"No Surrender" - Eddie Vedder
On the road again, this time back in the home town in Massachusetts to gather up the lad and bring him home for a few weeks. It's been a trains, planes, and automobiles kind of week.
- President Greg Marmalard - I haven't had a chance to weigh in on the Romney bullying story. All I can say is that it doesn't surprise me much. And yes, I do think it is indicative of his character. Choosing to be a bully -- even if you're a 16 or 17 boy -- is very much a morally revelatory act. Romney has always seems like a kiss up, kick down type of guy, so this is just seems like one more ugly aspect of the smug, entitled prick -- now we know he's a mean-spirited, cowardly, smug entitled prick. Of course, being a bully or a coward will never be deemed a disqualifying defect in the Republican Party. I assume the faithful will rally around him.
- One of the more enjoyable aspects of reading Paul Krugman over the last year or so has been his consistent practice of slapping down David Brooks (and occassionally Thomas Friedmann) without ever mentioning his name. The columns are usually brutal refutations of whatever fatuousness Brooks has pulled out of his butt and called a column a day or two before. I thought this was a very good example of the genre.
- Dean Baker makes a plea for policy makers to recognize the ongoing tragedy of widespread and long-lasting unemployment. Sadly, I would not hold my breath waiting for policy makers to respond.
- And Arianna Huffington argues against the austerity that is destroying the future of Greek youth and suggests that leaving the Euro and defaulting on its debt is likely the only reasonable path to protect the younger generation of Greeks.
Alright, time for bed to get some rest before an early flight tomorrow. Hope to be checking in in early afternoon. Until then, give us your collective wisdom.