Some days it feels like I am living in a photographic negative of 2004. For example.
Citing her “significant talent, leadership and personal experience,” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said that [Tammy] Duckworth will help to improve their ability to ensure that “Veterans receive the benefits that they deserve.”
Also, the president is an intelligent, openminded black dude with Hussein in his name. Pinch me.
Stuck
It means we still live in a viable democracy, something I’ve spent the last 8 years doubting. We’re still crazy as a shithouse rat, but it’s home.
Laura W
Brings to mind the one and only half-funny thing from last Sat’s SNL piece of drek. In his monologue Steve Martin said something along the lines of: "If you would’ve told me 8 years ago that we’d have an educated, intelligent person in the White House…"
I honestly did not believe it possible for that show to get any less funny, but I just scrolled thru 90 min in about 10. There was not one skit or musical moment I cared to commit to. Them either, apparently.
cleek
OBAMA IS A FAILURE ! elevenhundred !
(WTF is up with the filter that kills end-of-sentence punctuation? it’s retarded)
Josh Hueco
@Laura W:
I caught parts of that same episode too. I know everyone thinks that the only good SNL was when they were in high school (which means Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, et al for me)…but my God what a horrible horrible lousy show it’s become.
debbie
Yeah. And Obama imposed limits on pay for execs in companies taking TARP funds AND signed SCHIP.
Pretty nice for a day’s work, considering all those who are oh-so-ready to write him off.
Laura W
@Josh Hueco: In the making lemonade file, I’m actually relieved it consistently sucks now. All of my must see tee vees are on past my bedtime (which was an an hour ago, tonight)…TDS, Colbert, and Top Chef, of course. I struggle to catch the episodes I miss on repeat or finally view them if I tape them.
Having one less show to schedule in feels like a burden has lifted.
But Maher comes back this month, so there I’ll go again.
Tsulagi
See, there’s some good stuff.
Too bad Blago didn’t show some class picking Duckworth to fill Obama’s seat. I like her.
While being chosen by Blago wouldn’t have been a plus, don’t think the Pubs, or Dems, would have held up seating a veteran who lost her legs in battle. And she would have been a fine choice bringing some needed spine to the Dem side of the aisle.
Xecklothxayyquou Gilchrist
Some days it feels like I am living in a photographic negative of 2004.
You’ll know we’ve really arrived when Old Europe is new again!
Ash Can
@debbie: And rescinded the public-lands giveaways in Utah. Like I said in the other thread, shit’s gettin’ done.
The Other Steve
I thought Obama promised change!
Jon H
@Laura W: "I honestly did not believe it possible for that show to get any less funny"
A while back I watched some of the SNL episode hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Later I stumbled across an evangelical comedian (Tim Hawkins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76LuRNWEfhk) on an over-the-air HDTV channel I hadn’t stumbled across before. The evangelical was much funnier than the SNL episode.
Laura W
For those of you abstaining from cable poison, this was quite good from KO’s show tonight. (Shuster subbing). The juxtapositional contrast between Obama’s admission of mistakes and shouldering of blame like a grown up v. Bush the Denier.
gbear
@debbie:
He also told the tax-cut republicans to stuff it today. ‘Your way failed and the electorate told you to fuck off’. He got a nice round of applause for it too. That was pretty cool.
kay
@debbie:
The pay limit is better than it looks, if it works. There’s a waiver provision. That means that shareholders can waive the salary limit. Board members can’t. It has to go to a vote.
The compensation got so totally out of control because the chummy board members were playing musical chairs and giving each other raises.
If it works, it returns power to shareholders. They’re not going to want to let that go, if they grab it.
Rome Again
Mine is for 2005, but I certainly know the feeling.
gnomedad
Bush didn’t make mistakes. Obama has already confessed to being a failure.
/wingnut
gnomedad
Christian Bale vs. Bill O’Reilly.
Also.
libarbarian
I’m not surprised, but …. damn
Thats just cold hearted.
libarbarian
Link
Brick Oven Bill
As this is an open thread, and I am tired of Obama, I would like to introduce Billy Wilson. My watering hole in Norwich, Connecticut, mid-1990s, was named Billy Wilson’s. A friend Tom broke a table with the body of a man who picked a fight with Tom. Tom was very tough. Then there was the altercation at the dart boards that stayed relatively civil. But what a great place.
Does anybody remember the Hedgehogs?
Anyway, there was a guy who ran the place, and I kind of figured, up until two days ago, that his name was ‘Billy Wilson’. I have recently come across information that makes me believe that this was, in fact, false. Bill Wilson was the man who founded AA.
I don’t know how much of this link is true, but it does appear that Billy Wilson led an interesting life.
Back on topic, Obama’s approval ratings are dropping at an approximate rate of one point per day. The honeymoon ends in 84 days. Good move Ninerdave.
gnomedad
@Brick Oven Bill:
"In the space of one hundred and seventy-six years the Lower Mississippi has shortened itself two hundred and forty-two miles. That is an average of a trifle over one mile and a third per year. Therefore, any calm person, who is not blind or idiotic, can see that in the Old Oolitic Silurian Period, just a million years ago next November, the Lower Mississippi River was upwards of one million three hundred thousand miles long, and stuck out over the Gulf of Mexico like a fishing-rod. And by the same token any person can see that seven hundred and forty-two years from now the Lower Mississippi will be only a mile and three-quarters long, and Cairo and New Orleans will have joined their streets together, and be plodding comfortably along under a single mayor and a mutual board of aldermen. There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact."
— Mark Twain
Brick Oven Bill
"When in doubt, tell the truth."
-Mark Twain
Fencedude
@gnomedad:
Someone please invent Time Travel so we can bring Mark Twain into the modern era.
And while you’re at it, get Jonathan Swift too.
TenguPhule
Great! When do you start, BOB?
TenguPhule
The worst part is, I was predicting this had happened three years ago.
Zuzu's Petals
@Brick Oven Bill:
Except your own link shows Obama with the same approval rating today, Feb. 4 – 62% – as it was on January 23. In fact, it’s only ranged between 60% and 63% since the 23rd.
Tax Analyst
Can we have a pie chart, BOB? ’cause I know I likes pie, and so does a lot of the other folks around here.
You bet’cha.
AnneLaurie
For FSM’s sake, haven’t those poor bustards suffered enough?
kommrade reproductive vigor
I think it’s obvious what B.O.B does with all those potatoes.
Stuck
@Zuzu’s Petals:
According to BoB’s own calculations, at the end of the honeymoon, Obama should have a -22 approval rating. Almost as low as George W. Bush. But higher than Dick Cheney.
Charity
Citing her “significant talent, leadership and personal experience,” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said that [Tammy] Duckworth will help to improve their ability to ensure that “Veterans receive the benefits that they deserve.”
Yes, this brought me happiness. And signing SCHIP. And canceling the oil leases in the Western United States.
Little things that mean so much.
JenJen
@Brick Oven Bill:
OK, except the link you provided effectively refutes what you’re saying.
Ahhh, I see I am not the first person to have immediately noticed this. :-)
thomas
OK JenJen andZuZu (what’s with the repetition) don’t be confusing BOB with someone who understands statistics, or facts. After all, he is a troll.
Krista
I’m pleased about Duckworth. I first learned about her a few years ago when Glamour did a feature on her. Not only does she have yards of guts and a great outlook, but her political positions appear to be very sensible. I think she’ll do very good work in her new role and am looking forward to seeing where her political career takes her. She’s only 40, so if she gets the right kind of experience, she very well might be someone to watch in 2016.