In case the article Pop linked to in today’s Morning Constitutional wasn’t enough for you, here’s video of the ridiculously huge and gaudy (and apparently enormously expensive– $250,000!) Touchdown Jesus statue in flames. As YouTube commenter THeSLoTH77 wrote, “It’s a sign… It’s a sign that churches squander away an unbelievable amount of money that could have been used for something good for mankind and not their egos.” And as the person who tipped me off to the story observed, “It’s a weird and wonderful world.” It was always pretty hilarious to drive past TD Jesus, but I’m...
Continue reading...United States
Meet Rick Barber, Patriot for Congress
Sure, he’s no Les Philip, or Dale Peterson, or even Tim James, but Rick Barber’s got a pretty inspiring ad here. Look at that: Founding Fathers. And they hated taxes just like he does. I actually really love how Rick conflates health care reform and the IRS, while totally and unceremoniously diminishing the Founders’ motivation for revolt to just a mere “tea tax.”
Continue reading...Homeownership sometimes isn't so good for society
Ryan Avent takes a look at Felix Salom’s arguments about the benefits of homeownership, but finds that sometimes, its societal benefits are a little overstated: It’s clearly right that homeowners take an active interest in local policy in an effort to protect and enhance local services and the value of their homes. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that homeowners are generating societal benefits. Take schools, for example. Homeowners take many actions to boost the performance of local schools, both because they’re interested in obtaining a quality education for their children and because school quality is capitalized into...
Continue reading...In Which I Fail to Violently Disagree With Ross Douthat
Wait, hold on: Ross Douthat wrote a column about feminism that didn’t leave me retching? Is it opposite day? As soon as I saw the headline– “No Mystique About Feminism,” I readied myself for the ensuing rage that invariably comes with reading Douthat’s commentary on the ladyfolk. And yet, the main point Douthat makes this time is one I kinda sorta agree with. He rehashes the feminist agitas over the female Republican candidates’ victories in last week’s primaries, and then announces that in actuality “their rise is a testament to the overall triumph of the women’s movement.”...
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 “Friedman’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose” 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 Roger \”Life of the Party\” Cohen, who in...
Continue reading...Doctor Who, "The Hungry Earth"
Rory: “Can’t you sonic it?” Doctor: “It doesn’t do wood.” Rory: “That is rubbish!” Doctor: “Oi! Don’t dis the sonic!” “The Hungry Earth” felt very much like a setup for next week’s conclusion, “Cold Blood,” but there were some great moments and suspenseful scenes to enjoy. Intending to take Amy and Rory to Rio, the Doctor triumphantly throws open the TARDIS door…and discovers the landscape of Cwmtaff, Wales in the year 2020. Oops.
Continue reading...Florida Governor Charlie Crist vetoes anti-abortion measure
Wait, is this the new Charlie Crist? Because I think I like the new Charlie Crist: Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would have required women seeking a first-trimester abortion to pay for an ultrasound exam and, with few exceptions, view the image or have it described to them by their doctor. Crist, a former Republican who is running for the U.S. Senate as an independent, said in his veto message that requirement would put an “inappropriate burden” on women seeking abortions and violate their privacy rights.
Continue reading..."The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."
It\’s like bringin a knife to a gunfight, pen to a test Your chest in the line of fire witcha thin-ass vest You bringin them Boyz II Men, HOW them boys gon\’ win? – Jay-Z, The Takeover When I moved to Boston, I lived in East Somerville. It\’s a working class neighborhood full of Brazilians and Portuguese, and in any other soccer story, any other match preview, I might write about the sounds and sights of East Somerville in June 2006. But this is a story about tomorrow\’s match, the first US match of this World Cup,...
Continue reading...On Women & This Week's Primaries
Rachael Larimore over at DoubleX is bemoaning the lack of excitement among feminists over the recent electoral victories for Republican women. She writes that “it is disappointing that many liberal women don’t even seem to want the GOP to have strong female candidates.” I don\’t think she’s got it quite right. It’s not that I don’t want the GOP to have strong female candidates, it’s that I’m not going to get giddy over candidates whose platforms I totally disagree with, regardless of their gender. Just like Sarah Palin doesn’t get points in my book for being a...
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 “Friedman’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose” 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 from Nicholas \”The Dark Crystal\” Kristof, who in his column...
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