Do you think you can tell?

"So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell?"
Slushpile Hell A humorous tumbler of agent queries and how the agents really wish they could respond. More than likely these chaps got the form letter instead. Pity them. (Grokked from Cat Rambo)

"Blue skies from pain?"
In the vein of "you're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts," here's an interesting little blog post. It shows some of the economic changes brought about by the Reagan Revolution. While I think there's a little post hoc ergo prompter hoc going on there, it would be a stronger criticism if the same decline didn't show over several sections of the economy. One chart he doesn't show (and the one I keep kicking myself for not linking to when I found it) can be summed up by the reversal of economic discussion vis a vis the growth of GDP. Before Reaganomics 6% growth was expected. During the 80s that was restyled as 3% (or less) was better economically, as it was "more sustainable" (ie. we wouldn't have recessions every six or so years - say, how's that been working out for us anyway?).

"Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?"
Janiece and a satellite picture of the oil spill. I haven't said much about this disaster. What more is there to say? Have you noticed how larger corporations have farmed our responsibility? No less than eight contractors may be on the hook for this (besides BP, and at the end of that chain is Halliburton, go figure). And don't get all emotional here, but this isn't the only oil spill going on. It isn't the only large oil disaster of its type in North America (Mexico had their own spill about a decade ago that is very comparable). The conservatives seem to be self-imploding over it (let's not forget before Joe Barton's apology, there was John Boener's "BP shouldn't pay for this" comment that he had to roll back). So, Sarah Palin, how's that "Drill, baby, drill"-ee thing working out for ya? Also don't fail to miss this NPR story on how tight LA is with the oil industry, even to the physical and mental detriment of their own citizens. The price of carbon is currently hidden away, but we're still paying it through our taxes. This is why I support cap and trade, it shifts the cost into the open.

A smile from a veil?
Jim Wright's take on the Gen McChrystal (US Army, Ret.) thing. Um. What he said. As I said in Jim's comments, McChrystal demonstrated "an appalling lack of situational awareness."