News Release
Thursday 1:15 GMT Thursday 1 April 2007
FOOD
CONSUMER
Burger King
Burger King UK today announced the launch of its latest salvo in the battle of the Burger Wars - the new left-handed Whopper - which will become available nation-wide tomorrow April 1.
The UK's most preferred hamburger will still consist of lettuce, onions, pickles, mayonnaise, ketchup and four-ounce flame-grilled hamburger patty, but the sandwich has been re-designed to fit more comfortably in the left hand. This will result in fewer condiment 'spills' for left-handed hamburger lovers.
The new Left-Handed Whopper will have all the condiments rotated 180 degrees, thereby redistributing the weight of the sandwich so that the bulk of them skew to the left.
"We have always been proud of the fact that we offered 1,024 ways to order our flagship Whopper sandwich, now we are offering 1,025 ways! It's the ultimate 'Have It Your Way' for our left-handed customers," says Lorraine Thomson, Marketing Director for Burger King UK.
The Left Handed Club estimates that nearly 11 million left-handed customers visit Burger King restaurants in the UK each year. Lauren Milsom from the Club comments: "We are delighted that Burger King has recognised the difficulties of holding a hamburger in your left hand that has a natural right bias to it. We urge all left handed hamburger lovers to visit their nearest Burger King and taste the difference for themselves."
Initially, the Left-Handed Whopper will only be available in the UK, however Burger King is considering plans to roll it out to other countries with large left handed populations.
Notes to Editors:
Burger King UK and its franchisees operate 527 restaurants around the country and more than 10,000 restaurants in 53 countries and international territories around the world. In fiscal year 1998, Burger King had system-wide sales of $10.3 billion. Burger King UK is a subsidiary of Diageo plc, one of the world's leading branded consumer products businesses.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
NY police spied on anti-Bush protesters
Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Monday March 26, 2007
The Guardian
Undercover New York police officers spent more than a year spying on would-be protesters ahead of the 2004 Republican national convention, monitoring church groups and street theatre troupes which had no intention of breaking the law, it was reported yesterday.
The scope of the inquiry ... - ... long suspected by activists ... - ... saw officers infiltrating groups opposed to George Bush, or monitoring their activities in web chat rooms, and filing daily reports on their activities, the New York Times reported.
Although the ostensible mission of the Republican National Convention Intelligence squad was to identify the potential for violence at the August 2004 convention, the investigation quickly spiralled into surveillance of environmentalists, anti-war groups, and even three local elected officials.
It also spread to events in cities hundreds of miles away or months ahead of the convention, such as a group of concerts in October 2003 by Bands against Bush. The newspaper said that the majority of those who came under scrutiny had no intention of breaking the law.
Such surveillance was made possible by the atmosphere after 9/11 which saw a strengthening of the intelligence apparatus, and a greater willingness to use those resources. The presence of Mr Bush and top Republicans in a Democratic city had fuelled fears about an attack, and about managing protesters. It led to tight security at the convention and more than 1,800 arrests.
The surveillance targets even included street theatre performers such as Billionaires for Bush.
"It was a running joke that some of the new faces were 25- to 32-year-old males asking, 'First name, last name?' " Marco Ceglie, of Billionaires for Bush, said. "Some people didn't care; it bothered me and a couple of other leaders, but we didn't want to make a big stink because we didn't want to look paranoid."
Monday March 26, 2007
The Guardian
Undercover New York police officers spent more than a year spying on would-be protesters ahead of the 2004 Republican national convention, monitoring church groups and street theatre troupes which had no intention of breaking the law, it was reported yesterday.
The scope of the inquiry ... - ... long suspected by activists ... - ... saw officers infiltrating groups opposed to George Bush, or monitoring their activities in web chat rooms, and filing daily reports on their activities, the New York Times reported.
Although the ostensible mission of the Republican National Convention Intelligence squad was to identify the potential for violence at the August 2004 convention, the investigation quickly spiralled into surveillance of environmentalists, anti-war groups, and even three local elected officials.
It also spread to events in cities hundreds of miles away or months ahead of the convention, such as a group of concerts in October 2003 by Bands against Bush. The newspaper said that the majority of those who came under scrutiny had no intention of breaking the law.
Such surveillance was made possible by the atmosphere after 9/11 which saw a strengthening of the intelligence apparatus, and a greater willingness to use those resources. The presence of Mr Bush and top Republicans in a Democratic city had fuelled fears about an attack, and about managing protesters. It led to tight security at the convention and more than 1,800 arrests.
The surveillance targets even included street theatre performers such as Billionaires for Bush.
"It was a running joke that some of the new faces were 25- to 32-year-old males asking, 'First name, last name?' " Marco Ceglie, of Billionaires for Bush, said. "Some people didn't care; it bothered me and a couple of other leaders, but we didn't want to make a big stink because we didn't want to look paranoid."
By Ted Vanderveldt
Monday
3/26/07
11:02 pm
I can only count ten stars
then I stop
because they start to spin
and it is too hard to concentrate.
wind rattles leaves.
I love it lying here
but the sticks and balls from the sweet gum tree
hurt my back.
cars pass and toss empty cups and
the bags from fast food restaurants
into the grass in front of my house.
the red streak of a flicked cigarette butt.
I get up to look at the tulips by the gate
but the night has eaten their color.
I sit on the steps in front of my door
and my eyes fall to the grass beneath that tree
there I imagine a rectangle of turned dirt
with my body 6 feet beneath it.
the roots of that sacred tree worming through the
soil to wrap themselves around my bones
crack them open and suck the marrow.
moonlight and my rattling ghost up in the branches.
3/26/07
11:02 pm
I can only count ten stars
then I stop
because they start to spin
and it is too hard to concentrate.
wind rattles leaves.
I love it lying here
but the sticks and balls from the sweet gum tree
hurt my back.
cars pass and toss empty cups and
the bags from fast food restaurants
into the grass in front of my house.
the red streak of a flicked cigarette butt.
I get up to look at the tulips by the gate
but the night has eaten their color.
I sit on the steps in front of my door
and my eyes fall to the grass beneath that tree
there I imagine a rectangle of turned dirt
with my body 6 feet beneath it.
the roots of that sacred tree worming through the
soil to wrap themselves around my bones
crack them open and suck the marrow.
moonlight and my rattling ghost up in the branches.
Monday, March 26, 2007
AP New York - Fort Drum soldier killed in Iraq
February 13, 2007, 7:54 PM EST
ASTORIA, Ore. -- A Fort Drum soldier has died in Baghdad of wounds suffered from small-arms fire, military officials said Tuesday.
Army Pfc. Brian A. Browning, 20, Astoria, Ore., died Feb. 6, apparently when a guard tower he was in came under fire, his father said.
His father, Perry Browning, told The Daily Astorian newspaper in Oregon that few other details about his son's death had been made available.
Brian Browning was serving his first tour in Iraq and was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
He had recently been in Astoria on leave, his father said. He said Browning was born in Florida but lived most of his life in Astoria.
He enjoyed driving and "working on things," as well as playing computer games, his father told the newspaper.
He joined the Army about three years ago. "He wanted to do something for his country," Perry Browning said. "He wanted to support the guys who were already there, and he believed in the mission."
The United States had already been in Iraq two years when Browning enlisted and he was fully aware he would likely be sent to the war-torn country when he signed up, his family said. But he believed in the mission and wanted to support his country and the troops already there.
He began his first tour of duty in Iraq in August, serving as the light-machine gunner for his infantry squad. When he came home on a two-week leave last month, Browning told his family he was considering making the Army a career.
ASTORIA, Ore. -- A Fort Drum soldier has died in Baghdad of wounds suffered from small-arms fire, military officials said Tuesday.
Army Pfc. Brian A. Browning, 20, Astoria, Ore., died Feb. 6, apparently when a guard tower he was in came under fire, his father said.
His father, Perry Browning, told The Daily Astorian newspaper in Oregon that few other details about his son's death had been made available.
Brian Browning was serving his first tour in Iraq and was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
He had recently been in Astoria on leave, his father said. He said Browning was born in Florida but lived most of his life in Astoria.
He enjoyed driving and "working on things," as well as playing computer games, his father told the newspaper.
He joined the Army about three years ago. "He wanted to do something for his country," Perry Browning said. "He wanted to support the guys who were already there, and he believed in the mission."
The United States had already been in Iraq two years when Browning enlisted and he was fully aware he would likely be sent to the war-torn country when he signed up, his family said. But he believed in the mission and wanted to support his country and the troops already there.
He began his first tour of duty in Iraq in August, serving as the light-machine gunner for his infantry squad. When he came home on a two-week leave last month, Browning told his family he was considering making the Army a career.
Community remembers Oregon soldier
The Associated Press
WARRENTON, Ore. — Hundreds of people gathered to remember Spc. Brian A. Browning, 20. He was killed Feb. 6 south of Baghdad when a guard tower he was in came under fire.
Browning is from the Olney area near Astoria.
While some attended the memorial, others paid tribute as Browning’s body was carried down U.S. 101. Local firefighters hung flags from ladder trucks, and Oregon State Police troopers led the solemn procession.
Brian Browning is said to have found purpose in the Army.
After being rejected because he didn’t have a high school diploma, Browning finished his education at the Tongue Point Job Corps site, lost 40 pounds and enlisted in June 2005. He was stationed with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., following boot camp at Fort Benning, Ga.
When he enlisted, Browning joined a military tradition in his family. One grandfather retired from the Navy, his father Perry Browning served in the Navy, and an uncle, Doug Carson of Tigard, retired from the Army. A cousin is serving in the Oregon National Guard and recently completed a tour in Iraq.
