Monday, July 31, 2006

Just to let everyone know I have not been out of the counrty lately

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Fidel Castrounderwent surgery for intestinal bleeding and delegated power provisionally to his younger brother Raul, the Cuban leader said in a statement read out on state television on Monday by an aide.

Castro, who turns 80 on August 13 and has led Cuba since a 1959 revolution, delegated his posts as first secretary of the ruling Communist Party, commander in chief of the armed forces and president of the executive council of state to Raul Castro, his brother and designated successor.

link

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Highway to Hell

Only drunks and children tell the truth:
Gibson's Anti-Semitic Tirade

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Humm, wonder where they learned their neat little salute

Sunday, July 23, 2006

I can't wait for this to come out

Friday, July 21, 2006

res ipsa loquitur

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Darwin Finches aren't Christian

The headline reads "Finches named for Darwin are evolving". But surely this can not be, since we all know that evolution was lie developed by liberal democrats to increase Satan's minions. Evidently, we need to get some missionaries down there, and explain to these finches that their biological process aren't in the Bible so they can't be happening, and that the Devil must have caused the drought that got the everything kick- started. Those poor birds... doomed to hell fire for all eternity because individual variation and random mutation allowed them to exploit a niche which gave them a leg-up at the seed buffet. Surely that must the work of the Devil, since God could not concoct such a devious plan.

Everyone, outside of this room, knows about it.

I had to borrow Dr. C's line...for one thing, it actually fits in the Title... And for another thing, This is about one of the most important archealogical sites in North America - that hardly anyone in Louisiana knows about, Poverty Point. The NewsStar had a story about some new research going on there. They are trying to lock down the construction time line. An archeologist believes that the site was started about 2000 years before commonly accepted. Which would make it contemporary - more or less - with other mound building cultures in North America - like Frenchman's Bend. Oh, for anyone reading this (other than Ann ;) ) who is not familar with Poverty Point here what my friends at Wikipedia have to tell you.

I have always been appalled at the lack of knowledge, or even apathy, about the site in Louisiana. I agree with the person in the NewsStar article that said something to the effect of if the site had been made of stone, and not earth, there would be more interest. Earthworks just doesn't sound has "sexy" as "ancent stone pyramid". But if you've ever been to the site, the scale of it is amazing. And yeah, if it had been stone, it would have been f---ing incredibile. Especially since Louisiana doesn't have any large stones.... we got ya' covered on clay, mud, and trees.... but we don't do rock.

Aside from the actual construction, is the size of trade area covered. It would have been basically the area drained by the Mississippi River. I've been there a couple of times, and they evidence of trade goods from the Great Lake Region to the Appalachians. Pretty darned impressive, considering that it would have been around 2000 years before Christ.

As I recall (and this is based on my memory of what the guides had to say) there has also been some evidence that points to trade which central american cultures. It's not outside the realm of possiblity that large dugout canoes could have skirted the Gulf and made it up various estuaries and river systems. This would have brought not only an exchange of trade goods, but of culture and ideas.

So, there sits Poverty Point, the first great city of North America in an old cotton Plantation in North Louisiana. A center of trade for what is now the continental U.S.... The New York or Paris of its day. And the vast majority of the population has no knowledge or no interest in it.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Da Shiz-net

"Hezbollah is up to some shit. Syria, which equips Hezbollah and was involved in the assassination of Lebanon's prime minister, does need to stop that shit. Whether Israel would really end its shit if Hezbollah halts its shit is a matter open to debate," John Dickerson, Good Shit: Why Bush should swear more


now that's some political analysis.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

And now for something completely different

Do you remember where you were in May '91? Chances were you were wading through water, wondering why NLU hadn't cancelled classes. The NewsStar posted 3 galleries of pictures of the 1991 Flood. Click Me!

