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21 Apr 2011 11:12

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Politics: This just in: Allen West causes orificial secretions

  • The idea of an Allen West/Herman Cain all-black conservative ticket would titillate me to the point of secretions coming out of every orifice.
  • Andrew Breitbart • On who he’d like to see on the GOP ticket in 2012. Lovely imagery aside, this sort of reasoning is a reflection of the belief, common amongst some conservatives, that all the GOP needs to do to win over certain demographics is nominate members of those demographics to high-profile tickets. This isn’t the case, as McCain’s VP pick in 2008 proved all too well. source

20 Apr 2011 23:48

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Tech: Soon, your Kindle will replace your library card

Amazon is rolling out some great new features to Kindle users, including book lending and access to 11,000 public libraries. No word on when they’ll be out, though. source

20 Apr 2011 23:30

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Politics: Cut off the head, and another will grow

  • This year, GOP voters’ hunger for radicalism is so great that it can be filled by essentially anybody. Kill off Trump’s candidacy and the demand will remain, leaving an opening for yet another demagogic charlatan to take his place.
  • Ed Kilgore at The New Republic • Assessing the forces behind Donald Trump’s improbable candidacy for President. source

20 Apr 2011 23:19

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U.S.: A majority of Americans support same-sex marriage

  • YES polling indicates majority support for gay marriage
  • In 1988, 10% of Americans supported equal marriage rights. Now, after twenty-three years of rather intense political struggles, proponents of gay rights can plausibly claim a mandate. Polling over the last eight months strongly suggests that a majority of Americans—51% in the latest CNN poll—support same-sex marriage, and while public policy regrettably hasn’t caught up with public opinion yet, this is nonetheless a huge milestone for the gay rights movement, and civil rights as a whole. The aforementioned CNN poll was the fourth in eight months implying majority support.
  • 2009 two years ago, opponents of gay marriage outweighed supporters by 11%
  • 2012 in a year and a half, gay marriage advocates will outnumber opponents by 16% (if current trends continue)
  • 4% per-year increase in support for gay marriage since 2008; usually, it’s usually around 1-2% per year source

19 Apr 2011 00:06

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U.S.: Gas Rising: Six states in the US pay at least $4.00 per gallon

  • $4.48 average cost per gallon for gas in Hawaii, the most expensive in the nation
  • $3.54 cost per gallon in Montana, the state with the cheapest gas
  • 26 days straight; that’s how long gas prices in the US have been rising source

18 Apr 2011 23:07

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U.S.: Artist paints anti-gay church leader in compromising position with Satan

  • Well, this is awesome: The delightful Westboro Baptist Church, best known for protesting the funerals of soldiers and screaming “God Hates Fags” at anyone who will listen, just got a taste of its own medicine. The man pictured above is New York artist Scott LoBaido. LoBaido traveled to the church’s headquarters in Topeka, Kansas last weekend, set up shop across the street, and proceded to paint the above work of art. In case you can’t tell, it’s an image of WBC founder Fred Phelps, wearing nothing but a pair of purple underwear, lovingly embracing the Devil, as his daughter (the equally-charming Shirley Phelps-Roper) gazes on in anticipation. The police tried to stop LoBaido, but as his creation clearly qualifies as art, the anti-picketing laws afforded to the church didn’t apply. LoBaido is a traveling artist who paints patriotic imagery around the United States. He blasted Lady Gaga while making this masterpiece (which he plans to auction off for charity on eBay), earning him a police citation for violating anti-noise laws. We think it was well-worth it. source

18 Apr 2011 22:15

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Politics: Wisconsin: Recall campaign gains steam, control of State Senate now in play

  • three number of GOP State Senators in Wisconsin who will face a recall election, thanks to Democratic organizing efforts
  • three number of seats that have to change hands in order for Democrats to gain control of the Wisconsin State Senate source
  • » Total Recall: Democratic efforts to flip control of the Wisconsin State Senate just reached an important milestone, as organizers have now collected enough signatures to force three Republican senators into recall elections. If Democrats win all three elections, they’ll be rewarded with control of the Wisconsin State Senate. This is, of course, pending validation of the collected signatures; in all three cases, Democratic organizers submitted around 150% of the required number of signatures, so it’s unlikely that the petitions will be invalidated on those grounds. If Democrats are successful in recalling even one Wisconsin Republican, it’ll be an enormous victory for the pro-union movement, which launched the recall campaign last month in response to Governor Scott Walker’s union-busting “budget-repair” bill.
 

18 Apr 2011 21:44

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U.S.: Obama wants cooler high-tech gizmos in the White House

  • I always thought I was going to have really cool phones and stuff. I’m like, c’mon guys, I’m the President of the United States. Where’s the fancy buttons and stuff and the big screen comes up? It doesn’t happen.
  • President Obama • At a private fundraising event in Chicago. This is the sort of quote that will endear those who already like Obama and disgust those who hate him. source

13 Apr 2011 23:42

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U.S.: Kobe Bryant issued $100,000 penalty for calling a ref a bad word

  • $100k fine to Kobe Bryant for anti-gay slur source
  • » During a game against San Antonio, Kobe Bryant became angry at having been issued a technical foul, and referred to the referee using an anti-gay word that we won’t repeat. Unfortunately, the exchange was captured on camera, and following criticism from several prominent gay rights groups, the NBA decided to fine him $100,000. This may sound steep, but Bryant makes over $300,000 per game, so it’s really just a drop in the bucket. A very large drop, that is, in a very large bucket.

13 Apr 2011 23:12

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Politics: Rick Santorum launches presidential bid; political world remains indifferent

  • yesIt’s official: Former Senator Rick Santorum has announced the launch an exploratory committee to run for President!
  • no He still isn’t being taken seriously by anyone; Intraders currently give him a .7% chance of winning the nomination. source
  • » Flashback: When asked about his feelings on homosexuality in 2003, Santorum replied, “I have no problem with homosexuality. I have a problem with homosexual acts.” He then insisted that the Constitution doesn’t grant people the right to privacy. We’re just sayin’ .