Pravda's gone dark .... UPDATED

... but the gist of the story is here .... ... First the population in America was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education based on pop culture rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in D.C. that directly affects their lives. True. They care more for their right to check down a McDonald's burger or a Burger King burger than for their constitutional rights and then they turn around and lecture us in Russia about our rights and about our democracy? Pride blind the foolish. That line sticks out to me: Pride blind the foolish. We're arguing over things we should not be arguing about. The other line that sticks out to me is the substandard education based on pop culture rather than the classics. I was with George Wythe University who was the guy who was really the mentor to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson had a way of education, and it's all based in the classics. At George Wythe University, they only have textbooks. They only use the classics. I've seen the difference. Pravda goes on and says, "Then their faith in God was destroyed until their churches, all tens of thousands of different branches and denominations were for the most part little more than Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant megapreachers were more than happy to sell their souls in flocks to be on the winning side of one pseudoMarxist politician or another. Their flock may complain but when explained that they would be on the winning side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes of earthly power. The final collapse came with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months have been truly impressive. His spending and money‑printing has been record‑setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more than another year ‑‑ and there is no sign that it will not ‑‑ America will best resemble the Weimar Republic and, at worst, Zimbabwe." .... I don't know whether Pravda's gone blank because of the sensation of the editorial ... maybe their translator's are on strike. It is, nonetheless, striking. My bold. UPDATE: They're back, but without gravitas. Headline Pravda: The sadism that led to the torture policies of George W. Bush can be traced back to his days as governor of the execution crazed state of Texas .... blah, blah ... Religious dogmas destroy human sex life USA violates human rights humiliating air passengers Bikini models risk their health wearing G-strings

"Fun with Dick and Nancy"

.... Watching the Democrats champing at the bit last week, I thought perhaps we could cut to the chase and handcuff Cheney and Pelosi to a radiator in the basement of a CIA safe house somewhere. But on reflection this would be an unacceptable level of torture. It would be ungallant to say for whom. It's a good read.

It's good to see them back ...

I hadn't thought about the site since they said they were closing down. Some things were just meant to be.

Good game!

Presidential Approval! In hindsight I bet George wishes he would not have let himself be photographed in this pose, but hey at least he is not humping White House staff and interns left and right.

Reality check ....

NPR Grills Clark

The Right isn't a big fan of NPR, claiming it's a publicly funded outlet for Democratic talking points. Maybe there's some truth to that. But what I heard yesterday on All Things Considered made my head turn. Clark Holds Firm On McCain Comments : NPR Michelle Norris, host of ATC eviscerates Clark. She doesn't play softball with his blatantly obvious double standards when it came to his own and John Kerry's service (it was essential and critical, natch) versus his stance on McCain, where all of sudden it isn't worthy. The link has a radio interview right at the top and it's just under seven minutes long. Give it a listen and try to see if you can make any sense out of Clark's "nuance." Good luck! In other news: Barack Obama, Ghetto Lord

"The best 5 minutes of the US Congress in 2008."

If you haven't seen them yet...

The Smoking Gun has photographs of the high-priced hooker that cost Eliot Spitzer his job and gave the media a story for weeks. My take? She's very pretty but I can find better ways to invest $5,000. Like maybe five $1,000 hookers for starters. I KEED!! If you had $5,000 and had to spend it in one night, what would you buy? The only rule is it has to be legal. No need for anyone to get needlessly pinched.

Some election day video

Carve out 8 minutes of your day and watch this: Now, for fun, imagine what would happen if a white man had said it. Any of it.

More advice for Hood

"The paradigm and the purpose ...."

Quite an interesting lecture by Evan Sayet at the Heritage Foundation. The video is about 46 minutes long, but well worth the listen. via sda

What a Rush!

This is what you might call ... blowback. UPDATE: Harry Reid is a m***n.

Ahem...

There is a place in sports where one has to make questionable decisions that while being contained within the legality of play are still essentially "feeble" plays. The coach of the Bills, Dick Jauron, made one of those decisions. In what has become a recent development in NFL coaching he exercised a legal maneuver to call time out just as the Cowboys took the snap for a game winning 52 yard field goal attempt. The Attempt was good, but the timeout preceded it so the Dallas kicker, Nick Folk, had to kick again. The second kick was just as good. Nick Folk, being a better man than I was simply elated and trotted off the field to congratulations. This is because he has more than likely been made away that any derogatory action towards the Bill's bench or the head coach would have been met with punishment and probably a fine. That is a decision to show class, when class was not shown to you. Me, I'm classless. So to Dick Jauron, this is for you: Sit and spin, Sir. Sit and spin.

We're not lost: A woman's guide to "What? I know where I'm going!"

