Comments

Was just reading an article arguing that $100 oil is coming - which means $4.00 gasoline to the States. What caught my eye was at the end, the comment bar:

"Comments

Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous."

Brilliant.

Damn Cookie Slingers

An ornery Savannah resident’s complaint about a Girl Scout cookie-selling station at the intersection of Oglethorpe Avenue and Bull Street brought to a close a decades-old Girl Scouts tradition of setting up shop outside the childhood home of the organization’s founder, Juliette Low.

According to Savannah zoning administrator Randolph Scott, (RANDOLPH SCOTT!?! Raaaaaaannnnnndoooolllph Scoottt!!!!) the location of the troop’s table — a public sidewalk — violates city ordinance. He says he tried to find a loophole or a workaround, but to no avail. “I know it doesn’t look good,” Scott is quoted as saying. “However, other businesses won’t care if it’s the Girl Scouts or March of Dimes. They’re going to say, ‘Why can’t I sit out front and solicit business?’.”

Downtown Savannah Alderman Van Johnson said he was looking into convincing the City Council to grant the Girl Scouts a variance to allow them to sell outside Low’s house during the cookie season.

[savannahnow.]

There's nothing more important the stopping those doggamned girls from selling those vile cookies on street corners. Nothing.

Drunken Awards Show

Next year - either institute a mandatory piss test for the host, or say f-it and have Charlie Sheen and Lindsy Lohan host the damn thing. Couldn't be any worse than what was on last night.

Best Picture: The King’s Speech.
Best Leading Actor: Colin Firth for The King’s Speech.
Best Leading Actress: Natalie Portman for Black Swan.
Best Director: Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech.
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale for The Fighter.
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo for The Fighter.

The rest here, if you give a rip.

The Last Doughboy

Frank Buckles, the last of the World War I Doughboys, passed away yesterday of natural causes in his Gap View Farm home near Charles Town, West Virginia. He was 110.

From CNN: [cnn.]

Buckles, who served as a U.S. Army ambulance driver in Europe during what became known as the “Great War,” rose to the rank of corporal before the war ended. He came to prominence in recent years, in part because of the work of [spokesman David] DeJonge, a Michigan portrait photographer who had undertaken a project to document the last surviving veterans of that war.

RIP Frank.

Sunday Comics - The Week in Review

By the skin of the tooth - we made it to the end of another week.
The reign of Pharaoh Rahmses has begun. Good work, Chicago - a carpetbagging insider who's up to his eyes in Clinton, Daley the Second, and Obama - and Blago is your new boot on your throat. Ironically, while the rest of the world yearns for Democracy - you have decided you're not ready for it. Hey, maybe it'll be okay? And maybe the small bears from the windy place will take the flag. Hope burns eternal, doesn't it?
Oh, I don't mean to pick on just Chicago - it seems the entire Midwest is breaking down and crying... well, at least that's the case of Wisconsin and Indiana Democrats, anyway.
Sure, sure, it's about collective bargaining... how do you bargain for table scraps? The cake is long gone. There are but a few sprinkles on the tablecloth. That's what you're expending all this energy on? Well, where were you folks on November 2nd? Really? You're that passionate about it, where were you on November 1st? Knocking on doors? Rallying your comrades? Just wondering... because it seems you could have averted this with some community organizing a few months ago.
And I'm right there with you Private Sector guy -- sure, it's not fair that some public sector folks put into Social Security and aren't allowed to get that... if there's a rule change, I'll support that. I know a lot of public sector folks who argue that. But if you really want to cut waste -- CUT OVERTIME. Let's start that up.

Wait is that about the debt or our fat asses? Oh, both? Great cartoon.If anyone cares, I think King's Speech will kick ass at the Oscars -- mostly because actors are the majority voters, and the King's Speech is about acting, speech therapy and revisionist history.
Great work, Administration.
I ran that on earlier in the week. It's pretty much spot on. The other caption could be - "Oh, I see there's more violence in Libya today!?"
Another great cartoon... I can only hope that there Iranians left to go against their regime. Meaning, I hope that they all haven't been hung.
Again, Facebook is just a tool - but it's a great tool.
I was online the other day, and someone was yelling that the US should get involved in the Libyan uprising -- I responded, "It's funny. Everyone is usually running around yelling how the US is a bully and uses it's influence for it's own interests, and now the ONE time the US doesn't intervene, someone's yelling for the US to invade." Well, about 800 comments later, I stand by that comment. Meantime, I really, really wish Reagan would have had greater success in bombing his ass.

