Today the Pentagon releaseda long-anticipated surveyregarding military service by gay men and lesbians. The study states, as predicted, that service by openly LGBT personnel would have little to no impact on long-term military cohesion and effectiveness.
The study took place over a period of 10 months, and is expected to have huge implications for the future of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”—the 17-year-old controversial law prohibiting military service by openly gay and lesbian citizens. Officials familiar with the results of the study—which was based on responses by about 115,000 service members and 44,200 military spouses—said that a clear majority of respondents indicated opposition to the law, with 70% predicting that lifting the ban would have positive, mixed, or no effect on their units. Furthermore, about 70% of respondents reported working with someone whom they believed to be gay or lesbian, and 92% of these reported having a neutral or positive experience in their unit’s ability to work together. The survey authors write that “both the survey results and our own engagement of the force convinced us that when service members had the actual experience of serving with someone they believe to be gay, in general unit performance was not affected negatively by this added dimension.” Over 60% of respondents said repeal would have a positive or no effect on their personal morale, and 67% believed there would be a positive or no effect on their personal readiness.
Those sneaky gays! Always proving to us that they are human beings and more than their sexuality! It makes it so much harder for us to discriminate against them!
I am almost as sick of hearing about and seeing Sarah Palin as I am hearing about and seeing Barack Obama, but the news is awful, the weather is boo boo, and as a liberal fem I am apparently supposed to go into a screaming emotional PMS induced rant every time her name is even brought up. Why fight it?
I don’t plan on reading or buying her new book. Do any of you? I didn’t think so. But Historiann has the scoop.
Don’t miss Michelle Goldberg’s analysis of the feminist history in Sarah Palin’s new book, America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag. Apparently, it gets worse after the diabetes-inducing title. I agree with Goldberg that “[i]n some ways, it’s a good thing that Sarah Palin calls herself a feminist. It means that, even among conservatives, women’s equality has become a normative position, the starting point for debate. It means that feminism has gone from something that the right wants to destroy to something it wants to appropriate. That’s progress, of a sort.” This is indeed a new development–Phyllis Schlafly’s days are over, for now, and it would be even too intellectually dishonest for Palin to pretend that feminism had nothing to do with shaping the possibilities of her political career.
As an optimist I am also pleased that a woman politician at least has to call herself a feminist to get anywhere, much less conservative woman. But this step forward is not to Bible Spice’s credit. A woman in politics has to call herself a feminist now because of the treatment a certain plucky Secretary of State received not just in 2008 but throughout her entire life in public service. Just sayin’. Let’s continue.
However, Palin is all wet when it comes to American history in general, and as Goldberg explains, feminist history in particular: she claims Elizabeth Cady Stanton as a devout Christian–a woman who once said that “[y]ou may go over the world and you will find that every form of religion which has breathed upon this earth has degraded women,” and who wrote her own version of the Bible. (Truly, this is more laughable than the people who try to re-claim Thomas Jefferson as a godbag.) Palin repeats the flimsy lie that Susan B. Anthony was anti-abortion, and she repeats the distortions of Margaret Sanger’s work and career by claiming that she advocated “Nazi-style eugenics.” (She cites the esteemed historian Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism on Sanger.)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and another fun fem, Amelia Earheart, also rejected the usefulness of remaining faithful to their husbands. Amelia even passed a petition about it around. Hillary wasn’t the first classy lady to question standing by her man. So far that’s Hillary: 2 Sarah: 0.
Sarah Palin is a huge disappointment. She could have countered her detractors the right way and continued working for the people of her beloved Alaska, but instead she has allowed herself and her family to be turned into celebrity jokes. Marketing yourself as a pundit on Fox News and giving yourself a reality show on TLC is not the way to prove you’re Presidential material. So much for all that maverick talk about Middle America. She should have taken a leaf out of that crazy bra burning feminist Hillary Clinton’s book instead of Barack Obama’s. Now she and him are like the American Idol clones of Presidential Politics. If they are both running in 2012 we won’t even be able to take a break and watch an episode of House or Dexter without one of them guest starring. They and their brands will be EVERYWHERE. God help us all!
I still don’t believe you have to be liberal or pro choice to be a feminist, but Caribou Barbie stopped caring about standing up to the good old boys a long time ago. It was probably some time in between the grand finale of Dancing with the Stars or a deep philosophical connection with Dick Morris while he was ghostwriting her new book. At least now she is caught up to the President and has managed to write two autobiographies without actually accomplishing much of anything.
President Obama is considered a “liberal” Democrat in denial by the Village. If you ask Obama about his “shellacking” (can I take the time to point out how lame that word is and how sick I am of hearing it?) two weeks ago he will say that it was a messaging problem. While he was toiling away with legislation trying to help us ingrates he just didn’t have the time to go out and say how all of it was going to benefit our ungrateful behinds so we punished him at the voting booth for not chatting with us enough.
