Month: May 2010

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media4 Comments

Compare and Contrast on the Value of Journalism

CHUCK TODD WINS THE MORNING: Chuck Todd began tweeting at 6 a.m. — “the big race is in WV where another DC incumbent could lose a primary” — and now, nearly three hours later, he is crashing minutes before airtime. Tapping on a computer in a wrinkled blue shirt, Todd has just finished updating a blog post on Arlen Specter when he asks a producer to find some videotape for his new program, “The Daily Rundown.” Meanwhile: Armed with small handycams undercover Video Journalists in Burma keep up the flow of news from their closed country despite risking torture and … Continue reading Compare and Contrast on the Value of Journalism

Athenae, BP Oil Spill, Do Something15 Comments

Blog for Birds Day 2: We Have Pelican!

In two days we hit more than $200 for the International Bird Rescue Center, which is taking care of injured, oil-covered wildlife on the Gulf coast.I had hoped we could do that by the end of theweek. Thank you to all who’ve contributed so far, and linked, and sent good thoughts the Center’s way. We can officially adopt a Pelican. While I’m thrilled, and I plan on asking them to make out the adoption papers to The Internet, I’d like to see if we can’t get to Pelican Partner level. That’s $500, or more than twice what we’ve already raised, … Continue reading Blog for Birds Day 2: We Have Pelican!

Athenae, BP Oil Spill, Do Something12 Comments

Blogs for Birds: Something We Can Do for the Gulf

So we’re just screwed, basically. Yeah, I said we. This is happening to the entire country. There is no part of America that America can live without. Our fate, as our Gulf friends have reminded us before, is your fate. We are all of us safe, or none of us. Right now the answer seems to be none of us. And as usual, the institutions we once trusted to handle catastrophe are either paralyzed or incompetent and some of them are both. And as usual, a lot of us are trying to figure out what we can do to help. … Continue reading Blogs for Birds: Something We Can Do for the Gulf

Current Affairs, Doc2 Comments

An incalculable loss

Had some shitty news this week when I found out that a good friend had been “reorganized” out of his advising job. I like to think I’m a hell of an adviser of student media, but I know that I couldn’t hold a candle to this guy. The funniest thing is that he always sought me out at conventions to critique his kids’ work because they listened to me better than him. A “grass is greener” moment if I ever saw one. This is the guy who spawned First Amendment Free Food Festivals on his campus and helped bring them … Continue reading An incalculable loss

Adrastos, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks8 Comments

More Malakatude

Peter Adrastos Athas

That wacky Rand Paul is at it again. He’s called President Obama’s criticism of BP un-American. I am not making this up: Kentucky’s Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul criticizedPresident Barack Obama‘s handling of the Gulf oil spill today as putting “his boot heel on the throat of BP” and “really un-American.” Paul’s defense of the oil company came during an interview in which he tried to explain his controversial take on civil rights law, an issue that has overtaken his campaign since his victory in Tuesday’s GOP primary. “What I don’t like from the president’s administration is this sort of, … Continue reading More Malakatude

Adrastos9 Comments

Friday Cat Blogging: Clarence the Mutant

Peter Adrastos Athas

Clarence is an outdoor cat who “belongs” to some friends of mine in Baton Rouge. Why is he a mutant? He loves getting dirty: he rolls around in the dirt at this time of the year and, during the Springtime, he becomes a yellow cat because he *adores* rolling around in the oak pollen that’s so ubiquitous around these parts. Unlike most cats, he’s not big on grooming so he usually looks like Pigpen from Peanuts. The picture below doesn’t quite do justice to his magisterial dustiness but he hates being photographed so it’s the best I can do: p> … Continue reading Friday Cat Blogging: Clarence the Mutant

Adrastos, Malakatude, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks4 Comments

