What Are We Interested In Today?

It's been a dry week for posts. I just can't seem to find much that got the adrenalin flowing enough to recommend.
For instance, this morning all I found was Bill Nighy (below) who got me wishing I'd done a better job of tagging that Brit comedy team I've used before and whose names I can't remember.
In the meantime, I've read the latest NYT analysis on our new Afghanistan effort and a pretty good diary over at Kos citing McClatchy's (as usual) excellent analysis of the filibuster.
But both can be summarized in one sentence — "Afghanistan war still a crapshoot even though we've changed strategy" (new phrase "government in a box" ready to go to put in place once we clear the Taliban out of this obscure area that we've cleared before, maybe that will make a difference) — Republican's abusing arcane Senatorial procedures for political gain (what else is new?).
It is so bad that I am seriously considering mopping the kitchen floor despite the fact we all know this is a fruitless exercise in the season of all mud, all the time.
Poor me.
Hope your weekend works out.
Cheers, Julimac

They Call It The Robin Hood Tax

and a bunch of do-gooders in Britain have put together this ad starring Bill Nighy, my all-time favorite actor for now.


I love this idea on so many levels. For instance, why can't American progressives come up with straightforward, simple messages like this?

UPDATE: I found it! The Long Johns (John Bird and John Fortune) explain the subprime meltdown.

Friviality Friday Dog

Friviality Friday Cat

Barack Obama Is Not God

A little recent history on health care reform, Big PhRMA and YOU, from the Sunlight Foundation.
Just to keep us honest. Nothing gets done without deals. Nothing. (Yeah, I know, it looks like nothing is what we've got.)

Every Day

I read it so you don't have to. And I find things you might enjoy. I publish them with that in mind.
So far, nada. I think it's the snow back East.

Quote O' Teh Day

Newsrooms have the best comments dept."
Editor: "I've always thought no sex tapes is the key to a good marriage."

Some People Just Like To Write

the truth.
Here's her lede:

I say things that sound important at my job all the time:

We've found the mutation that is causing your child's lung disease.

I'll need DNA from every living relative so we can see who else might be a carrier.

I'm sorry. We still don't know why your baby can't breathe on her own.

Quote O' Teh Day

I suppose you can call me a sort of libertarian anarchist. I regard religion with fear and suspicion. It's not enough to say that I don't believe in God. I actually regard the system as distressing: I am offended by some of the things said in the Bible and the Qur'an, and I refute them."

Emma Thompson

Sen. Shelby

lifts his holds, most of 'em anyway.
I read somewhere this tanker thing mostly benefits Airbus and it's tied in with the Boeing thingie. Kabuki. Oh, and D.C.'s in for more snow.

You Didn't Watch The Grammys

Neither did I, but Pink was pretty phenomenal. Good song, too. Good voice, too.

D.C. Snolapse

The End Of Western Civilization

as we know it. I love the context here. And wit.
Krugman:

Instead of re-enacting the decline and fall of Rome, we’re re-enacting the dissolution of 18th-century Poland.

... Rules that used to be workable have become crippling now that one of the nation’s major political parties has descended into nihilism, seeing no harm — in fact, political dividends — in making the nation ungovernable.
How bad is it? It’s so bad that I miss Newt Gingrich.

I Hate Charts And Graphs

But this is a work of art. Look what happens when you click "hide mandatory spending."

(Maybe) Must Read: Obama's Second Year

It isn't about health care reform, it is about governing, something you aren't going to hear much about on the evening news or even on the blogs unless you're crazy like I am and tune in to Steve Clemons once in a while.
And it's disturbing, which is why I'm going to go read it as soon as I tell you to read it.
It's a Financial Times analysis of the negative influence of Obama's "Chicago team."
One caveat: Clemons includes Arianna Huffington among the people Obama should be listening to. If I had had a mouthful of coffee when I read that, my keyboard would be ruined.
The upside is that Plouffe is back on board.
Anyhoo:

President Obama needs to take stock quickly. Read the Luce piece. Be honest about what is happening. Read Plouffe's smart book again. Send Rahm Emanuel back to the House in a senior role. Make Valerie Jarrett an important Ambassador. Keep Axelrod -- but balance him with someone like Plouffe, and get back to putting good policy before short term politics.
Set up a Team B with diverse political and national security observers like Tom Daschle, John Podesta, Brent Scowcroft, Arianna Huffington, Fareed Zakaria, Katrina vanden Heuvel, John Harris, James Fallows, Chuck Hagel, Strobe Talbott, James Baker, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and others to give you a no-nonsense picture of what is going on.
And take action to fix the dysfunction of your office.
Otherwise, the Obama brand will be totally bust in the very near term.

My only other quibble: even if "granularly" is a word, it should never be used.

UPDATE: Okay, I've read the Financial Times piece now. Not really insightful at all. Speculative with very little meat to speculate on. Disappointed.