York City decline: Cities don't lure the middle class... They create it.

2009-02-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/market-movers/2009/02/05/new-york-city-datapoint-of-the-day?tid=true

The money quote is:

"There simply aren't middle-class job opportunities in New York any more: Of the 10 occupations that are expected to have the largest number of annual job openings in the city through 2014, only two offer median wages greater than $28,000 a year."

Dear Mr. President, from all the ladies (single and otherwise):

2009-02-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/feb/03/barack-obama-feminism-women

The time is now!
You have our support for the liberal, feminist agenda.

Make sure you send your message in this rocket!

2009-01-27T08:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.nameastarlive.com/roddenberry_message.asp

Awww... They're boldly going!

Remain Calm

2009-01-27T05:06:00.000-08:00

We should all love this wisely, and this well.

2009-01-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

He may look a little geeky, a little compulsive, sure. But the radii of the surface of dice matter, dammit.

The Rear-View Mirror

2009-01-26T05:56:00.000-08:00

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., writing in 1859 (about 20 years after the first daguerreotypes appeared), called photography “a mirror with a memory.” [1] He writes,

“The man beholdeth himself in the glass and goeth his way, and straightway both the mirror and the mirrored forget what manner of man he was…”

http://morris.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall/?hp

Thank you, Canada!

2009-01-22T16:36:00.001-08:00

http://www.nfb.ca/explore-by/title/

I agree with boingboing -- this is how public money should be spent, making films available to the public!

This is what a huge sigh of contented relief looks like.

2009-01-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/09/the-obamas-make-tuna-sala_n_142483.html

A Sympathy Card to the people of Tennessee: So this is "clean coal"

2008-12-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

What if... we all got bailed out by making companies just pay their taxes?

2008-12-14T11:26:00.001-08:00

This piece of news is from August, 2008. I'm thinking this was overlooked in the mad rush to save felonious financial institutions.

The GAO may be the only hope for a government with conscience.

When you mess with Captain America, it's personal

2008-12-13T19:31:00.001-08:00

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/12/asy.html

Is there any remaining question that every display of patriotism from the Bush administration was simply a cynical tool to shellack the rest of us?

Good job, Rummy.

So, for Bush "being a part of history" clearly means "living in the past"

2008-12-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

W's new home in Dallas was whites-only until 2000.

That's a mere eight years ago. So, like, just before Bush became president, this gated community was still excluding anyone who wasn't white. So, like, from 1956 until 2000, when Bush was Governor of Texas, this community excluded people of color. Unless you needed a live-in maid or nanny. Who could be of color. And be allowed to live there. Only as a servant.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/In_whitesonly_neighborhood_residents_worried_Bush_1206.html

And actually? The owners signed the amendments in July of 2000, but the amendments removing the restrictions weren't recorded until February of 2001. Bush assumed the office of the presidency on January 20, 2001.

Paraguay? No way!

2008-12-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

Official Denial from the State Department

http://wonkette.com/229144/state-dept-formally-denies-bushs-south-american-escape-plans

Alleged Bush Ranch in Paraguay

In October 2006, newspapers in Paraguay, the Cuban news service Prensa Latina and others circulated allegations falsely claiming, variously, that:

Former President George H.W. Bush owns 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) in the Chaco region of Paraguay, or
Current President George W. Bush owns 40,000 hectares (98,842 acres) in the same region, or
Timothy Towell, former U.S. ambassador to Paraguay from 1988 to 1991, administers the 70,000 hectare ranch on behalf of former President Bush.

These supposed land acquisitions were often claimed to be associated with alleged U.S. designs on the Guarani aquifer or the Mariscal Estigarribia air base.

There is no truth to any of these allegations:

The White House has stated that the rumors about President Bush are not true.
The office of former President George H.W. Bush has confirmed that the allegations about former President Bush are not true.
Ambassador Towell has confirmed that he does not administer any land in Paraguay on behalf of either former President George H.W. Bush or current President George W. Bush.

So it's not true, because the White House said it's not, and Bush's Dad said it's not, and some guy who works for the Bushes said it's not true. So it's not true. Repeat. Your eyes are getting heavy...

Wonkette covered this is 2006. Why is it coming up now?

Professionals know PR

2008-12-03T06:25:00.000-08:00

HANNITY: Can I ask you a question? Those glasses, that's like from the Elton John collection?

CHOPRA: I wasn't getting enough attention.

HANNITY: No, no, no. I mean, he used to wear the crazy glasses on stage.

CHOPRA: Actually, yes, but I think Liberace had better taste.

HANNITY: Right, OK.

COLMES: Deepak, thank you very much. Thanks for being on the program.

This is the guy who wants a "shadow government" when his brother leaves office

2008-12-01T16:52:00.000-08:00

I guess what I find very odd about this press release is that Jeb is able to get a job while all about him are losing theirs. Oh, and the fact that the press release doesn't mention the last job he had, which was announced on August 30, 2007 -- you know, when he joined Lehman Brothers?

http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2007/08/27/jeb-bush-lehmans-secret-weapon/

Seth Godin, internet hero

2008-12-01T06:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.squidoo.com/Alternative-MBA

How many times does the end of the world as we know it need to arrive before we realize that it’s not the end of the world as we know it?

