tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-121630682012-01-30T00:26:55.253-05:00Occasional rants on politics and persuasionAlna Demnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-41962333195754244882012-01-26T20:03:00.000-05:002012-01-26T20:03:25.208-05:00

Provenance unknown:

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-47755466703206881692011-12-26T07:40:00.007-05:002012-01-06T01:24:31.528-05:00

Matt Taibbi nails it: People like Dimon, and Schwarzman, and John Paulson, and all of the rest of them who think the “imbeciles” on the streets are simply full of reasonless class anger, they don’t get it. Nobody hates them for being successful. And not that this needs repeating, but nobody even minds that they are rich. What makes people furious is that they have stopped being citizens.And then

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-56244981902202313742011-11-09T14:58:00.004-05:002011-11-09T17:14:02.143-05:00

Holy smokes: "The Republican Party has totally abdicated its job in our democracy, which is to act as the guardian of fiscal discipline and responsibility," says David Stockman, who served as budget director under Reagan. "They're on an anti-tax jihad – one that benefits the prosperous classes."And for extra credit, he calls Grover Norquist a "fiscal terrorist." It's off to Fox reeducation camp

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-82499275595683378712011-11-05T10:16:00.001-05:002011-11-05T10:17:44.299-05:00

Worth remembering: The U.S. does not have oil. Exxon has oil. The Koch Bros have oil. When the oil is in our ground, Exxon (or whoever) owns it. That gives them the right to spend some of their billions to bribe (sorry, campaign-contribute, lobby) our public officials to let them drill it out.Then they put it on the open market, where we have the right to bid against the entire rest of the planet

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-81713530644328257862011-11-04T10:06:00.000-05:002011-11-04T10:06:22.214-05:00

Amanda Marcotte: Meanwhile, across the nation, people are losing their jobs and homes, and dying of treatable illnesses because they don’t have health insurance. With real victimhood all around us, it’s hard to find an ounce of sympathy for someone who feels victimized because they aren’t teaching creationism in schools, because they have to pay their taxes, or because they have to endure

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-27269021007402038962011-11-04T06:29:00.001-05:002011-11-04T06:31:54.798-05:00

A discussion last night on the nature of evil led me to revisit M. Scott Peck's People of the Lie, where he says:For adults to be the victims of evil, they must be powerless to escape. They may be powerless when a gun is held to their head...Or they may be powerless by virtue of their own failure of courage...Whenever adults not at gunpoint become victims of evil it is because they have - one way

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-30042634296097457212011-10-25T17:20:00.001-05:002011-10-25T17:22:13.178-05:00

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-68871652443196195332011-10-23T13:23:00.001-05:002011-10-23T13:23:59.142-05:00

Hunter explains, in his inimitable fashion: Here's a helpful tip: if you are a political pundit and you still don't know what Occupy Wall Street stands for, you are an idiot. If you purport to make your living analyzing the political landscape, or from parsing the effectiveness of various political messages, or if you write columns explaining what the American people want based on your deep,

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-76996334562824073312011-09-21T08:59:00.000-05:002011-09-21T08:59:38.270-05:00

Haven't been to Wonkette in a while, but today, reading reactions to Michele Bachmann's latest insane campaign commercial, I found this:Welcome to Batshit Bachmann's Emporium of Insanity! You want Xtian Fundamentalism! We'll push it!!! You want no regulations whatsoever! It's done. No more deficit spending! It's all yours! More War!! No more gubbiment in your Medicare? No Homo?!? Done, done and

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-10050844128314851112011-09-12T00:04:00.002-05:002011-09-17T10:25:06.102-05:00

Richard Trumka: Just 10 years after 9/11, despite our vows, the public servants, construction workers and others who lost their lives or still suffer with the cancerous remnants of the Twin Towers haven’t just been forgotten. They’ve been vilified. The extremist small government posse has turned them into public enemy No. 1, as though teachers and firefighters, EMTs and nurses and union

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-45096528918550318492011-06-07T12:58:00.002-05:002011-06-07T12:58:58.784-05:00

Rick Perlstein explains how we got here.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-2527746658879140262011-03-28T23:14:00.007-05:002011-04-04T12:29:09.632-05:00

Glenn Greenwald on billionaire self-pity:Since Obama was inaugurated, the Dow Jones has increased more than 50% -- from 8,000 to more than 12,000; the wealthiest received a massive tax cut; the top marginal tax rate was three times less than during the Eisenhower years and substantially lower than during the Reagan years; income and wealth inequality are so vast and rising that it is easily at

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-3359835078710216292010-11-10T11:44:00.000-05:002010-11-10T11:44:17.764-05:00

From the internets:Did you know that the words "race car" spelled backwards still spells "race car"? And that "eat" is the only English word that, if you take the first letter and move it to the last, spells its past tense: "ate." And if you rearrange the letters in "Tea Party Republicans," and add just a few more letters, it spells: "Shut up, you free-loading, progress-blocking,

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-71157107084828952332010-09-26T21:24:00.001-05:002010-09-26T21:35:58.047-05:00

Joint statement by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, American Geophysical Union, American Institute of Biological Sciences, American Meteorological Society, American Society of Agronomy, American Society of Plant Biologists, American Statistical Association, Association of Ecosystem Research Centers, Botanical Society of America, Crop Science

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-72044875851812179362010-07-21T10:38:00.005-05:002010-07-21T11:07:48.210-05:00

Open Left reminds us, courtesy of Darcy Burner, that bipartisanship is impossible when there are almost no Republicans in the upper right quarter of this graph.It's not just a problem of right versus left. It's a problem of zealots versus normal people. (Sorry, is my bias showing?)In fact, I would argue further that liberals are by definition disposed to cluster north of the pragmatic/zealous

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-91912353128033122032010-07-07T08:41:00.005-05:002010-07-07T09:21:40.580-05:00

From a Southern Poverty Law Center special report, the five media ringleaders of right-wing hate and extremism:Glenn Beck, Fox NewsAndrew Napolitano, Fox NewsAlex Jones, syndicated radio showCliff Kincaid, editor, The Aim ReportJohn Stadtmiller, founder, Republic Broadcasting NetworkThe "Patriot movement" has been fermenting ever since Papa Bush announced his New World Order in 1990, but it has

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-6291851226030660412010-06-30T21:51:00.004-05:002010-06-30T22:03:48.049-05:00

from the fine folks at Friends of the Earth:

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-19603064600740306782010-05-08T07:35:00.006-05:002010-05-08T09:34:57.344-05:00

Because they're sanguine in the face of numbers like these:The richest 1% of earners took 8% of national income in 1973. By 2006, it was nearly 23%.The pay gap between the top 100 CEOs and workers was 45 to 1 in 1970. By 2006, it was 1,723 to 1.Real weekly wages - in other words, what working stiffs take home - dropped 18% between 1973 and 2007.In truth there are quite a few other reasons

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-50155351142662022192010-04-13T11:14:00.003-05:002010-04-13T11:37:27.176-05:00

from the brilliant files of Haik U Glenn Beck:Justice is socialIt's never solitaryOne hand can't clap, BeckFat alligatorLazing on the river bankDigesting Glenn Beckglenn beck's life is hardsurfing the ignorant beachon brown, fearful wavesBlotchy anger clownI guess you never got toclap the erasersBet you would cry, tooHearing your brain cells swan diveOut your ear canalsUsing a blackboardwon't

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-14526085347661599292010-04-08T22:22:00.004-05:002010-04-14T22:11:58.246-05:00

We've got to get a handle on the Confederacy (UPDATE: described by Jim Newell as "a treasonous tumor on American history, promulgated by consolidated oligarchic financial interests intent on paying zero labor costs")Ta-Nehisi Coates on the weariness of racism10 simple Google trix25 hedge fund managers = 680,000 teachersand2 half-faces ≠ 1 normal face

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-36032644159244305522010-04-05T15:24:00.002-05:002010-04-05T15:26:43.041-05:00

One of my favorite animations ever, by the great Bill Plympton:

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-74126665150846201562010-03-30T06:18:00.004-05:002010-03-30T10:42:41.049-05:00

Know that the right is utterly wrong.Remember the bobblespeak translations.Welcome to Glennbeckistan: it's called "Utah."

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-24272917287464822282010-03-28T08:32:00.004-05:002010-04-12T10:59:54.369-05:00

Christopher Walken responds to the Census.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-12460387152187654512010-03-23T16:49:00.001-05:002010-03-23T16:53:06.326-05:00

24% of Republicans think Obama may be the Antichrist.to cheer myself up, I go to Nietzsche Family Circus.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-4120074193399161012010-03-21T09:11:00.016-05:002010-04-12T11:02:42.790-05:00

It's called the Dunning-Kruger effect. No joke.Elsewhere on the net:Comforter of Self-Hating Liberals David Brooks - the only pundit I hate as much as Our Lady of Perpetual Conventional Wisdom Cokie Roberts - is deconstructed in this timeless post. UPDATE: Matt Taibbi eviscerates him again.More sci fi from Devilstower.Schadenfreude: so delicious!On this happy day, kudos to Nancy Pelosi.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-59683824961117711412010-03-17T11:09:00.001-05:002010-03-17T11:10:37.457-05:00

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-33696019314902383082010-03-06T22:29:00.005-05:002010-03-09T12:52:32.076-05:00

We've driven 2,600 miles in five days. I'm road-weary. Still, a few notes:Required reading for conservatives: income inequality makes rich people miserable, too.Steve Benen's political dictionary is very helpful.No wonder I like science fiction... I've always said I'm 12 years old.Cokie Roberts is still an idiot.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-59859608755440297412010-03-01T00:50:00.007-05:002010-03-01T02:00:07.431-05:00

Today's reading (it came up) is from a 2003 Jonathan Rauch article called Caring for Your Introvert:Are introverts misunderstood? Wildly. That, it appears, is our lot in life. "It is very difficult for an extrovert to understand an introvert," write the education experts Jill D. Burruss and Lisa Kaenzig. ... Extroverts are easy for introverts to understand, because extroverts spend so much of

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-309414318439284522010-02-26T10:56:00.005-05:002010-02-26T13:27:50.272-05:00

...and other notes from today's surfing:Ayn Rand based her concept of "ideal man" on a notorious serial killerProgressive media still have problems of money and scale but their growing influence is undeniablethe Confederates are reassemblingSally Quinn is not a good role modelsarcasm is better perceived by the left earand (hooray)circumcision is unnecessary.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-60990418626760578992010-01-12T13:02:00.003-05:002010-01-12T21:12:54.770-05:00

...and the thousands of other brothers born without soul?

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-16877352948108972182009-12-07T15:05:00.002-05:002009-12-07T15:14:24.295-05:00

Watch the ad.... then send your $5 here.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-83592000109123250812009-10-28T17:28:00.006-05:002009-10-28T21:00:48.593-05:00

Corny but heartfelt: Two weeks ago during the Damariscotta Pumpkin Fest, people were asked what they love about the town, and here are their responses set to music. After you’ve noted the Captain & Toast at the 2:32 mark, for excitement you can skip to the end to watch the Great Pumpkin Drop! (Sorry, no footage of the pumpkin races here.)

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-20197579554386907312009-09-10T21:06:00.006-05:002009-09-10T21:35:59.342-05:00

And now she's reached the great orange pinnacle:Congratulations to the wonderful Alna Harridan for being articulate, thoughtful, photogenic, and having a great voice to boot.See the video here, and while you're at it, sign the petition to get Senator Snowe to focus her attention on the citizens of Maine instead of the insurance lobby.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-7870679781797604182009-09-08T19:59:00.001-05:002009-09-08T20:02:42.752-05:00

This is just excellent, excellent, excellent:Pass it on.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-6707720630461816942009-08-04T10:06:00.001-05:002009-08-04T10:10:24.132-05:00

If you can grasp conditional probability - and you can - you'll see that health insurance recission is not rare.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-56831772184911418082009-06-28T22:21:00.005-05:002009-06-28T22:27:04.922-05:00

once again...

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-22157189475002291702009-05-12T08:21:00.004-05:002009-05-12T08:32:32.233-05:00

This shot by AP photographer Chris Colson just won best in show and first prize in the "professional campaign/election" category, out of an international field of 1,500, in a contest sponsored by the Freedom Forum's Newseum. It shows candidate Obama at the Democratic convention, moments after clinching the nomination.What a beautiful moment.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-82527009781016065292009-03-29T22:56:00.003-05:002009-03-29T23:07:59.991-05:00

Greetings from California! Here are four of the six grandchildren spending quality time together in the usual relaxed, Herz family style. (Note the youngest pounding his brother with the rubber ball at about the 0.44 mark...)

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-54483804498003766682009-03-11T12:42:00.003-05:002009-03-11T16:56:28.066-05:00

I wrote this to help an environmentalist friend of mine persuade others to join him in Accountability Now, the group founded by Jane Hamsher and Glenn Greenwald to keep elected officials responsive to citizens, not lobbyists. Evidently there are still a handful of single-issue activists out there wary of sharing causes and diluting their power.Here's my advice. First, go back and read The

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-38364423621979242012009-02-26T09:22:00.001-05:002009-02-26T09:24:51.840-05:00

Uncanny:

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-9282046644642513662009-02-24T20:10:00.003-05:002009-02-24T20:18:37.209-05:00

In honor of Mr. Alna Dem, of Excelsior, MN:Two Minnesotans, Sven & Ole, walk into a pet shop near Brainerd. They head to the bird section and Sven says to Ole, "Dat's dem."The owner comes over and asks if he can help them."Yah sure, ve'll take four of dem der little budgies in dat cage up dere," says Sven.The owner puts the budgies in a paper bag. Ole and Sven pay for the birds, leave the shop,

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-61835867253465796112009-02-23T15:56:00.002-05:002009-02-23T15:57:25.601-05:00

This is a classic, even if you don't like Robin Williams OR golf.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-44296873586945134282009-02-21T14:47:00.003-05:002009-02-21T14:57:56.980-05:00

...is laid out here. It's quite a record. I've always thought of Will as an insufferable, self-regarding toad without quite knowing why. I didn't know about the lies and ethical lapses. Guess my instincts are good.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-82381549801390868682009-02-15T16:35:00.004-05:002009-02-15T16:40:59.145-05:00

For no reason at all, other than it's a sweet Sunday afternoon, I present the Smothers Brothers singing their hilarious version of "Boil That Cabbage Down." And yes, this is the one with the pumas in the crevasses!

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-76499767346829699792009-02-13T00:17:00.003-05:002009-02-13T01:02:44.599-05:00

This open letter to Obama from former religious rightwinger Frank Schaeffer is simply astounding. He takes every warning the left has made against bipartisan soul-selling and amplifies it - then hits it out of the park. He says: The religious right and neocons who constitute the majority of the party are motivated by hatred and fear. Both groups despise Obama and will do everything in their

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-30668608700775495542009-02-12T19:26:00.003-05:002009-02-12T23:18:58.434-05:00

Don't miss the yearbook photos of your favorite pols over at Veto Corleone, along with the celebrity version at Hollywood Fail.Seriously.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-48985464945305705722009-02-11T16:46:00.003-05:002009-02-12T12:38:19.306-05:00

Us bloggers, that is. Chris Bowers explains why the DC press corps was so horrified that President Obama called on Huffington Post the other night:...[N]ew media has allowed alternative power centers on the left-wing of the Democratic / progressive coalition to rise as challenges to established, and largely corporate, dominance. No one in the political and media establishment would attack the

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-25439705611278512652009-02-06T17:25:00.009-05:002009-02-06T17:44:30.633-05:00

My god this is a good catch. John Cole on bipartisanship: I really don’t understand how bipartisanship is ever going to work when one of the parties is insane. Imagine trying to negotiate an agreement on dinner plans with your date, and you suggest Italian and she states her preference would be a meal of tire rims and anthrax. If you can figure out a way to split the difference there and find a

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-51227561948128715882009-02-01T20:38:00.002-05:002009-02-01T20:48:39.705-05:00

So I took the Belief-O-Matic test over at Beliefnet and scored 97% Quaker! (I also scored 100% Unitarian, but then, who wouldn't.)

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-26571889991953409292009-01-30T16:42:00.003-05:002009-01-30T17:04:26.074-05:00

Selections from the 2008 Bulwer-Lytton contest:Grand Prize: Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist, white breath through manhole covers stamped "Forged by DeLaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J." --Garrison Spik, Washington, D.C.Adventure: "Die, commie pigs!"

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-12772426089466597652009-01-28T11:00:00.006-05:002009-01-28T12:07:28.447-05:00

Conservatives love to "otherize," or identify demons they can then project their moral clarity all over. First the communists, now the terrorists.... The existence of our republic is at stake! It's black and white, good and evil, us or them, every waking minute. And the hell with sissy diplomacy and liberal due process.J. Peter Scoblic's U.S. Vs. Them (out last April) examines fifty years of

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-91356744800598396752009-01-26T18:54:00.004-05:002009-01-26T19:06:51.659-05:00

From Friends of the Earth Action: Obama shows early leadership on climate, acts on states’ request to move forward with clean cars standardsWASHINGTON, D.C.—President Barack Obama today directed his administration to take action on a waiver that will allow California and 13 other states to limit global warming pollution from cars and trucks. Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder had

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-79228746703763573662009-01-22T09:47:00.009-05:002009-01-22T10:59:00.255-05:00

Following my post on third culture kids, don't miss the excellent NYT piece on the multiculti Obamas. (The full version of the map graphic can be found here.) They are black, white, Chinese, Indonesian, Irish, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, descended from slaves and descended from abolitionists. They speak nine different languages. Michelle has a cousin who's a rabbi. It's a wonderful American story

