Sunday Funnies

Singin' a song!

Lambda Lamda Lamda

Wondering why China has the world's fastest super-computer? Wondering why U.S. students rank so low in science and math scores relative to other countries, lagging behind such academic powerhouses as Latvia, Hungary, and Kazakhstan? Wondering why the manned U.S. space program relies on technology (with a few upgrades here and there) developed in the 70's? Wondering why the last person to step foot on the moon did so almost 40 years ago?

I think I may have found the answer. Our friend below, known only as "Red Shirt Guy," is shown here during some sort of video-game convention questioning the creators of World of Warcraft on some inconsistencies that he found puzzling. What's World of Warcraft? Ask a 14 year old boy...



Bravo, Red Shirt Guy! Here's what happened, in a nutshell, from Yahoo!'s Plugged-In...

For those not versed in the intricacies of Warcraft lore (*meekly raises hand*), The Red Shirt Guy's question concerns the status of the character Falstad Wildhammer. Apparently, Falstad's appearance in the World of Warcraft book "The Shattering" -- a prelude to the coming Warcraft game expansion,Cataclysm -- indicates that he's sitting on a certain council, while the designers mistakenly believed the character to be long dead. Whoops! Guess keeping track of a fantasy franchise as massive as Warcraft isn't as easy as it looks.

Can you imagine the hours upon hours Red Shirt Guy must have spent playing the game and studying it's intricacies to be able to point out such an oversight to the game's creators? Can you imagine the commitment to so singular a purpose?

The most sublime moment, for me, was the big cheer Red Shirt Guy received from his nerd peers at the end of the clip. In times past, nerds would generally reserve that sort of adulation for the winner of the science fair or a spelling bee.

I'm not using the term "nerd" in a derogatory sense. Oh no, far from it. Nerds made this country great. Nerds (and the Cold War) kept the U.S. at the forefront of every major scientific advance of the 20th century. For every hot-shot test pilot climbing into an X-1 or a Mercury capsule, there was room after room filled with nerds wielding their slide rules with gusto and flair. Watch "Apollo 13." You'll see a mission control room full of nerds getting s@#% done!

Nerds nowadays? Instead of trying to build a better baking soda/vinegar volcano, they're trying to become a Level 20 elf-wizard. If Red Shirt Guy put as much time into his homework that he does playing, interpreting, and dissecting video games, he'd have earned his first Fields Medal.

And so I am left wondering when "Made in China" becomes "Made in America"

Who's Hungry?

Stirring the pot, for stirrings sake. Acorn's Bertha Lewis.,,



Testify!

Daisy, Daisy

Oh China, is there nothing you can't do? First, Huan Kitchen down the road makes the most scrumptious steamed dumplings, and now this.....(from the NY Times)

"A Chinese scientific research center has built the fastest supercomputer ever made, replacing the United States as maker of the swiftest machine, and giving China bragging rights as a technology superpower.

The computer, known as Tianhe-1A, has 1.4 times the horsepower of the current top computer, which is at a national laboratory in Tennessee, as measured by the standard test used to gauge how well the systems handle mathematical calculations, said Jack Dongarra, aUniversity of Tennessee computer scientist who maintains the official supercomputer rankings.

The race to build the fastest supercomputer has become a source of national pride as these machines are valued for their ability to solve problems critical to national interests in areas like defense, energy, finance and science."

Who needs civil rights when you can download porn at 2.5 petaflops?

Don't Tread on Me

Sure has been a spirited campaign! An alleged Rand Paul supporter shows his disdain for an alleged protester allegedly representing the allegedly liberal organization, MOveOn.org. The incident allegedly occurred outside of a debate between Paul and his opponent Jack Conway (can't make it up) for the open Kentucky senate seat...





Maybe she owed him money. Forget the guy doing his best Jimmy Conway vs. Billy Batts routine, check out the gratuitous boob-grab by the hat-wearing take-down guy at :10. Really, dude? What a time to cop a feel.

Now go home and get your f#@%&* shine box.

Do As I SAY...

This from the New York Magazine, 10/25/10...

