Climate Leadership FAIL

Stick-to-yer-guns Obama is gonna drive off the same cliff as GW.

Putting A Face To The Cost Of Dem Cowering - TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime:

"From the inadequate stimulus of 2009, to the deficit 'concerns' (see the catfood commission) of today (among many other issues), the flinching and cowering of the Obama Administration and the Dems has damaged the country and, ironically, the political fortunes of the Dems. The reflexive hippie punching, the constant refrain of not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, the ever present concern of being labeled a gasp, liberal, has led to great suffering in the nation. Simply put, the Dems have not been up to the job. L'Affaire Sherrod has put a face to the cost of this attitude. I hope that the transcendence of this problem is recognized and addressed."

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Howard Dean in 2012... or 2016.

Howard Dean: No More Apologies -- It's Time to Stand Up for Our Convictions

Obama should be saying this. Obama should also get on his knees and beg Dean's forgiveness and ask him to be Chief of Staff.

Howard Dean tells Fox: Your coverage of Sherrod was racist:

"Appearing alongside Newt Gingrich, Dean was blunt with his accusation. 'I don't think Newt Gingrich is a racist and you're certainly not a racist but Fox News did something that was absolutely racist,' said Dean.

'They had an obligation to find out what was really in the clip. They have been pushing a theme of black racism, phony Black Panther crap and this business and Sotomayor and all this other stuff. The Tea Party called out their racist fringe and I think the Republican Party has got to stop appealing to its racist fringe,' Dean continued."

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Another once in a lifetime opportunity pissed away be O.A. Hell, even Nixon created the EPA when a scant few barrels were spilled.

Sen. Cardin: Dems, Obama Never Connected BP Spill To The Need For Climate Change Legislation

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Where Was Obama When Reid Killed the Climate Bill? | Mother Jones:

"Handled correctly, the BP spill should have been to climate legislation what September 11th was to the Patriot Act, or the financial collapse was to the bank bailout. Disasters drive sweeping legislation, and precedent was on the side of a great leap forward in environmental progress. In 1969, an oil spill in Santa Barbara, California – of only 100,000 barrels, less than the two-day output of the BP gusher – prompted Richard Nixon to create the EPA and sign the Clean Air Act. But the Obama administration let the opportunity slip away.

Early on, Obama failed to challenge blowhards such as Senator Jim Inhofe who distorted the science of global warming. Revkin points out that the president has not invited researchers and climate analysts to the White House (as even Bush did). And after BP's well blew out, Obama's infamously milquetoast address from the Oval Office never connected the disaster with the need for a cap on carbon. All of this wasn't for a lack of pressure from his allies. Nine high-profile environmental groups wrote a letter to the president pleading that 'nothing less than your direct personal involvement' will break the logjam in the Senate. Al Gore ultimately said what Obama wouldn't:"

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Op-Ed Columnist - Who Cooked the Planet? - NYTimes.com:

"So it wasn’t the science, the scientists, or the economics that killed action on climate change. What was it?

The answer is, the usual suspects: greed and cowardice.

If you want to understand opposition to climate action, follow the money. The economy as a whole wouldn’t be significantly hurt if we put a price on carbon, but certain industries — above all, the coal and oil industries — would. And those industries have mounted a huge disinformation campaign to protect their bottom lines."

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We need to speed up the space travel gig.

Deep space probe finds hundreds of new planets | Mail Online:

"Hundreds of new planets have been discovered by Nasa's new space probe, sparking new hope of life outside our solar system.

Up to 140 of the newly-found planets are rocky and Earth-like containing both land and water, conditions which could allow simple lifeforms to develop."

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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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Long Conversation

So.....

Alabama Teacher Gives Geometry Lesson Using Assassination As Example | TPM LiveWire:

"A student in the class described the lesson: 'He was talking about angles and said, 'If you're in this building, you would need to take this angle to shoot the president.''

The district superintendent told the News that the unnamed teacher will not be disciplined."

...'will not be disciplined'.

Oh, Alabama. The digital age, you just don't get.

You are being watched.

Legal Schnauzer: Anti-Obama Teacher Is Placed on Administrative Leave in Alabama:

"An Alabama teacher who used the assassination of President Obama as an example in a high-school geometry class has been placed on administrative leave.

Gregory Harrison is on paid leave and faces possible termination, Jefferson County School Superintendent Phil Hammonds said. Hammonds originally said Harrison would not be fired and would face no disciplinary action other than a 'long conversation.'

Hammonds apparently changed his mind after phone calls flooded his office yesterday, coming from as far away as New York, California, and Wisconsin."

Changed his mind, indeed.

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Later fake Dem Specter.

Joe Sestak: Pennsylvania Senate 2010 Election BREAKING News

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Wow! Drudgico using 'GOP' and 'Failure' in the same headline.

Somebody is getting fired.... or will have to apologize to Rush.

The GOP's special failure - Jonathan Martin and Charles Mahtesian - POLITICO.com:

"All the evidence pointing to monster Republican House gains this fall—the Scott Brown upset win in Massachusetts, the scary polling numbers in once-safely Democratic districts, the ever-rising number of Democratic seats thought to be in jeopardy—was contradicted Tuesday.

In the only House race that really mattered to both parties—the special election to replace the late Democratic Rep. John Murtha in Pennsylvania’s 12th District—Republicans failed spectacularly, losing on a level playing field where, in this favorable environment, they should have run roughshod over the opposition."

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Like the sound of this:

Kagan: In Bush v. Gore, Court Was Affected By Politics And Policy

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Irony is so totally lost on these people.

Don’t shoot: NRA bans guns from its annual meeting | Raw Story

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Nothing to see here folks.... except the slow decimation of an entire way of life.

Tar balls found along shore in Key West - Gulf Oil Spill - MiamiHerald.com

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At least somebody is doing some good in our waters.

Whales, oceans, wildlife rescue: Gray whale is freed from web of nets, swims off - latimes.com

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Fundies Ain't No Fun

This one will get you thinking. Very interesting take.

