Current Affairs
September 30, 2009
August 06, 2009
Free Republic Hoaxed (Again) ; Reacts With Anger - Not Shame !
Free Republic - an increasingly radical website - has been lending tacit support to "Birther" ORLY TAITZ (and to World Net Daily - best described as a Wing Nut publication of questionable repute).
Ms Taitz and World Net Daily have been cooperating on a rather transparent project : the object of which is to destroy the reputation of the very popular , recently elected President of the United States-Barack Hussein Obama.
The method used is to insist the President was NOT born in the United States (or,alternatively, that he was automatically granted his father's British citizenship) and is thus ineligible to serve as President.
Quite recently, Dr. Taitz (she is a dentist, mail-order lawyer,and realtor) unveiled what she described as a birth certificate proving President Obama had been born in Kenya.
Not content with displaying an image on the internet, she also filed suit, demanding (among other things) the Secretary of State be compelled to confirm the validity of the document.
Orly's fans on Free Republic (Freepers) were all agog ! One could almost hear the church bells being rung in a victory celebration.
At last ! America would be freed from the "Kenyan Usurper". (That's the polite way of talking about "one of those people" now.)
Alas for the Birthers and Freepers : the "smoking gun " from Kenya turned out to be a snarky prank by an Obama supporter !!!
The reaction on Free Republic was mostly fury : not because Orly Taitz had duped them again, but because they had been made to look foolish for believing her.
I'm including a link for anyone who is interested, but must warn there were over 400 responses at the time I posted this.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2309830/posts
So: how about the other players ? World Net Daily - after a brief burst of self-congratulatory enthusiasm - has glumly decided the "Kenyan" document is a hoax.
Orly Taitz ...apparently decided it would be a great time to visit the folks in Israel ; but , I'm sure she'll be back !
America needs a little humor break in these difficult times !
July 26, 2009
Guest Post - Healthcare : DEAR MR. PRESIDENT
Dear Mr. President 
by Hunter
Sat Jul 25, 2009 at 02:20:04 PM PDT
Dear Mr. President: I am writing you today because I am outraged at the notion of involving government in healthcare decisions like they do in other countries. I believe healthcare decisions should be between myself and my doctor.
Well, that is not strictly true. I believe healthcare decisions should be between myself, my doctor, and my insurance company, which provides me a list of which doctors I can see, which specialists I can see, and has a strict policy outlining when I can and can't see those specialists, for what symptoms, and what tests my doctors can or cannot perform for a given set of symptoms. That seems fair, because the insurance company needs to make a profit; they're not in the business of just keeping people alive for free.
Read the rest here:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/25/756972/-Dear-Mr.-President
August 10, 2008
Anthrax and the OTHER 800 lb Gorilla in the Room
I'll start by saying I agree with the FBI's conclusions about Dr. Bruce Ivins – although it is now unpopular to do so. The Anthrax investigation – as before – continues to be a self-sustaining “cottage industry” , with various speculators arguing over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, trumpeting their findings from the rooftops of the Internet , basking in the warm glow of self-admiration , and complaining about the overlooked “800 lb gorilla in the room”.
One thing none of these folks seems to have considered is this: Dr. Ivins knew full well he was under exhaustive scrutiny by the FBI , and that he would soon be charged. Whether this caused him to have an emotional breakdown, or whether he considered it expedient to fake the symptoms as part of an insanity defense is something we'll never know; but, by committing suicide before he could be charged, indicted,or arrested, he insured that his wife would not be denied pension benefits ... and might even receive something extra because of his “mental health disability”.
That's a mighty hefty gorilla , in my opinion !
Speaking of dimensionally gifted anthropids, let's talk briefly about why the President and key Administration officials were given prophylactic doses of Cipro prior to 9/11.
Quite simply – as Richard C. Clarke has become famous for saying – the CIA, FBI, Secret Service, etc. knew there was some sort of al-Qaeda operation planned ...soon ; but nobody knew how, when, or where. One of the threats considered possible was an Anthrax attack.
Anthrax was on a lot of people's minds. During the 1990's, there had been hundreds of Anthrax hoax attacks. In January,2000 alone,abortion clinics received 30 such threats. On January 30,2001, the Canadian Government received an Anthrax hoax letter (as did several large businesses) that alarmed them so much, they appointed the Defence Research Establishment at Suffield to study the threat.
This Canadian study , “Risk Assessment of Anthrax Letters” was conducted between 2/26/01 and 4/11/01 , and ,although the report itself was not published until September, the results were frightening enough to warrant Canada sharing them with the US, and other friendly governments. The NY Times got wind of the tests and published them as well.
Given all this background , and an undeterminable al-Qaeda threat, the Secret Service would have been grossly negligent if it had not sought approval for the issuance of powerful antibiotics !
Oops ! That particular "gorilla" just turned into a squirrel money !!
March 23, 2008
March 18, 2008
Let's Boycott the "China Olympics" !!
We've boycotted the Olympics before - over human rights abuses - and we can very well do it again . It's past time to say we will boycott the 2008 Olympics - scheduled to be held in Beijing - unless they cease their unwarranted, unrelenting persecution of Tibet.
Now they're at it again: stifling peaceful protests with tanks and troops;bullets, bombs,and bayonets ....while complaining to credulous world press it is the Tibetans who are causing the violence.
Disgustingly enough, our own State Department is appealing to the Tibetans for "calm".
This is the same State Department that very recently removed China from the human rights violaters list ... to what end I do not know. The greater glory of Walmart,perhaps ?
Someone said to me yesterday we should NOT boycott the Olympics "because the games are meant to be non-political".
Hah ! Tell me the International Olympic Commission is non-political !!
The idea of a boycott is slowly catching on - even in the Sports world.
On Sunday, I listened as a recent visitor to Beijing described the horrible conditions he had seen just a few days earlier: fine,abrasive dust in the air - just about everywhere. "I couldn't even make out sign colors," he said, "Unless they were exceptionally bright, because there was a dull , yellowish film of dust covering them. People were wearing masks to try and screen out the dirt in the air."
Wow ! The perfect place for running, and jumping, and other competitions that require large amounts of deep,heavy breathing !!
Let's give the games a rest this year.
LET'S BOYCOTT THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS !!
Here's more:
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2008/03/18/tibet_protest/
January 24, 2008
January 15, 2008
Aha ! Proof of Parallel Universe Emerges: Britney in a Burkha ?
Mr. Meangenes stopped by this morning. He was muttering something about "parallel universes" - a subject with which I am vaguely familiar.
The concept is simple: Suppose the referee flips a coin to determine which team kicks off. It could come down "heads" or "tails" ,and the result of that coin toss might help determine which team wins.
So far, so good; but here's where it gets complicated. The "parallel world" people say the mere fact the coin was tossed at all creates at least two parallel worlds : one in which Team A wins;the other in which Team B wins. The two worlds exist side-by-side;but things work out very differently in them. (The Captain of the losing team doesn't get to marry the girl, or to father the child, who will grow up to be the doctor who saves the life of the Prime Minister,who was the last hope for peace,etc.,etc.)
In case you're wondering, I know all this because I read it in a science fiction story,at a time when I should have been studying Intermediate Algebra,so I could pursue a career in Chemistry,and invent the formula that would have saved millions from starvation,and..and...
"Ahem !", said Ms Rabbit, tapping her foot impatiently. " Are you going to talk about parallel universes,or are you going to go wandering through Memory Lane ? "
I was a bit startled. "Where the heck did YOU come from ? "
Ms Rabbit shrugged. " I came through the Time Portal, of course !"
