tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58934762011-04-21T17:18:57.575-04:00Analysis and commentary on the Culture Wars, politics, media, science and other items of interest.Davidnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-57296503097191671842011-01-31T17:38:00.000-05:002011-01-31T17:39:53.218-05:00

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-9005305831919758782009-01-30T21:14:00.005-05:002009-01-30T21:22:38.138-05:00

2009 -- Time PassesWow I haven't posted in over two years. If anybody stops by from CR, hello. I'm not sure if/when I will start posting regularly again but I'm at least thinking about it.Sorry that my blogroll is so out of date. A snapshot from three years ago, but I ought to change it.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1161715673248553632006-10-24T14:42:00.000-04:002006-10-24T14:50:17.073-04:00

Doing My PartChris Bowers has come up with a plan to help voters find neutral but nasty information about Republicans in competitive races as we approach the next election. I'm just doing my little part here by making these links more "attractive" to google.Don't bother reading these articles (I haven't) although if you are bored by all means go ahead.--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl--AZ-01: Rick Renzi--AZ-05:

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1152808486515272952006-07-13T12:32:00.000-04:002006-07-13T12:34:46.530-04:00

* Wheat BeerThe NYTimes did a taste test of various American versions of Hefeweizen. The article is worth a read if you are interested in the details, but if you are just interested in the beer I've copied down their ratings below for posterity once the article is archived.Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyner Weisse$1.40 (12 ounces)***Lively with classic aromas of clove, banana and smoke;

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1151020227011966312006-06-22T19:49:00.000-04:002006-06-22T19:50:27.026-04:00

** AfghanistanI wrote a long diary on Kos regarding major new military operations in Afghanistan. Click here if you are interested.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1149083748900722812006-05-31T09:53:00.000-04:002006-05-31T09:55:48.976-04:00

** Safe FishA good article from the NYTimes on what fish you should be eating and how often.Best and worst choices are summarized on this list. Print it out and keep a copy in your wallet if you eat fish as often as I do.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1148682787577995772006-05-26T18:32:00.000-04:002006-05-26T18:33:07.680-04:00

Friday Cat BloggingThis is Copernicus.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1142795336094783942006-03-19T14:02:00.000-05:002006-03-19T14:08:56.103-05:00

Bush Encouraged by Civil War in Iraq

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1142354222210087412006-03-14T11:32:00.000-05:002006-03-14T11:37:02.220-05:00

** Biology: Ladies, Are You Sure You Want to Have Kids?I highly recommend this NYTimes article about pregnancy. It discusses a scientist who theorizes that pregnancy is not quite as cooperative between the mother and the fetus as we commonly believe. Instead, he argues, "a mother and her unborn child engage in an unconscious struggle over the nutrients she will provide it."In other words, the

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1142023436647073092006-03-10T15:40:00.000-05:002006-03-10T15:43:56.660-05:00

* Google Bombing Bill O'ReillySome bloggers have decided to google bomb Bill O'Reilly as a sexual predator so I am just doing my little part to help.I would NOT, however, recommend clicking on the link to his website. Yuck.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1141839771275668232006-03-08T12:41:00.000-05:002006-03-08T12:42:51.303-05:00

* Trader Joe'sThe NYTimes has an article about Trader Joe's. It's opening March 17 in Union Square. I can't wait.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1138228847540558392006-01-25T17:35:00.001-05:002006-01-25T17:40:47.556-05:00

* Beer: Barley Wine ReviewI recommend this NYTimes review of barley wines (very strong beers that are fermented) for my readers that are interested in beer. For reference, I have also appended their most recommended barley wines here.Avery Brewing Company Hog Heaven; Boulder, Colo.***½22 ounces, $5Flying Dog Horn Dog; Denver***12 ounces, $2.25Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn; San Francisco***12 ounces,

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1136477147294852972006-01-05T11:05:00.000-05:002006-01-05T11:05:47.306-05:00

* EntertainmentFuturama may be coming back!

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1133448941936310962005-12-01T09:54:00.000-05:002005-12-01T09:55:41.946-05:00

** HealthSome scary news about farmed salmon. Bottom line: beware of farmed salmon from Europe especially.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1132329941312898462005-11-18T11:03:00.000-05:002005-11-18T11:05:41.326-05:00

* War with China: What Would Happen?Those of my readers, if any, that have an interest in military / tactical articles should read this piece, which goes into a great amount of detail on war game scenarios relating to China.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1131494209267682702005-11-08T18:53:00.000-05:002005-11-08T18:59:30.620-05:00

ChimpyThanks mom.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1130513335425655402005-10-28T11:26:00.000-04:002005-10-28T11:28:55.436-04:00

** Mars AttacksTry to remember tonight to look at the sky. Mars will be brilliant. This is a twice-in-60,000-years opportunity. If you're out and about around 8:00 or 9:00, look to the east-northeast.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1129659485388000032005-10-18T14:16:00.000-04:002005-10-18T14:18:05.393-04:00

* What Does it Mean to be an Unindicted Co-Conspirator?I found a good discussion about what it means to be an unindicted co-conspirator.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1129505153230900122005-10-16T19:18:00.000-04:002005-10-16T19:25:53.240-04:00

*** New Orleans: The Trash MonsterThe NYTimes has a great article about just how bad the "debris" situation in New Orleans has become. Did you know:There is a total of around 22 million tons of waste, according to state officials.The trash has rotted in the heat since the hurricane. The smell is awful.In all, there is more trash than any American city produces in a year.It will take over 3

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1129040779111923522005-10-11T10:21:00.000-04:002005-10-11T10:26:19.116-04:00

** Global Warming and the Increasing Importance of the ArcticThe NYTimes is doing a great piece of journalism on how global warming is affecting the Arctic. I cannot recommend this article strongly enough. It's quite long; I printed out a copy and took it home to read on the subway.I can't possibly summarize it in one blog post, but the key issues seem to be resource exploitation and the opening

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1127317783677534332005-09-21T11:47:00.000-04:002005-09-21T11:49:43.683-04:00

*** Lovely RitaI strongly recommend this must-read Kos diary on the possible effect of Rita on the Gulf Coast oil infrastructure.I also recommend that you keep your gas tank at least half filled at all times in the coming days. Shortages may be a reality soon.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1126188858176137122005-09-08T10:09:00.000-04:002005-09-08T10:14:18.180-04:00

** Stock up on CoffeeThere is so much to be said about Katrina and the aftermath. I suppose if I were a better blogger I'd have been pumping out stories on this; I've certainly been following it more closely than any other story since the election. But the fact is that I don't have much to add to anything other than to say that I've been getting the majority of my info from the NYTimes and

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1125418593843034712005-08-30T12:14:00.000-04:002005-08-30T13:41:41.436-04:00

** New Orleans: Levee Breaks, Disaster Scenario Unfolding?Internet rumors and Fox News seem to indicate that the ultimate disaster scenario in New Orleans may not have been avoided. I can't endorse these rumors myself, but if they are true, I just can't even begin to explain how awful this would be from a human and economic perspective.UPDATE 1:40 p.m. E.S.T. It appears to be true that the city

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1124286580420571012005-08-17T09:42:00.000-04:002005-08-17T09:49:40.426-04:00

** ScienceTurns out that the Milky Way is probably a bar galaxy. I believe that this is relatively big news, at least in terms of Astronomy.The caption to an artist's rendering of the Milky Way as bar galaxy is fairly hysterical. It says that the bar feature distinguishes the Milky Way from "from pedestrian spiral galaxies". Why do we feel like we need to distinguish our galactic structure to

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1124200660527000212005-08-16T09:55:00.000-04:002005-08-16T09:57:40.533-04:00

Hi Everybody. Guess it's been two weeks since I posted. Maybe I should retire from blogging again. Or maybe not. I don't know, it is August after all. Perhaps I'll be more inspired come Fall. In any event, I hope you are enjoying your summer and all that. Take care.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1122647425621346362005-07-29T10:26:00.000-04:002005-07-29T10:30:25.626-04:00

* Daylight Savings Time to be Extended?Well, one good thing might come out of the awful energy bill that was approved Thursday by the House. Apparently daylight savings time will be extended by a month. It will start three weeks earlier and run through Halloween. Sure, I'd prefer that it get extended year-round, but this is better than no change. This article doesn't indicate whether this

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1122570438579799612005-07-28T12:56:00.000-04:002005-07-28T13:07:18.586-04:00

