This Guardian article attracted my attention because it name-checked Dorothy Parker, but it kept my attention because it raises a good point: What happened to the salon? Christina Patterson attended one recently and thought it was a really good time: If it wasn’t exactly Dorothy Parker and the Algonquin Round Table, it was still an […]
Paul Constant
Posted inPolitics
President Obama Talks About the Economy and the Middle Class
The full text of his speech can be found here (in the video his speech starts at the 49 minute mark). The crux of the speech is this: With an endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals, Washington has taken its eye off the ball. And I am here to say this needs […]
Posted inPolitics
What Year Is This, Again?
I swear, I’ve read this story before. ObamaCare is at the center of a rapidly escalating fight that threatens to shut the government down this fall…Senate Republicans, including two members of the leadership, are coalescing around a proposal to block any government funding resolution that includes money for the implementation of the 2010 Affordable Care […]
Posted inGun Club
Gun Owners Live in Fear
Heidi Yewman fulfilled the bare minimum requirements for gun ownership in America. She didn’t take any training or safety classes, because she wasn’t legally required to take them. Then she walked around with that gun for a month and wrote about her experiences. I grant you that this is a very gimmicky concept for an […]
Posted inNews
President Obama: “Trayvon Martin Could Have Been Me 35 Years Ago”
An emotional President Obama gave a surprise speech about the Zimmerman trial in the White House briefing room this morning, saying that “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” and refuting the idea that race had nothing to do with the case. Obama called Stand Your Ground laws into question, saying that the […]
Posted in$$$
Libertarianism Never Works in the Real World
Lynn Stuart Parramore’s article about what happened when a libertarian took the reigns of Sears should be read by everyone who wants to see what happens when libertarianism is applied to the real world. Libertarian ideals always fail in practice, and when you try to say that to a libertarian—Alan Greenspan sinking the global economy […]
Posted inBooks
Zimmerman Juror Decides to Not Write Book After Internet Flips Out About It
Because the internet (specifically Twitter) flipped the fuck out when it was announced that a juror on the Zimmerman trial was going to write a book about the experience, the juror’s literary agent pulled out of the deal: After careful consideration of the book project with Zimmerman #JurorB37, I have decided to rescind my offer […]
Posted inTV
ABC Gives Anti-Vaccine Kook a Huge Platform
Huffington Post says: Jenny McCarthy will be the co-host of “The View,” Barbara Walters announced Monday. So the most prominent anti-vaccine nutjob in the world gets a gig hosting the most influential daily talk show on a major television network. If you think this isn’t a big deal, go visit stopjenny.com, which has a bunch […]
Posted inBooks
Three Responses to Hateful Homophobe Orson Scott Card’s Plea for “Tolerance”
Yesterday, Orson Scott Card made an insane plea for tolerance of his intolerance. The reactions are flying hot and heavy: 1. David Gerrold, the author of the Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” has responded to Card with a Facebook post: You want me to be tolerant, Scott? First be one of those people […]
Posted inGay Marriage
Jackass Says DOMA Ruling Is Cause for “Revolution”
This will be the biggest religious revolution America has seen since that time the damned gubmint told white people to share their water fountains with everyone else:
Posted inPolitics
Rick Perry Is Not Running for a Fourth Term
Rick Perry has announced that he’s not seeking reelection as governor of Texas. He says he’s not made up his mind about future plans, which probably means he’s going to run for president again. His speech is poorly delivered but decently written, without, at the time of this writing, a single “oops.” Go watch it […]
Posted in?!?!?
Putting the Leg in Legos
I’ve seen any number of Lego construction photos and videos on the internet in my life, but this is by far the best. And the best part of this video, I think, is toward the end, when her first few attempts at standing fail. Each time, she just laughs, sits down, and starts work on […]