The Coalition of the Swilling

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April 30, 2009

"I'm So Much Cooler Online"

Heard for the first time today. Hilarious.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:45 PM | Comments (2)

Quote of the Day

CNBC's Maria Bartoromo grilling Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli just now.

"Are you comfortable with the unions running this company when we've seen that's been a failure in the past?"

And:

"If the government owns 50% of GM, how are YOU going to be competition to the American taxpayer?"

Posted by tree hugging sister at 04:20 PM

See What Happens When You Kiss Tom Cruise?

He gave her some of his "Maverick"

Fifty-one-year young Kelly McGillis is starting her "life in a whole different phase," she told rocker and SheWired vlogger Jennifer Corday -- ostensibly coming out as a lesbian.

Corday, in her Girl Rock video blog, asks the Top Gun and The Accused star, that since she is single, is she looking for a man or woman, or both?

In no uncertain terms McGillis responded that what she is looking for is "definitely a woman." McGillis, a long-rumored lesbian who starred on The L Word as a closeted Army Colonel trying a Don't Ask Don't Tell case added that she is "done with the man thing."

Cruise is still trapped in the closet.

(h/t to Ace)

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 02:10 PM | Comments (7)

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah ~ The Reaction's Understandable

When Elizabeth Edwards learned of her husband's affair, she went into a bathroom and "threw up," she writes in her new memoir to be published in May.

"I cried and screamed, I went to the bathroom and threw up," Edwards writes in her book "Resilience."

Edwards said her husband, former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, admitted to the betrayal just days after declaring his run for president in 2006...

What's NOT is that you didn't give your fellow Americans a chance to feel the same about the this-close-to-president-silky-lyin'-sack-o'-shit.

That pretty much pegs my sympathy meter.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:04 AM | Comments (5)

I Got It One Piece At A Time

And it didn't cost me a dime

A Scarsdale mom was busted for stealing $12 million in gold from a posh Queens jewelry store by slipping it out piece-by-piece in her purse lining, prosecutors said.

So the very next day when I punched in
With my big lunchbox and with help from my friends
I left that day with a lunch box full of gears
Now, I never considered myself a thief
GM wouldn't miss just one little piece
Especially if I strung it out over several years.

For at least the past six years, Teresa Tambunting, a vault manager at Jacmel Jewelry, stole 500 pounds of fine gold jewelry and raw gold, which she hid in the suburban home she shared with her husband and three children, prosecutors said.

The 50-year-old Tambunting hoarded her growing treasure trove in 5-gallon buckets in their basement, law enforcement sources said.

...When Tambunting got wind of the audit, she decided to fess up. She arrived at work in early February dragging rolling luggage bags filled with some of the booty, her boss said.

"The first time, she returned one bag with eighty pounds of fine gold. Then, on another occasion (one week later) she came back with another bag," said Jacmel president Jack Rahmey.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:14 AM | Comments (5)

April 29, 2009

Yeah, So...

Holder urges allies to take share of detainees

How's that working out for ya?

Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:09 PM | Comments (14)

Discipline Your Children

...while you still can.

A global children's rights treaty, ratified by every U.N. member except the United States and Somalia, has so alarmed its American critics that some are now pushing to add a parental rights amendment to the Constitution as a buffer against it.

The result is a feisty new twist to a long-running saga over the U.N. Convention on the Rights of The Child. The nearly 20-year-old treaty has ardent supporters and opponents in the United States, and both sides agree that its chances of ratification—while still uncertain—are better under the Obama administration than at any point in the past.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:01 PM | Comments (4)

Couldn't Agree

...more.

Not only did we give the mouse a cookie, we gave him the whole darn factory.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:57 PM

Just Sit Right Back And You'll Hear A Tale

A tale of a fateful trip
That left from Andrews AFB
Aboard this flying ship

The mate was a mighty sailing man

The skipper brave and sure

They grabbed their cameras and set sail
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour

The coverage started getting rough
Scared people raised a fuss
The "furious" skipper turned and threw
The Air Force under the bus
The Air Force under the bus...

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:54 AM | Comments (19)

April 28, 2009

"Updating A File Photo"

Goddamned sorry Most Competent idiots evuh

WASHINGTON – An administration official says a presidential Boeing 747 and a fighter jet flew low near ground zero in New York City Monday because the White House Military Office wanted to update its file photo of the president's plane near the Statue of Liberty.

How much did they (and by "they" I of course me "we") spend on this?

As my Bride asked last night, how many kevlar vests would that have bought for the soldiers overseas?

The New York Mercantile Exchange shut down because they evacuated everyone; how much money was lost on that?

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:17 AM | Comments (13)

April 27, 2009

Quote of the Day

"God, get this DOUCHE off my screen!

Well, since douches actually clean something, it's unfair to douches to call him that."

Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:47 PM | Comments (4)

I Have to Call "Foul" and "Au Contrare"

Watching CNBC this morning, the Power Lunch crew ~ especially Sue Herera ~ WERE vociferously snortin' fire about the fly-over photo jaunt. And I told Bingley as much when he called (on his way to the bus) to say he was surprised it wasn't getting more play and oh, well. It seems that things had quickly calmed and he said the bulls of Wall Street were once again reaping their erotic share of tourista genital petting.

Somehow that's fitting.

UPDATE: Oh, thank God they did that before someone could link it to a memo from the Bush WHite House.

Director of White House Military Office apologizes for photo shoot with low-flying plane that rattled some in Manhattan.

Of course, once they realize they had an out, whoever jumped the gun will be told to report to the basement in shorts with a board and a baggie...

Posted by tree hugging sister at 04:57 PM | Comments (3)

From The Dept of "WTF Were You Thinking?"

Really, guys, we appreciated this this morning:

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL April 27, 2009, 10:27 AM EST By WSJ Staff

A plane circling Lower Manhattan escorted by two fighter jets is part of a "photo op," said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters. The event caused some evacuations of office buildings in Lower Manhattan and Jersey City, N.J., on Monday morning.

Mr. Peters said the Defense Department is conducting a photo op that involves deploying two F-16s and escorting a Boeing 747 in the vicinity of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. He said the maneuver is not an emergency and was coordinated in advance with the FAA and state and local officials.

"They'll do two or three spins... and be done by 10:30," Mr. Peters said.

Who would have thought that maybe it might have been a good idea to let people know this was going to happen. I didn't have to evacuate, but I know several people whose buildings were emptied.

As Insta says, the country's in the very best of hands...

Update: From WCBS

David Frank of Jersey City wrote: "I work in 30 Hudson, which is the largest building in NJ and is right on the water facing the Statue of Liberty. I ran out of the building after a stampede of people began running out of the building as they saw the jumbo jet being followed by two fighter planes veer sharply towards our building and climb right over it. By the time I got outside, it was coming around for its THIRD pass, and I watched it level off below building height over the water and then once again veer sharply towards the building. Several hundred of us began to run away fearing for our lives before it climbed steeply and flew over our building. Whoever thought that this 'photo op' was a good idea should be removed from command...why couldn't this simply be done with Photo Shop? Hollywood can create an entire armageddon on film but the US military can't photo shop a plane by the Statue of Liberty?"

Damn right.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 11:17 AM | Comments (6)

Ho Boy

This sounds inflammatory enough, doesn't it? Another rampaging wife beater ambushes cops?

Two deputies from a troubled sheriff's office in Florida had no warning a confrontation with a National Guard soldier accused of beating his wife would turn deadly, the sheriff said.

Deputies Burt Lopez and Warren "Skip" York used a stun gun to subdue Joshua Cartwright, but he was able to start shooting at them from the ground. Both Lopez and York died.

"Within seconds he sat up and began firing a weapon that came out of nowhere, it was somewhere on his body we assume," Okaloosa County's Interim Sheriff Ed Spooner told more than 300 sheriff's office employees who gathered Sunday night to pray and hear an explanation of the shootings.

Dear God, I am so sorry for their loss. It is tragic beyond all reckoning. So it is with some trepidation and little law-enforcement experience that I put to you the question major dad asked me as he read this in the paper yesterday:

"Why would you attempt to arrest a domestic violence suspect at a shooting range?"

Why? Are we missing something? He's armed for sure, supposedly beats his wife, therefore prone to violence...aren't you kind of asking for a rumble? Why not wait 'til he gets home, puts the guns up and takes a shower? Or stops at the grocery store, leaving the guns in the car. Any place but 'Locked and Loaded'-ville.

What a tragedy. Even more so if it didn't have to turn out that way.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:15 AM

Ah! Spring Is In The Air!

And that means romance. You know what I'm talking about, guys. Meeting the one you love for a leisurely meal, lingering over that last glass of wine as the warm rays of the sun slowly sink beneath the western horizon. Rising from the table with that knowing glance, reaching for your beloved's hand, her touch all electric and so filled with potential, your pulse quickening as you and her "retire" to the dumpster

On Friday morning, police on Vancouver Island got a call about suspicious activity in a Victoria suburb. When an officer arrived on the scene, he discovered a man and woman having sex in a dumpster, reports CTV News in British Columbia.

"It's 1:45 a.m. so it's dark and he called out to the people in the dumpster and didn't get any response," Police Sgt. John Price told CTV News. "So he went over there with his flashlight and poked his head in at the bottom of the dumpster."

Inside were two people, naked and intertwined.

Some guys just know what the Ladies like.

(h/t to Ace)

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:21 AM | Comments (10)

Swine Flu

Drudge is in full porn mode. And CNN, while saying "there's no reason to panic," devoted essentially their entire broadcast to it last night.

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Health officials around the world worked to contain what appears to be a spreading swine flu outbreak early Monday, while one out of every five residents of Mexico's most populous city wore masks to protect themselves against the virus.

...The United States stepped up preparations for a possible epidemic of the virus after 20 cases were confirmed, and Canada announced its first cases of the virus Sunday -- six mild cases.

But for me, I ain't worried, because I know there's no way that anyone who is infected could possibly get past our secure border.

You know, the one that the Government promised us we'd have.

On a related note, I made some kick-ass pulled pork yesterday, smoked over cherry for 12 hours or so. Yum yum yum.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:47 AM | Comments (4)

April 25, 2009

Lillies Marlene

Got a special delivery today from Sad Old Goth Nurseries...

Day Lillies!

Thanks Gregor!

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:37 PM

Man, The Print Media Is Really Dying

I just got a mailing from the Financial Times offering me, as an "executive courtesy" mind you, a half-year's subscription for $49...instead of the cover price rate of $380.

Now I know that subscriptions always run at a good discount to the cover price, but geesh louise.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 05:08 PM

Board Of Edjumacashun FAIL

Shockingly, they lost.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:56 AM | Comments (5)

April 24, 2009

Great Headline On CNN

I'm not able to get a screen shot but it says "North Korea To Try US Women, Agency Says."

I can only assume the Russian Mail-Order brides didn't work out...

Update: Here we go

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 09:19 AM | Comments (4)

In Case Anyone Was Wondering Where the "Blame the USA" Count Stood

...Hillary upped it by one yesterday during her testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee:

Even as she came out strongly against the Pakistani establishment for lagging willingness to take head on the terrorists, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday said that the US was also partly responsible for the present mess as it virtually abandoned Pakistan after the Soviets left Afghanistan.

Yes, you heard that right. We done it.
Of course, she took the free shot at Bush, too, while basically admitting they have no clue either.

...Clinton defended Obama's effort to engage diplomatically with Iran, calling it a reasonable alternative to what she called a failed Bush administration policy.

"We tried the policy of total isolation for eight years," she said in a rising voice, "and it did not deter Iran one bit. The nuclear program has continued unabated. They weren't supporting Hamas before. They are supporting Hamas now."

Clinton said it remains unclear whether international pressure on Iran will compel it to change course.

Yup. That's us!

Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:13 AM | Comments (4)

Kudos Again to ABC News

As if the magnificent Jake Tapper wasn't enough, on last night's broadcast, Jonathon Karl took a trip...to a certain (Shall we say "sparsely"?) populated airport terminal. That just happened to have Murtha's name all over it.

Welcome to the Airport for Nobody

Rep. John Murtha Steered $150 Million in Taxpayer Funds to Airport Over Last Decade

Honestly, it was so astonishing, I had to look at major dad and ask, "Did they just really do that?"

Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:01 AM | Comments (2)

What A Nice Model "Family"

The pizza was so good they left the kids for the tip

A German couple who abandoned three young children in an Italian pizzeria on Sunday have told police they fled because they had no money, reports say.

Ina Caterina Remhof, the 26-year-old mother, and her partner Sascha Schmidt, 24, said they had to eat scraps of food from bins, the Ansa news agency said.

The pair were found on Thursday in a wood near the northern town of Aosta.

The two left the restaurant in Aosta, supposedly for a cigarette, but never returned. The children are now in care.

Now this story I suppose is there to make us feel all misty eyed and sorry for the state that these young star-crossed lovers are in, due, no doubt, to the evil capitalistic economy brought about by the US global hegemons. But then there's this little point

The Italian newspaper, La Stampa, quoted Ms Remhof as saying that she and her boyfriend had left for a holiday in Italy with 900 euros (£815) but had quickly run out of money.

Hmm. Doesn't sound like they were really in a position to go off on holiday, does it? Oh, and then there's this little detail about the charming couple

German police have said that Mr Schmidt was on the run after not returning to prison while on parole, while the children's biological father is serving a prison sentence for fatally mistreating a fourth child he had with Ms Remhof.

When people are allowed/encouraged to live and rut like animals one can not be surprised when they start to act like animals.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:49 AM | Comments (4)

That Sucking Sound You Hear

...isn't just the Obama administration.

...Ethisphere, a research think tank that examines whether companies can benefit from using ethical practices, created a TARP Index in December to track losses taxpayers are taking under the TARP program. Since TARP's inception on Oct. 7, 2008, the government has lost $104.2 billion [as of Apr. 10]. The Treasury Dept. did not respond to questions about the losses so far.


The index was created out of skepticism about a remark by Senator Judd Gregg [R-N.H.] that TARP would turn out to be profitable for the government. "It rang hollow for us. [Gregg] was taking into account the imputed interest averaging across these investments," says Alex Brigham, Ethisphere's executive director.

"You can get paid interest, but if you don't get your principal back, who cares?"

...As a result of the plunge in Citigroup's stock since February, Ethisphere has marked down the value of the government's $45 billion investment in the bank, says Linssen. In February, Citi converted $25 billion in preferred shares the government had received into common equity, which translated to a 36% stake in the company. That, plus the conversion of an additional $27.5 billion of other publicly held preferred shares, diluted existing shareholders and sparked a sell-off in Citi's shares. The government's stake is now worth just $13 billion, estimates Linssen.

The calculated losses don't include the potential hit the government could take on assets that it has guaranteed for some of these banks, such as $300 billion of Citigroup's assets. "By all indications, it sounds like the government doesn't know what they have in the TARP program," says Linssen. "It doesn't know how much [it has] made. My opinion is they don't know how much they're guaranteeing."

And no one in the current administration nor Democratic Congress will bother with this little nugget:

Bailouts Don't Create Jobs: Startups Do

...Consider these stats: From 1980 to 2008, startups, defined in this case as companies less than five years old, accounted for all net job growth in the U.S., according to the Kauffman Foundation's Business Dynamics Statistics, a series of reports that rely on newly released data from the Census Bureau. The reports show that average annual net employment growth rate for startups was about 3% a year while the growth of the rest of the U.S. private sector for the same period was about 1.8%.

So, without these startups, the U.S. net employment growth rate would actually be negative.

In other words, if President Barack Obama wants to foster a recovery, a good way to do so through the private sector is to focus on creating and supporting new companies. The current approach of pouring money into decrepit, poorly managed companies is actually a way to reverse job and productivity growth in the U.S.

Sorry. That doesn't fit the descriptive narrative they've chosen. We're doomed.

How's that whole Taliban/Pakistan thing going?

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:44 AM | Comments (1)

April 23, 2009

I Found the Bulk of Art Cashin's Points on Video

Listen and learn, children.

And weep.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:34 PM | Comments (2)

In New Jersey, We Don't Call Leaning on Someone "Pressure"

It's more "making him an offer he can't refuse" (since "saying no" is interchangable with "garbage"). There seems to be quite a lot of that Barack Soprano negotiating method going on.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and then-Treasury Department chief Henry Paulson pressured Bank of America Corp. to not discuss its increasingly troubled plan to buy Merrill Lynch & Co. -- a deal that later triggered a government bailout of BofA -- according to testimony by Kenneth Lewis, the bank's chief executive.

Uh huh. Yup.

Just a day before President Barack Obama announces his plans to help General Motors and Chrysler LLC, Rick Wagoner has resigned his position as Chief Executive Officer of GM. According to a report by Reuters, Wagoner resigned after being pressured from the Obama administration on Sunday as the government prepares to announce the second round of bailout money for the Detroit automaker.

Then here...

.... . While the Obama administration might not want to have the pricetag for its foreclosure efforts look too big, the reason regulators may have pressured Fannie to understate the cost of the program is pretty simple: both Obama and Geithner said publicly that it wouldn’t have a material financial impact on Fannie or Freddie.

...and now bodies are starting to surface.

...Mr. Kellermann, 41, began working nonstop, sometimes returning home only to change clothes, colleagues say. He was losing weight and telling friends that it seemed impossible to appease everyone — regulators, lawmakers, investors and other executives — given their competing demands. Someone was always angry with him, he told one friend. And no matter how many hours everyone worked, it seemed as if the economy and homeowners were still slipping farther into the abyss.

...Early on Wednesday, Mr. Kellermann went to the basement of his brick home and hanged himself...

I'm just sayin' it sounds familiar.

Tony: That's not it. That motherf*cker's full of sh*t. He's shaking me down.

Carmela: No, he's not.

Tony: Oh, yeah? Who knows more about extortion, me or you?

Apparently there're a lot of people in Chicago Washington who can 'tawk like dat', too, capiche?

UPDATE: Just detected: An Instalanche, for which I must immediately and profusely tank my Blogfaddah and den welcome all his friends.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:59 AM | Comments (9)

A Short in the System

GE poobah Jeff Immelt needs to work on keeping his stories straight. One of these things is NOT like the other. For all the attention on the MSNBC brouhaha during the shareholders' meeting, the CNBC "make nice" meeting actually got some airtime.

...Attendees who spoke to THR said shareholders asked about 10 politically charged questions concerning MSNBC as well as one about CNBC.

First up was a woman asking about a reported meeting in which Immelt and NBC Uni CEO Jeff Zucker supposedly told top CNBC executives and talent to be less critical of President Obama and his policies.

Immelt acknowledged a meeting took place but said no one at CNBC was told what to say or not to say about politics.

Why have a meeting at all then, one wonders, considering...

...Immelt told the assembled he takes a hands-off approach to what is reported on the company's news networks...

Hands off? That must only be applicable to the left hand. As for my rowdy CNBC bunch, I haven't noticed any appreciable softening of sentiment in their marquee players. (As if someone could force, say, Kudlow to "tone it down".) Calling it as they see it is one of the most refreshing aspects of watching CNBC.

But it's nice to know that someone has noticed the differential treatment 'twixt siblings.

..."My biggest surprise was the open hostility to MSNBC," said Tom Borelli of the Free Enterprise Action Fund and a four-year critic of Immelt. "It was noticeable and loud. I don't remember any of this going on last year."

"Any time MSNBC was mentioned, there was a rumbling in the crowd of 400 people," he added.

More please.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:28 AM | Comments (5)

Most Competent Administration Evuh! Part 807

Way to mend our relationships with other nations there, Janet

The U.S. Homeland Security chief has clarified earlier remarks that suggested the 9-11 terrorists entered the U.S. through Canada.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made the comments during a media interview earlier this week, much to the chagrin of Canadians on both sides of the border.

In a release Tuesday night following the interview, she called Canada a "close ally and an important partner" and said she was simply misunderstood.

See, it's your fault, you right-wing terrorist, you simple minded veteran you! But what was "misunderstood", you ask?

Well...this

The furor began when Napolitano was asked to clarify statements she had made about equal treatment for the Mexican and Canadian borders, despite the fact that a flood of illegal immigrants and a massive drug war are two serious issues on the southern border.

"Yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn't have a drug war going on, it didn't have 6,000 homicides that were drug-related last year," she said.

"Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country across a border, it's been across the Canadian border. There are real issues there."

When asked if she was referring to the 9-11 terrorists, Napolitano added: "Not just those but others as well."

Clearly, when specifically asked if she was referring to the 9-11 terrorists and she said "not just those" she was, er, um, uh ...misunderstood.

Yeah, that's it.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:10 AM | Comments (9)

April 22, 2009

At Least You Don't Have to Yell

..."Hey A$$hole!! Down in front!!" for that price.

The price of an average premium ticket is $510 for the Yankees and $150 for the Mets.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:42 PM | Comments (13)

Found on Craig's List Just Now

Searching for Human Resources - Several Individuals Required (Pensacola)

National Start Up Corp looking for reliable applicants to fill new vacancies.

Winning temperament needed. Hospitalization.

I need to know where that last requirement fits in ~ before or after?

I hate quibbling over details.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:12 PM | Comments (1)

I Know It's "English"

“At no time, prior to becoming incapacitated, was Serena trapped in her vehicle. She was certainly able to get out of it.

“I am driven to the conclusion that if at any time she had wanted to do so before becoming incapacitated she could have got out of the car and would not have died as a result of the fire.

“I am satisfied the fire was started because of her deliberate actions. But I am far from satisfied that at that point in time it was her clear intention that death would ensue.

“I think it is more likely than not that she failed to understand the peril she was in and the consequences of her actions.”

Really. It is.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:25 AM | Comments (4)

Everybody HATES

...a quitter.

Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

in Webster has one of the world's longest place names. It's been spelled many different ways over the years. Some locals have given up...

...and simply call it Lake Webster.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:20 AM | Comments (1)

Happy Anniversiary to My Cosmic Twin!

It's been twenty-nine years since we got on that plane to Parris Island.

Just like Kcruella said, it "seems like yesterday"...

Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:31 AM | Comments (9)

BREAKING NEWS

Yeesh.

Reports: Freddie Mac Acting CFO Found Dead in Apparent Suicide

WASHINGTON — DEVELOPING: Reports say the acting chief financial officer of Freddie Mac has been found dead in an apparent suicide.

WUSA-TV and WTOP Radio are reporting that David Kellermann was found dead in his Northern Virginia home Wednesday morning.

The 41-year-old Kellermann has been Freddie Mac's chief financial officer since September.

Begs the question "Why?"
UPDATE: Hmmm. He's not one of those outside replacement types. Curiouser and curiouser.

...Kellermann was named acting chief financial officer in September 2008, after the resignation of Anthony "Buddy" Piszel, who stepped down after the September 2008 government takeover. The chief financial officer is responsible for the company's financial controls, financial reporting and oversight of the company's budget and financial planning.

Before taking that job, Kellerman served as senior vice president, corporate controller and principal accounting officer. He was with Freddie Mac for more than 16 years.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:14 AM | Comments (6)

Oh, Save the BullSh*t Beauty Pageant Outrage, For God's Sake

You know, I don't agree with her one iota, BUT. She gets FULL marks in my book for being true to her beliefs, when it most certainly would have been both lucrative and expedient to throw them under the bus.

Miss California Feels Backlash From Former Hollywood Friends and Colleagues

Former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, who is now the director of the Miss California USA pageant, spent the last few weeks in Las Vegas actively promoting her pageant princess, Carrie Prejean.

But Moakler and her business partner, Keith Lewis, a strong activist against Proposition 8, were so infuriated over Prejean’s answer to Perez Hilton’s gay marriage question during Sunday’s crowning, they refused to make contact with the San Diego native after the show.

...Prejean, a student at San Diego Christian College, is studying to become a special education teacher and spends her spare time volunteering for the Best Buddies non profit organization, a program that helps people with disabilities. Prejean is also a volunteer for the Special Olympics.

But according to Equality California, a statewide advocacy group dedicated to winning equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Prejean’s views on gay marriage don't fit with those of her generation.

And that means...what? She's a beauty queen, for crying out loud, not ambassador to the Netherlands. As for her "handlers", what did they expect, knowing she went to a Christian college? HOW could this be a surprise? HOW? Well, then again, being from California/"Hollywood", they probably expected her to do the...lucrative and expedient thing. It's a business after all.

And Perez Hilton ALSO knew she went to a Christian college, so, being from California, he did the complete gay d*ckhead thing and put her on the spot for her religion. Not the other pertinent...attributes...that comprise winning such a completely vacuous exercise. Her religion. If it was so all fired important to know where she stood on the matter, schmaybe someone in California's pageant hierarchy could have asked the same question a little earlier in the process. But no one DID, because...I would have to guess it didn't matter as far as beauty pageant qualifications.

I'll bet you that whole "Christian" college thing caused Perez's purple pointy head to explode the second he saw it and he went gunning for her. Which would be perfectly acceptable had everyone else had been asked a question regarding the aspect of their personal beliefs which might be outside "generational" norms. Level the playing field, as it were. Wanna take a wager she's pro-life, too? (You're asking yourself, "How can she be so sure...?") Almost an intellectual exercise, right? But they didn't because, it's...well...a "beauty" pageant, not the National Religious Leadership Roundtable. Can she smile, is she pretty, does she fall when she walks, can she speak pleasantly? Yes, yes, no, yes ~ she wins.

Simple, simple formula for a reason ~ there's just not much more to the job than that.

Good for her.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:06 AM | Comments (5)

While the Craig's List Killer Was Getting All the Press

...in a "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" kind of way, what in the sam HELL was going on in Albuquerque?

Police ID 7th body found at construction site

Medical examiners have identified a seventh woman whose remains were uncovered from an area razed for a housing development in Albuquerque, police said Tuesday.

Police Chief Ray Schultz said Doreen Marquez of Albuquerque was 27 when she was last seen in October 2003.

Marquez was one of 11 adults and one fetus whose remains were found on a 92-acre site at the edge of the city that was being leveled in preparation for a residential subdivision. Four of the victims have yet to be identified.

...Albuquerque police have sifted through 40,000 cubic yards of dirt in the area they say is one of the country's largest crime scenes.

Yeeps and jeeps!

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:57 AM | Comments (3)

It's An Odd Definition Of "Volunteer"

Maybe it's my simple mind and humble upbringing stunting my cognitive faculties yet again, but if Obama is touting this as "volunteering" then why the heck is it costing so much?

WASHINGTON (AP) - Calling on Americans to volunteer, President Barack Obama signed a $5.7 billion national service bill Tuesday that triples the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years and expands ways for students to earn money for college.

"We need your service, right now, in this moment in history. ... I'm asking you to stand up and play your part," said Obama, a former community organizer in Chicago. "I'm asking you to help change history's course."

That's an edited transcript of course. What The Greatest Orator Of All Time actually said was

"We, um, need your, uh, service, your service right now, in, in this, uh, moment in history. ... I'm, uh, I'm asking you to, um, well, to stand up and, uh, play your part," said Obama, a former community organizer in Chicago. "I'm asking you to, uh, help change history's, um, history's course even though I, uh, was, uh, only a uh small child when history, or, uh, as some would say, uh, and they, er, would, uh, not be incorrect in so, uh, stating, to uh, inclusively say herstory as, uh, as well, but as I was only a, uh, small child when his or, uh, her story began I, uh, can not be held a, accountable for uh, how it, er, turned out."

Can someone explain this to me:

The service law expands ways for students and seniors to earn money for college through their volunteer work.

Isn't this saying that "The Government will pay you for doing something for free"? Have I been "volunteering" at my job for the past 20+ years? Who knew I was so civic-minded! Certainly no one who knows me...

It aims to foster and fulfill people's desire to make a difference, such as by mentoring children, cleaning up parks or buildings and weatherizing homes for the poor.

What place is it of the Government's to "foster or fulfill (my) desire(s)", let alone take it upon itself to decide what those desires actually are?

The "Nanny State Express" rolls along.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:39 AM | Comments (6)

April 21, 2009

I Guess Art Cashin Didn't Get the 30 Rock Invite

You know ~ the one where NBC poobahs told the CNBC guys to "cool it" and quit dissing Obama's big plans?

He's pretty much eviscerating those very same plans at the moment.

I love that old guy. I can guess why he wasn't invited.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:53 AM | Comments (4)

Weigh-a The Gaia Slay-a

Finally, science has shown us the true cause of Gorebal Warmening: Shoney's buffet

THE rising number of fat people was yesterday blamed for global warming.

Scientists warned that the increase in big-eaters means more food production — a major cause of CO2 gas emissions warming the planet.

Overweight people are also more likely to drive, adding to environmental damage.

They are also more likely to break chairs and couches when they sit down, and to replace this furniture requires vibrant young trees to be cut down in the prime of their youth.

See, we need to cut global food production; all these people hurt Mother Terra!

Remember, people don't matter.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:53 AM | Comments (3)

And Then the Circus

...came to town.

Pirate Suspect's Dad Says Voyage Was Boy's 1st

Of course it was.

...the pirates lied to his son, telling him they were going to get money.

Of course they did.

The family is penniless, he said.

Of course they are.

"He just went with them without knowing what he was getting into," Muse said.

Of course he did.

Argh.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:46 AM | Comments (9)

April 20, 2009

Why Is It...

That you can toss and turn all night, unable to sleep, until finally falling sound asleep approximately 3.5 minutes before your alarm goes off?

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:09 AM | Comments (9)

April 19, 2009

My Sister-Out-Law Has Arrived For A Week's Visit

I'm going to need every drop.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 05:52 PM | Comments (12)

April 16, 2009

Hell's Angels Rampage Finally Over in Ca...

...NADA?!? Gotta say, them outlaw bikers had some fine cribs.

Police wipe Hells Angels off Quebec map

When about 2000 police officers yesterday rounded up 156 Hells Angels and their associates from across the province, what they were really doing was indulging in some belated spring cleaning.

Eight years after police stormed the barricades of the Hells Angels Nomads and swept up 139 outlaw bikers in an unprecedented action that came to be known as Operation Springtime 2001, police finally have finished the job.

The final chapter of the great biker war that from 1994 to 2002 saw 164 murders is about to unfold in a new series of mega trials.

Who'd a' thunk it? (I'd like to think we would have acted on the carnage a little swifter. And I'm sure y'all correct me if I'm wrong.)

Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:02 PM | Comments (1)

I Have to Admit There Are Times When I Love "Motivational" Posters

This is one of them.

Thanks to JeffS for the (dare I say it....) Heads Up!

Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:21 AM | Comments (3)

How Is This Not Just a Convoluted

...kick-back scheme?

...Under its terms, local companies can receive tax breaks of $10,000 a year - for three years - for each ex-offender working at least six months as of Jan. 1, 2008.

...To receive the credit, companies must provide $2,000 worth of tuition support and vow to remain in Philadelphia for at least five years. As for the ex-offenders, they must turn over 5 percent of their paychecks to the city.

...Some companies, in addition to not wanting to be publicly named, object that the program requires them to pay ex-offenders more that their current unionized workforce. For a company to get the tax credit, it must pay ex-offenders 150 percent of the federal minimum hourly wage - which currently adds up to about $10 an hour.

"Employers don't want to set up a situation where their union employees are paid less," Gillison said. He added that the administration planned to introduce legislation before June to address this issue and others.

Ray Jones, a director at Impact Services Corp., which helps find ex-offenders jobs, pointed to another possible impediment, saying some ex-offenders opposed giving up 5 percent of their paychecks. Given that many have restitution and child-support payments on top of rent and food bills, he said, "it just does not make a whole lot of sense for them to buy into it."

What a deal. Surprisingly, no one's applied for it. And I'm a smidge befuddled by the whole "someone else pays you more so we can take some back" approach. I can't see much difference between this and the situation a certain local sheriff is parked in the hoosegow for...

...The federal complaint alleges that Morris and Adams created phony performance bonuses for sheriff's department employees involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. Employees were directed to return all or a portion of the bonuses as cash and cashier's checks under the pretense that the money would be used for charity.

It doesn't strike me as a good thing for anyone.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:11 AM | Comments (2)

April 15, 2009

So, I Made the Smaller of P-cola's Two Tea Parties

It was a GORGEOUS day and this turned out to be a great little crowd considering the weekday/workday time frame. Three or four hundred folks together in this humble burg is nothing to sneer at. Our narrow old downtown streets were slammed with traffic.

The signs were a' waving and everyone seemed to be in a convivial mood, in spite of the theme of the day.

Or maybe because of it. They really started coming in around 3 and the flow picked up steadily until well after 4. Then everyone marched down to the waterfront and back to the park: more speechifying and the grand finale.

Up at University Mall ~ the site of the rally whose organizing missteps caused much consternation this week ~ thankfully, there were about a thousand folks, give or take a couple hundred, and everyone was completely charged! (Well, everyone NOT sitting in the massive traffic jam it caused.) All in all, a damn fine, amiable turnout for a working class county. Made our point? Schmaybe. Made us feel better?

Oh, yeah.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:41 PM | Comments (4)

"What's That Smell in This Room?"

"Didn't you notice the powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room?"

Apparently young Ronulan Mr. A* turned "Can you watch my mail?" into a Paul-nut manifesto/organizing drive and now there's no time to even partially undo the damage. That stinks.

Hello, I am back and discovered what has happened. A* is no longer with the Pensacola Tea Party. He was asked to simply acknowledge receipt of emails inquiring about the Tea Party. I did not know him that well but met him on my first and only visit to a Republican Club meeting. I was desperate for someone to answer the emails as they were coming in around 75 to 100 per day. I was incapacitated for two days and wanted everyone to receive answers.
Please accept my sincere apology for allowing him access to our incoming information.

Thank you, J*
Coordinator
Tea Party Pensacola

What a damn shame.

UPDATE: Never one to leave well enough alone, A* has seen fit to grace our comments in another post. I'll share them here, with no further narration.

You did not stand guard for the past few years, you allowed a "conservative" to pass "socialist" laws (PD-51) and you did not hold the feet of our elected officials to the fire. You are a Johnny-come-lately, so do not claim to be active, do not claim that our country was fine until late January, Wake up and become an active part of the solution, or continue being part of the partisan problem. You are on the path of blind partisan ignorance... A pervert with a [R] behind his name is OK in your book, and a Statesman with a [D] is still classified as "the problem". Return the Republican Party to its foundation of limited spending, pro-life(not pro-war), the Constitutional Rule of Law, and truly Free markets, not regulated for Corporate profits.

BTW, I challenge you to find 1 factual error on the http://MeetTheTruth.com website, if you have the fortitude to look at the truth.
-A*

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:38 AM | Comments (10)

April 14, 2009

Due To A Translation Error Now Corrected...

We have discovered the boat in the Bible was actually called "Noah's Kwok"

HONG KONG -- This city's three billionaire Kwok brothers have just the answer for the rising waters threatening the global economy: the world's first life-size replica of Noah's ark, built to biblical specifications off the coast of this recession-struck Chinese financial center.

The message in its 450-foot-long hull, its rooftop luxury hotel and 67 pairs of fiberglass animals: "The financial tsunami will be over," says Spencer Lu, the Kwoks' project director at Noah's Ark, which is opening soon.

Actually, there seems to be an Ark-building epidemic

These are just the latest additions to a veritable ark armada built around the world by the devout and the merely driven -- from a 300-foot-long ark built by a pastor in the Canadian town of Florenceville, New Brunswick, to one built by Greenpeace in 2007 on Turkey's Mount Ararat, warning of "impending climate disaster."

Richard Greene, a 72-year-old evangelical minister, began building his full-size ark, in Frostburg, Md., after a vision he says came to him in 1974. Mr. Greene ran out of funds in the 1990s, leaving a giant skeleton of concrete and steel, but he says that 35 years on, he hasn't lost hope, though he can't help but be in awe of the other ark-builders. "If I got jealous of what other people are doing, this whole thing would have sunk years ago," he says. "You just keep on keeping on...But if God doesn't move a lot quicker, I won't be around to see the completion of this ark."

All these Noah count arks...

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 02:06 PM | Comments (2)

Since I'm the SLANDER Panda Du Jour

...lemme just toss some more greasy bad peanuts on the fire. The Ronulans sliding in off of Facebook in the comments have kindly (See? I can be polite!) confirmed something my sneaky, slanderous cerebrum had been stewing on.

The aforementioned young organizer Mr. A*, while directing us Tea Party types to the decrepit mall the previous organizer had designated as the site, STILL had the Federal Courthouse on the corners of Palafox and Garden on HIS "Pensacola Campaign for Liberty" webpage. (And a pre-protest meeting with local John Birchers scheduled for tonight.) Curious. Perhaps he hadn't changed the venue, since we're all being sent to the mall. I found that unlikely because his RSVP'S were quite recent ( up to yesterday, in fact). Could it be that they would shunt all us average types off to the back of beyond, so the young, how'd he put it...~ "If you are afraid to take a stand for what you believe, because I am involved then you have surrendered already." ~ NOT afraid guy gets the primo location and press for his "ganster banker" rally?

Naw. NO ONE would be so underhanded, so duplicitous...especially someone who was so HURT by the questions concerning his MeettheTruth background...would he?

Here's where our Facebook friends come in:

Oh and, for the record, the original organizer is the one responsible for the meeting change, not the current one.
There will be 2 events; one at the mall and a march downtown.

Yup. He would. Somehow that news hasn't made it to the Pensacola Tea Party email list.

Hijacked like a big dog.
UPDATE: A redux from comments just added to the original post:

There is posting on the taxdayteaparty site and also under florida groups in the We Surround Them for the change of location. They have been there for a week and a half.

Posted by: clementine at April 14, 2009 09:46 AM

Really? How interesting considering Mr. A*'s email that started this whole brouhaha, saying "I am thankful to J B for getting the location organized and getting notice to the TV and newspapers..." went 'round to the list only FOUR days ago.

And, since I'm sure a majority of the group is depending on email updates, there have been no corrections emailed to the contrary in that time.

Puh-LEEZ.

MORE: I just got off the phone with Rep. Jeff Miller's office. (I wouldn't have that girl's job for anything.) I guess it's been pretty blistering since the email war broke out and people ~ in light of Mr. A*'s claim that Miller would be there and inference that Miller is a Paul fan "You should know Rep. Miller is a co-sponsors to HR 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 as authored and introduced by Dr. Ron Paul." ~ calling to let them know exactly WHO Mr. A* represented and things like their meeting with the Birchers scheduled for tonight. She was lovely and polite and non-committal. Bascially "Mr. Miller's a busy guy and I can't say what he's doing tommorrow..." Since I got queried in the comments concerning Miller's plans (I did say I would call his office.), I thought I'd clarify that.

MORE REDUX: In regards to this claim in the comments:

The people we're working with in the Republican Executive Committee appreciate us as well. They have access to the MeetTheTruth site and know we're "Ron-Paulers". It's not a big deal. All of us are working together because this goes far beyond petty party talking points and personal disagreements.

...I spoke with the (quite delightful, mind you) ECREC Chairman and she said, "The ECREC is not sponsoring or affiliated with either local Tea Party." That clears that up.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:55 AM | Comments (3)

Offered Without Further Comment

...BINGLEY and Gunslinger...

Harvey Strother was a multimillionaire with a small empire of Georgia car dealerships, but when his mistress wheeled him into his lawyer's office to change his will one last time, he was a wine-soaked shell of his former self.


...As Strother aged, his alcoholism worsened. A friend testified that when he saw Strother in December 2003 — shortly after he made the final changes to his will — he was drunk, wearing a diaper...

...and filling a 16-ounce plastic cup from a box of wine.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:42 AM | Comments (5)

Worthy is The Lamb That Was Slain

And marinated for my meal.

Ah, Easter! Sure, there's the whole "Resurrection of our Lord" stuff; don't get me wrong, that's big! But really...it's all about bonnets! And flowers! And springtime allergies! And food!

Isn't it?

Anywhooo, for Easter this year I decided I was going to make some lamb with an indian twist.

Now, as everyone knows, the most important part of cooking lamb is garlic

six cloves in this instance, crushed into 2 cups of plain lowfat yogurt

along with the juice of 1 lime and 4 generous tablespoons of garam masala

lovely

Now mix that puppy up

and let the flavors coagulate for a little while.

Meanwhile, get out your conveniently packaged boneless leg of lamb (from our Dear Friends in Australia)

cut off the netting and open that beauty up

now you'll want to butterfly her out just a little bit to aid in the cooking. After you do that spread some of the marinade on the "interior" surface

and then roll that puppy back up and schplop her into a large ziplock along with the remainder of the marinade

and put the bag in the fridge to gestate for 24 hours or so, turning occasionally. The next day, about an hour before you put her on the grill, take her out and let her come somewhat up to room temperature

No, it ain't pretty. But sweet baby fluffmeister does it smell yummy. Then you pop that bad gal on the grill. I had the grill set to two levels of heat: a really hot side for the initial searing and a lower-flamed side for more sustained cooking. I wanted to bring the temp up to about 160º, which is medium for lamb. You need to watch it fairly constantly, which was easy to do between shots at the Masters, as the fatty lamb plus the yogurt can make for some Olympic-sized flare-ups if you're not careful.

Anyhow, what to consume while Fluffy is sizzling? Hmmm, well, Easter is a rather special day. And it would be a pity to let a nice bottle of bubbly go bad from just sitting there in the closet (it would be an even worse crime to save the bottle for my sister-out-law's visit next week, but that's a whole other story). Yes, yes; it's best we drink it today!

1998 Dom. My my. Exceedingly tasty. Mind you, I got it as a gift many many years ago, as I'm too darned cheap to drop a couple of hundred bucks on a bottle of champagne (which I don't really care for) but I'm perfectly willing to let someone else spend the money; I'm big that way. This bottle had aged exquisitely: the sometimes sharp acidity had mellowed into a toasty, softly yeasty yumminess and the bubbles were micro-sized in ticklish flavor. Yum yum.

By this point the Fluffster had come up to the desired temperature (I have not yet been able to convince my girls that rare lamb is a good thing)

and the flavor was exceptionally divine when paired with par-boiled yams that had been flavored with brown sugar and maple syrup by my Bride and a mixed green salad with a raspberry vinaigrette whose sharp acidity cut the sweetness of the yams and the latent heaviness of the lamb quite nicely.

All in all a quite yummy meal!

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:05 AM | Comments (8)

April 13, 2009

So Much Pig

So little time

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:57 PM

"Pop Tart" Indeed

You know, I'm thinking that someone was kind of asleep at the wheel in Kellogg's art review department...

maybe it's just me.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:53 PM | Comments (5)

If I Say It and I'm On TV

...it MUST be true!

...[Mexican Ambassador] Sarukhan has claimed that Mexico seizes 2,000 guns a day from the United States, or 730,000 a year.



But the official statistic from the Mexico attorney general's office says Mexico seized 29,000 weapons in all of 2007 and 2008.

Facts?!? We don't need no steakin' facts!!

And that pinche abogado generale? Hasta la vista...

Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:08 AM | Comments (3)

"This Could Escalate Violence..."

What mumbly jumbly gibberish from an Admiral

Reports suggest talks with the pirates stalled on Saturday because US officials insisted that the pirates be arrested and brought to justice.

Admiral Gortney said the military end to the hostage incident might raise the stakes for pirates in the region.

"This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it," he told reporters.

In Eyl, a pirate stronghold on the Somali coast, one self-proclaimed pirate said the US navy had become the "number one enemy".

I can think of three pirates who won't be escalating squat any more.

Well done, SEALs, and well done Mr. President in allowing them to protect our citizens.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:13 AM | Comments (11)

April 12, 2009

As They Say "That's Why We Play the Game"

US sea capt. freed from pirates in swift firefight

An American ship captain was freed unharmed Sunday in a swift firefight that killed three of the four Somali pirates who had been holding him for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa, U.S. officials said.

A big Sierra Hotel to the SEAL team, Captain Phillips and the big guys who pulled the trigger for the rescue. The admiral speaking at the news conference airing right now said snipers from the Bainbridge took the scallawags out after Phillips hit the water. Damn . DAMN!!

Bravo. I'm so proud, I'm teary.

And a warm Swill salute to Gunslinger for letting us know.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 04:37 PM | Comments (11)

April 10, 2009

Ronulans Attack!

So, me and Leigh bond in snarling last night over our mutual Tea Party hijacking outrage. Apparently, the Ronulan operative A*-hole (snicker) doesn't realize who he's dealing with. He sent a disingenuous, smarmy slap directly at her this morning...

Unlike the nameless hcquilts I will address your concerns individually.
"NOBODY has any business telling demonstrators what to say or why they're participating. This is the sort of "message control" leftist gangs like ACORN engage in.
I agree, which is why I did not tell anyone what their sign should say. And you are right, it was shamefully "leftist" of me to share sign making tips.
"Unlike Mr. F A*-hole I am NOT "protesting private banking institutions." I am demonstrating against *our elected representatives*.... I am demonstrating in favor of free markets and individual responsibility."
My letter very clearly stated we are protesting the Legislative branch... our elected officials, and if you are not protesting banks, you are not paying attention. My personal view is that a regulated market is not free, and until we return to the intent of our forefathers we will not we truly have free markets.
"Most disturbing: ... antiglobalist, antiwar conspiracy-theory group. Among its tamer claims is that the 9/11 attack was an inside job done by "Zionists.""
I do not make any claims about Zionism or 911, but I must ask you, how can you not be opposed to globalism? For the sake of our kids we must stand against one world global courts, taxes, and laws.
"It's hard enough being a conservative without this kind of baggage."
Being conservative is nothing to be ashamed of, nor is it difficult. When a "conservative" is in office it does not negate our responsibilities of holding their feet to the fire. We must be conservative with the life of others, the money of others, and also the words of others. So please next time you would like to mis-quote me, be more conservative with your outgoing group emails.

