The New Bennifer!

CNN.com is reporting Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are now married - Jun 30, 2005 I put the over/under at 2 years and 3 months for the impending divorce.

A Fine Example

We elluded to a new carnival for the blogosphere here. A great example regarding something you could submit is here. Kenny Rogers: Possibly Crazy Yesterday, Kenny decided to knock around some camera men that had credentials and were prepping/filming for Texas's matchup with the Angels. "Kenny is having anger issues right now," Rangers general manager John Hart said. "I don't know what's going on inside. We're responding to something that's very unusual." I wish the best for Kenny. It's apparent something isn't right. I haven't seen the video but from what I hear, the attack wasn't justified or even provoked. The Dallas Morning News has lots of info, with video of the aftermath.

How Cute

Question: Do you genuinely support the troops if you refer to them as cannon fodder? 7:29 oh, and please sign up for the military, we're getting a little short on cannon fod-- umm, noble warriors Note to pro-war commenters: if you haven't served, sign up, you fucking chickenhawk. My brother just went to basic about three weeks ago. It's upsetting that he's (and Tom) considered cannon fodder to some on the left. Update: Sharp as a Marble elaborates: ChickenCops - People who call 911 expecting the police to protect them when they're too scared to join the force themselves!!! This can also apply to the unreasonable request that someone douse the flames engulfing your house if you've never shared a seat with a dalmation on the way to a 3 alarm inferno yourself. Join the force or shut up! Hoo-ah! WE NEED MORE FIRE-FODDER... I MEAN DALMATION PASSENGER NOBLE WARRIORS! Neener neener!!

Hotel Lost Liberty

Wouldn't this be Sweet, Sweet Justice? Won't you please give generously, and often, to this capitalist venture to build a hotel? The folks at Freestar Media hope to garner enough venture capital to persuade a plurality of selectmen in David Souter's home community to allow them to acquire the land upon which his house now sits. Who cares if he lives there on land he currently owns? He used to have inalienable property rights, now he doesn't thanks to a decision he helped form. I hope they succeed and force that asshole out of his house before the next Supreme Court session begins.

Tonight Bush is going to give a speech...

CNN.com reports that Bush is to tout 'clear strategy' for Iraq is a speech tonight. Let me tell you what he'll say: We care about the troops, we'll share the burden with Iraq and we will dare to do this as quickly as possible and not allow for a premature pullout. Everyone hates the premature pullout. All you do is make a mess. Here is what he wishes that he could say: Media, you can kiss my ass. You report that "there are about 138,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. Since the war began in March 2003, more than 1,740 U.S. troops have died there." Well, 58,000 died in Vietnam, so it seems that we are 56,000 short of your "quagmire" comparison and we occupy the country, you crapbags. It seems that kind of thing doesn't get reported, now does it. It seems that the schools opened, the water piped and the electricity wired doesn't get reported either. In fact it seems that you can't quite report anything that actually causes you to get off you asses and go to Iraq in person and be around the people because that might actually require working somewhere there isn't a Starbucks on every corner and pilates video tapes in every spa. You say it's taking too long? Well you try blowing a place to hell, and rebuilding it with a culture that inspires people to not share information as a way for job security and nepotism as the only stable power structure. Let's not forget that a people that are convinced that "Allah is with them and they will therefore win any battle" have had their asses handed to them. It's kinda difficult having to question your faith while being allowed to think for yourself freely for the first time. Finally, you keep saying that this hasn't had anything to do with terrorism and there were no weapons of mass destruction. Well, how many attacks have we had here since? How many Kurds have been gassed? It seems that we are fighting our battles in their backyards not ours. So when you want to know when we are going to pull out or when we are going to be done I have a answer for you: When we're damn well finished. Of course, that isn't what you'll here in the press conference, but it would be really nice if it was.

Because Everyone Loves Carnies...

Carnival of Crazy FAQ What is the Carnival of Crazy? See below! What qualifies as crazy? It's subjective but usually it's the odd news items or things that make you laugh, shake your head or give it that puppy dog slight tilt... like when they hear high-pitched noices, etc. I submitted an item and it wasn't published! That's not a question but I'll comment on it - It wasn't crazy enough. It wasn't funny. You're spamming the carnival entry submission forms. Stop it and send something crazy. You're a jerk! Can I host the Carnival of Crazy? Why yes you can! Just email me with your request and I'll pencil you in. I'm hosting the Carnival of Crazy so what now? Go crazy. You can find all the items you want to include yourself. You can publish any item submitted or not. If they aren't crazy, don't publish them. If you don't like the content, don't publish them. I have had weeks were I tossed almost everything and went out on my own and gathered up some material. People love sending marginal posts to every carnival they can get away with. And lots of times those same folks won't even hit you back with a link or thanks. And you called me the jerk? Yay! It's hosted! Where the heck is the traffic? Hey, we only get a couple hundred hits per day and lots of those are search hits. But we do have a nice group of dedicated readers at FIU. Chances are, if you host a really good Carnival of Crazy, we'll let you know about it and generate as much buzz as we can. Knock yourself out! I love the FIU website. I have no idea why I haven't been to your site yet or blogrolled you. Can I do it now? We forgive you and of course you can! Original Announcement: File it Under presents the newest carnival to hit the blogosphere, On bi-monthly basis, we'll bring you some of the craziest things we come across. From news, blog entries or current events. We'll also be accepting submissions from our readers, as well. Please email your crazy finds to carnivalofcrazy@gmail.com and they'll be eligible for our debut posting. Submissions can be humor-based crazy or serious/outrageous crazy. All types of crazy accepted. There are three main categories: Moonbat crazy - no shortage of this... Domestic crazy - think Hollywood, Tom Cruise, Courtney Love, et al International Crazy - i.e. stories of crazy from abroad This will be a grass roots effort from the beginning so we'll need the help of our neighbors and frequent readers (you know who you are) to get this off the ground. There will be a more formal (and very official-sounding) announcement later, including the deadline for entries and debut for the carnival. In the meantime FIU's executives and Art Director have some projects lined up for completion. Stay tuned... Update: Kim Jong appears to be excited... Another Rob B. creation We are, too... Good examples of crazy items can be found here, here and here. If you're a fan of the Carnival and have a blog, please take the official blog button below: You can point the button to File it Under's homepage or the carnival info page here. Drop me a line in the comments or email if you certify your blog... especially if I don't already have you blogrolled.

John Walton

It's tragic because it looks like he was a great advocate for improving education for kids. It's one thing to support this but it's another to be extremely wealthy and support this and John Walton did. Also: John Walton was an Army veteran who served with the Green Berets as a medic during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Silver Star for saving the lives of several members of his unit while under enemy fire, according to the company. Didn't John Denver die in a similar accident? I guess it's a passion for flying issue but does anyone know the safety record for these aircraft? I wouldn't call myself a flying buff. I like flying as a form of travel - it's fast and safe but I trust Boeing in building aircraft. I would not fly in anything that I built.

A Cheap Addiction

Over the past few weeks, I've come to realize why the chart for ticker symbol SBUX looks like this... ...over the past decade-plus. I now know why $10,000 invested 10 years ago in SBUX is now worth $12 bazillion dollars now... rounded. I've recently began stopping by my local Starbuck(s) locations to get my morning coffee. I get their morning bold blend and it's good. One might even describe it as devine. Our work supplies a coffee service and compared to Satanbucks it tastes like warmed over marsh water. Whereas my (almost) daily Heroinbucks tastes like a warm embrace, a deal-sealing handshake, a springtime daybreak sunrise on a Saturday, or a morning walk in the autumn woods while wearing a nice flannel shirt. It's tasty. So you SBUX stockholders can continue to get my $1.84 a few times a week, as long as the 'feel-good' keeps coming. And if anyone has a cure for the delerium tremens that will no-doubt ensue from a prolonged separation, let me know in the comments.

China's Ultimate Taiwan Attack

What if the Chinese government could attack Taiwan with very little risk of international response? What if, say, they had tens of thousands of significantly important foreign dignitaries, businessmen, wealthy citizens, news personnel, and prominent athletes under lock-and-key all at the same time? Would the international community DARE risk any response to the Chinese under these circumstances? The Beijing Olympics are coming, Summer 2008, and when it arrives- the Chinese will have a LOT of prominent foreigners on their soil, a military with equivalent tech and more manpower than the United States, and the ability to squash any kind of UN response. It's the PERFECT opportunity for them to launch their strike. The theory is given credence by this report from the Washington Times which holds that the Pentagon fears just such an attack on Taiwan during this timeframe.

Dog Days of Summer

Well, it's Friday, kids. That means two things - that hardly anyone will read this post and it's time for a things to do list. So here's seven fun things you can do this weekend: Make guacamole (C'mon! Like you didn't see that one coming...) Go raise a barn Apologize ahead of time Themed costume gathering/party (suggestion: The Village People) Buy an American flag and mount for your home. Tape off your conservative neighbor's door with yellow tape and park a bulldozer on their lawn Thank the Lord for Americans like William Haviland Carrier

Nine-Word Opinion on Kelo

Would you like those five bitch-slappings super sized?

