The Tragic Consequences of Cocaine Use Exposed

Maybe there's more to Bush Avoidence Syndrome than we thought. Watch in horror and shame as the Resident misidentifies the Congresscritter he is stumping for not once, but twice. (here)

And he's the Decider?

gHod, somebody please get him from behind the wheel before he kills again.

Seems we're not the only ones who are confused...

MEMPHIS - Would-be rescuers ended their search Friday for a manatee that strayed an unprecedented 700 miles up the Mississippi River, leaving the warm-water mammal to an uncertain fate far north of its natural range.

The manatee, which had been spotted several times since Sunday along the Memphis riverfront, eluded a rescue team that had hoped to haul it by truck to Florida.

Biologists were unsure if the animal could find its way back to warmer waters or how long it could survive so far north. (more)

New Jersey court recognizes right to same-sex unions

via CNN

TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) -- New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that same-sex couples are entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples.

But the court left it to the Legislature to determine whether the state will honor gay marriage or some other form of civil union.

Advocates on both sides of the issue believed the state posed the best chance for gay marriage to win approval since Massachusetts became the only state to do so in 2003 because the New Jersey Supreme Court has a history of extending civil rights protections.

Instead, the high court stopped short of fully approving gay marriage and gave lawmakers 180 days to rewrite marriage laws to either include gay couples or create new civil unions.

"The issue is not about the transformation of the traditional definition of marriage, but about the unequal dispensation of benefits and privileges to one of two similarly situated classes of people," the court said in its 4-3 ruling.

New Jersey lawmakers voted to allow domestic partnerships in 2004, but they have been reluctant to delve into the sensitive issue of marriage.

Under domestic partnerships, gay couples have some benefits of marriage, such as the right to inherit possessions if there is no will and healthcare coverage for state workers. (more)

Finally, some sanity prevails in this country.

Jesus Christ on a Raft

War Room - Salon.com:

Rick Santorum and the 'Eye of Mordor'

In an interview with the editorial board of the Bucks County Courier Times, embattled Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has equated the war in Iraq with J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings.' According to the paper, Santorum said that the United States has avoided terrorist attacks at home over the past five years because the 'Eye of Mordor' has been focused on Iraq instead.

'As the hobbits are going up Mount Doom, the Eye of Mordor is being drawn somewhere else,' Santorum said. 'It's being drawn to Iraq and it's not being drawn to the U.S. You know what? I want to keep it on Iraq. I don't want the Eye to come back here to the United States.'

We're sure that we wouldn't either, if only we had the slightest idea of what Santorum was saying. The Courier Times translates for those of us who are not so conversant in spooky Tolkienese: The 'Eye of Mordor,' it seems, was 'the tool the evil Lord Sauron used in search of the magical ring that would consolidate his power over Middle-earth.'

To be fair, Santorum's interview with the editorial board wasn't all about fantasy. Well, at least not the Dungeons and Dragons kind. Santorum said that he disagreed with the notion that the United States is 'bogged down' in Iraq. As for talk of a troop withdrawal? Santorum said: 'I don't think you ask that question. I know that's the question everybody wants to ask. But I don't think anyone would ask that question in 1944, 'Gee, how long are we going to be in Europe?' We're going to be in Europe until we win.'

-- Tim Grieve

Doesn't surprise me much. I have always thought of him as the Dark Helmut of the wingnut right. Taller than Rick Moranis, but far less funny (at least by intention).

He'll have plenty of time to read his stained and well paged Gor books after the forthcoming elections.

First the War in Iraq was a comma, now it's Sauron bait.

Sigh.

Daily Show: What Exactly Is President Bush's Job?

Jon does it again. Masterful.

Asylum Street Spankers Video

Just too, too much.