April 30, 2008

Who's More Grizzled?

Senators John McCain(R) and Jim Webb(D) and are going hammer and tongs over a GI education bill. Both are grizzled old war vets, who both make a big deal over being vets and being grizzled. The situation reminds me of the old SNL skit with Robert Duvall and Garth Brooks in a grizzled competition. We are talking a critical mass of short tempered cussedness.

This is really how a bill becomes a law, kids. Its a game of "Who's More Grizzled?"

All I could find was a transcript of the skit. Bonus points for anyone who finds the video.

Living in the Economy

This is the first economic downturn that I've actually lived in. Before now, I've always been safely tucked away in school, away from the slings and arrows of the greater economy. But now me and mine are living in it. I know people losing or are worried about being laid off. Hey, I'm a little worried about being laid off myself. I know people who are underwater on their homes, and have to sell at a loss. I know people in sales who are selling a lot less and making a lot less and having to deal with that. I know a guy professionally whose gone bankrupt in a big way. It is no fun at all living in the world when the world is going to hell.

April 29, 2008

Dude Not Trying to Help

WILLIAM KRISTOL IS EVIL.

He wants nothing but defeat and ruin for the Democratic party and all of its candidates. His political program has badly hurt this Country in recent years and he wishes for that program to continue.

So when he "Praises Hillary" he's not doing it because he likes Hillary, wants her to be President or wants any of her policies to be implemented. It because he thinks Hillary hurts Obama and want to keep it that way.

Bill Kristol hasn't deliberately tried to help a Democrat in his entire life. He didn't start on Monday.

Dude, Not Helping

I am sure that Rev. Jeremiah Wright is not going to doom Obama. But he sure isn't helping. At this point it really does seem like the good Reverend is trying his best to undermine Obama as best he can. Which raises all kinds of physiological issues between mentor and student that are beyond the ken of this blogger.

April 28, 2008

Low Expectations

I used to have pretty low exspectations for the Bush Administration. No major disasters was what I was hoping for the first few years. But now we've had Iraq and Katrina so the disasters are here. The economy is going down so thats out.

So now I hope that we can finish out the Bush administration without food riots breaking out on the streets of America.

Is that too much to hope for?

100 Years

April 26, 2008

The Power of the Internet

Here's a trick for you. I'm going to post an entire episode of Firefly. It's my personal favorite, called Shindig.



Pretty cool eh? For a bonus here is the blog of Jane Espenson, who wrote this episode and is currently working on Battlestar. She offers tips on screenwriting, so you can create things this cool at home. Don't you just love the Internet?

April 25, 2008

April 24, 2008

Still Sucky

One of the most wasteful, misguided, and destructive policy the federal government has is farm subsidies. Food prices are at all-time highs, which would make one think that this would be a good time to cut back on farm subsidies. Programs like "direct payments" with just gives cash money straight to farmers. Such thing couldn't continue when farm incomes are at an all-time high, right?

Nope.

April 23, 2008

No More Progress

Tell me again about how we have the best health care in the world:

For the first time since the Spanish influenza of 1918, life expectancy is falling for a significant number of American women.


We are going backwards. Thanks Bush. Hey if we keep Republicans in power, maybe we could reverse a whole bunch of social progress. Third World, here we come.

April 22, 2008

And on it Goes

Still not over.

Finally

At long last, an actual primary election. Enough with all the crap, time for some votes! Not that tonight anything will actually be settled, but still. We are getting closer all the time.

April 21, 2008

Good Question

When you think about it.

Please Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ball

Condoleeza Rice has lost her fracking mind. She is now taunting, yes taunting Muqtada al-Sadr. Taunting in the manner of someone who wants to start a fight, as if on a playground. Sadr, who is in charge of a large group of armed men, know as a "militia" Uprisings of this militia have led to two of the most violent periods of the occupation of Iraq both for Iraqi's and US troops. The current cease-fire declared by Sadr is real reason violence in Iraq is down, not the "surge."

And the Secretary of State is trying to start a fight with the man. Bring the cease-fire to an end. The head diplomat of the Country is trying to start a fight.

What the hell is with these people.

April 20, 2008

Strip It Down

We like our music with no frills here at the Chant.

Sara Bareilles - Love Song

April 18, 2008

Candidate Cool

Matt Yglesias shows us Obama referencing Jay-Z's Dirt Off Your Soldier. A little bit of hip-hop is always in Obama's stump speech. When he acknowledges someone in a audience during a speech, like a Mayor, union or local celebrity he says "In the House" as in "Teamsters Union in the House!" When he calls for applause he says "Give it up for..." So do you think this helps or hurts? Young people love it, I'm sure, but does it turn off the old and unhip who make up the majority of voters?

My take is everyone wants to be cool and will back a cool candidate even if deep down, they know they themselves are not cool. What say you?

April 17, 2008

Didn't Miss Much

Everybody hated last nights debate.

The problem is "issues" and "items of substance" and "things that actually matter" have already been talked about. Even worse, it what the candidates want to talk about. So in an attempt to be clever, the media moderators stay away from anything that matters. They dwell on the trivial b.s. that has come up in the last few weeks. Its fresh. Its new. The candidates don't want to talk about it, so it must be worth talking about. But its not! No one wants to hear about this stuff. It has no impact on how these people would be President. It has nothing to do with the issues people care about.