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-30172637467080305292009-01-19T11:58:00.006-05:002009-01-19T13:50:13.405-05:00

It was class warfare, government for the few, a kleptocracy, the crime of the century: Its purpose was never to make America a better place. Indeed, if we define America as a country belonging to its 300 million inhabitants, then the purpose was actually precisely the opposite. The mission of this ideology was in fact to diminish, if not impoverish, the vast bulk of these citizens so that the

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-62179703059442721882009-01-11T23:46:00.004-05:002009-01-12T10:04:31.850-05:00

...on the planet Earth. Truly extraordinary:Here's a description from, of all places, a NASA photo website. Happiness and dancing transcend political boundaries and occur in practically every human society. Above, Matt Harding traveled through many nations on Earth, started dancing, and filmed the result. The video is perhaps a dramatic example that humans from all over planet Earth feel a common

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-40956860950422404272009-01-01T14:50:00.005-05:002009-01-04T13:41:02.397-05:00

...via Wonkette, via conservative blogger Jon Swift, the year's best posts on both sides of the aisle as nominated by the bloggers themselves. And here's my favorite:TBogg: Your Mumia sweatshirt won’t get you into heaven anymore. TBogg explains reality to Ralph Nader voters. I could really have used this post the day Snoozetska and I tried to explain presidential politics to a food co-op manager

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-53976284563280379652008-12-27T11:15:00.004-05:002008-12-29T09:14:27.119-05:00

Huffpo has the top ten most-watched videos of the year. Some are pretty weird - Indian baby-tossing, anyone? - but I was pleased to see that Billo made first place.UPDATE: Lest we forget, there's the rant dance remix and the Stephen Colbert edition.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-79158772383738985272008-12-26T16:13:00.007-05:002008-12-26T17:51:22.412-05:00

This piece hit the Daily Beast awhile back but didn't seem to get a lot of play. I think it's fascinating: According to sociologists, Obama is a classic "Third Culture Kid" sharing the traits of many people with expat childhoods. These TCKs often grow into adults who are socially adaptable, intellectually flexible, and have a global perspective. They think outside the box and are good at

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-57748868965306081692008-12-01T09:41:00.003-05:002008-12-01T09:45:56.335-05:00

Oh, interesting. The father of the modern Republican party isn't Goldwater. leading on to Reagan and then to G.W. Bush. The bloodlines run straight from Joseph McCarthy.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-29954959996648876522008-10-29T09:09:00.003-05:002008-10-29T22:06:21.005-05:00

According to a new study of personality and politics:Right-wingers hoard cleaning supplies, calendars, postage stamps, and laundry products. Liberals have cluttered offices, colorful bedrooms, lots of CDs, and eclectic taste in music and movies.These differences map out regionally just like our red-blue voting map. Also:Conservatives are traditional, self-disciplined, rule-following, organized,

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-10034197101745790042008-10-28T10:44:00.008-05:002008-10-28T18:57:16.673-05:00

I've been hearing reports of yard-sign theft from the good Democratic front lawns and highway triangles of Lincoln County, so I was pleased to see this handy advice from our friends at the Hancock County Democratic Committee:Sign theft and vandalism continues to be a problem in some areas. District Attorney Michael Povich has issued a statement regarding this, which you can download from the

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-78126736254517812552008-10-27T12:45:00.008-05:002008-10-30T10:25:39.376-05:00

I've said this before, haven't I? Dems keep nominating cortex candidates while Republicans go all lizard-brain. Except that this time we didn't, even if it was by the skin of our teeth. And by choosing Obama over Clinton, we finally have a candidate who communicates emotion, not policy. Obama is our Reagan, according to George Lakoff.And here's why it matters so much. Democrats, can we please

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-34396292399488599822008-10-26T09:48:00.005-05:002008-10-26T11:00:21.218-05:00

...if not longer. Ilyka cures us of any latent William F. Buckley nostalgia. Conservatism as ushered in with the founding of the National Review is little more than a euphemism for white supremacy: I am telling you, leftybeans, you have all had amnesia. Every single piece of drivel you find in The Corner, every lulzy post at Bacon o’Playdough, every Goldsteinian meltdown and Instapunditious

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-71113948283506881202008-10-24T13:49:00.001-05:002008-10-24T13:52:15.966-05:00

