Credit to Fukung.net where I found it, and Joe-KS.com where it apparently originated.

Initially TVA estimated the spill at about 350 million gallons, but had to up the spillage estimate to 1 billion gallons upon closer examination. The sludge spill roared downhill and reached depths of 6′ burying cars, porches and even downing power lines. (Source)

So what’s in a billion gallons of coal ash sludge? Well concentrated levels of mercury and arsenic, according to environmental experts. TVA experts claim there’s no danger to humans from the chemicals. This claim despite hundreds of fish turning up dead in nearby waters. (Source) Naturally many local residents aren’t too comforted by the TVA’s assurances.

The spill is working it’s way into the Tennessee River, the source of drinking water for 1 million Tennesseans. TVA has built a rock wall to try to stop the sludge from oozing in.

“You have acute problems we are dealing with today, but we’ll have chronic problems for a long time. This whole area has been devastated environmentally.” - Stephen Smith of CleanEnergy.org (Source)

Warren’s been in the news a lot subsequent to being chosen to give the invocation at the Obama inauguration. Author of The Purpose Driven Life, Warren was attacked by the left for his anti-gay comments equating gays with pedophiles. But now he may be softening his position, taking the anti-gay language off his Saddleback mega-church’s website.

Now Benedict XVI is making headlines equating homosexuality with the destruction of the human race. (Source) The Pope argued that saving humanity from gays and transsexuals was just as important as saving the rainforest for animals. (Source)

Really your holiness? Gays are a bigger threat to the planet than the destruction of the rainforest?

What do you think readers?

These rules run the gamut of nearly every federal agency. One of those rules could have wide ranging ramifications for every American who uses a pharmacy or visits a doctor or hospital.

Under Bush’s rule medical practitioners and pharmacists may refuse to perform medical practices, prescribe or dispense medication or even provide information, if it in any way conflicts with their religious beliefs. Want to buy a pack of condoms? Better hope the clerk’s not a Catholic.

Need a blood transfusion? Better hope the doctor’s not a Jehovah’s Witness, because they can now legally refuse to give you one.

Of course the big one is abortion. Fundamentalist Christian healthcare providers can now legally refuse to even discuss the options. Even worse anti-choice activists can infiltrate clinics taking any position from receptionist to nurse, then use the Bush ruling to deny service. Previous to the ruling those employees could be fired for that type behavior, but now they’re protected by the force of law.

While Obama can overturn these rulings, they’ll be challenged in court, bogging down the new administration and impeding progress.

According to Mrs. Valentine’s husband, Omar Hall, she was stopped by security guards at the metal detector for refusing to remove her head scarf and barred from entering. She then apparently turned to leave the courthouse, and swore at the security officers. Officers arrested her on the spot and took her before the judge where she was held in contempt. She was quickly released following pressure brought by the Council on American-Islamic Relations with Federal officials, citing a violation of her religious freedoms.

Naturally Muslim groups are calling her jailing “outrageous” (source), but is it? Is it really outrageous to expect courtroom security officers to enforce these rules for everyone’s safety?

Here’s an image of a Muslim woman in a Burqa. Can you really say you’d be fine with letting her pass through a security check point dressed like this?

So what’s the answer? Putting a Muslim woman at all security checkpoints so they can go and privately be screened by a member of their own faith? Definitely not. Not only would this be outrageously expensive, it smacks of preferential treatment and in my opinion violates the separation of church and state. How could the government hire Muslim women to take this security position without violating discrimination laws? It could not.

Maybe you don’t think it’s a big deal. So some Muslim women want to enter the court wearing the head scarf or Hijab. What about Catholic Nuns, do they have to remove their head gear? What about Sikhs, do they take off their turbans? My answer to that is an emphatic yes, and yes.

Religious tolerance is one thing, but it should always take a back seat to the welfare of the citizenry. For example, when Christian Fundamentalists refuse medical treatment to their critically ill children, they have been charged with child abuse. Or when other Christian Fundamentalists have beaten their children, in some cases to death, while “exorcising them of demons” they’ve been rightly charged with assault and murder. (Reference)

Mrs. Valentine said, she “just felt stripped of my civil, my human rights,” but what about the rights of everyone else in the court room to a modicum of security, surely that supercedes any argument of religious tolerance.

I’m just wondering where the Secret Service was during this “attack”? As you can see from the animation above, the attacker gets off both shoes and flings them sequentially. The second shoe coming about 3 seconds after the first. If this had been an actual weapon, Bush and Al Maliki would likely both have been killed.

I sure hope the Secret Service is doing a better job watching over President-Elect Obama.

Giant Panda bites park keeper in Hong Kong

Ocean Park Probes Panda Attack on Keeper

Probe as Panda of Peace Sinks Teeth Into Keeper

Man Recovering after Panda Attack at Zoo

and my personal favorite…

Panda Bites College Student Looking For Hug

Giant Panda

True these attacks have been largely perpetrated on dumbasses… so far. But how long will it be before the Red Menace unleashes the black and white fury that is the Giant Panda? What will you do, when the Giant Panda comes for you?

Retailers that wish you “happy holidays” sometimes and “Merry Christmas” other times, are on the “Christmas-negligent” retailers list and include stores like Barnes & Noble, Gap and Kmart. But that’s not the worst list for FotF followers. No that list is the “Christmas-offensive” retailers.

The Christmas-offensive list is reserved for “happy holidays” only retailers, i.e., no mention of “Christmas” per se in their ads. Who’s on this list?

American Eagle
Banana Republic
Bloomingdale’s
Lane Bryant
Old Navy

I’ve linked to them for your shopping convenience.

One of the great clips from that great old show from my youth, WKRP in Cincinnati. And yes, I did want to be Dr. Johnny Fever when I grew up.