She tossed her head ."You claim to be the "expert". Didn't you know about Time Portals ? "
"Whoa ! Whoa !!", I almost shouted. " You're saying there ARE parallel universes ? That there are ....Time Portals that...let people go back and forth ?"
Ms Rabbit twitched her nose. " I thought EVERYBODY knew that ! For instance, where do you think Mr. Meangenes is right now ? "
I spun around. He had vanished - just like that !
Ms Rabbit looked at me pityingly. " He decided to visit the universe where you DID remember to pick up a six-pack of Yuengling for him. You know how he likes his beer !"
" People go back and forth all the time. That's what causes half the problems in the world. For example, Britney Spears is planning to convert to Islam, start wearing a burkha, and marry some Muslim gentleman...which might have been a good plan in her universe,but isn't getting rave reviews in this one. "
I closed my eyes in disbelief. " This whole ...parallel universe/time portal business is giving me a headache ! You've got me so discombobulated, I don't know what in heck to believe in any more !"
When I opened my eyes again. Ms Rabbit was gone, and Mr. Meangenes had returned. He looked rather pleased with himself.
"That was good (Urp !) beer ! I'll have to try that Time Portal business more often."
He began to stroll off. "By the way," he said. "Did you know there may be universes in which there are NO Time Portals, and People DON'T talk to rabbits ? "
January 13, 2008
Which is the REAL Ron Paul ??
There is at the moment, a proposal to raise large sums of money for Presidential aspirant Ron Paul ...on Martin Luther King's Day ; and Paul supporters are attempting to show he was a long-time supporter of Dr. King; and that he-like Dr. King- is a brave supporter of Civil Rights.
(We should have a drumroll and trumpet fanfare at this point,but I'll have to leave that part to your imagination.)
At the same time, we have a record-in the form of suddenly-disavowed newsletters ,published over a roughly 20 year period - in Ron Paul's name, which make comments like the following-(according to an article in The New Republic) :
Martin Luther King Jr. earned special ire from Paul's newsletters, which attacked the civil rights leader frequently, often to justify opposition to the federal holiday named after him. ("What an infamy Ronald Reagan approved it!" one newsletter complained in 1990. "We can thank him for our annual Hate Whitey Day.")
In the early 1990s, a newsletter attacked the "X-Rated Martin Luther King" as a "world-class philanderer who beat up his paramours," "seduced underage girls and boys," and "made a pass at" fellow civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy.
One newsletter ridiculed black activists who wanted to rename New York City after King, suggesting that "Welfaria," "Zooville," "Rapetown," "Dirtburg," and "Lazyopolis" were better alternatives.
The same year, King was described as "a comsymp, if not an actual party member, and the man who replaced the evil of forced segregation with the evil of forced integration."
There is also the matter of Ron Paul's continuing support from "Stormfront" - a Neo-Nazi publication of David Duke. Just this morning, I copied a link to the Stormfront site:
http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?p=4120900
In the header of the page, you will see an audiofile by David Duke and Ron Black :
"What Ron Paul Must Do to Win ".
In the Southwest, Paul has quite a following: avowed members of the KKK,members of self-appointed militia groups. at least one "biker gang", a reconstituted Confederate States of America, and people who openly preach armed insurrection against the United States Government.
Two months ago an apparent "cell" was disrupted in Kansas. One man was taken into custody, and large quantities of explosives and weapons were seized. Al-Qaeda ? Hardly ! Home-grown militia is more like it.
Some of these groups have sworn they will "go to war" if "their" candidate, Ron Paul is not elected; and I have reason to believe they mean what they say.
In Tennessee, the following theft of explosives was reported on January 6th:
PARROTTSVILLE-Almost 200 sticks of dynamite along with blasting caps and several bags of ammonium nitrate were stolen Thursday from three storage buildings on Carpenter Road off Highway 321.
According to reports by Dep. David Parton and Chief Detective Robert Caldwell, the dynamite, blasting caps and bags of ammounium nitrate were stolen from Elmo Greer and Sons Construction Company, which has been contracted to construct the new Highway 321 project.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Can you say : "Oklahoma City Bombing " ?
I thought you could.
The man in Photo 1 is getting to look more like this guy every day.
December 17, 2007
Are These Folks Raising Money for Hillary ?
I honestly do not know if this piece I found on the internet today is true - and am not sure of how it could be verified. In the clear absence of any prohibition against doing so, I have copied it here in full.
It purports to be a press release from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence-however,not one of the "site links" works - so I wonder if this is a piece of disinformation.
|
| |||
| |||
December 15, 2007
December 10, 2007
Rabbit Invasion in British Columbia !!
The people in one section of British Columbia are coping with a serious problem: an invasion by rabbits !
One of the problems is that many people think rabbits are "cute"-and they don't want to harm them : they just want the government to make them go away.
I had planned to interview Ms Rabbit , but she was unavailable for comment. I was able to reach a Mr. Reginald (Bugs Bunny) Rabbit,but all he said was : " Eh-h-h-h-h-h-h : Got any more carrots, Doc ?"
This, as you might imagine was not helpful,so I decided to contact a representative of Border Watch : an armed volunteer group which has (according to their literature) been assisting the Border Patrol.
I succeeded in contacting Border Watch Sector Guardian
E. Fudd ; who was, even as we spoke,following the trail of what he described as " Wetched Wabbit Wascals".
"Be vewwy quiet !", he advised. " Wabbits are vewwy twicky !"
So, in the interest of good first-person journalism, I tiptoed along behind him. It was all vewwy thwilling wather exciting kind of je ne sais que pas .
We ran across these chaps - who seemed to be sneaking across the Border,but paid them no particular attention, as - unless they were very cleverly disguised-they did not resemble rabbits in any way,shape,or fashion.The gentleman in the turban said he was meeting some supporters on the US side of the border...
...and, indeed,as we watched, one of them appeared at the trailhead.
Sector Guardian Fudd took it all in stride. " Never mind them ! We're hunting wabbits !!"
Ah, but had we known what was just ahead of us - concealed by a clump of gorse (whatever gorse is !).....
To be continued..............
November 28, 2007
November 14, 2007
Britney "Outpolls" Hillary - On Yahoo ! and Google
Here is an odd statistic : very possibly the least important set of numbers you will see all week !
I just did a search of two names on Yahoo ! and Google :
Britney Spears ,who was "so yesterday" a year ago had 192,000,000 online "hits" on Yahoo ! and 2,980,000 on Google.
Hillary Clinton, who just might become the first woman to be elected President of the United States ,had only 147,000,000 on Yahoo !, and 1,930,000 on Google.
Astute readers will realize instantly this would have been a good place to insert one of the many unflattering photos of Hillary and/or one of the "R-rated" shots of Britney . Instead, I chose to take the high road, and post a shot of Mr. Meangenes - who, as it happened, was checking out my refrigerator for WMD .
(His inspection disclosed a bottle of Yuengling,which in a truly noble and sacrificial gesture,he tested for Bio-toxins by imbibing the contents, and scrounging around extending his precautionary search for more. What a guy !! Click his picture and you'll see why .)
Naturally, I drew Meangene's attention to the tell-tale statistics.
Hey ! National elections are less than a year away, and every trend-no matter how tiny or insignificant-must be reviewed,analyzed,and interpreted by the Talking Gods of the Media.
