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John Kasich Suddenly Learns About ‘Compromise’

Pity poor John Kasich. After enjoying the rousing round of Republican victories in the 2010 elections that saw him win the governorship of Ohio without so much as a majority of Ohioans voting for him, Kasich had to watch last week as Republicans in Wisconsin lost two seats in the legislature there. Then, of all the indignities, the two Democrats up for recall there this week retained their seats.

Now, normally Wisconsin state politics have nothing to do with Ohio state politics.  However, when both states pass draconian anti-union laws within weeks of each other-laws that were eerily similar, they sort of do. Continue reading →

Why Read Young Adult Fiction?

First came the boy wizards, followed by sparkly vampires, tween demigods, and most recently, girl gladiators.  Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial rock, chances are you have more than a passing familiarity with some or all of these multi-volume series. And yet, if bookstore shelves and library labels are to be believed, they were not written for you.

Why do so many adults read children’s fiction? Fans will be quick to cite the richness and complexity of the Harry Potter series as well as its progressively darker tone. Similarly, Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy has been praised for its mature themes and bleak, uncompromising approach to storytelling. But this sort of reasoning only raises another question: if these books are mature and complex enough for adults, why are they marketed as young adult fiction in the first place? Continue reading →

Anderson Cooper Conquered By Poo

The silver fox couldn’t keep a straight face last night during his Ridiculist segment as he launched into a series of puns describing actor Gerard Depardieu’s impatient urination on the floor of an airplane. After about ten such mentions of pee, poo, and all other manner of incontinence issues, the normally stoic Coop…Just Completely Loses It! And it’s probably the funniest and most heartwarming thing you’ll see all day.

Take a look. Continue reading →

Today in Wingnuttery: Get on the (Canadian) Bus

The Patriots© at Glenn Beck’s The Blaze have uncovered a grave scandal in the Obama administration. Actually, they copied a story word for word from The New York Post, but taking the time to write up your own summary is socialism, so what the hell. Anyway, Nobama has once again proven to be a treacherous enemy of America by purchasing a tour bus that was made in socialist Canada!

Actually,  The Post story admits that only the shell of the bus was manufactured in Canada. The interior was customized and the bus was sold to Secret Service in 2010 by Hemphill Brothers Coach Company, which is located in freedom-loving Tennessee. A (presumably) annoyed spokesperson for the Secret Service points out that the buses meet specific requirements to protect candidates and may even be used to transport the 2012 Republican nominee.
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Betty Crocker And The Isle Of Fire

Fire Island, for those who don’t know, is a barrier island off the South Shore of Long Island that has evolved from a tiny summer community to a combination Gay Mecca / Family Circus.  And away we go!

This narrow strip of land is awash in Gay History, and sun-spangled waves, and lovely white sand beaches.  There are several communities here, but I will focus on the two I visited most recently: Cherry Grove and The Pines.

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California Has a Dropout Problem

Prior to the past school year California had no way to track every K-12 student and so was unable to accurately report the dropout rate. The reason being that a student transferring districts looks the same to the state as a student dropping out and an entirely new student entering another district. With a new way to track each student California can now report that the dropout rate for 2010 was 18.2%. As early as 8th grade the dropout rate is 3.5%. That means that upwards of 17,000 8th graders don’t make it to the 9th grade. But the dropout rates vary widely based on several factors. Continue reading →

Wednesday Morning Headlines

President Barack Obama concluded his three-day bus tour yesterday and give this interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN.  The set is supposed to be some kind of machine shop with an American flag on the wall. Also, when the camera is on Obama there are various tools and pieces of equipment associated with general manufacturing and industrial jobs. They really are trying to convince us that Obama is very serious about jobs. Look he even did an interview in a machine shop!

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America’s Love Affair With Tim Pawlenty Comes To An End

Running for President isn’t easy.  You have to eat a lot of corn dogs. You have to go to every diner in New Hampshire and drink cup after cup of maple syrup with flinty, skeptical maple miners. You have to go to dusty Iowa fairs and feign admiration for a lot of prize hogs.

You have to raise a lot of money, make some spiffy ads, and get some college kid to make you one of those website gizmos.Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty did all these things. Back in January, his campaign kickoff ad, entitled Courage to Stand–no seriously, that was the name– was a work of genius, a trailer for a summer blockbuster starring superstar action hero Tim Pawlenty. The ad, skillfully edited so you don’t actually see much of Pawlenty, looks like it’s a preview for Transformers IV. You could taste the Pawmentum. Continue reading →