His parents, Perry and Paula Browning, sobbed quietly at the memorial.
“Brian stood up for what’s out there and what’s right,” his father said before the funeral. “He went there knowing full well what he was facing.”
WARRENTON, Ore. — Hundreds of people gathered to remember Spc. Brian A. Browning, 20. He was killed Feb. 6 south of Baghdad when a guard tower he was in came under fire.
Browning is from the Olney area near Astoria.
While some attended the memorial, others paid tribute as Browning’s body was carried down U.S. 101. Local firefighters hung flags from ladder trucks, and Oregon State Police troopers led the solemn procession.
Brian Browning is said to have found purpose in the Army.
After being rejected because he didn’t have a high school diploma, Browning finished his education at the Tongue Point Job Corps site, lost 40 pounds and enlisted in June 2005. He was stationed with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., following boot camp at Fort Benning, Ga.
When he enlisted, Browning joined a military tradition in his family. One grandfather retired from the Navy, his father Perry Browning served in the Navy, and an uncle, Doug Carson of Tigard, retired from the Army. A cousin is serving in the Oregon National Guard and recently completed a tour in Iraq.
His parents, Perry and Paula Browning, sobbed quietly at the memorial.
“Brian stood up for what’s out there and what’s right,” his father said before the funeral. “He went there knowing full well what he was facing.”
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Sterling
I could. I’ve even toyed with the idea.
Just leave. Jets go every fuckin where.
Debauchery is in my blood,
But where fire was in my belly now comfort lies and jells
What muse hasn’t dried up or gone on to more eager prospects.
What mentor hasn’t died? Did his genius drive him to the next world,
Or was it just the shitty heroin?
Things are good now. So much better than I’d hoped.
But the pangs are getting stronger, flooding in over the walls.
Why do I miss it so much?
Just leave. Jets go every fuckin where.
Debauchery is in my blood,
But where fire was in my belly now comfort lies and jells
What muse hasn’t dried up or gone on to more eager prospects.
What mentor hasn’t died? Did his genius drive him to the next world,
Or was it just the shitty heroin?
Things are good now. So much better than I’d hoped.
But the pangs are getting stronger, flooding in over the walls.
Why do I miss it so much?
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Daniel Rogan holds a photo of his 9-month-old kitten that was euthanized after eating what the family believes was tainted pet food
WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Matthew Philips
Newsweek
Updated: 5:09 p.m. PT March 21, 2007
March 21, 2007 - It's been nearly a week since Canadian pet-food manufacturer Menu Foods Inc. recalled some 60 million cans and pouches of wet food linked to the deaths of at least 15 cats and one dog, yet authorities still can't explain exactly what went wrong. Some critics and animal lovers are honing in on what they see as lax regulation of the $15 billion pet-food industry in the United States.
"There's almost a void there," says Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association. "There is no real pet-food department of any federal agency."
Technically, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for ensuring that pet foods, like human foods, are safe to eat, truthfully labeled and produced under sanitary conditions. But on Tuesday, FDA officials admitted that the regulation of pet food takes a back seat to its regulatory obligations of other food and drug sectors, and that inspections of pet-food processing plants are done only on a for-cause basis.
"There are limited resources," said David Elder, director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance in the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine in Rockville, Md. Elder added that inspections of companion animals' food products are "based on risk." Which means that the processing plant in Emporia, Kans., where the tainted food was manufactured, had never been inspected by government officials until after consumers started complaining about pets dying of kidney failure. The Emporia plant remains open and continues to produce new food, according to a Menu Foods spokesperson, who adds that safety tests are being done around the clock.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Positivity vs. Negativity
So the Hollander used to know this couple. It was the most remarkable case of opposites attracting we have ever seen. The woman in the couple, we'll call her Wendy because its her real name and we know it will piss her off, was sitting way down south right smack on the negative pole. She used to work with us and we customarily picked her up each day because she didn't have a license, a car, or anything else. This was all SOMEBODY ELSE'S fault, of course. Without fail the first words out of her mouth each and every morning were "Well, the reason I'm pissed off today is..." Our first saying about her was that you could hand her a large bag filled with silver lining and she would dig through it madly because she would just know there had to be a dark cloud in there somewhere. Later we changed that to she could win a hundred gazillion dollars in the lottery and the first words out of her mouth would be "Great, now I haveta pay taxes!"
Her boyfriend Tony was one of those guys who only saw the upside of things. You could burn down his house, poison his little puppy, and tell him his grand daughter was in the hospital in a coma, and he would not budge his ass off that positive pole way up north. We used to TRY to piss him off just to see if he was capable of the emotion. The man saw something positive in any given situation or person. We thought we finally had him nailed when we challenged him to find something positive about Jeffery Dahmer. We told him how Dahmer had raped and killed little boys, after which he dismembered their bodies and buried them under his house. We told of how he was one of America's worst serial killers and how it had gone on for years. Tony paused for a moment and asked, "He was burying the bodies under his own house and this went on for years?" "Yes, it was horrible", we exclaimed. He smiled and said, "Well, he was a homeowner and paid his property taxes like any good citizen should, otherwise they would have taken his house away"
The Hollander prefers a little bit of balance. How about you?
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
The Political Compass™
Welcome to The Political Compass™.
There's abundant evidence for the need of it. The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left', established for the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly of 1789, are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape. For example, who are the 'conservatives' in today's Russia? Are they the unreconstructed Stalinists, or the reformers who have adopted the right-wing views of conservatives like Margaret Thatcher ?
On the standard left-right scale, how do you distinguish leftists like Stalin and Gandhi? It's not sufficient to say that Stalin was simply more left than Gandhi. There are fundamental political differences between them that the old categories on their own can't explain. Similarly, we generally describe social reactionaries as 'right-wingers', yet that leaves left-wing reactionaries like Robert Mugabe and Pol Pot off the hook.
That's about as much as we should tell you for now. After you've responded to the following propositions during the next 3-5 minutes, all will be explained. In each instance, you're asked to choose the response that best describes your feeling: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree or Strongly Agree. At the end of the test, you'll be given the compass, with your own special position on it.
The test is entirely anonymous. None of your personal details are required, and nothing about your result is recorded or logged in any way. The answers are only used to calculate your reading, and cannot be accessed by anyone, ever.
The idea was developed by a political journalist with a university counselling background, assisted by a professor of social history. They're indebted to people like Wilhelm Reich and Theodor Adorno for their ground-breaking work in this field. We believe that, in an age of diminishing ideology, a new generation in particular will get a better idea of where they stand politically - and the sort of political company they keep.
So are you ready to take the test? Remember that there's no right, wrong or ideal response. It's simply a measure of attitudes and inevitable human contradictions to provide a more integrated definition of where people and parties are really at. Click here to start.
If you wish to contact us, email info@politicalcompass.org.
There's abundant evidence for the need of it. The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left', established for the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly of 1789, are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape. For example, who are the 'conservatives' in today's Russia? Are they the unreconstructed Stalinists, or the reformers who have adopted the right-wing views of conservatives like Margaret Thatcher ?
On the standard left-right scale, how do you distinguish leftists like Stalin and Gandhi? It's not sufficient to say that Stalin was simply more left than Gandhi. There are fundamental political differences between them that the old categories on their own can't explain. Similarly, we generally describe social reactionaries as 'right-wingers', yet that leaves left-wing reactionaries like Robert Mugabe and Pol Pot off the hook.
That's about as much as we should tell you for now. After you've responded to the following propositions during the next 3-5 minutes, all will be explained. In each instance, you're asked to choose the response that best describes your feeling: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree or Strongly Agree. At the end of the test, you'll be given the compass, with your own special position on it.
The test is entirely anonymous. None of your personal details are required, and nothing about your result is recorded or logged in any way. The answers are only used to calculate your reading, and cannot be accessed by anyone, ever.
The idea was developed by a political journalist with a university counselling background, assisted by a professor of social history. They're indebted to people like Wilhelm Reich and Theodor Adorno for their ground-breaking work in this field. We believe that, in an age of diminishing ideology, a new generation in particular will get a better idea of where they stand politically - and the sort of political company they keep.
So are you ready to take the test? Remember that there's no right, wrong or ideal response. It's simply a measure of attitudes and inevitable human contradictions to provide a more integrated definition of where people and parties are really at. Click here to start.
If you wish to contact us, email info@politicalcompass.org.
Bush, Congress may fight on executive privilege By James Vicini
Wed Mar 21, 2:15 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Richard Nixon invoked it during Watergate, President Bill Clinton briefly asserted it during the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, and President George W. Bush might next claim executive privilege in his battle with Congress.
A possible confrontation moved a step closer on Wednesday when a Democratic-led congressional subcommittee approved subpoenas to be used if White House aides refuse to testify under oath about the firing of eight U.S. prosecutors.
The action came the day after a defiant Bush vowed to oppose in court, if necessary, any subpoenas for his close political aide Karl Rove or other White House advisors.
The White House has offered to allow the aides to answer questions, but only behind closed doors, not under oath and with no transcript taken of their exchanges.
Any court battle probably would turn on executive privilege, a legal doctrine invoked occasionally throughout U.S. history to shield presidents and their aides from having to answer questions or turn over information to Congress or grand juries.
"That's the big question -- is Bush willing to go all the way on this?" one administration official asked. "Chances are he may feel this is worth it."
The U.S. Supreme Court in 1974 rejected Nixon's claim of executive privilege in the Watergate scandal and ruled that he must comply with a federal grand jury subpoena for the Watergate tapes.
In the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Clinton asserted executive privilege in 1998 in an attempt to block two of his White House advisors from testifying before a grand jury.
But a federal judge rejected the request, and Clinton then abandoned the claim before the dispute reached the Supreme Court.
If Rove and others refuse to answer questions under oath, claiming executive privilege, it would likely be challenged in the courts, a Democratic aide in Congress said. "Absolutely," the aide said.
A judge then would have to decide if the person deserves executive privilege -- a process that could lead to lengthy litigation and appeals.
A former U.S. Justice Department official predicted that a court fight probably will be averted.
"I expect that it will be resolved," the former official said, adding that in the past such disputes between the White House and Congress typically are worked out through a political compromise.
Alan Morrison, a Stanford University law professor who has argued a number of cases before the Supreme Court on the separation of powers between the various branches of government, agreed.
"My hunch is that, despite the noises on both sides, there will be some kind of a compromise. The White House has given up too much information already to have this be a good test case for executive privilege," he said.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Richard Nixon invoked it during Watergate, President Bill Clinton briefly asserted it during the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, and President George W. Bush might next claim executive privilege in his battle with Congress.
A possible confrontation moved a step closer on Wednesday when a Democratic-led congressional subcommittee approved subpoenas to be used if White House aides refuse to testify under oath about the firing of eight U.S. prosecutors.
The action came the day after a defiant Bush vowed to oppose in court, if necessary, any subpoenas for his close political aide Karl Rove or other White House advisors.
The White House has offered to allow the aides to answer questions, but only behind closed doors, not under oath and with no transcript taken of their exchanges.
Any court battle probably would turn on executive privilege, a legal doctrine invoked occasionally throughout U.S. history to shield presidents and their aides from having to answer questions or turn over information to Congress or grand juries.
"That's the big question -- is Bush willing to go all the way on this?" one administration official asked. "Chances are he may feel this is worth it."
The U.S. Supreme Court in 1974 rejected Nixon's claim of executive privilege in the Watergate scandal and ruled that he must comply with a federal grand jury subpoena for the Watergate tapes.
In the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Clinton asserted executive privilege in 1998 in an attempt to block two of his White House advisors from testifying before a grand jury.
But a federal judge rejected the request, and Clinton then abandoned the claim before the dispute reached the Supreme Court.
If Rove and others refuse to answer questions under oath, claiming executive privilege, it would likely be challenged in the courts, a Democratic aide in Congress said. "Absolutely," the aide said.
A judge then would have to decide if the person deserves executive privilege -- a process that could lead to lengthy litigation and appeals.
A former U.S. Justice Department official predicted that a court fight probably will be averted.
"I expect that it will be resolved," the former official said, adding that in the past such disputes between the White House and Congress typically are worked out through a political compromise.
Alan Morrison, a Stanford University law professor who has argued a number of cases before the Supreme Court on the separation of powers between the various branches of government, agreed.
"My hunch is that, despite the noises on both sides, there will be some kind of a compromise. The White House has given up too much information already to have this be a good test case for executive privilege," he said.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Something Hollander Would do
I love this! A kid in Alaska prints up this big banner that says Bong Hits 4 Jesus. Its giving conservatives coniption fits. If the sue-preme court sides with the kid, they are promoting drug use. If they side with the Principal of the school, they run the risk of getting religious messages banned from school. Oh, what is a freedom hating conservative to do? Yeah! Free Speech , Baby!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
PMDD
Have you seen the commercial for this product called Yaz? You know the one. It has that pretty 23 year old looking girl playing the role of a doctor. Man she must be smart to have completed all that schooling, internship, and residency in like 5 years. Well they have updated the commercial now. It tells us that if a woman has pre-menstrual symtoms such as headache, irritability, and mood swings, that affect her ability to function and the lives of those around her, that it isn't PMS. Its really Pre Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder.
Affects the lives of those around her?
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!
Okay, I think I'm going to just shut up at this point. Don't want to get killed or de-balled by some poor woman with PMDD.
Affects the lives of those around her?
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!
Okay, I think I'm going to just shut up at this point. Don't want to get killed or de-balled by some poor woman with PMDD.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Man Eater:
A woman who uses your ego as a dirty dish towel to wipe up any shreds of manhood that might be left in the sink.
Go To Hell
For criminal acts and violence on the stage
For being a brat
Refusing to act your age
For all the decent citizens you've enraged
You can go to Hell
For gambling and drinking alcohol constantly
For making us doubt our parents authority
For choosing to be a living obscenity
You can go to Hell
You're something that never should have happened
You even make your Grandma sick
You'd poison a blind man's dog and steal his cane
You'd gift-wrap a leper
And mail him to your Aunt Jane
You'd even force-feed a diabetic a candy cane
You can go to Hell
You're something that never should have happened
You even make your Grandma sick
For criminal acts and violence on the stage
For being a brat
Refusing to act your age
For all the decent citizens you've enraged
You can go to Hell
For being a brat
Refusing to act your age
For all the decent citizens you've enraged
You can go to Hell
For gambling and drinking alcohol constantly
For making us doubt our parents authority
For choosing to be a living obscenity
You can go to Hell
You're something that never should have happened
You even make your Grandma sick
You'd poison a blind man's dog and steal his cane
You'd gift-wrap a leper
And mail him to your Aunt Jane
You'd even force-feed a diabetic a candy cane
You can go to Hell
You're something that never should have happened
You even make your Grandma sick
For criminal acts and violence on the stage
For being a brat
Refusing to act your age
For all the decent citizens you've enraged
You can go to Hell
And now for something that seems vaguely pornographic, but is really just stupid
So this is what is has come to for my blog.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007
Come again, Mr. Speaker?
Gingrich owns up to extra-marital affair
By Alex Spillius in Washington
Last Updated: 2:05am GMT 10/03/2007
Newt Gingrich, the Republican who led efforts in Congress to impeach Bill Clinton over his involvement with Monica Lewinsky, has admitted he was having an affair at the time.
Mr Gingrich, who has not ruled himself out of the 2008 presidential race, said in an interview with the Christian group Focus on the Family: "The honest answer is yes. There are times that I have fallen short of my own standards. There's certainly times when I've fallen short of God's standards."
His extra-marital activity has been widely reported previously but never admitted by the former house leader.
Mr Gingrich however argued that he should not be viewed as a hypocrite for pursuing Clinton's infidelity.
"The president of the United States got in trouble for committing a felony in front of a sitting federal judge," the former Georgia congressman said. Clinton was impeached by Congress in December 1998 on perjury and obstruction of justice charges during an investigation into his relationship with Miss Lewinsky. He was acquitted at a Senate trial.
Mr Gingrich added: "I drew a line in my mind that said, 'Even though I run the risk of being deeply embarrassed, and even though at a purely personal level I am not rendering judgment on another human being, as a leader of the government trying to uphold the rule of law, I have no choice except to move forward and say that you cannot accept...perjury in your highest officials."
Gingrich, who frequently campaigned on family values issues, has married three times. His first wife claims he discussed divorce details while she was recovering from cancer surgery. His current spouse, Callista Bisek, is a former congressional aide more than 20 years his junior.
Can You Say "We told you so"
FBI admits abuse of Patriot Act
Related information E-mail this article Print-friendly version Discuss this article
All Financial Times NewsThe Bush administration misused its authority and improperly obtained personal information about people in the US on hundreds of occasions, according to a report released by a US Justice Department watchdog.
Robert Mueller, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said he was to be held accountable for the abuses, which involved the improper use of so-called national security letters, which allowed the FBI to obtain personal information, including telephone, banking, and e-mail records.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Oregon Bluesman dies at 55
PORTLAND - Blues harmonica player Paul deLay, a fixture on the Oregon music scene for more than three decades, died Wednesday at a Portland hospital of leukemia. He was 55.
Bass player and band member Jimmy Lloyd Rea of Baker City, Ore., said that deLay had been in and out of hospitals for a decade, but that traces of the leukemia were not reported until about 48 hours before he died.
Paul deLay recorded a dozen albums. His last show was with his band on Saturday, a benefit at Klamath Fall's Ross Ragland Theater. Guitarist Pete Dammann said deLay felt ill after the show and thought it might be from the band's recent trip to Mexico. Doctors diagnosed late-stage leukemia and deLay went into a coma.
In the early 1970s deLay and others formed an electric band called Brown Sugar and played the West Coast, laying a foundation for Portland's reputation as a blues city.
The Paul deLay Blues Band formed in 1976 and toured for more than a decade. It is reported that deLay battled alcohol and cocaine problems.
3/7/2007 - To go to the official Paul Delay website click here:
http://www.pauldelay.com/home.ihtml
The Late Great Paul deLay
Editor's Note - The story below is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge in the drunken state Colin and I were in that night. Goodbye Paul. It was a pleasure to meet you, sir.
The Hollander
Sometime in the early 90's, I chanced to meet a young man named Colin McCartney. Colin "everybody must have a healthy Colin" McCartney was a fine Irish Catholic lad. He was also the single most politically conservative guy I have ever met. After many a drunken night arguing the finer points of the political dealings in America, we came to be close friends.
MUSICAL INTERLUDE:
One muggy ass evening in downtown Portland, Oregon. Colin & Chuck decided to quench their thirst for pretentious beer, testosterone charged sports, music at ear damaging decibels, and incredibly horny broads by stepping in to the Virginia City Cafe. For a goof, and hoping that some roughneck types would take them for a gay couple, they bought matching tee shirts at the door. "This is your brain...this is your brain on drugs...this is your brain on drugs at the Virginia City Cafe". One will have to imagine the hillarious fried egg pictures on the fronts.
Now as the Portland Trailblazers were busy getting their asses kicked by the L.A. Lakers on live national TV, the bar was quite crowded. We're talking 13 people thick just to wait for their first beer. Being the enterprising young knuckleheads that they were, Colin & Chuck noticed the oversized half-round booth in the corner with a single oversized gentleman sitting there underneath the coolest Fedora hat. Quickly they seized upon the opportunity and strolled over to ask the oversized Fedora man if they could join him. Perhaps he would like to partake in a beer on their tab for his kindness? With a look of mild surprise that Colin & Chuck recognized but did not understand, the large man in question said "Sure, what are your names? Are you a gay couple?"
Many pitchers of pretentious beer later, the large friendly man in the cool Fedora asked if the guys happened to know who he was. "Yah, you're the really cool guy who bought us all this beer and we will probably try to steal your hat before this is all over."
The man smiled and said " I like you guys, you wanta party with me and my buddies and some hot chicks after the bar closes tonight?"
You can probably surmise the rather enthusiastic answer the boys gave that question.
About then, a member of the band who had been busy all this time setting up equipment on the stage, got on the mic and said "Ladies and gentleman, it is my great pleasure to introduce the greatest blues man this city has ever known - Please welcome Mr. Paul Delay!!!"
The cool Fedora man chugged down his beer, thanked Colin & Chuck for their company, and said "Boys, I gotta go to work now, meet me out front when the bar closes". Then he leaped (yes leaped) up on the stage, whipped out his harmonica and thanked the cheering crowd. When the initial applause died off, he waited a beat, then announced to the audience "Folks, I'd like you to meet two good friends of mine, Colin & Chuck. Bartender, all their drinks tonight are on my tab. And ladies, I hear they are both single. Don't let the tee shirts throw you, they aren't gay. See you two at the after party tonight!"
That was Paul Delay's last show before going off to jail for a year on cocain charges.
POSTED BY JACQ AT 10:18 AM
5 COMMENTS:
screwball said...
now that's perfect.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 11:30:00 AM
rich bachelor said...
Yeah, no shit. I met Mr. Delay, post coke, post pokey. Nice guy.
The Virgina, however, is a pain in my ass. Shame, too. Used to be cool. Where in the hell was a stage in that space?
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 2:49:00 PM
cats dig me said...
Remember this was early 90's, like probably 90, maybe even 89. The place had just been remodeled into a yuppie brew pub and was still kinda cool. I heard the coolness shot out the door very soon after that. Too bad. The stage was straight back from the front door. as you walked inta da joint- the bar and brewery were to your left, tables to the right and the teeniest dance floor ya ever saw straight back by that little stage (which had been modified for Mr. Delay's gerth)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 3:23:00 PM
cats dig me said...
There is a second part to the story that I didn't work in. A year later Colin & I went back to the Virginia Cafe to watch the Blazers lose again. Paul was there again, having his I just got outta jail show. He spotted us after some song ended and pointed us out to the audience again. Good after party.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 3:45:00 PM
rich bachelor said...
And go check my space over there for my own story concerning the V.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 5:04:00 PM
The Hollander
Sometime in the early 90's, I chanced to meet a young man named Colin McCartney. Colin "everybody must have a healthy Colin" McCartney was a fine Irish Catholic lad. He was also the single most politically conservative guy I have ever met. After many a drunken night arguing the finer points of the political dealings in America, we came to be close friends.
MUSICAL INTERLUDE:
One muggy ass evening in downtown Portland, Oregon. Colin & Chuck decided to quench their thirst for pretentious beer, testosterone charged sports, music at ear damaging decibels, and incredibly horny broads by stepping in to the Virginia City Cafe. For a goof, and hoping that some roughneck types would take them for a gay couple, they bought matching tee shirts at the door. "This is your brain...this is your brain on drugs...this is your brain on drugs at the Virginia City Cafe". One will have to imagine the hillarious fried egg pictures on the fronts.
Now as the Portland Trailblazers were busy getting their asses kicked by the L.A. Lakers on live national TV, the bar was quite crowded. We're talking 13 people thick just to wait for their first beer. Being the enterprising young knuckleheads that they were, Colin & Chuck noticed the oversized half-round booth in the corner with a single oversized gentleman sitting there underneath the coolest Fedora hat. Quickly they seized upon the opportunity and strolled over to ask the oversized Fedora man if they could join him. Perhaps he would like to partake in a beer on their tab for his kindness? With a look of mild surprise that Colin & Chuck recognized but did not understand, the large man in question said "Sure, what are your names? Are you a gay couple?"
Many pitchers of pretentious beer later, the large friendly man in the cool Fedora asked if the guys happened to know who he was. "Yah, you're the really cool guy who bought us all this beer and we will probably try to steal your hat before this is all over."
The man smiled and said " I like you guys, you wanta party with me and my buddies and some hot chicks after the bar closes tonight?"
You can probably surmise the rather enthusiastic answer the boys gave that question.
