Monday, July 26, 2010
Oh, uh, hey
Uh, geez, um. Please excuse the mess, I, uh, I didn't expect anyone to be coming here anymore. Perhaps you should walk this way, it's a bit nicer over there.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Politics
I just do not understand what crawled up the Congressional Republicans' collective butt and died, but they are behaving in the most irrational, ineffective, and idiotic way one could ever imagine. I'm totally in favor of having a strong opposition party, but that is not what we have. Let's look at some examples of the way in which they have been the whiny kid being dragged through the mall by their perhaps too-patient mother:
(1) The stimulus package. Instead of being useful in formulating viable alternatives or coming up with ideas for improvement of what is admittedly a hastily thrown-together emergency bill, they have resorted to their predictable call for more tax cuts. It has been shown time and time again, most recently in real life, that tax cuts do not do what the Republicans say they do. Trickle-down economics only trickle down into the pockets of the Big Business types that got us into this mess. But instead of taking this into account, stopping and thinking a bit to come up with ways to make the stimulus package more bipartisan and more effective, they just cry about the Democrats ignoring them. Maybe they'd get a bit more attention if they came up with a new idea more often than every three decades.
(2) Rush Limbaugh. Seriously? Yes, seriously. The congressional Republicans are kissing his ass so much they could get a second job as a bidet. Why? Why? This man is the host of a radio show! He is not an elected official! If you all had the balls to collectively stand up to this blowhard, there's nothing he could do about it! But no, instead, men like Eric Canton, Mike Pence, and (most disgustingly) Phil Gringrey. Gingrey at least tried to stand up to Limbaugh's posturing, but when called out on it he cowered in the corner with his tail between his legs like the little bitch he is. You know the G.O.P. has a leadership vacuum when Mr. OxyContin is the one to step in and fill it. Where's your family values now?
(3) The Digital TV Transition. This one may seem petty, but I really feel it illustrates exactly how petty the Republicans are getting. So the situation is this: in 2005 it was decided that the entire country would be switching to digital TV broadcasts, leaving those with roof antennas and rabbit ears out in the cold unless they get digital converter boxes. But, the government is offering $40 coupons towards that purchase to eligible households. Great? Not quite. Because the coupons are being mailed third class, which means that they could be two-thirds of the way to their three-month expiration date by the time they arrive. And you can't get a new one if you fail to redeem yours before it expires. And the government can't print more until the ones they've already issued expire. Oh, and the switch goes down on Feb. 17th. Thanks again, Bush administration, you really got that organized well. So the Obama administration wants more time, a mere four months, to get this shit straightened out. The Senate gave it the O.K., but the Republicans of the House (only powerful in this situation because of a two-thirds requirement for speedy decisions) shot it down like Cheney shoots old men. Clearly, they are doing it wrong. This is supposed to be an easy one, guys! A meaningless gesture towards bipartisanship in the name of national TV reception! What will your constituants think when they find out that they can't watch Maury now because you decided to flex your tiny muscle over n-o-t-h-i-n-g? Could you be bigger assholes? Did Rush put you up to this so that more people would have to start listening to the radio? Come on!
Now, in the spirit of these aspiring-to-be-post-partisan times, I will admit that I am also baffled by some Democrats' seeming inability to comprehend properly paying taxes. What, we can come up with them but we can't comply with them? Seriously, Geithner, Daschle, what's going on there? Especially Geithner: money is what you do, so you just have no excuse. It's to early to be making our boy, the 'Bama, look bad like this. We can do better, let's try to step it up.
I am also irritated with the recent (and I suppose also past) activity of Wall Street execs, but I feel like that should be obviously, and I don't have anything new to add to the chorus of voices that have emerged to bemoan their brash avarice.
This post inspired by Frank Rich & Gail Collins. Yeah, I know. Liberal media. Well, suck my big hairy Congress-and-the-White-House balls.
(1) The stimulus package. Instead of being useful in formulating viable alternatives or coming up with ideas for improvement of what is admittedly a hastily thrown-together emergency bill, they have resorted to their predictable call for more tax cuts. It has been shown time and time again, most recently in real life, that tax cuts do not do what the Republicans say they do. Trickle-down economics only trickle down into the pockets of the Big Business types that got us into this mess. But instead of taking this into account, stopping and thinking a bit to come up with ways to make the stimulus package more bipartisan and more effective, they just cry about the Democrats ignoring them. Maybe they'd get a bit more attention if they came up with a new idea more often than every three decades.
(2) Rush Limbaugh. Seriously? Yes, seriously. The congressional Republicans are kissing his ass so much they could get a second job as a bidet. Why? Why? This man is the host of a radio show! He is not an elected official! If you all had the balls to collectively stand up to this blowhard, there's nothing he could do about it! But no, instead, men like Eric Canton, Mike Pence, and (most disgustingly) Phil Gringrey. Gingrey at least tried to stand up to Limbaugh's posturing, but when called out on it he cowered in the corner with his tail between his legs like the little bitch he is. You know the G.O.P. has a leadership vacuum when Mr. OxyContin is the one to step in and fill it. Where's your family values now?
(3) The Digital TV Transition. This one may seem petty, but I really feel it illustrates exactly how petty the Republicans are getting. So the situation is this: in 2005 it was decided that the entire country would be switching to digital TV broadcasts, leaving those with roof antennas and rabbit ears out in the cold unless they get digital converter boxes. But, the government is offering $40 coupons towards that purchase to eligible households. Great? Not quite. Because the coupons are being mailed third class, which means that they could be two-thirds of the way to their three-month expiration date by the time they arrive. And you can't get a new one if you fail to redeem yours before it expires. And the government can't print more until the ones they've already issued expire. Oh, and the switch goes down on Feb. 17th. Thanks again, Bush administration, you really got that organized well. So the Obama administration wants more time, a mere four months, to get this shit straightened out. The Senate gave it the O.K., but the Republicans of the House (only powerful in this situation because of a two-thirds requirement for speedy decisions) shot it down like Cheney shoots old men. Clearly, they are doing it wrong. This is supposed to be an easy one, guys! A meaningless gesture towards bipartisanship in the name of national TV reception! What will your constituants think when they find out that they can't watch Maury now because you decided to flex your tiny muscle over n-o-t-h-i-n-g? Could you be bigger assholes? Did Rush put you up to this so that more people would have to start listening to the radio? Come on!
Now, in the spirit of these aspiring-to-be-post-partisan times, I will admit that I am also baffled by some Democrats' seeming inability to comprehend properly paying taxes. What, we can come up with them but we can't comply with them? Seriously, Geithner, Daschle, what's going on there? Especially Geithner: money is what you do, so you just have no excuse. It's to early to be making our boy, the 'Bama, look bad like this. We can do better, let's try to step it up.
I am also irritated with the recent (and I suppose also past) activity of Wall Street execs, but I feel like that should be obviously, and I don't have anything new to add to the chorus of voices that have emerged to bemoan their brash avarice.
This post inspired by Frank Rich & Gail Collins. Yeah, I know. Liberal media. Well, suck my big hairy Congress-and-the-White-House balls.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Fuck Boston
Man, fuck you, Boston. Fuck Kenmore Square, fuck poorly paved roads, fuck no bike lanes, and most of all, fuck those fancy grey brick crosswalks that cost more money than I bet you can justify. So they make cars slow down and not hit pedestrians. They make cyclists have to pay attention to the ground rather than what's in front of them because they're so fucking uneven that riding over them is an adventure in staying on your bike. And you don't think of anything other than cars and pedestrians (and not even the latter half the time judging from many of your sidewalks or lack thereof). Well fuck you. You better not walk in front of me while I'm riding down Comm Ave is all I can say.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Music!
My latest obsessions: Walter Meego ("Forever"), Battles ("Atlas" and "Tonto"), Justice ("D.A.N.C.E." and "We Are Your Friends"), and Cold War Kids ("Hang Me Up To Dry"). Also, surprisingly, "I Will Possess Your Heart" by Death Cab For Cutie, whose stuff I'm generally not overfond of.
WORD.
WORD.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Worried, Nervous, Uneasy, Apprehensive...
I'm concerned about my use of adjectives. Perhaps it's because I've been reading H.P. Lovecraft, but I fear that my use of the language is deteriorating, and what's more, I think it may be due to instant messaging. I noticed it particularly while in the midst of my latest blog entry on the Independent Maiden in Eire, but was more concerned with simply posting than ensuring any level of quality. Nonetheless, it is something that's been weighing on my mind. The word "ebullient" just popped into my head and made me think of it again, because that's such a good word that no one uses. I don't want my mind to go the way of (seemingly) the rest of America's...you know, down the toilet. [I'm not always fan of Kristof's editorials but I can always get behind some intellectual snobbery.] "Excellent" and "indeed", in particular, are two words that could do with a bit of paring from my vocabulary. I'll be working on it...
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