hmmm. do i pay for the move or do i rent a truck? the truck is way cheaper on the frontside. budget will do me for $699. but i need a tow kit for the car. that's about $125. and gas is estimated at $339.
so, do i sell everything i own and cram the little leftovers into my car? or do i go further into debt and try to maintain some kind of domestic continuity? i know what the cat would say: "toys, food, litter box, warm spot; all else is inconsequential and serves me not. now, pet me and then leave me alone. now, pet me again. wait, i changed my mind. go away. no, come back. go away. come back. go away. ooh, shiny thing."
unfortunately, i cannot afford to listen to my inner pussy. or my outer. i must make decisions soon based on finance and necessity. of course, i have to first find a domecile in which to place those items i decide to keep. based on jade's and my past experience with putting stuff in storage i opt out of that.
i must call chris m. and find out about any rentals he may have open. an agency that runs several apartment groups may have openings.
now, let's talk silence and complicity. the hell with the past. let's look to the present. someone hunt down joe lieberman and ask him why he will not stand up and say something about this newest information that dick cheney is right at the heart of the classified leaks and that he did so at the behest of george bush? i can understand republicans circling the wagons ever tighter (tighter, it seems, than physically possible), but a democrat hiding from the public? running from reporters? leaving through the back door? the one dem who has been invited to the inner sanctum of the administration's doings and briefings, because he is the dem they could count on to back them to the hilt? joe can run, but he can no longer hide. when we speak of appeasers, we speak of joe. makes me think of the movie "say anything" where all of lily's songs were about her asshole boyfriend named joe. and they were all depressed, suicidal and ultimately meaningless. still, i had to laugh. because it was all about the blind faith one puts in someone who has hurt you so bad that you have to hang on, because to let go is to admit that you have failed and wasted your dignity on a loser. so, some in this country will continue to sing joe's praises as a compromiser and uniter, because they're too invested to cede defeat. others of us were never taken in by this charletan and cringed when he was nominated as a vice president. look at his mealy mouth and it says it all. as a sidenote, did anyone watch "turner on turner"? there's a moment at the 2004 dem convention when jack turner and the camera crew catch joe. turner's handler asks joe if he remembers turner. joe's face shows confusion at first, then he shakes turner's hand and warmly says of course, how are you, gotta run, late for a meeting? joe got caught in the headlights and lied. because he can't be seen as forgetting someone. what's wrong with just saying, "um, no actually. refresh mymemory". fucking pols. sold to the highest bidder. no longer even caring about the common person. bought and paid for and every vote is a vote to pacify special interests. don't even think that a pol's vote is given at the behest of the people. if it seems like it to you, you're very gullible. all you can do is try to vote in those pols who most closely resemble how you feel. barbara boxer can surprise me once in a while. feinstein sold the farm a long time ago. jesse helms is actually one of the very few who voted as his constituents wished most of the time. but it's easier for republicans to accept massive graft and not fall out of favor with their voters. because most of the bribes offered are from megacorporations who have no interest in the environment or the homeless or the arts or education or civil rights or gas prices or the consumer index or living affordability or, well, anything to do with anything that truly affects you and me.
so, while the two parties spar over taxes and immigration and abortion and national security, you and i are left to wander further into the wilderness of being common citizens left behind by those who shape this nation with no thought to our well-being. left or right, it doesn't matter. we have been betrayed and left bereft.
and that is the silence and complicity that kills us. it's not so much us as it is them. most of us do not have the time to invest in seeking out the truth. we are too busy maintaining, too busy scratching for that little extra. and the pols know it. and they play on that. when your neighbor admits not voting or caring, he or she is not commiting a sin. he or she is copping to the common truth. we no longer feel we have the time to care about things perceived as being bigger than us or beyond our control. this is what the pols want. and it's what they've gotten. we work too much, we eat too much, we have too many children, we need too many diversions from our unhappiness. we have no energy left. we live in a nation of splendors and opportunities, but we have no energy to explore or enjoy or question. and we are now paying the ultimate price: loss of all of that.
herein ends the current apocalyptics of scarysquirrelman. feel free to tip the bartender.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Rainy Saturday
this may be a long post, because it's raining and windy outside today and i'm stuck inside the house with the master's tournament on a rain delay hold and i've got a halfrack of beer in the fridge. but let's get started:
sy hersh of the New Yorker has been lightyears ahead of his journalistic colleagues when it comes to getting access to administration insiders and malcontents. he's been writing for a while about the inevitability of us attacking iran. according to him, it may be time to tighten the seatbelts and batten down the hatches.
if you're an AT&T subscriber and you're using their services to do or say naughty things (or even if you're not), then you might want to read this.
if men in black sunglasses are blocking your driveway or your school bus zone make sure you've got a videocamera before attempting to engage them in dialogue. or about a hundred witnesses.
hugo chavez watch: go here to find out how he will bring down the untied states through the electoral process. and go here to find out just who was behind the fruit and vegetable pummeling of an american diplomat's car in caracas.
a three-fer here. bill frist and brokeback mountain...hilarious; jack straw kicking condi rice out of bed; and a boring (but nasty) campaign fight.
plan B contraception explained here, albeit by a professor who has no use for the right wing argument that it is actually abortion.
i've blogged before about the dearth of body armor for soldiers. i've also blogged about the government telling soldiers recently that hey had to turn in their personal body armor in exchange for government-okayed body armor. now, dailykos has some more on the effectiveness of both types. guess which type is better? yeah. it would be what the soldiers and their families were paying for out of their own pockets. not what we would have them wear.
sy hersh of the New Yorker has been lightyears ahead of his journalistic colleagues when it comes to getting access to administration insiders and malcontents. he's been writing for a while about the inevitability of us attacking iran. according to him, it may be time to tighten the seatbelts and batten down the hatches.
if you're an AT&T subscriber and you're using their services to do or say naughty things (or even if you're not), then you might want to read this.
if men in black sunglasses are blocking your driveway or your school bus zone make sure you've got a videocamera before attempting to engage them in dialogue. or about a hundred witnesses.
hugo chavez watch: go here to find out how he will bring down the untied states through the electoral process. and go here to find out just who was behind the fruit and vegetable pummeling of an american diplomat's car in caracas.
a three-fer here. bill frist and brokeback mountain...hilarious; jack straw kicking condi rice out of bed; and a boring (but nasty) campaign fight.
plan B contraception explained here, albeit by a professor who has no use for the right wing argument that it is actually abortion.
i've blogged before about the dearth of body armor for soldiers. i've also blogged about the government telling soldiers recently that hey had to turn in their personal body armor in exchange for government-okayed body armor. now, dailykos has some more on the effectiveness of both types. guess which type is better? yeah. it would be what the soldiers and their families were paying for out of their own pockets. not what we would have them wear.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Still Pissed Off, But Laughing At It All
(from 2003 shortly after the leak hit the urinal, president bush answered reporters' question regarding how he felt about the leakers who leak...can you say total hypocritical lying son of a-?)
Q Do you think that the Justice Department can conduct an impartial investigation, considering the political ramifications of the CIA leak, and why wouldn't a special counsel be better?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Let me just say something about leaks in Washington. There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There's leaks at the executive branch; there's leaks in the legislative branch. There's just too many leaks. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of. And so I welcome the investigation. I -- I'm absolutely confident that the Justice Department will do a very good job. There's a special division of career Justice Department officials who are tasked with doing this kind of work; they have done this kind of work before in Washington this year. I have told our administration, people in my administration to be fully cooperative. I want to know the truth. If anybody has got any information inside our administration or outside our administration, it would be helpful if they came forward with the information so we can find out whether or not these allegations are true and get on about the business. Yes, let's see, Kemper -- he's from Chicago. Where are you? Are you a Cubs or White Sox fan? (Laughter.) Wait a minute. That doesn't seem fair, does it? (Laughter.)