Ronald Wilson Obama - The Week:

"With his 2012 election victory, Barack Obama has secured a progressive hegemony in American politics reminiscent of the conservative one engendered by Ronald Reagan a generation ago. Both men arrived at their second term landslides following a remarkably similar path."

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Yeah, we'll the dirty hippies have been shouting this obvious comparison for years now. I'm glad an excommunicated Republican finally shed some light on the obvious.

Daily Kos: Heretic David Frum's blog equates American Fundamentalists with Taliban:

"...how the religious fundamentalists in Afghanistan are strikingly similar to religious fundamentalists in America – who are also trying to force their literal interpretation of Holy Scripture onto everyone else through laws.

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In news of 'no-shit':

Elves convene at the North Pole with no mention of Christmas:

Republicans convene in New Orleans, with no mention of Katrina - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com

No-shit:

Beck admits he doesn’t give ‘a flying crap about the political process. … We’re an entertainment company.’

Really? No-shit?

George W. Bush 'knew Guant�namo prisoners were innocent' - Times Online

No fracking shit:

Ron Paul: President Obama Is Not A Socialist | TPMDC:

"'The question has been raised about whether or not our president is a socialist,' Paul said. 'I am sure there are some people here who believe it. But in the technical sense, in the economic definition of a what a socialist is, no, he's not a socialist.'

'He's a corporatist,' Paul continued. 'And unfortunately we have corporatists inside the Republican party and that means you take care of corporations and corporations take over and run the country.'"

No crapola.

Russian President says what distinguishes Obama ‘from many other people’ is that he is ‘a thinker.’:

"STEPHANOPOULOS: Sixteen, OK, I knew it was fifteen, I wasn’t sure about sixteen. What do you make of Barack Obama the man?

MEDVEDEV: [Obama] is a very comfortable partner. It’s very interesting to be with him. The most important thing that distinguishes him from many other people, I won’t name anyone by name, he’s a thinker. He thinks when he speaks.

STEPHANOPOULOS: (laughing) You have somebody in your mind, I think!

MEDVEDEV: Obviously I do have someone on my mind, I don’t want to offend anyone."

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Nothing to see here folks. Al Gore invented the internet... and is fat:

Huge Glacier Breaks Apart In Peru, Triggering Andes Tsunami (VIDEO)

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Chillbilly

This is the very definition of 'Oh Snap'.

Grayson ABUSES V-PILF.

"Smartest Republican leader since W".

Must read the entire smack down. Do not fuck with Grayson. God, I wish we had a Senate and House full of Graysons.

Grayson goes for the jugular: ‘Alaskan chillbilly’ smartest GOP leader since W. | Raw Story:

"Grayson said that the Alaskan chillbilly was welcome to return to Central Florida anytime, as long as she brings lots of money with her, and spends it. 'I look forward to an honest debate with Governor Palin on the issues, in the unlikely event that she ever learns anything about them,'"

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But, but, but Rendell! Rendell's wife doesn't engage in overt, partisan politics supported financially by a decision her husbanded handed down, ignoring 100 years of law, on the Supreme Court.

Michael Kieschnick: How to Bribe a Supreme Court Justice:

"Ponder that for just a moment. The wife of a Supreme Court justice has organized a political non-profit linked to Tea Party activists whose activities can be supported to an unlimited extent by corporations whose donations need not be disclosed to the public. Similarly, Mrs. Thomas is under no obligation to disclose her compensation to anybody.

None of this appears to be illegal in part due to the recent Citizens United court ruling by the Supreme Court that freed corporation contributions from certain key restrictions. That radical and controversial decision passed by a 5-4 vote, and surprise, Justice Thomas voted yes.

When the Times asked Mrs. Thomas about this interesting situation, she responded with the traditional right wing charge of the media imposing a double standard on conservatives, pointing out that the elected governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, is married to a federal judge. She conveniently left out that any political contributions to Mr. Rendell are both limited and fully disclosed under Federal law, and that Judge Rendell scrupulously avoids any political activities."

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Horrible people only concerned with putting money in their pocket. Freedom of speech my ass.

Turley criticizes Justice’s wife for ‘injudicious’ Tea Party activism:

"Constitutional law expert Jonathan Turley on Monday assailed the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas for her growing role in Tea Party political activism.

'It's, in a word, injudicious,' Turley, a professor of law at George Washington University, said on MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann. 'The fact that this is news is an example of the self-restraint used by most spouses [of Supreme Court Justices] previously.'"

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Boogity-Boogity!

Then watch his Texas shuffle after he already knows the damage has been done.

Worthless, manipulative fucks.

Texas Republican Gohmert: Demons Have Invaded The Capital:

"Speaking shortly after he riled up a crowd at Tuesday's Tea Party protest, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) declared that 'demons' - yes, demons - have invaded the capital (and likely the souls of Democrats), forcing lawmakers to mislead the public about the content of the health care bill.

'Well it would take a demon to be this dishonest about a bill,' the Texas Republican told the Huffington Post. 'If they would just read the bill, they would see what they are saying is dishonest.'

Asked to expand a bit more on what he meant, Gohmert stepped back a bit from a literal interpretation, though still floating the possibility that Democrats were possessed. 'Well, somebody is making people be dishonest and it is a play on words, too,' he said."

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Oh, yeah. Highway's mean.

List ranks best, deadliest U.S. roads - CNN.com:

"Meanwhile, Alabama was ranked as the deadliest state for speeding, followed by Mississippi and South Carolina."

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Yawn.

Is California Becoming a Third World Nation? - Japhy Grant - California Stars - True/Slant:

"The rest of the nation has a tendency to overstate the troubles of California when it’s doing badly and understate its successes when it does well. 13% of the U.S. GDP comes from California. Alone, it would be the world’s 5th largest economy. However, the real sin committed by the other 49 states is a failure to acknowledge the primacy of California in the national economy.

A quick tour through recent history proves my point. The first tech boom of the 90s, the second tech boom, and the real estate bubble all not only started in California, they ended there, too. The nation’s fortunes rise and fall with California’s in a way know other state (ok, maybe Texas on a bad day) can match."

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A small, children's tea party.

DNC mocks tea party numbers - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com: "

Tea Partiers planned to 'flood the halls of Congress' to protest health care legislation, a plan that prompted Democratic leaders to instruct their members to respond with politeness and Twinkies.

The 10 a.m. Washignton, D.C. rally, though, wasn't quite on the scale of some earlier events. The communications director for the Democratic National Committee, Brad Woodhouse, emails that his count is 300 attendees.

'I've been to birthday parties that drew more people,' he emails. 'More people attended my wedding than went to the tea party kill the bill rally on the hill."

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Promising

Daily Kos: Breakthrough: artificial photosynthesis:

"Plants take CO2 and water to create sugars, using sunlight as the energy source, in a process called photosynthesis. Scientists have been trying to replicate photosynthesis in the lab for a long time.

It looks like they've finally succeeded – and the artificial process is a lot more efficient than the natural one. This may have major implications for energy and food production, as well as carbon capture and storage, a way to mitigate climate change."

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The very definition of 'Shit out of luck'.

Tra-la-la.... beautiful day at the beach, cool tunes on, endorphins kicking in from the run. Nothing could be more perf-WHACK.

The Associated Press: Plane kills jogger in SC beach emergency landing:

"HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — A 38-year-old father of two was jogging and listening to his iPod when he was hit from behind and killed by a small plane making an emergency landing on the beach, officials said Tuesday.

Robert Gary Jones of Woodstock, Ga., died instantly Monday evening when he was hit by the single-engine plane, which had lost its propeller, said Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen. The pilot's vision was blocked by oil on the windshield.

Jones apparently did not see or hear the plane, which was 'basically gliding,' the coroner said."

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Release of Methane Is Under Way

Because you deserve a break today, try rocking your skull with the entire stream of The Big To-Do!

Drive-By Truckers The Big To-Do Order Page

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Nothing to see here folks. Please keep walking towards the cliff. Free teabags at the bottom.

Study Says Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way - NYTimes.com:

"Climate scientists have long warned that global warming could unlock vast stores of the greenhouse gas methane that are frozen into the Arctic permafrost, setting off potentially significant increases in global warming.

Now researchers at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and elsewhere say this change is under way in a little-studied area under the sea, the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, west of the Bering Strait."

Move along, move along. It is only a major food source that is being depleted. Did I mention the free teabags?

t r u t h o u t | Growing Low-Oxygen Zones in Oceans Worry Scientists:

"Washington - Lower levels of oxygen in the Earth's oceans, particularly off the United States' Pacific Northwest coast, could be another sign of fundamental changes linked to global climate change, scientists say."

At lease Jesus loves you.... even though you are a big douchebag... hey, free teabags!

Humans must be to blame for climate change, say scientists - Climate Change, Environment - The Independent:

"Climate scientists have delivered a powerful riposte to their sceptical critics with a study that strengthens the case for saying global warming is largely the result of man-made emissions of greenhouse gases.

The researchers found that no other possible natural phenomenon, such as volcanic eruptions or variations in the activity of the Sun, could explain the significant warming of the planet over the past half century as recorded on every continent including Antarctica."

Gotta eat something with our teabags.

Humans driving extinction faster than species can evolve, say experts | Environment | The Guardian:

"For the first time since the dinosaurs disappeared, humans are driving animals and plants to extinction faster than new species can evolve, one of the world's experts on biodiversity has warned."

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I remember when I had hope in this guy.

Dr. Marcia Angell Tells Bill Moyers: Obama Gave Away The Store. Too Little, Too Late. | Crooks and Liars

Honestly, at this point, I don't even care whether or not this crappy healthcare bill passes. I see so many serious problems with it, and I simply do not have any trust in the integrity of the Obama administration and the commercially-sponsored Congress to fix them.

The only reason I can see for supporting the bill is political - and no, I don't think that's an insignificant reason. (I'd guess it's the only reason Wendell Potter still supports it.) However, as Dr. Marcia Angell points out, the bill is such a confusing mess, what are the odds that its passage will work in the Democrats' favor? It's a complete and utter crap shoot, and for that, I blame the consistent lack of leadership from the top. I have never been so disgusted with the political process in my entire life:

From Bill Moyers Journal:

BILL MOYERS: So, has President Obama been fighting as hard as you wished?

MARCIA ANGELL: Fighting for the wrong things and too little, too late. He gave away the store at the very beginning by compromising. Not just compromising, but caving in to the commercial insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry. And then he stood back for months while the thing just fell apart. Now he's fighting, but he's fighting for something that shouldn't pass. Won't pass and shouldn't pass.

What this bill does is not only permit the commercial insurance industry to remain in place, but it actually expands and cements their position as the lynchpin of health care reform. And these companies they profit by denying health care, not providing health care. And they will be able to charge whatever they like. So if they're regulated in some way and it cuts into their profits, all they have to do is just raise their premiums. And they'll do that.

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Coulda just stopped after 'unwilling'.

Senate Democrats Unwilling To Fight Widely-Opposed GOP Nominee To Legal Services Corporation

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Moving on from the do-nothing pussies to the hammer slinging assholes:

Fiction or Fo'Realz. You never know with FAUX News.

Fox 5 anchor delivered false report to help Jack Bauer | Raw Story

Including McCain!

McCain's DADT Support Letter Signed By A Bunch Of Dead Guys

Burnett, I swear to god. Don't do it.

Sarah Palin talking to networks about television show on Alaska - Yahoo! Canada News

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Potentially, Maybe, Possibly, Making Plans, Might.....

Maddow was absolutely stellar last week. This post gives a good run down of how Maddow dominated. Really good stuff:

Daily Kos: Rachel Maddow is single-handedly changing this country's trajectory:

"The idea was that black voters weren‘t being denied the right to vote based on race. That would be illegal. No, those voters just couldn‘t pass this literacy test.

This isn‘t the plot of some Kagzo (ph) Klansman gothic short story. This isn‘t a theoretical for first-year law students. This isn‘t some State Department report on some tin pot dictatorship halfway around the world that we can‘t pronounce.