I was sandbagging down on Teakwood Drive, and filling sand bags in the parking lot of some store somewhere. Ah, the memories.... Like Dan Rather standing on the I-20 bridge over the Ouachita trying to pronounce "ouachita". I believe it came out "O - ah -chee - tah".

Just couldnt go without it huh?.......I know how it is .....chicks get like this all the time with me.........been like that since back in 98 when I won Mr Universe.......that was an exciting time......but unfortunatly that was back when I was unnatural and on the juice.....and everyone knows when you are on the juice you dont have much use for your tesities.......so......it was a double edged sword. I was attracting all the ladies.....but due to the overuse of steroids I had no use for them and just played tecmo bowl on the ole Nintendo for entertainment..........and...before you ask.....I know what your thinking.....just how does a guy that has to train to be mr universe have time to play Nintendo. I call it multitasking. See I had tv's set up in all corners of my gym.....(yeah....I used to own a gym back in the 90's) and all of the tv's were hooked up to a single RCA feed coming directly from my Nintendo. and....also....before you ask this.....why was he playing Nintedo when they went out of style years before that and Playsation 1 and 2 had come out......Simple......my hands and fingers were so strong....the new technology was outdated and to brittle for my masive streangth........so ....I had to use the aftermarket joystick that I could get for the Nintendo and use it. But the one byproduct of playing tecmo so much was my left hand curled in and made it looke like I was making a fist all the time......I credit this with my win of Mr Universe cause it actually made me flex my deltoids and bicep at all times making me look flexed even when not flexed.....the judges took note.....and here I am today......Mr Universe 1998.........I actually got a deal to endorse Nintendo Game Cube after my win.......but to demonstrate the use of the game I had to lose quite a bit of bulk just to be able to handle the small and delicate controler........in the process I looked less and less like the Mr Universe physique that I had attained just a couple years before......this caused me to lose my deal with Nintendo cause they couldnt market a girly man as the nice Japanses man in his $5000 suite told me in the meeting we had in Joliet, Illinois in the fall of 2000. This cause untold financial difficulty and stress right after that cause I had planned out my future on the $1700 that I was planning on reaping from them that next year. I then fell into a dark place that I dont want to talk about right now.....to many demons.....to many late nights sitting in a cheap hotel room with whatever bottle of cheap cola I could get my hands on.........I almost lost my sanity. But then I came out of it with the help of Bob Barker.....thats right....Bob Barker......I was watching this show one day....called the price is right. Interesting television that show......well anyway....I saw it.....feel in love with the goods and services they were providing random people in the audiance....and knew that was the key to me making a come back. I hitch hiked all the way to Burbank , Ca and got sold some plasma to have enough cash to get in......and wouldnt you know it.....I got called down.........SAM BOLEN...........COME ON DOWN.......you know the rest of it.....well.......I corectly guessed the price of a ceramic wall clock and bam......I am looking at a nice Dewalt home tool set............a grandfather clock .....and a bark-a-lounger...........I correctly picked with coconut shell had the rubber ball under it....and damn.......I am spinning the wheel........I spun it and wound up with .75 cents.....(never saw that money) Made it to the showcase show down......and of course there is a silver haird lady that had won a freaking Chevrolet Cavalier on with me....so she got the chance to pass on the first show case......So I am bidding on 2 lazy boys and pool table and a trip to Del Bocca Vista Florida........I won........cause I am that damn good. Any way. I get down to Del Boca Vista and sell the dewalts to a 80 year old retire of the Ford Motor company from Flint Michigan who's name was Fredy.....I like to call him Steady Fredy....cause this guy can drink a fifth of Jim Beam and chase it with a can of Ensure and walk straight as a arrow all the way to his hover round and like a flash....he is gone......well......Steady Fredy said he has some friends in the teamsters that are needing some stuff moved......you know......."moved".....well......Fredy give me an address in Fort Lauderdale.....I go.....get in a 1985 Caddilac Deville....and drive that sucker to Philielphia......park and the local Denny's and meet up with a large man in a black leather coat......he gives me a paper sack that in it contains $1700...........I'm back baby...............I invest it in my phone chat service where for 45 cents a minute folks can listen to me talk about how great I was back in 98 as Mr Universe.............and here I am today...........see ....thats why you like my voice......Thank you Bob Barker............your tha man!!!!!

