Daily Blend: Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Pres. Barack Obama

The blogging vibe has forsaken me today, so here’s a quick link dump for y’all.

President Obama ^[pictured] enacts whistleblower protection law – then adds signing statement that he’ll ignore any protections that prevent him from targeting whistleblowers. You can’t make this shit up.

Creeping Creationism in Colorado.

Meanwhile, the ugly and pseudo-historical Creationist branch of racism contaminates Texas schools.

Oh, look, it’s a new report about the Catholic Church covering up clerical child abuse for Bill Donohue to splutter in denial about.
(via Friendly Atheist)

Today’s argument against banning assault rifles^*: There aren’t that many people being slaughtered by them, and besides, we already tried it once and it really didn’t work, so fuck it, amirite?
(via The Agitator)

Proof that there is an Intelligent Designer, and that it’s totally wasted.
(via @radleybalko)

And finally, random adorable photo time:
(via @EmergencyPuppy)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

* Because the linguistic pedant in me refuses to use the term “assault weapons”.

Obama passes stronger whistleblower protections, or something

It seems that President Obama has reversed his opinion that cracking down on whistleblowers is a brag-worthy accomplishment and has now signed a new law ostensibly to protect federal employees who reveal government wrongdoing:

Capping a 13-year effort by supporters of whistle-blower rights, the new law closes loopholes created by court rulings, which removed protections for federal whistle-blowers. One loophole specified that whistle-blowers were only protected when they were the first to report misconduct.

[…]

The whistle-blower law makes it easier to punish supervisors who try to retaliate against the government workers.

[…]

The new legislation, however, would go beyond restoring protections, to expand whistle-blower rights and clarify certain protections. For example, whistle-blowers could challenge the consequences of government policy decisions.

Specific protections would be given to certain employees, including government scientists who challenge censorship. Workers at the Transportation Security Administration, who provide airport security, would be covered under the law for the first time.

The law also would clarify that whistleblowers have the right to communicate with Congress.

To stop illegal retaliation, the law would make it easier to discipline those responsible, by modifying the burden of proof required when taking action against those trying to punish whistle-blowers. Also, the Office of Special Counsel, which was established to protect federal employees, would no longer be liable for attorney fees of government managers if the office does not prevail in a disciplinary action.

This is all very commendable, albeit rather belated. Now, if only the White House had any intention of actually applying these protections to those who reveal information that makes the President’s office look bad.

It’s also a fitting coincidence that these development occurs right as Bradley Manning’s ridiculous show trial-slash-court-martial begins.

(via @radleybalko, @ggreenwald & @ggreenwald)

Obama campaign brags about prosecuting whistleblowers he once vowed to protect

From then-President-Elect Obama’s transition website promises in 2008:

Protect Whistleblowers: Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process.

And now, from the Obama campaign website:

President Obama has done more than any other administration to forcefully pursue and address leaks of classified national security information. Here are the facts:

• The Obama administration has prosecuted twice as many cases under the Espionage Act as all other administrations combined.

• Under the President, the Justice Department has prosecuted six cases regarding national security leaks.

• Before he took office, federal prosecutors had used the Espionage Act in only three cases.

So, doing more than all previous U.S. presidents in history to crack down on those who reveal governmental fraud, waste and abuse after having previously sworn to protect them is now to be seen as a proud accomplishment. My, what a difference four years in power makes, eh?

For further reading, PolitiFact examines in detail the Obama administration’s decidedly lackluster handling of whistleblowers.

(via @ggreenwald)

Tags: Barack Obama • Obama administration

Daily Blend: Saturday, August 11, 2012

New WikiLeaks ^[pictured] whopper: Leaked emails expose TrapWire, secret U.S.-wide surveillance system that monitors everyone, anytime, anyplace, for “persons of interest”.

