Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Headlines - Wednesday

h/t Jay B.
 
Picture of snowy egret
 
Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, located in Dugway, Utah, will be having its 50th anniversary celebration Saturday, May 9.  
 
 
###
 
 
 
###
 
File this one under least shocking story of the day

KBR (Halliburton subsidiary), the Army's largest contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan (that has electrocuted soldiers and covered up gang rape of female employees) is linked to "the vast majority" of suspected combat-zone fraud cases that have been referred to investigators, as well as a majority of the $13 billion in "questioned" or "unsupported" costs, the Pentagon's top auditor said yesterday.

Fun fact: Darth Cheney has $40 million in stocks from Halliburton. 

###

President Hamid Karzai has long pleaded with American officials to reduce the number of civilian casualties in their operations, but 30 more bodies (many of them women and children), were found after US bombing runs. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090505/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan;_ylt=AqRW5mOUdXVmzRSI5lCk1.xvaA8F

###

"When I posed topless," says Carrie (the bible says gays shouldn't marry) Prejean, "God was testing my character and faith."

To be fair, pretty tame and people, religious and non-religious alike, should probably cut her some slack. Look, it's her body and if she wants to act like a Babylonian tart and flaunt the blessings that God bestowed upon her in order to inflame the loins of otherwise pure men thereby condemning them both to an eternity of burning agony in Hell...well, that's her right. Bless her heart.

###

We can now add the name of Pres. Barack Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, to the list of deceased people who have been posthumously baptized by the Mormons, according to Helen Radkey, the Salt Lake City researcher whose revelation that Mormons had baptized Nazi hunter Simon Weisenthal ignited outrage among Jewish leaders in late 2006. Ms. Dunham joins the list with others like 

Ted Bundy, Adolph Hitler, Eva Braun, Martin Bormann, Benito Mussolini, Josef Stalin, Mao Tse-Tung, Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, who was also Jewish.

Update: the church says it was a "rare" mistake that may have been done by "pranksters." Uh huh.

http://www.americablog.com/2009/05/lying-for-lord.html

###

Here's an update on that giant floating island of plastic discovered out in the middle of the Pacific: It's made up of six million tons of discarded plastic and a project is underway to collect and recycle it.

###  

Bwwwwwhahahahah ....banned in Britain for "fostering extremism or hatred"

England flag

So, I see this link on Balloon Juice, entitled 'Home Office name hate promoters excluded from the UK.' I click through, scroll down, and what to my wondering eyes appears?


Michael Alan Weiner (also known as Michael Savage)
Controversial daily radio host. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence.

Out-freakin'-standing.

I'm  still laugh thinking about when that turd attempted to sue Take Back The Media for $3 million because we made fun of his name. Karma's a bitch, Weiner-Boy.

###

Pretty unbelievable... If you're driving through east Texas, be sure to take the long way around Shelby County.

###

The pizzeria tour gets a new 'expert: Klondike Barbie joins the Re-Branding fiasco....I'm with Steve Benen when he asks a very good question - just what, exactly, are these people experts at? Losing elections? Voicing extreme, out-of-the-mainstream viewpoints? Grifting? What??  

###

As you know, our newest Democrat Arlen Sphincter's voting record shows he voted with Republicans 70% of the time. Since becoming a supposed Democrat, he has stated he doesn't want a public option for health insurance, has voted against Obama's budget, is against Obama's pick for assistant Attorney General, and: Now comes this:

There's still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner.
 

That's not a "moderate" statement by the way; Franken has a clear lead, has had a clear lead for some time now, and everyone, Republicans included, know that the only thing keeping Coleman going is spite.  Saying this is usually the realm of a real extremist, and frankly I'd have been surprised to see Specter say such a thing before he switched parties.

Harry Reid's response? "Well, on that one we are just going to have to disagree."

At yesterday's press briefing, Jake Tapper asked White House press sec Robert Gibbs a good question: Is there any point at which Specter's refusal to back key aspects of Obama's agenda might get him to, you know, rethink his automatic support for Specter through the 2010 Dem primary?

As Tapper put it, is there "anything that Specter could do" that would persuade Obama not to back him against a Democrat "more in line with the president's priorities"?

Gibbs' answer: Not really. "Senator Specter has his full support and he'll do what — what's necessary to see him reelected," Gibbs replied.

I'd say that Specter switched parties partly because he knew he was doomed as a Republican and partly because he wanted in on all that sweet action Lieberman, Bayh and Nelson are getting from the press.  Who wouldn't want to switch parties into a consequence-free environment, getting the money and good press of a Democratic wave without any need to support anything that Democrats want?

The US Senate is increasingly hostile to anything that could be described as even moderately "liberal."  We're going to see that put in sharp relief when Specter, Bayh, Nelson and other faux-Democrats find themselves forced - by their deep-seated convictions, of course - to oppose whoever Obama nominates for SCOTUS for being "controversial, divisive" or some such thing.  A real Democratic caucus, even one that accepted a diversity of opinion on a host of issues, with a real Majority Leader, would have either made Specter promise something or told him to eff off.  And a real Democratic caucus would have kicked him out for the nonsense he's been pulling the last few days.

I hope Tom Ridge manages to run for Senate, beat Toomey in the primary and Specter in the general.  Maybe that will make switching parties less attractive to the few remaining GOP moderates, because frankly, I don't think our democracy can handle any more of these faux-Democrat clowns.

Fun fact: the newly minted 'Democrat' is officially one of the most junior members of the five Senate committees he sits on, even though he's a million and a half years old and has spent a million of those years as a senator. The Senate voted unanimously to strip him of his 30 years of seniority accumulated as a Republican because, ha, he is not a Republican anymore: http://wonkette.com/408358/specter-denied-seniority-by-double-crossing-dems#more-408358 

###

Environmentalists are trying to kill you and only Jesus and the Republicans can save you

Yesterday, James Carville made a comment in an interview with Huffington Post. It got some play around the web, but didn't really make a lot of waves. Mostly because he said what everyone knows - even those who would rather pretend otherwise. The Republican party, Carville said, was stuck with the religious nuts. If they try to get rid of them - or even soften the message - it's over.

"I don't think they can do that because their party would crumble... That is not an option really available to them," Carville said. "They can talk about other issues and do other things, but once you have a Republican nominee, or serious Republican leaders who are pro-choice or pro-gay marriage, they are going to lose a lot of their voting base. These people will break off. And I don't think that's a real open discussion among people that really know what is going on in the Republican Party."

Keep reading: http://griperblade.blogspot.com/2009/05/environmentalists-are-trying-to-kill.html

###

Bushies working on watering down internal justice department report on torture. Story here.

###

There is a trend in the United States to treat fetuses as persons for the purpose of criminal charges. That trend was taken to an extraordinary degree in Dubai where a pregnant woman was involved in a traffic accident and had a miscarriage. Finding that she was following to closely and applying Sharia law, the court convicted her of manslaughter and also ordered her to pay "blood money" for the loss of the baby. Story here.

###

The US military has gathered up a collection of soldier's bibles and destroyed them after Qatar-based Al Jazeer television showed soldiers at a Bible class on a base with a stack of Bibles translated into the local Pashto and Dari languages to try and convert them to christianity.   

Freeper comment: "We would not want them to know about the REAL Religion of Peace, now would we?"

Right. The religion of "peace" that invaded their country and has been at war with them since 2001. 

###

I won the Nigerian Lottery?!?!?!

###

Brilliant at Breakfast wonders aloud why John Edwards' alleged misuse of campaign funds (allegedly for his mistress) rates so much higher on the mainstream media's radar than Joe Lieberman's misuse of his campaign funds.

###

ZP Heller, on OpenLeft, has grim tidings from the East:

The situation in Pakistan is deteriorating by the hour. This nuclear-armed nation already plagued by political and economic turmoil now faces a massive humanitarian crisis, as 500,000 people flee the Swat valley in the face of armed conflict between Pakistani authorities and Taliban extremists who have taken control. As President Obama prepares to meet with Pakistani President Asif Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai tomorrow, the question becomes what the U.S. can do to prevent all-out war in Pakistan.

One could imagine that firing missiles with deadly effect into the homes of sleeping villagers from low-flying drones piloted by remote control from Pasadena or Las Vegas might count for something. I wonder if "the Prez" has thought of that? Cuz there seems to be some agreement that that's at least part of the problem:

An article in The New York Times today presents three potential strategies for the Obama administration to pursue in the coming weeks: 1) hasten the long-term strategy of retraining the Pakistani army to fight the counterinsurgency while upping nation-building efforts; 2) rely on more Predator drone strikes and covert ground attacks; and 3) make sure Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is secure from the extremist threat. While it's clear the Obama administration has its back against the wall, authorizing more Predator drone attacks is a disastrous option that must be avoided at all cost.

As David Kilcullen, the counterinsurgency expert who designed Gen. Petraeus's Iraqi surge, recently told the House Armed Services Committee, "We need to call off the drones." This covert plan, first approved by Bush (and continued by Obama) to skirt Pakistan's refusal to allow U.S. troops into the country, uses unmanned aircraft remotely controlled by the CIA to hunt down suspected terrorists and insurgents. But as Kilcullen claimed, it's backfiring, prompting more Taliban extremists to take up arms against the U.S.-backed Pakistani government and driving them deeper into the country.

At least 700 Pakistanis have died under the drone onslaught. Hundreds of thousands have been made refugees from the drone attacks and the Taliban activities the drones are supposed to attack.

In addition to the 700 innocent Pakistani civilians killed, the UN estimates drone strikes have displaced hundreds of thousands more people. One can only imagine the inordinate amount of chaos and devastation caused by more drone strikes, as they become a recruiting tool for Islamic militants spurred into action against the Pakistani government and U.S. interests.

Robot warriors - they are one reliable way to win the hearts and minds of your opponents' supporters, for sure. 

###

Do not EVER fall into the delusion that Congress legislates for the benefit of citizens. Congress acts to preserve and protect the interests of the owners of the country, and if there accrues some small benefit to the People, well, shit happens.

Jane Hamsher connects the dots: Plastic People: Frank, Pelosi Don't Want Credit Card Interest Rates Capped

###

A piece on Alternet today tells us that the number of 'non-believers' in the United States is 1) larger than you might expect, 2) growing, and 3) fast approaching a critical mass.

###

Just when you think AIG has slimed its way back under its rock, they ooze back out and leave another slimy little trail across your consciousness: http://theygaveusarepublic.com/diary/2729/aig-again-by-Tom-B

Oh, and according to Reuters, Bank of America is gonna need another $34 billion.

###

From The Independent:

Scientists believe they are one step closer to developing an effective male contraceptive jab after successfully carrying out the largest feasibility study to date.

###

A former Nazi Youth and evangelical christian who has compared President Obama to Hitler was scheduled to speak at the Air Force Academy but the academy canceled her appearance after getting major push back from several advocacy groups.

I wonder if she gave any speeches about the fact that George Bush's family worked with Hitler?

###

Here's the plan ...


NY Times

"…we disguise ourselves and tell everyone we are poodles until this flu thing goes away."

###

What the media did to help normalize torture.

###

According to Yves, Obama's chief of the SEC, Mary Schapiro, dumped $862 million worth of "auction rate securities" while head of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) - without telling the public. So, while FINRA and the insiders got out in time, the public was left holding the bag. Quelle surprise. And the beauty part?

The agency that would investigate Mary Schapiro's conduct while head of FINRA would be the SEC. Which Mary Schapiro now heads. Cozy!

NOTE For more on Mary Schapiro see here. Joe Kennedy, she's not.

###

The Whitewash continues

Though an internal Justice Department inquiry concluded that the Bush administration lawyers who authored the torture memos "committed serious lapses of judgment," a draft of the report says "that they should not be prosecuted." Instead, the report, which has yet to be approved by Attorney General Eric Holder, is likely to "ask state bar associations to consider possible disciplinary action," such as disbarment.

###

At least one U.S. diplomat and a number of international relations experts believe that should Israel decide to attack Iran, the country would "seek forgiveness, not permission" by only notifying the U.S. after any such mission got underway. Israel would likely notify the U.S to ensure that "its jets would not be shot down by accident if overflying U.S.-occupied Iraq."

###

cigar

Last night Rush Limbaugh went to Washington, D.C. to address the President's Club Dinner, a meeting of wealthy donors and supporters of the Heritage Foundation. The audience included Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), as well as various millionaire trustees of the Heritage Foundation, like Thomas Saunders.

