be careful what you wish for...

this puts crazy eyes across the line & into the sanity column...

when you're just too busy to be impatient...

weekender...

TOP 17 THINGS YOU SHOULD HAVE LEARNED FOR HALLOWEEN FROM WATCHING SCARY MOVIES:

17. When it appears that you have killed the monster, *never* check to see if it's really dead.

16. If your companions suddenly begin to exhibit uncharacteristic behavior such as hissing, fascination for blood, glowing eyes, increasing hairiness, and so on, get away from them as fast as possible.

15. Do not search the basement, especially if the power has just gone out.

14. Beware of strangers bearing tools such as chainsaws, staple guns, hedge trimmers, electric carving knives, combines, lawnmowers, butane torches, soldering irons, band saws, or any device made from deceased companions.

13. If appliances start operating by themselves, move out.

12. Stay away from certain geographical locations, some of which are listed here: Amityville, Elm Street, Transylvania, Nilbog (you're in trouble if you recognize this one), the Bermuda Triangle, or any small town in Maine.

11. If your children speak to you in Latin or any other language which they should not know or if they speak to you using a voice which is other than their own, shoot them immediately. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run.

NOTE: It will probably take several hundred rounds to kill them, so be prepared!

10. If you're running from the monster, expect to trip or fall down at least twice, more if you are of the female persuasion. Also note that, despite the fact that you are running and the monster is merely shambling along, it's still moving fast enough to catch up with you.

9. When you have the benefit of numbers, *never* pair off and go it alone.

8. Do not take *anything* from the dead.

7. As a general rule, don't solve puzzles that open portals to Hell.

6. Don't fool with recombinant DNA technology unless you're sure you know what you are doing.

5. Never stand in, on, above, below, beside, or anywhere near a grave, tomb, crypt, mausoleum, or other house of the dead.

4. Never read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke.

3. If your car runs out of gas at night, do not go to the nearby deserted-looking house to phone for help.

2. If you're searching for something which caused a noise and find out that it's just the cat, *leave the room immediately if you value your life.*

and last but not least...

1. If you find a town which looks deserted, it's probably for a reason. Take the hint and stay away!



why do people never learn?

weekender...

got to get ready for the weekend's festivities? here are some helpful hints...

make sure your hair gets done...





if you have to find directions, be certain to use...





doing Chinese? be careful...






take pictures, but read the camera directions first...



Queen of the Blondes...
(yes, i know. this is really a blond joke!)


don't forget to take the dog out...




something tells me he's related to Maxx


and be sure to stay safe...






now that you have all of this great advice, have a good time...

if you can...


and remember - gin does makes everything better...




Maxx started the weekend early.
what else is new?
and he better stay away from my MacBook
or no more Sapphire.
cheap stuff for him only...

he hates cheap gin!

obfuscations in the news: the pope needs a psychiatrist - desperately...

from the Panzerpapa

Vatican accuses AIDS groups of intimidation

(Vatican City) The Vatican on Friday denounced the criticisms of the pope’s comments about condoms and AIDS during his trip to Africa, saying they marked an unprecedented attempt to intimidate him into silence.

Pope Benedict XVI said last month that condoms weren’t the answer to Africa’s AIDS epidemic and could make the problem worse.

France, Germany, the U.N. AIDS-fighting agency as well as the British medical journal The Lancet criticized the comments as irresponsible and dangerous. The Belgian parliament passed a resolution calling them “unacceptable” and demanding that the government officially protest.

365Gay.com & The Associated Press

intimidation?

INTIMIDATION?


how about The Inquisition? the Knights Templar? Galileo? The Holocaust? the...

why mention more? the catholic church has killed more people than all wars put together over the centuries. all in the name of their god.

these bear repeating again and again and again...

as i've quoted Henry II before, "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

and

If Jesus were alive today, the last thing he would be is a christian.

i have never said anything like this in my life before... but the best thing that could happen for the world would be the death of benedict xvi. the only problem is that whoever the hierarchy of the church [the oldest, most inflexible, and basest men in the world] might be worse! he along with them continue advocating the deaths of people around the world. not just through statements on AIDS but in forcing women to have children they don't want - among other things.

he is a deceiver out of touch with the world around him; and he makes me see red.

more and more, he is looking like the anti-christ the believers preach of...

tea parties...

when i first heard about these winger/Republican/christianist/nut tea parties i immediately thought about the ones that the Mad Hatter had in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonder Land and Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There.

i mean think about it. they are protesting tax increases... FOR THE RICH!

well, here's some news for them. Obama has not had any tax plan passed as yet. what they are protesting is the tax plan that Mr. Bush put into effect, where he lowered the tax rate for the wealthiest people in the world and stuck it to the middle class! i don't think that these people are smart enough to understand this.

the tea parties were touted by the Republican leadership that doesn't know what its left hand is doing with its ass.

what are these people thinking? are they just so out of their minds that they will just let the Fox mumble-mouths and Tsar Rush* talk them into anything because of their hate and bigotry. that's exactly what's happening. they are lemmings. they don't think; they follow the party line - no matter what it is that is shoved down their throats.

and i'm serious about bigotry being one of the elements behind what's happening. i strongly believe at the core and heart of it all is white racism because of Obama's background and this is the way they can avoid the word racism!

they want to work on everyone's fear but it's their own unfounded fears that fuel their low-stoked fires and the leadership of the minority party and its spook-miesters know that full well.

they repeatedly talk about Obama putting socialism into place when, if you look at the majority of the protesters you might notice they are probably over 65. they are part of the largest socialistic program not only in the U.S. but in the world - Medicare

i would love to see a Republican lawmaker in the House or Senate bring a bill to the floor to do away with Medicare because it is a socialist program. something tells me that there would no longer be a Republican Party in existence.

talk about obfuscation...



Maxx thought i said pee party!
might as well have...


*i first wrote King Rush for Limbaugh but it dawned on me when i typed it that what he is after is replacing Tsar George. if there hadn't been a term limit on the presidency, ole Rush could have been in the planning stage of a Kremlinesque coup. think about it...

did Prince Phillip do what i think he did?

i'd bet on it. just look at the Queen's face in the last picture. even Phillip can't keep a completely straight face.

poor Harry was in the direct line of fire...

in the news obfuscations...

U.S. Says C.I.A. Destroyed 92 Tapes of Interrogations

in the New York Times

the quote:

The tapes were destroyed as Congress and the courts were intensifying their scrutiny of the agency’s detention and interrogation program.

**************************

Is Phyllis Schlafly the Most Dangerous Woman in America?

from wowowow.com

the quote:

“Feminists have a death grip on the top level of the Democratic party,” insisted Phyllis Schlafly during an interview last month. “The feminists are a disaster … It’s so unfortunate what they do to young women.” Funny, some say the same thing about Schlafly.

**************************

Steele to Rush: I'm sorry

from Politico.com

the quote:

“My intent was not to go after Rush – I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh,” Steele said in a telephone interview. “I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. … There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership.”

**************************

Christian salt seller hopes to shake up market

from Examiner.com

the quote:

CRESAPTOWN, Md. (Map, News) - You've heard of kosher salt? Now there's a Christian variety. Retired barber Joe Godlewski says he was inspired by television chefs who repeatedly recommended kosher salt in recipes. "I said, 'What the heck's the matter with Christian salt?'" Godlewski said, sipping a beer in the living room of his home in unincorporated Cresaptown, a western Maryland mountain community.

**************************

Mormon Church Email Tells Illinois Followers to Fight Civil Unions Bill

from Querrty.com

the quote from the email:

This bill will legalize civil unions in the state of Illinois, and will treat such civil unions with the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as are afforded within marriage. In other words, civil unions will be different in name only from marriage. As has already been seen in Massachusetts, this will empower the public schools to begin teaching this lifestyle to our young children regardless of parental requests otherwise. It will also create grounds for rewriting all social mores; the current push in Massachusetts is to recognize and legalize all transgender rights (An individual in Massachusetts can now change their drivers license to the gender they believe themselves to be, regardless of actual gender, which means that confused men and women are now legally entering one another’s bathrooms and locker rooms. What kind of a safety issue is this for our children?). Furthermore, while the bill legalizes civil unions, it will be used in the courts to show discrimination and will ultimately lead to court mandated same-sex marriages.

unbelievable...

my mouth was WIDE OPEN when i first saw this...





in Malcolm Gladwell's new book, Outliers: The Story of Success, he shows that it takes a minimum of 10,000 hours of practice to be the best at anything. this kid is on the road to showing pool sharks a thing or two...




and i can't recommend Gladwell's book enough. it is making me challenge everything i've believed about education in my 37+ years in the profession - especially in Gifted Education.

no one could make this stuff up...

i can't say anything else about this. if it were a t.v. show it would have won numerous Emmy awards. it would have been turned into a movie by Jack Black or Adam Sandler, but they too could never have written this stuff.

the Tsar certainly does give a new and definitive definition of the word clown.

no to mention the word obfuscation...

the thing we'll miss about Tsar George...

yeah, i know it ain't gonna be much, but he was fodder for all the comics, and he did it by just being himself. here are some of the more memorable lines he used. no one, but no one, could have made these up...

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." — September 2000, explaining his energy policies at an event in Michigan.

• "Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?" — January 2000, during a campaign event in South Carolina.

• "They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the commander in chief, too." — Sept. 26, 2001, in Langley, Va. Bush was referring to the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.

• "There's no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail." — Oct. 4, 2001, in Washington. Bush was remarking on a back-to-work plan after the terrorist attacks.

• "It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber." — April 10, 2002, at the White House, as Bush urged Senate passage of a broad ban on cloning.

• "I want to thank the dozens of welfare-to-work stories, the actual examples of people who made the firm and solemn commitment to work hard to embetter themselves." — April 18, 2002, at the White House.

• "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." — Sept. 17, 2002, in Nashville, Tenn.

• "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." — Aug. 5, 2004, at the signing ceremony for a defense spending bill.

• "Too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." — Sept. 6, 2004, at a rally in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

• "Our most abundant energy source is coal. We have enough coal to last for 250 years, yet coal also prevents an environmental challenge." — April 20, 2005, in Washington.

• "We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job." — Sept. 20, 2005, in Gulfport, Miss.

• "I can't wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs." — Sept. 5, 2005, when Bush met with residents of Poplarville, Miss., in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

• "It was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship. After all, 60 years we were at war 60 years ago we were at war." — June 29, 2006, at the White House, where Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

• "Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die." — Dec. 7, 2006, in a joint appearance with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

• "These are big achievements for this country, and the people of Bulgaria ought to be proud of the achievements that they have achieved." — June 11, 2007, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

• "Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit." — September 2007, in Sydney, Australia, where Bush was attending an APEC summit.

• "Thank you, Your Holiness. Awesome speech." April 16, 2008, at a ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the White House.

• "The fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there's jobs at the machine-making place." — May 27, 2008, in Mesa, Ariz.

• "And they have no disregard for human life." — July 15, 2008, at the White House. Bush was referring to enemy fighters in Afghanistan.

• "I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office." — June 26, 2008, during a Rose Garden news briefing.

• "Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people." — July 4, 2008 in Virginia.

• "The people in Louisiana must know that all across our country there's a lot of prayer — prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. And I'm one of them. It's good to come down here." — Sept. 3, 2008, at an emergency operations center in Baton Rouge, La., after Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast.

• "This thaw — took a while to thaw, it's going to take a while to unthaw." Oct. 20, 2008, in Alexandria, La., as he discussed the economy and frozen credit markets.


you too can have an Ivy League education, just don't wish it on your kids...

