Winning streak

What a great streak I'm on!
First place in 'College Pick'em',
watched the neighborhood High School
thump their crosstown rivals 17-7 tonight,
now This!

It's good to be da king,
even if only for a day.

Not Really.

I heard a pompous rant by MSNBC's sportscaster turned political pontificater
Keith Olbermann, on Hugh Hewett's show yesterday,
apparently Chris Muir did also,
and as usual,
Damon hits the nail squarely on the head.

I'd sure rather read this than Doonesbury "
in the local Daily FishWrap-BirdCageLiner.



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KING, Cong.

If you are a plain spoken midwesterner (D) then you're
"Good 'ol Give-'em-hell-Harry Truman."
If you are a plain spoken midwesterner (R) then you're
"Brash, 'some say-' Offensive, Controversial."

He wasn't my first choice in the primary 4 years ago, but I sure like him now
and have voted for him ever since.

He is strong on borders and immigration, a straight shooter.

Iowa lawmaker's brashness earns notice
By HENRY C. JACKSON, Associated Press WriterTue Sep 26, 10:30 AM ET
He's described torture at Abu Ghraib as "hazing," argued that living in Iraq is safer than in Washington and dismissed President Bush's guest worker immigration program as amnesty.
Two-term Republican Rep. Steve King (news, bio, voting record) doesn't shy from controversy, and his perspective has earned him praise from conservatives — and disdain from those who consider him outlandish.
"He says so many idiotic things. I just see him as a wacko," says Suzanne Ryan, one of King's constituents in his rural, western Iowa congressional district.
Still, King remains popular, and his penchant for brash, and some say offensive, sound bites has helped the 57-year-old construction company owner become something of a national spokesman for his party's far-right wing.
"At the FRC (Family Research Council), he's a good friend to the family," says Tom McCluskey, the vice president for government affairs of the conservative group. "Steve King is right out front. He's one of the most articulate and one of the most willing to speak up."

Among King's notable comments:
_He argued that the media exaggerated the story of abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
_After compiling what he called an accurate civilian violent death rate for Iraq, he said living there was safer than in some U.S. cities, including New Orleans and Detroit.
"I have a feel for the rhythm of this place called Washington, D.C., and my wife lives here with me," he said on the floor of the House. "I can tell you, she is in far greater risk being a civilian in Washington, D.C., than an average civilian in Iraq."
_He called Bush and Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., an amnesty coalition and said "amnesty mercenaries of the Senate" should have a "big, bright, scarlet letter 'A' branded on their robes."

King also led a rebellion of 80 House Republicans who opposed renewal of the Voting Rights Act because of a provision that required state and local governments to print ballots in foreign languages or provide interpreters.

Some see King's rhetoric and hardline views as bombast, but his methods have opened new avenues for his political ambitions, which may include a run against four-term Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record) in 2008. King also has raised the profile of his district, a sprawling farming region with only two sizable cities — Council Bluffs and Sioux City.
"He is a showman," says Teresa Wolf, a Democrat from Sioux City who doesn't plan to vote for King this fall. "He wants attention and he delivers messages in such outlandish terms that it gets him a lot of publicity. Which is apparently what the man wants."
In an interview, King owns up to wanting attention.

"I sometimes use flowery language to make a point," he says. "It's usually a way to start debate."
But he quarrels with the notion that he is flippant, that he doesn't think before he speaks.
"That wasn't an off-the-cuff remark," he says of his comments on Abu Ghraib, the Baghdad prison where abuse of prisoners by U.S. soldiers led to an international scandal. "I looked up the word 'hazing' before I spoke."

In his district there are many, like Madeline Meyer, who think King is just what the country needs.

"He's got a true feel for issues that don't work well in the national media," says Meyer, a self-described 60-something from Odebolt, a sleepy town just a few miles from King's home in Kiron.
She supports King's efforts on immigration and establishing English as a national language, calling him an adept politician with a particular feel for voter concerns. "He gets along with everybody," she says. "He listens."
Others don't share this sanguine view.

On the Internet, at least one Web site — http://www.kingwatch.org — is dedicated to bashing King. The site is run by an anonymous group that claims to comprise residents in Iowa's 5th Congressional District.

