Agnosticsherbet
Agnosticsherbet's JournalFilubuster Crack Whore adicts forced to go cold turkey
without a single judicial nomination they can snort.
You gave um hell, Harry.
Good on ya.
Does reforming the filibuster remove a Senator's right to put a hold on any nomination.
Granted, from the Senates own site at Senate.Gov, they admit there is no actual rule in place.
The practice of "holds" (requests by senators to party leaders to delay floor consideration of legislation or nominations), which is nowhere recognized in Senate rules or precedents and about which little is known with respect to its origins, has become a prominent feature of today's Senate
But it has been used often to stop a nomination. Will Republicans go nuclear with this procedural tool to stop the government from governing? Stay tuned for next week, next month, next year.
Harry, you have the power, make the filibuster go away.
We must not kid ourselves into thinking that Christie hasn't got a shot at the White House
In almost every election, Republicans nominate what they see as the sensible moderate in sheep's clothing. Romney won the "electable" meme and became the nominee against the teaparty clamoring for a "Real Conservative." (NOTE - a Teaparty "Real Conservative" is the person who sounds sane to the crazies.) McCain won the "electable" meme and the nomination in 2008. Bush won the "electable" meme in 2000, and the White House, with that "Compassionate Conservative" lie while running against Bill Clinton's zipper, with the help of criminal acts and the Supreme Court.
As long as there are enough Republicans who want someone they think is electable by the independent center right voters, he will win the "electable meme." If an open crazy like Cruz wins the nomination, the Republican party will have completed its Wiginization and will be gone by 2020, replaced by a party that keeps its screaming crazies in a box.
This is why Christie is the most dangerous Republican in the current race. He is capable of looking normal to the independent, non-aligned voters in the center, many of whom are Republicans who were left without a party by the shifting definition of "Conservative" and the drive for ideological purity.
The Hillary-lujah Chorus
Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah!
Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah!
For the next Clinton President reigneth.
Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah!
For the next Clinton President reigneth.
Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah!
Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah!
The Wife of Bill Clinton
Is become the President of our Land,
And mother of Chelsea, And mother of Chelsea;
And she shall reign for four years and four,
For four years and four, four years and four,
Clinton of Clintons, and President of Presidents,
Clinton of Clintons, and President of Presidents, :|
And President of Presidents,
And She shall reign,
And She shall reign for four years and four,
Clinton of Clintons, and President of Presidents,
And President of Presidents,
Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah!
And She shall reign for four years and four,
Clinton of Clintons, and President of Presidents
And She shall reign for four years and four,
Clinton of Clintons, and President of Presidents!
Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah! Hillary-lujah!
Hillary-lujah!
(Brought to you by the Droppings Behind the Horse Foundation.)
Reposted from another thread.
Exceptionalism!
If we are an Exceptional Nation
Do we not then have Exceptional rulers
Who sit their Exceptional arses
Upon an Exceptional throne
Supported by Exceptional companies
Led by Exceptional executives
That deliver Exceptional profits
To their Exceptional 1% investors
While the Exceptional masses
Wallow in Exceptional mystery
For the Exceptional scraps
Tossed them by Exceptional leaders
Of their Exceptional nation.
Agnosticsherbet
10.31.2013
Psychologists Propose Horrifying Solution to PTSD in Drone Operators
Drone operators often kill their targets from a continent away, but studies suggest that even thousands of miles of distance cannot mitigate war's devastating psychological effects. But just wait until you hear how researchers propose preventing PTSD, alcohol abuse and thoughts of suicide in drone operators.
The latest issue of GQ features a stunning read, written by Michael Powers, about former Air Force drone sensor operator Brandon Bryant and his military service. One of the first pilots to speak out about his experience with the drone program, Bryant paints a frightening portrait of death-dealing from a distance, and the psychological trauma wrought by his nearly six-years of service as a drone operator.
It's a captivating read – one definitely worth reading in its entirety – but we were particularly struck by the section exploring Bryant's PTSD diagnosis, which he received just a few months after his heavy conscience led him to leave the Air Force:
***CUT***
These effects [PTSD, alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation] appeared to spike at the exact time of Bryant's deployment, during the surge in Iraq. (Chillingly, to mitigate these effects, researchers have proposed creating a Siri-like user interface, a virtual copilot that anthropomorphizes the drone and lets crews shunt off the blame for whatever happens. Siri, have those people killed.)
I think that putting Siri in charge of all that death and destruction is wrong headed an, ultimately, will fail. The article reveals evidence that it isn't necessary to be there in the middle of it when the shit comes down. People sitting at a computer terminal in Nevada receive a "moral injury" when placed in these situation. Telling Siri to blow up those people will extract the same toll as operating the drone, guiding the missile, or putting a bullet through he head of another person. War is ugly, but it is part of what we are. Even our nearest relatives, Bonobos and other great apes, fight wars. When a war is necessary, putting these layers of insulation between the soldier and the act will just make unnecessary wars more likely.
If we don't perceive a high cost to an endeavor, we don't think about it quite so much.
If we must fight, then everybody should fight. Every citizen should pay the cost.
Science Textbooks Publishers Stand Up To Creationists: We Don’t Publish Fiction
In a positive step for a flagging American education system, Texas science textbook publishers are keeping creationism out of their books. All 14 of the publishers who make science textbooks for classrooms in Texas have decided to exclude mention of religiously motivated “creation science” theories.
The Texas Freedom Network, a nonpartisan organization whose goal it is to promote religious freedom and civil liberties, has reviewed the latest textbooks written for Texas students and submitted to the Texas Education Agency and reports that the textbooks have resisted political pressure to include creationism or Intelligent Design when teaching about the subject of evolution.
In a statement by the Texas Freedom Network, they report their findings:
Materials submitted to the Texas Education Agency and examined by the Texas Freedom Network and university scientists show that publishers are resisting pressure to undermine instruction on evolution in their proposed new high school biology textbooks for public schools. “This is a very welcome development for everyone who opposes teaching phony science about evolution in our kid’s public schools,” Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller said. “Texas parents can applaud these publishers for standing up to pressure from politicians and activists who want to put their personal beliefs ahead of giving Texas students a 21st-century science education.” - See more at: http://www.classwarfareexists.com/science-textbooks-publishers-stand-up-to-creationists-we-dont-publish-fiction/#sthash.2ZQGPF6e.dpuf
This is a great step for education. I applaud fighting back against a state government attempting to force religion into education.
Fox News Allegedly Pushed Back Criticism With Phony Commenters
From NPR reporter David Folkenflick's "Murdoch's World," as quoted by Media Matters:
On the blogs, the fight was particularly fierce. Fox PR staffers were expected to counter not just negative and even neutral blog postings but the anti-Fox comments beneath them. One former staffer recalled using twenty different aliases to post pro-Fox rants. Another had one hundred. Several employees had to acquire a cell phone thumb drive to provide a wireless broadband connection that could not be traced back to a Fox News or News Corp account. Another used an AOL dial-up connection, even in the age of widespread broadband access, on the rationale it would be harder to pinpoint its origins. Old laptops were distributed for these cyber operations. Even blogs with minor followings were reviewed to ensure no claim went unchecked.
We all pretty much knew this was happening. It is good to see this finally getting a little attention.
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