Kelo: A Day Later

To say that this decision makes me angry is an understatement. I already have an issue with eminent domain in the case of public works. It seems that it is abused too often for me. This decision, however, clearly sides with business over the rights of the individual in a way that violates the very essence of the American dream. I my little town alone there are two eminent domain cases that are ongoing and grossly unfair. In one case, you have a small business owner that bought a run down, unused gas station and rebuilt it as a 24 hour tire repair place. A year later, they started and completed construction on a 2 story building of loft apartments. Now that same developer wants to build across the street from them and has bought 2 of the business around the tire store. The reason that he's unwilling to build on the land that he has and leave the tire store alone is this simple. 1.) He wants to occupy the corner of Main and Center. 2.) Having the tire store there will make it harder to sell lofts. So the city is now in the fray offering a lowball price on this guy's business based on the "value" of the property, when the true value is the location. Meanwhile, my lovely burg has allowed the sale of beer and wine. Great. Now I don't have to drive far for a sixpack or to the winos that Laura Miller kicked out of Dallas. In doing this, Costco has decided that they want to set up shop here. One problem. The place that they consider the prime location happens to be occupied by a family who has a house and land there that was family owned for 50 years. So back when half our town was cow pasture around a nuclear missile silo they had this house. Once again, the fair city offers a low ball value because they are salivating over the tax revenues they can get from a megastore and screw the homeowners who get in the way. Some people look at that and say that at least my taxes will get lower. We both know that's crap. They won't. As a citizen, I'm paying for land seized from a person that doesn't want to sell with no benefit other than seeing a Costco go up near my house. Oh joy. While all of this goes on, our out of touch liberal judges... I still don't get that... decide that the city knows best. Wait a sec, I'm no scholar but let me check something: Amendment III No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. Amendment IV The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. The general spirit of both amendments seems to suggest that the government has no right to even enter your house unless you're breaking the law. How is it if my house is so sacred that you can't enter it, that you can take it from me on the perceived idea that it will make money for the city? What if Enron wanted to tear down a subdivision to make place for an office building or Adelphia had wanted to tear down some homes for a cable outlet or Tyco felt like ripping down some residences in the name of a new retail outlet? Where would you be now? There are a lot of vacant K-Marts that aren't producing any revenue the last time that I checked. How about bankruptcy? I can homestead my house to protect myself being evicted through the power of the federal government, yet I can displaced by Home Depot's desire for a good location? I have lost a lot of faith in our courts. I have written emails to all of my State Reps and State Senators letting them know now is the time to secure a place in history by spearheading efforts to make the bar for privatized eminent domain so high that the ruling is moot. The use of eminent domain for public works is an evil necessity that shouldn't ever be considered lightly. But the use of eminent domain in the name of private commerce should be a guaranteed "pay day" for the parties uprooted so much so that companies are loathe to do it. American's deserve to be secure in their homes. It is what our soldier are fighting for, and have fought for, in a world that would take our freedoms. Those freedoms came at a heavy price and are the defining characteristic of this country and if the courts won't protect that then some one else needs to step up or we need to vote in the people that will.

Musings on Todays Kelo Ruling

I flipped around the Big 3 Nightly News programs tonight. NBC covered the Eminent Domain ruling right away, but neglected to mention that the 4 Liberal Justices formed the core of the ruling. ABC and CBS covered the topic later in their broadcasts, and of course also failed to mention that the Liberal Justices were responsible. If the 4 most Conservative justices had played into the tired meme that they bow before the Lords of Big Business, as the Liberal Justices clearly did today, than you can count on the FACT that every media outlet in the US would be mentioning their Rightwing affiliation and nailing them on the treachery displayed toward the common man. However, the Leftwing justices bowed down to drink from the vein of Big Government, so the media naturally ignores their ideologies. Why isn't this getting more attention? Stevens, Souter, Ginsberg, Breyer- they are the 4 Most Liberal justices. They struck directly at an individuals right to own property without fear of some petty, corrupt, local official stealing it away from them and giving it to a palm-greasing real-estate developer. Rehnquist, O'Connor, Scalia, Thomas- the 4 usually nailed to the cross for their conservatism... their ideal of fair play, and desire to see regular people own property without fear, these things won't gain them credit in the eyes of the Left. Of course, these Justices would never be elevated to the courts today- not without selling out at least half of them in some compromise involving John McCain and Robert "KKK" Byrd. As it was, Republicans nominating them when Democrats dominated national politics, it's amazing we were able to get all 4 to the SC. If they hadn't been the first woman, the first Italian man, and the first Republican-nominated Black man- they'd likely have gone the way of Robert Bork. Justice Kennedy- you can kiss ANY hope of being Chief Justice goodbye. I had heard that he was on the fast track to Chief Justice, sure as hell not as long as enough Republicans remember his role in todays screwjob. If we ring enough phones when Rehnquist decides to step down, we can keep him from that esteemed position. We shouldn't forget this. The Republican leadership needs to strike the iron while it's hot, and let the public know that you can expect rulings like this when the Democrats can successfully filibuster conservative nominees.

Tin foil-riffic!

Question: Do you think Karl Rove is behind the Kelo ruling? The USSC has caused an uproar of epic magnitude... ... just in time to take any spotlight off of the Dems attempt to make a fuss over his quote.

Can you see this in Vegas? How about Washington D.C.?

Remind me some time and I'll take you guys down a visual stroll of the infamous "Northwest Highway" and "Harry Hines" via my digital camera. There I can show you the seemy side of the illegal "massage parlors" and "bath houses", as well as the out and out whores, in Dallas. It's a grungy industrial area that caters to Dallas' illegal sex trade. But it ain't nothing like what they got in the orient baby! Check out the upscale digs here. Secret escape hallways. Pre-recorded office sounds so you can fool cell phone callers. Super saunas and double bathtubs. Most importantly, they are ISO 9001 certified. Not an easy feat. (And just who inspects loveshacks for a living, really? "This sex swing obviously can't handle more than 4 people, get a OSHA sticker on that.") That is one thing that amazes me, being from the Bible Belt, the straight up in your face sex culture of Asia. It just never fails to entertain me to read some of what goes on over there and then imagine them trying to expand business to the states. Vegas would be foaming at the mouth.

How Uninspiring....

The Democrats are calling for Karl Rove to resign because of some comments. I read the comments they have in the story: Bush's chief political adviser, Rove said in a speech Wednesday that "liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers." Conservatives, he told the New York state Conservative Party just a few miles north of Ground Zero, "saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war." Rove said the Democratic Party made the mistake of calling for "moderation and restraint" after the terrorist attacks. Quick check here, hmmm. No Nazi, gulag of Khmer Rouge references. How can these be so bad? The democrats seem to think that they are. Adding to the rancor, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, suggested that Republican charges that Democrats were undermining the war on terror with their criticism of administration policies amounted to an act of desperation. "The president wanted to go to Iraq in the worst possible way and he did," Pelosi said. "The president is on the ropes." Nancy, first, Karl Rove said that, not George Bush. Second, he said "liberals", not Democrats. Third, while "liberals" are part of the Democrats and not the whole thing, the call for "moderation and constraint" being a mistake is a opinion. We are allowed to have those via that first amendment thingy you guys pull out and wave around when it suits you. Finally, when you gripe that the President is on the ropes because of Iraq I want to remind you the Democrats lost the presidential election to a man who started the war in Iraq. We weren't exactly having a bake sale in Iraq during the election, why couldn't you guys gain ground then? I'll tell you something that isn't helping you win now: Scripts. I'm not talking "prescription drugs" I talking about your ability to get a message across. Look at these three comments from democrats in the story: 1. "Karl Rove should immediately and fully apologize for his remarks or he should resign," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said in a statement. "I hope the president will join me in repudiating these remarks." 2.Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean called on Bush to "show some leadership and unequivocally repudiate Rove's divisive and damaging political rhetoric." 3.During a Senate hearing on Iraq in which Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other military leaders testified, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, read Rove's statement and urged them to reject the remarks."I would hope that you and other members of the administration would immediately repudiate such an insulting comment from a high-ranking official in the president's inner circle," Clinton said. Now maybe Washington is just different and people "repudiate" all the time. "Did you want fries with that, sir." "NO, I repudiate the insinuation that I do." I find that unlikely. Since we all know that memos get sent off and people get updated on remarks like a stock ticker in DC, let me give some advice. It doesn't sound like really heartfelt indignation when you all use the same verbiage. Al least get a thesaurus and expand our vocabulary. The statement is overbroad and a generalization. Still, I didn't see any of the quoted parties calling for Durbin or Dean to quit in the last month. People say stuff and we don't have to agree. Grow a pair. If you don't like it, fight it. However, don't waste our time with obviously scripted responses and expect us to take it seriously. Score some points for originality and say what you really think.

Irony Meter Pegged

Check out this gem from Howard Dean. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean called on Bush to "show some leadership and unequivocally repudiate Rove's divisive and damaging political rhetoric." From HOWARD "I HATE REPUBLICANS" DEAN You can't get any better than that. And here's what Rove has DNC leadership's panties bunched: "Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers." Spot on, Karl.

SICKENING!

The wealthy and their corrupt local politician cronies were handed a HUGE victory today when the Leftists and moderates on the Supreme Court granted local governments sweeping powers to seize private property from public citizens and give it away to their campaign contributors. Now, the poor and middle-class throughout the United States can have their land seized at the whim of their neighborhood officials, to be sold at a song to wealthy real estate developers. Where were the Leftist members of the court on this issue? They sided with Big Business, of course. Where were Scalia, Thomas, Rehnquist, and O'Connor on this issue? They sided with the Little Guy. I'm absolutely AGHAST! I've never been so angry about a court ruling in my entire life. I'm sure the founding fathers are spinning in their graves. For more info, click here, and here... (Note: I normally wouldn't touch a subject that a fellow site member touched, but this is just so enraging. My moms husband had his workplace taken away by a corrupt local politician; Dearborn's Mayor Guido- who turned a privately owned business into a friends condo development and parking lot.)

WTF !?!

Eminent domain is a touchy subject but this crap is ludicrous. So now, if Taco Bell, for example, decides that they need a store where my house is located, even if it is an ancestral estate that has been in my family for 20 generations, the local city government is as far as it has to go to displace me for a private development. I guess I may want to put a Krispy Kream in at all 9 Justices' house locations. Do you think that they might have a problem with that? This is a load of crap. Let's play the example game shall we. Right now, in Denton county in Texas, the largest oil and gas play is the Barnett shale. It's low risk gas. The problem is that most of the area is leased up and controlled by land owners. It seems that now, as long as I can convince the city government that I have the mineral rights beneath it I can displace citizen just to drill a well. Sound fair to you? Me neither. Kiss all your private beachfront property good bye. Get used to the little man getting screwed. The United States just took one big revolution in the downward spiral.

Might as well...

Here's my stance on the Flag Burning Amendment - I'm not really rooting for it to pass. I'm a big fan (as most people are) of free speech and I agree with the position that burning the flag (when not being burned as the proper way to dispose the flag) is an example of free speech. I'm not a flag burner but we all know the types that are. And watching people protest by burning the flag doesn't bother me. Most people will not rally to a cause being sponsored by those that burn flags. However, they should retain the right to do so at their whim. The one reason why I wouldn't mind it passing would be seeing the Constitution amended in my lifetime. That process would be amazing to watch, in my opinion. Either way, it's not a huge issue with me. I'd prefer to see it fail. Flag burning during peaceful protests or demonstrations should remain legal, in my opinion.

Report: Air Force Academy Failed Religious Cadets

CNN.com - Report: Air Force Academy failed religious cadets - Jun 22, 2005 I saw this article and said, "Man, that's sounds hard core." I hadn't heard the rumblings of this story before, so being the "Conservative Christian" that I am, I checked it out. Listen to this: "The [Air Force] team found a religious climate that does not involve overt religious discrimination, but a failure to fully accommodate all members' needs and a lack of awareness where the line is drawn between permissible and impermissible expression of beliefs," the report said. The Air Force team was appointed to investigate the religious climate at the 4,300-student school in Colorado Springs, Colorado, after hearing complaints that evangelical Christians wield so much influence at the school that anti-Semitism and other forms of religious harassment have become pervasive. That's not good. No one should have their beliefs stepped on that way. That was followed by this: The Air Force report cites some incidents but does not go into details: religious slurs and disparaging remarks between cadets and statements from faculty and staff with strong religious beliefs that some cadets found offensive. "There is a lack of awareness on the part of some faculty and staff, and perhaps some senior cadets, as to what constitutes appropriate expressions of faith," said Brady. Brady said he was unsure whether many of the incidents qualified as intolerance, but said "there's certainly insensitivity" at the institution. "Yes, I think there were cases where people said some things perhaps from a lectern that were overreaching, forgetting their position, that put cadets perhaps in an untenable position in terms of, 'Gee, am I going to pass Physics 101 if I don't agree with this guy?,"' he said. Over all , it seems that the general idea was that while it hadn't reached "really bad" proportions, the Air Force was being commended for at least owning up to the fact that there might be problems. That's good news. It did make me wonder though, can this standard be reversed at the University level on other campuses? For example, I wondered as a freshman 'Gee, am I going to pass English 101 if I don't agree with this lady?' when my Professor told us the first day that "as far as she was concerned Jesus was just the bastard son of Mary and whatever man put him on her." Of course being me, I disagreed. Oh yeah, I did fail that class. Then later, after having my papers reviewed by the Chair for the English department, I passed with a B. I also wonder how that would compare with the Philosophy teacher that berated me as "simple and intellectually slothful to believe that shit" when he asked who in the class was a Christian. Throughout the rest of the semester he referred to me as "your grace" and "your eminence" when ever he asked a question. The class by the way was logic 204. It never deals with religion. I got an A. Surely, however, these types of things are events that only happened to me and those non-Christians in the Air Force Academy. After all, if teachers at the university level used their lectern to espouse religious and idealism in a aggressive manner, without sensitivity to student beliefs and in classes that didn't deal with that subject matter, what would the world come to? Invariably, it would result in jaded young people that view the university education system as a place that encourages free thought and learning that challenges your beliefs in a effort to make you grow by not respecting your sensibilities, while still being a place where you can overcome perceived adversity by hard work and honesty. How can we protect everyone's sensitivities if we have that? To quote the Great thinker Denis Leary, when asked about people who aren't happy with some event in their life ~ "Life sucks; get a helmet."

Captioning First

After a few weeks off from our clean sweep, FIU finally returns to the Willisms.com Caption Contest perch. Also, check out Will's post on our goofy Texas governor here, mofos. FIU's history of caption destruction here, here and here.

Have you ever wondered...

Have you ever wondered why NY city taxi cabs floors are so sticky? This may be why. A publicity stunt gone wrong left park-goers in Manhattan dealing with a big sticky mess Tuesday. NY1's Adam Balkin filed this report. It seemed like a good idea; a marketing gimmick for the first day of summer. "We're here in Union Square Park trying to break the Guinness Book or World Records, and we have this kiwi-strawberry 39,000-pound ice pop," said Wendy Kaufman, otherwise known as "The Snapple Lady." It was an ice pop so big, it took a crane to lift it into position in Union Square, where a Guinness official was on hand to judge if the pop was a record-breaker. The idea was to promote Snapple's new line of frozen desserts. But one thing the promoters apparently forgot; a massive ice pop doesn't like 85-degree weather. "The giant icicle is melting into the street," said witness Robert Mennella. "You can imagine when that stuff melts and gets into the street it creates a sticky, messy, hazardous situation." It wasn’t hazardous enough to injure anyone seriously, but for a while the sugary mix forced police to stop traffic around the park. "They waved me through, and they were letting some buses through. They said, 'Just be careful.' I didn’t know what was on the road," said Nile Heffernan, a cyclist who fell and got cut because his bike slipped in the melting sugar water. "Nobody said, 'Get off your bike,' or anything. "I didn't know, I just came around the corner. It's like oil." So how do you clean up this kind of spill? Bring in the fire hoses. So much for the publicity stunt. "We're not going to stand the pop up. It’s just gotten too hot," said Snapple’s Lauren Radcliffe. "With the heat that we've been having, unfortunately the pop did melt, and we're sorry. The mess is being cleaned up in the street." Snapple's dreams of breaking a Guinness record melted away too. They never got a chance to weigh their ice pop, so they'll never find out if it breaks the 20,000-pound record set in the Netherlands in August 1997.

Durbin Apologizes

This is my last last word on the subject. It's time to move on.

With A Smile Upon Her Face...

Liz Sidoti tells you all you need to know about Chimpy McSmirkhalliburton's second term thus far... Frist's abrupt public turnabout underscored the political pressures that the long-running battle over Bolton have heaped upon himself and Bush. [my personal favorite! Heaped! HEAPED!! Self-inflicted heaping!] Six months into his final term in office, Bush is struggling to avoid the perception of a weakened lame duck at a time when his proposal for revamping Social Security has made little progress and some lawmakers are calling for troop withdrawals from Iraq. Frist has lost control of the Republican-run Senate in recent weeks in fights over Bush's judicial appointments and earlier attempts to confirm Bolton. ... On Monday, Democrats made clear they weren't budging and most stood together to defeat a GOP effort to force a final vote on Bolton. The Senate voted 54-38, six shy of the total needed to advance his nomination. The vote represented an erosion in support from last month's failed Republican effort. [-emphasis heaped on by me] All is lost... It's starting to sound a lot like summer of last year, when the MSM and moonbats (redundant?) started calling victory in November and gains across the board. The end result was different. I suspect 2006 will have similar results.

Depopulating the Left

If the findings in this study are true, than legalized abortion may facilitate the Darwinian elimination of abortion advocates from the human race. Indeed, if a pro-abortion stance is heritable, and an anti-abortion stance is heritable, and given that abortion advocates are much more likely to have an abortion- than successive generations of babies would be less and less likely to have abortions. If you abstract this across political viewpoints, and find that Abortion advocates are generally Leftists, than you can understand that the phenomenon of legalized Abortion may be depopulating the Left.

Grapefruit the New Passionfruit?

Scientists with nothing better to do have concluded that the smell of grapefruit makes women appear six years younger. I can see Joan Rivers on the red carpet next time wearing half a grapefruit like a helmet. No dice, Joan. You still look old. Hirsch smeared several middle-aged woman with broccoli, banana, spearmint leaves, and lavender but none of those scents made a difference to the men. But the scent of grapefruit changed men's perceptions. No luck with broccoli? Didn't see that one coming. Here at the FIU Institute for Spare Time Usage we've discovered seven other things that make women appear to be younger. Convertible cars Hair that isn't gray Being born after 1980 Being smeared with whipped cream, cherries, chocolate or any combination of the three Being smeared with cash Local university parking passes on window/mirror Plastic surgery And as a plus, this research didn't cost the taxpayer a dime.

[Maybe] My Last Durbin Word and Some Thanks Around

For File it Under standards of traffic, last week was a good one. This is largely due to the Durbin quote blogstorm. I'd like to thank Jeff at protein wisdom, Maggie and Wunderkraut for tracking my original fury. I'd also like to thank Grendal's Dragon and Diana @ CotC for linking the "lighter side" and mocking post, GITMO Watch. And of course, our sister blog, where I first read about Dick. There are two sides to the Durbin issue. One is thinking what he said was outrageous and completely uncalled for. The belief that even on our worst day at Guantanamo, our treatment of prisoners can't hold a candle to the regimes that murderered millions. The side that believes that our treatment of prisoners, while not perfect, it suits those being held and could be considered by some to be too good. Then there's the side that supports Durbin. They believe any semblance of harsh or mistreatment is cause for outrage and over-the-top hyperbole. It matters not why those prisoners are there - treat them better than U.S. criminals, give them access to the courts, try them and release them, if necessary, even at the risk of them taking up arms against us again. And you cannot dismiss the fact that many Durbin defenders are doing so simply because it aligns them against the current administration. This is probably the more common bond for justifying Durbin's remarks - his remarks put him at odds against Bush and the administration. Durbin's quote... When you read some of the graphic descriptions of what has occurred here [at Guantanamo Bay]--I almost hesitate to put them in the [Congressional] Record, and yet they have to be added to this debate. Let me read to you what one FBI agent saw. And I quote from his report: On a couple of occasions, I entered interview rooms to find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food or water. Most times they urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18-24 hours or more. On one occasion, the air conditioning had been turned down so far and the temperature was so cold in the room, that the barefooted detainee was shaking with cold. . . . On another occasion, the [air conditioner] had been turned off, making the temperature in the unventilated room well over 100 degrees. The detainee was almost unconscious on the floor, with a pile of hair next to him. He had apparently been literally pulling his hair out throughout the night. On another occasion, not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room, and had been since the day before, with the detainee chained hand and foot in the fetal position on the tile floor. If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime--Pol Pot or others--that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners. That's it. As seen by our mocking Durbin's hyperbole, we can't and won't make the connection between this treatment and the treatment of prisoners by Nazis, gulags or Pol Pot. Yes, it seems very unpleasant and no, I would not want to be chained and left on the floor for a day. I've also done nothing to justify being there, as the prisoners have. Their lives at Gitmo are no picnic but they are all still alive and they all are not shooting at our soldiers or blowing up shopping malls. I don't think I can make it any clearer. One thing can be certain from this. There will be no shortage of detainee complaint from this point forward (whether witnessed or fabricated) because we have a press and political party standing by and waiting to play politics with it. And I do not support the stifling of free speech or the press' or people's rights to speak out on what they choose to. I just believe that doing so with such reckless abandon regarding the GWoT is a very poor area to do it in... extremely poor. And as I said in my initial twist-off, I hope that Democrats line up behind Durbin because it's a losing position. It appears that's happening on a small scale. I am glad - we could use more seats in congress and the Senate.

There is a God...

CNN.com - Report: Leonardo DiCaprio hit with a bottle - Jun 18, 2005 * No worries though - the bottle was uninjured buy DiCrapio's swollen head.

Blind Squirrel Finds Nut

I never have been that impressed with Rick Perry, the Texas Gov. This is a good step to changing that a little. Texans now have the 3rd option of life without parole in capital murder cases because the Governor didn't fight what I consider a needed measure. Prior to this, you either kill them or risk them getting paroled in 40 years. Now 40 years is a long time, but too long for say, Charles Manson? So Grandma, who has a real moral issue with the death penalty, on that jury was forced to struggle with commiting a con to death or risking him being out later can now toss a guy in a hole and throw away the key. I'm not sure that this will eliminate the death penalties in Texas, but it will make sure that those sentenced to die know that it was because the jury thought they deserved it.

The Unused Nixon Speech

I saw this on www.ehowa.com. Interesting stuff. When man first landed on the moon 36 years ago, President Nixon had a speech all ready in case man could not get off again. A contingency statement was prepared for Nixon, an eerie, poignant tribute that he would deliver while the astronauts were still alive but when there was no longer any hope for them. The memo, entitled "In Event of Moon Disaster," is dated July 18, 1969, two days before the moon landing. Nixon never had to act on it. Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin made it safely off the moon, back into the command module with Michael Collins, and home. The Apollo XI astronauts spent more than 21 hours on the moon, watched by millions around the world on TV. Nixon had the happy duty of putting in a phone call to them while they stood on the dusty lunar surface. But had something gone terribly wrong, these words were prepared: "Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace. These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice. These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding. They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown. In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man. In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood. Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts. For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind." According to the memo, in the event of disaster Nixon was advised to call each of the "widows-to-be" before reading the statement to the nation. Then NASA would cut off communication with the stranded astronauts and a clergyman would "adopt the same procedure as a burial at sea, commending their souls to 'the deepest of the deep,' concluding with the Lord's Prayer." It has long been rumored that astronauts landing on the moon carried suicide capsules in case their return became impossible.

GITMO Watch [6/17/2005]

Number of Detainees Suffering From: Beheadings: 0 Severed Limbs: 0 Simulated (or actual) Drowning: 0 Mutilation: 0 Raping: 0 Mishandled Qu'ran: 2 Excessive Sweating: 457 Yelled at: 4 Poked: 5 Saw 'fairly hot' female GI: 9 (8 at their own request) Loose top on the salt shaker gag: 2 But the day still has plenty of hours left. We'll keep on the vigil. Update: [3:25PM CST] For immediate release.... Confirmed report (via Newsweek) that at 4:14 EST a detainee was forced to "pull my finger" of a U.S. guard that was rumored to have eaten cabbage for lunch. Update: [6:49PM CST] Two counts of "Hey, what's on your shirt?" nose poking reported. This report brought to you by the real American patriots.

Update

Yep... Still looney tunes... Reporters question why Cruise led Holmes around while handcuffed to him

Since I'm in the mood...

Since I seem to have developed a belligerent streak that last few days, I want to pop off about something else: Performance art is the lowest form of art and resides under children stick figure drawings. In the article above, "A performance artist wearing safety harnesses jumped repeatedly from a museum roof to create photographs that recall scenes from the World Trade Center attack...." It goes on to say that "Skarbakka, 34, said he started thinking about falling after watching on television as workers jumped to their deaths from the twin towers on September 11, 2001." As a art major, I have had numerous experiences with conceptual artist. The irony is that usually they seem to conceptualize things that don't actually require the skill associated with fabrication of art. Some how, nothing they do requires them to draw, paint, print, sculpt, weld, mold, blow glass, glaze, airbrush or generally work. Normally, they do something high in shock value, because all artist are exhibitionist, yet it won't entail a lot of effort to perform or display. It distracts from people like Christo who does large fabric wrappings that require huge logistical efforts and are recorded on film. His stuff actually has a meaning and is provocative without relying on simple provocation. Most other performance art and conceptual art doesn't. I'm sorry, I've seen people crap on a pile of beef, drive nails through pig carcasses on crosses and video of some mastermind who, I can't remember his name, had someone shoot him in the arm with a .22 cal rifle. It may have had a deep message attached but the delivery of the message is so tied to attention grabbing that I think it's equivalent to masturbating in public. Everyone sees it. No one understands it. No one gets anything out of it but the performer. This guy is the same. While he has made CNN, he's a flash in the pan and his message never resonated with a demographic who has legitimate interest in it since they were there or knew people there. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg called it "nauseatingly offensive," and some who lost family and friends at the trade center agreed. "What kind of a sick individual is he? Tell him to go jump off the Empire State Building and see how it feels," Rosemarie Giallombardo, whose son Paul Salvio died in the terrorist attack, told the (New York) Daily News. "He's an artist? Go paint a bowl of fruit or something." Noble effort Skarbakka but the photos are empty because you blew your wad with your performance. Extra: Here is a link for Christo's web page

Treatment of Those Who'd Prefer Us Slaughtered

Our sister blog has chimed in on the Durbin issue. If you've been offline for the past two days, Sen Durbin has started a firestorm on the right by (what the right claims) comparing the US treatment of terrorists to Nazis, Soviet gulags and friendly despots like Pol Pot. I welcome the divide on this argument. It is a winner for us. The left's stance on the GWoT netted us seats in 2002, more seats and the presidency in 2004 and is sure to help us in 2006. Pat Ruffini says why. Dave claims this has resulted in... [H]owls of phony indignation form the right wing media machine. The next quote is from Kos... and it's a humdinger! The torture that was so bad under Saddam, is equally bad under U.S. command. And Dick Durbin had the balls to say it so on the Senate floor. Emphasis is mine... all mine. There you have it, folks. We're cutting off limbs, raping, gassing, killing, maiming and God knows what else down at Gitmo. Yep - we're just as bad as Saddam. That sums up the far-left's stance of the war and they have no problem spreading such devoid-of-any-reality shit around. Then, right on cue, the claim that "if you aren't serving in the armed forces, you should enlist or STFU" makes it's lauded appearance. And these cowards -- these people who will neither serve the cause they claim is so vital, nor urge others to serve it -- now rush to defend behavior that is indefensible? There is no moral compass anymore. The behavior of those that would just as soon have us wiped from the earth isn't considered inasmuch the behavior of the ones holding those at bay. I'm tired of this - I'd actually support beating the shit out of these butchers that have no protection under any "rules of war" because they follow no rules. We treat them better than some homeless in our country. The simple fact is that this stance stems only from the thought that any U.S. policy under Republican terms MUST BE COUNTERED AT ALL COSTS. Really, what is the Right trying to accomplish here? Inflict so much pain on Durbin that others will think twice before they levy legitimate criticisms of the war? Are they so hell-bent on their political correctness that any criticisms of the war effort is considered treasonous? I just hope that the left lines up behind Durbin's speech and thoughts so we can strum them like a cheap fiddle next year. I also hope some Rep senators step up with the balls to call Durbin out on his diatribe and to draw the line and let the voters take sides. Less divisive politics? Fuck it. The left couldn't be delivering more Reps to office if they all worked for Fed Ex. Well, I stand with Durbin. Proudly. Because opposing torture is the Right Thing, despite violating the wingnut manual of political correct speech. And the rest of the Senate Democratic caucus better be standing with him as well. Out-fucking-standing. Dave adds... All that sounds about right. When you lower yourself to a standard that doesn't allow much distinction between you and what you are fighting against, you have already lost. And those who defend torture (or denounce those who oppose it) do not represent what this country is about. They are, however, cowardly bullies. Most of us know precisely the distinctions between us and those that are against us. We've seen or heard of the beheading videos. We see the civilian carnage they inflict. And we all remember where we were when four planes were used to kill 3000+ Americans. I refuse to make the comparison between our "behavior" at Gitmo and those murderous and tortuous regimes of eras past. Do I defend torture? If our methods of detainment at Gitmo are the gold standard, then yes I do. If that makes us bullies, then feel free to Paypal me your lunch money. I also await the day Tom finishes basic, so he can rip plenty of new assholes for all those that claim only that those that serve can be supportive or critical. Since I cannot, apparently... because I have not served. Friday Update: Ace has a good soundbite ... Massive round-up at Malkin, including contact info for that true patriot, Dick Durbin... More: In the comment I link above (that true patriot), JP states If America doesn't keep to the high ground in this war of ideas she will find herself sinking, struggling, drowing in a moral dispair, thrashing about with mighty arms, but powerless to rise above those who hate her. As far as the full-scale war goes, we were hit first hit on 9/11 and it had nothing to do with prisoner treatment. How disinginuous is it to suggest that treating those that hate us, have always hated us and will always hate us well will have any effect whatsoever? The GWoT will continue regardless if we detain, release or execute on the spot. This is an outstanding propaganda catch for our enemies and our own Senators are joining in. TONIGHT ON AL JAZEERA: EVEN U.S. SENATORS DENOUNCE U.S. TORTURE/CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AT GITMO... Back to MAIN page

More Aggie Jokes!

Via Ace, Texas A&M professor emeritus Morgan Reynolds says that the WTC collapse was a controlled demolition. Super. This will cause two things: 1) A slew of Aggie jokes and possible controversy and 2) massive orgy clusterfucking at the Democratic Underground and Daily Kos. The more I think about it, the latter is always fun to watch. And FWIW, I think Mr. Reynolds is full of shit. More at Jawa and Wizbang. Update: Dr. Robert M. Gates, President of Texas A&M University (and former CIA Director) regulates...

Middle School BB Gun Rampage Averted by Vigilant Massachusetts State Science Fair

For the love of all things holy, those crimefighting heroes at the Massachusetts State Science Fair have saved us all again. See, these two irresponsible kids were doing a science project with the hypothesis that BB guns are dangerous. Thankfully the insanity was stopped after 7 months of research and ballistics tests with ballistics gelatin. Those two little hellions weren't allowed to compete in the science fair. As Nancy G. Degon, vice president of Massachusetts State Science Fair Inc. and co-chair of the middle-school fair, said “The scientific review committee does not consider science projects involving firearms to be safe for middle school students." Whew, that's a load off my mind. Oh wait a second, the definition of firearms is "a weapon, especially a pistol or rifle, capable of firing a projectile and using an explosive charge as a propellant." Do air rifles have a explosive propellant? Hmm. I don't believe so. Still, that is just a technicality. It's obvious that any middle school kid with an air rifle is an obvious threat. After all you can't trust kids that age with guns because they are all just homicidal air gun maniacs. By the way, between 1990 and 2000, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 39 nonpowder gun/related deaths, of which 32 were children younger than 15 years. The introduction of high-powered air rifles in the 1970s has been associated with approximately 4 deaths per year. During the stated period, US shooters were using tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions of such airguns and firing billions of airgun projectiles per year (almost 8 billion annually just from Daisy). Also, a previous study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission itself is interesting. They established a Hazard Index based on the number of injuries per 100,000 persons. These ratings are much higher for products which are used by youth, such as airguns, because they multiply the basic index by 2.5 for such products. Nevertheless, gas, air and spring guns had an index of only 1.9 as compared with 2.8 for paper money and coins, 3.0 for fishing equipment, 4.9 for skates and skateboards, 5.8 for floors, 8.7 for beds, 25.4 for stairs, and 35.7 for bicycles. These figures suggest that bicycles are 1,736% more hazardous than airguns, and that beds and fishing equipment are respectively 357% and 58% more hazardous." In the Massachusetts State Science Fair rules it says "fair rules prohibit hazardous substances and devices." I hope that means that the student didn't have to be endangered by any paper money, coins, stairs, floors or bicycles. If that's the case, then what kind of fair are you running? That being said, I can't tell you how happy I am to know that two kids who have their heads screwed on right enough to recogize that airguns can be dangerous, so much so that they did all the work that they did, are learning the most valuable lesson you can learn in life: "No matter what effort you put into trying to teach a simple concept some people will be too stupid about that subject to get it." In this case it was Nancy G. Degon, vice president of Massachusetts State Science Fair Inc. Way to go Nancy.

Oil for Bribes News

Apparently the "independent" Volcker commission has been given a memo which ties Kofi Annan to a meeting with Cotecna executives less than 2 weeks before Cotecna was awarded the contract to administer the UN Oil for Food program for the UN. Kojo Annan, Kofi's son, was of course associated with the project- and the awarding of the contract has all the appearances of nepotism. Western countries and other democracies frown on nepotism. Were Kofi Annan an elected politician in any of these countries, it is likely he would have resigned by now. No such luck, though- the UN isn't really a democratic body. As dictators are able to have a seat at the table- with democracies- the UN can never truly be accountable to the people.

If Martin Frost was on fire I'd go get the stuff for smores...

FOXNews.com was kind enough to post an article by Former Congressman Martin Frost. He is discussing the disconnect of white, middle class voters from the Democratic party. I would assume that he has some well paid people providing him with some well documented information. I can't argue with those credentials. What I can tell him is where he and his Democratic compatriots went wrong with me. He was my "elected official" for several years. I voted against Martian Frost every year I have been able to vote with no effect until this last election. You know what happened to change that? When the Texas Democrats came back from New Mexico and the Texas house session changed the districts, Tom DeLay had managed to put Martin Frost in the crosshairs. Suddenly, Martin Frost wasn't propped up by the huge minority base in Dallas he had enjoyed previously. Suddenly, he had to be relevant to the white, middle class voters. Suddenly, he had to worry how I would vote. I find that ironic because for years his campaign would call my house in the pre-election cycle and ask if they could "Count on my vote for Congressman Frost." They knew that I was registered as a Republican, yet every election cycle I got called. Once I asked the volunteer on the line, who sounded a college-aged girl, why they called when they knew that I had voted against him in prior elections. She kinda stammered a little bit and finally said "they just give us a list to call and record responses." "That's cool," I told her. It was obvious that she was relieved that I was just asking , not mad or about to yell at her or anything. And then, she added the most telling statement of the conversation. She said, in an obvious effort to defuse whatever stress might be there, a parting shot to minimize the importance of the call: "They just want general numbers for your area, it's not like it matters what the area votes anyway because Martin gets his votes more than covered in the inner city." Understand, Democrats aren't bad as far as I'm concerned. In fact I think they do very well in the small city government level. That is the level that their brand of compassion and grass roots planning have the greatest effect and help the most people. They suffer when they are on a stage big enough for race and class to define their voters. Once they reach that level the message changes. It's no longer inclusionary. We go from "what is best for this city" to "what is best for the (insert race here) community or the (insert sexual preference here) community or the (insert religious group here) communty in this city." We know at a national level that you don't care about us because you broker favor and curry interest with all the special interest groups that stand opposite from what we believe because you want their money. How can you stand in a church for a press op on Sunday saying that we need to support family values after marching with GLADD and calling for gay marriage the day before? Statements like "it's not like it matters what the area votes anyway..." just highlight the fact that my white, middle class values doesn't matter in the efforts to raise the money that get's you elected. Democrats have disconnected from us to fund their campaign and we know that that money they wield in the effort to gain power is tied to causes we find uncommon and unrepresentitive of our best interests. The reason we don't support you is that there is a party that is "mostly white conservative Christians" that doesn't change it's message for money at election time. They actually have something they believe and stick to. Howard Dean doesn't speak for that party. The Democrats can no longer say they stand by a set of beliefs that they are going to back, no matter what. I wish that they would pick a social, moral, national and economic standard that the Democratic party would hold to instead of flopping around for money. That would be a standard I would be interested in hearing about.

A Trial Lawyer's Dream

Evidently, at Duke Health Raleigh Hospital and Durham Regional Hospital, it's hard to tell soap from hydraulic fluid. Toward the end of last year, elevator workers at Duke Health Raleigh Hospital and Durham Regional Hospital drained hydraulic fluid into empty soap containers and capped them without changing the labels. Sounds like a movie that could star one or more SNL stars-turned-actors, be shot over a short period, do about a month in theaters, then hit DVD and movie channels, lather, rinse, repeat (pun intended). Not long afterward, medical staff complained that some of their surgical tools felt slick. They probably didn't squeak much, rust and looked pretty shiny, too. They estimate up to 4,000 patients were exposed to these surgical-turned-auto-repair/heavy-machinery-servicing instruments. Since the problem became public, at least one patient has sued the elevator company, complaining of severe infection, temporary loss of kidney functions and other ailments. No reasoning was given on why the patient could suddenly run a mile in 3:58 minutes. Carol Svec, 46, had surgery at Duke Health Raleigh on Nov. 15 for a torn rotator cuff. Before her operation, she did research to find the best surgeon close to her home in Raleigh. ... [S]he wonders whether the hydraulic fluid might be a factor in her softball team's championship run and the reason her fastball was 13mph faster. Yeah... I selectively snipped and added in the blue part. Kinda fun... The rest of the article looks at blame based on different parties opinions and possible courses of action. I'm not going to take any sides here or turn this into an anti-trial lawyer bit. It sounds like the hospitals have their hands full here (and possibly the elevator servicing company). If it can be proven that these hydraulic fluid laden tools caused issues with patients then lawsuit away. In my opinion this wouldn't be frivolous.

BREAKING NEWS

4:20PM CST - Tom Cruise: 100% certifiably insane. Open thread not about some case in CA - discuss. Comments of said case will be altered by blog owner(s).

Cable News Priorities

In case you haven't noticed, there's a missing white girl (Results 1 - 10 of about 227,000 for Natalee Holloway) in Aruba. Here are seven stories not reported because the news networks are whoring for ratings... or something: Michael Jackson case ends in a mistrial due to jury fondling Howard Dean calls republicans "[S]melly poopyheads..." and that "Pinch, poke, all Republicans owe me a coke..." Halliburton secretly completes pipeline through Afghanistan Spurs plan on playing games three and four with only four players on the court 'Fairly unattractive' white girl missing in Idaho Tom Delay still free Zogby poll showing six guys in Minnesota "Really hoping there's a hockey season this year" is reported to have slanted questions

A Worthy Cause

There are a lot of good causes out there in the world today. This site is another. This poor girl had a bright future but now that future is clouded. Now she stands to fall into the abyss of scientology and it's debilitating judgement erosion. Yes, in her condition, $20M per movie makes 5' 7" seem like 6' 2". Tragic. Monday update: ALL IS LOST!! via Ace, we find out that this worthy cause may already be unattainable. From Dawson's Creek to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.. Cruise laughs at someone claiming to be more fucking insane than he

The Ann Coulter Gap

I love to visit the Lying in Ponds website. According to their website... Lying in Ponds is an attempt to encourage vigorous, independent commentary in the American punditocracy by quantifying and analyzing partisanship. Lying in Ponds tries to draw a fundamental distinction between ordinary party preference and excessive partisanship. The presence of an excessive partisan bias transforms journalism into advertising, too distorted and unreliable to be useful in any serious political debate. Political parties are a healthy, essential part of American democracy; excessive partisanship is not. The methods used here are an attempt to quantify only partisanship, and are not intended as a more general guide to the quality of a columnist. There are other important traits such as accuracy, relevance, fairness, civility and style, but Lying in Ponds makes no attempt to measure them. Lying in Ponds currently tracks the Democratic and Republican biases of a selection of regular political columnists from various sources, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal, and the Washington Post. Since they track editorial pages among the most read and prestigious American news publications, they track biases which a major segment of the American population is exposed to. There are currently 37 editorial writers ranked. Ann Coulter is rated as the most biased with a rank of 80, but the Democrats have a total bias count of 701, compared to the Republicans total bias count of 497. That 204 unit difference is the equivalent of 2.5 extra "Ann Coulters" of bias favoring the Left side of the political spectrum... Don't let a Democrat fool you into thinking that Republicans have a monopoly over biased rhetoric.

News Before it's News

From Nealz Nuze at Boortz.com... Well now we're hearing the rumors that Jennifer Wilbanks has a book deal. Now doesn't that just make your eyes bug out like a stomped-on bullfrog? I'm with ya, Neal! Those damn ocular spheres!! Some people clearly have no shame. And neither do we. So we called up our panama-hat, "deepthroat"-style contacts and dug up the following book themes being floated within the fish-eyed circles of the Wilbanks machine... Either could net her millions given the crap people buy and read today. What we found even more gratuitous is the following, a vile attempt to cash in on the current Star Wars craze: Obviously, most Star Wars fanatics think they're getting a sex guide by Jar Jar Binks from looking at the cover. Extremely misleading... the resemblence is not accidental: And inside, needless softcore porn: Classless. More: Financial details here...

Video Clip of the Week

This isn't the "Big Story" promised but our grand 'ol Clip of the Week. Last week we brought you the love-in that was our Arabic buddies having a religious service that mentions foreign affairs and the US in a somewhat adversarial tone. Of course, Islam is a peaceful religion so I'm sure that they were just messing around. This week we bring you Kim Jong Il's version of "School House Rock" teaching the kids about the good, strong American "round eye's." All I can say is: "Man, we're loved out there!"

News Alert!

Sorry, that we have been so quiet today but Hood and I have cracked a "BIG STORY." We are currently amassing information, verifying leads and eating lunch to bring you the complete and comprehensive story of events so shocking and relevant that I can hardly imagine the effect on the internet and where this revelation will take us. Stay tuned.

Birthday Contest Results

We had a pretty good turnout for our birthday caption contest. We also had a good photo... Without further ado.. Second runner-up: Jeff G - ""Confusing a dead King Salmon for the mythical sword Excalibur, Howard Dean momentarily believed himself to be King of the World." First runner-up: JWebb, FIU Intern - "See?! I told you it wasn't a rolled-up sock!" And the winner of $25 to Amazon.com: Craig C - "Here's your goddamn salmon!!" REE REE REE REE... Honorable mentions go to Will Franklin - "Not only are we going to fish for king salmon," Dean said, "We're going to fish for Chilean sea bass...! And marlin! And tuna! And halibut! And carp! And herring! And mackerel! And then we're going to washour hands and take out for sushi. Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggh!" Carin - "No, the smell doesn't bug me - I used to be an OB, you know." Gail (with, of course, the most intellectual and politically current caption) - "In the Democratic Party, the ritual of seppuku is rarely imposed. However . . ." Thanks again to everyone for playing and to those who stop by FIU on a daily basis. Congrats, Craig on your prize... Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

I bet everyone is waiting on the results, aren't they?

Caption contest judging is hard. And reconciling three judges takes time. So hold your damn horses and we'll have them posted ASAP. Try to predict the winner if you dare...

Behold the words of the Salmon King and tremble ...

