Get Cynical

How’s that hopey changey working out for ya?

The United States, originally leery of any military involvement in Libya, became a strong proponent of the resolution, particularly after the Arab League approved a no-fly zone, something that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called a “game changer”

With the recent advances made by pro-Qaddafi forces in the east, there was a growing consensus in the Obama administration that imposing a no-fly zone by itself would no longer make much of a difference and that there was a need for more aggressive airstrikes that would make targets of Colonel Qaddafi’s tanks and heavy artillery — an option sometimes referred to as a no-drive zone. The United States or its allies might also send military personnel to advise and train the rebels, an official said.

In the most strident verbal attack on Colonel Qaddafi to date by an American official, Mrs. Clinton said Thursday that the Western powers had little choice but to provide critical military backing for the rebels. “We want to support the opposition who are standing against the dictator,” she told an applauding audience in Tunisia on Thursday. “This is a man who has no conscience and will threaten anyone in his way.”

From Gothamist:

We’ve heard plenty of stories about people using ATM machines to skim money from unsuspecting customers, but it seems that banks have been taking note, and have decided to get in on the action: several banks are rolling out dastardly new charges that could increase ATM fees to $5!

These fees are big business for banks: ATMs generated $7.1 billion in profits from them last year, according to consulting firm Oliver Wyman. According to the WSJ, the new fees are due to changes in federal regulations on overdraft charges and debit cards—banks are scrambling to replace billions of dollars in revenue expected to be lost any way they can. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., TD Bank Financial Group, and PNC Financial Services Group have already started testing out the increased fees in other states; it now costs $5 in Illinois and $4 in Texas for people who use a Chase ATM and aren’t a bank customer.

I’ve been using the twitter feed for Cynical-C for a little more than just blog updates. It’s also a good way to contact me about anything or as a way to give status updates if the main site goes down.

Bwahahahahaha:

“When I’m preaching the gospel, I don’t like to waste time debating people or getting sidetracked by minor issues.” – Ray Comfort

Minor issues? You know, things like facts and science.

I’ve updated my “Currently Reading” Amazon widget. (pssst. Right column, may have to scroll down a tad). Reviews to come soon…

But here’s a selection of what I’m plowing through at the moment:

Desperate for funds, with the construction of his line suspended, he threw down three flights of stairs a distinguished gentleman who offered him a loan from the government. Then he pledged his wife as security for a loan from a millionaire who hated him and admired her beauty.

From the Washington Post:

Some at the Defense Department may feel pressured to exercise all precautions to prevent harm from befalling Mr. Manning; after all, they would undoubtedly be blamed for either allowing or causing such harm. But it is difficult to understand why Mr. Manning is being held under these extremely restrictive conditions. His alleged crimes are serious, but they are not violent. The brig at Quantico is tiny, holding roughly one dozen individuals at any given time; shouldn’t personnel be able to control such a population even if some wish to harm a man they may consider a traitor?

The episodes of forced nudity are particularly disturbing. In both instances, nudity was imposed after, according to Mr. Manning, he had run-ins with brig personnel, leading to questions about whether it was payback for mouthing off. And Mr. Manning’s treatment comes uncomfortably close to the kind of intimidating and humiliating tactics disavowed after the abuses at the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisons that eroded the country’s standing in the world.

Before abruptly resigning his post this week, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley called Mr. Manning’s treatment “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.” That sounds about right.

From A Life Less Wasted:

When I turned twenty I started attending church. THE church. You know, the one I mentioned earlier: charismatic, fundamentalist, casting out of demons, etc. It was in this church I learned that satan will use any foothold to cause you to sin and stray from God’s perfect plan for your life, which mostly seemed to include attending more church services. It was obvious that satan was using these books to lure me into witchcraft and idolatry. If I didn’t remove them permanently from my life who could say what would happen? There would be holes in the umbrella of God’s protection.

One night a special speaker was in town and he held a special book burning/renunciation of secular media celebration. I brought my books and watched as they slowly disintegrated into ash. I can’t blame anyone but myself for what I did. I acted of my own accord, and I threw the books on the fire. I stared in unease and with a festering sense of guilt as the words that had nourished my soul for so long disintegrated. I did it because it was expected of me and it brought me a greater level of acceptance. I did it because I didn’t want to displease God.

(via Ebert)