Friday Pussy Blog

This photo released by the Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science shows the three kittens Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006, that were born in September to the world's first cloned cat. Two of the kittens take after their mother, while the third, left, has a gray coat like his father. (AP Photo/Texas A&M University, Larry Wadsworth)

Click the pic to link to the story.

Meanwhile, on a more personal note, here's a photo from Rebecca of Gus & Gabby (decided to include some "big dog" blogging today!) napping. I hope Rebecca doesn't mind -- I cropped the photo as much as I could to avoid overexposing the unmade bed... but then again, how do you make a bed with two kids relaxing on it?
Rebecca's comment accompanying the photo was: "I am really not in charge at my house."

As if that needed to be said!

We usually have a similar problem in this house. Tater Tot has already assumed his position on the bed this morning. You can also clearly see where his ”missing” toe should be on that outstretched foot.

Why a Global "War" on Terrorism Is a Bad Idea

These people just don't get it.

As President Bush weighs new strategies for Iraq, the Army's top general warned Thursday that his force "will break" without thousands more active duty troops and greater use of the reserves.

Noting the strain put on the force by operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the global war on terrorism, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker said he wants to grow his half-million-member Army beyond the 30,000 troops already added in recent years.

[...]

"Over the last five years, the sustained strategic demand ... is placing a strain on the Army's all-volunteer force," Schoomaker told the commission in a Capitol Hill hearing.

Well, there's always the draft option.

Seriously, his force "will break" regardless. Somebody needs to get the US military under control and get us the hell out of Iraq. They are on the verge of taking us into the abyss.

NJ Approves Civil Unions

But not "marriage." Wimps. Separate but equal is getting old really fast.

Stephen Goldstein, chairman of gay rights group Garden State Equality, said civil unions represent "tremendous progress." But he said he was disappointed legislators did not legalize gay marriage.

"I'm glad for the progress but not very satisfied," Goldstein said, adding he would continue fighting for same-sex marriage.

The measure passed the state Senate with a vote of 23-12 after the Assembly approved the measure 56-19 with five abstentions. Both houses are controlled by Democrats.

Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine is expected to sign the measure into law within a matter of days.

One of my NJ buds summed up my feelings rather precisely:

Now, if only you could get it through your thick skull that civil unions are still bigoted and unequal for same-sex partners, then we can pop this keg.

Yah, that boy never minces words.

War Profiteers in Iraq

Radical Russ has a post up at Pam's and it's worth the short trip over there to read it.

Be sure to participate in the poll under the fold.

Mmmmmmmmm Chocolate!

There was a knock at the door. Within 5 minutes txrad and I were poking one of these into our pie truffle holes. They define the word "bliss." But where on earth did they come from?

John McCain Wants More Troops in Iraq

John McCain has apparently graduated recently from the George W. Bush School of Bewildering Ineptitude.

"The American people are disappointed and frustrated with the Iraq war, but they want us to succeed if there's any way to do that," McCain, a possible 2008 presidential candidate, said at a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

The Arizona Republican said five to 10 more brigades of U.S. combat soldiers must be sent to Iraq. Brigades vary in size but generally include about 3,000 troops, meaning he was recommending 15,000 to 30,000 additional forces.

McCain, yesterday's recipient of my Asshole of the Day award, is clearly on a roll this week. Most American people, whether they like to admit it or not, have already realized this war probably won't be won. Many like myself, believe it can't be won in the way it has been framed by our incompetent presidential administration. Tossing another 15,000 to 30,000 young warm bodies into the fray will accomplish nothing more than providing more targets for the insurgents.

McCain even acknowledged that "only about 15 percent to 18 percent of Americans favor deploying more U.S. troops to Iraq." So, what the hell is he thinking? Is he wanting to throw all the chips on the table as a last bet that, however slim the odds of success are, would set him up as a hero going into the 2008 elections?

Farewell, Bajji

Thanks to ship traffic, overfishing and pollution, the bajji which has been around for some 20 million years has been declared extinct.

A rare, nearly blind white dolphin that survived for millions of years is effectively extinct, an international expedition declared Wednesday after ending a fruitless six-week search of its Yangtze River habitat.

[...]

"It's a tremendously sad day when any species goes extinct. It becomes more of a public tragedy to lose a large, charismatic species like the river dolphin," said Chris Williams, manager of river basin conservation for the World Wildlife Fund in Washington.

"The loss of a large animal like a river dolphin is often a harbinger for what's going on in the larger system as whole. It's not only the loss of a beautiful animal but an indication that the way its habitat is being managed, the way we're interacting with the natural environment of the river is deeply flawed ... if a species like this can't survive."

The same damaged habitat also threatens the Yangtze finless porpoise. It is believed less than 400 of those remain. I won't get my hopes up for their survival either.

Get Well Soon, Senator Johnson

Sorry. If you're looking for good news this morning you may have to wait awhile.

Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota is in critical condition after having brain surgery.

Johnson suffered from bleeding in the brain caused by a congenital malformation, the U.S. Capitol physician said, describing the surgery as successful. The condition, present at birth, causes tangled blood vessels.
"The senator is recovering without complication," the physician, Adm. John Eisold, said. "It is premature to determine whether further surgery will be required or to assess any long-term prognosis."

[...]

Democrats hold a fragile 51-49 margin in the new Senate that convenes Jan. 4. If Johnson leaves the Senate, the Republican governor of South Dakota could appoint a Republican — keeping the Senate in GOP hands with Vice President Dick Cheney's tie-breaking power.

Hmmm.

Asshole of the Day Award

Speaking of awards, this might even qualify for Asshole of the Year award. What a way to stamp out free speech and dissent.

Asshole. If he didn't like blogs before, he's really going to hate them now.

Support Liberal Bloggers!

Here's an update on the 2006 Weblog Awards. Basically, if you haven't voted today, you have 3 more voting opportuntites between now and when the voting closes at midnight, December 15.

There are some very close races in which literally every vote counts.

In Best New Blog, Hang Right Politics is leading Lesbian Dad by a total of 11 votes. I was hoping to finish in 4th place, I had slid to 5th place this week, and now I'm in 6th place. I could use 70-80 votes tonight to safely put me back in 5th place. 4th place is pretty much out of the question since those have nearly double my vote total, or more.

Best of 3500 - 5000, Blue Gal is now ahead by 65 but please continue to vote for her. It's been very tight today and earlier today she was only ahead by a vote or two.

Best of the Rest of the Blogs 8751+, Property of a Lady is now in 3rd place (215 votes), behind LizaWasHere (346) and Dr. Melissa Clouthier (234). This had been a closer race as well, so please support Deborah and throw some votes her way so we can get her up from 3rd.

There are plenty of other categories which I obviously didn't list because I'm either not familiar with the blogs in the category (and the way this week is progressing it's unlikely I'll have time to acquaint myself with them) or they are blowouts already, such is the case with Pam's House Blend in Best LGBT Blog. Of course that's well deserved and I'm happy. Keep those votes coming, and I also support Republic of T in the same category.

Best Liberal Blog is another blowout. There are several great blogs in that category which makes it a fierce competition. I continue to encourge votes for Shakespeare's Sister, probably the most entertaining blog I've ever encountered.

Everyone is encouraged to leave comments with voting suggestions for any categories I didn't mention. And it'll be interesting to see, within a few hours from now, just how outdated these numbers are that I've posted already!

Tis the season to be jolly....

...fa la la la la la la fuck it

I should be in a better mood. It's 71 and sunny and it is mid-December. (It was 31 this morning but that's OK as long as the days are nice.) But I wish I didn't have to leave the house again until early January.

I can understand heavy traffic on the weekends during the time of ultimate excess consumerism but throughout the weekdays? Don't these people have jobs? I had a couple of errands to run today and decided to stop and grab lunch while I was out. I didn't get to the sandwich joint until 1:30 and usually have the place to myself by that time. The place was packed. I decided to eat outside to avoid the hustle & bustle. That proved to be a challenge. Having 3 or 4 hands would have been useful to keep my meal from blowing away, to fan away the bee wanting to get into my Coke, and to pull the long hippie hair out of my face.

