February, 2011 archive
Closing the Rape Loophole 0
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Rape Victim Abortion Funding | ||||
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TSA Security Theatre 0
No there there:
I felt angry, helpless, and punchy (silently teeming with nervous har-har-har one-liners about my husband’s groin), and tried to recollect the opinion I’ve had ever since the beginning, late last year, of heightened airport scannings and patdowns: that these measures are a disturbing invasion of privacy, but that on the off-chance that they might avert — or deter — even one airborne disaster, the overall societal benefit might outweigh the individual violation.
(snip the waiting)
Then they opened the door and told my husband he could go. They were careful not to apologize for the procedure, but they did say they were sorry my husband had had to wait so long for the supervisor to show up. They handed me my husband’s boarding pass. We never learned what the unidentified thing in his groin was.
Follow the link to read the whole thing, including the author’s quite rational musings on privacy vs. security.
But I don’t think all the reasoning in the world can make this feel any less skeevy.
Frankly, I’m glad that my road warrior days are over.
Image via Boing Boing.
Facebook Frolics 0
Good-bye, Mr. Chips:
A hacker has pleaded guilty to stealing more than 400 billion virtual poker chips.
In court Ashley Mitchell admitted penetrating the systems of online gaming firm Zynga to steal the chips.
He laundered the haul via a series of Facebook accounts in a bid to escape being caught.
“Life Is Change. How It Differs from the Rocks.” 0
(Slightly edited at 4:00 p. m.)
Grant Miller takes on the those who view the Constition of the United States of America as a sacred, immutable writ forever destining the nation to live in 1787, except, of course, for changing stuff the they don’t like, such as the 1st, 13th, and 15th Amendments. A nugget:
Unfortunately, though, it’s not the Constitution that needs protecting. It’s the environment; it’s our competitive position in the global economy; it’s the triple-A rating of U.S. Treasury bonds.
Click for larger image.
RealPolitik, Egyptian Food for Thought Dept. 0
Thoreau has a suggestion for those who fear that the unrest in Egypt might lead to another Iran:
Just musing to my ears . . . .
Forging Victory, the GOP Way 0
This would be just another case of local political skulduggery, were it not for the Republicans’ constant caterwauling about the almost non-existent problem of fraudulent voter registrations.
That elevates it to just one more testament the GOP’s institutionalizing hypocrisy as a party strategy.
The Attorney General’s Office charged Paul V. Summers, 59, of Drexel Hill, with seven counts of forgery in connection with the nominating petitions he submitted for Meehan in March. Agents say that the petitions contained dozens of forged signatures.
Several Delaware County residents told investigators that they hadn’t signed the forms, and some residents identified the names of relatives “who had died or since moved out of the area,” according to the criminal complaint.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still not good:
In related news,
The measure of employee output per hour rose at a 2.6 percent annual rate, compared with a revised 2.4 percent gain in the previous three months, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington. Economists projected a 2 percent advance, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey. Labor expenses fell for fifth time in six quarters.
Home Takeover 0
When television’s alternate reality meets, well, reality–what’s not broadcast:
By Monday evening, however, Ward felt he had to keep a vigil in his driveway. A production truck sat in his yard, and a celebrity tent was pitched near his living-room window.
Strangers, craning for views of TV host Ty Pennington and other celebrity designers, trampled through his yard until crews erected a temporary fence.
The story goes on to report that the neighbors, by and large, are willing to put up with it because they know it’s temporary and they like the persons whose home is being made over.
More at the link.
Update from the Foreclosure-Based Economy 0
Baptism by foreclosure:
“Churches are the tail on the dog,” Arzet said . “The people in churches are the same people who are your neighbors,” he said — the same people who are losing jobs and cutting back on spending and that includes donations to the collection plate.
Poor judgment and even ambition sometimes play a role, as well.
As the economy tanked, so did offerings. Persons no longer had as much to offer. As the offerings diminish, so too do the community services, such as youth leagues, day camps, and shelters.
Folks whose concept of churches is derived secondhand, from bible-thumping pastors promoting hate, wingnut lobbyists-in-collars, and only-in-it-for-the-money publicity hounds on the telly vision often don’t realize how much small and medium sized religious institutions do in and for their communities, often with no strings attached and no recognition.
Misdirection Play 0
Republicans do not a deficit of duplicity, just duplicity on the deficit.
Scott Lehigh describes how it works. A nugget:
Now, when responsible, ratiocinative grownups address a problem, they start with a basic question: What caused it?
But that’s not the approach the GOP is taking when it comes to the long-term federal budget deficit.
Nopocalyse 2
It’s 63 Fahrenheits with light rain in Virginia Beach.
“We’re All Still Here, No One Has Gone Away” 0
The dude who was predicting the rapture to take place by the end of January, that is, by yesterday, has now revised his prediction to Rosh Hashanah, which is scheduled for mid-September.
I’ll have to update my Google Calendar. Wouldn’t want to miss it.
Afterthought:
One would think that always being wrong would send these folks some kind of message clue, but nope.
Revenue Enhancement 0
What Mithras said.
