Sounds

Credit where credit is due.

House Democrats Punk Republicans On Budget Vote (VIDEO)

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Make no mistake... this was no mistake. Campaign has begun.

Obama remarks caught by open mic - Los Angeles Times

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Words, words, words.

AMERICAblog News: Candidate Obama vs. President Obama

Me, I'll go back to my Grand Bargain drinking game. See the part in the Krugman quote about letting the Bush tax cuts expire? Never gonna happen. See those defense cuts? Never gonna happen, not in any non-cosmetic way. He's had two years to do lots of stuff like that, and folded on all of it. Never gonna happen.

I think the target of this speech wasn't the nation — but us, the rebellious left. I think the political geniuses in the White House finally got scared of losing the base. Finally. So they retired President Obama for one inning and brought out Candidate Obama to pinch hit. Candidate Obama can put one over the fence.

So my take-away is two-fold:

▪ We had an effect; I think we changed the speech. Don't forget that. This is one thing we can learn from the Teabags. Finally, a small but noticeable liberal victory. It's been like forever since one of those.

▪ This is just a speech — "Words, words, words" to quote the Bard. We've seen this act before. In fact, it's been the great one-two punch of this administration; Candidate says this, President does that. So stay rebellious until you get what you want, until the action matches the promise. That's the other thing we can learn from the Teabags.

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What The Japan Earthquake Sounded Like... Underwater (AUDIO) | TPM Idea Lab

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No one is asking Obama to be perfect...

Check out the website I created for my good friend who is an attorney in Micronesia. Image by ShannonD and header creation by JennB.

Planning on investing in the Pacific? David is your man.

Shipper Law Firm - Pacific Islands Attorney

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My sentiments exactly. Read it several times:

AMERICAblog News: No on is asking Obama to be perfect. We're asking him to simply try to keep his promises.

No one thinks Obama is God, perfect, or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. We do, however, expect him to at least try to accomplish the goals he set out for himself during the campaign. People are not upset with President Obama because he didn't accomplish everything. They are upset that he often doesn't seem to try to get the most out of a deal. He settles for less at the outset, when the political dynamic would have permitted him to get far more than what he settled for.

Yes, now the President isn't doing very well in the polls, and the Democrats in Congress are running scared. But it wasn't always this way. A good year-plus ago, when we were first talking about a stimulus and health care reform, the President was at 70% in the polls, the Dems in Congerss were riding high, and the Republicans were on the verge of committing mass suicide. There was no excuse, then, for settling for a weaker stimulus than was needed (the results of which, nearly 10% unemployment, are dogging us all today). And there was no need to shove the public option overboard from the outset (the President made clear that he wasn't going to demand its inclusion). So while it's convenient to argue that "now" the President has no choice but to compromise, he had a choice a year ago, and he compromised at the git-go anyway. It's who he is as a person, and it's the reason so many are so frustrated. (And one could argue that a good part of the reason the Democrats are in such trouble today is because of the President's penchant for capitulation.)

This isn't about people's unacceptably high expectations. We simply expected him to try to do what he promised.

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To be as tall as he is... gotta give some props:

'Barefoot Bandit's 2-year run from law is over - Yahoo! News

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Behind the Curtains

Was it 'dead' or was FAUX News (with Conrad and Faucus) trying to kill it?

Don't think for a second that it isn't the latter.

Perfect example of FAUX as a political organ and NOT a 'news' channel.



Even more:

List of Pundits who Declared the P.O. Dead (more added)

And of course, the biggest asshole in the land felt he wasn't getting enough attention.

He should be stripped of his committees, stripped of his seniority, then kicked out of the caucus.

We. Told. You. So.

Lieberman Says He’ll Filibuster Health Care Reform If Public Option Remains

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The Republican Party's National Slogan (with extra Rush douchiness)

So we stand by the fabricated quote because we know Obama thinks it anyway.

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CIA misled Congress five times since 2001, say Intel Dems - TheHill.com:

"The CIA misled Congress at least five times since 2001, according to Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee.

The Democrats said CIA officials had either lied or withheld information from Congress. They also said CIA officials did not fully inform Congress about the use of enhanced interrogation techniques during a September 2002 briefing, which would validate House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) claim that she was lied to about the program."

From May 14, 2009. See how is works? See the men pulling the strings?

