Eric Alterman points out the obvious regarding media coverage of The Dow.
"Economic Illiteracy on the March: The Dow is not "at an all time high," for God's sake, as virtually every idiotic news outlet is reporting. It is down 17 percent from its peak, here. Numbers that do not take inflation into account are meaningless -- worse than meaningless, purposely misleading. In 1968 or so, I used to be able to buy two burgers, fries and a Coke for under a buck. Do the Dow numbers for 1968 deserve unmediated comparison?"
10/07/2006
10/05/2006
PC-Emerson-U?
There was a great movie from the 90's on TV late last night called PCU. Starring Entourage's Jeremy Piven, it's about life on a politically correct college campus. Frats have been forbidden, and there are constant protests by idiotic organizations (Piven's character, our hero, calls them "cause-heads" because they jump from cause to cause). There are the womynists, hippies, afro-centrists or black militants, etc.
This film was released about twelve years ago and may have been seen as a satire or parody then. Today, it's an understatement. When the ultra-PC college president threatened Piven's crew with a "sensitivity awareness week" punishment, I had to laugh.
The price of loyalty
Will Hastert resign to help GOP?
The National Review suggests that he might. Resign to help the election chances? Interesting.
The National Review suggests that he might. Resign to help the election chances? Interesting.
10/02/2006
Anger at Foley, Part 2
The Drudge Report is reporting that the editorial page of tomorrow's Washington Times will call on Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to resign. Why is this a big deal? Well, they're a conservative publication.
You better believe this is going to get worse before it gets better. Karl Rove should hope his "October surprise" involves pedophilic Democrats.
You better believe this is going to get worse before it gets better. Karl Rove should hope his "October surprise" involves pedophilic Democrats.
Anger at Foley
This video has Bay Buchanon -- that is Pat Buchanon's sister, I should add, enraged at the GOP leadership for not acting sooner on the Foley scandal.
I think Sen. George Allen may be the only person who is enjoying this.
I think Sen. George Allen may be the only person who is enjoying this.
10/01/2006
In my country there is problem
Anti-defamation league concerned over upcoming Borat film
Borat, the ignorant and virulently anti-semitic character played by Ali G star Sacha Baron Cohen, has said that in his country of Kazakhstan, women are just above rats. He adds, "In America, women can vote but horse cannot. It is the other way around in my country." He has gone to honky-tonk clubs to perform his song, "In my country there is problem," with the chorus of "Throw the Jew down the well/So my country can be free."
If it sounds hateful and abhorrent, that's the point. Cohen, who is Jewish, is one of the great comic minds of our time and an incredibly sharp satirist. The ADL press release takes the time to say they don't believe Cohen means any harm, but that the movie could reinforce stereotypes.
Of course it could. Any idiot who sees the movie and thinks that Borat is really onto something with his ridiculous statements could be influenced by just about anything. This is another example of not giving adults the benefit of the doubt. In our country, there is problem. And this problem is cultural sensitivity at the expense of common sense.
Borat, the ignorant and virulently anti-semitic character played by Ali G star Sacha Baron Cohen, has said that in his country of Kazakhstan, women are just above rats. He adds, "In America, women can vote but horse cannot. It is the other way around in my country." He has gone to honky-tonk clubs to perform his song, "In my country there is problem," with the chorus of "Throw the Jew down the well/So my country can be free."
If it sounds hateful and abhorrent, that's the point. Cohen, who is Jewish, is one of the great comic minds of our time and an incredibly sharp satirist. The ADL press release takes the time to say they don't believe Cohen means any harm, but that the movie could reinforce stereotypes.
Of course it could. Any idiot who sees the movie and thinks that Borat is really onto something with his ridiculous statements could be influenced by just about anything. This is another example of not giving adults the benefit of the doubt. In our country, there is problem. And this problem is cultural sensitivity at the expense of common sense.
9/29/2006
Now allowing comments!
The most frequent comment we hear about the blog is that we should allow comments. In the interest of making the page more democratic and debate-orientated, we've decided to do just that.
Some guidelines for posting:
-- Please stay on topic. No trolling or spamming.
-- Keep it clean. Refrain from obscenities.
-- Unless there is an issue of sensitivity regarding what you are posting or the opinion you are backing, leave at least your first name. If you're an Emerson student, tell us your class and major too.
Let the discussion begin.
Some guidelines for posting:
-- Please stay on topic. No trolling or spamming.
-- Keep it clean. Refrain from obscenities.
-- Unless there is an issue of sensitivity regarding what you are posting or the opinion you are backing, leave at least your first name. If you're an Emerson student, tell us your class and major too.
Let the discussion begin.
The Onion
The Onion takes aim at Boston-area college students.
Native Bostonians Unable To Defend Land From Invading College Students
"BOSTON—The now monthlong invasion carried out by more 200,000 college students who bombarded this quiet, historic city, has forced native Bostonians to relinquish their rights as citizens and settle into a new life under occupation.
Members of the first wave of intruders, who took control of Government Center earlier this month.
'This was clearly a highly coordinated operation that had been in the planning stages for months, and in some cases, years," said Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who has urged calm among the city's residents. 'I regret not reading the warning signs when thousands of them showed up last spring, scouting our highest-profile sites. But Bostonians are a resilient bunch, and we will do what we can to carry on with our lives as normal.'"
Lanson on Torture
Emerson's own Jerry Lanson has been writing (and blogging) about the legalization of torture.
Check it out.
He writes:
"There is only one thing worse than a U.S. president who illegally attacks another country, wiretaps his own citizens without court order and tortures prisoners of war. That one thing is a Congress that gives bipartisan support to these activities, legitimizing them in the eyes of the American public."
Check it out.
He writes:
"There is only one thing worse than a U.S. president who illegally attacks another country, wiretaps his own citizens without court order and tortures prisoners of war. That one thing is a Congress that gives bipartisan support to these activities, legitimizing them in the eyes of the American public."
9/28/2006
Feingold on Torture
Sen. Feingold has it right. Democrats should fillibuster the torture bill. It may fail -- but at least we will know where our Senators stand on this.
"Mr. President, I oppose the Military Commissions Act.
Let me be clear: I welcome efforts to bring terrorists to justice. It is about time. This Administration has too long been distracted by the war in Iraq from the fight against al Qaeda. We need a renewed focus on the terrorist networks that present the greatest threat to this country.
But Mr. President, we wouldn't be where we are today, five years after September 11 with not a single Guantanamo Bay detainee having been brought to trial, if the President had come to Congress in the first place, rather than unilaterally creating military commissions that didn't comply with the law. The President wanted to act on his own, and he dared the Supreme Court to stop him. And he lost. The Hamdan decision was an historic rebuke to an Administration that has acted for years as if it were above the law.
Finally, only because he was essentially ordered to do so by the Supreme Court, the President has agreed to consult with Congress. I would have hoped that we would take this opportunity to pass legislation that allows us to proceed in accordance with our laws and our values. That is what separates America from our enemies. These trials, conducted appropriately, have the potential to demonstrate to the world that our democratic, constitutional system of government is our greatest strength in fighting those who attacked us.
And that is why I am saddened that I must oppose this legislation. Because, Mr. President, the trials conducted under this legislation will send a very different signal to the world, one that I fear will put our own troops and personnel in jeopardy both now and in future conflicts. To take just a few examples, this legislation would permit an individual to be convicted on the basis of coerced testimony and hearsay, would not allow full judicial review of the conviction, and yet would allow someone convicted under these rules to be put to death. That is simply unacceptable. We would not stand for another country to try our citizens under those rules, and we should not stand for our own government to do so, either."
"Mr. President, I oppose the Military Commissions Act.
Let me be clear: I welcome efforts to bring terrorists to justice. It is about time. This Administration has too long been distracted by the war in Iraq from the fight against al Qaeda. We need a renewed focus on the terrorist networks that present the greatest threat to this country.
But Mr. President, we wouldn't be where we are today, five years after September 11 with not a single Guantanamo Bay detainee having been brought to trial, if the President had come to Congress in the first place, rather than unilaterally creating military commissions that didn't comply with the law. The President wanted to act on his own, and he dared the Supreme Court to stop him. And he lost. The Hamdan decision was an historic rebuke to an Administration that has acted for years as if it were above the law.
Finally, only because he was essentially ordered to do so by the Supreme Court, the President has agreed to consult with Congress. I would have hoped that we would take this opportunity to pass legislation that allows us to proceed in accordance with our laws and our values. That is what separates America from our enemies. These trials, conducted appropriately, have the potential to demonstrate to the world that our democratic, constitutional system of government is our greatest strength in fighting those who attacked us.
And that is why I am saddened that I must oppose this legislation. Because, Mr. President, the trials conducted under this legislation will send a very different signal to the world, one that I fear will put our own troops and personnel in jeopardy both now and in future conflicts. To take just a few examples, this legislation would permit an individual to be convicted on the basis of coerced testimony and hearsay, would not allow full judicial review of the conviction, and yet would allow someone convicted under these rules to be put to death. That is simply unacceptable. We would not stand for another country to try our citizens under those rules, and we should not stand for our own government to do so, either."
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