Neural Gourmet Archives | Feed Your Brain
Neural Gourmet Archives | Feed Your BrainThanks to excellent DU sleuth, fooj, for finding and posting this reference to wiretaps in a speech Dubya made touting the many benefits of the Patriot Act.
I've posted the link to the entire speech, but be careful, it's just as difficult to stomach now as it was when we had to choke it down fresh.
Maybe more so because of everything that has come to light.read more »
As you're all probably aware, the latest economic doom meme that's been all over the news lately is that the housing bubble has burst. While many experts disagree* that the housing bubble has burst, and some say that it will only result in years of stagnation in the housing market, the general concensus seems to be that the boom times for real estate are over. Now, I've never been good at economics, but I've got to wonder about something. [...]read more »
Via The Education Wonks we find this Washington Post story about Kansas teenager Zach Rubio who was suspended from school for speaking Spanish -- not in class, but in the school hallway. [...]read more »
OK, I stole that title from Daedalus at Washingtonrox who reports on a court case to go before the Federal District Court in LA. A consortium of Christian schools is suing the University of California for refusing to credit some of their courses. This NY Times article contains excerpts from the disputed textbooks. This passage on slavery particularly caught my eye [...]
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42 years ago today, President John F. Kennedy was shot dead in Dallas. Despite the many controversies surrounding his death and his Presidency, he was perhaps the last President to be admired and respected by a majority of the American people. Like many other men, the press attempts to pay tribute by remembering his death. I'd like to think there's a better way to remember this great man. [...]
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An exhibition celebrating the life of Charles Darwin has failed to find a corporate sponsor because American companies are anxious not to take sides in the heated debate between scientists and fundamentalist Christians over the theory of evolution.
In comparison:
...the Creationist Museum near Cincinatti, Ohio, which takes literally the Bible's account of creation, has recently raised $7 million in donations.
Fortunately, wealthy private individuals and charitable organizations have completely funded the Darwin exhibit, but to say that the effect religious conservatives are having on culture and education in the U.S. is chilling would not be hyperbole.
OK. Now this is interesting and I'm not sure what to make of it but CNN has just reported that Rumsfeld has been given plans to withdraw from Iraq. Excerpting:
Defense official: Rumsfeld given Iraq withdrawal plan
Plan calls for troops to begin pulling out after December elections
Friday, November 18, 2005; Posted: 11:34 p.m. EST (04:34 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The top U.S. commander in Iraq has submitted a plan to the Pentagon for withdrawing troops in Iraq, according to a senior defense official.
Gen. George Casey submitted the plan to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. It includes numerous options and recommends that brigades -- usually made up of about 2,000 soldiers each -- begin pulling out of Iraq early next year.
Our representatives disgrace us all.The motion on immediate troop withdrawl from Iraq was voted on tonight in the House of Representatives. Out of the entire House, only 3 Democratic Representatives voted in favor of the resolution. While it is perhaps unreasonable to expect that an immediate withdrawal is either feasible or practical, it is my belief that in light of the overwhelming evidence that the American people were lied to and manipulated into this war the only rational action is to withdraw from Iraq in as short a time span as is possible. I'm disgusted. More tomorrow.
RawStory is reporting that the Republican leadership of the House, in a surprise move, has simultaneously pulled the Tax Reconciliation Act and will call for a vote on a pullout from Iraq.
RawStory is citing an e-mail sent by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi 's office to her caucus:
The House will reconvene shortly. The Tax Reconciliation Act HAS BEEN PULLED, however, the Republican Leadership is bringing to the floor THEIR VERSION of Mr. Murtha's Iraq Resolution H.J.Res 73. Under the procedure, the following debate and votes will occur:
One hour of debate on the Martial Law Rule as amended to make in order a version of the H.J.Res.73 - Murtha Resolution, which we have NOT SEEN, followed by a vote.
VOTE ON MARTIAL LAW RULE
One hour of debate on the Rule to consider THEIR VERSION of the Murtha Resolution.
VOTE ON THE RULE
One hour of debate on THEIR VERSION of the Murtha Resolution
VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION
This should be considered as unconfirmed at this time, nor do we know how the GOP's bill will differ from Democratic hawk Jack Murtha's (D-PA) bill calling for an immediate pullout from Iraq. However, this could be a sign that the President has completely lost the support of his own party. Interesting times.
The Federal Election Commision has issued an advisory opinion [PDF] which, in essence, declares that bloggers are journalists. This can open new avenues for bloggers, but is there a downside? [...]
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Having been rather busy lately I haven't commented yet on Kansas' decision to legislate Intelligent Design into the science classroom. What is there really for a thinking person to say on this subject? I mean, other than "Nice job, morons." Besides, there are many people far more qualified to speak on this subject such as PZ Myers. However, I thought Scientific American Editor In Chief John Rennie pretty well summed up the issue. [...]
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Wow. You know, I've really got to work on the taxonomy here. It really isn't adequate to tag a lot of what I'm posting or want to post and I'm sure you're all finding it irksome too. Still, I have no idea where I would file this story, except perhaps in the "WTF!?" bin.
It seems that the State of Florida, under Katherine Harris' direction as Secretary of State, actually spent money and 6 months testing holy water to see if it helped prevent citrus canker. [...]
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Heh... Just thought I'd point this out.
From our "WTF! Is there anything they won't lie about?" department comes this Catholic News Service story reporting that Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers is not a Catholic. Various news reports and longtime Miers friend Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht have relayed that Miers was baptized as a Catholic and later left to join the Valley View Christian Church as a young adult. However, the Catholic Diocese of Dallas issued a statement taking issue with those reports.
"The Diocese of Dallas has no record of Harriet Miers or her immediate family ever having been a member of the Catholic Church," said Deacon Bronson Havard, spokesman for the Diocese of Dallas and editor of the newspaper. "We have checked all known sacramental records."
This is a bizarre twist to a bizarre nomination to the Supreme Court. One has to wonder if this is just an example of a mistaken friend and journalists not checking sources or if this was a rumor deliberately circulated to gain favor with conservative Catholics while still maintaining brownie points with fundamentalist evangelicals.
Today's Guardian contains a fascinating report by Jonathan Watts from the Stalinist enclave of North Korea about preparations for this year's triennial "Arirang" festival. This extraordinary event, which involves hundreds of thousands of participants and spectators is notable for its brutally rigid choreography and spectacular - yet lo-fi - special effects. The highlight of the show is the backdrop, where thousands of children use flipcard to create huge, moving pictures... read more »
...here’s the first state to face a major civil emergency while much of its National Guard has been yanked away to some foreign land. This is yet another way to view the foolishness of our leaders. Their inability to really consider that the world is dangerous. Here’s a way to put it: the metaphor for this Iraq War should be ELECTIVE SURGERY. At first, we were urgently told it was an EMERGENCY ROOM PROCEDURE, back during the lies about Weapons of Mass Destruction. No time to talk, or plan or persuade allies, or ponder the most efficient means of achieving desired ends. If we did not act fast, Saddam would fry our babies! Now we are told that reason never mattered, after all. The real purpose was always to liberate oppressed people and spread freedom.
