A little Dilbert is a good thing

A different take on homophobia

Lost in Transcription: Re: Homophobia and Evolutionary Psychology: "This, in a sense, encapsulates exactly what is wrong with so much evolutionary psychology. I don't mean that as a criticism of Bering, who writes conscientiously and consistently well about a host of tricky topics. In fact, what I am doing here is a bit unfair to him, but I want to make a lot of hay out of that last statement: 'the theory makes a considerable deal of sense to me.'"

Amusement from xkcd

On Gabrielle Giffords

Zandar Versus The Stupid: True Colors:

"She now knows she was shot, but it has not been confirmed if she is aware of the full scope of the incident."

How heartbreaking is it going to be for the person that has to tell her the full story of what happened?

Shoot Kobe Shoot!

Yglesias � Kobe Bryant Should Shoot Less: "John Hollinger on LA’s loss to the Heat: “There’s no way to sugarcoat this: Kobe’s me-on-five routine at the end of L.A.’s 94-88 loss to Miami cost the Lakers the game. Instead of complaining about not getting a call on one of the most ridiculous shots of the bunch, a contested 3-point jack with a fresh shot clock at the 1:06 mark, Bryant might instead have pondered how he could have gotten an easier look for himself or, God forbid, one of the other four guys out there with him.”"

Larry Kudlow is a vile human being

Larry Kudlow Devalues Human Life With Japan Earthquake Freudian Slip | VF Daily | Vanity Fair: "In these tough economic times, isn’t it nice to know that calamitous natural disasters needn't have an adverse affect on your investment portfolio? After the 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan failed to induce a market nosedive, CNBC’s Larry Kudlow expressed his relief in terms that seemed to appall even his fellow cheerleaders for capitalism: “The human toll here,” he declared, “looks to be much worse than the economic toll and we can be grateful for that.” (Skip ahead to 0:38 on the video after the jump.)"

Vile Facebook Status Updates on Japan

Via PZ Meyers comes this steaming pile of dung

Christmas coming early?

Bachmann increasingly serious about presidential bid – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs: "Washington (CNN) - Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann is increasingly serious about joining the wide-open race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012."

Tweet of the day

Twitter / Colin Peters: If you've got a loved one ...:

"If you've got a loved one within reach, now is as good a time as any to hold them.

U.S. Army Wages War Against Foxhole Atheists

U.S. Army Wages War Against Foxhole Atheists | Rock Beyond Belief: "Anonymous guest post from a foxhole atheist disgusted with the climate of discrimination he faces. This article was making the rounds on the web, and I think it is eye-opening. (No, this is not me ghost-writing. Several people alerted me to it.) I don’t want atheists to drop out of the military, or to avoid joining. We need more of you to stand up with us! But it is entirely understandable why this author has reached that conclusion."

POLITICO Commenter of the day

POLITICO Forums:Congress: Dems pounce on call for NOAA cuts - POLITICO.com: "A national agency to warn citizens about approaching natural disasters??

Why that is governmental interference in our freedoms!! This was not intended by our founding fathers! A government agency to warn us about natural disasters takes away out right to die as God intended! This is not in the constitution and this is not something the government should be sticking its nose in!!

If we are to die by hurricane, tornado, earthquake or whatever God sends, why is the government trying to stop that ?? This is another example of the government trying to stick its nose in our business. I say shut the whole agency down! No money!! No early warnings for disasters!! What kind of nanny state business is that??!!

*snick snick snick*"

Fukushima, Japan - Nuclear Reactor Explosion - March 12, 2011

On Iodine

Thyroid.org: Questions and Answers about Potassium Iodide (KI):

"Taken 6-12 hours before exposure to radioactive iodine, KI fills the thyroid cells and prevents the gland from absorbing radioactive iodine. KI is also protective if taken within the first few hours after exposure to radioactive iodine. People should take one dose a day, only while they are being exposed to radioactive iodine and one day afterward. KI should be used only under instruction from local health authorities. Not every radioactive release includes the radioactive iodine that can cause thyroid cancer. For example, a 'dirty bomb' is not likely to contain radioactive iodine because it has a short half-life. (A 'dirty bomb' is a conventional bomb mixed with radioactive material, and designed to explode spewing out the radioactive isotopes and contaminating a wide area.) Only health authorities can determine which radioactive isotopes are released during a nuclear event, and, if radioactive iodine is released, when to take KI and how long to keep taking it."

