Sunday Roast: February 17, 2013 – Bits and Pieces

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Good Morning to the Sunday Roast. Let us see what Europe has to tell you this morning. You will see why bees are playing a role here, below:

The Economist:

AT A perilous moment of transition for America’s armed services, involving departure from Afghanistan, looming budget cuts and significant worldwide tension, the Pentagon is set to receive a civilian leader weakened by partisan attacks and doubts about his willingness to see military power used. As The Economist went to press, Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of defence, Chuck Hagel, seemed likely, though not certain, to earn the Senate’s grudging endorsement. (read more)

If I may add, the accusations of being anti-Israel, even anti-semitic are nothing but window dressing. Billions are at stake for war (or defense) profiteers. Numerous jobs in military funded industries, quite often to be found in red states, as well. I tend to follow the money and prefer to think it is Hagel’s reluctance to fight against massive cuts in the defense budget that earns him his difficulties. More on that may come later.

The Guardian has a Comeback Kid for you:

It could have been a career-ending moment. Given the task of delivering the official Republican response to Barack Obama’s state of the union speech last week, rising star Senator Marco Rubio made a catastrophic gaffe. (read more)

The Independent reports a “Me Too” moment:

Hours after a meteor exploded over Russia and injured more than 1,000 people and an asteroid passed relatively close to Earth, people in California reported seeing an unusual flash of light over the San Francisco Bay area that left many startled and thrilled.(read more)

Der Spiegel, as well, has a “Me Too” story, why on earth the Germans would want to start fracking beats me:

Germans are wary of fracking, but that hasn’t stopped Berlin from moving ahead to create legal guidelines for the controversial natural gas extraction method. The opposition is up in arms and the issue could dog Chancellor Merkel as she campaigns for re-election. (read more)

Finally, a little Swiss navel-gazing, which is nevertheless really important, see TheLocal.ch for more:

Basel-based agrichemical giant Syngenta on Friday urged Brussels to withdraw plans to slap a two-year ban on so-called neonicotinoid pesticides, saying blaming them for bee deaths was wrongheaded. (read more)

Grab a coffee, maybe some bread butter and honey, too, and enjoy reading. This is our Open Thread, so don’t hold back!

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70 thoughts on “Sunday Roast: February 17, 2013 – Bits and Pieces”

  1. What the panel on Up is lacking, in discussing Catholic issues.
    Christopher Hitchens.

    • Republicans only demand evidence they can use to attack Democrats with. Remember when Bush refused to give the Taliban evidence Bin Laden was behind 9/11? The Taliban offered to extradite Bin Laden upon proof he was culpable. Bush sent bombs instead of evidence. No Republican outcry there.

  5. Pope Resigns. God smites the Vatican with lightening, starts stoning the earth.

    Details at eleven.

  6. The larger question: humans live here, on this planet. Only here, far as we know. We live here, created in the image of the Creator Hisseff, and were granted, by It, “dominion” over the whole schlameer. Which gave us the authority to do anything we want to do, commit any travesty, destroy-frack-dig-bomb-contaminate, all because we be the very image of God. Whomever wrote that crap said so, so it’s obviously true.

    All of that shit led to the evolution of today’s Republican party.

    Etc., ad inf. All of which tells me one thing: God was dreamed up by some dude who would, today, be running for president on the Republican ticket. And worse, he’d have a chance, a good chance, at winning.

    Is there a place left on earth where there are NO IDIOTS? I’d see about finding a way to sneak in and stay, live out my days there. If only.

    Commence holding breath.

    Turning blue.

    Uh oh …………………………………………….. (snore)

  7. Limbaugh Is Losing! With Each Hateful Word, More Sponsors Leave. (300 Left Last Month) Total: 2,500+

    “We wanted to know who her owner was, and we wanted to know how much he got for her…. She might have outlived her usefulness on the plantation,” Limbaugh declared. “I mean, [you] never know, child-rearing years are over so maybe her value had plummeted.” ~Limbaugh, February 14, 2013 in reference to Black US Congresswoman, Shelia Jackson Lee

    Yes he really did say that. If he really had such a large audience, the sponsors wouldn’t want to leave so easily. He’s starving Clear Channel of revenue, and Bain Capital isn’t going to stop sucking their investment out of CC, just because there’s less money coming in.

        • She was scheduled to test for Honda F1 in 2008, but the team pulled out of the series. She’s a bit old for an F1 rookie, at 30. I think she’s going to stay with Nascar, with a possible return to the Indy 500, but not this year.

          • 30 is not a little old, that’s barely grown up. Or, what would that make me? A sweet little Antique?

            Then maybe when Christina Surer’s baby is a little bigger, she may go for it. F1 needs women drivers.

      • I’m watching bowling on ESPN, and the ticker at the bottom just keeps running the Breaking News about Danica’s pole at Daytona.

        • Bowling in the final match is Scott Norton, whose spouse, Craig Woodward, is in the audience and recognized as such by the announcers. I wonder if the fundies will all quit bowling now.

        • In any race, the Pole Position is considered the best spot from which to start a race, and it’s usually earned by having the fastest car in the qualifying runs. Your reward is that you’re in the front row, and you’re the closest to the corner of the first turn. If you get out in front of the car next to you, you can take the lead on the first lap and be the one to beat the rest of the race. And she’s the first woman to win the Pole Position at Daytona. It is history-making in both Sports and the Women’s Rights Movement.

            • I didn’t see your question before Wayne answered it, or I would’ve. He pretty much has the definition correct except for some details unique to the Daytona 500 race, which concern the twin 150 mile races this Thursday.
              She is not only the first woman to have a pole at Daytona, she the first to have a pole in a NASCAR Cup race ever. Danica also won the pole last year for the Daytona Nationwide Series race. Shawna Robinson got a pole in the Nationwide Series at Atlanta in 1994, which was the only other time a pole was won by a woman in any NASCAR national touring series.
              After yesterday’s top practice speed, I was hoping she could be a little faster today, and that would be enough to get her the pole. And it was.

              Danica’s new boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was 12th fastest, which ain’t bad.

            • Thanks, House. It’s good to see the ladies working so hard to earn their place in this event — and succeeding. 🙂

  13. After Full Year of Inactivity, D.C. Coroner Designates Congress Legally Dead

    In a somber press release issued earlier today, the District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the nation’s worst fears and announced that the once robust United States Congress is, indeed, clinically dead. “We did not embark on this investigation with any preconceptions,” stated County Corner Edward Fox, “However, after a full year of total inactivity, and in the absence of all base-line organ function and traditional signs of life, our offices could no longer stand on the sidelines. We had to make a call.”

    • Big surprise. Thanks for the confirmation on the Repugnant party’s rationale being: Black man in the White House equals scary, scary, scary so we must do all to sabotage.

      • Yep. If we had a functional media, much less a “librul” one, the MSM would hang Newt’s little revelation around the neck of every GOoPer who appears on the TV machine. The reality, of course, is that it won’t even come to the attention of anyone who didn’t watch the show or see the story covered by a “librul” blog.

      • I have a theory that if you think the President actually hates you, chances are excellent that you are earning that hatred.

        I think he’s more disappointed than anything else.

        • It’s just more of the famed tribal based projection inherent in right wing authoritarians. They hate the out groups so they honestly believe that all members of the out groups hate their in group.

  17. So, National Geographic premieres “Killing Lincoln” tonight — but the show on before that is called “Lincoln’s Secret Killer: Revealed.” Good scheduling, Nat. Geo.

  18. At least we can try and laugh. The poor addled minds of the Reichwhiners just can’t seem to wrap their heads around the concept of recordings. Of course, it’s all just part of their inability to recognize irony or hypocrisy all stirred together with the knowledge that their fellow travelers just aren’t smart enough to realize that they are living in a bubble. Today’s installment is; Paul Ryan contradicts Paul Ryan.

    http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/paul-ryan-gets-caught-his-budget-hypo

  19. I need to drink more.

    Two glasses of wine, after not having any for a couple months, and it’s gone straight to my head. Yeesh.

    • Indeed. The vultures will dig up some unreleased recording and no doubt make a lot of money off of her efforts. I also wonder how she got a hold of a gun with her history. Either the law failed again or one of her “friends” really made a horrible decision.

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