This is American history. This is really, really recent American history—as in this lifetime for a lot of people American history.

And the opening night speech at the national tea party convention this weekend proposed bringing the literacy test for voting back. And that proposal got a warm round of applause."

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It stopped raining here in NorCal, thus proving that clouds do not exist..... or something.

Weather and Climate... not the same thing.

Colbert Rips Fox News For Using Snowstorm To Deny Global Warming (VIDEO)

When Bill Nye is smacking you down..... you are a sad human being.

Bill Nye the Science Guy: Climate change deniers are ‘unpatriotic’ | Raw Story:

"'[We] remind you that global warming was the first term for this phenomenon that we now call can climate change,' he said. 'So it‘s very reasonable that a snowstorm in Washington that‘s this severe is a result of climate change.'

'There‘s more energy in the atmosphere, and this is stirring things up,' Nye continued. 'If you want to get serious about it, these guys claiming that the snow in Washington disproves climate change are almost unpatriotic. It's really, they're denying science.'"

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"Potential Use" and "making plans". Sigh. Weak and wrong.

Obama Won't Drop Potential Use Of Reconciliation On Health Care

Obama Making Plans to Use Executive Power - NYTimes.com

Amen. I'm a Dean Democrat.

Howard Dean: Democrats ‘need a spinal transplant’

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Lived in peace until the locale media creates their own special Jihad.

Think Progress � Tennessee Mosque Vandalized After Local TV Station Airs Irresponsible Report On ‘Homegrown Jihad’

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Damn. My people are getting organized. Nice.

The Scavenger : Atheist billboards in Sacto: 'Are you good without God?':

"Don't believe in the Man Upstairs? Atheists and agnostics want you to know that you're not the only one. And they've been spreading this message through a nationwide campaign that started last year. With the help of an umbrella organization called the United Coalition of Reason, local atheist groups have paid for billboards and other ads in about a dozen cities, including San Diego, Houston, Tulsa and New Orleans. Signs like the ones that recently emerged in Sacramento ask 'Are you good without God? Millions are.' Others proclaim 'Don't believe in God? You are not alone,' while the NYC subway ads point out, 'A million New Yorkers are good without God. Are you?'"

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Some of these really are outrageous:

Outrageous Vintage Ads That Show How Far We've Come (PICTURES)

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Falling Iguana

I think my today's post name would be a good band name.

*Dude, F.I. rocked it last night*

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Yesterday's most perfect snark:

Corn: McGwire used steroids, Fox signs Palin, sun sets in west | Raw Story:

"'McGwire used steroids. Palin signed with Fox. Sun sets in the west.'"

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Concerning the 'California is DOOOOOMED' meme....

No. No we are not.

Coolest state ever.

Calif. judge orders police to return 60 pounds of marijuana | Raw Story:

"A Los Angeles judge has ordered that 60 pounds of pot confiscated by the California Highway Patrol during an arrest be returned to the defendant.

Superior Court Judge William Sterling on Friday ordered the marijuana returned to Saguro Doven. The 33-year-old's attorneys successfully argued that he had the legal right to transport it under medical marijuana guidelines issued by state Attorney General Jerry Brown."

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No climate change here folks. Nothing to see. Move along and go teabag a loved one if such a thing is legal in your state.

Kamikaze iguanas fall from Florida's frozen trees - Telegraph

BBC News - 'Wildlife in crisis' in frozen UK:

"'With the icy weather predicted to last at least another week, this winter could be the single greatest wildlife killer of the new millennium.'"

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Quantum physics fascinates me to no end.

Daily Kos: Golden Ratio Discovered in Quantum World

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Best Products Of CES 2010: The Coolest New Tech From The Consumer Electronics Show (PHOTOS)

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On Flat-Earthers and Flat-Out Liars

Nothing to see here, folks. Just a liberal climate conspiracy... or something.

We can't pass any meaningful legislation but we can alter the weather for our political gain.... or something.

Oh, and the Earth is Flat.... or something.

World's hottest decade adds to pressure for climate accord:

"'The decade 2000-2009 is very likely to be the warmest on record, warmer than the 1990s, which were in turn warmer than the 1980s,' World Meteorological Organisation Secretary General Michel Jarraud told a press conference.

Jarraud also said that the year 2009 would probably rank as the fifth warmest since accurate records were started in 1850."

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Conservatives are just damn set against any kind of change, man-made or not.

Very hard to understand them.

Report: Bush insiders ‘distorted,’ still ‘influence’ climate change debate:

"Numerous environmental officials from the Bush administration have taken jobs lobbying on behalf of the energy industry, and some are now working to undermine efforts at a global climate change deal in Copenhagen, says a new report from a government watchdog group.

Some members of the Bush White House's environmental team 'deliberately distorted critical scientific reporting on global warming' before taking jobs at oil, gas, mining and other energy companies, says a report (PDF) from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

'CREW identified at least 22 former Bush-era officials who have gone on to lobbying or government relations, 14 of whom are registered lobbyists,' the report states. 'Through lobbying and industry-manufactured 'grassroots' activities, these individuals continue to influence and confuse the debate over global warming and hamper the efforts of the current administration to help establish a public consensus on this issue.'"

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ABC will not be Out-FAUXed.

ABC uses Fox tactic to make Stewart seem like climate change denier | Raw Story

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Won't happen again, promise.

Fox News Management Fed Up by Mistakes - mediabistro.com: FishbowlDC:

"By Matt Dornic on Nov 23, 2009 11:38 AM

After a few footage mishaps at Fox News like their recent slip-up: 'Fox News Uses Old Palin Footage,' the higher ups at the network have had enough.

In an email obtained by FishbowlDC, FNC management alerted the Newsroom that they were going to a 'zero base' newscast production, defined in the memo..."

OK, it'll happen again, because we mean for it to happen again, but we'll just lie about it.

Fox: Nothing inaccurate about our 120% poll graphic:

"As anyone who was actually listening to President Obama knows, he said $200 billion. But what's $198 billion when you're busy being Fair & Balanced, right?"

Stewart has the last word, though.

