Shakespeare, Verlander, and Bill James

August 2, 2010

Americans have always loved the impressive and the physical to a greater degree than the old world: we’re different that way. It is, in many ways, more of a meritocratic system than any literary one.

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The Tea Party Paradox

July 31, 2010

Jonathan Rauch raises interesting questions: “The very forces that are leading to the Republican surge in 2010 may also create a painful dilemma for the GOP thereafter. The reason lies with an emerging phenomenon of which the tea party movement is just a leading indicator: the rise of ‘debranded’ Republicans.”

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Scandals: On Rangel, Waters, and Gore

July 31, 2010

[tweetmeme] The president’s willingness to push others under the bus could be an expression of his personal beliefs, or it could be in part a reaction to the perception that George W. Bush was hurt by his unwillingness to do so until he had already suffered politically. In any case, Charles Rangel is the latest […]

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The Inception Mashups

July 30, 2010

[tweetmeme] My vote for the best Inception mashup has to go for the combination with Up — first, because unlike most Pixar creations which inhabit just the universe of the fantastical, the film itself blends of the tragedy of the real (the old man, the dead wife, the dream of a lost world) with the […]

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The Schizophrenic Consumer Economy

July 30, 2010

Americans are concerned about the economy — very concerned. But many of them are making even more lavish purchases than ever before, according to survey data. What’s going on here? The luxury economy never got as bad as other sectors, and people without children have more expendable cash. And there’s more.

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Economist Pessimism About 2011 Economy Grows

July 29, 2010

“The U.S. economic recovery will remain slow deep into next year, held back by shoppers reluctant to spend and employers hesitant to hire, according to an Associated Press survey of leading economists.” Yet the recovery “remains on track.”

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A Thumping at the Polls?

July 29, 2010

“Democratic spin doctors have set out how their side is going to hold onto a majority in the House. They’ll capture four at-risk Republican seats, hold half of the next 30 or so Democratic at-risk seats, and avoid significant losses on target seats lower on the list.” As Barone details: not bloody likely.

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Jon Hamm is Superman

July 29, 2010

[tweetmeme] The FilmSchoolRejects guys break down the pros and cons of Mad Men’s Jon Hamm as Superman on the big screen. Should be an easy decision: Cole points out, Jon Hamm already is Superman, what with the whole shooting laser beams out of his eyes thing. I’m not a Superman fan — I grew up […]

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Why Does Dick Wadhams Keep Getting Hired?

July 26, 2010

[tweetmeme] Has any Republican consultant over the past few years had a speedier fall from grace than Dick Wadhams? From the high point of the John Thune election, after which he was hailed by some (not many of them Republicans) as “Rove’s heir apparent”, Wadhams has proceeded to run work for a series of politicians […]

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BP Dumps Hayward

July 26, 2010

Let’s get beyond that whole gulf thing: “The board of BP PLC is negotiating the departure of its embattled chief executive, Tony Hayward, according to people familiar with the matter, a bid by the U.K. oil titan to move beyond the Gulf of Mexico disaster that has undercut his three-year effort to remake the company.”

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