It's the Fourth of July!
I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.
With so much going on, I wish we were still chattering. The oil spill, McChrystal's interview and Afghanistan, the upholding of gun rights in Chicago, the G20 deciding on austerity over further stimulus to Krugman's dismay, Russian deep-cover spies!----there is still a lot to talk about.
Throw some good red meat on the grill (see, it IS okay to eat ! ) and give a passing thought or two to your old debating buddies on this blog. I know I will.
Happy Fourth, everyone.
Submitted by Purpleface on Sun, 2010-07-04 10:36
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Happy Fourth
Hope you're well, Purpleface, and ditto to anyone else who stops by. And Rachel and Elliot also say hi =)
I gather things are pretty quiet here these days. I see a few former posters over at The Forvm now, when I lurk there, and sometimes at Balloon Juice too, and pico had a rec-list diary at DK the other day, and I think Ender posted something on RS. But SC was a great place to hang out and chat.
Anyway, just randomly figured I'd check in, since it was a holiday... enjoy the fireworks tonight!
Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world -- Tennyson
I can't believe it's already the 20th. Memorial Day was just 2
threads ago....Yea, we've all wandered else where. Have to admit I hadn't even checked the site in a few weeks. Been busy, been gone. Just finished putting hardwood floors down in my house and that took all my spare time since the beginning of the month. Now I'm looking for a weekend where I can just hang out or screw around and do nothing. It's funny, when we were kids and summer would roll around we did nothing for the whole summer (for the most part) and bitched like mad about it. Now I only wish I could get a taste.
Let's see, Breitback got another trophy through strategic editing of video. I can't believe anyone in power (well, other than Republicans who want to use his swill) acts like his stuff has any integrity at all. He lied like hell in the Acorn Video and he made a woman who was telling a heart warming story about overcoming racial adversity to the NAACP by helping some poor white farmers keep their farm, and he makes her out to be a racist....and the press AND the President bite the apple again. Damn, that guy is Satan's snake. I hope that poor woman is offered a sincere apology and hired back, like NOW!!!!
Kagen got out of committee. Again, what would have happened if the Democrats had acted like the Republicans are now during the bush43 reign? I tell ya what there would have been some gun play on the part of the crazies out there. Treason charges all around. As it was, we liberals got that hurled at us alot anyhow. All ya had to be was against the invasion and occupation of Iraq & you were definetly a traitor.
I'm not happy with Obama but I'll take what I can get. The Administration has caved right off on almost every issue. Now some can say they had to to get the bills passed but did they have to chuck the Public Option under the bus right away? What they need is more LBJ and less being nice. I'm kvetching about the administration but it is so much better than our last fuhrer & his companion Darth.
I lurk at other blogs now. I rarely comment. Too busy at work to spend the day doing that. I'm sorry but I'm not going over to Red State to see Ender's work. I've tried going over there a few times since Obama and it's all just such horse shit I can't stomach it much. Yea...I miss the discussions.
So thank you PF for maintaining the site. Thank you Ender (or whom ever) for paying the domain name & server fees. Hope you all have a real fine summer. Why don't you tell us all what you're doing?
Nice post
Congrats on the hardwood floor. I've been spending time on home improvement as well; there's nothing like trying to update a 1950's rambler on a budget. Anyone can take $50K and make a kitchen look awesome. It takes much more skill to do it cheaply ;-) But I find it's mostly de-cluttering that makes a difference.
My carpel-tunnel-like ailment keeps me off the PC a lot. It's gotten so much worse that I really have to limit my mouse time. Alternative devices help, though.
When I'm in the mood for blogs, I've been reading the Volkh Conspiracy site. Their commenters can usually form cogent arguments and often completely disagree with the post, so one gets several points of view. They generally manage to avoid getting personal, which is a huge plus in my book. I'm so bored of hearing people's negative opinions about other people they don't even know. The usual "You said 'reduce taxes' so therefore you must be a gay-hating bible thumper who thinks schools shouldn't be free, and oh yeah, my side is smarter than yours, too" is immature and obnoxious. I'd rather read people with a better grasp of facts and nuance, who can keep up with a topic. Which of course still excludes mainstream media. Their coverage of the oil spill has been almost painful to watch.
