AARP, just another predatory insurance company. I knew there was a reason I’ve been tossing the endless mail solicitations for “membership”.

Thanks Jane for your usual rapier slice and dice on this one.

Obama’s leadership style, or I should say, the lack thereof, reminds me of the referee for a volleyball game that sits on his lofty perch and just makes sure the score is well kept while proclaiming “sideout” and pointing when the ball needs to change hands. So long as the clock is running the game is still on. When it runs out, well, somebody has won. So be it, at least I, as the ref, did not affect the outcome. All in a days work. Pay’s the same. Whatever. You fans want to get on my case? That’s just part of the job, and ha, at least I’m employed.

All anybody wants from a President is a little passion and conviction to go with their leadership. So much for that.

S–t, I let my hopes get up, way back when (silly me), now I can hardly even look at the guy. Oh well, as BTD says, “Pols do what pols do”. .

The President has been assured DoD has some concerns about Bradley’s safety. I am so reassured.

Call me a Fan Boy. FDL rules in depth, breadth and quality. I consider it a privilege to contribute albeit in a limited way. Thanks for all you do, one and all.

Thank you for the continued Bradley Manning updates.

I can’t believe that I am still shocked by the sick depravity of Bradley’s treatment (and that of others) after all these years, but I am.

Justice delayed is justice denied. The rule of law in our country may well be dead.

OT for sure. From Bad Astronomy- Phil Plaitt

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/11/18/exoplanet-found-from-another-galaxy/#more-24148

We know planets can form around stars in other galaxies. And that means that when we broaden our view, look not out into the galaxy but out into the Universe, we can know that there are not just trillions of planets out there, but billions of trillions. Each galaxy we see may have trillions of planets, and there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the Universe.

Makes all the rest seem trivial and Kabuki-esque.

For the record, I am for exoplanatory tax cuts for the rich. That should create some jobs. Actually not. Think of the mortgage fraud potential. It boggles the mind, should it be insufficiently boggled at the present moment.

Of course we’ll see what Obama will do when the report actually comes out, but he set up this sham. In all he does he empowers the Wingnuts, allows them to stake out the most radical right position, mealy mouths some opposing position temporarily, then throws in the towel before anything really happens, then takes some little bone and declares that that was the best anybody could do. Absolutely pathetic. I can’t see how he is anything but a Wingnut mole. Seriously.

Only a miracle would keep me from going all in for a primary challenger. Can’t see how it risks much. If the system is going to crash, I’d almost rather it go quickly than draw out the torture, because IF the people in this country have a collective soul left (I’m skeptical), they may only wake up when they are all completely decimated.

Is this a great country or what? Move over third world, here we come.

I assume yesterday’s defeat is the kind of metric that will finally make it clear to the White House that the economy sucks and people are pissed about it.

Yeah, maybe, but what are they going to do about it. Oh, I know, reach out to the corporate masters that just kicked their A$$ and ask them if they won’t please accept more taxpayer money and please, after appropriating a worthy sum for their bonuses, deign to hire a slave or two, lest there be no one left to purchase their goods; but only after a proper tax credit and reduction in income brackets and gutting of burdensome social security contributions. And if they hesitate, sweeten the pot.

“Après le wank, le douche.”

Spew alert was missing. Never before a more accurate description of the Creepy One.

In the home state here we had a very large ballot of local, state and national candidates, ballot initiatives and 15 judicial “Yes” or “No” votes to cast. I have to admit I had no clue for any of the judicial candidates(?). The first thing I thought of when I saw the judges was that this will be the next institution to be polluted by Rethug corporate money,that is, if it hasn’t already been. They’ve managed to subvert the Supreme Court, why stop there.

True enough. What I fear is that it cannot be slain without the utter collapse of our legal and economic system, which may nearly be upon us. It seems clear our political system is in the toilet.

My tin foil hat fits quite comfortably by the way, although perhaps a tad askew.

As a nation of absurdly prideful people, by our incessant acts of torture and war, and by their general acceptance and glorification, we plunge ever deeper into the seemingly bottomless pit of depravity. This scarred and contorted face of our country shocks the collective conscience of those who have one of their own. Hope gasps at breath. What is this monster of which we are possessed?