3.19.2011

You really, really have to feel sorry for these guys

U.S. millionaires say $7 million not enough to be rich | The Raw Story

More than four out of ten American millionaires say they do not feel rich. Indeed many would need to have at least $7.5 million in order to feel they were truly rich, according to a Fidelity Investments survey.

What?

Obama on presidential war-making powers - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

OBAMA:  The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.

Oh.

No-fly zone?

French fighter jets deployed over Libya - CNN.com

"As of now, our aircraft are preventing planes from attacking the town," [French President Nicolas Sarkozy] said. "As of now, our aircraft are prepared to intervene against tanks."

When tanks can fly.

 

Whatever happened to Minnesota?

UNDERNEWS: The GOP platform: restricting those poverty striken no-gooders

Fight Back News - Minnesota Republicans are pushing legislation that would make it a crime for people on public assistance to have more $20 in cash in their pockets any given month. This represents a change from their initial proposal, which banned them from having any money at all.

3.18.2011

If you were entirely bonkers this would make perfect sense

Rand Paul’s budget eliminates agency that regulates nuclear safety | The Raw Story

WASHINGTON – As radiation particles from the nuclear hazard in Japan send residents fleeing and make their way across the Pacific Ocean, one U.S. senator introduced a plan to get rid of the agency that regulates nuclear safety.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)...

OK, say no more.

Oh, and...

Ann Coulter tells O’Reilly: Radiation is ‘good for you’ | Raw Replay

Conservative columnist Ann Coulter joined Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly Thursday night to discuss her new piece titled “A Glowing Report on Radiation.”

“At some level–much higher than the minimums set by the U.S. government–radiation is good for you,” she told O’Reilly.

See what I mean? Perfect sense. If you're a nutjob. If you're not, maybe not so much.

The score so far

We Really Need A Robin Hood | IntoxiNation - Ramblings On Politics, Society And News

Last week the Republican’s in the House voted to save the billions a year in tax subsidies to the oil industry, yet providing assistance to the low-income for their heating bills is on the chopping block.

This week the House AG committee decided to keep the farm subsidies, which total close to $20 billion a year, yet they want to cut food stamps.

 

French fries are back! I'm going to go get some right now!

Francomania Breaks Out in GOP | Talking Points Memo

French stock is rising rapidly within the Republican party. John Boehner has just announced that the US should be more like France on nuclear power and Sen. Lindsey Graham says the US should man up and be more like France on no-fly-zones.

No jobs

The Forgotten Millions - NYTimes.com

More than three years after we entered the worst economic slump since the 1930s, a strange and disturbing thing has happened to our political discourse: Washington has lost interest in the unemployed.

3.17.2011

Sunrise Mirrored


iPhone photo: Phil Compton

Sixty Oh Baby Degrees

Wow! I forgot there even were 60 degrees. But there are, and we've got them all. Today. Go spring!

And you were worried about nuclear meltdown, part 2

Yes, America, There Is A Draft Michele Bachmann For President Movement | TPMDC

 

And you thought nuclear meltdown was the only threat

No. Apparently, Republicans from Wisconsin too.

- The Washington Post

[Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), referring to Elizabeth Warren in her role at the fledgling Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]: "If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck and it looks like a duck, it’s a duck,” he said, prefacing his duck test with the disclaimer: “I don’t want to beat a dead horse.”

Perhaps it's a blessing there's no reference to the bull.

Tell me it's not true

American Idol Live Chat: Richard Rushfield Discusses Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Idol - The Daily Beast

Join The Daily Beast’s American Idol columnist, Richard Rushfield...

Really? This guy is an American Idol columnist? As in, a guy who columnizes about American Idol? Or maybe they have a special American Idol show just for columnists? (No, that would have to be American Idle.) Or what?

Graffiti remix


iPhone abstract: Phil Compton

This really is a bit depressing

Petraeus Cites ‘Progress’ In Killing Taliban Guys For 10 Years Straight

War schlub David Petraeus did one of his “report cards to the Senate” things today, and he’s got good news! Despite never accomplishing* a single thing in 10 years of bloody, pointless, horrific boondoggle Central Asian warfare, “It is only recently that we have gotten the inputs right in Afghanistan.” Oh, now we get it! Afghanistan is like an old person trying to plug in an iPad. No, wait, the iPad wasn’t yet invented when we invaded Afghanistan. The iPhone? Nope. The Microsoft Zune? Ha ha, the Zune’s entire life has come and gone during just the second half (so far) of the Afghanistan occupation. Well how about an old-school iPod, with Grampa (who was much younger then!) just cold confused over that weird Apple firewire plug? No, sorry. The invasion of Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001 — the first clunky iPod went on sale several weeks later, on October 23

3.16.2011

For the record

Here is the U.S. Department of Energy's report (a PDF) on U.S. nuclear testing performed between 1945 and 1992. The report was issued in December, 2000. 

Many of the more than 1,000 nuclear tests noted were performed in the Pacific ocean—but most, by far, were performed within the continental U.S.

Fear sells

Area pharmacies see iodine demand spike - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com

PEORIA—The release of radiation from nuclear plants in Japan has triggered the concern, said Jennifer Siefert, a pharmacist at Preckshot Pharmacy in Peoria Heights....

"We're rapidly running out of iodine tablets and potassium iodide. When we called our supplier, we were told that there were only 200 bottles available to us," said Siefert.

If it plays in Peoria...

Barbarians at the gates

Scary: People Watch -- and Trust -- Fox News More Than You Think | Media | AlterNet

Fox is among the most trusted news outlets in the US, despite countless demonstrable instances of their anchors and pundits spreading misinformation.

3.15.2011

By definition

"The asterisk...was the special punctuation that God gave us for neutralizing lies."

––Karen Russell's "Swamplandia!"

Note to self: Next time somebody talks about shared sacrifice ask, shared with whom?

UNDERNEWS: Corporados score highest profits in 18 years during deep recession

Bloomberg - Record earnings fueled by the highest profit margins since 1993 are giving executives more leeway than ever to boost dividends as the bull market enters its third year.

3.14.2011

But I think it's still OK to call him a "sir"

Ex-CEO Of RBS Gets Gag Order To Stop People From Calling Him A Banker

Sir Fred Goodwin, the former CEO of RBS [Royal Bank of Scotland], got a superinjunction forbidding the press from calling him a banker, the Guardian reports.

Up is Down, on Duval Street


iPhone photo: Phil Compton

Cool! 3.7 million lobbyist thinks teachers', cops', firefighters' pay is "overbloated"

ThinkProgress » Wall Street Front Group President Sneers At Protesters, Says Public Servants Are Paid Too Much

When a reporter informed U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue that protestors were planning to demonstrate against his visit to St. Louis, he questioned their intelligence. “Do you think they even know what a derivative is?” Donohue said.

3.13.2011

Pfooey

Jackie Brown Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes

Jackie Brown, a 1997 Tarantino film based on an Elmore Leonard story, with an all-star cast and no kissing until the very last scene. Bummer, huh? 86 on the Tomatometer. Worth watching, but does not make the list.

Sounds fine to me

UNDERNEWS: Nifty idea

Dorothy Different, Reddit - If states have to cut their deficit by slashing public worker's salary, pensions and medical and elected government officials are public workers; let's cut governors', legislatures' and senators' pensions, medical and salaries. Let's find out what they all get and how much we can save.

End of the road

iPhone photo: Phil Compton