Friday, April 24, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Godless America
This graph, and others like it, warm the cockles of my atheist heart.
The religion of "None" is up to 12%. And it's nice to see that Christianity has fallen to 77%. But now that "other" is at 7%, don't you think it's about time they started including Islam as an option? Gallup says that they estimate it to be less than 1%, but I've heard Muslim groups estimate it as high as 4 or 5%. They ask about Judaism, after all, and that number is steady at 2%.
The religion of "None" is up to 12%. And it's nice to see that Christianity has fallen to 77%. But now that "other" is at 7%, don't you think it's about time they started including Islam as an option? Gallup says that they estimate it to be less than 1%, but I've heard Muslim groups estimate it as high as 4 or 5%. They ask about Judaism, after all, and that number is steady at 2%.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Michael Steele
Seeing Michael Steele out everywhere, vying to be the face of the Republican Party is just plain weird. Before Howard Dean, how many national chairs can people name?
The prominence of the national party chair for the party without the Presidency now looks to be a permanent feature of the American Electoral system, and is a consequence of the nationalization of the two parties. Only a system where the parties are ideologically cohesive could lead to a situation where the national chair mattered. In previous decades regional and ideological differences within the parties prevented this sort of thing from happening.
I also don't think it's an accident that Steele was an elected official before this. It seems likely that party chairs in the future will be minor celebrities who've run for office themselves, as opposed to the party functionaries who held the posts in the past.
The prominence of the national party chair for the party without the Presidency now looks to be a permanent feature of the American Electoral system, and is a consequence of the nationalization of the two parties. Only a system where the parties are ideologically cohesive could lead to a situation where the national chair mattered. In previous decades regional and ideological differences within the parties prevented this sort of thing from happening.
I also don't think it's an accident that Steele was an elected official before this. It seems likely that party chairs in the future will be minor celebrities who've run for office themselves, as opposed to the party functionaries who held the posts in the past.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Liar, Liar, Proust's on Fire
Via Kottke comes this list of books people lie about having read:
Interestingly, I often lie about having read 1984. I've lied about it to multiple girlfriends! It's an awful book. I never plan to read it. But I plan to continue to lie about it.
I think I might occasionally lie about 2 & 3 as well, but only in circles where I'm pretty sure other people are lying about having read them as well.
I've only read parts of A Brief History of Time, but I've read enough to lie convincingly about having read it all. And right now "The Bomber" is realizing that entire conversations that we've had (that lasted hours!) were based on my ability to lie about having read Hawking.
I've read 80-90% of The Bible over the years and I can definitively state that 24% is way too low a number. Everyone lies about reading the Bible! It's a bad book. You'd have to be some kind of sick masochist to even get through Deuteronomy. And Christians are the biggest liars in the world, so when they say that they've read it, they almost certainly haven't. I know this, because I've read a lot of it, and it's easy to tell that they haven't. But Christians hate admitting that they lie almost as much as they like lying! So we'll never know how many people lie about having read the Bible, but it's got to be over 50%. Or, rather, everyone who says they've read the whole Bible is lying.
I have actually read Dreams From My Father (when Obama was just a Senate candidate in my humble state, no less), and there's no reason it should be on this list. It's an entertaining read written in easy language. So go read the book!
And number 10, The Selfish Gene, is possibly one of my favorite books that I've ever read. I read it all the way through, and I've read parts of it again for various projects that I've worked on, so I've probably read the whole thing twice. It's phenomenal! It offers a solution to almost every metaphysical problem in Ethics! Everyone should read it! Twice!
Or at least you should learn to be able to lie about having read it. That's almost as good!
1. 1984 by George Orwell (42%)
2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (31%)
3. Ulysses by James Joyce (25%)
4. The Bible (24%)
5. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (16%)
6. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (15%)
7. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie (14%)
8. In Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust (9%)
9. Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama (6%)
10. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins (6%)
Interestingly, I often lie about having read 1984. I've lied about it to multiple girlfriends! It's an awful book. I never plan to read it. But I plan to continue to lie about it.
I think I might occasionally lie about 2 & 3 as well, but only in circles where I'm pretty sure other people are lying about having read them as well.
I've only read parts of A Brief History of Time, but I've read enough to lie convincingly about having read it all. And right now "The Bomber" is realizing that entire conversations that we've had (that lasted hours!) were based on my ability to lie about having read Hawking.
