Wacky World

It is indeed a Wacky World in which we live.

Today we have as proof some photographs gleaned from the internet.


Here is a journalist that is trying his darnedest to regain those glory days when he tilted with windmills and beat them.




We have babies that seem to have Rogaine© added to their formula.







We have clowns boxing with kangaroos.











And we have proof that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

A Sick Day

I am not feeling well today. I called work at 6:00 am to let them know that I will not be in today.

I am trying to sleep, but the phone will not stop ringing, my nose is all stuffed up and the doggies are whining. I’d like to go back to bed but the Missus has the TV on and is watching some Arts and Crafts show. So I am looking at the news on the internet and I see that the sick little monkeys are still scampering about reeking havoc.


Some moron in Colorado walked into a high school took some kids hostage and shot a little girl to death. At least he had the decency to off himself.

Jesus said that it would be better to place a millstone around your neck and jump into the deepest ocean than to harm a little child. With the current state of the world, I think a person could make a lot of money setting up a millstone concession.


Yesterday a team of French doctors took to the skies Wednesday for the first operation on a human being in zero-gravity conditions, removing a cyst from the arm of a man as the aircraft soared and dived to create weightlessness.

The five-man medical team made history by slicing off the yellow growth that floated away from the patient, tied to a string. Doctors worked in intervals of 22 seconds during conditions of weightlessness. Coincidentally, it took 22 intervals to complete the surgery.

I have only two comments on this.

Genius!

It figures that they were French.

The same folks that brought you Kung Pao Chicken are firing lasers at US spy satellites to prevent the orbs viewing capability. This of course is classified information that was not to be made public since the US is trying to have good relations with the Chinese government. As a protest on my next trip to the Won Hung Lo restaurant, I will be sending the Poo-poo platter back.

Finally Bob Woodward is trying to regain the spark of his Woodward and Bernstein good ol’ Nixon days. He has a new book out and accuses the President Bush of confiding in Henry Kissinger who happened to be one of the most famous Nixon aides.

If I could relive the glory days of my youth I probably would have to lie down for a good long time. I admire Mr. Woodward for attempting, but his book is going to end up in the clearance section of Barnes and Nobles in a short while because no one cares that Kissinger visits the President.

At least President Bush is not charging him anything to sleep in the Lincoln bedroom.

Remember all those celebrities that paid big money to have a sleep over with the Clintons?


Willy Nelson admits to smoking pot in our nations first house when he was invited by President Carter.

I’m now going to take my medicine and go back to bed.

Opera Story

HELSINKI, Finland - A squirrel scampered into the bicycle wheel of an unlucky Finnish opera singer, causing him to fall, knock himself out and break his nose just ahead of the world premiere of a new opera.

Esa Ruuttunen was pedaling his way to the Helsinki Opera House last month when the squirrel ran into his spokes.

The baritone ended up with a concussion and in a local hospital, rather than at his rehearsals for the Finnish opera “Kaarmeen hetki” (“Hour of the Serpent”), which opens Sept. 15.

"He is not yet singing in rehearsals, but thinks he will be able to perform at the world premiere," Finnish National Opera spokeswoman Heidi Almi told Reuters.

The squirrel died in the accident.

Mad Mel - Prophet Of Doom

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mel Gibson has returned to the spotlight to promote his upcoming movie "Apocalypto," and to criticize the war in Iraq, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Almost two months after he railed against Jews when he was arrested for driving drunk in Malibu, the actor made a surprise appearance Friday at Fantastic Fest, an event in Austin, Texas, devoted to new science fiction, horror and fantasy films, the trade paper said in its Monday edition.

He presented a work-in-progress screening of his Mayan adventure tale, and then took questions.

In describing its portrait of a civilization in decline, Gibson said, "The precursors to a civilization that's going under are the same, time and time again," drawing parallels between the Mayan civilization on the brink of collapse and America's present situation. "What's human sacrifice," he asked, "if not sending guys off to Iraq for no reason?"

It is certainly a pity that I was unable to attend his movies screening and make queries during the Q&A.

I most certainly would have asked, “Mr. Gibson, why should the American public give a crap what you think about the Iraq war, you miserable bigot?” “As a follow up if you are saying that you dislike the US military presence in Iraq, could we surmise that you are pro-Al Qaeda?"

Maybe that is why I did not receive an invitation to the screening.

Angry Bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Bill Clinton, angrily defending his efforts to capture Osama bin Laden, accused the Bush administration of doing far less to stop the al Qaeda leader before the September 11 attacks.

In a heated interview to be aired on Sunday on "Fox News Sunday," the former Democratic president defended the steps he took after al Qaeda's attack on the USS Cole in 2000 and faulted "right-wingers" for their criticism of his efforts to capture Osama bin Laden.

"But at least I tried. That's the difference in me and some, including all of the right-wingers who are attacking me now," Clinton said when asked whether he had failed to fully anticipate bin Laden's danger. "They had eight months to try, they did not try. I tried. So I tried and failed."

The September 11 attacks occurred almost eight months after President George W. Bush succeeded Clinton in January 2001.

"I authorized the CIA to get groups together to try to kill him," Clinton said. He added he had drawn up plans to go into Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban and launch an attack against bin Laden after the attack on the Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden.

"Now if you want to criticize me for one thing, you can criticize me for this: after the Cole, I had battle plans drawn to go into Afghanistan, overthrow the Taliban and launch a full-scale attack search for bin Laden. But we needed basing rights in Uzbekistan -- which we got after 9/11," Clinton said.

The former president complained at the time the CIA and FBI refused to certify bin Laden was responsible for the USS Cole attack.

"While I was there, they refused to certify. So that meant I would have had to send a few hundred special forces in helicopters, refuel at night," he said.

Earlier this month, Clinton dismissed as "indisputably wrong" a U.S. television show that suggested her was too distracted by the Monica Lewinsky scandal to confront the Islamic militant threat that culminated in the September 11 attacks.

Well Mr. Former President, if actions speak louder than words, then your words are not coming through too well. I don't recall you doing much of anything.
By Joanne Morrison

The Danger Of Tainted Spinach

Our nation is facing the threat of biological illness caused by bagged spinach that has been contaminated by what is commonly referred to as E-Coli.

Escherichia Coliform or E-Coli is the key ingredient in the biological substance that we all know as poop. A bacterium that is found within the intestine is essential to break down waste within the body. However poop, when ingested can cause extremely adverse results. It may be noted here that some of us seem to have to pooped served up to us for ingestion on a daily basis, although I am being metaphorical.

Here is an example of a man with advanced stage E-Coli poisoning.

You can see that his limbs are swollen especially at the forearms and calves. This man has obviously suffered a stroke. His eye is closed shut; he has dysphasia (speech problems) and is having ambulatory trouble. It appears that he may even fall over and probably should be using a crutch or a cane. We can also deduct from the old fashion thrift store used clothing that he is probably on welfare and not receiving quality health care.

Such are the dangers of tainted spinach. My advice is to stick with some of the other green leafy vegetables such as kohlrabi, romaine or bib lettuce so that you will not end up like this poor schmuck.

Pandas Are Scary

A drunken Chinese migrant worker jumped into a panda enclosure at the Beijing Zoo, was bitten by the bear and retaliated by chomping down on the animal's back, state media said Wednesday.

Zhang Xinyan, from the central province of Henan, drank four jugs of beer at a restaurant near the zoo before visiting Gu Gu the panda on Tuesday, the Beijing Morning Post said.

"He felt a sudden urge to touch the panda with his hand," and jumped into the enclosure, the newspaper said.

The panda, who was asleep, was startled and bit Zhang, 35, on the right leg, it said. Zhang got angry and kicked the panda, who then bit his other leg.
Zang is currently hospitalized.

This reminds me of a visit that I had one morning from the Jehovah Witnesses. I used to own a grocery store. Every Saturday the JW’s would pull up in a van, pile out and scour the community in groups of two looking for anyone that looked like they would listen. They mistakenly the stopped in to offer me some encouraging words and proselytize.

“Do you know God’s name?” ,some nice lady in a flowery dressed asked me. She handed me a colorful brochure about the world to come. The picture on the cover had a lion with a lamb in it’s paws and a giant panda holding a child.

I explained that I did know God’s name. It was God. I also explained that picture was terrifying and asked her to take it away. She was not at all pleased and asked why.

I explained that not only were lions terrifying beasts, but that even though they appeared to be cuddly, giant pandas were dangerous and would tear that child to pieces and how dare they publish such literature. The Witnesses were not too pleased at my response especially when I asked them to leave and take their horrid pictures with them.

I appears from the China story that Gu-gu the Panda proved me to be right. But then no one likes to be around a drunk.

Here Are The Words

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 12:01 a.m. ET Sept 18, 2006
CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida militants in Iraq vowed war on “worshippers of the cross” and protesters burned a papal effigy on Monday over Pope Benedict’s comments on Islam, while Western churchmen and statesmen tried to calm passions.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei joined a chorus of Muslim criticism of the head of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics, calling the pope’s remarks “the latest chain of the crusade against Islam started by America’s (President) Bush”.
The pontiff said on Sunday he was “deeply sorry” Muslims had been offended by his use of a medieval quotation on Islam and holy war. But he stopped short of retracting a speech seen as portraying Islam as a religion tainted by violence.
While some Muslims were mollified by his explanation for the speech made in Germany last Tuesday, others remained furious.

“We tell the worshipper of the cross (the pope) that you and the West will be defeated, as is the case in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya,” said a Web statement by the Mujahideen Shura Council, an umbrella group led by Iraq’s branch of al-Qaida.

“We shall break the cross and spill the wine ... God will (help) Muslims to conquer Rome ... (May) God enable us to slit their throats, and make their money and descendants the bounty of the mujahideen,” said the statement, posted on Sunday on an Internet site often used by al-Qaida and other militant groups.

In Iraq’s southern city of Basra, up to 150 demonstrators chanted slogans and burned a white effigy of the pope.

“No to aggression!” and “We gagged the pope!” they chanted in front of the governor’s office in the Shiite city.

Muslims, and some Christians, across the region have expressed anger over comments Benedict made Tuesday in Germany where he cited the words of 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who said everything the Prophet Muhammad brought was evil “such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”

But he said on Sunday this was not his view and he favored frank dialogue with Islam. His new Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said Holy See nuncios (ambassadors) in Muslim countries would visit government and religious leaders.

Muslims have also staged a protest in London in front of an Anglican Cathedral (?), murdered a nun and her bodyguard and Palestinians attempted to set fire to two Catholic Churches in The West Bank.

This is what happens when the cage door is left open and people without a clue run amuck displaying their total lack of a clue.

What did he actually SAY that created such a reaction? What he said was:

"I was reminded of all this recently, when I read the edition by Professor Theodore Khoury (Münster) of part of the dialogue carried on — perhaps in 1391 in the winter barracks near Ankara — by the erudite Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the truth of both. It was presumably the emperor himself who set down this dialogue, during the siege of Constantinople between 1394 and 1402; and this would explain why his arguments are given in greater detail than those of his Persian interlocutor.

The dialogue ranges widely over the structures of faith contained in the Bible and in the Qur'an, and deals especially with the image of God and of man, while necessarily returning repeatedly to the relationship between — as they were called — three "Laws" or "rules of life": the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Qur'an. It is not my intention to discuss this question in the present lecture; here I would like to discuss only one point — itself rather marginal to the dialogue as a whole — which, in the context of the issue of "faith and reason," I found interesting and which can serve as the starting-point for my reflections on this issue.

"In the seventh conversation edited by Professor Khoury, the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. The emperor must have known that (in the Qur'an) surah 2, 256 reads: "There is no compulsion in religion." According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instructions, developed later and recorded in the Qur'an, concerning holy war.

"Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the "infidels," he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

"The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. "God," he says, "is not pleased by blood — and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death...."

He ended his lecture with the following statement:

"The courage to engage the whole breadth of reason, and not the denial of its grandeur — this is the program with which a theology grounded in Biblical faith enters into the debates of our time. 'Not to act reasonably, not to act with logos, is contrary to the nature of God,' said Manuel II, according to his Christian understanding of God, in response to his Persian interlocutor. It is to this great logos, to this breadth of reason, that we invite our partners in the dialogue of cultures. To rediscover it constantly is the great task of the university."

The Pope invited the Muslims, other Christians, Jews and scientists to TALK to each other. Islam responded to his invitation by killing Christians, burning churches and the Pope in effigy, which doesn't appear to be a good way to start a dialogue. Now, I ask you, if the Qur'an teaches Muslims that there should be no compulsion in religion, why are they killing nuns, burning down Christian churches and burning the Pope in effigy?

Some careful consideration should be given to some verses in the Our’an that were written at a later date.

Mohammad wrote in sura 9: 29-30 of the Qur'an:

"9.29": Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.

"9.30": And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away! "

Perhaps Europe needs to think about sura 9 before it hands 20% of Serbia, the province of Kosovo, over to Albanian Muslims, who already have destroyed over 150 Serbian Christian Churches and who want to either subject or eliminate the few remaining Serbs.

