The Washington City Paper has the story:
The story of the black gentrifier, at least from this black gentrifier’s perspective, is often a story about being simultaneously invisible and self-conscious. The conversation about the phenomenon remains a strict narrative of young whites displacing blacks who have lived here for generations. But a young black gentrifier gets lumped in with both groups, often depending on what she’s wearing and where she’s drinking. She is always aware of that fact.
Richard Conniff clarifies the historical record. It all began March 11, 1811 when textile manufacturers protested for more work and better wages:
That night, angry workers smashed textile machinery in a nearby village. Similar attacks occurred nightly at first, then sporadically, and then in waves, eventually spreading across a 70-mile swath of northern England from Loughborough in the south to Wakefield in the north. Fearing a national movement, the government soon positioned thousands of soldiers to defend factories. Parliament passed a measure to make machine-breaking a capital offense.
But Conniff contends that technology wasn't the enemy:
They confined their attacks to manufacturers who used machines in what they called “a fraudulent and deceitful manner” to get around standard labor practices. “They just wanted machines that made high-quality goods,” says [author Kevin] Binfield, “and they wanted these machines to be run by workers who had gone through an apprenticeship and got paid decent wages. Those were their only concerns.”
Krystal D'Costa ponders them:
[I]t's estimated that public phones generate $62 million in advertising, of which the city gets about a third. Think about it—for the cost of a billboard in Times Square, an advertiser could cover the city with her message via phone booth and kiosks. But this doesn't mean that working phones are located where people most need them. Advertisers want their messages in highly visible, high traffic areas, which doesn't necessarily include some lower income neighborhoods. Is this another element in the technology divide?
(Photo: Benoit Deseille and artist Benedetto Bufalino transformed a phone booth in Lyon, France, into an aquarium, as part of the city's annual Festival of Light.)
Kiera Butler watches the battle between high-fructose corn syrup and refined sugar. No matter who wins, we lose:
Prior to 1900, about 4 percent of America's calories came from fructose, while today's teens get roughly 12 percent of their calories that way. Since sugar and corn syrup are equally efficient as fructose delivery vehicles, the obvious conclusion is simply that we're consuming too many sweets. As for the HFCS-vs.-sugar smackdown, you might as well debate whether whiskey is healthier than rum. "In high-enough quantities, they're both poison," says [Robert Lusting, a pediatric endocrinologist].
The Economist compares China's population (by provinces) to other countries.
Mark Frauenfelder interviews Maryn McKenna, author of Superbug, a book about MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphyoloccus Aureus), which "kills more people every year than AIDS":
I talk to doctors every week who tell me that they have had a patient in a medical center for whom literally nothing worked. It was, for them, essentially back to the pre-antibiotic era. And they have to tell families "I'm sorry, but here we are in the midst of this enormously technological medical center and I have nothing that can help your family member." It's stunning. It's something you can't believe could happen in the 21st century, and yet it does.
Today on the Dish, Andrew found Obama's reasons for Libya disturbingly empty. We rehashed the Libya reax, Goldblog asked if there even is a strategy, and Andrew raised other questions from analysis around the blogosphere. Qaddafi's forces violently pressed on in Misrata, Steve Negus mapped Libya's hotspots, and readers pushed back against Andrew's concerns. Dov Zakheim called for a limited US role, Julian Borger laid out the logistics of a UN no-fly zone, and Marc Lynch examined our gamble on the ground. Crowley inquired whether Romney, Palin, and Huckabee support the war, Greg Scoblete countered Shandi Hamid's reasons for intervention, and Greenwald insisted congress must vote. Thoreau reminded us how well no-fly zones worked in Iraq, New York Times reporters were missing in Libya, and no one called for airstrikes against the Ivory Coast's civil war. Yemen forces perpetrated the worst slaughter since the Arab 1848 began, Ackerman pinpointed Yemen's cozy relationship with the US, and Bahrain's government destroyed the pearl of the revolution.
Bradley Manning's treatment and the larger surveillance state appalled Jack Balkin, and Greenwald profiled the Ugly American. Earthquake alarms could save lives, Americans should not buy radiation pills, and Andrew praised Catholics and the majority of Americans for supporting gay marriage. Frum chastised society for putting all our debt on the young, a reader defended tasteless jokes in times of tragedy, reactions poured in on the NYT's paywall, and SWAT teams needed something to do once crack wasn't a problem. Palin snubbed the Indian press, a reader revealed more about Rebecca Mansour, and Bernstein and Silver parsed Palin's numbers.
Worst roommate ever here, dissents of the day here, quote for the day here, VFYW here, FOTD here, and MHB here.