And now, a moment of silence for our friends and readers in New Zealand.
Hang on gang, just a little while longer and it'll be St. Patrick's Day.

The Face of Evil

The alternate headline: The Ongoing Case FOR the Death Penalty.

Why? Toddler raped at SeaWorld. Suspect saved photos of assault on cell phone, sent pictures to e-mail account

I have been thinking about this story all day. It's been really, really disturbing me.

If a 'person' has to do this sort of thing to get his kicks, then he needs to be taken off this planet.

Granted, there's a due process that hasn't been given to this accused man. He is only accused. However, if after that process, the court and a jury of his peers renders him guilty - and the photos didn't just 'magic' themselves onto his cell phone and email account - I want this thing off our planet. Whether on a rocket, a barrage of bullets, or in a prison where the fellow inmates 'circle the wagons' on him... whatever it takes, I want this thing off our world.

Meet the New Boss...

Emanuel transition aide quits after ethics violation revealed

A veteran politician Rahm Emanuel named to his mayoral transition team resigned her high-level state job last summer and paid a fine for conducting political business on state time, according to a newly filed ethics report.

The full story

Wow, hasn't even been a WEEK and he's already popped his corruption cherry!

...same as the old Boss.

MADD Hypocrite

48-year-old Gainesville resident Debra Oberlin was arrested for driving under the influence after registering a .234 and .239 on breath alcohol tests — significantly above Florida’s legal limit of .08.

Oh, did I mention that Ms. Oberlin is the former president of the Gainesville chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving?

From The Gainesville Sun:

On Feb. 18 at 1:10 a.m., an officer spotted Oberlin driving erratically on Northwest 19th Street, swerving and crossing lanes, an arrest report states. Oberlin was pulled over in the 3600 block of Northwest 39th Avenue.

The officer wrote that Oberlin smelled of alcohol and had watery, bloodshot and dilated eyes. The report states that Oberlin told the officer she had four beers.

Gainesville’s MADD chapter existed for several years in the 1990s before closing in 1996 because of lack of financial support. Oberlin was the chapter president for three years.

If only there was some organization I could join to bring forth laws and a stronger Nanny state to prevent this sort of thing from happening? People Against Drunk Mothers Driving? PADMD?

We gotta think of the children!

Don't piss off the Scientologists

Academy award-winning, screenwriter-director Paul Haggis says he has received all sorts of feedback since referring to Scientology as a “cult” in a recent New Yorker expose.

“I’ve been getting a lot of very supportive emails and I’ve been getting some really troubling ones,” he told THR Tuesday at Vanity Fair’s Campaign Hollywood 2011 event celebrating Artists for Peace and Justice presented by Brioni in West Hollywood. "Some break my heart and some are just really angry."

In the article, Haggis, who spent three decades with the Church, revealed for the first time why he quit the religion in 2009. Among the reasons: The Church refused to publicly denounce the anti-gay measure Proposition 8 (Haggis' daughter is gay). He also said he read reported allegations of physical violence among church senior executives and other Scientologists.

By speaking out, Haggis told THR he knew he would elicit reactions: "I went in with my eyes open.”

But leaving the Church “was a personal choice,” he added. “I don’t suggest that anyone else make that choice that I did. Mine was personal.”-Reporting by Lindsay Flans

Also, Paul Thomas Anderson's thinly veiled movie about the controversial Church's founder, L. Ron Hubbard? Conspiracy theories are swirling in Los Angeles following the revelation that Anderson's 1950s-based film The Master, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, has been postponed indefinitely.

Anderson's film is not officially about Hubbard and the Church of Scientology. But the similarities could hardly be more striking and the Hollywood trade papers and websites describe it variously as a satire and a parable. Read More

Double Dip

Rising Oil Prices Raise the Specter of a Double Dip

Sustained and significant rise in oil prices WILL derail the U.S. economic recovery by stirring inflation and putting the brakes on spending.

Oil futures touched $100 a barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange — the highest since before the financial crisis hit in late 2008 — before pulling back. Note, this is WHY there was a financial crisis in 2008.

Pricier oil drives up the costs of everything from gas at the pump to the raw materials used to make nylon and food packaging, because we make everything out of oil. That could mean higher inflation and prompt consumers, who lately have shown more willingness to spend, to cut back their purchases. Duh.

Oil prices have risen 7.35% since the beginning of the year, while gasoline futures have risen 10.67%.

The question now is whether turmoil in the Middle East and Northern Africa could lead to a sustained cutback in production or delivery disruptions that could drive those prices much higher and push the U.S. as well as other countries back into recession. Supply-driven oil shocks, like the ones that came with the 1973 oil embargo and the 1979 Iranian revolution, were factors in past recessions. See, some people do read history books around here. Too bad we don't learn from them.

