First, a timeline.
March 2003: U.S.-led coalition smacks Saddam Hussein.
May 2003: Saddam Hussein and his regime are gone.
July 2005: Jane Fonda announces an anti-war tour.
Hahahhahahah. Harumph. Guffaw. Chortle.
The $64,000 question: Why did Jihad Jane wait so long to stage her tour?
Come on Shaved Apes, you can do it! I’m really rooting for you. Even an ape that is just evolved enough for “high-level” cognitive thought can put this thing together.
Okay, okay. I’ll make it easy for your acerebral dunces: Jihad Jane is trying to make some money.
She is a puss-filled wench masquerading as a wrinkled cunt. Hopefully she’s the last remnant of the hippie subculture spawned in the 1960s drug carnival. I hope her generation takes the dirt nap soon. And Jane, for the love of Allah, puff on one last doobie and shut the fuck up once and for goddamned all.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Friday, July 29, 2005
Idiots frothing over tree branch
Shaved Apes are swarming over a branch that resembles the face of Jesus. How desperate and hopeless does a person need to feel to think this garbage has any practical value whatsoever? Lemmings.
The image resembling Jesus' face cannot be seen from a close distance but only from a few meters away. The branch in the town of Bijeljina was cut about a year ago, said Oslobodjenje daily.
Parrot named Dick Cheney?
A British parrot trained by a truck driver has told some high level officials to “fuck off.” The Macaw is named Barney, not Cheney.
From AFP:
From AFP:
"He's told a lady mayoress to f..(expletive) off and he told a lady vicar: 'And you can f... off as well'," sanctuary worker Stacey Clark said.
Nor did the forces of law and order escape, she added.
"Two policemen came to have a look at the centre. He told them: 'And you can f... off you two wankers'."
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Space Shuttle = animal cruelty
America’s space programs, both manned and unmanned, should be cancelled immediately due to animal cruelty. Tuesday’s launch of Shuttle Discovery is a classic example of Empire USA serving its own needs at the expense of others. These hegemonic tendencies are destroying whole ecosystems and the precious life dependent upon them. It doesn’t matter that humankind’s quest for knowledge has increased our average life expectancy from 38 years to 80 in just a few hundred years, or that the quality of life among the poor is considerably better than the wealthiest individuals even 70 years ago.
The only way future launches -- of Shuttles or any rockets -- can continue is to install a large, cylindrical net extending from around the launch site into space. The spacing in the net must not be such that birds become trapped or feel in any way traumatized or otherwise unhappy. It must be camouflaged to resemble a Brazilian rain forest.
These changes are imperative because the life of one beaked cocksucker is more important than space-derived technologies like cellular telephony, GPS, and radio data transmission.
Parody inspired by the insane PETA.
The only way future launches -- of Shuttles or any rockets -- can continue is to install a large, cylindrical net extending from around the launch site into space. The spacing in the net must not be such that birds become trapped or feel in any way traumatized or otherwise unhappy. It must be camouflaged to resemble a Brazilian rain forest.
These changes are imperative because the life of one beaked cocksucker is more important than space-derived technologies like cellular telephony, GPS, and radio data transmission.
Parody inspired by the insane PETA.
Muslim fanatics worldwide
BBC's world edition site shows what we're facing. The front page has no less than five stories of Muslim fanatics blowing the fuck out of innocent people. I find the actions of these Muslims to be very offensive. All Muslims should be searched at airports, subway and train stations, and near any other target favored by Muslims extremists. Racial and religious profiling is a matter of safety, and should not be scoffed at by liberals who embrace the dangerous world of political correctness.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Brit teachers against 'fail'
This is an addition to my earlier post about a group of British teachers (belonging to the Professional Teachers Association) who want to stop using the word "fail". Today I learned that they want to use "deferred success" instead of "fail."
Complete morons. This is the worst of liberalism, and one of a thousand reasons I'm not liberal.
Complete morons. This is the worst of liberalism, and one of a thousand reasons I'm not liberal.
Shuttle back in business
Links, timeline, and photos below
The world's first and only reusable space vehicle returned to the stars this morning. Discovery became the first shuttle to enter space since the destruction of Columbia in February 2003.
From Reuters:
"We are looking forward impatiently to receiving the U.S. shuttle," Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, commander of what will be the 11th mission to the ISS, told the final pre-flight news conference Thursday, (April 14, 2005).
"Each new crew member always gives you plenty of emotions, but when you greet seven new ones, it means it will be a great party," Krikalev said from behind a hermetic glass partition.
A space shuttle flight begins with sheer spectacle. At the moment of controlled detonation--also known as liftoff--a shuttle is both creating and harnessing 6.5 million pounds of thrust. Its three main engines alone, diminutive in comparison to the raw power of the twin solid-rocket boosters, are themselves generating the output equivalent of 23 Hoover Dams.
Leaving the launch pad, a space shuttle is all rocket, its wings of little practical consequence except as impediments to airflow patterns. Reaching 100 mph as it clears the tower, the shuttle is a study in thunderous vibration, and this only builds in intensity for the first two minutes until the solid boosters tail off and drop away with a pyrotechnic clatter. But what the experience lacks in subtlety during liftoff is more than counterbalanced by the effortless grace with which a space shuttle uses all that energy to navigate once it has reached the seas of low Earth orbit. Once there, the deep-throated rumbling and bucking of ascent gives way to the more placid environment of life in orbit, answerable only to the laws of orbital mechanics and the flight rules of mission control.
Though shuttle launches have become routine and even boring since the first launch in 1981, I decided to check the web to see if anything still strikes me as interesting. In the process I rediscovered the wonder of spaceflight. Understanding what the shuttle does, and how, is as fascinating today as it was in 1981.
When I consider that much of the world lives with renaissance era technology and comforts, and we've been launching shuttles for more than 20 years, I feel a mix of awe, pride, and nationalism. The latter two are frowned upon, but you've got to admit that the U.S. system allows magnificent achievements -- and it's ours.
Anything but routine
The space transport system (STS), or Space Shuttle, was developed as part of a long term plan that began with high-speed aeronautical testing in the 1950s. It was the era of Chuck Yaeger and other test pilots who flew jet and rocket powered aircraft beyond the sound barrier, and to the edge of space -- men described by Tom Wolfe as having "The Right Stuff". The knowledge obtained from their efforts, along with rocketry developments, led to the first space missions. The shuttle is the culmination, and combination, of all previous USA aeronautical and space development.
From NASA's history pages:
Although it flew its maiden voyage only in 1981, NASA's shuttle program began many years earlier and predated Apollo. In the late 1950s, as human space flight began to be seriously considered and planned, most scientists and engineers projected that if space flight became a reality it would build upon logical building blocks.
First, a human would be lofted into space as a passenger in a capsule (project Mercury). Second, the passengers would acquire some control over the space vehicle (project Gemini). Third, a reusable space vehicle would be developed that would take humans into Earth orbit and return them. Next, a permanent Space Station would be constructed in a near-Earth orbit through the utilization of the reusable space vehicle. Finally, planetary and lunar flights would be launched from the Space Station using relatively low-thrust and reusable (and thus lower cost) space vehicles.
The perception of what became the shuttle as that reusable space vehicle associated with an orbiting space station held fast well into the vehicle's developmental stages.
"There never was a machine imagined like the shuttle before there was a shuttle," Faget said. "Embodied in that one machine you have a launch vehicle, you've got a spacecraft, and you've got a re-entry airplane--not a re-entry vehicle. Prior to the shuttle, when the Apollo came down, it just fell down."
"Most people can't appreciate that the shuttle, when it's in orbit up there, is going eight times faster than a bullet when it leaves the muzzle of a .30-06," said Pohl, who is director of engineering at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. "It's an airplane. But we launch it like a rocket. We kick it out of orbit half way around the world, dead stick, no engines. It flies like a rock, yet we set it down on the runway, and we do it time and time again."
"Nice and easy does it, John," astronaut Joe Allen radioed from mission control. "We're all riding with you. We'll see you about Mach 12." And then the crackling transmissions receded, the airwaves grew quiet, and many of the spectators on the lake bed talked about how this must be the radio blackout from re-entry. They were about to witness an event unique in history, and part of its allure was that no one knew what to expect next.
Another example of the shuttle's space- and plane-like characteristics can be found in the orbiter's abort conditions. Pilots are familiar with the "go around", which means to abort a landing by pulling up, powering up, and making a carefully constructed circle to bring the aircraft back in line with the runway for a second landing attempt.
In shuttle-speak, this type of abort is called Abort Once Around (AOA). Unlike going around the airstrip, the shuttle literally goes once around the world before trying re-entry again. An AOA has never been performed. With NASA's improved attention to safety, I don't expect Discovery to be the first to try the maneuver.
Today's launch
Shuttle Timeline: Notable dates and achievements
Late 1940s to 1972: NASA, Air Force, and various corporations research rocketry, aeronautics, and related technologies.
