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Archives for: March 2009
98% Of Babies Manic-Depressive
From the Onion:
March 23, 2009 | Issue 45•13
NEW YORK—A new study published in The Journal Of Pediatric Medicine found that a shocking 98 percent of all infants suffer from bipolar disorder. "The majority of our subjects, regardless of size, sex, or race, exhibited extreme mood swings, often crying one minute and then giggling playfully the next," the study's author Dr. Steven Gregory told reporters. "Additionally we found that most babies had trouble concentrating during the day, often struggled to sleep at night, and could not be counted on to take care of themselves—all classic symptoms of manic depression." Gregory added that nearly 100 percent of infants appear to suffer from the poor motor skills and impaired speech associated with Parkinson's disease.
Creationism.....
I was scanning USENET for a good Hiroshima/Nagasaki argument to dive into, and came across this creationism/evolution thread.
This post was funny I thought:
> Name one Cambrian mammal.
Trilobites
http://groups.google.com / group / talk.origins / msg / ca6f87a4c80e9f94
An Open Letter to Republican Traitors
You Republicans are the arsonists who burned down our national home. You combined the failed ideologies of the Religious Right, so-called free market deregulation and the Neoconservative love of war to light a fire that has consumed America. Now you have the nerve to criticize the "architect" America just hired -- President Obama -- to rebuild from the ashes. You do nothing constructive, just try to hinder the one person willing and able to fix the mess you created.
In the mid 1980s I left the Religious Right, after I realized just how very anti-American they are, (the theme I explore in my book Crazy For God). They wanted America to fail in order to prove they were right about America's "moral decline." Soon after McCain lost in 2000 I re-registered as an independent in disgust with W. Bush. But I still respected many Republicans. Not today.
How can anyone who loves our country support the Republicans now? Barry Goldwater, William F. Buckley and Ronald Reagan defined the modern conservatism that used to be what the Republican Party I belonged to was about. Today no actual conservative can be a Republican. Reagan would despise today's wholly negative Republican Party. And can you picture the gentlemanly and always polite Ronald Reagan, endorsing a radio hate-jock slob who crudely mocked a man with Parkinson's and who now says he wants an American president to fail?!
Where's the love, Jack?
I know most of you have seen it but it's an absolute classic.
Plotting the Arc of the Wingnut Meltdown
Following a trauma or a life-altering event (loss, grief, Sarah Palin’s Katie Couric interview) it’s said that people go through distinct stages: Denial, bargaining and acceptance.
The Republican party, especially for the most block-headed true-believers who have a vested interest in keeping the shit perpetually stirred, have suffered an enormous shock to their system.
As hard as they tried, closed their eyes, clicked their heels and really believed, they just couldn’t create that darn pesky reality out of thin air. Or hot air, for that matter.
snip
I have a prediction to make. The right-wing nuts are going to skip the denial, because what has happened is undeniable, leap right over bargaining, which they aren’t constitutionally suited for, give acceptance a complete miss and go directly to bat-shit crazy.
Much more at the link, and (as usual) the Rev is right on.
Yippee!
Wow, the FED/Treasury cabal smears some tomato sauce on a pile of shxt and the market says "MEATLOAF" and dives in...
Up nearly 500 points
...no need to fear, all is well again.
No more debt
No more bogeymen
No inflation threat despite mountains of new money
No insolvent banks
No bankrupt automakers
No more millions of unemployed
No more crooks on Wall Street
Ah, it is good to live again.
Michigan 15-year-old dies after police Taser him
Sun Mar 22, 4:07 pm ET
BAY CITY, Mich. – Police in Michigan say a 15-year-old boy has died after being Tasered by officers who were trying to break up a fight.
Police didn't release his name and say state police are investigating.
A Bay City police news release says officers answered a report of an early morning fight on Sunday. The statement says two males were arguing in an apartment, and one of them "attempted to fight the officers."
Police say officers Tasered him, and his reaction led them to immediately call for emergency medical help. He was pronounced dead at Bay Regional Medical Center.
Deputy Chief Thomas Pletzke tells WNEM-TV police placed one officer on administrative leave.
Those naughty boys and their probably nasty language. Somebody could have gotten hurt, arguing with each other the way they were.
Call the big boys in to break up the fight.
Totally fvcking surreal.
The WH "Kitchen Garden"
I see timb beat me to this...from another thread:
"Did you see he's going to be the first President to plant a food garden on the WH lawn? That's COOL! ("Spend $20 on seeds and save yourself hundreds on groceries, cut down on use of gas to transport, and reduce greenhouse emissions. It's a win-win.")"
...but it is a great thing. A "kitchen garden" vs the victory garden in WWII. I think they should also go an extra mile and put a rainwater harvesting system in to water the gardens. And, no chemicals. Do it Green, or don't talk the green talk.
Have you read about seed sales this year? They are booming. Many seed companies are seeing 40-100% seed sale increases over a year ago...selling out of popular items.
Anticipating seed "shortages" and price increases next year, we are already contemplating ways to save seeds from this years crops and trade seeds amongst the local gardeners.
Regarding "cheap" or "free" food. Maybe some of you live in areas of the country where it is easier to grow stuff in native soils and don't have to water much, and don't need much preparation at all to garden....but where I live, "cheap" food can cost a good bit. I am not sure that I save anything over store bought veggies.
From the linked article...Michelle says...
...."We're going to get a big one in our back yard"...hmmm....was she still on the gardening topic? LOL.
Future Cars
I think we have a winner in the competition for "the technological breakthrough" that allows viable clean autos.
Lithium Ion batteries that can be charged in less than a minute (five minutes for the battery of an electric car):
http://www.google.com / hostednews / afp / article / ALeq M5irT IYH7D 3rtf5 0YhkI DYlm_ lpVcw
It'd blow your circuit breakers if you tried to charge a car at home (at least with current circuit breakers). But if you replace gas stations with facilities where you can rapidly charge your battery for a fee.....
Commentary: GOP's "small government" talk is hollow
Good analysis that details the lies the republics tell about big government.
From CNN.com:
Editor's note: Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. His new book, "Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security -- From World War II to the War on Terrorism," will be published this fall by Basic Books. Zelizer writes widely on current events.
PRINCETON, New Jersey (CNN) -- As the budget debate heats up, Republicans are warning of socialism in the White House and claiming that Democrats are rushing back to their dangerous tonic of big government.
Speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Rush Limbaugh warned that "the future is not Big Government. Self-serving politicians. Powerful bureaucrats. This has been tried, tested throughout history. The result has always been disaster."
On CNN, former Vice President Dick Cheney said he is worried that the administration is using the current economic conditions to "justify" a "massive expansion" in the government.
After the past eight years in American politics, it is impossible to reconcile current promises by conservatives for small government with the historical record of President Bush's administration. Most experts on the left and right can find one issue upon which to agree: The federal government expanded significantly after 2001 when George W. Bush was in the White House.
Fvck with my head, eh?
In English, ten meters is "ten times longer than" one meter, right? 1 times 10 equals 10. RIGHT?
In Lao, ten meters is "nine 'tao' longer than" one meter. 1 plus 9 equals 10. RIGHT?
I just learned that a couple of weeks ago.
No wonder I got so many uncomprehending looks when I was explaining the concept of comparatives in English grammar.
I was using the word "teua", which means "times" or "occurrences" (of something happening in time, only, not in space).
I should have been using the word "tao", which means "equivalent unit".
I'd been stubbornly thinking "three", and the students were stubbornly thinking "two".
The picture I'd drawn on the board of a fvcking yardstick SHOULD have made it perfectly clear, I thought.
All I got was the SAME dumbfounded look, again. I shook my head, and gave up.
They concluded that Americans obviously can't add worth a shit.
I concluded the same about their multiplication.
Obama Does Away With "Enemy Combatant" Status
Instead of "enemy combatants" they will now be called "people who can be detained indefinitely without charges under the US's wartime powers".
http://news.yahoo.com / s / ap / guantanamo_detainees / print
US Guided Missile Destroyer To Patrol Near Chinese Submarine Base
----
Bit of a background in case people aren't up to date:
Back in 2001 a reckless Chinese pilot crashed into our spy-plane, and then China illegally boarded it when it made an emergency landing.
A few days ago, Chinese vessels made similarly reckless maneuvers around our spy-ship off the coast of their "secret" nuclear submarine base. Luckily they didn't actually crash into our spy-ship.
However, given the way China broke the law when our spy-plane made an emergency landing back in 2001, they cannot be allowed to conduct such antics around our spy-ship.
So now when our spy-ship hangs around off the cost of China's secret nuclear submarine base, there is going to be a guided missile destroyer right along with it.
Multi-Front Mandate - Why Obama Is Right to Pile His Plate High
Eugene Robinson cuts right through the republic nonsense in his column today. He's one of the few WaPo columnists worth reading anymore.
It didn't work to shout "socialism," so now they're yelling "overload" and "lack of focus." Critics of the Obama administration counsel the president and his aides to spend every waking hour -- and every available dollar, including stray coins found behind the cushions of the Oval Office couch -- on the paralyzing financial crisis. What these critics really want, though, is to delay or derail the progressive reforms that voters elected President Obama to carry out.
Howard Fineman: One of Us! One of Us!
My old friend Thersites over at Whiskey Fire rips the gourd-headed Howard Fineman a new asshole in this one.
Howard Fineman is a crazy person. Really!
This is an abysmally stupid column, but no more or less stupid than anything else Fineman has written before, or will inflict upon the world in the years to come. There is however a conceit to it that is instructive as to the virulent pathology of the elite media mindset.
The column is an accumulation of gibberish about how The Elite are having qualms about Obama, and that such qualms place him in the incredibly precarious political position of being left with no real support except for that of the majority of Americans.
Is this thing on?
Hey, Timbukians! Long time. Lloyd...e-mail me. I'm gonna be in Bangkok in a few weeks.
Who's the Site Administrator?
I've been getting an error at the bottom of my screen all morning. I was not getting it yesterday morning.
It is happening on all pages on this site (or at least all pages of the blog portion of the site).
It does not hinder my reading or posting here in any way, but keeps saying I should notify the administrator, so..... here is my notification.
Here is a screenshot of the error:
If it matters, I'm using Windows XP Service Pack 3, and Internet Explorer (whatever the most up to date version is).
Heh!
Now here's a Southerner this Northerner would love to have a beer with. I'll even buy!
Fugitive and subject of folk ballad again on loose
KENNESAW, Ga. – The inspiration for a folk ballad about a man who stole a Wal-Mart trailer to see his dying mother was on the loose Wednesday after escaping from custody in Georgia, authorities said.
Chris Daniel Gay slipped out of leg irons, waist chains and handcuffs and escaped from a deputy Tuesday in Kennesaw, officials say. The officer was transporting him to Tennessee to face charges of stealing the trailer in January 2007, officials say. He also is accused of stealing country singer Crystal Gayle's tour bus.
1929 and 2007
Here's a chart showing the size of America's consumer debt compared to the GDP:
Blog entry:
http://www.npr.org / blogs / money / 2009 / 02 / household_debt_vs_gdp.html
Larger Picture:
http://media.npr.org / blogs / globalpoolofmoney / images / 2009 / 02 / household.jpg
Guess which two years consumer debt spiked way up to 100% of GDP?
Is this the world's ugliest cat?
Obama's Big Budget
Here is why it matters. It is deficit spending gone wild.
Maybe you recall a comment I made a week or so ago regarding the FED possibly buying US debt...aka US Treasury Bonds. Why on Gawd's Green Earth would they do that? The very people that 'make' money are buying our debt? How can that be more than sleight of hand...an illusion?
After Obama's budget was announced there was a rise in T Bond interest rates...IOW there was a slight sell off in the bonds face value. Who is it that buys and sell most of our treasuries? The answer would be...Foreigners.
So here is the rub. Foreigners, like China, are willing to finance our deficit spending, but only to a point. Obama's belt busting budget was perceived by the foreign monies as excessive insofar as its welfare state spending and expansion. They will finance the US's attempts to stimulate, but not to expand the welfare state. So we may have reached the end of our rope with foreign financing of our deficits.
Why do you think Hillary really went to China? Begging for them to keep buying bonds...
In the event foreign buyers do dry up, which they very well might, and soon, then the FED steps in and starts buying.....and at that point.....the Dollar may well lose whatever credibility it has left.
Cut spending, cut government size and role. It is the only way out in the long run.
Obama Preparing Full-Scale Assault on the Second Amendment
I hate to say "I told you so" but.....