In which the Washington Bureau Chief still doesn’t get foreigners

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 12:00 pm, January 25, 2012

One must suppose any state with a functioning hereditary monarchy has let obsession with the rich and famous get out of hand.  Here in the states, we got rid of royalty and replaced it with Hollywood, the U.S. Senate, and drunk Kennedys.  These individuals support a rip-roaring pulp journalism industry, which those of us with degrees pretend not to [...]

In which the Washington Bureau Chief skews the dataset

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 9:00 am, January 16, 2012

FaceBook, a privacy-raping death beast of wide fame, has partnered up with Politico, an semi-upstart publication for Washingtonians and others whose libido is sadly misdirected at subcommittee hearings and such. No, you can’t opt out. What’s being handed from FB over to Politico are your status updates.  In theory, all status updates containing the name [...]

In Praise of the Political Insult

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 8:30 am, October 24, 2011

A gentleman never insults someone unintentionally. ~ Oscar Wilde Much too much of what passes for political sparring today is only clever, mean people taking gimme shots, if it’s even that good.  Statements are made in a condescending tone as if something is automatically funny and self-evidentally demeaning, without the alleged wag explaining why. Talking [...]

Occupy Wall Street: The Reader’s Companion

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 8:28 am, October 19, 2011

I have come across the Library Thing list of the holdings of the Peoples’ Library of Occupy Wall Street. Much hilarity ensued.  Just to prove that I am not a wicked and greedy Capitalist pig, I will happily socialize the fruits of my amusement. In the month since its inception, the Peoples’ Library has amassed [...]

Zuccotti Park: A song of soap and sophistry

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 1:43 pm, October 18, 2011

I spent part of this morning reading a little article titled, “Intellectual Roots of Wall St. Protest Lie in Academe”  Yes, I know I need to use my time more wisely. I will start by sharing some of my thoughts on the alleged intellectual majesty and mystery of the shenanigans currently gripping America.  One thing [...]

In Which the Washington Bureau Chief Prays This One Doesn’t Get Passed Ex Post Facto

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 8:30 am, October 14, 2011

Buried in the GOP plan to re-authorize the TSA is a clause that could make it a felony to satirize or parody that cadre of polyester clad perverts*. The language of the proposed law bans, “without written permission, us[ing] the words, acronyms, or symbols of those agencies on apparel or in a publication “in a [...]

In which the Washington Bureau Chief wishes she’d thought of putting it like that

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 8:30 am, October 12, 2011

Over at How Conservatives Drove Me Away, James Sinclair wrote a great short article on the underlying commonality between the Tea Party and the more recent Occupy Wall Street movement. And he illustrated it with a Venn Diagram.  Which I kind of loved.  (Venns are basically infographics for people who understand basic statistics but not [...]

In which the Washington Bureau Chief blocks your number

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 10:00 am, October 6, 2011

Congress apparently thinks that what this country needs most is a greater sphere of influence for the Privacy Raping Death Beasts (PRDBs).  It’s either that or the fools actually think campaign robocalls do any good. One of these fallacies is likely behind Congress’ current perusal of the “Mobile Informational Call Act” (HR 3035), something that [...]

In which the Washington Bureau Chief casts stones at the other swamp dwellers

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 9:30 am, October 3, 2011

Politico has a worthy article this morning, discussing the money flowing into right wing outfits at the national level compared to what trickles down to local activists. Frankly, I think they’re spot on. These groups are hauling it in like never before in the wake of the 2009-2010 Tea Party phenom…something they can’t legitimately claim to have [...]

In Defense of the Political Insult

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 4:31 pm, September 16, 2011

It is one thing to allow some behavior legally and another altogether to smile upon it in polite society. Trying to legislate manners is as stupid and dangerous as trying to lower the murder rate via cotillion lessons.

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