(excerpts from MSNBC News and Renew America - Mary Mostert)

The Class Reunion

Well I went to the class reunion last night and had brunch with some great old friends this afternoon.

What is it about high school that makes us want to flock back every five or ten years to revisit our wonderful and painful memories? I don’t know. But back we go.



The first ten year reunion we went to satisfy our curiosity. We wanted to see what happened within that brief span and sort of gauge ourselves against our competition. Ten years had certainly changed a lot of us with a myriad of differing experiences. Some had married and were already proud parents of rug rats. Some had brought their significant other which turned out to be a person of the same sex as they were. Many of the stoners had come to, realized there was a life outside of the clinic, cleaned up their act and remembered who their classmates were.




The twenty year reunion brought many more changes. More people had married and some of the married folks were divorced. We had been fruitful and multiplied and had the pictures to prove it. There were more college graduates and more folks were gainfully employed in jobs that did not require a name badge and paper cap.


Sadly, a few folks had left this life at a very young age. Perhaps the most significant thing that has happened to us all is that everyone had become very friendly and caring. Life had blessed us with the reality that in order to get along in this world’s big sandbox we all have to play nice. So we grew out of the sullen and angry young men and women that we were. We realized that we were not going to change the world and to get along we had to conform. Somewhere within this span of time we had forgotten that we knew everything. High school students do know everything. Just ask one.


Last nights reunion was the best. We are all mellowing with age and looking good. Everyone was sweet and nice. They are all precious and good people. We all had stories to tell. On a very sad note seven more classmates had left this earth way too soon.

I am not sure why there are four years in your young life seem to be key in shaping your psyche and your future. I am not going to ponder on this fact. I'll just be thankful that I have good friends and pleasant memories.

Side Effects

Excerpted from SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press Writer

Turkey's ruling Islamic-rooted party joined a wave of criticism of Pope Benedict XVI on Friday, accusing him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades with remarks he made about the Muslim faith. A Turkish lawmaker said the pontiff would go down in history "in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini" for his words.

Muslim leaders elsewhere in the world also expressed dismay, with Pakistan's parliament unanimously condemning the pope.

The Vatican said the pope did not intend the remarks _ made in Germany on Tuesday during an address at a university _ to be offensive.

Benedict quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of Christianity and Islam.

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the pope said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.'"

Benedict did not explicitly agree with the statement nor repudiate it.
The comments raised tensions ahead of his planned visit to Turkey in November _ his first pilgrimage to a Muslim country.

Salih Kapusuz, a deputy leader of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party, said Benedict's remarks were either "the result of pitiful ignorance" about Islam and its prophet, or a deliberate distortion.

"He has a dark mentality that comes from the darkness of the Middle Ages. He is a poor thing that has not benefited from the spirit of reform in the Christian world," Kapusuz was quoted as saying by the state-owned Anatolia news agency. "It looks like an effort to revive the mentality of the Crusades."

"Benedict, the author of such unfortunate and insolent remarks, is going down in history for his words," he said. "He is going down in history in the same category as leaders such as (Adolf) Hitler and (Benito) Mussolini."



Turkey's staunchly secular opposition party also demanded that Benedict apologize to Muslims before his visit to Turkey.

"The pope has thrown gasoline onto the fire ... in a world where the risk of a clash between religions is high," said Haluk Koc, deputy head of the Republican People's Party, as a small group of protesters left a black wreath in front of the Vatican's embassy in Ankara.

On Thursday, Turkey's top Islamic cleric, Ali Bardakoglu, asked Benedict to apologize for the remarks and unleashed a string of accusations against Christianity.

In Beirut, Lebanon's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric denounced the remarks Friday and demanded the pope personally apologize for insulting Islam.

"We do not accept the apology through Vatican channels ... and ask him (Benedict) to offer a personal apology _ not through his officials _ to Muslims for this false reading (of Islam)," Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah told worshippers in his Friday prayers sermon.

After Benedict returned to Italy on Thursday, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said, "It certainly wasn't the intention of the pope to carry out a deep examination of jihad (holy war) and on Muslim thought on it, much less to offend the sensibility of Muslim believers."

Lombardi insisted the pope respects Islam. Benedict wants to "cultivate an attitude of respect and dialogue toward the other religions and cultures, obviously also toward Islam," he said.

In a significant development Friday, the pope appointed Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, a French prelate with experience in the Muslim world, as the Vatican's new foreign minister.

But anger still swept across the Muslim world, with Pakistan's parliament unanimously adopting a resolution condemning the pope for making what it called "derogatory" comments about Islam, and seeking an apology from him.

"Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.

"What he has done is that he has quoted very offensive remarks by some emperor hundreds of years ago," she added. "It is not helpful (because) we have been trying to bridge the gap, calling for dialogue and understanding between religions."

Aslam said Muslims had a long history of tolerance, adding that when the Catholic kingdom of Spain expelled its Jewish population in 1492 they were welcomed by Muslim nations such as the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

Indonesia, which has more Muslims than any other in the world, had no immediate response to the pope's comments, but religious groups were quick to protest, condemning the words as insensitive and damaging.

"A respected religious leader like the pope should not say such things, especially as nations across the globe are struggling to find ways to bridge differences between faiths and build understanding," said Ma'ruf Amin, a member of Indonesia Council of Clerics, the country's highest Islamic body.

"Such words hurt Muslims all over the world," he said.

So why am I calling this Side Effects?

As you get older you have to take more and more medication to maintain your health. The pharmacy dispensing the medicine gives you a piece of paper with a list of all the drugs side effects. Just like medication our lives and our actions have consequences or side effects.

Moslems throughout the world are aware of the actions of their radical, fanatical brothers that have terrorized this world, yet they have for the most part remained silent and taken little or no action to stop this unacceptable and destructive behavior. The side effects of their ommision of action have resulted in war, death and hatred between nations.

The Pope’s words were a poor choice that obviously has resulted in seriously detrimental side effects. The Turkish Moslem leadership and citizenry is in an uproar. However, I have to laugh at the ironic remarks coming from the Turkish Foreign Minister.

"Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.

Islam is tolerant, but if you say it isn’t we will do you bodily harm. Is that what I am understanding him to say? Where is the tolerance? This sounds like more side effects to me.

The latest news on this is that the Palestinians are holding a huge demonstration.
Of course if someone that the Palestinians dislike breaks wind, that is cause enough for them to hold a huge demonstration.

Perhaps if Islam would walk the talk their howls of indignation would have more credibility. They too must consider the side effects of their actions.

"Sadaam Is Not A Dictator"

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The chief judge in Saddam Hussein's genocide trial told the ex-president Thursday that "you were not a dictator," sparking Kurdish demands he be replaced. The judge already had rejected prosecution demands he step down for allegedly favoring the defense.

Judge Abdullah al-Amiri, a Shiite Arab, made the comment after Saddam challenged testimony by a Kurdish farmer who said the ousted president ordered him to "shut up" when he begged for the release of nine missing relatives.

"Why did he try to see Saddam Hussein (if) Saddam Hussein was a dictator and was against the Kurdish people?" the former president asked.

The judge replied: "You are not a dictator. You were not a dictator. However, the people or the individuals and officials surrounding you created a dictator (out of you). It was not you in particular. It happens all over the world."

"Thank you," Saddam responded, bowing his head in respect.


The funny thing about this is when I look up the word "Dictator" in Websters Dictionary I see Sadaam Hussein's picture.

Weapons On Campus

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

"The state's highest court ruled Friday that the University of Utah has no right to ban guns on campus, rejecting the argument that prohibiting firearms is part of the school's power to control academic affairs.

Writing for the 4-1 majority, Utah Supreme Court Justice Jill Parrish said case law 'is incompatible with the university's position.'

'We simply cannot agree with the proposition that the Utah Constitution restricts the Legislature's ability to enact firearms laws pertaining to the university,' Parrish wrote.

In a dissent, Chief Justice Christine Durham said policies that are reasonably connected to the school's academic mission are within its autonomous authority over academic affairs. Under the majority analysis, she said,' the university may not subject a student to academic discipline for flashing his pistol to a professor in class.'

But no one will be permitted to carry a gun anytime soon on the campus, home to more than 44,000 students, faculty and staff members. Friday's ruling resolved only the state issues involved in the matter; the case now goes back to U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City for litigation of federal constitutional issues."

My Daddy never had firearms in our house, but he was a believer in the right to own firearms. I have never had a problem with that as long as you are of sound mind and practice firearms safety. I take issue with guns on a campus because let’s face it, I was a 19 year old guy in college at one time with other 19 year olds. At that age you are just not responsible.

Perhaps we need to implement a practice they use at amusement parks. We put up a life-size cutout of John Wayne and a sign that says, “You must be as tall as The Duke to carry weapons.”

Spooky Stuff Kids!

Scores of people are flocking to a village in northern Malaysia to see a betel nut tree which has sprouted a human-like face.

Newspapers carried pictures of the green face on a frond of a seven-meter (23-foot) -high tree. The unexplained phenomenon has led villagers in Kampung Paya to dub it the "ghost tree," the News Straits Times said.

The Star newspaper's website showed a picture of a tree with a face-like feature reminiscent of a Pacific island ritual mask.

Owner Miah Majid, 60, told The Star that she spotted the face last week and that it was the second time an unusual shape had appeared on the 10-year-old tree in her backyard. The first formation was in the shape of an eye, she was quoted as saying.

The frond will probably last another two weeks before it sheds, she said.

I have to wonder if this plant is related to Audrey Jr.?

9/11

May the great Name of God be exalted and sanctified, throughout the world, which he has created according to his will. May his Kingship be established in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire household of Israel, swiftly and in the near future; and say, Amen.

May his great name be blessed, forever and ever.

Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored elevated and lauded be the Name of the holy one, Blessed is he- above and beyond any blessings and hymns, Praises and consolations which are uttered in the world; and say Amen. May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life, upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who makes peace in his high holy places, may he bring peace upon us, and upon all Israel; and say Amen.

The Biggest Loser Of The Toronto Film Festival

I hear on today's news that some idiot from Great Britain is screening a film that he produced. The screening is at a film festival in Toronto. The work is a fictional account of the assassination of our United States President Bush and the events that happen afterward. He is hoping that a distributor will want to purchase the rights to his work and show it in theaters across the world.

He calls his mock-documentary Death Of A President, which depicts the imagined assassination of George W. Bush. The film seems to be this year's lightning rod for political outrage at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie is fashioned as a future look back at the repercussions that follow Bush's assassination in October 2007. We can only hope that this work will soon be referred to as The Early Death Of A Stupid Idiot Left Leaning Imbecile's Film That Only Lasted Long Enough To Be Snubbed And Ignored By Correct Thinking People Of Intelligent Nature.

In a release, director Gabriel Range said, "We're thrilled to be screening the film at Toronto. It's a striking premise which may be seen as highly controversial. But it's a serious film which I hope will open up the debate on where current U.S. foreign and domestic policies are taking us."

If I lived close enough to Toronto I would like to debate my size 10 and a half right boot up his back end. Since I do have the luxury or time to be there I will use this forum as I have a couple of things to say to this loser.

Number one: The past couple of weeks marked the anniversary of an 8 month nightmare for Great Britain called The Blitzkrieg. I know this fellow is much too young to recall this event, but London was bombed continually and many of his ancestors lost their lives in an attempt by Hitler and his Nazi regime to wipe out England.
In fact last week was The anniversary of the V-rocket/bomb being launched to bomb England. This was the first guided missile weapon. Though the British fought valiantly in WWll, if it were not for American intervention Mr. Range, you sir would be speaking German and goosestepping your way through life and studying Mein Kampf at your prep school.

Number two. I am old enough to remember the assassination of President Kennedy. It was a horrible moment for my country. This was a great tragedy and is nothing I would want to see happen again.

What kind of perverted mind does it take to think up this sort of distasteful cinematic crap? Where is he getting the money to put together such a film? He is an embarrassment to his country, to his family and to all proper thinking and reasonable human beings. Oh but I digress. Moving right along.

Number Three. It is a crime to talk about killing a President. If you do come to the United States I would hope that the Secret Service will arrest and detain you for questioning and then deport your sorry ass.

If The Political Left Only Had Their Way...

There is going to be a mini-series on ABC about the oversite within our government that might have prevented the 9/11 disaster. The scuttlebutt says that the Clinton administration was too self-absorbed in it's shenanigans to be monitoring the chatter going on in the mideast. Additionally a number of high ranking Al Qaida operatives were allowed to be deported by President Clinton.

In all fairness the first Bush administration may have dropped the ball as well according to the docu-drama and backed up by history. It's just that The Clinton Foundation is squealing the loudest. They have put enough pressure on ABC that the film has been re-edited. Now they are demanding that the series not be seen by the public. So much for freedom of the press and freedom of expression.





In the past couple of days the Lefties have hearlded the fact that Sadaam Hussein had no connection to Al Qaida so hence the war we are currently engaged in has been for naught. We have also heard the left's marvelous brass chorus trumpeting the fact that recent polls indicate that 36% of the nations college students believe that our own federal government had played a hand in the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001. You might want to look at my recent blog on a Polling company. I heard on CNN last night a commentator state that most Afghanis are longing for the peace and lack of corruption they had when the Taliban ruled. I'm betting that those Afghanis asked this question were not women.


