ThinkFast PM: May 31, 2006
ThinkProgress is launching a new feature today, ThinkFast PM. It’s a lot like our morning edition of ThinkFast, except in PM we focus on blogs. Let us know what you think in the comments.
Today marks the very first Dependence Day, “the day each year when the United States effectively exhausts its supply of domestic oil and is forced to rely on foreign oil.” Check out DependenceDay.org.
Could The New York Times have prevented 9/11? Judith Miller left executive editor Bill Keller in the dark about her big, unpublished scoop.
Of course global warming doesn’t exist, says one Religious Right activist. “Is God really going to let the Earth burn up?”
Deepmarket.com says it will offset one ton of carbon emissions for every other blog that links to it. (Treehugger has details.)
The Department of Homeland Security is slashing anti-terror funds for New York City and Washington, DC — the two places hit by terrorists on 9/11. They “will receive 40 percent less in urban grant money compared to last year, with Washington dropping from $77 million to $46 million and New York falling from $207 million to $124 million.”
Will veterans shoulder the cost for the loss of their personal information?
President Bush, speaking in New Orleans on April 27: “If you are interested in helping the victims of Katrina, interested in helping them get back on their feet, come on down here.” “Don’t pack your bags though. FEMA has announced that on June 1 it will be closing the last 4 camps that house and feed volunteers coming to Louisiana to aid in recovery.”
When blogging is a path to prison: six bloggers in Egypt have been jailed after political demonstrations in Cairo.
And finally: Computers that are “powerful almost beyond human understanding,” and look great too. Photographer Simon Norfolk has “extraordinary new images of supercomputers and their architectural settings.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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“Is God really going to let the Earth burn up”?
Did I miss something, or isn’t that what the Rapture’s supposed to be all about?
I suppose logic got tossed a long time ago with these charlatans.
May 31st, 2006 at 7:19 pmI think the Bobby Kennedy Jr. article in Rolling Stone is not being given it’s fair share of attention, for now. BradBlog.com is running some material on it. Would be good for the P.M. edition today.
May 31st, 2006 at 7:38 pmThe Department of Homeland Security is slashing anti-terror funds for New York City and Washington, DC — the two places hit by terrorists on 9/11. They “will receive 40 percent less in urban grant money compared to last year, with Washington dropping from $77 million to $46 million and New York falling from $207 million to $124 million.â€
******************************
Speaking as a longtime resident of New York City, I have one burning question on my mind — where are they sending all the money that they’re taking away from us? Wait, don’t tell me — let me guess — they’re probably sending it to some RED STATE like Wyoming or someplace which is in next to no actual danger of being attacked by terrorists. Considering that Bush never wastes an opportunity to use 9-11 when it suits him to do so, to slash our funding like this is an absolute outrage and just serves to highlight the fact that he is an utterly shameless hypocrite with no sense of conscience whatsoever. In fact, if I were of a more suspicious and paranoid disposition, I might be inclined to assume that there’s more to this than meets the eye — that the budget cuts will decrease security so that something calamitous can happen and set up a situation enabling Bush and his neoconservative pals to more or less dispose of the Constitution once and for all.
May 31st, 2006 at 7:57 pmI think its a great idea….
ThinkFast is the first thing I read in the morning with my coffee…
It only makes sense to cover what the blogs have discussed throughout the day..
plus it gives me another excuse to come back to your great site….LOL
May 31st, 2006 at 8:06 pmExcellent idea. You guys do a great job.
May 31st, 2006 at 8:15 pmBluestocking,
I noticed a large jump in Milwaukee’s funding, cause every terrorist is going to want to go to Wisconsin.
May 31st, 2006 at 8:16 pmTP:
May 31st, 2006 at 8:16 pmGreat! Love it! (Although I initially went to refresh my browser…!)
The more, the better. Keeps us thinking. I play “Brain Age” (Nintendo DS) every day, and I guess I like the steady stream of stories to keep me going intellectually.
BTW: actual age - 40. “Brain age” - 23. Not that I’m bragging…!
