Wednesday, June 30, 2004
‘Knew unfettered boosterism wouldn't work’: Humor: The only known cure for Boston grouchiness. ... Congrats to Arnold for apparently fine work, though I’d have left out the Sox and wicked clichés. Otherwise ... Suggestion to Arnold: Like tornado watchers, set up a camera in Post Office Square during the next gully washer and capture the exquisite moment when a curb-hugging pedestrian gets drenched by a passing Hub motorist roaring through a puddle. Tag it: 'Not exactly the city of brotherly love, but we like it.'
Let me get this straight ...: A union which humiliated a Massachusetts Democratic presidential candidate 16 years ago is holding up a Massachusetts Democratic presidential candidate 16 years later but the Massachusetts presidential candidate who once served with the Massachusetts presidential candidate who was screwed by the union 16 years ago is now playing footsie with the same Massachusetts union which humiliated a Massachusetts presidential candidate 16 years ago -- and that contemporary Massachusetts presidential candidate hasn’t figured out yet/nor cares that nothing has changed in 16 years for a union which is now trying to humiliate a Massachusetts Democratic mayor. ... Thanks for not crossing the picket line, John. And, oh, by the way, we’ve decided not to make an endorsement this year. ... Gee thanks! ...
Thomas Nee: A clear case of obsession. I mean, jeez. ...
Let me get this straight ...: A union which humiliated a Massachusetts Democratic presidential candidate 16 years ago is holding up a Massachusetts Democratic presidential candidate 16 years later but the Massachusetts presidential candidate who once served with the Massachusetts presidential candidate who was screwed by the union 16 years ago is now playing footsie with the same Massachusetts union which humiliated a Massachusetts presidential candidate 16 years ago -- and that contemporary Massachusetts presidential candidate hasn’t figured out yet/nor cares that nothing has changed in 16 years for a union which is now trying to humiliate a Massachusetts Democratic mayor. ... Thanks for not crossing the picket line, John. And, oh, by the way, we’ve decided not to make an endorsement this year. ... Gee thanks! ...
Thomas Nee: A clear case of obsession. I mean, jeez. ...
Friday, June 25, 2004
Brown shirts tell Dems to f**k off: Doesn’t get any nastier than this or this. ... This might be a good Sister Souljah moment for Kerry: Denounce Gore’s toxic rhetoric for what it is, i.e. vile, while throwing in timely barbs at the hot-head extremism of both the left and right. Extra points if he goes out of his way to defend President Bush against Michael Moore-like attacks. I.e. Seize
the moral/moderate high ground etc. For Bush? I’ve long given up on his ability to speak to moderates. His handlers have convinced him that to be too honest and/or to show any failings might be viewed as ‘weak’ like Jimmy Carter. Not much room for nuances when you’re that uptight.
the moral/moderate high ground etc. For Bush? I’ve long given up on his ability to speak to moderates. His handlers have convinced him that to be too honest and/or to show any failings might be viewed as ‘weak’ like Jimmy Carter. Not much room for nuances when you’re that uptight.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
‘Like Leni Riefenstahl's 1934 landmark ‘Triumph of the Will’: The Herald’s James Verniere may have come up with the best way to describe the Michael Moore phenomenon. ... Have you ever seen ‘Triumph of the Will’? It really is high art and propaganda mixed. Magnificent. Brilliant. Undeniable. The modern comparison to Mel Gibson is apt. I’d throw in Oliver Stone. ... There are just some films/filmmakers who have it. Moore is one of them. So I’m actually looking forward to seeing Fahrenheit 9/11, probably on video. Might even dust off my small Ezra Pound collection now that I’m in the mood. ...
‘To be sure, there is more inconvenience expected ...’: Oh dear. Another Boston-New York comparison story. Of course there’s a reference to the Red Sox. ... I’d suggest that when you set out to do a RNC/DNC comparison story and then have to note that ‘to be sure’ there will be more ‘inconvenience’ in Boston (like the shutdown of a major transportation station, rail and subway lines, 40 miles of roadway etc.) then maybe, just maybe, the story line has begun to fall apart and Ed Koch's view on NYC restaurants doesn't make sense. ...
FYI -- Has anyone stopped to think Bostonians are actually ENJOYING all the grousing? Know I am. It’s akin to the sick thrill of watching a pedestrian get nailed by a wave of mud and water thrown up by a passing motorist. The shocked, miserable look on the pedestrian’s face ... Here’s a good guffaw: They’re trying to reassure us by comparing the DNC to the Blizzard of ‘78. Bravo! Brilliant! ... God, I do love it.
‘To be sure, there is more inconvenience expected ...’: Oh dear. Another Boston-New York comparison story. Of course there’s a reference to the Red Sox. ... I’d suggest that when you set out to do a RNC/DNC comparison story and then have to note that ‘to be sure’ there will be more ‘inconvenience’ in Boston (like the shutdown of a major transportation station, rail and subway lines, 40 miles of roadway etc.) then maybe, just maybe, the story line has begun to fall apart and Ed Koch's view on NYC restaurants doesn't make sense. ...
FYI -- Has anyone stopped to think Bostonians are actually ENJOYING all the grousing? Know I am. It’s akin to the sick thrill of watching a pedestrian get nailed by a wave of mud and water thrown up by a passing motorist. The shocked, miserable look on the pedestrian’s face ... Here’s a good guffaw: They’re trying to reassure us by comparing the DNC to the Blizzard of ‘78. Bravo! Brilliant! ... God, I do love it.
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
‘The brunette half of the Olsen Twins entity’: Not something to gloat about, but Hub Blog did call it!
Saluting the flag of New England, Part II: Hub Blog won’t give away details of the great geopolitical gambit I have in mind. But the idea -- no, the necessity -- of shoring up and expanding New England's sphere of influence began with this letter by Buddy. ... Think about it: Connecticut, a lowly colony and fully owned subsidiary of New York, had the audacity to think it could colonize another colony, i.e. our Rhode Island.
Is Romney running against Massachusetts?: Good point. ... FYI: It's not just about gay marriage. It's about everything else he's up to -- or not up to. ... Anyone see an anti-Pacheco bill kicking around Beacon Hill? Just wondering. Only a couple hundred million dollars at stake. ... But, I forgot, gay weddings are the most important thing facing civilization and the commonwealth. (Check out the Trav landing a wet one on Jane.)
‘Forcing us to make a donation,’ Part II: From Reader No. 1:
“Nice work pointing out how the locals can't get the same taxi fare break as out of towners. Not that I'm holding my breath for that to ever happen (after a $44 fare from Logan to the outskirts of the city late one weekday night - no traffic). Is it a small sign of progress that we aren't hosing the out of towners?”
Saluting the flag of New England, Part II: Hub Blog won’t give away details of the great geopolitical gambit I have in mind. But the idea -- no, the necessity -- of shoring up and expanding New England's sphere of influence began with this letter by Buddy. ... Think about it: Connecticut, a lowly colony and fully owned subsidiary of New York, had the audacity to think it could colonize another colony, i.e. our Rhode Island.
Is Romney running against Massachusetts?: Good point. ... FYI: It's not just about gay marriage. It's about everything else he's up to -- or not up to. ... Anyone see an anti-Pacheco bill kicking around Beacon Hill? Just wondering. Only a couple hundred million dollars at stake. ... But, I forgot, gay weddings are the most important thing facing civilization and the commonwealth. (Check out the Trav landing a wet one on Jane.)
‘Forcing us to make a donation,’ Part II: From Reader No. 1:
“Nice work pointing out how the locals can't get the same taxi fare break as out of towners. Not that I'm holding my breath for that to ever happen (after a $44 fare from Logan to the outskirts of the city late one weekday night - no traffic). Is it a small sign of progress that we aren't hosing the out of towners?”
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Saluting the flag of New England: Yes, there really is a flag of New England and it was even displayed in Trumbull’s classic Bunker Hill depiction (via AG). Excellent. … Fits right into Hub Blog's secret plans and big ambitions for a colonial expansion of New England. Manhattan-based WMD Spy figures heavily in the intricate geopolitical gambit. More later.
‘Gov puts politics over principle ...’: The criticism of Mitt keeps piling up -- albeit from different perspectives but all centering on Mitt’s amateurish focus on national politics.
‘Not Boston related, but for your reading pleasure’: Thanks to Reader C for the link to the Christopher Hitchens' article on Michael Moore.
Here we go again ...: Thought they were going to settle the union spat. The public ain’t going to like obsessive attempts to humiliate the mayor and city.
‘Gov puts politics over principle ...’: The criticism of Mitt keeps piling up -- albeit from different perspectives but all centering on Mitt’s amateurish focus on national politics.
‘Not Boston related, but for your reading pleasure’: Thanks to Reader C for the link to the Christopher Hitchens' article on Michael Moore.
Here we go again ...: Thought they were going to settle the union spat. The public ain’t going to like obsessive attempts to humiliate the mayor and city.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
'Forcing us to make a donation': Meant to post to this taxi issue the other day. The political class is out of control. Simply out of control. Behold a mini-version of a command economy. ... The sweet justice/irony of a clever taxi driver using federal election laws to fight back.
Update - 6.22.04 -- Perhaps I should temper/tinker with my view on the cabby voucher plan. Perhaps. The mayor said he’s doing it to give cabbies business during the DNC, rather than dishing it off to chartered bus companies. OK. Fine. But: A.) why don’t the rest of us -- and other conventions -- get similar breaks as the pols? and B.) doesn’t this kind of point to the larger issue of Boston’s sky-high cab fares when the national pols aren't around? ...
Update - 6.22.04 -- Perhaps I should temper/tinker with my view on the cabby voucher plan. Perhaps. The mayor said he’s doing it to give cabbies business during the DNC, rather than dishing it off to chartered bus companies. OK. Fine. But: A.) why don’t the rest of us -- and other conventions -- get similar breaks as the pols? and B.) doesn’t this kind of point to the larger issue of Boston’s sky-high cab fares when the national pols aren't around? ...
‘Laying low’: How? ... Another DNC outrage! ...
Www.getoutofboston.com: Good idea. But Providence isn’t going to be high on the Ways To Escape the DNC tip list, unless it’s an Amtrak pass-through to NYC. ... “People in Boston are going to think I'm kicking them when they're down - which is exactly what I'm doing.”
... One, no, two museums closing early. ... The economic benefits keep piling up. ... I’m actually subscribing to the counter-intuitive prediction by Dan Kennedy that the traffic won’t be as bad a predicted. Not because the woes have been overblown. But because no one is going to be around.
Update -- Actually, getoutofboston's Great Getaway Prize doesn't sound bad, excluding the Providence gondola cruise.
Update II - 6.21.04 -- DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe also bravely predicts no big traffic snarls. For slightly different reasons -- and motives.
‘Officially sanctioned promoter of Catholic political values’: Ray Flynn, completing a slow shift from State Department-paid Vatican cheerleader to Vatican-paid Vatican cheerleader. ... Notice the qualifier ‘political’ on values. ... A new Vatican meaning for ‘laying low.’ ...
Www.getoutofboston.com: Good idea. But Providence isn’t going to be high on the Ways To Escape the DNC tip list, unless it’s an Amtrak pass-through to NYC. ... “People in Boston are going to think I'm kicking them when they're down - which is exactly what I'm doing.”
... One, no, two museums closing early. ... The economic benefits keep piling up. ... I’m actually subscribing to the counter-intuitive prediction by Dan Kennedy that the traffic won’t be as bad a predicted. Not because the woes have been overblown. But because no one is going to be around.
Update -- Actually, getoutofboston's Great Getaway Prize doesn't sound bad, excluding the Providence gondola cruise.
Update II - 6.21.04 -- DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe also bravely predicts no big traffic snarls. For slightly different reasons -- and motives.
‘Officially sanctioned promoter of Catholic political values’: Ray Flynn, completing a slow shift from State Department-paid Vatican cheerleader to Vatican-paid Vatican cheerleader. ... Notice the qualifier ‘political’ on values. ... A new Vatican meaning for ‘laying low.’ ...