Sadly, due to the proliferation of women that believe that they are somehow equal or better than men, there is in our culture a narrative that must be addressed. This of course is the common female story shared in between the stories of stretch marks vs bikini exposure ratio and pictures of the kids at the beach. It is the inevitable story about how a woman's husband got lost and refused to ask for directions. This urban legend has persisted for ages despite many clenched teeth issued reassurances that we men know exactly where we are. In this post we will, for the first time, explore this myth and explain the science that proves once and for all that men know exactly where they are. Men and women, as most people could tell you, have distinct physiological differences. These differences allow for a certain degree of tasking prowess to be innately possessed by one sex or the other. While breasts give women the natural advantage in feeding children, getting free drinks at bars and winning wet t-shirt contest they pose a distinct disadvantage in other areas. Science has shown that the natural resistivity to electricity in water is low. As a result, women, due to their "fun pillows" and their increased water retention, do not have the same ability of their male counterparts to experience the natural load stone effect of the iron in human blood allowing for a physiological compass generated by the earths magnetic poles. This goes doubly for women with big ol giant saline transplants. This is also the reason that every woman that describes herself as once being "a tomboy" is twice as deluded about her hooters making her a bad navigator. Once the boob fairy came along and waved his magic wand, her sense of direction faded as the bazookas budded. A secondary reason that men and women find differences in navigational awareness is the difference between verbal and visual acuity. Women are typically verbal communicators. They, as a result, navigate by places that they have either conversed at or have conversed about. However, nowhere in there conversations is the spatial element taken for consideration. Instead their recollection is of "who said what to whom and what they really meant about that and does this make me look fat?" This information is unlikely to yield successful navigation. Men are a different breed in that we navigate by distance and landmarks and spatial relationships that are easily accessible to all men. For example, how far a distance to a store is to a woman includes the type of sale that they are having and the fact that she had a runner in her hose and that your mother never liked her. To a man the distance is regarded as the length "I ran in that State game back in high school" multiplied by "the distance I could shoot a rifle and take the head off of a lion, if I wanted to." See, there is nothing subjective in male calculations because they distances increase with each recollections at the same speed of the expansion of all matter in the universe. Our lies to ourselves therefore bind us to reality. The third reason that men an women argue whether or not they are lost has to do with math. While women are incredibly quick in the areas of math that has to do with figures like the actual cost of a sale item, "the amount of money I can hide from my husband" and "how much would I pull down if I just poison him and run off with the pool boy" they suffer in other areas. This is not an extension of algebra but of geometry and engineering. In female geometry, the shortest distance between two points is directly effected by hormones, hot flashes, what she's wearing that day, the distance to a Starbucks, what she saw on the lifetime channel and in direct proportion of the book sales of Oprah's latest endorsement. For men, the closest distance between two points is in relation to two things only: The time of the next sporting event and the distance furthest away from his mother in law. In terms of engineering the problem is one of conversion. Men know that a standard "foot" is 12 inches. However, women have constantly been told that a foot is 12 inches while typically only be exposed to about 6 inches. This false conversion, while nice for the male ego, distorts actual distance traveled in vehicles by a large margin. In looking at these factors we can see that men and women will more than likely never agree on whether or not the man is lost because of the huge difference in methodology of measurement and navigational reference. Due to the physiological, navigational, spatial, mathematical, geometric and engineering differences it is unlikely that this gap will ever be bridged in this life time. However, hopefully this will shed some light on the issue and raise awareness that the answer for women, who mistakenly believe that their husbands are lost, can adapt for practical purposes: We know where we are. We have no idea why you think we missed the exit. Your mother was closer if we turned that way, we could feel it and we're taking your fun pillows away from that as fast as we can. No, that dress does not make you look fat. It accentuates your natural curves. Can we get some road head? By adopting these point, I believe that we can put this myth to rest or at least maybe get a little more road head, which is a good second place in our book.

Ok... and now for something completely different

I found this site and .... Wow! Seriously, that's all I got. For the link impaired: What is Christian Domestic Discipline? A domestic discipline marriage is one in which one partner in the marriage is given authority over the other and has the means to back the authority, usually by spanking. A Christian Domestic Discipline marriage is one that is set up according to Biblical standards; that is, the husband is the authority in the household. The wife is submissive to her husband as is fit in the Lord and her husband loves her as himself. He has the ultimate authority in his household, but it is tempered with the knowledge that he must answer to God for his actions and decisions. He has the authority to spank his wife for punishment, but in real CDD marriages this is taken very seriously and usually happens only rarely. CDD is so much more than just spanking. It is the husband loving the wife enough to guide and teach her, and the wife loving the husband enough to follow his leadership. A Christian marriage embodies true romance and a Christian man a true hero. Though this seems unusual in today's United States, this kind of marriage has been practiced throughout history and is still practiced in many parts of the world today. I consider this one slightly dumbfounding minus the term "slightly."

Your "Effin', SNAP!" quote of the day

I doubt that Texas Gov Rick Perry gets Invited back out to the California Republican Party Convention by the Governator. Perry had been invited to attend the California Republican Party Convention in Indian Springs, CA last Friday. The major thrust was supposed to be Arnie warning the party faithful that yelling for God, Guns and Small Government strips votes away and alienate independents. So what does Perry do? Play to the base. In a rip-roaring, moderate-bashing speech, he said that the only true Republicans were conservative Republicans, and evoked the spirit of Ronald Reagan. He went after all the traditional targets – global warming, a nuclear middle east, and the specter of a second Clinton administration. He even went after his host, muttering darkly about Republicans that vote and act like Democrats, saying "It’s a sad, sad state of affairs when liberals campaign like Republicans to get elected, and Republicans govern like liberals to be loved. We need to hold the line on what it means to be a Republican which is, of course: being conservative." ... Both have realized that there's a big difference between a California moderate Republican and a mainstream Texas Republican. So Perry may as well have been standing next to Arnie with an "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt on when he said, "If you see a candidate who wants to tax like a Democrat, regulate like a Democrat, and educate like a Democrat, they should not have the honor of being called a Republican. Nor should they be elected by Republicans." As I said, effin' SNAP! (h/t mom)

"Y2Kyoto: Is That A 90-Horse Johnson Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?"

Racism as an extension of Stupid: A systemic crap ball of absolute idiocy

For those who currently surf CNN, one of today's stories has to do with racial discord, violence and charges in the town of Jena, Louisiana. The story is linked here and is truly a train wreck of stupidity on many levels. I'd suggest reading it because I won't mass post it but to sum up the relevant points: ~ A group of black kids decide to sit under a tree that the white kids normally hang out under. ~ The white kids hang nooses there which the black kids find there the next day. ~ The white kids responsible are suspended for 3 days ~ Racial tension in the school increases, fights both on and off campus happen ~ The school system has the DA address the school ~ The schools main academic building gets torched, as in 'arson' ~ Six students "reportedly" jump one kid and beat him until he is unconscious ~ The six are arrested and face charges ~ Parents of all the kids say their sons are being railroaded via Jim Crow Justice So where to start? The whole thing got touched off because, let's be honest, the kids hanging the nooses were trying to be dicks. Was that racial motivated? Hell yeah, it was as some level. Those kids may have deserved more or less time out of school based on your personal opinion but as an educational administration you know they have rules regarding race relations and common sense that those kids broke. They showed a major lack of judgment in thinking that idea was "cute" or "harmless" in today's social environment. So, I don't have any problem with those kids getting punished and would point out that if it were one of my sons, there would have been some punishment at home that would make a 3 day suspension seem like a vacation. What happened from that point was where the pure stupidity stepped up. Should those kids have been ostracized in school? That's a debatable social theory depending on whether your pro-enforcement or pro-rehabilitation. I can honestly say that they could expect to be fairly hated when they get off suspension. However, should their actions light off a powder keg with other students who weren't involved? No. And yet, it did. In my estimation it did for 2 reasons. The first is because black culture has not accepted that they are an easy mark when it comes to getting a reaction. The second is that schools and society's do an exceptionally poor job of handling teen boys and violence. Those two thing let 3 stupid kids melt down a whole school. Look racism is a problem in America. Period. And I know that some people can't accept it but it's not a one sided problem. I'm sorry, I've worked in predominately black environments and in predominately Hispanic environments. The result surprised me because you guys seem to dog each other and, even funnier, you just assumed that I agreed. The irony is that I don't. Sure, the races are different as genetics would tell you but I haven't seen that as any type of limiting factor in any type of human endeavor, much less a sign of superiority. However, that's something I had to learn from experience with individuals because culture sure doesn't teach it. White culture, for example, seems to say that I'm supposed to help every other culture out because it seems that every other culture needs help and I'm of the culture that's supposed to provide it. That was news to me considering that when my dad left, my mom was making 14k and I was having to hot glue gun the soles back on to my shoes. Still, it seems that "I'm responsible because I'm the man." I also found out that I'm responsible for slavery and I took Texas from the Mexicans who stole it from the Spanish who took it from the Indians. The fact that 1/16 of me is Indian doesn't supposedly void me of the white guilt for the Trail of Tears or Wounded Knee, either. While all of that is fun to learn as a heir apparent to "the man" franchise, I believe that I can correctly assume that several other boys have since learned that they are the heirs to being the "aggrieved black man" or the "downtrodden Latino" or whatever bullshit society is pedaling. As a result, black culture, from a white perspective, is so predictable that you could almost write a scientific law of universal response: Something like, "Any reference to the KKK, Jim Crow, Slavery or the use of the "N" word by anyone not Black is guaranteed a negative response at twice the energy level expressed and grows exponentially as the number of black recipients of said utterance is increased." Disagree? You think it was a accident that In Die Hard 3 that it was just accepted wisdom that Bruce Willis' character was going to get a serious ass beating, if not die, for wearing a lunch board saying "I hate Niggers?" Why is that? Furthermore, why is that acceptable wisdom? Have you ever stopped to consider the response if you drop a black character in the middle of white America with the counter sign of "I hate Crackers" or Whitey or Jews or whatever? Is that a guaranteed ass beating or death sentence under today's conventional wisdom? Not hardly. The point is that regardless of how you feel about it, and in today's PC world none the less, all it takes is saying "nigger" and people get wound up past all conventional wisdom and personal responsibility. As a result, they lose the power of initiative because their emotions dictate over their reason, more often than not. Who is the exception to that? The people who define themselves and others as individuals. Racism will continue to be a problem for one reason: People employ it to define who they are and who other people are because it's easier than being an individual or treating people as individuals. Society, and more specifically their parents, failed these kids in not enforcing that. The second issue is that society at large has a horrible grasp of what a man is, much less how to raise one, much less how to deal with a immature one. Violence is just one aspect where society fails miserably. Being a man is about understanding your value, your strengths, your weaknesses and how you allow those things to interact with those around you. Today's kids are barely taught to make sound decisions, typically isolated from risk, over protected from consequences and totally uncoached in understanding the power of their actions. There is a reason that martial arts can often market it's self for teaching responsibility and respect. The reason is that it is incredibly stupid to be disrespectful to a person who is able to break bricks with their head. The interesting factor is that it is typically the person who can break bricks with their head that is the most respectful to the people in the room that pose him no threat for a reason that most people don't get. A teacher is typically the most respectful of the power that he has learned, but he has also learned that the true power is in the choice to not put himself in the position to have to use it because of the damage that it can cause. He understands the consequence to action. Some kids today need to have their asses tossed around a dojo once or twice to realize that violence is just a tool. It can be effective but it can also run contrary to what you are trying to accomplish. In plain English, kids today see violence as the final step in a confrontation when it isn't. The aftermath of a confrontation still has to be dealt with and eventually the root cause of the confrontation before it is resolved. However, most boys are never taught that so they believe that "kicking ass" will fix the problem. Wrong. That might be a step, but normally there are other things that could be done before, or during, that confrontation that would be better than unchecked aggression. Society, and specifically these kid's parents, have failed to teach them, and possibly understand themselves, that when the only tool you have is a hammer every problem looks like a nail. When you place this all together the result is what you see. Kids that are in trouble, kids that are in pain, kids that are in discord, a community wrecked, fear mongers circling the wagons and everyone generally unimpressed with the whole thing because it could have been prevented. However, I want to take a second to say that for once in the news, the school system in this seems to have acted responsibly. They alone addressed the issues along each step. They alone took preventive action. In short, they are the only ones I see in the whole thing that tried to defuse things. Where all of this will go is beyond me but the point that we need to take away from it is this: fixing the problem of racism doesn't lie with the schools. They tried. It lies with society and parenting. We need to better coach our own kids on living in a equal society of individuals and educate them to the nature of their actions, including but not limited to violence.

Know your 'frenemy'

CNN has an article up about girls having a 'frenemy.' You know, like those girls who are friends yet constantly compete and back stab and stuff like enemies? Think of their example of Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie. Anyway according to their expert du joir: Females are more competitive with their friends than men due to cultural circumstance, Apter theorizes. "They (women) sometimes idealize their friendships -- they should only be loving and supportive -- whereas the wider culture allows men to enact the inevitable competitive feelings openly, without feeling ashamed or guilty," she says. Every friendship -- no matter how solid or tentative -- has mixed feelings of support and antagonism. Apter says that "among female friends there is also something else: a wish to offer support and see a friend thrive, on the one hand, and a fear of being left behind or out-shone, on the other." In essence, the "hate" part of a love-hate relationship isn't really hate -- it's envy or insecurity. In this day of civil rights and equality, I want to call bullshit. I think that the media has allowed this phenomenon to gain traction in order to appeal to the fairer sex as a way to pat them on the back and say "It's OK if you act like psycho-bitches to each other because it's only the result of you repressing your competitive natures in order to be nice, unlike the knuckle dragging brutes over there." Sure it sounds coffee table smart but lets call this what it is. Women hate to see anyone have fun. Think about it. Example: There are all these rock bands out there kicking ass and taking names. The along come the PMRC, the Parents Music Resource Center, crapping in the punchbowl. Who started it? 4 women: Tipper Gore, wife of Senator and later Vice President Al Gore; Susan Baker, wife of Treasury Secretary James Baker; Pam Howar, wife of Washington realtor Raymond Howar; and Sally Nevius, wife of Washington City Council Chairman John Nevius. Example 2: Who always stops you from running with scissors and playing with fire? Your mom. Example 3: Which sex complains of you being "distant" and then "has a headache" the rest of the night except during the last 1:23 seconds of the third period of game seven of the Stanley Cup finals? We men have lived with this for decades but considered it the price we had to pay for maintaining the patriarchy and having sex. But then all of a sudden women wanted to vote, which corresponds with the decline of western society, and they wanted equal pay, which corresponded with a rapid increase in credit card debt in America, and then finally they took away sexual harassment, which corresponds with workplace shootings and fung shui. OK, fine. So now your equal. So why would women expect other women to give them a break now that were in the middle of the pinnacle of women's lib? Hey, you guys wanted to be treated equal to men? Live it up. Treat each other the way you treated us for centuries. As for us guys, we don't have 'frenemies.' All we have is "dudesthatwanttoboneyoursisterorgirlfriend" and they are a lot easier to deal with because you just make sure to peg them in the balls during hockey practice. So, in summary: Women. Equal Rights. No fun. Hockey. Puck to the balls. I can solve any world issue on a Monday after 4 cups of coffee. Update: I forgot that animals hate us too.

MoanMyIP.com

Sorta hot, sorta bipolar. I thank Al Gore...

For JR and Hood

World of Whorecraft star Mia Rose has been banned from World of Warcraft. Mia Rose is a hardcore gamer as well as being a pornstar, who appeared in several episodes of World of Whorecraft. Rose told the website Kotaku.com that she was banned from the World of Warcraft over the weekend after a fan recognized her and mentioned her website in a public chat area. Yeah, God knows that Blizzard needs to protect the sanctity of their gaming brand from porn stars and porn because there couldn't be any possibility of a marketing demographic crossover there. Right guys?

The inside dope

Last Saturday the electricity went out at my mom's house while she was outside mowing the lawn. So she went next door to see if the neighbor's electricity was out too. She knocked on the door and when the guy next door answered, his pit bull rushed the door. The guy grabbed the dog but not before it knocked my mom down. In the process, she sprained her wrist. She went back home and did what any reasonable person would do when they were in really bad pain with a sprained wrist from a quasi-dog attack: She finished mowing the lawn and then mowed the back yard. In pain. The whole time. See where I get my IQ and decision making skills from? Anyway, so my wife, a nurse, looked at it, my friend, an EMT/Fire fighter, looked at it and a family friend, a doctor, looked at it. They all agreed that the swelling at the time was too bad to tell if it was a break or a strain but that she was probably 50/50. She decided to wait and let the swelling go down. Well, this Saturday came and she wasn't any better. As a result, she went down to the nearest "doc-in-a-box" clinic and they x-rayed it. #1 Is the fracture in her ulna, it actually offsets about a 3mm. #2 Is the same fracture from a different view. There is another fracture but the picture of the X-ray didn't really show it. It was a hairline. #3 is the arthritis in her fingers that she got from slapping me in the back of the head all those years. (I told you I'd have my revenge!!) The final result is that today she is supposed to get her hand set in a cast. Now I for one will get to bust out the sharpie in person, but I wanted to provide some virtual cast space for you guys to sign. So have at it.

BTW, I hate Baseball

Please, bring me some hockey Or some football Or some "football" In fact, as a person stuck with the Texas Rangers all summer long, Id rather watch this Baseball can not end soon enough. PS: Barry Bonds is a douche.

What we call "not a good day" at work

Here's what happened the last time we let Hood and JR on a well site Here is a dramatic reenactment of the events that led up to that fateful moment.

A musical Dedication

To Teddy Kennedy, I hope you love this one as much as I do From, Rob

Lohan: 'I am innocent'

I saw this on CNN and I couldn't pass it up. Lohan, 21, was arrested early Tuesday in Santa Monica and released on bail for investigation of misdemeanor driving under the influence and with a suspended license, and felony cocaine possession. "I am innocent... did not do drugs they're not mine. I was almost hit by my assistant Tarin's mom I appreciate everyone giving me my privacy," Lohan wrote in an e-mail to "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush, the show reported on its Web site Tuesday night. Police found cocaine in one of the actress' pockets during a pre-booking search, Sgt. Shane Talbot said. Police initially said Lohan was also being booked for investigation of transporting a narcotic but later said she was not. Now, let me say first, that I'm not an expert. With that being said, this is totally different than Paris Hilton. Paris Hilton could have hurt herself and others with her stupidity but make this distinction: Paris Hilton doesn't get drunk and do stupid stuff because she's running from anything. She does it because she like to get drunk, show some skin, get attention and because she believed that the rules didn't apply to her. She never grew up on her on "Planet Reality" so she was unaware of it. That picture shows the "oh shit" face of a little girl that just found out that money doesn't protect you from the law. Whether or not she learns from it remains to be seen, but she's doing stupid stuff to have fun, in my opinion. Lohan, on the other hand, has a grasp on reality, but she is doing everything she can to run from it. Unlike Hilton, she's not trying to have fun for the fun of it. She's trying to get blasted, under the guise of having fun, to avoid the stress that she's under and the fact that she doesn't have anyone who doesn't have their hooks in her that actually cares. They care for what she is more than who she is. She needs jail time. Paris needed jail to get a slap in the face but Lohan needs it to not end up dead. The "forced vacation" of jail will take her out of her element, away from the people who are whoring off of her and hopefully away from the chemicals that will totally wreck her, if not kill her outright. Unlike both Paris and Brittney, Lohan doesn't have a Mom or Dad to lean on, which is part of her problem, and if she doesn't take on the responsibility of getting herself straightened out she'll probably die young.

More "catch up"

Talc is an important industrial mineral. Its resistance to heat, electricity and acids make it an ideal surface for lab counter tops and electrical switchboards. It is also an important filler material for paints, rubber and insecticides. Even with all these uses, most people only know talc as the primary ingredient in talcum powder. Mineral specimens are not very common as it does not form very large crystals. However, it often replaces other minerals on an atom by atom basis and forms what are called pseudomorphs (false shape). The talc takes the form of the mineral it replaces. A specimen of what looks like milky quartz is quite a surprise when it not only has a soapy feel but can be scratched by a fingernail. (As an aside, don't use talcum powder on babies, especially little girls, or on any part of your body that is near "soft muscle or mucus membranes. Talcum powder has been linked to cancer under those circumstances. Numerous studies have shown a strong link between frequent use of talc in the female genital area and ovarian cancer. Talc particles are able to move through the reproductive system and become imbedded in the lining of the ovary. Researchers have found talc particles in ovarian tumors and have found that women with ovarian cancer have used talcum powder in their genital area more frequently than healthy women. Talc poses a health risk when exposed to the lungs. Talc miners have shown higher rates of lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses from exposure to industrial grade talc, which contains dangerous silica and asbestos. The best thing to use is corn starch.) Magnetite is a natural magnet, hence the name, giving it a very nice distinguishing characteristic. Explaining the magnetism is not easy but here is a go at it. Remember, electricity produces magnetic fields just as magnetism produces electric fields. Magnetite is a member of the spinel group which has the standard formula A(B)2O4. The A and B represent usually different metal ions that occupy specific sites in the crystal structure. In the case of magnetite, Fe3O4, the A metal is Fe +2 and the B metal is Fe +3; two different metal ions in two specific sites. This arrangement causes a transfer of electrons between the different irons in a structured path or vector. This electric vector generates the magnetic field. Hornblende is actually the name given to a series of minerals that are rather difficult to distinguish by ordinary means. The iron, magnesium and aluminum ions can freely substitute for each other and form what have been distinguished as separate minerals. The minerals are given the names Magnesio-hornblende, Ferrohornblende, Alumino-ferro-hornblende and Alumino-magnesio-hornblende. These minerals are obviously named for their chemistries although there is little to distinguish them in the field. The iron rich members of the series are a darker black and less likely to be translucent. Hornblende is not often a collection mineral because good crystals are somewhat difficult to find even though the mineral is widespread. It is almost always opaque and black and not very attractive. However a few specimens are extraordinary and make for valuable specimens. Some crystals can grow to a fairly large size of several feet long and nearly a foot across. Other specimens of hornblende can be acicular clusters or needle thin crystal aggregates. Many times a specimen of a more valuable mineral will be accented by the opaque black crystals of hornblende.

Making up for lost time

I realize that I've really dropped the ball on the "mineral porn" so here's some catch up work. Sulfur, which is given a bad reputation because of its odor, can make a very beautiful mineral specimen, and fine quality examples are much sought after. The unmistakable deep yellow color is not matched by any other mineral and the nicely shaped crystal forms of sulfur add to its attractiveness. As for the odor, this occurs when water mixes with the sulfur and a small amount of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas is produced. Although only small amounts of H2S form from just moisture in the air, it is a powerful odor producer and is the dominating contributor to the odor of rotten eggs. Rest assured, though, that most specimens of sulfur, when kept dry, do not emit a strong odor and this is not difficult for collectors of fine sulfur specimens to ensure. When someone lists the most famous gemstones such as diamond, topaz, aquamarine, emerald and garnet, corundum does not usually get mentioned. However, its two varieties are sure to be on any list of gemstones. The red variety of corundum is known as ruby and all the other colors of corundum are known as sapphire. Corundum is the second hardest natural mineral known to science. The hardest mineral, diamond is still four times harder than corundum. The hardness of corundum can be partially attributed to the strong and short oxygen-aluminum bonds. These bonds pull the oxygen and aluminum atoms close together, making the crystal not only hard but also quite dense for a mineral made up of two relatively light elements.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!

