Angry, Abusive Men Still Have Free Speech Without Revenge Porn
Angry, abusive men are still free to go onto Reddit and gripe about how unfair it is that women are just allowed to dump you when they want.
10.19.2013
Wait, they are?
Can't fish any better than I can
Undernews: $32 million fishery business collapses after fleet fails to catch a single fish
The sardine seine fleet has gone home after failing to catch a single fish.
All about the dominos — again
Commentary: Can We Save Taiwan? | The National Interest
…the United States is pledged by long-standing national policy and urged by its own law—namely the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979—to come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of Chinese aggression or attempts at coercion. U.S. administrations have, even since Washington transferred diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, believed that preventing a coerced integration of Taiwan into the PRC is an important U.S. interest, not only for its own sake but because they saw that other U.S. allies as well as fence-sitters in Asia would take their cues from how Washington dealt with the island.
Seriously?
Drone Makers Gather to Defend Their Much-Maligned Machines - ProPublica
“There’s a reason we make the Phantom white, and not black. It’s not creepy. Look how cute it is!” said Guinn, referring to the small drone hovering at his side, flashing lights to charm its audience.
Cheney off the grid
News from The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Vice President Dick Cheney says he once feared that terrorists could use the electrical device that had been implanted near his heart to kill him and had his doctor disable its wireless function.
Wherein I agree with a Republican from the Lone Star State
Texans Stick With Cruz Despite Defeat in Washington - NYTimes.com
“Texas is not America,” said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican political consultant in Austin and the former spokesman for Mr. Cruz’s Republican predecessor in the Senate, Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Some Texans, by the way, like to like to say Texas is the only state that was once a country in its own right, but that's not true. There are three others. For extra points, name them.
Ouch, a factoid
Low-Cost B.A. Starting Slowly in Two States - NYTimes.com
Nationally, tuition and fees at a public university cost in-state students about $9,000 a year, or $36,000 for a four-year degree. Private universities’ average tuition is $30,000 a year, or $120,000 for a degree. Room and board add about another $9,000 a year.
Collins: Remember the Alamo
A Ted Cruz on Every Corner - NYTimes.com
In Texas, there’s so much craziness, it’s hard for a normal crazy to get attention. Imagine an election year with both Perry and Cruz on television every night.
10.18.2013
A bug in the bag
Toyota recalled 870,000 cars because spiders might make their airbags suddenly deploy http://t.co/yjNBKk3tnl
— CNET (@CNET) October 18, 2013
Big blow
…the biggest source of new electricity in the U.S. last year wasn’t a fossil fuel. It was the humble wind. More than 13 gigawatts of new wind potential were added to the grid in 2012, accounting for 43% of all new generation capacity. Total wind-power capacity exceeded 60 gigawatts by the end of 2012—enough to power 15 million homes when the breeze is blowing.
Extortion is a bi-partisan sport
Kerry predicts Afghans will strike deal to keep US forces in country - The Hill's DEFCON Hill
He said U.S troops will not remain in Afghanistan after 2014 unless they are granted immunity from prosecution.…
Can you spell "apocalypse"?
World War R: New Comic Pits Archie & Gang Against The Undead : NPR
Reggie Mantle runs over Jughead's fluffy pup Hot Dog. (Of course Reggie started it!) Jughead takes Hot Dog to Sabrina the teen witch, who using the Necronomicon and channeling Pet Sematary, brings him back to life. (And messes it up, 'cause that's what she does!) Hot Dog bites Jughead, who ends up consuming victims at the Halloween Dance. (He is always hungry!)…
What are conservatives trying to conserve?
No You Can’t Just Go to the Emergency Room—Unless You Want to Go Broke | Mother Jones
According to a study from Harvard Medical School, someone dies as a consequence of not having health insurance about once every 12 minutes in the United States, because they aren't able to seek basic primary care treatment that can prevent more serious problems.
This?
