""And P.J. Gladnick at NewsBusters gleefully posits that comments apparently posted by Tamm on liberal Web sites may have led to his unmasking. He writes:
If it turns out that Thomas M. Tamm is the FISA leaker, then a good case could be made that … postings on the Web might have been his undoing. Ironically this would not be the first time a high government official illegally releasing top secret information revealed himself via web postings. Robert Hannsen, the F.B.I. agent convicted of selling secrets to the Soviet Union and Russia, raised suspicions about himself when he posted explicit information about his sex life on Internet chat rooms. Perhaps this FISA leak case will be the second time that Web postings would have been the undoing of a government official illegally releasing top secret information.
Speculation, to be sure. But as all of us who ply a trade on the Web know, even if the keyboard is mightier than the sword, it still cuts both ways."
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Summertime Blues
"In the late 19th century, parents sometimes named their kids after prestigious jobs, like King, Lawyer, Author and Admiral. Now, children are more likely to bear the names of obsolete proletarian professions, Cooper, Carter, Tyler and Mason.
Wattenberg uses her blog to raise vital questions, such as should you give your child an unusual name that is Googleable, or a conventional one that is harder to track? But what’s most striking is the sheer variability of the trends she describes.
Naming fashion doesn’t just move a little. It swings back and forth. People who haven’t spent a nanosecond thinking about the letter K get swept up in a social contagion and suddenly they’ve got a Keisha and a Kody. They may think they’re making an individual statement, but in fact their choices are shaped by the networks around them.
Furthermore, if you just looked at names, you would conclude that American culture once had a definable core — signified by all those Anglo names like Mary, Robert, John and William. But over the past few decades, that Anglo core is harder to find. In the world of niche naming, there is no clearly identifiable mainstream.
For the past few decades, the White House has been occupied by George, William, George, Ronald, James and Richard. Those pillars are crumbling. Pluralism is here."
Its August, those who can are on holiday. Based on this column, Brooks is phoning it in.
Wattenberg uses her blog to raise vital questions, such as should you give your child an unusual name that is Googleable, or a conventional one that is harder to track? But what’s most striking is the sheer variability of the trends she describes.
Naming fashion doesn’t just move a little. It swings back and forth. People who haven’t spent a nanosecond thinking about the letter K get swept up in a social contagion and suddenly they’ve got a Keisha and a Kody. They may think they’re making an individual statement, but in fact their choices are shaped by the networks around them.
Furthermore, if you just looked at names, you would conclude that American culture once had a definable core — signified by all those Anglo names like Mary, Robert, John and William. But over the past few decades, that Anglo core is harder to find. In the world of niche naming, there is no clearly identifiable mainstream.
For the past few decades, the White House has been occupied by George, William, George, Ronald, James and Richard. Those pillars are crumbling. Pluralism is here."
Its August, those who can are on holiday. Based on this column, Brooks is phoning it in.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Now I have to cheer for A-Rod
Much to my dismay, now I have to cheer for A-Rod. Until injuries crippled Ken Griffey, Jr.'s career, he seemed to be the heir apparent in the HR chase, then came Bondso....
If A-Rod keeps his head out of his game and manages to stay healthy, he should surpass Bondso during his career. Today is a sad day in Baseball.
If A-Rod keeps his head out of his game and manages to stay healthy, he should surpass Bondso during his career. Today is a sad day in Baseball.
No one died in Watergate
"No one died in Watergate. This time around, the White House lying and cover-ups have been not just in the service of political thuggery but to gin up a gratuitous war without end."
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Wasted Farm Aid
"The average American family pays $320 a year in farm subsidies, through higher taxes and food prices, according to a recent study by the Heritage Foundation. And those subsidies, particularly for cotton, exacerbate poverty in Africa by depressing prices of crops raised by small African farmers.
There is a familiar trajectory when a political party takes power. At first, it brims with ideals. Then it makes compromises to stay in power. Finally, it becomes devoted simply to staying in office. Can Ms. Pelosi really have compressed this downward spiral into just six months?
President Bush had sought to place a ceiling on payments to any farmer of $200,000 per year, but the Democratic leaders have set it at $1 million ($2 million for a couple). Any time the Democrats find themselves fighting on behalf of fat cats, against a Republican White House that says enough is enough, it’s time for the donkey to kick itself in the head."
You can't make it up.
There is a familiar trajectory when a political party takes power. At first, it brims with ideals. Then it makes compromises to stay in power. Finally, it becomes devoted simply to staying in office. Can Ms. Pelosi really have compressed this downward spiral into just six months?
President Bush had sought to place a ceiling on payments to any farmer of $200,000 per year, but the Democratic leaders have set it at $1 million ($2 million for a couple). Any time the Democrats find themselves fighting on behalf of fat cats, against a Republican White House that says enough is enough, it’s time for the donkey to kick itself in the head."
You can't make it up.
Spouses need not apply
When you apply for a job, does your spouse interview with you? I have grown so bored of the spousal drama surrounding elections. The politicians generally throw fire on to this political cooking grease.
Guiliani and his current spouse seem to have gone down the "two for one" road. I really do not care what "this spouse" has to say about anything. With his record, she probably won't survive the campaign.
With that being said, sane people should keep their spouses out of the mix unless they plan on having their record scrutinized like any other tax paid employee.
Guiliani and his current spouse seem to have gone down the "two for one" road. I really do not care what "this spouse" has to say about anything. With his record, she probably won't survive the campaign.
With that being said, sane people should keep their spouses out of the mix unless they plan on having their record scrutinized like any other tax paid employee.
Shame of a Nation
There will be an investigation. If it is determined officials knew about the problems, then someone should go to jail. Bridges should not collapse in this country.
Too often, "those people" complain about too much government. The problem is poorly managed, incompetence and fraudulent government.
When I pay my taxes, I want my dollars to be invested is an sound infrastructure. In the meantime, my prayers go out to those families involved in this nightmare.
Too often, "those people" complain about too much government. The problem is poorly managed, incompetence and fraudulent government.
When I pay my taxes, I want my dollars to be invested is an sound infrastructure. In the meantime, my prayers go out to those families involved in this nightmare.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Mortgage Predators, Nightmare Continues
"It's a problem because so many hands touch a mortgage during the process," said Steven L. Antonakes, Massachusetts' commissioner of banks. "The level of responsibility and the ability to effect positive change can vary from relationship to relationship" among the different players.
Fpr example, more than 20 percent of foreclosure actions in Massachusetts in the last year have been initiated on behalf of a unit of Deutsche Bank Group, the German financial services giant, according to ForeclosuresMass.com, which tracks cases. Deutsche, while listed on the deed as the mortgage holder and technically the legal owner, is a trustee for investors such as hedge funds and other financial firms that hold the securities that are backed by these mortgages.
A spokesman said Deutsche Bank has no economic interest in the mortgages and is not responsible for foreclosures or for selling foreclosed property. Such decisions are made by servicing companies, according to contracts with different investor trusts, the spokesman said.
Moreover, mortgage-backed bonds are usually sold with legally binding commitments that create more obstacles for delinquent borrowers. For example, reductions in loan amounts are often needed to keep people from losing homes, but mortgage-backed bonds are usually sold with prohibitions against forgiving loan principal, except in rare cases, said McCoy, the UConn professor.
"Anyone seeking a loan workout is going to have to face these impediments," McCoy said."
These are not subprime mortgages. Now people will finally pay attention. In the subprime world these financial institutions took advantage of "inexperienced poor people," who probably should not have received a mortgage in the first place.
Now you have middle class folks finding themselves in the same situation. These financial institutions have turned brokered mortgages into junk bonds.
Last week the "market" dropped. What wasn't reported is the "market" is the market is still over 13,000. The respectable financial institutions will survive in some incarnation. The bankrupt homeowners may not get that same opportunity.
Fpr example, more than 20 percent of foreclosure actions in Massachusetts in the last year have been initiated on behalf of a unit of Deutsche Bank Group, the German financial services giant, according to ForeclosuresMass.com, which tracks cases. Deutsche, while listed on the deed as the mortgage holder and technically the legal owner, is a trustee for investors such as hedge funds and other financial firms that hold the securities that are backed by these mortgages.
A spokesman said Deutsche Bank has no economic interest in the mortgages and is not responsible for foreclosures or for selling foreclosed property. Such decisions are made by servicing companies, according to contracts with different investor trusts, the spokesman said.
Moreover, mortgage-backed bonds are usually sold with legally binding commitments that create more obstacles for delinquent borrowers. For example, reductions in loan amounts are often needed to keep people from losing homes, but mortgage-backed bonds are usually sold with prohibitions against forgiving loan principal, except in rare cases, said McCoy, the UConn professor.
