This blog will focus on political images I have found all around the Internet, though I will intersperse some commentary and quotes that I find interesting.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
The Keystone pipeline - still not a good idea
From The Political Carnival...
Via The Guardian:
Germany's largest and most prestigious research institute has pulled out of a Canadian government-funded CAN$25 million research project into sustainable solutions to tar sands pollution, citing fears for its environmental reputation.
As many as 20 scientists at the world-famous Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres have ceased involvement in the Helmholtz Alberta Initiative (HAI), after a moratorium on contacts was declared last month. [...]
"It's a clear signal that Canada's energy and climate policy is not accepted by the international community, especially Germany," [Professor Frank Messner, Helmholtz UFZ's head of staff] said [...]
Canada's tar sands deposits contain twice the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by global oil use in human history, according to James Hansen, the head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
"If Canada proceeds, and we do nothing, it will be game over for the climate," Hansen famously wrote. It would elevate global temperatures to levels not seen since the Pliocene era, more than 2.5 million years ago, he added. [...]
A 2011 report commissioned by the EU from Adam Brandt, an Assistant Professor at Stanford University, found that the lifecycle emissions of fuel from tar sands - also known as oil sands - were between 12-40% higher than conventional crude, with the most likely barrel being 22% more carbon intensive.
Via The Guardian:
Germany's largest and most prestigious research institute has pulled out of a Canadian government-funded CAN$25 million research project into sustainable solutions to tar sands pollution, citing fears for its environmental reputation.
As many as 20 scientists at the world-famous Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres have ceased involvement in the Helmholtz Alberta Initiative (HAI), after a moratorium on contacts was declared last month. [...]
"It's a clear signal that Canada's energy and climate policy is not accepted by the international community, especially Germany," [Professor Frank Messner, Helmholtz UFZ's head of staff] said [...]
Canada's tar sands deposits contain twice the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by global oil use in human history, according to James Hansen, the head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
"If Canada proceeds, and we do nothing, it will be game over for the climate," Hansen famously wrote. It would elevate global temperatures to levels not seen since the Pliocene era, more than 2.5 million years ago, he added. [...]
A 2011 report commissioned by the EU from Adam Brandt, an Assistant Professor at Stanford University, found that the lifecycle emissions of fuel from tar sands - also known as oil sands - were between 12-40% higher than conventional crude, with the most likely barrel being 22% more carbon intensive.
Learning to love hate.
From Daily Kos...
Marriage will be just fine, thanks.
Here's a New York Times article on the most stalwart marriage equality holdouts among Republican youngfolk. Apparently most of them work for think tanks, too, which is quite the coincidence.
"Proponents of same-sex marriage have done a fantastic job of telling the story of same-sex marriage through music and television and film," said Eric Teetsel, 29, the executive director of the Manhattan Declaration, which describes itself as a movement of Christians for life, marriage and religious freedom. "I think it's really a case where once they hear the other side of the issue, and really think about it deeply, we're going to win a lot of those folks back."
See, there's your problem. The marriage equality side has Will and Grace and Glee and this and that; what crabby conservatives need is some good, uplifting music or tv shows about hating gay people. You could have, say, a sitcom about a group of well-dressed College Republicans who go out and tell other people they're going to hell because they're not playing for Team Babymakerz, and maybe after that they show some gay couple the error of their ways (Oh! It turns out we're not gay after all, we were just confused!) everybody sings a peppy song.
Marriage will be just fine, thanks.
Here's a New York Times article on the most stalwart marriage equality holdouts among Republican youngfolk. Apparently most of them work for think tanks, too, which is quite the coincidence.
"Proponents of same-sex marriage have done a fantastic job of telling the story of same-sex marriage through music and television and film," said Eric Teetsel, 29, the executive director of the Manhattan Declaration, which describes itself as a movement of Christians for life, marriage and religious freedom. "I think it's really a case where once they hear the other side of the issue, and really think about it deeply, we're going to win a lot of those folks back."
See, there's your problem. The marriage equality side has Will and Grace and Glee and this and that; what crabby conservatives need is some good, uplifting music or tv shows about hating gay people. You could have, say, a sitcom about a group of well-dressed College Republicans who go out and tell other people they're going to hell because they're not playing for Team Babymakerz, and maybe after that they show some gay couple the error of their ways (Oh! It turns out we're not gay after all, we were just confused!) everybody sings a peppy song.
Shootings
Yep - still shooting each other - and based on the post I made yesterday, the only new gun laws give more rights to the shooters. What about my right to stay alive?
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Hey, new gun laws!
All of them bad for those of us who want more gun control.
From Think Progress...
The First Federal Gun Laws To Pass Since Newtown Are All NRA Approved:
Six gun provisions were passed as riders attached to the resolution funding the government through September on Thursday. While all six had been federal law since 2004, each was approved by Congress on a year-to-year basis only. Now, four of the provisions are permanent. According to National Public Radio's Tamara Keith, the NRA "is the driving force behind these provisions." Here they are:
1) Limit enforcement tools against crooked dealers. One rider would prevent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agents from shutting down gun stores due to "due to a lack of business activity," arguably a sign of criminal sales.
2) Shield gun dealers who "lose" their guns. This legislation precludes any federal law that requires gun retailers to count their guns and submit the results as a mechanism of determining whether any weapons have been lost or stolen.
3) Interfere with ATF gun trace reports. The ATF is now mandated to include, in any reports concerning its tracing of guns back to crime, that trace data "cannot be used to draw broad conclusions about firearms-related crime." Academic work on guns has used trace data to firmly establish that several firearm regulations effectively prevent the spread of guns to criminal.
4) Expand the class of protected guns. According to Roll Call's John Gramlich, the fourth permanent law would "place a broad definition of antique guns and ammunition that may be imported into the United States."
From Think Progress...
The First Federal Gun Laws To Pass Since Newtown Are All NRA Approved:
Six gun provisions were passed as riders attached to the resolution funding the government through September on Thursday. While all six had been federal law since 2004, each was approved by Congress on a year-to-year basis only. Now, four of the provisions are permanent. According to National Public Radio's Tamara Keith, the NRA "is the driving force behind these provisions." Here they are:
1) Limit enforcement tools against crooked dealers. One rider would prevent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agents from shutting down gun stores due to "due to a lack of business activity," arguably a sign of criminal sales.
2) Shield gun dealers who "lose" their guns. This legislation precludes any federal law that requires gun retailers to count their guns and submit the results as a mechanism of determining whether any weapons have been lost or stolen.
3) Interfere with ATF gun trace reports. The ATF is now mandated to include, in any reports concerning its tracing of guns back to crime, that trace data "cannot be used to draw broad conclusions about firearms-related crime." Academic work on guns has used trace data to firmly establish that several firearm regulations effectively prevent the spread of guns to criminal.
4) Expand the class of protected guns. According to Roll Call's John Gramlich, the fourth permanent law would "place a broad definition of antique guns and ammunition that may be imported into the United States."
What do YOU pray for?
Not the kind of Christian beliefs I was raised to believe in...
From Daily Kos...
The Family Research Council is a strange, strange place:
The Family Research Council is giving its members "prayer targets" surrounding the Supreme Court's consideration of DOMA and Prop 8, asking them to pray that Ted Olson and David Boies "present their arguments in an inept, confusing and unconvincing way" and "fail to gain traction in the minds of the Justices," Good As You reports.
From Daily Kos...
The Family Research Council is a strange, strange place:
The Family Research Council is giving its members "prayer targets" surrounding the Supreme Court's consideration of DOMA and Prop 8, asking them to pray that Ted Olson and David Boies "present their arguments in an inept, confusing and unconvincing way" and "fail to gain traction in the minds of the Justices," Good As You reports.
Organized religion
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| From Wikipedia: "A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public." You may have to think about this, but it makes sense. |
How society works against women
Probably a lot of us are guilty of this - including a lot of women. It wasn't uncommon, where I last worked, for women to tell me they did NOT want a woman for a boss.
Try to understand the jargon...
Republicans are incredibly talented at devising expressions and terminology that disguises the policies that underlie their deceit. Learning to comprehend what they are really hiding in their language is the trick to understanding how they want to screw you.
Gun fail 10
From Daily Kos...
Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 09:54 AM PDT
GunFAIL X
by David WaldmanFollow
Another week has passed, and so have several careless and/or unlucky Americans.
Among this weeks GunFAILers, we have three who shot themselves removing their guns from their cars, which I suppose lends support to the guns = cars crowd. Two who accidentally discharged their weapons while supposedly practicing gun safety procedures. Two who experienced discharges on their way into or out of their holsters. Two who shot themselves with their own concealed weapons. Two who shot themselves and lied to police about having been attacked. Two road rage incidents. Two toddlers who shot themselves. Two dropped guns. One discharged in a public bathroom (again). Three who shot through the walls or windows of a neighbor's home. One accidental discharge by a law enforcement officer. And of course, four who shot themselves cleaning loaded guns, bringing my running total to 17 for the month of March, and 72 for the year.
Special mention in the subcategory of "This didn't go the way the brochure said it would": Two who shot themselves while hoping to chase down, shoot or capture the bad guys, and one who pulled a gun and shot the other guy during a fight, prompting the other guy to kick his ass, take his gun from him, and shoot him with it.
Thanks also go out to Peter Manseau, who made prominent mention of the #GunFAIL series in his post at The New Yorker, entitled "Melancholy Accidents,"illustrating just how long #GunFAIL has been with us, even if we didn't know it by that name.
This week's dishonor roll appears below the fold.
TEMPLETON, CA, 3/06/13: The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office says a man found dead in rural Templeton on March 6 died of an accidental gunshot wound. Investigators say forensic evidence at the scene and autopsy results determined Hickey accidentally shot himself while placing the rifle into a ranch utility vehicle.
RISING FAWN, GA, 3/08/13: Corey Williams accidentally shot himself with a 22 rifle. The good news for Williams: it's a non-life threatening injury. The bad news: Williams is a convicted felon who is currently on probation. Williams was charged with one count of a felon in possession of a firearm. That is a felony charge and he is currently in the Dade County Jail.
GREENSBURG, PA, 3/09/13: A man who said he was practicing loading and unloading his 9 mm handgun did in fact successfully employ an alternative method of unloading it, sending it through the wall of his house and into his neighbor's, just as the Founders intended.
BEVERLY, MA, 3/10/13: Police received an 11:54 AM report that a firearm had been discharged inside the building at 27 Cabot St. Officer Mike Boccuzzi said in an email that a licensed firearms owner had secured a weapon in a holster prior to going to a firing range and that his girlfriend had moved it, “causing an accidental discharge.” The incident happened on Sunday and was reported by the landlord of the building, he said. Nobody was reported injured.
PUTNAM STATION, NY, 3/12/13: 58-year-old Daniel J. Harris died after shooting himself in the chest when he slipped while walking on ice with a loaded shotgun. Ticonderoga Rescue Squad responded to the call, and were in the area within five minutes, but did not go to the home to assist Harris for more than 20 minutes. The delay came because the county’s emergency medical services policy requires responders to “stand back” when an unsecured weapon is involved until a police patrol arrives. Police officers make sure unarmed emergency medical technicians are not endangered.
MADISON CO., GA, 3/12/13: A 17-year-old shot himself in the hand. Responding officers find him to be an amateur horticulturalist, as well as a scale collector, apparently. How interesting!
LEMOORE, CA, 3/13/13: A Lemoore man tried to reload his revolver on Wednesday and inadvertently shot a woman instead, police said. The bullet passed through the woman’s palm and embedded itself in her thigh. Both the shooter and the victim were drinking at the time.
FRENCH CAMP, CA, 3/15/13: Mother of three shot and killed. Dad says it was an accident.
CHICAGO, IL, 3/15/13: A 17-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound Friday night when the gun he was handling accidentally went off and struck him in the groin as he cruised on the Northwest Side with his female friends. #BoyFAIL #GroinFAIL. Oh, by the way, he told the cops two masked men jumped out of a van and shot him. Or as Gawker put it: Gangbanger Accidentally Shoots Himself in the Nuts, Blames Ninjas.
PALM BAY, FL, 3/15/13: Some asshole in Florida pulled a gun (a handgun with a laser sight) on somebody over a parking space, but tells him he's a CIA agent and a Navy SEAL, and "kill[s] people like you every day." What a douchebag. Arrested, but posted bond and walked out.
TROY, OH, 3/16/13: A 20-year-old female was transported to Upper Valley Medical Center by the family member who allegedly shot her by accident, according to the Troy Police Department. According to her statement to police officials, she was transported to the hospital by her brother, who accidentally shot her after an argument involving her relationship with a boyfriend.
SILVERDALE, WA, 3/16/13: Here's our next guy in the parade of people who would never, ever clean a loaded gun and accidentally shoot themselves, because they're so damned Responsible. Active duty military, by the way. In case you think that makes any difference. The real tragedy, of course, is that he shot the TV as well.
WESTMINSTER, MD, 3/16/13: Investigators said that Campe was visiting with the homeowner at the time of the shooting. Police said that the homeowner was handling a pistol on the second floor of the home when it discharged, the bullet passed through the floor and struck Campe, who was lying on the couch in the living room. Campe died in surgery.
CARROLLTON, MO, 3/16/13: A resident of rural Carroll County has died while out looking for a suspicious vehicle being sought by Carroll County law enforcement. At one point the unidentified man was handing a firearm to an associate outside his vehicle when it discharged, striking the driver in the leg. The victim attempted to drive himself to Carroll County Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
CINCINNATI, OH, 3/15/13: Three people were found shot about 2 AM Saturday morning at a night spot. A short time later, a man was found shot nearby on Warsaw Avenue. Police believe that man found shot on Warsaw Avenue was in fact the man who had shot three people at the Paradise Lounge. He told police he had also been shot at the Paradise Lounge. But investigators believe he had actually accidentally shot himself.
CRYSTAL TOWNSHIP, MI, 3/16/13: Here's another one that didn't happen, because it never does. Montcalm County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating after a man was shot in the leg with a .45 caliber handgun. Deputies say the 18-year-old Carson City man, along with a 23-year-old Carson City man, were disassembling their weapons in a Crystal Township home Saturday evening. That’s when the 23-year-old thought he unloaded his handgun and while attempting to disassemble the weapon it discharged shooting the victim in the leg.
