links for 2007-05-30

7:20 am EST May 30th, 2007 | Politics | 4 Comments

Elections Have Consequences

4:10 am EST May 30th, 2007 | Uncategorized | 21 Comments

Can somebody tell me again why Democrats and progressives continue to speak about the Supreme Court only within the framework of Roe vs. Wade?

The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it harder for many workers to sue
their employers for discrimination in pay, insisting in a 5-to-4
decision on a tight time frame to file such cases. The dissenters said
the ruling ignored workplace realities.

The decision came in a case involving a supervisor at a Goodyear
Tire plant in Gadsden, Ala., the only woman among 16 men at the same
management level, who was paid less than any of her colleagues,
including those with less seniority. She learned that fact late in a
career of nearly 20 years — too late, according to the Supreme Court’s
majority.

The court held on Tuesday that employees may not bring suit under
the principal federal anti-discrimination law unless they have filed a
formal complaint with a federal agency within 180 days after their pay
was set. The timeline applies, according to the decision, even if the
effects of the initial discriminatory act were not immediately apparent
to the worker and even if they continue to the present day.

From 2001 to 2006, workers brought nearly 40,000 pay discrimination
cases. Many such cases are likely to be barred by the court’s
interpretation of the requirement in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 that employees make their charge within 180 days “after the
alleged unlawful employment practice occurred.”

Workplace experts said the ruling would have broad ramifications and would narrow the legal options of many employees.

There’s a good chance the next president will be nominating at least two judges to the court, or possibly more that could end up altering the entire balance of the court. The Dems on the trail might think to mention that to folks. It’s important.

We’ve seen the perils of relying on the outside groups (Alliance for Justice, People for the American Way) and senators to do a competent job on this: one, two.

Topic: Liberals

Artistic Ability Not Required To Be President

4:04 am EST May 30th, 2007 | News | 6 Comments

Otherwise Senator Obama would be DOA.

Topic: President Obama

Mister Rogers: Total Awesomeness

7:44 pm EST May 29th, 2007 | News | 12 Comments

By far the best tv show of my childhood.

When the government wanted to cut Public Television funds in 1969, the relatively unknown Mister Rogers went to Washington. Almost straight out of a Capra film, his 5-6 minute testimony on how TV had the potential to give kids hope and create more productive citizens was so simple but passionate that even the most gruff politicians were charmed. While the budget should have been cut, the funding instead jumped from $9 to $22 million. Rogers also spoke to Congress, and swayed senators into voting to allow VCR’s to record television shows from the home. It was a cantankerous debate at the time, but his argument was that recording a program like his allowed working parents to sit down with their children and watch shows as a family.

(via)

UPDATE: I love Youtube. Mister Rogers (and Mr. McPheely) visits the set of The Incredible Hulk Movie.

A Fantastic Mistake

6:08 pm EST May 29th, 2007 | Movies | 3 Comments

A Marvel Comics hero is giving George Washington some company on the quarter, but the U.S. Mint doesn’t think the stunt is so super.

To promote the upcoming film “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” 20th Century Fox and The Franklin Mint altered 40,000 U.S. quarters to feature the character.

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The U.S. Mint said in a news release Friday that it learned of the promotional quarter this week and advised the studio and The Franklin Mint they were breaking the law. It is illegal to turn a coin into an advertising vehicle, and violators can face a fine.

And I Was All, Bush Is The Worst President Ever, And He Was Like Nuh-Uh, Jimmy Carter Is So Totally The Worst Ever. As If!

9:36 pm EST May 28th, 2007 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Seventeen Magazine gives young girls tips on how to date a blogger.

Oh, look out there on the horizon – it’s four guys riding horses. I wonder what that means?

Topic: Humor

The Evil Of The “Acting White” Mentality

9:27 pm EST May 28th, 2007 | News | 36 Comments

More than a few people aren’t going to like this truth. Oh well, people need to hear it.

Sociologists have a term for this pathological facet of black life. It’s called "cool-pose culture." Whatever the nomenclature, "cool pose" or keeping it real or something else entirely, this peculiar aspect of the contemporary black experience — the inverted-pyramid hierarchy of values stemming from the glorification of lower-class reality in the hip-hop era — has quietly taken the place of white racism as the most formidable obstacle to success and equality in the black middle classes.

Topic: Race

It’s Hard To Tell The Difference

9:21 pm EST May 28th, 2007 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Well, they’re both ranting.

Topic: Humor

Conservative Bloggers Are Idiots

9:18 pm EST May 28th, 2007 | News | 4 Comments

Ever since the mainstream press bent over backwards to tell them their excrement didn’t smell with the CBS National Guard memos story, con bloggers are even more certain that they know everything regardless of the facts. Habitual morons like Ace of Spades and the folks at Pajamas Media are featured in this latest episode.

Memorial Day 2007

9:10 am EST May 28th, 2007 | News | 54 Comments

“I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men coughing out their gassed lungs. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen 200 limping, exhausted men come out of line—the survivors of a regiment of 1,000 that went forward 48 hours before. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war.”
– Franklin Delano Roosevelt

“In the period from Memorial Day 2006 through Saturday, 972 Air Force, Army, Marine and Navy personnel have died in Iraq.”

“I just feel that we will be here a long time. And it’s going to take a lot more time than what people think back home to fix what’s going on over here. From what I see, they don’t want us here.” – Josh Ites, Iowa National Guardsman serving in Iraq

“”At home, there’s a lot of misconceptions about the conflict over here. They’ll be asked what they believe the war in Iraq is about they’ll just say ‘freedom.’ They’ll just spout off with something that they’ve heard and is easily repeatable and it’s patriotic” – Adam Wendling, Iowa National Guardsman serving in Iraq

Topic: Iraq