It's Wacky Wednesday

(Big Fat Drug Addict Rush Limbaugh has apparently expanded his disgusting personal attacks from college students to college professors.  And this particular one is hitting really close to home.  Seems that University of Oregon sociology professor Kari Norgaard has drawn the ire of Limbaugh and his Dittoheaded bloggers because of an inaccurate description of Norgaard's work that appeared in a UO news release.  It said:  “Resistance at individual and societal levels must be recognized and treated before real action can be taken to effectively address threats facing the planet from human-­caused contributions to climate change.”  Ms. Norgaard was in London last week, attending a meeting of scientists on the subject of climate change, and when she returned she found hundreds of hateful messages on her university E-mail account.  Limbaugh's bloggers spread an untrue story around the Internet that Norgaard had called climate change skeptics "sick" or "mentally ill" and in need of "psychoactive drugs."  (Come to think of it, that kinda fits El Rushit's description.)  Here's what Limbaugh himself said about Norgaard: Click Here. The really obscene thing about some of these anti-climate change fanatics, are the death threats, the obscenity-laced messages sent to scientists and activists alike, threatening to kill family members, wives, husbands, children, and pets.  What is it with these people?  What on Earth are they so afraid of?  Let's just digress at this point ...)

• I fancy myself a fairly decent American citizen, I served my country in the military, never been arrested, contribute to charity, the whole bit.  But the Supreme Court of the United States makes me clench what's left of my teeth in disgust.  Can anyone tell me when this group of people got so politicized?  And if Antonin Scalia is so smart, why does he compare buying health care with buying broccoli?  Maureen Dowd discusses this very topic in "Men In Black."
• Well, there goes a little more of the innocence that is childhood. Apparently the latest Hollywood adventure film concerns turning Santa, the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, etc. into Superheroes.  But Mark Morford is on the story and gives us this report. "The Day They Killed the Easter Bunny." 
• In order to be a more "fair and balanced" blog, I give you The Republican Governor's defense of Pink Slime, without further comment.
• I got up the other day, turned on the Today Show as usual, went to get my bowl of cereal ready, and when I came back there was that Palin woman doing co-hosting.  Damned near burned my retina.  While I quickly changed the channel to reruns of "Frasier," I hear that our dear Sarah is still coping with the same old truth-telling problems.
• Hey, betcha didn't know this one:  Barak Obama threatened Chelsea Clinton's life to keep Bill and Hillary "quiet" about his eligibility to run for President (i.e., his "birth certificate").  Oh yeah Baby.  It's stories like this one that keeps Fox News watchers among the most ignorant people in the nation.  And they just keep on coming.

Weekend Update - Bad Ideas Edition

(We must start this off this week with some not-so-good news.  Our man Keith Olbermann has once again become unemployed.  This time Current TV, and it's owner-operators former Vice President Al Gore and Joel Hyatt abruptly fired his maverick ass.  Keith hadn't been too happy with the Current staff who worked with his program.  Apparently there were many mistakes, miscues, and faulty set operations.  And apparently Gore and Hyatt weren't too happy with our man's attendance, and knowing Keith, probably his attitude in general. At any rate, it ended badly.  We hope Keith will be back soon, somewhere.  Until then he will be sorely missed by Progressives, and his absence will be greatly appreciated by Conservatives.  But we sadly digress ...)

