What does "if the unions defend the guy" mean? Usually, cops are defended by the city attorney, county attorney, or corporation counsel, or, for smaller municipalities, private counsel paid out of the public fisc. The union's "defense" amounts to the usual pro-cop posturing that union leaders are expected to spout. It doesn't provide the lawyers or fund the defense effort. Basically, you're advocating making unions pay verdicts for expressing predictable opinions.
A few years back, Scientific American had a piece on a study a couple of scientists published on James Bond's health problems caused by his enormous alcohol consumption. He ordered his martinis shaken, not stirred (heresy!) because if he tried to stir his martinis in front of others, they'd see that he has a serious case of the shakes. He was also likely impotent. So maybe he'll end up in front of employee assistance rather than human resources.
How many people who think of themselves as social liberals or even libertarians are actually "socially indifferent" instead? I'd guess that most people who, say, don't favor persecuting gays or [fill in the blank] are that way because they don't think there is anything more morally problematic about homosexuality than there is about a taste for South Carolina BBQ sauce v. Alabama BBQ sauce. How many people are hands-off on principle about things they think seriously wrong?
The house I grew up in was on a small hill with a driveway leading to a garage in the back. My family decided to build a ground-level garage with an entrance to the basement. Several of our neighbors thought we were building a fallout shelter.
The very existence of the cartoon suggests that crepe-hanging of this sort must have been a thing back then, but it is still hard to believe that anyone ever needed to be told that movie (not-so-special) effects were "fake," or that acting was done by actors, and that not everything was shot on location.
Almost all tax-policy nerds have long favored broad-based, low-rate income taxation -- to the extent that we rely on income taxation rather than, say, a VAT* -- with few deductions and treatment of various types of income similarly. Almost no actual taxpayer favors this, generally for self-regarding reasons. (My mortgage will be paid off by spring, but I still lose out on SALT and business expense deductions I used to get, though my accountant's rough estimate from last year is that my overall tax bill will come to about about the same this year anyway.)
* For reasons I don't pretend to understand, economists and tax policy wonks tell us that, ultimately, all forms of taxation ultimately work out as disguised consumption taxes anyway. I used to think that we'd eventually go to a VAT because Democrats would realize that it's a money machine for funding the social safety net and Republicans would realize that it's regressive. Instead, it appears that the opposite has happened: we don't have a VAT because Democrats realize that it's regressive and Republicans realize that it's a money machine for funding the social safety net.
Watching the Golden Globes, I was reminded that Kirk Douglas is still alive (though quite incapacitated, apparently) at 102. Michael Douglas is a huge star, and deservedly so, but will never come anywhere close to his father's achievements.
I've always thought that if I ever had the money, I'd collect art forgeries. But then I might end up overpaying for a Van Meegren that was forged by someone else.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Girl Scouts, Drugs, and Cookie Money”
Do the cookies exist to support the Girl Scouts, or do the Girl Scouts exist to sell the cookies?
On “Stephon Clark’s Killers Go Free”
What does "if the unions defend the guy" mean? Usually, cops are defended by the city attorney, county attorney, or corporation counsel, or, for smaller municipalities, private counsel paid out of the public fisc. The union's "defense" amounts to the usual pro-cop posturing that union leaders are expected to spout. It doesn't provide the lawyers or fund the defense effort. Basically, you're advocating making unions pay verdicts for expressing predictable opinions.
On “Ordinary World 4Mar19”
And Bullock in Montana.
On “Superheroism, Role-Playing, and Adulthood”
Black Batman has a different story.
Well, yes. I thought that was the point.
"
A few years back, Scientific American had a piece on a study a couple of scientists published on James Bond's health problems caused by his enormous alcohol consumption. He ordered his martinis shaken, not stirred (heresy!) because if he tried to stir his martinis in front of others, they'd see that he has a serious case of the shakes. He was also likely impotent. So maybe he'll end up in front of employee assistance rather than human resources.
On “Wednesday Writs: West Virginia vs Barnette”
When I was a Christian, I was disturbed by the doctrine of Original Sin. Now that I'm not one, I think it's the main thing they got right.
On “Those Dastardly Billionaires, or Something”
How many people who think of themselves as social liberals or even libertarians are actually "socially indifferent" instead? I'd guess that most people who, say, don't favor persecuting gays or [fill in the blank] are that way because they don't think there is anything more morally problematic about homosexuality than there is about a taste for South Carolina BBQ sauce v. Alabama BBQ sauce. How many people are hands-off on principle about things they think seriously wrong?
On “Ordinary World: Education”
The house I grew up in was on a small hill with a driveway leading to a garage in the back. My family decided to build a ground-level garage with an entrance to the basement. Several of our neighbors thought we were building a fallout shelter.
"
I'm old enough to remember nuclear attack drills in school. You don't want me to get started on them.
On “Tenshot: Mozart’s 40th Symphony”
One of my favorites.
On “Feller Needs a Friend: Spanking”
I'm not touching this one.
On “Rise and Clean Your Own House, Starting with Eric Porterfield”
What, no inbreeding jokes?
On “Ivanka Trump, Everywoman”
Once someone plays the Hypothetical Hypocrisy card, there's no point in engaging.
"
I’ll never be a thin, willowy billionaire heiress
Most likely, neither will Ivanka. Trump probably isn't anywhere near as rich as he says, and I very much doubt that her share will go to ten digits.
On “Taking The Joy Out: Movie Crepehanger”
The very existence of the cartoon suggests that crepe-hanging of this sort must have been a thing back then, but it is still hard to believe that anyone ever needed to be told that movie (not-so-special) effects were "fake," or that acting was done by actors, and that not everything was shot on location.
On “Grand and Glorious: Contraband”
Booze, no doubt.
On “Movie of a Man With An Unfastened Garter”
I like wearing garters -- and stockings -- but my wife doesn't approve.
On “The Case Against the Charitable Deduction”
Almost all tax-policy nerds have long favored broad-based, low-rate income taxation -- to the extent that we rely on income taxation rather than, say, a VAT* -- with few deductions and treatment of various types of income similarly. Almost no actual taxpayer favors this, generally for self-regarding reasons. (My mortgage will be paid off by spring, but I still lose out on SALT and business expense deductions I used to get, though my accountant's rough estimate from last year is that my overall tax bill will come to about about the same this year anyway.)
* For reasons I don't pretend to understand, economists and tax policy wonks tell us that, ultimately, all forms of taxation ultimately work out as disguised consumption taxes anyway. I used to think that we'd eventually go to a VAT because Democrats would realize that it's a money machine for funding the social safety net and Republicans would realize that it's regressive. Instead, it appears that the opposite has happened: we don't have a VAT because Democrats realize that it's regressive and Republicans realize that it's a money machine for funding the social safety net.
On “Report: President Donald Trump Directed Michael Cohen to Lie to Congress”
Why not both?
On “John Engler Cannot Get Enough Feet Into His Own Mouth”
Maybe they should give the job to Tom Izzo, though that might be a demotion.
On “Is The Lambda School Model The Future of Higher Education?”
"Perdue University?" The jokes tell themselves.
On “Rep Steve King Removed From Committee Assignments”
I'm shocked, SHOCKED, to learn that ..... Oh, the hell with it. The cynicism is just too obvious.
On “The Death of Stalin and the Life of Comedy”
Watching the Golden Globes, I was reminded that Kirk Douglas is still alive (though quite incapacitated, apparently) at 102. Michael Douglas is a huge star, and deservedly so, but will never come anywhere close to his father's achievements.
On “Grand and Glorious: Running Late”
Another cartoon that makes no sense to anyone who was born after the cell phone.
On “The Death of Stalin and the Life of Comedy”
I've always thought that if I ever had the money, I'd collect art forgeries. But then I might end up overpaying for a Van Meegren that was forged by someone else.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.