"When you head to the polls next week, if you're a city resident, you'll not only be asked to help coronate Andrew Cuomo, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Chuck Schumer, but to vote on whether to keep the city's term limits at three terms or send it back to two terms. Where does Mayor Bloomberg stand on the issue? Well, since he's the one who pushed the City Council to extend term limits to three terms in 2008 so that he could run for mayor for a third time, a good guess would be that he supports keeping it at three terms. But he doesn't. Earlier today Bloomberg revealed that he would vote to reenact a two-term limit, but wouldn't say why. A spokesman explained that the mayor 'supported three terms only for himself because the situation was extraordinary.' Nobody will ever again be as indispensable as Mayor Bloomberg."

The New Math

Two interesting and, I think, interconnected stories from this past week. First, from WRAL/WBTV Charlotte...

"A lesbian couple say they were forced to leave a mall in Raleigh because they were spotted kissing in public.

Caitlin Breedlove says she and her girlfriend had finished eating lunch and were sitting on a bench, WRAL reported.

They had their arms around each other and had kissed briefly on the cheek when a security guard approached them, she told WRAL.

The guard told them that "being affectionate" was "inappropriate" and asked them to leave, WRAL reported.

Breedlove told WRAL that the guard added, "No one wants to see that at Cameron Village."

Breedlove, who is the co-director of Southerners on New Ground, says she asked the security guard if they would be asked to leave if the two were a man and a woman and that the guard replied "no."

The officer had not received other complaints about them, Breedlove told WRAL."

A representative has since met with and apologized to the couple, stating...

"We welcomed the opportunity to sit down with the women and offer our sincere regrets over last week's incident."

Who doesn't love a happy ending? Nobody should be able to impose their morality on another person or persons. That's just not American. Sensitivity training all 'round.

Then this, from Fox News...

"A civil rights case has been filed against a woman in Grand Rapids, Mich., who posted an advertisement at her church last July seeking a Christian roommate."

The ad "expresses an illegal preference for a Christian roommate, thus excluding people of other faiths,” according to the complaint filed by the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.

"It's a violation to make,print or publish a discriminatory statement," Executive Director Nancy Haynes told Fox News. "There are no exemptions to that."

Haynes said the unnamed 31-year-old woman’s case was turned over to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Depending on the outcome of the case, she said, the woman could face several hundreds of dollars in fines and “fair housing training so it doesn’t happen again.”

That'll learn 'er! "Fair housing training." That's Newspeak, if you were wondering.

You know, on a hunch, I decided to check out some craigslist ads from the great state of Michigan, just to see what i could see. Certainly the diligence and influence of the Fair Housing Center would be most noticeable on what is arguably the biggest medium of rental advertising in metropolitan areas across the country...

Ok, HERE is one that's titled "Section 8 Preferred." I have a job...does that discriminate against me?

HERE is another that insists that one "MUST" (their capitals) be gay friendly. Also, "business professional preferred." Welders need not apply.

Hold your hats. HERE'S one that is titled "Single Black Female Seeking Same" to share an apt. This ad was posted on Oct. 8th, 2010. The ad is still active. In Michigan. Strangely enough, it's says right there on the craigsilst housing listings menu that "stating a discriminatory preference in a housing post is illegal," and the Fair Housing Center's website states that...

"Fair Housing is the right of individuals to obtain the housing of their choice (ie: rent an apartment, buy a home, obtain a mortgage, purchase homeowners insurance etc.), free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, mental or physical disability, familial status, marital status, age, sexual preference, and legal and verifiable source of income. These rights are assured by Federal, State and local fair housing laws."


Apparently the Fair Housing Center's influence only reaches as far as church bulletin boards. Hey, it's a start! I'd say the fine people at the Michigan Department of Civil Rights have their work cut out for them.

So how are these two stories related? I suppose it is the inconsistency in which our culture doles out it's outrage. The security guard was wrong. The tool that took it upon themselves to file a complaint about the "Christian Roommate" ad was wrong. And yet here we are; two similar stories, two very different outcomes, because you can bet the farm that the "Christian Roommate" woman will not be receiving an apology.

Sunday Funnies

Perspective

From Space.com...

"A star's last gasp at the final stage of its life has been frozen for all time in a new photo by the Hubble Space Telescope.

