On Conservative Principles

d r i f t g l a s s: "Here is a Revised List...": "The "clinging to his principles" persona that he has cultivated conveniently ignores the wrongness of all that he "believes". "

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On Scaring People

U.S. Army General: The Whole Northern Hemisphere is at Risk of Becoming Largely Uninhabitable :: "Because details are sparse and research limited, it is difficult to predict what nuclear fall out from Japan may look like. The following map may be of some help, as it details the estimated fallout pattern resulting from a nuclear war between Russia and the United States. "

'via Blog this'

Dumbest thing Ted Nugent Said Lately

NUGENT: Turncoat Roberts - Washington Times: "Because our legislative, judicial and executive branches of government hold the 10th Amendment in contempt, I’m beginning to wonder if it would have been best had the South won the Civil War. Our Founding Fathers’ concept of limited government is dead. "

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A Cheese Giant Falls

Daphne Zepos, Champion of Fine Cheese, Dies at 52 | WOMEN'S LENS - Un coup d'oeil féminin: "Daphne Zepos, an internationally known authority oncheese whose expertise encompassed the buying of it, the selling of it, the making of it and above all the almost transcendental experience of eating it, died on Tuesday at her home in San Francisco. She was 52. The cause was lung cancer, her husband, Brad Brown, said. "

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More Birther Bullshit

Obama’s legal identity problem: "We both agree, however, on the most important conclusion of all: it is extremely unlikely that the social security number used by Barack Hussein Obama was legitimately issued."

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On Religious Freedom In Lousiana

Republican Horrified to Discover that Christianity is Not the Only Religion: "It's an honest mistake, assuming that the Constitution only protects your own personal megachurch faith. But one Louisiana Republican is learning the hard way that religious school vouchers can be used to fund education at all sorts of religious schools, even Muslim ones. And while she's totally in favor of taxpayer money being used to pay for kids to go to Christian schools, she's willing to put a stop to the entire program if Muslim schools are going to be involved. "

'via Blog this'

Why Yes, Chris Christie IS a douche with anger management issues

On felonies and the right to vote

Can someone give me a rational explanation as to why someone convicted of a felony should still be denied the right to vote upon the completion of their sentence?

On The Google Nexus 7

I think I want one.
Any showstoppers?

How Not To Use Statistics

Guest Post: The Nature of Privilege | Dispatches from the Culture Wars:

"Those half dozen instances are the tip of the iceberg in terms of the avalanche of attacks on trans* people throughout the world, particularly against transwomen of color. A nationwide survey of bias-motivated violence against LGBT people from 1985 to 1998 by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs found that incidents targeting transgender people accounted for 20% of all murders and about 40% of all police-initiated violence. According to the same project, in 2010 44 percent of LGBTQH (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and HIV-affected) murder victims were trans women, and in 2009 trans women were 50 percent of murder victims. Yet trans people as a whole are only about 1 percent of the LGBTQH population. Trans women also more often experienced multiple forms of violence and more severe violence, as well as more police bias and violence."

'via Blog this'

Reading that, you would think there is an epidemic of murder involving transgender folk. Fortunately this isn't actually the case. In 2003 and 2004 there were a total of 38 murders in the LGBT hate-crime category. I can't tell you how many there were in 2010 or 2009 because the pdfs are mislinked and I can't read the damn things. I am guessing that it is a roughly similar number.

I always get suspicious when someone talks in percentages rather than absolute numbers and I get particularly annoyed when someone who I would probably agree with on most things does a bullshit move like this.

Let's Privatize Fire Departments Next!

Lifeguard fired for helping in beach rescue in Hallandale Beach - Sun Sentinel: "HALLANDALE BEACH — As lifeguards are paid and trained to do, Tomas Lopez rushed down the beach to rescue a drowning man — and then got fired for it. "

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On Why Stack Ranking Is Stupid

Why Should We Reform Education Using Microsoft's Failed Ranking Policies? | Crooks and Liars: "“It leads to employees focusing on competing with each other rather than competing with other companies.”"

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On Romney and Offshore Investments

Kryptonite | TPM Editors Blog:

"Once the Dems have saturated the public with the offshore tax haven story, Romney is going to be really, really hard pressed not to release a lot more of his tax returns. A lot. "

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I disagree. I think that if Romney releases his older tax returns this election is over. I think that his advisors know it. He will be lucky to win Alabama.

On Men At Work

Has there ever been a more overtly misogynistic show ever? I am hard to shock but I cannot find any redeeming value in this show at all.

More on the San Diego Fireworks

On San Diego and Fireworks

San Diego Accidentally Set Off All Its Fourth Of July Fireworks at Once - National - The Atlantic Wire: "Folks in San Diego witnessed what was either the worst Fourth of July fireworks celebration — or the absolute best — when a technical malfunction caused all of their pyrotechnics to go off at the same time. The annual Big Bay Boom extravaganza began and ended in spectacular fashion when an inadvertent signal set off the explosions about five minutes early and caused the entire 18 minute show to take place in about 15 seconds. Confused spectators waited around for what they thought was going to be the rest of the show, but were sent home and told the show (that was supposed to be choreographed to music) was canceled.  "

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On Online Dating

Since I suck at being alone ...

What are folks' recommendations for online dating sites I should try?
Or which ones should I make sure I stay the hell away from?
Or should I just give up and buy a dog?

yes, Joe Walsh is a douchebag

‘Ashleigh! Ashleigh!’: Joe Walsh Digs In On Duckworth Flap (VIDEO) | TPM2012: "Walsh charged that Duckworth hasn’t told voters where she stands on the issues. But Banfield had come prepared: She brought out reference materials on issues that Duckworth has discussed. The interview devolved into a shouting match, as the two fought back and forth on Duckworth’s record of service, Walsh’s past campaign tactics against an 87-year-old incumbent during his first run for office in 1996, and whether veterans should discuss their service. "

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On Offending People

It happens.
Get over it.

On that Goat-Fucking joke I make from time to time

BBC NEWS | Africa | Sudan man forced to 'marry' goat: "A Sudanese man has been forced to take a goat as his "wife", after he was caught having sex with the animal. "

'via Blog this'

Digby on Romney "Considering" a female VP

Hullabaloo: "I guess not everyone sees what a sad comment that is. It's 2012 and a woman is still a novelty option. Cute almost! I guess I'm just shocked that I'm on verge of old age and this is still happening. "

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On Fukushima

Inept and Ill-Prepared: A Closer Look at the Fukushima Report - Global - The Atlantic Wire: "The conclusion was blunt: "The direct causes of the accident were all foreseeable prior to March 11, 2011." The commission also noted, "the accident was the result of collusion between the government, the regulators and TEPCO, and the lack of governance by said parties. They effectively betrayed the nation’s right to be safe from nuclear accidents. Therefore, we conclude that the accident was clearly 'manmade.'" "

'via Blog this'

Bill Young Unclear On What Minimum Wage Is?

GOP Rep. Tells Constituent Who Asks About Raising The Minimum Wage To 'Get A Job' | ThinkProgress: "Asked by a constituent at a Fourth of July parade yesterday, Florida Rep. Bill Young (R) revealed that he is, predictably, opposed to the Democratic proposal. When a constituent asked him why he opposed boosting worker wages, Young replied simply, “Get a job“: "

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July 4 in New York City

Highly Recommended! Spent the day at the Bronx Zoo and then this evening at the Fireworks over the Hudson.

Good time was had by all