Texts, TV, Then Trouble for Bombing Suspect's Pals (Allen Breed) from the Associated Press
"Kadyrbayev said he knew instantly that his friend was indeed involved in the bombings. But instead of calling authorities, he told investigators he began thinking of ways to get rid of the evidence. Just in case the roommate thought he was "stealing or behaving suspiciously" by grabbing the backpack alone, Kadyrbayev decided to take Tsarnaev's laptop as well."
These three are so astonishingly, insouciantly stupid, it boggles the mind!
10 Years After 'Mission Accomplished,' the Risks of Another Intervention from the Atlantic
"A decade later, there are important lessons to be learned from that speech as we ponder military action in Syria."
S.H.O.P.P.I.N.G. (Andrew Sullivan) from The Dish
"The striking paintings of Wal-Marts we featured this morning are not alone. ... I have to say that Target in particular engenders in me an instant version of what some hyper-lefty Germans called Konsumterrorismus: a total panic caused by the option of limitless shopping."
Ah, those Germans and their word creations!
How to Weaken a President (David Firestone) from the New York Times
"Republicans came up with all kinds of convoluted and made-up explanations for voting against gun background checks, and some are starting to do the same for the immigration bill. ... But for many lawmakers, the real reason is depressingly familiar. They don’t want to give President Obama anything he wants. ... For these Republicans, the visceral hatred of the president is their only guiding star, and they are absolutely convinced the voters in their districts feel the same way."
Guns and Political Suicide (Thomas Edsall) from the New York Times
"Recently published research expands upon this insight, showing that elected officials magnify the conservatism of their own constituents on a host of left-right issues. ... Conservative politicians, Broockmany and Skovronz argue, overestimate the conservative leanings of constituents by the largest margins – by about 20 percentage points; liberals overestimate by about 10 points; and centrist Democrats like Heitkamp overestimate by about 15 points."
Polls: Interest In Gun Debate Increases Even After Boston Bombing, Guns As Important As Terrorism (Tommy Christopher) from Mediate
"Politicians counting on Americans to forget about Newtown when they go to the ballot box next year may be in for a surprise. ... A pair of new polls shows that even in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, the public’s interest in the gun control debate has actually increased, and the number of Americans who identify guns as the most important problem facing this country is equal to the number who answer “terrorism” to the same question."
Next Time, the NRA Will Lose (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"The background-check bill isn’t finished. And when it comes up for a vote again, says Michael Tomasky, the pressure will be on the senators who recently did the NRA’s bidding."
Poll: 29% Think Armed Rebellion Might Soon Be Necessary (Sahil Kapur) from Talking Points Memo
"The survey, aimed at measuring public attitudes toward gun issues, found that 29 percent of Americans agree with the statement, “In the next few years, an armed revolution might be necessary in order to protect our liberties.” An additional five percent were unsure."
America's Dumbest Congressman Melting Down Before our Eyes (Hunter) from Daily Kos
Normally I pass over the routine ravings of rightwingers -- even when they are House or Senate lawmakers -- but this one was SOOO disconnected from reality I thought it pretty obvious (as Hunter notes) that this man really is mentally ill. I think it is also notable as supporting evidence for some of the other GOP stories in today's postings.
"Gohmert then went on to reiterate his belief that the Obama administration is guided by the Muslim Brotherhood. ... He's gone past the conspiracy tubthumping of Bachmann and King—he may have even lapped a few Alex Jones theories at this point. According to him, the entire government is just riddled with secret invisible Muslims."
The More We Know About House Republicans, the Better John Boehner Looks (Jonathan Bernstein) from the Washington Post
"One thing that does help Boehner is that no one wants the job under these conditions; ..."
Republicans to Sick People: Tough Luck (Matt Miller) from the Washington Post
"A word of warning, ...: what follows contains political attitudes so petty and out of touch they may disturb younger readers. ... Cantor’s “Help Sick Americans Now Act.” Let Republicans back an approach they’ve philosophically endorsed before, Cantor thought, and by funding it a bit more generously than Obama has, show that the GOP can solve a problem that haunts (and often bankrupts) luckless families. That was the idea. Then — boom! — conservatives revolted."
Pat Toomey: Background Checks Died Because GOP Didn't Want To Help Obama from the Huffington Post
"Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) revealed that some members of his party opposed expanding background checks for gun sales recently because they didn't want to "be seen helping the president.""
Good to see that their priorities are straight.
1930s HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!!
One of my favorite stars of the 1930s!! This story is a few years old -- but Rainer is still alive and kicking today.
Luise Rainer’s 100 Years of Fortitude from the Los Angeles Times
"The two-time Oscar winning centenarian is proud never to have conformed to Hollywood’s rules."
IMMIGRATION NUGGET!!
Desperate Migrants Ride the 'Train of Death' through Mexico to Reach the U.S Risking Violent Attack, Rape and Kidnap from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Driven by poverty at home many are hoping for a better life in the U.S. The journey north take leads them closer to the Mexican border with the United States."
US COLONIAL HISTORY NUGGET!!
Girl’s Bones Bear Signs of Cannibalism by Starving Virginia Colonists from the New York Times
"Archaeologists excavating a trash pit at the Jamestown colony site in Virginia have found the first physical evidence of cannibalism among the desperate population, corroborating written accounts left behind by witnesses."
COLD WAR NUGGET!!
Wisconsin Family Discovers Fully-stocked Fallout Shelter in their Back Yard 50 Years After it was Installed at the Height of the Cold War from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"'It was all of what you would expect to find in a 1960s fallout shelter. It was food, clothing, medical supplies, tools, flashlights, batteries - items that you would want to have in a shelter if you planned to live there for two weeks. Everything remained remarkably well-preserved, thanks to the airtight containers the supplies were kept in. The family donated all of the items to the Neenah Historical Society, which has curated an exhibit about the Cold War and the fear of the Soviets using 'the bomb.''"
This sounds like quite a unique find -- I'm so glad the whole collection got shipped to a museum.
No comments:
Post a Comment