The bailout, a different perspective...

Back in 1990, the US Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed.

Now we are trusting the economy of our country to a pack of nit-wits who couldn't make money running a whore house and selling booze?


maybe the automakers are better off with the Senate failure?

just asking...

politicians are all the same...

i dare you not to laugh while you watch this video of Australian Senator Collins being interviewed about an oiler mishap off the coast of Australia that dumped 20,000 gallons into the ocean...








gotcha...

sure sounds like elected officials that we know, though.

it IS about race...

I am disappointed by some things I recently heard about people I have known and cared for many years. I must admit that I never expected it and I am wondering if there is an undercurrent that is more prevalent than anyone expects going on in this election cycle.

What I was told is that they are not going to vote for Obama because he is black!

I suppose that I shouldn't be as surprised as I am. I worked in a predominantly African-American public school for many years and also have very close African-American friends who have taken me into their families. I know first hand from them what they sometimes go through and have witnessed myself. I have never had a problem with race or color and that is thanks to the teaching from my parents.

I also thought that most people I know are beyond this. I'm personally hurt by it, but there is nothing I can do about it.

though i am often saying "they'll get over it, and when they do, they'll realize there was nothing to get over in the first place." i don't think that i will be able to get over this. it is truly something that is beyond my comprehension...

no comment...

he received some fines when he got stopped:

Running stop light = $100.00

DUI = $350.00

Not wearing a seat belt = $150.00



well, yes, i have to make a comment -

i hope he didn't have to pay a lot for this fake driver's license...

the ABSOLUTE height of hypocrisy...

Perhaps you will remember Senator David Vitter (R-LA). He's the one that admitted using the DC Madam for, ummm, his pleasure impulses. Well, he's back on the radar.

and you thought you were safe...

Last week he, and Sen. Larry (tap my foot, no I didn't) Craig signed on as co-sponsors of another constitutional amendment that states that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. The Carpetbagger Report has it here - The Federal Marriage Amendment is back — with Vitter’s and Craig’s support.

But the funny part is looking over the list of the 10 original sponsors. Most of the names are predictable — Brownback and Inhofe, for example — but there are two others whose names stand out: Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Larry Craig (R-Idaho).

Yes, two of the principal sponsors of a constitutional amendment to “protect” marriage include one far-right Republican who hired prostitutes and another far-right Republican who was arrested for soliciting gay sex (sic) an airport men’s room.

Hello! As if that were not enough hypocrisy in and of itself, get this...
Vitter - The Only Senator Opposing Removal Of HIV Travel Ban»

got that?

from Wonk Room at Think Progress

In fact, the Senator, who himself engaged in behavior that could have placed him and his wife in danger of contracting HIV, has promoted policies that increase the likelihood that people will become infected with HIV:

- Voted in support of the “prostitution pledge” in PEPFAR which creates obstacles to reaching and serving sex workers.

- Attempted to amend PEPFAR “to reinsert the 33 percent abstinence-only earmark.”

Vitter has a long history of promoting failed abstinence-only policies and supporting legislation that undermines people’s sexual health and equal rights.

let's see if we can make sense of this. Vitter visits prostitutes defending his marriage; Vitter strongly supports abstinence only programs to prevent HIV & STD's; Vitter wants only men and women to be able to get married in order to to save the sanctity of marriage; Vitter supports family values by discriminating against other people; and, finally, Vitter's wife has forgiven him when she made the statement when if she had been Hillary, she would have cut off his penis if she caught him.

nope. sorry. i can't make sense of it. can you?

just asking...

ever wonder...

Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

see, i told you...

with George Carlin not around there will be no one to tell us the truth!

Senator Cornyn's office responds to VoteVets.org ads...

huh?

WASHINGTON - Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan today expressed disappointment that Senator John Cornyn would belittle them and their service, because they asked him to vote in favor of a bi-partisan GI Bill for the 21st Century. That bill, offered by Senators Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel, would update the Montgomery GI Bill to keep education benefits for troops current with the cost of education.

