Wild Plush

AFP/Giuseppe Carace
Some wild plush to tide us all over.

Oh, for god's sake

Via Atrios, the American Journalism Review has this column up: Howl, which is maybe the silliest thing I've seen all week.

Used to be that press bashing was a specialty of the right. For years conservatives have railed regularly against the dreaded "liberal media," claiming that the newspapers and the networks never gave them a fair shot.

Now it's a bipartisan sport.

I never thought I'd see anything to match the right's visceral disdain for Bill Clinton, but I was wrong. Spurred by contempt for President Bush and the media's stumbling performance after 9/11 (symbolized by the WMD fiasco), the left has the MSM squarely in its sights.

Ummm, no. Not spurred by "contempt for Bush." Not at all. How about, "spurred by fury at inaccurate reporting and contempt for their readers"?

Ah, but they continue:

Now there's no doubt Howell made a mistake. She said both Republicans and Democrats had received "Abramoff campaign money."

Technically that isn't correct. Abramoff didn't make any personal donations to Democrats. But he did direct his Indian tribe clients to give money to both parties, albeit far more to the Republicans. It's a distinction without a difference.

No, it is NOT a distinction without a difference.

A little advice to the journalism community- if you want respect, you might try treating your readers with respect. And quit being such a bunch of fucking whiny ass titty-babies.

Space News- New Planet Found

Small Rocky Planet Found Orbiting Normal Star

Astronomers announced today the discovery of what is possibly the smallest planet known outside our solar system orbiting a normal star.

Its orbit is farther from its host star than Earth is from the Sun. Most known extrasolar planets reside inside the equivalent of Mercury’s orbit.

The planet is estimated to be about 5.5 times as massive as Earth and thought to be rocky. It orbits a red dwarf star about 28,000 light-years away. Red dwarfs are about one-fifth as massive as the Sun and up to 50 times fainter. But they are among the most common stars in the universe.

What's most interesting about this is tha it was discovered "using a technique called “gravitational microlensing,” whereby light from a distant star is bent and magnified by the gravitational field of a foreground star. The presence of a planet around the foreground star causes light from the distant star to become momentarily brighter."

Sadly, this new planet is too cold to live on, so we can't ship our supply of wingers there.

Holy Cow! Delay strikes again?

Via Josh at Talking Points Memo, it appears that it's Scanlon who dug up the dirt on Livingston to derail his bid to become speaker.

Jack Abramoff's partner Mike Scanlon admitted to digging up former Congressman Robert Livingston's private life. Set to become speaker, Livingston then got sidelined for Tom DeLay's man Denis Hastert. Prosecutors now checking if Abramoff and Scanlon took Livingston down at DeLay's behest.

Original item ran in the New York Post's column by Cindy Adams. File this under "when Republicans eat their own."

Whattaya mean you don't know me?

Think Progress has the video of Isikoff saying that Abramoff himself is shopping those pesky photos of himself with chimpy.

ISIKOFF: As a general rule, if you’re the president … you don’t like pictures out there of you with convicted felons. It sounds like … there’s at least one picture of him with at least one convicted felon and another indicted, so it’s probably not a picture the White House is eager to have out there. The other interesting aspect of this is, while the White House hasn’t put these out, Jack Abramoff has clearly shown them to people. I don’t know anything about Time sources, but I do know that he showed them to Washingtonian magazine, which suggests he may be playing a little bit of a game here. He has, of course, pled guilty already to the Justice Department. But it does raise a question in my mind at least as to whether Abramoff is maybe sort of sending some sort of signal out here: “Hey, I’ve got this stuff.” Maybe he wants something from somebody at the White House, or he wants someone at the White House not to do something, and just sort of subtly playing with people here.

I have another take- maybe Abramoff is just sick of hearing Rove, little Scottie and chimpy talk about how he's evil incarnate. And paybacks are a bitch.

Reconstruction Blues

The NYTimes is reporting that Iraqi reconstruction funds were misused. Audit Describes Misuse of Funds in Iraq Projects

A new audit of American financial practices in Iraq has uncovered irregularities including millions of reconstruction dollars stuffed casually into footlockers and filing cabinets, an American soldier in the Philippines who gambled away cash belonging to Iraq, and three Iraqis who plunged to their deaths in a rebuilt hospital elevator that had been improperly certified as safe.

The audit, released yesterday by the office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, expands on its previous findings of fraud, incompetence and confusion as the American occupation poured money into training and rebuilding programs in 2003 and 2004. The audit uncovers problems in an area that includes half the land mass in Iraq, with new findings in the southern and central provinces of Anbar, Karbala, Najaf, Wasit, Babil, and Qadisiya. The special inspector reports to the secretary of defense and the secretary of state.

Disgusting. And from the republicans in congress we'll get...

::crickets::

Never mind bio-fuels....

Via BBC World News, britain is proposing to generate up to one fifth of their energy needs from ocean power. Sea energy 'could help power UK' I don't know anything about the economics but it does sound interesting.

The Carbon Trust, which helps firms develop low-emission technologies, urges the government to increase support for wave and tidal concepts.

They are currently costly ways of generating electricity but the Trust's report says prices will come down.

Investment now could help Britain establish a global lead in these technologies, it says.

In its 18-month research programme the Trust has looked at wave and tidal stream generation, leaving out other approaches to tidal power such as barrages which it describes as "mature".

Of course fundy Blair's government hasn't bitten yet- I guess he's waiting for the rapture to solve britain's energy problems. Just think, if Kerry were our president, we too might be exploring alternative energy technologies.

A teensy little late night plushy...

....it's a plush world, and we just live in it.

Gee, Joe, ya think?

Joementum is shocked! shocked! that the White House might lie to him. Lieberman: White House hindering Katrina probe"

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House is dodging questions about Hurricane Katrina response and has instructed other agencies to join it in fending off investigators, Sen. Joseph Lieberman said on Tuesday. The White House denies the allegations.

Lieberman went so far as to suggest that the Department of Homeland Security is trying to kill the investigation.

"My staff believes that DHS has engaged in a conscious strategy of slow-walking our investigation in the hope that we would run out of time to follow the investigation's natural progression to where it leads," Lieberman said. "At this point, I cannot disagree."

I guess Joe never noticed all the other times chimpy and his minions have pulled this stunt.

Hope for the future

Via Watertiger, we see that at least some students are learning. Gonzales Dissed by Georgetown Students

At a Georgetown Law School Forum, Gonzales said the nation needs "to remember that ... it's imperative for national security reasons that we can detect reliably, immediately and without delay" any al-Qaida related communication entering or leaving the United States.

As he spoke, more than a dozen students stood silently with their backs turned to the attorney general. Outside the classroom where Gonzales was to speak, a pair of protesters held up a sheet that said, "Don't torture the Constitution."

Good for them. Now, if we can get the congressional dems to show some balls we'll really have something.

The Chair, the Chair

Go Harry, Go!! Hit 'em with the big chair! The Raw Story has the transcript, Reid Fires Back

Mr. Plushy is NOT amused

by the the vote in the judiciary committee.

Froomkin is back

Froomkin is back from his break. Huzzah! Bush Unplugged but unrevealing

He asks, "How can a president of the United States talk for almost two hours, unscripted, and be so fundamentally unrevealing?"

Well, that's easy. He's fundamentally incapable of saying anything meaningful. I'm not sure what disease the man's got, but it sure has fucked up his higher brain functions.

Rove's Early Warning

E.J. Dionne has some excellent advice for dems in his column today. Rove's Early Warning

What Democrats should have learned is that they cannot evade the security debate. They must challenge the terms under which Rove and Bush would conduct it. Imagine, for example, directly taking on that line about Sept. 11. Does having a "post-9/11 worldview" mean allowing Bush to do absolutely anything he wants, any time he wants, without having to answer to the courts, Congress or the public? Most Americans -- including a lot of libertarian-leaning Republicans -- reject such an anti-constitutional view of presidential power. If Democrats aren't willing to take on this issue, what's the point of being an opposition party?

