Who Shot Johnny

Facebook to become a pay site?

2009-08-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

Talking is buzzing that the popular social site Facebook will be become a pay site. There even groups being formed within Facebook to fight the move.

My reaction? Big old yawn. Who freaking cares?

Probably most of the 200 million people who are members.

Well, boo-freaking-hoo.

Get a life.

Russian Soccer Fans Told to Drink Whiskey

2009-08-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

As if they needed a reason to drink, the head of the Russian soccer supporter association (VOB) is encouraging fans to drink whiskey to ward off effects of the H1N1 virus if the travel to Wales for the September World Cup qualifier.

Alexander Shprygin reportedly told Reuters, "We urge our fans to drink a lot of Welsh whiskey as a form of disinfection. That should cure all symptoms of the disease."

His comments follow a warning from the Russian Health Ministry about traveling to the United Kingdom because of concerns about the virus.

Published reports carry this statement:

"Health officials say this virus is very dangerous but being a fan myself I can tell you that for a real fan nothing is more important than the well-being of the team," said Shprygin, who also sits on the executive board of the Russian FA.

"Russian fans don't fear anything or anybody so this virus will not stand in our way of supporting our team."

About 200 Russian fans are expected to attend the matches. No word if Welsh authorities will mobilized riot police.

Dis Big Oil, Lose Your Job

2009-07-31T13:00:00.001-07:00

The head of Iraq's state-owned oil company lost his job after making critical remarks about the government's decision to auction the country's oil and gas fields to foreign companies.

Fayadh Hassan Nima was replaced as SOC's chief executive by the head of the company's department of oil fields, Dia Jaafar, ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said.

"The oil ministry and the government are always looking for ways to improve administration of the oil sector," Jihad said, referring to the reasons Nima was dismissed.

Nima had loudly protested the public auction for six giant oil fields and two major gas fields, arguing that the SOC should be given the task of exploiting the fields in southern Iraq with only technical assistance from foreign companies.

Palin: Star or Fading Quitter

2009-07-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

Not even the Republicans can agree if Sarah Palin, who quit as Alaska's governor on Sunday, July 26, if she is still a star of the GOP or will go down in history as the country's most famous quitter.

CBS News reports:

If a three-way discussion among Republican pundits on "The Early Show Saturday Edition" is any indication, more of the same -- she'll remain as controversial and passion-provoking rod as ever.

Author and right-wing firebrand Ann Coulter, GOP strategist Bay Buchanan, and NewMajority.com founder and former George W. Bush speechwriter David Frum had at it over the question of whether Palin could be a viable presidential candidate at some point.

It got so heated the three were talking over each other, prompting co-anchor Erica Hill, who moderated, to interrupt them herself several times.

Palin was right about one thing: leaving the governor's office has done more for Alaska.

Susan Boyle Homesick, Anxious

2009-06-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

This year's entertainment sensation, Susan Boyle, has checked into a London clinic for exhaustion. Reports the BBC:

The Scottish singing sensation is said to be drained after losing out to dance group Diversity on the ITV1 show.
Her brother, Gerry, told the BBC that Susan was "fine" but feeling homesick and "showing signs of anxiety".
Prime Minister Gordon Brown wished the star well. "I hope Susan Boyle is okay because she is a really, really nice person," he told GMTV.

Her 15 minutes finally caught up with her.

Catholics Vs. Obama

2009-03-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

A lot of Catholics are up in arms because President Obama is scheduled to give the commencement address at Notre Dame.

Many Catholics are angered by Obama's planned appearance at the May 17 ceremony because of his decisions to provide federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and international family planning groups that provide abortions or educate about the procedure.

Bishop John D'Arcy of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, which includes Notre Dame, went so far as to say he will not attend the ceremony because of the president's policies.

Now, that's really following the teaching's of Jesus. But then again, the Catholic Church hardly has a history of tolerance. Think Spanish Inquisition.

Setting Free the 'Roos

2009-03-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

Kangaroos Set Loose in France

TOULOUSE, France (AFP) – Vandals set loose 15 kangaroos from an Australian theme park in southern France, sparking a major search operation, with three marsupials still on the loose.

"When we arrived on Saturday morning, five pens had been broken open, their padlocks were smashed and the perimeter fence was torn in several places," said Carole Masson, owner of the nature reserve in southwestern Carcassonne.

"We had 15 missing kangaroos -- it was complete panic," she told AFP.

Firefighters, police and gendarmes were mobilised to track down the animals as they bounded through the woods.

Someone must have been reading John Irving.

All Georgians Must Be Allowed To Vote

2008-10-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

Finally some sanity in the Georgia voting mess:

The state of Georgia must allow persons whose citizenship has been questioned in a new voter verification system the opportunity to cast a ballot in the Nov. 4 elections, a three-judge court ruled Monday.

