http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ Member of the Reality-Based Community en-us stimb@hawaiiantel.net 2010-03-19T15:24:44-10:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003994.html So does Joe Klein describe "the froth-at-the-mouth-rabidity [which] seems to be increasing across the board...and the reason for this is the probable passage of the health care reform legislation on Sunday in the House of Representatives." Klein goes on to enumerate several of the things the bill will do, and then says:This is a big deal. And a big problem for Republicans who, yet again, have chosen not to participate in the extension of a basic human right to all Americans--the right to health care--a right that is common throughout the rest of the civilized world. There is talk of the GOP starting a "Repeal Health Care" campaign as soon as the bill is passed, but that's not a likely scenario. Indeed, Democrats are salivating over the notion of such a campaign. They'll be able to run for Congress next fall, saying: "We made sure no one can ever take away your health insurance...and the Republicans want to repeal that right."I hope Speaker Pelosi has the votes on Sunday. 3994@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-19T15:24:44-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003993.html I've already got two losses. Murray State over Vanderbilt? A thirteen-seed beating a four-seed? The other loss? Old Dominion over Notre Dame. I didn't put any thought into any of these choices; if I had I might have been torn about this one. Yes, I'm a lapsed Catholic with residual good feelings about Notre Dame, but I'm also a former Virginia resident, although Norfolk is about as far south as you can get from where I lived in Annandale. Update: Oh fer cryin' out loud, Georgetown! Obviously a three-seed put you way too high in many people's estimation, including mine and more importantly Ohio's. UNLV losing to Northern Iowa, meh. An eight losing to a nine isn't that unusual. Washington better come back on Marquette or I'm gonna stop bothering to look at my brackets for the next two weeks (well, not really). 3993@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-18T12:52:49-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003992.html Yes, really. Every "3 X walked into a bar" construction you've ever wanted to see, along with other forms of wisecrack. This one's not new, but for some reason it really struck me funny when I read it this morning:A grasshopper hops into a bar, says "Gimme a beer." The bartender serves him and says, "Y'know, we have a drink named after you!" Grasshopper goes, "Really? You have a drink named Larry?"Click the first link and read for a while; you'll find your funny bone tickled, I gua-ran-tee it. 3992@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-17T14:18:18-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003991.html Blurb: Locke assigns Sawyer a mission. Sheesh. Could that be any more vague? Ryan Alan Sepinwall EW Pre-episode blather EW Recap Special bonus! A Playlist of 71 of the songs used in Seasons 1-5, downloadable! 3991@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-16T16:35:47-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003990.html The Navy Exchange Pharmacy has a late lunch hour. Get there before 2:00pm or after 2:30pm. Do not get there at 2:05pm. This is the second time you've done this, idiot. Get it through your head. 3990@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-16T16:12:46-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003989.html I love baseball and I love the Dodgers. I have since 1959, when we moved south from Monterey to San Pedro just in time for the newly-arrived Dodgers to beat the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. I've always wanted to go to spring training at Vero Beach to see the team play someday. One reason: the atmosphere is more relaxed than that of a regular-season game (unless you're a player trying to make the team). Another reason: to travel around and see lots of different teams. Well, the Dodgers moved to Camelback Ranch in Phoenix last spring, and it looks like they've got lots of company. More than that, the travel distances are far shorter than they are in Florida, and Phoenix is 3,000 miles closer to me than Florida, too. Someday just got a little sooner. 3989@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-15T12:34:23-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003988.html We've had HBO off-and-on ever since we first got cable. We'd get it, pay for it for months, realize that we never watched it or any of the other premium channels with which it was bundled, and cancel it. We've done that at least twice. We're in an "off" period at the moment, and that's kind of a shame, as we'd both kinda like to see its new 10-part series The Pacific. We've been living on islands in that ocean since 1968, whether Guam, Japan or Hawai'i, so we know a little about the locale. We'll just wait for the DVD, I guess. 3988@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-14T16:56:01-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003987.html In an ordinary world, this behavior by Pawlenty would badly damage his political chances, even with Republicans.Sen. Don Betzold, DFL-Fridley, told City Pages’ Matt Snyders on Thursday that Gov. Tim Pawlenty has diverted funds from the “Support Our Troops” license plate program to his Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, an office that works to connect religious organizations with state funds. Betzold says that $30,000 from the license plate program was supposed to go to the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs, but instead paid for a position at the faith-based office which is part of the Pawlenty’s office. The funds, writes Snyders, “by law, were supposed to go to the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs.”If those funds really were mandated in law to be used solely for the purpose as stated and instead were shifted to another purpose, that's criminal behavior. It used to be that veterans were the one group Republicans didn't dare muck with, because too many of their supporters are vets themselves. We'll see if this story gets any legs and what harm it might do to that slick so-and-so. via Balloon Juice 3987@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-14T00:01:16-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003986.html And why are the trees standing straight up? For the past ten days they've been leaning over at 45-degree angles. 'Twas a great day for going to the library, parking in its lot in an illegal space and paying $2 in overdue fines. Then for going over to the barber shop and paying $13.61 for a haircut which took the barber 5 minutes. If the shop were busier that would work out to $163.32/hour. Nice work if you can get it. Unfortunately for the barbers, I was the only customer in the shop. 3986@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-13T15:16:16-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003985.html In particular, the State Board of Education qualifies as my candidate for "dumber than a box of rocks." “I reject the notion by the left of a constitutional separation of church and state,” said David Bradley, a conservative from Beaumont who works in real estate. “I have $1,000 for the charity of your choice if you can find it in the Constitution.” Ahem. Mr. Bradley? Meet the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." For much much more, you can read a liveblog of the goings on at that meeting by the Texas Freedom Network. Be forewarned; it's nauseating. 3985@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-12T15:00:23-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003984.html Why on earth would anyone want to live in a city where this could happen spontaneously? Hey Jude Times Square Subway Station from 39forks on Vimeo. I've only been to NYC once, for our senior class trip in 1968. Seeing this makes me wish I'd had more chances to spend time there. Via Making Light. 3984@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-11T20:13:57-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003983.html So, what was Aragorn's thinking when he looked into the palantír in Chapter 2 of "The Return of the King?" Kate Nepveu says "Me, I can’t get particularly passionate about it: he did it, it worked, so he was correct that he was able to do it." Her commenters suggest he was claiming his kingship before Sauron and not incidentally distracting Sauron as Frodo got closer to Mordor and Mt. Doom. I think the argument that he's saying "Hey, Sauron, I'm Elendil's heir, and I'm right here, buddy!" has more merit than the distraction one, mostly because I don't think Aragorn knows precisely where Frodo is. But he recognized the risk that he wasn't quite up to facing Sauron down; he says to Legolas and Gimli: "Nay, my friends, I am the lawful master of the Stone, and I had both the right and the strength to use it, or so I judged. The right cannot be doubted. The strength was enough--barely." If you've got the time, you really should do a re-read with Kate; it's a lot of fun. The chapter index is here. 3983@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-11T14:20:24-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003982.html "The filibuster has been abused. I believe that the Senate should be different than the House and will continue to be different than the House," Reid said. "But we're going to take a look at the filibuster. Next Congress, we're going to take a look at it. We are likely to have to make some changes in it, because the Republicans have abused that just like the spitball was abused in baseball and the four-corner offense was abused in basketball." Senator Harry Reid, today. Every year when Congress convenes it can change its rules, which is why this might be significant come January 2011. Let's hope so, for the sake of the country. When the majority is faced with a united minority bent on obstructionism rather than good governance, there has to be a way to get around that minority. "Majority rules," we were taught in high school; the government teachers didn't bother to tell us about the filibuster because it happened so rarely back in the 1960s. Not anymore. 3982@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-10T13:54:39-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003981.html Blurb: Ben deals with the consequences of an uncovered lie. Huh? Ben's entire life is a lie! Which one's been uncovered? Ryan Alan Sepinwall EW's theorization that "Lost" is an allegory for man's search for spirituality (a theory about which I'm agnostic at best -- it's a TV show, Doc!) EW Recap 3981@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-09T13:15:36-10:00 http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003980.html There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen.Red Wind -- Raymond Chandler, 1938 If you've ever lived in Southern California, you recognize that atmospheric condition. 3980@http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/ 2010-03-08T09:32:27-10:00