LOUISVILLE, KY, 3/16/13: This one's a tough call, because the behavior of the "friends" who say this guy accidentally shot himself in the chest is highly suspicious. But the family's rationale for dismissing the possibility is... interesting. The "friends" not only dropped the guy outside the hospital and then took off, but they dumped his bloody clothes in a gas station trash can and got rid of the gun. Oh, and one of the suspects offered the arresting officer sexual favors to let her go with a citation instead of arresting her. But the family is sure the dead man wouldn't have shot himself accidentally, because he once accidentally shot his grandfather. So he'd never make another similar mistake.
NORTH TERRE HAUTE, IN, 3/16/13: A Responsible Gun OwnerTM put a bullet through a neighbor's rear window and through her kitchen, just a few feet away from where she stood. They just don't know which Responsible Gun OwnersTM it was, because the Responsible Gun OwnersTM she asked about it said their only gun was just stolen. Mystery!
GOLDEN, CO, 3/17/13: Golden police have ticketed a man who showed his displeasure at someone who rang his doorbell twice and ran off by firing a pistol into the ground early Sunday.
RAEFORD, NC, 3/17/13: Two dudes get in a fight. First dude pulls a gun and shoots the second dude. Second dude, understandably pissed, beats first dude's ass, takes his gun, and shoots him with it twice. Somewhere along the line, an innocent bystander accepts a liberty projectile as well. Freedom! And self-protection!
MORGANTOWN, IN, 3/17/13: Police said a 3-year-old suffered a non-fatal gun shot wound and was transported to Riley Hospital via medical helicopter. Police say the shooting did not involve any foul play. They say the toddler got the gun from inside the home of a relative and it was accidentally discharged, injuring the boy.
LABADIE, MO, 3/17/13: This one sounds a little suspicious, and I think maybe dad shot mom, and she's covering. The 911 call comes in from the daughter, who seems to indicate that there had been a domestic disturbance. But when the cops arrive, mom says she was cleaning out cabinets and happened to find a gun. But the thing is, she hates guns, so she decided to throw it into the woods behind the house so the kids wouldn't find it. Because kids never find things in the woods behind their house. And that's when the gun went off, see? It all makes perfect sense. Also, a 43-year-old Labadie man who appeared intoxicated was taken into protective custody and for further questioning at the county jail, the sheriff’s office said. Probably a coincidence, being that mom's story makes so much sense and all.
GILBERT, AZ, 3/17/13: What could've become a tragic event in Gilbert on Saturday fortunately did not turn out that way. Police say a 5-year-old boy removed a handgun and shotgun from a closet and one of them discharged in the yard. The boy retrieved the firearms from the master bedroom closet and went outside. He dropped the shotgun on the ground and fired one round from the handgun towards the east.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN, 3/17/13: Responsible Gun OwnerTM gets all responsible with his gun, pointing it at other drivers in a road rage incident. Says he felt "threatened" by their driving behavior and displayed the gun so they would "back off." But... he was behind them at the time. So that made "backing off" tough. The cops, of course, wondered why he didn't call them to make a report. #ResponsibilityFAIL
SAN JACINTO, CA, 3/18/13: An American Patriot freedomed himself in the thigh. Just as the Founders intended, he was exercising his liberty to be high on meth, which George Washington himself actually cooked at Mount Vernon.
GLEZEN, IN, 3/18/13: One person is dead after what appears to be an accidental shooting in Pike County. Deputies say they received a call just after midnight near the community of Glezen. When they got there they were told 18-year-old Damon Robinson was cleaning his gun when the gun went off. Robinson was shot in the face. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
GREENSBORO, NC, 3/18/13: The family that shoots each other together... uh, hmm. No one seems to know just what happened here. Just that a father and son were shot, and it appears to be accidental.
CEDAR FALLS, IA, 3/18/13: Convenience store employee conveniently shoots himself removing gun conveniently stored in his pants. Again, just as the Founders intended.
KANE, PA, 3/18/13: A McKean County man is in serious condition at UPMC Hamot this morning after being shot in the neck on Monday night. State police said Chad M. Caldwell, 19, of Cyclone, was at a residence in Keating Township, McKean County, on Monday night when he was shot in the neck while a man was handling a small-caliber handgun. Caldwell and the other man were in a bedroom when the gun fired, police said.
BIG RAPIDS, MI, 3/18/13: A man suffered one gunshot wound to his hand while visiting the Department of Human Services building in Mecosta County. The gunshot occurred in the parking lot of the DHS building. “Family members were with him and they took the gun away from him,” the dispatcher said. Just like Hitler!
ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, 3/19/13: Yet another tyrannical holster attacks Responsible Gun Owner. A foot was penetrated by a round which "went off," cheeky thing that it is.
RAYMOND, NH, 3/19/13: Upstairs neighbor preparing to clean his gun accidentally fires a bullet through the downstairs neighbors' kids' bedroom, right between the bunk beds and the hamster cage. Remember to thank your upstairs neighbor, folks, for keeping your neighborhood safer with the mere presence of his weapons.
PHOENIX, AZ, 3/19/13: Three teenage robbery suspects found and stole some guns. "The 15-year-old suspect is alleged to have pulled out one of the handguns that were stolen and begin to manipulate it. Thinking she had cleared the weapon she pointed it at her friend and pulled the trigger," stated Sgt. Crump. Killed was 17-year-old Jr. ROTC student Raymond Berryman, shot while in uniform.
ROCK HILL, SC, 3/19/13: You want a bullet wound with that shake? Man shoots himself in the buttocks at the Steak 'n Shake. He also put a hole in the seat and the floor beneath him, but said he'd pay for the damage, so it's all good.
MARION, OH, 3/19/13: The Marion Police Department says an intoxicated man dropped a loaded revolver and shot another intoxicated man on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.
CHARLOTTE, NC, 3/19/13: A loaded handgun fell out of a checked bag Tuesday as it was being loaded onto a US Airways flight departing from Charlotte. Under federal rules, passengers can carry firearms in checked luggage, provided the guns are unloaded and are in locked, hard-sided cases. The handgun—a .25-caliber semiautomatic—had a bullet in the chamber and a fully loaded clip when it was found inside the airplane’s baggage compartment, the employee said. The gun fell from an unzipped outer pocket of a bag, landing on the floor near two US Airways employees who were loading the plane, he said. The gun’s safety switch was on.
COOKEVILLE, TN, 3/19/13: A man was found dead behind his truck, apparently shot through the chest by the hunting rifle he was removing from the vehicle. The bullet tore through the gun's case before striking and killing him.
BOULDER, CO, 3/19/13: A gun magazine with three .22 caliber bullets was discovered Tuesday in a closet in a fourth-grade classroom in the building shared by two Boulder elementary schools, Boulder Community School of Integrated Studies and High Peaks. A student who dropped a glove while hanging up his coat discovered the magazine next to the closet wall when he went to retrieve his glove.
PENN TOWNSHIP, PA, 3/19/13: Douglas McGonigal Sr., Newville, allegedly shot himself in the finger with his own pistol on Tuesday in Penn Township, Cumberland County. Congratulations, Mr. McGonigal! (Allegedly!)
PINE HILLS, FL, 3/20/13: A Pine Hills boy suffered a gunshot wound to his face in an apparent accidental shooting inside the condominium he shared with family members, the sheriff's office said. Detectives said it appears the 4-year-old was handling the gun when he shot himself Wednesday morning inside a unit in the Los Robles condos located in the 4500 block of Silver Star Road.
KINGMAN CO., KS, 3/20/13: A man shot himself in the leg removing his .45 from his car's console. But again, you can expect he'll totally nail that gunman in a darkened theater straight between the eyes.
WAKULLA CO., FL, 3/20/13: #TurkeyCallSUCCESS, but a #GunFAIL. A Florida man was apparently so convincing as a turkey that he was shot by a fellow hunter.
ERATH CO., TX, 3/20/13: This one is this close to complete tragedy. A woman moving what she thought was an unloaded gun found out she was wrong, when the gun fired and the bullet grazed her head on its way to Freedom.
GARDEN GROVE, CA, 3/20/13: U.S. Marshals arrested a fugitive found hiding in a laundry hamper. Garden Grove officials confirmed neighbor reports of a gunshot at the home during the time of the arrest, but said the firearm was accidently discharged.
YORK, PA, 3/20/13: Another gun accident in the bathroom. This time, a York, PA, Burger King. The Responsible Gun OwnerTM was seen attempting to flee via an emergency exit. When it wouldn't open, he ran out the front door instead. All true patriots thank him for his dedication to Bathroom Liberty.
YORK, SC, 3/21/13: “I was making sure it was safe and put it up, when it went off," said the man who shot himself in the hand. Bonus note: the man is the former York Co. coroner, suspended over ethical and criminal charges... by former-Gov. Mark Sanford.
LITTLE ROCK, AR, 3/21/13: Authorities say a 17-year-old in Little Rock accidentally shot himself in the hand while walking Thursday afternoon on West 28th Street. According to a Little Rock Police Department report, the teen told investigators he was walking west near Jackson Street with the gun in his left hand when it discharged and shot the index finger on his right hand. Walking down the street with the gun in hand? Hmm, okay. La dee-dah! Whatever!
NOBLESVILLE, IN, 3/22/13: A Hamilton County homeowner accidentally shot himself after hearing a suspicious noise outside his home early Friday. The 66-year-old homeowner went outside to investigate the suspicious noise when he fired the gun. The bullet grazed his head and he was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Originally posted to David Waldman on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 09:54 AM PDT.
Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 09:54 AM PDT
GunFAIL X
by David WaldmanFollow
Another week has passed, and so have several careless and/or unlucky Americans.
Among this weeks GunFAILers, we have three who shot themselves removing their guns from their cars, which I suppose lends support to the guns = cars crowd. Two who accidentally discharged their weapons while supposedly practicing gun safety procedures. Two who experienced discharges on their way into or out of their holsters. Two who shot themselves with their own concealed weapons. Two who shot themselves and lied to police about having been attacked. Two road rage incidents. Two toddlers who shot themselves. Two dropped guns. One discharged in a public bathroom (again). Three who shot through the walls or windows of a neighbor's home. One accidental discharge by a law enforcement officer. And of course, four who shot themselves cleaning loaded guns, bringing my running total to 17 for the month of March, and 72 for the year.
Special mention in the subcategory of "This didn't go the way the brochure said it would": Two who shot themselves while hoping to chase down, shoot or capture the bad guys, and one who pulled a gun and shot the other guy during a fight, prompting the other guy to kick his ass, take his gun from him, and shoot him with it.
Thanks also go out to Peter Manseau, who made prominent mention of the #GunFAIL series in his post at The New Yorker, entitled "Melancholy Accidents,"illustrating just how long #GunFAIL has been with us, even if we didn't know it by that name.
This week's dishonor roll appears below the fold.
TEMPLETON, CA, 3/06/13: The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office says a man found dead in rural Templeton on March 6 died of an accidental gunshot wound. Investigators say forensic evidence at the scene and autopsy results determined Hickey accidentally shot himself while placing the rifle into a ranch utility vehicle.
RISING FAWN, GA, 3/08/13: Corey Williams accidentally shot himself with a 22 rifle. The good news for Williams: it's a non-life threatening injury. The bad news: Williams is a convicted felon who is currently on probation. Williams was charged with one count of a felon in possession of a firearm. That is a felony charge and he is currently in the Dade County Jail.
GREENSBURG, PA, 3/09/13: A man who said he was practicing loading and unloading his 9 mm handgun did in fact successfully employ an alternative method of unloading it, sending it through the wall of his house and into his neighbor's, just as the Founders intended.
BEVERLY, MA, 3/10/13: Police received an 11:54 AM report that a firearm had been discharged inside the building at 27 Cabot St. Officer Mike Boccuzzi said in an email that a licensed firearms owner had secured a weapon in a holster prior to going to a firing range and that his girlfriend had moved it, “causing an accidental discharge.” The incident happened on Sunday and was reported by the landlord of the building, he said. Nobody was reported injured.
PUTNAM STATION, NY, 3/12/13: 58-year-old Daniel J. Harris died after shooting himself in the chest when he slipped while walking on ice with a loaded shotgun. Ticonderoga Rescue Squad responded to the call, and were in the area within five minutes, but did not go to the home to assist Harris for more than 20 minutes. The delay came because the county’s emergency medical services policy requires responders to “stand back” when an unsecured weapon is involved until a police patrol arrives. Police officers make sure unarmed emergency medical technicians are not endangered.
MADISON CO., GA, 3/12/13: A 17-year-old shot himself in the hand. Responding officers find him to be an amateur horticulturalist, as well as a scale collector, apparently. How interesting!
LEMOORE, CA, 3/13/13: A Lemoore man tried to reload his revolver on Wednesday and inadvertently shot a woman instead, police said. The bullet passed through the woman’s palm and embedded itself in her thigh. Both the shooter and the victim were drinking at the time.
FRENCH CAMP, CA, 3/15/13: Mother of three shot and killed. Dad says it was an accident.
CHICAGO, IL, 3/15/13: A 17-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound Friday night when the gun he was handling accidentally went off and struck him in the groin as he cruised on the Northwest Side with his female friends. #BoyFAIL #GroinFAIL. Oh, by the way, he told the cops two masked men jumped out of a van and shot him. Or as Gawker put it: Gangbanger Accidentally Shoots Himself in the Nuts, Blames Ninjas.
PALM BAY, FL, 3/15/13: Some asshole in Florida pulled a gun (a handgun with a laser sight) on somebody over a parking space, but tells him he's a CIA agent and a Navy SEAL, and "kill[s] people like you every day." What a douchebag. Arrested, but posted bond and walked out.
TROY, OH, 3/16/13: A 20-year-old female was transported to Upper Valley Medical Center by the family member who allegedly shot her by accident, according to the Troy Police Department. According to her statement to police officials, she was transported to the hospital by her brother, who accidentally shot her after an argument involving her relationship with a boyfriend.
SILVERDALE, WA, 3/16/13: Here's our next guy in the parade of people who would never, ever clean a loaded gun and accidentally shoot themselves, because they're so damned Responsible. Active duty military, by the way. In case you think that makes any difference. The real tragedy, of course, is that he shot the TV as well.
WESTMINSTER, MD, 3/16/13: Investigators said that Campe was visiting with the homeowner at the time of the shooting. Police said that the homeowner was handling a pistol on the second floor of the home when it discharged, the bullet passed through the floor and struck Campe, who was lying on the couch in the living room. Campe died in surgery.
CARROLLTON, MO, 3/16/13: A resident of rural Carroll County has died while out looking for a suspicious vehicle being sought by Carroll County law enforcement. At one point the unidentified man was handing a firearm to an associate outside his vehicle when it discharged, striking the driver in the leg. The victim attempted to drive himself to Carroll County Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
CINCINNATI, OH, 3/15/13: Three people were found shot about 2 AM Saturday morning at a night spot. A short time later, a man was found shot nearby on Warsaw Avenue. Police believe that man found shot on Warsaw Avenue was in fact the man who had shot three people at the Paradise Lounge. He told police he had also been shot at the Paradise Lounge. But investigators believe he had actually accidentally shot himself.
CRYSTAL TOWNSHIP, MI, 3/16/13: Here's another one that didn't happen, because it never does. Montcalm County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating after a man was shot in the leg with a .45 caliber handgun. Deputies say the 18-year-old Carson City man, along with a 23-year-old Carson City man, were disassembling their weapons in a Crystal Township home Saturday evening. That’s when the 23-year-old thought he unloaded his handgun and while attempting to disassemble the weapon it discharged shooting the victim in the leg.
LOUISVILLE, KY, 3/16/13: This one's a tough call, because the behavior of the "friends" who say this guy accidentally shot himself in the chest is highly suspicious. But the family's rationale for dismissing the possibility is... interesting. The "friends" not only dropped the guy outside the hospital and then took off, but they dumped his bloody clothes in a gas station trash can and got rid of the gun. Oh, and one of the suspects offered the arresting officer sexual favors to let her go with a citation instead of arresting her. But the family is sure the dead man wouldn't have shot himself accidentally, because he once accidentally shot his grandfather. So he'd never make another similar mistake.
NORTH TERRE HAUTE, IN, 3/16/13: A Responsible Gun OwnerTM put a bullet through a neighbor's rear window and through her kitchen, just a few feet away from where she stood. They just don't know which Responsible Gun OwnersTM it was, because the Responsible Gun OwnersTM she asked about it said their only gun was just stolen. Mystery!
GOLDEN, CO, 3/17/13: Golden police have ticketed a man who showed his displeasure at someone who rang his doorbell twice and ran off by firing a pistol into the ground early Sunday.
RAEFORD, NC, 3/17/13: Two dudes get in a fight. First dude pulls a gun and shoots the second dude. Second dude, understandably pissed, beats first dude's ass, takes his gun, and shoots him with it twice. Somewhere along the line, an innocent bystander accepts a liberty projectile as well. Freedom! And self-protection!
MORGANTOWN, IN, 3/17/13: Police said a 3-year-old suffered a non-fatal gun shot wound and was transported to Riley Hospital via medical helicopter. Police say the shooting did not involve any foul play. They say the toddler got the gun from inside the home of a relative and it was accidentally discharged, injuring the boy.
LABADIE, MO, 3/17/13: This one sounds a little suspicious, and I think maybe dad shot mom, and she's covering. The 911 call comes in from the daughter, who seems to indicate that there had been a domestic disturbance. But when the cops arrive, mom says she was cleaning out cabinets and happened to find a gun. But the thing is, she hates guns, so she decided to throw it into the woods behind the house so the kids wouldn't find it. Because kids never find things in the woods behind their house. And that's when the gun went off, see? It all makes perfect sense. Also, a 43-year-old Labadie man who appeared intoxicated was taken into protective custody and for further questioning at the county jail, the sheriff’s office said. Probably a coincidence, being that mom's story makes so much sense and all.
GILBERT, AZ, 3/17/13: What could've become a tragic event in Gilbert on Saturday fortunately did not turn out that way. Police say a 5-year-old boy removed a handgun and shotgun from a closet and one of them discharged in the yard. The boy retrieved the firearms from the master bedroom closet and went outside. He dropped the shotgun on the ground and fired one round from the handgun towards the east.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN, 3/17/13: Responsible Gun OwnerTM gets all responsible with his gun, pointing it at other drivers in a road rage incident. Says he felt "threatened" by their driving behavior and displayed the gun so they would "back off." But... he was behind them at the time. So that made "backing off" tough. The cops, of course, wondered why he didn't call them to make a report. #ResponsibilityFAIL
SAN JACINTO, CA, 3/18/13: An American Patriot freedomed himself in the thigh. Just as the Founders intended, he was exercising his liberty to be high on meth, which George Washington himself actually cooked at Mount Vernon.
GLEZEN, IN, 3/18/13: One person is dead after what appears to be an accidental shooting in Pike County. Deputies say they received a call just after midnight near the community of Glezen. When they got there they were told 18-year-old Damon Robinson was cleaning his gun when the gun went off. Robinson was shot in the face. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
GREENSBORO, NC, 3/18/13: The family that shoots each other together... uh, hmm. No one seems to know just what happened here. Just that a father and son were shot, and it appears to be accidental.
CEDAR FALLS, IA, 3/18/13: Convenience store employee conveniently shoots himself removing gun conveniently stored in his pants. Again, just as the Founders intended.
KANE, PA, 3/18/13: A McKean County man is in serious condition at UPMC Hamot this morning after being shot in the neck on Monday night. State police said Chad M. Caldwell, 19, of Cyclone, was at a residence in Keating Township, McKean County, on Monday night when he was shot in the neck while a man was handling a small-caliber handgun. Caldwell and the other man were in a bedroom when the gun fired, police said.
BIG RAPIDS, MI, 3/18/13: A man suffered one gunshot wound to his hand while visiting the Department of Human Services building in Mecosta County. The gunshot occurred in the parking lot of the DHS building. “Family members were with him and they took the gun away from him,” the dispatcher said. Just like Hitler!
ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, 3/19/13: Yet another tyrannical holster attacks Responsible Gun Owner. A foot was penetrated by a round which "went off," cheeky thing that it is.
RAYMOND, NH, 3/19/13: Upstairs neighbor preparing to clean his gun accidentally fires a bullet through the downstairs neighbors' kids' bedroom, right between the bunk beds and the hamster cage. Remember to thank your upstairs neighbor, folks, for keeping your neighborhood safer with the mere presence of his weapons.
PHOENIX, AZ, 3/19/13: Three teenage robbery suspects found and stole some guns. "The 15-year-old suspect is alleged to have pulled out one of the handguns that were stolen and begin to manipulate it. Thinking she had cleared the weapon she pointed it at her friend and pulled the trigger," stated Sgt. Crump. Killed was 17-year-old Jr. ROTC student Raymond Berryman, shot while in uniform.