Daily Kos: State of the Nation:

"As Jon Stewart said in his take down of Fox's claim, 'So in attacking scientists for falsifying their data to support their theories on global warming, you've cited a poll that adds up to 120%.'"

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More Americans are in need of numbing the stupidity:

Most Americans support legalizing marijuana: poll:

"Fifty three percent support legalization, while 43 percent are opposed, according to a poll conducted Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 involving 1,004 voters."

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Theft and Libel

This 'climategate' nonsense irks me to the enth.

The last two paragraph nails what it is really about:

Eschaton:

"Barbara Boxer is right about this:

Leaked e-mails allegedly undermining climate change science should be treated as a criminal matter, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Wednesday afternoon.

Boxer, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said that the recently released e-mails, showing scientists allegedly overstating the case for climate change, should be treated as a crime.

This really is not even debatable. Data was stolen and then misrepresented in order to slander specific individuals, even to accuse them of criminal wrongdoing: this is what happened.

'ClimateGate' is about the contemptible methodology of powerful interests cheering on mass human suffering for narrow financial gain, full stop. It's about theft and libel. Period."

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Shocking.

Group promoting climate skepticism has extensive ties to Exxon-Mobil :

"A group promoting skepticism over widely-accredited climate change science has a web of connections to influential oil giant Exxon-Mobil, Raw Story has found."

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Earth could plunge into sudden ice age - LiveScience- msnbc.com:

"In the film, 'The Day After Tomorrow,' the world gets gripped in ice within the span of just a few weeks. Now research now suggests an eerily similar event might indeed have occurred in the past."

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And now a comment on Congress... because others write what I think so much better than I can.

Daily Kos: State of the Nation:

"The 'world's greatest deliberative body' is increasingly being laid bare for what it is--utterly dysfunctional because of the massive egos and personal foibles of narcissists like Joe Lieberman, who can hijack the most critical of issues for their own narrow, personal reasons."

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Yup

Former MO. House Speaker charged with felony assault:

"Longtime Republican politico allegedly punched, choked and had sex with woman when she blacked out after drinking glass of wine

Former MO. House Speaker charged with felony assaultFormer Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton was charged with second-degree assault Monday stemming from a woman's claim that he hit her in the face several times and choked her"

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I need to up my staring out the window time.

Cat Cams: What DO Cats Do Home Alone?:

"Fifty house cats were given collar cameras that took a photo every 15 minutes. The results put a digital dent in some human theories about catnapping.

Based on the photos, about 22 percent of the cats' time was spent looking out of windows, 12 percent was used to interact with other family pets and 8 percent was spent climbing on chairs or kitty condos. Just 6 percent of their hours were spent sleeping."

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But is it low calorie?

Alcohol Pill Can Get You Drunk Without Drinking, Researcher Says

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Fraudster

There is a very sick and twisted segment of the U.S. that is being legitimized and main-streamed by the traditional media.

What the hell is wrong with these people (and by 'people' I mean the twisted fucks and the news media).

pandagon.net:

"Via Spencer, Gawker reports on a growing movement of Christians using religious “jokes” in order to call for the assassination of Obama. The “joke” is this T-shirt, citing a verse from the Bible that says, “May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.” As Gawker explains, it’s surrounded by other prayers of enemy smiting, namely that his widow and children starve and live in poverty after his death. Gawker has other examples of right wingers thinking it’s cute to be coy---but in an unsubtle, stupid way that’s not nearly as clever as they think---in calling for Obama’s death."

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Lies and damn lies. Isn't happening and the 30k don't even exist.

100,000,000 million U.S. residents scrub there asses with steel wool.

See, I can make up shit too.

Daily Kos: "30,000 Scientists Sue Al Gore for Fraud"

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World's largest ice sheet melting faster than expected | Environment | guardian.co.uk:

"'If the current trend continues or gets worse, Antarctica could become the largest contributor to sea level rises in the world. It could start to lose more ice than Greenland within a few years,' said Jianli Chen, of the University of Texas at Austin."

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Nice. We should schedule another meeting to schedule another meeting about scheduling another meeting to deal with climate change.

Warming's impacts sped up, worsened since Kyoto - Yahoo! News:

"WASHINGTON – Since the 1997 international accord to fight global warming, climate change has worsened and accelerated — beyond some of the grimmest of warnings made back then.

As the world has talked for a dozen years about what to do next, new ship passages opened through the once frozen summer sea ice of the Arctic. In Greenland and Antarctica, ice sheets have lost trillions of tons of ice. Mountain glaciers in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa are shrinking faster than before."

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These folks could make a killing in the deep friend South.

Gang Killed People For Their Fat: Peruvian Police:

"LIMA, Peru — A gang in the remote Peruvian jungle has been killing people for their fat, police charged Thursday, draining it from their corpses and offering it on the black market for use in cosmetics. Medical experts expressed skepticism that a major market for fat might exist."

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NERDz!

d'Armond Speers: Dad Spoke Only Klingon To Son For Three Years

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Columbus Go Home!

Idiot Teabaggers. Almost too easy to punk

"Somebody is hating? Sheeeeyt, when should I start t'chantin'".

Interloper tricks Tea Party audience into an anti-European immigrant chant of ‘Columbus go home!’

Tea partiers punk’d into supporting removal of white people from US

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Winning their deformed hearts and deformed minds.

Fallujah’s infants suffer from sharp rise in birth defects | Raw Story

Remember, American youth, you only matter when you are in the womb. Once out, you better start practicing your boot strap pulling up.

Insurance Runs Out For 12-Year-Old Boy Without Arm

I wonder which state's obesity issues which are a huge burden on the health care industry are the worst?

Hmmmm. Starts with an A and ends with an A.

The Healthiest And Unhealthiest States - Forbes.com

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Thank a Dem.

Offshore Bank Accounts Revealed To IRS By 14,700 Taxpayers:

"MIAMI (AP)-- More than 14,700 U.S. taxpayers came forward to disclose billions in offshore bank accounts in 70 countries under a voluntary Internal Revenue Service program allowing most to avoid criminal prosecution as long as they pay what they owe, IRS officials said Tuesday.

