Attach a GPS enabled cellphone and a camera to a helium balloon and what happens? Okay, Project Icarus, devised by MIT students, involved a little bit more than that, but it was still decidedly low-tech. The whole contraption cost $148 for everything — the balloon, the helium, the cellphone, the GPS tracking software, etc. The launch was September 2. The balloon reach … Read More
Quote From The Values Voters Summit This Weekend
TPM reports: Sen. Tom Coburn's (R-OK) chief of staff Michael Schwartz made the case against pornography. "All pornography is homosexual pornography," said Schwartz, quoting an ex-gay friend of his, "because all pornography turns your sexual drive inwards." Schwartz then explained the side benefit of this finding — that if boys know pornography will make them gay, they'll never touch it, … Read More
Dr. Horrible (NPH) Mocks The Internet
For those who missed it (or want to re-live it) from last night:
Oh By The Way…
The Rapture is scheduled for today. You can read the evidence here, but basically it all boils down to this sine wave graph (click to embiggen): I hope you are using your last day wisely…. P.S. Anyone up for some pre-rapture sexual adventures?
If The Midterm Elections Were Held Today
"If the election were held today," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), "we would have the majority of the House back." Um…. I don't know about that. [Source: Daily Kos/Research 2000 Poll, Sept. 14-17; 2% MOE]
Poor Orly Taitz
Orly Taitz is an attorney and a doctor and she's the one filing all these lawsuits trying to prove that Obama was actually a Kenyan. Having had one of her cases thrown out of federal court last week (with an admonishment from the judge that if she continues to waste the court's time, she'll be fined), now she's the object of conspiracy … Read More
New Rightwing Outrage: The Arts
Yup. That's what you're going to hear about, starting this week and going on for the next few weeks. Here's the "scandal" in a nutshell, as described by the rightwing "journalist" who "broke" it: I was invited by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to take part in a conference call that invited a group of rising artist and … Read More
Associated Press Analysis: “‘Racist’ Claims Defuse Once Powerful Word”
Shorter version: Except that the AP analysis is actually kind of stupid and facile: Everybody's racist, it seems. Republican Rep. Joe Wilson? Racist, because he shouted "You lie!" at the first black president. Health care protesters, affirmative action supporters? Racist. And Barack Obama? He's the "Racist in Chief," wrote a leader of the recent conservative protest in Washington. But if … Read More
What Happens When Fox Pundits Get Out-crazied and Start Getting Real?
Check out this tidbit from Bill O'Reilly's show last night: O’REILLY: The public option now is done. We discussed this, it’s not going to happen. But you say that this little marketplace that they’re going to set up, whereby the federal government would subsidize insurance for some Americans, that is, in your opinion, a public option? OWCHARENKO: Well, it has massive new … Read More
Pop Quiz
Today, President Obama, decided not to deploy a long-range missile defense system in eastern Europe and instead, deploy a short-range missile defense system to dampen the possible threat of short-range missiles coming from Iran, because Iran is nowhere near capable of developing long-range missles The conservative blog reaction can best be described as: (1) Thoughtful consideration of the facts and intelligence and … Read More
Let Me Ask The Obvious
The Senate Finance committee hunkered down to come up with a healthcare reform bill. And they had a choice: either come up with a bipartisan healthcare reform bill that Republicans wouldn't vote for, or a partisan healthcare reform bill that Republicans wouldn't vote for. Why did they choose the former? (It's clear that nobody likes the Baucus bill).
Okay, THIS Is Exhibit A On Why I Get Frustrated With Teabaggers
I don't mind Obama opposition in general, and concerns about exploding the deficits are more than reasonable concerns. Heck, make a coherent argument against anything I support, and I'll listen and consider it. My problem with many — if not most — of the Tea Party protesters is that — well, how shall I say it — they're idiots. They … Read More
Memo To Hollywood
The Texas State Board of Education needs to be made into a situation comedy a la The Office. Just sayin'.
More Reponses of Note
Dear Mary Claire of Walt Disney Productions: Is that you in the upper-lefthand corner of your response letter, or the lower-righthand corner? Because apparently, that's how your misogynistic employers see you — as either a rosy-cheeked virgin, or a ugly hunchback witch. Clearly, they would never acknowledge that a woman can be anything other than those things – and especially not … Read More
Reponses of Note
Actual letter: Dear Ms. Amato: Sorry you had to wait over 13 years for a response, but this just came to my attention. I am not Cameron Mackintosh, nor am I in any way affiliated with "Cats". That said, when you spend your money to go and attend "Cats", that alone is sufficiently humiliating regardless of what happens during the … Read More