For example: last week , Hillary Clinton gave a news conference in Waterloo,Iowa. At the end of the conference,as she was preparing to leave,an American flag,which had been placed too close to the stage curtain started to fall. Hillary and her aides caught it.
This "hot story" was picked up by ABC's "Action News",and broadcast-complete with falling flag clip-to millions of viewers : the producers (who sound suspiciously like Barack Obama fans) managing to suggest Hillary knocked the flag over.
Studio Exec: "Okay,what else happened at the news conference ?"
Producer: "Gee, I dunno. we concentrated on the important part."
Studio Exec: " Okay ! Good job !"
Oddly enough. Mr. Meangenes didn't seem interested in the Clinton vs Spears situation. When I asked him again, he shook his head, raised his index finger,wagged it warningly, and said : " B-R-A-A-A-A-A-A-AP !!"
When the windows stopped rattling , I rushed over to him. " Meangenes ! Are you okay ? Were there bio-toxins in the beer ?"
" Naw ! I just swallowed that one a bit too fast. Got any more you want tested ?"
That's Meangenes for you: short on nuances;long on thirst !
ps: You knew I wouldn't be able to resist a Hillary picture !
I looked for one of Britney, but most of them were "Not Safe For Work".
And, no: I don't want to think about Hillary in a Britney costume !
November 03, 2007
Murtha Report Triggers E Mail From "Progressive" Cat !
Many cats are astonishingly like their Ultra-liberal "Progressive" Human counterparts: elitists who are smugly convinced of their own superiority, and not the least bit bashful about letting others know just how much more evolved they are. (They are also quick to seek our protection when anything large and nasty appears !)
Even so, I was a bit taken aback when I started getting acid E mail from a certain "Ms Catty-1".
Ms Catty-1 wasted no time in opening fire: " Stupid neo-con ! How dare you swiftboat John Murtha ? "
I hit the respond button. " Quoting from The Washington Post is "swiftboating" ?"
There was a long wait. (I guess she was licking her fur.) Finally : " You have no right to quote The Post. That right is reserved to us."
Two can play the E mail waiting game, so I went downstairs and looked in the cupboards to see if there was anything that would save me the trouble of cooking tonight. There wasn't, so I poured myself a glass of juice , and thought about ordering pizza.
When I finally returned to the computer, there was a backlog of messages : "Where are you ? Why won't you answer me ? "
There was also one with the photo you see at the top: " Don't you realize who I am ? I'll have you drummed off the Internet for this !!"
It was time to reply,so I decided to use a "southernism" : " Do tell ?"
" I'll tell - if I want to ! You and your precious Paul Tibbetts can go to hell !!"
" You're talking about THE Paul Tibbetts ? The pilot of the Enola Gay ?"
" I'm talking about the (censored) Paul Tibbetts who dropped an atomic bomb on the peaceful, sleeping city of Hiroshima : the (censored ) murdering coward !!"
There was only one answer to that outburst: " It sounds to me as if you're "swiftboating" General Tibbetts !"
I Haven't heard back since.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ps: Retired General Paul Tibbetts passed away recently at the age of 92. Already one of the most decorated pilots in the Army Air Corps, he was chosen to fly the dangerous Hiroshima mission that helped bring the increasing insanity of WWII to a shuddering halt. His actions are believed to have saved well over 1 million lives.
That did not stop a few ultra-liberal ( Oops ! Progressive) posters from calling him a "cowardly mass murderer",whose death "should be celebrated" !
November 02, 2007
John Murtha : Tarnished Honor ???
November 10, birthday of the United States Marine Corps is just a week away; and it is painful to see a fellow veteran of the Corps pop up on the pages of The Washington Post : not for some heroic deed; not because he stood up for the rights of the little guy; but because he has been identified as the author and continuing facilitator of a group that not only feeds porkily at the public trough, but which operates tax-free.
Here is a brief quote from The Post:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concurrent Technologies began two decades ago doing metalworking research in Pennsylvania's struggling rust belt. In the years since, the Johnstown, Pa., company has become a federal contracting chameleon.
It is an intelligence adviser, an environmental consultant and a software engineering specialist. It has trained mine-detecting dogs and managed religion-based initiatives. It oversees construction projects, organizes conferences and studies ways to use hydrogen for fuel in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Missile-defense research is part of its portfolio. So is the development of special armor for combat vehicles in Iraq and "solid waste technology" in Florida.
And it is a nonprofit charity.
Behind the rise of Concurrent is Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee, who helped arrange funding to launch the organization in 1988. Murtha has since arranged millions of dollars more in directed congressional appropriations called earmarks. Now Concurrent has nearly $250 million in annual revenue and 1,500 employees.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator Murtha is no stranger to "controversy". In the 1980's, the FBI conducted a large "sting" operation,called ABSCAM , in which several Congressmen were caught on tape accepting $50,000 bribes from a supposed Arab sheikh, who was actually an undercover FBI agent.
Murtha was among those "tested" - (and caught on videotape) - but declined to accept the offered "walking around money": a wise decision on his part , as he was about the only one not charged. (He did wind up having to testify against his fellow Democrats.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I felt some relief at the time , because Murtha's actions - questionable as they might have been, had been taken on behalf of his hard-pressed Congressional district , rather than for his own benefit, and did not reflect dishonorably upon the Marine Corps.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In May of 2006, Congressman Murtha accused his fellow Marines of " cold-blooded murder" in Haditha, Iraq : claiming 30 to 60 innocent civilians had been killed by the troops - without justification. CNN has a pretty thorough report.
Like many Americans, I assumed Murtha had "inside information" ; and, although I deplored his rather blatant attempt to exert "command influence" over any resultant court martial proceedings , I remained silent out of respect for a man who had been an outstanding Marine officer.
Little by little, the Haditha charges have been falling apart as the truth emerges: Investigators became aware the Marines had been set up deliberately by al-Qaeda - but because of pervasive command influence, their reports had been set aside,so that scapegoats could be selected and punished.
After learning this, I decided all bets were off as far as Jack Murtha was concerned.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With no further ado, I return you to the pages of The Washington Post for the rest of the story.
Oh, by the way, Federal Election Commission reports show the following:
Since 2000, CTC employees, board members, and their families have donated $113,375 to Rep. Murtha’s election campaign and since 2006, have donated $3,250 to his political action committee, Majority PAC.
November 01, 2007
Was Hillary the WINNER in the Democratic Debates ?
Ms Rabbit showed up unexpectedly this morning. She was hopping mad-and-she was wearing her little " Hillary 08 " button again.
I know Ms Rabbit is pretty conservative. Side-mounted eyes tend to make a critter a lot more cautious ; but she is also sensitive to what she calls "gender issues" ,and has a wry ( or rye, depending on how hungry she is) admiration for Hillary Clinton.
"Did you watch the Democratic debates ?", she shrilled.
"Bits and pieces", I answered. "Truthfully, I'm more interested in the local elections-which are less than a week away".( New Jersey Proposition 4 is one that deserves a "YES" vote,in my opinion: it would end archaic language in our State Contitution that insults the mentally handicapped,and that besmirches our reputation as well...but I digress.)
"Humph ! Did you see how those awful...men ganged up on poor Hillary ? Disgraceful !!"
" Yeah, I noticed that. A lot of people in both parties got a big charge out of that...but I think they practically guaranteed her the nomination."
Ms Rabbit was startled-to say the least. " I thought you didn't like Hillary !"
" I don't ," I snapped. "But she's actually an improvement on the loud-mouthed empty suits running against her;and if they thought the image of a bunch of Beltway Boys ganging up on a woman is going to endear them to the voting public,they need to check with their constituents once in a while ."
"There are a lot of women out there who might start out not liking Hillary ; then see her bullied by male fellow Democrats; who might start remembering the times they were bullied and disrespected by male supervisors,or husbands,or fathers,or automobile mechanics.... (You get the idea.) They're very apt to start bonding with her,and saying: " Hey ! It's our turn now !!"
" Wow !",said Ms Rabbit . " People are going to think you're crazy for talking like that !"
I shrugged. " They already think I'm crazy for talking to a rabbit !"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow-up : Hillary Clinton, speaking at Wellesly, derides the "Old Boys Club" ,and urges students to help her break "the glass ceiling" of politics.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071101/pl_nm/usa_politics_clinton_dc
October 29, 2007
President of France Walks Out on Interview with Ms Goose !
Ms Goose was all in a snit as she came flapping in this morning: honking and hissing,and fluttering her wings.
" The nerve of him !", she squawked . " The man has no couth whatsoever !"
Seeing what she was about to do on my patio, I grabbed the rake and pushed her-none too gently-onto the lawn.
"Settle down !", I told her sharply. "What's all this fuss and feathers about ?"
" Nicholas Sarkozy !", she hissed venomously. " The President of France."
She began pacing back and forth: leaving nastly little deposits behind her. " We went to a great deal of trouble setting up an interview with that damn ...that damn....I - can't-say-it-cause-I'll-get-fired ,and he got up - just as we were getting started - and he walked out on me ! "
" Wow ! Sarkozy is about the first French President in 30 years who isn't openly hostile to the United States. He's been traveling all over on peace negotiations,and getting a positive response. Was that what you wanted the viewers to learn ? "
Ms Goose honked derisively. " Don't be stupid ! Most of our viewers are women-and they don't want hear all that silly crap. Bor- ing !"
"Is that what your network thinks about American women ?"
" Of course ! That's why we talk down to them. We knew American women wouldn't want to hear about world peace. They'd want to hear all the juicy details about Sarkozy's divorce ! "
"So, let me get this straight: You asked a man who is in the middle of a divorce to talk about it-to millions of viewers ? What did he say ?"
" He said he didn't want to comment on it. Well: I wasn't about to take that from him ,so I asked him again !"
"I had the feeling you were going to say that . Just a hunch, you understand."
" He said he wasn't going to talk about it. Then he got up, took the microphone off, and walked out, the louse !"
Ms Goose got more and more agitated, and I was finally forced to drive her off by swinging the rake at her.
As I watched her fly away, I had to resist the impulse to snap to attention and shout: " Vive le France !"
October 19, 2007
Squirrels Are Out to Get Us !!
Those " cute,lovable wittle " squirrels are OUT TO GET US !!!
A Bayonne,New Jersey woman discovered this yesterday - and, no.
I am NOT making this up as I go along. Check out this brief excerpt from the staid Jersey Journal:
Flaming squirrel ignites car in Bayonne
by N. Clark Judd Thursday October 18, 2007, 7:29 PM
It's Rocky the Frying Squirrel!
A kamikaze squirrel fell from the sky and detonated a Bayonne woman's car yesterday, police said today. Further published details here:
Apparently, the radical, rapacious rodent was gnawing on high voltage electrical lines, and finally succeeded in tearing away enough insulation to create an electrical firestorm.
Having done this, he then brought the hot wire down onto the woman's automobile : creating a fire and explosion.
Department of Homeland Security officials issued a terse "no comment" when asked if there was any truth to reports the squirrel had made a "martyrdom video" prior to his despicable act, and an ever terser " Get the hell off my phone, you cretin !" , when asked if the squirrel had screamed " Al'lah akhbar !" during his final dive.
We have assigned our star reporter to this case, and hope to have answers soon.
Meanwhile, do not panic !
If you panic, the terrorists will have won.
October 12, 2007
Talking Turkey
A certain amount of cluelessness might be predictable in someone barely out of school , but, when I see it demonstrated by the august members of the House Foreign Relations Committee, I am stunned beyond belief !
The Committee voted (pretty much along party lines) to condemn Turkey for “acts of genocide against the Armenian people” : acts said to have occurred over 90 years ago,during the closing days of World War I – at a time when Turkey was still ruled by the old Ottoman Empire.
The charges are serious , and, according to an eye witness I knew personally, absolutely true . In 1915, millions of Armenians were uprooted from their homes ,and driven out ,on suspicion of “disloyalty to the Empire” . Between the neglect and depredations of the Turks and the neighboring Kurds , approximately one million perished. The League of Nations issued all sorts of statements “deploring” the slaughter, but nothing else was done. Adolph Hitler is said to have been inspired by the example of Turkey when he launched his own “final solution”.
So, why not issue a condemnation ?
As usual, there is quite a bit more to the story . The Ottoman Empire fell, and little by little, Turkey became a democratic (by Middle East standards) nation.
What's more, after World War II, they became allies of the United States : a spearpoint aimed at the Soviet underbelly – (and, I might add, a source of intense aggravation to the Extreme Left -here and abroad.) Turkish troops fought beside us in Korea, and, in time, Turkey became a full member of NATO : the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance.
Right now, although Turkey is officially a neutral party in the Iraq conflict, US forces in Iraq have Turkish permission to use their airspace for US cargo flights , and 70 % of the fuel, water, and other supplies our troops in Iraq need are trucked in from Turkey.
I'm sure we pay through the nose for all this help ; nonetheless , we rely on the good will of Turkey – whether it is purchased or freely given ; and the House Foreign Relations Committee,has, knowing full well how Turkey would react , persisted in slapping that proud nation across the face with a condemnation based on 90 year old charges !
The most charitable explanation I can offer for the Committee's action is a desire to be “high-minded and noble” at any cost : in short , cluelessness.
Footnote: A poster on another site added this comment:
Although thousands of Armenians died as a result, I don’t think it can be labeled genocide.
Some Armenians were aiding the invading Russian army by providing intelligence, ambushing Turkish supply columns, etc. For the same reason we moved the Japanese away from the west coast during WWII, the Turks moved Armenians away from the Russian front.
The difference was that the Ottoman government was total incompetent. The refugees starved, died from exposure,lack of transport for the ill and elderly, were attacked by angry mobs and bandits, causing untold suffering and death.
But, there were never orders from the government to exterminate Armenians and those who lived away from the front were not molested by the government.
The main reason the Ottoman government was overthrown was their corruption and inability to govern. At the same time the Armenians were being relocated, Turkish troops were freezing to death and dying from starvation because the government could not even supply its army.
September 30, 2007
Mr. Meangenes Talks About Iran, the CIA, and Terrorism ...Then Interprets Scripture
When I finished my Afternoon Meditation - (Okay ! Okay !! My nap !) - I looked around and noticed the kitchen floor could use a good sweeping,so I activated Roomba , my little robot carpet sweeper,and put her to work.
Roombas (that's a Registered Trade Name, by the way) are not that bright,and they will sometimes ignore the spots you really want them to sweep , because they like to scoot in under things,and bump into furniture, and turn circles. They do a good job, but it is better not to watch how they do it. ( Most folks really don't want to watch sausage being made , or to know exactly what their teenagers are doing at all times either.)
