Saturday, April 30, 2011
Separated At Birth?
Rick Springfield...
And me when I was 17...
My sister e-mailed that old pic of me to me a few years ago...
And me when I was 17...
My sister e-mailed that old pic of me to me a few years ago...
Labels: funny stuff
Moar Grunge...
skippy's saturday night music club
Turn, Turn...
To the rain and the wind:
This Fairport cover of a Dylan song just popped up on my iTunes. It captures my mood toward politics in general these days rather nicely.
Enjoy...
Labels: music
Do, Re, Mi...
Fa, Sol...
La, Ti, Do.
Time we left.
Enjoy...
* * *
By the way: ...
On second thought, I think I'll hold my tongue...
Labels: music
it is irresponsible
to not mention climate change
Labels: alabama, natural disasters
the breakers palm beach
just a shout out to an advertiser on the right hand column that i just noticed over here at skippy's.
the spa at the breakers
as stressed out as i am, this is one type of place i could get into...real quick.
oh, man. forget calgon...spa at the breakers, take me away!
ok...back to our regularly scheduled snark sessions...
the spa at the breakers
as stressed out as i am, this is one type of place i could get into...real quick.
oh, man. forget calgon...spa at the breakers, take me away!
ok...back to our regularly scheduled snark sessions...
Labels: advertising, florida
saturday silliness
paul begala says the dems aren't backing down on undisclosed political donations
afterbirth lives on
scientist points out monster tornadoes and climate change probably go together
afterbirth lives on
scientist points out monster tornadoes and climate change probably go together
Friday, April 29, 2011
congrats to the new couple, wills and kate
and i love the fact they drove off in a biofueled aston martin.
it is certainly a vintage vehicle. and now prince charles's beloved aston martin db6 is running on vintage too.
a nice little white from a vineyard in wiltshire, to be precise.
as part of cutting his carbon footprint, the prince has converted the 38-year-old classic car - a 21st birthday present from the queen - to run on 100 per cent bioethanol fuel distilled from surplus british wine. - the daily mail
friday why day
another rough townhall for another gop congress member
bob scheiffer calls a racist a racist
and the trump sponsor backlash begins
why not call macy's to complain about their own trump line of clothing? call 800-264-0069
bob scheiffer calls a racist a racist
and the trump sponsor backlash begins
why not call macy's to complain about their own trump line of clothing? call 800-264-0069
get your royal acronyms straight
hoppy kangaroo blogging friday
Sharing an Anniversary with Adolf Hitler
Thursday, April 28, 2011
thanks for a great show capitol steps
let's just cut to the chase, shall we
show us your occidental college records = you got into the ivy league by affirmative action, thus taking away a spot from a deserving white man.
show us your birth certificate = you are not one of us. or, as they used to do to african-americans in our southern history, "show us your papers."
there are racists being allowed on the airwaves. time we start calling them out.
show us your birth certificate = you are not one of us. or, as they used to do to african-americans in our southern history, "show us your papers."
there are racists being allowed on the airwaves. time we start calling them out.
Now We Know Why Joe Strummer Died
thursday thoughts
famed historian calls for sponsor boycott of 'celebrity apprentice'
maybe it won't matter: 'celebrity apprentice' ratings dropping like a lead balloon
and here's the 10 most ridiculous responses to obama's birth certificate
keith olbermann comes to current tv june 20
maybe it won't matter: 'celebrity apprentice' ratings dropping like a lead balloon
and here's the 10 most ridiculous responses to obama's birth certificate
keith olbermann comes to current tv june 20
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Release, Release...
Labels: music
A Bitter Note on Long-Form Birth Certificates
John Cole (via James Wolcott) gets to the heart of the matter:
The reason, Andrew, is because he already did everything he needed to do, and he did it in 2008:
In 2008, in response to media inquiries, the President’s campaign requested his birth certificate from the state of Hawaii. The state sent the campaign the President’s birth certificate, the same legal documentation provided to all Hawaiians as proof of birth in state, and the campaign immediately posted it on the internet. That birth certificate can be seen here (PDF).
When any citizen born in Hawaii requests their birth certificate, they receive exactly what the President received. In fact, the document posted on the campaign website is what Hawaiians use to get a driver’s license from the state and the document recognized by the Federal Government and the courts for all legal purposes. That’s because it is the birth certificate. This is not and should not be an open question. [emphasis mine]
But the White House declaration misses a significant side point.
In recent memory, there have been two adoptee Presidents: one never elected, the other elected twice. I can’t swear for the rules in either of their states, but I do know from Pennsylvania, and I suspect Nebraska and Arkansas, respectively, are as draconian.
As adoptees, neither Ford nor Clinton would necessarily have been able to access their long-form birth certificate, let alone make it available for review by others. Adoptees need the permission of their birth parents to see the “long form” certificate.
Have we now reached the point where an adoptee cannot be President?* (Or, at least, a Democratic adoptee?)
*In fairness, Clinton was adopted by his stepfather and therefore could probably access his long form if necessary. So long as his mother is still alive at the time of the request.
tweet of the day
Labels: tweet of the day, tweets, twitter
catching up on my podcasts
and one i highly recommend, to the best of our knowledge. "question austerity."
one segment of particular note:
one segment of particular note:
diane ravitch was assistant secretary of education under george bush sr. and a strong proponent of charter schools and the no child left behind program. she has a new book called "the death and life of the great american school system" which reflects a change of mind. she tells steve paulson there's a political agenda behind all the recent school cuts.
Labels: budget, economy, education, no child left behind, schools
while the corporate media salivate
over the non-story of the president's birth certificate, some serious news slips by under reported. how the gop is making it harder for americans to vote. they have a vote vendetta. and their motto: better never than early.
voting is overrated.
especially for democrats.
that must be the thinking of florida's republican-led legislature, which is doing its best to invent new ways of keeping democrats from voting in next year's general election.
making it tougher for college students to vote. check. making it tougher for groups to register new voters. check. finding new ways to hassle low-income people who changed addresses. check.
and finally, derailing the success of early voting. - palm beach post
less than a year before the 2012 presidential voting begins, republican legislatures and governors across the country are rewriting voting laws to make it much harder for the young, the poor and african-americans — groups that typically vote democratic — to cast a ballot.
spreading fear of a nonexistent flood of voter fraud, they are demanding that citizens be required to show a government-issued identification before they are allowed to vote. republicans have been pushing these changes for years, but now more than two-thirds of the states have adopted or are considering such laws. the advancement project, an advocacy group of civil rights lawyers, correctly describes the push as “the largest legislative effort to scale back voting rights in a century.” - nytimes
Labels: florida, gop, vote, voting integrity, voting rights
the political elites continue their assault on working americans
massachusetts house votes to restrict unions
closing corporate loopholes or going after tax cheats apparently isn't of interest.house lawmakers voted overwhelmingly last night to strip police officers, teachers, and other municipal employees of most of their rights to bargain over health care, saying the change would save millions of dollars for financially strapped cities and towns.
the 111-to-42 vote followed tougher measures to broadly eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees in ohio, wisconsin, and other states. but unlike those efforts, the push in massachusetts was led by democrats who have traditionally stood with labor to oppose any reduction in workers’ rights. - boston globe
blaming unions and working folks is. on both sides of the aisle.
Labels: massachusetts, union
wednesday wonders
florida congressman faces bedlam at a townhall over medicare cuts
the wisconsin state supreme court election recount begins today
ron paul, rand paul, paul ryan, who can keep them straight? whatever, one of the is running for president - again
get ready for some good old fashioned big government voter suppression
california condor back from extinction
the inventor of the telepromter has died. president obama had no words
and we at skippy international are pleased to see this: kangaroo courts for real kangaroos
the wisconsin state supreme court election recount begins today
ron paul, rand paul, paul ryan, who can keep them straight? whatever, one of the is running for president - again
get ready for some good old fashioned big government voter suppression
california condor back from extinction
the inventor of the telepromter has died. president obama had no words
and we at skippy international are pleased to see this: kangaroo courts for real kangaroos
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
tuesday tidings
king & spaulding, the law firm which was representing the gop in defending the defense of marriage act in court, has withdrawn as counsel
haley barbour will not run for president
a florida process server found out she was a robo-signer for bank mortgages, much to her surprise
the women behind the opposition to so. carolina's immigration bill
usatoady poll sez trump would make a lousy president
haley barbour will not run for president
a florida process server found out she was a robo-signer for bank mortgages, much to her surprise
the women behind the opposition to so. carolina's immigration bill
usatoady poll sez trump would make a lousy president
Monday, April 25, 2011
You Can Travel On Ten Thousand Miles...
And still stay where you are:
Lately, if it hasn't been Hawkwind, its been Harry Chapin. His music is a lot like Leonard Cohen's to me, the way he doesn't so much sing a song as he does tell a story. But unlike Cohen, Chapin took root with me real early on -- you could say I'm returning to my roots, in a way.
"W. O. L. D." is a heart-breaking song, but ironically, that's what gives it its strength. There's no pretension here, just Harry Chapin telling it like it is.
Enjoy...
Labels: music
monday monday
obama strikes back @ citizens united
abc formally apologizes per legal decree to crenshaw christian center for misleading video report by john stoessel
what's next for breitbart? could it be andrew sullivan?
austrian man finds centuries-old treasure in his backyard
abc formally apologizes per legal decree to crenshaw christian center for misleading video report by john stoessel
what's next for breitbart? could it be andrew sullivan?
austrian man finds centuries-old treasure in his backyard
Sunday, April 24, 2011
skippy's sunday night music club
a holy easter version.
Labels: holiday, music, religion, skippy's music club, youtube
One More...
My second favorite Portishead song:
Enjoy...
* * *
Oh, now that I think of it... "Strangers"? That's my third favorite Portishead song...
Labels: music
And Now, More Lemmy...
I Got My Feet On The Ground...
i'd like to make myself believe
What Kind Of Fool Is He?
Where The Morn...
Meets the dew:
Talk trash about me all you want. But if I catch you doing that with Beth Gibbons...
Your ass is in big trouble. Let's just leave it at that.
Enjoy...
Labels: music
environmental news stories sunday
for those little stories you won't hear talked about on the almost all white guys talking head shows today.