Nancy Pelosi: CIA lied; Boehner: Who?: The Swamp:

"House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) held his own news conference afterward, and asserted that he strongly doubts that the CIA lied to anyone in Congress about interrogation tactics on which congressional leaders were fully briefed.

'I think the problem is that the speaker has had way too many stories on this issue,'' Boehner said today. 'She's posed more questions than she has provided answers...

'When you look at the number of briefings that the speaker was in, and other Democrat members of the House and Senate, it's.. pretty clear that they were well aware of what these enhanced interrogation techniques were,'' Boehner said. 'They were well aware that they had been used. And it seems to me that they want to have it both ways. You can't have it both ways.''"

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By all truthful estimates, not more than 60-70K. About the same as the recent gay rights march. But that one didn't get covered on FAUX, though.

Another Conservative attempt to rewrite history. They really do suck.

House Republicans Pander To Tea Party Movement With Frivolous Resolution Inflating 9/12 Protest Numbers

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Splainin' to Do

Love this guy.

Daily Kos: Alan Grayson Launches: UnMaskTheFed.com

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Free speech, y'all.

It must be hell to work for Secret Service these days.

Federal authorities investigating anti-Obama Nazi message on Massachusetts golf course.

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At least they are spreading some of their hate to some of their own.

WTF is wrong with these people.

Lindsey Graham Faces Tea Party Fury: "Traitor," "Democrat In Drag," "Half-A-Sissy" (VIDEO):

"Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) faced an eruption of rage from Tea Party activists at a town hall meeting Tuesday for his decision to work with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) on climate change and clean energy legislation."

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Lying liars.

New RNC Website Claims Jackie Robinson As “GOP Hero” — But He Was Indy Who Condemned GOP’s Racial Tactics | The Plum Line:

"What’s more, Robinson was appalled by what the Republican party had become in 1964, when Barry Goldwater won the nomination over Rockefeller. In his autobiography he described his reaction to the that year’s GOP convention as follows::

That convention was one of the most unforgettable and frightening experiences of my life. The hatred I saw was unique to me because it was hatred directed against a white man. It embodied a revulsion for all he stood for, including his enlightened attitude towards black people.

A new breed of Republicans had taken over the GOP. As I watched this steamroller operation in San Francisco, I had a better understanding of how it must have felt to be a Jew in Hitler’s Germany."

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I may bitch and moan about inaction and policy, but it still thrills me that we have a baller in the WH.

Support Our Hoops: President Obama Hits The BBall Court | TPM Photo Galleries:

"Bill Clinton had his saxophone. JFK was an avid sailor. FDR collected stamps. These days, President Barack Obama has made basketball the First Hobby. From pick-up games with White House staffers to appearances at Washington Wizards games, the President has found plenty of ways to partake in his favorite pastime, in between that whole 'leading the free world' thing. Even his Cabinet is mostly made up of former players, something that caused President Obama to joke that he's put together 'the best basketball-playing Cabinet in American history.' Here, the President tries to block a shot while playing with Reggie Love at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York on September 23, during the UN General Assembly."

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Lot's of good folks down there.... more need to write letters to the editor.

Explanations please | TimesDaily.com | The Times Daily | Florence, AL:

"Can someone please tell me why some folks don't mind spending taxpayer money when it comes to subsidizing private companies, farms or contracting out Government work to private companies, but have a meltdown if the Government (that's us taxpayers) wants to 'compete?'

Can someone explain why a public option for insurance freaks the Republicans out, but dismantling the Glass-Steagall Act and opening up a world of options for their wealthy cohorts on Wall Street to rip the fabric right out of middle class America didn't?

Finally, can anyone explain why the debt we leave our children matters more than how they will pay that debt? We accept longer hours, less pay and hope and pray we can hang on to our company health care plan. What kind of option is that for their future?

Support health care reform.

Pat Roemer

Florence"

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Round and Round

I know, I know enough with the Michael Jackson. I couldn't agree more.

Last MJ related anything coming from me.... unless something particularly hilarious pops up.

The inmates in the PI pay a final tribute to their inspiration.

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Because sometimes is gets confusing:

Sex Scandal Flow Chart | TPM News Pages

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Between this and the lie-detecting MRI on 60 minutes last night... we be in for a wild future.

First Image of a Memory Being Made:

"For the first time, an image of a memory being made at the cellular level has been captured by scientists.