Most economists reckon that the price of oil would have to rise to at least $120 a barrel, and stay there, to threaten the recovery. Let's see where those economists are when it's close to $200, and ask them some useless questions then.

It's a Mouse!

While I like the photo, and the likeness of Muammar is striking - the image perpetuates the misguided notion that the internet caused these revolutions.

While media attention may help to encourage these revolutionaries, it is their actions, and their sacrifices that are responsible, so I think the infectious idea of freedom, and the perseverance of the people involved are much more frightening to a dictator than the internet.

It's merely a tool. It worked for some, but not the Iranians.... yet.

Source: White Mice Know How To Scare Dictators

Oil and Water

For those of you who want to see some sparks fly this weekend....

Members and fellow travelers of George Soros' MoveOn.org will march on all 50 state capitols on Saturday to support the public-sector unions in the Wisconsin dispute.

In response the Patriot Action Network is calling for "boots on the ground" to counter their protest. That's a fabulous idea!

Meantime, 50 Tea Party leaders support Gov. Scott Walker. They write:

…like the federal government, [Wisconsin] has become too big, too expensive, too in debt, and it is not going to embrace change easily. However, we believe the results of the 2010 elections provided you with a mandate to implement change, so that Wisconsinites can have more jobs, more freedom, and more opportunity to pursue happiness now and for generations to come.

…When politicians bestow unsustainable benefits and pension plans on government employee unions (often overwhelming subsidized by taxpayers), and in exchange these unions use their financial power often collected through mandatory dues to systematically reelect these same politicians, there is a clear conflict of interest. This vicious cycle has led to a projected $3 trillion pension deficit nationwide, with taxpayers expected to foot the bill.

…We applaud the serious approach you have taken to tackle the challenges facing your state. We call on Wisconsin/s Senate Democrats to match your seriousness by returning to the jobs that Wisconsin voters elected them to do. It is time that Wisconsin Senate Democrats stop shirking their responsibilities and show up for work.

Click here for the entire letter.

Me? All I see is a bunch of children fighting over the sprinkles after the cupcakes are all gone. It's already over folks.

Gay Politics

Justice Department to Stop Defending Federal Law on Gay Marriage

President Obama, in a major legal policy shift, has directed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act - the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages - against lawsuits challenging it as unconstitutional.... and bad for re-election campaigns.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Wednesday sent a letter to Congress to inform them that the Justice Department will now take the position in court that the Defense of
Marriage Act should be struck down as a violation of gay couples' rights to equal protection under the law.

"The President and I have concluded that classifications based on sexual orientation warrant heightened scrutiny and that, as applied to same-sex couples legally married under state law" a crucial provision of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, Mr. Holder wrote.

The part that was still barely legible under a pile of eraser junk were some doodles and a half sentence about how Mr. Obama would probably need the gay vote in the next election. There were some bullet points about how he hadn't fulfilled any of his campaign promises to the gay community, and he ought to throw this half hearted effort to make it look like he was doing something.

The final note was, we'll see if they buy that.

The Trash

Uh, who moved the trash bin?

Now that planned parenthood has lost it's federal funding, these new abortion clinics are popping up all over the US.

So, who knew that the Federal Government was funding Planned Parenthood?

Pharaoh-Elect Rahmses

That's Pharaoh-Elect Rahmses, to you, clown.

As predicted months ago by yours truly - as soon as the Pharaoh-elect jumped the hurtle of breaking the law legally was jumped, Carol Mostly Wrong and Garry Chico and the Man had no chance in overcoming the carpet-bagger from becoming the new Boss to rule Chicago.

It seems Chicago has chosen to dismiss the democratic process that so many in the Middle East are dying for. As Lybians and Egyptians have chosen to get out from under the corrupt boot that stamps on their throats - Chicagoans lifted up their hands an placed a new corrupt boot heal on theirs.

Why? I'm not sure, but perhaps the Stockholm Syndrome should be renamed the Chicago Democrat Machine Syndrome?

Oh yeah...

American Gothic

Those guys look like a whole barrel of laughs.

Next up, the soup cans that inspired Andy Warhol.

Libya Liberated

Protesters wave a flag in this undated picture made available on Facebook February 20, 2011. Photograph by: Handout, Reuters

Gaddafi Flees Tripoli As Protesters Set The Libyan Parliament Building on fire!