2008-12-01T06:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-11-26/the-peoples-panic/

Thanks, Michael Kimball!

2008-11-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

http://htmlgiant.com/?p=1656

GIANT secret santa for independent publications!

Everybody wins!

Thank you, Judge Cindy Lederman, for knowing what's unconstitutional when you see it!

2008-11-27T05:48:00.000-08:00

Bush Tours America to Survey Damage Caused by his Disastrous Presidency

2008-11-26T06:07:00.000-08:00

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Thankyouverymuch

2008-11-26T05:54:00.000-08:00

http://www.slate.com/id/2199858/

"Upon Hearing a 2-Year-Old's First Attempts at an Elvis Impression, I Recall the Difficulties of Her Birth"

Love is forever; Like blinks on and off as if it were Christmas lights

2008-11-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

In the air: Accountability

2008-11-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Accountability is a concept in ethics with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as answerability, enforcement, responsibility, blameworthiness, liability and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving. As an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in both the public and private (corporation) worlds.

Accountability is defined as "A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A’s (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct" ^[1].

says Wikipedia.

I especially appreciate the Charlie Brown Christmas music

2008-11-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGrBRe-vi88&eurl=http://videogum.com/archives/the-news/president-bush-cant-be-a-sad-o_037131.html

Plus I admit I am experiencing a little:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude

Well, not to be greedy, but, OK, one more thing: better than getting a new toaster

2008-11-15T04:55:00.000-08:00

From the Advocate, before the Prop 8 vote:

Ellen DeGeneres has a strong stance against California’s Proposition 8, which seeks to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. But it wasn’t until a September 19 blog that she made her “Political Point” clear.

"There's a California Proposition on the ballot that's a little confusing... It's called, 'The California Marriage Protection Act' -- but don't let the name fool you," she wrote. "It's not protecting anyone's marriage. Not yours. Not mine."

DeGeneres likens Prop. 8’s confusing wording to that of deciding on dessert.

“The wording of Prop 8 is tricky. It’s like if someone asked you, “You don’t want dessert, right?” But you do want dessert so you say, “Yes,” which really means you don’t want dessert. And if you say, “No,” which means you do want dessert -- it sounds like you don’t. Either way, you don’t get what you want. See -- confusing. Just like Prop. 8.”

DeGeneres ends with a plea to fans to vote no on the prop so she doesn't have to return the gifts.

“So, in case I haven’t made myself clear, I’m FOR gay marriage. And in order to protect that right -- please VOTE NO on Proposition 8. And now that you’re informed, spread the word. I’m begging you. I can’t return the wedding gifts -- I love my new toaster.”

With all due respect to capitalism, and the consumer economy

2008-11-15T04:48:00.000-08:00

Si, es posible el cambio

2008-11-13T07:07:00.000-08:00

The Catechism of Education: Triune Branches

2008-11-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

Yay, LHC!

2008-11-13T06:45:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7XtqH6ETZc&feature=channel

small question, tho: Is Lisa Randall hung over and about to hurl? By the end of the video it looks like she just needs to rest her head on a very very soft, non-owie pillow and sleep off an overexuberant evening.

Pennsylvania, Route 80

2008-11-12T03:29:00.000-08:00

Veterans connect

2008-11-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

http://myvetwork.com/

Help them have the support network they deserve.

Thank you, President Obama

2008-11-05T09:38:00.000-08:00

"As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality."
By : George Washington

Dare we dream?

2008-11-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

Can America again strive to be generous, thoughtful, welcoming of each other?
We dare.

"Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words."

Thanks, Goethe

What Fresh Hell Is This?

2008-10-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

http://joshreads.com/

Highly recommend Josh Reads. Deconstructing comics is an excellent way to spend time and understand the world around you. Taking on Mark Trail and Funky Winkerbean is just... above and beyond. I can't thank Josh enough.

But today, Halloween, the question is "Is it dark enough yet?" brought to us by that Hallowed Institution, the Family Circus. What an interesting question for the children to be asking. One seems to be, ok, maybe a bat like Batman; one seems to be, hmm, maybe Spider-Man, or Iron Man; and one is clearly... uh, clearly... a girl wearing a business suit, bouffanty hair, and sexy librarian glasses. Yes, Sarah Palin, I guess the answer is, "Yes, it is dark enough."

How completely vile.

We can talk about this after you're president, but...

2008-10-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Uhmm... why can I read Larry's Wal-Mart ID when he's looking in a mirror?

Otherwise, super infomercial, no complaints, please win, Gobama.

Vote. Because who else will balance out the crazies?

2008-10-30T08:14:00.001-07:00

Thank you, Anchorage Daily News!

2008-10-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Obama for president

Palin's rise captivates us but nation needs a steady hand

Published: October 25th, 2008 07:37 PM
Last Modified: October 25th, 2008 08:10 PM

Alaska enters its 50th-anniversary year in the glow of an improbable and highly memorable event: the nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. For the first time ever, an Alaskan is making a serious bid for national office, and in doing so she brings broad attention and recognition not only to herself, but also to the state she leads.

Alaska's founders were optimistic people, but even the most farsighted might have been stretched to imagine this scenario. No matter the outcome in November, this election will mark a signal moment in the history of the 49th state. Many Alaskans are proud to see their governor, and their state, so prominent on the national stage.

Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency -- but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.

Since his early acknowledgement that economic policy is not his strong suit, Sen. McCain has stumbled and fumbled badly in dealing with the accelerating crisis as it emerged. He declared that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" at 9 a.m. one day and by 11 a.m. was describing an economy in crisis. He is both a longtime advocate of less market regulation and a supporter of the huge taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout. His behavior in this crisis -- erratic is a kind description -- shows him to be ill-equipped to lead the essential effort of reining in a runaway financial system and setting an anxious nation on course to economic recovery.

Sen. Obama warned regulators and the nation 19 months ago that the subprime lending crisis was a disaster in the making. Sen. McCain backed tighter rules for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but didn't do much to advance that legislation. Of the two candidates, Sen. Obama better understands the mortgage meltdown's root causes and has the judgment and intelligence to shape a solution, as well as the leadership to rally the country behind it. It is easy to look at Sen. Obama and see a return to the smart, bipartisan economic policies of the last Democratic administration in Washington, which left the country with the momentum of growth and a budget surplus that President George Bush has squandered.

On the most important issue of the day, Sen. Obama is a clear choice.

Sen. McCain describes himself as a maverick, by which he seems to mean that he spent 25 years trying unsuccessfully to persuade his own party to follow his bipartisan, centrist lead. Sadly, maverick John McCain didn't show up for the campaign. Instead we have candidate McCain, who embraces the extreme Republican orthodoxy he once resisted and cynically asks Americans to buy for another four years.

It is Sen. Obama who truly promises fundamental change in Washington. You need look no further than the guilt-by-association lies and sound-bite distortions of the degenerating McCain campaign to see how readily he embraces the divisive, fear-mongering tactics of Karl Rove. And while Sen. McCain points to the fragile success of the troop surge in stabilizing conditions in Iraq, it is also plain that he was fundamentally wrong about the more crucial early decisions. Contrary to his assurances, we were not greeted as liberators; it was not a short, easy war; and Americans -- not Iraqi oil -- have had to pay for it. It was Sen. Obama who more clearly saw the danger ahead.

The unqualified endorsement of Sen. Obama by a seasoned, respected soldier and diplomat like Gen. Colin Powell, a Republican icon, should reassure all Americans that the Democratic candidate will pass muster as commander in chief.

On a matter of parochial interest, Sen. Obama opposes the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but so does Sen. McCain. We think both are wrong, and hope a President Obama can be convinced to support environmentally responsible development of that resource.

Gov. Palin has shown the country why she has been so successful in her young political career. Passionate, charismatic and indefatigable, she draws huge crowds and sows excitement in her wake. She has made it clear she's a force to be reckoned with, and you can be sure politicians and political professionals across the country have taken note. Her future, in Alaska and on the national stage, seems certain to be played out in the limelight.

Yet despite her formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range. Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time.

OK, I agree with Sarah Palin about this one thing

2008-10-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, VOTE!

FYI, the donkey (D) is for Democrat.

Thank you, Jezebel.com.

We can see you, you know

2008-10-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/2945847261_86d86a4621_o.gif

Dear Florida, Virginia, Washington, New Hampshire and Missouri

2008-10-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for going blue, or bluer. I really appreciate it.

Look what a great example you're being for, say, Montana! (They went from red to pink).

I'm not sure what's up with Ohio -- maybe you could take it aside and speak with it privately.

Sincerely,

Formerly Fringe America

McCain's latest press release

2008-10-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

She's ready for her close-up, Mr. McCain

2008-10-07T05:41:00.000-07:00

Is it my imagination, or is Sarah Palin just lining up her own coronation?

Camera-ready? Check.
Relic from a by-gone era? Check.
Ummm... body floating in the pool yet?

"I AM big... It's the Republicans that got small..."

I've been wondering how Jeb Bush has been keeping busy...

2008-10-02T10:54:00.001-07:00

So in August, Jeb was hired by Lehman Brothers.

In September, Lehman Brothers dropped dead.

Hmmm...

Dear Ohio, Florida and Nevada: Re light pink to light blue! Thank you very much. Sincerely, Formerly Fringe America

2008-10-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

Just four days ago, the three of you were leaning slightly right, and are now leaning slightly left. Please don't listen to any rumors from now til election day. The economy really is in the toilet, John McCain really might die in office, and Democrats really want everyone to not go bankrupt from catastrophic medical bills. Seriously. I would not kid you about this stuff. Come to the dark blue side. Don't be like Arizona, or Kansas, or Wyoming. Even Texas went from red to pink this week.