Oh, Right, Them

I haven't commented on the Oscar noms because I have finally stopped caring about them once and for all.

As I predicted, Where the Wild Things Are was completely forgotten. Also as predicted, Charlotte Gainsbourg's insanely visceral performance in Antichrist was unjustly ignored. And in both cases, it was apparently so that the Academy could celebrate the overlooked genius of Sandra Bullock.

And I'm supposed to take them seriously? I guess you could apply Churchill's defense of democracy just as well to the Oscars, but sorry, no. Not good enough.

Back when I had a semi-regular column, I did a couple of pieces essentially retconning the Oscars, where I looked back over the previous decade and decided who should have really gotten the statues. I might do it again now just out of spite, but the fact of the matter is that it shouldn't be necessary. It just isn't that tough a job. An occasional miss or flub would be forgivable. Constant, glaring screw-ups aren't.

I'm done with it.

Just Wondering

With Left Blogistan all a-twitter over Sen. Evil's (R-AL) one hundred BILLION dollar act of extortion, has anyone thought to try making a citizen's arrest on Shelby? The law in DC on this is pretty flexible compared to other jurisdictions:

In the most crime ridden spot in the country, our nation's capitol, District of Columbia Law 23- 582(b) reads as follows:

(b) A private person may arrest another -

(1) who he has probable cause to believe is committing in his presence -

(A) a felony, or

(B) an offense enumerated in section 23-581 (a)(2); or

(2) in aid of a law enforcement officer or special policeman, or other person authorized by law to make an arrest.

(c) Any person making an arrest pursuant to this section shall deliver the person arrested to a law enforcement officer without unreasonable delay. (July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 630, Pub. L. 91-358, Title II, § 210(a); 1973 Ed., § 23-582; Apr. 30, 1988, D.C. Law 7-104, § 7(e), 35 DCR 147.)


As long as Shelby maintains the holds, he's engaged in an act of extortion against the government. That's close enough to probable cause for me.

Ancient Ethnic Proverb

The only thing greater than the unbridled optimism you feel when beginning a project, is the immense relief you feel when finally finishing one of the fucking things.

After the usual period of doubt and staring blankly at a blank page, I've started doing something with the ginchy idea I had about a month ago. I'll say no more about it for now.

Ryan Doubles Down On Sanity

More of this, please.

The Party of... No, Really?

The GOS/Research 2000 poll looking into the minds of rank-and-file Pubs is... I don't even know what to say.

More Pubs believe that Genesis should be taught in schools (77%) than sex education (42%), and it's not even close.

The number of Pubs who believe Obama is actually American (42%) is barely higher than the number who want him impeached (39%).

Let's not even get started on LGBT issues... when less than 10% of Pubs think that openly gay people should even be allowed to teach in public schools -- forget about being allowed to marry -- you know the conversation is over before it's even begun.

Hell, almost a quarter of them (23%) are secessionists.

It'd be a joke if it weren't so terrifying.

If the Dems want to improve the turnout of their base in 2010, all they need to do is widely distribute these poll results and ask, "Are these the people you want making decisions about the country's future?"

Martyrs For Democracy

I haven't been posting much about Iran recently. In part that's because Sully does a better job of consolidating the trickle of info we're getting than I ever could, but mostly because the progress that's being made by the Green Revolution has been beneath the surface. The pattern we saw in 1979 is slowly repeating itself - demonstrations and defiance, followed by increasingly desperate attempts by the governing regime to squash dissent, followed by stronger resolve on the part of the protesters.

February 11th could be the beginning of the next stage of the conflict though, and as such I just wanted to note now that as the Khameini/Ahmadinejad regime's legitimacy continues to rot away below the surface, when it does finally collapse it will likely disintegrate all at once, all of a sudden, and not gradually fade away.

February 11 could be just another day of bloodshed and endurance. Or it could be something else entirely.

The GOP's Future?

Paul Ryan, who was basically the only Republican who came off sounding like he knew what the hell he was talking about during the Q&A/bitch-slapping Obama gave the House Pubs, actually put out an alternate budget proposal. It's got some good ideas, some good but painful ideas, and some painfully bad ideas, but at least it's an attempt at a conversation.

Here's the test though: as Matt Yglesias points out, Ryan's Medicare voucher proposal is a non-starter unless the insurance industry gets overhauled -- which is already part of the health care reform proposal sitting in front of the House right now.

So... will Ryan now support that bill, or at least consider supporting it as a necessary step towards his own budget ideas?

January Travesties

Wow, was that only one month? 42 different songs sung in January. Jinkies.

Against All Odds - Phil Collins
Back On the Chain Gang - Pretenders
Ballroom Blitz - Sweet
Behind Closed Doors - Charlie Rich
Big River - Johnny Cash
Bring the Noise - Public Enemy & Anthrax (duet w/Carson T Foster)
Everybody Knows - Concrete Blonde
Go With the Flow - Queens of the Stone Age
Hanging On the Telephone - Blondie
Head Over Heels - Tears For Fears
High School Confidential - Rough Trade
I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
I Remember You - Skid Row
I Try - Macy Gray
I'll Be Around - Spinners
In a Big Country - Big Country
Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Joe Jackson
It's a Heartache - Bonnie Tyler
Layla - Derek & the Dominos
Let's Spend the Night Together - Rolling Stones
Little Red Corvette - Prince
Mirror Man - Human League
More Today Than Yesterday - Spiral Staircase
My Life - Billy Joel
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS
New Year's Day - U2
Our House - Madness
Pink Houses - John Cougar Mellencamp
Reign O'er Me - Who
Remedy - Black Crowes
Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh
Shake Your Tail Feathers - Ray Charles
Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
Something To Believe In - Poison
South City Midnight Lady - Doobie Brothers
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
The Weight - The Band
Too Much Time On My Hands - Styx
Toxic - Britney Spears
When Love Comes To Town - U2 & BB King
While You See a Chance - Steve Winwood