July 26, 1972: Rockwell's Space Transportation Systems Division is selected "as the industrial contractor for the design, development, test and evaluation of the orbiter. The contract called for fabrication and testing of two orbiters, a full-scale structural test article, and a main propulsion test article."
Sept. 17, 1976: The first shuttle, Enterprise, was rolled out of its hangar. A test craft that never entered space, Enterprise was mounted atop a 747 for aeronautical and other testing. It now belongs to the Smithsonian Institution.
Jan. 29, 1979: "NASA contracted with Rockwell to manufacture two additional orbiters, OV-103 and OV-104 (Discovery and Atlantis), convert the structural test article to space flight configuration (Challenger) and modify Columbia from its development configuration to that required for operational flights."
From NASA's Shuttle reference pages:
Columbia (OV-102), (was named) after a sailing frigate launched in 1836, one of the first Navy ships to circumnavigate the globe. Columbia also was the name of the Apollo 11 command module that carried Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin on the first lunar landing mission, July 20, 1969. Columbia was delivered to Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility for modifications on Jan. 30, 1984, and was returned to KSC on July 14, 1985, for return to flight.
Challenger (OV-099), also a Navy ship, which from 1872 to 1876 made a prolonged exploration of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It also was used in the Apollo program for the Apollo 17 lunar module. Challenger was delivered to DSC on July 5, 1982.
Discovery (OV-103), after two ships, the vessel in which Henry Hudson in 1610-11 attempted to search for a northwest passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and instead discovered Hudson Bay and the ship in which Capt. Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands and explored southern Alaska and western Canada. Discovery was delivered to KSC on Nov. 9, 1983.
Atlantis (OV-104), after a two-masted ketch operated for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute from 1930 to 1966, which traveled more than half a million miles in ocean research. Atlantis was delivered to KSC on April 3, 1985.
Authorization to construct the fifth Space Shuttle orbiter as a replacement for Challenger was granted by Congress on August 1, 1987. Endeavour (OV-105) first arrived at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility May 7,1991, atop NASA's new Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (NASA 911).
Ronald Reagan, as quoted by the BBC:
"We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them this morning as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God."
Dec. 2, 1993: Mission STS-61 sent OV-105, the Endeavour, into space where the crew would set a record for back-to-back spacewalks. They also performed the first ever repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope. According to NASA, "every day the Hubble Space Telescope archives 3 to 5 gigabytes of data and delivers between 10 and 15 gigabytes to astronomers all over the world?"
More on STS-61 here:
The Hubble -- the first telescope that allowed humans to see the edge of the universe -- is here.
Final Shuttle flight of 1993 was one of most challenging and complex manned missions ever attempted. During record five back-to-back space walks totaling 35 hours and 28 minutes, two teams of astronauts completed first servicing of Hubble Space Telescope (HST). In many instances, tasks completed sooner than expected and few contingencies that did arise handled smoothly.
Hubble rendezvous, grapple and berthing occurred on flight day three, with Nicollier using remote manipulator system arm to position 43-foot (13-meter) long Hubble upright in payload bay. Throughout mission, commands to Hubble issued from Space Telescope Operations Control Center (STOCC) at Goddard Space Flight Center. After each servicing task completed, STOCC controllers verified electrical interfaces between replacement hardware and telescope.
The accident was caused by a piece of foam insulation that had fallen off the external fuel tanks during liftoff. The foam created a hole where it struck the orbiter. On re-entry, heat and pressure penetrated the hole, causing the shuttle to break apart.
More on Columbia here and here. Photos taken by the astronauts are here.
Shuttle links
Gateway to astronaut photography
Johnson Space Center's digital image collection
NASA's Human Space Flight Center, with Shuttle and Space Station sections
NASA photo gallery
NASA shuttle and ISS galeries
Monday, July 25, 2005
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Life changing for Muslims
Osama Saeed, writing for The Guardian, says it's Blair's responsibility to stop Muslim terrorism, not Muslims. If the truth is 10, and an untruth 1, this garbage is -15.
From Saeed’s piece:
Saeed’s next paragraph begins: “Mr Blair has attacked the idea of the caliphate - the equivalent of criticising the Pope.”
Caliphate
I don’t know if it’s the equivalent of criticizing the Pope, but I do know that attacking the idea of the caliphate comes from knowledge of the caliphate. It’s a 7th century Muslim empire that stretched across the Mediterranean in the West, and deep into what is now India in the East (map here). Osama bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda captains have declared that resurrecting this caliphate is their goal, and it guides all their actions. In addition, many other terror organizations worldwide have said their purpose is to remake the caliphate.
The caliphate will remain a pipe dream for radical Muslims killers. No one in a sane frame of mind is going to entertain the thought of Muslim fundamentalists controlling a huge swath of land, on which presently sit dozens of independent nations -- such as Spain and India.
Afghanistan under the Taliban was the closest thing to a caliphate the world has seen in almost 1000 years, and thanks to a Muslim murderer operation conducted on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, there will never be anything like it again. It’s also terribly ironic that Taliban rule forbade a free press. Saeed would have been rounded up and beheaded, with his head used as the ball in an impromptu soccer match, had he dared speak against the style of government he lusts after.
Using Western freedoms to condemn Western freedom will, with absolutely no doubt, fail as a long-term strategy for those like Saeed.
Instead of listening to Saeed’s garbage, I think we need an answer to a question: Where was Saeed on July 7, 2005?
Choices
Muslims living in Western (modern, free) nations have two choices: wash your own dirty laundry or stop bitching about how others are doing it. Gitmo, racial profiling, preemptive strikes against terrorist strongholds, and Falluja-style attacks against hives of terrorists are how we're dealing with it.
Muslims know what they have to do. Or do they? Are they still counting on ubertolerance? Well, boys, tolerance is fading like a candle in the wind. Every time Muslims kill innocents, life will get more and more difficult for the average Muslim. I’m not saying it’s right, and I don’t necessarily support tightening restrictions on all Muslims, but what are people supposed to do, allow their families to be butchered like hogs at the slaughterhouse?
I wonder how long Muslims are going to remain indignant at their treatment, and be angry about Fallujah and Gitmo? I’m quite sure that with each of these Muslim atrocities (like London x2, and now Egypt), the mainstream Western public inches closer to responding, “Fuck off.”
And I don’t understand what Muslims believe they’re doing for themselves by whimpering in "papers" like The Guardian. If these articles are supposed to act as a counterbalance to the negative effects Muslim bombings are having on the Muslim community, it‘s not working.
Background on The Guardian
The Guardian is Al-Qaeda's UK-based public relations agency, just as Aljazeera is the terror organization’s PR agency for the Middle East; CNN is the American bureau. Each of these three is conducting a love-fest with terrorists, but only as far as the surrounding culture allows. Each appeals to the most extreme liberal elements.
Aljazeera, sitting in the midst of Muslim extremists, pulls no punches in their support of Al-Qaeda and anything anti-American. If you don’t believe me, read it online.
The Guardian's rhetoric is one notch down. The predominantly liberal Brits are far less tolerant of Western-hating garbage, but they're much more tolerant than Americans. Proof is seen in Omar Bakri, a “cleric” who has soaked up the British dole for 19 years while preaching the overthrow of Britain in the streets of London. Finally we're starting to see a shift in public thinking thanks to the most recent activities of Muslims.
CNN is the most professional and seemingly centrist of the trio, and that's because the American public have seen dozens of Muslim attacks against Americans in the last few decades, culminating with the un-ignorable and unforgivable 9/11. The casual viewer will think CNN is moderate, but after three straight years of telling and showing viewing audiences how absolutely horrible the Iraq war is, especially one led by a Republican against Muslims, the cat came out of the bag. CNN is the same as Aljazeera, but with the language and care dictated by the larger culture surrounding them.
The Guardian, meanwhile, sustains itself with sensationalized reporting, so it's difficult to be sure if Saeed's views mirror the British Muslim community. If it does, then Brit Muslims can expect a change for the worse.
From Saeed’s piece:
This is why I've found it strange that many Muslim leaders have offered to look deep within our community now. It's a tacit admission of negligence that I simply do not accept. The prime minister has of course welcomed this attitude. Indeed he has led from the front, ratcheting up the rhetoric against Muslims, laying the responsibility solely on us. "In the end, this can only be taken on and defeated by the community itself," he said last week.
Saeed’s next paragraph begins: “Mr Blair has attacked the idea of the caliphate - the equivalent of criticising the Pope.”
Caliphate
I don’t know if it’s the equivalent of criticizing the Pope, but I do know that attacking the idea of the caliphate comes from knowledge of the caliphate. It’s a 7th century Muslim empire that stretched across the Mediterranean in the West, and deep into what is now India in the East (map here). Osama bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda captains have declared that resurrecting this caliphate is their goal, and it guides all their actions. In addition, many other terror organizations worldwide have said their purpose is to remake the caliphate.
