I'm so busy blogging these days that I haven't made any time for my usual Arts & Crafts thing. But this mustache-on-a-stick that I saw on sfgirlbybay.blogspot.com inspired me to make one for myself as a Halloween costume. Except mine is made of felt. Took all of 20 minutes, which is as much time as I felt like devoting to a Halloween costume this year. So lazy.31 October 2008
My Halloween Costume
I'm so busy blogging these days that I haven't made any time for my usual Arts & Crafts thing. But this mustache-on-a-stick that I saw on sfgirlbybay.blogspot.com inspired me to make one for myself as a Halloween costume. Except mine is made of felt. Took all of 20 minutes, which is as much time as I felt like devoting to a Halloween costume this year. So lazy.
Why The Lame Duck Needs To Be Shot...
... with a Tranquilizer Gun. Or Tasered.
The Washington Post reports that "The White House is working to enact a wide array of federal regulations, many of which would weaken government rules aimed at protecting consumers and the environment, before President Bush leaves office in January."
On Bush's hit-list? Lowering the standards for our drinking water, easing controls on greenhouse gases, and removing key restrictions on mountaintop coal mining.
And as the Post correctly points out, "Once such rules take effect, they typically can be undone only through a laborious new regulatory proceeding, including lengthy periods of public comment, drafting and mandated reanalysis."
I wish Bush Jr. would take a cue from his supposed role model, Ronald Reagan, who in his final days in office took the controversial step of recognizing the PLO. So that his successor, Bush Sr., wouldn't have to. That's the classy way to leave office. And leave your legacy as a President. Closing that global public-relations nightmare known as Guantanamo Bay would be a far worthier way, Bush Jr., to spend your final days in the White House.
Read the Washington Post article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/30/AR2008103004749.html?hpid=topnews
The Washington Post reports that "The White House is working to enact a wide array of federal regulations, many of which would weaken government rules aimed at protecting consumers and the environment, before President Bush leaves office in January."
On Bush's hit-list? Lowering the standards for our drinking water, easing controls on greenhouse gases, and removing key restrictions on mountaintop coal mining.
And as the Post correctly points out, "Once such rules take effect, they typically can be undone only through a laborious new regulatory proceeding, including lengthy periods of public comment, drafting and mandated reanalysis."
I wish Bush Jr. would take a cue from his supposed role model, Ronald Reagan, who in his final days in office took the controversial step of recognizing the PLO. So that his successor, Bush Sr., wouldn't have to. That's the classy way to leave office. And leave your legacy as a President. Closing that global public-relations nightmare known as Guantanamo Bay would be a far worthier way, Bush Jr., to spend your final days in the White House.
Read the Washington Post article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/30/AR2008103004749.html?hpid=topnews
Why Hollywood is Fretting Over an Obama Presidency
Leave it to Hollywood to worry about how the outcome of the Presidential Election will affect them.
According to the Center for Media and Public Affairs, the Republican ticket is 7x more likely to be the butt of jokes than the Democratic one. And the last eight years have been a huge career boon for the likes of Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert and MSNBC. But an Obama presidency? Even SNL hasn't figured out a way, yet, to really make Obama funny.
During the Clinton years, it was the careers of Bill O'Reilly, Matt Drudge, Rush Limbaugh, and others of their conservative ilk that surged. Because opposition sells, and ultimately rules. In the world of entertainment, anyway.
But to all those Daily Show fans made a bit nervous by this news, just remember: in the days following 9/11, everyone was predicting The Death of Irony (and Satire). But then Bush/Cheney saved the day by providing a wealth of comic riches and material. So you never know...
You can read the Hollywood Reporter article here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ib356467890c70c66bfc8f0d609f72d13
According to the Center for Media and Public Affairs, the Republican ticket is 7x more likely to be the butt of jokes than the Democratic one. And the last eight years have been a huge career boon for the likes of Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert and MSNBC. But an Obama presidency? Even SNL hasn't figured out a way, yet, to really make Obama funny.
During the Clinton years, it was the careers of Bill O'Reilly, Matt Drudge, Rush Limbaugh, and others of their conservative ilk that surged. Because opposition sells, and ultimately rules. In the world of entertainment, anyway.
But to all those Daily Show fans made a bit nervous by this news, just remember: in the days following 9/11, everyone was predicting The Death of Irony (and Satire). But then Bush/Cheney saved the day by providing a wealth of comic riches and material. So you never know...
You can read the Hollywood Reporter article here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ib356467890c70c66bfc8f0d609f72d13
30 October 2008
The "Celebrity" Hall of Shame: Joe the (Unlicensed) Plumber
Even Madonna is impressed by the speed and chutzpah of your self-reinvention, Joe the (unlicensed) Plumber. Sorry, I mean Joe the (talentless) Country Singer.
