76003.1414

R watch: Can it get any wackier than this?

2012-01-30T22:42:00.001-05:00

"I think we need to have a government that respects our religions," Gingrich said. "I'm tired of being lectured about respecting every other religion on the planet."
His solution? Yet another baseless promise for his first day in office. "On the very first day I'm inaugurated I will sign an executive order repealing every Obama attack on religion across the board," he said.

So it''s not just some rogue staff that does it: He does it.

2012-01-30T16:38:00.001-05:00

Panetta: Obama Personally Approves Killings Of Americans Suspected Of Terrorism | Mother Jones

In an interview with CBS 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta revealed more about the secret process the Obama administration uses to kill American citizens suspected of terrorism without trial. According to Panetta, the president himself approves the decision based on recommendations from top national security officials.
"[The] President of the United States, obviously reviews these cases, reviews the legal justification and in the end says, go or no go," Panetta said.

Dude, if that's all you've got, quit now. Spare us the pain.

2012-01-30T16:31:00.001-05:00

Did David Axelrod Just Make Romney's 'Crate-Gate' a Campaign Issue? - Politics - The Atlantic Wire

On Monday, Axelrod tweeted a photo of Bo Obama, the first family's dog, in the back of a limo with the words, "How loving owners transport their dogs."

The Great Indian Peninsular Railway

2012-01-30T10:35:00.001-05:00

Why don't we have enterprises named like that anymore, named like Great Indian Peninsular Railway, instead of NASA or Freddie Mac (Freddie Mac sounds like something you'd find in a high school cafeteria, doesn't it?)? Of course, we never did have a Great Indian Peninsular Railway—it was British. But still. Why can't we have one?

And by the way, I ran across someone recently suggesting we should stop talking about "infrastructure" (even Elizabeth Warren does that) and start talking about "public works" again, which is the same thing but a whole lot better. I agree.

My advice: Do not read this

2012-01-29T14:39:00.001-05:00

Mitt and the White Horse Prophecy - Mitt Romney - Salon.com

A multibillion-dollar business empire that includes agribusiness, mining, insurance, electronic and print media, manufacturing, movie production, commercial real estate, defense contracting, retail stores and banking, the Mormon church has unprecedented economic and political power. Despite a solemn stricture against any act or tolerance of gambling, Mormons have been heavily invested and exceptionally influential in the Nevada gaming industry since the great expansion of modern Las Vegas in the 1950s. Valued for their unquestioning loyalty to authority as well as general sobriety — they are prohibited from imbibing in alcohol, tobacco or coffee — Mormons have long been recruited into top positions in government agencies and multinational corporations. They are prominent in such institutions as the CIA, FBI and the national nuclear weapons laboratories, giving the church a sphere of influence unlike any other American religion in the top echelons of government.

What's the matter with kids today?

2012-01-29T14:23:00.001-05:00

What's Wrong With the Teenage Mind? - WSJ.com

What happens when children reach puberty earlier and adulthood later? The answer is: a good deal of teenage weirdness.

Weirdness? Is that your best guess?

Absolutely worth a look

2012-01-29T12:43:00.001-05:00

Here at Mediastorm, some wonderful little stories in black and white. You don't see black and white film (or, no doubt more properly, video, but indulge me here) like this much any more.

Is it over now?

2012-01-29T10:32:00.001-05:00

(CNN) - Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain endorsed Newt Gingrich Saturday at an event in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Fox news guy worries people are seeing a little too much of what's going on with Republicans these days

2012-01-29T07:53:00.001-05:00

Fox’s Wallace says number of GOP debates ‘insane,’ they’re ‘all stupid’ | The Raw Story

In an interview with radio host Mike Gallagher, Wallace expressed his frustration with having to ask the same questions of the candidates over and over as well as having to hear them repeat the same things about themselves. “Why on earth did they think it was good to have nineteen debates?” he asked, saying “they’re all stupid” and that people are only tuning in for the same reason that some people watch high-speed car racing, because they hope to see a crash.

Does he mean the crash hasn't happened yet? Because if that's the case I might keep watching, myself.

Let's just keep this quiet

2012-01-28T17:11:00.001-05:00

I'm trying not to get all thrilled here because, you know, there's always the jinx factor, but we have a 40° week going, there is hardly any snow, and it sure does feel a lot more like March than January. This seems good.