NRC: Boiling Water Reactors

NRC: Boiling Water Reactors

Gotta Love Ed Markey

During climate hearing, Markey asks if anti-science GOP will repeal gravity | Grist: "Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to a bill that overturns the scientific finding that pollution is harming our people and our planet.

However, I won't physically rise, because I'm worried that Republicans will overturn the law of gravity, sending us floating about the room.

I won't call for the sunlight of additional hearings, for fear that Republicans might excommunicate the finding that the Earth revolves around the sun.

Instead, I'll embody Newton's third law of motion and be an equal and opposing force against this attack on science and on laws that will reduce America's importation of foreign oil.

This bill will live in the House while simultaneously being dead in the Senate. It will be a legislative Schrodinger's cat killed by the quantum mechanics of the legislative process!

Arbitrary rejection of scientific fact will not cause us to rise from our seats today. But with this bill, pollution levels will rise. Oil imports will rise. Temperatures will rise.

And with that, I yield back the balance of my time. That is, unless a rejection of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity is somewhere in the chair's amendment pile."

Nuclear expert comments on Japan's crisis

Image from Nuke Plant Explosion

GOP to cut Tsunami warning funds?

GOP Would Cut Tsunami Warning Funding - Robert Schlesinger (usnews.com):

"A spending plan approved by the House would slash funding for a tsunami warning center that issued an alarm after the devastating earthquake in Japan.

The plan approved by the GOP-controlled House last month would trigger deep cuts for the National Weather Service, including the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii."

Kind of defines stupid doesn't it?

Heckuva job!

Stupid ads - Hitachi Data Systems Edition

HDS: Marvel 3D Story Book:

"Oh No! M.O.D.O.K. has hatched a mad plan to slow down global data centers…

How can the Fantastic Four and Hitachi save the day before the world’s economy collapses?
Presenting 'Trapped in the Data Vortex'"

Please will someone tell me this is a parody and not a real ad.

Why not just sign the whole state over?

UPDATED: Between Wisconsin Senate and Assembly Vote, Power Plant Sales Reappear | Crooks and Liars:

"Here's the language in the second version of the document:

1. SALE AND CONTRACTUAL OPERATION OF STATE-OWNED POWER PLANTS
Governor: Allow the Department of Administration (DOA) to sell any state-owned heating, cooling, or power plant or contract with private entities for the operation of any such plant,
with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount the Department determines to be in the best
interest of the state.

As a reminder, that power plant provision points directly to Koch Industries, who is already advertising for power plant managers."

It really is impossible to tell satire from reality anymore

via Balloon Juice

Tsunami Animation

Interesting animation

Fox News On Nuclear Power

 I am a proponent of nuclear energy but even I know that now is not the best time to be talking about how safe it is. Are these people living on the same planet as the rest of us? .

More on the AIG Bond Buyback

This:

"Maiden Lane II’s holdings may yield as much as 10 percent for AIG, he wrote. The estimate is based on the $68 million of fourth-quarter investment income that the company earned from the fund, to which it initially contributed $1 billion."

Answers my nagging feeling about this deal

On The AIG Bond Buyback

AIG bid to buy back mortgage bonds may buoy market | Reuters:

"American International Group's bid to take back $15.7 billion in risky mortgage bonds may inject fresh confidence in a market where investors had started to question a nearly two-year rally.

AIG said on Thursday it made the offer to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for the residential mortgage-backed securities it gave up at the height of the financial crisis. The Fed on Friday confirmed it received AIG's (AIG.N) offer for the bonds, held in Maiden Lane II, an entity formed in late 2008 as part of AIG's bailout."

There is something wrong with this picture but I cannot put my finger on it. I shall have to ponder it.

Drill Baby Drill - Bill Clinton Edition

INSTAPUTZ: Drill baby drill.:

"But according to multiple people in the room, Clinton, surprisingly, agreed with Bush on many oil and gas issues, including criticism of delays in permitting offshore since last year’s Gulf of Mexico spill."

I have said it before and I still think it ... Bill Clinton was the best GOP President since Ike.

A question for my geeky readers

It is time to learn yet another programming language because ... well I just like to do it every now and then.

