This past weekend’s reading brought an odd range of emotions:
HUMILITY: Geography is not my strong suit. When I was growing up, the continent of Africa was nearly always referred to as “the dark continent”, or “darkest Africa.” However, the amazing maps in “8 Maps That Will Change The Way You Look at Africa” help to shed light on “the dark continent” and its place in the modern world. Some of the maps are truly mind-boggling.
INCREDULITY: Why is David Vitter still a Senator? How was he not so shamed in his constituents’ eyes that not only did they not demand his immediate resignation when his diapered-DC Madam sexual habits were made public, they reelected him? And why is Vitter showing his face in public claiming that “…the Koch brothers are two of the most patriotic Americans in the history of the Earth…God bless the Koch brothers. They’re fighting for our freedoms.”? Steve Benen on The Maddow Blog can at least answer the the last question.
BETRAYAL: This one’s personal. My love-hate relationship with my beloved/cursed New York Jets is finally tipping over toward the ‘hate’ side. This weekend, the Jets announced their acquisition of former Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, and their release of hapless quarterback Matt Sanchez. My sense of betrayal has nothing to do with Sanchez–he sucked most of the time, but I wish him well. On the other hand, I wish that Michael Vick, of dog-fighting-ring/dog killer fame, would have his throwing arm mangled by a pit bull. Just enough to keep that scum out of football forever. In the meantime (well, when football season starts), I will boycott the Jets until that inhumane piece of shit is gone.
Damn, it’s just a toy
Finally, to take that nasty taste out of your mouth:
CONTENTMENT: Although the story is five years old, it’s still heartwarming, and reinforces my opinion that animals are far better than humans. Mankind should really try to emulate Mother Nature.
In 2009, a fire in the Santa Barbara area had firefighters rescuing wildlife, including young animals separated from their mothers. The unlikely pair shown ended up together after their rescuers ran out of crates.
This is our daily open thread–what’s on YOUR mind?
TheZoo 
Vitter was the victim of a woman who couldn’t control her libido, and needed Mike Huckabee, (or Ken Cuccinelli), inside her vagina to keep her under control.
Eeewwww!
the Mujahideen are “freedom fighters” too….so i can see why Vitter would admire and condone the actions of the Kochsuckers.
as far as Vick goes….all i can say is hang in there, he’ll be injured and on IR before you know it.
Dave Brockie, the driving force and front man of GWAR, is no more. Only 50 years old.
Carry on my Wayward Son. (NSFW)
Far superior to the original.
My thought, as well!
50 is waaay too young.
I just read that.
And in 2011 bandmate (Cory Smoot/Flattus Maximus) died as the result of a CAD (coronary artery disease)!
Creationist Ken Ham says that “God is a God of grace and mercy” and will demonstrate this by roasting Bill Maher in a “lake which burns with fire and brimstone” for eternity. Sounds reasonable.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/24/ken-ham-bill-maher-will-roast-in-hell-because-god-is-a-god-of-grace-and-mercy/
Emily Dickinson summed up Herr Ham and all nutcase LIARS that are or have ever been of similar bent a long long time ago when she wrote:
And the only reason why Ham is inflicted on us is that his native Australia doesn’t have enough morons to make him rich.
He’s apparently one of those nefarious biblical “sons of Ham”?? Doesn’t the Bible sort of spit on alladem?
🙂
If the god Ken Ham worships is so powerful, why didn’t he just take over Ham’s body and debate Bill Nye into the dust?
Oh, yeah, that whole non-existence thing.
And I’m sure Bill Maher is not concerned one iota for Ham’s threat.
America’s vigorous pursuit of third world status gains speed with every passing day.
Creationism in Public Schools??
It’s the 25th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/22663-exxon-spill-25-years-of-tears
Why is Exxon still around? Why isn’t it in prison? I mean, “Corporations are people, my friend,” and if any other person would have done what Exxon did to a pristine bay, all its wildlife and sea life, along with the destruction of area jobs and enterprises, would s/he be out walking around loose, making billions each year — with gigantic taxpayer-funded subsidies to boot — free to continue the rampage anywhere on the face of the globe s/he cared to mess with? Prolly not. Why is that? Sum Ting Wong, maybe.
The short answer: The United States of Corporate Welfare.
(who needs rules and regulations)
A new spill to remind us that oil and water don’t mix:
Well? According to FAUX”News”, oil spills are just a distraction.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/24/wtf-fox-reporter-says-oil-spills-are-just-distractions-like-oreos-when-youre-on-diet/
Let’s distract her by using her to mop up the spill headfirst.
From the weekend….apart from Richard Quest, Don Lemon and the missing plane there was….
1. Russian soldiers storm many of the remaining Crimea bases with Ukraine servicemen. Some of the C-in-C’s are driven away in cars and have not been seen since. Many Ukraine soldiers stayed true to their oaths and sang their national anthem as the flag was lowered.
2. Reports from the Ukraine side indicate some beatings, abuse and even the possibility that wives and children of the trapped soldiers were used as human shields in at least one storming (I can’t confirm it, it comes from the Ukraine side only)
3. Some Ukrainian navy ships attempted to force their way past sunken Russian trawlers blocking the exits to open sea, they did not succeed.
4. Russia is being kicked out of G8
5. 100s of Russian agitators, some special forces men, are being turned back on Ukraine border.
6. Between 20,000 and 100,000 Russian solders are on the border ready to go, depending on source. The objective could be Moldova and Odessa, or east Ukraine
7. The US State Dept issued an imminent travel warning for the Donetsk, Lubansk, Kharkev area (when I told Tanya, she said: “Then there will be a war”)
8. Hot off the Euromaidan Tweet…
Meanwhile the pro-Russians in Crimea are going to wake up with their first Russian hangover:
Oops wrong one:
That answered my question of what’s next?
Putin is a snake in the grass…waiting to strike. All ‘nicey-nicey’ to get the Olympics then the fangs show themselves…
By the way FIFA World Cup 2018…… Russia. So far the crooks running FIFA have given a collective Gallic shrug to the man with the checkbook on that one.
I have to disagree with the war scenario, his propaganda at home will finally fail, he can’t control a large scale incursion across the news, surely not? (Oh, Iraq 2003… anyone?)… He can do a lot of damage with the long view, poison the election in May with violence, undermine the economy with the gas price…. and the West will go back to sleep and laundering his money.
Aging dudes like Putin who go shirtless on horseback and atop a military tank have got lots of unspoken difficulties. I think he’s gay.
I think he’s, at best, a sociopath and, at worst, a psychopath. I can’t imagine Dubbya admiring anything better.
Time to fire up the brewing equipment…each man for himself!
http://money.msn.com/investing/post–no-water-no-beer-as-drought-hits-supplies
If all we lose is Coors, we’re actually better off, both beer-wise and politically.
Miller and Coors – I’ve pissed better beer.
my diet beer is Miller 64…since i’m off the diet now, i’ll start brewing my own.
What’s a diet beer?
low cal…
OK so somebody is beating up Ukranian soldiers wheelie they in the custody of the ‘little green men’
Sadistic bastards!
Fundies Say The Darndest Things:
(bold – mine) Oxymorons are so entertaining!
I think IQ is a small part of it. It has more to do with being indoctrinated as a child or gullible or delusional or obstinate as an adult. Then there is group who buy into a relatively mild delusion as a child and then, perhaps as a weird form of rebellion combined with a natural resistance to admitting error, adopt a full-fledged insane belief when they realize the mild delusion was wrong.
For example; Human children are hard wired to trust their elders. It’s necessary for survival. Someone is raised in a basically secular home but they attend church several times a year and in times of stress or sorrow the parents reassure their kids with tales of a benevolent being who loves them and, even if things get completely cocked up, said being will take them away to the universe’s biggest amusement park dipped in chocolate and other sugary treats. And, by the way, if you don’t understand something don’t worry because that benevolent being is taking care of it.
Well, as time goes on the belief in that benevolent being becomes harder and harder to believe. There’s just no evidence for it but losing that belief means losing faith in the elders who kept them alive to this point plus losing that extra special Super Elder who will love them even if the shit hits the fan and even if the poor kid is wrong.
The poor kid can’t stand the thought of losing his/her belief in that benevolent being so he/she actually starts building up an impenetrable wall against any and all things that might convince them their initially harmless belief that someone loves them has become a mere fairytale that should have been discarded with the last couple baby teeth. They cling so tightly to that belief that they even deny the ample evidence supplied by their own senses and processed by their own brain. Eventually; all the accumulated errors corrupt the operating system and the brain, though not technically substandard, can no longer process information correctly.
Plus; a certain percentage of the human population are dicks and/or swindlers who use the very natural need to trust elders and aversion to admitting one is wrong for their own evil ends.
It seems Scalia has painted himself into a corner if he wants to rule in Hobby Lobby’s favor. His only way out may be a religious exemption law passed after the ruling Scalia wrote that denied to Native Americans the right to use peyote in their religious ceremonies. But even that would cause him problems.
I predict that he’ll rule that he can;t rule because his head exploded trying to reverse himself. 🙂
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/antonin-scalia-past-haunt-him-on-birth-control
I wish. Unfortunately it seems as though rightwhiners have the parts of their brains that recognize hypocrisy and irony surgically removed. He won’t care and anyone who doesn’t already realize he’s batshit crazy will never hear about any contradictory position he might have held in the past.
Actor James Rebhorn, who died yesterday, wrote his own obituary, and it is beautiful:
http://stpauljerseycity.org/stpaul/2014/03/24/in-memory-of-jim-rebhorn/#hislife
There is no doubt the love he had for family, and the love he felt from family and friends.
A compassionate, passionate died young.
Egotistical idiot…