Absence

Faithful readers, you may have noticed that I had not written much the last 1-2 weeks. The reason being I had taken a trip to California, but never fear; I am back in Wisconsin and will resume my nonsensical bloviating posthaste. I may even post some of the choice pictures when I am able to find my camera software CD.

Mmmmm......Bacon

Here is a study I wish i could have been involved in.

Gigantoraptor

3,000 lb. bird-dinosaur was found in Mongolia.
More here.

Slingshot to Space

Yes, we might soon be hurling things into space with a glorified slingshot, the Slingatron. Iran has vowed to develop their own version of the device that will hurl live pigs into Israel.

Talking Heads Vol 1

Todays match-up:
George Bush vs. Joe Lieberman

Tonight's question:
The U.S. hasn't invaded or liberated a foreign country for 4 years, has the time arrived to do so again? If so, where?

"I think we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq,"




"We will disrupt the attacks on our forces... And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq." 1





"By some estimates, they have killed as many as 200 American soldiers,"



"I would like to be at the -- have been given a chance for us to explain that we have no desire to harm the Iranian people." 2




"If they don't play by the rules, we've got to use our force, and to me that would include taking military action to stop them from doing what they're doing."





"It doesn't mean force necessarily. In this case it means diplomacy." 3





"...we can't just talk to them,"



"I strongly disagree -- strongly disagree with his assessment. I have told the American people, like the Iranian issue, I wanted to solve the North Korean issue peacefully, and that the President has an obligation to try all diplomatic means necessary to do so." 2



"they'll take that as a sign of weakness on our part and we will pay for it in Iraq and throughout the region and ultimately right here at home,"



"...if I thought we could achieve success, I would sit down." ... "Look, this is a world in which -- and I'm not suggesting you're this way -- but this is a world in which people say, meet -- sit down and meet." 2





Mr. President, about Iran?



"First of all, I don't think I called for a deadline, I thought I said (timetable)," ... "I did, what exactly did I say? I said deadline? OK ... Then I meant what I said." 4





"..."





"Listen, thank you for your time. I enjoyed it very much."

Go Fuck Yourself, FCC

In an interesting twist, the FCC press release used more dirty words than the incidents in question, after being told if the pres and vice pres do it its ok.

Canadian Bacon

Black Holes and Hot dogs.

The Return of Kilby

Craig Kilborn Ready To Return To The Daily Show

Knuckle Sandwich

Now that's what i call politics.

Mixed Reviews

Maybe he forgot to extend the antenna?

Come on down!

Pitching Woo

That was so 3 years ago

We must find the aliens soon!

Soon being in the next 1 or 2 billion years, according to this. CMBR, I will miss you! What good times we had!

Glue Me

Superglue or Elmer's? I wish i knew. Needless to say, I'm still waiting for my duct tape surgery.

Skull diamond

Interesting but who's gonna shell out the money to buy it?
The skull

Consumption, visualized

A great visualization of some U.S. statistics.

Things i wish I didn't have to hear

It's a short list for now. I may add to at my leisure.

#1 - Emergency bills for war funding referred to as 'funding the troops'.
Because only a small fraction of that is actually funding the troops. It is a war funding bill so call it one. CNN did this repeatedly during the debate tonight. They also referred to the immigration bill as 'voting for the border fence'. Please stop oversimplifying, misrepresenting, and dumbing things down. Is it that much harder to say 'immigration bill that included a border fence provision'?

#2 - 'Supporting the troops'.
Everyone will say they do. Almost everyone actually does. Debating who does and who doesn't is useless. Try talking about how actual policies or proposals affect people in the military, and please stop using these didactic, intelligence insulting phrases.

#3 - 'Amnesty' as a dirty word in relation to immigration
The alternative is what, mass deportation of 12+ million? Death sentences to them all? Who do you think you're kidding? For the past few decades businesses got cheap labor, consumers got cheap prices, and gov't winked and looked the other way. One day white folks notice immigrants are living here and not commuting from Mexico every day and get scared, so we can solve it all by just kicking them out, right?
Last but not least, the word amnesty itself is getting a bad shake from this too, don't ruin such a good word with xenophobic innuendo.

Quote of the Night - Dem Debates

Goes to Obama for the line "I don’t want to raise my hand anymore" after Wolf Blitzer asked the second or third patronizing raise your hand if... question. After all, it is a presidential debate not a kindergarten class or deoderant commercial.

Bizarro World?

No, that's really his name.