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Via (w/better resolution)

What a Difference 8+ Years Makes

The GOP has gone from a George W. Bush celebrating a war he didn't know how to manage, justify or resolve in a G.I. Joe uniform to Sarah Palin dressing up like a biker version of the Baroness in order to trick some rubes into thinking she's going to give up all the money she's getting for being a political celebrity to run for President.

Around The Internets

1. The Braxton Sisters have their own list.
2. Newt Gingrich's racial coding.
   
3. Gwyneth Paltrow raps. Read that sentence again.
4. "7 Tips for Cleaning Fruits, Vegetables."
5. Isn't that always the way?
6. Focus on the Family is going down swinging on the gay marriage issue.
7. 25% of the Wrestlemania VII stars are now dead? Whoa.
8. TV's Worst Series Finales.
9. She looks like she'll do well in the world of modeling; hope she doesn't get a big head though.
10. I'm sure the longest living black couple has some good advice.
    

Quote Of The Day

Recession-proof jobs

1). Making guns, ammunition and light weapons.

2). Making chemical weapons.

3). Making biological weapons.

4). Making bombs.

If more black men did these jobs and moved around the world, they would never be unemployed because the demand is always there, especially now...

-- African Speech, in response to this questionable "advice" article.

Mid-Day Madness

1. Not every day you hear about an actress/formal model taking on the cops in a drunken stupor...oh wait; nevermind.
2. Democrats actually getting tough about GOP bailout lies...and Medicare, too!
   
3. If you have a job and don't want to lose it, you should be following some of these steps.
   

Who Directed The After-Credits Stringer For the Thor Movie?

It makes sense when you think about it.

"Horrible Bosses" May Get Some Cash

And not just because Jennifer Aniston died her hair; I'm guessing that there are plenty of people who have bosses/supervisors who act like these characters, and will pay money to watch them (hopefully) get their comeuppance.

No Main Topic

1. ''Kobe's fine included discipline for verbal abuse of a game official,'' NBA spokesman Mark Broussard said.
2. “While I applaud Ryan for getting the conversation started, I cannot support his specific plan and therefore will vote ‘no’ on his budget,’’ Brown wrote.
3. "The original attacks [on the PlayStation Network and Online Entertainment networks] were probably quite targeted and quite skilled," Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor at security firm Sophos. "Now it seems to be that every random hacker out there has jumped on the bandwagon" to attack Sony.
4. "I'm a psychologist and I've seen lots of things really. But sometimes after I leave some of these families I just sit in my car and cry because it's really so painful," she said.
5. “California is an extreme case by any measure,” said David C. Fathi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, which submitted a brief urging the justices to uphold the lower court’s order. “This case involves ongoing, undisputed and lethal constitutional violations. We’re not going to see a lot of copycat litigation.”
   

Ex-Teammate Attacks Lance Armstrong

Even if this is true, the government does not need to interfere. Why are always so gung-ho about corruption in sports but when it comes to cleaning their own house they get silent?

Rupert Murdoch's News Company Hacking Rivals For Stories?

Celebrities, police and politicians are one thing, but if this is true, their might not be a "Fox" anything in a few years.

No Main Topic

1. Apple gets meta.
2. Mitch Daniels says "no;" Tim Pawlenty says, "yes."
3. Missouri gets the worse of a deadly tornado.
4. Obama's Irish background.
5. Chris Bosh brought the heat to Chicago.
   

Around the Internets

1. The language of sports.
2. Melissa Harris-Perry weighs in on the Cornell West vs. Barack Obama thing.
3. It will be hard for Newt Gingrich to campaign for President with that giant fork sticking out of his back.
4. A Strong Black Woman.
5. A guilty conscious can lead to physical changes.
6. "If you’re not ready to die for it, take the word ‘freedom’ out of your vocabulary."
7. Can you name all the offensive things about this "FlashPoint"-based map?
   

Rachel Maddow: GOP's Small Government Talk vs GOP Big Government Overreach

The problem with the GOP is that their claims of being fiscally conservative via small government will always clash with their claims of being socially conservative via being anti-choice. You can't say "less regulation" and "all taxes are bad" and then vote to raise taxes to stop abortions because you don't have the votes to amend the Constitution.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

R.I.P., Randy Savage

The former pro-wrestling star was 58.