So, I grabbed my coffee, and went out to the patio, where I discovered Mr. Meangenes chuckling to himself as he browsed through my morning paper : a paper he had obviously taken from my recycling stand. Not that I really minded , you understand. It's just that I am sometimes not as tolerant of others when I get up from my ....meditations.
"What's so funny ?", I growled.
" Iran. The Iranian Parliament wants to declare the CIA a "terrorist organization." That's about like the fire criticizing the kettle for being too hot , isn't it ? "
" Well..."
" C'mon ! The CIA is scary in a way. It's frightening how inept and impotent they really are ; and it's downright scary how far they will go to cover up their stupidity and their blunders !"
" Sounds about right to me ! Have you been out here long ? "
" Oh, no. I just stopped by on my way home from church. I went to St. David's this morning to hear your Son-in-law preach."
"Ah ! The Deacon. How did he do ? "
" He was a little nervous at first , but he wound up giving a pretty good sermon."
" It was about sharing ," Mr. Meangenes added enthusiatically. " You see, there was this rich man, who lived in a nice house, and had plenty to eat and drink. He even drank wine that came in cork-top bottles, instead of that nasty screw-top stuff."
Meangenes leaned forward. " There was also a poor man. He barely had enough to eat, nothing to drink but cheap draft beer (that was half suds) from the local slop chute, and no place to sleep except the street in front of the rich man's home."
" Then...", Meangenes snapped his fingers. " Both men died - just like that !"
" When the rich man opened his eyes again, he discovered he was in Hades , and that it was ( as you might imagine) hot as Hell there. He looked around, and there,just out of reach, was the poor man: snug in the gardens of Abraham, and scarfing down bottles of ice-cold Yuengling Lager !"
" This distressed the rich man no end, and he called out to Father Abraham: " Hey ! How about sending that good-for-nothing bum down here with something so I can wet my whistle ? It's hot and dry down here !!"
I frowned. I haven't done a whole lot of bible reading in the last 30-40 years,but the version Meangenes was relating seemed a bit ...I don't know. A bit askew I guess .
Meangenes ignored my frown. His expression was as guiless as that of a child. "Well, now: Father Abraham told the rich man " No dice !" ; then he reamed him out like an old Gunny Sergeant. " Did you ever take pity on this poor lad here ? When he was hungry and thirsty, did you offer to take him down to the slop chute for a burger and some suds ? Did you ?"
" The rich man answered : " Sir, no sir, I didn't."
" Father Abraham really got in his face then - which was kind of difficult,because of the inseparable chasm between Heaven and Hell - and he roared : " You mean you sat there in your nice house with your cork-top wine, and your silly little Roomba,while some poor soul wasn't able to buy a beer because his pension check hadn't cleared at the bank, and his ATM didn't want to know him ...??"
"Whoa !", I shouted. "Time out !! I get your message, you old coot !"
I dug out my wallet. " How much this time ?"
Mr. Meangenes snatched a twenty and stood up to leave. " Thank you for sharing !"
I watched him leave: wondering why I didn't feel better about my "charitable act".
Verily, verily: Blessed are the glib of speech, for they shall wind up with all that is not nailed down !
September 27, 2007
Conversations with a Rabbit : Malthusian Mambo ?
Ms Rabbit was apparently making up for lost time and meals after her day at the UN , and barely looked up when I came out onto the patio.
It didn't bother me. I had a nice glass of Beringer's Zifandel/Chardonnay blend,so I sat down and sipped it in silence. Mmmm... 80 % sweet white wine cut with 20 % dry Chardonnay. Nice taste and balance , and a nice change from the world around us.
There are so many aggravating things going on in the world , it is sometimes hard to single one out. From time to time, one can escape - even if only for a few minutes -into the many-faceted world of the Internet ; but today was not a day for that. Some of the websites I visit fairly sizzled with hate, and crackled with spikey outbursts of rage , as long-smouldering flame wars broke out anew.
"Hey !",called Ms Rabbit , interrupting my reverie. "What are we drinking ?"
I picked a little bunch of sweetgrass and dipped it into my drink. "Here. It's something new." I sailed it over to her,and she caught it-quite adroitly. " Let me know what you think."
"Hit me again", she urged, doing rabbit things with her nose. So I did, and for a while we sat there companionably, savoring the grape (as it were.)
" Well," I finally asked. " How did your day at the UN go ? Did you learn anything ?"
" Ummm... Let me put it this way: I learned you Humans spend a lot of time hating each other ! "
"Ah ! And you Rabbits are different, I suppose ? "
"Definitely !! Our motto is : "Make MORE - Not War !"
" Uh-huh ! The old Malthusian Mambo ..."
Ms Rabbit twitched her nose again. " More like a Samba..."
I shook my head, trying to clear it of the unbidden image of lustful rabbits dancing in a Conga line...led by Ms Rabbit ?
Phew ! Time to put down the wine , and return to battle stations on the Internet !
September 20, 2007
Ms Owl "Wises Off" on Budget Priorities !
I noticed she seemed a bit agitated , so I put out a few drops of Merlot in a saucer for her ( plus a few drops of Zifandel for myself ), and, after a few sips,she began to unburden herself.
"Did you see the newspaper today ? New Jersey is going to have to refinance the bonds for a billion dollar stadium they are building in the Meadowlands ...and the refinancing alone is going to cost the taxpayers thirty million dollars ! "
She took another sip. " And that's not all ! The Giants and the Jets will own the stadium when it's finished,and they'll lease the land it's on from the State for $ 5 million a year...BUT, the State will have to pay for tearing down the old stadium in 2010-at a projected cost of at least seventy-seven million dollars !
"Wow ! That's ...over one hundred million dollars to subsidize two football teams !"
" That's not the worst of it !", Ms Owl said morosely. " Are you at all familiar with the Developmentally Disabled programs ? "
"Ah, let me see... Oh,yeah. That's where the State and privately funded groups provide homes for people who don't quite have the mental capacity to function in regular society,or have lost their parents, or have become a crushing burden on their families..."
"That's right", confirmed my visitor. " They also work with these unfortunates,try to teach them useful job skills, and place them in sympathetic environments , so that a few of them - at least - are able to become productive members of society."
"That certainly sounds worthwhile !", I said. " More Merlot ?"
" Just a splash. Ah ! Where was I ? "
"We were talking about the Developmentally Disabled programs..."
" Right ! The funding for these programs is being cut back : forcing the State to institutionalize these poor souls , instead of helping them gain some measure of independence. The State is actually willing to spend twice as much money to hide these people from sight as it is willing to spend on doing something useful for them."
Ms Owl finished her wine and glanced at the darkening sky. " It's getting late, and I'm going to have to hunt up dinner pretty soon,so I'm going to get going."
She fluttered her wings . " Thanks for the wine, and please think about this : What kind of state government do we have when we're prepared to shell out over a billion dollars for a football stadium, but "can't find the money" to help those who really need it ? "
I watched her fly off . I wished I could tell her our state was really noble and compassionate...but I knew it would be a lie.
September 19, 2007
Conversations with a Rabbit: Ms Rabbit wants to be on "You Tube" !
Few things about rabbits surprise me these days, but I'll have to admit I was a bit non-plussed when Ms Rabbit announced a desire to go on "You Tube" - the popular Internet video site.
I put my mandolin down - carefully. "You want what ? "
"I want to go on You Tube ... just like that college kid who got tasered while trying to disrupt Senator Kerry's speech." She wiggled her nose. "That would be neat !"
