Yup. The death of somebody you never heard was announced today. He was 71.
Toadsucking
Anybody else besides me hear the story on All Things Considered (on NPR) about the family dog (named Lady) who was addicted to toad-sucking?
"Then, late one night after I’d put the dogs out, Lady wouldn’t come in," Laura Mirsch says. "She finally staggered over to me from the cattails. She looked up at me, leaned her head over and opened her mouth like she was going to throw up, and out plopped this disgusting toad."
It turned out the toads were toxic — and, if licked, the fluids on their skin provided a hallucinogenic effect.
NPR has the story here about one family’s shame with their junkie-dog. Listen to the audio — it’s better.
50° 0’38.20″N 110° 6’48.32″W
For those of you with Google Earth (and that should be all of you — it’s the coolest thing to play around with — and it’s free!), type in those coordinates and you’ll fly to a mountain range somewhere in Alberta.
From above, it looks like an Indian listening to his iPod.
Hat tip: Boing Boing
Dlibert Cartoonist Gets His Voice
18 months ago, Scott Adams, the cartoonist who draws "Dilbert", lost his voice due to something called Spasmodic Dysphonia. That’s when a part of your brain simply shuts down, and you lose the ability to talk.
There is no cure. Specialists could not help him.
A couple of days ago, working on his own pet theory that he could "remap" his brain simply by thinking about talking in a different contest, he discovered he could recite rhymes.
And one day later, he found he could talk. He recounts the story on his blog:
But suddenly, yesterday, I felt the connection again. It wasn’t just being able to speak, it was KNOWING how. The knowing returned.
I still don’t know if this is permanent. But I do know that for one day I got to speak normally. And this is one of the happiest days of my life.
Don’t Know Lewis v. Harris?
Well, you’re about to.
The New Jersey Supreme Court is announcing its decision on Lewis v. Harris today at 3 pm.
It’s a same-sex marriage case, and conventional wisdom suggests that the NJSC will come out in favor of gay marriages (New Jersey, unlike most states, has no law or state constitution provision which defines marriages as strictly between a man and woman).
This could be the "October Surprise" that Rove is hoping for — causing everyone to turn away from issues like Iraq or health care or the economy, and rallying the GOP base just in time for the upcoming elections. Hey — fanning the flames of the gay marriage issue worked in 2004, right?
But hopefully, America has woken up and learned how to prioritize issues that are life-and-death over those that just irritate them personally.
[3:00 p.m. UPDATE: The decision was basically this:
Although we cannot find that a fundamental right to same-sex marriage exists in this State, the unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our State Constitution….
To bring the State into compliance with Article I, Paragraph 1 so that plaintiffs can exercise their full constitutional rights, the Legislature must either amend the marriage statutes or enact an appropriate statutory structure within 180 days of the date of this decision….
We will not presume that a separate statutory scheme, which uses a title other than marriage, contravenes equal protection principles, so long as the rights and benefits of civil marriage are made equally available to same-sex couples. The name to be given to the statutory scheme that provides full rights and benefits to same-sex couples, whether marriage or some other term, is a matter left to the democratic process.
Ruling is here (PDF format). Essentially, it means that gays are entitled to all the benefits of marriage, but New Jersey has to decide if it wants to call it "marriage" or "civil unions" or whatever. Certainly a victory for progress, and I’m sure the religious right (what remains of it) will.]
Everybody Picks Up Limbaugh/Michael J. Fox Story
UPDATE: For those late to the game, The Carpetbagger Report will catch you up.
WASHINGTON — Rush Limbaugh has accused actor Michael J. Fox of exaggerating the physical effects of his Parkinson’s disease in political ads urging viewers to vote for Democrats in next month’s election.The conservative radio host told listeners Monday that Fox’s lurching, palsied movements in a TV ad for Missouri Senate challenger Claire McCaskill were "an act." Limbaugh noted that Fox, a longtime advocate for research on embryonic stem cells, has said he sometimes does not take his medication in order to illustrate Parkinson’s severe physical effects. Uncontrolled shaking and stiffness are among the symptoms of the nerve disease.
"If this was not an act," Limbaugh said later on the show, "then I apologize."
Of course, since nobody can prove (to Rush’s satisfaction) that Fox wasn’t acting, Rush is never going to have to apologize.
Still, one wonders from what center of depravity Mr. Rush "I Can’t Get An Erection" Limbaugh summons the gall to comment on how people self-medicate.
UPDATE: WaPo covers it, too. Apparently, Rush did apologize sort of, but that didn’t stop his attacks:
Later Monday, still on the air, Limbaugh would apologize, but reaction to his statements from Parkinson’s experts and Fox’s supporters was swift and angry.
After his apology, Limbaugh shifted his ground and renewed his attack on Fox.
"Now people are telling me they have seen Michael J. Fox in interviews and he does appear the same way in the interviews as he does in this commercial," Limbaugh said, according to a transcript on his Web site. "All right then, I stand corrected. . . . So I will bigly, hugely admit that I was wrong, and I will apologize to Michael J. Fox, if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act."
***
Fox has appeared in ABC’s "Boston Legal" this season. In his scenes, taped over the summer, Fox does not shake or loll his head as he does in the Cardin commercial, but does appear to be restraining himself, appearing almost rigid at times.
A source with direct knowledge of Fox’s illness who viewed the Cardin ad said Fox is not acting to exaggerate the effects of the disease. The source said Fox’s scenes in "Boston Legal" had to be taped around his illness, as he worked to control the tremors associated with Parkinson’s for limited periods of time.
Then Limbaugh pivoted to a different critique: "Michael J. Fox is allowing his illness to be exploited and in the process is shilling for a Democratic politician."
Rush is a wanker. There’s nothing more to say about that.
RELATED LINKS: The Michael J Fox Foundation
MORE: World O’Crap does some fine skewering
UPDATE: Fox responds. Think Progress has the video.
And Tbogg provides the Shorter Dean Barnett:
When Michael J. Fox uses his Parkinson’s Disease to address an issue, he’s being manipulative. When I use my lifelong battle with Cystic Fibrosis to address Michael J. Fox, I’m just being honest.
And The Rude Pundit responds, well, rudely:
Why Rush Limbaugh Ought to Be Force-Fed His Own Liposuctioned Fat, Part 979:
Alas for Alex Keaton. Sigh for Marty McFly. Cry for whatever his Spin City character was named. Anyone with a heart, and a memory that goes back more than a couple of years, who watches the Michael J. Fox ad that supports Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill for Senate will have that heart broken by the end. Through his rocking and shaking, Fox makes a simple plea to support McCaskill against Jim Talent, a proud member of Bush’s ass harem, so that stem cell research might progress. Yeah, for the vast majority of of us, by dint of our humanity, no matter what our political stripes, no matter how we agree or disagree with the message, probably can’t help but be moved by the ad.Which, of course, leaves out Rush Limbaugh, whose only purpose on earth seems to be keeping big pharma in business, providing three hours of masturbation material for shut-in nutzoid conservatives – the kind who yank their scabby peckers and yowl in pain and glee whenever Rush farts his disgust at those who would stop the killing in Iraq, and making sure that Dominican child prostitutes get slapped in the thighs for a couple of seconds by his demi-erect Viagra-ed cock before he dribbles out a bit of spooge and screeches for drug mules to bring him more hillbilly heroin for his "back pain." And, of course, to eat heapin’ bowls of ‘nana pudding while sucking his cigar like it’s Dick Cheney’s, well, shit, dick.
Limbaugh said this about Fox: "[H]e was either off the medication or he was acting. He is an actor, after all." Strangely, Limbaugh didn’t address the fact that whether Fox was on his meds or not, the actor still has Parkinson’s, the disease that forced him to retire from being in front of the camera. But then again, if you down enough oxycontin, you generally are numb to everyone’s pain, yours, Michael J. Fox’s, or the pre-pubescent slave whores’ of Santo Domingo.
And, oh, yeah, here’s another political ad which is sure to send Rush into a tizzy:
The Latest In Medicine
Important medical research: Scientists Test Dissolving Heart Stent
Not-so-important medical research: Docs look to create perfect eyelashes
Any questions?
Obama Inhaled
But I hope we’re past the point of thinking it matters.
UPDATE: Speaking (as I often do) of Barack Obama, can we declare — right now — a moritorium on this pun: "Hillary stuck between Barack and a hard place"??? I don’t think I can take an election cycle with headlines like that….
Who Supports The Troops? Republicans Or Democrats?
The answer is Democrats.
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America — a non-partisan veterans’ group — took a look at 324 legislative votes in the last five years which affected American troops and veterans. Legislative proposals included veterans’ benefits, healthcare, and medical research dedicated towards injured soldiers. Based on these votes, IAVA calculated which senators and congressmen had a history of supporting the troops, and which didn’t, and graded them on a curve.
Here are the results:
Yup, you’re reading that right. All Senate Democrats ranked higher than every Senate Republican. Via Bob Geiger.
“Hurry Up, He’s Dead”
That’s the title of the funniest TV show on Iraq television, says the NY Times. And it’s quite popular.
What’s it about? Well, it’s kind of like The Daily Show, I guess.
The newscast opens with an explanation of the show’s underlying premise: it is the year 2017 and the main character, Saaed, is the last Iraqi alive. He is lying face down on a beach with a red suitcase next to him. When he comes to, he is quickly encircled by beautiful women.
Cut to a scene of Saaed clad in a black T-shirt imprinted with “2PAC,” showboating in front of a white stretch Humvee limousine with dancers cavorting all around.
The show’s raucous theme song, which has become a popular cellphone ring tone here and is sung by children in schoolyards, laments that it would be better to be a lowly cat on the street than an Iraqi: “No one asks the cat where you are from, which party you’re from, whether you are an Arab, a Kurd, a Sunni or a Shiite.”
He sings on, “I am the last Iraqi alive, but I still do not own a house,” a reference to the country’s acute housing shortage.
The show’s title appears initially as “The Government,” but the Arabic words split in half to reveal the actual name, another crack at the country’s plight.
When the broadcast begins, it takes place in the present. The show is meant to be a narration of how Saaed’s country fell apart and he ended up as the last survivor.
Apparently, Iraqi and U.S. authorities are not amused.
Bush Administration Has Had 9 Plans For Iraq
Chuck Schumer put this together:
WHITE HOUSE HAS UNVEILED NEW “NEW IRAQ” PLANS AT LEAST NINE TIMES ALREADY
10/22/06: “The Bush administration is drafting a timetable for the Iraqi government to address sectarian divisions and assume a larger role in securing the country, senior American officials said.” [New York Times, 10/22/06]
7/25/06: “President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced plans to enhance security forces in Baghdad in an effort to stem the growing violence in the Iraqi capital…The new security plan also calls for coalition forces to provide greater firepower and protection equipment to the Iraqi forces.” [U.S. Department of State, 7/25/06]
6/25/06: “There was also word from the Pentagon on a new plan to cut the number of U.S. troops in Iraq…U.S. military officials confirm that the plan could cut the total number of U.S. troops in Iraq by more than half, perhaps as low as 50,000 troops by the end of next year.” [“NBC Nightly News,” 6/25/06]
6/13/06: Bush and his Cabinet met about the new Iraq Unity government’s plan and “assessed ongoing U.S. efforts in each area of the Iraqi plan and directed adjustments to U.S. plans as necessary to fully align with the plans of the new government.” [White House Fact Sheet, 6/13/06]
11/30/05: Under a “Plan for Victory” banner, Bush “spelled out what he called his strategy for victory in Iraq.” [AP, 11/30/05]
5/24/04: In a speech in Pennsylvania, Bush “laid out a five-point plan to ‘achieve freedom and peace in Iraq.’” [AP, 5/25/04]
11/17/03: Bush said, “In November of 2003, we negotiated a new plan with the Governing Council, with steps for an accelerated transition to Iraqi self-government.” [AP, 11/17/03; White House Remarks, 12/12/05]
9/9/03: “Bush began a delicate drive today to build national and global support for his expensive new plan for controlling Iraq…A day after using a prime-time television address to reveal his $ 87 billion budget for the war on terrorism next year, Bush and his aides said the stakes in Iraq are so grave that they should dwarf any diplomatic disagreements or skepticism about the costs.” [Washington Post, 9/9/03]
7/23/03: Bush “said that his chief administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, has a new plan to accelerate the progress of Iraqi reconstruction.’ The plan sets out ambitious timetables and clear benchmarks to measure progress and practical methods for achieving results,’ said Bush.” [White House Remarks, 7/23/03; Christian Science Monitor, 7/24/03]
NOW They Tell Me
I just got a new mobile phone. It does everything. I can even read the news headlines on it. Headlines like this:
Men who use mobile phones face increased risk of infertility
Oh my.
Rollercoaster Tycoon Tragedies
A lot of people are familiar with the Rollercoaster Tycoon games, where you can design rollercoasters and theme parks, and watch little tiny "peeps" go around the park. The nice thing about Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 — the thrid version of the game — is that you can actually ride the roller coasters, and place your "camera" at any place in the park, and record videos. This, of course, has led to the creations of some funny/distrubing (depending on your point of view) YouTube videos of poorly designed RCT3 rollercoasters. Here’s one:
And how it is done:
The Political Right Is Mad That They Can’t Attack Handicapped People
Exhibit A.
After a televised political debate in Wyoming, Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo) said the following to one of her opponents, Thomas Rankin (Libertarian candidate), who has has multiple sclerosis and uses an electric wheelchair:
"If you weren’t sitting in that chair, I’d slap you across the face."
Exhibit B
Columnist Dean Barnett on Michael J. Fox, who appears in an ad endorsing a candidate Claire McCaskill [UPDATE: He’s doing ads for many candidates who support stem cell research]:
The most distasteful aspect of the ad is the way it exploits Michael J. Fox’s physical difficulties. Fox is an actor, and clearly knew what he was doing when he signed up for the spot – no victim points for him for having been manipulated by the McCaskill campaign. The ad’s aim is to make us feel so bad about Fox’s condition that logical debate is therefore precluded. You either agree with Fox, or you sadistically endorse his further suffering as Fox accuses Jim Talent of doing.
World O’Crap gives the shorter Hugh Hewitt:
How dare Michael J. Fox have Parkinson’s in public? How dare he support politicians who believe in funding research that may one day relieve his symptons. How are you supposed to argue with that?
UPDATE: Guess I spoke to soon. Rush Limbaugh isn’t above going after Michael J. Fox’s handicap. You can hear Limbaugh’s commentary here. And here’s the Fox ad itself:
Notably, Rush said of Fox:
"…he was either off the medication or he was acting. He is an actor, after all."
The folks at The Plank spoke to William J. Weiner M.D., professor and chairman of the department of neurology at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He’s also director of the Parkinson’s clinic there, who affirmed what everybody (except Rush) probably expected:
"What you are seeing on the video is side effects of the medication. He has to take that medication to sit there and talk to you like that. … He’s not over-dramatizing. … [Limbaugh] is revealing his ignorance of Parkinson’s disease, because people with Parkinson’s don’t look like that at all when they’re not taking their medication. They look stiff, and frozen, and don’t move at all. … People with Parkinson’s, when they’ve had the disease for awhile, are in this bind, where if they don’t take any medication, they can be stiff and hardly able to talk. And if they do take their medication, so they can talk, they get all of this movement, like what you see in the ad."