There is always the entertainment value of dKos. I check in there for the outrage de jour and its associated pie fights. They cannot seem to see that it's really a very small step from summarily dismissing all Republicans as idiots to summarily dismissing other Democrats who disagree with you. Anyone who prefers screaming at an enemy to actually understanding their position is also likely to scream at a (former) friend when circumstances change. Tribalism keeps devolving into ever smaller circles. I offer Ms Shirley Sherrod as the latest example. Poor woman; her boss, who one would assume might know something of her work and character, sees a doctored video and without even looking into the matter further, without any real thought other than a kneejerk "OMG a Racist!", turns on her in a heartbeat.
Pico had a recent diary on Kos, a very civil one, I thought, yet he was attacked in the first comment and it degraded from there. Funny, though, two somewhat sane lights in that comment thread, other than Pico himself, were missliberties and skymutt.
Obama is a disappointment. I hope the Democrats are enjoying being the "well, at least we don't suck as bad as they do" party. Pretty sad, though, for the party that likes to think of itself as the smart one. Yeah, yeah, I know-----"we can't" because of XYZ reality. Funny how quickly the campaign slogan changed.
I'm still hoping Ender will post a wedding snapshot. Charles didn't either. And we could get updated baby snaps, too, from all you new dads.
Hi, PF (and all)
Just a random fly-by.
Hope all is well with everyone. Been very busy with work and having a great summer. Business has been good...I'm doing my best to help the administration by adding new jobs but the rest of the economy is not cooperating. hehehe. Must be a conspiracy by business to make Obama look bad. I kid.
I just got married myself back in May. Our 10 month old girl is doing great and a little boy is on the way in October. Busy Busy!
Yeah, Volokh is a good blog. Most of the libertarian ones are! ;)
And I can't remember the last time I was at DKos. What a joke of a site. They need to calm down.
As for Politics as usual in DC, I think you nailed it just fine.
BTW, if anyone wants to keep in touch via Facebook to for photos and personal life updates, I'm friends with Stiner, Skymutt, ATQB...not sure if I'm missing anyone. Let me know.
Congratulations!
It sounds like you've got a full life right there.
I hired a new employee this year too. It's kinda like the story of an old man and a younger one walking the beach after a storm has stranded thousands of starfish. Occasionally the young man stoops down and tosses one back into the waves. The old man says, "Why even bother? There are way too many. You can't do enough to make a difference." And the young man replies, "Well, it made a difference to that one. . . . "
I can't find you on FB though. Ever tried searching for "John"? ;-)
Thanks.
I sent an email to your gmail account on your profile page with more info to find me on FB.
I have to admit, I respect Volokh. I often don't agree but
I'll give them credit for arguing well & not pulling ego & little boy out and throwing it down right off the bat. Must be the lawyer thing. Well, except all the other lawyers who are nutbags out there. I'll let you all fill in the blanks.
Good for you PF. So sorry about the tendonitis/carpal tunnel. You do know that in order to make those tendons 'relax' you have to lay off everything that makes 'em bad for 6 weeks. That isn't just typing & mouse. It's all the movements that inflame the tendons. The surgery for carpal tunnel seems to work pretty well. They go in & score the sheath of the tendon & the tendon itself. It opens up the space the tendon slides back & forth in. You still have to stop what caused it though. Verbal mouses. Why not? In no time, we'll be talking to our computers instead of typing into them. We are downright primative.
Congradulations of the marraiges upthread. & kids. Kids are our salvation & our demon spawn all at the same time.
So now I have to finish the Master bath. That's next. We've lived in this house for almost a year and are using the only functional bathroom. Ah well, everything in it's own time.
Lawyers are fun
.... rather like a corporate lawyer I used to have to deal with who had the deplorable habit of starting every committee meeting with "Since we're in the northern hemisphere, we'll go like the toilet drains and start the reports counterclockwise. . . ." He later went on to a seat on one of Texas's appellate courts. I have no idea how such a nutcase won. He was removed for some misdemeanor or other, thank god.
In my case it's really "tennis elbow." That same tendon runs your left clicker finger. Five clicks and the arm starts to numb. I switched to Bamboo's Pen and Touch tablet and 3dconnexion's knob, and between the two I can do almost everything I need to, abeit more slowly and clumsily. It's frustrating as hell, actually, but I'm coping.
hey all
My facebook account can be found by searching for "Yuri Wi" - I put a profile photo from my wedding there. Add me as friend please :) - just created this new account btw.
Lots of stuff happening - bought a house and working on it.... Just busy heh :)
I am not really posting anything anywhere for now.
Going to read up and see what's new with you guys :)
Congratulations John!
"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Facebook
Request and suggestion sent.
Don't even send me any FarmVille gifts or anything, I got that stuff blocked.
In our society, people are rewarded for pretending to be certain about things they're clearly not certain about. -- Sam Harris,
whoops
Sorry man, I had no idea who it was and you didn't reply to my message! Just sent you friend request :)
"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
I had an old girlfriend try to rope me into that. She's in
Oaklahoma and had gotten laid off last year and spent all her time there sending everyone all that crap! I thanked her but told her I didn't have the time to dedicate to it. Guess that's all she had to spend, time.
But I do like facebook as it's allowed me to catch up with high school and college friends I hadn't heard from in 25 years.
Ha
I was unemployed for a bit, "played" those games, then was like...all I do is wait and click some buttons and watch the graphics change a little bit, this is a waste of time.
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=111596662223307
In our society, people are rewarded for pretending to be certain about things they're clearly not certain about. -- Sam Harris,
Congradulations on getting married. If you had waited you could
have gotten gay married out here in CA....Oh, yea...Ender...that's right.
House?....Know the issue. Did you get a house you are gonna fix up or a house you don't want to do a thing to? Just wanna compare others to my crazy choices. We heard you had some good stuff up over at Red State. Good for you. I saw Pico get a front page DKos link.
So, don't be such a stranger. That applies to all of you out there.
In the old days there would be multiple threads about GZ Mosque
by now. Yea, I don't come by much either.
So....Pissed at Muslim's enough to 'special' zone where they can buy property & build a community center? It's funny. The same people that were livid over en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._City_of_New_London
(except me, I think Kelo v. N. L was decided wrongly) are the ones that think it's OK to tell minority religions they can't buy where others can.
Seriously, I think Senator Franken (repeat that a couple more times) put it best. He said 'Have you ever been to New York? If something is two blocks away, you can't even see the building.' Still, I get people like to get all open & uppity about how pissed they are. It's a Fox/Republican party specialty, especially just before elections. Gotta keep your masses adrenaline up.
I could post a little something...
...just to keep you on your toes. ;-)
Great Spirits Have Always Encountered Violent Opposition From Mediocre Minds...~ A. Einstein
Well I know You and I both agree on the Kelo decision.
Nice to see a stranger. Good summer?
Ya, fun!
3 kids keep ya engaged in life! LOL!
Great Spirits Have Always Encountered Violent Opposition From Mediocre Minds...~ A. Einstein
Did you also know
A group that worships Allah, but calls him a different name, is trying to build literally right next door to ground zero. And most of the same people that don't want the community center that is blocks away, are wanting for that house of worship to "Allah" to be built.
In our society, people are rewarded for pretending to be certain about things they're clearly not certain about. -- Sam Harris,
GZ Mosque
My position? Boring, as usual: It's none of my business. It's up to the people of New York to decide what gets built where in their city. The rest is just manufactured outrage. I know that some folks are continually surprised by the inherent messiness of a democratically-based civilization and would prefer that "the right answer" be imposed upon those whose opinions they look down on, but I see this whole furore as just another day in the complex game of living together peacefully.
It was a grande faux pas, however, for the President to step in the middle of it. Quite a clumsy mistake, that.
The building codes say they
The building codes say they can build it, the 14th Amendment says they can build it, ya it's kinda of your business a little bit.
