During a heated debate in the Illinois legislature … Democratic Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, who is Hispanic, tried to appeal to her fellow minorities. In the process, she took a racial shot at her Republican colleagues, claiming that “we’re [minorities] all over on this side [of the aisle], right?”
When a black Republican objected, LaVia referred to the representative as “a half.” [story w/vid]
The Repubs should’a stood in unison and chanted, “Half-Man!“
The Associated Press and Bloomberg are both reporting that Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will resign…
*vrooooooooooooom*
…The New York Times reports that President Obama accepted Sebelius’s resignation earlier this week…
(What? Yeahhh, John Hancock’s signature does makes a pretty nice tramp stamp.)
(What? No, I deleted the joke about the First and Second Amendments.)
(What? No, I only watched one episode; and, no, it’s nothing like House of Cards, perhaps a tad funnier.)
(What? No, using “First Lady” with a Vice-President character is just overly cute, not sexist. Okay, mebbe it’s a little sexist, yeah.)
another reason to hit the hay with the chickens
Stephen Colbert is CBS’ top choice to replace the retiring David Letterman
One bitter Old Man™ leaves — a Snarky-Bitter Young Man© arrives.
wee.
And Bill O’Reilly likes the idea?
hm…
OTOH — this I’m gonna tape!
MIKE ROWE BRINGS ORIGINAL SERIES TO CNN
…Rowe’s new series Somebody’s Gotta Do It, brings viewers face-to-face with men and women who march to the beat of a different drum. In each episode, Rowe visits unique individuals and joins them in their respective undertakings, paying tribute to innovators, do-gooders, entrepreneurs, collectors, fanatics–people who simply have to do it. This show is about passion, purpose, and occasionally, hobbies that get a little out of hand.
“Of all the networks I spoke with, no one talked about a commitment to unscripted content and point-of-view programming with more passion than CNN. This is where Somebody’s Gotta Do It belongs,” said Rowe.
So. Is this CNN admitting that wall to wall coverage of a missing plane / blonde / sense is no longer working?
Mike Rowe holding CNN's ratings.
A crabgrass-roots campaign.
Even as the IRS faces growing heat over Lois G. Lerner and the tea party targeting scandal, a government watchdog said Wednesday it’s pursuing cases against three other tax agency employees and offices suspected of illegal political activity in support of President Obama and fellow Democrats.
In one case the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates federal employees who conduct politics on government time, said it was “commonplace” in a Dallas IRS office for employees to have pro-Obama screensavers on their computers, and to have campaign-style buttons and stickers at their office.
In another case, a worker at the tax agency’s customer help line urged taxpayers “to re-elect President Obama in 2012 by repeatedly reciting a chant based on the spelling of his last name,” the Office of Special Counsel said in a statement.
OSC said it is seeking “significant disciplinary action” against that employee.
[more caution: autostart vid]
Sounds like some supervisory positions need purging, too.
Heck, I’d fire every jackass in these offices who even knew about it but didn’t report it.
(What? Nah, not racist … but sometimes I think “extreme prejudice” might be appropriate when it comes to the crime of politicizing gov’t enforcement agencies.)
Okay, on sober reflection, perhaps it would be sufficient just to fire everybody, and let the lawyers figger it out. Then raze the building, and spread salt over the empty lot. You know, as a warning to others. Progs like that tactic, so mebbe it’s about time it worked in our favor.
Note to authorities: hyperbole.
Sometimes I just gotta say what others are prob’ly thinkin’. You know, a kind of pressure-relief valve.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s a nice afternoon; and I need some range time.
Brandeis University in Massachusetts announced Tuesday that it had withdrawn the planned awarding of an honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a staunch critic of Islam and its treatment of women, after protests from students and faculty.
…
“She is a compelling public figure and advocate for women’s rights, and we respect and appreciate her work to protect and defend the rights of women and girls throughout the world,” said the university’s statement. “That said, we cannot overlook certain of her past statements that are inconsistent with Brandeis University’s core values.” [more]
“That said” => “ignore all preceding.”
Y’know, I’d have some respect for these people, if there were any, any logic, reason, or experience behind this.
Even if there were any actual academic values or thinking behind it.
Even if it were true.
You know … “protests from students and faculty” => fear, bigotry, threats, cowardice …
and a total. freaking. absence. of actual “core values.”
By the way,
I should have added that this is probably a kind of institutional “eat me last” response.
You know, short-sighted, cowardly, treacherous, and ultimately ineffective.
First, there’s congressional staffers.
Then, there’s hounds.
Notice the difference in manners, didja?
Another difference is that hounds only eat until they’re full; and they don’t expect doggie bags.
93% unindicted !!!!!!!!!!!
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento … has been shocked by having 7% of the chamber face felony charges this year…
What’s the answer?
close the gap CA is a campaign to recruit progressive women to run for the state legislature in 2014 and 2016 when nearly half the seats will be open. As such, we rely on allies to promote these electoral opportunities and identify and recommend to us prospective progressive women candidates. We sponsor “search party” gatherings and events around the state, post research, news, features and profiles on our website, Facebook page and Twitter. We ask that allies pass these on to their members. In turn, we highlight allied organizations on our website, post ally events on our webpage calendar and share ally news through our networks. We believe this collaboration will multiply the number of women stepping forward to run for the California legislature. close the gap CA is proudly endorsed by the following people and organizations:
Because women are never corrupt. Or corruptible. Like Yee, Calderone, Wright, Brown [...endless list...].
And starry-eyed, naive amateurs are the best candidates to wrestle the hyenas from the parasite-ridden corpus of a once great state and return it to the living.
…“I realize that contempt is not a big deal to our attorney general, but it is important that we have proper oversight,” Gohmert said.
“You don’t want to go there, buddy! You don’t want to go there, okay,” Holder shot back.
“I don’t want to go there?” the Texas Republican responded.
“No,” Holder said, leaning forward in his seat…
moooooooove on along
From Nevada:
Dave Bundy, son of Bunkerville rancher Cliven Bundy, was reportedly arrested by BLM officers while he was standing along the north side of State Route 170 between Bunkerville and Riverside, taking photographs of his family’s cattle that were grazing along the Virgin River down below.
According to Dave’s brother, Ryan Bundy, several members of the family had gone out for a drive in several vehicles to try to monitor the ongoing federal action to remove their father’s cattle from the range. They were not travelling on recently restricted federal land, but were travelling along the state highway looking north across the valley for signs of cattle, Ryan Bundy said.
…They were parked along the north side of the road about 200 yards apart, he said. David Bundy had gotten out of his car to film the cattle grazing on the distant landscape below.
Suddenly a large number of BLM vehicles came down and surrounded the area, Ryan Bundy said.
“I counted, they had 11 vehicles all with at least two agents in each one, maybe more,” he said. “They also had four snipers on the hill above us all trained on us. We were doing nothing besides filming the area.”
None of the occupants in the four family vehicles were carrying any fire arms, Bundy said.
This family has “used, improved and ranched since the late 1800s.” I understand his attachment to generational hard-won gains on that land. The family is being tossed off because of the desert tortoise. Which wouldn’t still be there if his ranching had interfered with it. But nevermind reason and the oppression of “the white man’s logic and tyranny of words-with-fixed-meanings*”
Our family learned that the fedz make bad neighbors in the ’50s. I never want to be near ‘em again. That’s getting harder every year. ’nuff sed.
Here’s the power they have taken upon themselves:
…Bundy said that the biggest problem is that the family has nowhere to go to report the incident or to get further information about the status of his brother.
…BLM officials, in response to questions submitted by the Progress [local paper - e~C] on Sunday evening, stated via email that an arrest had been made. But the email gave few details.
“An individual is in custody in order to protect public safety and maintain the peace,” the email states. “The individual has rights and therefore details about the arrest will not be disclosed until and unless charges are filed.”
…“We don’t have any policing representation,” he said. “Our local police will not respond. The County Sherriff will not respond. NHP will not respond.”
Ryan said that his father, Cliven, had called emergency response in both Mesquite and for Metro.
“They told him to get off the phone or he would be arrested,” Bundy said. “That is the kind of support that we had from any legitimate policing power.”
Nightmarish.
At any rate, this is the part of interest to all:
“They said that we had no first amendment rights except for up by the bridge where they had established an area for that,” Bundy said.
The BLM has established two fenced areas near the City of Mesquite, that they have designated as free speech areas for members of the public to express their opinions.
A .gov-designated, fenced in area is the only place “members of the public” are allowed to express their opinions? Or they are set upon by armed men, dogs and snipers and hustled away to parts unknown for time unknown?
WTF are we?
A Government Designated “Free Speech Zone” ….
It will take a while for me to simmer down and respond to this with anything more coherent than “F.Y.,C.S.”
24 hour rule invoked and further info awaited.
Tobbagan to Mediocraty
Here’s one of the noo sports in San FranFreakshow:
*snerk*
Yesyesyes. It’s vandalism. It upsets the owners. The nooz stations went big on the traaaagedy to one owner and her baby bla bla bla.
Still. Funnay. Especially when you’ve been cut off then flipped off by so many of these little coal-powered golf carts in their oh-so-holy eeeeco-superiority. [It's a CA thang] I denounce myself.
Now it’s a bit of an outrage in SF because four [4][!!!] were flipped over in one night by a crew of young, hoodie-wearing male youths.
Here’s another noo SF/Bay Area sport:
…15 to 20 protesters blocking and climbing on top of a bus outside the station around 7:30 a.m…. Tweets and photos from the scene show protesters blocking the buses with signs of “Love the Bay, Block the Bus” and “Capital is the Driver, Gentrification is the Vehicle, Techies on the Bus.”
…one photo claims protesters on the bus roof vomited on the windshield
I can’t even bring myself to think about the logistics involved in …that.
The tech companies — yahoo, Gloogle and Apple among them — have brought to San FranFreakshow techies and electron herders of all sorts. They love to live in the Big Pretty City and are bussed to work — by the companies — in private shuttles. The influx of money is raising rents, creating gentrification in some horrifying neighborhoods and creating jobs of all sorts.
This, apparently is worng and unwanted evial. to some.
The tech shuttles, which are referred to as “Google Buses” — regardless of which company operates them — serve as symbol for this anger. …
…on the corner of 24th and Valencia Streets in San Francisco…another Google Bus protest, an increasingly common occurrence in San Francisco where citizens are expressing displeasure over rising rent costs and gentrification brought on by Silicon Valley’s tech growth.
…protestors brought signs and banners to the house of Kevin Rose, a general partner and venture capitalist at Google Ventures. Claiming to be a group called “The Counterforce,” the protesters handed out fliers to Rose’s neighbors that had the headline “Kevin Rose: Parasite!”
Here’s what they left around his neighborhood:
Personally, I find the ginormous smiley face rather a mixed message. And the tip-o-the-hat to the “seeeex-worker trade” a tad pro forma. [have you met many electron herders? just, yanno, sayin...]
The question remains; how dare he/they — bringing high-paying tech jobs to SF?!? Bassturdz!!!2!! Not to mention more jobs serving coffee, delivering food, mopping floors and …well, yanno.
The increased intensity of these protests leads to other questions: Have protesters gone too far? Is targeting an individual’s home or vandalizing private property crossing the line?
It’s a tough question to answer, said Tom Temprano, co-president of Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, one of the organizations that appealed San Francisco’s proposed tech-shuttle program last week to the city’s Board of Supervisors.
Yeah. Tough question, indeed, Tom. If Funny Outfits Against Capitalism and street acrobatics ain’t enough to convince ‘em,
…what will?!?
Ghawd Forbid one succumb to being “oppressed by the white man’s logic and tyranny of words-with-fixed-meanings*” via the use of rational argument or negotiation!!! Power to the Performance Artist!!! or something.
Adaptation to changing circumstances? Raaaacist !!!!!!!!11!!!3!!!!!!!!
Meanwhile,
San Francisco currently has one of the highest minimum wages in any American city at $10.73 an hour…
Labor groups, led by San Francisco’s largest public employee union, took the first step Monday toward raising The City’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.
So everyone must be paid a “Living Wage” of $15/hour no matter what the job is worth — butt NO MORE!
Sure. That makes perfect sense.
* sound of fabulous crickets *
…OkCupid’s co-founder and CEO Sam Yagan once donated to an anti-gay candidate. (Yagan is also CEO of Match.com.) Specifically, Yagan donated $500 to Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) in 2004, reports Uncrunched. During his time as congressman from 1997 to 2009, Cannon voted for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, against a ban on sexual-orientation based job discrimination, and for prohibition of gay adoptions….
When Kim fires his staffers, they really get fired.
A North Korean security minister has been executed by flame-thrower on orders of the country’s leader Kim Jong-un.
It would take the death-toll purges carried out by dictator Jong-un to at least 12 since he took power as Supreme Leader after the death of his father three years ago.
Deputy Public Security Minister O Sang-hon, was “executed by flame-thrower,” because of links to Kim’s own uncle – killed by firing squad and whose body was allegedly fed to starving dogs. [more]
This won’t end well. I’m concerned that somebody’s gonna pull Kim’s plug, and the South Koreans will take a serious hit in some kind of face-saving retaliation/distraction thing that psychotic dictatorships seem to prefer over internal collapse.
Prob’ly should apply the 48-hr rule, here; but the real story is that it’s even remotely credible.
(What? Nah. I’ll worry about that when the Administration starts providing flame throwers to th IRS or local PDs.)
__________
Cultural ref
See also: post immediately below
