Saturday, June 6, 2009

Yes, Dr Black is correct

Eschaton
At the risk of stating the obvious, 9.4% unemployment is really high. I don't really get the sense that media coverage reflects this reality

This is the thing that gets me too. 9.4% unemployment, especially with the very strict definition that the Bureau of Labour Statistics uses, is too fucking high and there should be people up in arms about it.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

RIP Dr George Tiller - Part II

Daily Kos: The George Tiller I Knew

In 1980 I was pregnant with my first child. I had no insurance and couldn't afford a doctors appointment until I was approved for a medical card.. Mom told Dr. Tiller and he brought me into his office where he examined me, free of charge. I can credit him with the very first picture taken of my

Go read the rest

RIP Dr George Tiller

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
The abortionist, George Tiller, was shot to death ... in a Wichita church this morning. It was the culmination of a campaign of domestic terrorism against him:

I think that Andrew Sullivan hit just the right note on this. I just can't fathom this.

For more coverage hit any of these places:

CNN
Fox News

BBC

Swampland(Time.com)
Daily Kos
TBogg
Pharyngula
Redstate
Little Green Footballs

Monday, May 25, 2009

Just ... well ... wow

Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » The definitive wingnut take on marriage
Every day thousands of ordinary heterosexual men surrender the dream of gratifying our immediate erotic desires. Instead, heroically, resignedly, we march up the aisle with our new brides, starting out upon what that cad poet Shelley called the longest journey, attired in the chains of the kinship system—a system from which you have been spared. Imitate our self-surrender.

The above quote is not from the rather sane DougJ at ballon juice, he is rightfully mocking it. Rather it is from this turd that fell off the dungheap that is the Weekly Standard.

It is a wonder that women marry wingnuts. It is, however, not a wonder that the most outwardly homophobic turn out to be closeted and sad.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Breaking: Terror Suspects substantially less likely to reoffend

14 percent of those freed from Gitmo reoffend, source says - CNN.com
Preliminary intelligence assessments show more than 14 percent of detainees released from Guantanamo Bay have returned or are suspected of having returned to terrorism activities, an administration official with knowledge of the Defense Department's information said.

That number, which reflects data through the beginning of 2009, has gone up slightly from statistics compiled through the end of 2008, when the recidivism rate was considered to be 11 percent, according to the administration official. It had been at 7 percent in earlier years, but the Pentagon has not disclosed what time frame that encompasses.


Compare and contrast with this from a Bureau of Justice Statistics article.

Rearrest within 3 years

* 67.5% of prisoners released in 1994 were rearrested within 3 years, an increase over the 62.5% found for those released in 1983

* The rearrest rate for property offenders, drug offenders, and public-order offenders increased significantly from 1983 to 1994. During that time, the rearrest rate increased:

- from 68.1% to 73.8% for property offenders
- from 50.4% to 66.7% for drug offenders
- from 54.6% to 62.2% for public-order offenders

* The rearrest rate for violent offenders remained relatively stable (59.6% in 1983 compared to 61.7% in 1994).

I report, you decide.

Naw, fuck it ...

Anyone that isnt completely innumerate knows what these numbers mean. Terror suspects are far less likely to reoffend than the average run of the mill criminal. How does that match up with the scary rhetoric of Cheney and company.

And of course CNN offers none of this context. Colour me shocked.