The idea that the anthrax letters were traceable to Iraq and the actual anthrax came from the same lab:
From Salon comes this article - which is longer there:
Glenn Greenwald
Friday Aug. 1, 2008 05:36 EDT
Vital unresolved anthrax questions and ABC News
The FBI's lead suspect in the September, 2001 anthrax attacks -- Bruce E. Ivins -- died Tuesday night, apparently by suicide, just as the Justice Department was about to charge him with responsibility for the attacks. For the last 18 years, Ivins was a top anthrax researcher at the U.S. Government's biological weapons research laboratories at Ft. Detrick, Maryland, where he was one of the most elite government anthrax scientists on the research team at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (USAMRIID).
The 2001 anthrax attacks remain one of the great mysteries of the post-9/11 era. After 9/11 itself, the anthrax attacks were probably the most consequential event of the Bush presidency. One could make a persuasive case that they were actually more consequential. The 9/11 attacks were obviously traumatic for the country, but in the absence of the anthrax attacks, 9/11 could easily have been perceived as a single, isolated event. It was really the anthrax letters -- with the first one sent on September 18, just one week after 9/11 -- that severely ratcheted up the fear levels and created the climate that would dominate in this country for the next several years after. It was anthrax -- sent directly into the heart of the country's elite political and media institutions, to then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt), NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, and other leading media outlets -- that created the impression that social order itself was genuinely threatened by Islamic radicalism.
If the now-deceased Ivins really was the culprit behind the attacks, then that means that the anthrax came from a U.S. Government lab, sent by a top U.S. Army scientist at Ft. Detrick. Without resort to any speculation or inferences at all, it is hard to overstate the significance of that fact. From the beginning, there was a clear intent on the part of the anthrax attacker to create a link between the anthrax attacks and both Islamic radicals and the 9/11 attacks. This was the letter sent to Brokaw:
The letter sent to Leahy contained this message:
We have anthrax.
You die now.
Are you afraid?
Death to America.
Death to Israel.
Allah is great.
By design, those attacks put the American population into a state of intense fear of Islamic terrorism, far more than the 9/11 attacks alone could have accomplished.
Much more important than the general attempt to link the anthrax to Islamic terrorists, there was a specific intent -- indispensably aided by ABC News -- to link the anthrax attacks to Iraq and Saddam Hussein. In my view, and I've written about this several times and in great detail to no avail, the role played by ABC News in this episode is the single greatest, unresolved media scandal of this decade. News of Ivins' suicide, which means (presumably) that the anthrax attacks originated from Ft. Detrick, adds critical new facts and heightens how scandalous ABC News' conduct continues to be in this matter.
During the last week of October, 2001, ABC News, led by Brian Ross, continuously trumpeted the claim as their top news story that government tests conducted on the anthrax -- tests conducted at Ft. Detrick -- revealed that the anthrax sent to Daschele contained the chemical additive known as bentonite. ABC News, including Peter Jennings, repeatedly claimed that the presence of bentonite in the anthrax was compelling evidence that Iraq was responsible for the attacks, since -- as ABC variously claimed -- bentonite "is a trademark of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's biological weapons program" and "only one country, Iraq, has used bentonite to produce biological weapons."
ABC News' claim -- which they said came at first from "three well-placed but separate sources," followed by "four well-placed and separate sources" -- was completely false from the beginning. There never was any bentonite detected in the anthrax (a fact ABC News acknowledged for the first time in 2007 only as a result of my badgering them about this issue). It's critical to note that it isn't the case that preliminary tests really did detect bentonite and then subsequent tests found there was none. No tests ever found or even suggested the presence of bentonite. The claim was just concocted from the start. It just never happened.
That means that ABC News' "four well-placed and separate sources" fed them information that was completely false -- false information that created a very significant link in the public mind between the anthrax attacks and Saddam Hussein. And look where -- according to Brian Ross' report on October 28, 2001 -- these tests were conducted:
And despite continued White House denials, four well-placed and separate sources have told ABC News that initial tests on the anthrax by the US Army at Fort Detrick, Maryland, have detected trace amounts of the chemical additives bentonite and silica.
Two days earlier, Ross went on ABC News' World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and, as the lead story, breathlessly reported:
The discovery of bentonite came in an urgent series of tests conducted at Fort Detrick, Maryland, and elsewhere.
Clearly, Ross' allegedly four separate sources had to have some specific knowledge of the tests conducted and, if they were really "well-placed," one would presume that meant they had some connection to the laboratory where the tests were conducted -- Ft. Detrick. That means that the same Government lab where the anthrax attacks themselves came from was the same place where the false reports originated that blamed those attacks on Iraq.
It's extremely possible -- one could say highly likely -- that the same people responsible for perpetrating the attacks were the ones who fed the false reports to the public, through ABC News, that Saddam was behind them. What we know for certain -- as a result of the letters accompanying the anthrax -- is that whoever perpetrated the attacks wanted the public to believe they were sent by foreign Muslims. Feeding claims to ABC News designed to link Saddam to those attacks would, for obvious reasons, promote the goal of the anthrax attacker(s).
Seven years later, it's difficult for many people to recall, but, as I've amply documented, those ABC News reports linking Saddam and anthrax penetrated very deeply -- by design -- into our public discourse and into the public consciousness. Those reports were absolutely vital in creating the impression during that very volatile time that Islamic terrorists generally, and Iraq and Saddam Hussein specifically, were grave, existential threats to this country. As but one example: after Ross' lead report on the October 26, 2001 edition of World News Tonight with Peter Jennings claiming that the Government had found bentonite, this is what Jennings said into the camera:
This news about bentonite as the additive being a trademark of the Iraqi biological weapons program is very significant. Partly because there's been a lot of pressure on the Bush administration inside and out to go after Saddam Hussein. And some are going to be quick to pick up on this as a smoking gun.
That's exactly what happened. The Weekly Standard published two lengthy articles attacking the FBI for focusing on a domestic culprit and -- relying almost exclusively on the ABC/Ross report -- insisted that Saddam was one of the most likely sources for those attacks. In November, 2001, they published an article (via Lexis) which began:
On the critical issue of who sent the anthrax, it's time to give credit to the ABC website, ABCNews.com, for reporting rings around most other news organizations. Here's a bit from a comprehensive story filed late last week by Gary Matsumoto, lending further credence to the commonsensical theory (resisted by the White House) that al Qaeda or Iraq -- and not some domestic Ted Kaczynski type -- is behind the germ warfare.
The Weekly Standard published a much lengthier and more dogmatic article in April, 2002 again pushing the ABC "bentonite" claims and arguing: "There is purely circumstantial though highly suggestive evidence that might seem to link Iraq with last fall's anthrax terrorism." The American Enterprise Institute's Laurie Mylroie (who had an AEI article linking Saddam to 9/11 ready for publication at the AEI on September 13) expressly claimed in November, 2001 that "there is also tremendous evidence that subsequent anthrax attacks are connected to Iraq" and based that accusation almost exclusively on the report from ABC and Ross ("Mylroie: Evidence Shows Saddam Is Behind Anthrax Attacks").
And then, when President Bush named Iraq as a member of the "Axis of Evil" in his January, 2002 State of the Union speech -- just two months after ABC's report, when the anthrax attacks were still very vividly on the minds of Americans -- he specifically touted this claim:
The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax, and nerve gas, and nuclear weapons for over a decade.
Bush's invocation of Iraq was the only reference in the State of the Union address to the unsolved anthrax attacks. And the Iraq-anthrax connection was explicitly made by the President at a time when, as we now know, he was already eagerly planning an attack on Iraq.
There can't be any question that this extremely flamboyant though totally false linkage between Iraq and the anthrax attacks -- accomplished primarily by the false bentonite reports from ABC News and Brian Ross -- played a very significant role in how Americans perceived of the Islamic threat generally and Iraq specifically. As but one very illustrative example, The Washington Post's columnist, Richard Cohen, supported the invasion of Iraq, came to regret that support, and then explained what led him to do so, in a 2004 Post column entitled "Our Forgotten Panic":
I'm not sure if panic is quite the right word, but it is close enough. Anthrax played a role in my decision to support the Bush administration's desire to take out Saddam Hussein. I linked him to anthrax, which I linked to Sept. 11. I was not going to stand by and simply wait for another attack -- more attacks. I was going to go to the source, Hussein, and get him before he could get us. As time went on, I became more and more questioning, but I had a hard time backing down from my initial whoop and holler for war.
Cohen -- in a March 18, 2008 Slate article in which he explains why he wrongfully supported the attack on Iraq -- disclosed this:
Anthrax. Remember anthrax? It seems no one does anymore -- at least it's never mentioned. But right after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, letters laced with anthrax were received at the New York Post and Tom Brokaw's office at NBC. . . . There was ample reason to be afraid.
The attacks were not entirely unexpected. I had been told soon after Sept. 11 to secure Cipro, the antidote to anthrax. The tip had come in a roundabout way from a high government official, and I immediately acted on it. I was carrying Cipro way before most people had ever heard of it.
For this and other reasons, the anthrax letters appeared linked to the awful events of Sept. 11. It all seemed one and the same. Already, my impulse had been to strike back, an overwhelming urge that had, in fact, taken me by surprise on Sept. 11 itself when the first of the Twin Towers had collapsed. . . .
In the following days, as the horror started to be airbrushed -- no more bodies plummeting to the sidewalk -- the anthrax letters started to come, some to people I knew. And I thought, No, I'm not going to sit here passively and wait for it to happen. I wanted to go to "them," whoever "they" were, grab them by the neck, and get them before they could get us. One of "them" was Saddam Hussein. He had messed around with anthrax . . . He was a nasty little fascist, and he needed to be dealt with.
That, more or less, is how I made my decision to support the war in Iraq.
Cohen's mental process that led him to link anthrax to Iraq and then to support an attack on Iraq, warped as it is, was extremely common. Having heard ABC News in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attack flamboyantly and repeatedly link Saddam to the anthrax attacks, followed by George Bush's making the same linkage (albeit more subtly) in his January, 2002 State of the Union speech, much of the public had implanted into their minds that Saddam Hussein was not just evil, but a severe threat to the U.S., likely the primary culprit behind the anthrax attacks. All along, though, the anthrax came from a U.S. Government/Army research lab.
Critically, ABC News never retracted its story (they merely noted, as they had done from the start, that the White House denied the reports). And thus, the linkage between Saddam and the anthrax attacks -- every bit as false as the linkage between Saddam and the 9/11 attacks -- persisted.
We now know -- we knew even before news of Ivins' suicide last night, and know especially in light of it -- that the anthrax attacks didn't come from Iraq or any foreign government at all. It came from our own Government's scientist, from the top Army bioweapons research laboratory. More significantly, the false reports linking anthrax to Iraq also came from the U.S. Government -- from people with some type of significant links to the same facility responsible for the attacks themselves.
Surely the question of who generated those false Iraq-anthrax reports is one of the most significant and explosive stories of the last decade. The motive to fabricate reports of bentonite and a link to Saddam is glaring. Those fabrications played some significant role -- I'd argue a very major role -- in propagandizing the American public to perceive of Saddam as a threat, and further, propagandized the public to believe that our country was sufficiently threatened by foreign elements that a whole series of radical policies that the neoconservatives both within and outside of the Bush administration wanted to pursue -- including an attack an Iraq and a whole array of assaults on our basic constitutional framework -- were justified and even necessary in order to survive.
ABC News already knows the answers to these questions. They know who concocted the false bentonite story and who passed it on to them with the specific intent of having them broadcast those false claims to the world, in order to link Saddam to the anthrax attacks and -- as importantly -- to conceal the real culprit(s) (apparently within the U.S. government) who were behind the attacks. And yet, unbelievably, they are keeping the story to themselves, refusing to disclose who did all of this. They're allegedly a news organization, in possession of one of the most significant news stories of the last decade, and they are concealing it from the public, even years later.
They're not protecting "sources." The people who fed them the bentonite story aren't "sources." They're fabricators and liars who purposely used ABC News to disseminate to the American public an extremely consequential and damaging falsehood. But by protecting the wrongdoers, ABC News has made itself complicit in this fraud perpetrated on the public, rather than a news organization uncovering such frauds. That is why this is one of the most extreme journalistic scandals that exists, and it deserves a lot more debate and attention than it has received thus far.
UPDATE: One other fact to note here is how bizarrely inept the effort by the Bush DOJ to find the real attacker has been. Extremely suspicious behavior from Ivins -- including his having found and completely cleaned anthrax traces on a co-worker's desk at the Ft. Detrick lab without telling anyone that he did so and then offering extremely strange explanations for why -- was publicly reported as early as 2004 by The LA Times (Ivins "detected an apparent anthrax leak in December 2001, at the height of the anthrax mailings investigation, but did not report it. Ivins considered the problem solved when he cleaned the affected office with bleach").
In October 2004, USA Today reported that Ivins was involved in another similar incident, in April of 2002, when Ivins performed unauthorized tests to detect the origins of more anthrax residue found at Ft. Detrick. Yet rather than having that repeated, strange behavior lead the FBI to discover that he was involved in the attacks, there was a very public effort -- as Atrios notes here -- to blame the attacks on Iraq and then, ultimately, to blame Steven Hatfill. Amazingly, as Atrios notes here, very few people other than "a few crazy bloggers are even interested" in finding out what happened here and why -- at least to demand that ABC News report the vital information that it already has that will shed very significant light on much of this.
UPDATE II: Ivins' local paper, Frederick News in Maryland, has printed several Letters to the Editor written by Ivins over the years. Though the underlying ideology is a bit difficult to discern, he seems clearly driven by a belief in the need for Christian doctrine to govern our laws and political institutions, with a particular interest in Catholic dogma. He wrote things like this:
Today we frequently admonish people who oppose abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide or capital punishment to keep their religious, moral, and philosophical beliefs to themselves.
Before dispensing such admonishments in the future, perhaps we should gratefully consider some of our country's most courageous, historical figures who refused to do so.
And then there's this rather cryptic message, published in 2006:
Rabbi Morris Kosman is entirely correct in summarily rejecting the demands of the Frederick Imam for a "dialogue."
By blood and faith, Jews are God's chosen, and have no need for "dialogue" with any gentile. End of "dialogue."
It should be noted that the lawyer who had been representing Ivins in connection with the anthrax investigation categorically maintains Ivins' innocence and attributes his suicide to "the relentless pressure of accusation and innuendo."
On a note related to the main topic of the post, macgupta in comments notes the numerous prominent people in addition to those mentioned here -- including The Wall St. Jorunal Editors and former CIA Director James Woolsey -- who insisted rather emphatically from the beginning of the anthrax attacks that Saddam was likely to blame. Indeed, the WSJ Editorial Page -- along with others on the Right such as Michael Barone of U.S. News & World Report and Fox News -- continued even into 2007 to insist that the FBI was erring by focusing on domestic suspects rather than Middle Easterners.
The Nation's Michael Massing noted at the time (in November, 2001) that as a direct result of the anthrax attacks, and the numerous claims insinuating that Iraq was behind them, "the political and journalistic establishment suddenly seems united in wanting to attack Iraq." There has long been an intense desire on the neoconservative Right to falsely link anthrax to Saddam specifically and Muslims generally. ABC News was, and (as a result of its inexcusable silence) continues to be, their best friend.
UPDATE III: See this important point from Atrios about Richard Cohen's admission that he was told before the anthrax attacks happened by a "high government official" to take cipro. Atrios writes: "now that we know that the US gov't believes that anthrax came from the inside, shouldn't Cohen be a wee bit curious about what this warning was based on?"
That applies to much of the Beltway class, including many well-connected journalists, who were quietly popping cipro back then because, like Cohen, they heard from Government sources that they should. Leave aside the ethical questions about the fact that these journalists kept those warnings to themselves. Wouldn't the most basic journalistic instincts lead them now -- in light of the claims by our Government that the attacks came from a Government scientist -- to wonder why and how their Government sources were warning about an anthrax attack? Then again, the most basic journalistic instincts would have led ABC News to reveal who concocted and fed them the false "Saddam/anthrax" reports in the first place, and yet we still are forced to guess at those questions because ABC News continues to cover up the identity of the perpetrators.
UPDATE IV: John McCain, on the David Letterman Show, October 18, 2001 (days before ABC News first broadcast their bentonite report):
LETTERMAN: How are things going in Afghanistan now?
MCCAIN: I think we're doing fine . . . I think we'll do fine. The second phase -- if I could just make one, very quickly -- the second phase is Iraq. There is some indication, and I don't have the conclusions, but some of this anthrax may -- and I emphasize may -- have come from Iraq.
LETTERMAN: Oh is that right?
MCCAIN: If that should be the case, that's when some tough decisions are gonna have to be made.
ThinkProgress has the video. Someone ought to ask McCain what "indication" he was referencing that the anthrax "may have come from Iraq."
After all, three days later, McCain and Joe Lieberman went on Meet the Press (on October 21, 2001) and both strongly suggested that we would have to attack Iraq. Lieberman said that the anthrax was so complex and potent that "there's either a significant amount of money behind this, or this is state-sponsored, or this is stuff that was stolen from the former Soviet program."
As I said, it is not possible to overstate the importance of anthrax in putting the country into the state of fear that led to the attack on Iraq and so many of the other abuses of the Bush era. There are few news stories more significant, if there are any, than unveiling who the culprits were behind this deliberate propaganda. The fact that the current GOP presidential nominee claimed back then on national television to have some "indication" linking Saddam to the anthrax attacks makes it a bigger story still.
UPDATE V: I tried to be careful here to avoid accepting as True the matter of Ivins' guilt. Very early on in the article, I framed the analysis this way: "If the now-deceased Ivins really was the culprit behind the attacks, then that means that the anthrax came from a U.S. Government lab," and I then noted in Update II that Ivins' lawyer vehemently maintains his innocence. My whole point here is that the U.S. Government now claims the anthrax attacks came from a Government scientist at a U.S. Army lab, and my conclusions follow from that premise, accepted as true only for purposes of this analysis.
It's worth underscoring that it is far from clear that Ivins had anything to do with the anthrax attacks, and someone in comments claiming (anonymously though credibly) that he knew Ivins personally asserts that Ivins was innocent and makes the case as to why the Government's accusations are suspect. As I see it, the more doubt there is about who was responsible for the anthrax attacks, the greater is the need for ABC News to reveal who fabricated their reports linking the attacks to Iraq.
UPDATE VI: I'll be on Rachel Maddow's radio show tonight at 8:30 p.m. EST to discuss this story. Local listings and live audio feed are here.
Numerous people have advised me in comments and via email that ABC News is deleting any mention of my piece today in the comment section to their article on the Ivins suicide (though many such comments now seem to be posted there). Last year, ABC was in full denial mode when responding to the stories I wrote about this issue. The key here, I think, will be to try to devise the right strategy to induce the right Congressional Committee to hold hearings on the false ABC News stories and the anthrax issue generally. I hope to have more details on that effort shortly.
UPDATE VII: Two prominent journalism professors -- Jay Rosen of NYU and Dan Gillmor, director of the Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University and a practicing journalist for 25 years -- have added their names to the list of people calling on ABC News and Brian Ross to reveal their sources for ABC's false bentonite story that was used to link the anthrax attacks to Iraq. Rosen and Gillmor both write that ABC and Ross should answer three questions which they jointly outline, and they both set forth the reasons, grounded in widely accepted principles of journalistic ethics, as to why ABC and Ross should do so.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Can't wait for the audio
Man calls 911 after Subway left sauce off sandwich
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 4, 2008
Filed at 3:01 p.m. ET
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Jacksonville police say Reginald Peterson needs to learn that 911 is not the appropriate place to complain that Subway left the sauce off a spicy Italian sandwich.
Police said the 42-year-old man dialed 911 twice last week so he could have his sub made correctly. The second call was to complain that officers weren't arriving fast enough.
Subway workers told police Peterson became belligerent and yelled when they were fixing his order. They locked him out of the store after he left to call police.
When officers arrived, they tried to calm Peterson and explain the proper use of 911. Those efforts failed, and he was arrested on a charge of making false 911 calls.
Peterson did not have a listed phone number.
------
Information from: The Florida Times-Union, http://www.jacksonville.com
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 4, 2008
Filed at 3:01 p.m. ET
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Jacksonville police say Reginald Peterson needs to learn that 911 is not the appropriate place to complain that Subway left the sauce off a spicy Italian sandwich.
Police said the 42-year-old man dialed 911 twice last week so he could have his sub made correctly. The second call was to complain that officers weren't arriving fast enough.
Subway workers told police Peterson became belligerent and yelled when they were fixing his order. They locked him out of the store after he left to call police.
When officers arrived, they tried to calm Peterson and explain the proper use of 911. Those efforts failed, and he was arrested on a charge of making false 911 calls.
Peterson did not have a listed phone number.
------
Information from: The Florida Times-Union, http://www.jacksonville.com
"My friends, I forgot to put on my pants this morning..."
"I know how to win wars."
John McCain, January 2007
"I am very certain that this military engagement will not be very difficult."
John McCain, September 12, 2002.
"Look, we're going to send young men and women in harm's way and that's always a great danger, but I cannot believe that there is an Iraqi soldier who is going to be willing to die for Saddam Hussein, particularly since he will know that our objective is to remove Saddam Hussein from power."
John McCain, September 15, 2002.
"But the fact is, I think we could go in with much smaller numbers than we had to do in the past. But any military man worth his salt is going to have to prepare for any contingency, but I don't believe it's going to be nearly the size and scope that it was in 1991."
John McCain, September 15, 2002.
"He's a patriot who has the best interests of his country at heart."
John McCain, on Ahmed Chalabi, 2003.
John McCain, January 2007
"I am very certain that this military engagement will not be very difficult."
John McCain, September 12, 2002.
"Look, we're going to send young men and women in harm's way and that's always a great danger, but I cannot believe that there is an Iraqi soldier who is going to be willing to die for Saddam Hussein, particularly since he will know that our objective is to remove Saddam Hussein from power."
John McCain, September 15, 2002.
"But the fact is, I think we could go in with much smaller numbers than we had to do in the past. But any military man worth his salt is going to have to prepare for any contingency, but I don't believe it's going to be nearly the size and scope that it was in 1991."
John McCain, September 15, 2002.
"He's a patriot who has the best interests of his country at heart."
John McCain, on Ahmed Chalabi, 2003.
A man of the people
In 1998, the National Archives and Records Administration (“NARA”) began the process of securing a new facility for documents in Alaska. In 1998 and 1999, Sen. Stevens earmarked more than $1.7 million for a site selection study to determine where in Anchorage NARA’s new archives building would be located. A particular piece of property owned by a group of retired school teachers was selected for the site, but the teachers were never told. Sen. Stevens earmarked more money to purchase the land. At that point, Mr. Rubini and Mr. Hyde bought the land from the teachers and then turned around and sold the land to NARA at a significant profit. Despite the government’s purchase of the land, the new NARA building was never built.
It's not a symbol of slavery - it's a symbol of the bravery of the men who fought to preserve slavery
Battle over Confederate flag hits highways
Yoooge displays along interstates raise old debates over the history of war and slavery.
Despite years of boycotts, schoolyard bans, and banishment from capitol domes, the Southern battle colors are flying, higher than ever.
Indeed, the Tampa Confederate Veterans Memorial and its 139-foot flagpole features one of at least four giant "soldier's flags" flying over bumper-to-bumper interstates in Florida and Alabama. With more planned in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, and possibly South Carolina, the interstate show of force, experts say, highlights the potential backlash from banning nostalgic symbols from the public square.
Unlike the flags that were taken down from the capitol domes in Columbia, S.C. and Tallahassee, Fla., these new auto dealer-sized flags – sewn in China (of course - Ed.) – may be legally untouchable. Raised on private property, the Tampa flag was OK'd by county zoning officials and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Yoooge displays along interstates raise old debates over the history of war and slavery.
Despite years of boycotts, schoolyard bans, and banishment from capitol domes, the Southern battle colors are flying, higher than ever.
Indeed, the Tampa Confederate Veterans Memorial and its 139-foot flagpole features one of at least four giant "soldier's flags" flying over bumper-to-bumper interstates in Florida and Alabama. With more planned in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, and possibly South Carolina, the interstate show of force, experts say, highlights the potential backlash from banning nostalgic symbols from the public square.
Unlike the flags that were taken down from the capitol domes in Columbia, S.C. and Tallahassee, Fla., these new auto dealer-sized flags – sewn in China (of course - Ed.) – may be legally untouchable. Raised on private property, the Tampa flag was OK'd by county zoning officials and the Federal Aviation Administration.
This just in: Jon Voight is profoundly developmentally disabled
Jon Voight's Obama Op-Ed: "[He] Falls Short In Every Way"
The Democratic Party, in its quest for power, has managed a propaganda campaign with subliminal messages, creating a God-like figure in a man who falls short in every way. It seems to me that if Mr. Obama wins the presidential election, then Messrs. Farrakhan, Wright, Ayers and Pfleger will gain power for their need to demoralize this country and help create a socialist America.
Assuming Pfleger et al have a "need to demoralize the country," could the U.S. and A. possibly get much more demoralized than they are already?
The Democratic Party, in its quest for power, has managed a propaganda campaign with subliminal messages, creating a God-like figure in a man who falls short in every way. It seems to me that if Mr. Obama wins the presidential election, then Messrs. Farrakhan, Wright, Ayers and Pfleger will gain power for their need to demoralize this country and help create a socialist America.
Assuming Pfleger et al have a "need to demoralize the country," could the U.S. and A. possibly get much more demoralized than they are already?
Modern Eugenics: how we can cull the herd and save money at the same time
Prescription Data Used To Assess Consumers
Records Aid Insurers but Prompt Privacy Concerns
Health and life insurance companies have access to a powerful new tool for evaluating whether to cover individual consumers: a health "credit report" drawn from databases containing prescription drug records on more than 200 million Americans.
Collecting and analyzing personal health information in commercial databases is a fledgling industry, but one poised to take off as the nation enters the age of electronic medical records. While lawmakers debate how best to oversee the shift to computerized records, some insurers have already begun testing systems that tap into not only prescription drug information, but also data about patients held by clinical and pathological laboratories.
Records Aid Insurers but Prompt Privacy Concerns
Health and life insurance companies have access to a powerful new tool for evaluating whether to cover individual consumers: a health "credit report" drawn from databases containing prescription drug records on more than 200 million Americans.
Collecting and analyzing personal health information in commercial databases is a fledgling industry, but one poised to take off as the nation enters the age of electronic medical records. While lawmakers debate how best to oversee the shift to computerized records, some insurers have already begun testing systems that tap into not only prescription drug information, but also data about patients held by clinical and pathological laboratories.
Another way that we, a grateful Nation, can help our Noble Plutocrats through this difficult time of cheap caviar and less lavish pieds-Ã -terre
Companies Tap Pension Plans To Fund Executive Benefits
Little-Known Move Uses Tax Break Meant For Rank and File
Wall Street Journal, August 4, 2008; Page A1
At a time when scores of companies are freezing pensions for their workers, some are quietly converting their pension plans into resources to finance their executives' retirement benefits and pay.
In recent years, companies from Intel Corp. to CenturyTel Inc. collectively have moved hundreds of millions of dollars of obligations for executive benefits into rank-and-file pension plans. This lets companies capture tax breaks intended for pensions of regular workers and use them to pay for executives' supplemental benefits and compensation.
The practice has drawn scant notice. A close examination by The Wall Street Journal shows how it works and reveals that the maneuver, besides being a dubious use of tax law, risks harming regular workers. It can drain assets from pension plans and make them more likely to fail. Now, with the current bear market in stocks weakening many pension plans, this practice could put more in jeopardy...
Little-Known Move Uses Tax Break Meant For Rank and File
Wall Street Journal, August 4, 2008; Page A1
At a time when scores of companies are freezing pensions for their workers, some are quietly converting their pension plans into resources to finance their executives' retirement benefits and pay.
In recent years, companies from Intel Corp. to CenturyTel Inc. collectively have moved hundreds of millions of dollars of obligations for executive benefits into rank-and-file pension plans. This lets companies capture tax breaks intended for pensions of regular workers and use them to pay for executives' supplemental benefits and compensation.
The practice has drawn scant notice. A close examination by The Wall Street Journal shows how it works and reveals that the maneuver, besides being a dubious use of tax law, risks harming regular workers. It can drain assets from pension plans and make them more likely to fail. Now, with the current bear market in stocks weakening many pension plans, this practice could put more in jeopardy...
Sunday, August 3, 2008
tough times for plutocrats (cont'd)
Rich begin feeling the pain in down economy
They are investing more conservatively, spending less on luxury goods and are being more thrifty with their credit cards. Many are asking their personal shoppers and private-jet travel providers to seek the best deals rather than over-the-top extravagances.
They are investing more conservatively, spending less on luxury goods and are being more thrifty with their credit cards. Many are asking their personal shoppers and private-jet travel providers to seek the best deals rather than over-the-top extravagances.
on the plus side, this is the first person he's hit with a bat all season
Elijah Dukes is day-to-day after his leg cramped up during Saturday's game.
Dukes was benched to start the contest after showing up late, but he entered in the sixth. In the eighth, he managed to hit himself in the leg with the bat while grounding out, causing the cramp.
Dukes was benched to start the contest after showing up late, but he entered in the sixth. In the eighth, he managed to hit himself in the leg with the bat while grounding out, causing the cramp.
Ozzie - the wisdom and panache...continued
Lots of fights but no first place...and maybe Olivo figured, down what - 8, 9 to nothing - you weren't thinking about come-backs so much:
“Olivo overreacted to the situation,” Guillen said. “I wonder why a guy (plate umpire Tim Timmons) thought we were going to hit the guy with the bases loaded with a pitch in on the hands. This is my 20-something year in the big leagues and I still don’t understand what commonsense they have when they make those decisions.
“I’m not going to bring a guy in that throws 85 miles an hour to hit somebody. I guarantee it. I’ll bring (Octavio) Dotel, I’ll bring (Matt) Thornton. Then I will tell them to throw at them. That’s the way I do business.”
“Olivo overreacted to the situation,” Guillen said. “I wonder why a guy (plate umpire Tim Timmons) thought we were going to hit the guy with the bases loaded with a pitch in on the hands. This is my 20-something year in the big leagues and I still don’t understand what commonsense they have when they make those decisions.
“I’m not going to bring a guy in that throws 85 miles an hour to hit somebody. I guarantee it. I’ll bring (Octavio) Dotel, I’ll bring (Matt) Thornton. Then I will tell them to throw at them. That’s the way I do business.”
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Kill again?
Pakistani intelligence say they think al-Qaida explosives expert Abu Khabab al-Masri was among six people killed in Monday's missile strike but apparently they do not have the body.
Al-Masri also was reported killed in the January 2006 strike that targeted al-Zawahri but his body was never found.
Al-Masri also was reported killed in the January 2006 strike that targeted al-Zawahri but his body was never found.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Buck, Mills, Stipe seeking Fung
They need his help to ward off a challenger on the Facebook chartzzz...
Smiff Moving Back to Chi-Town?
Coz, like, his state no longer exists...
Russia wipes California from its map
Thu Jul 31, 12:46 PM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - California will no longer exist on the Russian map.
Russia's north-western region of Nizhny Novgorod has decided to eliminate the tiny village of California due to the lack of inhabitants, Itar-Tass news agency reported on Thursday.
The village was set up in the 19th century by a Russian landowner as a snub to the government for selling Alaska to the United States in 1867, Tass said.
The once vibrant village has been in decline since the Soviet collapse, with the last of its residents leaving in 2000 to seek better lives elsewhere.
It will now officially cease to exist as a geographical unit but it was unclear if its buildings, including a school, would also be destroyed.
Thousands of villages, abandoned by people moving to cities, are scattered across Russia, many in ruins but some frozen in time, their wooden huts unchanged for decades.
(Writing by Maria Golovnina, editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Mary Gabriel)
Russia wipes California from its map
Thu Jul 31, 12:46 PM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - California will no longer exist on the Russian map.
Russia's north-western region of Nizhny Novgorod has decided to eliminate the tiny village of California due to the lack of inhabitants, Itar-Tass news agency reported on Thursday.
The village was set up in the 19th century by a Russian landowner as a snub to the government for selling Alaska to the United States in 1867, Tass said.
The once vibrant village has been in decline since the Soviet collapse, with the last of its residents leaving in 2000 to seek better lives elsewhere.
It will now officially cease to exist as a geographical unit but it was unclear if its buildings, including a school, would also be destroyed.
Thousands of villages, abandoned by people moving to cities, are scattered across Russia, many in ruins but some frozen in time, their wooden huts unchanged for decades.
(Writing by Maria Golovnina, editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Mary Gabriel)
Corms Enters the 21st Century
Corms now has both high speed internet and digital cable at home. He will not be missed.
100 billion Zimbabwe dollars - you can ride the bus
Harare diary: No more trillionaires
Just last week, bus fares changed three times!
We started the week paying Z$50bn, then it was Z$70bn, then Z$100bn.
Help, Legal Expert
FCC formally rules Comcast's throttling of BitTorrent was illegal
Federal regulators voted 3-2 on Friday to declare that Comcast's throttling of BitTorrent traffic last year was unlawful, marking the first time that any U.S. broadband provider has ever been found to violate Net neutrality rules.
Apparently Comcast was mad at all those people who were sharing all those huge music and video files with a million of their closest friends using peer to peer software that can't be shut down as easily as Napster does. These people use way more of the internet than you or I updating this blog, yet they pay the same amount every month. "Excessive", Comcast called it, without defining what that meant. So Comcast had to either put in a whole lot more bandwidth, or make everyone suffer for these "file sharers", who are probably sharing files illegally anyway. They came up with a third option - slow down the file sharers while keeping "regular" traffic untouched. Which, I suppose may be a good way to do it, AS LONG AS YOU TELL US YOU'RE DOING IT BEFORE WE SIGN THE DOTTED LINE!
Net neutrality says that people should be able to use any application over the internet. Which is fine, I agree with that. However, these applications start to cause problems when they use up a whole lot of bandwidth. Because someone is sharing files, viewing videos etc. either my internet slows down or I have to pay more because my ISP has to invest more to increase bandwidth. Is that fair? Well, probably not. But we have the same problem with public goods, like the roads, or public transit, the police - I'm guessing on some of those you come out ahead, on others you don't. Overall you might even out. So I suppose I should be all for paying more if it means that I'll be able to use whatever application or device that may be invented in the future.
So, Comcast was trying to make a particular application unusable, because it (probably) cut into their profits, and so it was found illegal. However...
It (also) is likely to be challenged in court. In 2006, Congress rejected five different bills that would have handed the FCC the power to police Net neutrality violations; the FCC has acknowledged that its own Net neutrality principles "are not enforceable"; the Supreme Court has previously ruled that the FCC has no power to regulate "unless and until Congress confers power upon it."
So they made a ruling, but it is unenforceable. So why make it? How can Comcast violate rules that don't really exist yet?
In the meantime, I believe Comcast is coming up with a limit of traffic every month, above which their users would be charged for excessive traffic. The problem is that in most cases, Comcast is a monopoly. We need competition. We need to start our own ISP. Who's with me?
Federal regulators voted 3-2 on Friday to declare that Comcast's throttling of BitTorrent traffic last year was unlawful, marking the first time that any U.S. broadband provider has ever been found to violate Net neutrality rules.
Apparently Comcast was mad at all those people who were sharing all those huge music and video files with a million of their closest friends using peer to peer software that can't be shut down as easily as Napster does. These people use way more of the internet than you or I updating this blog, yet they pay the same amount every month. "Excessive", Comcast called it, without defining what that meant. So Comcast had to either put in a whole lot more bandwidth, or make everyone suffer for these "file sharers", who are probably sharing files illegally anyway. They came up with a third option - slow down the file sharers while keeping "regular" traffic untouched. Which, I suppose may be a good way to do it, AS LONG AS YOU TELL US YOU'RE DOING IT BEFORE WE SIGN THE DOTTED LINE!
Net neutrality says that people should be able to use any application over the internet. Which is fine, I agree with that. However, these applications start to cause problems when they use up a whole lot of bandwidth. Because someone is sharing files, viewing videos etc. either my internet slows down or I have to pay more because my ISP has to invest more to increase bandwidth. Is that fair? Well, probably not. But we have the same problem with public goods, like the roads, or public transit, the police - I'm guessing on some of those you come out ahead, on others you don't. Overall you might even out. So I suppose I should be all for paying more if it means that I'll be able to use whatever application or device that may be invented in the future.
So, Comcast was trying to make a particular application unusable, because it (probably) cut into their profits, and so it was found illegal. However...
It (also) is likely to be challenged in court. In 2006, Congress rejected five different bills that would have handed the FCC the power to police Net neutrality violations; the FCC has acknowledged that its own Net neutrality principles "are not enforceable"; the Supreme Court has previously ruled that the FCC has no power to regulate "unless and until Congress confers power upon it."
So they made a ruling, but it is unenforceable. So why make it? How can Comcast violate rules that don't really exist yet?
In the meantime, I believe Comcast is coming up with a limit of traffic every month, above which their users would be charged for excessive traffic. The problem is that in most cases, Comcast is a monopoly. We need competition. We need to start our own ISP. Who's with me?
Sumerians: weren't funny
World's oldest joke traced back to 1900 BC
It is a saying of the Sumerians, who lived in what is now southern Iraq and goes: "Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap."
It is a saying of the Sumerians, who lived in what is now southern Iraq and goes: "Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap."
Thursday, July 31, 2008
I guess Manny for Favre fell through
FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports that the Pirates will get Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen from the Red Sox for their part in the Manny Ramirez-Jason Bay deal.
We thought LaRoche would be the one top prospect the Pirates wouldn't focus on, given the presence of Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker as potential long-term third basemen. Instead, he's the one top talent they get. The inclusion of Moss and Hansen when they could have been used in other deals makes this an especially unimpressive deal for Boston. One could argue that Bay is as valuable as Ramirez once defense is taken into account, but there are certainly plenty of AL teams glad that the Red Sox made this trade. Jul. 31 - 4:46 pm et
We thought LaRoche would be the one top prospect the Pirates wouldn't focus on, given the presence of Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker as potential long-term third basemen. Instead, he's the one top talent they get. The inclusion of Moss and Hansen when they could have been used in other deals makes this an especially unimpressive deal for Boston. One could argue that Bay is as valuable as Ramirez once defense is taken into account, but there are certainly plenty of AL teams glad that the Red Sox made this trade. Jul. 31 - 4:46 pm et
what a dirtbag
The President’s policies of spending restraint have held down the growth in spending in the face of significant fiscal pressures on the Government over the past seven and a half years as a result of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the ensuing Global War on Terror, Hurricane Katrina, and increasing entitlement costs. These challenges came on top of significant underfunding in national security, an inherited recession, and an economy built on a high-tech bubble. The President’s tax relief and other pro-growth policies worked to strengthen the economy, and the resulting revenue growth helped drive down the deficit substantially over the last three years...
Despite myriad fiscal pressures, the President is committed to policies that restrain Federal spending and balance the budget by 2012 (by which time it will be somebody else's problem. Suckers! Ed.).
-- Federal budget Mid-Session Review, which (you would never know it from reading this) gives a low-ball estimate (lie) of a record $482 beeelllion deficit for FY09.
Or, to put it another way: "Bush... is determined to insist, on his way out the door, that the tax cuts he once said were required by the surplus he inherited are now required by the deficit he is creating."
Despite myriad fiscal pressures, the President is committed to policies that restrain Federal spending and balance the budget by 2012 (by which time it will be somebody else's problem. Suckers! Ed.).
-- Federal budget Mid-Session Review, which (you would never know it from reading this) gives a low-ball estimate (lie) of a record $482 beeelllion deficit for FY09.
Or, to put it another way: "Bush... is determined to insist, on his way out the door, that the tax cuts he once said were required by the surplus he inherited are now required by the deficit he is creating."
Jim 'Anchovies' Hendry: A great genius? Or, the greatest genius?
Scoring Summary
Top 3rd: Chi Cubs
- J. Edmonds homered to deep right
Top 4th: Chi Cubs
- J. Edmonds homered to deep left, M. DeRosa, A. Ramirez and K. Fukudome scored
Top 3rd: Chi Cubs
- J. Edmonds homered to deep right
Top 4th: Chi Cubs
- J. Edmonds homered to deep left, M. DeRosa, A. Ramirez and K. Fukudome scored
10 years too late
Sports Headline: Ken (it's not iffy if it's) Griffey, Jr acquired by Chicago White Sox, pending all sorts of $#!+ blowing up.
It continues...
3 Cub fans arrested after fight with Brewers supporter
2 accused of attacking Wisconsin man; 3rd man charged with hitting his sister
Tribune staff report
11:05 PM CDT, July 30, 2008
MILWAUKEE — Two Chicago-area men are accused of beating up a suburban Milwaukee man who police say threw a bag of trash at their bus after the Milwaukee Brewers' loss to the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park.
Officers arrested the Cubs fans from Downers Grove, 25 and 26, Tuesday night, officials said.
Police say three men got off the bus after a 24-year-old West Allis man threw a bag of trash.
The third man, 34, from Joliet, also was arrested and received a ticket for assault and battery after he punched his sister as she tried to intervene, police said. He also was cited for resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia, Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne Schwartz said.
Felony charges of substantial battery are pending against the Downers Grove men, she said.
The Brewers fan was cited for disorderly conduct and taken to a local hospital.
Proving, once again, that 100 years of futility makes a team's fans extremely provokable.
2 accused of attacking Wisconsin man; 3rd man charged with hitting his sister
Tribune staff report
11:05 PM CDT, July 30, 2008
MILWAUKEE — Two Chicago-area men are accused of beating up a suburban Milwaukee man who police say threw a bag of trash at their bus after the Milwaukee Brewers' loss to the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park.
Officers arrested the Cubs fans from Downers Grove, 25 and 26, Tuesday night, officials said.
Police say three men got off the bus after a 24-year-old West Allis man threw a bag of trash.
The third man, 34, from Joliet, also was arrested and received a ticket for assault and battery after he punched his sister as she tried to intervene, police said. He also was cited for resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia, Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne Schwartz said.
Felony charges of substantial battery are pending against the Downers Grove men, she said.
The Brewers fan was cited for disorderly conduct and taken to a local hospital.
Proving, once again, that 100 years of futility makes a team's fans extremely provokable.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Damn Libruls
And dat Ron Paul guy - trying to hasten the end times...
Legislators take on pot policy
Look, people, pot is not like alcohol and tobacco. It's way, waaaaay more dangerous. Because then you'll do other illegal drugs. Which are not the legal drugs that American Pharma has for you to take. That's when you're not taking what InBev and SAB Miller and Altria have prepared for over the counter medication. These are dangerous times, my friends. If this goes through, well, I'm not saying the rapture is coming, but I am.
Legislators take on pot policy
Look, people, pot is not like alcohol and tobacco. It's way, waaaaay more dangerous. Because then you'll do other illegal drugs. Which are not the legal drugs that American Pharma has for you to take. That's when you're not taking what InBev and SAB Miller and Altria have prepared for over the counter medication. These are dangerous times, my friends. If this goes through, well, I'm not saying the rapture is coming, but I am.
Funny, I often call Funster, "the beast," as well
Mrs. Martin agreed to be her husband’s levitating guinea pig. Mr. Martin yoked the unit to a pole in the garage so it would lift her without moving around, put a kind of brake at the top of the pole in case the engine was stronger than he thought, and strapped her in. She admits now that, deep down, she was not sure she would take off. At the same time, she was “very scared” of the device she calls “the beast.”
America's struggle to be Number One is paying off!!!
If black America were a country, it would rank 16th in the world in the number of
people living with the AIDS virus, the Black AIDS Institute, an advocacy group, reported Tuesday.
Go America! You can do it! Be Number One! Woof! Woof! Woof!
I'm sure all that abstenence-only sex-ed promoted by W will get us there too!
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Remember Kids, Condoms are for Nerds and only Homosexuals get HIV.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Even Plutocrats are getting out
US time bomb
Even the wealthy hand back negative equity homes
Though banks can repossess and sell the homes of borrowers who stop paying their mortgages, under a legal quirk originating in the Great Depression of the 1930s, banks cannot easily pursue borrowers for any balance outstanding on the main mortgage on their homes.
Consequently, by walking away from her apartment, Ms Trainer has also walked away from the $200,000 loss on her property.
Her bank gets stuck with that.
Ms Trainer says she feels no moral obligation to go on paying a loan on a property that is going to go on losing her money. She says her friends support her decision.
With this kind of talk, let's see if we'll still have banks by the end of the year...
Incidentally, this may be a fad I should see into taking up. Just walk away and let the bank eat the loss? Stick it to them banks. That made it possible to buy my apartment. And it's furnishings. And a whole buncha crap before that.
It's the banks fault we're in this situation anyway, isn't it? They're the ones who lent any amount to anyone with a pulse. Then they conned other people into buying our mortgages to make a quick buck. They're the ones that should suffer. And it's not as if it's all roses if I walk away - my credit will be ruined for years. Which means I should be able to buy another house in about 6 months.
Even the wealthy hand back negative equity homes
Though banks can repossess and sell the homes of borrowers who stop paying their mortgages, under a legal quirk originating in the Great Depression of the 1930s, banks cannot easily pursue borrowers for any balance outstanding on the main mortgage on their homes.
Consequently, by walking away from her apartment, Ms Trainer has also walked away from the $200,000 loss on her property.
Her bank gets stuck with that.
Ms Trainer says she feels no moral obligation to go on paying a loan on a property that is going to go on losing her money. She says her friends support her decision.
With this kind of talk, let's see if we'll still have banks by the end of the year...
Incidentally, this may be a fad I should see into taking up. Just walk away and let the bank eat the loss? Stick it to them banks. That made it possible to buy my apartment. And it's furnishings. And a whole buncha crap before that.
It's the banks fault we're in this situation anyway, isn't it? They're the ones who lent any amount to anyone with a pulse. Then they conned other people into buying our mortgages to make a quick buck. They're the ones that should suffer. And it's not as if it's all roses if I walk away - my credit will be ruined for years. Which means I should be able to buy another house in about 6 months.
KO yammering on about BushCo again...
Republicans have taken Nixon's disgraced tactics and approach to presidential power as their starting point. They have learned that if caught, deny it. If that doesn't work, ignore the fact you have been caught and just keep doing it, and claim you have the inherent power to do so. They can get away with it because right-wing talk radio and Fox Cable News have become the cheering section that did not exist during Watergate. As for oversight, during the first six years of the Bush/Cheney administration, the GOP-controlled Congress could not even spell the word "oversight." Only now are we approaching real tests of whether the Democratic Congress will go the distance to get the information they are entitled to have.
Then again, what would you expect from... wait... that was John Dean who said that. Sorry.
Then again, what would you expect from... wait... that was John Dean who said that. Sorry.
Cubs fans can't use words
So they use fists instead...
Cubs fans accused of beating White Sox fan
The Associated Press
8:31 PM CDT, July 28, 2008
HUNTLEY, Ill. - McHenry County authorities say three Chicago Cubs fans face felony battery charges after allegedly beating a Chicago White Sox fan so badly he lost his right eye.
The men are accused of beating 32-year-old Robert Steele of Gurnee during a 2-year-old girl's Sesame Street-themed birthday party.
Police said Monday the men were drinking alcohol at the July 19th party and taunting Steele.
They say Steele was kicked in the head and his nose was broken. He stayed several days at an Elgin hospital.
Thirty-one-year-old Jaroslaw Czapla, 37-year-old Boguslaw Czapla and 33-year-old Maciej Trojnar face mob action and aggravated battery charges.
Jaroslaw Czapla's number is unlisted. There were no listings for Boguslaw Czapla or Trojnar.
Cubs fans accused of beating White Sox fan
The Associated Press
8:31 PM CDT, July 28, 2008
HUNTLEY, Ill. - McHenry County authorities say three Chicago Cubs fans face felony battery charges after allegedly beating a Chicago White Sox fan so badly he lost his right eye.
The men are accused of beating 32-year-old Robert Steele of Gurnee during a 2-year-old girl's Sesame Street-themed birthday party.
Police said Monday the men were drinking alcohol at the July 19th party and taunting Steele.
They say Steele was kicked in the head and his nose was broken. He stayed several days at an Elgin hospital.
Thirty-one-year-old Jaroslaw Czapla, 37-year-old Boguslaw Czapla and 33-year-old Maciej Trojnar face mob action and aggravated battery charges.
Jaroslaw Czapla's number is unlisted. There were no listings for Boguslaw Czapla or Trojnar.
Sarge off the hook
As is Corms, who is (was) on a double digit losing streak...
Scrabulous is disabled for US and Canadian users until further notice. If you would like to stay informed about developments in this matter, please click here.
Hopefully plans to move to New Zealand are at an advanced stage...
Scrabulous is disabled for US and Canadian users until further notice. If you would like to stay informed about developments in this matter, please click here.
Hopefully plans to move to New Zealand are at an advanced stage...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Google This
So, I googled Fungster, just to see what would come up. Apparently, there are other Fungsters out there. I always suspected there were, since I couldn't get fungster @ aol or yahoo and in some other instances, though sometimes I thought I'd signed up for something and then had forgottend the password or canceled it and that's why it was unavailable. But there were quite a few as it turned out. So much for thinking I'm unique...
I fell asleep in the middle of posting this
On the other hand, for fans of yellow cards, there were fireworks aplenty.
Final
Chicago 0
Kansas City 0
Substitutions
CHICAGO SUBSTITUTION: Patrick Nyarko for Tomasz Frankowski in the 62nd minute
CHICAGO SUBSTITUTION: Stephen King for Chris Rolfe in the 77th minute
KANSAS CITY SUBSTITUTION: Nelson Pizarro for Aaron Hohlbein in the 80th minute
KANSAS CITY SUBSTITUTION: Ryan Pore for Josh Wolff in the 84th minute
KANSAS CITY SUBSTITUTION: Ivan Trujillo for Claudio Lopez in the 84th minute
CHICAGO SUBSTITUTION: Daniel Woolard for Gonzalo Segares in the 89th minute
Yellow Cards
CHICAGO CAUTION: Bakary Soumare in the 21st minute
CHICAGO CAUTION: Diego Gutierrez in the 55th minute
CHICAGO CAUTION: Cuauhtemoc Blanco in the 57th minute
KANSAS CITY CAUTION: Roger Espinoza in the 59th minute
Final
Chicago 0
Kansas City 0
Substitutions
CHICAGO SUBSTITUTION: Patrick Nyarko for Tomasz Frankowski in the 62nd minute
CHICAGO SUBSTITUTION: Stephen King for Chris Rolfe in the 77th minute
KANSAS CITY SUBSTITUTION: Nelson Pizarro for Aaron Hohlbein in the 80th minute
KANSAS CITY SUBSTITUTION: Ryan Pore for Josh Wolff in the 84th minute
KANSAS CITY SUBSTITUTION: Ivan Trujillo for Claudio Lopez in the 84th minute
CHICAGO SUBSTITUTION: Daniel Woolard for Gonzalo Segares in the 89th minute
Yellow Cards
CHICAGO CAUTION: Bakary Soumare in the 21st minute
CHICAGO CAUTION: Diego Gutierrez in the 55th minute
CHICAGO CAUTION: Cuauhtemoc Blanco in the 57th minute
KANSAS CITY CAUTION: Roger Espinoza in the 59th minute
Christian cronyism (cont'd)
Justice Officials Repeatedly Broke Law on Hiring, Report Says (Irony Not Intended)
Former Justice Department counselor Monica M. Goodling and former chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson routinely broke the law by conducting political litmus tests on candidates for jobs as immigration judges and line prosecutors, according to an inspector general's report released today.
Goodling passed over hundreds of qualified applicants and squashed the promotions of others after deeming candidates insufficiently loyal to the Republican party, said investigators, who interviewed 85 people and received information from 300 other job seekers at Justice. Sampson developed a system to screen immigration judge candidates based on improper political considerations and routinely took recommendations from the White House Office of Political Affairs and Presidential Personnel, the report said.
Goodling regularly asked candidates for career jobs, "What is it about George W. Bush that makes you want to serve him?" the report said. (Great rezziDUNCE? Or, the greatest rezziDUNCE? Where do you see George Bush in five years? If you could be any kind of sycophant, which kind would you be? Ed.) One former Justice Department official told investigators she had complained that Goodling was asking interviewees for their views on abortion, according to the report.
Here's annudder shocker: Goodling is part of the Regent University army in the Bush White House.
According to Regent University, more than 150 of its graduates have been hired by the federal government since George W. Bush came to office in 2001.
-- The Wikipedia
Motto: "Christian Leadership to Change the World." Yes.
Scary $#!+
Angelo: It came down to Berrian or Briggs (Yahoo! Sports)
Really? A great defender (and member of the LoC, well, sort of) or an average receiver? This scares me, only less so because we kept the right guy. Until he crashes his brand new car into an underpass on the Edens, that is.
Really? A great defender (and member of the LoC, well, sort of) or an average receiver? This scares me, only less so because we kept the right guy. Until he crashes his brand new car into an underpass on the Edens, that is.
If only I had chosen to use my awesome powers for good instead of evil...
News item: Manager Jim Riggleman noted that Erik Bedard still isn't to the point where he can throw, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Riggleman added that it is going to take time, and is unsure when it is going to be.
rich phokks in the news (cont'd)
More class war yammering on from the commies who publish The Nation.
...the holders of great wealth — especially if they are organized into a political lobby of similar holders of great wealth — can buy not only more goods, more capital, and more people. They can also buy (through the vehicle of campaign contributions) more important people: politicians and other public officials and therefore public policies.
Some of these bought policies may be for the purpose of making the rich even richer, most obviously the current regressive tax policies of the Bush administration. The wealth of the very rich is never the product of free enterprise and the free market alone but comes by operating within and exploiting a network of government supports, such as licenses, regulations, subsidies, and contracts. It is the product of a sort of giveaway. Consequently, to reduce the taxes on wealth (estate taxes) or on the income from wealth (capital-gains taxes), when that wealth has been acquired with one or another kind of government support, is in effect to give the wealth holder an additional give-away...
Having even more wealth than they had before, the very rich can thus buy even more government supports and giveaways and acquire even more wealth, enabling them to buy even more government supports and giveaways. And so on. The result of great wealth buying public policies is a positive feedback loop, or perhaps a vicious cycle, which transfers ever greater wealth and power to the very rich and away from everyone else.
Then again, what would you expect from... wait... that article appeared in The American Conservative. Sorry.
Friday, July 25, 2008
This is silly - silly, silly, silly, silly, SILLY!
California bans restaurants from using trans fats
Fri Jul 25, 4:26 PM ET
California is joining the health crusade against artery-clogging trans fats. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Friday that will prohibit restaurants and other "food facilities" from using oil, margarine and shortening containing trans fats. Violations could result in fines of $25 to $1,000. Food sold in their manufacturers' sealed packaging would be exempt. New York City and Philadelphia have ordinances banning trans fats, but Schwarzenegger's office says California is the first state to adopt such a law.
However, this is not:
Stop Arnold: Sign the petition to protect 200,000 state workers
Tell Governor Schwarzenegger to halt the wage cuts and close the Yacht Tax loophole
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just announced that he will sign an Executive Order on Monday slashing the wages of over 200,000 state employees to the bare minimum. Not California's minimum wage of $8 per hour. The federal minimum wage of $6.55. Six dollars and fifty-five cents an hour. Imagine trying to pay your bills on $6.55 an hour, or buy liquor. Now imagine what will happen to thousands of vital service workers forced to live on poverty-level wages, or buy liquor. A nauseating irony: many state employees may need to seek aid from the very state services that employ them. This is absolutely outrageous. And the only way we can stop Arnold is by raising our voices as loud as possible in protest before 9 a.m. on Monday. Please sign our petition to Governor Schwarzenegger. On Monday morning, we'll deliver thousands of your signatures to the Governor's office...
Fri Jul 25, 4:26 PM ET
California is joining the health crusade against artery-clogging trans fats. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Friday that will prohibit restaurants and other "food facilities" from using oil, margarine and shortening containing trans fats. Violations could result in fines of $25 to $1,000. Food sold in their manufacturers' sealed packaging would be exempt. New York City and Philadelphia have ordinances banning trans fats, but Schwarzenegger's office says California is the first state to adopt such a law.
However, this is not:
Stop Arnold: Sign the petition to protect 200,000 state workers
Tell Governor Schwarzenegger to halt the wage cuts and close the Yacht Tax loophole
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just announced that he will sign an Executive Order on Monday slashing the wages of over 200,000 state employees to the bare minimum. Not California's minimum wage of $8 per hour. The federal minimum wage of $6.55. Six dollars and fifty-five cents an hour. Imagine trying to pay your bills on $6.55 an hour, or buy liquor. Now imagine what will happen to thousands of vital service workers forced to live on poverty-level wages, or buy liquor. A nauseating irony: many state employees may need to seek aid from the very state services that employ them. This is absolutely outrageous. And the only way we can stop Arnold is by raising our voices as loud as possible in protest before 9 a.m. on Monday. Please sign our petition to Governor Schwarzenegger. On Monday morning, we'll deliver thousands of your signatures to the Governor's office...
LoC Top 40 - An Occasional Survey (cont'd)
1. stooooooopid (139)
2. FULLA$#i+ (115)
3. Bushian (99)
4. totally phokked (93)
5. that's so America (88)
6. we are living in a golden age (cont'd) (87)
7. SHOCKING (79)
8. bad ideas (77)
8. expect delays (77)
10. s#i+ blowing up (68)
11. whitey keeping darky down (cont) (65)
12. he SUCKS (60)
13. brain-dead managers (58)
14. weather (whining about) (56)
15. Idiocracy (54)
16. brain-dead GMs (53)
16. move along - nothing to see here (53)
18. moron (50)
19. adventures in plutocracy (48)
20. Cub (that is so) (47)
20. Dumbya (47)
20. rezzziDUNCE (47)
23. brain-dead Americans (46)
23. offered without comment (46)
23. they SUCK (46)
26. s#i+ for brainz (43)
27. America-hating "Americans" hating America (42)
27. how does k-mad do it (cont'd)? (42)
29. Da City Dat Works (40)
29. fightin' phils (40)
31. Dick "Dick" (Dick) Dick Cheney (39)
32. End Times (will they hurry up already?) (38)
32. improbable things (38)
32. zzzzzzzzzz........... (38)
35. America: bacon to the world... mmmm bacon... (36)
35. McCain: unhinged (36)
37. Ozzie Guillen (35)
37. World's Awfulest "Newspaper" (tie) (35)
39. ASSHOLE (34)
39. HOLY PHOKKING S#I+ WE'RE SO PHOKKED (34)
39. Internets (34)
39. the end times? (34)
2. FULLA$#i+ (115)
3. Bushian (99)
4. totally phokked (93)
5. that's so America (88)
6. we are living in a golden age (cont'd) (87)
7. SHOCKING (79)
8. bad ideas (77)
8. expect delays (77)
10. s#i+ blowing up (68)
11. whitey keeping darky down (cont) (65)
12. he SUCKS (60)
13. brain-dead managers (58)
14. weather (whining about) (56)
15. Idiocracy (54)
16. brain-dead GMs (53)
16. move along - nothing to see here (53)
18. moron (50)
19. adventures in plutocracy (48)
20. Cub (that is so) (47)
20. Dumbya (47)
20. rezzziDUNCE (47)
23. brain-dead Americans (46)
23. offered without comment (46)
23. they SUCK (46)
26. s#i+ for brainz (43)
27. America-hating "Americans" hating America (42)
27. how does k-mad do it (cont'd)? (42)
29. Da City Dat Works (40)
29. fightin' phils (40)
31. Dick "Dick" (Dick) Dick Cheney (39)
32. End Times (will they hurry up already?) (38)
32. improbable things (38)
32. zzzzzzzzzz........... (38)
35. America: bacon to the world... mmmm bacon... (36)
35. McCain: unhinged (36)
37. Ozzie Guillen (35)
37. World's Awfulest "Newspaper" (tie) (35)
39. ASSHOLE (34)
39. HOLY PHOKKING S#I+ WE'RE SO PHOKKED (34)
39. Internets (34)
39. the end times? (34)
LoC editor writes a message for McCranky on the bathroom wall
And the message is, go phokk yourself...
Obama set the tone early on the trip, stepping on a basketball court before a cheering crowd of U.S. troops and calmly nailing a 3-point shot.
'BAD WEEK' FOR REPUBLICANS
"As soon as he hit that 3-pointer, I knew it was going to be a bad week," Republican consultant Joe Gaylord said... (Suck on it... Ed.)
But McCain's aides fumed at the heavy media attention on Obama and struggled to compete. Weather scuttled McCain's plan to fly to an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico to highlight his drilling proposals, and one cable network cut away from his New Hampshire town hall to report the rescue of an injured bear cub in California. (Funny! Ed.)
Obama set the tone early on the trip, stepping on a basketball court before a cheering crowd of U.S. troops and calmly nailing a 3-point shot.
'BAD WEEK' FOR REPUBLICANS
"As soon as he hit that 3-pointer, I knew it was going to be a bad week," Republican consultant Joe Gaylord said... (Suck on it... Ed.)
But McCain's aides fumed at the heavy media attention on Obama and struggled to compete. Weather scuttled McCain's plan to fly to an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico to highlight his drilling proposals, and one cable network cut away from his New Hampshire town hall to report the rescue of an injured bear cub in California. (Funny! Ed.)
Fixin' up Corporal's Ole Ride
In the old spirit of LoC - some interpersonal news. Corporal's old ride is having the hood buffed to try and remove the offending splotch, the leather treated, the interior detailed, and fresh pinstriping put on the front fenders today. A Nakamichi stereo is on the way, with a nice OEM look. I'm going to have the thing pimpin' Alex P. Keaton style in no time. Maybe change the plates to INVS HND? LSZ FRE? VD ECON? LFR CRV?
They sure grow up fast, don't they?
Julio Castillo -S- Cubs
Low Single-A Peoria's Julio Castillo was arrested on felony assault charges after throwing a baseball into the stands and sending a fan to the hospital on Thursday. Castillo was one of 15 or 17 players (depending on the report) ejected in a game against Dayton that included two beanings and a broken leg sustained by the fielder on a hard slide into second. With the managers already arguing, Castillo got the brawl started by firing a ball towards the Dayton dugout, apparently with the intention of drilling a player, not a fan. The 20-year-old Dominican is expected to be arraigned on Friday. It seems highly unlikely that he'll be back on a minor league mound this season, and if he's convicted of a felony, he'll probably have his visa revoked. To top it off, we imagine he's going to face a lawsuit as well.
~
Low Single-A Peoria's Julio Castillo was arrested on felony assault charges after throwing a baseball into the stands and sending a fan to the hospital on Thursday. Castillo was one of 15 or 17 players (depending on the report) ejected in a game against Dayton that included two beanings and a broken leg sustained by the fielder on a hard slide into second. With the managers already arguing, Castillo got the brawl started by firing a ball towards the Dayton dugout, apparently with the intention of drilling a player, not a fan. The 20-year-old Dominican is expected to be arraigned on Friday. It seems highly unlikely that he'll be back on a minor league mound this season, and if he's convicted of a felony, he'll probably have his visa revoked. To top it off, we imagine he's going to face a lawsuit as well.
~
Hey! Who you callin' "dingy?"
Is TPM dissing LoC?
"First it's a bunch of nobodies with dingy websites doing the equivalent of writing profanity on bathroom walls..."
"First it's a bunch of nobodies with dingy websites doing the equivalent of writing profanity on bathroom walls..."
Coming to the NFL?
Yahoo excitedly reported on the A-11 offense being run by high school teams.
*
The base offense is one in which a center and two tight ends surround the football, three receivers are split right, three more split left and two quarterbacks stand behind in a shotgun, one of whom has to be at least 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
*
An NFL coach, who identified himself only as Lovie S. has apparently contacted Steve Humphries, creator of the formation, about whether it can be modified to operate without quarterbacks or wide-receivers.
Our long international nightmare is almost over
Arctic may hold as much as a fifth of undiscovered oil and gas reserves
The race for petroleum resources above the Arctic Circle is likely to speed up in coming years, as the polar ice cap melts and access to oil and gas reserves in many other places around the world becomes more challenging.
The lure of the Arctic as oil's next big frontier was vindicated this week as a major geological survey found the region might hold as much as a fifth of the world's yet to-be-discovered oil and natural gas reserves.
Many of these new resources, according to the survey, are to be found in Russia. If true, that would cement Russia's position as one of the world's dominant energy players, particularly for natural gas, and increase its already powerful clout over Europe's energy supplies.
As the melting polar caps open up prospects that were once considered too harsh to explore, a race has begun among countries including the United States, Russia and Canada for control of these Arctic resources. The findings by the United States Geological Survey, which constitute the largest-ever survey of petroleum resources north of the Arctic Circle, could accelerate this scramble.
The race for petroleum resources above the Arctic Circle is likely to speed up in coming years, as the polar ice cap melts and access to oil and gas reserves in many other places around the world becomes more challenging.
The lure of the Arctic as oil's next big frontier was vindicated this week as a major geological survey found the region might hold as much as a fifth of the world's yet to-be-discovered oil and natural gas reserves.
Many of these new resources, according to the survey, are to be found in Russia. If true, that would cement Russia's position as one of the world's dominant energy players, particularly for natural gas, and increase its already powerful clout over Europe's energy supplies.
As the melting polar caps open up prospects that were once considered too harsh to explore, a race has begun among countries including the United States, Russia and Canada for control of these Arctic resources. The findings by the United States Geological Survey, which constitute the largest-ever survey of petroleum resources north of the Arctic Circle, could accelerate this scramble.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The next wave in advertising
Ok, so I was on the facebooks, playing that one game I play quite often (Sarge, really, this is ridiculous - you have until next monday, udderwise it's going as a loss). Anyway, this game has ads in it, and for one of the ads, they took a picture of one of my "friends" and her name and put it into the ad. I think it was for some sort of movie or something. Then later, I think it was a variation on the message, but this time they used another friend. Now, I don't know if buried in the usage agreement we never read before we signed up there's a paragraph saying "oh yeah, advertisers can use your face and name to advertise to your friends without you knowing and without you getting anything out of it" but if there is I'd be mighty miffed. Here's annudder thing. I have my year of birth blocked, though of course da lords at Facebook know what it is. However, there's annudder ad dat comes up that refers to how old I am. So maybe it's an automated thing and the advertisers actually can't see how old I am, but again dis is a little frightening. I may have to do a bit more digging into this one...
McCain - following in the Spades Marathon footsteps...
McCain Plays Catch-Up: Attends German Restaurant In German Village, Ohio
July 24, 2008 12:09 PM
John McCain is still playing catch up to Barack Obama.
As the Illinois Democrat speaks before the picturesque Victory Column in Berlin today, the Arizona Republican is doing a slightly less exciting form of German outreach. He is having a lunch meeting with small business leaders at a German restaurant in German Village, Columbus, Ohio.
The presidential race, it seems has boiled down to who has the greatest German appeal. McCain's appearance at Schmidts' restaurant, a "Sausage Haus" comes after the RNC launched several advertisements in towns named Berlin.
Among the items he may have ordered include: Sauerkraut-Bratwurst Balls, Hoffbrau Schnitzel, or the Bratwurst, voted the "Best Wurst" by Columbus Monthly.
Fung and Adam have their picture taken with their faces in those things - they look at each other with love! Sadly - the pictures are on another computer right now...I'll tell you what - win or lose - McCain's in for a NICE lunch. I hope he throws up on some autoship dealer from Zanesville. Meanwhile, this strategy seems to be working as he starts making a dent in the battleground ("we only watch O'Reilly when our shows aren't on") states
July 24, 2008 12:09 PM
John McCain is still playing catch up to Barack Obama.
As the Illinois Democrat speaks before the picturesque Victory Column in Berlin today, the Arizona Republican is doing a slightly less exciting form of German outreach. He is having a lunch meeting with small business leaders at a German restaurant in German Village, Columbus, Ohio.
The presidential race, it seems has boiled down to who has the greatest German appeal. McCain's appearance at Schmidts' restaurant, a "Sausage Haus" comes after the RNC launched several advertisements in towns named Berlin.
Among the items he may have ordered include: Sauerkraut-Bratwurst Balls, Hoffbrau Schnitzel, or the Bratwurst, voted the "Best Wurst" by Columbus Monthly.
Fung and Adam have their picture taken with their faces in those things - they look at each other with love! Sadly - the pictures are on another computer right now...I'll tell you what - win or lose - McCain's in for a NICE lunch. I hope he throws up on some autoship dealer from Zanesville. Meanwhile, this strategy seems to be working as he starts making a dent in the battleground ("we only watch O'Reilly when our shows aren't on") states
Some Lite Reading
Rating Ozzie's most memorable blowups
If you're gonna make this list, may as well include the swears...
If you're gonna make this list, may as well include the swears...
A plan to kill endangered animals and help starving refugees - why is that a problem?
"Regarding the Congressman's desire to hunt wildebeest and distribute the cured meat to refugees, wildebeest are not present in Chad." (Damn! If it's not one thing it's another... Ed.)
Good Morning!
McCain Makes Significant Gains in Four Key Battleground States
Majority of Voters in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin Favor Keeping Troops in Iraq, According to Quinnipiac-washingtonpost.com-Wall Street Journal Survey
Republican John McCain has quickly closed the gap between himself and Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama in several key battleground states even as the Arizona senator struggles to break through the wall-to-wall coverage of Obama's trip to Europe and the Middle East this week.
Majority of Voters in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin Favor Keeping Troops in Iraq, According to Quinnipiac-washingtonpost.com-Wall Street Journal Survey
Republican John McCain has quickly closed the gap between himself and Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama in several key battleground states even as the Arizona senator struggles to break through the wall-to-wall coverage of Obama's trip to Europe and the Middle East this week.
Moral: Don't Phokk Wiff Da K-Mad
Pedro Martinez won't start Friday as expected after learning of the death of his father following Wednesday's game.
~
~
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The brain-dead troglodyte is back...
...Yes, The Awful Brett Myers!!! I see that he STILL SUCKS! Though i suppose the good news here is that he not only didn't serve up a grand slam, but allowed no homers at all. So take dat, HATERS (myself). Still, i hate the man. HATE.
Bottom 1st: NY Mets
- J. Reyes grounded out to second
- E. Chavez walked
- D. Wright walked, E. Chavez to second
- C. Delgado walked, E. Chavez to third, D. Wright to second
- C. Beltran walked, E. Chavez scored, D. Wright to third, C. Delgado to second
- M. Anderson grounded out to second, D. Wright scored, C. Delgado to third, C. Beltran to second
- D. Easley grounded out to third
2 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors
Philadelphia 0, NY Mets 2
~
Bottom 1st: NY Mets
- J. Reyes grounded out to second
- E. Chavez walked
- D. Wright walked, E. Chavez to second
- C. Delgado walked, E. Chavez to third, D. Wright to second
- C. Beltran walked, E. Chavez scored, D. Wright to third, C. Delgado to second
- M. Anderson grounded out to second, D. Wright scored, C. Delgado to third, C. Beltran to second
- D. Easley grounded out to third
2 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors
Philadelphia 0, NY Mets 2
~
Euroleague stats will not count in PARCers '08-'09
...much to the chagrin of Sarge.
Ex-Hawk Childress signs with Greek club team
ESPN.com news services
Updated: July 23, 2008, 5:54 PM ET
Josh Childress is leaving the Atlanta Hawks for Greek club Olympiakos, reversing the course of the many international stars who have signed with the NBA.
Heading overseas allows Childress to make more money than he could have as a restricted free agent in the United States. The Hawks had the right to match an offer from another NBA team, but not from an international club.
Ex-Hawk Childress signs with Greek club team
ESPN.com news services
Updated: July 23, 2008, 5:54 PM ET
Josh Childress is leaving the Atlanta Hawks for Greek club Olympiakos, reversing the course of the many international stars who have signed with the NBA.
Heading overseas allows Childress to make more money than he could have as a restricted free agent in the United States. The Hawks had the right to match an offer from another NBA team, but not from an international club.
McDonald's - wid da Red Chinese
From Crain's, July 23:
Ads airing on Chinese TV depict Chinese athletes chowing down on Big Macs and the like, amid catchy music and the tag line, “I’m lovin’ it when China wins.”
In addition to the “Cheer for China” TV spot, the firm in April flew to Beijing the one and only Ronald McDonald, McDonald's Corp.'s “chief happiness officer,” as a press release puts it.
Mr. McDonald met with the five winners of a nationwide talent search “to find unique individuals to cheer for Chinese athletes during the Olympic Games period,” the press release says. More than 1 million people reportedly competed for the honor.
The release adds that Ronald McDonald and the five cheerers “danced steps in time with McDonald’s Shake Shake Fries rattles and special McDonald’s Cheering Cups to add to the excitement of the program. From today, McDonald’s is also extending the ‘I’m lovin’ China Win’ cheer and dance to employees at its restaurants as a customer greeting.”
Ads airing on Chinese TV depict Chinese athletes chowing down on Big Macs and the like, amid catchy music and the tag line, “I’m lovin’ it when China wins.”
In addition to the “Cheer for China” TV spot, the firm in April flew to Beijing the one and only Ronald McDonald, McDonald's Corp.'s “chief happiness officer,” as a press release puts it.
Mr. McDonald met with the five winners of a nationwide talent search “to find unique individuals to cheer for Chinese athletes during the Olympic Games period,” the press release says. More than 1 million people reportedly competed for the honor.
The release adds that Ronald McDonald and the five cheerers “danced steps in time with McDonald’s Shake Shake Fries rattles and special McDonald’s Cheering Cups to add to the excitement of the program. From today, McDonald’s is also extending the ‘I’m lovin’ China Win’ cheer and dance to employees at its restaurants as a customer greeting.”
improbable developments in plutocracy (cont'd)
News item: Auditors at an oversight agency of the Pentagon were pressured by supervisors to skew their reports on a major defense contractor's work, hiding wrongdoing and charges of overbilling, according to an 80-page report from the Government Accountability Office.
Meanwhile, on the RezziDunce farewell tour...
'Wall Street got drunk' says Bush
Weren't you the one pushing home ownership? Now the banks & everyone else "went too far"? And where were you when they were going too far, sir?
Weren't you the one pushing home ownership? Now the banks & everyone else "went too far"? And where were you when they were going too far, sir?
Did Dumbya find a magic wand??
McCain credits Bush for recent $10-a-barrel drop in oil price
Fair enough--along as we can blame him for the $100 increase since he took office...
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Fair enough--along as we can blame him for the $100 increase since he took office...
~
Asshole Who Doesn't Know A Lot of Things
Novak hits pedestrian with car
Posted: 12:05 PM ET
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Journalist Robert Novak hit a pedestrian with his car in the nation's capital Wednesday morning, Washington police Lt. Michael Lockerman said.
Novak continued driving, unaware he had hit the man, he told reporters for WJLA-TV and the Web site Politico as he got out of a police car.
"I didn't know I hit anybody," he said near the scene of the incident at 17th and K streets in northwest Washington. "A bicycle rider stopped me and said I had hit someone."
Posted: 12:05 PM ET
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Journalist Robert Novak hit a pedestrian with his car in the nation's capital Wednesday morning, Washington police Lt. Michael Lockerman said.
Novak continued driving, unaware he had hit the man, he told reporters for WJLA-TV and the Web site Politico as he got out of a police car.
"I didn't know I hit anybody," he said near the scene of the incident at 17th and K streets in northwest Washington. "A bicycle rider stopped me and said I had hit someone."
the suspense is killing Fungster
Apple hints at something new
... there is some speculation that it may introduce a new kind of device that is smaller than a laptop but larger than an iPhone. (A sammich? Ed.)
... there is some speculation that it may introduce a new kind of device that is smaller than a laptop but larger than an iPhone. (A sammich? Ed.)
Grandpa Fights Back
For the first time since shortly after clinching the Democratic nomination, we now have Barack Obama as less than a 60 percent favorite to win the election. Our simulations presently project Obama to win the election 58.4 percent of the time, with McCain winning the remaining 41.6 percent.
troops? we don't need no stinkin troops
News item: Since 1994, 12,342 service men and women have been discharged, according to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a gay rights group.
rebuttal
The fist bump should have missed - woulda been funnier. Also, there should be clear evidence of an adult diaper.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Things That Suck: The New York Mets (cont'd)
Top 9th: Philadelphia
- D. Sanchez relieved J. Santana
- J. Werth singled to center
- G. Dobbs hit for P. Feliz
- G. Dobbs singled to center, J. Werth to second
- S. Victorino singled to center, J. Werth to third, G. Dobbs to second
- J. Smith relieved D. Sanchez
- C. Ruiz reached on fielder's choice, J. Werth scored, G. Dobbs to third, S. Victorino to second
- G. Jenkins hit for C. Durbin
- P. Feliciano relieved J. Smith
- S. Taguchi hit for G. Jenkins
- S. Taguchi doubled to deep right, S. Victorino and G. Dobbs scored, C. Ruiz to third
- J. Rollins doubled to left, S. Taguchi and C. Ruiz scored
- C. Utley grounded out to first, J. Rollins to third
- P. Burrell intentionally walked
- R. Howard grounded out to pitcher, J. Rollins scored, P. Burrell to second
- A. Heilman relieved P. Feliciano
- J. Werth walked
- G. Dobbs popped out to shortstop
6 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors
Philadelphia 8, NY Mets 5
- D. Sanchez relieved J. Santana
- J. Werth singled to center
- G. Dobbs hit for P. Feliz
- G. Dobbs singled to center, J. Werth to second
- S. Victorino singled to center, J. Werth to third, G. Dobbs to second
- J. Smith relieved D. Sanchez
- C. Ruiz reached on fielder's choice, J. Werth scored, G. Dobbs to third, S. Victorino to second
- G. Jenkins hit for C. Durbin
- P. Feliciano relieved J. Smith
- S. Taguchi hit for G. Jenkins
- S. Taguchi doubled to deep right, S. Victorino and G. Dobbs scored, C. Ruiz to third
- J. Rollins doubled to left, S. Taguchi and C. Ruiz scored
- C. Utley grounded out to first, J. Rollins to third
- P. Burrell intentionally walked
- R. Howard grounded out to pitcher, J. Rollins scored, P. Burrell to second
- A. Heilman relieved P. Feliciano
- J. Werth walked
- G. Dobbs popped out to shortstop
6 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors
Philadelphia 8, NY Mets 5
~
typical climate change nutjob
Climate protester tries to glue himself to Brown
LONDON (AFP) - A climate change protester unsuccessfully tried to superglue himself to Prime Minister Gordon Brown at an event in the leader's residence, a government spokesman said Tuesday.
LONDON (AFP) - A climate change protester unsuccessfully tried to superglue himself to Prime Minister Gordon Brown at an event in the leader's residence, a government spokesman said Tuesday.
Ed Wade: Get a Brain Morans
Astros acquired LHP Randy Wolf from the Padres for RHP Chad Reineke. Wolf will take Roy Oswalt's rotation spot now and maybe Runelvys Hernandez's later. He was 6-10 with a 4.74 ERA for the Padres and 1-6 with a 6.63 ERA away from Petco Park. It's doubtful that he'll be an asset in Houston, and any fantasy value he still had is now gone.
Does Ed Wade honestly think the Asstros are a playoff calibre team? 5th in the division...10 games out of the wild card...seven teams ahead of them for the wild card. Hell, the Padres probably have a better chance of winning the NL West, given the awfulness of that division. And certainly, even if Houston was "a player away," hard to see how Randy Wolf fits that description. Maybe you should have gone for Rich Harden, Ed. Though, of course, Houston's minor league system is a virtual dustbowl of a talent: vast rigor mortis at every level. What a maroon.
~
Does Ed Wade honestly think the Asstros are a playoff calibre team? 5th in the division...10 games out of the wild card...seven teams ahead of them for the wild card. Hell, the Padres probably have a better chance of winning the NL West, given the awfulness of that division. And certainly, even if Houston was "a player away," hard to see how Randy Wolf fits that description. Maybe you should have gone for Rich Harden, Ed. Though, of course, Houston's minor league system is a virtual dustbowl of a talent: vast rigor mortis at every level. What a maroon.
~
Fung has probably already gotten dis off the internets
The Daily Star, a British tabloid, is reporting that there is a sex tape featuring Alex Rodriguez and Madonna. It's hard to believe this is true: the cameraman is claiming that he obtained the tape through the use of a hidden camera in a friend's apartment, and he is apparently extorting asking Madonna for "a fortune" for the rights to the video. This would put him in a lot of trouble with the law and likely end up in jail time, and while it's hard to believe anyone is that foolish, we are talking about a guy who thinks there's demand for an A-Rod/Madonna sex tape.
~
~
imperviousness to irony (cont'd)
Exclusive: Scientists warn that there may be no ice at North Pole this summer
It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.
. . .
If it happens, it raises the prospect of the Arctic nations being able to exploit the valuable oil and mineral deposits below these a bed which have until now been impossible to extract because of the thick sea ice above. (YAY! Ed.)
It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.
. . .
If it happens, it raises the prospect of the Arctic nations being able to exploit the valuable oil and mineral deposits below these a bed which have until now been impossible to extract because of the thick sea ice above. (YAY! Ed.)
Does it get any more Zzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzz dan dis?
TV host Williams: Omarosa 'delusional, pathetic' (duh)
By DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (Smiff's northern suburb)- Reality TV villain Omarosa (this name sounds familiar - was she fired as some point?) sparred with talk show host Wendy Williams (who?) on Monday in a spat that at one point turned physical (cat fight? Is there video?).
She appeared on Fox's (how low can you go?) "The Wendy Williams Show" (everyone has a show these days - and they're so unimaginative that they just name it after themselves) to promote her upcoming book (shameless money making scheme) but instead spent more time trading insults with the radio personality-turned-talk show host.
"I wanted to throw her off the set," Williams later told The Associated Press (I think we would all have chipped in for bail).
The altercation started when Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth first walked onto the daytime talk show and said she was displeased with Williams' introduction of her and would not be disrespected (oh no you didn't). Things got uglier when Williams grabbed Omarosa's book cover to hold it up to the camera, and Omarosa snatched it back out of Williams' hand (oh snap).
"Omarosa wished her career was my career," (really? coz, I'd at least heard of her, and still aren't sure who you are) Williams told the AP. "Omarosa is a delusional, D-list, pathetic woman."(er, the only person that's actually D-list is Kathy Griffin. Everyone else is on some list either higher or lower than D)
The yanking gave way to Omarosa attacking Williams' appearance (that's like the pot calling the kettle, er, um, eh, I'm a darky, I can say it, black), asking the talk show host whether she had had a nose job and suggesting she shouldn't wear wigs (but it's so much faster than going down to the salon, and way cheaper too).
But Williams didn't stay silent throughout the heated interview (she ain't no punk ass). She called Omarosa "a typical angry black woman" (oh snap - yes, you can use it more than once)and suggested cosmetic injections could fix her wrinkles.
Will there be a rematch? (catfight at midnight? dustup in makeup?)
"I have no reason to invite Omarosa back to the show," (wuss) said Williams. "That's done. She had her moment."
Omarosa was a contestant on the first "Apprentice" with Donald Trump in 2004. Her domineering personality quickly earned her enemies among fellow contestants and TV viewers (and, apparently, 15 minutes of fame that's in about minute 14 somewhere).
An after-hours telephone message and e-mail to Omarosa's publicist were not immediately returned Monday.
TV host Williams: Omarosa 'delusional, pathetic' (duh)
By DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (Smiff's northern suburb)- Reality TV villain Omarosa (this name sounds familiar - was she fired as some point?) sparred with talk show host Wendy Williams (who?) on Monday in a spat that at one point turned physical (cat fight? Is there video?).
She appeared on Fox's (how low can you go?) "The Wendy Williams Show" (everyone has a show these days - and they're so unimaginative that they just name it after themselves) to promote her upcoming book (shameless money making scheme) but instead spent more time trading insults with the radio personality-turned-talk show host.
"I wanted to throw her off the set," Williams later told The Associated Press (I think we would all have chipped in for bail).
The altercation started when Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth first walked onto the daytime talk show and said she was displeased with Williams' introduction of her and would not be disrespected (oh no you didn't). Things got uglier when Williams grabbed Omarosa's book cover to hold it up to the camera, and Omarosa snatched it back out of Williams' hand (oh snap).
"Omarosa wished her career was my career," (really? coz, I'd at least heard of her, and still aren't sure who you are) Williams told the AP. "Omarosa is a delusional, D-list, pathetic woman."(er, the only person that's actually D-list is Kathy Griffin. Everyone else is on some list either higher or lower than D)
The yanking gave way to Omarosa attacking Williams' appearance (that's like the pot calling the kettle, er, um, eh, I'm a darky, I can say it, black), asking the talk show host whether she had had a nose job and suggesting she shouldn't wear wigs (but it's so much faster than going down to the salon, and way cheaper too).
But Williams didn't stay silent throughout the heated interview (she ain't no punk ass). She called Omarosa "a typical angry black woman" (oh snap - yes, you can use it more than once)and suggested cosmetic injections could fix her wrinkles.
Will there be a rematch? (catfight at midnight? dustup in makeup?)
"I have no reason to invite Omarosa back to the show," (wuss) said Williams. "That's done. She had her moment."
Omarosa was a contestant on the first "Apprentice" with Donald Trump in 2004. Her domineering personality quickly earned her enemies among fellow contestants and TV viewers (and, apparently, 15 minutes of fame that's in about minute 14 somewhere).
An after-hours telephone message and e-mail to Omarosa's publicist were not immediately returned Monday.
Bats and Balls: and dat's just the food
7:34 PM me: PUMMELING: my teams go 11-1 dis week
7:35 PM Kevin: same here - woulda been 12-0 if halladay hadn't gotten hammered and left the door open for aaa pitcher (waaaaahhh)
mmmmmmmm spam
actually i meant 8-1
7:36 PM cherries: monsters of the...
cherry... orchard
me: Tarrist Malicki endorses Obama's plan? Can we invade and overthrow him?
7:37 PM Kevin: it would restore america's faith in america if we could just mercilessly bomb the shit outta somebody for a few weeks in a consequence-free environment
me: Belgium? stinkin' fat bastards
7:38 PM Kevin: that would rock. they stole our beer and besides they're almost french
7:39 PM me: back in Monks' bullpen, Bierd dominates
Kevin: yeah but he has a funny name... sounds like a tarrist
BIERD - not american sounding
7:40 PM me: how about Randor?
Kevin: sounds like a hobbit
what is he, three-foot-eight?
me: KO reading LoC again? just showed a map of the middle east
Kevin: funny
7:41 PM me: also, story #4: Monks PUMMEL Crab Queens - i wuz shocked he brought that up - played game 3, in fact
7:42 PM Jeter hit a HR! about time, LOSER
Kevin: iran is also on the turkey-turkmenistan border, btw
7:43 PM me: turkwhattawhu?
Kevin: that is the capital
me: dat's a country? can we bomb them?
7:44 PM Kevin: wiff one hand tied behind our backs
7:45 PM me: Jonny Gomes got a hit!
also walked - ON FIRE
Kevin: 2B tomorrow for homunculi: WI@@Y vs maholm or ian stewart vs kershaw? datz almost too easy...stewart
stop drop and roll!
7:46 PM me: 12,428 tonight in Tampa to watch the AL East leaders...
7:48 PM Kevin: change mind - WI@@Y
tampa SUCKS - should never have gotten a team - FRAUDS
white elephant dome - deres somephin we can bomb (maybe while dickie v is in it)
7:49 PM me: go look at the Detroit box score for MORE MATT JOYCE DESTRUCTION
Kevin: SHIT's BLOWIN UP BAYBEEE
7:50 PM joyce - YOOOOGE
white sox - awful
7:51 PM cordero - annudder blown save - datz so CHIX
me: dough da Q goes yahd
7:52 PM Kevin: seff mcclung - 5 non-catastrophic innings
dough salomon torres blows da save, steals da win
7:54 PM cubs getting manhandled by randy johnson - puzzling
8:00 PM me: high gas prices? new McCain ad sez it's all Obama's fault
like everything else
8:01 PM and this just in: Phil Gramm is still a piece of shit
8:04 PM Matt Joyce: another hit: HOTTER THAN THE SUN
Kevin: and: he blew up
8:05 PM me: Tigers up 19-0...
8:06 PM Kevin: chix era tonight: 40.498
8:08 PM alex romer (who?) homers off harden
romero
8:09 PM rockies pitching shutting em down
8:11 PM me: sellout on da sout'side for a Shit Sox stinker - wuz it free brat night?
8:12 PM Kevin: coulda been run on da field and beat up da umpires night
me: speaking of which, Smiff has been reduced to meatless brats...
Kevin: whaaaaaaaaaaaa?
puzzling
8:14 PM me: sad
there wuz a sale
actually, not bad
Kevin: what would doug sohn say?
8:15 PM me: covered wiff mustard and onions, anyting is good (except broccoli)
Kevin: true
me: he would probably want to make a sausage out of me after force feeding and fattening me up even more...
8:16 PM nevertheless, the Monks destroyed da CQs anyway
Kevin: sounds delicious (nothing personal)
yes
8:17 PM me: of course, there isn't much of a liver left, so good luck wid dat one, doug
Kevin: dat wud teach him
me: and isn't Doug a stpuid-ass name, anyway?
STUPID-ASS ... Doug
8:18 PM LA has 16 runs in the 5th inning - how is Nomar (Fant!) involved?
Kevin: not at all?
8:20 PM ruh-roh:
7/21 Josh Johnson (Fla - SP) Add Free Agents Maddogs
8:21 PM guess dis wud be a bad time to tell him dat josh j might be a prairie chicken by dis time tomorrow?
me: NOMAR: DNP - i am SHOCKED - probably injured himself by breathing
Kevin: dat can be dangerous
8:22 PM me: sucked in some dust...sneezed...strained his back
8:23 PM Kevin: eyeballs popped out... rolled under desk... bumped head searching for eyeballs...
me: Dat's it!
8:24 PM do you have Valverde? stinkin' up da joint
Kevin: why, yes!
me: TWO BALLS OVER THE FENCE (not his)
8:25 PM Kevin: perfect complement to cordero's self-immolation tonight
crispy, crackly... mmmmm something smells good
me: dat's da brats
Kevin: no dis is unmistakably meaty
8:28 PM great episode of Nature last night about how da grizzlies are TOTALLY PHOKKED
annudder species doomed to extinction -- who woulda guessed?
8:29 PM lots of people dough - we can eat each udder when da animals are gone
me: YAY!
Kevin: i'm starting wif francisco "crispy crackly" cordero
8:30 PM 6-3 240 - dat would last like phree weeks
me: how about the CEO of Freddie Mac? made 20 million last year despite being a total phokking failure
8:31 PM Kevin: well he had to rise pretty high to fail that spectacularly... not for amateurs
he'd be delicious in a lemon cream sauce
me: Valverde: anudder run (dat's 4)
how about him for afters?
8:32 PM a little ketchup...
Kevin: delightful
wif a few french fries?
me: yes
woops, he's outta the game
still, 2 more runs could be charged
8:33 PM Kevin: micah owings (smelts, end times) on for d-bax
me: MANY runs about to score
Kevin: was sposed to start tomorrow - puzzling
me: rubber arm
and brain
8:34 PM Kevin: i would like to have da rubber brain
is it available as an implant?
me: don't yas already got one?
Kevin: cant remember - mebbe
8:36 PM me: FUNNY:
8:37 PM Last Play: F. Sanchez hit an inside the park home run to deep right, J. Michaels and J. Wilson scored
six runs for Jose...
8:38 PM Kevin: if he sucked any more, his head would implode
8:39 PM chix era tonight: 81.00
me: BOOM SPLAT
Kevin: batting avg: .117
me: that's like Crab Queens bad
8:40 PM Kevin: is it possible for their era to catch up to their ba?
me: yes
Kevin: chan ho hasn't pitched yet
he can do it
taylor buchholz
8:41 PM hong-chih... yikes... 81.000 era on the night and one-third of my staff is in coors on a night with a broken humidor and the wind blowing out
and hasnt pitched yet
sweet lord
theoretically a baseball game could go on forever
me: what's the league record?
8:44 PM Kevin: a 7-run 9th - that's SO CHIX
8:47 PM me: anypfing the Cherries should get from McCluskey?
8:48 PM Kevin: nutsack?
me: wow, his team SUX
Kevin: phokk yeah
da Q?
dont need da Q
8:49 PM me: huh, we don't?
Kevin: grandy scott thames joyce gomesy - rock solid
'sides da Q had two good momfs...datz it
8:50 PM he gone
me: thames playing first
someone DHs
Gomes SUX
8:51 PM i think we could fit him in, though i don't think he would want to trade him
Kevin: yeah if he is phinking long-term, he prollaby wants to keep him
8:53 PM me: he doesn't have any vets doing anything
Kevin: yep
not even a shiny dangly object in the bullpen
8:54 PM me: Morrow
should move him if he isn't going to start
8:55 PM Kevin: our bullpen could use a little somefin
8:56 PM me: SP too, since we're one injury away from being totally phokked
8:58 PM Kevin: cubs shut down by chad phokking qualls
8:59 PM me: it's sad, puzzling, CQian
9:02 PM the bizarre foods guy is eating pig's testicles...
9:03 PM now a beating frog's heart...not bad!
9:04 PM sake garnished with a lizard...
Kevin: whatever they're paying him, its not enough, and yet, its too much
9:06 PM me: giant snails...
Kevin: tiny snails arent disgusting enough?
lemme guess - next they'll take an ordinary duck liver and make it grotesquely YOOOOOOOGE...
9:09 PM chix era vs ba smackdown is at 81.000 vs. .111
9:10 PM me: converging...
no duck liver, but he did mention monkfish livers in passing
9:13 PM Kevin: i give up... bedtime
9:14 PM me: wait... live turtles!
Kevin: with the shell?
i have a better idea -- feed that phokk to some hungry grizzlies on live tv - i would watch
9:15 PM dat wud be awesome
me: dat would be pretty cool
so far...it's a dead turtle
9:16 PM it's called Suppan (insert own joke here)
Kevin: if he could take a crap in da lake and show a live turtle swimming away, dat would be interesting
9:17 PM me: next: every part of the chicken!
9:18 PM rooster balls...
not good, apparently
Kevin: that is surprising
9:19 PM me: coming up: happy cows make tasty beef!
9:24 PM they get a massage
every morning
they run free!
are fed beer
9:25 PM Kevin: thats a nice story
and delicious
me: "Melts in your mouth like foie gras"!
9:26 PM Kevin: of course it does
me: now in Bangkok
birds' nest soup
9:27 PM Kevin: baby chix?
me: a box of 12 nests? $1000
9:28 PM the soup also has frog's ovaries - that's good eating right there!!
Kevin: yeah you really need that... i gots a real frog ovary deficit in my diet
me: frought so
9:29 PM good lord does it look disgusting
Kevin: puzzling
making me hungry so i better go
me: ant larvae...
more frog parts
9:30 PM Kevin: maybe i can find one in the yard
me: giant water bugs, grasshoppers, crickets...
9:31 PM tadpoles! mmmmmmm
whole frog on a stick
9:32 PM Kevin: alive?
me: sorry, cooked
Kevin: couldnt it have survived?
9:34 PM me: off to Changmai for the nastiest of all
what could it be - monkey brainz?
9:35 PM Kevin: mebbe... i been to chang mai, got drunk at da smiling monkey
9:36 PM me: you drank a live monkey?
9:37 PM Kevin: http://www.chiangmai-online.com/smonkey/
yes, and it rained
me: KUO IS IN!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Kevin: sweet lord
9:38 PM me: Podzzzie singles - man, dis is gonna be good
9:39 PM grilled intestines
bug salads
9:40 PM Kevin: kuo?
me: yeah
"variety of organs" sausage
9:41 PM Spirulina algae - yum!
Kevin: buchholz - not pummeled
9:42 PM me: Iannetta doubles...
9:44 PM what's for dinner?
Fruit bats!
Kevin: yum!
me: a treat!
9:45 PM stir-fried...
9:46 PM "It's some really good bat"!
Kevin: flying rodent...mmmm...
me: also funny: Tulo singles, 2 runs
Kevin: so den... yay
bedtime
9:47 PM me: nope, Hawpe did dat
Kevin: i look forward to reading of the savage, inhumane pummeling in the morning
good morning!
me: quitter
Kevin: good night...
yes
me: dat's sad
and Stewart is up, your boy
9:53 PM me: fermented shrimp paste...
9:54 PM MUTTON!
9:56 PM coagulated blood cake
9:57 PM durian: the smelliest and apparently awfulest tasting fruit in the world
7:35 PM Kevin: same here - woulda been 12-0 if halladay hadn't gotten hammered and left the door open for aaa pitcher (waaaaahhh)
mmmmmmmm spam
actually i meant 8-1
7:36 PM cherries: monsters of the...
cherry... orchard
me: Tarrist Malicki endorses Obama's plan? Can we invade and overthrow him?
7:37 PM Kevin: it would restore america's faith in america if we could just mercilessly bomb the shit outta somebody for a few weeks in a consequence-free environment
me: Belgium? stinkin' fat bastards
7:38 PM Kevin: that would rock. they stole our beer and besides they're almost french
7:39 PM me: back in Monks' bullpen, Bierd dominates
Kevin: yeah but he has a funny name... sounds like a tarrist
BIERD - not american sounding
7:40 PM me: how about Randor?
Kevin: sounds like a hobbit
what is he, three-foot-eight?
me: KO reading LoC again? just showed a map of the middle east
Kevin: funny
7:41 PM me: also, story #4: Monks PUMMEL Crab Queens - i wuz shocked he brought that up - played game 3, in fact
7:42 PM Jeter hit a HR! about time, LOSER
Kevin: iran is also on the turkey-turkmenistan border, btw
7:43 PM me: turkwhattawhu?
Kevin: that is the capital
me: dat's a country? can we bomb them?
7:44 PM Kevin: wiff one hand tied behind our backs
7:45 PM me: Jonny Gomes got a hit!
also walked - ON FIRE
Kevin: 2B tomorrow for homunculi: WI@@Y vs maholm or ian stewart vs kershaw? datz almost too easy...stewart
stop drop and roll!
7:46 PM me: 12,428 tonight in Tampa to watch the AL East leaders...
7:48 PM Kevin: change mind - WI@@Y
tampa SUCKS - should never have gotten a team - FRAUDS
white elephant dome - deres somephin we can bomb (maybe while dickie v is in it)
7:49 PM me: go look at the Detroit box score for MORE MATT JOYCE DESTRUCTION
Kevin: SHIT's BLOWIN UP BAYBEEE
7:50 PM joyce - YOOOOGE
white sox - awful
7:51 PM cordero - annudder blown save - datz so CHIX
me: dough da Q goes yahd
7:52 PM Kevin: seff mcclung - 5 non-catastrophic innings
dough salomon torres blows da save, steals da win
7:54 PM cubs getting manhandled by randy johnson - puzzling
8:00 PM me: high gas prices? new McCain ad sez it's all Obama's fault
like everything else
8:01 PM and this just in: Phil Gramm is still a piece of shit
8:04 PM Matt Joyce: another hit: HOTTER THAN THE SUN
Kevin: and: he blew up
8:05 PM me: Tigers up 19-0...
8:06 PM Kevin: chix era tonight: 40.498
8:08 PM alex romer (who?) homers off harden
romero
8:09 PM rockies pitching shutting em down
8:11 PM me: sellout on da sout'side for a Shit Sox stinker - wuz it free brat night?
8:12 PM Kevin: coulda been run on da field and beat up da umpires night
me: speaking of which, Smiff has been reduced to meatless brats...
Kevin: whaaaaaaaaaaaa?
puzzling
8:14 PM me: sad
there wuz a sale
actually, not bad
Kevin: what would doug sohn say?
8:15 PM me: covered wiff mustard and onions, anyting is good (except broccoli)
Kevin: true
me: he would probably want to make a sausage out of me after force feeding and fattening me up even more...
8:16 PM nevertheless, the Monks destroyed da CQs anyway
Kevin: sounds delicious (nothing personal)
yes
8:17 PM me: of course, there isn't much of a liver left, so good luck wid dat one, doug
Kevin: dat wud teach him
me: and isn't Doug a stpuid-ass name, anyway?
STUPID-ASS ... Doug
8:18 PM LA has 16 runs in the 5th inning - how is Nomar (Fant!) involved?
Kevin: not at all?
8:20 PM ruh-roh:
7/21 Josh Johnson (Fla - SP) Add Free Agents Maddogs
8:21 PM guess dis wud be a bad time to tell him dat josh j might be a prairie chicken by dis time tomorrow?
me: NOMAR: DNP - i am SHOCKED - probably injured himself by breathing
Kevin: dat can be dangerous
8:22 PM me: sucked in some dust...sneezed...strained his back
8:23 PM Kevin: eyeballs popped out... rolled under desk... bumped head searching for eyeballs...
me: Dat's it!
8:24 PM do you have Valverde? stinkin' up da joint
Kevin: why, yes!
me: TWO BALLS OVER THE FENCE (not his)
8:25 PM Kevin: perfect complement to cordero's self-immolation tonight
crispy, crackly... mmmmm something smells good
me: dat's da brats
Kevin: no dis is unmistakably meaty
8:28 PM great episode of Nature last night about how da grizzlies are TOTALLY PHOKKED
annudder species doomed to extinction -- who woulda guessed?
8:29 PM lots of people dough - we can eat each udder when da animals are gone
me: YAY!
Kevin: i'm starting wif francisco "crispy crackly" cordero
8:30 PM 6-3 240 - dat would last like phree weeks
me: how about the CEO of Freddie Mac? made 20 million last year despite being a total phokking failure
8:31 PM Kevin: well he had to rise pretty high to fail that spectacularly... not for amateurs
he'd be delicious in a lemon cream sauce
me: Valverde: anudder run (dat's 4)
how about him for afters?
8:32 PM a little ketchup...
Kevin: delightful
wif a few french fries?
me: yes
woops, he's outta the game
still, 2 more runs could be charged
8:33 PM Kevin: micah owings (smelts, end times) on for d-bax
me: MANY runs about to score
Kevin: was sposed to start tomorrow - puzzling
me: rubber arm
and brain
8:34 PM Kevin: i would like to have da rubber brain
is it available as an implant?
me: don't yas already got one?
Kevin: cant remember - mebbe
8:36 PM me: FUNNY:
8:37 PM Last Play: F. Sanchez hit an inside the park home run to deep right, J. Michaels and J. Wilson scored
six runs for Jose...
8:38 PM Kevin: if he sucked any more, his head would implode
8:39 PM chix era tonight: 81.00
me: BOOM SPLAT
Kevin: batting avg: .117
me: that's like Crab Queens bad
8:40 PM Kevin: is it possible for their era to catch up to their ba?
me: yes
Kevin: chan ho hasn't pitched yet
he can do it
taylor buchholz
8:41 PM hong-chih... yikes... 81.000 era on the night and one-third of my staff is in coors on a night with a broken humidor and the wind blowing out
and hasnt pitched yet
sweet lord
theoretically a baseball game could go on forever
me: what's the league record?
8:44 PM Kevin: a 7-run 9th - that's SO CHIX
8:47 PM me: anypfing the Cherries should get from McCluskey?
8:48 PM Kevin: nutsack?
me: wow, his team SUX
Kevin: phokk yeah
da Q?
dont need da Q
8:49 PM me: huh, we don't?
Kevin: grandy scott thames joyce gomesy - rock solid
'sides da Q had two good momfs...datz it
8:50 PM he gone
me: thames playing first
someone DHs
Gomes SUX
8:51 PM i think we could fit him in, though i don't think he would want to trade him
Kevin: yeah if he is phinking long-term, he prollaby wants to keep him
8:53 PM me: he doesn't have any vets doing anything
Kevin: yep
not even a shiny dangly object in the bullpen
8:54 PM me: Morrow
should move him if he isn't going to start
8:55 PM Kevin: our bullpen could use a little somefin
8:56 PM me: SP too, since we're one injury away from being totally phokked
8:58 PM Kevin: cubs shut down by chad phokking qualls
8:59 PM me: it's sad, puzzling, CQian
9:02 PM the bizarre foods guy is eating pig's testicles...
9:03 PM now a beating frog's heart...not bad!
9:04 PM sake garnished with a lizard...
Kevin: whatever they're paying him, its not enough, and yet, its too much
9:06 PM me: giant snails...
Kevin: tiny snails arent disgusting enough?
lemme guess - next they'll take an ordinary duck liver and make it grotesquely YOOOOOOOGE...
9:09 PM chix era vs ba smackdown is at 81.000 vs. .111
9:10 PM me: converging...
no duck liver, but he did mention monkfish livers in passing
9:13 PM Kevin: i give up... bedtime
9:14 PM me: wait... live turtles!
Kevin: with the shell?
i have a better idea -- feed that phokk to some hungry grizzlies on live tv - i would watch
9:15 PM dat wud be awesome
me: dat would be pretty cool
so far...it's a dead turtle
9:16 PM it's called Suppan (insert own joke here)
Kevin: if he could take a crap in da lake and show a live turtle swimming away, dat would be interesting
9:17 PM me: next: every part of the chicken!
9:18 PM rooster balls...
not good, apparently
Kevin: that is surprising
9:19 PM me: coming up: happy cows make tasty beef!
9:24 PM they get a massage
every morning
they run free!
are fed beer
9:25 PM Kevin: thats a nice story
and delicious
me: "Melts in your mouth like foie gras"!
9:26 PM Kevin: of course it does
me: now in Bangkok
birds' nest soup
9:27 PM Kevin: baby chix?
me: a box of 12 nests? $1000
9:28 PM the soup also has frog's ovaries - that's good eating right there!!
Kevin: yeah you really need that... i gots a real frog ovary deficit in my diet
me: frought so
9:29 PM good lord does it look disgusting
Kevin: puzzling
making me hungry so i better go
me: ant larvae...
more frog parts
9:30 PM Kevin: maybe i can find one in the yard
me: giant water bugs, grasshoppers, crickets...
9:31 PM tadpoles! mmmmmmm
whole frog on a stick
9:32 PM Kevin: alive?
me: sorry, cooked
Kevin: couldnt it have survived?
9:34 PM me: off to Changmai for the nastiest of all
what could it be - monkey brainz?
9:35 PM Kevin: mebbe... i been to chang mai, got drunk at da smiling monkey
9:36 PM me: you drank a live monkey?
9:37 PM Kevin: http://www.chiangmai-online.com/smonkey/
yes, and it rained
me: KUO IS IN!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Kevin: sweet lord
9:38 PM me: Podzzzie singles - man, dis is gonna be good
9:39 PM grilled intestines
bug salads
9:40 PM Kevin: kuo?
me: yeah
"variety of organs" sausage
9:41 PM Spirulina algae - yum!
Kevin: buchholz - not pummeled
9:42 PM me: Iannetta doubles...
9:44 PM what's for dinner?
Fruit bats!
Kevin: yum!
me: a treat!
9:45 PM stir-fried...
9:46 PM "It's some really good bat"!
Kevin: flying rodent...mmmm...
me: also funny: Tulo singles, 2 runs
Kevin: so den... yay
bedtime
9:47 PM me: nope, Hawpe did dat
Kevin: i look forward to reading of the savage, inhumane pummeling in the morning
good morning!
me: quitter
Kevin: good night...
yes
me: dat's sad
and Stewart is up, your boy
9:53 PM me: fermented shrimp paste...
9:54 PM MUTTON!
9:56 PM coagulated blood cake
9:57 PM durian: the smelliest and apparently awfulest tasting fruit in the world
Monday, July 21, 2008
brain-dead right-wing s#i+-eating troglodyte homunculi in the news (cont'd)
NEW YORK - Radio talk show host Michael Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed.
Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday. "Daing, that's a tasty squirrel," he added.
Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.
On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'"
Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday. "Daing, that's a tasty squirrel," he added.
Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.
On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'"
here's a mysterious thing
After eight years of policies designed to benefit the rich at the expense of everyone else, most people have run out of money.
Widespread earnings woes reflect consumer fears
Widespread earnings woes reflect consumer fears
Drunk Monks destroy Crab Queens
Monks bury the CQ's pitching in a 3 game series of pummeling and destruction, apparently held behind a woodshed beyond the left field seats at CQ Park. Film at eleven.
3-0: @3 10-5, @3 14-0, @3 24-10.
~
3-0: @3 10-5, @3 14-0, @3 24-10.
~
Horrors in the News (cont'd)
News item: Eric Hurley (hamstring, SUCKS, botched alien rectal probe) was scratched from his scheduled start Monday and left on the DL because he's dealing with arm soreness.
It's supposed to be a mild problem, and Hurley thinks he'll take his next scheduled turn. However, the Rangers might now decide to have him pitch once more in the minors.
It's supposed to be a mild problem, and Hurley thinks he'll take his next scheduled turn. However, the Rangers might now decide to have him pitch once more in the minors.
A shocking percentage of Lou Dobbs viewers agreed with... woops!
Do you believe the Food and Drug Administration will ever find the source of the salmonella outbreak?
Yes 11% 595
No 89% 4692
Total Votes: 5287
Poll results not scientific (but idiotic)
News item: Call it the smoking jalapeno. After nearly two months of mystery, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified a jalepeno pepper that is contaminated with the same strain of Salmonella saintpaul that has sickened more than 1,237 people in 43 states.
It's the first time during this outbreak that a test has found the salmonella strain in a piece of produce.
The discovery, which will be announced shortly by FDA, was made at a packing plant in McAllen, Texas, according to a source familiar with the issue. The pepper was grown in Mexico, the source said, but was sent to the U.S. for sale. Authorities are not sure where it was contaminated with salmonella.
Yes 11% 595
No 89% 4692
Total Votes: 5287
Poll results not scientific (but idiotic)
News item: Call it the smoking jalapeno. After nearly two months of mystery, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified a jalepeno pepper that is contaminated with the same strain of Salmonella saintpaul that has sickened more than 1,237 people in 43 states.
It's the first time during this outbreak that a test has found the salmonella strain in a piece of produce.
The discovery, which will be announced shortly by FDA, was made at a packing plant in McAllen, Texas, according to a source familiar with the issue. The pepper was grown in Mexico, the source said, but was sent to the U.S. for sale. Authorities are not sure where it was contaminated with salmonella.
Sosa to return to Wrigley on July 29th!
Dat's right, when Kane County plays Peoria there will be a "performance" by the ZOOperstars! featuring Clammy Sosa...
Help us select who should be next to join the ZOOperstars!
Bud Sealig
112 votes
Ramdy Johnson
152 votes
Randy Mossquito
171 votes
Chippermunk Jones
826 votes
Dale Ferrett
173 votes
Dan Marhino
176 votes
Jason Squidd
126 votes
Fly Cobb
228 votes
Mike Byson
164 votes
Muhammed Albee
166 votes
Muhammed Alligator
190 votes
Pony Stewart
525 votes
Help us select who should be next to join the ZOOperstars!
Bud Sealig
112 votes
Ramdy Johnson
152 votes
Randy Mossquito
171 votes
Chippermunk Jones
826 votes
Dale Ferrett
173 votes
Dan Marhino
176 votes
Jason Squidd
126 votes
Fly Cobb
228 votes
Mike Byson
164 votes
Muhammed Albee
166 votes
Muhammed Alligator
190 votes
Pony Stewart
525 votes
~
If there is some confusion...
...on who's to blame...
Nancy Pelosi: “Two oil men in the White House” are responsible for high oil prices
Who knew Nancy Pelosi was such a straight-shooter? When Wolf Blitzer tries to pin part of the blame for the current energy crisis on the Democratic Congress, Pelosi shoots back by saying her House did everything it could to institute a sensible energy policy, only to have “run into a brick wall” in the form of Senate Republicans — you know, the ones who broke the filibuster record for a full term last year.
“The price of oil is… is attributed to two oil men in the White House and their protectors in the United States Senate.”
While it might be easy (and typically accurate) to blame everything on President Bush and Vice President Cheney, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to lay the current crisis at the White House’s doorstep. Sure, there are some uncontrollable market forces at work, but both Cheney and Bush are oil patch guys; it would be the height of naivete to assume that they would have an energy policy that didn’t benefit Big Oil.
From Day One, Dick Cheney was plotting how to take over Iraq oil fields. Before the war, it was obvious to everyone that the invasion or Iraq, and the instability it would caused in the region, would only drive prices up further. For all the lip service President Bush pays to his commitment to renewable energy, the fact is spending has been on the stagnant since the mid-1990’s.
What we really need is a leader with the wisdom to acknowledge the magnitude of the problem and the courage to tackle it head on. “Green Screen” John McCain is clearly not that leader.
Nancy Pelosi: “Two oil men in the White House” are responsible for high oil prices
Who knew Nancy Pelosi was such a straight-shooter? When Wolf Blitzer tries to pin part of the blame for the current energy crisis on the Democratic Congress, Pelosi shoots back by saying her House did everything it could to institute a sensible energy policy, only to have “run into a brick wall” in the form of Senate Republicans — you know, the ones who broke the filibuster record for a full term last year.
“The price of oil is… is attributed to two oil men in the White House and their protectors in the United States Senate.”
While it might be easy (and typically accurate) to blame everything on President Bush and Vice President Cheney, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to lay the current crisis at the White House’s doorstep. Sure, there are some uncontrollable market forces at work, but both Cheney and Bush are oil patch guys; it would be the height of naivete to assume that they would have an energy policy that didn’t benefit Big Oil.
From Day One, Dick Cheney was plotting how to take over Iraq oil fields. Before the war, it was obvious to everyone that the invasion or Iraq, and the instability it would caused in the region, would only drive prices up further. For all the lip service President Bush pays to his commitment to renewable energy, the fact is spending has been on the stagnant since the mid-1990’s.
What we really need is a leader with the wisdom to acknowledge the magnitude of the problem and the courage to tackle it head on. “Green Screen” John McCain is clearly not that leader.
facecrap continues to suck
I added Twitter to the mini-feed so everyone could see my brilliant updates like "sammich." Of course, it doesn't work. Doesn't update. And yes, i went into edit and checked everything (twice), and then i unchecked and doublechecked and rechecked and reloaded and reupdated (three times). Also pre-boarded. Still doesn't work.
The phokking thing sucks. I blame Fung.
~
The phokking thing sucks. I blame Fung.
~
anudder reason to drink
From Ebert's Answer Man this week...
Q. I thought your question to Kevin Costner (whether he could envision casting Dennis Hopper as the Republican candidate and Kelsey Grammer as the Democrat in "Swing Vote" instead of the other way around) was interesting, especially since Costner said he could not imagine that casting. However, I remember seeing a Hopper interview years ago with Mike Wallace, in which Hopper confirmed that he is, in fact, a loyal Republican. When the interviewer asked how it was possible that a poster boy for the '60s counterculture grew into a man who voted twice for George W. Bush, Hopper replied, "I got sober, man." Harris Fleming Jr., Waldwick, N.J.
A. Like, wow, man!
~
Q. I thought your question to Kevin Costner (whether he could envision casting Dennis Hopper as the Republican candidate and Kelsey Grammer as the Democrat in "Swing Vote" instead of the other way around) was interesting, especially since Costner said he could not imagine that casting. However, I remember seeing a Hopper interview years ago with Mike Wallace, in which Hopper confirmed that he is, in fact, a loyal Republican. When the interviewer asked how it was possible that a poster boy for the '60s counterculture grew into a man who voted twice for George W. Bush, Hopper replied, "I got sober, man." Harris Fleming Jr., Waldwick, N.J.
A. Like, wow, man!
~
funny, in a nobody-will-notice, won't-make-any-difference, who-gives-a-s#i+ sort of way
"Well, if that scenario evolves, then I think it’s obvious that we would have to leave because — if it was an elected government of Iraq — and we’ve been asked to leave other places in the world... I don’t see how we could stay when our whole emphasis and policy has been based on turning the Iraqi government over to the Iraqi people."
-- McCain, 2004
"[V]oters care about [the] military, not about Iraqi leaders."
-- McCain, 2008
-- McCain, 2004
"[V]oters care about [the] military, not about Iraqi leaders."
-- McCain, 2008
Charles Krauthammer: A Douchebag of Liberty
Obama isn't close to earning his stripes
...has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?
Smiff's response at the soon-to-be slimmer, news-free Trib:
That would be the current president, a man I am sure Krauthammer voted for twice. Bush 43 had ZERO accomplishments as governor or in business, but that was good enough for Mr. Krauthammer in 2000 and 2004. Bush proceeded to become the worst president we've ever had, and it's not even close. While Obama might be inexperieced, he at least has something that Bush has never had: intellect and a brain. McCain does have this, but agrees with Bush on nearly every issue. Krauthammer wants more of that? How do morons like this still have nationally syndicated columns??
...has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?
Smiff's response at the soon-to-be slimmer, news-free Trib:
That would be the current president, a man I am sure Krauthammer voted for twice. Bush 43 had ZERO accomplishments as governor or in business, but that was good enough for Mr. Krauthammer in 2000 and 2004. Bush proceeded to become the worst president we've ever had, and it's not even close. While Obama might be inexperieced, he at least has something that Bush has never had: intellect and a brain. McCain does have this, but agrees with Bush on nearly every issue. Krauthammer wants more of that? How do morons like this still have nationally syndicated columns??
Dey need dis in India
Since they will be answering all our calls...
How not to do an American accent
I'm sure the video is entertaining. I can't get the sound to work on my computer...
How not to do an American accent
I'm sure the video is entertaining. I can't get the sound to work on my computer...
will it come with a free donut?
Trib buries news in redesign test
Crain's, July 21, 2008
The new face of the Chicago Tribune is taking shape, as staffers at the newspaper put the finishing touches on a prototype set for a test run in the next few weeks.
Crain's has learned that Tribune Co. will try out some dramatic changes in the 161-year-old broadsheet in a Saturday edition by early August. A version under consideration devotes the paper's front section to consumer-oriented and entertainment features. Local, national, international and business news is consolidated in the second section. Weather leads the third section, which also includes comics and classifieds, while the sports section is converted to a tabloid format.
It's not clear how many of these changes will make it into the final version of the prototype, which a spokesman calls a "work in progress." But aspects of the prototype that prove popular with readers are likely to find their way into a full-scale redesign of all editions of the paper, which Tribune expects to debut by September.
Crain's, July 21, 2008
The new face of the Chicago Tribune is taking shape, as staffers at the newspaper put the finishing touches on a prototype set for a test run in the next few weeks.
Crain's has learned that Tribune Co. will try out some dramatic changes in the 161-year-old broadsheet in a Saturday edition by early August. A version under consideration devotes the paper's front section to consumer-oriented and entertainment features. Local, national, international and business news is consolidated in the second section. Weather leads the third section, which also includes comics and classifieds, while the sports section is converted to a tabloid format.
It's not clear how many of these changes will make it into the final version of the prototype, which a spokesman calls a "work in progress." But aspects of the prototype that prove popular with readers are likely to find their way into a full-scale redesign of all editions of the paper, which Tribune expects to debut by September.
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