My cat caught a bat.

Posted at June 3, 2006 6:18 PM in response to Dog Versus Crab

Stick it up your ass Ciff, Against Me rocks. =) I don't think it's particularly unionish music, though.

The GC5 has a few songs that would be good - "In The End" and "No Magic," for example.

Posted at May 16, 2006 7:02 AM in response to Songs to Strike By

Try International Coverup on the same album by Rancid, any of a number of Dropkick Murphys songs (most are covers - Which Side Are You On, Worker's Song, etc.), and Roll On by Living End.

Posted at May 16, 2006 6:59 AM in response to Songs to Strike By

I think your view on FICA is mistaken - completely abolishing it would make the tax code more progressive, though it would create serious revenue stream problems. Under your argument cutting taxes across the board by an equal dollar amount (say whatever people at the poverty level pay) would not make the tax system more progressive, despite the poorest people paying nothing and the richest people paying essentially the same amount.

Posted at May 12, 2006 2:06 PM in response to Bush: Secret Progressive

Of the substantive changes, all but 6 happened in 2003 and 2004, so the court was probably giving an extremely wide berth to the President for over a year afterwards.  That or he just started getting really sloppy later on.

Posted at December 27, 2005 7:53 PM in response to That Explains It

While it's really tempting to criticize Yglesias for being so quick to sell out his not-so-rich gifted peers, I'm trying hard not to.  Oops.  ;-)

Maybe this is an outdated belief, but I think that education is primarily important for producing citizens who can adequately participate in the democratic process.  I think that means setting a bar and working as hard as necessary to see that people meet it.

This probably requires more effort on both the high and low end - enough on the low to get them to the necessary level, and enough on the high to keep them from completely writing off the education system.  I was friends with burnouts when I was in middle school.  Many of them were clearly gifted.  I don't think my experience is unique.

Posted at December 27, 2005 2:58 PM in response to Gifted Children Left Behind?

<a href="http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/111205/hipster-trap
.gif">Be careful, Matt.</a>

Posted at December 2, 2005 10:39 AM in response to Protest Music

I always new you'd be into hipster bullshit, Matt.  :-D

NOFX's most recent album, The War on Errorism, is chock full of good political music.  Check it out! 

Posted at December 2, 2005 9:05 AM in response to Protest Music

While sarcastic remarks are nice, you didn't address the point.  Do you think those people don't have a right to be pissed off about it?

Posted at November 29, 2005 10:53 PM in response to Hype

I really enjoyed the article.  While some of the points raised in comments here are good, a lot of them come down to "If women are happy being stay-at-home moms, then who are we to judge?"

Here's one obvious group that ought to be able to judge them - people who would have done something with those elite degrees, but didn't make it into the school because of some woman pursuing her MRS.

Beyond that, the problem is not individual choices but the fact that those choices seem so obviously tied up in gender.  I take no issue with the idea of any one man or any one woman choosing to spend their time at home.  I take issue with a society that encourages only one gender to do so.

This article doesn't have any overarching answer, but it does describe in concrete detail how women can counter some of the arguments and avoid some of the events that lead women to leave the workplace.  In this goal it is direct, insightful, and stimulating.  I can't ask for anything more from such a piece. 

Posted at November 29, 2005 12:23 AM in response to Hype