A flood of people came forward in the last days before the amnesty program expired Oct. 15, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. The final total far surpasses the number who disclose offshore accounts in a typical year -- about 100 -- and comes amid a broad U.S. crackdown on international tax evasion at Swiss bank UBS AG and other institutions.

'To put it simply, this is a historic milestone for the nation's hardworking taxpayers,' Shulman said in a conference call from Washington."

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Don not thank a Dem. Geithner is the worst. He and Sumners need to go and pronto.

These guys were part of the initial problem. Why Obama thought they could fix it is beyond me.

Geithner sucks.

Geithner Singled Out In TARP Watchdog's Scathing Report On AIG Bailout:

"A brutal report issued Monday by a government watchdog holds Timothy Geithner -- then the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and now the nation's Treasury Secretary -- responsible for overpayments that put billions of extra tax dollars in the coffers of major Wall Street firms, most notably Goldman Sachs.

The authoritative new narrative describes how, while bailing out insurance giant AIG last fall, a team led by Geithner failed nearly every step of the way."

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Jeez.

100 new militia groups since Obama elected; watchdog alarmed | Raw Story:

"Some 100 new militia groups have formed since the election of President Barack Obama, says the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In a re-run of the phenomenon seen when President Bill Clinton took office, gun-rights advocates, libertarians, survivalists and others are forming militias as a symbol of their resistance to what they see as an administration that threatens to restrict their right to bear arms and expand government control over the lives of private citizens."

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Makes me want to load up on Ammo and canned goods.

Ice Age Froze Europe In Months | Mother Jones:

"Freako-frakkin-nomics notwithstanding, climate change is a thing of violent swiftness. New research indicates it took only months for Europe to freeze solid 12,800 years ago.

The most precise analysis yet of the onset of the 'Big Freeze' reveals that Europe froze not in a decade—as previously thought from analysis of Greenland ice cores—but in less than 12 months."

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West side is the best side.

First U.S. marijuana cafe opens in Portland | U.S. | Reuters:

"PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - The United States' first marijuana cafe opened on Friday, posing an early test of the Obama administration's move to relax policing of medical use of the drug.

The Cannabis Cafe in Portland, Oregon, is the first to give certified medical marijuana users a place to get hold of the drug and smoke it -- as long as they are out of public view -- despite a federal ban.

'This club represents personal freedom, finally, for our members,' said Madeline Martinez, Oregon's executive director of NORML, a group pushing for marijuana legalization.

'Our plans go beyond serving food and marijuana,' said Martinez. 'We hope to have classes, seminars, even a Cannabis Community College, based here to help people learn about growing and other uses for cannabis.'"

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Oh those wacky French with their moderately funny Youtubes.

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\

Iconic Atlantis

You can definitely kill some time with this website.

Iconic Photos

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Cool.

ThinkGeek :: Design geeky pumpkin template, win Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

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Always good to double-check your settings.

Facebook privacy: a guide - Ars Technica

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Funnyish.

What to Expect When You're Expected by David Javerbaum, G.E.D. - Trade Paperback - Random House:

"• “My mother just took a sip of white wine. Am I going to end up looking like some Chernobyl baby now?”

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Yes, Francis, sea levels do rise.

Lost Greek city that may have inspired Atlantis myth gives up secrets | Science | The Guardian:

"'There is now no doubt that this is the oldest submerged town in the world,' said Dr Jon Henderson, associate professor of underwater archaeology at the University of Nottingham. 'It has remains dating from 2800 to 1200 BC, long before the glory days of classical Greece. There are older sunken sites in the world but none can be considered to be planned towns such as this, which is why it is unique.'""

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As Stupid Does

With some stiff competition, introducing the stupidest fucking article ever written by a traditional 'news' source.

Gregory Levey: They pay you for this?

Viewpoint: Obama Should Send Bush to Mideast | Newsweek International | Newsweek.com:

"By Gregory Levey"

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What Atrios says....

Eschaton:

"A New Luxury

One nice thing about having large majorities in the House and Senate is that finally I will feel perfectly comfortable rooting for members of the wanker caucus to lose their seats. In 2010 voters will chuck out incumbents if the economy sucks and they don't perceive they've been given what they were promised (health care). The 'center' on health care involves giving people affordable quality health care, it does not involve preserving the obscene profits of the corrupt health insurance industry. If Democrats screw this up, those in Republican-leaning districts will lose their seats and I'll be cheering on every bad Democrat loss"

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Because you know we have the bestest healthcare in the WORLDS, dontcha know.

In Virginia town, health fair tends to America's poor:

"They came in their hundreds, America's uninsured and working poor, descending on this coal mining town in Virginia's southwest corner in search of the medical care they could not otherwise afford.

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Not good. Not good at all.

More cars torched overnight:

"(07-29) 07:17 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Four more cars were set ablaze overnight in San Francisco, bringing to number of arson attacks since this weekend to at least a dozen, authorities said today."

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Because I recently viewed the Watchmen.

And the answers are just now coming out?

The Buzz Log - This Is Only a Test: Rorschach Blots Rocking the Web - Yahoo! Buzz

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Pretty... but not good.

Daily Kos: Mysterious Glow-in-the-Dark Arctic Clouds Invade USA

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The only loyal man in South Carolina.

The comments section is dang funny.

Police: SC man charged with having sex with horse:

"A South Carolina man was charged with having sex with a horse after the animal's owner caught the act on videotape, then staked out the stable and caught him at shotgun point, authorities said Wednesday.
More News

But this wasn't the first time Rodell Vereen has been charged with buggery. He pleaded guilty last year to having sex with the same horse after owner Barbara Kenley found him in the same stable and was sentenced to probation and placed on the state's sex offender list."

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Funny Ha-Ha

Douchebag of the Year:

Jeff Sessions Irked By Crying Child: "Enough With The Histrionics" (VIDEO):

"For most people, the sight of a 12-year-old boy in tears at the prospect of his mother being deported halfway around the world would invoke some sympathy. Unmoved, however, was Alabama Republican Jeff Sessions, ranking minority member of the Committee and the only Republican to bother to attend the hearing. At the sight of the weeping boy, according to a Senate staffer who was at the hearing, Sessions leaned towards one of his aides and sighed, 'Enough with the histrionics.' Sessions's press secretary did not return a call seeking comment."

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Let's see how Alabama's most populous county reacts to all of these 'socialist' programs disappearing.

Not gonna be funny when maw-maw can't get fed or driven to the hospital.

Alabama County Set to Halt Services, Shut Buildings Over Budget - Bloomberg.com:

"June 5 (Bloomberg) -- Alabama’s most populous county is preparing to stop road maintenance, close courthouses and shutter services for the elderly after a court struck down taxes that pay for about 35 percent of its budget."

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Duh. Republican's base doing their dirty work.

Corporations behind efforts to label Sotomayor ‘racist’:

"Corporate interests posing as a grassroots conservative group are behind attacks on President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee pick, a RAW STORY investigation has found.

The Committee for Justice (CFJ), an astroturf group established by big business in July 2002 to create an appearance of popular support for President Bush’s judicial nominees, is now leading the effort to oppose the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court."

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Good for the Gators.

Daily Kos: Union buster bitten by Gator:

"The University of Florida is the number two selling brand of university athletic apparel in the country, behind only the University of Texas, and its value keeps increasing. In the last four years the Gators won two national championships in basketball and two national championships in football. Going into the 2009-2010 season the Gator football team is the consensus pre-season #1 and is led by the Heisman favorite, Tim Tebow. Gators also have the top-ranked outdoor mens track team, are still in the running for the men's College World Series, and just lost in the championship series of women's softball (congratulations Washington Huskies).

The University of Florida just cut its ties to Russell Athletics, revoking its license to sell Gator apparel. Union busters, you see, are Gator Bait."

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Change 'job creation' with 'enslavement' then you'll have an accurate article.

Wal-Mart says it will create 22,000 jobs in 2009

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Nothing to see here, folks. Keep moving along.

Watch Earth Disappear In Time-Lapse Videos:

"This is a big week for viewing the effects of humanity on Earth from above -- in addition to a documentary film coming out this Friday, Wired has used NASA Earth Observatory images to created time-lapse videos of the Earth being de-Earthed.

You can see deforestation in the Amazon, draining of the Aral Sea, urbanization of Dubai and more over at Wired Science."

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Jebus gave us laughter, silly.

Ha-Ha! Ape study traces evolution of laughter:

"When scientists set out to trace the roots of human laughter, some chimps and gorillas were just tickled to help. Literally.
More News

That's how researchers made a variety of apes and some human babies laugh. After analyzing the sounds, they concluded that people and great apes inherited laughter from a shared ancestor that lived more than 10 million years ago.

Experts praised the work. It gives very strong evidence that ape and human laughter are related through evolution, said Frans de Waal of the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University in Atlanta."\

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Chimp Challenge

At least they're being honest about having no ideas to improve the country.

Republican ideology brought to you by New Coke.

"That will take repetition" meaning "If you tell a lie long enough people start to believe it".

GOP Rep: “Our Goal Is To Bring Down Approval Numbers” For Dems | The Plum Line:

"“We will lose on legislation. But we will win the message war every day, and every week, until November 2010,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., an outspoken conservative who has participated on the GOP message teams. “Our goal is to bring down approval numbers for [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and for House Democrats. That will take repetition. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”"

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This is about as 'not good' as it gets.

Carbon emissions creating acidic oceans not seen since dinosaurs | Environment | guardian.co.uk:

"Human pollution is turning the seas into acid so quickly that the coming decades will recreate conditions not seen on Earth since the time of the dinosaurs, scientists will warn today.

The rapid acidification is caused by the massive amounts of carbon dioxide belched from chimneys and exhausts that dissolve in the ocean. The chemical change is placing 'unprecedented' pressure on marine life such as shellfish and lobsters and could cause widespread extinctions, the experts say."

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Vindictive. Grudge-holding. Weapons stash. Premeditated mayhem.

And some say we didn't evolve from chimps.

Study: Belligerent chimp proves animals make plans:

"A canny chimpanzee who calmly collected a stash of rocks and then hurled them at zoo visitors in fits of rage has confirmed that apes can plan ahead just like humans, a Swedish study said Monday. Santino the chimpanzee's anti-social behavior stunned both visitors and keepers at the Furuvik Zoo but fascinated researchers because it was so carefully prepared.

According to a report in the journal Current Biology, the 31-year-old alpha male started building his weapons cache in the morning before the zoo opened, collecting rocks and knocking out disks from concrete boulders inside his enclosure. He waited until around midday before he unleashed a 'hailstorm' of rocks against visitors, the study said."

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It is not 'survival of the fittest'. It is survival of the most adaptable.

The secret of long life? It's all down to how fast you react | Mail Online

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Neat.

Collector: Lincoln photo uncovered in Grant album

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Hot Koala

A simple question and answer for Senate Democrats:

Is George W. Bush President?

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So I guess my grandfathers never had 'real' jobs at TVA. Wonder how those folks at NASA feed their kids since their jobs aren't 'real'.

Tom Steele and the Republican party: Babbling incoherent shite till the cows come home.

RNC chair: Only real jobs are those business creates:

"However, newly-elected Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele believes that government-funded jobs don't count as real employment because 'a job is something that a business owner creates.'"

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Simple man.

A kiss is NOT just a 'kiss', apparently.

Kissing feels so pleasurable due to hormone surge, find scientists - Telegraph:

"Couples who share a passionate kiss this Valentine's Day will enjoy sensations of relaxation and excitement because of a complex series of chemical processes, as well as their love for their partners.

The study showed that women need more than just a kiss to experience the same chemical high as men - with additional features such as a romantic atmosphere of dimmed lights and mood music also required."

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Of course they smoke weed. Eating a box of Krispy Kream-san is called 'training' for these athletes.

billingsgazette.com : The Associated Press:

"TOKYO (AP) -- Sumo wrestlers with pot bellies, yes. Sumo wrestlers with pot? Now that's harder to grapple with.

