Atrios says no FISA vote in the Senate until after the 4th of July break.
Glenn Greenwald is up to four updates on his previous FISA post already, he’s written another one on Chris Dodd and FISA, and he’s not the only one who’s pissed off. Fact-esque’s eRobin has more on Dodd.
So yeah, it’s a big issue, but it’s funny how the first thing I heard about this go around on FISA was that it was Obama’s fault somehow. Like Pelosi wasn’t already whored out to the max with pretty boy Steny Hoyer pimping out Congress to the highest bidders.
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Shit, can’t remember who I got this link from, but apparently Norman Bertram Coleman has a long history of running phony ads.
Which is not quite exactly the same as saying that Norm’s a liar, at least not like Gov. Timmy is.
And during all this very unSenatorial and unGubernatorial-like speechifying and excuse-making, Al Franken sneaks out a big gun and finally scores some major campaign points not related to porn or Al’s Taxes.
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You’ve been reading about what a corrupt POS operation the Bushies ran, now read about how they teamed up with Big Tobacco in an effort to return the Old Confederate States back to the days of plantation-owned glory, Big House suckups, and lots and lots and lots of underpaid field n*ggers.
If we were to have a military coup, and if the Bushies were all dragged out of their country clubs and shot, history would applaud.
I’m sure some of you think I exaggerate. You would be the folks who have yet to read about how actual slave auctions were held in the U.S. right up until WWII came along.
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Bob Collins notices what isn’t there: media coverage of that war thingy going on in Iraq.
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Hmm, extra fundraiser slipped in just before the end of the fiscal year, one of their very few news people has been laid off [last item], but still there is absolutely no one in the local news media who’s mentioning this huge station acquisition by MPR save myself and Brian Lambert. I mean nothing at Google News about this sale when you search for “horizon christian fellowship” or “minnesota public radio.”
Let’s be blunt: how much money would MPR be raising right now if they were up front with listeners/members and told them that the books were balanced, right up until they bought ELEVEN NEW TRANSLATOR STATIONS, TWO OF WHICH AREN’T EVEN IN MINNESOTA!
Think that would slow the calls from the MPR suckers? Yes, more people will now get MPR. Yes, more other public radio stations will probably die thanks to Bill Kling’s fanatical efforts to dominate upper Midwestern public radio. And yes, existing MPR members are being asked to pay for services for people who aren’t even getting an MPR signal yet.
MPR has done its best to veto light rail, the WCAL acquisition has been revealed as legally shaky, and to top it off they fucking lay off one of their few news people. What is MPR? Minnesota Public Radio is Bill Kling’s personal fiefdom, the centerpiece of a huge nonprofit/not-for-profit news/entertainment conglomerate that is NOT public radio. Public radio is owned by the community, MPR is owned by Bill Kling and friends. Who? Your guess is as good as mine, ditto trying to figure out how much money Bill and his family and buddies make from the MPR family of ownership.
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No shortage of Carlin appreciations:
Romenesko has an update: Bernie Goldberg didn’t get Wolcott spiked, it was just a site redesign fuckup.
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Well, “funny” is subjective. I think Lenny’s best stuiff was hysterical and still is, while at the same time retaining its essential truth. “Eat Sleep & Crap” is not only very funny, it’s one of the best primers on the law ever written. All lawyers should be required to listen to it before they take the bar.
Carlin ended up boring and disappointing me. By ‘78 or so he was playing the same song over and over, and the juvenile wordplay had turned into a big part of his act. I taped an HBO special of his in the early 90’s and gave up halfway through.
I didn’t think Kinison was that funny either. In fact he gave me a headache. Lewis Black I like, and Bill Hicks could have been a giant if he had managed not to kill himself.
Different strokes, all that. I mean, I can’t stand the Stooges or Adam Sandler and there are millions who say I’m wrong.
But the point was that Carlin was a pale imitation, and that’s true I think. Whether or not he was funnier, he wasn’t braver and he wasn’t as honest. He skirted the edges because he audiences would have abandoned him if he didn’t.
And that’s sort of the story of the time, so George was a child of his, both the wide-opening 60’s and the backlash afterwards. That he didn’t pull back as far as he could have is to his credit, but let’s not pretend he was a pioneer and a trend-setter. He was late to that particular party. (Eddie Lawrence? Lord Buckley? Dick Gregory?)
I dunno. I think the populizers are important too, because without them only the überhip crowd would get to hear this stuff.
besides, comedy snobbery is dangerously close to music snobbery and those folks who dismiss Weather Report for not being The Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Pearl Jam for not being The Velvet Underground.
Just my .02, but imho Sam Kinison was not only unfunny but also as dumb as a box o’ rocks (as a bag o’ hammers; insert your favorite simile here). And at eardrum-shattering volume, too. Gosh, what innovative comedic genius.
A little late (missed Tild’s comment) but just the other night I was reminiscing about Sam with a fellow guy, and clearly the Best of Sam Kinison was usually an ear-splitting — but eminently defensible — screed about women.
Good times….