Hear, hear! These mountains need a lot of help.

itwasrighton:

recoveringhipster:

“I think they should name it something better. The top ends up flatter, but we’re not talking about Mount Everest. We’re talking about these little knobby hills that are everywhere out here. And I’ve seen the reclaimed lands. One of them is 800 acres, with a sports complex on it, elk roaming, covered in grass.”

-Rand Paul Senator of Kentucky

By this same logic:

• It’s okay for me to set fire to your lawn, because “we’re not talking about the Great Plains here.”
• It’s okay for me to burn down your house, because “we’re not talking about Buckingham Palace here.”
• It’s okay for me to kill your dog, because “we’re not talking about Lassie here.”

This doesn’t even take into account the fact that the Appalachians are the oldest mountain range in North America, filled with an astounding variety of flora and fauna.  There are over 6,000 species of plants, as well as 255 documented species of birds, 78 mammals, 58 reptiles, and 76 amphibians.  Of these, many are found only in the Appalachians and the adjoining lowlands.

Okay, Rand… I’ll grant you that the Appalachians may not be the most tallest mountain range, but they’re still pretty damn impressive and worth saving.

Still Fragile, Haiti Makes Sales Pitch →

International businesses are becoming more interested in investing in Haiti, whose unemployment rate hovers around 70%. The poor country seems to be caught in a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem: it needs investment and jobs to create societal stability, but companies are unwilling to set up shop in an unstable country. President Clinton, the United Nations special envoy to Haiti, is trying to help get things moving.

"The term criminalizes the person rather than the actual act of illegally entering or residing in the United States without federal documents. Terms such as “illegal alien” or “illegal immigrant” can often be used pejoratively in common parlance and can pack a powerful emotional wallop for those on the receiving end."

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ Resource Guide for Journalists

"But the phrase “illegal immigrant” is misleading. There’s a grain of truth, but the emphasis is only selectively applied — it’s misapplied — we don’t call speeders “illegal drivers” or people who jaywalk “illegals.” "

Eric Haas, Losing Our Minds over Immigration

"Good thing I am not an illegal immigrant. There is no way out of that trap. It’s the crime you can’t make amends for. Nothing short of deportation will free you from it, such is the mood of the country today. And that is a problem. America has a big problem with illegal immigration, but a big part of it stems from the word “illegal.” It pollutes the debate. It blocks solutions. Used dispassionately and technically, there is nothing wrong with it. Used as an irreducible modifier for a large and largely decent group of people, it is badly damaging. And as a code word for racial and ethnic hatred, it is detestable."

Lawrence Downes, What Part of ‘Illegal’ Don’t You Understand?

Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley is one connected dude. Blah blah blah blah long NYT article but look at that Kindle DX. Compared to the piles and piles of printed pages surrounding him, I’d say he’s ahead of the curve here.

The Political Graveyard →

Awesome site for researching politics & politicians. What did we ever do before Google/the Internet?

Even Obama gets a W-approved nickname →

The NYT’s description of Obama’s first full day as president notes that when Obama reached the Resolute Desk this morning he found the continuation of an old tradition:

He read the note left behind by George W. Bush, which was sitting in a folder on top of the desk, with a note marked “44.” Mr. Obama was in the office alone for a brief time, aides said, starting his day after a late night celebrating and dancing at inaugural balls across Washington.

It’s touching that even Obama gets a nickname (“44”) from outgoing President Bush. I’m going to miss him.

"There’s a gigantic difference between John McCain and Barack Obama and between me and I suspect my vice presidential opponent. … She’s good looking."

So says Joe Biden. Real classy.

Piper Palin fixes her brother’s hair. Piper Palin for president!!

Bankruptcy bill? What bankruptcy bill? →

Fred Clark on Joe Biden’s role in helping to create the housing meltdown — and economic downturn — that we all know and love.

"Christ answered the Herodians according to their condition. “Show me the tribute-money,” said he; — and one took a penny out of his pocket; — If you use money which has the image of Caesar on it, and which he has made current and valuable, that is, if you are men of the State, and gladly enjoy the advantages of Caesar’s government, then pay him back some of his own when he demands it; “Render therefore to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God those things which are God’s” — leaving them no wiser than before as to which was which; for they did not wish to know."

Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobediance

This commercial has aired multiple times during the Olympics on NBC. Ashley and I were both struck by how little party loyalty McCain has — usually it’s the other party who says we’re worse off than we were four years ago. I don’t think many Republicans will appreciate his attitude.

This tax cut plan is really interesting. Under Obama’s plan, Ashley and I would get more than three times as much money back. Even our parents’ taxes would receive a slightly larger cut.

Still, if I was a millionaire, I know who I’d be a-votin’ for.

(via azspot)

"The mass media has been single-mindedly focused on the White House and campaigns for the presidency for two generations now. Is it any wonder that most people have lost the feeling that the country and its politics are theirs and they are responsible for maintaining liberty and democracy? Ben Franklin told the people outside the Philadelphia Convention that the Founders had put together “a Republic, if you can keep it.” Now every four years and most of the time in between we’re mesmerized with the idea that if we can just find that one perfect person who can pull the presidential sword from the stone, all will be well. We have been waiting around for this Mr. Goodbar for thirty years of deadlock, drift, and disappointment in our politics since Watergate times. Nobody seems to get the message that our problems are bigger than the presidents; we are stuck in a storyline that lets the rest of us off the hook."

Dick Flannery, writing in Homer Simpson Goes to Washington