Shopping Tips

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/07/how-to-do-busin.html

"Rosoboronexport, the Russian state agency in charge of military exports, is blacklisted from working on U.S. government deals. So how did the U.S. Army and the Carlyle Group-owned company ARINC manage to pull off the $325 million deal? Or more to the point, did they knowingly violate this ban? We now know that the U.S. Army handed out a sole-sourced deal to sell nearly two dozen Russian Mi-17 helicopters to Iraq. But the lingering question
is, how?

"Rosoboronexport, the Russian state agency in charge of military exports, is blacklisted from working on U.S. government deals. So how did the U.S. Army and the Carlyle Group-owned company ARINC manage to pull off the $325 million deal? Or more to the point, did they knowingly violate this ban?"

Is anyone actually surprised anymore at the level of respect the Bush adnimistration has shown for the rule of law? Really??

Speaking of Translation

...of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/jun/14/post155

"Experts confirm that Iran's president did not call for Israel to be 'wiped off the map'. Reports that he did serve to strengthen western hawks.

...

"I took my translation - "the regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time" - from the indefatigable Professor Juan Cole's website where it has been for several weeks."

So why am I just now hearing about this? Wasn't the original speech close to a year ago? Must be that "liberal media" again...

Good Point, Good Luck With That...

http://existentialistcowboy.blogspot.com/2008/07/historical-significance-and-failure-of.html

"It is the measure of Bush's failure that the destruction of that 'shared public culture' so succinctly summarized by Lincoln, articulated significantly by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence and, later, by James Madison in the Constitution, have fallen victim -- not to terrorists -- but to Bush's presumed defense of it."

Cover

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11798.html

I'm sure everyone's seen this stuff...

The argument that this artwork misses the mark, for whatever reason, is a fair one. After all, maybe it's just not that funny.

The argument that it misses it's mark because so many people are idiots, is more interesting for two reason. One is that that itself is exactly the point of the satire. So maybe by "missing the mark" it actually makes it's point exactly.

Secondly though, I've been wondering for some time just WHY are SO MANY people idiots?? OBAMA IS NOT A MUSLIM, M'KAY?! Get over it! Why do people believe that Al Gore believes he invented the internets? Do they really think he is insane?? Why were a handful of men, easily shown to be what they in fact were, able to discredit John Kerry's military record in direct contradiction to the Army itself? Why do people believe that Bill Gates will send them $1 if they forward an email to 20 friends?
Why are media outlets that put forward obviously laughable ideas not, well, laughed at?

I don't get it. But I'm pretty sure it wasn't always this way. Why are there so many idiots?

TV Kills

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/071608dnmethickman.3d76e7d.html

"Thomas Hickman drove through New Mexico, police say, until his Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo ran out of gas. Then the 55-year-old North Richland Hills man walked into a field, tied helium balloons to a gun, covered his mouth with duct tape, and shot himself in the back of the head, according to New Mexico State Police.

...

"Partway through the investigation, one of the investigators recalled seeing a television show in which balloons were used in a suicide.

"The investigator obtained a copy of an October 2003 episode of the television drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and noticed that there were several similarities between that show and Mr. Hickman's case."

Oh wait, the stock market kills...

"Mr. Hickman had also recently lost some money in the stock market, Lt. Anglada said."

Oh no, actually it's Red Lobster.

"Mr. Hickman worked for Red Lobster for 32 years and oversaw restaurants in the chain from North Richland Hills to West Texas. He started as a manager trainee, company officials said. In 1977, Mr. Hickman was promoted to general manager and headed operations at restaurants in Wisconsin, Illinois, North Carolina and Florida. He became director of operations in 2003 when he took over restaurants in parts of Texas."

Or you could blame ballons.

Market Reactions

Does the stock market do better under Republican or Democratic administrations?

Idiots say "Republican!"

Wrong.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/democratic-presidencies-arent-always-bad/story.aspx?guid={BEF92A1B-6F9C-4B5D-902C-FA6A4FC6C2A8}

"the Dow Jones Industrial Average Dow Jones Industrial Average produced an annualized return of 7.21% during Democratic presidents, in contrast to an average of 3.6% during Republican presidents -- or almost precisely half as much

...

