Blog Pimpin'

An Angeleno w/ whom we've had a couple drinks a couple times has opened up one of those web logs. Comments not, apparently, being enabled, we can only conclude that he's a fascist. (We had not noticed this in personal encounters, but there's no telling, really.) Also, it appears to be about "food," but not in a bad way.

Whatever. "Los Angeles" is clearly typed in the description part of the header, so it qualifies as "Locals Only."

And: Not un-literate; unafraid of throwing parentheses about. (If you know what we mean.)

1 August: Tumor Rumor

By The Associated Press: Today is Saturday, Aug. 1, the 213th day of 2009. There are 152 days left in the year. A/V. UPI Almanac.Today's Highlight in History: On Aug. 1, 1944, an uprising broke out in Warsaw, Poland, against Nazi occupation; the revolt lasted two months before collapsing. On this date: In 1498, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set foot on the American mainland for the first time, at the Paria Peninsula in present-day Venezuela. In 1714, Britain's Queen Anne died at age 49; she was succeeded by George I. In 1790, the first U.S. census showed a population of 3,929,214 people in 17 states. In 1876, Colorado was admitted as the 38th state. In 1894, the First Sino-Japanese War erupted, the result of a dispute over control of Korea; Japan's army routed the Chinese. In 1907, the U.S. Army Signal Corps established an aeronautical division, the forerunner of the U.S. Air Force. In 1933, the National Recovery Administration's "Blue Eagle" symbol began to appear in store windows and on packages to show support for the National Industrial Recovery Act. In 1936, the Olympic games opened in Berlin with a ceremony presided over by Adolf Hitler. In 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed the Fulbright Program into law, establishing the scholarships named for Sen. William J. Fulbright. America's Atomic Energy Commission was established. In 1966, Charles Joseph Whitman, 25, went on a shooting rampage at the University of Texas in Austin, killing 14 people. Whitman, who had also murdered his wife and mother hours earlier, was gunned down by police. In 1977, Francis Gary Powers, pilot of a U-2 pilot spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, was killed when his weather helicopter crashed in Los Angeles. In 1990, Muslim rebels surrendered in Trinidad and Tobago, five days after a coup in which Prime Minister Arthur Robinson and dozens of others were taken hostage. Ten years ago: A heat wave that had gripped the nation since mid-July finally broke; authorities attributed nearly 200 deaths to the heat and humidity. Five years ago: The federal government warned of possible al-Qaida terrorist attacks against specific financial institutions in New York City, Washington and Newark, N.J. A supermarket fire on the outskirts of Asuncion, Paraguay, killed more than 400 people. World Trade Organization members meeting in Geneva approved a plan to end export subsidies on farm products and cut import duties across the world. Karen Stupples won the Women's British Open. Alexandra Scott, a young cancer patient who'd started a lemonade stand to raise money for cancer research, sparking a nationwide fundraising campaign, died at her home in Wynnewood, Pa., at age eight. In 2007, the eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour, killing 13 people. One year ago: Some 30 mountaineers began a disastrous attempt to scale K2 in Pakistan; 11 of them died in a series of accidents, including icefalls. Crowds of Chinese watched a total solar eclipse along the country's ancient Silk Road, one week before the start of the Summer Games in Beijing. Today's Birthdays: Actor-director Geoffrey Holder is 79. Singer Ramblin' Jack Elliott is 78. Cartoonist Tom Wilson (retired creator of "Ziggy") is 78. Former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.) is 72. Actor Giancarlo Giannini is 67. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams is 59. Blues singer-musician Robert Cray is 56. Singer Michael Penn is 51. Rock singer Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) is 50. Rock singer-musician Suzi Gardner (L7) is 49.[Congrats to Suzi, whom this reporter once (allegedly) chased all over his house while blacked-out one drunken Easter Sunday in the late '80s. All we remember is, when we woke up we were bruised in many places, & our glasses were broken. Besides the hangover. One hell of a party: Ventura resident P. J. Galligan was still there Monday afternoon when the reporter returned home. — Ed.] And born on the same day: Rapper Chuck D (Public Enemy) is 49. Actor Jesse Borrego is 47. Rapper Coolio is 46. Actor John Carroll Lynch is 46. Rock singer Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) is 45. Movie director Sam Mendes is 44. Country singer George Ducas is 43. Country musician Charlie Kelley is 41. Actress Tempestt Bledsoe is 36. Football player Edgerrin James is 31. Actor Jason Momoa is 30. Today In Entertainment History -- On August 1, 1960, Chubby Checker released the single "The Twist." In 1964, singer Johnny Burnette drowned in a boating accident in Clear Lake, California. He was 30. He's probably best known for the song "You're 16." In 1971, the Concerts for Bangladesh were held at New York's Madison Square Garden. George Harrison put together two shows to help starving people in Bangladesh. The concerts and an album of the event raised nearly eleven million dollars. In 1977, the book "Elvis -- What Happened" was released to bookstores nationwide. It was an expose' by two former bodyguards who presented Elvis as an overweight recluse. Elvis died two weeks later. In 1980, George Harrison formed a movie production company called "Hand Made Films Productions." The company's films include "Life of Brian" and "Time Bandits." In 1981, MTV made its debut on cable stations across the US The first video played was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. In 1986, actress Tatum O'Neal married tennis star John McEnroe in Oyster Bay, New York. They have since split up. Also in 1986, U2 began recording sessions in Dublin, Ireland, that became their album "The Joshua Tree." Thought for Today: "Pride, like humility, is destroyed by one's insistence that he possesses it." — Kenneth Bancroft Clark, American educator and psychologist (1914-2005).

FINISHED a bit before 2100 PDT, 3 August 2009. MORE FINISHED (w/ embedded video) @ 2353 PDT, 9 August 2009.

Free Speach In A Free Republik: "They came for our guns, now they have our speech ..."

If you haven't read this Sadly, No! contribution to the grievously neglected field of Internet Studies (& you probably have) well ...

We can only assume/hope the majority of those quoted by Mr. M. (Pity his lacerated brain. He probably had to read almost all of the FR comments.) will be dead by the time we are (Literally could be any second now; statistically the chances increase w/ each second we pass on this sphere.) whether from the usual natural causes, or apoplexy at the prospect of GACK!! [Followed by loud thud as obese Freeper topples over.] in the WHITE House or just from having a fully-loaded weapon in your hands, safety off & someone who scares you close enough to fill w/ lead. (It's always the anticipation.)

Was there this much violent, threatening vitriol aimed at the Clintons throughout the eight yrs. of his reign? Sure, a lot of "they're crooks, blah yada," but there was much more discussion of impeachment than this "imminent Communist takeover that will lead to civil war & we've got all the guns, ha ha ha" thing. Granted, the easier than previously availability of this inane drivel is as much an unpleasant side effect of the Intartoobze as anything else.

They came for our guns, now they have our speech, next they will take our healthcare. It’s 1917 Russia all over again.

"That's right pal, I've got your guns & your speech right here. Ever wanna see 'em again? That'll cost you your healthcare."

Up To Here

Michael Jackson's Chef Recalls His Doctor's Role, His Diet, His Children And The Day He Died Alright. Now we've heard from his fucking chef, by all that's unholy. Unless there are groundskeepers waiting for their 15 mins. of fame by association, can we bury all of this? And get Jacko & his nose underground as well?