I know C, C++, SQL, Java (enough to be dangerous), Python, CoBOL, Fortran and Lisp (similar level to Java).

I have 0 interest in learning Ruby at the moment for some reason.

So ... what do y'all suggest and why?

Geeky Post: WEKA

mloss | Project details:WEKA: "The Weka workbench contains a collection of visualization tools and algorithms for data analysis and predictive modelling, together with graphical user interfaces for easy access to this functionality. The main strengths of Weka are that it is freely available under the GNU General Public License, very portable because it is fully implemented in the Java programming language and thus runs on almost any computing platform, contains a comprehensive collection of data preprocessing and modeling techniques, and is easy to use by a novice due to the graphical user interfaces it contains."

Geeky Post: Cognitive Foundry

mloss | Project details:Cognitive Foundry: "The Cognitive Foundry is a modular Java software library for the research and development of cognitive systems. It is primarily designed for research and development to be easy to plug into applications to provide adaptive behaviors."

Tsunami Warning

From Weather.gov
"Japan, Russia, Marcus Is., N. Marianas, Guam, Wake Is., Taiwan, Yap, Philippines, Marshall Is., Belau, Midway Is., Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Johnston Is., Solomon Is., Kiribati, Howland-baker, Hawaii, Tuvalu, Palmyra Is., Vanuatu, Tokelau, Jarvis Is., Wallis-futuna, Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Mexico, Kermadec is, Fr. Polynesia, New Zealand, Pitcairn, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Antarctica, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru"

USGS on the quake in Japan

Magnitude 8.9 - NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN: "Magnitude 8.9 - NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN"

Suitable for watching earthquake coverage

Al Jazeera English: Live Stream - Watch Now - Al Jazeera English

Booman has a suggestion

Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community: "We could just announce that if anyone pulls a stunt like 9/11 again, we'll behave with even less introspection and react with four times the senseless violence. That ought to be a strong deterrent, and we can and probably will make good on the promise. If anyone doubts our capacity for stupid destructive behavior, they deserve what they get."

8.9 in Japan

BREAKING: 8.9 Earthquake Hits Japan, Followed by Tsunami - TIME NewsFeed:

"Japan was struck by a 8.9 earthquake off the northeastern coast of the island on Friday afternoon about 3PM local time. Initially reported as a weaker earthquake, buildings in Tokyo shook for several minutes."

This could be bad

Oil Company Subsidy or Corporate Welfare?

Zandar Versus The Stupid: Last Call:

"Now, I'm not The Donald or anything, but if we ended oil and gas subsidies tomorrow, I think every oil company in America would be 100% fine. Joe Barton on the other hand thinks you're too stupid to check his math. He wants you to feel sorry for Exxon Mobil and its fellow oil giants in an industry that made over $100 billion just in profit last year. He says if you don't give them $4 billion, they'll go out of business."

Why don't we be more honest and call this Corporate Welfare?

On the Possibility of One Party Rule

From Jude at First Draft

It would seem to me that by eviscerating the ability of worker advocacy groups to, you know, advocate, you're engaging in a de facto delivery of the government to one-party rule.  I was under the impression that we spent the better part of the 20th century fighting against countries dominated exclusively by single parties.

On The Medical use of Quantum Mechanics

The red flags of quackery : Respectful Insolence: "So, I'll continue to use my maxim that whenever someone mixes quantum mechanics and medicine there is a 99+% probability that they misunderstand either quantum mechanics, medicine or both."

Born This Way but you can be fixed

Focus On The Family Targets Lady Gaga | Right Wing Watch:

"Second, and more importantly, the message found within the lyrics of Born This Way is in stark contrast to the message of the Gospel. All of us are born into sin, the Bible tells us, with desires and resulting actions that separate us from God and put us at odds with His blueprint for our lives. But the Good News is we’re not hopelessly trapped in our sin and failure. Despite the fact that we were “born this way,” each of us can be set free – from homosexuality, or heterosexual sex outside of marriage, or pornography, or greed, or gossip, or any other human shortcoming – to be the men and women God intended us to be."

Pray away the gay.

Fuckwits.

On Tiki Barber

Tiki Barber & the 15 Most Ill-Advised Comebacks in Sports | Bleacher Report:

"On Tuesday, it was officially announced that former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber would try to return to the game of football at 35-years-of-age."