But no worse than chocolate-covered herring
America’s Worst Food - Lawyers, Guns & Money : Lawyers, Guns & Money
Cincinnati chili is the worst, saddest, most depressing goddamn thing in the world.
Plus, it's addictive.
Ps. Hawaii scores with SPAM.
Do not open attachments in email unless you're absolutely sure you know what they are (and aren't)
You’re infected—if you want to see your data again, pay us $300 in Bitcoins | Ars Technica
Malware that takes computers hostage until users pay a ransom is getting meaner, and thanks to the growing prevalence of Bitcoin and other digital payment systems, it's easier than ever for online crooks to capitalize on these "ransomware" schemes.
If this is not a TV movie in the making I don't know what is
News from The Associated Press
Martin MacNeill is accused of killing his wife, Michele, after convincing her to get a face lift, giving her a lethal combination of prescription drugs for recovery and then helping her into the bathtub.
Just quit breathing, Bunky
News from The Associated Press
"The air most people breathe has become polluted with a complicated mixture of cancer-causing substances," said Kurt Straif, head of the IARC department that evaluates carcinogens. He said the agency now considers pollution to be "the most important environmental carcinogen," ahead of second-hand cigarette and cigar smoke.
Safety in the skies
Federal air marshal accused of taking cell phone photos up women's skirts: http://t.co/bTyR2j4y5R
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) October 18, 2013
Be prepared: Have a good lawyer on call
Men may face felony charges after toppling Goblin Valley formation | The Salt Lake Tribune
A group of Boy Scout leaders is potentially facing felony charges for destroying a rock formation millions of years old in Emery County.
The trio of men was adventuring in Goblin Valley State Park when they decided to film themselves knocking over one of the formations, known as "goblins."
Its a pretty glaring exception
The religious right is a fraud: Nothing Christian about Michele Bachmann’s values - Salon.com
By all means, the American Christian Right is willing to leverage government authority to carry out a variety of Christian ethical projects, especially within the arena of family life. Michele Bachmann would make abortion illegal, and Rick Santorum has stated on multiple occasions that he supports laws against homosexual intercourse. But Christian politicians in the United States curtail their interest in making the gospel actionable when it comes to welfare. While the government should see to the moral uprightness of marriage, sex and family, the Value Voters 2013 Summit was notably bereft of talks on living wages, labor rights or basic incomes.
To keep you safe, a guy who makes his y's upside-down
Obama to nominate Jeh Johnson to head Department of Homeland Security http://t.co/D2HkUNoL7n
— POLITICO (@politico) October 18, 2013
We found this during the Big Tantrum but it was closed
Now it's open again: American Factfinder is an excellent site for avoiding work.
10.17.2013
BP spill: Still sticky
Coast Guard Discovers A 4,000-Pound Mat Of Tar In The Gulf | ThinkProgress
As Coast Guard crews were scouring the Louisiana coast looking for damage from Tropical Storm Karen this week, they made a startling discovery: A tar mat weighing 4,100 pounds, presumably remnants from the devastating BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010.
…And, in comparison, this one isn’t that big. In June, officials discovered a massive 40,000 pound mat — a collection that BP reported was in addition to the over 2.7 million pounds of tar collected at that point in 2013.
And a Canadian company to boot?
The Beltway Bandit Behind the Healthcare.gov Debacle | Dirt Diggers Digest
The federal government long ago chose to depend on contractors for its vast information technology needs. That decision periodically results in debacles like those surrounding the rollout of the ACA exchanges. It remains to be seen whether fiascoes will also mar the actual insurance coverage being provided through the ACA, which also relies on the supposedly efficient private sector.
The R's could have probably made more points by just keeping their mouths shut (I know, I know) and letting healthcare.gov implode by itself, in full view. Although, note, the healthcare.gov fiasco (is it too soon to say that?) only affects the 36 states that refused to create their own exchanges (weirdly, many of those are R-leaning states even though R's like to insist states are better at solving problems than the feds — shocking, hmm?).
Although what would I know? I live in Massachusetts, the home of Romneycare, so I am terminally (well, not terminally, I hope) confused about the whole thing. And for all I know, some Canadians built our web site too.
The drone guy
Meet Jeh Johnson: Drone Lawyer and Obama's Homeland Security Nominee - NationalJournal.com
"In my view, targeted lethal force is at its least controversial when it is on its strongest, most traditional legal foundation. The essential mission of the U.S. military is to capture or kill an enemy. Armies have been doing this for thousands of years. As part of a congressionally authorized armed conflict, the foundation is even stronger. Furthermore, the parameters of congressionally authorized armed conflict are transparent to the public, from the words of the congressional authorization itself, and the Executive Branch's interpretation of that authorization, which this Administration has made public."
Good question
Obamacare online glitches: 25 great quotes - Photos - 3 of 25 - POLITICO.com
“How can we tax people for not buying a product from a website that doesn’t work?” — House Speaker John Boehner, Oct. 10
Let's fix it.
Let's just not fix it with a gun at our heads.
Yeah! What about those lucky-ducky guys who got furloughed?
American taxpayers betrayed by chicken-hearted RINOs | Fox News
ObamaCare is still the law of the land. The government is still spending money it does not have. And thousands of government workers just got a two-week vacation courtesy of the taxpayers.
Faux News is on the case.
And now for a moment with the real world
Obama’s Faltering Balancing Act in Syria | The National Interest Blog
Nobody should have been surprised by reports late last month that thirteen powerful rebel factions formally broke with the exiled Syrian National Coalition—the political arm of the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA)—to form an Islamist alliance that includes the Al Qaeda-linked Al Nusra Front. On September 29, in a move that has further marginalized the FSA, at least fifty rebel factions operating mostly around Damascus—where the FSA had been the preeminent rebel force—merged to form the Army of Islam, which aims to topple Assad and institute Sharia law. Liwa al Islam, the central group in the Army of Islam, has become far larger than the FSA.
(Whoa! Enough! Let's go back to bitching about Congress.)
The war on ketchup!
CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS INFLUENCING TASTE BUDS
MIAMI (AP) -- Salsa overtaking ketchup as America's No. 1 condiment was just the start.
These days, tortillas outsell burger and hot dog buns; sales of tortilla chips trump potato chips; and tacos and burritos have become so ubiquitously "American," most people don't even consider them ethnic.
Where is Congress when we need it?
Greenwald to become Drudge of Snowden industry
The founder of eBay has pledged $250 million for a media venture with journalist Glenn Greenwald, who broke stories based on government whistleblower Edward Snowden’s leaks.
10.16.2013
If you're celebrating, do it fast
House Republicans Gearing Up for Round 2 - NYTimes.com
“If we get past tomorrow, we can all take a deep breath and basically refocus — knowing we have January out there — and refocus on trying to get some big things,” said Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.
A long time ago we were not so confused
Undernews: A ship load of ships
How many ships can a shipping ship ship?
Having a "We're Not a Rubber Stamp" stamp made up right away
Surveillance court denies being a 'rubber stamp' - The Hill's Hillicon Valley
The chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court is pushing back against accusations that his court is a "rubber stamp" for government spying.
When we say models we mean models
Model car photography with full-size backgrounds - Boing Boing
Michael Paul Smith's photos of a fictional mid-20th century town, Egin Park, are accomplished using his detailed scale models shot against real backgrounds.
Because Republicans
Government Shutdown 2013: House Debates NPS Park Closures | New Republic
On Capitol Hill, senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell are frantically working to negotiate a deal before the government shutdown becomes a government default. A few blocks away, in the Rayburn House Office Building, a small group of U.S. representatives is occupied with what Doc Hastings, chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, has decided is an equally pressing task: Scrutinizing every barricaded road, traffic-coned scenic view, and chained-off Porta Potty in the National Park Service’s shut-down system.