Another Tease

Quite possibly the most poorly-written book ever published by a non-vanity publisher, this copy of The Last Trumpet was actually purchased by one of the two national brick & mortar book-selling chains, & stolen therefrom by a former employee thereof. It's shame to break the spine of a first printing like this, but let's try a page or two. (Always leave them wanting more.) Page six here takes place not long after The Rapture has occurred (page one) & ... oh, one really can't explain this: It must be read.Expect more chilling excerpts from this "theologically sound" opus in the near future.

Carbo-Hydrate Consumption Up-Date

Despite the positioning in the above representation, there ain't no bout adoubt it, Krusteaz® Buttermilk Pancakes are the winners in this one, & much more economical in the 36 Light & Fluffy Pancakes pkg. And when you take packaging into consideration, the Krusteaz® box wins too. Not just recyclable, it's re-usable!

We do wonder which focus group advised corporate design drones nation-wide that they have to limit their palette to yellow, blue & red. Extra points, therefore, to the K people for using a darker blue & for the green accents (For those important eco/health pointers.)

As to the Eggo® box & its "How do you Eggo?"™ question, this may well be the first time we've ever invited a food item to "eat us," but there it is. Eat us, you stupid waffle.

Assume The Position

This time we aren't pulling your cyber-chain (though we may have been pulling our own pud a bit) as we'll soon be featuring all however many pages there are of as part of our series "Found & Scanned Playhouse," or whatever we may decide to call it.

31 July: Vatican Denounces Feminism; Heat Wave Thins Human Herd; "Mr. Republican" Kicks Bucket; Casey Stengel's Birthdate Remains Indeterminate*

By The Associated Press: Today is Friday, July 31, the 212th day of 2009. There are 153 days left in the year, & none left in the month of July. AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On July 31, 1777, the Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman, was made a major-general in the American Continental Army. On this date: In 1498, on his third voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad. In 1556, St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus — the Jesuit order of Catholic priests and brothers — died in Rome. In 1875, the 17th president of the United States, Andrew Johnson, died in Carter County, Tenn., at age 66. In 1914, the New York Stock Exchange closed due to the outbreak of World War I. (Trading didn't resume until December.) Ninety years ago, in 1919, Germany's Weimar Constitution was adopted by the republic's National Assembly. In 1945, Pierre Laval, premier of the pro-Nazi Vichy government, surrendered to U.S. authorities in Austria; he was turned over to France, which later tried and executed him. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman helped dedicate New York International Airport (later John F. Kennedy International Airport) at Idlewild Field. In 1953, Sen. Robert A. Taft of Ohio, known as "Mr. Republican," died at age 63. In 1964, the American space probe Ranger 7 reached the moon, transmitting pictures back to Earth before crashing onto the lunar surface. Forty years ago, in 1969, the American space probe Mariner 6 flew by Mars, sending back images of the Red Planet. In 1972, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton withdrew from the ticket with George McGovern following disclosures Eagleton had once undergone psychiatric treatment.In 1974, Watergate figure John Ehrlichman was sentenced to 20 months in prison for his role in the break-in at the office of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist. Ellsberg was the Pentagon consultant who leaked the "Pentagon Papers," documents about the war in Vietnam. In 1977, the "Son of Sam" killer claimed his last victims when he shot and killed Stacy Moskowitz, 20, and seriously wounded her date as they sat in a parked car in Brooklyn, N.Y. (David Berkowitz was arrested less than two weeks later. He is serving six sentences of 25 years to life.) In 1981, a seven-week strike by major league baseball players ended. Twenty years ago, in 1989, a pro-Iranian group in Lebanon released a grisly videotape showing the body of American hostage William R. Higgins, a Marine lieutenant-colonel, dangling from a rope. In 1990, Nolan Ryan became the 20th major league pitcher to win 300 games as his Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in Moscow.Oddly enough, that very year the U.S. Senate overturned a 43-year-old law and voted to allow women to fly military warplanes in combat. In 1995, the Walt Disney Company agreed to acquire Capital Cities-ABC Inc. in a $19 billion deal. In 1997, New York City police seized five bombs believed bound for terrorist attacks on subways. Ten years ago: Chicago authorities said as many as 46 more residents had died as a result of a relentless heat wave that enveloped much of the nation and produced the hottest July on record in New York City. In 2002, a bomb exploded inside a cafeteria at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, killing nine people, including five Americans. Five years ago: The Vatican issued a document denouncing feminism for trying to blur differences between men and women and threatening the institution of families based on a mother and a father. One year ago: Three teenagers in Wisconsin were shot to death when a gunman opened fire on a group of young people who'd gathered to go swimming in the Menominee River. (The gunman, Scott J. Johnson, was later sentenced to life in prison without parole.) Scientists reported the Phoenix spacecraft had confirmed the presence of frozen water in Martian soil. Today's Birthdays: Actor Don Murray is 80. Jazz composer-musician Kenny Burrell is 78. Actor Geoffrey Lewis is 74. Actress France Nguyen is 70. Actress Susan Flannery is 66. Singer Lobo is 66. Actress Geraldine Chaplin is 65.Former movie studio executive Sherry Lansing is 65. Singer Gary Lewis is 64. Rock singer Bob Welch is 63. Tennis player Evonne Goolagong Cawley is 58. Actor Barry Van Dyke is 58. The mayor of Fresno, Calif., actor Alan Autry, is 57. Actor James Read is 56. Actor Michael Biehn is 53. Masssachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is 53. Rock singer-musician Daniel Ash (Love and Rockets) is 52. Entrepreneur Mark Cuban is 51. Rock musician Bill Berry is 51. Actor Wesley Snipes is 47. Country singer Chad Brock is 46. Musician Fatboy Slim is 46. Rock musician Jim Corr is 45. Author J.K. Rowling is 44. Actor Dean Cain is 43. Actor Loren Dean is 40. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte is 38. Former NFL player Jonathan Ogden is 35. Actress Annie Parisse is 34. Football player Marty Booker is 33. Actor Robert Telfer is 32. Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware is 27. Today In Entertainment History -- On July 31st, 1928, Leo the Lion roared for the first time at the beginning of MGM's first talking picture, "White Shadows in the South Seas."In 1964, country star Jim Reeves died when the plane he was piloting crashed near Nashville. His pianist, Dean Manuel, also was killed. Unrelatedly, a Rolling Stones concert in Belfast was stopped after only 12 minutes because of rioting fans. In 1970, Chet Huntley said "Good night, David," for the last time to David Brinkley. Huntley retired from the NBC "Nightly News" after 15 years. In 1971, James Taylor reached the top of the "Billboard" pop chart with "You've Got A Friend." [In Jim's case, the friend was King Heroin, & let's all be glad for that, 'cause w/o he might have had an actual career, & we would've had to listen. — Ed.]

In 1987, a judge in San Francisco ruled that soul singer Dave Prater and his new partner Sam Daniels could not bill themselves as Sam and Dave. The original Sam and Dave -- with Sam Moore -- had a string of hits including "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming." In 1990, Zsa Zsa Gabor was released from jail in El Segundo, California, after serving a 72-hour sentence for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer.

Rock & Roll Will Never Die, Just O. D. Somewhere

In 1991, Black Crowes lead singer Chris Robinson was given six months probation for spitting on a customer in a 7-Eleven store in Denver. In 1996, Aerosmith fired longtime manager Tim Collins, who later hinted that the band was back on drugs.

In 1998, actor Gary Coleman turned himself in to police after allegedly punching a female fan who asked for his autograph. Five years ago, actress Virginia Grey died in Woodland Hills, Calif., at age 87. Thought for Today: "The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." — Casey Stengel, American baseball manager (born this date in 1890 or 1891, died 1975).

And from the Real Messiah Reverend Moon's UPI Almanac, a thought for the day: Alexander Dumas the Younger said, "Business? It's quite simple. It's other people's money."

*Sung to the tune of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer."

The Line Between Parody & Actuality Blurs Into Indistinguishable Idiocy

Is there truly any expectation that, assuming "MJ" isn't a parodist, people like him (It's inevitably a male, if not actually a man.) should be dealt w/ seriously? (We do have some serious dealing in mind, involving the use of a pillow while the subject is sleeping; maybe one of those "Ha ha" moments when Pat Buchanan suggests First Dude Palin should take Levi Johnston down to the creek & hold him under until he stops struggling & splashing.)

Discourse, our fucking ass!! Political murder, now!! (Hell, you could probably rig a tube to collect MJ's nightly drool & recycle it into his lungs & he'd up & die from pneumonia, saving us the trouble of cleaning his moko from the death pillow.)

Annals of Attorneying

Sweet Sarah cops out again. Her Imperial Majesty will not be attending the Reagan Lie-berry event scheduled for next month. Politico apparently has the stomach to monitor her Facebook page, which makes them stronger than we, at least in the stomach area.

As repeatedly stated to several in the media over the last week, former Governor Sarah Palin is not committed to attend the Simi Valley Republican Women’s event at the Reagan Library and in fact is not attending the event. Neither the Governor’s state staff nor SarahPAC has ever committed to attending this event or speaking at this event, and even requested that the Governor's name be removed from the invitation several weeks ago. The Governor has other work and commitments to take care of at that time. She looks forward to visiting her friends in California soon.

The WTF? moment:

All event requests must be confirmed with Meghan Stapleton of SarahPAC. Additionally, all invitations bearing the Governor’s name must be approved by her attorney before proceeding. Thank you. Meghan Stapleton

Just where are the invitations going to "proceed" once the legal staff approves? When the masses rise to say "Poopy-Doody" to us elitists by electing Moose-ilini, will we then have gov't. by attorney? "Look, Putin's head! Call the Dep't of Law!!" Who's the "Governor" to whom Stapleton refers? Is Meghan one of Sarah's high school buddies? (That being the only reasonable explanation for the continued incompetence & illiteracy.)

The Real Question

From The Free Ride For Those Who Can Afford To PayTax Foundation, a scare headline

Tax Burden of Top 1% Now Exceeds That of Bottom 95%

sure to moisten the underwear (But not in the good way!) of the parasite class & those who worship at their feet in hopes of receiving crumbs & other "trickle-downs." The author of the piece, one Scott A. Hodge, has never, as you might imagine,held an actual productive job in his life, having decided to become a parasite on the parasites (That blood must be getting pretty thin.) His "career" stretches from one "foundation" to another.

Before joining the Tax Foundation, Scott was Director of Tax and Budget Policy at Citizens for a Sound Economy. He also spent ten years at The Heritage Foundation, including eight years as Heritage’s Grover Hermann Fellow in Federal Budgetary Affairs. Scott began his career in Chicago where he helped found the Heartland Institute in 1984. He holds a degree in political economy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

His frightening to non-working coupon-clippers & dividend-depositors headline of course ignores the real question, which is how much of what's been created by the working people of this country is owned or controlled by the 1% parasites, compared to just how much wealth the 95% who made it own/control. We imagine Mr. Hodge could have had a flunky look it up, but that would imply he gave a shit about anything or anyone beyond his masters. And that just wouldn't do, would it?

We could look it up ourselves, but we are both lazy & un-serious, unlike apologist-for-the-wealthy Hodge, so we didn't. The facts are generally known, anyway. Them: Power, Wealth, Hired Guns, no numbers beyond those they can fool or buy. "Real America:" The Numbers, & supposedly a lot of guns they're willing to use for something they call "freedom." Not freedom from oppression by the wealthy & their corporate entities though. So oppressed, for so long, they can't see the forest or the trees.

You Have The Right To Free Speech, As Long As You're Not Dumb Enough To Actually Try It!

Fascist Cops: What Part Of The First Amendment Don't They Understand?

"That's why I hate the police," Tuma said. He told the Huffington Post that in a loud sing-song voice, he then chanted, "I hate the police, I hate the police." One officer reacted strongly to Tuma's song. "Hey! Hey! Who do you think you're talking to?" Tuma recalled the officer shouting as he strode across an intersection to where Tuma was standing. "Who do you think you are to think you can talk to a police officer like that?" the police officer said, according to Luke Platzer, 30, one of Tuma's companions. Tuma said he responded, "It is not illegal to say I hate the police. It's not illegal to express my opinion walking down the street." According to Tuma and Platzer, the officer pushed Tuma against an electric utility box, continuing to ask who he thought he was and to say he couldn't talk to police like that. "I didn't curse," Tuma said. "I asked, am I being arrested? Why am I being arrested?" Within minutes, the officer had cuffed Tuma. The charge: disorderly conduct -- just like Gates, who was arrested after police responded to a report of a possible break-in at his home and Gates protested their ensuing behavior.

Fascist laws for a fascist nation. Note well that when we type "Free Speech Isn't Free," we kid you not!

Know Your Rights Lyrics

This is a public service announcement With guitar! Know your rights, all three of them! Number 1: You have the right not to be killed Murder is a CRIME! Unless it was done by a Policeman or aristocrat...

full lyrics

more lyrics

WAGE-SLAVE WARNING: Clicking "full lyrics" leads to uncontrollable music. And just for the hell of it, here's the visual:FUCK THA POLICE! Also.

A VERY SPECIAL JUST ANOTHER BLOG (FROM L. A.)™ WHITE PAPER Microwave Pizza Crisping Discs: Protection from mysterious gov't. agencies broadcasting voices into your head, or should you wrap some foil around them just to be sure?We'll give you all the answers, & some suggestions on painless removal of those teeth w/ the fillings the reptile people from Draco have homed in on.

