Holy cow!

Washington Post Confirms Felt Was 'Deep Throat'
Woodward, Bernstein and Bradlee Reveal Former FBI Official as Secret Watergate Source

I get the feeling that the Post is going to get self-obsessed for a few days.

Learning to share and get along with others

In an editorial today the Washington Post highlights--get this--the fairly awful energy bill passed out of Senate committee as an example of what Congress can accomplish through bipartisan compromise. After returning from the brink of "nuclear" war, the Post implies, the Senate is much more civilized than the House (where Republicans are still allowed to hoot, bang their chests, and throw bananas across the aisle during floor votes).

"Unlike House members, senators did not go out of their way to create multiple exemptions to environmental laws." [emphasis mine] Thankfully, writes the Post, the Energy & Natural Resources Committee dropped the controversial MTBE provision that last year "led both Republican senators from New Hampshire to vote against the bill, thereby keeping it from passing."

That's great, just great.

Princeton filibuster debrief

Check out the Filibuster Frist homepage to read the wrap up on this well-conceived, brilliantly executed campaign. The organizers ended up with 50 campus filibusters in 35 states. I love it! Young people giving a shit about politics and making things happen! Take that, David Brooks. The other day on the Metro I heard a couple of 12-year-old kids discussing the nuclear option issue. Maybe civil society in America isn't dead after all...and who do we have to thank but Senator Bill Frist.

Clear skies ahead for dirty skies

Centrist compromise in the Senate staves off "nuclear option"; industry lobbyists rejoice. Legislation on deck includes another go at a federal energy bill, CAFTA, permanent repeal of the estate tax, and asbestos litigation reform.

Says one Republican lobbyist of the judicial nominations compromise, "It clears the skies, particularly for asbestos and other things that are immediately pending in the Senate . . . But it does not clear away the animosity that grew out of the debate. That’s going to linger like a bad smell." (Roll Call)

High tech woolgathering

Recently checked out Lifehacker, the latest member of the Gawker Media blog empire (which also owns personal faves Wonkette and Defamer, among others).

Pretty cool...but does anyone else see something contradictory about a blog dedicated to enhancing productivity?

Or maybe I'm the crazy one

My new office comes with high-speed internet, a full kitchen, and, of course, a schizophrenic guy from Dallas who calls and leaves tin-foil-hat-type messages on a different phone extension each night. This morning I arrived to find no less than three of them on my voicemail, totalling about 10 minutes of tape time and each placed between 2 and 4 a.m. today. The first one begins like this:

This is Michael Dirksen. I'm at a pay phone in downtown Dallas. For the past several days I've been subjected to ongoing abuse, manipulation, entrapment, and brain device records fraud,
apparently by the Dallas auth--the Dallas police, with involvement by the Dart Train and Bus Company that is used by Dallas for its city transit. Their tactics primarily focus on mind control...

Not paying attention in class

It turns out that many U.S. Senators are a lot like you and me: easily distracted multi-taskers who break out the busy work during long meetings. (The Hill)

To the person who stole my debit card info and emptied out my bank account

Had you, Jean-Valjean-style, stolen in order to feed your family--spending my money at the grocery store perhaps---I might not even mind. Because eventually, I will get my money back, and only the vendors who were foolish enough to believe that you were me will bear the consequences. If you stole from necessity, I can afford it.

But you didn't do that. You spent $700 on sporting goods. Therefore, my friend, I wish only that you recieve the karmic reward that you are now due, because I cannot afford your vanity. Perhaps you will trip in your new trainers and break an arm. Or maybe, years from now, someone will steal $700 from you just when all your bills and rent are due.

Watchdog blogs

I did not fully realize, until recently, the number and variety of blogs dedicated to watchdogging specific, individual politicians. Here are a couple to check out. And if you happen upon a blog dedicated to denigrating or white-hattedly watchdogging your local politicians, please pass it along.

Don't Worry About the Government: Pretty much an exclusively anti-John-Thune blog. This guy is the most dedicated Thune-hater I have ever seen, and that's saying a lot.

Virginia Foxx Watch: All about the Congresswoman from North Carolina's 5th district. She is also the only Member of Congress whose name would not be out of place in porn credits.

Sith anticipation mounting

NYT's A.O. Scott: "It's better than Star Wars."

Friday the 13th for John Thune

Among the military base closures proposed by the Pentagon today is that of Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. This would be the very same base that now-Senator John Thune swore to keep open as part of his successful campaign to unseat former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. Thune had argued that he, unlike Daschle, had enough pull with Bush to stop any plans to close the base. (Black Hills Pioneer)

Princeton's Frist filibuster goes on the road

Relocated to the Reflecting Pool in Washington, the Princeton "filibuster" of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's plans to "go nuclear" now clocks in at more than 360 continuous hours. The Princeton Progressive Review, which helped launch the filibuster on April 26th, has bused about 50 Tigers into DC for the occasion. (The Hill)

As little as five years ago the Prog was one of the geekier publications on campus, but now one can only assume that its staff are reaping the rewards of their fame and success Thursday nights on Prospect Avenue. Because campus activism is totally hot.

