Keeping a jaundiced eye on the corporate media.
Posted in General on Dec 23rd, 2004
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
A $472 million VA hospital prototype computer system purchased from BearingPoint (the former KPMG consulting) simply collapsed. A federal criminal investigation is looking into the matter.
But don’t you fret none about BearingPoint.
It was just given a $229 million computer contract with the Department of Homeland Security.
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
JUST SAYIN’
How did Bernie Kerik resign from Giuliani Partners when Rudy said he didn’t work there?
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
NOTHING TO SEE HERE
From War and Piece:
Still no major American media coverage of the big tussle between the Pentagon and Israel over an Israeli contract to upgrade a weapons system for China. Here’s the latest from Ha’aretz.
I am baffled. A story that has Douglas Feith, Tel Aviv, arms sales, and a hardening neoconservative policy [...]
Posted in General, Politics As Usual on Dec 22nd, 2004
I have enough trouble getting through workplace filters, so if you want to see a naked picture of Bubble Boy, click here.
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
PAY ATTENTION
Remember, once you remember they’re the party of cheap, unregulated throwaway labor, it all makes sense:
About 90,000 students could be disqualified from receiving Pell Grants and other forms of federal and state financial aid under a change, scheduled to be issued on Thursday by the U.S. Education Department, in the formula the government uses [...]
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
DEMOCRATS WIN
Washington’s state Supreme Court has overturned the order that prevented King County from counting additional ballots:
It thus follows that the superior court erred in granting a temporary restraining order, and that the King County Canvassing Board properly concluded that it had authority to recanvass the subject ballots pursuant to RCW 29A.60.210. Based on the [...]
Breslin says goodbye to one of the last real journalists:
Jack Newfield came into the city with the sound of the Myrtle Avenue el in his ears. He was from Vernon and Nostrand in Bedford-Stuyvesant and he was in Boys High when it was at Marcy and Putnam and then he was at Hunter College in [...]
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
AFTERNOON THREAD
I’m off to the wondrous land of Union, NJ for a few hours. Ah, the joys of the NJ Turnpike!
So I was wondering: What do you want for Christmas? Besides world peace and Democratic control of both houses, I mean.
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
I CAN DIE HAPPY
This is why I love the internet. I’ve been describing these to people for months, trying to remember the names. Now I’m happy.
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
IT’S COMING ON CHRISTMAS
When I left the office yesterday, I thought I’d drop by a nearby shopping center and pick up a few last-minute presents.
Didn’t happen. Not one open spot in the entire lot. (Naturally, this being the Main Line, most of the parking spaces were filled with high-end SUVs - Mercedes Benzes, etc.)
It took [...]
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
‘I’D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY’
Our buddy Kevin Hayden over at The American Street announces the Perranoski Awards. Categories include: Best Designed Blog, Best Art or Photoblog, Best Moving Image Blog, Walt Kelly Best Toon Blog, Best Technical Achievement Blog, Best Humanitarian Blog, Don Drysdale Award, Best Investigative Research Blog and the Hall of Fame [...]
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
SOCIAL INSECURITY
Amy Goodman’s interview yesterday with Paul Krugman:
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about — and this goes back to Social Security — exactly who profits right now from this debate?
PAUL KRUGMAN: Well, that’s — we don’t — you know, since we don’t have specifics, we don’t know. I mean, what the Social Security privatization [...]
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
OUT NOW
Via Cursor:
A New York Times article based on interviews following the Mosul attack and headlined, “Fighting On Is the Only Option, Americans Say,” cites a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll that didn’t ask if the U.S. should withdraw its military forces from Iraq, while ignoring a Washington Post/ABC News poll in which 39% said the U.S. [...]
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
A HISTORY
Happy Festivus.
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
‘BRING IT ON’
From Mosul:
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq — “I can’t hear! I can’t hear!” a soldier cried as she was held by a friend. All around them, people were screaming for medics.
It was a brilliant day of warmer-than-usual weather in the northern city of Mosul, and hundreds of U.S. soldiers had just sat down [...]
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
OBVIOUS
Harold Meyerson:
Sometimes, the bullish Bush and the bearish Bush lurk in the same argument. When Bush extols private accounts, he and his fellow privateers note that stock investments have tended, in the long run, to produce an annual return of about 7 percent and can be counted on to do so in future years as [...]
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
HA HA
From Washington state:
(CBS/AP) The head of the Washington state Democratic Party said that recount results from King County give Democrat Christine Gregoire an eight-vote victory in the closest governor’s race in state history.
That assessment from Democratic Party chairman Paul Berendt came on the eve of Wednesday’s scheduled state Supreme Court arguments on whether [...]
Posted in General on Dec 22nd, 2004
WHY DON’T THEY JUST CHANGE THEIR NAME TO HALLIBURTON?
A matter of priorities:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 - In one of the first signs of the effects of the ever tightening federal budget, in the past two months the Bush administration has reduced its contributions to global food aid programs aimed at helping millions of people climb out [...]
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
FOR PHILLY READERS
Philly for Change announcesThe Counter Inaugural BallSat., January 15 at 7:00 PM
Come and meet progressives from across the area. Food, drinks, prizes and live music will be at the PACE 2-286 Union Hall - Dress to Impress. Tickets will be on sale soon.
As soon as I have more details, I’ll let [...]
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
AHEM
Just in case you haven’t voted yet.
Nominations close tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6 p.m.
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
ON A ROLL
Josh has a couple of good ones today: One on the lack of support for Social Security privatization, and one on what Frank Luntz is up to.
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
FUNNY
My best friend (who is black) just found out she was set up at work. She was told one of her clients made complaints in a racial vein - although, as it turns out, she didn’t. A work competitor was trying to get her upset enough to quit.
She told me the story and when she [...]
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
BRUSH WITH GREATNESS
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and I ate dinner in the same restaurant tonight - at the same time, even, although he left while I was still eating. But still.
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
NO MORE PHONE CARDS
One of my readers called Walter Reed Medical Center today, and they now have plenty of phone cards for the wounded. So ixnay on that, okay?
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
YUM
And yet, the wingnuts would have us believe that corporations can be trusted to take care of things like this without government intervention:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. meat plants are allowing brains and spinal cord from older cattle to enter the food supply, violating strict government regulations aimed at preventing the spread of mad cow disease, [...]
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
CUBE TOY
For the truly deranged among us (I count myself in that number), here’s some virtual bubble wrap. Be sure to turn on your speakers so you get that satisfying “pop”… (Thanks, Kate.)
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
HMMM
You probably want to give it some thought before you put your cell phone in your pocket:
MUNICH/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Radio waves from mobile phones harm body cells and damage DNA in laboratory conditions, according to a new study majority-funded by the European Union, researchers said on Monday.
The so-called Reflex study, conducted by 12 research groups [...]
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
CHEERING FOR JESUS
You have to read this one:
ATLANTA — A federal judge on Monday denied an appeal for reinstatement by a University of Georgia cheerleading coach accused of mingling religion with team activities. Marilou Braswell was fired in August, according to university officials, for retaliating against a Jewish cheerleader who had complained about pressure to [...]
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
BUT WE RAN OUT OF FINGERS
Imagine that. “Election study finds widespread ballot-counting problem.” And it’s from Scripps Howard, hardly a bastion of cutting-edge coverage:
A review of election results in a 10-county sampling revealed more than 12,000 ballots that failed to record a vote for president, almost one in every 10 ballots cast. The unofficial audit [...]
Posted in General on Dec 21st, 2004
LOOKING OUT FOR YOU
To trust a drug, you have to trust the company that has a financial interest in selling you on its safety and effectiveness - and that’s not usually a good idea:
WASHINGTON — An Alzheimer’s disease prevention trial was suspended after researchers said there were more heart attacks and strokes among patients taking [...]
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