Gripping the WWF mic with the furor of an enraged moonbat, Dean had something to say. Now he's defending it. Howard Dean, on Wednesday, defended his recent harsh criticism of Republicans, including his observation that they are "pretty much a white, Christian party." We tried to be the black, Satanist party in the name of diversity, but it just didn't work out. Why so bitter about that, O' Deany boy? Dean told a forum of journalists and minority leaders Monday that Republicans are "not very friendly to different kinds of people, they are a pretty monolithic party ... It's pretty much a white, Christian party." Challenged on that during the NBC interview, Dean said "unfortunately, by and large it is. And they have the agenda of the conservative Christians." "This is a diversion from the issues that really matter: Social Security, and adequate job opportunity, strong public schools, a strong defense," Dean said. Once again, Howard nailed it on the head. I, as a conservative Christian, complete with kung-fu grip agenda, don't want Social Security. I just pay money into it with no expectation of getting it back. We can't reform it according to Dean and pals because it's not broken and if we tinker with it then "grandma Rosen Red-Feather" , who is neither white, nor Christian, will once again be downtrodden by the evil white, Christian oppressors. Likewise, adequate jobs are something that Christians hate. The bible says somewhere in there to make sure that you're slothful at your joyless, dead-end job, right Dean-o? Strong public schools? You mean like the ones that are ramming down my kids throats that nothing is wrong with homosexuality, they come from monkeys and everyone in history was a white Christian slave owner who wanted to rape and pillage as their sole motivation for anything that happened in history, all the while marking my kids paper in green ink so that we don't damage his ego with the fact that he can't spell or do math because you can't take time away from the diversity workshops to teach him how to do it? Why wouldn't we want to support that? Finally, a strong defense. Like the one the liberals in the peace marches in Berkeley want to have? I don't see the left supplying too many worth-while hippies to the armed forces. It seems as though the red half of the country fights and dies to defend the rights of the blue half of the country to sit around coffee houses and bitch about "our involvement." News flash, Cap'n Salmon and the lefty fun bunch - you aren't involved. The people doing something more than talking are. Until you're ready to cowboy up and carry a gun you don't have a leg to stand on. As for your comment that "Republicans never made an honest living in their lives," that statement covers about half the nation, including our military, according to the last presidential vote and your assumption. So half of America, and all the red states, have never made "an honest days living in their lives." In fact all I need is a red/blue state map to see where all the work is being done, right? If that was the case, then why back welfare? After all, we might all use it since we're all dishonest, which puts a bigger burden on all your "honest day's working non-white, atheist." I love your yapping, Dean-o. You're the best ally a Republican could have.

Welcome Back Carter

Fresh off of new reports that the US is the worst human rights violator since Stalin, here comes everyone's favorite worst president, Jimmy Carter. What does he suggest now? That's right - shutting down Gitmo. Former President Carter on Tuesday called for the United States to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison to demonstrate its commitment to human rights. Does anyone see the irony in this whole damn fiasco? We're supposed to treat with unerring, non-stop, all-accomodating treatment and top notch medical care and nutrition prisoners that would, no doubt, be some of the first in line to strap a dirty bomb to them and walk into a major US population center. And the real kicker is that 99% of the time, we do. "The U.S. continues to suffer terrible embarrassment and a blow to our reputation ... because of reports concerning abuses of prisoners..." Reports... because of reports. What Jimmy fails to even mention (as does most of the entire MSM, for that matter) is that detainees are trained and told to report abuse. Jimmy has probably not read this, either. More: From the Dallas Morning News, a "Point/Counterpoint" style article around shutting down the prison... Thomas Friedman says yes. Assclowntastic reasoning.* Go read it but I'll summarize here: Reports say we've tortured The global media is negative towards Gitmo What he fails to mention is that US confirmed reports regard mishandling the friggin Quran. Also, reports of abuse come from the inmates themselves, obviously, and I guess, according to Tom & Co., should be taken as 100% true. He claims it's generating more terrorists. No Tom, the media is generating more terrorist along with shit like this. Charles Krauthammer takes the [hell] no side. Read it.* *Sorry about the registration... worth the reads, though.

Famous Leader Test

Because personality tests are so 2000... Who am I? Let me just put it this way, I wouldn't have hid in a damn hole and I look way better in my underwear. Hood adds: What Famous Leader Are You? personality tests by similarminds.com I came up Abe. Who will be my Boothe?

Deadline for Free Money

The deadline to enter the caption contest is tonight at 8PM CST. Entries time-stamped afterwards will be urinated on then reported to Newsweek. Remember, multiple entries are accepted and to enter a valid email address (the gift certificate will be emailed).

Yeah, the UN proper is no longer the only useless assembly attempting to belatedly assert their will on Darfur

Hold on Darfur, your savior is here. The International Courts are going to start a "probe"! I bet you'll all sleep safe tonight. Let's break down what the court does: The Court has a mandate to try individuals rather than States and to hold them accountable for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community - genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and, eventually, the crime of aggression. Why are you going after them? Genocide is defined as a list of prohibited acts, such as killing or causing serious harm, committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. So the International Criminal Court will be able to take care of all the offenses that are being overlooked by the courts in Dafur? No. The International Criminal Court will not supersede, but will complement national jurisdiction. National courts will continue to have priority in investigating and prosecuting crimes within their jurisdiction. Under the principle of complementarity, the International Criminal Court will act only when national courts are unable or unwilling to exercise jurisdiction. If a national court is willing and able to exercise jurisdiction, the International Criminal Court cannot intervene and no nationals of that State can be brought before it except in cases referred to it by the United Nations Security Council acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Oh, so you guys are just another branch of the UN jerking off? "...." Thought so.

So Does She Have to Pay, Too? A FIU Point/Counterpoint

POINT [Rob] - The runaway bride had to fork out a fat paycheck for going walkabout. What about this one? Thoughts? COUNTERPOINT [Hood] - I'd say only if she filed false reports and lied to authorities. Obviously there are differences. The [coincidentally enough] Texas A&M student didn't want to be found and wasn't found for over seven years. The runaway bride eventually did turn herself in but then made shit up. That runaway bride ho also has crazy zany eyes. Looney tune eyes... I'd also claim statute of limitations for the bad-grades-screw-yall-I'm-out chick. Both are bad decision makers for sure. The Sam's Club girl gave up a top notch education to... work at Sam's Club. To each their own, I suppose. POINT Duex [Rob] - True, the bug-eyed Georgia chick lied to police. However, the manhunt happened before the false reports. She's being made to pay for the manhunt. Whatever fines or jail time she aquires due to the "the evil mexican and white woman did it" statement is all her's but prior to that was there a crime? I don't think so. If anyone should be jacking with the runaway bride it should be the police in New Mexico but they wisely took a pass on that, even though that's where the statements were made. So, the only reason to prosecute is to make her pay for the lost manpower and time. If that's the case, then the Aggie Sam's runaway cashier of the month should have a large bill to pay. The Texas Rangers aren't cheap after all they signed A-Rod to that big deal have a lot of police work to do. COUNTERPOINT [Hood] - I can understand your point, Rob. I really can. By the Zany-eyes Bride standard, everyone who leaves without leaving a note should be fined upon being found. Not a good precedent at all. But here's the litmus test: Eyes like this - ... Prosecute the shit out of 'em. Normal eyes - ... Live and let live. Because, let's be honest, she's about to inspire wave #452,981 of Aggie jokes. Update - Also, from the Bryan-College Station Eagle, the phrase "I don't give a diddly-tinker's damn..." appears in print. For maybe the first time ever. Can we blame her for running?

Sister Blog II: The Moonbats Strike Back

File it Under is unveiling its new Sister Blog today. Our previous sister blog was kicked to the curb after... well... it's hard to describe what it was. Dave at The 11th Hour should be different... in a good way. He beer blogs, which is good and from what I've read, everything is not George W. Bush's fault. Refreshing. So head on over and get an idea of what the 'other side' is thinking. Be polite but scrutinize where need be. As always, friendly ribbing and the occassional mocking is encouraged... both ways. Here's to a more fruitful Sister Blog relationship... Cheers! More on the history of Sister Blogging here.

Happy Birthday, File it Under!

Today File it Under turns 1-Year old. It's our first blogiversary. [Keep reading to the bottom... you may like what you see.] A brief history of File it Under June 4th, 2004 - The inaugural post. Typical of your average blogger indeed. File it Under was originally called... something else. Hoodlumman's Commentary or something tool-tastic. It was created to comment almost exclusively on the "controversial" stock-exchange (since mothballed and all-but-abandoned) Terrorxchange.com , heretofore recognized as the 'TX'. All members of this blog - Tom, Rob, Darius and myself met via the TX and it's message board. Sporatic posting ensues during the summer of 2004. FIU comes close to being shuttered and abandoned. On October 7th, 2004 FIU underwent a format change. The format went from rarely posting about TX stuff to joining in the politics and current events fray. Sitemeter was also added that month so I could track how many times I hit my blog per day. Tuesday, November 4th, 2004... you know it as election day. I call it FIU's early shining moment. I "live-blogged" Texas' electoral votes. However, FIU got a then-to-date record number of hits and more than 10 comments in a single day. I later installed Haloscan to give me comment control and to offer trackbacks. Sadly, though all previous comments (approx. 15 or so) were lost. Tom and I were frequent email exchangers regarding events, blogs and the TX. On December 1st, Tom joined me at FIU. He had his own blog but liked the idea of a group blog. He then instantly inspired the only rule for FIU contributors - No cursing in the large font post titles. Tom added tons to FIU: double the content, more humor and web hosting/internet expertise. About one month later, we considered the idea of more consolidation. This time Rob B. was in our sights. Rob was a fellow TX junkie and he had his own blog, also. FIU wanted access rights to all that funny. After a unanimous 2-0 vote, we offered a non-hostile takeover bid for rights to Rob. He bit accepted. The idea for redesigning the look of FIU was floated by Tom in January. It was agreed to whole-heartedly. Not only did Tom revamp the look of FIU, he went out on his own and locked down our current html address. On January 27th, we pulled up shop from hoodlumman.blogspot.com to fileitunder.com. Before and after - night and day. We (TXers) all read STFU. It was ran by Darius and had lots of excellent, frequent posts on current events with brutal honesty and no pulled punches. Darius also had a steady group of readers, too. Unexpectedly, he went on unannounced blogging hiatus, causing me to email him inquiring his whereabouts. In a very flattering move, he offered an unsolicited request to join Tom, Rob and me at FIU. The honor was ours. On February 7th, Darius joined us. In April, Tom headed to bootcamp. He's rumored to check in August. We've kept his seat warm. There's been a lot in between. Thought provoking posts, humorous posts, moonbat run-ins and lots of weiner jokes. May was a breakthrough month regarding FIU traffic and content. We discovered last month that Rob is a photoshop pimp. Special thanks to Gail and her readers for sharing their time for the occassional FIU post. A big thanks to all who have trackbacked to us on their own (with additional thanks to Wizbang and IMAO for their carnival links and WILLisms.com for the frequent linkage). As a special THANK YOU to all, we've decided to give something back... Cash. Cold hard cash. A $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com to be exact. All you have to do is make some funny - our favorite pasttime. Nothing like a good ol' fashioned caption contest to celebrate a birthday. Yes, their everywhere but this one can win you money and they're something everyone can participate in. Rules - You must have a legit email (to email you the winnings) Employees of FIU and their families are not eligible for the contest... EVERYONE ELSE is No purchase necessary and enter as often as you like The contest will go through Tuesday the 7th with winners posted next Wednesday. Caption this... Howard Dean: the gift that keeps on giving And why not Howard? Have fun and thank you again...