Thursday, June 17, 2004
‘The existence of today's Counter-Hive’: Reader No. 1 jumps into the polarization and beehive debate:
“You're the Editor, but posting my rediscovery of Hive-Originator Tom Bethell's prescient 1988 column providing the rationale for the existence of today's Counter-Hive could provide a great perspective on the agonies of David Brooks and Mickey Kaus' brilliant counter-analysis -- he got right what Brooks is missing. But I still like Dave -- I'm not piling on either! -- he asks the right questions. (Gee, media analysts talking about media analysis is so intoxicating...)
“Memo to columnists, Democrats, and Governor Romney: the missing traffic helicopters are going to be a BIG ISSUE with voters stuck in traffic. First one to get on the right side of the issue is a winner.”
Reaction: Definitely read Mickey’s analysis of polarization. It's indeed brilliant. Meant to link to it the other day.
‘The perception of an entrenched Democratic Party ...’: Joan takes on Dems behaving badly. They deserve the bashing. ... The Keystone Republicans, on the other hand, have recently shown why they’re not ready for prime time. Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey and other Republicans’ calls for John Kerry to resign his Senate seat were so lame, so transparent, so whiney ... Any sighting yet of an anti-Quinn bill? ... Jane Swift: The ultimate non-reformer. A total GOP hack in bed with the Dem establishment, though one has to wonder if Christy Mihos’ civil rights suit has any validity. Hey, Christy, it was nothing personal. Just hacks defending their tree fort. ... ‘The perception of an entrenched Democratic Party gives opponents the mantle of reform even when they don't deserve it.’ ...
To have been in the White House War Room when they hatched the Kerry Should Resign Campaign:
President Bush: ‘Who’s going to carry out this dog assignment? Arnie? He’s popular these days.’
Andrew Card: ‘Ah, no. Arnie suggested Mitt. Maria Shriver seconded the motion.’
President Bush: ‘OK, Mitt it is.’
“You're the Editor, but posting my rediscovery of Hive-Originator Tom Bethell's prescient 1988 column providing the rationale for the existence of today's Counter-Hive could provide a great perspective on the agonies of David Brooks and Mickey Kaus' brilliant counter-analysis -- he got right what Brooks is missing. But I still like Dave -- I'm not piling on either! -- he asks the right questions. (Gee, media analysts talking about media analysis is so intoxicating...)
“Memo to columnists, Democrats, and Governor Romney: the missing traffic helicopters are going to be a BIG ISSUE with voters stuck in traffic. First one to get on the right side of the issue is a winner.”
Reaction: Definitely read Mickey’s analysis of polarization. It's indeed brilliant. Meant to link to it the other day.
‘The perception of an entrenched Democratic Party ...’: Joan takes on Dems behaving badly. They deserve the bashing. ... The Keystone Republicans, on the other hand, have recently shown why they’re not ready for prime time. Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey and other Republicans’ calls for John Kerry to resign his Senate seat were so lame, so transparent, so whiney ... Any sighting yet of an anti-Quinn bill? ... Jane Swift: The ultimate non-reformer. A total GOP hack in bed with the Dem establishment, though one has to wonder if Christy Mihos’ civil rights suit has any validity. Hey, Christy, it was nothing personal. Just hacks defending their tree fort. ... ‘The perception of an entrenched Democratic Party gives opponents the mantle of reform even when they don't deserve it.’ ...
To have been in the White House War Room when they hatched the Kerry Should Resign Campaign:
President Bush: ‘Who’s going to carry out this dog assignment? Arnie? He’s popular these days.’
Andrew Card: ‘Ah, no. Arnie suggested Mitt. Maria Shriver seconded the motion.’
President Bush: ‘OK, Mitt it is.’
Those yapping ‘New Yawkers’: Ralph Martin defends Southie and the Hub. Howard Manly (sub. req.) was doing the same the other day. But Cosmo (also sub. req.) raises a good point: Homophobia and racism aside, who the hell came up with the idea of holding a party in a locker room? ...
As I noted the other day before I lost my Saturday posts, the sad part is that the Southie/DNC controversy has probably planted ideas in the minds of a few sickos who might indeed harass the New Yorkers in Southie, now that the sickos know they might get some media attention after downing a few 16 ouncers.
FYI -- Due to the valiant efforts of Reader No. 1 and the miracle of Google, I did retrieve a copy of my obliterated Saturday posts. But I’ve been too lazy to repost them, not that the world is clamoring for their reposting. ...
As I noted the other day before I lost my Saturday posts, the sad part is that the Southie/DNC controversy has probably planted ideas in the minds of a few sickos who might indeed harass the New Yorkers in Southie, now that the sickos know they might get some media attention after downing a few 16 ouncers.
FYI -- Due to the valiant efforts of Reader No. 1 and the miracle of Google, I did retrieve a copy of my obliterated Saturday posts. But I’ve been too lazy to repost them, not that the world is clamoring for their reposting. ...
Musings on motorists and Hondo Celts: Speaking of Reader No. 1, he writes in:
“It's now entirely clear that nobody associated with DNC 2004 takes a major highway to work, except for the downtown power brokers who are pulling the Lexus SUVs into their parking garages at 6:45 a.m. and pulling out long after dark.
“Kerry could show some real leadership by standing up to the FAA. (Put a skymarshal on the ‘BZ copter!) Or some fresh thinking: taking away traffic updates from commuters traversing overcrowded and unfamiliar roads during DNC Hell Week is a GIANT public safety issue (think overheating cars; people running out of gas; fender-benders). But he's one of the people who doesn't take a major highway to work in Boston ...
“Did the Detroit Pistons remind anyone else of the 70s Celtics the other night?
“-- A point guard who really isn't one, just a hell of a player (Jo Jo White then, Chauncey Billups today)
“-- A small but ferocious defending/rebounding center (Cowens then, Ben Wallace today)
“-- A guy who can hit the outside jumpers when you need them (Hondo then, Richard Hamilton today)
“-- A TEAM approach to the game regardless of talent level?
“This championship could be a major step forward for the NBA! (It needs many more. But it's a start).”
“It's now entirely clear that nobody associated with DNC 2004 takes a major highway to work, except for the downtown power brokers who are pulling the Lexus SUVs into their parking garages at 6:45 a.m. and pulling out long after dark.
“Kerry could show some real leadership by standing up to the FAA. (Put a skymarshal on the ‘BZ copter!) Or some fresh thinking: taking away traffic updates from commuters traversing overcrowded and unfamiliar roads during DNC Hell Week is a GIANT public safety issue (think overheating cars; people running out of gas; fender-benders). But he's one of the people who doesn't take a major highway to work in Boston ...
“Did the Detroit Pistons remind anyone else of the 70s Celtics the other night?
“-- A point guard who really isn't one, just a hell of a player (Jo Jo White then, Chauncey Billups today)
“-- A small but ferocious defending/rebounding center (Cowens then, Ben Wallace today)
“-- A guy who can hit the outside jumpers when you need them (Hondo then, Richard Hamilton today)
“-- A TEAM approach to the game regardless of talent level?
“This championship could be a major step forward for the NBA! (It needs many more. But it's a start).”
Monday, June 14, 2004
The Right-wing Inferiority Complex, Part II: Maine Reader writes in:
“Disagree with your right wing inferiority complex theory. People promoting Reagan memorials are mostly hacks or, like Norquist, crazies. Dems obviously have the same problems with unions
and Bay State pols.
“There's a good argument for removing Jackson from the $20. The man was unabashedly racist, genocidal, and imperialist. As a general he operated way outside of civilian control. As president he trashed and defied the SCOTUS in the course of his ethnic cleansing of the Cherokees. He came awful close to being our own Peron or Hugo Chavez. Get rid of him. Norquist proves he's an ignorant asshole by proposing to replace Hamilton on the $10. Hamilton is the patron saint of all the Wall St. guys that pay Norquist's salary. Put Reagan on the $20. Only thing is no one except people in or near the government could care less about these honors the politicians do for each other. ....”
Reaction: Stand by my theory. ... ‘The Ronald Reagan Memorial Toaster Oven.’ Inappropriately appropriate. ... Via Adam Gaffin.
Battle of the beehives, Part II: More today on the political polarization within the country. Except one source argues it’s overblown, while another looks at a polarization promoter and his anti-promoter stalker. ... I have to say that when you have polarization over the idea of polarization you have polarization. Right? ... But I will further clarify/revise/tweak my beehive rivalry theory: There are indeed two beehives, the conservative beehive and the liberal beehive, fighting it out to the death, with the rest of us caught in the picnic-bench middle, swatting at the swarms and getting stung in dive-bombing buzz attacks. ...
Eileen pines for the day when there was only one beehive with impeccable manners. ... Google it: ‘Abbie Hoffman guerrilla tactics’ ...
“Disagree with your right wing inferiority complex theory. People promoting Reagan memorials are mostly hacks or, like Norquist, crazies. Dems obviously have the same problems with unions
and Bay State pols.
“There's a good argument for removing Jackson from the $20. The man was unabashedly racist, genocidal, and imperialist. As a general he operated way outside of civilian control. As president he trashed and defied the SCOTUS in the course of his ethnic cleansing of the Cherokees. He came awful close to being our own Peron or Hugo Chavez. Get rid of him. Norquist proves he's an ignorant asshole by proposing to replace Hamilton on the $10. Hamilton is the patron saint of all the Wall St. guys that pay Norquist's salary. Put Reagan on the $20. Only thing is no one except people in or near the government could care less about these honors the politicians do for each other. ....”
Reaction: Stand by my theory. ... ‘The Ronald Reagan Memorial Toaster Oven.’ Inappropriately appropriate. ... Via Adam Gaffin.
Battle of the beehives, Part II: More today on the political polarization within the country. Except one source argues it’s overblown, while another looks at a polarization promoter and his anti-promoter stalker. ... I have to say that when you have polarization over the idea of polarization you have polarization. Right? ... But I will further clarify/revise/tweak my beehive rivalry theory: There are indeed two beehives, the conservative beehive and the liberal beehive, fighting it out to the death, with the rest of us caught in the picnic-bench middle, swatting at the swarms and getting stung in dive-bombing buzz attacks. ...
Eileen pines for the day when there was only one beehive with impeccable manners. ... Google it: ‘Abbie Hoffman guerrilla tactics’ ...
FYI: My Saturday posts, thanks to some major snafu at Blogger and probably compounded by something I did, got wiped out. I'm trying to retrieve them, but ... One was about 'It's a full retreat,' the police union's bargaining and PR setbacks. Whenever you lose a post that ties Thomas Nee to Robert Shaw and the movie 'Battle of the Bulge,' it hurts. ... Thomas Nee singing a different tune today: "We're going to get this behind us."
Friday, June 11, 2004
The last refuge of scoundrels, NY style: The homophobic politically correct NY delegation is now insisting it's really about racism. Unbelievable.
The Right-wing Inferiority Complex: Mentioned this theory to someone the other day, but waited a little bit before writing about it. Here it is: conservativism’s inferiority complex on full display. Not an inferiority complex about the rightness of their cause. Rather an inferiority complex about being liked and accepted. From a conservative pushing for more Reagan memorials: "Liberals, the left, big-government supporters -- whatever you call them, statists do a better job of using the state to highlight how great they are.” ... Perfecto. It all comes down to bashing the left while aping the left. The battle of the rival beehives. ... I used to admire the conservative movement precisely because they did NOT act like the left.
The Wedding Bride Industrial Complex: It’s worse than the Missile Gap. It’s worse than WMD. ... A chuckling Hub Blog Sis notes I once had to pick up a wedding cake bought at Lyndell’s in Ball Square and nervously drive 90 minutes south, with the groom and two niece-and-nephew tots in tow. Everything was riding with and on me. Now that’s pre-wedding pressure...
