I've put a bit in a bit of thought recently concerning where this blog has gone (and is headed) and to what degree I should consider a somewhat tighter focus. In particular, when I read about and consider events as they unfold in Gaza I'm of two minds about how to approach them. One we will call the Ta-Nehisi corollary of "only blog(ging) about things I'm prepared to argue about". I'm not really prepared to argue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict outside of the very broad outlines of what you might hear on NBC nightly news. Would I argue with Yglesias or Klein (among many, many others)? Probably not. Even on this blog, my foreign policy knowledge and synthesis lag behind posters PW and Aaron. There's also the consideration of whether anyone actually uses this blog as an outlet to catch up and discuss news events (somewhat doubtful).
But, what I've also learned from doing this over the past half year is that putting my opinions out into a public forum (even if they're not really critiqued or read by a large number of people) is valuable. Regardless of the prior paragraph, I desperately want to have something valuable to contribute on issues like these since, to employ a cliche, you gotta crawl before you can walk. So, to the entire TPBP community, thanks for reading as I try to take a few careening steps.
Translation: Expect a post on Gaza in a little bit.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Just Read This
Seriously.
Writing like this often makes me sad. Not for the obvious reason -- the subject matter, but because I can't write like this guy. Anybody else ever feel similarly? There's almost nothing I enjoy more than writing, but nearly everything I put to page sucks. Not that I need to tell any of you.
Writing like this often makes me sad. Not for the obvious reason -- the subject matter, but because I can't write like this guy. Anybody else ever feel similarly? There's almost nothing I enjoy more than writing, but nearly everything I put to page sucks. Not that I need to tell any of you.
Extinct Blog of the Day
Today's sad blog belonged to "the dealio", and followed the Seattle Supersonics, who ripped the heart out of a great fan base and moved to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder this year. It's both funny and sad seeing dealio's final posts as the Sonics finally departed Seattle. Bill Simmons, a formerly great sportswriter, who's now just intermittently good and well on his way to being the next Rick Reilly, pretty much hit all the nails on the head detailing the Sonics demise. Despite the above swipe his stuff's actually worth checking out.
On a side note, after a lifetime of being a Cincinnati Bengals fan, I'm really giving some thought to following the Redskins now that I'm in DC. Anyone have any thoughts on this? It's a little on the pathetic side, as I'm not sure it'd be considering it minus the Bengals being so unlikable, but here I find myself...
Perhaps we could formulate some pros and cons.
On a side note, after a lifetime of being a Cincinnati Bengals fan, I'm really giving some thought to following the Redskins now that I'm in DC. Anyone have any thoughts on this? It's a little on the pathetic side, as I'm not sure it'd be considering it minus the Bengals being so unlikable, but here I find myself...
Perhaps we could formulate some pros and cons.
Don't Worry, Be Happy
Hat tip to the pseudo girlfriend for pointing this out, but has anyone else noticed how amazingly normal people in anti-depressant medication commercials look? Oh, they're doing contemplative things like looking out windows and taking off their glasses to see things on the desk, i.e. things normal people do all the time. The only way in which they look depressed is by comparison; if you juxtapose them with the ridiculous, inordinate degree of smiles, joy, and good-lookingness that comprise all other commercials.
I generally avoid shit like this, but it's hard not to see the implicit message: depressed people look normal, which while it might be true on some level, still gives me the willies.
Update: I just received a text from my partner, dissatisfied at the "pseudo" moniker. Suffice to say that she is, in all things (amongst them displeasure it would seem) the real McCoy.
I generally avoid shit like this, but it's hard not to see the implicit message: depressed people look normal, which while it might be true on some level, still gives me the willies.
Update: I just received a text from my partner, dissatisfied at the "pseudo" moniker. Suffice to say that she is, in all things (amongst them displeasure it would seem) the real McCoy.
