Fascist Health Police Bring Liberal Democracy To Iraq

We'll have no more of this libertinism:

"We want Saddam back," said Ala al-Kanini, a patron at the store, referring to the late Iraqi leader. "You could do anything during Saddam's time."

On the other hand, glibertarianism:

When Turkey expanded a ban on indoor smoking at public places last month, the move triggered what became known as the "smoking ban murder," when a patron opened fire on a restaurant owner in southwest Turkey after the man was asked to put out his cigarette.

Praise Allah for concealed-carry!

Rate For Red, Blue Or Yellow

We'd hoped for an exciting visual presentation, but all we got was a troll in its own comments. Points given for the "Tell-Tale Heart" soundtrack.

HGTV Overnight Up-Date

Decoration continues apace here in the editorial offices/bunker/etc.Being easily thrilled, & w/o expectations or purpose, we were happy to find our IJN ensign in a duffel bag.

Festival Of Freberg

The Bouffant chapeau tipped to Dukey Flyswatter, who posted a couple of these last wk. (Some Facebook acquaintances are not culturally unaware, despite our earlier moaning.) And here's to Stan Freberg, the Phil Spector of Satire, on his 83rd anniversary.

7 August: Hatfield-McCoy Feud Gets Going; Guadalcanal Invaded

By The Associated Press: Today is Friday, Aug. 7, the 219th day of 2009. There are 146 days left in the year.
AP A/V.UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Aug. 7, 1782, Gen. George Washington created the Order of the Purple Heart, a decoration to recognize merit in enlisted men and noncommissioned officers.
On this date:
In 1789, the U.S. War Department was established by Congress.
In 1882, the famous feud between the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky erupted into full-scale violence as one member of the Hatfield clan was mortally wounded by three McCoy brothers, who ended up being slain in turn.
In 1912, the Progressive Party nominated Theodore Roosevelt for president.
In 1927, the Peace Bridge between the United States and Canada was dedicated during ceremonies attended by Prince Edward of Wales, Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and U.S. Vice President Charles Dawes.
In 1942, U.S. and allied forces landed at Guadalcanal, marking the start of the first major allied offensive in the Pacific during World War II.In 1947, the balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki, which had carried a six-man crew 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean, crashed into a reef in a Polynesian archipelago; all six crew members reached land safely.
In 1959, the United States launched the Explorer 6 satellite, which sent back images of the Earth.
In 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy became the first wife of a president since the days of Grover Cleveland to give birth while in the White House. The infant, a boy, died two days later.
In 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers in dealing with reported North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. forces.
In 1971, Apollo 15 returned to Earth after a manned mission to the moon.
In 1974, French stuntman Philippe Petit repeatedly walked a tightrope strung between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center.Twenty years ago, in 1989, a plane carrying U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, D-Texas, and 14 others disappeared over Ethiopia. (The wreckage of the plane was found six days later; there were no survivors.)
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush ordered U.S. troops and warplanes to Saudi Arabia to guard the oil-rich desert kingdom against a possible invasion by Iraq.
In 1998, terrorist bombs at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed 224 people, including 12 Americans.Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton, during a visit to his home state of Arkansas, promised to devote the rest of his presidency to erasing poverty. Wade Boggs became the first player to homer for his 3,000th hit in Tampa Bay's 15-10 loss to Cleveland.
In 2000, Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore chose Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman as his running mate, making him the first Jewish candidate on a major party ticket.
Five years ago: Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi signed an amnesty for minor criminals. Greg Maddux became the 22nd pitcher in major league history to reach 300 victories, leading the Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 victory over San Francisco. Celebrated oil field firefighter Paul "Red" Adair died in Houston at age 89.
In 2005, ABC anchorman Peter Jennings died at age 67.
In 2007, Barry Bonds became baseball's career home run leader when he hit No. 756 during a home game in San Francisco, passing Hank Aaron's mark.
One year ago: President George W. Bush, speaking in Bangkok, Thailand, praised the spread of freedom in Asia while sharply criticizing oppression and human rights abuses in China, Myanmar and North Korea; the president then traveled to Beijing to attend the opening of the Olympic games. A U.S. military jury at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base gave Osama bin Laden's driver a surprisingly light 5 1/2-year sentence for aiding terrorism, making him eligible for parole in just five months. (The U.S. later transferred Salim Hamdan to his home country of Yemen, which released him in January 2009.)
Today's Birthdays: Writer-producer Stan Freberg is 83. R&B singer Herb Reed (The Platters) is 81. Magician, author and lecturer James Randi is 81. Former baseball pitcher Don Larsen is 80. Bluesman Magic Slim is 72. Actress Verna Bloom is 70. Humorist Garrison Keillor is 67. Singer B.J. Thomas is 67. Singer Lana Cantrell is 66. Actor John Glover is 65. Actor David Rasche is 65. R&B singer Harold Hudson is 60. Former diplomat, talk show host and activist Alan Keyes is 59.Country singer Rodney Crowell is 59. Actress Caroline Aaron is 57. Comedian Alexei Sayle is 57. Actor Wayne Knight is 54. Rock singer Bruce Dickinson is 51. Marathon runner Alberto Salazar is 51. Actor David Duchovny is 49. Country musician Michael Mahler (Wild Horses) is 48. Actor Harold Perrineau is 46. Jazz musician Marcus Roberts is 46. Country singer Raul Malo is 44. Actress Charlotte Lewis is 42. Actress Sydney Penny is 38. Actor Michael Shannon is 35. Actress Charlize Theron is 34. Oakland Raiders punter Shane Lechler is 33.
Today In Entertainment History -- In 1957, Oliver Hardy of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy died at age 65.
In 1963, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello's first movie together, "Beach Party," was released.In 1970, "Soul Train" made its debut on a Chicago TV station.
Thirty-five years ago, in 1974, actress Faye Dunaway married singer Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band. They divorced five years later.
In 1986, a judge in Los Angeles dismissed a lawsuit against Ozzy Osbourne. The lawsuit had been filed by the parents of a teen-ager who killed himself while listening to Osbourne's "Suicide Solution." Actor Tom Selleck married Jillie Mack.
In 1990, Marlon Brando's son Christian pleaded innocent in the murder of his half-sister's boyfriend.
In 1991, charges of assault and property damage were filed against Axl Rose in connection with a riot during a Guns N' Roses concert in the St. Louis area.
In 1995, rapper LL Cool J married Simone Johnson.
Thought for Today: "Happiness, it seems to me, consists of two things: first, in being where you belong, and second — and best — in comfortably going through everyday life, that is, having had a good night's sleep and not being hurt by new shoes." — Theodor Fontane, German author (1819-1898).

Who'da Thunk It, Huh?

A tip of the Bouffant chapeau to Johnny Angel's Facebook page (At least one of our "friends" there is vaguely politically aware. Otherwise, by & large a waste, but really, what isn't?) which led us to more about the latest All-Amerikan spree-killer, George Sodini. More that the liberal bias Northeastern elitist media seem to have forgotten/ignored.

The diary focuses on his problems with women and other worries, but also has some comments about the "liberal media," the "Obama economy" -- and it opens with remarks about last fall's election, the election of "The Black Man" and jokes about black men and white women. All left out of the AP excerpts and nearly everywhere else. Here is the full diary.

The NYT also ignores the rightie stuff, but what does one need to know beyond this?

In his online journal, which has since been taken off the Internet, Mr. Sodini, a programmer-analyst at a local law firm, said that he had not had a girlfriend since 1984 and that he had not had sex since July 1990, when he was 29.

Surprise, surprise! A programmer-analyst. At a law firm. Who could've seen that coming? And you can't tell us he hadn't had sex since 1990. He just hadn't had it w/ anyone but himself.

Alien Desert Life Forms

Until quite recently, we'd been thinking talk of Lizard People from Planet X having taken positions of power w/ the help of the Bilderberger/Illuminati/Masonic axis was just slightly sillier than "The President was born in Kenya & raised by Muslims in Indonesia expressly to destroy the United Snakes." Then The New York Times showed us the Republican Governor of Arizona (The Gila Monster State):

Budd Schulberg, R. I. P.

The Best Movie About Television That You've Never Seen

Open Letter To The Bagel Council Of America

Dear Bagel People:

Please make the effing sesame seeds on your stinking bagels adhere to the damn things a little better, as we're sick & tired of picking sesame seeds from our keyboard, among many surfaces.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

America's Concerned Bagel End-User Community.

Blood!

A hand-wringing commenter is afraid there will be blood before August is done.We don't necessarily agree w/ MsJoanne that leftists tend to be pacifists; it's more that we're not so overwhelmed w/ feelings of inadequacy that we must compensate w/ pseudo-macho blather & primitive displays of guns, penises, etc., in classic rightist style.

More importantly, the "No!" elements (described not inaccurately this a. m. by Joe Scarborough as the Ross Perot voters of 1992 — though by now many are the literal or otherwise descendants of the Reform Partiers, many of the Perot fans having been euthanized by gov't. Medi-"Care") frothing/foaming at the mouth as they may be, are old, wretched, & (should push indeed come to shove) will be no match for younger, working people. Bring it on, aging Brownshirt wanna-bes!

Speaking of those who do more for a living than sit in an office all day while cheating their employees & customers, aren't working people the real Americans the right-wing claims to represent? Wrong again! They're "goons." Gateway Pundit knows from goons, being one himself, as evidenced below.Above: Pamela ("Atlas Shrugs") Geller & Jim ("Gateway Pundit") Hoft say good-bye to each other at an airport, possibly following a romantic rendez-vous at the Airport Marriot or Ramada Inn.

Best Use Of The New Technologies. Ever.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A California movie buff's Web site purports to list the least-interesting chunks of currently playing films so audience members know the best time to go pee.

Dan Florio's Web site, Runpee.com, which is also available as an iPhone application, suggests viewers of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" take a bathroom break 33 minutes in, when "Dumbledore says, 'Off to bed, pip-pip,'" or at the 1 hour, 37 minute mark, when "Harry invites Professor Slughorn to go and see Hagrid with him," the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

The Web site further helps moviegoers by allowing them to then view a synopsis of the scene they missed while hitting the head.

Runpee.com offers similar services for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "Funny People," "Bruno" and several other movies currently playing in theaters.

Also leaving the seat down: The AP. It all seems to have started here.

Annals Of "Witchy"

Through the mists of anomic suburban middle-class youth committing random acts of brutal, meaningless violence & criminality comes word that a now 60 yr.-old Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme is soon to be back on the streets. (Although we expect she'll be stuck in a halfway-house for several mos.)

• STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• "Squeaky" Fromme was convicted in 1975 of pointing a gun at then-President Ford
  
• For years, she was one of Charles Manson's few remaining followers
  
• According to reports, she for years waived her right to a parole hearing
  
• She was not involved in the murders that landed Manson, other followers in prison

CNN. Here's the anomie.

Secret Service agents prevented her from firing, but the gun was later found to have no bullet in the chamber, although it contained a clip of ammunition.

In a 1987 interview with CNN affiliate WCHS, Fromme, then housed in West Virginia, recalled the president "had his hands out and was waving ... and he looked like cardboard to me. But at the same time, I had ejected the bullet in my apartment and I used the gun as it was."

Don't Miss

• TIME.com: The girl who almost killed Ford
• TIME.com: The memoirs of Squeaky Fromme
• In Depth: Manson Murders and the Summer of 1969

She said she knew Ford was in town and near her, "and I said, 'I gotta go and talk to him,' and then I thought, 'That's foolish. He's not going to stop and talk to you.' People have already shown you can lay blood in front of them and they're not, you know, they don't think anything of it. I said, 'Maybe I'll take the gun,' and I thought, 'I have to do this. This is the time.' "

She said it never occurred to her that she could wind up in prison. Asked whether she had any regrets, Fromme said, "No. No, I don't. I feel it was fate." However, she said she thought that her incarceration was "unnecessary" and that she couldn't see herself repeating her offense.

"My argument to the jury was, if she wanted to kill him, she would have shot him," John Virga, a Sacramento attorney appointed to defend Fromme, told CNN on Tuesday. "She'd been around guns. And let's be realistic: We know the Manson family, at least some of them, are killers."

Ah, nostalgia. Aimless like a leaf in the wind.

(The NRA is right, coastal elitists are turning us into a nation of easily conquerable weaklings. There hasn't been a successful assassination in this country for 41 yrs.! Learn the fundamentals & then practice, practice, practice, people, so you don't go off half-cocked like this ditz.)

Photos of the events of 1975 here. A sample:Any weapons fanciers out there know what the "well-armed U. S. Marshal" is packing? (Or should we say flaunting? And isn't he the very lookist definition of a slack-jawed, inbred, homicidal cretin? Shoot for the head, he's got a vest on underneath that hideous sport coat!)

6 August: Eat Shit, Hiroshima! Also: First Electric Chair Used On Human; Party Over For Holy Roman Empire

By The Associated Press: Today is Thursday, Aug. 6, the 218th day of 2009. There are 147 days left in the year.
AP A/V.UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Aug. 6, 1945, during World War II, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths in the first use of a nuclear weapon in warfare. The man w/ the blood on his hands, President Harry S. Truman, rationalizes aloud.Below: Further consequences of that sort of thing includeGOJIRA!! On this date:
In 1787, the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia began to debate a draft of the U.S. Constitution.
In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire went out of existence as Emperor Francis II abdicated.
Two hundred years ago, in 1809, one of the leading literary figures of the Victorian era, poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was born in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England.
In 1825, Upper Peru became the autonomous republic of Bolivia.
One hundred fifty years ago, in 1859, the Australian passenger ship SS Admella, en route from Port Adelaide to Melbourne, struck a reef off South Australia and broke apart; of the 113 people on board, only 24 survived.
In 1890, Hall of fame pitcher Cy Young made his major league debut with the Cleveland Spiders of the National League. Convicted murderer William Kemmler became the first person to be executed in the electric chair as he was put to death at Auburn State Prison in New York.
In 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war against Russia, and Serbia declared war against Germany at the outbreak of World War I.
In 1926, Gertrude Ederle of New York became the first woman to swim the English Channel, arriving in Kingsdown, England, from France in 14 and a half hours. In 1940, Italy invaded British Somaliland, starting the Battle of North Africa in World War II.
In 1962, Jamaica became an independent dominion within the British Commonwealth.
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. Below: Five humans currently rotting below ground.In 1978, Pope Paul VI died at Castel Gandolfo at age 80.
In 1986, William J. Schroeder died after living 620 days with the Jarvik 7 artificial heart.

In 1995, some 100,000 people attended a memorial service in Hiroshima, Japan, to mark the 50th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing that helped end World War II.

In 1996, NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin announced the discovery of evidence of a primitive life form on Mars.

In 1997, British Prime Minister Tony Blair shook hands with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams in the first meeting in 76 years between a British leader and the IRA's allies.

In 1998, a House committee voted to cite Attorney General Janet Reno for contempt of Congress for her refusal to turn over reports recommending that she seek an independent counsel to investigate campaign fund-raising, & former White House intern Monica Lewinsky spent eight and a half hours [Whew! — Ed.] testifying before a grand jury about her relationship with President Bill Clinton.
Ten years ago: In Canton, Texas, a 36-year-old woman facing lifelong heart problems that she blamed on the diet drug combination fen-phen was awarded $23.3 million in the first such lawsuit to reach a jury. (The case was settled for less than a tenth of that amount during an appeal.) Tony Gwynn became the 22nd major leaguer to reach 3,000 hits as his team, the San Diego Padres, beat the Montreal Expos 12-10.
Five years ago: A court found two former top East German officials guilty of failing to stop the killing of people trying to escape across the Berlin Wall and sentenced them to probation.
In 2007, the Crandall Canyon Mine in central Utah collapsed, trapping six coal miners. (All six miners died, along with three rescuers.) [Has the capitalist asshole responsible done any time yet? Of course not. This is America, not socialist Russia! — Ed.]
One year ago: The government declared that Army scientist Bruce Ivins was solely responsible for the anthrax attacks that killed five and rattled the nation in 2001. (Ivins had committed suicide on July 29.) A U.S. military jury convicted Osama bin Laden's former driver, Salim Hamdan, of supporting terrorism in the first war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay. President George W. Bush, on his Asia tour, met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak; Bush then traveled to Thailand, where he met with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
Today's Birthdays: Former tennis player Pauline Betz is 90. Actress-singer Abbey Lincoln is 79. Jazz musician Charlie Haden is 72. Actor-director Peter Bonerz is 71. Actor Michael Anderson Jr. is 66. Actor Dorian Harewood is 59. Actress Catherine Hicks is 58. Rock singer Pat MacDonald (Timbuk 3) is 57. Actress Stepfanie Kramer is 53. Actress Faith Prince is 52. R&B singer Randy DeBarge is 51. Country singers Peggy and Patsy Lynn are 45. Basketball Hall-of-Fame electee David Robinson is 44. Actor Jeremy Ratchford is 44. Country singer Lisa Stewart is 41. Movie writer-director M. Night Shyamalan is 39. Actress Merrin Dungey is 38. Singer Geri Halliwell is 37. Actor Jason O'Mara is 37. Actress Vera Farmiga is 36. Actress Ever Carradine is 35. Actress Soleil Moon Frye is 33. Rock singer Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes) is 28. Rock musician Eric Roberts (Gym Class Heroes) is 25.
Today In Entertainment History -- In 1926, Warner Brothers premiered its "Vitaphone" sound-on-disc movie system in New York.
In 1965, the album "Help!" by the Beatles was released.
In 1973, Stevie Wonder was seriously injured when the car he was riding in collided with a lumber truck in North Carolina. He spent four days in a coma.
In 1982, the movie "Pink Floyd -- The Wall" had its US premiere in New York.
Twenty-five years ago, in 1984, the album "Purple Rain" by the [sic] Prince was released.
In 1987, the Beastie Boys sued the city of Jacksonville for including the phrase "mature audience" on their concert tickets and ads.
In 1988, "Yo! MTV Raps" made its debut, hosted by Fab 5 Freddy.
Twenty years ago, in 1989, the musical "Oh! Calcutta!" closed on Broadway. Bassist Adam Clayton of U2 was arrested at his home in Dublin for pot possession. [And the pans? — Ed.]
In 1992, the first Oscar to be sold was put on the auction block in New York. Harold Russell had won the award in 1947 for "The Best Years of Our Lives" and sold it against the Academy's wishes. It brought in $60,500.
In 1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley made their first public appearance as newlyweds, in Budapest.
Five years ago, funk legend Rick James died in Los Angeles at age 56.
Thought for Today: "No man ever got very high by pulling other people down. The intelligent merchant does not knock his competitors. The sensible worker does not work those who work with him. Don't knock your friends. Don't knock your enemies. Don't knock yourself." — Alfred, Lord Tennyson, British poet (1809-1892). [Knock this, bitch! — Ed.]

God Damn America!

We've said it before, we'll repeat ourselves now: Reverend Wright is right!

Enough w/ fucking "Gawd Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch, already. As we would sooner drown in our own vomit than listen to another regurgitation of the epic of mawk, we had the audio well muted the instant some 10 yr.-old in an American flag shirt (Show some fucking respect, two-faced flag fetishists! There's a whole code that says don't make the flag into shirts, bikinis & the like.) showed up to wail at Dodger Stadium, but the flat screen told a grim story of some players holding their caps over their chests, & youth in the crowd w/ hands over hearts. This is NOT the fucking horrid National Bombs & Rockets Anthem, morons, you don't have to stand up or salute or anything.

We are reminded of The Committee's closing skit (not available on the web, it seems) in which someone who doesn't stand up for the Bloody Star Spangled Banner is poked & prodded to stand up & put his hand where it must be. He remains seated, & as the national anthem plays on, the urging him to stand escalates until he is thrashed w/in an inch of his life by the patriots for his refusal to conform. It can & will happen here, if it hasn't already.

Fascist Internet Censorship: "Death Lives!"

We note in passing that the web log of the guy who couldn't get a date, hated womyn & shot the shit out of several womyn at an LAFitness "health club" in a Pittsburgh suburb has disappeared from public view.

When we go on our signature killing spree (a fine ending to a long & distinguished career, we like to think) we hope that the shithead mother-fuckers at Bugger™ (Hey, we could go on our spree in Silicon Valley!) will leave this site available as a warning. Fuck censorship, right?

Some RW A-holes have a few selections available here.

We keep leaving warnings & hints of our utter hatred & contempt for your species & our lack of concern for human life (If you clowns can call yourselves humans.) & so on, but no one seems willing to do anything about it. Scared of something, soon-to-be-dead losers?

P. S.: People keep telling us that exercise & nutrition can improve one's mental state. Exercise didn't seem to work too well w/ the late & unlamented George Sodini, did it? Explain that, so-called medical experts & especially you, so-called psychiatrist!

P. P. S.: What kind of fascism is going on w/ Bugger™'s spell check that it doesn't recognize the word "womyn?" Jerks.

5 August: Monroe Goes; As Do "Dick" Burton & Alec Guiness; Pat Smear Hits 50!

By The Associated Press: Today is Wednesday, Aug. 5, the 217th day of 2009. There are 148 days left in the year.
AP A/V.UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Aug. 5, 1884, the cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty's pedestal was laid on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor.
On this date:
In 1833, Chicago was incorporated as a village with a population of about 200.
In 1858, American businessman Cyrus Field finished laying out the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable between Newfoundland and Ireland. (However, after several weeks of use, the cable burned out.)
In 1861, the federal government levied an income tax for the first time.
In 1864, Union Adm. David G. Farragut is said to have given his famous order "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" as he led his fleet to victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay, Ala.
In 1924, the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie," by Harold Gray, made its debut.In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Labor Board, which was later replaced with the National Labor Relations Board.
In 1953, Operation Big Switch began as prisoners taken during the Korean conflict were exchanged at Panmunjom.
In 1963, the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union signed a treaty in Moscow banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in space and underwater.
In 1968, the Republican national convention convened in Miami Beach, Fla.
In 1969, the U.S. space probe Mariner 7 flew by Mars, sending back photographs and scientific data.
In 1974, U.S. President Richard Nixon admitted ordering the Watergate investigation halted six days after the break-in. Nixon said he expected to be impeached.
In 1981, the federal government began firing air traffic controllers who had gone on strike.
In 1992, Federal civil rights charges were filed against four Los Angeles police officers acquitted of state charges in the videotaped beating of Rodney King; two were later convicted.
Ten years ago: Republicans overcame solid Democratic opposition to narrowly win passage of a 10-year, $792 billion tax cut, first in the House, then in the Senate; President Bill Clinton denounced the measure and promised a veto. (He carried out his threat on Sept. 23, 1999). Richard Holbrooke won Senate confirmation as U.N. ambassador after a grueling 14-month battle. Mark McGwire became the 16th member of the 500-home run club, hitting two homers — Nos. 500 and 501 — in the St. Louis Cardinals' 10-3 loss to San Diego.
In 2001, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban jailed eight foreign aid workers, including two Americans, for allegedly preaching Christianity.
In 2002, the coral-encrusted gun turret of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor was raised from the floor of the Atlantic.
Five years ago: New York City's director of ferries pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of manslaughter in the wreck of a Staten Island ferry. (Patrick Ryan later pleaded guilty to negligent manslaughter and was sentenced to a year in prison.) Two-year-old twins from the Philippines, Carl and Clarence Aguirre, born with the tops of their heads fused together, were separated at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. The Georgia men's basketball team was placed on four years' probation for rules violations under former coach Jim Harrick.

In 2006, the Los Angeles Times said newly declassified U.S. Army files confirm U.S. atrocities in Vietnam were more extensive than reported with at least 320 alleged incidents.
One year ago: President George W. Bush arrived in South Korea to begin a three-country Asia tour. Seven firefighters and two pilots were killed when their helicopter crashed on takeoff while ferrying the crew members from fire lines in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Northern California. Jose Medellin, a Mexican-born condemned killer, was executed by the state of Texas for his part in a horrific attack on two teenage girls in 1993.
Today's Birthdays: Former astronaut Neil A. Armstrong is 79. Actress Cammie King ("Gone with the Wind") is 75. Actor John Saxon is 74. Actor Zakes Mokae is 74. Former football player Roman Gabriel is 69. Country songwriter Bobby Braddock is 69. Rock musician Rick Huxley (The Dave Clark Five) is 69. Actress Loni Anderson is 64. Actress Erika Slezak is 63. Rock singer Rick Derringer is 62. Actress Holly Palance is 59. Singer Samantha Sang is 56. Actress-singer Maureen McCormick is 53. Rock musician Pat Smear is 50. Actress Tawney Kitaen is 48. Country musician Mark O'Connor is 48. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Patrick Ewing is 47. Rapper MCA (The Beastie Boys) is 45. Actor Jonathan Silverman is 43. Country singer Terri Clark is 41. Former baseball player John Olerud is 41. Rock musician Eicca Toppinen (Apocalyptica) is 34. Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford is 28.
Today In Entertainment History -- On August fifth, 1957, "American Bandstand," with host Dick Clark, debuted on ABC.The first act to appear was The Chordettes, who later had a big hit with the song "Lollipop."
In 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in the bedroom of her Los Angeles home. Her death was ruled a "probable suicide" caused by an overdose of sleeping pills. She was 36.
In 1966, The Beatles released their "Revolver" album in Britain. It was released in the US four days later.
In 1967, Pink Floyd's first album, "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn," was released in the U.K.
In 1975, Stevie Wonder announced he had re-signed with Motown Records for $13 million. The contract wasn't actually signed until the following April.
Twenty-five years ago, in 1984, actor Richard Burton died at a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland. He was 58.
In 1990, Janet Jackson collapsed backstage during a concert in St. Louis after performing three songs.
In 1994, Bill Cosby was ordered to pay damages of 20 cents for assaulting a photographer, who had sued Cosby for $2 million.
In 2000, actor Alec Guinness died in southern England at the age of 86.
Thought for Today: "What worries you, masters you." — John Locke, English philosopher (1632-1704).

More "Culture"

We weren't the only one who thought he was Ansel Adams last Sunday.One of those elitists, w/ a camera that focuses, took this.Focused photo courtesy Billy W. Bennight II's Facebook page.

All Gawd's Chilluns Got Troubles

SCOTUS Associate Justice David Souter did not retire to his famously dilapidated ancestral manse.

The modest colonial-era farmhouse that sits on the dirt-covered Cilley Hill Road in Weare is "old and rustic," as Gilman describes it, and has been in the Souter family for generations.

A moose-brown paint coats parts of the exterior; other areas are peeling like a bad sunburn. The lawn, surrounded by a towering pines, could use a good mow, but the house is otherwise charming - what one might expect to find in an old-fashioned New England homestead.

Aesthetics be damned though, it's the life of the mind for the erstwhile justice, who had to move

... because his Weare house wasn't structurally sound enough to hold the thousands of books that make up his library.

"He said there was just so much weight from the books, it would be too much for the house to support," Gilman said. "He said he wants to live on one floor."

One floor? Hell, it's a physical impossibility to be in two rooms at the same time. Why so greedy, book-larnin' elitist?

Confused & Dazed

While spying on our readership of voyeuristic pervs we chanced upon our name at AOLsearch (UK. Huh? AmericaOL in the UK?) which is "powered by Google™."

What's w/ the hats? (And the Hindi?)

Bringing Democracy To Iraq (X Thousand Ruined Lives & Broken Families Later)

The paper of record sees the future:

[T]he Iraqi government moves to ban sites deemed harmful to the public, to require Internet cafes to register with the authorities and to press publishers to censor books.

The government, which has been proceeding quietly on the new censorship laws, said prohibitions were necessary because material currently available in the country had had the effect of encouraging sectarian violence in the fragile democracy and of warping the minds of the young.

As long as they're keeping the minds of the young from being warped by non-approved thoughts (or thought itself) we're fine w/ it.

Of course, we may be hasty in our judgement. This may be just the sort of "democracy" the Bush Admin. wanted for their Iraqi colony. It's pretty much what they wanted for their fiefdom here in the United Snakes.

Simplicity = Not Falling Into Sin

And, a peep inside the fundamentalist mind (or the authoritarian reactions that pass for mental activity in the drooling Islamic or Xian believer's mind).

“We want to go back,” said Yosra Marwan, a 24-year-old student. “I do not like cellphones and the Internet and satellite television. Please tell people I am one of the Iraqis who dream of living in simplicity to avoid falling into sin.”

Unlike most of America's fundamentals, sad young fuck Marwan will probably not be dying soon.

Compare/Contrast

Transcript here.

REDSUCK

Ed Kilgore of The Democratic Strategist lets us know what happened w/ the big REDSTATE event over the wknd.

On another front, efforts to create a "rightroots" to rival the progressive blogosphere as a force in American politics are moving rather slowly. This last weekend RedState.com, the site often touted as the conservative counterpart to DailyKos, held its first "Gathering" in Atlanta. 200 people showed up, and mainly spent time listening to conservative primary candidates fighting uphill battles against other Republicans, along with familiar right-wing firebrands like Jim DeMint. In a couple of weeks, 1500-2000 attendees are expected at the Kos-inspired Netroots Nation event in Pittsburgh. It's not clear who the headline speakers will be (as is appropriate for an event focused on workshops and small panels, not speeches), but in 2007 the event attracted a major presidential debate.

If only we could have been there.

What Does Nature Want?

Fans of nature & the animal kingdom may need to remind themselves that when the lion lies down w/ the lamb, only one gets up.

4 August: "Birther" Day: Where Was He Born? Bill Cosby Loses Libel Suit; Anne Frank Popped By Nazi Pigs

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 4, the 216th day of 2009. There are 149 days left in the year.
AP A/V.UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Aug. 4, 1944, Anne Frank, 15, was arrested along with her sister, parents and four other people by German security after they had spent two years hiding from the Nazis in a building in Amsterdam. (Anne, who'd kept a now-famous diary during her time in hiding, died in March 1945 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.)On this date:
In 1735, a jury found John Peter Zenger of the New York Weekly Journal not guilty of committing seditious libel against the colonial governor of New York, William Cosby.
In 1790, the Coast Guard had its beginnings as the Revenue Cutter Service.
In 1792, English romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was born at Field Place near Horsham, England.
In 1830, plans for the city of Chicago were laid out.
In 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were axed to death in their home in Fall River, Mass. Lizzie Borden, Andrew's daughter from a previous marriage, was accused of the killings, but acquitted at trial.
In 1900, Britain's Queen Mother Elizabeth was born.
In 1914, Britain declared war on Germany while the United States proclaimed its neutrality.
In 1916, the United States reached agreement with Denmark to purchase the Danish Virgin Islands for $25 million.
Eighty years ago, in 1929, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was born Rahman Abdel-Raouf Arafat Al-Qudwa in either Cairo or Gaza.
In 1949, more than 6,000 people were killed when an earthquake leveled 50 towns in Ecuador.
In 1964, the bodies of missing civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney were found buried in an earthen dam in Mississippi.
In 1972, Arthur Bremer was found guilty of shooting and severely wounding Alabama Gov. George Wallace who was campaigning for president. Bremer was sentenced to 63 years in prison.
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed a measure establishing the Department of Energy.
In 1987, the Federal Communications Commission voted to abolish the Fairness Doctrine, which required radio and television stations to present balanced coverage of controversial issues.
In 1994, Serb-dominated Yugoslavia withdrew its support for Bosnian Serbs, sealing the 300-mile border between Yugoslavia and Serb-held Bosnia.
Ten years ago: On the eve of congressional votes on the Republicans' $792 billion tax cut proposal, President Bill Clinton again pledged a veto, saying the GOP package was"risky and plainly wrong."
In 2002, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a bus in northern Israel during rush hour, killing nine passengers.
Five years ago: Richard Smith, a Staten Island ferry pilot, pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in a crash that killed 11 commuters the previous October, acknowledging that he'd passed out at the helm after arriving at work with medication in his system. (Smith was sentenced to 18 months in prison.) Former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau, convicted of having sex with a sixth-grade pupil, was released from a Washington state prison. Opponents of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., launched a lengthy attack on his war record with a TV ad blitz that Republican Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called "dishonest and dishonorable."
In 2005, a mini-submarine carrying seven Russians became caught on an underwater antenna 600 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean; the men were rescued three days later with help from a British vessel. In a videotaped broadcast, al-Qaida threatened Britain and the United States with attacks if their armies did not quit "the land of Islam," in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2006, authorities in Phoenix arrested two men in 24 "serial shooter" attacks that killed a reported 14 people in Arizona over the previous year.
In 2007, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants tied Hank Aaron's 755 career home runs in a 3-2 loss to the Padres in San Diego, & Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees became at age 32 the youngest player in major league history to hit his 500th career home run, during a home game against Kansas City.
One year ago: President George W. Bush signed legislation allowing the State Department to settle all remaining lawsuits against Libya by American victims of terrorism. In a brazen attack just days ahead of the Beijing Olympics, two men from a mainly Muslim ethnic group rammed a truck and hurled explosives at jogging policemen in western China, killing 16.
Today's Birthdays: Journalist Helen Thomas is 89. Singer Frankie Ford is 70. Actress-singer Tina Cole is 66. Actor-comedian Richard Belzer is 65. Football Hall-of-Famer John Riggins is 60. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is 54. Actor-screenwriter Billy Bob Thornton is 54. Actress Kym Karath ("The Sound of Music") is 51. Track star Mary Decker Slaney is 51. Actress Lauren Tom is 50.President Barack Obama is 48. TV producer Michael Gelman ("Live with Regis and Kelly") is 48. Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens is 47. Actress Crystal Chappell is 44. Author Dennis Lehane is 44. Rock musician Rob Cieka (Boo Radleys) is 41. Actor Daniel Dae Kim is 41. Actor Michael DeLuise is 40. Actor Ron Lester is 39. Race car driver Jeff Gordon is 38. Rapper-actress Yo-Yo is 38.
Today In Entertainment History -- On August fourth, 1957, the Everly Brothers introduced their upcoming single "Wake Up Little Susie" on the "Ed Sullivan Show." The song created a controversy, and some radio stations banned it.
In 1958, Billboard magazine introduced its "Hot 100" chart, covering the 100 most popular pop singles in the country. The first No. 1 was Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool."
In 1975, Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and his family were seriously injured in a car accident while vacationing. The accident forced the band to postpone its US tour.
In 1980, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began work on the album "Double Fantasy." It ended up being Lennon's last studio effort. He was shot to death later that year.
In 1987, the soundtrack to "Dirty Dancing" was released.
In 1992, drummer Jeff Porcaro of Toto died suddenly of heart disease. He was 38.
In 1995, the Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans were married. They had met two weeks earlier.
Ten years ago, actor Victor Mature died in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. at age 86 (although some references said he was as young as 83).
Thought for Today:"When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out." — Elizabeth Bowen, Irish author (1899-1973).

Highland Park Backyard Culture Vulture Round-Up

We have seen the future of, if not all music, at least Rock & Roll.

Behold: The Black Widows.No sissified, elitist vocals/lyrics. But w/ visual aids.Also: The past of rock & roll. See it while you can. L. A. Is The Capital Of Kansas
From above the above-ground pool/cement pond/giant hot tub.Moonrise, Highland Park, California

From The So Cal Sports Desk

As each team currently holds the best record in their league, if there weren't any play-off bullshit, & for some inexplicable reason the season ended today, the Fall Classic™ (besides becoming the Summer Classic) would be a Freeway Series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (A-hem!) & the Brooklyn Bums of Los Angeles.

We've no idea why we type this, because the not-so-ex Bums may not even be near the wild card by the end of September if they don't knock this crap off.

P. S.: That means you, juicer Ramirez!

My Country First, God Bless It, & If You Say There's Anything Wrong W/ It, You're A Poopy-Head!!

Sarah Palin, trained savage attack dog w/ a veneer of femininity pitbull w/ lipstick.

Included was a 164-word script that blasted Obama for his relationship with Ayers. The line that attracted the headlines said of Obama: "This is not a man who sees America as you and I do -- as the greatest force for good in the world. This is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country."

Some detractors inside the campaign later accused Palin of "going rogue," but in this case, her attack on Ayers was initiated by McCain's high command. Still, when she read the message, Palin was enthusiastic about the assignment. "Yes yes yes," she replied in an e-mail response. "Pls let me say this!!!" Palin delivered those "pal around with terrorists" lines almost exactly as scripted at a Colorado fundraiser. When she finished, she sent another e-mail to McCain's high command: "It was awesome."

Awesome indeed, dude. Presidential material, wouldn't you say?

Pilin' on Palin: Juan Cole, at Salon, sez she's another Ahmadinejad.

Why Would I Care?

From the "How could anyone, anywhere, ever, give a shit?" file, we announce, for those who just can't get enough of what happened to entertainment figures of Baby Boomer vintage on this date, or who want to watch a slide show w/ sound bites of this date's events, that we have fully up-dated, linked, & added photos & you name it to our daily drivel collections of 1, 2, & 3 August, which were neglected while we were away "living." (Obligatory disclaimer: "If you can call it that.")

(We wouldn't have brought it up, but there's an interesting revealing personal anecdote in the 1 August birthday list, speaking of Baby Boomer entertainment figures.)

3 August: Columbus Sails Ocean Blue In 1492

Today is Monday, Aug. 3, the 215th day of 2009. There are 150 days left in the year.
AP A/V.UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Aug. 3, 1949, the National Basketball Association was formed as a merger of the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League.
On this date:
In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on a voyage that took him to the present-day Americas.
In 1778, the opera house La Scala opened in Milan, Italy, with a performance of Antonio Salieri's "Europa riconosciuta."
In 1807, former Vice President Aaron Burr went on trial before a federal court in Richmond, Va., charged with treason. (He was acquitted less than a month later.)
In 1852, America's first intercollegiate athletic event was held as Yale and Harvard met for a crew race on Lake Winnipesaukee in Center Harbor, N.H.
In 1914, Germany declared war on France at the onset of World War I. British Foreign Secretary Edward Grey remarked: "The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."
In 1923, Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as the 30th president of the United States, following the death of Warren G. Harding.
In 1943, Gen. George S. Patton slapped a private at an army hospital in Sicily, accusing him of cowardice. (Patton was later ordered by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to apologize for this and a second, similar episode.)
In 1948, former Communist Whittaker Chambers, testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee, accused former State Department official Alger Hiss of having been part of a Communist cell, a charge Hiss denied.In 1958, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the North Pole underwater.
In 1980, closing ceremonies were held in Moscow for the Summer Olympic Games, which had been boycotted by dozens of countries, including the United States.
In 1981, U.S. air traffic controllers went on strike, despite a warning from President Ronald Reagan they would be fired, which they were. Hear the already brain-dead President Ronald Reagan start the ruin of our nation.
In 1987, the Iran-Contra congressional hearings ended with none of the 29 witnesses tying President Ronald Reagan directly to the diversion of arms-sales profits to Nicaraguan rebels.
In 1993, the Senate voted 96-3 to confirm Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court.
In 1994, Arkansas carried out the nation's first triple execution in 32 years. Stephen G. Breyer was sworn in as the Supreme Court's newest justice in a private ceremony at Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist's Vermont summer home.
Ten years ago: Congressional Republicans, shrugging off a presidential veto threat, nailed down the details of an agreement for a 10-year, $792 billion tax cut. Arbitrators ruled the government had to pay the heirs of Dallas dressmaker Abraham Zapruder $16 million for his movie footage that captured the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The first issue of Talk magazine hit newsstands. (The magazine folded in January 2002.) [Tina Brown's really got a winner w/ that Daily Beast thing now. — Ed.]
In 2003, golfer Annika Sorenstam completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Women's British Open.
Five years ago: Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge defended the decision to tighten security in New York and Washington even though the intelligence behind the latest terror warnings was as much as four years old. The Statue of Liberty pedestal in New York City reopened to the public for the first time since the 9/11 attacks. French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson died at age 95.
In 2005, in the first emergency repair conducted in space, astronauts fixed a potentially dangerous problem by removing two strips of protruding cloth from the underside of the space shuttle Discovery that could have overheated during re-entry.
In 2007, a jury at Camp Pendleton, Calif., sentenced Marine Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III to 15 years in prison for the murder of an Iraqi civilian during a fruitless search for an insurgent.
One year ago: Nobel Prize-winning Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn died near Moscow at age 89. Al-Qaida confirmed the death of a top commander (Abu Khabab al-Masri), apparently in a U.S. airstrike in Pakistan; he was accused of training the suicide bombers who killed 17 American sailors on the USS Cole in 2000. At least 145 people were killed in a stampede of pilgrims at a remote mountaintop Hindu temple in India.
Today's Birthdays: Author P. D. James is 89. Broadway composer Richard Adler is 88. Singer Gordon Stoker (The Jordanaires) is 85. Football Hall-of-Fame coach Marv Levy is 84. Singer Tony Bennett is 83. Sen. Roland W. Burris, D-Ill., is 72. Actor Martin Sheen is 69. Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth is 69. Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is 68. Singer Beverly Lee (The Shirelles) is 68. Rock musician B.B. Dickerson is 60. Movie director John Landis is 59. Actress JoMarie Payton is 59. Actor Jay North ("Dennis the Menace") is 58. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Marcel Dionne is 58. Country musician Randy Scruggs is 56. Actor John C. McGinley is 50. Rock singer-musician Lee Rocker (The Stray Cats) is 48. Rock singer James Hetfield (Metallica) is 46. Rock singer-musician Ed Roland (Collective Soul) is 46. Actor Isaiah Washington is 46. Country musician Dean Sams (Lonestar) is 43. Rock musician Stephen Carpenter (Deftones) is 39. Hip-hop artist Spinderella (Salt-N-Pepa) is 38. Actress Brigid Brannagh is 37. Country musician Jimmy De Martini (Zac Brown Band) is 33. St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glausis 33. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is 32. Actress Evangeline Lilly (TV:"Lost") is 30.
Today In Entertainment History -- On August third, 1963, The Beatles appeared at the Cavern Club in Liverpool for the last time.In 1966, comic Lenny Bruce died of a drug overdose. He was 40.
In 1969, Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys was indicted for failure to report for civilian duty at a hospital in lieu of military service.
In 1971, Paul McCartney announced the formation of Wings, which featured his wife Linda on keyboards. Other members included former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine.
In 1974, guitarist Jeff Baxter and drummer Jim Hodder left Steely Dan. Baxter joined the Doobie Brothers and Hodder produced and did session work.
Thirty years ago, in 1979, The Knack topped both the album and the singles charts, with their album "Get the Knack" and the single "My Sharona."
In 1987, Def Leppard released its "Hysteria" album.
In 2002, Bob Dylan played the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island for the first time in 37 years. In 1965, the crowd was outraged when he played electric guitar at the festival.
Thought for Today: "The man who insists on seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides." — Henri Frederic Amiel, Swiss critic (1821-1881).

HOT AS A MO-FO TITLING, TIGHTENING & EMBOLDENING took place around 1300 PDT.
AND MORE ADDITIONS followed, 1930ish PDT.

2 August: JFK Run Over By Nips In Pacific; Other Yellow Perilers Attack USN Off Vietnam

By The Associated Press Today is Sunday, Aug. 2, the 214th day of 2009. There are 151 days left in the year.AP A/V. UPI Almanac.Today's Highlight in History:
One hundred years ago, on Aug. 2, 1909, the original Lincoln penny (with two ears of wheat on the reverse side) first went into circulation, replacing the "Indian Head" cent.
On this date:
In 1776, members of the Continental Congress began attaching their signatures to the Declaration of Independence. [Once again giving the lie to "history," which is bunk anyway. — Ed.]
In 1873, inventor Andrew S. Hallidie successfully tested a cable car he had designed for the city of San Francisco.
In 1876, frontiersman "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot and killed while playing poker at a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, by Jack McCall, who was later hanged.
In 1923, the 29th president of the United States, Warren G. Harding, died in San Francisco; Vice President Calvin Coolidge became president.
In 1927, four years after becoming president, Calvin Coolidge issued a written statement to reporters: "I do not choose to run for President in nineteen twenty-eight."
Seventy-five years ago, in 1934, German President Paul von Hindenburg died, paving the way for Adolf Hitler's complete takeover.
Seventy years ago, in 1939, Albert Einstein signed a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt urging creation of an atomic weapons research program. President Roosevelt signed the Hatch Act, which prohibited civil service employees from taking an active part in political campaigns.
In 1943, during World War II, Navy boat PT-109, commanded by Lt. John F. Kennedy, sank after being rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri off the Solomon Islands.
In 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox suffered light damage from North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin.
In 1968, a major earthquake in the Philippines rocked Manila, killing 307 people.
In 1974, John Dean, counsel to U.S. President Richard Nixon, was sentenced to 1-to-4 years in prison for his part in the Watergate cover-up.
In 1985, 135 people were killed when a Delta Air Lines jetliner crashed while attempting to land at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

In 1990, Iraq invaded and overran neighboring Kuwait after weeks of tension over disputed land and oil production quotas.
Ten years ago: Launching another salvo in a war of nerves with rival Taiwan, China announced it had test-fired a new long-range missile. A train collision in India claimed nearly 300 lives.
Five years ago: President George W. Bush urged creation of a national intelligence director to coordinate the war on terrorism but without the sweeping powers for hiring, firing and spending recommended by the September 11th commission. Turkish truckers stopped hauling goods for U.S. forces in Iraq after the shooting of a Turkish hostage was shown on the Internet. Police in Salt Lake City arrested Mark Hacking, whose wife, Lori, had disappeared. (Hacking later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.)
One year ago: Police in southern Afghanistan reported a bus carrying a wedding party had struck a mine, killing 10 people, including the bride and groom; meanwhile, two French humanitarian aid workers kidnapped on July 18 were released.
Today's Birthdays: Former Sen. Paul Laxalt, R-Nev., is 87. Actor Peter O'Toole is 77. Country singer Hank Cochran is 74. Rock musician Garth Hudson (The Band) is 72. Movie director Wes Craven is 70. Singer Kathy Lennon (The Lennon Sisters) is 66. Actor Max Wright is 66. Actress Joanna Cassidy is 64. Actress Kathryn Harrold is 59. Singer Andrew Gold is 58. Actor Butch Patrick ("The Munsters") is 56. Singer Mojo Nixon is 52. Actress Victoria Jackson is 50. Actress Apollonia is 50. Actress Cynthia Stevenson is 47. Actress Mary-Louise Parker is 45. Baseball pitcher Tim Wakefield is 43. Rock musician John Stanier is 41. Writer-actor-director Kevin Smith is 39. Actor Sam Worthington is 33. Figure skater Michael Weiss is 33. Actor Edward Furlong is 32. Rock musician Devon Glenn is 29. Cleveland Indians All-Star center fielder Grady Sizemore is 27.
Today In Entertainment History -- On August second, 1958, Johnny Cash's contract with Sun Records expired. He switched labels to Columbia and stayed with them for 28 years.
In 1961, The Beatles began an engagement as the regular headliners at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. The band performed more than 300 times in the course of two years.
In 1969, Bob Dylan showed up unexpectedly to his 10th year high school reunion in Hibbing, Minn. He and his wife left early after a drunk tried to pick a fight with him.
In 1972, original Association member Brian Cole died in Los Angeles of a heroin overdose.
In 1974, a funeral was held in Hollywood for Mama Cass Elliot. Her body was cremated and her ashes were buried in Maryland.
In 1982, singer Jose Feliciano married Susan Omillian in California.
In 1987, Billy Joel played a concert in Leningrad. Audience members carried Joel out on their shoulders at the end, and about 200 chairs were destroyed by concert-goers who jumped up and down on them.
In 1991, Rick James and his girlfriend, Tanya Hijazi, were arrested in Los Angeles and charged with sexually assaulting and torturing a woman.
In 1998, puppeteer Shari Lewis died of uterine cancer in Los Angeles. She was 65. Her best known puppets were Lamb Chop and Charlie Horse.
Thought for Today: "The trouble with this country is that there are too many people going about saying, 'The trouble with this country is...'" — Sinclair Lewis, American author (1885-1951).

VARIOUS ADDITIONS made 1300ish, & then @ 2030 or so, 3 August 2009.

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.