Last Call For More Butter

Paula Deen just got chopped by Food Network for comments she made in a court deposition about race and gender.

Celebrity chef Paula Deen's contract with The Food Network will not be renewed, the network said Friday, the latest fallout over revelations this week that she admitted to using a racial epithet in the past.

Deen's contract with The Food Network, which airs three shows featuring the chef, expires at the end of the month, the network said.

The Food Network's announcement followed reports earlier this week that Deen acknowledged in a lawsuit deposition to using the "N word," but denied telling racial jokes.

It also came the same day that Deen apologized in video statements posted online for "the wrong that I've done."

Needless to say, if you're shocked by a older Southern white woman being casually racists and talking about reenacting a plantation formal dinner with black men in white jackets as waiters, you're not from the South.

The wingers are of course furious that reenacting Jim Crow is a fireable offense in 2013.

A Fox News correspondent is attacking "the liberal, anti-South media" for unfairly "trying to crucify Paula Deen" over her admission in a court deposition that she's used racial epithets.

Todd Starnes, who also hosts a Fox News Radio segment, wrote on his Facebook page that the "liberal, anti-South media is trying to crucify Paula Deen. They accuse her of using a derogatory word to describe a black person. Paula admitted she used the word -- back in the 1980s - when a black guy walked into the bank, stuck a gun in her face and ordered her to hand over the cash. The national media failed to mention that part of the story. I'll give credit to the Associated Press for telling the full story."

Starnes also defended Deen via Twitter, writing: "The mainstream media hates Paula Deen [...] I think it's because most of them don't eat meat."

Sure, that's it, Todd.

Oh, and I'm not even kidding about the PLANTATION DINNER THING.

Bye, Paula.

Unfinished Bush Business, 1787 Edition

So, who's surprised by this in the least?

Twelve American presidents owned slaves, eight while serving in office, and at least 25 presidents count slave owners among their ancestors. But new historical evidence shows that a direct ancestor of George W. and George H.W. Bush was part of a much more appalling group: Thomas Walker was a notorious slave trader active in the late 18th century along the coast of West Africa.

Walker, George H.W. Bush's great-great-great grandfather, was the captain of, master of, or investor in at least 11 slaving voyages to West Africa between 1784 and 1792.

Yeah I know, it's not like Poppy or Dubya had any control over who their ancestors are.  I was adopted, for all I know I've got a relative that made an awful lot of money for Zee Germans in the 1940's, or was a serial killer, or ate babies on trenchers of bread as medieval performance art.  Not really fair to hang this one on the Bush family.

Besides, there's enough evil that these two clown actually did in their federal political careers that would make me ashamed to have them as relatives, not to mention Poppy's dad and Dubya's granddad Sen. Prescott Bush, who really was a piece of work.  (And by piece of work, I mean he made an awful lot of money off Zee Germans in the 1940's.)

I'm not surprised by the fact, but it's far from the most reprehensible act from that particular genealogical line.

No, Obama's Black Helicopters Didn't Kill Michael Hastings

Of course there's plenty of Info Wars level tinfoil out there about the truly tragic death of BuzzFeed writer Michael Hastings in a car accident this week, but no, the LAPD confirms that sometimes a fatal car wreck is just a fatal car wreck.

The Los Angeles Police Department said there appears to be no foul play in the one-vehicle accident that killed journalist Michael Hastings.

The Los Angeles County coroner on Thursday positively identified Hastings as the driver of a Mercedes that crashed on Highland Avenue near Melrose Avenue on Tuesday morning.

Hastings' involvement with hot-button stories has led to a variety of conspiracy theories arising on the Internet over his death. But LAPD officials said the incident appears to have been an accident and that no other vehicles were involved. Officials are trying to determine whether there was a mechanical problem with the car. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing.

Video of the accident scene showed the car engulfed in flames. Law enforcement sources said the car appeared to be going at a high rate of speed but emphasized that the investigation was ongoing.

So, yeah.  Car accident, it happens.  Hell, I ran over something on the way home from work yesterday that ended up damaging two tires and I got to spend the evening at Pep Boys.  Fecal matter occurs, people.

Not to take anything away from Hastings work.  As I said, I respect the fact his Rolling Stone expose' of Gen. Stanley McChrystal was, in my view, a contributing factor as to why President Obama was able to wind down Afghanistan.  McChrystal was running the place like his own personal fiefdom.

But this "the gubment killed Hastings" stuff is offensive, degrading, and stupid.  Stop it.

StupidiNews!

• Over 100,000 people face evacuation in Calgary, Alberta, Canada as flooding along the Bow and Elbow rivers reaches record flood stage due to rapid snow melt and heavy rain.
• A new study finds 2 in 5 Americans are caring for a sick or elderly relative as the US Baby Boomer population ages.
• Duke University medical school researchers have found a way to prevent epilepsy in mice, giving hope to the possibility of a cure in humans.
• US bank regulators are considering a 6% minimum capital requirement for the nation's largest banks, double the 3% the US proposed internationally.
• Facebook-owned Instagram is going directly after micro-video site Vine by offering the ability to post 3-15 second videos on the net.