Tax Cuts May Come At a Price, Study Says—“The federal government will need to either cut spending or raise taxes down the road to pay for extending President Bush's recent tax cuts, the Treasury Department said in a report released yesterday, dismissing the idea popular with many Republicans that such sacrifices can be avoided.”
At first, I wondered if it was just because I’m such an inveterate progressive that I reacted to this with a bitter laugh and a huge duh. But then I thought, no. It’s because I have two little things called logic and basic math skills, neither of which I’m willing to dispose of to live in some ludicrous fantasy world.
Actual Headline
Breaking: Two UN observers killed in Lebanon; two missing
Fuck:
An Israeli airstrike hit a United Nations post in southern Lebanon late Tuesday, killing at least two of the agency's observers, according to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon…Meanwhile:
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was "deeply distressed" by the "apparently deliberate" strike.
"This coordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long-established and clearly marked U.N. post at Khiyam occurred despite personal assurances given to me by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that U.N. positions would be spared Israeli fire," he said in a statement.
…About 100 Hezbollah rockets were fired into Israel on Tuesday, striking the cities of Haifa, Carmiel, Kyrat Shmona and Nahiriya, according to the [Israel Defense Forces].
Lebanese officials have pleaded with the United States to pressure Israel for an immediate cease-fire, but U.S. officials said conditions are not yet ripe for such a move, and they expect Israeli military operations to continue for another week or even longer.Of course, Israel is bombing Red Cross ambulances, too.
U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman delivered $30 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon, which will meet the basic medical needs of 20,000 people, according to an embassy statement. The shipment was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut on Tuesday afternoon.
How “ripe” do conditions have to be for the US to urge a cease-fire?
Question of the Day
Well, since we've had posts about Will Ferrell and Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch today, this seems the obvious choice: Who's your favorite SNL alum?
Your answer doesn't necessarily have to be predicated on their performances on SNL. For example, I never thought Chris Rock was all that funny when he was on the show, but now he's one of my all-time favorite comedians (and I loved The Chris Rock Show). They just didn't give him much to do when he was with the cast.
By the same token, your answer doesn't necessarily have to be predicated on what they've done since SNL. I adored Tim Meadows on the show, but I can't remember the last time I saw him do anything interesting since he left. In fact, the only thing I can remember him doing at all is guest-judging on Last Comic Standing.
As for my favorite, I'm having a hard time choosing between Gilda Radner and Bill Murray, so I'm going to have to call it a tie. Runners-up, in addition to Chris Rock and Tim Meadows: Phil Hartman and Nora Dunn. (There are also some people who spent like one season there that I barely consider SNL alums, but are worth a mention nonetheless: Julia Louie-Dreyfus, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael McKean, Christopher Guest.)
Moral Values Party
Another GOP pedophile:
Thomas Adams, longtime Green Oaks mayor and former chairman of the Lake County Republican Central Committee, was charged Monday with possession and distribution of child pornography.A problem with addiction? As if it’s being addicted to child pornography that’s his real problem. If he only looked at it on every other Tuesday, it would be fine.
Adams, 67, faces 11 counts of disseminating child pornography and two counts of possession…
Several phony names were used in his alleged pornography trading, she said, but all were tracked back to Adams' home in the 800 block of Anderson Drive in Green Oaks.
After being taken into custody, Adams acknowledged that all of the screen names were his and that no one else used his computer, Fix said, adding that Adams admitted he had "a problem with addiction."
Grand Old Perverts: Pedophiles, more pedophiles, lots and lots of pedophiles, wife-rapers, mule-fuckers, falafel-creeps, closet cases, gay hookers, Hookergate, dirty novelists. Quite a moral values parade, that.
These scumbags have some fucking nerve making political hay out of whether gays and lesbians ought to be allowed to marry and have kids.
(Via Blah3.)
Nicolas Cage to play Liberace
I can see this working.
