One of the Grumpy Forester‘s least favorite politicians has had another attack of foot in mouth disease.

Senator Conrad Burns [R-MT] is really concerned about immigration issues, unless he needs a roof on his house.

Yeah, and having lived along the Mexican border I’m really certain all of those western state Republicans have checked the immigration status of the people doing their yard work.

At 10PM CDT we have our fourth named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Debby.

Currently it is on track to be the first hurricane, but the models indicate it isn’t considered a threat to land.

There is a possibly more threatening wave sitting off the north coast of South America, but we have to wait to see what it’s going to do.

PZ Myers has a great video if you are devotee of Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Sad, but true, some people have no respect.

Last month it was the report on private versus public schools showing no noticeable difference and this month we discover Report: Public Beats Charter In Scores.

Giving out vouchers is a waste of money, because public schools are as good as private schools, and better than charter schools, if the tests that the Department of Education insists everyone take are to be believed.

In Florida there is no accountability for charter schools. Just handing out tax dollars to private groups without requiring accountability is criminally stupid.

Kevin Drum, the godfather of Friday Cat Blogging™, celebrates his fourth blogiversary™ ^{[Talk Left]} over at Political Animal, with a noticeable lack of cats.

How quickly they forget their roots.

Astronomers are embarrassing themselves in Prague in a knockdown brawl about the status of Pluto. John McKay covers the details at archy.

In other science news, Michael Bérubé looks at the Department of Education Smart Grants program that lost evolutionary biology. You have to wonder if they checked Dobson’s pockets after his last visit.

Update: Mustang Bobby has the recap on the two Repubs each trying to prove that he is the candidate that will return Florida to the golden years of Tristán de Luna y Arellano.

Many of the Public Radio stations in Florida will be carrying the debates between the candidates for governor tonight and tomorrow.

Tonight at 7:00PM [on the Panhandle, 8:00PM in Xanth] it’s the Republican debate, and tomorrow the Democrats get their turn.

Check your local listings.

For some reason, despite all of the happy talk from the spokesweasels at the Pentagon, Thousands of Marines face involuntary recalls.

These are people who have completed their four-year active duty enlistment in the Marines, but not the entire eight-year reserve commitment. This is one of the differences between this war and Vietnam – they didn’t pull this kind of crap during Vietnam.

Go over to The American Street and see what Fearguth hath wrought.