Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The National Bureau of Economic Research has officially declared that the United States is in a recession, news which sent the Dow Jones industrial average plunging nearly 680 points, or 7.7 percent. Government officials are saying they will do everything possible to turn the recession around. Who knows if they will be successful. I had no idea what officially makes it a recession; thanks to Slate’s Explainer, I do now:
One widespread definition of a recession—the one used by newspapers—is a decline in the gross domestic product for two or more consecutive quarters.
President-elect Obama yesterday announced who will be in his national security team. Leading the team will be Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as Secretary of State and President Bush’s Defense Secretary Robert Gates as, well, Defense Secretary. Two key takeaways from this are that I am sick to death of hearing the phrase “team of rivals” and that THIS is the best news ever.
After being panned last week for taking three separate corporate jets to ask for bailouts, the heads of the big three automakers will be most likely driving to Washington for a series of meetings with Congress. The head of Ford will be taking Ford’s new hybrid car while the other two haven’t decided how they will get there. Here is a thought: book coach tickets and skip this bullshit. That, or really have fun with it and road trip in an old VW bus.
Finally, if you get paid to run for a living it is probably not a good idea to carry around a loaded gun. It is probably a worse idea to try to unload it while drinking wine and shoot yourself in the leg.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Results are impending and I need to get out of work so I can get home in time to hear sweet nothings from Chris Matthews (and hopefully squeeze in some phone banking). However, let’s take a quick look back over the past year to highlight some of our coverage of this historic election.
The Beginning
Our first morning news ever, on December 13, 2007, mentioned Barack Obama. Also hilarious photos of MLB stars looking worried. I like to imagine them saying it in a Scooby Doo voice. (For those who are curious, our first post ever was about Speed Racer! What’s up with that?) January 14, 2007 was the first time we every consolidated into an “Election 2008″ tag. That post kinda sucked though. Surprise surprise.
The long, strange trip continues after the jump.
Keep reading
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
As everyone predicted, Senator Clinton won the Kentucky primary and Senator Obama won the Oregon primary. So, if everyone knew that it was going to happen, why does it matter? Well, it does and it doesn’t. Senator Obama secured a majority in pledged delegates last night. He is still 100 delegates short of securing the nomination, but even if he received no delegates at all in the remaining primaries (not going to happen) he would still come out with a majority of pledged delegates. That means the only way Clinton can win is if she wins all of the remaining primaries by massive margins and then the superdelegates decide en masse to support her. At least, I think that is what it means, chances are Mike Gravel will end up winning the whole thing and usher the whole world into a youtube-fueled era of peace and prosperity.
So why doesn’t Hillary drop out? Ask her. This article actually lists a lot of good and thoughtful reasons she shouldn’t drop out. Read it and then inject some of them when your coworkers are bashing her.
Hey so, funny story, the FBI has a “War Crimes File” on stuff they saw the US Military do at Guantanamo Bay. Not so much funny “ha ha” as funny “collaborating with the Chinese Government to torture Chinese prisoners being held there.” Christ.
Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant tumor following his collapse and subsequent hospitalization this past weekend. It does not look good and I, for one, want wish the best to the Senator.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Breath deep people, can you smell the Democracy? Democratic voters in Kentucky and Oregon go to the polls today to cast their ballots in the Endless Primary (OK, Oregon votes by mail but – shut up). After today’s primary Senator Obama is expected to have the majority of pledged delegates but Senator Clinton is arguing that if you count Florida and Michigan, she has won the popular vote. The Obama campaign has been toying with overtly declaring victory tonight but has since backpedaled on that idea because, well, it is kind of douchey. Have fun arguing with your coworkers over when the primary will end. Heck, start a betting poll for which day one of the candidates (Clinton) drops out. It will be like March madness, but nerdier.
Apparently, the US military is only now starting to separate the detainees they have in custody in Iraq into separate groups like “terrorists” and “Poor bastards we snatched off the street.” The US is also started to let go more people it has realized are clearly not enemy combatants – hopefully a trend we will see continue.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Coverage is dominated today by the news of a massive earthquake that hit China yesterday. The quake measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and the death toll stands currently at over 10,000. The quake destroyed 80% of the structures in some towns and cities near the epicenter. Many are seeing this as a test of China’s infrastructure and government reaction in advance of the Olympics. What impressed me was that the Chinese Premiere was at the site just a few hours after the quake – rather than say, flying overhead surveying the damage.
A new Gallup poll shows that the majority of Democrats think that the nominating contest should continue and a majority think that Obama should pick Clinton has his running mate. I say, hey, we’ve got polls, who needs ‘elections’?
Sign that a campaign is entering a slow season – articles on what candidates’ handwriting says about them. Senator Obama is apparently secretive and trying to distance himself form his father, Senator Clinton is “readable, but lacks emotion and warmth” and Senator McCain dots his i’s with little hearts.
