TheBritish House of Commons has joined the 21st Century and will allow hand held electronic devices on the floor. A few Tory MP’s got huffy about it; probably because they’re afraid someone in their party will tweet something really stupid but it passed easily. I wonder if the Posh Boy will live tweet Prime Minister’s Questions. Probably not, he’s far too grand: he’ll have Jeeves do it for him… Hear, hear. Tweet, tweet. Continue reading The Right Honourable Gentleman From The Tweeter Tube
Packing peanuts are fun to play in, but they’re also fun to curl up in, as insulation on a chilly autumn morning. A. Continue reading Friday Ferretblogging
For 8 years, Neil Finn was one of the best pop-rock songwriters ever. He’s kind of settled into a middle aged mid-tempo rut but at his best, he can still bring it, as he did with this tune: Continue reading Thursday Night Music: She Will Have Her Way
This was predictable. In response to ourvideo of Jan Schakowsky claiming the parade of lunatics she lead last night was “patriotic,”despite not having one American flag present, Chicagoist.com authorChuck Sudo suggests, that burning the stars and stripes would be just as patriotic as not having one at the march. Emphasis mine, because: predictably wrong. Of course. A. Continue reading Reading Comprehension: You Haz It
G Bitch on trauma and surviving it: And that’s been hard for some of us. Some are still stuck in anger. Others have passed through but to a new round of social withdrawal and/or numbing. Some of us have been lucky enough to find a little peace even if the door is opened with a bottle of Abita. Trauma is not simple. First you must establish some sense of safety. Then it is possible to remember, have someone bear witness to your pain and humanity, and begin reconnecting with the world and its people. There’s no such thing as getting … Continue reading Still in Recovery
The political world has gone stark raving mad, bonkers, looney tunes or whatever your favorite word for crazy is.Herman Cain is the current temporary GOP frontrunner, which is the latest signal that Mitt Romney reminds women of their first husband or dull first boyfriend and men of the boring rich kid who was elected class President because nobody else wanted the hassle. In short, Mitt Haircut is a grind. We’ve been here before in 1988 and with both parties. Ann Richards was the one who tagged Poppy Bush with the first hubby label. Bob Dole was like the grownup version … Continue reading Number 9, Number 9, Number 9
FromAlbum4 “Rarely is the question asked: Isour children the governor of Texas learning.” Evidently not. You know you’re in trouble whenthe bad lip reading version is an improvement. Continue reading Aggie Rhodes Scholar
Republican legislative consultant (file photo) In their continuing quest to right all of the wrongs in the state, the Wisconsin Republicans have made a great leap forward. Assemblyman Joel Kleefisch (R-Newgate) woke up recently, opened the lid of his coffin, and said to himself “You know who has it too easy around here? Ex-cons. Blah blah!” (Note–this is only a partial transcript.) So the good Representative took it upon himself to do something to rectify this grave injustice. He thought and he thought, and he puzzled some more, and it finally came to him. “Aha!” he said. “I’ll make it … Continue reading Today In Wisconsin Republican Heroics
In Washington, DC yesterday, a man namedFrank Kameny died quietly at home. He was 86. Fittingly enough, Kameny’s death happened onNational Coming Out Day, something we’ve been celebrating since 1988, when it was created to commemorate the great 1987March on Washington, that October day when a quarter-million LGBT citizens came to their nation’s capitol to remind the rest of the country that they too were Americans and wouldn’t accept being treated as anything less. That such an event took place at all, that we still celebrate it nearly a quarter of a century later, that more people than ever before … Continue reading Frank Kameny, big damn hero
Former Saints Tight End Jeremy Shockey is now with Carolina and faced his former teammates last Sunday. He trash talked them during the game and didn’t shake anyone’s hand afterwards, which is poor form since Saints players and coaches have said nothing but nice things about him. Shockey’s tackiness inspired the normally mild-mannered voice of the Saints, Jim Henderson, to lambaste him: “I never liked Jeremy Shockey, I didn’t like him as a Giant. I didn’t like him as a Saint. I didn’t think he fit in with this team in the locker room. And the Saints to their credit … Continue reading Quote of the day
(photo via Facebook) Let the Recall Effort Begin! From theWisconsin Democratic Party Website: This is it. This is history. After weeks of discussion and positive collaboration with grassroots activists like you, today comes an historic announcement. In collaboration with United Wisconsin, the grassroots effort to recall Scott Walker will begin Nov. 15th. It has become clearer than ever that the people of Wisconsin – the traditions and institutions of our great state – cannot endure any more of Scott Walker’s abuses. To preserve Wisconsin, we must begin the recall of Walker as soon as possible. This means that we only … Continue reading Recall Walker Effort to Begin Nov. 15th
Now the strategy seems to be “annoy the protesters until they go away:” However, that same SLOG piece reports that the Seattle Police Department are telling protesters they can’t stand under awnings, use tarps nor sit down under an umbrellas (“you can’t have an umbrella open unless you’re standing and holding it,” one policeman is quoted as saying). Umbrellas. Really? In other words, the mayor and the police department are attempting to break up the protesters by making itreally inconvenient for them. It’s a strategy, can’t argue with that, even if it is exceedingly pedestrian and petty. We’re sure these … Continue reading Shorter Seattle Mayor: Come to Butthead
So very, very many people will want to move there now! The same controversial bill that ended the ability of public employee unions (except firefighters and police unions) to collectively bargain for anything except cost-of-living wage increases said state workers must pay 5.8% of earnings for their pensions and 12.6% of health care costs. For a full-time state worker buying family health care coverage, the Fiscal Bureau report said those changes meant: $25,000-a-year worker: $2,828 more. This worker had been paying $1,118 (4.5% of salary) toward health care and pension, but that went up to $3,946 (15.8% of salary). The … Continue reading This Will Create SHIT TONS of Jobs for Wisconsin
Damn you, Internet! Dubow could collect $37 million The board said Dubow, 56, had resigned “due to disability,” a circumstance that paves the way for him to collectas much as $37.1 million in retirement and disability benefits, company documents show. The benefits are worth considerably more than what he would get, $22.5 million, if he left in a traditional retirement. [snip] The company’s stock was worth $72 a share when Dubow became CEO. But it plunged alongside other newspaper stocks, trading as low as $1.85 in March 2009 amid fears the company was headed for bankruptcy. It closed today at … Continue reading If Only There Was Still Money In Newspapers
…from Silvio, Furio and the boys at the Pork Store: We here at First Draft disagree with the fictional wise guys anti-Native American bias. We’re strong, silent types like Gary Cooper: Continue reading Happy Columbus Day…
Well, now baby’s more famous, just like he wanted: In retaliation Williams, the son of legendary country singer Hank Williams Sr., has cut a song called “I’ll Keep My …,” that says the Fox News broadcasters twisted his words. “So Fox ‘n Friends wanna put me down/ Ask for my opinion/ Twist it all around.” He finishes the verse: “Well two can play that gotcha game you’ll see.” Williams says he wrote the verse when he woke up Friday morning and recorded it in a Nashville studio that same afternoon. It could be oniTunes late Monday or early Tuesday. Early … Continue reading Is Bitter There?
It comes from a post by the Guardian’s Andrew Brown about Mitt Haircut’s Mormonism: Modern public Mormons are almost parodically conformist and technocratic.The public image of Mitt Romney is not of a man who holds strange beliefs that he will act on if elected, but the opposite – a man who has no principles whatsoever, and almost no personality. Abstinent, frugal, hard-working and rich, the Mormons have moved from the fringe of American life to its centre – not least because their religion is so intensely American. Whether or not it’s crazy, it has worked. Continue reading Quote of the day
Posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:17:46 PM byTheBigB
Take it for what you will…posted on Mark’s page just now:BREAKING: GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN TELLS MARK LEVIN SHE IS NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2012.
1 posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:17:49 PM byTheBigB
.
(composite of three “breaking news” threads follows)
iv>
To: TheBigB
I’m crushed, but not yet sure I believe it. She tellsMark Levin?????
I know you were waiting for that personal phone call, or pay-per-view event, but it’s not happening.
iv>
4 posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:19:20 PM bymelissa_in_ga(C’mon Sarah! GameOn!) Off!
FIFY.
To: cripplecreek
Romney is getting the nomination. I am beyond pissed.
19 posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:21:51 PM byRummyChick (It’s a Satan Sandwich with Satan Fries on the side – perfect for Obama 666)
Welcome to reality.
To: 2ndDivisionVet
Quite frankly…I feel like a fool!
Probably my fault…but a fool is what I feel like. Maybe it’s time to bury my head in the back in the sand and regroup. I am actually heartbroken. Sarah should not have let us linger so long, expressing our faith that she would come in. She was following this site, as well as her own.
Family reasons is a good fall back, butit will take a while for me to forgive myself for being so stupid!
34 posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:36:02 PM byBobbisox (All American Conservative Freeper, vicious Mama Grizzly, and a**PALIN PATRIOT**)
Ego te absolvo, my son.
To: TLI
This country is through. It’s all over.
23 posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:22:46 PM byGargantua(President Palin is coming, and she’s bringing America with her!)
You guys really ought to consider changing your sig lines. Just sayin’.
To: clintonh8r
Why did she have us wait?
26 posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:23:34 PM byPolitics4US
Because you morons were still sending her money? Just a guess, but it’s a pretty good guess.
To: Gargantua
I thought she loved America?
i feel sick to my stomach. She owes those of us who bought her books and supported her financially a explaination and an apology.
39 posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:25:57 PM byNonValueAdded (So much stress was put on Bush’s Fault that it finally let go, magnitude 6)
And one is the loneliest number.
To: Christian4Bush
4 more years… the country’s dead. I’m not even 40 and the USA is dead.
40 posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:25:57 PM byHectorOne
Well, there’s no sense waiting around to watch the inevitable gay/commie/socialist/black/mexican/welfare state come to fruition, is there?
.
To: Reagan Man
America will be a 3rd World banana republic by 2016. Cain will likely win, and be as bad as Obama due to not being up to the job. He shoots from thehip lip
FIFY
instead of admitting that he doesn’t know the answer, just like he did on “Right Of Return” in the Chris Wallace interview.
His opinion of himselfvastly exceeds the reality.
We’re done. Stick a fork in it. I can’t believe Palin would do this to America.
48 posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 5:26:56 PM byGargantua (President Palin is coming, and she’s bringing America with her!)
What can I add to that but:
.
More rending of garments, gnashing of teeth, and raising of Cain after the fol de rol…
I grew up in the Bay Area and was a Raider fan whilst a tadpole. The 49ers were erratic at best in the pre-Walsh-Montana era and the Raiders were not only a great team on the gridiron but wildly individualistic off the field. I was smitten and then disillusioned by owner Al Davis’s decision to move the team to LA. I also never forgave him for running off John Madden and trading Ken Stabler, which made Davis my first owner hate. Now Davis has died at the age of 82. I considered calling this post “Just die, baby” in tribute … Continue reading Al Davis 1929-2011
Doc’s post about the spunk serving malakagot me thinking about the first episode of theMary Tyler Moore Show wherein Lou Grant said: “You’ve got spunk. I hate spunk.” Here’s the scene: Continue reading Sunday Morning Video: When Mary met Lou
Do you volunteer? Where, and why? I started at the ferret shelter in 2004 or so, looking for something to do that wasn’t my job. All I did back then was work, and it was starting to make me a little nuts, so spending some time with weasels of an evening was a good distraction. A. Continue reading Weekend Question Thread
Just watched part-1 of the Marty-n-George flick. To quote theCitizen Kaneposter: “It’s terrific.” Here’s my favorite Harrison song, live in Japan with Eric Clapton on lead guitar: Continue reading Friday Night Music: If I Needed Someone
My main man, Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, has been trying a noble experiment: keeping his foot out of his mouth. The experiment has ended.Silvio is back and tackier than ever: Italian opposition politicians have been joined by a leading Catholic publication and even government MPs in expressing outrage after Italian prime ministerSilvio Berlusconi joked he was thinking of renaming his political party Forza Gnocca, which translates as Go Pussy. The criticism came as Berlusconi, whose political career is widely considered to be on the wane, was accused of parking an old friend in a safe job after a former pet … Continue reading Silvio Strikes Again
I may have mentioned ten or thirteen billion times that there’s a ferret show this weekend. The local news came out and did a piece on the show and the shelter as a promo. It’s only $5, so if you’re in Chicago, come on out and see Mr. Binky. Claire commands you: A. Continue reading Friday Ferretblogging
I usually try not to pile on with the malaka of the week feature but this time it’s irresistible so it’s Senator Scott Brown’s turn to join the malakatude hall of shame. I suspect you’ve all heard that he went all“yo mama be ugly” on Elizabeth Warren: At a Democratic primary debate this week, Warren was asked how she paid for college — in contrast to Brown having posed nude forCosmopolitan. “I kept my clothes on,” Warren replied. “I borrowed money.” This morning, one of the hosts asked Brown: “Have you officially responded to Elizabeth Warren’s comment about how she … Continue reading Malaka Of The Week: Scott Brown
As a journalism educator, one of the basic lessons I teach the kids is that they need to answer the 5Ws and 1H. The “who, what, where, when, why and how” are the staple of all good stories. In the case of this story on Anthony Garcia of Albuquerque, we’ve got a pretty easy rundown: Who: A fucking idiot What:Served semen to a woman in a store How: Disguised as yogurt in a sample cup When:Recently (as in who gives a shit; he pled out Thursday) Where: New Mexico, where apparently people need better hobbies (Or at the Sunflower Market, … Continue reading You’ve got spunk! I hate spunk!
In between demanding that Dr A and I feed her, Della Street spends a lot of time demanding that Oscar groom her. The poor boy doesn’t know if he’s coming or going sometimes. Of course, that’s partially because he’s not the brightest bulb in the lamp but he compensates by being so damn cute: Why did I call this post Together Alone? Because I wanted to post a fine but lesser known Crowded House tune, that’s why. Continue reading Friday Catblogging: Together Alone
A lady on the corner of Jackson and LaSalle was holding this. Every cabbie and bus driver that went by blew his horn, to much applause from the crowd.
Right now we are living in a time of aggressively not having important conversations. I mean we’re really putting our backs into it. Those conversations, we’re not having themhard. All around us the earth is caving in and our country’s discourse is basically about how debt is bad and Obama is a Muslim. Watching TV, reading the paper, watching the local news, you could be forgiven for thinking things weren’t that bad. That maybe we were all okay, and you were the one who was cracked for feeling the ground shake under you every time the phone rang.