About then, a member of the band who had been busy all this time setting up equipment on the stage, got on the mic and said "Ladies and gentleman, it is my great pleasure to introduce the greatest blues man this city has ever known - Please welcome Mr. Paul Delay!!!"
The cool Fedora man chugged down his beer, thanked Colin & Chuck for their company, and said "Boys, I gotta go to work now, meet me out front when the bar closes". Then he leaped (yes leaped) up on the stage, whipped out his harmonica and thanked the cheering crowd. When the initial applause died off, he waited a beat, then announced to the audience "Folks, I'd like you to meet two good friends of mine, Colin & Chuck. Bartender, all their drinks tonight are on my tab. And ladies, I hear they are both single. Don't let the tee shirts throw you, they aren't gay. See you two at the after party tonight!"
That was Paul Delay's last show before going off to jail for a year on cocain charges.
POSTED BY JACQ AT 10:18 AM
5 COMMENTS:
screwball said...
now that's perfect.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 11:30:00 AM
rich bachelor said...
Yeah, no shit. I met Mr. Delay, post coke, post pokey. Nice guy.
The Virgina, however, is a pain in my ass. Shame, too. Used to be cool. Where in the hell was a stage in that space?
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 2:49:00 PM
cats dig me said...
Remember this was early 90's, like probably 90, maybe even 89. The place had just been remodeled into a yuppie brew pub and was still kinda cool. I heard the coolness shot out the door very soon after that. Too bad. The stage was straight back from the front door. as you walked inta da joint- the bar and brewery were to your left, tables to the right and the teeniest dance floor ya ever saw straight back by that little stage (which had been modified for Mr. Delay's gerth)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 3:23:00 PM
cats dig me said...
There is a second part to the story that I didn't work in. A year later Colin & I went back to the Virginia Cafe to watch the Blazers lose again. Paul was there again, having his I just got outta jail show. He spotted us after some song ended and pointed us out to the audience again. Good after party.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 3:45:00 PM
rich bachelor said...
And go check my space over there for my own story concerning the V.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2005 5:04:00 PM
Monday, March 5, 2007
Sunday, March 4, 2007
The buzz log. What the world is searching for...
Fifth Graders: More Brains and More Buzz
By Gordon Hurd
Sat, March 03, 2007, 2:30 pm PST
At the end of Tuesday's episode of "American Idol," host Ryan Seacrest plugged Jeff Foxworthy's new game show, "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" Ryan asked for an example of a question, and Jeff came back with, "What's a trapezoid?"
As testament to the overwhelming influence of "Idol" and to the appeal of Foxworthy's new quiz show, people rushed to Search and pushed queries on "trapezoid" up 5,680%. Who would have guessed that a quadrilateral having two parallel sides could get more Buzz than all the Season 6 contestants combined (except for Antonella Barba, of course)?
The quiz show with the hard-to-swallow concept has proven easy to follow. Twenty-six million adults, who apparently don't know squat, do know what they like to watch. Buzz on Foxworthy's show (and his slick mustache) jumped 173% after the premiere episode. Questions from the broadcast are just as popular, perhaps providing the show's title with a sad but true answer.
Beyond searching for the truth about trapezoids, adults have also reached out in desperation for "rem sleep" (+8,586%), "list of impeached presidents" (+3,808%), "dewey decimal system" (+1,604%), and "definition of a prime number" (+418%) among other quizzical queries.
Being the smarty-pants that we are, we have full confidence we could take on a force of fifth graders. But that doesn't mean we won't tune in to watch folks who may not have the brains to take on a 10-year-old.
By Gordon Hurd
Sat, March 03, 2007, 2:30 pm PST
At the end of Tuesday's episode of "American Idol," host Ryan Seacrest plugged Jeff Foxworthy's new game show, "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" Ryan asked for an example of a question, and Jeff came back with, "What's a trapezoid?"
As testament to the overwhelming influence of "Idol" and to the appeal of Foxworthy's new quiz show, people rushed to Search and pushed queries on "trapezoid" up 5,680%. Who would have guessed that a quadrilateral having two parallel sides could get more Buzz than all the Season 6 contestants combined (except for Antonella Barba, of course)?
The quiz show with the hard-to-swallow concept has proven easy to follow. Twenty-six million adults, who apparently don't know squat, do know what they like to watch. Buzz on Foxworthy's show (and his slick mustache) jumped 173% after the premiere episode. Questions from the broadcast are just as popular, perhaps providing the show's title with a sad but true answer.
Beyond searching for the truth about trapezoids, adults have also reached out in desperation for "rem sleep" (+8,586%), "list of impeached presidents" (+3,808%), "dewey decimal system" (+1,604%), and "definition of a prime number" (+418%) among other quizzical queries.
Being the smarty-pants that we are, we have full confidence we could take on a force of fifth graders. But that doesn't mean we won't tune in to watch folks who may not have the brains to take on a 10-year-old.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
