World News Korner

This is from 2008, but I think it should be shown during EVERY election cycle.

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Courtesy of Think Progress:

It’s the rallying cry for opponents of same-sex marriage: “Every child deserves a mom or a dad.” But a major new study finds that kids raised by same-sex couples actually do a bit better “than the general population on measures of general health and family cohesion.”

The study, conducted in Australia by University of Melbourne researchers “surveyed 315 same-sex parents and 500 children.” The children in the study scored about six percent higher than Australian kids in the general population. The advantages held up “when controlling for a number sociodemographic factors such as parent education and household income.” The study was the largest of its kind in the world.

The lead researcher, Dr. Simon Crouch, noted that in same-sex couples parents have to “take on roles that are suited to their skill sets rather than falling into those gender stereotypes.” According to Crouch, this leads to a “more harmonious family unit and therefore feeding on to better health and well being.”

The findings were in line with “existing international research undertaken with smaller sample sizes.”

A group called Family Voice Australia discounts the study because it does not provide data on what happens once the children reach adulthood, but personally I think they are just desperate to undermine its findings.

I can tell you that in my job I see just about every possible type of family.

What I have noticed about same sex couples is that, as a rule, they are somewhat more attentive to the children, simply because they are more determined to get it right, and because they see the opportunity of being parents as a gift that they will not squander.

That is not to say that I have not seen some truly screwed up same sex families, just like I have in traditional families, but overall I would say that the percentage is smaller.

But any time you are being raised by loving parents, who put your needs ahead of their own, and sacrifice to give you a good life, you are going to have parents that you can be proud to call Mom and Dad, or Mom and Mom, or Dad and Dad, of whatever. After all the names don't matter, only the love.

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Courtesy of HuffPo:

More than half of privately insured women are getting free birth control under President Barack Obama's health law, a major coverage shift that's likely to advance.

This week the Supreme Court allowed some employers with religious scruples to opt out, but most companies appear to be going in the opposite direction.

Recent data from the IMS Institute document a sharp change during 2013. The share of privately insured women who got their birth control pills without a copayment jumped to 56 percent, from 14 percent in 2012. The law's requirement that most health plans cover birth control as prevention, at no additional cost to women, took full effect in 2013.

The average annual saving for women was $269. "It's a big number," said institute director Michael Kleinrock. The institute is the research arm of IMS Health, a Connecticut-based technology company that uses pharmacy records to track prescription drug sales.

Many medical groups see a strong rationale for free birth control. Contraception can help make a woman's next pregnancy healthier by spacing births far enough apart, generally 18 months to two years. Closely spaced births carry a risk of such problems as prematurity, low birth weight, even autism. And even modest copays for medical care can discourage its use.

"It's one of the most concrete ways that women have seen that the Affordable Care Act is helping them," said Amy Allina, deputy director of the National Women's Health Network, an advocacy that supports the law's requirement.

Damn right is helping women and I hope that they keep that in mind during these next midterm elections.

I have this fantasy of all that could be accomplished if the Democrats not only held onto the Senate but also captured the House.

Yes I know that it is about as likely as Scarlett Johansson showing up at my doorstep telling me that she wants to have my baby, but still a Liberal can dream can't he?

At the very least we need to hang onto the Senate, and hopefully the female vote will be there for Obama like he has been there for the female voter.

Oh, and the guys too of course.

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Courtesy of The Wrap:

The WestView News, which touts itself as “The Voice of the West Village,” ran an op-ed titled “The Nig–r in the White House”

A community newspaper in New York faced intense criticism Sunday for calling President Obama the N-word in a headline.

The WestView News, a small paper that touts itself as “The Voice of the West Village,” ran an op-ed column in its July edition titled “The Nig–r in the White House.”

The article, penned by James Lincoln Collier, was actually pro-Obama and criticized what it called “racism” by far-right voters.

Possibly fearing backlash, the paper did not put the article on its website. But a copy of it was posted online by the New York Post, along with a screen grab of another story by WestView News Columnist Alvin Hall, who criticized the article.

Oh, okay I get it. They were trying to argue against racism by using the n-word kind of like I would fight a brush fire by throwing gasoline on it.

You know you can almost hear the Right Wing websites and Fox News rubbing their hands together in anticipation of getting the opportunity to refer to the n-word multiple times while ostensibly being horrified by its use.

I can just hear Fox now:

"Oh my God did you hear that they actually printed the n-word in their headline? Yes they actually referred to the President, who is a black man as you know, as an n-word. That is just terrible, calling him the n-word, don't you think 'cookie cutter blonde woman with the big boobs that works here?' After all WE would never use the n-word while discussing this President, who happens to be an African American as we all know, but of course now we have to because this paper had the gall to use the n-word and left us no choice."

In other words perhaps somebody should tell the WestView News that they are not helping.

(H/T to Politicususa.)

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Courtesy of HuffPo:

The Republican National Committee is celebrating former President George W. Bush's birthday this weekend by selling wistful "I Miss W." t-shirts to its supporters.

"President George W. Bush led our nation through some of the most challenging moments of our nation’s history — and we miss him and his leadership," reads a fundraising pitch on the RNC's website. "By sporting this comfortable, classic, American-made tee, you can share our message and help us elect principled conservative leaders to office."

Let me be the first to totally endorse the idea of the Republican party reminding the voters of just who they put into office the last time they won the White House.

If they want to remind everybody that the guy who tanked the economy, started two unnecessary wars, and allowed the biggest terrorist attack in America's history to take place on his watch, was THEIR guy, who am I to stand in their way?

Fucking morons!

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Courtesy of Journal Star:

Parade committee member Rick Konopasek said the float wasn’t meant to be any more offensive than a political cartoon would be. The only restriction for entering a float is that it can’t be considered morally objectionable. That basically translates to a ban on nudity to sexually explicit messages, Konopasek said.

“We don’t feel its right to tell someone what they can and can’t express,” he said. “This was political satire. If we start saying no to certain floats, we might as well not have a parade at all.”

Konopasek and parade announcer Wally Sonnenschein said the outhouse float was the most popular one in the parade, and the three judges awarded it an honorable mention.

“It’s obvious the majority of the community liked it,” Konopasek said. “So should we deny the 95 percent of those that liked it their rights, just for the 5 percent of people who are upset?”

Look, another place I am never planning to visit.

Update: Oops sorry folks. I did originally think this was Virginia, but it's Nebraska.

I have fixed it now.

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Courtesy of Business Insider:

"Coal Rollers" are diesel trucks modified with chimneys and equipment that can force extra fuel into the engine causing dark black smoke to pour out of the chimney stacks. These modifications are not new, but as Slate's Dave Weigel pointed out on Thursday, "rolling coal" has begun to take on a political dimension with pickup drivers increasingly viewing their smokestacks as a form of protest against environmentalists and Obama administration emissions regulations.

Last month, Vocativ noted many coal rollers focus their fumes on "nature nuffies," or people who drive hybrids, and "rice burners," or Japanese-made cars.

"The feeling around here is that everyone who drives a small car is a liberal," a roller named Ryan told Vocativ. "I rolled coal on a Prius once just because they were tailing me."

Here is how one salesperson explained it:

"I run into a lot of people that really don’t like Obama at all," the salesperson said. "If he’s into the environment, if he’s into this or that, we’re not. I hear a lot of that. To get a single stack on my truck—that’s my way of giving them the finger. You want clean air and a tiny carbon footprint? Well, screw you."

If that does not infuriate you enough take a look at one of these "cola rollers" in action.

Courtesy of Slate:

At 23 seconds, the engine revs and the viewer finally learns what the arrows were pointing at. Smoke pours out of dual stacks, right in the path of the Prius, which retreats into the rear view. The truck’s passengers share a well-earned chortle.

“Alright, enough!” says one of them.

“You got ’im!” says another.

“We got ’im!” says a co-conspirator.

Yep this is what the people who want to improve the planet for their children, and protect them from an environmental disaster, are up against.

And they vote too.

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Courtesy of Fox News:

Takei's life is the subject of a new documentary, "To Be Takei," which is available on Direct TV from July 3 to August 5 and will be released in theaters August 22. The film explores everything from Takei's childhood imprisonment in a Japanese internment camp to his relationship with his husband, Brad.

"It documents my story, my life, from the time I was a child imprisoned in US camps, barbed-wire prison camps, simply because we happened to look like the people who bombed Pearl Harbor," Takei said.

Takei preaches acceptance in diversity in every facet of life - which is why he posts "Star Wars" content as often as he shares "Star Trek" photos.

"'Star Trek' was science fiction. 'Star Wars' is science fantasy, and that's a lot of fun too," Takei said. "We're a diverse country with many different races, many different religions, many different histories and backgrounds and we have to respect each other and that's the essential message of our documentary 'To Be Takei.'"

Seriously is there anybody who does not love George Takei?

I remember really being a fan of his during his Star Trek days, but what he is doing these days on social media is actually more impressive than the fact that as a gay Asian actor he played such in important role in an iconic television series that his still believed to this day.

By the way if you are not following George on Twitter you are really missing out.

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Courtesy of the Telegraph:

BBC journalists are being sent on courses to stop them inviting so many cranks onto programmes to air ‘marginal views’

The BBC Trust on Thursday published a progress report into the corporation’s science coverage which was criticised in 2012 for giving too much air-time to critics who oppose non-contentious issues.

The report found that there was still an ‘over-rigid application of editorial guidelines on impartiality’ which sought to give the ‘other side’ of the argument, even if that viewpoint was widely dismissed.

Some 200 staff have already attended seminars and workshops and more will be invited on courses in the coming months to stop them giving ‘undue attention to marginal opinion.’

“The Trust wishes to emphasise the importance of attempting to establish where the weight of scientific agreement may be found and make that clear to audiences,” wrote the report authors.

“Science coverage does not simply lie in reflecting a wide range of views but depends on the varying degree of prominence such views should be given.”

The Trust said that man-made climate change was one area where too much weight had been given to unqualified critics.

You know if this has an effect it might be nice to ask the BBC if America can send their "journalists" to the courses as well.

I would also suggest a similar program for public schools in the south to keep them from "teaching the controversy" when it comes to science instruction.

I would also suggest sending the Fox News folks there as well, but since this is an educational course it is unlikely to have much of an impact.

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Okay does this explain the atheist position clearly enough?

Not a religion.

Not a philosophy.

Just a group of people who do not feel the need to accept superstitious explanations for things simply because it comforts them.

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From Unladylike Liberty's Facebook page:

Love you, Willow! Happy Birthday from Track and cousin Dylan.

So do we think she misspelled birthday just to be cute, or is that how she spells it after a few too many Red Bulls and vodka?

An hour after this post Palin posted another happy birthday message in which she called Willow a VIP, and included Doug McMarlin from her "SarahPAC team" who has been clinging to her coattails since the 2008 debacle.

She also included this old picture.

Boy those were the days, weren't they?

Back when everybody still paid attention to her, and the people around her thought that she was a gravy train they could ride until judgement day.

Oh how the not so mighty have fallen.

Well anyhow, Happy Birthday Willow.

You're still my favorite. (Not that there is a lot of competition in that family.)

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Courtesy of CNN:

Which one of these doesn't fit? More jobs, a record stock market, wars ending and dismal poll numbers.

All apply to Barack Obama's presidency as it passes the 2,000-day mark, raising questions about the viability of what used to be known as conventional political wisdom.

A strengthening economy and robust stock market traditionally mean general public satisfaction with government. Bringing soldiers home from war zones has always boosted presidential popularity.

Not this time with this President.

A CNN compilation of recent national polls indicates only 41% of Americans approve of Obama's handling of the job, down 6 percentage points from a year ago and matching the low of the past 12 months.

Why the disconnect? A convergence of factors -- uneven economic growth, government crises both real and exaggerated, foreign policy problems, hyper-partisan Washington politics now on election-year steroids -- helps explain it.

CNN then goes through each of the positives they just named and picks them apart in order to justify Obama's low poll numbers but that is all bullshit.

The reason is because ever since the day this President took office Fox News, Sarah Palin, and other Right Wing talking heads have undermined every single thing that he has accomplished, while the Republicans in Congress have actively worked to keep him from accomplishing anything.

President Obama has worked night and day to cleanup the devastating mess left by George W. Bush, and the entire time he has had to endure withering attacks from the very people who applauded the last president while he was making that mess.

So fuck them!

Look I have things that I disagree with President Obama on.

The drone attacks, NSA spying, the way we treat whistle blowers, but there is no room left to have a civil disagreement because as a progressive I feel it is my job to stand up for this President and defend him against unwarranted attacks, while also publicizing the incredible job he has been doing.