The image shows that proteins are created at connections between brain cells when a long-term memory is formed. Neuroscientists had suspected as much, but hadn't been able to see it happening until now.

The experiment also revealed some surprising aspects of memory formation, which remains a somewhat mysterious process."

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Shitty journalism. The U.S.A.'s #1 export.

Jeff Koyen - The Places You’ll Go - Duped newscast airs ‘Lost’ scene as Flight 447’s last moments - True/Slant:

"In their rush to air exclusive photos of Flight 447’s destruction, no one in this newsroom stopped to ask the logical questions, such as: 1) How did the camera survive? and 2) Why are the photos in wide-screen format?"

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Finally we have an answer for crop circles.

Opium-eating wallabies get high, make crop circles:

"SYDNEY (AFP) – Wallabies are getting “as high as a kite” on opium in Australian poppy fields and flattening crops as they hop round in circles, according to a report"

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Hurts So Good

But, but, but the CIA doesn't ever pass false information. Wah!

It is all Pelosi's fault! Wah!

And one more 'Wah' for good measure.

Another Lawmaker Points To An Error In CIA Briefings Doc | TPMMuckraker:

"Here's yet more evidence -- as if it were needed -- that that CIA briefing document that Republicans are trying to hang around Nancy Pelosi's neck is hardly a reliable source of information.

Rep. David Obey, who chairs the appropriations committee, just sent the following letter to CIA director Leon Panetta:"

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But, but, but.....

Wah!

“It is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress.”

Doesn't mean they don't do it. It is just not 'policy' or 'practice'. Whew, glad that's cleared up.

CIA Won’t Say Whether Panetta Disputes Pelosi Claim She Was Lied To | The Plum Line

A spokesperson for the CIA is declining to clarify whether CIA director Leon Panetta is disputing Nancy Pelosi’s claim that the agency lied to her about the use of torture.

It has, of course, been widely reported that Panetta smacked back hard against Pelosi’s claim in that note he sent to CIA employees last week. But as Politico’s Josh Gerstein pointed out yesterday, a close reading of Panetta’s note shows clearly that he did not directly dispute Pelosi’s allegations.

The crux of Gerstein’s argument is that Panetta said: “It is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress.” That’s a statement of current policy and intent, not a rebuttal of Pelosi’s claims. And the part of Panetta’s statement that does address what was said in briefings is too vague to be conclusive.

So I asked a CIA spokesperson whether it was the CIA’s position that Pelosi was not lied to, as she has claimed. The spokesperson declined to elaborate, instead saying that Panetta’s note would have to speak for itself.

To be clear, this doesn’t prove one way or the other whether Pelosi was in fact lied to. She very well may have been told of the use of torture. Still, it’s sobering to think that while it’s been widely reported that Panetta disputes Pelosi’s allegations, this may not be at all true and may never have happened at all.

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Shrum does a pretty good job here.

Giuliani: ‘Of course’ the CIA has given ‘incorrect information’

“It just happens to be the truth,” Shrum said of his charges against the CIA. “Every once in a while, the truth ought to be uttered.”

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani chimed in at that point to say indignantly, “The general calumny of the CIA is outrageous. The CIA is a dedicated organization of patriotic people who are working their backs off to protect us.”

“Have they ever lied, Mr. Mayor?” Shrum asked.

“These people have dedicated their lives,” Giuliani replied.

“This is drivel,” Shrum retorted. “This is the kind of stuff you tried to run for president on and it didn’t go anywhere. Have they ever lied?”

“It’s absolutely outrageous that you accused them in general terms of being liars or systemically lying,” Giuliani responded. “Of course they’ve made mistakes.. Of course they’ve given incorrect information. Intelligence is a very difficult …”

At that point, the discussion largely broke down into cross-talk. However, Scarborough concluded the segment by backing up Giuliani in his assertions that the CIA does not lie. “The proof is in the pudding,” Scarborough stated. “The evidence is the United States of America has not been attacked since September 11, 2001.”

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Cafferty. One of only a handful of 'news' people worth watching on TV.

Commentary: Prosecute sins of Bush-Cheney era - CNN.com

The Bush presidency is thankfully over...but the damage he and Dick Cheney did continues to press on the nerve of the American people like an impacted wisdom tooth. And until the questions surrounding arguably the most arrogant and perhaps most corrupt administration in our history are addressed, the pain won't go away.

From Nancy ("Impeachment is off the table") Pelosi to President Barack ("I want to look forward, not backward") Obama, the country is being poorly served by their Democratic government. And on this subject President Obama is dead wrong.

George W. Bush and his accomplices damaged this country like it's never been damaged before. And it's not just the phony war in Iraq or the torture memos that justified waterboarding. It's millions of missing emails and the constant use of executive privilege and signing statements.

It's the secretive meetings with Enron and other energy executives and the wholesale firing of federal prosecutors. It's trying to get the president's personal attorney seated on the Supreme Court and that despicable Alberto Gonzales sitting in front of congressional investigators whining, "I don't remember, I

It's the domestic eavesdropping in violation of the FISA Court, the rendition prisons, and the lying. It's looking the other way while the City of New Orleans drowned and its people were left to fend for themselves.

It's the violations of the Geneva Conventions, the soiling of our international reputation and the shredding of the U.S. Constitution. It's the handing over of $700 billion to the Wall Street fat cats last fall, no questions asked. Where is that money? What was it used for?

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Gay.

We're talking a very well heeled community here, overall.

Olbermann butchers RNC chairman on same-sex marriage:

"“Now all of a sudden I’ve got someone who wasn’t a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for,” Steele told Republicans in Georgia. “So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money.”

But Olbermann pointed out that weddings are a boon for small businesses — and studies have estimated that same-sex marriage legalization will create thousands of new jobs.

“Mr. Steele, in this country, weddings are a $70 billion a year industry,” Olbermann remarked. “B, billion, as in Bridezilla. Seventy billion. Most of it spread among local florists, local photographers, local hotels, local restaurants, local bridal stores.

“Admittedly,” he added tongue-in-cheek, “the number of wedding gowns ordered when two men get married is zero, but think of two women, with two gowns and two sets of bridesmaids.”

“There is a reason that conservatives in California opposed [Proposition 8 banning the legalization of same-sex marriage],” he added. “Last year before the rights of same-sex couples were repealed, UCLA calculated that just in California the wedding business was going to explode by $684 million over three years."

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Cooley made a comment in the past regarding....

And I paraphrase...."Not being able to smoke in a bar in North Carolina is like taking public transportation in Detroit.... Get it?"

North Carolina smoking ban ends era in US tobacco heartland:

"North Carolina's governor signed a statewide indoor smoking ban into law Tuesday, signaling the end of an era in the United States' leading tobacco-producing state."

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Yep, they'll do that.

Omaha man blames casino drinks, drugs for big debt

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I Got Your Pair....

Fuck you, Olympia Snowe. Where was your pair the past 8 years while you cowered under the evil glare of Darth Cheney.

Hey, it is your party that is being led by Rush, Palin and Joe the freakin' fake Plumber.

Seriously, Fuck You in your Maine Lobster ass.

Snowe To Dems: Grow A Pair

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That a girl, Suze. Now get off my TV.

Suze Orman: Bush owes American people every penny of his fortune:

"But of Bush, the 57-year-old Orman has only scorn.

For Bush, the interviewer says, she 'holds an especially dark place in her heart.

'Commander in Chief?' she sputters. 'You blew up every single financial vessel we had and if you think you aren't personally responsible, well, the blame starts at the top. There is no higher top than you, sir! If I were you, I would feel so absolutely horrific that I would take every penny I had and distribute it to anybody and everybody to help them in whatever way I could. You owe the American people every penny of your fortune and your family's fortune.'"

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Republicans lying isn't odd. What's odd is that they didn't stick with the lie til the bitter end per norm.

After Years Of Lies, WSJ Concedes That Employee Free Choice Act ‘Doesn’t Remove The Secret-Ballot Option’:

"In a stunning reversal, the anti-labor Wall Street Journal editorial page admitted today that one of the key messages in Big Business’s fight against the Employee Free Choice Act is false. “The bill doesn’t remove the secret-ballot option from the National Labor Relations Act,” wrote the WSJ editors today.

The acknowledgment by the WSJ that the legislation doesn’t eliminate the option of a secret-ballot election is surprising given that it has been one of the most aggressive pushers of the false meme:"

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Hey Olympia Snowe. Joe seems to be having a problem with his 'pair'. Maybe you could lend a hand on 'pair' management since you're such the goddamn expert.

