Meditate in my direction.
Archives for July 2011
Because You Have to Laugh at These Guys…
What I saw when down in NY to pick up my Chinese visa:*
In these days, when one of our major political parties has come to resemble nothing so much as a fifth column seeking to undermine the United States from within…perhaps a little snark is warranted. Not to mention a tip of the hat from this Boston guy at the pitilessness of our NY friends.
I guess this would be an(other) open thread.
*and yes, I am glad to be home. Shanghai is a great place to go if you want to see just how much a globally warmed world would (will) suck.**
**Which isn’t to say that it isn’t a fascinating city that showed me great hospitality — amidst the grotesque heat, humidity and air quality.
update: can’t figure out why the first footnote bolds. Can’t get it unbolded. FYWP.
Because You Have to Laugh at These Guys…Post + Comments (55)
Open Thread
Hot as hell today, I was on the road and stuck in construction for an hour, and my car AC is broken. I need someone to drive me around for a week so I can hang my right arm out the window and even out my tan.
Making crab cakes and drinking wine in 5… 4… 3… 2…
Song of the week
You can’t go wrong with Sam Cooke.
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Sam Cooke, “Sugar Dumpling (Original)” (1962)
Not the best week in national politics, but the weather was nice here. Gratitude for the little things. This posthumous hit from 1965 is one of my favorites by Sam Cooke. Three things to listen for: 1) the appearance of professional nurses; 2) a demand for the coffee; and 3) a dinner “with seven different kinds of meat.” I’ve been trying to figure out that menu for years because it sounds pretty good: carnivolicious! cholesterrific! hypertensational!
Lagniappe: “A Change Is Gonna Come”
More stuff at Can’t Explain.
John Boehner does not ‘have’ to do anything
If Boehner’s bill dies in utero or Harry Reid kills it, does that mean he has to forge a compromise with Democrats? Not really. He can sit on his ass and sulk. He can let default happen and then pass a bunch of sense-of-the-House bills that call Obama a worthless bloody git who caused the whole thing by himself without any help from anyone. FOX News will crown him for it.
If Boehner compromises then the only thanks he gets will come from sensible commenters like Krugman or Joe Klein (bad) or Democrats (worse). For all the gratitude that he can expect from his own foaming base, Boehner might as well retire on the spot to spend more time with his five iron.
IMO default and chaos is the best chance for the GOP. If they deal then they can look forward to explaining the Ryan budget to their constituents, plus this. The special election in New York’s 26th gave us a handy preview of how much fun that will be. Chaos at least offers hope. With the economy collapsed and the country in pieces, there is always some question about who will end up with the largest piece.
John Boehner does not ‘have’ to do anythingPost + Comments (150)
Murderous Police Brutality
ED Kain has put together a round up of press stories, disturbing pictures and a video of the brutal beating and death of a schizophrenic man at the hands of Fullerton, California police:
“When I first walked into the hospital, I looked at what his mother described as my son … I didn’t recognize him,” Thomas said. “This is cold-blooded, aggravated murder.”
Thomas, citing witnesses, said officers hit his son with the butts of flashlights even after he stopped moving.
He said his son was probably off his medication and didn’t understand officers’ commands.
Don’t click on that link if you have a weak stomach.
A brief explanation
I don’t know a thing about the 14th Amendment and the debt ceiling, but this seems to make sense:
Some Democrats in Congress, including Steny Hoyer, have called for President Barack Obama to invoke the 14th Amendment to resolve the debt ceiling crisis. What they don’t realize is that Obama has already invoked it in effect.
Obama has already told bond holders that there will be no default on bonds. He plans to use existing revenues to pay off interest on the debt and other vested obligations. This is required by section 4 of the Fourteenth Amendment. But that means less money for other government services, including social safety net programs like Medicare. So we’ll see a partial government shutdown once the government runs out of other options….
This in turn will place enormous pressure on Congress to raise the debt ceiling, which it should have done in the first place. By requiring a priority rule for payment of bondholders, Section 4 of the 14th Amendment forces the President’s hand, which leads to a partial government shutdown, which leads to a political resolution of the crisis.