- Happy March 15, a day of disaster made famous by the haunting line “beware the Ides of March” — from one of Shakespeare’s most revered works, The Muppet Christmas Carol. (SPOILER: Caesar ignores this prophetic warning and then gets foreclosed on by Fozzie Bear.) Anyway, you’ve probably already heard about that third, devastating explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Things have basically just gotten worse since then! Although radiation measurements at the facility’s main gate have decreased significantly, radiation levels are still 20 times greater than normal in Tokyo, 170 miles south of the plant. France’s nuclear watchdog rates the Fukushima crisis a “six on a seven-point scale of gravity.” Also, just to add to the hysteria: “A fake text message warning people that radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant has leaked beyond Japan has been panicking people across Asia.” Good grief. [NYT]
- Hillary Clinton met with Libyan opposition leader Mahmoud Jibril. She probably promised him “lots of freedom, America’s #1 export” or something dumb like that. [BBC]
- “Only 26% of Americans in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll say they’re optimistic about ‘our system of government and how well it works,’ the fewest recorded since 1974.” [Political Wire]
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“Only 26% of Americans in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll say they’re optimistic about ‘our system of government and how well it works,’ the fewest recorded since 1974.”
And all it took was a black POTUS for them to feel this way. He's opened our eyes!
Please…it's time to resurrect the term Republitards preferred to use for FDR, because they hated him so much they couldn't say his name: "that man in the White House."
What was your first reaction when, during the debate, McCain pointed to Barack and said, "THAT ONE?"
Funny aside, my sis called last night and said that our brother was charting the family tree and discovered *gasp* non-whiteys. I was dancing around the kitchen, singing to Jeff, "Jeff's got jungle fever"
Bachmann says that in the Pres debate the first thing she will bring is a birth cert. Hell, I want to see her high school diploma first.
Back home (Oz) it used to be a case of doing the family tree but "not mentioning the filthy convict ancestors deported by the English".
Now, it's a case of wearing convict ancestry with pride. It means you're one step further removed from being just another shopper at The Gap.
I was kinda hoping that I am about to find out that I am Oprah's other long lost sister.
All through the debates Panamanian strongman Juan McCain was unable to look Barry in the eye. It was as if he were being asked to share a stage with Jeffrey Daumer or something.
Sharing a stage with Dahmer is easy. Sharing a crock pot with him would suck.
No Walnuts wouldn't look at Barack. Then he would disrespect him by wondering around in the background.
Yes, but did McCain even know he was one of the two participants in a Presidential debate? Gramps wasn't exactly clued in for most of '08. **cough, cough … Palin **
Ha, in my native NC that would have resulted in the burning of any records of the family tree, and the endeavor would never have been mentioned again.
I want to see Earth DNA.
Where's the birf certificate?
Certainly, Adopt a Mom's birth certificate will show a location on Mars.
Today's new following troll calls itself UnionsRStreet Gangs.
I know, I'm being "followed" for the first time!
Then I realized he's following *everyone*. The slut.
What that pole actually reveals is that only about 26% of Americans polled have the education/perspicacity to actually understand what our system of government is and how it is supposed to work. The other 74% heard the question and simply perceived an opportunity to whine about the price of gas and the skin color of the POTUS.
"our system of government and how well it works,’
The "how well it works" part is the kicker. and can there be any answer but right now, now very well?
If only we could solve our problems by gathering in a senate chamber and repeatedly stabbing a dictator.
Et tu, Boehner!
It didn't exactly work out very well the first time, though.
Weren't all the stabbers the Roman equivalent of teatards?
It was a combination of wanting to end Caesar's dictatorship and personal hatreds (for one, he had been fucking Brutus' mother for decades; and her daughter, who was married to Cassius, was rumored to really be his). But then Octavian and Antonius ended up killing all of them and permanently ending the Republic, so it kind of backfired.
Hail Augustus! My birthday's in August, so I've always been biased toward the dick.
But which one?
All of them, Charlie.
"I'm Your Vehicle" by Ides of March has got to be the top-ranked pedophile tune, ever.
I remember that one. Even at the time it seemed creepy:
♪♬I'm the friendly stranger in the black sedan
Won't you hop inside my car
Got pictures, got candy, I'm a lovable man
And I can take you to the nearest star♪♫
YSI PLZ K THNX.
I still have that 45.
Danny Elfman came close in Nothing to Fear
Hey little girl won't you come this way
Won't you let me buy you candy or perhaps a chocolate shake
Or perhaps some nice cocaine
Or perhaps a little kiss
Or perhaps a ride in my big car
Perhaps a ride in my big car
Won't you make an old man happy
Won't you make an old man happy
Won't you let me show you paradise
(Don't ask your mother for advice)
Was this written before or after Elvis met Priscilla?
Young Girl is up there, too. And what, The Police get a pass for Don't Stand So Close To Me?
That was a tribute to Nabakov's "Lolita"? fuck if I know.
I rather suspect it was Stink reminiscing about his days as an english teacher. And pompously throwing in a Nabokov reference because, well, thats what Stink does.
How about "Cypress Avenue" by (my hero) Van Morrison?
I worked at a store where Young Girl was played unironically 9 hours a day. Considering this was at the time of the Woody Allen mess, I started asking questions. Never got an answer, other than "That's the way things are."
Vehicle was a finger-poppin' mainstay of both the Spanaway Junior High and Bethel High School pep bands, which tended to be trumpet-heavy and provided a good base for the signature opening riff. Good times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxJFjO4Skgo
Yon Obama has a lean and hungry look…
"Hillary Clinton met with Libyan opposition leader Mahmoud Jibril. She probably promised him “lots of freedom, America’s #1 export” or something dumb like that."
She promised him support. I'm sure she means emotional support.
"Anyway, you’ve probably already heard about that third, devastating explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant."
You mean because on the main page, 200 pixels below the headline for this post, is a headline that reads, Nuclear Horror: Third Explosion At Japanese Nuke Plant?
"Lots-O-Freedom, America’s #1 export"
May contain nuts…
FTW
Well it's a good thing that Japan doesn't have a good reason to be particularly afraid of nuclear meltdowns or anything.
Also, in the metanews news, NYT is about to by acquired by Icanhazcheezburger.com
Talk about your tragedies! This kind of acquisition usually results in the slow decay of a once great institution.
And it's probably not good for the Times either.
On the other hand, it will be easier to keep up on the continuing adventures of Ceiling Cat.
But there's March Madness to distract the average US American from the disaster in Japan. MARCH MADNESS, people!
That human/nukular/environmental disaster better not fuck with my bracket or else!
Don't remind me! No matter how much effort I take to ignore that crap, people will insist on coming up and talking about that basketball shit and will not take "I don't watch or care about it" for an answer.
Why do you hate spoiled faux "students"/underpaid professional athletes/America?
Oh fer crissakes Soros pick either Temple or Villanova and STFU.
If he wants to lose.
& I know from losing NCAA bracket pick-'ems. (My surely horrible Final Four prognostication this year: North Carolina, San Diego State, Kansas, UCLA; UCLA over UNC in the final.)
He's in Philly; winning/losing has nothing to do with it, it's how many of his co-workers went to Temple or 'Nova. It's how you get them to buy the beer.
San Diego State for the win.
Since I went to Temple for law school, if I cared I'd have to root for them.
Make some kind of racist remark, like calling the game "coconut chase" or "African handball," and they will leave you the fuck alone. Of course, they will then think you are a racist, so you'll have that to deal with…
Basketball's the one with the tall players who shuffle back and forth on a wooden court thingie, not the one where wide players grab each others' asses and pile on top of each other, right? I can usually convince people to STFU about pretty much any American sport. The secret is ignorance and a willingness to go into details about cricket or soccer (maybe break out the "Soccer Made in Germany with Toby Charles" tapes if necessary).
Hey fellow Wonketters – anyone have any sense of our government helping Americans get out of Japan? Seriously, I'm trying to get my niece home but flights are like $3,000 and I don't even know if I can book one.
My one student who was supposed to spend a semester is flying home tomorrow and I have no idea how much it costs. His parents were afraid that if things got worse they couldn't get him out at all. No mention of government intervention but I feel for you.
I would say go to <a href="http://www.state.gov,” target=”_blank”>www.state.gov, or have her contact the US embassy or a consulate if she can.
President Cantor has decided that we shouldn't borrow money from the Japanese to help the Japanese. Yes. He really said that.
Have you tried contacting your Senator? They're supposed to "help" people in difficult situations, seriously.
From http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_53...
For concerns about a specific U.S. citizen in Japan: JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov
For calls from within the U.S.: 1-888-407-4747
Start with looking at this website, the US Embassy in Japan's page advising Americans in Japan http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-warden20110...
At JAL I got the following booking
Sendai to Chicago Friday, March 18, 2011
Travelers: 1
But the price looks greatly inflated at $6,080.
So much for the Free Market
This is what I'm getting for one-way fares on http://www.kayak.com/
I picked San Fran as the US destination since most flights to/from Asia route though there.
Tokyo to San Fran leaving 03/16 — $1323 on Air Canada.
Osaka to San Fran leaving 03/16 — $1894 on a combination of Air Nippon & Hawaiian Airlines.
Nagoya to San Fran leaving 03/16 — $1405 on Air Canada.
Sendai to San Fran leaving 03/16 — $4034 on Japan Airlines
Sendai Airport is closed – but night landings may be approved soon as the runway now glows in the dark.
Intriguing that they're still showing fares. Hmmmm…. my AG warned me about donation scams.
You guys rock. *sniff* Thanks for all the flight information – I was beside myself trying to imagine how we were going to afford 6-10K to bring my niece and her fiancee home. Now we have some options. Right now the State Dept. is playing it cool and my congressman hasn't returned my calls – yet. Libruls are the best people in the world!
six on a seven-point scale of gravity
They call it the seven-point scale of gravity? Is that because of the metric system?
Yeah, I didn't realize that Japan had graviton reactors now. Wow.
Wow, that's heavy, man.
Yes. In France, it's called Le Royal Clusterfuck.
Those 26% correlate exactly to the percentage of people who would also prefer that we discontinue forcing our unpopular form of government in Afghanistan.
Brilliant discussion on Morning Joe today re the Japanese cultural proclivity to be reserved and to "save face" and how that impacts the Japanese governments willingness to be forthcoming with honest assessments of the reactor situation. All of the super smart people involved in that discussion spoke with grave, irony free seriousness about how the authorities in Japan might be expected to play down the threat in order to save face and how this failure of transparency is something that we should expect from this culture. Thank God that, on the other extreme, American governments are culturally incapable of any form of prevarication.
Those Orientals: so inscrutable!
I love when all those bazillionaire pundits sit around and very seriously and unanimously agree that "entitlements" must be tackled and to not do so is not having balls. Then they say Obama has to to "lead". Which means, "the Democrat should introduce these cuts so we can pound them with it in the upcoming election". You know, LEAD.
That's because they got all their deep insights into the Japanese psyche from reading James Clavell's Shogun. Richard Chamberlain FTW!!!
I like me a little Willie Geist, but most of those anchors on msnbc are so naive – esp Tweety. I'm an old, and I read a lot, and I know more than lots of other people on the street. But I expect that purveyors of news would read at least as much as I do; that they should know where the fuck Hawaii is on a map, and that generalizing about a nation's "cultural proclivity" is fucking RACIST AND STUPID! Goddamn!
Just what we need in an emergency: cultural studies, Scarborough style. Next up, Obama and the congressional budget showdown, featuring a discussion of "colored people time."
A bunch of racist, xenophobic assholes who are proud of their stupidity.
I can't wait until Freedom: America's #1 Export comes to America.
It's approved for export only.
We are not allowed to do that because it might hurt the conservative's widdle feelings.
No, hon, you don't understand. We're trying to get RID of it!
Other than all that, how are we enjoying our Tuesday, people?
~
Well, the stock market is pushing my retirement age well past my life expectancy this morning, so, hey, it's great!
Other than that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
(substitute "parade" and "Kennedy" at the situation calls for).
Spring allergies are killing me. My sinuses sound like Mariah Carey, caught in a bear trap.
As Twain said after the opera, "I haven't heard anything like that since the orphanage burned down."
Not really pertinent but too juicy not to use.
If you want to be really depressed, Pharyngula had a post with a list of nasty things Facebookers said about Japan deserving the earthquake/tsunami b/c of Pearl Harbor. It made me want to bitch slap somebody. http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/upload/2011/03...
apologies if this has been posted already
Gosh, you would think that they would channel their energies into asking how well America is prepared for something like this and how we could learn from this.
Duh…
(their response)
You gotta get those anger issues under control, girl. Have you tried booze?
Yeah, that was posted in Wonkette After Midnite this morning. Whadda buncha fucking idiots.
