Exoplanets!

From David Brin's FB feed, I present the top ten most Intriguing Exoplanets. We are finding planets outside the solar system all the time these days. You can not believe how excited this makes my inner nerd. Exoplanets are vitally important to make 90% of science fiction real. I believe XKCD captures my feelings best:

I Ask Why

A few thoughts on Meg Whitman's maid implosion.

1. Why is Gloria Allred always at the center of these shit-storms? Do you mean to tell me, there are no other publicity hound attorneys in the entire state of California?

2. Why, at this late date, are rich and powerful political types still getting killed over hirering undocumented maids and nannies? This have been a political bomb science at least the early nineties, when a couple of Bill Clinton AG nominees came undone over this very same thing. I'm not rich, so I don't know the nanny/maid market very well, but are there nothing but undocumented workers for hire in this field?

3. Why bother to spend 120 million and counting for a political race that will come undone for somebody you paid minimum wage to?

Death by Segway

Now I am firmly against the Segway in all its forms, but I wouldn't want to wish death upon the owner of the company.

Just Undo

Anybody look over the new House GOP's policy agenda? I know, you rushed to read it all as soon as it came out. What strikes me after my quick review is how negative and backward-looking it all is. Undo the stimulus. Undo Health Care Reform. Keep the Bush tax cuts. Add a few more tax cuts. Undo regulation. The only forward looking part is the bombing Iran thing. The basic message of Republicans is "so you know all those problems you have American People, with jobs, and the economy and health care? Well, we are going to undo everything that's been done in the last year and a half to deal with those problems. Your Welcome."

Oh Senate

Where good legislation goes to die. They managed to kill efforts to end 'don't ask, don't tell" and the DREAM act all with just one vote. And a vote where a 56 vote majority was in favor of both. This is no way to run a Country.

And Yet Bankers Remain at Large

Eight officials from the city of Bell have been arrested for the crime of being paid too much for running a small city. Yet all kinds of banking officials remain at large while being paid hundreds of times what Bell officials made. Oh and the bankers destroyed the whole economy!

A Name for a Villian

Finally, a name worthy of a massive storm of destruction. Igor is a proper name for a bad guy. James Bond villains are named Igor. Katrina and Camille and Betty are names of girls you want to ask out for coffee, if only you could work up the nerve. Hurricane's should be limited to names of evil: Morlock, Azazel, Ripper. No more Bob or Jeff or Sue.

Deep Down

In a place I don't like to talk about. I'm really looking forward to the new season of Glee.


Glee! Somebody to love
Uploaded by Fatanaes. - Arts and animation videos.

Go Team Murkowski

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, last seen getting bounced from her Primary by the tea party, is going to mount a write-in campaign in the General Election. I know what you're thinking. "Why in a three way race the Democrat has a real shot, we could end up winning a Senate seat in Alaska in what's supposed to be a Republican year." What, you're not thinking that? Is it just me? Well its true. 

Down They Go

We liberals, because we are subject to it all the time, take for granted that most conservative commentary is vicious, lie-filled smears. So its always a pleasure to see conservatives discover this fact when the rare conservative civil war breaks out.

Now in no way will this affect anyone larger place in the movement. In a few weeks Mark Levin will claim that Obama is trying to destroy motherhood, or go on a lengthy rant about how fat Hillary Clinton ankles are, and the same people who no know that he is a vicious infant with a microphone will hail him as a brave truth telling. 

And the conservative movement moves deeper into the pit.

They Really Did It

They knocked off Mike Castle. It really is amazing. Castle was a Delaware institution, holding all kinds of offices for the last 30 years. He was the only kind of Republican that could win in liberal Delaware - very moderate and incredibly well-known. And now he's been beaten by a women who opposes masturbation. This has turned a sure GOP pick-up into a sure GOP loss.

The Purge Continues

Once again, a mushy member of the Republican establishment is on the verge of being swept out by yet another nutball tea partier, this time in Delaware, a state not really known for anything, including right-wing politics. Which once again leaves us with the question- better to run against nut-balls who are more likely to lose, or risk a completely insane GOP taking power and ending the Republic?

Call it the Palin question, because, while this question revolves around Sarah at the Presidential level, its playing out in a whole bunch of Senate and Congressional races as well. Of course the GOP will do what it will, all the left half of the Country can do is watch, fight it out in the general, and make fun where appropriate.

9/11

To continue a long-standing personal policy I wiil do nothing to mark 9/11.

Here's some Lady Gaga:

Today In Crazy

Rant!

He lost.

The New Constitution

Step 1 go on and on about how much you love the constituition.

Step 2 propose massive changes to the Constitution.

Bradford Plumer shows you step #2.

"Anti-Muslim frenzy."

Why now? Why, ten years after 9/11, are we seeing an anti-Muslim frenzy? Koran burnings? A media circus over a community center? I could understand these things in the direct wake of 9/11. People were scared out of their minds and ready get their 5 minute hate on. But its been nine years now. There hasn't been a terrorist attack in the US since 9/11. Sure the wars are still going, but we've been in Iraq and Afghanistan, taking casualties for the same nine years.Their certainly hasn't been any new events to drive this. Things like the Danish cartoon controversy are well in the past. So why now?

My guess is the economy and the tea-baggers. Bad economics always lead to nasty movements. Bashing others is a sure-fire reaction when times are tough. The other part of this is that the tea party reaction has removed all restrain from the conservative movement in this Country. If their is one founding principal of the tea party is that there is no policy too reactionary, that one cannot go too far to the right. So an "Anti-Muslim frenzy" is perfectly consistent with a movement that is in an Anti-Obama, Anti-Liberal, Anti-Moderate Republican, Anti-What-Do-Got frenzy as well.

Evil Plan of Evil

As evil plans go, this one is a dozy. In an attempt to divert votes from Democrats, GOP operatives in Arizona have recruited homeless people to run as Green Party candidates. And people wonder why people are cynical about the election system.

A Working Class Hero is Something to Be

Happy labor day.

Rock On

Today on Celebrity Drug Theater

T.I. a cautionary tale for us all.

Action at Sea

Where is Earl going?

Another oil platform blew up.

I'm staying on dry land from now on.

Of All the Things to Hate

The Discovery Channel strikes me as the least likely. Political channels sure, but then I care about politics. But Discovery? How on earth do documentaries on crab fisherman drive you to do anything, much less get a gun, take hostages and get yourself killed? I guess in the end its the crazy and not the reason, that does it.

Final Result

Obama marked the end of combat in Iraq yesterday in an event which is about as anti-climatic as you can get in something that includes "President" "War" and "Ending." Iraq is just kinda puttering to an end, with a long slow withdrawal that really satisfies no one and get no one excited. "No Drama" being the watchword of this Administration, even in matters of war and not war (peace is a little too much to say in a Country where care bombs still go off.)

Oh, and Lisa Murkowski has conceded up in Alaska. Whatever else the tea party is, it is very good at knocking off conservative Republicans in primaries and replacing them with extra-conservative challengers.