Fish Wars reinvigorated

Do you remember the Jesus fish car plaque? And the Darwin fish car plaque? And then the plaque depicting the Jesus fish swallowing the Darwin fish, only to be topped by the plaque depicting the "truth" fish swallowing both the Jesus fish and the Darwin fish? Well, the fish are back. And this time, they are advocating theocracy.


(BushFish.org)

Might be the best $45 you ever spend

Dogfish Head Brewery of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware is a place of magic and wonder. If you are into beer I would highly recommend attending this event:

Thursday, May 12 2005, Book Release & Beer Dinner
Book Tour Event, "Brewing Up A Business" read by Dogfish Head President and author Sam Calagione

RFD
810 7th St. NW
Washington DC

A reception featuring a four-course dinner paired w/ Dogfish beers. All participants will receive a copy of Sam's new book "Brewing Up A Business" and a special Gold Rimmed Goblet from Dogfish Head.

7:00pm
Cost: $45 inclusive!
Tickets can be purchased by calling (202)289-2030 for reservations.

The secret pain and redemption of sci-fi geeks

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is actually getting good reviews. To quote just one, Kevin Smith writes, "'Revenge of the Sith' is, quite simply, fucking awesome. . . As dark as 'Empire' was, this movie goes a thousand times darker."

Thank God. After The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones I didn't know whether I could handle one more disappointing Star Wars prequel. The extent to which the original Star Wars trilogy is incorporated into my generation's sense of self, tapping as it does into the deepest hopes and fears of our collective unconscious, made the disappointment of the prequels almost emotionally painful. But somewhere deep in my heart I knew that George Lucas would come through for us in the end.

In related news, you now can get a glowing, battery-operated "spoon-saber" in specially marked boxes of Frosted Flakes! And boy are they cool!

MIT kids know how to party

Remember: If you're going to host a convention for time travelers, you only need to host one-- "because people from the future can travel to it anytime they want." (NYT)

"Roadless" just a figure of speech

It just goes to show: with a little pluck, and a lot of public comments (we're talkin' over 4 million total!), you can end up...

still getting screwed by the Bush administration. Yes, it's true, yesterday the Bush administration did away with the Clinton-era Roadless Area Conservation Rule, thereby opening up nearly 60 million acres of our national forests to logging, mining, and road-building. (WP)

Do I sound cynical? You are very perceptive. But seriously, if ever you needed an indication that the administration cares more about the welfare of wealthy extractive industry interests than about what the bulk of the American public thinks, then here it is.

A fracas on the Metro!

In this article WP writers Martin Weil and Steven Ginsberg struggle to come up with synonyms for "a fist-swinging, hair-pulling brawl." The results are as follows.*

"10 Teens Arrested After Fracas at Metro Station"

"Ten teenage girls were arrested at the Anacostia Metro station yesterday after a fist-swinging, hair-pulling brawl, authorities said . . . Pepper spray was used aboveground to quell the melee . . . The disturbance came after the end of the school day... an Advisory Neighborhood Commission member who lives not far from the station said she was 'truly shocked' to hear about the goings-on."

*According to Thesaurus.com, here are some other words that they could have used: " affray, altercation, battle, battle royal, bickering, brawl, broil, dispute, disturbance, donnybrook, feud, flap, fray, free-for-all, hassle, knock-down-drag-out, melee, mix up, quarrel, rhubarb, riot, row, ruction, ruffle, rumpus, run-in, scrimmage, scuffle, set-to, squabble, stew, trouble, tumult, uproar, words."

Democracy is all about sacrifice

Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA) has introduced a bill in the House that would give DC a voting representative (likely to be a Democrat) in exchange for essentially giving Utah an extra representative (likely to be a Republican). This plan would eliminate one of the chief concerns that Republicans have had about giving half a million mostly lower-income, minority Democrat voters a voice in Congress. (WP)

Let's talk about the patriarchy

This post is to some extent inspired by my recent purchase of an adorable little pink blouse for my mom in observance of Mothers' Day.

My biggest problems with the patriarchy, or, everything I need to know about life I learned from P.J. Harvey:

1. Pantyhose. Typical patriarchal mixed message, exemplifying the virgin-whore dichotomy: We want to see your sexy little legs in that skirt, but it would be simply indecent for your actual skin not to be protected from view by a millimeter of sheer fabric. Even though it's 100 degrees and 100 percent humidity.

2. The concept of the "uppity woman" or "ballbuster." Men who do the same things that "ballbusting" women do are known as "leaders," and no one gives them any crap.

3. Guys who turn to stare at your ass as you walk by. I wonder what they would do if we stared at their crotches every time they walked by? Actually, scratch that, they'd be psyched if we stared at their crotches. Ick!

4. Harvard president Lawrence Summers on women in science.

You win, PR drones

Henceforth I will no longer post about PR drones leaving comments on my blog in response to mentions of their company's name. It's just become too frequent an occurance to be noteworthy.

But do they realize that I can delete their comments on a whim? I'm a blogger, you fools, and not subject to any standards of journalistic integrity.

But I won't delete them. So there.