Hybrid Economics

High gas prices got ya down? Don't buy a hybrid. The math doesn't lie. Hybrids are cost-equivalent if: Your work commute is ~90+ miles one way You take a two-hour Sunday drive Monday through Saturday Saudi Arabia explodes Otherwise, you're better off in high mileage gas-only fueled cars. Now if money is no object and environmental feelings guide you, of course hybrids are for you. Previous commentary on hybrids here, here and here.

Streaming Video Feed of the Day

Refer this link to those who belive that we merely misunderstand Islam and it followers because after all "it's a religion of peace." This isn't graphic, it's just a guy talking.

Question

When Clinton was appointing people to cabinets and commissions, did the MSM preface his selections with the adjective 'liberal'? I suspect I already know the answer to that question... Or maybe Mr. Espo just likes sporadic alliteration... Holy Updates, Batman: The article title now reads: Bush Nominates Rep. Cox for Top SEC Post It previously read: Bush Nominates Conservative Cox to Lead SEC ** Screen capture of AP lead stories via My Yahoo **

At some point can we just say enough and move on past the stupidity of political correctness?

Wachovia apologizes for ties to slavery in the most recent CNN Money article and they aren't talking about ATM fees. It seems that "two of Wachovia's historical predecessors owned slaves and accepted them as payment. " Whoopty Freaking Doo. The Wachovia response to this is the prototypical politically correct response of the over generalized apology with a PBS learning nugget thrown in so that we can all feel warm and fuzzy: "On behalf of Wachovia Corporation, I apologize to all Americans, and especially to African-Americans and people of African descent. We are deeply saddened (are you really? ~ ed) by these findings. We know that we cannot change the past, and we can't make up for the wrongs of slavery, but we can learn from our past, and begin a stronger dialogue about slavery (becasue it's one of today's pressing issues, right? ~ed) and the experience of African-Americans in our country." "We want to promote a better understanding of the African-American experience, including the unique struggles, triumphs and contributions of African-Americans, and their important role in America's past and present." Silly old me, I thought that banks were in business to make money. It seems that Wachovia wants to be a combination of BET and the History channel. The reason that this always strikes me as so stupid is there is no end to responsibility if you have to answer for stuff in the past when you didn't commit it. For example, "Records revealed that the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company owned at least 162 slaves, Wachovia said, and that the Bank of Charleston accepted at least 529 slaves as collateral on mortgaged properties or loans. The Bank of Charleston also acquired an undetermined number of people when customers defaulted on their loans." Hmm. So slaves were acquired off of defaulted loans from land owners on land taken from the American Indians via Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears. I know, "the white man did that, it wasn't us poor slaves." Oh, so once you were free, you gave the reservations a buzz on the phone and offered to move out? Nope, didn't think so. I live in Texas, which we took from the Mexicans, which they took from France, which they took from Spain, which they took from the Indians. There is a reason the Amusement Park down here is called "Six Flags over Texas." Who's at fault there? Another quandary, I'm 1/4 Scot, 3/8 English, 1/4 French and 1/8 Chicasaw. So how many times have I disenfranchised my self just by writing my genealogy? Political correctness with history is dumb, stupid and dumb. We would cover more ground trying to get reparations for the Dinosaurs whom we displaced and trying to apologize to the Cro-Magnon man.

Full Disclosure: Since I was 18 I Have Been a "Stoner"

I linked this site, for no reason other than Google supplied it to me. It bears no significance on what I am about to tell you. Still, it is proof that the gene pool needs chlorine. My blogging silence, one that my wife wished was accompanied by audible silence, has occurred over the last few days for reasons other than Memorial Day festivities. I was ambushed. Monday night, after taking care of sick kids all day, I sat down in front of my trusty computer to play "enemy territory." As I was fragging Germans in the name of making the internet a less Nazi filled place, I felt the distinctly known pinch in the right midsection of my back that signals the beginning of mans worst fear: The Kidney Stone. While I have had kidney stones before, I can tell you with some level of authority that every time is different and they all hurt. This was my 7th time to have kidney stones since my first bout with them. I can honestly say that in the passing of five stones over the last few days the smartest move was making my wife hide the ammo. That's a true sign of love too, because I carry a kick ass life insurance that pays off on everything, including suicides - double if I kick it at work. She missed her chance to "upgrade the talent at my position" or to move from "veteran experience to retool for the oncoming youth movement of the team." I could bore you with details or gore you with pictures, but alas no. Instead, I will offer painfully gained advice: There is no "comfortable position" from which to ride this out. Get a heating pad on an extension cord and pace, you might as well keep moving and burn some calories. "Drink a lot of clear fluids first. Lots of water and gatorade. Load up till you feel like you're going to burst." That is the conventional wisdom. It's also crap. Here is what you really do: Drink as many screwdrivers as you can, weak screwdrivers. The vodka helps kill the pain plus its makes you pee like a racehorse. The acid of the citrus helps break down the stones and it gives you vitamin C. If someone annoys you, yell at the the first time as rudely as possible. If they repeat the annoyance, physical violence. There is no reason you should have to tolerate a kidney stone and annoying people at the same time. For this reason, do not try to pass a stone at work. Finally, don't take any crap about "the pain of child birth" comparisons from women. That is total BS. First, putting junior in there was some degree of fun. Once you got him out, you were a "mom." The kidney stone has no payoff even close to a kid. On top of that, pushing a 12 cm head through a 9 cm opening is a 4:3 ratio of pain while pushing a jagged 1 cm stone through a 0.25 cm opening is a 4:1 pain ratio. As my female doctor told me on my first stone, "I have twins and I would have rather delived them at the same time than to do what you just did." Remember the key to the Kidney stone vs Baby senerio is: It's not a comparison of toughness or pain or whatever, it a comparison of how bad that sucked. Kidney stone wins the "suck" category hands down. Hopefully, this information will be rendered useless as someone will invent a cure from kidney stones this week. Somehow, I doubt it. I bet the day I lie on my death bed some jackass will figure it out and come running into my hospital room yelling that he found the cure. And as he does a dance of glee, he will pull my oxygen plugs from the wall just in time for my wife to "upgrade the talent at that position."

Breaking

We do plan on appealing. And forgive me for making up for holiday weekend lack o' content with such drivel.

And Again...

And for the second week in a row, File it Under shreds a caption contest. We took second and third and JWebb, on our behalf, took first with a deserved caption. Go check it out. Last week's results...

Democrats Hemorrhaging Middle Class Voters

The Democratic Party is quickly becoming the party of the extreme rich, the destructive angst-ridden rabble, the delusional self-annointed-intelligentsia, and the entitlement seekers. From Stephen Dinan's article today in the Washington Times... Polls show that voters identify the Democratic Party as the party of the middle class and that Democrats beat Republicans on middle-class issues such as jobs, health care and education, but that hasn't translated into votes, said Jim Kessler, policy director for Third Way, which was created after the 2004 election with the goal of "modernizing the progressive cause." "Middle-class voters think Democrats care about issues they care about, but they don't care about the middle-class voter as much as they care about other voters -- that they're No. 4 or 5 on the priority list," Mr. Kessler said. Put another way, he said, "they think Democrats care about somebody else's schools, health care, jobs." I can certainly agree with these findings. Prior to the 1980 Presidential election, my family reliably voted for the Democratic candidate in every Presidential election for at least a century; as my grandparents figured. The hijacking of the party at the 1968 Democratic Convention, and the candidacies of George McGovern and Jimmy Carter, turned my family away from the party. They began to perceive the Democrats as being out of touch with their values, and the Republicans began to look like a better option- one which offered more economic hope, and values more in league with their own.

We'll I'll Be Damned...

Interesting... I always had my money on Paris Hilton... Update: I know, too easy. Someone had to say it.