Joe the Plumber Wants to Make Love to Washington - The Sleuth:

"'God, all this love and everything in the room - I'm horny,' declared Joe, whose real name is Samuel Wurzelbacher."

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Reason 394,789 that Australia is cooler than the U.S.

Bikers brawl through Australian airport; 1 dead:

"SYDNEY – Warring bikers brawled through Australia's largest airport Sunday, beating one suspected gang member to death and brandishing metal poles 'like swords' as they rampaged through the main domestic terminal in front of terrified travelers.

Police said a group of suspected gang members was ambushed as they disembarked from an airplane."

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When the going gets tough, the tops get going.

More women needing cash go from jobless to topless

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Rushing into Oblivion

I watched Oliver Stone's "W." over the weekend. I figured I could tolerate watching since old W is no longer in office.

A lot of reviews said the movie mad a human out of "W.".

I happen to agree.

Pretty good flick.

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I'm starting to really love Rahm.

It is freaky seeing Democrats have message control. Freaky-good, but not something I'm use to yet.

Rahm On Rush: He's The Voice, Energy And Intellect Of The GOP:

"SCHIEFFER: We talked about Newt Gingrich a lot this morning and now you bring up Rush Limbaugh. Who do you think now speaks for the Republican Party?

EMANUEL: You just named him: it is Rush Limbaugh. He has laid out his vision, in my view. And he said it clearly. I compliment him for that. He's been very up front and I compliment him for that. He's not hiding. He's asked for President Obama and called for President Obama to fail. That's his view. And that's what he has enunciated. And whenever a Republican criticizes him, they have to run back and apologize to him and say they were misunderstood. He is the voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party. He has been up front about what he views and hasn't stepped back from that, which is he hopes for failure. He said it and I compliment him for his honesty. But that's their philosophy that is enunciated by Rush Limbaugh and I think that's the wrong philosophy for America..."

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Yes. Excellent. Fully support. Just because you get elected once doesn't mean you should never be challenged in a primary again.

Democracy.... smells like... well, Democracy!

Get rid of some of these damn Blue Dogs in the process, too.

'Accountability Now': Bloggers And Progressive Groups Plan To Challenge Elected Dems:

"Some of the most prominent names in progressive politics launched a major new organization on Thursday dedicated to pinpointing and aiding primary challenges against incumbent Democrats who are viewed as acting against their constituents' interests."

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It ain't a day in the week, unless a Republican is lying.

A Republican is lying.

Jindal Admits Katrina Story Was False

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heh-heh.

Porn in the USA: Conservatives are biggest consumers - science-in-society - 27 February 2009 - New Scientist

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My, my. Repealing marijuana prohibition is in the news an awful lot these days.

Holder Vows To End Raids On Medical Marijuana Clubs:

"Attorney General Eric Holder said at a press conference Wednesday that the Justice Department will no longer raid medical marijuana clubs that are established legally under state law. His declaration is a fulfillment of a campaign promise by President Barack Obama, and marks a major shift from the previous administration."

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Hurry up and find the switch.

Is Aging an Accident of Evolution? -A Galaxy Insight:

"Everyone has assumed we age by rust. But how do you explain animals that don't age? Some tortoises lay eggs at the age of 100, there are whales that live to be 200 and clams that make it past 400 years.'

Stuart Kim, PhD, Stanford University professor of developmental biology and genetics

Prevailing theory of aging challenged by Stanford University Medical School researchers. Their discovery contradicts the prevailing theory that aging is a buildup of tissue damage similar to rust. The Stanford findings suggest specific genetic instructions drive the process. If they are right, science might one day find ways of switching the signals off and halting or even reversing aging."

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Too Easy to Find

I want to party at Obama's house. I call DJ!

Obama's Secret Record Collection : Rolling Stone:

"When Barack Obama moved into the White House on January 20th, he gained access to five chefs, a private bowling alley — and a killer collection of classic LPs. Stored in the basement of the executive mansion is the official White House Record Library: several hundred LPs that include landmark albums in rock (Led Zeppelin IV, the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed), punk (the Ramones' Rocket to Russia, the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols), cult classics (Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica, the Flying Burrito Brothers' The Gilded Palace of Sin) and disco. Not to mention records by Santana, Neil Young, Talking Heads, Isaac Hayes, Elton John, the Cars and Barry Manilow."

