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You are here: Home / z-Retired Categories / Previous Site Maintenance / Some Changes

Some Changes

by John Cole|  September 28, 200811:20 am| 168 Comments

This post is in: Previous Site Maintenance

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We upgraded to the new version of WordPress, and are going to give it a test run before migrating to the new server. The site will be re-designed in the near future (I have already been in talks with the designer).

For now, the comments have no borders. You will just have to deal with it for now, and let’s all hope that Mark Krikorian and Michelle Malkin don’t hear a rumor about open borders and freak out.

*** Update ***

My brother just saw a bald eagle in WV, which is really odd. I have never seen one.

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Reader Interactions

168Comments

  1. 1.

    Comrade jnfr

    September 28, 2008 at 11:27 am

    I don’t know why, but your post column now scrolls way off my screen to the left, as it used to do when someone left an unembedded link. Could you set your middle column width to a percentage rather than a fixed width? Or something to make it more readable.

  2. 2.

    Dr. Squid

    September 28, 2008 at 11:28 am

    let’s all hope that Mark Krikorian and Michelle Malkin don’t hear a rumor about open borders and freak out.

    Funnier than anything in the McCain-Obama /SNL debate skit. Although there were kneejerk conservative complaints about them being biiiiiiiased.

  3. 3.

    t jasper parnell

    September 28, 2008 at 11:28 am

    My question is: is this change we can believe in?

  4. 4.

    SGEW

    September 28, 2008 at 11:30 am

    This isn’t change, it’s more of the same. It’s change you can xerox. It’s change you can block quote.

    We are bitter, and we cling to our WordPress errors and our comment borders.

  5. 5.

    SGEW

    September 28, 2008 at 11:32 am

    My brother just saw a bald eagle in WV, which is really odd. I have never seen one.

    I’ve seen three so far, all in North Carolina (for some reason). There’s apparently one in my neighborhood (truth! in Manhattan, no less), but I’ve yet to see it.

    They’re fracking amazing animals. Much bigger, much more . . . well . . . regal than you might have thought. Extraordinary creatures.

    Terrible national icon, though. I would have preferred the humble turkey, as Franklin suggested.

  6. 6.

    Joshua Norton

    September 28, 2008 at 11:34 am

    Did John McCain help “negotiate” the new servers? That would explain I have to scroll sideways across a screen and a half to read a whole sentence. Or are we using Microsoft logic and just calling everything that goes wrong a “feature”?.

    Just wondering….

  7. 7.

    Scott H

    September 28, 2008 at 11:34 am

    Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.

    I’m not that hard to please.

    Quite an impressive new set of choices in formatting.

  8. 8.

    Scott H

    September 28, 2008 at 11:38 am

    Also, Potomac Eagle scenic railroad.

  9. 9.

    wvng

    September 28, 2008 at 11:41 am

    John, come to the eastern panhandle. More eagles every year out here. A few months ago we had one circle over our heads for about ten minutes as a farrier trimmed our donkey’s feet. Try riding the Potomac eagle through the Trough of the South Branch of the Potomac. That’s where their recovery began: http://www.potomaceagle.info/

  10. 10.

    TheFountainHead

    September 28, 2008 at 11:41 am

    John’s going into this HTML invasion without an exit strategy!

  11. 11.

    SGEW

    September 28, 2008 at 11:43 am

    John’s going into this HTML invasion without an exit strategy!

    All he needs to do is declare victory, and withdraw without defeat. What could go wrong?

  12. 12.

    Joshua Norton

    September 28, 2008 at 11:44 am

    without an exit strategy!

    Sure there is. Ctrl-Alt-Delete, as usual.

  13. 13.

    Dan

    September 28, 2008 at 11:44 am

    Blogroll is gone.

  14. 14.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 11:45 am

    Anyone catch Johnny Drama on ABC’s “This Week” this morning? I guess he had a little meltdown, and still seems to be full speed ahead on asshole?

    I didn’t catch it, just saw comments to that effect.

  15. 15.

    Leo

    September 28, 2008 at 11:50 am

    “been in talks with the designer”?

    Were the discussions frank and constructive? Have you reached an agreement in principle? Have you achieved a workable framework.

  16. 16.

    Comrade Napoleon

    September 28, 2008 at 11:51 am

    Is there somewhere to learn how all the buttons work?

  17. 17.

    zzyzx

    September 28, 2008 at 11:51 am

    We saw one yesterday. We went to the desert side of WA and both an eagle and a vulture were flying overhead.

    It really is bizarre to go from green green green to desert in about 60 miles.

  18. 18.

    Rick Taylor

    September 28, 2008 at 11:51 am

    Thanks for upgrading, John.

    Paul Krugman’s most recent column voices the conclusions I had come to reading the various experts. The crises is real, and ideally the solution would be to buy good stock in the banks, not bad mortgages. Unfortunately in America, unlike in Switzerland, the free market is almost perfect and ideal, so this solution is impossible here, politically. It’s possible that Dodd’s plan is a distatsteful but acceptable compromise, getting us equity in the banks through the back door, as a condition of buying up the bad paper; Krugman says there’s no way to tell until we see it.

  19. 19.

    SGEW

    September 28, 2008 at 11:51 am

    Anyone catch Johnny Drama on ABC’s “This Week” this morning?

    If there isn’t a YouTube, it doesn’t exist.

  20. 20.

    Dan Munz

    September 28, 2008 at 11:51 am

    My brother just saw a bald eagle in WV, which is really odd. I have never seen one.

    That wasn’t a bald eagle. That was Barack Obama, taking his ornithological form for the long voyage from Fredericksburg to Detroit. That’s shape-shifting we can believe in.

  21. 21.

    Joshua Norton

    September 28, 2008 at 11:52 am

    Although there were kneejerk conservative complaints about them being biiiiiiiased.

    Of course. I read a write-up of “An American Carol” where the reviewer said it was like one long animated Mann Coulter screed. The comment section was filled with the usual misspelled snarks about how Libs want everything their way and can’t take the truth about themselves.

    This from a group that thought the Fox Comedy Half Hour was political gold. Right wing “comedy” has all the comedic nuance of a bad pro wrestler screaming into a microphone.

  22. 22.

    SGEW

    September 28, 2008 at 11:53 am

    Right wing “comedy” has all the comedic nuance of a bad pro wrestler screaming into a microphone.

    What does Howard Dean have to do with it?

  23. 23.

    Comrade PeterJ

    September 28, 2008 at 11:55 am

    Hmm?

  24. 24.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 11:58 am

    Anyone catch Johnny Drama on ABC’s “This Week” this morning?

    I did. McCain dodged answering substantive questions by implying that everything was a matter of characterization. He must have said words to the effect of, “It’s a free country and you can say what you want about that…” a half-dozen times.

  25. 25.

    TheFountainHead

    September 28, 2008 at 12:00 pm

    The blogroll was an unfortunate casualty, but you go into redesign with the html you have, not the html you wish you had.

  26. 26.

    t jasper parnell

    September 28, 2008 at 12:00 pm

    Is there somewhere to learn how all the buttons work?

    John McCain knows which button to push on day one; that’s experience you can cower in fear of.

  27. 27.

    Rick Taylor

    September 28, 2008 at 12:01 pm

    We’ve all been making fun of Palin, but I don’t think McCain has any more idea of what’s going on regarding the bail out than she does. Mark Kleiman has a video.

  28. 28.

    Libby

    September 28, 2008 at 12:05 pm

    I’m liking the upgrade so far. The unbordered comments are a little weird because run off my screen but being able to access the blog at all and the loading speed is tres fabulous. For a while there I was beginning to think you changed the name of this place to WordPress Error.

  29. 29.

    SteveinSC

    September 28, 2008 at 12:06 pm

    When I was living in Virginia, we used to go to the Williamsburg Occasion for the Arts in the
    restored area. About 7 or 8 years ago, while stolling through the exhibits on a
    fine October day, crystal clear, we looked up to see a bald eagle pair directly overhead.
    Magnificent. Along the Colonial Parkway, we used to see a nesting pair right by the road.
    In 2003 I took my nieces to Norfolk Airport, and while waiting, went into the botanical
    gardens. While there, a bald eagle flew right into the tall pine just above our heads.
    A very large and dramatic bird to say the least, however vain. The recovery of these
    birds along the Chesapeake has been astonishing.

  30. 30.

    Rook

    September 28, 2008 at 12:09 pm

    Because the old version rarely let me comment or trackback, this is simply a test to see if your site works more efficiently and quickly.

  31. 31.

    Rook

    September 28, 2008 at 12:12 pm

    Okay, that went well. I even managed to send a trackback from 2 days ago. Sorry if it is irritating to get two day old trackbacks.

    It’s working well!

  32. 32.

    Krista

    September 28, 2008 at 12:15 pm

    All those new buttons…
    do

    I
    dare
    try

    them?

    Yes

    , yes I

    do.

  33. 33.

    Krista

    September 28, 2008 at 12:16 pm

    Hm. The funky new buttons work in preview. My text was doing all sorts of wacky stuff. But it doesn’t show up on the actual post. Ah well. I wasn’t meant to have that kind of power anyway.

  34. 34.

    ThymeZone

    September 28, 2008 at 12:17 pm

    Oh fine, there’s a War on Terror going on and we have open borders.

    I don’t think that’s a proper example to set in these dangerous times. What if we comment recklessly and just fall off the edge?

    jk John, good luck with the next phase of the BJ Bailout and War On Technology.

  35. 35.

    JGabriel

    September 28, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    Dennis – SGMM:

    McCain dodged answering substantive questions by implying that everything was a matter of characterization. He must have said words to the effect of, “It’s a free country and you can say what you want about that…” a half-dozen times.

    Here we all thought Palin was being kept under wraps to learn how to handle the press, and instead it’s apparently McCain who’s taking cues on how to handle the press from Palin.

    .

  36. 36.

    Comrade Ivan Fookinov (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    September 28, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    Headline News!

    Something happened.

    Where? Don’t ask me, I just report the news.

  37. 37.

    PC

    September 28, 2008 at 12:23 pm

    I have already been in talks with the designer

    And I bet you didn’t even set preconditions. Appeaser!

  38. 38.

    Alan

    September 28, 2008 at 12:28 pm

    I hope the person who redesigns the site takes into account those of us who zoom the text size. So many sites are ruined for me due to no consideration for zoom acuity. For example, I won’t read “Republicans for Obama” or “Politico” for this reason.

  39. 39.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 12:29 pm

    Real technologists would add a browser-based beer dispenser.
    Just sayin’…

  40. 40.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 12:30 pm

    JOHNNY DRAMA!

  41. 41.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 12:31 pm

    Well, that didn’t work.

  42. 42.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 12:37 pm

    Heh. Palin’s favorables have now slipped to negative 10.

    Ouch.

  43. 43.

    lampwick

    September 28, 2008 at 12:39 pm

    I think I saw some illegals making a dash from the Amazon ad.

  44. 44.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 12:41 pm

    Heh. Palin’s favorables have now slipped to negative 10.

    Palin will get annihilated in the debate and then step down. McCain will reluctantly accept and then name another VP while patting himself on the back for putting country first. My money’s on Huckabee, both for his populism and his appeal to the fundies.

  45. 45.

    Comrade Stooleo

    September 28, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    Shotgun weddings of the rich and famous

  46. 46.

    Joshua Norton

    September 28, 2008 at 12:48 pm

    Anyone who’s watched an episode of Bridzeilla has already seen what the Palin wedding would look like. Complete with the drunken hubby at the bachelor party, the crying bride because her hair is all wrong and her gown doesn’t fit, and the screaming mother putting the florist and caterer through hell.

    Seen it all before.

  47. 47.

    cain

    September 28, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    Why would they think we would be interested in seeing a ‘teen’ wedding? Good grief, didn’t we agree that teen weddings are generally not good (I don’t care.. yet.. no kids. ;)

    cain

  48. 48.

    AkaComrade

    September 28, 2008 at 12:51 pm

    Bald eagles are great with barbecue sauce.

  49. 49.

    kommrade jakevich

    September 28, 2008 at 12:52 pm

    I’ve seen bald eagles up above Harper’s Ferry. You need to get out more.

    Fingers crossed for a crash-free version of BJ.

  50. 50.

    slip

    September 28, 2008 at 12:53 pm

    ABC has the interview up.

  51. 51.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 12:56 pm

    Obama at +8 in Gallup, +6 in Rasmussen. Giddyup.

  52. 52.

    Annette

    September 28, 2008 at 1:01 pm

    NOBR is actaully for “no break” (do not insert a line break at this point).

    The rest of the items, except for footnote (something special for this plugin), are fairly standard HTML tags. Any good refrence site will be able to explain the majority of them.

    Current issues: lots of deprecated tags in the template files. This is likely what is causing the categories, blogrolls, and archives lists not to appear. The border issue is definitely a template or stylesheet issue.

  53. 53.

    Polish the Guillotines (formerly FLILF Hunter)

    September 28, 2008 at 1:01 pm

    The unbordered comments are a little weird

    I hear John McCain is suspending his campaign until the borders return.

  54. 54.

    Annette

    September 28, 2008 at 1:03 pm

    Serves me right for not “actually” looking at the preview and catching my typo.

    HTML tutorial here: http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/

  55. 55.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 1:05 pm

    I just watched Obama on Face the Nation, from this morning. The contrast with McCain couldn’t be sharper. He’s in full command of the details. He sounds like a guy who is POTUS, as opposed to some Jackoff who just thinks he deserves to be one.

  56. 56.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 1:05 pm

    If you watch the interview note McCain’s response to Palin’s statments about Pakistan incursions at last night’s campaign kegger.

    “In all due respect, people going around and… sticking a microphone while conversations are being held, and then all of a sudden that’s — that’s a person’s position… This is a free country, but I don’t think most Americans think that that’s a definitive policy statement made by Governor Palin.”

    McCain doesn’t speak for the McCain campaign, Palin doesn’t speak for Palin. Instead of “Country First” it should be “Who’s on First?”

  57. 57.

    Comrade PeterJ

    September 28, 2008 at 1:08 pm

    McCain to ‘Hopefully’ Support Bailout

    Says it all…

  58. 58.

    gbear

    September 28, 2008 at 1:09 pm

    My brother just saw a bald eagle in WV, which is really odd. I have never seen one.

    John, if you come to St. Paul during the wintertime, you can see bald eagles from across the street from the Excel center. When the river is ice-free (which is most of the time), bald eagles settle in and have been wintering right across from the city for quite a few years now. A friend has had them land in his front yard. It’s incredibly cool.

    If you really want a treat, you drive south down the Mississippi River to Lake Pepin and the city of Wabasha (home of Grumpy Old Men). On a good day you can see hundreds of eagles. On a bad day you see dozens. I wouldn’t want to be an outdoor cat in Wabasha.

  59. 59.

    камрад комисaр Xenos

    September 28, 2008 at 1:15 pm

    FiveThirtyEight is already showing a significant swing in electoral votes, even thought the popular vote margin is pretty narrow. If the popular vote expands, this could be a blow-out.

    Chuck Todd and Co. are claiming that there won’t be significant changes in the popular vote after October 15, which I guess is due to the debates wrapping up at that point. Given the turmoil we are already seeing I don’t know if an October surprise could shift things much anyway… if independents are moving already with six weeks to go, what would it take?

    Wot, no preview?

  60. 60.

    srv

    September 28, 2008 at 1:16 pm

    ############################################
    # Holy crap, what are all these tags for? #
    ############################################

  61. 61.

    Tony J

    September 28, 2008 at 1:19 pm

    “In all due respect, people going around and… sticking a microphone while conversations are being held, and then all of a sudden that’s—that’s a person’s position… This is a free country, but I don’t think most Americans think that that’s a definitive policy statement made by Governor Palin.”

    WTF?

    So his defence of Palin is to claim that you can’t believe anything he says unless it’s actually in a policy document? And if he does say anything that that isn’t in that document, it’s okay, that’s just his opinion, and shouldn’t be considered relevant to any questions about what his future policies might be?

    Shorter McCain – “Don’t you fucking judge me, you c#*t! POW!!”

  62. 62.

    gbear

    September 28, 2008 at 1:19 pm

    Heh. Palin’s favorables have now slipped to negative 10.

    How can you have negative positives? Shouldn’t that cause spontaneous combustion?

  63. 63.

    cain

    September 28, 2008 at 1:21 pm

    Anybody see this, 300 economists trying to tell the govt to slow down;

    link is here

    cain

  64. 64.

    JGabriel

    September 28, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    Dennis – SGMM:

    Palin will get annihilated in the debate and then step down. McCain will reluctantly accept and then name another VP while patting himself on the back for putting country first. My money’s on Huckabee, both for his populism and his appeal to the fundies.

    I would expect it to be Huckabee too, for the same reasons, but Huck’s already said he ain’t interested. Apparently, Huck’s already got some contracts lined up for broadcast commentary, and they pay better.

    That said, Huck might still take it, if McCain called upon him, but I kind of doubt it. It’s not as if Huck’s rich enough that the money doesn’t mean anything to him, or as purely a public servant as Biden.

    .

  65. 65.

    Gus

    September 28, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    What gbear said. Eagles are as common as robins in MN (slight exaggeration). If you’re a birder, and you like raptors Hawk Ridge in Duluth in the fall is a must. You can hang out for an hour and see hundreds of hawks, eagles, and turkey vultures.

  66. 66.

    Elroy's Lunch

    September 28, 2008 at 1:23 pm

    If there are no borders how will I know if Putin is rearing his head over a comment’s airspace?

    Maybe the new version will have some land-boundaries with Canada instead.

  67. 67.

    slip

    September 28, 2008 at 1:23 pm

    Obama on Face The Nation up.

  68. 68.

    Tony J

    September 28, 2008 at 1:23 pm

    Oh, I frigged that up. But you get the drift.

  69. 69.

    srv

    September 28, 2008 at 1:23 pm

  70. 70.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 1:24 pm

    How can you have negative positives? Shouldn’t that cause spontaneous combustion?

    It simply means more people view her unfavorably than favorably. But she can still see Russia from her house!

  71. 71.

    JGabriel

    September 28, 2008 at 1:25 pm

    Johnny Drama (as quoted by TOny J above):

    In all due respect, people going around and… sticking a microphone while conversations are being held, and then all of a sudden that’s—that’s a person’s position… This is a free country, but I don’t think most Americans think that that’s a definitive policy statement made by Governor Palin.

    Shorter McCain: We didn’t intend for anyone to take Sarah Palin seriously.

    .

  72. 72.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 1:25 pm

    How can you have negative positives? Shouldn’t that cause spontaneous combustion?

    Sheesh. Palin’s positives are just so insanely high that they are simply in the process of lapping Joe Biden’s positives.

  73. 73.

    srv

    September 28, 2008 at 1:26 pm

    If there are no borders how will I know if Putin is rearing his head over a comment’s airspace?

    It’s a big head

  74. 74.

    Laura W

    September 28, 2008 at 1:27 pm

    But the most important point from McInsane this morn is that IT’S ALL OBAMA’S FAULT BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT DO ONE TOWN HALL A WEEK FOR 52 WEEKS LIKE I WANTED TO! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

    I thought of a serious question in the shower for you very smart persons at this site:
    What would happen if something were to happen to McShame, rendering him unable to carry on as the nominee? Specifically, what would the Rethugs do? How would they choose a new one? Would s/he be allowed to choose own VP and ditch Palin?
    It could happen, you know, and as we’ve seen, it probably will.

    Watched the SNL skit finally and howled at the crack about the UN being so many foreigners. Must watch again.

  75. 75.

    srv

    September 28, 2008 at 1:29 pm

    Joshua, your sell Alaska to Russia for $700B snark got me 81 karma at reddit.

  76. 76.

    Kali's Little Sister

    September 28, 2008 at 1:29 pm

    RE: Eagles

    Your comment makes me recognize what a gift rarity can be.

    First, I have to get something out of the way. I must confess I lived in Alaska for 9 years. There, I said it.

    In Alaska, eagles are a common sight. In fact, there are places in Alaska were eagles are borderline nuisances. In some towns they are just big birds that are positioned on every lamppost that mess up your car.

    The only time I ever mentioned outside of Alaska, I got such a shocked reaction–like I had just urinated on the flag before setting it alight.

    Unless the Evangeliban get elected and reprogram me, living in Alaska has forever made me see eagles as big, pretty cool birds. But birds nonetheless.

    Does thinking this mean I don’t love America?

  77. 77.

    wasabi gasp

    September 28, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    I slapped together a quick greasemonkey hack to fix the comments.

    I tried posting it, but the comment filter didn’t like that so much. You can get it here.

  78. 78.

    t jasper parnell

    September 28, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    But she can still see Russia from her house!

    And Canada, why does everyone forget Canada? After all it is one of the two countries which comprise Palin’s

    next door neighbors are foreign countries — they’re in the state that I am the executive of.

  79. 79.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    McCain, October 9th, 2008:

    In all due respect, people going around and… sticking a microphone while debates are being held, and then all of a sudden that’s—that’s a person’s position… This is a free country, but I don’t think most Americans think that that’s a definitive policy statement made by Governor Palin.

  80. 80.

    steelhead

    September 28, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    Bald eagles are commonplace here in Idaho and I did not realize that West Virginia had hospitable habitat. Who knew?

  81. 81.

    SGEW

    September 28, 2008 at 1:32 pm

    ABC has the interview up.

    Boy howdy. McCain is toast.

    He referenced Teddy Roosevelt, what, five times? Is he going to dress up in “Rough Rider” gear for the next debate?

    He couldn’t refer to the new proposal, because he has to “see the details.” Well, why don’t you READ that shit, John McCain!? WTF is wrong with you?! Is it just because you can’t use the internets?!?

    The only thing he could say about Palin was that she was “exciting.” He was almost giddy when talking about her, about how “happy” he was that she was on the ticket. Like a twisted little boy. Creeeeeeepy.

    At the end, he referred to himself in the third person. “People know who John McCain is,” said John McCain. Dolerific.

    This guy cannot win the election. No way. I’m callin’ it here and now.

