Mad Men: the Sequel

Planned Parenthood Quiz: YOU might be Qualified to be a Republican Politician

IF you fail all five questions, that is. 

Here's a chance to test your understanding of the birds and the bees, while chortling at the lack of same among conservative demagogues.

Test yourself if you dare.

Even More Awkward Than Butt-Dialing...

Jeb Bush: “OK, this is it — my really truly definitive answer to the Iraq Question”

Imprisoned for Taking a Picture. North Korea? No. North America.

This Memorial Day, let's remember the countless thousands of Americans who gave their lives in order that a corporate police state could be established in Wyoming.  It's bad enough that several states have already passed Ag Gag laws, making it a felony to photograph or document animal abuse inside factory farms; or the State of North Carolina making it a felony to reveal which chemicals are being used for fracking.

But now a new low has been reached.  The skanky prostitutes of Wyoming (formerly known as the governor and state legislature) have passed a “trespassing to collect data” law. The purpose of this law is to protect cattle ranchers — whose unsanitary practices are polluting the local drinking water — from any of them treehugging environmentalists who might try to photograph and report evidence of pollution.

I would've thought enforcing anti-pollution and clean water laws would be a higher priority, but what do I know?

The title of the linked article, “Taking a photograph of Old Faithful could land you in jail,” is NOT an exaggeration.

Susan Kraham, an attorney, said:

“A Yellowstone tourist who goes for a hike with the intention of photographing the natural resources in Yellowstone is in violation of this law because they are entering into open land for the purpose of collecting what falls under the definition of resource data.”

From the linked article:

“Under the law's broad framework, anyone who enters 'open land' defined as 'land outside the exterior boundaries of any incorporated city, town, subdivision' with the intent to collect data without explicit permission to do so, could face up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.”

A proponent of the “trespassing to collect data” law insisted that such a far-fetched scenario would never happen — to which a local ACLU attorney replied:  “A promise is wonderful but the law allows for prosecution.”

A law professor said:

“What is unique and highly problematic is that it is clearly intended to apply to public land.  It essentially makes a party guilty of trespass if they engage in what would otherwise be lawful activity on federal public land.”

In other words, if you visit Yellowstone this summer, leave your camera at home.

Better yet — Boycott Wyoming.  Until the voters of Wyoming can boost their IQs up into the double digits and stop electing these corporate prostitutes disguised as “legislators” — hit 'em in the pocketbook.

Climate Change Vigilance = National Security

Here's an excerpt from President Obama's Keynote Address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Commencement:

“When you’re on deck, standing your watch, you stay vigilant. You plan for every contingency. And if you see storm clouds gathering, or dangerous shoals ahead, you don't sit back and do nothing. You take action — to protect your ship, to keep your crew safe. Anything less is negligence. It is a dereliction of duty. And so, too, with climate change. Denying it, or refusing to deal with it endangers our national security. It undermines the readiness of our forces.”

My sentiments exactly.  Climate-change denial — the fossil fuel barons who are choreographing it and the millions of inbreds who keep dancing to it — is a dire threat to our national security.

GOP Candidates' Achilles' Heels: Ask About Iraq

Why bother with cow-tipping when Republican-tipping is so much more fun?  Ambushing Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio with the Iraq question is sort of like sneaking up behind a waiter who's carrying a huge tray full of dishes, and tickling him in the ribs.  

Republican-tipping is not only fun; it's a way to start weeding out the dimmest and most clueless of the wannabes.

Jeb Bush had first said that based on the intelligence we had at the time (2003), he would have invaded Iraq.  Then he sputtered that he had misunderstood the question; he would have done something different, or, uhh, er...  And then finally:

“If we're all supposed to answer hypothetical questions, knowing what we know now, what would you have done? I would not have engaged. I would not have gone into Iraq.”

It depends on what the meaning of is is.

Later, Marco Rubio was asked the same question, and immediately transformed into a mass of incoherent blubbering.  First, the Iraq invasion was a mistake based on what we know now.  Next, it wasn't a mistake because “the world is a better place because Saddam Hussein doesn’t run Iraq.”  And then, trying to get out of his self-dug hole by burrowing in even deeper, he blurted “based on what we know now, I wouldn’t have thought Manny Pacquiao was gonna beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in that fight a couple of weeks ago.”

Clearly, every White House wannabe needs to be asked the Iraq Question.  Relentlessly.  Mercilessly.  At some point they'll come up with a boilerplate talking point for every candidate to recite verbatim.

And these teleprompted synchronized-swimming recitals will be just as entertaining as their “Uh, what I meant was” “I misunderstood the question” flailings. 

B.B. King

Larger than life, the end of an era, etc.; what else can you say?

There probably isn't a single blues/rock/jazz guitarist who wasn't influenced by B.B. King. 

Dead at 89; he was still touring up until a few months ago.

Rolling Stone has a very nice tribute to him. And you can listen to a few of his songs Here and Here.

R.I.P.

Cal Thomas: Baltimore's Problems Not Rooted in Racist Police

According to Cal Thomas, that Commie safety net is responsible for Baltimore's festering racial problems.  You know the drill:  too much government coddling, too many handouts, have created a sense of helplessness and dependency and sapped the will to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps.  Too much whining about the past, not enough individual initiative, yada yada.

Now, let's see Cal Thomas and the rest of those Foxsuckers blame liberals for THIS:

During the past three years, Baltimore jails have had to turn away 2,600 detainees who had been in police custody.  They were turned away because of severe untreated injuries; they had to be sent to the hospital before the jail could admit them.

It's those damn government giveaways, I tell you.

“The Bible Was Not Written by Billionaire Hedge Fund Managers”

...and eight other facts that too many Americans don't understand.  Among them:

American Exceptionalism is a crock of B%##S#!%.  This exceptional country has the world's largest prison population, and ranks 37th in access to quality health care.

Union membership benefits the economy.  You know, when we all win, everybody wins, and all that.  When working people are paid decent wages, they buy more stuff.  Etc.  This shouldn't be rocket science, but:  a recent Gallup Poll showed that 71% of Americans are in favor of anti-union “right to work” laws.  11.1% of American workers are union members (this includes public- and private-sector employees.)  Compare that with a unionization rate of 74% in Finland; 70% in Sweden.

Greater availability of mass transit means less air pollution, less traffic congestion and, to an extent, better physical fitness (i.e.having to walk more).  With the exception of a few American cities, America's infrastructure is centered around the Single Occupant Vehicle.  Maybe that's just as well, since the train is leaving the station and we're not on it.

Mother's Day Proclamation

“Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts,whether our baptism be that of water or of fears! Say firmly: We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.

We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says 'Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.'

Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.

Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.”

Julia Ward Howe
Boston
1870

Miranda Rights (updated)

Breaking News: The U.S. Supreme Court has just ruled...

Operation Jade Helm 15: Are Texans Just Being Paranoid? Or...

Just a few weeks ago, I would have dismissed this news story as just more paranoid rantings from a bunch of Texas rednecks — that there Commie Muslim in the White House is fixin' to take over the gummint, etc.

But that was then.  Jade Helm 15 is the name of a Special Ops exercise that will be conducted in Texas and several other southwestern states from July 15th through September 15th.  About 1,200 personnel from four branches of the military will be moving covertly among the general public, among other exercises.  I've also heard (I haven't verified it yet) that this operation will also include skydivers parachuting onto people's private property and conducting various drills, including shooting at each other using blanks.  If this part of it is true, how will this jibe with the Stand Your Ground folks?

I'm personally not worried about these “government takeover!” conspiracy theories that a lot of Texans — as well as Alex Jones — are all riled up about.  Texas Governor Greg Abbott feels their pain, and he issued the following statement:

“To address concerns of Texas citizens and ensure that Texas communities remain safe, secure and informed about military procedures occurring in their vicinity, I am directing the Texas State Guard to monitor Operation Jade Helm 15.”

Like I said, a few weeks ago I would have just rolled my eyes and clicked on the next headline.  But these out-of-control military operations are happening all over the country.  The people in charge don't give a flying fuck about civilians, the environment, the effects these ongoing operations are having on local economies and the public health — and they're not accountable to anyone.

There's a Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island, about 50 miles from where I live.  They're planning to vastly increase the number of low-flying jets which emit up to 150 decibels.  They'll be conducting these deafening operations for up to 16 hours a day, 260 days a year.  These jets will be flying to and from Olympic National Park and other adjacent wilderness areas — for the purpose of conducting electromagnetic warfare experiments in remote wilderness areas.

Needless to say, a lot of residents are up in arms over the blatant intrusiveness of this expanded Navy operation.  The expansion hasn't happened yet; it's still in the planning stages.  But it seems like an unstoppable unaccountable juggernaut.  It's the elephant in the room that nobody will talk about.

In addition to the health hazards of electromagnetic radiation and the potential hearing loss caused by hundreds of low-flying jets — the local economy would be devastated.  Over 3 million people visit Olympic National Park every year.  Will they keep coming if their thoughts and lives are drowned out by 150 decibels of screaming jets?  Will the electromagnetic radiation be one of the tourist attractions?  If 3 million tourists/campers/hikers stop coming here, western Washington will be more depressed than the bleakest part of Appalachia.

Unlike Texas Governor Greg Abbott, no politician in this area has the balls to say anything about this, or even acknowledge it.  Washington's governor and both senators are Democrats; same with the Congressional Representatives “representing” this area.  None of them are touching this with a ten-foot pole.

So far, the local “Limited Government!” “Property Rights!” brigade hasn't said much about this.  But when they do...It may be too early to contact Alex Jones; however...