The caliphate will remain a pipe dream for radical Muslims killers. No one in a sane frame of mind is going to entertain the thought of Muslim fundamentalists controlling a huge swath of land, on which presently sit dozens of independent nations -- such as Spain and India.
Afghanistan under the Taliban was the closest thing to a caliphate the world has seen in almost 1000 years, and thanks to a Muslim murderer operation conducted on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, there will never be anything like it again. It’s also terribly ironic that Taliban rule forbade a free press. Saeed would have been rounded up and beheaded, with his head used as the ball in an impromptu soccer match, had he dared speak against the style of government he lusts after.
Using Western freedoms to condemn Western freedom will, with absolutely no doubt, fail as a long-term strategy for those like Saeed.
Instead of listening to Saeed’s garbage, I think we need an answer to a question: Where was Saeed on July 7, 2005?
Choices
Muslims living in Western (modern, free) nations have two choices: wash your own dirty laundry or stop bitching about how others are doing it. Gitmo, racial profiling, preemptive strikes against terrorist strongholds, and Falluja-style attacks against hives of terrorists are how we're dealing with it.
Muslims know what they have to do. Or do they? Are they still counting on ubertolerance? Well, boys, tolerance is fading like a candle in the wind. Every time Muslims kill innocents, life will get more and more difficult for the average Muslim. I’m not saying it’s right, and I don’t necessarily support tightening restrictions on all Muslims, but what are people supposed to do, allow their families to be butchered like hogs at the slaughterhouse?
I wonder how long Muslims are going to remain indignant at their treatment, and be angry about Fallujah and Gitmo? I’m quite sure that with each of these Muslim atrocities (like London x2, and now Egypt), the mainstream Western public inches closer to responding, “Fuck off.”
And I don’t understand what Muslims believe they’re doing for themselves by whimpering in "papers" like The Guardian. If these articles are supposed to act as a counterbalance to the negative effects Muslim bombings are having on the Muslim community, it‘s not working.
Background on The Guardian
The Guardian is Al-Qaeda's UK-based public relations agency, just as Aljazeera is the terror organization’s PR agency for the Middle East; CNN is the American bureau. Each of these three is conducting a love-fest with terrorists, but only as far as the surrounding culture allows. Each appeals to the most extreme liberal elements.
Aljazeera, sitting in the midst of Muslim extremists, pulls no punches in their support of Al-Qaeda and anything anti-American. If you don’t believe me, read it online.
The Guardian's rhetoric is one notch down. The predominantly liberal Brits are far less tolerant of Western-hating garbage, but they're much more tolerant than Americans. Proof is seen in Omar Bakri, a “cleric” who has soaked up the British dole for 19 years while preaching the overthrow of Britain in the streets of London. Finally we're starting to see a shift in public thinking thanks to the most recent activities of Muslims.
CNN is the most professional and seemingly centrist of the trio, and that's because the American public have seen dozens of Muslim attacks against Americans in the last few decades, culminating with the un-ignorable and unforgivable 9/11. The casual viewer will think CNN is moderate, but after three straight years of telling and showing viewing audiences how absolutely horrible the Iraq war is, especially one led by a Republican against Muslims, the cat came out of the bag. CNN is the same as Aljazeera, but with the language and care dictated by the larger culture surrounding them.
The Guardian, meanwhile, sustains itself with sensationalized reporting, so it's difficult to be sure if Saeed's views mirror the British Muslim community. If it does, then Brit Muslims can expect a change for the worse.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Terrorists doing the right thing
Not in a million years would I have believed terrorists would do the right thing, but they are. The Shaved Ape would like to personally thank the 52 terrorists who are staging a hunger strike at Gitmo. This will save the United States from the rigors of answering questions about indefinite detention.
I cordially invite all 448 other maggots to join their comrades. For time immemorial it has been honorable to commit suicide rather than embarrass one’s family and friends with trials and sordid affairs like indefinite detention. Have at it, vermin!
Friday, July 22, 2005
The new Middle East
If al-Qaeda or other Muslim extremists strike the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction, the response should be immediate nuclear strikes. The following cesspools should be annihilated within three hours:
1) Mecca, Saudi Arabia
2) Palestinian territories
3) Damascus, Syria
4) Tehran, Iran
5) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
6) Amman, Jordan
7) Khartoum, Sudan
How can I be so harsh? Anyone who flies jumbo jets into sky scrapers, beheads civilians and burns and drags their corpses through city streets, and anyone who can believe the heinous killing of civilians will get them a place in heaven and a dozen or more virgins...is not human. Nor is it an animal. It is something that has no business breathing, eating, or existing on the planet with me. It is a species that is not worth conserving. This Muslim plague is the same as the other great plagues of our time, smallpox, AIDS, and Malaria, and should be handled accordingly.
1) Mecca, Saudi Arabia
2) Palestinian territories
3) Damascus, Syria
4) Tehran, Iran
5) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
6) Amman, Jordan
7) Khartoum, Sudan
How can I be so harsh? Anyone who flies jumbo jets into sky scrapers, beheads civilians and burns and drags their corpses through city streets, and anyone who can believe the heinous killing of civilians will get them a place in heaven and a dozen or more virgins...is not human. Nor is it an animal. It is something that has no business breathing, eating, or existing on the planet with me. It is a species that is not worth conserving. This Muslim plague is the same as the other great plagues of our time, smallpox, AIDS, and Malaria, and should be handled accordingly.
Baghdad is 116 degrees F
Source: Weather Underground
The forecast for Baghdad is similar to that of Phoenix -- hotter than hell. Phoenix residents can sit inside with the air conditioning set on “Polar Icecap”, but our military forces in Iraq are mostly sweating it out. I wish you guys and gals in Iraq the best. You’re doing good work in a challenging environment. It doesn’t matter what CNN, PBS, the New York Times, or Ted Koppel think of the war. We know you’re making a sacrifice for a great cause. Thanks!
The Boss Hoss V8 cruiser
You won’t see this every day. Meet the Boss Hoss 502, a motorcycle with a 350 V8 engine. That's 5.7 liters, as in Corvette engine. The bike also comes with a 4.6 liter, 200 hp V6. I found the monster on the street near a bodyshop named Apex in San Diego (you know, the bankrupt city that's missing a mayor and a few councilmen). Apex is a Boss Hoss dealer in addition to being a body shop / collision center.
Boss Hoss 502 specs
Dry weight: 1100 lbs.
Engine: Chevy 350 ci
Horsepower: 502
Torque: 567
Carb: 4 bbl
Fuel tank: 8.5 gal
Cost: varies, approximately $40k
Boss Hoss site
Boss Hoss 502 page
North Korean crackpots strike again
From the tyrant's news service:
"The imperialists and venal hack writers are busy spreading misinformation about the ideal of socialism in a bid to shake the faith in socialism among the revolutionary people of the world and create an illusion about capitalism and thus stop history advancing. This is a blatant challenge to the ideal of humankind and the cause of socialism."
Really, it's the "DPRK" news service, not SNL, Chapelle's Show, or an old Monty Python sketch.
"The imperialists and venal hack writers are busy spreading misinformation about the ideal of socialism in a bid to shake the faith in socialism among the revolutionary people of the world and create an illusion about capitalism and thus stop history advancing. This is a blatant challenge to the ideal of humankind and the cause of socialism."
Really, it's the "DPRK" news service, not SNL, Chapelle's Show, or an old Monty Python sketch.
Brits getting angry?
Even the Guardian, which acts informally as Aljazeera's UK bureau, had to admit that Britain's 'Stiff upper lip turns into a scowl.'
For those keeping score, the 20 or so attacks against Americans over the last 25 years resulted in two Muslim countries being crushed. Now that Britain has been smacked a couple of times, it's fine by me if they'd like to pick some low hanging fruit (of the oil and terror producing variety).
It's a toss-up as to which rancid patches of desert should be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century. Surely the obvious choices come down to Iran, Syria, or Saudi Arabia. And what about America's "ally," Pakistan?
From the Guardian:
For those keeping score, the 20 or so attacks against Americans over the last 25 years resulted in two Muslim countries being crushed. Now that Britain has been smacked a couple of times, it's fine by me if they'd like to pick some low hanging fruit (of the oil and terror producing variety).
It's a toss-up as to which rancid patches of desert should be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century. Surely the obvious choices come down to Iran, Syria, or Saudi Arabia. And what about America's "ally," Pakistan?
From the Guardian:
Whatever it was that kept Londoners so stoic - almost nonchalant - on the tube the day after last fortnight's bombs is still there, but more brittle; there's the beginning of a scowl on the stiff upper lip.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Subaru B9 pig
Somehow the new Subee went from idea to showroom floor without anyone saying, "Hey, it's kind of homely." The B9 Tribeca from Subaru looks good on the inside, though.
Saab is a little late to the American SUV market, but they made it. Their entry is the 97x, which doubles as an alternative rock station.
Saab is a little late to the American SUV market, but they made it. Their entry is the 97x, which doubles as an alternative rock station.
Sudan bans foreign reporters
Western journalists trailing Condoleeza Rice's visit to the dictator of Sudan were denied access and apparently "roughed up." This is par for the course in a country controlled by a dictator who allows genocide such as Darfur.
It all started when we arrived to witness the opening diplomatic pleasantries of that meeting at the president's palace in Khartoum.
The Sudanese camera crews and reporters were allowed in without much fuss, but those of us travelling with the secretary of state were barred by men who had clearly been told to keep the foreign reporters at bay.
Ms Rice's staff began to protest, we began to try to push our way past the door, but the security staff still would not budge.
A formal complaint was made by state department spokesman Sean McCormack.
Ms Rice's senior advisor Jim Wilkinson - a red-headed Texan with by now a mood to match the colour of his hair - accused the Sudanese of ignoring the basic principles of good diplomacy.
"We frankly don't appreciate being manhandled at the front door... We think our reporters should get as much access as possible... they were promised access.
"Diplomacy 101 [the basics] says you don't rough your guests up," he fumed.
Mr Wilkinson could later be seen wagging his finger at senior Sudanese ministers.
Eventually a man in a military uniform - and there were plenty of those - reluctantly obliged with the warning that we were not to ask any questions, which is a bit like asking an alcoholic not to raid the minibar left wide open.
London bombing in Scotsman
This is my kind of news story. The Scotsman has written about the new London bombings in three concise sections: Key Points, Key Quote, and Full Story. Thank you, Scotsman. I've been waiting 40 years for this kind of publishing. Give me what I need immediately, up front, with the option of reading the accompanying news story or feature. I don't want to mine an inverted pyramid for the details.
Read the Scotsman piece here.
The bottom line is this: I have more than 300 TV channels, plus about 200 news sites from around the world bookmarked in my browser. I get news alerts, email newsletters, and all manner of information flowing into my PC and TV. While I still take the time to read a good news story in its entirety, I need the facts in front of my eyeballs when I'm on the move through the world's media.
Read the Scotsman piece here.
The bottom line is this: I have more than 300 TV channels, plus about 200 news sites from around the world bookmarked in my browser. I get news alerts, email newsletters, and all manner of information flowing into my PC and TV. While I still take the time to read a good news story in its entirety, I need the facts in front of my eyeballs when I'm on the move through the world's media.
London bombed by Muslims, again
London was hit again today. Does anyone want to bet that the new transit attacks were not carried out by Muslims? If not, why? Answer it for yourself, not this damned blog.
Today’s attack will give British Muslims another chance to tell everyone how much they dislike bombings, and to write a few more condolence letters.
The following list of Muslim terrorism is partial. My use of “Muslims” rather than “Muslim extremists” or “Islamofascists” is deliberate because there is circumstantial evidence suggesting the majority of Muslims support such terrorist actions. The evidence includes the popularity of Osama bin Laden t-shirts on the Muslim street, and the joy Muslims feel after many major attacks (parades and cheering crowds in Muslim cities worldwide).
I would love to be dead wrong about this. If the Muslim community helps stamp out the problem within their ranks (in earnest), rather than talk about the need for more tolerance, I'll print a full, honest apology.
Note: Find a wallet card version of the list below. When you hear someone blame these masscres on Bush, hand them the card and ask, "Why do you feel that way?"
Sept. 5, 1972: Muslims killed 11 unarmed civilians at the Munich Olympics.
Oct. 23, 1983: Muslims blew up U.S. military barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 and injuring 81. On the same day, Muslims blew up a building housing French peacekeepers, killing 59 and injuring 15.
Oct. 7, 1985: Muslims hijacked cruise ship Achille Lauro, kidnapping 511 people. One U.S. citizen, a man in a wheel chair, was drown after being wheeled overboard.
April 5, 1986: Muslims bombed a disco in Berlin, killing three and injuring 196.
Dec. 23, 1988: Muslims blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 and injuring 12.
Feb. 26, 1993: Muslims bombed the World Trade Center complex in New York City, killing six and injuring 1042.
July 25, 1995: Muslims bombed the Paris subway system, known as the Metro, near the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Seven people were killed, and 91 were injured.
June 25, 1996: Muslims bombed a U.S. military installation in Dahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 and injuring 502.
Aug. 7, 1998: Muslims bombed U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Africa. The attack in Nairobi, Kenya killed 291 and injured 5000. The attack in Tanzania killed 10 and injured 77.
Oct. 12, 2000: Muslims bombed the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen, killing 17 and injuring 39.
Oct. 12, 2002: Muslims bombed an entertainment center near a beach in Bali, Indonesia, killing 202 and injuring 300. Indonesia was against the war in Iraq.
Sept. 1, 2004: Muslims took more than 1,000 children, teachers, and parents hostage at a school in Beslan, Russia. When the Muslim bombs exploded, prompting Russian troops to enter the school, 331 people died, and 727 were injured. Russia was against the war in Iraq.
To see the entire sordid mess, I urge you to visit the Terrorism Knowledge Base.
After all of the killings at the hands of Muslims, it should surprise nobody that the United States has gone on the offensive. There is only one way to stop U.S. aggression or “hegemony”, and that is to stop the bombings, kidnappings, and beheadings. Enough is enough. If after two sets of bombings the UK wishes to pull away from the offensive, as Spain did, so be it. The U.S. didn’t solicit allies in the offensive chapter in the war on terror because it needed to.
For a while I tolerated those who blamed Bush for worsening the Muslim terrorism problem. Now I say, “How dare you? How could you let your dislike of a sitting U.S. president -- one who feels that striking back is a good idea after more than 30 years of this madness -- cause you to utter such ridiculous nonsense?”
Among those who blame the London bombings on something other than the Muslims terrorists who carried them out:
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone
Former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, Paul Craig Roberts
Certain members of the Middle Eastern press
British Muslim “cleric,” Omar Bakri
To print the wallet card, right click on the image, and select "Save Image As" or "Save Picture As", and save to your desktop. Then double-click on the new image file on your desktop. Print. Fold three times evenly to make the printout the size of a credit card.
Today’s attack will give British Muslims another chance to tell everyone how much they dislike bombings, and to write a few more condolence letters.
The following list of Muslim terrorism is partial. My use of “Muslims” rather than “Muslim extremists” or “Islamofascists” is deliberate because there is circumstantial evidence suggesting the majority of Muslims support such terrorist actions. The evidence includes the popularity of Osama bin Laden t-shirts on the Muslim street, and the joy Muslims feel after many major attacks (parades and cheering crowds in Muslim cities worldwide).
I would love to be dead wrong about this. If the Muslim community helps stamp out the problem within their ranks (in earnest), rather than talk about the need for more tolerance, I'll print a full, honest apology.
Note: Find a wallet card version of the list below. When you hear someone blame these masscres on Bush, hand them the card and ask, "Why do you feel that way?"
Sept. 5, 1972: Muslims killed 11 unarmed civilians at the Munich Olympics.
Oct. 23, 1983: Muslims blew up U.S. military barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 and injuring 81. On the same day, Muslims blew up a building housing French peacekeepers, killing 59 and injuring 15.
Oct. 7, 1985: Muslims hijacked cruise ship Achille Lauro, kidnapping 511 people. One U.S. citizen, a man in a wheel chair, was drown after being wheeled overboard.
April 5, 1986: Muslims bombed a disco in Berlin, killing three and injuring 196.
Dec. 23, 1988: Muslims blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 and injuring 12.
Feb. 26, 1993: Muslims bombed the World Trade Center complex in New York City, killing six and injuring 1042.
July 25, 1995: Muslims bombed the Paris subway system, known as the Metro, near the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Seven people were killed, and 91 were injured.
June 25, 1996: Muslims bombed a U.S. military installation in Dahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 and injuring 502.
Aug. 7, 1998: Muslims bombed U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Africa. The attack in Nairobi, Kenya killed 291 and injured 5000. The attack in Tanzania killed 10 and injured 77.
Oct. 12, 2000: Muslims bombed the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen, killing 17 and injuring 39.
Oct. 12, 2002: Muslims bombed an entertainment center near a beach in Bali, Indonesia, killing 202 and injuring 300. Indonesia was against the war in Iraq.
Sept. 1, 2004: Muslims took more than 1,000 children, teachers, and parents hostage at a school in Beslan, Russia. When the Muslim bombs exploded, prompting Russian troops to enter the school, 331 people died, and 727 were injured. Russia was against the war in Iraq.
To see the entire sordid mess, I urge you to visit the Terrorism Knowledge Base.
After all of the killings at the hands of Muslims, it should surprise nobody that the United States has gone on the offensive. There is only one way to stop U.S. aggression or “hegemony”, and that is to stop the bombings, kidnappings, and beheadings. Enough is enough. If after two sets of bombings the UK wishes to pull away from the offensive, as Spain did, so be it. The U.S. didn’t solicit allies in the offensive chapter in the war on terror because it needed to.
For a while I tolerated those who blamed Bush for worsening the Muslim terrorism problem. Now I say, “How dare you? How could you let your dislike of a sitting U.S. president -- one who feels that striking back is a good idea after more than 30 years of this madness -- cause you to utter such ridiculous nonsense?”
Among those who blame the London bombings on something other than the Muslims terrorists who carried them out:
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone
Former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, Paul Craig Roberts
Certain members of the Middle Eastern press
British Muslim “cleric,” Omar Bakri
To print the wallet card, right click on the image, and select "Save Image As" or "Save Picture As", and save to your desktop. Then double-click on the new image file on your desktop. Print. Fold three times evenly to make the printout the size of a credit card.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Hungry astronauts want pizza
Today a news story was published about astronauts aboard the International Space Station harvesting home-grown peas, wheat, and rice.
I bet they can't wait for the shuttle to get back in operation.
I bet they can't wait for the shuttle to get back in operation.
British teachers have failed
Fail: 2 a : to fall short <failed in his duty> b : to be or become absent or inadequate failed> c : to be unsuccessful (as in passing an examination) d : to become bankrupt or insolvent
The Shaved Apes of Britain have failed miserably just by concocting an immensely stupid idea.
This is liberalism in all its urine-yellow glory.
And, the British fools are not unlike their teaching counterparts in the U.S. The color red is seen, by some in the U.S., as too harsh.
Perhaps we'll transform cognitive dissonance from hypothesis to scientific law once and for all.
The Brit idea about the word "fail" and the American fear of the color red are two great ways to completely fail a generation of students. How about telling kids who are scared of the color red to just fucking try harder? Similarly, students who fail can be instructed to try in their school work, period.
If these low caliber teachers have their way, we'll see a transatlantic generation of pussies. Only a bunch of dicks would want that.
The Shaved Apes of Britain have failed miserably just by concocting an immensely stupid idea.
Members of the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) argue that telling pupils they have failed can put them off learning for life.
This is liberalism in all its urine-yellow glory.
And, the British fools are not unlike their teaching counterparts in the U.S. The color red is seen, by some in the U.S., as too harsh.
"If you see a whole paper of red, it looks pretty frightening," said Sharon Carlson, a health and physical education teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Northampton. "Purple stands out, but it doesn't look as scary as red."
Perhaps we'll transform cognitive dissonance from hypothesis to scientific law once and for all.
The Brit idea about the word "fail" and the American fear of the color red are two great ways to completely fail a generation of students. How about telling kids who are scared of the color red to just fucking try harder? Similarly, students who fail can be instructed to try in their school work, period.
If these low caliber teachers have their way, we'll see a transatlantic generation of pussies. Only a bunch of dicks would want that.
Monday, July 18, 2005
California's liberal nonsense
Signs posted in an outdoor common area of an apartment complex.
Look at the sign on the bottom. Thanks, California, for telling me. These signs should appear on the back of every automobile, all 35 million in California, and just about everywhere else. Nearly 25% of the public smokes cigarettes, so I shouldn't be able to walk two feet without seeing one of these little gems, should I?
Maybe I should be more objective. If it weren't for these signs, I might have died! Oh my! I'm so grateful that the liberal government is here to protect me from these evils. Praise Democrats.
Idiots.
British Muslims offer hope
I've been very critical of the Muslim community for doing little to clean their own house. I'll never apologize for the tough stance, seeing as too many innocent civilians have perished at the hands of Muslim extremists.
However, recent development in Britain are hopeful.
According to the BBC, more than 500 Muslim leaders/clerics in the UK have issued a fatwa against the bombings. I'm tempted to make fun of any "fatwa", seeing as how Iran's leader issued one against Salman Rushdie for merely being critical of Islam. And, of course, the van Gogh film maker in the Netherlands was killed particularly heinously for portraying Muslim honor in a bad light.
Apparently these fatwas are part of the Muslim culture, and it's a portion that doesn't always result in somebody losing their head or being blown to bits, so I'll hold my critique.
From the BBC:
I’m still dubious, though, because the Spanish Muslims were the first to make a serious condemnation of Osama bin Laden -- several years after 9/11. Plus, they thanked Europe for being kinder to the Muslims community, post 9/11, than the U.S. Note that Europe has suffered 35, no, make that 36, major terrorist attacks since 9/11, and the U.S. has suffered none. So, take your thanks and shove it up your fundamentalist assholes. I thank the FBI for not letting insane fucktwats butcher my wife, my two children, and other innocent civilians as they go about their ordinary, peaceful lives.
Also, the Muslim Street is still clamboring for Bin Laden t-shirts. Remember the photo of Indonesians eagerly accepting food and water from a U.S. military helicopter with one buttfuck wearing a Bin Laden t-shirt?
I also have a nagging suspicion that Blair ordered Brit Muslims to issue the fatwa. Did he say, "Clean your house or I'll clean it for you."? Did he say, "Our open, tolerant culture has limits, so do something before I have to."?
However, recent development in Britain are hopeful.
According to the BBC, more than 500 Muslim leaders/clerics in the UK have issued a fatwa against the bombings. I'm tempted to make fun of any "fatwa", seeing as how Iran's leader issued one against Salman Rushdie for merely being critical of Islam. And, of course, the van Gogh film maker in the Netherlands was killed particularly heinously for portraying Muslim honor in a bad light.
Apparently these fatwas are part of the Muslim culture, and it's a portion that doesn't always result in somebody losing their head or being blown to bits, so I'll hold my critique.
From the BBC:
(The fatwa) states Islam condemns the use of violence and the destruction of innocent lives and says suicide bombings are "vehemently prohibited".
The formal legal opinion was issued by the British Muslim Forum at Parliament.
More than 50 Muslim religious leaders from around the UK stood together outside the Houses of Parliament to hear the fatwa read out.
I’m still dubious, though, because the Spanish Muslims were the first to make a serious condemnation of Osama bin Laden -- several years after 9/11. Plus, they thanked Europe for being kinder to the Muslims community, post 9/11, than the U.S. Note that Europe has suffered 35, no, make that 36, major terrorist attacks since 9/11, and the U.S. has suffered none. So, take your thanks and shove it up your fundamentalist assholes. I thank the FBI for not letting insane fucktwats butcher my wife, my two children, and other innocent civilians as they go about their ordinary, peaceful lives.
Also, the Muslim Street is still clamboring for Bin Laden t-shirts. Remember the photo of Indonesians eagerly accepting food and water from a U.S. military helicopter with one buttfuck wearing a Bin Laden t-shirt?
I also have a nagging suspicion that Blair ordered Brit Muslims to issue the fatwa. Did he say, "Clean your house or I'll clean it for you."? Did he say, "Our open, tolerant culture has limits, so do something before I have to."?
"We pray for the defeat of extremism and terrorism in the world.
"We pray for the peace, security and harmony to triumph in multicultural Great Britain."
'America's Finest City' is fucked
First, the good stuff: San Diego is a beautiful metropolitan area with around three million people. A booster club called San Diego "America's Finest City" many years ago, and the name stuck. The city is the modern version of what you might see in a Thomas Kincaid painting. Imagine a Key West that's not in the middle of nowhere. Imagine a Honolulu with even better weather, somewhat smaller waves for surfing, one that's on the mainland, and has lots of jobs.
Photo: Don Long, shot from Coronado
San Diego is clean as a whistle, easy to navigate, modern as all hell, and has the best weather in all of North America. Never too hot, never too cold, with few days that aren't sunny and bright, and never the oppressive humidity that strangles the shit out of people back East. Hurricanes? No. Tornados? No. Snowstorms? No. Just when a San Diegan gets bored of 75 and sunny, a solitary day of light rain arrives. It's hard not to smile.
Now, the bad.
A pension crisis threatened (and still does) to bankrupt the city last year, pitting politician against politician. One mayor hopeful for this Fall's election is promising to file bankrupty!
Also last year, Donna Frye easily beat incumbent Republican Mayor Dick Murphy as a write-in candidate, but her victory was not recognized by the election commission. Frye, a popular hippy liberal, lost in court due to a strict interpretation of election law. Many of her voters failed to check the box next to the line where they had written her name.
If the city's problems were limited to a financial crisis and a contested mayoral election, that would be par for the course in Big City America. No big deal. These things happen.
But wait, there's more!
San Diego Union-Tribune for Tuesday, July 19 (added to this post July 20)
Today two members of the San Diego City Council, one of whom is Acting Mayor, were found guilty of extortion in an embarassment known as "Strippergate". The jury agreed with federal prosecutors that the councilmen accepted bribes to ease the city's "no-touch" rules for strip clubs. (I support easing the rules. After all, titties were meant to be squeezed.)
The tale is straight from Hollywood. Hell, San Diego is only a two-hour drive from the world's biggest film industry cluster. The players include shady Las Vegas types who have an interest in a few of San Diego's strip clubs. One of the alleged thugs even wears silky suits and sports a little guido beard. The guy met the council members, shook hands, envelopes of cash were allegedly passed.
The two guilty councilmen, Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza, are icons down in Sandy Eggo. Inzunza made a statement to reporters this afternoon, saying that he will fight the verdict and plans to stay in San Diego. "Crook!" a few angry citizens yelled while he was speaking.
Rewind a bit... Just as the Strippergate trial began last year, one of the indicted councilmen, Charles Lewis, keeled over and died of a liver problem. He was in his early '30s. Lewis' family denied he was a lush, but the public knows better. Livers usually don't give out after 34 years. May he rest in peace, free from federal extortion charges.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the corruption trial, the pension crisis ambled along like a freight train sans engineer. Dick Murphy announced his resignation as Mayor just seven months into his second term as Mayor.
Today's news about Zucchet being found guilty on federal extortion charges is especially interesting because Murphy had chosen him as Deputy Mayor. When Murphy's resignation went into effect yesterday, Zuchet became Acting Mayor.
Remember that the drama is not unfolding in a mid-sized town in central Oklahoma. San Diego is one of the 10 largest cities in the U.S., is the second largest city in California, after Los Angeles, and is the only non-liberal stronghold in the state besides my beloved Orange County. Plus, I like going down there for the great beaches, perfect weather, and great downtown area. It's a great way to escape the 19 million Shaved Apes in the LA/Orange County area.
To recap the madcap madness, the city is enduring a huge pension crisis, which could easily result in a huge metro area going bankrupt, plus Strippergate, plus a dead councilman, and now two guilty councilmen -- one being the bloody Mayor. Dick Murphy probably dodged a bullet when he quit as Mayor. After this morning's guilty verdicts on the councilmen, he's probably filling his blender with ice, tequila, and some margarita mix.
The only thing left for San Diego is to hold the special election for the mayorship. Donna Frye, the blonde hippy married to a surfing legend, will probably win. What's the pool on a contested election? Correction, another contested election.
San Diego is indeed fucked. Those poor bastards.
Photo: Don Long, shot from Coronado
San Diego is clean as a whistle, easy to navigate, modern as all hell, and has the best weather in all of North America. Never too hot, never too cold, with few days that aren't sunny and bright, and never the oppressive humidity that strangles the shit out of people back East. Hurricanes? No. Tornados? No. Snowstorms? No. Just when a San Diegan gets bored of 75 and sunny, a solitary day of light rain arrives. It's hard not to smile.
Now, the bad.
A pension crisis threatened (and still does) to bankrupt the city last year, pitting politician against politician. One mayor hopeful for this Fall's election is promising to file bankrupty!
Also last year, Donna Frye easily beat incumbent Republican Mayor Dick Murphy as a write-in candidate, but her victory was not recognized by the election commission. Frye, a popular hippy liberal, lost in court due to a strict interpretation of election law. Many of her voters failed to check the box next to the line where they had written her name.
If the city's problems were limited to a financial crisis and a contested mayoral election, that would be par for the course in Big City America. No big deal. These things happen.
But wait, there's more!
San Diego Union-Tribune for Tuesday, July 19 (added to this post July 20)
Today two members of the San Diego City Council, one of whom is Acting Mayor, were found guilty of extortion in an embarassment known as "Strippergate". The jury agreed with federal prosecutors that the councilmen accepted bribes to ease the city's "no-touch" rules for strip clubs. (I support easing the rules. After all, titties were meant to be squeezed.)
The tale is straight from Hollywood. Hell, San Diego is only a two-hour drive from the world's biggest film industry cluster. The players include shady Las Vegas types who have an interest in a few of San Diego's strip clubs. One of the alleged thugs even wears silky suits and sports a little guido beard. The guy met the council members, shook hands, envelopes of cash were allegedly passed.
The two guilty councilmen, Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza, are icons down in Sandy Eggo. Inzunza made a statement to reporters this afternoon, saying that he will fight the verdict and plans to stay in San Diego. "Crook!" a few angry citizens yelled while he was speaking.
Rewind a bit... Just as the Strippergate trial began last year, one of the indicted councilmen, Charles Lewis, keeled over and died of a liver problem. He was in his early '30s. Lewis' family denied he was a lush, but the public knows better. Livers usually don't give out after 34 years. May he rest in peace, free from federal extortion charges.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the corruption trial, the pension crisis ambled along like a freight train sans engineer. Dick Murphy announced his resignation as Mayor just seven months into his second term as Mayor.
Today's news about Zucchet being found guilty on federal extortion charges is especially interesting because Murphy had chosen him as Deputy Mayor. When Murphy's resignation went into effect yesterday, Zuchet became Acting Mayor.
Remember that the drama is not unfolding in a mid-sized town in central Oklahoma. San Diego is one of the 10 largest cities in the U.S., is the second largest city in California, after Los Angeles, and is the only non-liberal stronghold in the state besides my beloved Orange County. Plus, I like going down there for the great beaches, perfect weather, and great downtown area. It's a great way to escape the 19 million Shaved Apes in the LA/Orange County area.
To recap the madcap madness, the city is enduring a huge pension crisis, which could easily result in a huge metro area going bankrupt, plus Strippergate, plus a dead councilman, and now two guilty councilmen -- one being the bloody Mayor. Dick Murphy probably dodged a bullet when he quit as Mayor. After this morning's guilty verdicts on the councilmen, he's probably filling his blender with ice, tequila, and some margarita mix.
The only thing left for San Diego is to hold the special election for the mayorship. Donna Frye, the blonde hippy married to a surfing legend, will probably win. What's the pool on a contested election? Correction, another contested election.
San Diego is indeed fucked. Those poor bastards.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
The apes drool over Google
Source: Yahoo
We the Shaved Apes learned nothing when the dot-com bubble burst. Since we swung down from the trees and shaved off our hair, some feel we’re special, even enlightened as the only species able to "think".
Hungering for Google shares at $300 a pop is hard evidence to the contrary.
Stupid, stupid, stupid Shaved Apes. The only thing more foolish than shelling out $301 for one miserable share of Google would be harboring even a sliver of hope for Shaved Apes.
If we're fuckin' lucky, Taiwan will declare independence once and for all, the U.S. will side with Taiwan, and China will make good on its threats to nuke us. China's strike won't kill all life on the planet, but our retaliation surely will.
Muslim murderers
Photo: Muslims entering a London train station prior to butchering unsuspecting commuters.
Still afraid of offending people? Still think it's wrong?
I am offended that certain Muslims walk into train stations and kill innocent people, including babies, and
I am offended that worthless fucking liberals, Democrats, Al Qaeda, and other vermin are laying blame at the feet of GWB. I am offended that anyone could be so stupid, after nearly four decades of Muslim murders, nearly all of which occurred before Bush took his first oath of office. I am offended that anyone could hate a U.S. president so much that they forget, or ignore, these indisputable facts, and
I am offended that some Muslims have an attitude about Fallujah, as if people who behead truck drivers, and burn their corpses and drag them through the streets, should be allowed to live, and
I am offended that Omar Bakri, a British Muslim, has soaked up the dole for 19 fucking years while taking to the streets and calling for an overthrow of the United Kingdom, and
I am offended that Britons are doing almost nothing about it, and
I am deeply offended that liberal "tolerance" of other cultures and peoples has allowed the worst kind of murderers to live among us, and spread and practice their ideology of death. What the fuck are you thinking, maggots?
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Battlestar Galactica returns
Battlestar Galactica returns tomorrow night. It is probably the first series I've watched regularly since Magnum PI. I'm looking forward to season two. Somehow the show manages to combine good creative work, like directing and acting, with interesting writing. Storylines involve religion, politics, and even a few space battles.
Offical site here.
Offical site here.
Some Floridians fed up
I can't blame the people of Florida for getting the hell away. There are 6-10 named storms every year. Each produces flooding, damaged homes, injuries and sometimes death. With searing summer temps, oppressive humidity, and rain, why is anyone living there?
AP has provided a story about some Floridians throwing in the towel:
AP has provided a story about some Floridians throwing in the towel:
"How much more can we take?" asked Campbell, whose barrier island home on Navarre Beach sits near the spot where Hurricane Dennis rolled ashore Sunday. "I kind of feel like I keep experiencing a death over and over again."
Even though Dennis largely spared the home Campbell shares with her aircraft mechanic husband, the recurring stress of evacuating, coming back to see the damage and rebuilding has become too much for either of them to bear.
"This is very emotional," she said. "You get the adrenalin all running for the evacuation, and you get the adrenalin running for coming back to see if your house is completely blown away."
London's Muslim suicide bombers ID'd
Suicide bombers: Hasib Hussain, 18; Shahzad Tanweer, 22; Mohammed Sidique Khan, 30; Lindsey Germaine.
Being sought: Magdy el-Nashar, 33
More info here.
Being sought: Magdy el-Nashar, 33
More info here.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Muslims with attitude
Nothing angers me more than Muslims who are indignant right after their people slaughtered Londoners as they commuted to work. One Mr. Aslam, writing for the Guardian, mentions Fallujah, as if that's a reason for Muslims to be angry with Britain and/or the U.S.
What is the thinking here? Fallujah is where terrorists in Iraq... Wait, let's review, so we know what we're talking about. Terrorists in Iraq are beheading civilians, blowing up little kids, and strapping explosives onto guys in wheel chairs. They're even putting bombing vests on dogs, for fuck's sake. These animals decided to hide in Fallujah, and certain Muslims, like the guy at the Guardian, are indignant that U.S. soldiers cleaned up the dungheep?
From the Guardian:
And just so Mr. Aslam doesn't harbor any illusions about the future, wherever cocksuckers who behead civilians and blow children to smithereens decide to hide, U.S. troops or our allies will annihilate them, whether they decide to cower in Iraq, Afghanistan, Oregon, or Yorkshire.
What is the thinking here? Fallujah is where terrorists in Iraq... Wait, let's review, so we know what we're talking about. Terrorists in Iraq are beheading civilians, blowing up little kids, and strapping explosives onto guys in wheel chairs. They're even putting bombing vests on dogs, for fuck's sake. These animals decided to hide in Fallujah, and certain Muslims, like the guy at the Guardian, are indignant that U.S. soldiers cleaned up the dungheep?
From the Guardian:
Shocked would be to suggest we didn't appreciate that when Falluja was flattened, the people under it were dead but not forgotten - long after we had moved on to reading more interesting headlines about the Olympics. It is not the done thing to make such comparisons, but Muslims on the street do. Some 2,749 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. To discover the cost of "liberating" Iraqis you need to multiply that figure by eight, and still you will fall short of the estimated minimum of 22,787 civilian Iraqi casualties to date. But it's not cool to say this, now that London's skyline has also has plumed grey.
And just so Mr. Aslam doesn't harbor any illusions about the future, wherever cocksuckers who behead civilians and blow children to smithereens decide to hide, U.S. troops or our allies will annihilate them, whether they decide to cower in Iraq, Afghanistan, Oregon, or Yorkshire.
Slamming the Frogs
According to an AP story, Tokyo's governor is being sued for insulting the French. He is quoted as saying, "French is a failed international language because it cannot be used to count numbers."
The head of a French language school in Tokyo had this: "It's natural for different languages to have different names for numbers and different ways of counting them, so it's unacceptable for him to insult French in this way."
The lawsuit was brought by teachers and translators against Gov. Shintaro Ishihara.
The head of a French language school in Tokyo had this: "It's natural for different languages to have different names for numbers and different ways of counting them, so it's unacceptable for him to insult French in this way."
The lawsuit was brought by teachers and translators against Gov. Shintaro Ishihara.
Britain learns the hard way
In May hundreds of Muslims gathered in front of a London Mosque to hear "cleric" Omar Bakri talk about hatred and the downfall of Britain and the United States. Two months later, more than 50 innocent civilians were slaughtered and almost 1000 injured when Muslims detonated four bombs along London's mass transit systems.
Bakri’s stance has been clear for years:
Fact: If a figure like Omar Bakri organized Muslims in the USA and led them into the streets to chant "Death to America" and "Death to Britain," the general public would join them in the streets and take care of the problem at once. Praise the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Make no mistake -- my attitude is not racist, and for anyone who thinks it may be, go fuck yourself. If any group whatsoever, whether religious, racial, or some other kind of club, takes to the streets of my country and chants that me and my family, my country, and everything I believe in must die, there will be trouble.
The vast majority of people in the USA will not let fear of offending someone result in the slaughter of their fucking family.
The pattern
I mentioned the pattern years ago, although this blog is new and so offers no proof of that. The USA changed to an offensive, preemptive stance following Muslim murders on 9/11. Bush changed the NSS, making clear our feelings. Russia switched to a similar strategy after Muslims killed hundreds of women and children at Beslan. Spain broke the mold by cowering after Muslims murdered hundreds of people on March 11, 2004.
The big ones were 9/11, 3/11, Beslan, then 7/7. Who's next? Are you still afraid to offend a religious group? If yes, you are a dumbass.
Britain now follows the pattern
Apparently Tony Blair is now attempting to wake up Britain. Here's from the BBC today:
One must wonder why the USA has not been attacked by Muslim terrorists since 9/11, when Russia, Spain, Britain, and dozens of other countries have. Here are some possibilities:
1. The FBI is doing a better job than their counterparts in Europe
2. Muslims know we'll crush two more of their countries if they fuck with us again
3. The USA's culture is less tolerant of hate speech than Europe, and doesn't care if moderate Muslims complain about it
4. The FBI is using #3 to get closer to domestic Muslim extremists and therefore preventing attacks (see this; also see these idiots -- who will be partly responsibile when the next Muslim attack occurs)
5. We cleaned house after 9/11, and our great distance and slightly increased immigration rules have prevented additional Muslim madmen from entering the country
6. We're due for a major attack, and the recent quiet is not an indicator of any of the above points. Are Muslims waiting for us to go to sleep again? Are they waiting for an appeasing Democrat to attain the White House to plan the next huge attack, as they did last time?
Bakri’s stance has been clear for years:
An extremist Islamic cleric based in Britain said yesterday that he would support hostage-taking at British schools if carried out by terrorists with a just cause.
Fact: If a figure like Omar Bakri organized Muslims in the USA and led them into the streets to chant "Death to America" and "Death to Britain," the general public would join them in the streets and take care of the problem at once. Praise the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Make no mistake -- my attitude is not racist, and for anyone who thinks it may be, go fuck yourself. If any group whatsoever, whether religious, racial, or some other kind of club, takes to the streets of my country and chants that me and my family, my country, and everything I believe in must die, there will be trouble.
The vast majority of people in the USA will not let fear of offending someone result in the slaughter of their fucking family.
The pattern
I mentioned the pattern years ago, although this blog is new and so offers no proof of that. The USA changed to an offensive, preemptive stance following Muslim murders on 9/11. Bush changed the NSS, making clear our feelings. Russia switched to a similar strategy after Muslims killed hundreds of women and children at Beslan. Spain broke the mold by cowering after Muslims murdered hundreds of people on March 11, 2004.
The big ones were 9/11, 3/11, Beslan, then 7/7. Who's next? Are you still afraid to offend a religious group? If yes, you are a dumbass.
Britain now follows the pattern
Apparently Tony Blair is now attempting to wake up Britain. Here's from the BBC today:
Talks are to begin on bringing in new laws covering preparations for attacks and to make it easier to deport people trying to "incite hatred", (Blair) told MPs.
One must wonder why the USA has not been attacked by Muslim terrorists since 9/11, when Russia, Spain, Britain, and dozens of other countries have. Here are some possibilities:
1. The FBI is doing a better job than their counterparts in Europe
2. Muslims know we'll crush two more of their countries if they fuck with us again
3. The USA's culture is less tolerant of hate speech than Europe, and doesn't care if moderate Muslims complain about it
4. The FBI is using #3 to get closer to domestic Muslim extremists and therefore preventing attacks (see this; also see these idiots -- who will be partly responsibile when the next Muslim attack occurs)
5. We cleaned house after 9/11, and our great distance and slightly increased immigration rules have prevented additional Muslim madmen from entering the country
6. We're due for a major attack, and the recent quiet is not an indicator of any of the above points. Are Muslims waiting for us to go to sleep again? Are they waiting for an appeasing Democrat to attain the White House to plan the next huge attack, as they did last time?
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, & fuck
Top five hits for "fuck" at Google. I know you were wondering.
1. wtfpeople.com
A fucking entertaining collection of videos -- bizarre, comical, and sexual. Indulge.
2. fuckthesouth.com
This fucknut has a Texas-sized gripe against the South.
"Fuck the South. Fuck 'em. We should have let them go when they wanted to leave. But no, we had to kill half a million people so they'd stay part of our special Union. Fighting for the right to keep slaves - yeah, those are states we want to keep."
3. Wickipedia entry
Standard fucking fare...
"It is unclear when the word was expelled from polite usage, becoming profane. Some evidence indicates that, in some English-speaking locales, it was considered acceptable as late as the 17th century meaning 'to strike' or "to penetrate'."
4. One man's search for fuck.com?
This fuckstruck fool has apparently been on a quest for fuck.com since 1997. Stupid ass. Or should I say fuckhead?
"When I first started the Domain Name Game in 1994, securing fuck.com seemed a distinct possibility. If christian.org had been secured by out and out blasphemers, why couldn't I get a simple swear word?"
5. Fuck Natalee Holloway
This guy is making a point with a fucking heartless headline.
"Now, before I get called a heartless bastard, let me hasten to point out that I agree that this story is tragic. Natalee's family and friends have doubtless been going through hell during this past month. I do hope that she can be recovered safe and sound, though that possibility seems very remote at this point. If I were the King of the World, I would snap my fingers and instantly transport every missing person back to the safety of their families."
1. wtfpeople.com
A fucking entertaining collection of videos -- bizarre, comical, and sexual. Indulge.
2. fuckthesouth.com
This fucknut has a Texas-sized gripe against the South.
"Fuck the South. Fuck 'em. We should have let them go when they wanted to leave. But no, we had to kill half a million people so they'd stay part of our special Union. Fighting for the right to keep slaves - yeah, those are states we want to keep."
3. Wickipedia entry
Standard fucking fare...
"It is unclear when the word was expelled from polite usage, becoming profane. Some evidence indicates that, in some English-speaking locales, it was considered acceptable as late as the 17th century meaning 'to strike' or "to penetrate'."
4. One man's search for fuck.com?
This fuckstruck fool has apparently been on a quest for fuck.com since 1997. Stupid ass. Or should I say fuckhead?
"When I first started the Domain Name Game in 1994, securing fuck.com seemed a distinct possibility. If christian.org had been secured by out and out blasphemers, why couldn't I get a simple swear word?"
5. Fuck Natalee Holloway
This guy is making a point with a fucking heartless headline.
"Now, before I get called a heartless bastard, let me hasten to point out that I agree that this story is tragic. Natalee's family and friends have doubtless been going through hell during this past month. I do hope that she can be recovered safe and sound, though that possibility seems very remote at this point. If I were the King of the World, I would snap my fingers and instantly transport every missing person back to the safety of their families."
Monday, July 11, 2005
Shooting HST from a cannon
August 20 is the date Hunter S. Thompson's ashes will be shot from a cannon at Woody Creek. I loved old HST, even though he turned out to be a liberal schmuck. Good writing simply cannot be overshadowed by politics. I think he would have agreed.
From AP:
From AP:
"Hunter meant a lot to me. He was another hero and someone that I got to know very well because I played him in `Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.' We got very, very close," Depp said in a recent interview with AP Television News.
"He was a great pal, one of my best friends. We had talked a couple of times about his last wishes to be shot out of a cannon of his own design. ... All I'm doing is trying to make sure his last wish comes true. I just want to send my pal out the way he wants to go out," the 42-year-old actor said in the interview.
Muslims offer condolences
Muslim organizations in the U.S. are condemning the London bombings. Gee, thanks.
Does the Muslim community not know who its extremists are? Do they have special mosques where only the fanatics go? Like Schulz from Hogan's Heroes, they say, "We know nu-thing!"
It is time to wake up to a larger problem with Muslims: They must clean their own house or quit bitching about the way non-Muslims are doing it. I mean, come on! If the community-at-large was really against the suicide bombs and killing of innocents, they would be outraged. And offering somber condolences after each batch of butchery is not outrage.
From the Muslim Public Affairs Council:
And, of course, Britain itself is implicated in the London bombings because of its role in the Iraq war, which removed a genocidal Muslim madman. Islam Online has this:
I am coming to believe that the only way to solve the problem with Muslim extremism is to stop distinguishing moderates from the extreme elements. After 9/11, countries were either with us or against us. That same message needs to be hand-delivered to the worldwide Muslim community. "Fix your problem our we'll fix it for you, and you're not going to like our methods."
Oh, wait! We're doing that already. GTMO is a shining example. The way to shut down GTMO forever, Muslims, is to....you're getting it now...clean your house.
Does the Muslim community not know who its extremists are? Do they have special mosques where only the fanatics go? Like Schulz from Hogan's Heroes, they say, "We know nu-thing!"
It is time to wake up to a larger problem with Muslims: They must clean their own house or quit bitching about the way non-Muslims are doing it. I mean, come on! If the community-at-large was really against the suicide bombs and killing of innocents, they would be outraged. And offering somber condolences after each batch of butchery is not outrage.
From the Muslim Public Affairs Council:
"We at MPAC extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the British people. As Americans, we are familiar with the imminent and the long-term repercussions of terrorism. Here at home, we stand in solidarity with law enforcement to maintain security, and we have every reason to believe that similar cooperation will take place in London."
The ramifications of the terrorist attacks in London will undoubtedly be far-reaching and will be felt around the globe. They are also likely to further inspire a wave of international counter-terrorist cooperation between governments and security agencies, thus wasting valuable resources - time, money, but most importantly good will - that would have otherwise gone toward more productive endeavors.
And, of course, Britain itself is implicated in the London bombings because of its role in the Iraq war, which removed a genocidal Muslim madman. Islam Online has this:
It is quite a paradox that Blair was the first to infuse the term “barbaric” following the London carnage—a paradox because the barbarism in London had an undeniable kinship with the years of barbarism in Iraq, barbarism which continues to unfold in full force.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) joins Americans of all faiths, and all people of conscience worldwide, in condemning Thursday's bomb attacks in London as barbaric crimes that can never be justified or excused.
I am coming to believe that the only way to solve the problem with Muslim extremism is to stop distinguishing moderates from the extreme elements. After 9/11, countries were either with us or against us. That same message needs to be hand-delivered to the worldwide Muslim community. "Fix your problem our we'll fix it for you, and you're not going to like our methods."
Oh, wait! We're doing that already. GTMO is a shining example. The way to shut down GTMO forever, Muslims, is to....you're getting it now...clean your house.
Bush on terrorism
"The best way to defend America is to stay on the offence," Bush said, as quoted by the BBC. You’re damned right. Since the early 1960s Muslims have been blowing innocent people to bloody bits as world leaders shrank in horror or appeased Muslim “leaders” with open wallets.
Bush is the first world leader to fight back.
If GWB adopted the French and German positions -- that of cowardice and appeasement -- would the Muslim problem vanish? Hell no! It was around long, long before GWB, and will be around long after he’s gone. It’s time to stand up to the world’s greatest menace and quit the politically-motivated bickering and hatred.
From the BBC:
Bush is the first world leader to fight back.
If GWB adopted the French and German positions -- that of cowardice and appeasement -- would the Muslim problem vanish? Hell no! It was around long, long before GWB, and will be around long after he’s gone. It’s time to stand up to the world’s greatest menace and quit the politically-motivated bickering and hatred.
From the BBC:
In an interview with the BBC's World Tonight, Mr Cook criticised the president's comments, saying that instead of isolating the terrorists, he had upset Muslim societies around the world.
"Everybody would fully sign up to the most vigorous police reaction to make sure that we do pursue those responsible for atrocities such as happened in London," Mr Cook said.
"I think the problem with George Bush's approach is that he does keep talking about it as a war on terror as if there is a military solution and there isn't."
Deformed salamanders
File this one under Who Gives a Damn. On one side, we share Earth with animals and plants, and we're merely custodians. We have a grave responsibility. When we see amphibs with genetic problems, it might be a leading indicator of larger environmental problems.
On the other hand, species come, and species go. We needn't cry over every miserable little creature, especially the ones who sting and bite the living shit out of us.
From AP:
On the other hand, species come, and species go. We needn't cry over every miserable little creature, especially the ones who sting and bite the living shit out of us.
From AP:
The aquatic animals native to Missouri and Arkansas are considered endangered in Missouri, and the St. Louis Zoo's Center for the Conservation of the Hellbender said the population of one subspecies has declined 70 percent in the state over the past 10 years.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
What is The Shaved Ape?
The Shaved Ape is a blog about current events, politics, and anything else I wish to include.
I'm Don Long, and I live in Southern California. I'm a practical libertarian, as opposed to a Libertarian. A practical libertarian sees some value in taxes and government regulation, and doesn't want schools, police, and fire to be privatized. I lean right, but not too far, considering I'm atheist and don't particularly mind abortions in the first and second trimesters.
Shaved apes are humans. The blog title acknowledges my humanity, which means I'm capable of both good and bad posts. I started the blog mostly to vent my anger and doodle with Photoshop. It has grown (slightly) to something more substantial, but the angry, almost irrational rants still pop up from time to time.
A lot of what I do is pure sarcasm. For instance, I don't actually want these life forms made extinct.
I'm Don Long, and I live in Southern California. I'm a practical libertarian, as opposed to a Libertarian. A practical libertarian sees some value in taxes and government regulation, and doesn't want schools, police, and fire to be privatized. I lean right, but not too far, considering I'm atheist and don't particularly mind abortions in the first and second trimesters.
Shaved apes are humans. The blog title acknowledges my humanity, which means I'm capable of both good and bad posts. I started the blog mostly to vent my anger and doodle with Photoshop. It has grown (slightly) to something more substantial, but the angry, almost irrational rants still pop up from time to time.
A lot of what I do is pure sarcasm. For instance, I don't actually want these life forms made extinct.
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