In the long run, what happens in the California Federal Court — where the constitutionality of the infamous Prop 8 is being challenged — will not matter; no matter the outcome, an appeal all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court is likely. But nevertheless, it is interesting to read news accounts of the closing arguments given by boths sides … Read More
The New OK Go Video
From treadmills to Rube Goldberg-like machines, you're always going to enjoy an OK Go video. The one common theme about their videos — they were all shot in one continuous shot. Their latest may be their most ambitious (and exhausting) video from a band member point of view. The "continuous shot" was 18 hours long (the part involving the band), and … Read More
5 Beekman Street
Back in the 1990's, I worked near this lower Manhatten building for years, assuming it was office space or maybe upscale apartments. Boy, was I wrong. The entire building (built in 1882, and the third building in NYC to have elevators) is empty, and has been abandoned for nearly 70 years. And the interior is cool… Full photo essay … Read More
Bachmann Quote Of The Day [Update: Rep. Barton (R-TX), Too!]
Wow. Just wow. Here is Rep. Michelle "Crazy As A Loon" Bachmann on the BP escrow fund to compensate Gulf shore residents for their losses: The president just called for creating a fund that would be administered by outsiders, which would be more of a redistribution-of-wealth fund. And now it appears like we’ll be looking at one more gateway for … Read More
Ain’t No Grave: The Johnny Cash Project
The video for "Ain't No Grave", a cut from Johnny Cash's last album is pretty amazing, in part because everytime you see it, it's never the exact same video. It's also amazing because you can contribute to it. The Johnny Cash Project is an Herculean effort to create a music video for that song from an huge number of drawings … Read More
Starts Cute, Ends Scary
A fawn is lost, but gets befriended by a cat. Mama Deer comes along. Then Mama sees a dog, and all hell breaks loose. Don't mess with mamas.
A Not-Too-Subtle Exemption
One of the worst Supreme Court decisions ever was handed down last year: the Citizens United case, which basically said that corporations were not subject to financial limitations when they fund political candidates. It's a bad decision because it rests on what I believe are two mistaken Constitutional interpretations: The First Amendment applies to corporations/organizations Spending money on political candidates is … Read More
Marital Advice of the Day (from Pat Robertson)
From the 700 Club last week: TERRY MEEUWSEN (co-host): Pat, this is from Anne who says, "My husband has always been a flirt and loves to talk with other women he finds attractive. He says he would never cheat on me but his actions are starting to get to me. What should I do? ROBERTSON: Anne, first thing is you need … Read More
“Touchdown Jesus” Statue Destroyed By Fire
Before: Last night, after lightning strike (an act of God?): Today: More here. UPDATE: It will be missed…..
Souter’s Commencement Speech
People are start to take note of the commencement speech given by former Supreme Court Justice David Souter to this year's graduating class of Harvard Law School. In it, Souter knocks down the concept of "originalism" championed by Justice Scalia. "Originalism", for the uninitiated, is the notion that the Constitution is a contract that must be interpreted only in light … Read More
Arizona’s Latest Xenophobia
CNN: (CNN) – A proposed Arizona law would deny birth certificates to children born in the United States to illegal immigrant parents. The bill comes on the heels of Arizona passing the nation's toughest immigration law. John Kavanagh, a Republican state representative from Arizona who supports the proposed law aimed at so-called "anchor babies," said that the concept does not … Read More
For The Record…
I hate the vuvuzelas. They ruin viewing World Cup Soccer. Which is why this Lego version of the England-United States match is fun (but really, only if you watched the actual game)
Abby Spotted
Going to be a while before they can rescue her, but at least they located her: Looks like her mast is gone, which means she's virtually powerless.
Yet Another In A Series Of Posts All Relating To “How Much Oil Is Being Spilled”?
…. and like all the other posts, the answer is "More than we've been led to believe". Sigh: The new estimate is 25,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil a day. That range, still preliminary, is far above the previous estimate of 12,000 to 19,000 barrels a day. These new calculations came as the public wrangling between BP and the White … Read More