Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Monday, March 29, 2010

Post-Racial America

Deranged penguins

I really want to scoop up this little penguin and save it. Besides the bitter cold & the complete lack of training or education, my desire to interfere with nature would make me really bad at these types of jobs.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Newt Gingrich is Lame

One of Andrew Sullivan's readers has an amusing "correction" of Newt Gingrich's "anti-violence" statement, which was anything but.

"I think the Democratic leadership has to take some moral responsibility for having behaved with such arrogance skill, in such a hostile successful way, that the around 22% of the American people are deeply upset. So let’s be honest with this. This is a game that they’re playing, and they’ve just won an inning. People should not engage in personal threats. I’m happy to condemn any effort to engage in personal threats. Don’t let my righteously indignant call to anger, you know, anger you. I think the Democratic leadership has to take some real responsibility for having run a machine that used well-worn Congressional tactics to win corrupt tactics, that bought votes, that bullied people, and as a result has enraged about a fifth much of the American people. And I think it’d be nice for President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid to take some responsibility for keeping their campaign promises to the equally “American” remainder of the people of the people of over what their actions have done to this country."

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Awesomeness




That is not your run-of-the-mill painting. That is a real person with paint on him. See more here.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Video of the day

Texas Board of Education

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Don't Mess With Textbooks
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorHealth Care Reform


The Texas Board of Education, again.

Open Letter to Conservatives

Someone from TPM has written an open letter to conservatives, outlining many hypocrisies that have come out of the Republican party. He includes specific instances for every accusation he makes.

You can't flip out -- and threaten impeachment - when Dems use a parliamentary procedure (deem and pass) that you used repeatedly (more than 35 times in just one session and more than 100 times in all!), that's centuries old and which the courts have supported. Especially when your leaders admit it all.


What disturbs me about this list, however, is actually mentioned--sort of--in the list: "smear an entire major religion with the actions of a few fanatics." It seems a little disingenuous to write that and the smear an entire party based on the actions of a few. Some things on the list are endemic to the party -- certainly their reticence to criticize wackos in their ranks -- but a lot of the items listed are the product of a few people here and there.


On the one hand, this is a great list--it's cathartic and amusing. In the end, though, it does nothing to improve the political atmosphere and seems unlikely to persuade anyone who hasn't already joined the choir.


Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Monday, March 22, 2010

Clinton on Israel

I love Obama, because he creates situations where speeches like this are possible. And Clinton did a great job.

"Ten days after harshly rebuking the Israeli government for a new housing plan in Jerusalem, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that the Obama administration would push back 'unequivocally' when it disagreed with Israeli policies, but that America’s support for Israel was 'rock solid, unwavering, enduring, and forever.'"

I agree with David Frum

...who thinks that Republicans are overestimating the seats they'll gain in November. He also thinks Republicans blew a chance to be bipartisan and actually get some concessions.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Religion in America

Bedrooms of Servicemembers

A poignant slideshow on the New York Times Magazine of the bedrooms of servicemen & women killed in Iraq. Most were killed in action, although one was a suicide.

Health Care: Down to the Wire

This article in the New York Times reads like a political thriller. We'll find out about the cliffhanger today sometime.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Uh...Really?

Did we know Karl Rove's dad was gay?

Inflammatory Picture of the Day


From an anti-abortion website. Because people often abort 7-year-olds.

Turkey & Armenia

Turkish and Armenian relations are taking small, teetering steps toward reconciliation, but Turkey has its britches all in a wad again. The United States and Sweden have labeled Turkey's deportation and murder of Armenians during WWI as genocide. Turkey acknowledges that Armenians were deported and some of the died, but is vehemently denies that it was genocide. They are now threatening to deport 100,000 Armenians.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Constance McMillen

Constance McMillen, the Mississippi high schooler who just wants to take her girlfriend to the prom, is kind of awesome, as is her family. Her family does not "believe in" homosexuality, but they are completely supportive of her nonetheless. She also appears to have been raised right, urging people to be respectful to the principal and superintendent who are trying to cancel prom.

Win!



Probably photoshopped, but still awesome.

Drug War



A judge argues against the war on drugs. I'd like to agree with him, but if there weren't a massive drug problem, then there wouldn't be Breaking Bad. So, you know, hard to choose.


Monday, March 15, 2010

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Glenn Beck, You are a toad.

Glenn Beck told Christians to "run as fast you can" from churches that have the words "social justice" or "economic justice" on their websites, because they are code words for Nazism and Communism (because those are the same thing....)

Well, Christians and Mormons (Beck is a convert) think he is a moron.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Conservatives Mimic Colbert

See how similar to the former post?

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Neal Katyal
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorSkate Expectations


(Thanks to Ed Brayton)

Liz Cheney's a Doll



This ad was put together by Liz Cheney's group Keep America Safe. Despite the fact that it asks whose values the "Al-Qaeda 7" (that'd be 7 of the lawyers who represented detainees) share and calls the DOJ, the "Department of Jihad," Cheney claims that the ad does not question loyalties.

Even Bush veterans think that's a "cheap shot*." Kenneth Wainstein, US attorney & homeland security adviser under Bush had this to say:

While it's legitimate for the public to inquire about the past work of DOJ political appointees, we need to recognize that our judicial system cannot function without pro bono counsel, and it doesn't make a lawyer less patriotic just because he or she has represented a criminal or terrorist suspect.


So, shut your trap, Liz Cheney.

*How pretentious is the Washington Post? They refer to Liz Cheney as Elizabeth Cheney and Dick Cheney as Richard B. Cheney. Get over yourself.

24 Hour News Cycle Bullshit

Sleazy is as sleazy does

Could the John Edwards saga get any grosser? The Youngs have been ordered to jail until they produce the amateur Edwards-Hunter porn tape. Viewing it will apparently clear up some inconsistencies in their testimony.

Also, Elizabeth Edwards is supposedly going to sue Andrew Young for "alienation of affection," because he covered up the affair? Or something. I don't know. Hopefully that's just gossip. Please people, go away. All of you.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Do NOT Mess with a Praying Mantis



I'm told the hummingbird survived.

God is Love unless you (or your mom) is gay.

A Catholic pre-K in Boulder, Colorado kicked out a pre-schooler, because she has two mommies. They defended their actions by saying the following:

Parents living in open discord with Catholic teaching in areas of faith and morals unfortunately choose by their actions to disqualify their children from enrollment.


Someone else rightly asked about all the divorced parents and the ones exercising birth control. Are they kicking them out? If so, then that should really make class sizes quite manageable.

Also, remember kiddies, Jesus said divorce was a no-no but had nothing to say about homosexuality. Do you think he just forgot?

Internet Access as a Fundamental Right?

Apparently so? According to a multi-national poll by the BBC, almost 80% of people answered "Strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" when asked: "Should the internet be a fundamental right?"

I'm conflicted, and I feel like a Republican. My first gut reaction was, "hell, no!" Then I considered whether the government should be able to restrict your internet access. In some cases, I wouldn't have a problem with that -- for example, telling someone convicted of downloading kiddie porn that he's not allowed to use the interwebs anymore. I'm not going to lose any sleep over that. But what if they could restrict your use for most felony convictions (like voting)? That makes me uneasy. Half a point for the "rights" side.

What are "fundamental rights"? Well, there's always life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I don't know that the internet is related to those; although my pursuit of happiness would be harder if I couldn't talk to my friends online. I might have to pick up a phone. The horror! What else? Everyone has a right to have access to clean water, uncontaminated food, safe living environments. Governments should spend money to make sure every citizen has access to those things. But should we bend over backwards to give everyone internet access? I think that would go lower on my list than a lot of things, so point to "not a fundamental right" side.

Final count, with the extra "gut" bonus gives it to the "internet is not a fundamental right." I could have an entirely different opinion about this tomorrow.

DNA heritage

I think I'm going to change the name of this blog to The Lazy since I never actually post anything here.

In other news, I have been watching Faces of America, in which Henry Louis Gates (of the beer summit) traces the ancestry of 12 famous Americans. This is the only time I've wished I were famous -- just so someone could give me my family tree. I was fascinated by the show beyond the celebrity factor. (Yo-Yo Ma, it turns out, is quite chill, and I want to be his friend.)

The last episode has a DNA analysis, where they determine which percentage of the stars' DNA is European, African, Asian, etc. The results were surprising for some. That would be fun to find out, but I am skeptical that the technology is that precise. I don't really know, but I'm skeptical. Either way, it's interesting for discussion!