* Entertainment: The Aristocrats JokeSome of you may have heard about or read articles about a new movie coming out called The Aristocrats. In the movie, a large number of comics tell the same joke over and over. The joke is way, way over-the-top obnoxiously vulgur, but it is told differently by different comics. Sort of like a super-dirty version of The Clown joke.Since the joke is so vulgur,

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1121870252626360632005-07-20T10:35:00.000-04:002005-07-20T10:37:32.630-04:00

* The MoonThe Apollo 11 moon landing took place 36 years ago today. In honor of this, Google has added a new addition to its great mapping program. Check out moon.google.com and be sure to zoom all the way up.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1121292983944766552005-07-13T18:16:00.000-04:002005-07-13T18:22:17.480-04:00

Technical difficulties resolved.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1121180757520329612005-07-12T11:05:00.000-04:002005-07-12T11:06:28.166-04:00

Having technical difficulties ...

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1121180429942906252005-07-12T10:53:00.000-04:002005-07-12T11:01:56.163-04:00

* Terrorism: Al Qaida in EuropeSalon has translated a very lengthy Der Spiegel article regarding radical Islam in Europe. The picture painted is of a decentralized group of individuals acting in small, flexible groups. And the Iraq war is not helping; it's the new training ground. Most interesting to me is this observation: "The European recruits are considered something of a burden in Iraq.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1121175592905283612005-07-12T09:38:00.000-04:002005-07-12T09:39:52.910-04:00

* WorkAccording to a survey, U.S. workers say they waste two hours a day at the office, mainly by surfing the web, socializing, and spacing out.Does blogging count as surfing the web?

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1118764081987933872005-06-14T11:47:00.000-04:002005-06-14T11:48:01.993-04:00

Loudocracy on VacationI will be on vacation until July 4, so take care and have a great summer!

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1116938759497278542005-05-24T08:33:00.000-04:002005-05-24T08:45:59.503-04:00

* Filibuster Compromise: Morning ThoughtsIf you haven't read it yet, read the post that I wrote last night shortly after learning about the deal. I haven't really changed my mind on any of those points. This morning, however, I'd like to make a more basic point. (I am assuming, by the way, that there were only 49 votes on the Democrat side and that if no deal was brokered, the nuclear option

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1116898632675365452005-05-23T21:27:00.000-04:002005-05-23T21:38:16.536-04:00

* Filibuster Compromise: Early VerdictI'll probably have more thoughts on this tomorrow, but I'd like to record my early feelings for posterity.Most likely a minor victory for the Democrats. Given their recent string of losses, anything other than Republicans getting 100% of what they want looks relatively good.At a minimum, Democrats should try to spin this as a real victory. With Frist looking

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1116167558653761542005-05-15T10:02:00.000-04:002005-05-15T10:45:51.210-04:00

* United's Pension Default and Why Almost Nobody is Talking About ItOn Wednesday, there was fairly big news that a bankruptcy judge was allowing United Airlines to default on about $10 billion worth of pension benefits for employees. But when I say "big news" what do I mean? This was something that I knew about because I pay some attention to business news, but it certainly didn't make any waves

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1115905862236465302005-05-12T09:49:00.000-04:002005-05-12T09:51:02.240-04:00

*** Iraq: What the fighting is like.Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Been busy and all. You probably aren't even reading my blog anymore. Sigh.Anyway, if you do see this, be sure to read this Washington Post article that takes you deep into the fighting in Iraq. Truly unbelievable.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1114191121670265072005-04-22T13:27:00.000-04:002005-04-22T13:32:01.670-04:00

* Media: Al-Jazeera International?Salon is reporting that Al-Jazeera is planning to launch an international English-language station if they can get distribution. I hope that they can pull this off. As Salon says:Though everyone says it will be different from its Arabic parent, no one knows exactly what the editorial content of Al-Jazeera International will look and sound like. The rank and file

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1113412442283634662005-04-13T13:01:00.000-04:002005-04-13T13:14:02.283-04:00

** Health: Beware of Horizon MilkI try to buy organic products whenever possible, but I am particularly sensitive to buying non-organic milk because the treatment of cows in dairy farms is a real disgrace. The most commonly available organic milk is from Horizon. I was therefore disappointed to read this Salon piece that delves into Horizon's practices and basically concludes that Horizon milk is

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1113315740438163702005-04-12T10:18:00.000-04:002005-04-12T10:22:20.436-04:00

** Culture: The Man DateThe number one most emailed story today from the NYTimes is The Man Date. It is about how hetero guys are uncomfortable going out to dinner with other men one on one. And if they do go out, they especially don't like to share a bottle of wine, because it's too gay.Definitely worth a read, it's not something I've given much thought to previously, despite the fact that I've

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1112797022922317242005-04-06T10:09:00.000-04:002005-04-06T10:17:02.923-04:00

** Iraq: The Recent Insurgent Attack on Abu GhraibI don't usually read Debka these days, but I decided to check and see if they had anything on the three-day gun battle between Islamic militants and the Saudi government that ended yesterday. The Saudis usually lie about these events and downplay what happens, and in the past, Debka has had seemingly reliable discussions of events in Saudi

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1112628244848446272005-04-04T11:21:00.000-04:002005-04-04T11:24:04.853-04:00

** Religion and PR: Milking the Pope's Death for Maximum PublicityCross-posted from my dKos diary.Let's face it, the Catholic Church has gotten a lot of bad publicity over the last few years. This is particularly true in the US, but the rest of the world heard about the pedophile priests too.The Church now has a unique opportunity to reverse the trend of bad publicity. No, it's more than that.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1112215614330280702005-03-30T15:43:00.000-05:002005-03-30T15:46:54.330-05:00

* Best Schiavo PieceI know I've been quiet lately. I've been very busy and also have not had much to say. A deadly combination for my readers, I know.In any event, I have been closely following the Schiavo story. I'm most interested in the legal ins and outs, but there's something in this story for everyone.This St. Petersburg Times article is the best op-ed piece I've seen on the subject.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1111613098343188502005-03-23T16:21:00.000-05:002005-03-23T16:24:58.343-05:00

* Schiavo: Why No Lethal Injection?I don't understand the argument that the right to lifers use to pull on our heartstrings about how it is cruel and unusual that Schiavo is being allowed to die of thirst and starvation. Doesn't this push in the other direction and make euthanasia a better idea, not a worse idea? Isn't it obvious that she should have been given a lethal injection instead and

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1110508169478494512005-03-10T21:17:00.000-05:002005-03-10T21:29:29.486-05:00

Cross-posted from a diary on Kos. Regular readers of my blog might note that my style is a bit different when I'm writing for Kos ... In the past two days, tunesmith has led a charge to unite right and left blogistan against the bankruptcy bill. See here and here. This movement has been picked up by the right, including various well-known right-of-center bloggers (see the diary and Politology for

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1110233349165338942005-03-07T17:05:00.000-05:002005-03-07T17:09:09.166-05:00

** Iraq: What Checkpoints are Really LikeYou must read this Seattle Times article about what checkpoints in Iraq are like from the perspective of Iraqis. It's a total clusterfuck. Just to take one example, there are often two parts to the checkpoint. In the first part, Iraqi soldiers wave the cars through, and so naturally the drivers speed up after getting through. But up ahead, there's a second

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1109610909650567172005-02-28T12:02:00.000-05:002005-02-28T12:15:09.653-05:00

* StuffSorry I've been so quiet lately. I did write one post but it got eaten up by the Internets before it got posted and I didn't have the energy to recreate it. In the meantime, I just haven't had much to say. I know it doesn't do much for my popularity to write so infrequently, but y'all are going to have to deal. I'm no Atrios.What I'd really like to do someday is join the Corrente team and

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1108679180063562152005-02-17T17:21:00.000-05:002005-02-17T17:26:20.066-05:00

* Social SecurityJust because I haven't been posting on social security doesn't mean that I haven't been following it. I'm not as opposed to private accounts as some are -- if we had an extra $10 trillion sitting around and didn't have to borrow anything to make it work, it would be an ok (although low priority) thing for the government to do. Borrowing to make it work is ridiculous,

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1108591208423256412005-02-16T16:58:00.000-05:002005-02-16T17:00:08.426-05:00

* Military: Robots Coming Soon?This NYTimes article on the use of robots in the military is worth a read if you are interested in this type of stuff.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1107874755755260412005-02-08T09:44:00.000-05:002005-02-08T09:59:15.756-05:00

** Iraq: Welcome to the Theocracy If you are not paying attention to the interim Iraqi election results, you should be. The good news from my perspective is that Allawi's ticket seems to be failing. According to this NYTimes article, his ticket is running at about 13% of the vote so far. The main Kurdish party is at 25%, and Sistani's Shia ticket has about 50% of the vote. These numbers are

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1107796821419435192005-02-07T13:18:00.000-05:002005-02-07T12:20:21.420-05:00

* Humor OK, this is a funny story about a husband and wife who met each other on the internet and fell in love ... but they were already married ... to each other. So I guess they were actually cheating on each other with each other. Oops.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1107452854714648142005-02-03T13:43:00.000-05:002005-02-03T12:47:34.713-05:00

* Politics: State of the Union Wrap Up Boring.Mediocre delivery: worst ever?Seriously, did anyone even watch this thing?I recommend this Washington Post article by Dana Milbank that covers moderate Republicans and their tepid applause at various critical points. Otherwise, major yawner.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1107271983988248902005-02-01T10:21:00.000-05:002005-02-01T10:33:03.990-05:00

** Iraq: Election Wrap-up No bloodbath, so the election beats expections. Big win for Bush.Left puzzled how to react to this. Can't feel happy because Bush is happy. But can't state this outright because you can't be hoping for a bloodbath.Still, Democrats have a window of opportunity to make the case that the election is over, when is Johnny coming home?Let's hope for the Iraqis' sake that

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1106698902143661042005-01-25T19:19:00.000-05:002005-01-25T19:21:42.143-05:00

* Politics: No on Gonzales I heartily agree with the progessive blogging community, and urge the Senate to vote no on Alberto Gonzales. Torture must be repudiated, both for moral reasons and for our self interest.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1106669544484435042005-01-25T11:09:00.000-05:002005-01-25T19:24:50.303-05:00

** New York Subway System VERY Badly Damaged By Fire In One Room Read this. Utterly fucking unbelievable. Imagine if the terra'ists got their hands on the plans that show the other relay rooms.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1106614598903216552005-01-24T19:53:00.000-05:002005-01-24T19:56:38.903-05:00

Loudocracy Today I slipped and fell and injured my right arm. It's in a splint and I'm typing this entry left handed. Needless to say, don't expect too much activity here until I regain use of both arms. I'll keep y'all posted.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1106233020523701832005-01-20T09:51:00.000-05:002005-01-20T09:58:18.343-05:00

Inauguration Protest $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1105739179075052962005-01-14T16:44:00.000-05:002005-01-14T16:46:19.076-05:00

* Science: Titan Pictures If you are a true geek and want to be the first person on your block to see raw images of Titan from the Huygens probe, click here. Some are pretty cool and you will be seeing them soon in regular media, I guarantee it.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1105719752939409812005-01-14T11:21:00.000-05:002005-01-14T11:22:32.940-05:00

* Politics: Inauguration Day Festivities This dKos diary is an excellent resource for information relating to various inauguration day boycotts and protests.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1105542073115400082005-01-12T09:58:00.000-05:002005-01-12T10:01:13.116-05:00

*** Iraq: What Really Happened In Falluja? Bottom line, the public does not yet know. There are few journalists who have even been able to enter the city. But see this report from the Guardian for a bit of the story. It seems that all we did was destroy the city and disperse the insurgents.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1105455065344859582005-01-11T09:49:00.000-05:002005-01-11T09:51:05.343-05:00

* Politics Bush refuses to reimburse Washington DC for security expenses related to the four day inauguration party, which means that the city will have to divert about $11 million from homeland security projects. DC should just say no, get your own damn security.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1104863065605993142005-01-04T13:22:00.000-05:002005-01-04T13:24:25.606-05:00

* Pop Culture: Who's Your Daddy? I recommend this Washington Post article on the term "Who's your daddy?" It goes into the history of the term (references to pimps and gay sex) and talks about modern meanings and connotations.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1104276116591792102004-12-28T18:20:00.000-05:002004-12-28T18:21:56.590-05:00

** Iraq This is an excellent dKos essay on US casualty rates in Iraq.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1103730231388406582004-12-22T10:41:00.000-05:002004-12-22T10:43:51.386-05:00

* Politics: Update on Bush Monkeys The Bush Monkeys portrait that I wrote about a week or two ago is now being projected on to a billboard above the Holland Tunnel in Manhattan. You gotta love it. There's nothing like censorship to make great PR.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1103642768472731512004-12-21T10:24:00.000-05:002004-12-21T10:26:08.473-05:00

** Politics: Bush Remains Highly Unpopular Bush's poll numbers got no bounce after the election, and he will be inaugurated as the least popular president ever to take the oath of office.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1103302426870553972004-12-17T11:52:00.000-05:002004-12-17T11:53:46.870-05:00

* Politics: The Economy is So "Challanging" This picture shows why dealing with economic matters is so "challanging" to Chimpy.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1103212715054531452004-12-16T10:57:00.000-05:002004-12-16T10:58:35.053-05:00

* Entertainment Salon's review of the extended edition of Return of the King, which came out on Tuesday. Have you bought it yet?

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1103038893654359822004-12-14T10:38:00.000-05:002004-12-14T10:43:53.566-05:00

* Chimpy Somebody does a portrait of George Bush using monkeys to form Chimpy's image. Hilarity ensues. Seriously, though, read the article, and tell me why I should not be boycotting Chelsea Market.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1102528173734315432004-12-08T13:16:00.000-05:002004-12-08T12:49:33.733-05:00

* Loudocracy Wow, I just noticed that Loudocracy is now being linked to by Corrente, one of the few essential blogs that I read daily. I didn't even ask. I'm pretty psyched. Many thanks, if anyone from Corrente is reading this. But I guess I picked a bad time to be less than active in my posting ... hopefully this will be an incentive to get me back into gear. Although I must say, it's not just

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1101652738033093252004-11-28T09:37:00.000-05:002004-11-28T09:38:58.033-05:00

* Economy: Yet More on the Dollar Good Kos diary on the dollar situation here.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1101408656719066072004-11-25T13:49:00.000-05:002004-11-25T13:50:56.720-05:00

** Politics: Bush's Behavior at the Clinton Library Opening Sidney Blumental seems to have the inside story on what happened when Bush attended the opening of the Clinton library. Well worth the read.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1101222931541987852004-11-23T10:12:00.000-05:002004-11-23T10:15:31.543-05:00

*** Economy: Heading Towards Armegeddon? I know I'm not supposed to be posting this week, but you must read this piece on the economy. via Atrios

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1101165291861631022004-11-22T18:13:00.000-05:002004-11-22T18:14:51.860-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving And I'll see you next week.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1100795093942124852004-11-18T11:18:00.000-05:002004-11-18T11:24:53.943-05:00

* Entertainment Rolling Stone magazine has named the top 500 songs of all time. The complete list is not available online at this point, but apparently the top song is Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone. Number 2 is the group the Rolling Stones' (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. Does anybody else find it suspicious that the top two songs are both "Rolling Stone" related? --(A Rolling Stone Gathers

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1100708366767156392004-11-17T11:18:00.000-05:002004-11-17T11:30:29.876-05:00

*** Health / Environment You should definitely be worried about mercury levels in fish. My recommendation for fish and sushi lovers: don't ever eat Swordfish, Tilefish, Grouper, Orange Roughy, or Shark. Eat Tuna and Makerel (King) sushi only when you have to (e.g. as part of a Sushi Deluxe dinner). Don't order Ahi any more. Tuna from a can is better than fresh Ahi, but don't eat too much of it.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1100708137295590612004-11-17T11:10:00.000-05:002004-11-17T11:15:37.296-05:00

** Iraq Don't miss this fascinating NYTimes article regarding the propoganda war in Iraq and Falluja. Surprisingly, it is not just the US that engages in psy ops. For example, the insurgents left some leaflets for American soldiers as well:Who will benefit from your death?" one of the leaflets said in handwritten English. "George Bush and his oil cronies." "Who will benefit from your death?"

