Neko Case is one sexy gorilla

We few, we elite few, we band of brothers

Longtime readers know that I certainly found nothing inappropriate by such comments, other than the failure to understand that speaking freely to people you don't know may fuel the Mighty Wurlitzer of Outrage.

And Krugthug's view on blogs pretty much mirrors mine.

Some have asked if there aren’t conservative sites I read regularly. Well, no. I will read anything I’ve been informed about that’s either interesting or revealing; but I don’t know of any economics or politics sites on that side that regularly provide analysis or information I need to take seriously. I know we’re supposed to pretend that both sides always have a point; but the truth is that most of the time they don’t. The parties are not equally irresponsible; Rachel Maddow isn’t Glenn Beck; and a conservative blog, almost by definition, is a blog written by someone who chooses not to notice that asymmetry. And life is short …

So, cue the (commercial) forces of anti-elitism!

As for efforts to cut funding for NPR, NPR receives a relatively small portion of its funding from taxpayers, but many local stations -- especially rural ones -- depend on it.

And I'm reminded of a conversation I had with someone outraged (there it is again) that my company was sponsoring an NPR program. I asked him, if NPR so outraged him, why did he listen to it. He explained that his job required driving in parts of the country in which local NPR stations were the only thing on the radio.

It'd sure be a shame if Congress eliminated such funding and the only things that guy could listen to were the voices in his head.

Contextualized Juan Williams

Intellectual honesty compels me to note that, having heard a fuller recording of Juan Williams' comments on the O'Reilly show last week, I now think NPR was too quick to fire him for those comments. That's not to say that his association with NPR wasn't an embarrassing one for NPR -- he's a hack of the highest order -- but in this particular case, it would have been better to use his comments last week to challenge -- as he did with O'Reilly -- the ease with which conservative reactionaries practice bigotry against Muslims.

As for ThinkProgress, who released the edited tape: Dudes, we have to hold ourselves to slightly higher standards than the Breitbarts and the other assholes of the world.

"Stokely Carmichael in a designer dress"

While it's fine that NPR has asked Wan Williams to stop identifying himself as "NPR News Analyst" when he appears on fine, informative Fox News programs such as "The O'Reilly Factor," it would be far better if NPR disassociated themselves from him and his Villager's perspective altogether..



Christ, even O'Reilly seems to discount Williams' comments at the end.

Via Prof. DeLong.