speak truth to the sour

Nobel jury defends Obama decision

Members of the Norwegian committee that gave Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize are strongly defending their choice against a storm of criticism that the award was premature and a potential liability for the U.S. president.

[...] "We simply disagree that he has done nothing," committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland told the AP on Tuesday. "He got the prize for what he has done."

[...] Aagot Valle, a left-wing Norwegian politician who joined the Nobel panel this year, also dismissed suggestions that the decision to award Obama was without merit.

"Don't you think that comments like that patronize Obama? Where do these people come from?" Valle said[.]

reap what you sow

Orly Taitz Sanctioned for $20,000 (by way of supergee)

The "Birther queen" has been slapped with a five-figure fine for "wasting the judicial resources" of the Middle District of Georgia, where she'd filed one of her numerous lawsuits demanding that President Obama prove his citizenship before deploying soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan. The judgment, which calls Taitz's case and tactics "delusional":

Counsel Orly Taitz is hereby ordered to pay $20,000.00 to the United States, through the Middle District of Georgia Clerk's Office, within thirty days of the date of this Order as a sanction for her misconduct in violation of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

[...] The Court finds that counsel's conduct was willful and not merely negligent. It demonstrates bad faith on her part. As an attorney, she is deemed to have known better. She owed a duty to follow the rules and to respect the Court. Counsel's pattern of conduct conclusively establishes that she did not mistakenly violate a provision of law. She knowingly violated Rule 11. Her response to the Court's show cause order is breathtaking in its arrogance and borders on delusional.

origins of certain slurs

etymological origin of 'whore' -- the Proto-Indo-European root qar transformed in other languages into 'lover', 'friend', 'desire'

'prostitute' -- literally means "before" + "to stand, establish"; no original negative connotation

'harlot' -- literally means "vagabond"; had both positive and negative connotations in Chaucer's time

'strumpet' -- hilarious backstory for this mysterious word--not all nouns can verb

(no subject)

C-SPAN reports Senate Finance Committee approved Sen. Baucus' health care bill, 14-9. Olympia Snowe did vote with Democrats, who were unanimous.