-A*hole

Sweet baby Jesus, then she pwned him SO exquisitely. And in a group email no less (which included the above F A*-hole chiding for reference), takes him apart:

F A*-hole is either a bad reader or a libeler. Either way, his latest email unfortunately demands a response.

He calls me "nameless". This is false. My name, Leigh Fumpteephrats, appears automatically right next to my email address (which he had no trouble finding).

He accuses me of calling "sign making tips" "leftist". This is false. My actual words: "It is perfectly appropriate to suggest that signs be legible and coherent and their messages peaceful."

He says he "very clearly stated we are protesting the Legislative branch... our elected officials". This is false. His actual words: "...please refrain from attacking political personalities....We will be protesting the private banking institutions such as the Federal Reserve and its "Inflation Tax" and the bankster gangsters and their unconstitutional bailout as allowed by the Legislative Branch."

(1) Private banks. (2) The Fed. (3) The "bankster gangsters" (what is this, junior high?). (4) "Their" bailout. And like an afterthought, waayy down there at the end of his sentence, the "Legislative Branch" - whose members he's already warned us not to mention by name. Seems that in F A*-hole's world, an anonymous Congress merely "allowed" the bailout. They didn't write the law that created it, impose the taxes that fund it, or bully banks into accepting it with threats the economy would crash if they didn't. Just sat there and passively "allowed" failing businesses to impose a nefarious plan to Rule! The! World!!!

Good grief. If F A*-hole loaded, aimed, and fired a gun, would he say he "allowed" it to go off, then accuse the target of stealing the bullets to monopolize the world's lead supply?

But set all that aside. Let's say I'm "not paying attention." Here's the real point: F A*-hole HAS NO BUSINESS TELLING ANYBODY WHAT THE'RE PROTESTING. As Tonto said to the Lone Ranger: "What do you mean, 'we'"?

He says he did "not make any claims about Zionism or 911." I never said he did. In fact, I noted how coy he's been about the nature of his "activism." Only his email address reveals his association with a crackpot blame-America-and-the-Jews website. Either he espouses that site's beliefs, or he's not very selective about his friends. If Fannin hoped to discourage suspicions that an organized fringe group is trying to co-opt this grassroots demonstration, he's doing a lousy job.

But he has achieved one thing. By letting his mask slip, he's spared me the shame of unwittingly associating with his crowd. If I hold a sign on the 15th it'll be on the other side of town. From my emails, it looks like I would not be alone.

So schmaybe there'll be at least 2 of us peacefully holding signs down by the Courthouse? PLUS, she's a Rachel Lucas fan AND a SWILLER!!!! WHAT'S not to love?!

Can't WAIT to meet her in person!
UPDATE: Argh. Another email, more of the same;

...To everyone on the list, do not let your participation be based on one mans personal political views.
This event is about taking a collective stand to say we are not happy with the spending.
Please do not mass email the group with dis-info, or unsolicited content.
To Leigh, If I have said anything to offend you let me know, and stop putting words in my mouth.

...but I answered this time:

I notice "your good name" no longer includes your affiliation email address. Curious thing, that ~ considering a simple Google search shows your Ron Paul affiliations (and a very nice picture of you with "the man" himself ) which, in turn, leads one to "Meet Up" and all the whackjob pages their website provides. You yourself may be a saint, but your choice of movements (where you conveniently ignore whence Leigh's objections sprung) to align yourself with leaves doubt about your motives, considering the well publicized and controversial stances of "Meet" and Ronulans in general.

Leigh Fumpteephrats is hardly being divisive. I prefer to think of her as "Paul Revere-ish".

And supporting YOUR cause by appearing at ANY gathering YOU are "organizing" would betray my personal convictions and, indeed, the entire spirit of the "Tea Party".

Is Rep. Miller aware of your connections and still planning to attend? I'm curious.

(And he's got all these links to Glenn Beck forums. I wonder if Beck would be thrilled with that, were HE aware.)

I imagine he'll be along shortly.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:13 AM | Comments (18)

Hang in There, Big Guy

We're pullin' for ya.

Report: American Ship Captain Held Hostage Failed in Escape Attempt

UPDATE: WHAT?!?!?!

...Around midnight local time, Phillips jumped off the lifeboat and began swimming, according to Defense Department officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk about the sensitive, unfolding operations.

One of the pirates then fired an automatic weapon, the officials said, although it was not clear if the shots were fired at Phillips or into the air, and he returned to the lifeboat.

The USS Bainbridge, which is several hundred yards away, has rescue helicopters and lifeboats but is keeping its distance, in part to stay out of the pirates' range of fire.

Its sailors were able to see Phillips moving around and talking after his return to the lifeboat, and the Defense Department officials think he is unharmed.

My Disgust O Meter is clanging and I hope it's a malfunction...

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:12 AM | Comments (18)

April 09, 2009

I Have to Work During the Start of the April 15th Pensacola Tea Party

I was gonna jet to the protest when the jefe got back around 3, but, considering the flow of email traffic, it's probably just as well. One poor guy tried to organize it, but he got schwamped. Got an email from a different fellow today claiming to be his right hand man:

Hello, My name is A* I will be helping J* as his available time has diminished due to personal issues.
I work with several political/activist groups in the area, some partisan and some independent.
I want to stress the importance of keeping the message of our signs peaceful, universal, and legible.
Large sections of cardboard work well for a sign, also you can buy thin sheets of wood, or craft project board.
If you use wood or cardboard paint it white first, then use spray paint and stencils or a medium sized paintbrush with dark paint.
Signs with a paragraph of text or thin writing(sharpie) will most likely not be legible from the road.
Text should be ½" -1½" thick, and strongly contrast the background material color.

To keep our message peaceful please refrain from attacking political personalities, or parties.
We must not forget the bailouts began before Mr. Obama took power, and will continue afterwards if we do not stand against it now. Just as the Sons of Liberty protested "Taxation without Representation", we will be protesting the private banking institutions such as the Federal Reserve and its "Inflation Tax" and the bankster gangsters and their unconstitutional bailout as allowed by the Legislative Branch.

I am thankful to J* for getting the location organized and getting notice to the TV and newspapers.
Many of you have written thank you notes to J*, he should be able to respond sometime next we ek.
I will be checking this email for him in the meantime, or you can send to my email listed below.

I hadn't had time to read it when this "reply all" hit the Inbox:

I apologize for sending this to list addressees individually. However, I was so shocked by Mr. A*'s words and the "activist" website where he has his email address (www.meetthetruth.org) that I felt it prudent to contact everyone directly.

It is perfectly appropriate to suggest that signs be legible and coherent and their messages peaceful. But this is an exercise of First Amendment rights. NOBODY has any business telling demonstrators what to say or why they're participating. This is the sort of "message control" leftist gangs like ACORN engage in.

Unlike Mr. A* I am NOT "protesting private banking institutions." I am demonstrating against *our elected representatives* - at every level - who have abused our trust by rewarding bad corporate and personal behavior with taxpayer money, mortgaging our grandchildren's future, and expanding the role of government. I am demonstrating in favor of free markets and individual responsibility.

Most disturbing: the website which hosts Mr. A*'s email address (www.meetthetruth.org) is an antiglobalist, antiwar conspiracy-theory group. Among its tamer claims is that the 9/11 attack was an inside job done by "Zionists." This is just the kind of association the media would love to jump on to discredit to the entire Tea Party movement.

If this is any indication of who's trying to run the show, count me out. It's hard enough being a conservative without this kind of baggage.

No shit. If you wander over to Meet the Truth, they've got a lovely Rosie O'Donnell sort of primer on steel pancaking, lots of airplanes crashing into buildings footage and...forget it. They're fucking nut jobs. And this card carrying loon is presenting himself as OUR Tea Party go-to-guy. The Blogfaddah linked to a Roger Simon article about [ACORN] Agent Provocateurs and I think this is the first inkling of something rotten in our humble burg. He's a Ronulan. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!



Schmaybe this guy thinks it's a GOOD thing he's got a national affiliation. I got news for him...don't be hijacking my pissed-off-ed-ness and giving me etiquette lessons. I'm smart enough to know I what I can write and who I can name and NOT invite...well...guys like you to make an issue of it.

I don't have a clue now who in Sam Hell's running this thing and I could give a rat's ass. I'm half tempted to be the lone wolf with a sign in front of the Federal Courthouse on Garden Street (Site of the original party but moved for "jurisdictional" reasons ~ ¿que? ~ to the back end of a no-where-but-dead mall at the edge of town.), since it's supposed to be a citizens' impromptu fiesta anyhow.

This is a little town. What are they trying to pull where the numbers are bigger?

UPDATE: Ronulans Attack!

Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:05 PM | Comments (51)

Real Leadership

What we got here is a failure to communicate

Obama was asked to comment on the situation several times by reporters at a White House event on refinancing for homeowners. Obama, however, stuck closely to the script and replied that he wanted to remain focused on housing.