The Right-wing Inferiority Complex: Mentioned this theory to someone the other day, but waited a little bit before writing about it. Here it is: conservativism’s inferiority complex on full display. Not an inferiority complex about the rightness of their cause. Rather an inferiority complex about being liked and accepted. From a conservative pushing for more Reagan memorials: "Liberals, the left, big-government supporters -- whatever you call them, statists do a better job of using the state to highlight how great they are.” ... Perfecto. It all comes down to bashing the left while aping the left. The battle of the rival beehives. ... I used to admire the conservative movement precisely because they did NOT act like the left.
The Wedding Bride Industrial Complex: It’s worse than the Missile Gap. It’s worse than WMD. ... A chuckling Hub Blog Sis notes I once had to pick up a wedding cake bought at Lyndell’s in Ball Square and nervously drive 90 minutes south, with the groom and two niece-and-nephew tots in tow. Everything was riding with and on me. Now that’s pre-wedding pressure...
Thursday, June 10, 2004
‘A plague of locusts will descend on you ...’: It can’t get this bad, can it? ... Let’s be clear: The public is watching the city-union drama. They’re making mental notes about who’s coming across as sincere and rational, who’s playing their cards well, who’s winning and losing, who’s sitting on the sidelines. It’s fun. It’s a drama. But ... sooner or later the public will expect a happy ending. They’re PAYING for this flick, in case both sides forget. ...
... Hmmmmm. The public might make a connection to this and then this and then ... They’re padding the court payrolls and they don’t even have the money yet? The permanent bureaucracy is on autopilot. ... Remember those unconscious tipping points that can cause the public to snap. ... Instead of Menino whining to the feds, he should be coughing into his hand and muttering quickly, ‘Quinn bill!’ ... Cough -- ‘Paid traffic details!’ ... It would be a low blow. But it would work to the crowd. ... Advice to Boston police union: Get Thomas ‘Deano II’ Nee out of the public eye. Get a female cop out front who can calmly talk about how police missed out on investing their non-raises in last year’s stock market surge due to not having a contract. It would play to a growing and sympathetic professional crowd. ...
... Hmmmmm. The public might make a connection to this and then this and then ... They’re padding the court payrolls and they don’t even have the money yet? The permanent bureaucracy is on autopilot. ... Remember those unconscious tipping points that can cause the public to snap. ... Instead of Menino whining to the feds, he should be coughing into his hand and muttering quickly, ‘Quinn bill!’ ... Cough -- ‘Paid traffic details!’ ... It would be a low blow. But it would work to the crowd. ... Advice to Boston police union: Get Thomas ‘Deano II’ Nee out of the public eye. Get a female cop out front who can calmly talk about how police missed out on investing their non-raises in last year’s stock market surge due to not having a contract. It would play to a growing and sympathetic professional crowd. ...
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
‘Deporting quite a few British journalists recently’: Considering the lazy anti-American stories resulting from quickie man-on-the-street interviews by Brit reporters at Olive Garden, it’s tempting to support these new visa restrictions on foreign journalists. But that’s the problem because that’s probably the reason. ...
It went pretty darn high, Part II: Right into the White House. ... Of course, you can believe the administration was sincerely trying to stay within the law. Or you can believe the administration was bending the law to come across as staying within the law.
It went pretty darn high, Part II: Right into the White House. ... Of course, you can believe the administration was sincerely trying to stay within the law. Or you can believe the administration was bending the law to come across as staying within the law.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
‘If I'm head of the DNC, if I'm Terry McAuliffe ...’: I’m bravely wagering Dem heavyweights aren’t going to allow the city-union confrontation to fester much longer. ... My other hunch is they’re going to have to come down, sooner or later, on the unions, who hold a winning hand but are probably too pumped up to know it.
It went pretty darn high: Forget about following the Abu Gharaib photos. The boobs put it in writing. ... The Rummy-Cheney duo really love their secret plans, secret folders, secret hideouts and secret doomsday succession scenarios etc. ... Max: ‘Chief, I think this requires the Cone of Silence ...’
It went pretty darn high: Forget about following the Abu Gharaib photos. The boobs put it in writing. ... The Rummy-Cheney duo really love their secret plans, secret folders, secret hideouts and secret doomsday succession scenarios etc. ... Max: ‘Chief, I think this requires the Cone of Silence ...’
Monday, June 07, 2004
‘Not easy being a Ronald Reagan fan in Boston ...’: Reader No. 1 on Ronnie, who Hub Blog loved as an unabashed Reagan Democrat. Don’t agree with Reader No. 1’s references to the current George, if comparisons are the intent (along with other peddled comparisons of late -- Churchill, Lincoln, WWII, JFK, Truman etc.). But I agree with Reader No. 1 on Ronnie:
“It was not easy being a Ronald Reagan fan in Boston twenty years ago, but it sure was fun. He was as loathed and despised by our local elites then as Dubya Bush is today, for some of the same reasons: tax cuts that favored the rich; unselfconscious use of religious language; and most frequently 'how could a simpleton like this be elected President.' But some of those reasons 20 years ago were a bit different from today's setting: Reagan was accused of creating the homelessness crisis; promoting dictatorships by supporting anti-communist rebels in Central America; most of all, threatening the destruction of the world through nuclear arms buildup.
“It was easy then to imagine you were a tiny minority who saw something that most people couldn't... and amazingly gratifying in the 1984 election when Reagan squeaked out a Massachusetts win over poor old Walter Mondale. You were not alone! But it sure was hard to tell reading the Globe and listening to Channel 2 news...
“Some of the old criticisms will surely creep into Elite Print in the next few days once the shock wears off. I anticipate we will read some new variations on old themes whacking both Reagan and Bush 2: dotted lines connecting the anti-Soviet Afghani rebels to Al Qaeda; how Bush might have improved the quality of Reagan's later years if only he'd supported stem cell research instead of holding to religious prejudices.
“Reagan was surely aided by Great Historical Forces. As many commentators have already noted, having Maggie Thatcher and Pope John Paul II come to power at roughly the same time created a powerful leadership team to speak the language of freedom to a world audience. And two of the last 20 years' main drivers of economic growth were just beginning to flower in 1981: the personal computer industry, and the management consulting business -- both of which revolutionized creation of economic value and fattened our 401Ks. And Ronnie had a hidden demographic weapon: all those Baby-Boomers who realized late in the 1970s they were going to have to work for a living to maintain their lifestyles and send their offspring to elite universities.
