well, it appears that a bunch of deranged right wing bigots decided to disrupt the Senate invocation.
This is intolerant and un American. And all real Americans should condemn this in the strongest possible terms.
These folks hate us for our freedom.
Bush just quietly announced that he willVeto any measure that limits his ability to bomb Iran.
From the White House Statement of Administration Policy(pdf):
Amendments on Iran: The Administration strongly opposes amendments to the bill to restrict the ability of the United States to deal effectively with the threats to regional security posed by the conduct of Iran, including Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons. The Administration also notes that provisions of law that purport to direct or prohibit international negotiations, covert action, or use of the armed forces are inconsistent with the Constitution’s commitment exclusively to the presidency of the executive power, the function of Commander-in-Chief, and the authority to conduct the Nation’s foreign policy. If the bill were presented to the President with provisions that would prevent the President from protecting America and allied and cooperating nations from threats posed by Iran, the President’ senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.
I’m feeling much better now.
This hobby, blogging, to support another hobby, my annual printed on paper newsletter is just that a hobby.
My opinions ans analysis are my own, and if I say something bad about a government program, campaign, etc., most likely I will not be contacting that government program, campaign, etc. before posting.
If you think that it’s wrong, post in the comments, or send to my email, and I will consider your points.
If you convince me that I’m wrong, I’ll retract or take other appropriate measures.
It appears that astronomers have found water on an extrasolar planet.
While this planet, HD 189733b, probably does not support life, it’s a gas giant, this implies that water is rather common in the system, and life of some sort might be found on other planets.
The 305. A send up of the 300. Laughed my ass off.
TPM Cafe flagged this statement by Joe Biden on Bush’s load of crap interim progress report on Iraq:
This progress report is like the guy who’s falling from a 100-story building and says half-way down that ‘everything’s fine.’
He’s not my first (or even 3rd) choice for the Democratic nominee, but major props to him.
It comes from the other Matt, Matthew Yglesias:
Jim Geraghty reports that Tony Snow is calling for a ‘surge of facts.’ I presume that means he’ll be resigning.
Seriously. I’m going to need to set up a house of prostitution at the next Republican convention. I’ll make enough money to never have to work again.
Other Republicans:
Please pass the popcorn.
It turns out that the Bush administration forbade the Surgeon General from going to the special Olympics.
The reason given?
Why couldn’t he attend? Because of the games’ association with a certain “prominent family.”
Carmona: “I was specifically told by a senior person, ‘Why would you want to help those people?'” (Let’s be charitable and assume that by “those people,” the official meant the family and not the disabled children.) When asked after the hearing whether that “prominent family” was the Kennedys, Carmona replied, “You said it. I didn’t.”
Take a breath and contemplate this. The nation’s top health officer wanted to go to a completely non-political event and pin a few medals on the proud chests of disabled kids. And he was barred from doing so because showing up would have constituted lending aid and comfort to the Kennedys.
Bush and his evil minions™ politicized the bloody Special Olympics.
How small, how petty, and how evil do you have to be to do this.
An American Airlines employee, boarding an American Airlines flight from an American Airlines bus caused a flight cancellation because he appeared to be of “middle eastern origin”.
And we also have case of flying while a Cancer survivor, in which a woman was made to remove her prosthetic breast and check it through luggage.
It’s not just that this stuff is stupid. This stuff is counterproductive. DHS has, for reasonso of political expedience and incompetence, created an atmosphere where panic reigns, and this makes it easier, not harder for someone wishing to do bad things to succeed.
You end up with primate brain (terrorist) against lizard brain (panic).
I know, mixed metaphor, but this is important. Contact your congresscritter about this.
Court denies stay of Internet radio execution
By Cade Metz in San Francisco
Published Thursday 12th July 2007 18:50 GMTThe Internet radio death watch continues. Late yesterday, a federal appeals court denied an emergency stay petition from webcasters, refusing to delay the arrival of massive royalty hikes that threaten to bring down online radio as we know it. The new royalty rates – which could mean a 300 per cent payment increase for large stations, 1200 per cent for smaller broadcasters – are due to kick in this Sunday.
The stay was rejected with a single sentence from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. “Petitioners have not satisfied the stringent standards required for a stay pending court review,” the order read.
…
In March, the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board set down new royalty rates that would require webcasters to pay 8 hundredths of a cent each time they broadcast a song to an individual listener. That’s $0.0008 per song per listener – and it’s retroactive to the beginning of 2006. According to Ward, this amounts to a 300 per cent rake hike for the even the largest Internet radio stations, 1,200 per cent for the smallest webcasters. Most, he says, could not afford to stay in business. By 2010, rates are scheduled to hit $0.0019 per song per listener.
…
And then there is the whole issue of retroactivity? By making it retroactive, will any new works be created?
No, they will not.
We have copyright to “encourage the useful arts and sciences”, to quote the constitution.
IP law is public interest law in the US. That’s how the constitution defines it, and why it allows it.
Under the current IP regime, Moby Dick would never have been reprinted after its initial publication, and there would be no Shakespeare at all. Both were rediscovered after the author’s deaths.
According to Raw Story, Hustler magazine is involved in more than 20 sex scandal investigations.
Flynt is saying that about the hypocrisy, not the sex….Whatever.
Referring to his past court battles over indecency charges, the hardcore magazine publisher said the government “did everything it could for 15 years” to put him behind bars.
“This is payback time,” he said. “And payback’s a bitch.”
British troops are being blamed for a plague of “honey badgers” melivora capensis in Basra.
“They are native to the region but rare in Iraq. They’re nocturnal carnivores with a fearsome reputation, but they don’t stalk humans and carry them back to their lair.”
The occupation of Iraq has just entered the twilight zone.
The Rolling Stones played its first gig at the Marquee club in London
Yesterday, the Dollar hit an all time low vs. the Euro.
Additionally, the dollar has weakened to the lowest amount against the pound since 1981.
What does this mean if this trend continues?
Basically, it means that foreign investors will demand greater return because the risk of their losing money from foreign exchange fluctuations increases. This means higher interest rates, since the US trade deficit is being supported by foreign investors.
Of particular note would be an increase in oil prices.
Furthermore, this is inflationary, since there is an awful lot that is not made in the US any more, and as the dollar drops, the price of these items go up, which will force the Fed to further raise interest rates.
The increases in inflation will reduce consumer spending power, and a significant downward pressure on house prices, as people purchase based on monthly payment, not price.
Additionally, if oil suppliers get skittish, they may switch to Euro denomination of oil purchases, Venezuela and Iran already have for political reasons, and there will be pressures on foreign national banks to further diversify out of the dollar in order to preserve their reserves.
You notice that it all feeds itself.
Additionally, when one looks at systems like this, the changes tend to be abrupt, and there is significant overshoot, so this can get very ugly in a matter of weeks.
There is a story on ABC News about a military intelligent report showing that Iraq is a giant clusterf%#@ that is rapidly deteriorating.
The Bush admin, of course, is still claiming progress as things go south.
Sallie May (SLM Corp) is the 800 pound gorilla in the student loan market. They are also one of the worst offenders in the current spate of student loan scandals.
Well now, a planned private equity deal involving Sallie Mae is at risk because of legislative changes.
Basically, the law will slash the subsidies to student loan providers, and reduce the interest that they can charge, so SLM is a much less attractive takeover target.
This is a good thing. The private players in the student loan market suck. They shaft the students, and they cost the taxpayers money. The direct federal program saves money for the taxpayer.
It appears that the managers of private firms are threatening to stop doing deals if they don’t get to keep their tax loophole.
This is bulls%$#. A private equity firm that does not do deals is shut down. Furthermore, they make a lot of money now.
While I do not support the capital gains tax break, I don’t see why we should favor unearned income over that created by honest work, the theory is that you reward people for risking their own money. Here, their fees are for managing someone else’s money. It’s normal income period.
Lula resumes nuclear program to make Brazil ‘world power’ is the hed. I’m thinking that a more accurate hed would be, “Lula engages in dick swinging to distract from domestic issues.”
Then again, I’m a cynic.
Now it turns out that Senator Vitter a client at Canal Street brothel too.
So much for family values.