Pacific Views

Making The Rounds

The Pope joins the ranks of the Shrill:

"Afghanistan is marked by growing unrest and instability," Benedict said. "In the Middle East, besides some signs of hope in the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees."

Climate change is going to thump Canada, and North America generally, pretty hard. Indeed, the southwestern U.S. may start facing permanent droughts. Good news hidden in these reports for prospective firefighters: It's a growth industry, sign up early for training to avoid the rush.

A climate concern troll writes at FoxNews for Real Clear Politics that the Supreme Court's Massachusetts v. EPA ruling declaring carbon dioxide a pollutant is in opposition to basic liberties. Because, yeah, basic liberties mean it's okay to inflict serious harm on people you don't know, as long as you can't be directly proven to be at the scene of the crime. Is it just me, or does that sound like the perfect mob boss defense? Anyway, it's right up there with the Bush administration's silencing of witnesses.

Longtime GOP operative Vic Gold, Bush strategist Matthew Dowd, and as noted previously on this site, the American people, are all turning away from Bush and his neo-Bolshevism.

Can't mess with a title like this: Dear Wingnuts, This Jew says Kiss My Ass

The Bush administration wants to kill a Wisconsin program that saves seniors $62 million a year on prescriptions.

Making Light provides a multi-part tutorial on Iran issues. We start with Iran basic, a primer on the country's problematic (to invaders) geography and demographics. Then there's Iran smalltalk, an exploration of the gap between western media portrayals of Iran's rhetoric and the reality for people on the ground there, notably for the country's Jewish population. Sources indicate that the Bush administration may be supporting an al-Qaeda aligned terrorist group in a campaign against Iran.

Misogyny watch: American conservatives love Ahmadinejad's 'chivalry,' also, they would like to be rescued and wrapped in flowery hijabs. In many web forums and online communities, violent and sexually abusive language continues to be part of 'acceptable' public discourse about uppity women. Popular radio host Don Imus seemed to thing there was nothing wrong (until the later public outcry) with referring to members of a women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos," a phrase that I'm disgusted to ever have had to see. Don't be fooled; outlawing abortion condemns women to death. Who among us does not like 10-year-old sex partners?

Blogging Against Theocracy: Real life examples of why there should be a separation of church and state. How becoming part of the Establishment corrupts religion. A similar argument, one that put his life at risk and nearly precipitated a civil uprising, was made by Iran's Hashem Aghajari in 2002, when he condemned the corruption of Islam by the creation of a religious ruling class.

And I know
I know you had no choice
But how I miss your voice
Singing right with mine

- "Dearly Departed" by DeVotchKa

Posted by natasha at April 8, 2007 11:07 AM | Recommended Reading | Technorati links |