Why Americans are cynical about politics
(Note: I’m sure the Daily Show could do the same sort of clip package for the Dems)
Politics
The morality of giving a finger
Being a truly exciting guy, I’ve spent the last couple of days reading Robert Shiller’s The Subprime Solution: How Today’s Global Financial Crisis Happened, and What to Do about It. It’s not exactly a page-turner. But it’s an interesting book.Take bailouts. I have a deep and abiding distrust of them. In fact, I happen to live
Animated political clip art
Yes, it sounds too good to be true. But Get Your War On is now available in a surprisingly compelling animation that somehow remains true to its clip art origins. Maybe I should try this for Johnny Bunko.
Phrase of the day: Colbert Bump
No, it’s not a skin lesion. It’s the boost in fundraising that U.S. Democratic political candidates get after appearing on The Colbert Report.As political scientist James Fowler discovered, and as the American Political Science Association reported:“Democratic politicians receive a 40% increase in contributions in the 30 days after appearing on the comedy cable show The Colbert Report. In
Phrase of the day: Practical obscurity
According to Brad Stone’s essay in today’s NY Times, this is the term academics use to describe the inaccessibility of paper-based public records.”Once upon a time,” Stone writes, “people in search of [criminal records] had to hire private investigators to navigate byzantine courthouses and rudimentary filing or computer systems, and to deal with often grim-faced legal clerks.
Picture of the day: National pastime meets national security
A collection of confiscated Louisville Slugger mini-bats displayed at the security line of Louisville International Airport.(BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!! . . . My metaphor detector just went off.)Photo taken: 7-17-08, 1245pm
Phrase of the day: Chemical amnesty
Now you can cleanse your soul and not just your floors. Do-gooder soap-maker Method has a established a “chemical amnesty” program at its newly opened New York pop-up store. As the always informative PSFK Trends Digest reports, “New Yorkers can bring in their old chemical-based products and exchange them for Method goodness–and M-fans can buy 5 products
Illinois to sign augmenters: Stop!
The forward-thinking civic officials of Oak Park, Illinois, who gave us the ingenious emotionally intelligent stop signs have been stymied by the jack-booted thugs of the state transportation department. National Public Radio’s Morning Edition has the story.(HT: Jamie Baker)
A dramatic leap into the 1980s
A few days ago, Cuba’s reformist (sic) new leader, Raul Castro, announced that the government would let its citizens purchase personal computers. On the left (no pun intended), Cubans gaze in wonder at the new-fangled technology.