Cheers and Jeers: Monday
Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 05:41:33 AM PDT
From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...
Once in awhile a series appears that shakes up everything you think you know about blogging. As soon as the next one comes along I'll let you know. In the meantime, here's another installment of C&J's Yes, We're All Staring At YOU. Today we kidnap and put in the hot seat Daily Kos front-pager Darksyde. A man for whom science isn't just a passion, it's also the perfect excuse for frying bugs under a magnifying glass.
Mr. Darksyde, where were you born and what did it feel like?
Kentucky. Too many naturally occurring endorphins to recall clearly, but I'm pretty sure I had a good time.
In how many towns/countries have you lived?
Five/one.
Speaking as a pesky voter, what is your #1 election issue for 2008?
Science and issues related to science and energy.
What made you decide to become a science writer?
I never made a conscious decision. I was disappointed with the Bush Administration, and I started reading and writing on blogs including DKos. One day I see something here about nominations for new front page guest bloggers, the next day I get an invite from Markos to be on the FP. Right up until that nomination post, I had little inkling that regulars could become guest bloggers or how it worked.
What is your favorite area of science and why?
Cosmology. I suppose in some ultimate way all disciplines in science are merely a subset of Cosmology.
What science-related issue should the next president tackle first?
Well, stem cell research would be the easiest fix. Just get rid of the restriction and you're done. But the most important science issue by leaps and bounds is far more than just a science issue: Energy.
Finish this sentence: In the kitchen I make a mean...
Shrimp pesto.
What do you do for fun when you're not blogging?
Sleep.
If you could snap your fingers and have any job in the world, what would it be?
Trust fund kid.
What has surprised you most since you started writing for the front page?
What surprised and delighted me is how incredibly well-informed and passionate the members here are---it's like the commercial where the cell phone customer has that big network behind them. Only this network is a bunch of kick-ass political activists, research scientists, and writers whose expertise is available at the click of a mouse.
No waffling here: dogs or cats?
Dogs.
What are your favorite blogs besides Daily Kos?
Cosmic Variance, Bad Astronomy, Realclimate, The Oil Drum anything on the Seed Scienceblog domain.
How do you want your epitaph to read?
Huh?
I have one question left, but my Haagen Dazs just gave me brain freeze. Please ask and answer the final question yourself.
Which Democratic Presidential candidate do you support?
All of them. And I mean it. This is the most incredible field of candidates I've ever seen in my life. I couldn't be happier with them. In the past, I usually voted based on who I wanted to vote against. My only problem this time around is figuring out which one to vote for, because they're all premium, blue-chip, kick ass choices.
Well said. And how freaky that that his epitaph is the same as mine.
Cheers and Jeers starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Monday, January 14, 2008
Note: My candidate is better than your candidate. Go, Hillarack Obamwards!!
-
By the Numbers:
Days since the Mission Accomplished banner was hung from the bridge of the Aircraft carrier: 1,720
Days 'til the general election: 295
Portion of private insurance companies participating in Medicare that were audited in 2001: 1-in-4
Portion that were audited in 2006: 1-in-7
(Source: Harper's Index)
Average lifespan of American rock stars: 42
Average lifespan of British rock stars: 35
(Source: The Week)
Percent chance that low-voltage "Fun Tasers" will eventually be marketed to kids: 89%
New England 31 Jacksonville 20
-
Your Monday Texan As A Second Language Lesson
Brought to you by the 2008 Netroots Nation Convention in Austin July 17-21:
"As full of wind as a corn-eating horse"
(Rather prone to boasting)
"Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back in."
(Don’t go there, girlfriend)
Say each phrase three times out loud before you go to bed and you'll be fluent in Texan in no time!
-
Puppy Pic of the Day: "Hey Boo Boo! There's something strange about this pickinick basket..."
-
CAUTIOUS CHEERS to hanging up on a bunch of jerks. If the Wall Street Journal is to be believed (with Murdoch at the helm, who knows?), the revision of the FISA law---including immunity for the telcos---may be dead until 2009. Chris Bowers calls it---assuming it's true---a big victory for the progressive blogosphere:
It is empowering to see one of our campaigns succeed. It is satisfying to answer all of those emails I received back in August about how the progressive blogosphere supposedly dropped the ball on FISA, and was instead hob-nobbing with high-profile Democrats at Yearly Kos. With clear campaign goals, a couple of validating voices, and excellent staff working as liaisons between the blogosphere and the validating voices, we can really make a difference in American politics.
If you happen to be one of the multitudes who called or wrote your elected leaders and spoke truth to power over this issue last year, today you get your payoff: free pudding.
CHEERS to the King of MSNBC. I just heard about these things called "books." So I did a little homework at the New York Times Nonfiction Best Seller List and discovered something that made me all gushy inside: Keith Olbermann's Truth and Consequences debuted at #12 despite virtually no publicity and a shitty Dec. 26 release date. Last fall, Chris Matthews' Life's A Campaign spent a total of two weeks on the chart, topping out at #20 even with massive plugs from all his beltway pundit buddies about how fantastic it was. No wonder Matthews is so pissed. He got whupped by a kid.
JEERS to Chimpy McFlightsuit. The Bush legacy encapsulated: complaints about the faulty yet "certified" fire-extinguishing system in the $740 million U.S. embassy complex in Baghdad were either ignored or overruled. Result: the contractors get overpaid, shitty work goes unimpeded, lives are put at risk, taxpayers get hosed, and accountability ends up in a pile of charred embers. Now maybe someone should look into the new Green Zone fire trucks---something about the square tires looks a little odd to me.
CHEERS to taking a turn in the pundit's den. Hillary Clinton appeared on Meet the Press yesterday, defending her 2002 vote authorizing the use of really huge bombs against Iraq. It was nothing we hadn't heard before, and either you buy it or you don't. But the question I kept asking myself during the intervew was: When did NBC move the show to Tim Russert's secret underground breakfast nook?
JEERS to the most divisive political movement ever. You guessed it: Unity '08. They're going in a new direction. Instead of uniting ordinary Americans to tackle the pressing issues of the day that the other parties are ignoring, they've decided instead to unite the billions of dollars belonging to Michael Bloomberg with an ego-fueled, palm-greasing presidential campaign. I'm glad they found their moral compass before it was too late (many of the peasants rarely bathe, you know).
CHEERS to peace. On January 14, 1784, Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution. And starting an American revolution. Deep, huh.
JEERS to surfing into the future. I just saw a commercial by Time-Warner Cable for something called "Road Runner Turbo." Here's how it works: for ten bucks extra per month, I can get the kind of high-speed online access that they promised I'd get with my regular Road Runner service five years ago, but which is now at least three times slower than it was when we got it. Ain't capitalism a kick. In the nuts.
JEERS to ridiculous concoctions. Good lord. Bush and his neocons have been threatening to start World War III because of an incident in the Gulf of Hormuz involving a few Boston Whalers and a mysterious voice that probably belonged to a prankster who calls himself---I kid you not---"Filipino Monkey." I tell you, I could not make this stuff up if I drank a case of scotch and smoked a bong full of mauwie wauwie. But I'm willing to try!
JEERS to things on my weekend teevee. So I stumbled onto this show called Miss America Reality yesterday. They were having an "intelligence contest" to disprove the stereotype that Miss America contestants are a little vacant upstairs. So they had to answer questions like, "What TV show had a cast that included Fozzie Bear and Kermit the frog" and "What country does Borat come from." The contestants who answered correctly felt really CONFIDENT and FULFILLED. The contestants who answered incorrectly (Fozzie and Kermit came from Happy Days???) had to jump in the swimming pool, which was bad because it made their makeup run and some of them cried. Then this one contestant had an asthma attack and all the other contestants stood around wondering if they should maybe do something about the poor gasping woman lying on the cement. Afterwards I watched The McLaughlin Group and it didn’t seem quite as insane as it usually does.
CHEERS to CBS's grumpy old man. Happy Birthday to Andy Rooney---89 today. His shtick has always been hit or miss for me, but sometimes he nails it, like this comment on political campaigns from last August.
Political experts say that a candidate's going to need $400 million to run a campaign in 2008.
What in the world are we doing? All we want is a smart, honest man or woman in the White House. It doesn't seem as though the candidates should have to spend $400 million lying to us about how wonderful they are because we know they aren't. ...
Maybe we should change our system. Our vote wouldn't indicate which candidate we wanted most. It would indicate which candidate we liked the least. The one who got the most votes would lose.
I say, why not? It couldn’t hurt.
-
Two Years Ago in C&J: January 14, 2006...
JEERS to unhappy endings. Barring some major revelation, the traditional media has anointed Samuel Alito the next associate justice on the United States Supreme Court, with a healthy assist from a confirmation process that plays out more like a backyard barbeque than a serious job interview. But C&J offers an optimistic prediction: if the court overturns Roe v. Wade (not likely---they'll just slice pieces off `til it's useless), the GOP will become the minority party faster than a Republican can say, "Abramoff? Never heard of him."
P.S. Memo to Ralph Nader: Still think there's "no difference" between Al Gore and George W. Bush?
-
And just one more...
CHEERS to the best TV on TV. Wow---The Simpsons premiered on Fox 18 years ago today. It's still as sharp as ever, and they apparently have no plans to quit anytime soon. Today we mark Springfield's anniversary with four simple words: Ralph Wiggum for President!
-
[Sigh] A day without a primary is like a day without an ass full of porcupine quills. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
-
Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial:
"I'm not saying it will become a mainstream format, just like gourmet eating is not going to take over from McDonald's. But there is a growing group of people who are going back to Cheers and Jeers."
---Michael Fremer
Stereolphile
-
