Archives: politics
- (Un)Happy Planet Index
The Happy Planet Index is a fascinating examination of countries’ economic and ecological footprints. Like much of social science, I’m not convinced that it shows anything concretely useful at all, but it does satiate my need for rank-order and self-examination. Here is how they designed the study: The Index doesn�t reveal the �happiest� country in the world. It shows the relative efficiency with which nations convert the planet�s natural resources into long and happy lives for their citizens. The nations that top the Index aren�t the happiest places in the world, but the nations that score well show that achieving,... - Letterman's Politics
I still love Dave… he stood up to Bill O’Reilly on his program this week, (video here). There were two main points of contention… first, O’Reilly’s imagined “War on Christmas”, and then his calous attacks on Cindy Sheehan. Dave wasn’t as thoughtful or inteligent-sounding as he can be on political topics, but I love the way he sums up O’Reilly: Letterman: �I�m not smart enough to debate you point to point on this, but I have the feeling, I have the feeling about 60 percent of what you say is crap.” (emphasis added) Indeed. Oh, and get your Tshirts.... - The Kennedy Kerry Klan?
Political discourse is in such a sad state, these days. People on the Right viciously brand Democrats and Liberals (capital “L”) with ridiculous comparisons, while simultaneously charging us with doing the same to them. And they get away with it. Here’s the latest example, involving Governor (and likely 2008 GOP Presidential candidate) Romney of Massachusetts, who was introduced by attorney Gerald Walpin at a Federalist Society event: “Today when most of the country thinks of who controls Massachusetts, I think the modern day KKK comes to mind - the Kennedy, Kerry Klan.” Romney laughed along with the audience, The Boston... - Election Day
Local It’s Election Day, and I haven’t done much research on the City Council race here in Cambridge. The Globe has a special election section for Boston, but I can’t find much information on Our Fair City. I hate to cast votes blindly, but what can I do at this point? Go by the signs in my neighbors’ yards? By how much political mail I’ve received? (Jesse Gordon wins on that count) Or, perhaps I’ll just take the advice of drunkards. National The national media seems to be writing an awful lot into the Virginia governor’s race. Due to a... - Statistics
The Boston Foundation has just put out a Greater Boston Housing Report Card [PDF], and drew some ridiculous conclusions. John A Keith of the Boston Real Estate Blog explains [via]: From the report: Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood 2004 estimated renter income: $24,132 2004 estimated monthly rent: $1,498 % of median income needed to pay rent in 2004: 74% No. Why not? 1) earlier in their report, the authors estimate rents on two-bedroom apartments throughout the city. They estimate a two-bedroom apartment in the Fenway would cost $1,498 per month. A two-bedroom apartment. Would one person, making $24,132, rent a two-bedroom apartment? Why... - "Underground Man" update
Thanks to Mint, I noticed that a few visitors were referred here looking for the text of a New Yorker article writted in February 2004 titled, Underground Man: Can the former C.I.A. agent who saved New York�s subway get the Tube back on track?. I had scanned the text a while back, but my directory security settings on my server were tightened, and the scans were no longer available. So, if you’re looking for the article, it’s is now properly linked in the orginal post. I still wish I had a way of extracting the text via OCR…... - Rejected Mandate
If the President’s approval rating is at 45%, according to Gallup, why does the news media cover him like he’s got teflon skin? When will anything stick to this guy? And, Sen. Cornyn (R-Texas), today defended domestic terrorists who attack liberal judges. I would very much like this ass to defend his comments — preferably to the FBI.... - Air America Radio in Boston