And it is at this point that most Americans ask themselves if he has mental problems. As John Smart explained earlier,
The idea that Obama’s problem is one of persuasion or communication is complete bullshit. Total bullshit. Undiluted, grade-A bullshit. Here’s why: He’s been on television constantly since he came into office, he been on every third chat show, he’s been on ESPN, he gave over 50 major addresses on healthcare, he tortured us with a 3 month Hamlet act on Afghanistan (now largely moot.) all of it made public to prove he had depth, he made a nationally televised address from Congress on healthcare, he hosted a White House summit on healthcare, he spent the 2 months before the midterm in full campaign mode, he made the rounds of backyards across the land, he’s got an entire network – MSNBC – dedicated to pushing his message and an army of talking head apologists, not to mention the forever blabbing Biden, he’s got the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, a slew of nationally syndicated columnists who still believe his nonsense, and a festering caldron of bloggers still churning out pro-Obama sewage.
The message got out, Mr. President. The people heard it. They did not like the message and do not like the messengers. Most don’t like the other side much either but we are only allowed to choose between Coke and Pepsi, so one had to lose.
You communicated, Barry. Loud and clear. Not a day went by without a message fromyour highness. Communication is not the problem. You are.
A COMMUNICATION PROBLEM? Are you serious? Is that why he thinks he lost? Not a day has gone by in the past two years where any of us has been able to escape his ass. He has constantly been on our T.V. screens, the magazines we read, the shows we watch. He was on the View! THE VIEW! Personally, it’s a tough call between him and Justin Bieber as to who I am sick of seeing more. It gets to a point where I go to the drug store to pick up gum or cigarettes and he is on the cover of a pack of Newports. I want to run around in circles screaming “Get out of my life!”
Frankly, Americans voted for him because he was a Democrat and he promised to deliver change. Instead, he gave us more of the same. A Heritage Foundation version of Health Insurance Reform and a lousy stimulus are cited as his “liberal” legislative accomplishments. He also continued the Bush Bailouts, continued both Wars, continued using the Constitution as a kleenex by citing “executive authority” as a reason to assassinate someone without a trial, and he now plans on destroying Social Security and extending the Bush Tax cuts.
THAT’S why he got his ass handed to him in the midterms. Not because we failed to see how great all of that “stuff” he got done was. We saw what he “got done” and it was the exact same thing we wanted to stop seeing when he got into office.
Obama may be claiming he is taking responsibility for the “shellacking”, but he is not. And despite all evidence to the contrary he is still considered by the media to be a “liberal” Democrat.
I and almost everyone on this blog consider myself a “liberal.” Call me crazy, but I don’t see someone who wants to have butt sex with Ronald Reagan and wants to uphold DADT as liberal, but maybe I’m missing the definition of what a “liberal” is.
As a Liberal, I believe in a Social Safety net, equal rights for all and war as an unnecessary evil. As a Liberal I believe in empowering people rather than trying to get power over them. And as a Liberal I believe that the moment you think you’re better than anyone else is the moment you need to be punched in the face.
This is the anti-thesis of everything Obama has done in his career and as Commander in Chief, so why is he considered a “liberal?” And why is Bill Clinton, a guy who spent his entire life and Presidency trying to empower people rather than get power over them considered a DLC “Centrist?” It boggles my mind.
I think that over the past few decades in this country Movement Conservatives have succeeded in tainting the word “liberal” into meaning something it isn’t. If Obama is a “Liberal” than I’m most certainly not one. So what does that make me? A Socialist?
Facebook is taking over the world. The latest news? They plan on coming out with a full email product!
At this point the unrolling of an e-mail product is pure speculation, however could fast become a reality if sources are spot on with their assessments. Popular technology blog, TechCrunch, seems to indicate the rumors about what has been referred to in the past as “Project Titan” are indeed true; the blog is well-known in the industry as a reliable source for breaking news in technology.
Is social networking changing our lives in a negative way? Email me your thoughts at littleisisisbada$$@facebook.com.
Having problems with hair loss, graying or just need to grow out your hair a little bit? Rosemary oil is the solution.
A study conducted in Scotland showed that rosemary can work for alopecia areata in helping to grow hair. Participants of the study rubbed a mixture of rosemary oil along with other essential oils such as cedar wood, thyme, and lavender onto their scalps. You can make your own rosemary hair tonic by purchasing these essential oils form your local health food store, and they can be directly applied to the scalp to prevent hair loss and graying. One such concoction calls for rosemary oil to be mixed with apple cider vinegar, and after shampooing, it can be used as a rinse to help strengthen your hair.
Some people do not wish to use prescription medications and chemicals which are now available for the treatment of hair loss, and this is a natural treatment. For those who are adverse to using drugs and are looking for a more holistic approach, the use of rosemary oil is worth a try. Pregnant women should avoid using rosemary oil as it can harm the fetus and possibly cause a miscarriage. Please consult with your doctor before using rosemary oil.
I’ve personally found that natural remedies tend to work better than drug store products. And since I look fantastic, I’d say I’m a reliable source. Rosemary is also excellent for relieving sinuses and headaches.
Up to 200,000 Haitians could contract cholera as the outbreak which has already killed 800 is set to spread across the battered Caribbean nation of nearly 10 million, the United Nations said on Friday.That would be double the 100,000 cases during a huge cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe between August 2008 and July 2009, which killed 4,287 people. The U.N. forecast of the number of cases in Haiti was based partly on the Zimbabwe toll.
In a strategy plan drawn up with Haiti’s government and aid agencies, the U.N. said Haiti needs $163.9 million in aid over the next year to combat the epidemic, the first cholera outbreak in the country in a century. Cholera could also spread to the neighbouring Dominican Republic, it said.
Unfortunately, we can’t even get our shit together at home. The brilliant leaders of the current Democratic Party have finally figured out why the voters didn’t show up at the polls for them.
After nearly two weeks of introspection, President Obama‘s top advisers have concluded that the “shellacking” Democrats took on Election Day was caused in large part by their own failure to live up to expectations set during the 2008 campaign, not merely the typical political cycles and poor messaging they pointed to at first.
The voters rejected them because in 2008 they voted for change and got more of the same? NO WAY!
Robots and other machines equipped with artificial intelligence shoot military targets, distribute cash (think: ATMs), drive cars and deliver medication to patients, to name a few. If people performed these duties, they would be expected to behave in a certain way and follow moral and ethical guidelines. But what about robots? They can’t yet think and act on their own accord, so should we expect them to behave morally?
Researchers working in the field of machine ethics say yes and are investigating ways to program machines to behave morally.
Philosopher Susan Anderson and her research partner and husband Michael Anderson, a computer scientist have programmed a robot to behave in an ethical manner.Based on certain facts and outcomes, the robot must weigh a decision and make choices about what to do. The situation is rooted in the medical field, where the robot’s duties involve reminding patients to take their medicine. A human would judge how often to remind a patient to take medicine and whether or not to inform the doctor if the patient refuses to take the medicine. But how do you program a robot to do that?
The Andersons created a software program based on an approach to ethics developed in 1930 by Scottish philosopher David Ross. The so-called prima facie duty approach takes into account the different obligations a person must face — such as being just, doing good, not causing harm, keeping a promise — when deciding how to act in a moral way.
Liberal groups had taken on Olbermann’s suspension as a cause. An online petition calling for his reinstatement, run by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, had exceeded 300,000 signatures Sunday, and Michael Moore had tweeted his support. The committee’s Adam Green said Griffin was repeatedly e-mailed updates on the petition drives.
“Progressives proved that when one of our own are targeted, we will have their backs,” he said.
That’s right. Why fight for REAL Health Care Reform or hold some kind of rally for the unemployed when you can fight to get a screaming moron back on the air?
In an interview with Fox News Sunday this morning, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), the #2 Republican in the House, threatened to take the nation’s economy hostage if President Obama does not comply with House GOPers’ as yet undefined demands. When asked if he would take a government shutdown on forcing the United States to default on its debt off the table, Cantor responded that it would somehow be President Obama’s fault if House Republicans press this agenda:
QUESTION: Are you willing to say right now we’re not going to let the country go into default, and we won’t allow a government shutdown?
CANTOR: Chris, look at this now. The chief executive, the president, is as responsible as any in terms of running this government. The president has a responsibility, as much or more so than Congress, to make sure that we are continuing to function in a way that the people want.
Wow. Do these imbeciles ever learn? Never mind the fact that the public sector is almost the only place where people actually have jobs now, Obama is ALL READY saying he will compromise on extending the Bush Tax cuts. I wouldn’t worry, folks. No way is Bam going to have the cojones to let it come to a showdown between him and the House GOP. He might actually have to stand on his principles if that happens, and he has none. Even if it’s true that the GOP won’t accept compromise now, he will cave.
Cantor elaborates on The Hill about what message electing Nancy as House Minority Leader would send to Americans:
“I mean, the voters outright rejected the agenda that she’s been about. And here they’re going to put her back in charge,” Cantor, in line to become the House majority leader in the next Congress, said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“I mean this is the woman who really, I think, puts ideology first, and there have been no results for the American people,” he said. “And that seems the direction they want to take again. It just doesn’t make sense.”
She hardly puts her ideology first. This is a gal who claims to be pro choice and then passed HCR on our uteruses to please her backers in the Insurance Industry. Maybe if she had stuck to her scary socialist ideology more women would have showed up at the polls when she and Harry needed them.
Republicans, who will control the House starting in January but will remain in the minority in the Senate, acknowledge that they do not have the votes for their ultimate goal of repealing the health law, the most polarizing of Mr. Obama’s signature initiatives.
But they said they hoped to use the power of the purse to challenge main elements of the law, forcing Democrats — especially those in the Senate who will be up for re-election in 2012 — into a series of votes to defend it.
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Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Liberal Rapture 