Ross Douthat chats with Mark Bowden and Jeffrey Goldberg about the reputedly best show on television. I say reputedly because I never caught the bug, but have just started with the entire thing from Netflix.
Homer Nods
From the annals of scientific research, news that donuts are damn near irresistible.
Ohman Nails It
From the Oregonian:
Scales. Eyes. Clintons.
A reader writes:
It occurred to me this morning that the Clintons have always excused their ways on the notion that they are constantly at battle with the "vast right-wing conspiracy." It certainly seems after the past few months that excuse is out the window.
I now clearly see the wizard behind the curtain: it’s the Clintons.
Before this primary process I am embarassed to say that I bought into all their stuff about the right wing always being after them and how that caused them to have to be always on the defense and in fight mode, not to the extreme that they presented it but I did believe it. I loved Bill Clinton and was open to Mrs. Clinton because of him, mostly. I had nothing against Senator Clinton personally before the primaries started I just didn’t think she had rights to a lot of the experience she was claiming, and I still don’t.
Now, I am completely disgusted by what I know about them and can’t believe I couldn’t see through all this before. When I get frustrated by the people who still seem to want them back I have to be honest in that I was fooled for a long time. But I woke up when I saw that they employ the same tactics – when there is no "right wing" involved – against someone who at a minimum is a dream presidential candidate calling for hope.
They don’t know what else to do.
Sub-Prime Humor
I guess if you have to laugh about it, John Bird and John Fortune are about as good as it gets.
Quote For The Day III
"The time is long overdue to repeal this unjust and sweeping policy that deems HIV positive individuals inadmissible to the United States. This law emerged out of fear and stigma, and there remains no public health rationale for treating HIV more harshly than other communicable diseases. We salute the leadership of Senators Kerry and Smith and urge Congress to end this draconian policy," – Joe Solmonese, president, Human Rights Campaign.
My personal thanks to Senators Kerry, Smith, Lugar and Biden. C’mon, Madam Speaker. More information on the travel ban here.
Ethanol and Sub-Prime Mortgages
Jeff Jacoby on what they have in common:
Each is a good reminder of that most powerful of unwritten decrees, the Law of Unintended Consequences – and of the all-too-frequent tendency of solutions imposed by the state to exacerbate the harms they were meant to solve.
“No One Will Bother You”
Why libertarians love Ikea.
Spitzer and Hypocrisy
I don’t want to pile on, and won’t, but this reader has a point:
I voted for Spitzer for governor. I believe prostitution should be legal. I have no interest in sex scandals. But, I do not feel sorry for this guy, at all. Eliot enjoyed expressing his moral outrage when he was busting prostitution rings as AG, yes of course he was only doing the job he was elected to do. The unpopular governor will now attempt to salvage his leadership by apologizing to all, state how wrong prostitution is and asking for forgiveness.
But what of the laws against prostitution itself, surely as Governor and former AG he could have an opinion?
It’s pretty slam-dunk. But I still feel sorry for him. Being human means failing.
Obama Joins McCain Against Earmarks
And Glenn Reynolds cheers him on.