Ooops

2012-01-28T16:34:00.001-05:00

Undernews: Company Obama citerd in SOTU speech just went bankrupt

Business Insider - Andrew Restuccia of The Hill is reporting that Ener1, a battery company that President Obama referenced in his State of The Union Speech on Tuesday as an example of successful energy investments, has just filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

That's just two days after the speech.…

No point in arguing

2012-01-28T15:31:00.001-05:00

Time Traveler From The Year 1998 Warns Nation Not To Elect Newt Gingrich | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

WASHINGTON—Saying he came bearing an important message from the past, a stranger from the year 1998 appeared on the Capitol steps Thursday and urged voters not to elect Newt Gingrich president in 2012. "In the late 20th century, Newt Gingrich is a complete disgrace!" said the time-traveling man…

Rs, Ds can't agree on what they can't agree on

2012-01-28T07:30:00.001-05:00

Obama, GOP blame each other for gridlock

Days after the State of the Union address, President Obama and the Republicans blamed each other for the sour mood in Washington, D.C., during a pair of dueling radio addresses Saturday.

Myself, I can't think of one

2012-01-27T16:13:00.001-05:00

Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Republican Debate: You have to be realistic in your indignation / Trapped in a linguistics situation

There are few sights in American politics as absurd as that of Newton Gingrich pretending to seize the high moral ground.

OP(E...)

2012-01-27T13:33:00.001-05:00

OP(E...), a photo by 76003 on Flickr.

Shut up!

2012-01-27T12:38:00.001-05:00

2nd Mayor Says Obama ‘Wasn’t Tense At All’ During Brewer Encounter | TPMMuckraker

Out of the three officials who met President Obama on an airport tarmac near Phoenix earlier this week, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) is now the only one who has characterized the president as anything other than cordial.…

This story is an even bigger waste of perfectly good pixels than the R show, which, now that you mention it—OK, I guess I mentioned it, but anyway—I watched again last night. It's January. What else is there to do? Newt really needs to cut back on his meds a little, and the troll needs to learn another line. That little Ricky needs to go home and count his kids. And—sorry, Mittens—I will never vote for a guy who says "spot on." We speak English here. (OMG, it's rubbing off!)

Industry shills

2012-01-26T15:30:00.001-05:00

Undernews: Obama pushing secret copyright treaty that would do the work of SOPA

Boing Boing - ACTA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, is the notorious, unprecedented secret copyright treaty that was negotiated by industry representatives and government trade reps, without any access by elected representatives, independent business, the press, public interest groups, legal scholars, independent economists and so on.…

And gentlemen in England now a-bed will think themselves accursed they were not here…

2012-01-26T15:27:00.001-05:00

Barack Obama, prince of players | Odd Man Out

But give Obama his due. Watching him speak, I thought of the ideal leader — someone like Henry V as played by Lawrence Olivier, rousing the English troops before the battle of Agincourt. I believed Obama’s speech as he delivered it, just as I believed Olivier’s, but I knew both men were going home to bed after their performances, not into battle.

Ooops

2012-01-26T12:54:00.001-05:00

As Obama demands rich Americans pay more in taxes, the IRS reveals 36 Obama aides are far behind in their taxes by Andrew Malcolm - Investors.com

A new report just out from the Internal Revenue Service reveals that 36 of President Obama's executive office staff owe the country $833,970 in back taxes. These people working for Mr. Fair Share apparently haven't paid any share, let alone their fair share.

So it's not dead after all

2012-01-26T11:25:00.001-05:00

Famous Job-Search Website Cuts 400 Jobs - Business - The Atlantic Wire

Irony alert: Monster.com says it's cutting 7 percent of its workforce (that's 400 jobs) after a crummy fourth quarter and dropping share prices.…

Bingo

2012-01-26T08:02:00.001-05:00

Robert Scheer: Obama’s Faux Populism Sounds Like Bill Clinton - Robert Scheer's Columns - Truthdig

There were, finally, some bold words in Obama’s speech about helping beleaguered homeowners, but they ring hollow given this administration’s efforts to broker a sweetheart deal between the leading banks and the state attorneys general that would see the banks fined only a pittance for their responsibility in the mortgage meltdown. Obama could have had success demanding mortgage relief if he had made that a condition for bailing out the banks. Now the banksters know he’s firing blanks, and they are placing their bets on their more reliable Republican allies to prevent any significant demand for helping homeowners with their underwater mortgages.

Alas

2012-01-24T08:01:00.001-05:00

Undernews: Did Obama just kill cloud storage for computers?

Washingtons Blog - The government’s takedown of the 800 pound gorilla online storage site Megaupload may have killed the cloud storage model.

Many innocent users have had their data taken away from them.…

Bottom line: if your cloud service offers file storage on the front end and shows pirated video out the back, don’t be surprised if your files vanish one day.In other words, the government is exercising the power to seize all of the legal property held in a storage facility because a handful of crooks have illegal property in theirs.

"America's War on Sagging" suffers mission creep (or creepy)

2012-01-24T07:51:00.001-05:00

If Pajamas Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Wear Pajamas - Lowering the Bar

Michael Williams, a commissioner for Caddo Parish (which includes Shreveport), says he was horrified when he visited a local Walmart and espied a group of young miscreants "wearing pajama pants and house shoes."…
"Pajamas are designed to be worn in the bedroom at night," said Williams, likely after extensive research on the history and design of pajamas. "If you can't [wear them to the] courthouse, why are you going to do it in a restaurant or in public?" (Um, because those aren't courthouses?) Williams also invoked the "slippery-slope" argument, of course. "Today it's pajamas," he said, "tomorrow it's underwear. Where does it stop?" Seems to me there's only one further step once you get to underwear. This guy is really not that imaginative.

Not really the motto I would have in mind

2012-01-24T07:43:00.001-05:00

Commercial airliner named in honor of Steve Jobs

A Virgin America Airbus A320 now has the quote, "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" emblazoned on its fuselage directly beneath the cockpit in tribute to late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Get a job

2012-01-23T12:14:00.001-05:00

Oh, wait.

Working and Poor in the USA | Truthout

In 2011, the US Department of Labor reported at least 10 million people worked and were still below the unrealistic official US poverty line, an increase of 1.5 million more than the last time they checked. The US poverty line is $18,530 for a mom and two kids.…

Indefinitely? Does that mean forever?

2012-01-23T11:07:00.001-05:00

Rand Paul detained by TSA - Tim Mak - POLITICO.com

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) was detained Monday by the Transportation Security Administration in Nashville, Tenn. after refusing a full body pat-down, POLITICO has confirmed.
“I spoke with him five minutes ago and he was being detained indefinitely,” Paul spokesperson Moira Bagley said Monday morning. “The image scan went off, he refused patdown.”

Normally I would be sympathetic with some guy caught in this particular bind, but maybe just this one time not so much.

Really. I will try to be a better person tomorrow.

Et tu, Alberto?

2012-01-23T08:08:00.001-05:00

EXCLUSIVE: Former Bush Attorneys General Call Gingrich Position On Courts 'Dangerous' | Fox News

Two former attorneys general under President George W. Bush have found a few things to like in Newt Gingrich's position paper on reining in the authority of the federal courts, but other parts, they say, are downright disturbing.

Trouble

2012-01-23T07:58:00.001-05:00

xkcd: Sustainable

Cornering

2012-01-22T15:19:00.001-05:00

iPhone photo: Phil Compton

Follow the money

2012-01-22T12:17:00.001-05:00

Obama rainmakers enjoy White House invites, appointments and contracts | iWatch News

Dozens of Obama’s elite donors — many of them wealthy business figures — have been appointed to advisory panels and commissions that can play a role in setting government policy. Others have been invited to a range of exclusive White House briefings, holiday parties and splashy social events.
And some have snagged lucrative government contracts that benefit their business interests or investment portfolios, a Center for Public Integrity investigation has found.

Lede of the day

2012-01-22T09:49:00.001-05:00

Undernews: Gingrich trounces Romney in South Carolina

Newt Gingrich, a certified liar and adulterer as well as the only Speaker of the House ever to be fined ($300,000) for unethical behavior, defeated Mitt Romney in South Carolina by 12 points after a last minute surge.

Yay! The R show extended!