King's opponent in November's election, Democrat Joyce Schulte, likewise has a hard time being diplomatic when she talks about him.
"I don't know if I have enough words in the English dictionary for this," she says. "It's unbelievable how he wastes the job."

King tends to ignore the critics and stands by what he says, even the crisp one-liners that make liberal groups howl.

A notable exception came earlier this year when King apologized to 86-year-old White House correspondent Helen Thomas. King had told a group of Republican Party activists days after the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, "There probably are not 72 virgins in the hell he's at. And if there are, they probably all look like Helen Thomas."

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Prepare

The president prayed fervently at the conclusion of his U.N. speech.
He prayed,

"Oh, almighty God, all men and women are your creatures and you have
ordained their guidance and salvation. Bestow upon humanity that thirst for
justice, the
perfect human being promised to all by you, and makers among
his followers and
among those who strive for his return and his cause."

Does the ACLU come unhinged ?
Do the Dems protest on behalf of the irreligious ??
Do the media cluck cluck about the overtly religious tone of the President???

Of course not, as it was President Ahmadinejad of Iran who prayed this.
But what is the striving? For whose return?

Blogger Bob Owens reports that President Ahmadinejad and the ruling Mullahs are part of a sect of Islam, the Hojjatieh, that is so radical that it was banned by the Ayatollah Khomeni in1983. They believe it is their responsibility to force God's hand- through chaos and bloodshed- to bring the return of 12th Shiite Imam, who they believe will reign in peace.

Mr Owens writes: "Because of the belief of the Hojjatieh that they can,
with human hands,
bring about Apocalypse, the significance of tomorrow's
date sets up in their eyes a divine opportunity that the rest of the world would
be wise to treat with all due seriousness. Considering the magnitude of the
threat, I would be quite unamazed if the long-range F-15I
"Ra'am" and F-16I
"Soufa" and other aircraft of the Israeli Air Force were not now sitting in
their hangers fully-fueled under heavy guard, wings heavy with the weight of the
most terrible weapons known to man, as Dolphin-class submarines and their
American counterparts patrol the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean
with their own cataclysmic payloads."

I heard a report of such readiness today, that the United States Navy is to
deploy submarines and minesweepers to the Persian Gulf by 1 October. The proper
response to this madman is to prepare to defeat him. The press has been largly silent about the motivations of the Mullocracy of Iran, preferring to blame President Bush or Israel for terrorism, as Mr Owens reports here:

"To admit the dangers of the intertwining of Iranian nuclear weapons
development with a radical and apocalyptic eschatology is to admit that
President George W. Bush is correct in his determination to prevent Iran from
developing the ability to effect a religious nuclear war. It is to admit that
there are far greater dangers to our freedoms than terrorist surveillance
programs and chilled members of al Qaeda.

To admit that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad means precisely what he says, and has said time and again, is to admit to larger dangers that neither the press nor the Democratic party they overwhelming support can admit.

To admit to the truth—to show what Iran and
its leader represent as a threat to the world—is to shatter a carefully crafted
illusion they have formulated that most of the problems of the world originate
at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
When faced with revealing a truth that would
create cognitive dissonance, the media has made the subconscious decision to
simply excise, and then ignore, the facts that undercut their "larger truth."
They’d rather risk lives than admit the possibility that President Bush's
concerns about a nuclear-armed Iran are precisely on target.
They aren't scared about the possibility of millions of people dying.

They are far more fearful that the President is right, and that the world they've created for themselves is all too wrong."

What are we heading toward?

Time to get out the vote, and time for some fervent prayer of our own...

Friday Night Lights

Went to my Freshman son's High School football game with him tonight.
Well, not HIS game but the Varsity game.
Well, not WITH him, as he was running around socializing with his buddies, though he did deign to sit with his old Dad for a while in the third quarter, and even went on a coffee run for me .

Still fun, the teams fought a 30 - 40 mile an hour wind that brought rolling dust clouds off the South parking lot that even overcame the greasy smoke from the concession stand grill ( doesn't any body ever clean that thing?)
It's neat to watch the kids being kids, lots of them there from elementary aged on up.
The PeeWee league in the neighbor hood has two teams that wear the High Schools colors, and the boys get in free when they wear their jerseys.
The Junoir High boys 8th Grade team was honored at halftime by lining up on the track, and waving to the crowd as their names were read.

