Hi folks! Don’t forget to check in over at Central Sanity now and then (or at least get the RSS feed) or you’ll miss things I’ve written over there recently like “The F in FBI is for Fun” and “Yes Virginia, there is an NRA Approved Gun Law”.
Follow up: Just because it cost a lot doesn’t mean it’s any good. It turns out that idea applies to healthcare too.
The funny things people dig out of the ground: This week’s treasures includes a giant bird-like dinosaur, the wall that Romulus might have killed Remus for jumping over (maybe), and a 1957 Plymouth.
Thank goodness somebody said it: Wil Wheaton has come out and said what most of us are thinking, the election cycle is way way too long. Granted, he says it a little more colorfully than I generally would. He even has a theory about why:
I believe that these outrageously long cycles are all about money, which is all about corporations and PACs, which leads me to believe that elections are more about perpetuating a Plutocracy than engaging the population in a dialog of ideas.
Unfortunately the CIA is prohibited by law from interfering in domestic affaires: It turns out that some CIA veterans are concerned about the “Rule of Law” in the Bush and Post-Bush era.
Somebody read that darn disclaimer at the bottom of all the ads for investment products: Bear with him, he’s an economist (and therefore a little dry to read). The fact remains that somebody is willing to go on the record saying that No single investment vehicle is right for everybody, and that includes the purchase of a family home. I would like to vigorously correct one fact he cites, “Owning a home is often cheaper than renting.” More accurately, owning a home is often cheaper than renting a house. This critical distinction is due to the fact that the person who rents out a house must pay the mortgage and still wishes to make a profit over that. Renting by itself is a different kettle of fish; in many markets, a decent apartment or rented condo can be cheaper than a mortgage payment. The choice to rent or own, stand-alone home or part of a building of attached homes is a decision each family should make based on their own needs, future plans, and financial situation. Just because “Americans widely view homeownership as the best choice for everyone, everywhere and at all times” doesn’t mean it is really the best choice for any particular person at any particular time.
Oh waah: “Democrats fear that the focus on the war has blurred.” Harry Reid went on to say of those of us who use our own personal soapboxes to speak out against the war: “I understand their disappointment. We raised the bar too high.” No, Harry, it’s like I told you in that open letter: we want out; they want us out; we understand that if you guys had held your ground, there would be either no more money to fight this thing (forcing an end right now), or a compromise involving a firm timeline to get out. Oh, and I did get a reply from one Congressmouse. You can see it in the “read more,” but it’s roughly summarized “Now don’t you worry about a thing, little lady! We won’t let those bad old Democrats force us to give up!”
Huh, apparently there are no more problems faced by People of Color because of their race: the Justice Department is much more worried about discrimination on religious grounds than pretty much anything that would benefit people who aren’t white. Except sex slaves. They like saving sex slaves. Really! It’s in the article! I am imaginative, but I can’t make stuff like that up.
Funny how people turn progressive when you ask them where they stand on individual issues: There’s a new report — with footnotes even — that suggests Americans are not nearly as conservative as our political theatre would have you believe. Summary here, commentary here.
Security Theatre Act XVIII: Scene one, Reagan Airport. A woman dares to follow the first rule of traveling with a child, provide for the child’s needs first, and ends up threatened with arrest over a sippy cup. She offered to drink the contents of the cup right then and there! Instead, she is seemingly deliberately delayed just enough to miss her flight (because everyone wants a lady with a now-cranky toddler to spend a few more hours in the airport, right?), and threatened with arrest a few more times. The kid is needless to say screaming! She is furthermore accused of deliberately spilling some of the contents of said cup! Let me tell you something, even if the other people in line didn’t know it, they were glad that kid had the cup. After all it kept him quiet and happy. And really, how stupid would you have to be to transport bomb-making materials in something apt to spill? This story has an update: the TSA denies it happened, despite the fact that the security camera footage is available for you to watch. Scene two, O’Hare Airport. a clown has his makeup confiscated. Ok, I think they just proved who the real clown is, and it’s not the guy with the costume.
Back from the Dead: the immigration bill that just won’t die is back, still including crap like biometric Social Security Cards and the official fallible list of eligible workers, but now with new! added money for border agents. Particularly hilarious are Trent Lott’s comments that we need to rein in talk radio hosts (where were you on this 5 years ago, Trent?), and Harry Reid saying yeah yeah we’ll get right on that as soon as we are done with the energy bill. That would be the same energy bill Republicans are threatening to filibuster because it contains a committment to renewable energy. Pull up the popcorn, this could take a while.
A brief rant on being a ShortWoman: I get carded; I occasionaly get “childrens menued”. I often have no choice but to climb on supermarket shelves to reach things. I keep a stepstool upstairs, and another one downstairs. I have to take my time test-driving a car to make sure it fits me and not just my family’s needs, but frankly I just usually head for the Japanese models. I am not petite, I am short. I have not been able to shop in a “petite” section with any reliability for something like 7 years. That’s when the standard “petite” inseam went from 27″ (just a little long but ok) to 28″ (ground-dragging). One retailer went to a 29.5″ inseam. I know 6′ tall men who wear a 30″ inseam! Nor am I alone in not being able to find clothes that fit. Look around next time you are at the mall. You will see many women under the “average” height of 5’4″ with obviously re-hemmed pants, monstrous heels hidden under pants that are way too long, and my personal favorite, pants dragging on the ground being destroyed by the wearer’s own shoes. Some women — I’ll leave it to you about whether they are lucky or not — are able to find clothes in the girls section; alas I actually have a figure. I solve the problem by buying any pair of pants that comes roughly to the tops of my shoes, even if the label says “cropped” or “capris”. I occasionally supplement this by ordering from Lands End, where they hem many items to order and have a 26″ inseam jean. Oh, and I wear skirts whenever possible. I actually considered running this site as a fashion and shopping site for other Short Women. So imagine my delight to find in one day Jill from Brilliant at Breakfast talking about being “normal sized” as well as Cynthia of Shorties Stories Rant, a companion site to her original site, Shorties Stories. I’m terribly sorry if you’re too tall to get it.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
Dear Ms. Magnus:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the recently passed Emergency Wartime Supplemental. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts with me, and I value the opportunity to address them.
I believe that our nation has come to a pivotal juncture in its history. We are currently engaged in a global conflict against Islamic extremism. These radicals seek to destroy our way of life and have been attacking our nation and our allies for decades. In the wake of September 11, President Bush recognized the need to go on the offensive in order to prevent future attacks on American soil. Less than six years after September 11, some in Congress are finding it politically convenient to call for arbitrary timelines for our withdrawal from Iraq. They are attempting to legislate defeat. This is a path we cannot take. I believe that, if we leave before the job is done, the terrorists will follow us home.
In order to pay for this war, Congress has previously passed several emergency spending bills designed to ensure that our troops receive the resources they need to complete their mission and return home safely. Earlier this year, Democrats, in order to win votes for an Iraq timeline, loaded the bill with unrelated and non-emergency pet projects. The Senate included $24 million for sugar beets, $3 million for Hawaiian sugar cane, $100 million in compensation for dairy losses, $165.9 million for fisheries disaster relief, $100 million for presidential nominating conventions, and countless other pork projects that the Democratic Party had deemed as “emergency spending.”
President Bush wisely vetoed this original bill as it contained both a timeline for surrender and excessive spending. Following intense negotiations, the White House and Republicans in Congress were able to roll back the efforts of the Democratic majority to legislate defeat, and we were also able to trim $4.2 billion in pork from the bill. Because of these efforts our men and women in uniform will now receive the financial support long denied them by Democrats.
Through my work as a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee and as Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, I will continue to do all I can to ensure that our troops and the American people are provided the best possible protection. I will be sure to keep your concerns, and the concerns of all Nevadans, in mind. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. If you should have further questions or comments or would like to sign up for my weekly newsletter, please feel free to write or e-mail me via my website at http://ensign.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
JOHN ENSIGN
United States Senator
As a short woman myself, I regularly buy pants that are called cropped and still have to have them hemmed. I do a lot of catalog shopping, because I live in a community of 32000 and don’t want to wear what every other short round woman wears. If the pants come below the knees of the model in the catalog, I will have to have them shortened. Ditto long sleeves. Because I have it done, it adds to the cost of the garment, and I always have to factor in alterations and shipping when I order clothes.
How nice it would be if retailers would regularly hem for the individual customer! I understand that better men’s suits are sold that way — alterations included in the price. Now, I wouldn’t expect that with blue jeans, but it would be nice with better clothes.