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Series of Tubes is Letting Me Down
Having some internet issues here at the Pseudo Mansion. Think they're mostly resolved, and will be giving you stuff on Blago, Gaza, and The Employee Free Choice Act as soon as things are back to normal. Hope all is well.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Still No Records
Some time ago, I posted about a lawsuit filed against the Bush administration to prevent it making off with vast amounts of records from the most sensitive periods in its administration. As Mr. Bush's final days in office tick past, he remains determined to restrict access to his records. Apparently, entire days of email are missing. Vice President Cheney continues to argue that he has no responsibility to hand over records at all.
As the NYT points out in this editorial, little has changed from the filing of the original lawsuits, and the ease of producing digital records will mean that even following its own dubious reporting standards, the Bush administration will hand over 50 times more documents than Bill Clinton did. That means it will be years before the archive can make sense of it all, and further years before historians can determine what is there, and what is not.
Any administration needs a certain amount of latitude with information in order to govern effectively, but as I've said before, the idea that no one will ever know what our leaders did is fundamentally undemocratic. But then, who knows how much more these guys have to lose.
As the NYT points out in this editorial, little has changed from the filing of the original lawsuits, and the ease of producing digital records will mean that even following its own dubious reporting standards, the Bush administration will hand over 50 times more documents than Bill Clinton did. That means it will be years before the archive can make sense of it all, and further years before historians can determine what is there, and what is not.
Any administration needs a certain amount of latitude with information in order to govern effectively, but as I've said before, the idea that no one will ever know what our leaders did is fundamentally undemocratic. But then, who knows how much more these guys have to lose.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
On The Media in China
In the general blitz of China reporting earlier in the year, I completely missed this series of stories rebroadcast this afternoon by On The Media. I hate to think how many other stories of this quality I overlooked in the wider flood of material- this stuff is NPR at its finest. As the show title implies, the broadcast focuses on various aspects of the media, so these three pieces on the internal PR machine, investigative journalism, and publicity leave this listener wishing they'd been given wider scope.
Download to your ipod and enjoy!
Download to your ipod and enjoy!
That's No Moon...
Here is an interesting article detailing a conversation the Obama transition team is apparently having with NASA. In essence, they are considering integrating NASA and the Pentagon's space arm to save time in replacing the shuttle and accelerating the ability of the US to put people on the moon.
In part, dissolving the traditional firewall between the civilian space agency and the military would be a time- and cost- saving exercise. However, as the story details, it would also be a response to China's accelerating militarization of space. The Chinese have been working on technologies to disable the satellite network the US relies on to communicate, which the military would obviously prefer to avoid.
I don't have any first hand experience with NASA, or with the Pentagon for that matter, but it's difficult to believe that either entity would be entirely happy working with the other. It also suggests an interesting new dimension for the arms race between these two nations in the coming decades.
In part, dissolving the traditional firewall between the civilian space agency and the military would be a time- and cost- saving exercise. However, as the story details, it would also be a response to China's accelerating militarization of space. The Chinese have been working on technologies to disable the satellite network the US relies on to communicate, which the military would obviously prefer to avoid.
I don't have any first hand experience with NASA, or with the Pentagon for that matter, but it's difficult to believe that either entity would be entirely happy working with the other. It also suggests an interesting new dimension for the arms race between these two nations in the coming decades.
Friday, January 2, 2009
A Party of Whiners?
So Paul Krugman asserted this morning that the Republicans have become, "a party of whiners." He did that in his traditional venue, the NYT, hardly a podium likely to endear his message to its intended audience.
At least, I assume that the individuals he singles out in the article are in fact the intended audience. Otherwise, the column amounts to little more than throwing stones at people who continue to be utterly bewildered by their isolation. I don't disagree with a word of what Dr. Krugman writes, but whatever the audience, he should not have published this piece. If anyone was going to publish it, it should have been said by someone far, far further to the right. Atop the cresting tide Obama will ride into office in a few weeks, this sort of thing flirts with gloating, hubris, or both. Worse, it gives the Right something to focus on other than themselves, and that's the last thing anyone wants. The Right needs to come to grips with the idea that they cannot stand in opposition to science, balance of power, and arguably rule of law, and come up with some way to live with the results of ceding those points. We would all benefit from that. We've seen the disorder within the party in recent weeks as it tries to reconcile itself to the message of the last election. The last thing anyone should allow the debate to do is disintegrate back into name calling. That would be too easy, and these are not complacent times. Krugman himself concedes that eventually, the Republicans will set their house in order and return to political relevance. What do we want them to look like when they do that?
At least, I assume that the individuals he singles out in the article are in fact the intended audience. Otherwise, the column amounts to little more than throwing stones at people who continue to be utterly bewildered by their isolation. I don't disagree with a word of what Dr. Krugman writes, but whatever the audience, he should not have published this piece. If anyone was going to publish it, it should have been said by someone far, far further to the right. Atop the cresting tide Obama will ride into office in a few weeks, this sort of thing flirts with gloating, hubris, or both. Worse, it gives the Right something to focus on other than themselves, and that's the last thing anyone wants. The Right needs to come to grips with the idea that they cannot stand in opposition to science, balance of power, and arguably rule of law, and come up with some way to live with the results of ceding those points. We would all benefit from that. We've seen the disorder within the party in recent weeks as it tries to reconcile itself to the message of the last election. The last thing anyone should allow the debate to do is disintegrate back into name calling. That would be too easy, and these are not complacent times. Krugman himself concedes that eventually, the Republicans will set their house in order and return to political relevance. What do we want them to look like when they do that?
Extinct Blog of the Day
Today's blog belongs to "padutch" who founded the Amish Blog. Founded might be too strong a word, as the blog only contained one post -- about the killing of 10 children at an Amish school that occurred in 2006. This blog was apparently a resource for those curious about the Amish, though it's origins and purpose are a bit clouded, as you'll see if you check it out.
In what can now safely be called a pattern, despite the blog's singular post, there were 36 comments, and multiple front page ads, which would indicate a fair amount of traffic. It would seem that I continue to pick Extinct Blogs that had far more notoriety, sometimes even in death, than TPBP has in life. But fear not TPBP community, as our fame is quietly biding its time.
In what can now safely be called a pattern, despite the blog's singular post, there were 36 comments, and multiple front page ads, which would indicate a fair amount of traffic. It would seem that I continue to pick Extinct Blogs that had far more notoriety, sometimes even in death, than TPBP has in life. But fear not TPBP community, as our fame is quietly biding its time.
Just a Note
Just letting everyone know a couple of things. 1) I've had the opportunity to hang out with posters manfish and pw in the last two weeks, and can safely report that they are (what passes for) fine. I've also spoken with Aaron, who is back in the states, and promises to start posting again soon. 3) I'll be back on my normal, scratch that, new and improved blogging schedule starting today. My Hill internship is up, so I'm looking for a new, full-time staffing position. This should give me significantly more time to assail you with the warm glow of knowledge and witicism that emmanates from my posts. Keep your fingers crossed for me on the job front. Think that's it.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year
So, it is officially a new year, and there is still a TPBP to post on. DP may have fueled his project through its early weeks with the infamous Bet That Shall Not Be Paid, and I have to admit, when I first heard about this blog, I didn't expect it to last very long either. Well, that isn't how things have worked out. My crystal ball has duly been returned to the shop.
I am not generally entertained by the "year in review" article in most of its many forms, so wont' subject you to one now, but it's fair to say that on a little reflection, 2009 has plenty of room for improvement. I'm certainly looking forward to January 20th.
From all of us here at TPBP, may you have a happy and productive 2009!
I am not generally entertained by the "year in review" article in most of its many forms, so wont' subject you to one now, but it's fair to say that on a little reflection, 2009 has plenty of room for improvement. I'm certainly looking forward to January 20th.
From all of us here at TPBP, may you have a happy and productive 2009!
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