“Did I ever tell ya that this here jacket represents a symbol
Liberace is a fascinating and complicated character. I'm actually quite excited to see his story brought to the big screen. Nicolas Cage seems as good a possibility as any.
I’d like to wedge this issue right up some conservative cornholes
"Gay marriage may soon run out of steam as a political issue in the states, but there's little danger that a ceasefire is imminent in the culture wars. If this year's Arkansas governors' race is any indication, the next big issues may be gay foster parenting and gay adoption," Governing reports.There’s “not much else activists can do” to harass and marginalize the LGBT community when it comes to marriage equality, so the family values crowd has decided to move on to destroying gay families, instead.
The reason is simple: 19 states already ban gay marriage and at least six more will be voting on it this fall. There's not much else activists can do in these states. "In contrast, the vast majority of states currently allow gay foster parenting and gay adoption."
Question: Could I hate these people more?
Answer: No.
Caption This Photo
Once Travolta had finished eating the “Movement of Xenu”
and drinking the thetan juice, his Scientology baptism would
be complete. (Via Dlisted.)
Go, Girls
So I’ve been seeing commercials on Bravo (NBC’s gay little brother) for a new sitcom coming to NBC called 30 Rock, which stars SNL’s Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch, and is set behind-the-scenes of a sketch show. I was wondering how Fey (whose Weekend Update with Amy Poehler never fails to amuse me) and Dratch (whose “Debbie Downer” cracks my shit up big time—waa waah) were shooting a sitcom while also doing SNL, but it turns out they’re not. They’ve both left the show, and Lorne Michels is not happy about it.
Of course he isn’t. They’re like the only funny people on that shit.
The new head writer, replacing Fey, will be Seth Meyers, who played Kerry during the last election, and otherwise has no memorable characters.
Now I have no reason to watch SNL at all. I’ll just tune into 30 Rock instead.
(Aside: Will Forte’s Bush is pretty funny, but is totally cancelled out by The Falconer, which has to be one of the dumbest recurring skits ever to haunt that show.)
Myyyy... Kinda Town... Oooh, Foie Gras!
Speaking of Nanny Legislation...
As regular readers know, I absolutely love my town. But even Chicago can be blindsided by an attack of stupid.
CHICAGO - If you're a cell phone-using, goose liver-eating, cigarette-smoking, fast food-loving person, Chicago might not be your kind of town.
In this city that once winked at Prohibition, members of the City Council are trying to crack down on things they deem unhealthy, immoral or just plain annoying.
A proposal that would restrict fast-food chains from cooking with artery-clogging trans fat oils got a public airing last week, and in the past year alone aldermen have banned smoking in nearly all public places and the use of cell phones while driving.
In April, Chicago became the first U.S. city to outlaw the sale of foie gras, a goose liver delicacy that is decried by animal-rights activists because it is created by force-feeding birds to fatten up their livers.
Don't worry, overeaters! We'll save you from hypertension! Up, up, and Legislate!! Kapwwwwwwwiiiiiiiinnng!!
Look, I don't know if I'd ever want to eat Foie Gras... but I think it's ridiculous that we have a city ordinance that says I can't. And if I want to eat a big, sloppy, greasy portion of french fries, is it really the city's job to get involved? I mean, come on, I appreciate the concern, but I'm old enough to make my own decisions.
Here's a quote I love:
Critics, including the mayor, wonder if the City Council has suddenly deemed itself the behavior police.
"We have children getting killed by gang leaders and dope dealers," an angry Mayor Richard M. Daley said earlier this year. "We have real issues here in this city. And we're dealing with foie gras? Let's get some priorities."
And here's a quote that makes me want to punch someone. Probably Perry Duis.
"This is the legislation of refinement," said Perry Duis, a University of Illinois-Chicago historian who has written extensively on Chicago. "This is a city of Starbucks rather than the steel mill."Oh, fuck you. I'm sure the people living in this city that can't afford a mocha latte would have something to say about your "refinement." Maybe I should step outside my office and ask the dozens of homeless people that live in this area how they feel about your micromanagement, hmmm?
When the trans fat idea first came up, the Chicago Sun-Times weighed in with an editorial facetiously referring to the council's "special Committee to rid Chicago of Everything That is Bad for Us," and wondering if it was "only a matter of time before they propose ordinances against certain cell phone ring-tones, secondhand barbecue smoke and bug zappers."
More than a few Chicagoans say they don't need the City Council looking over their shoulders at lunch time.
"I'm a big boy," Kerry Dunaway said as he ate fried chicken recently. "I can take care of myself."
I just hope they pass that new proposal to hire thousands of new Chicago police officers. You know, so every citizen has one to hold their hand when they cross the street.*
After all, we can't be trusted to look both ways.
* (Not real. But give it time.)
(Two all beef cross-posts, special sauce, lettuce, cheese...)
Your Depressing Thought for the Day
Care of Le Mew:
It's obviously good news that the Voting Rights Act will be renewed. But it's also worth remembering that civil rights legislation is only as good as the willingness of the executive branch to enforce it. Alas, the DOJ continues its ongoing quest to pack the department with unqualified partisan hacks. And as a result, the DOJ is pursuing such crucial civil rights issues as making sure that universities drop minority fellowships.Sigh.
From the Department of Vaguely Ironic Political Vagaries
Once upon a time, an unpopular California governor was turned out of office - and replaced by a movie star - partly because of rolling power blackouts that enraged the electorate.
Guess what's on the horizon now that California is experiencing a scorching heat wave?
As the death toll from a scorching heat wave rose and record demand tested California's power supply, energy managers feared they may have to trigger rolling blackouts.Authorities were investigating at least 29 possible heat-related deaths, most in the smoldering Central Valley where temperatures reached 115 degrees over the weekend and were forecast to remain in the triple digits for the next few days.
Somewhere, Gray Davis is laughing.
The 50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill
The Hill has compiled the list. As you might expect, it’s very white, very young, and wholly devoid of anyone who looks remotely chubby.
Except for His Eminent Hotness, Denny Hastert, who squeaked in at #47.*
I look forward to The Hill’s upcoming issue, The 50 Biggest Dicks in the Beltway. Something tells me Dick Cheney might top the list.
* No, he didn’t.
Will Ferrell???
I have never seen a movie featuring Will Ferrell as the lead, never, not ever, and have felt pretty darned good about that. But amazingly enough, I am looking forward in a big way to Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
This flick could be hilarity defined. Or it could simultaneously suck and blow, I suppose. But I found myself gasping with laughter at the trailer. Oh my, yes.
This could be the movie that brings red and blue states together.
(Checkered cross-post or crash!)
Well, Thank Heaven for That...
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday signed a bill that would bar condominium and homeowner associations from restricting how the American flag can be displayed.Yes, those damn burdensome restrictions. I'm sure they're making life not worth living for millions, millions of Americans. Thank goodness they got right on this... if there's one thing Americans don't deserve, it's burdensome restrictions.
Sponsored by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., the resolution would prohibit those groups from preventing residents from displaying an American flag on their own property.
It was passed unanimously by both the House and the Senate.
"Americans have long flown our flag as an expression of their appreciation for our freedoms and their pride in our nation," Bush said in a statement. "As our brave men and women continue to fight to protect our country overseas, Congress has passed an important measure to protect our citizens right to express their patriotism here at home without burdensome restrictions.
Update: Shakes said it for me:
So much for the free market, eh? If your corporation (which, especially in many urban condominium situations a homeowners' association is) wants to make a rule restricting the third floor tenant from draping a masssive flag into the view of the second floor tenant, which just makes good business sense, I guess you're just screwed.(Cross-post, are you queer?)
This whole thing is such disingenuous bullshit, because the primary motivation of these rules is not anti-patriotism, but aesthetic continuity. It's the same reason some of them restrict satellite dishes. They're not anti-entertainment.
