ArmyBlood

More from history’s greatest criminal syndicate:

A Vatican source who asked not to be identified said Ehiem had been dismissed from his choir duties. Asked about Balducci, the source said, “It is obvious that, while in prison, he cannot exercise his duties as a papal gentleman.” But, the source noted, Balducci has not been convicted of any charge.”If he is convicted, then we will look into it,” the source said.

via Lawyer: Leak of sex claims against Italian official is shameful – CNN.com.

Look for more from Politico since our Vets are the best thing going on on the hill this week:

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the largest organization for veterans of the wars, will host a series of events as a part of their Storm the Hill campaign this week, culminating in Thursday’s release of their legislative agenda for 2010.

via Veterans’ advocates hit the Hill – Marin Cogan – POLITICO.com.

I may be an outlier in that I am not a big football fan.  It’s all good to enjoy others playing sports while eating chips and drinking beer, but in the end – these teams are multi-million (billion?) dollar corporations with an exception to the anti-trust laws in this country.  In what sick world does that trump the Bill of Rights – oh there – Louisiana:

The school is now saying that Frost was not sent home, and that the Colts jersey ban was due to the fact that the school has a uniform dress code that was only relaxed for the Black-and-Gold Day. But Frost and his parents didn’t buy that explanation, and both say the boy was sent home. From WBRZ-2 TV:

“Brandon felt singled out,” said Larry Frost. “I didn’t see where it should be a problem. If everybody else is dressing out of uniform, I think he should be able to wear his.”

Frost is from Indianapolis and moved to Maurepas with his father four years ago. He claims to have one of the best ACT scores in his class and has plans to join the National Guard.

via Louisiana HS student sent home for wearing Colts jersey? – Out of Bounds – NBC Sports.

Maybe they will have Merck day next year, or let students wear the “colors” of the textbook companies.  Argh.

Now what was it called when Nancy Pelosi accused the CIA of being less than truthful?

The CIA today was accused of lying to Congress and covering up its role in the deaths of two innocent Americans, a mother and her infant daughter, at the hands of the CIA and the Peruvian Air Force nine years ago.

via ‘Justice Denied’ in CIA Shootdown of Missionaries – ABC News.

The Pentagon Blood Center finally finds a home!

Photo by Alex McVeigh

. Stephen Beardsley, Northern Regional blood manager for the Armed Services Blood Program, talks about his goals for the Pentagon Blood Donor Center, which just re-opened in its new location Jan. 22 during the open house.

via Blood Donor Center opens in Pentagon.

and yes – that is a very communal “suck it ARC” (vis Kathy Griffin)

Just in case there was some extra tax money someplace, or a sensible person in the Tripe Department at the Pentagon:

Over the weekend, the Missile Defense Agency released news of another failed intercept test. And no, the interceptor didn’t fail to lift off or fly off course. This time, the tracking radar that wasn’t up to scratch.

via Missile Defense Test Flops as U.S. Unveils New Strategy | Danger Room | Wired.com.

R or D in charge, missile defense continues to be the worst idea ever (well, maybe except for this) and, no matter how much integrity or common sense our leaders pile on the smoking heap of fail that is, they can’t even fake this one.

According to Blood: An Epic History…, gay people were among the best blood donors before the AIDS epidemic.  Many donation centers were located in large cities’ gay areas, which inadvertently worsened the plague.  The time is approaching when the US will have to work out a smarter risk calculation than NO  (via AABB update):

Survey: 77% of MSM willing to donate blood in the U.K.
An online survey showed that 77% of men who have had sex with men in the U.K. would give blood if there were no nationwide ban against them donating. Yusef Azad, director of policy and campaigns at National AIDS Trust, said the organization is working with authorities to re-evaluate the donation ban considering that MSM could represent 2.3 million more donors every year, as indicated by the survey.  PinkNews.co.uk (U.K.) (1/27)

I think that Steve Clemon’s analysis of the SOTU comes the closest to what I felt.  Sounds good – but you haven’t done what you already had the chance to do.  This may be the more important note that he’s made this week

“Barack Obama’s plan to unveil tonight a non-defense discretionary spending freeze for the next three years will essentially forfeit America’s growth future to China.

via Obama Freeze Forfeits America’s Future – The Washington Note.

Gonna be a slow weekend in downtown Tongduchon:

SEOUL, South Korea – North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire along their disputed western sea border on Wednesday, an official said, escalating tensions on the divided peninsula.

via 2 Koreas fire artillery along coast – North Korea- msnbc.com.

And there ya go:

Well, it’s official now: John Kiriakou, the former CIA operative who affirmed claims that waterboarding quickly unloosed the tongues of hard-core terrorists, says he didn’t know what he was talking about.

via CIA Man Retracts Claim on Waterboarding | Foreign Policy.

The only ones with any credibility left in this mess are the few FBI and military interrogators that have come forward to note how worthless torture is, how worthless or absent the information that past admin nuts trumpeted, and how worthless our credibility will be until we bring these sadists to justice.