2 years on, New Orleans is still a disaster area, thousands of houses haven't been cleaned up, tens to hundreds of thousands of people who lived there haven't been able to return. And not because they found new places. Many still live in FEMA "emergency" trailers. More than half the recovery money hasn't been spent at all, and much of the rest of it has somehow worked its way into the pockets of people without actually getting anything rebuilt.

Oh yeah. And police and mercenaries are keeping people out of their homes.

There's your "compassionate conservativism," in its full hypocritical glory.

So much of the US media seems to be consumed by clueless wankery. Look at this week's cover of Time. "What the Imus affair tells us about who can say what" is their cover story.

Okay, let's see. Don Imus, millionaire shock jock (which is basically someone paid to be an asshole), throws a n offhand slur at a bunch of college basketball students who just won their division, right after his producer does the same. And now CBS has fired him. The sad part is he'll end up with some other radio show soon, probably six months or so to let the furor die down, I bet. So. That's not even getting into the rest of the asshole stuff Don Imus has said, because he's PAID TO BE AN ASSHOLE. But that wouldn't be an excuse for wankery.

Why doesn't Time hire somebody like Phil Nugent, whose blog post I linked to does a much better job of analysis, including how Don Imus broke the power equation of comedy, plus how the Republican party's pandering to racists gets ignored as "just politics".

It's amazingly lame how so many journalists manage to get themselves so wrapped up in their little circle of people and stuff they can ignore the bloody obvious right in front of their noses.

Jan. 11, 2007 - Sen. Joe Lieberman, the only Democrat to endorse President Bush’s new plan for Iraq, has quietly backed away from his pre-election demands that the White House turn over potentially embarrassing documents relating to its handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans.

In his rush to appear "moderate" and "bipartisan", Joe Lieberman has put his own political fortunes ahead of the welfare of the country and the truth. This was why so many liberals opposed him. Because, when it comes right down to it, he's an asshole who's perfectly happy to violate his principles on the chance it might get him some more power.

Man, how did I totally miss this? Virginia has one of those moronic "protection of marriage" amendments on the ballot for this election cycle.

Virginia has had stupid amendments before. A couple years back, there was an amendment to make hunting and fishing on public land a constitutional right, and to ensure that lottery proceeds would be spent on public education. I mean, seriously. What the hell? Those are stupid amendments. Those really needed to be there.

And this year we get "That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage. "

That second paragraph is the legally dangerous one. I mean, which rights, benefits, etc of marriage can't other legal statusii have? Does it have to be all, or does it only have to duplicate some? It doesn't say. Because the purpose is just because "OMG TEH GAY!" What the fucking fuck, rednecks? Is gay people getting married REALLY worth all of this bullshit, while we're "at war"? Obviously so, which implies either that gay marriage is the GREATEST THREAT TO THIS NATION EVER!!!!one!!!!1, or that the War on Terror isn't that big a deal, or just that people are fucktards about sex. What does it matter who other people are fucking?

And there's two other amendments up this election cycle. Lemme see. The other is asking if we should delete part of the constitution banning the incorporation of churches because it was ruled unconstitutional(?) and I'm really not sure of the significance of that whole thing. And the third is asking if we should allow localities to provide an exemption to property taxes for real estate with new structures located in conservation zones. That sounds bad, giving tax breaks to developers building in areas that are supposed to be for conservation?

Man. I need to start paying more attention to local politics. Not that the local Republican politicos will give any more of a shit about what I think than national ones do, but y'know.