My only real errand involved mailing some checks at the post office. That's always a fun place to go this time of year. After the dining experience and the p.o. I decided another errand was essential: the liquor store. I'll be jolly tonight for damn sure.

Nigeria: Ripe for a Revolution

Gays are not the only group under sttack in Nigeria. Africa's most populous nation also seems to be waging war against the poor in order to create an upscale image for the city of Abuja.

...these days the deepest cleavage in Nigerian society yawns wider here than it does almost anywhere else — the chasm between the tiny, rich and powerful elite and the vast, impoverished majority of the nation’s 130 million people.

“They don’t want to see the common man, the poor man,” said Comrade Daniel, a motorcycle taxi driver, standing in the rubble of his neighborhood. He lost first his home and then his livelihood to a recent campaign to rid this stately capital of the blemishes of poverty. “They only care for themselves,” he said.

Mr. Daniel and others who live on the unruly edge of this tidy city in the mossy hills of central Nigeria say that Abuja has declared war on its poorest citizens.

In the interest of cultivating an image as a world-class city, comparable to London, Paris, New York or Hong Kong, the government has been razing unauthorized and unsightly slums, clearing out street hawkers and banishing popular and cheap motorcycle taxis, all in the name of spiffing up the city.

[pause here and take a deep breath.]

Sixty percent of Nigeria's 130 million citizens live in poverty. Forget the idea of building a world-class city; it would not even be as authentic as the faux replicas of worldwide landmarks on the Las Vegas strip. Try building a world-class country, free of suppression and oppression, which strives to improve the lives of all citizens.

The master plan’s housing estates unfurl with the orderliness of a planned subdivision: town houses and apartments for the well heeled, tract homes and villas for the even better heeled. But there is little provision for the army of civil servants, whose low wages place the graceful homes of Abuja out of reach.

As for the maids, drivers, security guards and laborers without whom this city would cease to function — people like Mr. Daniel and his sister — there is no place for them at all. Many have moved farther still, commuting for hours from neighboring states to escape the bulldozers.

The government has said it plans to help resettle those displaced by the demolition, estimated to be in the tens of thousands, but those who have lost their homes say no one has offered them any compensation or a new place to live. And so they are left with the bitter knowledge that their capital has no place for them.

Tip for success: Use some of that oil revenue for something besides your own corrupt greed and illusions of grandeur.

Oil accounts for more than 95 percent of Nigeria's foreign earnings and 80 percent of total government revenue. But in Africa's most populous region of more than 130 million people, oil has manifested all the signs of a curse.

Little of the oil wealth is seen by the vast majority of the population who live on less than US$1 a day. Nigeria's financial crimes agency estimates that a total of US$380 billion has been stolen or wasted through corruption and mismanagement by a succession of military and civilian rulers.

What a disgrace. And with the United States importing a million barrels of oil per day from Nigeria, we are helping fuel the crisis and corruption.

Courtney Love Minds Her Manners in Court

For some reason this made me smile, if only to count the days before she gives someone a black eye.

Courtney Love sobbed with joy and thanked a judge on Monday in Los Angeles after he ended her probation and dismissed three misdemeanor cases against her (two drug-related charges and one for assault and battery), The Associated Press reported. Ms. Love, 42, the former frontwoman for the rock band Hole and the widow of the Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, told Judge Rand Rubin of Los Angeles Superior Court: “Thank you for not taking me into custody. Thank you for giving me an opportunity. You’ve been a good, fair judge. Sorry for crying.” The judge said, “You’ve shown to me you are interested in a much less destructive lifestyle.”

My advice would be to stay away from Pete Doherty as well.

Alien Orifice

Another entree in the Zappadan series. Blue Gal has a hilarious graphic up at her place. (Unless you're into Zappa, none of this will be funny, so you therefore have no idea what you're missing out on.)

All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff.
--Frank Zappa

Click the graphic for a humorous Zappa "Family Circus."

Speaking of Blue Gal, be sure to vote here for her blog in the Weblog Awards. She's currently running 2nd in a pretty tight 3-way race (unlike mine!) so every vote counts.

53 58 63 Dead in Baghdad Bombings Today

The number is likely to climb before I can get this post up.

This protester in Santa Barbara, California probably stays pretty busy updating his informative sign.

credit: AFP/File/Robyn Beck

The coordinated attack in Baghdad's Tayaran Square involved a suicide attacker who drove up to the day laborers pretending to want to hire them, then set off his explosives as they got into his minibus, Lt. Bilal Ali said. At virtually the same time — 7 a.m. — a bomb exploded in a car parked some 30 yards away.

Punk-a-billy Hank the 3rd is 34 today

Give me one more round cause we're all going straight to hell.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANK III

Nigeria Set to Pass Harsh Laws Against Associating with Gays

If the House of Representatives in Nigeria votes as expected, a citizen there could serve 5 years in prison for the crime of reading my blog.

The legislation adds to the growing isolation of gays and lesbians in the African nation where sodomy is illegal. In northern Nigeria, which is under Islamic law, homosexuality can be punishable by death and in the rest of the country by long prison terms.

Earlier this year Nigeria made it illegal for same-sex couples to go abroad to marry. When they return they could be imprisoned for five years. Even attending a gay wedding could result in imprisonment.

And according to the AP report in the NY Times the law would include sharing a meal in a restaurant.

Just to remind you, in case you believe this has nothing to do with us over here (a common mentality these days), Nigeria, an OPEC member, is the 5th largest source of U.S. oil imports.

Every mile we drive helps support these atrocities. Feeling good about the world yet?

Many conservative blogs, unhappy with the anti-Bush rhetoric of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, have urged a boycott of Citgo, which is owned by the government of Venezuela. Seems to me there is a far greater evil at play on the African continent. I will continue to support Citgo under the circumstances.

Don't They Have Strip Clubs in Austin?

Yes, we do. I even know where a few are. Or maybe he can just buy himself a few magazines. They're sold all over the place. Let other photographers do the work for you. You just sit back and enjoy.

Someone needs to give this guy some pointers. No pun intended whatsoever. Or maybe just some therapy. How stupid do you have to be to claim the statewide championship title?

I found that story while searching for this one which I read about over at Texas Fred's, another contender in the Best New Blog category. Texas Fred is going to be discussing this, among other issues on his radio show tonight. God, how I'd love to eavesdrop on that one.

In case you are afraid to click the link, a 4-year-old boy, a pre-kindergartner, was suspended in Waco (of all places!) after hugging and "rubbing his face in the chest of a teacher."

What next, try him as a adult and throw him in the slammer? Sweet Jesus, I need a drink.

Kucinich Bashing Has Begun...

...on some of the right-wing blogs at least -- two of which are my competitors in the "Best New Blog" category. (I had to stop reading at two.) You'd think they'd have other things to be concerned about. But since they started it, I'll put in my 2-cents worth.

The liberal, anti-war Ohio congressman said he was inspired to run because he disagrees with the way some of his fellow Democrats are handling the war, including approval of a proposal to spend $160 billion more on the conflict.

I also disagree with spending another $160 billion on the conflict. I'm opposed to spending another $160 MILLION on the conflict. That's a pretty conservative opinion coming from a radical liberal.

Yo, right-wingers, listen up. All voices in the campaign have something to contribute. It's not ALWAYS about who wins, or who is likely to win. It's about what they have to say, what they can contribute, and perhaps influence.

Kucinich is not a "whackjob" because he is unlikely to win a single primary, or because he has been against the Iraq war from the beginning. And certainly not because he happens to be a vegan. (Oh, the horrors of that one in the eyes of the wingnuts!)

I voted for the guy in the 2004 primary and if there's not an equal or better option in 2008 (that certainly remains to be seen) I shall not hesitate to do so again.

In the meantime, you folks have fun with your Dennis bashing. Far be it from me to spoil your intellectual fun. Really.

Addendum: Some of the latest poll data would seem to indicate Kucinich's views on Iraq may not differ very much from a majority of Americans.

Also, one of the links I provided goes to yahoo reader comments on the Kucinich story. Now there's some entertainment!

Listen Up, Phat Girlz

Mo'Nique is 38 today, and quite a piece of work.