Buy tinfoil would be my advice
But even as more people become aware they are being tracked throughout their daily lives, few understand to what extent. In a recent Pew Internet study, 37% of respondents said they thought it was possible to be completely anonymous online. From experts like Sell, you'll get a different range of answers about whether it's possible to live without any data trail: "100% no," she says.
Better never than late
Texas Paper Retracts Cruz Endorsement - NYTimes.com
WASHINGTON — One year after endorsing Ted Cruz for Senate, The Houston Chronicle took back its support for the Texas senator on Wednesday, calling him “part of the problem” in Washington.
A little something to look forward to from Lindsey Graham
Graham: Republicans forfeited their leverage
As Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) headed into the meeting of the Senate Republican Conference, he said the looming debt deadline meant that Republicans had little or no leverage remaining.
“This package is a joke compared to what we could have gotten if we had a more reasonable approach,” he said. “But live and learn; we’ll be doing this in a couple months.”
Pierce, who helps to make it bearable
Today In The Reign Of Morons - Reign Of Morons: The Apotheosis, Starring Ted Yoho - Esquire
This is how the power came to rest with Ted Yoho, who is a fool and a know-nothing. This is how historical inevitability is created. This is how its momentum becomes unstoppable. This is how the wreckage piles up.
Congress figures out how to bounce the market?
RT @AP: BREAKING: Dow Jones industrial average surges 200 points as Washington closes in on a debt deal.
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) October 16, 2013
Even the end won't be the end
“They’re fools — and work for fools!”: Grayson on GOP staffers (and much more) - Salon.com
Well, the possibility of a Great Betrayal has raised its ugly head again. I’m not going to call it a “Grand Bargain” — I know other people do. And I guess every time, it’s going to be like a game of whack-a-mole: there are vast corporate interests and right-wing ideologues who want to privatize Social Security, and they want to voucherize Medicare. And they want to do that because they’re going to make staggering amounts from doing so…I guess they’re going to keep trying, and I guess we’ll have to keep beating them.
No navel left uninspected
NEED MOTIVATION? THERE'S AN APP OR GADGET FOR THAT
A growing category of devices and software applications promises to measure the mundane details of our daily lives: calories burned, diaper changes, how much and how well we sleep, caffeine intake, kids' studying habits, household chores, even whether a baby is nursing more frequently on Mom's left breast versus her right.
South Dakota…
South Dakota Ranchers Face Storm’s Toll, but U.S.’ Helping Hands Are Tied - NYTimes.com
“They’re acting like a bunch of kids fighting over a toy,” said Matt Kammerer, another South Dakota rancher. “They’re getting paid; they ain’t feeling any hardship.”
…has one Democratic Senator and one Republican, and one representative, a Republican.
So much for being exceptional
Viewing U.S. in Fear and Dismay - NYTimes.com
“It just goes to show that it’s not only Greece that has irresponsible and shortsighted politicians,” said Ioanna Kalavryti, 34, a teacher in Athens. “We’ve been held hostage by our reckless politicians, and the interests they serve, for more than three years now. I guess our American friends are getting a taste of the same medicine.”
10.15.2013
Wait, saved by spam?
The NSA’s giant Utah data center will probably hold a bunch of spam
Industry reports show spam accounts for an overwhelming share of all e-mail. Other internal NSA documents obtained by The Post's Barton Gellman appear to agree. If what the NSA is downloading is at all reflective of the broader Internet, then it's fair to conclude the agency collects a significant amount of spam and has little choice but to store it — meaning that of the "alottabytes" of storage the NSA brags about in its Utah data center, a heap of them will be filled with junk.