s.f. chronicle adds beehives to rooftop garden. - although some apiarists say new research into fungus and viruses is starting to give the bee the upper hand against colony collapse disorder, no one is ready to declare a comeback for the pollinator, responsible for about $15 billion worth of nuts, fruits and vegetables consumed in the united states each year - sfgate
increasing levels of mercury found in rare pacific albatross. - levels of mercury in an endangered pacific seabird species have increased substantially in recent decades largely due to industrial emissions from asia, harvard university researchers have found. - honolulu star advertiser
more evidence linking pesticides and malformations. - concern about toxic chemicals in the environment has erupted into the mainstream media again, with new reports tying pesticides to disruption of male hormones, birth defects and cancer. - miller mcune
the long-term effects of in utero exposures — the des story. - the lessons learned from the des story are powerful. endocrine disruptors may cause alterations in the reproductive tract that have severe consequences and form the basis of disease in adults decades later. - new england journal of medicine
study spots high level of fire retardant chemicals in california kids. - a california safety standard intended to prevent furniture from catching fire may be having the unintended consequence of exposing children to large amounts of harmful flame retardant chemicals. - fair warning
common weed killer atrazine is showing up in public water supply. - apopular weed killer that's been suspected of causing frog deformities is turning up in drinking water systems throughout the country including some in missouri and illinois, according to a report by the natural resources defense council. - st. louis post ledger
chemical in soft drink cans comes under fire at coca-cola. - it's about as inconspicuous as a chemical can be: it coats the insides of soft drink cans, a barrier against spoilage and contamination. but to some critics, bpa is itself the health risk. now, a group of coca-cola shareholders want to strike a blow against the substance - atlanta journal constitution
atlantic turtles threatened by man-made chemicals. - a team from the college of charleston, south carolina, found travelling turtles picked up potentially deadly pesticides, pcbs and other organic chemicals linked to cancer and brain problems. - bermuda sun
our 'toxic' love-hate relationship with plastics. - we all know that plastics are common in modern life, but science journalist susan freinkel says they are really literally everywhere — in our toothbrushes, hair dryers, cell phones, computers, door knobs, car parts — and of course in those ubiquitous plastic bags we get it seems every time we buy anything. - npr
critics: state deptartment's latest oil pipeline review 'superficial'. - advocacy organizations are as disappointed with the u.s. state department’s revamped version of its environmental evaluation of a much-disputed canada-to-texas oil sands pipeline as they were with its first iteration - solve climate news
farmers should be conservationists. - the central valley regional water quality control board will take up the questions of fertilizer use and groundwater contamination June 8. here's a suggestion for farmers: instead of belly-aching about another regulatory burden, support monitoring and new rules so that the people who pick your crops get clean water from their taps. - contra costa times opinion
gov. rick scott to u.s. epa: we'll take care of our own water. - the day after the florida house passed a bill to ban implementation of water quality standards set by the u.s. environmental protection administration, gov. rick scott on friday asked the agency to rescind a january 2009 determination that the federal rules are necessary for florida - st. petersburg times
muddy waters: silt and the slow demise of glen canyon dam. - lake powell is the second-largest artificial reservoir in the united states - and is the seeming endpoint for four rivers. but these rivers aren't dead, and their persistent dynamics are slowly, steadily driving lake powell toward its demise. - high country news
time is running out for the grand canyon. - on july 21, a moratorium on staking new uranium and other hardrock mining claims on over one million acres of public land near the grand canyon national park will end. unless the department of the interior makes a decision on the land withdrawal prior to that, it will once again be open season. - high country news
common weed killer atrazine is showing up in public water supply. - a popular weed killer that's been suspected of causing frog deformities is turning up in drinking water systems throughout the country including some in missouri and illinois, according to a report by the natural resources defense council - st. louis post dispatch
workers become ill and die at ogden superfund site. - ling seager is dead. so is jim sproul and chris jensen, who sat next to her in an office in the utah national guard’s joint language training center. across from seager sat mike chen; he survived a brain tumor. a few feet away was mark hepper; he’s dying. others are sick. none of them knows why. - salt lake tribune
tobacco firms used diet-aid chemicals. - british and american tobacco companies deliberately added powerful appetite-suppressing chemicals to cigarettes to attract people worried about their weight, according to internal industry documents dating from 1949 to 1999. - london independent
spring may lose song of cuckoos, nightingales and turtle doves. - some of britain's most cherished spring visitors are disappearing in their thousands. ornithologists say species such as the cuckoo, nightingale and turtle dove are undergoing catastrophic drops in numbers, although experts are puzzled about the exact reasons for these declines - london observer
s.f. chronicle adds beehives to rooftop garden. - although some apiarists say new research into fungus and viruses is starting to give the bee the upper hand against colony collapse disorder, no one is ready to declare a comeback for the pollinator, responsible for about $15 billion worth of nuts, fruits and vegetables consumed in the united states each year - sfgate
increasing levels of mercury found in rare pacific albatross. - levels of mercury in an endangered pacific seabird species have increased substantially in recent decades largely due to industrial emissions from asia, harvard university researchers have found. - honolulu star advertiser
more evidence linking pesticides and malformations. - concern about toxic chemicals in the environment has erupted into the mainstream media again, with new reports tying pesticides to disruption of male hormones, birth defects and cancer. - miller mcune
the long-term effects of in utero exposures — the des story. - the lessons learned from the des story are powerful. endocrine disruptors may cause alterations in the reproductive tract that have severe consequences and form the basis of disease in adults decades later. - new england journal of medicine
study spots high level of fire retardant chemicals in california kids. - a california safety standard intended to prevent furniture from catching fire may be having the unintended consequence of exposing children to large amounts of harmful flame retardant chemicals. - fair warning
common weed killer atrazine is showing up in public water supply. - apopular weed killer that's been suspected of causing frog deformities is turning up in drinking water systems throughout the country including some in missouri and illinois, according to a report by the natural resources defense council. - st. louis post ledger
chemical in soft drink cans comes under fire at coca-cola. - it's about as inconspicuous as a chemical can be: it coats the insides of soft drink cans, a barrier against spoilage and contamination. but to some critics, bpa is itself the health risk. now, a group of coca-cola shareholders want to strike a blow against the substance - atlanta journal constitution
atlantic turtles threatened by man-made chemicals. - a team from the college of charleston, south carolina, found travelling turtles picked up potentially deadly pesticides, pcbs and other organic chemicals linked to cancer and brain problems. - bermuda sun
our 'toxic' love-hate relationship with plastics. - we all know that plastics are common in modern life, but science journalist susan freinkel says they are really literally everywhere — in our toothbrushes, hair dryers, cell phones, computers, door knobs, car parts — and of course in those ubiquitous plastic bags we get it seems every time we buy anything. - npr