  82. 82.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 1:32 pm

    Shorter Johnny Drama: “Forget what my VP said. Have you seen her tits?”

  83. 83.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    Is he going to dress up in “Rough Rider” gear for the next debate?

    The Rough Rider gear is reserved for those special moments with Lindsay Graham.

  84. 84.

    slip

    September 28, 2008 at 1:37 pm

    Here is part 2 of Obama on Face The Nation.

  85. 85.

    gbear

    September 28, 2008 at 1:38 pm

    Hawk Ridge in Duluth in the fall is a must

    What Gus said. The birds don’t want to fly over Lake Superior so they all come down along the north shore until the lake ends at Duluth, then a lot of them wind up following the Mississippi south.

    Annette, thanks for your work and that link to what the shortcuts do. I bookmarked it so that in no time I’ll be aware of all internet traditions.

  86. 86.

    redbeardjim

    September 28, 2008 at 1:38 pm

    Very nice and fast.

    I used to live in Moline IL, and we would occasionally see eagles on the little islands under the Bridge to Nowhere Iowa. More exciting for me was the time I was living in Boston and saw one of the local peregrines kill a pigeon.

  87. 87.

    Svensker

    September 28, 2008 at 1:51 pm

    I’m getting agoraphobia in here. Is that an oxymoron?

    NRO is fun today. They have PROOF, PROOF, I tells ya, that Palin is actually really really good in interviews, if only the press weren’t such big meanies and if only McCain’s dumb campaign people weren’t HOLDING HER BACK!!!!

  88. 88.

    Annette

    September 28, 2008 at 1:53 pm

    Changed some deprecated tags for the blogroll. Checking for unnecessary repeats of the link categories…if there after this comment, need to check for duplications in the template codes.

  89. 89.

    Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse

    September 28, 2008 at 1:57 pm

    Things are going great, Annette — thanks! One thing: right now, the right hand column is a little too wide, even on my 12 x 10 resolution, so I have to scroll about 40 pixels to see the whole blogroll.

  90. 90.

    gbear

    September 28, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    Kali’s Little Sister Says:

    In Alaska, eagles are a common sight. In fact, there are places in Alaska were eagles are borderline nuisances. In some towns they are just big birds that are positioned on every lamppost that mess up your car.

    I’ve seen pictures of that. It looked like pigeons or gulls had been replaced with bald eagles. In St. Paul, they seem to be taking some of the territory that crows had covered, and it’s a little disconcerting seeing them going after roadkill rather than catching fish in of the river.

    Fun fact about eagles: Once they sink their tallons into something, they can’t just let go. If an eagle misjudges the size of the fish he’s grabbing and it’s too big for him to lift, he can’t get away. If the fish dives, the eagle will be taken down too and drown.

  91. 91.

    JGabriel

    September 28, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    Annette:

    Changed some deprecated tags…

    I know there’s a Palin joke there somewhere, but I’d rather leave the special needs kid out of it.

    .

  92. 92.

    Annette

    September 28, 2008 at 2:09 pm

    Should have repaired the weird link list issues with this one…

  93. 93.

    cain

    September 28, 2008 at 2:16 pm

    You know I kept thinking about that 300 economists and all I can think about is Spartans vs Turks. 300 guys vs an industry + congress. They are going to fail.

    cain

  94. 94.

    dslak

    September 28, 2008 at 2:23 pm

    I know there’s a Palin joke there somewhere

    No, Tagg is one of Romney’s kids.

  95. 95.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 2:25 pm

    No, Tagg is one of Romney’s kids.

    And Mitt’s the one who was deprecated.

  96. 96.

    Martin

    September 28, 2008 at 2:32 pm

    Eagle problems in Homer

  97. 97.

    gbear

    September 28, 2008 at 2:40 pm

    A protest rally blasting Gov. Sarah Palin’s handling of the state’s so-called Troopergate investigation — and calling for the attorney general to resign — drew 1,000 or more people to the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Saturday.

    Click the link I gave and then go look at the photos from the rally. Go look at photo number 17. This is how someone in AK feels about Sarah Palin. OMFG, what an image.

  98. 98.

    The Moar You Know

    September 28, 2008 at 2:47 pm

    My money’s on Huckabee, both for his populism and his appeal to the fundies.

    If you’re gonna go down, go down your way. It’ll be Lieberman, just like he wanted in the first place. And he would be lucky to clear 20% of the popular vote if he does.

    “America’s Most Despised Ticket: McCain/Lieberman”

  99. 99.

    Scott H

    September 28, 2008 at 2:53 pm

    Uh, yeah. Why was McCain hanging out with Lieberman when he was supposed to be riding to the rescue of the world economy? Maybe TMZ should be on this story.

  100. 100.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 2:53 pm

    Here’s a link directly to the image gbear referenced above. It’s worth a click. Damn!

  101. 101.

    Comrade Va Highlander

    September 28, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    My brother just saw a bald eagle in WV, which is really odd. I have never seen one.

    My parents have a farm in western Virginia, just a few miles from the WVa state line. I’ve seen bald eagles there many times over the years. A juvenile spent most of one summer sitting in an oak tree on the hill above the house.

  102. 102.

    The Other Steve

    September 28, 2008 at 3:09 pm

    We see bald eagles all the time here in Minnesota. You have to go down by the river, they like to build nests in the tall trees and fly along the bluffs next to the river.

    This is obviously proof that Minnesota is favored by God.

  103. 103.

    Comrade PeterJ

    September 28, 2008 at 3:11 pm

    Hopefully McCain will do his best to piss his voters off, like replacing Palin with Lieberman.
    Pissed off voters that will stay home.

    How about a veto proof majority in the Senate? :)

  104. 104.

    Comrade PeterJ

    September 28, 2008 at 3:13 pm

    I’m stupid.

    filibuster proof :)

  105. 105.

    D-Chance.

    September 28, 2008 at 3:27 pm

    Ah! My boxes! My beautiful boxes! Come BACK to me!

  106. 106.

    jcricket

    September 28, 2008 at 3:28 pm

    My parents conservative friends (these are all people in their late 60s or 70s actually groaned out loud when McCain closed on the remark about being a POW. Even these people are tired of McCain and he’s there age. They all said he seemed cranky.

    These are not Democrats. Not liberals, not progressives. Not even people who call themselves moderates. But they all think Palin is a complete mockery of the VP position and McCain is a cranky, bitter old man. The idea that Sarah “don’t ask me any questions and I won’t tell you no lies” Palin is one cancerous lesion or “episode at the wheel” away from controlling our nukes (their terms, not mine) frightens them to death.

    One of these people’s 93 year old grandmother was also in the room. She’s fairly liberal, very well traveled, still has her mental faculties, just can’t hear to well or get around much anymore. She actually said “This country survived the great depression, a great war, but i don’t think we can survive if mccain is president”.

    I will repeat what I’ve said a bunch of times. The racists, bigots, sexists, creationists, jew-haters, homophobes and immigrant bashers love what the Republican party is becoming. Everyone else? Not so much. And, fortunately, everyone else is 70% of the population. Some still vote Republican because their local candidate is not a nut-job (decreasingly so, but still), and others out of tribal affiliation only. But none of them think “Gee, this Republican party is on the right track and represents my world view). Soon, if you do not belong to the KKK, MinuteMen or a right-wing Mega Church, you will be denied entry to the Republican tent.

  107. 107.

    jcricket

    September 28, 2008 at 3:33 pm

    First of all, holy crap with the buttons for commenting Batman. I am having a “Paradox of Choice” moment here.

    How can you have negative positives? Shouldn’t that cause spontaneous combustion?

    It’s the net favorable/unfavorable graph. So if you have 50% favorables, but 50% unfavorables, you are at 0. Palin has more unfavorables than favorables (think 50% unfavorable, 40% favorable) and trending downward.

    And if this were reality, Pres. Bush and VP Cheney having the lowest/longest sustained negative ratings in the history of ratings, coupled with McCain and Palin being less popular than a sharp poke in the gut with a rusty stick, would doom Republicans to electoral defeat.

    But sadly, the negative characterizations of Democrats have caused deep seated (unwarranted) fear about voting for Democrats. As Obama tries to point out, regulations aren’t inherently bad (or good). Taxes aren’t either. So too for all the conservative boogey-men about government. But Republicans have largely succeeded in painting the Democrats as people who steal your money, allow black people to rape your wife/daughter and let the darkies with AIDS into this country.

    Fear sells, at least for a while.

  108. 108.

    KRK

    September 28, 2008 at 3:34 pm

    My county in western WA is awash in bald eagles, particularly in the winter. This summer when the grass field around my house was cut, I had a bald eagle the size of a turkey hanging out on the top of the tree in front of my house and cruising the field for rodents. I couldn’t convince my cat that danger might come from above, so I just kept him in for a few days until the eagle moved on.

  109. 109.

    RoonieRoo

    September 28, 2008 at 3:36 pm

    I had a talk with my boss who is a Republican the other day. He is very destressed over McCain/Palin. I told him that as a Democrat, I’m asking him to please get involved in his party and help bring it back to sanity. I truly do believe that we need both sides to be healthy as parties for the good of our nation.

    I’m literally begging every conservative I know to get involved in the GOP and fix it!

  110. 110.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 3:37 pm

    There are a couple of good posts up over at C&L worth checking out.

    First, John Kerry goes on Fox and once again demonstrates why he is (surprisingly, I’d add) one of Obama’s best surrogates.

    Then, Dick Morris tells Hannity that he thinks Obama won the debate, and Hannity’s head explodes. He just spouts off on how Obama only has “book knowledge”.

    I remember people complaining about folks only being “book-smart” a long time ago, as in, when I was in high school. Most of the people happily disparaging book smarts back then are now selling computers are Circuit City. I guess the others are working for Fox News.

  111. 111.

    jcricket

    September 28, 2008 at 3:38 pm

    This is obviously proof that Minnesota is favored by God

    We see them all the time in Seattle as well, and ours look healthier. Plus our state is near Canada, so our eagles have more foreign policy experience.

  112. 112.

    Kali's Little Sister

    September 28, 2008 at 3:46 pm

    Martin Says:

    Eagle problems in Homer

    Thank you Martin. I’m saving the link as evidence against the haters. Some people just can’t handle the truth.

  113. 113.

    jcricket

    September 28, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    I’m literally begging every conservative I know to get involved in the GOP and fix it!

    I completely disagree with this. Throw ’em an anvil.

    I do not believe we are anywhere near a 1-party democracy, considering that 40% of the people (nationally) are still planning to vote for McCain/Palin and there are plenty of states with Republican majorities. There is no way a “sane” conservative (if that’s even something that makes pragmatic sense) should think they can help Republicans from within.

    Remember, Republicans reacted to losses in 2006 by further moving the party to the right (see Palin). And I suspect the same will happen again after this loss. Sane conservatives, like Log Cabin Republicans, simply prop up an illegitimate regime.

    When Republicans stop pushing a clearly incompetent, racist, xenophobic, homophobic, government-hating agenda, then there’s a party to build up. When “sane” conservatives stop having to lie about their views (see Dino Rossi, Dave Reichert, Smith in Oregon) – then there’s a chance for sane conservatives.

  114. 114.

    The Other Steve

    September 28, 2008 at 3:57 pm

    We see them all the time in Seattle as well, and ours look healthier. Plus our state is near Canada, so our eagles have more foreign policy experience.

    Hey, we’re near Canada too! And Wisconsin. Two foreign countries right on our border.

  115. 115.

    gbear

    September 28, 2008 at 4:01 pm

    Plus our state is near Canada

    But MN actually pokes into Canada. Take that, 54° 40′ north latitude.

  116. 116.

    Polish the Guillotines (formerly FLILF Hunter)

    September 28, 2008 at 4:04 pm

    Satire still lives.

  117. 117.

    KRK

    September 28, 2008 at 4:08 pm

    This is encouraging and hopefully a sign of more like it to come in places where it will have more of an electoral impact: Conservative newspaper in northern CA endorses a Democrat for president for the first time in 72 years.

    h/t Down with Tyranny

  118. 118.

    Polish the Guillotines (formerly FLILF Hunter)

    September 28, 2008 at 4:13 pm

    KRK Says:
    September 28th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

    This is encouraging and hopefully a sign of more like it to come in places where it will have more of an electoral impact: Conservative newspaper in northern CA endorses a Democrat for president for the first time in 72 years.

    Interesting. The frackin’ SF Examiner endorsed McRage & Caribou Barbie.

  119. 119.

    gbear

    September 28, 2008 at 4:13 pm

    Satire still lives.

    Yes it does. :D

  120. 120.

    Clor

    September 28, 2008 at 4:20 pm

    I waded through Free Republic (yeah, I know) to see the reaction to the most recent Palin interview. For some reason they seem to think that the Dems are unhappy with Biden and are expecting him to step down any minute now.

    I just don’t know where they get this.

  121. 121.

    jcricket

    September 28, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    But MN actually pokes into Canada. Take that, 54° 40’ north latitude.

    Ah, but we have the only piece of American land that’s completely surrounded by water and Canada and not otherwise connected to the US. From here we can see any french-english-speaking, universal-healthcare having, gay-marriage-advocating elitists from our Northern aggressors*

    So take that, you curling-loving hosers!

    * Aggressors because McCain said we get 1/2 our oil from hostile sources, when in fact 1/3 of it comes from Mexico and Canada, who last time I checked, were at least moderately friendly with the US.

  122. 122.

    RoonieRoo

    September 28, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    jcricket says:

    Remember, Republicans reacted to losses in 2006 by further moving the party to the right (see Palin). And I suspect the same will happen again after this loss.

    I suppose that is what I am afraid of. The modern GOP and their continuing slide frankly scares the pants off me. I get irritated with my conservative friends that are doing what you describe and propping it up. But something is different this year when I talk to them. They wll never go democrat and I don’t expect them too but I would rather see them be involved and actually do something responsible and participate for their true fiscally conservative beliefs.

    But maybe you are right. Maybe fixing the GOP has completely slid out of their grasp at this point. That’s rather depressing to some degree.

  123. 123.

    Phoenix Woman

    September 28, 2008 at 4:26 pm

    The deal with the debate is that it happened in the context of the GOP’s financial house of cards falling down, and the need to pick up the pieces therefrom. With things pretty grim and getting grimmer, people weren’t in the mood for clowning and smirking. They wanted to see proof that someone on that stage in Oxford was a responsible adult capable of making command decisions. What the blogosphere “bite his throat out!” crowd saw as boring, the majority of undecideds saw as exactly what it was: Calm, reassuring competence.

    By the way, Bonddad nicely fillets the GOP bullshit about the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act somehow causing something that didn’t get started until after the Republicans took over Congress. He explains that the CRA only covers banks and thrifts, and that 3/4 of the bad loans were made by entities not covered by the CRA — a situation that has only been possible in the last decade or so, with the GOP Congress’ and Bush’s push to destroy the banking safeguards put into place by FDR.

  124. 124.

    RoonieRoo

    September 28, 2008 at 4:27 pm

    damn blockquotes are lying in the preview.

  125. 125.

    jcricket

    September 28, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    I just don’t know where they get this.

    The same place they got the idea that the reason they lost in 2006 was that they weren’t conservative (whatever that means) enough. Same place they got the idea that Cheney and Bush are going to be revered as a brilliant leaders ahead of their time some day. The same place they got the idea that Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame were going to be indicted.

    I swear, it really is like they live on Bizzaro World (see Superman).

  126. 126.

    Comrade Peter J

    September 28, 2008 at 4:31 pm

    Sarah Palin: The Movie.

    Some things you would rather see that a cinema than in reality.

  127. 127.

    jcricket

    September 28, 2008 at 4:32 pm

    They wll never go democrat and I don’t expect them too but I would rather see them be involved and actually do something responsible and participate for their true fiscally conservative beliefs

    As “futile” as it is, I’d rather have them stay home or vote Libertarian if they can’t vote Democrat. Hasten the massive losses to the point where the big donors threaten to abandon unless some sane people are run by the Republicans.

    Either that, or you get a “true” conservative party in something like the Libertarians and Republicans become the big government paleo/social-con party.

    Neither would win anything at the national level, but it would be an honest split.

  128. 128.

    bago

    September 28, 2008 at 4:32 pm

    KRK lives in Skagit!

  129. 129.

    Comrade Grand Panjandrum

    September 28, 2008 at 4:33 pm

    I just don’t know where they get this.

    Planet Freeper exists in another reality. But it really is quite an entertaining read. Maybe they’ve had their lives changed by finding a Coca Cola bottle in the middle of the desert. Who knows? But they are always good for a belly laugh.

  130. 130.

    KRK

    September 28, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    KRK lives in Skagit!

    ‘Tis true.

  131. 131.

    Comrade Peter J

    September 28, 2008 at 4:38 pm

    Some things you would rather see that in a cinema than in reality.

    fixed.

  132. 132.

    Martin

    September 28, 2008 at 4:38 pm

    Here’s the gallery for the artist who did the Palin/Statue of Liberty work. That went around maybe a week ago?

  133. 133.

    Stuck in the Fun House

    September 28, 2008 at 4:40 pm

    There is no way a “sane” conservative (if that’s even something that makes pragmatic sense) should think they can help Republicans from within.

    Beginning with signing of the 60’s civil rights laws, and then jumpstarted by Nixon’s Southern Strategy (would have happened without the SS) it was inevitable that the Republican Party would eventually become the Southern or Southeastern party. Meaning, that the wingnuttery we see today which is dominating the GOP and driving out moderate repubs, is nothing more than a slow osmosis of Deep South ideology, as it has evolved over time. The religion in government, harsh penal codes, war war war, and a kind of modern soft white supremacy come from the politicians thru the people of that part of the country and they have the numbers to get their way. This is why wingnuts seem to be getting crazier by the day IMHO. the ones with half a brain see the writing on the wall of the GOP becoming a permanent regional minority party, and knowing they have to do something, but what . Instead, they get more wingnutty by the day, pining for the second Reagan coming, which isn’t. The GOP is dead as it exists today, and probably for some time to come with southern wingnuts ruling the roost. Unless of course, democrats fuck up so badly, it will give them a second chance. Which isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

  134. 134.

    gbear

    September 28, 2008 at 4:46 pm

    jcricket Says:
    Ah, but we have the only piece of American land that’s completely surrounded by water and Canada and not otherwise connected to the US.

    Oops. Busted by the second paragraph in your Wiki link:

    Point Roberts can be reached from the rest of the United States only by traveling through Canada or crossing Boundary Bay. Other exclaves of this type include the US state of Alaska; and parts of Minnesota such as the Northwest Angle and Elm Point, Minnesota.

    So just go back to sippin’ that $5 latte, j.

  135. 135.

    El Cid

    September 28, 2008 at 4:59 pm

    I think you’re going to have a huge split in the GOP by ideology and region. Outside the South and certain Western areas, they will see the HUGE incentive to being less crazy, more moderate, old fashioned business conservatives.

    In the South and West, they’re likely to remain crazy ultra-rightists and move even more in that direction.

  136. 136.

    kommrade jakevich

    September 28, 2008 at 5:01 pm

    Click the link I gave and then go look at the photos from the rally. Go look at photo number 17. This is how someone in AK feels about Sarah Palin. OMFG, what an image.

    Wow. The Sarah Palin as Ledger’s Joker was fairly fucking brutal as well. I don’t know much about Alaskans but what I do know told me sending McPOW’s lawyers up there was a big ass mistake.

    And 1,000 Alaskans. Isn’t that a fairly sizable chunk of the population?

  137. 137.

    JL

    September 28, 2008 at 5:43 pm

    On ABC News this week, John McCain called his vice-presidential candidate a liar. It’s the only way to explain it. Now back to birds. A few years ago for a few weeks I had great horn owlets sit on a branch outside my kitchen window. They were puzzled because they were curious about me just as much as I was about them. When they first arrived I took the dog outside on a leash and they just kept watching. Then I saw a large shadow overhead and two great horned owls were over head. My 18 lb mutt would not of been a match.

  138. 138.

    Brachiator

    September 28, 2008 at 5:43 pm

    KRK Says:
    September 28th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
    This is encouraging and hopefully a sign of more like it to come in places where it will have more of an electoral impact: Conservative newspaper in northern CA endorses a Democrat for president for the first time in 72 years.

    Wow! I’m not sure whether to cheer the Record or to be worried, given some of their past endorsements.

    I like what they said about the 1936 election.

    1936: Franklin Roosevelt over Alf Landon

    Mr. Roosevelt is thinking in terms of human values and broader benefits to many. President Roosevelt’s course is charted in the right direction. He should get a clear mandate to go on with his objectives.

    But history totally bitchslapped their 1948 editorial

    1948: Thomas Dewey over Harry Truman

    An important factor in evaluating the potentialities of a national Dewey administration is the presence of Earl Warren at his right hand – the attack by a “full partnership” of two highly qualified executives of leading states on the problems which beset the nation.

    Imagine that! In 1948 they thought that Earl Warren would be a firm conservative adviser to President Dewey.

    However, their endorsement of Obama is a thing of beauty.

    Barack Obama is our choice for president of the United States.

    He has demonstrated time and again he can think on his feet. More importantly, he has demonstrated he will think things through, seek advice and actually listen to it.

    Obama is a gifted speaker. But in addition to his smarts and energy, possibly his greatest gift is his ability to inspire….

    [McCain] tends to shoot from the hip and go on gut instinct. The nation cannot go through four more years of literally and figuratively shooting now and asking questions later.

    But the fact is, we worry he won’t have four years. If elected, at 72, he would be the oldest incoming president in U.S. history. He’s in good health now, we’re told, although he has withheld most of his medical records. That means Gov. Sarah Palin could very well become president.

    And that brings us to McCain’s most troubling trait: his judgment.

    While praiseworthy for putting the first woman on a major-party presidential ticket since Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, his selection of Palin as a running mate was appalling. The first-term governor is clearly not experienced enough to serve as vice president or president if required. Her lack of knowledge is being covered up by keeping her away from questioning reporters and doing interviews only with those considered friendly to her views.

    The comments at the Record’s site are also interesting because they indicate that some committed Republicans are no longer willing to drink the Kool-Aid, especially when it costs $700 billion.

  139. 139.

    Brachiator

    September 28, 2008 at 5:47 pm

    Arrgh!! Let me make the last part of my previous post more visually coherent.

    The Record’s endorsement of Obama is a thing of beauty.

    Barack Obama is our choice for president of the United States.

    He has demonstrated time and again he can think on his feet. More importantly, he has demonstrated he will think things through, seek advice and actually listen to it.

    Obama is a gifted speaker. But in addition to his smarts and energy, possibly his greatest gift is his ability to inspire….

    [McCain] tends to shoot from the hip and go on gut instinct. The nation cannot go through four more years of literally and figuratively shooting now and asking questions later.

    But the fact is, we worry he won’t have four years. If elected, at 72, he would be the oldest incoming president in U.S. history. He’s in good health now, we’re told, although he has withheld most of his medical records. That means Gov. Sarah Palin could very well become president.

    And that brings us to McCain’s most troubling trait: his judgment.

    While praiseworthy for putting the first woman on a major-party presidential ticket since Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, his selection of Palin as a running mate was appalling. The first-term governor is clearly not experienced enough to serve as vice president or president if required. Her lack of knowledge is being covered up by keeping her away from questioning reporters and doing interviews only with those considered friendly to her views.

    The comments at the Record’s site are also interesting because they indicate that some committed Republicans are no longer willing to drink the Kool-Aid, especially when it costs $700 billion.

  140. 140.

    Jon H

    September 28, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    I wouldn’t be surprised if McCain booted Palin and replaced her with Cheney.

  141. 141.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 6:08 pm

    ABC is saying that the bailout legislation is finalized.
    They state that the .pdf of the bill here is the final version. It is 110 pages long.

  142. 142.

    Stuck in the Fun House

    September 28, 2008 at 6:21 pm

    ABC is saying that the bailout legislation is finalized.
    They state that the .pdf of the bill here is the final version. It is 110 pages long.

    Now we’re just waiting for the House wingnuts to appear from their crypt and give the word. Pelosi say’s at least half need to vote for it, or no dice. We’ve heard that kind of bravado before from our dem stalwarts.

  143. 143.

    Krista

    September 28, 2008 at 6:28 pm

    And Canada, why does everyone forget Canada?

    Probably because a lot of Americans don’t think of Canada as actually being a foreign country.

    True story: the husband was in New Zealand, and ran into an American tourist who was looking for a KFC. He said he didn’t know, and she asked him if he was American. He said, no, he’s Canadian. And she said “Oh well, that’s the same thing!”

    I wonder what she would have said had she been mistaken for Canadian, and had then her own true nationality dismissed so flippantly?

  144. 144.

    камрад комисaр Xenos

    September 28, 2008 at 6:30 pm

    The house GOP is completely screwed. If they vote for the bailout, then their base will murder them. If they vote against it, the independents will be driven away from the GOP for good. The free market fundamentalism has reached its armegeddon, and the good guys are losing, because the deregulation dogma is clearly what brought the crisis to a head.

    Now they are camped out behind the double-doors, trying to find a way out, with the press waiting, waiting, waiting… for them to manage even a coherent statement of what their position is. This is delicious to watch.

  145. 145.

    Stuck in the Fun House

    September 28, 2008 at 6:34 pm

    Probably because a lot of Americans don’t think of Canada as actually being a foreign country.

    True. Shivering Americans

  146. 146.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 6:34 pm

    Now we’re just waiting for the House wingnuts to appear from their crypt and give the word.

    It will be interesting to see whether or not Senator Rictus Grin parachutes in to assert his born-again populism.

  147. 147.

    Napoleon

    September 28, 2008 at 6:37 pm

    By the way, why is the time stamp always on Central Time, when John is not (nor am I, I am on Eastern).

  148. 148.

    Napoleon

    September 28, 2008 at 6:39 pm

    Remember, Republicans reacted to losses in 2006 by further moving the party to the right (see Palin). And I suspect the same will happen again after this loss.

    I would be surprised of anything but that happens.

  149. 149.

    Stuck in the Fun House

    September 28, 2008 at 6:41 pm

    It will be interesting to see whether or not Senator Rictus Grin parachutes in to assert his born-again populism.

    It must be hell being a republican these days. Like the daily decision of whether to shit of go blind.

    ( hillbilly proverb)

  150. 150.

    PanAmerican

    September 28, 2008 at 6:44 pm

    The Bald Eagle’s historical range was all of North American.

    Government bans DDT and passes Endangered Species Act. Raptor populations recover. Go figure.

    Tree hugging DFH’s and their “science”. Studying bear DNA?!? If God cared about bears, he wouldn’t have invented big game rifles.

  151. 151.

    Hyperion

    September 28, 2008 at 6:44 pm

    If they vote against it, the independents will be driven away from the GOP for good.

    jesus, you are simple-minded.

  152. 152.

    камрад комисaр Xenos

    September 28, 2008 at 6:51 pm

    jesus, you are simple-minded.

    Maybe. Independents tend to vote their pocket-books, and to manufacture political justifications after the fact. We are still waiting to see the exact terms of the agreement, so it is a bit hard to argue specifics, but it looks to me that the House Republicans are facing a serious bit of cognitive dissonance here… unable to come out for or against the agreement worked out between the White House and the Congressional leadership from both parties.

    If that is simple minded, why don’t explain what is going on?

  153. 153.

    Matt

    September 28, 2008 at 6:58 pm

    I’ve got a secret: John McCain was POW.

    New tags fun.

  154. 154.

    Matt

    September 28, 2008 at 6:59 pm

    . . . or not. . . I take it the pre tag is disabled? Oh well, it’s probably for the best.

  155. 155.

    Stuck in the Fun House

    September 28, 2008 at 7:07 pm

    Wow, I just now discovered the new tag bar has a dictionary function. Now which one corrects grammar, left out words, and stupid comments. Not that I’d need any of those, of course.

  156. 156.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 28, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    jesus, you are simple-minded.

    A seagull comment: fly through, shit on someone and fly on.

    Here’s what I believe. This is not the best possible bill – it’s the best possible bill that could be arrived at forty days before a presidential election where one party has seen its dreams of a permanent majority turn into a rout. The $700 bn is a down payment, not the total because the financial structures that caused this may be too rickety for any realistic amount of money to save. We will have a recession, unemployment will hit 8-10% no matter what – the shit is already well on its way to the fan. If the House Republicans, with or without the goading of Senator Rictus Grin, play politics with this and delay it unreasonably the opprobrium will fall on them.
    That may not be fair but then neither was their party’s systematic dismantling of the regulatory structures that kept this from happening for almost sixty years.

  157. 157.

    TheFountainHead

    September 28, 2008 at 7:12 pm

    Holy crap, this is the third time today I’ve come here and not gotten a WordPress FAIL page. Unprecedented!

  158. 158.

    TheFountainHead

    September 28, 2008 at 7:13 pm

    I’m afraid to touch any of the new html code we’ve been presented with. It smells like a trap.

  159. 159.

    Svensker

    September 28, 2008 at 7:15 pm

    Now we’re just waiting for the House wingnuts to appear from their crypt and give the word. Pelosi say’s at least half need to vote for it, or no dice. We’ve heard that kind of bravado before from our dem stalwarts.

    Well, yuh, but…they have to worry about whether Obama is left hanging out at the end of the branch with the Repukes sawing away, or whether he’s safely clustered on the other side. Even THEY can’t be stupid enough to leave him out there. Can they?

  160. 160.

    Comrade Jake

    September 28, 2008 at 7:18 pm

    The new functionality looks like it’ll be fun, but I think providing the Balloon Juice community the opportunity to code TABLES might be an over-reach.

  161. 161.

    Товарищ НеинтересноСобака

    September 28, 2008 at 7:24 pm

    We are still waiting to see the exact terms of the agreement

    The exact terms of the agreement are apparently here, but the site is flooded. I’ve just loaded it up.

    Hmm….

    If the Secretary establishes the TARP program, the Secretary is required to establish a program to guarantee troubled assets of financial institutions.

  162. 162.

    Comrade General Stuck

    September 28, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    Can they?

    Fortunately, the founders were wise in having the House initiate voting on bills like this. That way, if the House wingers try a bait and switch, the Senate can kill it, or bury it till after the election. But that wouldn’t stop them from trying something last minute to generate a talking point to run against dems for the House seats. I suspect that’s why our esteemed host said repeatedly that dems should just walk away from this pre election boondoggle. And I agree. You just can’t trust house wingnuts any further than you can throw them right now. Or probably anytime.

  163. 163.

    jcricket

    September 28, 2008 at 9:46 pm

    So just go back to sippin’ that $5 latte, j.

    You’re gonna believe that liberal smear site wikipedia?

    Note: don’t tell me I sent you there, I’ll just tell you I didn’t, with a straight face. I have decided I am a Republican, and my own statements no longer apply to me. Or you are quoting me out of context. In fact, blockquote has a liberal bias, as does HTML – (sounds foreign, FWIW).

  164. 164.

    jcricket

    September 28, 2008 at 9:54 pm

    Beginning with signing of the 60’s civil rights laws, and then jumpstarted by Nixon’s Southern Strategy (would have happened without the SS) it was inevitable that the Republican Party would eventually become the Southern or Southeastern party.

    This is the argument, I believe in Ruy Texiara’s “The Emerging Democratic Majority” (or whatever that book is called). That basically Republicans are wedded to a strategy that guarantees them permanent minority status unless they make, basically, a 180-degree course correction.

    But the problem is they spent 30 years riling up a group of people who used to just stay home (very religious conservatives) because politics as considered “dirty”. Couple that with no other attempts to open the tent (hatred of gays, non-Christians, immigrants, etc. sort of shrinks the pool of voters willing to consider your party) and declining birth rates for white folks, and you get a shrinking party overall.

    If they stop playing these wedge politics and return to the party of Goldwater (i.e. socially libertarian, fiscally conservative/small government) they will immediately lose every presidential election, probably forever. If the Democrats ever pass anything like universal healthcare, and the GOP opposes it, I predict at least 40 years in the wilderness again (see Social Security opposition in the 40s).

    Honestly the best thing the GOP has done (I say this as someone who wants them to lose), besides shrinking their tent, wedding themselves to unstable end-timers, opposing very popular programs and becoming the war-hardon-party, is destroy their “farm system” (see NY Yankees). They have destroyed the future pool of candidates that would consider running as Republican. Tons of socially libertarian, fiscally conservative folks will run as Democrats, or simply not run anymore. Tons of people who think government has its place, even if they disagree with certain elements of the Democratic platform, will run as Democrats.

    Like you said, you end up with the hardcore southern strategy believers (whether they live in the south or in totally white conservative rural areas elsewhere doesn’t matter). Sign me up for that Republican party.

  165. 165.

    iluvsummr

    September 28, 2008 at 11:40 pm

    Looks like the republicans got their insurance option in and the Dems got the homeownership preservation and limits on executive compensation. I guess I needf to read the longer document to find out more about the “special inspector general” who will protect against waste, fraud, etc.

    SUMMARY OF THE “EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008”

    I. Stabilizing the Economy

    The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) provides up to $700 billion
    to the Secretary of the Treasury to buy mortgages and other assets that are clogging the
    balance sheets of financial institutions and making it difficult for working families, small
    businesses, and other companies to access credit, which is vital to a strong and stable
    economy. EESA also establishes a program that would allow companies to insure their
    troubled assets.

    II. Homeownership Preservation

    EESA requires the Treasury to modify troubled loans – many the result of predatory
    lending practices – wherever possible to help American families keep their homes. It
    also directs other federal agencies to modify loans that they own or control. Finally, it
    improves the HOPE for Homeowners program by expanding eligibility and increasing
    the tools available to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help more
    families keep their homes.

    III. Taxpayer Protection

    Taxpayers should not be expected to pay for Wall Street’s mistakes. The legislation
    requires companies that sell some of their bad assets to the government to provide
    warrants so that taxpayers will benefit from any future growth these companies may
    experience as a result of participation in this program. The legislation also requires the
    President to submit legislation that would cover any losses to taxpayers resulting from
    this program from financial institutions.

    IV. No Windfalls for Executives

    Executives who made bad decisions should not be allowed to dump their bad assets on
    the government, and then walk away with millions of dollars in bonuses. In order to
    participate in this program, companies will lose certain tax benefits and, in some cases,
    must limit executive pay. In addition, the bill limits “golden parachutes” and requires
    that unearned bonuses be returned.

    V. Strong Oversight

    Rather than giving the Treasury all the funds at once, the legislation gives the Treasury
    $250 billion immediately, then requires the President to certify that additional funds are
    needed ($100 billion, then $350 billion subject to Congressional disapproval). The
    Treasury must report on the use of the funds and the progress in addressing the crisis.
    EESA also establishes an Oversight Board so that the Treasury cannot act in an arbitrary
    manner. It also establishes a special inspector general to protect against waste, fraud and
    abuse.

  166. 166.

    iluvsummr

    September 28, 2008 at 11:44 pm

    That’s weird – the blockquote end-tag came after “abuse” and it looked fine when I previewed it. Oh well.

  167. 167.

    Brachiator

    September 29, 2008 at 1:20 am

    Maybe. Independents tend to vote their pocket-books, and to manufacture political justifications after the fact.

    That’s funny. I’m an independent, but I rarely vote my pocket book, partly because I often see that both Democrats and Republicans have their heads up their butts with respect to economic and tax issues. Nor do I have much of a need to manufacture political justifications after the fact. Go figure.

    Here’s what I believe. This is not the best possible bill – it’s the best possible bill that could be arrived at forty days before a presidential election where one party has seen its dreams of a permanent majority turn into a rout. The $700 bn is a down payment, not the total because the financial structures that caused this may be too rickety for any realistic amount of money to save.

    The bill appears to be a done deal, even though no one has really convinced me that it is absolutely necessary.

    After watching the 60 Minutes segment devoted to Paulson and the economic mess, I wondered why other countries were not involved in the bailout since the financial markets are global, not America Only.

    On the other hand, despite the supposed liquidity crisis, multi-billion dollar deals continue to be made all over the place.

    And both political parties seem willing to play with fire here, since public disapproval of the bailout plan continues to be high and goes across party lines. No matter how they try to … put lipstick on this pig … it looks as though the president and the Congress view the parasites that make up the investor class as delicate flowers that must be protected, while ordinary taxpayers are suckers who don’t even merit a few trickle down crumbs.

  168. 168.

    Gus

    September 29, 2008 at 6:26 am

    I wonder what she would have said had she been mistaken for Canadian, and had then her own true nationality dismissed so flippantly?

    I was mistaken for a Canadian while in Amsterdam once. I took it as a compliment, though I did make the mistake of correcting her.

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