Not to harp on British politics, but it is indeed historic for Britain and holds many important implications for America when the Liberal Democrats top a poll for the first time in 104 years. (Caveat- The Lib-Dems are an 80’s merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party, nonetheless….) The idea behind the Lib-Dems is one that has reached its place in history at an important moment. I’ve said to people for some time that Barack Obama’s politics, when translating American politics and policy in British politics and policy, fall well within the realm of...
Continue reading...April 2010
On party girls and the question of treatment or punishment
Twenty-year-old Laura Hall from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, has become the first woman—nay—person to be banned from drinking everywhere within England or Wales. Hall was issued a Drinking Banning Order, which restricts her from going into any bar, club, or any drinking establishment whatsoever. She’s also not allowed to buy adult beverages, carry unsealed containers containing such adult refreshment, or drink in public. She’s been convicted multiple times of drinking-related disturbances, as well as flouting previous bans on local drinking. The order to stop drinking, which also forces her to take a course to tackle her drinking problem,...
Continue reading...Things I Drink And So Should You: Lager
There’s something about springtime that compels me to remember my youth. It’s remarkably hackneyed to have these remembrances, and I try to shove them off, knowing that they’re empty, knowing that they’re shells of memories that ought to be tinged with a sadness of what’s been lost. In the end, I fight off that urge to remember the whole and embrace the part that my mind asks me to recapture. I throw off the fringes of the memory that taint the innocence of the image I hold in my head. I remember Sunday mornings with my mother,...
Continue reading...New York Times Columnist Line of the Day
If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas “Fried at Last” Friedman, Gail “The Colander” Collins, Nicholas “The Dark Crystal” Kristof, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today\’s Line of the Day is from Roger \”Life of the Party\” Cohen\’s column \”The Living and...
Continue reading...Truth in (Crazy Anti-Choice) Advertising
Late last year, Baltimore City Council passed an ordinance requiring “limited service pregnancy centers” that do not provide abortion or birth control services to post signs saying so. The bill was enacted in response to complaints from pro-choicers that these centers were providing inaccurate and misleading information. Like, claiming that abortions are connected to breast cancer, for instance. They also tend to set up shop right next to actual clinics with actual health professionals who offer real, nonjudgmental options counseling to women. And they typically lure patients in with offers of free pregnancy testing (which just happens...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – 16 April 2010
Good morning, everybody. Steven Seagal has…troubles. We have your morning constitutional: President Obama on Thursday night announced new rules ordering hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid to grant visitation rights to same-sex partners. The new rules also make it easier for patients to allow their partners to make medical decisions on their behalf. Volcanic ash continues to hold up air transport in Europe for the second day, swamping other modes of transport as travelers seek alternate modes of transportation. Poland is hoping to not have to postpone the funeral for late President Lech Kaczyński, as the ash cloud...
Continue reading...Liveblogging the first ever British debate (except for, basically, every week in Parliament)
3.35- Clegg opens. Fairness, greedy bankers, etc…Also, the background looks like a children’s show set from the 1980’s. The Early 1980’s. 3.36- Brown and Cameron spoke. Yawn. 3.38- This seems like a Senatorial debate in the States. NO CHEF’S FROM OUTSIDE THE EU!!!!, Really Gordon? Really? That is where you go, the food makers? Have you tried finding good Mexican food in Britain? It’s impossible, because of THE LACK OF FUCKING IMMIGRATION FROM OUTSIDE THE EU. 3.48- Cameron just talked about robbers burning down a house. Yikes. 4.31- Totally stopped watching. 4.32- Clegg doesn’t like bureaucrats. Really...
Continue reading...New York Times Columnist Line of the Day
If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas “Fried at Last” Friedman, Gail “The Colander” Collins, Nicholas “The Dark Crystal” Kristof, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today\’s is from the almost-always-on-point Gail \”The Colander\” Collins, who in her column \”Celebrating the Joys of...
Continue reading...New Ways to Hate on Glenn Beck
Continuing on my poetry theme, I wanted to share this delightful recent discovery. As the friend who forwarded the website wrote, “poems, jewish stuff, making fun of glenn beck…I assume you were already aware?” I was not! According to their email blast, “Jewish Funds for Justice staged the Internet’s first “Twitterstorm” last week, flooding Glenn Beck’s Twitter account with some 3,000 haiku – Tweeted one by one, minute by minute – in support of social justice.” This was in response to Bleck’s (that was originally a typo, but on second thought seems apropos) tirade on churches that...
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