critics: state deptartment's latest oil pipeline review 'superficial'. - advocacy organizations are as disappointed with the u.s. state department’s revamped version of its environmental evaluation of a much-disputed canada-to-texas oil sands pipeline as they were with its first iteration - solve climate news
farmers should be conservationists. - the central valley regional water quality control board will take up the questions of fertilizer use and groundwater contamination June 8. here's a suggestion for farmers: instead of belly-aching about another regulatory burden, support monitoring and new rules so that the people who pick your crops get clean water from their taps. - contra costa times opinion
gov. rick scott to u.s. epa: we'll take care of our own water. - the day after the florida house passed a bill to ban implementation of water quality standards set by the u.s. environmental protection administration, gov. rick scott on friday asked the agency to rescind a january 2009 determination that the federal rules are necessary for florida - st. petersburg times
muddy waters: silt and the slow demise of glen canyon dam. - lake powell is the second-largest artificial reservoir in the united states - and is the seeming endpoint for four rivers. but these rivers aren't dead, and their persistent dynamics are slowly, steadily driving lake powell toward its demise. - high country news
time is running out for the grand canyon. - on july 21, a moratorium on staking new uranium and other hardrock mining claims on over one million acres of public land near the grand canyon national park will end. unless the department of the interior makes a decision on the land withdrawal prior to that, it will once again be open season. - high country news
common weed killer atrazine is showing up in public water supply. - a popular weed killer that's been suspected of causing frog deformities is turning up in drinking water systems throughout the country including some in missouri and illinois, according to a report by the natural resources defense council - st. louis post dispatch
workers become ill and die at ogden superfund site. - ling seager is dead. so is jim sproul and chris jensen, who sat next to her in an office in the utah national guard’s joint language training center. across from seager sat mike chen; he survived a brain tumor. a few feet away was mark hepper; he’s dying. others are sick. none of them knows why. - salt lake tribune
tobacco firms used diet-aid chemicals. - british and american tobacco companies deliberately added powerful appetite-suppressing chemicals to cigarettes to attract people worried about their weight, according to internal industry documents dating from 1949 to 1999. - london independent
spring may lose song of cuckoos, nightingales and turtle doves. - some of britain's most cherished spring visitors are disappearing in their thousands. ornithologists say species such as the cuckoo, nightingale and turtle dove are undergoing catastrophic drops in numbers, although experts are puzzled about the exact reasons for these declines - london observer
Labels: animals, bees, birds, chemicals, corporations, ecology, environment, epa, ocean, pesticide, toxins
let my parody go
as is our annual easter tradition here at skippy international, in honor of god myths everywhere, we present
ten things i hate about commandments
ten things i hate about commandments
easter eggs
best review ever of the film atlas shrugged by sarah proud and tall over @ balloon juice
beck to huckabee: you are thin-skinned and shoukdn't run for president"
republicans shred their "seniors' bill of rights"
beck to huckabee: you are thin-skinned and shoukdn't run for president"
republicans shred their "seniors' bill of rights"
it's easter
Saturday, April 23, 2011
centralia, a ghost town on fire since 1962
yeah. you read that right. on fire since 1962.
in 1962, a landfill site in centralia, pennsylvania was set on fire. the rubbish was located in the pit of an abandoned strip mine, and although it was believed to have been extinguished at the time, the fire actually remained burning in the lower depths and eventually spread to an eight-mile seam of coal, where it has now been burning for 46 years.
as you read this post the underground fire continues to burn, and it is now estimated to underlie around 160 hectares (400 acres) of land.
furthermore, it seems that this fire will continue to burn for some time to come; there are no current plans to extinguish it and the eight-mile coal seam constitutes enough fuel to last about 250 years.
read more about centralia at wikipedia, explore a photo gallery of the area, or see some before and after shots of a previously inhabited area. - google sightseeing
Labels: google, pennsylvania, pollution, things that make you go hmmmm, toxins
tweet of the day
sarah_pallinusa sarah palin
in the global war on freedom, there are winners and there are losers. i'm the winners.
Labels: palin, tweet of the day, tweets, twitter
when you think the gop can't get any crueler
you run across this story.
now, to be honest, i shop at thrift stores as i believe in recycling and reusing but i am an adult. i have a choice. i am not at that tender age where slights can scar one so easily.under a new budget proposal from state sen. bruce casswell, children in the state’s foster care system would be allowed to purchase clothing only in used clothing stores.
...under his plan, foster children would receive gift cards that could only be used at places like the salvation army, goodwill and other second hand clothing stores. - michigan messenger
i am also, not a foster child, where an underlying, unspoken message of "you are different"..."you are not one of us"..."you are not wanted" often permeate a psyche.
this state senator wants to codify those messages with this law. this is unconscionable. this is cruel and, unfortunately in these days of social darwinism run amok, is not all that unusual.
Labels: cruelty, gop, michigan, poverty, republicans
Hurry On Sundown...
Huh...
My department head gave me a burned DVD with lots of music by Ozric Tentacles on it... oh, late last summer, early last fall? I don't remember when. I only remember sampling it back whenever, putting it all into my iTunes, and pretty much forgetting about it.
I'm finally returning to it today. This is grade-A material I got here. Love it. Thought I'd share some of it:
Enjoy...
Labels: music
saturday somethings
american airlines ceo pay rose as company posted losses
tornado rips through st. louis airport
susan collins is the firat announced gop senator who will vote against the ryan budget
tornado rips through st. louis airport
susan collins is the firat announced gop senator who will vote against the ryan budget
Friday, April 22, 2011
Quote Of The Day...
"If you think you're too old to rock and roll, you are." -- Ian Kilmister, aka Lemmy:
It may not be pretty, but it's definitely rock 'n roll.
Enjoy...
Labels: music
happy earth day
from santa barbara...ground zero of the nation's environmental movement.
Labels: earth, ecology, environment, offshore drilling, oil, santa barbara
friday fray day
glenn beck doesn't like mike huckabee
with any luck at all, john ensign will resign today
politifact sez: if you destroy medicare and replace it with something entirely different, but still call it medicare, you haven't destroyed medicare
with any luck at all, john ensign will resign today
politifact sez: if you destroy medicare and replace it with something entirely different, but still call it medicare, you haven't destroyed medicare
Thursday, April 21, 2011
we need cuteness - part 2
was it out of shame that sen ensign is resigning
or was it because he wasn't raising any money.
embattled sen. john ensign (r-nev.) announced thursday night that he will resign from office in early may, a move that comes amid an ethics investigation into his conduct. - wapo
when sen. john ensign announced last month that he would not run again for u.s. senate, he said the move was to protect his family from an ugly campaign in which opponents would be sure to spotlight his marital infidelity.
that might have been true, but federal records released this week suggest another reason the nevada republican might have called it quits: ge could not raise money. - las vegas review journal
Labels: calling it quits, ethics, gop, liars, nevada, senate, sexscapades
thursday thinking
congrats to feministing for winning the hillman prize
kloppenberg asks for a recount
and why not send a than you note to all the wisconsin volunteers who collected enough signatures for recall elections?
medicare not millionaires
kloppenberg asks for a recount
and why not send a than you note to all the wisconsin volunteers who collected enough signatures for recall elections?
medicare not millionaires
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Cue The World's Smallest Violin...