Welcome to Meridian, Mississippi, where (predominately Black) schoolchildren are sent directly to prison for skipping class, improper clothes, and “disrespect”.
(via @ebertchicago)

Give up, NOM: You know you’re tanking hard when you resort to passing your own paid staffers for supporters.
(via Joe. My. God.)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: TrapWire • WikiLeaks • surveillance • United States of America • USA • Meridian, MS • DoJ • U.S. Justice Department • Lauderdale County Youth Court • Meridian Police Department • Mississippi Division of Youth Services • Civil Rights Division • due process • National Organization for Marriage • NOM • Minnesota for Marriage

Stewart does Thomas Drake and Obama’s war on whistleblowers

Leave it to Jon Stewart to cover stories that other media outlets just don’t seem to think are worth sharing with the general public. Here’s last night’s The Daily Show segment on NSA “spy” Thomas Drake and the Obama administration’s brutal (and intensely hypocritical) crackdown on government whistleblowers:

Non-U.S. readers: Click here to learn how to enable Comedy Central videos (Firefox only)

Transcript: (click the [+/-] to open/close →)

[−]

JON STEWART: Did the Obama administration leak certain flattering information? I highly think yes. And also, this too: On the flip side, when it’s information the Obama administration no likey, they’ve been sons of bitches on government whistleblowers. In fact, our own Jason Jones has more.

JASON JONES (V.O.): We hear a lot of stories about government waste, but there are individuals out there fighting for the taxpayer, like former National Security Agency analyst Thomas Drake.

THOMAS DRAKE: When I was employed at the NSA, one of my responsibilities was to discover the very best that existed at NSA and put it into the fight. And one of those programs was Thinthread.

JONES (V.O.): Thinthread was an efficient, $4 million intelligence gathering program. The problem was, the NSA already had a program called Trailblazer that didn’t quite work, spied on Americans, and … was a tiny bit more expensive. [Note: TDS appears to have mixed up the ‘3’ and ‘4’ figures, here. —JM]

DRAKE: A three-million-dollar program made a four-billion-dollar program look pretty bad.

JONES (V.O.): And after he showed his superiors how much money they could save by implementing Thinthread, he received the government’s highest honor.

DRAKE: I was charged as a spy.

JONES: Sorry – you misspoke?

DRAKE: I was charged under the Espionage Act for blowing the whistle on massive fraud, waste, abuse, and illegalities committed by the U.S. Government.

JONES (V.O.): Whoa! This guy wasn’t some pencil-pushing, cost-benefit analyst! He was a super-spy at war with the Obama administration! We needed to meet more discretely.

[Jones and Drake meet up outside the Washington Memorial, clad in trenchcoats and sunglasses, and shake hands.]

JONES: I think this is a safe place we can talk.

DRAKE: I hope so.

[D.C. officer pulls up on Segway.]

OFFICER: Do you gentlemen have a permit?

JONES: Pardon me?

OFFICER: [points towards camera] You need a permit to film here.

JONES (V.O.): The government had had us tailed, so we met again, far from the watchful eye of Big Brother.

[Jones and Drake meet up outside the Lincoln Memorial.]

JONES: What in the world –?

OFFICER: [speeds up to them on his Segway] Guys, seriously. I told you, you can’t be here without a permit.

JONES: Where the hell are we supposed to shoot in this stupid city, then?

JONES (V.O.): All right, [fuck] it, we went back to the hotel.

[Back at the hotel. Drake sits next to JESSELYN RADACK (Attorney, Government Accountability Project).]

JONES (V.O.): And like any good spy, he brought his lawyer to help him explain why he wasn’t a spy.

DRAKE: Thinthread was a program developed with just a few million dollars. And yet, they shut down the program because it was too effective. It severely embarrassed them.

JONES: So, what did you do about it?

DRAKE: I brought Thinthread to my [?] official. He said, “You don’t wanna ask any more questions, Mr. Drake. Leave it alone.”

JONES (V.O.): Holy [shit]. That meeting would make an awesome [fucking] movie.

[Dramatization, action movie preview style.]

JONES (V.O.): TDS Studios presents …

DRAKE (V.O.): I went to the far ends of NSA to find the truth.

JONES (V.O.): Jason Jones as Thomas Drake.