In our society, people are rewarded for pretending to be certain about things they're clearly not certain about. -- Sam Harris,
Okay
By that logic, I know you're following my WalMart's fortunes closely too, since it's your business. Maybe you should fly down here and protest against those "bad" citizens who think they have any say so about what goes in their neighborhood, since it's clearly legal and moral and therefore absolutely right that WalMart be allowed to build there. No gray area here. Tis only black and white......
This might come across harsher than it's intended. It's hyperbole ;-)
Obama had to say they had a right to build there.
He also had to say America's problem is not with Islam. It's with Islamic nuts. Islamic nuts are a microscopic subset of Muslims and acting like all Muslims are suspect is wrong. It's against American values and against American laws.
I agree it's a local zoning issue and NY boards all OK'd it. I think it's a black mark on America that so many comunities across the US are denying Mosques being built in their communities. You listen to what the officials in those places say as to why the Mosque is being denied and it always we don't trust these people. We don't trust these people. Even though in all these cases these people already live among them and are thier neighbbors. I mean, you don't have to like your neighbors. But one really should have a better reason than one's neighbors religion. Well, yea....unless they are Mormans I mean.
Thats a bad joke folks. Don't get uppity because I have poor taste.
He had to say it? HAD to?
Yes, that was very impressive of Obama. It made me immediately want to call him Captain Obvious. I'm so glad he felt it necessary to give a brief lecture on this. After all, freedom of religion is under seige and at great risk of disappearing in this country, isn't it, and manic Muslim-haters are running freely in the streets. I feel so enlightened and reassured now. (/snark)
So what's your solution to the messy but very common situation where Citizen A wants X, and Citizen B wants Y? Seems to me the options in a civilized society are (1) Some authoritarian figure decides what's best, and imposes it, or (2) The people affected get together and talk about their concerns until they can reach an agreement.
I know it's really awkward to accept the fact that a democratic society allows both buffoons and professors a voice, but it truly does, and I kinda like it that way, myself, considering the alternatives. It also comes as a great shock (not) that in a country of 300 million people, there are a few crazies around. But let's not lose our sense of perspective over this or anything.
We've got a huge kerfuffle in my town right now, over the proposed site for a new WalMart. If WalMart, who is entirely entitled to locate the store there and is breaking no laws, is "forced" to move their site because the citizens nearby just don't want a WalMart there, does that mean a crisis for the republic?
And please, cites for your claims of widespread denials of mosques. Just because nobody is reading our Andorran blog, doesn't mean we can get lazy ;-)
What democracy are you talking about? In NY there is no issue
with the building of the Center. It's people from across the country that are using this opportunity to complain. Are you suggesting that people from Texas should be able to tell the people of New York City who can build what & where? I know, that's an exageration.
We had the Walmart fights out here back in the 90's. Walmart won most places. SF still doesn't have any of the big box stores (except the Macy's type department stores).
I'm ambivalent about the Walmart thing. I don't shop there much cause I prefer to support local. But out here, even local is often a chain so.....Yea, when Walmarts came in, a bunch of the smaller shops failed & closed. Others though found ways to compete. They specialized, they customized.
I just think that many of those who are promoting 'the problem' of the Islamic Center at 51 Park Dr are openly faning hostility towards Muslims in general. They are taking advantage of latent racism & bigotry of 'the other'. They are doing this to undermine the current administration. They practice the death of 1000 cuts. They did the same thing during Clinton. God forbid if Republicans take control of either the House or the Senate. They'll just run witch trials for the whole term.
I can't support them. I'm disapointed in the Obama administration. But they are way better than the absolutely insane folks running around with the Fox crowd.
Local trumps
I stated my position upthread: It's none of my business. It's up to the people of New York to decide what gets built where in their city. The rest is just manufactured outrage. My entire point is that it's up to the people there to make that choice, and that I even think it's okay if they (the people affected by the decision) want to say to their government or each other "hey, I know it's legal, but I have a problem with this in this situation." There's no harm in talking things out.
