The following sites are accepting donations for Japanese relief. Please leave other places under the comment section as they become available:
(Thanks Cato the Elder)
U.S. organizations accepting donations to assist Japan included:
Nuclear Meltdowns in Japan?
Japan: Explosion at Fukushima nuclear power plant
According to the Daily Beast:
Japan’s nuclear crisis seems to be getting worse, as officials say they think partial meltdowns have occurred at two reactors damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, and four others experienced serious cooling problems. They also said they were bracing for a second explosion, similar to the one that happened at the No. 1 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi Saturday when they vented hydrogen from the overheating plant, as they try to release pressure at the second failing reactor. The Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said as many as 160 people may have been exposed to radiation around the plant, and the Japanese news media said three workers at the station were suffering from radiation sickness. Though officials insist that the radiation leaks were small and didn’t pose a major health risk, they did distribute iodine tablets to keep the thyroid gland from being exposed to radiation.
First off, how many countries have been hit with a triple whammy like Japan has? A huge 8.9 earthquake, killer tsunamis, and now potential nuclear disasters are crushing down on Japan. Nations from around the world are speeding towards Japan to offer humanitarian aid, rescue personnel and expertise, food, medical supplies, blankets, technical advice. Japan has not faced anything like this disaster since WWII.
Gail Collins: Eye of the Newt
Op-Ed Columnist
Eye of the Newt
By GAIL COLLINS
Published: March 11, 2011
The presidential race is barely under way, but already we have had our first Big Thought. I am speaking, of course, of Newt Gingrich’s suggestion that he was driven into serial adultery by hard work and patriotism.
“There’s no question that at times in my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and that things happened in my life that were not appropriate,” he told an interviewer on the Christian Broadcasting Network.Read More
And did we wonder why? Union Busting to Bust Obama in 2012
From Rawstory.com:
State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R), the Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader, must have forgotten his talking points while appearing on Megyn Kelly’s Fox News show. This afternoon he admitted on-air what many liberals have long-suspected: rescinding collective bargaining rights from state workers is Wisconsin is as much about the 2012 presidential election as Wisconsin’s 2011 budget shortage.
As first reported by ThinkProgress, Fitzgerald told Kelly: “If we win this battle, and the money is not there under the auspices of the unions, certainly what you’re going to find is President Obama is going to have a much difficult, much more difficult time getting elected and winning the state of Wisconsin.”
“The Utah Way” : Big Love for Immigrants?
Utah, one of the country’s most conservative states, where Republicans outnumber Democrats 3-1, has turned its back on those Republicans who advocate deportation in favor of those who want immigration reform. The bill has passed both houses of the state legislature and the governor is expected to sign it.
What exactly does the ‘ Utah Way ‘ advocate? First off, it gives local law enforcement a provision that they say won’t really matter and it provides for a guest worker program that lawmakers feel will make all the difference in the world. That last component of the proposed law will grant legal status to undocumented workers. The legal status isn’t free. It would provide work permits to undocumented immigrant workers, and their immediate families, if they pay a fine, clear a criminal background check and study English.
According to the Washington Post:
Advocates of the compact included the police, some key elected officials and, critically, the Mormon church, whose members include perhaps 90 percent of Utah’s state lawmakers. They understood that the fast-growing Hispanic community, which counts for 13 percent of Utah’s population and may include more than 100,000 undocumented workers, is vital to the state’s tourism, agriculture and construction industries.
The advocates’ genius was to reframe the cause of immigration reform, including the guest-worker program, as fundamentally a conservative project. In the face of sound bites from reform opponents such as “What part of ‘illegal’ don’t you understand?” Utah conservatives shot back with: What part of destroying the economy don’t you understand? And by the way, what part of breaking up families don’t you understand?
8.9 Earthquake Hits Japan
An 8.9 earthquake hit Japan near Tokyo during the night. It was around 2 in the afternoon in Japan when the earthquake hit. The epicenter was right off the coast. Tsunamis have hit Japan. Hawaii and the entire Pacific Basin are under tsunami warning meaning imminent danger. Our entire west coast line, Canada and Alaska are under this warning.