In the photo, Hubble took a deep look at NGC 6210, a curious planetary nebula located about 6,500 light-years away, in the constellation of Hercules."



"At the heart of NGC 6210 is a star slightly less massive than our sun that is in the last fitful stage of its life cycle. The star's death spasms have kicked off multiple shells of material with different degrees of symmetry, giving the NGC 6210 nebula its odd, bulbous shape.

A star's life ends when it runs out of fuel for its thermonuclear engine. The estimated lifetime for a sun-like star is about 10 billion years.

When a star is about to die, it becomes unstable and ejects its outer layers to form a planetary nebula. What's left behind is a tiny, but very hot, star remnant known as a white dwarf.

The white dwarf inside NGC 6210, which is visible in the center of the Hubble image, will cool down and fade very slowly.

According to stellar evolution theory, our own sun will experience a similar fate in approximately 5 billion years."

I suppose the end really is nigh. Relatively speaking.

We Don't Need No Education

Christine O'Donnell's latest ad...



Ok. That's all well and good. Well maybe not.

What 's wrong with going to Yale? What sort of statement is that? I don't believe that attending a certain university should be a prerequisite for being elected to office, but touting the schools you HAVEN'T attended...? Why is she beginning these ads with these ridiculous statements?

So what have we learned? Well, we have learned that Ms. O'Donnell is not a supernatural creature and that she does not have an Ivy League education.

Rumor has it that, in the big push to election day, Ms. O'Donnell will release another ad where she reveals, with a sheepish grin and a shrug of her shoulders, "I don't drown puppies. I'm you."

Hat in Ring

Annoying Joe is officially endorsing Jimmy McMillan, the NY gubernatorial candidate from the Rent Is Too Damn High Party in his bid for the governorship of the Empire State. If you witnessed the debacle that was the gubernatorial debate last night, you would quickly understand why we are throwing our considerable weight behind this great man. Some highlights...



My man's thirsty! I suppose by "highlights" I would have been more accurate in saying "only highlights." Suffice it to say that Mr. Mcmillan was not only the most entertaining debater of the evening, but the most honest. Shoe-in Democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo white-noised his way through the debate, always ready with the appropriate and utterly prepared comment that we have all come to loathe.

That last comment by Mr. McMillan regarding marrying a shoe was in response to the moderator's question on whether Mr. McMillan supported gay marriage. Apparently, kung-fu expert Mr. McMillan is not opposed, cuz the rents too damn high. And you know something? He's right.

Please, if you would, visit the party's website here. Epileptics beware.

Which Way is Up?

The N.Y. Post today officially endorsed Andrew Cuomo in his bid to become New York's next governor.

Also today, God repealed gravity.

Sunday Funnies

The More Things Change...

From AFP.com,

"Germany's attempts to create a multi-cultural society in which people from various cultural backgrounds live together peacefully have failed, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said."

"'Multikulti', the concept that 'we are now living side by side and are happy about it," does not work, Merkel told a meeting of younger members of her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party at Potsdam near Berlin."

Said Napoleon to his puppies. At least she's honest. I couldn't even begin to imagine a prominent American politician, celebrity, etc. saying something along these lines about the U.S. Mel Gibson notwithstanding.

And why does the Chancellor feel comfortable speaking thus? Some interesting poll numbers regarding German citizen sentiment from the same article...

"...more than one third (34.3 percent) of those surveyed believed Germany's 16 million immigrants or people with foreign origins came to the country for the social benefits."

"Around the same number (35.6 percent) think Germany is being 'over-run by foreigners' and more than one in 10 called for a 'Fuehrer' to run the country 'with a strong hand.'"

"More than half (58.4 percent) of the 2,411 people polled thought the around four million Muslims in Germany should have their religious practices 'significantly curbed.'"

Does this make anyone nervous? Yup...

"Jewish leaders in Germany meanwhile warned that German society and democracy were under threat from extremists."

They would know.

Lazy Blog Day

Freshly Squeezed

I cannot wait for Nov. 3rd. I cannot wait for Nov. 3rd because it is my hope that, on Nov. 3rd, my search for the absurd will not invariably lead me to the election races. I will be able to once again write about runaway asteroids and wacky religious zealots and inane scientific studies. Unfortunately, however, it is Oct. 13th...