And another thing…
Rand Paul: Obama won't stop war on Christianity – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs
Washington (CNN) – Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky devoted his speech to the socially conservative Values Voter Summit to “a war on Christianity” that is being waged by “fanatics of Islam.”…
“This administration does nothing to stop it and it can be argued that it is giving aid and comfort to those who tolerate these crimes.”
…this administration is doing nothing to stop the invasion of enormous toenail-eating butterflies from Krypton.
We are afraid.
A learning experience
Undernews: Furloughed government workers get meals from food bank
"These folks (furloughed government employees) don't know how to be poor," said Rev. Robert Hahn, the head End Hunger in Calvert County, a consortium of food pantries in the area.
Can horny-rimmed glasses make Rick Perry smart?
Rick Perry's Glasses Make Him Look Smarter | New Republic
After all, one could plausibly argue that a certain, significiant part of Sarah Palin's surprising rise had something to do with her Tina Fey glasses. Australia's prime minister recently started wearing smart-looking glasses…Clark Kent built a whole second life around it.
What about eating chocolate chip movies in front of the TV?
Eating and advertising: Popcorn and snacks at movies nullify the message of the ads.
(A word of warning: The link above will take you to a video. Fie upon it.)
Ada!
Ladies Last: Eight Inventions by Women That Dudes Got Credit For | Mother Jones
October 15th is Ada Lovelace Day, named for the world’s first computer programmer and dedicated to promoting women in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math. A Victorian-era mathematical genius, Lovelace was the first to describe how computing machines could solve math problems, write new forms of music, and much more, if you gave them instructions in a language they could understand.
Just for you, Ada, we break our rule against quoting headlines with lists ("eight inventions").
From our work avoidance list
"Don’t spend it all in one place. If I hadn’t spent it all in one place, I wouldn’t be here right now."
“And what place did you spend it?”
“Fast women and slow horses.”
Confused? Us?
Beneficiaries of Medicare Left Confused by Exchanges - NYTimes.com
Anne M. Armao, a vice president of SummaCare, in Akron, Ohio, said the company had changed the names of its silver and gold Medicare Advantage plans to sapphire and emerald to avoid confusion with products offered on the exchange to people under 65.
10.14.2013
And you don't get medals for just doing your job
The Folly of Doomsday Economics | National Review Online
…you don’t get credit for predicting, say, a debt disaster if your own actions are directly responsible for creating that disaster. Here’s what would be terrible for our nation’s finances: a nasty economic downturn of the sort that will almost surely follow if Washington fails to raise the debt ceiling.
The case of the wandering apostrophe
Republicans Using WWII Vets For Political Agenda - The Grave Robbers In Washington - Esquire
Senator Ted Cruz speaks at a rally at the WWII Memorial in Washington to protest its' closing on October, 13, 2013.
Also, click the link and read. Read it twice.
Seemed like a good idea at the time
Man turns face into tattoo billboard for Internet porn sites, regrets it - Salon.com
Before legally changing his name to “Hostgator Dotcom,” Billy Gibby called himself “Billy the Billboard” because of his willingness to tattoo brand logos on his face and body. After receiving sums in the range of $75 – $1,000, Gibby (Dotcom?) tattooed the logos for several Internet porn sites on his face.
But still, principles — won't do political ads.
Department of Really Dumb, Dumb Things
"A North Andover High School honor student, Erin was cleared by police, who agreed she had not been drinking and was not in possession of alcohol. But Andover High told Erin she was in violation of the district’s zero tolerance policy against alcohol and drug use," CBS Boston reported.
You thought you were already having fun — but no!
NY GOP wants Trump for governor - Salon.com
According to the New York Post, the state’s Republican Party is looking to recruit a candidate to challenge New York Governor Andrew Cuomo — and they’ve already got a name in mind. That’s right: it’s Donald Trump.
Logic with an R
Gohmert: Congress-caused default is ‘an impeachable offense by the president’ | The Raw Story
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) asserted last week that if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling and allows the United States to default on its debt then it “would be an impeachable offense by the president.”
