Monday, November 30, 2009
Royal Society puts 60 seminal scientific papers online
The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge (aka The Royal Society) is celebrating is 350th birthday next year. Spun out in part of the fantastically cool Invisible College, the Royal Society's members have included Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, Charles Darwin, Tim Berners-Lee, Lise Meitner, Stephen Hawking, Marie Curie, Francis Crick, and countless other smart folks. The organization kicks off its big anniversary year with Trailblazing, a new interactive time-line that includes 60 choice articles from the journal Philosophical Transactions.
From the Royal Society's announcement :
Leading scientists and historians have chosen 60 articles from amongst the 60,000 published since the journal first began in 1665. Trailblazing will make the original manuscripts available online for the first time alongside fascinating insights from modern-day experts who are continuing the work of scientific giants such as Newton, Hooke, Faraday and Franklin and making vital new breakthroughs of their own in areas such as genetics, physics, climate change and medicine.
Highlights include:
• The gruesome account of an early blood transfusion (1666)
• Captain James Cook's explanation of how he protected his crew from scurvy aboard HMS Resolution (1776)
• Stephen Hawking's early writing on black holes (1970)
• Benjamin Franklin's account of flying a kite in a storm to identify the electrical nature of lightning - the Philadelphia Experiment (1752)
• Sir Isaac Newton's landmark paper on the nature of light and colour (1672)
• A scientific study of a young Mozart confirming him as a musical child genius (1770)
• The Yorkshire cave discovery of the fossilized remains of elephant, tiger, bear and hyena heralding the study of deep time (1822)
As if ...
Wingnut smear king Alex Castellanos will take on a larger role with the repugican party, but he will, of course, also continue working as a CNN analyst.
Because as we all know the media is controlled by liberals.
Because as we all know the media is controlled by liberals.
Crucial real-estate questions answered
10 crucial real-estate questions answered
The housing market remains extremely volatile, but these are facts everyone should know.
Aerialist survives 20-foot mall fall
Aerialist survives 20-foot mall fall
A performer's tumble during a mall show raises questions about holiday shopping promotions.
Two-minute tricks that beat stress
Two-minute tricks that beat stress
Perk up your mood, reduce anxiety, and feel happier with these quick and easy stress-busters.
9-year-old girl makes surprising find
9-year-old girl makes surprising find
Her rare discovery is going to be part of a permanent museum exhibit at the Smithsonian.
Best new budget-friendly U.S. hotels
Best new budget-friendly U.S. hotels
Trendy and eye-catching, these new hotels offer luxurious stays for under $150.
Seven quick dinners
Seven quick dinners
Get dinner on the table in a snap with these simple menus for every day of the week.
Problems with chicken safety revealed
Problems with chicken safety revealed
Two-thirds of birds tested in a 22-state study were contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria.
Police killings haunt Mike Huckabee
Police killings haunt Mike Huckabee
The ambush in Washington could spell political disaster for the former governor.
Amish settling in a new state
Amish settling in a new state
A once-abandoned landscape is being transformed into scenes that could be from Lancaster, Pa.
Holiday miracle after dialing wrong number
Holiday miracle after dialing wrong number
Lucy Crutchfield's mis-dialed call about her mortgage turns out to be a fortunate mistake.
Three Judges To Testify in Tangled Neo-Nazi Trial Trial Begins Tuesday in Brooklyn
A blogger scheduled to stand trial Tuesday in Brooklyn on charges he made death threats against federal judges apparently was paid by the FBI in its battle against domestic terrorism, according to a published report.
Three Judges To Testify in Tangled Neo-Nazi Trial Trial Begins Tuesday in Brooklyn
Three Judges To Testify in Tangled Neo-Nazi Trial Trial Begins Tuesday in Brooklyn
Florida woman charged with calling in bomb threat to keep her boss from missing flight
A South Florida woman has been charged with calling in a bomb threat to keep her boss from missing a flight.
