Month: May 2012

Athenae, Economy6 Comments

94 Percent

JESUS: Ninety-four percent of students who earn a bachelor’s degree borrow to pay for higher education — up from 45 percent in 1993, according to an analysis by The New York Times of the latest data from the Department of Education. This includes loans from the federal government, private lenders and relatives. And why is this? Nationally, state and local spending per college student, adjusted for inflation, reached a 25-year low this year, jeopardizing the long-held conviction that state-subsidized higher education is an affordable steppingstone for the lower and middle classes. All the while, the cost of tuition and fees … Continue reading 94 Percent

Athenae, Faith, Immoral Values, Religion, Stupid Republican Tricks13 Comments

Way to Pick Your Battles, Catholic Church

Allison Hantschel

Continuing their theme of assigning tasks based on angry wingnut e-mail forwards from America’s brothers-in-law, now U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops think the Girl Scouts are leading our young astray: The new inquiry will be conducted by the bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. It will look into the Scouts’ “possible problematic relationships with other organizations” and various “problematic” program materials, according to a letter sent by the committee chairman, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne, Ind., to his fellow bishops. The bishops’ conference provided a copy of the letter to The Associated Press, but otherwise declined … Continue reading Way to Pick Your Battles, Catholic Church

Current Affairs, Stupid Republican Tricks6 Comments

And I Thought Missouri Was The Show Me State

Missouri’s House Republicansheld a super-secret ceremony yesterday to unveil the bust of Famous Missourian Rush Limbaugh, in which armed police (at taxpayer expense, one would assume) guarded locked House chamber doors to keep out theriff-raff Democrats: The unveiling of Limbaugh’s bust was kept secret from all but invited guests until less than an hour before the ceremony. While Republican lawmakers were invited, Democrats were not and visitors were blocked from entering. All but one of the doors to the House chamber were locked with armed Highway Patrol and Capitol Police patrolling the hallways outside the chamber. House Speaker Steve Tilley … Continue reading And I Thought Missouri Was The Show Me State

Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks, Tommy T5 Comments

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “Gruesome grab-bag” edition

tommyfd

Morning, all!

The reeking drums of Freeper insanity are piling up again, due to recent Obsession posts having been centered on Mitt and Freepathon angst. Time to wheel those puppies out front and crack them open. Suits on, if you will.

Le’s start back in those golden days before Santorm dropped out. That paragon of Freeperiffic virtues and morality.The epitome of all concepts that the unterwingnut hold dear:

Santorum: Zimmerman ‘has a very sick mind,’ motive ‘a malicious one’
The Daily Caller ^ | March 25, 2012 | Jeff Poor

Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:22:54 PM by Free ThinkerNY

On Sunday’s “Face the Nation” on CBS, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum explained that his view of the Trayvon Martin shooting differed significantly from the one held by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich was critical of President Barack Obama’s reaction, but Santorum placed the blame on accused shooter George Zimmerman’s mental state.

“Well, you know, obviously, I’m not privy to what’s going on in someone’s mind,” Santorum said. “Obviously, in my opinion, someone … has a very sick mind who would pursue someone like this. This is clearly a heinous act. You know, there are a lot of people who have a lot of distorted views of reality. It’s a tragic, tragic case. And my heart goes out to the parents, too.

Oh, you have just SO stepped in the shit, Ricky.

I can’t imagine what they’re suffering, losing their son in such a horrific way. All I would say is that, whatever the motive is, it was a malicious one, and a very, very tragic one.”

1 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:22:57 PM by Free ThinkerNY
Well, bang goes HIS application!

To: Free ThinkerNY

Santorum is DONE…

2 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:24:59 PM by goodnesswins (2012…”We mutually pledge our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor”)
To: Free ThinkerNY

I’m beginning to think Santorum may have mental issues.

5 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:25:17 PM by Krankor (eenie meenie, chili beanie, the spirits are about to speak.)
Just now?
Just now you’re beginning to think “man-on-dog” Santorum may have mental issues?

To: goodnesswins

Isn’t this idiot a lawyer?

6 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:26:00 PM by pugmama

“I’m a lawyer, you idiot!”
BobBarber

To: goodnesswins

He’s a herd following idiot. An original thought of leadership has never burdened his mind. Which is why he has never been a leader.

12 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:27:45 PM by SaraJohnson
To: Free ThinkerNY

Goodbye, Ricky IDIOT!

19 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:29:53 PM by carriage_hill (I’ll “vote for an orange juice can”, over Barry 0bummer and another 4yrs of his Regime From Hell!)
To: jakota
The guy is turning out to be a bigger gaff(sic) machine than Joe Biden.
Oh, but it’s worse than that. Biden’s gaff’s (sic) are silly, and often amusing. Santorum’s gaffs (sic) are getting to be actually dangerous.
20 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:30:32 PM by Leaning Right (Why am I carrying this lantern? you ask. I am looking for the next Reagan.)
To: Free ThinkerNY

Rick, if I was George, I would sue your ignornant, stupid A$$ to kingdom come.

Shut the **** up, jerk.

61 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:44:39 PM by chris37 (Heartless.)
I just realized that Ricky’s just been denied three times. And before sunup, too.

To: Free ThinkerNY

Toast… just another moron that resolves his mind without the benefit of the facts just to pander to africans.

74 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:51:28 PM by Breto (The Establishment party is killing our country)

Africans.
Kibitzer, turn up the blowers – it’s getting thick in here.
Quietest thread of the month and so much more after the Higgs Boson…

Continue reading “Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “Gruesome grab-bag” edition”

Current Affairs, On Wisconsin11 Comments

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

I don’t mean to step on anyone’s turf over here, since the Wisconsin recall isn’t my beat. But dammitall, I readthis and just wanted to throw up my hands: blockquote> According to the Wisconsin Dem, the party has asked the DNC for $500,000 to help with its massive field operation. While the DNC has made generally supportive noises, the money has not been forthcoming, the official says — with less than a month until the June 5th recall election. The DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. […] Polls suggest that very few Wisconsin voters are persuadable … Continue reading This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Athenae, Immoral Values, So Called Liberal Media10 Comments

Bad Mommy Magazine

Allison Hantschel

Oh for fuck’s sake: In the Bay Area, the initiation rate of breast-feeding — how many moms are breast-feeding when they leave the hospital — is 95 percent, according to Nancy Held, a lactation consultant, registered nurse and vice president of Day One Centers, which has locations in Palo Alto and Walnut Creek. “That’s very high,” says Held, who was interviewed by John Sasaki of KTVU for a report on reaction to the Time cover. “Then we have people going back to work and pumping and things drop off.” Held says the thought of anyone breast-feeding for a year makes … Continue reading Bad Mommy Magazine

Athenae, Faith, Immoral Values, Religion, Stupid Republican Tricks13 Comments

Way to Pick Your Battles, Catholic Church

Continuing their theme of assigning tasks based on angry wingnut e-mail forwards from America’s brothers-in-law, now U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops think the Girl Scouts are leading our young astray: The new inquiry will be conducted by the bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. It will look into the Scouts’ “possible problematic relationships with other organizations” and various “problematic” program materials, according to a letter sent by the committee chairman, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne, Ind., to his fellow bishops. The bishops’ conference provided a copy of the letter to The Associated Press, but otherwise declined … Continue reading Way to Pick Your Battles, Catholic Church

Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks, Tommy T5 Comments

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “Gruesome grab-bag” edition

Morning, all!

The reeking drums of Freeper insanity are piling up again, due to recent Obsession posts having been centered on Mitt and Freepathon angst. Time to wheel those puppies out front and crack them open. Suits on, if you will.

Le’s start back in those golden days before Santorm dropped out. That paragon of Freeperiffic virtues and morality.The epitome of all concepts that theunterwingnut hold dear:

Santorum: Zimmerman ‘has a very sick mind,’ motive ‘a malicious one’
The Daily Caller ^ | March 25, 2012 | Jeff Poor

Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:22:54 PM byFree ThinkerNY

On Sunday’s “Face the Nation” on CBS, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum explained that his view of the Trayvon Martin shooting differed significantly from the one held by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich was critical of President Barack Obama’s reaction, but Santorum placed the blame on accused shooter George Zimmerman’s mental state.

“Well, you know, obviously, I’m not privy to what’s going on in someone’s mind,” Santorum said. “Obviously, in my opinion, someone … has a very sick mind who would pursue someone like this. This is clearly a heinous act. You know, there are a lot of people who have a lot of distorted views of reality. It’s a tragic, tragic case. And my heart goes out to the parents, too.

Oh, you have just SO stepped in the shit, Ricky.

I can’t imagine what they’re suffering, losing their son in such a horrific way. All I would say is that, whatever the motive is, it was a malicious one, and a very, very tragic one.”

1 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:22:57 PM byFree ThinkerNY
Well, bang goesHIS application!

To: Free ThinkerNY

Santorum is DONE…

2 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:24:59 PM bygoodnesswins (2012…”We mutually pledge our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor”)
To: Free ThinkerNY

I’m beginning to think Santorum may have mental issues.

5 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:25:17 PM byKrankor (eenie meenie, chili beanie, the spirits are about to speak.)
Just now?
Just now you’re beginning to think “man-on-dog” Santorum may have mental issues?

To: goodnesswins

Isn’t this idiot a lawyer?

6 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:26:00 PM bypugmama

“I’m alawyer, you idiot!”
BobBarber

To: goodnesswins

He’s a herd following idiot. An original thought of leadership has never burdened his mind. Which is why he has never been a leader.

12 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:27:45 PM bySaraJohnson
To: Free ThinkerNY

Goodbye, Ricky IDIOT!

19 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:29:53 PM bycarriage_hill (I’ll “vote for an orange juice can”, over Barry 0bummer and another 4yrs of his Regime From Hell!)
To: jakota
The guy is turning out to be a bigger gaff(sic) machine than Joe Biden.
Oh, but it’s worse than that. Biden’s gaff’s(sic) are silly, and often amusing. Santorum’s gaffs(sic) are getting to be actually dangerous.
20 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:30:32 PM byLeaning Right (Why am I carrying this lantern? you ask. I am looking for the next Reagan.)
To: Free ThinkerNY

Rick, if I was George, I would sue your ignornant, stupid A$$ to kingdom come.

Shut the **** up, jerk.

61 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:44:39 PM bychris37 (Heartless.)
I just realized that Ricky’s just been denied three times. And before sunup, too.

To: Free ThinkerNY

Toast… just another moron that resolves his mind without the benefit of the facts just to pander to africans.

74 posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 12:51:28 PM byBreto (The Establishment party is killing our country)

Africans.
Kibitzer, turn up the blowers – it’s getting thick in here.
Quietest thread of the month and so much more after the Higgs Boson…

Continue reading “Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “Gruesome grab-bag” edition”

Athenae, Immoral Values, So Called Liberal Media10 Comments

Bad Mommy Magazine

Oh for fuck’s sake: In the Bay Area, the initiation rate of breast-feeding — how many moms are breast-feeding when they leave the hospital — is 95 percent, according to Nancy Held, a lactation consultant, registered nurse and vice president of Day One Centers, which has locations in Palo Alto and Walnut Creek. “That’s very high,” says Held, who was interviewed by John Sasaki of KTVU for a report on reaction to the Time cover. “Then we have people going back to work and pumping and things drop off.” Held says the thought of anyone breast-feeding for a year makes … Continue reading Bad Mommy Magazine

Political Crack, Propaganda, Stupid Republican Tricks, Television11 Comments

A Peek Inside The Smoke-Filled Room

southernbeale2014

If you haven’t heard Kathleen McFarland’s conversation last year with Gen. Petraeus, you simply must. I’m serious, stop what you’re doing and give it a listen. Here’s the Clif’s Notes edition: a recording of a conversation last year between Fox News national security analyst Kathleen T. McFarland and Gen. Petraeus has surfaced. In it, McFarland passes on an important message to Petraeus from NewsCorp Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes: run, Petraeus, run! Run for the Republican nomination for president! Ailes would quit Fox to be his campaign manager, Murdoch would bankroll the campaign, and everyone at … Continue reading A Peek Inside The Smoke-Filled Room

Adrastos, Music, R.I.P.1 Comment

Dave Brubeck, R.I.P.

Peter Adrastos Athas

Legendary Jazz pianist, composer and bandleader Dave Brubeck was famous for being as nice as he was talented.He died today at the age of 91. Ironically, the piece that Brubeck was best known for, Take Five, was composed by his musical partner in crime, woodwind man, Paul Desmond. Brubeck, however, arranged the piece, which became an unlikely hit. Here it is: Continue reading Dave Brubeck, R.I.P.

Athenae, Political Crack5 Comments

Romney, Obama, and the Story We’re Telling

Allison Hantschel

Housekeeping things: The crack van will go up around noonish tomorrow and stay up as long as I can. Post your links, voter stories, crazy coverage, and cat noises in there. I’ll be in and out until my election party starts around 7. It would be too easy, today, to say there’s no choice. There’s always a choice. I could, in fact, stay home. Not vote. It’s not like Illinois is in play, after all. I could sit here and talk to you about the Green Party or the libertarians or list all the ways in which Barack Obama has … Continue reading Romney, Obama, and the Story We’re Telling

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media6 Comments

It Was Good Fun While It Lasted, Our Media Experiment

Allison Hantschel

Oh have a little pride, for fuck’s sake: So as part of a story online about the polls on Saturday, NBC News senior political editor Mark Murray included a section essentially imagining if the findings of his organization’s own poll were altered in a way that showed the Democratic sample in Ohio cut in half. In that case, Murray wrote, Obama’s lead would shrink to three points. In an email to TPM late Saturday, Murray explained his reasoning behind it. “We anticipated that there would be criticism of a D+9 sample, and asked our pollsters to assume — as an … Continue reading It Was Good Fun While It Lasted, Our Media Experiment

Adrastos, Political Crack8 Comments

Monday Morning Election Update

Peter Adrastos Athas

It’s coming down to the wire and my gut tells me that it’s not going to be *quite* as close as most people think. Oh, it will be, as Dan Rather would surely say, tight as a tick but I think we’re headed to a 50.5% to 48,5% or so Obama victory in the popular vote, and over 300 electoral votes for the Dems. I’ll post my idiot savant predictions, on the college that bestows the highest degree in the land, tomorrow. On with the AD (Artificial Dude) odds of the day: There is only a 13.7% chance that we … Continue reading Monday Morning Election Update

Adrastos, Malakatude, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks3 Comments

Malakas Of The Week: Team Romney

Peter Adrastos Athas

This is a rare instance where I come to praise malakatude instead of burying it. Team Romney are by definition malakas but the malakatude I’m “honoring” this week is their downright bizarre and even inexplicable response to theMitt the prep school jerk story. The story gives an enitrely new meaning to the term “bully pulpit.” Let’s start with a stipulation: I’m like everyone else, I’m inclined to give people a pass on stupid things they did in high school. I never bullied anyone BUT I did dumb shit that hurt people, which has has nothing to do with the person … Continue reading Malakas Of The Week: Team Romney

Uncategorized4 Comments

Walker–“Divide and Conquer”

“Divide and Conquer”–That was Walker on film giving his union strategy to billionaire supporter Diane Hendricks who has since given the Governor $510,000 in campaign contributions.The Milwaukee Journal Sentinenal reported the story last night: In the video shot on Jan. 18, 2011 – shortly before Walker’s controversial budget-repair bill was introduced and spawned mass protests – Hendricks asked the governor whether he could make Wisconsin a “completely red state, and work on these unions, and become a right-to-work” state. Walker’s reply: “Well, we’re going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill,” Walker said. “The first step … Continue reading Walker–“Divide and Conquer”

On Wisconsin

Unity Rally pt. 2

Here are some photos from the Unity rally along with some commentary.

John Nichols was one of the speakers and he is always great to listen to because he can get quite fiery.

251

I love the reaction of this young member of the audience to the fiery Nichols:

269c

Senator Fred Risser, one of the WI 14 and the longest serving state legislator in our nation’s history, is beloved here.

197

199

Mahlon Mitchell, who was a Madison firefighter, is the current President of the Fire Fighter’s Association and now the Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, has been continually present since the early days of the protests and is also very well liked and respected here.

217

219

More after the cut…

Continue reading “Unity Rally pt. 2”

Current Affairs, Diary, Doc7 Comments

“Will this question be on the course evaluation?”

One of the more interesting aspects of my job as a professor is the student survey and course evaluation process. A couple colleagues told me when I got here that thanks to a really ridiculous ruling out here that evals are to be treated as public documents. Thus, the U put the clamps down on what can and can’t be asked. The most problematic change was the decision to remove the “open comment” portion of the evaluation. As far as I was concerned, the most useful part of the evaluations has been cut and instead, I’m staring at random data … Continue reading “Will this question be on the course evaluation?”

Adrastos, Diary1 Comment

Friday Catblogging: Blast From The Past-Outdoor Cat Edition

When Dr. A and I lived on Pine Steet farther Uptown than we do now, we shared an cat with 2 or 3 of our neighbors. We named him Seymour because he was such a big doofus and that’s got the doofi vibe. We tried integrating him into our cluster household but Dr A;s fierce torti, Window, wouldn’t stand for it. It was okay with Seymour, he preferred the great outdoors to life as a house cat. So it goes. Continue reading Friday Catblogging: Blast From The Past-Outdoor Cat Edition