The band played on through the wind and dust,
and only one flag was dropped by the flag corps-
No one injured, thankfully.
But, who let that guy in the flag corps?
Strange world.

The fourth quarter was either delayed or cancelled due to nearby lightning, though nothing severe reached the stadium . Steve and I bailed out of there to beat the crowd.

Neat slice of America.
The Home Team lost, but played hard.
Lots of proud parents were there , watching and videotaping their kids
in the band, or the game, or cheerleading, or dancing.

The 'Nobel' solution to melancholy

Kary Mullis quote From today's MondayMorningMemo©of Roy H. Williams, the Wizard of Ads®:

Kary Mullis said to a tuxedoed auditorium
full of dignitaries when he accepted his Nobel Prize:

"There is a general place in your brain,

I think,reserved for

'melancholy of relationships past.'
It grows and prospers as life progresses,
forcing you finally,
against your grain,

to listen to country music."

After 9/11 I found myself listening to a lot of CMT , there were lots of music videos full of faith, family , and patriotism. In a few months , that emphasis faded, as the war in Afghanistan shifted from a quick victory to slow skirmishes and the long task of rebuilding .

Darryl Worley traveled with the USO to Afghanistan in December of 2002 and wrote this call to remember 9/11.

Remember the pain,

remember the sorrow,

but above all,

remember the resolve of those first troubling days

-to fight this war until we win.

.

.

"Have You Forgotten" by Darryl Worley Hear it here.

I hear people sayin'. We Don't need this war

But I say there's some things worth fightin' for.

What about our freedom and this piece of ground?

We didn't get to keep em' by backing down.

They say we don't realize the mess we're gettin in

Before you start your preachin' let me ask you this my friend.

.

Chorus Have you forgotten

how it felt that day,

To see your homeland under fire

And her people blown away

Have you forgotten when those towers fell

We had neighbors still inside goin through a livin hell

And you say we shouldn't worry about Bin Laden

Have you forgotten?

.

They took all the footage off my TV

Said it's too disturbin for you and me

It'll just breed anger is what the experts say

If it was up to me I'd show it every day

Some say this country's just out lookin' for a fight

Well after 9-11 man I'd have to say that's right.

.

Chorus Have you forgotten how it felt that day

To see your homeland under fire

And her people blown away

Have you forgotten when those towers fell

We had neighbors still inside goin through a livin hell

And we vowed to get the ones behind Bin Laden

Have you forgotten?

.

I've been there with the soldiers

Who've gone away to war

And you can bet that they remember

just what they're fighting for

.

Have you forgotten

All the people killed

Yes some went down like heroes

In that Pennsylvania field

Have you forgotten

About our Pentagon

All the loved ones that we lost

And those left to carry on.

Don't you tell me not to worry 'bout Bin Laden

.

Have you forgotten?

.

Have you forgotten?

.

Have you forgotten?!

9/11

We will remember.
The fallen, the heroes, the killers.
We will remember.
By blog, ballot, border, and bullet,
we will do our all, that
September 11th may be the last
great attack on our shores.
-TJH

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We will not tire,
We will not falter, and
We will not fail.
-President George W. Bush

Crikey, we don't want any "bright sparks" or sappy singing

I was saddened at news Steve Irwin's death.
I enjoyed his boundless enthusiasm, and his show was like an ADD version of
"Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" -- None of that Marlin Perkins' "While I stand safely downstream, ..." business.
Steve had a daring attitude and a passion for learning and teaching.
I'll miss him. The cheap humor is easy to come by and I can think of a few jokes,
but they would come at the expense of his parents and wife and young kids... I don't have the heart for it.

The outpouring of grief has been likened by the British press to the display that followed Princess Diana's untimely death. There have been detractors, including one actress dingbat who snarled, "The animal world has finally taken its revenge on Irwin".
Ed. Note - Germaine Greer , I found, is more of a withered flower child and
shock authoress than an actress
I loved the last line of this opinion piece.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cultural studies lecturer Dr Karen Brooks said even though there was nothing in common between Irwin and Princess Diana, the reaction to their deaths had strong parallels.