30 July: Irony At Sea

By The Associated Press: Today is Thursday, July 30, the 211th day of 2009. There are 154 days left in the year. AP also. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On July 30, 1945, during World War II, the battle cruiser USS Indianapolis, which had just delivered components for the atomic bomb that would be dropped on Hiroshima, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine; only 316 out of some 1,200 men survived the sinking and shark-infested waters. On this date: In 1619, the first representative assembly in America convened in Jamestown in the Virginia Colony. In 1729, Baltimore, Md., was founded. In 1792, the French national anthem "La Marseillaise," by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, was first sung in Paris by troops arriving from Marseille. In 1863, American automaker Henry Ford was born in Dearborn Township, Mich. In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces tried to take Petersburg, Va., by exploding a gunpowder-filled mine under Confederate defense lines; the attack failed. In 1908, the first round-the-world automobile race, which had begun in New York in February, ended in Paris with the drivers of the American car, a Thomas Flyer, declared the winners over teams from Germany and Italy. In 1918, poet Joyce Kilmer, a sergeant in the 165th U.S. Infantry Regiment, was killed during the Second Battle of the Marne in World War I. (Kilmer is perhaps best remembered for his poem "Trees.") In 1932, the Summer Olympic Games opened in Los Angeles. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill creating a women's auxiliary agency in the Navy known as "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" — WAVES for short.In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Medicare bill, which went into effect the following year.In 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts David R. Scott and James B. Irwin landed on the moon. In 1974, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, by a vote of 21-17, approved a third article of impeachment against U.S. President Richard Nixon, charging him with ignoring congressional subpoenas. Nixon resigned before the issue went to trial. In 1975, former Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in suburban Detroit; although presumed dead, his remains have never been found.Ten years ago: Republicans pushed their $792 billion tax cut through the Senate. Linda Tripp, whose secretly recorded phone conversations with Monica Lewinsky led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, was charged in Maryland with illegal wiretapping. (Prosecutors later dropped the charges.) The leaders of some 40 nations gathered in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, pledging to push economic and democratic reforms for the war-ravaged Balkans. In 2002, expelled from Congress a week earlier, an unrepentant James A. Traficant Jr. was sentenced to eight years behind bars for corruption. WNBA player Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks became the first woman to dunk in a professional game during her team's 82-73 loss to the Miami Sol. Five years ago: Leaders of the September 11th commission urged senators to embrace their proposals for massive changes to the nation's intelligence structure. Mike Tyson was knocked out in the fourth round of a fight in Louisville, Ky., by British heavyweight Danny Williams. In 2007, Hall of Fame football coach Bill Walsh died at age 75. One year ago: President George W. Bush quietly signed a housing bill he'd once threatened to veto; it was intended to rescue some cash-strapped homeowners in fear of foreclosure. Amid corruption allegations and his own plummeting popularity, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced he would resign. Ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was extradited to The Hague to face genocide charges after nearly 13 years on the run. Republican Party stalwart and one-time U.S. ambassador to Britain Anne Armstrong died in Houston at age 80. Today's Birthdays: Actor Richard Johnson is 82. Actor Edd "Kookie" Byrnes is 76. Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is 75. Blues musician Buddy Guy is 73. Movie director Peter Bogdanovich is 70. Feminist activist Eleanor Smeal is 70. Former U.S. Rep. Patricia Schroeder, D-Colo., is 69. Singer Paul Anka is 68. Jazz musician David Sanborn is 64. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is 62. Actor William Atherton is 62. Actor Jean Reno is 61. Blues singer-musician Otis Taylor is 61. Actor Frank Stallone is 59. Actor Ken Olin is 55. Actress Delta Burke is 53. Singer-songwriter Kate Bush is 51. Country singer Neal McCoy is 51. Actor Richard Burgi is 51. Movie director Richard Linklater is 49. Actor Laurence Fishburne is 48. Actress Lisa Kudrow is 46. Bluegrass musician Danny Roberts (The Grascals) is 46. Country musician Dwayne O'Brien is 45. Actress Vivica A. Fox is 45. Actor Terry Crews ("Everybody Hates Chris") is 41. Actor Simon Baker is 40. Former NFL player Robert Porcher is 40. Movie director Christopher Nolan is 39. Actor Tom Green is 38. Rock musician Brad Hargreaves (Third Eye Blind) is 38. Actress Christine Taylor is 38. Actor-comedian Dean Edwards is 36. Actress Hilary Swank is 35. Beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor is 32. Actress Jaime Pressly is 32. Today In Entertainment History --In 1932, Walt Disney released his first color cartoon, "Flowers and Trees," made in three-color Technicolor. In 1936, author Margaret Mitchell sold the film rights for "Gone With the Wind" to MGM for $50,000, most ever for a first novel. In 1954, Elvis Presley made his professional debut in Memphis. It was his first concert to be advertised. In 1970, The Beatles closed their Apple Boutique, & the Rolling Stones fired Allen Klein as their manager. In 1976, Kate Smith made her last public appearance on this date, singing her signature number "God Bless America" on a TV program honoring the U.S. Bicentennial. In 1986, RCA Records dropped John Denver from his contract. In 1992, Motown's biggest stars gathered for a memorial service for Mary Wells, who died of cancer at the age of 49. Smokey Robinson sang a medley of Wells' hits. Motown founder Berry Gordy called her the "first lady of song." In 1996, actress Claudette Colbert died in Barbados at the age of 92. She won an Oscar for her performance in "It Happened One Night." Actor Tom Cruise filed a lawsuit against a German magazine for falsely quoting him as saying he had "zero sperm count." Cruise later accepted a retraction. In 1998, "Howdy Doody" creator Buffalo Bob Smith died of cancer in Flat Rock, North Carolina. He was 80. In 2003, Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, who discovered Elvis Presley, died at age 80. In 2007, Britney Spears' divorce from Kevin Federline was finalized. Thought for Today: "In politics people give you what they think you deserve and deny you what they think you want." — Cyril Northcote Parkinson, British historian and author (born this date in 1909, died 1993).

Oinker Up-Date

A person w/o color exposes the Newport Beach P. D. of the O. C.

I’d rephrase that to lose the words “black man” when dealing with the police. That’s because I’m a white guy who had that experience twice with our own local cops in Newport Beach. It wasn’t a racial thing that got me put in handcuffs; it was an “I’m a cop; you have no rights thing.”

As always, no matter the skin-tones, dialects or any other superficial differences between those involved, it's a uniformed bully w/ a badge vs. a citizen w/o immediate physical power or armament. Or in the second case, a cop in a police car who ran a stop sign & was challenged on it. You can imagine the officer's reaction, if you aren't an ignorant sheep who licks the jackboots of his oppressors.

By way of The Daily Dish's Andrew Sullivan.

We Hate "White Culture" W/ The White-Hot Heat Of A Thousand White-Hot Suns Too

Why wouldn't anyone whose aesthetic sensibilities are even somewhat developed hate the bland, vanilla, mayonnaise & white-bread culture of bland vanilla honkies that has given us the lowest common denominators of reality tee vee & movies composed of huger & huger explosions strung together?

This afternoon, Bill Shine, SVP of Programming told TVNewser, "During Fox & Friends this morning, Glenn Beck expressed a personal opinion which represented his own views, not those of the Fox News Channel. And as with all commentators in the cable news arena, he is given the freedom to express his opinions."

Tell us something, Mr. Shine. If the Fox News Channel is a "news" source, why would it even have any "views?" How can a network claim to be "Fair & Balanced" if it admits it has "views?" We wonder if Mr. Shine could tell us what the "views" of the Fox News Channel are?

P. S.: "I'm not saying he that he doesn't like white people, I'm saying he has a problem, he has a, this guy is, I believe, a racist." Try to figure that one out.

Off The Fascist PIg!

Someone who understands the law & the real world, & is capable of rational thought, has published an article at Forbes.com pointing out that a pig is a pig is a pig, and the Cambridge PD & Sg't. Crowley acted just like pigs.

The meat of the matter:

The issue is not how nasty the discourse between the two might have been, but whether what Professor Gates said--assuming, for argument's sake, the officer's version of events as fact--could by any stretch of both law and imagination constitute a ground for arrest for "disorderly conduct" (the charge leveled) or any other crime.

Thank you, Harvey A. Silverglate, assisted by Kyle Smeallie, for dealing w/ this from the only possible perspective. After all, in the Freeman's Libertarian Paradise that is AmeriKKKa, the customer is always right. The customer, in Magic AmeriKKKa, being he who pays the pigs for protection. And in this AmeriKKKa, it's the protection-payer who's boss, not the bully/thug w/ a stick, badge, gun & handcuffs, & the boss can always tell employees what to do.

One could imagine some of the right-wingers who've advised where to shoot a DEA agent to kill him & so on would be slightly sympathetic to a man in his home/castle being harassed by a government agent, but we all know consistency is the hob-goblin of little minds, to twist a quote a bit.

And, to the extent that tossing an expletive at some hothead on the street might conceivably produce a violent reaction, surely such words directed to a trained police officer should not be expected to incite such a response. To be sure, much of police training is specifically directed at producing a peace officer who knows how and when to keep a violent response wrapped under a highly polished discipline. It would be an insult to any law enforcement agent to assume that he or she would respond, with violence, to unpleasant--even offensive--words. Hence, even at its worst, Gates' reaction to the officer's presence and questioning cannot by any stretch be deemed grounds for an arrest. Professor Gates, in other words, was fully protected by the First Amendment. It was the officer's duty to restrain his own response, particularly the exercise of his official powers of arrest.

So there, fascist coppers. Stop fucking w/ Americans & their Constitutional rights, or we'll give you something for which you can try to arrest us!! Pin-dick losers!

29 July: Olaf II Dies In Battle, As Does Spanish Armada; Van Gogh Just Goes; "World's Foremost Authority" Alive & Kicking At 95!

By The Associated Press: Today is Wednesday, July 29, the 210th day of 2009. There are 155 days left in the year. From another world's AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating NASA. [Not Another Sputnik Act. — Ed.]On this date: In 1030, the patron saint of Norway, King Olaf II, was killed in battle. [Can you imagine being Olaf I & not getting the patron saint gig? Damn kids. — Ed.] In 1588, the English attacked the Spanish Armada in the Battle of Gravelines, resulting in an English victory.

In 1848, at the height of the potato famine in Ireland, an abortive nationalist revolt against English rule was crushed by government police in Tipperary. In 1890, artist Vincent van Gogh, 37, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Auvers-sur-Oise, France. In 1900, Italian King Humbert I was assassinated by an anarchist; he was succeeded by his son, Victor Emmanuel III. In 1914, transcontinental telephone service began with the first test phone conversation between New York and San Francisco. In 1948, Britain's King George VI opened the Olympic Games in London. In 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency was established. In 1967, an accidental rocket launch aboard the supercarrier USS Forrestal in the Gulf of Tonkin resulted in a fire and explosions that killed 134 servicemen. [Don't believe the hype: Loser/Senator John Sydney McCain III was a victim in this one. — Ed.] In 1968, Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's stance against artificial methods of birth control. In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford became the first U.S. president to visit the site of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland as he paid tribute to the victims. In 1981, Britain's Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. (The couple divorced in 1996.)Dr. Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, ties their knot. In 1991, the Federal Reserve sought a $200 million penalty against bank BCCI for violating U.S. banking laws. It was the largest fine in the Federal Reserve's history. In 1992, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford and his law partner, Robert Altman, were indicted on charges of lying about their roles in the BCCI bank scandal. In 1993, the Israeli Supreme Court acquitted retired Ohio autoworker John Demjanjuk of being Nazi death camp guard "Ivan the Terrible" and threw out his death sentence. (Demjanjuk was deported in May 2009 to Germany to face similar charges.) Ten years ago: A day trader, apparently upset over stock losses, opened fire in two Atlanta brokerage offices, killing nine people and wounding 13 before shooting himself to death; authorities say Mark O. Barton also killed his wife and two children. California Gov. Gray Davis abandoned the state's effort to preserve Proposition 187, a divisive voter-approved ban on schooling and other public benefits for illegal immigrants. In 2003, Bill Mueller of the Boston Red Sox became the first player in major league history to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in a single game in a 14-7 win at Texas. Five years ago: Sen. John Kerry accepted the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in Boston with a military salute and the declaration: "I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty." One year ago: Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was indicted on seven felony counts of concealing more than a quarter of a million dollars in house renovations and gifts from a powerful oil contractor. (A jury later found the longtime Republican lawmaker guilty of lying on financial disclosure forms, but a judge subsequently dismissed the case, saying prosecutors had withheld evidence.) Disgraced ex-NBA official Tim Donaghy admitted that he'd brought shame on his profession as a federal judge sentenced him to 15 months behind bars for a gambling scandal. Army scientist Bruce E. Ivins, 62, named as a top suspect in anthrax mailing attacks in 2001, died at a hospital in Frederick, Md., after deliberately overdosing on Tylenol. Those born on this date who are now dead include: French historian Alexis de Tocqueville, born in 1805; novelist Booth Tarkington in 1869; Grigori Rasputin, born in 1871; Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1883; composer Sigmund Romberg (" Lover Come Back to Me," "When I Grow Too Old to Dream"), in 1887; actor William Powell in 1892; bluegrass star Henry D. "Homer" Haynes, member of the Homer and Jethro musical duo, in 1920; & TV anchorman Peter Jennings in 1938. Today's (Living) Birthdays: Comedian "Professor" Irwin Corey is 95 & CONTINUES TO ROCK THE MIC!!Actor Robert Horton is 85. Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum-Baker, R-Kan., is 77. Actor Robert Fuller is 75. Former Sen. Elizabeth H. Dole, R-N.C., is 73. Actor David Warner is 68. Rock musician Neal Doughty (REO Speedwagon) is 63. Marilyn Tucker Quayle, wife of former Vice President Dan Quayle, is 60.Actor Mike Starr is 59. Documentary maker Ken Burns is 56. Style guru Tim Gunn (TV: "Project Runway") is 56. Rock singer-musician Geddy Lee (Rush) is 56. Rock singer Patti Scialfa (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band) is 56. Actress Alexandra Paul is 46. Country singer Martina McBride is 43. Rock musician Chris Gorman is 42. Actor Rodney Allen Rippy is 41. Actor Wil Wheaton is 37. R&B singer Wanya Morris (Boyz II Men) is 36. Country singer-songwriter James Otto is 36. Actor Stephen Dorff is 36. Actor Josh Radnor is 35. Hip-hop DJ/music producer Danger Mouse is 32. Today In Entertainment History -- On July 29th, 1957, Jack Paar made his debut as host of NBC's "Tonight" show. In 1959, the Isley Brothers recorded "Shout." In 1965, The Beatles' second film, "Help," had its royal premiere at London's Pavillion Theatre. In 1966, Bob Dylan was involved in a motorcycle accident near Woodstock, New York. He suffered critical injuries and took months to recover. In 1973, Led Zeppelin's safe deposit box at The Drake Hotel in New York was robbed. The band lost $180,000 in concert receipts from two shows at Madison Square Garden. In 1974, Mama Cass Elliott was found dead in London. [Same city as Judy Garland's demise, five yrs. later. What do you think? — Ed.] It was rumored that the former Mamas and Papas lead singer choked on a ham sandwich, but a coroner ruled she had suffered a heart attack. She was 30. [This reporter pranked Mama Cass on the air, probably in late 1973, possibly during a local insert for the Jerry Lewis Labor Day thing. We offered to contribute a big pile of money to whatever the cause/disease was if she would reveal her actual weight to the masses, over the air, but she tripped us up by asking the address of our purported corporation on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. We hadn't resided here long enough to know what would or wouldn't be plausible for a B. H. street no., & we guessed incorrectly. Smart woman, that Cass. — Ed.] In 1987, Ben and Jerry's began selling "Cherry Garcia" ice cream, in honor of Grateful Dead singer-guitarist Jerry Garcia. In 1996, actor Martin Lawrence was arrested at the airport in Burbank, California, after police found a loaded handgun in a suitcase he was taking on a flight to Phoenix. In 1998, choreographer Jerome Robbins died at age 79.

ANNALS OF TRAGIC HOLLYWOOD LOVE: In 2000, actor Brad Pitt married actress Jennifer Aniston in Malibu, California. They separated after four and a half years of marriage. In 2006, actress Pamela Anderson and musician Kid Rock were married in St. Tropez, France. They both filed for divorce four months later. Thought for Today: "An idea is not responsible for the people who believe in it." — Don Marquis, American journalist-author (born this date in 1878, died 1937).

I. W. W. Wrap-Up

The workers are revolting.

Mob beats Chinese steel factory executive to death

Thousands of workers had gathered in northeastern rust belt city of Tonghua to protest the takeover of their company and threatened layoffs.

July 27, 2009

Chinese state media confirmed Monday that a steel factory executive was beaten to death after thousands of workers gathered to protest the takeover of their company. Chen Guojun, an executive at Jianlong Steel Holding Co., died Friday after an angry mob in the northeastern rust belt city of Tonghua beat him and then blocked ambulances from reaching him, according to the China Daily.

The protesters worked at the state-owned Tonghua Iron and Steel Group, which was going to be sold to Chen's privately owned Jianlong Steel. Chen sparked the riot by announcing 30,000 workers would be laid off, the newspaper said. They dispersed later only after they were assured by authorities the sale would not go through. -- David Pierson

Cheesecake, Hawai'ian Style (Emphasis On The "Cheese")

1, 2 ... Crackle Hum Snap "— ing On?"

In a probably misguided attempt to assist one of our manyseveral fans, we link to one of Mr. RC's items.

I see my link to this post still doesn't show up under "links to this post", either. WTF, over? ~

This worked once when we linked to that person whose initials are A. A., & who should maybe attend A. A. as well. You know, she whose name one dare not type? Perhaps No. 32 doesn't have his settings set. Could also be the problem here. We may not be allowing link-outs or track-ins or whatever the fuck.

Come On, Eileen: Anti-Christ Or Alien?

David W. of the WashInd reports on the woman in the red shirt. Known as "Crazy Eileen,"

In a call from a January show, on New Year's predictions, the woman discusses aliens, angels and the end of life on Earth, according to an audio clip Morris posted on YouTube this week.She repeatedly has called Obama "the antichrist" on the airwaves, and "her phone calls have turned to faxes and threats," according to Morris. "I have actually talked to an angel who came down in human form," she said during the Jan. 1 show. "We will have alien contact in October of this year, in the southwestern USA." One prediction may seem ironic in light of the anger expressed in her diatribe toward Castle: "There will be peace among men and negativity will end," she told Morris.

Changing The Flag(?)

The crowd applauded and cheered as the woman yelled, "I don't want this flag to change! I want my country back!"

She could try voting next time around. (Although we doubt this sadly delusional individual would be allowed to serve on a jury anywhere. There are mental hygeine requirements, which we hope apply to voting as well.)

Sometimes the vote-counters do pay attention to the will of the people. Sometimes.

Zombie Brain-Eating Wrap-Up

Click if you'd like to see the rest of the story:

28 July: World War I Finally Underway; Bonus Army Defeated By Federal Troops; Peru Takes A Powder; 14th Amendment Ruins America

By The Associated Press: Today is Tuesday, July 28, the 209th day of 2009. There are 156 days left in the year. AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: Four hundred years ago, in 1609, the English ship Sea Venture, commanded by Admiral Sir George Somers, ran ashore on Bermuda after nearly foundering at sea during a storm. The 140 or so passengers and crew, originally bound for the Jamestown settlement in Virginia, founded a colony on the island. On this date: In 1540, King Henry VIII's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, was executed, the same day Henry married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. In 1750, composer Johann Sebastian Bach died in Leipzig, Germany, at age 65. In 1794, Maximilien Robespierre, a leading figure of the French Revolution, was sent to the guillotine. In 1821, Peru declared its independence from Spain. In 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing due process and the equal protection of the laws to former slaves, was declared in effect. [Leading to "that one" in the White House! — Ed.] In 1896, the city of Miami, Fla., was incorporated. Ninety-five years ago, in 1914, World War I began as Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Eighty years ago, in 1929, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was born in Southampton, N.Y. In 1932, federal troops forcibly dispersed the so-called "Bonus Army" of World War I veterans who had gathered in Washington to demand money they weren't scheduled to receive until 1945. In 1945, a U.S. Army bomber crashed into the 79th floor of New York's Empire State Building, killing 14 people.The U.S. Senate ratified the United Nations Charter by a vote of 89-2. Fifty years ago, in 1959, in preparation for statehood, Hawaiians voted to send the first Chinese-American, Republican Hiram L. Fong, to the U.S. Senate and the first Japanese-American, Democrat Daniel K. Inouye, to the U.S. House of Representatives. [More of that 14th Amendment crap! — Ed.] In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he was increasing the number of American troops in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000 "almost immediately." In 1976, an earthquake devastated northern China, killing at least 242,000 people. In 1977, Roy Wilkins turned over leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to Benjamin L. Hooks. Twenty-five years ago, in 1984, Los Angeles was habitable (& the freeways navigable) for the last time, as the Summer Olympic Games opened, & commercial vehicles were kept off the roads during rush hour. Ah, memories! In 1995, a jury in Union, S.C., sentenced Susan Smith to life in prison for drowning her two young sons. In 1998, Bell Atlantic and GTE announced a $52 billion merger that created Verizon, & Monica Lewinsky was given blanket immunity from prosecution in exchange for grand jury testimony in the investigation of her relationship with President Bill Clinton. Ten years ago: The Senate opened debate on the Republicans' $792 billion tax cut bill. Surgeon General David Satcher declared suicide a serious national threat, saying, "People should not be afraid or ashamed to seek help." In 2002, nine coal miners trapped in the flooded Quecreek Mine in Somerset, Pa., were rescued after 77 hours underground. Five years ago: The Democratic National Convention in Boston nominated John Kerry for president. A car bomb exploded outside a police station used as a recruiting center in Baqouba, Iraq, killing 70 Iraqis. Francis Crick, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, died in San Diego at age 88. In 2005, the Irish Republican Army renounced the use of violence against British rule in Northern Ireland and said it would disarm. In 2006, actor-director Mel Gibson launched an anti-Semitic tirade as he was arrested in Malibu, Calif., for driving drunk; Gibson later apologized and was sentenced to probation and alcohol treatment. In 2007, Vice President Dick Cheney had surgery to replace an implanted device that was monitoring his heartbeat. One year ago: President Bush received Pakistan's new prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, at the White House, praising him as a reliable partner in confronting terrorism. Four suicide bombers believed to be women struck a Shiite pilgrimage in Baghdad and a Kurdish protest rally in northern Iraq, killing at least 57 people and wounding nearly 300. Today's Birthdays: Movie director Andrew V. McLaglen is 89. Actor Darryl Hickman is 78. [Dobie's big brother? 78? What's Maynard going to say? — Ed.] Ballet dancer-choreographer Jacques d'Amboise is 75. Art critic Robert Hughes is 71. The former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, is 71. Musical conductor Riccardo Muti is 68. Former Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., is 66. "Garfield" creator Jim Davis is 64. Singer Jonathan Edwards is 63. Actress Linda Kelsey is 63. TV producer Dick Ebersol is 62. Actress Sally Struthers is 61. Actress Georgia Engel is 61. Rock musician Simon Kirke (Bad Company) is 60. Rock musician Steve Morse (Deep Purple) is 55. Broadcast journalist Scott Pelley is 52. Alt-country-rock musician Marc Perlman is 48. Actor Michael Hayden is 46. Actress Lori Loughlin is 45. Jazz musician-producer Delfeayo Marsalis is 44. Former hockey player turned general manager Garth Snow is 40. Actress Elizabeth Berkley is 37. Singer Afroman is 35. Country musician Todd Anderson (Heartland) is 34. Rock singer Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach) is 33. Washington Redskins tackle Chris Samuels is 32. Detroit Lions linebacker Julian Peterson is 31. Country singer Carly Goodwin is 28. Houston Texan linebacker DeMeco Ryans is 25. New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise is 25. Rapper Soulja Boy is 19. Today In Entertainment History -- On July 28th, 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis made his television debut on "The Steve Allen Show." In 1970, the movie "Ned Kelly" opened. It starred Mick Jagger in the title role. In 1973, one of the biggest rock festivals in history took place in Watkins Glen, New York. About 600,000 people came to see the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers and The Band. In 1987, The Beatles sued Nike and Capitol Records over the use of the song "Revolution" in shoe commercials. In 1992, Warner Bros. removed the controversial song "Cop Killer" from Ice-T's "Body Count" album by request of the rapper. In 1996, singer Marguerite Ganser Dorste of The Shangri-Las died of breast cancer in New York. She was 48. In 1997, singer Sheena Easton married documentary director Timothy Delarm in Las Vegas. She filed for divorce less than a year later. In 2000, Kathie Lee Gifford hosted her last broadcast of "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee." In 2006, Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving. The police report says Gibson screamed obscenities and derogatory things about Jewish people. Thought for Today: "All youth is bound to be 'misspent'; there is something in its very nature that makes it so, and that is why all men regret it." — Thomas Wolfe, American author (1900-1938).

Psycho-Babble: "Most Of Our Obesity Issues Would Disappear."English: "We'd Be Thinner & Healthier."

Mr. Andrew Sullivan declares:

By the way, I think the same principle should apply to meals. If Americans simply left half their food on the plate, most of our obesity issues would disappear.

And what happens to that half of the national diet left on our plates, you fucking ninny? Yes, he means well. We certainly agree that most Yankee pig-dogs should cut down on their consumption (although we don't remember Sully or ourself as being the slimmest reeds in the pond) but if the great public intellectual & published author expresses himself in reverse like that, well, how great an intellect is he? All the thought in any given large empty space is w/o value if it can't be expressed & shared comprehensibly. Perhaps his majesty imagines that some of the left-overs will trickle down to the less deserving.

Oddly, the item's subject is giving up on books that suck, rather than feeling obligated to complete a book once started. Compulsive as we may be, we doubt if we'd ever have finished the heaps of pulp Andrew pushes on his page. This one, for example:

INTIMATIONS PURSUED: THE VOICE OF PRACTICE IN THE CONVERSATION OF MICHAEL OAKESHOTT

What does any of that mean? We assume it's about his hero, because we recognize the name, but c'mon.

"(Yes, I'm getting an enormous amount of toilet-hygiene-related e-mail)"

We aren't. Jonah Goldberg is. All day long. The standard inferences can be made.

Re: Beware the Oink [1251 EDT] What Makes It All Worthwhile [1333 EDT] Speaking of Paper Towels . . . [1426 EDT] &

Germy Ejecta [1503 EDT] We're sure many of you have seen this, but when we saw we had four browser tabs concerning LoadPants & shit, we felt it should be properly remembered. Courtesy Ted the Slacker, typing at Sadly, etc.!

And why not click over a few more times? Help a nepotist out. Imagine the next NRO editorial meeting: "Jonah, anything you can come up w/ on poop, germs or diapers is golden! The clicks just keep on coming. How bout a Vitter interview? Maybe even in print, for the magazine? That would be worth the effort, wouldn't it, Big Guy?"

Why Sarah Palin Is An Absolutely Useless, No-Talent Loser

"Let's not start believing that government is the answer," she told the largely affectionate crowd of about 5,000 at Pioneer Park. "It can't help make you healthy or wealthy or wise. What can? It is the wisdom of the people. . . . It is God's grace, helping those who help themselves."

Just how is it, in a democratic republic, that the government is not "the wisdom of the people?" Common sense is just not one of one-time Gov. Palin's strong points, is it? But that ol' "Prosperity Gospel" is.

"It should be so obvious to you," she said. "It is because I love Alaska this much, sir, that I feel that it is my duty to avoid the unproductive, typical politics-as-usual lame-duck session in one's last year in office. . . . I will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right. And I have never felt that you need a title to do that."

If it were her duty, is she incapable of performing it? Is she so weak-willed that she couldn't have resisted the temptations of lame-duckery? Should any office-holder (And Ms. Wasilla, in politics one holds an "office," not a "title." At least try to learn that much about usage of our admittedly elitist English language.) who claims she won't be running again be removed from office the very day it's announced, to avoid the "politics as usual" of lame ducks? Perhaps the first move of her new-found freedom (And wealth. "Country First," you know.) will be in support of a Constitutional Amendment to remove any President the minute he or she is elected to a second term, to avoid lameness? Not to mention that many politicians (ones who, unlike Palin, aren't cowards) use their time as a lame-duck to accomplish things that wouldn't be possible were they seeking reëlection. But somehow Palin's going to "fight even harder for you," just not from a position of power, merely as a private loud-mouth.

... at the media, which she has blamed for distorting her statements and fueling controversies that have surrounded her. "You represent what could and should be a respected and honest profession, that could and should be a cornerstone of our democracy," she said. "Democracy depends on you, and that is why our troops are willing to die for you. So how about in honor of the American soldier you quit making things up?"

We can agree w/ that. The media certainly should honor the American soldier. It could start by not repeating lies that send our sacrificial lambs into trumped-up wars of aggression whose purpose is passing money from working Americans to the outstretched hands of the military-industrial-congressional complex. Not "making things up" about Sarah & her young goats"kids" would be a good idea too. Don't give her the coverage she desires. OK: Maverick-y enough? "Not politics as usual." Check. "Fire a last official grenade at the media?" Check. Blather about energy independence & strip-mining Alaska 'cause Gawd wants us to? Yep. What else is there? Oh, you betcha.

"Stiffen your spine to do what's right for Alaskans when the pressure mounts, because you're going to see anti-hunting . . . circuses from Hollywood . . . [who] use Alaska as a fundraising tool for their anti-2nd-Amendment causes," she said. "Stand tall, and remind them individual patriots will protect our right to bear arms," she said. "By the way, Hollywood needs to know: We eat, therefore we hunt."

"WE EAT, THEREFORE WE HUNT!" Twice as good as "Drill, baby, drill." Indeed, right up there w/ "Are we not men?" Final Note: The half-term Gov. uses "apologetics" as if it means, well, apologies. (That from the video actuality, not our cage-liner source.) Watch it if you can stand it.

The Evil Of Banality

Standing at the corner of Tedium Terrace & Dullness Drive, contemplating a walk down Boredom Boulevard to the laundry room.

And if so, which first, the Whites or the Coloreds?

We Keep Warning You, But Do You Listen? No, And Now They're Already Here!

Generally discounted by experts:

the idea that intelligence might spring spontaneously from the Internet.

No wonder they're experts. There have been well-planned attempts to detect or develop intelligence on the net, but if none of them panned out, why would any one think it could happen spontaneously? Not touching this one w/ a ten-ft. pole:

How would it be, for example, to relate to a machine that is as intelligent as your spouse?

This gem just sat unnoticed in the story:

But they agreed that robots that can kill autonomously are either already here or will be soon.

Just a matter of time.

"As I said Frum is a complete ass and needs to go and hide with his ugly wife. Have you seen his wife, a complete dog."

From GOP 12, a Sat. report on a Fri. a. m. discussion w/ Loon, More Loon & Most Loon.

27 July: H. Rap Brown "Tells It Like It Is," Crazed Right-Wing Gunman Proves Him Right 41 Yrs. Later; Bugs Bunny Set Loose

By The Associated Press: Today is Monday, July 27, the 208th day of 2009. There are 157 days left in the year. AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: One hundred years ago, in 1909, during the first official test of the U.S. Army's first airplane, Orville Wright flew himself and a passenger, Lt. Frank Lahm, above Fort Myer, Va., for one hour and 12 minutes. On this date: In 1694, The Bank of England received a royal charter as a commercial institution. In 1789, President George Washington signed a measure establishing the Department of Foreign Affairs, forerunner of the Department of State. In 1794, French revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre was overthrown and placed under arrest; he was executed the following day. In 1861, Union Gen. George B. McClellan was put in command of the Army of the Potomac. In 1866, Cyrus W. Field finished laying out the first successful underwater telegraph cable between North America and Europe (a previous cable in 1858 burned out after only a few weeks of use). Ninety years ago, in 1919, race-related rioting erupted in Chicago; the violence, which claimed the lives of 23 blacks and 15 whites, lasted until Aug. 3. In 1953, the Korean War armistice was signed at Panmunjom, ending three years of fighting.In 1960, Vice President Richard M. Nixon was nominated for president at the Republican national convention in Chicago. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed the Kerner Commission to assess the causes of urban rioting, the same day black militant H. Rap Brown said in Washington that violence was "as American as cherry pie." Thirty-five years ago, in 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted 27-11 to adopt the first of three articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon, charging he had personally engaged in a course of conduct designed to obstruct justice in the Watergate case. Rep. Joshua Eilberg (D-Penn.) tells it like it is. In 1980, the deposed Shah of Iran died in Egypt at age 60. In 1995, The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.

In 1996, terror struck the Atlanta Olympics as a pipe bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park, directly killing one person and injuring 111. (Anti-government extremist Eric Rudolph later pleaded guilty to the bombing.) Ten years ago: The House approved President Bill Clinton's one-year extension of normal trade with China. In an overwhelming defeat for major league umpires, their threatened walkout collapsed when all of the umpires withdrew their resignations; however, about one-third of them ended up losing their jobs anyway. A flash flood in Switzerland claimed the lives of 21 people, 18 of them tourists. With Air Force Col. Eileen Collins at the controls, space shuttle Columbia returned to Earth, ending a five-day mission. Five years ago: Democrats assailed President George W. Bush's handling of the Iraq war at their convention in Boston and painted a vivid portrait of John Kerry as a decorated Vietnam War hero. In a keynote address, Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama said Kerry had long made "tough choices when easier ones were available." In 2005, Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian who'd plotted to bomb the Los Angeles airport on the eve of the millennium, was sentenced to 22 years in prison by a judge in Seattle. One year ago: A gunman went on a rampage at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, killing two people and wounding six others. (Jim D. Adkisson later pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.) Two bombs targeting civilians at a packed square in Istanbul, Turkey, killed 17 people. Iran hanged 29 people convicted of murder, drug trafficking and other crimes. Carlos Sastre of Spain won the Tour de France in one of the closest finishes in the 105-year-old race. Today's Birthdays: TV producer Norman Lear is 87. R&B singer Harvey Fuqua is 80. Actor Jerry Van Dyke is 78. Sportscaster Irv Cross is 70. Actor John Pleshette is 67. Singer Bobbie Gentry is 65. Actress-director Betty Thomas is 61. Olympic gold medal figure skater Peggy Fleming is 61. Actor Maury Chaykin is 60. Singer Maureen McGovern is 60. Actress Janet Eilber is 58. Actress Roxanne Hart is 57. Country musician Duncan Cameron is 53. Comedian-actress-writer Carol Leifer is 53. Comedian Bill Engvall is 52. Jazz singer Karrin Allyson is 47. Country singer Stacy Dean Campbell is 42. Rock singer Juliana Hatfield is 42. Actor Julian McMahon is 41. Comedian Maya Rudolph is 37. Rock musician Abe Cunningham is 36. Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn is 35. New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez is 34. Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers is 32. Today In Entertainment History -- On July 27th, 1940, the cartoon character Bugs Bunny made his official debut when Warner Brothers released the animated short "A Wild Hare."In 1961, The Tokens recorded "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" at a studio in New York. [Bullshit. Lions are nocturnal. They follow the "Sleep all night/Sleep all day/Nothing good on tee vee/anyway" philosophy found here.— Ed.] In 1976, John Lennon was granted permanent US residency following a lengthy battle with immigration officials, & Bruce Springsteen filed a fraud and breach of trust lawsuit against his manager Mike Appel. Appel countersued. In other legal/relationship news, Tina Turner filed for divorce from Ike Turner. Thirty years ago, in 1979, a firebomb was thrown through a window of an Indian art store in Scottsdale, Arizona, owned by Alice Cooper. Cooper said maybe a "disco-music freak" was to blame, because he had been making some "anti-disco remarks." Twenty-five years ago, in 1984, the movie "Purple Rain," featuring Prince, opened in the US and Canada. [OK, you Gen X fucks have to admit you're officiallly old & wretched now. — Ed.] Actor James Mason died in Lausanne, Switzerland, at age 75. In 1985, concertgoer Jon Moreland jumped onstage at a Cure concert in Los Angeles and stabbed himself with a hunting knife. Fans did not know it was not part of the show. In 1995, Selena's "Dreaming Of You" album made its debut at number one on the Billboard album chart, four months after she was shot to death. In 2001, Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Leon Wilkeson was found dead in a hotel room outside Jacksonville, Florida. He was 49. In 2003, comedian Bob Hope died of pneumonia in Toluca Lake, California. He was 100. Thought for Today: "Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock." — Will Rogers, American humorist (1879-1935).