Month: November 2010

Mark Twain Wouldn’t Approve Of Iraq

Mike Few excavates Mark Twain on the occupations of his time:

There is the case of the Philippines. … We were to relieve them from Spanish tyranny to enable them to set up a government of their own, and we were to stand by and see that it got a fair trial. It was not to be a government according to our ideas, but a government that represented the feeling of the majority of the Filipinos, a government according to Filipino ideas.

That would have been a worthy mission for the United States. But now — why, we have got into a mess, a quagmire from which each fresh step renders the difficulty of extrication immensely greater. I'm sure I wish I could see what we were getting out of it, and all it means to us as a nation.

The View From Your Window Contest

Vfyw-contest_11-20

A clue from the submitter:

It is from a Carnival cruise ship, which was scheduled to leave that afternoon but got caught by fog.

You have until noon on Tuesday to guess it. City and/or state first, then country. Please put the location in the subject heading, along with any description within the email. If no one guesses the exact location, proximity counts.  Be sure to email entries to VFYWcontest@theatlantic.com. Winner gets a free The View From Your Window book, courtesy of Blurb. Have at it.

AIPAC’s Civil War

It's getting extremely ugly between AIPAC and AIPAC's former guru, Steve Rosen. Rosen is now suing the organization for terminating him after he was allegedly reviewing classified Pentagon documents, an activity he claims was "common practice at the organization." AIPAC is fighting back with vile tactics that may backfire:

During its deposition of Rosen, AIPAC’s lawyer Thomas L. McCally clearly tried to make his confessions of pornography and philandering the central issues in his dismissal. Rosen shot back that he had "witnessed" AIPAC's executive director Howard Kohr "view… pornographic images on AIPAC computers," as well as "his secretary do it repeatedly, and call people over to see it, including Howard Kohr." He said he "witnessed other members of staff do it," too.

Ugh:

“After reading this stuff, you feel like you need to wash your hands,” one pro-Israel activist said after skimming through the 260-page document, which is laced with graphic descriptions and invasive personal details.

Rosen, for good measure, was supported by AIPAC donors after he had been terminated to the tune of $670,000. Some caution, however, is merited in interpreting the released depositions:

Depositions in the filing are heavily redacted, with AIPAC excerpting only those portions that would seemingly support its motion to dismiss.

Rosen, who is suing AIPAC for $20 million, said Tuesday that his lawyers would file a counter motion by Dec. 2 with fuller excerpts and more material.“We're going to show in our brief most of the reasons they're giving in this thing played no role in my firing,” he said, noting as an example that his bosses were made aware of the pornography on his hard drive months before he was fired.

MJ Rosenberg gloats a little here.

What To Do With Unused Phone Books?

Phonebook

Return them to the Yellow Pages office, like these Canadians did. Residents in Seattle are battling publishers who have sued to overturn a law in Seattle that allows people to opt out of receiving phone books. Jeff Kart reports:

Since when is unwanted litter a right? If people don't want one or more phonebooks dropped off at their house, isn't it their right to opt out of the deliveries? Especially when there's something called the Internet, where phone numbers are easy to come by? The Yellow Pages people say they recognize that some folks don't want paper phone books anymore, but the Seattle law also is unfair in that it requires publishers to pay the cost of recycling old phone books, and the cost of creating a city-wide opt-out system.

(Photo by Flickrite C. Young Photography)

Concrete And CO2

Scientists have designed a bacteria that binds together cracks in concrete:

The genetically modified microbe has been programmed to swim down fine cracks in concrete and once at the bottom it produces a mixture of calcium carbonate and a bacterial glue. This glue combines with the filamentous bacterial cells, ultimately hardening to the same strength as the surrounding concrete and essentially "knitting" the building back together.

They argue it's an important step in saving dilapidated buildings and reducing global warming, since "around 5 percent of all man-made carbon dioxide emissions are from the production of concrete."

Reds

APPLESJeffTGreen:Getty

Christopher Buckley recalls his year working on a Norwegian freighter ship:

At sea in those latitudes, temperatures on the ship’s steel decks could reach 115 degrees. During lunch breaks, I’d climb down the long ladder to the reefer (refrigerated) deck at the bottom of Number Two Hold. There were mounds, hillocks, tons—oh, I mean tons—of Red Delicious apples from Oregon. I would sit on top in the lovely dark chill, munching away, a chipmunk in paradise. One day I counted eating eight. I emerged belching and blinking into the heat, picked up my hydraulic jackhammer, and went back to chipping away at several decades of rust and paint.

(Photo: Jeff T Green/Getty.)

E-Wasting Away

Allison Arieff reports on Bloom, a laptop prototype that aims to drastically reduce e-waste:

The LCD, motherboard, and battery easily separate and can be place inside a prepaid envelope hidden behind the screen and mailed to a specialized recycling facility. The rest of the computer can be tossed in the average household recycling bin.

The Weekly Wrap

Today on the Dish, Andrew rejoiced over Fox's snarky comments about Palin during a break, and Palin hired a freelance columnist to explain the European debt crisis to her. Readers responded to Willow's slur, the slur's recipient spoke out, and Alaska and grizzly bears still weren't self-sufficient. The Bush tax cuts did not aid economic growth, and Americans knew about as much general political knowledge as Sarah Palin would like them to. Hugh Hewitt pranced around about tax cuts, Ezra Klein thought Simpson-Bowles has failed, and Bruce Bartlett rejected the idea of a payroll tax holiday. Noam wanted to tax millionaires, and name recognition couldn't save Romney.

The GOP stalled on START, Larison raised red flags, and Josh Marshall considered it a betrayal of Reagan. David Cameron offered comfort that It Gets Better, which Dick Cheney or Sarah Palin would never do. Ross would like to end the rhetoric and have the GOP get specific on policy, and Ozimek argued the bailouts should be painful. Matt Yglesias finessed the climate hawk position, and gangsters were copying the CIA on waterboarding. The abortion vote was a hoax and a disturbing one at that. Readers got riled over calls for a more violent Medal of Honor, and TNC shut down James O'Keefe. On the TSA, Weigel and Krauthammer saw the larger picture of "don't touch my junk," Dave Barry had a blurred crotch, and James Poulos argued the screenings keep us prisoners to fear.

Scarborough got the Olbermann treatment, a doctor admitted his mistake, Choire Sicha saluted the hate retweet, and the blogosphere debated whether America is a banana republic. Quote for the day here, American interactive map here, graphic of the day here, Moore award here, VFYW here, tweets of the day here, Yglesias award here, FOTD here, MHB here, poseur alert here, and chart of the day here.

Face_day

Thursday on the Dish, Andrew credited the Mormon church for their shift on homosexuality. The mayor of London excoriated Bush on torture, and because he tortured detainees, we can't convict them. But that doesn't mean we should send them to a military commission. Poorer countries were catching up with their richer counterparts, and Mexican journalists couldn't afford to report on cartel violence for fear of their lives. Hani Mansourian made the case against sanctions in Iran, and Joel Wing examined the state of doing business in Iraq.

Andrew joined Michael Goldfarb in riding the GOP to attack the deficit like the Tories have. Lee Drutman undressed the politics of earmarks, Chait fell for the other deficit plan in town, and Jim Cooper didn't have a happy ending to offer Americans. The GOP's solution to the deficit was to cut NPR's funding, and after that, to go after Historic Whaling. We monitored the horserace with Nate Silver on favorability rankings, and James Rydberg's survey illuminated what we think of politicians' character. Alex Massie was pumped to have Limbaugh moderate a GOP debate. Bryan Fischer argued that Jesus kicked ass on the cross and that we should award our soldiers for killing the enemy, not saving lives. Bullying continued as far up as the Catholic church, and rich people could one day do prison time out in the real world.

Palin lashed out at intellectuals (i.e. the Fed), but we remembered how nonsensical she was on the bailout. Palin's "self-sufficient" bears loved to scavenge other people's trash, and Palin still believed she was a victim despite her fame and fortune. The real DWTS fans were outraged about Bristol, and Andrew wasn't ready to give Willow a free pass on "faggot," even while some readers defended her. And even Tripp Palin's aunt wondered why Palin wouldn't put the Trig rumors to rest.

The web was destroying cable, tweets were worth more than you think, women were greener than men,  and readers loved to support the bloggers they love. Sullum saluted Four Loko and bemoaned the nanny state that killed it, and Aaron Carroll warned that we're all expecting too much from the healthcare reforms. Michele Leonhart disappointed, premature ejaculation was evidence of natural selection, and Andrew wanted scanners to find explosives in someone's taint. Chart of the day here, all the secret words here, VFYW here, Malkin award here, quote for the day here, FOTD here, MHB here, and dissents of the day here.

Beardfish
Wednesday on the Dish, Andrew rejected Adam Serwer's understanding of Awlaki. Palin earned more free air time from Bristol's rigged appearance on DWTS, while the dancing made this man shoot his TV. Bristol teamed up with The Situation to teach kids about safe sex, Bernstein ignored the polls, and Palin relied on Todd and God to protect her from all outside forces. Willow defended her mother's show on Facebook by calling a kid a faggot, while the show's producer insisted the show isn't political at all. Sarah Palin accused Obama of not being vetted, and Conor called her out for being the ultimate inauthentic politician.

Dick Morris exemplified stupid, James O'Keefe made our stomachs churn with his latest antics, and Hugh Hewitt followed the Palin model of press. E.D. Kain destroyed the illusion of a conservative movement on Fox News, the House GOP feared Obama, DADT wasn't dead yet, and Murkoswki prevailed. The pill benefited the budget and the environment, but the Catholic contingent of pro-lifers still won't allow it. Andrew argued a blogger's home can affect the output, and Hitchens regretted not speaking out against Mugabe. Noah Shachtman didn't believe scanners were keeping us safe, and Seth Masket argued it was really all about a humiliated professional class. Neocons supported START, Andrew recommended Bjorn Lomborg's new film, and answered global warming critics. Cheaters proliferated with the help of an anonymous source, and Americans borrowed money to sue.

Sullum briefed us on the war on meth, qat threatened Yemen's water supply, and Julian Sanchez was tracking his own burglar. Andrew articulated his gay version of hell, Four Loko was banned, a reader enjoyed the pirates' khat, and Christmas just got gayer. Writing about ignoring a royal engagement still counted as covering it, and beards encouraged foreplay. VFYW here, quote for the day here and here, cool ad watch here, MHB here, Yglesias award here, Malkin award here, and FOTD here.

Tuesday on the Dish, Andrew responded to Glenn Greenwald on defending Awlaki's free speech. On Simpson-Bowles, Douthat defended its lukewarm reception on the right, but Andrew begged to differ. Andrew scoffed at the record of Republican presidents on debt, and Charlie Cook wrote the speech Obama should give endorsing it. Unemployment benefits soon to expire could expose the ultimate cynicism of the right, and Frum wanted to reform campaign finance law to empower moderates. DADT protestors were arrested at the White House, and Paul Suderman weighed the GOP advantages of a tweak versus a repeal of the healthcare reforms. A GOP freshman didn't understand Obamacare but still asked for it, and Limbaugh painted an unapologetically racist portrait of the president.

Bernstein discounted Palin and Romney, and the 2012 tea leaves kept coming. The old Palin was itching for glamour and culture, but the current one still can't fish. Doug Schoen and Pat Caddell's WaPo's article on a one-term Obama was demolished, and Andrew longed for a way to support Ezra Klein without the WaPo. Johann Hari mastered the art of handling Fox propaganda, and Rangel toppled on 11 of 13 charges.  Balko raged against cops who arrest those who videotape cops, Yglesias skewered universities and their presidents, and New York needed innovators. Andrew gave mad props to Clinton on owning the peace process, Steinglass asked why we keep throwing money at Afghanistan, and Bill Gates approved of China's energy advances. Cantor committed his own treason and called it patriotism, readers rebutted the practice of eating dogs, and Goldblog advised America to freeball it for the TSA.