No Main Topic

1. “Their relationship is correct at best,” said Judith Kipper, director of Middle East programs at the Institute of World Affairs. Mr. Netanyahu “likes the status quo, and he particularly identifies with conservative Republicans.”
2. "Given the escalating use of naval assets, NATO had no choice but to take decisive action to protect the civilian population of Libya and NATO forces at sea," said Rear-Admiral Russell Harding, deputy commander of the NATO mission in Libya.
3. ''We had a good start to the fourth quarter,'' Durant said. ''You can't mess that chemistry up. Coach made a good decision by doing that.''
4. “She told me she would prefer the death penalty, because that would get her to heaven sooner,’’ said George Murphy, who represented McCrery at a morning hearing yesterday in Massachusetts.

People Are Stealing Hair Now.

Of course, there's a reason for it:

Once stolen, the hair is typically sold on the street or on the Internet, including eBay, shop owners and the police say.

The most expensive hair type — and the one in highest demand by thieves and paying customers alike — is remy hair, which unlike most other varieties is sold with its outermost cuticle layer intact. This allows it to look more natural and to last longer without tangling. Remy hair from Indian women is the most popular.

But remy hair extensions can cost as much as $200 per package and the average person requires at least two packages. Hundreds of dollars more, and at times thousands, are spent at hair salons to have the extensions attached, often by sewing.

In addition to the $150,000 Houston robbery this month, thieves have recently taken $10,000 in hair from a San Diego shop; $85,000 from a business in Missouri City, Tex.; $10,000 from a shop in Dearborn, Mich.; and $60,000 from a business in San Leandro, Calif. All the values were provided by the storeowners.

Law enforcement officials have been perplexed by the sudden increase in the thefts of hair and the violence that has accompanied some. Some agencies say they had been unaware of the trend before, and others are still learning about it.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” said Denise Ballew, a spokeswoman for the F.B.I., who oversees data related to property crimes.

Illinois GOP Uses Wu-Tang To Make a Point

(Via)

No Main Topic

1. Get real, people; this is not the first millionaire to abuse the government for personal gain.
2. "Street Fight" = "Don't expect too much offense in this series."
3. This is nice, but I'm still waiting for the "Coffee can cure AIDS" story.
4. Which dating/love criteria may override looks and personality?
5. Don't call him Chief...anymore.

Quote Of The Day

As Stewart always points out, no other "news" network functions the way Fox does.

Fox and Friends opens with some new idiotic story about something bad from a liberal.

Megan Kelly picks it up and bashes someone over the head over it.

**Shep Smith ducks and covers while he whimpers out the voice of reason on the subject**

Neil Cavuto then brings up the issue and make some snide remark about the people involved.

Beck then claims the world is ending because the liberal thing happened, and tells us to do some esoteric vague action that isn't what it seems...then tells us to buy gold.

Bret Baier lets his mostly conservative panel pound a liberal over it.

Then O'Reilly brings on a faux liberal like Colmes or Williams to give the impression he's having a discussion when, in reality, he's letting a windbag like Crowley blabber on with some talking point. Then he calls everyone who disagrees with him a pinhead.

Then Hannity comes on and let's his panel say whatever the want about the subject, and repeats, ad nauseum, the same baloney about how anti-American and unpatriotic "The Anointed One" really is.

Then Greta puts on an Oprah-esque performance with someone giving their take on the story in a folksy way.

Then the idiots on Red Eye engage the story in the stylings of Dennis Miller.

Then it starts all over again the next day...usually with the same story unless some other outrageous liberal "thing" has happened.

-- "epichuntarz," On Fox News standard news distribution formula.

No Main Topic

1. This revelation from Arnold Schwarzenegger is not surprising to anyone who has heard stories about his behavior.
2. It's not everyday you hear about a judge being so blunt to a defendant.
3. Hope that wasn't their way of welcoming her.
4. Congratulations to Tamera Mowry.
5. Better late than never.
   

Glenn Beck Tries To Trick More People Out Of Their Hard-Earned Money

And now it's for some kind of quasi-religious field trip. Why do people take this poor excuse for a Batman villain seriously?

Then again...

Quote Of The Day

It's a story with the names of the characters, and some of the major scenes, but the underlying narrative simply isn't the story of Superman. It's about a guy with an asshole father who got stuck in a podunk town and casually betrayed by every friend he made, including a superhuman who professed to be his best friend but constantly doubted him behind his back and lied to him to his face. When the show embraced that and stopped pretending it was about Superman, that was when the show was it its best. The themes it trades in aren't the themes of the Superman myth. It's about secrets and betrayals and f*** you dad. When the show lost its protagonist, Lex, then it became an empty shell that traded on rote pandering towards fans of scenes and characters we all recognize from other media.

-- David Uzumeri, summarizing Smallville for us all. (Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/05/16/recap-smallville-finale/#ixzz1MXM450DO)

So What's Spider-Man Been Up To These Days?

When he's not on two Avengers teams and helping the new Fantastic Four, he's trying to teach a potential group of Avengers how to be heroes...kinda.

That Didn't Take Long

Even though Newt Gingrich slammed the Paul Ryan budget, his apparent hypocrisy over the issue seems to be enough to make him moonwalk the issue.

No Main Topic

1. I.M.F. chief has been arrested on sexual assault.
2. Newt Gingrich becomes 1st GOP presidential candidate to attack the Paul Ryan budget.
3. Blackwater's Erik Prince is running another mercenary group.
4. Shirley Sherrod forgives the USDA, gets hired for a different job (and is still suing that jerk for setting her up).
5. Sure you did.
6. Credit cards aren't making cabbies happy.
   

Around the Internets

1. Donald Trump has a problem with educated black people.
2. Well, yeah: 9-yr-olds should know better.
   
3. Attack, Justin Bieber fans! ATTACK!
4. Pastor recalls his days as a Navy SEAL...except those days never happened.
5. Dealing with mean managers.
6. In case you're wondering, Gary Coleman hasn't been buried yet.
7. For some the birth certificate issue will never be over.
8. The story behind Friday the 13th.
   

NBC Rejects Wonder Woman Show

And here I was hoping that Comics Alliance would get to recap it a la "Smallville."

Think Progress: Bush, Obama and bin Laden

No Main Topic

1. The Munich court is always in session.
2. R.I.P. Robert Traylor and Mia Amber Davis.
3. Bristol Palin reveals the change.
   
4. Michael Moore's new TV gig.
   

So What's Batman Been Up To These Days?

The real question is: which one?

Fox News Lacks "Common"Sense

They attack one of the least violent rappers around, just because he's visiting President Obama.

$5 Gas? Marylanders Aren't Worried

Interesting quotes.

Rachel Maddow: "Home Sweet Homewood"

Part One:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Part Two:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Chocolate Milk Takes a Hit

OK...

Chocolate milk has long been seen as the spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down, but the nation's childhood obesity epidemic has a growing number of people wondering whether that's wise.

With schools under increasing pressure to offer healthier food, the staple on children's cafeteria trays has come under attack over the very ingredient that made it so popular — sugar.

Some school districts have gone as far as prohibiting flavored milk, and Florida considered a statewide ban in schools. Other districts have sought a middle ground by replacing flavored milks containing high-fructose corn syrup with versions containing sugar, which some see as a more natural sweetener.

If It's Sunday, It's Still Conservative

Not surprising at all.

UPDATE: Rachel noticed it as well.

No Main Topic

1. Change for the "Today Show."
   
2. Lakers go down, and it wasn't in a classy fashion.
3. Bobby Jindal's got birther problems now? Good luck trying to close this Pandora's Box.
4. Vermont's reducing regulation to get into the insurance racket (and make some $$$).
5. Let's take a closer look at Pakistan.
6. Stranded in Nevada.
   

Around the Internets

1. Interesting news from regarding Senator Scott Brown.
2. South Park? Controversial? The heck you say.
3. Can't say I'm surprised that Superman's "announcement" was going to garner this type of attention.
4. In real time, people are trying to rewrite history.
5. Myths persist.
6. For any lady who ever wondered about their high school boyfriend...
7. "Yup, that George W. Bush sure was great at catching bin Laden..."
8. The "My Pet Goat" kids reflect.
9. There is a difference.
10. What guys should be eating on a regular basis.
11. Let the flame wars begin: top 100 comic book heroes.
    

Quote Of The Day

The only difference between a libertarian and an anarchist, is that the former has a mortgage, so they want a government to protect their particular driveway from everybody else.

--"Mr. E," commenting on this TPM post.

It Beginning To Look A Lot Like Recalls

In Wisconsin, there seems to be some problems regarding open and unsealed bags of ballots.

We Just Want Skynet To Exist Sooo Badly

Oy:

The researchers used a virtual computer model, or "neural network," to simulate the excessive release of dopamine in the brain. They found that the network recalled memories in a distinctly schizophrenic-like fashion.

Their results were published in April in Biological Psychiatry.

"The hypothesis is that dopamine encodes the importance-the salience-of experience," says Uli Grasemann, a graduate student in the Department of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin. "When there's too much dopamine, it leads to exaggerated salience, and the brain ends up learning from things that it shouldn't be learning from."

The results bolster a hypothesis known in schizophrenia circles as the hyperlearning hypothesis, which posits that people suffering from schizophrenia have brains that lose the ability to forget or ignore as much as they normally would. Without forgetting, they lose the ability to extract what's meaningful out of the immensity of stimuli the brain encounters. They start making connections that aren't real, or drowning in a sea of so many connections they lose the ability to stitch together any kind of coherent story.

Just what we need: an AI that forgets things. Remember this story when the the automatic doors on the space shuttle don't close in time.

So What's Loki, Step Brother and Enemy of Thor, Been Up To These Days?

Well, he's a kid now, and when he's not trying to start a revolt he's shoveling ram poop.

No Main Topic

1. Some movie about some blonde guy with a hammer.
2. Boston feels the Heat.
3. Peaking in the Al Qaeda cookie jar.
4. Yoga killer headed to jail.
5. Terps basketball coach Gary Williams to leave the bench (but he'll still be around)

The "Osama bin Laden Is Dead" Speech Obama Should Have Given

Just Can't Win

Just Last Fucking Week:

Conspiracy Crowd: OBAMA! PROVE TO US THAT YOU ARE AMERICAN: RELEASE YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE. WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?

Barack Obama: Nothing. Here's the basic form everyone's allowed to get. Take a look.

CC: BAH! WE WANT THE LONG FORM!

BO: That's not something that's usually requested. Besides, how do you think I would have gotten past the primary (let alone be elected to the Senate) if I was...

CC: LONG FORM! LONG FORM! LONG FORM!

BO: (*sigh*) OK; hold on...here.

CC: ITS A FAKE. WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU. WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO HIDE

BO: Seriously? Excuse me, guys; I've got work to do...

This Fucking Week:

Barack Obama: With the help of the CIA and America's best soldiers, I can tell you that we have killed Osama bin Laden.

Conspiracy Crowd: WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU. BUSH DID ALL THE HARD WORK. SHOW US THE PICTURES AS PROOF. YOUR STORY KEEPS CHANGING!

BO: Everyone hasn't been debriefed yet, so some conflicting stories are bound to come up. Besides, how often is a military mission transcribed for the entire population? Speaking of military missions, don't you think releasing these photos might...

CC: DEATH PICS! DEATH PICS! DEATH PICS!

BO: Now really, what good would that do? Besides, you didn't believe me the last time I released something, you just said it was fake in order to keep your kooky theories alive and make a quick...

CC: DEATH PICS! DEATH PICS! DEATH PICS! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO HIDE?

BO: (*sigh*)

Congressman Attacks Comic Book Writer, Mom Makes Him Apologize

You can't make this stuff up.

Kiss Off

Ever wanted to smooch someone but that pesky distance thing has gotten in the way? Well, thank to some creative minds, all you crazy kids need is your own computers, internet access and a weird new device...to kiss with.

And by "kiss," we mean waggle your tongue on a plastic straw, thereby making another plastic straw waggle remotely on someone else's tongue.

Hot, huh?

Well, the folks at Tokyo's Kajimoto Laboratory say it's just the beginning of what could become a full-on person-to-person experience over the Internet.

The lab, part of The University of Electro-Communications, posted a video in which a researcher demonstrates the "Kiss Transmission Device." It's a motorized box that looks a little like a police Breathalyzer.

Wanna see the video? Sure you do.

Wonder what else it can be used for?

No Main Topic

1. ''We came to compete, and we came to make something happen here,'' Marion said. ''We made our presence felt on both ends of the floor tonight. We did a good job of handling their pressure and just going out there and doing what we've been doing all postseason, just playing good defense and just playing our style of play.''
2. "I'm Jewish. Eating pork or shellfish is not allowed in my tradition, but I would never ask the government to impose that on our fellow citizens," Simon said. "We have to be careful about trying to enshrine our beliefs, however religiously valid you may believe them to be, in the Minnesota Constitution."
3. "Our latest reports put the toll from the suicide car bombing in the city of Hillah at 25 and 75 wounded," the source from Hillah police told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
4. “They have no answer,” Mr. Khan said. “We have become the biggest haven of terrorism in the world and we have failed to stop it.”
5. ''It just seemed like they had an answer for everything that we threw at them,'' Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said. ''That's kind of the tough part. We didn't get rewarded for everything that we threw at them.''
6. "GM has great potential to deliver profitable growth around the world as the recovery continues," said Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann in the earnings statement.

Osama Was All About the Bottom Line

When you look at it, the world's most dangerous terrorist was more or less an evil accountant.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This is Bound To Get Some Conservatives In a Huff

Via Botson Globe:

Barbara A. Lenk, a veteran Appeals Court judge, today won confirmation to a seat on the Supreme Judicial Court, becoming the first openly gay judge to serve on the state’s highest judicial body.

The Governor’s Council confirmed Lenk on a 5-3 vote. She is Governor Deval Patrick’s fourth appointment to the seven-member SJC, which issued the landmark 2003 ruling that made Massachusetts the first state to legalize same-sex marriage.

Lenk, who married her partner, Debra Krupp, after the ruling, has 18 years’ experience on the bench, a degree from Harvard Law School, and a doctorate in political philosophy from Yale. Patrick nominated her to replace Justice Judith A. Cowin, who is retiring.

Lenk's confirmation hearing last week lasted more than seven hours, and was often contentious.

Critics raised questions about Lenk’s ruling in an incest case, and about whether she had avoided conflicts of interest when Krupp represented clients at the Appeals Court in her capacity as a lawyer for the state public defenders’ office.

Yeah, because when incest is the issue you can't trust a gay judge. Sheesh.

"President Bush's" Special Announcement

Everyone seems to have overlooked another special announcement:

President Bush Reacts to Osama Bin Laden's Death with Will Ferrell from Will Ferrell

Republicans Like To Use the Magic Calendar

This way, everything bad that's happened is either President Clinton or President Obama's fault, and everything good that's happened is because of President Reagan or President G.W. Bush. Too bad for them it's not remotely true.

No Main Topic

1. Questions about torture and withdrawal has risen in the wake of bin Laden's death.
2. Jennifer Love Hewitt's back on the market.
   
3. Deaf men attacked because someone thought they were throwing up gang signs.
4. Who crucified this South Korean man?
5. Quentin Taratino's got a new movie in the works.
6. India needs to work on it's treatment of girls.
7. When you're broke and have no hope for the future...
   

Quote Of The Day

Folks try this at home. You can't find your keys and you tell your wife 'I cant find the keys. So she goes and finds them, now for the fun part. Take the credit, because you looked first.

"ironhead," commenting on the GOP-crediting-GWB-for-killing-bin-Laden story.

One Reason Why Some Americans Have Been Cheering

I was asked why a bunch of college-aged Americans seemed to be celebrating the Death of Osama bin Laden.

My theory is pretty simple: they grew up with this guy as their Boogie Man.

Ten years ago, these 18, 19 and 20-year-olds were 8, 9 and 10. At that young age they witnessed a shift in how America handles security and foreign relations, but weren't really mentally ready to deal with it. Anyone else with basic critical thinking skills or have been exposed to something similar had an idea of where phrases like "war on terror" or "9/11 changed everything" was going to takes us, and far too often, those places weren't pretty.

But these guys? This became their world almost overnight; a world where the enemy could be everywhere, where a friend could turn into an enemy, where saying the wrong thing made people question where your loyalties lie. And in truth, the justification for this paranoid logic was, "It's because bin Laden killed all those people, and we couldn't stop him."

Ten years later, we did stop him. So a bunch of college-aged kids, who grew up under the shadow of the terrorist Boogie Man, decided to celebrate.

No Main Topic

1. The Heat burns Boston. Of course, Pierce isn't happy.
   
2. And on the anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" too.
3. R.I.P., Henry Cooper.
   

Quote Of The Day

It should be noted that the deadliest natural disaster on American soil since Hurricane Katrina hit eight Southern states this week, with as many as 100 tornadoes taking the lives of 349 people and leaving a trail of flattened homes and buildings.

It should also be noted that President Obama and his administration are being praised throughout the red states for their immediate response to this disaster, providing shelter, food, water and medical care, along with search and rescue operations.

Amidst all of those big distractions, has anyone noticed that no one is screaming from rooftops and pleading for the government to respond for one, two, three, four days and counting? No one is asking when will President Obama respond or where is FEMA or when will help be on the way. Amidst all of those big distractions, government is working as it is supposed to. Someone should take note of this.

-- Kaneblues, from this TPM post.

Around the Internets

1. Ryan Reynolds does something awesome.
2. Who does the tax system favor?
3. Is it too optimistic to think that most Republicans won't buy into this new list of "Rules"?
4. Cue social conservative outrage.
5. Maybe it was her destiny.
6. Not everything needs to go on Facebook.
   
7. You may be exercising wrong.
8. New eating disorders?
9. Jon Stewart at his best.
10. Don't be dumb with your tax refund.
11. Kos' take on the Obama Birth Certificate Release.
12. Stay classy, Oklahoma GOP.