The court also ordered Secretary of State Karen Handel to “make diligent and immediate efforts to notify, in a uniform manner, every person whose voter registration presently remains flagged.” Those voters must be told that they can vote by a “challenged ballot,” if necessary, and that there is a discrepancy in the voters’ registration information, the court said.

Help the homeowners

2008-10-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am not a homeowner. I spent so much of my life moving around and was never in one spot long enough to put down any kind of roots. But that doesn't mean I don't have sympathy for those who have found themselves at the brink of losing it all.

When the big mortgage/credit/greed crisis slapped the American public in the face what did the White House and Congress do? Borrowed a butt load of money to bail out the bastards that got us in this mess in the first place.

How about help for the mortgage owners? It ain't happening, as Mike Colpitts points out in this interview posted at QuickCashForProperties.co.uk:

The federal government is absolutely not doing enough to help homeowners. So far more than 3 million families have lost their homes and our research indicates that 2011 another 3.4 million will also lose theirs.

This guy should know. He is a long-time real estate agent and editor of HousingPredictor.com. He adds this:

The federal government needs to so something to halt the huge surge of foreclosures. A good beginning is to freeze foreclosures to give them time to work out mortgages that are viable for homeowners.

Good common sense, but when did that ever matter in Washington?

No joy in Mudville

2008-09-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Last night was the finale for our beloved Yankee Stadium.

I stayed until several of the estimated 2,000 security guards not-so-politely told me to leave. ("Get the fuck out, man!" was what they said.)

There is no joy in Mudville. The Mighty Stadium has struck out.

Sarah Palin to raise funds, avoid media

2008-09-06T04:06:00.000-07:00

John McCain plans to use his vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, to raise money for the Republican Party.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will appear at around 30 fund-raising events in the next two months leading up to Election Day – about one every two days on average, officials with Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign said today.

“She is proving as much in demand as Sen. McCain,” said former Commerce Department Secretary Bob Mosbacher, general chairman of the McCain campaign and a top fundraiser.

But Palin will not be allowed to talk to the media.

According to Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign, the American people don't care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. According to Wallace -- in an appearance I did with her this morning on Joe Scarborough's show -- the American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin's scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads.

Why do you think that is?

They ARE watching you

2008-07-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

Think the new FISA law is bad for privacy? You ain't seen nothing yet.

Read this report from TPMMuckraker for the whole story.

With all the talk about the new wiretapping law the Senate is expected to approve this week, there are many federal surveillance programs that are going largely unmentioned -- and unmonitored.

A story from the Baltimore Sun points out how limited the proposed FISA legislation is when considered against the whole alphabet soup of surveillance programs run by the federal government.

Vito Bows Out

2008-05-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Rep. Vito Fossella, who got caught driving drunk and then admitted (presumably while still drunk) to fathering a baby with someone not his wife, will not seek reelection.

"This choice was an extremely difficult one, balanced between my dedication to service to our great nation and the need to concentrate on healing the wounds that I have caused to my wife and family," Rep. Vito Fossella, a six-term Republican, said in a written statement.

Well, at least his wife had the good sense not to appear with him as he made his announcement.

Bye, bye, Vito.

George the Buffoon

2008-03-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Gail Collins sums up President Bush nicely in this op-ed from The NY Times:

The president squinched his face and bit his lip and seemed too antsy to stand still. As he searched for the name of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (“the king, uh, the king of Saudi”) and made guy-fun of one of the questioners (“Who picked Gigot?”), you had to wonder what the international financial community makes of a country whose president could show up to talk economics in the middle of a liquidity crisis and kind of flop around the stage as if he was emcee at the Iowa Republican Pig Roast.
We’re really past expecting anything much, but in times of crisis you would like to at least believe your leader has the capacity to pretend he’s in control. Suddenly, I recalled a day long ago when my husband worked for a struggling paper full of worried employees and the publisher walked into the newsroom wearing a gorilla suit.

Tiny Hippos Shot

2008-03-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

Rare pygmy hippos have been photographed in Liberia.

Two civil wars, illegal logging and poaching - it was thought this was more than enough to wipe out Liberia's population of pygmy hippos.

But this rare and endangered species has survived against the odds and there are photographs to prove it.

A team led by the Zoological Society of London travelled to the West African country.

It was delighted to discover that, despite their fears, the hippo population had not been wiped out.

Just three days after setting up hidden cameras in the Liberian forest, the team of zoologists were amazed to capture the pygmy hippos on film.

Ben Collen of the London Zoological Society said he remained highly concerned about the survival of the little hippos because they still face the threat of deforestation and bushmeat hunters.

Obesity in the News

2008-03-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

Seems that last week obesity was the topic of choice at many news sites. Here's a sampling:

Bacteria Mix in Guts of Babies Predicts Obesity HealthDay - Fri Mar 7, 11:47 PM ET
FRIDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- The mix of bacteria in a baby's gut may predict whether that infant will become overweight or obese later in life, a new study suggests.
Some experts doubt obesity epidemic AP - Tue Mar 4, 5:15 PM ET
LONDON - Go on, have another doughnut. According to some experts whose views are public health heresy, the jury is still out on how dangerous it is to be fat. "The obesity epidemic has absolutely been exaggerated," said Dr. Vincent Marks, emeritus professor of clinical biochemistry at the University of Surrey.
Obese Children Face More Complications During Surgery HealthDay - Mon Mar 3, 11:47 PM ET
MONDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- Obese children are much more likely than normal-weight children to have breathing-related problems during surgery, says a University of Michigan Health System study.
Device helps fat kids cut TV time Reuters - Mon Mar 3, 6:38 PM ET
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A monitoring device that cut TV and computer time in half helped young, overweight children eat less and lose weight, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

Have Your Baby In Portland, OR

2008-01-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

We are well past the age of having offspring - and with what we know about how this world really operates wouldn't bring a new life into it anyway - but Portland, Oregon, seems to be the place to have a baby.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — FitPregnancy Magazine has listed Portland as the top city in the nation for having a baby.

The magazine cites Oregon's low infant and maternal mortality rates and says babies in Portland are 34% less likely than the national average to be born below normal birth weight and 21% less likely to be born premature.

Portland gets high marks for breast feeding, with the magazine concluding that 88% of the city's mothers try it against a national average of 75%.

The magazine praised Oregon laws allowing breast feeding in public.

It said 19.9% of Portland's mothers breast feed exclusively for six months or longer, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The average for the cities surveyed was 12%.

TV Preachers Under Investigation

2007-11-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

It's about time someone took these fools to task.

Iowa Republican Sen. Charles E. Grassley is leading an investigation into the spending practices of the major televangelists in the country. All we can say is that it's about time. For too long have some of these so-called Christians enjoyed lifestyles of the ultra-rich on the backs of their supporters.
Joyce Meyer claims her bounty stems from gifts of God. Yeah, right.

Thousands of Italians March For Peace

2007-10-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

ASSISI, Italy - About 200,000 people marched from Perugia to Assisi Sunday calling for “all human rights for all” and the end of wars.

The 24km “peace march” between the two towns in central Italy concluded a “peace week” featuring some 400 initiatives on peace and human rights. These included the 7th assembly of the United Nations of the People in Perugia Oct. 5-6.”Peace and justice walk together” and “Water for all” were among some of the banners at the march. Many carried the famous “peace flags” that marked Italian protest against the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Participants also joined the “Stand Up!” action in line with the United Nations’ “No Excuse” campaign to promote the Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight goals agreed in 2000 to cut poverty and to improve health and education. People in the rally sat and then stood up to urge the Italian government to allocate the 0.7 percent of gross national income (GNI) to foreign aid.

The march, the 17th such, was started by peace activist Aldo Capitini in 1961. It is organised by Peace Roundtable, a coalition of Italian NGOs, unions, church groups and local administrations working for peace and solidarity.

Chaos Hawks Evolve Over Iraq Failure

2007-09-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

From The Washington Monthly:

Having admitted, however, that the odds of a military success in Iraq are almost impossibly long, Chaos Hawks nonetheless insist that the U.S. military needs to stay in Iraq for the foreseeable future. Why? Because if we leave the entire Middle East will become a bloodbath. Sunni and Shiite will engage in mutual genocide, oil fields will go up in flames, fundamentalist parties will take over, and al-Qaeda will have a safe haven bigger than the entire continent of Europe.

Needless to say, this is nonsense. Israel has fought war after war in the Middle East. Result: no regional conflagration. Iran and Iraq fought one of the bloodiest wars of the second half the 20th century. Result: no regional conflagration. The Soviets fought in Afghanistan and then withdrew. No regional conflagration. The U.S. fought the Gulf War and then left. No regional conflagration. Algeria fought an internal civil war for a decade. No regional conflagration.

So where does this bogeyman come from? Hard to say. Probably a deep-seated unwillingness to confront the fact that the United States can't really influence a course of events we originally set in motion. But Iraq is already fighting a civil war, and that civil war will continue whether we stay or go. If we go it will likely become more intense, but also shorter lived. The eventual result, however, will almost certainly be the same: a de facto independent Kurdistan in the north and a Shiite theocracy in the south. The rest of the Middle East will, as usual, watch events unfold without doing much of anything about them, and will accept the inevitable results. The U.S., for its part, will remain in the north to protect Kurdistan, in the east in Afghanistan, in the west in the Mediterranean, and in the south in its bases in the Gulf. We'll hardly be absent from the region.

Dental Work in Calgary

2007-08-31T11:51:00.001-07:00

We don't often get out of the Big Apple, but earlier this summer on the way back from a meeting I'm not authorized to discuss, I had the need for the services of a Calgary dentist.

I won't bore you with the details, but it involved my good friend Johnny Walker and a lavatory. Use your imagination.

Anyway, I found myself sitting in a dental chair surrounded by the most high tech-looking equipment I've seen outside of Langley. Now, I'm not admitting I've ever been to Langley, you understand.

Not only did Dr. Andrew Wasik fix my problem (a broken crown, by the way), it was painless and all done in one visit. I didn't believe that part when I first called his office, but it's true - a new crown in one day.

If it wasn't so damn far to Calgary from New York, I'd make him my regular dentist. Hell, who knows, I might just do it anyway.

Biden Says Bush Suffers From 'Katrina Complex'

2007-08-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Sen. Joe Biden, a Democratic long-shot for president, says George Bush is suffering from 'Katrina complex.' Biden made the comment on the campaign trail in Iowa in which he compared the president's Iraq strategy to the Hurricane Katrina response two years ago.

"The president continues to suffer from what I refer to as the Katrina complex," he said. "The Katrina complex is, ignore all the warnings, bad things happen, continue to follow the same bad, failed policy and things get worse and worse. That's exactly what this policy is doing to us."

Biden said a series of reports have refuted the claim that Iraq was somehow related to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"That should put to rest once and for all the false refrain that President Bush keeps repeating and repeated today," he said.

Fixing the image at the Justice Department

2007-07-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he's is going to stick around because he's knows he can fix the image of the Justice Department.

Actually, Al, the only thing that will fix the department's image is if you don't stay.

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he's staying at the Justice Department to try to repair its broken image, telling Congress in a statement released Monday he's troubled that politics may have played a part in hiring career federal prosecutors.
Senators already skeptical of Gonzales' ability to lead the department were preparing to hammer him about the firings of eight U.S. attorneys and conflicts between his earlier statements and the testimony of a former aide.

Bush Says He's Sorry

2007-07-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

Not really, but if he did it might sound something like what Maureen Dowd wrote in The New York Times:

The people trusted me with an important position. I didn't live up to expectations. I let Dick supersize the executive branch and cast Democrats as whiners and traitors. Why did I not suspect that Dick might be power-hungry when he appointed himself vice president? Why did I let him take over my presidency and fill it up with warmongers' I was so afraid to be called a wimp, as my father once was, I allowed Dick and Rummy to turn me into a wimp. I should never have allowed Dick to conspire with energy lobbyists and steer contracts to Halliburton. A tip-off should have been when Dick kept giving himself all the same powers that I had. Or when he outed that pretty lady spy.

If only I had kept my promise to go after the thugs who attacked us on 9/11, because now I?ve made Osama and Al Qaeda stronger. I know my false claim about Al Qaeda's ties with Iraq led to Iraq's being tied down by Al Qaeda. I see now that my bungled war on terror has created more terror, empowered Iran and made America less secure. Oh, yeah, and I'm sorry I broke the military.

Mother, Child Get the Boot

2007-07-13T12:54:00.001-07:00

A woman and her child were thrown off an airplane because a flight attendant was annoyed.

From the AP:

Kate Penland, of suburban Atlanta, said she and her 19-month-old son, Garren, were flying from Atlanta to Oklahoma last month on a Continental Express flight that made a stop in Houston.

As the plane was taxiing in Houston en route to Oklahoma, "he started saying 'Bye, bye plane,' Penland told WSB-TV in Atlanta. The flight attendant objected, she said.

"At the end of her speech, she leaned over the gentleman beside me and said, 'It's not funny anymore. You need to shut your baby up,'" Penland told WSB-TV in Atlanta.

When Penland asked the woman if she was joking, she said the stewardess replied, "You know, it's called baby Benadryl."

"And I said, 'Well, I'm not going to drug my child so you have a pleasant flight,'" Penland told the TV station.

Penland said other passengers began speaking up on her behalf, and the flight attendant announced they were turning around and that Penland and Garren were going to be taken off the plane.

Penland and her son were let off the plane and did not complete the trip to Oklahoma, said Kristy Nicholas, spokeswoman for Express Jet Airlines, which flies as Continental Express on behalf of Continental Airlines.