After more or less reprising his radio show routine, Limbaugh went on to brag about his $400 million contract with Clear Channel Communications. As he continued to gloat about his show's success, Limbaugh mocked the idea that Americans are suffering: 

LIMBAUGH: But during all this growth I haven't lost any audience. I've never had financially a down year. There's supposedly a recession, but we've got - what is this May? Back in February we already had 102% of 2008 overbooked for 2009. [applause] So I always believed that if we're going to have a recession, just don't participate.

###

Mike (Iraq is like an Indiana market) Pence: I'm not 'anti-science...but I don't believe in global warming, stem cell research or evolution: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/05/pence-evolution-global-warming/

###

David Brooks, the male counterpart of dolphin-hugger Peggy Nooners, may be functionally retarded:

Republicans generally like Westerns. They generally admire John Wayne-style heroes who are rugged, individualistic and brave. They like leaders — from Goldwater to Reagan to Bush to Palin — who play up their Western heritage. Republicans like the way Westerns seem to celebrate their core themes — freedom, individualism, opportunity and moral clarity.

OK, here's where I lost it. I'm pretty sure he was going to make a point, but I just couldn't read anymore. Anyone who uses the words "republicans" and "moral clarity" in the same sentence w/out a bunch of caveats and snide remarks is just asking for a major synaptic meltdown by discerning readers. Drop Palin in there, and call wealthy Connecticut fratboy Gee Dubyah a freaking cowboy... yep, whoops, there go a few more of my brain cells combusting.

####

The Party of No Ideas is still stuck on Stupid. Some hairy-knuckled turd, writing at the ironically-named 'Intellectual Conservative," dribbles:

Under Hawaiian law, it is possible (both legally and illegally) for a person to have been born out of state, yet have a birth certificate on file in the Department of Health.

Somehow, you know it's coming. That OMG moment is just around the corner. You can feel the inescapable reality creeping up on you. Something will leak. Someone will spill the beans. "For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light." Luke 8:17

You're quoting the Bible? Really?

It isn't hard to imagine the gnawing anxiety that AKA OBAMA lives with, day in and day out...

And then it gets even more stupid. He must have spent days on this tripe, the idiot. The only thing that was "made manifest" is his dumbassery and moral midgetry. 

###

Eighty-four years ago today, Dayton, Tennessee police arrested high school teacher John Scopes for the crime of teaching evolution.

Scopes was guilty.  Guilty of premeditated teaching evolution, for the express purpose of getting arrested and thus testing Tennessee's absurd law in court.

And that Dayton jury correctly found him guilty of breaking the ridiculous law he had, in fact, broken.

Yet today we remember the Scopes trial as a victory for evolution, science and reality because Scopes attorney Clarence Darrow humiliated legendary fundamentalist orator William Jennings Bryan on the stand.

An area of questioning involved the book of Genesis and if Eve was actually created from Adam's rib, where Cain got his wife, and how many people lived in Ancient Egypt. Darrow used these examples to show that the stories of the Bible could not be scientific and should not be used in teaching science with Darrow telling Bryan, "You insult every man of science and learning in the world because he does not believe in your fool religion."[20] Bryan's declaration in response was "The reason I am answering is not for the benefit of the superior court. It is to keep these gentlemen from saying I was afraid to meet them and let them question me, and I want the Christian world to know that any atheist, agnostic, unbeliever, can question me anytime as to my belief in God, and I will answer him."[21]

Stewart objected, demanding to know the legal purpose of Darrow's questioning. Bryan, gauging the effect the session was having, snapped that its purpose was "to cast ridicule on everybody who believes in the Bible." Darrow, with equal vehemence, retorted, "We have the purpose of preventing bigots and ignoramuses from controlling the education of the United States." (299)

A few more questions followed in the charged open-air courtroom. Darrow asked where Cain got his wife; Bryan answered that he would "leave the agnostics to hunt for her" (302-03). When Darrow addressed the issue of the temptation of Eve by the serpent, Bryan insisted that the Bible be quoted verbatim rather than allowing Darrow to paraphrase it in his own terms. However, after another angry exchange, Judge Raulston banged his gavel, adjourning court and bringing the drama to a sudden close (303-04).

After that, the fundies slunk back to their caves for 50 years.

Converging events and personalities in the '60s and '70s brought them pouring out to poison the public sphere and accumulate power undreamed-of by Bryan.

We need a 21st-century Darrow, a champion of science and reality and the Constitution to challenge the freakazoids on their own ground and slap them back to the fourth century where they belong.

 

No comments: