Michael Wolraich's picture

    Oklahoma Governor saves Flaming Lips - Rep cites Constitutional right to be offended

    Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma decisively resolved a major battle over the official state rock song today. I bet you didn't realize that states had official rock songs, least of all Oklahoma.

    Well it does now. In an online contest, a majority of Oklahomans voted for Do You Realize? by the weird psychadelicish band, The Flaming Lips. I bet you didn't realize that the Flaming Lips came from Oklahoma.

    Real Gasoline Prices have fallen over the past 60 years

    I  must admit that my claim in an early blog thread that the real price of energy has not changed in 50 years was incorrect.  Over the past 60 years, the price of a gallon of gasoline adjusted for inflation has actually fallen significantly.  Thus, any argument that our country's economic strength in the 50s and 60s was due to cheap energy should be reconsidered.

    The following fascinating analysis can be found at http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare

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    Michael Wolraich's picture

    American Hegemony: What is it, Where is it going, and Who really cares anyway?

    There have been many sober pronouncements lately about the end American hegemony, both on this blog and elsewhere. Some have reacted with despondence, others with glee. It may be that the end is nigh--it has to end sometime--but we should keep in mind that the forecasters of doom emerge from their caves during every period of hardship.

    DF's picture

    You Just Can't Make This Stuff Up

    Submitted for your approval is this footage of Jane Harman on MSNBC:

    Seriously, I'm crying over here.  This is thoroughly magnificient stuff.

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    Healthcare San Francisco Style

    I just returned to Carmel after a lovely weekend in the city by the bay.  From a gastronomic standpoint, this may have been the best three days I have spent in San Francisco as meals at Hunan Home in Chinatown and Luna Park in the Mission District were outstanding and very reasonably priced.  Both were identified via patient (but not time-consuming) sifting of online reviews.  Even the brat at AT&T Park as well as (of course) the Anchor Steam on tap there were excellent, although neither was reasonably priced.

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    Orlando's picture

    Welcome to the Roland Burris Fundraising Jugger-NOT

    When we last left our hero, Roland Burris had submitted amended testimony to indicate that he maybe did have those conversations about fundraising for Rod Blagojevich that he had previously adamantly denied. He got confirmed anyway and the people of Illinois moved on to bigger issues, like which shade of green to dye the Chicago River for Saint Patrick’s Day.

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    Deadman's picture

    Another one (Obama nominee) bites the dust?

    All alleged misconduct right now, but it appears Obama auto czar nominee Steve Rattner could be in some big trouble due to a potential NY pension kickback scandal related to the private equity firm Rattner ran. Some really damaging allegations in here, most notably an inexplicable investment in a DVD distribution plan.

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    DF's picture

    Teabagging

    Well, it just so happens that your boy, DF, was able to move some things around and get down to the mass teabagging that took place on the steps of California's Capitol Building in Sacramento.  Fox News had dispatched Big, Bad, Business-Is-My-Business Anchor, Neil Cavuto, and Lesser Blogosphere Harpy, Michelle Malkin.  I took a bunch of pictures at the event.  Sadly, these pictures were taken with my phone and aren't the best quality, but hopefully they will provide a sample of the flavor of the afternoon.

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    Orlando's picture

    Civil War Redux? Glenn Beck Talks Secession

    Steve Benen over at the Washington Monthly has an interesting piece today about some remarks that Glenn Beck has been making. Beck is apparently of a mind that the founding fathers would support state secession if the federal government were committing suicide, whatever that means.

    Now, I happen to agree that we should not follow our leaders like lemmings. But I also happen to be fond, perhaps to a fault, of sound reasoning.

    Exhibit A:

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    Deadman's picture

    Baby Boom Goes the Dynamite: The Generation's Lasting Legacy

    The Baby Boomers have blown it in spectacular fashion.

    For much of the past 20 years, they have been the ones in charge of this country. During that time, they have...

    ... ignored the looming Social Security crisis, which has been simmering for decades and is now apparently coming to a boiling point much quicker than originally estimated.

    Michael Wolraich's picture

    BREAKING: First Dog

    Under relentless media pressure after weeks of foot-dragging, the Obama Administration finally selected a nominee for a top government post: First Dog.

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    Michael Wolraich's picture

    Bankers Want Out of Bailout Conditions

    Banks are chafing under Federal bailout terms, according to today's New York Times. Fearing that they will be forced to sell off toxic assets and curtail executive compensation, some banks are trying to return bailout money. But there's a catch. In order to receive the bailout loans, the banks had to grant the Federal Government stock warrants. The warrants give the Federal Government the option to buy stock in the company at a specified price.

    Orlando's picture

    Rachel Maddow and Ana Marie Cox Debate Discuss the Merits of Tea-Bagging

    I feel dirty.

    And also, somehow, proud of Rachel Maddow and Ana Marie Cox. Tonight on Rachel's show, they found the Holy Grail of double entendre. I wonder if Glenn Beck gets it.

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    Michael Wolraich's picture

    Obama Must Stop Bowing!

    You've no doubt seen the video in which Obama bowed meekly before King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia:

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    DF's picture

    "Cap and trade" is the "Earth Hour" of Climate Policy

    I'm going to try and keep this short and sweet.  The basic point I want to drive home is this: Climate change is occurring, but "cap and trade" policies will not stop it.

    While "cap and trade" seems to offer a sensible policy prescription for reducing carbon emissions, marginal, near-term reductions in atmospheric carbon dioxide will not put a halt to climate change.  In order for me to explain why, I'm going to set down a few of the facts about climate change so that we're all on the same page.

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    Deadman's picture

    Playing God and Taking Shortcuts ...

    This financial crisis is more than what it appears.

    It is symptomatic of a society that at some point over the last 30 years lost its way by seeking not the road less traveled, but instead the quickest route.

    It is the culmination of a mindset that increasingly became interested in pursuing immediate gratification at any cost.

    Look around you. In every area of modern life, the shortcut has become the rule, not the exception.

    Orlando's picture

    The Blame Game: It's Your Fault that America is on the Road to Ruin

    These days, everybody is blaming someone. The democrats blame the republicans, who blame them right back. The rich blame the poor. The poor are ordering pitchforks.

    New York blames Detroit. Detroit blames the labor unions. Labor unions blame Walmart. 

    George Bush blames Osama bin Laden. DickCheney blames President Obama.  Evangelical Christians blame San Franciso values. Gays in California blame the Mormons (although, let's face it, when blame is launched, it can sometimes hit the target spot on).

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    Deadman's picture

    Government Debt: The Final Bubble

    Could this be the beginning of the end for our markets' last great bubble?

    An auction today of $34 billion in 5-year U.S. government bonds didn't go over so well, fetching prices well under what analysts were expecting.

    Ruh-roh.

    Oh I know, it may not seem like that big of a deal. The debt still got sold, unlike an unsuccessful auction for 40-year bonds in the UK. The fact that our auction resulted in yields (which move in the opposite direction of the price of bonds) of 1.849% versus the expected 1.801% seems like rather unimportant, inside-baseball type of stuff.

    Michael Wolraich's picture

    Don't Raise the Barricades

    A recent World Bank study indicates a disturbing rise in trade protectionism around the world in response to the economic crisis. Here are a few examples:

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