Persons Of The Year

My great late friend Jim Daley taught me a tradition years ago of naming one person each year who "made your year". This year I have two people who really made this year different and special.

First, my daughter. 'Tasha has made real progress this year in her battle with depression. I know it has never been easy for her, but this year for the first time ever I felt optimistic about her chance for a happy future. She's my hero, and I'm proud of her.

Second, my little cousin Smedly ( she claims her real name is Jessica, but I prefer Smedly). Jessica is 9 years old and her dad is gravely ill with a brain tumor. Little Semderica is smart as a whip and a wonderful kid. I promised her a trip to our place in Myrtle Beach in 2008, and God willing I'll keep that promise. Smedrick deserves nothing less.

Anyhow, I miss you Jim...you'll never be forgotten.

Paging Mr. Warren, Mr. Earl Warren Please Pick Up The White Courtesy Phone

From The NYT:
Mr. Musharraf and his supporters in the Bush administration, meanwhile, were coming under increasing pressure, inside and outside Pakistan, to open up the inquiry. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, said Friday that the United States should call for an independent investigation.
"I don't think the Pakistani government at this time under President Musharraf has any credibility at all," she told CNN in an interview. She suggested an investigation along the lines of the ongoing international inquiry into the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
State Department officials said they had no plans for the moment to join the investigation. But a senior Bush administration official said, "There's a growing sense that we're going to have to work on the investigation in some way, that it can't just be a Pakistani investigation."
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the issue, said that administration officials were concerned that "there's so much distrust" of the Musharraf government among Pakistanis that outside nations may have to join the investigation to give the findings any credibility.
A second administration official said the idea of an independent international investigation had been proposed by "a number of people, and is certainly something that hasn't been ruled out." But, he added, no decision had been made.

New Study Finds I Have The Worlds Largest Penis

TV election news has been hardest on Hillary Clinton this fall, while Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee have been the biggest media favorites, according to a new study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) at George Mason University. The study also found that Fox NewsChannel's evening news show provided more balanced coverage than its counterparts on the broadcast networks.

Has Anybody Seen This Man Hanging Around Islamabad?

This Aint Good for A Few Reasons:

1. Keep an eye on the Indians. They are not above or beyond taking pre-emptive action in what they perceive to be their own interest. They have Nukes, the Paki's have Nukes, Bhutto is dead, and Osama is alive and well in Pakistan. Bad ju ju all around.

2. George 'W' should watch his back. When the Cheney cabal sees how easy it is for Pervez to cancel elections, they may move forward with their plans. Consider the fact that the CIA and elements of the military are involved in a covert civil war with Dicks neo-cons resulting in the NIE and the less noted but more dramatic revelation about the 6 nuclear cruise missiles that almost went missing. I am pretty sure the Cheney group planned to "borrow" one or two of those to make Charleston go bye bye. A big boom, blame the "terrorists", impose martial law, suspend elections; watch FOX News for instructions. Since that plan may have been exposed, I predict they will revert to the tried and true. The Dickster and his minions wouldn't think twice about whacking 'W' if it furthers their aims. Be careful in Texas George.

Hey Fred, Shut The Fuck Up

Thompson Teases Clinton, Says No Woman Ought to Be President Next Year
AMY LORENTZENAP News
Dec 26, 2007 21:51 EST


Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson on Wednesday teased Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, saying "there is no woman on the horizon that ought to be president next year."
The former Tennessee senator was challenging potential caucus-goers to choose the best man to help fend off what he described as an assault by a Democratic Party that is "just salivating" to lead the country into a welfare state.
"Who are we going to set on the road — what man are we going to set on the road — to lead us and to stand against this assault?" he asked, emphasizing the word 'man.' He couched his comments by saying "I say the word man advisedly. Now I've got a daughter that's going to be president some day, I know it, and I am all for a woman president, just not this year, not next year."
Without saying Clinton's name, he added: "There is no woman on the horizon that ought to be president next year, let's all agree on that."
Thompson continued to refer to the next president as a man who should represent conservative principles and values, and should be examined "by what he believes and by where he's been and what he's done."

The Trouble With Church Mice, & You Might Be A Rocker If...

I noticed the other day that I seem to spend too much time in the company of Church Mice. The squeaky men and women who never really did anything much exciting. They are easily offended, don't like cussing, and I never feel allowed to be myself around them.  There were a few at C-SPAN and there are a few working for the county. What a bunch of pussys.

Anyhow, with a tip of the hat to Jeff Foxworthy; you might be a Rock&Roller if:

You've ever sent a limo to pick up pizzas.

You've ever dated a woman named Clitoria.

You know what it means to be blinded by a Super Trouper.

You've ever been hit in the face by a guitar neck, or zapped onstage by a mic short.

You ever needed a roadie to help get your leathers off after a gig.

You've ever used more hairspray than your wife.

You thought Spinal Tap "got it just about right".

That Vision Thing......

"Joy has to do with seeing how big, how completely unobstructed, and how precious things are.....

Resentment, bitterness, and holding a grudge prevent us from seeing and hearing and tasting and delighting."

Ane Pema Chodron

There's Something About Mary......

I had a thought yesterday at Christmas Mass:

I think an important point of the nativity story that's overlooked by the mega church crowd is this: The story has the King of Angels picking a teenage unwed minority girl to be the most important woman in history. This girl lived in a hick town, in a backwater of the empire, belonged to a weird minority sect, and did not speak English or vote Republican. Might this mean something for us?

Christmas Ghosts

I can't help but be reminded today of faces and traces from long ago. I remember cold drunken drives home on snowy Christmas Eves when I was a kid. I'd sit freezing in the back seat of our 1960 Dodge, while my dad drove home from Grandmas house drunk and surly, and my mother was scared and angry. Merry fucking Christmas. I remember happier times noodling on the couch with my old girlfriend Jan, smelling Blue Spruce and Emeraude and listening to Simon and Gar under the twinkling lights. I remember Gwen dressing in her red Christmas Carrol sweater, and being in a happy mood. I remember Casey going out and finding and decorating a tree just for me in Lansing, and how sweet that gesture was. I remember Nicki's basement, and my aunt Barbs living room. I remember all of the faces of those I've loved so hard and so badly over the years. Merry Christmas, be well, be happy.

Karma Can be A Bitch

BELOIT, Wisconsin —  The 91st richest man in the United States, a roofing company billionaire, died after falling through his garage's roof, local authorities said Friday.

Ken Hendricks, 66, was checking on construction of the roof at his home Thursday night when he fell through, Rock County Sheriff's Department commander Troy Knudson said. He suffered massive head injuries, according to his company, ABC Supply Co.

Hendricks was pronounced dead at an Illinois hospital early Friday morning, Winnebago County coroner Sue Fiduccia said. An autopsy is planned for Friday.

Hendricks was the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of his company, the self-described largest wholesale distributor of roofing in the U.S. The company does about $3 billion (euro2 billion) in business a year.

Hendricks had a net worth of $3.5 billion (euro2 billion) in September, according to Forbes magazine. That made him the 91st richest person in the U.S., according to the magazine's ranking of American billionaires.

Now An Important Message From..........

Here is a political spot I would like to see:

Video Green Screen:

 Candidate digitally inserted into 1950's black and white "Leave It To Beaver" living room.

Audio:

Hi, I'm Willard Hillarude McHuckabama, and I approve this message. I know you need to hear me say the following to feel comfortable voting for me so listen up:

 If elected president, I will seek out and rely on the advice of an invisible non human entity who no one has ever seen, and who displays an unusual preoccupation with the manner and circumstances of your ejaculations. 

This unseen entity and his preoccupation with how, where, with whom, and how frequently people ejaculate; will serve as the basis for my social policies. 

 Further, I will base my science decisions on an incomplete understanding of ancient literature written about the invisible dude.  

If and when I believe I am hearing the voice of the guy from another dimension, I will attack other counties and kill hundreds of thousands just like President Bush.

I hope our little chat has helped put your minds at ease. Thanks, and God Bless America.

Pimp My Huckster

Funny Parody of Mikes Christmas Spot:

YouTube - What Really, REALLY Matters

The Central Message

The central message of Buddhism is not "Every man for himself!"
Jamie Lee Curtis as Wanda

I Think Wanda might have some thoughts on the GOP's understanding of Christianity as well: The central message of Jesus was not "keep out the immigrants". Harold Meyerson has a good op-ed in today's Wa-Po on the subject tittled "Hard-liners for Jesus". In the piece Meyerson adroitly makes the point that today's GOP evangelical world view has more in common with the views of the 1920's KKK., than any reasonable reading of the Gospels social agenda. I would argue that the GOP is to Christianity as the Tonton Macoute is to justice.

Here is a quick rundown on some disconnects with the GOP Jesus vs. the man portrayed by Mark, Mathew, Luke and John. Let's look at the Gospel Jesus:

Their Jesus was NOT in favor of capital punishment. In fact the ONLY PERSON he promised paradise to was a convicted criminal dying alongside him on Golgotha.

Their Jesus expressed NO opinion on gays. Johns Gospel does mention a "disciple whom Jesus loved" and makes note of a naked guy in the garden scene at Gethsemane.

The Gospel Jesus was a strong advocate for the poor, and touched the infectious gladly. At no point do the Evangelists mention an admonition to quarantine the sick.

Their Jesus did not advocate personal prosperity as a sign of God's favor, in fact he is on record as demanding the rich give their wealth to the poor. Also, while he was said to have dinned with Tax Collectors, he is not recorded to have issued any calls for a tax cut on the top 1% of Judea.

The Gospel Christ also made some very inconvenient remarks about Love and Enemy's. It is quite impossible to square any doctrine of pre-emtive war with the teaching of this Rebbe from Nazareth.

The GOP has never been about the agenda of heaven, it has always been closer to baby Doc than the baby Jesus.

But don't take my word for it, just ask Wanda.

Somewhere Joesph Goebbels is Smiling

WASHINGTON — Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to remove the longstanding “newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership” ban that prohibits a local newspaper from owning a broadcast station in the same market.Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, issued the following statement:“FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is ignoring the public will and defying the U.S. Senate. His decision to gut longstanding ownership rules shows once again how the largest media companies — with their campaign contributions and high-powered lobbyists — are corrupting the policymaking process at the expense of local news coverage and independent voices.“Martin’s FCC relied on slanted research and a rigged process to reach today’s preordained outcome — local media wrapped in a bow for Tribune, News Corp., Gannett and all the rest.“With these new rules, there is no doubt that the ownership diversity crisis will get worse as these companies cash in on consolidation. Expect more newsroom layoffs and less quality news coming soon to a city near you.“Fortunately, the fight is far from over. More than two dozen senators have already vowed to throw out these new rules. And the courts won’t look too kindly on the broken and corrupt process that brought us to today’s vote.“The public simply won’t stand for another massive giveaway. They are sick and tired of partisan shouting and celebrity trash being passed off as news. They want more choices, more variety, more diversity — not more of the same. The growing public outcry is only going to get louder.”

And The Sky Is Blotted Out With Flying Swine

Pigs Fly As I Find Myself In Agreement With Bill Donahue........

GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee's new Christmas-themed campaign ad -- which may or may not feature a subliminal cross image -- has found an unlikely critic in Catholic League president Bill Donahue.
The opening seconds of Hucakabee's Christmas spot features the candidate seated in front of a window pane which appears to form the shape of the Christian cross. Speaking in the ad, the former Arkansas governor tells viewers that "sometimes it's nice to pull aside" from politics and "remember that what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ and being with our family and our friends."
Donahue, the president of the Catholic League and an ardent defender of Christmas in what he believes is a secular "war" against the holiday, told hosts of the Fox and Friends morning program that the ad had gone too far.
"The whole idea is to give the appearance of a cross," he said, "and this is just injecting religion into politics even too far for guys like me."

The Huckster From Hope Redux

The Hucksters New Xmas Commerical: Google Video

Well I guess that settles it. The Huckmiester loves Jesus MORE THAN THE REST OF THOSE TOOLS OF SATAN. Therefore I , you, we, all of us great and small must vote for the Huck. In case you are stupid or Jewish or something let me explain it: Jesus is GOD. It kind of almost says so somewhere in a book written in Greek from a misunderstood Hebrew oral tradition. Oh and by the way the book is a couple thousand years old, and Mr. Jesus himself never made such a claim..but never you mind the theological fine points. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS That Jesus H. Christ Almighty Himself says that the Huckster is the man for you. How do we know this???? Because the Huck-a-lucker says so, well not in so many words (that would be gauche); but he IMPLIES it. Huck LOVES LOVES LOVES the J man. LOVES him more than you Bucky. Therefore oh worthless sons of men, bow down before the one you serve and prepare to get what you deserve saith the Huckerite. Let me sum up my view: Mike Hucabee is to great leaders as Thomas Kinkade is to fine art. And I strongly suspect that the Huck-a-doodle-doo voter is likely a Kinkade owner or at least thinks old Tommy the K is an artistic genius. Yikes. There still ain't no cure for stupid.

From The Emergency Lunch Box: New EMS Terms:

The Oy Pain Scale: Number of times patient says "Oy it Hurts" when touched by EMT.

Tachylordia: When the patient just keeps saying " Oh Lordy Lordy Lordy".

Telegenic Shock: When patient passes out watching TV.

All I Want For Christmas

I don't need any advice on the "true meaning of Christmas" from the Channel 9 News team or Toby Keith, Martha Stewart, and Larry The Cable Guy. I do not require the help of anyone at Focus on The Family to focus on mine. I don't need Billy Grahams Classic Crusade to save me, there is no important message from Bill Clinton and the DNC that's all that important to me, and I don't need Charlie, Brian and Katie to hope that I had a good day. I could care less about Rudy's plan, Mitts programs or Hillary's notions. George, Dick, and Condi have nothing I want to hear, and Geraldo, Ophrah, and Ellen can go talk to somebody else. I don't want to sign up, sign on, hook up or opt in. I'm not an early adapter, a late bloomer, an empty nester, or a member of the money demo. I don't want to hear from the Vienna Boys Choir, The Irish Tenors, The Three Wise Men, or the National Symphony. I won't listen to an infomercial, an audio book, a talking holiday card, or a singing nun. I just wish all these people would be quiet.
All I want is a silent night, and some heavenly peace.

How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times As These?

From the NYT

The increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans from 2003 to 2005 exceeded the total income of the poorest 20 percent of Americans, data in a new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows.  The poorest fifth of households had total income of $383.4 billion in 2005, while just the increase in income for the top 1 percent came to $524.8 billion, a figure 37 percent higher. The total income of the top 1.1 million households was $1.8 trillion, or 18.1 percent of the total income of all Americans, up from 14.3 percent of all income in 2003. The total 2005 income of the three million individual Americans at the top was roughly equal to that of the bottom 166 million Americans, analysis of the report showed.

A Nice Picture of Me & My Kid

This is what it's all about. Or maybe the Hokey Pokey is what it's all about. I'm confused.

Very Good Reasons To Volunteer

From Matthew 25

"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

He's tan, he's rested, he's ready, never mind...

Here is the man the Republicans would really like to nominate. A visionary, a man ahead of his time, the true spiritual progenitor of Fred, Mitt, Rudy, and the other dwarfs. For some background here's an actual professor:

Dan Carter, a professor of history at Emory University:

"It is difficult to conceive of what American politics of the 1960s, 70s and 80s would be like without George Wallace," Carter said in a 1994 interview. "I don't think there's a single issue that Nixon and Reagan talk of in terms of social issues that he doesn't get to first." In this view, Wallace's presidential campaigns prefigured, in an especially abrasive way, a large portion of the country's politics of later years. Wallace was the first major political figure in his generation to exploit the antipathy toward Washington that went on to be a prime force in politics from coast to coast.

He was also surely the first in his generation to galvanize the white, working-class voters later labeled as Reagan Democrats. And he was the first nationally known politician of that generation to put such raucous emphasis on race, crime, welfare and other issues that still loom large, if less crudely, on the political landscape.

We Love Christmas, They Hate Christmas

HR 847 Partial Text:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world; (2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide; (3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith; (4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization; (5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and (6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world."

The vote, was 372-9, with 10 members also voting "Present," meaning they took no position on the legislation, and 40 not voting. One of the "Present" votes was cast by Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.). More Democrats -195 - voted for the bill than Republicans, 177.

The nine members who voted against the bill -- are Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Pete Stark (D-Calif.) and Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.).

From The 1988 Movie Mississippi Burning:

Clayton Townley is addressing a large audience at a night-time pro-white rally

Clayton Townley: I love Mississippi.

Audience: YAY!

Clayton Townley: THEY! They hate Mississippi! They hate us because we represent a shining example of successful segregation. These Northern students, with their Communist, atheist bosses, and their wish to destroy us this week, has taken a terrible blow. This week, their cause has been crippled. This week, these federal policeman you see around here prying into our lives, violating out civil liberties have learned that they are powerless against us if every single Anglo-Saxon Christian one of us stands together

And Larry Craig is Hetero Man of The Year

Gonzales Named Lawyer of the Year
By LARA JAKES JORDAN Associated Press Writer

Dec 12th, 2007 WASHINGTON -- Negative news coverage may have cost former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales his job, but it won him a dubious honor Wednesday from a magazine published by the American Bar Association: Lawyer of the Year.
Additionally, the ABA Journal named Gonzales' successor, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, as its top lawyer for 2008 — mostly in anticipation of how often he'll be in the media spotlight for trying to repair the beleaguered Justice Department.
The monthly magazine gave the awards to lawyers who made the most news, said editor and publisher Edward A. Adams.
"Think about Time magazine's Person of the Year," Adams said in an interview. "In years past they've named people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin. So we're not suggesting by these awards that these are the best lawyers in any sense of the word. We are saying they are the most newsworthy — and perhaps also the best."

This Just In: In a related story, Michael Vick has been named "Dog Lover" of The Year.

Glow In The Dark Pussy

News From The Internets....

South Korean scientists have cloned cats by manipulating a fluorescent protein gene, a procedure which could help develop treatments for human genetic diseases, officials said Wednesday.

In a side-effect, the cloned cats glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet beams.

A team of scientists led by Kong Il-keun, a cloning expert at Gyeongsang National University, produced three cats possessing altered fluorescence protein (RFP) genes, the Ministry of Science and Technology said.

I want the DELUXE Jesus, not that cheap imitation bullshit Jesus I got last year....

Deluxe Miracle Jesus - Action Figure Has  Glow in the Dark hands -  Comes with 5 Loaves of Bread, 2 Fish, 1 Water into Wine Jug

More on Blondes, and this may explain my first marriage

From The Sunday Times (UK)

WHEN men meet fair-haired women they really do have a “blonde moment”. Scientists have found that their mental performance drops, apparently because they believe they are dealing with someone less intelligent.

Researchers discovered what might be called the “bimbo delusion” by studying men’s ability to complete general knowledge tests after exposure to different women. The academics found that men’s scores fell after they were shown pictures of blondes.

Further analysis convinced the team that, rather than simply being distracted by the flaxen hair, those who performed poorly had been unconsciously driven by social stereotypes to “think blonde”.

“This proves that people confronted with stereotypes generally behave in line with them,” said Thierry Meyer, joint author of the study and professor of social psychology at the University of Paris X-Nanterre. “In this case blondes have the potential to make people act in a dumber way, because they mimic the unconscious stereotype of the dumb blonde.”

The research adds to a body of evidence that people’s behaviour is powerfully influenced by stereotypes. Previously scientists have found that people walk and talk more slowly in front of the elderly, while other studies have revealed that unconscious racial assumptions and prejudices emerge in written tests.

Researchers believe that blondes have been particularly vulnerable to stereotyping over the past century.

The image of the dizzy blonde came to prominence in the 1925 Anita Loos novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Film stars including Marilyn Monroe, Suzanne Somers and Goldie Hawn further popularised the “dumb blonde”.

The persona has more recently been boosted by celebrities such as Paris Hilton, the member of the hotel family nicknamed the “heirhead”, and Jessica Simpson, the singer.

Others believe its origins go far deeper. According to researchers at St Andrews University, north European women evolved blonde hair and blue eyes at the end of the Ice Age to make them stand out from their rivals at a time of fierce competition for scarce males.

Psychologists have suggested that because white babies are often born blond, there is a primal association between blondness and childhood, encouraging people to admire and fawn over the pale-haired.

The new peer-reviewed study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, was based on two trials.

In all cases those participants exposed to images of blondes recorded the lowest scores.

Real-life blondes were sceptical about the findings. Laura Bailey, the Marks & Spencer model, said: “I’ve always been taken very seriously. I have always been blonde and I have never had an issue with the way I am. If I’m being insulted, then I’m blissfully unaware.”

Michelle Collins, the blonde-haired former EastEnders actress, suspected the results were more to do with men’s approach to sex than intelligence. “I don’t think it’s to do with hair at all; it’s all about the breasts,” she said.

“But if someone walks round with extensions down to their bottom, even I would treat them differently.”

Light-headed

Exactly why and when humans developed blond hair is a mystery. It appears to have emerged late in evolution after humans had first travelled out of Africa.

Up to a third of women in Britain may look blonde, but only about 3% are naturally so.

How blondes developed a reputation for dizziness is also unclear, though the likes of Marilyn Monroe may have helped the process along. Certainly “blonde jokes” have become a popular genre.

For example: Q: What do you call a blonde with two brain cells?

A: Pregnant.

Some blondes are of course highly intelligent. Susan Greenfield is an Oxford professor of pharmacology and director of the Royal Institution. The actress Joanna Lumley is a noted environmentalist and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

"It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

I'm not so bothered by Presidential spokesmodel  and humbug queen Dana Perino's lack of knowledege  on the 60's. I'm more concerned with her obvious lack of knowledge about the 30's and early 40's. There were pretty blondes who shilled for the party in those days too.  

I Just Loved This Headline:

Seeking an apology, a robot heckles Bill Clinton on the stump

12/11/2007 @ 4:26 pm

AP Story:

It's not unusual for former President Bill Clinton to encounter protesters. But it's strange when they are made of metal.

At an Iowa City campaign stop for his wife Hillary last night, a man dressed in a silver metallic suit, a matching helmet and dark glasses heckled Clinton before he was booed out of the room.

Apparently it was THE ROBOT not Bill, who was booed out of the room.

I'll Take Myocardial Infarction for $500 Alex

LOS ANGELES — Longtime "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek was hospitalized Tuesday after a minor heart attack, a spokesman for the game show said.

Trebek, 67, was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center late Monday night and was expected to remain there about two days for tests and observation, said show spokesman Jeff Ritter.

"Thankfully it was a minor heart attack," Ritter said. He did not give other details.

A post on the official "Jeopardy!" Web site said Trebek was "resting comfortably in a Los Angeles hospital, and he will be back in the studio for the next scheduled tapings in January." His heart attack was first reported by "Entertainment Tonight."

The Thunder Gods Return

12-11-07

Here's part of what Rolling Stone had to say:

For the second encore of their first full concert in twenty-seven years, at London’s 02 arena last night, Led Zeppelin tore into “Rock and Roll,” from their untitled fourth album, with a joyful vengeance. As drummer Jason Bonham hammered with the ghostly precision and ferocity of his late father, guitarist Jimmy Page fired dirty chunks of Chuck Berry and bassist John Paul Jones kept iron time with familiar reserve, singer Robert Plant sang the most obvious words of the night: “Been a long time since I rock and rolled.” Overhead, images of a much younger Zeppelin, in concert during the early and mid-Seventies, flashed on a huge digital-video screen. In those films, Led Zeppelin were the biggest, loudest and most cocksure band in rock. Jimmy Page’s now snow-white hair was still jet black; Robert Plant was a golden god, not yet a Viking elder, and the late John Bonham — whose death in 1980 abruptly ended Zeppelin’s reign — still ruled the engine room.

But the band that played underneath those memories last night was not the one that misfired at Live Aid in 1985 or again in New York in 1988. This one was rehearsed, ready and out to kill. This band was Led Zeppelin in every way.

"She said she was working for the ABC news, it was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use..."

I was able to catch most of Al Gores Nobel speech today. Very strong stuff, wonderful honor for the best American statesman of my generation. Where was the story on the ABC Tee Vee News? Buried 4th or 5th.  Did they use any of his speech? Nope, just b-roll baby, just b-roll. Planet about to implode you say Al? Really... how fascinating. 

Now if you'll excuse me Mr er umm Gork is it? Oh Gore yes of course..so sorry I have a cold you know. Anyhow you see the thing is well  it's very nice you won some sort of Swiss watch or cheese or whatever, but we have a story on a Church Shooting. Holy Jumping Fucking Jesus Almighty if that don't make the ratings needle schwing like Larry Craig in stall number three then I don't know what the fuck will. A God Damn Genuine Fucking Double Ass  Church Shooting hooo weeeee..thank you Jesus... umm what did you say your name was again? Gorp? Garp? Linda ..get Mr. Gerp here a key chain will you sweetie...

Hello? Hello? Who the fuck is this?? Hello??

From ABC News

When Vífill Atlason, a 16-year-old high school student from Iceland, decided to call the White House, he could not imagine the kind of publicity it would bring.
Introducing himself as Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the actual president of Iceland, Atlason found President George W. Bush's allegedly secret telephone number and phoned, requesting a private meeting with him.
"I just wanted to talk to him, have a chat, invite him to Iceland and see what he'd say," Vífill told ABC News.
A White House official, who asked not to be identified, denied the young man had accessed a private number but instead dialled 202-456-1414, the main switchboard for the West Wing.
Vífill's mother, Harpa Hreinsdottir, a teacher at the local high school, said her son did, in fact, get through to a private phone.
"This was not a switchboard number of any kind," she told ABC News, "it was a secret number at the highest security level."
Vífill claims he was passed on to several people, each of them quizzing him on President Grímsson's date of birth, where he grew up, who his parents were and the date he entered office.
"It was like passing through checkpoints," he said. "But I had Wikipedia and a few other sites open, so it was not so difficult really."
When he finally got through to President Bush's secretary, Vífill alleges he was told to expect a call back from Bush.
"She told me the president was not available at the time, but that she would mark it in his schedule to call me back on Monday evening," he said.
Instead, the police showed up at his home in Akranes, a fishing town about 48 kilometers from Reykjavik, and took him to the local police station, where they questioned the 16-year-old for several hours.
"The police chief said they were under orders from U.S. officials to "find the leak" -- that I had to tell them where I had found the number," he said. "Otherwise, I would be banned from ever entering the United States."
Vífill claims he cannot remember where he got the number.
"I just know I have had it for a few years," he told ABC. "I must have gotten it from a friend when I was about 11 or 12."
Atlason's mother Harpa, who was not home at the time, said she was shocked to find her son had been taken away by the police but could not quite bring herself to be angry with her son.
"He's very resourceful you know," she said. "He has become a bit of a hero in Iceland. Bush is very unpopular here."
Vífill was eventually released into his parent's custody, and no charges have been brought against the high school student.
When ABC verified the number, it was the Secret Service Uniform Division, which handles security for the president.
"If the number were not top secret, why would the police have told me that I will be put on a no-fly list to America?" Vífill asked.
"I don't see how calling the White House is a crime," he added. "But obviously, they took it very seriously."
Calls to the Secret Service press office were not returned.
Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

I wonder if all the choreographers are straight????

"One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

From ABC News

First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale Spent More Than $1 Million on Its Pageant
Dec. 9, 2007 —
A Florida megachurch has garnered national attention with its annual Christmas pageant. The First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale's production is filled with extensive pyrotechnics, live stock and a bevy of actors.
"We're having to compete against many theatrical things around the country, whether it's MTV or the Rockettes or any show you might see on Broadway," said the Rev. Mike Jefferies of the First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale. "We have made a conscious decision to pull out all the stops."
The play rivals some Las Vegas-style productions, and Broadway producers choreographed the show.
In fact, more than 600 actors dance through the aisles during the play. The church's pageant is a lot more extravagant than the more traditional productions many have become accustomed to, where bed sheets act as shepherd costumes and tinfoil serves as an angel's halo.
According to the church's senior pastor and show's executive producer, Larry Thompson, the production pales in comparison to the actual events.
"I really believe it is such a great story. I'm sure we couldn't actually compete with what really happened 2,000 years ago," he said on "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" today.
The pageant has used the same story outline since it began in 1984, but organizers have spruced up its special effects and production values during the years. For example, the play now uses live camels to escort the three kings during their nativity scene ride.
Thompson said ticket prices range for free for the poor to between $5 and $35 for others. He added that 20 percent of the tickets are giveaways.
And while the first act deals more with the fun and spectacle of modern-day Christmas, Thompson said the second act focuses on the history of Jesus and his life.
''I think Jesus would come to the show [and say], 'Authentically you got it right,'" Thompson said.
Some visitors said they truly enjoy the vast production, but others believe the $1.3 million price tag of the pageant would be better spent on charity.
"A million dollars could feed a lot of folks," said the Rev. Bill Talen, who is against the consumerism of Christmas. "I mean, we have hunger now in the United States."
Talen said the bright lights of the production might outshine the point it's trying to get across.
"I don't think of faith as something you pay money for and then sit in the audience to be entertained. That's consumerism," Talen said.
Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

"Great" Product Idea

We had an idea last night: A Medic Alert Button for Alzheimer's patients. The tag line on the Tee Vee commercial would be:

"I've fallen and I Can't Remember Where..."

A Poem From a Couple of Years Ago

Trouble Breathing

We ran a trouble breathing call one night on Medic Three Nine

A woman in her 40s

Developmentally disabled they said

She was skinny as a stick

She couldn't’t speak

I thought she would die soon

Her eyes were full of fear

Full of the universe

And for some reason she reminded me of a girl from Hiroshima

She reminded me of Christ on the Cross

She reminded me to breath.

Move In Mysterious Ways

Ignorance is not a lack of knowledge,but a lack of faith in the unknowable.
The ignorant cling to knowledge as if knowledge can explain the inexplicable.
The Taoist sage lives in harmony with the mysterious.

(The Tao Is Tao)

Vice President Winfrey

At the 'Span today doing Oprah & Obama at a rally in Des Moines. Ouick observations:

The crowd is very white (well it is Iowa).

Obama is not that good speaking without a scipt, he stumbles, bumbles, and sometimes seems to be channeling John Kerry.

Oprah is Oprah, always making the event about her. Best I could tell, she is saying that Obama will solve all our problems because he is... Obama. So there. That's that. No questions please.

Oprah used the phrase "Obama's The One". In 1968 Tricky Dicky had the slogan "Nixon's The One". Political prankster Dick Tuck hired several very pregnant young women to march outside a Nixon event one day holding signs saying: "Nixon's The One".

There was a quick shot of the crowd with a guy that looked like Larry The Senate Guy's twin brother. Maybe he's hoping to see the "Obama Political Package" after the speech.

My Hometown in The News, The Most Horrible Thing I've Ever Read

See the sentence highlighted in red.

Girl, 7, shot 6 times saving mom
Norman Sinclair, Santiago Esparza and Jennifer Mrozowski / The Detroit News


DETROIT -- A 7-year-old-girl is being hailed as an "angel from heaven" and a hero for jumping in front of an enraged gunman, who pumped six bullets into the child as she used her body as a shield to save her mother's life.

Alexis Goggins, a first-grader at Campbell Elementary School, is in stable condition at Children's Hospital in Detroit recovering from gunshot wounds to the eye, left temple, chin, cheek, chest and right arm.

"She is an angel from heaven," said Aisha Ford, a family friend for 15 years who also was caught up in the evening of terror.

The girl's mother, Selietha Parker, 30, was shot in the left side of her head and her bicep by a former boyfriend, who police said was trying to kill Parker. The gunman was disarmed by police and arrested at the scene of the shooting, a Detroit gas station. Police identified him as Calvin Tillie, 29, a four-time convicted felon whom Parker had dated for six months.

Parker, who was treated and released at Detroit Receiving Hospital, is now at her daughter's bedside. She declined to comment Tuesday.

The drama began to unfold just before midnight Saturday, when Parker called Ford and asked if she and Alexis could spend the night at Ford's home.

"She said she had no heat and they were very cold, and I said , sure I'll come and get you," Ford said.

Ford said she drove her burgundy 1998 Ford Expedition to Parker's home on Dwyer. She said as Parker and Alexis walked up to her vehicle she saw a man on the porch, who she assumed was a furnace repairman. She said Alexis, who walks with a limp, slipped momentarily on the icy sidewalk and as she helped the girl up, she saw the man and recognized him as Tillie. He was holding a gun.

Tillie ordered them into the vehicle, cursed at the women and angrily told Ford to drive him to Six Mile Road, she said.

"He looked like he was enraged and didn't care what he did. I knew if we went to Six Mile, he would kill us," Ford said. Instead, she told him she needed gas and drove to the Fast Stop Gas station in the 5000 block of East Seven Mile Road, a station that requires customers to pay the attendant inside.

"I figured if he got out to pump the gas, I was going to take off," Ford said.

Instead, Tillie gave her $10 and told her put in $5 worth of gas.

Ford said she dialed 911 on her cell phone as she walked into the station.

"The first operator clicked off and I dialed again and told that operator a guy with a gun was holding me hostage with a mother and baby and threatening to kill us. I told her the name of the gas station and then she said they didn't have a unit to send."

Ford said she paid for $5 of gas and slowly returned to the vehicle, stalling for time as she handed Tillie the change. She said she kept stopping and starting the pump, hoping the police would show up.

"I told him I needed more gas and took money out of my purse and went back into the station," she said. The attendant, Mohammad Alghazali, 30, said he noticed Ford was crying and she told him what was happening. He called 911 as he heard shots coming from the vehicle.

"It was very scary. She (Ford) was scared and screaming when the guy was shooting. I was scared, too. I was on the phone talking to the police when he started shooting," he said

Parker told police that Tillie said Ford was taking too long

She said she pleaded with him but he pointed the gun at her and shot her in the side of the head. She told police she was shot in the arm as she lunged at Tillie.

Before Tillie could fire again, Alexis jumped over the seat between her mother and the gunman and begged him not to shoot her mother.

The police report said Tillie "without hesitation" pumped six shots into the child.

As police arrived, they saw Parker, covered in blood, running from the truck, screaming, "He just shot my baby."

The officers said Tillie came out to the vehicle holding a blue steel 9 mm semi automatic and dropped the weapon when ordered to do so. Officers said they found Alexis huddled on the floor under the steering wheel, covered in blood, surrounded by spent cartridge casings, a spent bullet on the floor and teeth on the seat. There were bullet holes in the windshield and blood inside.

Alghazali said a police car on a street nearby arrived in less than a minute after his call.

Marvin Bodley, a Detroit Public Schools attendance agent, spent two days at Alexis' hospital bedside and said it's miraculous that she's alive.

"What a courageous, courageous little girl," he said. "You see more bandages than child," he said. "It's a horrific sight."

Bodley said Alexis receives special education services at school, in part because of a weak left eye, which is the result of a massive stroke she suffered as an infant.

Ford said doctors at the time had predicted that when Alexis got older she would have trouble with tasks such as writing, but she is now able to write her name.

"She is a good little girl who is very protective of her mother," said Tonya Colbert, Parker's cousin.

Tillie is being held in the Wayne County Jail facing kidnapping, assault with intent to murder, child abuse, felony firearms and habitual criminal charges.

A preliminary examination is scheduled for Dec. 13.

Oy Vey

We took the fire trucks out tonight on a "Menorah Run". That's where we drive around various neighborhoods and stop to pass out candy. Some of the guys rigged a large Menorah to the front of the wagon, which actually looked kind of cool. Being the Catholic boy that I am, I made the mistake of asking the Rabi's 10 year old kid to explain Hanukkah. . The little putz gave me a two hour dissertation on the Greeks and the Maccabees and the and the Hippy-Dippy-ites and the Sodomites, yada yada yada ......just to prove that he was smarter than me. Fucking putz with a hat that kid. Although he did explain that the music the Rabbi was playing on his Boom Box was a Yeshiva boys choir. I thought it was Alvin and the Chipmunks singing in Hebrew. Come to think of it, maybe it WAS Alvin and Chipmunks... the kid could have been lying to the goyim.

Snowing In DC

Working from home today as the snow falls in the DC area. Walking the dog this morning as the snow fell, I thought of so many winters past, walking in Grosse Pointe, walking out by Duck Lake, tasting snow on my lips. The first snow always makes me a little sad, yet filled with a certain joy. I've always been deeply in love with December, and I'm glad she's here again.

On My Reading Table

I often have a number of books open at the same time,  here are two I highly recommend:

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

A very cool look at what happens to mother earth if we all go away. 

Apollo's Fire by Michael Sims

A look at a "typical" day, though the eyes of science, poetry, and myth. This book is amazing!

Hey George, The Motel 6 In Waco Needs A Night Desk Clerk..

Tough job market for GOP: Congress staffer bolts to become hotel manager

12/03/2007 @ 9:21 am
Filed by Nick Juliano

Job paths in politics tend to follow a fairly similar pattern. Young motivated men and women typically start with low-paying gigs working for members of Congress, and as they move up the food-chain more lucrative opportunities with outside consulting or lobbying firms often present themselves.
The career path of one Republican congressional staffer may show a tough job market for the GOP, as Roll Call reports Monday.

The communications director for Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) told colleagues he is leaving the Hill -- and politics altogether -- to manage a Holliday Inn Express in Kansas.
“I knew times were tough for Republicans on the Hill but looks like things might be sinking to a whole new level if these are the only options we have left,," one GOP staffer told the newspaper's gossip column.
Chuck Knapp, the departing staffer, tells "Heard on the Hill" that his departure from Tiahrt's office after seven years was motivated by the prospect of regular hours and the opportunity to spend more time with his family. Currently based in Tiahrt's Wichita district office, Knapp said he's ready to abandon the monthly trips to Washington his job required.
After 17 years in politics, Knapp said he knows that the "spending more time with my family" line is sure to raise skepticism in explaining his unorthodox move, but he won't be losing any sleep worrying about doubters.
“People can spend all the time second-guessing or speculating, but I know that I’m doing the right thing for me and my family,” he told the paper. “My wife tells me she has already noticed the difference.”

NYC Poem

The Photographers Party 1982

My friend said "Well my photographers having a party
we have to stop in"
The gay gymnast dances by herself and smiles a Latin smile
The guy with the nerd laugh says he is an image analyst
I guess image analysts laugh that way
Everybody sings Happy Birthday to the photographer
and smiles a Manhattan smile
all so young
so alive
so lonely
At the photographers party.

Poll To Take While Listening To POTUS Newser

Please try the poll on the bottom of the page. I'll have more on GWB later, if I don't shoot myself first.

Hucksucker Proxy

Chuck Norris To Mike Huckelberry:

"Even though you were the darkhorse... the thing is, I feel...they all have good points, but I think you've got the big package. 

Not That There's Anything Wrong With It...

From The NYT:

BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 2 (AP) — Four men say they either had sex with Senator Larry E. Craig or were the target of a sexual advance from him at times during his political career, The Idaho Statesman reported Sunday.
The report identified the men and reported details of the encounters that they say involved Mr. Craig, Republican of Idaho.
In an e-mail message sent to The Associated Press on Sunday, Mr. Craig said the latest accusations were “completely false” and criticized the paper as practicing careless journalism.
The article is The Statesman’s latest on Mr. Craig since his June arrest in a sting operation became public in August.

Larry The Senate Guy sure sucks a lot of dick for a straight guy..........

Fear, Surprise, Ruthless Efficiency, and An Almost Fanatical Devotion to George Bush

From Wired Magazine:

Texas Science Curriculum Director Canned for Mentioning Evolution


A Texas science education official forced to resign in October wasn't -- as her bosses inisted -- fairly punished for insubordination. Her real crime: daring to tell people about a lecture critical of intelligent design.
The Austin-American Statesman reported last week that science curriculum director Chris Corner's ouster followed her circulation of an email announcing an upcoming speech by Barbara Forrest, co-author of Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design and an expert witness in Kitzmiller v. Dover. That lawsuit was brought in 2005 by Dover, Pennsylvania parents upset with a school board's decision to teach intelligent design -- the belief that some phenomena can only be explained as divinely manufactured -- as a scientific theory comparable to evolution.
A federal judge sided with the parents and legally established intelligent design as religion, not science. But Texas education officials seem to disagree.
Hours after Corner used her work email account to forward the Forrest announcement to friends and a few online communities, Texas Education Agency adviser Lizzette Reynolds emailed Corner's bosses and called for her dismissal. A former legislative adviser to President Bush during his Texas governorship and later a Department of Education appointee, Reynolds wrote, "This is highly inappropriate. I believe this is an offense that calls for termination or, at the very least, reassignment of responsibilities. This is something that the State Board, the Governor’s Office and members of the Legislature would be extremely upset to see because it assumes this is a subject that the agency supports.”
Education Agency officials mentioned Reynolds' e-mail in their decision to fire Corner. Informing people about Forrest's lecture, they said, "directly conflicts with her responsibilities as the Director of Science ... [And] implies endorsement of the speaker and implies that TEA endorses the speaker's position on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral."
That a science education official should avoid politicization is understandable. However, supporting evolution isn't political; it's scientific. But even if that were not the case, Corner's views weren't clear from her email, to which she'd simply added an "FYI" above the lecture's announcement. It was neutral -- and that gives the lie to the Texas Education Agency's allegations.
As the Austin-American Statesman editorialized this weekend,
The education agency, of course, portrays the problem as one of insubordination and misconduct. But from all appearances, Comer was pushed out because the agency is enforcing a political doctrine of strict conservatism that allows no criticism of creationism.

Lest we forget Lady L

Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath

I have done it again.
One year in every ten
I manage it----

A sort of walking miracle, my skin
Bright as a Nazi lampshade,
My right foot

A paperweight,
My face a featureless, fine
Jew linen.

Peel off the napkin
0 my enemy.
Do I terrify?----

The nose, the eye pits, the full set of teeth?
The sour breath
Will vanish in a day.

Soon, soon the flesh
The grave cave ate will be
At home on me

And I a smiling woman.
I am only thirty.
And like the cat I have nine times to die.

This is Number Three.
What a trash
To annihilate each decade.

What a million filaments.
The peanut-crunching crowd
Shoves in to see

Them unwrap me hand and foot
The big strip tease.
Gentlemen, ladies

These are my hands
My knees.
I may be skin and bone,

Nevertheless, I am the same, identical woman.
The first time it happened I was ten.
It was an accident.

The second time I meant
To last it out and not come back at all.
I rocked shut

As a seashell.
They had to call and call
And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls.

Dying
Is an art, like everything else,
I do it exceptionally well.

I do it so it feels like hell.
I do it so it feels real.
I guess you could say I've a call.

It's easy enough to do it in a cell.
It's easy enough to do it and stay put.
It's the theatrical

Comeback in broad day
To the same place, the same face, the same brute
Amused shout:

'A miracle!'
That knocks me out.
There is a charge

For the eyeing of my scars, there is a charge
For the hearing of my heart----
It really goes.

And there is a charge, a very large charge
For a word or a touch
Or a bit of blood

Or a piece of my hair or my clothes.
So, so, Herr Doktor.
So, Herr Enemy.

I am your opus,
I am your valuable,
The pure gold baby

That melts to a shriek.
I turn and burn.
Do not think I underestimate your great concern.

Ash, ash ---
You poke and stir.
Flesh, bone, there is nothing there----

A cake of soap,
A wedding ring,
A gold filling.

Herr God, Herr Lucifer
Beware
Beware.

Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air.