Telling Chart

Saturday, September 6, 2008

P.A.N.T.H.E.R.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Sarah Barracuda

Heart is NOT amused by Sarah Palin's use of its hit tune:

UPDATE Friday morning: here's a statement by Ann and Nancy Wilson from EW.com:

"Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there."

Yay for Bikers!

You may have all seen the video that was circulating on YouTube last month of a critical mass cyclist being shoved from his bike by a police officer. After the video stopped rolling, the cyclist was charged with the many mundane offenses the unlawfully arrested often face. Luckily, NYC dropped the charges against the biker this morning, and relegated the offending officer to desk duty.

Two points for the little guy and kudos to YouTube!

A Non-Starter?

So, I guess that sweethear Phil Berg is suing Obama in the name of the state of Pennsylvania. Apparently there's some concern about the legitimacy of his birth certificate and his possible duel citizenship.

Have you guys already posted on this? I've been out of the loop. If not, does anyone else see a snake in the grass here? Have they already work out their Osama Obama rhetoric or do you think this will hold water? I have a feeling the Dems will just delay the court long enough to run the election as planned, given the court's precedence to let sleeping dogs lie rather than upset a national election, but I wonder what this will do to his support base... Any thoughts?

Thus Spoke the Institution

The NYT has a neat little infographic outlining the words the candidates used at their conventions. Shows where the two parties differ, but also where they are so very much the same.

Bam!

A commenter on Politico:

Mrs. Palin needs to be reminded that Jesus Christ was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Palin: The Scientific Community Weighs In

http://www.livescience.com/culture/080901-sb-palin-creationist.html

Party of the People: Cindy's $300k Outfit

From Vanity Fair:

Cindy McCain
Oscar de la Renta dress: $3,000
Chanel J12 White Ceramic Watch: $4,500
Three-carat diamond earrings: $280,000
Four-strand pearl necklace: $11,000–$25,000
Shoes, designer unknown: $600
Total: Between $299,100 and $313,100

Palinguage

By John Ridley

Up in the Twin Cities area folks are speaking a new language. Or, should I say Palinguage. It sounds sorta familiar because it's Latin based. But different from the plain English we're used to speaking, in Palinguage recognizable words take on new meanings. Won't you take a moment to learn some Plainguage so you can talk like a hypocritical conservative?

REPEAT THE FOLLOWING:

If you're a minority and you're selected for a job over more qualified candidates you're a "token hire." If you're a conservative and you're selected for a job over more qualified candidates you're a "game changer."

If you live in an Urban area and you get a girl pregnant you're a "baby daddy." If you're the same in Alaska you're a "teen father." (Actually, according to your own MySpace page you're an F'n redneck that don't want any kids, but that's too long a phrase for the evil liberal media to take out of context and flog morning noon and night).

Black teen pregnancies? A "crisis" in black America. White teen pregnancies? A "blessed event."

If you grow up in Hawaii you're "exotic." Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you're the quintessential "American story."

Similarly, if you name you kid Barack you're "unpatriotic." Name your kid Track, you're "colorful."

If you're a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fully vetting the individual you're "reckless." A Republican who doesn't fully vet is a "maverick."

If you say that for the "first time in my adult lifetime I'm really proud of my country" it makes you "unfit" to be First Lady. If you are a registered member of a fringe political group that advocates secession that makes you "First Dude."

A DUI from twenty years ago is "old news." A speech given without proper citation from twenty years ago is "relevant information."

And, finally, if you're a man and you decide to run for office despite your wife's recurrence of cancer you're a "questionable spouse." If you're a woman and you decide to run for office despite having five kids including a newborn... Well, we don't know what that is 'cause THAT'S NOT A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Science of Cheating

It's in your genes, dude.

A team led by Hasse Walum of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, sequenced the AVPR1a gene in about 500 pairs of adult same-sex Swedish twins, all of them married or cohabiting for at least 5 years, and their partners. One variation of the gene was particularly common; about 40% of males had either one or two copies of a version--or allele--of the gene known as "334."

Although not simply an analog to the polymorphism found in prairie voles, allele 334 seems to have a similar effect on the stability of human relationships, as measured in interviews and questionnaires. The tests included a Partner Bonding Scale containing items that reflect affection and cooperation, such as "How often do you kiss your mate?" and "How often are you and your partner involved in common interests outside the family?"

Palin vs Obama

Mark Ambinder asks:

Has this ever happened before? Is the frame of the race now Obama v. Palin? Is that the way to elect John McCain?

Garrison Keillor -- A Misdirection in Minnesota

I love this opening:

The Republicans are meeting down the hill from my house, helicopters are pounding the air, and there are more suits on the streets and big black SUVs and a brownish cloud venting from the hockey arena where the convention is assembled. A large moment for little old St. Paul, which is more accustomed to visitations by conventions of morticians and foundation garment salesmen and the Sons of the Desert, and so we are thrilled. It makes no difference that the city is Democratic. What matters is that, for a few days, TV will show a few pictures of the big bend in the, the limestone bluffs, the Capitol and cathedral, and a tree-shaded avenue or two, and some of the world will know that we exist.

>> full article

Keeping Us Safe

In her speech at the RNC Laura Bush just credited her husband with keeping the United States safe.

What's that 9/11 slogan? We will never forget?

Unless it's for political purposes. In that case we'll just casually elude.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Sigh

Carly Fiorina, McCain aide:

"[I am] appalled by the Obama campaign's attempts to belittle Governor Sarah Palin's experience. The facts are that Sarah Palin has made more executive decisions as a Mayor and Governor than Barack Obama has made in his life. Because of Hillary Clinton's historic run for the Presidency and the treatment she received, American women are more highly tuned than ever to recognize and decry sexism in all its forms. They will not tolerate sexist treatment of Governor Palin."

Fiscal Conservative?

There's too much Palin goodness out there, but here is one tidbit that warrants mention. She might claim she's a fiscal conservative, but if her experience as mayor is any indication she's anything but.

Giving Palin the benefit of the doubt by setting the town's population at its highest, current estimate (9,000 people), using a conservative estimate for the U.S. national population over the last decade (275 million), and multiplying the latter figure times the debt-per-Wasillan ($2,444 = $22M divided by 9,000), that means that if she were running the country it would translate into about $672 billion in debt. (And if you use the 6,700 population figure for Wasilla, the number climbs close to $1 trillion.)

Nooooooo

Don LaFontaine died yesterday. Movie fans weep.

Going with the theme that McCain is too old ...

When asked if contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV, McCain took a long pause and replied, "You've stumped me. I think his memory is going. He also said, "I'm sure I've taken a position on it in the past. I have to find out what my position was." He can't remember how many houses he has. He can't remember how he feels about issues. He might show up to a press conference one day wearing two pairs of pants, forgetting that he already put one on.

Read about his hypocritical stance on contraception.

PS - Dirt, I believe, is younger than John McCain.