Today's WTF

From The Economist:

IN WAR, it is said, there are no unwounded soldiers. Bombs that shatter bones also batter brains. Even on the periphery, war afflicts men with aching joints, ringing ears and psychological damage. Imagine, then, the human damage wrought by over a decade of battle.

America does not have to. Its wounded warriors are now seeking help in record numbers. Nearly half of its 1.6m soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan have asked for disability benefits from the government. (Just 21% filed similar claims after the first Gulf war, according to estimates.) With ageing veterans of earlier conflicts also seeking more help, America’s disabled-servicemen population has increased by almost 45% since 2000.

 --snip--

Nearly 1m veterans are now waiting. On average it takes the VA about nine months to complete a claim. In some big cities the average delay is over 600 days. Those who appeal against a refusal usually wait two years for a resolution. Mr Obama entered the White House with a promise to fix the system, but waiting-times have increased considerably on his watch. Even the navy SEAL who shot Osama bin Laden says he is waiting for his claim to be processed.

But, hey - let's not let all that ruin our day or anything.  In fact, we should look for something heart-warming and sentimental to keep us from thinking too hard about how fucked up all this is. So here's the story about a dog named Lemon Pay who was mutilated by bad guys in a Mexican drug gang:

A dog named Pay de Limon (Lemon Pay) runs, fitted with two front prosthetic legs at Milagros Caninos rescue shelter in Mexico City, on August 29, 2012. Members of a drug gang in the Mexican state of Zacatecas chopped off Limon’s paws to practice cutting fingers off kidnapped people, according to Milagros Caninos founder Patricia Ruiz. Fresnillo residents found Limon in a dumpster bleeding and legless.

After administering first aid procedures, they managed to take him to Milagros Caninos, an association that rehabilitates dogs that have suffered extreme abuse. The prosthetic limbs were made at OrthoPets in Denver, Colorado, after the shelter was able to raise over $6,000.
(Reuters/Tomas Bravo)

So we send people to fight and to bleed and to die in a coupla of really stupid wars, and when they come home broken, we fuck them (and/or their families) around for a year or two while we complain about how expensive and difficult it all is.

But somebody finds a fucked up dog and holy crap, dude - better get on that one right away cuz y'know - the Mexicans can pay us in cash up front and everything.

And Jesus wept.

(ed note: really hoping the dog story isn't an April Fools thing - that would really mellow my harsh)

Today's Dead Kids

Posted: Mar 31, 2013 4:07 PM EDT Updated: Mar 31, 2013 4:07 PM EDTBy Associated Press

MIAMI - (AP) - A four-year-girl is dead after being shot while sitting in a car, and detectives are investigating whether another young child fired the gun.
Miami-Dade Police report Rahquel Carr was shot in the upper body Saturday at about 6:10 p.m. She was airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where she died.

Det. Roy Rutland says the girl was waiting in a white Mercedes-Benz with at least two other children when she was shot. All the children are believed to have been under age 10.

Rutland says the handgun was located and fired from within the car. An adult was standing nearby outside.

The Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney is reviewing the case to determine if charges will be filed.

--and--

Posted: Mar 31, 2013 7:43 PM EDTUpdated: Mar 31, 2013 7:43 PM EDT
By WKRG Staff

PRICHARD, Ala - Breaking news out of Prichard tonight where authorities say a toddler was shot and killed on South Fairford Drive.

The child, a 4-year old boy, accidentally shot himself in the chest.

His parents rushed him to USA Children's and Women's Hospital where he died.

We're told the boy and his parents had just come from Easter Services at church and were visiting with family when the accident happened.

News 5 will continue to follow this story and will pass along updates as they are made available.

You could say these 2 incidents probably aren't prevented by Background Checks and a Ban on Semi-Autos and Hi-Capacity Ammo Clips.

But incidents like these can be prevented by making guns less accessible, so maybe just making people go thru a little more hassle to get a gun makes this shit a little less likely to happen.  Ya gotta start somewhere.

The "New" GOP

Gotta love it.  There actually are some Repubs who're aware that the core of their party has degenerated into a fetid blob of Dixie-whistling left-over Confederate dead-enders;  people who have to be told straight out not to use terms like "wetback" (Rep Don Young, R-Alaska); and so apparently, they're being tutored in the finer arts of - uhm - whatcha call it?  Political Correctness?  Yeah, I think that's it.

Let us all take a brief moment to revel in the pure snicker-fucking of lots of wrong-side-of-every-damned-issue politicians.

Ok, good. Let's move on and let Dr Maddow guide us thru this latest GOP Cluster Fuck.



Mm-mm good.

And here's the full list from the piece at The Hill:

"When engaging in conversation or doing an interview on immigration reform:

Do acknowledge that 'Our current immigration system is broken and we need to fix it'

Don’t begin with 'We are against amnesty'

Note: Most everyone is against amnesty and this is interpreted as being against any reform.

"When talking about a solution for the millions here without documentation who could qualify to get in line first with a temporary visa, then legal residence and finally citizenship:

Do use the phrase 'earned legal status'

Don't use the phrase 'pathway to citizenship'

Note: This has a different meaning and can denote getting in front of the line to get citizenship – this is not true. Most Republicans and Democrats, along with 70% of Americans, support a fair system by which those who are undocumented can come forward, register with the government, pass a background check, pay a fine, learn English and get legal status first – that is earned legal status, not automatic citizenship.

"When addressing securing our borders:Do use the wording 'enforcement of our borders includes more border patrol, technology, and building a fence where it makes sense'Don't use phrases like 'send them all back,' electric fence,' 'build a wall along the entire border'

"When talking about immigrants:

Do use 'undocumented immigrant' when referring to those here without documentation

Don't use the word 'illegals' or 'aliens'

Don't use the term 'anchor baby'

"When addressing amnesty and earned legal status:

Do acknowledge that the true meaning of amnesty is to pardon without any penalty

Don't label earned legal status as amnesty

Don't characterize all Hispanics as undocumented and all undocumented as Hispanics

"When broadly addressing reforms:

Do acknowledge that President Obama broke his promise and failed to propose any immigration reform for five years, while using this issue as a political wedge

Do talk about the issues you support like overhauling the bureaucratic visa system, creating a viable temporary worker program, a workable e-verify system, and border security

Don’t focus on amnesty as a tenet of immigration reform

Don't use President Reagan's immigration reform as an example applicable today

Note: That legislation was true amnesty; in addition, border security, fixing our visa system, and a temporary worker program were parts of the reform which were never implemented."

And finally - "Hey, all you culturally hot romantic and totes cool wetbacks - Thanks for sneaking into America to pick our food and clean our toilets for us!  Luv ya'll - vote Republican!"

Defending Amina

Proof once again that ya gotta be careful with the whole Rights Thing - if some folks get the rights they're entitled to, before ya know it they're all gonna want 'em.

So anyway, in the last several months, we've seen the story about a kid in Afghanistan speaking up in favor of education for women and being nearly shot to pieces for her trouble; then we got the one a few weeks ago about the Islamo-Fundies coming down on a young woman who dared go against her father's choice of a suitable husband or some such nonsense; and now there's this about a young woman somewhere in Tunisia who really just wants the Theocrats to leave her the fuck alone already.

19 year old Tunisian Amina who posted a topless photo of herself bearing the slogan “my body belongs to me, and is not the source of anyone’s honour” has been threatened with death.

Islamist cleric Adel Almi, president of Al-Jamia Al-Li-Wassatia Tawia Wal-Islah, has called for Amina’s flogging and stoning to death saying Amina’s actions will bring misfortune by causing “epidemics and disasters” and “could be contagious and give ideas to other women…”

We, the undersigned, unequivocally defend Amina, and demand that her life and liberty be protected and that those who have threatened her be immediately prosecuted.

On 4 April 2013, we call for an International Day to Defend Amina.

As a well-conditioned American consumer, I readily admit to hearing a bell whenever  somebody runs a little T & A at me; and to being kinda transfixed by the the visual prospects of an actually-naked real-life non-PhotoShopped female human.  So on that one (very important) level I'm like 'Yeah - OK - throw me some jiggle, and I'll follow you anywhere'.

But this isn't about the usual crapola of small-head-thinking or forbidden fruit or any of the standard moralistic bullshit.  It's also not about American First World Feminism bitching about self-loathing and self-objectification; and it's not about showering pity on some poor soul - "oh look at how she has to degrade herself just to make a point; isn't that awful?"  It's not about anything but having the guts to stand up for yourself.

It's about "by any means necessary".

People will be free; they'll do it for themselves when they're ready; and it's best for all of us if we try a little harder just to stay the fuck outa their way.

Today's Movie

A morality tale, and a peek at the need for bread and circus as an empire begins to collapse.



If you watch this movie, you'll need something sunny and happy and cuddly afterwards - you've been warned.

The Esteemed Mr Pierce

From Charlie Pierce at Esquire:

The problem, of course, remains that the president is dealing with a Republican party in which Johnny Isakson is now a "moderate." That is his problem. Our problem is that the conversation over dinner is almost guaranteed to center completely on the proposition, "How much pain ahould we inflict on people who are not us?" The fact that the American economy has almost completely surrendered to corporate oligarchy is not likely to come up.

Every time I think about what's happening - especially what's going on in this "new economy" - I can't help but remember the observational acuity of Yakov Smirnoff: "We pretend to work and they pretend to pay us."

Music

And though you try to justify the meaning
Of the note you sent this evening
To my door you're not deceiving me

Well, I'd have thought that you'd have known much better
Sending 'round an unsigned letter
Facing me would be much better now

Is it just that you can't face the future with me
Can't you tell me to my face?
You just took the coward's way to say goodbye
How would you feel here in my place?