One of the main functions of a homeowners' association is to protect the property value of the neighborhood or building, which is why they busy themselves with these kinds of restrictions. Someone who wants to display 50 flags lining their driveway on both sides might affect the value of the homes on either side, which is why they makes rules such as "one flag per home, standard size." It's about business and the market, which just goes to show you what integrity-free dipshits Bush and the current GOP are that they would impinge on that supposedly conservative tenet for a stupid bill to play to their wingnut patriot base.
UN agencies can't get aid to Lebanon
Although Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced that Israel will allow "aid airlifts through its air and sea blockade" to Lebanon, U.N. humanitarian aid agencies are frustrated that they cannot move in from their position in Syria, hours away from the growing number of injured and chronically ill who need immediate assistance.
"It is enormously frustrating to be right on the back doorstep of Lebanon and ready to move in with hundreds of tonnes of aid, but the door remains closed," spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis of the refugee agency UNHCR told a news briefing.Israel has bombed the roads and bridges along the Syrian border, in what they assert is a necessary step to stop weapons and ammunition from reaching Hezbollah, but absent the ability—and guaranteed safe passage—for humanitarian groups to pass into Lebanon over the Syrian border, aid that is now hours away will be critically delayed. According to one U.N. source, "a route through Israel would take much longer to organize and greatly delay the arrival of urgently needed food, medical supplies and relief equipment."
And the World Health Organization (WHO) said hospitals in the south were running out of medicines and fuel for the generators that they have been forced to use since Israeli bombing cut off normal power supplies.
The agencies said the situation for civilians was getting worse by the day in southern Lebanon -- where Israel has been attacking the Islamic Hizbollah militia for nearly two weeks -- and in temporary shelters for people who have fled the area.
Those aid agencies in Lebanon are also having trouble moving around in the country, because of safety concerns and limited access. Evacuating the injured from Lebanon has also become a serious problem, leaving them with no way out and no way for emergency medical supplies to get in.
Bush Lied to Congress
The Bush administration acknowledged yesterday that it had long known about Pakistan's plans to build a large plutonium-production reactor, but it said the White House was working to dissuade Pakistan from using the plant to expand its nuclear arsenal.This is just complete madness. Our executive branch has effectively staged a coup and is operating like a dictatorship. There remains the illusion of a domestic democracy, as Congress farts around with ridiculous legislation like same-sex marriage, flag burning, and protecting the Pledge, but our foreign policy and national defense are being run with no input, no oversight, and no accountability. And no one tasked with the responsibility of preventing it seems willing to do so.
…Henry D. Sokolski, the Defense Department's top nonproliferation official during the George H.W. Bush administration, said he was most surprised by the way news of the reactor in Pakistan became known.
"What is baffling is that this information -- which was surely information that our own intelligence agencies had -- was kept from Congress," said Sokolski, now director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. "We lack imagination if we think that this is no big deal."
Ohio GOP "social conservative coordinator" attacks with gay innuendo
Gary Lankford, the Ohio Republican Party's newly hired "social conservative coordinator" and a "Christian home school headmaster," has sent out an email attacking Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland, in which his church attendance, work ethic, voting record, and marriage were assailed, and a website questioning whether Strickland is gay was linked.
Mr. Lankford's e-mail to social conservatives linked to a blog entry at pullinsreport.blogspot.com that called Mr. and Mrs. Strickland's relationship "bizarre" and claimed a Blade article about their decision not to have children implies "the Stricklands are both gay."Strickland called the charges "preposterous" and "not factual." The Ohio GOP has "condemned the message and said they disciplined Mr. Lankford but did not fire him." Of course they didn't. Because he's doing precisely the job he was hired to do.
The e-mail surfaced shortly after the campaign of U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (R., Cedarville) launched a television ad - produced by the agency behind the "Swift Boat" campaign against 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry - that flashed terrorist mug shots and a smoking World Trade Center to underscore criticism of Mr. DeWine's Democratic opponent's record on national security.I spy a party who can't possibly win on the issues.
(Via BladeWire; crossposted at AlterNet PEEK.)