Boooooo.

April 15, 2008

The Pope is Here!

The Pope comes to America. I wonder how long he has to be Pope before he stops being "the new Pope"

Important Pope fact of the day:

The official callsign of the aircraft carrying Pope Benedict is "Shepherd 1."

April 14, 2008

Oh Boy

Congressman Geoff Davis of Kentucky just called Obama a "boy." As is "That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button." That's right, a GOP Congressman just insulted the leading black Democratic Presidential canidiate a "boy."

And you thought this was a joke.

Hack the System

Here's something Truly Awesome. I came across doing some random China googling. Go read. Its the (translated) story of a attempt to slip pass the Chinese state security system. The wife and baby of Hu Jia, a Chinese AIDS activist now in prison, is under house arrest in a housing complex with the perfectly Orwellian name of BOBO Freedom City. What follows is a commando-style attempt to deliver milk powder for the baby. Now, clearly the author has played way too many computer games, and narrates his story like its an action movie that plays only in his own head. I totally approve. A certain detachment from reality is necessary if you're going to poke your finger in the eye of the Chinese Secret police and not piss yourself. So go read the story and read Rebecca MacKinnon for more information.

April 13, 2008

Sound of Summer

It hit 90 yesterday and will do it again today, so I guess summer is here.

The Boss looks on the bright side.

Girls in Their Summer Clothes


April 12, 2008

History of Fox

The Daily Show does it well.

Its really going to fun to watch FoxNews adapt to the new regime in 2009. Of watching a whole network regain it ability to be critical of an Administration again. Oh and if Democrats continue to boycott as they continue to gain power, see what happens when no one who can do anything in the US Government will go on their network. Fox will consist of nothing but former Republican office holders, talking about what they would do if they didn't just get their ass handed to them by the American electorate. Riveting stuff.

April 10, 2008

No Denial

There has always been a fog covering the Bush efforts to torture people. We have clear evidence of torture, we have memos from mid-level administration lawyers. We have Bush declaring "We don't torture."

ABC News has put a big piece of the puzzle together. Direct top administration officials authorizing torture.

Wimps

Chicken:

It was an Olympic-sized fake-out, and by the end of the day, instead of the violent clashes that some had feared, the Beijing Olympic torch run left only thousands of frustrated protesters on one end of San Francisco and mostly relieved runners and officials on the other.

The finger-pointing is bound to go on for days about whether changing the route at the last minute was right. But on Wednesday, Mayor Gavin Newsom and other officials said that once they got a good look mid-morning at the chanting, surging, flag-waving crowds along the torch's advertised route, they felt they had no choice.


I'm sure Mayor Newson knows what kind of city he runs. If you work hard to bring China's Olympic torch to your city, you better just take your protest medicine. None of this half-assed, hidden ceremony stuff. International spotlights are hot. You want the attention, you take your attention.

April 9, 2008

Summation

So what was the best summation of yesterday's hearing?

Joe Bidin destroying the administration with one question.

or

The following from WashMonthly:

Ambassador Crocker again refuses to engage in hypotheticals with Senator Biden. Unless we hypothetically talk about leaving Iraq, in which case he is absolutely sure that everything would fall apart and the world would end.

We have to get to the point around here.

Soft Spot

John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years.

This really hurts and the reason you know that is the GOP is trying very, very hard to stop people from saying this.

But TPM is on the case, so rest assured.

John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years.

April 8, 2008

The Petraeus Show

Light. Tunnel. Sure.

Protest Competition

When the Olympic torch toured the streets of Paris, protests over China's human rights record was so intense they shut down the parade and put the Olympic flame out of sight. That's a pretty high bar, protest-wise.

The one place in North American where the torch is going on parade: San Fransisco. That's right, liberal hotbed of the Country. I'm sure Franciscans can out-protest the French.

Game On.

April 7, 2008

The Mouth on this Guy

That's some awful straight talk there sailor.

Campaign in Trouble

Mark Penn - the Clinton Campaigns rather controversial chief strategist and pollster, have been shown the door. Which means she now has a Campaign in Disarray. This is an official press designation. Look for lots of stories about process rather than stories about issues. Which only hurts her further.

Chait lays out the case for her to leave the race. Anyone have a reason she should stay in?

April 4, 2008

Battlestar Tonight!

Here you're catch-up.

Jobbed

Jobs are going away. Gas prices are continuing to rise. Housing prices continue to fall.

Things kind of suck around here, economy-wise.

April 3, 2008

Math

Americablog did the math on "Pork" and Iraq spending:

Total cost of all pork in 2008: $17.2 Billion

Cost of War in Iraq in 2008: $144 Billion


Who wants more?

April 1, 2008

Comando Bloggers!

From Danger Room:

A study, written for U.S. Special Operations Command, suggested "clandestinely recruiting or hiring prominent bloggers."

Now you may be thinking "government propaganda" but really its a chance to serve the military from the comfort of your own home. You could be a part of U.S. Special Operations Command, thats the special forces yo and never leave your pajamas.