Will this be the fruition of freeperness?

The time has come to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for [our] future security.

Thumb's up

This one is good too

What about empathy?

So there has been a big furor over the Sotomayor SC nomination. There's been much squawking from the GOP about this 'empathy' word and the necessity of the "objectively applying the law" where personal feelings play no part. Ironic coming from the political party that wants no criminal inquiry into Bush's interrogation policies that include some obvious war crimes, since there were the good intentions of protecting us.

During Sotomayor's confirmation hearings this week, one GOP senator after another took the opportunity to grandstand about judicial neutrality and empathy and race politics. And that is all it was--grandstanding. It's established wisdom that she will get confirmed, and many of them even hinted they would still vote to confirm. No one expected her confirmation not to go through. If the Senate Republicans were actually interested in criticizing her they would not have had turned down this guy to come testify. Jeffrey Deskovic was wrongly convicted and Judge Sotomayor refused to hear the evidence based on a late paperwork technicality. After seeing the facts of that case, is there anyone who would have serious concern about her 'empathy'?

Instead, they have dyslexic Frank Ricci testify since his case is more of the GOP base red meat about affirmative action than about wrongful convictions (something the pro-death penalty part would rather ignore). The whole uproar over empathy and race politics has been an opportunity to grandstand and has little to do with the actual nominee.

Sarah Palin has angered the Blob

Shortly after Sarah Palin resigns the Alaska governership, an unidentified amorphous blob of mystery goo is seen floating near the Alaskan shoreline. Coincidence?

Fish Tank Update

David Brooks had a bromance

with a US Senator he sat next to at a dinner once. This is one of the funniest interviews I have seen in a while.

Why can't we have a fuck-cam at Miller Park?

Somehow I am sure it is Bud Selig's fault.

The least interesting breaking news item ever

Does anyone actually give a shit if Roland Burris runs for the Senate next year?

Happy belated birthday America

Yet another sad case of cruelty to cute animals

The cruel, inhumane tradition of clubbing fuzzy wuzzy seals to death continues even in 2009. Can you watch the video below and not be moved to tears?

After 7 months, the votes are tallied

Today the MN Supreme Court ruled that Al Franken won the senate election there. I can't help but wonder what might have happened if Bush v Gore were allowed even half this much scrutiny. The thing I find most ironic about the ordeal is that the day after the election, when the small difference in vote counts mandated a recount by state law, Coleman was calling on Franken to move on and concede. Then he proceeded to drag the process out 7 months to the MN supreme court.

Doc I need some oats

Obama's FDA is threatening to regulate Cheerios as a drug, due to their "heart healthy" labeling. I wish I could say something funny about this, but I can't top the raw material.

Another sad case of cruelty to cute animals

An Oklahoma couple is accused of killing a puppy then skinning it to make a belt. (I don't think they finished it so they were unable to sport the belt) A local deputy expressed his outrage thusly:

"We're talking about a seven-week-old puppy, defenseless, seven-week-old puppy that can't fight for itself," says Muskogee County Sheriff's Deputy George Roberson.

As the deputy knows, animal hides should come from animals that are killed in a fair fight, much in the same way as the cows his belt and shoes came from were killed.

The worst part of the story? It appears that the rest of the puppy was thrown away, wasting valuable natural resources.

The local sherrifs office want's to make it clear that it has zero tolerance for such savagery:

"If you go out and kill a dog, skin him, dog dumping, any kind of animal cruelty case, it will be investigated to the fullest we find out you done it we're going to put you in jail."

Veal mongers beware, the Muskogee sherrif's office is watching you.

They're all gonna laugh at you Dick

The Obama DOJ thinks that statements made by very important people in criminal investigations should be kept secret because: if made public people might use it to make fun of them. Heaven forbid that (hopefully) candid statements from politicians might be made public. We must protect our leaders by making (again hopefully) truthful statements secret otherwise people might criticize them and hurt their feelings.