The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    trkingmomoe's picture

    This Rick Scott Ad is going to back fire.

    By trkingmomoe on Fri, 10/03/2014 - 11:38pm |

    Just when you think you have seen all the stupid that the GOP can come up, they find a new one. I just saw this one on my TV this morning.  I thought my grand daughter in law was going to throw her shoe at the TV.  This ad hit a nerve and she found it insulting and sexist.  Me I was laughing at the latest, clueless, stupid, out of touch shit from the GOP.  

    jollyroger's picture

    Behead sorcerers? Sure. But not pot smugglers!

    By jollyroger on Thu, 10/02/2014 - 8:25am |

     

     

    With all the spillover umbrage at beheading available, I thought I'd capitalize on it and mobilize some hostility towards Saudi Arabia.

     

    Granted, when they do their beheadings, they give the head and body a decent interval hanging side by side in which to say goodbye.

    Richard Day's picture

    GOV'S BIG DEAL & SAM DILDO

    By Richard Day on Thu, 09/25/2014 - 6:37pm |

    GOVERNOR SAM DILDO

    A War of Choice.Not

    By Flavius on Wed, 09/24/2014 - 9:57pm |

    The initial response to Obama's announcement of our attack on Isis/Isil was "oh good" . Wars are always popular on their second day of course.

    But we're just beginning to get the criticism from the left  , being consistent with its opposition to all wars-fair enough-and we'll soon be hearing from John McCain, seemingly ,his   opposition to all peace.

    Since ,wisely, no one asked I'll volunteer a Flavian comment.

    danielfaris's picture

    It’s Time to Legalize Pot, if Only for the Tax Revenue

    By danielfaris on Mon, 09/22/2014 - 8:38am |

    Since the Marijuana Tax Act became law in 1937, it’s been illegal to sell or possess the drug in the United States.

    But somehow, the illegality of marijuana hasn’t seemed to deter many people from trying the drug. In 2012, someone was arrested for a marijuana-related offense every 42 seconds. That translates into nearly 750,000 different arrests.

    jollyroger's picture

    Congress: Urgently needing a vacation...legislating is such hard work

    By jollyroger on Sat, 09/20/2014 - 3:21am |

    In the ongoing concatenation of news causing one's face to make an almost permanent acquaintance with one's palm, surely the brutal work schedule of our 538 Washington DC employees (aka Congress) ranks high on the list.

     

    After wisely exiting DC throughout the dog days of August (the invention of air conditioning notwithstanding...) these schtarkers have exhausted themselves with two back to back 4 day work weeks.

     

    ENOUGH!  We're outta here.

     

    It's true, congress has gone back on vacation until mid November.

     

    Wrong again,me that is

    By Flavius on Fri, 09/19/2014 - 1:37pm |

    As soon as I finished praising Obama for not trying to  aid the "good guys" in Syria he promised to start.

    It's explained as being help to the gg to fight ISIL. Good luck!

    Whatever the announced justification  let's hope we do nothing to weaken Assad in combatting ISIL. He isn't decapitating Americans-ISIL is .

    Nothing in our experience with Maliki- or anyone else in the Middle East- suggests that we can micro manage the gg . The only thing we can  be sure will happen is that we will spend a lot of money and then the gg will fight someone. Of their own choosing.

    The Scots are voting no

    By Flavius on Thu, 09/18/2014 - 10:17pm |

    NO won. As of 12 15 EDT BBC formally projects a victory for NO and I'm going to bed

    Update

    As of midnight,EDT  No  is ahead by @140,000 

    As of 10 15 EDT the No votes are ahead. Only 3 rural areas have finished counting and all 3 were heavily NO.

    This just in

    Comhairie nan eilan siar

    The names amused me so I started doing this and now I've been sort of caught up

    Yes               No

    46.58 %           53.42%

    10 55 Here comes the yes vote

    Dundee votes

    53,620              39,850

    Obama was right(once again)

    By Flavius on Wed, 09/17/2014 - 8:10am |

    ISIS is executing Americans.

    Assad is fighting ISIS.

    We want ISIS to be defeated so they stop executing Americans.

    Any effort Assad diverts to defeating the "good guys" weakens his ability.to defeat ISIS..

    And gives it more time to execute Americans.

    Our aiding the "good guys"  would have increased his need to divert effort from defeating ISIS 

    Therefore it would have been "stupid" for Obama to have accepted the advice from McCain and others to aid the good guys. And Obama doesn't do stupid things.

    jollyroger's picture

    Death to hostages, mercy for oil wells!

    By jollyroger on Tue, 09/16/2014 - 5:48pm |

    After 160+ air sorties against ISIS positions, we are able to deduce at least one guiding principal of American policy.

     

    While we "sit shiva" for hostages, and refuse to negotiate for their release, ostensibly to prevent the ongoing funding of the terrorist enterprise, when it comes to bombing oil wells (let alone the trucks that carry the fruits thereof across the Turkish border) we stay our hand.

     

    WTF??

     

    Coalition of the whom?

    By Flavius on Sun, 09/14/2014 - 5:12pm |

    How should any  Sunni neighbors be willing to join Obama's Coalition? Particularly since they don't actually have to reject us, just condition their participation on a quid for which we can't come up with the quo. For example our requiring Bibi to make  some reasonable sounding but impossible concession e.g.calling off last weeks announcement of a significant settlement expansion in Gvaot,(Don't hold your breath).

    jollyroger's picture

    No jury would convict.

    By jollyroger on Sat, 09/13/2014 - 1:11am |

    If ever there were a profound argument in favor of the principal that jurors ought properly to exercise their independent discretion to nullify a criminal charge, this would be it.

    In a truly stomach turning codicil to the James Foley saga, we learn that his family members were the recipients of explicit threats that payment of the ransom to save his life would make them criminally liable.

    Richard Day's picture

    JOLEE and remembrances of things past

    By Richard Day on Fri, 09/12/2014 - 11:00pm |

    There was a memorial for my deceased sister today.

    I had sent my son a homily for her, and his sister ended up giving the homily.

    That was because he had to accompany his wife to the hospital where she delivered my second grand daughter.

    What is her name?

    Jolee Diane Day!

    I cannot stop crying. Diane was my sister!

    coatesd's picture

    Playing Defense and Still Losing

    By coatesd on Fri, 09/12/2014 - 12:48pm |

    You don’t win football games by only playing defense. And you don’t win mid-elections that way either. Perhaps somebody should remind the Democrats that winning elections, like winning games, requires you to take the game to the opposition, and to take it to them on your terms – not on theirs.

    Apology turns out to be useful alternative to shooting

    By erica20 on Fri, 09/12/2014 - 12:15pm |

    Follow-up to Murder in Michigan and Not-Murder Near Michigan.

    http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/accused-muskie-hater-apologizes-for-ki...

    Again, this is not rocket science. People have confrontations every day and do not shoot each other. It's illegal, for one thing.

    Not-murder near Michigan

    By erica20 on Fri, 09/12/2014 - 12:06pm |

    I am posting this video for a couple of reasons:

    1. It is oddly entertaining.

    2. It is an example of (gasp!) a confrontation that was NOT escalated and resolved with gunfire.The people in the video get hot under the collar, shout even, but despite frustration and anger on both sides, neither party jumps to the unreasonable conclusion he is in danger of extreme bodily harm.

    See how easy this is?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzdesfXfaTY&feature=youtu.be

    Good enough

    By Flavius on Wed, 09/10/2014 - 9:33pm |

    Our first child had autism. Which was then a sort of mystery. Or worse because the leading theory was that a child's autism had been caused by its unfeeling mother.

    Around 1960 this began changing and one of reasons was the work of a British psychologist who said of course mothers aren't perfect, who is? But mostly they're good enough.

    jollyroger's picture

    Losing our heads (Here, in Iraq, and in Saudi Arabia)

    By jollyroger on Tue, 09/09/2014 - 7:34am |

    It took only the deaths of two American reporters to send our government (particularly in the person of the President) scrambling to cobble together a manifestation of bellicosity.