The Protesters appear to have taken control of second city Benghazi. Up to 400 feared dead after dozens killed in overnight clashes. Justice minister resigns over 'excessive use of violence'

Gaddafi's son says: 'We will fight to the last minute, until the last bullet'

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is believed to have fled the capital Tripoli after anti-government demonstrators breached the state television building and set government property to fire.

Read more ....

Oh happy day! Looks like the Colonel will have to go back to making fried chicken.

Happy Monday!

Anger On The Streets: Unrest In Iran, Algeria, Yemen, Morocco And China

There are peaceful demonstrations being staged in Morocco but violence breaks out elsewhere in the Middle East and Chinese police crackdown on planned unrest

Thousands took to the streets of Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakech in peaceful protests demanding a new constitution, a change in government and an end to corruption.

Sunday's protests were a test for King Mohamed VI's regime, which boasts that it is more liberal and tolerant than other countries in the region that have seen violence and revolution. But there's a bandwagon rolling - and it's now or never Read more ....

Meanwhile in the Middle East, Bahrain opposition groups mull response. Bahrain protests continue on ninth day. Iran warships to begin Suez Canal passage Tuesday. Not that this is anything to worry about... And speaking of Iran, their security forces quelled opposition protests in Tehran. Iran's forces battle protests nationwide. Yemen's Saleh says won't be forced out by "anarchy". Iraq: Bomb kills police in Shia shrine city of Samarra.

In Asia, China calls for domestic unrest to be defused. 'Jasmine' protests in China fall flat. Afghan police: At least 30 killed in suicide blast. 'Diplomatic surge' to help end Afghan war, Clinton says. Nepal caught between China and India.

In Africa, they're crushing Libya's revolt. Protesters and security clash in capital. So the protests focus on Tripoli as demonstrators set public buildings on fire. Thousands demand change in Morocco. Bodies found after Moroccan protests. Burned bodies found after Morocco protests - minister. Sudan's Omar al-Bashir 'will not seek re-election'. Uganda election: Yoweri Museveni wins fresh term, despite claims of fraud. DR Congo colonel Kibibi Mutware jailed for mass rape.

In Europe, Hamburg rout bodes ill for Merkel in election year. 7 soldiers shot dead in Azerbaijan. Estonia calls for nationwide mourning after fire kills 10 children. Iceland president forces new Icesave referendum.

And in the America's -- Ciudad Juarez sees 40 killed in violent weekend. 12 taxi drivers, fares killed in Mexican resort. Gov't shutdown threat looms over U.S. budget fight. Tar sand row threatens Canada-EU trade deal. Thousands of Aristide backers march in Haiti.

The War on Terrorism, an Al-Qaida figure believed killed in US drone strike. I wonder if he was #2? Increased U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan killing few high-value militants. Pakistan intelligence says US gunman is CIA.

And finally, Oil rises most in three weeks, gold reaches $1,400 on Mideast; stocks drop. EU, oil companies prepare Libya evacuations. Chinese telecom giant calls off US deal.

So - what, sorry, what were you complaining about? The weather? Your commute this morning? Yeah. That sucks.

Thanks to War News Updates for the content.

Palin Tell-All Leaked

A former trusted adviser to Sarah Palin is planning a tell-all memoir. An early draft of the manuscript to Frank Bailey’s Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of our Tumultuous Years was leaked to reporters. It was a rough draft. Bailey began his tenure with Palin as a campaign volunteer when she ran for Governor, eventually rising to her Chief of Staff until her resignation in 2009.

“This is a fact-finding, truth-reporting endeavor,” one of Bailey’s co-writers Ken Morris said.

“The source data for this book comes from Frank Bailey’s experience and his own email accounts.” On her blog, Bailey’s other co-writer Jeanne Devon, a progressive Alaskan blogger known as AKMuckraker, declared that “Frank Bailey was one of the few true Palin ‘insiders.’ He and a circle of half a dozen people were there in the Palin campaign from day one, until the end of her administration. He’s the kind of guy you’d pick to write an insider memoir, if you could choose.”

So, it's as if Darth Vader wrote a tell-all after he tossed the Emperor into the air shaft.

Both Morris and Devon insist that neither the authors nor their literary agents at the New York-based Carol Mann Agency played any part in leaking the draft manuscript. “We on this end are shocked and horrified that this has happened,” writes Devon, “but the toothpaste is out of the tube as they say.” Blind Allegiance has yet to secure a publisher and has no scheduled release date. Messages to Sarah Palin’s camp for comment weren’t immediately returned.

The parts I read are no more shocking than the Rod Blagojevich transcripts. Lot of petty feuds and aspirations for a higher office. However, there's enough dirt that "Troopergate" may get reopened, and allegations of actual fraud involving 2006 RNC monies spent inappropriately and not accounted for may actually bring a court case.

