Hell, No

Hilzoy at Obsidian Wings is really on a roll these days, and this post on the Dems knuckling under on the Appropriations Bill last week is a good one. I wasn't really sure how I felt about it at the time, or how pissed off I should be. Hilzoy looks at it in three parts: "first, what's right, second, what's politically smart, and third, the one thing that makes me hesitate."

Really helped me get my thoughts together...Very pissed sounds about right. "Colonel, take us to DEFCON five."

In the comments, somebody linked to this scathing column by the great Charlie Pierce on the Dems selling out last year on torture. Check out the opener...

THE SILENT PARTY. You worthless passel of cowards. They're laughing at you. You know that, right? The national Democratic Party is no longer worth the cement needed to sink it to the bottom of the sea.

God, reading that and recalling that fiasco, REALLY gets me fired up. "Flush the bombers, get the subs in launch mode. We are at DEFCON 1."

Last week, I would say Ezra's view pretty closely mirrored my own. Now I'm a bit more disenchanted.

Stuff I read, and you should too...

Not-So-Hidden Agenda Over at Ezra's, Neil sees through the haze of the Pro-Life Movement. I didn't find it all that hazy, but he writes a nice piece on it.

No Recess Today Harry Reid's got something in mind to keep Bush from pulling any more bullshit recess appointments...never closing the Senate. Me likey.

Membership Rewards Radley Balko joins Andrew Sullivan in the Ron Paul Fan Club. Apparently Bill Maher is pledging, but Chris Dodd? Not so much. Now, I don't find this exchange as frustrating or infuriating as Balko, but Maher really put it on a tee for him, and Dodd's cut was pretty fucking tepid. Swing for the fences, Senator, you have nothing to lose.

Borderline Insanity Hilzoy thinks about immigration so I don't have to.

The Republicans in a Nutshell

"When facism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."
-Sinclair Lewis

Wow. That quote appears at the beginning of a video on the brush-up between candidates Ron Paul and Rudy Guiliani at the debates. I've never seen that quote before, and I may have to re-design the blog in order to prominantly feature those words.

Here's the video...

Miscellany

File Under WTF? A substitute teacher in Chicago shows a class "Brokeback Mountain." A class of 12 year olds. One girl's grandparents are suing for $400K. Now I don't know about that dollar figure, or why the grandparents are suing, but I'm with the prudes on this one. Not because of teh gay, but that film waaay too sexually intense (R-rated, hello?) for kids in junior high. What the hell was that teacher thinking? This will undoubtedly be pointed to by countless conservatives and Dobson-types as evidence of liberal excess in public schools, Hollywood's pernicious influence, etc. Thanks. [via Carpetbagger]

By-Tor's Snowdogs? They don't say what Geddy Lee named his fantasy team, but here's a cool article about a guy's loves for baseball and fantasy sports.

"I Support this Message" These ads are so good, I might have to support Bill Richardson for Prez. Or Obama's VP. [h/t Sullivan]

"He Couldn't Hold Griffey's Jock" Or, maybe he can. [via Deadspin]

Rocket Science Mathematical proof that Roger Clemens is worth George Steinbrenner's money. George's and no one elses...

But Will It Get You a Six-Pack and Some Smokes? Reporters in Denver board flights with blatantly fake IDs. Heckuva job, TSA.

Hinske for Mayor

I love this guy. When the Sox picked him up last year from Toronto for cash, I had a hunch he'd turn into a nice role player—I wish he could play more. He got a rare chance to start last night. The converted thirdbaseman patrolling the game's toughest outfield made a game-saving, face-planting diving catch, then came back in storybook fashion to hit the game-winning two-run homer. Gotta feel great for the kid*. [video] Congratulations, Eric, you are now officially a dirt dog.

More on the game from Curt Schilling's surprisingly entertaining, informative and, hell—at time's downright educational—blog 38 Pitches.

The Sox are on a special roll right now, with everything breaking their way. Even though 8-0 stud Josh Beckett hits the DL today, it's more precautionary, and feels good that they have enough of a lead to be able to afford that. Bring on the Braves (though I don't like the pitching matchups at all), and next week let's stick a fork in the Yanks.

*Yeah, I said "kid." Hell, if I'm going to have to be 39 for the next year, I can call a 28-year-old "kid."

There's No Debate: These Guys are Fucking Nuts

Two interesting annd revealing clips from the Republican debate the other night. [via Crooks and Liars]:

Ron Paul vs. Giuliani on the Root Causes of Terrorism

and

Brit Hume's Torture Porn Hypothetical

Thank God for Ron Paul. That guy is a breath of fresh air. It's too bad his only real purpose is going to end being for the other candidates use him as a BP machine to launch their empty soundbites, and that the Republican voters are too fucking stupid to realize that he is the only guy on the stage that even remotely represents what it means to be "conservative." The rest of these torture-loving authoritarians are like a bunch of preening tyrants auditioning for the role of facist dictator of some banana republic—not President of the United States.

