Motley Moose – Archive

Quote of the day, from the Associated Press:

“You’re looking at what is the best course societywide to get you the optimal result in the widest variety of cases. That often is not open to people in individual cases. Certainly adoption in families headed, like Chief Roberts’ family is, by a heterosexual couple, is by far the second-best option,” said John Eastman, chairman of the National Organization for Marriage. Eastman also teaches law at Chapman University law school in Orange, Calif.

Because when you’re less than two weeks out from arguing cases related to marriage and raising children, the thing to do is viciously and cruelly insult the Chief Justice’s family, right?

Quote of the day, from the Associated Press:

“You’re looking at what is the best course societywide to get you the optimal result in the widest variety of cases. That often is not open to people in individual cases. Certainly adoption in families headed, like Chief Roberts’ family is, by a heterosexual couple, is by far the second-best option,” said John Eastman, chairman of the National Organization for Marriage. Eastman also teaches law at Chapman University law school in Orange, Calif.

Because when you’re less than two weeks out from arguing cases related to marriage and raising children, the thing to do is viciously and cruelly insult the Chief Justice’s family, right?

Writing up my short diary on Pope Francis brought out the sometimes startling variety of papal names. The last pope to use a new name was Lando (so you can see why Francis didn’t pick that one),  but if you go further back the names get even more surprising. Take the poll – which of these would you pick for yourself?

Amaze your friends! Astound your neighbors! Confuse your enemies! Calculate the day of the week for any date, all without consulting a paper OR electronic calendar!

Several years ago my dad, a brilliant man, told me about a calendar trick he used. The trick allowed him to figure the day of the week for nearly any date. While other people were still looking in their paper planners (back in the old days,) he already knew.

In 2013, Thursday is the MAGIC DAY, a reference day around which the calendar trick revolves.

March 14 (Pi Day!) is a magic day on the calendar. In fact, March 14 is a magic day regardless of which year it is, or which day of the week the date falls upon.

Today’s topic is pi: that glorious number that is more than a number. It is a phenomenon.

Some people think of pi as 3.14.

Some people think of pi as π.

Some people think of pi as

Good morning Bombistas!  Sorry about all the difficult questions. You shouldn’t have forgotten to study! These will be on the test!

Interrogatories

If you could do a thorough “cleansing” of your present life, what would you discard (physical things such as possessions or mental things such as attitudes can apply)?

If you could create your own Heaven, what would it be like? Do you think wisdom comes with age? Do you think you see yourself as others do? What is your favorite body of water?

The Twitter Emittter

ZOMG why won’t Obama finish his budget so the GOP can immediately reject it?????

— Yeggo (@Yeggo) March 13, 2013

How many alter boys are relieved that 115 Cardinals are locked away until the white smoke appears?

— Tom Wellborn (@TLW3) March 13, 2013

Now that we have a Pope, we get that hour of sleep back, right?

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) March 13, 2013

The new Holy Father will make some sort of conservative doctrinal pronouncement, and someone will say, “lighten up, Francis!”#HabermusPapum

— Andrew Abshier (@DocAbshier) March 13, 2013

I love how #GOP #RWNJ calls me a moocher for being unemployed while House GOP sits on its ass collecting gov’t checks for doing nothing.

— Moody_Loner (@MoodyLoner) March 13, 2013

To answer the question you’re all asking: House Lannister. Obviously.

— Pope Francis I (@PopeFrancisOne) March 13, 2013

Bad day for Pee Wee Herman: his nemesis Francis gets elected Pope, and he’s super against masturbation.

— Tim Long (@mrtimlong) March 13, 2013

I sort of assumed they’d let J.J. Abrams run the Catholic church too.

