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"I Don't Feel More Safe"novy.Posted to Etcetera on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 09:22:41 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.White House spokesman Jay Carney tried to explain what happened to Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) at Nashville airport on his way to Washington: "Passengers, as in this case, who refuse to comply with security procedures are denied access to the secure gate area. I think it is absolutely essential that we take necessary actions to ensure that air travel is safe, and I believe that is what TSA is tasked with doing." (108 comments, 357 words in story) Full Story |
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Good News, Bad News On U.S. GDPBusiness, Fri Jan 27.novy.One way to characterise U.S. GDP figures just released would be to say, as WaPo did in its headline, "U.S. GDP grew at fastest pace in 1.5 years in fourth quarter 2011" (by 2.8%). America's economy hasn't tasted recession since 2rd quarter 2009, 200,000 jobs were created in December, and happy days may be (almost) here again. (203 words in story) Full Story |
Obama's Recess Appointments & the Exercise of Constitutional AuthorityPolitics, Tue Jan 24.1arnuocon.You can hear the conservative outrage machine revving in the background. The US Chamber of Commerce (read: Wall Street) is threatening to sue, Mitch McConnell is blustering about "uncertain legal territory" which "threatens the confirmation process", the GOP is threatening to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the predictable rank-and-file Obamaniacs are claiming "laws were broken!!!" The situation bears some careful scrutiny, what with all the disinformation flying about. (39 comments, 3725 words in story) Full Story |
State of the Union!Politics, Wed Jan 25.pO157.President Obama addresses the United States (and world) at 9pm EST. The President is expected to demand tax reform while the Republican response is expected to blame him for the economy. Obama is expected to ask Congress for a wide variety of initiatives, many of which are already declared dead on arrival by pundits. (14 comments) Comments >> |
An 18th-century guarantee against unreasonable searches
Ephraim Gadsby.
Posted to Politics on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 09:22:59 AM EST (promoted from Diaries by port1080). RSS.
Tony Scalia turns back on the clock on the 4th Amendment.
(7 comments, 22 words in story) Full Story
Giants v. Patriots Super Bowl, Revisited
novy.
Posted to Sport on Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 01:15:32 PM EST (promoted from Diaries by port1080). RSS.
New York's Giants beat San Francisco's 49ers in overtime 20 to 17 (the fourth time NFC Championship has gone into OT), after the Patriots held on to beat the Ravens in the AFC championship game.
Super Bowl XLVI will reprise Super Bowl XLII. This year's playoffs have given us some good, tense, close games, and some blowouts marred by low quality defensive play and sub-par quarterbacking. Championship weekend certainly lived up to its billing, with both games going right down to the end and all four teams playing pretty well. The last Giants versus Patriots Super Bowl was one of the all time classics - do you expect another great game this year, or do you expect a blowout one way or the other?
(30 comments) Comments >>
Cal Supremes Act To Protect MMJ
novy.
Posted to Legal on Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 02:41:01 AM EST (promoted by gerrymander). RSS.
The California Supreme Court issued an order today indicating its intent to review two controversial medical marijuana cases that have resulted in the suspension of several local dispensary ordinances across the state. As a result of today's order, Pack vs. City of Long Beach and City of Riverside vs. Inland Empire Patient's Health and Wellness Ctr., Inc. have both been vacated in anticipation of the High Court's ruling. The Pack decision (pdf) held that some dispensary regulations may be preempted by federal law and the Riverside decision (pdf) held that localities could legally ban distribution altogether.... It will likely be at least a couple of years before the Supreme Court rules on the cases.... Another two medical marijuana dispensary cases, Traudt v. City of Dana Point and People v. G3 Holistic were also granted review by the Supreme Court today."
(6 comments, 270 words in story) Full Story
Newt Blows Out Mitt In SC
novy.
Posted to Politics on Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 12:09:45 PM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
Five days before South Carolina's primary, Mitt Romney was up by double-digits in polls, but on election day, Newt Gingrich won going away with 40% of votes, followed by Mitt Romney with 28%, Rick Santorum with 17%, and Ron Paul with 13%. Mitt's inevitability took some hits today, all right; he not only lost South Carolina, he lost Iowa, thought to be settled.
(14 comments, 119 words in story) Full Story
Paula Deen Has Diabetes
port1080.
Posted to Media on Sat Jan 21, 2012 at 05:26:54 AM EST (promoted from Diaries by Acefantastik). RSS.
Yeah she does. As one of my Facebook friends put it, "One of the great medical mysteries of our time!" On a more serious note, though, Deen is one of the most popular "celebrity chefs" out there, and she promotes her food as "homestyle cooking" - the kind of thing you should serve your family every night, not a fancy indulgence for once in a blue moon. This with recipes that call for pounds of butter and bacon, multiple cups of sugar, etc, etc. Despite having Type 2 diabetes for almost three years now, Deen has continued to peddle exactly the sort of food that would put a person into the high risk category for developing the disease (overindulgence of which almost certainly is what led to her developing it). Now she's become a paid endorser for a diabetes drug. Did Deen have a responsibility to come clean about her health before this? Is she being unethical now in continuing to front a TV show about how to cook incredibly unhealthy food, while being a pitchman for a diabetes drug that people who eat her cooking will most likely end up on?
(56 comments) Comments >>
Yes, I Said "Republican Obstructionism"
1arnuocon.
Posted to Politics on Sat Jan 21, 2012 at 01:50:39 AM EST (promoted by Acefantastik). RSS.
I've been told that Republicans are not "obstructing" Obama or the Democrats, since Republicans were elected in November of 2010 on a platform of "stopping Obama". It's a claim that-- while utter nonsense-- certainly deserves a closer look.
(87 comments, 2708 words in story) Full Story
Seriously?
John Adams.
Posted to Politics on Fri Jan 20, 2012 at 01:04:28 PM EST (promoted from Diaries by port1080). RSS.
I was left wondering if anyone in that standing ovation recognized the irony of Newt effin' Gingrich complaining about questions concerning his marital (in)fidelity.
(19 comments) Comments >>
Do Taiwanese Elections Undermine Mainland Autocracy?
novy.
Posted to Politics on Fri Jan 20, 2012 at 09:40:17 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
Taiwan's 2012 presidential elections have come and gone, and President Ma was reelected with over 51% of votes against two opponents. Ma has bragged of economic progress since his election in 2008, and of closer ties with mainland China.
(7 comments, 360 words in story) Full Story
My Dog Ate My Thumb Drive
keta.
Posted to Etcetera on Fri Jan 20, 2012 at 09:40:10 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
There aren't nearly enough crutches in the world for all the lame excuses. Marcus Stroup
The captain of grounded Carnival Cruise Lines Costa Concordia has offered his explanation of how he ended up in a lifeboat and subsequently ashore and away from danger as terrified passengers fended for themselves:
"I was trying to get people to get into the boats in an orderly fashion. Suddenly, since the ship was at a 60-to 70-degree angle, I tripped and I ended up in one of the boats. That's how I found myself there."
(4 comments, 205 words in story) Full Story
Does Anyone Like SOPA/PIPA?
natophonic.
Posted to Media on Wed Jan 18, 2012 at 02:05:18 PM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
You've likely already heard of the SOPA and PIPA bills that purport to curb intellectual property theft and manufactured goods counterfeiting. You may have already read an article or two about why the legislation is ill-conceived.
(29 comments, 194 words in story) Full Story
Wisc Gov Walker Faces Recall Election
novy.
Posted to Politics on Wed Jan 18, 2012 at 08:06:23 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
United Wisconsin needed 540,208 signatures to place recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and lots of other local Republican officials on November's ballot. It got in excess of one million signatures against Walker and 1.9 million overall against Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and four state senators.
(52 comments, 188 words in story) Full Story
Iranian Flick "A Separation" Wins Golden Globe
novy.
Posted to Media on Wed Jan 18, 2012 at 08:05:49 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
"Javad Shamaghdari, Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran, congratulated [Asghar] Farhadi for the win, saying his movie had overcome anti-Iranian prejudice. 'Wise judgment has put his movie on the podium of the chosen ones'."Farhadi's latest film, A Separation", has won Golden Globe's Best Foreign Film award.
(3 comments, 274 words in story) Full Story