The comprehensive "piece of crap" (aka Immigration bill) has been wounded. Most likely mortally! All I can say is that Cornyn and Hutchison, both R-Texas, voted the right way. Some illuminating quotes on this one: "Congress really needs to prove to the American people that it can come together on hard issues," Bush said. They did, GW. They came together and said to themselves "Holy shit, the unwashed masses are really pissed about this and no matter how much special interest money I might get, or what great pork I can trade for, I better kill it or find another day job." "Everyone knows that our immigration laws are broken," Schumer said. "And a country loses some of its greatness when it can't fix a problem that everyone knows is broken. And that's what happened today." Let's explore that logic, Chucky. A government fails to enforce the laws that is passes. Should they: a. Quit fucking around and enforce the laws they have b. Quit fucking around and at least "try" to enforce the laws they have c. Fuck around, yet eventually enforce the laws they have d. Have a shit flinging monkey fest in which they solve nothing, call their own people racist, ignore the voters and generally fuck around, other than making a bunch of law breaking people legal and giving them free crap. It seems that in Washington logic, D is the congressman's answer. Or at least it would have been, until thousands to millions of people gave a collective "WTF" to their officials and told them that we'll let you play your stupid political games all day long but America, for the most part, expects you to not give our country away. I still expect that the next election will have a great deal of turn over just from this issue alone and well it should. So for all the congressional members consider this your notice, much like the one that the old media establishment received over "Rathergate" and the like: The Internet has leveled the field. You once thought that the people were stupid and easy to fool. Individually, that very well may be. But collectively, we are smarter than you, we have more time than you, we have a more vested interest than you and we are watching you. If you try to screw us, we will notice and we will return the favor, in spades.

For Diana

See, I told ya'll I was that ripped.

The biggest PSA I have done EVER!!!!!

Sometimes, just sometimes, a man discovers something in a place that he would never expect to find anything and he says "holy crap!" That's right. He actually stops and audibly says "Holy" followed by "crap." It's that damn big. Yesterday was one of those moments. I was in the car and I was talking to my wife and she told me something that almost made me wreck the car into SUV in front of me in sheer joy too vast to allow a man to touch the breaks because there ain't no stopping us now. She was telling me that while watching a chick daytime show, called Rachel Ray, that there was this doctor on there to talk about curing and preventing cellulite. As dudes, we know this as "cottage cheese." Women know it as "the evil that must be fought at all costs." Therein lies the greatness. It's something that both sexes are against. So how do women stop, or prevent, cottage cheese butt/thigh/leg? My wife told me and I almost died. Straight from the Dr's mouth and Rachel Ray's site: Dr. Lionel Bissoon, author of The Cellulite Cure, stops by to debunk some of the myths about cellulite and to pass along information on a new technique he says can get rid of it. The three Cellulite myths: Myth #1: Only overweight women have cellulite "Ninety percent of women have cellulite," says Dr. Bissoon. "Everyone thinks that overweight women have the most cellulite but it's the exact opposite: Thin women have the worst cellulite. Men get cellulite too, about five percent of men get it. The youngest guy I've treated was 21." Myth #2: Exercise can burn off cellulite "Between 25 and 35, estrogen is going down and that's when the cellulite starts to show its ugly face," says Dr. Bissoon. "The other cause is lifestyle. Exercising helps, but it's not going to take away cellulite. It will just work on prevention." Myth #3: What's underwear got to do with it? "Elastic is like a tourniquet," Dr. Bissoon explains. "It goes across the buttocks and cuts off circulation, causing dimples. These things are absolutely bad for you. Throw the grandma panties away! Get lace, no elastic. The lace across the groin is perfect -- no tight elastic. To prevent cellulite at night, sleep naked." Every married man in America, here is the direct link to that. Print it and stick it on every piece of underwear that isn't a thong or lacy. Burn your wife's "comfy bedtime sweats." Your saving her from the evils of cellulite. You can thank me with currency. I don't mind. My work here is done.

I'm Back

I've been on vacation in New Mexico since Saturday and have returned. Things on my 'To Do' short list you should expect soon. Post about my New Mexico adventures (with pics!!) Update the FIU wire Find the bastard that posted under Rob's account and kick his ass Profit!

Conversations with my Mom: Or "Why I'm so much cooler than the 'normal' kids"

IM recieved at 10:25 this morning from my mother: Alba or Beil? IM replied to Mother, via cell phone: Biel, hands down Later Phone call: Me: SO why the Biel or Alba question? Mom: I was just curious what you thought. I just don't see Alba as "sexy." Me: Sure. Not to take anything away from Alba, because she's hot but it's not in a "sexy" hot. Biel's sexy is erotic. Alba might be a freak, but you know Beil is a freak. Mom: Yeah, Alba is too "little girl" cute. Now, how many of you rate chicks with your mom? See? My mom kicks ass. In a related vein, I have a new contraversy for the educated FIU reader. Danica Patrick or Milka Duno or Sarah Ficher Debate!

Venus and Diana .... MIGHTY WARRIORS!

... and goddesses. Oh ... and the SENS! This town is hoppin' tonight.

Who shot JR?

C'mon, man. Connubial bliss only goes so far. Get back to work!

Speaking of ignorant sluts ...

It’s conceivable that years from now, America’s media will be reporting one of the biggest frauds in history: the idea that a wealthy person, for instance, soon-to-be-Dr. Al Gore, thought he and others like him could purchase “carbon credits” to offset their lavish lifestyles making them quote “carbon neutral.” Given the media’s love affair with the former vice president as well as advancing man-made global warming hysteria, few American press members have dared to expose this hoax for what it is. ........... So ... AlGore [ignorant slut] has interests in a company that he pays for carbon offsets, that pays him so that he can pay for his own whopping carbon footprint which he offsets by paying a company that pays him to be able to ..... whatever! Pretty bloody convenient, dontcha think?

Topical discussion

So the other day, I'm having a conversation with a friend and in the middle of it his phones buzzes indicating that he has a message. While talking, he checks it, pauses and laughs. I ask him "What?" He informs me that his wife just sent him a picture of her, as we say in Texas, "buck naked." It seems that she was making the point that he shouldn't make plans that night. This kind of touched off a discussion between us and I was wondering what the FIU bloggers take on the subject is. My contention is that since the advent of digital imaging, and therefore the lack of need for development, more people are taking naked pictures of themselves, making movies of themselves and feeling less restrictive about showing them because they can actually be done privately. He thinks that increase in popularity of porn is the key factor in the increase in people doing this, not the availability of technologies that allow people to discreetly send these images. I feel that my position has merit because it was a picture that she obviously didn't intend to share with anyone other than him, as opposed to porn, which is for public consumption. He countered with the fact that porn has made people feel that taking naked images of yourself for the purpose of enticing is more acceptable. SO, naked pictures... home made movies... personal porn....? I know that you guys and gals have to have opinions on that. Discuss.

Why Abstinence programs don't work and won't work

CNN has a story out about the newest findings on "Abstinence based" sex education programs. In the way that only CNN can, they titled the story "Study: Abstinence programs no guarantee" to which the skeptic in me is dying to reply "No shit, no one ever said they were." Still, my general avarice with CNN aside, for once I think we're on the same side. I was told a story once that I find fitting to share now: There was once a world renown anthropologist who went to study a reclusive tribe of people along the one of the major inland rivers of Australia. As he met the tribal leaders and earned their trust he was eventually allowed to live inside of their village. On his first day inside of the village, he was watching the interplay of social events surrounding the women and children down around the water's edge. The women were washing clothes and the children were playing in the shallow water of the river. Suddenly, a huge croc lurched out of the calm water and pulled a young boy under. The people at the water's edge all turned to look, but the only reaction that they had was to shake their heads in sadness. They then continued to work and play as if nothing had happened. Shocked, the anthropologist noticed that across the bank of the river two more crocs slid into the water and headed towards the people on the near bank. He stood up and began to scream and yell for them to get out of the water, as he hurried that direction. Most of the people ignored him, a few averted their eyes from him but none of them stopped what they were doing. The water exploded again as two more people disappeared under the brown murky waters. The crocs, apparently full, did not come back that day but the anthropologist struggled with how to make sense of what he had just seen. Later that day the men of the town came back from hunting and the anthropologist ran to talk to the leader of the tribe. As he began to anxiously tell the leader his story. The leader put his hand up to silence him. He said, " Stop. We do not speak about the crocodiles. And you must not speak on it any more." The anthropologist asked why. "We do not speak of the crocodiles because it is a sacred, natural thing. What it does is personal." The anthropologist was unwilling to let it go as he told the leader that it's obvious that people and crocodiles can live in the same area but those animals were a danger, he should warn his people. Still the leader told him to discuss it no more. Now surely, this couldn't happen in real life, right? If you know my sarcasm, you know the answer is: wrong. It happens here, everyday. Sex is like that croc in that it is beautiful and natural and can be part of our lives but it is dangerous as well. I'm of the mind that kids deserve to have a full ammo belt when they make decisions about sex. You can tell them about diseases and biology, but real sex education is a lot less textbook and a lot more nuts and bolts; pun fully intended. Sure, science nerds like myself can understand things like "why pre-ejaculate seminal fluid is actually more likely to fertilize the egg" but the average kid need to have that "boring science" barrier broken. They need to be told, point blank, that "pulling out" isn't even vaguely reliable. The need to be told, point blank, that a good orgasm may be the best feeling they've ever had but the biological purpose of that is still producing a child. They need to know that there are emotional, psychological, physiological and spiritual aspects to these decisions that are better decided before you're hot and bothered in the back seat of the car. They need to be taught that "girls give sex to get love" and that "boys give love to get sex." If we don't want to talk about it, I guess we can let them wander into that minefield on their own. I mean, hey, they have Paris Hilton and Anna Nicole to look to for information, right? So, color me in on the "against abstinence only programs" side of the docket. I don't consider cultural taboo and "protecting the children" to be a higher cause than actually equipping them. Likewise, as much as I wish it weren't so, society's morality today is so relative that the inherent moral stance of abstinence is questioned. I mean, you can be a slut and still be a good person, right? You can still be a "player" and deserve respect, right? There was a time, young folks, when the answer "no." Now? Well now sex is billed like your own personal Six Flags, where you can ride whenever, however and with whomever you want, with no consequences. That is, until it's too late and mister HIV, STD or pregnancy come along and punch your ticket. That's a dishonesty that is worse that those who refuse to educate kids. There is a balance in there, but it's not real popular. It's called "personal responsibility." It's where you take all the information you can find and use it to make judgements on your actions before you commit them. Hopefully, one day that will catch on, but for right now let's just make sure we educate people enough to give them the tools to make a decent judgement.

AN FIU EXCLUSIVE Live-blogging childbirth!

5:49 pm Rob here. I'm back home to get the boys to take them to meet their brother but before I depart here's a pic. I'll talk more about all that happened later. Update (Hood) 4:10 PM Rob phones in to announce the birth of Drake Justice At 2:57 PM Central on March 27th, 2007, Rob's family increased by 25% with the inclusion of a 8 lb 9 oz, 21 inches (3.88 kg, 53.34 cm for our international readers) healthy baby boy. Mom is great. All is well. Rob will elaborate sometime this evening. Cigar time - smoke 'em if ya got 'em! Update (Hood) 2:15 PM Gmail is down so if Rob is emailing me, I can't get to it. Nice work, Google. Frickin' hacks. Update (Hood) 12:03 PM "The spouse is catching some sleep, so I went and got a cheeseburger in the cafeteria. I figure if the food is too bad ... Hey, i'm in a hospital! On a side note, they frown on surgical glove balloon animal zoos in the koi pond in the lobby. Who knew?" Everyone knows. Well... at least I know. Update (Hood): 11:16 AM "We're still in a holding pattern. Nothing new to report, except that the lady next door is all loud. I'm tempted to go over there and tell them to pipe down. I mean, we're having a baby over here! Geeez!" Rob, don't tread on those who have chosen the non-epidural path. It is one of nature, enlightenment and noise pollution. Update (Hood): 10:03 AM "Everyone is still doing great. They are monitoring the baby's O2 as the contractions progress, but I can honestly say that epidurals are awesome. We're at the point where they are getting longer." Epidurals are awesome, Rob? Have you ever had one? Update (Hood): 9:28 AM "Interesting notes: the wife is eating a popsicle, the Dr. is wearing boots with his scrubs, our nurse has a student nurse with her that just happens to be a 20 year-old ex-army helo door gunner who hates Gore. it's good to be me." Yes, but were you able to catch Sportscenter? Update (Hood): 8:35 AM "She makes this look so easy that I'd almost feel like having a 4th kid, just to insure a stronger republican voting bloc. As you can see, she's doing great." Rob includes a picture, probably sealing his fate and assuring the kid-cap will remain at three. Mrs. Rob B. relaxing peacefully and planning Rob's demise Update (Hood): 8:11 AM "They're doing the epidural. I may survive this after all." Epidural? I figured you two for the natural stuff. You guys are on autopilot now. Go ahead and catch some Sportscenter. Or Good Morning America - We know how much you love Diane Sawyer. Update (Hood): 7:00 AM "I've gotten coffee, the wife hasn't. She may hurt me yet." I sh*t you not, I hadn't read this update when I suggested Rob do this in the previous one. Friggin' twilight zone stuff, man. Update (Hood): 6:40 AM "Some contractions, I still haven't secured any scrubs, no coffee yet, wife isn't far in enough to hate me yet." To speed up the hate, I suggest while she goes through contractioins, tell her you're going for some coffee and to catch Sportscenter. Update (Hood): Via Rob's PDA, 5:55 AM "She's getting strapped in and IV'd up." ... I'm not sure if that's hospital talk or Rob doing some roll-playing. More as it comes from Rob. Time: 4:48 am central Sources have learned that: I am up and the wife is gearing up to go to the hospital. ~ Will today be the day of " Drake Justice ?" ~ Will Mrs. Rob B. be able to survive without coffee? ~ Will the other kids of Rob B. convince the grandmother to let them stay home from school? ~ Will Rob B. be able to "borrow" a pair of comfy scrubs to use as pajama pants for the long, hard Texas winters that aren't currently here but might be some day? We'll bring you more as the story develops.....

It was my son's birthday today.

I took him out to dinner and gave him money. Over dessert, he reminded me that he's half my age. Bastard.

Zsa Zsa?!?

What's going on? I KEED, I KEED!

What was that score again?

I'll bet it's cold in Chicago today.

Why I'm Considering Becoming a Shrink

SYDNEY, Jan 30 (Reuters Life!) - An Australian psychologist charged with indecently assaulting a patient told a court on Tuesday that forcing his female patient to wear a dog collar and call him master was within a psychologist's ethical guidelines. And further..... Beaton was arrested when police, who had been secretly video recording the session with the woman, heard whipping sounds, reported Australian Associated Press from the court. So, if I have this right... The guy crossed the line when the "whipping sound[s]" started? I'm going to school for Psychology when I leave Iraq.

Jerry Consoles T.O.

You're gonna be ok, son. So Parcells is gone. Now what? Oh and I pretty much just thought this picture should be up on the internet as much as possible.

Mineral Porn: Orthoclase

Orthoclase Chemistry: KAlSi3O8, Potasium Aluminum Silicate. Class: Silicates Subclass: Tectosilicates Group: Feldspars Uses: mineral specimens and in the porcelain industry. Specimens Orthoclase is a polymorph of other minerals that share the same chemistry, but have different crystal structures. If positive identification between these minerals can not be made by field methods, then the specimen may simply be referred to as a potassium feldspar or K-spar. Plagioclase feldspars lack potassium, are light colored and are usually striated. The other k-spar minerals are sanidine, microcline and anorthoclase. Orthoclase is the more common of the k-spars. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Color is off-white, yellow, or shades of red, orange to brown. Luster is vitreous to dull if weathered. Transparency crystals are usually opaque, may be translucent or rarely transparent. Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m Crystal Habits include blocky or tabular crystals. Crystals have a nearly rectangular or square cross-section with slightly slanted dome and pinacoid terminations. Twinning is common. (see above). A psuedo-orthorhombic or psuedo-trigonal variety, found in alpine veins is called adularia, and forms more flattened tabular crystals. Cleavage is good in 2 directions forming nearly right angled prisms. Fracture is conchoidal or uneven Hardness is 6 Specific Gravity is approximately 2.53 - 2.56 (average) Streak is white. Associated Minerals are quartz, plagioclase feldspars, micas, garnets, tourmalines and topaz. Other Characteristics: some crystals may show opalescence and are called moonstone. Notable Occurrences are many but these are a few of them: Salzburg, Austria; Cornwall, England and New York, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire, USA. Best Field Indicators color, lack of striations, cleavage, twinning if present and occurrence.

The gauntlet is down ...

... If the Congress chooses to pass bills that are simply political statements, they will have chosen stalemate. If a different approach is taken, the next two years can be fruitful ones for our nation. We can show the American people that Republicans and Democrats can come together to find ways to help make America a more secure, prosperous and hopeful society. And we will show our enemies that the open debate they believe is a fatal weakness is the great strength that has allowed democracies to flourish and succeed. Read the rest ..

Lest we forget ...

RTO Trainer takes the flat hand to those who would have the occasional senior's moment. He's such a badass. Smart, too.