tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post7513061447113425766..comments2024-01-02T22:01:12.976+00:00Comments on Avedon's Sideshow: I think you move meAvedonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04702100335744054401noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-68298209029540361042016-02-22T05:58:51.472+00:002016-02-22T05:58:51.472+00:00Of course, outside of the Republican fish tank nei...Of course, outside of the Republican fish tank neither <i>the Donald</i> nor Marco could ever prevail because, as we know, during the 2012 presidential election exit polls indicated voters then were 72% non-Hispanic white, 13% black, 10% Hispanic, and 3% Asian. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/results/race/president/" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a> And in 2016 the demographics which favor truth and justice have only improved.<br /><br />Yet, once upon a time in a land which was 47% non-Hispanic white, 32% Hispanic, 11% Asian or Pacific Islander, 6% non-Hispanic black, and 1% Native American <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/24/in-2014-latinos-will-surpass-whites-as-largest-racialethnic-group-in-california/" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a> two guys who would have gotten <i>Virtually Speaking</i> designations as clowns, one a celebrity version and the other a standard issue right-wing whacko, got a combined total of 62% of the statewide vote. In Round 1 the Democrat had polled 44% against no opposition, in Round 2 the Democrats' Mulligan ended up with 32% of the total vote. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_gubernatorial_recall_election" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/replacementballotexitpoll.html" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a><br /><br />But not to worry, everything worked out two elections later.CMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13481861530761114492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-82687611949899606412016-02-21T21:30:43.930+00:002016-02-21T21:30:43.930+00:00I finally found a Hillary fan who does a pretty go...I finally found a Hillary fan who does a pretty good job of cheerfully whistling past the graveyard, and never the same tune twice. Vote: <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cbs_IAbWAAAwKKG.jpg" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a> or <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cbs5UCVW4AAZcQK.jpg" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a> or <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cbs70HRW0AARMQ8.jpg" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a><br /><br />(❤s go here. <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcFaletti" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a>CMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13481861530761114492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-36816114283209029532016-02-20T21:07:13.725+00:002016-02-20T21:07:13.725+00:00Here's some fairly easy to understand wonkery ...Here's some fairly easy to understand wonkery if you're willing to take a few moments while reading through it to ponder on any of the parts of the technical discussion that bring up concepts that are a bit new to you. <a href="http://rooseveltinstitute.org/praise-wonk-and-wonk-analysis-cea-and-sanderss-proposal/" rel="nofollow">[LINK].</a>CMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13481861530761114492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-9464577334425456432016-02-20T03:54:32.103+00:002016-02-20T03:54:32.103+00:00Sigh.
Many women's groups, opposed to Judge T...Sigh.<br /><br /><i>Many women's groups, opposed to Judge Thomas from the start, largely because of their belief that his presence on the Supreme Court would further imperil Court precedent legalizing abortion, were enraged that he had been confirmed despite sexual-harassment accusations against him. Much of their anger today was directed at the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Senator Charles S. Robb of Virginia, who voted for confirmation.<br /><br />The head of the company that canceled the fund-raising contract with the committee today also fired off an angry letter to Mr. Robb.<br /><br />"Women constitute a substantial portion of the donors to the D.S.C.C.," wrote Roger M. Craver, president of Craver, Mathews, Smith & Company, which also handles direct mail for leading women's groups and liberal causes. "For years, they have been reaching deep into their pockets to help protect the Democratic majority in the Senate because they truly believed only a Democratic Senate could protect them from an increasingly conservative judiciary and an outwardly hostile executive branch. That faith was shattered by the way the Democratically controlled Senate handled the entire Thomas nomination."</i> <br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/17/us/the-thomas-confirmation-women-accusing-democrats-of-betrayal.htmlksixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15406854618914127269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-65443843913604112732016-02-19T15:50:03.803+00:002016-02-19T15:50:03.803+00:00McCartney will be able to reclaim the copyright fo...McCartney will be able to reclaim the copyright for his 1962 music in 2018 when he will be 76. The article linked to was published in 2013 so its mistake was to suggest that 2018 would come nine years after that, not five.CMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13481861530761114492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-86931416676713347442016-02-19T14:41:40.988+00:002016-02-19T14:41:40.988+00:00I was just looking over that Paul McCartney item, ...I was just looking over that Paul McCartney item, and it suddenly struck me that in 2026, 9 years from now, I'll be 75. McCartney could hardly be only a year older than I am. So I looked it up, and he was born in 1942; in 2016 he'll be 84, not 76. Just a detail.Duncan Mitchelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05304723745550906958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-47982476757700937822016-02-17T02:32:03.148+00:002016-02-17T02:32:03.148+00:00No one could have predicted... [LINK]No one could have predicted... <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielAlpert/status/699776354712211456" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a>CMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13481861530761114492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-540830757827809952016-02-16T15:51:49.894+00:002016-02-16T15:51:49.894+00:00The Democratic Party uses the fear of reactionary ...The Democratic Party uses the fear of reactionary appointments to the Supreme Court to keep voters in line. It's worn out with me, since I've noted how many Democrats vote to confirm these appointments. Hey, if it's a real danger, get the people whom you support for election to do their bit or cut them off from party aid.