I agree with you, except maybe I'd say it's more a search for income than a vaguely nefarious desire to undermine the administration. I'd just add that it behooves us to remember that the folks "openly fanning hostility" are not so much only your neighbors, but the media channels who are egging them on and displaying their resulting "news" in the most emotionally charged way possible so as to continue the cycle. And that maybe the actual facts on the ground are less dismaying than they are being portrayed.
Yea. I mistook what you meant.
wrt the Mosque....well, I've been to that part of Manhattan. Really, it isn't in the same neighborhood as the World Trade Center. So it didn't bother me. And I don't like the implied/beneath the surface racism I see in many of those who think it shouldn't be built. It really would be the same as saying all Catholic churches shouldn't be within X number of blocks from a playground because some preists in the past molested kids.
It's funny. Republicans will make gains this year but nothing like they could have with all the tea party types knocking off the estblishment types. I'm going to say that Democrats keep both houses but end up with slim majorities in both. With that in mind I will predict that not one bill gets approved in the next session. We'll go two more years without budgets.
Yes the American people do have a right to weigh in on this...
...The terror attack on 9/11 was not a local NY issue, nor is the rebuilding of the site, the American people are not commenting on local NYC building codes any more than they are on the unrational liberal mindset held by the majority of NYC urbanites, the overwhelming majority of Americans are justifiably outraged by the gross disregard for human civility that is being flaunted by the would be mosque builders and their brain dead supporters.
Opening it on the 10 year anniversary of 9/11...
Obsene!
(Hi to everyone, John, PF, Kindness, Brendan, Ender, etc... Good to see everyone doing so well!)
Great Spirits Have Always Encountered Violent Opposition From Mediocre Minds...~ A. Einstein
Yea...tonight I'm going to a Tea Party friends house.
It's his 50th birthday. I've known him since college in the 80's. He and his wife are wonderful people even if they do worship Glenn Beck. For educated people to make some of the statements they do though...well, I mostly shut my mouth as me & mine are the only liberals there. I will voice facts once in a while but I like these people. And we agree on some things. Guns, some fiscal issues. We agree on government userping of Constitutional rights now too. Funny thing is, the 'taking of rights' is only new to them. They hate Obama keeping the same rules in place that Bush had. With Obama, it's a police state, when Bush was starting it and doing it, they supported him being able to do it completely. Funny how that works.
Of course, they were Militia supporters during Clinton's term....so just like Stephen Colbert during a Congressional comittee hearing they are at least staying in character.
wrt your "majority of Americans are justifiably outraged by the gross disregard for human civility that is being flaunted by the would be mosque builders and their brain dead supporters" thing....buddy, how could you be a more brazen hater? American Muslims did not attack the US on 9/11. American Muslims did not support the goals of the people who attacked America on 9/11. In fact the vast majority of Muslims in THE WHOLE WORLD don't support the goals of the people who attacked America on 9/11 yet here you are castigating, blaming and victimizing an entire group of people for the acts of a few mad men. Yea....I can sure see how your argument has merit. It has as much merit as interning the West Coast American Japanese during World War II. Viewed by that light do you understand how some people, like me for instance would be able to suggest that your position is little more than overt bigotry? Seriously dude. Big time.
Be happy though. Your side is going to make gains this election cycle. How big remains to be seen. If Republicans do take on or both Houses of Congress, it will be curious to see how they plan on governing, or not governing at all. Didn't work out very well for Newt on the 90's. I don't see it working out any better now. Republicans won't be able to blame Democrats for doing nothing and when they run on it in 2012 I don't think the nation will give them the free pass they are getting now. Especially when they try to put Medicare & Social Security into Wall Street's greedy hands.
I Get it Now
The Germans were protecting the world from communism. That is so admirable said Rich Iott, who is working hard to save the US from the same fate, running in Ohio's 9th District.
Dressing up in Waffen SS garb Iott proudly re-enacts the heroic efforts of the Germans to defeat the Bolsheviks.
Noting that Pat Buchanon wrote a whole book about the fact US involvement in WWll was essentially unnecessary, the pieces of the puzzle are starting to fit together now.
I couldn't resist posting this story from the Atlantic, as it fits right into my famed hyperbolic views of today's political climate.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/10/why-is-this-gop-hous...