Pictures coming in of the tsunamis already hitting Japan have been in TV all night. This earthquake is the largest in Japan since such data has been recorded.
We will use this thread for updates.
Watch out for the backlash!
Time for Crisis in Dairyland, Apocalypse Cow from Jon Stewart:
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin lawmakers voted Thursday to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from the state’s public workers, ending a heated standoff over labor rights and delivering a key victory to Republicans who have targeted unions in efforts to slash government spending nationwide.
Walker pulls another fast one
From NY Times News Alert:
Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted Wednesday night to
strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public
workers after discovering a way to bypass the chamber’s
missing Democrats.All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks
ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members
present to consider Gov. Scott Walker’s so-called “budget
repair bill” — a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million
budget shortfall.The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that
spend money. But Republicans on Wednesday split from the
legislation the proposal to curtail union rights, which
spends no money, and a special conference committee of state
lawmakers approved the bill a short time later.
So Walker did what he intended to do all along. Will this move end up in court? Was Walker’s intent to union bust?
The money issue still has not been settled.
Marshall Compares Stem Cell Research to Nazi War Criminals
Since when was ‘human life begins at conception’ implanted into the Virginia curriculum? Didn’t see that one coming.
More to the point, Bob ‘Sideshow’ Marshall is shown comparing scientists who conduct and study stem cell research to Nazi war criminals during WWII. Bobby, that is just too cultural warrior for the floor of the General Assembly. No, he didn’t say the words but he painted the picture. You might want to ask your local, state and national legislators if they support Sideshow’s proposed ban on stem cell research.
Doug Hampton Calls for Senator Ensign to Immediately Resign
Doug Hampton is the husband of Ensign’s paramour. Despite the fact that Ensign has said he will not run for re-election, Hampton wants to end the investigation he and his wife will have to go through as long as the senator is in office. According to the Huffington Post:
LAS VEGAS — The Nevada man whose wife had a monthslong affair with Sen. John Ensign said in a rare statement Wednesday that the Republican should immediately resign to shield the family from an ongoing ethics investigation stemming from the extramarital relationship.
Doug Hampton, Ensign’s former co-chief of staff, said Ensign’s “callousness and lack of remorse” has prolonged the anguish caused by the 2008 affair.
Ensign announced on Monday that he wouldn’t pursue a third term to protect his wife and children from “exceptionally ugly” campaign attacks. The Senate Ethics Committee is investigating whether Ensign tried to hide the affair by securing Hampton a lobbying job.
Hampton said he, his wife and others close to them are being forced to cooperate with the investigation, a process that continues to reopen old wounds.
“His selfish, steadfast refusal to resign immediately prolongs the pain and anguish he caused,” Hampton said. “It also requires us to continue to cooperate with the Senate Ethics investigation, including disrupting our lives by requiring myself, Cindy and others close to us to return to Washington D.C. to be deposed.”
Hampton dismissed the ethical questions driving the investigation. Ensign’s parents provided the Hampton family with $96,000 described as a gift and federal criminal law prohibits congressional aides from lobbying their ex-bosses or office colleagues for one year after departing their Hill jobs.
Should Ensign step down now to spare this family any more agony? Is Hampton making unfair demands on both Ensign and Nevada? Is Ensign on an equal footing with John Edwards? Doug Hampton was not only Ensign’s co-chief of staff, but the 2 families were very close as couples. Is this the ultimate betrayal?
McCarthyism Revived! Instead of the Red Scare, It’s the Muslim Scare!
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sharia? | ||||
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There have been many instances in our history where small groups of individuals have perpetrated heinous acts of violence, intended to instill fear in the public and our government. Some examples of these infamous acts of violence can be found by The Mafia, the Manson Family, Timothy McVeigh, Abortion Clinic bombings, Assassinations of Doctors, Columbine High School, Fort Hood Massacre, and most recently, the murderous rampage by Jared Lee Loughner.
