tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38969392011-04-21T21:59:09.422-04:00The CheesesteakA mostly political blog, dealing with National, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia politics. And, of course, cheesesteaks, pretzels, The Eagles, the Phillies, the Flyers and the Sixers.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comBlogger981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1092757692473394862004-08-17T11:45:00.000-04:002004-08-17T11:48:12.473-04:001) Where I've been: maxing and relaxing.
2) Why I havent' posted (see 1).
I'm back. McGreevey's gay. Senator Corzine wants his job.
A friend of mine who works in Philadelphia's city hall tells me the whole McGreevey mess is a result of machinations by the Corzine-for-governor camp. Stories like this make me believe him.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-108497471023407182004-05-19T09:51:00.000-04:002004-05-19T09:51:50.233-04:00Ish...sorry it's been so bloody long.
How bout that Smarty Jones?Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1075396202731512352004-01-29T12:10:00.000-05:002004-01-29T12:23:26.936-05:00Houston, the Eagles haven't landed...let's eat some wings
Yet another year without a superbowl for the Philly fan. But that's OK. 'Cause tomorrow is Wing Bowl 2004. Some sauce, a few hot wingettes, and an admission fee most Philadelphians can swallow (free) and we'll forget all about the hotel suites, limos and giant foam fingers we had already purchased for Houston.
You can find some of Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1075396054026354712004-01-29T12:07:00.000-05:002004-01-29T12:09:44.216-05:00I wrote something in my Daily Kos diary the other day that I think deserves some attention.
Here's most of it:
I remember a few short weeks ago Dean supporters (and I was one of them) growing angry with constant attacks on Dean about his electability. In fact, one of the chief complaints I had was that these attacks were undermining Dean for the general election. Most of us were afraid Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1074533411829841392004-01-19T12:30:00.000-05:002004-01-19T12:32:44.060-05:00"Math is hard"
If Ivy at "The Keen Meme Memo" is right about Dean's hard Iowa count, Dean may surprise some people tonight.
I give this credence because Tom Schaller at DailyKos and Chris Suellentrop of Slate are hearing the same things.
Man, that's too many links.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1074527172699213912004-01-19T10:46:00.000-05:002004-01-19T10:48:29.966-05:00Philadelphia Fandom
Oh god. I can't take this. 3 years inna friggin row we get to the NFC championship game and get spanked. 2 of those years, the spanking occurred in our own damn house.
It ain't fair. It just ain't fair.
And it ain't McNabb's fault. It'd be nice if he had any receivers he could count on. With Westbrook out, the Eagles have exactly one gamebreaker. McNabb himself. AndCheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1074041185756396822004-01-13T19:46:00.000-05:002004-01-13T19:57:26.903-05:00Well, now that I've gotten over the Iggles actually beating Green Bay after what looked like a disastrous start, I can worry about politics for a few days. That is, until Thursday, when I have to start worrying about the Eagles again. Ish!
From Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:
Dean Slips in New Hampshire
ARG's moving average has Dean going from 36% to a 33% the next day. That implies that Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1073958845749015892004-01-12T20:54:00.000-05:002004-01-12T20:55:54.170-05:00Holy Fizzuck! Did you catch that Eagles game?
4th and 26. And they go for it.
First down Freddy Mitchell, I dislike you less every day.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1073675474091618282004-01-09T14:11:00.000-05:002004-01-09T14:20:29.623-05:00In 2001, the philadelphia 76ers were actually a good team. They creamed the competition on a regular basis, and actually managed to make it to the championship against a vastly superior Lakers team. Hell they even stole a game from the Lakers, IN LA.
Now we have the following situation:
Philadelphia's win/loss ration is hovering below 500 (at 0.456) and they are third in their conference. Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1073592148289825282004-01-08T15:02:00.000-05:002004-01-09T14:09:50.543-05:00Sunday
Donovan McNabb v. Brent Favre
Duce Staley/Corell Buckhalter v. Aman Green
Why doesn't this scare me as much as I think it should?
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1073592059685171852004-01-08T15:00:00.000-05:002004-01-08T15:02:42.450-05:00I went to a Dean Meetup in King of Prussia last night. I'm not a Deaniac, although I think people are certainly underestimating his ability to beat Bush in November. In any event, I was encouraged by the meetup, if for no other reason than the down-to-earth people with realistic expectations I met there.