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Sometimes it seems we are getting a little too connected.

I Am Here: One Man's Experiment With the Location-Aware Lifestyle:

"To test whether I was being paranoid, I ran a little experiment. On a sunny Saturday, I spotted a woman in Golden Gate Park taking a photo with a 3G iPhone. Because iPhones embed geodata into photos that users upload to Flickr or Picasa, iPhone shots can be automatically placed on a map. At home I searched the Flickr map, and score—a shot from today. I clicked through to the user's photostream and determined it was the woman I had seen earlier. After adjusting the settings so that only her shots appeared on the map, I saw a cluster of images in one location. Clicking on them revealed photos of an apartment interior—a bedroom, a kitchen, a filthy living room. Now I know where she lives."

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

Lies Take Longer Than Truths:

"A new technique that separates truth from lies finds it takes about 30 percent longer to fib."

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Finally!

3D porn to revolutionise industry; World; LIVENEWS.com.au:

"Hong Kong film makers are preparing to leave filmgoers goggle-eyed by releasing the world's first pornographic movie in 3D, a news report said on Sunday."

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Now, THIS is a wrestling move. This guy would kick Mickey Rourke's ass.

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John Wayne Ass Whuppin

Really? They've been lying this entire time?!? Using propaganda!!?! The traditional media was complicit in the lies?!? Say it so!

We 'dirty-fucking-hippies' have been sayin' for, what, 7 freakin' years now.

Kinda nice McClellan finally found some little baby nuts but....

And, oh, how the traditional media will go on and on about 'how they could of never predicted'....

Worthless bastards.

...and, AND one never forgets trying cocaine.

Former White House spokesman: Bush used 'propaganda' to sell war:

"''The media won't let go of these ridiculous cocaine rumors,' I heard Bush say. 'You know, the truth is I honestly don't remember whether I tried it or not. We had some pretty wild parties back in the day, and I just don't remember.''

'I remember thinking to myself, How can that be?' McClellan wrote. 'How can someone simply not remember whether or not they used an illegal substance like cocaine? It didn't make a lot of sense.'

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Historically-truthiness lipstick on a pig.

'Learning as we go'.... jesus-h-christ.

Bush: US learning as we go in Iraq, Afghanistan:

"President Bush said Wednesday that rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan is proving difficult as the wars rage on, and 'we're learning as we go.'"

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Micronesia, Polynesia, hell the entire South Pacific will go ape-shit if this impacts their flow of Spam. It's like crack to those people.

"5 dollar gas and Spam on the table". Title of my next (well, first) song.

Sales of Spam rise as consumers trim food costs:

"Sales of Spam — that much maligned meat — are rising as consumers are turning more to lunch meats and other lower-cost foods to extend their already stretched food budgets."

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Now THIS is how one falls off the wagon. The bender of all benders.

And if you're going to beat someone with a statue, damn right it better be a statue of The Duke.

Minnesota motivational speaker faces charges:

"A convicted felon who became a motivational speaker — and used his life experiences to warn teens about the dangers of drugs and crime — is accused of going on a bender, threatening to kill his girlfriend and her son, and smashing a former prison buddy in the face with a statue of John Wayne."

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Beer vs. Wine

Update: An Alabama Ass Whuppin... Seriously!

Republican senator punches Barron on final legislative day - Times Daily | Florence, AL:

"MONTGOMERY - Republican Sen. Charles Bishop punched Senate political opponent Lowell Barron in the face today during a Senate recess after a contentious filibuster by minority Republicans and their Democratic supporters.

Bishop confronted Barron in a small crowd of senators and then threw an overhand right that caught Barron on the left side of his face. Bishop wrestled Barron and pushed him over his Senate desk.

Bishop, 70, a Republican from Winston County, said Barron called him 'a son of a bitch.'

'If he calls me that again I'll do it again,' Bishop said."

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The. MSM. Sucks.

They're just so fucking lazy and dishonest. It drives me absolutely crazy.

Click on the link and read the headline the AP wrote then read what Obama actually said and witness the HUGE disparity betwixt the two.