I'm willing to bet that Capt. Phillips wanted to remain focused on piloting his ship, too.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 12:02 PM | Comments (8)

The Good Ideas Just Keep Coming

Lucky thing for us.

GM: Subprime lending? Great idea!

While General Motors (GM) surely has a hangover from the credit crisis and faltering economy, it's hoping to cure some of the effects of that hangover with the hair of the dog that bit it.

GM’s finance division, GMAC Financial Services, is cutting financing costs and reviving subprime lending to speed up car sales and entice people back into GM showrooms. Subprime lending is the very thing that helped sink GMAC, and in turn, helped accelerate the parent company’s decline.

...GMAC’s loans will be made available for buyers of both new and used cars. Buyers can have credit scores under 620 -- this crowd being the subprime gang. Just the term strikes fear into the hearts of past and present derivatives traders.

What's next in this big, bold, brainiac Barack bowin' world ~ blocking the sun? I tell you, the sky's the limit.

And I, for one, am thrilled. To death.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:34 AM | Comments (1)

How's This For A Negotiating Stance:

"Release the Captain or you die. Harm the Captain and you die"

(CNN) -- A U.S. warship arrived before dawn Thursday near a 28-foot lifeboat holding four pirates and the kidnapped captain of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship, officials said.

Also nearby was the Maersk Alabama -- which had been seized early Wednesday off the Horn of Africa. All 20 of its remaining crew members were in good physical shape, said Ken Quinn, second officer of the ship, in a satellite call placed by CNN.

"There's four Somali pirates, and they've got our captain," Quinn said.

Maersk spokesman Kevin Speers said the guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge was near the Maersk Alabama and that its crew was talking to the Navy.

Maybe I'm missing something, but four pirate bastards in a 28-foot lifeboat should not be in a "stand-off" with a 508-foot destroyer. They should be in little pink pieces surrounded by splinters if they don't do what they are told.

But certainly these strong words will shiver the timbers of these sea-scoundrels:

Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, said while Washington was focused on the latest incident, “more generally, we think the world must come together to end the scourge of piracy”.

I'm sure every sailor in the US Merchant Marine fleet is sleeping easier after hearing that.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:23 AM | Comments (9)

April 08, 2009

It Is Currently Snowing In Lower Manhattan

I wants to kill me a certain groundhog...

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 10:34 AM | Comments (7)

So the Text Warble on My Cell Goes Off a Minute Ago

...and it's from an 805 area code, saying "Hey sexy".

Well, who wouldn't want to wake up to that, right? But I'm thinking I don't know this person, so I send back:

"Kinda early 4 that. Who this?"

"It's Angela. We met the other night."

I normally forget who I meet during the course of the evening, but I definitely remember whether I was out to meet anyone to begin with. And I weren't.

"Don't think so...where?"

"We met at Harrys bar and grill. we really hit it off and went back to my place. ringing any bells Nick?"

NICK?!?

"Not me, sorry. Check d number he gave u."

"I did. Omfg he fake numbered me after f*cking me! Damn!"

"B more careful. It's dangerous out there."

"Aww ur sweet. What's ur name hun?"

Good grief. (And the asterisk is mine ~ she spelled the whole thing out.) No lights going on with this chippy, bless her poor affection starved heart. Which set me up for my good deed of the day.

"I'm old enough 2 b yr grandma. B careful and not so quick 2 take some nick home. Have a better day."

Man.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:56 AM | Comments (8)

The More You Learn, the More "Buy American"

...sounds like a quaint sentiment from a forgotten age. I don't think we have anything left to buy.

Pernod Ricard to cut debt, sell Wild Turkey

French drinks company Pernod Ricard SA on Wednesday unveiled a debt reduction plan that includes raising euro1 billion ($1.3 billion) in fresh capital and selling off its Wild Turkey bourbon brand to Italy's Gruppo Campari.

Gruppo Campari has agreed to pay $575 million in cash for the Lawrenceburg, Kentucky-based Wild Turkey, Pernod Ricard said in a statement.

Really?

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:13 AM | Comments (7)

Great News!

Not surprisingly, the government feels it hasn't spent enough money that it, er, doesn't have

Though some economic measures are improving, the financial crisis "is far from over" and "appears to be taking root in the larger economy."

This, despite the government's commitment to spend trillions of taxpayer dollars on a massive bailout of the financial system.

These were the findings released in a report today by the Congressional Oversight Panel, the body charged with overseeing the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, the $700 billion plan aimed at bailing out the country's financial sector.

...The panel reported that the government has spent, lent or set aside more than $4 trillion through the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

...The panel criticized the Treasury Department for failing to identify what measurements it will use to determine whether its rescue programs are working.

"If you don't articulate what the metrics are going out ... you can't know if anything succeeded or failed," Warren said.

Gee, ya think?

When has the government ever said "You know, throwing more money at this isn't the solution"?

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:15 AM | Comments (2)

April 07, 2009

"You Know, These Calls Used to Be Kinda Funny"

Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:34 AM | Comments (3)

Talk About Being Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Via our bud Kae meet the Johnston family of Mermaid Beach (I think it's close to Porpoise Spit) after their drive into the hills for some hiking

A GOLD Coast family of four pulled off a miraculous mountainside escape when their vehicle was bombarded by tonnes of boulders during a massive landslide at Springbrook.

Michael and Jodie Johnston of Mermaid Beach were travelling up Springbrook Road in their Ford Territory with their young children, Tiffany, 5, and Lukas, 2, for a Sunday morning hike in the national park about 10am.

That plan took a turn for the worse when dozens of boulders, the largest weighing approximately 8 tonnes, hit the front bonnet of their car, which began sliding down a cliff face.

A rolling stone may gather no moss, but they have been known to collect a few Fords along the way.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:30 AM | Comments (4)

This Tells You All You Need To Know

Emergency humanitarian aid for Hamas: $300,000,000

Emergency humanitarian aid for Italy: $50,000...and an iPod thoughtfully loaded with some essentials and a gift card for 4 from the Olive Garden.

Hamas gets $300 million from Obama for scum like this.

Italy gets $50,000 from Obama for men like this.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:11 AM | Comments (4)

April 06, 2009

I First Saw Them on Austin City Limits

...20 years ago, then never heard of them again (although I'd check the "Obscure Shit" section in music racks). It had been a pretty magical performance, but what had stuck in my mind was the last song they'd played. It was so evocative of a desert caravan ~ you could imagine the camels, the swaying of the trade baskets strapped 'twixt dromedary humps, even hear the bells jingling on the traces. Amazing, amazing stuff.

Some years later, major dad came home with a Delta Sky magazine after a business trip. He showed me an article that had intrigued him, about this group of American musical masters who were world class musicians ("virtuoso" gets used a lot), yet chose to play bluegrass. Each had their own group, but they would get together for jams or special appearences. When I saw the names, I sort of shrieked "THAT'S who I've been telling you about all these years!" The group is called "Strength in Numbers", comprised of Sam Bush - fiddle, mandolin, Jerry Douglas* - dobro, Bela Fleck - banjo, guiter, Mark O'Connor - fiddle, guitar, Edgar Meyer - bass . (*Even if the other names are mysteries, you might recognise a twenty-year-older Jerry Douglas as leader of Alison Krauss' band and his voice for this recording.) And I was elated to find they'd put out an album.

But only one.

Ever.

Sigh.

Needless to say, the next visit to the "Obscure Shit" bin yielded a trophy that I cherish. And YouTube has miraculously yielded a segment of that original, enchanting performance, called "Blue Men of the Sahara".


I dig these guys.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:08 PM | Comments (9)

Admittedly a Handsome Offer. Thanks [Senator] Bill [Nelson]

...but, no.

Follow Me on Twitter and YouTube

Bad enough Barack's yammering at me from the tube 24effin7. I don't need you tweeting in the background.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:27 AM

We Watched "Marley and Me" Last Night

Of course, the end rips your heart out and we were both in tears ~ mine were noisier. (Okay, the technical term is "blubbering"). Not just for Marley, you understand. But for Pignose and Schmacktion and Budgie...for all our puppies gone to the Rainbow Bridge and for the three we have now who, inevitably, will follow them. Dogs suck that way.

At 5 this morning, as major dad got ready for work, our cooler, less emotional heads could discuss it and I really don't think we liked the movie very much. Not that it wasn't a pleasant enough film exercise, but that ALL the parts of a beloved book ~ the parts that were so memorable and so "labbish" that one could NEVER imagine Marley's story sans them ~ weren't there.

Not one, from the very beginning of the film.

A pleasant enough film. But one that should have been titled:

"40 Year Olds Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston Pretend They're Twenty, Cuddle Adorably and Occasionally Yell at a Dog They've Named Marley"

I would have saved myself the $16.95 and the heartache.

If you want our copy, just email me.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:05 AM | Comments (9)

An Interesting Observation in the Comments

I wonder what the Obama administration will do to quash this spirit of independence.... This will not be tolerated for long.

He could be SO right, considering Ford's doing everything...right.

Ford Motor Co. reduces debt by $9.9 billion

Ford Motor Co. said it reduced its debt by $9.9 billion, lowering its annual interest expense by more than $500 million as the struggling auto maker continues to resist going to the U.S. government for aid. Ford and Ford Credit will use $2.4 billion in cash plus 468 million shares of Ford common stock to reduce Ford's outstanding debt by $9.9 billion from $25.8 billion at Dec. 31.