    Oddly, the prior deaths by way of bullet, bomb, or building collapse of far more American reporters more or less at the hands of the same cast of characters produced only weasel words, a dance around the subject, and gauzy  platitudes.

    The difference, of course, lay in high production values.

    Reading Steven Salaita

    By A Guy Called LULU on Fri, 09/05/2014 - 12:38pm |

    I have followed Corey Robin online for about a year through email notices to his frequent blogs at his own site. He also contributes at Crooked Timber and has done so at many other places including The New York Times. For about a month he has been pushing hard on an issue of academic freedom which I have followed there but was un-aware was gaining the traction it has. It is even being covered internationally, at least in England and Israel. As my title indicates, it is the issue of the firing of Steven Salaita by the University of Illinois.

    Murder in Michigan

    By erica20 on Thu, 09/04/2014 - 4:05pm |

    A news item about an apparent road rage shooting in Howell, MI, caught my eye today. 

    http://www.livingstondaily.com/story/news/local/community/genoa-township...

    A couple (the Flemmings) was driving to pick up their kids from school when they were allegedly cut off by a guy in a pickup truck (Martin Edward Zale.) When they all stopped at a stoplight, Flemming, age 43, approached the truck, presumably to yell at Zale, whereupon Zale, age 69, rolled down the window and shot Flemming dead.

    Orion's picture

    Open Mikes Q&A With Michael Maiello And Michael Orion Powell

    By Orion on Wed, 09/03/2014 - 10:35pm |

    I said it in my last interview with him - Michael Maiello is one of my best publishing friends. He not only saw me through the hard and good times but also seemed to see something in me nearly from the beginning. Our regular "Open Mikes" Q&A idea was his own and he wanted to switch it up this time - asking me questions! Gosh gee, I didn't even know I had thoughts that anyone would find that interesting. Here goes.....

    Bruce Levine's picture

    Tough Choices -- Facing Genocide in the Levant

    By Bruce Levine on Thu, 08/28/2014 - 7:34pm |

    There has been more debate among dagbloggers discussing ISIS, Syria, Iraq -- the Middle East -- than there has been in the Congress over the past couple of weeks.  It is election season and folks are back home raising money and kissing babies.  

    The president is on the job still but today, with commendable candor, stated that the United States did not yet have a strategy for dealing with ISIS.  Commendable yes, but not entirely reassuring when you hear it from the commander in chief.  That is not the point of this piece.

    Richard Day's picture

    POSSE COMITATUS

    By Richard Day on Tue, 08/26/2014 - 5:36pm |

    Armitage Siren.JPG

    SIRENS

    Precious: DADDY COME HERE, KISS KISS

    Daddy gets up and kiss kisses

    Precious: KISS KISS, okay go back where you were.

    Hahahahahah

    (A true story)

    THERE IS A RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS

    We live in a world of chaos.

    War Fever at NPR's Diane Rehm show

    By NCD on Mon, 08/25/2014 - 2:15pm |

    I listened to the NPR August 25th Monday morning Diane Rehm Show and it was scarier than anything since, yes, since, 9/11/01:

    U.S. Strategy In The Battle Against ISIS

    ....the Obama administration is under growing pressure to strike ISIS on Syrian soil. A discussion of U.S. strategy to combat ISIS....

    Orion's picture

    Kshama Sawant, Jess Spear, and the Uncompromising “Free” Market

    By Orion on Fri, 08/22/2014 - 8:41pm |

    In Seattle, socialist Kshama Sawant has been unusually successful in her progress as city councilwoman. While it will take a good while to apply, she did succeed in pushing $15 minimum wage for the city of Seattle. 

    The Socialist Alternative movement continued with Jess Spear, who ran a pretty stellar campaign against Frank Chopp for the position of speaker. Nevertheless, Spear was “overwhelmed,” as the Seattle P.I. put it, with Chopp raking it 80 percent of ballots, and the explanations why are pretty storied.

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