Came across this today. Incumbent, democratic Fl. Congressman Alan Grayson ran this ad recently, attacking his Republican opponent, Dan Webster...



Wow! Powerful stuff. This guy is a lunatic. "Taliban Dan" indeed. I'm not one to buy into a political ad but, gosh, you can see the words coming out of his mouth. I mean, it's all right there

Or is it? Check this out, especially at :11 to about :18.



...

Nothing up my sleeve, folks. Talk about smoke and mirrors.

The politics of incitement and fear. In essence, Rep. Grayson is telling the people of Florida's 8th congressional district that, should they elect his opponent, they can expect to be living under a fundamentalist Islamic regime replete with Ak-47s and burqa-clad women. And all of that with the biggest "taking out of context" since Mr. Roper found Mrs. Roper on top of Jack Tripper on the Roper's couch...Too much of a stretch?

It makes me wonder how the people of Florida's 8th congressional district who are unemployed, can't afford decent health care, or can't afford to go to college feel about this ad...

The Truth Is Out There

Came across this today on "The Upshot" Yahoo! blog...

Vladimir Lenin, King Tut and the McDonald's Happy Meal: What do they all have in common? A shocking resistance to Mother Nature's cycle of decomposition and biodegradability, apparently.

That's the disturbing point brought home by the latest project of New York City-based artist and photographer Sally Davies, who bought a McDonald's Happy Meal back in April and left it out in her kitchen to see how well it would hold up over time.

The results? "The only change that I can see is that it has become hard as a rock,"Davies told the U.K. Daily Mail.

She proceeded to photograph the Happy Meal each week and posted the pictures to Flickr to record the results of her experiment. Now, just over six months later, the Happy Meal has yet to even grow mold. She told the Daily Mail that "the food is plastic to the touch and has an acrylic sheen to it."

See above picture. Mickey D's responded...

"McDonald's hamburger patties in the United States are made with 100% USDA-inspected ground beef," Riley wrote. "Our hamburgers are cooked and prepared with salt, pepper and nothing else -- no preservatives, no fillers. Our hamburger buns are baked locally, are made from North American-grown wheat flour and include common government-approved ingredients designed to assure food quality and safety. ... According to Dr. Michael Doyle, Director, Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, 'From a scientific perspective, I can safely say that the way McDonald's hamburgers are freshly processed, no hamburger would look like this after one year unless it was tampered with or held frozen.'"

As it turns out, Ms. Davies isn't the first to try this experiment. Wellness and nutrition educator Karen Hanrahan has kept a McDonald's hamburger since 1996. Her site is a must see here.

There's a guy at work, Dave. Dave's swell. Dave's entertaining. Dave's a conspiracy nut. Somewheres 'round 2-3 times per week, Dave regales me with stories of vast, worldwide conspiracies, his usual source of information being the Youtube videos that he had watched the night before. Among other things, Dave believes that a small group of men (Illuminati, Masons, take your pick) are in cahoots to create a "New World Order." This "New World Order" unfortunately calls for the elimination of 80% of the worldwide population. According to Dave, they have a few methods of doing this. As read the above information, I remembered Dave mentioning McDonald's as one such method. Apparently, this particular brand of fast food is being treated with certain chemicals that will, over time, bring about the customer's untimely demise.

So I have decided to conduct the same test as Ms. Davies and Ms. Hanrahan. Only, I will be expanding the control group, if you will. I will be purchasing a hamburger not only from McD's, but from Burger King and Wendy's as well. Let's just see how deep this conspiracy runs! Stay tuned for weekly updates.

Foot in Mouth

Good times in the NY gubernatorial race. GOP hopeful Carl Paladino gave some interesting social commentary this weekend. From the NY Daily News...

"Carl Paladino says it's the bumping and grinding he finds disgusting. "

"Appearing onNBC's "Today" Monday morning, the Republican gubernatorial candidate Paladino said he has nothing against gay people in his work or personal life - he just doesn't want to be exposed to their culture."

So why is Mr. Paladino saying these things?

"Paladino ignited a firestorm Sunday when he declared that being gay is 'not the example that we should be showing our children.'"

What sort of example does having sex and conceiving our children set, exactly? Mr. Paladino went on...

