Sanity in a Sea of Chaotic Calumny

Tags

Austrailia, climate change, flooding, Glenn Beck, Jon Stewart, political rhetoric, postaday2011, Sarah Palin, Tom Delay, Tucson shooting

The rhetoric over the past two days has been simply stunning. Each side began its attack, almost before the blood was washed from the street.

The Left went on a rampage of blame of the right. Incendiary rhetoric, hate speech, demonizing of the Left.

The Right insisted the shooter was a lone actor, not tied to them, and that the Left was politicizing for its own benefit, this tragic event.

Some on the Left called for Palin’s arrest, along with perennial hate-mongers, Beck and Fox in total.

Those on the Right blamed Obama for “governing so badly that he created an extreme right-wing party.”  Beck “e-mails” Sarah, that “an attempt on your life, may well bring down the republic.” Get protection!

We have all gone quite mad. Sarah is now the victim, as she always paints herself, even though she scrubbed her website and tweets for offensive militaristic war words. Fox is on full-bore defense, cutting away from Tucson coverage when a witness starts to speak of Sarah’s complicity. The Tea Party uses the entire thing as an excuse to raise money.

Jon Stewart was right to call us all out. While I continue to believe that dangerously incendiary rhetoric needs to be stopped, he is right, that we get nowhere now by casting guilt. In doing so, we gin up the other side to do the same, and they are not shrinking violets.

We must surely stand up to lies and hate speech, but we need not point fingers. There is entirely enough blame to go around. We have failed to demand better. We have failed to lobby and pursue sane gun laws that regulate who gets guns and what kind they can get. We have allowed the incessant misinformation to stand unchallenged.

Jon Stewart, in his monologue last night told us what we should be taking from all this, and what we need be doing. It is so worth your watching. The Daily Show . I highly recommend you watch it. It’s the January 10, 2011 episode, aired last night.

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One of the terrible points of misinformation being perpetrated upon the public (the ignorant public at least) is the notion that either climate change is non-existent, or that at best it is seriously debatable among scientists. This is simply not the case, as much as those in the hip pocket of polluters claim otherwise, and the religious right ignores because of their screwed personal interpretations of scripture.

The Northeast braces for the third onslaught of foot+ snow in as many weeks, the West has been beset by torrential rains, Europe was brought to its knees by severe snow. We remember the heat waves of last summer throughout Europe, the massive forest fires in and around Moscow.

Much as the snow and cold suggests to the stupid that “ha ha” guess that puts to rest “global warming”, such is actually proof of it. Part of what happens is that when the oceans are warmed over their norm, they put more water vapor into the atmosphere and this “rains, snows” out in bigger and more dangerous storms.

We remember that Australia is still in the grips of a HUGE flood, one that simply shocks the mind. Please drop by myfanwe’s blog Love and Light and Strength for the Journey, and give a kind word, and consider a donation to the flood relief there. We sometimes get lost in our own drama here, and forget the misery others are facing.

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Da Hammer goes to the Slammer! Tom DeLay was sentenced to a minimum of 3 years yesterday. Unfortunately he’s been granted bond pending appeal. The National Review went apoplectic, blaming the evil prosecutor. You can read some more at Mo’s place. Sometimes justice is served.

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I can’t decide whether Glenn Beck is a simple grifter or is batshit crazy. Should we do a poll?

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What’s on the Stove? Pork Roast, mashed taters, gravy, roasted carrots and onions. And I need to get busy finishing it!

**Photo above from CD cover of Robin Lane.

Related Articles

• Beck claims ‘I don’t use [violent rhetoric] on or off the air’: Oh really? (crooksandliars.com)
• Sarah Palin Tells Glenn Beck: “I Hate Violence” (cbsnews.com)
• Sanitizing Extremism: Palin and Beck on Violence and War (themoderatevoice.com)

Thank God for the Alcock-Paczynski test!

Tags

airport security, astronomy, dark matter, environmentalism, feminism, GOP, Mike Huckabee, money laundering, religious right, Sarah Palin, science, terrorism, Tom Delay

At last, perhaps I can get a good night’s sleep again! I haven’t had one since that dark (pun) day in 1998, when I learned the awful truth: the universe seemed to be expanding at a faster and faster rate! My once cozy pulsing home was threatening to shred itself and leave me forlorn in an ever darkening sky as old friends rapidly flew off into a cold inky black.

Well, no more worries. It appears not to be happening. That demon “dark matter” is a truth we must accept, but it appears that the Alcock-Paczynski test may well prove that our universe is “flat” or what we used to call steady state or static. Just enough gravity, just enough dark matter to keep it in a comfortable rocking to and fro.

I know we just finished Thanksgiving, but this is a whole-nother-level of thanksgiving. I will never not see my beloved Orion, my dippers, my Pleiades. Oh sweet God, I knew you would come through. Let’s have a party!

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Speaking of Thanksgiving, hope your’s was a good one. Mine turned out most excellently. The meal was sublime, and we feasted until we could force in no more. We liked it so much, we are gonna do it all over again today! And Saturday, and Sunday. You see the method to my madness?

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I confess! I really do, or did, and am going to continue. I was simply delighted when I learned that “the Hammer” got hammered and may be heading for the slammer! Tom DeLay was convicted in that old state of Texas (good for something!) for money laundering.  I don’t think they execute for that, money is God in Texas along with football you recall. But here’s lookin’ for some good old time for the man who thought he ruled the world when he was in Congress. Oh let the sentence be fair: LONG. (H/T to Crooks and Liars for the link)

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I have to give it to WordPress. The new linkage system is up and running, and they have added a few new features that don’t concern readers, but are certainly nice. One of which I think is not so new, but I just found out how to do it, and it sure speeds up my game. I can now reply to comments through e-mail which is soooo much faster than publishing replies again and again and waiting for it to refresh. Hurrah!

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Again from Crooks and Liars we get a link to Whiskey Fire and a post on our Sarah. It’s not what you might expect, but it’s an interesting take. I’m not sure how I feel about it. Are Dems the ones who have missed the chance to have a salacious babe mouthing their talking points? I would hate to think so. Yet the point is made, much of Sarah’s following has zero to do with policy or politics, it’s pure sexy appeal and the “it” factor.

AlterNet also has a nice piece on Sarah about her brand of “feminism” which amounts to nothing more than narcissism-namely hers. If it affects her, then it matters, if it doesn’t, than as the article says, “women suck it up and be strong”. Which explains why women don’t cotton to the Moosilla Maven so much.

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Speaking of snake-oil sales persons, I’ve decided that the “know what we are doing” crowd consists of Palin, Beck, O’Reilly, Coulter and probably most of the house and senate wacko-heads. Those that are seriously stupid include Hannity, Bachmann, O’Donnell. The aforementioned know they are bilking the US for as much as they can for as long as they can. The give not a rip about anyone. Bank accounts matter. Your list?

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Ahab at Republic of Gilead has a great post of a lecture he attended on Christian escatologies and environmental issues. It is really an eye-opener if you are puzzled why some sects of Christianity continue to literally ignore the damage we are doing. These don’t deny it’s happening so much as they don’t care and believe that we should not waste our time to help the planet heal. It’s an amazingly good read.

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And 180° it is. I’m going back to my original position on the airport patdowns. After watching Fox and jerks like Huckabee all malign the administration for this “outrage” I can but conclude that this is nothing much more than “any way at all to make Obama look bad.” Huck has demanded that Obama submit his family for this search if it’s all that good.

I guess Mikey was just trying to protect his son who got caught carrying a GUN in his luggage at Little Rock National Airport. What his son needs a concealed weapon for, (being a son of a preacher man) is beyond me, but we see where Mike is coming from.

While I conclude that there may be legitimate reasons why these searches aren’t as useful as they might be assumed, I’ll stick with support as long as the idiots at Foxy are trying to take down a President via this means. And something like 70+% of the public is behind the TSA on this. It was higher, but the rightwing (those bastions of security) has done its thing again.

Enough for now. Time to hit those leftovers again and watch a little more football.

Related Articles

• Dark energy on firmer footing (nature.com)
• Dark Energy Theory Gets a Boost From New Galactic Measurements | 80beats (blogs.discovermagazine.com)

Short Takes on the Day, 10/17/09

Tags

Catholicism, Charles Grassley, crazy Republicans, dancing with the stars, death panels, elephant dung, frogs, GOP, health care reform, Michelle Bachmann, nuns, Sarah Palin, Tom Delay, voters, Women's issues

Some weeks ago, it was announced that the Vatican was going to conduct a “review” of American Catholic religious women. One part is understandable, of the 59,000 nuns in the US, 70 is the median age, and there are only several hundred who are in their 30’s. Something is definitely wrong in the world of women religious. This is a laudable goal to find an answer.

