Dirt, With Delusions of Grandeur

• God has ethics?

  What a damn mess in Arkansas. It seems that some Republican members of the State House and the State Senate conspired to dump a ton of money on rightwing Christian colleges in the state. For about $600,000 of taxpayer money to tiny Ecclesia College in Springdale, Arkansas, the Republican politicians got about $38,000 each in kickbacks.

  Crooks and Liars, Juanita Jean (I've moved her link, but it's the one she used.)
• If you are shooting people and you are not in the armed services or firing in self-defense and/or they have done you no harm, there is something seriously wrong with your mental functioning, whether or not you are considered clinically mentally ill.
• I keep saying that it's that word "intelligence."  
• Talladega College's marching band will perform at the inaugural parade.

  "We respect and appreciate how our students and alumni feel about our participation in this parade," Hawkins said in a statement Thursday.
  
  "As many of those who chose to participate in the parade have said, we feel the inauguration of a new president is not a political event but a civil ceremony celebrating the transfer of power," Hawkins added.
  
  The announcement followed several days of intense debate on social media.

  I'm hoping the optimistic view is correct.
• Mmmmmmmmmm-hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

  Intelligence agencies have reportedly found substantial evidence that Russia meddled in the US election to help Trump, but Trump has steadfastly continued to cast doubt over the credibility of US intelligence officials on the subject. He is set on Friday to receive a briefing from US intelligence agencies on the Russian hacking.

  Breaking news:

  Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Russia was behind fake news during the presidential election when questioned at a Senate hearing on Thursday.
  
  Democratic Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed asked Clapper, “One of the aspects of this Russian hacking was not just disseminating information they had exploited from computers, but also the allegations of fake news sites, fake news stories that were propagated. Is that an accurate- is that one aspect of this problem?”
  
  “This was a multifaceted campaign,” Clapper replied. “So the hacking was only one part of it, and it also entailed classical propaganda, disinformation, fake news,” he said during the hearing, which is focused on the topic of Russian hacking.