Month: August 2009

So Called Liberal Media4 Comments

It’s the Money, Stupid

Whet sendsthis along: 1. Consumers don’t pay for news. They have never paid for news.The problem of the daily press in the U.S. is exclusively this: the collapse of its business model. That model used to be, plainly put, making money—a lot of money, oceans of money—delivering advertising on newsprint into peoples’ homes. Subscribers didn’t pay for news. Advertisers did. Remember “shoppers,” the poorly designed throwaway publications filled with tacky little ads? Daily newspapers are high-end shoppers. They spent a lot of money on original content to class up the operation and give people a reason to ask for the … Continue reading It’s the Money, Stupid

Diary41 Comments

Weekend Question Thread

A few years back when a friend was pregnant with her first child, we sat around one night discussing all the ways in which children’s lullabies and songs were fucking creepy. We went through all the traditional songs, Ring Around the Rosy, Rock-a-Bye Baby, etc, and could not find a one that did not have some allusion to death or disaster. I think she wound up raising the little niblet on the Indigo Girls because of that conversation. What did you used to sing as a child? What do you sing to your children now? A. Continue reading Weekend Question Thread

Uncategorized2 Comments

A Few Thoughts

OK, just to state the obvious (and I’ve been accused of that before) re: the latest eruption of the Crazy Eileens, it’s plain that for them it’s not about health care. They’ve lurched about for the last year or so, waddling from Sarah Palin rally to tea party to town hall meeting, at the latter functioning, consciously or not, as ade facto studio audience. Sure, they’re more than capable of causing significant damage. One, they’re plain nuts, two, they’re the types for whom “Happiness is a Warm Gun” isn’t a John Lennon song but a philosophical foundation (well, to the … Continue reading A Few Thoughts

Stupid Republican Tricks8 Comments

PWNED

So. You’re a wingnut editorial writer picking a fight. You’re a mediocre, halfbright wingnut, and you’re picking a fight. Who do you choose, out of all the people in the entire world, to pick a fight with? You have your pick, you can choose to fight anybody. Knowing yourself as you do, do you really pickTHE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH? The danger, says the Investor’s Business Daily, is that he borrows too much from the UK. “The controlling of medical costs in countries such as Britain through rationing, and the health consequences thereof, are legendary. The stories of people dying … Continue reading PWNED

Law/Justice, LOL, Television6 Comments

You keep it till someone takes it from you!

Quite possibly the sanest thing I’ve seen on television all week. I’m not kidding. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Reform Madness – White Minority http://www.thedailyshow.com http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:240941 Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance Continue reading You keep it till someone takes it from you!

Immoral Values10 Comments

Somebody Else’s Fault

The comments are predictable: Yeah, Waukegan is in great shape due to all of the illegals that come pouring into the city. Multiple families living in single family homes sending multiple families to the schools yet paying only one families property taxes to that school. The schools are in shambles. The illegals are flooding the ERs at the hospitals and not paying making quality health care in the area hard to get. They don’t pay so guess who does? The paying customers, that’s who. I was at one hospital in Waukegan a couple of years ago and I overheard the … Continue reading Somebody Else’s Fault

Law/Justice15 Comments

Is 27 Enough?

We’ve talked a bit about original intent and whether it even matters now. So you want to end the debate on what the Founding Fathers wanted when it comes to (insert contentious issue here)? Amend the Constitution! Become your own founding father, with your own original intent! So my question for today is: Would you like to see a 28th Amendment to the Constitution? If so, what? Quick programming note: I’m on vacation, so my opportunities to comment today will be limited. But I’ll dip in when I can–I’m curious about what pops up here. Continue reading Is 27 Enough?

Uncategorized7 Comments

We Already Have Death Panels

What Southern Beale said: I’ve been part of a death panel conversation. I know about death panels. You have no idea what it’s like to be called into a sterile conference room with a hospital administrator you’ve never met before and be told that your mother’s insurance policy will only pay for 30 days in ICU. You can’t imagine what it’s like to be advised that you need to “make some decisions,” like whether your mother should be released “HTD” which is hospital parlance for “home to die,” or if you want to pay out of pocket to keep her … Continue reading We Already Have Death Panels

Uncategorized5 Comments

Marry Me, Gene Krzyzynski

We will have babies with hyphenated and incredibly long names full of consonants: If David Gregory is wondering why the audience of “Meet the Press” has eroded to below 3 million, he might consider putting himself in an outside-the-Beltway viewer’s shoes and rewatching Sunday’s round-table segment. The panel was all white, mostly middle-aged male and uniformly dyed-in-the-wool establishment. Pretty much par for the course. But what made this installment especially grating was the repetitious plugola for one middle-aged white male’s new book and for another’s newly redesigned magazine that just so happens to be rolling out (punctuated by a show-and-tell … Continue reading Marry Me, Gene Krzyzynski

