Now That We’re Gone…

Iran wants to make nice with Iraq by expanding military ties and generally expand their relationship.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to establish, boost and expand all types of military, defense and security cooperation with the friendly and brotherly nation of Iraq,” Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Hassan Firouzabadi said, according to a report Sunday by the semi-official Fars news agency.

Happy now about that war?…

The Weakest Speaker?

by Stuart Shapiro

There are two types of Speakers of the House.  There are those who lead their caucuses and become symbols of derision for their opponents.  Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich fall in this category.  Then there are managers like Dennis Hastert who follow their caucuses rather than lead them.  I thought John Boehner would fall in the latter group but he has a problem faced by few previous speakers:

As House Republicans battled their GOP counterparts in the Senate this week, they remained perplexed by the split in their own leadership.

According to various media reports based on …

Rick Santorum Brags About How Many Animals He And His Son Killed Over Christmas

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was beside himself with pride over how well he and his son did at hunting during Christmas, as related to Shannon Bream on FOX News.

The natural question, then, to Bream, was “How’d you do?” and Santorum had some good news on this from. “I did great! Anytime you’re out hunting, it’s a great time,” he responded, adding that he personally got about four of them. He couldn’t help feeling a bit of pride as well, as “my son got his first bird!” a sentence that would probably mean something a little less wholesome from …

Lindsay Lohan’s Playboy Spread “A Good Move” Says Dad Michael

Michael Lohan is proud of daughter Lindsay’s Playboy pictorial.

In an episode of Dr. Drew Pinsky’s Lifechangers TV show, airing December 28, the troubled elder Lohan said he thinks Lindsay made the right choice posing nude.

“If she’s happy with it, I’m happy with it,” he said.

“I haven’t seen it and I never look at it, any of it,” he claimed before a large naked image of his daughter was flashed up on the screen in front of him. “There she is. Do I have to close my eyes?”

“It’s a move in a direction where she’s working… …

The Best Religious Sightings Of 2011

There’s more, but one of them is this image of the Virgin Mary an Arizona woman saw in a dried mango slice.

…

Muslim Woman Who Threatenend Rep. Peter King Shot To Death By Police

A Georgia woman who allegedly sent suspicious packages to Congressman Peter King was shot to death Christmas morning in Georgia by  the police.

Jameela Cecila Barnette allegedly attacked a Cobb County police officer who had knocked on her apartment door after responding to an alarm. She was armed with a knife and a handgun, and the officer fired his weapon at Barnette in response to the assault, according to Cobb Police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce. Barnette died at the scene.

 …

On Monday’s Radio Show…

• Could the Tea Party create an election year disaster for the GOP? Alan looks ahead to 2012.

• The Amazing Kreskin stops by to share his predictions for the year ahead.

• One Week to Go: The latest on the race in Iowa.…

Ron Paul Warns Of Violence, Imploding Economy

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has a doomsday scenario.

He draws parallels between the current situation in the United States and that of the former Soviet Union, whose economy collapsed amid the union’s breakup and civil unrest in 1991.

Paul acknowledges that his proposal to avoid that outcome – an immediate, $1 trillion spending cut that would slash the federal budget by more than one-third and eliminate the departments of Education, Energy, Commerce, Interior, and Housing and Urban Development – could have some unpleasant side effects.

“I’m afraid of violence coming,” he told a crowd of more than 600 …

Americans Shoplifted $1.8 Billion In Goods This Christmas Season

In the four weeks leading up to Christmas, Americans shoplifted approximately $1.8 in merchandise.

The Global Retail Theft Barometer, a survey of retailers worldwide. That’s up about 6 percent from $1.7 billion during the same period last year.

“They shoplift for Christmas gifts, they steal for themselves, for their family,” says Joshua Bamfield, executive director of the Centre for Retail Research and author of the survey.…

Senator Richard Lugar: Tea Party Ruined Chance For Republican Senate Majority

Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar blames the Tea Party for the state of his party.

Lugar addressed the recent history of Tea Party candidates not faring so well in his conversation with Crowley, ostensibly blaming their candidacies on the lack of a Senate majority. Lugar said “Republicans lost the seats before in Nevada and New Jersey and Colorado where there were people who were claiming they wanted somebody who was more of their Tea Party aspect but they killed off the Republican majority.” He then added “this is one of the reasons why we have a minority in the Senate …

The Anti-Science Party

by Stuart Shapiro

As 2011 draws to a close, it is worthwhile to note that it has been a crazy year for weather.  How crazy?

A typical year in this country features three or four weather disasters whose costs exceed $1 billion each. But this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has tallied a dozen such events, including wildfires in the Southwest, floods in multiple regions of the country and a deadly spring tornado season. And the agency has not finished counting. The final costs are certain to exceed $50 billion.

The most likely culprit is, of course, …