Saturday, July 15, 2006

The Mideast Death Dance

Given this is from a Lebanese editor, his points are still salient, although I think he downplays the terrorist aspects of Hamas and Hezbollah too much.

from Salon:
The Mideast death dance

Hamas and Hezbollah, Lebanon and Palestine, Syria and Iran, the U.S. and Israel: Unless these four pairs of actors turn away from their failed policies, the Middle East will sink further into violence and despair.

By Rami G. Khouri

July 15, 2006 | You need to understand the relationship among four pairs of actors to grasp the meaning of the escalating attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah and Israel in recent days. The four pairs are Hamas and Hezbollah; the Palestinian and Lebanese governments; Syria and Iran; and Israel and the United States.

Simplistically, President George W. Bush has depicted this latest round of war as a clash between good and evil, while the Israeli government has tried to blame Palestinians and Lebanese who only want to make war against a peace-loving Israel. The more nuanced and complex reality is that, collectively, these four pairs of actors play roles in the ongoing fighting, as we witness the culmination of four decades of failed policies that have kept the Middle East tense, angry and violent.

Hezbollah and Hamas emerged in the past decade as the main Arab political forces that resist the Israeli occupations in Lebanon and Palestine. They enjoy substantial popular support in their respective countries, while at the same time eliciting criticisms for their militant policies that inevitably draw harsh Israeli responses. We see this in Lebanon today as the Lebanese people broadly direct their anger at Israel for its brutal attacks against Lebanese civilian installations and fault Palestinians, other Arabs, Syria and Iran for perpetually making Lebanon the battleground for other conflicts -- but more softly question Hezbollah's decision to trigger this latest calamity.

It is no coincidence that Israel is now simultaneously bombing and destroying the civilian infrastructure in Palestine and Lebanon, including airports, bridges, roads, power plants, and government offices. It claims to do this in order to stop terror attacks against Israelis, but in fact the past four decades have shown that its policies generate exactly the opposite effect: They have given birth, power, credibility and now political incumbency to the Hamas and Hezbollah groups whose raison d'être has been to fight the Israeli occupation of their lands. Israeli destruction of normal life for Palestinians and Lebanese also results in the destruction of the credibility, efficacy and, in some cases, the legitimacy of routine government systems, making the Lebanese and Palestinian governments key actors in current events -- or non-actors in most cases.

The Lebanese and Palestinians have responded to Israel's persistent and increasingly savage attacks against entire civilian populations by creating parallel or alternative leaderships that can protect them and deliver essential services. With every new Israeli attack against the Hamas and Hezbollah leadership or the civilian populations, four important things happen, and will probably happen during this round of war: The Lebanese and Palestinian governments lose power and impact; Hamas and Hezbollah garner greater popular support, which enhances their effectiveness in guerrilla and resistance warfare; they expand their military technical capabilities (mainly longer-range missiles and better improvised explosive devices); and the anti-Israel, anti-U.S. resistance campaign led by Hamas and Hezbollah generates widespread political and popular support throughout the Middle East and much of the world.

This is linked to the third pair of actors, Syria and Iran, who have carefully and patiently positioned themselves as allies, patrons, hosts, financiers, armorers and ideological brothers of Hamas and Hezbollah. While these two Islamist groups are primarily driven by local resistance to Israel, and are Palestinian and Lebanese in their basic identity, they both play important roles in the foreign policies of Iran and Syria. We now witness strong convergence between two parallel but linked trends: The sovereign state actors, Iran and Syria, are fighting deadly political battles against Israel, the United States and, increasingly, Europe, while Hamas and Hezbollah fight similar battles against the same foes. It makes eminent sense, from the perspective of Damascus and Tehran, to foment greater troubles now for the United States and Israel along the Lebanon-Israel border. This is an opportune time to strike because Israel is deeply perplexed about how to handle Hamas' resistance in Palestine, and the United States seems unable to offer any policy other than to support Israel's right to defend itself while withholding the same right from Lebanese and Palestinian civilians.

The fourth pair of actors, the United States and Israel, find themselves in the bizarre position of repeating policies that have consistently failed for the past 40 years. Israel has this to show for its track record of being tough: It is now surrounded by two robust Islamist resistance movements with greater striking power and popular support; Arab populations around the region that increasingly vote for Islamist political movements whenever elections are held; immobilized and virtually irrelevant Arab governments in many nearby lands; and determined, increasingly defiant, ideological foes in Tehran and Damascus who do not hesitate to use all weapons at their means however damaging these may be to civilians and sovereignty in Lebanon and Palestine.

The United States for its part is strangely marginal. Its chosen policies have lined it up squarely with Israel. It has sanctioned and thus cannot even talk to Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, and it has pressured and threatened Syria for years without any real success. The world's sole superpower is peculiarly powerless in the current crisis in the Middle East.

As long as these four pairs of main actors persist in their intemperate policies, the consequences will remain grim. The way to break this cycle is for all actors to negotiate a political solution that responds to their legitimate grievances and demands. Everyone involved seems prepared to do this, except for Israel and the United States, who rely on military force, prolonged occupations, and diplomatic sanctions and threats. What will Israel and the United States do when there are no more Arab airports, bridges and power stations to destroy? The futility of such policies should be clear by now, and therefore a diplomatic solution should be sought seriously for the first time.

Copyright © 2006 Rami G. Khouri / Agence Global
Rami G. Khouri is editor at large of the Beirut-based Daily Star, published throughout the Middle East with the International Herald Tribune.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Eve of Desctruction

This a great line from a fairly decent article:

"A powerful country doesn't always need allies to get a job done—but it does need them to get a job done with legitimacy."

I'd go off - buy we all agree here on this issue. I'll get a few beers in and then wax poetic. I just want to go slap the hell of of all of them - Dick, Rummy, Condi, Hammas, Hezbollah, Israel, Super Kim - the whole crew. This is going to be one long hot summer (which technically won't end until September 20 - Jesus.) I don't think there is enough of fermented hops and barley to see me through this - my anxiety level was already high because of personal stuff (like a dissertation and mounting student loan debt) now the whole freakin' world is going to implode.

I've always hated July.

oh - Happy Bastille Day.

Most Americans plan to vote for Democrats

Although I must preface this by saying that the group sampled was only 1000 people. And I do so appreciate how easily that statistics can be sequed. But this AP Article - if the poll is accurate - brings up 2 points. Why do the Republican have their heads up the bums so far that they don't notice things like this. And will the Dems be able to remove their heads from their bums and actually capitalize on this.

I believe that most anyone - and by anyone I mean any non-politican with active brain cells - can tell you that people aren't happy with the government right now. But yet the parties seem unable to figure this out and absolutely impotent when it comes to doing something about it.

A plan for 2008

A plan for all out chaos, fistfights at dinner tables, people vomiting in the streets, and a lot of fun.

Here goes.

Hillary sits out the Democratic primaries. The Democrats and Republicans nominate their candidates, say, maybe Bill Frist and Mark Warner. Just picking two of them. Then Hillary and Newt Gingrich both announce that their respective parties have "sold out" or whatever and both run independent campaigns.

Could make for some wild debates, complete with Ross Perot banging on the door screaming "Let me in, Let me in, Larry!"

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Israel to Lebanese cities: Get the fuck out!


I think they are following the advice.

Well, I guess I'll scrub the Mid-East vacation for now

To quote cnn.com "Major Escelation". Here's the newest story on Israel vs Lebannon . And here's one on the UN Security council vote. Is it any wonder why the U.S. would veto it? For once, we are being consistant. We can't very well condemn them for we have, and are, doing in Iraq. Bush said that Isreal has the right to defend its borders. Again, consistency --- except for the quote from one story at cnn where Bush added that they should do stuff that would destabilize the Lebanese Government. It's a shame he wasn't that insightful a couple of years ago. But that's neither here nor there.

So, great. He we sit with Isreal determined to bomb Lebannon off the map...Lebannon has said that they don't have the resources to intervene with the Hezzbollah (and the US seconded them on that point actually)... To which Isreal seems to be saying "that's not our problem". While Syria and Iran wait on the sidelines.... sigh. Why do I have this horrible feeling that we might get a definitive answer on the question of what exactly has Iran been using the nuclear material for.

Of course, there is another senario. It's out of a bad movie though. What if North Korea decides to take this opportunity - while no one is looking - To test a missle with a payload. Kim Jong Ill is a little nuts... it doesn't seem to far outside the realm of possiblity to me.

Sigh.... I blame it on global warming. People always go crazy in the heat.

Shout At the Devil!

Valerie Plame is suing Cheney, Libby and Rove in a civil siut! Holy Crike'! I'll post links as they come out!

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Mr. Roboto

This is sooooo funny

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

The joys of prohibition

"Prohibition didn't work for alcohol. It won't work for gambling." - Rep. Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts


Okay, I know there are bigger issues in the world than internet poker, but this does hit a little close to home for me. House passes online gambling restrictions I know it's not a done deal, but it depends on what the Senate's mood is.

I understand gambling is a problem for many people. But is it up to the government to legislate selfcontrol? And if you believe that it is at some level, how intrusive do you feel the government should be? Should it be allowed to block internet sites? If they are going to block sites, then why don't they block child porn sites? Maybe because some politicans need a good sound byte and they know that smut sites hide, and that the reputable online gambling sites operate out in the open. I'm not real excited about some of the parts of the bill, or atleast the proposed bill, that didn't make it to the article. The part where the government would be requesting banking recordings and other things like that... The article eludes to it when it talks about using "credit cards" to lose lots of money. I'm not real happy with the government telling me what I can't spend my money on.

I know that I have a baised opinion on this. Even though if Brian does well at the WSOP he'll be playing more live games. He's not all that enamoured of online games sinces it's hard to read pixel players. But still.... I think it would bother me even without that. I still think they sould regulate it, and thus earn money off it, instead of do away with it.

And your mother smells of elderberries

This is what a lipreader says the Itlaian, Materazzi, said to provoke Zidane (who wasborn in Marseilles, but to Algerian immigrant parents) into the infamous headbutt:

Hold on, wait, that one's not for a nigger like you.

We all know you are the son of a terrorist whore.

So just fuck off.

(source: http://www.kottke.org/06/07/the-zidane-headbutt)

ummm- so although I hate that France lost, I don't think I would have held back either, given the racial tension in France lately.

Oh, and Materazzi has not denied that's what he said.

Keep your eyes on the ball, kids

I'm sure this is what they meant all along right?

Detainess entitled to Geneva Protections

"It's not really a reversal of policy," Snow asserted.

yeah right - and I'm a supermodel.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Rock me like a hurricaine

This one is is worth watching: it could set a precedent for collection of insurance damages not just for Katrina, but for all future hurricaines. It could also reak havoc in the insurance industry - I predict the federal judge makes limited ruling a la Bush v. Gore (in a Foghorn Leghorn voice): "This is non-binding for the future, sons, but you need to pay reasonable, I said reasonable, damages, I stress this is a special circumstance and should not be construed, I said construed, as representing a carte blanche to retroactively rewrite contracts willy-nilly. You also need to educate your sales reps about the limitations of the policies and make your wording about water damges more explicit, you chicken hawks."

On a parrallel tangent - apparently earthquake insurance is going up in the Memphis area. Makes me want to invest in Alcoa as well, Roy - no wait, they're terrible about EPA regs and cleanup. Never mind - maybe Reynolds Wrap?

A.

Friday, July 07, 2006

The Snipe Hunts at Dawn

  • Ken Lay dies in Aspen.
  • Within days, Colin Powell takes ill while eating with Clinton (of all people) while in Aspen.

    Coincidence?

    Or is Cheney TCBing?

  • Pandering to their Euro customers



    This is the Sony PlayStation Portable billboard running in Europe. With the title "White is Comming!" to promote PSP's with white casings. Guess it's good advertising for a place where fans throw bananas at their own black soccer players. They didn't allow people to bring bananas to the games at the World Cup.

    Tuesday, July 04, 2006

    Bush Cuts and Runs

    on Osama


    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060704/ts_nm/security_cia_dc_2

    Monday, July 03, 2006

    400,000 vote lead with less than 4% uncounted Calderon Wins!

    And much to his credit Lopez Obrador has backed off his statements from last night saying he will accept the outcome and helped to ease fears of civil unrest, very statesmanlike.

    Sunday, July 02, 2006

    WTF!!! Is this Florida or Mexico? Fox calling for calm

    IFE has declared the election too close to call and will start a manual recount starting on Wed! Hopefully Fox will close the market, the idea of two days with the chance of Lopez Obrador and there will be nothing left of the IPC.

    Long night ahead in Mexico!



    With 24.3 % in

    Calderon, PAN 38.7%

    Lopez Obrador, PRD 35.6%

    Madrazo, PRI 19%

    others 9%

    Some pictures from Cuba










    Saturday, July 01, 2006

    Post-Castro Cuba

    JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ-UUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

    The friggin' gall! And some people wonder why other countries don't like the US or won't trust the US. Here's the story from cnn: Report: Get ready for post-Castro Cuba

    So, apparently someone in the admisitration has spotted buzzards over Havanna and figures that they must have some inside info about Fidel. This triggers a report which says, and I paraphrase, that when Fidel croaks the US should be ready to swoop in and save the place by making it a democrasy. (since we've had such recent success with installing Democrasy throughout the world)

    Of all the nerve... of all the gall... which just can't be content with sweeping our own porch (and there is more than enough dirt here to keep us busy). We have to make plans to go screw with another nation. WE haven't finished screwing up the middle east yet.

    I know that a nation has to be concerned with it's own well being, there for we sould be concerned about what we should do when Fidel falls off his perch. Yes, there very well could be a power-vacuum created there and that could cause all kinds of problems. I'm not naive enough to think that our goverment isn't going to have a plan in it's ownself interest. But jeepers, do they have to release/leak it? My god, I already picture Bush wearing a Napolean hat writting "mine" in crayon on a globe. I'm sure this report will do alot to help the US image abroad, and help ease tensions between the US and Cuba. Yeah, right.... it's like someone said "gee, what can we do to make sure that Cuba is on DefCom9 when(if) Castro dies?.... I know! Lets let the people there know that has soon as he dies, the US will charge in on a white horse and save them from themselves."

    I don't know.... maybe Bush really wants to save Cuba from Fidel's neice. Social liberals are universal dangers after all.

    It's not that I think Fidel is a great person or a great leader. I'm not Cuban, and I don't live in Cuba, so I'm not really a person to judge that. What concerns me it that the US has this elitist, imperial attitude that WE know best for the rest of the world, and it is up to us to fix things. It's one thing if a country asks us to step in. It's a whole other beastie if we assume that the people will want us to simple because we are so wonderful. How often is that a person becomes what they hate with out really noticing it? Is democrasy truely democrasy if it forced on people? It's all very well and good to say that the ends justify the means if it is in the best interests of "the people". But was that ever a principle of the founding fathers of this nation?