In the end there is simply no reasonable comparison between this presidency and ANY of the Republican ones that came before. Simply put, Democrats do this job infinitely better than do Republicans.

And despite the wishes of the Right Wing history story will show that THIS President was one of our very best.

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Courtesy of Americans Against the Tea Party:

Open carry “activists” have been terrorizing the retail district of Careytown, VA. Recently, three armed men paraded through the busy Carey street and downtown areas, causing residents and shoppers to grow concerned about the safety of the area — and are threatening a boycott of the shopping area if open carry ammosexuals are permitted to continue to parade their penile enhancements around in public. Dozens of e-mails, phone calls, and Facebook posts have rolled in complaining about the actions of the public blasturbators that are making residents feel uneasy.

“It was something about seeing, large guns, with three people carrying a flag that made it a little scary,” said Teresa Cerully, who works in Carytown.

“A few weeks ago, they were standing in front of our store, talking to people about their cause and my customers were actually afraid to leave the store because they have small children and didn’t know exactly what their cause was,” said Sheri Doyle, a Carytown shop owner.

One mother, a member of Moms Demand Action, said, “My belief is that no one should be normalized to the site of these weapons in public,” she said. “There is no way to know if the person carrying one of these down Cary Street is a good guy or a bad guy.”

The group has asked the Carytown Merchants Association to see if Carytown would consider a gun-free zone. The group defends its actions, saying the people the group frightens are the ones it needs to reach the most. “The people who are choosing to stay away, because of that, are the people we are trying to reach the most, because they are the ones that need the education of the firearms,” said Scott Royle, one of the men who regularly parades around with his boomstick.

Yeah you know I think these parents are already quite well educated when it comes to firearms.

They realize that the more there are of them, the more dangerous it is for both them and their families.

Especially when the spokesperson for the group promoting open carry posts crap like this to Twitter.

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These are pictures from Palin's latest Facebook post of her entire family looking as if Francis Scott Key threw up all over them.

Here is the tect she banged out with her forehead to go along with them:

Happy Independence Day from everyone of us at our family reunion today -- celebrating at the grand patriotic Coeur d'Alene parade!

Looks like fun. You know, unless you are are sickened by an over the top display of faux patriotism that is.

I celebrated the 4th of July right here in Alaska with my fellow Alaskans.

I did not dress like an American flag, shove sparklers up my ass, or try to have sex with an apple pie, but I think I was sufficiently patriotic.

Why is Sarah Palin dressed all in black, when everybody else is wearing as few clothes as possible?

But then again I am not selling myself as the spokesperson for the return to American exceptionalism (Whatever the hell that is!) like some people we know.

Update: Yes if you Google "Coeur d'Alene and racism" You might come to understand why it is so attractive to Palin and her clan.

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Courtesy of CNN:

The tea party-backed challenger who narrowly lost a Republican primary runoff in Mississippi to longtime Sen. Thad Cochran says he plans to file a legal challenge contesting those results "any day now."

State Sen. Chris McDaniel said Friday on CNN's "New Day" that "the integrity of the process matters. We believe on that night of June 24 there were thousands of irregularities and we've already found thousands of irregularities in the process."

McDaniel also defended his campaign's offer - announced Thursday - of rewards of $1,000 each for individuals providing "evidence leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in voter fraud."

And McDaniel said "we condemn any racist comments what so ever," when asked by CNN anchor Kate Bolduan about a bizarre Cochran campaign conference call on Wednesday that included borderline racist comments by an unidentified caller who appeared to be a supporter of the challenger's campaign.

Thad Cochran beat McDaniel by over 6,500 votes, and it is very unlikely that there anywhere near that many disputed votes. However the McDaniel campaign has stated that they do not need to find enough votes to overturn the election, just enough to bring into question Conchran's fifty percent margin which would mandate yet a second runoff.

Oh lucky Mississippi.

Of course this is really pissing off the Cochran campaign who seriously doubt the numbers that the McDaniel team is throwing around:

Cochran campaign adviser Austin Barbour in a news conference called claims of illegal voting "baseless." He said McDaniel "ran a great campaign, and we applaud them."

"Sadly, the time has come now that we can no longer sit still with all these baseless accusations that are being fed by the McDaniel campaign and their out-of-state allies," Barbour said. "… If they've got hard evidence, bring it forward, but quit talking about exaggerated numbers that they know are not true and we know are not true. … The time has come to put up or shut up."

I don't live in Mississippi, obviously, but if this shit were happening in Alaska I can say with some degree of certainty that the next election that McDaniel forced the state to pay for would see his numbers down in the single digits as voters took out their anger on him over having to schlep to the polls yet again.

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Though it may be comforting to believe that our mythologies explain everything that we need to know, only a child clings to that misconception for the feeling of safety that it provides.

The rational adult must stand naked in their ignorance before the mysteries that lay ahead, resolved to the fact that though what they learn may frighten and intimidate them, the knowledge will benefit the future of our species and help to ensure its survival.



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Great Arrest by the 006 Pct! Nothing is Routine. #Tactics #Be Safe #NYPD pic.twitter.com/gFlku7MMbJ
— Chief Robert Boyce (@NYPDDetectives) July 3, 2014

Courtesy of New York Daily News:

A man who was armed with two AR-15 assault rifles and carried a suicide note that said he wanted to “die in combat” was arrested in the West Village on Wednesday morning, police said.

Victor Greer, 46, of Reading, Pa., was pulled over about 1:15 a.m. while driving the wrong way down a one-way street — he was headed north on Seventh Ave. near Grove St., police said.

Inside his vehicle, cops found a .9-mm pistol, a pump-action shotgun and a box of ammo in addition to the AR-15 rifles — a high-powered killing machine that has been used in some of America's recent mass killings.

His suicide note read: “I want to die in combat, so I can go to heaven and meet God,” according to police.

Of course there was NO way to predict that this kind of thing could happen while living in a society which glorifies religion, gun ownership, and military combat in equal portions. Right?

Yeah I'm sure it can all be blamed on mental illness, and if not that, video games.

Why look to the obvious reasons, with their even more obvious solutions.

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This is the one day that I always envy people living in the lower forty eight.

Because of our almost 24 hours of light in the summer the fireworks usually don't start until a little after 11:00 P.M. and they are somewhat hard to see.

The ones celebrating the Fur Rendezvous are are easier to see, but then you have to put up with temperatures that are typically below zero.

Typically the crowd sounds are along the lines of "Ooh, ahh, oh God I can't feel my fingers anymore!"

Anyhow I hope you all had great 4th of July. I know I did.

By the way this might be good place for an open thread if anybody has anything interesting to share.

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Wearing her "With every step I am disrespecting our flag" shoes.

Courtesy of the red, White, ans Blue moron's Facebook page:

Happy Fourth of July, America! Never forget what Thomas Jefferson called “the Spirit of 1776” – a sentiment rooted in the abiding belief that all men are created equal and desire freedom. Reagan invoked that same spirit in his famous speech “A Time for Choosing” when he urged us not to “abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.”

(Translation: Happy freedom day you small town living patriots, and fuck all of you elite intellectuals who keep fact checking me and pointing out my ignorance for all to see.)

Today and every day, let’s remember the “Spirit of 1776” and celebrate Independence, not government!

(Translation: "Let's totally celebrate the spirit that formed this great country, but not the government the Founding Fathers came up with to run it.")


May that love of liberty burn in our hearts and renew our commitment to restore and preserve all that is good and strong and true about America.

(Translation: And what is good and strong and true in America is that there are certain people who deserve to have rights, and certain others who simply do not. You know who you are!)


- Sarah Palin (Translation: RAM.)


Palin's ghostwriter also includes a quote from Ron Paul which kind of makes me think she is seriously considering the idea of the Tea Party breaking off and forming its own political party.

Which would, in my estimation, be just about the greatest thing to happen to this country since Paul Revere rode through the streets ringing those bells and warning the British that they weren't going to be taking away our arms.

Okay I know that might confuse a few of you who did NOT sleep through tenth grade history, so here let Stephen Colbert explain exactly how that took place.

By the way I just returned from attending the 4th of July parade downtown where I got the chance to see my Senator. Mark Begich, walking down the street while being greeted by friendly waves from bystanders, and numerous floats promoting diversity and Alaska's commitment to human rights.

It made me very proud of my state, and very proud of my country.

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