One in the Pink Makes a Stink

Take a look at the object depicted above.

Go ahead, take a long smouldering gawk at it.

It's a Walther P-22 semiautomatic pistol.

With a pink slide (that's the bit that holds the barrel, and goes back and forth when you pull the trigger).

But it's the pink I want to talk about. Specifically, the reason Walther allowed the slide on the P-22 to be colored pink.

Walther decided to be one of the corporate sponsors of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a charity dedicated to fighting breast cancer in women.

Now, I have a bit of ambivalence about attacking a breast cancer charity. My sister-in-law passed away two years ago after a long and bloody struggle with the disease, and the SGK Foundation helped out.

But there's a reason to rant now, as the SGK has put its collective charitable foot in it, big time.

Let's follow a few dots and see where they lead, shall we?

First, SGK appoints a new executive vice president, a woman who had earlier run unsuccessfully for office in Georgia on a brutally anti-choice platform. How anti-choice? She was endorsed by Sarah Palin, that's how anti-choice.

Second, there is a change in the Foundation's bylaws to deny grants to any organization under investigation. A board member admitted that the change was solely to target one organization.

Third, enter US Representative Cliff Stearns of Flori-duh, who obligingly starts an investigation.

Fourth - hey, presto! SGK cuts off its grant funding to the organization.

What organization, I hear you ask? Planned Parenthood, the successor to ACORN as Number One on the GOP/US Taliban Alliance's shit list. You see, they don't like Planned Parenthood because it (gasp!) provides abortions, it (gasp!) provides birth control, and (gasp!) it helps poor women get breast exams that could spot cancerous growths early and help them get treatment.

So SGK shuts down about $700,000 in funding to Planned Parenthood. The dots are simple to follow, eh?

Despite the angry denials by the founder and CEO of SGK, it's too easy to see the linkage between the Foundation and the efforts by the Right to shove women back into the Dark Ages. There's a lot of yelling going on, as donors start pulling money away from SGK and sending it directly to Planned Parenthood

The Foundation issued an apology, but still isn't going to give grant money to Planned Parenthood because "it's under investigation."

Perfect logic, isn't it?

Meanwhile, women who are poor and at risk for breast cancer might not be able to get examinations, which means they could get breast cancer and not know it, which means that by the time they do spot it it'll be too late to treat it, which means deaths by breast cancer could go up among poor women.

Which, again, is perfectly logical.

Florida: Mitt Romney Is All Like

Yes, the Well-Coiffed 2x4 managed to pull out a win against ethical loser and relentless degenerate Newton Gingrich. It was a close victory, 46% to 32%, with Ayatollah Wannabe Santorum and Doddering Fool Paul splitting up the booby prize.

Romney managed his win (still failing to get 50% of the voters) by basically outspending Gingrich by a six-to-one margin. Gingrich got funds from his bagman, Las Vegas Rich Nabob Adelson, and sounded a defiant and downright surly note in his post-election speech. He didn't congratulate Romney, which merely illustrates how classy Newt is.

Mittens collects a massive nut of 50 convention delegates (marked down from 99 after Florida's GOP decided to fiddle about with the primary calendar), which outweighs what Gingrich won in South Carolina and what Santorum was finally given after they unearthed the stuffed ballot boxes in Iowa.

The Nevada caucuses loom now, on February 4th. Romney can expect a massive boost from all the Mormons bused in from neighboring Utah to work for him. Paul is feeling bullish on the caucus states, feeling that he's in with a chance in these contests, and Gingrich will probably be licking Adelson's taint for more bucks.

But at least we poor people in Florida can be granted at least a temporary respite from all of the pointless ads, mailers and robocalls.

A Miscellany

Back in the 1880s or so (1889) the absolute high-tech sound gadget to have was an Edison phonograph, with recordings made on wax cylinders. It was the iPod of its day; astoundingly simple to use, although not really very portable.

Once people realized the awesome implications of the device, everyone clamored to have their voices recorded. There were probably millions of variations of "I sound like that?" all over the place.

In 1957 a box of wax cylinder recordings, some in very bad condition, were found at the Edison laboratory in New Jersey. It took a while, but thanks to modern digital technology, they were able to resurrect the content on the recordings.

One of the voices captured for prosperity is Prince Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian chancellor who unified Germany; another is Helmut Graf von Moltke, the commander of the armies that defeated the French in 1871. There are also songs and instrumental music.

A real blast from the past.

***

In 1976 (before things went horribly wrong over there), an archeologist in Iraq unearthed a tablet that displayed examples of 'wisdom literature,' a collection of pithy sayings that could be used as guides in living. Such things were used as writing exercises for students. The tablet dated to ancient Babylonia, about 3500 years or so ago, Daylight Savings.

One has to do with beer: In your mouth and your teeth, constantly stared at you, the measuring vessel of your lord. (-What is it?) Beer.

(The scientists who are translating this assure us that the cuneiform symbols for 'teeth' can also translate as 'urine.' I'm sure it was a real rib-tickler.)

Another is a bit odd: ...of your mother is by the one who has intercourse with her. What/who is it? [No answer]

Could this be, dear readers?

Could it be that these enterprising scientists may, in fact, have unearthed the World's Oldest Yo Mama Joke?

OH BOY oh boy oh boy (or girl) -- This Isn't Good: Pfizer recalls 1M birth control packs after mixup

"The recall is not related to safety but does raise the risk of unintended pregnancy."

Did they really say this? They really did say that....





via USA Today

WASHINGTON (AP) – Pfizer Inc. is recalling 1 million packets of birth control pills because of a packaging error that could leave women with an inadequate dose of the hormone-based drugs and raise the risk that they will get pregnant accidentally.

Pfizer found that some packets of the drugs had too many active tablets, while others had too few.

The problem affects 14 lots of Lo/Ovral-28 tablets and 14 lots of generic Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets. Both products are manufactured by Pfizer and marketed in the U.S. by Akrimax Rx Products under the Akrimax Pharmaceuticals brand.
Pfizer found that some packets of the drugs had too many active tablets, while others had too few. Oral birth control products use a series of 21 drug tablets and 7 inactive sugar tablets to regulate the menstrual period while providing contraception.
A company spokeswoman said the problem was caused by both mechanical and visual inspection failures on the packaging line. She said the problem has been corrected.
Pfizer issued a statement saying the problem was identified and corrected immediately. The recall is not related to safety but does raise the risk of unintended pregnancy. Patients with the affected lot numbers should return them to the pharmacy.
The affected packets have expiration dates ranging between July 31, 2013, and March 31, 2014. Lot numbers are available at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm289770.htm
The drugs were distributed to warehouses, clinics and retail pharmacies throughout the U.S.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

lyrics

Oh we up up up for the below show
Yea we down down here on the ground
Yea we up up up above low
Yea we up up up through the clouds
Yea we up
Yea we up

You’re gonna find a way
Find a way to be
You’ll get yourself a line with your old man
You’ll get it free
You’ll get it free

It’s the way now
Way to see
But it’s inside and out with no doubt
It’s in everything
It’s in everything

Oh we up up up for the below show
Yea we down down here on the ground
Yea we up up up above low
Yea we up up up through the clouds
Yea we up
Yea we up
Yea we up
Yea we up

You’re gonna find your way
Find your way to be
Yea you’ll get yourself a line with your spine
You’ll get it free
You’ll get it free

It’s the way now
Way to see
Bound in the moment it comes and it goes
It’s in everything
It’s in everything

We up up up for the below show
Yea we down down here on the ground
Yea we up up up above low
Yea we up up up in the clouds
Yea we up
Yea we up
Yea we up
Yea we up

Yea we up up up for the below show
Yea we down down here on the ground
Yea we up up up above low
Yea we up up up in the clouds
Yea we up up up for the below show
Yea we down down here on the ground
Yea we up up up above low
Yea we up up up in the clouds
Yea we up

Yea we up up up for the below show
Yea we down down here on the ground
Yea we up up up above low
Yea we up up up in the clouds
Yea we up
Yea we up
Yea we up
Yea we up

(audio is a teeny bit better on this one)

Phew...

