Saturday, March 22, 2008

Not only is he a HYOOOGE @$$#0LE...

...but he's an enormous idiot as well:

Bobby Knight picked Pittsburgh to win the NCAA basketball tournament. They lost tonight IN THE SECOND ROUND to a mediocre team from the mediocre Big Ten conference.  Hey Knight, you're some "expert"...have you considered weather forecasting?

Friday, March 21, 2008

What Happens When It Turns Out "The Man" Is Woodchuck Smart?

From the wacky leftist-commo rag the New York Times comes a screed against the brave new world of commerce and banking created by forward thinking and actionable men who pushed beyond the stars into whole new worlds of heady profit and genius.

Why is it government that's always called short-sighted and ignorant? Bureaucratic, ok, and sometimes that sucks, but how is this any better? It's not. These men are fucking idiots and they are breaking things. They should not be allowed near these things, and many of them should be in jail. And all of them should get a good swift kick through the ass:

"Not a week goes by that the Fed doesn’t inaugurate a new way to provide liquidity — meaning money — to the financial system. Bear Stearns isn’t enormous. It doesn’t take deposits from the public. Yet the Fed believed that letting it implode could unleash a domino effect among other banks, and the Fed provided a $30 billion guarantee for JPMorgan to snap it up.

Compared to the cold shoulder given to struggling homeowners, the cash and attention lavished by the government on the nation’s financial titans provides telling insight into the priorities of the Bush administration. It’s not simply a matter of fairness, though. The Fed is probably right to be doing all it can think of to avoid worse damage than the economy is already suffering. But if the objective is to encourage prudent banking and keep Wall Street’s wizards from periodically driving financial markets over the cliff, it is imperative to devise a remuneration system for bankers that puts more of their skin in the game.

Financiers, of course, dispute that they are being insufficiently penalized. “I received no bonus for 2007, no severance pay, no golden parachute,” E. Stanley O’Neal, the former chief executive of Merrill Lynch, told a House committee recently. That doesn’t seem like much of a blow to Mr. O’Neal, who was removed earlier this year following gargantuan subprime-related losses."

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Another Quitter

GOP Loses Another Leader in Congress
Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (RN.Y.) announced yesterday that he will not seek another term in office, becoming the latest member of the former GOP leadership team to step down in the past two years.

And these are the same losers who want us to stay in Iraq until the end of the time? The party of Americans has turned into the party of AmeriCANTS. Well, don't let the Capitol Hill door hit you on the ass on the way out. Best to put that tail between your legs, too, like a skunk...

the wacky pastor effect (cont'd)

News item: Clinton takes lead over Obama in Gallup poll

New Technical Term

Weather terms keep evolving...

5 to 7 inches of 'snizzle' expected

New Hit Song

To a really old tune...

Is this the real Price?

The Avalanche Continues

J. E. Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes: No such thing as a war for free

And this is what McBush wants to continue for another 100 years? Seriously, do we want to take a crack at solving America's problems, or make some people seriously rich at the cost of nearly 4,000 American lives and an undetermined, mind bogglingly large number of Iraqi lives? Not to mention everyone else in the world hating us?

Where are those New Zealand emigration papers...

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

a YOOOOOOOOGE asshole... or... da YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGEST asshole?

News item: Bush "Envious" of U.S. Troops in Afghanistan and Iraq

"I must say, I'm a little envious," Bush said. "If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed."

Dick Cheney to Everyone: Go Fuck Yourself

An enormous asshole or a gigantic asshole??

Why does Dick Cheney hate the American people?

Raddatz: Two-thirds of Americans say it’s not worth fighting, and they’re looking at the value gain versus the cost in American lives, certainly, and Iraqi lives.

Cheney: So?


Raddatz: So — you don’t care what the American people think?

Cheney: No, I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls. Think about what would have happened if Abraham Lincoln had paid attention to polls, if they had had polls during the Civil War. He never would have succeeded if he hadn’t had a clear objective, a vision for where he wanted to go, and he was willing to withstand the slings and arrows of the political wars in order to get there. And this President has been very courageous, very consistent, very determined to continue down the course we were on and to achieve our objective.

Smiff does it in basketball, too...

Hedo Turkoglu's dream season continued on Wednesday when he hit 11-of-20 shots and seven threes for a career-high 39 points in a loss to the Wizards. Turkoglu added six boards, three assists, a steal and a block, but the Magic were unable to overcome a three-point night from Dwight Howard in the loss. Turkoglu may be the biggest fantasy SHTEAL this season, and will likely be a hot draft pick in the early rounds next season.

dese just in...

Today's Top Searches
Audrina Patridge
Soleil Moon Frye
Squat Toilet
Puggles
Spring Equinox
Survivor Micronesia
Madeleine McCann
Fall Out Boy
Hogan's Heroes
Boston Red Sox

...As of Tuesday, at least 3,990 members of the U.S. military have died in the war, which has cost the U.S. roughly $500 billion. Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglizt and Harvard University public finance expert Linda Bilmes have estimated the eventual cost at $3 trillion when all the expenses, including long-term care for veterans, are calculated.
Without specifics, Bush decried those who have "exaggerated estimates of the costs of this war."