2012-01-21T14:09:00.001-05:00

Romney: SC race could be ‘real close,’ prepares for long haul by agreeing to Florida debates - The Washington Post

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Preparing for the long haul, Mitt Romney said Saturday’s South Carolina presidential contest “could be real close” and he agreed to two more debates with his rivals ahead of the Florida primary.…

OK, I don't actually watch it much. But still. I might want to watch it next year on Hulu. Or I might even want to watch it next month. I will definitely want to watch it if they start throwing pies.

It's better than American Idol, at least. But not much.

Borrrring

2012-01-21T12:37:00.001-05:00

Storm Blankets Northeast With a Few Inches of Snow - ABC News

A weekend storm blanketed the Northeast with a few inches of snow Saturday, creating slippery conditions…

A little testy today, are we?

2012-01-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

Clearly, I'm just not far enough west

2012-01-20T15:36:00.001-05:00

News from The Associated Press

A ban on the sale of the Barbies, designed to look like young Western women…

Also…

One-third of Iran's population of 75 million is under 15.

Better Barbies than bombs is what I say.

And liddle lamzy divey

2012-01-20T12:14:00.001-05:00

I'll See Your Zoppitybop-Bop-Bop and Raise You One Peace Baba Aquarius - Lowering the Bar

As you've probably heard, police in Madison, Wisconsin, arrested Beezow Doo-Doo Zopitty-bop-Bop-Bop on several charges after they confronted him in a local park on January 5. Residents nearby had reported "excessive drinking and drug use" in the park, and according to a police spokesman the responding officers recognized someone there as "a subject they had previous dealings with, identified as Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop."

[More about the lambs.]

Wait, what?

2012-01-19T19:30:00.001-05:00

The chaotic caucuses: In defence of Iowa | The Economist

THE news that over 100 precincts in Iowa somehow botched their reporting of the results in the Republican caucuses earlier this month, and that as a result, it is Rick Santorum rather than Mitt Romney who officially won, has reinvigorated America’s ravening mob of Iowa-bashers.

Ravening mob of Iowa-bashers?

It's all about the entertainment now. (And yes, I'm watching the R show this evening, but only for a little while. Really.)

How many geeks does it take to eat a 300-pound Stormtrooper?

2012-01-19T11:57:00.001-05:00

Life-sized Stormtrooper cake weighs 300 pounds, feeds 600 geeks | DVICE

The Godzilla of all Star Wars cakes is not that LED-lite Death Star cake we saw last summer. It's this 6-foot 4-inch tall Stormtrooper that was created by Amanda Oakleaf Cakes.
Weighing in at 300 pounds and sliced up for 600 Arisia Sci-Fi Convention attendees, the Stormtrooper cake took Amanda and a team of nine two weeks to design, create and assemble.

Oh oh, big honking snow sorta misses Seattle, mostly

2012-01-19T11:49:00.001-05:00

Snowstorm Hits Washington State - Photo Essays - TIME

Seattle is spared as the Olympia area bears the brunt…

Iowa GOP has no idea

2012-01-19T08:52:00.001-05:00

Iowa GOP Declares Caucuses 'split Decision' After Final Count Shows Santorum With 34 More Votes Than Romney | Fox News

"It's a split decision," the executive director of the Iowa GOP Chad Olsen said.

See? If we only had a fence on the Mexican border this kind of thing would never happen, would it.

Your assignment for this morning

2012-01-19T08:47:00.001-05:00

Get the trash bag out to the curb without slipping on ice and breaking anything seriously essential (e.g. neck) and get back inside before your brain has time to register that it's 9 friggin degrees out there.

Whew.

But spring is right around the corner.

Another one? Tonight? Really?

2012-01-19T08:37:00.001-05:00

2012 Primary Debate Schedule « 2012 Election Central

There are 23 "third" parties in Massachusetts, including a Pirate Party…

2012-01-19T08:17:00.001-05:00

Now You Can Register as a Pirate Voter! | Massachusetts Pirate Party

Want to run for office in 2012?…We need you!

…and…wait for it…a Pizza Party. Register as a pizza?!? The Pizza Party, I understand, has only one registered member so far. And it's not me.

Yet.

In case you were thinking…

2012-01-18T19:45:00.001-05:00

…well, in case you were thinking and you live in the state of Arizona, stop it. Right now.

Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' Barred from Arizona Public Schools - Law Blog - WSJ

Curtis Acosta, one of the former teachers in the program wrote: “I asked if I could start teaching Shakespeare’s The Tempest and was told no, due to the themes that are present and the likelihood of avoiding discussions of colonization, enslavement, and racism were remote.”

Yeah, take that, Shakespeare, you commie.

REAMDE

2012-01-18T12:33:00.001-05:00

Neil Stephenson's REAMDE is a big, rollicking novel about Chinese geeks, British spies, Islamic jihadists, Russian mobsters, a Hungarian hacker, American survivalists, a former bear-hide smuggler and an extended family from Iowa–really, Iowa–planes, boats, ATVs, SUVs, guns, grenades, and one big cat. And more–it takes 1,000 pages to wrap all this up, and every one of them worth reading. Best book of the year. (OK, it's only January, but still.)

The dark side

2012-01-18T12:16:00.001-05:00

It's Not Just Wikipedia - Rebecca J. Rosen - Technology - The Atlantic

Wikipedia has nabbed headlines for its decision to black itself out today in protest of two big pieces of legislation now in Congress, the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the PROTECT IP Act in the Senate. But the online encyclopedia is far from the only place up in arms over the potential damage to the Internet the could result from these bills.…

It's all about the entertainment here

2012-01-18T11:54:00.001-05:00

Report: Captain claims he "tripped" into lifeboat - CBS News

(CBS/AP)
The cruise ship captain under fire for abandoning his vessel while thousands of passengers scrambled for rescue has reportedly come up with an explanation for his flight - he accidentally tripped and fell into a lifeboat.

Fark goes white

2012-01-18T09:32:00.001-05:00

Fark.com - Fark has gone white

While a bunch of other sites are going "dark" to protest SOPA/PIPA, we're over the moon about the whole thing. Why? Honestly, we've been bringing you the latest news happening across the internet for 12 years, and we're tired. And SOPA/PIPA is the perfect excuse to quit.

Love conquers all…

2012-01-18T09:28:00.001-05:00

Teenagers Sharing Passwords as Show of Affection - NYTimes.com

It has become fashionable for young people to express their affection for each other by sharing their passwords to e-mail, Facebook and other accounts. Boyfriends and girlfriends sometimes even create identical passwords, and let each other read their private e-mails and texts.

…including any semblance of good sense.

Sign the petition

2012-01-18T09:07:00.001-05:00

End Piracy, Not Liberty – Google

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the
Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful
regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs
already oppose SOPA and PIPA.
The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign
this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

OK, semi-historic then

2012-01-18T08:51:00.001-05:00

Weather service scales back Seattle snow forecast – USATODAY.com

SEATTLE (AP) As snow started falling on Seattle Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service scaled back the amount expected in western Washington but said it would still be a significant event.
The total in the city would likely be 3 to 6 inches, meteorologist Dustin Guy says.

Wait. Three inches? Really?

Dark

2012-01-18T02:39:00.001-05:00

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia.

The birds

2012-01-17T16:17:00.001-05:00

The birds, a photo by 76003 on Flickr.

Evening at the marina

2012-01-17T15:46:00.001-05:00

Don't let this happen to you.

Splitting the cheese

2012-01-17T15:34:00.001-05:00

Kraft to cut 1,600 jobs in split | Reuters

(Reuters) - Kraft Foods Inc said that splitting into two companies would lead it to cut about 1,600 jobs in North America this year and that its 2011 profit should be slightly higher than it had previously forecast.

Cheesehead fun and games

2012-01-17T15:32:00.001-05:00

The Recall Vote on Wisconsin's Governor Looks Certain - Global - The Atlantic Wire

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's opponents will file nearly twice as many signatures as they needed Tuesday in support of a recall election, making it nearly impossible for Walker to avoid an early vote on his term.

But there is still no candidate to run against him, it seems.

An interesting take

2012-01-17T15:28:00.001-05:00

Lloyd Chapman: President Obama Succeeded in Duping the Media, Congress and the Public About His Plan to 'Streamline' Government

I don't think any president in recent history has ever called a press conference to talk about cutting such a tiny portion of the federal budget.

Crashing a ship is bad for your stock price: Who woulda thunk?

2012-01-17T12:34:00.001-05:00

Cruise operators' shares fall on ship disaster - chicagotribune.com

Shares of cruise operator Carnival Corp. plunged 15 percent on Tuesday after a ship operated by its unit struck a submerged rock and keeled over off the coast of Italy late on Friday.

Please tell me there's a humor award…

2012-01-17T11:27:00.001-05:00

Captured Drone: Iran to send toy model back

Iran says it will send the U.S. government a toy model of the CIA drone the Islamic Republic captured last month.

…or at least a Golden Globe category. Something.

For a bunch of guys who claim to be "pro-life," these Rs sure get off on killing people

2012-01-17T09:17:00.001-05:00

Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Republican Debate: I’m not going to describe all of my great exploits

Gingrich: “Andrew Jackson had a pretty clear-cut idea about America’s enemies: kill them.” He’s a historian, you know.

(And much, much more.)

While we're looking around for agencies to "streamline"…

2012-01-17T09:04:00.001-05:00

"Junior TSA Officer" Badge Is Creepy, Fraudulent - Lowering the Bar

"Remember when we used to give them little pilots' wings?"

Great moments in science (not to mention journalism)

2012-01-16T15:48:00.001-05:00

Badly chosen baby names can lead to low self-esteem, low education and more smoking: study - NY Daily News

Badly chosen baby names can lead to low self-esteem, low education and more smoking: study
Most people would rather be single than date someone with an 'unfortunate' name, research shows

[H/T (and the rest of the story): Improbable Research]

The revolution will be rumored

2012-01-16T09:29:00.001-05:00

Enquirer Designs an App for Gossip - NYTimes.com

American Media Inc. is hoping that enquiring minds will embrace a digital version of its 70-year-old supermarket tabloid, The National Enquirer.
Next month, the magazine company will introduce an iPad app of The National Enquirer that it expects to “reinvent gossip.”…

And you thought Tebow had a bad day

2012-01-15T15:12:00.001-05:00

Rick Perry defends Marines accused of urinating on Afghan corpses - Election 2012 - The Washington Post

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) on Sunday defended the four Marines who were depicted in a viral video last week urinating on the corpses of three Taliban insurgents, arguing “what’s really disturbing to me is just, kind of, the over-the-top rhetoric from this administration and their disdain for the military.”

And what's more, this is possibly the dumbest sentence since the 18th century

2012-01-15T11:26:00.001-05:00

In Romney's Campaign, What's Race Got to Do With It? - NYTimes.com

The simple, impolitely stated fact is that Mitt Romney is the whitest white man to run for president in recent memory.

No way

2012-01-15T10:05:00.001-05:00

It's Sunday, there's no place I need to be but here, and it's three degrees out there. I'm staying here. I'm not going there until it warms up, and I don't care if it takes until April.

Fridge will nag you, spoil your appetite, drive you mad, mad I say, mad

2012-01-15T09:48:00.001-05:00

The talking fridge to help you diet - IOL SciTech | IOL.co.za

London - Sometimes even the strongest willpower - and some sternly written notes on the fridge door - cannot keep would-be dieters away.…
The sci-fi refrigerator scans every item you put into it and then tells you what you should and shouldn’t eat.

Snowy

2012-01-14T11:33:00.001-05:00

Snowy, a photo by 76003 on Flickr.

Degrees

2012-01-14T10:44:00.001-05:00

iPhone Photo: Phil Compton

2012-01-13T23:07:00.001-05:00

Urban Dictionary: Electile Dysfunction

Electile Dysfunction

January 30, 2008 Urban Word of the Day
The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for President put forth by either party during an election year.

"Is anyone appealing to you in this years presidential race?"

"Naa... No one excites me. I think I'm suffering from Electile Dysfunction."

Oh no! Not that!

2012-01-13T15:39:00.001-05:00

Looming downgrades, Greek debt impasse hit euro zone | Reuters

(Reuters) - Standard & Poor's was set to downgrade the credit ratings of several euro zone countries on Friday…

And put a stamp on it

2012-01-13T15:08:00.001-05:00

Undernews: HL Mencken on editing

25 January, 1936

San Fransisco, California

Dear Saroyan,

I note what you say about your aspiration to edit a magazine. I am sending you by this mail a six-chambered revolver. Load it and fire every one into your head. You will thank me after you get to hell and learn from other editors there how dreadful their job was on earth.

