Headlines - Friday

Welcome to the Black Hole

No, this is not a story about Congress. A new program shows what scientists believe it would look like to approach a black hole. Now, you can experience the light show without the inconvenience of being crushed to the size of a pea by the gravity.

http://jonathanturley.org/2010/02/11/welcome-to-the-black-hole/#more-20264

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The world's worst opinion section explains the teabaggers.

 

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Iceland ready to rake in that sweet journalism money

In much the same way that the Cayman Islands became an offshore haven for banking, Iceland is now going to make itself into an offshore haven for investigative journalists. If that don't beat all! Iceland's government is set to enact the "strongest combination of source protection, freedom of speech, and libel-tourism prevention laws in the world." That's nice and all but if you're trying to pull in money from investigative journalists, Iceland, that's strike two for you.

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Phony Democrats committing mass political suicide: http://griperblade.blogspot.com/2010/02/phony-democrats-committing-mass.html

 

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The Obama Administration has taken the rare step of criticizing a British court. Why? Because the court released a few paragraphs of a report that confirmed our abuse and torture of detainees. Spokesman Ben LaBolt denounced the release of the information and threatened to cut off access of the British to classified information in the future. Note these paragraphs do not appear to reveal any new classified technique, but rather confirm our violations of international law — evidence that the Obama Administration has been refusing to release.

http://jonathanturley.org/2010/02/11/obama-administration-blasts-british-court-for-disclosing-abuses-at-guantanamo-bay/

 

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Jonathan Turley: "You say you want a revolution?" How to reform our political system.

 

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Fox News Tea Party Survey Fail

I suspect that the above result is not what Fox News expected. I also suspect that jokers at Daily Kos and Democratic Underground may have freeped the poll.

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As reports circulate that the Justice Dept has softened its criticism of attorney John Yoo for memos approving the Bush administration's treatment of terrorism suspects, several prominent lawyers are urging a federal appeals court in San Francisco to hold Yoo accountable: 

http://www.thepoliticalcarnival.net/2010/02/yoo-asked-for-it.html

 

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Bill Clinton hospitalized. And released after minor heart procedure yesterday. Get well soon, Big Dog. 

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Rolling Stone - Tim Dickinson: No We Can't

Obama had millions of followers eager to fight for his agenda. But the president muzzled them - and he's paying the price

 

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Glenn Beck's show in the United Kingdom has not run any commercials during the past three days (Tues-Thurs).

 

Glenn Beck's show in the UK used to run commercials. The shows that come on before and after Glenn Beck still run commercials. But, for the past three days, Mr. Beck hasn't had any sponsors in the U.K. During the commercial break, instead of running ads, they cut away to Sky News updates or the weather. Perhaps they're having trouble finding sponsors willing to subsidize Glenn Beck's misinformation, vitriol, sexism and race-baiting?

 

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Missouri state senator Gary Nodler is against repealing DADT because it would be a 'cultural affront to terrorists'

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Wingnut welfare fraud

Once upon a time there was a cabal of psychotic rapey naked jackasses who liked to "gallivant around nearly nude" in Afghanistan and Iraq when they weren't busy scaring the shit out of local residents and occasionally murdering them. This cabal was called "Blackwater," and it was quite a scandal, all the rapey psychotic murderous things they did! But then they changed their name to "Xe" and magically overnight all their problems went away. Alas, now some former Blackwater employee is stirring the pot again by saying that the company billed the US government for the use of one (1) hooker in Kabul, which was unethical.

The troubled American private ­security company Blackwater faced fresh ­controversy today when two former employees accused it of defrauding the US government for years, including ­billing for a Filipina prostitute on its payroll in Afghanistan.

According to Melan Davis, a former employee, Blackwater listed the woman for payment under the "morale welfare recreation" category.

The company, which allegedly employed her in Kabul, billed the ­government for her plane tickets and monthly salary, Davis said.

Ha ha, surely this tale of LITERALLY wanton accounting fraud is the last embarrassing story to come out of Blackwater in Afghanistan! There couldn't possibly be anything worse than keeping a single prostitute on the Kabul payroll!

Brad Friedman wonders when we're going to see James O'Keefe in his pimp costume outside the offices of Blackwater/Xe.

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Gay polls better than homosexual

So words do matter. English majors everywhere just smiled, wanly.

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Bill Nye the Science Guy: Climate change deniers are 'unpatriotic': http://rawstory.com/2010/02/bill-nye-climate-change-deniers-unpatriotic/

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After Obama threatens recess appointments, senate confirms 27 of his high-level nominees.

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Cable Comcast: Al Franken says hell no on the NBC takeover

..... So when the same company that produces the programs runs the pipes that bring us those programs, we have a reason to be nervous.... You'll have to excuse me if I don't just trust their promises and that is from experience in this business."

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/528746/cable_comcast_al_franken_says_hell_no_on_the_nbc_takeover