Florida woman charged with calling in bomb threat to keep her boss from missing flight
Florida woman charged with calling in bomb threat to keep her boss from missing flight
The Most Extreme and Isolated Places to Live in the World
We all go on vacation to relax, experience something new, get away from it all, or maybe to just evade the police.
Whatever the reason, we can all understand that it's a good thing to have some time to ourselves in a location far-removed from our usual daily lives.
Whatever the reason, we can all understand that it's a good thing to have some time to ourselves in a location far-removed from our usual daily lives.
Officials seize pet cat to pay couple's debt
Russian bailiffs seized a rare pet cat to offset debts incurred by a middle-aged couple in the Kemerovo region of Siberia.
Ways to rev up your career
Pirates seize oil tanker headed for U.S.
Pirates seize oil tanker headed for U.S.
The bold attack could pose a huge environmental or security threat to the region.
Useless robber hands himself in
A luckless crook surrendered to police after four robberies flopped in the same day.
Hungry snake eats own tail
A hungry snake found his latest meal hard to swallow - when it tried to eat its own tail.
Huckabee granted clemency to suspect in quadruple cop killer case in Wash state
John Aravosis had this to say about the cop killings in Washington:
This is very bad.
Huckabee has a history of clemency gone wrong.
Let me remind you of a previous Huckabee clemency we wrote about two years ago:
Huckabee has a history of clemency gone wrong.
Let me remind you of a previous Huckabee clemency we wrote about two years ago:
Huckabee basically helped secure the guy's release because the convict had raped a distant relative of Bill Clinton - and being a distant relative of Bill Clinton, the right-wing attack machine said the woman who was raped wasn't credible (even though the guy was convicted), and they demanded that the rapist be set free because, after all, he only raped a Clinton. Well, it seems that Governor Huckabee agreed. He set the rapist free, and then the guy molested and murdered another woman. But even better? Huckabee now denies that he had anything to do with the release of the rapist/murderer. Funny, then why did Huckabee meet with the parole board on behalf of the rapist/murderer?
More on the cop killer story. It's a nasty story.
*****
What is most frightening is the fact that it is typical repugican behavior.
*****
What is most frightening is the fact that it is typical repugican behavior.
Magnets for fighting cancer?
Tiny magnetic discs just a millionth of a meter in diameter could be used to used to kill cancer cells, according to a study published on Sunday.
Laboratory tests found the so-called "nanodiscs", around 60 billionths of a metre thick, could be used to disrupt the membranes of cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct.
The discs are made from an iron-nickel alloy, which move when subjected to a magnetic field, damaging the cancer cells, the report published in Nature Materials said.
Full Story
Laboratory tests found the so-called "nanodiscs", around 60 billionths of a metre thick, could be used to disrupt the membranes of cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct.
The discs are made from an iron-nickel alloy, which move when subjected to a magnetic field, damaging the cancer cells, the report published in Nature Materials said.
Full Story
Palin particularly popular among fans of Dimbulb and Brick
While, this isn't news ... it is interesting, however, the fact that yet another poll shows that the remaining wingnuts in the repugican party are far more nutty than just a few years ago.
Those who identify as repugicans today see themselves as more wingnut politically than those who said so during the last years of the shrub's cabal.
This is the challenge for repugicans.
How do you deal with the pressure in your own party to veer to the right, when by doing so, you risk alienating the very people who left your party because it veered too far to the right?
How do you deal with the pressure in your own party to veer to the right, when by doing so, you risk alienating the very people who left your party because it veered too far to the right?
*****
Like we care how the repugicans die off. Just so long as they continue to self destruct we won't loose any sleep over it.
The world looks different if you're depressed
People with the condition find it easy to interpret large images or scenes, but struggle to "spot the difference" in fine detail.The world looks different if you're depressed
Myths and secrets of the deep
Atlantis was just a story, but other ancient civilizations really have sunk beneath the waves – complete with their temples, megaliths and pirate headquarters.Drowned cities
Liars and Fools
Liars and Fools for the day are:
Faux's Sean Handjob lies saying un-named Obama official supports forced sterilizations.
And the moon is made of green cheese too.
Wingnut blog compares health care reform to Pearl Harbor.
Real Nazis trying to invoke images of Fake Nazis in the deluded notion we can not tell the difference - this is getting old, morons.
Faux's Sean Handjob lies saying un-named Obama official supports forced sterilizations.
And the moon is made of green cheese too.
Wingnut blog compares health care reform to Pearl Harbor.
Real Nazis trying to invoke images of Fake Nazis in the deluded notion we can not tell the difference - this is getting old, morons.
World Wide Ceilidh
The World Wide Ceilidh is today!For those of Scots heritage the ceilidh (pronounced 'Kay-Lee' and means party) to celebrate being Scots is happening today all over the world.
Unusual Holidays and Celebrations
Today is
National Meth Awareness Day
and
Stay Home Because You're Well Day
National Meth Awareness Day
and
Stay Home Because You're Well Day
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Porto, Porto, Portugal
Sion, Valais, Switzerland
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Wakefield, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Klang, Selangor, Malaysia
Nanaima, British Columbia, Canada
Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela
Trondheim. Sor-Trondelag, Norway
Attard, Attard, Malta
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
Berwick Upon Tweed, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
as well as Poland, Scotland, and the United States
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Porto, Porto, Portugal
Sion, Valais, Switzerland
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Wakefield, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Klang, Selangor, Malaysia
Nanaima, British Columbia, Canada
Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela
Trondheim. Sor-Trondelag, Norway
Attard, Attard, Malta
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
Berwick Upon Tweed, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
as well as Poland, Scotland, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
You've recently made some amazing headway toward repairing a major problem in your life, but you're not quite out of the woods yet.
Be careful not to light the candles on your celebratory cake too soon -- if you do, you will definitely get burned.
Finish up the rest of whatever you've been working on, because it's an integral part of the bigger picture.
You've let a few things slide during this period of singular focus, and now you have to attend to them.
OK
You've recently made some amazing headway toward repairing a major problem in your life, but you're not quite out of the woods yet.
Be careful not to light the candles on your celebratory cake too soon -- if you do, you will definitely get burned.
Finish up the rest of whatever you've been working on, because it's an integral part of the bigger picture.
You've let a few things slide during this period of singular focus, and now you have to attend to them.
OK
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Man wanted for questioning in police killings, has troubling criminal history
Nine years ago, then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee granted clemency to Clemmons, commuting his lengthy prison sentence over the protests of prosecutors.
Lugar: Delay health care "reform" to pay for war
The Afghanistan war could be as much about dollars as sense for several U.S. lawmakers, including one top repugican who says national security is worth delaying health care reforms so Congress can pay for military operations.
*****
Hey about this - end the war and bring the troops home that way there is no need to 'pay' for the war?!
The money would be better spent on health care.
*****
Hey about this - end the war and bring the troops home that way there is no need to 'pay' for the war?!
The money would be better spent on health care.
DC Seeks to Tax Blighted PropertiesRead the original story
D.C. officials have less than two months to compile a list of the city's blighted properties.
DC Seeks to Tax Blighted Properties
DC Seeks to Tax Blighted Properties
U.S. Holiday Season Off to Modestly Positive
Holiday shopping held steady through the weekend after retailers saw a huge crowd of bargain shoppers buying discounted flat-panel TVs and fleece jackets on Black Friday, the traditional post-Thanksgiving Day shopping spree.
U.S. Holiday Season Off to Modestly Positive
U.S. Holiday Season Off to Modestly Positive
Before Obama Met Salahi, the shrub Met Jack
From Crooks and Liars:
When it comes to social events at the White House, the only thing worse for a President than self-serving gate crashers is when the miscreant has an invitation. And so while conservatives gloat over the Secret Service failure that allowed climbers Michaele and Tareq Salahi to crash the state dinner for the Indian prime minister, it's worth remembering that when Republican uber lobbyist and convicted felon Jack Abramoff roamed the Bush White House, he was an honored guest.