Amen. Don't let them choose the venue of the fight. And don't cede an inch of ground to the bastards.

This day in Space- Scorpius Returns

NASA

Black Hole Puts Dent in Space-Time, via our friends at space.com.

A spinning black hole in the constellation Scorpius has created a stable dent in the fabric of spacetime, scientists say.

The dent is the sort of thing predicted by Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity. It affects the movement of matter falling into the black hole.

The spacetime-dent is invisible, but scientists deduced its existence after detecting two X-ray frequencies from the black hole that were identical to emissions noted nine years ago. The finding will allow scientists to calculate the black hole’s spin, a crucial measurement necessary for describing the object’s behavior.

Go read the whole thing. It's fascinating. And it solves the mystery of what happened to Scorpius after Farscape was canceled.

With Sympathy

Reuters/Andy Clark

My canadian friends have my sympathy this morning. I hope your country comes to its senses before the contagion spreads.

Open Letter to the Washington Post

Jane Hamsher and friends have started an Open Letter to the Washington Post blog, where they will chronicle stenography, chimpy worshipping and other nonsense.

Kind of an ombudsman to the ombudsman. Stop by and say hello.

Watertiger in the Caribbean!!

A preview of Watertiger on her caribbean vacation with her family.

Sleepy, sleepy Maxx

Living the plush life.

Space Mystery Monday

Via Space.com, galactic cannibalism or dark matter may be to blame for galaxies in Andromeda lining up on a single plane:

Strange Setup: Andromeda's Satellite Galaxies All Lined Up

An unusually high number of galaxies are aligned along a single plane running through the center of the giant Andromeda galaxy. Scientists don’t have a theory to explain why.

Galactic cannibalism or dark matter may be responsible, researchers say.

The Andromeda galaxy is located at a distance of 2.5 million light-years away and is the nearest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. Like our own galaxy, Andromeda is surrounded by numerous dwarf galaxy satellites. Many of these satellites are within 1.3 million light-years or less of the galaxy’s main disk.

Galactic cannibalism!! I feel a movie plot coming on.

Catapult Time!

Heh heh. Catapulting propaganda is hard work!

What 4th Amendment?

The White House rolled of General Michael V. Hayden to defend the warrantless wiretaps. White House Begins New Effort to Defend Surveillance Program which might not have been such a great idea:

The standard laid out by General Hayden - a "reasonable basis to believe" - is lower than "probable cause," the standard used by the special court created by Congress to handle surveillance involving foreign intelligence.

~snip~

When asked what level of certainty was needed in determining that someone was connected to Al Qaeda before a warrantless wiretap was conducted, General Hayden acknowledged that the decision involved "both art and science." But he compared it to intelligence given to the military for battlefield decisions.

In case you were wondering, here's both the art and the science involved.

They Write Letters

From today's Daily Texan (the student newspaper at the University of Texas):

There is little or no comparison between the wiretapping of the Bush administration and the Nixon administration. Nixon acted in his own political interest under complete secrecy. Bush's actions, right or wrong, have been in the interest of national security.

So I guess if he's doing it "for our own good that makes it okay.

There has been no real evidence that the wiretaps involved anything other than calls placed internationally including at least on party suspected of terrorism.

So why didn't they get a warrent? And since it's classified, how would we know?

Maybe we should follow the actions of the great hereo of the left, Franklin Roosevelt. He pushed a law making it illegal for the press to divulge information that the enemy would like to know. I'd be quite happy not having this discussion.

Tony Mc#########
Young Conservatives of Texas.

Named redacted to protect the stupid. Ladies and gentlemen, I present Stupid Wingers, The Next Generation.

ROOOOOAAAAARRRR

Reuters/Ali Jareki

I certainly hope Watertiger will be in a better mood when she gets back from vacation, don't you?

Journamalism

Atrios posts about the media's practice of quoting accurately republican spin that they know to be untrue. Link: Journamalism Atrios says:

When a reporter puts the byline on something they own it. I understand that it is actually news when a senior administration official says something, no matter what it is, but it's even bigger news if they're, you know, lying.

Just once, I'd like to see a story where one of chimpy's minions is quoted saying one of their bullshit spin stories and the copy following it notes:

"The source is lying out of their ass. Again."

Humanity would rejoice.

Give me liberty

Molly Ivins has an excellent column up with a simple message. "Get a spine, you wimpy ass democrats!"

The recent death of Gene McCarthy reminded me of a lesson I spent a long time unlearning, so now I have to relearn it. It's about political courage and heroes, and when a country is desperate for leadership. There are times when regular politics will not do, and this is one of those times.

We are at a dangerous crossroads that is every bit as perilous as the one our nation faced during the revolution. This is not the time for think-tanks, or focus groups, or for wimpy ass strategizing by useless democratic consultants. This is a time for leadership.

When our forefathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, they didn't monkey around. They didn't say, "excuse me your highness... would you please, pretty please, maybe consider our grievances? we don't wanna make you mad or anything but can you quit being mean to us?" No, they said, "you are a tyrant and we're cutting your ass off, and if you don't like it, bring it."

Okay, I paraphrase. But you get the point. In the face of overwhelming and terrifying odds, they stood up. They stood up because it was the right thing to do.

Pay attention democratic pols. Quit worrying about the republican machine, the media or what Karl thinks. Start speaking plainly and forcefully about policies that you know are right for america. Molly is right. The vast percentage of people are with us on these things. We are the center. But that's not what's important to me.

What's important is doing what's right. It's the right thing to do to support civil liberties, women's reproductive rights, universal healthcare, and peace. Who gives a fuck whether it's popular or not? It's right. Do it because it's right.

When Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death," he wasn't fucking around. We shoudn't be either. There is too much at stake. We are not going to get a do-over on this. If America slides into religious despotism, there isn't going to be any way back.

It's time for you guys to stand up. Do that, and people will follow.

Kerry Rocks!!

So says Maxx. Congrats to Kerry for getting under the RNC's skin. What a bunch of whiny ass titty babies.

Update: I'm referring to this quote from Kerry on this morning's This Week.

KERRY: You know, Osama bin Laden is going to die of kidney failure before he’s killed by Karl Rove and his crowd. And all he does is divide America over this issue and exploit it. And what he’s trying to pretend is somehow Democrats don’t want to eavesdrop appropriately to protect the country. That’s a lie.

That's the kick ass type of language I want to hear. Everyday.

Trifid!!

From Space.com. The site has a series of stunning images that you can download as wall paper. Gorgeous. This is the Trifid Nebula.

Saturday Night Plushy Fix

This is the preferred position for Saturday Night Sci-Fi Blogging.

We are all Swamp Thing now

If we are swamp thing, what are they?

Oh, right. Whiney ass titty babies. All they have to do is report the news accurately. That's all.

"Well, I didn't tell them...

Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

...that you have a micro-dick."

Save Us!!

Reuters/Cheryl Ravelo

Help us!! the evil preznit tried to fuck us while on a crack binge.

It's a proven fact. Don't blog me.

The Moon is made of roquefort cheese

NASA

But don't blog me!

This Carrot Must Die

Maxx saves the world from the alien carrot menace. Again.

He is tireless on our behalf.

Sick Culture

The NYTimes has an excellent editorial up by Norman Ornstein and Thomas E. Mann, If You Give a Congressman a Cookie, that gives an excellent description of the stinking sinkhole of corruption that Washington has become with the republicans in charge.