"War critics can no longer credibly argue that we are losing in Iraq, so now they argue the war costs too much," the HYOOOGE @$$#0LE said....

speaking of the sun coming up...

Nomar Garciaparra got a cortisone shot for his right wrist after an MRI Wednesday detected a microfracture. Trainer Stan Conte likened the injury to a small bone bruise. Nomar was hoping to play tomorrow, but that won't happen now. He needs to get some at-bats soon if he expects to be in the lineup on Opening Day.

Cricket Rules - Post Zzz of Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Y'all made me do this...

Cricket equipment guide

Cricket is a sport where you need a few bits of specialist equipment to keep you safe.

Most clubs provide bats and all the protective gear, but you may want your own kit.

In fact, there can be so much kit you may feel as though you're packing to go on holiday.

But a hard cricket ball can do a lot of damage - so protective gear is essential.

It will stop you getting hurt, though you may find the odd bump and bruise slips through now and then.

My Personal Favorite piece of equipment:

You won't need to guess where the most painful place to be hit by a cricket ball is - particularly for males.

A box should always be worn to protect the "privates" when batting against a cricket ball or other hard ball.

Wicketkeepers and fielders close to the wicket should also wear a box at all times.

You won't regret it. Neither will your kids.

and why not anudder 5 years, or 50, or 500...

This guy's supposed strength is foreign policy and defense? God help us all.

Oops! He Did It Again: McCain Confuses Iran/al Qaeda Link In Speech Marking 5th Anniversary of Iraqi Invasion

Sen. John McCain has done it again.
For the third time in two days, the Arizona Republican has pushed the definitively false statement that the terrorist group Al-Qaeda was getting assistance from Iran, even though he was publicly ridiculed for the same false assertion on Tuesday.
This time,
in a statement from his campaign honoring the fifth year anniversary of the war, McCain wrote:
“Today in Iraq, America and our allies stand on the precipice of winning a major victory against radical Islamic extremism. The security gains over the past year have been dramatic and undeniable. Al Qaeda and Shia extremists — with support from external powers such as Iran — are on the run but not defeated.”
On Tuesday, the senator, appearing in Israel, made a nearly identical assertion that al-Qaeda was leaving Iraq to retool and regroup in Iran.

Countdown’s Worst Persons: Olbermann Murdoch & McSame

Last, and by no means least, Senator John McCain takes the gold for making a fool of himself by claiming that Iran was training al Qaeda members in Iran, and sending them into Iraq. (not once, but thrice) Unfortunately for Grandpa McCain, he was mistaken and had to be reminded by Joe Lieberman that Iran was NOT training members of al Qaeda.

Olbermann: “No wonder McCain’s talking about 100 years in Iraq. It’ll take him that long just to figure out what’s going on there!”


McCain Doesn’t Know Who We’re Fighting In Iraq

Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was “common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that’s well known. And it’s unfortunate.” A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate’s ear. McCain then said: “I’m sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda.”

What is America searching on the 5th Anniversary of Bush's Insanity in the Desert?

Today's Top Searches
1. Miley Cyrus
2. Judy Greer
3. David Archuleta
4. Robot Dogs
5. Edmontosaurus
6. ABBA
7. Anthony Minghella
8. May Pang
9. Bread Pudding Recipe
10. Second Amendment

The Sun Rose in the East Today

Kerry Wood, who was supposed to work on back-to-back days for the first time this spring, had to be scratched from Wednesday's appearance because of back spasms.
"Look, we do have one setback with Kerry today -- his back is really, really stiff and he's not going to be able to pitch today," manager Lou Pineilla said. "It has nothing to do with his shoulder, or elbow, it's just with his back. He went to see a doctor, and hopefully we'll get him out there (Thursday) or the next day." Piniella wants Wood in the closer's role, but it's unclear if he'd hand him the role without him having pitched on back-to-back days first.

Decadent Westerners (cont)

Olympics crisis over squat loos

China is rushing to install sit-down loos for its 500,000 foreign Olympics visitors, after complaints that venues had only Asian-style squat toilets.

A lack of Western-style facilities was a common complaint after some 30 test events at Games venues, officials said.

"A lot of parties have raised the question of toilets... We have told the venues to improve on this," said Yao Hui, deputy head of venue management.

He said bathroom renovations were already under way at three key venues.

"Most of the Chinese people are used to the squat toilet, but nowadays more and more people demand sit-down toilets," said Mr Yao.

"However, it will take some time for this transition."

He said that the proportion of squat toilets to sit-down facilities would vary depending on the nature of each venue.

But he said most of the lavatories at the 91,000-seat National Stadium - known as the Bird's Nest, the Water Cube and the National Indoor Stadium "should be" sit-down style.

Beijing is said to be spending at least US$40bn on 37 venues for sporting events at the August Olympics, 31 of which are in Beijing.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The Grand Scientific Host (cont'd)

Thickest, oldest Arctic ice is melting: NASA data

By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The thickest, oldest and toughest sea ice around the North Pole is melting, a bad sign for the future of the Arctic ice cap, NASA satellite data showed on Tuesday.

"Thickness is an indicator of long-term health of sea ice, and that's not looking good at the moment," Walt Meier of the National Snow and Ice Data Center told reporters in a telephone briefing.

This adds to the litany of disturbing news about Arctic sea ice, which has been retreating over the last three decades, especially last year, when it ebbed to its lowest level.

Scientists have said the trend is spurred by human-generated climate change.

Melting Arctic ice does not raise sea levels as the melting of glaciers on Greenland or Antarctica could, but it does contribute to global warming when reflective white ice is replaced by dark water that absorbs the sun's heat.

Using satellites that measure how much ice covers water in the Arctic and Antarctic, Meier and other climate scientists found a steep drop in the amount of perennial ice -- the hardy, thick ice that is over a year old -- in the north.

The oldest Arctic ice that has survived six years or more is the toughest, and even that shrank dramatically, Meier and the other scientists said.

OLD ICE "TOUGH AS NAILS"

Some 965,300 square miles of perennial ice have been lost -- about one and a half times the area of Alaska -- a 50 percent decrease between February 2007 and February 2008, Meier said.

The oldest "tough as nails" perennial ice has decreased by about 75 percent this year, losing 579,200 square miles (1.5 million sq kms, or about twice the area of Texas, he said.

This doesn't mean the Arctic is open water during the winter, but it does mean that in many areas, the stronger perennial ice is being replaced by younger, frailer new ice that is more easily disturbed by wind and warm sea temperatures.

"It's like looking at a Hollywood set," Meier said of an Arctic largely covered with younger ice. "It may look OK but if you could see behind you'd see ... it's just empty. And what we're seeing with the ice cover is it's becoming more and more empty underneath the ice cover."

Perennial ice is also vulnerable to a recurring pattern of swirling winds and currents known as the Arctic oscillation, which ejects the old ice out of the zone around the pole and aims it south where warmer waters will melt it.

The scientists also analyzed satellite data for Antarctica but found less dramatic change there.

This was attributed to the difference in the two polar regions. The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land while the Antarctic is a continent surrounded by ocean.

However, the scientists noted sharp warming on the Antarctic Peninsula, which stretches northward from the southern continent toward South America.

John Coleman has studied it -- John Coleman knows he is correct

NOAA: Coolest Winter Since 2001 for U.S., Globe

k-mad finds something to get pissed off enough about to get off his ass and post something cranky (cont'd)

News item -- Public schools Tibetans attend give short shrift to the Tibetan language, emphasizing Chinese instead. Ethnic Chinese hold most jobs, and Tibetan civil servants can be fired if their homes contain the traditional Buddhist shrine: a Buddha statue with incense sticks in front. Portraits of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan leader who has been in exile since 1959, are prohibited.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz(cont)

Fung's gonna have to post about cricket soon...

Monday, March 17, 2008

Colony Collapse Disorder?

Or just Quinny on da loose...perhaps he thought the honey was beer?


Bear convicted for theft of honey
By Paddy Clark BBC News

The taste of honey was just too tempting for a bear in Macedonia, which repeatedly raided a beekeeper's hives.

Now it has a criminal record after a court found it guilty of theft and criminal damage.

But there was an empty dock in the court in the city of Bitola and no handcuffed bear, which was convicted in its absence.

The case was brought by the exasperated beekeeper after a year of trying vainly to protect his beehives.

For a while, he kept the animal away by buying a generator, lighting up the area, and playing thumping Serbian turbo-folk music.

But when the generator ran out of power and the music fell silent, the bear was back and the honey was gone once more.

"It attacked the beehives again," said beekeeper Zoran Kiseloski.

Because the animal had no owner and belonged to a protected species, the court ordered the state to pay for the damage to the hives - around $3,500 (£1,750; 2,238 euros).

The bear, meanwhile, remains at large - somewhere in Macedonia.

Everybody's on da internets

Israel's Shin Bet launches blog

Spies blogging? What's next, a blog with 4-6 members talking about their expertises, whether it be baseball, IT, law, libratorrs, weather and the like?

If we knew then what we know now...

Iraq key players, then and now

The US president said he had three reasons for going to war against Iraq - to disarm the country of its WMD, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism and to free the Iraqi people. "The attacks of September 11 2001, show what the enemies of America did with four airplanes. We will not wait to see what terrorists or terrorist states could do with weapons of mass destruction," he said in March 2003.

He forgot to mention - "Also, Saddam tried to hurt Daddy."

Sunday, March 16, 2008

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