See, this is why Republicans shouldn't be trusted with computers

Via Think Progress:

Rep. Pete Hoeksra (R-MI), the ranking member of the House intelligence committee, revealed classified intelligence information on Twitter when he reported on his “congressional trip to Iraq this weekend that was supposed to be a secret.” “Just landed in Baghdad,” messaged Hoekstra, who was part of a delegation led by John Boehner (R-OH). CQ reports, “Before the delegation left Washington, they were advised to keep the trip to themselves for security reasons. A few media outlets, including Congressional Quarterly, learned about it, but agreed not to disclose anything until the delegation had left Iraq.” Hoekstra not only revealed the existence of the trip, but included details about their itinerary. In a May 2006 op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, Hoekstra wrote:

But every time classified national security information is leaked, our ability to gather information on those who would do us harm is eroded. … I regret that I see little sign of intolerance for unauthorized disclosures of intelligence to the media from some of my Democratic colleagues today. … We are a nation at war. Unauthorized disclosures of classified information only help terrorists and our enemies – and put American lives at risk.

Hit that man with a shoe.

Just checking in...

...you are all watching Friday Night Lights now, right?

Good.

Anybody remember my old blog?

...this is the song from which I took its name. I'm still weirdly proud of what you find if you click on that.



And it's still a nice song. These are fantastic visuals (by "shum65"), too.

I agree with this idea

From "oleeb" at TPM:

The President should get rid of ALL of the foolish tax cuts in the bill, do the things he knows are right, make no compromise with those blithering idiots and demand that they support the bill as he wants it.

What I want to know is, how many of these hot chicks who kick ass is he going to kill this time?

Joss Whedon on Dollhouse.

This made me smile.

Not as much as seeing him do at least a couple years in jail...but it made me smile.

A Dallas hardware store has offered George W. Bush a job as a "greeter."

Can't stop writing them Amazon reviews

This one's of Gary David Goldberg's memoir, Sit, Ubu, Sit.

Random weirdness

When Andrew Sullivan is right, he's right.

And he is right about this:

It has taken Obama two weeks to say something that George W. Bush couldn't manage to say in eight years: "I screwed up." This is change we can really believe in.

It's just that as always with the (generally) conservative Sullivan, you have to take into account the many years he spent believing Bush thought he was a human being. Although he's a hell-bound homo fag.

Information that should be passed along

From Pam's House Blend:

According to final tallies, donors on both sides on Prop. 8 gave more than $83 million. To put this in perspective, here is what $83 million dollars will buy:

Health insurance for 7,000 families for one year;
1628 kidney transplant surgeries;
4.3 million school lunches;
2733 college educations at 4-year private schools;
6486 college educations at 4-year public schools;
Funding for 692 small homeless shelters for one year (10 person capacity); or
Food for 22,800 families of four for one year

Memories.

Remember when the GOP's big strike against Obama was that he didn't have expertise or credibility and so therefore, nobody should listen to him? Boy I miss them days.

Because right now, the GOP's most popular; prominent media spokespeople are Sarah Palin...and Joe the Plumber. Two people so lightweight in the experience department they make Obama look like he was carved out of Mt. Rushmore.

And of course, two people we have John McCain to thank for inflicting on the American Public.

Way to talk straight, John.

What a novelty: Justice in the Justice Department

From TPM Muckraker:

Remember Leslie Hagan, who last April was dismissed by Monica Goodling from the Justice Department's Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys because she was rumored to be gay?

Well, the Obama administration has righted that wrong, giving Hagen her job back, reports NPR, which broke the original story of her dismissal.

Dear Anne...

Sweetheart, you know I love you, but we have to talk about that dress.

Ooh!

Say, you know who I like? George Clooney. I like him as a filmmaker. I like him as a movie star. And not to put too fine a point on it, but if I were a girl, I totally would. So I like him.

You know who else I like? Aaron Sorkin--the president of smart, witty, dense dialogue; the romantic language of entertainment.

And now you know what's coming, don't you?

Aaron Sorkin, the creator of The West Wing, is to collaborate with George Clooney on upcoming courtroom drama The Challenge.