For his part, President Obama has ordered a review into how the Virginia couple and would-be reality TV stars made their way into this week's function. For their part, even conservative bloggers fretted about the disturbing security lapse that allowed the Salahis to come "face to face with The One himself." But as another predictably suggested, it's all Obama's fault even when it isn't:
"It unfortunately also embarrasses the Secret Service, Obama, and pretty much the entire White House. It was Obama's first state dinner, and how will people remember it? They'll remember that two famewhore socialites snuck in and that his security allowed it to happen. This, for once, is not Obama's fault, but he's the one embarrassed by it inevitably. I wonder how long it will take him to blame this on President Bush, though."
Of course, you can't blame George W. Bush for letting the Salahis slither their way into a White House social function. But letting Jack Abramoff through the door is another matter altogether.
As you'll recall, in September 2008, Abramoff was sentenced to four years in prison for a lobbying scandal whose tentacles spread throughout Capital Hill and the Bush administration. And as the Washington Post recounted, Abramoff would have a lot of company in jail from among the ranks of his Republican colleagues:
More than a dozen people, including an Ohio congressman and a deputy secretary of the interior, have been convicted in the Abramoff lobbying scandal, and Justice Department officials said the investigation is continuing. Still under scrutiny are former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and retiring Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.).
Which is why the Bush White House was desperate to erase any evidence of the association between Abramoff, the President and his highest level staffers. On January 26th, 2006, President Bush denied any relationship with Abramoff, a "Pioneer" who raised over $100,000 for his reelection campaign:
"You know, I, frankly, don't even remember having my picture taken with the guy. I don't know him."
As it turned out, of course, George W. Bush knew Jack Abramoff and had his picture taken with the guy several times.
White House crashers want hundreds of thousands for their story
Just me, or does anyone else want to see these people in jail?
Then again, if you could jail someone for being tacky, all those moron Palin fans would be locked up.
Then again, if you could jail someone for being tacky, all those moron Palin fans would be locked up.
Wanted American gets 3 years in China
An American wanted for eco-terrorism attacks in the United States has been sentenced to three years in a Chinese prison for making illegal drugs.
Wanted American gets 3 years in China
Wanted American gets 3 years in China
Few signposts mark the road to economic recovery
The road from recession to recovery is rarely smooth, straight or short.
It comes with detours, forks and even dead ends.
And sometimes surprises.
While each American recession is different, most major ones end with pessimism heavy in the air.
As the U.S. economy claws its way out of the deepest downturn in decades, jobs are still being lost, consumers are jittery and banks are reluctant to resume lending, even though stocks have rallied and corporate profits seem to be slowly returning.
It comes with detours, forks and even dead ends.
And sometimes surprises.
While each American recession is different, most major ones end with pessimism heavy in the air.
As the U.S. economy claws its way out of the deepest downturn in decades, jobs are still being lost, consumers are jittery and banks are reluctant to resume lending, even though stocks have rallied and corporate profits seem to be slowly returning.
Americans rate Dimbulb most idiotic wingnut, choose JFK for Mount Rushmore
By a wide margin, Americans consider Lush Dimbulb the nation’s most idiotic wingnut talking head. Those are the results of a poll conducted by "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair magazine and issued Sunday.
The tub of lard was picked by 26 per cent of those who responded, followed by Faux News Channel’s Glenn Brick at 11 per cent.
Actual politicians - the Dick and the idiot Sarah Palin - were the choice of 10 per cent each.
*****
Asked to choose among presidents, Americans tapped John F. Kennedy as the one they’d like to see added to Mount Rushmore.
Games to fight weight gain
Games to fight weight gain
Fitness games may help fight the weight gain that often results from holiday feasting.
Eating habits that make you happier
Eating habits that make you happier
Selecting the right foods will not only help nourish your body but calm your mind.
America's fastest-recovering cities
America's fastest-recovering cities
Cities with diverse industries and moderate changes in home value are bouncing back first.
Details Emerge In Lakewood Police Shooting
Four Washington police officers slain
The search continues for the man who fatally shot four officers at a coffeehouse.
Details have begun to emerge in the Lakewood police shooting that took place earlier today at 8:15 AM on Sunday morning. Four police officers, three men and a woman, were "ambushed" at a coffee shop in Lakewood, which is in Washington state, 40 miles south of Seattle and 10 miles southwest of Tacoma.
Worst credit-card mistakes you can make
Worst credit-card mistakes you can make
For the first time, FICO reveals how mistakes damage your credit score.
US Food Stamp Program Expanding by 20,000 People Per Day
The program is expanding by about 20,000 out-of-work and underemployed people a day, the Post reported, noting the growth has been swift in once-prosperous communities effected by the housing bust.
“It’s time for us to face up to the fact that in this country of plenty, there are hungry people,” Concannon said.
Should Food Stamps Be Used To Buy Organic Food?
From Treehugger:
Grocery cart undecided. Image credit:Keith B. Evans, at Simple Gallery.
Washington Post has covered the rapid growth of Food Stamp use in recent months.
While the Reagan-era stigma attached to public aid in the form of "Food Stamps" seems to have faded in the face of spreading US unemployment, people are thinking and writing about what is, and is not, appropriate food to buy with taxpayer support.
Farm-market use is a possibility, per the WaPo report: "Participants apply locally to receive an electronic card that is used like an ATM card to buy food at most grocery stores and some farmers markets."
A knee-jerk answer to the rhetorical question posed by this headline would be 'no,' that Food Stamp credits should not go for organic food, which is widely seen as a luxury. In the real world, this simplistic answer can be either misleading or wrong, cost wise.
Article continues: Should Food Stamps Be Used To Buy Organic Food?
Student Caught Biking Drunk Banned from Cycling for 15 Years
From Treehugger:
Americans are still reacting to the news that a man got away with only a four-month jail sentence after shooting a bicyclist in the head in cold blood, in front of his three-year old child. In Germany, the web is buzzing about a sentence equally extreme, on the opposite end of the spectrum. Christopher-Felix Hahn, a student of theater science in Gießen, has learned he is banned from riding a bike, skateboard or any other "unlicensed vehicle" on the streets -- for fifteen years.
Image: Bild
Americans are still reacting to the news that a man got away with only a four-month jail sentence after shooting a bicyclist in the head in cold blood, in front of his three-year old child. In Germany, the web is buzzing about a sentence equally extreme, on the opposite end of the spectrum. Christopher-Felix Hahn, a student of theater science in Gießen, has learned he is banned from riding a bike, skateboard or any other "unlicensed vehicle" on the streets -- for fifteen years.
Article continues: Student Caught Biking Drunk Banned from Cycling for 15 Years
Liars and Fools
Liars and Fools today are:
Lush Dimbulb "jokes" that the military should take President Obama into custody.
Not likely your moron, however you might want to watch your ass when the come for you.
Gun Nuts lies Claiming Obama administration will issue ‘no guns’ decree.
This is news? Gun nuts are always spewing such garbage.
Pastor Wiley Drake says Christians should stop praying for PresidentObama's death until he's convicted of treason.
OK, we can agree with this - after Drake is convicted of treason we can "pray" for his death.
Lush Dimbulb "jokes" that the military should take President Obama into custody.
Not likely your moron, however you might want to watch your ass when the come for you.
Gun Nuts lies Claiming Obama administration will issue ‘no guns’ decree.
This is news? Gun nuts are always spewing such garbage.
Pastor Wiley Drake says Christians should stop praying for PresidentObama's death until he's convicted of treason.
OK, we can agree with this - after Drake is convicted of treason we can "pray" for his death.
'Bin Laden was within our grasp'
A report released by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee blamed the shrub administration for failing to capture or kill Osama bin Laden when the al Qaeda leader was cornered in Afghanistan's Tora Bora mountain region in December 2001.
The report, released Sunday, said the situation in Afghanistan presented greater problems today because of the failure to nab bin Laden eight years ago.
Bin Laden had written his will, apparently sensing he was trapped, but the lack of sufficient forces to close in for the kill allowed him to escape to tribal areas in Pakistan, according to the report.
It said former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and top U.S. commander Gen. Tommy Franks held back the necessary forces for a "classic sweep-and-block maneuver" that could have prevented bin Laden's escape.
The Bronx tops food stamp list
Bronx County, NY with a 13.3% unemployment rate, has joined Hidalgo County, TX as the US counties of their size with the greatest share of people receiving food stamps at 29%.
Nationally, 1 in 8 adults and one in 4 children are using food stamps, according to data collected by the New York Times.
The Bronx tops food stamp list
Nationally, 1 in 8 adults and one in 4 children are using food stamps, according to data collected by the New York Times.
The Bronx tops food stamp list
Roman Catholic Church continues to lobby government
Trying to push their policies on the governments, Catholic bishops continue their attempts to convince lawmakers they're serious about abortion and same-sex marriage.
Again, who gives a shit what catholic bishops have to say about anything?
Wingnuts consider a suicide pact
Some people can't stand prosperity, my father used to say.
Today, he might be talking about wingnuts, who, in the midst of declining support for President Obama's hope-and-change agenda, are considering a "purity" pledge to weed out undesirables from their ever-shrinking party.
Just when independents and moderates were considering revisiting the repugican tent.
Today, he might be talking about wingnuts, who, in the midst of declining support for President Obama's hope-and-change agenda, are considering a "purity" pledge to weed out undesirables from their ever-shrinking party.
Just when independents and moderates were considering revisiting the repugican tent.
Obama orders review of crashers
President Barack Obama has ordered a full review into how a Virginia couple managed to make their way into the White House for last week's state dinner without an invitation, even getting so far as to meet the president in the official receiving line, according to a White House official.
Three days after a pair of Virginia socialites and reality TV wannabes crashed the administration's first state dinner, the White House acknowledged for the first time Friday that they met Obama himself at the event – raising even more questions about whether the breach could have posed a security risk.
Iran approves building 10 uranium enrichment sites
The Iranian government approved a plan tonight to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities, a dramatic expansion in defiance of UN demands it halt the program.
Full StoryBuzzing flies more likely to wake men than crying babies
However for women, whether or not they are mothers, there is no other noise more likely to stop them sleeping than that of a wailing infant, according to scientific tests measuring brain activity.
Buzzing flies more likely to wake men than crying babies
Buzzing flies more likely to wake men than crying babies
Daily Riddle
Imagine you're in a room with no windows and no doors, how do you get out?
Stop imagining!
Stop imagining!
Murderous moose suspected in Swedish death
Swedish police say they've cleared a man who was arrested for allegedly murdering his wife after deciding the culprit was most likely a moose.
Full StorySwiss ban mosque minarets
Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on minarets on Sunday, barring construction of the iconic mosque towers in a vote that put Switzerland at the forefront of a European backlash against a growing Muslim population.
Swiss ban mosque minarets
Swiss ban mosque minarets
Collect Call Indeed
Woman shocked by cost of collect call
A hairstylist who accepted a customer's quick collect call had no idea it would cost more than $45.
Why one town may get 100s of new jobs
Why one town may get 100s of new jobs
One car company's decision may turn around a hard-hit California city.
Daily Almanac
Today is Sunday, Nov. 29, the 333rd day of 2009.
There are 32 days left in the year.
Today In History November 29
There are 32 days left in the year.
Today In History November 29
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Grenoble, Rhone-Alpes, France
Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada
Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur, France
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
as well as Argentina, Scotland, and the United States
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Grenoble, Rhone-Alpes, France
Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada
Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur, France
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
as well as Argentina, Scotland, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
You've been so good for so long that it's high time you did something a bit naughty!
Call up one of your more mischievous friends and make a plan together.
Expanding your horizons is highly favored, so a road trip could be in order.
If you're in the mood, take the wheel and point yourself toward something you've never explored.
What you find at your destination will appear fairly bland -- but after a few introductions, you'll be thrilled with your discoveries.
This is gonna be good!
You've been so good for so long that it's high time you did something a bit naughty!
Call up one of your more mischievous friends and make a plan together.
Expanding your horizons is highly favored, so a road trip could be in order.
If you're in the mood, take the wheel and point yourself toward something you've never explored.
What you find at your destination will appear fairly bland -- but after a few introductions, you'll be thrilled with your discoveries.
This is gonna be good!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The Military Budget Is Bleeding Us Dry. It's Time We Addressed That.
From Crooks and Liars
You know, between the crooks, the politicians and the payoffs, this issue shouldn't be a third rail anymore. Democrats need to decide which we can afford: Shoveling trillions of dollars into the military-industrial-congressional complex (and the pockets of defense donors), or rebuilding this country's economic and social infrastructure. David Sirota:
In 2000, the Pentagon admitted it has lost -- yes, lost -- $2.3 trillion. In 2003, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a subsequent Department of Defense study said it was only $1 trillion. To put such numbers in perspective, contemplate what those sums could finance. $1 trillion, for instance, could pay the total cost of universal healthcare for the long haul. $2.3 trillion would cover universal healthcare plus the bank bailout plus the stimulus package.
Obviously -- obviously! -- these points are no cause for alarm and certainly no cause for defense spending reductions, right? All they must prove is that the archconservative Cato Institute, William Randolph Hearst's newspaper chain, National Journal employees and Pentagon officials are secretly America-hating liberals. And -- obviously! -- so are two of the most aggressive neoconservative hawks ever to hold government office, Sen. John McCain and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. After all, they’re the ones who issued those scathing statements about wasteful defense spending in the pop quiz above. That means they’re actually terrorist-appeasing lefties, right?
Really, how could anyone other than traitorous communists see the data and then consider backing the mildest Pentagon spending cuts? I mean, come on -- in a country whose paranoid conservative movement now makes a dead-serious ideology out of Stephen Colbert wisecracks, how dare any red-blooded American even think of pondering basic budgetary facts?
Of course here's a typical wingnut reaction:
Lost in all the typical liberal hyperventilating over increased defense spending during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is just how low current defense spending compared to the last 45 years.
Oh, well then! Quit yer griping!
Ho hum. Just another would-be domestic terrorist found with a bomb-making lab. Nothing to see here, just move along
From Crooks and Liars:
Gee, for some reason, this story hasn't managed to make it out of the local news and into the national headlines:
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – Following a pipe bomb explosion Monday night, police and federal law enforcement officials are trying to figure why a Center Avenue man turned his apartment into a bomb factory.
Police said no charges have been filed against Mark Campano, 56. Police found 30 completed pipe bombs in his apartment along with components to make more, plus 17 guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Campano is in an Akron hospital with injuries received when one of the bombs exploded.
As police and federal authorities puzzle over Campano's past and what he planned to do with the bombs, a former neighbor said Campano often railed against the government.
Barbara Vachon lived next door to Campano at the Center Park Place Apartments for several years and said he was a big reason she moved.
"He was always trying to get me and another neighbor to listen to anti-government tapes and watch anti-government videos," said Vachon. "I would never watch them. He was some kind of radical, and he didn't believe in the government."
She said there were other warnings.
"There were a few times I heard minor explosions from outside the apartment building, and he would scream that he had hurt himself," she said. "I never knew what he was up to."
Vachon said Campano seemed to be most active at night.
"There was a steady stream of creepy visitors going in and out of his apartment," she said.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms is also investigating the case.
Of course, if this had been a Muslim extremist caught with such an arsenal, we'd be getting talk-show panels on Hannity featuring Michelle Malkin ranting at length about the threat of Islamic jihad, blah blah blah. Not to mention chatty discussion on Fox and Friends and Morning Joe.
But instead, because he's just a white anti-government extremist, hey, let's just give it a big shrug.
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