"In Britain, they're calling Steve's death our Diana," the University of the Sunshine Coast academic and media commentator said.

"There's a sense in which the outpouring of grief and the shock has been very similar."

The Irwin family seem nonplussed at all the fuss over Steve, a man described by his grieving father Bob as just an ordinary bloke.

The Irwins have already turned down an offer of a state funeral.

Diana, killed in a Paris road crash in 1997, was farewelled at a Westminster Abbey service which featured Elton John performing a Diana-ised version of Candle In The Wind.

There's been talk of a memorial service at
Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium for Steve Irwin,
but hopefully no bright spark
will suggest enlisting Sir Elton
to sing "Crocodile Rock" if that event goes ahead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amen.

Pinocchio and friends converted to Is – lam …

Angel reports:

Yo Pinocchio:
Convert, submit, or die..oh wait..aren’t you technically "dead" already?

Hmmm..what is the fate of those of us who prefer to be unconverted,
non-submissive, and errr…. alive?

Pinocchio, Tom Sawyer and other characters have been converted to Is–lam in new versions of 100 classic stories on the Turkish school curriculum.

"Give me some bread, for All–ah’s sake," Pinocchio says to Geppetto, his maker, in a book stamped with the crest of the ministry of education.

"Thanks be to All–ah," the puppet says later.
Pinocchio and friends converted to Is–lam continues…

In The Three Musketeers, D’Artagnan is told that he cannot visit Aramis. The reason would surprise the author, Alexandre Dumas.
An old woman explains: "He is surrounded by men of religion. He converted to Is–lam after his illness."

Tom Sawyer may always have shirked his homework, but he is more conscientious in learning his Is–lamic prayers. He is given a "special treat" for learning the Ar–abic words.

Pollyanna, seen by some as the embodiment of Christian forgiveness, says that she believes in the end of the world as predicted in the Ko–ran.

Heidi, the Swiss orphan girl in the tale by Johanna Spyri, is told that praying to All–ah will help her to relax."

Excuse me y’all for a minute while I don’t believe this.

Muzlim cultures including Pakistan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Gaza, Iraq, Algeria, and scores of others remain the most violent, brutal, and impoverished societies known to our existence.
And suddently they want to partake of the infidels’ "culture" now?

What I would give to hear the hard-core turbo lefties talking points on this one!
Free speech perhaps?
There’s only one hitch though.
We, here in er…"free" America can no longer mention
God’s name in a graduation ceremony.

How’s that for cannibalizing our civil liberties.

But this revolting plagiarism will no doubt be celebrated.Multi cultural Pinocchio!
Oh, here come the apologists and defenders.
We musn’t condemn the religion for the mere acts of a "few"?
And as for those who commit heinous acts "in its name"
…oh, that’s just a handful of "mentally ill" kooks eh.

Congrats to the lefties for spreading this ideological disease,
and guilt liberal mush which is spreading like a virulent plague as we speak.

Funny how the haters always use our inventions
-cars, planes, cell phones, to try to annihilate us.

Childrens books. The new frontier.Whooda thunk it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Look for the following HappyJihadiFriends -brand books at a store near you...

In "Snow White and the 7 Little Mullahs ",
The dwarves placed Snow White in a glass coffin ,
then were crushed in the riot that occurred as her burka-clad corpse was pulled out of the coffin by throngs of frienzied mourners who sought a piece of the burka or a relic (body part).
Movie Still Photo : here

In "The Little Engine That Could, 'If Allah wills it' ",
The prayerful Little Engine carries its load of missiles, weaponized anthrax, and stolen Soviet plutonium to the good little Jihadis through a tunnel system under the US-Mexico border while chanting, " Remember af-GHAN-i-stan,af-GHAN-i-stan,af-GHAN-i-stan,af-GHAN-i-stan,af-GHAN-i-stan..."

Cover Photo: here

From the "Only Nixon could have gone to China" Dept.

Only Nixon could have gone to China.

Scrappleface.com can go anywhere.



ScrappleFace -->August 29, 2006

One Year Later, Some Katrina Victims Still Slow to Respond
by Scott Ott
(2006-08-29) — One year after hurricane Katrina, despite an outpouring of billions of dollars from government, church and private charity, and countless teams of volunteers who have come to their aid, many residents of New Orleans have still failed to restore their homes and neighborhoods, or even to clean up the storm-tossed debris, according to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA.
“Katrina was a tragedy in itself,” Rep. Pelosi said at a news conference in a neighborhood where moldy furniture still lay in front yards, “but it exposed a tragedy of greater proportions. Some people in this region have lost the spirit of our forefathers — the work ethic, the persistence, the determination to overcome adversity.”
The California lawmaker said that when she becomes the next Speaker of the House she plans to use her new prominence to tell Americans to “stop expecting the federal government to protect you from natural disasters, and to bail you out afterward.”
When reporters asked what might be learned in the aftermath of Katrina, Rep. Pelosi said there were at least three lessons.
“One: don’t buy a house between a lake and the sea that’s built below sea level,” she said. “Lesson two: if there’s a hurricane coming, get out of town. And lesson three: if your home gets wrecked, clean up the mess and start rebuilding — like many people on the Gulf Coast have already done — or at least rip it down, cart off the debris and start over on higher ground.”
Rep. Pelosi reserved her harshest comments for people who have “made a lifestyle out of blaming President Bush for everything.”
“Were you expecting President Bush to show up at your door and whisk you to safety in his armored SUV?” she asked rhetorically. “After the storm, did you think he was going to skydive out of Air Force One and start shoveling the junk out of your living room? Wake up and smell the personal responsibility. What have you been doing for the last 360 days? Get off your keister, organize your neighbors and get this mess straightened up.”
Asked if she was concerned that her remarks might be perceived as “less than compassionate,” the lawmaker said, “Compassion does not mean fostering a culture of dependency that leaves people vulnerable and helpless when the inevitable trials come.”
“Sometimes the greater part of compassion,” she added, “is challenging people to use their God-given abilities in a way that preserves their human dignity and strengthens them for the next crisis. “

Pattern? We don't see no steenking pattern !!

From Patriot Post via UPI - United Possums International

Criminal [not "racial"] profiling and why it works :

In 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by:
a. Superman
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d. a Muslim male extremist between the age of 17 and 40

In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by
a. Olga Corbett
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

3.In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:
a. The Smurfs
b. Davy Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
a. Captain Kidd
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems
c. The World Wrestling Federation
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by:
a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr. Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

12. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
a. Bonnie and Clyde
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Billy Graham
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

And guess who just got arrested in Britain for plotting to bring down over a half-dozen airliners at once...Nope, ..I really don't see a pattern here to justify profiling, do you?

So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone,
particularly fanatics intent on killing us,
airport security screeners will no longer be allowed to profile certain people.
They must conduct random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, secret agents who are members of the President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winner and former Governor Joe Foss,

but leave Muslim males between the ages 17 and 40 alone lest they be guilty of profiling.

"Some Pig", wrote Charlotte.

I was reading about the new Charlotte's Web
movie that's in the works,
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/movies.php?id=2240

A favorite book, I am reminded of my favorite farm story
that Uncle Walt told me years ago....

There is a traveling salesman driving down a country road.

As he passes a farm, he notices a pig
standing out in front of the house
with one wooden leg.

Several weeks later, this same salesman is driving down
the same road and passes the same house.

This time the pig has two wooden legs.

This is just too much for the salesman and he has to stop.

He knocks on the door and when the farmer comes to the door he asks

"What is the deal with your pig? Why does he have two wooden legs?"

"Well" ,the farmer replies ", let me tell you about this pig.
This is the most amazing pig that you have ever seen in your life.

Three weeks ago I was out plowing the fields,
and my tractor turned over pinning me underneath.

Well! This little pig heard me hollering for help,
ran out into the field and dug me from underneath my tractor!"

"Ok that is great." said the salesman
"but, what about the wooden legs??"

"Well, " said the farmer, " last week,
the wife and I were sleeping in the house
when we heard this banging at the window.

We woke up an looked out the window
and the back porch was on fire!

Thanks to the quick work of our little friend,
we were able to get out of the house and put out the fire.

If it hadn't been for our pig,
we both would have died in that fire!"

"Say, that is really fantastic," remarked the salesman
"but that still dosen't explain the wooden legs!"

"Let me tell you , son."

Said the farmer, picking his teeth.

"A pig that good, you don't eat all at once."

Leisure Suits, Rainbow Afros, 8-Tracks and Disco...

Will fantasy football seem as
old-fashioned
as disco in 10 years?

A letter writer to Sports Illustrated thought so this week ,
in response to the huge Fantasy Football issue of SI
- that I missed out on at the newstand. Rats.

I hate the thought of pony-ing up 6- 9 bucks for another fantasy draft guide that was printed two months ago, so I'll glean what info I can online from some reliable sources and get the Real scouting report from my sports crazed 14 year old son.
...
Will FF be as popular as disco is in ten years?
Perhaps, but draft day is tomorrow,
so it's time to pre-FUBAR* my draft order
so I can start off in a hole like I did the last two years.
(A 1-4 start in 2004 and 2-3 in 2005, though I ended up as runner-up both years )
This year the draft will be more critical,
I think, as there are 14 teams in the league and the good waiver
picks and up and comers will be tougher to snap up.
...
Fantasy football, gone like 8-tracks?

Maybe someday, after all, the phrase
"this too shall pass"
has nearly universal application.

But now it's time to pick a team name:

Two years ago it was "Holy Moley" - a favorite phrase
of the Huskers late radio man Lyle Bremser.
Made the final game... and lost.

I chose 'Possum Lodge' last year ,in Red Green's honor.
Made the final game again... lost again .

I'll continue on this season with the Lodge motto as the name:

"Quando Omni Flunkus Mortati ".

(When all else fails, play dead)

Hmmmm only 20 characters allowed.

"QuandoOmniFlunkus..." just fits.

When all else fails... OK . That works.

Got to customize a Yahoo avatar, more fun than the
15 or 20 helmets you get to choose as a logo.
There we go, a reasonable facsimile of me-sort of-

with a rainbow afro wig,

just need a leisure suit to go with it.

Now I'm ready for some football!

http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/f1/177511





*FOUL UP BEYOND ALL RELIEF

4 nights in Minneapolis, a day at Water Park Of America, a day riding at The Park at M.O.A. , lots of swimming at the hotel, results in 3 exhausted kids.

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Meteorology- the new social science- day 2

This just in from The Center for Panic.

OMG!!!!!!
It was 105 on Wednesday, 93 today, only 80 degrees tomorrow.
At this current rate of decrease, it will be cold enough
to freeze nitrogen into frosty lumps on the sidewalk
in a few short months!!!!

WE ARE DOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMD!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Drat that Bush administration.

Meteorology- the new social science

This just in from The Center for Panic.

OMG!!!!!!
It was 99 degrees Tuesday, 105 on Wednesday.
At this current rate of increase, it will be hot enough
to smelt copper on the sidewalk

in a few short months!!!!

WE ARE DOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMD!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Drat that Bush administration.

Almost Heroic

The company I work for has a "Hero's Corner" in
its newsletters . These accounts of Awareness,
Courage , Compassion, and sometimes True Bravery
are good reading.
A co-worker in Brooklyn relates the following story...

I almost made the Hero's Corner.

I saw two teens breaking into a car.
I recognized the car as one from my route,
so I called 911 and gave a description of the car and of the youths.
When the Police arrived and nabbed the youths they claimed it was their father's car.

The Police allowed them to use their cell phone to call their father to come out of the apartment building where they lived.
He showed his ID and vouched for his own kids.
They said they were just bored and wanted to see if they could break into their father's own car.
After the Police left I told him I was the one who called and that I didn't recognize his kids.
I added that I couldn't figure out why anyone would break into their own family car. That's why I called 911. He told me it's was ok, he understood.
After I walked away I heard him yelling
and as I turned I saw him slap one kid
across the head yelling, “Give it to me!”
The kid handed him something.
One of the neighbors later told me the kids
were after his stash of pot,
which he hides in the glove compartment.
.