ROCK HILL, SC, 3/19/13: You want a bullet wound with that shake? Man shoots himself in the buttocks at the Steak 'n Shake. He also put a hole in the seat and the floor beneath him, but said he'd pay for the damage, so it's all good.
MARION, OH, 3/19/13: The Marion Police Department says an intoxicated man dropped a loaded revolver and shot another intoxicated man on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.
CHARLOTTE, NC, 3/19/13: A loaded handgun fell out of a checked bag Tuesday as it was being loaded onto a US Airways flight departing from Charlotte. Under federal rules, passengers can carry firearms in checked luggage, provided the guns are unloaded and are in locked, hard-sided cases. The handgun—a .25-caliber semiautomatic—had a bullet in the chamber and a fully loaded clip when it was found inside the airplane’s baggage compartment, the employee said. The gun fell from an unzipped outer pocket of a bag, landing on the floor near two US Airways employees who were loading the plane, he said. The gun’s safety switch was on.
COOKEVILLE, TN, 3/19/13: A man was found dead behind his truck, apparently shot through the chest by the hunting rifle he was removing from the vehicle. The bullet tore through the gun's case before striking and killing him.
BOULDER, CO, 3/19/13: A gun magazine with three .22 caliber bullets was discovered Tuesday in a closet in a fourth-grade classroom in the building shared by two Boulder elementary schools, Boulder Community School of Integrated Studies and High Peaks. A student who dropped a glove while hanging up his coat discovered the magazine next to the closet wall when he went to retrieve his glove.
PENN TOWNSHIP, PA, 3/19/13: Douglas McGonigal Sr., Newville, allegedly shot himself in the finger with his own pistol on Tuesday in Penn Township, Cumberland County. Congratulations, Mr. McGonigal! (Allegedly!)
PINE HILLS, FL, 3/20/13: A Pine Hills boy suffered a gunshot wound to his face in an apparent accidental shooting inside the condominium he shared with family members, the sheriff's office said. Detectives said it appears the 4-year-old was handling the gun when he shot himself Wednesday morning inside a unit in the Los Robles condos located in the 4500 block of Silver Star Road.
KINGMAN CO., KS, 3/20/13: A man shot himself in the leg removing his .45 from his car's console. But again, you can expect he'll totally nail that gunman in a darkened theater straight between the eyes.
WAKULLA CO., FL, 3/20/13: #TurkeyCallSUCCESS, but a #GunFAIL. A Florida man was apparently so convincing as a turkey that he was shot by a fellow hunter.
ERATH CO., TX, 3/20/13: This one is this close to complete tragedy. A woman moving what she thought was an unloaded gun found out she was wrong, when the gun fired and the bullet grazed her head on its way to Freedom.
GARDEN GROVE, CA, 3/20/13: U.S. Marshals arrested a fugitive found hiding in a laundry hamper. Garden Grove officials confirmed neighbor reports of a gunshot at the home during the time of the arrest, but said the firearm was accidently discharged.
YORK, PA, 3/20/13: Another gun accident in the bathroom. This time, a York, PA, Burger King. The Responsible Gun OwnerTM was seen attempting to flee via an emergency exit. When it wouldn't open, he ran out the front door instead. All true patriots thank him for his dedication to Bathroom Liberty.
YORK, SC, 3/21/13: “I was making sure it was safe and put it up, when it went off," said the man who shot himself in the hand. Bonus note: the man is the former York Co. coroner, suspended over ethical and criminal charges... by former-Gov. Mark Sanford.
LITTLE ROCK, AR, 3/21/13: Authorities say a 17-year-old in Little Rock accidentally shot himself in the hand while walking Thursday afternoon on West 28th Street. According to a Little Rock Police Department report, the teen told investigators he was walking west near Jackson Street with the gun in his left hand when it discharged and shot the index finger on his right hand. Walking down the street with the gun in hand? Hmm, okay. La dee-dah! Whatever!
NOBLESVILLE, IN, 3/22/13: A Hamilton County homeowner accidentally shot himself after hearing a suspicious noise outside his home early Friday. The 66-year-old homeowner went outside to investigate the suspicious noise when he fired the gun. The bullet grazed his head and he was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Originally posted to David Waldman on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 09:54 AM PDT.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Why do people think Republicans are assholes?
From Daily Kos...
Why oh why do people have misconceptions about Republicans?
by Mother MagsFollow
Reince Priebus says many people have misconceptions about Republicans, but his fancy new report 'splains how they can fix it.
So why do people think Republicans don't care about the poor?
A familiar budget plan to sharply cut safety-net programs for the poor and clamp down on domestic agencies performing the nuts-and-bolts programs of the government is cruising to passage in the tea party-flavored House. Seattle Times
So why do people think Republicans don't care about Hispanics?
Senator David Vitter announced today that he will put a "hold" on Obama's nomination of Thomas Perez as labor secretary, partly on the grounds of his work on … the New Black Panther case. Other Republican Senators plan to paint Perez as a "radical legal activist" who has "tried to help illegal immigrants avoid detection," as the New York Times puts it. Washington Post
So why do people think Republicans have a problem with younger voters?
If our Party is not welcoming and inclusive, young people and increasingly other voters will continue to tune us out. The Party should be proud of its conservative principles, but just because someone disagrees with us on 20 percent of the issues, that does not mean we cannot come together on the rest of the issues where we do agree. RNC Report
[Translation: We'll keep hating on the gays.]
So why do people think Republicans are the party of the rich? (C'mon, you know you want to continue reading to find out why.)
Millionaires would get a sizable tax cut if Rep. Paul Ryan's budget proposal were to become law. Those with incomes exceeding $1 million would enjoy an average tax cut of more than $200,000, according to Citizens for Tax Justice, a left-leaning group. And it could be even bigger if Congress doesn't try to limit tax deductions, credits and preferences to offset the costs of the proposed tax cuts. CNN
So why do people think Republicans don't care about African Americans?
A GOP consultant who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution said black voters were a concern. "I know that the cutting out of the Sunday before Election Day was one of their targets only because that's a big day when the black churches organize themselves," he said. (Think Progress)
So why do people think Republicans are cruel hypocrites?
Among the 66 House Republicans who opposed the [Sandy relief] package on Jan. 15 and a $9.7 billion flood insurance measure on Jan. 4, at least 36 had sought aid after disasters in their states. Bloomberg
So why do people think Republicans are anti-science?
"[M]y point is, God's still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous." Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
So why do people think Republicans are the party of Big Oil?
Senate Republicans on Thursday shot down a proposal to slash subsidies for big oil companies, barely an hour after a plea by President Barack Obama to end such breaks to firms which are "raking in record profits." mnn
So why do people think Republicans are the party of old intolerant white guys?
"Listen, I believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman," Boehner said. "All right. It's what I grew up with. It's what I believe. It's what my church teaches me. And I can't imagine that position would ever change." HuffPo
So why do people think Republicans don't care about veterans?
Senate Republicans prevented a veterans' jobs bill from coming to a vote today by forcing a budget point of order vote. Think Progress
So why do people think Republicans are controlled by the defense industry?