— Pope Francis I (@PopeFrancisOne) March 13, 2013

Why didn’t Obama tell us the sequester would kill Google Reader? #impeach

— Danielle(@DCPlod) March 13, 2013

I hope the Argentinian Pope visits Arizona just so Jan Brewer can demand he show his papers.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) March 13, 2013

If its a legitimate RSS reader, Google has a way to shut that down

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) March 13, 2013

The new pope is from a different continent than the last one, but he’s from the same century and it isn’t this one

— Peter Flom (@peterflom) March 13, 2013

White People Make Up 42% of the Poor, But Take in Whopping 69% of Government Benefits | Your Black World yourblackworld.net/2013/03/black-…

— Reginald Hudlin (@reghud) March 13, 2013

Both Paul Ryan and Pope Francis have a commitment to the poor. But Ryan’s commitment is to make more of them.

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) March 14, 2013

So apparently Pope Francis ordered Google Reader to shut down?

— Larry Madill (@larrymadill) March 14, 2013

.

It’s time to wake yourselves up.

There’s no snoozin’ for the Moozin’.

cassandracarolina and I will be hosting the

Thursday thread so scribble a few thoughts and

Make Sure Your Peeps Know Where You Are!

We would like to welcome you if you are new to the

Moose. Feel free to walk around and check out your brand new

purpleiscious digs. You can post a comment, continue lurking,

(We see you out there)



.

or try your hand at penning a diary,

it couldn’t possibly be any worse than this.

Diary Templates can be a little challenging,



so we’ve listed some helpful hints below.

Before we get started JanFab has  

some instructions that should help.

The Big Stuff:

Comments

Comments do not Auto-Refresh.

Click the Refresh/Reload on

your tab to see new ones.

To check for replies to your comments, click the

“My Comments” link in the right-hand column

(or go to “My Moose”). Comments will be listed

and a link to Recent Replies will be shown.

(Note: Tending comments builds community)

This is a great link to have open in a tab:

Motley Moose Recent Comments

Ratings:

‘Fierce’ means Thumbs Up,

‘Fail’ means Thumbs Down,

‘Meh’ means one of three things:

I am un’Failing’ you but I can’t ‘Fierce’ you,

I am un’Fiercing’ after a mistaken ‘Fierce’

or ‘Meh’. Just ‘Meh’.

Diaries

When creating a new diary, remember to choose the

Draft option while you are working on it.

Choose the Public option when you want to publish.

(located at bottom of template)

If you are an established Moose, you know the drill

so pull up a chair, get yourself comfy and a cuppa

whatever it that gets the motor running.

The Rulz

The most important rule around here is;

Be Kind to Each Other… or else.

Seriously though, if you don’t want it said to you, then don’t say it to someone else. Respect is an important thing. If you feel the need to not be respectful, then step away and take a breather. Political debate can be both spirited and respectful.  

Share some recent news and your opinions here

Moose News Musings

For those of you lurking and being shy, no reason to be nervous. If a perpetual corner dweller like me can publish a diary like this, you can feel safe too. Drop us a comment and start making your own Moose Tracks, there’s no time like the present.

Don’t make us come looking for you.



.

.

Some news items to peruse, ponder, discuss.

Have a good night, everyone.

National News



Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigns amid probe of company she consulted for

By Josh Levs, CNN (CNN) — Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has resigned, it was announced Wednesday, the day after she answered questions from investigators about her role in an allegedly corrupt veterans’ charity. The resignation came the same day 57 people connected to the charity, Allied Veterans of the World, were arrested on racketeering and money laundering charges. Leaders in the company, which operates Internet gambling parlors, are accused of donating little of its proceeds to veterans, and instead buying luxury goods for themselves. “I want any funds from these groups to immediately be given to charity. I have zero tolerance for this kind of criminal activity, period,” Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday. In a two-sentence resignation letter delivered to Scott, Carroll said it was an “honor to have served.” She consulted for Allied Veterans, but was not among those arrested Wednesday.

Dow hits new all-time high. Again.

By Maureen Farrel The Dow inched higher, adding five points, to close at an all-time high for the seventh straight day. Wednesday marked the ninth straight day of gains for the index. It’s the longest winning streak for the Dow since 1996. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed up roughly 0.1%. The S&P 500 is less than 1% away from its all-time high, reached in October 2007. Economic numbers out of Europe had dampened sentiment before the market opened. But investors seemed encouraged by a better-than-expected report on retail sales in the United States. Doug DiPietro, head of trading at Evercore, said investors have been wary of placing big bets at these levels. But they are also worried about selling stocks too early. Tepid investors have kept volumes low this week, he said.

Iran to add lawsuit over ‘Argo’ to cinematic response

By Jethro Mullen and Ben Brumfield, CNN (CNN) — First, Iran said it would produce its own cinematic response to “Argo.” Now, Tehran plans to sue Hollywood filmmakers who contribute to the production of such “anti-Iran” propaganda films. State-run Press TV reports that Iranian officials have talked to an “internationally-renowned” French lawyer about filing such a suit. “I will defend Iran against the films like ‘Argo,’ which are produced in Hollywood to distort the country’s image,” said Isabelle Coutant-Peyre. “Argo,” directed by Ben Affleck, who also played the lead role, is about the rescue of U.S. diplomats during the Iran hostage crisis. The film, released in 2012, garnered Affleck a Golden Globe as director and also took the prize for best drama movie. The film claims to be based on a true story rather than to constitute a scrupulous retelling of what took place, and its deviations from reality have been documented.

Legislation to arm teachers advances in Ariz.

Alia Beard Rau, The Arizona Republic PHOENIX — Legislation to arm some school teachers and staff passed a key hurdle in the Arizona Senate on Wednesday. Senate Bill 1325, drafted in the wake of the December massacre at a Connecticut elementary school, won approval of the Committee of the Whole. But the bill still faces an uphill climb to become law. It needs a vote of the full Senate, which could come early next week, and then support of the House and Gov. Jan Brewer before being signed into law. SB 1325 would allow school governing boards to authorize any employee to carry a concealed gun on campus if the school has fewer than 600 students, is more than 30 minutes and 20 miles away from the closest law-enforcement facility, and does not have its own school-resource officer. The bill would also allow boards of schools anywhere in the state to authorize any staff member who is also a retired law enforcement officer to carry a concealed weapon on school grounds.

Lawyer expects Supreme Court to uphold gay marriage

Greg Toppo, @gtoppo, USA TODAY A well-known attorney due to ask the U.S. Supreme Court this month to strike down a California law banning same-sex marriage says the high court may very well present a united front in favor of gay and lesbian rights. In a wide-ranging interview this week with the USA TODAY Editorial Board, attorney David Boies said he believes that the court’s ruling, expected in June, “will not be a 5-4 decision. I don’t know whether it’s going to be 6-3, it’s going to be 7-2,” he said. “I don’t know where it’s going to come out, but I don’t think this is going to be a 5-4 decision.” Chief Justice John Roberts’ surprise decision last year to uphold President Obama’s health care overhaul, he said, shows “the court’s willingness to take a careful look at issues and not just conform to some people’s view of where they’re going to come out.”

International News



Native Americans to new Pope: Recant the ‘Discovery Doctrine,’ which gave Catholics dominion over New World

Papal bull from 1400s treated American Indians as cattle. Ruling still applies today. By Stephen Rex Brown A 15th century Catholic decree permitting Europeans to seize Indian land in the New World is a load of papal bull. That was the message Tuesday from the Onondaga Nation, which is calling on the new Pope to revoke the so-called Discovery Doctrine, which evolved from a papal decree written by Pope Nicholas V in 1455. “Now is the time for the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church to extend a hand and talk about these issues,” said Tonya Frichner, the president of the American Indian Law Alliance. The Discovery Doctrine was a key element in the moral justification of the European conquest of indigenous people around the world and remains influential in legal circles.

Pope Francis, the pontiff of firsts, breaks with tradition

By Chelsea J. Carter, Hada Messia and Richard Allen Greene, CNN Vatican City (CNN) — Call him Pope Francis, the pontiff of firsts. When Jorge Bergoglio stepped onto the balcony at the Vatican on Wednesday to reveal himself as the new leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, he made history as the first non-European pope of the modern era, the first from Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to assume the name Francis. The new pope then quickly made another kind of history, breaking with tradition in his first public act before the 150,000 people packed into St. Peter’s Square. Rather than bless the crowd first, he asked them to pray for him. “Let us say this prayer, your prayer for me, in silence,” he told the cheering crowd.

U.S. Troops Train For Possible Mission To Secure Syrian Chemical Agents

by Tom Bowman Several weeks ago, Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said the U.S. is planning what to do about Syria’s vast chemical weapons program once Bashar Assad’s regime falls. The Syrians are believed to have hundreds of tons of chemical agents, including sarin, one of the deadliest chemical agents. A few drops can be lethal. So the central question is this: How can those sites be secured so they don’t fall into the wrong hands? NPR has learned that the 82nd Airborne Division just wrapped up a nine-day training exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C., working with Army chemical experts from the 20th Support Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, to get ready for a possible mission to deal with those deadly chemicals in Syria. Thousands of paratroopers jumped in and practiced fighting a foe and surrounding buildings. They wore chemical protective gear, practiced using chemical detectors and corralled mock chemical munitions for containment.

North Korea Severs ‘Hotline’ Communication With The South After Sanctions

by Tom Gjelten North Korean authorities cut off their “hotline” communication with South Korea on Monday as part of their announced withdrawal from the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953. The move came amid a flurry of bellicose North Korean threats, coinciding with the beginning today of joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises. The White House also vowed anew to protect U.S. forces and South Korean allies against any threats from the North. Analysts say it is among the most dangerous moments on the Korean peninsula in several years.

Berlusconi gets 1-year sentence over published wiretap

By Barbie Nadeau and Michael Pearson, CNN Rome (CNN) — Silvio Berlusconi’s long strange trip through Italian politics — and the nation’s justice system — reached another stop Thursday as a Milan court sentenced the former prime minister to a year in prison for publishing secretly recorded details of a political rival’s telephone conversations. The conviction comes less than two weeks after Berlusconi came in a seemingly improbable second among voters as he tried to win back his old job. Whether Berlusconi, 76, will ever set foot in prison is questionable. Berlusconi has been charged and convicted before but has never served time. Previous charges have either been overturned on appeal or dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired. Berlusconi’s lawyer, Piero Longo, said he will appeal.

As an Episcopalian, I am only an onlooker when it comes to papal elections. Nonetheless, this one is a doozy. Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) is the first pope from the Americas, the first non-European pope for over a millennium, the first pope to use a new name since Pope Lando (from the saeculum obscurum, also called the nadir of the papacy), and the first Jesuit pope.

He has a master’s degree in chemistry, taken before he changed his focus to theology.

Cardinal Bergoglio became known for personal humility, doctrinal conservatism and a commitment to social justice.A simple lifestyle contributed to his reputation for humility. He lived in a small apartment, rather than in the palatial bishop’s residence. He gave up his chauffeured limousine in favor of public transportation.

On the death of Pope John Paul II, Bergoglio was considered one of the papabile cardinals. He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. It has been reported that Bergoglio was in close contention with Ratzinger during the election, until he made an emotional plea that the cardinals should not vote for him.

He has a strong record of support for the poor, but the predictably dismal one for human sexuality in various forms. One report of colluding with the junta does not seem to be backed up by any others.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing is his choice of the name Francis. It is Assisi, not Xavier, so it is not a tribute to the Jesuits but something else. St. Francis in his lifetime was a rather disruptive person; what does that augur for this pope?

It will be very interesting to see what develops.

UPDATE: This live blog by Andrew Sullivan is chock full of insights, too many to copy over – go take a look. Almost all heartening, apart from the human sexuality questions.