How the so-called free market endangers your health
The Soaring Cost of a Simple Breath - NYTimes.com
Asthma — the most common chronic disease that affects Americans of all ages, about 40 million people — can usually be well controlled with drugs. But being able to afford prescription medications in the United States often requires top-notch insurance or plenty of disposable income, and time to hunt for deals and bargains.
…Pulmicort, a steroid inhaler, generally retails for over $175 in the United States, while pharmacists in Britain buy the identical product for about $20 and dispense it free of charge to asthma patients. Albuterol, one of the oldest asthma medicines, typically costs $50 to $100 per inhaler in the United States, but it was less than $15 a decade ago, before it was repatented.
A tech take on healthcare.gov
How The First Internet President Produced The Government's Biggest, Highest-Stakes Internet Failure
Once upon a time, Senator Harry Truman held the feet of wartime contractors to the fire, charging them of profiteering from producing the “arsenal of democracy” during World War II in hearings broadcast to the nation. Today, the scandal is not a warship that isn’t seaworthy, a plane that doesn’t fly, or rotten food. It’s a website, Healthcare.gov, that has not delivered on its mission of enabling millions of Americans to browse and enroll in health insurance plans.
Or maybe New Yorkers are just not into elusive British street art
Banksy sells original art for $60 in Central Park - Yahoo News
Banksy, the elusive British street artist, pulled off another fantastic stunt over the weekend, selling pieces of his spray artwork — which typically fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction — from a Central Park vendor stall for $60 apiece.…
Just three people took advantage of the one-day sale, with passersby assuming the works were knock-offs.…
Best of all…
[One] buyer, a man from Chicago, explained, "I just need something for the walls."
Africa: The next great arms market
France to increase troops in Central African Republic | Reuters
(Reuters) - France will boost its troop presence in the Central African Republic by the end of the year under a forthcoming U.N. resolution to help prevent the country from spiraling out of control, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday.
10.13.2013
Unhappy campers
Only 13 percent of people worldwide actually like going to work
It’s a disturbing number, to say the least.
According to just-released data by Gallup, only 13 percent of employees are “engaged” in their jobs, or emotionally invested in their work and focused on helping their organizations improve.
There will always be a catch 22
With New Abortion Restrictions, Ohio Walks a Narrow Legal Line - NYTimes.com
Ohio has long required abortion clinics to have a formal transfer agreement with a nearby hospital for emergency care, something physicians say is medically unnecessary because hospitals are required to treat emergency patients. Now, a new measure bars public hospitals from signing such agreements…
This morning's column from Dowd
WASHINGTON — HOW awful are Ted Cruz and his Cruzettes?
They have done the impossible. They have made Americans look back at the Bush II era, the most reckless wrecking ball in American history, with relative nostalgia.
(Noted by our Midwest bureau.)
We'd sorta like Ted Cruz and his Hatters, but Cruzettes comes pretty close.
Go Bears — 4-2
America’s Newest Culture War: Football | Mother Jones
According to a guest speaker at this weekend's Values Voters Summit in Washington, DC, the NFL's concussion crisis is a myth cooked up by overzealous researchers and a willing media, the nation's most popular sport is under attack from an increasingly soft population, and President Obama might have turned out differently—and smoked a lot less pot—if he'd found the structure and discipline of the gridiron growing up. Welcome to the newest front in the culture war: the War on Football.
Wait, what?
OK, I give up
While the Stock Market Soars to New Records, the 1% Pits the Crumb Rummagers Against Each Other
…corporations and individual members of the elite 1% club have used their tools -- such as the main street media -- to wage regimes of miseducation against public sector workers…
The universe collapses into gibberish.
Ooops
Vatican spells Jesus wrong on commemorative coin - Boing Boing
I bet the Vatican's commemorative coins celebrating Pope Francis's first year are suddenly much more valuable than expected. Why? They spelled Jesus wrong.
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