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Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.

Marie: Sorry, my countdown clock was unreliable; then it became completely unreliable. I can't keep up with it. Maybe I'll try another one later.

 

Public Service Announcement

Zoë Schlanger in the Atlantic: "Throw out your black plastic spatula. In a world of plastic consumer goods, avoiding the material entirely requires the fervor of a religious conversion. But getting rid of black plastic kitchen utensils is a low-stakes move, and worth it. Cooking with any plastic is a dubious enterprise, because heat encourages potentially harmful plastic compounds to migrate out of the polymers and potentially into the food. But, as Andrew Turner, a biochemist at the University of Plymouth recently told me, black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid." This is a gift link from laura h.

Mashable: "Following the 2024 presidential election results and [Elon] Musk's support for ... Donald Trump, users have been deactivating en masse. And this time, it appears most everyone has settled on one particular X alternative: Bluesky.... Bluesky has gained more than 100,000 new sign ups per day since the U.S. election on Nov. 5. It now has over 15 million users. It's enjoyed a prolonged stay on the very top of Apple's App Store charts as well. Ready to join? Here's how to get started on Bluesky[.]"

Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."

Wherein Michael McIntyre explains how Americans adapted English to their needs. With examples:

Beat the Buzzer. Some amazing young athletes:

     ~~~ Here's the WashPo story (March 23).

Back when the Washington Post had an owner/publisher who dared to stand up to a president:

Prime video is carrying the documentary. If you watch it, I suggest watching the Spielberg film "The Post" afterwards. There is currently a free copy (type "the post full movie" in the YouTube search box) on YouTube (or you can rent it on YouTube, on Prime & [I think] on Hulu). Near the end, Daniel Ellsberg (played by Matthew Rhys), says "I was struck in fact by the way President Johnson's reaction to these revelations was [that they were] 'close to treason,' because it reflected to me the sense that what was damaging to the reputation of a particular administration or a particular individual was in itself treason, which is very close to saying, 'I am the state.'" Sound familiar?

Out with the Black. In with the White. New York Times: “Lester Holt, the veteran NBC newscaster and anchor of the 'NBC Nightly News' over the last decade, announced on Monday that he will step down from the flagship evening newscast in the coming months. Mr. Holt told colleagues that he would remain at NBC, expanding his duties at 'Dateline,' where he serves as the show’s anchor.... He said that he would continue anchoring the evening news until 'the start of summer.' The network did not immediately name a successor.” ~~~

~~~ New York Times: “MSNBC said on Monday that Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary who has become one of the most prominent hosts at the network, would anchor a nightly weekday show in prime time. Ms. Psaki, 46, will host a show at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, replacing Alex Wagner, a longtime political journalist who has anchored that hour since 2022, according to a memo to staff from Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC’s president. Ms. Wagner will remain at MSNBC as an on-air correspondent. Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s biggest star, has been anchoring the 9 p.m. hour on weeknights for the early days of ... [Donald] Trump’s administration but will return to hosting one night a week at the end of April.”

New York Times: “Joy Reid’s evening news show on MSNBC is being canceled, part of a far-reaching programming overhaul orchestrated by Rebecca Kutler, the network’s new president, two people familiar with the changes said. The final episode of Ms. Reid’s 7 p.m. show, 'The ReidOut,' is planned for sometime this week, according to the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The show, which features in-depth interviews with politicians and other newsmakers, has been a fixture of MSNBC’s lineup for the past five years. MSNBC is planning to replace Ms. Reid’s program with a show led by a trio of anchors: Symone Sanders Townsend, a political commentator and former Democratic strategist; Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; and Alicia Menendez, the TV journalist, the people said. They currently co-host 'The Weekend,' which airs Saturday and Sunday mornings.” MB: In case you've never seen “The Weekend,” let me assure you it's pretty awful. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: "Joy Reid is leaving MSNBC, the network’s new president announced in a memo to staff on Monday, marking an end to the political analyst and anchor’s prime time news show."

Y! Entertainment: "Meanwhile, [Alex] Wagner will also be removed from her 9 pm weeknight slot. Wagner has already been working as a correspondent after Rachel Maddow took over hosting duties during ... Trump’s first 100 days in office. It’s now expected that Wagner will not return as host, but is expected to stay on as a contributor. Jen Psaki, President Biden’s former White House press secretary, is a likely replacement for Wagner, though a decision has not been finalized." MB: In fairness to Psaki, she is really too boring to watch. On the other hand, she is White. ~~~

     ~~~ RAS: "So MSNBC is getting rid of both of their minority evening hosts. Both women of color who are not afraid to call out the truth. Outspoken minorities don't have a long shelf life in the world of our corporate news media."

 

Contact Marie

Email Marie at constantweader@gmail.com

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Thursday
Nov112010

The Commentariat -- November 12

Paul Krugman couldn't be more disgusted with the draft proposal presented by the chairmen of the catfood commission. After lambasting it's major provisions, he concludes, "The deficit commission should be told to fold its tents and go away." ...

... CW: in The New Republic, economist Dean Baker teaches Econ 101 to Simpson & Bowles (and, frankly, to me, too). Baker excoriates the Catfood Boys on a number of basic, basic points, but this one stands out: Social Security is none of their goddamned business.

... Jackie Calmes of the New York Times: "By putting deep spending cuts and substantial tax increases on the table, President Obama’s bipartisan debt-reduction commission has exposed fissures in both parties.... Among Democrats, liberals are in near revolt against the White House over the issue, even as substantive and political forces push Mr. Obama to attack chronic deficits in a serious way. At the same time, Republicans face intense pressure from their conservative base and the Tea Party movement to reject any deal that includes tax increases, leaving their leaders with little room to maneuver in any negotiation and at risk of being blamed by voters for not doing their part." ...

... ** Steve Kornacki of Salon: the public doesn't really care about the deficit; never has. It's a Repubican talking point that Republicans, including Republicans who call themselves independents, parrot.

Ariana Eunjung Cha of the Washington Post: "Frustrated by the banks' response to the foreclosure mess, a growing number of public officials - including chief judges, attorneys general and sheriffs from jurisdictions big and small - are pushing the boundaries of their powers to slow down foreclosures in their areas." CW: it is just shocking that local sheriffs & judges must do this job because the federal government won't do it. The result, of course, is a completely slapdash, iniquitous method of handling foreclosures. Fire HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. Please.

     ... Patrick O'Connor of the Wall Street Journal reports on the highlights of the Pelosi interview.

Ezra Klein of the Washington Post finds another reason to despise Joe Lieberman: Lieberman's "incoherent intransigence" in killing what would have been a popular and cost-effective plan to allow 55+-year-olds to buy into Medicare probably cost Democrats seats in the midterm elections.

Perry Bacon of the Washington Post: "Democratic activists Thursday sharply criticized White House officials after a published report indicated that President Obama is likely to back a temporary extension of tax cuts for households with income over $250,000 a year."

Rachel Maddow interviews Jon Stewart (the full interview, runs 50 min.):

     ... James Poniewozik of Time: "I was disappointed that so much of Maddow's questioning — like the earlier complaints from Keith Olbermann and Bill Maher — boiled down to: 'But the other guys are worse, right? Say that they're worse than we are.'"

In GQ, Wil Hylton tries to write a positive piece on Attorney General Eric Holder. Hylton presents Holder as conflicted over the concessions he has made to political expediency. CW: but it's impossible not to see Holder as a sell-out.

Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain, participates in a campaign against bullying gay teens:

     ... as Ben Smith notes, "This is pretty sharp language. [Cindy] McCain isn't just opposing the [DADT] law -- she's attacking the politicians who support it." CW: one of those "politicians who support it"; in fact, the leading opponent to repeal is John McCain. ...

     ... Update: even the Gray Lady takes note.

Katy Steinmetz of Time: Niccolò Machiavelli assesses the midterms.

Mitch McConnell -- Even Worse than You Thought. The editors of the Louisville Courier-Journal read Dubya's book & find that in September 2006, even as he was excoriating Senate Democrats for asking the President to reduce troop levels in Iraq, McConnell privately urged Bush to bring home some troops to reduce the risk of Repubicans losing seats. "This incident," the editors write, "This incident, which Sen. McConnell's office has not denied, shines brightly on the contemptible hypocrisy and obsessive partisanship that have come to mark the senator's time in office."

Charlie Savage of the New York Times finds another Bush "misremembery" in Decision Points. Bush claims he "... resolved that I would not pardon anyone who went outside the formal channels." But Savage notes that Bush pardoned at least five people "who had gained special access to the White House," one of which he rescinded when it became a huge embarrassment.

Robert Mackey of the New York Times: "An English politician was arrested on Thursday for joking on Twitter that a columnist he disagreed with should be stoned to death. Gareth Compton, a 38-year-old member of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party who serves in local government in Birmingham, was suspended by the party following his arrest...." CW: a certain former governor & current reality TV star had better not move to England where her incendiary language could earn her a place in gaol. 

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