And now I know my love is lost on you
And nothing you can say or do
Will turn my head around the other way

I'd have thought you'd have the decency
To come and tell the truth to me
Instead of telling lies your eyes betray

Is it just that you can't face the future with me
Can't you tell me to my face?
You just took the coward's way to say goodbye
How would you feel here in my place?

Tell me to my face you're leaving now
Tell me to my face that you're leaving now

And though you try to justify the meaning
Of the note you sent this evening
To my door
you're not deceiving me

Well, I'd have thought that you'd have known much better
Sending 'round an unsigned letter
Facing me would be much better now

Is it just that you can't face the future with me
Can't you tell me to my face?
You just took the coward's way to say goodbye
How would you feel here in my place?

Tell me to my face you're leaving now
Tell me to my face that you're leaving now

Connections

Like the man said - follow the money.  Wall Street, Capitol Street, K Street, Main Street - they're all connected by rivers of money.  If you have enough money, you can buy your way into or out of just about anything.

From Addicting Info:

Fact is, the food industry is only as safe as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lets it be. It was not that long ago that food companies were found to be doing such things as adding sawdust to bread. Food fraud is rampant, with companies willing to do anything to make a buck. And with the continuing effort to eliminate the powers of the FDA in the name of profits, it is clear that the “free market,” as coined by Milton Friedman, does not work, period.

I'll quibble just a bit with "free market...doesn't work, period".  If the free market is hollowing out the middle class and making it more and more difficult for more and more people to make the end of the month match up with the end of the money, then The Free Market is actually working pretty much as designed.

Making just a slight turn in the road - from Business Insider:

In its early days, the National Rifle Association was a grassroots social club that prided itself on independence from corporate influence.
While that is still part of the organization's core function, today less than half of the NRA's revenues come from program fees and membership dues.
The bulk of the group's money now comes in the form of contributions, grants, royalty income, and advertising, much of it originating from gun industry sources.

Since 2005, the gun industry and its corporate allies have given between $20 million and $52.6 million to it through the NRA Ring of Freedom sponsor program. Donors include firearm companies like Midway USA, Springfield Armory Inc, Pierce Bullet Seal Target Systems, and Beretta USA Corporation. Other supporters from the gun industry include Cabala's, Sturm Rugar & Co, and Smith & Wesson.

The NRA also made $20.9 million — about 10 percent of its revenue — from selling advertising to industry companies marketing products in its many publications in 2010, according to the IRS Form 990.

Additionally, some companies donate portions of sales directly to the NRA. Crimson Trace, which makes laser sights, donates 10 percent of each sale to the NRA. Taurus buys an NRA membership for everyone who buys one of their guns. Sturm Rugar gives $1 to the NRA for each gun sold, which amounts to millions. The NRA's revenues are intrinsically linked to the success of the gun business.

Guns, Oil, Finance, Ag, Defense - even the apparatus of the 2 major parties.  Taking just a quick stroll around Google, you can stumble across an amazing array of organizations and companies that are very very busily making your government their bitch.





And those vids are kinda old now, but y'know what?  $14 Billion to fund all the campaigns of all the congress critters sounds like a fuckin' bargain to me.

Somethin's gotta give.

We Win One

This caught my eye as I was meandering on the YouTube:



I don't recognize any of the various DumFux Doofae Residentium from the clip, so I don't know where to begin looking for followup (which is a convenient if lame excuse for not really caring to spend waste my time looking for more shit to squint at on DumFux News).

Anyway, I did manage to find a nice writeup at The Sensuous Curmudgeon, providing some details about how the teacher appealed to the 9th Circuit; won there, and then was further vindicated when SCOTUS declined to take the case in late 2011?):

When we wrote about Dr. Corbett’s appellate victory, we repeated something we said before, and we still think it’s true so we’ll repeat it again:

[T]he key to this case isn’t whether Chad can go through life with a silly smirk on his face; what matters here is whether there’s any money to be made in creationist litigation. If this case provides a good fee for Chad’s legal team, there will be an incentive for more of the same.

Children and their parents will be used as tools for rapacious “family values” lawyers. Creationist kids will be listening intently in class — not to learn any history or science, but to detect any “ungodly” expressions their teachers may make. Good teachers — who are already on the endangered species list — will become extinct.

I don't much like myself when I do this, but I think I'll just assume Fox followed their usual pattern by never saying another thing about it after the initial airing.

Like I said, I don't much like myself when I make those assumptions, but I have yet to find evidence of my being wrong to make 'em.

Today's Gun Nuttery

via Democratic Underground:

A teenager shot and killed his 12-year-old brother because he mistook him for an intruder in their Florida home, police said today.

According to police the 16-year-old was home alone on Friday when his younger brother came home.

"He heard some noises and he called out for his brother and he didn't answer and then his brother startled him," Orlando Police Department Detective Mike Moreschi told ABCNews.com affiliate WFTV.

Scared that there was an intruder in the home, the older boy grabbed a gun and shot his brother, according to police. Once the teen realized what had happened, he immediately called 911.

So another kid is dead and another entire family is forever fucked up because we can't seem to figure how to live our lives without a fuckin' gun.