The Hot flashes are now coming an hour apart. I am expecting me to deliver me the new me at any moment. Thank my goddess above! I can't imagine this going on for much longer...


I came across this piece about solar flares today. I'd like to say that I believe everything she has put forth, but due to my age and symptoms, I must conclude that all my "issues" are whimen changes. I did, however experience most of these symptoms back in the last solar cycle (I think it was '99). But we moved around then -- I had buyer's remorse big time -- so I blamed all my bodily aches and pains on that emotional mess.

Well,

What ye say. How are you all feeling?





How Recent Solar Flares Are Affecting Humans, by Heather Carlini

Is it just me??

this came in my email today...


Dear Google user,

We're getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that's a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.

We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.

Where's my red marker??? getting rid of? believe this stuff matters??? OH PulHEEEZZZE deliver me from evil right this very moment -- I really can't take this shit anymore.

One policy, one Google experience

Easy to work across Google
Our new policy reflects a single product experience that does what you need, when you want it to. Whether you're reading an email that reminds you to schedule a family get-together or finding a favorite video that you want to share, we want to ensure you can move across Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, or whatever your life calls for with ease.

Tailored for you
If you're signed into Google, we can do things like suggest search queries – or tailor your search results – based on the interests you've expressed in Google+, Gmail, and YouTube. We'll better understand which version of Pink or Jaguar you're searching for and get you those results faster.

Easy to share and collaborate
When you post or create a document online, you often want others to see and contribute. By remembering the contact information of the people you want to share with, we make it easy for you to share in any Google product or service with minimal clicks and errors.

Castro Was Right

The Republican candidate field is down in sunny Florida, so you know red meat is going to be tossed out to the voters.

We know most of the flavors of red meat: anti-abortion sirloin, anti-tax filets, a lovely great slab of corporatist meat loaf.

For Florida, though, we have to have another strip of red meat tossed out to the usually quite conservative Cuban-Americans - the anti-Castro T-bone.

It's been a Republican mainstay in Florida to bash the hell out of Castro and predict the imminent collapse of the Communist government there. Oddly enough, we've heard that rhetoric ever since the Cuban Revolution back in 1959.

Which leads me to Fidel Castro.

Fidel has outlasted US Presidents from Eisenhower to GW Bush, and I think that his position as America's favorite bugaboo has given him a unique perspective on Presidential politics.

So in response to the usual rhetorical bashing, Fidel penned an editorial that the Cuban press duly transmitted. He stated in his editorial that "The selection of a Republican candidate for the presidency of this globalized and expansive empire is – and I mean this seriously – the greatest competition of idiocy and ignorance that has ever been."

I'll stress one line: " . . . the greatest competition of idiocy and ignorance that has ever been."

Like I said, he has an interesting perspective on matters, doesn't he?

Now, two days ago, GOP candidate Newt Gingrich opened his gaping maw to more than justify Fidel's statement.

In a statement to a group of Hispanic leaders here in Florida, Newt said, "So one of my goals would be to flood the island with enough cellphones that are video cameras that any act of oppression is filmed by 30 people, and they start posting them: this person will be on the list after the revolution. You watch the morale of the police force drop dramatically as they are no longer all powerful."

Got that? Flooding Cuba with cell phone cameras will topple the Cuban government.

If it confuses you, it also confused the hell out of the audience.

In the same article, we also have Mitt Romney talking to the same group. He sounded like he was wishing the Eighties were still here, as he gawped that Castro's Cuba and Chavez's Venezuela pose existential threats to the United States and cited possible influence by them upon Ecuador and Guatemala.

Things aren't going well for the GOP Clown Car, but you gave to agree:

Castro was right.

Julian Assange Vs. Mark Zuckerberg

(h/t to MoMule for the Pic)










Everything You Need to Know About Facebook’s $100 Billion IPO

There are several reasons why a company typically goes public. In a recent paper by professors James Brau and Stanley Fawcett of Brigham Young University, the two outlined the usual motivations: To raise capital and to enrich the company’s founders and insiders. However, Facebook’s situation is a bit different. For Facebook, a better question might be “Why are they going public now as opposed to a couple of years ago?’”

On the Eve of the Florida Primary

Astronaut, Astro-Newt, or Astro-Nut? . . . Romney Pulls the Razor from His Sock . . . Wisdom from A Dead Roman . . . Who is Gingrich's Bagman?

Hoo boy, dear readers, it's been a fun-filled week.

We'll start with Wednesday, as bloated ethically-challenged philanderer Newton Gingrich sallied forth to speak to a friendly crowd of likely voters in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Cocoa and the rest of Brevard County has been a tad low of late ever since the Space Shuttle program ended.

But there's no need to fear! Newt Gingrich is here!

(Special No-Prize for picking out the arcane cultural reference.)

Newt roused the crowd by declaring that, by the end of his second term as President, there would be a base on the surface of the Moon, and to make it all the sweeter, it would be an American moon base.

Uh. Huh.

After screaming for the past few years that there's no money to repair decaying highways, bridge, dams, or other infrastructure (because that would increase the deficit, and as we all know, Deficits Are EVIL - unless there's a Republican in the White House), we're going to plunk down X amount of dollars - to build a base on the Moon.

Now, Man or Astroman didn't say that the Evil Gummint would fund the whole project, oh no. He'd merely gouge the NASA budget for another $2 billion in order to set up incentive prizes to lure private industry.

Jon Stewart had a bit of fun with the idea.

NASA's budget has been a favorite whipping boy. When money is need for some program or other, the Congress is all too ready to take an axe to the space program.

Newt making this statement is rather par for the course. He'll spin out a truly vast and sweeping promise in the hopes that people will be inspired. But he also framed it as a goal for the end of his second term.

I think he'd better concentrate on achieving his first term, first.

***

Speaking of which, Newt went into his second Florida debate still riding a bit of the wave of his South Carolina victory. Polling at the time showed him running more or less even with Mitt, so Romney had to retrieve the edge.

Now, way back in the mists of last October, I wondered when Romney was going to cut a bitch. Thursday night's debate was The Moment, because Romney went on an all-out attack against Gingrich.

Romney had hired Crazy-Eye Michele Bachmann's debate coach, and it showed as the well-coiffed 2x4 laced into Gingrich. Newt, for his part, looked a bit flabby and debate honors clearly went Mitt's way.

Except . . .

For some reason, Frothy Santorum started in on Romney and his health care plan for Massachusetts, comparing it to the Affordable Care Act and making Romney visibly irritated. Oh no! His carefully-crafted facade might have cracked, but the photo montage pretty much says it all.

Romney won the debate, according to the surveys done after the low-rent downer.

But Gingrich continues to rise in national polling, and the Romney camp is clearly hoping that a big win in the Sunshine State will turn that around.

We shall see Wednesday morning.

***

"Our forefathers complained, we complain, and our descendants will complain, that morals are corrupt, that wickedness holds sway, that men are sinking deeper and deeper into sinfulness, that the condition of mankind is going from bad to worse."

- Lucius Annaeus Seneca, 4 BC - 65 AD

***

Money in politics is as old as the Roman Republic, as making campaign promises is as old as Athenian democracy.

The election of 1800 between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson saw the introduction of attack ads into American political discourse.

But we're talking money here, thanks to the US Supreme Court's misguided and frankly stupid Citizens United decision. Money talks in America, and the more money you have, the louder you can speak.

This is a truism that Newt Gingrich knows in his bones, having been in the US House of Representatives before being run out of the place like a rabid ferret and then making a hint of mint in speaking fees, lobbying fees and book sales.

But he needed money in order to finance his campaign against Mitt Romney. Willard has a net worth estimated in the $250 million range, and can easily finance his run out of his own pocket. Gingrich needed a supporter who was willing to put his money where his mouth was.