I’ll agree with many above, pretty damn good idea on your part! Good for all of us too!
May 31st, 2006 at 8:25 pmThanks for the link! And thanks for your excellent coverage of An Inconvenient Truth.
–Mike from TreeHugger.com
May 31st, 2006 at 8:31 pmI like it.Think Progress is in the Top 3 Blogs, if not the best blog, out there.
Keep up the good work guys, fact and reality eventually erode even the thickest of skulls and dogmas.
Thanks again for the awesome job, I feel ready for just about any political discussion after stopping by.
J
May 31st, 2006 at 8:51 pmI like this idea, particularly if they’re stories I haven’t seen already that day. In this case, I’d only read one, so great job folks. Everything looks interesting.
May 31st, 2006 at 8:52 pmBill Keller has nothing to feel bad about. He didn’t even know about any warnings, so there was nothing he could have done. Heck, GWB got over 50 warnings before that day, and it didn’t change anything. And he probably would have just sat on the story anyway. No telling the panic it may have caused. And what if it was just a rumor? Too many ‘unknowns’ here. But Ms.Miller should reveal her source.
May 31st, 2006 at 9:14 pmFantastic idea.
Keep up the great work! You’re one of my favorite sources.
May 31st, 2006 at 9:17 pmtrueblue,
Brain Age is a great way to stimulate the old brain cells. Since my girlfriend and daughter train besides me, one of the best parts is comparing the drawings we all do. Saduko is just too much fun.
May 31st, 2006 at 9:23 pmHi Spudge!
May 31st, 2006 at 9:29 pmI do a crossword and suduko every morning brfore logging on to TP.
My brain cells were NOT ready for the pic’s, though!
I mean, really, draw a giraffe! A koala? Rhino? Damn!
It is fun (Brain Age), isn’t it?
SH*T!
May 31st, 2006 at 9:32 pmSudoku!!
Why do I always mess that up?
Damn those old brain cells!!!!
You need training. : )
May 31st, 2006 at 9:41 pmAnyone else notice Bush’s tortured, tongue-tied comment on Haditha today?
He struck me as a man who either 1) was worried about the lie that has slipped out (he didn’t know about this until recently), 2) a man who knows what’s coming and is dumbstruck about what to do about it, or 3) one and two.
What ever the case, he was off his already challenged game. The best he could do was mumble something about “restoring the culture.†WTF?
New on EWM: “Contrition, Crawford Style”
…Standing in front of the nation and beside what’s left of Tony Bair, Bush admitted that he’s just too damn manly. Bush says it was the “tough talk,†that stands out among mistakes. You know, the “bring it on,†“wanted dead or alive†crap.
May 31st, 2006 at 9:45 pmThe President let his inner cowboy out and he’s sorry for sending the “wrong signals.†Signals are important to this caballero. There’s no “Brokeback†in his Baghdad policy…
Thanks…it’s a nice round-up of blogstuff.
May 31st, 2006 at 9:49 pmOK, Spudge,
What’s your actual age/ brain age?
(Sound of the gauntlet being thrown…!)
May 31st, 2006 at 9:52 pm28
May 31st, 2006 at 9:57 pmactual vs brain…..
May 31st, 2006 at 9:59 pmI recently had a vasectomy. Someone had to shave my balls. I wonder if the person was a Republican?
May 31st, 2006 at 10:01 pm#23 sounds like Haiku.
May 31st, 2006 at 10:03 pm…and hurry up about it ’cause I need to go to bed to refresh my brain cells!! :-)
See, Spudge, my mind may be spry, but my body says, “Get the H*ll to sleep!”
—Night All!!
May 31st, 2006 at 10:04 pmLOL For Truth!!
Now I’m going to have a hard time going to sleep ’cause I’ll be thinking of your Haiku!…. and worrying about Spudge’s Brain Age…!
May 31st, 2006 at 10:09 pm….where are they sending all the money that they’re taking away from us?
Didn’t you hear? Florida got double this year. Yep, Jeb sure can bring home the bacon.
May 31st, 2006 at 10:16 pmI like it. You guys are doing great.
May 31st, 2006 at 10:21 pmThe inconsistency and tortured logic of those on the extreme right becomes more pronounced on a daily basis. As they have felt embolden to show more and more of their true colors, I’m convinced they have set in motion their own diminishing credibility and influence.
What becomes more and more apparent is the underlying prejudice and bias that they have previously attempted to portray as a comprehensive moral doctrine. Clearly, as they have been confronted by an array of moral choices, the glaring incongruence’s have been illuminated leaving many to conclude that their movement is merely a fraudulent attempt to dictate the selective application of the judgmental and punitive beliefs they support.
To respond to the religious right lobbyist in DC who posits, “Is God really going to let the Earth burn up?â€â€¦the answers are many:
1. If God will solve global warming, then why do those on the religious right feel they need to interject their will on other issues…wouldn’t the same God solve their concerns for the family and marriage…why do we need a constitutional amendment for some issues and not others?
2. Clearly, the goal of those on the right is to dictate the behaviors they value…especially relating to issues like sex, abortion, and marriage. Issues that relate to the pursuit of wealth at the expense of the climate interfere with the unfettered pursuit of power and influence…since they see the imposition of their beliefs as being dependent upon obtaining wealth which leads to the power to impose. They embrace the notion that he, who has the gold, writes the rules.
3. Does Pat Robertson wants to sell supplements that allow one to leg press 2,000 pounds because he accepts that God has a plan for each of us…or because he is afraid to die and wants to counteract Gods plan that includes the natural process of aging…or because he can make more money off the fear of death if he sells both salvation AND supplements to his followers?
read full article here:
http://www.thoughttheater.com
May 31st, 2006 at 10:27 pmReal Brain 36
May 31st, 2006 at 10:55 pmTerror funding debate.
How much will the federal government require the cities to do to get that funding? Look at the requirements in the areas of education. The federal government mandates and then underfunds. Looks like that will be the case with terror funding too.
May 31st, 2006 at 10:56 pmJust the usual Bush Regime lies today so not much to discuss on here tonight > lol.
May 31st, 2006 at 11:06 pmIt’s great! Now if y’all actually had the donuts or bagels in the morning you’d be *perfect*! :)
May 31st, 2006 at 11:18 pmHow about the term ‘foreign oil’? How misleading is that? Just because it is sitting under a ranch in West Texas or a caribou in Alaska doesn’t make it any less ‘foreign’. That term makes domestic oil sound like it beongs to everyone, you know held in trust by the US government for the good of the people. Total crap. When the oil is pulled from the ground, it becomes the property of the oil company (after taxes, which amount to Jack and Shit relatively). The oil company then flogs it to the highest bidder, Japan, China, whoever can pay the most. ‘Don’t care if you live down the road Tex and we’re all Americans together, I’m flogging this to Mr Hu cos he has more cash than you’. The free market in oil makes the term ‘foreign oil’ a misnomer - it’s propaganda to focus the blame somewhere else.
May 31st, 2006 at 11:23 pmI check thinkprogress.org numerous times a day to get the full scoop on the news of the day. Great site and great addition.
June 1st, 2006 at 12:41 amThis should be fun.Thanks T.P..
June 1st, 2006 at 1:33 amWanted to spread the word on the grassroots promotion of this film. It’s something every American needs to see. :)
Maybe TP can put it in the new PM?
America Freedom to Fascism
It’s an eye opener.
Loosely Twisted
June 1st, 2006 at 3:00 amLooks great. How can I get my postings included from time to time?
Carolyn Kay
June 1st, 2006 at 6:04 amMakeThemAccountable.com
I think it’s a great idea. Think Progress is my home page these days both at work and at home–keep up the terrific work!
June 1st, 2006 at 7:21 amI wonder if The VP’s and the Secretary of Defense’s houses in St. Michaels, Md. are protected under the Home land security budget? Judy Miller, won’t she just go away? What kind of feeble resurection of credibility is she and the Times trying to cobble together? Pathetic troglodytes.
June 1st, 2006 at 7:41 amThanks for everyone’s great comments — glad to know the feature is catching on!
June 1st, 2006 at 7:53 amEveryone remembers the Larry King interview with Don Rumsfeld from last week, right? Well, Crooksandliars.com has a post about the Dixie Chicks being on Larry King last night, and it was revealed that Don taped his interview. Good way to avoid taking calls from viewers, eh?
June 1st, 2006 at 8:49 amAlso on crooksandliars.com:
Five Angry Young Women
- Five women who were barred from the Talleyville Barnes & Noble last summer after expressing opposing views to U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court.
June 1st, 2006 at 8:52 amPhotographer Simon Norfolk has “extraordinary new images of supercomputers and their architectural settings.
COOOO-OO-OOOL!! Zoo Jr is going to love this site, he takes pics just like this!
Great idea, TP. I would suggest a different color (orange) for the ThinkFast PM heading. I was a bit confused at first glance. It could be just me though.
June 1st, 2006 at 10:06 am# 47;
How about Magenta ?
June 1st, 2006 at 10:59 am#47 and #48 - anything but red!!!!
June 1st, 2006 at 11:04 am# 49;
We already have red.How about pink ?
June 1st, 2006 at 11:24 am[…] Stock market analysis site, Deepmarket.com, will offset a ton of carbon emissions for every other blog that links to it. (If they don’t, it’s a particularly insidious way to generate traffic.) (via ThinkProgress) […]
June 1st, 2006 at 11:41 amI’m not exactly clear why people seem concerned about the cutting back on funding for DHS. The only possible negative would be if nearly all of the previous money sent to cities and states went into temporary personnel and infrastructure. While the idiocy of this is possible, given the incompetence of so many who presume to be in charge, one would hope that those in the cities and states who received the initial funding made relatively intelligent choices. Thus, the larger first revenues would have gone into technology and infrastructure, then into personnel. The lesser amounts would then represent the current and/or proposed costs of maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure and the ongoing personnnel costs. To automatically assume that cutting back on DHS funding is a negative represents a pessimism and cynicism, whilst supporting ongoing incompetent and wasteful spending. The pessimism and cynicism may not at all be misplaced, but further massive spending ain’t gonna fix it either.
June 1st, 2006 at 11:51 am#48 - I hate magenta. Maybe a nice minty green. Pink is ok, too, if you must.
June 1st, 2006 at 12:19 pm# 53;
Would Teal do ?
June 1st, 2006 at 12:29 pm#54 - TP, any color will do — any color except one chosen by sardonic, that is. ;)
June 1st, 2006 at 12:41 pm# 47;
I like the orange that you suggested,but that might clash with the red that Jules doesn’t like;especially in the evening.
June 1st, 2006 at 12:44 pm#56 - Horrors!
June 1st, 2006 at 12:58 pm#58 - Great (Ridley) Scott!
June 1st, 2006 at 1:31 pm# 53;
How can one hate magenta? It’s so flowing.
June 1st, 2006 at 1:53 pm#59 - I have red hair.
June 1st, 2006 at 1:59 pm# 60;
YEAH BABY !……..[spoken like Austin P.]
June 1st, 2006 at 2:16 pm#61 - Heh.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:42 pm# 62;
Orange/red ? or auburn/red ?
June 1st, 2006 at 2:55 pm#63 - Auburn red. ;)
June 1st, 2006 at 2:58 pm# 64;
Good;I didn’t picture you with orange/red.Not that there is anything wrong with that,but,I’ve known some mean orange/reds.
June 1st, 2006 at 3:16 pmWell that settles it then:The new color for the evening ‘think fast’ is auburn.
#65 - YEAH BABY!!
June 1st, 2006 at 4:15 pmIf the auburn shade is just right, it’s a really pretty head of hair.One of the best in my humble opinion.
June 2nd, 2006 at 1:19 am*blush*
June 2nd, 2006 at 10:07 am