Links of the Day

Arlen Specter Leaves the GOP - In a sign that the Republican Death Spiral continues, the long time Senator from Pennsylvania has decided to caucus with the Democratic Party as a run-up to the 2010 election. It is the first time a Republican Senator has switched in history. He did the usual song and dance about doing it for principle, etc but at least he did say the real reason he was changing was to win re-election "In the course of the last several months ... I have traveled the state and surveyed the sentiments of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania and public opinion polls, observed other public opinion polls and have found that the prospects for winning a Republican primary are bleak." Technically, this will help give Democrats a filibuster proof majority but realistically that even occurred on a rare basis and isn't the huge threat the GOP pretends it is (but then the Dems have a history of caving to it anyway). The real problem is it’s a sign that more and more moderates don't have a home in the party. You either for the base (as represented by Rush, Hannity, and Beck) or you are the enemy. The more the GOP tries to please their core followers, the more they are losing. Will Democrats run rampant? That is an empty concern as the party has never had the single-minded discipline of the GOP. The party tends to have one idea and about 100 different ways to do it while the GOP usually has one idea and one way to do it.

Julia Roberts Roasts Tom Hanks - An amusing segment where Roberts drops plenty of cusswords (so video NSFW) as she "honors" Tom Hanks.


Supreme Courts Rules in FCC Favor - In a rather odd court ruling to the typical 5-4 of conservatives vs. liberals, the Supreme Court has upheld the FCC's prohibition on fleeting expletives that usually come from live shows (in this case Cher at an award show. The legal reasoning, of which there really isn't, dodges any first amendment questions and phrases it in terms of concern for the children. "Even isolated utterances can be made in … vulgar and shocking manner, and can constitute harmful first blows to children," Scalia wrote in the opinion that was signed by his fellow conservatives, "It suffices to know that children mimic behavior they observe." The issue came down to the FCC not having a consistent, predictable policy as they tended to fine stations based more on conservative outcry (Cher, Jackson) then just the use itself (Saving Private Ryan was allowed to air unaltered).

Monster Cable Drops High Prices to Less High - Do to lost sales and people starting to learn that $100 cables vs. $15 cables are the same thing, Monster Cables has decided to try and compete by dropping its prices just a big. For example 8' HDMI cables are now $99 instead of $125. The lesson for you is if it says "Monster Cable" don't buy them as your just allowing them to rip you off. In the digital realm (such as HDMI), the data is a 0 or a 1. The cable either transmits that data or it doesn't. Paying 10x more then you have to is not going to change that.