Catfish Wallow

02-13-09

Extremist evangenitals no longer want to be referred to as the "religious right" because too many people now know them for what they are -- extremists. They want to be called "socially conservative evangelicals" instead (thinkprogress). -- Well, a dead rat that you call a rose still smells like a dead rat. They hope we will forget what they stand for if they change their logo. What they fail to remember is that their holy book of fantasies, the one they use to condemn anyone who doesn't drink their own particular brand of koolaid, says that "by their fruit ye shall know them" (referring to recognizing false prophets -- like so many of the Pharisaical evangenital false prophets, for instance), "by their works." And their works are abundantly clear already. Next thing you know, Republicans will want to change their name, too! And George W. Bush! And Karl Rove! Blackwater just did it. And Pope Nazi -- oh, he already did it too, that's right.

Concerns that Feinstein is secretly trying to add non-stimulus related, internet spying pork to Obama's stimulus package (americablog)

Satellite collision highlights growing threat (bbc.co.uk - spaceweather) - 17,000 objects above 10cm in size in orbit - and as many as 10,000 more less than 10cm in size. The last collision has added about 500 more pieces to that number. Orbital speed as high as 18,000 miles an hour.

Military Now Tracking 18,000 Items Which Could Damage, Destory Spacecraft (washingtonpost)
Space: We've trashed it -- with high-speed debris (orlandosentinel)
Warning of catastrophe from mass of 'space junk' (guardian.co.uk)

At least 8 arrested in attempt to build Michael Phelps drug case (mcclatchydc) -- I suppose the Richland County, South Carolina, Sheriff's Department thinks that by discrediting American hero Michael Phelps for smoking pot, they may 1) get some good press for themselves as if they were actually earning their paychecks, or 2) dissuade some hero-worshiping would-be pot smokers to leave it alone because, as we all know so well, crime doesn't pay -- unless, that is, you happen to have a high-ranking white collar job. If the former is true, I'd suggest they look around nearby for some real crime, like violent offenses or the white-collar crime they have to swim through daily in their fair county, home of the state capital -- and leave hero Phelps to glory in his youth, fame and accomplishments. If it is the latter reason, I suspect that could backfire when a few hundred thousand more kids smoke their first pot merely out of support for Phelps and in contempt for this new misguided authoritarian attempt to further control their lives. By the way, how many people died in South Carolina last year because of tobacco and alcohol? -- And how many died because of pot?

Update 02-16-09: Michael Phelps not to be charged with Marijuana crime (dailykos) but 7 of those arrested still face a 'simple' posession of marijuana charge, and 1 more for 'distribution'.

Corrupt judges facing prison; Luzerne pair admit to $2.67M kickback scheme (policelink - uk.reuters) -- 1000 to 2000 youth tossed into private prisons with long, unjustified sentences for the sake of a few corrupt bucks. -- Another case where we need Chinese justice brought to bear against the offending judges and the responsible prison executives (see my 02-11-09 entry (China airport executive . . .) and real justice and hundreds of millions of dollars of financial compensation brought in turn to the kids this gang of monsters abused.

Looting Social Security (thenation) - Author Bill Greider boils down the attempts by Blue Dogs, Jim Cooper, the Pete Peterson folks and others to loot Social Security (Jane Hamsher).

Social Security Reform: Your Opinion Doesn’t Count (firedoglake) "A February summit, convened by Obama, will include Kent Conrad, Judd Gregg, conservative Blue Dogs and "a host of outside groups with ideas on the matter" -- presumably the Peterson folks will be there. No progressive participants have been announced." -- I guess Obama doesn't realize (or believe) that if he only eliminated the $102,000 Social Security taxes cap completely, so all wages were taxed, the Social Security Trust Fund would have enough money for 75 more years. With this bunch of stingy, right-wing advisers who principally represent the wealthy elite who would prefer to see the Social Security program eliminated completely, what kind of wreckage will Obama make of the Social Security Program? Rush will surely give him a pat on the head along with a slap on the wrist for not going even further.

Friday, February 13, 2009