What the hell is he thinking?

Marxism is a religion? Who knew?

Balloon Juice » Surprise, Surprise. People Sometimes Believe What They’re Told: "The plaintiff argues the law imposes Marxism on citizens and therefore is a violation of the Establishment Clause in the Constitution. As of March 2, the court has taken no action."

Correlation is not causation

Bering in Mind: Natural homophobes? Evolutionary psychology and antigay attitudes:

"Gallup points to data showing that boys whose first masturbation experiences are around other boys are more likely to be homosexual as adults than are those who are alone."

Or, boys who later turn out to be gay found that they liked to masturbate in the presence of other boys.

See how that works? I hope that Bering was massively simplifying Gallup because otherwise Gallup was committing a pretty basic logical fallacy.

David Broder Dead

David Broder, 81, dies; set 'gold standard' for political journalism:

"David S. Broder, 81, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post and one of the most respected writers on national politics for four decades, died Wednesday at Capital Hospice in Arlington of complications from diabetes."

I am a little late to this because I was trying to think of something nice to say about him.

Good News on Capital Punishment

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signs death penalty repeal - Jennifer Epstein - POLITICO.com: "Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed a death penalty ban into law on Wednesday, making Illinois the 16th state to end capital punishment."

Video - Cats being strange

Absolutely Cuckoo Cats from SINLOGO on Vimeo.
What can i say, I am a sucker for a kitty vid
 via Andrew Sullivan

The Slut asked for it

The New York Times' Rape-Friendly Reporting | Mother Jones:

"This is the point at which, as the writer's editor, I would send him an email. 'Dear James,' it would say. 'Thanks for getting this in! I have some concerns that we've only got quotes from people who are worried about the suspects ('The arrests have left many wondering who will be taken into custody next') and think the girl was asking for it, especially since, even if she actually begged for it, the fact that she is 11 makes the incident stupendously reprehensible (not to mention still illegal). We don't want anyone wrongly thinking you are being lazy or thoughtless or misogynist! Please advise if literally no other kinds of quotes are available because every single person who lives in Cleveland, Texas, is a monster.' "

I have to agree with the author ... the reporting on this in the NYT was fucking appalling.

Via Atrios

LiveStream From Wisconsin Statehouse

Watch live streaming video from theuptake at livestream.com

Will probably be dead by the time anyone sees this post but just in case ...

On why we have firedrills

Making Light: Ash Wednesday:

"The bodies of the children were taken by ambulance, three at a time, to a temporary morgue set up in Lake Shore railroad’s General Storekeeper’s warehouse. By nightfall 165 had been recovered. The bodies were laid out in rows of ten, each one covered by a woolen blanket and a tag noting the sex of the body. Each row was guarded by a railroad employee and a police officer. Relatives were let in, in groups of ten, to try to identify their children. Outside, men from undertakers’ establishments shoved their arms through the railroad yard’s fence, trying to push business cards on the families waiting their turn to be called."

Via PZ Meyers

Closing the Enthusiasm gap?

Wisconsin Dispute Could Mobilize Democratic Base - NYTimes.com: "That does not mean that the Republican base will not have other issues to motivate them in 2012 — they will almost certainly have plenty. But the likelihood of an “enthusiasm gap” of the sort that was present in 2010 has diminished."

A reality based politician?

Yglesias » The Vilsack Interview: "What you can do, however, is at least have a political culture that acknowledges that this is one of the principle functions of the federal government. Rural America often seems to me to have a bad case of Keep The Government Out of My Medicare Syndrome that we could do without. Under the circumstances, I think Secretary Vilsack’s willingness to acknowledge the basic shape of what’s going on and defend it is a step in the right direction."

Remind me never to hire New Media Strategies

New Media Strategies: Get Yer Koch Sock Puppets and Chrysler Corp F-Bombs Right Here | Crooks and Liars: "Mashable had this interesting little blurb about Chrysler's official Twitter account and the f-bomb earlier today, so I decided to look at New Media Strategies a little closer for two reasons: First, because it amazes me that anyone calling themselves a 'new media strategist' could send a tweet like the one pictured above, as retweeted. And second, I wanted to see what other companies NMS has as clients."

On Madison Pride

Our House - First Draft: "Madison's Mayor spoke, saying he'd never been more proud of this city. He encouraged continued peaceful protest. Former AG Peg Lautenschlager the lawyer who obtained the temporary injunction that re-opened the Capitol rose to tell us we were all in violation of the court order now that the assembly and senate had closed their sessions for the day and that we were all subject to arrest if we didn't leave when asked. She may have really meant it when she said we should vacate, but she also may only have been fulfilling her duties as a court officer. I can tell you this, most people were willing to risk the consequences. It is OUR HOUSE, after all."

Video - R.E.M. - ÜBerlin

Because I just had to play it

Scott Walker vs Rick Scott

Which one is the more complete douchebag? Discuss

Zandar has this about right

Zandar Versus The Stupid: Zandar's Thought Of The Day: "The lesson from today's resignation of NPR CEO Vivian Schiller over a departing fundraiser getting caught telling the truth about conservatives? If you lie, you win. If you tell the truth, you lose."

On Biblical Inerrancy

Ken Ham is my straight man : Pharyngula: "If there was not one man Adam and one woman Eve, and a literal event of the one man Adam taking the fruit in rebellion and thus bringing sin and death into world, then one may as well throw the rest of the Bible away. It would mean what God wrote through Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 5 for instance is plain wrong. If we are not all descendants of one man who sinned, then who are we, and why are we sinners?"

Conrad Black: Douchebag

Has the West Become So Feeble That We Are Afraid To Help the Libyans? - March 5, 2011 - The New York Sun: "I cannot accept that the West has reached the point of enfeeblement that we sit like worried, helpless sheep while Iran arms itself with nuclear weapons, and are afraid to assist a clear majority in Libya get rid of a murderous fruitcake of a despot. At the time of Munich, Winston Churchill called for the return of “martial courage of olden time.” Here, we could settle for the purposefulness of the unprepossessing George W. in the Iraq Surge or of Obama escalating in Afghanistan. If NATO (the U.S. Sixth Fleet in practice) can’t take out Libyan air defenses at no or minimal cost, we should all start studying Arabic and spending an hour a day with our foreheads pressed to the floor."

Rush Limbaugh: Douchebag

An Anti-American Marxist - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan: "So the presidential campaign, here's the question. You got an incumbent, Barack Hussein Obama. Does the Republican nominee focus on what we all believe to be true, the guy's got a different view of the American tradition than all the rest of us? Do we say, does our nominee, does our campaign focus on portraying Obama as anti-traditional American values, do we say this guy is a socialist, this guy's models consist of Marx and Alinsky, do we go that way, do we point that out? Or do we say to ourselves, you know what, most people don't want to think that about their president. There's such reverence for the office that people don't want to think that even if they admit that they made a mistake in voting for the guy, they don't want to think that they've elected somebody who is essentially an enemy of traditional American founding values. "

On the new civil war

No More Mister Nice Blog: "I know most of you in the red areas don't give a crap -- and maybe that's a lesson some people in those areas are going to have to learn. Red America is rapidly becoming a separate nation -- disappearing union rights, disappearing environmental protection, abortion rights that are all but gone, utterly lax gun laws, the ever-present threat of Christian-right prayer and creationism in the schools, grandstanding legislators attempting to ban sharia law or the use of federal currency, resistance to the health-care law, no high-speed rail ever, etc., etc. Without a shot being fired, aren't we becoming two nations? Maybe some of you are going to have to pull up roots and migrate here to Socialiststan, where there's something on the radio other than Limbaugh and that guy who thinks the world will end in May, and where there are a few places where it's still forbidden to wave a gun around."

Rumsfeld is pro-gadhafi?

Rumsfeld doesn't support sending U.S. troops into Libya - CNN.com: "Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday he would not support sending U.S. troops into war-torn Libya, pointing out what he calls a key difference between leader Moammar Gadhafi and Iraq's Saddam Hussein.
Unlike Hussein, Gadhafi chose not to continuously provoke the international community, Rumsfeld told CNN's 'Piers Morgan Tonight.'"

New Hampshire Is a disgrace

POLITICO Forums:Congress: N.H.: Prove where you were born - POLITICO.com: "Republican State Rep. David Bates, who chairs the New Hampshire House's election law committee, told the Associated Press his panel will hear a bill Wednesday that would require candidates to provide a birth certificate and affidavit swearing they are at least 35 years old and have lived in the United States for 14 years."