“So, lots of people handed great advantages squander them. What did Reagan do that was different? I'd argue: he changed the way people think. If you didn't live through the culture of defeatism running from 1971-1982, imagine eleven solid years of Abu Gharaib coverage, without blogs or Fox News for balance. Our businesses were run by polluters and thieves, nuclear power plants would destroy everything; only an economy with a strong central plan could guarantee prosperity. ...
“Reagan changed thinking, and feeling, by making big bets and winning them. It took political skill and muscle to push through what cautious Howard Baker called that critical ‘Riverboat Gamble’ of a tax cut package. But I'll argue, the even bigger early move was firing the air traffic controllers in the middle of their illegal strike. It took incredible guts: public safety was at stake; the economy was already poor and didn't need another hit -- and we came out fine. It is hard to imagine any other political figure then, or now, doing something like that.
“Reagan didn't dance around the edges to fight the Soviet Union and communist movements; he was in-your-face, I Won't Back Down, and It's Gonna Work Out Fine. And it did! For my money, his best statement of our values, to a world audience, comes from the dark summer of 1982, in Westminster Abbey. ...
“So what does this have to do with the Hub? Well, most articles and stories have mentioned that Reagan was ‘The Great Communicator,’ and he surely was (at least until Clinton). But that 'compliment' conveniently allows said commentators to ignore the substance of what he communicated. It was usually simple, certain, right. Simple is not the common language of our intellectually-driven academically-drenched Boston community. What about complexity, nuance, diversity? For cryin' out loud, what does a guy from Eureka College know about reality?
“In that respect, Reagan didn't change the way we think about things in Boston and in fairness, he didn't try too hard to do this. John Kerry's statement on Reagan's passing gives an excellent flavor of our local problem: Reagan's success is all about personality and emotion. There is no particular mention of any achievement on the Reagan watch except giving a good speech when the Challenger blew up. I am sure this is because the Democratic partisan who wrote the statement can't think of a single achievement on the Reagan watch, other than showing great empathy during a national disaster, which come to think of it is the highest accomplishment for today's therapeutically-driven Democrats. ...
“Putting on the Political Insider Hat: Reagan's passing is a disaster for Kerry, not because people will vote in sympathy with Bush, but because people will be reminded of what a leader does: show the way, decisively and with confidence. I hate to end this note on a somewhat cynical note, because Reagan was not a cynical man. Maybe my Boston roots are showing. Farewell, Ronnie, around here, we hardly knew/know ye. But you made a difference, for which we should be grateful for a long time. Not bad - not bad at all.”
Update -- Here come the Ronnie comparisons. Agree with Reader No. 1 that Reagan's passing isn't good for Kerry. The contrasts are glaring. But, please, I'm so tired of the Bushies comparing their man to anyone or anything that's popular at the moment. It's unseemly, to say the least.
“It was not easy being a Ronald Reagan fan in Boston twenty years ago, but it sure was fun. He was as loathed and despised by our local elites then as Dubya Bush is today, for some of the same reasons: tax cuts that favored the rich; unselfconscious use of religious language; and most frequently 'how could a simpleton like this be elected President.' But some of those reasons 20 years ago were a bit different from today's setting: Reagan was accused of creating the homelessness crisis; promoting dictatorships by supporting anti-communist rebels in Central America; most of all, threatening the destruction of the world through nuclear arms buildup.
“It was easy then to imagine you were a tiny minority who saw something that most people couldn't... and amazingly gratifying in the 1984 election when Reagan squeaked out a Massachusetts win over poor old Walter Mondale. You were not alone! But it sure was hard to tell reading the Globe and listening to Channel 2 news...
“Some of the old criticisms will surely creep into Elite Print in the next few days once the shock wears off. I anticipate we will read some new variations on old themes whacking both Reagan and Bush 2: dotted lines connecting the anti-Soviet Afghani rebels to Al Qaeda; how Bush might have improved the quality of Reagan's later years if only he'd supported stem cell research instead of holding to religious prejudices.
“Reagan was surely aided by Great Historical Forces. As many commentators have already noted, having Maggie Thatcher and Pope John Paul II come to power at roughly the same time created a powerful leadership team to speak the language of freedom to a world audience. And two of the last 20 years' main drivers of economic growth were just beginning to flower in 1981: the personal computer industry, and the management consulting business -- both of which revolutionized creation of economic value and fattened our 401Ks. And Ronnie had a hidden demographic weapon: all those Baby-Boomers who realized late in the 1970s they were going to have to work for a living to maintain their lifestyles and send their offspring to elite universities.
“So, lots of people handed great advantages squander them. What did Reagan do that was different? I'd argue: he changed the way people think. If you didn't live through the culture of defeatism running from 1971-1982, imagine eleven solid years of Abu Gharaib coverage, without blogs or Fox News for balance. Our businesses were run by polluters and thieves, nuclear power plants would destroy everything; only an economy with a strong central plan could guarantee prosperity. ...
“Reagan changed thinking, and feeling, by making big bets and winning them. It took political skill and muscle to push through what cautious Howard Baker called that critical ‘Riverboat Gamble’ of a tax cut package. But I'll argue, the even bigger early move was firing the air traffic controllers in the middle of their illegal strike. It took incredible guts: public safety was at stake; the economy was already poor and didn't need another hit -- and we came out fine. It is hard to imagine any other political figure then, or now, doing something like that.
“Reagan didn't dance around the edges to fight the Soviet Union and communist movements; he was in-your-face, I Won't Back Down, and It's Gonna Work Out Fine. And it did! For my money, his best statement of our values, to a world audience, comes from the dark summer of 1982, in Westminster Abbey. ...
“So what does this have to do with the Hub? Well, most articles and stories have mentioned that Reagan was ‘The Great Communicator,’ and he surely was (at least until Clinton). But that 'compliment' conveniently allows said commentators to ignore the substance of what he communicated. It was usually simple, certain, right. Simple is not the common language of our intellectually-driven academically-drenched Boston community. What about complexity, nuance, diversity? For cryin' out loud, what does a guy from Eureka College know about reality?
“In that respect, Reagan didn't change the way we think about things in Boston and in fairness, he didn't try too hard to do this. John Kerry's statement on Reagan's passing gives an excellent flavor of our local problem: Reagan's success is all about personality and emotion. There is no particular mention of any achievement on the Reagan watch except giving a good speech when the Challenger blew up. I am sure this is because the Democratic partisan who wrote the statement can't think of a single achievement on the Reagan watch, other than showing great empathy during a national disaster, which come to think of it is the highest accomplishment for today's therapeutically-driven Democrats. ...
“Putting on the Political Insider Hat: Reagan's passing is a disaster for Kerry, not because people will vote in sympathy with Bush, but because people will be reminded of what a leader does: show the way, decisively and with confidence. I hate to end this note on a somewhat cynical note, because Reagan was not a cynical man. Maybe my Boston roots are showing. Farewell, Ronnie, around here, we hardly knew/know ye. But you made a difference, for which we should be grateful for a long time. Not bad - not bad at all.”
Update -- Here come the Ronnie comparisons. Agree with Reader No. 1 that Reagan's passing isn't good for Kerry. The contrasts are glaring. But, please, I'm so tired of the Bushies comparing their man to anyone or anything that's popular at the moment. It's unseemly, to say the least.
Battle of the beehives: JJDaley flagged a very intriguing project David Brooks plans to undertake: trying to figure out the causes of the nation’s political polarization and partisanship in general. ... I totally agree with JJ that Brooks is onto something when he brings up the issue of tribalism. But I’d also add that there are deep intellectual and spiritual needs on the part of human beings to: A.) embrace an all-encompassing cause or philosophy that explains this crazy life and world we live in and B.) there’s a competitive gene in each of us that needs to win arguments so as not to have that all-encompassing view shattered. ... Combine those psychological needs with instinctive tribalism ...
FYI -- I suspect Brooks is intrigued with this issue partly due to his recent criticism of the war and the administration, a move that undoubtably unleashed a swarm of angry Bushie bees. (Brooks recently joked that it’s almost illegal now to criticize Bush. Believe me, I know.) ...
... Tom Bethel, the conservative American Spectator columnist, in trying to explain how leftists manage to end up saying the same damn things and moving in the same damn direction on issues, once compared the phenomenon to ‘beehive’ activity -- complete with queen bees and worker bees buzzing all about. No conspiracies. No secret orders from the Kremlin. Just people acting like people -- or bees. I thought it was a brilliant analysis then. I still think it’s a brilliant analysis. I’ve tried to apply the same analogy to recent right-wing conservatism, a relatively new intellectual movement compared to the left, one that’s matured to the point where, I’d argue, it has its own beehive characteristics. The current political polarization is, to a degree, tied to the rise of conservatism as a legitimate, well-thought-out intellectual alternative to leftism. What we’re witnessing now might be described as a battle between rival beehives. ...
FYI -- I suspect Brooks is intrigued with this issue partly due to his recent criticism of the war and the administration, a move that undoubtably unleashed a swarm of angry Bushie bees. (Brooks recently joked that it’s almost illegal now to criticize Bush. Believe me, I know.) ...
... Tom Bethel, the conservative American Spectator columnist, in trying to explain how leftists manage to end up saying the same damn things and moving in the same damn direction on issues, once compared the phenomenon to ‘beehive’ activity -- complete with queen bees and worker bees buzzing all about. No conspiracies. No secret orders from the Kremlin. Just people acting like people -- or bees. I thought it was a brilliant analysis then. I still think it’s a brilliant analysis. I’ve tried to apply the same analogy to recent right-wing conservatism, a relatively new intellectual movement compared to the left, one that’s matured to the point where, I’d argue, it has its own beehive characteristics. The current political polarization is, to a degree, tied to the rise of conservatism as a legitimate, well-thought-out intellectual alternative to leftism. What we’re witnessing now might be described as a battle between rival beehives. ...
Saturday, June 05, 2004
‘The Professional Official Fibber of Europe’: Some classic European bashing and anti-anti-American defending from Mark Twain, 1898: “Is the Professional Official Fibber of Europe really troubled with our morals?” ... The more things change... Always remember: Europeans were bad-mouthing Americans before WWI, before WWII and before the Holocaust. ... Via Instapundit.
FYI -- Hub Blog pleasantly experienced the same warm welcome in Ste-Mere-Eglise and Normandy in general on my visits there, and I’m not even a veteran. The Normans really do remember June 6, 1944. I was once stuck in an airport in N’Djamena, Chad, chatting with some French construction workers. One of them leaned over to me and whispered, “I’m from Normandy. We like Americans. We remember.” ...
FYI -- Hub Blog pleasantly experienced the same warm welcome in Ste-Mere-Eglise and Normandy in general on my visits there, and I’m not even a veteran. The Normans really do remember June 6, 1944. I was once stuck in an airport in N’Djamena, Chad, chatting with some French construction workers. One of them leaned over to me and whispered, “I’m from Normandy. We like Americans. We remember.” ...
‘Just had to vent a bit ...’: Reader P responds to the Blue Line post below and bemoans the T’s one-stop-too-short history of not connecting the station dots:
“Wonderful! We just paid $23M to build a station that provides all the inconvenience of the old one in a shinier package. From Coolidge Corner, it takes me at least 45 minutes to get to a terminal, with about half of that time spent waiting to change to another vehicle:
“-- Walk to the T stop (Wait - anywhere up to 20 minutes)
“-- Green Line to Government Center (Wait, and stop in the tunnel a few times)
“-- Blue line to Logan (after hauling your luggage up and down the stairs) (Wait)
“-- Bus to the terminal (stop in traffic, visit all the other terminals first)
“Contrast that with the experience of a driver:
“- Take the new, billion dollar, tunnel to central parking.
“- Ride a moving walkway to your terminal.
