Here’s the follow-up to this morning’s post on “voluntary” food rationing in the UK, a kerfuffle about Pixar’s Wall-E and its depiction of the overweight: And the thing is, look. Obviously not everyone who is overweight is a food-crazed slob. Obviously some are victims of shitty genes or whatever. And, really, I don’t think Pixar was targeting the genetically obese. Researchers have suggested that those unlucky folks aren’t the way

The following comments are excerpted from one of the most influential “progressive” sites on the web, Daily Kos — routinely a pander node for leftwing politicians looking for money, support, or political affirmation and approval. The Huffington Post, home to limousine liberals who are rarely if ever as clever as they believe themselves to be, at least had the sense to close comments on their entry. Probably because they were

A New Hampshire woman who was struck by lightning this week was stunned to find that her voice had changed, and she was finding it tougher to get across the street in front of her home.  Reached for comment, Jessica LaFreinure commented bitterly, “It’s so totally not fair.  I was going to go to MIT to study to be one of those people who like, work on those things that

David Thompson has linked to a number of “Female Privilege Checklists” that seem to be percolating in response to “Male Privilege Checklists” generated by old school feministas like Wellesley College professor Peggy McIntosh (who framed her checklist as one of “white  privilege’).  For example, Thompson excerpts several from Brandon Berg, including these: If I marry, there is a very good chance that I will be given the option to quit my job

ABC’s Jake Tapper is the latest to notice that Obama’s $100 Million June has not quite materialized, quoting the Wall Street Journal: June fund-raising for Sen. Obama appears to be falling below the expectations of some supporters. The campaign hasn’t released its June numbers, but people close to the fund-raising operation say the total will likely be just over $30 million. While this isn’t a poor showing, it is an underwhelming

Gordon Brown’s model state, a preview of coming attractions: LONDON – Waste not, want not. Evoking an era of World War II austerity, British families are being urged to cut food waste and use leftovers in a nationwide effort to fight sharply rising global food prices. It’s not back to ration books, “victory gardens” or squirrel-tail soup yet, but warning bells are being rung by experts at all levels of

Wired’s Noah Shachtman rounds up some of the better mockeries of Iran’s attempt to Photoshop a failed missile launch into a success.  My favorite may be the old school approach of a Boing Boing commenter: While the Photoshop folly is deserving of mockery, Galrahn at Information Dissemination has a more serious look at the signs that an attack on Iran by Israel in the autumn, and how a number of elements from the

Barack Obama’s scheme to deliver a major foreign policy address at the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin complicates German US-relations, as the government would like to avoid offending both Obama and John McCain.  It also mucks about with German domestic politics.  It is a  move that is not only inconsistent with Obama’s complaint that the US is not sensitive enough to our relationships with our allies, but also indicative of Obama’s inexperience and hubris.

Haven’t done a Polly Toynbee post in a while. Also, happy 7-11 to seveneleventy.

When asked about the contents of his iPod, John McCain declares the love that dare not speak its name: “Dare I say Abba?” he replied. “Everybody says, ‘Ugh. Abba.’ Why is that? Abba was the largest-selling record act ever. Nobody likes them, but they sold more records than anybody in the history of the world, including the Beatles. But everybody hates them. You’re a no-class guy if you like Abba.