Author: Moe_Lane

Murdoch rumored to be after the New York Times.

He might settle for the LA Times, though.

(Via Patterico) Not at all likely, but definitely funny:

Murdoch on the prowl for print sales

NEW YORK — Rupert Murdoch’s counterintuitive quest to invest in print media helped drive away longtime lieutenant Peter Chernin.

And now that Chernin can’t intercede, does Murdoch want to follow News Corp.’s $5 billion buyout of Dow Jones by gobbling up the struggling New York Times Co.?

The answer appears to be yes, as impossible as present economic conditions make it for most deals of any kind to get done.

Continue reading Murdoch rumored to be after the New York Times.

Two seafaring songs by my wife.

I’m not exactly sure why she was sniggering when she sent me the link to these: the “Crew of  Seven Hundred” is a war song about a captain trying to find a way to patch her ship, while “The Small Sword Song” is essentially about a job interview.

Maybe because they were both written for her 7th Sea game?

Moe Lane

PS: Oh, yeah, I’m also supposed to mention that you may want to not click those songs at work.  I’m not sure why: it’s not like there are any dirty words in them.

The Other McCain says what I’ve been thinking.

And it’s good, practical advice:

Forget what Obama’s poll ratings are in February 2009. Forget about “Big Picture” questions of grand strategy. What counts is what the generic ballot question shows on Labor Day 2010. Republicans need to raise money, organize and identify at least 50 seats currently held by Democrats that the GOP can win in 2010. Do that basic stuff, and the “Big Picture” will take care of itself.

Continue reading The Other McCain says what I’ve been thinking.

A table that eats mice for fuel.

(pause)

OK, yeah, WTF Robots has this one absolutely nailed. This is the one that they’re going to send the time travelers back on a one-way mission to stop, even if it means nuking the entire city from orbit*.

To quote Eric Flint, “Who ordered this?”

Moe Lane

*Because it’s the only way to be sure.

Six Insane Discoveries, and their gaming applications.

Having read this on Cracked, it immediately became obvious that what it was starkly necessary for someone to look at the “6 Insane Discoveries That Science Can’t Explain” and explain them using the tools designed for such things: ie, roleplaying games.

Well, it was obvious to me. This is going to go unapologetic gaming geek now, so I’m giving the rest of you the courtesy of a page break. Continue reading Six Insane Discoveries, and their gaming applications.

Byrd vs. Obama on the Constitution.

As in, Obama needs to stay on his side of the line drawn by it:

Byrd: Obama in power grab

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the longest-serving Democratic senator, is criticizing President Obama’s appointment of White House “czars” to oversee federal policy, saying these executive positions amount to a power grab by the executive branch.

In a letter to Obama on Wednesday, Byrd complained about Obama’s decision to create White House offices on health reform, urban affairs policy, and energy and climate change. Byrd said such positions “can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances. At the worst, White House staff have taken direction and control of programmatic areas that are the statutory responsibility of Senate-confirmed officials.”

While it’s rare for Byrd to criticize a president in his own party, Byrd is a stern constitutional scholar who has always stood up for the legislative branch in its role in checking the power of the White House.

Not to mention a former Klansman, but the netroots have never cared about that before; why should they start now? Continue reading Byrd vs. Obama on the Constitution.

Jindal’s interview on the Today Show.

If you were disappointed in his performance yesterday – I wasn’t, but then, I’m much more interested in 2010 than I am in 2012 right now – this might improve your mood:

Via the Corner. Notice that he didn’t concede the points. You can’t let them define the points on which the debate is being held; if you do, they’re halfway to winning.

Crossposted to RedState.

Rep. Jeff Flake’s anti-earmark resolution up today.

As you know, it’s in response to the PMA meltdown/outrage (see here for some background posts):

Rep. Flake targets earmarks amidst PMA controversy
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), the House’s most vocal critic of pork barrel spending, is trying to shake the ethics committee into action on the link between earmarks and campaign contributors.

Flake has seized on the public corruption investigation of PMA Group, a once-powerful lobbying force that has disintegrated in the wake of an FBI probe into fraudulent campaign donations to numerous members of Congress.

In the past 24 hours, Flake has highlighted earmarks in the omnibus appropriations bill for PMA clients, written a scathing op-ed to The New York Times about Congress’s pay-to-play practices and offered a privileged resolution on the House floor that would force the House ethics panel to scrutinize the connection between earmarks and campaign cash and report back to the full body in two months.

Continue reading Rep. Jeff Flake’s anti-earmark resolution up today.

I mean to be snide about this, but Obama should hire better researchers.

We weren’t the only ones who noticed that nonsense about America inventing the automobile.

What? “Snide” doesn’t have to mean “incorrect:” it can mean “slyly disparaging,” which is what I’m aiming for. English is such a fun language for this sort of thing.

Moe Lane

PS: Actually, if I’m going to be snide, I might as well go whole hog. Here, White House! The Car: A History of the Automobile. It even has pictures.

PPS: Bush isn’t President any more, Clarke.  Stop dating yourself.

Crossposted at RedState.