I've read 80-90% of The Bible over the years and I can definitively state that 24% is way too low a number. Everyone lies about reading the Bible! It's a bad book. You'd have to be some kind of sick masochist to even get through Deuteronomy. And Christians are the biggest liars in the world, so when they say that they've read it, they almost certainly haven't. I know this, because I've read a lot of it, and it's easy to tell that they haven't. But Christians hate admitting that they lie almost as much as they like lying! So we'll never know how many people lie about having read the Bible, but it's got to be over 50%. Or, rather, everyone who says they've read the whole Bible is lying.
I have actually read Dreams From My Father (when Obama was just a Senate candidate in my humble state, no less), and there's no reason it should be on this list. It's an entertaining read written in easy language. So go read the book!
And number 10, The Selfish Gene, is possibly one of my favorite books that I've ever read. I read it all the way through, and I've read parts of it again for various projects that I've worked on, so I've probably read the whole thing twice. It's phenomenal! It offers a solution to almost every metaphysical problem in Ethics! Everyone should read it! Twice!
Or at least you should learn to be able to lie about having read it. That's almost as good!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Claire McCaskill continues to suck
From her twitter feed:
I guess that explains why Bi-State is broke.
I am one of less than a dozen Senators that don't participate in the earmark process.
I guess that explains why Bi-State is broke.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Post unSOTU Thoughts
1. I just finished reading Watchmen tonight, in preparation for the movie. It is as good as everyone says it is, although I'm kind of cheesed off at how much Heroes steals from the book.
2. I grabbed some carrot sticks for a snack before realizing that we're out of Ranch dressing. So, for the first time in my life, I ate Thousand Island. In case you're still living in the same ignorance that I was up until an hour ago, Thousand Island Dressing is, in fact, the Big Mac's "Special Sauce".
3. Buying fuel efficient vehicles for the feds, high-speed rail, and disaster preparation all seem like pretty fucking good ideas, if you ask me.
2. I grabbed some carrot sticks for a snack before realizing that we're out of Ranch dressing. So, for the first time in my life, I ate Thousand Island. In case you're still living in the same ignorance that I was up until an hour ago, Thousand Island Dressing is, in fact, the Big Mac's "Special Sauce".
3. Buying fuel efficient vehicles for the feds, high-speed rail, and disaster preparation all seem like pretty fucking good ideas, if you ask me.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Who's Year Is It?
Not even nominated, Beyoncé managed to steal the show last night at the Oscar's.
And yes, Cadillac Records was a much better movie than any of the Best Picture nominees last night, let alone the contrived "poverty porn" Slumdog Millionaire.
I loved Sean Penn's acceptance speech, though.
And yes, Cadillac Records was a much better movie than any of the Best Picture nominees last night, let alone the contrived "poverty porn" Slumdog Millionaire.
I loved Sean Penn's acceptance speech, though.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Presidential Rankings
This bit of silliness, C-Span's 2009 Presidential Rankings, is making the rounds. Not only is the concept stupid, but they are wrong. FDR belongs at the top of the list. Everyone knows that.
C-Span and all the media reports that I've read have attached some mystical significance to the fact that they asked "Historians", as if someone who specializes in Ancient Rome or Medieval China has any clue who the Presidents were, or what they did. Even if these guys are specialists in American History, they all have their biases.
Two seemingly unanswerable questions keep popping up in the media reports: Why did Grant go up ten spaces, and why did Hayes fall seven? These questions are easily answered if you regard the historians as mere mortals.
Grants reputation has been almost single-handedly rescued by this 2006 blog post by Nathan Newman. It flew across the liberal blogosphere after he posted it. It certainly affected my thinking of Grant, and I've been selling Newman's insights as my own for two and a half years now. Those mystical "Historians" are plugged into this stuff as well, and their opinions are malleable enough to raise Grant's standing by quite a lot.
And Hayes? RutherFRAUD B. Hayes stole the 1876 election. After eight years of Bush, who stole the 2000 election, that facts looks a lot more salient.
C-Span and all the media reports that I've read have attached some mystical significance to the fact that they asked "Historians", as if someone who specializes in Ancient Rome or Medieval China has any clue who the Presidents were, or what they did. Even if these guys are specialists in American History, they all have their biases.
Two seemingly unanswerable questions keep popping up in the media reports: Why did Grant go up ten spaces, and why did Hayes fall seven? These questions are easily answered if you regard the historians as mere mortals.
Grants reputation has been almost single-handedly rescued by this 2006 blog post by Nathan Newman. It flew across the liberal blogosphere after he posted it. It certainly affected my thinking of Grant, and I've been selling Newman's insights as my own for two and a half years now. Those mystical "Historians" are plugged into this stuff as well, and their opinions are malleable enough to raise Grant's standing by quite a lot.
And Hayes? RutherFRAUD B. Hayes stole the 1876 election. After eight years of Bush, who stole the 2000 election, that facts looks a lot more salient.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Israel's Elections
So, it's a near tie, with Kadima barely winning a plurality, but Likud and the parties to its right winning more seats. Not to put too fine a point on it, but all of those guys are assholes. Kadima and Labor started the Gaza war in order to show the Israeli electorate that they were tough enough on the Palestinians that the public didn't need to vote for Likud. This apparently had the result of boosting the right-wing so much that an Israeli Nationalist (ultra right) fringe party, Beiteinu, actually came out ahead of Labor, bumping them back to fourth place.
Nice going, Ehud, you fuck.
Whatever Israeli coalition forms out of this mess will look something like this:
Nice going, Ehud, you fuck.
Whatever Israeli coalition forms out of this mess will look something like this:
Monday, February 09, 2009
Why Does Claire McCaskill Suck So Much? (4)
Amusingly for me, McCaskill merits ridicule in Kos's quick hits from today:
I'm so relieved that we have Sens. Claire McCaskill and Ben Nelson in our party protecting us from the tyranny of building and renovating schools. Oh, and life-saving medical care.And remember, McCain won Nebraska by 15 points. Nelson's excuse to being a douche bag is that his state is horribly Republican. What's Claire's?
Hey, this guy's pretty smart
Watching the Obama press conference is surreal. I can't recall hearing Bush make a single comment as insightful as any of Obama's answers.
Madelyn points out that you can see him thinking. You can literally (Joe Biden!) see him thinking.
Update: Pssst, Mr. President. They're over there.
Madelyn points out that you can see him thinking. You can literally (Joe Biden!) see him thinking.
Update: Pssst, Mr. President. They're over there.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Why Does Claire McCaskill Suck So Much? (3)
Show Me Progress (a local blog) and Matthew Yglesias are getting in on the act.
Man, lying in your twitter feed is some pretty sick shit, right?
Man, lying in your twitter feed is some pretty sick shit, right?
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Friday, February 06, 2009
Why Does Claire McCaskill Suck So Much?
When I was working for the Obama Campaign, I was shocked to find that many of Missouri's Democrats (and these are hardcore activist types) actually like their Junior Senator.
People were not happy when I pointed out that she, in fact, sucks as a Senator. Her latest round of populist "let's cap executive pay" media blitz annoyed the shit out of me, since she has one of the most pro-corporate records of the Democrats in the Senate. I had hoped that the age of Obama would mean a change for McCaskill as well, considering how much she seems to like Obama personally.
Apparently not. I see plenty of Senators on that list from states that are a lot redder than Missouri, who have managed to get with the fucking program.
People were not happy when I pointed out that she, in fact, sucks as a Senator. Her latest round of populist "let's cap executive pay" media blitz annoyed the shit out of me, since she has one of the most pro-corporate records of the Democrats in the Senate. I had hoped that the age of Obama would mean a change for McCaskill as well, considering how much she seems to like Obama personally.
Apparently not. I see plenty of Senators on that list from states that are a lot redder than Missouri, who have managed to get with the fucking program.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
What don't you fucking understand?
This is a thing of fucking beauty. You should listen to it at full blast in the office.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
ZOMG BEST DAY EVER
I feel like I've been waiting my whole lifetime for this moment. It's here.
Waterworld: Extended Edition
It's like they can read my freaking mind:
Waterworld: Extended Edition
It's like they can read my freaking mind:
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Daschle
It seemed to me that their was a very good case for appointing Tom Daschle to HHS, despite his somewhat scummy history. That argument was a simple one: Daschle, better than anybody else, knows how to move things through the Senate. And since the Senate is the biggest stumbling block to achieving Universal Health Care right now, Daschle was perfect for the job.
But if the guy couldn't even move his own confirmation through the Senate, then all of the positive arguments for him absolutely collapse.
Good to see him go.
But if the guy couldn't even move his own confirmation through the Senate, then all of the positive arguments for him absolutely collapse.
Good to see him go.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Did you know?
Al Franken is the fourth Jew to hold his Senate seat, representing the great state of Minnesota. Less than 1% of Minnesotans are Jewish. Weird.
Also, of the four African Americans Senators since Reconstruction, three of them have occupied the same Senate seat currently held by Roland Burris.
Also, of the four African Americans Senators since Reconstruction, three of them have occupied the same Senate seat currently held by Roland Burris.
Superbowl Ads
Is it just me, or were GoDaddy's ads last night the most hateful and misogynistic things we've seen on TV since the Republican Campaign last fall? They really ought to inspire some backlash. GoDaddy's customer base can't be entirely composed of drunken frat boys, can it?
On the other hand, I really liked PETA's rejected ad.
I know people disagree with me about this, but I've always found PETA's use of sexuality to draw attention to the plight of animals to be legitimate.
On the other hand, I really liked PETA's rejected ad.
I know people disagree with me about this, but I've always found PETA's use of sexuality to draw attention to the plight of animals to be legitimate.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Fuck you, that's why.
The stimulus package passed the House, without a single Republican vote.
My favorite post of the day is Marc Ambinder making a fool out of himself. It'd be nice if the Atlantic hired a political reporter who actually understood politics.
But, of course, nobody could've predicted this.
My favorite post of the day is Marc Ambinder making a fool out of himself. It'd be nice if the Atlantic hired a political reporter who actually understood politics.
But, of course, nobody could've predicted this.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Pete Seeger
People don't believe me when I tell them, but I once sang "We Shall Overcome" with Pete Seeger. He sang and played guitar. I sang along, with a girl named Heidi.
It was about 9 years ago, down in Georgia...
Nevermind, you don't believe me either.
But that doesn't mean it isn't true.
It was about 9 years ago, down in Georgia...
Nevermind, you don't believe me either.
But that doesn't mean it isn't true.
Something nice about Bush
I rarely feel anything but venom for our 43st President, so when I feel otherwise, I should probably point it out.
The speech he gave the day after Obama won the election was heartfelt, generous, and reflective of his true feelings about race in our society.
Many people have commented that Obama wouldn't be possible without Bush's epic fail. And that's true. But he also wouldn't have been possible without Bush's consistent anti-racism. It's not merely the fact that Bush appointed two African-Americans to head his State department. It's also the fact that Bush was the first Republican since Nixon to win without appealing to racism.
(The ghost of my Father says: what about dis-enfranchising black voters? I say, of course they do that, Dad, but they did that by targeting people they knew wouldn't vote for them, not by legitimizing racism in the public sphere.)
American politics is fundamentally tribal. People don't vote based on issues. They vote based on party*. How many people over the age of 30 ever change parties? Bush used his platform as the leader of the Republican party to legitimize black leadership in the eyes of the half of the country that looked to him for cues.
When the history books are written, 50 to 100 years from now, Colin and Condi are going to be viewed like we view the protoceratops in light of the triceratops**. Bush's heart, in this one little thing, was in the right place.
P.S. Of course, the Republican party is now the "Barack the Magic Negro" party. But that wasn't Bush's party.
*What about independents? Easy: They're liars. 90% of American voters vote for the same party that they voted for in the last election. Partisan ID is decided in the first three general elections that a person votes in. But that's another story.
**I, of course, prefer Styracosaurus.
The speech he gave the day after Obama won the election was heartfelt, generous, and reflective of his true feelings about race in our society.
Many people have commented that Obama wouldn't be possible without Bush's epic fail. And that's true. But he also wouldn't have been possible without Bush's consistent anti-racism. It's not merely the fact that Bush appointed two African-Americans to head his State department. It's also the fact that Bush was the first Republican since Nixon to win without appealing to racism.
(The ghost of my Father says: what about dis-enfranchising black voters? I say, of course they do that, Dad, but they did that by targeting people they knew wouldn't vote for them, not by legitimizing racism in the public sphere.)
American politics is fundamentally tribal. People don't vote based on issues. They vote based on party*. How many people over the age of 30 ever change parties? Bush used his platform as the leader of the Republican party to legitimize black leadership in the eyes of the half of the country that looked to him for cues.
When the history books are written, 50 to 100 years from now, Colin and Condi are going to be viewed like we view the protoceratops in light of the triceratops**. Bush's heart, in this one little thing, was in the right place.
P.S. Of course, the Republican party is now the "Barack the Magic Negro" party. But that wasn't Bush's party.
*What about independents? Easy: They're liars. 90% of American voters vote for the same party that they voted for in the last election. Partisan ID is decided in the first three general elections that a person votes in. But that's another story.
**I, of course, prefer Styracosaurus.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Stuck in the Matrix
In the first Matrix, a character raises a philosophical dilemma that is seemingly unique to the Matrix environment:
I have, during this time, eaten a lot of fake meat products, mostly made with soy. They have improved greatly in quality, taste, and variety over the past half decade. As far as replicating the taste of real meat, the quality varies. Hot dogs are perfect, and one assumes that this is because they aren't very "real" in the first place. Most fake chicken products are reliably tasty, and chicken-y, the taste like I remember chicken tasting, for the most part, and different brands taste like each other, so I'm pretty sure that they're right. From here, however, it's downhill. Burger quality varies widely, and soy doesn't simulate fat very well. Sausage tastes like sausage, but doesn't have anywhere near the right texture. Tofurky is delicious, and fake bacon tastes like turkey bacon, according to my mother.
But tonight Madelyn and I are going to try something new out: Match Meats Pork.
And I have no idea how pork tastes. I haven't eaten it in over 6 years, and I was never a big fan of pig when I was an omnivore. I have no memory of it. And I have no intermittent fake pork memories either, as this is the first fake pork that I've ever seen. I have no idea what pork tastes like, and I will have no idea if this stuff is accurate at all.
I guess I'll just have to trust the computer to get it right.
Tank: Here you go, buddy. Breakfast of champions.February 1st will mark six years of vegetarianism for me, and aside from a few brief instances (most notably, 10 days in 2005 that I spent in Mexico), I've maintained a strict meatless diet for the duration.
Mouse: If you close your eyes it almost feels like you're eating runny eggs.
Apoc: Yeah, or a bowl of snot
Mouse: Do you know what it really reminds me of? Tasty Wheat. Did you ever eat Tasty Wheat?
Switch: No, but technically, neither did you.
Mouse: That's exactly my point. Exactly. Because you have to wonder now. How did the machines know what Tasty Wheat tasted like. huh?. Maybe they got it wrong. Maybe what I think Tasty Wheat tasted like actually tasted like oatmeal or tuna fish. That makes you wonder about a lot of things. You take chicken for example, maybe they couldn't figure out what to make chicken taste like, which is why chicken tastes like everything. Maybe couldn't figure out...
I have, during this time, eaten a lot of fake meat products, mostly made with soy. They have improved greatly in quality, taste, and variety over the past half decade. As far as replicating the taste of real meat, the quality varies. Hot dogs are perfect, and one assumes that this is because they aren't very "real" in the first place. Most fake chicken products are reliably tasty, and chicken-y, the taste like I remember chicken tasting, for the most part, and different brands taste like each other, so I'm pretty sure that they're right. From here, however, it's downhill. Burger quality varies widely, and soy doesn't simulate fat very well. Sausage tastes like sausage, but doesn't have anywhere near the right texture. Tofurky is delicious, and fake bacon tastes like turkey bacon, according to my mother.
But tonight Madelyn and I are going to try something new out: Match Meats Pork.
And I have no idea how pork tastes. I haven't eaten it in over 6 years, and I was never a big fan of pig when I was an omnivore. I have no memory of it. And I have no intermittent fake pork memories either, as this is the first fake pork that I've ever seen. I have no idea what pork tastes like, and I will have no idea if this stuff is accurate at all.
I guess I'll just have to trust the computer to get it right.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Obama's People
Fascinating Photo spread in the New York Times magazine. Don't miss Axelrod or Orszag.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Coates on Michelle Obama
Everything I know about black people I learn from Ta-Nehisi Coates. His new story in the Atlantic:
When Michelle Obama told a Milwaukee campaign rally last February, "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country," critics derided her as another Angry Black Woman. But the only truly radical proposition put forth by Obama, born and raised in Chicago's storied South Side, is the idea of a black community fully vested in the country at large, and proud of the American dream.
Filling Rahmbo's Shoes
Geoghegan would be an excellent choice. I often pretend to have read the books that he's written.
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