Life's a bitch, Andrew -- and apparently, you're Glenn Beck's.
Christ, I thought I was bitter...
Labels: it is what it is
Cause And Effect...
Jan Brewer vetoes Arizona's birther bill; top Republicans start trying to drop birtherism like a hot potato. Birtherism takes root in 2009, and over the course of about two years, manages to gain enough traction among the GOPers to make the bulk of those up for re-election cater to this conspiracy-happy fringe -- then one Republican governor vetoes one birther bill, and just like that, the birther cause starts growing toxic for real.
Brewer's veto didn't get this particular ball rolling. But it damn sure gave it some much needed acceleration...
Labels: politics
ryan's dope
teabaggers boo paul ryan over not raising taxes on the rich
We Need Some Cuteness...
Just for a little balance -- that clip of the dog and the laser pointer the other day was rather harsh. Here are two rats playing in water...
Labels: animals
wednesday wins day
we don't often agree with joe klein, but he's right about standard & poor's bogus rating
one year later the bp oil spill is still wrecking havoc
proesser states he willfight a recount even tho it's wisconsin law
did any one notice that last night was the night that skynet became self-aware?
one year later the bp oil spill is still wrecking havoc
proesser states he willfight a recount even tho it's wisconsin law
did any one notice that last night was the night that skynet became self-aware?
one year ago
Labels: bp, disasters, gulf coast, oil
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
skippy's tuesday night music club
"everybody hurts." something that the republicans have simply ignored...willfully ignored. the gop has gone out of their way to make sure that some americans hurt more than others.
may they go to hell.
may they go to hell.
Labels: skippy's music club, youtube
rip sarah jane smith
and, sad news for dr. who geeks all over: elisabeth sladen, known as companion sarah jane smith, has died at age 63.
elisabeth, in her character as sarah jane, traveled with two of the best doctors, jon pertwee and tom baker, as well as appearing with several others, including david tennant and most recently matt smith. she was also recently given her own spin-off show, the sarah jane adventures. sarah jane was among the pluckiest, bravest and most resourceful of whovian companions, and elisabeth played her with grace and aplomb. who fans everywhere are morning her loss.
elisabeth and jon pertwee, the third doctor
elisabeth and tom baker, the fourth doctor
elisabeth and matt smith, the eleventh and current doctorwashpost:
elisabeth, in her character as sarah jane, traveled with two of the best doctors, jon pertwee and tom baker, as well as appearing with several others, including david tennant and most recently matt smith. she was also recently given her own spin-off show, the sarah jane adventures. sarah jane was among the pluckiest, bravest and most resourceful of whovian companions, and elisabeth played her with grace and aplomb. who fans everywhere are morning her loss.
elisabeth and jon pertwee, the third doctor
elisabeth and tom baker, the fourth doctor
elisabeth and matt smith, the eleventh and current doctor
sladen joined the broadcaster in 1973 as doctor who’s assistant sarah jane smith, an investigative journalist-turned-intrepid time traveler whose on-screen energy and tongue-in-cheek delivery eventually gave her career an unlikely second act in her own spin-off series, “the sarah jane adventures.”
“sarah jane smith was everybody’s hero when i was younger, and as brave and funny and brilliant as people only ever are in stories,” steven moffat, the series’s lead writer, said in a statement. “many years later, when i met the real sarah-jane — lis sladen herself — she was exactly as any child ever have wanted her to be.”
doctor who centers on a time-hopping alien known only as the doctor, but sladen turned his sidekick into a star, playing opposite jon pertwee and tom baker for three-and-a-half seasons.
she would return to the role numerous times over the years, and when the series was resurrected in 2005, she was brought back as well — as the star of her own alien-busting television show.
“i left sarah jane a great many years ago, but she never left me,” sladen said in an interview when the series was launched.
rip elisabeth sladen“sarah jane smith was everybody’s hero when i was younger, and as brave and funny and brilliant as people only ever are in stories,” steven moffat, the series’s lead writer, said in a statement. “many years later, when i met the real sarah-jane — lis sladen herself — she was exactly as any child ever have wanted her to be.”
doctor who centers on a time-hopping alien known only as the doctor, but sladen turned his sidekick into a star, playing opposite jon pertwee and tom baker for three-and-a-half seasons.
she would return to the role numerous times over the years, and when the series was resurrected in 2005, she was brought back as well — as the star of her own alien-busting television show.
“i left sarah jane a great many years ago, but she never left me,” sladen said in an interview when the series was launched.
school with 90% graduation rates and 100% college acceptance rates
was shut down because michigan's emergency finance czar wants to make schools for profit institutions with teachers working at the lowest wages possible.
on the heels of the shocking announcement last month by detroit public schools emergency financial manager (efm) robert bobb to close up to eight schools and sell up to 45 schools to charter companies, he slated the highly successful and unique catherine ferguson academy for closure. the school, which has been featured in the film grown in detroit documenting the school’s urban farm and in o: the oprah winfrey magazine, boasts a 90% graduation rate and 100% college and higher education acceptance upon graduation. the award winning school is specifically for pregnant and parenting teens and their children, offering a wide range of classes and child care. it is the only school of its kind in the nation. - shirleyujest's diary over at the great orange satan.
Labels: detroit, education, michigan, privatizing, schools
kudos to this brave republican
for going against the echo chamber gop talking points. sen. vaneta becker, r-evansville....we salute you.
while the anti-planned parenthood amendment passed 36 to 13, one republican state senator — sen. vaneta becker — actually noted an all-too-common hypocrisy in republican anti-choice efforts:
sen. vaneta becker, r-evansville, said she didn’t understand why legislators would take a step of reducing women’s access to health service at [the same time] the state is cutting funding toward programs for mentally disabled children.in an interview with thinkprogress this afternoon, becker said that a lot of people share her view but are too intimidated by the political climate to voice their opposition. noting the state and federal laws already banning abortion funding, she said the bill “is an attempt to politicize the issue.” in doing so, republicans will deny thousands of hoosier woman access to vital health services, she said. - think progress
“if we are so concerned about pregnancy before children are born, why are we not as concerned after children are born?” becker said.
Labels: gop, healthcare, indiana, planned parenthood, right hypocrisy, womens issues
tuesday tease day
gallup poll shows obama might have a good chance convincing america we should tax the rich
what? you're looking for a visual representation of word clouds as to why fox fired beck? ask and ye shall receive
the real death tax
vatican: gay rights opponents are the real victims
what? you're looking for a visual representation of word clouds as to why fox fired beck? ask and ye shall receive
the real death tax
vatican: gay rights opponents are the real victims
Monday, April 18, 2011
Aauughhh...
Question Of The Day...
Since I'm one of the few lefty bloggers out there who has not only read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, but actually liked the story (if not the prose -- Rand's English was remarkably good for a Russian emigre, but still difficult to read, especially for 1,000+ pages), should I go see the new film and give it a review, or should I just stay home?
Two reasons. One, my inclination is to stay home, since every review I'd seen of it until tonight was decidedly bad. Then I read Ed Morrissey's at Hot Air (yes, that Hot Air), and it flies in the face of all the others I've seen. That alone piques my curiosity about this film.
But the other reason is, I call myself a liberal, as well as a Democrat by default, but I'm probably more of a libertarian than anything else. And while that word seems to be to the bulk of liberals what the word "liberal" is to the bulk of conservatives these days, that's how I describe myself. I don't mean I'm one of these Randian drones who thinks the John Galts and Dagny Taggarts of this country are our only salvation. That's bu!!+#!+ -- Atlas Shrugged is a novel of fiction, not a social engineering blueprint.
I'm a libertarian in the sense that I can look at Rand's objectivist philosophy and see the parts of it that are admirable. For example, Rand was big as anybody on capitalism, but not when those involved resorted to coercion to get what they wanted. She was quite clear on this in her novel -- both in the way the Galt's Gulch inhabitants dealt with each other voluntarily, freely, and as equals, and the way Hank Reardon expressed his views during his trial. That just happens to be my own idea of capitalism at its best. Granted, Rand had an extraordinarily naive view of laissez-faire capitalism, but she died some thirty years ago -- if she were alive to witness what was happening today, I tend to think she would be appalled and horrified by it.
Another aspect of objectivism I like is Rand's championing of reason as a means of gaining knowledge and putting it to intelligent use, in capitalism and in every* most other spheres of life. What's not to like about that? Reason has its limits, in much the same way science does -- you have to stick to the natural realm if you want either of them to work. But I look at the political and social landscapes these days, and I'm wondering where reason's gone -- I find myself having to write posts like this just to see if I can coax reason out of wherever it's hiding.
So, should I see this film or forget about it?
{*: Whoops. Blogging is all well and fine, but sometimes you wish you had an editor...}
Labels: questions
this should be an olympic event
105 years ago today
san francisco shook and burned.
monday mauldin
david frum, lover of welfare state? you bet
donald trump leads the public policy poll for republican nominees
a gay former player responds to kobe
how the koch brothers money put scott walker in office
help! i'm being scammed by life alert and i can't get up!
and this is what happens when you tickle a baby penguin
and happy birthday, dr. who! (number 10, that is!)
donald trump leads the public policy poll for republican nominees
a gay former player responds to kobe
how the koch brothers money put scott walker in office
help! i'm being scammed by life alert and i can't get up!
and this is what happens when you tickle a baby penguin
and happy birthday, dr. who! (number 10, that is!)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Coming Quickly To Terms Of All Expression Laid...
But You Can Say Baby...
Baby, can I hold you tonight?
I'm in a bit of a foul mood tonight. Can't seem to help it.
Enjoy...
Labels: music
The World's A Subway...
tweet of the day
a man with fake hairline, a "reality" tv show & 3 major bankruptcies is questioning the legitimacy of president obama
dc debbie
dc debbie
sunday fun day
astronauts on the space station have to file taxes too
deepwater horizon one of 6500 fossil fuel explosions and spills last year
5 state death toll from storms at 21
supporters donatw $238,000 to gabby giffords campaign
deepwater horizon one of 6500 fossil fuel explosions and spills last year
5 state death toll from storms at 21
supporters donatw $238,000 to gabby giffords campaign
Saturday, April 16, 2011
the unsocial network
facebook removes picture of two fully clothed men kissing
skippy's saturday night music club
omg...can't believe i remember this words to this song, too..
Labels: music, skippy's music club, youtube
Glaze...
Saw this over at Balloon Juice:
Oh, I have some as well, all right. Here are some of the words and phrases that make me want to zone out:
birther
spending cuts
worse than Bush
impeachment
Very Serious People
reality-based community
Arizona
Westboro Baptist Church
soshulist
pony
pro-life
homosexual agenda
Bobo Brooks
billionaire
2012
Sarah Palin
swing voter
we are all (whatever) now
nation-building
shrill
secret Muslim
judicial activism
Paul Ryan
the liberal media
IOKIYAR
Chris Bowers
That's just some of them. I could go on, but I think this is long enough...
Was reading an article earlier, I forget what, and it had the word “hermeneutics.” Here is a brief list of words which, every time I read them, my eyes glaze over:
hermeneutics
dialectical
fiduciary
patriarchy
post-structuralism
I’m sure there are more, and you might have some, as well, but these were ones I thought of right now.
