Another round up

David Simon's righteous indignation at Romney paying only 13% taxes and providing zero proof is worth a read: http://davidsimon.com/mitt-romney-paid-taxes-at-a-rate-of-at-least-13-percent-and-hes-proud-to-say-so/

Romney misinterpreted (or flat out lied) about _Guns, Germ, and Steel_. Color me shocked, and Jared Diamond pissed. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/opinion/mitt-romneys-search-for-simple-answers.xml

NBC is truly the worst major network in the US. They really keep setting the bar lower. http://deadspin.com/5930048/nbc-responds-we-removed-the-opening-ceremony-memorial-to-terrorism-victims-because-the-tribute-wasnt-about-america

And yes, I still think Megan McArdle is wrong about just about everything she writes.
More proof that if she writes something, the opposite is probably true. Because the opposite is supported by something called facts. http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/edgeofthewest/2012/06/29/megan-mcardle-calls-someone-an-economic-idiot/

North Carolina, as crasy as South Carolina?

It's beginning to look that way.

Amendment One was puely a homophobic rebel yell from the antebellum, ante-Civil Rights woebegone right. I dare those proponents of that amendment to actually look at the history of marriage and actually education themselves. This glorious idea of the nuclear family is a very modern invention. More traditional would be selling off of daughters, but history lessons are for the intellectual elite who use reason as opposed to trusting the history that one's gut knows, right?

Anyway, I didn't think they could top Amendment One, but I was sorely mistaken. Now the glorious NC Senate has blocked a plan to provide reparations (scary word in the South!) to women that the state forcibly sterilized under their draconian eugenics laws. (NC was not alone in enacting and using sterilization laws. In fact, CA's laws were partially used by Hitler.)

It's just fucking heartless and wrong what the NC Senate did. I don't care which party has control, though it doesn't take much thought with one's brain or gut to figure it out. Go read. http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/06/20/2150266/nc-senate-rejects-plan-to-compensate.html

It's getting shameful out there.

Still old news

An epic failure of the free market: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/26/opinion/blow-plantations-prisons-and-profits.html?src=recg

Yawning: Let's do this! http://youtu.be/jGIbUK4nw00

The Texas injustice system personified: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/yes-america-we-have-executed-an-innocent-man/257106/?google_editors_picks=true

Old news

This is still bothering me for some reason. Maybe because I find the fawning over Brooks, so grotesque.

Many historians have looked at David Brooks' attempt at history and wonder what the fuck is he talking about. David, please just stick to your schtick or consult an historian. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/27/opinion/brooks-step-to-the-center.html?_r=1

In other news...

This history of GIFs: http://youtu.be/vuxKb5mxM8g

The color pink does not really exist! http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/07/does-the-color-pink-exist-scientists-arent-sure/

The weekly round up

Last week we found something liberals and conservatives can agree on: This is a horrendous design for a monument. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/21/redesign-the-ike-monument.html

On Monday, we found a frightening interactive map of student loan debt around the US. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/map_of_the_week/2012/02/student_loan_debt_an_interactive_map.html

On Wednesday, we had a service announcement: Please vaccinate your fucking children. http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2012/02/24/the_super_bowl_and_what_vaccinated_children_have_to_fear_from_anti_vaxxers.html

On Friday, we learned that a US District Judge should resign immediately.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120229/NEWS01/120229014/Chief-U-S-District-Judge-sends-racially-charged-email-about-president

And our lesson of the week:
David Brooks is so intellectually dishonest that he once again argues with himself. I am sure he would not want to offend the Georgetown cocktail party goers to point this out himself. I wonder if he has dreams about creating another stupid fucking sociological sounding term (Bo-bos!) about intellectually dishonest people who argue with themselves. A fascinating idea for his next ridiculous book! Retire and go away please. http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_02/possum_brooks035691.php

Aimless wonderings around the web

Hi-Def Earth? Why yes! Thanks NASA: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/6760135001/in/photostream

Cory Booker. Hell yes! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y4Z7tl7Vy8U

The wisdom of children: http://youtu.be/N4t3-__3MA0

Manufacturing its own truth

Politifact is a grade A piece of shit for national "fact checking" (or whatever the fuck they think they are doing). I am guessing the editor wants to go to more Georgetown cocktail parties. Or perhaps he wants to appear on the grinning moron's Sunday morning talking points-off! Weigel with the takedown. http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2011/12/22/politifact_weirdly_unable_to_discuss_facts.html

(h/t )http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif