"Spending on tax breaks"

Obama just said that in his speech about the deficit.

Dear Mr. President,

"I guess I have to respect this verdict. I think it's a travesty."

That's a quote from a talking head that I heard on the news just now.  It makes me sick.

It seemed obvious to me that there was not enough evidence to convict Casey of anything (besides lying, to which she admitted), and I am delighted that the jury was not contaminated by the state's emotional appeals and faulty logic.  I am disgusted that TV's talking heads (which nearly unanimously were sharpening their guillotines) are now back pedaling, but instead of saying that they were wrong or pretending that they predicted this, they are angry that Caylee will not get justice.

The media was, for the most part, a mob that riled up the viewers to gnash their teeth, awaiting a guilty verdict.  I have been loosely following the trial (catching some but not all live coverage everyday, the summation on the nightly news, and talking heads discussing the case) and watched the closing statements.  Some of the things covered in the defense's closing statements were not even mentioned in the state's closing statements, nor were they mentioned in the news.

The rabid talking heads are recognizing that Casey is guilty but not convicted, and they see that Casey received justice, but the dead child did not -- because her not-guilty mother will not be penalized.  These talking heads are completely neglecting that only a mob mentality can consider penalty for unproven guilt to be "justice" for the injured party.   It's like they're saying that justice is more important for one person than another, which is so anti-American that I am nauseated.

Casey Anthony trial verdict

First degree murder -- not guilty

Aggravated child abuse -- not guilty

Aggravated manslaughter -- not guilty

Providing false information to a law enforcement officer -- guilty (x4)

(source: it's live on TV right now.)

While I played home-juror, this was how I felt, too.  

WaPo: Happy Fourth of July. And fuck you.

Article here.

I'm too pissy to comment about it now. 

Weekend Update from Galt's Gulch: Raccoon War

All other residents and annual visitors have left the mostly-summer getaway I like to refer to as Galt's Gulch.  (Actually, I'd prefer calling it the less aurally offensive Mulligan's Valley, but that would be like calling myself Jesus.)  I've not spent much time here alone.  Only two other times that I can recall, but to be fair, one of those times a scab was on the premises.

This time I was left with a list of chores.  Minimal stuff, but enough to set up a routine.  I'm thinking I'd like to maintain this routine when the others return -- unless, of course, those already holding the positions enjoy them and would object.

Ducks: fed.  Mail: tended.  Hummingbird feeder: full.  Plants: watered.  Flying squirrels: fed, watched, enjoyed.

The unlisted chore = protecting flying squirrels and flying squirrel feeder from Raccoon Invasion.

Colbert's Super PAC: breaking the fourth wall

I don't watch The Colbert Report on a regular basis, but I did catch the May episode earlier this year, in which Colbert asked guest (and former chair of the FEC) Trever Potter about PACs while filling out an actual, legal form for creating a PAC.

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Colbert is a man who follows through.  He has pushed the boundaries of both comedy and PACs; the FEC approved his PAC earlier this week.

If A exists under B, then B created A?

"Why shouldn't profitable corporations and finance-savvy individuals pay back to the system that made them rich?"argues social justice activist Paul Buchheit at Buzzfeed.


I take issue with the premise that "the system" makes anyone rich.