Apparently, America can’t be about the only country in the world (industrialized or otherwise) with indistinguishable currency, James Robertson ruled Tuesday.
And conservative bloggers are upset. To wit:
Yes, that’s right. The bills our nation has been using for 230 years have been ruled illegal by an idiot judge, U.S. District Judge James Robertson. [...]
Stock tip of the day. Buy stock in companies that produce money readers for vending machines. (It’s a Paul World)
Which is odd, because the same argument could have been made against any number of things we now consider the norm: integration, wheelchair accessibility, closed-captioning.
The Treasury Department has, fortunately, a less emotional reason for opposing the suggested changes.
The Treasury Department had argued that making bills identifiable by touch would create an undue financial burden for the government. It had estimated that the most expensive approach — printing different sizes for different denominations — would cost $178 million for new printing presses and as much as $50 million for new plates. (NYT)
Less emotive, but also far less convincing (as if that were possible). Arguing that $228 million is excessive, from a government that is willing to pay Halliburton thousands for a hammer?
I too am shaking my head, though for different reasons than conservative bloggers.
From the NYT:
Members of her staff had said she favored Mr. Hastings. But his position was weakened because he was impeached and removed as a federal judge in 1989 in connection with a bribery case. He was subsequently acquitted in the criminal case.
For Mrs. Pelosi, who had hammered the Republicans for ethical lapses in the fall campaigns, the decision to pass over Mr. Hastings was a sign that she did not relish another battle after the Democratic caucus rejected her choice for majority leader, John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania. (Source)
At least she learns from her mistakes, unlike some in power.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: politics
Watching The Boys of Baraka, I realize: much of middle class America has no clue. They see no difference between their lives and the lives of inner city kids.
“You’ve just got to suck it up and work hard. I did it; you can do it.”
They don’t see that those trapped in the inner-cities of America are living in a war zone. Forget Iraq — we have got devastation right here in our own country. It’s called the inner city. And until we realize that the only real solutions cost money — and lots of it — we’re going to continue living in a country divided.
Slate has a fascinating article on plagiarism and the implications of Google Book Search:
For any plagiarist living in an age of search engines, waving a loaded book in front of reviewers has become the literary equivalent of suicide by cop.
As it turns out, even authors not living in this online age are in trouble.
The surprise plagiarist: Lawrence Sterne, who swiped his rant against plagiarism from Robert Burton.
It’s well worth a read.
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