sotto voce USA

More Fun Web Stuff

I run across this stuff, bookmark it, save it all up, and present it to you for your amusement and edification:

More proof that we can all start calling President Bush "lame duck:" the New York Times ran this article last week, "G.O.P. Leaders Balk at Tax Cuts in Bush's Budget."

WASHINGTON, March 9 - President Bush's plan to extend his tax cuts over the next five years ran into resistance in the Senate on Wednesday as Republican leaders offered a budget for 2006 that would undo more than a fourth of the cuts that Mr. Bush has requested.
Uneasy about the potential impact on the ballooning federal deficit, the Senate Republicans called for $70.2 billion in tax cuts over the next five years, as opposed to the estimated $100 billion the White House is seeking. It does not specify which cuts will be extended or which taxes might be restored, but Senator Judd Gregg, the New Hampshire Republican who is chairman of the Budget Committee, said his intent was to extend reductions on capital gains and dividend taxes, which are set to expire in 2008...
The Senate's proposal to scale back the extension of Mr. Bush's tax cuts comes at a time when Republicans are also feeling queasy about the White House's major domestic policy initiative for the year, overhauling Social Security. And the budget was not enough to mollify some Senate Republican moderates, who expressed concern Wednesday about extending the tax cuts at a time when the deficit is at a record high and domestic programs from farm subsidies to veterans' benefits and education are facing steep cuts.



Also in the Times last week, "Evangelical Leaders Swing Influence Behind Effort to Combat Global Warming."

A core group of influential evangelical leaders has put its considerable political power behind a cause that has barely registered on the evangelical agenda, fighting global warming.
These church leaders, scientists, writers and heads of international aid agencies argue that global warming is an urgent threat, a cause of poverty and a Christian issue because the Bible mandates stewardship of God's creation.
The Rev. Rich Cizik, vice president of governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals and a significant voice in the debate, said, "I don't think God is going to ask us how he created the earth, but he will ask us what we did with what he created."



"Postcards from Buster" is still causing waves at PBS. By now everyone knows about the infamous syrup making episode that featured a lesbian family. The episode was condemned by Education Secretary Margaret Spelling and denied distribution by PBS. Now, the PBS newsmagazine "NOW" has killed a story they were planning to air about the "Buster" episode. The Washington Post TV column reports:

PBS suits insist that the decision had nothing to do with a letter that new Education Secretary Margaret Spellings sent to PBS chief Pat Mitchell at the same time, denouncing PBS for spending federal Ready to Learn funding to produce the episode.
Shortly before the "Now" crew was scheduled to show up, Pike says she got a call from producer Brian Myers saying the story had been killed because they were not able to get anyone from Education or PBS to give an interview.
"One more time I'm hearing that my family is considered invalid by PBS unless they have somebody on the other side that can condemn me," Pike said.
"Once again I put it out there and invited them into our home, and once again PBS won't do a show unless they can find a Margaret Spellings to say 'they're bad people.' "
Pike says of that conversation with Myers: "Somewhere along the line he said 'off the record,' but I'm not a reporter and my life is not off the record. I consider anything that has to do with my family is very much on the record."

Myers's on the record comment was that "we decided . . . at a certain point that we were a little bit behind the news cycle on [the story] and by the time it aired it would be way behind the news cycle." The blog Media Massage punctures the whole "news cycle" argument.



A group is trying to draft Chris Matthews of "Hardball" fame for a U.S. Senate run in 2006. This is a good thing because they're trying to convince him to run against one of the chief Republican Orcs, Rick Santorum. In addition to trying to get Matthews to run, they're also trying to call attention to Santorum's atrocious values. If you're a Pennsylvania resident, please sign the petition. If you're not, call someone in Pennsylvania and convince them to sign.



Another group is calling on all P2P users to unite for a boycott of movies and music during the week of April 24-30, 2005...
We call out to all that have shared a file, downloaded something online or think that prices are outrageous; Let us send a message to the entertainment industry leadership.
The last week in April 2005 - 24th up until and including 30th - show them how much money we are spending on their products by denying them our hard earned income. Do not go to the movies; do not buy any entertainment products during that week.
This is not to be confused as saying, "go pirate everything you can find as the production companies are common robbers." Instead, this is a way to show that we are indeed supporting them already, so stop fighting your customers!
Amen!



Atom Films has a Flash short of G-Dub keeping it real with the D.R.A.F.T.



And, after years of surfing, I've finally reached the end of the Internet. (It's an old gag, but it's still funny when you come up on it.)

posted by fdtate @ 2:54 AM