Did we have have congressional hearings for all these horrible events? No!
In this nation, whenever the larger group is held responsible for the acts of a small minority, as Americans, we should feel compelled to reject blanket statements of culpability by mere association. Because Bernie Madoff was Jewish, as were several presidents of the some the too big to fail banks, at the heart of the financial disaster, should all Jews be held accountable?
I resoundingly reject such suppositions.
What Kind of Reader are you?
The Roanoke Times made the following statement:
“I divide all readers into two classes–those who read to remember and those who read to forget.” –E.M. Forster
I’m a little bit of both. I often read for knowledge, but the majority of the time I read to escape.
What kind of reader are you?
There are other reading questions. Some people never read a novel or even a non-fiction book. All their reading is newspapers and magazines. Others can’t put a good mystery down. So the second question should be, are you a reader of fiction or non-fiction? Additionally, many people have gone electronic. Do you prefer to hold that book in your hand or have you gone the way of the e-reader? If so, which one?
Some people multitask. Do you do other things while reading like listen to music or watch TV or are you one of those people who must have it quiet for concentration? Do you slip a book in your pocket and read on your lunch break or do you read at night to relax?
Please take a moment to share your reading habits as well as any wonderful books that you just couldn’t put down.
Paw Print Restaurants May be Coming to Maryland
USA Today:
Maryland is considering a bill that would allow dogs to accompany their owners to restaurant patios and sidewalks for a meal, according to Baltimore Sunwriter Jill Rosen.
If passed, the law would take effect in October. Florida, California and Minnesota already have similar laws in place. Currently, allowing dogs to accompany restaurant patrons, whether it be indoors or outdoors, is illegal. Restaurants who ignore the rule can be fined.
It is difficult to find restaurants in Virginia that welcome dogs on leashes for outdoor dining areas. Should Virginia have a similar law? How many dog walkers can’t stop for a meal or drink because they are walking their dog? How many people would like to dine OUTSIDE with their dog? Why would anyone care outside? How many people find traveling with your dog almost impossible because of unavailable restaurants and lodging?
Opinions please.
Late Easter this year
Today is Mardi Gras which signals Lent begins tomorrow. And if Lent begins tomorrow, then Palm Sunday is a long 40 days away and Easter is another week past Palm Sunday. Usually Mardi Gras is in February.
Easter is usually calculated by astrological full moon and spring equinox. Easter traditionally falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after spring equinox. This year, spring equinox falls on March 20. The next full moon is March 19th. Ooops, not soon enough. The next full moon is on April 18th, which is on a Monday. The next Sunday is April 24, which is Easter. Easter hasn’t been this late in 68 years.
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Easter falls on April 24, the latest it has arrived in 68 years, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington.
Easter hasn’t come this late since 1943 and won’t be this late again until 2038.
“In both 1943 and 2038 Easter occurs on April 25, which is as late as it can theoretically be,” said Geoff Chester, an astronomer and public relations officer with the observatory.
Easter last occurred on April 24 in 1859, and it will not fall again on the 24th until 2095.
“The earliest possible date for Easter is March 22,” Chester said.
On a slightly different note, Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 13, at 2 a.m. We get to spring forward and lose an hour of sleep. 
Any special fat cat plans tonight?
Sarah Palin not afraid of Jon Stewart
Well shiver me timbers….Sarah Palin has announced she is not afraid of Jon Stewart. Then why doesn’t she accept his invitation? Plenty of Republicans have appeared on the daily show and were treated respectfully–guests like Tim Pawlenty, Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich, Tea Party leader Dick Armey and even longtime punching bags like former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former RNC chair Michael Steele — all have appeared and have engaged in lively discussion and debate. Rumsfeld even tweeted: “Just wrapped up one of the most thoughtful interviews of book tour with @thedailyshow”). Stewart typically is a gracious host.
From the Huffington Post:
