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Remember The Midwest is saying goodbye. The editors have created a new project, The Relative Comment. Please stop by if you have a moment to see our new blog covering a wider array of issues with more in-depth analysis, and less snarky commentary. But still some snark.

These kinds of resolutions still happen?

I sure hope it doesn't pass.
What is to blame for the economic recession? Well, Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern has it all figured out.

"WHEREAS, we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis; and
WHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery; and
WHEREAS, alarmed that the Government of the United States of America is forsaking the rich Christian heritage upon which this nation was built; and
WHEREAS, grieved that the Office of the president of these United States has refused to uphold the long held tradition of past presidents in giving recognition to our National Day of Prayer; and
WHEREAS, deeply disturbed that the Office of the president of these United States disregards the biblical admonitions to live clean and pure lives by proclaiming an entire month to an immoral behavior"

It's always the same. Abortion, Gays, Divorce, Babies, Forsaking Christianity (we're doing that?), giving a month to immorality (WTF?). Ignoring the national day of prayer. Really. You can, with a straight face bring up such a stupid ridiculous complaint and place upon it the economic crises that are hurting millions of people around the world? Because Obama skipped out on the national day of prayer?
You are something, Sally Kerns. I hope that your constituents are embarrassed by this. But I'm afraid they are not.

Climate Denial.

If you followed the Climate Change debate with teh Waxman-Markey bill in Congress, you saw what could best be described as a bunch of people not talking about Climate Change, but about politics. Not a big surprise, it's D.C. But still, it is unexcusable, and some day, soon we hope, this kind of debate that ignores science can end. Paul Krugman puts it well in the NYTimes.

"But if you watched the debate on Friday, you didn’t see people who’ve thought hard about a crucial issue, and are trying to do the right thing. What you saw, instead, were people who show no sign of being interested in the truth. They don’t like the political and policy implications of climate change, so they’ve decided not to believe in it — and they’ll grab any argument, no matter how disreputable, that feeds their denial.
Indeed, if there was a defining moment in Friday’s debate, it was the declaration by Representative Paul Broun of Georgia that climate change is nothing but a “hoax” that has been “perpetrated out of the scientific community.” I’d call this a crazy conspiracy theory, but doing so would actually be unfair to crazy conspiracy theorists. After all, to believe that global warming is a hoax you have to believe in a vast cabal consisting of thousands of scientists — a cabal so powerful that it has managed to create false records on everything from global temperatures to Arctic sea ice.
Yet Mr. Broun’s declaration was met with applause."

Here's a best of video if you're interested.

The Superlative Man

Reading about the death of Michael Jackson, I have been struck by the amount of superlatives that are used in describing his life; this representing both the positive and negative actions of a life that accounted for many on both sides. But I think it speaks to the genuine enormity of the person who was Michael Jackson. It is as though he could not be spoken of unless it was in terms that could not be surpassed.
In that tradition, this could be the most electrifying live performance ever; and they love (LOVE) the moonwalk. To the man of Superlatives.

It's a Great Time to be a Nerd.

Ladies and Gentleman...Sarah Palin.

Sarah Palin was on Matt Lauer, and he asked her this question: "Lauer told Palin that 'your name has been on a list with people like Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney,' and that she was considered a fund-raising superstar. 'Does that translate to you being the future of the GOP?'"
To this, she gave the best. response. ever.
"Absolutely not necessarily."
What?

A good question...

RTM has long derided the Hummer Brand of vehicles. I believe we called it "useless piece of crap," and generally disparaged it's massive incongruity with living a civilian life. So it is with some satisfaction that we considered the loss of Hummer as a part of GM. It was put up for sale with the announcement of GM's bankruptcy, and it appears, a bit too fast for RTM, that the brand has found its buyer. But who is it?
"We love a mystery. And today we can't help but wonder who is buying Hummer -- and why?" The WHY seems even more interesting than the who? WHY! "A day after filing for bankruptcy reorganization, General Motors said today that it has a buyer for its Hummer off-road-vehicle brand."

Well, it turns out it was Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company, Ltd.This Chinese company plans to allow Hummer to keep doing its thing, which for GM, wasn't too spectacular. "The Hummer and other large vehicles have been a drag on the U.S. auto industry since fuel prices spiked in 2008 and the recession deepened. GM said it sold 5,013 Hummers worldwide in the first quarter, down 62% from the 13,050 that it sold in the same period the prior year."