Spam from right-travel

Not going to give this company a link but I wanted to put the word out that the idiots that run the site right-travel.com decided to spam the blog today.

I would highly recommend that any of my readers NOT give them any business.

Growl.

A story to counter cynicism and xenophobia

Lives - The Tire Iron and the Tamale - NYTimes.com: "But you know who came to my rescue all three times? Immigrants. Mexican immigrants. None of them spoke any English."

Not Broke

Hullabaloo: "The U.S. today is able to borrow at historically low interest rates, paying 0.68 percent on a two-year note that it had to offer at 5.1 percent before the financial crisis began in 2007. Financial products that pay off if Uncle Sam defaults aren’t attracting unusual investor demand. And tax revenue as a percentage of the economy is at a 60-year low, meaning if the government needs to raise cash and can summon the political will, it could do so."

What Michael Moore Said

Fox Yappers Go Crazy Over Michael Moore Saying We're Not Broke and the Rich Need to Pay More in Taxes | Video Cafe: "And I can see why. For us to admit that we have let a small group of men abscond with and hoard the bulk of the wealth that runs our economy, would mean that we'd have to accept the humiliating acknowledgment that we have indeed surrendered our precious Democracy to the moneyed elite. Wall Street, the banks and the Fortune 500 now run this Republic -- and, until this past month, the rest of us have felt completely helpless, unable to find a way to do anything about it."

Guess who this is about?

Christ, They're Not Even Trying Not To Be Assholes - First Draft: "These are dangerous people committed to the radical ideas that there's no such thing as a public good and there's no service that can't be privatized to enrich their cronies. Here's a great program that serves the public and doesn't cost the government one thin dime. But it's gotta go, because it stands in the way of rich people stealing every last penny from the public. "

Comment of the day at Balloon Juice

Balloon Juice » It’s all about the Benjamins, what?: "guckertgannon - March 6, 2011 | 6:00 pm · Link

Understanding economics and politics and such is hard work, but is made much easier if you have the proper conceptual framework.

The fundamental element of the proper framework is understanding that there is more to consider than just dollars and cents.

For instance, you need to incorporate into your thinking the morality of helping the rich versus letting everybody else share in the riches our society has produced. In this regard, it is advisable to take some instruction from God.

You see, God made all those rich people rich, and while you and I may not understand why, I don’t think we should be messing with his decision. It would be terribly un-American"

Comment of the day at Politico

GOP senators put 'Sesame Street' on chopping block - On Congress - POLITICO.com: "Every argument here for de-funding CPB can also be applied to agriculture subsidies, oil subsidies, Wall Street sudsidies and any other subsidy for a free market entity. I especially agree with DeMint's and Colburn's argument that these entities can survive without taxpayer dollars. And does DeMint also find it unacceptable for oil and Wall Street executives to receive six-figure salaries while getting public tax dollars?. How about seven or eight figures?"

MERS is a ticking time bomb

MERS, the Mortgage Holder You Might Not Know - NYTimes.com: "The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled last year that MERS could no longer file foreclosure proceedings there, because it does not actually make or service any loans. Last month in Utah, a local judge made the no-less-striking decision to let a homeowner rip up his mortgage and walk away debt-free. MERS had claimed ownership of the mortgage, but the judge did not recognize its legal standing."

We're Number 1 - Not Really

Daily Kos: Why isn't the United States No. 1 where it counts?: "It's the same story on the other fronts, literacy, poverty, economic inequality, health care. Despite all their flag pins, they don't care about our stinking rankings in those arenas. Because what does it profit them?"

This is the kind of logic that gets Americans killed

Kerry denies Libyan no-fly zone would be 'military intervention' | Video Cafe:

"Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry (D-MA) Sunday disagreed with the Obama administration's view that bombing military targets to set up a no-fly zone would mean 'military intervention.'"

Funniest Line in NYT article on Glenn Beck

Fox and Glenn Beck Stare Into a Dark Future - NYTimes.com: "Many on the news side of Fox have wondered whether his chronic outrageousness — he suggested that the president has “a deep-seated hatred for white people” — have made it difficult for Fox to hang onto its credibility as a news network."