In the past six months, four wrestlers have been kicked out of the ancient sport for allegedly smoking marijuana, creating the biggest drugs-in-sports scandal that Japan has ever seen.

Although three of the wrestlers who have been expelled from the sport were from Russia, the arrest last week of a 25-year-old Japanese athlete who goes by the ring name of Wakakirin for possession of marijuana has raised concern that use of the drug may be more widespread than originally thought."

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In related and hopefully positive news:

White House: DEA Raids in Medical Marijuana States Will Stop

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Our Aussie brothers and sisters and dealing with some very bad fires.

Aussie animals aren't having an easy go of it either:

Heatwave too much for koala to bear:

"Images circulating via email reveal a family sheltering in their home in Maude, between Melbourne and Geelong, when a koala walked onto their back porch and into the laundry.

Assuming it was distressed by the heat, the girl in the photos filled a bucket with water and — after a prod and a quick drink — the marsupial climbed in for a refreshing dip."

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ABC. Easy as 123

Keating 5.... Jackson 5 it ain't.

Take a little time on your lunch break today to learn how super-awesome, country first, ethical-tastic McSame is.

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It's 'fear' time! Feel the conservative election fear! An American Tradition.

McCain's Desperate Claim: Obama is Dangerous. Vote for Me If You Want to Live!:

"The McCain campaign is all set to roll out its message for the last 30 days of the campaign: 'We may not be good for your bank account, your mortgage, your health care, or your job security -- but none of that will matter if you are dead. John McCain: If You Want to Live.'

It's coming a little earlier than expected, but with an imploding economy and no solutions from the McCain camp other than yet another round of tax cuts, Team McCain is hitting the GOP's default key: Be Very Afraid!"

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Via PH.

When you're pissing off the movie reviewers, you've got a problem.

Guess who's not coming to dinner :: rogerebert.com :: News & comment:

"I do not like you, John McCain. My feeling has nothing to do with issues. It has to do with common courtesy. During the debate, you refused to look Barack Obama in the eye. Indeed, you refused to look at him at all. Even when the two of you shook hands at the start, you used your eyes only to locate his hand, and then gazed past him as you shook it.

Obama is my guy. If you are rude to him, you are rude to me. If you came to dinner at my house and refused to look at or speak with one of my guests, that would be bad manners and I would be offended. Same thing if I went to your house. During the debate, you were America's guest."

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Oh, gosh-darnit, fucking 1st Amendment, youbetcha.

Palin staff keep journalists locked inside press area to prevent them from writing ‘negative things.’

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Why is V-PILF so heavily involved with secessionist? Dare I say her views of America are 'radical'? Dare I say that her view of America is not the same as yours and mine?

Dare I say that this woman is fucking off her rocker?

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Wait... aren't humans mammals?

Half of mammals 'in decline', says extinction Red List:

"BARCELONA (AFP) - Half the world's mammals are declining in population and more than a third probably face extinction, said an update Monday of the 'Red List,' the most respected inventory of biodiversity."

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This is why jeebus created contract work.

Many workers do not respect their bosses:

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - Almost half of U.S. workers do not respect their boss and only half believe they are competent, according to an online survey released on Friday."

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Heh. This one time at band camp......

Director files complaint about UC Davis band:

"On the band's fall retreat in 2007, four drunken band members were caught urinating in a dormitory elevator, and at band picnic day, four others took their uniform pants down and simulated the incident for a photographer. At outdoor rehearsals, male band members dropped their pants to get a laugh, while women sometimes stripped to their bras, he wrote, and one evening practice was disrupted when a bass drummer began performing lap dances."

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Ice, Ice, Baby.

This can't be good:

Huge chunk snaps off storied Arctic ice shelf:

"A four-square-kilometre chunk has broken off Ward Hunt Ice Shelf - the largest remaining ice shelf in the Arctic - threatening the future of the giant frozen mass that northern explorers have used for years as the starting point for their treks.

Scientists say the break, the largest on record since 2005, is the latest indication that climate change is forcing the drastic reshaping of the Arctic coastline, where 9,000 square kilometres of ice have been whittled down to less than 1,000 over the past century, and are only showing signs of decreasing further."

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Yeah, watch:

Daily Kos: Watch for the Steal

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Interesting read.

The Long Run - As a Professor, Obama Enthralled Students and Puzzled Faculty - Series - NYTimes.com

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Ah, alcohol.

Drunken passengers force flight to land in Germany:

"Two drunken British women went on a rampage on a charter plane, hitting one flight attendant with a bottle of vodka and trying to open a cabin door as the aircraft was cruising over Austria at 10,000 meters (32,800 feet), police said Saturday."

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My Medicine

Leadin' off with some music, y'all.

Snoop, Johnny Cash and Willy.

Doesn't get much better than this.

'What good is the truth if you can't tell a lie, baby"

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More Shoals material for a DBT or Isbell tune.

Buttholeville's Chief of Police when I was growing up:

Ex-police chief arrested | TimesDaily.com| Florence, AL:

"The investigation was halted when he pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of two robbery suspects involved in a drugstore heist in October 1991. Thompson placed a gun loaded with bullets, which had the gunpowder removed, to the suspects' heads and fired in an effort to get more information."

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Crazy shit, alright.

Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol - Times Online:

"“Ten years ago I could never have imagined I’d be doing this,” says Greg Pal, 33, a former software executive, as he squints into the late afternoon Californian sun. “I mean, this is essentially agriculture, right? But the people I talk to – especially the ones coming out of business school – this is the one hot area everyone wants to get into.”"

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I say raise the property tax instead.

Drink tax makes Pa. county executive unpopular:

"A stiff drink comes with a stiff tax in Pittsburgh and surrounding towns these days, and that has made the county executive public enemy No. 1 in some quarters, reviled by name in song and on bar bills."

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ABAT, what the hell are y'all doing down there?

New Zealand restaurant in trouble for poisoning drinkers:

"WELLINGTON (AFP) - A restaurant in New Zealand's tourist hub of Queenstown was convicted Monday for accidentally serving dishwashing liquid as mulled wine."

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