Marginal Tax Rates

Andrew Sullivan does understand how they work, right? Because this indicates otherwise:

A simple question. I'm a flat taxer, because I don't believe the government has any business punishing people for getting richer.

Obama Purchases Ad Space On Side Of McCain’s Bus

I love the Onion.

Steve Jobs, You're Making Me All Verklempt

No on Prop 8
Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.

If you don't already own an Apple computer, go and get one.

Separation of Church and State

I just wanted to follow up on the post you made regarding Mormons not being united in the Church's stance on the Yes on 8 campaign. Personally, as a church-attending Mormon, the unbelievable, over-the-top support from the Church (at all levels) on this is a never-ending source of shame that digs up some of the worst skeletons in our collective closet (e.g., denying African-Americans full rights in the church until 1978, opposition to the ERA, etc.).

When the fuck is the Church of Latter Day Saints going to lose its tax-exempt status already? Huh, IRS?

From Sullivan.

And Now For Something Completely Different

After my negativity over the past 24 hours, I think I'll post something a little sweet. After 16 years of marriage, the Obamas are still clearly mad about each other.



God, look at that. It's enough to warm the cockles of my bitter, shriveled heart.

And a fantabulous wedding photo.



Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Oh, almost forgot. Check out more at the Huffington Post.

False Accusations

I wrote this comment in response to a rape apologist scumbag, but it's actually something that occurred to me when Ashley Todd's status as a lying bitch was found out.

It bears repeating here.

Stories like this demonstrate that the MRA fear of false rape accusations is so much fucking hogwash.

It’s hard to make false accusations and make them stick. Most people are horrible liars. In order to come up with a lie, a plausible story has to be concocted in the first place. All contingencies have to be accounted for. The lie has to be as simple as possible so the liar can stick to it, and the liar cannot under any circumstances forget or embellish any element of the lie.

When most people lie, they don’t think that far ahead. They say things that are implausible from the get-go, concoct stories that are way too complicated, make stuff up as they go along, contradict themselves, and ultimately dig their own graves. Just like this woman.

This is why false rape accusations are so rare in the first place and why they rarely gain any traction. The Duke Lacrosse case would not have gone on for more than a month if it hadn’t been for that overzealous prosecutor who ignored all the obvious evidence of contradictions, backtracking, and lying by the accuser. And it should be noted that most investigators and prosecutors are not that zealous. Their knee-jerk reaction is to not believe the accuser and to put her under such scrutiny that even natural inconsistencies or forgotten details (that always happen to victims of violent crimes) become evidence of lying. That is why there are so few false accusations, and that is why so few real accusations result in prosecutions.

Damn I'm good.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

For the record, I am always fucking right. Always.

Ashley Todd is a Lying Bitch

I don't like to repeat myself in such close succession, but I just can't let this go. There have been documented cases of threats toward Obama supporters and Obama himself and actual violence against reporters and Obama supporters. The Republicans are desperate and angry, and McCain/Palin are determined to stir up class and race resentment, no matter what the toll. So, inevitably, those cocksucking Republicans are trying to make themselves out to be the victims.

Ashley Todd is leading the way. She has concocted a false report claiming that an Obama supporter mugged her, beat her, and "carved" the letter "B" into her face. How do I know the stupid bitch is lying?

There's the detail that first raised red flags:

Ashley Todd, of College Station, Texas, was using an ATM at Liberty Avenue and Pearl Street just before 9 p.m. Wednesday when a man approached her and put a knife to her throat.

The man was wearing dark colored jeans, a black undershirt and black shoes.

My goodness, not exactly dressing for the season, eh? I checked; the forecast projected a low of 30 degrees fahrenheit in Bloomfield, PA for last night (Thursday). Either Pennsylvania gets some really wacky weather, or this thing is more than a little suspicious.

Then, there's the matter of the backwards "B" on her face.



Republicans are coming up with all manners of excuses for how that happened. The favorite of the moment is that, after the assailant knocked Todd to the ground, he knelt behind her head and carved that bad boy into her cheek. There are just a few problems with that explanation:
1. If the guy punched her and knocked her down, he would have been facing her. In order to kneel behind her head, he would have to walk all the way around her prone body.
2. Unless she was knocked out cold, he would be better off squatting over her, pinning her arms and legs to minimize struggling.
3. He's a very conscientious thug, isn't he? Despite being armed with a knife and a tendency toward election-based violence, he oh-so-gently scratched a letter into Todd's face, barely breaking the skin and not drawing any blood.
4. When people write a capital "B", they usually make the top loop smaller than the bottom one. In the photo, the top loop is very clearly smaller. Either the attacker has unusual penmanship, or the "victim" scratched the letter onto her own face while looking in a mirror. (And, not surprisingly, was too stupid to realize how mirror images work.)

And there's more.

...the robber took $60 from Todd, then became angry when he saw a McCain bumper sticker on the victim's car

First off, he only took $60 from her? Most debit cards have a daily maximum withdrawal of $200. If he had so much time on his hands, why didn't he get her to withdraw the maximum amount? And, for that matter, why not take her entire wallet and any valuables she may have had on her person or in her car?

Second, how the fuck did he know which car was hers? You can see that ATM on Google Maps street view. (Search for Liberty Ave & Pearl St, Bloomfield, PA). The ATM is along the sidewalk. It's not like it's in an isolated parking lot.

Which brings me to another point. Google street view clearly shows a busy and bustling street. There's a Thai restaurant just across the street. There's a coffee shop and a Domino's a few doors down. Are we really supposed to believe that just before 9 pm no one saw or heard anything during a protracted mugging and violent assault?

Richard said the woman refused medical treatment after the assault, which happened outside the view of the bank's surveillance cameras.

I wonder if her refusing medical treatment is in any way related to that fake ass bruise over her eye. Check it out.



No swelling, No redness in or around the eye. All black; no blue, purple, or yellow. That is not a shiner. That is makeup. Period.

And it all happened out of view of security cameras, even the initial mugging. How convenient.



Republicans will stop at nothing to smear Obama, his supporters, and liberals in general. The comments on Republican blogs about this fake incident speak volumes about Republican lies, deflection, and hypocrisy. Nothing those craven motherfuckers say can be believed at this point. Nothing.

Ahem

You know it.