I'm moving!

So I'm going to the big boy land that is WordPress. I think I have that shit figured out. If you want to find me from now on, visit www.mikelahaye.wordpress.com . It's moderately attractive and the content will be just as (insert descriptor for the current content, preferably positive) as it is here, so come find me!

Keynes vs. Hayek

Shame, Shame, Shame

Ezra scolds the Senate for acting the way that the constitution tells it to...

I mean, 51 votes? What sort of a supermajority is that?

Anyway, it looks like Bernanke will get passed. Yippee? I kind of like the idea of putting Krugman on the board... then again, who would yell at Obama from the left? Oh yeah, everyone.

A member of the House Democratic Caucus goes to the doctor. The doctor says, "I have bad news and good news. The bad news is you have a broken foot. The good news is, you're a congressman, which means you have health insurance, which means you'll be able to get treatment without going totally bankrupt, unlike many of your constituents, who you are actively betraying by thinking only of your electoral prospects. And also," the doctor continued, "I can't believe you actually broke your foot by jumping off a bridge just because a Republican told you to. What kind of spineless loser are you? Get out of my office. I can't stand to look at you."

-David Rees

It's as if we were trying to give insurance coverage to poll numbers.

-Ezra Klein

Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts

The festival was over, the boys were all plannin' for a fall,
The cabaret was quiet except for the drillin' in the wall.
The curfew had been lifted and the gamblin' wheel shut down,
Anyone with any sense had already left town.
He was standin' in the doorway lookin' like the Jack of Hearts.

He moved across the mirrored room, "Set it up for everyone," he said,
Then everyone commenced to do what they were doin' before he turned their heads.
Then he walked up to a stranger and he asked him with a grin,
"Could you kindly tell me, friend, what time the show begins?"
Then he moved into the corner, face down like the Jack of Hearts.

Backstage the girls were playin' five-card stud by the stairs,
Lily had two queens, she was hopin' for a third to match her pair.
Outside the streets were fillin' up, the window was open wide,
A gentle breeze was blowin', you could feel it from inside.
Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts.

Big Jim was no one's fool, he owned the town's only diamond mine,
He made his usual entrance lookin' so dandy and so fine.
With his bodyguards and silver cane and every hair in place,
He took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste.
But his bodyguards and silver cane were no match for the Jack of Hearts.

Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town,
She slipped in through the side door lookin' like a queen without a crown.
She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear,
"Sorry, darlin', that I'm late," but he didn't seem to hear.
He was starin' into space over at the Jack of Hearts.

"I know I've seen that face before," Big Jim was thinkin' to himself,
"Maybe down in Mexico or a picture up on somebody's shelf."
But then the crowd began to stamp their feet and the house lights did dim
And in the darkness of the room there was only Jim and him,
Starin' at the butterfly who just drew the Jack of Hearts.

Lily was a princess, she was fair-skinned and precious as a child,
She did whatever she had to do, she had that certain flash every time she smiled.
She'd come away from a broken home, had lots of strange affairs
With men in every walk of life which took her everywhere.
But she'd never met anyone quite like the Jack of Hearts.

The hangin' judge came in unnoticed and was being wined and dined,
The drillin' in the wall kept up but no one seemed to pay it any mind.
It was known all around that Lily had Jim's ring
And nothing would ever come between Lily and the king.
No, nothin' ever would except maybe the Jack of Hearts.

Rosemary started drinkin' hard and seein' her reflection in the knife,
She was tired of the attention, tired of playin' the role of Big Jim's wife.
She had done a lot of bad things, even once tried suicide,
Was lookin' to do just one good deed before she died.
She was gazin' to the future, riding on the Jack of Hearts.

Lily washed her face, took her dress off and buried it away.
"Has your luck run out?" she laughed at him, "Well, I guess you must
have known it would someday.
Be careful not to touch the wall, there's a brand-new coat of paint,
I'm glad to see you're still alive, you're lookin' like a saint."
Down the hallway footsteps were comin' for the Jack of Hearts.