Tattoos Can Be a Bad Idea

• Have you heard anything about a political movement called "Americans Elect?"  NYT's op-ed columnist Gail Collins says Americans Elect is " a new-generation political movement that aims to rise above the petty forces of partisan bickering and choose a presidential candidate, along with a running mate from a different party, at an online convention in June."  Ms. Collins thinks it's all a terrible idea.  Here's "Time to Elect the Worst Idea."
• Apparently, and unfortunately, the media storm concerning on-air remarks by Big Fat Drug Addict Rush Limbaugh has died down to a dull roar, and El Rushit himself says he's "energized" by the whole experience.  At least, and hopefully, he'll maybe think twice before he starts calling politically active college students "sluts."  Then again, probably not.
• Mark Morford says of Rick Santorum:  "Rick is about as much of a threat to the attuned way of life as flea is to a pack of wolves. You only worry about him the way you worry about an errant wart on your elbow, the one you only notice when you lean in to watch "True Blood" on your laptop and you go, "Oh right, I need to get that dry little nub excised, pronto," and then you go back to enjoying all the other good things in life -- which, when compared to Rick Santorum, is pretty much everything."  He then continues to list the rest of 10 Things You Need Not Worry About.
• Spending your hard earned money on lottery tickets is a really bad idea.  This one is called Mega Millions, and the odds of winning are horrible.  Unless you win, that is.  Three lucky ticket holders in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas will share a $656 million prize, the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.  If you're counting, that's 218.7 million a piece.  Something like that would put you in the 1%er group and might make you vote Republican.  I think I'd almost rather stay poor and Liberal.  (I said almost)
• Of course it's always a bad idea to vote Republican, but have you ever wondered why so many of your Conservative friends (you have Conservative friends, don't you?) vote directly against their own self interests?  We've noted that very fact right here many times over the years, and we still haven't figured out an answer.  Well here's a treat:  Poet Phil Rockstroh of Consortium News says he encounters many such confused souls in his native South, and it's a really good read.  "Nature of Self-Defeating Convictions."

They Say It's My Birthday

On this auspicious occasion of the forty sixth anniversary of my twenty first birthday, the boy and I head north to the big city of Portlandia.  We'll be back in a few days.  In the mean time stay vigilent, keep the wolves away from the door, and by all means don't let the bastards get you down.

Cheney Has Heart Installed, Apologizes for Everything

• Of course the biggest news of last weekend was Dick (Darth) Cheney having a heart installed in his body.  Apparently the cost of batteries to keep this automaton active was getting out of hand.  Rumor has it that Cheney's first words after awakening from the operation were "OMG I'm so sorry for everything I did."  And an added note, guess who paid for this 71-year-old douche bag's implant?  Go on, take a guess.
• Those nutcakes from the fringe, "The Birthers,"  are back in the news this week.  Seems they want proof of citizenship not from Obama this time, but from Mitt Romney.  Yep, seriously.  One birther explains that Romney's citizenship is up for debate because his dad was born in Mexico. You see, Mitt Romney's father was born in the Mexican colony that Mitt's great-grandfather founded after fleeing the United States so he could stay married to Romney's four great-grandmothers.  I'll wait while you digest that bit of information.
• Finally, here it is:  The Republican Budget, Explained.
• Have you ever found yourself, accidentally or otherwise, arguing a point about politics or what's good for this country with a Republican?  If so, I'm sure you've felt the frustration of trying to make an intelligent point while your GOPer is frantically changing the subject and throwing obscure and questionable "facts" at you until you finally have to just give up.  Here's an article that'll help you immensely the next time: The Seven Types of Republican Idiots.
• Some people say that the reason they don't smoke marijuana is because it makes them paranoid when they're stoned.  I can understand that, I suppose, if you really have something to be paranoid about in the first place, like Republicans.  Now I'm not saying that all Republicans are stoned.  I'm just saying they all seem to be paranoid.  Paul Krugman can explain it better than I.  "Paranoia Strikes Deeper."

Grabbing Reality Around the Throat

Okay, so now I'm retired and I've got to watch the pennies and where they're all going.  Can't afford to splurge too much on fun stuff like ... well, like food.  Now listen to me.  I'm not proud of this decision, but it's one I feel I had to make for the good of my monthly budget.  By the way, did you know you have to pay taxes on your Social Security benefits?  Did you know you have to pay taxes on your freaking pension, ferheaven'sake?  What a load, right?  At any rate, I think we need to tighten our collective belts around here a little, and make some sacrifices.  And if I have to go against everything I've ever preached, and everything I've ever adhered to as a responsible human being, for the sake of my family who wants to go to Disney World this summer we. must. do. this.

I'm going shopping at Walmart.

Oh get up off the floor and sit back down in your chair.  I know I've been on a personal crusade against Walmart (previously known here as "Mallwart") and I really haven't changed my position too terribly much on the subject, but c'mon, we gotta be real here.  It's just a store, right?  Okay, sure, most all of their stuff is manufactured in Chinese sweat shops and "shadow factories," and if it wasn't for Walmart the Chinese economy would probably collapse (just made that one up). But the prices at Walmart are cheaper than anywhere else.  Aren't they?

Okay, so Walmart stores are huge. I mean huge.  The Walmart store I'm going to be going to for the first time in my life is located in West Eugene and is about 4 blocks long.  The parking lot could be favorably compared to a major airport's.  It's definitely not a place to drop in after work and get a loaf a bread and a gallon of milk.  It's a place to go and buy a month's worth of food.  I hope it's not all Chinese food.

I'll keep you posted.

Random Good/Weird Stuff From the Internet

• Have you been feeling it, too? The heat of recent media attention? The sour breath of bland, conservative evil on your nicely tattooed neck? Perhaps you've noticed. Sluts and sex, gays and deviants, perverts and hippies, yoga teachers and tattooed miscreants have been in the news a lot recently. More than usual, even. And that's saying something.  Mark Morford reports on the sad state of the"once noble" GOP.
• If you’re a liberal or a progressive these days, you could be forgiven for being baffled and frustrated by conservatives. Their views and actions seem completely alien to us—or worse. From cheering at executions, to wanting to “throw up” over church-state separation, to seeking to “drown” government “in the bathtub” (except when it is cracking down on porn, apparently) conservatives not only seem very different, but also very inconsistent. Here's a fascinating read concerning the differences between conservative and progressive morality. "How the Right-Wing Brain Works and What That Means for Progressives."
• Afghanistan.  Why on Earth are we still there?  Maureen Dowd asks that same question in this well written piece, "Heart of Darkness."
• Oh those pesky Catholics.  Shocking reports have surfaced that reveal at least ten teenage boys were castrated in the 1950s by the Dutch Roman Catholic Church as a "treatment" for homosexuality, the Telegraph reports.  Someone should ask Rick Santorum how much this report turns him on.
•  "There are laws against purveying hard-core pornography. And that—we have attorney generals in the country, at least under the Bush administration, who did prosecute that. And this administration isn't. And I simply said I would follow the law, which I know in the case of Barack Obama can be somewhat of a hefty challenge for him, but we're going to do it as president."  That's a quote from Rick Santorum.  I guess Rick thought he should one-up Newt Gingrich who promised that if elected he'd bring gasoline prices down to $2.00 a gallon.  So now Rick says he'll wipe out hard core pornography.  Someone should promise, that if elected, every boy and girl in America will receive a pony on their 13th birthday.

We're All Bozos On This Bus

• Back in the 80's there was a secret language some of us were using and it consisted of strange utterances such as "more sugar!" and "aren't we all yearning for a little stopping power?"  Well, it was called Firesign Theater, and one of the great founders of it all died the other day, Peter Bergman.  The group's record albums rate number one on my list of funniest things I've ever heard, especially the classic "Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers."  Maybe you had to be there, but damn it was great if you were.
• Garry Trudeau's beautiful comic tribute to sanity, "Doonesbury," has been running re-runs in our local newspaper and others all over the nation all of last week because of the subject matter.  Seems it might upset some people.  They should make it mandatory by law to read it.  Click here for the missing week's strips.
• And along the same vein, Mark Morford revs up his brain cells to explain Rick Santorum and his minions of evil.  "You might say Rick Santorum is the lesser of three evils. But that's not exactly true -- he's actually just the most blandly reliable of three evils. He's your standard-issue, card-carrying bigot, a dimestore homophobe and misogynist par excellence who is actually quite consistent in his shocking sociopolitical illiteracy."  He's dangerously close to summing up the entire Republican list of candidates.
• We talk about the "Death Tax" and not the proper term, "Estate Tax." Two little words—"Death Panels"—were capable of nearly derailing the best thing that's happened to health insurance in this country in decades. Harvard-educated President Obama is universally considered "elite," while Yale-educated George W. Bush is considered "down home."  Here from AlterNet is 5 Words And Phrases Democrats Should Never Say Again.