Snakes on a Train

CNN

Vietnamese authorities are on alert for animal smugglers after four bags of deadly snakes were found on a train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, according to local press reports. 

The bags contained an undetermined number of snakes including some king cobras, the on-line news service VnExpress reported.

Looks like the good people of Vietnam beat us to a sequel. Reports that Samuel L. Jackson was on that train are unconfirmed at this point...

Westboro Baptist Church vs. the KKK

Counter-protesters confront Westboro Baptist Church at Arlington - CNN.com

Among those counter-protesting at the cemetery's main entrance: About 10 members of a group that claims to be a branch of the Ku Klux Klan from Virginia called the Knights of the Southern Cross. They were cordoned off separately in a nearby area, but drew little attention as they gave out small American flags behind a banner that read "POW-MIA."

 This is just one of those times where you just stay out of it. When the KKK is on the side of common decency then you know you've fallen too deep into the rabbit hole.

Sudan On the Brink

Al Jazeera English

New satellite images provide evidence that northern Sudanese troops have committed war crimes, including ethnic cleansing, in the contested border town of Abyei where the forces took over more than a week ago, according to an advocacy group. 

The Satellite Sentinel Project said in a statement on Sunday that satellite images by DigitalGlobe show that the Sudanese army burned about one-third of all civilian buildings in the north-south border town, used disproportionate force and indiscriminately targeted civilians.

For those that don't know much about Sudan, ever since gaining independence in 1956 Sudan has fought two bloody civil wars between the largely Arab north Sudan and the African south Sudan. The combined death toll from these wars is estimated to be around 2.5 million people (which doesn't even include the genocide in Darfur). Well in 2005 the two sides agreed to a peace deal that would allow Southern Sudan to vote for its independence from Sudan. In January they held that referendum in which a whopping 98.83% of the population voted for independence. At the time Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said he accepted these results and would allow the succession to take place. Providing an important backdrop to the conflict is the fact that 85% of Sudan's petroleum reserves are located in South Sudan. 


That's where the town of Aybei comes in. Aybei is a province on the border between Sudan and South Sudan, known largely for its large oil reserves. It once accounted for a quarter of Sudan's petroleum reserves, but have since declined. The Greater Nile Oil Pipeline, which transports oil to the Red Sea, also runs through Aybei. Compounding things Aybei is extraordinarily fertile and is a favored spot among local livestock herders. Given the maniacal nature of Omar al-Bashir, the history between the North and South, and the resources at stake in Aybei, it's no wonder they are on the brink of war once again. For a country once known as the "breadbasket of Africa" with large oil reserves, it's a shame that Sudan can't seem to find peace. If it did, the sky would be the limit.

Queue the Imperial Death March...

Sarah Palin Motorcycle Ride & Bus Tour Kick-Off Stir 2012 Speculation

I sense a disturbance in the force... Does anybody really believe she's not running at this point?

Another Victory for Corporations

Jessica Levinson

Overturning more than 100 years of settled law, a federal judge in Virginia found that a ban on corporate campaign contributions to candidates is unconstitutional. It appears that in the case, U.S. v. Danielczyk, United States District Judge C. Cacheris did not consider a 2003 Supreme Court case, FEC v. Beaumont, upholding the constitutionality of a ban on direct corporate contributions to federal candidates.

Coming on the heals of 2010's Citizens United Supreme Court case, this ruling essentially gives corporations free reigns during elections. While Citizens United essentially gave corporations and labor unions the right to contribute to political campaigns, this ruling removes any restrictions from corporations contributing directly to political campaigns. Elections are essentially up for sale now. While politicians have been bought and sold by lobbyists for years, this allows corporations the right to decide who gets into office. We've entered a 2nd Gilded Age.

Nazi Super Dogs?

The Nazi Dream Of Talking Dogs

According to the book, [Nazi] scientists envisioned a day when dogs would serve alongside German troops, and perhaps free up SS officers by guarding concentration camps. So to unlock all that canine potential, Hitler set up a Tier-Sprechschule (Animal Talking School) near Hanover and recruited "educated dogs" from throughout the country. Teachers claimed a number of incredible findings.

I have a feeling this will be the plot of the next Tarantino/Rodriguez collaboration...

Vermont governor signs single-payer health law

Vermont governor signs single-payer health law

Vermont lawmakers passed the legislation in March by a 92-49 margin. At the time of its passage, Shumlin lauded the legislature for becoming "the first state in the country to make the first substantive step to deliver a health care system where health care will be a right and not a privilege." 

The legislation, when fully enacted, will guarantee every Vermont resident the right to enroll in a state-sponsored insurance plan, Green Mountain Care. 

Essentially Vermont is setting up a Canadian or British type system where the state is the primary health provider for its citizens. As long as you pay taxes in the state, you can get health care for free or minimal cost. It still has some hurdles to go through before it become operational though. The legislature now has to figure out how the system will be funded and must do so before January 15, 2013. In addition, the health care reforms passed by Obama last year allows states to opt out the plan in 2017 only if it provides a better solution. Although Obama has said he wants to move that date up to 2014 to accommodate Vermont. Nevertheless, I applaud Vermont for deciding to do this, wish it had been at the national level instead, but its a step in the right direction. Now the question is: how many states will follow Vermont's lead?

Lawsuit Seeks to Remove Marijuana from Schedule I

LA Times:

Marijuana advocates filed a suit in a U.S. Circuit Court today to force the Obama administration to answer a petition that seeks to have the federal government recognize cannabis as a drug with acceptable medical uses.

I support the cause, but file this under "fat chance of succeeding", the Obama Administration, while not as hostile as some previous administrations, has shown very little desire to reform this nation's drug laws. I don't expect much to come of this.

Rhee's Group Helped Pass Controversial Ohio Teachers Bill

Huff Po:

The nonprofit group set up by former Washington D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee is facing criticism for hiring a lobbyist to work on controversial legislation in Ohio that partially restricted the collective bargaining rights of teachers.

 For those that don't know Michele Rhee has been a media star recently for the tough reforms she implemented as Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools under former Mayor Adrian Fenty. Ever since Fenty was voted out of office in 2010, Rhee has appeared on several news shows, was the main protagonist in the recent documentary "Waiting for Superman", and started a group called StudentsFirst to promote educational reform. Rhee's become a controversial figure among the education reform movement. During her time as chancellor, she negotiated a form of performance-based pay for teachers, closed 21 public schools due to excess capacity, and fired 241 teachers due to poor evaluations. Her fans point to her tough straight-forward approach, her demands for accountability, and the improvement of test scores under her watch. She's been praised as a breath of fresh air to a system that some see as bloated, unaccountable, and failing. While her detractors claim that she is anti-union, that she conducted politically motivated firings, and that many of the test results had been doctored. Many of her policies were unpopular with D.C. residents and is cited as the main reason Mayor Adrian Fenty was voted out of office. In addition, since leaving office, she has sided with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker over the recent budget cuts that included the abolition of collective bargaining rights. Considering this, her group's support for a similar bill in Ohio comes as no surprise.

As someone who is going to school right now with the intention of becoming a teacher, news like this hits home. Too often teachers and their unions have become the subject of scorn for people unsatisfied with the performance of our public schools. Yes, there are bad teachers out there, and yes some deserve to be fired, but there are bad employees in any profession. This notion that teacher are fat cats living high off the hog is simply laughable. Most teachers I know are dedicated to their job, work hard for not a lot of pay, and put up with YOUR children 180 days out of the year (sometimes more). This crusade against teachers unions is more about politics than it is real education reform. Republicans are trying to crush what is essentially the base of the Democratic party under the banner of "fixing public education". I don't pretend to know all the answers and I certainly don't know how to improve test scores, but if we are going to reform public education teachers deserve a seat at the table. Teachers know better than anyone what works best in the classroom and what doesn't, they don't deserve to be made out as villians.

Is Obama a Chalaque?

Yahoo!

The label certainly appears to fit in the minds of British police. Scotland Yard, the UK's police force, has given Obama the security codename 'Chalaque' for his visit this week to the United Kingdom, the UK Daily Mail reports. The term is reportedly a Punjabi word meaning someone who is too clever for his own good, according to the newspaper. 

A Punjabi speaker told the newspaper that the word is 'not considered rude', but could be 'mildly offensive'. "It is also said to mean 'cheeky, crafty and cunning'," the paper notes.

I would have chose the codename "Spock" but that's just me. Part of me believes this is intentional, Obama has, at times, proved to be a cunning political operator.

Hello World!

From the guys that brought you the sports blog Being Passed By, today Robert and I bring to you our newest venture: "The Last Best Hope." Named after a quote by one of Robert and I's favorite figures from history: Abraham Lincoln, The Last Best Hope will be a politics and culture blog. From book reviews to political commentary, from movies to music; there'll hardly be a subject Robert and I won't cover. Between me being a news junkie and Robert's extensive experience writing for the George-Anne, we'll strive to bring our readers insight and opinion that you won't find anywhere else. We hope you'll find what we have to offer interesting, thought provoking, and even (dare I say?) funny (*crosses fingers*). So without further adieu, Welcome!