World News Korner

Courtesy of Business Insider:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a surprisingly strong jobs report Thursday morning.

Employers added 288,000 jobs in June, significantly more than the 215,000 economists were anticipating. The unemployment rate, which is drawn from a different survey of households, dropped from 6.3% to 6.1% the lowest rate since September 2008.

Immediately following the news the S&P 500, The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite were in the green, continuing positive trends seen leading up to the pre-bell release. The Dow crossed 17,000 for the first time ever seconds after the opening bell before settling around 17,050.

The article goes on to remind folks that the both the May and April jobs reports were revised up after they were first announced, which means we are likely to see this already great report improve even more.

It is probably worth noting that the Republicans continue to attack Obama over an economy that they think is growing too slowly, and accuse him of costing Americans jobs due to Obamacare and his so-called attacks on the coal industry, even though there is no data to support those claims.

A recent poll came out saying that Americas think that Obama is the worst President since World War II, and that the country would have been better of if we had elected Mitt Romney.

But I think, if that poll is to be believed, it is only true because this President has been under constant assault since the day he took office, and because every one of his achievement are undermined and attacked until they seem like deficits, while every mistake is exaggerated to the point that many people believe he should be tried for treason.

Of course if Obama somehow managed to cure cancer tomorrow, Fox News and the Right Wing blogs would bitch that he was putting doctors out of business and only doing it to push forward his socialist agenda. And a number of low information Americans would have no trouble believing it was true.

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Courtesy of MSNBC:

The fast-food chain has introduced a new “Proud Whopper” to celebrate gay pride, featuring a bright, rainbow-colored wrapper.

Burger King released a short film Wednesday on YouTube featuring patrons’ reactions when opening the new burger, offered during San Francisco’s Pride Parade Sunday, June 29. The burger appears different on the outside, but soon enough customers realize it’s the same Whopper the fast-food chain has been selling for years. Once unwrapped, the words “We are all the same inside” are revealed on the wrapper.

“I cried in there because I was overwhelmed,” one patron said in the video. “A burger has never made me cry before.”

Yeah my eyes got a little wet too.

I think it's probably just the onions.

So as you probably suspected this move has finally demonstrated to the anti-gay folks that everybody is just the same and all over the country rednecks are treating their gay neighbors to lunch at Burger King and singing Kumbaya.

Yeah right, this is AMERIKA dammit!

Courtesy of Liberal Land:

The burgers aren’t gay but don’t tell the homophobes that. Apparently they didn’t watch the video. So now they want to boycott Burger King, and one Twitter user even blames Obama.

Naturally. The Daily Caller titled a post, “Burger King: Have It, You’re Gay.”

They also went to Twitter, even though that sounds pretty gay as well.

#BOYCOTT BURGER KING ! ENOUGH OF OBAMA'S GAY PRIDE AGENDA ! pic.twitter.com/4orG5X7BZa
— joseph price (@joeyyeo13) July 2, 2014

@BurgerKing America doesn't want sexual orientation sandwiches! #boycottBurgerKing
— David Lewis (@lewisbama) July 3, 2014

And thus Burger King becomes Bugger King http://t.co/Ynd0rf9uUu
— Daniel Vetr (@DanielVetr) July 2, 2014

Personally I cannot imagine how anybody could be surprised that Burger King came out in support of gay rights.

I mean "Home of the Whopper?" Come on!

I actually might be willing to subject my digestive system to a visit to Burger King in support of their gay friendly attitude just as soon as they get rid of this guy.

Seriously who can eat with that freaking thing staring directly into your soul?

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I actually tried to put this whole ridiculous thing out of my mind, but fucking Wonkette wouldn't let me:

We know that the Hobby Lobby decision is dangerous and terrible for the nation, but for filthy liberal bloggers, it is for sure going to be the gift that keeps on giving, mostly because there is so much post-decision derp from the Hobby Lobbyists. We should have known that Bristol Palin, queen of being best at not using birth control, would weigh in with some extra-special stupid about how to celebrate the fact that now all ladies can be saddled with an unwanted unmarried teen pregnancy, which is what freedom is all about. Bristol’s plan? Shopping selfies, of course.

July 3! You guys, that’s today! Get excited!! It even has a cool hashtag: #HobbyLobbyLove.

Holy god, Bristol Palin, you are even dumber than your mother if you think that the entirety of Twitter isn’t going to hijack the fuck out of that hashtag and fill your supporters’ timelines with dick pics to show how they hobby and lobby and love. Bristol was also kind enough to give the world her email address so that you can send pix directly to her.

Okay that's pretty good so maybe I will forgive Wonkette for making me remember that Sarah Palin's loser offspring continues to chase relevance by having her ghostwriter create blogposts that make it seem she can both read and understand current events.

So I traipsed on over to Brancy's blog to read how the campaign is going thus far.

And thus far there is nothing happening at all, as the most recent post is from yesterday.

So as you can see things are going just as they usually go when the Palin's try to start some kind of socially relevant protest.

But have no fear, apparently Brancy's blog also has a twitter account. (Okay seriously how come I did not know that?)

Let's take a peek at the raging activism shall we??

@BristolsBlog @RuthMalhotra @HobbyLobbyStore On my way! Will stop and get a milkshake at Chick-fil-a too!
— Mrs.Prim (@PrimMrs) July 3, 2014

Wow a day of buying sparkly glue and adding a few extra pounds, sounds like heaven.

July 3, 2014 --->> #HobbyLobbyLove day!! Go buy something in a store or online. 💵💸💰
— Mamaholzhauer (@Jensavedbygrace) July 2, 2014

Not to nitpick, but since the idea is to take selfies of yourself while shopping at a Hobby Lobby store, how would shopping online help accomplish that objective? I'm over thinking this aren't I?

@Jensavedbygrace @NancyAFrench Just about my favorite store! I love the tranquility that is ever present there.
— toni (@lorent5709) July 3, 2014

Okay does anybody else think that "toni" sounds suspiciously like a certain half term governor turned Facebook troll?

Well it is still early so perhaps eventually one of Bristol's fans will actually be able to find a Hobby Lobby store and take a picture of themselves protesting the right of women to have access to certain birth control that the Bible clearly states were manufactured by Satan.

I mean anything's possible.

Update: Okay well since I wrote this post Brancy finally got off her ass and updated the blog.

And there has been some response:

Yes the courage to deny women birth control is so admirable.

Some could not be bothered to go in, but they participated as well.


You know kind of.

However the REAL fun is happening over at the #HobbyLobbyLove Twitter page.

Feeling the #HobbyLobbyLove, tying my wife's tubes has never been easier! Thanks #DrHobbyLobby pic.twitter.com/kEt5ryhFhX
— Scott Wooledge (@Clarknt67) July 3, 2014

Dear, #DrHobbyLobby, I indulged in a little #HobbyLobbyLove. And now it burns when I pee. Should I sacrifice a lamb or will a goat do?
— Scott Wooledge (@Clarknt67) July 3, 2014

Best way to show #HobbyLobbyLove is to go in fill up your shopping cart and just before you finish pull out
— King k Damon (@kingkdamon) July 3, 2014

A lovely Hobby Lobby visitor snapped this today... Sharing the #HobbyLobbyLove pic.twitter.com/75IOqiQb2k
— Brett Dewey (@BrettDewey) July 3, 2014

Me thinks that certain people are having WAY too much fun with this.

But hey, it's at the expense of a Palin so who could blame them?

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Despite recent devastating defeats during primaries (But not Chris McDaniel dammit! He will never concede! Click here to see the latest lunacy from Mississippi.), Palin continues shake her head of snakes at the next victim endorsee which she has Facebook chosen to be humiliated in the next primary.

This unlucky bastard is Rob Manness of Louisiana. (You may remember him as the guy who fake wrestled an alligator in order to impress the ladies.)

From the Maniacal Medusa's Facebook page:

We’re in the Pacific northwest this week at a Sheeran family reunion. My cousins Trish and Jason Morgan are both proud Air Force vets, and we’re so proud of them along with our family members in all the other branches of service! The Morgans were singing the praises today of their former supervisor, Col. Rob Maness, who is currently running for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana.

I’m very proud to have endorsed Col. Maness, who is busy this week rolling out positive ideas and solutions to get America back on the right track. Leave it to a military man, not a politician, to break the code to victory. Col. Maness released a 12-point contract with voters that they can hold him accountable for once in office. Rob’s driving his F-150 across Louisiana on a 50 Town Hall tour he’s calling "Solutions For Us” to discuss these ideas to restore our country.

By the way an F-150 is really just a truck, but I guess calling it a truck is simply not butch enough for Palin.

The Louisiana election is not until freaking November, so this pimping is a little early. And if you guessed that Manness is floundering, and not seen as a serious contender, than you are so right.

In fact most of the speculation about elections focuses on the general, which everybody assumes will be between Senator Mary Landrieu and GOP challenger Bill Cassidy.

Palin did not waste this post simply on Mannes, she also decided to pimp her family a little.

Including giving a shout out to old cousin Jason's band, who you may remember was determined to be one of the worst bands in the country.

Here is Jason "JD" Morgan standing with Track, who is wearing the shirt that you would expect a Palin to wear, and who looks like he really needs to take his "warrior body" back to the gym.

Well I am a little bummed that we have to wait all the way until November for Palin's next loser to flame out and fall to earth.

But oh well, I have little doubt that in the meantime Palin, or somebody in her family, will do something outrageously stupid to keep all of us entertained.

P.S. Oops, I almost forgot.

Happy Resignation Day everybody!

It was five years ago today that Sarah Palin quit her job as Governor in order to pursue her career as a D-list motivational speaker, and to attack the President through ghostwritten Facebook posts.

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Courtesy of TPM:

A "misunderstanding" between two armed men in a Georgia convenience store led to an arrest on the very day that the state's new expansive gun rights law went into effect, according to The Valdosta Daily Times.

Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress summed the incident up for the newspaper.

“Essentially, it involved one customer with a gun on his hip when a second customer entered with a gun on his hip," Childress said.

According to the Daily Times, the first man, Ronald Williams, approached the second man in the store and demanded to see his identification and firearms license. Williams also pulled his gun from his holster, without pointing it at the second man. The second man responded by saying that he was not obligated to show any permits or identification -- then he paid for his purchase, left the store, and called the police.

Police responded to the call around 3 p.m. Tuesday, and Williams was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct for pulling his gun in the store.

Of course yesterday was the first day of Georgia's "guns everywhere" bill, which allows folks to carry their metal penis extenders into restaurants, classrooms, movie theaters, etc. and only restricts them in bars and churches if the establishments post signs forbidding it.

Apparently in Georgia there is a desire to return to a time of six gun justice, when men solved their disputes on the dusty streets in front of the local saloon instead of dialing 911 like some sissy.

"If'n it was good enuff fer Wild Bill Hickock it's good enuff fer me."

Who needs laws and police officers when everybody is packing heat and ready to deal out justice whenever the opportunity arises?

Personally I prefer to see quick draw solutions to disputes on television, and not played out in malls, schools, and churches where small children and innocent bystanders might be killed by stray bullets from these wannabe Wyatt Earp's.

But hey, that's just me.

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Courtesy of Vox:

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon has vetoed a 72-hour waiting period for abortions in Missouri.

Missouri already has a 24-hour waiting period prior to an abortion, which this law would have tripled in length. In his veto statement, Nixon criticized the law for failing to include an exception for victims of rape and incest.

"Lengthening the already extensive waiting period serves no demonstrable purpose other than to create emotional and financial hardships for women who have undoubtedly already spent considerable time wrestling with perhaps the most difficult decision they may ever have to make," he said.

Two other states, Utah and South Dakota, have successfully implemented 72-hour waiting periods. Twenty-four other states, including Missouri, have shorter wait time requirements, usually 24 hours.

With the way things are going right now concerning a woman's right to choose and having access to birth control, this almost comes as a surprise.

Especially considering the fact that this is Missouri and they already have some fairly draconian abortion laws on the books.

Well good for Governor Nixon for using a little sanity in dealing with this issue, instead of kowtowing to the religious right.

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This picture was taken yesterday in Murrieta, Calif as protesters forced busloads of undocumented immigrants to turn around in fear for their safety.

I have heard a lot of people weigh in on this issue, and I understand that emotions are running hot, but let me remind you that we are ALL immigrants in this country, with the exception of the native Americans. And if they had responded to us with the same hatred and viciousness which greeted these families there would BE no America as we know it today.

Borders are man made barriers to justify hating your neighbors.

And clearly they are working extremely well.

Update: It looks like these people attended the same spelling classes as the Teabaggers.

In fact I somehow think that they are one and the same animal.

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I have to say that this is pretty much how I view Christianity and religions as well.

And to be honest in this day and age it seems to be the last prejudice that is widely accepted when making decisions about where people can live, who they can marry, and which laws they have to follow.

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Courtesy of The Atlantic:

This week, in the Hobby Lobby case, the Supreme Court ruled that a religious employer could not be required to provide employees with certain types of contraception. That decision is beginning to reverberate: A group of faith leaders is urging the Obama administration to include a religious exemption in a forthcoming LGBT anti-discrimination action.

Their call, in a letter sent to the White House Tuesday, attempts to capitalize on the Supreme Court case by arguing that it shows the administration must show more deference to the prerogatives of religion.

"We are asking that an extension of protection for one group not come at the expense of faith communities whose religious identity and beliefs motivate them to serve those in need," the letter states.

The Hobby Lobby decision has been welcomed by religious-right groups who accuse Obama of waging a war on religion. But Tuesday's letter is different: It comes from as group of faith leaders who are generally friendly to the administration, many of whom have closely advised the White House on issues like immigration reform. The letter was organized by Michael Wear, who worked in the Obama White House and directed faith outreach for the president's 2012 campaign. Signers include two members of Catholics for Obama and three former members of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

"This is not an antagonistic letter by any means," Wear told me. But in the wake of Hobby Lobby, he said, "the administration does have a decision to make whether they want to recalibrate their approach to some of these issues."

In other words if the Hobby Lobby can use religion as protection from treating people equally then why do we have to?

In fact this is exactly what Ruth Bader Ginsburg predicted would happen in her dissent:

“Would the exemption…extend to employers with religiously grounded objections to blood transfusions (Jehovah’s Witnesses); antidepressants (Scientologists); medications derived from pigs, including anesthesia, intravenous fluids, and pills coated with gelatin (certain Muslims, Jews, and Hindus); and vaccinations[?]

…Not much help there for the lower courts bound by today’s decision. [...] The court, I fear, has ventured into a minefield.”

I would predict that this is just the beginning.

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