Charles “Chuck” Colson passes away at 80

The born-again mastermind behind Nixon’s dirty tricks, Charles Colson, has died. He was 80 years old. Colson was serving time for a break-in and burglary of Daniel Ellsberg, one of the many people populating Nixon’s secret enemy’s list (Which Colson helped write), when he came to Jesus and went on to a sort of second life as a spokesperson for the evangelical right: [Read more…]

Nominate a blogger for Netroots Nation

I’m lucky, my friend Lindsay Beyerstein used to joke I was a made man in the blog world, referring to my role at the Great Orange Satan. One perk is stuff like Netroots Nation costs less out-of-pocket for me. DK usually pitches in a little for contributing editors that can make it. But there’s a whole bunch of deserving local bloggers and activists who would like to go, who the NN staff would love to have, and who would benefit from it, but for whom the cost is prohibitive — being a straight-shooting science-loving conscientious progressive blogger doesn’t pay anywhere near as much as corporate-wingnut sellout.

That’s why NN has set up a program to help 50 people who couldn’t otherwise afford to go. You can apply for a scholarship to attend, or nominate anyone you think deserves consideration for the same.

Long week, open thread

It was a long week, made longer by the family of nocturnal elephants that seems to have moved in above me, only these few peaceful, precious hours early in the morning are my own these days. I need calm blue ocean. Ahhhh, yes, thank you Mr. Cross. Consider this an open thread.