Cool, Cool Considerate Men.... or, "Why I'm Glad to Live in Costa Rica, Part 3,235"

Because the following are all candidates for election who have already passed the primary hurdle:



Via Dr. Monkey


Post title from this:

Jeebus Wept

So, you've probably heard about this -- the Salvation Army in Houston is requiring proof of citizenship before giving children Christmas presents. Epic FAIL on the whole "Christ-like" thing, there, SA.

Well, General JC Christian, Patriot, has a wonderful suggestion included in his typically adroit takedown of the hypocrisy and stupidity:

"It'd be a real shame if wicked people tried to pressure the Salvation Army into treating everyone with dignity by doing something like this:

1. Download the graphic below.
2. Print it.
3. Cut it into check-sized pieces.
4. Deposit "checks" in Salvation Army kettles.


Please don't do it, and for God's sake, don't go to other blogs and mention it in their comments."

Today in WTF?ery

A while back I signed up with Polling Point, now called YouGovPollingPoint, mainly because they have points and rewards (eventually I'll get a $100... just for clicking the mouse).

Anyway, tonight I'm going through one of the same old polls... this one about air travel. "How many times have you flown in the last year?" "What airline?" "Are you a member of a frequent flier program?", and such. Then, up pops this question:


Then a question (I didn't screen shot it) about my relationship to "this gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual person", as though there could only be one non-straight person in my life. "I'm sorry, Bob, I'd like to be your friend, but I see you already have a good friend who is a lesbian."

And that was the end of the poll.

WTF?

Is It Just Me?

Or does this guy:

look as though his head is two sizes smaller than his body?

I'm sure it's just a trick of the long points on his shirt collar and the wide tie, but.. dang. Man's giving the Republican response to the President's speech. You'd think he ... oh, right. Nevermind.

(for the full effect, and learn more about 'Lord' Doctor Boustany, click here)

Duh Of The Day

Oddly enough, via Discovery Channel online:

Wildfires May Impact Air Quality, Damage Lungs

The article is informative -- it is Discovery, after all, but ... c'mon, that's like saying:

Mathematicians Discover That One Plus One Is Two

Life With Linux

...it would be so much easier if I knew what the hell I was doing.

*goes back to trying to turn off monitor shutdown... and fix startup so that the screen resolution is the right size... and figure out how to get the Windows Emulator to work... and...........*

Duh Title of the Day

I am a regular reader of Think Progress (and of Matthew Yglesias in particular), but sometimes... well, there's this headline:

Right-Wing Interest Groups Driven By Financial Motives In Attacking Obama’s Court Pick

Now don't get me wrong, I have no disagreement with the post. It's well-written and on target. It's just the title.

I mean c'mon. When was the last time that "Right-Wing Interest Groups" weren't "Driven By Financial Motives" in every single thing they do?

In related news, Water Is Wet and Fire Is Hot

Unclear Of The Concept, Part Wev

Or, Today In Unintended(?) Irony:

O’Reilly: Americans should be able to go out in public without being harassed by people with cameras.

This from the man who absolutely depends on ambush interviews.

Y'know, sometimes I think that O'Reilly, Beck, and Limbaugh are totally putting people on, and get together at the end of the day to have a scotch and laugh about how gullible people are.

Other times I think they're batshit crazy.

Annals of Stupididity

Wow.

Just one question. Has the Gummint not heard of PhotoShop -- or, if they're tight for cash, GIMP?

I Just Want To Say That I Did Not Approve This

NBC wants ex-Ill. gov. for Costa Rica reality show By MIKE ROBINSON – 5 hours ago CHICAGO (AP) — In the span of a few months, Rod Blagojevich could trade the Illinois governor's office for the Costa Rican jungle. NBC says it wants Blagojevich, who pleaded not guilty to federal racketeering and fraud charges Tuesday, to appear on its upcoming show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" A network statement says 10 celebrities will be dropped into the Costa Rican jungle "to face challenges designed to test their skills in adapting to the wilderness." But Blagojevich's legal problems could end the venture before it begins. The ousted governor's bond does not allow him to leave the United States. An attorney close to his legal defense says Blagojevich is seeking permission from a judge to leave the country to appear on the show. The lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan was confidential, says Blagojevich could tape the show in June if given permission. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

I May Never Be The Same Again

Whatever you do, do not go and read this post.

I think I'm gonna be ill.

ETA: Link is repaired.

Blatant Falsehoods: They're Not Just For Republicans Anymore!

While it's true that Republicans are masters at the Blatant Lie -- some of their greatest hits include "Maglev to Vegas" and "The Salt Marsh Mouse Chronicles" -- but they're getting lots of help from that Bastion of the Librul Media, the New York Times (emphasis added):

President Obama will propose further tax increases on the affluent to help pay for his promise to make health care more accessible and affordable, calling for stricter limits on the benefits of itemized deductions taken by the wealthiest households, administration officials said Wednesday. The tax proposal, coming after recent years in which wealth has become more concentrated at the top of the income scale, introduces a politically volatile edge to the Congressional debate over Mr. Obama’s domestic priorities.

A "politically volatile edge", eh? Politically volatile must mean that it would affect a significant portion of the voting public, right?

Not so much.

As Matt Yglesias points out, the top two tax brackets -- the people who will be affected by this proposed change -- comprise... are you ready for it... 0.7 percent of households. Here's Matt's handy pie chart, in case you need a visual representation:



So here's my question: Does that tiny little sliver of a bit of a piece of that big ole pie look to be politically significant?

Well I'll Be

Chet Scoville writes:

Know how lots of bloggers, including me, kept saying that Harry Reid ought to make the Republicans filibuster? Well, turns out I was wrong, because I was misinformed about how filibusters actually work these days. Mea maxima culpa. Turns out it's not Harry Reid's lack of spine that's the problem. No, the problem is that the U.S. Senate is the Dumbest Legislative Body on Earth.

Read the rest for the awful truth.

It's a wonder anything gets done at all, I tell you what.

Surrealism

SPAM subject line:

When your friend in the raised state to live is easier!

I'm not sure how to interpret that. Any suggestions?

I... It's... I Mean.... But...

WTF?

If your[sic] finding that your encounters with your mate are turning into a “bridge to nowhere,” wear PALIN CONDOMS.

Seriously.

I'm... not sure.

To Boldly Stimulate ....

Apparently the Stimulus Package includes interstellar travel. Who knew?

And Another Thing

Hmmmm.

I had a big ole, thinky type post all in my head, that I was gonna write up for all of you to read.

It's gone.

I can't even remember what it was gonna be about.

/blames the 80s/

Restaurant Food Fail

Regular readers may remember mentions of chili a few weeks ago, and some passing reference to the fact that I like mine spicy.

But, it's still edible and, I think, quite good.

Then there are some restaurant chilies that are... I don't know. Some beans and sauce thrown in to add volume to the jalapeño. Now, my question is, what's the fucking point of chili that one cannot taste because it's 99.999% jalapeño? There's no taste, just burn. Why not, dear restaurateurs, just tell patrons that you're gonna destroy their taste buds and give them an eyedropper full of Dave's Insanity Sauce?

If you're brave of tongue and heart, add Dave's Insanity Sauce -- with a careful touch -- to soups, stews and sauces for insanely hot flavor. The label warning reads: "Use this product one drop at a time. Keep away from eyes, pets and children. Not for people with heart/respiratory problems."

Now if you will excuse me, I have a loaf of bread to eat to salve my burning mouth.

"Big 3" Back in DC

Well, at least this time they left the private jets in Detroit.

On the same day that the numbers came out showing November auto sales were the lowest in 26 years, Ford, GM and Chrysler were back in front of Congress, top hat in hand, asking for bailout money. Today's asking price? $34 billion, up from $25 billion two weeks ago. An extra $9 billion in 14 days. That's an increase of $642,857,142.86 per freakin' day.

Look, if we're gonna bail out some automakers, why don't we bail out these guys:

1937 Packard Convertible Sedan - Model 1502

Or these guys:

1948 Tucker Torpedo

Travel Travail?

Today was the Family Thanksgiving Gathering 2008. There was much avoiding of Interstate Highways as it's the Sunday after Thanksgiving, which is the heaviest travel day. For example, on the way back, traffic was bumper-to-bumper 5mph just before we left the interstate for the final time.

This was the path to the Gathering:

This was, in the dark and the rain, the path home:


All's I can say is that flat land all looks the same.