People are still angry at Japan? I thought we called a truce in exchange for their videogames, horror/monster movies and general sense of outsized whimsy. For goodness sake, they gave us Hayao Miyazaki movies–what more could people want?
Should we still "remember the Maine" and be mad at Spain too? How about hating the English for burning down Washington?
How about them damn Injuns and what they did to Custer?
I'd have thought that Nagasaki and Hiroshima would have settled the score.
These are the people that owned the pets in that Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial.
Hillary's "support for Libya" was a used pair of Bill's lederhosen.
And Chuckie Todd just announced that the White House Soup of the Day is Tuscan Chicken. Doesn't that make you feel all better? Man, that's some hard-hitting reportage right there.
On McCain's birthday they let him pick the soup. You are what you eat!
old fashioned grease & weasel
Weasel Grease=Great. Band. Name.
They oughta be on MREs until we get some jerbs.
Wait, what? This isn't Breitbart's site?
Tuscan Chicken? How elitist!!1 IZ UPPITY.
If radiation does head our way from Japan, perhaps we'll have fewer dolts barking about how we should just nuke North Korea or some other countries upwind from us.
Nah…
I've already had radiation treatment twice for a wonky thyroid, so that's one less thing to get fucked up if/when we all get nuked.
you clearly over-estimate the intelligence of American pundits and publics
When I was last in college I had an opportunity to tour one of Minnesota’s nuclear power plants. The amount of energy in that small of place was mind boggling. Standing next to one of the running steam powered generator was unnerving. I stared into the glowing blue pools that housed spent rods. The outside of the plant had many large steel casks that housed more spent rods that had nowhere to go. They are still stored that way and many more have been placed there since then. I decided not to go into nuclear physics that day.
Cheer up, monsieur! They found a great use for them! It turns out that the high density makes them ideal as armor-piercing projectiles. So, now they turn them into bullets and shoot them out of chain guns in other countries! See, you were worried about nothing.
Spent rods are a major problem with no real good solution. Of course, they'll continue to be a problem well after humanity loses it but I'm sure the illiterate survivors of the Apocalypse will pass down the warnings from generation to generation – "stay away from that stuff"
Yeah, all apes are never to enter the Forbidden Zone.
Indeed. You may have been looking at all the ordnance of Shock and Awe right there.
When I was in college, there were only four elements: earth, fire, air and water. Fire was dangerous, but otherwise it was generally a safe system.
Oh Yeah? Earth=earthquakes and mudslides, Water=floods and tsunamis and avalanches (when it's cold out), and Air=tornadoes and hurricanes. Safe systems my ass!
You don't get to use the term "octoroon" very much in casual conversation these days, that's for sure. Or "mustee".
At least Whale Wars will be on haitus. Hopefully replaced by reruns of the great Camp Runamuck.
Either way, he'll never go back.
I just yodeled coffee into my sinuses, thanks!
Tuning in to Wonkette during these periodic episodes of serial awful gives me a peculiar and meta-disturbing feeling. By stripping away all the platitudes and focusing on the raw undiluted horror, the Wonkette acts like a giant, terrible magnifying glass.
And I feel like the ant.
1974? That was when the libelous liberal limp-dicks in the lame-stream media decided to take down a duly-elected President, no?
They shouldn't have done that. In which case, public confidence would have remained high. &, so, too, the current lacking confidence in our Mau-Mau usurper would be unprecedented.
I want to nominate that alt text for a Pulitzer Prize.
There`s a news report here in Canada that pharmacies in British Columbia are experiencing a run on iodine, even though no radiation threat exists, and it would take at least 5 days for radiation from Japan to reach the west coast. Because, you know, it`s all about us.
Silly Canuckistanis — it's not about you. It's about us. Heading over to the Home Despot right now for some duck tape and Visqueen so I can suffocate Tom Ridge style.
As someone who has been forced to watch "The Muppets Christmas Carol" multiple times, I can say that your summary is not far from reality.
You were in Gitmo?
I'm bewaring the savage jaw of 1984; I'm a little behind.
Watch out — they'll split your pretty cranium, and fill it full of air.
Here's a test: Pick the oxymoron du jour:
☛Safe nuclear energy
☛Clean coal
☛American political optimism
Anyone? Anyone?
☛Sports journalism
"Justice Thomas" is my new favorite oxymoron.
"Military Intelligence"
Democratic republic?
Internet Journalism
W's "compassionate conservatism".
☞ Corporate Ethics
☞ Broadcaster Standards
☞ Conservative Integrity
All of the above, Charlie.
Why aren't more people optimistic about our system of government? Just look at how well it's working for us!
I guess nuclear power is off Obama's alternative energy policy list for now. That leaves deep-water oil drilling and clean coal.
Not while Tom Coburn is alive.
If we're going to start calling out Senators for stabbing, this could take a while. Might be better to just wipe the slate clean, lock the doors and burn them all down. Sorry Senator Sanders but it's for the greater good.
As a socialist, I'm sure Bernie would be willing to take one for the team.
Can I have Lieberman, pleez?
ANTISEMITE!
We'll make sure Sanders and Franken get out.
So many GOP dirtbags. So few knives.
Or James Inhofe.
Look, I know nuclear meltdowns are more dangerous that your average grilled cheese meltdown….but I really need some help here! Does anyone have any ideas on who might win the play-in games in the tournament? I am trying to fill in my bracket and these games are making me MAD MAD MAD!
From what I can tell, Glenn Beck came in first in the Wrath 'O God sweepstakes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/14/glenn-be...
Who had money on Glenn?
"The evil that nuclear power plants do lives after them; the spent fuel rods are oft interred with their bones."
considering Obama treatment of Manning we must say:
Et tu Obama?! then fall Democrats
Well, since we're all going to die shortly, I'm going to continue getting as drunk as humanly possible. There's no longer a reason to worry about cancer or cirrhosis or any of that. What a relief! Cheers!
AMEN BROTHER!!
"…die shortly…"
You wish! We definitely have until May 21st: <a href="http://www.wecanknow.com/” target=”_blank”>www.wecanknow.com/
brutus is kind of the perfect republican: pompous, convinced of his own importance, initiating criminal acts under the guise of patriotism.
well, that's how I'D produce 'jc' anyway.
Well, isn't it ironic, all these years of calling it the "China Syndrome," and it turns out we should have called it "Japan Syndrome."
Well, since the "China Syndrome" refers to a meltdown in the US wherein the pile burns itself all the way to China, a similar meltdown in Japan (35ºN, 139ºE) would emerge at 55ºS, 41ºW in the South Atlantic between the southern tip of South America, the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, and South Georgia. The Falklands Syndrome?
no, no, no, the earth is flat…that stuff just burns through and is eaten by the dragons…jeez!
No no no, its turtles, all the way down.
No, it's 4 elephants, then 1 turtle, then space….
When is Godzilla going to raise up and start stomping Tokyo?
Hey, if any of y'all have some spare potassium iodide could ya just slip it in the mail to old OC?? The wind is blowing pretty strong today…
The irony is how we cheered in 1945 after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Now we're sending our forces to help stop a nuclear explosion.
Hey, I know its late, but how about "Beware the Actinides of March?"
Cesium the day!
The only thing this proves folks, is that Nuclear Power is 100% safe and that this can never happen here.
–The GOP
The institution of higher learning whose students wore short-sleeve shirts and ties to the game and chanted “You’re still Mormons!” at the BYU basketball team after they kicked SDSU’s butt. It’s still San Diego State Teachers College at heart, out there on Normal Avenue, so named because state teachers colleges were called “normal schools.” But in my mind, Harvard is still a seminary.
I didn't see the chanting and I am glad that I didn't. My husband got his first two college degrees at SDSU. Do you live there? My father-in-law has a place on the beach in La Jolla.
The elevated spent fuel pools have also been compromised by the explosions.
Got trust?
Japan radiation
BPs Gulf of Mexico
9/11 mass murder scam
Fuck off. No, really.
Microscopic plutonium fallout inhalation.
All Israeli dependents and non-essential embassy staff removed per Haaretz.
I married well because Jeff is a hot, hot little biscuit. Money doesn't matter to me.
There is nothing wrong with bums. If you date one you can just drop them off anywhere.
Alt text WIN
Shhhh! You'll alert the civility police if you keep up with that.
I thought he was offering his doggie Snausages. Where did I get that idea?
Yeah, I thought I was special too. Sadly enough, I found out that I'm just a snappy dresser.
No, it's a Pepsi on the control desk!
Even I'm pulling for our little advanced high school to do well.
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