These aren't crazed ideologues convinced that a leftward swing will catapult the Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1073413426089047142004-01-06T13:23:00.000-05:002004-01-06T13:25:25.793-05:00Inspired by Paul Graham, Ed Heil has written a very intelligent piece about conservatives in the "hard sciences"and their opinions of themselves and of their liberal interlocutors:
...I started to notice a lot of subtle implication that just about everything that is an irrational modern taboo is an irrational liberal taboo.
That's when Paul started to slide into a particular profile I dislikeCheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1072799943371121342003-12-30T10:59:00.000-05:002003-12-30T11:00:33.233-05:00OK, here's the problem.
I want to find a way to use information theory to deconvolve two or more waveforms.
The best way to do this would be to use an independent components analysis (ICA) on the complex cepstrum of a set of signals.
However, certain nonlinearities in the cepstral transformation make this problem very difficult. In an ICA transformation of a set of statistically Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1071975778354795712003-12-20T22:02:00.000-05:002003-12-20T22:10:26.200-05:00Scary Shiznit
The administration's bold plan to defund what remains of the social safety net:
President Bush has a proposal to combine and simplify the confusing morass of government savings programs and give individuals greater control over how they want to spend their tax-sheltered savings. Administration officials hope, in a second term, to let individuals control part of their Social Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1071935196217954692003-12-20T10:46:00.000-05:002003-12-20T10:50:39.326-05:00One Party State
How about the Senate? The Senate is naturally gerrymandered for GOP control, at least under the current geographical distribution of the parties. The Democratic senators control a minority of the chamber even while representing a strong majority of the U.S. population. They may get it back once in awhile, but probably not in 2004, and maybe not in 2006, either. This week, John Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1071934995910376152003-12-20T10:43:00.000-05:002003-12-20T10:44:32.996-05:00Well, George W. got his man, and all it seems to have netted him is a 6-7 point popularity pump (and less than that if you believe Zogby.
That's encouraging news, to be sure. But, in spite of the assertions of many snappy headline writers, the Bushies have not yet played their real "ace in the hole."
That'll happen in October. I'm even considering putting money on it.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1071247205894267732003-12-12T11:40:00.000-05:002003-12-12T11:41:12.500-05:00Google Bombing Time
You know, it sure seems to me that George W. Bush is unelectable.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1071247118285037972003-12-12T11:38:00.000-05:002003-12-12T18:11:16.263-05:00About a week or so ago, Miss Anthropy posted the following link to an article in "The Weekly Standard"
"Democrats Go Off the Cliff", pointing to an article with the following quote:
ACROSS THE COUNTRY Republicans and conservatives are asking each other the same basic question: Has the other side gone crazy? Have the Democrats totally flipped their lids? Because every day some Democrat seems toCheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1070392166322458692003-12-02T14:09:00.000-05:002003-12-03T18:10:42.170-05:00Yes, George W. is a miserable failure. An utterly miserable failure.
Thanks to Atrios for turning me onto this.
Apparently, this phenomenon is all the result of one blogger's genius. One wonders, though, how long before the Rove machine strongarms google into preventing this search result from coming up.
But in the meantime, it's nice to see that the internet agrees. George W. Bush is aCheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1068580208919487382003-11-11T14:49:00.000-05:002003-11-11T14:50:49.186-05:00This one's for George.
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory
The old lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
-Wilfred Owen
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1068149472448310462003-11-06T15:10:00.000-05:002003-11-06T15:11:31.263-05:00Who knew that cepstral analysis was so freakin' difficult to make work?Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1068049375146303522003-11-05T11:22:00.000-05:002003-11-05T11:23:12.293-05:00I don't talk much about my work here. Usually just complain about how busy I am. I do want to change that. I enjoy my job as much or more than I enjoy politics and sports. As such, it shouldn't be beyond the scope of this blog.
So for those who've missed it, I'm a neuroscientist/biophysicist. Usually I call myself a "neurophysicist." My basic interest is the study of complex, Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1068047162610041972003-11-05T10:44:00.000-05:002003-11-05T10:51:58.076-05:00Street wins, but not without some thuggery.
I'm glad street won. I've needed to see some electoral victories for "my side." But I wish we'd had more class.
Who am I kidding. This is Philly.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1067960042416648722003-11-04T10:34:00.000-05:002003-11-04T10:34:18.170-05:00Posted in the comments at The Whiskey Bar
The Persian Version
Truth-loving Persians do not dwell upon
The trivial skirmish fought near Marathon.
As for the Greek theatrical tradition
Which represents that summer's expedition
Not as a mere reconnaisance in force
By three brigades of foot and one of horse
(Their left flank covered by some obsolete
Light craft detached from the main Persian fleet)Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1067364301856354662003-10-28T12:51:00.000-05:002003-10-28T13:05:08.796-05:00I should really comment on the bug controversy in the Philadelphia Mayoral Race. I'm just not sure what to say. Apparently the bug is helping Mayor street. Huh. A week ago I woulda thought Street was cooked. But people seem to be viewing this as a dirty trick. At best, I thought this would be a wash, considering the wrongdoing of which Republican candidate Sam Katz is accused.
My only Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1067363448652825252003-10-28T12:49:00.000-05:002003-10-28T12:51:13.090-05:00Most physicists do their best work by the time they are 25.
I am now 30 and have done nothing of which I am particularly proud.
Unpleasantly sobering, really.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1067274721191911462003-10-27T12:01:00.000-05:002003-10-27T12:12:20.046-05:00Ugh. Sick as a dog. Overworked.
And to top it all off, I'm watching a nascent
"Ramadan Offensive" in "our colony."
Hey, geniuses! Yeah you! This means you guys who said we anti-war types didn't have any answers about Iraq, that at least the right had a solution...
How you like that solution now? Feelin' pretty good about things?Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1067005090570519172003-10-24T10:08:00.000-04:002003-10-24T10:18:45.920-04:00Oh man, I just can't seem to get started again with the blogging.
Let's see, I've missed the great Donovan MCNabb Controversy.
My assessment: I pretty much agree with every other Philly fan. McNabb is clearly in a slump, and he may have been somewhat overrated by the league, but he was not overrated because of his race. The NFL was under pressure, at one point, to see that black Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-1063983767433858532003-09-19T11:00:00.000-04:002003-09-19T11:02:47.593-04:00Wow. Sorry for the long hiatus. I've had a busy summer. My wife and I are having a baby. My internet connection has been problematic. Work has been a biznotch.
Blogging for the sake of a few readers hasn't, you know, seemed worth it.
But a few brutal losses by the Eagles have put me in the mood to blog again. Because I have to ask this question out loud and in public: WHO THE FIZZUCK Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-957549452003-06-17T10:57:00.000-04:002003-06-17T10:57:56.733-04:00Pointed article over at Salon today:
How the Left Lost Teen Spirit
As Goldberg points out -- and no other political pundit, to my knowledge, has noticed this -- in 1996, Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole by 19 points among voters under 24. In 2000, George W. Bush and Gore were dead even in that age group, a total of about 9 million votes. Restore even half of Clinton's '96 edge with youth, and the Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-955654712003-06-11T17:47:00.000-04:002003-06-11T17:47:39.630-04:00Bubble Economy II: Electric Boogaloo
Lessee, Motorola warns on profits, the Fed notes an absence of any significant post-war growth, and Freddie Mac may go poof...
and the Dow goes up 128 points.
My friends, we have successfully reinflated the bubble.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-950644822003-05-29T23:51:00.000-04:002003-05-29T23:54:57.000-04:00I'm sorry to see Angel Ortiz lose his City Council seat (even after the local Faux News station outed him for driving without a license, - a really dumb move, to be sure) because this probably wouldn't have happened without him:
Phila. council condemns Patriot Act
Philadelphia became the country's largest city today to condemn the USA Patriot Act, criticizing the post-9/11 law as a hastily Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-950427172003-05-29T13:43:00.000-04:002003-05-29T13:43:02.006-04:00I hope this post by Josh Marshall doesn't mean the Dems are backing off Craddickgate. Although at this point maybe "Texasgate" is better (still doesn't quite have the "ring" of scandal, though)...
Committee Chairman Kevin Bailey says "It may have been a technical violation of the law to destroy the documents. I don't think there was an intent to cover up anything. So I don't think there's a Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-947485762003-05-22T14:36:00.000-04:002003-05-23T15:56:43.000-04:00Josh Marshall seems to be very heavily invested in Craddickgate. Good. Marshall is a tenacious and talented reporter. The work he did in discrediting the South Dakota Vote Fraud story was about the only real national journalism on the topic.
LONG ASIDE:
As an aside, I know I'll receive some criticism for slapping a "-gate" on this Texas scandal, but let's be honest. "-gate" is now an Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-946403132003-05-20T12:41:00.000-04:002003-05-22T14:36:48.000-04:00Only in Philadelphia
It's springtime in Philly, and it's Primary Election Day.
I know this because the telephone polls have bloomed and everywhere I look I see names I don't recognize plastered on objects I once recognized. There are vans going up and down Ridge Avenue festooned with Hyphenated American names and playing the "Rocky Theme."
Someone should remind campaign managers that in the Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-944822332003-05-16T23:06:00.000-04:002003-05-16T23:06:35.160-04:00Sigh.
The Sixers just got bounced out of the playoffs.
Which is bad.
What is worse, though, is that they got bounced out based on a really bad foul call on Keith Van Horn. That call basically forced an overtime that would not have happened otherwise.
On the cheerful side of things, at least we've decided that the Iraqi's can't govern themselves after all.
This could be bad. Real Bad.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-944098172003-05-15T16:40:00.000-04:002003-05-15T16:42:23.000-04:00Where are those weapons of mass destruction again?
Sean-Paul nails it:
I have to admit that I am very surprised that Coalition Forces in Iraq have not found any evidence of WMD in Iraq. The war has been over for a considerable period now; long enough in my opinion to have enabled special US units to locate the "25,000 liters of anthrax, 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin, 500 tons of sarin, Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-941307842003-05-10T23:09:00.000-04:002003-05-10T23:20:12.000-04:00Been thinking lately on the need for a centralized effort to distribute and disseminate liberal propaganda. I won't go into the gory details of the situation, other bloggers have already done it better, but I'd imagine most of my readers (admittedly a very small number) are aware of the dreadful degree to which conservative voices are heard in the media over and above liberal or left-leaning Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-938312922003-05-05T20:04:00.000-04:002003-05-05T20:04:23.786-04:00Things Fall Apart...Maybe/Maybe Not?
Rival ethnic groups elected an interim council to govern Iraq’s third largest city on Monday in the country’s first vote since Saddam Hussein was ousted by US-led forces last month.
The US military maintained tight security for the 250 delegates who gathered at the Mosul Social Club, where the council was set to elect a mayor for the city and the Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-936351562003-05-02T00:10:00.000-04:002003-05-02T00:10:00.480-04:00Y'know when Michael Dukakis looks like a fool and get's chaufeurred around in a tank, he is roundly mocked by the media.
When the current occupant of the White House pretends to pilot a jet in what amounts to multimillion dollar stock footage for soon-to-be produced campaign commericals, it's lauded as brilliant and patriotic and...and...and...
DAMN THAT LIBERAL MEDIA! WILL THEY NEVER GIVE Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-936347502003-05-02T00:01:00.000-04:002003-05-02T00:12:24.000-04:00Day 5: Where are the Weapons of Mass Destruction???
Still curious. True, I was distracted by the spectacle of our head of state pretending to pilot a plane, but I still think I would have heard if they'd found some.
Maybe the announcements are just coming through real quiet-like. Better turn up the volume on CNN.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-935087402003-04-29T23:37:00.001-04:002003-04-29T23:37:59.803-04:00Gods, I'm tired. Tired tired tired. I love my job, love being a scientist, but lately I've just felt like my life consists of crunching numbers and then coming home and doing laundry and then going to bed. Seems like? That's what my life has been. Also, my lungs apparently decided to hang out that "Vacancy: Bacteria Welcome" a few weeks ago and the little buggers apparently liked it. Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-935087132003-04-29T23:37:00.000-04:002003-04-29T23:37:33.940-04:00Gods, I'm tired. Tired tired tired. I love my job, love being a scientist, but lately I've just felt like my life consists of crunching numbers and then coming home and doing laundry and then going to bed. Seems like? That's what my life has been. Also, my lungs apparently decided to hang out that "Vacancy: Bacteria Welcome" a few weeks ago and the little buggers apparently liked it. Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-934243272003-04-28T17:53:00.000-04:002003-04-28T17:53:50.740-04:00Kevin Millwood officially doesn't suck
Cool. Never thought I'd see a no hitter in Philly.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-934242412003-04-28T17:52:00.000-04:002003-04-28T17:52:12.146-04:00Day 1: Where are the Weapons of Mass Destruction???
Just wondering.
Aren't you?Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-929560752003-04-20T21:33:00.000-04:002003-04-20T21:37:49.000-04:00Something I posted to DU:
The aboslute lack of coverage of growing anti-americanism, the focus on feel good stories, the emphasis on how we're helping the Iraqis...all of this is creating a dangerous misperception in the average US citizen's mind as to our precarious status there.
No one I talk to is aware about the mass protests against our military presence. No one I talk to has heard that Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-926241972003-04-14T22:48:00.000-04:002003-04-14T22:48:34.496-04:00Sorry about the relative dearth of posting. I've been working on another blog, entirely news oriented: Insurgency News, as I expect we will be experiencing a lot in the way of unconventional warfare over the next few years, given the bottle of international havok we just uncorked. Check it out.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-922290482003-04-08T12:21:00.000-04:002003-04-08T12:23:07.000-04:00This is some speculation about where this war may go in the next few months.
It seems clear to me that many Iraqi fighters in the city are simply not going to put down their weapons. It is also clear that they do not have the weaponry, training, or will to hold Baghdad against or troops. Our troops will be able to move up and down main thoroughfares in their tanks and APCs easily.
The Iraqi's Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-918875832003-04-02T22:33:00.000-05:002003-04-02T22:39:20.000-05:00After a weekend of criticism of the direction the war was taken, it doesn't seem to be a coincidence that today was the day the "coalition" decided to make a big push toward Baghdad. A push that didn't seem to meet much in the way of opposition.
We've apparently decided that this lack of resistance means that several Iraqi Republican Guard divisions have been decimated. Maybe this is right.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-914264812003-03-26T13:51:00.000-05:002003-03-26T13:51:17.200-05:00I just don't have words for this...
Truck driver James "Jim" Watters said Tuesday he never intended to hit any war protestors when he drove his tractor-trailer rig up onto a sidewalk Monday in the West End.
"I did not intend to hurt anyone," Watters said shortly after his release from the Hamilton County Justice Center. "My intent was to get people off the bridge. I was doing it for the boys Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-912809102003-03-24T09:46:00.000-05:002003-03-24T09:47:31.000-05:00Secret Western Front
The Agonist cites this Asia Times story as evidence of an incipient western front for this war. A secret front, launched through Jordan. If the Hashemite King's subjects find out about this, he is a goner. An absolute goner.
This may also explain the story that, over the weekend, several Iraqi diplomats were expelled by Jordan. Mayhap they were getting too curious...
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-912604722003-03-23T23:49:00.000-05:002003-03-24T01:34:35.000-05:00I was watching CNN earlier, and apparently, Aaron Brown, assclown, and CNN anchor thinks its wrong that Al Jazeera has been broadcasting photographs and video of captured and killed American P.O.W.s/soldiers. Of course, when he confronted Al Jazeera's Washington Bureau head Hafez al-Mirazi, he had his very own incidence of this kind of thing thrown back in his face. Apparently on Aaron's own Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-911651522003-03-22T00:08:00.000-05:002003-03-22T00:10:13.000-05:00Is this the best bounce Bush could scrape out of this war? That could spell trouble, especially if the economy doesn't pick up soon. Because this bounce ain't much higher than that seen after Colon Powell's UN presentation. And that one lasted, what, a week?Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-911289562003-03-21T10:56:00.000-05:002003-03-21T10:56:45.153-05:00I'm shocked and awed by the Agonist's collection of news, updates, and links
as per what's going on in Iraq. Very impressive, Sean-Paul.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-911058882003-03-21T00:12:00.000-05:002003-03-21T00:12:19.716-05:00Richard Perle, assclown, and part-time member of the Bush administration thanks god for the UN's "death"
Fuck you, Rick. Fuck you very much.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-908372292003-03-16T23:48:00.000-05:002003-03-16T23:53:57.000-05:00Whaddya know...the Sixers beat the Nets today. I'm almost convinced that Derrick Coleman has put his years as a dog behind him and decided to start living up to his potential. These guys might actually make a run for the championship of the East.
And maybe, if the Lakers don't go to the finals...
well, a fella can dream, can't he?Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-908371122003-03-16T23:46:00.000-05:002003-03-16T23:46:29.450-05:00Pandagon has an excellent post about the media and its priorities.
Of course, schmaltz sells.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-907287622003-03-14T15:45:00.000-05:002003-03-14T15:45:35.013-05:00From the "I feel safer already" department...
According to CNN (no story online yet), the Department of Homeland Security is considering introducing a new color to our color-coded alert system:
"Hard Orange."
Only people who hate America will think this is absurd.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-907285002003-03-14T15:39:00.000-05:002003-03-14T15:39:54.670-05:00OK, I was WAY WRONG.
I'm used to it. I'm a scientist.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-907097192003-03-14T09:24:00.000-05:002003-03-14T09:24:18.326-05:00 Rose Garden News Conference
Bush and Powell are going to make an accouncement at 10 a.m. today from the White House Rose Garden, claims
CNN.
Prediction: They either have the votes and are going to showboat this fact, or are going to withdraw their resolution and denounce the French. I'm leaning toward the former. They love to showboat.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-905661812003-03-11T23:18:00.000-05:002003-03-11T23:18:34.733-05:00Psychoanalyzing Pakistan
I've been wondering lately if Pakistan has been using the recent terror arrests of Khalid Sheik Mohammed and the reported (and later disputed) arrests of Osama bin Laden's son as leverage for the upcoming security council vote. My reasoning is this: Pakistan desperately wants to abstain from voting for domestic political reasons, but it doesn't want to alienate its Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-904701772003-03-10T13:46:00.000-05:002003-03-10T13:48:37.000-05:00From a DU post I made:
The cover story on CNN's homepage(http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/10/sprj.irq.main/index.html) claims that Blix never mentioned remotely piloted vehicles in his oral presentation, and that this may be trouble.
But he did. Here's the transcript.
And an excerpt from the transcript:
"Inspectors are also engaged in examining Iraq’s programme for Remotely Piloted Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-904113142003-03-09T14:10:00.000-05:002003-03-09T14:10:26.903-05:00The Agonist,Josh Marshall, and
Cal Pundit
get on the Peace Train.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-903005672003-03-07T09:16:00.000-05:002003-03-07T09:23:02.000-05:00Has it struck anyone else that the Bushies' "disarmament" rhetoric is pretty much forcing the U.N. and Iraq to play football with invisible end zones? The Bushies have resisted any and all attempts to quantify exactly what would constitute disarmament on the part of the Iraqis. And why shouldn't they? By so doing, they hold all the cards as to when, how and why we'll declare war on Iraq. ThatCheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-902370252003-03-06T08:52:00.000-05:002003-03-06T08:52:31.763-05:00The Mahablog isn't bad at all.Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-901792522003-03-05T10:28:00.000-05:002003-03-05T10:29:44.000-05:00Rendell Offers Bare Bones Budget
But it looks like he'll be coming back for more later and will offer
legislators a choice: take the bare-bones budget, which calls for cuts across the board, or wait to adopt a budget that will bring some new programs but also some tax pain.
I was in Harrisburg Monday, at an education protest, and word is, the Repubs are going to try and force through the Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-901789902003-03-05T10:23:00.000-05:002003-03-05T10:23:38.920-05:00PA Supreme Court Commission Urgest Death Penalty Moratorium
However, Governor Rendell, like a good New Democrat, won't go along:
"The governor believes we need to make the death-penalty process more fair by guaranteeing access to DNA evidence and guaranteeing access to legal representation but does not support a moratorium," said his spokesman, Ken Snyder.
*sigh* What won't one forgive the Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-901377802003-03-04T17:46:00.000-05:002003-03-05T10:30:31.000-05:00The Turkey vote was a pleasant surprise to me, but I chose not to write anything at all about it, mostly because I was convinced it would be reversed and that we would be sending in imperial...I mean U.S.... forces there forthwith. However, I am experiencing the pleasantly unfamiliar sentiment of being wrong...if this is correct. It appears to be the case that Bulent Arinc, speaker of Turkey's Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-899740862003-03-01T19:15:00.000-05:002003-03-01T19:15:20.216-05:00Here's a poser: If you are against the coming Iraq war (as I am), what is your view regarding the proper role of the United States after the war. Because those of us who are anti-war appear to be presented with a Hobson's choice:
1) Get out immediately after toppling Saddam. This is the best outcome for us, in terms of avoding terrorism and not being seen as a colonial power interested in Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-897407282003-02-25T18:38:00.000-05:002003-02-25T18:40:47.000-05:00George ain't gonna like this. And I can't say I blame him. He has staked his entire political future on a *WAR WITH IRAQ*. If he fails to get a war, that will be nearly as bad as failing to prosecute the war effectively. Why? Because so many conservative powerhouses have invested this battle with the moral language of a war between the forces of light and darkness. If Bush backs down, he Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-896773222003-02-24T19:38:00.000-05:002003-02-24T19:38:28.873-05:00Want to watch spin as it happens?
What Saddam said:
Regarding chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix's order that Iraq destroy its Al-Samoud 2 missiles, Rather quoted Saddam as saying: "Iraq is allowed to prepare proper missiles and we are committed to that."
Asked whether the Al-Samoud 2 missiles are "proper," Saddam was quoted as replying: "We do not have missiles that go beyond the Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-895540142003-02-22T11:11:00.000-05:002003-02-25T20:45:07.000-05:00Just added new comment feature....testing...