DRAKE (V.O.): I [took on the bayonet?] for Thinthread.

JONES (V.O.): In … The Whistleblower.

[Jones/Drake breaks into NSA office, scaring the three officials inside, and pulls out two handguns.]

JONES: It’s my way or the die-way!

DRAKE (V.O.): [as Jones/Drake aims gun at NSA official] There were no guns.

JONES/DRAKE: [breaking character] What do you mean, no guns? This is the NSA!

DRAKE: No guns.

JONES: This doesn’t sound very spy-like.

DRAKE: Well, I had my two pieces of paper out.

JONES: So you went in there, two papers a-blazing?

[Take #2: Jones/Drake breaks into NSA office, scares officials inside. Brandishes two fistfuls of papers.]

JONES/DRAKE: I’m here to cut costs and kick ass. And looks like I’m all out of costs.

[Jones/Drake starts brawling with the three men, taking them out with fancy martial arts moves, including punching one on the mouth so hard a spurt of (obviously fake) blood splashes onto a window.]

DRAKE (V.O.): No fighting is actually allowed on NSA premises.

JONES/DRAKE: [breaking character] Oh, come on, that was badass! [glances at “blood” splash] Look at that!

DRAKE: No. Didn’t have to do that; I made an appointment to meet with them.

JONES: I got you.

[Take #3: NSA office door remains closed. CUT TO: Jones/Drake sitting in stuffy office cubicle, talking on the phone.]

JONES/DRAKE: I was just wondering if he was available on the 3^rd. He’s – doctor’s appointment. Okay. All right. Guess I’ll hold.

JONES: This is not a very good spy story.

DRAKE: It’s real life.

JONES: So, what came next? What did you do next?

DRAKE: Well, I was not gonna remain silent. I made a faithful decision: to contact a reporter at the Baltimore Sun.

JONES: So, how did you get the secrets out of the NSA? Microscopic dot on your shoe? [Drake points to himself] Hollow esophagus?

DRAKE: Using a very secure email system.

JONES: You used your email.

DRAKE: And I shared with her information revealing publicly for the first time, not only the existence of a program called Thinthread, but massive fraud, waste and abuse.

JONES (V.O.): This desk jockey also revealed that an internal test of Thinthread discovered information in NSA’s own database that might have actually stopped 9/11. And that is when the government sent in their ninja.

[Dramatization: Cloaked ninja comes up corridor, swinging nunchuks.]

DRAKE (V.O.): Actually, there are no ninjas employed by NSA.

[Ninja stops and looks up, disappointed.]

JONES: Who in their right mind would think this guy is a [fuck]ing spy? He’s terrible!

DRAKE: I was an American, I took an oath to defend the Constitution. It’s not criminal to have contact with a reporter.

JONES (V.O.): But according to the government, it is. So they arrested him.

DRAKE: Here I am, facing the prospect of a public trial in which, if I were found guilty, I would essentially spend the rest of my natural life in prison.

JONES (V.O.): But when the media starting publicizing Drake’s case and the NSA’s incompetence became public, it was clear that the ten felony counts were utter [bullshit]. But the government still managed to get him to plead to the most damning charge they could muster.

DRAKE: To exceeding authorized use of a computer.

RADACK: It’s the equivalent to playing too much Facebook on your work computer.

JONES: That’s not a great name for a movie title.

DRAKE: This is not a movie.

JONES: You bet your ass it’s not.

[Fake movie poster: ‘Exceeding Authorized Use of a Computer’; fake newspaper article: ‘Jones bombs at the B.O. / $47K on 5000 screens’]

JONES (V.O.): Drake ruined everything for my movie career. Oh, and also the NSA.

DRAKE: They’ve criminalized First Amendment activities. They’ve criminalized the exposure of criminal activity conducted at the highest levels of our own government.

JONES (V.O.): Or, to put that in legal terms:

RADACK: It’s [fucked] up.

JONES (V.O.): Now that is a much better title.