I can't keep up. Because last I heard, you wanted to run for Congress... Oh wait, maybe that was before you announced your plans to host your own talk show (on Fox News, I'm sure). Whatever.
See, “Joe” now has "representation", as they say in The Biz--what "celebrity" doesn't, right? All those interview requests, and media appearances, not to mention career planning... you've got to have someone managing your bright bright career--just ask Paris Hilton, with whom you, Joe, have much in common (except for, you know, the great hair).
Under this "representation," Joe is now courting a record deal with a major label because... well, Joe's a longtime country music fan, you see, and he “knocks around on guitar” according to his reps. “He’s a complicated guy with a very dynamic personality,” say his reps. “He can sing and obviously has a strong political point of view.” Obviously.
So much for your "dreams" of having your own plumbing business (if only that mean little Socialist, Obama, would just get out your way). But hey, why earn a decent American living if you can just fast-track your way into being a "Celebrity" instead.
So to all you aspiring musicians out there: maybe you should "play out" less and just hang at campaign rallies instead. Look how far it got Joe...
I can't keep up. Because last I heard, you wanted to run for Congress... Oh wait, maybe that was before you announced your plans to host your own talk show (on Fox News, I'm sure). Whatever.
See, “Joe” now has "representation", as they say in The Biz--what "celebrity" doesn't, right? All those interview requests, and media appearances, not to mention career planning... you've got to have someone managing your bright bright career--just ask Paris Hilton, with whom you, Joe, have much in common (except for, you know, the great hair).
Under this "representation," Joe is now courting a record deal with a major label because... well, Joe's a longtime country music fan, you see, and he “knocks around on guitar” according to his reps. “He’s a complicated guy with a very dynamic personality,” say his reps. “He can sing and obviously has a strong political point of view.” Obviously.
So much for your "dreams" of having your own plumbing business (if only that mean little Socialist, Obama, would just get out your way). But hey, why earn a decent American living if you can just fast-track your way into being a "Celebrity" instead.
So to all you aspiring musicians out there: maybe you should "play out" less and just hang at campaign rallies instead. Look how far it got Joe...
Calling Bullsh*t on the Bailout: Part #1
Many many renowned economists wrote a letter to Congress, dated September 24, 2008, strongly opposing the Bailout plan as proposed by Treasury Secretary Paulson. Here's what these renowned economists said:
"As economists, we want to express to Congress our great concern for the plan proposed by Treasury Secretary Paulson to deal with the financial crisis. We are well aware of the difficulty of the current financial situation and we agree with the need for bold action to ensure that the financial system continues to function. We see three fatal pitfalls in the currently proposed plan:
1) Its fairness. The plan is a subsidy to investors at taxpayers’ expense. Investors who took risks to earn profits must also bear the losses. Not every business failure carries systemic risk. The government can ensure a well-functioning financial industry, able to make new loans to creditworthy borrowers, without bailing out particular investors and institutions whose choices proved unwise.
2) Its ambiguity. Neither the mission of the new agency nor its oversight are clear. If taxpayers are to buy illiquid and opaque assets from troubled sellers, the terms, occasions, and methods of such purchases must be crystal clear ahead of time and carefully monitored afterwards.
3) Its long-term effects. If the plan is enacted, its effects will be with us for a generation. For all their recent troubles, America's dynamic and innovative private capital markets have brought the nation unparalleled prosperity. Fundamentally weakening those markets in order to calm short-run disruptions is desperately short-sighted.
For these reasons we ask Congress not to rush, to hold appropriate hearings, and to carefully consider the right course of action, and to wisely determine the future of the financial industry and the U.S. economy for years to come."
As that dude from The Onion said on Charlie Rose last night: these are the same people who can't even deliver the mail, fer Chrissakes, and now we're asking them to run the entire Banking System?!
You can see the letter in full with the long list of signatories here: http://faculty.chicagogsb.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/mortgage_protest.htm
"As economists, we want to express to Congress our great concern for the plan proposed by Treasury Secretary Paulson to deal with the financial crisis. We are well aware of the difficulty of the current financial situation and we agree with the need for bold action to ensure that the financial system continues to function. We see three fatal pitfalls in the currently proposed plan:
1) Its fairness. The plan is a subsidy to investors at taxpayers’ expense. Investors who took risks to earn profits must also bear the losses. Not every business failure carries systemic risk. The government can ensure a well-functioning financial industry, able to make new loans to creditworthy borrowers, without bailing out particular investors and institutions whose choices proved unwise.
2) Its ambiguity. Neither the mission of the new agency nor its oversight are clear. If taxpayers are to buy illiquid and opaque assets from troubled sellers, the terms, occasions, and methods of such purchases must be crystal clear ahead of time and carefully monitored afterwards.
