August, 2010 archive
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Who needs the full armor of God when he has the full armament of Smith and Wesson:
(snip)
GeorgiaCarry.org; the Baptist Tabernacle of Thomaston; GeorgiaCarry.org former president Ed Stone and the Rev. Jonathan Wilkins filed suit against Georgia’s exemption for churches, saying church employees and worshipers should be allowed to arm themselves for safety.
All Your Eggs in One Casket 0
In a story which looks into the background of the egg saladmonella story (follow the link to read it–it finds a common ingredient in all the different salads), appears this line:
“You have to wonder where the USDA and FDA inspectors were.”
Paul Waldman answers the question, citing this article from 2007–they fell victim to the Republican campaign against “the dead hand of regulation.”
- There are 12 percent fewer FDA employees in field offices who concentrate on food issues.
- Safety tests for U.S.-produced food have dropped nearly 75 percent, from 9,748 in 2003 to 2,455 last year, according to the agency’s own statistics.
- After the Sept. 11 attacks, the FDA, at the urging of Congress, increased the number of food inspectors and inspections amid fears that the nation’s food system was vulnerable to terrorists. Inspectors and inspections spiked in 2003, but now both have fallen enough to erase the gains. “The only difference is now it’s worse, because there are more inspections to do — more facilities — and more food coming into America, which requires more inspections,” said Tommy Thompson, who as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services pushed to increase the numbers.
Because, as Republicans tell us, regulations are unnecessary overhead because no business person would ever do anything improper.
I have to go now. Pigasus, my flying pig, is ready to take off for his daily flight to Washington via Richmond.
Laffable Curves 0
Will Bunch considers the legacy of Republican Economic Theory. A nugget:
Read the whole thing.
And buy Will’s new book.
Managing the Size of Video Embeds 0
Do you embed videos on your blog and find that they are just too damned big?
Fixing that is absurdly easy, but it’s only easy when you know how.
Find out how at Geekazine.
Apparently, It’s Only All Right If You’re White (Updated) 0
John Cole has the video.
It appalls, but it does not surprise.
When you unleash bigotry, you get bigotry.
Addendum:
An update at Balloon Juice.
Afterthought: If this sort of stuff doesn’t make you really really ashamed of America and Americans, I grieve for you, for you Just Don’t Get It.
Constancy 0
They will do it again, if you let them.
Voting is not a right. It is a duty.
Pass it on.
Via Steven D.
The President’s Weekly Address 0
Excerpt from the transcript:
You would think that making these reforms would be a matter of common sense. You’d think that reducing corporate and even foreign influence over our elections wouldn’t be a partisan issue.
But the Republican leaders in Congress said no. In fact, they used their power to block the issue from even coming up for a vote.
This can only mean that the leaders of the other party want to keep the public in the dark. They don’t want you to know which interests are paying for the ads. The only people who don’t want to disclose the truth are people with something to hide.
Spill Here, Spill Now, Cost Benefit Analysis Dept. 0
Facing South rounds up some interesting statistics.
In Which I Lose My Temper 0
Look for the fourth comment down, from The Farmer.
Cuccinelli Witchhunt Updates (Updated) 0
Virginia Attorney-General Cuccinelli continues his attempt to entangle a scientist in court proceedings because the AG does not like the science.
I didn’t like 10th grade biology teacher.
Why didn’t I think of suing Mr. Turner?
Addendum:
The Shockoe Literary Messenger has news of the next Koo-Koo-Koo-Croosade.
Truism 0
By definition, a truism is a statement that is so obvious it doesn’t have to be mentioned.
Except, I guess, when it does.
True Blue Texan: A prejudice held by the majority is still prejudice.
iThought 0
Another reason not to get an iPad.
Dustbiters 0
I was busy watching the Phillies beat Washington last night and missed the FDIC’s rampage through banks. Highest body count in weeks:
-
Sonoma Valley Bank, Sonoma, California
Los Padres Bank, Solvang, California
Butte Community Bank, Chico, California
Pacific State Bank, Stockton, California
Imperial Savings & Loan Association, Martinsville, Virginia