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1100529928666056232004-11-15T09:44:00.000-05:002004-11-15T09:45:28.666-05:00

* Economy This is a good LA Times article summarizing some of the issues relating to the decline in the dollar.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1100387181867084802004-11-13T18:03:00.000-05:002004-11-13T18:06:21.866-05:00

* Note regarding Loudocracy I've enabled comments on my blog. If you post a comment, I will be notified by email. I don't expect for there to be much discussion on any of my posts since I don't have very much traffic to this site. So feel free to think of a comment as a message directly to me. But they will be visible to the public too, so remember that anything you say can and will be used

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1100385797572424592004-11-13T17:39:00.000-05:002004-11-13T17:52:38.370-05:00

** Iraq Look, I'm posting this on Saturday night, but even if you don't see this entry until Monday or Tuesday, you really should read this NYTimes article. It's a slice of life from what's happening with the Marines in Falluja, but it reveals more about how fucked up things are there than any other article I've read about this battle. While we're talking about Falluja, I want to raise the

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1100228325369859282004-11-11T21:50:00.000-05:002004-11-11T21:58:45.370-05:00

** Iraq According to this Kos diary, Seymour Hersh said in a recent speech that it is Kurdish fighters, and not trained Iraqi National Guard members that are fighting alongside US troops in Falluja. I think this would be big news if true and if it hit the mainstream media. Although the Bush administration would probably argue something like "well Kurds are Iraqis too", this would probably be seen

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1100114511419515822004-11-10T14:13:00.000-05:002004-11-10T14:21:51.420-05:00

** Iraq Yesterday I wrote about the attack on Falluja and why I didn't think that it would be effective. I feel obliged today to point you to this NYTimes op-ed piece by James Marks, who was the senior intelligence officer for the ground forces during last year's invasion of Iraq. This is a well-written, intelligent article, and he sets forth the counterargument as to why we should be doing this

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1100012293427812852004-11-09T09:39:00.000-05:002004-11-09T13:24:06.896-05:00

* Iraq Remember how the future was depicted in The Terminator? John Connor and his small band of guerillas hid in the shadows and were able to hold off the much stronger military force of the robots. Picture that in your mind, and now you know what it's like in Falluja today. Picture American forces with incredible weapons, but who are unwilling or unable to truly engage the enemy. When

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099925510991480252004-11-08T09:49:00.000-05:002004-11-08T09:51:50.990-05:00

* Entertainment I cannot recommed The Incredibles highly enough. Funny, exciting, and not your typical CGI fare -- for example, some bad guys die. I will be very disappointed if it is not nominated for Best Picture.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099692874762891702004-11-05T17:13:00.000-05:002004-11-05T17:14:34.763-05:00

* Coping If you just can't cope and Canada seems like the only option, Salon's War Room has the details.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099682326874975582004-11-05T14:12:00.000-05:002004-11-05T14:18:46.873-05:00

* Politics I really don't have much to say about why we lost or what we need to do to move forward more successfully. There's plenty of commentary on those issues elsewhere and I'm sure that progressives will be a big part of the dialog. I do have one thought on how the democrats should respond to the whole mandate vs. unity issue. Obviously the first key test will be Rehnquist's replacement. If

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099524238854104262004-11-03T18:20:00.000-05:002004-11-03T18:23:58.853-05:00

** Coping I have a practical recommendation on the coping concept: listen to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Their music comes from the same place that we are in now as a nation. Other classic rock recommendations from the late 60s, early 70s that will fit with today's politics: The Doors and Bob Dylan.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099485358169056282004-11-03T07:33:00.000-05:002004-11-03T07:35:58.170-05:00

* Coping Denial. Bargaining. Anger. Despair. Acceptance. Let's face it, we're in for some serious grief here. We need to find strategies to cope.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099366291700968202004-11-01T22:20:00.000-05:002004-11-01T22:31:31.700-05:00

* Politics Watching CNN tonight, you couldn't help but to think that this puppy is over. John King, who has been with the Bush folks for a long time now keeps mentioning "nostalgia". And Bill Schneider basically just said it was Kerry's to lose on Aaron Brown. The tide must have truly turned to get CNN changing it's tune this substantially. Meanwhile, commenters on Kos are reporting that right

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099343215844620312004-11-01T16:05:00.000-05:002004-11-01T16:06:55.843-05:00

* Iraq If you're looking to read about something other than the election, I recommend this Salon article on a hapless New Zealand backpacker's ordeal in the Iraqi / US justice system.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099320490510643762004-11-01T09:42:00.000-05:002004-11-01T09:48:10.510-05:00

** Politics Newsweek reported yesterday that Colin Powell has told some friends that he believes that the insurgents are winning in Iraq. My Kos diary on this subject was the number 1 Recommended Diary for most of the day on Kos yesterday. Unfortunately, this story has not left the blogosphere, and at this point it might be too late to affect the election. The Newsweek article itself is

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099240700634888352004-10-31T11:33:00.000-05:002004-10-31T13:07:42.706-05:00

*** Media Billmon is back!! This is tremendous news indeed. Be sure to read all of his recent posts (beginning October 29). He's focusing on trends towards facism at this point. I sure hope he keeps it going, even if he can't post as often as he did before. We will defininetly need him after the election whichever way it goes.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1099067199877812912004-10-29T13:12:00.000-04:002004-10-29T12:26:39.876-04:00

* Politics Sorry readers that I've been so busy lately. Obviously much is going on and I'm sure you're getting your fill of content from other news sources and blogs. In the meantime, if you're thinking about the polls, you need to realize that they are mostly bogus. As this Washington Post article notes, people are screening pollsters calls and avoiding them. Not to mention the cell phone only

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1098798169232614022004-10-26T09:39:00.000-04:002004-10-26T09:48:04.616-04:00

* Politics Winning the spin war in the final week of the election is critical. Given how close this election is, the candidate with the momentum during the final week is likely to win. The good news is that we're winning easily this week. Yesterday's news was all about the missing explosives in Iraq and Clinton's entry onto the campaign trail. It looks to me like the Clinton story has legs for

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1098453195752271372004-10-22T09:46:00.000-04:002004-10-22T09:53:15.753-04:00

* Flu I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to keep talking about flu vaccines. Today's NYTimes article on the subject shows that the Bush administration continues to lie about its lack of preparedness. Juxtapose this:"We don't know where, when or how many flue vaccines have come into our areas or whether it's on the way," Mary Selecky, secretary or health for Washington State, said Thursday.with

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1098311197892557692004-10-20T18:25:00.000-04:002004-10-20T18:26:37.893-04:00

* Entertainment NYTimes preview of The Incredibles. I can't wait.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1098223284282320472004-10-19T17:54:00.000-04:002004-10-22T09:46:29.580-04:00

* Flu I worked from home today with CNN on in the background. The flu vaccine shortage is definitely the main thing being talked about (although it's far from the only thing). This is a good issue for Kerry. The Republicans are trying to blame it on Kerry for his supposed opposition to tort reform, but the attacks ring hollow. In the meantime, the Democrats can just say: "you knew about this for

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1098207827073526122004-10-19T13:40:00.000-04:002004-10-19T13:43:47.073-04:00

** Draft U.S. Has Contingency Plans for a Draft of Medical Workers. I don't want to scare any of my readers unnecessarily, but if a skills draft does happen, the next group to get nailed will probably be software developers. It looks like the age range for the medical skills draft would be 18 - 44. My guess is that they'd go for younger programmers, but it would still probably be something like

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1097809393736047652004-10-14T22:47:00.000-04:002004-10-14T23:03:13.736-04:00

* Post Debate Roundup We lost the post-debate spin for the third debate. Let's admit it. Mary Cheney has been the main story today. Oh well. Let's put this in perspective. Kerry won all three debates outright. Not only that, he won the post-debate spin for the first two debates, not a small feat given the corporate media bias that generally favors Bush. You gotta give the Kerry campaign credit.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1097763730192276482004-10-14T10:19:00.000-04:002004-10-14T10:22:10.193-04:00

* Politics Debate score: four points for Loudocracy! Yes, I will take a moment to pat myself on the back for my pre-debate predictions, which, the morning after, look 100% accurate.

Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893476.post-1097675845492150772004-10-13T09:53:00.000-04:002004-10-13T09:57:25.493-04:00

* Politics Third debate predictions from Loudocracy:Bush puts in his best performance yet; he needed the practice way more than Kerry did, and he's also considered an underdog on domestic issues.Kerry still beats him. He wins again on both policy and style.It is considered a draw.But Kerry is awarded Victory on the basis of prevailing in all three debates.I see it as being kind of the the third

Davidnoreply@blogger.com