More

Meanwhile, the ex-Alaska governor will appear in an episode of American Chopper about a special bike being built to honor Alaska’s 50-year anniversary as a state. "It means so much to the state of Alaska that these guys are building this bike that will honor statehood here," Palin says in the episode.

The Budget 'Crisis'

House Votes to Cut $60 Billion, Setting Up Budget Clash

The House early Saturday approved a huge package of spending cuts, slashing more than $60 billion from domestic programs, foreign aid, and even some military projects, as the new Republican majority made good on its pledge to turn the grassroots fervor of the November elections into legislative action to shrink the size and scope of government.

The vote, of 235 to 189 , was a victory for the large, boisterous class of fiscally conservative Republican freshmen that is fiercely determined to change the ways of Washington and that forced party leaders to pursue far bigger cuts than originally planned. It set the stage for a standoff with Senate Democrats and the White House that each side has warned could lead to a shutdown of the federal government early next month.

Read More

The hot potato is, who will be blamed? How about BOTH!

Gentlemen, to Evil!

President Barack Obama joins a toast with Technology Business Leaders at a dinner in Woodside, California, Feb. 17, 2011.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

• John Doerr, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

• Carol Bartz, president and CEO, Yahoo!

• John Chambers, CEO and chairman, Cisco Systems

• Dick Costolo, CEO, Twitter

• Larry Ellison, co-founder and CEO, Oracle

• Reed Hastings, CEO, NetFlix

• John Hennessy, president, Stanford University

• Steve Jobs, chairman and CEO, Apple

• Art Levinson, chairman and former CEO, Genentech

• Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO, Google

• Steve Westly, managing partner and founder, Westly Group

• Mark Zuckerberg, founder, president and CEO, Facebook

Dear TSA:

Wisconsin is Greece

Tens of thousands of state workers and their supporters have turned out at the Wisconsin State Capitol since Tuesday to protest the governor's proposal.

Walker wants to help shore up the state's projected two-year, $3.6 billion budget shortfall by increasing public employees' costs for pensions and health-care coverage. Firefighters and police are exempt from the measure.

In addition to eliminating collective-bargaining rights, the legislation also would make public workers pay half the costs of their pensions and at least 12.6 percent of their health care coverage - increases Walker calls "modest" compared with those in the private sector.

On Thursday, state Democratic senators left the Capitol to deny Republicans -- who control the state legislature -- a quorum to vote on the governor's bill. The bill is expected to pass. The same run-away-and-hide measure that the Texas Democrats used not that long ago.

Politico: The Politics of Education Upended

Question -at what point will it be enough? Will they just keep demanding more until there is a collapse - or a State bankruptcy? And if that happened, and they caused it, shouldn't they be the first to suffer? This isn't about the right to form a Union or to organize -- it's the plain and simple fact that there's no more money!

The funny part is, in the private sector - there's contraction. People lose their jobs. These people are on the streets demanding more. They're calling their Governor Mubarak and Hitler - so much for civility in politics, eh?

Well, on the bright side, the kids are getting a couple days off.

Interesting Quote

"If people let government decide which foods they eat and medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." ~Thomas Jefferson

Secret Uprising Report

President Obama ordered his advisers last August to produce a secret report on unrest in the Arab world, which concluded that without sweeping political changes, countries from Bahrain to Yemen were ripe for popular revolt, administration officials said Wednesday.

Mr. Obama’s order, known as a Presidential Study Directive, identified likely flashpoints, most notably Egypt, and solicited proposals for how the administration could push for political change in countries with autocratic rulers who are also valuable allies of the United States, these officials said.

Read more ....

There's also a super secret report about Guam, and the Bahamas. It's normal and customary for these types of reports - everyday. The way the story is being spun is to make Mr. Obama look like he knew about this, and his tepid response to what's going on as measured and calculated - which is to try to calm the fears of, well, everyone - but specifically Israel who are now starting to believe that this U.S. administration is clueless to what is happening in the Middle East.

Mildly Ironic

Back Up Banksy

"This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Banksy"... Earth to Banksy, you're a graffiti artist. Your career was built on defacing other peoples property, now you're worried about your own?

Okay, now we have a back up to the Blaspheme's Hypocrite of the Week Award. But that's only if Hillary Clinton is unable to perform her duties.

Welcome New Overlords

Ken makes a gesture to Watson, the IBM computer that kicked his ass on Jeopardy. To be fair, it took 4 hours to tape the episode because Watson kept crashing. I for one am not too concerned about Skynet-Watson... but I don't think we should give him control of the ISS just yet. Those pod bay doors keep sticking.

Notes on the Budget

Here are some reviews of Mr. Obama's Budget... (ouch)

“He whiffed…” USA Today

“Gutless…Far worse than merely bad.” IBD

“Obama's budget shies away from tough choices… In a crucial way, it lacks honesty.” San Francisco Chronicle

“[Obama]Turned away on leading the nation back from an impending fiscal nightmare.” Dallas Morning News

“What Mr. Obama’s budget is most definitely not is a blueprint for dealing with the real long-term problems that feed the budget deficit…” New York Times

"The larger problem with the budget is the administration's refusal to confront the hard choices that Mr. Obama is so fond of saying must be faced." The Washington Post

“The American people also want a President to lead, and this budget is so transparently cynical it may help Republicans make their case that if they don't lead, no one will.” Wall Street Journal

Increases Taxes By $1.6 Trillion, More Spending, Debt:

“Obama budget resurrects rejected tax increases.” Associated Press

“[Obama] raises taxes by $1.6 trillion over the coming decade…” Associated Press

"The administration says it will reach $15.476 trillion by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year, to reach 102.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) -- the first time since World War II that dubious figure has been reached." The Washington Times

“disappointed the Obama administration has decided to double down on the status quo… continues to act as if government spending is the way to prosperity.” Denver Post

Leading Democrats Say Budget Falls Far Short – “Focusing On the Politics of the Problem and Not the Problem:”

“[The budget goes] nowhere near where they will have to go to resolve our fiscal nightmare.” – Erskine Bowles, Former Clinton White House Chief of Staff and President Obama’s Fiscal Commission Co-Chair

“[Obama] is focusing on the politics of the problem and not the problem…If you address only the politics of the problem, the problem doesn't go away. There's a real world out there. There is a bond market out there. And there are people who vote, including a lot of people in the middle of the political spectrum, who care about the issue of long-term fiscal sustainability." – William Galston, Former Domestic Policy Advisor , Clinton White House

Wow! With EVERYONE so pissed - he must have nailed it! Right? Right guys? Hello?
Note: Super shout out to Marathon Pundit who compiled all the links - Go to him to follow the quotes.

Iraq Defector Admits To Lying About WMDs In Iraq

The defector who convinced the White House that Iraq had a secret biological weapons programme has admitted for the first time that he lied about his story then watched in shock as it was used to justify the war.

• Man codenamed Curveball 'invented' tales of bioweapons
• Iraqi told lies to try to bring down Saddam Hussein regime
• Fabrications used by US as justification for invasion

The defector who convinced the White House that Iraq had a secret biological weapons program has admitted for the first time that he lied about his story, then watched in shock as it was used to justify the war.

Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, codenamed Curveball by German and American intelligence officials who dealt with his claims, has told the Guardian that he fabricated tales of mobile bioweapons trucks and clandestine factories in an attempt to bring down the Saddam Hussein regime, from which he had fled in 1995.

Read more ....

Internet is Awesome

Here are the links to the articles: Clinton calls for global recognition of internet freedom http://edition.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/02/15/clinton.internet/

Wikileaks row intensified as US makes "privacy" move against Twitter (image link) http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/15/wikileaks-row-us-privacy-twitter

Thanks Internet - it's good to see that someone else is paying attention.

Hypocrite Hillary

The Blaspheme's Hypocrite of the Week is Hillary Clinton.

She went and gave a speech about setting up a fund to help internet rebellions, (as long as they're not domestic Tea Party types, of course) The U.S. will help “people in oppressive Internet environments get around filters, stay one step ahead of the censors, the hackers, and the thugs who beat them up or imprison them for what they say online,” she said yesterday.

Clinton announced the creation of a State Department office for Cyber Issues that will be headed by Christopher Painter, an official on President Barack Obama’s National Security Council and former federal prosecutor specializing in computer crime.

American government's leadership in the cause of online freedom seems a tad hampered by things like their handling of the Wikileaks situation and even the mere whisper of Congress implementing an Internet kill switch in the US.

Also, if American companies sell firewalls and tough crackdown software to dictators - and the tax dollars on the sale goes to the people being oppressed to fight that cyber oppression that we sold them - does that seem a tad bit off the charts of stupidity? Or is it merely the most convoluted way to spur industry, the way only an American can understand?

A Weapon Of Mass Destruction Found In The U.S.?

A port official has admitted that a 'weapon of mass effect' has been found by 'partner agencies' in the U.S., raising major questions over a possible government cover-up.

