SAR #14042

Paranoia should be your default setting.

Pigs in a Poke: The GOP is pretty sure that it can capture a majority of Senate seats this fall, if they can mange to keep their mouths shut. The goal is to let the electorate focus on its dislike for Obama and the government and Obamacare and the economic doldrums and the cuts in social program, without giving the voters any reminders of how dreadful GOP intentions are and how much of what troubles the voter is the fault of the Republican right.

Fails Laugh Test: The administration is relaxing immigration rules on those with “limited terrorist links”.

Aptly Phrased: Iraq says its recoverable oil reserves have shot up to 150 billion barrrels. The oil ministry attributed the 30 billion barrel increase in claimed reservs to “large-scale discoveries made by the ministry in explorations across the country.” At least the "shot up" part seems accurate.

Unequal Employment: Healthcare and higher education in the US have expanded in cost and the number of workers for decades, pretty much to no avail other than providing employment for paper pushers. Gigantic make-work programs. While the population has increased 27% since 1990, full-time employment has only gone up 20%. In the same timespan, education/healthcare employment has increased by 81% with little improvement in health outcomes or educational attainment to show for it. Either we were woefully underserved then or we're being hoodwinked now. 

 

Truth Or Fantasy? Debtors' prisons are unconstitutional. False, sort of. If you cannot pay a fine or court costs, you go to jail. But not for the debt, but for 'contempt'. When you get out, you'll have a lot more contempt and no more money. That'll teach you, too late of course.

Fill In The Blank: In _________, the leaders set the middle class against the lower class in order to distract both from the real issues facing the country. In this case the answer is "Brazil", but I bet that's not the first country that came to mind.

Not Even Close: The IPCC says greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2020 and begin falling. BP, which knows a thing or two about pollution, says that carbon emissions will increase by 29% by 2035, which is not good news for children and other living things. BP also said the problem is that world's poor want to live like humans. And we can't have that. 
 
The Parting Shot:

 Honeycomb Cowfish w/ Sharksucker

Lactophrys polygonia/Echeneis naucratres.