CD once told me that if I wanted to understand the Village* then Marie Antoinette was the movie to watch. When I was down in DC, I crashed with DCblogger (hat tip) and we watched Marie Antoinette on the teebee.
The Obama transition team has issued ethics guidelines that are likely to make it extremely difficult to attract qualified defense industry appointees.
Senator Max Baucus, presenting the first Democratic health plan since President-elect Barack Obama's victory, said all Americans should be required to have insurance once coverage is made affordable.
A group of over 15,000 U.S. physicians has called on President-elect Barack Obama and the new Congress to “do the right thing” and enact a single-payer national health insurance plan, a system of public health care financing frequently characterized as “an improved Medicare for all.”
Note: I would have expected an oil guy like Bush to favor bailing out carmakers. Higher demand leads to higher prices.
Evidently, that wasn't how the sitting President saw the issue. Read below the fold...
In defense of black voters voting at least 2 to 1 for California's Proposition 8 rides Jasmyne A. Cannick. Her argument is that white gays aren't "sufficiently sensitive" to the fact that the word and concept of "rights" was trademarked and copywritten by black churches in the 60's. Therefore, any use of that word by white gays is offensive to the black community, including black lesbians like Cannick. I parachuted in to hearing her laughingly dismiss outraged callers on Talk of the Nation. Read below the fold...
Misinformation, misinterpretation, and downright lying on the ABC "talk show" aimed at "informing" women (h/t Atrios):
I don't have a dog in this fight, except an interest in not seeing more people made needlessly miserable.
As late as 1967 thirty states in the US forbid interracial marriage. In case that seems like a long time, Nixon was running for his first term -- six Presidents ago. Read below the fold...
as a riposte to those cheese grits posted earlier.
1/4 cup parsley (stemmed), chopped
1 medium shallot, diced
1 small mild onion or 1 bunch green onion, chopped fine
1/3 tsp sea salt
2/3 tsp coarse black pepper
12 oz boneless skinless pink salmon (I use pouches), flaked
3 oz boneless skinless smoked salmon, flaked
2 medium eggs
1 tube round "buttery" snack crackers, crushed fine
1/3 tube sour cream and onion potato crisps, crushed fine
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I like canola)
Crush crackers and crisps in a food processor; reserve 1/3 cup of the resulting meal. Add onion, shallot, salt, pepper, and parsley. Beat eggs and add to meal, stirring well. Fold in salmon, gently. Divide mixture into six to eight egg-shaped balls. Let rest while heating oil in skillet. Read below the fold...
