home

Monday Night Open Thread

There's a lot of TV tonight, it's multiple Tivo time. There's 24, the Bachelor, a new Closer (I've never seen the show but people seem to like it) and HD Net has the 1974 classic Chinatown with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.

What are you watching? Or, if you're checking news instead, what did we miss today?

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

< Colo. House Passes "Slowpoke" Driver Bill | Conyers Subpoenas Rove in U.S. Attorney Firing and Siegelman Case >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    Good News (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by squeaky on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 07:10:40 PM EST
    On Monday, President Barack Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider a waiver request by California and 13 other states to set standards on auto emissions - including those of greenhouse gases - that are tougher than federal standards.

    The directive represents a sharp break from the climate policies of Mr. Obama's predecessor, as well as an embrace of states' rights, a concept not strongly associated with the Democratic party for almost 50 years.

    [snip]

    Obama accused the previous administration of "dragging its heels" on efforts to halt climate change:

    Third, the federal government must work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. California has shown bold and bipartisan leadership through its effort to forge 21st century standards, and over a dozen states have followed its lead. But instead of serving as a partner, Washington stood in their way. This refusal to lead risks the creation of a confusing and patchwork set of standards that hurts the environment and the auto industry.

    CS Monitor


    The Closer is great! (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by talesoftwokitties on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 07:34:27 PM EST
    Happy new episodes are beginning.

    I love it, too, but I have to work (none / 0) (#7)
    by Anne on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 07:43:33 PM EST
    hard not to let Kyra Sedgewick's awful Southern accent get on my nerves...

    Parent
    But.... (none / 0) (#15)
    by CoralGables on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 09:49:43 PM EST
    you have to love the scene with Kyra in "Something to Talk About" when she introduces her knee to Dennis Quaid.

    Parent
    It really is a bad accent! (none / 0) (#18)
    by talesoftwokitties on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 10:51:34 PM EST
    But the show is so quirky, I've learned to go with it!

    Parent
    Bareback Andy's preferred solution... (1.00 / 1) (#1)
    by lambert on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 07:00:36 PM EST
    A few years ago, one of the (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 07:04:43 PM EST
    tobacco companies was caught advising the Czech government to encourage smoking, for similar reasons.
    Your comment will probably be deleted though.. don't you think that epithet has been milked dry by now?

    Parent
    Watching the news tonight as I was (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by Anne on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 07:13:38 PM EST
    getting dinner ready, it was jarring to contrast the awful news that some 60,000 more people are losing their jobs, with the stories about John Thain's Kozlowski-like spending at Bank of America (the B of A style was just so different from what he was used to at Merrill that it would have been nearly impossible for him to work in that office - that comment was delivered with a straight face), the millions in bonuses, Citicorp's taking delivery of the $50 million jet - and realizing that billions of our money are being paid to these financial institutions and no one has a clue what it's buying.  And Tim Geithner, who could have exercised some oversight as head of the Federal Reserve Bank of NY, who wink-wink-ed his way through that pesky tax problem, was confirmed as Treasury Secretary.

    By the time dinner was ready, I had no appetite.

    I am half expecting the major banks to start a "Come on in and eat some Cake!" promotion.

    Parent

    "Come in and eat some cake"... (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by kdog on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 01:06:59 PM EST
    good one.  And we might as well, we paid for the god damn cake...I hope it is carrot.

    Kinda reminds me of government...they take your money via taxation and then proclaim how wonderful they are when a tiny fraction of value trickles back down to you.  

    They must think we're stupid...maybe we are.

    Parent

    "the millions in bonuses," (none / 0) (#32)
    by NYShooter on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 04:12:00 PM EST
    was actually just shy of FOUR B, B, B, BILLION!!! dollars for a handful of executives as a reward for guiding the company, and it's employees and shareholders, into the toilet.

    I'm waiting for our diligent media, when asking CEO's why they pay such extravagant bonuses to the elite few, and being told, "we have to pay that amount in order to attract and keep talented people," and after involuntarily vomitting on subject CEO, asking the question we all yearn to have answered............"HUH?"

    Parent

    They never ask the question (none / 0) (#33)
    by jondee on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 04:32:18 PM EST
    because, of course, the same guy sitting on the media outlet's board sits on the rapacious ceo's board.

    And phone calls are made when people start making trouble while interviewing top ceos.

    Parent

    Oh my gosh (none / 0) (#28)
    by sj on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 09:40:11 AM EST
    That is so sad and infuriating.

    Parent
    Yeah, what a way to go, huh? (none / 0) (#30)
    by lambert on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 11:36:42 AM EST
    Real dignity.

    Parent
    Death Wish (none / 0) (#5)
    by jharp on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 07:34:03 PM EST
    Been watching Death Wish with Charles Bronson. Kind of eerie. Takes one back some time.

    Now back to my lentil and sausage soup.

    I just found a very (none / 0) (#8)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 08:07:28 PM EST
    simple syrian reciple for red lentil soup.
    Cook red lentils with chopped onion, cumin and salt. Serve with olive oil and lemon juice.
    Yum.

    Parent
    oh, use some kind of stock. (none / 0) (#9)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 08:07:42 PM EST
    Vegetable stock (none / 0) (#10)
    by shoephone on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 08:48:52 PM EST
    I think. I love red lentil soup!

    Parent
    i used chicken stock, but (none / 0) (#11)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 09:02:02 PM EST
    the recipe said vegetable or chicken stock would be fine.