Run Donald Run

Donald Trump Positive Rating Higher Than That Of Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty: "Among major Republican figures polled, real estate magnate and reality TV show king Donald Trump had the highest “positive” rating at 26 percent. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney had a 25 percent positive rating. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty had a 10 percent positive rating. House Speaker John Boehner (not a prospective presidential candidate) had a 20 percent positive rating."

Zandar is partially correct

Zandar Versus The Stupid: In Which Zandar Answers Your Burning Questions:

"Because the Koch brothers would rather give $100k to get Republicans to reduce taxes on the Kochs and Koch Industries by a lot more than $200 million, frankly. It's about power."

It is also about disguising that power and pretending that government doesn't work. If the funding came from the government then the latter would be shown to be false and the Koch brothers wouldn't be able to be portrayed as philanthropists. The Koch brothers would be happier if they were completely invisible (how many people had heard of them 10 years ago) but if they can't be invisible then they want to have something shiny to wave in front of folks when there is negative press.

Union Busting in Rhode Island

Providence RI Fires All Of Its Public School Teachers. Union Leader: 'This Is A Back-Door Wisconsin' | Crooks and Liars: "The union leader's assessment is right on target: This is, indeed, a 'back-door Wisconsin.' The Providence school board just eviscerated the union contract so they can fire the most experienced (and most expensive) teachers at the end of the school year -- instead of laying them off. This move also probably denies them unemployment benefits. This is just shameless:"

On The Oppressed Christians in America

Palin's Incoherent Response to Phelps Ruling : Dispatches from the Culture Wars: "You can't? Funny, I see you do so all the time, Sarah. I see Obama talking about his faith in the 'public square' nearly every day too. Sometimes I wonder where this 'public square' is, this mythical place where all mention of religion is greeted by arrests and persecution. It doesn't seem to exist anywhere in this country that I can find."

The Ann Althouse and Larry Meade Comedy Show

Who Were Those Folks at the Madison Budget Address? Ann Althouse's Husband, For One | The Awl:

"So: two prominent local cheerleaders of Governor Scott Walker had access to the address, without going through their Representative (who was, interestingly, provided with no tickets, in any event), while thousands of Wisconsin citizens remained locked outside. This is the sort of thing that raises questions about the extent of special access in Madison, in light of Walker's relationship with Koch Industries and the makeup of the audience in general for the budget address."

Read the comments for the humor.

On Those Public Pension Problems

Balloon Juice » Return of the Welfare Queen — Let Retired Teachers Eat Catfood Edition: "The shortfalls facing most state and local pension funds have been seriously misrepresented in public debates. The major cause of these shortfalls has not been inadequate contributions by state governments, but rather the plunge in the stock market following the collapse of the housing bubble. Given the low PE ratios in the stock market, pension fund assumptions on the future rate of return on their assets are consistent with most projections of economic growth and past experience. Furthermore, when expressed relative to the size of their economies, most states are facing shortfalls that appear easily manageable."

Tweet of the day: McCain on Gaddafi

Twitter / @John McCain: Late evening with Col. Qad ...: "Late evening with Col. Qadhafi at his 'ranch' in Libya - interesting meeting with an interesting man."

Lest anyone think this was "youthful error" it happened less than 2 years ago, August 2009.

Integrity Watchdog got hush money?

Integrity watchdog left with $534,000 - Politics - CBC News: "Christiane Ouimet, who quit last fall in the middle of an audit of her office by Auditor General Sheila Fraser, is getting a package worth 25 months salary, plus benefits and whatever remaining holiday time she had."

McCain Loves Him some made in China Technology

McCain claims iPad, iPhone are made in US | Video Cafe: "In an interview with ABC's Christiane Amanpour Sunday, the senior senator from Arizona incorrectly declared that Apple's iconic iPhone and iPad products were made in the US."

gibber

Daily Kos: VT-Sen: Auditor Tom Salmon (R) says he's forming exploratory committee: "'I am not attached to the 2012 outcome, my odds, or my political career. I don't need to be senator, or governor, or stay put as state auditor — I need to be an authentic self-utilizing power along the lines of excellence,' he said. 'I am deeply concerned that we address risks of economic, political and spiritual significance through a new brand of leaders that communicate effectively from the sincere center.'"