<br /><br />They also carry water for the idea that the Senate's duty of advice and consent means simply rubber stamping the president's appointment. No, it doesn't. nihil obstethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02336022385130880362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-43912782437966178332016-02-16T03:00:18.305+00:002016-02-16T03:00:18.305+00:00Yikes and double yikes. This just goes to show you...Yikes and double yikes. This just goes to show you that sometimes on a fast break even someone on our team will pull-up for a medium range jumper and totally brick it:<br /><br /><b>[QUOTE from Virtually Speaking 02/15/2016 <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/virtuallyspeaking/2016/02/15/dave-johnson-virtually-speaking-sundays" rel="nofollow">LINK</a>]</b><br />[10:53] Dave Johnson: Here you go Jay. Scalia was nominated to replace Thurgood Marshall, O.K. For listeners who don't know, Thurgood Marshall was a civil rights attorney who Lyndon Johnson nominated and got confirmed to the Supreme Court. O.K., a civil rights attorney, a remarkable man and the Democrats voted...<br /><br />Jay Ackroyd: And a fine judge, a fine judge...<br /><br />Dave J.: Yes, yes. And the Democrats voted...<br /><br />Jay A.: Different justices are good and bad but Marshall was one of the leaders.<br /><br />Dave A.: Democrats in the Senate then replaced him and voted for Scalia...<br /><br />Jay A.: Ninety-seven <i>[to]</i> zero if I remember correctly.<br /><br />Dave J.: Yeah, ninety-seven to zero, who recently said black people don't belong in elite schools, o.k. and a lot of other things he has said...<br /><b>[END QUOTE]</b><br /><br />In 1986 Chief Justice Warren Burger retired from the Supreme Court. President Reagan chose to nominate the most conservative then sitting justice, William Rehnquist, to fill Burger's seat and Antonin Scalia to fill the seat on the Court Rehnquist was vacating. The confirmations proceeded in tandem through the Senate confirmation proceedings, ultimately with Rehnquist being confirmed by a vote of 65 to 33 and Scalia by a vote of 98 to 0. At the time Republicans controlled the Senate, holding 54 of its seats.<br /><br />Here's an interesting passage from a 1986 almanac, "The 33 votes against Rehnquist were the largest number ever cast by the Senate against a Supreme Court nominee who won confirmation. In 1971, when he won confirmation as an associate justice on a 68-26 vote, Rehnquist tied for the second-highest number of “nay” votes received by a 20th-century Supreme Court nominee who won confirmation." <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22In+1971%2C+when+he+won+confirmation+as+an+associate+justice+on+a+68-26%22" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a><br /><br />That's when this tale becomes, for reasons I won't go into, outright infuriating. Thurgood Marshall resigned his seat on the Supreme Court in 1991. President George H. W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to replace him. Democrats controlled the Senate at the time, holding 56 of the seats. Thomas ended up being confirmed by a vote of 52-48.CMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13481861530761114492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-44440355439528647272016-02-15T20:11:47.183+00:002016-02-15T20:11:47.183+00:00Primary voters don't register with their party...Primary voters don't register with their party affiliation or declare themselves unaffiliated the day of the primary- they've done that previously .<br /><br />According to Wikipedia, "[The New Hampshire primary] is not a closed primary, in which votes can be cast in a party primary only by people registered with that party, in that state. Undeclared voters—those not registered with any party—can vote in either party primary. However, it does not meet a common definition of an open primary, because <b>people registered as Republican or Democratic on voting day cannot cast ballots in the primary of the other party."</b><br /><br />Without an economic meltdown between now and November I think Ian Welsh may be overstating things a bit but here's what he says. <a href="http://www.ianwelsh.net/trump-says-he-would-put-a-35-tax-on-goods-from-mexico/" rel="nofollow">[LINK]</a> CMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13481861530761114492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-70736530302422015432016-02-15T14:27:16.341+00:002016-02-15T14:27:16.341+00:00Nice valentine, thanks. Guess I don't get wh...Nice valentine, thanks. Guess I don't get why anyone would go to the NH primaries, register that they're a dem, then vote for tRump. Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17553541514560319083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598883894140893389.post-8515445889065217682016-02-15T00:18:02.855+00:002016-02-15T00:18:02.855+00:00Re the iPhone Error 53 story, this blog post by fo...Re the iPhone Error 53 story, this blog post by former Guardian technology editor Charles Arthur is a good explanation of what's actually going on:<br /><br />https://theoverspill.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/explaining-the-iphones-error53-and-why-it-puts-apple-between-conspiracy-and-rock-hard-security/Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01714171897239398438noreply@blogger.com