Malaka Of The Week: Rand Paul

Peter Adrastos Athas

Libertarian is a nice word. It sounds reasonable and positive; evoking civil liberties. Unfortunately, when this anti-guvmint ideology moves into the real world it gets creepy. Its adherents start frothing at the mouth about things that most people think that government *should* do. That brings me to this week’s dishonoree, Rand Paul. I usually try to stay off the beaten track with the malaka of the week BUT this guy is a piece of work and thereby worthy of the malakatudinous title. Rand Paul is, of course, the Crown Prince of Paultardia and the GOP nominee for the US Senate … Continue reading Malaka Of The Week: Rand Paul

Athenae, Immoral Values2 Comments

‘Glory Hole Maze’

Today’s family values jackass who turns out to be a closeted asshole of a human being cheating on his spouse hails from Australia!Everybody say hi to this winner: “Campbell is accused of using aministerial car to go to a gay club in Anzac Parade, Kensington, in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, on Tuesday evening, Channel 7 reported tonight. It is alleged he stayed fortwo hours at Ken’s, also known as KKK , which is a popular gay sauna. The club lies in Ms Keneally’s electorate of Heffron. The club has a $22 entry fee and assures clients discretion as they offer services … Continue reading ‘Glory Hole Maze’

Athenae, Immoral Values9 Comments

Only My Constant Vigilance Keeps My Husband Faithful

Basically: I am deeply saddened by the news of Congressman Mark Souder’s fall into the temptation of an affair. Those of us who have worked with Mark over the years know him to be a kind and thoughtful legislator. If Mark Souder is capable of sexual misconduct, it could happen to anyone. The frat house environment on Capitol Hill does nothing to encourage accountability. Most Members do not live with their families while they are working in D.C. during the week and have even ditched common rules of etiquette that even major corporations follow such as office doors with windows … Continue reading Only My Constant Vigilance Keeps My Husband Faithful

Adrastos, Epic Blogger Win, Film

Geauxjira

Peter Adrastos Athas

My frenemyMichael Homan obviously has too much time on his hands. He’s decided to become the Ed Wood of the NOLA blogoshpere with an oil geyser inspired homage toGodzilla. I’m not sure if he wore an angora sweater and women’s underwear during the shoot but I certainly hope not: p align=”center” class=”asset asset-video” style=”margin: 0pt auto; display: block;”> Continue reading Geauxjira

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media4 Comments

Blogger Ethics Once Again Doom Us All

It’s a SCANDAL! If you wonder why some reporters atChicago Tribune parentTribune Co.‘sWGN-Ch. 9 might be seen wearing jackets with both the station’s logo and that of L.L. Bean, it’s because the station has a barter arrangement with the outfitter. A newscast credit shown at the end of each week will note the retailer’s contribution. Channel 9 news boss Greg Caputo said he saw nothing wrong with the arrangement, saying the station provides personnel with the outerwear but has no requirement that anyone wear it. Staffers also are free to cover up the L.L. Bean logo if they choose. “I … Continue reading Blogger Ethics Once Again Doom Us All

Do Something, Immoral Values, Propaganda, VirgoTex8 Comments

Twitterbomb alert: Tell the children the truth!

If you are on Twitter, set an alarm for9 a.m. tomorrow. Go do it right now, we’ll wait.[Jeopardy music interstitial] Okay, now that you’re back, this is what you’re going to dotomorrow at 9 a.m., and why: Send the following to the Texas Education Agency (TEA): “.@teainfo Do right by TX kids& public school kids everywhere. Reject distorted Social Studies curriculum changes. #SaveHistory” Why? Because the usual suspects at the State Board of Education (SBOE), continuing their slash and burn pillage of state curriculum standards, have proposed a social studies curriculumso egregiously out of touch with actual historical fact and … Continue reading Twitterbomb alert: Tell the children the truth!

