Weather Vs. Climate

Fox News still doesn't get it.

Batman Princess? Sure, Why Not?

2nd best costume.

The Best Halloween Costume I've Seen This Year

Awesomesauce.

No Main Topic

1. Change isn't easy.
2. Pakistan in the spotlight.
3. Rams win one.
4. A celebrity couple should be able to afford a better costume. For example...
5. Snowtober in Boston.
   

Around the Internets

1. Insurance you probably don't need.
2. Nas isn't the biggest fan of the Internet.
3. Disney Princesses come to life.
   
4. Why Pat Buchanan should not be taken seriously.
5. Probably didn't think birth control could hurt teeth, did you?
   
6. "Gun insurance?" Hmm...
   
7. One thing about McCain: he's been wrong on pretty much anything Iraq War-related.
8. Dealing with holiday debt.
9. Fox News has made a dangerous enemy.
10. The time Michael Moore had a lot of money.
    

This Land Is My Land, This Land Is Your Land...

Juan Cole gives us a picture of what this country would look like if land distribution was like our wealth distribution.

Big Brother, Where Art Thou?

The more I learn about the Patriot Act, the more it seems like some twisted, bizarro version of the Freedom of Information Act, where instead of the government being upfront with the American people what it's doing, the government is empowered to learn and know everything they want about every single citizen, regardless of whether or not they actually did something (or plan on doing something) wrong.

Check the infographic and see if I'm being paranoid about this. One thing's for sure: it's not being used to fight terrorism (and if it is, it's failing miserably).

And You Thought Change Was Slow In The United States

Proof that, given enough time, even the British can change (but man, what a wait):

(Reuters) - Centuries of British royal discrimination came to an end Friday after Commonwealth leaders agreed to drop rules that give sons precedence as heir to the throne and bar anyone in line for the crown from marrying a Roman Catholic.

The 16 countries that have Queen Elizabeth as their monarch agreed to the changes put forward by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who had called the rules of succession outdated.

"The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter simply because he is a man, or that a future monarch can marry someone of any faith except a Catholic, this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we've all become," Cameron told reporters.

The agreement came on the sidelines of a Commonwealth summit presided over by the Queen in the remote west Australian city of Perth.

No Main Topic

(pic via).

1. A sword-wielding cat or a virtually immortal Justin Timberlake? Hmmm...
2. We could use a feel-good miracle story.
3. That nine-picture Marvel deal (in addition to being a Jedi) might have helped.
4. Better than no progress at all.
5. "Perfect Storm."

Michelle Bachmann Cannot Win Because She's Not Sarah Palin.

Let me start by saying this: you're bound to get a more substantial argument and better facts to back this up from sites that focus on politics. Me? I'm a guy that dabbles in it from a layman's POV. And really, it's the laymen (and women) that the politicians, pundits and media bobble-heads are constantly trying to trick...er, I mean understand in this grand experiment known as The Political Process.

But when I see stories like this, I have to ask myself, Why is Bachmann's base abandoning her? She's not that far from Palin from an ideological perspective, and the Tea Party adores Palin. Why isn't Bachmann getting the same love?

I mean, seriously, she was a better known quantity than Perry, Huntsman and Cain. She's more popular in her party than Gingrich, Romney and Santorum. Then two things popped into my head.

First, was the memory of another conservative Republican who said all the right things, yet could never seem to gain any real traction (read: votes) whenever he ran in elections that mattered: Alan Keyes. Looking back at it, it seems very weird that Christine O'Donnell got the Circle the Wagons treatment from conservatives desperate to overlook her blatant nuttiness when Keyes, who was nowhere near as crazy in public, had to practically beg for endorsements. Apparently, Bachmann's in the same class: good enough for a soundbite and a guest appearance on TV or radio, but damn if they get anywhere near actual power.