It sends a shiver up my spine to think that folks like this are celebrated by their tea party brethern in Ohio. I guess it takes all kinds to make the world go round.
I'm only half stupid
I've been informed that the
I've been informed that the 9th and surrounding districts were gerrymandered to ensure a lot of Dems are there in the 9th, and other districts have easier sailing to get Republicans.
In our society, people are rewarded for pretending to be certain about things they're clearly not certain about. -- Sam Harris,
The only extremism...
...surrounding the Tea Party is the extreme lengths people like yourself go to in order to paint the movement as filled with right wing radicals!
There's a cook in every bunch, but more so than any other group of people I've been around the Tea Party has the least I've encountered.
Mostly just good patriotic Americans who want the country to get back to its roots in the constitution.
Now I understand that sounds like right wing radical to you, but then again you make up that small contigent of people in every group I spoke of, you just happen to be on the other side of the equation.
Now lets just take a quick look at your kind of folks, those wonderful buch of "Americans" who came to the 10-2 rally in DC and basically embarrassed themselves and trashed the mall...
Talk about extremist's!
Great Spirits Have Always Encountered Violent Opposition From Mediocre Minds...~ A. Einstein
The facts
Calling me an extremist for pointing out facts doesn't speak well for personal accountability.
The abundance of misinformation surrounding your movement is only matched by its over heated emotionalism. (ie: equating littering to extremists who re-enact the heroic efforts of the Germans to defeat communism, is ridiculous on its face)
You want to cut taxes for billionaires who use their money to invest overseas not in America.
You want to cut local budgets to the bone, which will force many institutions to cut jobs for Americans who cost too much so they can or outsource them to India, where the locals work hard to practice their American accents when answering the phone.
While China is willing to pay workers to dig useless holes and fill them up again to put money in the pockets of their new middle class, the right in the US wants to cut jobs as a way to grow the economy. Your 'solutions' for America are a recipe for economic disaster and will make the US weaker not stronger.
I'm only half stupid
Democrats love dem some billionaires too
It's going to be the Democrats who do this this time. The Democrats haven't the desire to pass the middle class cut extension (oh my, politics is so HARD), and Obama would never have the spine to veto anything that includes the billionaire tax cut. Why should he? It's exactly what he and the Democrats want. They too, have their masters, and will obey them.
The rest of your screed is the usual meaningless drivel. It must be hard, admitting that the Democrats have been in control for the last, what, four? years but yet the world still works the way it did before. Perhaps you've been lied to by the party, and they don't really stand for what you think they do?
Did they finally ban you at Kos?
Stay classy
You can point fingers, gloat and go out of your way to spitefully denigrate me, if you chose.
That isn't a solution to our long term economic problems brought on by years of claiming that rules get in the way of business, while decades of supply side economics has proven to be exceedingly unsuccessful way to democratize wealth for the citizens of this country.
I'm only half stupid
The funny part, though
The funny part of all this strum and drang over the Tea Party is that the Democrats didn't do it too.
Think about it. Within months, disaffected Republicans (and Independents, and some Democrat
s) have been able to organize and have an immediate affect upon the elections. They were mad about the direction of the country and they did something about it.
Yet the Democrats, who elected Obama on a wave of enthusiasm and action, when faced with less than stellar performance by their team, instead of actually *doing* something about it, they just check out. They just shrug and give up. No wonder the elected Democrats ignore their campaign promises. Evidently, being a Democrat is just a "feel good" thing, not something that actually acts upon its principles.
If Harry Reid loses, it won't be because of the Tea Party. It will be because Harry Reid is an abysmal leader and needs to go. Reid probably does more damage to the "Democratic cause" in the Senate than a brand new junior Tea Party Senator could dream of doing.
However
if Harry Reid wins it will be because of the Tea Party.
I'm only half stupid
It is because of the Democrats' lack of spine
and persistent refusal to really fight back against the GOP (with damned few exceptions), that helped the atmosphere that gave rise to the teabaggers in the first place to take root and flourish. If the Democrats at large get their butts handed to them this coming Tuesday, it'll be their own doing.