House Republicans are now trying to make something else happen: a reversal of some of the sequester's defense spending reductions. On Wednesday, nearly every House Republican voted for a continuing resolution that would provide $982 billion in discretionary funding for the government to stay for the next six months. That keeps spending in line with the sequester's topline figure. But the House CR also quietly restores about $10 billion in funding to the Department of Defense budget. reason.com
So why do people think Republicans have a problem with women?
Republican lawmakers are pushing abortion-restricting bills in both Indiana and Arkansas, suggesting the GOP did not learn from the national backlash to super aggressive abortion rhetoric in the 2012 elections. MSNBC
So why do people think Republicans don't care about jobs, the middle class, and the nation's economic recovery?
The House on Friday rejected a Democratic push to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10, shooting down one of President Obama's priorities from his State of the Union speech. WA Times
And why oh why do people think Republicans are the stupid party?
"I was the first member of Congress to call him a socialist who embraces Marxist-Leninist policies like government control of health care and redistribution of wealth," [Georgia Sen. Paul] Broun says of Obama in the letter. PolitiFact
Yeah, Reince, you can fix this with some new slogans, different logos, a happier tone, more outreach and a new brand. Just be sure to hang on to those "core values."
Originally posted to Maggie's Farm on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 05:07 AM PDT.
Why oh why do people have misconceptions about Republicans?
by Mother MagsFollow
Reince Priebus says many people have misconceptions about Republicans, but his fancy new report 'splains how they can fix it.
So why do people think Republicans don't care about the poor?
A familiar budget plan to sharply cut safety-net programs for the poor and clamp down on domestic agencies performing the nuts-and-bolts programs of the government is cruising to passage in the tea party-flavored House. Seattle Times
So why do people think Republicans don't care about Hispanics?
Senator David Vitter announced today that he will put a "hold" on Obama's nomination of Thomas Perez as labor secretary, partly on the grounds of his work on … the New Black Panther case. Other Republican Senators plan to paint Perez as a "radical legal activist" who has "tried to help illegal immigrants avoid detection," as the New York Times puts it. Washington Post
So why do people think Republicans have a problem with younger voters?
If our Party is not welcoming and inclusive, young people and increasingly other voters will continue to tune us out. The Party should be proud of its conservative principles, but just because someone disagrees with us on 20 percent of the issues, that does not mean we cannot come together on the rest of the issues where we do agree. RNC Report
[Translation: We'll keep hating on the gays.]
So why do people think Republicans are the party of the rich? (C'mon, you know you want to continue reading to find out why.)
Millionaires would get a sizable tax cut if Rep. Paul Ryan's budget proposal were to become law. Those with incomes exceeding $1 million would enjoy an average tax cut of more than $200,000, according to Citizens for Tax Justice, a left-leaning group. And it could be even bigger if Congress doesn't try to limit tax deductions, credits and preferences to offset the costs of the proposed tax cuts. CNN
So why do people think Republicans don't care about African Americans?
A GOP consultant who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution said black voters were a concern. "I know that the cutting out of the Sunday before Election Day was one of their targets only because that's a big day when the black churches organize themselves," he said. (Think Progress)
So why do people think Republicans are cruel hypocrites?
Among the 66 House Republicans who opposed the [Sandy relief] package on Jan. 15 and a $9.7 billion flood insurance measure on Jan. 4, at least 36 had sought aid after disasters in their states. Bloomberg
So why do people think Republicans are anti-science?
"[M]y point is, God's still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous." Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
So why do people think Republicans are the party of Big Oil?
Senate Republicans on Thursday shot down a proposal to slash subsidies for big oil companies, barely an hour after a plea by President Barack Obama to end such breaks to firms which are "raking in record profits." mnn
So why do people think Republicans are the party of old intolerant white guys?
"Listen, I believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman," Boehner said. "All right. It's what I grew up with. It's what I believe. It's what my church teaches me. And I can't imagine that position would ever change." HuffPo
So why do people think Republicans don't care about veterans?
Senate Republicans prevented a veterans' jobs bill from coming to a vote today by forcing a budget point of order vote. Think Progress
So why do people think Republicans are controlled by the defense industry?
House Republicans are now trying to make something else happen: a reversal of some of the sequester's defense spending reductions. On Wednesday, nearly every House Republican voted for a continuing resolution that would provide $982 billion in discretionary funding for the government to stay for the next six months. That keeps spending in line with the sequester's topline figure. But the House CR also quietly restores about $10 billion in funding to the Department of Defense budget. reason.com
So why do people think Republicans have a problem with women?
Republican lawmakers are pushing abortion-restricting bills in both Indiana and Arkansas, suggesting the GOP did not learn from the national backlash to super aggressive abortion rhetoric in the 2012 elections. MSNBC
So why do people think Republicans don't care about jobs, the middle class, and the nation's economic recovery?
The House on Friday rejected a Democratic push to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10, shooting down one of President Obama's priorities from his State of the Union speech. WA Times
And why oh why do people think Republicans are the stupid party?
"I was the first member of Congress to call him a socialist who embraces Marxist-Leninist policies like government control of health care and redistribution of wealth," [Georgia Sen. Paul] Broun says of Obama in the letter. PolitiFact
Yeah, Reince, you can fix this with some new slogans, different logos, a happier tone, more outreach and a new brand. Just be sure to hang on to those "core values."
Originally posted to Maggie's Farm on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 05:07 AM PDT.
Please, please, please - understand Republican roots.
If you are someone who is even mildly interested in fairness in this world, or in helping to be sure everyone has a chance to live and thrive, understand how negative Republican culture is in our society.
From Boing Boing
From Boing Boing
Gregory sez, "A conservative group looking to make inroads with African American Voters held a talk on Friday called 'Trump the Race Card'. It devolved into a chaos when Scott Terry of North Carolina suggested Fredrick Douglass should have been grateful for the food and shelter provided by his former slave master."
When asked by ThinkProgress if he'd accept a society where African-Americans were permanently subservient to whites, he said "I'd be fine with that." He also claimed that African-Americans "should be allowed to vote in Africa," and that "all the Tea Parties" were concerned with the same racial problems that he was.
At one point, a woman challenged him on the Republican Party's roots, to which Terry responded, "I didn't know the legacy of the Republican Party included women correcting men in public."
He claimed to be a direct descendent of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
Days of the week
Our days of the week are named for ancient gods - once believed to be the rulers of the universe. How long before believers abandon Christianity and Muslim religions and move on to some NEW God? It's easy if you try because it's all just make believe anyway.
The image posted below may be too small to read - you can click on it to view it larger, or download it and view it screen size on your computer.
The image posted below may be too small to read - you can click on it to view it larger, or download it and view it screen size on your computer.
On gun control
Will politicians honor the wishes of the American people, or have they sold out to the big money?
We subsidize Wal*Mart
It's time we made Wal*Mart pay a living wage so that we, the taxpayers, do not have to provide food stamps and other welfare program benefits to their workers. It's not right.
