Business, Economics, Political Commentary, Social Commentary

Downsizing?

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There may be a new trend in the Midwest:

Temporary Mayor Michael Brown made the off-the-cuff suggestion Friday in response to a question at a Rotary Club of Flint luncheon about the thousands of empty houses in Flint.

Brown said that as more people abandon homes, eating away at the city’s tax base and creating more blight, the city might need to examine “shutting down quadrants of the city where we (wouldn’t) provide services.”

He did not define what that could mean — bulldozing abandoned areas, simply leaving the vacant homes to rot or some other idea entirely.

Presumably, those areas would go back under the jurisdiction of the county, like other unincorporated areas, including policing by the Sheriff rather than city police.

Science And Society, Social Commentary, Weird

The Really Big O

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I am not qualified to render an opinion on this subject:

The idea that birth can be orgasmic isn’t new. The British birth guru Sheila Kitzinger says that she has met “hundreds” of women during the course of her career who report experiencing orgasm during labour – some were hoping for it, others were taken completely by surprise. She herself has experienced it during three of her four labours (she has five daughters: one birth was twins). “It is difficult for a man to understand,” she says “hard, too, for any woman who has had an average hospital birth. But it can be one of the most profound psychosexual experiences in a woman’s life. Each contraction may bring a rush of joy so overwhelming that the pain recedes into the background.” She puts this partly down to simple biology. “The pressure of the baby’s head against the walls of the vagina and the fanning out of the tissues as the head descends bring for some women an unexpected sensation of sexual arousal, even of ecstasy.” But is this really an orgasm? Or just a very unusual sensation? “It can be orgasmic. People recognise it as an orgasm. And it can be a multiple orgasm, one with each push.”

Well, there can be a fine line between pain and pleasure, particularly when it comes to this sort of pain and pleasure.

Humor, Political Commentary

It Was Inevitable

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President Obama’s teleprompter has started blogging:

Well, last night didn’t go well. What can I say? I was tired. By the time Barack and the Irish PM stood up, the President and I had already done two major policy speeches, three nomination announcements, and light dinner banter for a table of twelve. And by the way, that “ad lib” last night about Guinness? Mine.

So why am I going public now, when for the past two years I’ve let others do the talking? Well, this is a thankless job, and I sure don’t want to take the fall for communications missteps. But more important, I expect you’ll be seeing a lot more of me over the next few months and years. Barack and I don’t go anywhere without each other; we even complete each other’s sentences … well, more mine than his, but let’s not split hairs.

I sense new text being loaded now, so I’ll have to be going.

Hail to the TOTUS! Next stop, TMZ!

[Early afternoon update]

I wonder who the teleprompter’s picks are for the final four?

Obama spent part of Tuesday making his tournament picks for ESPN, which posted his completed bracket online Wednesday and showed the First Fan filling it out with Andy Katz on the noon edition of “Sportscenter.”

Of course, the president’s choice drew a reaction from the Tar Heels’ most intense rival.

“Somebody said that we’re not in President Obama’s Final Four, and as much as I respect what he’s doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said from the Blue Devils’ first-round site in Greensboro, N.C.

Actually, given how disastrous the president’s plans for the economy are, I’m glad that he’s distracted from them by something.

Popular Culture, Social Commentary, Weird

A Bridge Too Far

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You know, William Shatner had a three-word phrase for these people a few years back (the third was “life”):

Mr. Veazie, a manager at Underwriters Laboratories, built the chair himself last year, and has been gratified to find, since installing it in the living room in May, that “when someone comes in, it’s the first thing they comment on.”

You don’t say.

But I thought they didn’t like the word “Trekkie.” Isn’t it supposed to be “Trekker”?

Political Commentary

Thuggery

6 Comments

Congressman Gerry Ackerman:

…the point of finding out who has taken this money – – listen, we own 80 percent of that company right now. From my — as far as I am concerned, they are almost public employees. Public employees, we have — we can have certain requirements on them.

If they return the money, then I don’t think anybody has to know who they are or what their names are.

So, as Jonah says, if you just give us the money, we won’t tell the people who want to garrotte you who you are and where you live. We just want to make you an offer you can’t refuse.

And of course, there’s all the bluster from slimeballs like Chuck Schumer about ex-post-facto bills of attainder, as though it’s not dually unconstitutional.

I cannot recall a time in my life that I have been more sickened by the political class in Washington.

[Update a few minutes later]

And then there’s this, on the president comparing bankers to suicide bombers:

“Same thing with AIG,” Obama said. “It was the right thing to do to step in. Like they’ve got a bomb strapped to them and they’ve got their hand on the trigger, you don’t want them to blow up, but you’ve got to ease them off the trigger.”

And the president held out his arm and pantomimed a hand on a trigger, and we were rapt, waiting for what would happen next.

Remember, the president is a great communicator.

Like many, I have my share of anger over the bonuses, at the employees, at the AIG leadership, Geithner, the Fed, President Obama, Senator Dodd, etc. … But if some nut tries to kill some AIG employees… who fanned the flames?

Hey, it’s the Chicago way.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary

What Did Geithner Not Know?

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…and when did he not know it? And a bonus — “heckuva job, Timmy!”

I think I hear the bus starting to warm up its engine in preparation for its next victim.

By way of the AllahPundit we learn that TIME has been told that the Fed flagged the AIG bonuses to Treasury on Feb 28, ten days before word percolated to Geithner. What an operation – Geithner was at the NY Fed working with Hank Paulson on these bailouts, was brought to Treasury to provide continuity, and now has forgotten everything prior to Jan 20, 2009. Geithner needs to bring on some senior staffers so he can fire someone. Inshallah.

…FREUD IS EVERYWHERE: I know they are a bit down on Obama just now but this reflexive Bush-bashing from the Chi Trib blog is ridiculous:

This appears to be a case where the government’s right hand didn’t know what the left was doing. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner learned only last week about the bonuses, according to the Bush Administration.

Yes, we all miss Ari and Dana and what’s his name. But since this is the Obama Administration let me offer an editing suggestion: “This appears to be a case where the government’s left hand didn’t know what the far left hand was doing.” Just trying to help.

Maguire is a one-man wrecking crew on this story.

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!