SleepinJeezus's picture

    American Strategists would have us inherit the winds that blow in Cairo

    I haven't seen any TV in a week, and have kept up with developments in Cairo via newspaper headlines and newscasts. Admittedly, this presented for me a "story among other news stories" kind of perspective on the matter.

    Beetlejuice's picture

    Where's the News?

    Since Egypt has fallen into political disarray, has anyone taken notice all MSM resources, both print nd web, are focused intently on the situation on the ground there while the rest of the world is slowing dissolving under the weight of their own destructive powers. As Nomi Klein so aptly put in her book, The Shock Doctrine, redirect the attention of the public to some other trivial issue away from what you're doing so when their attention is back and focused, the changes have already been approved and implemented and there's nothing they can do.

    Richard Day's picture

    DEVOLUTION

    File:Skull and brain normal human.svg

    Most people who went to school and actually spent some time in study hall studying stuff are familiar with the process of evolution.

    The idea involves complex processes whereby simpler organisms evolve into more complex organisms.

    Logic, smogic.

    John Quiggen today in Brad deLong's blog

    cmaukonen's picture

    Why Egypt Matters - An Historical perspective.

    We - and by we I mean the Western world and most especially the USA - have a nasty habit of forgetting some of the past history that makes us uncomfortable. This is especially true when it comes to the Middle East. The current situation in Egypt can trace its roots back to just after WWII.

    FurudeRikaChama's picture

    A different kind of cartoon: Anime

    Remember those cartoons like Scooby-Doo you watched as kids? Remember how they were always funny and silly, with no continuing plot? Are all cartoons for children? Some of you probably still watch cartoons, and are made fun of for it.

    If you didn't know, let me tell you that not all cartoons are for children. There are Japanese cartoons, called anime, that differ greatly than their Western counterparts. They differ greatly in three ways: the storytelling and plot, the artwork and design, and the content and genre.

    The Decider's picture

    Barbara Bush endorses gay marriage--and I agree with her!

    My daughter Barbara Bush, offered her endorsement of gay marriage in an interview. While my knee jerk reaction is to oppose it, I think I am beginning to understand her position. I mean, we want gays to change their sinful ways and how better to do that than getting married? The wife will be watching Mr. gay to see that he avoids hanky-panky and, in the meantime, he'll be developing the habit of living the straight life.

    acanuck's picture

    Tone-deaf: With every speech, Mubarak pisses more people off

    Hosni Mubarak had reportedly been preparing today's "concession" announcement for days. Man, does he need some new speechwriters! After the briefest nod to "the legitimate worries" of young Egyptians, he basically slammed the ongoing protests as the work of political agitators. Not a good start toward calming the waters and creating dialogue.

    FurudeRikaChama's picture

    The most bizarre commercials

    Commercials are probably the most annoying thing ever to come into existence. But, they're everywhere: the internet, magazines, TV. Nowadays, there's not a place you can't go to without seeing a commercial.

    Most commercials are quite forgettable. But, there are some that are just plain bizarre and disturbing. This is a list of the most bizarre commercials.

    This is a creepy commercial about an insane doll. Everyone in the commercial goes insane after hearing her laugh. I wonder if the maker of this doll is the Joker.

    Watt Childress's picture

    Welcome to the Garden Party

    "Sir, are you a singer-songwriter?''

    The question came from a Greeneville High School senior who shall remain anonymous because I don't want to embarrass him. We were at a play-group reunion. Last time I saw him, 12 years ago, he was sporting a Batman cape.

    "Now think about it,'' I replied, "if I really looked like a singer-songwriter, would you call me 'sir'?''

    Batman didn't miss a beat. "Well, maybe if you were knighted, like Elton John.''

    Richard Day's picture

    THE NEW MATH

    Ptolemy
    An early Baroque artist's rendition of Claudius Ptolemaeus.

    MISS PALIN BACHMANN CONJURING

    cmaukonen's picture

    The Obvious

    It has become fairly obvious right now that the people will not be satisfied until Mubarak is his entire government must abdicate. It is also pretty obvious to me as to where the world's governments (as opposed to the citizens) allegiance lies as well and it's not with the citizens.

    cmaukonen's picture

    Communication

    This was going to be a blog about communication styles between the left and right and the common folk. But that will have to wait, I am afraid. With the protests in Tunisia and now Egypt it has become obvious to this blogger that our current methods of personal communication with cell phones and the Internet and social media will simply not cut the mustard when we need to get the messages out and among ourselves about what is happening in the streets, what we want and plan to do about it and what the world needs to know.

    coatesd's picture

    Fact and Fiction in the “State of the Union” Debate

                In last week’s State of the Union Address, President Obama replayed themes he had touched on here in North Carolina when speaking at Forsyth Technical College in December.[1] He spoke of competitive challenges and the danger of a loss of global leadership.

    "The thing about tariffs is - they do the trick" : Keynes, April 17, 1933

    And : "Free trade agreements are licenses to engage in what used to be called "Labor Racketeering" Give the 6 month notice. Likewise notify the wto that we are out the door " Jolly Roger, in a comment to SleepinJeezus' blog today, "The failure of a thirty year experiment."

    It's intuitively convincing, but in my particular case, FWIW supported by observations from  the 20 years of my career which I spent in international business, usually living abroad, that John Maynard and Jolly Roger, are right.

    oleeb's picture

    Here We Go Again: Roll 1970's Tape From Iran

    I find it really interesting watching the range of reaction both by officials in America and by various voices in the media.  It's as though history has no lessons and there are no reasons why the kinds of uprising we see in Egypt might happen and if there are such reasons they certainly don't involve the United States. 

    SleepinJeezus's picture

    The Failure of a Thirty-Year Experiment in Reaganomics

    Since the advent of Reaganomics, both Repubs and Dems have fully embraced supply-side, trickle-down economic policy as the course that would provide growth and prosperity for all Americans. Indeed, there was no greater advocate of this than Bill Clinton, who established NAFTA as the standard for our Free Trade policies.

    Barth's picture

    The Big Lie

    It was just so over the top, and so wrongheaded that our usually fractious populace, and the politicians and hangers on who cater to them were, for once, united in their condemnation. After all what the congressman said was just, simply, out of bounds.

    What the congressman said was this:

    CVille Dem's picture

    NO CLUE

    Back when the Soviet Union was the Soviet Union, a friend of mine went there for a year (1976) as a doctor to accompany a group of American young people (all fluent in Russian) as they went from city to city to show how great America was, and to learn what they could about the USSR.  It was a USIA (United States Information Agency) project.  The reason he went was because in previous years people had died from such things as appendicitis, and other treatable medical problems.

    Richard Day's picture

    LEAVE MY 14TH AMENDMENT ALONE!

    File:Thomas Jefferson rev.jpg

             THE GENIUS OF THE DECLARATION

    acanuck's picture

    Reshuffling the Mideast house of cards

    Interesting couple of weeks in the Middle East, no? Tunisians take to the streets to depose their country's long-entrenched dictator. WikiLeaks-type revelations destroy the last shreds of credibility Mahmoud Abbas's regime had with Palestinians. Hezbollah (acting entirely within Lebanon's constitution, BTW) installs its own choice for prime minister. George Bush's vision of Arab democracy on the march finally takes form!

    FurudeRikaChama's picture

    The pointlessness of NCLB: Why it's hindering education, not helping

    We all hear about it every year. Ever since George Bush passed this law, there has been a constant, constant demand for children to get higher scores on standardized tests. They say children need to get the best grades on tests possible. But, is it really a worthwhile law?

    The basic principle of NCLB is that they want every child in America to get the same scores on standardized tests by 2014, which is only three years away. My first estimate of this law is....

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