"This was the voice of moderation until 13 Sept, 2025"
by hilzoy Just a couple of things I had to highlight. First, my quote of the day: “After helping to foster the explosive growth of consumer debt in recent years, credit card companies are realizing that some hard-pressed Americans will not be able to pay their bills as the economy deteriorates.” Really? All those credit … Read more
by hilzoy From the NYT: “President-elect Barack Obama plans to include about $300 billion in tax cuts for workers and businesses in his economic recovery program, advisers said Sunday, as his team seeks to win over Congressional skeptics worried that he was too focused on government spending. The legislation Mr. Obama is developing with Congressional … Read more
by hilzoy One of the things I love about blogs is that they allow people who really know what they’re talking about to respond, publicly, to what they read, and to do so almost instantaneously, so that the rest of us can benefit. There’s a wonderful example today. It starts with a long NYT article … Read more
by hilzoy The NYT has a long piece on the financial meltdown in two parts: 1, 2. It’s very much worth reading. One point in particular jumped out at me: “THERE are other things the Treasury might do when a major financial firm assumed to be “too big to fail” comes knocking, asking for free … Read more
by hilzoy A year ago today: 12:40:41 AM Andy: I’ve got to go. 12:40:43 AM Andy: *sighs* 12:40:45 AM Hilary: kk 12:40:54 AM Hilary: Bye. Have a great day. 12:41:01 AM Andy: Thanks. Sleep well. It was, of course, morning in Iraq, and Andy Olmsted was heading out on a mission. Some hours later, he … Read more
by hilzoy From the NYT, a few days ago: “In a single year, a coal-fired electric plant deposited more than 2.2 million pounds of toxic materials in a holding pond that failed last week, flooding 300 acres in East Tennessee, according to a 2007 inventory filed with the Environmental Protection Agency. The inventory, disclosed by … Read more
by hilzoy Via Balloon Juice, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britainplays the theme from Shaft: (At about a minute in, you might find yourself wondering: is it all instrumental? The answer is: no.) Thesis: Insofar as one can generalize, the British sense of humor depends to a greater degree than most on exploiting utter incongruity … Read more
by hilzoy The NYT has an article on the Army’s efforts to deal with violence by soldiers returning from Iraq — apparently, there have been nine murders by soldiers back from Iraq in Fort Carson alone, and rape and domestic violence are also up. Three bits from the story are particularly awful. First: “The latest … Read more
by hilzoy I’m a bit late getting to Alberto Gonzales’ interview in the WSJ: “”What is it that I did that is so fundamentally wrong, that deserves this kind of response to my service?” he said during an interview Tuesday, offering his most extensive comments since leaving government.” Ah, Gonzales’ memory problems again. ThinkProgress kindly … Read more