The other part of the investigation is to determine just how out of sync some women religious are in the area of same-sex issues, women’s ordination, and various other ecumenical endeavors. It is in a nutshell, a witch hunt to uncover heresy and unorthodoxy within the ranks of the various orders.

While it is not unusual for people within faith communities to leave because the faith does not conform to their beliefs and ideas of church, it is rather unusual for a denomination to conduct an investigation aimed at ferreting out those who aren’t in full agreement with dogmatic pronouncements. There is as I understand it no particulars on how women who are not in theological conformity with be dealt with.

I at one time spent an appreciable time with women religious and I can easily imagine their reaction to this “investigation.” If I know my sisters, they will meet the delegations with unfailing hospitality and continue to do exactly as they feel compelled to do by the Gospel. No excuses, no apologies will be offered. Read an excellent piece on the subject at Religious Dispatches.

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It really does defy understanding. How can a functional walking, talking human being actually believe that any American president would be promoting a health care system that involved the “culling” of the old and useless and letting them die? I mean seriously, I get the insane GOP desire to destroy this presidency and regain the upper hand by virtually any means, but certainly they can’t expect traction on this issue? Right?

Wrong. A recent poll suggests that fully 1/4 of the GOP actually believes that this is in the bill, and the desire of Democrats. Which I guess tells you just how bizarre its base is. I’d have never thought that Chuckie “da Grass” Grassley would succumb to this absurdity, but indeed he has. And this in the face of the fact that he voted yea for similar provisions that existed in the medicare bill when it was introduced way back in LBJ’s day. Those pesky carbon copies. Rethugs continue to disbelieve in paper trails. I guess they are so fond of shredders they think everybody does it.

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And I big YEEEHAWWW, ala Howard Dean for this one. I mean “they are coming to take me away, haha heehee to the funny farm,” echoed in my head as I sat watching ABC’s GMA unveil the newest group of Dancing with the Stars contestants. What group of mostly has been entertainers would be joined by a variety of athletic types? It was almost too good to be true, when the final name was announced.

None other than. . . .(drum roll, and appropriate trumpet flourishes please). . . . Tom “the Hammer” Delay. Indicted and thrown out of Congress for his cheatin’ ways, Tom is da man to beat when the new season starts. We are falling down laughing excited.  Can Sean be far behind? Or Newt?

And I shamelessly stole the picture which was brilliantly photoshoped from Mock, Paper, Scissors, which is a terrific blog and you should visit it regularly.

You know, one gets to thinkin,’  I bet you can find just about anything lurking in the Republican Party these days. It’s a cornucopia of perversions! OOOOh I just can’t wait until Tom, sans shirt, does the Pasa Doble. No need for no death panels, old ladies will be dropping like flies.

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Oh, another, another you say. The GOP burps up another hairball. Any time Michelle Bachmann wants to give us a tour of her chaotic mind, I get all tingly.

Seems she’s coined a new word–being “palinlized.” And she expects it to start happening any time. It means that now that Sarah has stepped aside (in your dreams Michelle) the media will be coming out to beat her up as the heir apparent.

Heir apparent to utter crazy? Yes indeed, except that Michelle also wants ya all to know that she was Sarah before Sarah was Sarah, meaning she’s been certifiable for a few years longer than the Wonder Moose from Alaska.

Speaking of which, I was on Sarah Facebook page and leaving “corrections” to her drivel, when I was oddly required to give up a cell phone number in order to leave a comment? Odd wouldn’t you say? I didn’t comply of course, not wantin’ to hear “ya know” in my ear at 3:30 in the morning one day.

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I work hard to bring you the important stuff. And so, here I am again, digging through the dung to find you the story. It seems that some researcher (all scientist types do the most amazing things) was poking around in elephant dung and guess what?

He found frogs. Yeppers. He was looking for seeds and stuff to determine food choices, but found him some frogs. Seems frogs find pachyderm poop nice digs. They invite a plethora of other distinctly joyous living things such as termites, centipedes, spiders, and scorpions to share the apartment with them too.

So, I got to thinkin’ that Republicans should be checking their toitoi’s when they poop, to see if frogs have taken up residence in their innards. Technically, its probably not the case that the frogs inhabit the butts of the elephants, but given the friends they keep, one can’t be too careful.

It  probably would be a good idea if you know any reasonable Republicans (assuming as we always say, if there be such a animal) you not let them read this blog. It’s soooo depressing I would think from their point of view. If they read, remove all sharp objects from their vicinity.

With that, we bid adieu.