Reporting? What Reporting?

When is it ever a reporter's job to report facts?

Disneyland to Sin City Express?

It's false. The rumor is false. Trust me. ;-)

So This Is Where the MSM Go...

To find out "what the bloggers are saying"? FAIL.

Change in the DEA?

No more raids at medical marijuana dispensaries? Now that's change I can believe in.

In case you missed the President's speech

Milton Friedman Wasn't Infallible

Maybe we'll get out of this crisis sooner if more of our "leaders" can realize that.

David Brooks says Jindal was just awful

Heh.

The AP may have jumped the gun just a little too soon.

Enough Already!

Again, Paul Krugman is right on the money .

Why not just go ahead and nationalize? Remember, the longer we live with zombie banks, the harder it will be to end the economic crisis.

How would nationalization take place? All the administration has to do is take its own planned “stress test” for major banks seriously, and not hide the results when a bank fails the test, making a takeover necessary. Yes, the whole thing would have a Claude Rains feel to it, as a government that has been propping up banks for months declares itself shocked, shocked at the miserable state of their balance sheets. But that’s O.K.

And once again, long-term government ownership isn’t the goal: like the small banks seized by the F.D.I.C. every week, major banks would be returned to private control as soon as possible. The finance blog Calculated Risk suggests that instead of calling the process nationalization, we should call it “preprivatization.”

The Obama administration, says Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, believes “that a privately held banking system is the correct way to go.” So do we all. But what we have now isn’t private enterprise, it’s lemon socialism: banks get the upside but taxpayers bear the risks. And it’s perpetuating zombie banks, blocking economic recovery.

What we want is a system in which banks own the downs as well as the ups. And the road to that system runs through nationalization.

Why can't we have smart people like Krugman on the teevee (especially the CNBC!) talking economics instead of idiot blowhards spewing out right-wing faux "populism" that makes no sense?

The Oscars: Best & Worst

(Originally posted at The Liberal OC. Image courtesy of The New York Times.)

OK, you can thank me for watching The Academy Awards (with TalkLeft) so you didn't have to. Here are my thoughts on what happened last night:

1. May we now just refer to 2008 as "The Year of Slumdog Millionaire"? I mean it. Barack Obama was elected President in "The Year of Slumdog Millionaire". The Olympics were held in Beijing in "The Year of Slumdog Millionaire". Orange County had a wild year during "The Year of Slumdog Millionaire".

2. Fortunately, The Academy did give some love to "Milk". It's really about time Hollywood recognizes that LGBT people are more than just stage props. Queer history is American history, too.

3. Why the hell was "Frost/Nixon" denied any award? This is also an important part of American history. And hey, this may be the best movie Ron Howard has ever directed. So why are they going home empty handed?

4. Is Hugh Jackman hot or is Hugh Jackman hot?

5. While he didn't completely fall on his face last night, 538.com's famous Nate Silver was just a little "pwned". Sometimes, computer simulations can't accurately foretell what can be very emotional decisions.

So what were your favorite moments from Oscar? What didn't you like? Let's talk Oscar this morning. ;-)

Silent Protest @ The Academy Awards

If you see stars sporting the absolutely fabulous fashion accessory of a white ribbon tied into a knot, just know they're speaking up for LGBT civil rights. ;-)

Academy Awards Open Thread

Are you watching? Who are you rooting for? Oh yea, and who are you wearing? ;-)