Friday, July 12, 2013

SAR #13193

Many people earn many things which they never receive.” Ta-Nehisi Coates

Define 'Sex': Washington is “continuing to evaluate the implications” of last week's change of government leadership in Cairo, reluctant to describe the removal of a democratically elected leader by a disgruntled military junta a 'coup', because if they did then Washington couldn't keep sending fighter jets and the rest of this year's $1.3 billion n in military aid.

I'll Have The Usual: Initial unemployment claims are back in the 360,000's. So, who's gonna put lipstick on this one?

Half A Loaf:House Republicans removed food stamps from the farm bill and then passed the remnants, intent on addressing food stamps separately, later. 'Addressing' in this usage means 'gutting'. When one out of six of us depends on the program, this ought to be a vote-getter for the GOP, right?

Secret Sauce: National Geographic photographer George Steinmetz has been arrested for taking pictures of a feedlot – from a para-glider. Why don't they want us to know what they do to the animals we eat?

Cloudy Whether: Microsoft's cooperation with the folks from No Such Agency includes giving them access to encrypted email, chats, and everything you've stuffed into The Cloud – which is just a bunch of computers with back doors that open into Fort Meade. The best news was that the FBI has a bunch of hackers that go by the term “Data Intercept Technology Unit”. Guess what they do.

Does This Mean What I Think It Means? The Treasury has put AIG and GE Capital under “consolidated supervision and enhanced prudential standards...”

Coming After You: It’s not just No Such Agency that is out to get you – corporations and the courts are too. That's the sense behind a NY federal judge ruling that Microsoft must turn over to Chevron “any documents Microsoft has related to the identity of 30 anonymous individuals allegedly involved” in suing Chevron for despoiling the Amazon. Chevron is trying to get out of paying an $18.2 billion judgment in the case. In a curious interpretation of the First Amendment, the judge claimed that “anonymous individuals were not entitled to First Amendment protection because they may not be U.S. citizens.” That they might be citizens didn't seem to cross his mind. Your First Amendment right to privacy does not include anonymity; nobody's that anonymous any more.

Royally: The Kremlin has come to terms with the security problems inherent in using computers by ordering a bunch of typewriters. I want the carbon-paper franchise for Moscow.

Sabotage As An Art Form:"Today’s GOP has effectively abdicated the role of functional opposition party, instead opting for a kind of post-policy nihilism in which sabotaging the Obama agenda has become its only guiding governing light.” Republicans have worked to thwart/stymie/sabotage the implementation of the law of the land, refuse to take up immigration reform or the food stamp program, and have vowed to filibuster any nominee (no matter how qualified) to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They also want to repeal the 20th Century.

In Another Country: Indiana has made it a felony for same-sex couples to apply for a marriage license. There has been a rash of these applications of late, gumming up the county clerk's offices.

The Parting Shot:

130712

Hung out to dry.

2 comments:

mistah charley, ph.d. said...

Why don't they want us to know what they do to the animals we eat?

i know i say this from time to time, so i'll keep it brief - NOT eating animals is easier than you may think, has more benefits than you may be aware of, and has few disadvantages (for example, the idea that you'd have trouble getting enough protein is a myth)

for more info see websites and books by drs caldwell esselstyn, john mcdougall, and neal barnard

OkieLawyer said...

RE: Coming After You

The last time I checked, the 14th Amendment (a later amendment takes precedence when there is a conflict) protects the rights of "persons" not citizens.

Not that we believe in the law, anymore.