After, wait for the next lizard brain that comes up to you and says that Obama is trying to start a race riot then hit them in the head with the nearest solid object repeatably until you think you've knocked some sense into them. (Warning: You may be beating them for a while so drink lots of fluids)

Associated Press' Crappy Reporting Makes Obama's Rhetoric Sound Racially Threatening:

"This is some really, really rank journalism. The Associated Press is badly distorting a speech Barack Obama gave today, giving his words a scary and racially-threatening cast that they simply didn't have in reality.

Here's the headline and lede on the AP's story about Obama's speech:"

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Even Benard Shaw can't stand this shit.

Bad news :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES:

"For two decades -- until his retirement in 2001 -- Bernard Shaw was the front-and-center face of CNN.

As one of its original anchors, the Chicago native set the tone for serious, insightful journalism on television's first 24-hour cable news operation.

So it pains him deeply to see what has become of the proud brand he helped create.

Asked what he now thinks of CNN, Shaw told WTTW-Channel 11's John Callaway: 'I try not to. I'm very, very disappointed with the way the news management at my favorite network has gone. CNN has fine women and men working there. Lou Dobbs, one of the leaders there.

'Unfortunately, Fox News is the ratings leader . . . on the cable side of the business, and what Fox puts on the air is not news.'

What Fox does, he said, is 'commentary, personal analysis.'

Calling himself 'very straitlaced [and] very old-fashioned,' Shaw said: 'When anchors are reporting the news, they should report the news and allow the viewers at home to decide what they think about issues.

'I don't want to hear an anchor's personal opinion about anything. Just report the news.

'But CNN continues to ape many of the on-air mannerisms of the Fox News Network, and I don't like that,' he said."

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Feeling safer?

The Blotter:

"The Department of Homeland Security has earned a reputation as 'a political dumping ground, a sort of Land of Misfit Toys' for its high quotient of political appointees who can boast more political clout than experience, according to a recent article in the Beltway insider magazine National Journal.

The magazine reported that DHS has an unusually large number of White House-appointed staffers in its ranks -- more than 350, compared to 64 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which boasts 50,000 more career employees than DHS.

Those spots have increasingly been filled by 'GOP fundraisers or apparatchiks...sent to pad their resumes or cool their heels,' the typically reserved magazine noted, quoting unnamed former DHS officials who complained that 'personal connections and political fealty' have become the primary attributes for employment in the agency's upper echelons."

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But there's always a bright spot out in the world to keep you going. Dallas, TX electing a gay Mayor would be about as good as the advent of sliced bread.

You know what also makes Dallas cool? The Drams live in and around the Dallas area. The Drams are cool.

Cliff Schecter:

"DALLAS -- This conservative metropolis could become the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor if a longtime city council member wins a runoff later this month.

Ed Oakley's candidacy is the latest sign that Dallas' reputation as a conservative stronghold is giving way to more diversity. It is already home to several gay elected officials, including the sheriff.

''Dallas is less and less the Dallas that people think it is,'' said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. ''And Dallas is less and less the Dallas that it used to be.''

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Wonka-wonka-wonka-wonka.

New Pac Man for Xbox is swan song for founder:

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pac Man will be reborn on Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox Live online service on Wednesday as a final tribute for designer Toru Iwatani, who is retiring from the $30 billion games industry he helped ignite.

The new version of the iconic arcade game is a faithful interpretation of the addictive 27-year-old original, where players wrenched joystick controllers to race a character -- resembling a yellow pizza missing a slice -- around a digital maze to chomp white pellets and chase multicolored 'ghosts.'

The new game, 'Pac Man Championship Edition,' is the second and final version Iwatani personally designed, and was created for the final round of the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship in New York, when nine finalists played it for the first time."

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I'm an equal opportunity boozer. I like 'em both.

Wine vs. beer.

"For one thing, wine consumption in this country has nearly doubled in the last decade, while beer sales have been pretty much stagnant, growing less than 1 percent since 2000. Even more galling, in 2005 a Gallup poll revealed that, for the first time ever, Americans preferred wine to beer. This was an astonishing development, akin to Americans jilting baseball for bocce."

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Cell-phones, Flying Shit, and Truth

Amen to this post from DK. These fucking pseudo-pragmatist Conservatives who believe there is no fixed reality and that reality is subject to whatever design is tickling their shriveled nutsacks at the time (a) bastardize a semi-legitimate philosophical concept (b) conveniently create an excuse for Conservatives to never be accountable for a goddamn thing.

