Monday, February 2, 2009

" Podunk": A Discussion

In Honor of Groundhog's Day, I share a discussion on the word "podunk" from the amazing forums of WordReference.

I think we have a link on the left to WordReference, but just in case we don't here's another.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Baby Eliot--99 Balloons

*

I found this video through Elliot's Blog (which is a domaining blog not connected to Baby Eliot).

This inspirational story will bring tears to your eyes.

______________________________________________________________


______________________________________________________________


IgniterMedia says,

To download this video go to ignitermedia.com.

Eliot was born with an undeveloped lung, a heart with a hole in it and DNA that placed faulty information into each and every cell of his body. However, that could not stop the living God from proclaiming Himself through this boy who never uttered a word.

Check out NinetyNineBalloons.com for more information about Eliot.

Our videos are created as sermon illustrations and should be purchased for use in small groups, churches, assemblies, etc. Downloads and DVDs are available at www.ignitermedia.com.
*

Monday, September 15, 2008

Nomi's Secret Sarah Palin Name (Thanks to the Generator!)

http://politsk.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah_13.html

I seriously lucked out:

Creation Schwarzkopf Palin


With a name like that, I would be fully employed, insured, published. You name it.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Gov. Sarah Palin Approves Aerial Gunning of Wolves in Alaska

*
______________________________________________________

The Wolves Heart Will Go On



linwau says,

WARNING

This video contains pictures and videos of wolves that were murdered.

Got tired of all you immature hunters posting comments about blasting wolves to bits. No one cares that you're proud of killing an endangered animal. I'm sorry it's so hard for you to keep you pathetic comments to yourself.

I pity you for your lack of self control.

Alright, You guys have no idea how much the Bush/Cheney Administration upsets me. I mean, I just want to scream at them. So many wolves have and will be slaughtered this year, because they allow it.

It's just not right.

It's sick.

These animals are still on the endangered list, and now will have to stay longer. Humans have been killing them for YEARS, isn't it just about time to back off?
Leave the wolves alone.

If anyone deserves to be hunted and killed it's humans, no other animal has destroyed the world as much as us.

www.savewolves.org

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/08...

It's really a terrible world.

Three years from now, Will we still have wolves?

______________________________________________________


This graphic video is difficult to watch; these beautiful animals are being slaughtered by humans who are engaging in "aerial gunning," which gives unfair advantage to hunters with big guns and huge vantage point. I snarked about this on my site Snark.me.

I tried driving home a point with biting humor, but I have to tell you: this practice isn't funny at all.

The video speaks for itself.

*

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Is Sarah Palin REALLY the Best the G.O.P. Could Do????

*
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin
____________________________________________________________


I'm going to take some vast liberties here and post an email verbatim from MoveOn:

Did you watch Sarah Palin's speech last night? The speech told us a lot about her.

It told us that she can distort the facts and deliver mean-spirited zingers with the best of them. It told us that if Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter ever need a stand-in, she'd be a great pick.

It told us that she can be condescending and dismissive of the real work Barack Obama did helping real people on the South Side of Chicago. It told us that she can uphold the long Republican tradition of lying about Democratic tax cuts—even though Obama's plan would give Americans a bigger break than McCain's.

But the speech—written by one of President Bush's speechwriters—didn't tell us the truth about Sarah Palin's extremist positions. And the more that people know her far-right views, the less they support her. (There's a partial list below.)

One of the best ways to get the word out about Palin is to write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Today's a great day to write because this is very relevant—it just happened last night. Plus, our online tool makes it easy and has great tips. Please take a few minutes to write a quick letter to the editor now:


Palin's speech and the reaction to it also made clear why McCain picked her. It wasn't a decision about who's most qualified to serve a heart-beat away from the presidency—it was a political decision about pleasing the far-right base of the Republican party.

Writing a letter to your local paper is a great way to make sure voters understand that. The opinion pages are the most widely-read pages of the newspaper. Write today, and your letter's a lot more likely to get published because it's so topical. It'll help sway the editorial board too.

Here are a bunch of points you might want to include in your letter:

--Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task." She's even admitted she hasn't thought about the war much—just last year she was quoted saying, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq." 1, 2

--Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party. Six months ago, Palin told members of the group—who advocate for a vote on secession from the union—to "keep up the good work" and "wished the party luck on what she called its 'inspiring convention.'" 3

--Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. She hasn't made clear whether she thinks evolution is a fact. 4

--Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming. Speaking about climate change, she said, "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being manmade." 5

--Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was even sponsored by BP. 6
--Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn't even support abortion in the case of rape or incest.  7

--Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. She's said she will only support abstinence-only approaches.  8

--As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library. Palin asked the library how she might go about banning books because some had inappropriate language in them—shocking the librarian, Mary Ellen Baker. According to Time, "news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving "full support" to the mayor." 9

--She DID support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it). Palin claimed that she said "thanks, but no thanks" to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. But in 2006, Palin supported the project repeatedly, saying that Alaska should take advantage of earmarks "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." 10
The plain fact of the matter is that Sarah Palin did a bang-up job delivering a Karl Rove-style political attack speech last night. That makes her a skilled politician but it doesn't make her views any more palatable for voters. Americans don't really want another far-right, anti-science ideologue in the White House.

Please help get the word out about where Sarah Palin really stands on the issues.


Thanks for all you do.

–Nita, Ilyse, Wes, Karin and the rest of the team

P.S. If you haven't seen it, check out the Daily Show clip on Palin. It's worth a watch:

_________________________________________________________



MoveOn
_________________________________________________________

Sources


1. "Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'," Associated Press, September 3, 2008.

2. "Palin wasn't 'really focused much' on the Iraq war," ThinkProgress, August 30, 2008.

3. "The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008.

4. "McCain and Palin differ on issues," Associated Press, September 3, 2008.
5. Ibid.

6. "The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

9. "Mayor Palin: A Rough Record," Time, September 2, 2008.

10. "The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008.

_________________________________________________________
*

Thursday, August 14, 2008

A Passage from Willa Cather

This is from Death Comes For The Archbishop (c. 1927, Willa Cather; c.1955, The Executors of the Estate of Willa Cather)Vintage Books, New York, p. 50.

Father Vaillant began pacing restlessly up and down as he spoke, and the Bishop watched him, musing. It was just this in his friend that was dear to him. "Where there is great love there are always miracles." he said at length. "One might almost say that an apparition is human vision corrected by divine love. I do not see you as you really are, Joseph; I see you through my affection for you. The Miracles of the Church seem to me to rest not so much upon faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly near to us from afar off, but upon our perceptions being made finer, so that for a moment our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there about us always."

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Women 4 McCain -- A Must See Site.

With all due respect, please visit the following:

http://www.womenforjohnmccain.com/

I found this site on the powerful, passionate list of my General J.C. Christian
http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/

His post today poses that vital question: Is Obama Secretly Amish?

What more can we say?

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Now Supporting Barack Obama


I am a former Hillary Clinton supporter.

I say "former" because Hillary has looked at the delegate numbers and has decided to support Barack Obama. However, I have no less regard for Hillary Clinton than I did back in March when I decided to vote and support her. In fact, my respect and regard has actually increased.

But in June 2008, Hillary did the right thing because we need change, and we need it fast. We need to elect a Democrat for the White House because Bush war policies and economics are not working! And John McCain, although an admirable man and great war hero, promises more of the same.

I admire Obama tremendously; he has run a hard and fair campaign, and as the new kid on the block, he has defied conventional wisdom. Back in 1992, I remember another new kid who rose through the political ranks to beat George H.W. Bush in November 1992: William Jefferson Clinton.

For those of you who feel that Barack Obama is too inexperienced to hold the highest office of the land, just remember that President Bill Clinton was also a bit green, so that argument doesn't hold much water.

Throughout the primary (even while rooting for Clinton), I observed Obama and his poise under fire. I kept thinking, "Doesn't this man ever stumble?" Yes, there were a few bumps, and the media were hard on both candidates, but even I could see that they seemed even harder on Obama.

While it might be easy to dismiss Obama as just another fine orator, he also offers the substance that our country sorely needs. Quite frankly, he and Hillary weren't all that apart. Both support:

  • The end of this ghastly Iraqi war.


  • A universal health care system.


  • Fewer entitlements to big business, and more for the deserving poor and beleaguered middle class.

So won't you join me and other Hillary Clinton supporters now to support Barack Obama?

I have set up a new website: ObamaPresident.org. Also, don't forget to check out Obama's official site: BarackObama.com.

In closing, I have one political regret in my life. Back in 1976, as a young Democrat, I campaigned hard for Henry "Scoop Jackson; I was in charge of his campaign headquarters in my city, and I stumped hard for him. When he lost the Pennsylvania primary, I was so angry that my candidate lost that I refused to support Jimmy Carter. Fortunately, despite my lack of support, Jimmy Carter became President Carter.

Still, if I could go back in the wayback machine to November 1976, I would change my vote from Gerald Ford to James Earl Carter, Jr.

*

Friday, June 13, 2008

Tim Russert, 1950-2008

Tim Russert, 1950-2008. Integrity in Journalism



Tim Russert, 1950-2008. Integrity in Journalism

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Eliot Asinof Died Yesterday

At the risk of screwing up the link, I attempt to post the link to the obituary in today's New York Times by Daniel Weber.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/sports/baseball/11asinof.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Vogon Poem Generator: The Emperor



I generated the following poem using the BBC Vogon Poem Generator.

I provided the keywords, the generator spit out a poem. I didn't change a thing.

What do you think?


See, see the Extremely dead sky
Marvel at its big fuschia depths.
Tell me, The Emperor do you
Wonder why the Walrus ignores you?
Why its foobly stare
makes you feel Monstrous.
I can tell you, it is
Worried by your attaflatic facial growth
That looks like
A Green spaghetti sauce.
What's more, it knows
Your beeswax potting shed
Smells of dollar.
Everything under the big Extremely dead sky
Asks why, why do you even bother?
You only charm Century Plants.
__________________________________

Is it art?

Monday, May 19, 2008

WARNING (Off-topic): From the I.R.S.--NOT

On Sunday, I received the following piece of email purporting to be from the I.R.S.:



Over 130 million Americans will receive refunds as part of President Bush program to jumpstart the economy.

Our records indicate that you are qualified to receive the 2008 Economic Stimulus Refund.

The fastest and easiest way to receive your refund is by direct deposit to your checking/savings account.

Please click on the link and fill out the form and submit before May 19th, 2008 to ensure that your refund will be processed as soon as possible.

Submitting your form on May 19th, 2008 or later means that your refund will be delayed due to the volume of requests we anticipate for the Economic Stimulus Refund.

To access Economic Stimulus Refund, please click here.

[Link removed--should you click on this link, you would be directed to this site: www.smfarms.com/catalog/images/hewlett_packard/.refund.php--definitely not the I.R.S.


Gmail also removed the URL from "click here."]

© Copyright 2008, Internal Revenue Service U.S.A. All rights reserved.
__________________________________________

Despite some of the grammatical errors, this email is very convincing because the sent info specified "service@irs.gov" as the actual sender. To give gmail its just due, the message contained the following warning (Highlighted in bold red):

Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information. Learn more. [This link shows how you can check your gmails for validity.]

Here is the code I found when I clicked on to "Show original":

Delivered-To: [Deleted]
Received: by [Deleted] with SMTP id u1cs271976wfu;
Sun, 18 May 2008 10:23:31 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by [Deleted] with SMTP id [deleted];
Sun, 18 May 2008 10:23:30 -0700 (PDT)
Return-Path:
Received: from dollman-enterprises.com (mail.dollman-enterprises.com [68.105.207.240])
by mx.google.com with ESMTP id h8si9853846wxd.26.2008.05.18.10.23.29
;
Sun, 18 May 2008 10:23:30 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: fail (google.com: domain of service@irs.gov does not designate 68.105.207.240 as permitted sender) client-ip=68.105.207.240;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=hardfail (google.com: domain of service@irs.gov does not designate 68.105.207.240 as permitted sender) smtp.mail=service@irs.gov
Received: from User ([76.202.29.82]) by dollman-enterprises.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.211);
Sun, 18 May 2008 13:23:28 -0400
From: "service@irs.gov"
Subject: 2008 Economic Stimulus Refund ( $1800 )
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 12:24:23 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="Windows-1251"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000
Bcc:
Return-Path: service@irs.gov
Message-ID:
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 18 May 2008 17:23:28.0887 (UTC) FILETIME=[E3464070:01C8B90B]
_______________________________

I must admit, this particular scam message caught my eye, although I did NOT fall for it.

Just remember: you need only to file your U.S. Federal tax return to receive your economic stimulus check.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Thought for the day (Overheard on Cold Case)



Bombing for peace is like humping for virginity.