Athenae, Political Crack3 Comments

No One Cares About Your Mommy Issues, Republicans

THIS: Good thinking, Republicans. You might want to try to run on an issue in the fall, rather than just trashing Pelosi. Those who haven’t heard of her don’t care, and those who have heard of her are either wondering how throwing eggs at her will get them a job or why you are picking on the Italian grandmother who smiles nervously when she is on camera. This is why I occasionally use Republican relatives and friends as testers. So I can ask them if they’ve heard Talking Point X, to see if it’s filtered down to the level where … Continue reading No One Cares About Your Mommy Issues, Republicans

Adrastos, Sports5 Comments

Deep Hoops Thought

Peter Adrastos Athas

The Orlando Magic are on the verge of proving one of my favorite hoops adages to be correct. No team with Vince Carter will ever win a championship. Vince is a dog and a selfish dog at that. There were two classic Vince Carter moments in the game. The first came when he fell to the ground and acted as if he were at death’s door before getting up and “shaking it off. And some people think that Steve Zahn is a ham. The second was when Carter missed two free throws with the game on the line. That was … Continue reading Deep Hoops Thought

Adrastos, Political Crack9 Comments

Good Riddance, Arlen

Peter Adrastos Athas

I couldn’t stand Arlen Specter as a Republican and didn’t care for him as a Democrat either. He’s an asshole through and through and I’m glad that Admiral Sestak made him walk the plank or did he tie him to the yardarm? As a confirmed landlubber, I get my nautical terms mixed up rather easily and I don’t really know what the hell a yardarm is… The moral of Specter’s defeat is that opportunism is like a mushroom and should be kept in a dark place and not exposed to the sunlight. That could be the ultimate root of Specter’s … Continue reading Good Riddance, Arlen

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media1 Comment

Reaching for a First

The Atlantic: In any event, Sarah Palin has today called out Amb. Huntsman in aTweet, which marks the first time, I believe, that Palin has referenced a fellow Republican and potential presidential aspirant in a provocative way. Okay, that’s just stretching for a news peg. You know what I mean. Agent Fuckifino as been talking for days, nonstop, there’s nothing new there, but you have a hole to fill, so you come up with something like this: “This marks the first time Agent Fuckifino has spoken in Latin on the fourth Tuesday of the month during a waxing moon,” which … Continue reading Reaching for a First

Adrastos, Congress, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks11 Comments

Another Hypocrite Bites The Dust

Peter Adrastos Athas

I’d never heard of Rep. Mark Souder (R-Indiana) until I took a look atTPM this morning. He’s an abstinence advocate who just resigned over an affair with a staffer. Oops. It turns out that Souder and his chick on the side recorded a pro-abstinence video together with her pretending to be an interviewer. Double oops. p align=”center” class=”asset asset-video” style=”margin: 0pt auto; display: block;”> Continue reading Another Hypocrite Bites The Dust

Adrastos, Current Affairs2 Comments

Fisherman’s Blues

Peter Adrastos Athas

The potential long range effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher look increasingly bad. My primary concern is for the critters who are being soiled and killed by the oil *and* with the people who make their living from the sea. BP can fuck themselves: all we want from them is money and technology to minimize the damage they have wrought. I’d like to see them regulated and sued out of business but that’s less likely to happen, alas. Oil companies are like the giantOctopus Squid inTwenty Thousand Leagues Beneath The Sea: you can only cut off one tentacle … Continue reading Fisherman’s Blues

Athenae, Immoral Values8 Comments

Democrat About to be Pilloried for Doing Shit Only Dick Cheney Gets to Do

Like getting five deferments during Vietnam. And lying to people. Admittedly, serving “in” Vietnam as opposed to “in the armed forces during the Vietnam War” is the kind of fine distinction Dick Cheney would never even bother making, and his deferments may have been the only things he didn’t lie about. This Blumenthal fellow just needs to shoot a guy in the face and then he’ll be golden. A. Continue reading Democrat About to be Pilloried for Doing Shit Only Dick Cheney Gets to Do

Athenae, Food and Drink10 Comments

The American Meat Institute

Unsurprisingly, thinks bacon KICKS ASS: blockquote> “To lower risk of heart attacks and diabetes, people should consider which types of meats they are eating,” said Renata Micha of theHarvard School of Public Health, whose study appears in the journal Circulation. “Processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli meats may be the most important to avoid,” Micha said in a statement. Based on her findings, she said people who eat one serving per week or less of processed meats have less of a risk. TheAmerican Meat Institute objected to the findings, saying it was only one … Continue reading The American Meat Institute