Electioneering

From Planned Parenthood...

 

We want to share with you that Scott Murphy, the Democratic
candidate running in the 20th Congressional District race to
replace Kristen Gillibrand, has returned a 100% Pro-Choice
questionnaire to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) and
we anticipate that PPAF will announce their endorsement of his
candidacy very shortly.

Murphy is the only 100% pro-choice candidate running for this
seat!

Stay tuned -- we will be letting you know about phone-banking,
Get Out the Vote, and/or letter-writing opportunities.

If you would like to be involved further, please consider
contacting Scott Murphy's Campaign Headquarters.

But what if I am not 100% Pro Choice.

I mean...I'm not.  I recognize that as a man, I have no real say in the decision, and I respect the sovereignty that women have over their own bodies, but...

I am not sure that I believe in Abortion on Demand.

I do believe in the "Safe, Legal, and Rare" paradigm that was put forth by President Clinton, and I really don't think that Assm. Tedisco is going to veer too far from that.

Why attempt to make me into a single issue vote?

From the Times on Autism

Editorial - Vaccines Exonerated on Autism - NYTimes.com:

"A special federal vaccine court issued three devastating verdicts on Thursday that should help demolish lingering fears that childhood vaccines can and have caused autism. The verdicts won’t satisfied die-hard adherents of the theory that the medical establishment is recklessly harming their children. But the vast majority of parents ought to accept the verdicts as persuasive evidence that no child need forgo vaccinations against dangerous diseases out of fear that the vaccines might cause autism."

T. C. Boyle

A Conversation With T. C. Boyle - Video Library - The New York Times

For some reason, in my head, I had T.C. Boyle looking completely different...

Odd.

Amplive - Rainydayz Remixes

Amplive - Rainydayz Remixes

Another Radiohead Re-mix Album.

Yay!

Partial Death to Paterson's Nanny State?

Obesity Tax Bellyflops, Admits Paterson - Gothamist: New York City News, Food, Arts & Events:

"Governor David Paterson met with students at Morrisville State College yesterday to talk about the budget, and was forced to admit that his proposed 'obesity tax' was all but defeated"

Not to blame...

Court Says Vaccine Not to Blame for Autism - NYTimes.com:

"In a blow to the movement arguing that vaccines lead to autism, a special court ruled on Thursday against three families seeking compensation from the federal vaccine-injury fund.

Both sides in the debate have been awaiting decisions in these test cases since hearings began in 2007; more than 5,000 similar claims have been filed.

In the three cases, each decided by a judge called a special master, the court found that the families had not shown that their children’s autism was brought on by substances in the vaccines — either the measles virus in the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, or its combination with thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that was used in most childhood vaccines until 2001."

This man is a bastard

British doctor who kicked off vaccines-autism scare may have lied, newspaper says | Booster Shots | Los Angeles Times:

"Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the British physician who jump-started the scare about a link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, manipulated and changed data to make his case in the 1998 Lancet paper, according to an investigation by the Sunday Times of London. The purported link has subsequently been refuted by a large number of epidemiological studies."

A) I have a fairly good understanding of Autism, thanks to the brilliant work that my mother does, and the lessons she has imparted to me.

B) I am a parent who has had my child immunized.

C) Ruining It For the Rest of Us did really inform me regarding those who refuse to vaccinate.

D) He lied, what tired trope are you going to use now to "protect" your children, hippies?

I can do nothing but agree

Alex Balk - Shark week.:

"Shark week.
Whenever the biggest issue of the day is something like, “Was Joaquin Phoenix really fucked up on Letterman last night, or was it just a stunt?” I start to worry that the next terrorist attack can’t be that far away."

What Obama Should Read

What Obama Should Read:

"RACHEL MADDOW:

The new president should read The Edge of Disaster, by Stephen Flynn, despite its generic Chicken Little title. Flynn has the politics and the strategy exactly right for the two big business-of-government tasks facing the new administration: (1) annulling the previous politics of 'homeland security' and getting it right this time; and (2) massively upscaling our investment in infrastructure. It’s hard to be rational and rigorous and constructive when thinking about catastrophe—but that’s exactly what we need."

Fanboy Love for RM!

Sigh

Cuba launches its own Linux variant, Fidel reportedly cool with it - Engadget:

"According to Hector Rodriguez of Cuba's University of Information Sciences, about twenty percent of machines in Cuba are using Linux -- a number he would like to see climb as high as fifty percent in five years. 'The free software movement,' he says, 'is closer to the ideology of the Cuban people, above all for the independence and sovereignty.'"

You know what this means? Some DB on the right who doesn't know Linux from Charlie Brown's best friend will say that Linux is a Communist plot destined to warp the minds of the good Christian Children of America (can someone think about the children?!?) and that Microsoft is the one American way. (OSX and Apple products in general are tools of elites, which translates to Homosexuals and Perverts)

Don't make the art people angry...you won't like them when they're angry...