The two of us have been immersed in Washington politics for more than 36 years. We have never seen the culture so sick or the legislative process so dysfunctional. The plea deals of Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon, the indictment of Tom Delay and his resignation as House majority leader, and the demise of Representative Randy Cunningham notwithstanding, this is not simply a problem of a rogue lobbyist or a pack of them. Nor is it a matter of a handful of disconnected, corrupt lawmakers taking favors in return for official actions.

Go read the whole thing.

Pluto, Bitch

AP Photo/Terry Renna

My only complaint with this mission is that they didn't strap chimpy and cheney to the rocket before they blasted off. The New Horizons vehicle is expected to arrive at Pluto around 2015.

What do they need lobbyists for?

Josh has the right take on the state of texas rethuglican lobbying mess. No Voice in Washington?

A state with 2 republican senators and a largely republican congressional delegation needed outside lobbyists to make their case to congress? What complete and utter bullshit.

This is about (a) rewarding your cronies with cushy jobs and (b) laundering state taxpayer funds into republican campaigns. It's the same playbook over and over and over.

Update: Josh has another update on Denny Hastert's district with the same scam running.

Let's call this what it is- patronage. Pure and simple. I'm sure it's going on in every republican fiefdom in the land.

Today in Science

Yomiuri Shimbun/AFP/Getty Images

Giant Jellyfish are invading Japan.

Can we drop chimpy in a tank full of these things? (Via National Geographic News)

Plushy RX for GWPDA

Sometimes it's just an emergency and only plush will heal what ails ya.

Dots? what dots?

Reuters/Jim Young

What am I supposed to connect?

3200 still missing

How can this be possible?

Thousands Still Missing After Katrina

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- More than 3,200 people are officially still unaccounted for nearly five months after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, and the state medical examiner wants the search to resume for those missing from the most devastated neighborhoods.

There is no excuse for this. None.

To the Hague, Bitch!

Blair knew too. Bastard.

Via the Guardian, Torture flights: what No 10 knew and tried to cover up

Richard Norton-Taylor
Thursday January 19, 2006
The Guardian

The government is secretly trying to stifle attempts by MPs to find out what it knows about CIA "torture flights" and privately admits that people captured by British forces could have been sent illegally to interrogation centres, the Guardian can reveal. A hidden strategy aimed at suppressing a debate about rendition - the US practice of transporting detainees to secret centres where they are at risk of being tortured - is revealed in a briefing paper sent by the Foreign Office to No 10.

The document shows that the government has been aware of secret interrogation centres, despite ministers' denials. It admits that the government has no idea whether individuals seized by British troops in Iraq or Afghanistan have been sent to the secret centres.

I hope the british public has less tolerance for this illegal nonsense than we do.

Bonus Kitty Blogging

This is Barry in Alaska's cat Hidey. Possibly the most beautiful black and white cat ever.

Better Looking than Chimpy

But then isn't everyone?

January 17, 2006—Fancy imported hair gel is, unfortunately, no guard against a good solid axe blow to the skull.

This sad fact is illuminated by Clonycavan man (pictured above) who suffered three blows from an axe to his head, one to his chest, and was also disemboweled before being mummified in an Irish peat bog.

Experts studying the remains of the murder victim say he likely lived between 392 B.C. and 201 B.C. The man's hair contains a substance made from vegetable oil mixed with resin from pine trees found in Spain and southwest France. The man might have used the product, researchers say, to make himself appear taller.

I hope there's a lesson in there somewhere.

Via National Geographic News, Bog Man Used Imported Hair Gel

Mr. Plushy!!

Lobbyists, Run for Your Lives

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The house democrats unveiled their ethics reform plan today. The NYTimes covers it, sort of, without describing what's actually in the plan. Democrats Unveil Their Own Plan for Rules on Lobbying

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 - With a stinging attack on Republican ethics, Congressional Democrats today proposed a lobbying overhaul they said far exceeds new Republican proposals in limiting the influence of monied special interests on Capitol Hill.

Senator Harry Reid, center, said the Democrats' plans for a lobbying overhaul unveiled today far exceed new Republican proposals. "Today we as Democrats are declaring our commitment to change - change to a government as good and as honest as the people that we serve," said Senator Harry Reid of the Nevada, the Democratic leader, who compared Republicans to organized crime figures he battled as a state gaming official.

"We took them on; we ran them out of the state," he said in an elaborate event staged by House and Senate Democrats at the Library of Congress. "Well, here they have infiltrated government."

I loves me some Harry.

The WAPO has finally put up an article as well: Democrats Assail Republican 'Culture of Corruption'

Some details:

Rather than limiting the value of a gift to $20, as House Republicans are considering, the Democrats would prohibit all gifts from lobbyists. And the Democrats take direct aim at some of the legislative practices that have taken root in the last 10 years of Republican rule in Congress. They vowed to end the K Street Project, under which Republicans in Congress pressure lobbying organizations to hire only Republican staff and contribute only to Republican candidates.

Oooh. That's gonna make some folks unhappy.

Under the Democrats' plan, House and Senate negotiators working out final versions of legislation would have to meet in open session, with all members of the conference committee -- not just Republicans -- having the opportunity to vote on all amendments. Legislation would have to be posted publicly 24 hours before congressional consideration. The Democrats also proposed to crack down on no-bid contracting and to require that any person appointed to a position involving public safety "possess proven credentials."

Uhhh, oh. No more crony jobs. I see trouble on this one.

Olbermann was reporting that there would be penalties for war profiteering as well. Ouch. Can you say Halliburton?

Today in Space

JPL/NASA

Via Space.com, meet the Mars Science Labratory, the next generation in unmanned exploration vehicles.

Mars Science Laboratory: Big Wheels on A Red Planet

PASADENA, California – Make way Spirit and Opportunity – big daddy is coming!

The next wheels on the red planet will belong to the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)—a huge step in how that planet is further poked, probed, and more fully plumbed for new information.

MSL is a huge chunk of machinery. At liftoff in September 2009, it will carry the largest, most advanced set of instruments for on-the-spot science duties ever dispatched to the martian surface. The nuclear-powered rover is being designed to assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life.

On one hand, MSL closes out an intensive period of surveying Mars…while setting the stage for an aggressive agenda of future robotic Mars exploration that ultimately leads to the planting of the first footprints on the red planet.

I loves me some space tech.

Well, of course.

The New York Times reports this morning that US intelligence knew in 2002 that the Niger claims were ridiculous:

2002 Memo Doubted Uranium Sale Claim

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 - A high-level intelligence assessment by the Bush administration concluded in early 2002 that the sale of uranium from Niger to Iraq was "unlikely" because of a host of economic, diplomatic and logistical obstacles, according to a secret memo that was recently declassified by the State Department.

Among other problems that made such a sale improbable, the assessment by the State Department's intelligence analysts concluded, was that it would have required Niger to send "25 hard-to-conceal 10-ton tractor-trailers" filled with uranium across 1,000 miles and at least one international border.

I'm sure that apology to Ambassador Wilson will be forthcoming, oh, any second now.

Tuesday Night Kitty Blogging

And some more Mr. Plushy.

Fountain Blogging

A not particularly great photo of a fountain on our campus. But Hecate likes fountains, so here it is.

Photo of the Day

California. Just because it's beautiful.

Gore Smacks Back

Al Gore responds to chimpy minions.

Via the Raw Story: Gore Responds the White House Hypocrisy

Former Vice President Al Gore: "The Administration's response to my speech illustrates perfectly the need for a special counsel to review the legality of the NSA wiretapping program.

The Attorney General is making a political defense of the President without even addressing the substantive legal questions that have so troubled millions of Americans in both political parties.

There are two problems with the Attorney General's effort to focus attention on the past instead of the present Administration's behavior. First, as others have thoroughly documented, his charges are factually wrong. Both before and after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was amended in 1995, the Clinton/Gore Administration complied fully and completely with the terms of the law.

Second, the Attorney General's attempt to cite a previous administration's activity as precedent for theirs - even though factually wrong - ironically demonstrates another reason why we must be so vigilant about their brazen disregard for the law. If unchecked, their behavior would serve as a precedent to encourage future presidents to claim these same powers, which many legal experts in both parties believe are clearly illegal.

The issue, simply put, is that for more than four years, the executive branch has been wiretapping many thousands of American citizens without warrants in direct contradiction of American law. It is clearly wrong and disrespectful to the American people to allow a close political associate of the president to be in charge of reviewing serious charges against him.

The country needs a full and independent investigation into the facts and legality of the present Administration's program."

Simple, clear, direct. That's the way to deal with these thugs.

Oh, and Scottie? shut the fuck up. You're the git who lies for your master day in and day out. You have no credibility. None.

Midday plushy fix

Just because.

Pluto or Bust

(AFP/NASA/File)

NASA artist's concept painting shows the proposed New Horizons Spacecraft as it approaches the planet Pluto and its moon Charon. The icy, never-explored distant planet of Pluto is the target of a new space probe NASA is planning to launch an ambitious mission to investigate the outer reaches of the solar system.

We'll have an update on this mission in about seven years or so.

Twisters in Space

Giant twisters in the Lagoon Nebula. From Hubblesite.org, which has a gallery of spectacular images from the Hubble Telescope.

Bonus Lion Kitty Blogging

Because we can never have too much plush.

Hero of the Day

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Former Vice President Al Gore gestures while addressing the American Constitution Society on the threat to the Constitution from President Bush's domestic wiretap policy, Monday, Jan. 16, 2006 at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washigton. Gore asserted Monday that President Bush 'repeatedly and persistently' broke the law by eavesdropping on Americans without a court warrant.

Thank you Mr. Gore for saying the obvious.

Update: Hecate at hecatedemetersdatter has an excellent rant, and the full text of Gore's speech. Go read.

You Can Never Say That No One Told You.

We are Stardust, We are Golden....

Reuters/NASA/Ames Research Center

The Stardust Capsule Return is shown as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, as seen from NASA's DC-8 Airborne Laboratory January 15, 2006. The aircraft was located near the end of the trajectory, just outside of the proposed landing site. NASA's Stardust sample return capsule successfully landing at the U.S. Air Force Utah Test and Training Range early on Sunday. The capsule contained cometary and interstellar samples gathered by the Stardust spacecraft.

The Miracle of Modern Chemistry

Arnold shows off his new plastic face.

Monday Plush

Lion kitty Maxx wishes you a happy MLK day and hopes you have the day off.

Spying on Tigers

Here's a spying program I approve of- India is preparing to install spy cameras and radio collars to try to save the dwindling numbers of wild tigers from poachers.

Via the Independent Online: India turns to spy technology to save tigers

Even as the controversy rages over ID cards and Big Brother-style surveillance in Britain, an even more comprehensive system will go into operation this week in India. The local version has hidden cameras in the depths of the jungle and radio collars that will allow satellites to track every move of those wearing them.

But in India there have been no protests over civil liberties - indeed, the system has widespread support, because here the hope is that electronic surveillance can bring one of the world's most endangered species back from the brink of extinction. Tigers, not people, will be wearing the radio collars.

The whole set-up is part of a major new effort by India to protect its dwindling population of wild tigers from poachers. Under the scheme, every wild tiger in India will be issued its own photo-ID card - which will be kept by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) so it can identify the tigers from sightings and verify they are still alive.

The new system is being launched as part of a national tiger census, amid fears that the tiger will be driven to extinction in the wild within a generation.

I wish them the best of luck. If tigers disappear from the wild, a little bit of magic will go out of the world.

Meanwhile, back in the Real War

Via BBC news, another US helicopter has crashed in Iraq.

US helicopter downed near Baghdad

A US helicopter has crashed north of Baghdad, with witnesses quoted by the Reuters news agency saying it was shot down by rocket. The fate of the helicopter's two-man crew is unclear, the US military said.