.
I almost made it.

Ed
Brooklyn,NY

"Tempus Fugit", isn't that Latin for "Hot Fudge" ??

Having cooked some really fine meals at home,
I hauled up the water smoker and
smoked some ribs (spare ribs ,long ends mostly)
at Dad's campsite Tuesday, the Fourth.

They were the worst I have made.
I didn't start with enough coals so the heat never got up to where it needed to be,
adding more charcoal during cooking made the meat too smoky, and the thickest pieces looked suspiciously rare. Though the riblets on the bottom rack just above the water pan came out Tasty, the ribs were only barely edible. Disappointing, but the rest of the meal was good, and Dad and Mom had some hot dogs to keep the kids satisfied.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade;
when oversmoked-under-cooked ribs, make soup!

We had great green bean soup Wednesday and Thursday!

Life is good, been too busy to blog about it.
Saw "Superman Returns" and "Click" at the Drive-In Theater
last week. I need to write about it.

Jimmie Bratcher was at church last weekend.
Great blues music!! Got a CD - "Red" .
Wow. Great sound.

Also his book about living your dreams,
and not taking them to the grave...
thoughts that had been troubling me even before I saw 'Click'.
The film has a strong message among
the silly Adam Sandler potty humor.
"Tempus Fugit."

Not a new thought of course, no popular Latin quote is,
but as we age , the weight of its truth shakes us- well, me.
"Time Flies. "

Sure does, and though I know the journey ends beyond the grave,
the speed of the travel is sometimes breathtaking.
I don't know if my tombstone will be as interesting as this .
But that man left something to ponder.

"All the little things in life add up to your life.
If you don't get it right then nothing else matters.
It gets lonely in the promised land by yourself."

So glad to spend the 4th with family.
So blessed to have them. So many memories,
some deluxe genuine pit BBQ quality,
and some poorly cooked ones

....but those make the BEST soup later!




Posted by Picasa

Hope this photo comes through. During the playing of 'The Star Spangled Banner', the Bald Eagle, Challenger, flew in from the camera tower in center field at the College World Series in Omaha. He flew swiftly toward his trainer on the mound, then circled slowly around 2d base before coming in for a landing. Glorious.  

My son boldly predicts one of the teams in the championship series of the CWS a day before the tourney started. Great fun, in and out of Rosenblatt Stadium, come to the College World Series if ever you get the chance. 

Contest the Absurd.

Why go to the trouble ??

The uncontested absurdities of today
are the accepted
slogans of tomorrow.

They come to be accepted
by degrees,
by precedent,
by implication,
by erosion,
by default,
by dint of constant pressure on one side
and constant retreat on the other
- until the day when
they are suddenly declared
to be the country's official ideology.

~ Ayn Rand

The House votes on the
Marriage Protection Amendment next month.
Let your Congressman hear from you.

Contest the absurd 'expansion' of the
definition of marriage that judges have
created.

Why I Love 'Best of the web'...

..Because, out of all the headlines, in all the papers ,

James Taranto finds ones like these:

'This Isn't a Truly Diverse Place, Not for Hildabeasts'
"College Votes to Let In Male 'Hildabeasts' "--headline, Guardian (London), June 8

Is There a Doctor in the House?
"Health Status of Ill. Politician Unknown"--headline, Associated Press, June 7

Then Again, They May Be Dead
"Fossil Mounds May Be Oldest Life on Earth"--headline, CNN.com, June 7

You Thought It Was Supposed to Say 'Thou Shalt Now Commit Adultery'?
"Panel Edits Ten Commandments"--headline, Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), June 7

Must've Been Pretty Wrinkled
"Gonzalez Backers Press Suit After 6 Years"--headline, Associated Press, June 7

That's a Lot to Drink
"Two Stranded Near Mathers Gorge on Potomac"--headline, WRC-TV Web site (Washington), June 7

Bad News for Chile First Lady
"Honeymoon May Be Over for Chile President"--headline, Associated Press, June 6

Where's Don Quixote When You Need Him?
"Residents Debate Windmills on Great Lakes"--headline, Associated Press, June 6

It's Bush's Fault!
"Hurricanes Delete Fate From Cup Equation"--headline, USA Today, June 7