Oh, I have some as well, all right. Here are some of the words and phrases that make me want to zone out:
birther
spending cuts
worse than Bush
impeachment
Very Serious People
reality-based community
Arizona
Westboro Baptist Church
soshulist
pony
pro-life
homosexual agenda
Bobo Brooks
billionaire
2012
Sarah Palin
swing voter
we are all (whatever) now
nation-building
shrill
secret Muslim
judicial activism
Paul Ryan
the liberal media
IOKIYAR
Chris Bowers
That's just some of them. I could go on, but I think this is long enough...
Labels: it is what it is
he's fired!
sign the petition to boycott the sponsors of trump's the apprentice
donald trump in recent weeks has been fanning the flames of racism, xenophobia, and division at a time when this county needs more cooperation and collaboration between its people. this country will not offer creative solutions with the "birther rhethoric" that trump has been supporting in recent weeks against president obama.
in a recent interview on nbc today show, donald trump, the creator of "celebrity apprentice" said, “a certificate of live birth is not even signed by anybody. i saw his. i read it very carefully. it doesn’t have a serial number. it doesn’t have a signature.” he also claimed that the kenyan step-grandmother of the president obama observed his birth in kenya. these statements have been proven bogus by the hawaii state officials who have consistently stated that president obama was born in hawaii.
in a recent interview on nbc today show, donald trump, the creator of "celebrity apprentice" said, “a certificate of live birth is not even signed by anybody. i saw his. i read it very carefully. it doesn’t have a serial number. it doesn’t have a signature.” he also claimed that the kenyan step-grandmother of the president obama observed his birth in kenya. these statements have been proven bogus by the hawaii state officials who have consistently stated that president obama was born in hawaii.
sarah palin, mistress of public speaking
here's a short youtube of sarah palin's appearance at the koch bros. rally in madison wisc. today...notice how the crowd loves her
saturday seeker day
paul krugman gives john cole a shout-out
michele bachman pisses off a national eyeglass chain in about an hour
"we begin bombing the republicans in five minutes"
and rip rip charles laufer, founder of tiger beat
michele bachman pisses off a national eyeglass chain in about an hour
"we begin bombing the republicans in five minutes"
and rip rip charles laufer, founder of tiger beat
Friday, April 15, 2011
skippy's friday night music club
friday free day
donald trump "has a great relationship with the blacks"
tale o' the tape: compare and contrast the budget plans of obama vs. privatising ryan
scott walker he's a weasel (not in so many words)
sick of trump's birtherism? why not let nbc know how you feel?
sarah palin coming to madison this weekend? you betcha!
tale o' the tape: compare and contrast the budget plans of obama vs. privatising ryan
scott walker he's a weasel (not in so many words)
sick of trump's birtherism? why not let nbc know how you feel?
sarah palin coming to madison this weekend? you betcha!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
beep beep
listen to me don't listen to me
talk to me don't talk to me
dance with me don't dance with me
no
Labels: music
skippy's thursday night music club
Born To Lose...
Back in the 90s, I was right-of-center when it came to politics. During the aWol years, I gradually migrated from right to left. That small, dim, smirking son of a bitch apparently had that effect on quite a few people, because since I took up political blogging in 2004, I found some kindred spirits in the right-to-left vein: Fixer of Alternate Brain, Scorpio of Eccentricity, Rez Dog of Unsolicited Opinion, John Cole of Balloon Juice, and the flightless bird I am forever indebted to for selling me this lovely MacBook at a cut-rate price that I am writing this post with. Just to name five.
And I've noticed something. Most of the people who migrate as the age go from left to right. I don't see anything strange in that. I think it's a natural response to keeping yourself alive as you get older. All the more poignant in my own case, since I heard for years that once you hit 40, your body starts going to hell, and damn if my body isn't following that script -- warm flashes, cool flashes, one day you're sneezing three liters of snot a day, the next day you're coughing up three liters of snot, dull aches, hard aches, can't poop one day, can't stop pooping the next, what the Christ?!
And yet, there are those of us who go from right to left. I've noticed that people like me just don't seem to fit in anywhere. On some level, we seem to sense that going against the grain has hurt us more than it helped us. All the same, we make no attempt to go back to the past. We don't want to, basically. We're the ones who saw Toto pull the curtain aside to reveal the skittish old man behind the Wizard. We couldn't go back if we wanted to. We saw what we weren't supposed to see.
And now... we can't reach the ones we're intended to reach. A pragmatic liberal can never win in an argument with an idealistic progressive. It is impossible.
We are born to lose.
Labels: it is what it is
quote of the day
"at the end of those 10 years, we will have paid down all the debt that is available to retire." ~ george w. bush, 2001
It's Your Turn Now, Tea Party Man...
I suggest you get used to this -- and learn something useful in the process:
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Gauging what the Tea Party thinks about any given topic is always difficult, since there is no real centralized leadership and even the nationally known groups have limited connections to the grassroots.
But the reaction to the budget deal being voted on in Washington Thursday--from Tea Party activists organizing at the local level here and in other places around the country--was universally negative.
"The [continuing resolution] was Washington as usual. We elected Republicans because we were tired of the behind-closed-door antics of the beltway boys and four months in we are right back where we started," Andrew Hemingway, a 28-year-old small-business owner and the chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, told The Huffington Post...
You see that little dot below, Andrew?
.
That's the world's smallest violin, as well as the saddest. I'd play you a sad song on it, but I'm fresh out of tears for dumb-ass ideologues on both sides of the aisle. Skroo yoo, teebag boi.
Seriously, let him frickin' suffer for the next two years -- like I did over the last two. If he's smart, he'll rethink his own reasoning and eventually realize that logistics matter more than strategy -- like I did.
And if he isn't smart? Who cares? I'm on the side that's suffering the worst, but overall is taking the long view and trying to be as inclusive as possible among all of those who are suffering; he's on the side that is becoming more white nationalist and irrelevant with each passing day.
My side may have a future. His side only has an ever-more-distant past...