Truth exists, Conservatives, and the rest of us live in that truth.

Daily Kos: Truth:

"Truth inspires trust and informs wisdom. Truth brings justice, fraternity, and community.

There is no room for untruths in science, untruths in art are suspect, and untruths in government are pure poison.

There are other schools of thought of course. Nicollo Machiavelli may have been the first proto-neocon to write of deception as a useful tool for imposing one’s will on others.

Another famous advocate of lying was the man who is no doubt Karl Rove’s favorite Nazi, Joseph Goebbels."

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"There's a sayin' in Texas, I'm pretty sure in Tennessee too... Do as I say not do-do... wait.... Do as not as I say.... Ya can't do what I'm doin'"


Political Radar:

"With both the House and Senate in recess, President George W. Bush slammed the Democratic-led body Tuesday, saying Congress should get back to work."
......
Hammill also said it was ironic that Bush criticized the congressional Easter break only days before taking an Easter vacation of his own.

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This type of forward thinking will require progressives in office in order to implement. Remember that come votin' time:


It's time for high-speed rail in America:

"What I'd to know is why there is no high-speed rail service in the United States. This country, with its vast distances between major cities, seems like the perfect place for it.

Is it because we are so addicted to automobiles? Is it because we like taking off our shoes at the airport and having our shampoo bottles confiscated?"

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Speaking of being shoeless and shampooless.... At least we can rest easy now knowing that we will still be cell-phone-less.

Seriously, if they had allowed this, I can promise you that an emergency landing would have occurred on my next flight because I would have choked a bitch, for sure. Choked 'em dead.

Planes and cell-phones do not mix.

FCC Says 'No' to Cell Phones on Planes:

"The Federal Communications Commission has officially grounded the idea of allowing airline passengers to use cellular telephones while in flight.

Existing rules require cellular phones to be turned off once an aircraft leaves the ground in order to avoid interfering with cellular network systems on the ground. The agency began examining the issue in December 2004."

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When people get too literal:


Teacher who threw feces at boy may keep job:

"TORONTO (Reuters) - A Toronto school principal who pleaded guilty to throwing human excrement at a 12-year-old boy may get"

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Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets

Mr. 30 percent.

Zogby International:

"The national job approval rating of President Bush has plummeted to 30%, an all–time low in the latest Zogby International telephone poll, sinking below the 31% approval rating he dropped to in early June."

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Is there any reason for Malkin's existence? Why she as any credibility with any media outlet is beyond me. Yet, you can always count on FOX to allow the raving idiots a forum to.... well, just plain make shit up.

Michelle Malkin: San Fransico is a “Hate Filled” City

Easy trivia question for the day: Where was the epicenter of 'The Summer of Love'?

Answer: San Francisco.

Saying SF is a 'hate filled' city is like saying Hawaii isn't an island.

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And that's the Word!

'Truthiness' is the word of the year:

"SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts (AP) -- After 12 months of naked partisanship on Capitol Hill, on cable TV and in the blogosphere, the word of the year for 2006 is ... 'truthiness.'

The word -- if one can call it that -- best summed up 2006, according to an online survey by dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster.

'Truthiness' was credited to Comedy Central satirist Stephen Colbert, who defined it as 'truth that comes from the gut, not books.'

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This is what I'm talking about. I gotsta gets me one of these jobs. Seriously, though and excellent read:

Smashing The Clock:

But arguably no big business has smashed the clock quite so resolutely as Best Buy. The official policy for this post-face-time, location-agnostic way of working is that people are free to work wherever they want, whenever they want, as long as they get their work done. 'This is like TiVo (TIVO ) for your work,' says the program's co-founder, Jody Thompson. By the end of 2007, all 4,000 staffers working at corporate will be on ROWE. Starting in February, the new work environment will become an official part of Best Buy's recruiting pitch as well as its orientation for new hires. And the company plans to take its clockless campaign to its stores--a high-stakes challenge that no company has tried before in a retail environment.

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This story is a year old but you have to read to believe it. As sick as it is..... If anyone has a video of this event, I'm dyin' to see it. I'm a sick bastard, I know:

Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets in Cambodian Ring-Fight:

"The fight was slated when an angry fan contested Yang Sihamoni, President of the CMFL, claiming that one lion could defeat his entire league of 42 fighters."