The military said it was investigating the incident, which took place at 0820 (0520 GMT).

A US reconnaissance helicopter crashed on Friday near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, killing both its crew, in an apparent attack by insurgents.

More signs of progress I guess.

What I'm reading...

Ptolemy's Gate (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 3)

Technically this is "young adult" fare- but this series is very amusing. The main character, Barimeus, a mid-level djinni, is hilarious.

Oh, Boo Hoo Hooo!!

Ralph Reed appears to be in trouble in Georgia.

In Ga., Abramoff Scandal Threatens a Political Ascendancy

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. -- Ralph Reed, candidate for lieutenant governor, had just finished his opening statement to the Dawson County Republican Party when retired pulp paper executive Gary Pichon sprang from his seat with a question that cut to the chase:

"Did you accept any gifts, commissions or other payments of any kind from Mr. Abramoff, and are you likely to be a party in the unfolding investigation?"

Silence enveloped the 60 or so Republicans in the auditorium, and Reed's cheerful manner turned tense. "No," he replied. "No to all these."

Bwa HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!

Reed seems to think that he's somehow "owed" a public office. Somehow I don't think he's gonna be able to wash that Abramoff slime off so easily. (no picture because Ralph Reed fucking creeps me out.)

Update:

Jane Hamsher at firedoglake points out that the WAPO managed to publish an entire article without mentioning just what made Ralph Reed worth millions to Abramoff:

WAPO Bats 1000

But would someone like to explain to me how it's possible to do a three page article on Reed's ties to Abramoff and never once mention what exactly Reed did for Abramoff that made him worth millions?

It's really quite simple. Reed had the fundies in his hip pocket and he used them to bang the anti-gambling morality drum so loudly that then-Texas AG, now US Senator John Cornyn shut down the casinos who were competing with those run by Abramoff's clients. In a series of emails he also took credit for "choreographing" Cornyn. That's not complicated. It's a fucking paragraph.

Indeed. Just not that complicated.

Sunday Night Lion Kitty Blogging

Lion kitty Maxx demonstrates his expertise on living the plush life.

He makes it look sooooo easy.

The Eye, the EYE!!

Credit: NASA/JPL/J. Hora (CfA)/W. Latter (NASA/Herschel)

From Stardate.org-

A dying star surrounds itself with a spectacular cloud of gas and dust in this infrared image from the orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope. The cloud is known as the Helix Nebula. It formed as a star's outer layers puffed into space. Dense knots of material form streaks that point back toward the central star.

More Space News

From Space.com:

Worlds With Multiple Suns Abundant

That's good news in case we need to get off the planet. More places to go.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Two new studies suggest that planet formation around multiple star systems may be more common than previously thought.

The findings were presented here at the 207th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

One study, lead by doctoral student Deepak Raghavan from Georgia State University, confirmed that 29 planet-harboring star systems also contained a second star; three actually had two companions and were triple star systems.

Raghavan and his team combed through archived star data to identify 131 star systems with planets that scientists had previously suspected of having companion stars. They then used telescopes at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory in Chile to confirm the results and to also look for new systems with multiple stars.

The group found one previously unknown stellar companion around HD 38529, a star known to have planets but until now was thought to be a single star system.

Is it time to invade South America yet?

Chile has elected a center-left female president. Good for them!

Chile Gets First Woman President

Isn't it funny how most of the world is rejecting conservative thought? Meanwhile, back in America, we sink ever deeper in religious superstition and fascism.

Ack.

More photoblogging

The Littlefield fountain, with the full moon coming up.

Wrong again, WAPO

Someone should clue Ms. Howell into the wonders of these here internets.

Getting the Story on Abramoff

A simple search would have told her that no democrats, none, nada, took compaign contributions from Jack Abramoff. But hey, don't let those little facts get in the way of your narrative.

Volcano!!

Photograph by Game McGimsey, courtesy USGS

Alaska's Augustine Volcano erupts. Via National Geographic News.