(Signed, 'H.L. Mencken')

Yeah, lucky we don't have to wait for Obama to do this

2012-01-13T12:05:00.001-05:00

Democrats fan Romney ‘Bain’ storm | The Raw Story

WASHINGTON — Gleeful Democrats fanned the flames Thursday after Republicans did President Barack Obama’s dirty work for him and savaged their likely 2012 nominee Mitt Romney as a “vulture capitalist.”

Icy morning

2012-01-13T10:53:00.001-05:00

Icy morning, a photo by 76003 on Flickr.

Noted

2012-01-13T10:08:00.001-05:00

Arthur Brisbane and selective stenography - Salon.com

Literally every day, one finds major news stories that consist of little more than the uncritical conveying of official claims, often protected by journalists not only from critical scrutiny but — thanks to the shield of anonymity they subserviently extend — from all forms of accountability.…

Closed

2012-01-12T20:22:00.001-05:00

Closed, a photo by 76003 on Flickr.

From our copious files

The most curious thing…

2012-01-12T16:55:00.001-05:00

…about the season's first snow here and a lot of other places I've lived (but not Minnesota) is that it seems everyone who drives suddenly has to learn how to do it all over again. In the meantime, all manner of vehicles are bouncing off the siderails in the manner of billiard balls and, a little pedestrian complaint here, splashing everywhere. It's sad. I can understand this sort of behavior in Georgia or in North Carolina, but in Massachusetts? It really seems a little bit extreme. Hopefully, people learn how to drive again by spring.

A very little snow

2012-01-12T15:38:00.001-05:00

A very little snow, a photo by 76003 on Flickr.

As you can see. But everybody in town with a plow is scrambling after every last flake of it. Payday! Thought it would never happen.

But…but…but…

2012-01-12T14:39:00.001-05:00

Undernews: Gitmo stats

ACLU: 92% of Gitmo detainees were never Al Qaeda.

86% were turned over to coalition forces for a bounty.…

Bush released 532 prisoners. Obama: 68. 171 left.

OK, boys and girls, let's take a deep breath here

2012-01-12T14:35:00.001-05:00

Report: 1% of Americans paid 22% of health care costs in 2009 – USATODAY.com

WASHINGTON–Just 1% of Americans accounted for 22% of health care costs in 2009, according to a federal report released Wednesday…

I know math is hard, but just try to remember this one thing: There is always a top 1% of everything.

The way it was

2012-01-12T12:12:00.001-05:00

P1000521_Snapseed, originally uploaded by tedcompton.

Ha ha, let's play Guess Which One!

2012-01-12T11:35:00.001-05:00

Coke Says It Found Fungicide in Orange Juice - WSJ.com

Coca-Cola Co. said it found an unapproved fungicide in orange juice made by Coke and its competitors, and alerted federal regulators that some Brazilian growers had sprayed trees with the substance.
The beverage giant, which makes Simply Orange and Minute Maid, wouldn't say which brands had shown the fungicide. Both brands contain juice from Brazil.

Well, no

2012-01-12T11:22:00.001-05:00

Jeff Cohen: Obama, Sarkozy and Taxing Wall Street

Can you imagine Obama standing up to a resistant Congress on a Wall Street transaction tax? He can't even stand up to his own advisers on the issue, according to Ron Suskind's insider book on the Obama White House, "Confidence Men."

Ahem

2012-01-12T11:14:00.001-05:00

Insourced

Obama said during an announcement yesterday. “I want us to be known for making and selling products all over the world stamped with three proud words, ‘Made in America.’”

Would somebody please mention to this guy the same three words could be used by the Canadians, the Mexicans, the Peruvians, the Bolivians, and who knows (You expect me to look it up, dude? I'm an American.) how many other countries in the entire western hemisphere? Please?

Yeah, but here's the thing

2012-01-12T11:07:00.001-05:00

Poetic Justice

In their tactical attack on Mitt Romney, the other Republicans have painted themselves into a corner. They owe it to the public to explain just what is improper about what private-equity operators do, what should be illegal, and what should be subject to disclosure.