New York, New York, 1.49 pm: "View from UN office as Libya is being discussed in security council"
Thursday on the Dish, US intervention in Libya loomed, and Andrew asked some dire questions about this imminent war, and the other wars we're still engaged in. The ironies mounted, Exum had questions, Dick Lugar brought some sanity to the debate, and then we found out they briefed Congress in secret. Larison demolished David Kopel's paper tiger, Les Gelb explored an Arab League no-fly zone, and Douthat kept his eyes on what would happen after the intervention. Vivienne Walt explained the tribal loyalties keeping Qaddafi in power, and Scoblete looked to Iraq's example for what happens next. Andrew built on Reihan's assessment of America's relative decline and the right's amnesia about the last ten years. Nick Kristof reported on the scary sectarian riffs in Bahrain, Iraq cracked down on free speech, and Jill Goldenziel updated us on Egypt's long constitutional road ahead. Andrew noted the shift in GOP rhetoric on Afghanistan, Palin planned her visit to Israel and Andrew braced himself for a civilizational war against Islam. Greg Ip charted economic upheavals after terrorist attacks and natural disasters, Will Wilkinson looked to Japan's economic recovery, Euan Mearns eulogized nuclear energy, and the body count grew. Readers testified to looting in Japan, Chris Beam explored the crime aspect, Jesse Walker reminded us that solidarity is the norm, and finally we got some good news.
Andrew applauded the NYT's blogger-friendly paywall, Alexis found the cracks, and Felix Salmon scratched his head. Bradley Manning was chained, Scott Morgan analyzed what's at stake in Montana's marijuana raids, and Robert Shrimsley spoofed Obama's foreign policy. We gawked at Rebecca Mansour, Palin's right-hand gal, and stood in awe before the GIF wall of Judge Judy. Palin played the international circuit, Felix Salmon explained why we'll wait to be seated, and Americans wanted more debt. Readers enlightened us on the backwoods of disability pay, and Andrew marveled at a century of taxation that favored the rich. O'Keefe's antics exhausted James Poniewozick, Avent outlined the job of economists, and calling it a drug war actually kills people. Yglesias and Klein debated serious journalism, we celebrated Bayard Rustin's birthday, and Noah Millman reviewed Irving Kristol's writings. Comstock took issue with Andrew's framing of his MPAA project, marriage equality became a wedge issue, and readers mouthed off on Gilbert Gottfried's tasteless jokes.
Charts of the day here and here, quote for the day here, dissent of the day here, VFYW here, MHB here, FOTD here, history of St. Patrick here, basset hounds in flight here, and guilty dog here.
By Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images.
Wednesday on the Dish, Andrew urged the right to give precedence its Oakeshottian tendencies, and backed up Michael Cohen on Afghanistan's bunk PR cycle, and Haley Barbour deviated from the party line. Al Qaeda tried to woo Libya, Max Boot and the rest of the armchair generals got a chubby for war, and Douthat compared US intervention to adopting Libya as a child. Graphic and shocking videos arrived from Bahrain, and Syria heated up.
Conor considered the victims as global neighbors, readers reflected on architecture after the earthquake, the Wikileaks trove held info on Japan's nuclear plants that weren't earthquake-safe, we examined the economics of nuclear power, and Gregg Easterbrook feared an anti-nuclear backlash. Readers explained why the Japanese don't loot, Eamonn Fingleton worried about economic reverberations, and the cold could kill more than the quake. GiveWell advised on the best ways to aid Japan, and Andrew saluted the Japanese workers trying to save the day.
Andrew kept his guard up on Palin's enthusiastic base, Bernstein trailed the GOP death spiral, and Limbaugh led the Tea Party delusion train. Some people abused disability pay, readers called their bluff, Kathy Ruffing explored the limits of means-testing social security, and Ezra Klein kept on Evan Bayh's ass for his performance art on Fox. Victims fought back against their bullies, Balko wanted to shield forensics from bias, and Reihan learned long division from his sister. Avent and Meghan battled over NYC's density, an architect enlightened us on Portland's earthquake prep, divorce could literally kill you, celebrities tweeted their suicide attempts, and Gilbert Gottfried made tasteless jokes.
Chutzpah watch here, VFYW here, MHB here, FOTD here, Sergio encore here, quotes for the day here and here, and dissents of the day here.
Tuesday on the Dish, Saudi Arabia invaded Bahrain, and Andrew raised red flags looking back to Kuwait, and ahead to the world's oil supply. In Libya, Hitchens itched for intervention, Peter Feaver took issue with Obama's laissez-faire policy, and neocons ignored how the other two wars in the Middle East went. Marc Lynch warned Arab leaders don't want real American military intervention, a reader proposed an Arab League-funded no-fly zone, squatters took over Qaddafi's UK mansion, and Babak Dehghanpisheh wondered whether Libyan rebels can hold their ground. NHK live-streamed updates in Japan, Godzilla lived in Japan's memory of Hiroshima, Sharon Begley warned of radioactive pools, and Clive Crook voiced fears of the spent fuel factor. Seattle prepared for a quake of their own, Evan Osnos kept an eye on China's nuclear plants, the tsunami hit the global economy, and Tyler Cowen encouraged you to donate to Japan. The Japanese didn't loot, we relived the mountain of water hitting, and your reassuring quote of the day is here.
