Think before posting, folks

The internets tubes remember everything. Be careful you want that. I get hits on searches for:

Niel Young
Michelle Malkin Anchor baby
Sharon Tay

These are things I posted about months ago, but still they get hits.

Surprisingly, "boobs" and "Hot Monkey Sex In Republican Party" didn't pull in hits so well.

Must Read IMHO

This from David Swanson.

This country has learned to be afraid… of Dick Cheney. The number one reason a significant minority of Americans still hesitates to get behind impeachment of Bush is fear of Dick Cheney. This will remain the case even should Cheney die, I am convinced. Certainly it remains the case no matter how many times I explain the following six reasons why it's INSANE, but I'm going to try one more time.

Must Read IMHO

OMG! I can't believe how lazy I'm being, but really, truly, cross my heart, these are articles you need to see.

2006 was the year that oil prices came close to breaching $80 per barrel. This was despite the fact that there were no significant supply interruptions and oil demand actually fell in industrialized countries. That raises the question of what caused the spike.

It turns out there is good reason to believe that record oil prices may be due to our own strategic oil reserve, which the Bush administration may have been manipulating to drive up prices for the benefit of its clients. This is something Congress must investigate, and here is some preliminary evidence.

And you only thought they were screwing you over Iraq. Hahaha. Silly rabbit.

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I learn something every single day

This is definitely not something I wanted to learn today. I didn't realize Molly was fighting breast cancer.

Liberal Texas columnist Molly Ivins has been hospitalized in her ongoing battle with breast cancer, her assistant said Friday.

Ivins may be able to go home Monday, Betsy Moon said.

"That's the day the doctors said," Moon said. "We're not sure what's going to happen, but she's very sick."

Ivins, 62, had taken a break from her syndicated column, which appears in nearly 400 newspapers, but resumed writing earlier this month.

Regular readers of SPIIDERWEB™ know I love Molly. She has brass and snark and all the other attributes of a great political writer. And, had America listened to her, she could have saved US and the world from Bush.

I specifically chose a pic of Molly in better health, showing her terrific smile instead of one where she is bald from chemo.

For those uninitiated, chemo is the shits. It sometimes works, but the pain the patient suffers is tremendous and constant. Never wish chemo on your worst enemy. As an afterthought. Chemo refers to chemical (medicine therapy) it isn't the same as radiation treatment. Just wanted to clarify that.

Be well soon, Molly.

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Not sure I should post this. May piss off a few peeps

This in from the American Jewish Committee.

The American Jewish Committee welcomes the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Holocaust denial. One hundred and three member states co-sponsored the resolution, which was adopted today without a vote, underscoring the universal significance of the Holocaust. AJC extends its gratitude to all UN members who co-sponsored and supported the resolution.

Let me state right now, I don't deny the Holocaust. There's just too much evidence out there.

But UN resolutions and laws making it illegal to deny anything are ridiculous.

People should never be prosecuted for their thoughts and opinions unless they act upon them. A KKK member may hate blacks, but shouldn't be brought before a court unless that member does something wrong. Thinking isn't a crime.

I take the same stand against "hate crime" legislation. There are laws against tying a person behind a vehicle and dragging them until nearly dead. There are laws against beating a person or shooting them.

All that said, I do believe in conspiracy laws. Conspiring to commit a felony is criminal. The people involved have gone beyond thinking and believing to actually plan an action which is illegal.

I guess what I'm saying is this. Stiffen the existing laws if they're inadequate, but don't tack on "extra punishment" based on the perpetrator's state of mind and don't deny anyone the right to think things most of us don't believe.

Cat Blogging

Eek! It is a cat this time. Not mine. I barbecued mine.

In an effort to be eclectic and help my readers

The only pocket knife you will ever need, the Swisschamp XLT.

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I'm dumbfounded, although it takes little

Yes. Someone found my site by doing a Google™ search on "electric bath duck"! The world may be going completely insane.

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Must Read IMHO

John Cole takes on the subject of the SURGE™.

But cutting off funding for the troops would be irresponsible. We all know that. So what is one to do, as a Senator, if you deeply oppose this piddling surge because your recognize the futility and underwhelming nature of it, yet do not want to fully cut off the troops. Particularly when you are dealing with an extremely obstinate President and an administration in full-fledged spin mode? An administration who has screwed up EVERYTHING they have touched over the course of the past few years, and who listens to no one?

You do the only thing you can. You signal your displeasure with the current plan through a non-binding resolution. And EVEN that is too much for the authoritarians on the right, because any dissent from the Decider is not to be had. Hell, his choice of personnel was just unanimously confirmed, and even THAT pissed off the knuckledraggers:

Must Read IMHO

Love the Warrior, Hate the War

A snippet:

When Army Col. Ike Wilson returned home in March 2004 from a 12 month deployment in Iraq, one thought remained with him: “Why such a deliberate plan to fight the war, but none to win the peace to follow?”

Wilson, a West Point professor with years of military planning experience, knew that placing this question at the the center of national security policy discussions was the only way to truly learn from Iraq and Afghanistan. He soon founded the Beyond War Project as a hub to educate both the military and the public about a new vision for war, peace and America’s role in the world. Thus far, he’s signed up participants ranging from Cornell University’s Peace Studies Program to the U.S. Air Force.

This Can't Be Good

File under "no shit". See the last sentence.

The president has authorized U.S. troops to “kill or capture” Iranian soldiers and intelligence operatives found in Iraq, and the administration has even pressured military commanders to take advantage of the policy, according to multiple sources who spoke with the Washington Post.

The authorization is meant to intimidate Iran, but some in the government worry it could lead to a broader conflict.

Jesus H Christ on Valium®, will someone stop this mad man? Please?

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Must Read IMHO

Its about the Libby trial.

Via the Carpet Bagger Report.

Must Read IMHO

Dennis Perrin takes libs to task.

He's right, of course. Except for one item.

Do they seriously believe the rhetoric about our "glorious nation" and its "unique" destiny?

I'd say we don't believe the rhetoric. Its much more a hope or a desire for a nation that's more than it is. The US can, should it adhere to the Constitution, be much better than the reality political leaders deliver.

Fidel Castro health watch

It seems he may be alive today.

This should set the fundies off

Once they hear about this they should have conniption fits.

All references to 'god' during some in-flight showings of the Oscar-nominated movie 'The Queen' were bleeped out, thanks to an overzealous employee for a California company that edits movies selected for onboard entertainment.

The censor was told to edit out all profanities including any blasphemy.

This version of the movie was distributed to Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, Air New Zealand, and other carriers, according to www.cnn.com.

Significantly, the reference was not blasphemous and politically correct.

(courtesy link)

The Libby trial. Where to go for info

Firedoglake. They're the experts.

FINALLY!

This from David Swanson. In fact stolen completely.

HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE Oversight Hearing on: "Presidential Signing Statements under the Bush Administration: A Threat to Checks and Balances and the Rule of Law?"

10:15 a.m., Wednesday, January 31, 2007, Room 2141 Rayburn House Office Building

THANK Congressman John Conyers: (202) 225-5126, John.Conyers@mail.house.gov

Bio-fuels, the magic elixer

Yeah, right. Before this goes much further, take a look at the facts. The truth is solar and wind are the only safe, renewable, unlimited and environmentally benign sources of energy.

Biodiesel enthusiasts have accidentally invented the most carbon-intensive fuel on earth

Extensive production of biofuel crops, such as oil palms, could destroy remaining areas of rainforest and bring about a new cycle of worldwide intensive agriculture involving vast applications of artificial fertilisers and pesticides, and requiring enormous water resources, said Professor Crane, who as the head of Kew Gardens is the world's leading plant scientist.


In Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada and elsewhere, forests are being slashed for new energy-yielding crops or other unconventional fuels. In India, environmental activists say, water tables are dropping as farmers try to boost production of ethanol-yielding sugar.

"Let's be brutally frank: [The push for alternative fuels] is going to cause significant changes for the environment," says Sean Darby, an equities analyst and expert on alternative energy companies at Nomura International in Hong Kong. He is most worried about the strain on water resources caused by accelerated crop production. Water, he says, is "just as precious" as oil.

And I've posted often lately about global warming and diminishing water sources. Bio-fuels will exacerbate those two problems.

Biofuels may be hazardous to your car’s health
Experts warn of worn-out gaskets, long-term damage to vehicle engines

"Climate change and biodiversity loss are among our most pressing challenges," added John Hontelez, EEB Secretary General. "We must urgently reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. But we must tackle climate change and biodiversity loss in tandem. Biofuels are only part of the solution. Unless we produce biofuels sustainably, we’ll end up with more energy-intensive and environmentally damaging farming practices and hasten the degradation of our ecosystems."

Greenpeace today warned about the spectre of increased forest-related calamities in Indonesia, where plantations for palm oil are expected to expand rapidly into forest areas due to demands for bio-fuels in the European Union. The Indonesian government’s recent approval of palm oil operations in large areas of Papua and Kalimantan closely followed the EU directive of increasing Europe’s bio-fuel use.

Being the lazy bastard I am, I'll stop with the links. I'm sure you get the idea by now.

If there's money to be made, people will go for it whether it means destroying the rain forests or not. Bio-fuels seem like a good idea until you do the homework.

Blogito, Ergo Sum

Don't know what it means? Go here. You can even get a t-shirt.

TV listing error?

I doubt it. More like truth in advertising.

(via Jonco)

Must Read IMHO

Christopher is there in Beirut.

Its ugly and could well get uglier before the people calm down.

Why?

Why would any woman wear such a shirt?

Don't fight fire with fire

Some sayings just aren't appropriate in the real world.

Faced with an aggressive grease fire on his stove, Gary Moore remembered advice from his high school debate team coach: Fight fire with fire. Without a moment's hesitation, the 32-year-old reached for the model F-560 FireMaster flame thrower he keeps under the kitchen sink.

"I guess it's just an expression," said Moore after assisting his two-bedroom house to ashes.

The home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Exacerbating the situation was a still flame-throwing Moore, intent on carrying out his new approach to firefighting.

The Fire Prevention and Safety Council says fire departments use water to squelch flames and advises the public to leave all firefighting to professionals. The council also considers flame throwing counterproductive to putting out blazes.

One question: who the hell keeps a flame thrower under the sink?

I know I'm sick, but I can't stop laughing.

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Always out to help you

Here at SPIIDERWEB™ we always have your back.

Trust me, sooner or later you or your tech will be happy to know about this site.

You have all your original product keys? Not likely or you're much better organized than I am.

Another good graph

Unless, of course, you have talent.


(via Indexed)

Don't get fooled again

This is Shell oil in Peru and it is a CAT®
From News Unfiltered.

Caterpillar Inc.Chairman and CEO Jim Owens commended President Bush for placing a national priority on critical energy efficiency and climate change proposals in his State of the Union Address.

May I have your attention, please. Greenhouse gases increase when ancient rain forests are destroyed.

Ancient rain forests are destroyed by CAT® equipment. Duh!

Don't believe me? check the CAT® website.

And you can't find an image if you search on "cat" or "caterpillar" and rain forest, defoliation or Amazon. They just don't want to be associated with the problems they cause.

Consider this a public service announcement from SPIIDERWEB™.

Just step aside McCain

I'm getting so tired of this ass. He's saying we need more troops in Iraq. So he is backing the president, but not really because he says Bush may not send in enough troops.

So there you have it. If the SURGE™ works, he's proven right. If it doesn't work its because Bush didn't listen to him. The dead bodies? We just won't mention them.

Following President Bush's lead, who used his State of the Union address to reaffirm his commitment to a failed strategy in Iraq, John McCain rushed to dig his heels in on the unpopular and much criticized Bush-McCain plan to escalate the Iraq war. Despite admitting that the troop increase might not be enough, McCain made the rounds on television to cement his support for the President and his failed strategy.

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Huh?

News Unfiltered posts this.

Veterans for America strongly supports Senator Byrd's resolution introduced today, which states that Congress must approve any offensive military action by the United States against another nation.

What the fuck am I missing? Doesn't the US Constitution say this?

[Article I

Section 1. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. ]

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

That's pretty cut and dried to me. Congress, not Bush, is given the power to say we attack another country. I'm no expert, but I can read.

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Must Read IMHO

Over at Brainshrub they're digging up Terri Shiavo.

OMG, but that was a tasteless sentence. Not unlike me at all, however.

Only bath duck you will ever need

As part of my effort to simplify your life, in the vein of "only line graph" and "only flow chart" you will ever need, I present the bath duck.


If you can't tell, its an electric duck
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Not sorta funny at all: H5N1

That's a name you will remember.

Bird flu hasn't gone away. The discovery, announced last week, that the H5N1 bird flu virus is widespread in cats in locations across Indonesia has refocused attention on the danger that the deadly virus could be mutating into a form that can infect humans far more easily.

In the first survey of its kind, an Indonesian scientist has found that in areas where there have been outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry and humans, 1 in 5 cats have been infected with the virus, and survived. This suggests that as outbreaks continue to flare across Asia and Africa, H5N1 will have vastly more opportunities to adapt to mammals than had been supposed.

And bear in mind, this influenza is really nasty. Some studies suggest its 10 times as potent as the Spanish flu [H1N1] that killed millions of people in 1918.

Scientists might have identified one of the reasons why the bird flu virus H5N1 is so deadly to humans. A study published today in the open access journal Respiratory Research reveals that, in human cells, the virus can trigger levels of inflammatory proteins more than 10 times higher than the common human flu virus H1N1. This might contribute to the unusual severity of the disease caused by H5N1 in humans, which can escalate into life-threatening pneumonia and acute respiratory distress.

Michael Chan and colleagues from the University of Hong Kong and collaborators in Vietnam, studied the levels of a subset of the pro-inflammatory proteins called 'cytokines' and 'chemokines', induced by the virus H5N1 in human lung cells, in vitro. The authors compared protein levels induced by strains of the H5N1 virus that had appeared in Hong Kong in 1997 (H5N1/97) and Vietnam in 2004 (H5N1/04), with levels induced by the human flu virus H1N1.

If you still doubt how nasty bird flu might be, check this out and remember bird flu is worse.

The "Spanish" flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919 caused the deaths of 20-50 million people worldwide including up to 675,000 in the U.S. While only about 1% of those infected with the virus died, it became one of the deadliest viruses ever known to man. The 1918 flu has been described as capable of sickening and killing a person on the same day. The virus is an H1N1 type A influenza. Symptoms of infection were similar to, but more severe than typical, seasonal flu.

Keep pressure on Congress to be prepared. We don't need another "Katrina".

Hey, is Katrina now synonymous with disaster? It should be.

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A sorta funny

Here then is a poem of Bush misquotes:

MAKE THE PIE HIGHER
by George W. Bush

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
and potential mental losses.
http://www.francesfarmersrevenge.com/stuff/images/bushcrazyhead.jpg
Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet become more few?
How many hands have I shaked?

They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
I know that the human being and the fish can coexist.
Families is where our nation finds hope, where our wings take dream.

Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher! Make the pie higher!

And I'll be stealing the graphic as well because I know it'll come in handy.

(stolen from Jonco)

Bush and the SOTU address

Was it just me who thought Bush tried to cop a feel on Nancy Pelosi before shaking her hand?

Sorry. I have no vid cap of the incident, but perhaps John Amato at Crooks and Liars can cap it.

I may quit blogging

I have so many emails saying I've won this or that lottery. Once all this money starts pouring in I think I'll just chuck it all. I was disappointed by the Nigerian thing. I thought it would solve all my money problems, but it didn't work out.

Or I'll buy several new computers so I can blog anywhere in the world around which I can travel because I'll have beaucoup bucks.

Yeah, I'll buy the computers. I'm addicted. Damn internets tubes!

Thank you Blogger

You not only kept me from posting, you seem to have "automatically" switched me to the "new and improved Blogger" without my asking and then you keep asking me if I want to switch to the "new and improved Blogger".

Do you have complete idiots running things? Or just incompetents like me?

FUCK!!!1!!

OK, I'll go to my corner now.

Is Barack Obama the only Democrat now?

CNN and other MSM sources seem to think he's the only one worth listening to. That said, his remarks on CNN after the SOTU address were good although far too civil. He doesn't know the words "fucking stupid"?

OK, maybe he isn't as much an asshole as I am. But...

Jesus H Christ in transition, Obama's a rock star?

We're not worthy!

Mitch McConnell is an asshole

Nothing much to add. Saw him on CNN and got slightly ill.

Apparently he took a break from wiping Bush's ass so he could carry water for Bush on CNN.

From a friend of mine

Yeah, all Muslims should be hated. Don't get me started. This is from a Muslim friend of mine and its beautiful.

Salam,

This is the Code of Ethics of the NativeAmericanCircle group. I believe it is a universal ethics and it's lovely.

Code of Ethics

1. Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.

2. Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.

3. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

4. Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.

5. Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.

6. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth - whether it be people or plant.

7. Honor other peoples' thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal _expression.

8. Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you.

9. All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven.

10. Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit. Practice optimism.

11. Nature is not for us, it is a part of us - part of your worldly family.

12. Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life's lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow.

13. Avoid hurting the hearts of others. The poison of your pain will return to you.

14. Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the test of ones will within this universe.

15. Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual self, Emotional self, and Physical self - all need to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out the body to strengthen the mind. Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.

16. Make conscious decisions as to who you will be and how you will react. Be responsible for your own actions.

17. Respect the privacy and personal space of others. Do not touch the personal property of others - especially sacred and religious objects. This is forbidden.

18. Be true to yourself first. You cannot nurture and help others if you cannot nurture and help yourself first.

19. Respect others religious beliefs. Do not force your belief on others.

20. Share your good fortune with others. Participate in charity.

The SOTU address

My take is Bush is least qualified to tell Americans what the state of the union is. He has no clue, but that won't stop him.

Americans are concerned about Iraq and Bush will ignore that concern because he has to.

Comment on Balloon Juice

Because I can't seem to comment on Balloon Juice I'll do it here.

In response to Tear ‘Em A New One, Scooter, I submit the following:

One thing I'll give Libby, he ain't stupid. If he knows where the bodies are buried, and I'm sure he does, he'll disclose all.

My guess is Cheney's only hope is for a pardon from Bush.

Or I could be completely wrong about all this and OJ will take the fall. Ya never know.

Its about time

Am I the only one who applauds the information Webb will only speak for 8 minutes? Just asking.

Virginia Sen. James Webb (D) tonight will deliver a blistering eight-minute response to the President's State of the Union address. Aides promised it will be an aggressive challenge to Bush's Iraq policies from the newly empowered Democratic majority in Congress.

Webb will speak live from an historic Capitol Hill meeting room and is likely to display the same pugnacious scowl and blunt manner that won over Virginia voters in November and later generated headlines in a face-to-face exchange with Bush at the White House.

In an interview this morning, Webb called Bush's new Iraq policy "an adjustment" and said "an adjustment is not a strategy. What is the end point?"

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Beating a dead horse

I'm gonna revisit this because its so important for you. Google™ and read all you can about the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). This group of mental midgets are pulling Bush's strings and will destroy the world as you know it.

Ever see the movie War Games? I will paraphrase because I'm too lazy to research.

"Do you want to play a game?"

"Yes" "How about global nuclear war?"

I think the idiots at AEI are infatuated with that movie.

Yack, yack, yack...or yak, yak, yak...choose your variant

Buck brings up a subject I've been stewing about for some time. Wordiness is endemic. There are several blogs I almost never read because they take 1500 words to say things they could say in 150 if they were disciplined.

Hell, most of the time I use at least 20% more words than needed to say what I want to, but then I'm terminally lazy.

Wordiness is a sickness of American writing. Too many words dilute and blur ideas. An average American book is twice as long as a British book on the same subject. The same is true of articles.

There is not an idea that cannot be expressed in 200 words. But the writer must know exactly what he wants to say. If you have nothing to say and boldly want to say it, then all the words in the dictionary will not suffice.

Do not count a, of, the, and, etc. Averaging the number of words in a line is OK.

I apologize for stealing so much from Buck's post. My bad at the very least. Hey, at least I linked to it.

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Must Read IMHO

Bushco is playing games, as usual, and the media will pick it up.

What are the odds that the FBI suddenly announces an al Qaida threat to America (after supposedly having the information for six months and it being just an "informal list" and from Zarqawi who was killed last summer) and then the arrest of 600 al Sadr fighters just before Bush speaks to the nation? Amazing, isn't it? So who's playing political games with politics and Iraq?

Not to mention this little item.

Lets face it, it matters not what Bush says. His actions speak much louder than his rhetoric. If you believe anything Bush says you are an idiot. Period.

Chris has it covered.

Water, water everywhere? Don't kid yourself

Old topic around SPIIDERWEB™. We told you about this problem back in July, 2006, October, 2006 and earlier this month.

The world is running out of water and needs a radical plan to tackle shortages that threaten humanity's ability to feed itself, according to Jeffrey Sachs, director of the UN's Millennium Project.

Professor Sachs, the renowned American economist who is credited with prompting pop star Bono's crusade for African development, told an environment conference in Delhi that the world had "no more rivers to take water from".

India and China were facing severe water shortages and neither could use the same strategies for raising food output which has fed millions in recent times. "In 2050 we will have 9 billion people and average income will be four times what it is today," he said. "India and China have been able to feed their populations because they use water in an unsustainable way. That is no longer possible."

And I'll repeat what I said then. Oil will be the least of our worries. Energy in general? Yeah, it'll be a problem.

But friends will fight friends over water. I'll add to that. Family will fight amongst themselves over water. And add global warming into the mix and you increase the need for water.

The human race has pretty much painted itself into a corner and had better find a fucking solution for each of these problems and fast or hope the end-times people are right.

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Quote of the day

"The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced."

-- Frank Zappa
US musician, singer, &
songwriter (1940 - 1993)

Dems Offer Olive Branch to Bush?

My only question to Rahm is why? You neither need nor will get cooperation from Bush.

On the eve of President Bush's State of the Union address comes news that the commander-in-chief will address the House Democratic retreat next month in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Bush was invited to the gathering by the Democratic leadership -- spearheaded by new Democratic Caucus chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.). He is slated to speak for approximately an hour on Saturday Feb. 3. The retreat is set for Feb. 1-3 at the Kingsmill Resort & Spa.

Oh yeah, about the Kingsmill Resort & Spa.

Kingsmill Resort and Spa, Virginia's largest golf resort, boasts 63 holes of championship golf. Located on 2,900 acres along the historic James River, the resort features 425 recently renovated one-, two- and three-bedroom suites, the full-service Spa at Kingsmill, a 15-court Tennis Center, a full-service marina, six restaurants and lounges, and a sports club. Kingsmill Resort and Spa is one of the Anheuser-Busch Companies and a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a global association of the world's finest independent luxury hotels. The AAA Four-Diamond property is host to the annual LPGA Michelob ULTRA Open in May.

If you can afford it, you can make your reservations here.

And what irony Bush will be visiting a resort owned by a brewery company.

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Something positive for a change

I've only seen this in one article, but its a bill we can easily get behind because it just makes sense.

PDA [Progressive Democrats of America] has learned that this week, our friend and ally Rep. Jim McGovern will introduce new legislation, which replaces HR 4232 “End the War in Iraq Act of 2005”. In the new bill, “The Safe and Orderly Withdrawal Act,” the U.S. would begin the safe and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq within 30 days of enactment to be completed within 180 days. The withdrawal would be paid for by already appropriated funds and all funds for deployment of U.S. troops would be terminated upon completion of the withdrawal.

Nothing in the bill would prohibit funds to be spent on social and economic reconstruction, or to assist Iraqi armed forces or a multinational force. It allows for US military assigned to security of the US Embassy and US diplomats to remain in Iraq, and at the request of the Iraq government, the Army Corps of Engineers. [emphasis mine]

As for the emphasized part? How would you like to be chosen for one of those plum assignments? Its gonna be years before any American is halfway safe in Iraq, if ever.

Unfortunately, if we don't completely bail and shut down the embassy, which we shouldn't, diplomats and soldiers are gonna be needed there.

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Kids at Play

Some people build swimming pools in their back yards. But outdoor pools in Alaska just won't work.

Since this particular family live on the outskirts of Anchorage, they decided to build a sturdy, colorful playground for their 3 and 4 year old sons, with smooth-stone gravel all around it to avoid knee scrapes and other injuries.

They finished building it on Saturday evening, and the following morning, as the mom was about to wake up the boys and have them go out to play in their new play center, this is what she saw from the upstairs window:



Perhaps a nice fence would be a good idea.

A couple items about Israel

First off, are you aware they've built a large mock city in the desert in which they're training for their next excursion into Lebanon? Or will it be Iran or Syria? Hard to tell.

Under the cover of thick smoke, a Muslim call to prayer ringing in the background, masked Israeli commandos stormed a concrete building in a dense mock neighborhood and "killed" a pair of guerrillas — preparing for the next round with the Lebanese Hezbollah after last summer's 34-day war.

The Monday war drill, including simulations of helicopter, tank and rocket fire, took place in a recently constructed mock Arab city in the Negev desert, under the assumption that the techniques will be used in combat sooner rather than later.

"The year 2007 is the year of preparedness," Brig. Gen. Udi Dekel, a top army officer, said Sunday at the Herzliya conference, a yearly gathering of Israel's political and security elite. "The goal is to reach a level of professional capacity that will enable us to face the current threats, and in parallel to build a multiyear program in order to face future threats."

The unveiling of the Urban Training Center, which covers 20 square kilometers (eight square miles) and includes some 500 structures, came as Israel moved closer to naming its next army chief of staff. It was nearly certain that Gabi Ashkenazi, a retired general, would replace Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, who resigned last week following harsh criticism for leading Israel's mighty army in its inconclusive war against Hezbollah.

If Dr Hesham Tillawi's right, there's a lot more coming than just Lebanon.

Saddam is dead, but Saddam’s hanging had nothing to do with Saddam. Saddam is dead, but his death had nothing to do with how many people he killed or caused to die. All aboard, friends, Saddam’s death is just one stop on this long Israeli train of Arab holocaust.

What exactly happened in that execution chamber? Inquiring people wanted to know. Who was there and what did they say? Was it Muqtada Alsader’s people? Was it the Americans? Was it the Shiites? The inquiry goes on and on. The Media - TV, Radio, Print, Internet, and a plethora of talking heads all are concentrating on what will happen now between the Sunnis and Shiites. The Arab media is to be blamed before the Western media. The real story got buried in the sensational details of what took place during the hanging and the case was used to yet inflame sectarian violence amongst the Iraqi people.

Robert Ellis is a military nurse who was assigned to keep Saddam alive. "That was my job: to keep him alive and healthy, so they could kill him later." Ellis said.

Saddam once asked Ellis” Why did the Americans invade Iraq?” And that is the tragedy of Arab leaders. A president of what once was the strongest and most technological Arab country had no clue why he was invaded and his country destroyed. How many other Arab leaders have no clue of what’s coming to them?

Saddam’s hanging had nothing to do with Saddam. Chew on the following: In his Complete Diaries, Vol. II. p. 711, Theodore Herzl, the founder of Zionism, says that the area of the Jewish State stretches: “From the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates.” Rabbi Fischmann, member of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, declared in his testimony to the U.N. Special Committee of Enquiry on 9 July 1947: “The Promised Land extends from the River of Egypt up to the Euphrates, it includes parts of Syria and Lebanon.”

In an effort to be eclectic and help my readers

Today I'll simplify your lives dramatically. I offer you the only line graph you will ever need. Now it appears there are two charts, but it is just one with the graph line going up or down. You don't even need scales. The steeper the slope, the better or worse.


If this's a graph of your income or business profits, it's good. If its about the number of deaths in Iraq, its bad.


If this's a graph of your income or business profits, its bad. If its about the number of deaths in Iraq, its good.

Now wasn't that easy?

And I'll also offer you the only flow chart you will ever need courtesy of the Fishbowl.

Must Read IMHO

Jonathan Schwarz offering some words for Jimmy Carter in defense of his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

So let me give an honest answer, even though it's one many people won't like. It's this—in Europe and the U.S., we look at the past few hundred years and see two great evils: fascism and communism. But for most places on earth, there have been three great evils: fascism, communism, and colonialism. The colonization of the world by Europe and the U.S. killed tens of millions, just as many people as fascism and communism. It was just as cruel. If you ever doubt this, read up on what Belgium did to the Congo, or the British to Tasmania.

And whether it's fair or not, to people in the third world, Israel is a symbol of colonialism. That's not going to change. And they see it just as the victims of fascism would see a fascist state, or the victims of communism would see a communist state.

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137 killed or found dead across Iraq

The ugly details are in the article. The first reports of the Baghdad market blast said 50-52 were killed. Then it changed to at least 70. Now its up to 88. My guess is they have to reassemble bodies to figure out just how many whole people were blown to small pieces.

A suicide bomber crashed his car into a central Baghdad market crowded with Shiites just seconds after another car bomb tore through the stalls where vendors were hawking DVDs and used clothing, leaving 88 dead Monday in the bloodiest attack in two months.

The bombings, along with a double bombing that killed 12 people in the town of Khalis, battered Shiites during one of their holiest festivals. The attacks were the latest in a renewed campaign of insurgent violence in advance of a U.S.-Iraqi security operation.

In all, 137 people were killed or found dead across Iraq, including a teacher who was gunned down as she was on her way to work at a girls' school in a mainly Sunni area of Baghdad. The toll also included the bullet-riddled bodies of at least 30 people, apparent victims of death squads largely run by Shiite militias.

An al-Qaida-linked coalition of Iraqi Sunni insurgents claimed its fighters shot down an American military helicopter in a Saturday crash that killed 12 U.S. soldiers. The U.S. military has said the cause of the crash has not been determined.

In Washington, a senior military official said investigators found debris near the scene of the helicopter crash that could be part of a shoulder-fired weapon. The official requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

This Can't Be Good

I received the following email. Now I'm very interested in what the troops have to say, but I'm fairly certain I won't get the straight scoop via this avenue. What do you think?

Greetings!
I'm a part of Central Command Public Affairs, on a team that exists to engage the blogosphere. I saw your site spiiderweb.blogspot today while looking for people talking about the war on terrorism

Here's what my team does, and why I contacted you. Basically, we email bloggers, try and build both dialogue and relationships, and get information from CENTCOM's area of responsbility out to the blogosphere. Sometimes we get our products (press releases, CENTCOM News, Coalition Bulletin) out to the blogosphere before mass media picks up on it. Sometimes we don't. I would ask that you check out our website www.centcom.mil.

Something we've been trying to do more of lately has been trying to find bloggers willing to "virtually embed" with the troops. What that means is doing an interview with a deployed service member via email. These interviews enable the troops an outlet to share their stories, as well as providing more information for your site. For an example of "virtually embed" take a look at this link http://www.cehwiedel.com/blogs/traces/?p=1665

Would you be interested in getting those items? If you feel it would be appropriate for the feel of your blog, let me know and we can set up a link to our site. If not, thank you for your time today.

v/r

Sgt. Chris Keller
Electronic Media Engagement Team
U.S. Central Command Public Affairs
kellercr@centcom.mil
http://www.centcom.mil

Subscribe to the CENTCOM Newsletter

If CENTCOM is reading what I write, they sure as hell are reading what the soldiers and Marines in the field are writing and I doubt they'll let anything too critical about operations in Iraq or Afghanistan to get out.

Inasmuch as I'd love first hand information about what is "really" going on, I'm too cynical to think this is the best way to get it.

Bush the compassionate president

Jesus H Christ out jogging, but Bush continues to fuck the vetrans.

Defense Department officials have laid off most of their case workers who help severely injured service members, sources said.

The case workers for the Military Severely Injured Center serve as advocates for wounded service members who have questions or issues related to benefits, financial resources and their successful return to duty or reintegration into civilian life - all forms of support other than medical care.

The center officially opened in February 2005, with its primary offices in Arlington, Va., but also hired advocates at hospitals around the country.

Four sources said the decision was made to cut back the personnel because officials with the Army's Wounded Warrior program felt the Defense Department program was a duplication of efforts.

Defense officials did not comment on the actions as of Jan. 19. Wounded Warrior officials also could not be reached.

Reports indicate that Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; and Fort Campbell, Ky., were among the locations that had case workers cut. It is not clear what will happen to case workers at the Arlington center.

The only case workers that have not been laid off are at three hospitals: Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas; Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii; and Naval Medical Center San Diego, sources said. But those case workers will not be allowed to work with soldiers and must refer them to the Army Wounded Warrior program.

The laid-off workers were told Wednesday to finish up their case work with severely injured troops, and that Friday would be their last day.

Yeah, I'll jog with ya, but after this yer on yer own. Hehe.

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BBC plans link-up with Google™

This is very interesting because of its relevance to an earlier post about Google™.

The BBC is in talks with the internet giant Google to promote and sell its programmes on the world’s most popular website.

Executives at the commercial BBC Worldwide have been in negotiations about showing programmes on the search engine’s video sharing sites including the newly acquired YouTube.

The corporation is understood to be looking at how to make money from the deal. Options include taking a slice of the advertising that will run alongside BBC content and pay-per-view.

The corporation is also looking at using the site to promote the BBC’s programmes worldwide, especially in the US.

Last July, Google rolled out eight versions of Google Video in Europe and signed up content from television networks including ITN, IMG Media (the sports company that handles events such as Wimbledon), A&E (which owns the History Channel) and Buena Visa International Europe.

The folks at Google™ may be wrong, but I doubt it. Video online is the future.

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Report: N.Korea agrees to halt nukes

Is this the "agreement" NKorea thinks they have with the US? It doesn't strike me as the greatest deal available, but then in this penis war Bush is having with Kim Jong-il its funny how a little Viagra® in the form of nukes and missiles can level the playing field.

Even I hate that last sentence, but I think you get the idea.

North Korea has agreed to halt its nuclear activities in return for economic and energy aid from the United States, a Seoul newspaper said Monday.

During bilateral talks with the United States in Berlin last week, the North also agreed to allow international inspectors back into the country to "monitor" its nuclear facilities, according to South Korea's largest daily Chosun Ilbo.

In return, the North called for the United States to ease financial sanctions on the communist country, the paper said, citing sources in Seoul and Beijing.

"North Korea's top nuclear envoy Kim Kye Gwan told his U.S. counterpart Christopher Hill that North Korea will yield in return for economic and energy aid from the United States and assurances that the United States will seek to unfreeze North Korea's $24 million in accounts with the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia," it said.

Speaking of penis wars, George Bush, Kim Jong-il, Ehud Olmert, Hu Jintao, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Nouri Kamel al-Maliki, Muqtada al-Sadr, Hamid Karzai, Vladimir Putin, Basar Assad, Hugo Chavez? And I'm not getting into the John Negropontes, Michael Ledeens and Richard Perles who constantly expose themselves. When are these guys gonna zip it up and start seriously talking with each other?

Please note how I had the good taste to not include an image for this post.

(courtesy link)

Baghdad bombing kills 50, wounds 60 -police

Just who does have the bigger SURGE™? Its looking like the insurgents right now.

A double car bombing near central Baghdad's Bab al-Sharji area killed 50 [Update: dead now up to 70] people and wounded 60, police sources said.

It was the bloodiest attack since 70 were killed in a double bombing outside a Baghdad university six days ago.

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Perhaps you know little about AEI

Here's a fine article identifying the players and some of the hair-brained ideas to come out of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

Prominent lobbyist Perle: U.S. will attack Iran if it obtains nukes

Don't mean to throw cold water on your slim hopes for sanity, but...

President George Bush will order an attack on Iran if it becomes clear to him that Iran is set to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities while he is still in office, Richard Perle told the Herzliya Conference on Sunday. Perle is close to the Bush administration, particularly to Vice President Richard Cheney.

The leading neoconservative and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute addressed the session on Iran's nuclear program. He said that the present policy of attempting to impose sanctions on Iran will not cause it to abandon its nuclear aspirations, and unless stopped the country will become a nuclear power.

I still find in almost unimaginable that one think tank, the American Enterprise Institute, is still running US foreign policy. And isn't it time to remove the adjective "think" when we talk about this particular "tank".

As for Perle? Should what he says concern you. Damn right it should because he's one the principle architects behind the Iraq invasion [sorry. very long article - ed].

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U.S. Death Toll in Iraq Hits 27 for Weekend

This really is bad news. Of course the deaths, but this additional information.

New details also emerged about clashes on Saturday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, which left five Americans dead. Lt. Col. Scott R. Bleichwehl, an American military spokesman, said the gunmen who stormed the provincial governor’s office during a meeting between American and local officials were wearing what appeared to be American military uniforms in an effort to impersonate United States soldiers. [emphasis mine]

Now the troops won't know if they can trust each other just based on uniforms.

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Stomp on the lies before they gain traction

No this isn't a repeat of the last posting, just more of the same only its Edwards this time. Its also not "quite" lying, but rather "implying" something unsavory.

Jill at Brilliant at Breakfast has all the ugly details.

Stomp on the lies before they gain traction

These lies are about Barack Obama. The Anonymous Liberal did the legwork.

Furthermore, while the term "Madrassah" is often used as shorthand for a specific type of radical Islamic school where new jihadists are indoctrinated, the term simply means "school" in Arabic (and, by extension, a number of other languages). There is no reason to think the school Obama attended was anything other than a typical Indonesian school.

So let's recap the facts:

1) Obama was not "raised as a Muslim." He was raised primary by his mother and grandparents, none of whom were Muslims. His step-father, whom he lived with for only four years, was a Muslim, but a very traditionally Indonesian one. Obama is currently a practicing Christian.

2) Obama did not attend a "radical Madrassah" during his time in Indonesia. During his four years there (from age 6 to 10), he split his time between a local Muslim school and a local Catholic school.

3) Obama has not concealed any of this information. To the contrary, it is all laid out in detail in his two autobiographical books.

4) Mark Steyn is a massive tool.

Make no mistake. The GOP is laying the groundwork right now for the possibility of Obama winning the Democratic nomination. They're planting seeds and hoping these narratives will have gained a life of their own by the time the general election rolls around. Should Obama become the nominee, I expect that his Republican opponents will try to play up his "foreignness," to portray him as un-American, exotic, even dangerous. His name and his heritage open him up to this sort of attack, and there are a number of people on the Republican side who will readily exploit the American people's worst instincts.

That's why it's important to set the record straight now, to keep these claims from going unchallenged and thereby gaining the aura of truth. If you notice any false claims being made about any of the 2008 candidates, write about it or bring it to the attention of someone who will. It just might make a difference.

TIME magazine can see the future

They have several stories with the same posted date. Here is one of them.

Graphic: Understanding the Brain

From gruesome ancient rituals to modern pharmacology, mankind had been trying to discover what's really going on inside our heads

* Posted on: Fri, Feb 6 2037 8:28 AM

Oh yes, 6 February 2037 does fall on a Friday. Maybe they do know something.

All your future belong to Google™

Very interesting article about you, the future, the internets tubes and Google™.

I spoke recently with an old friend who is a bandwidth broker. He buys and sells bandwidth on fiber-optic networks around the world. And he told me something that I found not completely surprising, but I certainly hadn't known: Google controls more network fiber than any other organization. This is not to say that Google OWNS all that fiber, just that they control it through agreements with network operators. I find two very interesting aspects to this story: 1) that Google has acquired -- or even needs to acquire -- so much bandwidth, and; 2) that they don't own it, since probably the cheapest way to pick up that volume of fiber would be to simply buy out any number of backbone providers like Level 3 Communications.

Google loves secrecy. That they've been acquiring fiber assets hasn't been a secret, but the sheer volume of these acquisitions HAS been. Why? One thought is that it kept down the price since people didn't really know it was Google snatching up this stuff (they've done it under a number of different corporate names). But if price was the issue, then why hasn't Google just bought the companies that own the fiber? It made no sense until I scratched my head and thought a bit further, at which point it became obvious that Google wants to -- in its own way -- control the Internet. In fact, they probably control it already and we just haven't noticed.

Cringely has written about Google™ in the past and is usually right about what he sees happening next with them. The folks there are very smart and often beat out competitors who don't even seem to be in competition with them. In other words, they decide what the game is and what the rules are.

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Syria vows to help stabilise Iraq, condemns rebels

Very interesting article. This is the first time Syria has come out so strongly against the insurgents. Now if only Bush would talk with Syria, but...

Syria on Saturday condemned insurgent attacks on the U.S.-backed Iraqi army and security forces, describing them as "terrorism", in another shift in the Damascus government's position toward its neighbour.

In a communique issued at the end of a visit by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to Damascus, Syria vowed to try to help stop civil strife in Iraq, despite having opposed the U.S.-led invasion that removed late president Saddam Hussein from power in 2003 but ushered in sectarian conflict.

Talabani left Syria earlier on Saturday after a six-day visit aimed at securing what Iraqi officials described as a more explicit backing for the Iraqi government and closer security and economic cooperation.

"The two sides affirmed the need to preserve Iraqi unity and condemned all forms of terrorism that target Iraqi civilians, infrastructure, places of worship, army and security," a joint communique said.

"President Assad affirmed that Syria will exert all its efforts to help the process of national reconciliation and spread the suitable political and media climate to achieve this noble goal."

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Must Read IMHO

I'm directing attention to this article because it isn't coming from one of us wild-eyed lefties. This is a card-carrying Republican, but he sounds much like us. That is, he lives in the world of reality.

I spent many years in major professional and volunteer positions within the Republican Party, and was even a delegate supporting W’s father at the 1980 National Republican Convention in Detroit. So I do not come lightly to my concerns.

In my opinion, Bush is either incompetent, insane or morally corrupt. The scariest — and perhaps most likely, given the litany of his offenses — is that he’s a combination of all three. Our collective national consciousness has been anesthetized by the staggering number and enormity of the egregious acts committed by this president against our nation’s principles, its people, its resources and against the world at large.

Among these sins are his evisceration of the Bill of Rights through unlawful wiretaps, the opening of our personal mail, the interception of our Internet communications, data mining (including our banking transactions, credit card purchases, and airline travel) and the elimination of that cornerstone of American jurisprudence, habeas corpus.

To these, add his authorization to torture detainees, the creation of CIA “black site” prisons around the world, and his unscrupulous use of “signing statements” in a blatant attempt to create an imperial presidency of historic proportions.

And what of his unapologetic protection of corporate interests while blindly denying the existence of global warming?

With Congress and a majority of Americans now solidly against him, the megalomaniacal Bush remains amazingly unfazed by reality.

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For your amusement. Just not too much interesting politics right now

NASA, the other one.

I'm still avoiding '08 but...

Count me out. Not a chance.

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Hang spammers

Just kidding. I don't want to hang anyone. However, this guy did more than just spam people and deserves punishment.

A report on the Mercury News revealed that a man from Los Angeles has been criminally convicted of spam e-mailing and is the first person to be convicted of such a crime in the U.S. Forty-five year old Jeffery Goodin was found guilty of running a running scam that fooled users into giving out personal information. E-mails that Goodin sent out made users believe that they were cooperating with a legitimate business when in fact they were not.

Come on...101 years? Overkill much?

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Sometimes being right is a PITA (pain in the ass)

Jimmy Carter has done more outside the politics than he did inside.

"I have been called a liar," Carter said at a town hall meeting on the second day of a three-day symposium on his presidency at the University of Georgia.

"I have been called an anti-Semite," he said. "I have been called a bigot. I have been called a plagiarist. I have been called a coward. Those kind of accusations, they concern me, but they don't detract from the fact the book is accurate and is needed."

Following the publication of the book: "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," 14 members of an advisory board to his Carter Center resigned in protest. Those former board members and other critics contend the book is unfairly critical of Israel.

"Not one of the critics of my book has contradicted any of the basic premises ... that is the horrible persecution and oppression of the Palestinian people and secondly that the formula for finding peace in the Middle East already exists," the 82-year-old Carter said.

Carter said he was pleased the book has stimulated discussion of an issue that has been "omitted from the public consciousness" for at least the last six years.

"Israel needs peace and the Palestinian people need peace and justice and I hope my limited influence will help to precipitate some steps," he said.

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Pick your fights

'nough said.

troglodytes? Yeah, we got 'em

Cave dwellers.

I think I'll just let them write for me

Alberto "you have no rights" Gonzaleze. He is. not. your. friend.

For your education

Sometimes not running is really running. Its a smoke and mirrors thingy.

The case for impeachment

It really is simple. Bush has broken American and international laws.

I can't stop...somebody help me

Another stolen post. I'm so ashamed.

But you do need to read Don's posts. He'll give you perspective.

Take care Don. We need you.

Still lazy and still stealing

A gynecologist had a burning desire to change careers and become a mechanic. So she found out from her local tech college what was involved, signed up for evening classes and attended diligently, learning all she could. When time for the practical exam approached, she prepared carefully for weeks, and completed the exam with tremendous skill.

When the results came back, she was surprised to find that she had obtained a mark of 150%. Fearing an error, she called the instructor, saying "I don't want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wondered if there had been an error which needed adjusting."

The instructor said, "During the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. You put the engine back together again perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the mark. I gave you an extra 50% because you did all of it THROUGH the muffler..."

Aren't you happy I find such stuff for you so you don't have to hunt 'em down? Just asking.

Aren't you happy I didn't provide a pic?

(via Jonco)

Totally stolen post

Sometimes I'm just really more lazy than normal, thus...

Ever done any blamestorming? How about prairie-dogging? Do you work with any BMWs? Or has your career been plutoed?

Those four buzzwords are among the 13 Most Fun Buzzwords of 2006.

"Not all buzzwords make you cringe. Some are delightfully colorful, funny and sum up life in today's workplace," says John Walston, author of The Buzzword Dictionary and creator of BuzzWhack.com. "And given the way the world's been going lately, we definitely need something to laugh about."

Here's the complete list:
1. blamestorming: A group process where participants analyze a failed project and look for scapegoats other than themselves.
2. Death by Tweakage: When a product or project fails due to unnecessary tinkering or too many last-minute revisions.
3. BMW’s: Bitchers, Moaners and Whiners.
4. clockroaches: Employees who spend most of their day watching the clock - instead of doing their jobs
5. plutoed: To be dumped or relegated to a lower position without an adequate reason or explanation.
6. prairie dogging: Occurs when workers simultaneously pop their heads up out of their cubicles to see what's going on.
7. carbon-based error: Error caused by a human, not a computer (which would be a silicon-based error).
8. menoporsche: Male menopause. Symptoms include a sudden lack of energy, crankiness and the overpowering urge to buy a Porsche.
9. adminisphere: The upper levels of management where big, impractical, and counterproductive decisions are made.
10. deja poo: The feeling that you've stepped in this bull before.
11. bobbleheading: The mass nod of agreement by participants in a meeting to comments made by the boss even though most have no idea what he/she just said.
12. ringtone rage: The violent response by cube mates after hearing your annoying cell phone ringtone for the 15th time.
13. muffin top: The unsightly roll of flesh that spills over the waist of a pair of too-tight pants

Thanks Paul E

I tend to see all in the GOP as BMWs.

(via Jonco)

Must Read IMHO

Maybe the most MUST READ I've posted.