[Fake movie poster: ‘It’s F@#cked Up’]

In other news, Jason Jones has some sweet moves. (After all, he is Canadian.)

Tags: The Daily Show • Jon Stewart • Jason Jones • Thomas Drake • NSA • National Security Agency • spies • U.S. Espionage Act

WikiLeaks does Syria

This could prove interesting:

Today, Thursday 5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files – more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, ministries and associated companies, dating from August 2006 to March 2012.

This extraordinary data set derives from 680 Syria-related entities or domain names, including those of the Ministries of Presidential Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Information, Transport and Culture.

[…]

At this time Syria is undergoing a violent internal conflict that has killed between 6,000 and 15,000 people in the last 18 months. The Syria Files shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but they also reveal how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another.

The range of information extends from the intimate correspondence of the most senior Baath party figures to records of financial transfers sent from Syrian ministries to other nations.

The database comprises 2,434,899 emails from the 680 domains. There are 678,752 different email addresses that have sent emails and 1,082,447 different recipients. There are a number of different languages in the set, including around 400,000 emails in Arabic and 68,000 emails in Russian. The data is more than eight times the size of ’Cablegate’ in terms of number of documents, and more than 100 times the size in terms of data.

For some reason, I don’t expect this release will engender the same manufactured fears about putting people’s lives in danger that the U.S. Pentagon tried to monger during “Cablegate”.

(via @ioerror)

Tags: WikiLeaks • Syria • Syria Files

Daily Blend: Monday, April 16, 2012

Joe Muto

Connecticut predictably outlaws the death penalty.
(via Dispatches from the Culture Wars)

How the Right sees a record drop in teen pregnancies thanks to contraception and responds by calling for more abstinence-only sex ed.
(via @ebertchicago)

Gawker’s Fox Mole ^[pictured] reveals Sean Hannity’s blatant teleprompter hypocrisy and journalistic partisan hackery.
(via Dispatches from the Culture Wars)

James Randi exposes TLC’s “Long Island Medium”, Theresa Caputo.
(via The Daily Grail)

Tweeps who didn’t know the Titanic was real ^{[caveat: Daily Mail]}.
(via @ebertchicago)

The story behind that delightfully odd Frasier closing song, ‘Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs’.
(via The Agitator)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Connecticut • capital punishment • death penalty • abstinence • sex ed • sex education • teen pregnancy • teen births • conservatives • Joe Muto • Fox News • Fox News Channel • Sean Hannity • teleprompters • Barack Obama • James Randi • Long Island Medium • Theresa Caputo • cold reading • frauds • psychics • mediums • Titanic • Titanic Disaster • Twitter • Frasier • Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs • Ken Levine

Daily Blend: Friday, April 13, 2011

Joe Muto

Where are all the black cats we were promised? I call false advertising.

Well, that was fast: Gawker’s Fox Mole ^[pictured] exposed and fired – and still blowing the whistle.

Debunking more climate change denialist nonsense from 49 former NASA employees (who aren’t climate scientists).
(via Bad Astronomy)

Meanwhile, Vox Day predictably parrots anti-global warming claims without mentioning how that research has been grossly misrepresented.

Roger Ebert reviews Bully.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: The Fox Mole • Gawker • Fox News • Fox News Channel • Joe Muto • Shawn Otto • NASA • National Aeronautics and Space Administration • global warming • climate change • denialists • Middle Ages • Zunli Lu • Medieval Warm Period • Vox Day • Theodore Beale • Bully • Roger Ebert

Daily Blend: Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Rep. Allen West (R-FL)

Tennessee’s notorious anti-science education bill officially becomes law.

Nutball Rep. Allen West ^[pictured] (R-FL): 80 Congressional Democrats are secret Commies! And also, President Obama is afraid of me.
(via Joe. My. God.)

National Review Online continues to clean house. Good on them, or shame for hiring overt bigots in the first place?

Gawker hires a Fox News Channel mole. Definitely keeping my eye on this.

It’s official: The Simpsons (sorta) live in Springfield, Oregon. Not sure how complimentary this is.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Tennessee • monkey bill • Bill Haslam • science education • SB 893 • HB 368 • Allen West • Democrats • Congress • Congressional Progressive Caucus • Communism • Communists • Communist Party • Barack Obama • wingnuts • National Review • National Review Online • NRO • Rich Lowry • Robert Weissberg • White Nationalism • wingnuts • Gawker • Fox News • Fox News Channel • The Fox Mole • The Simpsons • Springfield • Springfield, OR • Matt Groening

Daily Blend: Monday, April 09, 2012

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker ^[pictured] (R) quietly enacts three anti-abortion, pro-abstinence-only bills and repeals the Equal Pay Enforcement Act to hold employers accountable for workplace discrimination. Has he been recalled yet?
(via @todayspolitics)

Newly released legal memo reveals how the Bush administration ignored the State Department’s legal counsel’s opposition to blatantly illegal “enhanced interrogation techniques” (aka torture).

Meanwhile, former CIA interrogator reveals the inner workings of secret prisons and the torture of detainees therein.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) presents an alternative to workplace non-discrimination rules: gays should just hide their gayness à la “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

Greta Christina destroys the claims that prostitution is always and inevitably akin to sexual slavery.

Survey: Most Canadians are nonreligious theists and religious figures are more distrusted, especially in Québec. Nothing new … though still awesome.
(via Friendly Atheist)

National Review Online fires racist asshat John Derbyshire; Vox Day instructs his fellow racists to boycott. I’m sure editor Rich Lowry weeps at the loss.

xkcd infographic on lakes and oceans. Pretty nifty. Still can’t believe how fracking deep those oil wells go.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Wisconsin • Scott Walker • abstinence-only • sex ed • sex education • Equal Pay Enforcement Act • Bush administration • U.S. State Department • Philip Zelikow • Geneva Conventions • enhanced interrogation techniques • CIA • black sites • The Interrogator • Glenn Carle • Steve King • anti-discrimination • Don't Ask, Don't Tell • DADT • gays • prostitution • sex workers • sexual slavery • Greta Christina • Taslima Nasreen • Canada • Canadians • Association for Canadian Studies • atheists • God • religious nones • National Review • National Review Online • NRO • Rich Lowry • John Derbyshire • Vox Day • Theodore Beale • racism • xkcd • oceans • oil wells

Daily Blend: Friday, August 26, 2011

Ali Soufan

• CIA trying to censor interrogator-turned-critic ^[pictured] from revealing information that’s already in the public domain.

• Shift happens: Phil Plait lays out the data behind all these earthquakes of late. (Shockingly, Jen McCreight is not to blame.)

• Wow: Christianist busybodies take over Iowa daycare center and royally fuck every employee over.

• Friend’s reaction: “Humans, this is why aliens are shunning us.” (#1 seriously makes me wanna rage.)

• Comment of the day (and part two). Premium example(s) of “name the fallacies”.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: CIA • Ali Soufan • interrogation • earthquakes • Phil Plait • Happy Time Daycare • Point of Grace Children's Academy • Christians • Christianists • pets • plastic surgery • make-up • spas • tattoos • perfume • body piercings • Missrs50 • logical fallacies • God

Daily Blend: Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Bradley Manning and isolation cell

Don’t ya just hate it when you get embroiled in a conversation with a friend that keeps you up until 7 AM overnight? Yeah … I don’t, either.

• Glenn Greenwald reports on US Army Private and alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning’s [pictured] inhumane detention conditions that fall below even military imprisonment standards.
  (via @todayspolitics)

• New study disproves common (and blatantly false) notion that women who seek abortions are more likely to have mental, emotional or addiction disorders.

• Shocking (again): Another leaked internal email shows Fox News Washington managing editor Bill Sammon ordering Fox anchors to cast doubt on climate science.

• Darryl Cunningham’s newest target: Climate change denialism.
  (via Pharyngula)

• So President Obama apparently intends to revive the Office of Special Counsel, a White House group focused on defending whistleblowers. If only he’d stop prosecuting them, first.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.