In news about phrases you loathe (the “fiscal clifff,” if you need a reminder), the president and congressional leaders are apparently brewing up some kind of bipartisan compromise on taxes—extending the Bush tax cuts for everyone making $400,000 or less. But because life is terrible, and Congress is grumpy about working over the holidays, it will probably blow up.
The United States Senate, taking a break from harrumphing, did manage to approve an extension of a controversial program that allows the government to continue spying on its own citizens.
Another person was shoved to his death beneath a rumbling subway in New York City—the second such attack in less than a month.
Internet anonymity is increasingly impossible in China, where authorities are instituting even more vigorous controls over the country’s use of the internet. The moves might be connected to a series of sex and money scandals in which humble Internet users managed to tar and out prominent political leaders.
I joked about the Gulf War yesterday, not realizing that would turn out to be the actual day that General “Stormin'” Norman Schwarzkoph would up and die. He was 78.
Guns! Every day! A man shot up a New Jersey police station, injuring three cops. He was killed when other officers returned fire.
Guns! Every day! That one racist sheriff in Phoenix wants to round up an armed posse of volunteers to guard schools. Because, yes, I’d want the kind of people who’d volunteer for this program to be in charge of guarding my children.
A homeless woman in Southern California, known for bunking down on the same bench every night for 10 years, was set on fire by a man who didn’t know her and was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis.
Why would anyone think it’s weird that someone stuck a statue of a praying Adolf Hitler in the old Warsaw ghetto.
Don’t eat raw eggs. Not one. Not 28. Especially not 28.
My gosh Dennis – Sometimes you find the worst articles to link to. The Washington Post article about spying is as much pure propaganda that can be written. For example, “The surveillance has been credited with exposing several plots against U.S. targets….” This is demonstrably propaganda, not a single wiretap has been credited towards exposing a single plot, the entire program is wrapped in secrecy, especially the effectiveness of the program.
If you want to pretend that this alt weekly is emblematic of Liberalism/Progressivism/Portlandish in all its traits, then at least provide a link to a news article that does justice to how alarming this Senate action was. I’m sure your youthful liberal/progressive readership would appreciate it much more. I find your choice of articles rather ironic, as virtually every informed American, from either the Left or Right or Independent, is totally opposed to this legislation, yet you still found the most benign article you could.
Here’s a more accurate and inflammatory article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/f…
Also: the shooting of 3 police officers can’t exactly be used as ammunition towards gun control, as the article states, “The man was able to grab a gun [from a police officer] and then opened fire.” – Unless you are in favor of disarming police officers, which is something I’m totally OK with.