Andrew examined tax breaks and how they affect the debt crisis, and countered Mark Levin as he chronicled the war over Palin on the right. Huckabee rode the wave, Palin flailed for attention on energy policy, and Yglesias fumed at Evan Bayh's new Fox gig. Romney's healthcare vote troubled voters more than his Mormonism, Bachmann urged a Tea Party revolt, a reader refuted Limbaugh with his own disability story, and a slew of anti-evolution bills crushed the social issues truce. Avent explained why NIMBYism is bad for the environment, California was two-faced, and the DEA went after Montana's medical marijuana. News travelled via new media, a sane conservative blog comforted Andrew, and Rummy regretted FOIA. Catherine Rampell described the unhappiest person in America, Alexis glimpsed a DIY appendix removal, and a reader hatched the ultimate rich girl's American Idol. Tom Waits appreciated mishearing, Joel Johnson confessed his tech guilt, we watched Pokemon backwards, and Beard Madness began.
Malkin awards here, here and here, hathos alert here, chart of the day here, FOTD here, MHB here, VFYW here, and VFYW contest winner #41 here.
Monday on the Dish, we tracked the latest from Japan, a man survived two days at sea, and we gathered info on how to help. China reacted, and Mark Vernon intuited the religious meaning of the wave. Boing Boing explained power plants, Michael W. Golay assessed implications for the US, and Andrew favored nuclear energy to cut down on our carbon intake. Qaddafi's forces moved east, Niall Ferguson proposed a Helsinki Final Act, and John Lee Anderson reported from the front lines. Contra Mark Steyn, Andrew assessed Obama's temperament, Greenwald called Obama out on being untrue to his word, and the US aped torture methods from the show 24.
Brave voices on the right unleashed on Palin, Larison parsed the timing of their turn against her, but Rush came to her defense. Judd Gregg didn't underestimate her, Keith Humphreys predicted religion would derail some candidates, and Americans do want a truce. Ronald Reagan supported collective bargaining, Heather Mac Donald applauded Wisconsin's Republicans, Haley Barbour's press secretary let loose, bias is hard to admit, Readers defended one man's confession of infidelity, John Corvino applied the monogamy debate to gays, and Alex Massie kept tabs on the Lib Dems. Standardized testing is a farce, female teachers helped women choose math and science, and Alan Jacobs wanted to end year-end student evaluations. DC commuters hitched a ride, cupcakes and gang violence overlapped, and children love cartoons more than they love sugary cereals. Ta-Nehisi demystified White Flight, digital storage shrunk, and Will Wilkinson qualified the happiness of the happiest man in America.
Photos of where children sleep here, non-racist jokes here, quotes for the day here and here, correction of the day here, life through a dog's eyes here, Malkin award here, Goldblog bait here, headline of the day here, VFYW here, MHB here, and FOTD here.
–Z.P.
Bernstein thinks Palin's latest numbers prove that she must play by the rules if she intends to run for president:
I still don't think it's too late for Sarah Palin to turn it around, at least in large part, if she suddenly decided to play by the rules that normal candidates follow. Policy expertise can be bought and faked; party leaders, whether they're national columnists, interest group leaders, or locals in Iowa and New Hampshire, can be schmoozed. It increasingly appears that either she is constitutionally incapable of doing those things or just has no interest in it, and even if she does them there's no guarantee she would be nominated…but it is clear now, as it has been from the start, that the normal rules of politics apply to her regardless of what she or anyone else thinks.
Nate Silver puts Palin's latest numbers in context:
I don’t think much is accomplished by comparing Ms. Palin to Charlie Sheen, but it seems entirely fair to compare Ms. Palin to someone like Pat Buchanan, a factional candidate who had his impact on the Republican primaries but ultimately had limited upside.
My own view is that her Tucson tone-deafness hurt her – but not that much with her core supporters. Unless she slips firmly into the second tier of candidates, I don't think she is the equivalent of Pat Buchanan. For one thing, Pat Buchanan had never run as veep on a national ticket. And, while Pat has his charms, he does not provide any starbursts. And the question, of course, cannot be considered in a vacuum. She has to be compared with the actual competition.
A blogger reports:
The Syrian people today revolted for the first time in decades and protests sprung through out the country in different areas especially from the South according to the news and tweeps coming from there. Protests expectedly started after the Friday prayers in the country and honestly knowing the fist of the regime there, I am surprised by the public reaction and also participation. It is more than great considering the amount of fear in the country.
There were protests in Damascus , Aleppo , Daraa , Baniyas , Homs, and Deir El Zor. If you look at the map, you will know that we are looking at something we have not seen before. These governorates are covering Syria with its distinguished diversified ethnic and sectarian background. Today there was no Arab or Kurd , Sunni or Shiite or Christian, today it was a real Syrian day for Syria.
Of course you can imagine the panic of the regime there, the live ammunition was used directly.
(Hat tip: Mackey.)
"Economics is most like a science when people do not care about the outcome of the argument," – Tyler Cowen. Yglesias unpacks the sentence.
The Dish 