3) Its long-term effects. If the plan is enacted, its effects will be with us for a generation. For all their recent troubles, America's dynamic and innovative private capital markets have brought the nation unparalleled prosperity. Fundamentally weakening those markets in order to calm short-run disruptions is desperately short-sighted.
For these reasons we ask Congress not to rush, to hold appropriate hearings, and to carefully consider the right course of action, and to wisely determine the future of the financial industry and the U.S. economy for years to come."
As that dude from The Onion said on Charlie Rose last night: these are the same people who can't even deliver the mail, fer Chrissakes, and now we're asking them to run the entire Banking System?!
You can see the letter in full with the long list of signatories here: http://faculty.chicagogsb.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/mortgage_protest.htm
The Taliban's Hidden Stash of Heroin (Opium)
According to a new Time piece, the Taliban might be hiding as much as $3.2 billion worth of opium inside Afghanistan:
"According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, between 6,000 and 8,000 tons of opium have vanished during the past three years somewhere between the poppy fields of Afghanistan — which produce about 93% of the world's opium — and the world market. That's enough to supply all the world's heroin addicts for nearly two years. The whereabouts of the missing opium is a mystery so far, but international drug- and law-enforcement agencies say they believe the Taliban has begun to stockpile large quantities of the drug, which is worth about $464,000 per ton once it is exported from Afghanistan."
But why? Here's what the piece goes on to say:
"It might sound like good news that so much opium has disappeared from the world drug market, but Costa believes the missing opium is a potential time bomb, and many law-enforcement officials agree. That's because the Taliban is believed to be "stockpiling to control the prices," says a spokesman for Britain's Serious Organized Crime Agency, who confirmed that NATO forces have uncovered Taliban stockpiles of opium." "This is classic market manipulation," Costa says."
The good news is that heroin use is on the decline in the U.S. and Europe. The bad news? It's a growing problem in Russia and China--the last two countries I want addled by that shite, as a matter of Global Security. And the thought of such a huge stash of heroin in the hands of the Taliban concerns me.
And I've never forgiven Heroin, you see, for taking Elliot Smith away...
Read the Time article here: http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1854660,00.html
"According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, between 6,000 and 8,000 tons of opium have vanished during the past three years somewhere between the poppy fields of Afghanistan — which produce about 93% of the world's opium — and the world market. That's enough to supply all the world's heroin addicts for nearly two years. The whereabouts of the missing opium is a mystery so far, but international drug- and law-enforcement agencies say they believe the Taliban has begun to stockpile large quantities of the drug, which is worth about $464,000 per ton once it is exported from Afghanistan."
But why? Here's what the piece goes on to say:
"It might sound like good news that so much opium has disappeared from the world drug market, but Costa believes the missing opium is a potential time bomb, and many law-enforcement officials agree. That's because the Taliban is believed to be "stockpiling to control the prices," says a spokesman for Britain's Serious Organized Crime Agency, who confirmed that NATO forces have uncovered Taliban stockpiles of opium." "This is classic market manipulation," Costa says."
The good news is that heroin use is on the decline in the U.S. and Europe. The bad news? It's a growing problem in Russia and China--the last two countries I want addled by that shite, as a matter of Global Security. And the thought of such a huge stash of heroin in the hands of the Taliban concerns me.
And I've never forgiven Heroin, you see, for taking Elliot Smith away...
Read the Time article here: http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1854660,00.html
BotherVoting.org
Send your lazy, flaky, or "Undecided" friends an eCard that nudges them to the polls. BotherVoting.org also has a link that can help them find their nearest polling places.
How To Win Enormous Cash & Prizes
$25 million: Richard Branson's prize for the solution to Climate Change
$30 million: The X Prize for landing a lunar rover on the moon by 2012
$75 million: The Michaelson Prize for inventing "The Pill" for dogs and cats
$75 million! Doesn't that make you wish you had become a Scientist? And all you'd have to do is just, like, use your mind... and get all "Mavericky" about it.
But that pill... well it has to be single-dose. And completely non-surgical. There's the rub.
Regardless, it seems all the really big money these days is in R&D: Research and Development. And it takes some tycoon philanthropist to really make change happen. Hmm...
Hey... what's Warren Buffet doing with his money these days, do you think?
$30 million: The X Prize for landing a lunar rover on the moon by 2012
$75 million: The Michaelson Prize for inventing "The Pill" for dogs and cats
$75 million! Doesn't that make you wish you had become a Scientist? And all you'd have to do is just, like, use your mind... and get all "Mavericky" about it.
But that pill... well it has to be single-dose. And completely non-surgical. There's the rub.
Regardless, it seems all the really big money these days is in R&D: Research and Development. And it takes some tycoon philanthropist to really make change happen. Hmm...
Hey... what's Warren Buffet doing with his money these days, do you think?
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