Enter Sheldon Adelson. Casino magnate with a net worth at about $21.5 billion. Um, that's Billion, with a B.

Adelson and Gingrich share something in common - a deep and abiding support for Israel despite anything the Jewish State might do, while at the same time saying rather generalized but nonetheless hurtful things like the Palestinians are an invented people (and never mind the fact that Jews aren't exactly ethnically pure either - several thousand years will do that).

Adelson, when appealed to, said, "Sure!" Whereupon he scribbled out a check for $5 million that helped Gingrich run ads in South Carolina.

His wife helpfully supplied her butter and egg money - another $5 million, making them the two largest single donors to the Gingrich campaign (or, rather, to his PAC, and we all know that the campaign and the PAC have nothing to do with each other, huh yeah that's right that's the ticket nudge nudge wink wink say no more).

Taking for granted the pernicious consequences of the Supreme Court's decision, we can expect those with the most money - the Adelsons, the Trumps, the Gateses, etc. - to wield greater power and greater access and a greater voice in the electoral process.

What's a simple voter to do?

Can we PLEASE cancel prom this year?

I know, I know it's prom. How could I ask such a thing -- think such a thing?? (that was my first goog hit for "prom rite". Case Closed -- seems it's a hot essay topic too.)

Everything seems to be out of control on the home front. I need to pick my battles, but where's a mother to start these days? I have 3 children of voting age (whatever that means now) and none of them could make it on their own today without a struggle (I'm not going to go into how smart, beautiful or talented they are. Everyday I am amazed at how many smart, beautiful and talented kids there are out there). What's up with that? At 18 I had the usual grocery store job and could have easily moved out with a friend or 2 and started my life. My parents encouraged me to go to college, so I did. OK times have changed and that first option is pretty difficult to do now. The college route? Don't EVEN get me started. I can't even get a decent job now, so that I can pay for my kids to go off to college like my mother did for me. AND I HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE -- what's up with that? The only way they're going to college today is if they take the loans out (7.8%) or we take a home equity (4%). Since we don't have anymore equity, that leaves them with the only other option of 40K in debt at 7.8%. Since I refuse to fill out the Fffff FFFFFFafsa FFForm -- that's not an option either (I already know what I can "afford" to pay -- it's pretty easy to figure out. Hint: It's whatever is left after the bills are paid.)

I've decided that the best thing I can possibly do for them at this point is to empower them enough so that they have complete control of their lives (i.e., get out of my wallet now, babydoll).

In order to do this, I'm pulling the plug. I still pay for our family cell phone plan, so that will be an easy one -- no bloodshed -- I just have to call verizon and suspend their service. When they go out of the house (driving my 3 cars that I maintain & insure), they can take a cell phone with them "for emergencies" -- that's why we got them one in the first place. Remember after nine eleven? It seemed as though overnight every one had a cell phone. Now it's an iphone. The iphones aren't necessary if you can't afford to pay for it yourself. It's just a super duper high tech gadget -- I just hope there won't be too many withdrawal issues for them to deal with! I'm sure big pharma must have a medication out there if they need assistance.

Since I pay the cable teevee bill and have been threatening to blow up that corner of the room for years now -- why not? That's an easy one too!

I will keep the internet connection and the home telephone line. They all have lap tops (their HS graduation presents -- good thing we qualified for Apple Credit!) so they can still be connected through our wireless at home and at millions of other places in the world.

Since I can't control what they do "on-line", I will ask them to PLEASE consider a one month respite from facebook, twitter, tumbler, stumbler, bumbler -- whatever -- in order to reboot their lives. It seems they are all on overload. I'll tell them it's time to do some serious reflection -- step back and listen to the noise in your own brains for a while. When you're with your friends, try a serious conversation for a change -- see what happens. Bring a boom box so everyone can listen to the music. What have you got to lose?


How about we just cancel junior prom?

"Banish the word 'struggle' from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we have been waiting for." — Hopi elders

This rant was provoked by Charles Hugh Smith's recent post: The New American Divide