Variety reports Clooney's production company Smoke House is to develop the film, based on the trial of Osama bin Laden's driver Salim Hamdan.

The Burn After Reading star may direct the film and is likely to play Navy lawyer Charles Swift who worked with law professor Neal Katyal to ensure Guantanamo Bay detainee Hamdan received a fair trial.

Things you do want to know.

Just a quick follow-up on this post:

When 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers' badly decomposed remains were found inside a plastic box in October 2007, investigators promised they would do at least one thing for the toddler.

"That we would find the people responsible for her death and bring them to justice and we did," said Galveston County Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Barry.

A jury on Monday convicted Riley's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, of capital murder for the little girl's death. The child had been whipped with belts and flung across a room like a rag doll before her body was dumped in Galveston Bay. Until her remains were identified, she was dubbed "Baby Grace" by investigators.

Jurors deliberated less than two hours before reaching a verdict. The conviction brought an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole.

That's the least she deserves.

I can't very well disappoint the boy, now can I?

Social Seppuku linked to this blog today, saying:

For a trip in the Wayback Machine
with beautiful women, I go to:
A Dragon and Buddha Dance

Didn't get the title quite right, but who's gonna blame 'him? And--

a trip in the Wayback Machine:



beautiful women:

Dear Republicans...

...I mean, I'm 99% sure there are no Republicans reading this. But nevertheless: Dear Republicans...

...it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Poll: Republicans Want Party To Be Like Palin

Emma Roberts has her eye on the sparrow

Her role model? Anne Hathaway. Lindsay Lohan? Not so much.

ETA images.

Dude, you're making Terminator 4, ok? Terminator 4. Maybe you want to lighten the fuck up just a little bit.

OMG, Christian Bale is fucking nuts.

Joe Lieberman: Proof positive that all Jews are not funny

Via Think Progress:

Lieberman jokes about waterboarding at black-tie dinner.»

At last night’s black-tie dinner at Washington’s Alfalfa Club, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) couldn’t resist cracking a joke about torture.

More from Senator Lieberman: ‘We had hoped Vice President Cheney would be here tonight. I hope it’s not his back injury that’s keeping him away. Apparently, he hurt it moving some things out of his office. Personally, I had no idea that waterboards were so heavy.'

Last year, Lieberman, who has voted against banning waterboarding, “reluctantly acknowledged” that he doesn’t believe that waterboarding is torture. “It is not like putting burning coals on people’s bodies. The person is in no real danger. The impact is psychological,” he said.

Réutilisant

Des cabines de téléphone (comme aquarium)

Nice one, Mr. Daschle.

Way to embarass the President.

"Are we more homophobic than we are racist? Or more racist than we are homophobic?"

On an early episode of the Michael J. Fox-led sitcom Spin City, there's a joke where Michael Boatman says to Alan Ruck something along the lines of (this is from memory and approximate),

"I know what your problem is, Stuart. See, I'm a black man, but I'm also gay, and you don't know which of your prejudices should win. It's dueling stereotypes."

When I saw this news about the current state of the Republican Party...

David Duke loses it over Michael Steele at RNC

...I thought of that scene.

Between the panda, the dog, and the robot, who would you bet on?

You know...there are animation fans (and professionals) who wonder why the art form is seen in such a negative light in the US. Which it is, or at least, it's seen as being "just for kids."

Well, this is why:

Animated hit Kung Fu Panda was the toast of the 36th annual Annie Awards on Friday (30Jan09) night - triumphing in 10 categories.
The 2008 picture, starring Angelina Jolie and Jack Black, took the top gong for Best Animated Feature beating out competition from fellow Oscar contenders Wall-E and Bolt, as well as Waltz With Bashir and $9.99.

The film also picked up gongs in the Animated Effects and Production Design categories amongst others, while Dustin Hoffman was presented with the Best Voice Acting prize for his role as red panda Shifu.

Now: In the interests of complete fairness it should be pointed out that I have not seen Kung Fu Panda, and so I suppose I should say it is possible it will stand up through the years as a great achievement in films animated or otherwise, as Wall-E almost certainly will.

It is also possible that Jessica Simpson will have her own exhibition in the Smithsonian.

Sheesh.