A smattering of today’s news:

The NSA is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center

Suicides Eclipse War Deaths for U.S. Troops

Mitt Romney Mocks Obama for Wanting More Firemen, Policemen, Teachers

David Barton: People Are on Welfare Because They Don’t Read the Bible

But on a lighter front:

25 Things You Didn’t Know About Mad Men

and look! Bernese Mountain Dog Puppehs!

Damn I will miss them:

I even wrote bits for them, the Bugsy lunch bits at the end of the show as heard in the above clip. A couple of mine are in there (particularly the Mario Batali). On the other hand, they’ve been doing this 25 years, so they deserve a break.

Our guest columnist only serves Diet Coke.

Friend,

There’s no better way to kick off the beginning of summer than a road trip across our beautiful country. And who better to hit the road with than supporters.

That’s why I’m saving two seats on the bus for supporters like you.

The campaign bus is warming up to hit the campaign trail soon. Want to have a chance to join us?

Donate $5 today to be automatically entered for the chance to join me for a day on the road.

Hope to see you soon,

Mitt Romney

[via email]

Remember the very-married Bible-thumping actor who hit on the lovely model Melissa Stetten (@MelissaStetten)? Here’s his last tweet of that day:

Brian Presley@Brian_Presley
@JoelOsteen has changed my life! God wants to do amazing things with our life! Choosing Gods way isn’t always the easy way!

Osteen, in case you didn’t know, is a very rich minister, known for bilking his flock. [Buzzfeed]

Ann Althouse, one-time Bad Law Professor of the Week, weighs in with her usual imbecilic observations about whether Obama made a blowjob joke (he didn’t):

Take the poll. (Does that sound dirty to you?!) But before you do, consider that Obama has a bone to pick — does that sound dirty to you? — with Bill Clinton right now, and given the strong association between Bill Clinton and blowjobs and the suspicion that Obama is currently pissed at Bill Clinton, he may have been engaging in some subtle jousting with Bill Clinton — does that sound dirty to you? —about the  sexual proclivities of their respective wives.

1) run on sentence? check

2) cluelessness? check

3) blind ignorance (real or feigned)? check

No link to anyone this stupid – find it  yourself if you haven’t already read enough stupid shit on the internet today.

Another wingnut tempest in a teapot.

The fine people of the Shell oil company held a private reception at the Space Needle to celebrate the voyage of two new Arctic rigs. As part of the festivities, a mini-rig was designed to pour generous libations for the guests.

At which point a Just and Merciful God decided to fuck with them.

[via Daring Fireball]

Update:

This smelled kinda like oil-soaked fish to us (and a lot of the internet), so I called Shell, and a spokesperson told me in no uncertain terms “I can confirm that this was not a Shell event.”

Grist’s guess: The Yes Men are back, baby!

Fakey McFakerson: Mini oil rig causes massive booze spill at Shell execs’ party [Grist]

Before he went insane after 9/11, he made a lot of sense. Audio NSFW: