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September 30, 2007
This Would Take Bingley's Bobble Head, TNT Turbaned Mohammed
...right off his expensive counter-tops.
Religious hatred law in force...There were two attempts by the Government to introduce it, first in 2001 and then later with the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act. They faltered because of the concerns.
But ministers pressed for the law a third time because it was seen as an important counter-balance to anti-terror laws which can be seen to disproportionately target Britain's Muslim population.
In the Act that was actually passed, ministers believe there is a high enough "threshold" built into the law to protect free speech.
Of course, wind-up Nunzilla wouldn't offend a fly, because I'll bet money more Catholics own her than everyone else combined.
There's a lesson in there somewhere...
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:14 PM | Comments (7)
September 28, 2007
Where's Its Butt?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 10:30 AM | Comments (9)
Quote Of The Day
"Let's face it: Leftie girls are easy"
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:10 AM | Comments (4)
Criminalization Of Thought Advances
To borrow a theme from Insta..."They said if Bush were re-elected the Government would seek to criminalize and control thought, and they were right"
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-led Senate on Thursday voted to let federal law enforcement help states prosecute attacks on gays, attaching the provision to a massive spending bill for the Iraq war and daring President Bush to veto the whole package.
I hatehatehatehatehate "Hate Crime" laws. They are a vile and horrid attack on the First Amendment, end of story. Punish people for their actions, not their thoughts. What you were thinking while you hit me with the baseball bat is irrelevant; the hitting is the crime.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:02 AM | Comments (6)
September 27, 2007
"Spins in His Grave Like an Iranian Centerfuge"
Charles is talking about Orwell in relation to this:
'Rewrite British history to reflect other cultures'
Thank God Nelson is already pickled.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:43 PM | Comments (5)
Dear God
This is just wrong.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:23 PM | Comments (17)
There Should Be No Woman Left Alive in Italy
...France or Germany considering this statement. Like the Ent wives, they should all be gone.
...But experts now say there is enough evidence to blame alcohol for breast cancer — and to start educating the public.
VS 
And my blood runs cold at the 'start educating the public'...
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:07 PM | Comments (3)
"Pathetic", Indeed
I agree with Insta, this is just...pathetic
In Vancouver, infidels can't smoke but Muslims can.
The surrender accelerates.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 11:00 AM | Comments (5)
Some Dingell Berries For Your Breakfast
I'm not sure where Gaia is going to spend the money
WASHINGTON -- Dealing with global warming will be painful, says one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress. To back up his claim he is proposing a recipe many people won't like _ a 50-cent gasoline tax, a carbon tax and scaling back tax breaks for some home owners."I'm trying to have everybody understand that this is going to cost and that it's going to have a measure of pain that you're not going to like," Rep. John Dingell, who is marking his 52nd year in Congress, said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press.
..."This is going to cause pain," he said, adding that he wants to make certain "the pain is shared in a way that is fair, proper, acceptable and accomplishes the basic purpose" of reducing greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels.
...He will propose for discussion:
_A 50-cent-a-gallon tax on gasoline and jet fuel, phased in over five years, on top of existing taxes.
_A tax on carbon, at $50 a ton, released from burning coal, petroleum or natural gas.
_Phaseout of the interest tax deduction on home mortgages for homes over 3,000 square feet. Owners would keep most of the deduction for homes at the lower end of the scale, but it would be eliminated entirely for homes of 4,200 feet or more.
He estimates that would affect 10 percent of homeowners. He says "it's only fair" to tax those who buy large suburban houses and create urban sprawl. Historic and farm houses would be exempted.
It's a great One/Two Punch the Democrats are offering: Clinton feels our pain, and Dingell causes it.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:27 AM | Comments (6)
September 26, 2007
Why I Love My Fellow Americans, Part 237
This is simply bee-yuuu-tee-full
NEW YORK (AP) -- The ball Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th home run will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame, its owner said Wednesday.Fashion designer Marc Ecko, who bought the ball in an online auction, set up a Web site for fans to vote on the ball's fate, and the decision to brand it won out over the other options, sending it to the museum unblemished or launching it into space.
Hahahaha!
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 10:06 AM | Comments (8)
I'm A Little Tired This Morning
Damn, can't they release these things on a Friday?
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:38 AM | Comments (25)
September 25, 2007
In Case of an Erection Lasting Longer Than FOUR HOURS...
...talk to Robb. People say the strangest things to him...
The reason gun nuts are the laughing stock of the sentient universe is that there is no more transparent intellectual dishonesty than that of pro-gun propaganda. Is it because if you were honest with everyone, you'd be forced to admit you all want guns because you're cowardly bullies consumed by crippling sexual inadequacy, and don't think anyone's life is worth more than your inconvenience? Who can blame you? That doesn't sound quite as noble as all the phony posturing about defending oneself and imaginary rights and bogus cause and effect, does it?
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:02 PM | Comments (11)
RIP Dear Razz
And thank you.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:35 AM | Comments (2)
September 24, 2007
Is That a Lizard in Your Leg?
Or are you just glad to see me?
A man accused of stealing three endangered iguanas from a nature preserve in Fiji and smuggling them into the United States in his prosthetic leg has been indicted.
Or both?
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:50 PM | Comments (4)
As Kcruella and I Always Say: "If You Believe THAT..."
"...you'll buy [hold up empty wrist] THIS watch!"
N.Y. Times Calls MoveOn Ad a Mistake
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:44 PM | Comments (3)
Are Y'All Reading This
...the same way I did?
12:00 ET Dow +25.69 at 13845.80, Nasdaq +15.99 at 2687.21, S&P +1.31 at 1527.06:[BRIEFING.COM] Today's session has been marked with measured optimism as the major indices have remained resilient to selling efforts in the wake of last week's huge run.
...Fellow Dow component General Motors (GM 35.06, +0.12) has been another story stock today due to unfolding developments in its contract negotiations with the UAW. Previously, it was noted that meaningful progress had been made between the two parties in their negotiations, particularly on the matter of retiree health care. The UAW, nonetheless, set an 11:00 ET strike deadline today.
Apparently, final agreement on all relevant matters, such as the amount of cash bonuses for workers ratifying the deal, has not been reached. A short time ago the Detroit News indicated that the UAW launched a nationwide strike at GM plants...
Now, my little blonde brain interprets that as:
"GM also needs to pay for my vote."
Did I miss something?
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:57 PM | Comments (2)
No, We Are Not Building Foot Washing Stations
And No, you can not wash your feet in the sink
INDIANAPOLIS -- A proposal to install a foot-washing sink at Indianapolis International Airport is prompting debate over ethnicity, religion and the U.S. constitution.Muslims use the sinks to wash their feet before praying but some say that allowing the sinks on public property violates the separation of church and state, 6News' Cheryl Jackson reported.
Airport officials said they are considering installing a sink because of safety and health issues, with no consideration of religion.
Are they going to spend tax money to install the stations of the Cross? I didn't think so.
The airport officials are 'considering' this because they are ball-less wonders. Just say "no." It's really quite easy.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:27 AM | Comments (12)
A Room With No View
But it would make a damn fine wine cellar
A US intercontinental ballistic missile base, equipped with a vast underground network of tunnels and rooms but no atomic warheads, is for sale in a remote corner of the United States.The warheads and missiles went when the US government abandoned the Titan bases in the 1970s.
Located near remote Moses Lake in the northwest state of Washington, the former Larsen military base includes 4,000 square meters (43,000 square feet) of "usable" space on 23 hectares (56 acres) of land, and the owner is only asking for 1.5 million dollars -- which might buy a small home in Hollywood.
Now if Lotto only cooperates it's mine.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:07 AM | Comments (1)
September 21, 2007
Tim, I'm So...
GEELONG beat Collingwood by five points in a classic AFL preliminary final, putting it within one win of its first premiership in 44 years.The Magpies were again magnificent, but the Cats held on in a nail-biting finish at the MCG to win 13.14 (92) to 13.9 (87).
It's a Black Weekend Down Under, folks.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 01:40 PM | Comments (2)
Where's The Gaff?
Now, I will admit that all I've seen on this is what's contained in this article, but based on this I don't see what's so faux pas-ian about it
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela is still very much alive despite an embarrassing gaffe by U.S. President George W. Bush, who alluded to the former South African leader's death in an attempt to explain sectarian violence in Iraq....In a speech defending his administration's Iraq policy, Bush said former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's brutality had made it impossible for a unifying leader to emerge and stop the sectarian violence that has engulfed the Middle Eastern nation.
"I heard somebody say, Where's Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas," Bush, who has a reputation for verbal faux pas, said in a press conference in Washington on Thursday.
Based on the context al-Reuters provides it seems very clear to me that Chimpy is saying there are no Iraqi Mandelas because all the potential Iraqi Mandelas were murdered instead of being put in jail. He's right. It takes a bit of a creative stretch to read that as him saying 'Nelson Mandela is dead.'
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:25 AM | Comments (9)
September 20, 2007
Language Is Culture
Just whose interests do the "educators" think they are serving?
Some Oregon high schools are adopting Mexico's public school curriculum to help educate Spanish-speaking students with textbooks, an online Web site, DVDs and CDs provided free by Mexico to teach math, science and even U.S. history.The Oregon Department of Education and Mexico's Secretariat of Public Education are discussing aligning their curricula so courses will be valid in both countries.
... "Students come to us with such complex issues," said Tim King, director of Clackamas Middle College and Clackamas Web Academy, where a virtual course using Mexico's learning materials got started this week.
"We've had to change in order to fit into each school scene, become more complex and open ourselves up to new situations."
What the hell.
I mean, what the hell!
Which country do school kids in Oregon supposedly swear allegiance too? It's obvious where the Administrators' feelings lie. How can these kids possibly ever be expected to become Americans if they are taught this way?
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:39 PM | Comments (6)
September 19, 2007
Polish Of'fn Yer Arrrgyle, Ye Slimy Bilgerats
Talk Like a Pirate Day it be,
'n talk like buccaneers will we!
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:14 AM | Comments (4)
Edwards Promised That Cripples Would Walk Again...
...If Kerry Was Elected, but even he must acknowledge that that pales next to Hugo Chavez' ability to raise the dead
CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuelan man who had been declared dead woke up in the morgue in excruciating pain after medical examiners began their autopsy.Carlos Camejo, 33, was declared dead after a highway accident and taken to the morgue, where examiners began an autopsy only to realize something was amiss when he started bleeding. They quickly sought to stitch up the incision on his face.
Proof, my friends, of the superior health care that the socialist republic can provide to its happy citizens. Resistance is futile to Hillary's plan to bring these blessings to us.
There is a slight dark lining to this cloud, however
His grieving wife turned up at the morgue to identify her husband's body only to find him moved into a corridor -- and alive.
Dump the live ones in the hallway!
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:09 AM | Comments (3)
September 18, 2007
Here's A Couple Nazguls
...I'd willingly ride with.
Ch-53 Nazgul - MyVideo
"Don't touch me ~ I'm a grasshopper!"
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:57 AM | Comments (5)
It's Mussel Time!
Sometimes you just have to break down and get back to the basics. Lots of chilled white wine. A fresh loaf of FreedomFrench Bread.
And 2 pounds of mussels.
Now, before all you Men out there wince uncontrollably this next photo is not what you think
My Bride wasn't that mad at me...
That's some nice chorizo that we'll slice up into little bits
and put it in a nice deep saute pan over medium heat. You want to start rendering out some of that tasty chorizo fat like so
While that's happening chop up an onion
and plop it into the pan with the chorizo for a little saute action
Once the onions clarify a little bit and the chorizo is nicely browned put, oh, 3/4 to an inch of white wine in the pan
and also add a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, juice and all
and turn up the heat to get it simmering.
While that's heating up it's time to play barber...come here you bearded beauty
Now when you buy these things you want to make sure that they smell sweet and fresh; if they smell fishy then order pizza. Keep 'em cool in the fridge, because you want these babies alive. Then put them in a colander and under cold running water and pull off the beards. Discard any mussels that are cracked (hell, I toss any that are open at this point, as well, but I've been told that I'm over-fastidious on this point) and give the shells a light scrub to remove any sandy bits that may be clinging to them. If they are farm-raised then they will be very clean; the wild ones tend to have more true grit.
Now your sauce should be just boiling nicely
so dump those puppies in
and put a lid on them to let them vigorously simmer and cook. Now chop up a big bunch of cilantro
and in the few minutes it has taken to do this the mussels will have opened up beautifully
so dump in the cilantro
and re-cover for a few minutes more.
I realize I've been shamelessly remiss in my drinking.
This Beringer is okay, but for $12 there are much more enjoyable bottles out there. Nothing really off about it, mind you; just a run-of-the-mill wine.
Anyhow, everything looks ready
Ladle (which is a fancy term for 'dump') the contents of the pan into a nice serving dish and place it on the table along with the bread between your Beloved and yourself and dig in
and make sure there's an extra bowl nearby for the empties
Yeah, 2 pounds of mussels was just about right
And two bottles of white, naturally.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 11:32 AM | Comments (8)
September 17, 2007
Federal Appeals Court Re-Affirms Simple Concept: Bulldozers Don't Kill People
A federal appeals court panel has refused to reinstate a lawsuit brought against Caterpillar Inc. by the family of a 23-year-old peace activist crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:31 PM | Comments (17)
Chickenfrickenzee
Last Saturday I picked up an interesting bottle of wine. As you know I'm a sucker for wine. Okay, and a sucker of wine, as well. As I was wandering down the "Weird Producing Countries" aisle at the Evil Clown and I came upon this
Herding Cats 2005 Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay blend from South Africa. Looked interesting and at $8 it hit the price point for the first bottle of the evening. I'm usually not a huge Chenin Blanc fan (and no Ken, that's not the name of some Eurotrash band), but the addition of the Chardonnay took away the cloying fruitiness that they can have and made it a clean not overly sweet mildly fruity wine that was very pleasant. But what to cook while drinking? I reached for that old standby Marcella Hazan (and why haven't you bought this book yet?) and decided to make some chickenfrickenzee and risotto. This basically meant I was tied to the stove for the next few hours; luckily there was lots of wine within easy reach.
First the chicken
5 1/2 pounds or so just asking to be hacked into little bits by my Shears of Doom™. So naturally I obliged and took out Mr. Spine
and then greatly reduced Mr. Chicken's ambulatory abilities by removing his wings, legs, and thighs
This left me with the ever-delicate question of the Pamelas, still attached as nature intended.
How exactly does one remove the Pamelas from the bone? Danged if I know. So after barbarically ripping one Pam off the bone in a beastly fashion I decided to leave the other more or less as it was and put my faith in thorough cooking
So there you have it, eight pieces of happily hacked hen looking for a hot time in a pan. But first to attend to my needs.
It really is a rather refreshing wine.
now take a tablespoonish of butter
and get it meltulated with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a nice big pan over medium-highish heat
add the chicken
and let it start browning, turning occasionally. While its doing that chop 1/3 of a medium sized onion fairly fine
reserve another 1/3 for the risotto
and chop 4 healthy cloves of garlic into somewhat nicer sized chunks
add the onions, garlic and a sprig of fresh rosemary arrayed in a rakish fashion
and let them sauté for a few minutes, then add, oh, call it 3/4 of an inch of white wine
and when it starts to simmer cover and reduce the heat to medium-low
and let that puppy simmer away for 20 minutes or so whilst you work on wiping out what wine you have at hand.
After a few glasses of wine it's time to get the risotto ready. In a large sauce pan heat up 5 cups of beef broth or stock until it is at a nice slooow simmer
In a sauté pan with a lid get 3 tablespoons of butter and say 2 tablespoons of olive oil sizzlin
sauté the 1/3 of an onion from before that has been reasonably finely chopped
when the onion is clearish add two cups of arborio rice and stir it so it gets well covered with the oniony butter oil
now ladle in some of the stock
and stir it well until the rice absorbs all the liquid.
now do it again and again
until all the liquid is gone. Yep, all 5 cups. It'll take 20 minutes or so.
Now all this ladling and stirring and absorbing is thirsty work, so it's time to open another bottle
Kind of an interesting wine, this one. CMS White by Hedges; a blend of Chardonnay, Marsanne, and Sauvignon Blanc. It had a nice clean crisp fruitiness. Most yum for $12 buckskies. I had bought it to have with the mussels I was cooking the next night...but I got thirsty.
Let's see, the stock's all gone and mostly absorbed
the Frickenzee is looking and smelling frickin' good
...and now things happen fast and furious, so let's remove the buzzard to a platter
dump a heaping 1/2 cup of grated parm onto the rice
dump the juice from one lemon and some shavings from the lemon peel (only yellow stuff; none of the bitter white skin) into the pan the buzzard so recently vacated
turn back to the risotto and turn off the heat, mix the cheese in well until everything is coated and grate some fresh nutmeg on top
turn off the heat and set it aside. Get your chicken juices and lemon all a boiling and reduce it down to a nice tasty sauceitude
And then schpoon it over the 'Fricken and serve with the risotto. Yum!
total cooking time is around 45 minutes.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:19 AM | Comments (7)
September 14, 2007
Lileks Bitching About a Frost
...got us going on this. Not to mention a 'Record Lows' headline on Drudge ("Chicago Record COLD TEMPS!"). So, right this minute mind you (9:09 p.m.CST), it's 52.8 ° in Chicago, with the following addendum :
Clearing this evening. Unseasonably cool with near record breaking temperatures likely. Lows in the upper 30s...except in the mid 40s downtown. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph diminishing to 5 to 10 mph.
I'll bet they wish they were in Anchorage right about now. 56° and...
Partly cloudy in the evening becoming mostly cloudy with a chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the 40s. Light winds.
Somebody needs to adjust their carbon offsets.
For the record, Bangla-cola in September still sucks.
Thanks for nuthin', Al.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:09 PM | Comments (9)
Holy Sheet
Tiger just shot a 28 on the front nine.
Wow.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 01:26 PM | Comments (10)
Since It's Friday
...(and the fact that we're heartily sick of Moveon.org, Code Pink and Joe Biden), Bingley, Ken, major dad and I decided to chill out a little. Knock back a couple brewskis...
...eat some wings, solve the problems of the world. ( JeffS 'n That1Guy're out on a re-supply run already.)
So, here we are, just waitin' for the rest of you thugs. There's plenty of room on the carpet.
Copacetic.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:06 PM | Comments (20)
Inmates Want More Sausage
There's really not more to be said
Inmates go on sausage ‘temper tantrum’ N.M. prisoners angry after being told they could only have 1 dinner sausageHOBBS, N.M. - Some Lea County inmates set fires and broke toilets and windows after being told they would be allowed only one sausage at dinner. Jail officials said the inmates began yelling and banging on their doors in what they described in a news release as a "temper tantrum."
No word on how many pigs-in-a-blanket they are allowed.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 11:18 AM | Comments (9)
September 12, 2007
Jule's Lays A Smack Down, Eh?
A must-read on this day after our 'leaders' went lint searching in their navels
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, addressing the Australian parliament yesterday, explains:
Harper said that the 9/11 terrorist attacks showed that “if we abandon our fellow human beings to lives of poverty, brutality and ignorance, in today’s global village their misery will eventually and inevitably become our own.”
OK. A bunch of well-heeled, educated Saudis hijacked airliners and flew them into our buildings because we had abandoned our fellow human beings to lives of poverty, brutality and ignorance, in today’s global village.
And it only gets better from there. Go read.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:19 AM | Comments (1)
Hitchens On The Mealy-Mouthed Enablers
Via Hot Air's story on all this 9/11 hullaballo being due to "a misunderstanding", his latest piece in Slate
I had come here to defend atheism and secularism in general but also to have a debate with Tariq Ramadan, an Islamist academic domiciled in Geneva, who has emerged as the most sinuous and dexterous of the "interpreters" of Muslim fundamentalism to the West. He eventually declined our original debate, but there was nothing to stop me from attending his event and trying to re-stage our canceled confrontation from the floor.
After a few pointed questions we get to hear this slithery snake speak in the platitudes that the press loves. As Hitchens says, "Only six years on, and already the soft mainstreaming of Islamic imperialism is under way."
Sadly, it started on September 12th, 2001.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:12 AM | Comments (2)
September 11, 2007
All I'm Going To Watch This Day
A red day.
But the sun rises.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 11:33 AM | Comments (3)
September 09, 2007
Well, At Least She Didn't...
...spit on it.
Salty burger lands McDonald's employee in jail
Police officer says oversalted meat made him sick; worker faces charges
UNION CITY, Ga. - A McDonald’s employee spent a night in jail and is facing criminal charges because a police officer’s burger was too salty, so salty that he says it made him sick.
The clown ain't smilin'. (They couldn't just toss it and make another burger? I mean, what do those cost McDonald's ~ about 2 1/2 ¢ a piece?)
I'm thinking I hit the drive through at our local Krispy Kreme and come back a couple hours later for too much glaze on the donut. I'll own them.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:14 PM | Comments (4)
September 08, 2007
So, a Pirate Walks Into the Doctor's Office...