Mr. Furious Heartily Endorses…

Ecover dishwashing powder. Freaking fantastic stuff. I am in charge of the dishes in the Furious household, and I've used just about every kind of dishwashing product both for washing in the sink and using the dishwasher*. In most cases, using the ecologically-sound product involves a compromise of some measure. Not with this stuff. Not only is it the best "green" dishwashing product I've used, it's the best dishwashing product period. Better than anything else I've tried.

Seventh Generation diapers. Just about as good as Huggies (and for the record, Huggies kick ass on Pampers). We still wrap Charlotte's butt in a Huggies for the overnight, [UPDATE: We were just using up the Huggies, it's now all-7th Gen all the time.] but for all-day use? Go with the unbleached, earth-friendlier Seventh Generation diapers.

Triple Delicious Pie Finest dessert ever created. Made for me annually by Mrs. Furious in lieu of a birthday cake. Luckily, my birthday (this past Monday) coincides with the rhubarb season. Topped with vanilla ice cream, accompanied by a cold glass of milk…this pie might be the food event of the year for me. I savor it all week.

Coming soon: Headphone recommendations. My birthday items (one a gift, one a purchase) include a pair of upgrade headphones for use with the iPod, and a pair of wireless headphones for watching tv on the treadmill—which after this week's pie-fest, will come in handy. I am in the midst of auditioning contenders for the coveted spots in the Furious musical and television-viewing empire.

* What Mr. Furious does NOT endorse is the ridiculous "AnyWare™" silverware basket in his otherwise-excellent Whirlpool. A nice idea on paper, the best place to put it is hanging precariously on the front of the main rack, waiting to get ripped off by anyone but me who opens the washer. And it's convenient opening side is much too loose and tends to release my clean silverware on the floor on it's way to the drawer...

Deputy A.G. Resigns…Alberto Pounces

Yesterday Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty became the third (and highest) high-ranking DOJ official to resign over the US Attorney firings. Meanwhile, his boss Alberto Gonzales, the guy who should resign over this, threw McNulty under the bus with such vigor, it practically sucked my car under the bus as I listened to the A.G.'s comments on NPR...

"You have to remember, at the end of the day, the recommendations reflected the views of the deputy attorney general. He signed off on the names... And he would know better than anyone else, anyone in this room, anyone -- again, the deputy attorney general would know best about the qualifications and the experiences of the United States attorneys community, and he signed off on the names."

Of course he neglects to mention that he ALSO signed off on the names. And that McNulty had nothing to do with the list and was completely, and deliberately left out of the loop on the firings. Anyway, that is some Olympic-class buck-passing on display right there. Perhaps the most shameless display of scapegoating I've seen from a Bush Administration official, and that's saying something. What a piece of shit he is.

Alberto's widely publicized and praised immigrant mother must be very proud.

[Shrug...]

Please take my blog reader survey!

I spent the ten minutes taking that survey...not sure what will come of it. Linked from Toast.

Ha-Ha! Circuit City's Screwed

Time for a new shadenfruede-a-licious feature here in the Land of Fury—I'll call it a "Nelson."

The results from Circuit City's clueless corporate scumbag plan to bolster profits by screwing their best employees are in, and it turns out firing all your best salespeople wasn't such a good idea...

Circuit City's Job Cuts Backfiring, Analysts Say
[WaPo] Circuit City fired 3,400 of its highest-paid store employees in March, saying it needed to hire cheaper workers to shore up its bottom line. Now, the Richmond electronics retailer says it expects to post a first-quarter loss next month, and analysts are blaming the job cuts.

The company, which on Monday also revised its outlook for the first half of its fiscal year ending Feb. 29, 2008, cited poor sales of large flat-panel and projection televisions. Analysts said Circuit City had cast off some of its most experienced and successful people and was losing business to competitors who have better-trained employees.

[...] In particular, the televisions showing disappointing results are "intensive sales" requiring more informed employees, Allen said. "It's a big-ticket purchase for somebody. And if they feel like they're not getting the right advice or are being misled by someone who doesn't know, it would be definitely frustrating. They will take their business elsewhere."

Worst. Airport. Ever.

Washington D.C.'s Dulles International.

Let's start with the outdated, foul-smelling Damnation Alley terminal shuttles. Is this the only airport using these crazy-ass things? If so, how much did it cost to custom-order a fleet of fifteen-feet-in-the-air double-wides? And was Halliburton the lucky recipient of that contract? They probably could have had gold-plated monorails for less.

And once you ride one of these things (which drive around the same lanes as the jetliners, btw) to your terminal of choice, you are greeted by an endless line of half-closed steel gates—because everything in the airport closes at 9:00 p.m.! I had to walk the more-than quarter-mile length of the A/B terminal, without the assistance of any type of moving sidewalk, to get the last sandwich of the night from Potbelly's. And then make the long trek back eating said sandwich in front of the people who had been shut out at the Potbelly's counter moments after I ordered. Talk about awkward...

Is there any excuse for an airport that had flights going out as late as 11:00 p.m. top have NO food available after 9:00? I had just arrived on a flight that served us soda and that's it. Not even pretzels. I, and surely everyone else on board with a connection, was counting on getting food while waiting for their next flight. Awful.