The disturbing revelation came in an interview with San Diego's assistant port director screened by a television channel in the city.

The Customs and Border Protection Department tried to dampen speculation over his remarks, but doubts remained over whether he had inadvertently revealed a dirty bomb plot to attack the U.S. mainland.

Read more ....

While you're worried about Valentine's Day...

The entire Middle East is going up for grabs:

Algeria:

Riots broke out across the country in early January, triggered by an increase in basic food prices. Before too long, protesters were demanding the ouster of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who has ruled Algeria for 11 years, and changed the country's constitution in 2008 so as to allow himself to remain in power until he dies. On Saturday, demonstrators chanting "change the power" clashed with security forces in Algiers. Today, the government announced the country's 19-year state of emergency would be revoked "within days."

Bahrain:

For the last year, Bahrain's marginalized Shiite majority has been protesting the rule of King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa, a Sunni who succeeded his father in 2002. But in the wake of the dramatic events elsewhere in the region, the protests have gained momentum and turned violent. In an effort to quell the unrest, the king has announced that the regime will give every Bahraini family $2,700 in cash.

IRAN:

Tens of thousands of protesters, marching in solidarity with Egyptian protesters, clashed with police in central Tehran today. Police used tear gas and beat some protesters, who chanted "Death to the dictator," referring to Mock Mood Ahmadinerjacket. Iran's opposition has kept a low profile since a brutal June 2009 crackdown by the ruling Islamic regime, which has been in power since the 1979 revolution. And remember, any uprising would be a counter-revolution. Try to keep up. Ironically, as reported here... Mock Mood cheered on the Egyptians while cautioning the Green party activists that he would crack skulls if they tried it on him - again.

Please also note: Twitter and Facebook were an important part of the Iranian uprising following the stolen election against the Green Party -- but they were NOT able to bring down Mock Mood.

Tunisia:

In some ways, Tunisia started it all. On Dec. 17, a young man set himself on fire to protest unemployment after police confiscated the fruit and vegetables he was selling without a permit. That sparked violent nationwide protests against the autocratic regime of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, which had been in place since 1987, and was viewed by many Tunisians as corrupt and repressive. A day after dismissing his government on January 13, Ben Ali fled by plane to Saudi Arabia.

Yemen:

On Jan. 27, 16,000 Yemenis--inspired by events in Egypt--protested economic conditions, corruption and repression in the capital city of Sana'a. A week later, after continuing demonstrations, the country's authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled for 32 years, said he wouldn't run for re-election in 2013, and wouldn't pass power on to his son. But the protests have raged on. On Saturday, 5,000 police used clubs to beat hundreds of protesters, some of whom chanted: "A Yemeni revolution after the Egyptian revolution." Yesterday, Saleh canceled a planned trip to the United States, citing the climate of unrest in the Middle East.

So, did you get flowers for your significant other?

Pick Your Cupid

Kind of stupid - but we're all very busy over here at the Blaspheme's office. Wish I could say that it's something important. It's not.

Sunday Comics - The Week in Review

Finish line. Another week in the history books. The roller-coaster of the drama in Egypt has come to a conclusion - and the three hundred souls that helped make it happen. Social media was a tool, an interment in organizing - not necessarily creating - a revolution. And in Egypt's case it was as effective as a blade or a bullet. In Iran - not so much.
It's also telling that in Iran, as they're celebrating their revolution, and cheering on Egypt - they're suppressing the Green movement and hanging the opposition.
And go he did. The military performed a soft coup d'e'tat. The oil sucking world is concerned what's going to happen next. The West, and America love democracy -- but only if it's to their own benefit. If you're a democracy and elect theocracy into office - that's not good for business. That's why the West is excited for the people of Egypt, but also quaking in their boots that Egypt won't want to play ball.
Which explains, perfectly, the White House's trepidations and confusing messages about Egypt these last couple weeks. A PEW poll discovered that 82% of Egyptians have an unfavorable opinion of the United States. They also want more religion in their government. Factbox: Egyptians want more Islam in politics: poll.

Switching gears, Mr. Obama crossed the street to try to mend fences with the Chamber of Commerce. It went over like a lead balloon.
But the US is on the road to recovery, right? There's nothing to fear... oh, Inflation.
Meantime, make sure you get out to the store this weekend to buy your sweetie overpriced roses and chocolate that was picked by children... oh, you haven't heard? Now chocolate is the new blood diamond. Eh, just email your SO a picture. That ought to go over well.

And there's a new high watermark for failure out there...
Let's try to meet back here next week, gang. In the meantime, hang in there.

Thought of the week: Why is cargo on a ship, but stuff on a truck is a shipment?

Saturday Morning Video

Bye Bye Mubarak from Ramy Rizkallah on Vimeo.

Bye, Bye Mubarak: 20 minutes after Egyptian VP Omar Suleiman officially announced President Hosni Mubarak’s abdication, filmmaker Ramy Rizkallah grabbed his camera and hit the streets to document the celebration.

Mubarak Leaves

Mubarak Leaves Cairo as Military Asserts Control

The Egyptian military appeared to assert its leadership Friday amid growing indications that President Hosni Mubarak was yielding all power. A Western diplomat said that Mr. Mubarak had left the capital for the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, about 250 miles from Cairo.

As protesters were swarming into the streets Friday morning for what was expected to be the biggest and most volatile demonstrations in the three-week revolt here, the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces issued a statement over state television and radio indicating that the military, not Mr. Mubarak, was in effective control of the country. It was unclear whether the military would take meaningful steps toward democracy or begin a military dictatorship.

Western diplomats said that officials of the Egyptian government were scrambling to assure that a muddled speech Mr. Mubarak made on Thursday night that enraged protesters had in fact signaled his irrevocable handover of presidential
authority.

Read More:

UPDATE: BREAKING: President Mubarak Resigns

3 Blasts on Oil Pipeline

Iran's semiofficial Mehr News Agency on Friday said simultaneous blasts have struck three pipelines near the city of Qom, cutting the flow of gas.

Mehr said the blasts, which occurred at 5:50 a.m. outside the town of Salafchegan, south of Teheran, were felt miles away.

Local official Majid Bojarzadeh said the blasts were not caused by technical failures, but did not elaborate if officials believed the explosions were acts of sabotage.

He said operations were under way to repair the pipelines and restore the gas flow.

Iran's oil and gas sector has been hit by an increasing number of attacks in recent months, but authorities have provided no explanations for the blasts.

Mehr did not say how much gas flows through the lines.

Huff Puff Exodus

The purchase of the Huffington Post by AOL left many of the progressive writers and readers that made the site into a powerhouse looking for a new home."Socialite Arianna Huffington built a blog-empire on the backs of thousands of citizen journalists," a post at Adbusters begins. "She exploited our idealism and let us labor under the illusion that the Huffington Post was different, independent and leftist. Now she’s cashed in and three thousand indie bloggers find themselves working for a megacorp."

They continue that the Huffington Post is not Arianna’s to sell. It is theirs: the lefty writers and readers, environmentalism activists and anti-corporate organizers who flooded the site with 25 million visits a month. So they’re going to take it back.

"We are the ones who built the Huffington Post. And now we will be the ones who will huff & puff it down," Adbusters concluded.

They claim they’ll stop going to her site. And stop blogging for her too. Then they shall birth an alternative to AOL’s HuffPo by using the #huffpuff hash tag and ironically tell the world about their NEW favorite counter-culture websites and indie blogs. Kind of a counter-to the counter-culture corporate left tilted AOL owned left tilted website?

Damn that must be exhausting.

Look, it's a crap site full of pseudoscience and a large percentage of horse droppings. She sold it because she can. It's got her name on it, and she's going to make a fortune. But it's also AOL - and they have the anti-Midas touch. Like the Moldy touch. It seems that just about every venture that AOL has tackled has been put into the history books as "the worst business decision in history." Time Warner? Sending out CD's every week to everyone on the planet? Not considering DSL or Cable Modems as a serious threat to their business plan?

Surly, the death of the Huff-Puff is a foregone conclusion - and losing their fan base will only slightly accelerate its demise.

Terror Threat 'Most Heightened' Since 9/11

So says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

"The terrorist threat facing our country has evolved significantly in the last ten years -- and continues to evolve -- so that, in some ways, the threat facing us is at its most heightened state since those attacks, she said before the House Homeland Security Committee.

"Homeland Security Officials Call Homegrown Radicalism a Game Changer." Yeah, she's been pushing that one a lot lately. I'm never sure if she's just taking about people who disagree with her, or people who are of a different skin color than her? If you're either one, or both - don't piss off the Secretary.

Read more ....

And wait, I thought America was totally blindsided on September 11, and then was outraged and completely and totally over-reacted (ask Japan the Sioux how that worked out) to the terrorist attacks. Does she mean since after September 11th? So, shouldn't she just say since 9/12? Or am I reading too much between the lines - again?

On the bright side - Suspects identified in the Russian airport bombing.

The Future

So, er, we have that to look forward to.