Archive for June, 2009

Deep Thought


Posted by Apocalypse Tom on June 30th, 2009

On the occasion of Norm Coleman’s concession and Al Franken’s election:
Can you imagine what this would be like if breaking a filibuster still required 67 votes? Jiminy Christmas!

Slash and Burn


Posted by Bruno on June 29th, 2009

Here’s a grammar pet peeve of mine:
Peter Shapiro was bounding around Brooklyn Bowl one recent evening, showing off all that his new music club slash bowling alley would have to offer.
Why is the word “slash” written out? Didn’t we start using “slash” in spoken English as a way of pronouncing the “/” character used [...]

Episode 392


Posted by Bruno on June 28th, 2009
 
 Standard Podcast [37:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The global warming bill passes the house, health care stalls, and finally, our international news roundup, with a Mideast flair.
Links Mentioned: arrests in Iran … coup in Honduras … poppies in Afghanistan

Preach It, Brother


Posted by Bruno on June 28th, 2009

Alan Wolfe says all that needs to be said about Gov. Sanford:
The problems with Sanford lie elsewhere. He is by all accounts a somewhat typical product of what the Republican Party’s leadership selection process produces: a political extremist, a grandstander, a policy ignoramus, and a man of amazingly inflated self-importance. Those, to me, are vices. [...]

American Enterprise Institute v Soccer


Posted by Matski on June 26th, 2009

A strange, bizarre, and yet somehow pedantic rant from the increasingly irrelevant American far right:
… thankfully, Americans are not buying it. In spite of the fact that one can drive by an open field on Saturdays and usually see it filled with young boys and girls playing soccer, the game’s popularity has not moved anywhere [...]

On the podcast this week, we discuss the situation in Iran, and the president’s latest reaction.
“Moral” language crept into Obama’s rhetoric this week as he invoked Martin Luther King and gave encouragement (if not outright support) to the Mousavi voters who are protesting the election.
Many on the right are criticizing Obama for not being forceful [...]

Note to Podcast Listeners


Posted by Bruno on June 22nd, 2009

Episode 391 wasn’t downloading properly before. I’ve re-loaded it, it should be better now.

Episode 391


Posted by Bruno on June 21st, 2009
 
 Standard Podcast [35:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

More protests in Iran, the transportation bill takes a time out, and finally: health care reform gets expensive.
Links Mentioned: HuffPo covers the protests … details on the Oberstar transpo bill.

Having Trouble Sympathizing


Posted by Bruno on June 19th, 2009

Just another pig-bites-woman story:
According to the complaint, the woman and her husband were taking a break between courses at the Herbfarm Restaurant on Jan. 11, 2008, when they wandered to the establishment’s pigpen. Equipped with a restaurant-issued pan of pig food, the couple was hoping to feed the animals.

“Out of the darkness came one of [...]

Andy Rooney Or David Sedaris?


Posted by Contrarian on June 19th, 2009

A game in which you can test your familiarity with the two humorists. Andy Rooney excerpts are taken from his 60 Minutes commentaries. David Sedaris excerpts are from his Me Talk Pretty One Day story collection. For each subject there are two writing examples; you decide who is who.
Part One: Computers
David Sedaris or Andy Rooney [...]


Now Playing: Episode 421: Reconciliation, Unions, Iraqi Elections

 
 Standard Podcast [35:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Links Mentioned:

Unions and weatherization programs

Public-sector unionization rates

Iraqi elections

You are currently browsing the Bruno and the Professor weblog archives for March, 2010.

Longer entries are truncated. Click the headline of an entry to read it in its entirety.