...with a steering wheel attached to his schwanz.
"Good grief!" says the doctor. "What's that?!"
"Argh!!"says the pirate.
"It's drivin' me nuts."
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:34 PM | Comments (1)
September 07, 2007
"Undoubtedly Poetic Stuff..."
"... but do pee-pees really go "doing-doing-doing"?"That would be the editorial comment on No. 14. For the record (and in spite of Bingley's alleged 'all things naughty' expertise), I personally have no knowledge and therefore will not answer the question based on my 5th Dimension rights.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:07 PM | Comments (8)
Is That a Good Thing?
To be on Bin Laden's required reading list?
...Bin Laden also recommended reading books by American authors Noam Chomsky and Michael Scheuer, a former CIA analyst, officials said. Chomsky's book cites various examples of American imperialism, while Scheuer's book argues that the U.S. does not understand the Islamic predicament.
Personally, I'd be willing to take a pass.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:28 PM | Comments (6)
I Wonder If They Rented A Fjord
At the airport?
THREE Norwegian tourists who had planned a holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes landed in the southwestern French town of Rodez yesterday after mistyping the destination on an internet booking form.The trio appears to have been surprised when their Ryanair flight landed in Rodez, which has a mediaeval town centre but no beach resorts.
"We were told of the mistake when the three tourists arrived at the airport and we tried to make their stay as agreeable as possible before they decided to return to Norway," the Rodez tourism chief Florence Taillefer said.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:20 AM | Comments (4)
September 06, 2007
Pope Benedict
ROME (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI and Israeli President Shimon Peres discussed Middle East peace efforts on Thursday, with both sides saying the atmosphere was favorable for Israelis and Palestinians to work to end decades of conflict.... Shortly after the meeting, Benedict held talks on the Middle East situation with the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal.
... The Vatican has been campaigning for countries like Saudi Arabia to give greater rights to Christian minorities.
Benedict raised a similar issue in his talks Wednesday with the Syrian vice president, Farouk al-Sharaa, the Vatican said.
Would that others could be as accommodating...or cordial.
It's a shame this sort of thing goes without comment ~ people only seem to notice him when Islamic Rage Boys lose their ignorant, arsonist pea-brains over some obscure source he's quoted.
In any event, that's an amazing diplomatic visitors list for a 48 hour period. Someone needs to put this guy to work.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:21 PM | Comments (5)
Your Tax Dollars At Work
Well, at least we know that in Governmentese when they say 'setback' they mean "waste of twenty years and Gawd knows how many dollars"
DENVER - A 20-year government effort to restore the population of an endangered native trout in Colorado has made little progress because biologists have been stocking some of the waterways with the wrong fish, a new study says.Biologists called the finding a setback and a potential black eye but said there is still hope for restoring the greenback cutthroat trout because at least four pure populations of the fish have been identified.
There is, sadly, no hope for restoring our greenbacks.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 12:57 PM | Comments (17)
Sonno Beato; Grazie Per Nessun Dorma
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:36 AM | Comments (9)
Hsu, Fly! Don't Bother Me...
I'm sure that's the song Hillary and her fellow Dems are singing in the shower this morning.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:21 AM
I Feel A Great Disturbance In The Force
As if this great big whale suddenly cried out as if in gastric distress
Grammy award winning producer Quincy Jones, center, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., left, and country music singer-songwriter Brett James, right, join other recording artists on stage to sing "We Are the World" at the conclusion of the GRAMMY's on the Hill Gala Dinner and performances at the Williard Inter-Continental Hotel in Washington, Wednesday evening, Sept. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Praise jeebus there's no video.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:04 AM | Comments (8)
September 05, 2007
Grandma, 1904
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:37 PM | Comments (4)
The 'Haditha Massacre'
...'conspiracy' and media witch hunt continues to fall apart, thank God.
A two star general and two other officers were censured Wednesday for failing to promptly investigate the killings of 24 civilians at Haditha, Iraq, but were cleared of a coverup, the military said.... Marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians at Haditha on November 19, 2005 but commanders did not investigate the deaths until the following February after a investigative report into the killings by Time magazine.
"The essential issue was that ... no investigation was initiated immediately," the marine officer said.
... "Our goal has been to do it as expeditious as possible, but these were substantial cases and huge investigations," the marine officer said.
Their careers are effectively ended. A recap so far...
A total of eight marines were initially charged in connection with the Haditha deaths.Four were charged with murder while four senior officers were accused of failing to properly investigate the killings.
Of the four marines charged with murder, two have since had charges withdrawn, while allegations against a third are also expected to be dismissed.
There was a quick mention of this new development on World News Tonight. No where near the hyperbole that accompanied the original, lurid reports.
Imagine that.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 06:38 PM | Comments (2)
[Cue: Everly Brothers Music] Dre-ee-ee-ee-eem
....Dream Dream Dree-eem...
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Said to Be Considering Run for GovernorMayor Ray Nagin could be days away from announcing he will run for governor of Louisiana — a move many in this stricken city regard as preposterous.
If Nagin runs, he will do so on his stewardship of New Orleans. But this is a city in great distress two years after Hurricane Katrina, with large swaths still empty, an appalling murder rate and a painfully sluggish recovery. Nagin's disapproval rating stood at 65 percent in a recent poll."He's clearly seeing his election potential differently than most of Louisiana. Statewide, Ray Nagin is dead in the water," said G. Pearson Cross, an assistant professor of politics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. "One thing is clear: New Orleans has not had the forceful and dynamic leadership necessary to get recovery on the right track."
...But David Bell, a juvenile court judge and community leader in mostly black eastern New Orleans, said Nagin's efforts are often seen as incremental and misdirected. Bell alluded to Nagin's hiring of planner Ed Blakely as his recovery chief, and Blakely's promise of "cranes in the sky" that have yet to be seen.
"It's great to have large vision. But I think right now the public is more concerned about potholes, and the sewer lines, and the water lines," Bell said. "Those are the things that restore faith."
(That would be the same eastern New Orleans I wrote about.)
There's speculation that Nagin's surreal sense of self might be a calculated attempt to stay in Louisiana politics.
...Privately, some said they suspect Nagin knows he has little chance but wants to use the publicity to ensure a political future in Louisiana.
How sick, self-absorbed and deluded is that? Plus, with Louisiana politics the way it is, I'm not sure that there would be enough left of Mayor Noggin besides bleached bones. They're awful good at stripping the skin off people even when they have to make it up ~ it's a local art form. For instance, trying to derail Republican Rep. Bobby Jindal's run for the governorship, state Democrats have been at their tawdry, pond scummy best. Not content with darkening his facial tones in photos, they've made sure to refer to his given name in a sneering little piece of work...
Piyush (Bobby) Jindal has finally admitted to a partial divine revelation that he wants to be governor.....Instead of Piyush praying for a decision to run for governor which everyone knows he’s made; he ought to pray for humility and maybe even a conscience.
...that makes sure all readers know his ethnicity without ever saying 'Indian' (But mention 'Obama' and 'madrassa' and...oh, wait. He's a Democrat.), as well as releasing an anti-Jindal commercial that, well, backfired spectacularly.
... So far, the campaign's biggest fireworks have come from a Democratic Party commercial that accused Jindal of insulting Protestant faiths in a decade-old article he wrote about Catholicism. The ad drew strong criticism, not just from Republicans but from a wide range of religious leaders and Democratic politicians, including Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu.As a result of the party's misfire, Boasso and Campbell are going to have to launch their own attacks on Jindal if they hope to keep him below the magic 50-percent primary tally and force a runoff, said Bob Mann, who was communications director for Gov. Kathleen Blanco and now teaches at Louisiana State University.
"In some ways the Democratic Party has fouled the nest by firing off that really boneheaded attack on Jindal," Mann said. "If I were Boasso or Foster Campbell, I would do everything I could to separate myself from the party and just resign myself to the knowledge that I'm going to have to carry the negative attacks because the party is too inept to do it for me."
You're all gator bait in love and war. I think Nagin himself hands them the rusty scalpels for the evisceration.
However, if he steps down to run, maybe a real LEADER can step UP. Somebody to take control of that piteous mess. It might just be the silver lining New Orleans needs.
Hell. It can't get any worse.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:58 AM | Comments (6)
One Obvious Consequence Of A National Health Plan
Is that the politicians and bureaucrats decide to only treat those who are healthy
Failing to follow a healthy lifestyle could lead to free NHS treatment being denied under the Tory plans.Patients would be handed "NHS Health Miles Cards" allowing them to earn reward points for losing weight, giving up smoking, receiving immunisations or attending regular health screenings.
Like a supermarket loyalty card, the points could be redeemed as discounts on gym membership and fresh fruit and vegetables, or even give priority for other public services - such as jumping the queue for council housing.
But heavy smokers, the obese and binge drinkers who were a drain on the NHS could be denied some routine treatments such as hip replacements until they cleaned up their act.
...The report calls for a greater emphasis on the "citizen's responsibility" to be healthy and says no one should expect taxpayers to fund their unhealthy lifestyles.
This really shouldn't be a shock to anyone; the Nanny-Staters are so much wiser than the rest of us, they know best how we should live our lives while they spend our money.
Now, I wonder, will the NHS now refuse coverage for drug addicts? Pretty unhealthy lifestyle, I'd say. Pregnant teens? Sorry! And I'm sure AIDS patients won't get any coverage, either.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:32 AM | Comments (4)
September 04, 2007
Some Family Pics
Ken's not the only one to find some old pictures recently. Here's a photo of my grandparents' wedding on June 15th, 1925
(the bride is of course the lovely seated lady)
And here are both sets of their parents, my great-grandparents, along with two of my aunts
And the coolest thing is here are my mother's mother's grandparents, my great-great-grandparents
I've been after my mother for ages to start labeling these photos and sending to me to scan them, and I'm glad she finally is.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 10:06 PM | Comments (17)
September 03, 2007
I'm Not at All a Union Booster
...but I also have to say these guys have a point.
UAW Members Speak Out About Strike VoteFord Motor Co. has brought a lot of uncertainty into Gerald Williamson's life.
The factory where he works is on a list of plants slated to be sold or even closed, and like other workers, he's had to give up part of his pay raises to help the company fund its huge retiree health care bill. So when it came time to vote to give union leaders the power to call a strike if contract talks go south, Williamson got some satisfaction last week out of casting his ballot in favor.
... Williamson, a 13-year Ford worker from Ypsilanti, says he doesn't want a strike and he doesn't think the company wants one either. But like many workers, he's unhappy that he's had to give up money when new Ford President and Chief Executive Alan Mulally is making millions.
"When you ask people to make concessions and they help out and chip in, then everyone has to make concessions," Williamson said after voting on Wednesday.
Mulally's compensation package was valued at $39.1 million during his four months on the job last year, according to an analysis of a Ford filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Workers at many Detroit-area factories often refer to executive compensation when asked about concessions.
(I'll do that gig for a quarter of that! Call me!) Of course, the new Ford head says please don't hate him because he's beautiful...
...When Mulally was asked last week about criticism of his compensation, he said that leadership counts."All the skills required to run a business are market-driven," said Mulally, who was hired away from Boeing Co. last year to rescue the money-losing Ford.
Not all pain is local, I guess. If I was a Ford worker on the inevitable losing end of the stick, I might have to wear a 'BITE ME' t-shirt, too.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:13 PM | Comments (3)
While Not a Fan of Flying
...I stand in awe of the hurricane hunters who let us know, first hand, what's happening inside these rampaging beasties. But I've never read something like this...
BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME TURBULENCE AND GROUPEL THAT THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED...THE MISSION IS BEING ABORTED AND THE AIRCRAFT IS RETURNING TO ST. CROIX.
DAMN. I believe they're referring to 'graupel', which is granular snow pellets also called 'soft hail'.
That had to be a WHALE of a ride.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:59 AM | Comments (1)
September 02, 2007
Trotting Out Old Bill the Way They Are
...Hillary's handlers must be happy this slipped through the cracks, notice-wise.
Former NJ Governor's Wife Recalls Ordeal...Matos McGreevey said in the midst of her personal turmoil she called Hillary Rodham Clinton for advice. The former first lady also had been publicly humiliated by her philandering husband, though his indiscretions were with a female intern and did not involve gay sex.
"She said the best piece of advice I can give you is to get your own counsel and do what you think you need to do protect you and your daughter," Matos McGreevey recalled. "And don't let your husband's advisers make decisions for you."
I'll bet she won't be offering advice for a while. Don't want to dink the cash cow.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:52 PM | Comments (1)
September 01, 2007
And the Word This Morning Is
FOOTBALLAnd ahhhhhh. It is good.
At 2:30 Central this afternoon...
...it gets even better.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:32 AM | Comments (7)