Why is it we are waiting for the Republicans to explain this sort of freebooting behavior to the public? Because the Democrats didn't do it years ago. And haven't been banging on it ever since. The kind of thing Bain Capital and others (the Carlyle Group, for example) is just plain old everyday mainstream "free-market" rich-guy behavior and the Democrats–well, most of them–have made nary a peep about it all these years. Some, beyond all doubt, have participated.

Come to think of it, let's start hearing about them.

The laughs are where you find them

2012-01-12T06:11:00.001-05:00

People Are Awesome: The Coffee Shop Where Everyone Pays for Everyone Else's Drinks - News - GOOD

A medium cup of coffee at Corner Perk costs $1.95. That may not seem like a lot…

No, no, Bunky, it seemed like a lot when it went up to 25 cents. Now it just is a lot.

In case you were thinking...

2012-01-11T15:16:00.001-05:00

Supreme Court: Woman can't sue over firing from Redford church | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

WASHINGTON — In a groundbreaking case, the Supreme Court today held for the first time that religious employees of a church cannot sue for employment discrimination.…

No, Bunky, it will never end

2012-01-11T14:14:00.001-05:00

Supreme Court’s naked truth (read-this roundup) - In the Loop - The Washington Post

There’s nudity in the Supreme Court! Yesterday’s debate in the high court over the government’s role in regulating naughty words and images on the public airwaves revealed a shocking fact sure to rile conservatives of delicate sensibilities (and where’s John Ashcroft when you need him?).

Waiting for winter (be here soon)

2012-01-11T12:06:00.001-05:00

Man in the M

2012-01-11T10:43:00.001-05:00

File under Stuff I Never Finished Reading

2012-01-10T15:17:00.001-05:00

Comment on DOE Shale Gas Recommendations

The subcommittee was tasked with…

Ayup

2012-01-10T15:13:00.000-05:00

I suppose he could have been dressed as the Easter bunny

2012-01-10T12:14:00.001-05:00

Arkansas Grandma Was Taped To 'Bomb,' Forced To Withdraw Money From Bank | Fox News

Police said they have yet to arrest a suspect and are looking for a white man of unknown age who was wearing blue jeans and a shirt at the time of the incident.

You absolutely can not make this stuff up

2012-01-10T11:18:00.001-05:00

Brazilian councillor proposes law demanding brides wear underwear when they marry | Mail Online

A Brazilian councillor has proposed a law to force brides to wear knickers at the altar.
Ozias Zizi claims that a growing number of women in his south-eastern town of Vila Velha are turning up to church with nothing on underneath their wedding dresses.
The superstitious brides believe it will make their marriages last longer, he explained.…
The councillor admitted that the law would be hard to enforce – ‘we couldn’t do any checks’ – but suggested that an educational campaign could ‘preserve our sacred places’.

Thought you'd already laughed as much as you could, Bunky?

2012-01-09T14:51:00.001-05:00

Well, think again:

Todd Palin endorses Newt Gingrich; Sarah Palin still undecided in GOP race - NY Daily News

Todd Palin jumped into the 2012 race on Monday, but only to offer an unsolicited endorsement to Newt Gingrich.…

And wait. That's not even the best part. Check this:

He said he supports Gingrich…because he’s not one of those "beltway types."

And it's still only January. W00t!

That's what you get for being born too late, kid

2012-01-09T11:21:00.001-05:00

I hear a guy in the grocery store this morning complaining to another guy about how his basketball team got beat by a team with a girl on it.

Well, OK, there's that

2012-01-09T10:11:00.001-05:00

Undernews: What I learned from four hours of GOP debate

- Anti-gay politicians like those in the debate should probably be a bit more careful, given that their purported religion was started by a guy who never got near that "sacrament of marriage," never dated any women, and hung out mainly with twelve close male buddies.

No, I think they're not jokes (although I never saw one myself)

2012-01-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Vintage Ads - The Airline Sleeper Berth

When you're on a roll, you're on a roll

2012-01-08T16:46:00.001-05:00

Immigration Officer Puts Wife on the No-Fly List - Lowering the Bar

According to the Daily Mail Online, an immigration officer who worked for the UK Border Agency managed to get his wife out of his hair for three years by putting her name on the no-fly list while she was visiting the in-laws overseas.…

[Story is about a year old, but still.]

Lamplight

2012-01-08T16:42:00.001-05:00