If the Left has their way:

We would walk away from Iraq and say, "So sorry for all the destruction. Have a nice day."
We would do the same in Afghanistan. We would also pardon Sadam from his crimes...uh, I mean discretions.
We also would quit monitoring our airports because this is a bother and is discriminatory to terrorists.
We would hold a special election and appoint Hillary Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry as a triple Co-President.
Of course Guantanamo would be immediately evacuated and all detainees would not only be compensated but be allowed to file suit in United States Federal Court.
All gas stations would have walk-in abortion service provided for free.
Morning after pills would be dispensed for free in pop machines. So would condoms.
We would disband the military except for the Gay soldiers. They would be allowed to hold parades. 'really flamboyant parades.

Life would be wonderful, birds would sing, butterflies would fly, the sun would shine, waterfalls would spring from rocks, the sky would be blue and the people of the world would hold hands and sway in unison as they sang. If only the Left has their way.

Chickens, Drinking and Guns Don't Mix

An Oregon woman is accused of shooting her husband after he shot her pet chicken.

The Eugene-Register Guard reports Mary Kay Gray has been jailed on felony assault charges.

Her husband, Stanley Gray, is recovering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. The chicken died at the scene.

Lane County sheriff's Sergeant Clint Riley says the couple had been working around their yard and drinking on Labor Day. They got into an argument after Stanley Gray shot the chicken with a 44-caliber handgun.

Police don't know if the shooting was intentional or an accident. Riley says "it depends on who you ask."

But sheriff's deputies say Gray shot her husband with a 22-caliber rifle in an apparent act of retaliation.

Kids, let this be a lesson to you. Drinking, yardwork, guns and chickens are a recipe for disaster.
If you must drink, do yardwork, carry a gun and be around chickens, please find a designated gun handler.

Did You Ever Wonder About The Credibility Of Polls?

The owner of DataUSA Inc., a company that conducted political polls for the campaigns of President Bush, Sen. Joe Lieberman and other candidates, pleaded guilty to fraud for making up survey and poll results.

Tracy Costin pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Costin, 46, faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when she is sentenced Nov. 30.

As part of her plea agreement, Costin agreed to repay $82,732 to the unidentified clients for 11 jobs between June 2002 and May 2004. DataUSA is now known as Viewpoint USA.

According to a federal indictment, Costin told employees to alter poll data, and managers at the company told employees to "talk to cats and dogs" when instructing them to fabricate the surveys.

FBI Special Agent Jeff Rovelli said 50 percent of information compiled by DataUSA and transmitted to Bush's campaign was falsified, the Connecticut Post reported Thursday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang said on several occasions when the company was running up against a deadline to complete a job, results were falsified. Sometimes, the respondent's gender or political affiliation were changed to meet a quota, other times all survey answers were fabricated.

Black Adder

The sound of hoofbeats 'cross the glade,
Good folk, lock up your son and daughter,
Beware the deadly flashing blade,
Unless you want to end up shorter.
Black Adder, Black Adder, he rides a pitch black steed.
Black Adder, Black Adder, he's very bad indeed.
Black: his gloves of finest mole,
Black: his codpiece made of metal,
His horse is blacker than a hole,
His pot is blacker than his kettle.
Black Adder, Black Adder, with many a cunning plan.
Black Adder, Black Adder, you horrid little man.

This show is one of my all time favorites and by far my favorite British comedy series. It takes us on a rather unusual trip through British history.

Although each series is set in a different historical period, all follow the fortunes (or, rather, misfortunes) of Edmund Blackadder (played by Atkinson), who in each is a member of an English family dynasty present at many significant periods and places in British history.

Although his intelligence levels rise over the course of the series (the character starts as being quite unintelligent in the first and gradually becomes smarter through each passing generation), each Blackadder is similar in that they are all cynical, cowardly opportunists concerned with maintaining and increasing their own status and fortunes in life, regardless of their surroundings. Also, each Blackadder's social status becomes lower, even though Blackadder's intellect increases. The lives of each man are also entwined with their servants, all called Baldrick (played by Robinson), who in each generation acts as the dogsbody/punching-bag of the various Blackadders, and who decreases in intelligence (and in personal hygiene standards). Blackadder and Baldrick are also saddled with the company of a dim-witted aristocrat - Lord Percy Percy (Tim McInnerny) in the first two seasons, George (Hugh Laurie) in the third and fourth - whose presence he must somehow tolerate.

Each series was set in a different period of British history, beginning in 1485 and ending in 1917 (with one special set on New Year's Eve 1999) comprising six half-hour episodes. The first series, made in 1983, was called The Black Adder. This was followed by Blackadder II in 1986, Blackadder the Third in 1987, and finally Blackadder Goes Forth in 1989. In addition to these, three specials were also made: "Blackadder: The Cavalier Years" appeared as a 15-minute insert during the 1988 Comic Relief telethon; Blackadder's Christmas Carol was a 45-minute Christmas installment, broadcast the same year; and Blackadder: Back & Forth was a 30-minute film originally shown in a special cinema at the Millennium Dome throughout 2000, and later transmitted by Sky and the BBC. A pilot episode was filmed in 1982, but has never been shown on television. Featuring a different actor as Baldrick, the plot would be re-used for the episode "Born to Be King" in series 1. Although DVD releases never include the pilot episode (Atkinson specifically prevents it from being distributed, because he fears it will overshadow his acting skills), copies are known to circulate among fans.

It is implied in each series that the Blackadder character is a distant descendant of the previous one.



The first series, written by Curtis and Atkinson and without the involvement of Ben Elton, is the most different from the three others. It is noticeable that, as Blackadder is more cunning in series two, so Baldrick develops even further into a dimwit. It is clear that in the first series, the latter is smarter than his superior, saving the day on several occasions, whereas Edmund is despised by all and never accomplishes a thing. With each observed generation, his social standing is reduced, from prince, to nobleman, to royal butler, before he moves upward to regular army captain in Blackadder Goes Forth and King of modern Britain in "Back and Forth". However, he concurrently goes from being an incompetent fool (in the first series) to an ever more devious strategist in matters that affect him. The Macbeth-inspired witches, in "The Foretelling" (thinking he is, in fact, Henry Tudor), promise that one day Blackadder will be king and, in "Bells" the 'wise woman' says "thou plottest Blackadder: thou wouldst be King!" In the first series, Edmund does become king for less than a minute, but then dies after succumbing to some poisoned wine.

In the second series, Blackadder comes very close to marrying Elizabeth I but fails. At the end of Blackadder the Third, the character assumes the role of Prince Regent after the real prince is killed in a duel with the Duke of Wellington, and (presumably, though not definitely) goes on to assume the identity of George IV. After his general decline in status through the series, Blackadder, or at least the descendant of the original, finally becomes absolute monarch in Blackadder: Back & FoBlackadder the Third is set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a period known as the Regency. For much of this time, King George III was incapacitated due to poor mental health, and his son George, the Prince of Wales, acted as regent. From 1811 until his father's death in 1820, he was known as "the Prince Regent".

In the third series, E. Blackadder Esquire is the butler to the Prince of Wales (the prince is played by Hugh Laurie as a complete fop and idiot). Despite Edmund's respected intelligence and abilities, he has no personal fortune to speak of. According to Edmund he has been serving the Prince Regent all their lives, since they were both breastfeeding (when he had to show the Prince which part of his mother was serving the drinks).

The fourth series, interestingly enough titled Black Adder Goes Forth is set in 1917, on the Western Front in the trenches of the First World War. Another "big push" is planned, and Captain Blackadder's one goal is to avoid getting shot, so he plots ways to get out of it. Blackadder is joined by the idealistic Edwardian twit Lieutenant George (Hugh Laurie), and the world's worst cook, Private S. Baldrick. The first initial "S" is taken from the first episode of Season 3, in which Baldrick says he can't remember his first name, but assumes it must be "Sodoff", as when he introduces himself to people, they generally say, 'yes, we know: Sod off, Baldrick'.

Loony General Melchett rallies his troops from a French mansion thirty-five miles from the front, where he is aided and abetted by his assistant, Captain Darling (Tim McInnerny), pencil-pusher supreme and Blackadder's nemesis, whose name is played on for maximum comedy value. Every episode's title is based on the pairing of a military rank, major, general, etc., and another word.

There were several specials filmed after the series ended. Black Adder's Christmas Carol and Black Adder: Back & Forth are available on video.
Some that are difficult to find are Black Adder The Cavalier Years, The Woman's Hour Invasion, Black Adder: The Army Years and The Jubilee Girl, a tribute to HRM.

I can watch this series over and over and still get a kick out of it.