Understanding trickle down economics
The free trade agreements that the US has negotiated all around the world had one major flaw - labor was cheaper - incredible cheaper - most other places in the world. It has wiped out many of the good paying jobs for middle class workers in the US. Free trade - good for the employer class - terrible for the middle class.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Republicans love them some money -
and they will lie, cheat and steal to get it.
From The Political Carnival
Former Oregon Republican chairman, gubernatorial candidate, Florida financier, and creepy little fraud Craig Berkman was arrested for (allegedly) "bilking investors out of millions in a scheme to sell fake Facebook shares, " per Newser.
From The Political Carnival
Former Oregon Republican chairman, gubernatorial candidate, Florida financier, and creepy little fraud Craig Berkman was arrested for (allegedly) "bilking investors out of millions in a scheme to sell fake Facebook shares, " per Newser.
Republicans love them some money -
and when they get it, they don't want to let it go.
From Newsworks...
----------- Hurricane Sandy victims are still waiting
March 18, 2013
By Rob Tornoe for NewsWorks
If Rudy Giuliani can be called the "Mayor of 9/11," then Chris Christie should be the "Governor of Sandy." A large portion of his overwhelming popularity in the state still stems directly from his immediate action following the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy.
In those dark and storm-ravaged days, Christie put partisanship aside, just weeks away from the election, and teamed up with President Obama to cut the red tape and provide immediate relief to storm-battered residents. He also chastised House Speaker John Boehner and members of his own party for their delay in voting for a $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief bill, which could explain why he wasn't invited to the big conservative shindig CPAC last weekend.
We all remember the words he used to describe Boehner and his fellow Republicans - "selfish and duplicity," the "palace intrigue," "the callous indifference to the people of our state," "disgusting." Need I go on?
So I wonder if behind closed doors in their hilltop home in Mendham, Christie is throwing the same harsh language his wife's way.
It was reported last week that Mary Pat Christie's Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund has not paid out a single penny to hurricane victims, despite raising over $32 million.
While the charity finally announced it was distributing the first $1 million to agencies in Monmouth and Ocean counties last week, it represents just 3 percent of the total amount the charity has raised. Compare the sap-like speed of Mary Pat's charity with the Robin Hood Foundation's quick turnaround of the $67 million raised by the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief. Robin Hood has already awarded more than $50 million in grants to dozens of nonprofit groups, and expects to have commitments in place for the remaining money by the end of the month.
While there is some value in Mary Pat being "judicious," speed isn't the only problematic aspect of Mary Pat's charity. Another potential issue is the opportunity for special interests to cozy up and donate millions of dollars in funds in order to influence or buy access to her husband.
Predictably, Mary Pat dismissed this idea, but while her intentions may be 100 percent pure, a peek at the list of the charity fund's top donor reveals big donations from the state's largest corporations, like AT&T, Hess and Toys 'R Us, who have each pledged over $1 million each.
The opportunity for big corporations to donate to the charity is a potential way for them to evade state laws that prohibit industries like utility companies and banks from donating to political campaigns. So it should come as no surprise that utilities are among the most generous contributors to Mary Pat's charity. Not only that, the charity's board is a veritable who's who of influential lobbyists, philanthropists and corporate representatives, like political confidant Bill Palatucci and former Christie chief of staff Rich Bagger, who have connections of Christie's re-election efforts
From Newsworks...
----------- Hurricane Sandy victims are still waiting
March 18, 2013
By Rob Tornoe for NewsWorks
If Rudy Giuliani can be called the "Mayor of 9/11," then Chris Christie should be the "Governor of Sandy." A large portion of his overwhelming popularity in the state still stems directly from his immediate action following the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy.
In those dark and storm-ravaged days, Christie put partisanship aside, just weeks away from the election, and teamed up with President Obama to cut the red tape and provide immediate relief to storm-battered residents. He also chastised House Speaker John Boehner and members of his own party for their delay in voting for a $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief bill, which could explain why he wasn't invited to the big conservative shindig CPAC last weekend.
We all remember the words he used to describe Boehner and his fellow Republicans - "selfish and duplicity," the "palace intrigue," "the callous indifference to the people of our state," "disgusting." Need I go on?
So I wonder if behind closed doors in their hilltop home in Mendham, Christie is throwing the same harsh language his wife's way.
It was reported last week that Mary Pat Christie's Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund has not paid out a single penny to hurricane victims, despite raising over $32 million.
While the charity finally announced it was distributing the first $1 million to agencies in Monmouth and Ocean counties last week, it represents just 3 percent of the total amount the charity has raised. Compare the sap-like speed of Mary Pat's charity with the Robin Hood Foundation's quick turnaround of the $67 million raised by the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief. Robin Hood has already awarded more than $50 million in grants to dozens of nonprofit groups, and expects to have commitments in place for the remaining money by the end of the month.
While there is some value in Mary Pat being "judicious," speed isn't the only problematic aspect of Mary Pat's charity. Another potential issue is the opportunity for special interests to cozy up and donate millions of dollars in funds in order to influence or buy access to her husband.
Predictably, Mary Pat dismissed this idea, but while her intentions may be 100 percent pure, a peek at the list of the charity fund's top donor reveals big donations from the state's largest corporations, like AT&T, Hess and Toys 'R Us, who have each pledged over $1 million each.
The opportunity for big corporations to donate to the charity is a potential way for them to evade state laws that prohibit industries like utility companies and banks from donating to political campaigns. So it should come as no surprise that utilities are among the most generous contributors to Mary Pat's charity. Not only that, the charity's board is a veritable who's who of influential lobbyists, philanthropists and corporate representatives, like political confidant Bill Palatucci and former Christie chief of staff Rich Bagger, who have connections of Christie's re-election efforts
Conservatives and small government
Conservatives claim they want small government - except when they don't
From Crooks and Liars (lost the direct link)
From Crooks and Liars (lost the direct link)
Limited-Government Idaho Conservatives Don't Want You To See Pre-Marital Sex on TV
from Crooks and Liars by Nicole Belle
It's amazing how little their stated beliefs actually align with their actual actions. Conservatives purport to be against big government; they sneer at the nanny state they claim liberals want. But when all is said and done, it seems like conservatives have no problem expanding government when it comes to your bedroom:
A number of Idaho lawmakers are targeting a topic they say should be taboo on television: premarital sex.
And they're taking a symbolic stand.
Lawmakers are against references to premarital sex in dramas, comedies, reality and talk shows as well as advertisements.
"We need to take a stand and stand up for for the morality of what is best for the citizens of Idaho," said Rep. Darrell Bolz, (R-Caldwell).
The measure that easily passed the house state affairs committee would urge the federal government and the FCC to prohibit the portrayal, even implied, or even the discussion of premarital sex on TV between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Leave it to Republicans to not understand the basic concept of the First Amendment. If only these Republicans felt as squeamish and horrified at the sight of ignorance, poverty and violence, and expended some energy trying to alleviate them in real life -- instead of just pretending something doesn't exist.
Right the fuck on!
The following quote is perfect - and something we often overlook. America was founded on the very notion of freedom from state run religion.
Gun control - will the will of the majority become law?
In a representative democracy the representatives are supposed to vote the will of their constituents. Seems like money DOES speak louder than words.
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