"'I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family,' he said."

"He later added: 'I oppose the homosexual agenda, whether they call it marriage, civil unions or domestic partnership. Marriage is between a man and a woman - period.'"

After telling us all how we should live our personal lives, Paladino added one more gem...

He dubbed himself the "religious values candidate."

Oh no he didn't just say that. This is the same man who sent these emails? (Warning, Graphic) You know, the emails that depict the President and 1st Lady as a pimp and prostitute? Or the pornographic emails, including bestiality videos? Or the racist videos likening black people to chimpanzees?

This is the man who know sees fit to pass judgment upon a segment of the population. And not passing judgment about their stance on the issues, but upon what they do in their private lives.

This is the "religious values candidate" that has run on the notion of fixing what is unquestionably wrong in Albany by reducing the governments role and adhering to a strict, conservative interpretation.

It is yet another example of some opportunistic carpet-bagger who is taking advantage of the sound message that emanates from the Tea-Party movement and manipulating it further their own agenda.

When Mr. Paladino contradicts himself in this way, he begins to pander in the very same way that all of the politicians that he rails against pander. Mr. Paladino has begun to tell us not what he believes, but what he believes we want to hear.

Back in 2008, Paladino said that the only reason Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent James Williams had been hired was because he’s black. Agree or disagree, at least he was being honest.

Paper Star Wars

Friday Quickies: Death and Taxes...O'Reilly Civics Fail

Why there is a Tea Party movement, reason no.37, from Fox Business...

The end of the estate tax began in 2001 with the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act. That year, gradual reductions of the estate tax rate began, along with increases in the value of an estate that would be exempt from taxes.

In 2009, estates of $3.5 million or less weren't taxed; those worth more than that faced a 45 percent rate.

When Jan. 1, 2010, arrived, the estate tax disappeared. But the 2001 act that made it possible also included a provision that a stricter estate tax would return in 2011.

If no legislative action is taken, next year a federal estate tax of 55 percent will be assessed on estates of more than $1 million.

I know $1 million sounds like tidy sum, but that includes an assessment of everything, including property. Hang in there Granny.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Bill O'Reilly essay was featured in the NY Post today. In it, Mr. O'Reilly puts forth an impassioned and surprisingly succinct and convincing argument in support of our aforementioned Mr. Snyder in his battle against the WBC. Well, that is until he writes...

"The Snyder family has a constitutional right to privacy and the pursuit of happiness."

Press Play


Oooooo! Sorry. Thanks for playing. Actually, the "pursuit of happiness," that would be the Declaration of Independence. No "Happiness" amendment, no.

So much for a strict inerpretation.

A.J. Archives

Since the subject of the WBC is bouncing around the news, I thought it would be fun to once again reach into the rich history that is my blog and pull out another gem from the past...

Westboro Watch

[August, 2009] Nothing quite defines nonsense like the Westboro Babtist Church. Lets take a look at the latest press release in which the WBC are announcing a scheduled picketing of a soldier's funeral. From godhatesfags.com...

God Hates America, and God is killing our troops in His wrath. Thank God for IEDs.[does he have the patent?]


Just to get the non-believers up to speed: God, according to the WBC, hates America in general and homosexuals in particular. They usually take an obscure bit of bible scripture and shoehorn it into whatever point they are trying to make. They also enjoy picketing the funerals of fallen soldiers and claim that each soldiers death is proof of Gods wrath.

I haven't completely figured out the whole America-Fags-Troop connection, nor do I understand why the Supreme Being is throwing together rudimentary explosives and leaving them in garbage cans in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Lord works in mysterious ways!

Back to the press release....

These soldiers are dying for the homosexual [which one?] and other sins of America. Gos is now America's enemy [huh?], and God Himself is fighting against America.

We are SKA-RUDE! Let's refer to the good book and find where exactly the WBC is finding their inspiration....

"Except the Lord build the house, They labor in vain that build it;
Except the Lord keep the city, The watchmen waketh but in vain."
Psa. 127:1

Oh. That makes sense.

Musical Interlude

I don't know. Just felt right. William Shatner's rendition of Pulp's "Common People"...

