In response to the hanging of Saddam Hussein, one of Fort Waynes' local bloggers (Jon Olinger) made what most reasonable people would think is a succinct and accurate comment on "The Butcher Of Bagdhad" on Mike Sylvesters blog, to wit:" I can't think of a more deserving punishment or a more deserving guy."

The response from John Good at Left In Aboite (pictured) is as follows: "What about Bush? How many thousands of Americans and Iraqis are dead due to HIS hand?

I responded briefly on Mikes blog, but felt it necessary to expand on my thoughts over here as I think Goods' mindset deserves more thoughtful analysis.
Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent, Liberal, Moderate, Conservative or Libertarian, as an American you should be offended by ridiculous remarks and comparisons such as his. There simply is no logical basis for such a comparison. His is an emotional, knee-jerk comment made completely out of frustration. I don't care if you hate George Bushs' guts, it is an invalid comparison that must be dismissed like that of a 9 year old who screams at his parents "I wish you were dead" because he didn't get his way. It's an emotional "lashing out" that the child, in the cold light of day realizes is completely untrue and unrealistic.

Mr. Goods' comments must be dismissed as the intellectually bankrupt rantings of an immature man, clouded by ideology not clear in fact.

This is definitely worth watching to the end...the funniest stuff is in the closing credits.
From Suitably Flip:







h/t: 6MB

Let me begin by stating bluntly that I absolutely do not give a fuck who I offend or irritate with this post. I'm tired, cranky, and extraordinarily pissed off that a story like this could be true. It's not bad enough that we are forced to cope with fundamentalist idiots from other countries trying to force their bullshit on us, but somewhere along the line, our home-grown fundies seem to have gotten a little starved for attention, with the world focusing on the Islamic-variety dildos.

“In order to avoid offending religious fundamentalists, our National Park Service is under orders to suspend its belief in geology,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. “It is disconcerting that the official position of a national park as to the geologic age of the Grand Canyon is ‘no comment.’”

I'm sorry, but you've got to be fucking kidding me.

In August 2003, Park Superintendent Joe Alston attempted to block the sale
at park bookstores of Grand Canyon: A Different View by Tom Vail, a book claiming the Canyon developed on a biblical rather than an evolutionary time scale. NPS Headquarters, however, intervened and overruled Alston. To quiet the
resulting furor, NPS Chief of Communications David Barna told reporters and members of Congress that there would be a high-level policy review of the issue.

What exactly, may I ask, is there to review? Here it is: The book in question is being sold - for all intents and purposes - as nonfiction. You catch that? Nonfiction. Fuck right off. It's bad enough that these douchebags have positioned the most absurd portions of their belief system ahead of common sense, but now the rest of us are being forced to ignore our sensibilities so that we do not burst their bubble. Where in the Constitution does it give these idiots the right to use the Government, my Government, your Government, to peddle their ridiculous propaganda???

Hey! Fuckos! Listen up: Anyone who thinks the Grand Canyon was created by anything other than millions of years of river current erosion needs to seriously buck up on their geology. Or wait...is geology a junk science now since it debunks some of the ridiculous Biblical hocus-pocus?

This absurd eggshell-dancing routine in which we as a society are forced to engage -- this blatant pandering to total fucking nonsense (and the nonsensical boobs who subscribe to the jibberish), well, it's just contrary to every bit of common sense we as the human race have developed in the last couple of millenia.

This horseshit has gone too far. We need to start offending people. We need to offend them often and loudly. A belief system is a series of opinions. Scientific data is a collection of facts (undeniable with respect to the laws of nature as we know them). If I wake up tomorrow morning and decide that the sky is actually green instead of blue, should I then go on a crusade to not only get my opinion heard, but crammed down the throats of everyone else? And what if I then write that the sky is green in a book? Should meteorologists then have to take a "no comment" position with respect to the color of the sky? Because really, if I believe that the sky is green, then who the fuck are you to tell me it's not? Should zoos, observatories, sports stadiums etc. then be forced to sell my book and refrain from making comments that suggest that my book about the green sky may be total poppycock? Boy am I gonna be offended if all of the first grade teachers continue allowing kids to color the sky blue in all of those cutesy drawings. I'm sure I can manage to leverage a massive religious discrimination lawsuit out of the deal.

I am just soooo sick and tired of morons. Here's somebody that I do agree with, though:

From the blog Secular Humanism with a human face :

The entire charade of religious sensitivity reeks of intellectual bankruptcy, if
one is able to support the beliefs, dogma and practices with argument then one
hardly needs to plea for exemption. It is predominately those beliefs, dogmas
and practices which are unsupportable which individuals will evoke sensitivity
for. I find this tactic not only intellectually reprehensible but exceedingly
revealing. It doesn’t say much for the beliefs in question if, rather than allow
the evidence and support for them surface, one attempts to prohibit their being
questioned or criticized in the first place.

[...]

I am also not the least bit sympathetic to anyone who becomes offended when a cherished belief of theirs is questioned, criticized or repudiated. I understand very well that many people are unable to review their beliefs and hold to them in a dispassionate manner, this is no ones fault but their own, and furthermore many of these “sensitive” beliefs are not only offensive to others but dangerous. People would do well to arrive at their convictions through a systematic and dispassionate process by which they reviewed specific claims and adhered to them only when they are sufficiently supportable and furthermore they should not become emotionally involved with the convictions to a point that, when the convictions are questioned or criticized, they then feel personally denigrated.

Now I do realize that a Secular Humanist probably isn't the best source from which to draw quotes, but it really goes to the heart of the matter at hand. I am sick, and I am tired, and I am sick and tired. I'm tired of this elephant sitting in each and every room as we try to discuss the problems of the day. Yes, you friggin' goofballs, you have the right in this country to believe anything that you want. You want to believe that the Earth is a big floating ball of magical putty that "God" bends and shapes at his will? OK. I, however, have the right to expect that my government has the right to be objective and scientifically honest with respect to matters such as the formation of the Grand Canyon or the formation of this planet.

Now, let it be known that consensus does NOT have any relevance to science whatsoever. It matters not how many people agree or disagree with a premise, but how accurately results can be reproduced to scale. It is 99.99% provable based on sediment and other geological factors that under no circumstances does a "Biblical Timeline" (whatever the fuck that is, but I can only imagine it's less than 10,000 years) allow for a natural occurance of anywhere near the magnitude of the quiet, magestic Grand Canyon. Truthfully, the Grand Canyon is a humbling reminder of exactly how patient and unrelenting nature can be. Impatience and reliance on small-scale factors...well, that's a human trait.

Most of us will only be on this planet for about 70 or so years, some of us are already halfway done (or close to it). This is why [humans] have difficulties accepting the fact that it's just not all about us. Long after we manage to "stupid" ourselves to death, that river will still be wearing down that rock path through the desert. At least stupid ideas like "The Grand Canyon was scraped out of the ground by the toenail of god" will die with us. Hopefully the next inhabitants here will be less self righteous.

You gotta check out Babs's hubby, James Brolin on the view. It has been rumored for weeks that he has joined the "truther" movement espousing the belief the 911 attacks were perpetrated by our own government. Even Rosie can't cut to the commercial break fast enough once he brings up the website www.911weknow.com .



http://newsbusters.org/media/2006-12-28-ABCViewBrolin.wmv

If Hillary gets into the white house, I don't think she'll be inviting Babs & Jimmy over for a sleepover in the Lincoln bedroom anytime soon, even she can't dignify that theory.

Good Evening Fort Wayne, and Happy Boxing Day! My Holiday blogging laziness seems to have gotten the best of me, as I must now backtrack a few days to address a very interesting article in the Christmas Eve edition of the Journal Gazette. In the article, JG's Niki Kelly factually walks us through our "legislative starting lineup," lists members' committees and subsequently allows each of them to state for the record an abbreviated version of their 2007 lawmaking agenda. This was truly a great little exercise in legislative forecasting. There definitely were a few noteworthy comments from the area's State Representatives...which was surprising for a variety of reasons. Let's hit the high (and low) points, just for the sake of discussion.

First, let me begin by addressing what I believe to be the most profound intentions stated by any of the Representatives. Phyllis Pond, R - New Haven would like to introduce an "effort that would make joint parenting the default option in divorce cases unless a parent can prove it is not in the best interest of the child." I can't even tell you what Phyllis proponent this would make me become.

Hell, even just the idea that this might be discussed has got me wanting to shake Ms. Pond's hand. My somewhat uneventful journey (uneventful compared to many) through the Indiana courts in my quest to simply be treated with equality under the law with respect to the custody and support of my daughter has proven to be lengthy, irritating, and confounding. At one point, the judge even had the brass balls to fall asleep during our initial custody hearing, because the result of the hearing was already known prior to any action thanks to Indiana's ass-backward custody and support laws. It didn't matter that my Ex was unemployed, taking prescription psychotropic drugs, living in a house full of dirty dogs and cigarette smokers (inside smokers, not the polite kind who would actually care about the health of an infant) and planning on packing up and moving with her new husband (now her ex-husband) to Biloxi, MS. No, the judge simply packed our personal data into a boilerplate Indiana custody settlement and pushed the "print" button, whereby ignoring anything relevant or factual with respect to the case. Luckily, my Ex and I worked together to eventually come to an understanding of our daughter's needs, and we now basically just ignore the courts and operate within the guidelines of a joint custody arrangement that we built outside of the watchful eye of the law. If Phyllis can manage to at very least get this topic to see the light of day, I'll personally send her a boquet of flowers. I have never asked for more than equal time and equal rights with respect to my daughter. I know there are many, many other dads out there who feel the same way, and feel that Indiana's archaic laws absolutely trample fathers' rights as well as the rights of the children they are intended to serve.

***Note to Mitch Daniels*** Have you ever considered privatizing the Title IV-D office? Just a thought.

Here's another biggie, IMHO. Sen. Gary Dillon, R-Pierceton: "Allowing a security freeze on credit information to prevent identity theft; setting up a system to track adverse events in the medical arena that allows confidential reporting; creating electronic system of receiving medical documents, reports and test results."

Mr. Dillon hits both of these out of the park. Medical records are slow and clunky, electronically expediting their transmittal could only lead to saving lives...and probably lots of lives. Second, I do feel that personal credit information is vastly too easily accessible by the general public. To clarify, anyone who wants to can get their fingers on your personal financial history, which is total crap. With a few tidbits of personal data, I can get my fat little mitts on anybody's credit report for almost any reason...and any curtailing of this is welcome in my book. I watch my credit report like a hawk thanks to some fraud perpetrated against me several years back, and you'd be amazed to see how many people are snooping! Yes, the credit reporting agencies do keep very close track of inquiries...and that's possibly the most important thing as a consumer you can watch...so it certainly would be nice to put the screws down on that information so that prying eyes cannot see...

Next up, a brief list of absolutely goofy shit that some area Reps thought to be relevant:

Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Howe: Amend the state constitution to
make English the official language.

Mr. Stutzman, Indiana is the last place people should be tooting their own horns with respect to the whole "English" debate. You realize this is the land of "cricks," "hand warshing" and "ain't got none," right?

Rep. Win Moses, D-Fort Wayne: "raising the Allen
County innkeeper’s tax for tourism"

Good call, Win! Nothing bolsters tourism quite like gratuitous taxation.

Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn had two ideas that are laughable:

"Banning talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device while
driving"

[...]

"expanding extra-heavy duty truck roads in northern Indiana to provide
a route to Michigan for Steel Dynamics Inc.

Wow, Kruse! With your agenda, you will make criminals out of 80% of the people on the highway and give even more cash gifts to a company who is currently still protected by extra-heavy tax abatement in your county! Good stuff, DK. OR, here's an idea...why don't you just talk your Big Gubment buddy Mark Souder into using his magical pork-barreling pen and stapler to get the Fed to pay for a two lane expansion of U.S. 6 between I-69 and Butler? That should just about fix the problem, right?

Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne wants to "Make the sexual assault
of a person who is asleep a crime"

Does this mean it's currently ok in the eyes of the law? I thought that sexual assault was always a crime...but maybe not? Or is this just Mr. Wyss attempting to call to light a poorly worded law?

And now, for the winner in the J4TR.com Biggest Goofball category:

WE HAVE A TIE!!!

Rep. Randy Borror, R-Fort Wayne and Rep. Dick Dodge, R-Pleasant Lake couldn't seem to get off their fat white asses long enough to formulate even the obligatory Miss America-style "we want world peace" responses. Of course, having watched Borror get his ass handed to him on the floor of the General Assembly by Win Moses back in February (Borror was studdering, stammering, sweating bullets etc. and Moses didn't let up for a second, just literally rammed the debate right up Randy's ass), this kind of unpreparedness doesn't surprise me from his office.

What do all of you out there in TV Land think about the bold (or not-so-bold) ambitions of your legislators? Let's open the phone lines...

Much to the chagrin of Ramsey Clark, it looks like the "Butcher of Bagdhad" will get to meet his maker at the end of a rope on or around January 27th.

Click on the headline above for cnn article.

Happy New Year Saddam!

During my holiday vacation, I didn't have much of an opportunity to sit down and read blogs. Unfortunately, this prevented me from enjoying a fine piece of humor from Leo Morris on Christmas Eve. It's worth a read. Additionally, I would like to publish the official J4TR.com position on the matter:

The Record: ZZZzzzzzz **hic** (grunt) ZZZzzzzzzzzzzz **hic**

My little brother Mike lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He and his wife took a Christmas Eve drive to the nearby Sandia Mountains and posted some really cool photos. Look! Here's one now:


I miss my little brother quite a bit, and often wish he lived closer, but I do envy his scenery. This is what that same mountain looks like from my brother's front yard:

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran on Sunday vowed to push forward with efforts to enrich uranium after the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions designed to stop the country's disputed nuclear efforts.
Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Security Council would regret voting in favor of the sanctions, saying he was sorry the West lost its chance to make amends with Iran.
"I am sorry for you who lost the opportunity for friendship with the nation of Iran. You yourself know that you cannot damage the nation of Iran an iota," the state-run news agency, IRNA, quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. (Watch why Iran's next move could include kicking out U.N. nuclear inspectors )..........

Here's a thought, Let's forget about boots on the ground. Let's ask Santa to drop a little pre-emptive bag o' nuclear cheer on this freakshow before he gets a chance to do it to us.

Just a thought....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

click on the headline above for the complete cnn article

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU

As another joyous season is upon us, we'd like to thank all of you for your support this past year as we have made great strides against the Zionist Infidels that occupy our holy land of Palestine! Keep those cards, letters and explosives coming! We can't do it without you!

Sincerely,

Jimmy, Rosalynn, Achmed, Ahlman, Ali, Assone, Alnutz & little Abijuankenobi

This restaurant review is long overdue. My family has been regularly visiting La Margarita for over 25 years (no, I wasn't old enough to attend back then...this was years before Leo and crew added a family dining room).

La Margarita
2713 S Calhoun St
Fort Wayne, IN 46807
(260) 456-5857
Get directions

I will preface this review by saying that Fort Wayne is pretty much inundated with Mexican food - much of it barely surpassing the benchmark of mediocre. I have been to most of them. I know on this site I have previously mentioned my affinity for Cebolla's, but I should qualify that for clarification. I dine at Cebolla's when I'm in the mood for cheap Mexican food. But when I want to experience the collaboration - nay, the fusion of Leo's distinctive southwest style with the ancestral recipies passed to him through the culinary prowess of his now-deceased relatives, Cebolla's might as well be a KFC.

The Atmosphere

There are two entirely different dining experiences avaialable at La Margarita, and both have their merits. The dimly lit bar area is my favorite by far. The atmosphere is complex, yet easy to absorb. A gorgeous depression-era (or possibly earlier) hand-carved hardwood bar, black leather booths, a little tasteful neon, a big-screen TV (always sports or game shows...), and a fun south-of-the-border motìf will delight and relax any guests.
In the brightly lit family dining room, children and adults alike will be thrilled by a full-wall mural of a quaint Mexican village scene, a life-sized Bandito statue, some cool indoor landscaping, tile-top tables, clean restrooms and some tasteful mariachi music playing in the background. Both scenarios are winners, pick your dining experience according to your tastes!

Beverages

If the decór isn't enough to calm the nerves, then it might be wise to have Freddy Jr. whip up a batch of the La Margarita's Famous Blue margaritas. I have sipped margaritas all over this country and even some in other countries, but never before have I had one so smooth, and yet so absurdly potent! It is not out of the question to end up needing a cab after drinking what outwardly appears to be a modest portion of The Blues. Rocks or blended...no matter...but if you leave without having at least a glass, you are truly missing out on a uniquely Fort Wayne experience. Not into fruity drinks? Ask Leo for a guided tasting tour of his all-star tequila lineup. Ranging in price from $10 to $150 per bottle (the most expensive shots are usually about $10...but worth every penny!), any guest is sure to find at least one that will smoothly take the edge off of even the most stressful of days.

Service

Depending on the day of the week and the time of the visit, the chances are pretty strong that guests will be treated to either the warm, motherly tableside service of María, or the dry, sharp wit of Chris. Both ladies are exceptionally unique, very fun and superbly responsive to the whim of the guests.

A Snack

Complimentary chips and salsa abound, but don't miss out on the guacamóle. It's rare to find any north of the Río Grande that is any better! None too salty, cold and fresh (not even a hint of bruising on the avacado...which means it was freshly mashed before being served to the table), served in a delicious deep-fried taco salad-like shell (only smaller).

Dinner is Served

For dinner, there are no wrong choices on the menu. I have literally tried everything they make, but most noteworthy are the fajítas, the chicken enchiladas, and the ribs (yes, BBQ ribs at a Mexican joint). The fajítas are plenty big to feed a family of four...so don't over-order, you'll regret it when it's time to stand up! The enchiladas are superb, and I have ordered those more times over my life than I can even count, and the ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender in a very interesting hand-made BBQ sauce. With the purchase of dinner entreés, guests will be served an appetizer portion of a steamy, spicy Mexican potato soup that is certain to surprise everyone with its flavorful blend of savory and spicy.

Not looking for a burly portion? The menu contains an array of smaller meals for appetites that may be less...uhh...titanic. This coupled with the availability of Nachítos (individually prepared nachos) and a nice selection of uniquely American fare will insure a spectacular variety of choices for all.

I know that dessert is offered, but unfortunately I have no way to legitimately describe them as I have never before felt as if I needed desert after the main course settled in atop the lake of Blue in my belly.

The Damages

At lunch time, you will find La Margarita to be comparably priced to many other dining establishments, with lunches in the $6 to $9 range. Dinner, on the other hand, can make you question your sensibilities, but that will quickly fade. Entreés range anywhere from $8 to $20, but don't even let this dissuade you! You will get $40 worth of food and service for the $20 you spend! It is not uncommon for each guest of La Margarita to leave the restaurant absolutely stuffed to the gills, and literally carrying half of their food out the front door in a styrofoam box...and it reheats very very well.

The Skinny

Atmosphere: A+
Dining Room: A
Kid Friendliness: A+ (Leo loves the kids!)
Drinks: A+
Food: A+
Service: A+
Price: A- (It can be pricey, but still a good value!)
Date Night: ABSOLUTELY!!!

Final Grade: A+

I can emphatically and enthusiastically rate this as one of the best dining experiences in Fort Wayne, and I'm not easy to please. For over 3 decades, La Margarita has witnessed the coming and going of hundreds of fad and chain eateries, clubs and other attractions, yet LM has persevered and flourished by providing guests with consistent, top-notch service in a comfortable, relaxing - yet casual environment. Hey, if I was wrong about this, they would have gone the way of Chi Chi's and the Fort Wayne Hacienda years ago.

Read other J4TR.com restaurant reviews.

Read another guest's Yahoo Restaurant Review for La Margarita.

When you all have a minute, click on the link above and read this article from Time magazine written in 1967. I think you'll find it as fascinating as I did.

Unintended side effects.

That phrase best describes our current situation with respect to the American government's bizarre marijuana prohibition. Face it, pot was and is a scapegoat...that will never change. Pot (and other 'drugs') are continually blamed for a host of societal problems, but here is a quick analogy just to help lay the groundwork for our conversation here:

If drugs are responsible for ruining lives, then guns are responsible for killing people. Yes, the old Republican saying "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" can be exactly turned around in reverse and used against their own self-righteous, Soviet-communist styled argument.

Marijuana is a gateway drug. Ok, there are two problems here. First, Marijuana (or Cannabis) is a plant and a recreational drug, so it only loosely fits into the drug category. That fact is irrelevant, but I found it worth mentioning. Then there's this little "gateway" tag affixed to it...and I'm really not quite sure how this came about, if not for the purposes of further rationalizing the ridiculous prohibition. From what I've read, pot is supposedly the "gateway" to other, harder or incresed drug usage. If that's true, the same could and should be said of alcohol, especially considering the similarities in the "high" experienced by users of each. My personal experience tells me that overuse and/or abuse of alcohol can lead to blackouts and death, with some very embarrasing occurances in-between. My personal experience and general observations also tell me that overuse and/or abuse of pot can lead to overeating and oversleeping. The "Gateway" effect is simply one of personal choices. You remember personal choices, don't you? That's what Republicans used to claim to champion...personal choices....ring a bell?

But now, Republicans only seem to support so-called personal choices when it comes to businesses, corporations, etc., and not for actual people at all. For example, every Republican on the block is currently screaming for a "no-go" on the national minimum wage hike - a sentiment with which I agree whole-heartedly. There are a host of reasons for this, but it boils down to a few key bullets:

1. Let the market dictate wages.

2. A hike would cause unintended side-effects.

So what we have here is Republicans jumping on a clear-cut case of "let the businesses choose how much they want to pay....far be it from us to tell them how to run their operations." And yet, as we examine the pot prohibition issue, they are clearly telling farmers what they can/can not grow, futures markets what they can/can not trade, merchants what they can/can not sell, and consumers what they can/can not purchase. The almighty Government has stepped in to save us from our own stupid selves.

And yet, they have shot themselves squarely in the dick(s) in the process.

Unintended side-effects. Remember?

How about the unintended side-effect of creating a $35 Billion untaxable agricultural juggernaut? Is that unexpected enough? Those are just the domestic numbers!

How about the unintended side-effect of forcing our police officers into the ugly position of constantly being required to have their proverbial noses in the non-violent and private business of the citizens they are supposed to serve and protect? This alone has created a massive rift between citizens and police where one hasn't always existed.

How about the unintended side-effect of literally materializing from thin-air an international smuggling boon, black market economy and corrupted governmental "oversight" programs, just so a few could tell the many how to behave?

How about the fact that the report estimates that marijuana production has increased tenfold in the past quarter century despite an exhaustive anti-drug effort by law enforcement? It doesn't even speak of the massive increases in expenditures for this exhaustive effort!

After having said all that, dammit, I say keep the prohibition in place. Seriously...I mean it - and I'll tell you why. First, I think it's hilarious that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in today's agricultural world. In a world where Big Brother Government has propped up the world of farming on the pillars of socialism, the crafty entrepreneur has elevated a damn weed to our single-biggest cash crop. Ironically, though...because it is only that valuable thanks to the government's interference. If the government were to criminalize the cultivation, harvest and sale of corn, it too would be rather pricey (and with 100x what the demand seems to be for pot, I would imagine).

My opinion? As long as pot is illegal, the government will continue to let $35 Billion fall off the radar every year. That which is not seen or reported, can not be taxed. Unwittingly, Fort Wayne reaps the rewards of pot sales every year. Each time a stoner with the munchies rolls into BK for a double-cheeseburger, they are throwing a few pennies toward the city's Fast Food Tax. And believe me, this isn't the only place potheads are paying into the economy as a whole. Stoned people buy some truly stupid shit...

Yeah, I like it better this way. Keep the government's fingers off the sale money, keep the cops constantly wondering who's door they get to kick down next (and for what), keep the cartels in business...meanwhile making it easier and easier to blatantly trample the civil liberties of the rest of us, erase any semblance of privacy we have left, and reach the long arms of the law into each of our homes.

With all due respect to the anxiety and grief currently being experienced by the families of the missing and/or deceased mountain climbers in Oregon, I would like to pose a question:

Why on Earth would one choose to hike to the top of Mt. Hood in December? It can be hiked very comfortably in August, without substantial fear of blizzards. The Timberline Ski Area is often frequented by skiiers in shorts and windbreakers in the summer...seems like hiking would be smarter then.

Just wondering.

Granted, the weather is never predictably great at the summit, but knowing that you can get to non-hypothermia inducing temperatures with a relatively short descent would seem to be bait enough to keep me hiking during the summer months, were I into such perilous pursuits.

(AP) PLAINFIELD, Ill. The Plainfield School Board will be meeting Monday night to discuss the case of a kindergarten student accused of threatening another student with a penknife at Charles Reed Elementary School in Joliet.The boy hasn't been in school since the incident occurred nearly two weeks ago. According to state law, he could be expelled for as long as two years, but the board could opt to send him to an alternative school.Principal Joan Woolwine says that on Dec. 5, the boy brought a small penknife to school, opened the knife and used threatening language to another student while holding the open knife. A third student received a very minor cut from touching the knife blade.

Now call me old-fashioned, but it seems to me the easiest remedy to this heinous act would have been to grab the offending 5 year old by the scruff of the neck, remove the pen knife from his little hand, and proceed to fan his ass with a paddle.

sheesh....

John Solomon's latest hack job on Harry Reid stirred up some Republican anger on this blog recently. However, this blogger was extremely skeptical given the source of the story. The AP's John Solomon has been hounding Reid w/ bogus allegations for some time now. His latest, a supposed real estate ethics violation, has yet to be decided but the free ringside seats allegation was found to be no violation - surprise, surprise

Senator Harry Reid, who will be the majority leader in the next Congress, did not break Senate rules in accepting free ringside seats at boxing matches from the Nevada Athletic Commission, the Ethics Committee has concluded.

And does Solomon get any well-deserved criticism from the AP? Nope in fact he's rewarded w/ a new job at the Washington Post. Perhaps now that he's attained the position he hoped for he can try some real journalism for a change.

Update 12-17-06: Original text said that Reid was cleared of the real estate charges but it is the boxing ticket allegations that he's been cleared of - as pointed out by Tim Zank

Click on the headline to read the latest idea from noted military affairs analyst and well known George Clooney spooge receptacle, Matt Damon.

In an upcoming interview with Chris Matthews on Monday, Damon demonstrates just what a freakin' idiot he really is. In r/e the troops in Iraq:

"I don't think that it's fair as I said before, that it seems like we have a fighting class in our country that's comprised of people who have to go for either financial reasons or, I don't think that that is fair," said Damon, 36. "And if you're gonna send people to war ... then that needs to be shared by everybody, you know, and if the president has daughters who are of age then maybe they should go too."

Hey Matt, can you think of anything MORE fair than volunteering? I have no doubt this tool would be whining just as badly if we had a draft. Which way is fair you opportunistic little prick?
He's on the show to promote a new movie (yeah right) and help Chris Matthews shove a stick in the Presidents eye, cuz that's cool. Well that ain't cool.

The original Oceans Eleven was cool, you're just a fucking tool.

As you might recall this blogger suggested a way forward in Iraq entitled Al Sadr or Bust. Although simplistic, the gist of the idea was that the US and Iraqi forces must engage the Shiite warlord Al Sadr and defeat him militarily while threatening full withdrawal if Al-Maliki doesn't comply.

Enough is Enough. Muqtada Al-Sadr and his Mahdi army have drove sectarian violence since the beginning of the US invasion. This president and his counterpart in Iraq have been unwilling and/or unable to deal with Al-Sadr. EVERYONE must understand that until Al-Sadr is dead there will NEVER be peace in Iraq...

There are no easy solutions left in Iraq. At this point President Bush should inform that (sic) Al-Maliki that if he does not deal w/ the Al-Sadr situation then the US will have no other choice than to FULLY AND COMPLETELY withdraw our troops.

Well, it turns out that the Pentagon is considering adopting this strategy in it's new plan for Iraq entitled Double-Down

As President Bush weighs new policy options for Iraq, strong support has coalesced in the Pentagon behind a military plan to "double down" in the country with a substantial buildup in American troops, an increase in industrial aid and a major combat offensive against Muqtada Sadr, the radical Shiite leader impeding development of the Iraqi government.

Now I'm no fan of increasing troop levels. In fact, I think the Al-Sadr situation should be dealt with as part of a phased redeployment strategy. However, I commend the Pentagon for finally developing a plan that deals with Al-Sadr. I don't know if this will "fix Iraq" or not (I tend to think not) but, as I said in the original post, there is no chance for peace otherwise...

Some random websurfer from Louisiana went-a-Googling today, searching the term "impertinent dufus," and landed here on J4TR (we hold the #6 spot on the first page of search results for the term in question!). Some would be insulted by such a turn of events, but I thought it was fucking hilarious.


CHEERS!

HOLY MOLY....

They knew when Hastert did? And they didn't do anything either?

WOW...who da thunk it? Democrats manipulating information for political gain. I especially enjoyed Rahms consistent non-answer answer to George Snuffleupagus...."I never SAW the e-mails......Slick Willie taught these boys how to parse now didn't he?

Now this is priceless. Patrick "The Whiner" Leahy has made it perfectly clear he wants to undo a lot of what the administration has done.

"Leahy and other Democrats have complained about Bush's tactics in the war on terror, particularly the Republican president's warrantless domestic spying program that Democrats and some Republicans say violates the law."
"We are way overdue in catching up to the erosion of privacy," Leahy said. "This will be one of our highest priorities."

What I don't think this twit actually thought through is what's going to happen the next time we get attacked. Rest assured, we will get attacked again and it'll happen sooner than later. The first ones to get blamed are going to be the 110th. Not only is it stupid to end the NSA program because it expedites the danger, it's REALLY stoopid politically because another attack on us is inevitable. This moron just offered to take the blame early.

What a scrote....

You may have noticed on more and more left-wing blogs (especially those locally) the praises of the once quite capable and entertaining sportscaster turned snark-myster Keith Olbermann.

Elevated as the new Messiah and official spokesman for all things left of center in the highway of life, this last place low rated cable commentator is rapidly (or rabidly) becoming the voice of the most vehement factions of the leftard media.

Though challenged by an enormous lack of common sense (and decency) Olby has been able to build his fan base of literally hundreds of viewers into a veritable bidet in the bathroom of the new democratic party. Espousing high-brow disdain for all things Bush and/or republican he has made his bones among those democratic "salad tossers" so loyal to MSNBC.

Possibly the only thing funnier than watching Matt Lauer spooge down his leg while fawning all over Al Gore, is watching Olby becoming more defiant in his losing battle for ratings. He's just going to have to get used to being in last place, because it's where he belongs.


EDITORS UPDATE: I stand corrected...as of today he's in third out of 4....http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ overall annually he's been last....and will be again I'm sure.....

From NYT (London), discussing Gwyneth Paltrow's moronic remarks about the quality of small talk in GB vs. USA (my comments in green):

NO sooner had her words been reported in the British newspapers than she frantically took them back, saying that she had been misunderstood and misquoted. But the question remains: was Gwyneth Paltrow on to something when she noted (or didn’t) that “the British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans,” and that “people here don’t talk about work and money; they talk about interesting things at dinner”?

Mind you, these comments originated from the lips of one of the most bland actresses that has ever graced the film industry with her tepid demeanor.

Whether Britons are objectively cleverer and more amusing than Americans, or whether they just sound that way, is one of the deep mysteries of British life for expatriates like Ms. Paltrow, who lives in London with her husband, the British rock star Chris Martin, and their children, Apple and Moses.

Apple and Moses? Seriously? If I was Apple, I'd be pissed.

Britons seem to have the advantage of accent: their exotic pronunciation can make even dubious observation sound like unimpeachable truth. An interesting phenomenon to which I'm sure Paltrow regularly falls victim. They are also experts at the art of speaking coherently and with authority on topics they know little or nothing about. Yeah, I'll definitely give them that! Of course, those are also "tools of the trade" for date rapists here in the U.S., so once again, Paltrow would be easy pickings for these type of hucksters. “Every Englishman can talk for 15 minutes on any subject without a note,” Norman Mailer has been quoted as saying. And of course if they turn up the "Cockney dialect," they can just make up words that sound close, and continue on for an additional 15 minutes. But then, its basically unintelligible.

This somehow makes them seem more persuasive. When Tony Blair put the case for the Iraq war to Congress in 2003, his elegant fluency made him appear not only more articulate and intelligent, but also more credible, than President Bush. If silky-tongued Mr. Blair supports the war, some Americans felt at the time, then there must be something to it. So THAT is what happened?

As for the dinner parties alluded to in Ms. Paltrow’s reputed quotes, they are indeed different here. For one thing, said Amelia Mendoza, a transplanted New Yorker, London dinner conversation is enhanced by the alcohol that Britons like to swig between remarks. Yeah, I can relate to that. At the end of dinner — which can be later than midnight, even during the week — it is considered a hospitality failure if there aren’t at least as many empty bottles of wine left on the table as there were guests. Well, you can't argue with that kind of math.

“People are more relaxed and they’re not thinking, ‘I’ve got to get home because I’ve got to get up to work,’ ” Mrs. Mendoza said. “It’s looser here; there isn’t that grind.” Does this loosely translate to "Americans spend too much time thinking about work and not enough time enjoying their lives?" I would buy that.

Unlike Americans, Britons think it is rude to ask a stranger what he does, in case the answer is “nothing.” They think it is rude to talk about the price of one’s possessions, the cost of one’s house or the angst one feels on account of one’s shrink’s incompetence, not that anyone would admit to having a shrink. I do sincerely believe the American public could benefit considerably from the employment of a touch more discretion in these matters, but hey, there are braggarts among us!

But curiously, they don’t think it is rude to be rude, said Mary Killen, who writes the “Your Problems Solved” column in The Spectator magazine.
“People who are good value do tend to be outrageous and indiscreet and fairly childish,” Ms. Killen said. “In this country, we’re still quite happy behind closed doors to be as offensive as we want.” I'll see your childishness and raise you!

That can lead to violent shouting matches over the table, with guests readily contradicting and insulting each other. A similar robustness of exchange — a delight in the quality and originality of the insult — characterizes proceedings in the House of Commons, where debates are as quick and sharp as fencing moves, thrust-lunge-recover, so nimble that Congress seems worthy and dull by comparison. In Britain, prime ministers’ careers can rise and fall on their ability to slash their opponents with the perfect verbal put-down. I would love to see an exchange like this between J.D. Hayworth and Cynthia McKinney...I can only imagine the bloodbath that would ensue with those two morons' lips flapping at eachother.

“The Brits, as far as I can tell, don’t take themselves as seriously as Americans do,” said Stephen Miller, an American essayist who is the author of “Conversation: A History of a Declining Art” (Yale University Press). But they are serious about conversation itself, treating it as an art form. Whereas we treat automobile racing as an art form...oh, also pornography.

“The U.S. hasn’t historically had a strong respect for conversation, something both de Tocqueville and Mrs. Trollope mention in their writing,” he continued in an interview. “The Puritans looked down on conversation as an idle waste of time.” And that is reflected in the speech of our youngsters and the writings of our adults alike. I'd hate to guess how many times throughout my life I've heard people say "I seen it" or "I sawl it" or "warshing hands," or "yer guyzes" (evidently the possessive form of 'you guys'), or even "IllinoisSSSSS."

But the British writer and editor Sir Harold Evans, who has lived in the United States for 20 years, made the case for American conversation, saying that “those of us who grew up speaking the Queen’s English get more credit than we deserve.” London parties, he said via e-mail, tend to be more eclectic because people from different spheres are all based here. “But U.S. politics, very much personality based, gives U.S. dinner tables plenty to talk about,” he said. Like how to properly fleece the populace of their earnings, or who should behave in what fashion, or even what group, minority or demographic to villify and how for political expedience.
At the same time, with their layers of veiled signals, bluffs and counterbluffs, Britons are skilled at using willful buffoonery in conversation, as a way to appear modest. This can prove confusing to the American observer. And more-so, I'm sure, to the supermodels and other similar dolts in our midst. Take Pam Anderson, for example. She could be fooled into thinking that a room full of tuxedo-clad chimpanzees was one of sophistication...

Called to the White House in the first season of “The West Wing” to advise the president on how to defuse an escalating conflict between India and Pakistan, the fictional British diplomat Lord John Marbury arrives drunk, insults the chief of staff and leers salaciously at every woman in sight. But then his idiocy melts away, as he delivers a brilliant off-the-cuff analysis of relations in the Indian subcontinent, alluding among other things to the religious wars of the 16th century and quoting, accurately, from the Book of Revelation. Yeah, the West Wing was so culturally astute...

“Americans would rather describe great transcendent truths than do anything else; Brits would rather carry off challenging polemic than do anything else,” Andrew Solomon, the American writer and self-described Anglophile, said via e-mail. “American speech is inflected with the patois of multiculturalism and its expressive imprecision; good debating skills are taught in England to excellent effect.” And of course, when referring to debate in general, we Americans hold the dubious honor of having coined the phrase "nuh uh." Damn we're good.

Ms. Paltrow should “recognize the virtues of each culture,” Mr. Solomon said. “Each offers its particular pleasures.”

Ms. Paltrow, however, probably cannot recognize anything beyond the allure of a British accent and an obvious lack of "Dale Jarrett" or "Dale Earnhardt" for use in conversation-starting topic matter. Furthermore, in comparison with the hollow conversations that most certainly transpire between the likes of Paltrow and other vain socialites such as Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan, even a quick chat about OTC stool softeners would seem to be one bourne of intellect and wisdom. Face it, even in London, Paltrow is not likely attending "dinner parties" with the likes of Richard Dawkins or Steven Hawking (unless she is swinging from a brass pole under blacklights, getting quid stuffed in her undies).

However, I understand her point to some degree, regardless the obvious discrepancies. American conversational English is downright tragic...no doubt about it. However, the day we need an idiot like Paltrow to point this out for us...I shudder to think about it.

This is just fucked up. The depression-era farm subsidy programs (still in effect) are some of the most divisive and ass-backward pieces of legislation existing within the borders of our country today. If you are interested in learning more, the Washington Post is running a prolific exposé (in a series of articles starting back in July) addressing this snowballing legislative fuckup. Yes, Congressional pandering (and likely apathy) is killing the free-market system - and trampling some enterprising farmers to boot. It has been pointed out time and time again that free-market economics will create and foster competition, whereby creating "wins" for both producers and consumers. This is just another shining example:

From The Washington Post:

Dairy Industry Crushed Innovator Who Bested Price-Control System

Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, December 10, 2006; Page A01

In the summer of 2003, shoppers in Southern California began getting a break on the price of milk.

A maverick dairyman named Hein Hettinga started bottling his own milk and selling it for as much as 20 cents a gallon less than the competition, exercising his right to work outside the rigid system that has controlled U.S. milk production for almost 70 years. Soon the effects were rippling through the state, helping to hold down retail prices at supermarkets and warehouse stores.

That was when a coalition of giant milk companies and dairies, along with their congressional allies, decided to crush Hettinga's initiative. For three years, the milk lobby spent millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions and made deals with lawmakers, including incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid

(D-Nev.).

Last March, Congress passed a law reshaping the Western milk market and essentially ending Hettinga's experiment -- all without a single congressional hearing.

"They wanted to make sure there would be no more Heins," said Mary Keough Ledman, a dairy economist who observed the battle.

Hettinga, who ran a big business and was no political innocent, fought back with his own lobbyists and alliances with lawmakers. But he found he was no match for the dairy lobby.

"I had an awakening," the 64-year-old Dutch-born dairyman said. "It's not totally free enterprise in the United States."

Most U.S. dairy farmers work within a government system set up in the 1930s to give thousands of small dairies a guaranteed market for their milk and to even out prices for consumers. Farmers who participate in regional pools operated by the federal government or the states deliver raw milk to cooperatives or food processors. They get a guaranteed price, whether the milk ends up in a gallon jug, cheese, butter or ice cream. In Arizona and other federally regulated regions, the Agriculture Department uses a formula to set the price processors pay for raw milk, issuing "milk marketing orders."

Developed for a bygone era of small dairies and decentralized milk plants, the system lives on when 3,000-cow dairies are not uncommon and huge cooperatives and food companies dominate the business.

Business groups, fiscal conservatives and some dairy organizations have called for Congress to overhaul the complex system of protections and subsidies, which they say is costly to taxpayers and consumers. A recent USDA study acknowledged that "dairy programs raise the retail price" of milk. The watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste estimates that the programs cost U.S. consumers at least $1.5 billion a year.

The 1937 law allowed "producer-handlers" -- dairy farmers who bottle milk from only their own cows -- to operate outside the pools. But it was risky for a farm to do this because it might end up with more milk than it could sell. Most of these outsiders were small.

Hettinga started out as a hired hand in the Dutch American dairies of Southern California, where his family emigrated after World War II. He soon figured out he could buy cows with injured hooves, then fix and sell them at a profit that exceeded his weekly paycheck.

Click here to read on to Page 2 thru 5----->

Emphasis mine. Now, I'm no economic expert, but I do like to talk out my ass (especially when I know I am right). This is total bullshit. There is no one in America (except perhaps some big milk moguls) that shouldn't be totally fucked off about this. I know I am, and if you're not, kindly chime in and explain "why," just for kicks.

In the midst of the "chaos and bloodshed" in Iraq, there is a lone, brave man making strides to afford safety and peace of mind to the many convoys that regularly traverse the treacherous highways, barrowing dead childrens' bodies from city to city in hopes of reuniting their remains with the remains of their already-dead parents, brothers, sisters, clerics and schoolteachers. This job is left primarily to Americans and other allied forces, since at this point, most of the Iraqis are already dead or wounded. Let's watch for a second as the IED Hunter stalks his prey, confronting face-to-face the technological mastery and strategic prowess which defines the very powerful "Insurgency."



h/t: TJR

I guess the Radical Christian Right has given up on the idea of a free-thinking society...




Pretty sad, really - they have taken to programming their children as if they were androids. I remember hearing stories of certain people and groups of people who thought that brainwashing was the path to human enlightenment...Let's see if I get this right:









I'll give them this, though: They are setting the bar pretty high. This bizarre indoctrination that they are undertaking has produced some results over time that are difficult to argue. I mean, seriously, look what it's doing for the Middle East! But no, these whackos are going one step farther...they are not only programming these little "soldiers of God" to be like the Anti-Islam (fighting fire with fire, I can only presume), but they are also turning them against the unwashed here at home! Now THAT is an agenda!

Fucking retards. Morons like this are so excited to see the apocalypse that they would offer the Four Horsemen their guest rooms. I cannot even fathom the level of stupidity and ignorance it takes to formulate the kind of scenario that this video displays.

This kind of talk from the President has me steaming mad:

The country, in my judgment, is tired of pure political bickering that happens in Washington, and they understand that on this important issue of war and peace, it is best for our country to work together

Sorry but I just can't take it - Screw you sir! For years now you have divided this country pandering fear and half-truths about the Democratic party and its followers. Remember this?

However they put it, the Democrat approach in Iraq comes down to this: The terrorists win and America loses

There's so many more from him, his administration and the rest of the right wing pundits that I won't even try to pick a select few. You had your chance and you blew it. NOW of course you want bipartisanship but only because you have no choice.

You won't get any bipartisan ship and you shouldn't. Remember when you claimed a "mandate" for your 51-49 victory in 2004? Well what you saw in the midterm elections IS A MANDATE. A big majority of it is probably a mandate against you, your policies and your lack of leadership. The people don't want you involved anymore because they know what will happen. You have become irrelevant and rightly so.

And while I'm at it, I would like to tell Evan Bayh, Joe Lieberman and every other rightwing apologist/centrist to go pound sand as well. Here's a classic example of how a right-wing apologist attempts to undermine the party after a huge electoral win:

White House hopeful Sen. Evan Bayh warned on Monday that Democrats could lose their newfound grip on Congress if the party pursues an ideological course.

Right. Because the American people couldn't possibly support Democratic ideas. How's this - instead of undermining your own party, how about you talk about what YOU plan on doing other than squandering your campaign coffers on an ill-fated run at the presidency. I think the American people will most certainly support an ideological agenda such as - minimum wage increase, redeployment from Iraq, fair trade policies, stem cell research, etc.

I'm going to enjoy this. The President had this one coming. From cherry-picking intelligence in Iraq, to outright LYING about it to the public (i.e. mobile labs and aluminum tubes). I say do the oversight, hold the hearings and let the chips fall where they may. And most importantly, don't give the President or his party 1 inch of breathing room. It's our house now, for better or worse, and it's time we do things our way...

...Only this time, it was somebody else's headache to manage, not mine (TFG).

I'll post the dramatic conclusion to my mind-numbing run-in with Verizon Tech Support sometime this weekend. You see, the saga would actually have to come to an end for me to write the story.

Speaking of India, check THIS out. He he he.

OPORTO, Portugal (Reuters) - European Socialists promised on Thursday to work to rebuild Europe's strategic alliance with the United States now that the Democrats control Congress after last month's elections.

Holy shit, it must be "let's open a dialogue time" again.

Howard Dean, chairman of the national committee of the U.S. Democratic Party, is attending the two-day conference together with the leaders of leftist governments of several countries and party leaders from across Europe.

Well, he'll certainly be comfortable at that meeting.

"Europe needs an America that is back on track," said Portuguese Socialist Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country is hosting the meeting.

We wouldn't want to disappoint our close ally Jose, now would we?

Socrates said Dean's Democrats "should know that they can count on European Socialists" for support.

Now that endorsement is the gift that just keeps on giving isn't it?

After posting that last little blurb about the historical photo essay over at DKos, I went to the American Memory archives to look around. I found a superb collection of old railroad photos with locomotives and conductors etc. My son adores these things, so I decided to post some of the pictures that I thought he would like.

Like many in my generation (and younger), I grew up with the belief that all people born before my parents literally lived in black & white surroundings, with only shades of grey for variety. Now this was (is) truly easy to understand, keeping in mind that basically every picture/movie I have ever seen (for the most part) from the "early years" was comprised of black, white and grey(s). Today at DKos, we are afforded access to a spectacular collection of Kodachrome images from the 1930's that cut against the grain of my programming. Literally, for the first time in my life, I am able to see what things actually looked like during the depression. I highly recommend taking the ten minutes out of your life to check out this photo essay. Seriously, do it. I know I know, it's DailyKos which generally is a giant piece of digital poo, but this is worth it. Here's a quick taste:

Begging all proper pardons from Dan Turkette for the use of his daily column title...I had to post this. From the Salt Lake Tribune by way of DenverPost.com:

Girl, 13, charged as sex offender and victim
By Pamela MansonThe Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:12/06/2006 01:12:35 AM MST
Salt Lake City - Utah

Supreme Court justices acknowledged Tuesday that they were
struggling to wrap their minds around the concept that a 13-year-old girl could
be both an offender and a victim for the same act - in this case, having
consensual sex with her 12-year-old boyfriend.
The Ogden, Utah, girl was put in this odd position because she was found guilty of violating a state law that prohibits sex with someone under age 14. She also was the victim in the case against her boyfriend, who was found guilty of the same violation by engaging in sexual activity with her.
"The only thing that comes close to this is dueling," said Associate Chief Justice Michael Wilkins, noting that two people who take 20 paces and then shoot could each be considered both victim and offender.
And Chief Justice Christine Durham wondered if the state Legislature had intended the "peculiar consequence" that a child would have the simultaneous status of a protected person and an alleged perpetrator under the law.
The comments came in oral arguments on a motion asking the high court
to overturn the finding of delinquency - the legal term in juvenile court for a
conviction - against Z.C., who became pregnant after she and her boyfriend
engaged in sex in October 2003.
State authorities filed delinquency petitions in July 2004, alleging that each had committed sexual abuse of a child, a second-degree felony if committed by an adult.
The girl appealed the petition, saying her constitutional right to be treated equally under the law had been violated.
Her motion noted that for juveniles who are 16 and 17, having sex with others in their own age group does not qualify as a crime.
Juveniles who are 14 or 15 and have sex with peers can be charged with
unlawful conduct with a minor, but the law provides for mitigation when the age
difference is less than four years, making the offense a misdemeanor.
For adolescents under 14, though, there are no exceptions or mitigation and they are never considered capable of consenting to sex.
A juvenile court judge denied the motion by Z.C., who then admitted to the offense while preserving her right to appeal to a higher court. The boy did not appeal.
The Utah Court of Appeals last December upheld the judge's refusal to dismiss the allegation, saying the law's "rigorous protections" for younger minors include protecting them for each other. Z.C. then appealed to the state Supreme Court.
At Tuesday's arguments, Matthew Bates, an assistant Utah attorney general, argued the prosecution of the girl was not unreasonable. He said the statute in
question is designed to prevent sex with children who are 13 and younger, even
if the other person is in the same age group.
By passing that law, legislators were sending a message, Bates said: Sex with or among children is unacceptable.
Randall Richards, the girl's attorney, argued that prosecuting
children under a law meant to protect them is illogical.
"A child (victim) cannot also be a perpetrator in the exact same act," Richards said.
The Utah Supreme Court will issue a ruling later.

What a truly bizarre twist to what externally, appears to be a valid and well-intentioned law.

Crazy Sam discusses a new passive-aggressive civil action committee.

I once considered doing something similar down on Wells Street after blowing out the top of a strut tower on my car, but I feared the media attention that I might draw. I'm camera shy.

They look freaky, but you hafta admit The Cure rocks...and they have for over 30 years.

December 06, 2006 7:34 AM
Erica Anderson
ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: Calling the Iraq war "the worst strategic mistake in the entire history of the United States" and "worse than a civil war," former Vice President Gore urged President Bush to find a way to get U.S. troops out of Iraq "as quickly as possible without making the situation worse" while appearing this morning on NBC's "Today."

"The worst strategic mistake in the entire history of the United States." Wow, You think Big Al might have missed a few American History classes in school?

No matter what you think of this war, or this President, you have to admit this is probably the STUPIDIST comment Al Gore has made yet, and God knows he's made a lot of stoopid statements....

VS

Obviously there is much grumbling about the Michigan Wolverines getting shafted in their bid for a shot at the national title.

Whatever, whiners.

The Wolverines already lost to the Buckeyes this season, so step aside. All of this "strength of schedule" yammering is really rather moot. You don't get a second shot at the same team once you've already been handed an "L" by them.

This is pretty weird stuff, but it means I won't be posting from home much in the next couple of weeks.

Flashback: Two weeks ago. I call Verizon online to order DSL service to our new home. The previous owner still has service connected, so for the time being, we're in good shape until our service get's connected. We use Vonage, so if our internet goes down, our phone doesn't work. This also means we need a "data-only" DSL connection (no need for the expense of a local line). To boot, my wife has two online classes through her college that require her to be logged in at various intervals every day. What does this mean? DSL is a MUST in my household. PERIOD. I explained all this to the rep on the phone, a rather nice lady who understood exactly what was going on.

Me: I would like to order a data only DSL.

She: Ok, we'll send a technician out next week to get that hooked up (gets billing data etc.).

Please note, no mention of disconnecting the existing DSL was made (intentionally).

Fast forward to Dec. 1. Technician arrives at the house (after a week and a half of waiting with no word from Verizon). Technician commences installation of "dry loop" for data-only DSL service. Technician completes installation, and informs my lovely wife that his work was concluded, save a simple "flip of the switch" at his office. Fair enough.

20 minutes later. Existing DSL shits the proverbial bed. Modems and wireless router begin the blink blink blink that indicate an absence of inbound signal on the DSL. Phone is now dead...cells only at this point. Luckily, I was still at work so I logged into Vonage and enable the simultaneous ring feature that will allow our home phone calls to be routed to our cellular phones. My lovely wife calls Verizon Online's technical service department (located somewhere near Bombay) to figure out what the hell happened. She is immediately verbally assaulted by a very very foreign sounding technical advisor. She is told that our "service ready" date is December 12th. Wife calls me at work to fill me in.

"December 12th????" I asked, "What in the fuck happened to our existing service???" Why is the OLD service dead, we didn't cancel it yet!!!"

At this point, I make a call to Verizon Online's tech service to get a straight answer (yes, in the Middle East they still treat women like cattle, so I have to make many of these calls as to avoid my wife having a complex). Before I get in touch with "Ben," the voicemail system aggresively recommends that I "go to Verizon Online and go through their "Online Help."

Heh heh. They think they're pretty fucking funny, don't they?

Finally, a human. I am told by "Ben" at the tech-help center (I'm sure it wasn't his real name) to wait until morning and see if service had started. OK, I'll be patient. At least we can get phone calls on the cells for now.

The next morning. I call Verizon back to inform them that our service had not, in fact, magically sprung to life overnight. "Ellen" then informs me of my December 12th "service ready" date....again. I explained to her that "I didn't give two shits or a fuck" about the service ready date, what in the name of God happened to my existing service? I mean seriously, why should I have to be without phone, internet, school, 911 service etc. for two weeks while these fucking morons sit and finger their asses? "Ellen" then proceeded (in the most broken of Middle-Eastern dialects) to help me "troubleshoot." Yes, this meant changing cables, un-plugging and re-plugging, switching off and switching on, trying different jacks around the house, checking DSL filters (we don't use any, Vonage plugs into the router, not the wall). YOU FUCKING DUMB TWAT...I ALREADY HAD SERVICE, I was simply trying to get a NEW line, put in my name. Not too difficult, right? Wrong. I now have another technician scheduled to come to my home, specifically to re-install the OLD service, while we wait for the ass-fingering to conclude, and for our new service to begin.

These dumbfucks have obviously forgotten that each phone cable has more than one pair of conductors. I know that my home is wired with Category 6 cable. I could literally have 4 incoming DSL signals and sort them out once the jerkoffs left.

This is what happens when you outsource your customer service beyond the borders of your own country, beyond the borders of sanity and common sense, and expect people who don't themselves have running water to provide you technical service. They are given a flowchart, a telephone, and a data-entry terminal, plus one or two days of "training" on how to properly use the flowchart. They only know enough to solve the most basic of problems, making them heroes in the eyes of laymen who can't figure out if the incoming line plugs into "the black box thingy or the telephone." It goes in your anus, stupid.

They are prepared for whatever petty user-error type problems come down the pipeline, but evidently, that's about it. They obviously didn't see me coming.