..."Ford is taking another step toward creating an exciting, viable enterprise," said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally.

Well, we can't have that, now can we?

Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:44 AM | Comments (11)

I'm Tired Today

Spent all weekend deleting spam comments...a pox on you bastards!

I also spent a good portion of it planting hostas around the back of the house; after all, I have to give the poor dog something new to pee on...

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:42 AM | Comments (3)

April 05, 2009

"You Bad!"

"You badBadBAD!!!"

That pretty much sums up our President's reaction.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 04:34 PM | Comments (2)

April 03, 2009

For a Second I Thought I Was Reading Uris' QB VII

It was like they pulled the damages award for Bingley's favorite prof right off the page.

Jury Says Professor Was Wrongly Fired

... But the jury, which deliberated for a day and a half, awarded only $1 in damages to the former professor...

And THAT was 99¢ too much.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:55 AM | Comments (9)

Be Verwy Quiet...

It's raining in Manhattan this morning, I went out for a beer and blue cheeseburger and got home way too late after church last night. I'm pooped.

So I'll leave you this as I go off hunting wabbits...

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:19 AM | Comments (5)

April 02, 2009

Proof I Am Going To Burn, Part 2438

I was walking back from a meeting this afternoon when I passed by a Mitzvah Tank parked on Water Stree that looked much like this one

As I smiled and made friendly eye contact with the young Lubavitch fellow he of course eagerly asked "are you Jewish?"

To which I replied "not for over 2000 years!"

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:44 PM | Comments (4)

My Heart

...is BREAKING.

Afghanistan's women are no longer in vogue.

It was only a few years ago that Laura Bush, who normally shied from causes that could be considered controversial, took up their banner. "The brutal oppression of women is a central goal of the terrorists," the first lady said in a radio address shortly after President Bush launched the U.S-led invasion to overthrow the Taliban following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "The plight of women and children in Afghanistan is a matter of deliberate human cruelty, carried out by those who seek to intimidate and control."

That was then. This is now:

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has just signed a law that forces women to obey their husbands' sexual demands, keeps women from leaving the house -- even for work or school -- without a husband's permission, automatically grants child custody rights to fathers and grandfathers before mothers, and favors men in inheritance disputes and other legal matters. In short, the law again consigns Afghan women to lives of brutal repression.

Our kids are DYING over there for THIS? The misogynist BASTARDS!!!! (Yo, Miss Liberated Michelle!) I hate them with every fiber of my being. And WHAT are our principles coming to that we have to read a headline like THIS:

Muslim Women in U.S. Struggle to Balance Western Freedoms and Islamic Culture

...and copy like THIS:

...But while there are plenty of comforts from their home countries, Muslim women say they’re constantly caught balancing their lives between the freedoms they have in Western culture and the restrictions they face from religious and societal pressure. They worry about whether they’re following the habits of "a good Muslim woman."

...for the sake of their fanatic version of twisted, violent, demented religion? Despicable. DeSPICABLE.

In this land ~ that was founded to free people from the yoke of gods and kings ~ to tolerate such servitude and blatant discrimination and inhumanity?

It makes me ILL with rage.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:06 PM | Comments (6)

Told Ya

He should've stayed home.

President Obama is holding a solo press conference Thursday afternoon in London to shape the message coming out of the G20 summit, as he appears to be losing ground on economic policy among traditional allies.

...[world] Obama appears to be struggling to hold the gavel and drive the policy debate.

White House aides told FOX News the president is holding a solo press conference to drive his own message and give foreign reporters access -- which keeps Obama and his global policy platform visible around the world. The rest of the G20 nations are holding a separate news conference prior to the president's.

It's lonely for a newbie out there...

Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:11 AM | Comments (10)

Yet Another Stat to Commit to Memory

...for use when they start chanting the mantra.

The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.

...There's just one problem with the 90 percent "statistic" and it's a big one:

It's just not true.

In fact, it's not even close. By all accounts, it's probably around 17 percent.

Put it right up there with cannibals in the Super Dome and fire not melting steel.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:07 AM | Comments (1)

This is a Tad Misleading

Down on its luck: Florida Lottery mailing out coupons to boost sales

Here's what our economy is coming to: Even the Florida Lottery is handing out coupons.

What the author fails to take into account is that, as of January '09, Powerball came to Florida. Every swinging you-know-what hoping for a big payout is buying THOSE tickets instead of our old Lotto and the state gets only a fraction of the ticket price. Well, DUH, rocket men!

The lottery's a fraud anyway, perpetrated "for the children".

The billboard signs boast, like, "$80 BILLION for education since Christ was a Corporal!" And every dollar for education those tickets bring in REPLACES a dollar alotted for education, which then gets RETURNED to the general fund. The lottery hasn't supplemented JACK ~ it's been a one-for-one replacement scheme, which explains the functional illiterates in our school system and the poor $23 grand a year teachers who have to deal with them ~ while NOW worrying about getting laid off ~ for that princely salary.

Education in Florida, especially our redneck o' the woods, is a disgrace.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:19 AM | Comments (4)

We Support The Military...

...as long as they remember they exist to move our entourage

Air Obama

President Obama's European visit this week has strained Air Force heavy-airlift capabilities and obliged the military to hire more foreign contractors to help resupply U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, according to military sources.

The large delegation traveling with the president in Europe required moving several transports, including jumbo C-5s and C-17s, from sorties ferrying supplies to Afghanistan to European bases for the presidential visit, said two military officials familiar with the issue. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid any misunderstanding with White House officials.

The Air Mobility Command, part of the U.S. Transportation Command, was ordered to provide airlift for the president's entourage of nearly 500 people, including senior officials, staff, support personnel, news reporters and some 200 Secret Service agents for the European visit, and an iPod, which began Tuesday in London.

Airlift for the traveling entourage also was used to move the president's new heavy-armored limousine and several presidential helicopters used for short transits.

To make up for the shortfall, the Air Force had to increase the number of Eastern European air transport contractors hired to fly Il-76 and An-124 transport jets into Afghanistan loaded with troop supplies, the two officials said.

What a shock! His Magical Mystery iPod Tour is adding millions to the deficit.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 10:02 AM | Comments (4)

Well, Thank Goodness

When I first heard about the amazingly thoughtful and appropriate gift that President Obama gave to the Queen of England I was somewhat afraid they would leave out some timeless and vital examples of towering American thought and expression that would inspire Her Majesty even in her darkest hours, but thanks to The Most Professional And Experienced Administration Evuh my fears were, of course, groundless

Uploaded onto the iPod:

* Photos from President Obama’s Inauguration
* Audio of then-state senator Obama’s speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and
* Audio of President Obama 2009 Inauguration Address

If only she had this during the Blitz to provide her with Hope!

Instead she had to muddle through with that boor Churchill.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:15 AM | Comments (9)

April 01, 2009

From Ricki's Link Below

I found this classic

I love this routine.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:24 PM | Comments (1)

This Guy is Really Pissing Me Off

If he's not clogging up the TV, he's on the road.

Obama accepts invitations to visit China, Russia

President Barack Obama has accepted an invitation to visit China later this year.



...The White House also announced that Obama was accepting an invitation to visit Moscow this summer.

I've got a novel idea! Stay home and get some work done instead, why doncha?

Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:46 AM | Comments (9)

Mongo In Manhattan

But it was the horse's fault really

NEW YORK (CBS) ―A former New York City police detective who is a TV news reporter for the Fox affiliate WNYW was charged with intoxicated driving after his car collided with a police horse on Monday night.

Michael Sheehan was arrested in Manhattan's SoHo area. Prosecutors said the 60-year-old Sheehan refused a breath test and this resulted in an automatic suspension of his license.

Defense lawyer Thomas Monaghan said the horse slammed into Sheehan's car, "not the other way around." He said the truth will vindicate Sheehan.

On advice of counsel the horse refused to take a breathalyzer test.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:44 AM | Comments (5)

Unlike Bingley's "Box", They Tinker With the Drinker

...in an attempt to sink 'er.

State legislator wants to scuttle 'floating box' that serves alcohol

..."It's not a boat," Roberts said Monday. "It looks just like a floating box. People sit on stools and they're served liquor."

Roberts owns a condo right next door to the marina, and he's an evangelical Christian, but he said both of those factors are unrelated to his problems with the Fish House.

"I know that people want to make this about me, but although I have first-hand knowledge, it's nothing personal," he said.

Right. It never is with these people. ("Footloose" syndrome detection feelers are twitching..."CLOSE it for the CHILDREN!!!!") Fortunately, the owner is poetic in his dismissal of concerns related to "alcohol from a box".

...When the Fish House launches, it floats out into a congested area where the east and west lakes come together, Roberts said. Whenever he sees it operate, it looks very unsafe, he said.

"It's just that, goodness, you look at this and what do you do, just ignore this?" Roberts said.

"He's totally full of crap."

"...It's one of the safest boats that's on the lake," responded ["box" owner] Parks, who added that the Fish House has railings and life jackets.

Raise one for the box guy. Looks like a fun place to me.

Posted by tree hugging sister at 07:18 AM | Comments (3)