Red Hot Cuppa Politics

Gas Prices FALL .... !!!

2008-11-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

I don't know who's been to the gas pump today, but I filled up our family van -- and did a double-take at the price! It was LOW ....

From the Austin Statesman:

Retail gasoline prices, falling since July 4, have dropped below $2 a gallon in a number of states and are approaching $1.50 at some service stations. The price of crude oil is also falling, hitting a 20-month low Tuesday.

As consumers are getting price relief at the pump amid concerns about a weak job market and slumping investments, economic reports increasingly suggest that they are hanging on to whatever gas savings they are receiving ..

Today, the price had lowered enough that it was very, very noticeable.

This is good news -- and will probably not be reported until there's a Democrat in the White House!

However, towards the end of the article:

Oil prices fell despite signs that members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are going ahead with production cuts that were agreed to at an emergency meeting last month. Many analysts are expecting another cut by OPEC, which will meet Dec. 17 in Algeria

Swell.

An Orphaned Eagle ...

2008-11-10T03:19:00.000-08:00

I don't think I can improve on this ... push play!

The eagle was obviously named after the "Challenger" space shuttle -- but the sentiment could be applied to a few events since 2000 ...

Thoughts On Becoming the "Obama" Nation

2008-11-06T09:04:00.000-08:00

In the words of HotChick Budgie "there's not going to be an apocalypse, no, we're not going to become socialist... everything's going to be fine. Get over it!!!"

Adrian, the cabdriver from Australia, observes the reaction of an African American passenger:

As he bade me farewell in the City I also congratulated him on the “sensational day.” This caused him to prop and correct me, “No, no man. It’s your victory, too!”

He seemed to assume I was congratulating him on a racial victory, which I wasn’t. Or that an Obama victory is a win for me as a global citizen, which remains to be seen.

No matter. I’m taking this opportunity to congratulate Barack Obama, the Democratic Party and their supporters on a momentous victory. Whilst I supported McCain, despite serious misgivings over his age, I found Obama’s awesome speeches and imparting of optimism truly inspirational

Click to the title link for the rest of Adrian's article ... it's worth looking at ...

I'm trying to be philosophical about Obama's victory ... he does indeed give a truly wonderful speech ... but actions speak louder than words, and what he has done, and has promised to do is very far from inspirational ...

We've also had eight years of a Republican President, and it's about time for another party to gain the office.

Banjo Jones, over at Brazosport news quotes a fellow from Kenya: ... Because Obama has won, we will have a change in the whole world. And for that I will slaughter a cockrel to celebrate with my family ...

The Day Turned to Night, and the Air Turned To Dust ...

2008-09-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's 9/11, 2008 ... the seventh anniversary of something somber ...

Haystack published a prayer on RedState:

Almighty God, the past year will be indelibly inscribed in our memories.

We looked with horror on the terrorist attacks of last September 11th. But we looked with honor on acts of courage by ordinary people who sacrificed themselves to prevent further death and destruction.

We shed our tears in a common bond of grief for those we loved and lost. We journeyed through a dark valley, but your light has led us to a place of hope. You have turned our grief into determination. We are resolved to do what is good, and right, and just.

Help us to remember what it means to be Americans— a people endowed with abundant blessings. Help us to cherish the freedoms we enjoy and inspire us to stand with courage, united as one Nation in the midst of any adversity.
Lord, hear this prayer for our Nation. Amen

And here's my own memorial to one who died in the towers, titled "The Hymn for Alexander Chaing"

. From CuppaPolitics, 9/11/2006, a quote from the NY Times:

As teenagers, John and Grace Chiang had never slept in on weekends. Every Saturday morning at 7 a.m., their father, Alex Chiang, would sing hymns at the top of his voice in the kitchen to wake them and his wife, Sunny. If no one stirred after 10 minutes, he would walk into each bedroom to perform.

"We would say, 'Get out, Dad,' and he would only try to sing louder and louder until we got up," John said. "I complained about it all the time. Now I miss it."

Alex Chiang, 51, and his family traveled from their home in New City, N.Y., to Franklin Park, N.J., every Saturday to meet with other members of the nondenominational church that he helped found more than a decade ago. The Chiangs would stay the night with others and return home on Sunday evening. "He's a very faithful person," his wife said.

Mr. Chiang, a computer specialist at Marsh & McLennan, treated other church members with such kindness, said Paul Du, a close friend, that more than 1,200 people came to his memorial service in October.

After John Chiang, 22, moved into a sparsely furnished Manhattan apartment as a young banker, he seldom visited his parents. "So on Labor Day weekend, my dad enticed me home by promising that he would bring me to Ikea," John said. "We bought a lot of heavy stuff. He dropped me off in my apartment, and then he was gone." That was the last he saw of his father..

The title quote is also from RedState, from someone's account last year, and it's always stuck with me.

Mr. Chaing's photo is above.

Stetson Tip to Lone Star Times for helping me remember the 2996 project ... and guys, here at the Budgie Household, we're kinda hoping that Ike moseys a little farther away from y'all.

Gotta Love the Brits

2008-07-26T02:37:00.000-07:00

From the London Times Online, courtesy of Hannity and Colmes:

Have A Safe And Happy 4th!

2008-07-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

What Your These Fireworks Say About You

You are chaotic, inspired, and very creative.

You're so creative, people don't really recognize your creativity.

What's expressive for you sometimes looks like a mess.

But you don't really care... you enjoy making your messes!

The Fireworks Test

Go ahead -- take the fireworks test -- you KNOW you want to !!!

So Small A Town ... So Large A Heart ....

2008-05-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

It was graduation day for a town so tiny that there were only 10 boys and 8 girls who received their high school diplomas. That's not because of a drop-out rate, it's because the town is so small.

The town is Greenburg, Kansas ... which was absolutely devastated by a tornado about a year ago. Yet, the townsfolk astonished a nation with their determination to rebuild and rekindle hope.

Mr. Bush gave the high school commencement address ... and personally handed out all 18 diploma's ... it must have been an amazing day, and an honor to host the President of the US.

The school board apparently made allowances, though -- at first, the graduation was to be held next weekend, however it conflicted with Jenna Bush's wedding, so arrangements were made ...

For details from the AP, please click to the title link.

This is the kind of action that makes the other presidential wannabees look small.

Olympic Torch Snuffed - Hillary Flares ...

2008-04-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

It's a terrible year for the tattered Olympic Torch.

In quite a colorful display, the Olympic Torch was snuffed out today in Paris. From the AP: PARIS (AP) -- Paris' Olympic torch relay descended into chaos Monday, with protesters scaling the Eiffel Tower, grabbing for the flame and forcing security officials to repeatedly snuff out the torch and transport it by bus past demonstrators yelling "Free Tibet!"

The issue is that the Olympics are to be held in Beijing this summer. The protests have centered primarily around Chinese suppression of the expression of Tibetan religious beliefs.

Hillary Clinton seized the event to call on President Bush to boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympics. From the UK telegraph:

..."The violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for presidential leadership," Mrs Clinton said.

Citing China's links to the Sudanese government - one of several relationships with African nations actively fostered by Beijing - Mrs Clinton said Mr Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies unless there were "major changes by the Chinese government" ...

What Hillary forgets to mention is that she and Bill were invited to Tiananmen Square during the Clinton presidency. Tiananmen Square is the site where hundreds of protestors were gunned down by the Chinese military on June 4th, 1989. The demonstrators were peacefully protesting authoritarianism and economic policies of the CCP. and for democratic reform.

About a decade after the slaughter, the President and First Lady of the US were honored with a "red carpet welcoming ceremony" right at the edge of Tiananmen Square. Click here for the CNN story. (Stetson Tip to NativeNewYorker over at Free Republic.)

I'm pretty sure that the symbolism of the moment was not lost on the Chinese. It should not be lost on Americans ... nor should Hillary's hypocrisy of this moment go unnoticed.

At Least One Question For Mr. Chavez .....

2008-03-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

According to Reuters this morning: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a socialist and fierce U.S. critic, warned on Tuesday that relations with Washington could worsen if Republican candidate John McCain wins this year's presidential election ...

Here's a few questions for Mr. Chavez: 1) Worsen? .... 2) How? 3) Mr. Chavez, you'd prefer maybe Obama, Hillary or ... errr, Mr. Huckabee ... ??? 4) What on earth makes you think your opinion matters to the American electorate ... ?

But, the first question I find myself asking is one I ask myself ... "How crazy IS he ... ?" The answer's a little dismaying ... and can be applied to any of a number of world leaders, like President Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il ... Putin ... ?

Then, of course, you can ask yourself the same question of alot of our Senators and Congressmen ... and the answer is both depressing and confusing! There's not alot we can do about crazy world leaders ... but we keep electing our own "challenged" politico's into office !!!

(Photo above from RedHotCuppaPolitics, circa 2006)

FrauBudgie's CuttleBone Crumbs ...

2008-01-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

There are some days when I ask myself whatever happened to ... ? ... or huh? or WOW!!!

So, I decided to start a feature, which I'll pick up now and again, answering those questions, and maybe a coupla others!

1) WOW! Jenna Bush is getting married to Henry Hager, May 10Th at the Crawford Ranch! Not only is he a Republican, the young man used to be an aid to Karl Rove! Or would the job title be -- dark sorcerer's apprentice to Darth Rove ? Click here for more, and I'll be updating on the details as time goes on ...

2) WOW, and HUZZAH! Prince William flew solo for the first time today -- and only 8 days into his RAF training! Way to go, Prince William ...

3) Whatever happened to ... Matt Wilson, the computer genius from Rice University, last seen December 15h. According to the Rice Police, the young man may have "left on purpose". Click here for more from the Houston Chronicle. And here's the address of Find Matt Wilson.Org, There's a total of $25,000 reward for information -- that breaks down to $5000 from Crime stoppers, $10,000 from Rice, and another $10,000 from the family. Here also is the link to the "Help Us Find Matthew Wilson" blogspot. Prayers for the young man's safe return will be winging their way from the Budgie nest, and I will be updating this one as well.

4) Huh? A UFO was spotted and photographed, just outside of (you guessed it) Austin, Texas! Well, actually, the object was spotted in Stephenville ... and reported by Austin media, then by the national news. As I was driving down the highway last night, I thought it was an early broadcast from Coast-to-Coast ... then this afternoon, Shepherd Smith's reporting on the sighting!

I guess Ron Paul's shipping in his voters!

Hugging The Laundry In "A Place Where No Shadows Fall.."

2008-01-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

Fame is not something that a lowly blogger realistically hopes to achieve ... a few folks know about Michelle Malkin, maybe the Kos Kids ... and Omar and Mohammed at Iraq the Model, mentioned about a year ago by President Bush.

That changed tonight. FoxNews mentioned Andrew Olmsted, gave directions to his website and quoted from his last post. It's every blogger's dream ... the problem is, his last post was truly his last post.

Olmsted was killed in Iraq more than a week ago. He'd given an article to his friend, to publish in the event of his death. It had to be published January 4th, 2008. The article was very moving, please take a few minutes to check it out here ...

Here's part of the quote from the last article aired on FoxNews: "I do ask ...that no one try to use my death to further their political purposes. I went to Iraq and did what I did for my reasons, not yours..."

When I first read his article, I was struck by his references to Babylon 5, and his moving tribute to his wife at the end ... complete with a quote from Princess Bride ... He posted under the name G'Kar, a character Babylon 5 fans will recognize.

Olmstead wrote in his last post: It would be nice to believe that I died leading men in battle, preferably saving their lives at the cost of my own. More likely I was caught by a marksman or an IED.

He called it right -- Major Olmsted died while trying to talk some insurgents into surrendering so that his men wouldn't have to kill them. A sniper took his life.

Here's a quote from one of his friends, which I'd like to share with you:

Andy and I were chatting on Adium; some calamity had befallen the heat in Andy's room, and he had mentioned being quite cold; I had gone to put my laundry in the dryer, and had just returned.
Andy: *waves to laundry*
Me: *laundry would wave back, but has been trapped in dryer*

Andy: *runs to free laundry*

Me: *laundry thinks: our saviour!*

Me: *laundry offers toasty warmness to Andy*

Andy: *hugs laundry*

Me: *laundry hugs Andy*

Andy: *smiles*

Me: *though, in fairness, laundry would hug anyone who let it out of horrid dryer*
The fact that no one will ever, spontaneously, write *hugs laundry* to me again seems unimaginably sad. .

Seems sad to me, too. But, in Olmsted's last post, he quoted Delenn, the ambassador from Babylon 5. Delenn reassured her partner: "I will see you again, in the place where no shadows fall....."

Wherever Major Olmsted is, I hope he is hugging the laundry, and perhaps blogging, in the place where no shadows fall ...

If you have a moment, read the post and notice that Olmsted directs us to "enjoy the happy fact that you're alive ... "

An Unfortunate Marine

2008-01-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

UPDATE11/12 : Rest in Peace, Lance Corporal ... and may your and your soon-to-be born baby be cradled in the arms of the Lord.

Also, please see Brian's comment ... "Ugh - this is bad. My heart goes out to her family - and I hope that swift justice finds the evil men who killed her."

So do I, Brian, and thank-you.

***

11/11 On the right, please see the photo of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, here at Red Hot Cuppa Politics, we wish her well, and hope that she is found very, very soon ...

To those few readers who saw my own earlier post, I've sent it to the wastebin, where it belongs.

Choices, Choices !!!

2007-11-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

If you're awake in the wee small hours of the morning, and have a choice between Nascar racing, or viewing re-runs of Chris Matthews hosting the Democrat Presidential Primary debates, so yourself a favor and just push play!

The above is shorter than the debates, and less noisy than race cars ... and, to be honest, it can apply to the Republican would-be presidential candidates as well.

16 Constitutional Amendments Approved In Texas ...

2007-11-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

So night before last, Professor Budgie and I girded ourselves to perform our civic duties. This means voting on the proposed 16 constitutional amendments, and for us, it meant to read through them and try to make sense out of gibberish.

Most of our conversation that night revolved around which ones we might vote YES on ... and why. Between us, we found about four "yesses" and a couple of "well, maaaybe's". Yesterday, we strode determinedly to the polls, and I remembered the advice that it's best to just hold your nose and vote!

The results were tabulated by tonight.

I guess we were in the lonely minority -- according to the Texas Secretary of State's office, a little over 8% of Texans bothered to vote. we were some of the few who thought about the word "no." Click here for the statistical analysis ...

In summary, a tiny minority of Texans bothered to vote, and of those who did -- the majority said "Well, y'all just go ahead!"

Or, in the words of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram, title link:

AUSTIN -- Texas voters gave state lawmakers a giant credit card Tuesday night, authorizing nearly $10 billion in future spending on cancer research, highways, prisons, park upgrades, courthouse restoration programs and other government projects, according to incomplete returns.

So, the Texas Lege strikes again -- these are the guys that should not be trusted with a paper clip -- and voters have handed them our wallets!

92 percent of Texans didn't bother to vote. The tiny minority that voted overwhelmingly approved every single thing the Lege wanted.

So, if you're Texan, and you wonder where the village idiots come from, you might take a glance in the mirror.

X-Mas Playboy Interview Of The Month!

2007-11-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

There are those who buy Playboy for the photo's ... there are those who only buy it for the fiction and the interviews -- and there are those who only get Playboy for the interviews with Bill Richardson!

Interesting product placement ... hmmm?

There's an interview with Bill Richardson in the Christmas issue of Playboy ... or at least, it's billed as such on the cover. However, it turns out to be an interview done by Jeff Greenfield, who's not exactly a Playboy reporter, at least the last I heard!

Dunno if Richardson agreed to the re-print, or what the deal might have been ... and of course, I'm aware that ProfessorBudgie would only get the magazine for interviews with Democrat Presidential Hopefuls.

I earnestly hope there's not a pictoral of female Democratic hopefuls ........

Prayers For The Brave Of The Home ...

2007-10-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

The above photo is copied from a chain e-mail that deserves to be passed on. It's an article from RedState written by the inimitable HayStack!

HayStack quotes the letter:

"As I reflect on this photograph, I see once again that not all the brave leave the "home of the brave" to enter battle; some are required now to be the brave of the home.
It is said a picture is worth a thousand words but it leaves me speechless and tears in my eyes"

So very well said -- the letter goes on to ask for prayers. And don't be shy about passing it on.

For the total text and HayStack's coments, click to the title link.

Grinning Pumpkins

2007-10-31T04:28:00.000-07:00

Late night, early morn here at the Budgie "nesthold." HotChick and Young Rooster have flown to their respective perches. But I've carved a jack-o-lantern almost every year for the past 20 years (well except last year).

If you've never carved a pumpkin, I'll mention it's not for the faint-of-heart. First, you gotta hack out the lid, then you start removing the guts -- stringy slimey pumpkin threads, seeds, gooshy stuff -- then ya gotta scrape the shell. If the shell's too thick, you don't see the orangey goodness when you light the candle ...

Then ya carefully pencil a couple of triangle eyes, and a grin. If you're really skilled and want to get fancy, you can carve out some irregular block teeth!

Then, there's the question of what ya do with the pumpkin meat ... save it? Toss it? Try to feed it to the dog? Roll it up, freeze it and make orange snowballs out of it?

ProfessorBudgie stated a fondness for fresh pumpkin pie -- so in the past I've tried to prepare it out of the the fresh pumpkin chunks . The results have been disasterous to put it conservatively ... we've had pumpkin puree, pumpkin soup, pumpkin mousse ... all ghastly both to the eye and the pallet!

Well, what I lack in skill, I make up for in cussed determination -- I got our Jack O' Lantern carved last night --big triangle eyes, little bitty triangle nose, and a biiiig grin! And I just sent the pumpkin chunks to the great pumpkin patch in the garbage ...

So we're ready for Halloween night ...

I remember some Halloween fun when the chicks were not more than fledglings ... We had this big lazy black cat who'd go out trick or treating with us. We skipped the houses which were dark, but the cat didn't -- he'd sit patiently on the sidewalk, and look at us quizzically as if to say "Hey, guys! You missed one!"

For true Halloween horror, take a look at the image to the left!

The "Village Idiots" Ride Again!

2007-10-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are my fellow Texans know exactly what I mean by the village idiots -- for those of you who don't -- "village idiots" is the term we Texans use to refer to the state legislature. It's coined after Molly Ivins' phrase that "when the 'Texas lege' is in session, many a village is missing its idiot!"

So, this year, they've come up with 16 -- count them -- sixteen amendments to the Texas constitution .... and of course, it's difficult to make sense of them!

As a responsible voter, I try to make sense of referendums, propositions and candidates to make a reasoned decision, and I've learned never to expect much out of the lege. But this time, there are sixteen amendments, to a constitution which is okay to begin with ... and it's tough to figure which amendments are rational. Alot of them seem to smack of pork, and pandering ....

Here's a sampling from the Waco Tribune, title link. (my comments are in red):

Proposition 1: "Angelo State University’s membership was recently transferred from the Texas State University System to the Texas Tech University System. The amendment clarifies the university’s legal right to continue receiving funding after the transfer ..." (why does it include only one university, and why do we need a state constitutional amendment???)

Proposition 9: Exempts all or part of the market value of the residence homesteads of veterans certified as having a service-connected 100 percent disability rating.
It would also clarify the progression of property tax exemptions available to veterans who are less than 100 percent disabled (I can live with this one)

Proposition 11: Requires a vote taken in either house of the Legislature to be recorded by a record vote, if the vote was on final passage of a bill, other than local bills, a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment, or any other resolution that is not purely ceremonial. The record vote must be archived and available for public viewing on the Internet for at least two years ... (okay -- gives voters a chance to see how their elected representatives are doing)

Proposition 14: Limits a state justice or judge’s service to Dec. 31 of the fourth year of the term if he or she is elected to all or part of a six-year term, and reaches mandatory retirement age during the first four years of said term. (I'm not crazy about this one -- we're talking about judges here -- men and women who have spent most of their lives evaluating cases and knowing the Texas law, I think they should be depended on to evaluate themselves, and know when they should quit ...)

If you'd like to read a Texan's opinion of the 16 amendments, click to PStern, a blogger over at the Austin Statesman. His title gives a clue: We don't need 16 Constitutional Amendments. What we do need is honest and unbiased representation!

The Lone Star Times weighs in here. Take a look at the comments if you have time ...

Once again, I have the urge to apologize to HotChick and YoungRooster Budgies that the older generation can't come up with better candidates, and more coherent issues -- they've just reached voting age ...

Burn, Baby Burn -- In Hades ....

2007-10-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

Another face of Evil -- The guy to the right is Russell Lane Daves, 27 -- the firebug who killed dozens of people, and destroyed billions of dollars worth of property in S. California. (Including teddy bears and kittens)

When I first heard that the suspect had been killed by police in San Bernardino, I thought ... too bad. I wanted to know more about the guy, his background -- and I wanted to make sure he was the right guy. Mostly, I didn't want to hear about a drawn out court case, didn't want to hear liberals whine about his deprived childhood -- didn't want to know about how it was prompted by Bush failure ....... Etc.

More details came out -- apparently, the police found him trying to set another brushfire ... and as the police chased him, he tried to ram his pick-up truck into a police cruiser. That's when the cops nailed him -- and justly so! Once again, lives are saved ...

Click to the title for the ABC 15 news story ...

PS: To the stragglers who still drop in now and again, I want to say thanks for the good wishes and prayers about a year ago!

Searching for Gopherwood In North Texas

2007-07-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Gopher wood, for those unfamiliar with Biblical Text is the wood the Lord recommended to Noah to build the Ark .. so we're flooding here in North Texas ... having grown up on the Gulf Coast, and experiencing a buncha Category Zillion hurricanes, I'm not too upset ... but i'm not heartless ... folks are suffering -- houses lost and little kids drowning ...

Here's the worst -- the FEMA's are Coming! The FEMA's are coming!!! It's the final indignity ... Hey, here in North Texas, we can find our own gopher wood, dangit!

But, they're here, running around ... it's not Katrina, it's a "little bitty pissant country place with nothin' naughty going on" (that's paraphrased from my personal favorite musical starring Dolly Parton -- the Best L'il Whore House In Texas)

::sigh:: But the FEMA's are here ... waving money and giving press releases ... the naughty secret here in Texas is that most of us are Republican, and they cain't wait to use our little disaster flooding to point out how bad Bush is ... so what's our President going to do? Drive over in his pick-up and bail water into Oklahoma?

Personal Note to the Bloggie Buds -- and you know who you are -- Professor Budgie etc. are fine ... and my beloved husband likes going out swimming with the doggie!

Sheer Beauty ....

2007-05-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

This one's just for enjoyment ......

Brings class to YOUTUBE, and honor to us all. They're playing for queen Elizabeth ... wouldn't you just love to hear them live!!!! Well, at least there's the play again button ....

Sheer magic struck from steel strings and a horsehair bow ....

Wit and Wisdom to God Fearin' Folks ...

2007-05-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

From e-mail, sent by "The Top Gun of Prayer ..."

K n o w Y o u r H y m n s

Dentist's Hymn ................. I'll wear a Crown

Weatherman's Hymn .............. Showers of Blessings

Contractor's Hymn .............. I'm Building a Home

The Tailor's Hymn .............. Holy, Holy, Holy

The Plumber's Hymn ........... There's a Leak in this Old Building

The Golfer's Hymn .............. There's a Green Hill Far Away

The Politician's Hymn ........ ... Standing on the Promises

Optometrist's Hymn .............. Open My Eyes That I Might See

The IRS Agent's Hymn ............. I Surrender All

The Policeman's Hymn ............. Jesus is My Rock, My Sword, and Shield

The Gossip's Hymn ............... Pass It On

The Single Women's Hymn .......... Amen....A- Men.....Amen

The Electrician's Hymn ........... This Little Light of Mine

The Florist's Hymn .............. There's a Lily in the Valley

The Shopper's Hymn ...................... Sweet Bye and Bye

The Realtor's Hymn .............. I've got a New Home, Over in Zion

The Massage Therapists Hymn ..... ........ He Touched Me

The Doctor's Hymn ....................... Come On In My Room- Jesus is All My Prescriptions

AND for those who speed on the highway here are a few more hymns:

45mph ......................... God Will Take Care of You

65mph ......................... Nearer My God To Thee

85mph ......................... This World Is Not My Home

95mph ......................... Lord, I'm Coming Home

100mph ........................ Precious Memories

(WE've covered the hymns, what about the hers ....?)

Ahmadinejad's Indecent Kiss!

2007-05-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

The mullahs are up in arms about Ahmadinejad's "indecent" kiss ... to an old lady who was one of his former teachers ...

Seems that he kissed her on her hand, and clasped her elbows! But, I guess it was a little much for the mullahs ...

I guess it's the decadent influence of Western Civilization ... after all, the recent Richard Geer kiss was broadcast around the world ... and it was truly repulsive ... the ol' geezer looked like he was a pig slobbering all over an ice cream cone! Grossed me out ...

But, Ahmadinejad seemed to show respect and tenderness to his old teacher .....

Hillary Drops Rodham ....

2007-04-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

But she'll be running on the huge "Women's Rights" platform. Yah -- a vote against Madame La Hillary will be a vote against women!

I remember back when it was a mark of pride and independence not to take your husband's name ... well, I wear my own husband's family name with pride -- which has worked out for the kids, schools and pediatricians ...

Just proves my gut-feeling -- Madame La Hillary is a jerk! And her running platform is meaningless and manipulative. It's all about Madame La Hillary ..... who slept with the boss!

Justice In This World

2007-04-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Here's the most touching story of the day ... Steven Hawking, has been disabled for decades by a cruel neurological disease ... he cannot walk, or talk ... yet he has the most brilliant brain of all time, and has been able to communicate via computer ... He has overcome so much ...

But -- he's getting a break tomorrow for a little while, anyway.

From AP, via Yahoo:

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - For a few seconds on Thursday, astrophysicist Stephen Hawking expects to feel the exhilaration of escaping his paralysis and floating free in zero gravity.

"For someone like me whose muscles don't work very well, it will be bliss to be weightless," Hawking told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of his planned zero gravity flight.

It's not a flight into space -- it's a jet that's been adapted to simulate weightlessness .... and I'm so glad he has a chance to do this!

But Hawking may make it into space yet!!! According to CBC News out of Canada Sir Richard Branson will offer him a seat on the VirginGalactic ...

Above is a photo of Professor Hawking.

HinzSight Says It All

2007-04-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Dave, over at HinzSight wraps up the GWOT in an 8 word title ... "D@MNED IF YOU DO AND D@AMNED IF YOU DON'T"

Then he goes on to make some reasonable points about how the Bush administration has bungled.

In what has become a never-ending theme, it appears that the Bush Administration has proven once again that it is incapable of getting it right in the fight against terrorism. Terrorists captured on the battlefields, and housed at Guantanamo in Cuba, upon release, are being mistreated by those countries to which we have sent them. Human Rights Watch, which has been critical of the United States detention of prisoners at Gitmo, is now unhappy with the US turning those same prisoners lose.

Oh. The horror of sending those guys home to the tender mercies of their own countries!

Best to blame Bush for that one, too!

The biggest mistake we've made in Iraq was not flattening Fallujah. And our military did have al-Sadr in its gunsights at one time.

Well, I suppose that the US should just continue to nurture terrorists ... poor, misguided individuals whose only hope of going to Paradise is to blow themselves and others up!
..

Things That Float -- Like Nuclear Power Plants!

2007-04-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

That's not a "floating" butterfly, or a "City In The Sky" like in Star Wars ... it's a Russian Nuclear Power Plant on a big barge!

Now, as to "why" anyone in their right mind would want to put a nuclear Power Plant on a barge might seem like a sensible question ... but it was explained to me that it's cheaper to just put one on a barge than to break ground in Siberia ... and then the barge can steam up and down and plug itself into coastal cities, thus eliminating part of the dependency on foreign oil! Russia has 4000 miles of coast-line on the North Sea ... gets pretty cold there, and probably the nuclear energy can be used to generate energy for heat.

They're not too concerned about "saving whales" in Russia, and I suspect that Russians aren't too worried about "Eco" freaks!

Above is an image of the fabled floating Nuclear Power Plants, from a blog out of Bhopal, India!

Pope Benedict Saves Soles!

2007-04-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Shoes! Shoes!

The Pope visited a town in N.Italy -- it's known as the "shoe capitol!" And a huge shoe consortium gifted him with 15,001 pairs of shoes. The 15,000 pairs of shoes are to be distributed to the needy, and the Pope gets a snazzy pair of red loafers for himself ...

Above is a photo of red Prada Loafers. I don't think they are for the poor, and I'm pretty sure the pope didn't get Prada Loafers.

For the definitive discussion of "Shoes," press play on the YouTube below:

82 Year Old Woman Defends Self, Property ...

2007-04-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

If there's anything that's scarier than a geezer with a gun, it's a ticked off old lady with a gun.

From Kentucky.com: WAYNESBURG, Ky. --Don't cross this 82-year-old former Miss America.

When Venus Ramey caught a man she thought was stealing from her farm in south-central Kentucky, she shot the tires out of his vehicle so he'd be stuck there until police came.

Ramey, who was crowned Miss America in 1944, was on her Lincoln County farm last week feeding a horse when she saw her dog run to a nearby building where she stores old equipment. For some time, thieves had been breaking into the building to steal the machines to sell for scrap, she said, so she decided to investigate.

When she confronted a man she found on the property, he said he would leave, she said.

"I said, 'Oh, no you won't,' and I shot their tires so they couldn't leave," Ramey said.

She was crowned Miss America in 1944. I wonder what her talent entry was.

When the police came, one perp was arrested for trespassing, and the rest were let off. How sweet of the police to show up, and do nothing terribly effective. I betcha these guys will be back.
Too bad the 79 year old retired GI geezer wasn't there ... remember, he was the guy that took down 3 young armed thugs in a bus.

Here's a link to YouTube, in which an older woman touchingly describes the perfect relationship she has with her geezer husband ...

Above is a photo of Miss Ramey in 1944.

Nutcase At NASA ...

2007-04-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

The latest big story is that a geezer contractor at NASA may have fired two shots, then locked himself in a conference room.

I guess he did fire two shots off, though -- he shot one guy in the chest, and then he shot himself in the head. Problem solved.

He also had a female hostage who was alive and untouched

Now, the news commentators are agonizing over whether or not the US mental health system is doing "enough" for the mentally ill ...

Probably not. Shrinks need to instruct nutcases with guns to shoot themselves FIRST!

Blam -- problem over, and innocent lives are saved.

Click here to NewsChannelFive for the pathetic story.

Things That Make Ya Go "Huh?!?!?!?!!"

2007-04-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

According to a Reuters article, Hugo Chavez has a crime fighting ... Zeppelin. No, it's not the Cartoon Channel, this is real life. According to the article, some Venezuelans are worried that it will spy on them! Imagine a Blimp sneaking up on you during a seditious moments! I guess it's enough to make ya want to vote for Uncle Hugo ...

Here in the US, there is a new Pink Taser! It's really pink, and is supposed to stun at 15 feet ... police are worried the devices will fall into the wrong hands.

I can stun somebody at 15 feet with my grandmother's frying pan! There's also Smith and Wesson -- I kinda like Smith and his buddy Wesson because they are stand-up dudes with no pretentions.

But now, I suppose we gotta worry about pink tasers and blimps. Really, we're not living in the world of Nickelodeon -- this is the real news. Or what passes for news these days ...

To the above left is a photo of the new Pink Taser! To the right is the Blackwater Blimp; not too big a target for insurgents, I guess!

Inspector Gadget should be showing up pretty soon ...

ADDENDUM: And Buddhist monks are fighting in Cambodia

Bloggers' Gang Sign!

2007-04-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Isn't the blogosphere an amazing place! To the right is the "Blogger's Gang Sign" from BlackIris.

Naseem also has an article called "Top 10 Signs You're A Blogging Addict!" Beware, there is no 12-step help for this ... the 12 stepper bloggies probably spend their meetings clicking away at their Blackberries!

One of Naseem's commenters pointed out that it must be hard to hold a gun for a drive buy shooting if you're doing this -- but devoted bloggers probaby don't have time for drive-by shootings. As a matter of fact, it's doubtful that their families let them drive!

Drive??? -- for Heaven's Sake, don't even let them get out of the house! Do not let them wander around the real world --

Just keep 'em inside, in a dark corner, with an internet connection, where they're happy.. ..

A Good Looking Boy Who Wouldn't Talk ...

2007-04-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

Grandpa "Kim" speaks out!

From Reuters: The family of the man who carried out the massacre at Virginia Tech university left South Korea 15 years ago with little money and big dreams of a better life in America, the shooter's grandfather told two newspapers.

"They went to the States saying they wanted to raise their kids properly but I can't believe this happened," the man, who asked to be called Mr Kim, said in an interview published on Thursday in the daily Hankyoreh.

South Korean-born Cho Seung-Hui, 23, was identified on Tuesday as the gunman who killed 32 students and teachers at Virginia Tech...

Kim said he felt grief, anguish and sorrow over the shooting...

"Seung-Hui troubled his parents when he was young because he wouldn't talk, but he was well-behaved. I don't know how I can compensate for the responsibility for raising my kids improperly," Kim told the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper

Grandpa Kim's sister described the kid as "a good-looking boy, but he wouldn't talk ..."

Professor Budgie just remarked he might have been good looking, but was actually a little @**@*****^%@%!!!! Well, the word he actually used is unprintable ...

Now, young Cho is a post mortem media star ... and here in America, kids don't like to talk to their parents anyway.

Above is a photo of young Cho -- the man who disgraced the family who loved him. His sister goes to Princeton -- I hope she does a little better.

Cho Seung-Hui Update ...

2007-04-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

More updates on the Virginia Tech massacre. According to the AP, the kid wrote creepy screenplays for English lit, a disturbing suicide note which knocked "rich people" and stalked two young women years ago; one of his English professors threatened to quit if he weren't transferred out of her class.

But, here's the heartbreaking part of the article: "Cho graduated from Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va., in 2003. His family lived in an off-white, two-story townhouse in Centreville, Va..."

His parents came to the US from S. Korea ... and worked really hard to afford that house, and to give their 8 year old son a better life. They cleaned clothes for a living .... how much do you have to sacrifice, scrimp and save to send your kid to college -- never easy, under the best of circumstances ... but they provided for their son very well indeed....

How much did the Cho's have to go without, and for how long, in order to send their son to college?

So, I guess this is how young Cho brings honor to his family -- the people who birthed, nurtured, sacrificed and provided for him? My heart goes out to them.

IRS Bows To Electronic Mal-Function!

2007-04-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

There must be a new guy at the IRS -- there will be no penalty for folks who file their tax returns late if they're using TurboTax or Pro-Series!

From AP: The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday it would not penalize TurboTax and ProSeries users whose 11th-hour electronic returns were delayed by Intuit Inc.'s overloaded servers.

A record number of returns from both individual taxpayers and accountants started causing delays early Tuesday in customers receiving online confirmation that their tax returns were submitted successfully, said Intuit spokesman Harry Pforzheimer.

As the midnight filing deadline approached, the problem got worse.

During times of peak demand, Intuit was processing 50 to 60 returns per second, he said.

IRS spokesman Bruce Friedland said filers who encountered delays with Intuit's servers will not be penalized if their returns rolled in late. The reprieve also extends to people who tried to file Tuesday night but could not.

Ahhh -- The TaxMan has a heart! But, don't get too warm and fuzzy about this -- if you haven't lovingly filed all those little scraps of paper and receipts to feed your tax return paper monster, the IRS still has the power to take your house, and put you in jail! Look what happened to Al Capone!

Above is a photo of Igavor Zsemnsk. Igavor is a native Ukranion and is considered the tallest man in the world at 99.7 inches. He's also a user-interface expert for a large tax software company, who doesn't pay taxes in the US! Click to Taxalicious -- they've got the scoop, and you can order little e-mail cards on the site, to wish your family and friends a "Happy" Tax Giving Day!

Yet Another Really Dumb Gummint Regulation

2007-04-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

The dumbest thing I've ever heard of is keeping kids in vehicular booster seats until they're taller than 4'9".

Even toddlers can figure out how to get out of booster seats, even though there's a good reason to keep them there. I used to try to figure out how many miles I could go before my son would manage to pop his seat, and then release his little sister! Duct tape slowed him down a little.

So, you're going to have to get special, humongous booster seats for a kid that's almost 5 feet tall!
Really nutty -- Those humongous seats can't be very safe; in the case of an accident, the whole thing would flop around. Sure, get the kiddo a little closer to the windshield in case of a collision, make him sit in something that flops around.

WHy not just tell your kid to use a seatbelt, and sit in the back seat. And, remember to drive safely. Of course, the safest thing is just don't take your kid in the car. Lock him in the closet when you run an errand!

The heartbreaking thing is that the new BoosterSeat requirement is a Texas Thing. From the DailyTexan:

On April 4, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 60, which requires that all children shorter than 4-feet-9-inches remain in a booster seat until they are 8 years old. The House is now scheduling companion legislation for a vote.

The law would not only fine the driver for not having a child that fits the criteria in a booster seat, but any offense would go on driving records and raise insurance rates. SB 60 gives Texas parents and caregivers a one-year warning period, so families have just a year to adjust to the law before facing fines.

Is one year enough for the people of Texas to learn about this law and follow it? At the end of the one-year warning period, the law may not be known to everyone. But this law deserves a permanent warning period; otherwise, it's ridiculous.

So, what's the matter with the traditional Texas Booster Seat -- affectionately known as the back of the family pick-up?

And, what's the Lege doing in town, anyway?

Photo from StateFarm -- looks more like a lounge chair.

"Only HUGH Can Prevent Florist Friars!"

2007-04-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Got this in e-mail, quite awhile back from an esteemed friend! Puns are the highest form of eloquent humor!

1. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons.
The stewardess looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion
allowed per passenger."
>
> 2. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the
other and says "Dam!"
>
> 3. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a
fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you
can't have your kayak and heat it too.
>
> 4. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says "I've lost my electron."
The other says "Are you sure?" The first replies "Yes, I'm positive."
>
> 5. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during
a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
>
> 6. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were
standing in the lobby discussing their rec ent tournament victories
After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to
disperse "But why?", they asked, as they moved off. "Because," he said,"
I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."
>
> 7. A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of
them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a
family in Spain ; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a
picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells
her husband that he wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband
responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."
>
> 8. A group of friars were behind on their belfry payments, so
they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked
to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought
the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down,
but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They
ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and
most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the
friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't
close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that only Hugh can
prevent florist friars.
>
> 9. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the
time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also
ate very little, which made him rather frail and, with his odd diet, he
suffered from bad breath. This made him (Oh, man, this is so bad, it's
good) a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
>
> 10. And finally, there was the person who sent ten different
puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make
them laug h. No pun in ten did

Well, I'm laughing at them all! I suppose the above only shows that it's a short time from "titter to post!

There's another collection here, and this one's suspiciously familiar.

Virginia Tech Case Cracked???!!!

2007-04-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

Finally, a break in the Virginia Tech massacre!

HotAir gives a nice wrap-up in the development of the horrible day -- but a commenter gives the real clue -- "

Ryan Clark Columbia County Georgia, a leader in the Virginia Tech marching band and Emily Hilscher Rappahannock County, Va - a freshman- she may have been arguing with the killer…Emily Jane Hilscher and Ryan Clark lived next door to each other on the fourth floor of West Ambler Johnston Hall — in rooms 4040 and 4042. They were the first vicitms."

So, she lived next door to a band nerd! Only one band nerd understands another, and understands late night practicing.

Was Seung Hui Cho, a proper college student from Korea, in love with an American Band Nerd????? Was she a young flirty flute player who cut dates short in order to get up early to make marching practice at 6:30 a.m. ...? Was she gone every evening to Sectional Practices? Had Cho been to every VT football game in order to watch her march, and listen to her curse mis-steps , and criticize the Clarinet section afterwards? Had she been knocked over by a trombone, or snared by a drummer?

Or, did she fall in love with a heavy duty Marching Hero. Was Ryan Clark the man who weilded a real Baton???

The possibilities are endless ... but I'm pretty sure that those of us who live with a Band Nerd can understand the dark, twisty possibilities!

Cho wrote a "disturbing" note ... I wonder if the text is available.

None of the above is an excuse for murder, though.

There was supposedly a "disturbing" note left by Cho, but I can't find the text ...

Photo to the above left is of a RoyalMarine Drum Major, not anyone connected with Virginia Tech. To the right is a photo of Ryan Clark with the Marching Virginians! Click to the link for a touching eulogy for him --

Body Count Up at Virginia Tech ...

2007-04-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

The death count at Virginia Tech has risen to 32. Apparently, this morning, a gunman killed one person at a dorm.

This afternoon, he went to the engineering building, lined students up and killed 32 of them. The shooter's also dead.

A very sad story ... according to FoxNews, the shooter was of Asian extraction, and was looking for his girlfriend!

Professor Budgie just commented that these things would not happen if teachers were armed. I tend to agree. Arm the girls' gym coach, or the PTA moms, then tell them that their little darlings are threatened. That would work well at the secondary school level ... although it's a little scarey to think of PTA and band booster moms or girls' gym coaches armed!

Or, to say it in Hindi: "हाल कैसा है जनाब का"? That sucks the big one!

Blogging in Hindi!!!

2007-04-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

What an amazing world -- there's a new feature of Blogger that allows you to blog in Hindi!

From the GoogleBlog:

"Ever wondered how cool it would be if you could type "Haal kaisa hai janaab ka" in your usual chatting style and the words actually got converted automagically to "हाल कैसा है जनाब का"? We have now made that possible with the new Blogger transliteration feature. Now you can easily publish your thoughts, experiences and even your favourite Bollywood songs in Hindi..."

Too special ... some of us have enough trouble blogging in English! I guess there was an unsung crying need for that one.

Image is of the Hindi alphabet, from Homework Hindi.

Updated 4/17/07

The REAL Imus Story ...

2007-04-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

Sorcha Faal over at Pravda has the real story about Imus.

From Pravda:

In a clear sign of its intent to reign in dissident American media
personalities, and their growing influence in American culture,
US War Leaders this past week launched an unprecedented attack upon one of their most politically 'connected', and legendary, radio hosts named Don Imus after his threats to release information relating to the September 11, 2001 attacks upon that country....

Faal missed the part about Karl Rove engineering the whole thing with his magic media machine, patented by Halliburton -- the one designed to make liberal democrats look like idiots!

And here I thought the Imus crisis was just plain bad taste so prevalent with old married white guys. Imus' wife has asked that all hate mail be directed to him; probably a good idea. She knows him.

Addendum: By the way, here's Al Jazeera's take on when Imus offended Arafat by calling him a rat, with beady eyes.

CongressCritters Fly the Friendly Skies!

2007-04-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Tax Man Cometh tomorrow -- so here's what our impoverished Congresscritters are doing at taxpayer expense:

From the Examiner, linked thru Drudge:

Congress is keeping Andrews Air Force base plenty busy this year ferrying lawmakers all over the globe at taxpayers’ expense. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi took his wife, nine Democrats and two Republicans - Reps. Dan Lungren of California and Mike Rogers of Alabama - on a whirlwind tour of the Caribbean last week. After stops in Honduras and Mexico, they stopped in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the delegation stayed at the five-star Caneel Bay resort.

In a separate trip to the Caribbean last week, Rep. Eliot Engel of New York squired his wife and four Democratic members to Grenada and Trinidad.

All told, the military flew at least 13 congressional delegations to various destinations during the Easter recess -- at an estimated rate of $10,000 or more per flying hour...

$10,000 per flying hour? Now, that's going to keep you all warm and fuzzy inside when you file your tax returns tomorrow!

Pretty nice work if you can find it. Yet, we keep voting these jokers into office.

Romance Ended By Secret Royal Family Meeting

2007-04-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

So, Prince William was not going to stand against the Queen ...

From News of the World, out of the UK:

PRINCE William's five-year romance with Kate Middleton was dramatically killed off at a secret royal summit when the Queen said: "Don't rush down the aisle—we don't want another Diana."

Her Majesty issued the shock advice around 10 days ago after William sensationally confessed his doubts at a top-level family conference...

And, of course Prince Phillip told his grandson not to string young Kate along!

Back in ye olde days, it would have been a matter of intrigue and beheading. Now, it's just tabloid news.

I think Kate Middleton could have put up with the tabloid photo's of Prince William groping other women, and his long deployments with the British Army -- but the Royal Family would be fearsome in-laws to have!

Linked thru Drudge.

Above is a photo of the Prince and the Queen, from CBC news. Looks like the Queen is remembering the long history of hereditary shenenigans passed along through the Royal Family males.

Iranians Threatened With "Pelosi Effect"!

2007-04-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

I thought it was a joke at first -- but apparently Nancy Pelosi really is considering a trip to Iran, to work diplomatic wonders with Ahmadinejad!

However, the Iranians are "mullahing" over the possibility. They haven't quite decided if it would be a desirable thing to roll out the red Persian carpet for La Madame Speaker!

From the Islamic Republic News Agency:

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said here Sunday that Iran would study possible request by Democratic Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to visit Iran and hold talks with Iranian officials.
"If any official request were made, we would discuss it on due time," Hosseini told domestic and foreign reporters at his weekly press conference.

"Pelosi's office has rejected news announcing her readiness to visit Iran," he said, adding that currently, there is no reliable news in this regard.

Asked about sale of the US Embassy in Tehran, he said, "We have received no official and reliable report from official centers." The spokesman, however, added that Iran's judiciary system would make decision on the issue

And yes -- the Iranians have seized the US embassy in Tehran. It's prime real estate in Tehran, and will be sold to compensate an Iranian businessman who got busted by heartless US custom officials! (wow -- heartless US custom officials actually CAUGHT somebody!!! Must be that new guy on the force!)

So, La Madame Speaker hasn't really made plans yet. It's just the figment of our MSM, trying to dig up crumbs of news to justify their existance.

Looks to me like the Iranians are quaking in their boots! Sure, let's just send her over -- anything to keep her out of our country! Let her do for Iran exactly what she's done for the USA! Let's move Pelosi and her liberal Democrat pals into that empty embassy in Tehran.

Above image is from photobucket, beautifully illustrating the position La Madame Speaker thinks she has.

Tax Man Takes The Weekend Off!

2007-04-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Save every scrap of paper you've ever generated, and keep it organized, because the Tax Man Cometh!

Tax Day falls on April 17th this year -- a break in a fine old tradition.

The tax filing deadline is next Tuesday, April 17, because April 15 falls on a Sunday this year and April 16 is Emancipation Day, which is a legal holiday in Washington.

But, not to worry! Unless you have those scraps of paper organized, the Tax Man will come for you, even if you're a teenager with your first job!

I remember a bit of trivia I heard from my favorite US history teacher. Apparently the first guy prosecuted by the Continental Congress was a tax evader.

What a fine American tradition ... so, fork it over to the state and federal governments! C'mon, dig a little deeper -- some impoverished bureaucrat needs your help!

Al Capone was a famous successful gangster -- busted for not paying taxes on his ill-gotten gains!

Ohwait! It's only the "rich" that get taxed -- like teenaged kids with their first jobs?

Enjoy Tax Day -- and that warm fuzzy feeling inside when you feel the IRS slipping its smarmy hand into your wallet!

Funny Horsies!

2007-04-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

To the right is a photo of one of the Funny Horses over at Hopeful Haven Equine Rescue out of Louisiana.

That group performed livestock and rancher rescue after Katrina. Hopeful Haven focuses on abused and neglected animals, rescues them, nurtures them and offers adoption after rehab.

This group is not after money, although they do not refuse donations. During the aftermath of Katrina, their biggest needs were mostly for things like hay, barbed wire and things like veternary medicine!

I think the guy in the photo is scratching his back! I'd donate a hug or tummy rub. Click here for more on Hopeful Haven.

Stetson Tip to Debra Barlow, fearless leader and resident genius of the orgnization.

How Many Bloggers Does It Take to Change A LightBulb!!

2007-04-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

Heh! From RedState.com, a recommended entry by Gideon, with ascerbic commentary! It's a topic folks have wondered about for years ... now, just how many bloggers would it take to change a lightbulb???

1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed.
14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently.
7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs.
6 to argue over whether it's "lightbulb" or "light bulb" ...
Another 6 to condemn those 6 as stupid.
2 industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is "lamp".
15 know-it-alls who claim they were in the industry, and that "light bulb" is perfectly correct.
19 to post that this forum is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a light bulb forum.
11 to defend the posting to this forum saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts are relevant to this forum.
36 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this technique and what brands are faulty.
5 to post pics of their own light bulbs.
15 People to post "I can't see S$%^ photos!" and post photos of their own light bulbs.
7 to post URL's where one can see examples of different light bulbs.
4 to post that the URL's were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected URL's.
13 to link all posts to date, quote them in their entirety including all headers and signatures, and add "Me too".
5 to post to the group that they will no longer post because they cannot handle the light bulb controversy.
4 to say "didn't we go through this already a short time ago?"
13 to say "do a search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs".
1 moderator to lock the light bulb thread.
2 to say that it was about time that the moderator locked the thread as light bulbs are obsolete anyway, they waste energy, and why weren't we discussing energy saving lamps in the first place?
The discussion repeats itself, this time with energy saving lamps as the subject.
Several daughter threads are started on whether or not there really is any energy savings with these new lamps if energy costs in production are taken into account; whether or not there really is an energy shortage; whether or not global warming is a natural or man-made phenomenon.
1 forum lurker to respond to the original post 6 months from now and start it all over again........

So, now we know! That one should be sent over to the KosKids so they can marvel, too!

Of course, the big question is how many bloggers would even care about a burned out lightbulb, as long as the internet connection was intact!!!!!

Case of the Century Solved !

2007-04-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

The wonders of DNA testing has solved the burning issue of who Anna Nicole Smith's baby's father is. It's photographer Larry Birkhead!

The good news at the Budgie Nest is that Prof. Budgie never once said he was the father! Despite the money, he knows which side of the nest his feathers are on, and he instinctively hates trailer trash!

Women's Lib Takes Hold in Iraq!

2007-04-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

Well, women's lib in Iraq!!!

From an AP article, via Yahoo:

BAGHDAD — A female suicide bomber wearing a black abaya, a traditional, black robe-like garment, detonated her explosives belt in a crowd of about 200 police recruits northeast of Baghdad today, killing at least 16 people, police and hospital officials said.

The woman walked into the crowd at the main gate of the Muqdadiyah police station, according to a police officer at the scene who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media.
At least 16 people were killed, and 33 were wounded, according to Dr. Abdul Salam al-Jibour at Muqdadiyah General Hospital. Muqdadiyah, a mostly Sunni Muslim city, is about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad.

Ah, well. Maybe when she gets to paradise, she'll get 72 American Pool Boys!!!

Above photo is not of the woman, but you get the idea.

Maybe she got inspired by Nancy Pelosi -- no, it's all Bush's fault, isn't it? If the US had not invaded Iraq, she'd be at home, grinding humus, and waiting for a male relative to escort her outside the house ...

The photo's from "The Uglier Truth" which reports:

"The Uglier Truth recently spoke to an Iraqi woman with aspirations of becoming a suicide bomber. "Before the arrival of the Americans I never dreamed of it but now, the thought is never far from my mind."
When asked how this new dream had changed her family she smiled broadly, "Before the US arrived my husband would never have trusted me with such a responsibility. Now, he is just as excited and enthusiastic about my aspirations as I am. I believe this is solely due to the presence of the US ..."

Oh, you go girl. Just don't believe anything they say about Al-Darwin!

About that wonderful, supportive husband of yours -- why don't you and your girlfriends get together for a neighborhood stoning party! Let him be the guest of honor! You get to cast the first stone!

Happy Easter!!!

2007-04-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

Betcha didn't know the Easter Bunny was a member of the US Coast Guard!

If you have a minute, take a peek at Gordon Taylor's article at RedState, about how he prays for the troops on Easter Sunday!

Have a safe and blessed Easter!!!

The Chai's On General Petraeus!

2007-04-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

General Petraeus strolled through the Dora market in Southern Baghdad yesterday, to sip some Chi, and take a peek at progress ...

From CentCom:

BAGHDAD, April 4, 2007 — U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, visited the Dora Market March 31 and saw the significant improvements made there since December.

“Chai for everyone,” Petraeus exclaimed with a smile as he placed some money on the counter at a small tea shop to buy tea for all who accompanied him on the trip and then some. Later he sipped tea with an Iraqi Army battalion commander and Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, whose unit is responsible for securing the Dora Market area. They discussed the visible progress in what was, just four months ago, a dangerous cluster of ramshackle buildings full of roaming death squads and criminals.

“This is still not pretty, but it has made substantial strides,” Petraeus said, noting that many of the dilapidated storefronts and houses in and around the market still show signs of the December violence in the once-vibrant economic hub of some 700 stores and kiosks. On Dec. 23, there were three shops left.“There will be challenges here. This is an area that al-Qaeda continues to go after because it does represent success for the Sunni Arabs, and they (al-Qaeda) don’t want to see cooperation with the Iraqi government and Iraqi Security Forces,” Petraeus said.
The market now has 141 stores and stands open for business, with room for many more as the situation improves. Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Forces - Iraq, was a welcome visitor to the market for Iraqi Army Lt. Col. Najm Abdul Wahed Motleq.
“I’m very honored to have the general here today to come and observe the situation on the ground here at the market,” Najm said. “This market was dead in the past and brought back to life with our presence here and with coalition forces securing this market.”

Progress, indeed, and Petraeus would be in a position to know. He paid $5 for a tube of toothpaste at the Dora market, and grinned, saying "anything to support the local economy!"

The Eagle Has Landed!

2007-04-05T04:18:00.000-07:00

The Brits got their sailors back. According to an AP article, they just landed at Heathrow, and will then head to a UK military base in Devon.

According to the International Herald Tribune, Syrian officials are claiming credit for their release. Maybe Assad really did threaten Ahmadinejad with a visit from Nancy Pelosi!

To the right is a photo of the hostages.

Sharia In The Heart of Texas

2007-04-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, looks like the peace of "Allah" fell upon the Texas Lege today April 4th, 2007.

From LoneStarTimes:

The prayer to begin this morning’s Texas Senate session was given by Imam Yusuf Kavakci, a Turkish-born Muslim preacher who runs the Islamic Association of North Texas.

In 2004, Kavakci was a featured speaker at a conference in Irving entitled “A Tribute to the Great Islamic Visionary.” The conference, honoring Ayatollah Khomeini, discussed such moderate, genteel topics as… worldwide Islamic revolution.

The guy also has an ugly tendency to praise guys like Hasan al-Turabi (Osama’s buddy who helped establish sharia in Sudan) and Yusuf Qaradawi (who thinks suicide bombings are just peachy.)

Scarey thing is this really happened. Click here for the article in the Houston Chronicle, although it talks mostly about how "some people" are offended because it's just before Easter; as usual, the Chronicle misses the "bizarre" factor.

What's the matter with a Southern Baptist? Let's just send those idiots back to their villages!

Ohwell. It's Austin. Let's "Keep Austin Weird!"

Why I HATE Blogger!!!

2007-04-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

I chose Blogger because I'm a technical moron, and it was software I thought I could understand it; it was free and yadayadayada!

Then, the big betrayal -- it forced me to change to the new Blogger, then made it impossible to sign in at first. Plus, it change my website addy, but I lived with it.

Every morning, when I turn on my computer, there are all these windows wantint to dump "improvements" to my computer. I hate that, too, makes the computer grind, and I don't want a bunch of new software gunking things up.

Now, it turns off my comment section off and on. I don't get that many comments, but really enjoy the ones I do, and try to reply to them. Blogger won't let me respond in my own comments section.

I HATE Blogger! Cao called it BLOGSNOT!!!

And, no, DT -- that's not really me. It's just what I feel like doing sometimes. Remember, on the web, we're all young, lithe and rich!!!

BigWhiteHat, sounds like the coffee at your house is terrific!

Anyway, if anyone cruises through, and feels like leaving a comment, and finds the comment section turned off -- it's not my fault. I've done everything right, but frickin' BLOGGER HATES ME!!!!!!

Don't Send British Sailor Moms To Iran!!!

2007-04-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

Ahmadinejad "pardoned" the British sailors, and they should be coming home soon. This is good news, depending on Ahmadinejad's trustworthiness. Of course, he has squeezed all the publicity he can out of the stunt -- and he got to give the Iranian medal of honor to his buds that kidnapped the British sailors.

According to an AP article, Ahmdinejad said:

"We are sorry that British troops remain in Iraq and their sailors are being arrested in Iran," Ahmadinejad said.

He criticized Britain for deploying Leading Seaman Faye Turney, one of the 15 detainees, in the Gulf, pointing out that she is a woman with a child ..."

In other words, don't send moms anywhere NEAR Iran! But, Ahmadinejad's also been able to jack poor Faye Turney around sufficiently.

Ohwell. Maybe a US liberal Democrat has threatened a diplomatic visit to Tehran.

How well "diplomacy" works with Iran -- particularly when Iranians know they can do anything without consequences.

AP article linked thru Drudge. Freeper photo.

How I LOVE Coffee!

2007-04-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Seems that the heartless capitalist pigs at Starbucks are squeezing poor farmers in Ethiopia!

From All Africa, an article out of Johannesburg:

Ethiopia is looking to trademark coffees in the EU to benefit its poor farmers, in the face of opposition from Starbucks in the U.S.

The Ethiopian move provides lessons for an African market that could be worth billions of dollars.

Coffee originated in Ethiopia today accounts for significant exports. Yet, in Ethiopian regions such as Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe, familiar names to coffee fans around the world, coffee farmers live in abject poverty.

Most Ethiopians earn less than two dollars a day, and coffee farmers receive only a fraction of the price that their prestigious coffee fetches in cafés and shops in the developed world

Oh, how I love my coffee. We get the dark roasted beans from Costco, and I grind up a little Cardamon in it! Ipromise, it's better than Starbuck's, with a splash of heavy cream, and some Splenda.

I also used to have a magical coffee-pot; it's a grind and brew, you just throw the beans in and it grinds them for you, and it was easy to clean -- but the grinder broke last fall, in a perfect example of how mechanical objects turn against you in a moment of stress ....

The pot's still functional, but ya have to dismantle the pot, clean the basket 'til it's squeaky clean, grind the beans yourself, and dump it into the basket. Try doing that in a "gray moment!"

Well, to be honest, coffee doesn't make the "gray moments" go away, but it sure makes them swim around your head a little faster.

Photo above is from a website on hypertension. Go figure that one! It's not even how I like my coffee dark, and preferably sitting beside a keyboard while I expore the blogosphere, looking for those fun political articles!

Ohwell. It's my blog, and I'll rave if I want to!

Nancy Pelosi Trucks to Syria!!!

2007-04-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well, fearless Nancy Pelosi is making a highly publicized trip to Syria!

Sure, let her spend some time with Assad, the timid opthalmologist who was enjoying his practice before being thrust into the position of third world dictator by his father, after his big brother was killed in a car crash.

Remember the Scotty's old line from StarTrek? "D4mmit, Captain -- I'm a DOCTOR, not an engineer!"

Can't you imagine Assad saying "D4mmit, Madame Pelosi! I'm an OPTHALMOLOGIST, not a Baathist dictator!"

Heh! Sure, let her go bug Assad. Keep her out of Congress, let her drive Assad nuts; maybe she can get him to allow Muslim gay people in his army!

If Assad's really clever, he'll get his buddy Ahmadinejad to send a special unit of the Iranian Theocratic police to escort her around.

Photo above from Sweetness And Light.

Iran Attacks British Embassy in Tehran

2007-04-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

From the Persian Journal, cribbing from CNN:

Blasts were heard at the British Embassy in Tehran on Sunday evening. There were reports of several small blasts from inside the British Embassy compound in central Tehran during a protest. No injuries have been reported so far. The blast occurred during a protest against Britain over the detention of 15 British sailors and marines. The protesters chanted "Death to Britain" and "Death to America" as they hurled stones into the courtyard of the embassy

Tony Blair's talking about taking "taking tough actions" within 24 hours. Ahmadinejad's gearing up to deplore "British" aggression against sacred Muslim soil. So, what's Blair going to do -- channel his "inner Margaret Thatcher" or go to the UN for some "stern" warnings for six years!

Check out An Emirati's Thoughts, on the matter:

Irony comes to mind when we talk about the Shadow boxing going on between Britain and Iran.

A former imperial master is reduced to begging for the release of its sailors, I have to give it to the Iranians, they really know how to make someone feel bad in their own special Persian indirect way of doing things. Iran can always screw around with PC Britain and get away with it, they know this, and thats why they are capturing British sailors, and telling Britian to 'behave' like a child...Iran arrests British Sailors, Humiliates Britian, and Humiliates America as the 'ally that cant back up its little buddy' ...

If you bop over there, check out the Emirati's notion of "The Cure For AIDS" Arab Infant Destruction Syndrome!

Bottom line is that the mullahs know they can do anything they want to -- because nobody's going to do anything. They proved that back in 1979

Helping A Fossil Petrify To His Congressional Seat ...

2007-04-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

If you're a 90 year old Congressman, who are you going to trust to help you to your seat -- President Bush, or Harry Reid?

Dave Hinz of HinzSight Report writes:

"...George W Bush is the President of the United States, not an usher. Robert Byrd is a former Ku Klux Klan member-turned elder statesman of the US Senate, a Democrat who has said that the President lied about the reasons for invading Iraq. “Eventually, the truth will emerge. And when it does, this house of cards, built of deceit, will fall....”

The part highlighted in red is a "Sheets" Byrd quote. The guy to the right in the photo looks a little like Harry Reid ... Doesn't it look like Harry Reid's picking Byrd's pocket?

So, why is President Bush helping "Sheets" Byrd? It indicates character.

StetsonTip to the hardworking crew at Hinzsight!

"Dick Cheney" SPEEDS !!!!

2007-04-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

Say, if you want to get out of a speeding ticket, just claim you're Dick Cheney!

From an AP article, presented by the KansasCityStar: A man was taken to Bridgeport Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation after he led authorities on a high-speed chase and then claimed to be Vice President Dick Cheney, police said.

John Spernak, 42, later admitted he wasn't Cheney but said he was actually "Charlie's Angels" star Jaclyn Smith, police said. He also claimed to be the husband of Paris Hilton's sister.

Police said Spernak, driving at more than 90 mph Monday night, hit a patrol car and was shocked with a stun gun before they could arrest him. He was charged with attempted first-degree assault, engaging police in a pursuit, reckless driving, criminal mischief, interfering with police and being in a town park after dark

Well, looks like Spernak's going to "Club Med." I knew a guy once who referred to his favorite locked psyche unit as "the Club Med" because it's a warm relaxing place, you get to talk to pretty women, and you can score some fun new drugs!!!

Heh! Above is the real Dick Cheney on a gyrobike at the Naval Observatory, from US News&World Report

US Violates Iranian Air Space !!!

2007-04-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

I guess Iran can't live a day without being violated or insulted!

From an AFP article presented by Yahoo.

TEHRAN (AFP) - US warplanes have violated Iranian airspace in the southwestern oil province of Khuzestan, the Arabic language channel of Iranian state television quoted a local military chief as saying on Sunday.

However, a US military spokesman said he had checked into reports of an airspace violation and denied that any took place.

"Two US aircraft trespassed into Iranian airspace northwest of (the port city of) Abadan before flying southwest into a Revolutionary Guards commander in Abadan identified only as Colonel Aqili was quoted as saying by the Al-Alam channel's website ...

Those people live to be offended! The mullahs are certainly getting alot of mileage about the British hostages.

The above photo is of a US bomber over Baghdad, from the article.

Iran Ready for "Confrontation" With The USA

2007-04-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

According to the IDF, the Iranians and their buds in Hizbollah are gearing up for a confrontation with the United States this summer.

From YNet News, linked thru Drudge:

"Iran, Syria and Hizbullah are preparing for a possible military confrontation with the United States in the summer, the head of the IDF's Military Intelligence said Sunday.
"Their preparation is defensive ahead of war … They fear a war initiated by the Americans because they understand that there might be an attack against Iran over the summer, but not by Israel," Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Cabinet..."

The Iranians kidnapped 15 British Sailors, and are concerned about British "aggression." Ahmadinejad has been happily talking about nuking Israel, and threatening "Death To America." With their unfettered nuclear program, Iran will probably have nukes very soon, if they don't already.

Then, all Ahmadinejad has to do it to give an Iranian nuke to one of his buds in Hezbollah, who can then drive it across the Mexican or Canadian border ... and truck it to the American city of his choice!

Surprises me that it hasn't happened already -- but Bush has them quagmired in Iraq!

..

Canine Cuisine

2007-04-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the latest huge scandal is pet food that poisons your dog or kitty. But, not to worry! Feel free to make home-cooked meals for your dog!!!

Here's a recipe for meatloaf you can prepare for your dog from the "The Good Food Cookbook for Dogs" by Donna Twichell Roberts.

3/4 cup water
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, diced
13/4 pounds meatloaf mix (see note)
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon ketchup
Bring water to boil in a small skillet. Add carrot and celery. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.
Place meatloaf on foil-lined baking sheet. Form into a bone shape measuring approximately 9 inches long by 5 inches wide by 1 1/2 inches high. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven about 1 hour

After you fatten your dog up, you can sell him to a Chinese restaurant where they'll make a delicious stir-fry out of him.

Of course, while you're cooking for your doggie, your husband and kids might get a mite hungry. Just pack then off to Taco Bell.

Photo from Doggie-Do-Right, an obedience training center out of Chicago.

Bird Rescuers Rob Falcon Nest ...

2007-03-31T07:39:00.000-07:00

Amidst great shrieking of the daddy falcon, well-meaning biologists swiped the eggs out of a peregrine falcon's nest in San Francisco. He'd been left alone to guard the nest while the mother falcon was out hunting baby bunnies.

According to an AP article: "...If the eggs were allowed to hatch under the bridge, crosswinds could send the fledglings plummeting into the bay or hurtle them under the wheels of passing cars when they left the nest for their first flights..."

These falcons were urban birdies. Apparently, they'd nested on the 33rd floor of a skyscraper before moving to the bridge. Some birds are perfectly adapted to the urban area, I've seen pidgeons walk across the street on foot in New York City, waiting for the "Walk/Don't Walk" signal. You can observe flocks of Quaker parrots in urban areas of Florida.

It's possible to hatch eggs. You have to put them in a special incubator, feed the baby chicks a special baby birdie formula. Apparently the papa peregrine had been "rescued" as an egg from the same location under the bridge.

Peregrine falcons were great favorites of royal ladies in the Middle Ages. The birds were perfectly trained to hunt, and rewarded with little scraps of raw meat.

Now they're favorites of the "bird-watching" community in San Francisco, the city that keeps voting for Nancy Pelosi!

Above photo is from "Living History at Kenilworth Castle."

Cheney's Fury!!!

2007-03-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Too cool!!! You can play this first person shooter game, aiming Cheney's shotgun at Hillary Clinton and Osama Bin Laden!!! They also have Condaleeza Rice, and I'm pretty sure Cheney would never shoot at Condaleeza Rice.

Ah, there's something for everyone on the internet!!! Have fun, I got the high score with the Hillary target! I managed to get it posted ... but there are continual annoying noises. Actually, it's a harmless game, not even human figures. Hillary's face is on a leopard, or maybe a sheep. Cindy Sheehan's a butterfly, and Rummy's a bat!

Click here for a little harmless fun! It's bipartisan, too.

Photo above is not from the game, which does make annoying noises, it's from a couple of nutty guys at HogBlog! Their lead article from a coupla days ago is "Beef Versus Sperm -- Beef WINS!!!" KosKids alert: I think they're KosKids, it's misspelled on their sidebar. I'll toss 'em a link -- that's such a great photo of CHENEY!!!! Wish he'd run for President.

Slipping the Surly Bonds of Earth!!!

2007-03-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

Remember those dreamers out in California -- the guys who are working on a space elevator?

Improbable? The Chinese, the Russians and the Japanese are interested in developing one, too!

A "space elevator", affectionately called "the beanstalk" is a kind of tether which stretches for thousands of miles into space, using the earth's rotation to

The current problem is figuring out which material to use for the cable, but there's been some promising research into carbon nanotechnology. Once it's constructed, transport of raw materials would be cheap, and space craft can avoid the gravity well of earth.

Seems that the Chinese are working on one. From a CNN/money article, towards the end of the page (of course, it is CNN, and they deride the effort at the beginning. )

Who will bite first? The Chinese government has made no secret of its ambitious space program and carbon nanotube research. Nor has Japan. "Whoever builds the first elevator will have a virtual monopoly on all future ones," Edwards says. "The political and economic structure of the world could be completely different 50 years from now."

The Russians are interested in space elevators as well. Check out this article from RIA Novosti.

It's so reassuring that Americans can still dream large dreams -- Thomas Edison tinkered with a bunch of wires while theories swam around his brain. Henry Ford dreamed of providing affordable "horseless" carriages. Then there's the improbable stories that the Wright brothers told each other about flying through the air.

JFK wanted to put a man on the moon, and we did it! We not only got Tang out of it, but a generation of kids fascinated with math and science. In 2004, George Bush spoke of putting a man on Mars, and building a permanent base on the Moon. That would have been enough to earn my vote.

Heh! The Liftport Group has been invited to judge at the First LEGO League Nano Quest World Championship. Click here for info. It's not a bunch of brilliant scientists making amazing constructions with little square blocks, it's a serious scientific endeavor, challenging teams of engineers from 38 countries, and children to solve serious problems. The LEGO company sponsors it.

There's just something beautiful about nerds and LEGO's, a company that understands its market niche.

Dream on, guys! I'd kind of like to get off this mudball, too! Maybe y'all can establish a zero gravity gym on one of the platforms with big transparent windows!!!

Click to LiftPortGroup for more.

Above photo is conceptual art from LiftPort. Here's a link to Amazon.com for the book!

Crossposted at RedState.com, and WhizBangBomb Squad!

Code Pink Stalks Hillary Clinton

2007-03-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

Heh! So good to see them harassing Democrats!

From theHill:

An anti-war group, Code Pink, is hounding Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) at almost every stop she makes on the campaign trail, hitting her again yesterday as she joined other candidates in seeking a union endorsement.

Standing in front of the Capitol Hill Hyatt Regency, the group made its presence known, inviting a sea of union members from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to “go back downstairs and kiss Hillary’s a--.”

Hillary's a conniving liberal Democrat, but she originally voted to send troops into Iraq, and she's just not enough of a moonbat for CodePink!

Well, at least it keeps them out of Texas.

Photo from InTheseTimes.

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Vicente Fox Concerned About American Economy!

2007-03-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

Vincente Fox, ex-president of Mexico, is retired these days. I guess he's got time to travel.

From KSAT, out of San Antonio:

SAN ANTONIO -- During a visit to San Antonio, former Mexican President Vicente Fox said Tuesday he's concerned about dozens of immigration bills to be discussed at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday at the State Capitol.

He said he's particularly concerned about House Bill 28, which if passed, would restrict employment and health care benefits for children of immigrants in Texas, including children born on American soil.
"That's absolutely crazy, unfair, immoral," Fox said. "Immigrants here in the U.S. contribute strongly to the productivity and the ability of this economy."

Isn't it sweet of him to be thoughtful of the American economy? What a prince!!!

I agree with John Lillpop -- let's send our Baby Boomers to be undocumented illegals to Mexico!!! I bet there's alot of folks who'd donate to buy Jane Fonda across the Rio Grande, where she can protest for the right to have all the Mexican road signs in English!!!

Others posting:600,000 Foreign Fugitives on the Loose, The Amboy Times
Eureka! Democrat with Reasonable Stance on Illegal Immigration Found ,John Lillpop
A Closer Look At The Strive Act of 2007 and Border Security, Morning Coffee
Illegal Alien Didn’t Meet the Criteria, Common Sense America

***This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email stiknstein-at-gmail-dot-com and let us know at what level you would like to participate.***

Photo from TimeInc.

The Multiplicity of King Abdullah!!!!!

2007-03-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Seems that Saudi King Abdullah II is upset with the "illegitimate foreign occupation" of Iraq.

From an AFP article, presented by Yahoo: RIYADH (AFP) -

Saudi King Abdullah, whose country is a close US ally, on Wednesday slammed the "illegitimate foreign occupation" of Iraq in an opening speech to the annual Arab summit in Riyadh.

"In beloved Iraq, blood is being shed among brothers in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and ugly sectarianism threatens civil war," Abdullah said.

He also said that Arab nations, which are planning to revive a five-year-old Middle East peace plan at the summit, would not allow any foreign force to decide the future of the region.

Actually, the Saudi Royal Family has been pretty straight in dealing with the American government. They asked the Americans to build their refineries because they trusted Americans. They keep their bargains.

The Saudi's also have been pretty good allies in the War On Terror ... and they get to interrogate the prisoners without the New York Times and Amnesty International looking over the shoulders and there's no opposition political party to bug them, and dissenters are decapitated. Maybe the US should just dump all the Gitmo inmates into a Saudi jail.

On the downside, the Saudi Royal Family doesn't exactly share all those millions in oil money with the people, they really shouldn't be funding the Wahhabi fundamentalist sect, and life is truly a misery for the Saudi people. So they take out their hatred on America, and voila! You get 19 Saudi hijackers on 9/11.

Heh! I was looking through google images for a photo for this post. Above is an image of King Abdullah of Saudi.

The little photo to the right is King Abdullah II of JORDAN! He appeared on a Star Trek Episode,

Here's a link to YouTube with a clip of the episode. Watch the guy in green! StetsonTip to Naseem of the excellent Black Iris. Naseem's from Jordan.

Iranians To Release British Woman Sailor!!!

2007-03-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well, looks like Ahmadinejad is going to let Faye Turney go.

From the Shropshire Star Online:

Iran said today that it was ready to release Shropshire servicewoman Faye Turney, who was seized off the Iraqi coast on Friday.

“Today or tomorrow, the lady will be released,” Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on the sidelines of an Arab summit he was attending in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The first signs of a breakthrough in the crisis came less than two hours after Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed to “ratchet up” the pressure on Tehran over the detention of the 15 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines held since last week.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defence set out the evidence which, it said, showed that the group had been “ambushed” by the Iranians in Iraqi territorial waters

Well, maybe those US Aircraft Carriers floating around the Gulf of Persia had something to do with it, or perhaps Ahmadinejad was just afraid Tony Blair would channel his inner Margaret Thatcher!!!

Here's a link to how Turney was devoted to her three year old daughter, who's being cared for by her husband, a Petty Officer in the British Navy. Here's a link to a letter she wrote to her parents from jail. She writes: "...The people are friendly and hospitable, very compassionate and warm. I have written a letter to the Iranian people to apologise for us entering into their waters. Please don't worry about me; I am staying strong. Hopefully it won't be long until I am home to get ready for Molly's birthday party with a present from the Iranian people...."

She also wrote that they were "apparently" in Iranian waters, much to the Mullahs delight.

Wow. Imagine -- a toddler sized burka from Ahmadinejad. Imagine the card: "Happy Birthday, Molly! We'll arrange a nice marriage with a nice Muslim man for you in only six years! I could use another wife myself!!! Huggles, Ahmadinejad"(FB)

The thought of being in an Iranian jail is truly terrifying. She managed to save her life and win her freedom.

Lego's Banned For Promoting Social Injustice!

2007-03-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

This nutty school district in Seattle has banned lego's. Seems that the lego's enouraged non-politically correct notions of property ownership and non-sharing!

John Miller writes in NRO online:

Perhaps you’ve heard about the schools that have banned tag. Or dodgeball. Or stories about pigs.If so, you won’t be surprised to hear that the Hilltop Children’s Center in Seattle has banned Legos.

A pair of teachers at the center, which provides afterschool activities for elementary-school kids, recently described their policy in a Rethinking Schools cover story called “Why We Banned Legos.” (See the magazine’s cover here.)It has something to do with “social justice learning.”My vision of social justice for children of elementary-school age is as follows: If you’re tagged, you’re it; if the ball hits you, you’re out; and pig stories are fun, especially when told over microwaveable hot dogs.

My young nerd just loved his lego's, and he still does! He used to make these complicated, fascinating, amazing constructions, and he still does. He made airports, planes, houses, cars and funny little replica's of his sister. Our African Gray Parrot loves lego's too.

He used to beg me to buy him a Lego MINDSTORM kit, but they're a tad pricey, and he had enough electronic devices to play with. Also, the thought of a YoungRoosterBudgie with a Lego Mindstorm was scarey!!! Well, I did buy him a Lego Mindstorm kit for a special Christmas one year, I wish I had a photo of the way his face lit up -- but, there was some problem with the software, and there are very strict rules at our house about computers. I think he was more scared of what his nerdly father would do to him if he screwed up the computer, and we were not about to buy him his own laptop at the age of 10.

I'll just bet that budding nerdy Islamofascists construct IED's out of lego's!

Young nerds don't grow out of it. Click here to YouTube , where a couple of enterprising engineering students constructed a toilet paper dispenser with scrap metal and Lego Mindstorm.

Oh, well. Guess they got tired of stepping over the constructions, and having those little square pieces underfoot! Kids go NUTS when you step on their Lego construction. And the fights over those special pieces! Click here to read the teacher's explanation of why they banned "LegoTown!" It's all a matter of social justice!

The photo above is of the Statue of Liberty, built from green Lego's. It's from BrickArtist.com

Patriotic Squirrels!!!

2007-03-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Squirrels have been making off with little American flags in a cemetary. That's cute furry squirrels, not two-legged moonbat squirrels.

From FoxNews:

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Groundskeepers at Forest Hill Cemetery thought it was kids who were stealing dozens of American flags. That is, until one found a giant squirrel's nest.
"I was mowing, looked up out into the distance, and something caught my eye,"said Dave Ender, a groundskeeper employed by the Eau Claire Parks and Recreation Department.
He drove his riding lawnmower to a nearby street intersection and looked up a tree.
"Low and behold, I found the missing flags,"Ender said.
They were ripped and serving as the foundation of a giant squirrel nest.
"I never seen anything like that before,"he said.
No one at the cemetery had ever seen a squirrel with a flag in its mouth, either.
"They must have done it at night, or very early in the morning,"Ender said

I like the little guy above. Photo from FunnyHub.com.

Loving The Cheney Snarl!!!

2007-03-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

Cheney says the Democrats are undermining the troops!

From military.com:MANALAPAN, Fla. -

Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday accused the Democrat-led House of not supporting troops in Iraq and of sending a message to terrorists that America will retreat in the face danger.

"They're not supporting the troops. They're undermining them," Cheney told a gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition at the oceanside Ritz-Carlton hotel in Manalapan, Fla., about 60 miles north of Miami.

Clear, concise and correct !!! Cheney rocks.

The image above is from the Kos Kids, and I refuse to throw them a link, or make you shower your computer after you go there.

I just LOVE that snarl!!! I kinda wish the guy would run for President!!!

Troubled Waters of Shatt al-Arab

2007-03-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

You've perhaps heard about the British sailors who were seized by Iran, and charged with trespassing into Iranian waters.

From BreitBart, via DrudgeReport:

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran said Monday it was questioning 15 British sailors and marines to determine if their alleged entry into Iranian waters was "intentional or unintentional" before deciding what to do with them—the first sign it could be seeking a way out of the standoff.

The two countries continued to disagree about where the military personnel were seized Friday, with Britain insisting they were in Iraqi waters after searching a civilian cargo vessel and the Tehran regime saying it had proof they were in Iranian territory.

It should be called kidnapping. The thought of interrogation in an Iranian jail makes me shudder.

The Brits will get their sailors back. The rest is just shenanigans ... Ahmadinejad has already warned the Brits against "aggression!"

Click here for the rest of the article.

Lying At The New York Slimes

2007-03-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well, seems that there was a story in the New York Times Magazine about this poor female GI who was sexually molested in the military, and brain damaged by an IED ....

Well, it never happened. It's fabricated. The woman exists, but she's nowhere near Iraq.

As to sexual harassment in the military, what do you expect when you get a couple of 19 year olds in a pup tent?

Women in the military should not have to put up with sexual harassment, and guys should be afraid of them. They get training, and they ought to be able to crack ribs when they need to.

It's a bunch of politically correct nonsense.

Click here for the FoxNews Story.

Slaves For Allah!!!

2007-03-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a tasty tidbit from Dave over at HinzSight!

The systematic rape, murder and enslavement of the black Christian Sudanese African tribes by Muslim raiders from the north have been going on now, for decades, if not centuries. But finally something has changed. A Christian group Christian Solidarity International is buying back the freedom of some of those slaves.

Last week, 96 Black Sudanese were liberated and returned to their home areas in Southern Sudan. This action, supported by Christian Solidarity International (CSI), was undertaken by the Arab-Dinka peace committees at the Warawar and Manger Ater markets, just South of war-torn Darfur.

This latest slave liberation action coincides with U.S. Congressman Chris Smith's preparations to reintroduce a bill to establish an independent Commission to Monitor Slavery and its Eradication in Sudan.

Rep Smith, R-NJ first introduced the legislation, HR-5911 into the 109th Congress in 2006 but it was never acted upon. The CSI has long been calling for the US Congress to set up such a Commission. In February, following the release by the Sudanese government of 273 slaves, CSI appealed to President George W. Bush to establish an independent commission to monitor the eradication of slavery in Sudan.
At that time, in a CSI Press Release it was noted:
Last week, CSI provided survival kits and food to 273 recently freed Black Sudanese slaves. The slaves were liberated and returned from Northern Sudan to three locations in the South – Malwal Kon, Turalei and Gok Machar – by the Sudanese Government’s Committee for the Eradication of the Abduction of Women and Children (CEAWC).

The freed slaves were mainly women and children who had been captured by Sudanese government-backed Muslim militias during two decades of civil war. While in bondage many of the slaves were subjected to rape, frequent beatings, racial insults and forced conversions to Islam

Ohwell, the next time we have a Democrat Congress and President, they can sue the US for reparations!!!

I think Darfur is in NW Sudan, where the Muslim janjaweed are killing, raping and starving their fellow (blacker) Muslims. Check out Eugene Oregon's impeccable Coalition for Darfur if you're interested. The latest is that Bashir's refusing to turn over an official for questioning by the ICC. Isn't the UN effective .... and the Darfurians are getting hacked to death even as I type.

Image above is from SouthChild. How considerate of the Arabs to use English; so much easier for Western Newscasters to present to American audiences.

Astonishing Iraqi Valor .... The Hands of God ...

2007-03-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

I drop in on Michael Yon once in a while, and it's always worth it.

Yon describes a truly courageous Iraqi villager who sacrificed his life for his friends and family.

Grab a Kleenex, and read some excerpts.

Michael Yon writes:

He (the perp -- FB) was dressed as a woman as he walked down the alley toward the mosque full of worshippers. It was Friday, just before Ashura, and the air was chilled.

The bomb strapped to his body was studded with ball-bearings so that he could kill more villagers as they gathered for prayer. The detonation would eviscerate and dismember those closest, shattering bones into fragments, but the ball-bearings would ensure lethality beyond the percussive edge of the blast wave, ripping through the flesh of people who might not have been knocked down by the explosion.

There were no soldiers in his path to stop him; no police to alert to the man in women’s clothes. There were only villagers. The man dressed as a woman was to be the agent of their deaths. He kept walking down the alley toward the mosque where more than one hundred people were praying, a mass murderer masquerading in a woman’s garb.

The prayerful people may not have known he was coming, but we hear the explosions every day. Every single day. Seven days per week. I remember the story told to me by Tennessee National Guardsman of another such man who had grabbed the hand of a nearby child as cover, then walked over to some policemen before detonating himself and the child. I remember the bomber who rammed a car full of explosives into vehicle full of American soldiers in Mosul. The Americans had been surrounded by Iraqi children, and the bomber could have waited a block or two then attack the Americans man-on-man, but instead he chose to blow up the Iraqi kids.

The closer a counterfeit comes to the genuine article, the more obvious the deceit. As the murderer dressed in women’s clothes walked purposefully toward his target, there was a village man ahead. But under the guise of a simple villager was a true Martyr, and he, too, had his target in sight. The Martyr had seen through the disguise, but he had no gun. No bomb. No rocket. No stone. No time.

The Martyr walked up to the murderer and lunged into a bear hug, on the spot where we were now standing.

The blast ripped the Martyr to pieces which fell along with pieces of the enemy. Ball-bearings shot through the alley and wounded two children, but the people in the mosque were saved. The man lay in pieces on the ground, his own children having seen how his last embrace saved the people of the village

This guy knew what was coming down, too bad there wasn't a protective American GI around to shoot the insurgent -- but our rules of engagement ties their hands. And Nancy Pelosi starts screaming about how our heartless GI's shot a fat old lady in a burka.

His children had to watch his hunks of flesh fly in the air, doesn't this get to ya?

Well, men like that kind of explain why members of our military re-enlist. There's hope for these people.

I hope this villager has a special place in Paradise.

Photo from Michael Yon.

Crossposted at RedState and HinzSight.

Please click to the article. I put in alot of it, but Michael Yon tells it so much better than I ever could.

Crossposted at RedState, and Jihadi Du Jour.

Expanded Castle Doctrine In Texas !!!

2007-03-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

From American Daily:

Many wish to militarize our police because they say our officers are outgunned.

IF police are so outgunned, then it is irresponsible to semi-train rookies and then send them out on their own without an experienced pro with them, and certainly without a single weapon between them. Militarizing our police is not the answer; not only does this put an unreasonable reliance on a delayed armed response, no matter how armed it is, but this sends a worrisome message to citizens (don’t do anything until we get there).

It also sends a message to the criminals (you’ve got a few minutes until they get there -- as always).There’s a more effective solution which works rather well. And under such conditions anywhere, it’s stupid and even inhuman to ignore it any longer...

The Castle Doctrine is intentionally mischaracterized to mislead citizen appraisal of the issue, but in the final analysis, a law was required to affirm citizen authority to act in the face of overwhelming, debilitating political correctness which is incompatible with American Liberty.

[I’m asked how I know what the intruder is going to do. I answer, "I know exactly what he’s going to do: he’s going to lie face down on the floor."]

Well, looks like the Texas Lege passed the Castle Doctrine, and it's now on Governor Good Hair's desk. Here's his toll free number -- 1-800-252-9600. If there are any Texans lurking around, give him a call!!!

As the guys over at LoneStarTimes say "Call from work! Call from home! Call from every pay phone you drive by without having to fumble for change! Call, call, call!"

Well, the Texas Lege should NEVER be armed. They shouldn't be allowed to carry sharp objects. Thinking of the Lege with paper clips is frightening!!!

Image above is from Illinois Review! ROFL!!! Wow, that lady should be sent to Iraq!!!

I always thought that the best way to stop senseless high school massacres would be to arm the girl's PE teachers, or PTA moms ....

America Raises Hero's !!!

2007-03-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

America DOES raise Hero's, and one of them is Ed Acevedo. Acevedo plans to ride his bicycle 3100 miles across our country to raise money for wounded vets!

From the HinzSight Report:

Heroism comes in many forms. Great heroism often takes the form of sacrificing ones life or body for others. A smaller, but not lesser, heroism may sometimes take the form of giving ones time, money and energy to honor those Heroes who have come before. This is the story of that type of heroism. Ed Acevedo is a Hero! He plans to ride his bicycle more than 3100 miles across the country, raising money for our fallen veteran heroes.

Recently, with the Walter Reed debacle, the VA Medical system has been put on trial across the news media. By the same token, MSM shouting about the war in Iraq has drowned out any positive messages we might hear about our troops and those who support them ...

This is one forum where that message will be heard.
Ed Acevedo graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1988, spending the next seven years in the uniform of this nation’s military. Stationed in Germany and South Korea, he was a tank company executive officer during the first Gulf War. While stationed in Europe he had the opportunity to see first hand, the results of a strong national defense stance, and what affect that stance has on our nation’s enemies.

Bikes For Vets has more info!

Click to the excellent, incisive HinzSight report. StetsonTip to Gordon Taylor, thanks for the tip.

Photo to the upper right is of Alcedo, looking mighty fit. The map just above of the Southern route is from HinzSight!

Dave reports:

Weather along this route is best from late fall until early spring. These routes
often use secondary roads and try to avoid congested and heavily urbanized
areas. The result is a safer and more rewarding bicycle experience. Side trips
to nearby communities are also possible.

Heh! That's a good recommendation -- if you're cruising along the Gulf Coast, best to get outta there before Karl Rove cranks up his secret hurricane machine, patented by Halliburton!

Islamic Play Time !!!

2007-03-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Stomach-turning article of the day, StetsonTip to Robin, over at ChickenHawk Express. Swallow your liquids first.

This sickens me almost as much as hearing scum like this called "freedom fighters" by the anti-American lunatic moonbats. From Breitbart...Insurgents in Iraq detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle with two children in the back seat after US soldiers let it through a Baghdad checkpoint over the weekend, a senior US military official said Tuesday. The vehicle was stopped at the checkpoint but was allowed through when soldiers saw the children in the back, said Major General Michael Barbero of the Pentagon's Joint Staff. "Children in the back seat lowered suspicion. We let it move through.

They parked the vehicle, and the adults ran out and detonated it with the children in the back," Barbero said. A US defense official said the incident occurred on Sunday in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district, a mixed neighborhood adjacent to Sadr City, which is predominantly Shiite. After going through the checkpoint, the vehicle parked next to a market across the street from a school, said the official, who asked not to be identified.

I agree with Robin ... and I wonder "What the Hades are these moms thinking!"
Well, the moms of these kids will probably have a tea-party for their girlfriends and brag about how their children are martyr's to Allah. Remember Mama Hamas?

And then, there's those "rocks at tanks" play dates they do in the Palestinian territories ... what do these nutty women do -- say "Hey, Haji -- little Mohammed is having a party -- his mommy says they're going to throw rocks at armed IDF soldiers. Oh, and the WINNER gets to go to Paradise!!! Here's a cookie, run along! Have a good time, Praise Allah Make me proud..." (that's not really an exact quote, -- FB)

You know, you have a kid that's cunning enough to assemble materials, smart enough to make a bomb, he's probably memorized the Koran, and disciplined enough to strap it around his waist.

This kid should grow up to be a credit to his family and a treasure to his nation. So, they brainwash these remarkable kids to think the best thing that could happen is to blow themselves up for Allah!

Oh well, Darwinism is a mercy, I suppose.

The image above is from a featured blog at WordPad.

Crossposted at Jihadi Du Jour.

"Darth Rove" Strikes Again ....

2007-03-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

Or is it Rove the Sith!!!

It's so hair-raising -- enough to make kiddies across the country hide under their beds -- after having nightmares about global warming ..

Well, seems like the sinister Karl Rove is doing Micavellian plots -- well, at least in the dreams of the news pundits!

From Reuters: WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

Karl Rove, architect of President George W. Bush's two election victories and the Democrats' favorite target, is back in the cross hairs again -- this time over the firings of U.S. prosecutors.

It is the latest of many charges leveled against Bush's longtime aide, who
is famed for a take-no-prisoners brand of politics.

Democrats want to know whether Rove hatched a plan to dismiss U.S.
attorneys in 93 cities across the country, an idea eventually ditched in favor
of a short list of eight prosecutors who were dismissed.

Wow, is there anything Karl Rove doesn't do?

Folks, it's time for Democrats to get back on their anti-psychotic medicine.

Crossposted at RedState.com

Latest White House Scandal !!!!

2007-03-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

So many scandals, so little air-time!!!

From Gordon Taylor, at HinzSight!

Enterprise, AL- The White House finds itself embroiled in yet another scandal, but this time they are on the right side of the outrage. On March 3, 2007 President George W. Bush visited the devastated community of Enterprise, Alabama, ravaged by a savage tornado that took the young lives of 8 high school students at Enterprise High School.President Bush toured the area in Marine 1, viewing the remnents of a once peaceful Alabama town.
Arriving at the High School at approximately 8:30, he walked the remains the High School with Principal Rick Ranier, stopping in Hallway 3, the site of the deaths of 8 young Enterprise High School students ...

Megan Parks raised her hand slightly, then hung her head and began to cry. President Bush put his arms around Megan and Sarah Carroll and all three cried. A secret service officer standing nearby, although not able to hear every word, reported that he could hear the President quoting scripture and then he said, "It's tough being President, isn't it?"

After grieving with these young class officers for a time, he began walking around again. He mentioned that he wanted that emblem preserved, at whatever cost. The Mayor spoke up and said he would see to it

Heh!!! Apparently the big scandal was that the President left ... there was a deep silence!!! Please read the article, it is a touching and humane look at the President!!! Click here ..

Gosh, that Karl Rove weather machine, patented by Haliburton, must be working overtime!!!

Photo is from HinzSight.

StetsonTip to Gordon Taylor. Thanks for the e-mail tip. This story needs publicity!!!

Leftist Methodist Bishops Ride AGAIN!!!

2007-03-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

Mark Tooley writes about the Methodist Holy Welfare State, over at FrontPageMagazine:

Almost every federal budget allegedly includes draconian “cuts” in “vital” social welfare spending, despite untold increases of billions of dollars. Always ready to pounce on this outrage is the Religious Left, which defines Christian charity exclusively as coerced transfer payments by the state.

The chief bishops of President Bush’s United Methodist denomination naturally were ready to pounce on his proposed $2.9 trillion budget for 2008, in which the “most vulnerable populations in the United States and around the world are sacrificed at the altars of greed and war..."

“We are alarmed by recent trends in the federal budget that have squeezed investments in education, child care, food nutrition programs and other anti-poverty measures to accommodate dramatic tax cuts for the wealthiest citizens in the United States and to fuel military conflicts abroad,” the bishops wrote to their fellow United Methodist, the president. “These policies turn the teachings of Christ on their head.”

Oh, I thought the Methodists had decided that President Bush wasn't really a Methodist.

Well, I suppose the worst sin is working hard, accumulating money.

Maybe they should go discuss it with the Iranian Theocratic Police!

Image to the left is from dank photo's, of some random mullah ... photo to the right is of George Bush with his Bible. from USA Today.

Tramping Around The Woods, Lost In Ritalin !!!

2007-03-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

There's this poor little boy who's been wandering around lost in the woods of North Carolina.

He's been found, and FoxNews is covering his happy reunion. His mom has tears of joy in her eyes, hugging him, and saying "We love you so much!!! You're alive, that's all that matters!!!"

Is this a normal? Boy, if my kid had done that, Professor Budgie and I would have taken turns SCREAMING at him "You little SNERT!!!! Didn't I tell you to STAY WITH THE SCOUTMASTER!!!"

From CNN:

McGRADY, North Carolina (CNN) -- People who know Michael Auberry describe him as a well-rounded 12 year-old who loves sports, reading and the Boy Scouts, all three of which may have helped him survive three days in the North Carolina wilderness.

Michael was reported found in a remote mountain area Tuesday, three days after he went missing from his Boy Scout campsite near the North Carolina-Virginia border.

The "contemplative" sixth-grader, who plays basketball and runs track, has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, but his father Kent Auberry, said Tuesday that his condition doesn't define his son. (Watch announcement that Michael was found )

On a more serious note, Scouting probably saved his life! It's a wonderful organization, and so good for boys.

He was on Ritalin? Was he wandering around the woods, lost in Ritalin ...? I never met an Eagle Scout I didn't respect. Wasn't Dick Cheney an Eagle Scout?

I wonder if young Michael will get some kind of Merit badge for this .....

Photo to the right is the young Michael Auberry from CNN.

Image to the left is from ScrapBookingSupplies.

Horror In a FrauBudgie "Gray Moment!"

2007-03-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

Everybody has those moments.

Oh,LORD!!! I've been having alot of "gray moments" lately, I can't find my car keys, or my purse, I was trying to figure out how to work the coffee pot, and wasn't quite awake yet. Dangit! I knew it was Hillary Clinton. Why can't I find my car keys, but I can ID Hillary Clinton ...?

Life can be so cruel ... there was this video clip of this grotesque screeching woman, but I knew immediately it was HILLARY CLINTON ... it's a bizarre world!

The photo above isn't from the video, it's from the excellent Atlas Shrugged. Click to the link!

For Lovers of BARAT!!!

2007-03-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is for the woman who recommended Barat, and you know who you are!!!! Too funny, but prolly not the movie you'd select to watch with your kids .....

Here are some nutty, hilarious translation from English to foreign languages.

From BlogIsEverything:

1) When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to have read, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” The company thought that the word “embarazar” (to impregnate) meant to embarrass, so the ad read: “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.”
2) Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: “Nothing Sucks like an Electrolux.”
3) Clairol introduced the “Mist Stick,” a curling iron, into Germany only to find out that “mist” is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the “Manure Stick.
4)Coors put its slogan, “Turn It Loose,” into Spanish, where it was read as “Suffer From Diarrhea.”
5)Pepsi’s “Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation” translated into “Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave” in Chinese.
6) When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the labels of what’s inside, since many people can’t read.
7) Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.
8) Frank Perdue’s chicken slogan, “It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken,” was translated into Spanish as “it takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate.”
9) When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first class seats in the Mexican market, it translated its”Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation” campaign literally, which meant “Fly Naked” (vuela en cuero) in Spanish.
10)An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope’s visit. Instead of “I saw the Pope” (el Papa), the shirts read “I Saw the Potato” (la papa).
11) The Dairy Association’s huge success with the campaign “Got Milk?” prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to their attention the Spanish translation read “Are You Lactating?”
12) General Motors had a very famous fiasco in trying to market the Nova car in Central and South America. “No va” in Spanish means, “It Doesn’t Go”.
13)The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as “Kekoukela”, meaning “Bite the Wax Tadpole” or “Female Horse Stuffed with Wax”, depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent “kokoukole”, translating into “Happiness in the Mouth.”

I'm still laughing about this!!!

I'd highly recommend BARAT, out on DVD. It's a hoot!!!

Addendum -- if there's anyone else who's seen it and screamed at the scene where the pudgy old guys are wearing thong bathing suits at the beach, shoot me a e-mail, or leave a comment.
My daughter patiently explained "Oh, Mother, you're overreacting!!!"

God's Dog ....

2007-03-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

Doug Baker, 45, of Portland, Ore.

“Doug Baker, 45, of Portland, Ore. People thought I was crazy” to spend $4,000 in vet bills to bring the injured mutt back to health, but hey, it was God’s dog! But $4,000 was nothing: he couldn’t even take his girlfriend out to dinner without getting a dog-sitter to watch him. When the skittish dog escaped the sitter, Baker didn’t just put an ad in the paper, he bought display ads so he could include a photo. His business collapsed since he devoted full time to the search for the dog. He didn’t propose to his girlfriend because he wanted the dog to deliver the ring to her. He hired four “animal psychics” to give him clues to the animal’s whereabouts, and hired a witch to cast spells.
He even spread his own urine around to “mark his territory” to try to lure the dog home! And, he said, he cried every day. Two months in to the search, he went looking for the dog where it got lost — and quickly found it. His first task: he put a collar on the mutt. (He hadn’t done that before for a dog that was so “valuable”?!) After finding the dog, he sued the dog sitter, demanding $20,000 for the cost of his search, $30,000 for the income he lost by letting his business collapse, $10,000 for “the temporary loss of the special value” of the dog, and $100,000 in “emotional damages” — $160,000 total. God has not been named as a defendant

I'm laughing about this, but alas, haven't been able to verify. But doesn't it sound like modern riculousness.

Just sharing !!!!

Vote, and Get In A Tampa Strip Club For Free!!!!

2007-03-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Get a load of this one, from the Tampa Local News!

Candidate Offers Free Strip Club Entry To Voters: TAMPA, Fla. -- Vote and get in a Tampa strip club for free.

Joe Redner, who's in a runoff for the citywide District 1 seat against Tampa City Council Chairwoman Gwen Miller, said he was disgusted by the small voter turnout during the March 6 city election.

Less than 16 percent of registered voters went to the polls, so he's looking to change that. Redner is offering free admission to his Mons Venus strip club when you hand over your "I voted" sticker at the door.

The cover charge is usually $20.

State elections officials said what Redner is doing is legal, since "there's nothing in Florida statutes that prevents a business owner from offering a discount to voters for voting."

Redner said the offer is good during early voting as well as on election day -- March 27 -- and perhaps for a few days afterward.

Sure hope they remember the geezers who in nursing homes who vote in abstentia.

Linked thru LoneStarTimes. I know why I drop by that one every day.

Crossposted at RedState.com

Wow! The Texas Lege Does Something RIGHT!!!

2007-03-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

My goodness, mark your calendar. The Texas lege is doing something appropriately legislative! And they're even in state!

An AP article from the Dallas Morning News:

The Texas House gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill blocking state officials from following Gov. Rick Perry's order that schoolgirls be inoculated against the virus that causes cervical cancer.

WHAT'S AT STAKE? Perry wants all sixth-grade girls to be inoculated against the human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer and warts.
___
WHO WILL IT AFFECT? Millions of Texas girls and their families.
___
WHAT'S NEXT? The bill heads to the state Senate, where more than half of the 31 members are co-sponsoring an identical proposal. A Senate committee is expected to discuss the bill later this month.

Now, the HPV vaccine is probably a good idea, but it should remain within the family. Of course, if it's mandated, you can always tell your distressed daughter to call Gov. "Goodhair!" You can find his phone number on my sidebar, courtesy of Lone Star Times!

"...we now have a toll-free number for Gov. Rick Perry.
It’s 1-800-252-9600, and it’s toll-free.
Call from work! Call from home! Call from every pay phone you drive by without having to fumble for change! Call, call, call!"

Wow!!! Good call gentlepeople, I didn't know ya had it in ya!

Our Best And Brightest ...

2007-03-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

From FrauBudgie E-mail ... another incredible photo.

From e-mail:

It is a great photo of an Air Force training squadron flying in a never-done-before "USA" formation over the control tower "Taj Mahal" (HQ building) of Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American G. I.

Anyone that loves photography will appreciate the precision of the photo. As the jets are probably moving at around 400 mph and you being just right to get the shot at that instant. And that is a hard formation to stay at as the ones in the "S" are just a little graduated degree behind the next one and staying that way to maintain the formation.

Wow! The saying is too true about Jesus Christ and the American GI. Hey, if those guys are willing to take a bullet for me and my family, I'll throw 'em a cookie whenever I can.

Unfortunately, these are the guys that want to run our military.

StetsonTip to Haystack for the image of the politicians we keep voting into office. He posts at RedState, and you can also find him at Hick Politics, and No End But Victory!!! SPOILER: If you cruise over to Hick Politics, there's a grotesque, scarey photo of Nancy Pelosi !!!! Steel yourselves.

Also, a commenter over at RedState reminds us not to offend the Three Stooges!

WOW !!! Reality Check !!!!!

2007-03-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

I was peacefully cruising at RedState, saw the photo above, and thought! Wow, it's CONGRESS .....

Take a peek at HayStack's article, too! He usually gets it right.

GASP!!! Mitt Romney's A Mormon ...

2007-03-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

For those who are pulling for Mitt Romney: Dang, he's a MORMON!!!! Wow, does it matter that he's a hardworking man with solid conservative values. OMG -- he's a MORMON!!!!!

From Human Events: A Mormon in the White House?:

10 Things Every Conservative Should Know about Mitt Romney, radio host and Republican strategist Hugh Hewitt tackles two important questions: First, does Mitt Romney, who is at this point still a relatively obscure blue-state governor, have the "right stuff" to be President? And if the answer to the question is yes -- and a majority of Republicans believe it is -- will Mitt Romney's Mormon faith nevertheless disqualify him from being the Republican nominee for President? ...

Hey, this is AMERICA -- we get to vote for whoever we want to. Heck, you can vote for your best friend, or even one of the space brothers who've been beaming secret messages into your head.

I personally wouldn't vote for a pagan, or anyone involved in the occult. This is America, and we have the right to practice whatever religion we choose to. The occult makes you weird. Occultists tend to be a little dark, twisty and nutty bunch, who tend to wind up dead, in jail or in a locked psyche unit. Also, as Christians, we're forbidden to worship other gods. Blasphemy's a sin for a reason.

In AMERICA, you can vote for a Muslim if you want to. I've read parts of the Koran, and at times find myself attracted by the purity. However, it seems that it makes Muslims do weird, self-destructive, cruel things with a clear conscience. Allah seems to inspire them to blow up each other.

Of course, here in America, alot of folks vote for liberal democrat asshools.

Crossposted at RedState.

Rats In Washington

2007-03-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

Now, here's a column from a woman who should make us all proud. Ann Coulter takes on the big veteran's hospital scandal:

Here's an excerpt from Human Events:

Democrats have leapt on reports of mold, rats and bureaucratic hurdles at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as further proof of President George Bush's failed war policies.To the contrary, the problems at Walter Reed are further proof of the Democrats' failed domestic policies -- to wit, the civil service rules that prevent government employees from ever being fired. (A policy that also may account for Robert Byrd's longevity as a U.S. senator.)Thanks to the Democrats, government employees have the world's most complicated set of job protection rules outside of the old East Germany. Oddly enough, this has not led to a dynamic workforce in the nation's capital.

Noticeably, the problems at Walter Reed are not with the doctors or medical care. The problems are with basic maintenance at the facility.Unless U.S. Army generals are supposed to be spraying fungicide on the walls and crawling under beds to set rattraps, the slovenly conditions at Walter Reed are not their fault.

The military is nominally in charge of Walter Reed, but -- because of civil service rules put into place by Democrats -- the maintenance crew can't be fired.If the general "in charge" can't fire the people not doing their jobs, I don't know why he is being held responsible for them not doing their jobs.

You will find the exact same problems anyplace market forces have been artificially removed by the government and there is a total absence of incentives, competition, effective oversight, cost controls and so on. It's almost like a cause-and-effect thing.The Washington Post could have done the same report on any government facility in the Washington, D.C., area..."

Read the whole thing, it's worth it.

Actually, I'd like to see Congressmen crawling around the beds, spraying fungicide and scrubbing tile!

Anyway, I do understand that the big scandal is designed to show how Bush is responsible.

The VA hospital system has been crappy for decades.

Heh! Imagine having a government for life, and never having to work again ...

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar Or Barf, Whatever...

2007-03-13T00:16:00.000-07:00

I'm an old feminist. When I was young, I was devoted to the women's movement. The high point of my life was hearing Gloria Steinham speak, in person, in public. Wow.

I'm from a long line of strong willed women. My mother spoke fondly of how my great-grand mother loaded up the kids into a wagon, and parade down the town's Main street with other women to get the vote for women. Too cool -- and mind you, this is also the woman whose father, husband and sons fought in the civil war, so she plowed the fields and kept things going. Then, there was the Yankee reconstruction, and she got through that, too.

I look at today's feminists, and I am dismayed. It's all built on victimhood, and legal manueverings. I hear the young girls talking about being as "good as a man," and that totally misses the point. Be who you are, you are not property, you do not have to defer to your husband, son or father after you reach adulthood. The bad old days were bad, but hey! Things have changed. Equal pay for equal work. You don't want to get ahead by sleeping with the boss, and you don't have to. You can get ahead on your own skill, competence, talents and brains.

You can also stay home, and do the same thing.

Pornography exploits women's bodies. So, in the name of free speech, we get flashes of Britney Spears' crotch. Hip-hop music talks about "Ho's and pimps." That's exploitation, and the kids don't know the difference. There's scandals about sexual harassment in the military. A woman in the armed forces should be able to protect herself. Stop whining, and do your job. You're supposed to be trained, along with the men, to kill people and break things. So, do it! You do not have to tolerate nonsense.

And Sisterhood is Powerful!

Awhile back, one of the States tried to make a law that parents had to be notified if their underaged daughter had to have an abortion. Sounds sensible on the state's part, but the Supreme Court overturned it. There was a great outcry from modern feminists that it was just an attempt control women's bodies. It's not; it's good sense.

Lately, Condaleeze Rice has been called a "house slave." That offends me on many levels. Condi is a beautiful, smart, talented woman and we're lucky to have her. The "sisters" should be proud to stand behind her. In Russia, they call her the "Black Panther." This is a sharp talented woman who has taken her rights and run with them. Ohwait! I forget; she uses her considerable talents on the behalf of a Republican Administration, to work for the good of this country.

Then, there's Nancy Pelosi. She's the first woman Speaker of the House -- a thing to be proud of. But, why did it have to be "Tuna" Pelosi?

And, Hillary Clinton. A vote for Hillary is a vote against women. The first woman President should be a proud moment -- but dangit! She slept with the boss.

The Desirable Zen of Staying In The Attic!!!

2007-03-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

I had a long car ride yesterday, and heard Michael Savage ranting about the "military industrial complex!"

Dang! It's a bizarre phrase; I remember darkly fascinating conspiracy theories from the seventies, usually from loaded hippies.

I guess Halliburton's moving their headquarters to the UAE and folks are freaking out about it. This could be a shrewd business decision, and the government needs to stay out of it.

I follow a blog called "An Emirati's Thoughts!" The Emerati , who calls himself "The Shiek of Controversy" always refers to the UAE as the Scandanavian Liberal of the Middle East.

Dubai seems to be a bit pricey, but you know, Halliburton' may be making a shrewd decision, based on its own business interests. Just another profitable American enterprise which is being forced out of the country by taxes and social policy.

The only other company which has been as reviled as Halliburton is WalMart. And, when WalMart's profit margin goes down, newscasters get unhinged. I wonder what's going to happen with Halliburton. OMG! They're moving to Dubai!!! Yikes!!

Our nation is methodically destroying other huge industryies with asbestos litigation. You know, if you even think you might have the symptoms of asbestos poisoning, or may have been exposed to asbestos -- BAM, you can call a trial lawyer to get you millions of dollars. Our very own Congressman from Texas, John Cornyn hasn't helped to resolve in the scam, and he hasn' t impressed Professor Budgie wth his expertise on the subject, even though he sat on the Judiciary Committee.

No surprise that Haliburton wants to move; Democrats hate them and the public gets snookered. Who cares about a few jobs?

Oh, and I am sick of the 2008 presidential election. Hey, Michael Savage is thinking of tossing his hat in the ring. Arggghhh!!! It's worse than figuring out who's Anna Nicole Smith's baby's father.

Then, there's Ron Paul ... the gun totin' libertarian from West Texas. He does have good conservative values, but you know, I first heard him on the old Art Bell show (sorry, can't find the link). Can't we just keep these guys in Texas?

But, it's kind of like having a crazy aunt in the attic. You love her, she's a sweetheart, but ya don't want to let her run around the street. Why can't we just kinda keep these guys to ourselves, instead of talking to reporters.

Life With Nerds

2007-03-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hey, I had a wonderful breakfast with my cousin this morning ... the topic was nerds, and she and I decided to put together an article on Life With Nerds!

I'm open to feedback, so e-mail or leave a comment.

Here's mine: A nerd will drive you nuts, but remember, he can find a job, and will probably be able to fix your truck.

I'd also love to write a book on raising a young nerd.

Comments, e-mails will be most welcome, and probably quoted.

Frau Budgie Takes the Day Off ..

2007-03-11T00:19:00.000-08:00

The good professor Budgie and I have decided to go out of town for a day or two.

Thanks for dropping by, and thanks to all those who have sent prayers and kind thoughts over the past few months. Dang, there must be humans behind the keyboards!

See y'all in a couple of days.

War Strategy By US Democrats ...

2007-03-10T16:20:00.000-08:00

There's a great article by Ken Taylor over at HinzSight. Here's an excerpt, but please take a minute to read the whole thing:

In a move that once again challenges the Constitutional authority of the deployment of troops by the President, House Democrats are preparing legislation that calls for a fazed troop pull out by the fall of 2008.
Additionally if the Iraqi government does not meet certain security goals the Democrat plan will escalate the pull out as a punishment for not complying to the planned security take over by the Maliki government.
This troop pull out is being tagged to the current request by the Bush Administration for an additional 100 billion dollars for the Iraq theater. In essence the Democrats are holding hostage funding for Iraq with unconstitutional plans for redeployment of troops which does not fall under their authority concerning the military.

Sure. Let's not only let micro-manage the war, let's let Congress micromanage the war!!! When has "war by committee" ever worked, anyway. And the American people keep voting these yahoo's into office.

And broadcasting the timeline? Isn't that the downright dumbest idea yet? It's kind of like telling Al Quada exactly how long they need to hang on, helping them with their own strategy, and telling them when to go on vacation.

The Scoop From A Sargent In Iraq ...

2007-03-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Robin over at the excellent, and solidly researched ChickenHawk Express, has presented a letter from Sgt. Eddie Jeffers in Iraq. Please click to "Hope Rides Alone,", but have a little kleenex handy.

Here's an excerpt:

I stare out into the darkness from my post, and I watch the city burn to the ground. I smell the familiar smells, I walk through the familiar rubble, and I look at the frightened faces that watch me pass down the streets of their neighborhoods. My nerves hardly rest; my hands are steady on a device that has been given to me from my government for the purpose of taking the lives of others.I sweat, and I am tired.

My back aches from the loads I carry. Young American boys look to me to direct them in a manner that will someday allow them to see their families again...and yet, I too, am just a boy....my age not but a few years more than that of the ones I lead...

I am stressed, I am scared, and I am paranoid...because death is everywhere. It waits for me, it calls to me from around street corners and windows, and it is always there. There are the demons that follow me, and tempt me into thoughts and actions that are not my own...but that are necessary for survival.

But even thousands of miles away, in Ramadi, Iraq, the cries and screams and complaints of the ungrateful reach me. In a year, I will be thrust back into society from a life and mentality that doesn't fit your average man.

And then, I will be alone.And then, I will walk down the streets of America, and see the yellow ribbon stickers on the cars of the same people who compare our President to Hitler.

I will watch the television and watch the Cindy Sheehans, and the Al Frankens, and the rest of the ignorant sheep of America spout off their mouths about a subject they know nothing about. It is their right, however, and it is a right that is defended by hundreds of thousands of boys and girls scattered across the world, far from home.

Remember, with rights come responsibility.

The aim of the anti-war protestors are to get a Democrat back in office. The rationale is that Bush is responsible for war, and anything that reflects badly on the war will reflect badly on the President -- and voila! -- we get a Democrat next time. Worked during 'Nam, didn't it?

And, our troops get caught in the political crossfire.

Sgt. Jeffers, if you happen to see this post,thanks for your service, and thanks for writing that letter. Thoughts and prayers are flying your way. And, Robin, thanks for posting this.

Addendum: If you cruise to the ChickenHawk Express, check out the offensive language offsets.

Texas Doggie Saves the Sticks !!!!

2007-03-10T00:12:00.000-08:00

I just can't resist putting this up ... Professor Budgie wrote this on behalf of our really big German Shepherd, to the doggie of one of his friends.

Master has been cleaning up my yard. I used to be able to get thru a spot in my old fence, but the mean ol' neighbor complained. I really didn't mean to scare his little girls ... I just wanted to play with them. One is big, and the other is about my size. They're very sweet, but when I barked " HI! " and gave them my best happy smile, they ran into their house! I was a little sad, because little people give the best tummy-rubs. And they're dependable ... I don't think the big people give enough tummy-rubs, and they seem awfully busy.

ANYhow ... Master put up a new fence, and I helped ... even brought him a bunch of sticks to throw, so he wouldn't get bored with that hammer-thing. I got to visit the neighbor's yard one last time, when there was just a little opening at the end of the fence, but Master closed it up!

It was fun while it lasted, with different people doing really strange things, like digging holes in the ground and putting pipes and stuff in them ... people are silly sometimes. But I got a really big stick to chew on and carry around ... I think they call them "posts."

But I have to tell you ... now that all the fun is done, Master has been picking up all sorts of perfectly good sticks: the posts, nice little bits of store-bought wood (it's tasty, and soft), even my favourite, old grapevines he cut off just for me!

So, I'm going to do something about it. I'm forming the Save the Stick Foundation. Master put some of my sticks in a bag, and I pulled them right back out. I even got him to throw one of them for me. Which I think is good for both of us.

So, if you're willing ... tell all your friends: SAVE THE STICKS!

Your friend, proud to be a
--TEXAS Doggie!!!!

PS: Ahh don't like to complify the simplicated, so the Save the Sticks Foundation has no dues, no membership applications, and doesn't need ANY contributions ... be we shore would appreciate it if you could SAVE A STICK! from time to time.