Archive for July 02009

Some questions for Bonner & Associates.

In Politics on 31 July 02009 with 4 comments

Having chewed over the story all day, I’ve come to suspect strongly that this business of a lobbying firm forging letters sent to Rep. Tom Perriello’s office could well be a Big Story™, the sort of thing that turns out to snake into the offices of elected officials, businesses, and lobbyists across the country. It’s [...]

Tim Heaphy nominated for U.S. attorney.

In Politics, ShortLinks, Virginia Politics on 31 July 02009 with 2 comments

My friend and Sorensen classmate Tim Heaphy has been nominated for the position of U.S. attorney for the western district of Virginia. My class named him, if memory serves, the person that we most wanted to represent us, and that was agreed upon by Democrats and Republicans alike. Tim’s a Democrat, but inscrutably so (many [...]

links for 2009-07-31

In ShortLinks on 31 July 02009 with 2 comments

Weiner Challenges the Republicans to Put-Up or Shut-Up on Healthcare
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) offered a bill to end Medicare, in response to Republicans complaining about the evils of government-funded healthcare. The Republicans all voted against the bill.
(tags: politics)

Microsoft's Long, Slow Decline
John Gruber on the OS maker's bad situation. Apple has something like 90% of the [...]

Energy bill opponents forged letters to Rep. Perriello.

In Politics on 31 July 02009 tagged congress, lobbyists, perriello with 9 comments

A lobbying firm has admitted to forging letters to Rep. Tom Perriello in the names of a two Charlottesville groups, all asking him to vote against the energy bill. Professional astroturfers Bonner & Associates variously claimed to be “Marisse K. Acevado, Asst Member Coordinator” of Creciendo Juntos and various nonexistent members of the Albemarle-Charlottesville branch [...]

links for 2009-07-30

In ShortLinks on 30 July 02009 with 5 comments

Monkey Herds Goats; Farmer Approves
There's really nothing not to like about this.
(tags: animals biology science video)

Judge orders Guantanamo release
In ordering the release of the boy—held captive in a cage under the hot Cuban sun since the age of 12, who "confessed" after being tortured—she described the federal government's case against him as "an outrage" that's [...]

Where are the grownups in the transportation debate?

In Virginia Politics on 29 July 02009 tagged transportation with 5 comments

Prompted by Amy Gardner and Rosalind Helderman’s article on transportation and the governor’s race in the Post today, I’m left wondering when the grownups will show up to deal with this state’s transportation problems. We’re facing an enormous fiscal disaster regarding transportation. We’re less than ten years away from infrastructure that starts to become useless, [...]

links for 2009-07-29

In ShortLinks on 29 July 02009 with 2 comments

Why Do Doubts About Obama's Birthplace Persist?
NPR explores that unique overlap of racism and mental illness that has spawned the Birther movement among right wingers.
(tags: obama politics race)

Apple Claims New iPhone Only Visible To Most Loyal Of Customers
The Onion: "Not only is this our lightest and slimmest model ever, but as any truly savvy Apple [...]

links for 2009-07-28

In ShortLinks on 28 July 02009 with 9 comments

The Crow Paradox
Crows can recognize individual faces and remember them for a long, long time. As somebody who recently fired a shotgun at a crow and missed, not far from my house, this makes me think unsettlingly of Tippi Hedren.
(tags: biology nature crow)

The Minimalist: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less
Mark Bittman has [...]

Goode declines to run for his old seat.