Q Yesterday we were told that Karl Rove had no role in it --
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q -- have you talked to Karl and do you have confidence in him --
THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I know of nobody -- I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action. And this investigation is a good thing. And again I repeat, you know, Washington is a town where there's all kinds of allegations. You've heard much of the allegations. And if people have got solid information, please come forward with it. And that would be people inside the information who are the so-called anonymous sources, or people outside the information -- outside the administration. And we can clarify this thing very quickly if people who have got solid evidence would come forward and speak out. And I would hope they would. And then we'll get to the bottom of this and move on. But I want to tell you something -- leaks of classified information are a bad thing. And we've had them -- there's too much leaking in Washington. That's just the way it is. And we've had leaks out of the administrative branch, had leaks out of the legislative branch, and out of the executive branch and the legislative branch, and I've spoken out consistently against them and I want to know who the leakers are.
(and what does this mean if the president is allowed to "declassify" intel as he sees fit? now it's not a crime and no one should be punished, because the prez authorized it? this was revenge. this was petty thuggery. leg breaking. this was the action of a man who had spit in his eye. this is a man who also has a rather large beam in it as well. this is a group that will stoop to any level to hurt others. bush, cheney and rove must go. whether it's in leg irons or simply in shame i don't care. but go they must. they make nixon look like a dime store shoplifter. and what's a blowjob in comparison to this? absolutely nothing. and wait. do i hear the rumblings of the senate and house of representatives now waking up and calling for impeachment proceedings? no, i do not. because the cowards are all still saying that you don't impeach a president in times of war, which means nerts. because we are in a "war" with no end. and a theocratic mafia is at the helm of this oh-so-offcourse ship. now, they've hit some shoals, because they didn't expect libby to break. he obeys omerta and is pardoned when bush quits. easy peasy. except that fitzgerald obviously knows the kung fu grip of death and used it. for the first time in my life i'm beginning to revisit my stance against torture. i think i now believe that all elected or politically appointed officials should be made available for "coercive" interrogations while being questioned about purportedly illegal activities. and it should be shown on tv as some sort of game show.
"i can break that spirit in three whiplashes".
"waterboarding for $200, alex".
"i'd like to buy a howl, pat".
"squeal or no squeal".
great googlymoogly, folks. what more do we need from this administration? they suck, pure and simple.)
Q Do you think that the Justice Department can conduct an impartial investigation, considering the political ramifications of the CIA leak, and why wouldn't a special counsel be better?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Let me just say something about leaks in Washington. There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There's leaks at the executive branch; there's leaks in the legislative branch. There's just too many leaks. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of. And so I welcome the investigation. I -- I'm absolutely confident that the Justice Department will do a very good job. There's a special division of career Justice Department officials who are tasked with doing this kind of work; they have done this kind of work before in Washington this year. I have told our administration, people in my administration to be fully cooperative. I want to know the truth. If anybody has got any information inside our administration or outside our administration, it would be helpful if they came forward with the information so we can find out whether or not these allegations are true and get on about the business. Yes, let's see, Kemper -- he's from Chicago. Where are you? Are you a Cubs or White Sox fan? (Laughter.) Wait a minute. That doesn't seem fair, does it? (Laughter.)
Q Yesterday we were told that Karl Rove had no role in it --
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q -- have you talked to Karl and do you have confidence in him --
THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I know of nobody -- I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action. And this investigation is a good thing. And again I repeat, you know, Washington is a town where there's all kinds of allegations. You've heard much of the allegations. And if people have got solid information, please come forward with it. And that would be people inside the information who are the so-called anonymous sources, or people outside the information -- outside the administration. And we can clarify this thing very quickly if people who have got solid evidence would come forward and speak out. And I would hope they would. And then we'll get to the bottom of this and move on. But I want to tell you something -- leaks of classified information are a bad thing. And we've had them -- there's too much leaking in Washington. That's just the way it is. And we've had leaks out of the administrative branch, had leaks out of the legislative branch, and out of the executive branch and the legislative branch, and I've spoken out consistently against them and I want to know who the leakers are.
(and what does this mean if the president is allowed to "declassify" intel as he sees fit? now it's not a crime and no one should be punished, because the prez authorized it? this was revenge. this was petty thuggery. leg breaking. this was the action of a man who had spit in his eye. this is a man who also has a rather large beam in it as well. this is a group that will stoop to any level to hurt others. bush, cheney and rove must go. whether it's in leg irons or simply in shame i don't care. but go they must. they make nixon look like a dime store shoplifter. and what's a blowjob in comparison to this? absolutely nothing. and wait. do i hear the rumblings of the senate and house of representatives now waking up and calling for impeachment proceedings? no, i do not. because the cowards are all still saying that you don't impeach a president in times of war, which means nerts. because we are in a "war" with no end. and a theocratic mafia is at the helm of this oh-so-offcourse ship. now, they've hit some shoals, because they didn't expect libby to break. he obeys omerta and is pardoned when bush quits. easy peasy. except that fitzgerald obviously knows the kung fu grip of death and used it. for the first time in my life i'm beginning to revisit my stance against torture. i think i now believe that all elected or politically appointed officials should be made available for "coercive" interrogations while being questioned about purportedly illegal activities. and it should be shown on tv as some sort of game show.
"i can break that spirit in three whiplashes".
"waterboarding for $200, alex".
"i'd like to buy a howl, pat".
"squeal or no squeal".
great googlymoogly, folks. what more do we need from this administration? they suck, pure and simple.)
Thursday, April 06, 2006
I'm Calling Bullshit on Alberto
hoo boy. this article by the new yawk times lays out some damning insinuations that, if proven, could actually lead to impeachment proceedings if the democrats take back congress in november. here's the sentence i found most relevant:
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the president has the ''inherent authority to decide who should have classified information.''
so, bush can take a classified document and decide a reporter should have it in order to disseminate it to the public and, suddenly, it's legally declassified. he can take our most secret nuclear technology and hand it to bob novak to print for the world to read and it's okay, because it's bush. the president. pardon me, but
Bullshit!!!
the only time someone in government is supposed to get away with releasing classified info is when that person is reasonably sure that others are breaking the law and releasing certain info is the only way in which to make sure existing law is adhered to. it's the whistleblower protection. bush wasn't blowing any whistle. bush and cheney were retaliating for the exposure of their lies.
and here's the attorney general of the untied states claiming bush is within the law, because if he does it it must be okay. monarchs crave that kind of unilateral fucking power. and some of them never get it. this truly is a king in the making. and a theocracy. and martial law. and "let them eat cake".
you know, the democrats aren't much better on the national scene, but at least most of them know when to call it a day. right now, the republicans can't seem to fall asleep for want of more power, money, influence and immortality. maybe that's what happens when you've spent decades as the minority party. so much ground to make up, so little time, so few brain cells.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the president has the ''inherent authority to decide who should have classified information.''
so, bush can take a classified document and decide a reporter should have it in order to disseminate it to the public and, suddenly, it's legally declassified. he can take our most secret nuclear technology and hand it to bob novak to print for the world to read and it's okay, because it's bush. the president. pardon me, but
Bullshit!!!
the only time someone in government is supposed to get away with releasing classified info is when that person is reasonably sure that others are breaking the law and releasing certain info is the only way in which to make sure existing law is adhered to. it's the whistleblower protection. bush wasn't blowing any whistle. bush and cheney were retaliating for the exposure of their lies.
and here's the attorney general of the untied states claiming bush is within the law, because if he does it it must be okay. monarchs crave that kind of unilateral fucking power. and some of them never get it. this truly is a king in the making. and a theocracy. and martial law. and "let them eat cake".
you know, the democrats aren't much better on the national scene, but at least most of them know when to call it a day. right now, the republicans can't seem to fall asleep for want of more power, money, influence and immortality. maybe that's what happens when you've spent decades as the minority party. so much ground to make up, so little time, so few brain cells.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Me, Myself and Ir-wreck
so, zonthar had a good question. why hasn't scarysquirrelman given a reason for returning and what is it?
well, i'm not saying. at least, i can't really cover the gamut.
suffice it for me to say that this was an ill-timed move. the reasons were right, the timing was not. had i waited one month i would not be up here. but that's hindsight talking. and as president bush once famously said, i prefer not to dwell on the past but to look to the future. of course, he said that in response to his failure to find WMDs in ir-wreck or a link between it and al-quaeda.
i can honestly say that the situation i was led to believe existed in this office does not, in fact, exist. i can further say that i am not a diplomatic person when it comes to dealing with bosses who have no management skills. even more so, i can say that i did not move up here to work 7 days a week and have no kind of balance between work and personal time (not that any of you would notice considering how much time i spend blogging).
certain promises were made, none were kept. certain expectations were given, none were met.
each morning i wake up and i do not look forward to going to work. this did not used to be the case. now, my first thought is "what is going to dumped on me today? how am i going to be made to think less of myself? what must i do to keep from lashing out? why do i always have to make the coffee?".
life is a gamble. this time the dice were loaded, but i placed my money down anyway. my own fault for believing in the goodness of others. mind you, this office has a great staff overall. lots of experience. but it is an angry office. and that anger has bled onto me in a very short time. and i see no way of changing the attitudes of those around me with whom i must directly work.
so, after my rogue vacation, i sat down and asked myself if being up here around all of this communal hostility was worth the payraise, the lab challenge and the chance to do something new at the expense of what happiness i brought with me from the 'No. and the answer, a couple of weeks in coming, was...'No.
the clovis office has approved my transfer. they understand that i am stuck in a lease. they will wait.
unfortunately, they may have to wait a bit longer than they or i thought. i signed a six month lease. on the phone and on the website it was a six month lease. i moved in december 1. when i signed the papers 4 days later i didn't notice that the agent had written in that the lease ended on the last day of june. and that one extra word was slipped into the jargon: "approximate". as in approximate six month lease. the agency has me dead to rights on paper. i signed a seven month lease. it's unethical certainly. but is it illegal? i'll bet not. my initials are right there on the bottom of the page. it's interesting, though, that the agent spent a lot of time going over the entire contract, but that is the one section she didn't point to. interesting, also, that when i called recently about moving out earlier then the end of may she very adamantly informed me that the lease ends in june. when i questioned this and counted up my months of tenancy she declared that she has always started leases on the first day of the second month and she's never heard of any agency ever doing otherwise. i defy any of you to find a person who's ever signed this kind of lease. not to mention that the contract stipulates that the lease began on december 1.
but there is that damned little word "approximate". i spoke with mr. geoffrey and he doesn't see how they can stretch "approximate" into an extra month. neither do i since there was no prorating done. plus, they received my first month's rent in november. and, yes, i have documented proof of that. but i have no precedent and web searches for lease laws have come up lean, very lean.
so, i will be finding a local contract lawyer to weigh my options. if worse comes to worst, then i will pay rent for june up here and down there. and suck it up. boo-rah. just watched jarhead. sorry.
just a damn good thing i've not gone on any baseball card buying binges of late. in fact, i've gone on no binge of any kind. other than food, beer and smokes. and two harmonicas (don't ask). i get up, go to work, come home, doodle on the computer, watch a movie, listen to music, read a book, fall asleep on the couch. occasionally, i listen to the neighbor girls bicker. very funny. 14 and 16. definate siblings. but no spending sprees for which i used to be famous. perhaps, my subconscious was warning me.
anyhoo. there it is.
well, i'm not saying. at least, i can't really cover the gamut.
suffice it for me to say that this was an ill-timed move. the reasons were right, the timing was not. had i waited one month i would not be up here. but that's hindsight talking. and as president bush once famously said, i prefer not to dwell on the past but to look to the future. of course, he said that in response to his failure to find WMDs in ir-wreck or a link between it and al-quaeda.
i can honestly say that the situation i was led to believe existed in this office does not, in fact, exist. i can further say that i am not a diplomatic person when it comes to dealing with bosses who have no management skills. even more so, i can say that i did not move up here to work 7 days a week and have no kind of balance between work and personal time (not that any of you would notice considering how much time i spend blogging).
certain promises were made, none were kept. certain expectations were given, none were met.
each morning i wake up and i do not look forward to going to work. this did not used to be the case. now, my first thought is "what is going to dumped on me today? how am i going to be made to think less of myself? what must i do to keep from lashing out? why do i always have to make the coffee?".
life is a gamble. this time the dice were loaded, but i placed my money down anyway. my own fault for believing in the goodness of others. mind you, this office has a great staff overall. lots of experience. but it is an angry office. and that anger has bled onto me in a very short time. and i see no way of changing the attitudes of those around me with whom i must directly work.
so, after my rogue vacation, i sat down and asked myself if being up here around all of this communal hostility was worth the payraise, the lab challenge and the chance to do something new at the expense of what happiness i brought with me from the 'No. and the answer, a couple of weeks in coming, was...'No.
the clovis office has approved my transfer. they understand that i am stuck in a lease. they will wait.
unfortunately, they may have to wait a bit longer than they or i thought. i signed a six month lease. on the phone and on the website it was a six month lease. i moved in december 1. when i signed the papers 4 days later i didn't notice that the agent had written in that the lease ended on the last day of june. and that one extra word was slipped into the jargon: "approximate". as in approximate six month lease. the agency has me dead to rights on paper. i signed a seven month lease. it's unethical certainly. but is it illegal? i'll bet not. my initials are right there on the bottom of the page. it's interesting, though, that the agent spent a lot of time going over the entire contract, but that is the one section she didn't point to. interesting, also, that when i called recently about moving out earlier then the end of may she very adamantly informed me that the lease ends in june. when i questioned this and counted up my months of tenancy she declared that she has always started leases on the first day of the second month and she's never heard of any agency ever doing otherwise. i defy any of you to find a person who's ever signed this kind of lease. not to mention that the contract stipulates that the lease began on december 1.
but there is that damned little word "approximate". i spoke with mr. geoffrey and he doesn't see how they can stretch "approximate" into an extra month. neither do i since there was no prorating done. plus, they received my first month's rent in november. and, yes, i have documented proof of that. but i have no precedent and web searches for lease laws have come up lean, very lean.
so, i will be finding a local contract lawyer to weigh my options. if worse comes to worst, then i will pay rent for june up here and down there. and suck it up. boo-rah. just watched jarhead. sorry.
just a damn good thing i've not gone on any baseball card buying binges of late. in fact, i've gone on no binge of any kind. other than food, beer and smokes. and two harmonicas (don't ask). i get up, go to work, come home, doodle on the computer, watch a movie, listen to music, read a book, fall asleep on the couch. occasionally, i listen to the neighbor girls bicker. very funny. 14 and 16. definate siblings. but no spending sprees for which i used to be famous. perhaps, my subconscious was warning me.
anyhoo. there it is.
The Funnies
(every now and then a family member sends me something intentionally funny. i'd seen this one before, but it never fails to get a chuckle out of me. thought i'd share it this time.)
"After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.
Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor.
Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a “P”) and the solutions recorded (marked with an ”S”) by maintenance engineers. By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident."
P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
P: Auto pilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.
"After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.
Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor.
Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a “P”) and the solutions recorded (marked with an ”S”) by maintenance engineers. By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident."
P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
P: Auto pilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Bastards On Our Doorsteps
i wanna talk about our neighbors to the south for just a minute. has anyone been paying attention to what's been going on down there? much of the doings down there have been underreported by the press due to the flatuence issuing from ir-wreck and afghanistan.
venezuela and bolivia are now considered extremist on the same level as cuba. in peru, a leftist is leading in the polls for their next president. and in mexico, it's the same.
chavez has been sending cheap heating oil to our east coast so the poor and elderly don't freeze to death instead of having to pay exorbitant prices our government has set up. he's, also, selling his crude oil for less than market value (venezuela has the largest oil reserves outside of the middle east). plus, he just grabbed control of another foreign oil company as he redefines the terms by which greedy multinationals can do business in his country. and he's called bush a liar, cowboy, bad guy, and mr. mean. he may have said something nasty about our beloved condi rice as well. the bastard.
in bolivia, evo morales (the first indigenous person [read campesino] to win the top spot) has announced that coca cultivation is no longer illegal (long the poor person's crop of choice). and he has aligned himself squarely on the "bush sucks" side. another bastard.
in peru, ollanta humala is a retired general who led a failed coup in 2000 and is now ahead in the polls. many so-called experts say that polls are misleading and, inthis case at least, they are correct. the polls are undercounting the poor who are one of humala's biggest blocs. he, too, is anti-bush and "free trade". and he could inherit the continent's most flourishing economy. bastrad #3.
in mexico, vincente fox is not faring well with the poor. or the middle class. or the border families who have seen hundreds of their daughters disappear and then show up dead and raped. or anyone who has tried to cross the border to find better wages that they can send back to their families. and he now has a rival who is playing on all of that. you know, speaking to the oppressed masses like a craven bastard (#4).
daniel ortega, of all bastards, is looking like the front runner for president in nicaragua. remember that this is the guy who led the sandanistas to armed victory and was chased back out by our own lovely contras so we could get a peep at violeta chamorra. he survived CIA assassination attempts and in-house tries. and he was enemy numero uno for (it seems like) ever. now he's back #5.
brazil, chile and argentina, while somewhat left of center (whatever that means marketwise) are still on friendly terms with our man bush for now. but the political axis is tilting down south. and their bastards are making our bastards look stupid and colonial. and dimwitted.
and none of them are muslim. what gives. i thought we only had to fear the muslims. why aren't we being told to fear anyone of brown hue (sorry, lecram)? because there's lots and lots of them really close by. and they speak real good english real well.
venezuela and bolivia are now considered extremist on the same level as cuba. in peru, a leftist is leading in the polls for their next president. and in mexico, it's the same.
chavez has been sending cheap heating oil to our east coast so the poor and elderly don't freeze to death instead of having to pay exorbitant prices our government has set up. he's, also, selling his crude oil for less than market value (venezuela has the largest oil reserves outside of the middle east). plus, he just grabbed control of another foreign oil company as he redefines the terms by which greedy multinationals can do business in his country. and he's called bush a liar, cowboy, bad guy, and mr. mean. he may have said something nasty about our beloved condi rice as well. the bastard.
in bolivia, evo morales (the first indigenous person [read campesino] to win the top spot) has announced that coca cultivation is no longer illegal (long the poor person's crop of choice). and he has aligned himself squarely on the "bush sucks" side. another bastard.
in peru, ollanta humala is a retired general who led a failed coup in 2000 and is now ahead in the polls. many so-called experts say that polls are misleading and, inthis case at least, they are correct. the polls are undercounting the poor who are one of humala's biggest blocs. he, too, is anti-bush and "free trade". and he could inherit the continent's most flourishing economy. bastrad #3.
in mexico, vincente fox is not faring well with the poor. or the middle class. or the border families who have seen hundreds of their daughters disappear and then show up dead and raped. or anyone who has tried to cross the border to find better wages that they can send back to their families. and he now has a rival who is playing on all of that. you know, speaking to the oppressed masses like a craven bastard (#4).
daniel ortega, of all bastards, is looking like the front runner for president in nicaragua. remember that this is the guy who led the sandanistas to armed victory and was chased back out by our own lovely contras so we could get a peep at violeta chamorra. he survived CIA assassination attempts and in-house tries. and he was enemy numero uno for (it seems like) ever. now he's back #5.
brazil, chile and argentina, while somewhat left of center (whatever that means marketwise) are still on friendly terms with our man bush for now. but the political axis is tilting down south. and their bastards are making our bastards look stupid and colonial. and dimwitted.
and none of them are muslim. what gives. i thought we only had to fear the muslims. why aren't we being told to fear anyone of brown hue (sorry, lecram)? because there's lots and lots of them really close by. and they speak real good english real well.
Monday, April 03, 2006
today's forecast calls for
this is my garden. do you doubt now that i need a place to grow my seed?
"Zarqawi's role has been limited to military action. Zarqawi bowed to the orders two weeks ago and was replaced by Iraqi national Abdullah bin Rashed al-Baghdadi."
heh. baghdadi. bighdadi. that's cute. dj bighdadi.
oh, did anyone catch the last round of the LPGA Dinah Shore Classic yesterday? no? well, let me tell you that red-blooded hetero american males are now officially allowed to watch and root. i give as proof of this the following:
all in one group. all hitting awesome
this is my garden. do you doubt now that i need a place to grow my seed?
"Zarqawi's role has been limited to military action. Zarqawi bowed to the orders two weeks ago and was replaced by Iraqi national Abdullah bin Rashed al-Baghdadi."
heh. baghdadi. bighdadi. that's cute. dj bighdadi.
oh, did anyone catch the last round of the LPGA Dinah Shore Classic yesterday? no? well, let me tell you that red-blooded hetero american males are now officially allowed to watch and root. i give as proof of this the following:
all in one group. all hitting awesome
Contest Update
Contest Update:
1 vote for the north side.
1 vote for the east side.
1 cosmic meltdown by a platypus.
1 berke breathed trashing.
2 trips to the store.
1 nasty dog teasing.
1 decrepit peruvian maid.
1 unbalanced maldovian pool boy.
1 sleepy rant against disco (i feel the same way about led zepplin).
1 anonymous dittohead.
1 'bitchin' accusation.
enough snarkiness to fill an elephant's sinus cavity.
0 (zero!) valid entries.
i don't know, folks. this isn't the clearinghouse sweepstakes. no one is guaranteed to win. you have to want it. you have to try. believe in yourself and you, too, can be a winner. otherwise, it's just another missed opportunity in a life filled with them. they say that it's never too late to change the path you're on, but in this case they may be wrong. the clock's ticking, time to saddle up.
1 vote for the north side.
1 vote for the east side.
1 cosmic meltdown by a platypus.
1 berke breathed trashing.
2 trips to the store.
1 nasty dog teasing.
1 decrepit peruvian maid.
1 unbalanced maldovian pool boy.
1 sleepy rant against disco (i feel the same way about led zepplin).
1 anonymous dittohead.
1 'bitchin' accusation.
enough snarkiness to fill an elephant's sinus cavity.
