This is a real thing

From the BBC documentary on child trafficking, Lindsay Lohan In India. Yes, that Lindsay Lohan. There isn't some Dutch woman named Lindsay Lohan from the UN's Office of Drugs and Crime that's working on this with the BBC. Car crashing, unemployable, complete mess Lindsay Lohan. On child trafficking. For the BBC.

"The parents aren't necessarily in the wrong, the children are obviously not in the wrong ... um … the traffickers are the ones in the wrong. Because they know what they're doing. And anyone that says 'they don't know'... I mean, come on."

Uh... well... said. Good point.

Seriously, BBC? Seriously? Not that I don't appreciate more light being shed on child trafficking and poverty issues, but come on now. Are they using the mess that is Lindsay Lohan to shine more light on child trafficking or child trafficking to shine more light on the mess that is Lindsay Lohan? Ah well, while I'm sure she doesn't really know anything about child trafficking, I'm sure she was aware that she was in India.

Actually, who better to delve into the seedy underworld of Indian child trafficking than a girl whose own parents sold her to the Disney corporation and Hollywood? Now it makes sense.

In any event, this trainwreck/community service project that was evidently conceived of and commissioned by means of a dare, will air on BBC3 at the end of January.

Cheap Blogging Crutch 08.14

False ‘Death Panel’ Rumor Has Some Familiar Roots
The New York Times takes a look at the origins of the 'death panel' lie. Turns out it didn't spring forth from the bubbling foul stench of Satan's black cauldron. It actually came from right wing editorial boards and from long time anti-health reform advocate Betsey McCaughey, a woman who would stab you in the gut with a Bowie knife if she thought it would make a nickel for a corporation. May God reward them with a gift of flaming rocks from the sky.

Six Lobbyists Per Lawmaker Work on Health Overhaul
You know ho many lobbyists there are for each elected representative? Yeah, it is six. How'd you know? You read the headline? Get fucked, smart guy. Still six per lawmaker and over a quarter of a billion spent on lobbying just this year. You do have to marvel at the effort to make sure we all get fucked just as roughly crudely as we all deserve. They aren't even going to leave a buck on the dresser. We're giving them a freebie. Feel good about health care reform yet?

Progress Over Perfection
Paul Begala begins the first of many steps that people are taking to convince everyone that the big shit sandwich that we're all about to bite into is a delicious and nutritious first step. He gives two examples: the severely lacking elements of original Social Security bill and his own failures during President Bubba's attempt to pass health care. Good points to be made, but it still doesn't make me understand why we should all be so excited and thankful that the people we supposedly elected to do this specific thing are so willingly and freely giving up the store for no discernible return.

NASA Wants To Move The Earth
So there are three ways to stop global warming. 1) Curb the burning of fossil fuels and pollutants that are spewed into the atmosphere. 2) Drop a large ice cube in the ocean ala Futurama. 3) Move the earth away from the sun, possibly to a gated community far away from the more ethnic and swarthy looking planets. You'll be happy to know that NASA is making plans to follow idea #3. It involves rockets, comets, and "basic rocket science". Maybe you're overstepping your bounds here, NASA. Want to work on getting back to the moon first?

Opening up the BBC’s natural history archive
The BBC's Natural History Unit, the group that produces pretty much anything worth watching about the planet, is finally moving their copious archives, programs, and video online. Sure it lacks the pizazz of shark themed weeks or documentary gawking at American brood mares and their possum like litters of children, but give the Brits a chance and I'm sure you'll like their stuff.

Nazi Julie Andrews

Both Sean and I would like to recommend the movie In the Loop for your viewing edification. A comedy about how a hamhanded statement by a British state secretary is used by various US and UK officials to alternately advocate for and against a potential war. It's not only one of the smartest political comedies in ages, it's also just an unending stream of great one-liners. We also would like to endorse the BBC show The Thick of It, which is a basic precursor to this movie, and the larger creative works of writer and director Armando Iannucci.

As you know these are coveted endorsements, what are surely the blogospheric equivalent of the Palme d'Or or some other such award of excellence. Obey our commands and watch.

Remember Iran?

With Michael Jackson sufficiently dead, his family's memorial tribute singles, and petty squabbling over the corpse not nearly interesting enough, it's time to reluctantly turn America's eye back to Iran, which is still having a little disagreement about the meaning of the words "democratic", "elected", and "Supreme Leader". It seems the people still want to be free and be partially ruled by the man they voted for, while the Ayatollah still would prefer his word to be law and that his security forces continue to Whack-a-Mole any protester who pops his head up. He's still pretty serious about it.

Iran's supreme leader told politicians Monday not to disturb the country's security in a strong warning to the opposition to back down after one of its top figures called for a referendum on the government.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed "Iran's elite" and warned them to be cautious in the positions they take on the turmoil that has shaken the country since the disputed presidential election on June 12.

He said that hurting Iran's security was "the biggest vice," adding that "anybody who drives the society toward insecurity and disorder is a hated person in the view of the Iranian nation, whoever he is."

Remember "brazenly rigging an election": not hurting Iran's security. Saying "maybe we should let the guy the people voted for run things": hurting Iran's security. It's so nice being the conduit for God's word. Maybe I just don't understand Him or the way He communicates through His vessels, but why is the first thing God seems to tell all His earthy dictators to do is "be a total hypocrite" followed by "grasp onto power as hard as humanly possible"? You think God would have learned that's not a great plan by now.

Still, it seems Mousavi and his fellow reformist supporters didn't get Khamenei's oh so subtle message, as they were out begging to be imprisoned demanding a referendum and the release of detained protesters. I'm sure demanding stuff will really make a difference. We saw how things went when Mousavi politely asked for these things, I'm sure the new forceful tone will convince the Supreme Leader that absolute power isn't as great as he thinks it is.

As an addendum, if you're interested in a more in depth look at how things in Iran got to where they were, the BBC is starting a 3-part series called Iran and the West: From Khomeni to Ahmedinejad, the first part of which is up now. Spoiler alert: it doesn't have a feel good beginning or ending. The middle is kind of a downer too.