Yet Another Website

Bush is no “Mr. Smith”

(via Musings of a Philosophical Scrivener)

Hearing President Bush these days constantly complain about “the politicians” and John Kerry being part of a “Washington mind-set,” and saying things like “I got news for the Washington crowd” is like hearing Courtney Love bitch about junkies. “Washington insider” is by definition a function of one’s proximity to the president. That’s you, Mr. Bush. You’re ground zero. Ever wonder, sir, why everyone stands and they play music when you enter a room? When you’re given check-writing privileges by the Federal Reserve, you just might be a Washington insider.

Lemme try to explain it to you in a different way: You’re not “Mr. Smith goes to Washington” — you’re the Washington part. We need a Mr. Smith to mess with you. You’re not on a mission you reluctantly accepted, like the old farts in “Space Cowboys.” You campaigned for this job, and now you’re doing it again. And having been the Grand Poobah for three years, it’s a little late to be selling yourself as some fish-out-of-water cowboy visiting the big city on assignment.
–Bill Maher

God Hates Shrimp

(via Eschaton)

God Hates Shrimp:

Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, mussels, all these are an abomination before the Lord, just as gays are an abomination. Why stop at protesting gay marriage? Bring all of God’s law unto the heathens and the sodomites. We call upon all Christians to join the crusade against Long John Silver’s and Red Lobster. Yea, even Popeye’s shall be cleansed. The name of Bubba shall be anathema. We must stop the unbelievers from destroying the sanctity of our restaurants.

Too funny!

An Example of Poor Planning

Man treated after attempting to nail himself to cross:

HARTLAND – A Hartland man was treated at a Pittsfield hospital after he nailed himself to a cross. The 23-year-old man apparently was trying to commit suicide Thursday evening in his living room, the Bangor Daily News reported.

Somerset County Sheriff Barry DeLong said Monday that no charges will be filed. “There is no crime here,” he said.

Police said the man appeared delusional and told them he had been “seeing pictures of God on the computer.” He told them he had not seen the hit movie “The Passion of the Christ,” which depicts the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Lt. Pierre Boucher said the man took two pieces of wood, nailed them together in the form of a cross and placed them on the floor.

Makes sense, tough I question whether simply nailing the two pieces of wood is sufficient for the task.

He attached a suicide sign to the wood and then proceeded to nail one of his hands to the makeshift cross using a 14-penny nail and a hammer.

OUCH! The more mechanically inclined people reading this probably see the problem with this guy’s plan.

“When he realized that he was unable to nail his other hand to the board, he called 911,” Boucher said.

It was unclear whether the man was seeking assistance for his injury or help in nailing down his other hand.

Hartland Fire Department members responded, said Boucher, and cut off the wood while it was still attached to the man’s hand. The wood and the victim were taken to Sebasticook Valley Hospital, where the nail was removed.

Boucher said he did not know whether the man received further treatment.

John Carroll University Blue Streaks are on their way to the Final Four!

OK – It’s NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball

About the Road To The Final Four:

The John Carroll men’s basketball team made school history on the night of Saturday, March 13, in Wooster, Ohio. By virtue of its 70-64 victory over Wooster in the sectional final of the 2004 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship, JCU is advancing to its first Final Four.

While the Blue Streaks had enjoyed success at home all season, they had to prove an ability to win on the road if they wished to reach Salem, Virginia. Following a win at home over Calvin (88-77) in the opening round, John Carroll defeated Wittenberg (84-65) on the road on March 6, Maryville (76-74) on a neutral court this past Friday, and Wooster (70-64) on the Fighting Scots’ home floor Saturday.

John Carroll hopes to build upon its school-record 26 wins this season with a successful appearance in the Final Four. Standing in the way will be three top ten teams according to the latest d3hoops.com poll.

Update: It was fun while it lasted, but you can only choose from a menu of states and a menu of coalition groups – there’s no longer a “fill in the blank” option.

Here’s a couple of examples of the fun that can be had:

Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over

More can be found at these sites:

More Waffle Recipes

From The Arizona Republic: Gingerbread Waffles

Here’s some more Waffle Recipes.

Where’s the Outrage?

(via corrente)

Bush Fund-Raisers Among Overnight Guests:

At least nine of Bush’s biggest fund-raisers appear on the latest list of White House overnight guests, covering June 2002 through December 2003, and-or on the Camp David list, which covers last year. They include:

_Mercer Reynolds, an Ohio financier, former Bush partner in the Texas Rangers baseball team and former ambassador to Switzerland. Reynolds is leading Bush’s campaign fund-raising effort. He was a guest at the White House and the Camp David retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains.

_Brad Freeman, a venture capitalist who is leading Bush’s California fund-raising effort, has raised at least $200,000 for his re-election campaign and is also a major Republican Party fund-raiser. Freeman stayed at the White House.

_Roland Betts, who raised at least $100,000 for Bush in 2000, was a Bush fraternity brother at Yale and a Texas Rangers partner. Betts stayed at the White House and Camp David.

_William DeWitt, a Bush partner in the oil business and Texas Rangers who has raised at least $200,000 for Bush’s re-election effort, stayed at the White House.

_James Francis, who headed the Bush campaign’s 2000 team of $100,000-and-up volunteer fund-raisers and was a Bush appointee in Texas when Bush was governor. Francis was a White House guest.

_Joseph O’Neill, an oilman and childhood friend who introduced Bush to Laura Bush and raised at least $100,000 for each of Bush’s presidential campaigns, stayed at the White House.

_Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and New York Gov. George Pataki, who each raised at least $200,000 for Bush’s re-election campaign, were White House guests.

_James Langdon, who raised at least $100,000 for Bush, is a Washington attorney specializing in international oil and gas transactions. Langdon, whose clients include the Russian oil company Lukoil, is a member of Bush’s foreign intelligence advisory board and served on Bush’s 2000 presidential transition team on energy policy

At this point, Bush might as well start getting blow jobs from interns (unless he already has…).

Wishful Thinking on Jobs

(via Eschaton)
Here’s a graph from Paul Krugman’s March 9, 2004 column:

Krugman then writes:

Economic forecasting isn’t an exact science, but wishful thinking on this scale is unprecedented. Nor can the administration use its all-purpose excuse: all of these forecasts date from after 9/11. What you see in this chart is the signature of a corrupted policy process, in which political propaganda takes the place of professional analysis.

There’s nothing like a simple graph to illustrate a point…