Check out the top ten zip codes of his donors:10021 - New York, N.Y.85253 - Paradise Valley, Ariz.10022 - New York, N.Y.06830 - Greenwich, Conn.92660 - Newport Beach, Calif.22101 - McLean, Va.75205 - Dallas, Texas77024 - Houston, Texas78209 - San Antonio, Texas63124 - St. Louis, Mo.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-75170654441833926742008-10-21T08:33:00.005-05:002008-10-21T09:05:29.385-05:00

Huffpo on the netroots and the end of Rovian politics:Traditional media might call out a lie once and then move on to the next shiny thing. Bloggers are obsessive and, being everywhere, will follow a story into every last corner, forever.The internet makes easier to disseminate character smears but harder to make them stick.Instead of relying on 30-second campaign ads and TV sound bites, voters

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1390900631678975752008-10-15T13:43:00.004-05:002008-10-15T13:56:58.619-05:00

And therefore, when National Review's Byron York tries to pin the credit crisis on Democrats, minorities, and the Community Reinvestment Act, Taibbi hands him his head:Tell me you're not ashamed to put this gigantic international financial Krakatoa at the feet of a bunch of poor black people who missed their mortgage payments. The CDS market, this market for credit default swaps that was created

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-15140387498229481772008-10-04T15:43:00.002-05:002008-10-04T15:47:15.253-05:00

...you can point out that we're down to five and they all want those McCain tax cuts:The multinational corporations that run the mainstream media — GE (NBC), Time Warner (CNN), Walt Disney (ABC), News Corporation (FOX), and Viacom (CBS) — stand to benefit hugely under a McCain presidency. The centerpiece of Sen. McCain’s economic plan — actually, the whole plan — is large tax cuts for

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-76862034526971154052008-10-01T22:56:00.005-05:002008-10-02T10:37:14.581-05:00

From FoE Action's press release:Allen called a consistent supporter of clean air, clean water and clean energy; Collins has frequently sided with Bush and special interestsFriends of the Earth Action today endorsed Congressman Tom Allen for Senate, saying there is a significant difference between his consistent support for environmental protection and fair trade and incumbent Senator Susan

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-56740322472528719052008-09-29T21:12:00.001-05:002008-09-29T21:13:37.596-05:00

I could watch this all day.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-42421727593078193602008-09-21T11:57:00.003-05:002008-09-21T12:24:30.469-05:00

On the economic bailout front, don't miss:Bernie's Bailout Manifesto, in which Sen. Bernard Sanders states the four principles that ought to be applied to any bailout; andYes, There Are Deeply Angry Democratic Members of Congress, in which an anonymous lawmaker expresses his true feelings about the most selfish people on the face of the planet.As one commenter put it,HAND OVER THE $700 BILLION

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-66000854713484515202008-09-18T06:28:00.012-05:002008-09-18T09:32:10.728-05:00

They live in a different moral universe. And we need to take it seriously.Republicans have different gut feelings than we do, because they use a different mix of the morality spectrum. That's the thesis of a piece called "What Makes People Vote Republican?" It's overly long, but a must-read for anyone working in the fields of persuasion or reconciliation:Not everyone who votes Republican has been

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-21337677808301271982008-09-17T21:57:00.009-05:002008-09-18T09:35:41.172-05:00

Friends, relatives, countrymen… if you know and love any Republicans (or are one), I beg you to read this piece by Wick Allison, former editor of the National Review. It’s an extraordinary repudiation of the conservative movement as it stands today, along with a thoughtful look at Obama. Then send it on:In 1964, at the age of 16, I organized the Dallas County Youth for Goldwater. My senior thesis

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-50127672773203788742008-09-15T17:48:00.005-05:002008-09-15T20:38:33.062-05:00

I hadn't heard of Tim Wise, author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son, until a recent email. He's thought-provoking, to say the least. Excerpts:White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents,

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-60178087673912151172008-09-15T14:37:00.003-05:002008-09-15T14:39:47.918-05:00

The DNC is tracking lies over at McCainpedia.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-13898250460304340112008-09-10T14:21:00.004-05:002008-09-12T23:41:07.344-05:00

An entirely fresh take on the cell-war debates, from a doctor in the family: If McCain and Palin believe that life starts at conception when there is but one cell, how do they define death? When someone is dead and their heart stops and they stop breathing and their brain stops working, there are still trillions of functioning cells that are very much alive and carrying out their individual

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-28078624401753036412008-09-01T16:37:00.007-05:002008-09-01T17:03:43.116-05:00

This interesting take on Sarah Palin comes from Pete Hauschka, a school principal who has lived in Alaska for ten years. He's the brother of Warner Chabot, a colleague of my husband. Pete requests that we pass his words on "to those who will use them well." Emphasis added by me:Good evening, lots of friends and relatives have been asking me (as an Alaskan) what I think of Sarah Palin, our

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-44476138832930759922008-08-27T08:44:00.004-05:002008-08-27T08:51:37.663-05:00

A modest proposal: Between now and election day, let's all fly the American flag proudly alongside our Obama and Tom Allen yard signs. It sends a powerful image. Just check out this picture over at Bag News.(And while you're at it, check out the rest of their excellent work.)

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-55991958861973647392008-08-25T06:44:00.010-05:002008-08-25T13:23:12.129-05:00

Netroots alone lack the critical mass to change a media narrative, both because we're small and because we're not yet legitimate. We need established opinion-makers to pick up and continue any buzz that we start. We did this with the Trent Lott/Strom Thurmond story and then again with the Plame case and the attorney general firings scandal. But we failed in lots of other cases (the Downing Street

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-61405926968570930062008-07-30T18:11:00.009-05:002008-07-31T13:01:35.408-05:00

I have friends that, for whatever reason ( "It's too mean!" "It's too evil!") still don't read Wonkette. But oh my god the comments. The names alone - dogless liberal, speakerblowupdoll (with tiny Newt icon!), ronaldpagan, MoodProcessor, NoWireHangers, neitscheprojectile, The Incomparable Tiny Valdez - bring sunshine to my day. Not to mention the wit and the pithy, pithy, insidery insight.Here

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-29441539613581082582008-07-28T13:44:00.006-05:002008-07-28T19:10:49.731-05:00

Here, courtesy of Collins Watch, is a list of key Bush initiatives she supported: Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 Defeating withdrawal time lines in Iraq supplementals--multiple votes Military Commissions Act of 2006 Confirmation of Samuel A. Alito to the Supreme Court Jobs and Growth Tax Relief

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-54706722867397724022008-07-21T08:37:00.003-05:002008-07-28T19:08:02.777-05:00

...in human development, that is, as measured by health, education, and income. The BBC reports on Oxfam's American Human Development Project:Americans live shorter lives than citizens of almost every other developed nation. The US ranked 42nd in the world for life expectancy despite spending more on health care per person than any other country. Overall, the American Human Development Report

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-30658264817527077082008-07-06T08:56:00.004-05:002008-07-07T13:06:05.942-05:00

They add up to neofeudalism, and it's time to push back:Growth means 'more billionaires'. Progress means 'less taxes' and 'lower wages'. Freedom means anything that brings "growth" and "progress."

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-85708755402236222892008-07-02T08:29:00.003-05:002008-07-02T13:34:35.961-05:00

Collect the whole set:sheer ignorance: Ignorance of critical facts about important events in the news, and ignorance of how our government functions and who's in charge.negligence: The disinclination to seek reliable sources of information about important news events.wooden-headedness: The inclination to believe what we want to believe regardless of the facts.shortsightedness: The support of

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-8733606249281895312008-06-08T18:30:00.004-05:002008-06-08T18:47:20.771-05:00

At the National Conference for Media Reform, Bill Moyers is sparking, as always, incredible dialog on the media's responsibility for our current political situation. Now comes Paul Rosenberg to say that Republicans are not the enemy in November (they're "a pathetic wreck"). It's hegemony, led by the corporate media: In the 1990s, the media led the charge to depose Bill Clinton. As Gene Lyons

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-45030918413593841352008-05-28T07:31:00.001-05:002008-05-28T07:36:21.732-05:00

Steve Clemons at The Washington Note has published a collection of Eisenhower quotes so thoughtful it makes you almost long for the 50s... Very worthwhile reading. Go here for the full set. Here's a sample: If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking. . . is freedom. -- Dwight D. EisenhowerIn most communities it is

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-46437775659763882342008-05-24T06:32:00.005-05:002008-05-26T18:03:42.689-05:00

UPDATE:Senator Clinton writes to say, "Thank you for your message. I have received thousands of emails from people all over the country. Your comments are very important to me and I am excited that so many people are joining our conversation about how to change the direction of the country." She suggests that I volunteer, donate, become a Hillraiser, or otherwise get involved in the campaign. She

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-91589748373094350642008-05-23T21:13:00.003-05:002008-05-23T21:31:02.144-05:00

Ted Kennedy, on the death of his brother, Robert:The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of new ideas and bold projects. Rather it will belong to those who can blend vision, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals and great enterprises of American Society.I'm sure

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-32258669779450531412008-05-11T20:21:00.004-05:002008-05-11T20:31:18.745-05:00

Your indecision has a cost. You are permitting a candidate who cannot possibly win to tear down our presumptive nominee for no purpose.As you sit idle, Clinton supporters are hardening their opposition to Obama, and weakening him in the eyes of the general electorate.You are giving John McCain a clear field to consolidate his support among disparate groups, make conflicting promises, and issue

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-69076377426671391822008-04-05T18:44:00.008-05:002008-04-06T17:09:17.812-05:00

This just out: Professional historians weigh in again on the Bush Administration and 98.2% say it's a failure (up from 81% four years ago). Sixty-one percent further judge Bush as the worst American president of all time (up sharply from 11.6% four years ago). By contrast, 28% of the American public still think Bush is A-okay. The poll, conducted by History News Network, includes responses

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1164891780920220932006-11-30T07:45:00.000-05:002006-11-30T08:03:00.966-05:00

Digby on the scope of this administration's failures: I blame the media for this. After 9/11 they lost their minds and became unthinking hagiographers and adminstration cheerleaders to an absurd extent. The man's halting, incoherent first press conference after 9/11 scared me more than the attacks and yet the press corps behaved as if they were in the presence of a God whose stuttering,

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1162845167716180432006-11-06T15:29:00.000-05:002006-11-06T15:32:47.746-05:00

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1161792454361454072006-10-25T10:56:00.000-05:002006-10-25T11:07:34.396-05:00

Help get the truth out. Large numbers of people get their information about candidates by checking them out on the internet in the weeks before the election. Here's a collection of Republican candidates in competitive races linked to damning articles written by independent, nonpartisan sources. Just click on a name, any name, to help build the links that will lead search engines to these articles

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1158981818937562662006-09-22T22:17:00.000-05:002006-09-22T22:23:38.980-05:00

Natural Resources Council of Maine released a global warming report this week, and here's Damariscotta at 1m and 6m rise in sea level.I'm just sayin'.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1156694949214768472006-08-27T11:03:00.000-05:002006-08-27T11:09:09.240-05:00

From Tom Toles:

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1153654246691599572006-07-23T06:20:00.000-05:002006-07-23T06:30:46.740-05:00

These are making the rounds and I think they're very reasonable. What are the Top Seven best things that the Bush Administration has done? Is the Iraq War is going well? After three years thus far, when do you think Iraq might be able to "stand up" so that America can "stand down"? For his part in the event, how would you rate the job the President did protecting New Orleans from

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1152014975738060692006-07-04T07:04:00.000-05:002006-07-04T07:13:04.200-05:00

O God of earth and altar, bow down and hear our cry,Our earthly rulers falter, our people drift and die;The walls of gold entomb us, the swords of scorn divide,Take not thy thunder from us, but take away our pride. From all that terror teaches, from lies of tongue and pen,From all the easy speeches that comfort cruel men,From sale and profanation of honor, and the sword,From sleep and from

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1150741294344844562006-06-19T13:10:00.000-05:002006-06-19T13:22:28.823-05:00

Indian yoga:Irish yoga:Hey, we all relax any way we can. It's summer in Maine and time for a mental health break (for this blogger, anyway). Check back in September as we head into the election season fully renewed and on the attack. Have a great summer and thanks for stopping by.

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1150089097531287502006-06-11T23:51:00.000-05:002006-06-12T00:11:37.560-05:00

We interrupt this conference to bring you my five-hour excursion to the Hoover Dam, complete with tour of turbines, penstocks, intake towers, and diversion tunnels! Yes, I am a dam geek. For reasons too complex to go into here, I have dragged husbands all over this great country to see impounded water. Once when we drove from Maine to New Orleans (already kind of a long trip), I veered us 200

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1150035018662002882006-06-11T08:38:00.000-05:002006-06-11T09:15:10.943-05:00

Nagourney: Mr. Reid added: "One of the reasons I so admire them is they have the ability to spread the truth like no entities I've dealt with in recent years. We could never have won the battle to stop privatization of Social Security without them." [...] As became clear from the rather large and diverse crowd here, the blogosphere has become for the left what talk radio has been for the

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12163068.post-1149961304183937412006-06-10T12:31:00.000-05:002006-06-10T12:41:45.413-05:00

Okay, put me to shame, Leolabeth (go read the comments below for her liveblogging). I'm having trouble getting posts up because the information is flying so fast - unlike, say, the Maine Democratic Convention - that I can't stop to post. And activities are going on every minute well into the night. Moreover, I plead slooowww network...So this is just a checkin to let you know this conference is

Alna Demnoreply@blogger.com1