Liberal Talk Radio

Certainly seems that way: The budget provided long-awaited pay raises for state employees, cost-of-living allowances for teachers, money to keep 100,000 people insured under the state’s Basic Health Plan, college enrollments for more than 8,000 more students and class-size reductions as outlined by voter Initiative 728. That, and a huge 16-year 9.5-cent gas tax package [...]

If you get a chance, do check out this piece in the Sunday NYT Magazine by Steven Johnson. He argues that TV shows have gotten steadily more complex starting with Hill Street Blues‘ introduction of multiple plot lines back in the early 80s. The basic thesis is that current shows like E.R., The Sopranos, and [...]

With the accension of Benedict XVI, much attention has been focused on the man’s profound and abiding conservatism. As usual, the media and conservative pundits are conflating “liberalism” — the philosophical idea that each person should be free to make his or her own utility-maximizing choices — with “Liberal” — the media-defined perjorative used to [...]

I’m sure there’s a book or two out there on the symbiotic relationship of Democracy and Capitalism. The two do seem inexorably linked. In my lifetime, the economic fallout from Sept. 11 was the epitome of this, as we were all encouraged by our government to be patriotic consumers so as to keep the Dow [...]

Another example of how far behind the times our government is getting … Yesterday, I had an opportunity to close a chapter in my life by taking the Foreign Service Written Examination (the “Foreign Service Exam,” or “FSWE”). Now, in theory, my G’town education was designed 100% to prepare me for this test. And as [...]

At least on the CNN web site: Guess he managed to “outsource” a few pounds…

Thanks to a post by Matt Yglesias, I’m LMAO at this vintage joint review of Lords of Chaos, about the Norweigan hardcore death metal scene, and An End to Evil, the neo-con guide to killing all the brown people: Then there’s Perle, who, like Dead or Euronymous, has his own infamous Black Metal nom de [...]

Well, maybe not. But some spammers may have read one too many of our posts on the not-so-evils of globalization: From: sales@hktel.com Subject: Your Call Centre in China Date: April 22, 2005 8:58:44 AM PDT To: info@brunoandtheprofessor.com If you are setting up a Call Centre in Hong Kong, our company can provide: 1. Dedicated Hong [...]

Chris Cooper and Tom DeLay: Could Delay have been the real inspiration for Silver City?

I was up early this morning so I got to actually watch this Alan Greenspan testimony on CNBC. The gist was Greenspan saying, “uh… remember when I said it was OK to cut taxes in 2001? Oops.” It was quite funny. But it was also interesting to see him move away from Social Security and [...]