Westboro Watch

The Supreme court today heard from Albert Snyder regarding his suit against the Westboro Baptist Church in which he claimed extreme emotional distress and was awarded a judgment of $11million that was then reduced to $5 million. The judgment was subsequently overturned by an appellate court, hence the appearance of both parties in front of the Supreme Court.

Please, if you would, read the AP story here, then we can discuss!

I find some of the Justices' comments interesting and more than a little surprising. For example...

"Alito led Phelps through a series of questions intended to get her to concede that there are instances in which people could file lawsuits like Snyder's, including an African-American who is subjected to a stream of racial hatred from someone who believes blacks are inherently inferior.

'That's a matter of public concern?' Alito asked.

Phelps wavered, saying that race is an issue of public concern, but that church members do not approach people 'to berate them.' She said the protest at the funeral had the permission of the police and involved only holding up signs."

I have always sided with the 1st Amendment regarding the crazy kids down at the WBC and believed that, for all of their nuttiness, they've got a right to do what they do, but the Court might be wavering. Most surprising...

"Chief Justice John Roberts and Justives Samuel Alito and Antonin Scalia appeared, to varying degrees, to be searching for a way to rule for Snyder."

The fact that conservatives such as Roberts and Scalia are leaning away from the church gives rise to the notion that the Court may, in fact, rule for Mr. Snyder, or at least send the case down for a retrial. Astonishing.

I did hear Mr. Snyder's attorney interviewed a few months back and he raised the idea of a "captive audience." What he meant by that was that because Mr. Snyder had to bury his son, and had to do so at a particular time and place, and that the WBC's actions were tantamount to entrapment. It was as if Mr. Snyder rights were violated as he was not given the choice to avoid the protest. He was, in essence, a captive audience.

It was an interesting argument. Anyway, the decision is expected until late spring.

Of Bedbugs and Tea Parties

Christine O'Donnell, in response to her own comments that she dabbled in witchcraft, just released this ad which, for some reason, I found oddly disturbing...

Living in New York, I’ve heard a lot of talk about the recent rash of bedbug infestations in and around the city. It has received a great deal of attention and rightly so. They’re nasty critters who bite all night and leave huge welts. Apartment buildings, office buildings, movie theatre; no place seems immune to possible infestation.

In the wake of all of this, I have been hearing radio commercials and reading newspaper ads advertising bedbug identification and removal service. The print ads usually feature a picture of an adorable beagle with a cute name like “sniffles” or “peach.” Apparently, “sniffles” has been specifically trained to pick up the scent of bedbugs and will notify the exterminator upon doing so. I have even seen exterminator trucks with hastily attached pictures of “sniffles,” or one of his colleagues, with a few lines about the pooch’s amazing ability and effectiveness.

It occurred to me that I have honestly never seen or heard an ad extolling the virtues of a bedbug sniffing dog. For that matter, I realized I had never heard or seen any bedbug advertisements. It also occurred to me that bedbugs are a scary thing.

Fear sells. Could you imagine being told that you’re apartment or workplace was infested with bedbugs? Wouldn’t you do just about anything to ensure that you were not bedding down with insects whose sole purpose in life was to drink your blood? Wouldn’t you get right on the phone with any of these companies who now, suddenly and conveniently, have “sniffles” at the ready? I know I would.

These companies are capitalizing on that fear. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s capitalism in its most basic form. However, since I have never heard of “sniffles” or any of his ilk before, it could be logically surmised that some of these companies aren’t quite on the up and up. It could be logically surmised that there are a few scam artists amongst the "sniffles" and "peaches" that are out to exploit on that fear and make a buck.

As I thought on this, I couldn’t help but to begin to draw a parallel to the bedbug hysteria and the Tea Party movement. Well, not the entire movement, but some of the characters that have sprung up as key figures in the movements wake.

The Tea Party movement didn’t just spring up out of the ground. The Tea Party movement is a result of a horrific economic environment and the disenfranchisement of a large segment of the population. There is fear, fear of losing jobs, houses, pensions. And let’s be honest, there is a fear in this segment of people of an executive, legislative and judicial branch of government who they feel does not represent their beliefs and ideals.

That brings us to Ms. O’Donnell and her views on witchcraft, masturbation, the theory of evolution, and poor J.R.R. Tolkien. The same Ms. O’Donnell who has had a lien placed against her by the IRS, has been accused of misusing campaign funds for personal use and repeatedly lied about her education background.

Despite the fear that was the impetus of the movement’s beginnings there are, to be sure, many sound candidates backed by the Tea Party movement who express a reasonable concern about government and fiscal responsibility. It can be logically surmised, however, that, in this atmosphere of fear, a snake-oil salesman or two of questionable repute and intentions may attempt to capitalize on that fear. Ms. O’Donnell strikes me as one such person. And many people in Delaware, in fear, have bought the elixir.

No. You’re not me.

Bozhe Moi

At the Circus in the Ukraine.

Warning: Like any good mauling, a little graphic...



Nothing says "circus" like screaming children.

This entire scene begs the question; why is it culturally acceptable to put on performances that involve putting wild and potentially lethal animals in situations that are utterly foreign to them? Also, why is it so surprising and shocking when said animals begin acting like animals. That lion there, he was acting like a lion. Go figure.

From ITN news...

"Tamer Oleksie Pinko[actual name] is knocked to the ground as he desperately tries to herd the big cats out of the ring."

With a metal rod. Smooth. ITN news also states that former communist Pinko is in stable condition after emergency surgery. I couldn't resist.

You Are What We Tell You to Eat

From KSDK, San Francisco...

"San Francisco supervisors will wait to vote on banning toys from fast food meals.

The vote was scheduled for Monday, but was postponed after a few amendments were made."

Darn choking hazards. Can't the Chinese make our toys a little bigger than our airways...

"If the ban does pass, it would require meals for kids meet certain nutritional requirements in order to also have a toy."

That didn't just happen...

"'Meals must contains fruits and vegetables and must not exceed 600 calories and must not have beverages that have excessive fat or sugar,' said Eric Mar, San Francisco Supervisor."

There goes pizza night...

"Health advocates say fast food restaurants use these promotional toys to lure low-income children into diets high in sugar, fat and salt."

Aren't all children "low-income?" How many 12 year-olds fill out 1040s? Justin Bieber notwithstanding...

"'The youth in my community are getting diet-related diseases like diabetes and hypertension at younger and younger ages,'" said Jamilah Toops, a San Francisco Resident.

Well, Jamilah, the youth in your community need to make better choices for themselves.

"'We can use the toy in our advertisement to promote and educate on nutrition. We advertise our all white meat nuggets, our apple dippers, our low-fat white milk,' said Karen Wells, VP of nutrition for McDonalds."

"The McDonalds corporation flew in executives from Chicago to tout what they describe as healthier menu options and to oppose the measure. 'I'm a parent. I have two small children. I decide what my children will eat and what toy or what the environment will be..."

Wait. Your saying that parents are responsible for their kids' diets? Ha! Next you'll be telling us we have to instill virtues or a basic set of values. I'm too busy blogging.

Sunday Funnies

Marco! Polo!

As the longest game of whack-a-mole in history drags on, a kinder, gentler Osama bin Laden has popped up his furry head long enough to release a new audiotape. From the Daily Telegraph...

"A voice purporting to be that of the al-Qaeda leader calls for the creation of a new relief body to aid Muslims."

From jihad to the Red Cross...Say what you want, he's got range...

"It was the third message in recent weeks from al-Qaeda figures concerning the massive August floods that displaced 8 million people in Pakistan, signalling a concentrated campaign by the terror group to exploit public discontent and present itself as protectors of the poor."

I knew there was a catch!

"'What governments spend on relief work is secondary to what it spends on its armies,' bin Laden says on the 11-minute tape called, 'Reflections on the Method of Relief Work.'"

Available soon on i-Tunes...

"Bin Laden said a new 'well-funded' relief organization should be created to study Muslim regions near bodies of water to prevent future flooding, to create development projects in impoverished regions and to work on farming and agriculture to guarantee food security."

As long as this funding does not interfere with the funding for strapping bombs to kids and having them run into mosques. Where Muslims are.

"He called on Muslim merchants to direct their resources to cultivating agricultural land in countries like Sudan that aren't used for farming."

Oh that's nice. This just in...still subjugating and denying basic rights to women.