"Anyone seeking a loan workout is going to have to face these impediments," McCoy said."
These are not subprime mortgages. Now people will finally pay attention. In the subprime world these financial institutions took advantage of "inexperienced poor people," who probably should not have received a mortgage in the first place.
Now you have middle class folks finding themselves in the same situation. These financial institutions have turned brokered mortgages into junk bonds.
Last week the "market" dropped. What wasn't reported is the "market" is the market is still over 13,000. The respectable financial institutions will survive in some incarnation. The bankrupt homeowners may not get that same opportunity.
Roberts' seizure
Chief Justice Robert's had a seizure. I'm just guessing that Roberts has epilepsy. If he does, so what. By taking the mystery out of the seizures, they can actually showcase the illness. People will this diagnosis function quite well in society, and it's time the stigma is removed.
Obama v Edwards Policies for the Poor
"If I had to choose between the two, I guess I’d go with the Obama plan. I’d lean that way because Obama seems to have a more developed view of social capital. Edwards offers vouchers, job training and vows to create a million temporary public-sector jobs. Obama agrees, but takes fuller advantage of home visits, parental counseling, mentoring programs and other relationship-building efforts.
The Obama policy provides more face-to-face contact with people who can offer praise or disapproval. Rising out of poverty is difficult — even when there are jobs and good schools. It’s hard to focus on a distant degree or home purchase. But human beings have a strong desire for approval and can accomplish a lot with daily doses of praise and censure. Standards of behavior are contagious that way.
A neighborhood is a moral ecosystem, and Obama, the former community organizer, seems to have a better feel for that. It’s not only policies we’re looking for in selecting a leader, it’s a sense of how the world works. Obama’s plan isn’t a sure-fire cure for poverty, but it does reveal an awareness of the supple forces that can’t be measured and seen."
Someone from the mainstream media is focusing on a REAL issue. It's about time.
The Obama policy provides more face-to-face contact with people who can offer praise or disapproval. Rising out of poverty is difficult — even when there are jobs and good schools. It’s hard to focus on a distant degree or home purchase. But human beings have a strong desire for approval and can accomplish a lot with daily doses of praise and censure. Standards of behavior are contagious that way.
A neighborhood is a moral ecosystem, and Obama, the former community organizer, seems to have a better feel for that. It’s not only policies we’re looking for in selecting a leader, it’s a sense of how the world works. Obama’s plan isn’t a sure-fire cure for poverty, but it does reveal an awareness of the supple forces that can’t be measured and seen."
Someone from the mainstream media is focusing on a REAL issue. It's about time.
Monday, July 30, 2007
RIP Bill Walsh
He created a system around a quarterback's weakness. Net result three Super Bowls, two Hall of Fame QB's and coaches too numerous to name.
He changed the way football is played. Managers take note, he tweaked a system to bring out the best in an employee. Everybody wins.
He will be missed.
He changed the way football is played. Managers take note, he tweaked a system to bring out the best in an employee. Everybody wins.
He will be missed.
Stand by your man
"This almost subconscious bond of loyalty" between the attorney general and the president "may be driving a lot of this," said Schott, who has studied relations between the executive and legislative branches of government and the role of psychology in political behavior. "It's obvious that Gonzales owes Bush his career. Part of his behavior comes from this gratitude and extreme loyalty to Bush."
Fredo's never ending saga
"As far as we can tell, there are three possible explanations for Gonzales' talk about a dispute over other - unspecified - intelligence activities. One, he lied to Congress. Two, he used a dodge to mislead lawmakers and the public: The spying program was modified after Ashcroft refused to endorse it, which made it "different" from the one Bush has acknowledged. The third is that there was more wiretapping than has been disclosed, perhaps even purely domestic wiretapping, and Gonzales is helping Bush cover it up.
Democratic lawmakers are asking for a special prosecutor to look into Gonzales' words and deeds. Solicitor General Paul Clement has a last chance to show that the Justice Department is still minimally functional by fulfilling that request. If that does not happen, Congress should impeach Gonzales."
Who would have ever thought John Ashcroft would be the Constitutional voice of reason? Go figure.
Democratic lawmakers are asking for a special prosecutor to look into Gonzales' words and deeds. Solicitor General Paul Clement has a last chance to show that the Justice Department is still minimally functional by fulfilling that request. If that does not happen, Congress should impeach Gonzales."
Who would have ever thought John Ashcroft would be the Constitutional voice of reason? Go figure.
Saudis going south in Iraq
"The Bush administration and Saudi Arabia's ruling family have a lot in common, including oil, shared rivals like Iran and a penchant for denial that has allowed both to overlook the Saudis' enabling role in the Sept. 11 attacks. But their recent wrangling over Iraq cannot be denied or papered over with proposals for a big new arms sale. And if these differences are not tackled, there is an increased likelihood that the war's chaos will spread far beyond Iraq's borders."
How many of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia? Who had private escorts from the US?
"If Washington wants Saudi backing for the Maliki government, Maliki must earn it by ending sectarianism in the security forces, reforming discriminatory anti-Baathist restrictions and pushing through an equitable oil revenue law.
It is past time for Bush to acknowledge that the U.S. has no realistic chance of winning a military victory in Iraq, and that it needs to be urgently preparing to manage the consequences of U.S. withdrawal. That will require working cooperatively with all of Iraq's neighbors, including Iran and Syria. Compared with those, Saudi Arabia should be easy."
How many of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia? Who had private escorts from the US?
"If Washington wants Saudi backing for the Maliki government, Maliki must earn it by ending sectarianism in the security forces, reforming discriminatory anti-Baathist restrictions and pushing through an equitable oil revenue law.
It is past time for Bush to acknowledge that the U.S. has no realistic chance of winning a military victory in Iraq, and that it needs to be urgently preparing to manage the consequences of U.S. withdrawal. That will require working cooperatively with all of Iraq's neighbors, including Iran and Syria. Compared with those, Saudi Arabia should be easy."
Forever Ours
By the record crowds that turned out to see Ripkin & Gwynn enshrined in the Hall of Fame, it so apparent that good guys finish first. Both showed up to their job and performed without much fanfare until the close of their careers.
No allegations of cheating or being selfish. The timing of the induction is perfect. Last week a CEO was sentenced to six years in jail. His bottom line crime was manipulating the system and being greed.
No drama, just smart, steady work. Sometimes that is all it takes to succeed. A lesson for all of us.
No allegations of cheating or being selfish. The timing of the induction is perfect. Last week a CEO was sentenced to six years in jail. His bottom line crime was manipulating the system and being greed.
No drama, just smart, steady work. Sometimes that is all it takes to succeed. A lesson for all of us.
A small percentage of voters speak
“Democracies frequently adopt and maintain policies harmful for most people,” Professor Caplan notes. There are various explanations for this — the power of special interests, public ignorance of details, and so on. But Mr. Caplan argues that those accounts fall short.
“This book develops an alternative story of how democracy fails,” he writes. “The central idea is that voters are worse than ignorant; they are, in a word, irrational — and vote accordingly.”
I agree with Kristof suggestion of teaching economics and statistics in high school. Maybe more people will be able getting a true reading on the data throw at them.
“This book develops an alternative story of how democracy fails,” he writes. “The central idea is that voters are worse than ignorant; they are, in a word, irrational — and vote accordingly.”
I agree with Kristof suggestion of teaching economics and statistics in high school. Maybe more people will be able getting a true reading on the data throw at them.
Immoral Administration
"Now, why should Mr. Bush fear that insuring uninsured children would lead to a further “federalization” of health care, even though nothing like that is actually in either the Senate plan or the House plan? It’s not because he thinks the plans wouldn’t work. It’s because he’s afraid that they would. That is, he fears that voters, having seen how the government can help children, would ask why it can’t do the same for adults.
And there you have the core of Mr. Bush’s philosophy. He wants the public to believe that government is always the problem, never the solution. But it’s hard to convince people that government is always bad when they see it doing good things. So his philosophy says that the government must be prevented from solving problems, even if it can. In fact, the more good a proposed government program would do, the more fiercely it must be opposed."
Government is not bad. Mismanaged government resources is bad. If this were a publicaly held company, the entire top tier of this administration would have been fired or in incarcerated.
And there you have the core of Mr. Bush’s philosophy. He wants the public to believe that government is always the problem, never the solution. But it’s hard to convince people that government is always bad when they see it doing good things. So his philosophy says that the government must be prevented from solving problems, even if it can. In fact, the more good a proposed government program would do, the more fiercely it must be opposed."
Government is not bad. Mismanaged government resources is bad. If this were a publicaly held company, the entire top tier of this administration would have been fired or in incarcerated.
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