"Ho-kay," I answered slowly. You want to what ? Shoot a video of yourself getting tasered ? " I plucked absently at the E strings.
" Ewww !", she scolded. " Don't you ever tune that thing ? One string is E-flat, and the other is almost an F ! They are both supposed to be E , aren't they ?"
I shrugged. Rabbits have very sensitive ears , which is probably why Ms Rabbit is so quick to criticize my soulful and eloquent mandolin playing. (Oddly, some of my neighbors seem to share this problem, as they stop what they are doing, go into their houses, and close all their windows the minute I start to tune up. Curious !!)
"Ummm... Getting back to that You Tube debut: you do know what getting tasered is like, don't you ?"
" It's something like getting tickled, isn't it ? Isn't that what those nice police persons were doing ?"
I thought for a moment. " Ah ! I know just the thing. I'll plug an old lamp into the extension cord , and turn it on - but, instead of a bulb, we'll stick your nose into the socket. Then I'll shoot a video of you trying to fly. That should work."
" How about it ?", I urged. " You'll impress heck out of all your friends !"
Ms Rabbit peered at me with growing skepticism - (which is pretty much the way she peers at me most of the time) , twitched her nose, wiggled her ears, and began sidling away.
" Not today," she demurred. " I'd want to get my fur styled and my nails done before making any videos." Her pace increased: from sidle ,to brisk trot,to all-out stampede. "A girl's got to look her best on camera, you know !"
I think that's what she said.She was moving pretty fast.
Oh,well, where was I ? Was I playing "Wayfarin' Stranger" or " Ghost Riders in the Sky " ? I shrugged again . The way I play, who would know the difference ?
September 18, 2007
Conversations With a Rabbit: Slight Exaggerations
Ms Rabbit looked a bit puzzled when I joined her on the patio.
"What's a "hyper-bowl" , she asked.
Not too many people like fielding a question like that first thing in the morning- especially from a rabbit - but I was feeling charitable.
"I think you mean " hy-PER-bo-lee ", I corrected , reaching for my coffee mug.
"A hyperbole is "an extravagent exaggeration" , according to the dictionary. For example, an advertiser might talk about a "mile-high ice cream cone" .
"I don't get it !", Ms Rabbit cried. " If you had a mile-high ice cream cone,why would you have to advertise it ?"
Oh,boy ! I took a few sips of coffee and thought about how to answer. Rabbits can be so literal sometimes. Say the word "stew" in any context, and they're off like a flash !
"Here's the thing," I answered tentatively. " If you wanted to advertise your ice cream cones by claiming they were better than somebody else's,it would be pretty hard to prove , right ?"
She twitched her nose to suggest I get on with it, so I continued.
"What you do instead is exaggerate. You call it a "mile-high" cone , because most people will understand it's not really a mile high, but it might have more ice cream in it than other merchants offer."
Ms Rabbit made a snorting sound. " In other words,you lie ?"
"Well...the courts call it "puffing up the wares"
"Humph ! Sounds like lying to me ! Come to think about it, it sounds like something your politicians do..."
That didn't seem to require an answer, so I finished my coffee, and got up to go.
Halfway to the house, a thought struck me, and I turned back.
"You mentioned politicians. Well, there's a new word (I just invented) that describes what a lot of them use: <b>VIPER-bole</b>- the use of vicious exaggerations in an effort to make us stew so much we'll .......vote for them," I trailed off.
I swear, my jaw must have dropped a foot as that rabbit took off at jet speed !
Rabbits really hate the word "stew" !
September 16, 2007
Ms Goose Gets a Well-Deserved Award
Ms Goose dropped by this morning to tell me about her "wonderful news".
" I've been selected as Taxpayer of the Year" !, she honked.
I really don't like getting honked at by geese : especially when I'm still working on my first cup of coffee , but I decided to be polite.
" Geese pay taxes ? I know you make a lot of "deposits",but I never thought of them as bankable-much less taxable ! Then again, the government taxes almost everything ... "
"Speaking of deposits, would you mind confining yourself to the grass ? "
" A lot you know !", she hissed. " I pay my Income Tax the minute it becomes due - which is why I'm getting an award !"
"How were you notified ? Was there a letter written on the wind, or what ?"
"Oh, no !", she burbled. " I got a call on my cell phone - just about an hour ago."
I took another sip of my coffee and waited: remembering something my daughter had mentioned last night.
"Yes," she exclaimed. " It was a very nice man who sounded as if he might be from India ; and he said, because I was so prompt in paying my taxes, the IRS was going to send me a $ 10,000 reward - tax free - to spend on anything I wanted. "
I put my coffee cup down-very carefully-to keep from spraying hot beverage all over the table. This sounded like the same story my daughter had told me.
" I thought he might be pulling my wing," she continued. " But he told me he was dead serious, and that he wanted to prove it by wiring the reward money to me right away."
"Hmm...", I mused. " I imagine he asked you where you bank, and what your account number was..."
"Exactly !", she honked. " It took me a few minutes to find the Pass Book in my purse,but he was very nice about it; and he had me read the number back to him twice, to make sure he had it right. What a lovely man !"
" So," I said. "You should be getting your money any time now."
" Oh,yes !", cried Ms Goose. " I should hear from the bank about money transfers sometime today !"
As she waddled off to sample some of my sweetgrass - (leaving a trail of "goose gifts" behind her) - I stifled a chuckle. My daughter had been asked for her banking information too, but had countered with : "But you people have that already ! My tax refunds are all sent by direct deposit. "
That hadn't set too well with the "IRS Agent" . "You won't give me your account number ? Well, then f**** you, you pissy bi*** !"
In case you're wondering why I didn't tell Ms Goose she had just been swindled, the answer is simple.
I hate geese !
ps: There really IS such a scam ! Apparently,some of those wonderful Information Technology folks from India, Bangaladesh, and elsewhere have been marketing the information our corporations send them - in some cases, to scam artists.
September 15, 2007
Conversations with a Rabbit: Animals in the News
Ms Rabbit got back from her "Rabbits of Faith" convocation late this afternoon. She looked ... a bit worse for wear - hungover,if you will ; so I decided it would be best to avoid talking about "hot button" issues.
"How was your trip ?", I asked solicitously.
" Not good !", she responded tersely. " I forgot this is hawk migration season ,and I darned near wound up as some bird brain's din-din . Also, the subway was very overcrowded , and I had do a lot of racing around to keep from being trampled."
"Honestly," she exclaimed. " People just don't care about us poor animals !"
"Oh,I don't know. I just read a story out of....Let's see: Underwood, Minnesota. A donkey fell into an abandoned well , and the local Volunteer Fire Department spent just about a whole day getting him out."
"How did the donkey get in the well in the first place ?"
" I don't know," I shrugged. " Just one of those donkey things, I guess."
"In any event, to get him out, they had to tear down and remove the walls of the well, then build a ramp, so they could harness the donkey and lead him to safety.
The Fire Chief said it was the first time they ever had to rescue a donkey- but they do rescue a lot of cows that fall through the ice every year."
Ms Rabbit twitched her nose. (Rather carefully, I noted.) " I didn't know cows went skating !"
I shrugged again. " They're not very good at it !"
"Here's another story," I continued. " Out of Grand Haven, Michigan - which is right on the shores of Lake Michigan. A surfer rescued a dog from drowning."