In today's edition of Roll Call, Cornyn's spokesman responded to an ad launched by VoteVets.org calling on Cornyn to vote for a new GI Bill by saying, "The anti-war crowd is determined to use our men and women in uniform for their political advantage, even if our national security is jeopardized in the process."

News from VoteVets.org

ummm, VoteVets is an organization founded and basically supported by veterans. There are then the rest of us, who in turn, totally support them for the service they have provided even if they did not agree with it.

That makes them anti-war crowd? Does the senator remember that we have an ALL volunteer services. Everyone who serves does so at his/her choice?

The bill that Senators McCain and Cornyn want passed would limit the annual tuition benefit capped at $2,000.

Tuition for ONE three-hour class at Northern Illinois University for an in-state student this spring is $681.00! That is close to half of the total benefit the good senators want. It also does not include student fees, technology surcharges, textbooks, etc, etc., and NIU is a state school that is partially funded by government. Have they looked at places like Yale, Harvard, William & Mary? Wait. Maybe their kids went there?

What is Cornyn's reasoning behind not supporting Senator Webb's full tuition bill? More servicemembers would opt to leave the service if they knew they would get an almost free ride to college. This, in spite of the fact, that all research says that the majority already only opt to serve one term.

duh!


fight for us; kill for us; become injured for us; die for us...

just don't expect anything in return. it's not the American way. fend for yourselves.

what do you see?

I haven't seen a good optical illusion in a long time, so I haven't posted any in quite a while. I just got this one and must admit that I'm weirder than everyone else. I'll explain after you look at it.



When you look at this picture close up, you see its Albert Einstein. But if you stand 15 feet away, it will become Marilyn Monroe.

my weirdness?

When I first saw it I saw Marilyn Monroe for the first 5-10 seconds, then I adjusted and saw Albert Einstein. Also, if you look at it from the side, you can tell the difference.


i still wonder what makes people come up with things like this. it's kind of like, who came up with the original idea to drink cow's milk? and how did they first do it? bend over an pucker up? think about it. it's weird...

silly laws...

There are a lots of silly laws on the books all over the country. I'm sure that you can name a few in your own town.

Two years ago, Chicago banned the sale of foie gras, a delicacy of duck and goose livers elevated to near cult status by the French, on restaurant menus. Consequently, there have been duckeasy's in the city either selling it on the qt or giving it away since the law only bans selling it. Even Mayor Daley thinks it is one of the stupidest laws passed in recent history.

Well, today, the Chicago City Council lifted the ban and are setting the ducks free. Well, letting us eat their livers, at least.

Didier Durand, chef/owner of Cyrano's Bistro on the near Northside, is leading the cheers. "Break out the champagne!" he cried.

Opponents to the delicacy, as well as to any animal-based food, were quick to cry out:

"To reverse a compassionate and admirable decision under pressure from political bullies and special interests shows a cowardly brand of cynicism unlike any we have seen in our efforts to give voice to the most vulnerable beings in our society - animals raised for food," said Julie Janovsky, director of campaigns for animal rights group Farm Sanctuary.

Pot calling the kettle burnt, you ask? PETA and Farm Sanctuary are political bullies and special interests, aren't they? I don't know of any other groups who physically attack their own species to make a point.

The nature of homo sapiens has been as hunter/gatherers for millenia. Much has been written of our current modern diet of grains and cereals and the problems they cause digestively. We are meat eaters.

I, for one, love foie gras and always have. I have had it many different ways, but the best is lightly seasoned and sautéed in butter, served with a good Sauterne.

I might be convinced that the method of force feeding the birds to produce larger, more veiny livers is harsh and, if someone could show me that a natural method of feeding produces the same flavors, I would go along with it.

but... i will stay my gross self, as some would label me, and continue to eat, not very often I might add, one of my favorite delicacies...



i'm almost drooling...