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-894979682003-02-21T09:45:00.000-05:002003-02-25T20:45:59.000-05:00Cologne + Arab National = Big Trouble
OK, my town has gone officially
nuts.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-894943332003-02-21T08:20:00.000-05:002003-02-25T20:46:34.000-05:00Although I ain't a Republican, I'm still sad to see Philly City Councilman Thatcher Longstreth retire. Longstreth is most famous for his bow ties and argyle socks, and, well, uh, for being really old. Still he is a class act (or as much of a class act as this city can muster). The really bad news for the rest of the city is that this leaves the abominable Frank Rizzo Jr. as the city's only Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-894940472003-02-21T08:13:00.000-05:002003-02-25T20:52:55.000-05:00My god...how many wars are we planning on fighting?
So, we're sending 3000 troops to the Phillipines to fight Abu Sayyaf. Apparently the last batch of 1500 or so didn't quite do the trick.
Folks, we've read this story before. A little more than 30 years ago, I think.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-893142562003-02-18T11:52:00.000-05:002003-02-25T20:53:30.000-05:00Finally, a *real* liberal media!
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-893142092003-02-18T11:51:00.000-05:002003-02-25T20:54:25.000-05:00DailyKos has a great idea.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-893124382003-02-18T11:15:00.000-05:002003-02-25T20:54:57.000-05:00The anti-war protests this weekend exceeded my hopes and expectations. Even the Philly protest managed to draw 10,000 people (an estimate that even the police appear to support). Surprising that, in this town of the broken heart, so many people still care about the world enough to brave an approaching blizzard.
Unfortunately, and guiltily, I didn't get to the rally. I've been crippled for Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-889088102003-02-11T08:06:00.000-05:002003-02-25T20:55:59.000-05:00Well, it's seems we're marching off to war, no matter how many of us raise legitimate questions about the need, morality, and prudence of it. And there is something tremendously freeing about knowing you CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO STOP IT. It's sort of like that peaceful feeling I've experienced a few times before a crd accident or a fall...the feeling that it's entirely out of your hands at this Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-877002852003-01-19T19:16:00.000-05:002003-02-25T20:58:07.000-05:00From a post I made to Democratic Underground
We're a huge sports market. As big or bigger than many of the markets that consistently come through in the clutch. But our teams, over the last twenty years, always crumble in the face of championship games.
Maybe its part of the Universe's great plan to build a race of warriors who know how to face despair, because they our so thogoughly Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-873530482003-01-13T09:14:00.000-05:002003-01-13T09:14:50.103-05:00Arghh....I'm still working on THE DAMN PAPER. So my ability to actually keep up with events and make comments on them remains minimal. But here goes, real fast:
Eagles beat Michael Vick and the Falcons (sounds like a 50s doowoop group), will play in NFC championship against the Buccaneers. I couldn't hope for a better matchup, but part of me is afraid the revenge factor will finally bite us Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-868124142003-01-01T23:18:00.000-05:002003-01-01T23:19:04.000-05:00Well, now that we've gotten that "peace on earth, good will to men" nonsense out of the way, we can get back to ugly partisan warfare. Thank God.
As we start out this new year, it looks like the Dems have finally begun to realize that they've been losing the media war to the Republicans for years and need to begin fighting back. As we speak, Democratic operative are scouring the countryside Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-864796242002-12-24T09:36:00.000-05:002003-01-01T23:22:05.000-05:00Ish...it's been a long time since I've been able to write...I've been busy writing a paper about spinal circuitry and whatnot.
Anyhow, I'm sure you're all interested in that.
Seriously, I could make some comments about the whole Trent Lott controversy, I could say some nice things about my Eagles, I could note that the Sixers creamed LA last week...but given that I have a readership of 3, Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-856136012002-12-06T18:00:00.000-05:002002-12-06T18:02:07.000-05:00Testify, Brother E.J.
E.J. Dionne writes:
To the extent that there has been a bias in the establishment media, it has been less a liberal tilt than a preference for the values of the educated, professional class -- which, surprise, surprise, is roughly the class position of most journalists.
This meant that on social and cultural issues -- abortion and religion come to mind -- journalism was Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-855713302002-12-05T21:55:00.000-05:002002-12-06T18:00:33.000-05:00Onto the increasingly important story of John Kerry's hair.
Yes, dear reader, it has been instructive to hear the Mighty Wurlitzer crank out this spiteful little tune, from Mickey Kaus' first hints that Kerry's bad hair made him worthy of hatred to Drudge's puerile attempt to shoehorn this into an actual issue debate and Judy Woodruff's shameless (and half-assed) attempt at "Hardballing" on Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-854649962002-12-03T23:43:00.000-05:002002-12-03T23:44:26.000-05:00TWO GREAT TASTES THAT TASTE GREAT TOGETHER
"Hey, you got your Kissinger in my Taliban!"
"And you got your Taliban in my Kissinger!"
Unocal: there's no wrong way to oppress the masses.
(with apologies, although not many, to the Hershey Corporation)
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-854179142002-12-03T00:33:00.000-05:002002-12-03T00:34:26.000-05:00ONE VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY, COMING RIGHT UP
Josh Marshall's observing the evolution of media spin around Drudge's puerile Kerry Haircut Story.
Hear the Mighty Wurlitzer cranking up?
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-854165212002-12-02T23:59:00.000-05:002002-12-03T00:41:07.000-05:00Bartcopper nails Tweety.
OK, who didn't know that Tweety was a whore?
Looks like his wife didn't, that's for sure.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-854040002002-12-02T19:35:00.000-05:002002-12-03T00:11:27.000-05:00Neal Pollack. Hilarious. And Scary.
"There is nothing to fear from Admiral Poindexter. Look at the website for the Information Awareness Office. Now tell me. What's creepy about that? The world is being watched, as always, by a giant eye coming out of a pyramid. So? The services that the DARPA Corporation (all hail DARPA! Hail! Hail!) are just and friendly ones. I've always wanted someone to Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-851901692002-11-27T21:16:00.000-05:002002-12-02T19:57:57.000-05:00Because the Bush administration is so particularly adept at this sort of corruption, I've decided to add a semi-regular feature to The Cheesesteak: The Fox Guarding the Henhouse Award. This week's winner has just got to be this story.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-851898942002-11-27T21:08:00.000-05:002002-12-02T20:05:15.000-05:00Koy Detmer is a warrior , and deserves to finish out the season. His recovery is projected to be anywhere from 2 weeks to 5 weeks. I'm optimistic that he can back after 2 games. Optimistic and hopeful.
I like football, but I'm not a maniac. And I can't say a game has ever seriously moved me. That is, until this last Eagles game against the 49ers. A backup quarterback who hardly ever plays Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-850289382002-11-24T20:02:00.000-05:002002-12-02T19:58:56.000-05:00Yes, I know Donovan McNabb ain't playing tomorrow against San Francisco. And Yes, I know that Koy Detmer is. And yet, I'm not nearly as worried or as heartsick as I thought I'd be. Resignation to a certain loss, or secret optimism? I ain't sure yet.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-849416122002-11-22T16:20:00.000-05:002002-12-02T19:59:52.000-05:00This week's Bell Curve:
The Bell Curve
City Paper's weekly gauge of Philly's Quality of Life
Donovan McNabb out for season with broken ankle. Thousands of fans suffer same injury jumping off bandwagon. Minus 7
Councilman Jim Kenney says he's reluctantly seeking re-election. Finally, a message Democrats can rally around: "We're just going through the motions." Minus 1
Owners of Trocadero andCheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-848370492002-11-20T17:36:00.000-05:002002-12-02T20:01:09.000-05:00At least some in the mainstream press are bringing up the newly-minted conservative bias of media coverage. Maybe we'll see more pieces like this.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-848368442002-11-20T17:31:00.000-05:002002-12-02T20:01:35.000-05:00A good idea whose time has come: the actually well-funded liberal think tank.
I'm not sure these guys have anything to do with this. But at least the name sounds good.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-845478732002-11-14T18:10:00.000-05:002002-12-02T20:02:09.000-05:00OK, I haven't had a lot of time to update, but I'm busy. Really. I had no idea being a scientist was so time consuming. After a week of drunken revelery at the Neuroscience national convention I've had a lot of catch up work. Starting up a brand new blog with a readership of 0 has been a low priority. Not a priority at all, really.
Anyhow, I guess I'll get this thing started. Although I'mCheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-836696442002-10-28T12:09:00.000-05:002002-10-28T13:08:25.000-05:00testing...
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896939.post-836694222002-10-28T12:05:00.000-05:002002-10-28T14:06:19.000-05:00Welcome to the first edition of "The Cheesesteak. Your home for a Philly perspective on local and national politics.
-Cheez Whiz.
Cheez Whizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213240978693870426noreply@blogger.com