New Blog

Considering my last post in this space was almost two years ago, it's probably obvious that The Morning Joe has run it's course and I've moved on.

Thanks to everyone who read and commented on the links and commentary here. I hope you found The Morning Joe informative and entertaining.

I haven't stopped writing, though. I'm doing it under my real name, Dean Arrindell, at Jazz Guns Apple Pie. You can find it at http://JazzGunsApplePie.com. I write about race, politics, media, sex and relationships in America. Specifically, I'll look at how race is portrayed in popular culture and the media. I'll also explore how the idea of the American man is changing in the media, while the reality of the American man is changing in relationships, at home and in the workplace.

If you liked The Joe, I'm sure you'll like Jazz Guns Apple Pie.

Thanks again to everyone who read and supported The Morning Joe!

Blendability?

The iPhone 3G has a lot of new features, but will it blend? (These folks blend anything.)

See more funny videos and funny pictures on CollegeHumor

Headlines For 7-14-08

The Bush Administration asks Congress to back Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, while the Federal Reserve said the two companies can borrow directly from it. What does it mean? “The government [is] effectively the only lender for millions of Americans engaged in the largest transactions of their lives.” New York Times

From Russia (and China) with Love. The two countries veto Zimbabwe sanctions proposed by the U.N. Security Council. The West isn’t happy, especially since Russia agreed to impose sanctions at the G8 Summit. Telegraph Do sanctions actually work? BBC

This could be a bit of scare-mongering, but here’s a worst-case analysis of last week’s Iranian missile test. Economist And a profile of Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: (London) Times.

There were problems during the first weekend of the “Second Coming” of the iPhone. Fortune

This Bud’s for you! Anheuser-Busch, the U.S. beer leader, agrees to be bought by the Belgian-Brazilian company InBev. Wall Street Journal

Headlines For 6-23-08

Zimbabwe opposition party leader pulled out of runoff election Sunday. Morgan Tsvangirai said, "We will no longer participate in this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process." That means Robert Mugabe’s violence and intimidation have won again and he is still in power. Mail & Guardian The U.S. says it will bring up the issue at the U.N. Security Council this week. AFP/The Australian Here are the allegations of intimidation and violence. BBC

The Saudi King confirmed his country would increase oil output. His announcement comes as the price of gas in the U.S. reaches almost $4.10 per gallon. CNN

Iraq will turn into another Vietnam. It’s a “false comfort of appeasement” if we negotiate with Iran. Neither statement accurately reflects what happened with Germany or Vietnam. Newsweek

Comedian George Carlin dies at 71. Reuters

What’s your life worth? One guy in Australia put his up for auction. Guardian

Food For Thought

What if the law said you had to go on a diet? You might have to if you live in Japan. The New York Times reports the country has a program where citizens between 40 and 74 years old have their waistlines measured during annual physicals. If they’re too big, they must go on a diet. Japanese health officials hope the program will reduce strokes and diabetes in older citizens. Is this a good idea?

What Happened

In the week since Barack Obama became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and the three days since Hillary Clinton conceded the nomination, there has been a lot of analysis about how she lost it. The New York Times has assembled these opinions which range from lack of money and her voting for the authorization to go into Iraq, to sexism and “a sense of entitlement and hubris.”

The Economist breaks down how Clinton lost the nomination focusing on the problems inside her campaign saying, “given the scale of her advantages a year ago there is no doubt that the Clinton campaign comprehensively blew it.”

For a look at who won in counties across the country, Time has these great maps.

Realizing this questions implies that the nomination was Clinton’s to lose..

A Shiny New Green Car

You already have nutritional information on food boxes, and disclaimers on drug advertisements. What about emission information on auto ads? The Guardian reports that a European Union proposal could force car advertisements there to indicate how much pollution a car creates. The committee, “is believed to be considering a ‘traffic lights’ system whereby red dots or stars would mark out high-emission cars, and green ones low-pollution ones. An alternative may be an alphabetical system of A-G grades for pollution levels.”

Newspaper and magazine publishers and television producers aren’t happy with the plan. What about you?

Here's Your Quarter Pounder

The most surprising thing about Time’s “A Brief History of the Fist Bump” article: There’s a National High-Five Day. Seriously.