By “certainly has been aware,” he meant “unaware.”
During yesterday’s White House press briefing, Tony Snow tried to play down the neglect uncovered at Walter Reed by portraying it as old news. President Bush “certainly has been aware of the conditions in the wards where he has visited, Snow said, affirming that the administration was aware [...]

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The National Coalition for the Homeless issued its report on Tuesday that violence against the homeless is spiking across the country.
Can you guess which state is most dangerous for the homeless?

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There was some collective whining about bloggers at the National Press Club from Tony Snow and members of the WHPC (White House Press Corps). Think Progress has details. Something odd, though…
NBC News’ David Gregory bemoaned how political coverage has “become so polarized in this country…because it’s the internet and the blogs that have [...]

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But you have to admit, the Iraqi people are much better off than they were under Saddam. Riverbend:
“I told him, ‘I don’t have anything [I did not do anything].’ He said, ‘You don’t have anything?’ One of them threw me on the ground and my head hit the tiles. He did what he did- [...]

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What’s 30,000, give or take?
Veterans groups and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama say U.S. government officials are obscuring the actual number of wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars by leaving out of some public documents troops who suffer non-combat injuries.
From the Pentagon Web site to press materials handed out at the opening of an [...]

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Glad to see some attention come to this. Culturally, we stack the deck so high against our girls, and then mock and punish them for succumbing to the constantly dangling carrot:
Inescapable media images of sexed-up girls and women posing as adolescents can cause psychological and even physical harm to adolescents and young women, a [...]

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Well, Iran, we just happened to be in the neighborhood, and we figured since we have nothing better to do, we might as well get ready to bomb you. Knew you’d understand.
Planning to? Why of course not! What on earth would give you that idea?

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A twelve step for emailers, set up by an executive consultant. Hm. They should set up a support list.
Or maybe just consider the notion of seeking validation and intimacy from more emotionally rewarding sources.
Nah, it’d never work.

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How long until schools have the Nike and Adidas locker rooms?
Tomorrow’s public parks may be brought to you by your favorite snack, health food or athletic shoe company.
Broward County officials are considering letting sponsors place ads and name amenities at county-owned parks.
“We’re talking about major advertisers with the ability to put their names on facilities: [...]

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I thought terrorists wanted Democrats to win.
As we noted in the post below, Republican campaign contributor Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari got indicted on Friday for attempting to send over $150,000 to fund terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.
He contributed a decent amount of money to GOP congressional campaign committees in the 2002 and 2004 cycles [...]

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Bush can finally say he’s won something:
Al Neuharth, the former Gannett chief, USA Today founder and currently weekly columnist for that newspaper, has had a change of heart.
A year ago, in honor of President’s Day, he stated that while he was often critical of George W. Bush, he did not, and probably would not [...]

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I don’t really understand a lot about the treatment of PTSD, but if this really works, that’s great:
Virtual reality is being used to treat soldiers returning from Iraq with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The immersive system combines realistic street scenes, sounds and odours to allow patients to relive traumatic events in a controlled environment.
During the [...]

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Amanda at Pandagon offers an excellent review of Stephen Ducat’s The Wimp Factor:
The book is an examination of the way that anxious masculinity is a driving force behind wingnuttery. It was interesting reading this book while I became the Bad Girl of the Week in the media, because I was reading the theory and living [...]

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Any place that would expect to profit from tourism related to George W. Bush is likely to suffer. It’s nothing personal, Crawford, but your celebrity citizen is appalling.

Get a new celebrity to replace him, pronto, because he’s going to be an abysmal draw for visitors for decades to come. Have you read the [...]

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Ray Benson with the always remarkable Asleep at the Wheel:

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Emmy Lou:

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Dont you wish you could say you were surprised that a government agency has abdicated its public safety responsibility?
In 2005, when government scientists tested 60 soft, vinyl lunchboxes, they found that one in five contained amounts of lead that medical experts consider unsafe — and several had more than 10 times hazardous levels.
But that’s not [...]

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Want to know how to support the troops? Ask one:
I am a soldier serving at Fort Hood. I signed up in 2003 for a 5 year contract (I should ETS on 1/15/08). I joined at 32 years old to serve my country. I have been to Iraq twice already and was looking forward to [...]

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I know a lot of you are pretty skeptical about this whole astrology thing, and that’s fine - I’m not going to make you read this. And if (with your skepticism intact) you do decide to read it, it is unlikely that it will turn you into any sort of raving new-age lunatic.
But look: [...]

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to Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby’s latest effort.
“It is the men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform to whom we owe our liberty. Surely they deserve better than pious claims of ’support’ from those who are working for their defeat.”
You know what else they deserve? They deserve to be sent into battle with [...]

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From the Baltimore Sun:
Carroll County officials have asked the county’s Environmental Advisory Council to launch a water conservation effort and are working to form a water task force, two plans that grew out of a countywide water summit.
The conservation campaign should seek ways to recycle wastewater and promote low water-use fixtures and environmentally sensitive landscaping [...]

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Jane’s Addiction:

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Once in a while, government starts talking about something so obvious, you have to wonder why it wasn’t done before. Things like requiring a long-term water supply for new housing development. Way to go, Arizona…
Bills advancing in the Legislature would authorize counties and municipalities in Arizona’s rural areas to restrict construction of new [...]

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1. Hell Yes - Beck
2. Me and the Boys - NRBQ
3. I’m Still in Love With You - Steve Earle/Iris DeMent
4. Where is My Love - Cat Power
5. The Girl from Ipanema - Astrid Gilberto
6. When Will I Be Loved - Linda Ronstadt
7. You - Ben Arnold
8. Only Once - Yellowcard
9. Blue - Joni Mitchell
10. [...]

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I love the movie “Grace of My Heart,” loosely based on the life of Carole King. Larry Klein did a great job, pulling together new songs that sound like the 60s era. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out why they put the Elvis Costello version on the soundtrack instead of Kristen [...]

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Peter Paul & Mary:

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I know you’re busy, but when you get a chance, would you please take your head out of your ass?

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I’m willing to try a lot of things, but this just sounds a little too far out there for me… But they do have an option for jumping “nearly naked”…

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Click to play. (Via this guy.)

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