"Humph ! I don't know why anyone would rescue a dog ! "
" Maybe it was one that didn't chase rabbits," I offered. " In any event , a 25 year-old surfer named Matt Smolenski was out surfing on the lake. It's a very big lake,and,if you get a little wind,it's just about like surfing on the ocean."
"Humph !" , Ms Rabbit muttered ; but she looked interested, so I continued.
" Young Matt, the surfer, saw this brown and white mutt standing on the pier,barking at the waves..."
"Now that sounds like a dog ! They are such stupid creatures !!"
"Yes. Well, in any event, a really big wave came in and splashed the dog-so he jumped in and (I'd guess) tried to bite the wave; but he couldn't swim very well.
He was treading water frantically, when Smolenski paddled over and put him on the surfboard. The dog then rode the board in to shore, jumped off without so much as a by-your-leave, and ran to his astonished - and grateful - master."
" A-w-w-w-w-w-w !", snarled Ms Rabbit. " Ain't that sweet ! I'm outa here !!!"
(I don't know if rabbits are just naturally sarcastic, or whether it was the hangover-but I'm through talking to rabbits.. today, anyway !)
September 14, 2007
All Quiet on the Patio Today
Things are pretty quiet here on the patio. There was a lot of hustle and bustle earlier, as Ms Rabbit got ready to attend the big Rabbits of Faith Convocation.
This is a "Does-only" event, and lady rabbits from all over get together to share Rabbit Gospel music (which is said to resemble "Hip-Hop") ,and all sorts of inspirational and evangelical material. I've heard rumors some of the does use the convocation as an excuse to trek over to the casinos in Atlantic City , or to just hang out and party.
Ms Rabbit ( I am reliably informed ) had something other than Chamomile Tea in that jug she was carrying: the jug she and her pious companions kept giggling about. One of the squirrels (who is a bit of a snitch) swears it was Dandelion wine...
Speaking of wine, Mr. Meangenes and Mr. Winesnob dropped in, right after the rabbits left ; and, wouldn't you know it, the two of them got into a big argument over which wine was proper to serve with canned spaghetti dishes. Ol' Meangenes thought Thunderbird was correct , but Mr. Winesnob held out for Ripple.
Personally, considering the fact the meatballs in canned spaghetti put me in mind of rabbit "pellets" , and that there is no color in nature to match the orange sauce they are floating in , and that the pasta has been cooked sin dente (so you can actually eat it without teeth) ,the accompanying wine should come in a very large, screw top jug,and should have such an amusing taste one will forget what one has just eaten !
Well, let's see what else is new: the Republicans hate the Democrats, the Democrats hate the Republicans , the assorted splinter parties hate everybody,OJ Simpson and two companions were questioned by Las Vegas police in connection with the burglary of a hotel room, and Homeland Security Director Chertoff has launched his own blog.
I'd give Chertoff a link , but I don't know where he stands on Rabbit Issues.
September 13, 2007
"Guest Post" by Fellow Blogger Condemning MoveOn.org
Here is my response to the two-bit lying anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic PUKES at MoveOn.org, including MoveOn PAC executive director Eli Parasite (Eli Pariser, see, I can make up names too). Please feel free to COPY (not link, it uses my bandwidth) and distribute.
Also remind everyone that MoveOn.org is an anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic hate group, as shown by the material it welcomed on its now-disgraced Action Forum, and this photomanipulation of Pope Benedict. Make sure Catholic Democrats in Pennsylvania and New York (Hillary's back yard) see this one.
Here's what MoveOn's people say about Jews and Catholics. MoveOn took its Action Forum down last year, but not before I copied all the good stuff. The votes are the number of MoveOn.org people who agreed with the hate speech, out of the total.
"Removing all Israeli obsessed Jews from congress would stop a lot of killing." 12 out of 14 voted to AGREE with this (even though those Jews are mostly Democrats!)
"The Israelis see themselves as a new race and a new nation and are rather ashamed of their Jewish past." 7 of 7 voted to AGREE with this
"Isn't it time to tell the American people the truth, i.e. that Jews control all the media." 8 out of 8 MoveOn.org people AGREED that the Jews control all the media
"I hope you didn’t volunteer for Vietnam, otherwise you are just a mercenary like the others." 11 out of 13 agreed.
"Rice and Powell ARE "house slaves"." 12 out of 15 agreed with this racist statement.
"But until the priests are hounded down and arrested like the baby rapers they are, the neverending cycle will continue. You want to throw a monkey wrench in both political parties? Call for the arrest and immediate incarceration of the Catholic Pedophiles of America." 8 out of 9 voted to agree.
Conversations With a Rabbit: Waiting for the Other Hsu to Drop
It was rather brisk on the patio, and I noticed Ms Rabbit was wearing her scarf. I also noticed the miniature "Hillary - 08" campaign button on her scarf -and her very un-rabbitlike scowl; so I decided to proceed with caution .
Ms Rabbit, as I may have mentioned before, tends to be rather cautious and conservative - which made her support of Hillary Clinton a bit surprising. We never got into the matter that thoroughly , but I believe it had something to do with Gender Issues and the need to overcome paternalistic male domination of the Body Politic.
" You look a bit glum this morning," I suggested carefully.
" It's just not fair !" , she moaned. "Poor Hillary's campaign is having money problems !"
I took a sip of coffee and waited.
"She's being forced to return $ 850,000 in campaign contributions because one of her contributors had a little brush with the law !! "
"Ah !", I said. " Are you talking about Norman Hsu ? "
" Shoe ? ", she asked. " I thought his name was pronounced "Sue" . Well, it's a shame,anyway !"
" What's the story on him !", I asked. " I haven't been following the case too closely,because there was an E mail glitch I had to work on. Two of my favorite people weren't able to reach me by E mail, and I couldn't have that ! "
" Well, as I was saying, he had a little brush with the law..."
"Ah ! It comes back to me now. Wasn't that the fellow who pled out to some sort of grand theft by fraud in California, but didn't come back to court for sentencing ? The guy who was a fugitive for 15 years ?"
" Yes, yes: something like that ", Ms Rabbit said airily.
"And this was the guy who raised a lot of money for the Democratic party : so much money, he was photographed with Former President Clinton ?"
Ms Rabbit glanced at me suspiciously, and busied herself with a juicy-looking piece of clover. It didn't look as if she were going to respond, so I went on.
" That's one thing that always struck me as odd: the Secret Service does a background check on anybody likely to get close to the President; so they had to have known Mr. Hsu was wanted in California on a fugitive warrant. There's no way I can think of that they would let a fugitive get anywhere near the President...unless he himself told them it was okay. What do you think ? "
Ms Rabbit stopped chewing for a minute and scowled. It was not a reassuring sight. I was reminded of another President-Jimmy Carter-who had had an unsettling experience with a rabbit. I decided I'd better wrap this discussion up fast !
"Well," I added cheerfully. " They seem to have figured out where all the money Hsu was donating came from : there's a fairly good possibility he was stealing it."
"The District Attorney's office in New York City is investigating allegations Hsu swindled some bigwig promoter out of a cool 40 million bucks. That might be just the tip of the iceberg. "
Ms Rabbit looked thoughtful. " $40 million would buy a lot of carrots !"
"Yeah...and a lot of politicians ! Speaking of which, I wonder who gets this $850,000 that Hillary is giving back ? They say most of it was "dirty money" that Hsu paid people to donate to Hillary and other candidates. So, that means the listed donors weren't really donors. What do they do with the money ? Donate it back ?"