Immoral Values21 Comments

Obligations

I agree withNtodd that this piece is a giant guilt-trip, butthis also happens to be true: I get asked at least once a week whether I’m having kids. (My male friends don’t, but that’s another story). Other childless friends, who also get asked, say that when they answer that they can’t have kids, that they’ve tried, that they’ve spent their retirement savings and house down payments on fertility treatments (and subjected themselves to hormone treatments, torturous procedures and endless needle jabs) people respond with awkwardness and pity, and emphatically tell them what else theymust try. And it’s never enough, by … Continue reading Obligations

Uncategorized10 Comments

Wanting a War

Well, yes: I don’t think we’re probably headed for mass secessions or Civil War or anything quite that extreme. But I do think a lot of the teabaggers, birthers, and sovereign citizens do genuinely wish that we were. Because if there’s a war, then they get to dust off all their copies of Soldier of Fortune and their SCA crossbows and shit, and make it all mean something. If there’s a war, they get to finally prove to everyone what they’ve been jawing about for years, that they’re not really Cheeto-dusted losers but hardcore badasses, Elven cloaks and Rings of … Continue reading Wanting a War

Geek Cred19 Comments

Skule werked four me. I kin reed an spel…

One of the perils of spending time with the folks is that you lose control over what is being watched on TV. The other night, we had “America’s Got Talent” on the big screen, watching smoke come out of David Hasselhoff’s ears as he tries to decide between a boy teen sensation and a girl teen sensation. The strange thing to me was that neither of these kids had a name that would give you any kind of hint as to the gender of the child. I swear, when he picked “Arcadia,” I was amazed that the boy reacted with … Continue reading Skule werked four me. I kin reed an spel…

Immoral Values9 Comments

Walk Alone

Atrios: Just adding to the sentiment in the linked post, the major problem with “advice” for women on how to stay safe from the roving bands of rapists is that it makes them responsible if something does happen. Sure not going out at night by yourself in relatively unsafe areas is good advice, but it also isn’t advice an adult human can follow while also having a fully functional existence if you live in such an area. Basically it’s advice which says “you cannot have a normal functioning adult life and if you do and anything happens to you we … Continue reading Walk Alone

Immoral Values6 Comments

Whiny, Self-Serving Crapola: In Other Words, Another Ross Douthat Column

Ross misses it by a mile, swings back around, and misses it again: More than most Westerners, Americans believe — deeply, madly, truly — in the sanctity of marriage. But we also have some of the most liberal divorce laws in the developed world, and one of the highest divorce rates. We sentimentalize the family, but boast one of the highest rates of unwed births. We’re more pro-life than Europeans, but we tolerate a much more permissive abortion regime than countries like Germany or France. We wring our hands over stem cell research, but our fertility clinics are among the … Continue reading Whiny, Self-Serving Crapola: In Other Words, Another Ross Douthat Column

Uncategorized16 Comments

Panic

A word in this stood out to me: One man insists that when the new proposals come into force, his son with cerebral palsy will be denied all care. He is close to murderously adamant about this. But under what interpretation of any of the bills would that be true? Another woman asks heatedly, “Exactly where’s the money coming from? Is it coming out of my paycheck? I wanna know if it’s coming out of my paycheck–yes or no!” Well, if she has health insurance from her employer, yes it already is coming out of her pay-check in larger and … Continue reading Panic

Stupid Republican Tricks12 Comments

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession With The Freeperati – Bitter Pill edition

Good morning, everyone! Well, the endorsement thingy fell through after word got around that First-Draft was responsible for destroying journalism, so there ya go.

I’ve duct-taped over all the places in our suits where the decals were, so we’re good for another trip into the chamber of horrors – Interrobang, seal us in and I’ll pry open the newest drum of hate and stupidity.

Oh, look – it’s the official FR Sotomayor confirmation thread! This should be more fun than the law allows.

Senate confirms Sotomayor, first Hispanic justice

The Hill ^

| 08/06/2009
| J. Taylor Rushing

Posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 2:20:10 PM byPyro7480

The Senate on Thursday sent Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court
with a modest display of bipartisan support, making her the first
Hispanic justice and only the third woman to serve on the high court.

The
68-31 vote held few surprises, as a small band of Republicans joined
Democrats in confirming her 72 days after President Barack Obama
nominated the former prosecutor and judge. Her confirmation paves the
way for Sotomayor to begin assembling her staff and prepare for the
court to convene in October.

To: Pyro7480
We knew these traitors would push this through, just like they do everything else against the will of the people.

Now we have racist(sic) as Supreme court justices, and in the White House.

lol…

79
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 2:50:43 PM
bydragnet2

Followed by:

To: b4its2late
Senate confirms Sotomayor, first Hispanic justice

So, will they celebrate with a BBQ?Oh, wait…the beans would fail through the grill. Never mind.

37
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 2:32:15 PM
byPuppage
(You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)

To: Pyro7480
La Cucharacha, La Cucharacha !

Montezuma’s revenge.

205
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 9:57:07 PM
byCandor7
(The weapons of choice against fascism are ridicule ,derision ,truth. (member NRA)

Followed by:

To: Pyro7480

This must mean racism is acceptable now.

84
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 2:53:01 PM
byTigersEye
(0bama: “I can see Mecca from the WH portico.” — Google – Cloward-Piven Strategy)

Um – this is Free Republic.
Racism is not only acceptable, it’s a requirement for having an account.

To: Repeal 16-17

That’s what they want. COMPLETE CONTROL.

We’ll soon be another Communist Cuba.

97
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 3:01:27 PM
byTribalPrincess2U

Because of the the brown people and all…
To: Pyro7480

Oh GOD, I hope we find that Birth Certificate!

111
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 3:18:34 PM
byBeloved Levinite
(R.I.P. My Beautiful America – Land of the Free & Home of the Brave – 20 January 2009)

You’re all in luck!

Jim Robinson BC

To: Pyro7480
…a small band of Republicans joined Democrats in confirming her…

We need to insure these prick traitors do not survive their next election.

Bastards!

156
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 5:04:44 PM
byupchuck
(Psalm 109:8 ~ Let his days be few; and let another take his office.)

To: rabscuttle385; alarm rider; Alex1977; at bay; Babsig; BILL_C; bnelson44; Clintonfatigued; …

Treacherous Grahamnesty ping!

Ah, yes, the queer RINO, played by Pandsey Grahamnesty

158
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 5:07:06 PM
byupchuck
(Psalm 109:8 ~ Let his days be few; and let another take his office.)

HEY! You got your racism in my homophobia!

To: Pyro7480
Oh good.

The ugly girl that asked me to dance back in 1982, and that I told her no, is now the voice of Affimative Action and Abortion.

America – going downhill since 1928.

201
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 8:10:59 PM
bySkyPilot

Lots of RINO-bashing in this thread, dire threats against the few Repubs who didn’t think this losing fight was worth the blood loss, including Mel Martinez (good luck with that one, boys), and finally summed up with:

div class=”a2 blockquote” style=”margin-left: 40px;”>To: null and void

F***

11
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 2:10:16 PM
byDanae
(- Conservative does not equal Republican. Conservative does not compromise.)

To: Son House

>Supreme Court InJustice Sonia Sotomayor

Well crap!

13
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 2:11:18 PM
byOneWingedShark
(Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)

To: STARWISE

DAMN!!!

14
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 2:11:52 PM
bywalsh

To: Las Vegas Ron

No way, no how …

END THIS MADNESS !

44
posted onThursday, August 06, 2009 3:05:49 PM
bySTARWISE
(The Art & Science Institute of Chicago Politics NE Div: now open at the White House)

div class=”a2 blockquote” style=”margin-left: 40px;”>To: Pyro7480

Awww…crap.

212
posted onFriday, August 07, 2009 12:24:40 AM
bymadison10

Crap??
You’re soaking in it!

More puling and whining from those underprivileged old white men after the jump…

Continue reading “Today on Tommy T’s Obsession With The Freeperati – Bitter Pill edition”

Law/Justice20 Comments

The Big Question

As the health care debate unfolds, and the teabaggers protest/disrupt/make asses of themselves at town hall meetings across America, I’m reminded of one of the most important questions the Founding Fathers had to deal with when they were drafting the Constitution. What is the purpose of government? It isn’t often that a nation gets the opportunity to start from scratch like we did (unless you’re France). We got to ask ourselves in 1788 the most fundamental question a society can ask: What is it that we want our government to do for us? The FFs had plenty of information to … Continue reading The Big Question

Uncategorized7 Comments

“The deep things of God are reserved for a select few…”

I was readingAmanda’s post on George Sodini who killed 3 women at a gym near Pittsburgh. I decided to read more on this and foundthis article at Channel 4 in Pittsburgh. In the article it mentions there was a hidden comment at his blog in the page source code. It also mentions he had another site calledCrazyGeorge.com. It also mentions there is a password-protected page at the website. I decided to check out the source code ofthat page and found a hidden comment: The comment in green does not appear on the page. It reads : <!– <H4>The deep things … Continue reading “The deep things of God are reserved for a select few…”

Current Affairs7 Comments

Dead Kids Don’t Count

Carol Marin in the Sun-Times: How many of his students were getting shot, he wanted to know? “I could tell you exactly how many schools we closed, how many children had the H1N1 virus,” he said Tuesday from his office in Washington. But not how many Chicago kids getting shot. Or data to compare Chicago with other cities. “No one, literally, could tell me anything,” Duncan said. And so he began collecting his own statistics on how many CPS students found themselves at the wrong end of a gun. It’s a horrifying number, now estimated at 500 a year. “Estimated” … Continue reading Dead Kids Don’t Count