The backstage manager was pacing all around by his chair.
"There's something funny going on," he said, "I can just feel it in the air."
He went to get the hangin' judge, but the hangin' judge was drunk,
As the leading actor hurried by in the costume of a monk.
There was no actor anywhere better than the Jack of Hearts.

Lily's arms were locked around the man that she dearly loved to touch,
She forgot all about the man she couldn't stand who hounded her so much.
"I've missed you so," she said to him, and he felt she was sincere,
But just beyond the door he felt jealousy and fear.
Just another night in the life of the Jack of Hearts.

No one knew the circumstance but they say that it happened pretty quick,
The door to the dressing room burst open and a cold revolver clicked.
And Big Jim was standin' there, ya couldn't say surprised,
Rosemary right beside him, steady in her eyes.
She was with Big Jim but she was leanin' to the Jack of Hearts.

Two doors down the boys finally made it through the wall
And cleaned out the bank safe, it's said that they got off with quite a haul.
In the darkness by the riverbed they waited on the ground
For one more member who had business back in town.
But they couldn't go no further without the Jack of Hearts.

The next day was hangin' day, the sky was overcast and black,
Big Jim lay covered up, killed by a penknife in the back.
And Rosemary on the gallows, she didn't even blink,
The hangin' judge was sober, he hadn't had a drink.
The only person on the scene missin' was the Jack of Hearts.

The cabaret was empty now, a sign said, "Closed for repair,"
Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair.
She was thinkin' 'bout her father, who she very rarely saw,
Thinkin' 'bout Rosemary and thinkin' about the law.
But, most of all she was thinkin' 'bout the Jack of Hearts.

and more.

holy shit

Classic Neil

When you dance,
Do your senses tingle?
Then take a chance?
In a trance,
While the lonely mingle
With circumstance?

I've got
something to tell you,
you make it show.
Let me come over,
I know you know
When you dance
I can really love.

I can love,
I can really love,
I can really love
I can love,
I can really love,
I can really love

Like a
mountain that's growing
a river that rolls
Let me come over,
I know you know
When you dance
I can really love.

When you dance,
Do your senses tingle?
Then take a chance?
In a trance,
While the lonely mingle
With circumstance?

I've got
something to tell you,
you make it show.
Let me come over,
I know you know
When you dance
I can really love.

I think ur a Contra

I had a feeling once
That you and I
Could tell each other everything
For two months
But even without hope
With truth on our side
When you turn away from me
It's not right

I think you're a Contra
I think you're a Contra
And dear Contra
I think you're a Contra

My revolution thoughts
Live in lies of desire
I wanna trace them to the source
And the wire
But it's not useful now
Since we both made up our minds
You gotta watch out for yourself
So will I

I think you're Contra
I think that you lie
Don't call me Contra
Till you've tried

You wanted good schools
And friends with pools
You're not a Contra
You wanted Rock' n' Roll,
Complete control
Well, I don't know

Never pick sides
Never choose between two
But I just wanted you
Never pick sides
Never choose between two
But I just wanted you

I think you're Contra
I think that you lie
Don't call me Contra
Till you've tried

#teamnewt

William K. Wolfrum quips that NBC will give the Tonight show to this guy.

A spokesman for Gingrich said that new “Tonight Show” will feature some of Gingrich’s greatest skits, including “Guess who I married today?”, “What God should I pray to in order to make myself a more viable Presidential candidate?” and “Who should we nuke today?”

The whole post is worth reading.

Perfect

From the Russia see-er, continued

My mom looked up uncomfortableness. It is a word. It means discomfort.

Whatever, it still sounds stupid. It shouldn't be a word. But then again, we all shouldn't know who Sarah Palin is unless we have a bizarre interest in Wasillan mayoral history. You can't always get what you want.

Win

Texting with Jenny, as a follow up to this post

Me: Ra ra ah ah ah
Jenny: Is it bad that reading those words got that song stuck in my head?


I'll let you be the judge of that, Jenny.

On the radio

(Uh oh!)

Satellite Radio, which comes through on DirecTV, is better than anything on TV during the day. These are the last two songs.

Also, ten bonus points for whoever gets the title/first line exclamatory phrase first.

From the Russia see-er

NEW YORK — Sarah Palin accounts for the controversy she attracts by saying her opponents don't like the "commonsense, conservative solutions" she represents. Debuting as a Fox News analyst, the 2008 vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor was the guest of Bill O'Reilly on Tuesday's edition of "The O'Reilly Factor."

During the interview, Palin said sinking approval numbers for President Barack Obama reflect "an uncomfortableness" some Americans feel toward his administration.

"It was just a matter of time," she said.

AP

I don't know if this deserves a response. I'm going to anyway, though, because I think it will be fun.

SO

Yes Sarah, we hate you because of the commonsense solutions that you represent. If commonsense conservatism means propagating the thought that medicare could pay for conversations between patients and doctors where they discuss the most comfortable and dignified way to die is equivalent to a "Death Panel" where government would kill your special needs child, then yes: we hate you for your commonsense conservatism.

If commonsense conservatism means writing an Op-Ed where you discuss the science involved in global climate change instead of letting someone who is qualified write about the matter and shaping policy around the facts rather than shaping the facts to suit your policy interests than yes: we hate you for your commonsense conservatism.

If you think that commonsense conservatism means putting yourself a (rather feeble) heart beat away from the presidency of the United States of America despite a COMPLETE lack of understanding of policy, than yes: we hate you for your commonsense conservatism.

I'd argue that none of those things fall into the category of either commonsense or conservative. I think they are dumb and selfish and vain and wrong. I think you are largely a despicable human being.

That said, I'm not the first person to say these things and you didn't listen to anyone else, and even if you were to ever stumble upon this little blog, you'd dismiss it anyway.


So I'll just leave it with this: next time Sarah, try discomfort. I don't think uncomfortableness is a word.

Save Conan!

found it on the twitters.

UPDATE:

Here is Conan's statement:

People of Earth:



In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.



Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.



But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.



Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.



So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.



There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.



Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.



Yours,



Conan

http://raraahahahromaromamagagaoohlala.com/

click it.

My favorite Republican

For a while, I've felt like Lindsey Graham was probably my favorite GOP Senator. I don't agree with him on a whole lot, but I feel like he is acting in good faith at least most of the time. I've also heard that he is John McCain (the sometimes Mavericky moderate and sometimes WTF rightwinger)'s closest ally in the Senate. He usually proves to be less crazy than say, Tom Coburn or Michelle Bachman. Not saying much, but it's something. I approve of Graham's Senatorship, even if I wouldn't vote for him.

Then this happened.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Republican leaders in a South Carolina county known as a GOP stronghold have voted to censure U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for working with Democrats on immigration and climate change.

It's the second time since November that Republicans in a South Carolina county have voted to censure the GOP senator.

Lexington County Republican Party Chairman Rich Bolen said Tuesday the county's executive committee voted 13-7 to rebuke Graham following more than an hour of debate late Monday.

In November, Charleston County Republicans censured Graham over climate change legislation.

(From Huff Po)

Lindsay Graham is now DEFINITELY my favorite Republican Senator

Where we are

Could the following statement be posted on any major news site besides HuffPo?

Washington just turned the page on a decade filled with reckless spending, military adventurism and political fratricide. The costs of that era will be with us for some time.

-Joe Scarborough

The sad part? It's true.
It was also written by a former Republican Congressman.

The rest of the Article is a little bit stupid (you'll have to forgive Joe. He was in the House of Representatives and now works on Cable News in the morning. Both jobs reward stupid). Still, it is mostly fair (reckless Democratic budgets, reckless health care bills, reckless Republican demagogues, imaginary death panels). I don't know what about the Democratic budget was more reckless than Bush's. Maybe it was not forgetting things like wars or new entitlements like Bush was always prone to doing. Either way, Scarborough has courage, regardless of his dips into hyperbole.

The new media is a great thing for America. We just need to learn to be responsible with it.