All posts tagged "Atrios"

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This is why we can't have nice things (via Atrios):

I agree with Atrios that the possibility of "bipartisanship" after a Republican victory in November is not exactly something to hope for. All that really means is that the Republicans will be able to get more concessions out of Obama than they already have, so really there's no reason to think there's a bright side. Bipartisanship is basically code for "conservatives pull the nation rightward".

Matt Y. and Atrios both commented today on one of the most ludicrous examples of how car-centric culture and laws are out of control---mandatory bar-parking. For instance, Long Beach, CA requires 20 parking spaces for every 1,000 sq. ft. of tavern floor. Unless you're a complete Pollyanna, there is no doubt that the more that people use cars to get to and from bars, the more drunk driving there will be.

[rebelmouse-image 24749435 original_size="432x287" expand=1]There's something deeply unsettling about the pressure on the news media to find upbeat angles when covering the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Since when do grown-ups refuse to believe that it's possible that there's no good news? We're all quite aware that shitstorms of the worst sort are possible, and yet here you have journalists straining all credibility with reassurances that things can't possibly be as bad as they actually are. For instance, the reality-based angle of this story about the edibility of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is closer to Atrios's take than what the AP reporter actually put in the story. The AP reporter passes on assurances that Gulf seafood is safe because they have people sniffing it. Atrios points out that it's reasonable to be skeptical that sniffing for oil will really cut it, since there's also dispersants in the water that might not pass the "sniffing for oil" test . I'll also point out that it's not just what's sitting on the seafood that's an issue. Even though shrimp come to the table with their heads missing, I assure you they once had them, and they used them to take in nutrients that are in the water, and that means there's a strong chance they've been eating both oil and dispersants.

[rebelmouse-image 24749247 original_size="350x220" expand=1]I have to agree with Atrios that it's really surprising to see such a dramatic decline in the number of 16-year-olds who are getting their driver's licenses. Of course, he's remembering a suburban upbringing, where being carless was a trap. I was living in a small town in high school, which means you could get everywhere in town on a bike if you wanted to, but everyone had licenses as soon as they could anyway, because that's just what was done. Getting me into the driver's seat was as much about setting my parents free as myself, especially since we had to make a lot of weekend trips to El Paso to visit my dad. As soon as they could, my parents let me make that drive by myself so they could avoid the method we had prior, which was meeting halfway in Van Horn for the trade-off. My mother treated my driver's license like it was her ticket to freedom---the end of having to drive me to El Paso, to my after school activities, and even the end of having to get up with me at 3 or 4 in the morning to drive me to school so I could catch the bus to our speech tournaments in other small towns. (The definition of a town close enough to drive to for competitive events in Texas is way different than elsewhere, I'd imagine---we thought a mere 2 hour drive was a relief compared to some of the trips we took.) When my mom realized she could make me drive to the grocery store and run her errands for her, she took advantage of that, too.