We plumbed the record of DEA director nominee Michele Leonhart, and readers regaled us with more stories of the bathtub gin of cannabis, including an all-natural alternative. Sophistication didn't make for good dinner party guests, President Obama could order flowers over the phone more easily than Lady Gaga, and Timothy Lee praised Apple's design method. Men fake orgasms, and our vintage transsexual could just be breeching. Chart of the day here, MHB here, FOTD here, VFYW here, and VFYW contest winner #24 here.

Vfyw
Gothenburg, Sweden, 8.27 am

Monday on the Dish, Andrew mused over Beastweek and the future business of web journalism. We kept tabs on DADT, and the repetitive list of McCain's absurd requests. Drum and Avent duked it out over the deficit, and Heather Mac Donald challenged the Tea Party to step up to the plate. Frum called out the Republican fiscal farce, and Felix Salmon didn't love the NYT's tool for fixing the budget. Ezra Klein insisted the healthcare bill was moderate, while the GOP pledged to ignore the 50 million uninsured.

Andrew took stock of Khalid Sheik Mohammed's detention for the foreseeable future. Yemen is capable of beating Al Qaeda back, and Andrew distanced himself from an ACLU so ready to represent Anwar al-Awlaki. The unconditional became the conditional in Israel, Mark Lynch was skeptical of the new deal, and readers offered situations similar to Cantor pre-empting Clinton.

Tim Pawlenty couldn't get people to remember his name, Palin was inept at firearms, and the rest of the country liked her more than Alaskans. Andrew praised Obama's era of pragmatism which was different from Kennedy's idealism. E.D. Kain doubted governments just as much as the people who run them, and Adam Bonica predicted the most polarized Congress in recent memory. Jay Rosen was sick of national security journalists cozied up to the state. Dialysis was dangerous in ways you wouldn't expect, and rocket dockets accelerated foreclosures. We marveled at the earth's ecosystems from space, fake pot could be enjoyed, and Arizona won medical marijuana. Travellers didn't want their junk touched, fish were farmed too, and this reader enjoyed eating dog. A Rubik's cube was no match for this kid, sexy robot girls would always exist, and Andrew preferred zombies to vampires any day. Springsteen sang about the Promise, and Ebert comforted the internet's lonely.

VFYW here, full disclosure of the day here, chart of the day here, transsexual carte-de-visite here, MHB here, and FOTD here.

–Z.P.

Palin’s Allergy To Expertise

Real Clear Politics reports that “SarahPAC recently hired Joshua Livestro – a Dutch newspaper columnist who has also contributed to the pro-Palin web site Conservatives4Palin.com – to research [the European debt crisis] for Palin on a freelance basis.” Frum is amazed:

[I]t’s hard for me to imagine any expert in any subject who wouldn’t feel it an imperative public duty to talk to Gov. Palin if asked. Instead she turns to a journalist with no formal training in economics and no experience in public finance. … [W]hy is a potential president relying for economic advice on freelance journalists  rather than Nobel Prizewinners? It’s almost as if Gov. Palin finds the idea of expertise – not merely incomprehensible – but actively repugnant.

Well, there’s always the danger that someone with more knowledge than she might actually disagree with her. And we can’t have that.

Delay, Delay, Delay, Ctd

Daniel Larison takes another whack at the GOP over START:

Delaying and effectively blocking this treaty will harm American and allied European security. Causing the treaty to fail means letting down all those European allies that have been counting on ratification. After two years of crafting a storyline that the administration has been “abandoning” U.S. allies, the Senate GOP appears prepared to do just that. It is doubtful that any amount of pressure could be great enough to make them reverse course and recognize their folly.

The ghastly truth is that we have one political party that is as close to organized vandalism as one can imagine. START, the debt ceiling, civil rights, real spending cuts and tax reform: all these will be subject to the pure nihilism of the will to power. Their goal is the destruction of Obama. That is all.