I don't what kind of week y'all have had, but speaking for my own darn self, THANK JEEBUS IT'S FRIDAY! So, if y'all have any outdoor plans for the weekend, remember - safety first! ;D
Let's move onto "this day in history" for the final day of a $hitacular week. On Aug. 6, 1945, exactly 65 years ago today, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan that instantly killed an estimated 66,000 people in the first use of a nuclear weapon in warfare. And, for the first time EVER, an American official attended the annual ceremony that is held in Hiroshima. Our government should be absolutely ashamed that it took so long for us to go there to commemorate this event. I cannot recommend highly enough the HBO documentary about this subject (and the bombing of Nagasaki) White Light Black Rain. This trailer contains images of those killed & those who survived and who show their wounds. So, if these images will be rough for you, don't click. And, you all should know by now that if I'm giving a warning like this, I'm serious about it.
On this date in 1926, Gertrude Ederle of New York became the first American woman to swim the English Channel. And, when she was done, she shouted, "I'm going to Disney World!" OK, I made that last part up. ;D
On this date in 2001, President George W. Bush received a memo entitled Bin Laden Determined To Strike in U.S. as part of his daily intelligence briefing. How did that turn out again? *&^%$#@!
And, to end on a good note, on this date last year, Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice by a Senate vote of 68-31. I wonder how Uncle Pat celebrated the day? ;D
Let's Countdown - the thank Jeebus it's Friday edition!
#5 "Running on Hate" AKA "Anti – Family Values" AKA "Families Under Fire" - After about a day or so of letting the Prop 8 ruling sink in a little, the bat$hit haters are going...well...BAT$HIT! The "lovely" Sharron Angle not only wants to make it illegal for homosexuals to adopt children, but she won’t comment if she’d make the process retroactive – meaning if she’d take kids out of homes who’ve already been adopted. Maybe, THIS is why Sharron’s Sharron; maybe, she wasn’t hugged enough as a kid or something. I’m surprised it took this long for the attacks on Judge Vaughn Walker to percolate! Rep. Eric Cantor & FL Senate candidate Marco Rubio filled out the same "gay adoption" questionnaire that Ms. Angle did; neither one of them will say how they answered the question. Judge Walker really is gay? It shouldn’t matter, but is he? Well, if he is, teh gay must not have mattered too much to St. President Ronnie Reagan since he made him a judge – unless Ronnie didn’t know he was gay. Apparently, at the time of Judge Walker’s appointment, groups on "the left" weren’t too thrilled with his creds. Nancy Pelosi attempted to block now – Judge Walker’s appointment at the time??!! And, Boss Limbaugh is attacking Judge Walker for being some leftist gay – lovin’ judge???!!! HA!!!
The more I’ve had time to re – read portions of Judge Walker’s ruling from the other day, I realize he was damn DAMN smart to quote Justice Anthony Kennedy’s SCOTUS opinions in similar cases; as we all know, Justice Kennedy will probably be that all – important swing vote in SCOTUS if this case gets there. Judge Walker essentially dared Justice Kennedy to go back on his own fairly – recent opinions on the issue – again, DAMN SMART! Tony Perkins accused Judge Vaughn of trashing marriages
...that have defined civilization since the beginning of time.
Huh, I guess in Tony’s twisted little head, the beginning of time must be after a whole host of religious groups finally nixed the idea of polygamy.
Okee – dokee...GOTCHA! ;D Others are calling for Congress to impeach Judge Walker; yea, well, people begged Congress to not vote for the Civil Rights Act, too. So, SPARK THEM! In the upcoming Georgia GOBP primary, GOBPers are attacking each other for not being anti – gay enough; a "blessing" from St. Sarah from Wasilla just doesn’t do what it used to do! Eugene Robinson gets to talk anti – gay bat$hit haters tonight. 65,000 kids have been adopted by gay parents – wow. Let me repeat that number – 65,000; that’s the size of a "respectably – sized" city. And, considering the number of kids who are left to basically languish in foster care for so many years of their lives – even if they are fortunate enough to eventually be adopted, I would think that if anyone anywhere whether they are gay, hetero, pink – polka dotted, or have 3 heads, etc. is willing to care for & raise a child (no criminal records or other oogy stuff goes without saying), they should be allowed to do so. Laura Flanders is talking adoption of kids by gay couples & just what Ms. Angle might be implicating she’d be willing to do. Well, I’ll be snookered; Judge Vaughn Walker IS gay!
#4 "Unemployment Lines" AKA "Voodoo Economics" - OK, who’s the Ferris Buehler fan on the Countdown staff?! ;D
The unemployment rate held steady even though lots of government jobs were lost due to the end of census activities. The private sector gained jobs, however. President Obama touted the private sector number as the 7th month in a row of growth in that area. Small Price to Pay Goldilocks had this to say about the numbers:
Welcome to the reality of President Obama’s broken promised, out – of – control spending sprees, and failing ‘stimulus’ policies.
OK...seriously...does the Dem guy running against him have a chance in Hades? Can he at least give "the color not found in nature" Satan a run for his money?!
Rep. Paul Ryan wants...uh...wait a minute...gotta back up the DVR on this...what does he want? OK, according to Paul Krugman, Rep. Ryan wants to give the richest 1% 117% of tax cuts. Wow, and I thought I had weak math skills! $HIT!! Hell, there’s hope for me after all! Rep. Ryan, when he ran out of fingers & toes to count with, must have pulled some figures out of his arse. Raising taxes on 95% of the population will somehow somewhere accomplish what Rep. Ryan wants. Wow, no wonder I never took an econ class & only lasted about 20 minutes into my house refinancing meeting the other day before my brain imploded! Rep. Ryan assumes absolutely no growth in discretionary spending – not counting defense. Well, we all know what happens when you assume! And, I don’t know too many economist types. Are they all as full of $hit as this guy apparently is?! Soon – to – be – retired Senator George Voinovich has directly & clearly admitted that GWB’s tax cuts were on borrowed money that would never & could never be paid back. And, he couldn’t be this direct & honest when it came to saying "yes" to Elena Kagan {sigh}. Senator Jim "Waterloo" DeMint has absolved GWB from any fault whatsoever for the economic terlet this country is largely still in. Well, Senator Waterloo knows his terlets, or maybe he still has outhouses at his place! Here’s Howard Fineman – long time no see!! Where ya’ been, honey? Howard talked about President Obama quickly getting a grasp on what actions needed to be taken to avoid another Great Depression. He knew what was going in WAY before he was even in office! Another book I’m reading now is Jonathan Alter’s The Promise, and his reporting of how now – President Obama absolutely took command of that little "economic summit" before that debate that Senator McCentury wanted to cancel is SOMETHING. Then – candidate Obama was ON IT; the GOBP in that room, especially Senator McCentury, totally had their heads up their respective hind quarters. Even GWB realized it at the time!
** HEY! Keith stole one of my "this day in history" items – THIEF! ;D O...M...G! Some poor turtle guy or gal tried to cross a busy road near Boston & had a rough start! It looks like a snapping turtle & one who hasn’t missed many meals. Check out the fancy sand castles in Bulgaria! I hope no bullies came by to kick ‘em down! There are booze vending machines in PA??!! Hells bells, my fair state still has sparkin’ damn antiquated blue laws! $HIT!! **
#3 "Party of Lincoln" AKA "Strategically Challenged" - Um...the knowledge that Blanchie didn’t have a chance in Hades against the GOBP dude ain’t a surprise to those of us actually paying damn attention! Even in the run up to the primary, Bill Halter was polling better against the GOBP nominee than she was. Oh well, Blanchie has a nice lobbying job in her future in the health care industry, I’m sure. She won’t be unemployed long, but, hopefully, her benefits run out! Oh...wait...she gets her lovely pension & health care even if she loses {sigh}.
She’s 20 points behind the GOBP nominee?! Barring the discovery of a, to paraphrase LBJ, a dead hooker or live boy in the dude’s office, Blanchie is blanched! Game over, man! A "Senior Democratic Aide" said a GOBP Senator from Arkansas can be dealt with; well, we all have already been dealing with a GOBP Senator from Arkansas! What else will be new?! *&^%$#@! Sam Seder gets to talk "official" Dem GENIUS tonight. Keith sited Senator Harry Reid’s poll number switch – a – round. Was he ever 20 points behind any potential GOBP candidate – even before the Chicken Lady & Ms. Obtuse displayed their bat$hit creds? I don’t think he was. If I’m wrong, tell me. Both Keith & Mr. Seder brought back that "unions flushing their money down the terlet" shtick after Blanchie won the run – off. Again, in reading The Promise, I’m willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that Rahm Emanuel said that.
WPITW – Roger Ailes lets FAUX News employees pack heat – including Jabba Ailes himself. Oh great, some of THOSE nice "balanced" people are armed. YAHOO! A drunken dude in FL called 911 to get a ride to the liquor store. Lonesome Rhodes is anti – Cheetos & anti – Mountain Dew & anti – opera. Wow, that’s a hell of a combo!
Fridays with Thurber OK...have I read "Exhibit X"? Is that in the collection Keith usually reads from? It’s not ringing any bells. HA! I like this story!!