0 (zero!) valid entries.
i don't know, folks. this isn't the clearinghouse sweepstakes. no one is guaranteed to win. you have to want it. you have to try. believe in yourself and you, too, can be a winner. otherwise, it's just another missed opportunity in a life filled with them. they say that it's never too late to change the path you're on, but in this case they may be wrong. the clock's ticking, time to saddle up.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Contest Ain't Over. Get On Board.
so far, my contest to help me move back to the Big Bad 'No has garnered one (1) response. and let me tell you that "move to the north side" goes directly into the recycle bin for those less fortunate, good looking, talented, popular or well groomed than me.
i await your help. i anticipate it. i expect it. why?
because i am scarysquirrelman.
beloved of the sweaty masses and feared by the powerful. so, give me a shout out. help me to move back and, by so doing, help yourself to a richer life.
i can't offer you $20 and a free hotel room like some evangelical politicians do in order to fill up the room for a fundraiser, but i can promise you rewards beyond your imagination when you go to your final dirtnap, uh, heavenly destination. God will look kindly on you for helping me to regain my celebrity status in the Big Bad 'No as the idiot token drunk who makes no sense ever, but is looked on fondly as the mistake of any festival, event, idea or bad move.
because i am scarysquirrelman.
because i speak the truth.
because i will dance to sister sledge.
because i know all of the words to shake your groove thing.
because i listen to your problems and DO NOT LAUGH...immediately.
because i CAN overact my way out of a wet paper bag.
because i will recite very bad, self-written poetry at open mic with no shame at any given moment..
because i will tend your garden when you're not looking, but never for a fee and never when you ask.
and because if you set something free and it wants to come back, it's yours. if it doesn't, it's because you didn't enter the contest and make it happen.
i am scarysquirrelman. hear me bark.
i await your help. i anticipate it. i expect it. why?
because i am scarysquirrelman.
beloved of the sweaty masses and feared by the powerful. so, give me a shout out. help me to move back and, by so doing, help yourself to a richer life.
i can't offer you $20 and a free hotel room like some evangelical politicians do in order to fill up the room for a fundraiser, but i can promise you rewards beyond your imagination when you go to your final dirtnap, uh, heavenly destination. God will look kindly on you for helping me to regain my celebrity status in the Big Bad 'No as the idiot token drunk who makes no sense ever, but is looked on fondly as the mistake of any festival, event, idea or bad move.
because i am scarysquirrelman.
because i speak the truth.
because i will dance to sister sledge.
because i know all of the words to shake your groove thing.
because i listen to your problems and DO NOT LAUGH...immediately.
because i CAN overact my way out of a wet paper bag.
because i will recite very bad, self-written poetry at open mic with no shame at any given moment..
because i will tend your garden when you're not looking, but never for a fee and never when you ask.
and because if you set something free and it wants to come back, it's yours. if it doesn't, it's because you didn't enter the contest and make it happen.
i am scarysquirrelman. hear me bark.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Notes From A Dirty Little Commie
okay, so the executive director of "good morning america" has been suspended for a month for emails he wrote that were leaked to the press. one was about george bush during the 2004 first presidential debate. the second one was about madeleine albright. the one about bush is quite understandable and not offensive. the other could be construed as offensive, but mild in comparison to what i'm about to post here. remember this guy just got suspended for a month without pay.
now, we have michael savage encouraging his radio listeners to go out and burn mexican flags in an effort to protest their protesting the new immigration law bill currnetly in congress.
and we have neal boortz saying that rep. cynthia mckinney looks like "a ghetto slut" with her current hairdo. no, i can't find a picture at the moment.
no word on whether these two "esteemed" "journalists" are facing punishment for their racial attacks on people of different skin color. and i seriously doubt it will happen. the right wing gets away with it, the left and the mainstream get hammered. good thing we all know the media is still predominantly controlled by us libruls. otherwise, helen thomas would have to executed for interrupting president whatshisname during one of his press conference nonanswers.
scooter libby is trying to get fitzgerald relieved of his duties, because he claims fitzgerald is acting outside his proper powers. libby says only congress can approve this. oddly enough, he offered no defense for why bush should be allowed to continue eavesdropping on anyone he wants outside of congress's approval. or why it's okay to wage war on a country based on lies. or why electronic voting machines should continue to be used despite the fact that each and every one of them has been hacked and shown to be vulnerable to vote count changing. there really does seem to be no argument that what libby did was in violation of the law. so this move looks like an attempt to get in a new prosecutor who would be more crony friendly.
katherine harris continues her calimitous freefall, which i must admit i'm enjoying more than a little.
this could be pure bullshit, but what do YOU think? speaking for myself, i wouldn't put it past bush and his trolls. and i wouldn't put it past the democrats to cave on it for fear of looking like "terrorist sympathisers". i wouldn't put it past us citizens to accept it, because we are suffering from "scandal fatigue". think about that last one for a second. how many scandals, dustups, fuckups, lies, indictments, convictions, exposures, withdrawn assertions, blackmails, extortions, backstabs and fraud can one nation stand in the space of 5 or so years before tuning out and accepting the numbness that comes from being forced to deal with corruption on a daily basis?
ah. and finally. a note on why i, as a common drone grunt for a large company, seem to feel no joy in the recent "upturn" in the economy. i watch my smalltime office manager bring down over a hundred grand a year for nothing more than creating headaches for all of us who have to put out his fires and apologize to clients for his rash promises and work very long hours and weekends in order to NOT have to apologize to the clients. yet, he is the one who will walk away each year with a large bonus if the office shows a profit while the rest of us have to deal with the corporate line that no bonuses will be forthcoming, because we are in transition or something equally false and odious. this makes me want to puke up and scream, but i know it's the same everywhere or worse.
update: i got took. i totally forgot what today's date is. i have been working 7 days a week since the rogue and fell for an april fool's joke. the third term link above encouraged me to write the author and the following is the result:
(his reply)
You might want to double-check the date on that story.
t.
(my initial email)
oh, come on. this has to be bullshit. although i wouldn't put it past the bush administration to dream of this sort of shenanigan i have to ask you to publish your contacts. give us proof. otherwise, this is just another Onion article.
now, we have michael savage encouraging his radio listeners to go out and burn mexican flags in an effort to protest their protesting the new immigration law bill currnetly in congress.
and we have neal boortz saying that rep. cynthia mckinney looks like "a ghetto slut" with her current hairdo. no, i can't find a picture at the moment.
no word on whether these two "esteemed" "journalists" are facing punishment for their racial attacks on people of different skin color. and i seriously doubt it will happen. the right wing gets away with it, the left and the mainstream get hammered. good thing we all know the media is still predominantly controlled by us libruls. otherwise, helen thomas would have to executed for interrupting president whatshisname during one of his press conference nonanswers.
scooter libby is trying to get fitzgerald relieved of his duties, because he claims fitzgerald is acting outside his proper powers. libby says only congress can approve this. oddly enough, he offered no defense for why bush should be allowed to continue eavesdropping on anyone he wants outside of congress's approval. or why it's okay to wage war on a country based on lies. or why electronic voting machines should continue to be used despite the fact that each and every one of them has been hacked and shown to be vulnerable to vote count changing. there really does seem to be no argument that what libby did was in violation of the law. so this move looks like an attempt to get in a new prosecutor who would be more crony friendly.
katherine harris continues her calimitous freefall, which i must admit i'm enjoying more than a little.
this could be pure bullshit, but what do YOU think? speaking for myself, i wouldn't put it past bush and his trolls. and i wouldn't put it past the democrats to cave on it for fear of looking like "terrorist sympathisers". i wouldn't put it past us citizens to accept it, because we are suffering from "scandal fatigue". think about that last one for a second. how many scandals, dustups, fuckups, lies, indictments, convictions, exposures, withdrawn assertions, blackmails, extortions, backstabs and fraud can one nation stand in the space of 5 or so years before tuning out and accepting the numbness that comes from being forced to deal with corruption on a daily basis?
ah. and finally. a note on why i, as a common drone grunt for a large company, seem to feel no joy in the recent "upturn" in the economy. i watch my smalltime office manager bring down over a hundred grand a year for nothing more than creating headaches for all of us who have to put out his fires and apologize to clients for his rash promises and work very long hours and weekends in order to NOT have to apologize to the clients. yet, he is the one who will walk away each year with a large bonus if the office shows a profit while the rest of us have to deal with the corporate line that no bonuses will be forthcoming, because we are in transition or something equally false and odious. this makes me want to puke up and scream, but i know it's the same everywhere or worse.
update: i got took. i totally forgot what today's date is. i have been working 7 days a week since the rogue and fell for an april fool's joke. the third term link above encouraged me to write the author and the following is the result:
(his reply)
You might want to double-check the date on that story.
t.
(my initial email)
oh, come on. this has to be bullshit. although i wouldn't put it past the bush administration to dream of this sort of shenanigan i have to ask you to publish your contacts. give us proof. otherwise, this is just another Onion article.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Protect Yourself? NONONO! We Got You Covered.
oh man. this is just insane. the government, our government, is still decades away from providing our soldiers with adequate protective body armor (not to mention the vehicles). and, now, it's saying that all privately bought armor is banned if it's not issued by the military.
"In a new directive, effective immediately, the Army said it cannot guarantee the quality of commercially bought armor, and any soldier wearing it will have to turn it in and have it replaced with authorized gear." turn it in. and replaced by gear the government says is proper. how many soldiers do you think are going to go for that?
dragonskin may indeed be subpar (who knows?), but what is subpar compared to nothing at all? suddenly, the military is beginning to provide body armor and claiming that nothing but what it deems appropriate is adequate. this sounds like a halliburtonesque deal. "we will do what we've been pressured to do for three years, but none of you are allowed any other vendor from this point on". personally, if i was in iraq i'd be buying a larger footlocker and making friends with some iraqi who wants us there and asking him to bury certain items of clothing until further needed. at this point, i think all of them could use a gunga dhin or two.
thanks to generik for this one. he tends to be good for the occasional scotch drink and lap dance, but that's about it. unless, of course, he's horny and in fresno.
"In a new directive, effective immediately, the Army said it cannot guarantee the quality of commercially bought armor, and any soldier wearing it will have to turn it in and have it replaced with authorized gear." turn it in. and replaced by gear the government says is proper. how many soldiers do you think are going to go for that?
dragonskin may indeed be subpar (who knows?), but what is subpar compared to nothing at all? suddenly, the military is beginning to provide body armor and claiming that nothing but what it deems appropriate is adequate. this sounds like a halliburtonesque deal. "we will do what we've been pressured to do for three years, but none of you are allowed any other vendor from this point on". personally, if i was in iraq i'd be buying a larger footlocker and making friends with some iraqi who wants us there and asking him to bury certain items of clothing until further needed. at this point, i think all of them could use a gunga dhin or two.
thanks to generik for this one. he tends to be good for the occasional scotch drink and lap dance, but that's about it. unless, of course, he's horny and in fresno.
Help Find Me A Home Contest
yes, you read right. it's a contest to see who can find me a cool Tower District house to live in. notice i didn't say apartment. i said house. under $700. with a backyard. one bedroom, one bath, preferably with a washer and dryer. a duplex will work so long as the neighbors are old, infirm, deaf, or otherwise noise impaired.
what's the prize for winning? well, let's see. besides the gratification of knowing you helped one of the 'No's most famous and beloved drunks to return and regale you all with stories of debauchery and "there, but for the grace of God..." moments, dirty poetry at open mic, useless suggestions about the arts, slurring rambling diatribes on the state of anything i didn't invest in, snide comments about all of you, the experience of watching my clean my earwax with my pinky finger, masturbation anecdotes, unanswered phone calls and unreturned phone messages, bemused expressions hiding my real feelings, unnecessary and ill-timed odors, well...
First Place: Buy Me Dinner
Second Place: Drink With Me
Third Place: Buy Me Dinner, Drink With Me, Watch Me Get Slapped By Shookie, And Have Me Agree To Act Badly In A Play Written By You Or Directed By You Or Watched By You
Fourth Place: A Knock On The Nose, Because You So Very Much Didn't Try At All And Therefor Suck Wind That Convicted Ax Murderers Could Be Breathing
Wow. that is some serious bootiage. if it wasn't for the obvious legal restrictions on relatives of those putting on this contest i'd enter myself.
heh. i said "enter myself". there's a neat trick. and i am kind of at loose ends this evening. what the fuck. what's the worst that could happen? a pulled muscle or something?
what's the prize for winning? well, let's see. besides the gratification of knowing you helped one of the 'No's most famous and beloved drunks to return and regale you all with stories of debauchery and "there, but for the grace of God..." moments, dirty poetry at open mic, useless suggestions about the arts, slurring rambling diatribes on the state of anything i didn't invest in, snide comments about all of you, the experience of watching my clean my earwax with my pinky finger, masturbation anecdotes, unanswered phone calls and unreturned phone messages, bemused expressions hiding my real feelings, unnecessary and ill-timed odors, well...
First Place: Buy Me Dinner
Second Place: Drink With Me
Third Place: Buy Me Dinner, Drink With Me, Watch Me Get Slapped By Shookie, And Have Me Agree To Act Badly In A Play Written By You Or Directed By You Or Watched By You
Fourth Place: A Knock On The Nose, Because You So Very Much Didn't Try At All And Therefor Suck Wind That Convicted Ax Murderers Could Be Breathing
Wow. that is some serious bootiage. if it wasn't for the obvious legal restrictions on relatives of those putting on this contest i'd enter myself.
heh. i said "enter myself". there's a neat trick. and i am kind of at loose ends this evening. what the fuck. what's the worst that could happen? a pulled muscle or something?
Beware Floridians In Your Water
"This is the most important thing I can do with what God gave me, and I've got a lot of making up to do," said Monaghan, 69, who spent most of his childhood raised by nuns in Catholic orphanages and later became a self-made billionaire. "God gave me a lot and showed me it is not impossible to use it to help people get to heaven."
just one more reason to go out and buy a domino's pizza NOW!!! if the kooks want a place to be pure and unadulterated (unlike his pizzas) and live out their lives like the universe ends at their doorsteps, then by all means do it. and we should help. it's kind of like when you can't find a white aryan racist on your block and you find out they all moved to idaho and you go "cool. is it an interment camp thing or the fishing?". because you know the fishing there is overrated. the big sandy is a big fish story.
then again, one (well, me) has to wonder what this guy is thinking. building a city in SW florida? um, that's hurricane alley, bub. perhaps, he expects the ever-more-powerful 'canes to help the citizens recognize the power of God. and, since we truly have tipped the balance on global warming, his flock should be able to embrace an angry and vengeful one. it could, also, help explain his feeling that he can "help people get to heaven". sooner rather than later.
what is it about florida anyway? maybe they had it right in the 50's and 60's when they (you know who "they" are) were claiming that floridians in the water was a commie conspiracy to sterilize and weaken good, honest americans.
so, when the pundits call florida a red state, i guess they know whereof they speak more so than i had previously given them credit.
"occasional nuggets of wisdom"??? that hurts, mustang. that hurts. i work hard to make sure you dear, dear moron readers find nothing of value here. this is supposed to be the big mac daddy of nutritional news. twice the calories, supersize the stroke. the fact that you think i sometimes slip up and add a stalk of celery or something makes me want to show more boobies.
not mine. hers!!!
now, go away and move to florida or something. dirty little commies.
just one more reason to go out and buy a domino's pizza NOW!!! if the kooks want a place to be pure and unadulterated (unlike his pizzas) and live out their lives like the universe ends at their doorsteps, then by all means do it. and we should help. it's kind of like when you can't find a white aryan racist on your block and you find out they all moved to idaho and you go "cool. is it an interment camp thing or the fishing?". because you know the fishing there is overrated. the big sandy is a big fish story.
then again, one (well, me) has to wonder what this guy is thinking. building a city in SW florida? um, that's hurricane alley, bub. perhaps, he expects the ever-more-powerful 'canes to help the citizens recognize the power of God. and, since we truly have tipped the balance on global warming, his flock should be able to embrace an angry and vengeful one. it could, also, help explain his feeling that he can "help people get to heaven". sooner rather than later.
what is it about florida anyway? maybe they had it right in the 50's and 60's when they (you know who "they" are) were claiming that floridians in the water was a commie conspiracy to sterilize and weaken good, honest americans.
so, when the pundits call florida a red state, i guess they know whereof they speak more so than i had previously given them credit.
