Alabama Slammer

Methinks this:

BART admits halting cell service to stop protesters

Will not go over very well in the Bay Area.

Hacker group threatens cyberwar against BART

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That Russell Brand fella is kinda sharp.

UK riots: Big Brother isn't watching you | UK news | The Guardian:

"These young people have no sense of community because they haven't been given one. They have no stake in society because Cameron's mentor Margaret Thatcher told us there's no such thing.

If we don't want our young people to tear apart our communities then don't let people in power tear apart the values that hold our communities together."

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Agreed.

Michael Moore: “Matt Damon for President!” | La Figa

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Oh, Alabama. You so crazy.

Pastor tased, mother stabbed during Alabama church brawl�|�Raw Replay

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Expect More Losing

Love Uptown Almanac:

A Cross to Bear | Uptown Almanac

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This slogan is not Sheen approved (and just as vapid as anything Bush came up with).

Daily Kos: Winning the future is a great slogan:

"One day, we will all be super-educated and therefore able to outwit everyone else in some sort of global game. One day, we will build stuff again, like bridges and tunnels. One day, we will become a great manufacturing power again. But all of the things that allowed us to do these things in the past, like strong unions, industrial policy, inexpensive education, heavy regulation, and taxation that redistributed wealth downward will not be found in this budget because those things aren't on the table in any branch of government. What is on the table is a future, a future where everything will work out. We will win! Hooray for optimism!

As for today and tomorrow, expect more losing."

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And Geitner is about to blow holes in the few things this bill does do. It'll be just like it never happened (Until it happens again they bail out these bastards with our money again)

Wall Street Won! Nothing to Prevent Another Crisis, Says Former FDIC Chairman Bill Isaac: Tech Ticker, Yahoo! Finance:

"Crisis may create opportunity, but Congress completely flubbed its opportunity to enact meaningful financial reform in the aftermath of the worst crisis since the Great Depression, says the former chairman of the FDIC, Bill Isaac.

The Dodd-Frank reform bill--the one major piece of legislation to emerge since the financial crisis--is mostly meaningless, says Isaac, who is also the chairman of regional bank Fifth Third. Dodd-Frank does nothing to address the root causes of the financial crisis, Isaac says, and it won't prevent the next one."

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Brutal out there.

Hawaiian man killed while surfing at Mavericks

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Killer Chicken

Other than music, possibly the greatest thing ever done in the state of Alabama:

Alabama sex toy shop to trade guns off streets for fun between sheets | al.com

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Inevitable. You can only push a bird so far.

California man killed by armed bird at cockfight

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I've already got enough guilt in my pockets.

Confession App: Roman Catholic Church Sanctions New iPhone App - ABC News

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If Arianna can twist the very conservative AOL user base, then kudos. Otherwise, not sure how this works out that well.... for the consumer, I mean. Workin' out very well for Arianna and the seed investors to HuffPoo.

AOL to Buy The Huffington Post for $315 Million - NYTimes.com:

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Corporate PEEthos

Other than the 'jaded' biased BS, a fine read.

A Chicken Chain’s Corporate Ethos Is Questioned by Gay Rights Advocates - NYTimes.com

I truly believe that if more people were conscious of the places they spend money and acted according to their personal morals and did not patronize establishments who do not represent their values, then more meaningful change would occur. One might have to go out of their way or spend more money at another establishment, though. Too bad American culture is pretty lazy.

Though, admittedly, I'll cave and eat a sandwich from American Taliban establishments as I would a Thai restaurant with Hindu idols in the corner. The difference is the Thai place isn't actively attempting to suppress my rights under the Constitution.

Purity is hard to attain with so much corporate concentration.

"“It’s a hard call, a personal call,” she said. “You have to decide which soul you want to feed.”"

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Great analogy, though far too many elected Democrats are MLB. Far. Too. Many.

New Rules: Democratic NFL vs Republican MLB | Video Cafe

MAHER: So it's no surprise that some 100 million Americans will watch the Super Bowl next week. That's forty million more than go to church on Christmas. Suck on that Jesus! It's also 85 million more than watched the last game of the World Series and in that is an economic lesson for America, because football is built on an economic model of fairness and opportunity. And baseball is built on a model with the rich always winning and the poor usually have no chance.

The World Series is like the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; you have to be a rich bitch just to play. Where as the Superbowl is like Tila Tequilla, anyone can get in. Or to put it another way, football is more like the Democratic philosophy. Democrats don't want to eliminate capitalism or competition, but they would like it if some kids didn't have to go to a crummy school in a rotten neighborhood, while others get to go to a great school, and their dad gets them into Harvard. Because when that happens, achieving the American dream is easy for some and just a fantasy for others.

That's why the NFL literally shares the wealth. TV is their biggest source of revenue and they put it all in a big Commie pot and split if thirty two ways. Because they don't want anyone to fall too far behind. That's why the team that wins the Superbowl in the next draft, picks last, or what the Republicans would call “punishing success.”

Baseball... baseball on the other hand is exactly like the Republicans. And I don't just mean it's incredibly boring. I mean their economic theory is every man for himself. The small market Pittsburgh Steelers go to the Superbowl more than anybody. But the Pittsburgh Pirates? Levi Johnston has sperm that will not grow up and live long enough to see the Pirates in a World Series. Their payroll is forty million. The Yankees is two hundred and six million. The Pirates have about as much chance of getting to the playoffs as a poor black teenager from Newark has of becoming the CEO of Halliburton.

That's why people stop going to Pirate games in May. Because if you're not in the game, you become indifferent to the fate of the game and maybe even get bitter. That's what's happening to the middle class in America. It's also how Marie Antoinette lost her head. So you kind of have to laugh that the same angry white males who hate Obama because he's “redistributing wealth” just love football; a sport that succeeds because it does just that.

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Again, DADT has not been repealed.

Pam's House Blend:: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal: There Is No Target Date

It is just like the 'near universal health coverage' that does not exist but that the OA keeps crowing about.

Half-assed symbols does not equal any kind of 'change'.

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Oh, academia.

Professor charged with peeing on colleague's door

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Delicate Flowers

Congrats, Auburn Tigers on the NC win. Fun game to watch. Five in a row for the SEC.

Dyer, Tigers reaffirm SEC’s stranglehold - College Football - Rivals.com

However, any dumbass coach or player who attributes a win to their 'god' really doesn't understand that concept. By making such a statement you are implying that your 'god' did not favor the opposing team. Your 'god' chooses sides'. Your 'god' is kinda a dick, then.

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Guns don't kill people. It is the bullets that come out of the guns. Duh.

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Bloodshed and Invective in Arizona - NYTimes.com:

"It is facile and mistaken to attribute this particular madman’s act directly to Republicans or Tea Party members. But it is legitimate to hold Republicans and particularly their most virulent supporters in the media responsible for the gale of anger that has produced the vast majority of these threats, setting the nation on edge. Many on the right have exploited the arguments of division, reaping political power by demonizing immigrants, or welfare recipients, or bureaucrats. They seem to have persuaded many Americans that the government is not just misguided, but the enemy of the people."

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If, again, the most devastating attack he can muster is a finger wag, not much is going to fucking change.

Republicans must laugh themselves to sleep every night over how easy it is to roll OA+Dems.

Obama to GOP: Stop the ‘symbolic battles’ in Congress | Raw Story:

"WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama urged newly empowered Republicans on Saturday not to wage 'symbolic battles' against him but to instead work together to help spur job growth and economic recovery."

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Land of the Free-ish

OK. Sold.

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Pro-stripper, anti-religious freedom.

Poll: More Republicans Support Strip Club Over Mosque Near Ground Zero:

"Just four percent of Republican respondents said they support building a mosque two blocks from the site, whereas 21 percent said they would be fine with a strip club. Forty-nine percent of Democrats said they supported the mosque and 33 for the strip club. Among Independents, it was 34 percent for the mosque and 28 percent for the strip club."

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America. Land of the free-ish.

Student finds tracking device on his car; FBI demands it back | Raw Story

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Dude. Seriously.

Albert Mohler, Southern Baptist Leader, On Yoga: Not Christianity

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Break that Wagging Finger

Obama hasn't 'scolding Progressives', he's deflecting all of the deserved blame for his failed policies and governance onto Progressives. Rahm had Clinton do it in 1996. Pretty damn irresponsible, if you ask me.

I'm sure Freud would have something to say about Obama's addict-like need to appease the GOP Daddies and shit on the people who elected him.

Sad what Obama has turned into. Doesn't hold anyone responsible and is never responsible for his own, many failures.

Just strengthens my resolve to only vote for one Dem (Jerry Brown) in November. I'm really not scared of the alternative.

Weak and wrong. Weak and wrong.

Obama both rallies, scolds Dems in campaign trip | al.com:

"'It's not helpful,' said John Aravosis, the editor of the progressive AMERICAblog.com. 'The base is depressed and they're depressing it even more, and it's not clear why.'

Said DailyKos founder Markos Moulitsas: 'They wouldn't be in this predicament if they delivered on their campaign promises, rather than waste the last two years putting bipartisanship above action.'"

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Alas. I wish I could afford to purchase a ball that I could take to the home I can't afford to own.

Jane Hamsher: Obama's Blame Game: It's Not About Turning Out Voters, It's About Protecting Himself:

"And right now, Obama is turning the Democratic base into Martha Coakley and setting them up for the blame for any electoral failure in fall. The people who showed up to vote for him in 2008 'just weren't serious' if they 'now want to take their ball and go home.' There is no internal consistency to the narrative that the 'professional left' is suppressing turnout by criticizing Obama, but Obama is not suppressing turnout when he scolds the voters who aren't clapping loudly enough for his achievements. But few in the professional punditocracy find their way to that obvious conclusion. This isn't about motivating Democratic voters. It's about setting up a fall guy for November. The headline should really read:

Obama Distances Himself From Democratic Voters"

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The Obama Administration is 100% responsible. Don't forget it.

Do Progressives Need Tough Love or Coddling? | Talking Points Memo:

"It's time for the administration to face the fact that it is they who are responsible for 100% of the problems the Democrats now face in the upcoming midterms. It isn't the left and progressives and actual Democrats who criticized them and warned them and begged them not to sell out on issue after issue who turned people off. No polls are providing evidence that progressive criticism of the President's lackluster results on everything from the stimulus, to healthcare, the wars, climate change, financial 'reform', credit card 'reform', and a host of other issues is fueling the enthusiasm gap. Quite the contrary.

It is a total distortion and misreading of what is going on among voters to make the straw man argument that people are upset because Obama didn't do 'everything' 'overnight'. People are upset because the administration's priorities have not been addressing the problems that real people face like unemployment and foreclosure and that those things that have been done have been an almost embarrassing gruel of half measures and compromises that don't promise to solve the problems we face or prevent future problems."

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Dean/Grayson 2012

Dean Called Rahm's 'Contempt' For Base 'Devastating And Incredibly Demoralizing': Book Excerpt:

"The majority of the book looks at the efforts by former DNC Chairman Howard Dean to build a national network that could immunize the party from becoming either marginalized or regionalized. But the epilogue charts out how the style of Obama's governance drained the type of voter enthusiasm that, Dean acknowledges, was critical in those efforts.

'The White House began to believe that they could mobilize their supporters without hearing what their supporters really wanted in terms of specific change,' Dean is quoted as saying. 'The principal problem with OFA is the same one the president's having. You can't dictate to your base what's going to happen. It's got to be a two-way deal, and it hasn't been.'"

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Biden and Obama can do something that rhymes with 'buck' and includes 'off'.

AMERICAblog News: Biden: Liberals need to 'buck up':

"The President refused to challenge someone standing in the way of his agenda. Sound familiar?

The reason the Republicans have been able to filibuster nearly every single piece of legislation, the reason we have a new majority in the Senate, is because Democrats - with Barack Obama at the top of the list - have enabled the Republicans ever step of the way.

Rather than lecturing Democrats about how unreasonable they are to be upset with the President for constantly negotiating with himself, Biden would do better having a talk with his boss, and asking him why George Bush was so effective at passing his agenda, at kow-towing Democrats, and at thwarting opposition filibusters, when Bush had far fewer numbers than Obama has now in the US Senate.

60 is the new 50 because Democrats permit it be so."

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I scored 14/15 on the mini quiz. Of course we know more. We are thinkers.

Atheists, agnostics most knowledgeable about religion, survey says - latimes.com:

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Axelrod-hole

Kudos for Susan Madrak.

We really are ruled by infantile assholes. The exchange and Axelrod's response proves how out-of-touch this administration really is.

The Plum Line - Liberal blogger directly confronts David Axelrod, accuses White House of "hippie punching":

"Top Obama adviser David Axelrod got an earful of the liberal blogosphere's anger at the White House moments ago, when a blogger on a conference call directly called out Axelrod over White House criticism of the left, accusing the administration of 'hippie punching.'

'We're the girl you'll take under the bleachers but you won't be seen with in the light of day,' the blogger, Susan Madrak of Crooks and Liars, pointedly told Axelrod on the call, which was organzied for liberal bloggers and progressive media."

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Thank you. May I have another.

Daily Kos: Will Morale Improve With Continued Beatings?

We've seen various iterations of this slogan play out here on Dailykos, where we are continuously treated to hectorings, threats, and outright insults about having to support Democrats in the midterms in November. Instead of taking concerns of voters and Democratic activists seriously, these concerns are instead denigrated, made fun of, and told that one is "aiding the enemy" to a sense in voicing these concerns.

The message is basically thus--"Don't want things to turn worse? Vote Democratic because the Republican alternative is worse!"

Is that the sort of message that gets activists and voters out to vote? Is it the one that gets these people on your side for the midterm campaigns?

In one short word---NO.

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We can see clearly now...

Even Shepard Fairey's Losing Hope - Hotline On Call:

"The artist whose poster of Barack Obama became a rallying image during the hope-and-change election of 2008 says he understands why so many people have lost faith.

In an exclusive interview with National Journal on Thursday, Shepard Fairey expressed his disappointment with the president -- a malaise that seems representative of many Democrats who had great expectations for Obama."

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Another reason to support Unions.

Marijuana Ballot Measure in California Wins Support of Union, Officials Say - NYTimes.com:

"LOS ANGELES — A ballot measure to make California the first state to legalize the sale and use of marijuana has won the support of one of the state’s most powerful union, officials said Monday, offering the proposition a shot of mainstream legitimacy as well as a potential financial and organizational lift.

The decision by the executive board of the Service Employees International Union of California will be announced in the next few days, according to officials who have been briefed about it but were not allowed to speak publicly before it was announced."

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Dots connecting.

Think Progress � Felipe Calder�n Says U.S. Inaction Has Allowed Organized Crime To Regulate Drugs, Weapons, Immigration:

"CALDERON: The Mexican government is confiscating the guns, the American authorities — you’d have to ask them. I haven’t seen much in terms of stopping the flow of guns. [...] The truth is if it weren’t for the flow of weapons from the United States to Mexican criminals and other parts of the world, we wouldn’t be seeing the levels of violence that we’re witnessing. [...]

The Americans, rather than regulating or establishing an adequate drug or immigration or arms legislation have allowed organized crime to regulate those markets. And the massacre of San Fernando shows the consequences of not addressing issues that need to be regulated such as immigration, drugs, or weapons."

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Via Lurleen. I don't think he misses one breakfast food.

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Strongly Worded Letters

Stewart and Colbert might just end up saving the country in the long run.

New Survey Reveals Why Jon Stewart is the Biggest Long Term Threat to Fox News:

"Fox News has made no secret of their distaste for Colbert, and especially Jon Stewart, and it is pretty obvious why. Colbert and Stewart are educating an entire generation of younger viewers to critically think about what they see in the media. The long term health of Fox News is going to depend on their ability to attract and retain younger viewers. These are the same viewers that are watching Jon Stewart expose and mock Fox News on a nightly basis. This is why FNC goes out of its way to impugn the credibility of Stewart anytime they can. It is funny to think that the competition that may do the most long term damage to Fox News is not Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow, but a comedian who hosts a nightly mock newscast on a comedy network."

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Amen to this. However, I've always felt that the weak-ass Dems used the strongly worded letters with not teeth to lift the spirits of their very dispirited voters. Didn't work then and won't work now. Roll up your sleeves and get to fucking work.

Daily Kos: Strongly Worded Letters Don't Cut It:

"While Rep. Grivalja is definitely one of the Good Guys, promises that 'This time will be different' just don't cut it.

The Congressman should be doing more than writing letters about protecting Social Security, he should be protecting Social Security by introducing a bill to defund the President's Deficit Commission."

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This is not good. I'm glad I haven't touched an antibiotic in more than a decade.

Drug-resistant super bacteria found in three US states and Canada | Raw Story:

"An infectious-disease nightmare is unfolding: Bacteria that have been made resistant to nearly all antibiotics by an alarming new gene have sickened people in three states and are popping up all over the world, health officials reported Monday."

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Nice.

Texan saves Quran from burning | AP Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

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Rare to hear such praise from a Yankee, and he definitely didn't stick around long enough to kick off some of the dirt underneath, but a nice write up.

Commentary: Southern hospitality is no joke at Alabama | PennLive.com:

"But I can tell you this much about my first trip to Alabama and I think a lot of PSU fans who made this trip would agree: Very few people associated with any team project as much grace and love for the game of college football than these folks. They’re good people. And it’s plain to see in every detail they’ve etched into their domain. Visiting it and meeting them has been a gratifying experience."

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Lord Ain't Willing

Slow motion travesty of the highest order. I can't believe anyone would believe that anything is the Gulf is edible.

Activist: Gulf fishermen being held responsible for toxic seafood | Raw Story:

But an admission from the federal government that it hasn't been testing Gulf seafood for toxic heavy metals, and news that fishermen are being forced to sign waivers making them liable for toxins in their catch, suggest not everyone is convinced of the safety of Gulf seafood.

Louisiana fishermen's activist Kindra Arnesen says dock owners are asking fishermen to sign waivers that put the full responsibility for toxins found in the catch on the fishermen themselves."

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Nothing to see here, folks. I guess BP will spin this as the fish are now easier to catch.

Thousands of dead fish surface at mouth of Mississippi River:

"He said crabs, sting rays, eel, drum, speckled trout and red fish were among the species that turned up dead.

Taffaro said there was some recoverable oil in the area, and officials from the state's wildlife and fisheries division were sampling the water."

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Watch:

Daily Kos: Gulf Coast Locals, BP Workers, Speaking Out

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No shit.

Major study proves oil plume that's not going away - Yahoo! News

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Selective rage and bigotry.

Muslims Pray Daily 80 Feet From Pentagon's 9/11 Crash Site:

"WASHINGTON — While Americans are bitterly debating the proposed building of a mosque near New York's ground zero, Muslims have been praying for years less than 80 feet from where another hijacked jetliner struck."

Pentagon officials say that no one in the military or the families of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has ever protested.

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Told ya.

US combat brigades still in Iraq: report

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In AND Out? You are being fucked.

Orwell in charge? Kucinich compares Iraq ‘exit’ to Bush’s ‘Mission Accomplished’

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I love it when a plan comes together:

Halle Berry plans a full-time move to San Francisco : SFGate: Daily Dish

And on a related note (only 6?!):

6 Reasons to Have Casual Sex | Sex & Relationships | AlterNet

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Dean is Wrong

Howard Dean is my write-in for Prez in 2012.

Dean suggests ‘compromise’ on Park 51: No point doing ‘something good’ if met with ‘enormous resistance.’

He's dead wrong on this issue and his logic is so twisted, it makes me think the Dems are trying to be too cute by half in dealing with this non-issue.

Either we have religious freedom or we don't. Islam did not attack us on 9/11.

Also, if you don't live in NYC, shut the fuck up.

And Jon Oliver on the Daily show said it best when he stated that by the anti-muslim community center folks (it isn't a Mosque, btw) logic, we should ban all Catholic Churches from being built anywhere near a elementary school.

Also, by this logic, we in San Francisco can ban all Mormon Cult buildings due to their financial support against granting gays equal rights.

You are dead wrong, Dean, and your comment that liberals need to be flexible is pretty fucking stupid. I think we've been flexible way too much.

"Of course, if progressive movements throughout history had followed Dean’s advice, there’d be very little progress. During the health care debate, Howard Dean boldly said, “I’m going to fight for a public option until we get one. It really is that simple. … We will not stop because Democrats in Washington say it’s done. We will not wait 20 years — 10 years — we will not wait a single year — because we will not stop until every American has the option to voluntarily buy into a program like Medicare.” It appears that running into the “enormous resistance” of the U.S. Senate and political opposition from the insurance, drug, and medical-industrial industries did not stop Dean from fighting for a public option. One has to wonder why he feels like it would be enough to sacrifice the rights of American Muslims to peacefully worship where they please."

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Though, he did get this right:

Dean: Individual Mandate Will Be Removed From Health Care Reform By 2014:

"On Friday, the former DNC chair took his skepticism with the individual mandate to a different, more provocative level. Appearing on MSNBC, Dean predicted that the policy will be removed from the legislation by the time much of the reform is implemented in 2014."

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For people who ask why I'm so pissed at OA. Here's a partial list.

Daily Kos: Olbermann said it. Rude Pundit said it better.

And to Obama's defenders, from the professional flacks like Gibbs to the amateur hero worshippers people around here, howzabout answering the criticisms for once, instead of attacking the messenger or changing the subject with a list of exaggerated achievements. Go ahead:
*Justify giving torturers and war profiteers a pass
*Justify prosecuting whistleblowers
*Justify ordering assassinations
*Justify claiming the right to imprison people FOREVER without trial
*Justify 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan at a cost of 30 billion dollars a year
*Justify appointing Ken Salazar
*Justify not firing Ken Salazar for his incompetent oversight of MMS
*Justify letting BP try to cover up the size of the spill through the massive use of dispersants
*Justify the formation of a Cat Food Commission on Social Security stacked with people who are on the record in favor of slashing it
*Justify campaigning for Blanche Lincoln after she threatened to filibuster health care insurance reform if it had the public option
*Justify candidate Obama's 180 on FISA and subsequent lying about safeguards that the bill did not contain
*Justify appointing two of the architects of the biggest rip-off in human history, Geithner and Bernanke, to his economic team
*Justify having a prominent, homophobic backer of Proposition H8 give the invocation at the inaugural. Out of all the clergymen in the world
*Justify caving in to the right-wing noise machine instead of confronting it on ACORN, Van Jones and Shirley Sherrod
*Justify record defense budgets
*Justify the lack of a strong stand on net neutrality

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Add this to the list.

'No Precedent' For Proposed Cuts To Food Stamp Benefits

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Has my full support and coin. We need more Atheist in the mix in a bad way.

Daily Kos: An Atheist Running for Congress:

"Doubt and skepticism are part of human nature. Many people who consider themselves religious admit to having occasional doubts about their beliefs. The politically expedient solution to this problem would be to admit that we have had doubts but finally conclude that we believe. What if, however, after looking at the entire picture we are more comfortable with the doubts than the belief? If it is acceptable to have doubts, is it not then acceptable to be a nonbeliever?

Many of the founding fathers of this country came here for religious freedom, but they were escaping countries where rulers told them how to worship not countries that were ruled by nonbelievers. Although many of the founding fathers were Christians, others were skeptics and Deists. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, extolled 'a wall of separation between church and state'. James Madison, principal author of the Constitution, wrote, 'Religion flourishes in greater purity without than with the aid of government.'"

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Bring it on.

Reverse-Engineering of Human Brain Likely by 2030, Expert Predicts | Gadget Lab | Wired.com:

"“The singular criticism of the singularity is that brain is too complicated, too magical and there’s something about its properties we can’t emulate,” Kurzweil told attendees at the Singularity Summit over the weekend. “But the exponential growth in technology is being applied to reverse-engineer the brain, arguably the most important project in history.”

For nearly a decade, neuroscientists, computer engineers and psychologists have been working to simulate the human brain so they can ultimately create a computing architecture based on how the mind works."

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Big Lie

Because the game is to lie, big time, about anything, then move along. It's the 'no accountability' that has been codified into our fabric by the current administration that allows the Big Lie.

'Climategate' Debunking Gets Less Coverage Than Original Trumped-Up Scandal (VIDEO)

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While I fully agree, this coming from the weakest of teas is, well, pretty effing weak. It is like Glenn Beck chastising someone for being a racist.

Harry Reid Complains Obama Avoids 'Confrontation' And Should Be 'More Forceful' With GOP (VIDEO)

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An example of how 'no accountability' will translate to the extremely weak health insurance 'adjustment' bill that was passed. It isn't a 'law', really. Only some suggestions that the health insurance companies might consider to, you know, stop screwing the consumers to the wall. Only if they want too, though.

Holders Justice Department is fucking weak.

Health Care Firm Crawls Out From Under Rock: Congressman Boehner takes its money—By Ken Silverstein (Harper's Magazine):

"Remember WellCare, the Tampa-based insurer that was accused of “bilking taxpayers of hundreds of millions of dollars by using fraudulent practices that were integral to the company’s profit-making,” says a St. Petersburg Times editorial? “But rather than recover every misappropriated dime and then triple the damages, as the law allows, the Justice Department has announced a preliminary settlement of a paltry $137.5 million to satisfy its whistle-blower claims. If WellCare keeps any of its ill-gotten gains and avoids a significant fine, the message to other health insurers will be loud and clear: fraud pays.”

WellCare’s PAC stopped making political contributions in the fall of 2007, after the Justice Department raided its headquarters. But now WellCare’s PAC is back in business, sending $2,500 to the Freedom Project, House Minority Leader John Boehner’s personal “Leadership PAC.”"

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Just sayin'

Chris Kelly: Mel Gibson Is Biblically Correct

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Weird.

Belly-buttons key to success in sport: study

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Tea Party Jesus....

.... is kinda an asshole:

Tea Party Jesus: Blog Puts Words Of Conservatives In The Mouth Of Christ (PICTURES)

Main site:

Tea Party Jesus

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Elected Republicans seem to be under the impression that only Democrats are unemployed.

I believe this may come to bite them in the ass.

There's a bunch of broke-ass Republicans out there with no jobs. Let's see how long they remain Republican.

WSJ-Republican Voices who just lost their Unemployment Benefits:

"After over 28 years as a Republican (since I was a high school senior) I’ve changed my party affiliation to Independent. Even though I am an educated professional, I’ve been unemployed for nearly a year and I just exhausted my Tier 1 benefits. Now I’m learning that the Republican are filibustering to squelch any further extension of unemployment benefits. Despite the many philosophical differences I have with the Democrat party, I will be voting Democrat this November. Like Tim Bragg stated, these out-of-touch millionaire senators don’t give a damn for the unemployed American people. All they care about is the rich and Corporate America. Let’s hope that all of the Republicans and blue-dog Democrats lose their seats this November. And Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and all of the other Republican hacks can go to hell!"

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What the **** is wrong with Republicans?:

"Are republican voters stupid? They are constantly voting against their own self interest time and time again. They buy into the republican bullshit of ONLY REPUBLICANS CARE ABOUT AMERICA.

NO THEY DON'T. Newsflash to the Republican voters: THEY DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU. THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT THEMSELVES AND THEIR PRECIOUS CORPORATIONS.

Jesus. Blocking a bill to help homeless veterans and their children?

I am a wife of a veteran. This is particuarly offensive to me. The fact that there exists ANY homeless veterans is a disgrace to this country. But since there is they should be helped but the Republicans block any effort to try and at least do something.

Fuck them."

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Evil motherfucker. @ 8.45 mln /40k a year, that's 220ish jobs.

CEO Buys $8.45 Million Property While Laying off 8,100 Workers

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Wait.... Strip clubs were actually APPROVED to be on the list at some point?

State bans welfare cards at strip clubs:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered the department to remove the clubs from the official list of businesses where welfare recipients can withdraw benefits using the state-issued cards."

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Every time they try to pick themselves up by their boot straps, the straps break.

'Merica! Fuck Yeah!

Thanks for jacking up health insurance rates!

Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee top list of fattest states in America

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1. Asshole in public yammering on his cell phone. 2. A Yankees fan. 3. Hit in the face with a baseball. 4. A glimmer of karmic love erupts in my heart:

Yankees Fan Hit In Face While Using Cell Phone (VIDEO)

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The coolness of living and playing amongst these giants has never diminished. There's nothing like walking through a cathedral of redwoods to put things in perspective.

In The Forest Of The Giants (photos)

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Po' Boy

Why we've allowed a bunch of white people to systematically destroy one of the grandest and most unique areas of this country over the past several years is a tragedy in and of itself.

Boat captain's suicide shows human toll of Gulf oil disaster:

"Allen Kruse tenderly kissed his wife goodbye just after sunrise Wednesday and headed to the docks in Gulf Shores, Ala., where his boat, The Rookie, was moored.

A charter boat captain for 25 years, Kruse had signed on as a BP contractor to spot oil, deploy boom and eventually learn how to skim oil. His business had come to a screeching halt after the April 20 oil spill.

About an hour later, Kruse was dead. He was 55, the father of 11- and 12-year-old boys, Cory and Ryan, and daughter Kelli, 26.

About 7 a.m., after a BP training meeting, he climbed into the wheelhouse of his 46-foot charter boat and ended his worry, his frustration and his anger with a single bullet to the head.

'Nothing was easy working with BP. Everything was hard, and it consumed him. He wasn't crazy,' said his wife, Tracy, 41, sitting outside the couple's home in Foley on Thursday."

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It makes me nauseous thinking of the loss of all of the great NO dishes. New York, San Francisco, New Orleans: The top 3 foodie towns in the U.S. NO = eliminated.

City Brights: Yobie Benjamin : BP oil spill Corexit dispersants suspected in widespread crop damage

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She's got my vote.

Julia Gillard risks Christian vote with doubts on God | The Australian:

"In a radio interview yesterday morning, Ms Gillard said that while she had been raised as a Baptist, she was now not religious and was not prepared to go through 'religious rituals' for the sake of appearances.

'I am, of course, a great respecter of religious beliefs, but they're not my beliefs,' Ms Gillard told ABC radio in Melbourne.

'For people of faith, I think the greatest compliment I could pay them is to respect their genuinely-held beliefs and not to engage in some pretence about mine.'"

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Great interview.

Buzz Aldrin Is Not All That Impressed With Walking on the Moon | Little Gold Men | Vanity Fair:

"But you don’t interrupt Buzz Aldrin. For one thing, he once punched a reporter in the face for getting uppity. And also, have you ever walked on the Moon? No? Then why don’t you just shut the fuck up."

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This was posted on Wes Freed's Facebook page. Some very cool pictures.

Hidden In An Abandoned Orphanage � Scouting NY

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I'm "Da Crack Smoka". Yeah, not too apt. I enjoy the sleep too much.

The Original Gangsta Name Generator | GangstaName.com

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Cap Smear

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Cap Smear @ 2:08 is must see TV:

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Dead rich chicks walking... or rather, 'running'. Let's go Jerry!

Harold Meyerson - Calif. GOP primary winners look headed for defeat:

"There's a reason Arnold Schwarzenegger is the only Republican elected to a major statewide office in California since 1994 -- and it's not his celebrity status. It's because, when he was first elected governor, he did not have to run in and win a Republican primary: He was elected in a special recall election open to candidates and voters from all parties.

Whitman and Fiorina had no such luck. In winning their nominations, they said things deeply offensive to a fatally large swath of California voters. Their campaigns may be gold-plated, but they have ears of purest tin."

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Larry Flynt is so smart.

Stephen Hawking On Religion: 'Science Will Win' (VIDEO):

"When Sawyer asked if there was a way to reconcile religion and science, Hawking said, 'There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, [and] science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works.'"

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Hawking has spoken.

6-story Jesus statue in Ohio struck by lightning - Yahoo! News:

"MONROE, Ohio – A six-story-tall statue of Jesus Christ with his arms raised along a highway was struck by lightning in a thunderstorm Monday night and burned to the ground, police said."

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What a picture.

Hard to port! Eject Goose, eject! | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine

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Tweak the Nipple

Not just no, but HELL NO:

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Shhhh. Listen. That's the sound of Teabagger heads exploding. Sound like victory.

I wouldn't give a shit if she was Taliban, she's smoking hot.

Dearborn's Miss Michigan wins Miss USA pageant | freep.com | Detroit Free Press:

"Fakih, of Lebanese descent, is believed to be the first Arab American and Muslim to become Miss USA."

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Dear American Taliban: Please take note.

Saudi woman beats up virtue cop

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Freakin' genius:

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Liberal-Tarians

"Help with my luggage". "Wide Stance". Etc, etc.

Just another day in Hypocritistan.

Exposed: Christian leader caught with male escort says he needed help with his luggage | Raw Story:

"A Christian leader and prominent neuro-psychiatrist who co-founded the Family Research Council with evangelist James Dobson took a ten-day European vacation with a callboy he met through RentBoy.com and was caught in an airport with the escort by a Miami newspaper."

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What Kos says:

Daily Kos: Libertarians viewed more favorably by Democrats than Republicans:

"The notion that Republicans are libertarian is ludicrous. They stick their noses into our bedrooms, into our doctors' offices, into churches. They demand the roundup of people who don't look like them. They whine about Miranda rights and due process. They are more concerned about the rights of big energy conglomerates, than they are about the rights of people to enjoy long walks on pristine beaches. They whine about true independent and free media that doesn't validate their ideology. They freak out about anyone who doesn't believe in their god, or worse, in any god at all.

For the American Taliban, 'liberty' means their ability to impose their beliefs and lifestyle on the rest of society.

So of course they would react negatively to the word, since they equate it with libertinism. For a movement predicated on imposing its mores on the rest of society, this is obviously deeply offensive."

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Larry Flynt is so awesome:

Stephen Hawking Explains How To Build A Time Machine:

"Stephen Hawking, a self-described 'physicist, cosmologist and something of a dreamer,' offers instructions on how to build a time machine in an article for the Daily Mail. 'All you need is a wormhole, the Large Hadron Collider or a rocket that goes really, really fast,' the article promises.

Hawking roots his premise in Einstein's theory of relativity, suggesting that since time moves faster in some places than others, it's quite possible to move along this 'river' into the future--but not back to the past."

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Universities of Wall Street.

Catch the documentary. It is online, too:

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1. Funny 'cause it is true. 2. Funny because it is Louis C.K. 3. Apropos funny or something.

NSFW language:

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Conservative' Judicial Activism

Well, howdy Mr. President! Keep up this kind of talk and translate it into action, and good things might happen.

Conservative-Activist judges are destroying this country one ruling at a time. They are not concerned with justice. The goal is to implement their ideology.

I harp on this book a lot, but read The Handmaid's Tale for conservative's vision for America.

Obama Supreme Court Warning: 'Conservative' Judicial Activism Is 'What You're Now Seeing':

"WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, preparing to make his second nominee to the Supreme Court, warned Wednesday of a 'conservative' brand of judicial activism in which the courts are often not showing appropriate deference to the decision of lawmakers.

Obama made clear that his views on judicial restraint are not the only basis he will use in choosing his next nominee for the high court, a decision expected over the next few weeks.

But his comments underscore just how much he thinks courts are being vested with too much power and are overruling legislative will, a factor that will influence his nominee choice."

Case in point:

Supreme Court overturns objection to cross on public land

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Maher's last line nails it to a T-bag:

Bill Maher Blasts Tea Baggers For Ignoring Defense Spending (VIDEO)

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Yes.

Have Conservatives Gone Mad? - Politics - The Atlantic:

"The issue, to put it in terms that even I can understand, because I didn't study philosophy much in college: has the conservative base gone mad?

This matters to journalists, because I really do want to take Republicans seriously. Mainstream conservative voices are embracing theories that are, to use Julian Sanchez's phrase, 'untethered' to the real world.

Can anyone deny that the most trenchant and effective criticism of President Obama today comes not from the right but from the left? Rachel Maddow's grilling of administration economic officials. Keith Olbermann's hectoring of Democratic leaders on the public option. Glenn Greenwald's criticisms of Elena Kagan. Ezra Klein and Jonathan Cohn's keepin'-them-honest perspectives on health care. The civil libertarian left on detainees and Gitmo. The Huffington Post on derivatives."

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However.... to be all 'fair and balanced'.

Rendell: Democratic Party Is Soulless, 'Cowering Behind The Shower Curtains':

"'I don't think we have a battle for our soul -- I think we have lost our soul,' he said. 'We have been cowed into [sic] stop talking about the things that made us Democrats in the first place; that we believe the government can and should make a difference in people's lives; that we can protect the most vulnerable in our society; that we can, in fact, give opportunities to people who haven't had it. And that government can be an important catalyst -- they can't do it by itself -- but they can be a catalyst for growth.'

That's what we believe in. But [Republicans] have us cowering behind the shower curtains,' he concluded.

The Huffington Post approached Rendell after the affair and asked him to elaborate on what, exactly, he meant by saying the Democratic Party is soulless.

'We have been out-spun and we are scared,' he said. 'And when you are scared, you can do one of two things: you can circle the wagons and hide inside or under the wagon, or you can get out and fight for what you believe in. I think we are starting -- President Obama started when he went to the Republican caucus -- to fight back and for what we believe in. If we do that, I think our losses will be much less [in 2010] than what anybody suspects.'"

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All of the Tea-bag cross burnings have effected the children in a drastic way. Won't someone PLEASE think about the children.

Indianola Testicle Attack? Teenagers Allegedly Hazed 14-Year-Old

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This kinda smelled fishy when I posted it earlier. Lying: The Way of Corporate America.

GM's phony loan repayment | Video Cafe

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Too cheap for whom? (I know, I know, but frack them).

Daily Kos: Wind's latest problem: it ... makes power too cheap:

"windmills (...) operators in Europe may have become their own worst enemy, reducing the total price paid for electricity in Germany, Europe’s biggest power market, by as much as 5 billion euros some years

The wind-energy boom in Europe and parts of Texas has begun to reduce bills for consumers.

Spanish power prices fell an annual 26 percent in the first quarter because of the surge in supplies from wind and hydroelectric production"

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This came out of a discussion on the old Ninebullets board. Great read. We really haven't progressed that much in the good old U.S.A.:

The Hanging of Mary The Elephant | Blue Ridge Country

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Something We Wouldn't Want to Meet

Skimmer's are Republican darlings; the folks they are fighting for tooth and nail.

What Atrios says:

Eschaton:

"The Skimmer Economy

Some day I hope more people realize that large segments of our economy don't actually do anything (health insurance, much of finance/real estate), they simply position themselves in the middle of transactions and take their cut. That isn't to say there are no transactions which legitimately require skilled middlemen, or that there is no legitimate function for the finance and banking industries, but to a great degree the skimmers just don't do anything productive at all. Except take our money."

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I spent a couple of years in AZ. As a Dem, the A-xenophobes (R) have just handed us a gift. Will be interesting to see how the Dems screw it up.

And isn't having to carry papers at all times rather.... well, Nazi-ish?

I thought Dems were the Nazi/Commie/Socialist. Makes about as much sense as a Glenn Beck chalk board.

Linda Greenhouse: Arizona Is A 'Police State,' 'I'm Not Going Back':

"I'm not going back to Arizona as long as it remains a police state, which is what the appalling anti-immigrant bill that Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law last week has turned it into.

What would Arizona's revered libertarian icon, Barry Goldwater, say about a law that requires the police to demand proof of legal residency from any person with whom they have made 'any lawful contact' and about whom they have 'reasonable suspicion' that 'the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States?' Wasn't the system of internal passports one of the most distasteful features of life in the Soviet Union and apartheid-era South Africa?"

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Sound of crickets.

Why Aren’t Tea Partiers Protesting Arizona’s Big Government Overreach On Immigration?:

"Isn’t the whole premise of the Tea Party movement that overreaching government poses a grave threat to individual freedom? It seems to me that a law allowing individuals to be detained and interrogated on a whim — and requiring legal residents to carry identification documents, as in a police state — would send the Tea Partyers into apoplexy. Or is there some kind of exception if the people whose freedoms are being taken away happen to have brown skin and might speak Spanish?"

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SF is boycotting AZ.

City Insider : City workers banned from official travel to Arizona

So is Mexico.

Some truckers plan boycott over Arizona immigration law - Politics AP - MiamiHerald.com

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I made a similar comment recently.

Justice for thee, but not for me.

Boggles the mind:

Greenwald: Obama DoJ prosecutes Bush corruption whistleblower, but not Bush war crimes

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Larry Flynt is right!

BBC News - Stephen Hawking warns over making contact with aliens:

"He explained: 'We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet.'"

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Talk about your skimmers.

Congratulations Comcast; You're The Worst Company In America! - The Consumerist:

"After four rounds of bloody battle against some of the most publicly reviled businesses in America, Comcast can now run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and hold its hands high in victory -- it has bested everyone else to earn the title of Worst Company In America for 2010."

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Big placebo in the sky.

Placebo effect beats God, Prozac:

"This is the story of three drugs. Except one is not really a drug at all and is merely an illusion, a nifty construct, an intense belief that it might be a drug, even though, as mentioned, it is very much not. We just think it is. Isn't that strange? Wonderful? Both?

The three drugs -- which, sorry, are not so much drugs as they are modes of comprehending our own weird little minds, needs and inherent psychoses -- are presented here by way of two recent studies that essentially reinforce what similar studies have been declaring for years and decades and, in the second case, since the ancient mystics suckled wild plants in the forest, licked God, found the source of the soul, and said, you know, holy f--."

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Fair The Well

Bad President:

Indict the whistleblower but not those upon who the whistle was blown?

Absolutely no accountability for anyone in this country... unless you are poor. Then you'll get that ass tased.

Obama’s Justice Department indicts NSA whistleblower | Raw Story

Bad President:

You mean the two individual's advice Obama and Congressional Dems are basing their entire economic strategy around now? Shouldn't have listened to them then, why the frack are we listening to them now?

These people get more chances than a 5 year old playing in his first tee-ball game.

Daily Kos: Bill Clinton: I Shouldn't Have Listened to Summers and Rubin

Kinda Good President.

Issue an executive directive suspending DADT until the policy is abolished, then we'll talk 'very good prez'.

Obama Directs HHS To Establish Rules Ensuring Hospital Visitation Rights For Gay, Lesbian Couples:

"President Obama has signed a memorandum directing the Department of Health and Human Services to establish rules that would bar hospitals from denying visitation rights to partners of gay and lesbian patients."

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If they are crying about something are blaming another, you can be assured they are doing the 'something' and are most certainly to blame.

Memories of the Backwards B | Talking Points Memo

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They don't care, Robert.

Robert Greenwald: We're Not Stupid, Mitch:

"This is why so many people hate so many politicians. Far too many say one thing to the public and another thing in private, smoke-and-whiskey-filled rooms to their cigar-smoking patrons. It's like they think no one can see what they're doing. You're not invisible, Mitch! We can see you!

GIve it a rest. We're not stupid."

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Amen.

Judge rules National Day of Prayer unconstitutional - USATODAY.com:

"MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional Thursday, saying the day amounts to a call for religious action.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb wrote that the government can no more enact laws supporting a day of prayer than it can encourage citizens to fast during Ramadan, attend a synagogue or practice magic.

'In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray,' Crabb wrote."

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Double amen. Clean your own house, then we'll talk.

Balloon Juice � Blog Archive � A Very Religious Open Thread:

"You know what would be really great? If all the fantastic (and they are fantastic) liberal/left Christians would spend five minutes a day writing angry letters to the Christian right wing about how unchristian they are instead of complaining to atheists about how much bad press you all are getting from the overt bad actions of your co-religionists."

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We've all caught a thread of someone's life online and followed it for a while before that thread disappears or we hitch another online life ride.

I followed Alicia's blog on the SF Chronicles website 3 years ago. I read about her hospital visits, her hopes and dreams and the daily mundane beyond cancer.

Alicia left my radar a year ago. Was sad to see this recent article.

Fair the well, Alicia. Go be without pain.

Alicia Parlette faces final stages of journey:

"Surrounded by her favorite things - her rescue dog, Clarabelle, a 1960 edition of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' her scrapbooks and her stuffed Baby Bear, San Francisco writer Alicia Parlette is saying her goodbyes to family, friends and her new fiance as she enters the final chapter of her battle with cancer.

She is 28 years old."

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