Ahh, lifeguard stand #3. Good times there, good times.

re: #1 Racer X

Ahh, lifeguard stand #3. Good times there, good times.

David Hasselhoff thought so too.

Sing With Heino!

Once upon a time there were these things
we call "beaches;
And upon those beaches there lovely things
that fry themselves in the sun.
One day everyone got smart and decided to take up hockey.

[Link: dailycaller.com...] finally launched.

First impressions? It is pretty clearly tryng to imitate the HuffPost presentation of content, which does come across as little needing in authenticity. Its also not clear what kind of 'conservative' demographic the're after. Otherwise a 'wait and see' situation I guess.

Life Shack?

or...

Love Shack

Think I'm turning into a cat, slept for twenty hours...
/that or I'm sick. Hmm. Good...morning? everyone! :)

re: #7 Varek Raith

You're turning into a Cat.

re: #8 Slumbering Behemoth

You're turning into a Cat.

Lol, Red Dwarf. You win! :)

Unlikely a cat, the symptoms sound more like Vampirism.

Looked in a mirror lately?

re: #10 Bagua

Unlikely a cat, the symptoms sound more like Vampirism.

Looked in a mirror lately?

Heh, my mom says I'm a vampire, since I'm very photo sensitive. Damn sun. :)

Well, its time for me to get to bed. Sorry to miss talking to you, Bagua and Varek, but I'm too weary to continue.

Goodnight all!

re: #11 Varek Raith

Heh, my mom says I'm a vampire, since I'm very photo sensitive. Damn sun. :)

My psychic powers are cunningly accurate.

re: #12 Dark_Falcon

Yeah. Guess I'm just chopped fookin' liver, then. Whatever!
/

re: #12 Dark_Falcon

Well, its time for me to get to bed. Sorry to miss talking to you, Bagua and Varek, but I'm too weary to continue.

Goodnight all!

Night, DF, beware of vampires!

re: #13 Bagua

My psychic powers are cunningly accurate.

Quick, what am I thinking right now?

re: #16 Slumbering Behemoth

Quick, what am I thinking right now?

Naughty things. Don't need a psychic for that!
/:P

re: #12 Dark_Falcon

Well, its time for me to get to bed. Sorry to miss talking to you, Bagua and Varek, but I'm too weary to continue.

Goodnight all!

Get some rest.

re: #16 Slumbering Behemoth

Quick, what am I thinking right now?

Judging from your comment history, either food or sex, or nothing at all.

re: #16 Slumbering Behemoth

Quick, what am I thinking right now?

You're thinking I'm the Archbishop of Canterbury!

Wait, no?

Wrong story. Sorry.

re: #20 SanFranciscoZionist

Knowing others is wisdom, knowing the self is enlightenment. -Lao Tze

Good. Night.

re: #5 Alexzander

[Link: dailycaller.com...] finally launched.

First impressions? It is pretty clearly tryng to imitate the HuffPost presentation of content, ...

Given that it "features" Brietbart is about all I need to know...

With the fake boobs prominently displayed on the front, and the "content" from the likes of Brietbart, Pawlenty, etc., and with the overwrought headlines, crowded columns etc... it looks like one of Murdoch's creations (Fox, The Sun, etc.) minus Murdoch himself.

re: #19 Bagua

Judging from your comment history, either food or sex, or nothing at all.

Ha! You left out beer, LOLCats, tobacco, and zombies. Jokes on you though, as I was thinking about what your possible answer to my question might be.

You suck as a psychic.

re: #23 freetoken

With the fake boobs prominently displayed on the front,

Boobs? Where?

re: #25 Bagua

Boobs? Where?

Heh... go to the link and see...

re: #25 Bagua

Boobs? Where?

Supposed to be a story about the 3rd gate crasher at the WH, but all I see prominently featured are....

re: #24 Slumbering Behemoth

You suck as a psychic.

The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try nothing and succeed.

- Lloyd Jones

re: #23 freetoken

Just what do you have against fake boobs?

re: #28 Bagua

The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try nothing and succeed.

- Lloyd Jones

I don't know, Marge, trying is the first step towards failure.
-Homer Simspon

/:P

re: #28 Bagua

But you didn't even try, you just made a random guess. An educated one, I will grant, but a guess none the less.

Quick, I am thinking about an item in my front, left pocket. What is it?

re: #23 freetoken

Given that it "features" Brietbart is about all I need to know...

With the fake boobs prominently displayed on the front, and the "content" from the likes of Brietbart, Pawlenty, etc., and with the overwrought headlines, crowded columns etc... it looks like one of Murdoch's creations (Fox, The Sun, etc.) minus Murdoch himself.

Ha! I have some minor dirt from somewhere on the daily teabagger caller. If people are interested.

re: #29 Slumbering Behemoth

Just what do you have against fake boobs?

They're just too... too... plastic or something.

re: #31 Slumbering Behemoth

Quick, I am thinking about an item in my front, left pocket. What is it?

Is it The One Ring?

I don't do fake flowers, either.

re: #6 Bagua

Life Shack?

or...

Love Shack

[Video]
-B52s

But where is the Bagua third person post about the bird? That's why I like the overnights, dammit!
/apart from SB, boob jokes, etc

re: #31 Slumbering Behemoth

Quick, I am thinking about an item in my front, left pocket. What is it?

Well, we know it's not money.

re: #34 Sharmuta

Is it The One Ring?

If it is, he sure ain't taking advantage of its power!

re: #33 freetoken

Plastic indeed. Did you click on the link?

/Hint: not a titty pic

re: #39 Slumbering Behemoth

Plastic indeed. Did you click on the link?

/Hint: not a titty pic

It sure is scary, though!

re: #34 Sharmuta

Who be that in your avatar space?

re: #41 Slumbering Behemoth

A distant relation of mine.

O sweeter than the marriage-feast,
'Tis sweeter far to me,
To walk together to the kirk
With a goodly company !--

To walk together to the kirk,
And all together pray,
While each to his great Father bends,
Old men, and babes, and loving friends
And youths and maidens gay !

Farewell, farewell ! but this I tell
To thee, thou Wedding-Guest !
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small ;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.

The Mariner, whose eye is bright,
Whose beard with age is hoar,
Is gone : and now the Wedding-Guest
Turned from the bridegroom's door.

He went like one that hath been stunned,
And is of sense forlorn :
A sadder and a wiser man,
He rose the morrow morn.

re: #39 Slumbering Behemoth

Plastic indeed. Did you click on the link?

Briefly skimmed part of it...

re: #45 freetoken

Briefly skimmed part of it...

Tell the truth! You've been gone half an hour.

So... it turns out I have a rare Hummel print from the 1930s and all anyone ever wants of the good Sister's works is the figurines based off her drawings.

*bonk*

Logging off. G'nite scaly ones. Sack time.

Slumber well male moth.

re: #47 Sharmuta

So... it turns out I have a rare Hummel print from the 1930s and all anyone ever wants of the good Sister's works is the figurines based off her drawings.

Sharm, is your avatar OK? You're no longer blue?

Sesame Street Mad Men parody:

re: #46 Bagua

Tell the truth! You've been gone half an hour.

I've been going through the examples at CSS Zen Garden, trying to enlighten myself.

re: #50 SanFranciscoZionist

Sharm, is your avatar OK? You're no longer blue?

My avatar is beautiful and I love her dearly. Thank you.

re: #53 Sharmuta

My avatar is beautiful and I love her dearly. Thank you.

She's lovely. Is she Catholic, btw?

Brrrrrr....cold! Damn paper guy, per usual, throws the paper willy-nilly out his window, to land in an undisclosed location in my front yard.

The ironic thing about CSS Zen Garden is how un-Zen-like most of the submissions truly are.

BTW, I prefer their plain-jane standard CSS layout. It seems not only more Zen-ish to me, but it is one of the few that is actually easy to read.

Which brings me to one of my hang-ups about what we refer to as the "World Wide Web" - the utter sameness of it all. The problem stems from the fact that most people use the same screen all the time, so window is fit into the same size.

That, and the proclivity for web site designs to be so dominated by the rectangle.

Beside the folk who (wrongly) believe that Japanese = Zen... there are several examples on the CZG website, there are those designers who are simply trying too hard.

Indeed, most of them are trying too hard.

re: #54 iceweasel

She's lovely.

Thank you.

re: #58 Sharmuta

Thank you.

You're welcome.

re: #53 Sharmuta

My avatar is beautiful and I love her dearly. Thank you.

Yes, I can see her now. Very beautiful. Who is she?

re: #60 SanFranciscoZionist

Yes, I can see her now. Very beautiful. Who is she?

Bernadette Soubirous.

re: #61 Sharmuta

Bernadette Soubirous.

Of Lourdes? Lovely. As is the Beyonce piece.

re: #62 SanFranciscoZionist

Indeed, and thank you so much.

Peace be with you, Lizards. Good night.

re: #63 Sharmuta

Indeed, and thank you so much.

Peace be with you, Lizards. Good night.

Night! :)

re: #63 Sharmuta

Indeed, and thank you so much.

Peace be with you, Lizards. Good night.

Such a shame you're leaving so soon.

You might want to rethink quoting the genocidal and murderous William of Orange, given your avatar. He did try his best to murder Catholics. And especially Irish ones. And Scots.

Have a lovely night.

To combat the cold, and aid my anemic furnace, I'm gonna start a huge bonfire downstairs.
/What could possibly go wrong?
//:)

re: #66 Varek Raith

To combat the cold, and aid my anemic furnace, I'm gonna start a huge bonfire downstairs.
/What could possibly go wrong?
//:)

Just chop a hole in the roof and you'll be fine.

re: #65 iceweasel

I was thinking of putting in a quote from Bernadette, actually:

"Oh my mother, in your heart I placed all my anguish of my heart and it is there that I gain strength and courage."

Thank you so much for prompting me to change that. Peace be with you.

re: #67 SanFranciscoZionist

Just chop a hole in the roof and you'll be fine.

Aha! That's what I was forgetting!
*Goes to get an axe*
/

re: #68 Sharmuta

I was thinking of putting in a quote from Bernadette, actually:

"Oh my mother, in your heart I placed all my anguish of my heart and it is there that I gain strength and courage."

Thank you so much for prompting me to change that. Peace be with you.

I think that would be much better, and more fitting.
Good night.

re: #70 iceweasel

I'm so very happy it's met with your approval. I shall sleep ever so soundly.

*Hmm, Varek contemplates a way to diffuse the situation before it gets outta hand.*

re: #72 Varek Raith

*Hmm, Varek contemplates a way to diffuse the situation before it gets outta hand.*

You've got that ax, right?

re: #73 SanFranciscoZionist

You've got that ax, right?

And SFZ comes to the rescue! :)

re: #71 Sharmuta

I'm so very happy it's met with your approval. I shall sleep ever so soundly.

I'm sure you will sleep soundly. Good night, again.

re: #72 Varek Raith

*Hmm, Varek contemplates a way to diffuse the situation before it gets outta hand.*

No worries, it won't. I do have some worries about your bonfire, though...

No worries, it won't. I do have some worries about your bonfire, though...

...hmmm, so would the local fire department... I agree, bonfire in house = bad idea. :)

Damn! Even my coffee can't seem to stay warm... :(

Night all.

re: #79 SanFranciscoZionist

Night all.

Night, SFZ!

Trying to drum up some interest in this story....

It's mostly a linkfest, everything I could pull together regarding a story about an autistic 5th grader who's being badly mistreated by his Fort Smith school.

Cat in A Dog's World does the best job of nutshelling it:

A Sad Story, and a Call to Action

If you listen to anything autism- or disability- related today, listen to this interview with Carole Reynolds, whose 11-year old autistic grandson Zakhquerey Price is facing felony charges for allegedly injuring two staff members at Beard Elementary (Fort Smith, AK) while said staff members were trying to restrain him.

Zakh's story is really heartbreaking, and demonstrates so many problems with public education, the system of mental institutionalization, and criminal justice system.

Zakh has already faced years of forced institutionalization, including during a period in which he and his family mourn the loss of his sister. Now, he faces criminal charges without adequate legal representation. His family cannot afford a private lawyer, and the public defender assigned to his case does not know much about autism. With the current situation, there is a strong chance that Zakh will be institutionalized against the will of his familyagain. Zakh has already faced years of institutionalization due to a school system which wants to not educate him. He has also been institutionalized during a period in which he and his family are mourning for his younger sister, who died during his period of incarceration in mental institutions.

What can we do to help?

You can donate to Zakh's family so that they might obtain adequate legal representation.

A beautiful late-night Lizard lullaby. Sleep, little ones....

I'll just leave this here:

Blago weighs in:

[Link: www.chron.com...]

"I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. "

Algerian security forces killed 10 Islamist rebels in an ambush, state radio reported on Sunday, while in a separate development a Canadian firm said an Algerian employed kidnapped by insurgents had been freed.

The security forces, acting on a tip, mounted the ambush on Saturday in the region of M'sila, 400 km (250 miles) east of Algiers, the radio report said. It said a "large quantity" of weapons had been seized during the operation.

Insurgents operating under the name al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb carry out sporadic bombings and kidnappings in Algeria, though the level of violence has subsided dramatically in the past few years.

SNIP

European countries are increasingly pegging speeding fines to income as a way to punish wealthy scofflaws who would otherwise ignore tickets.

Advocates say a $290,000 (euro203,180.83) speeding ticket slapped on a millionaire Ferrari driver in Switzerland was a fair and well-deserved example of the trend.

Germany, France, Austria and the Nordic countries also issue punishments based on a person's wealth. In Germany the maximum fine can be as much as $16 million compared to only $1 million in Switzerland. Only Finland regularly hands out similarly hefty fine to speeding drivers, with the current record believed to be a euro170,000 (then about $190,000) ticket in 2004.

Headline (and photo) is STATION

Womder, with the entire country under such cold temps, if that will become ICE STATION ZEBRA!?!?!

re: #86 sattv4u2

Headline (and photo) is STATION

Womder, with the entire country under such cold temps, if that will become ICE STATION ZEBRA!?!?!

Not only do I WOMDER,, I also WONDER!!!

((where's my coffee!!!))

re: #85 MandyManners

I can only begin to imagine the arguments the Right would bring out against any such initiative in America: from "creeping socialsm" (to each according to his needs, from each according to his income) to discouraging people to become rich in order to avoid high traffic fines.

Face it, one of the motivations of becoming rich in this country is so that you can oafford to scoff at the law...

re: #88 ralphieboy

Face it, one of the motivations of becoming rich in this country is so that you can oafford to scoff at the law

There are an entire myriad of factors that drive me to do better, make more, become "rich", and thats never been on the list
I also know people who would be described as 'rich" and they nevber once told me they were motivated to it so they could drive faster with the knowledge that they would be treated the same as a "poor" speeder

re: #88 ralphieboy

I can only begin to imagine the arguments the Right would bring out against any such initiative in America: from "creeping socialsm" (to each according to his needs, from each according to his income) to discouraging people to become rich in order to avoid high traffic fines.

Face it, one of the motivations of becoming rich in this country is so that you can oafford to scoff at the law...

Bullshit. Your hatred of those who work hard and rise just screams in that last sentence.

Months after Iranian opposition leaders denounced acts of torture and rape at the infamous Kahrizak detention center, the country's parliament has released a report detailing incidents of mistreatment and suspicious deaths. Notorious former Tehran prosecutor general Saeed al-Mortazevi was blamed by the report.

An Iranian parliamentary committee investigating cases of torture and rape at the government's Kahrizak detention center in the weeks following a disputed June 12 presidential election has taken the unusual step of condemning government officials for what took place.

The committee report blames former Tehran prosecutor and government stalwart Saeed Mortazavi for ordering opposition protesters to be sent to the over-crowded Kahrizak facility.

The report says three detainees died as a result of violence and mediocre conditions at the prison, but it denies anyone was raped.

Several former detainees, one of whom later fled to Europe, recounted incidents of torture, brutality and rape in the weeks after they were released.

Iranian film-maker Reza Allamehzadeh, who lives in exile in Holland, interviewed detainee Ibrahim Sharify who explained how he was raped and tortured at Kahrizak. He said that Ibrahim Sharify, who says in the interview he was raped, is living proof rape and torture exist in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Journalist Babrak Daad also detailed various incidents of torture and rape of young detainees at Kahrizak to the VOA's Persian Service. He said a number of young people were raped at the Kahrizak detention center, detailing their brutal treatment at the hands of their jailors.

SNIP

re: #91 MandyManners

Months after Iranian opposition leaders denounced acts of torture and rape at the infamous Kahrizak detention center, the country's parliament has released a report detailing incidents of mistreatment and suspicious deaths. Notorious former Tehran prosecutor general Saeed al-Mortazevi was blamed by the report.

The government can cast blame wherever it so desires but, the fact remains that ShortShit is in control.

The Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders says Iran has earned the dubious distinction of being the number-one assailant of press freedoms in the world, after several sentences were handed down. The rights group says Tehran has at least 42 journalists behind bars.

Paris-based press-watchdog Reporters Without Borders blasted Iran as the "biggest prison in the world for journalists." Following recent arrests, dozens of Iranian journalists are now being detained without trial, in addition to others already serving stiff sentences.

Monday, 36 hardline members of Iran's parliament aligned with President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and sponsored a bill to have all imprisoned opposition activists who oppose the government declared "enemies of God."

"Enemies of God," or mohareb, are to be executed within five days of their arrest, with a maximum five-day period to appeal the sentence, instead of the usual 25.

SNIP

Let the howls begin.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans on Sunday to erect a barrier along part of Israel's border with Egypt and install advanced surveillance equipment to keep out illegal migrants and militants.

"I took the decision to close Israel's southern border to infiltrators and terrorists. This is a strategic decision to secure Israel's Jewish and democratic character," Netanyahu said in a statement.

SNIP

re: #93 MandyManners

Let the howls begin.

And the heads explode

The mini ice age starts here

[Link: www.dailymail.co.uk...]

Ten months into President Barack Obama's first economic stimulus plan, a surge in spending on roads and bridges has had no effect on local unemployment and only barely helped the beleaguered construction industry, an Associated Press analysis has found.

Spend a lot or spend nothing at all, it didn't matter, the AP analysis showed: Local unemployment rates rose and fell regardless of how much stimulus money Washington poured out for transportation, raising questions about Obama's argument that more road money would address an "urgent need to accelerate job growth."

Obama wants a second stimulus bill from Congress that relies in part on more road and bridge spending, projects the president said are "at the heart of our effort to accelerate job growth."

Construction spending would be a key part of the Jobs for Main Street Act, a $75 billion second stimulus to revive the nation's lethargic unemployment rate and improve the dismal job market for construction workers. The House approved the bill 217-212 last month after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., worked the floor for an hour; the Senate is expected to consider it later in January.

AP's analysis, which was reviewed by independent economists at five universities, showed that strategy hasn't affected unemployment rates so far. And there's concern it won't work the second time. For its analysis, the AP examined the effects of road and bridge spending in communities on local unemployment; it did not try to measure results of the broader aid that also was in the first stimulus like tax cuts, unemployment benefits or money for states.

SNIP

re: #88 ralphieboy

From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

Guess Marx had it right, huh Ralphie?

re: #96 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

Guess Marx had it right, huh Ralphie?

Not even in bed.

A Defense Department review of the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, has found the doctors overseeing Maj. Nidal Hasan's medical training repeatedly voiced concerns over his strident views on Islam and his inappropriate behavior, yet continued to give him positive performance evaluations that kept him moving through the ranks.

The picture emerging from the review ordered by Defense Secretary Robert Gates is one of supervisors who failed to heed their own warnings about an officer ill-suited to be an Army psychiatrist, according to information examined by investigators conducting the study.

Hasan, 39, is accused of murdering 13 people on Nov. 5 at Fort Hood, the worst killing spree on a U.S. military base.

What remains unclear is why Hasan would be advanced in spite of all the worries over his competence. That is likely to be the subject of a more detailed accounting by the department. Recent statistics show the Army rarely blocks junior officers from promotion, especially in the medical corps.

SNIP

In telling episodes from the latter stages of lengthy Hasan's medical education in the Washington, D.C., area, he gave a class presentation questioning whether the U.S.-led war on terror was actually a war on Islam. And students said he suggested that Shariah (shah-REE'-yuh), or Islamic law, trumped the Constitution and he attempted to justify suicide bombings, according to the information reviewed by The Associated Press.

Yet no one in Hasan's chain of command appears to have challenged his eligibility to hold a secret security clearance even though they could have because the statements raised doubt about his loyalty to the United States. Had they, Hasan's fitness to serve as an Army officer may have been called into question long before he reported to Fort Hood.

Instead, in July 2009, Hasan arrived in central Texas, his secret clearance intact, his reputation as a weak performer well known, and Army authorities believing that posting him at such a large facility would mask his shortcomings.

SNIP

And now for some Disney.

Remixed on YouTube.

McCain's aide that's blowing the whistle on Palin needs to figure out what "non-plussed" means. It does not mean "calm".

re: #100 MandyManners

McCain's aide that's who's blowing the whistle on Palin needs to figure out what "non-plussed" means. It does not mean "calm".

*sigh*

re: #100 MandyManners

McCain's aide that's blowing the whistle on Palin needs to figure out what "non-plussed" means. It does not mean "calm".

Steve Schmidt.

re: #88 ralphieboy

You can't possibly be saying that access to the best applications of the law to fit your personal circumstance isn't equal across all income bands?........

/ commie

re: #102 MandyManners

Steve Schmidt.

Q: Who is one guy looking for a paying gig who should not be able to find one, Alex?

Good answer!

(Game show imitation over)

re: #100 MandyManners

McCain's aide that's blowing the whistle on Palin needs to figure out what "non-plussed" means. It does not mean "calm".

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines it as "to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do." SteveC adds that it is usually accompanied by the classic OH SHIT! expression.

re: #98 MandyManners

The whole Hassan case is a good example of why "naming the enemy" in this war is important. IMO his fellow psychiatrists understood that Hassan was a radical islamists, but were not sure if that constituted grounds for dismissal. Maybe in their minds it was just another political opinion--that is allowable in our public discussion. In other words, an awful, but allowed, opinion.

So stating that we are at war with radical Islam will add clarity to the war effort and will save lives.

Oh no!

(Washington, D.C.) Capitol Hill Police responding to a complaint of ‘a strong, foul odor’ have discovered the slain body of U.S. Economy in the subbasement of a Government building near the Capitol complex.

///

re: #95 MandyManners

Ten months into President Barack Obama's first economic stimulus plan, a surge in spending on roads and bridges has had no effect on local unemployment and only barely helped the beleaguered construction industry, an Associated Press analysis has found.

SNIP

We could (should) have ignored the call to spend trillions of dollars and instead tightened our fiscal belt and adopt policies that strengthen the dollar.

We'd have basically the same, or lower, unemployment rate and would be left with a much better position going forward.

Morning folks

Morning Lizards. Got a heat wave going on here in the wild north country as the new week opens at 15 degrees F. What'd I miss over the weekend?

re: #108 TampaKnight

We could (should) have ignored the call to spend trillions of dollars and instead tightened our fiscal belt and adopt policies that strengthen the dollar.

We'd have basically the same, or lower, unemployment rate and would be left with a much better position going forward.

Maybe, but then we would have let a good crisis go to waste//

Update on the Pennsylvania judges who were accepting kickbacks to put Juvi's in detention centers:

[Link: blogs.wsj.com...]

But we recently got wind of an allegation tucked into a civil complaint concerning Ciavarella that’s really not for the faint of heart.

According to this story, from the Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice, Ciavarella sentenced one former juvenile defendant to six months at a detention facility based solely on the number of birds perched on the ledge outside his courtroom. The allegation was made by attorneys for the plaintiff, now 21, who filed a lawsuit last week.

The suit has accused Ciavarella, the juvenile court judge from 1999 to May 2008, of inexplicably ordering Raul Clark to look at the ledge outside the courtroom during sentencing. Clark, according to the suit, was told to tell Ciavarella the number of birds he saw, the attorneys said.

Clark, 14 at the time of the November 2002 hearing, counted six; Ciavarella sentenced him to six months of detention - one for each bird, according to the lawsuit. Clark had appeared in Ciavarella’s courtroom on two misdemeanor charges: violating a town curfew and possession of a small drug pipe.

“Ciavarella’s cavalier conduct demonstrates that what took place before him was nothing more than theater for (his) amusement,” Clark’s attorneys wrote in the filing (link not available).

Pali be lyin'! (AGAIN!)

H1N1 Vaccine arrives in Gaza

Gaza – Ma’an – The de facto Ministry of Health confirmed on Sunday that 15,000 swine flu vaccines arrived in Gaza, which were provided by Saudi Arabia and transferred into the Strip in coordination with the World Health Organization.

Gaza Health Minister Bassem Na'im thanked and praised Saudi Arabia for its efforts and noted that H1N1 vaccines are scarce.

But....

Canada loans 5 MILLION H1N1 doses to Mexico

Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq on Wednesday announced plans for the country to loan Mexico five million doses of the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, Agence France-Presse reports. The loan will help Mexico meet its innoculation demand, while the country waits for H1N1 vaccine orders to be fulfilled by several manufacturers. "Mexico is expected to replenish the borrowed Canadian stock by the end of March, Aglukkaq said," according to the news service (1/6).

European countries have too many doses of H1N1

France has said it aims to cancel 50 million of the 94 million doses ordered from Sanofi-Aventis, Glaxo, Novartis and Baxter, while Germany wants to cancel half the 50 million doses ordered from Glaxo.

Good Morning Lizards.

g'mornin', all! Hope your weekend was good! Anything interesting this a.m.?

(looks like things are moving slow - needing more coffee? I sure as heck do . . . )

re: #116 SasyMomaCat

(looks like things are moving slow - needing more coffee? I sure as heck do . . . )

Caffeine would be great right about now. Only problem is, I left my change at home because I overslept and was slightly late for work. So I'm just going to have to soldier through today on lizard power.

So how badly are the colts going to crush baltimore this coming weekend? Karma played a roll in Dallas crushing Philly so I'm rooting for Karma to come out on top again. baltimore needs to be punished for stealing the browns//

re: #117 thedopefishlives

Caffeine would be great right about now. Only problem is, I left my change at home because I overslept and was slightly late for work. So I'm just going to have to soldier through today on lizard power.

I have again began my day by talking with a government employee that couldn't reason his way out of a paper bag. I'm convinced that certain program offices will indeed hire anyone....no resume required.

I'll take coffee, but with a shot of Jack.

re: #117 thedopefishlives

ack! no coffee pots in the office? Maybe someone will have mercy. Even if you are like hubby and take your caffeine in the carbonated form, a little coffee would at least keep you from getting a headache. My sympathies for your (thus far) caffeine-free Monday.

re: #120 SasyMomaCat

ack! no coffee pots in the office? Maybe someone will have mercy. Even if you are like hubby and take your caffeine in the carbonated form, a little coffee would at least keep you from getting a headache. My sympathies for your (thus far) caffeine-free Monday.

I don't really do coffee. Can't stand the taste or smell of the stuff. The worst part of that is, the Mrs. Fish loves coffee, so I have to deal with it on a fairly regular basis.

re: #5 Alexzander

[Link:

re: #121 thedopefishlives

have you tried it from a French press? That's a totally different coffee experience. Of course, I'll even drink the stuff from the gas stations, so it's not like I'm picky. But, if I have my druthers, French press the best coffee you'll get anywhere.

re: #121 thedopefishlives

I don't really do coffee. Can't stand the taste or smell of the stuff. The worst part of that is, the Mrs. Fish loves coffee, so I have to deal with it on a fairly regular basis.

What, are you some kind of foreigner? Only commies don't like coffee.

re: #124 RogueOne

What, are you some kind of foreigner? Only commies don't like coffee.

In Soviet Russia, coffee drinks you.

re: #118 RogueOne

So how badly are the colts going to crush baltimore this coming weekend?

Even years later, that sentence looks so wrong...

Johnny U!

re: #123 SasyMomaCat

have you tried it from a French press? That's a totally different coffee experience. Of course, I'll even drink the stuff from the gas stations, so it's not like I'm picky. But, if I have my druthers, French press the best coffee you'll get anywhere.

I keep trying to acquire a taste for it, but even the coffee-that's-not-really-coffee from Starbucks type places makes me queasy. I guess it's a function of having grown up in a coffee-free household; none of my family ever drank it on a regular basis.

re: #125 thedopefishlives

In Soviet Russia, coffee drinks you.

Maybe you're just not brewing it right:

BoingBoing: How to brew a good cup of coffee
[Link: www.boingboing.net...]

re: #124 RogueOne

What, are you some kind of foreigner? Only commies don't like coffee.

Your heart goes "lub-dub, lub-dub".

Mine goes "lub-dub, BANG! Pow! Shhhhh....! Lub-dub".

My heart on coffee? You don't wanna know!

Good Morning! Woke up to news of DUI arrest in my neighborhood. No big deal. Except he had a pipe bomb or a stick of dynamite in his car.

So we got the media choppers overhead, the bomb squad closing the boulevard I use to go to work. They say the bomb squad just detonated it under bomb blankets.

re: #128 RogueOne
It's all very technical.

"The width of the spout times the width of the kettle mouth divided by the distance from the tip of the spout to the kettle (in millimeters) equals the number of seconds you should dose your water. For each second use a half scoop of coffee."

re: #106 sandbox

The whole Hassan case is a good example of why "naming the enemy" in this war is important. IMO his fellow psychiatrists understood that Hassan was a radical islamists, but were not sure if that constituted grounds for dismissal. Maybe in their minds it was just another political opinion--that is allowable in our public discussion. In other words, an awful, but allowed, opinion.

So stating that we are at war with radical Islam will add clarity to the war effort and will save lives.

That's assuming they would recognize 'radical Islam'. It appears as if PC stopped them from even thinking past the guy's 'religious' views and his right to hold those 'religous views'..

re: #127 thedopefishlives

Well, it is an acquired taste. And, not liking the smell hurts your chances, too. Even as a little girl, I always loved it when I was in the kitchen if Mom opened a new can of grounds. I insisted she let me take a big whiff before she scooped it out to make a pot.

re: #124 RogueOne

What, are you some kind of foreigner? Only commies don't like coffee.

LOL!

I can't live without my Community coffee made in our french press.

re: #130 Rightwingconspirator

Wow, now, that's an exciting way to start the work week!

re: #130 Rightwingconspirator

Good Morning! Woke up to news of DUI arrest in my neighborhood. No big deal. Except he had a pipe bomb or a stick of dynamite in his car.

So we got the media choppers overhead, the bomb squad closing the boulevard I use to go to work. They say the bomb squad just detonated it under bomb blankets.

"Honestly, officer, I can't even remember getting into the car, let alone putting a bomb in it."

re: #129 SteveC

I drink coffee from 5am until around 8pm everyday. I love my caffeine.

re: #137 RogueOne

I drink coffee from 5am until around 8pm everyday. I love my caffeine.

Like I say, my wife's a coffee addict. We do a lot of business at the local Caribou Coffee shop about 5 minutes away from my house. Me, I prefer my caffeine in a carbonated format.

re: #131 RogueOne

It's all very technical.

"The width of the spout times the width of the kettle mouth divided by the distance from the tip of the spout to the kettle (in millimeters) equals the number of seconds you should dose your water. For each second use a half scoop of coffee."

Day-um! You making coffee or fueling a nuclear reactor?!?!

re: #137 RogueOne

It's also a good focusing agent for us folks with ADHD, ironically . . .

Good morning everyone :)

re: #138 thedopefishlives

a mixed marriage ;-)

re: #141 Blueheron

Good morning!

re: #139 SteveC

Day-um! You making coffee or fueling a nuclear reactor?!?!

Well, if you want to be technical, coffee does serve a similar purpose.

re: #134 generalsparky

LOL!

I can't live without my Community coffee made in our french press.

I was just about to say something about Community!

I send 2 lbs of dark roast to my brother in Wash state every month.

re: #127 thedopefishlives

I keep trying to acquire a taste for it, but even the coffee-that's-not-really-coffee from Starbucks type places makes me queasy. I guess it's a function of having grown up in a coffee-free household; none of my family ever drank it on a regular basis.

Pour a shot of whiskey in it!

re: #137 RogueOne

I drink coffee from 5am until around 8pm everyday. I love my caffeine.

Sodas with No Caf here. Abby down at the lab can have all the Caf-Pow in the state.

/NCIS

I honestly don't care much about the taste of coffee, just what it does to me. Caffeine rocks.

re: #136 thedopefishlives

Maybe it was a Jihadi out doing his laundry? Turns out it was a home made firework, or so they say on Eyewitless news.

re: #142 SasyMomaCat

a mixed marriage ;-)

We make it work. I take her to the coffee shop, and then she goes with me to the supermarket's "sugar overload" aisle.

re: #146 MandyManners

Pour a shot of whiskey in it!

I'm sure my boss would love to deal with me when I'm lightly toasted. ;)

United Arab Emirates sheikh was acquitted Sunday of charges connected to the videotaped beating and torture of an Afghan grain dealer.

Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a member of the emirates' ruling family, was charged with rape, endangering life and causing bodily harm in connection with the nearly three-hour long tape shot in 2004 in the desert outside Abu Dhabi, one of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf region.

However, the court acquitted Issa on Sunday, ruling he had diminished responsibility for his actions because of the effects of medication his defense attorney claimed he was given. Issa had a "lack of criminal responsibility," the court found, defense attorney Habib al-Mulla told CNN.

SNIP

re: #98 MandyManners

A Defense Department review of the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, has found the doctors overseeing Maj. Nidal Hasan's medical training repeatedly voiced concerns over his strident views on Islam and his inappropriate behavior, yet continued to give him positive performance evaluations that kept him moving through the ranks.

Post and run:

It's simple: No one wanted to be the one to try to bring down the hammer on Hasan, given the highly negative PR and career consequences that would follow.

re: #150 thedopefishlives

It's all about balance, man - sounds like you and Mrs. Fish have it worked out.

re: #149 Rightwingconspirator

Maybe it was a Jihadi out doing his laundry? Turns out it was a home made firework, or so they say on Eyewitless news.

We've heard that story before, I think.

re: #137 RogueOne

I drink coffee from 5am until around 8pm everyday. I love my caffeine.

One cup a day is my limit. Heart does mysterious gymnastics otherwise.
I used to drink two pots a day. Maybe that has something to do with it? ///

re: #152 Dark_Falcon

It's terrible that this ended up costing the lives of several of our brave protectors. I'm sure no one thought about THOSE consequences when they were avoiding the consequences of standing up for the right thing.

What's right isn't always easy and what's easy isn't always right.

re: #155 Blueheron

One cup a day is my limit. Heart does mysterious gymnastics otherwise.
I used to drink two pots a day. Maybe that has something to do with it? ///

I used to drink 1-2 cans of Mountain Dew a day back before I went to college. When I left home that fall, I actually wound up quitting the Dew habit cold-turkey - a bit of a reversal from most people. But that whole first week, I had the most KILLER caffeine-withdrawal headache.

re: #157 thedopefishlives

ouch-ouch-ouch!

Just thinking about that withdrawal makes me want another cup of coffee - just for precautionary measures, of course!

re: #154 reine.de.tout

We've heard that story before, I think.

Someone on another site posted this story this morning:

[Link: www.wired.com...]

Most Dangerous Office Object: Paintball Land Mines

The consensus was it looks hilarious but also an easy way to end up with a terrorism charge.

re: #157 thedopefishlives

I used to drink 1-2 cans of Mountain Dew a day back before I went to college. When I left home that fall, I actually wound up quitting the Dew habit cold-turkey - a bit of a reversal from most people. But that whole first week, I had the most KILLER caffeine-withdrawal headache.

Yes I still do so I drink tea instead.

A rights group has demanded Iran release 33 mothers detained during a weekly vigil for their children killed or missing in the country's postelection violence.

The U.S.-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said nine of the jailed women received emergency medical treatment after they were rounded up by security forces Saturday in a Tehran park where they hold their demonstrations.

A statement issued late Sunday by the group said the women suffered from "various illnesses," but gave no further details. Iranian authorities have not commented on the reported detentions.

The women are part of a "mourning mothers" gathering held by women whose children have been killed or unaccounted for in unrest since the disputed presidential election in June.

SNIP

re: #154 reine.de.tout

Well nobody hurt and the all clear is just a few minutes away. Whew.

re: #82 ryannon

I wished everyone a good-night.

It's time to wish the morning crew a good morning!

re: #162 Rightwingconspirator

Well nobody hurt and the all clear is just a few minutes away. Whew.

You live in an intewresting neighborhood.

re: #159 RogueOne

The consensus was it looks hilarious but also an easy way to end up with a terrorism charge.

USB Missile Launcher.

For when you have to declare war on the neighboring cubicle.
:)

Good morning Lizards!

Another cool (below freezing) and clear day here in lovely Central City Philadelphia. The Eagles fans are in quiet mourning here in the office.

re: #151 MandyManners

How convenient that he was given 'medication'.

re: #159 RogueOne

The consensus was it looks hilarious but also an easy way to end up with a terrorism charge.

Also an easy way to ruin somebody's clothes.
Article suggested wite-out - that's permanent, never comes out of fabric.

Not. A. Good. Idea.

Turkey Sandwich for Israel

Turkey's prime minister accused Israel on Monday of threatening peace in the region and using disproportionate force against Palestinians.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Israel to stop violating Lebanon's airspace and territorial waters. He also called on the UN Security Council to put same pressure on Israel regarding nuclear arms as it does on Iran.

"We can never remain silent in the face of Israel's attitude. ... It has disproportionate power and it is using that at will while refusing to abide by UN resolutions. We can never accept this picture," Erdogan said. "These steps threaten global peace."

[Link: www.jpost.com...]

Erdogan the Islamofascist sympathizer drools hatred from both sides of his foul mouth.

re: #165 Varek Raith

USB Missile Launcher.

For when you have to declare war on the neighboring cubicle.
:)

I MUST HAVE ONE. That's amazing.

re: #161 MandyManners

illnesses by pinky toe! I hope the sacrifices so many are making bring about the much needed change they are seeking in Iran. They will have to continue to stay the course and it will likely get much worse before it gets better. I only wish that there were more we could do without hamstringing the effort for being seen as interfering.

re: #169 Spare O'Lake

using disproportionate force against Palestinians

I wonder if he would be happy if young Israeli men walked into Pali cafes and pizza parlors and blew them up?

re: #167 Obdicut

How convenient that he was given 'medication'.

Notice that the medication is not named.

re: #173 MandyManners

And that the reporter lets his skepticism show through with the word 'claimed'. But that's the UAE for you, our partners in peace.

re: #171 SasyMomaCat

illnesses by pinky toe! I hope the sacrifices so many are making bring about the much needed change they are seeking in Iran. They will have to continue to stay the course and it will likely get much worse before it gets better. I only wish that there were more we could do without hamstringing the effort for being seen as interfering.

ShortShit is pissing of journalists by the dozens.

re: #167 Obdicut

How convenient that he was given 'medication'.

re: #173 MandyManners

Notice that the medication is not named.

"Squad 51, this is Rampart. Administer one dose of lead, .45 caliber, and transport as soon as possible!"

"Rampart we read. Administering as instructed and will transport as soon as possible."

re: #172 sattv4u2

it is so infuriating to read something like this. If Israel's response is disproportionate, it is in the opposite direction indicated by those making the statements. They err on the side of restraint many, many times, despite the fact that their foes value ideology above even their own lives.

re: #175 MandyManners

here's hoping he keeps angering folks - the passion gives fuel and keeps the resistance alive, imo.

give him enough rope and all that . . .

re: #177 SasyMomaCat

No country has ever won a struggle, no man has ever won a fight without, no team has ever won a game without disproportionate force

re: #178 SasyMomaCat

here's hoping he keeps angering folks - the passion gives fuel and keeps the resistance alive, imo.

give him enough rope and all that . . .

Give him enough rope and he'll hang you.

re: #165 Varek Raith

I like that! I have a collection of RC military vehicles. One is a toy tank with a missile launcher attachment I bought specifically to torment my dogs. They love it.

Courtesy of NOAA....

The average temperature in December 2009 was 30.2 F. This was -3.2 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average, the 14th coolest December in 115 years. The temperature trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit per decade.

2.88 inches of precipitation fell in December. This was 0.65 inches more than the 1901-2000 average, the 11th wettest such month on record. The precipitation trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.02 inches per decade.

[Link: lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov...]

re: #182 blueheron

This may interest you

[Link: www.dailymail.co.uk...]

re: #179 sattv4u2

Agreed. I would say what I think needs to be done, but parts of it would be advocating violence and that's a no-no. Of course, the regional repercussions would be bad . . . I know it's a delicate balancing act, but I believe that the attitudes of the UN and many of Israel's "neighbors" has put them in a no win situation.

re: #182 blueheron

Courtesy of NOAA...

The average temperature in December 2009 was 30.2 F. This was -3.2 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average, the 14th coolest December in 115 years. The temperature trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit per decade.

2.88 inches of precipitation fell in December. This was 0.65 inches more than the 1901-2000 average, the 11th wettest such month on record. The precipitation trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.02 inches per decade.

[Link: lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov...]

I'd like to hear what folks think of this article previously linked in this thread.

The mini ice age starts here

re: #165 Varek Raith

Interesting item, but expensive in terms of overkill.

Came across a book in B&N the other day that was all small launchers built with common office supplies.

Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction

re: #186 oaktree

how funny!

re: #179 sattv4u2

No country has ever won a struggle, no man has ever won a fight without, no team has ever won a game without disproportionate force

Very true.
And the fact that he seems willing to use the fact that Israel has nukes to pull the rug out from under international efforts to restrain Iran's nuke program is extremely problematic.

Hey, does anyone here do OAMC? I'm pondering implementing that approach, but wondered if anyone has any experience with it . . .

An update to the personal issue some of you helped me with yesterday. I had a nice chat with my sis-in-law about her fear of the dark and managed to make my points without her running away crying. Having all the lights on, the t.v. on, sleeping with a 70lb dobermann and still being afraid is unreasonable. I offered to get her some counseling to deal with her fear issues and she took me up on the offer. Turns out she's just now coming to terms with her mortality. I guess she's just figuring out people die.

re: #185 rwdflynavy

I'd like to hear what folks think of this article previously linked in this thread.

The mini ice age starts here

Damn, just when I went and bought a Hudson Bay beach timeshare.

re: #191 Spare O'Lake

You can take up any of a number of sports/activities. Ice fishing, ice sailing, ice hockey, etc.

re: #185 rwdflynavy

I'd like to hear what folks think of this article previously linked in this thread.

The mini ice age starts here

Here's my take:

Is anyone having trouble with LGF this morning? It is loading very slowly and right now I can not see anyones avatars.

re: #194 Blueheron

Is anyone having trouble with LGF this morning? It is loading very slowly and right now I can not see anyones avatars.

Actually, yes.

My screen seems to be frosting over and the keys are frozen to the keyboard.

I wonder what's going on...?

re: #191 Spare O'Lake

Damn, just when I went and bought a Hudson Bay beach timeshare.

The problem I have with that article is that it makes a number of strawman claims. I don't think, for example, that any serious climatologist is saying that global warming is solely due to man-caused factors. That being said, I'd be interested to see what the other side has to say about some of the supposed facts presented in the article, like the increasing summer sea ice. It seems like some contradictory evidence is being presented on both sides of the argument.

re: #193 ryannon

Here's my take:

[Video]

Can't see youtube at work, can you enlighten me?

re: #197 rwdflynavy

Can't see youtube at work, can you enlighten me?

It's the Beatles singing "You Say Yes, I Say No", etc.

For some reason, it's a Beatles morning for me.... :-)

re: #196 thedopefishlives

The problem I have with that article is that it makes a number of strawman claims. I don't think, for example, that any serious climatologist is saying that global warming is solely due to man-caused factors. That being said, I'd be interested to see what the other side has to say about some of the supposed facts presented in the article, like the increasing summer sea ice. It seems like some contradictory evidence is being presented on both sides of the argument.

If I'm not mistaken, summer sea ice is just that: too thin to make it through the winter. It apparently breaks up rather than adding to the existing ice caps.

re: #185 rwdflynavy

Let's have this discussion in the next 2 or 3 or 4 years. Right now I'm still remembering the hurricanes, heat and drought of 2 or 3 or 4 years ago.

re: #198 ryannon

It's the Beatles singing "You Say Yes, I Say No", etc.

For some reason, it's a Beatles morning for me... :-)

Thanks! I can't keep it all straight. I am sure we are having an impact on climate, but I don't know enough about the folks in this article. They sound like they have the street creds...

re: #196 thedopefishlives

From the article

Among the most prominent of the scientists is Professor Mojib Latif, a leading member of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
Prof Latif, who leads a research team at the renowned Leibniz Institute at Germany’s Kiel University, has developed new methods for measuring ocean temperatures 3,000ft beneath the surface, where the cooling and warming cycles start. He and his colleagues predicted the new cooling trend in a paper published in 2008 and warned of it again at an IPCC conference in Geneva last September

re: #183 sattv4u2

This may interest you

[Link: www.dailymail.co.uk...]

Yes I saw that article. Don't know what to say because one winter does not a trend make but we will see.
My gut also tells me we will be facing a tough hurricane season this year.

re: #202 sattv4u2

An argument from authority isn't exactly an argument. I would love to see the oceanic data he's come up with, and his methodology. Above all, I'd like to see if this "cooling trend" continues, bearing out his prediction.

re: #185 rwdflynavy

I'd have to do a much deeper amount of research before I can make a fully reasonable response. My initial three opinions are:

1. An article like this pops up every initial winter cold snap ever since AGW got going in the media.

2. I'd need to know more about Prof. Latif, the depth of his research, and how his theories and data are viewed by the meteorological community. Is he part of a small contrarian group who thinks the current models have inaccuracies, or is he at this point essentially viewed as a "crank" with some serious flaws in the model and data he proposes?

3. It also seems that the article goes with Latif's claim that his model covers 50% of the warm/cold trends. How does said model account for increased atmospheric CO2, and run-on effects from that in the future? (I.E. could Latif actually think that CO2 is a threat, but that the incorrect IPCC model is giving up less time that we actually have before climate changes screw-over human civilization.

I note that the few comments I saw with that article were typical foaming at the mouth denier remarks.

re: #195 ryannon

Actually, yes.

My screen seems to be frosting over and the keys are frozen to the keyboard.

I wonder what's going on...?

Happy to see I am not the only one having trouble. I will say I will click post on this answer to you and then wait patiently while it grinds away doing nothing :(

re: #204 thedopefishlives

An argument from authority isn't exactly an argument. I would love to see the oceanic data he's come up with, and his methodology. Above all, I'd like to see if this "cooling trend" continues, bearing out his prediction.

This comes from the same "authority" (UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)) that uses the same "methodology" as they used for their warming models, I would have to conclude

Tucker Carlson's "Daily Caller" website opened today- basically his answer to the HuffPo. I just checked it out and it's basically what I expected- fairly partisan input from the usual conservative suspects.

Although maybe the site has promise since I've tended to like Carlson and he runs from partisan pandering usually.

It's too damned early on a Monday for this level of idiocy:

"I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived," Blagojevich said. "I saw it all growing up."

Bleah.

Greets and saluts from the NYC metro area, where the nanny staters are busy once again trying to limit your food choices. This time, they're pushing to limit salt content in food. Let's just ignore that table salt is fortified with iodine to prevent thyroid deficiencies and since many people don't eat food with sufficient iodine content, it prevents other illnesses. Salt is also what makes food taste good, helps bread rise, acts as a preservative and is critical to brining poultry and koshering meat. It would also put bagels and lox on the chopping block since it's needed in curing fish.

The same went for the warnings to stay out of the sun - because it causes skin cancer. The same folks forgot that sun exposure is critical to Vitamin D formation and is the only reliable source of Vitamin D, which is critical to preventing all manner of illnessses.

Bloomberg and Paterson are also now looking to hike the cigarette taxes again, to raise money for health care programs, but the revenues will fall short as the hikes deter people from smoking and it's reached a tipping point where the smokers can't provide the tax revenues needed for those programs (and states, including NY) have already tapped out the tobacco settlement funds.

re: #205 oaktree

I'd have to do a much deeper amount of research before I can make a fully reasonable response. My initial three opinions are:

1. An article like this pops up every initial winter cold snap ever since AGW got going in the media.

2. I'd need to know more about Prof. Latif, the depth of his research, and how his theories and data are viewed by the meteorological community. Is he part of a small contrarian group who thinks the current models have inaccuracies, or is he at this point essentially viewed as a "crank" with some serious flaws in the model and data he proposes?

3. It also seems that the article goes with Latif's claim that his model covers 50% of the warm/cold trends. How does said model account for increased atmospheric CO2, and run-on effects from that in the future? (I.E. could Latif actually think that CO2 is a threat, but that the incorrect IPCC model is giving up less time that we actually have before climate changes screw-over human civilization.

I note that the few comments I saw with that article were typical foaming at the mouth denier remarks.

Concur, and the Mail is a very conservative paper well-known for alarmist headlines...

re: #209 Lidane

It's too damned early on a Monday for this level of idiocy:

"I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived," Blagojevich said. "I saw it all growing up."

Bleah.

Translation

"HEY ,,, LOOK AT ME ,,,, REMEMBER ME!??!?! ,, I USED TO BE IN THE NEWS ALL THE TIME ,,,, DON'T FORGET ME!!!"

re: #209 Lidane

It's too damned early on a Monday for this level of idiocy:

"I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived," Blagojevich said. "I saw it all growing up."

Bleah.

I was just about to post that. It looks like he as already apologized.

re: #210 lawhawk

Didn't they already try the salt content thing and fail miserably?

re: #209 Lidane

It's too damned early on a Monday for this level of idiocy:

"I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived," Blagojevich said. "I saw it all growing up."

Bleah.

I'll admit he has better hair than Obama.

re: #213 Soap_Man

I was just about to post that. It looks like he as already apologized.

I think he should have to apologize in front of Rev Wright's congregation.
//

re: #214 thedopefishlives

They've pushed transfat reduction/elimination (even though at one time they proffered transfats as a health alternative to other fats). The salt thing is new.

Somehow, I don't think Bloomberg is concerned about salt content when he orders his steaks and chops at the fine steakhouses around the City, where salt is used to help tenderize the meats...

re: #210 lawhawk

Greets and saluts from the NYC metro area, where the nanny staters are busy once again trying to limit your food choices. This time, they're pushing to limit salt content in food. Let's just ignore that table salt is fortified with iodine to prevent thyroid deficiencies and since many people don't eat food with sufficient iodine content, it prevents other illnesses. Salt is also what makes food taste good, helps bread rise, acts as a preservative and is critical to brining poultry and koshering meat. It would also put bagels and lox on the chopping block since it's needed in curing fish.

The same went for the warnings to stay out of the sun - because it causes skin cancer. The same folks forgot that sun exposure is critical to Vitamin D formation and is the only reliable source of Vitamin D, which is critical to preventing all manner of illnessses.

Bloomberg and Paterson are also now looking to hike the cigarette taxes again, to raise money for health care programs, but the revenues will fall short as the hikes deter people from smoking and it's reached a tipping point where the smokers can't provide the tax revenues needed for those programs (and states, including NY) have already tapped out the tobacco settlement funds.

I despise this. But, if the ultimate goal is to tax me to pay for everyone's health care, then I think I'd support crap like this. If we are to become an entitlement nation, I at least want assurances of accountability from the people that I'll be subsidizing.

If we're going to pay for people's health care, then the government will have to "regulate" health to ensure tax payer money is used most efficiently.

Do you see where this is going?.....Ugh.

re: #217 lawhawk

They've pushed transfat reduction/elimination (even though at one time they proffered transfats as a health alternative to other fats). The salt thing is new.

Somehow, I don't think Bloomberg is concerned about salt content when he orders his steaks and chops at the fine steakhouses around the City, where salt is used to help tenderize the meats...

See, I thought salt was the big thing a few years ago, before the big trans-fat scare. I could be wrong, though.

re: #209 Lidane

It's too damned early on a Monday for this level of idiocy:

"I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived," Blagojevich said. "I saw it all growing up."

Bleah.

...lolwut. Blago...just go away.

re: #210 lawhawk

Greets and saluts from the NYC metro area, where the nanny staters are busy once again trying to limit your food choices. This time, they're pushing to limit salt content in food. Let's just ignore that table salt is fortified with iodine to prevent thyroid deficiencies and since many people don't eat food with sufficient iodine content, it prevents other illnesses. Salt is also what makes food taste good, helps bread rise, acts as a preservative and is critical to brining poultry and koshering meat. It would also put bagels and lox on the chopping block since it's needed in curing fish.

The same went for the warnings to stay out of the sun - because it causes skin cancer. The same folks forgot that sun exposure is critical to Vitamin D formation and is the only reliable source of Vitamin D, which is critical to preventing all manner of illnessses.

Bloomberg and Paterson are also now looking to hike the cigarette taxes again, to raise money for health care programs, but the revenues will fall short as the hikes deter people from smoking and it's reached a tipping point where the smokers can't provide the tax revenues needed for those programs (and states, including NY) have already tapped out the tobacco settlement funds.

We need to sue "Big Salt" for all they are worth to fund nutrition education and to pay for patches and such for those trying to kick the salt habit.
//

re: #211 rwdflynavy

From the wikipedia page on Prof Latif. (Yes, it's a snip.)

"In 2008 Latif was joint author of a modelling study in Nature whose results suggested global surface temperature may not increase over the next decade, as natural climate variations in the North Atlantic and tropical Pacific temporarily offset the projected anthropogenic warming."

I note that term "temporarily" used. That implies to me that Latif thinks that the CO2 issue is real, but that the immediate effects might not be as dire as projected. In that case, the article to a degree is a sort of quote mine since it's not going to help us deal with the CO2 issue and will just be another arrow in the denier quiver.

Things starting to hop in the office - hope to be back later. If not, I'll "see" you guys in the morning. Have a great one and stay scaly!

re: #209 Lidane

Blago's looking mighty bitter; he got whacked when trying to sell Obama's senate seat to the highest bidder (Chicago politics as usual).

He's starving for attention, and decided to go the bitter and stupid route.

Typical.

re: #224 lawhawk

hence #212!

here's Killgores/Avanti's (and others) recovery....the foreclosures are pouring in now and BO gave himself a B+....where is the Stimulus?

[Link: www.telegraph.co.uk...]

re: #220 Varek Raith

...lolwut. Blago...just go away.

This is not surprising. As a resident of Illinois, he has been saying this type of shit for years. The funny thing is that many people thought that right after he was arrested, he went on a PR swing specifically targeted at black residents to have sympathetic people on the jury. Many speculate that is why he picked Burris for the senate seat.

Well, he threw that down the toilet.

Coldest winter ever in Florida. Had to buy socks with out holes yesterday. For the first time in over half a century, I saw it snow out my back door.

AGW, ROFLMAO.

re: #228 filetandrelease

Weather does not equal climate.

A large part of the administration’s $786 billion dollar stimulus bill was devoted to green or renewable energy projects, but the rate of unemployment continues to rise, the cost of gasoline and heating oil continues to rise in the face of the coldest winter on record in decades, and real jobs in energy industries are thwarted by Obama administration restrictions on the exploration and development of our national energy reserves.

it's a lot worse than this....read on
[Link: www.cnsnews.com...]

re: #229 Varek Raith

Weather does not equal climate.

I love that phrase!

re: #231 sattv4u2

I love that phrase!

It's true, you know?

re: #229 Varek Raith

I'll get back to you on that in a couple of years.

re: #145 reine.de.tout

I was just about to say something about Community!

I send 2 lbs of dark roast to my brother in Wash state every month.

We discovered Community coffee when we were stationed in Alabama. We could still get it when we moved to Florida with no problem. Of course they don't sell it up here (IL) and we even made a request with the commissary to carry it. For whatever reason the commissary couldn't get it so we order it directly from Community. We have 30# in our deep freeze right now LOL

re: #233 filetandrelease

I'll get back to you on that in a couple of years.

Heh, no, you won't.

re: #210 lawhawk

Isn't this part of the whole "nutritionism" cycle where the science and food industries run from "bad nutrient" to "bad nutrient" (salt, trans-fats, etc. etc.) as the different studies come in.

I didn't really come across all that until I read Pollan's _In Defense of Food_ and in the end it didn't affect my eating that much since to a large degree I was already ignoring most of the marketing spiels and trying to eat a balanced veggie heavy diet as it was. It did spark me wanting to do more of my own cooking though. (Exception being that I gave up ramen noodle cups years ago after seeing the sodium hit they had.)

re: #226 albusteve

Well, the billions spent on road construction in the stimulus package haven't created any jobs. They were never going to create jobs in any appreciable number to offset the millions of jobs lost elsewhere in the economy. Unemployment rates were unaffected by the increased spending on road construction work. So, while the road work was necessary to improve infrastructure, it didn't fulfill the Administration's goals of reducing unemployment.

Meanwhile, the NYT is pushing Colorado as some kind of example for health care claiming that they crave health care reform. Of particular note is the claim that 1/6 of Colorado residents don't have insurance, despite the state being a model for all kind of health care programs to cut costs.

Curious. Very curious. The national average for those lacking health insurance is 15%. Indeed, Gallup polls routinely find anywhere from 10-15% of respondents self identifying as not having insurance. That means that Colorado is below the national average (1/6 is 16.6%). Why is Colorado below the national average?

It's so friggen cold, I think I'll bake something. I'll start with apple gingerbread, then maybe baguettes if I'm still in the mood.

re: #238 Alouette

It's so friggen cold, I think I'll bake something. I'll start with apple gingerbread, then maybe baguettes if I'm still in the mood.

So...can you, I don't know, share?
/Please? :)

re: #236 oaktree

I have been eating better since being married to the mrs. She makes sure I get more veggies and we've moved away from red meat. Lots of chicken and turkey, with red meat once a week. We do a lot more fish and even vegetarian meals now, but I know I still crave a good steak now and then... It's all about moderation and portion control. Always was; always will be.

Spend a lot or spend nothing at all, it didn't matter, the AP analysis showed: Local unemployment rates rose and fell regardless of how much stimulus money Washington poured out for transportation, raising questions about Obama's argument that more road money would address an "urgent need to accelerate job growth."

the Stimulus is not working....we need an explanation from BO and his donks...what a fucking ripoff, now they hide

[Link: news.yahoo.com...]

re: #241 albusteve

Spend a lot or spend nothing at all, it didn't matter, the AP analysis showed: Local unemployment rates rose and fell regardless of how much stimulus money Washington poured out for transportation, raising questions about Obama's argument that more road money would address an "urgent need to accelerate job growth."

the Stimulus is not working...we need an explanation from BO and his donks...what a fucking ripoff, now they hide

[Link: news.yahoo.com...]

There are two major roads on my way to and from work that have needed repairs for years. They were both completely fixed with the stimulus money. Personally, I was pleased by that.

But I still agree with you. I would have rather those roads stayed the same than to have spent all the money on that clusterfuck of a bill.

re: #237 lawhawk

Well, the billions spent on road construction in the stimulus package haven't created any jobs. They were never going to create jobs in any appreciable number to offset the millions of jobs lost elsewhere in the economy. Unemployment rates were unaffected by the increased spending on road construction work. So, while the road work was necessary to improve infrastructure, it didn't fulfill the Administration's goals of reducing unemployment.

Meanwhile, the NYT is pushing Colorado as some kind of example for health care claiming that they crave health care reform. Of particular note is the claim that 1/6 of Colorado residents don't have insurance, despite the state being a model for all kind of health care programs to cut costs.

Curious. Very curious. The national average for those lacking health insurance is 15%. Indeed, Gallup polls routinely find anywhere from 10-15% of respondents self identifying as not having insurance. That means that Colorado is below the national average (1/6 is 16.6%). Why is Colorado below the national average?

Colorado has the youngest and healthiest population in the nation. There maybe your answer.

Hmm, the hamsters seem a bit slow this morning.

re: #244 Varek Raith

Hmm, the hamsters seem a bit slow this morning.

Noi s**t.

re: #240 lawhawk

Pollan's pet phase in the most recent book was "only eat food that your grandmother would recognize as food". I thought that was an interesting way to get one to dodge a lot of heavily processed foodstuffs. Which are generally the items that I see with tons of excess salt or corn syrup.

I made a batch of "pecan sandies" based on a cookbook recipe. Got about 50 small cookies, and since I knew the ingredients that went in I had a decent idea what the calorie count, sugar, salt, etc. was. Looked at a package of the Keebler equivalents when in the grocery store the next day. I think I'll stick to my own, or use a local bakery from now on.

re: #244 Varek Raith

Hmm, the hamsters seem a bit slow this morning.

Even hamsters are not immune to Mondays. :)

re: #238 Alouette

It's so friggen cold, I think I'll bake something. I'll start with apple gingerbread, then maybe baguettes if I'm still in the mood.

Can I put my toes in the oven for a few minutes!?!!?

re: #245 Blueheron

Noi s**t.

This misspelled mess took at least 45 secs to appear. :(

re: #245 Blueheron

re: #247 Lidane

At least I know it's not on my end. ;)

re: #244 Varek Raith

Hmm, the hamsters seem a bit slow this morning.

I don't seem to be having any problems.

re: #251 reine.de.tout

I don't seem to be having any problems.

Me neither