"occasional nuggets of wisdom"??? that hurts, mustang. that hurts. i work hard to make sure you dear, dear moron readers find nothing of value here. this is supposed to be the big mac daddy of nutritional news. twice the calories, supersize the stroke. the fact that you think i sometimes slip up and add a stalk of celery or something makes me want to show more boobies.
not mine. hers!!!
now, go away and move to florida or something. dirty little commies.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Create Your Own Commercial For A Chevy
"Check out the commercial [name deleted] created for the all-new 2007 Chevy Tahoe. Think you could do better? Think you're up to the task? Then take a shot at the Chevy Apprentice Challengeand create your own commercial that brings the best Tahoe ever to life. It could be your chance to win."
http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=4ee0dd9e-11b5-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7
these people should really know better. i mean, come on. bored liberal who hates SUVs and has nothing better to do? woof. soft ball throw. whap. outta the park.
http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=4ee0dd9e-11b5-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7
these people should really know better. i mean, come on. bored liberal who hates SUVs and has nothing better to do? woof. soft ball throw. whap. outta the park.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
ITMFA, Daily Kos, America Blog and the War Nerd (and a smelly hippie). It's Da Bomb.
you know what's fun? seeing ads that the mainstream media giants won't run. like this one. a liberal (i think) church advertising the fact that it doesn't kick out or shun people for being different or for not fitting in to a narrow physical, sexual or idealogical box...hmmm, somehow i cringe to think what mustang is going to write about my putting sexual and box in the same sentence.
oh, and i just can't help it. dan savage, that rascally rabid sex columnist from seattle and the weekly rag The Stranger, is at it again with his new website ITMFA. Impeach The Motherfucker Already. Who knew gay men could all fired up about anything more important than the proper manicure or what to wear to a political demonstration. well, evidently he can. along with whatshisname over at the daily kos and the other whatshisname at americablog ("because a great nation deserves the truth"). great blogs, by the way. up to date on everything and lightyears ahead of the MSM. i steal from them all the time.
and one more thing: if its dateline is Fresno, you know it's gonna be funny. the WarNerd is a 'No gent who writes for the Exile, which is based in Moscow...um, idaho? russia? that's not him up above, by the way (that's the smelly hippie). the WarNerd is truly funny and informative. i try to read all of his columns if only for the comedic value. in fact, i'd love to see him perform at next year's rogue. if only to read something like this. ah man...'next of kin'... good stuff.
oh, and i just can't help it. dan savage, that rascally rabid sex columnist from seattle and the weekly rag The Stranger, is at it again with his new website ITMFA. Impeach The Motherfucker Already. Who knew gay men could all fired up about anything more important than the proper manicure or what to wear to a political demonstration. well, evidently he can. along with whatshisname over at the daily kos and the other whatshisname at americablog ("because a great nation deserves the truth"). great blogs, by the way. up to date on everything and lightyears ahead of the MSM. i steal from them all the time.
and one more thing: if its dateline is Fresno, you know it's gonna be funny. the WarNerd is a 'No gent who writes for the Exile, which is based in Moscow...um, idaho? russia? that's not him up above, by the way (that's the smelly hippie). the WarNerd is truly funny and informative. i try to read all of his columns if only for the comedic value. in fact, i'd love to see him perform at next year's rogue. if only to read something like this. ah man...'next of kin'... good stuff.
Is It Hot In Here Or Is It Just Lara?
lara (tombraider) logan, a reporter in iraq, gives what i think to be a very definative answer to the so-called pundits here in the US who claim that she and her ilk are obsessed with negative news reporting at the expense of positive.
crooks and liars has the video.
scroll down til you see her picture.
plus, she's, uh, kind of outrageously hot.
pig in a blanket hot.
crooks and liars has the video.
scroll down til you see her picture.plus, she's, uh, kind of outrageously hot.
pig in a blanket hot.
Jack, We Hardly Paid Ye
jack abramoff (heh. jack...off) was sentenced today to the minimum amount of time allowable, a paltry 5 years, 10 months. of course, he was sentenced in a state he did so much for (think jeb bush and katherine harris). and i (along with many others) would like to know who all these people are that wrote letters asking for leniency for this scumbag. i mean, really. the hockey referee? if i buy your children ice cream and rides on the merry-go-round before torching your house, can i get some of that "he's not a monster" love?
Working Assets Kicks Ass
working assets just announced its list of profit disbursements for the year 2005. it's a joy to be a member of their long distance phone service. and it's a kick to turn down the mega companies by telling them who i belong to and then hear that profound moment of silence on the other end ogf the phone before they respond with "ah. yes. well. but we're cheaper". in many ways, the megas are. most definately.
$119,210
American Civil Liberties Union
$46,267
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy
$89,175
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
$54,733
Center for Constitutional Rights
$53,109
Feminist Majority Foundation
$67,373
Human Rights campaign
$83,493
NARAL Pro-Choice America
$120,253
Planned Parenthood federation of America
$53,109
Project Vote
$47,543
Public Campaign
$64,388
Coral Reef Alliance
$82,595
Earthjustice
$54,531
ForestEthics
$54,299
Global Greengrants Fund
$56,850
International Rivers Network
$120,392
NRDC Action Fund
$62,300
Oil & Gas Accountability Project
$77,725
Organic Consumers Association
$83,870
Rainforest Action Network
$58,938
Rocky Mountain Institute
$58,725
Africa Action
$82,266
American Friends Service Committee
$71,597
Global Fund for Children
$70,091
Global Fund for Women
$81,107
Human Rights Watch
$57,682
International Medical Corps
$49,217
Ipas
$55,711
Ploughshares Fund
$76,237
Union of Concerned Scientists
$61,509
Women for Women International
$55,480
ACORN
$47,362
Center for Policy Alternatives
$49,333
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
$52,001
Drug Policy Alliance
$48,986
Families USA Foundation
$69,164
National Coalition for the Homeless
$46,898
National Employment Law Project
$87,719
Oxfam America
$51,885
Project on Government Oversight
$72,758
Wellstone Action
$66,992
American Library Association
$45,075
American Progress Action Fund
$85,894
Democracy Now!
$53,888
Free Press Action Fund
$65,252
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
$52,265
Independent Press Association
$56,787
Media Matters for America
$59,223
National Center for Science Education
$49,829
National Coalition Against Censorship
$57,367
Public Education Network
(Total amount in 2005 includes donations to groups planting trees, customers rounding up payments and miscellaneous contributions.)
$119,210
American Civil Liberties Union
$46,267
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy
$89,175
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
$54,733
Center for Constitutional Rights
$53,109
Feminist Majority Foundation
$67,373
Human Rights campaign
$83,493
NARAL Pro-Choice America
$120,253
Planned Parenthood federation of America
$53,109
Project Vote
$47,543
Public Campaign
$64,388
Coral Reef Alliance
$82,595
Earthjustice
$54,531
ForestEthics
$54,299
Global Greengrants Fund
$56,850
International Rivers Network
$120,392
NRDC Action Fund
$62,300
Oil & Gas Accountability Project
$77,725
Organic Consumers Association
$83,870
Rainforest Action Network
$58,938
Rocky Mountain Institute
$58,725
Africa Action
$82,266
American Friends Service Committee
$71,597
Global Fund for Children
$70,091
Global Fund for Women
$81,107
Human Rights Watch
$57,682
International Medical Corps
$49,217
Ipas
$55,711
Ploughshares Fund
$76,237
Union of Concerned Scientists
$61,509
Women for Women International
$55,480
ACORN
$47,362
Center for Policy Alternatives
$49,333
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
$52,001
Drug Policy Alliance
$48,986
Families USA Foundation
$69,164
National Coalition for the Homeless
$46,898
National Employment Law Project
$87,719
Oxfam America
$51,885
Project on Government Oversight
$72,758
Wellstone Action
$66,992
American Library Association
$45,075
American Progress Action Fund
$85,894
Democracy Now!
$53,888
Free Press Action Fund
$65,252
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
$52,265
Independent Press Association
$56,787
Media Matters for America
$59,223
National Center for Science Education
$49,829
National Coalition Against Censorship
$57,367
Public Education Network
(Total amount in 2005 includes donations to groups planting trees, customers rounding up payments and miscellaneous contributions.)
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Business As Usual
y'all might want to call your senators and tell them to stop the immigration bill that just passed the house of representatives. not only can it make every illegal alien a felon, but it can make you one as well if you help one of them out with a bite to eat or a coat or a dollar or two or work at a charity that serves them. even if you do none of these and couldn't give a ratshit about the plight of the illegals, consider this: the only reason we can afford to eat our own produce is because we have illegals willing to work for less than minimum wage. that sounds callous, but think of where they come from. $5 an hour to most of them is like $20 an hour to any of us legals. and do you want to spend massive backbreaking (not brokeback, mustang) hours in the summer sun picking fruit and vegetables? i thought not. but if we had no illegals willing to do it then we'd have to pay serious wages to get lazy legals to do it and our supermarket trips would be a new form of financial hell.
and the groundswell of public opposition to this election year bill is impressive. the catholic and pentacostal churches are involved as well as every latino ever born. cesar chavez has got to be beaming over this. and tossing down a few more coals j edgar hoover's way.
BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 28 — Senior Shiite politicians said today that the American ambassador has told Shiite officials to inform the Iraqi prime minister that President Bush does not want him to remain the country's leader in the next government.
okay, so the shiites are being extremely shiity to the sunnis for decades of murder, torture, executions, gassing and whatnot. i don't condone killing squads, that's for sure. otherwise i'd be advertising in soldier of fortune for a group of snipers and renting hotel rooms close to the white house. but this is the same government that bush lauded not too long ago as he tried to shore up his sagging ratings. remember the purple fingers and announcements from our government that iraq now had a legally elected government? remember how bush claimed it was only with our intervention that this had come to pass and that now he was going to let them rule themselves? he was so proud of his accomplishment. couldn't stop smiling. but when things don't go your way domestically or foreignly, i guess the answer is to keep remolding in a democratic manner until the final outcome is what you need. and, yes, many many eggs may need to be broken until the fallen souffle turns to pancakes. so long as it looks edible and the ignorant masses believe that's what you meant to make in the first place. mmmm, pancakes...
frank harris III gives his opinion in the hartford courant and it is indeed an opinion. but a concise and direct one. and one i happen to echo. bush needs to clean house from the top down. and when i say top down, i mean top down. he's got to go. and take cheney and rumsfeld and rice and alberto with him. it is disgusting to know that many many americans let bush go on his recent proclamation that the troops in iraq will be another president's problem. just like that he let all of us know that public opinion is of no matter to him. the fact that the majority of us think invading iraq was a big mistake doesn't even faze him. what, me worry? bush is the alfred e neuman of politics.
y'all remember Abu Musab Zarqawi? claims to be bin laden's number two guy and all that jazz? keeps killing lots and lots of soldiers and innocents in iraq and elsewhere? well, NBC has a little article that reveals how we had three clear, can't-miss shots at him in the run-up to our invasion and all three were nixed by the administration. this administration is the same group that demonized clinton for two failed attempts on bin laden. and they call bullshit on blowing this bad guy to high heaven along with his chemical plants. very nice. at the very least, each time zarqawi's name is connected to a mass killing or roadside bomb or suicide attacker we know who to thank for his continued presence.
on the personal war front, i have to say that moving up here was the best form of spring cleaning. i whittled down my accroutements to something resembling sensible. now, it goes even further. i am becoming the lean, clean moving machine i always wanted to be, but never could, because i kept attaching too much sentimental value to material commodities. other than the cat, what really matters? okay...music, movies and groovy tee shirts. not much else, though. oh, and my bedding. and mom's rugs. and the couch.
maybe i should just name the cat 'shithead'.
grandma continues to show her beautiful stubborn streak. while not resigned to losing her house, she is aware and asking about church happenings and how her cat is doing.
so, while my tears were needed for me, perhaps they weren't so much for her.
and the groundswell of public opposition to this election year bill is impressive. the catholic and pentacostal churches are involved as well as every latino ever born. cesar chavez has got to be beaming over this. and tossing down a few more coals j edgar hoover's way.
BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 28 — Senior Shiite politicians said today that the American ambassador has told Shiite officials to inform the Iraqi prime minister that President Bush does not want him to remain the country's leader in the next government.
okay, so the shiites are being extremely shiity to the sunnis for decades of murder, torture, executions, gassing and whatnot. i don't condone killing squads, that's for sure. otherwise i'd be advertising in soldier of fortune for a group of snipers and renting hotel rooms close to the white house. but this is the same government that bush lauded not too long ago as he tried to shore up his sagging ratings. remember the purple fingers and announcements from our government that iraq now had a legally elected government? remember how bush claimed it was only with our intervention that this had come to pass and that now he was going to let them rule themselves? he was so proud of his accomplishment. couldn't stop smiling. but when things don't go your way domestically or foreignly, i guess the answer is to keep remolding in a democratic manner until the final outcome is what you need. and, yes, many many eggs may need to be broken until the fallen souffle turns to pancakes. so long as it looks edible and the ignorant masses believe that's what you meant to make in the first place. mmmm, pancakes...
frank harris III gives his opinion in the hartford courant and it is indeed an opinion. but a concise and direct one. and one i happen to echo. bush needs to clean house from the top down. and when i say top down, i mean top down. he's got to go. and take cheney and rumsfeld and rice and alberto with him. it is disgusting to know that many many americans let bush go on his recent proclamation that the troops in iraq will be another president's problem. just like that he let all of us know that public opinion is of no matter to him. the fact that the majority of us think invading iraq was a big mistake doesn't even faze him. what, me worry? bush is the alfred e neuman of politics.
y'all remember Abu Musab Zarqawi? claims to be bin laden's number two guy and all that jazz? keeps killing lots and lots of soldiers and innocents in iraq and elsewhere? well, NBC has a little article that reveals how we had three clear, can't-miss shots at him in the run-up to our invasion and all three were nixed by the administration. this administration is the same group that demonized clinton for two failed attempts on bin laden. and they call bullshit on blowing this bad guy to high heaven along with his chemical plants. very nice. at the very least, each time zarqawi's name is connected to a mass killing or roadside bomb or suicide attacker we know who to thank for his continued presence.
on the personal war front, i have to say that moving up here was the best form of spring cleaning. i whittled down my accroutements to something resembling sensible. now, it goes even further. i am becoming the lean, clean moving machine i always wanted to be, but never could, because i kept attaching too much sentimental value to material commodities. other than the cat, what really matters? okay...music, movies and groovy tee shirts. not much else, though. oh, and my bedding. and mom's rugs. and the couch.
maybe i should just name the cat 'shithead'.
grandma continues to show her beautiful stubborn streak. while not resigned to losing her house, she is aware and asking about church happenings and how her cat is doing.
so, while my tears were needed for me, perhaps they weren't so much for her.
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