xenophile

Fox News is Full of Shit, Sources Say

2011-11-25T09:42:00.003-05:00

The Gardeners Who Stand Against Hippie Terror found (probably Muslim) Implements of Death which must have been secreted there by OWS provocateurs:
Weapons Cache Found During Zuccotti Park Cleanup, Sources Say | Fox News

Gardeners employed by the park owners, Brookfield Properties, to clean up the mess made by occupiers during their two-month stay discovered various knives, including a large kitchen knife and other potential instruments of violence in flower beds throughout the public space, according to officials.

[the word 'cache': I do not think it means what they think it means]

Plus, they recycled the original Brooklyn Bridge weapons bullshit from two weeks ago (metal rods in cardboard tubes, etc.)

Occupy Monopoly Guy

2011-11-17T11:27:00.003-05:00

I removed the image because I don't think it's the time to imply, even jokingly, that violence is condoned. Occupy Wall Street must be a non-violent movement.

NYPD: Bloomberg's Blue Bitches

2011-11-15T07:23:00.001-05:00

Rent-a-Cops for Billionaires:

Police Oust Occupy Wall Street Protesters at Zuccotti Park - NYTimes.com

Bad Cops: Worse Than Pedophiles

2011-10-15T07:26:00.002-04:00

We fabricated drug charges against innocent people to meet arrest quotas, former detective testifies

"Tavarez was ... was worried about getting sent back [to patrol] and, you know, the supervisors getting on his case," he recounted at the corruption trial of Brooklyn South narcotics Detective Jason Arbeeny.

This is what we need the death penalty for,

NYPDouchebags

2011-09-28T13:57:00.003-04:00

Video: Same NYPD Official Shown Using Pepper Spray On Protesters A Second Time: Gothamist

We have a real Pepper Spray Perv here, folks! A hundred bucks says this creep goes home and whacks off while fantasizing about pepper-spraying women. Fucking psycho, paid for by your tax dollars.

2011 - Jim Crow Still Lives In Georgia

2011-09-22T07:17:00.001-04:00

A Grievous Wrong on Georgia’s Death Row - NYTimes.com

No Jobs, No Growth, No Leadership, No Hope

2011-07-29T09:59:00.001-04:00

Economic Grows at Sluggish 1.3%; Consumers Pull Back - CNBC

What Now?

2011-07-08T14:11:00.001-04:00

The economy is broken, and Washington can't fix it - Unemployment - Salon.com

If our political discourse and the macinery of government are so hell-bent on increasing the disparity between the rich and the poor, to the point of being dysfunctional, what do we do next? The wealthy and powerful cannot be trusted to see further than the next quarter's earnings report. The do not function in a sustainable manner; they shit where they eat. This is self-destructive behavior.

Perhaps we should focus on destroying the two-party system. An "alternative vote" scheme, such as the one recently rejected by the British, might be better. Could hardly be worse.

NYT on White Supremacists & Jeff Hall's Murder

2011-05-11T08:17:00.001-04:00

Jeff Hall, a Neo-Nazi, Is Killed, and His Young Son is Charged - NYTimes.com

Mr. Hall was a rising force in the party, which has capitalized on a tide of anti-immigrant sentiment to attract members — young racist skinheads, aging Ku Klux Klan members, and extremists on the left and the right.

Left and Right? WTF?? Show me these left-wing white supremacists. Show me just one.

Death by Cock

2011-02-08T14:43:00.001-05:00

A family-sized bucket of extra-crispy Justice:
Man Stabbed to Death by Rooster During Cockfight - ktla.com

A man attending an illegal cockfight died after being stabbed by a rooster.

The incident occurred during a cockfight in which birds are strapped with razor-like knives to fight each other, often times to their death.

But, but... Al Gore Made A Phone Call...

2011-01-25T10:22:00.001-05:00

And there were some black men near a polling place!

Report: George W. Bush aides violated Hatch Act - Josh Gerstein - POLITICO.com

“The entire [Office of Political Affairs] staff was enlisted in pursuit of Republican success at the polls and many OPA employees believed that effort was part of their official job duties,” the report concludes. “Based on the extent of the activities described below, OSC concludes that the political activities of OPA employees were not incidental to their official functions, and thus U.S. Treasury funds were unlawfully used to finance efforts to pursue Republican victories at the polls in 2006.”

I suppose that it's too much to ask that the Village Idiots remember this relentless Republican malfeasance the next time some Democrat is caught violating the spirit of the Hatch Act. But, no, IOKIYAR.

Another Glenn Beck Acolyte Takes To The Gun

2011-01-09T08:13:00.003-05:00

This time, it's political assassination:

In Attack’s Wake, Political Repercussions

Investigators identified the gunman as Jared Lee Loughner, 22, and said that he was refusing to cooperate with the authorities and had invoked his Fifth Amendment rights. Mr. Loughner was in custody with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Saturday night, the Pima Country sheriff’s office said.

Mr. Loughner had exhibited increasingly strange behavior in recent months, including ominous Internet postings — at least one showing a gun — and a series of videos in which he made disjointed statements on topics like the gold standard and mind control.

Gold standard. Right.

If There Was Ever A Man That America Needed As President....

2010-12-08T15:14:00.000-05:00

...Michael Bloomberg is his exact opposite. Keep this man as far away from the White House as possible:

Michael Bloomberg offers "middle way" to glorious new Gilded Age

If the federal government wants to get America back to work, both parties must listen to Michael Bloomberg and immediately begin implementing his plan of less financial industry regulation, more corporate tax cuts, and stimulative platitudes about partisanship and "common sense solutions."

This closeted country-club-denizen wants to turn America into a billionaire's Disneyland, with its poverty-stricken population fulfilling the role of the Morlocks. Bloomberg wants only what's best - for Bloomberg.

America: Bloomberg, L.P.'s latest acquisition.

We're On To You, Barack!

2010-12-08T11:29:00.000-05:00

Did you notice that Obama can only get tough with his supporters, not his enemies?

Obama ran as a centrist, but has been revealed as a corporatist. He was never a liberal. This administration appears to cave and compromise and fail because it only pays lip-service to Democratic ideals and traditions. This administration, along with most other Democrats, most of the time, wants exactly what their Wall Street/Massey Energy overlords want. Additionally, they want to be elected as Democrats, so they pretend to want Social Security to remain strong, pretend to want Keynesian stimulus for job creation, pretend to side with the consumers of health care. But they do not actually want these things; they're not being paid to want them.

We are an annoyance to them. They only want our votes, not our opinions, convictions and beliefs. They deride us as dreamers and fuzzy-headed idealists, classic hippie-bashing tropes you'd expect from Jim Webb or Newt Gingrich.

But we're not stupid and we're not impractical. We understand exactly what you're up to, Barack Obama. We are on to your game. Deny it with insulting speeches all you like. The wealthy own a proportionally larger chunk of American assets than ever before, and they're using that advantage to ratchet up their control and ownership of the economy in a positive feedback loop that must end in disaster. No successful business ever succeeded in a vacuum; they need customers. Without a strong middle-class, now an endangered species, the American economy will become ever more paltry, irrelevant and unsustainable.

Don't make us have to save America by rejecting a second Obama term. If Sarah Palin becomes our next president, IT'S OBAMA'S FAULT, not the fault of progressives.

Terrorism?

2010-12-03T20:04:00.002-05:00

Police suspect arson in deadly Israeli wildfire

A police investigative team and a fire expert team have been working to determine the cause of the fire, which started from a single location, said Dudi Cohen, Israeli police commissioner.

Update: No terrorism, just some poor schmuck of a kid.

Could be, but I'll stay skeptical for now. A single-location fire source seems to speak against 'professional' terrorism. I think pros would have employed small, multiple sources to ensure wise-spread conflagration. They'd have to be pretty lucky to succeed with a single source, even when taking advantage of fire-friendly conditions.

If this was terrorism, it indicates that we're always going to be hit from an unexpected direction, and that we always seem to be fighting the last t battle instead of the next one.

Obama Administration == Washington Generals

2010-12-03T13:45:00.000-05:00

The Democrats appear weak and ineffectual not because they can't win, but because they don't really want to win. They are Democrats, so they're forced to pretend that they're fighting for traditional Democratic causes and constituencies. But that's history. They actually support those constituencies and causes desired by Wall Street Republicans, they just have to pretend otherwise. Therefore, they appear to lose continually, when it's actually just the American middle class and economy that are losing.

And the real winners? None. Maybe the financier class is hoping to strip other national economies to the bone after they're finished picking over the corpse of ours, but I think they'll find it hard to make a buck when there's no one left to buy their crap.

NJT Police: Justice Team!

2010-11-24T13:21:00.000-05:00

It's Only Justice If They Hang?

2010-11-18T17:57:00.000-05:00

Terror Verdict Tests Obama’s Strategy on Trials - NYTimes.com

Ahmed Ghailani will face between 20 years and life in prison as a result of his conviction on one charge related to the 1998 embassy bombings in Africa. But because a jury acquitted him on more than 280 other charges -- including every count of murder -- critics of the Obama administration’s strategy on detainees said the verdict proved that civilian courts could not be trusted to handle the prosecution of Al Qaeda terrorists.

I don't get it. Because he was only convicted on one count, that means civilian courts "cannot be trusted" to handle a prosecution (I thought courts handled trials, not prosecutions)? Fuck you, trust. Such pernicious bullshit from the Times. These "civilian" courts are the courts. Military tribunals are just some made-up bullshit the Bush administration came up with to ensure unlimited detention without trial for the Guantanameros. It's not really a matter of whether we "trust the courts". You can't just decide that a court won't convict, or won't convict enough, so you won't bother with it. That's nonsense. It's just another Republican/wingnut bullshit talking point to bash Obama with.

Additionally, the track record of tribunal "justice" sucks, and practically every terrorist that has faced trial in our "untrustworthy" civilian courts has been convicted and imprisoned. Ramsey Yusef, Omar Abdel Rahman, Ahmad Ressam, Timothy McVeigh and so on, all convicted.

Here's omniscient God Rep. Pete King (NY-Arrogant), from the aritcle:

"This is a tragic wake-up call to the Obama Administration to immediately abandon its ill-advised plan to try Guantánamo terrorists” in federal civilian courts, said Representative Peter King, Republican of New York. “We must treat them as wartime enemies and try them in military commissions at Guantánamo.”

Because he knows they're all guilty, why bother with military commissions. He knows way better than some ridiculous jury in some untrustworthy court, listening to some so-called evidence. Why pretend that you're actually seeking justice, just slit all their throats and be done with it. Pete could wield the knife himself, if he has the balls.

It's like a baseball team refusing to play in the World Series unless their victory is guaranteed up front. How American is that?

Speaking of Murkowsi...

2010-11-18T09:25:00.000-05:00

Joe Miller: Pathetic Loser

2010-11-18T09:16:00.002-05:00

Murkowski credits 'phenomenal coalition' for win | ajc.com

Murkowski, who defeated tea party-backed Republican Joe Miller, said, "We did the unprecedented. We made history."

Why don't you send your goons to handcuff Murkowski to a chair? It wouldn't be any more pathetic than your quixotic bullshit lawsuits.

Just Sayin'

2010-11-17T10:38:00.001-05:00

Grand Moff Chertoff

Grand Moff Chertoff and Rapist-Scan

2010-11-17T10:30:00.001-05:00

Investigate the TSA, Not Tyner | FDL Action

This goes to show just how how constant threats of “terror” are used to create new markets for products nobody needs. The public is then intimidated into compliance in the name of “national security,” when in reality they’re sacrificing their dignity, their civil liberties and their tax dollars for the sake of enormous profits

Sign the petition!

Firing Photon Torpedoes...

2010-11-04T17:06:00.002-04:00

Go Sulu!

Must watch. Keyboard-spew warning.

via Dependable Renegade

October Surprise!

2010-10-29T19:03:00.002-04:00

Obama: Explosives found, bound for U.S.

How long before the right-wing blogs accuse the Obama administration of orchestrating this whole thing as a pre-election plot?

Convergence

2010-10-28T12:09:00.001-04:00

"Violent Right-Wing Political Intimidation" and "Cops Caught on Video" memes converge:

Law Enforcement Manhandles Democratic Supporter at Cantor Event | FDL News Desk

Southern Hospitality

2010-10-26T18:27:00.002-04:00

TPM:

Profitt's argument seems to be that not only did Valle have it coming but that the whole incident was partly the fault of the police for not proactively arresting Valle before Profitt and his friends had to rough her up and stomp on her head.

Today's Right Wing

2010-10-26T07:37:00.001-04:00

Caught on video:
Rand Paul supporter stomps on woman's head - War Room - Salon.com

What I didn't know at the time was what happened outside the debate just before it started. It was there that a female activist from MoveOn, who was attempting to deliver a facetious award to Paul for his corporate-friendly views, was set upon by Paul supporters and knocked to the ground -- at which point one of the Paul backers stomped her head.

When the head-thinkin' fails, the good old boys move on to the head-stompin'.

Uva Continues to Fight Cuccinelli's Abuse of Power

2010-10-22T09:18:00.001-04:00

Or, "Authoritarian Douchenozzle Attempts to Prosecute Reality"
Why do Republicans hate reality?
University of Virginia Continues to Stand Up to Ken Cuccinelli's Politically Motivated Attack on Climate Scientist | Union of Concerned Scientists

In its most strongly-worded court filing to date (pdf), UVA characterized Cuccinelli's investigation as "an unprecedented and improper governmental intrusion into ongoing scientific research" and said that Cuccinelli is targeting Mann because he "disagrees with his academic research regarding climate change."

via Bad Astronomy

Common Ground

2010-10-22T08:11:00.001-04:00

Something all our Judeo-Christian brothers can agree on: repressing the womenfolk.
Orthodox Jews defend the burqa - Muslim Women - Salon.com

The Orthodox Council is taking a stand on principle, but it's also fueled by fear that Jewish religious practices will be targeted next. It's a reasonable concern: If the government outlaws Quebecers from veiling in certain contexts, what's to stop it from forbidding any number of the sartorial symbols of Hasidim? Indeed, if the bill is passed with the intent of strictly maintaining secularism, one would expect other religious expressions to be outlawed as well.

Not Astute

2010-10-22T07:39:00.002-04:00

I guess they forgot to install the depth finder:

HMS Astute: world's most advanced nuclear submarine runs aground - Telegraph

The grounding of the £1.2 billion Astute hunter-killer comes at the end of a dire week for the Royal Navy which has seen its carrier force halved, Harrier jump jets axed and warship force reduced by almost a quarter.

American Authoritarian

2010-10-20T12:24:00.000-04:00

A Secular Nation

2010-10-14T10:24:00.001-04:00

Must read:
America's True History of Religious Tolerance | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine

This passage—along with the facts that the Constitution does not mention God or a deity (except for a pro forma “year of our Lord” date) and that its very first amendment forbids Congress from making laws that would infringe of the free exercise of religion—attests to the founders’ resolve that America be a secular republic. The men who fought the Revolution may have thanked Providence and attended church regularly—or not. But they also fought a war against a country in which the head of state was the head of the church. Knowing well the history of religious warfare that led to America’s settlement, they clearly understood both the dangers of that system and of sectarian conflict.

Pure Papal Projection

2010-10-12T13:03:00.002-04:00

New technologies confuse reality and fiction: Pope

"New technologies and the progress they bring can make it impossible to distinguish truth from illusion and can lead to confusion between reality and virtual reality," the pope said.

Really!? The Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, is complaining that something else is blurring the line between reality and fiction? Look at your own organization, Pope Dracula. It has a multi-millenium history of clouding its adherents minds with a pernicious collection of nonsensical claptrap, and technology is supposed to be Making People Believe Stuff That Isn't Actually Real?

Pope, Please!

Good News

2010-10-12T07:59:00.001-04:00

Chilean miners may be rescued as early as today - CTV News

Chilean miners trapped deep underground for the past two months are getting ready for the ride of their life as rescuers prepare to bring them to the surface as early as today.

Doing My Part

2010-09-16T09:33:00.001-04:00

To spread the frothy:
Santorum

Buried Alive for Months

2010-08-23T12:57:00.001-04:00

The Associated Press: Joy and fear: miners found alive, stuck for months

Chile's government reinforced a lifeline Monday to 33 miners trapped deep inside a gold and copper mine, preparing to keep them supplied with food, water, medicine and communications during the four months it may take to carve a tunnel wide enough to pull them out.

Vidographer/Photographer Abuse Reaches Prosecutorial Level

2010-07-27T19:32:00.000-04:00

Another disgusting abuse of authority, this time from Maryland. The only hope of combating this encroaching police state is for everyone to be ready to record events like this at any time. Turn on the lights; the cockroaches will scatter. Police exist for the benefit of society, not the reverse. Police are not rulers or gods. The police and prosecutors do not have a right to not be inconvenienced; they do not have a right to abuse people for the authorities' own mistakes; they have to be held accountable for their mistakes and abuses, just like everyone else.

Throughout its history, the abuse of authority such as this example (and worse) has slithered along at the foundations of our society. Now the snakes are afraid because regular people can bear reliable witness against their criminal acts, so they seek to suppress anything that could expose them. The extent of our legal institutions' utter contempt for the law, at scales both large and small, becomes apparent. They think laws are for everone else, and any attempt to apply law to law enforcement is a pernicious attack upon their protected, exalted positions, or an attempt by bleeding-heart liberals to hobble them because hippies love criminals, or something.

Any Judge that could take this indictment seriously should be carted off to a mental health facility.

Sixteen Years in Prison for Videotaping the Police? | MAINE CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION

However, the scale of the Maryland State Police reaction to Anthony Graber's video is unprecedented. Once they learned of the video on YouTube, Graber's parents house was raided, searched, and four of his computers were confiscated. Graber was arrested, booked and jailed. Their actions are a calculated method of intimidation. Another person has since been similarly charged under the same statute.

The Cars Are Imperfect, But The Drivers Are Full Of Shit

2010-07-14T10:08:00.001-04:00

Crash Data Suggest Driver Error in Toyota Accidents - WSJ.com

The early results suggest that some drivers who said their Toyotas and Lexuses surged out of control were mistakenly flooring the accelerator when they intended to jam on the brakes.

But the findings—part of a broad, ongoing federal investigation into Toyota's recalls—don't exonerate the car maker from two known issues blamed for sudden acceleration in its vehicles: "sticky" accelerator pedals that don't return to idle and floor mats that can trap accelerators to the floor.

I Wonder How Danny Glover Feels

2010-07-01T18:43:00.003-04:00

Holy crap! What a douchebag.

The Times Answers Its Own Question

2010-06-14T07:21:00.002-04:00

Op-Ed Columnist - The Courage to Leave Afghanistan - NYTimes.com

There is no good news coming out of the depressing and endless war in Afghanistan. There once was merit to our incursion there, but that was long ago. Now we’re just going through the tragic motions, flailing at this and that, with no real strategy or decent end in sight.

Wait for it....
U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com

The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials.

Creepiest NY Post Headline Ever?

2010-05-28T07:22:00.000-04:00

Justice Served

2010-05-27T11:07:00.001-04:00

Another thieving, corrupt NY construction dirtbag bites the dust:

Testwell President Sentenced to Up to 21 Years - NYTimes.com

A judge sentenced the former president of a prominent concrete testing company in New York City to 7 to 21 years in prison on Wednesday, saying he had betrayed the public and his profession with years of lying and fakery.

Governor Shitbag Dismisses Critics

2010-05-26T14:07:00.001-04:00

Gov. Chris Christie says protesting students 'belong in the classroom' | - NJ.com

A statement from Gov. Chris Christie's press office addressing the student walkouts said that the students walking out in response to state aid cuts to education "belong in the classroom."

Gobble my schlong, Douchenozzle!

Psycho Pam Sullies MTA with Racist Ads

2010-05-26T10:51:00.001-04:00

Pamela Geller, blogger with Tea Party ties, launches ad crusade against 'Islamization of America'

"Fatwa on your head? Is your community or family threatening you? Leaving Islam?" read the ads bought by rabble-rouser Pamela Geller and the New York-based Stop the Islamization of America.

They also direct Muslims to a Web site urging them to leave the "falsity of Islam."

Geller, 51, a leader in the fight against the proposed Ground Zero mosque, said she was "thrilled" that the ads were up - and doesn't care if they offend Muslims.

The MTA is a government-funded organization and should not run hate-inspired advertisements.

Houseopathy

2010-05-20T19:45:00.002-04:00

Business Rules

2010-04-23T07:11:00.001-04:00

Exclusive: WellPoint routinely targets breast cancer patients - Yahoo! News

They had no idea that WellPoint was using a computer algorithm that automatically targeted them and every other policyholder recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The software triggered an immediate fraud investigation, as the company searched for some pretext to drop their policies, according to government regulators and investigators.

Reform Opponents Fantasize About Oral Rape

2010-03-22T07:25:00.005-04:00

Caterpillar, Inc.!

Echelon at Daily Paul (Ron Paul's site)

Pundit & Pundette

Jeff Davis at Online Tracking System

Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, via Fox News

Norman Hoobin [?]

Michael Haltman at Examiner.com

oyharward, Daily News Commenter

smrs - Washington Times Commenter

Wow... - Deseret News Commenter

Jesus Sayeth, "Believe Not in Global Warming, For It Is Bullshit"

2010-03-04T09:40:00.001-05:00

Darwin Foes Add Warming to Targets - NYTimes.com

In Kentucky, a bill recently introduced in the Legislature would encourage teachers to discuss “the advantages and disadvantages of scientific theories,” including “evolution, the origins of life, global warming and human cloning.”

The war on "liberal science" continues as America becomes a laughingstock for the enlightened world. Yes, our students are insufficiently ignorant of science, and we should be sure to teach them more mythology as science. Meanwhile, the petroleum industry is thankful for the uninformed support of all the bible-beaters, at the same time their HR departments wonder why they can't find any well-educated candidates for employment.

Be Sure To Burn The Matress!

2010-03-04T08:49:00.002-05:00

This Is Where Rush Limbaugh Lives | Mediaite

Behold, Casa Rush. You can view all the pictures at Cocoran, in the meantime here is a taste of what’s in store. No word on whether this means he is actually leaving New York.

Eeeew! It looks like someone ate Versailles then threw it up!

Winner: Teabagger Man of the Year!!!

2010-02-18T15:26:00.001-05:00

Crash Pilot Appears To Have Written Anti-IRS, Anti-Corporate Screed | TPMMuckraker

Joe Stack, the Texas man who this morning, say law enforcement officials, flew a plane into an Austin building that houses a local IRS office, appears to be the author of a lengthy online screed, lashing out at the IRS, the federal government, and big corporations, and referring to his coming death.

More Police Lawlessness Caught On Tape

2010-01-21T10:36:00.001-05:00

It never ends. These are the fuck-ups we pay & trust to maintain the peace. Imagine all the shit that goes on out of sight of the cameras. If cops don't obey the law, why should anyone else?

Video: Cops Suspended After Beating Handcuffed Perp - Gothamist

A rookie Bronx cop and a second officer have been suspended and may face criminal charges after video surfaced showing them assaulting a handcuffed man on January 5th. The beating took place after two cops were wounded by a ricocheting bullet fired by a third officer chasing a drug suspect, whose pit bull had pounced at them. An area resident took the video (below) from a nearby apartment, but maybe it's nothing to get worked up about, because one NYPD source says, "It wasn't as bad as Rodney King."

The Power of Suggestion of Power

2010-01-15T15:01:00.001-05:00

Massive revelation in iBurst tower battle

At the meeting Van Zyl agreed to turn off the tower with immediate effect to assess whether the health problems described by some of the residents subsided. What Craigavon residents were unaware of is that the tower had already been switched off in early October – six weeks before the November meeting where residents confirmed the continued ailments they experienced.

MyBroadband was furnished with technical reports which confirmed that the Fourways Memorial Park iBurst tower was turned off in early October and that it did not provide any services over the next few weeks.

Van Zyl argues that this clearly proves that the iBurst tower could not be the cause of the health symptoms described by some of the residents. Van Zyl reiterated that residents said that the symptoms typically subsided in hours or days after leaving the Craigavon area, and since it still prevailed in mid-November it means that it could not have been related to the iBurst tower radiation.

Ha Ha!

China Declares War On USA

2010-01-14T15:06:00.001-05:00

Researchers identify command servers behind Google attack

Citing sources in the defense contracting and intelligence consulting community, the iDefense report unambiguously declares that the Chinese government was, in fact, behind the effort. The report also says that the malicious code was deployed in PDF files that were crafted to exploit a vulnerability in Adobe's software.

A Vile Clot of Bigots and Cowards

2010-01-07T19:36:00.003-05:00

My State Senators. Fuck 'em.

The defeat in New Jersey, which has widely been viewed as one of the nation’s most socially tolerant states, was a significant setback for advocates of gay marriage. Last month, a similar measure was defeated in New York’s Legislature, and in November voters in Maine repealed a gay-marriage law in a referendum.

But leaders of Legal Defense Fund, which has helped coordinate gay rights causes in New Jersey and elsewhere, said they said they were confident that the court would prove more receptive than the Legislature.

“We are upset, we are disappointed, but we aren’t done fighting,” said Leslie Gabel-Brett, Llamda’s director of Education and Public Affairs.

So Love Is Like Fruit? Or Coffee...?

2009-10-25T10:21:00.001-04:00

From my fortune cookie:

Dodge It, Mike!

2009-10-14T14:58:00.004-04:00

Inspired by RH

iPhone Cam: Elizabeth, NJ

2009-10-14T07:39:00.001-04:00

From the Courthouse at 2 Broad St.:

Once Again, Bullshit Kills

2009-10-14T07:33:00.001-04:00

Author hires investigators to review sweat lodge deaths - CNN.com

A self-help expert said Tuesday that he has hired his own investigators to determine what happened at his Arizona retreat last week, when two people died after spending considerable time in a sweat lodge.

and, of course,

Ray is the author of the best-selling book "Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want." Ray, described on his Web site as a "personal success strategist," has appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" and the "Oprah Winfrey Show," and is featured in the self-empowerment film "The Secret."

I Guess We Have To Bomb Scandinavia, Now

2009-10-09T07:49:00.001-04:00

In Surprise, Obama Wins Nobel for Diplomacy - NYTimes.com

In a stunning surprise, the Nobel Committee announced Friday that it had awarded its annual peace prize to President Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples” less than nine months after he took office.

What a Way To Go

2009-10-05T14:45:00.001-04:00

Death by Ale:
London Beer Flood

The brewery was located among the poor houses and tenements of the St Giles Rookery, where whole families lived in basement rooms that quickly filled with beer. The wave left nine people dead: eight due to drowning and one from alcohol poisoning.

Chop Shop

2009-10-05T13:12:00.001-04:00

Including some enterprising fellows from Bensonhusrt:

Philadelphia Magazine:

About the same time that Rose Oprea was hospitalized for her stroke, the 62nd precinct of the New York City police department, in Brooklyn, was notified of a possible case of fraud. A couple — Deborah Johnson and her husband, Robert Nelms — had recently purchased the Daniel George & Son Funeral Home. A man had come to the home wishing to bury his aunt, who had prepaid for her funeral; Johnson could not find the appropriate documentation, and noticed larger-scale accounting irregularities. The case was assigned to Detective Patricia O’Brien.

O’Brien checked the files at the funeral home, which seemed to corroborate Johnson’s concern. But there was something else, Johnson told O’Brien. The detective accompanied her upstairs, to a hidden room. It was fitted out like an operating room, with hospital-style overhead lights, a hydraulic lift that rose through the ceiling of the embalming room on the floor below, a toilet with tubes into which blood and other bodily fluids were drained, scalpels, knives, saws. …

I Never Did Trust Those Fucking Scaffolds

2009-10-02T08:45:00.001-04:00

Mob Infiltration Seen in New York City Buildings Department - NYTimes.com

As construction and scaffolding inspectors, two Luchese associates, Frank Francomano and his brother Carmine Francomano Jr., took bribes from builders and property owners, the indictment said. The two men “used their association with Cosa Nostra to further their criminal activity by instilling fear in victims” and paid their superiors in the crime family, said a statement by the district attorney’s office.

Midtown Crawls With Socialists!

2009-09-23T08:45:00.001-04:00

and tigers and bears, oh my!

Transit Workers Union rally

Lawrence of Suburbia

2009-08-24T11:17:00.001-04:00

KHADAFY SETS UP CAMP IN NJ - LITERALLY - New York Post

Khadafy, who habitually travels with a large air-conditioned tent wherever he goes, will put up his shelter on the front lawn of a home in Englewood, NJ, owned by the Libyan Mission to the United Nations.

h/t watertiger

Boycott Whole Foods

2009-08-13T13:37:00.001-04:00

Spend your money responsibly. Don't support fucking right-wing, knee-jerk, absolutist capitalism:
John Mackey: The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare - WSJ.com

Also:
To John Mackey at Whole Foods

Obama Death Panel: It's Real!

2009-08-12T07:51:00.002-04:00

Here's the incontrovertible evidence:

Scary stuff, people!

Rush Is The Same As Hitler!!!!!!

2009-08-07T19:44:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: It's satire, OK! Turnabout is fair play.

The Gibbering Face of Evil

2009-08-04T18:33:00.002-04:00

Great Ghu! They've even got Santa!

And the corporate cunts who control your healthcare are even more evil!

Digital Wrongs Management

2009-07-30T07:22:00.001-04:00

DRM for news? Inside the AP's plan to "wrap" its content - Ars Technica

The great difficulty in talking about the AP's year-long push to stop "misappropriation" of its content is that it has never been quite clear what behavior AP is trying to stop. It's not targeting Google, as it already has a deal in place with Google to provide full-text feeds of its news stories. It doesn't appear to be going after small-time bloggers or those who use quotes from AP stories in their work.

Epic Fail on the Horizon! If you still have AP stock, sell now.

How About "Spying@Home"?

2009-07-22T13:16:00.001-04:00

NSA Using Cloud Model For Intelligence Sharing

The system, currently in testing, will be geographically distributed in data centers around the country, and it will hold "essentially every kind of data there is," said Randy Garrett, director of technology for NSA's integrated intelligence program, at a cloud computing symposium last week at the National Defense University's Information Resources Management College.

iPhone Cam Test

2009-07-14T10:05:00.000-04:00

JDeveloper 11g Integrated WebLogic

2009-07-14T09:37:00.002-04:00

A tech tip for Oracle Java developers:

The password for the Integrated WebLogic server is now weblogic1 as of the 11g release of JDeveloper, whereas it was previously just weblogic.

For some reason, I couldn't find this information on the Web or in MetaLink, but I made an educated guess that worked out.

Please, Mark Sanford!

2009-07-01T20:27:00.002-04:00

For the love of your God, stop humiliating your wife in the national media. Are you trying to be an early entrant for Douchebag of the Millenium?

Rot, You Fucking Weasel

2009-06-29T11:42:00.001-04:00

No. Sympathy. At. All.

Madoff Sentenced to 150 Years in Prison for Ponzi Scheme - NYTimes.com

In Your Dreams, Asswipe

2009-06-25T11:03:00.001-04:00

Boehner pops another one:
Climate Bill Is Expected to Reverberate in 2010 Vote - WSJ.com

In a memo circulated to House Republicans, Minority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio) said the pending climate vote would have significant electoral consequences.

"Democrats who vote for it do so at their own peril," Mr. Boehner wrote. "The American people will remember this debate and will remember who stands up for them."

A) The American People(TM) don't give that much of a shit about the climate, far less the climate bill. It is American Industry(FU) that (misguidedly, shortsightedly) doesn't like this bill.
B) The assumption that the American People that do give a shit would side with the Republicans against that bill is shaky at best.

But if the Republicans want to make this their Defining Issue for 2010, i recommend that they proceed with the greatest dispatch and enthusiasm. Rotsa Ruck.

Peas in a Pod

2009-06-03T12:01:00.001-04:00

There's no right/left balance in the two recent, high-profile shootings (Suspect charged with murder in Tiller's shooting, Man pleads not guilty in deadly recruiting center shootings) which have been conflated by many bloggers. One does not "cancel out" the other; both attacks are the same. They're both terrorist attacks based on right-wing religious fundamentalism. The fundamentalist was Christian in the Tiller murder, and Muslim in the Army Recruiting Station attack.

Both. The. Same.

Religion kills.

The Fundamental Flaws in Anti-Sotomayor Arguments

2009-05-28T14:57:00.006-04:00

The main argument deployed by opponents of Sonia Sotomayor's appointment to the Supreme Court seems to be that she was chosen because of her ethnicity and gender. This argument is pretty weak even if true, which it is largely not.

Obama certainly considered the gender of his nominees; all of the rumored possibilities were women. Obviously, since they all had distinguished legal and judicial careers, their gender was not the only factor. In fact, they were all apparently qualified for the nomination. So where does this leave the "affirmative action" argument? It's left holding the assumption that a white male candidate or candidates would be more qualified. Obviously, anyone making this type of argument is bigoted, since the "most qualified" candidate could be a transgendered Trinidadian, as opposed to a white male. And if Obama nominated the transgendered Trinidadian, Bill Buckley and his ilk would be making the EXACT SAME ARGUMENT. The only way to quell Republican wailing about the poor, beleaguered, oppressed white men would be to nominate only white men.

Then you get to the actual absurdity of the phrase "most qualified". When you're considering someone as a Supreme Court nominee, there is no dial stuck in their abdomen that reads out a single "Qualification Index" metric. "Qualified" is a necessarily vague and subjective evaluation. Which raises the "qualified" metric more: two years as a Federal judge or five years as a District Attorney? You are evaluating the whole fruit basket, so you make judgment calls about the relative values of apples and oranges. Is Alito "more qualified" than Sotomayor or is this just a facile comparison. And if you came up with an answer, was it based on concrete evaluation of experience or was it influenced by your prejudices?

So even if Obama did consider gender and/or ethnicity in his selections, there's nothing wrong with that. Diversity of background adds value to the Supreme Court (which, I believe, was a theory advanced by Alito at his confirmation hearing). Those who cry "Politcal Correctness has run rampant!" should carefully consider the definition of politically correct. I think the 'politically correct' choice would be to choose an old white man again, as is apparently traditional.

Anybody who's not full of shit will say that gender was a factor in Obama's selection, but far from the sole factor. Nominating a female was probably a far less significant factor in Obama's decision than nominating males was in Bush's decisions. Republicans want us to think that their selection process is gender- and race-neutral; and it's just a coincidence that they go for a white man 99.5% of the time. Objectively most qualified, don'tcha know!

Barack Obama:George W. Bush::Daniel Craig:George Lazenby

2009-03-26T17:41:00.002-04:00

Put that on the fucking SAT.

Painfully Trite

2009-03-18T14:23:00.001-04:00

Mark Hyman The Ultramind Solution | Salon

Dr. Mark Hyman, obvious snake oil huckster, defends his pathetic altie self-help nonsense with a response so typical of the breed that it's almost a neon sign advertising 'confidence trickster':

All new ideas encounter challenge and opposition. As Einstein astutely noted, "Great spirits often encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds." Paradigms don't shift quietly in the night. A true scientist seeks to understand and inquire into the nature of phenomena. Unfortunately, Dr. Burton seeks to discredit and destroy without an attempt to understand.

And even more often, Markie Mark, Con men and idiots encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds. They laughed at Isaac Newton, you say? Well, they laughed at Bozo the Fucking Clown, too. This guy need to do more homework.

...Now We're Just Negotiating The Price

2009-02-25T20:31:00.002-05:00

President Bush embarks on first speaking tour - and he's getting paid $150,000 a pop

A Tale of Two Mindsets

2009-02-23T11:30:00.003-05:00

Hackers Crack Into Texas Road Sign, Warn of Zombies Ahead

Hackers gain unlawful access to a traffic system. Their first instinct is to use the access to play a practical joke.

Six US cities tamper with traffic cameras for profit

Law enforcement and traffic officials gain legal access to a traffic system. Their first instinct is to steal money from citizens and endanger their lives.

Goodbye, Dubya!

2009-01-20T13:25:00.000-05:00

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!

The Banality of Evil

2009-01-02T10:50:00.001-05:00

The Secret Origins of Clippy: Microsoft’s Bizarre Animated Character Patents | Technologizer

Samurai Squirrel

2008-11-24T13:38:00.002-05:00

Sword wielder slain at Scientology building was from out of state, L.A. investigators say - Los Angeles Times

Police did not release the name of the guard or the man killed in the shooting, which occurred about noon Sunday. An investigator said the man had a history with the church but was not a member now. The tape showed the man arriving at the Celebrity Centre's Bronson Avenue parking lot in a red convertible, getting out of the vehicle and approaching a trio of security guards and waving a sword in each hand, Hara said.

I guess this guy hadn't achieved a state of Clear yet, huh? Once again, Scientology Kills.

Some Jokes

2008-11-03T17:50:00.002-05:00

A penguin had to take his car into a garage for a engine repair. The mechanic told the penguin to leave the car with him for about two hours, to find out what's wrong. The penguin goes across the street to a grocery store, climbed into the freezer and ate vanilla ice-cream. When the two hours was up, the penguin went back to the garage to find out what happened to his car. When the penguin entered the garage, the mechanic looked at him and said' "Looks like you blew a seal." The penguin replied, "No, that was vanilla ice-cream I was eating."

---------------------------------------------

One day, Ken complained to his friend, 'My elbow really hurts. I guess I should see a Doctor.'

His friend offered, 'Don't do that! There's a computer at the chemists that can diagnose anything, quicker than a doctor. Simply put in a sample of your urine and the computer will diagnose your problem and tell what you can do about it. It only costs £10.00.'

Ken figured he had nothing to lose, so he filled a jar with a urine sample and went to the chemists. Finding the computer, he poured in the sample and deposited the £10.00. The computer started making some noises and the various lights started flashing. After a brief pause out popped a small slip of paper on which was printed:

You have tennis elbow.
Soak your arm in warm water.
Avoid heavy labour.
It will be better in two weeks.

Later that evening while thinking how amazing this new technology was and how it would change medical science forever, he began to wonder if this machine could be fooled. He decided to give it a try. He mixed together some tap water, a stool sample from his dog and urine samples from his wife and daughter. To top it off, he masturbated into the concoction. He went back to the chemists, located the machine, poured in the sample and deposited the £10.00. The machine again made the usual noise and printed out the following analysis:

Your tap water is too hard
Get a water softener
Your dog has worms
Give him vitamins
Your daughter's using cocaine
Put her in a rehabilitation clinic
Your wife's pregnant - twin girls
They aren't yours
Get a lawyer
And if you don't stop jerking off, your tennis elbow will never get better.

---------------------------------------------

What's gray and comes in quarts?
Elephants.

And the Winner Is...

2008-11-03T17:45:00.001-05:00

Who will be the first rightblogger to suggest that Obama killed his grandmother for the sympathy vote?

NYT Endorses Obama

2008-10-24T07:11:00.001-04:00

Barack Obama for President

The United States is battered and drifting after eight years of President Bush’s failed leadership. He is saddling his successor with two wars, a scarred global image and a government systematically stripped of its ability to protect and help its citizens — whether they are fleeing a hurricane’s floodwaters, searching for affordable health care or struggling to hold on to their homes, jobs, savings and pensions in the midst of a financial crisis that was foretold and preventable.

Epic

2008-10-16T09:43:00.003-04:00

McCain/Palin: Epic Fail

ACORN Beware!

2008-10-15T20:26:00.004-04:00

Since it appears, in my opinion, that Karl Rove is Project Manager for the 'Voter Suppression/Voter Fraud Alarmism' effort of the Grand Permanent Republican Majority Plan (now severely behind schedule), it would not be extending the conspiracy theorizing much to suggest that the Republicans might plant operatives among the ACORN voter-registration staff to intentionally generate fraudulent registrations and supply evidence thereof to their handlers (and get paid for it, too).

It Used To Be Easy To Recognize Patriotism...

2008-10-15T17:30:00.003-04:00

...when we would only recognize regular, pasty white men as patriots.

The Republican National Committee is hitting households in North Carolina with a tough new mailer that contains a striking juxtaposition: It combines an image of someone with a white hand on his heart next to a flag pin, along with the following slogan: "It used to be easy to recognize patriotism."

Being a reactionary, racist asswipe is so gosh-darned confusing nowadays!

Props

2008-10-13T07:16:00.001-04:00

Paul Krugman Wins Nobel for Economics - NYTimes.com

American economist Paul Krugman won the 2008 Nobel prize for economics for bringing together analysis of trade patterns and where economic activity takes place, the prize committee said on Monday.

The New York Post Hates Democracy

2008-10-09T07:33:00.001-04:00

The New York Times highlights voter suppression efforts:

States’ Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal - NYTimes.com

Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law, according to a review of state records and Social Security data by The New York Times.

The New York Post aids and abets voter suppression efforts:
NUTS! HOW ACORN GOT ME INTO VOTE SCAM

To the Post: Just because someone 'registers' someone does not mean they are registered to vote multiple times. Nor does it mean they can vote multiple times. Voter fraud, such as it is (i.e.: virtually non-existent), can be perpetrated completely independently of the registration process. Once again, the Right focuses on bullshit alarmist stories ("The scary Negroes are voting!!!") and pushing trivia to obfuscate the very real and significant voter suppression efforts under way right now. How any minority, poor person or other target of these anti-Democratic plots could read this rag is beyond me.

Is Sarah Palin an 'Awful Anti-Semite'?

2008-10-06T10:16:00.001-04:00

It would be irresponsible not to speculate!

Sarah Palin and the Jewish vote in Florida | Salon News

"What I hear is she's an awful anti-Semite," George Friedberg said as he sat curbside in his Escalade. "She won't be getting my vote." Friedberg's wife, Florence, appeared at the passenger-side door, shopping bags in hand. "I was leaning towards McCain, but after he selected her I've ruled him out completely. I find her offensive."

Obama Derangement Syndrome Goes Into High Gear

2008-10-01T13:29:00.003-04:00

Peruse the comments:

oh - oh !! « GretaWire
Example:

Comment by Ellen Curry Chugg
October 1st, 2008 at 1:11 pm

Do you EVEN believe this?? Every day I awaken, I wonder just what Senator Obama will do to the McCAIN CAMPAIGN….TODAY. I FEEL HELPLESS AS I WATCH OUR COUNTRY FALLING INTO THE HANDS OF THE LEFT>> WE”LL NEVER GET IT BACK IF WE LOSE IT NOW!! McCain, CONGRESS, WASHINGTON and GOD( sorry, I’m not allowed to say that)…..HELP! What can we do to where do we turn: CAN YOU BELIEVE someone is not going to step in and stop this. DO SOMETHING!!

The panic tastes great!

Positive Feedback

2008-09-30T08:22:00.001-04:00

Exclusive: The methane time bomb

Underground stores of methane are important because scientists believe their sudden release has in the past been responsible for rapid increases in global temperatures, dramatic changes to the climate, and even the mass extinction of species. Scientists aboard a research ship that has sailed the entire length of Russia's northern coast have discovered intense concentrations of methane – sometimes at up to 100 times background levels – over several areas covering thousands of square miles of the Siberian continental shelf.

In the past few days, the researchers have seen areas of sea foaming with gas bubbling up through "methane chimneys" rising from the sea floor. They believe that the sub-sea layer of permafrost, which has acted like a "lid" to prevent the gas from escaping, has melted away to allow methane to rise from underground deposits formed before the last ice age.

Boehner: Still A Whiny Shitbag Liar

2008-09-29T15:29:00.001-04:00

Shays, too:
House rejects bailout plan - David Rogers - Politico.com

Republicans said Pelosi may have lost votes with a floor speech they considered too partisan. "We could have gotten it if it were not for this partisan speech that Speaker Pelosi gave,” Boehner said.

Added Rep. Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican who also voted for the bill: “Nancy blew it.”

"That is an absurd accusation at a time when our country is in deep economic distress," a Pelosi spokesman fired back.

"You don't vote on a speech, you vote on a bill."

My Deeply-Held Beliefs Tell Me That This Study Is Bogus

2008-09-25T09:24:00.001-04:00

Does ideology trump facts? Studies say it often does

We like to think that people will be well informed before making important decisions, such as who to vote for, but the truth is that's not always the case. Being uninformed is one thing, but having a population that's actively misinformed presents problems when it comes to participating in the national debate, or the democratic process. If the findings of some political scientists are right, attempting to correct misinformation might do nothing more than reinforce the false belief.

Hockey Mom of All Battles

2008-09-12T19:43:00.002-04:00

My Take on Palin

2008-09-10T07:09:00.003-04:00

As the euphoria starts to fade, Sarah Palin is looking less and less like a McCain's salvation. She may be a game-changer, but she's not going to change it in the way the McCain camp expected it to.

Palin has already reached the 'hiding from the press' phase of politics, and she hasn't even been elected yet! She's gone from nobody to celebrity in no time, and I predict she'll go from celebrity to anti-celebrity just as quickly. I think McCain's miscalculation is assuming the press would roll over as usual and not investigate Palin's past. But the press is even more of a slave to sensationalism than they are to the Republican machine. Given a taste of blood with the (intentional) promotion of the teenage pregnancy story after Palin's candidacy was announced, the media sharks are hungry for more, meatier scandal. And Palin has a past that can provide it. There's a vacuum of news coverage between now and the debates, and the Village needs something to blather on about. McCain/Palin will provide.

Instead of defusing the non-scandal of teen pregnancy, the McCain campaign has lit the fuse on a much bigger bomb. Here's hoping.

Kim Jong Ill?

2008-09-09T18:23:00.000-04:00

Couldn't resist.

NORTH KOREA: KIM JONG IL'S ABSENCE SPARKS CONCERN AS NUCLEAR DEAL STALLS