Clipmarks | wiccantexan's clips

CNN Calls BS on Palin's 'Terrorist' Claim

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:19:50 GMT

clipped by: Wisco
clipper's remarks: The McCain campaign has made a big thing about how they plan on going negative. Apparently, this is the best they can do -- guilt by association.

McCain-Palin desperately needs to change the subject from the economy, but this strategy is pretty certain to backfire. Every time they come out with one of these things, Obama can say, "See? They don't want to talk about the economy. They want to drag this down in the dirt. They're out of material." Obama seems pretty hard to throw off message, so they're going to have to do better than this.

And I don't think they can.

Clip Source: politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com

The Statement: Republican vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin said Saturday, October 4, that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is "someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country."

Get the facts!

Beginning in 1995, Ayers and Obama worked with the non-profit Chicago Annenberg Challenge on a huge school improvement project. The Annenberg Challenge was for cities to compete for $50 million grants to improve public education. Ayers fought to bring the grant to Chicago, and Obama was recruited onto the board.

CNN's review of project records found nothing to suggest anything inappropriate in the volunteer projects in which the two men were involved.

Verdict: False.

Tags: news

Rednecks for Obama

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:21:32 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: rednecks4obama.com

We now have online ordering of Rednecks for Obama shirts and bumper stickers - check out the merchandise page.

Are you a redneck who supports Barack Obama? TELL US YOUR STORY on our Guestbook!

Tags: obama, election, rednecks

TRUE: Obama sounded the alarm on subprimes

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:55:27 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.politifact.com

As the U.S. and world economic systems continue to falter, both Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama claim to have seen the crisis coming to some degree, and tried to head it off.

The last sentence appeared to refer to this letter that Obama sent to Paulson and Bernanke on March 22, 2007.

Obama's comments in the debate suggest the letter warned about the then-looming subprime lending crisis and its potential impact on the wider economy.

So let's check the text.

So yes, Obama characterized the letter accurately. In it, he not only called for action to head off the unraveling of the subprime mortgage market, but also warned about its impact on the nation's economy. He sent the letter about 18 months ago, a time frame for which "two years" is a fair estimate. We find his claim to be True.

Tags: obama, politics, finance, economy, facts

Palin pre-empts state report, clears self in probe

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:26:13 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Trying to head off a potentially embarrassing state ethics report on GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, campaign officials released their own report Thursday that clears her of any wrongdoing.

Lawmakers are expected to release their own findings Friday. Campaign officials have yet to see that report — the result of an investigation that began before she was tapped as McCain's running mate — but said the investigation has falsely portrayed a legitimate policy dispute between a governor and her commissioner as something inappropriate.

"It is tragic that a false story hatched by a blogger after drinks with Trooper Wooten led the legislature to allocate over $100,000 of public money to be spent in what has become a politically driven investigation," the 21-page report concludes.

The McCain campaign says the investigation has become "muddied with innuendo, rumor and partisan politics."

Tags: palin, ethics, legal, politics

10 Most Fascinating Tombs in the World

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:24:57 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.neatorama.com

Newgrange

the world’s oldest surviving building

Tana Toraja

the bones are offered cigarettes or various offerings

Westminster Abbey

Newton’s grave

Giza Necropolis

Valley of the Kings

Catacombs of Paris

Terracota Army

the burial ground of Qin Shi Huangdi

Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo

Sedlec Ossuary

Taj Mahal

the most beautiful mausoleum

Bonus:

Here is another one that didn’t quite make the list:

City of the Dead in Northern Ossetia, Russia

Local legends have it that in the 18th century, a plague swept through Ossetia. The clans built quarantine houses for sick family members, who were provided with food, but not freedom to move about, until death claimed their lives. A slow and painful way to go, indeed.

Anonymity online can turn nice people nasty

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:21:05 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

One minute, they’re nice, normal people. The next, they’re frothing at the mouse.

“It’s mind-boggling the things people will say and even the things I will say,” says Catherine McIntyre, a 38-year-old medical billing specialist from Houston. “People who’d never say something horrible in real life will do it again and again and again online. It’s like the behavior of crowds, or those mass beatings where no one gets blamed because everyone’s at fault.”

Hello. You have reached the split personality zone. Press 1 to melt down. Press 2 to hang up and act like a normal person again.

not only have we developed an abrupt, abbreviated way to chat (IMHO), but our technological advances have spawned new psychological terms such as “online disinhibition effect” to explain our tendency to open up — in both good ways and bad — when we’re sitting in front of a screen.

Tags: online, internet, social, social networking, behavior

Deathways Open Doors To Unexpected Cultural Practices

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:22:36 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.buffalo.edu

UB historian studies death in the New World

Cremation, "air burial," grave cairns, funeral mounds, mummification, belief in life after death -- death practices sacred to one culture are often considered "odd" or even terrifying by another.

In every social group throughout history, the disposal of the dead has special significance, and ways of death always fascinate those on the outside looking in,

"Beyond that," he says, "deathways illuminate religious meaning and the social life of cultures about which we may know little else."

"Much of my research looks at how deathways marked cultural self-definition and the definition of 'other' in the New World," he says.

In fact, Seeman says the examination of deathways is virtually unmatched for understanding cross-cultural encounters that took place centuries ago in the New World.

The book also takes a particular interest in how deathways document the cultural syncretism that, over time, reconciled a vast number of disparate or contradictory beliefs,

Tags: death, history, culture, social, belief

FALSE: Barack Obama opposed a bill that would have saved Gianna Jessen's life

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:53:38 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.politifact.com

Abortion survivor would have been protected under existing law

My name's Gianna Jessen, born 31 years ago after a failed abortion. But if Barack Obama had his way, I wouldn't be here. Four times Barack Obama voted to oppose a law to protect babies left to die after failed abortions. Senator Obama, please support born alive infant protections. I'm living proof these babies have a right to live.

Obama did vote against the laws, by voting no or present on the bills. (In Illinois, a present vote has the same weight as a no vote.) But because of the older law, Jessen is wrong when she says "if Barack Obama had his way, I wouldn't be here."

We know Jessen is speaking somewhat figuratively here, but the fact is that someone born under similar circumstances in Illinois would have been protected under the law. Obama has said he supported the existing law and felt it provided sufficient protection for abortion survivors like Jessen. We rule her statement False.

Tags: obama, abortion, facts

Biden to Palin: Don't lecture me on patriotism

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:48:59 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com

Joe Biden Thursday night told Sarah Palin not to lecture him on patriotism, after weeks of attacks mocking him for his statement the wealthy should be patriotic and pay higher taxes because not enough has been asked of them.

"Sarah Palin had great fun saying Joe Biden thinks paying taxes is patriotic. Well, let me tell you what Joe Biden thinks,"

"That is not patriotic and it will stop, it will stop in an Obama-Biden administration! Enough! I've had it up to here! Don't lecture me on patriotism," shouted Biden, getting drowned out by the applause of his supporters. "I'm dead tired of being taken advantage of. I'm getting tired of it."

There has been a perceptible shift this week in Biden's approach to attacking the opposing ticket. Since Wednesday, he has been increasingly willing to take on Sarah Palin individually, instead of his earlier approach of lumping her in with McCain or ignoring her altogether.

Tags: biden, palin, patriotism, politics

Ballot blunder: Barack 'Osama' on absentee ballots

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:28:33 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.cbs6albany.com

Talk about a mix-up -- in Rensselaer County hundreds of absentee ballots mailed out this week to voters have Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's last name spelled "Osama".

Election officials on both sides of the aisle say the misspelling was simply a typo.

The absentee ballots were mailed out to about three hundred people.

Tags: obama, election, vote

Madame Palin Meet Mr. Mirror

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:04:28 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Not for the factually or logically adverse, nor those who believe that reality is an alien (and commie) concept.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: olberman, youg turks, video, youtube, special comment, palin, mccain, politics

The rival to the Bible

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:53:01 GMT

clipped by: tabsey

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

What is probably the oldest known Bible is being digitised, reuniting its scattered parts for the first time since its discovery 160 years ago. It is markedly different from its modern equivalent. What's left out?

The world's oldest surviving Bible is in bits.

For 1,500 years, the Codex Sinaiticus lay undisturbed in a Sinai monastery, until it was found - or stolen, as the monks say - in 1844 and split between Egypt, Russia, Germany and Britain.

Now these different parts are to be united online and, from next July, anyone, anywhere in the world with internet access will be able to view the complete text and read a translation.

For those who believe the Bible is the inerrant, unaltered word of God, there will be some very uncomfortable questions to answer. It shows there have been thousands of alterations to today's bible.

The Codex, probably the oldest Bible we have, also has books which are missing from the Authorised Version that most Christians are familiar with today

Tags: old stuff

National Rifle Association Endorses McCain

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:10:50 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

The National Rifle Association is endorsing Republican presidential nominee John McCain despite differences with the Arizona senator on gun-show rules and campaign finance restrictions.

The PAC was running an ad Thursday in USA Today accusing Obama of waffling on gun-rights issues and challenging his statements that he supports the right to bear arms. Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment but doesn't think it precludes "some commonsense gun laws so that we don't have kids being shot on the streets of cities like Chicago."

McCain's selection of Palin was a plus, LaPierre said.

"She's a hunter, she's a Second Amendment supporter and she's a tremendous asset to the ticket," he said.

Tags: guns, nra, mccain, endorsement, second amendment

the mouse that roared....

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:10:19 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

A tiny mouse was thrown into a cage as food for a viper - but turned the tables and killed the snake instead.

Firefighters in Nantou town, Taiwan, caught the 35cm snake and put it into a mouse cage for safe-keeping.

"We then found it a mouse for lunch," a spokesman for the team told Apple Daily.

But the firefighters were stunned to see how aggressive the mouse became once it saw the predator in the cage.

"It attacked the snake continuously, biting and scratching it," the spokesman added.

After a vicious 30 minute battle, the snake was dead and the mouse was left with hardly a scratch.

Lan Sengqiu, the chief fireman, added: "Perhaps it used up its venom when we caught it, and perhaps it was a novice predator."

Tags: nature, wildlife, snake, mouse, battle

Dalai Lama Hospitalized Following Checkup

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:31:53 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

The Dalai Lama was hospitalized in New Delhi, his spokesman said early Friday, just days after a medical checkup cleared the Tibetan spiritual leader to resume foreign travel.

Tenzin Taklha told The Associated Press that the Dalai Lama was admitted to a New Delhi hospital for "further consultations with doctors."

In August, the 73-year-old Dalai Lama was admitted to a Mumbai hospital and underwent tests for abdominal discomfort. Doctors advised him to cancel a planned trip to Europe and rest, saying he was suffering from exhaustion.

Taklha in September said that the spiritual leader was in good condition but doctors had advised him to rest as much as possible.

Tags: tibet, dalai lama