    Parent
    lentil (none / 0) (#12)
    by jharp on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 09:07:56 PM EST
    I know. And I always make my own stock.

    Thanks and thanks for your interest.

    Celery, onions, garlic, a little chicken, sausage.

    5 gallons of it. Always 5 gallons. Freezes great and the kids love it.

    Parent

    ah, chicken and sausage.. (none / 0) (#13)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 09:15:03 PM EST
    yum.

    Parent
    Sausage, cabbage, potato (none / 0) (#21)
    by oldpro on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 01:05:36 AM EST
    soup yesterday.

    Mmmmmmm.

    And it was a C O L D soupday if ever there was one.  Synergy.

    Parent

    Yum... (none / 0) (#29)
    by sj on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 09:43:01 AM EST
    Made a pot of lentil and sausage soup last week.  It was very hearty and not very soup-y, but so-o-o good.

    Parent
    You may have missed (none / 0) (#14)
    by SOS on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 09:38:18 PM EST
    this exemplary example of Americans at their best.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4754481n

    Thanks for posting that! (none / 0) (#16)
    by NJDem on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 09:56:23 PM EST
    Why can't the news show good people doing good things more often?  Seriously...

    Parent
    The Times (none / 0) (#17)
    by andgarden on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 10:44:12 PM EST
    reports that the stimulus being discussed in the House is largely the work of David Obey. To which I respond: good. Spend all you can get away with David.

    Good god... (none / 0) (#26)
    by kdog on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 08:48:45 AM EST
    spend all you can get away with?

    If you haven't noticed...we're broke.

    Parent

    Atrios: Obama to ask Dems to drop contraceptive (none / 0) (#19)
    by jawbone on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 10:53:03 PM EST
    funding --actually, family planning funding for poor people-- so he can get more Repub votes for stimulus/TARP/bailout/bad bank bill.

    Because Boehner can never whine too much or bcz Repubs won or something...??? How you like them apples, libs?

    WASHINGTON - House Democrats appear likely to jettison family planning funds for the low-income from an $825 billion economic stimulus bill, officials said late Monday, following an appeal from President Barack Obama at a time the administration is courting Republican critics of the legislation.

    Several officials said a final decision was likely on Tuesday, coinciding with Obama's scheduled visit to the Capitol for separate meetings with House and Senate Republicans. (My emphasis)

    Today on WNYC, Jeff Madrick, NYTimes financial writer, was on the Leonard Lopate Show, and said he feared the Repubs were going to roll Obama (ya think?), and we would not get the needed stimulus, that tax cuts will not do the job.

    Madrick has a new book, The Case for Big Government, in which he argues that in the current financial crisis, big government is the most effective way to regulate the economy. Audio at link, final segment.

    That was depressing enough; now reading this tidbit about making sure poor people don't get family planning aid.

    Who did win this election anyway? Really? St. Ronnie's ghost? Remember when we asked for more and better Democrats? Still need 'em, especially in the executive branch--and as prez.

    C'mon, Obama--spine time.

    Yes, I am disappointed. Rove had the 50% plus one strategy: Know your objectives and work for them. Obama has, apparently, the 80 vote or more strategy, meaning he has to curry favor with the Repubs. Sell out your party's principles to gain Repub votes for...what?  What if FDR had done things like that? No SocSec, no WPA, NO NEW DEAL!

    Wish I hadn't read this before trying to get to sleep.

    With all due respect (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by CoralGables on Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 11:08:39 PM EST
    family planning is important and is needed but it has no bearing on, and shouldn't be part of, an economic stimulus bill.

    Parent
    Of course contraceptives (none / 0) (#23)
    by oldpro on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 01:29:02 AM EST
    aren't as important to the economy as Viagra and other drugs of choice but it is vital to the economy of poor people who cannot afford to feed and house more children and the people who counsel them and those who manufacture/distribute/sell contraceptives would have jobs.  And jobs is the major goal, is it not?

    In fact the gretest stimulant to the economy could be George McGovern's '72 plan to give $1000 to each poor person.  They'd spend it.

    Parent

    They are poor... (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by kdog on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 09:09:44 AM EST
    they are not stupid and not children...I'm far from a rich man, and at times I've been a poor man, I was always able to secure my own rubbers.  If you don't have a rubber at any given time, you don't have intercourse...there are other ways to get off.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm all for giving out free rubbers, there are certainly worse ways we spend money and waste money...but it really isn't the government's job.  
     

    Parent

    It sounds good but (none / 0) (#24)
    by CoralGables on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 02:08:08 AM EST
    I seriously doubt free condoms will lead to job creation. Let's leave the family planning to future health bills and stick with investment in the future through job creation from long term infrastructure with the stimulus bill.

    Adding a lot of inconsequential spending as part of an economic stimulus package that puts us further in debt is more damaging than doing nothing. On the other hand, Trojan does carry the Made in USA label.


    Parent

    Robert Oppenheimer 2-hr (none / 0) (#22)
    by oldpro on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 01:19:36 AM EST
    program on The American Experience - PBS tonight.

    Heartbreaking to relive it all again.

    So, of course, I missed The Closer tonight...and the tennis from Australia.  No TIVO.  Sigh...

    Priorities.

    Question (none / 0) (#25)
    by mmc9431 on Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 06:36:37 AM EST
    I read this in the Washington Post:

    Obama ordered a halt to any last-minute rules and regulations put in place by his predecessor.

    Does this include Bush insane move to allow healthcare workers to refuse dispense contraceptives?