" I don't know !",snapped Ms Rabbit. " This whole thing is giving me a headache ! I think I'll go off somewhere and gorge myself on alfalfa !!"
As she hopped off, I heard a tiny "tink !" sound, and, after a few minutes of careful searching,discovered a "Hillary - 08" campaign button next to one of the chairs.
I'll save it for her, in case she changes her mind.
September 12, 2007
Mr. Meangenes Talks About Those "Murderous Mexicans"
My old friend, Mr. Meangenes stopped by for coffee, and we got to talking about things. He's a crusty old curmudgeon , and onery as a mule with harness blisters – but he seems to do his homework on things. ( He does talk kind of fancy sometimes – which can be a pain in the caboose ! )
Somehow the conversation got around to illegal immigration : something both of us are dead set against , and I mentioned a story I'd read yesterday , which claimed illegal aliens from Mexico were killing 25 Americans a day with a combination of murders and motor vehicle accidents. The guy who wrote it up called it “ 9/11 in slow motion.”
Old Meangenes dang near choked on his coffee.
“I've seen these statistics before, and have wondered at the “ 25 murders and MV deaths “ attributable to Mexicans every day. I suspect they are – like so much of the xenophobic rhetoric posted on the web – pure, unadulterated BS *; BUT, let's say, for the sake of argument , they are absolutely factual ; and that Mexicans are responsible for 9,125 murders and MV-related deaths every year. “
“And”, he added , “Let's both agree that any number of murders , or MV deaths – by anybody – is bad news.”
“I did a bit of research into the national Vital Statistics reports. The latest reports I could find were for 2002 and 2003 ; but, looking at earlier stats , it was obvious they varied little from year to year. ( For example, 2,443,387 people died of ALL causes in 2002 . That number increased slightly in 2003 to 2,443,930 ... BUT the percentage of deaths per thousand was about the same – meaning the higher number could be attributed to a slight increase in population.)
So, let's look at a 2 year sample: 2002 and 2003, combined.
Homicides 2002 = 17,638 ; homicides 2003 = 17,096 ; combined total = 34,734 homicides
MV deaths 2002 = 45,380 ; MV deaths 2003 = 44,059 ; combined total = 89,439 MV deaths
Combined Homicides and MV deaths 2002 and 2003................................ 124,173
Now let's factor in “ Mexicans”: 9125 year x 2 years .............................. 18,250
IF the estimates of deaths caused by Mexicans are to be believed, they are responsible for 14.7 %
This means 85.3 % of all homicides and MV – related deaths in 2002 and 2003 were caused by Non- Mexicans ! “
Mr. Meangenes finished his coffee, and got up to leave. “ Remember to keep an eye out for those “Murderous Non-Mexicans !!”
* In some areas, anyone with an Hispanic surname is considered “ a Mexican” - regardless of citizenship and origin. This is one of the factors that makes “estimates of criminality” so unreliable.
September 11, 2007
Conversations With a Rabbit: Strange Webfellows !
When I came out this morning, Ms Rabbit (who gets fascinated by the oddest things) was staring so intently at something under the patio table,I had to excuse myself to get past her and sit down.
After a few sips of coffee, curiosity got the best of me , and I leaned over.
"What's the hops, rabbit ?" , I asked jokingly.
She did that bunny nose twitch thing. " You should see this, smart guy ! "
I got up, a bit reluctantly, and knelt down to see what she was staring at. My knees were even more reluctant , but we got there. I glanced under the table and saw a spider web. " Oh, yeah. I'd better get rid of that before company comes over."
"Look again !", snapped my long-eared companion , gesturing with her nose. "Did you ever see anything like that before ?"
"Wow !", I exclaimed. "That is different !"
A lightning bug had blundered into TWO adjoining spider webs, and was being attacked by TWO different spiders : one at the head; the other at the tail - both grimly determined to finish the struggling victim off.
Spiders are pretty territorial : step on another spider's web and you're on the way to becoming dinner - even if you hatched out of the same egg sac ; yet these two dangerous damsels seemed to be cooperating !
" Ms Bunny, I've been around this planet for almost three quarters of a century, and have never seen anything like that in Nature...but it did remind me of something I've been seeing in politics !"
" Oh lord !", Ms Rabbit groaned. " Here we go again !"
" Well, it's true ! There are two supposedly-competing groups."
" One group is made up of ardent Communists, and the other is what I call "Neo-Nasties" : Kluxers, White identity groups,and do-it-yourself militia types."
" On paper, they're sworn enemies, but in practice, they sing from the same page-so much so, I find myself wondering if their "hymn books" had the same author:
9/11 was a government hoax,the World Trade Center was blown up by Jews, the US is an aggressor nation,US troops are Israeli puppets,and so on and so forth.
They both send representatives to meet with people like Assad in Syria, they both used to play pattycake with people like Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic;and they both do their best to stir up civil war - right here in the country they profess to love.
They both take advantage of our illegal alien problem : the Commies try to stir up the aliens and egg them into open warfare, and the Nasties try to stir up the citizens into waging open warfare against the aliens.
Naturally, these treasonous scum both accuse the government of treason."
"Whew !", exclaimed Ms Rabbit. " I'm glad I'm not a "people" !!"
"I wonder how that lightning bug made out ... oh-oh ! "
I peered under the table again. The lightning bug's sole appearance as a dinner guest had not gone well for him. It also appeared one of the "strange webfellow" spiders had hung around the banquet table too long, as there was only one very fat spider left.
I wondered which spider had prevailed : the one on the Left, or the one on the Right ?
September 09, 2007
Conversations With a Rabbit
This is a separate section of the blog, in which I detail the sometimes-interesting exchanges with Ms Rabbit : a frequent visitor to my home.
She has a ...different outlook on life, that's for sure !!
A Labor Day Morning Conversation With Ms Rabbit
It was about 5:30 AM , and just starting to get light when Ms Rabbit hopped up to join me on the patio.
She's a young suburban single who likes to stop by, nibble a little clover or dandelion ,and chat for a while.I do most of the talking,because she's usually too polite to talk with her mouth full. She mostly sits there munching, and doing rabbit things with her nose and ears - but this morning she had some questions.
"Are you planning to write something about Labor Day ? ", she wondered. " You know: the usual stuff about how much we love and respect THE AMERICAN WORKER - especially right before elections ; and how we are so indebted to our Workers that we ship the really tedious and monotonous jobs overseas so our Workers won't have to do them ?"
Ms Rabbit ,feigning disinterest in my answer, located a juicy dock leaf, and began nibbling : glancing slyly at me out of the corner of her eye.
"Ummm...," I responded. " That's kind of a tricky question. Outsourcing, trade relationships with developing nations,new realities in the Global Age...I'm going to have to get back to you on that one."
" Umm..,yourself !", she snapped." I think you're ducking and dodging ! " (This statement came out a bit muffled, because she still had a mouthful of leaf.)
"Look at who's talking about ducking and dodging !" , I scoffed. " I saw what you did when that black and white cat showed up last week !"
" Oh. That's it: you're going to attack the messenger now !"
She twitched her nose . " Well ? Nothing to say ??"
"Hassenpfeffer !" , I hissed.
There was a brief pause while she Googled the word on her little BunniPod ; then she was gone: moving like a bolt of brown and white lightning across the yard.
Call me an old grouch, but -If there's anything I can't stand first thing in the morning, it's a smartass rabbit !!
Happy Labor Day !