Labels: idiocy, it is what it is, politics, snark, tea baggers
watch for some "violence" in bolivia
because the mega multi-nationals are probably not going to take this new law "lightly" as it will put a cramp on their plundering the country of it's resources. our country believes corporations are people and have certain "rights"....bolivia believes that the earth and mother nature should have "rights", too...
bolivia is set to pass the world's first laws granting all nature equal rights to humans. the law of mother earth, now agreed by politicians and grassroots social groups, redefines the country's rich mineral deposits as "blessings" and is expected to lead to radical new conservation and social measures to reduce pollution and control industry.
the country, which has been pilloried by the us and britain in the un climate talks for demanding steep carbon emission cuts, will establish 11 new rights for nature. they include: the right to life and to exist; the right to continue vital cycles and processes free from human alteration; the right to pure water and clean air; the right to balance; the right not to be polluted; and the right to not have cellular structure modified or genetically altered.
controversially, it will also enshrine the right of nature "to not be affected by mega-infrastructure and development projects that affect the balance of ecosystems and the local inhabitant communities". - the guardian
Labels: bolivia, ecology, south america, united nations
37.3% of californians
have a job.
Labels: california, jobs
thursday refers day
9 things the rich don't want you to know about taxes
unpaid blogger sues huffpost for not paying him
is political conservatism a form of mild insanity?
someone call andrew sullivan! professor agrees palin probably hoaxed america about trig's birth
boy, that sen. inhofe is one one bad pilot
unpaid blogger sues huffpost for not paying him
is political conservatism a form of mild insanity?
someone call andrew sullivan! professor agrees palin probably hoaxed america about trig's birth
boy, that sen. inhofe is one one bad pilot
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
skippy's wednesday night music club
the omg...i can't believe i remember the words to this song version.
Labels: music, skippy's music club, youtube
All Right, Let's Talk This Over...
George would like Bernie Sanders to be the 2012 Democratic nominee. Hypothetically, it sounds like a nice idea if you're big on things like confronting global warming, strengthening the middle-class, and giving all veterans any financial and/or psychological support they need. I'm big on all three, plus a number of other planks in the progressive platform. But I think in practice, trying to draft Sanders would be a really bad idea, and that this should be abandoned as soon as possible.
Three reasons why, off the top of my head. One, let's say (again, hypothetically) Sanders faces off against Obama in the primaries and wins the nomination. Where are all the votes necessary to win the general election going to come from? According to Gallup, as of December 2010, the political makeup of American voters was 40% conservative, 35% moderate, and 21% liberal. That hasn't changed much in four months. Strike one.
Second, who would he pick to be his running mate? Or, rather, who could he pick? He's pretty much lost two-fifths of all voters right off the bat. He'd have to pick a centrist Democrat just to balance the ticket out somewhat and have a chance at winning over enough moderates, and maybe some conservatives. But then he runs the risk of pissing off too many liberals who are already pissed off at Obama. Good luck scrounging up 270 electoral votes with a Democratic Socialist/Centrist-or-maybe-even-Blue Dog ticket. Strike two.
Which brings me to reason number three. If you are on record with the word "socialist" in your self-description, you are not going to become President of the United States next year. Ain't, gonna, happen. Strike three, QED.
One last thing, before I turn this over to everyone else. To anyone inclined to start their opposing view with anything resembling "The Democrats don't own my vote": don't even bother responding. All that means is that you haven't paid the slightest attention to a word I've just written -- that, and I already know pretty much everything you have to say because I've seen it five hundred times before, I have no wish to see it anymore, and all it ever translates into is more heartbreak. So just save it.
Okay, your turn...
Labels: 2012 elections, politics
trumped
first in the ongoing little "trumpettes" (tidbits of the donald) that might not get the airtime they should.
did you know that there was a "trump university?"
did you know that there was a "trump university?"
in june 2010, the institution officially changed its name from trump university to the trump entrepreneur initiative, after the new york state department of education took the view that it was "misleading and even illegal" for the institution to call itself a university
Labels: education, internet(s), trump
wednesday wins day
roger stone, professional creep
many consider obama's compromise on budget cuts historic. liberals know better
oliver willis gives conservatives 4 palin the win for headline of the day
so who's using "psycho killer"? charlie crist apologizes to david byrne for using "road to nowhere" without permission
scott walker's challenger has a slogan: hands off my grandma,"
many consider obama's compromise on budget cuts historic. liberals know better
oliver willis gives conservatives 4 palin the win for headline of the day
so who's using "psycho killer"? charlie crist apologizes to david byrne for using "road to nowhere" without permission
scott walker's challenger has a slogan: hands off my grandma,"
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
tweet of the day
from our bloggy buddy bad tux the snarky penguin
Labels: bloggers, tweet of the day, tweets, twitter
whatever happend to the land of the free?
apparently we can kiss that "quaint idea" goodbye.
san francisco's entertainment commission has proposed that all bars, clubs, and venues should be required to photograph and collect id from everyone who comes in for a drink or a show. the photos and personal information would be retained so that police could get a list of every person who was in the club on any given night. leaving aside the (obvious) fourth amendment issues inherent in governments collecting massive databases of presumed-innocent people's lawful activities and movements, this is also a security nightmare, in which thousands of club staff and their friends would have access to personal information that would be of great interest to stalkers, creeps and identity thieves.
the electronic frontier foundation will present their critique of this proposal to the commission at a public meeting tonight (april 12). you can also attend and let the commission know what you think. - boing boing
Labels: free speech, police state, san francisco
tuesday tears day
fox news finally correctly lables sarah palin
gop underwhelmed with their pick of prez candidates
9th circuit court of appeals refuses to lift stay banning arizona's immigration law
paul ryan in your pockets
will there be a criminal probe of scott walker's campaign?
ohio lawmakers intrduce bill to
gop underwhelmed with their pick of prez candidates
9th circuit court of appeals refuses to lift stay banning arizona's immigration law
paul ryan in your pockets
will there be a criminal probe of scott walker's campaign?
ohio lawmakers intrduce bill to