The second is connected, and may explain why Bachmann is getting the same support, something I believe The Rude Pundit (and others) have said about Sarah Palin: that conservative women admired Palin as a peer (a moral values mother juggling home life with a career) and conservative men wanted to bang her. Let's be honest here: women liking Bachmann has never been a story; and while it's normally a positive thing, the pundits aren't drooling over her like they did Palin.

Now if we take this as true -that Bachmann is looked at as too extreme for the general election and she's not that appealing to her base (whether politically or superficially)- then this may begin to explain why elements of the Tea Party have turned on her (and why some parts of her campaign have abandoned her).

Prince Charles Reveals a Weird Family Secret

It kinda sucks.

You Stay Classy, Fox News

Calling a mother who's protesting for a better future for her children "disgusting" isn't the worst thing you've done, but it's up there.

No Main Topic

1. I understand that Tim Tebow has a socially conservative following based on the circumstances of his birth, but this story may even make those fans raise an eyebrow.
2. Joe the Candidate.
3. Bad Teacher (in every sense).
4. There's still hope for an NBA season.
5. Not that I thought Kerry Washington had ever had that hard a time finding roles, but whatever.
   

The Economy's Not Bad For Everyone

Some companies are doing just fine, thankyouverymuch:

Exxon Mobil reported third quarter earnings of $10.3 billion on Thursday, a surge of 41% from the year-earlier quarter that beat expectations.

[snip]

The net profit for the world's leading oil company soared compared to the year-earlier net income of $7.4 billion. Per-share income climbed to $2.13 per share from $1.44 in the prior year.

The company said that revenue rose to $125.3 billion from $95.3 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Analysts were expecting revenue to jump 19% to $113.6 billion for the third quarter, and a surge in net income to $10.2 billion, with earnings of $2.12 per share. That's according to a consensus of forecasts from Thomson Reuters.

"It's Like Sabatoge/There Ain't Nobody To Trust"

Interesting graphic detailing the GOP's almost 2-year push to hurt President Obama's re-election chances at the expense of the US economy.

No Main Topic

1. China's reality TV quotient goes down.
2. One down...
3. Killer cantaloupes.
   
4. Ricki Lake credits DWTS for weight loss.
   
5. NBA tries to bounce back.
6. The cause of Amy Winehouse's death gets a re-write.
   

Current Bank CEO Wants To Still Be Considered a Politician

Because that way, you see, he can't be accused of being a sell-out when he's begging the POTUS to ignore OWS and kiss up to the banks more.

Guess Who May Be Directing Stephen's King's "The Stand" For The Big Screen?

Hint: he was the bomb in "Phantoms," yo!

No Main Topic

1. Sad story of a courageous person.
2. Why I don't take Tyler Perry seriously.
3. Fining cab drivers for excessive honking?
4. It OK for the US to invade Mexico as long as we're going after drug dealers, right?
5. Ever hear the one about the old crack dealer?
6. The proverbial "switched at birth" story with a twist.
   

Just Another GOP Sex Scandal

It's only a scandal because members of their party won't shut about about being morally superior.

Confused.

(pic via)


Seriously, this person needs a lesson in politics, economics, American history and probably business ethics.

As for what OWS is about, hopefully the above graphic can help.

The Nazi/Communist/Muslim Conspiracy

First, it was OWS was a front for communists and socialists. Then, there was a freakout over a comment made by some Nazis, which lead conservatives to say that Nazis were fronting the group. Now it's Muslims.

I don't think conservatives understand what a "movement" is. In movements, you get groups and factions that usually hate each other hanging out in the same spot because the subject/topic at hand is something they agree with. Most everyone agrees that the banking industry has screwed the American Middle Class (and the poor) and has bought out our political system. That doesn't mean that someone who happens to be a socialist or Muslim is "fronting" the entire movement. On the contrary; they've joined it.

And for those who say, "The OWS crowd should protest at the White House and Congress," well, that was tried already: it was called the Tea Party. They started out protesting wasteful government spending, got co-opted by social conservatives and the Religious Right, and began focusing on abortion and immigration. Most of the jokers who ran as Tea Party candidates (all in GOP primaries, mind you) and won started hiring lobbyists the moment they won, something very contradictory to their fiscally cautious origins.

OWS may have many elements and supporters who can be attacked individually, but those parts to not equate to the group. And to argue that one organization can be controlled by Nazis, Communists and Muslims simultaneously is just stupid.

No Main Topic

1. It's like a sick, twisted mix of "Kiss the Girls," "Valentine," and "Sorority Girls."
2. In salmonella news...
3. Tim Tebow pulls through.
4. A good today for Tunisia.
5. Death of a prince.
   

Around the Internets

1. How skinny people stay healthy.
2. Rush will say anything, and his fans will believe it.
3. The secret behind Amber Rose' hairstyle.
   
4. A Herman Cain jewel. Oh, what the heck: have another.
5. Ex-wife of pastor speaks out.
   
6. The Congressional GOP's jobs plan seems very familiar...
7. Halle Berry sure can pick 'em...
   

About The So-Called "47% "...

...they aren't exactly what some people say they are.

No Main Topic

1. NBA negotiations face a tough defense.
2. Unexpected help for OWS.
3. Senate GOP keeps up the jobs bill blockade.
4. There's one every 15 minutes in America.
   

Rachel Maddow Explains Sex (To The Male Lawmakers Who don't Understand)

Someone at New England Patriots Has a Sick Since of Humor

They keep firing and hiring the same player.

No Main Topic

1. Wayne Newton enters pervy-creepy territory.
   
2. Apparently, staying away from poor people can keep you healthy.
3. Is Moammar Gadhafi captured or not?
4. Citigroup wants to keep things "hush-hush."
5. Not the type of reward those children were looking for.
   

From The "Not Surprising" Files...

...This.

(Reuters) - More than one in 10 Americans over the age of 12 takes an antidepressant, a class of drugs that has become wildly popular in the past several decades, U.S. government researchers said Wednesday.

Antidepressants were the third-most common drug used by Americans of all ages between 2005 and 2008 and they were the most common drug among people aged 18 to 44, according to an analysis by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

The team analyzed data on more than 12,000 Americans who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 2005 and 2008.

They found that antidepressant use in the United States jumped nearly 400 percent in the 2005-2008 survey period compared with the 1988-1994 period, with 11 percent of those over age 12 taking the drugs.

The increase followed the U.S. approval in 1987 of Eli Lilly and Co's Prozac or fluoxetine, the first of a newer class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or SSRIs.

Either Herman Cain Doesn't Understand Economics...

...or he does, and the group he wants to see succeed is the one that's been coming out on top for the last 30 years or so.

For Some, Learning To Spell Is EVIL

Funny, "boycott" wasn't an evil word when it was advocated as a tactic against stores that were supposedly anti-Christmas. But now it is.

No Main Topic

1. Probably the only time a Republican of any notoriety has called Rush out (it remains to be seen if he goes on the guy's show to grovel later).
2. Naomi Wolf arrested at OWS protests.
3. Robber versus Mama Bear.
4. Goldman Sachs hit a bump.
5. Will and Jada Smith are now part owners of an NBA team.
   

OWS Can Do SIgns

No Main Topic

1. Good luck with that, Blackberry.
2. I have a few guesses who this might be (hint: she doesn't have an award).
3. You can never have too many coyotes.
4. The irony here is: most vets would have complained about playing preseason (and some early regular season) games.
5. Another link from something to some form of cancer.
6. She came, she saw...
7. What's a drunk father who needs to get his child back home to do?
8. Cheating Spouse? We've got an app for that.
9. Magic may be a little cruel here, but he does have some rings.
   

Just Watch

Around the Internets

1. OWS protestors have an overwhelming student loan gripe.
2. How patriotic.
3. The 1% really have little to complain about.
4. What women (apparently) look for.
5. The things we believe about other countries.
6. Some people just don't know what group they're really a part of.
7. A little piece of the past returns to television.
8. Yes, this is s story remotely connected to football.
9. Kris Humphries is learning what "high maintenance" means.
10. The myth behind "expensive fast food."
    

"99% Of Your Fans Don't Exist"

I'm shocked, shocked I tell's ya!

The "We Are 53%" Forgot About Ronald Reagan

He was pretty instrumental in creating the 47% they're railing against.

Fox News Supports The 1%

They're calling the OWS crowd fringe as well as rat-infested, drug-addled sex-maniacs.

Mission: Aborted

The GOP, after promising in 2010 to address the job problem in America, plans on pushing through anti-abortion legislation that can only be described as draconian. Nancy Pelosi let shared her opinions on the legislation yesterday. Some Democrats are already pointing out how abortion laws and jobs laws have little, if anything, to do with one another.

On the surface, if would look like the GOP is merely confused as to what the people want. How else to explain how they went from "Jobs, jobs, jobs" in the 2010 midterms to "Get a Job, Hippie!" in the wake of the Occupy Wall Street protests? I mean, it can be hard to keep up with the countless charts that describe what's really up America's craw nowadays. And blaming the supposed 47% of Americans who don't pay (federal income) taxes makes for better soundbites, even if people don't truly understand who makes up that group.

Lies and falsehoods are just easier to follow. The simple truth is: the GOP don't plan on helping another Democratic president again, ever. Which means that jobs won't even be part of their agenda until there's a Republican swearing in on a cool January morning.

From B.E.T. To BEG?

It's not clear whether Bob Johnson's grand plan is to enforce something that already exists (Affirmative Action) or it's for African-Americans to plead rich people for jobs. Almost reads like both.

Either way, he's solidly in the "companies can solve all problems" camp. Of course, this conflicts with Milton Friedman's belief that a company's only goal is to increase profits, but whatever.

Robert Reich on Lies About the Economy

Protest Comparison

One may ask, "Why is OWS currently more popular than the Tea Party?" After all, the Tea Party went after those corrupt over-spending politicians while Occupy Wall Street is attacking those innocent job-creating bankers and businesspeople. Nevermind that those same bankers and businesspeople have played a part in corrupting politics.

I can give two good reasons, and they're pretty recent.

First: banks are still foreclosing on people, fueling OWS anger.

The number of U.S. homes that received a first-time default notice during the July to September quarter increased 14 percent compared to the second quarter of the year, RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.

That increase signals banks are moving more aggressively now against borrowers who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments than they have since industrywide foreclosure processing problems emerged last fall. Those problems resulted in a sharp drop in foreclosure activity this year.

Second: the GOP is not helping the Middle Class; in fact they are doing the opposite.

In recent months, nearly every major Republican candidate has name-checked a popular statistic that 47% of Americans who file taxes paid no income tax in 2009. Given the GOP’s anti-tax zeal you’d think they’d be celebrating. Nope!

“Right now we know that 53% of Americans pay income taxes and 47% do not,” Michele Bachmann told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. “I think we definitely need to change the tax code. We need to get more in line. Everybody benefits from this magnificent country. Everybody pay something.”

Not only do statements like Bachmann’s seem to defy past Republican orthodoxy, but the candidates are explicitly making the argument on the same fairness grounds that progressives like Elizabeth Warren have used to demand greater taxes on the rich. The idea isn’t just that tax breaks for the rich trickle down the poor — it’s that they also deserve them more than freeloading Americans. Rick Perry made this moral outrage a key line in his campaign kickoff.

“We’re dismayed at the injustice that nearly half of all Americans don’t even pay any income tax,” Perry said in his announcement speech. “And you know the liberals out there are saying that we need to pay more.”

So the identifiable enemy of OWS (banks) are still acting like asses while the party that backs (and has been infiltrated by) the Tea Party is essentially proposing to do what they blamed "government" for doing up to the 2010 midterms: wasting/taking taxpayer's money. This is a big reason why OWS is currently more popular than the Tea Party.

Comic's Richest Characters Respond to "Occupy Wall Street"

Heh.

USA Today Is Off Their Rocker

I can't go to any page on imdb without hearing how good "Once Upon a Time" is. Fine, a modern spin on fables/fairy tales. I get it.

But for USA Today (aka, "America's Coloring Book") to call the show "The year's most original series" is just ridiculous. How can a show involving Snow White be considered original? And what does that say about modern television?

So Much For the "Dirty Young Hippie" Argument

62-year-old Vietnam vet joins OWS.

Never Say Die

John McClane sure isn't.

Want DVD For This Movie NOW

He Stole People's Money, So He's going to Jail

A 97-year sentence is too lenient!

He was convicted in June on charges of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by means of robbery, three counts of interference with commerce by means of robbery, and four counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Court records show Perry robbed a pizzeria, a convenience store and a gas station in Virginia Beach in September 2010. A clerk at the gas station was shot but survived.

He also was convicted of robbing two grocery stores that month in Gates County, N.C.

Imagine what this guy would have done if he worked on Wall Street? The horror!

No Main Topic

1. A break from class.
2. The Amish are shaving!
3. Ricki Lake can dance, apparently.
4. Democrats can sure be dumb sometimes.
5. And to think, craziness like this happens in a world where children are practically begging to be adopted.
   

Around the Internets

1. What a protest should look like.
2. Sarah Palin chooses money of serving her country.
3. If you think your life sucks, just read these comics.
4. A sex story where the 54-year old man was the young buck.
5. Joel Osteen can't be "gotcha'ed."
6. T.I. vs Diddy.
   

BIll O'Reilly's Bottom Line

When an organization like AARP puts celebrities on their magazine, they officially enter the Liberal Zone.

Occupy Sesame Street?

Seriously; is this the best these guys got?

The Hypocrisy That Dares Not Speak Its Name

It's so funny that ever since the Tea Party hijacked the anti-tax crowd Tax Day protest and converted that issue into being against "wasteful government spending," pundits and the news media knew exactly what was fueling these people. They were more than happy to have them on the interviews, promote their politics and even endorsed one or two for public office. The fact that this group was slowly being infiltrated by disenfranchised conservative Republicans went virtually unnoticed, even when the calls for eliminating "wasteful government spending" changed to things like abortion, immigration and health care.

Now, we have another set of protests, aimed not at the government for wasting the taxpayer's money, but at the corporations for manipulating the political and financial systems to the point where they receive maximum benefits and everyone else suffers. And the response from the same media that saw the "grassroots" efforts of the Tea Party as being so American? Confusion. Mockery. Disdain.

According to the media, the Tea Party movement included frustrated out-of-work patriots, but the Occupy Wall Street Crowd are dirty hippies. Tea Party = genuine outrage, OWS = misguided. Tea Party = organic, OWS = created by the "left" (or Obama or Michael Moore, depending on who you're watching/reading).

I'd really like to know how many people in the OWS crowd were original ex-Tea Party protesters. If there are any, they need to step up and talk about the real similarities and differences between the two.

N-Word Watch: Rick Perry's Past

This will be one interesting explanation.

Around The Internets

1. One man's gut feeling is another man's faith.
2. Why bother protesting?
3. Amber Rose is not a Funkmaster Flex fan.
   
4. Obama's not saying anything that's really that different from what Bill Cosby was saying a few years ago.
5. Shorter NRA: by not making a big deal about gun laws, Obama is secretly setting us up for stricter gun laws.
6. A Lego SUV? AWESOME.
7. Simon has a point: it's the visuals, not the voices, that make these ladies appealing.
8. How the lean live (and eat).
9. Red State versus Sarah Palin supporters.