In Virginia Politics on 27 July 02009 tagged goode, perriello with 2 comments

While winding my way home from Saratoga Springs this morning I was surprised to get word that Virgil Goode won’t be challenging Rep. Tom Perriello. (Or, parsing his words strictly, he won’t be seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Perriello.) This ought to result in a quick flood of folks announcing their candidacy for the [...]

links for 2009-07-24

In ShortLinks on 24 July 02009 with 2 comments

CNBC Names Virginia the "Top State for Business"
With a Democratic senate and with Democrat Tim Kaine as governor, Virginia continues to be cited as the best state in the nation for businesses. The dire warnings about how Democrats are anti-business really haven't panned out for Republicans.
(tags: business virginia politics)

links for 2009-07-23

In ShortLinks on 23 July 02009 with 2 comments

Global Views of U.S. Helped by Obama, Survey Says
A Pew Global Attitudes Project finds that there's been a huge spike in support of our nation and President Obama by people around the world since Barack Obama was elected president. The most interesting finding is that Turkish, Egyptian, and Indonesian citizens now, for the first time, [...]

Republicans are lining up up to run for Saxman’s seat.

In ShortLinks, Virginia Politics on 22 July 02009 tagged house of delegates with 14 comments

Eight Republicans want the nomination to replace Chris Saxman in the HoD race in the Valley. Those eight—all men (and I’d bet cash they’re all white): Dickie Bell, John Beghtol, Charles Curry, Christopher DeWald, Ray Ergenbright, Cliff Fretwell, Charles Hawkins, and David Karaffa. I’m torn on what to make of the large number of [...]

Kaine’s DNC travel revealed via FOIA.

In Virginia Politics on 22 July 02009 tagged foia, kaine, transparency with Comments Off

A FOIA request to the state police has been successful in teasing out Gov. Kaine’s travel schedule. He’s refused to release it, under logic that is legally sound, but basically bullshit. But since he’s always got a state-assigned bodyguard with him (as all Virginia governors have for many years), and since he’s reimbursing the state [...]

A venn diagram of instability.

In Politics, ShortLinks on 22 July 02009 with 19 comments

An imponderable: Are all teabaggers also birthers, and vice-versa, or are there some who think folks in the other groups are just kooks?

links for 2009-07-22

In ShortLinks on 22 July 02009 with 5 comments

Hannity Thinks Ham Costs 79 Cents
Sean Hannity criticized the Obama administration on Monday night for spending $1.50/lb ham for food kitchens, claiming that "it actually costs only 79 cents in most grocery stores." I've never heard of 79¢ ham, but the thought is a bit horrifying. I'm sure it's many years since Sean Hannity has [...]

Teabagger is seeking nomination in the 20th.

In ShortLinks, Virginia Politics on 21 July 02009 with 10 comments

Teabagger David Karaffa is running for Del. Chris Saxman’s seat. Oh, how I look forward to this election. I hope Catherine Crabill finds an ally in the nominee.

links for 2009-07-20

In ShortLinks on 20 July 02009 with 3 comments

A Challenge to Climate Change Skeptics
Nate Silver asks conservatives to put their money where their mouth is, by placing money on the line as to whether the temperature where they live in the coming months will be warmer or colder than the historic average. No takers yet. With all of the bloggers claiming "it's chilly [...]

links for 2009-07-19

In ShortLinks on 19 July 02009 with Comments Off

Arctic Mystery: Identifying the Great Blob of Alaska
It turns out to be a massive algae bloom, something that has never (to anybody's knowledge) happened there before.
(tags: weird environment)

The 3 to 11 Shift
Kris Amundson says there's life after the General Assembly.
(tags: legislature)

links for 2009-07-18

In ShortLinks on 18 July 02009 with 5 comments

U.S. income inequality continues to grow
"Over the past 30 years, the income of the top 1 percent, adjusted for inflation, doubled: the top one-tenth of 1 percent tripled, and the top one-one-hundredth quadrupled. Meanwhile, the average income of the bottom 90 percent has gone down slightly."
(tags: economy class)

links for 2009-07-17

In ShortLinks on 17 July 02009 with 4 comments

Study catches 2 bird populations as they split into separate species
This flycatcher has two populations that are physically separated, and they're starting to fork, with the two populations no longer willing to mate with each other. To be fair, this also highlights the arbitrariness of the definition of a species.
(tags: evolution science bird)

Trap street
"A trap [...]