"facts remain facts even when you don't like them."

Sorry, idiots.

Bail

If a bailout isn't clearly is not actually needed, is it still a bailout? Or just a handout?

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11721.html

"Paulson acted after weekend consultations with leading members of Congress, and House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) told Politico that he is prepared to add the Treasury request to a pending housing bill that passed the Senate on Friday night.

"That measure must still undergo some changes in the House, but Frank was optimistic that the remaining issues and Paulson language can be resolved quickly this week.

"The markets are overreacting, and it.s an appropriate response to that," Frank said of Treasury's request. "In the long run, markets are rational, but there are moments when they can be hysterical as well."

How Far We Have Come Since 1974

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/07/08/accountability/

"If nothing else, as the Democratic-led Senate follows in the footsteps of the Democratic-led House this week by passing a bill demanded by George Bush and Dick Cheney to cover up and retroactively legalize their surveillance crimes and protect the lawbreakers, there will be a clear record -- delivered to their front doors -- of what they're really doing, along with an accounting of the deceitful propaganda they are disseminating to mask and justify it."

George Bush is by far the most unpopular President since we've been keeping track. The Democrats in Congress may soon be the nations last Bush supporters.

Staggering

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/2277298/President-George-Bush-'Goodbye-from-the-world's-biggest-polluter'.html

"The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

"He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock."

It has been pointed out on several websites that, ironicly, the US is no longer the world's biggest polluter. China is. Is this because we've cleaned up our act? Of course not. It's because of relative economic decline. I hope that someday, somehow, in some tiny corner of George Bush's head, he comes to realize what he's done.

"Mr Bush also faced criticism at the summit after Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, was described in the White House press pack given to journalists as one of the "most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for government corruption and vice".

"The White House apologised for what it called "sloppy work" and said an official had simply lifted the characterisation from the internet without reading it."

Reason

"it could not be clearer that this program broke the law, and this President broke the law.

...

"I sit on the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees, and I am one of the few members of this body who has been fully briefed on the warrantless wiretapping program. And, based on what I know, I can promise that if more information is declassified about the program in the future, as is likely to happen either due to the Inspector General report, the election of a new President, or simply the passage of time, members of this body will regret that we passed this legislation. I am also familiar with the collection activities that have been conducted under the Protect America Act and will continue under this bill. I invite any of my colleagues who wish to know more about those activities to come speak to me in a classified setting. Publicly, all I can say is that I have serious concerns about how those activities may have impacted the civil liberties of Americans. If we grant these new powers to the government and the effects become known to the American people, we will realize what a mistake it was, of that I am sure."'

-- Russ Feingold on the FISA reform bill, July 9 2008

Green

The other day I was walking down the street and the aggressive Green Peace fund raisers were out, blocking the sidewalk and harassing people.

"Do you have a moment to save the polar bear?" the guy says, stepping right in front of me, blocking me off.

I really nearly lost it. It was all I could do to get around the guy and get out of there. And the guy actually raised his voice and kept after me as I walked on!

POLAR BEAR??

Fuck the polar bears. It's over, they are history. Done. Finished. Does that idiot seriously think Green Peace can save polar bears? Give me a break. Moron... We're unlikely at this point to "save" mankind, and that organization is using a bear for marketing. Great. People will
run this civilization into the ground. It is certain, beyond all doubt. It's way too late.

The earth, "nature", will take care of itself once people are gone. Hopefully the cockroach civilization of the future will be smart enough to survive.

Shocking Stories in Texas!

Yep, Texas. What a greate state! Yes sir, a model of American
values... This story says it all.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/22/sex.club.children.ap/index.html

"In the windowless front rooms of a former day care center in a tiny Texas community, children as young as 5 were fed powerful painkillers they knew as "silly pills" and forced to perform sex shows for a crowd of adults."

...

"Jurors this year deliberated less than five minutes before returning guilty verdicts against the first two defendants, who were accused of grooming the kids for sex shows in "kindergarten" classes and passing off Vicodin as "silly pills" to help the children perform."

...

"The one-story building where prosecutors say four children -- the three siblings, now ages 12, 10 and 7, and their 10-year-old aunt -- were trained to perform in front of an audience of 50 to 100 once a week has been vacant since the landlord ousted the alleged organizers in 2004."

I wish the US could give Texas back to Mexico. Unfortunatly, Mexico wouldn't want the Texans.

Crooks

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/03/africa/03kurdistan.php

"Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President George W. Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that runs counter to American policy and undercut Iraq's central government, a congressional committee has concluded.

"The conclusions were based on e-mail messages and other documents that the committee released Wednesday."

Super Depressing

http://www.alternet.org/election08/89686/?ses=623a835fd48ca7e6256fed3408a128be

The 10 Most Awesomely Bad Moments of the Bush Presidency, here's the "honerable mentions"...

"warrantless wiretapping; Valerie Plame; Scooter Libby's sentence commuted; Bush believes Rafael Palmeiro is innocent; soldiers face neglect at Walter Reed; signing statements; the Kyoto treaty ripped up; loyalty oaths; the fake turkey; a staged teleconference with troops, staged FEMA press conference, extraordinary rendition, support for junk science; endorsement of neo-creationist "intelligent design"; inaction against global warming; record oil prices; record budget deficits; record trade deficits; record number of Americans without health insurance; two recessions; no-bid contracts; bin Laden still at large; the Federal Marriage Amendment; stem cell research vetoed; waterboarding ban vetoed; "Last throes"; "Old Europe"; "It's hard work"; "Bring it on"; "Yo, Blair!"; "I'm the decider"; "I'm the commander guy"; "I'm a war president"; "This is the guy who tried to kill my dad"; "So?"; "Let the Eagle Soar"; John Bolton; Kenny Boy; Harriet Miers; John Roberts; Sam Alito; Blair talks Bush out of bombing al-Jazeera; Cheney shoots some guy in the face; the Military Commissions Act; Jose Padilla arrested and held without charge or access to counsel; endless tax cuts for the rich; let's waste a shitload of money by sending people to Mars and let's hire some Heritage Foundation staffers to rebuild Iraq."

Worst

President

Ever.

Cars

$7/gallon by 2010?

http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/06/26/oil-shock-analyst-predicts-7-gas-mass-exodus-of-us-cars/

"Over the next four years, we are likely to witness the greatest mass exodus of vehicles off America.s highways in history. By 2012, there should be some 10 million fewer vehicles on American roadways than there are today - a decline that dwarfs all previous adjustments including those during the two OPEC oil shocks."

Imagine what it would be like if we actually had a big surplus of road and highway capacity... What would it do to the economy? Would we be able to justify keeping roads in good repair? Roads not kept in good repair would have to be destroyed for safety reasons, and that would carry a cost as well. These certainly are problems that I would have not expected to see in my lifetime.

Megachurch

Megachurch... Check.
Texas... Check.
Pedophile... Check
Coke... Check

Yep, this story has everything.

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/national_world&id=6151017

"Engulfed in controversy, Barron was a pastor at one of the nation's largest mega churches. Barron is leaving Prestonwood Baptist Church in the Dallas area, after being arrested Thursday in Texas parking lot.

"It was all part of an Internet sex sting, where police say Barron drove over 200 miles from his home, expecting to meet a 13-year-old girl he'd chatted with online.

...

"In his car, officers found a webcam and condoms, even though the 52-year-old allegedly told authorities he simply wanted to buy the girl a Coca-Cola."

New Japanese Video Game!

Nazi Bikini Aviator Girls?!

http://kotaku.com/5012198/pspps2-getting-nazi-aviator-bikini-girl-game

"The game is out this fall in Japan and will be out elsewhere sometime between never and ever."

Yep.

Another one...

http://torrentfreak.com/joss-stone-piracy-is-brilliant-080625/

"It's ok, if one person buys it, it's totally cool, burn it up, share it with your friends, I don't care. I don't care how you hear it as long as you hear it. As long as you come to my show, and have a great time listening to the live show it's totally cool. I don't mind. I'm happy that they hear it."

-- Joss Stone (showing a good deal of common sense)