One Reason Facebook Has Decided Not To Charge Members For Usage...

...they're making enough money spying on you (even after you logout!).

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Mini-version:

1. Health Care ruling on the horizon.
2. Grape tomato recall.
3. Herman Cain rising.
4. David Stern puts an ultimatum down.
   

Quote Of The Day

“It's skeletons and all this, like the dead rising. Churches shouldn’t do that, you should do something else besides having a haunted house.”

- Pat Robinson, talking about the evils of Halloween. And yes: in attacking the holiday he pretty much said churches should be involved in "the dead rising."

Also, Robinson said that "Halloween is Satan’s night, it’s the night for the devil." A true Christian would not cede the Devil any day, even Halloween.

Rick Perry's Wife Tells Iowa That Although His First Performance Was Poor, He Will "Get Better"

I can't be the only person getting a double meaning from this.

There's a Movie Called "Machine Gun Preacher"

Besides the awesomeness of that title, there's two reasons to see it: (1) it's based off a real-life person, and Gerard Butler stars in it.

Daffy Duck Has One Hell of an Imagination

SNL Gives Their Take of the GOP Debates

As only they can.

Around the Internets

(pic via)

1. Tony Bennett speaks out.
2. Depends on your definition of "good black man" I suppose.
3. "If you saved a dollar a day starting the day you were born..."
4. Ways you'll know...
5. If protesters dress like bums, they'll be treated as such.
6. Tom Brady's just doing what he thinks is best.
7. They're going to kill Optimus Prime...again.
8. Can't make this stuff up...
9. For those who want to make money blogging...
   

Obama Finally Names Names

This C&L post has the goods. My biggest qualm since his "turn-around" was that he's been saying that some of what he's pushing in the bill he's proposed has been endorsed by Republican Congressman, but he hasn't really said who specifically endorsed what. If he starts being more specific (especially if that Congressperson represents a district/state he's speaking in) he should get even more traction.

Something Regarding Comic Books That's Worth Reading

Props to Comics Alliance's Laura Hudson for this article on the difference between female characters in superhero comics who are sexually liberated versus those who serve as vessels for male sexual fantasies. Two things to add:

1. I should point out that her examples of negative portrayals are DC Comics-heavy. While I was (and still am) more of a Marvel fan, I've gone through enough material from the "Distinguished Competition" to know that one groups make more genuine strides to write/draw female empowering stories than the other. If you ask any Marvel fan to name the top 15 or twenty most powerful characters, I'm pretty sure 5-7 of them will be female. Over at DC? After Wonder Woman and Power Girl. Also, Marvel's chock full of female characters who aren't legacy characters of female counterpart to male predecessors.
   
2. One of the reason I stopped collecting comics regularly (around 2001) was because the "revamps/reboots" boiled down to basically "How controversial can we make our characters and sell comics?" The Ultimates line (which mercefully seems to finally evolving into it own universe, and not some giant "What If" Marvel world minus the decades of continuity), the recent Flashpoint from DC (where Gorilla Grodd pretty much destroyed all of Africa and no one seemed to care but when Aquaman and Wonder Woman threaten Great Britain it's like "We've got to stop them!") have been more about grabbing attention via "edginess" versus good storytelling. Kingdom Come involved a nuke destroying the American Midwest, but the story behind that event did not make it gratuitous. Rogue and Gambit finally got in on a few years ago when they were captured and depowered by a Magneto-in-disguise (of course he was), but we didn't have to see the act itself; it was pretty much implied.
   

And to piggy-back on #2: I think the worst thing that happened to the comic books was when the comic book characters started appearing in movies full time. While I agree with Sly Stallone (who said comic book movies have all but replaced old-school action movies) and Stan Lee (that movies were the natural next medium for comic book characters) if seems to have left the writers and artists feeling that they have to "push the envelope" in order to get the theater-goes to buy a $4 comic. Instead of good stories with equal amounts of action and pathos, we get a montage of sex and gore, but since the characters deliver snarkier lines, it's supposedly different that what we got in the 90's.

The Strange Times We Live In

A former liberal Republican-turned-conservative-Republican and an ex-Democrat-turned-conservative-Republicans arguing over who's more like the current Democratic President, and that guy's really been governing as a centrist (in the name of political maturity).

If people really knew how much politics is like pro wrestling (the side switching, the theatrics, the anti-climatic showdowns) voter turnout might be even less then it is now.

(Movie) Emma Frost On Our Overuse of the Word "War"

From a recently well-received summer movie:

CIA Director McCone: The law says we've got to turn her over.
William Stryker Sr.: The law applies to human beings. The same laws don't apply to mutants. They're too dangerous. In times like this, security is important than liberty. There is a war coming, John.
William Stryker Sr.: Yes, but a war with who?
Emma Frost: [gets up, walks towards them, cuts a circle in the glass and looks at them through the hole] Excellent question. Though I wouldn't call it a war, exactly. That suggests both sides stand an equal chance of winning.

And on that note, I give you Jon Perr's "Republicans Rush to Defend Winners of the Class War." It's a piece worth reading, especially in light of all of this "Class Warfare" nonsense. I mean, can a conflict between the 1% of the country who holds like 95% of the wealth and the 99% who holds the other 5% really be considered a fair fight; especially when some of that 99% are shills for the Top 1%?

Even If She Gets Elected, Elizabeth Warren Will Eventually Do Something To Piss Liberals Off Too

And I mean liberals who've never held elected office, thereby making them pure enough to criticize those who have for daring to make compromises. /snark

Nevertheless, I like her fighting nature.

You're Getting "Taxed" One Way or Another

"This last option has proven appeal with conservative politicians because they can say, with only technical accuracy, that they didn't raise your taxes. Across the country, state and local governments are squeezing ordinary people for every penny they can lay their hands on, and the burden these fee increases can put on ordinary families is often significant. Make no mistake: these fees are completely regressive -- it costs a billionaire the same amount to renew his or her driver's license as it does a pauper. "

From a post in Crook & Liars, who add:

"Because states usually have balanced-budget amendments, any cuts to taxes must be offset. Years of austerity-like measures in the states have left governors and legislatures little to cut. This means that conservatives at the state level are forced to raise fees for various services that their citizens partake of in order to keep the budget balanced. But to the taxpayer, there is absolutely no difference between a "tax" and a "fee," in the end, they still have less money. And when conservatives brag about cutting taxes while raising fees, they are lying to the public."

No Main Topic

1. Welcome to the Silent Disco.
2. Nothing like an assassination to ruin a peace process.
3. Thank God crime in America isn't this bad.
   

Libertarian 101

While not completely true, it sure does seem to apply to a majority of politically-minded libertarians.

Around the Internets

1. Even more resume tips.
2. When someone tells you President Obama "doesn't meet with his people," tell them about this story.
3. My Alma Mater is #55 in the country.
4. New York's finest.
   
5. This is for all of the independent creative artists in the world.
6. Ever wanted to know how Erykah Badu broke up with Common?
7. The reason you keep your hands together when you close your eyes and pray.
   

No Main Topic

1. Happy Shiny Congress (LOL)
2. She could always write another book to counter this stuff.
3. Does this mean we can start colonizing the Arctic now?
4. Remember this the next time you hear a "We're losing the country!" whine.
5. Future Batman Villain.
   

Quote Of The Day

It was two in the morning. I was living in Orange County at the time and was asleep with my wife. My two-year old at the time was in another room. I opened my eyes and there was a naked man wearing my leather jacket eating a Fudgesicle in front of my bed.

-- Nicolas Cage, on the "inspiration" that helped him in his new movie.

National Security Is Currently a Big Yawn For GOP

Remember the days of George W. Bush on an aircraft carrier, GOP cries of "Support the Troops!" and 9/11 being used as a rallying cry for every piece of legislation, both foreign and domestic? Well, today's field of Republican candidates have different feelings about national security issues, and they're mostly nonexistent.

Extremism Has No Jurisdiction

Even in something as currently commonplace as being vegan.

YouTube Doesn't Play Everything

Case In Point: a KRS-ONE video about terrorism.

Around the Internets

1. Kelis is not a Katy Perry fan.
2. Libraries don't play.
3. The replacement.
4. I would disagree, but it's not my city.
   

So, The Devil Walks Into a Bar...

...but this being a Marvel Comics story, you should know they'll be twists.

Marvel's "Alpha Fllight" Goes HARDCORE

How hardcore? Enough to warrant their own friggin' label. Let's just say you don't wanna mess with a single-minded Mama Bear.

Now They're Bringing Signs

Shouting "You Lie!" wasn't disrespectful enough.

Conservatives Want You To Know That They Think Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme...

Why do I believe this? Because they keep on saying it.

Don't Fall In Love With The Politician

The one thing the liberal base has in common with the conservative base is this semi-constant need to prove your ideological fervor. I've read and watched with amusement countless political-types who get propped up as the Spokesperson for the Liberal America only to get torn down or attacked the moment they do or say something third-wayish.

It's no surprise to me that both Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich -both considered part of the Liberal Gold Standard back in 2004- are subjects of stories that shed them in a less-than-liberal light. Time and events change opinions, and anyone who's ever been in elected office can tell you that complete adherence to your political ideology will guarantee that a chunk of your voters will be isolated (and pissed).

So these guys have done what anyone who wants to still be in the game do: they adjust. That means occasionally doing things that piss off the base.

The bottom line is people need to stop falling in love with politicians, whether it's Dean or Obama or Ron Paul or Sarah Palin. Eventually, they'll all say or do something that doesn't fit with your political belief system. This doesn't make them traitors or turncoats; it's just what politicians do.

Around the Internets

1. If you have any of these items, you must not like your child.
2. How did the world view American coverage of Hurricane Irene?
3. Women in Comics.
4. Gotta admit: Michelle Obama can dress.
5. The thing that changed Dick Cheney (prior to 9/11).
   
6. What the doctors don't tell you.
7. It's a story about Stacey Dash; shut up.
8. President Obama talks with Tom Joyner.
9. Fox News Freakout in 3, 2, 1...
   

Keanu Reeves Is Cool

No, literally; that's what his name means. Still waiting for him and Johnny Depp to do a movie together.

From The "They Weren't Always Smokin' Hot" Files...

We present Amber Rose.

No Main Topic

1. Black hole cannibalism.
2. Breaking the connection.
3. Never too old to play college football.
4. ...and thanks for all the fish.
5. Grading earmarks.