What Would Heroin Users Do Without Drug Experts?
"Drug Experts Advise Extra Precautions in Heroin Use"--headline, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 6

Why Not Just Go Cold Turkey?
"Bush Admin. Wants to Cut Meth Use 15 Pct."--headline, Associated Press, June 1

Next Reuters Exposé: Check Not Always in Mail
"Virginity Pledgers Often Dishonest About Past"--headline, Reuters, June 1

South Vietnam and East Germany Are Back!
"Nations Split at AIDS Meeting"--headline, Thanh Nien News (Vietnam), June 2

'They Don't Take American Express'
"Songwriter Charged With Growing Pot"--headline, Associated Press, June 1

A Good Reason to Move to the Suburbs
"Nicole Kidman's Urban Sex Ban"--headline, BANG Showbiz, June 1

What Would Earth Do Without JAXA?
"JAXA: Small Asteroids Not as Threatening to Earth"--healdine, CNN.com, June 2

Cliff Was Pretty Relieved Too
"Brooklyn Woman Rescued After 24 Hours on Cliff"--headline, WNBC-TV Web site (New York), June 2

Thanks for the Tip!--LXXVII
"Health Tip: Save Your Feet From Blisters"--headline, HealthDayNews, June 2

'Win One for the Zipper'
"Clinton's Visit to Put Zip in Dems' Fundraising Plans"--headline, Denver Post, June 7

Say... WHAT!!!

I know this joke has made the rounds,
I can't resist re-telling it...

After getting nailed by a 500lb bomb,
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi made his way to the pearly gates.
There, he is greeted by George Washington.
"How dare you attack sons of the nation I helped conceive!"
yells Mr. Washington, slapping Zarqi in the face.

Patrick Henry comes up from behind.
"You wanted to end liberty,
so the Americans gave you death!"
Henry punches him on the nose.

James Madison comes up next, and says
"This is why I allowed the Federal government
to provide for the common defense!"
He drops a large weight on al-Zarqawi's knee.

al-Zarqawi is subject to similar beatings from John Randolph,
James Monroe, and 65 other people who have the same love
for liberty and America.

As he writhes on the ground, Thomas Jefferson
picks him up to hurl him back toward the gate
where he is to be judged.

As al-Zarqawi awaits his journey
to his final very hot destination, he screams :
"This is not what I was promised!"

An angel replies:
"Abu, I told you there would be
72 Virginians waiting for you, idiot.
What did you think I said?



.
.
.
Proper credit to these folks.

Errr, Mr Pharmacist, do you have one that doesn't trigger any symptoms of Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia ???  

Got Phobia?

So then 668 is - Neighbor of the beast.
Was June 6th ,666 the 'Yahtzee' of the beast?

Amazing how many people are fixated on 666.
There are pages and pages of google links to the
Roman numeral and Binary number that equal 666.
Many are tshirt sellers and garage quality rock bands,
lots of people apparantly wish to identify themselves with the beast,
reminds me of the folks with large tats and extreme piercings
whose sense of self worth is directly proportional to the number
of little old ladies and milquetoasts they intimidate.

That the calendar says 6 6 6 ,
or the total at the register is $6.66,
or your cough syrup brand is 666
is meaningless.
Never the less, there IS signifigance in the Number,
the Mark, and the Image of the Beast,
and Revelation is the only book of the Bible
that pronounces a blessing on its readers,
so read it for yourself.

Of the opinions on the meaning of '666' recapped here,
this seemed the least speculative:

"I confess that I don't know what this number means.
I am certain, however, that there are more than 666 interpretations.
Everyone seems to have an opinion. Since God doesn't explain the meaning,
apparently it's not important for us to know....
...The reason God gave us any information at all,
I believe, is so that believers alive in that day will
have a clear identifying sign that the one in world power
is Satan's masterpiece."
(J. Dwight Pentecost, Prophecy for Today, 1961, p.114)

PS
This may not post till the 7th...
Superstition? ...BUZZZZZZ.
Conspiracy? ...BUZZZZZZ.
World Dominion? ...BUZZZZZZ.
Slow Inarticulate Writer? DING !!