For you Boston-area readers, if you self-identify yourself as a Liberal, or if you're an undecided, (I still don't know how you could be), tune your car stereos to "AM 1430 or 1200":http://www.am1430wxks.com/ -- "Air America Radio":http://airamericaradio.com has "come to Boston":http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2004/10/01/air_america_finds_local_home/. One stupid thing, is that the station doesn't carry "Randi Rhodes":http://therandirhodesshow.com and "Janeane Garofalo":http://www.majorityreportradio.com _live_. Because it's on delay, you can't call in with questions, as you listen. Hmmm... since the station is owned by "Clear Channel":http://clearchannel.com, and they have their own talent and shows... perhaps they are afraid to let Randi and Janeane compete with the home-grown crap?... - DNC - Tuesday plans
_UPDATE: Lame... no celebrity sightings, but we snapped some pictures of the security perimeter, which I will post later._ We're going to venture into the "protected" zone across the river tonight. "Tbone":http://tbone.suckahs.org describes "his DNC outing":http://tbone.suckahs.org/archives/002325.php last night, spotting Former CA Gov Gray Davis, and the less talented half of the celibrity fomerly known as "Ben-ifer", Ben Affleck. We watched a lot of the convention on CNN and C-SPAN last night. I keep waiting to see "Wonkette":http://wonkette.com on "MTV":http://www.mtv.com/chooseorlose/, but there were Andy Dick re-runs on instead. I miss "Tabitha Soren":http://www.voice.neu.edu/960425/soren.html...... - DNC Commute
My commute last night back to Boston was uneventful, (which "seems":http://yovanoff.typepad.com/yovablog/2004/07/convention_comm.html to be the "consensus":http://www.utterwonder.com/archives/000579.html#000579). I think half our population was scared away by the "DNC":http://www.boston04.com. Helicopters are buzzing around our house, and since we live "near the Charles river":http://www.cambridgema.gov/dnc/, we've noticed Coast Guard and Police boats patrolling the river in formation... a strange sight, given that on any given day you'd usually see small sailboats and rowing crews. Boston is locked-down, but I feel safe. I think it's unreasonable to expect that an event this size will ever be held again without tight security. Though I understand concerns about... - No school because of Bush Fundraiser
As if we need further evidence that the president is truly misguided, I "read(Boston.com: Visit by Bush to snarl roads, spur protests)":http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/03/25/visit_by_bush_to_snarl_roads_spur_protests?mode=PF that today Mr. Bush has come to Boston for a fundraiser, forcing the "Secret Service":http://www.secretservice.gov to shut down several city streets. As Mr. Bush collects checks at $2000 a head, for one hour of work, a K-8 public school was forced on 1-day notice to cancel classes today because they "could not guarantee timely pick-up of students at dismissal time." This seems shameful for the "No-child-left-behind" President, who is himself the son of the so-called "education" President... But,... - Intern-gate, Non-existent
So, the general consensus around seems to be that the Kerry/Intern story reported by Drudge (and pointed out "below":http://ned.suckahs.org/archives/001987.php), seems to not hold water. * "Wonkette":http://www.wonkette.com/archives/wonkette_world_exclusive_must_credit_wonkette_012973.php says that the woman in question is returning to the States soon * "dKos":http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/2/13/18517/8045 thinks the fact that mainstream media hasn't picked up the story, is a good sign * Even cranky "Slate":http://slate.msn.com/id/2095441/ had a humorous reaction today * "Salon":http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/02/13/drudge/index_np.html takes Drudge to task * And the "Philadelphia Daily News":http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/7943785.htm is cautioning about rumors In fact, the "British press":http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004071162,00.html not withstanding, I'm happy to see Big Media using some restraint on this issue. If... - Intern-gate, Revisited
"Matt Drudge":http://www.drudgereport.com/ is "reporting":http://www.drudgereport.com/mattjk1.htm the following: "CAMPAIGN DRAMA ROCKS DEMOCRATS":http://www.drudgereport.com/mattjk1.htm - KERRY FIGHTS OFF MEDIA PROBE OF RECENT ALLEGED INFIDELITY, RIVALS PREDICT RUIN. In an off-the-record conversation with a dozen reporters earlier this week, General Wesley Clark plainly stated: 'Kerry will implode over an intern issue'... Kerry commotion is why Howard Dean has turned increasingly aggressive against Kerry in recent days, and is the key reason why Dean reversed his decision not to drop out of the race after Wisconsin, top campaign sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT.... A serious investigation of the woman and the nature of her relationship... - The Victory Card
While I'm still absorbing tonight's "Kerry victories":http://nytimes.com/2004/02/10/politics/campaign/10CND-CAMP.html?pagewanted=print&position= in Virginia and Tennessee, I would like to share with my readers one of the more amusing pieces of direct mail that I've seen-- "The Victory Card MasterCard":https://www.juniper.com/app/japply/lp/10757.jsp?campaignid=0000217&obadloc=011&obchannel=005 from the "Massachusetts Democratic Party":http://www.massdems.org/. Now, I love my party, and I've certainly given a good chunk of my time, money and (limited) talents over the years... but this piece of marketing material is really silly. I know I'm cynical and all, but this multi-culti picture of bi-racial babies being hugged by an American flag, is just plain _funny_. The underlying message is right and... - Iowa Post-Mortem
Well, my predictions were completely off! I'm not sure what this means... we'll see what happens in the coming week. With the State of the Union and all its assorted distractions, Dean might come back strong next week in New Hampshire. Then again, I just saw him scream through his concession speech, and I can't help but offer this advice: When you're on television, speak to the people, lay out your agenda. Don't scream like a monkey, trying to excite the 2,000 kids in front of you... cos they didn't show up to caucus for you.... - Neo-Cons Defined
When did this term "Neo-Con" or "Neo-Conservative" bust out into common parlance? These otherwise intelligent people have been calling into Talk of the Nation on NPR, and talking about how Bush and the Neo-Cons want to force this whole radical anti-feminist, anti-gay, anti-whatever agenda on this nation. I cringe every time I hear this buzzword muttered, because my fellow Liberals seem to have no fucking idea what the term means. Neo-Cons are former Liberals who decided to get all hawkish on defense and foreign policy... They really don't worry about domestic social issues. You can talk theory, (e.g., unintended consequences... - Imminent War
In an effort to jump-start the crew over at Suckahs, I posted a little item about the upcoming war.... - Libeskind PR Affront
Today, the a panel in NYC will decide on which of the 2 final designs will replace the World Trade Center. Libeskind has been everywhere, as Gawker points out... but it looks like the Think team will get the call. I'm glad, despite the tinkertoy latticework. Stay tuned... UPDATE: Aw Hell no. Everyone spoke too soon... Libeskind Design Chosen for Rebuilding at Ground Zero (NY Times)... - Democrats, Post Mortem
More fallout from the election: angrydems.com-- Do you the people who started this, work at the DNC? Silly people. I don't quite get how that is at all helpful, but I can sympathize with the sentiment. I think this election is going to light a fire. I wonder if there are any Dems getting together to oppose the national leadership? Gephardt is out, but there is not anyone to challenge Daschle, and all the national Dems are still singing the praises of Terry McAuliffe, despite losing everything last Tuesday. Soul searching. Here's my contribution to some humor on this awful... - Photographers Have Fun Too
Photographers are playful, damnit. Remember how they always framed the nude statues of justice behind John Ashcroft in photos? (link anyone?) Well here's Mass Gov. candidate Robert Reich campaigning with Bill Bradley. Do NOT, under any circumstances vote for this man in the Democratic primary.... - Go McCall!
If you're in New York, and you're a Democrat, support Carl McCall for Governor. He's currently running against Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination. Here is a little parody i did of andy, comparing him to dukakis.... - Bishop Coverup
God damn, the priest scandal is out of control here in Boston. Both the NY Times-owned Globe, and the NY Post-like Herald have written Editorials demanding that Cardinal Law step down. I can't believe that Cardinal Law is going to last many more weeks. So, you're an 80 year-old mother of 11, and former Catholic school teacher... What happens when you write a letter to your bishop, demanding an explanation for why he covered up a child-pornographer-priest? You get yelled at: Archbishop's letter to Jeanne Bast Dear Ms. Bast, I am surprised that a woman your age and with your... - Spam Sucks or Bill Jones is a Fool
I got some Spam today from Californian Republican Gubernatorial candidate Bill Jones. This is the most politically insensitive thing he could have done. I'm not a Californian, and I'm sure not a Republican. Dick.... - Unpopular Policy
There is a debate on educational policy raging on suckahs (see comments). I know people are going to dismiss what I am saying, because what I am saying makes them uncomfortable, or is seemingly contrary to their own life-experience, or values. All I can say is, detach yourself and remove what you think you know-- and just listen to what I am saying. I should mention my professor at BU, Christine Rossell, because she is responsible for convincing me to look at the evidence. Her class and writings redefined the way I see the invective debate surrounding MCAS and Educational... - Nader, the war president
Q. Would you have made an effective wartime president? A. This war would never have happened had I been president, because for 30 years we have had an aviation safety group, and we have been urging the airlines to toughen cockpit doors and improve the strength of the locks, and they have been resisting for 30 years.... - Does this Enron thing piss
Does this Enron thing piss you off as much as it does me?... - Albany Dan provided me with another
Albany Dan provided me with another great link-- the Is Dick Cheney Dead Yet Weblog. He (Danno) and I are in the process of setting up a group blog for all of our friends from buttalo. The leading domain choice is 'suckahs', though we can't agree on dot ORG or dot COM. What do you think?... - Dick Cheney has his own
Dick Cheney has his own personal energy crisis. Are these guys that dumb? Thanks to milch.... - Republicans experience nightmares when they dream
Something most of us Liberals suspected -- Republicans can't sleep at night. "Republicans are nearly three times as likely as Democrats to experience nightmares when they dream." (thanks to Albany Dan for the link)... - the definitive political parody. examples
the definitive political parody. examples include 'super gore' and a hilarious parody of 'the grinch' called 'How The Bush Stole The Election'.... - neal pollack is organizing
neal pollack is organizing an inaugural day protest down in Dupot Circle, DC. neal is a writer for dave egger's litmag McSweeny's.... - A thought from John Ashcroft:
A thought from John Ashcroft: (thanks to OpposeAshcroft.com) "There are voices in the Republican Party today who preach pragmatism, who champion conciliation, who counsel compromise. I stand here today to reject those deceptions. If ever there was a time to unfurl the banner of unabashed conservatism, it is now." - Human Events, April 10, 1998 A thought from George W. Bush: "I'm a uniter, not a divider." - 2000 Campaign... - george w. bush has compared himself to thomas jefferson
my posts have taken on a political focus lately... but, george w. bush has compared himself to thomas jefferson, the founder of the democratic party... the new republic entends the comparison, in this satirical piece.... - a uniter, not a divider
george w. bush has stated that he is a "uniter, not a divider", and that he knows how to pick a good team... john ashcroft was nominated by bush for one of the most influential positions in the federal government-- the justice department. the DOJ is the agency that enforces the laws, including civil rights. ashcroft is neither a uniter, nor a good pick for this position (or any position in the executive branch), because he defends confederate soldiers as "patriots'' and suggested they shouldn't be portrayed as having died for "some perverted agenda.''... - big gay al
and we thought al gore was the robot.... - another american mass-shooting
while i was heading home to boston after visiting family for x-mas, i heard about another american mass-shooting on the BBC... and it turned out that this one happened in wakefield, mass, at an internet consulting firm... and shortly after hearing this story on the radio, i saw a pickup truck next to me with a bumper sticker proudly stating "GUN CONTROL IS MIND CONTROL".... - if you lose your senate seat to a dead man...
if you lose your senate seat to a dead man, 'W' will make you the top law enforcer in the country.... - In 1555, Nostradamus wrote...
from albany dan: In 1555, Nostradamus wrote: Come the millennium, month 12, In the home of greatest power, The village idiot will come forth To be acclaimed the leader.... - big brother is watching......
big brother is watching......... - a life of reaction. Or,
a life of reaction. Or, try here....
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