Wednesday, December 31, 2008

"Stunningly Superficial"

Zbigniew Brzezinski called out Joe Scarborough yesterday, as Mika Brzezinski did her best to end the discussion.

Gonzales Plays the Victim

Yea, what dday said:
Alberto Gonzales, a guy who wrote memos calling the Geneva Conventions quaint, who barged into John Ashcroft's hospital bed to sign off on illegal wiretapping of Americans, who aided in the authorization and direction of torture, who watched as the Justice Department under his tenure became a politicized mess, just can't seem to figure out what made him the bad guy.

No Press Pass for 10 Year Old

From the Palm Beach Post:
Pint-size TV broadcaster Damon Weaver, 10, has been denied media credentials to President-elect Obama's inauguration - a tough lesson for the local fifth-grader in the competitive game of Washington journalism.

U.S. Spy for Israel Pleads Guilty

Former U.S. Army mechanical engineer Ben-ami Kadish has plead guilty to one count of conspiracy for spying on behalf of the Israeli government. The classified documents he gave them included information on U.S. nuclear weapons, missiles, and aircraft. The retired 85 year old is not expected to serve any prison time.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Vicki Iseman Didn't Bang John McCain

And she is suing the NY Times for $24 million to defend her good name.
"That The New York Times would make such aggressive and sensational allegations and insinuations in the face of on-the-record denials by Ms. Iseman and Senator McCain only reinforced the message to readers that The New York Times in fact believed that Ms. Iseman and Senator McCain had indeed engaged in an 'inappropriate relationship,' a relationship that was romantic, unethical, and a conflict of interest," the lawsuit says. "Otherwise, reasonable readers would conclude, The New York Times would never have printed the story at all."

via wonkette

TV News Pulling Out of Iraq

It seems they are just getting bored covering that war.
"The war has gone on longer than a lot of news organizations' ability or appetite to cover it," said Jane Arraf, a former Baghdad bureau chief for CNN who has remained in Iraq as a contract reporter for The Christian Science Monitor.

Black Male Teen Homicides Spike

While deaths in Los Angeles and New York are down since last year, deaths in Las Vegas and Houston are up 100% or more. This is consistent with the longer trend.
Among their findings: an increase of more than 39 percent in the number of black males between the ages of 14 and 17 killed between 2000 and 2007, and an increase of 34 percent in the number of blacks that age group who committed homicide.

Israel Rams Relief Boat

The Dignity was bringing medical relief when it was hit and severely damaged. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor says it's "absurd" that the boat was intentionally rammed. CNN correspondent Karl Penhaul was on board when it happened.
Penhaul said at least two Israeli patrol boats had shadowed the Dignity for about half an hour before the collision, moving around the vessel on all sides. One of the patrol boats then shined its spotlight on the Dignity while the other, with its lights off, "very severely rammed" the boat.

How HP Sells to Iran

Trade between the U.S. and Iran is banned, yet California-based Hewlett Packard is a big seller there. How do they do that? They use middlemen.
In 1997, two years after President Clinton banned trade with Iran, HP struck a partnership with a newly formed company in Dubai to sell its products in the Middle East. At the time, the company, called Redington Gulf, had only three employees and its sole purpose was to "sell HP supplies to the Iran market," says a history on Redington Gulf's website and Rajesh Chandragiri, the administrative manager in Redington Gulf's Dubai office.

Retaliation For Nativity Complaint

Tyson Wheeler complained about a nativity scene on exhibit in the Elwood Public Library. The library decided to keep the nativity on display. Now there are claims the library director lied to the press, and that Wheeler and his family are being harassed.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Anime Child Porn is Still Child Porn

A three judge panel from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Dwight Whorley, ruling that drawings of child pornography is still illegal, even if it does not depict actual children or acts which actually occurred.

Virginity Pledges Don't Work

Teens who make "virginity pledges" have as much sex as teens who don't. But they use condoms less, increasing their chances of unwanted pregnancies and STDs.
The new analysis of data from a large federal survey found that more than half of youths became sexually active before marriage regardless of whether they had taken a "virginity pledge," but that the percentage who took precautions against pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases was 10 points lower for pledgers than for non-pledgers.

Friday, December 26, 2008

The Magic Negro Returns

This time it's Chip Saltsman who has been keeping the hate alive. But don't forget, it's all in good fun.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

"The Bush Shoe"

Is a big seller.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Chertoff Loves Undocumented Workers!

At least when they're cleaning his house.

via wonkette

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Did MRAP Delay Kill Marines?

From CNN:
The U.S. Marine Corps knew of the threat posed by roadside bombs before the start of the Iraq war, yet did nothing to buy protective vehicles for troops, according to a report to be released by the Pentagon.

Monday, December 08, 2008

Pat Boone Hates America

On Saturday, the religious extremist compared Prop 8 protesters to the Mumbai terrorists.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Divorce Rates Up for Soldiers, Marines

From USA Today:
Enlisted soldiers and Marines divorced their spouses at a higher rate in fiscal 2008 than at any time in at least 16 years, according to Pentagon data released Tuesday.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Army to Open Second Life Islands

The virtual islands will be used as recruiting tools.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

US Atty Investigated for Privacy Breach

From Raw Story:
Dunnica Lampton, the US Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, is already under investigation for allegations of political prosecutions in his state. According to new documents viewed by Raw Story, Lampton allegedly shared the private income tax records of then-Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver E. Diaz Jr. with the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance and with one of its then-commissioners, his distant cousin Leslie B. Lampton.

Zoo Partners With Creationists

Oh the stupid, it hurts.

Monday, December 01, 2008

Impeachment Ad to Run in Calif

From Raw Story:
The National Impeachment Network is planning to run an advertisement on California television during the months of December and January 2009 which advocates for the impeachment of President George W. Bush.

The Tech of Terror

From Wired:
The Mumbai terrorists used an array of commercial technologies -- from Blackberries to GPS navigators to anonymous e-mail accounts -- to pull off their heinous attacks.