“What idiot thought this one up? Did it ever occur to anyone to re-route the blue line to stop at Central Parking and use the VERY SAME walkways to get people to the terminal? All they had to do was look at National Airport (DCA) -- no actual thinking was required. ... Once again we see that, as far as the T is concerned, the convenience of the customer is the last thing to be considered. Grrrrrrr.”
“Wonderful! We just paid $23M to build a station that provides all the inconvenience of the old one in a shinier package. From Coolidge Corner, it takes me at least 45 minutes to get to a terminal, with about half of that time spent waiting to change to another vehicle:
“-- Walk to the T stop (Wait - anywhere up to 20 minutes)
“-- Green Line to Government Center (Wait, and stop in the tunnel a few times)
“-- Blue line to Logan (after hauling your luggage up and down the stairs) (Wait)
“-- Bus to the terminal (stop in traffic, visit all the other terminals first)
“Contrast that with the experience of a driver:
“- Take the new, billion dollar, tunnel to central parking.
“- Ride a moving walkway to your terminal.
“What idiot thought this one up? Did it ever occur to anyone to re-route the blue line to stop at Central Parking and use the VERY SAME walkways to get people to the terminal? All they had to do was look at National Airport (DCA) -- no actual thinking was required. ... Once again we see that, as far as the T is concerned, the convenience of the customer is the last thing to be considered. Grrrrrrr.”
Friday, June 04, 2004
The nanny state and those naughty parents: Deborah Lindeman’s childhood trauma and obvious loss of self-esteem -- “stunned, they both cried for 25 minutes” -- is heading for a climatic showdown in Brookline, over an activist-orchestrated resolution that “opens debate about the role of the parent and the use of spanking.” ... So dramatic. ... She was hit on the thigh? The thigh? Who the hell spanks the thigh? ...
Update -- The climatic result of the historic showdown in Brookline: 'Anti-spank proposal bottoms out.’
‘Thank you sir! May I have another?’: Speaking of corporal punishment, we’re Chip and the pols are Neidermeyer when it comes to taking and dishing out more bad news about the DNC. ... Give me more. I can take it. I don’t care anymore.
Update -- The climatic result of the historic showdown in Brookline: 'Anti-spank proposal bottoms out.’
‘Thank you sir! May I have another?’: Speaking of corporal punishment, we’re Chip and the pols are Neidermeyer when it comes to taking and dishing out more bad news about the DNC. ... Give me more. I can take it. I don’t care anymore.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Another suggestion for the Blue Line: Good news about the new Logan Blue Line station. But a suggestion: Extend the Blue Line from Bowdoin Station north to the Charles Street Red Line. One extra stop. Commuters who use the Red can’t switch to the Blue Line without first detouring via the Green Line. I know I don’t take the T to Logan for that reason. Too much hassle. Remember: People are lugging luggage. Not worth it. ...
Was FDR really a closet Republican?: Jeff Jacoby shows this morning how easily (and eagerly) ideologues can go over the deep end. He's redefining who are Democrats and Republicans. Sort of. I think. ... Anyway, Jeff forgot one president who George Bush should be compared with if his administration is now all about promoting democracy and human rights around the world, especially in right-wing dictatorships: Jimmy Carter. ... And don’t forget Woodrow Wilson. ... What about FDR? Hmmmmm. He helped promote the UN but also talked about ‘our bastards’ in South America. Was FDR really a closet Republican?
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
The Olsen Twins: Bound for the Anorexia heap: Here they are, America’s latest media dolls, born and bred in a media universe, future weird divas. You heard it here first.
Doug Foy’s type of village: Hub Blog has been more than a little skeptical of Doug Foy’s It Takes A Village approach toward housing development, i.e. forcing development near transportation hubs. Looks fine on paper. But the fears are A.) it won’t happen and B.) it might be exclusively dictated to the market at the expense of building other developments. ... But well, well, well. A variation of the idea IS happening, in other states, called ‘traditional neighborhood development,’ or TND. They’re not necessarily near transportation hubs, but they’re deliberately designed as compact, walkable, self-sustaining villages with stores etc. ... Ideas: Get hold of the TND blueprints, establish tax-free zones (say a half-mile in diameter) near transportation hubs, and see what happens. Worth the effort. Though such villages will never fill the state’s demand-supply gap for housing. ...
Now that Hub Blog is on a development (see above) and Sidewalk Superintendent (see below) roll, might as well weigh in on the latest Greenway proposals (read on): Go for the New Center for Arts and Culture. Whenever you have executives from Beacon Cos. and the Beal Cos. backing a project, you know it’ll get done. No more Horticulture debacles, please. Just tweak the project’s designs to make sure there's enough outdoor festivities/facilities. A roof garden, landscaped plazas and ground-floor cafe are not enough. ...
Now that Hub Blog is on a development (see above) and Sidewalk Superintendent (see below) roll, might as well weigh in on the latest Greenway proposals (read on): Go for the New Center for Arts and Culture. Whenever you have executives from Beacon Cos. and the Beal Cos. backing a project, you know it’ll get done. No more Horticulture debacles, please. Just tweak the project’s designs to make sure there's enough outdoor festivities/facilities. A roof garden, landscaped plazas and ground-floor cafe are not enough. ...
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
The Cambridge Street ‘buttoning up’ has commenced: Cambridge Street in Boston this evening resembles a futuristic night battle scene in the first Terminator: giant machines clanking and scraping and rumbling over debris, as idealistic humans dart from one rubble pile to the next etc. ... Except it’s road contractors putting ‘skim coat’ pavement on the street for, apparently, the DNC and, clearly, inconveniencing everyone in sight. Cambridge Street was already a wreck because of a previously inept, slow reconstruction project under way. Now they’re stopping and delaying that inept, slow project for the DNC and putting down a god-knows-how-much-it-will-cost ‘skim coat,' assuming you define ‘skim coat’ as a standard scraping away of an inch or two of old pavement, to be replaced with an inch or two of new pavement, only to be torn up again after the convention. ... Does Mayor Menino really think Mayor Daley et gang are going to be fooled into thinking Cambridge Street is NOT a construction site?