Senator Charles Schumer in Hot Water With Local Arts Organizations -- Vulture -- Entertainment & Culture Blog -- New York Magazine:

"...no stimulus money could be used for 'any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, arts center, or highway-beautification project.'"

This amendment, sponsored by Sen. Coburn (R-OK), aggressively removes funding for the NEA and any projects that the NEA supports.

Want to know why?

Have you ever been to Oklahoma?

People in Oklahoma go to Nebraska on vacation for the "nightlife".

I just like the language used...

That’s What You Call Investing for the Long Term - NYTimes.com:

"In addition to his fame as financier, sportsman and bon vivant — at one point, he was listed as a “considerable owner” of The New York Times, according to his obituary — Mr. Jerome was known for his three daughters, and particularly for his middle daughter, Jennie.

“She was known as an international beauty, and she did what the daughters of wealthier Americans did in those days,” Mr. Ultan said. “She married the second son of an impoverished European aristocrat. Her son was Winston Churchill.”"

Update on A-Rod's Water of Choice.

SPORTSbyBROOKS » Vitaminwater Won’t Cause Failed NCAA Drug Tests:

"Did you know that Red M&M’s will give you cancer? And that KFC can’t legally use the word “chicken” anymore? And that Vitaminwater contains substances banned by the NCAA? They’re all about as true as Mikey dying from mixing Pop Rocks and Coke."

Ah yes, NYT...

The Dissonant Undertones of M.I.A. - NYTimes.com:

"To many Americans, Maya Arulpragasam, known as M.I.A., is the very pregnant rapper who gyrated across the stage at Sunday’s Grammy Awards.Yet in Sri Lanka, where she spent her childhood years, M.I.A. remains virtually unknown. And some who do know her work say she is an apologist for the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels fighting in the country’s long-running civil war."

No, seriously, the NYT is correct. M.I.A. is a terrorist.

She should be in Gitmo...

And if the Times had covered this three years ago when the album first came out, maybe you would have convinced the Bush Administration to through her in prison.

And I feel like a better parent...

Soccer: Drunk Dad Lets 8-Year-Old Son Drive; Hilarity Ensues:

"Two Major League Soccer coaches, an eight-year-old driving a van, an Albertson's parking lot, a bottle of Canadian whiskey ... that's a recipe for adventure right there.

Pictured here we see Mark A. Belanger, 34, of Sarasota, who was arrested on charges of child endangerment on Sunday night when he allegedly let his eight-year-old son drive a van, which almost plowed into two Toronto FC coaches who were walking nearby. Some tremendous quotes here, so let's get right to them."

Though, this does seem like the plot of T.C. Boyle's Balto.

Well, that's one way to deal with the in-laws

Eight beheaded after India wedding dispute - South and Central Asia- msnbc.com:

"Eight members of a man's poverty-ridden family were shot and beheaded before their bodies were thrown into a river in eastern India after he secretly married a wealthy girl, police said Wednesday."

Why can't the handle it the way that Americans would?

Oh, they did?

I Can See A Birthday Cake From My House

Sarah Palin turns 45 today. How are <em>you</em> celebrating? | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times:

"Well, today is the Big 4-5 Sarah Louise Palin, the lipstick-wearing, pit-bull hockey mom whom some folks still can't get enough of -- and others long ago did. (But, look, you're still here reading!)

Alaska's youngest and first-ever female governor, she keeps popping up in the news for one thing or another. And we tend to follow her at the SarahPalin4President and at the SarahPalinBlog. Here, for those who are intrigued by her, is a birthday gift bag of recent Sarah Stuff. (For those who don't like her, you know you're gonna read it anyway):"

Via Gawker and NPR's Morning Edition.

What can you give a woman who has everything?

File Under: Yes, we are all going to die.

Plague: Deadly Relative of Ebola Virus Came to U.S. Last Year:


"Officials at a Denver hospital admitted over the weekend that they treated a case of deadly Marburg hemorrhagic fever last year. Marburg is related to the Ebola virus, made infamous in bestselling book The Hot Zone, and kills 80 percent of those who contract it within days after exposure."

Whatevs

House Members Likely to Forgo Pay Raise for 2010 - washingtonpost.com:

"They are probably not headed to the poorhouse quite yet, but lawmakers in the House will soon be getting the same pinch from the economic downturn that millions of other Americans are: a pay freeze."

Yes, I am going to weep for the poor Congress critters and the too little money they make for such a hard job.

Oh Noes!

The Flu is Here - Gothamist: New York City News, Food, Arts & Events:

"The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says, according to its data, that the flu has arrived in the Big Apple—and urges New Yorkers to get the flu vaccine"

You're All Going to Die!

A-Rod's Got Milk Ad

copyranter: Body by Milk...and Primobolan...and testosterone.:

"Here is The Most Disingenuous Athlete In The History Of Sports™ wearing his big performance-enhanced pants in a 2006 Got Milk ad. Cows are fed steroids these days, right? Anyway as a suffering Mariners fan, watching A-Roid's career crash and burn since SI nailed his juicing ass has been pure fucking joy."

It's interesting.

Esquire has a history of Yankee hating link today as well...

Shakespeare's 25 Things

14 On the topic of dating, my daughter Susanna loues to remind me: ~Jvliet was only thirteen! And I remind her that i) she was Italian, an impulsive race ii), she was actually played by a middle-aged Eunuch named Ned, and iii) she died. That always shvts her right vp.

Wm. Shakespeare's Five and Twenty Random Things Abovt Me

In Defense of A-Rod

Op-Extra Guest Columnist - Heading Home - Understanding A-Rod - Series - NYTimes.com:

"There is a lot of outrage out there about Alex. Not surprising. But what really surprises me is the lack of outrage about how a confidential and anonymous test could be made public. We seem to gloss over the fact that these players voted to re-open a collectively bargained agreement in a preliminary effort to address the drug problem. When privileged information is shared it effectively hurts anyone who has expected privacy in any circumstance, just as when someone made Brittany Spears’s medical records public."

Shocking

Macy's White Bike Valentine Display Oddly Familiar - Gothamist: New York City News, Food, Arts & Events:

"Hmm, where have we seen white bikes like this one before? Oh yeah, they're locked up in cities across America to mark locations where cyclists were fatally run over. Nothing like the memory of blood-stained asphalt to make you want to run out and buy a pretty white dress. In a boneheaded move reminiscent of DKNY's failed fashion week bike-vertising, Macy's is now utilizing what appear to be replicas of the sadly familiar Ghost Bikes in their flagship store, as part of an adorable little display called 'My Funny Valentine.'"

A-Rod was drinking V-Water.

NCAA Doping: Yeah, I'd Imagine Vitamin Water Ad People Can't Be Too Happy With This:

"At an NCAA athletic conference on January 15th, it was revealed that some Vitamin Water flavors contain 'impermissible or banned substances', which could lead to suspensions for some athletes."

Africa

In Honor of FAU who is taking a trip this week to the Dark Continent.

May I suggest some reading material.

1) Heart of Darkness
2) The Last King of Scotland
3) Zulu Dawn
4) Infectious Diseases: Second Edition



Best of luck, my friend. Best of Luck.

For those who couldn't see it on Facebook

And felt the need to comment.

This is the picture that I found to be quite embarrassing.

Comment away, all.

I know that you love and/or loathe me in equal measure.

That being said, I am well aware that none of you respect me. :-D

Song that has been going through my head for the last hour...

Liz Phair - Mesmerizing



With all of the time in the
world to spend it
Wild and unwise

A Little Upset That I Missed This

More Radiohead Fanboyism on My Part

Bailing Once Again

Smith: State Senate Doesn't Have Gay Marriage Votes Now - Gothamist: New York City News, Food, Arts & Events:

"Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith said gay marriage probably won't pass this year: 'Although we do not have the number of votes at this time needed to pass the marriage equality gender bill this legislative session, we are committed to pursuing its passage. And the question is not if; the question is when... But I’m going to need your help, and I’m going to need your prayers.”"

I heard about this on the news yesterday...

I wondered what would have changed if the "Gang of Three (formerly the Gang of Four)" hadn't made a statement to the effect that they would leave the caucus if this became a pressing issue.

Why did he make this announcement to the HRC?

Was he thinking, "Thanks for the money, gays, and sorry that I can't deliver what I promised, but if you give me more money, just wait until next year"?

WANT

Oh, I so want!

Available from Geek In The City via Galatica StiRep

On SciFi

Jive Tarkin: Five Ways to Solve the Paradox of Comic Con:

"Everyone's always paying lip service to how SF ought to be more accommodating to people who aren't heterosexual men"

No, no we aren't.

One of the things that we are discussing is that there should be a place in genre fiction for people OTHER than the socially awkward.

I mean...

Come on, geeks...(and I consider you my peers and cultural brothers and sisters)...

Get some better clothing and be normal human beings.

Talk to other people.

Have outlets other than millennial spanning constructed universes.

Enjoy the beach.

Enjoy traveling!

Kiss someone!

Love your genre fiction, but there are a lot of good works outside of SciFi.

The Most Important Question You Will See Today

How do you eat your pizza?

For those of you who are reading me via RSS feed, could you please head to my site and answer the question.

65% of Americans eat their pizza with a knife and fork...which...just...isn't right.*  It's Un-American, and much like the fight against Prop 8, it is important to educate those who are...well...wrong on this issue. 

It's not that they are bad people, just wrong on this issue.

Thank you in advance.

*I also firmly believe that those who read this blog are a lot smarter then those 65% of the American Public who are doing it wrong.

(in another matter entirely...someone posted a picture of me from fifteen years ago on FB.  Really?  Was that necessary?)