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Friday, December 29, 2006

Just heard on the TV... 

Announced Saddam is dead.

Our governor is cooler than your governor 

Can your governor give a medical checkup to a giant panda?

Ours can.

Headline of the day 

Latvia SWAT team takes on boar at gas station.

Unfortunately, the story didn't live up to the headline:
Without using either special weapons or tactics -- the first letters of which give SWAT units their name -- the elite police unit rounded up the boar and took it back to the yard.
Note to Latvian SWAT units - next time you get this type of call, remember three little words: Bar. B. Que.

You know who's really smart? 

Steve. That's one smart Canadian they got up there.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

So, what'd you get for Christmas? 

I got very very sick.

Couple days before Christmas, spouse woke up pretty much praying for death. I should have known something was wrong, she came home early from shopping the night before.

No problem - loving husband would take care of her. Which he did, right up until Christmas morning, when he woke up feeling like coming home early from shopping. Well, the male equivalent of coming home early from shopping. Leaving the club while the stripper still had her bikini top on, I guess. The point it, we now both felt really, really crappy. Hated to disappoint the friends we were planning on meeting for Christmas, (hell, at this point, I hated breathing), but they got their revenge. Describing food preparation to people with stomach flu is not recommended by the American Medical Association. All I'm saying.

Felt better over the last couple of days, although the traditional New Year's trip to my parents is off, as neither of us were up to driving for 12 hours. (Otchki was willing to give it a shot. We considered letting him, but then the fever broke and we realized the dog wasn't actually talking.) So, we're here. What the heck to people do around here for New Year's?

Peach Drop? You're kidding me. That couldn't be less original.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Merry Christmas, asshole... 

Saddam's death sentence upheld, must be carried out in 30 days.

Congratulations 

JWookie and his wife are celebrating an early Christmas present.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Ho ho ho and all that crap... 

Problem #1 - Spouse decides we need to get one more Christmas gift for some friends.

Problem #2 - Spouse has been stricken with bout of flu, so guess who actually has to run out to the mall on this somewhat busy shopping day?

There came a point when I realized I could continue to navigate parking lots and store aisles, or I could just grab the nearest item, which at that point happened to be the VIP edition of the Showgirls DVD, and call it a day.

As a general rule, this is not the kind of temptation you want to expose me to.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all get the hell out of the parking lot already.

Friday, December 22, 2006

You want to look where? 

Police have good reason to believe Joshua Bush shot at a car dealer named Alan Olive to try and stop him from investigating a theft Bush and his friends committed at Olive's dealership. Olive, a competitive marksman, returned fire at his attacker, and his sure he hit him. Coincidentally, Bush (who admitted participating in the theft, but not the shooting) later complained of getting hit by a stray bullet to doctors. Police have obtained a search warrant allowing the non-threatening surgery required to remove the bullet, which has not taken place because a doctor or hospital has not yet been found to perform the procedure.

Go ahead and say it. It's a natural thought, and it will make you feel better.

THEY WANT TO SEARCH HIS FREAKING HEAD?!? WHAT THE HELL?!?

See? Don't you feel better? Are you ready to find out the police probably have the law on their side here?

The issue is not Bush's right to privacy in his head. Of course he has a right to privacy in his own head. That's why a warrant is required, which requires an sworn application and a finding of probable cause by a neutral magistrate. Getting a warrant to search a suspect's body for evidence isn't all that unusual - and it's done for cases a lot less serious then attempted murder. ("Searches" of defendant's bodies to obtain blood for drug and alcohol testing are somewhat common in DUI cases.)

As Orin Kerr notes, the Supreme Court has already outlines the guidelines for determining whether or not this is allowed - how risky is the procedure (according to the news story, not very), how serious is the offense (very), and how valuable is the evidence likely to be - in this case, very valuable. Bush denied being the shooter, which means ballistics tests on the bullet in his head would be highly probative - if the bullet came from Alan Olive's gun, case made. (And on the other hand, if it didn't, given Olive's certainty he hit his assailant, it looks much better for the defendant.) If Bush were claiming, say, self-defense (other guy shot first), the bullet itself might not be terribly important as evidence and Bush might have a stronger argument. (Also see Schmerber v. California for discussion of when the State can seize evidence from a suspect's body.)

In sum, the answer to the question "Can they do this?" is yes, provided they get a valid warrant and the surgery involved does not pose serious risks to the patient's health.

The lesson to learn from all this? Don't threaten an armed man who takes part in target shooting competitions.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

The world is a little less crazy... 

Turkmenistan dictator Saparmurat Niyazov died suddenly of a heart attack. He was an asshole. Also 66.

He is known for, among other things, naming the month of January after himself. I am not kidding. Of the other things he is known for, none of them benefitted the people of Turkmenistan in any way.

Tip - Publius

I don't care if a pheonix was involved, bringing Dumbledore back is a cop-out 

Just saying.

Oh, and by the way, the last Harry Potter book will be called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Also, if we're killing off characters, at least one Weasley has to bite it. Seriously, do we really need both Bill and Charlie?

Oh, yes. That's much better. 

Mom says ferret, not dog, chewed baby's toes off.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

The answer: Little Mermaid Shimmering Lights Ariel 

The question: What do you get Paris Hilton for Christmas?

The reason: It's a talking doll, that if you push the buttons a certain way, will call you a slut.

Tip - Prosecutor Post-Script.

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match... 

In light of the news that Eminem has split with Kim Mathers again, and apparently for good, Dawn Summers has a suggestion as to where the former Mrs. Shady can go from here.

Kind of makes sense, if you think about it.

Judicial system lets America down again... 

...allows release of movie starring Justin Timberlake.

Background here.

Just wondering... 

Why in the blue hell do we even have a Poinsetta Bowl?

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

This was going to be "offered without comment," but...you know... 

Brit wins 3.1 million pounds in a lawsuit claiming a workplace injury left him with an out-of-control libido that drove him to prostitutes and pornography.

Comment I couldn't resist #1 - After reading this story, Sara Evans' husband is trying to think back to the last time he fell down and hit his head.

Comment I couldn't resist #2 - When asked what he intended to do with the money, he stated he planned to come to the U.S. and see if he could buy Miss America a drink.

Situation: Miss America is a loose-moraled drunk. Trump: So...,what's the problem? 

Miss America not to get fired for underage drinking and other potential indiscretions. The sheer wrongess of Donald Trump getting to fire Miss America was not addressed.

See also Ace of Spades for family friendly commentary.

Monday, December 18, 2006

How did people receive abuse before internet quizzes? 

Yeah, (bleep) you too.








Crackpot - INTJ
46% Extraversion, 66% Intuition, 60% Thinking, 73% Judging
People hate you.

Paris Hilton hates Nicole Richie. Lex Luther hates Superman. Garfield hates Mondays.
But none these even rates against the insurmountable hate, people have for you.

I mean, you're pretty damn clever and you know it. You love to flaunt your potential. Heard the word "arrogant" lately? How about "jerk?" Or perhaps they only say that behind your back.

That's right. I know I can say this cause you're not going to cry. You're not exactly the most emotional person. You'd rather spend time with your theoretical questions and abstract theories than with other people.

Ever been kissed? Ever even been on a date? Trust me, your inflated ego is a complete turnoff with the opposite sex and I am telling you, you're not that great with relationships as it is. You're never going to be a dude or chick magnet, purely because you're more concerned with yourself than others. Meh. They all hate you already anyway.

How about this- "stubborn?" Hrm? Heard that lately? All those facts which don't fit your theories must just be wrong, right? I mean, really, the vast amounts of time you spend with your head in the clouds...you're just plain strange.

*****************

If you want to learn more about your personality type in a slightly less negative way, check out this.

*****************

The other personality types are as follows...

Loner - Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving
Pushover - Introverted Sensing Feeling Judging
Criminal - Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving
Borefest - Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging
Almost Perfect - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving
Freak - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging
Loser - Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving
Clown - Extraverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving
Sap - Extraverted Sensing Feeling Judging
Commander - Extraverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving
Do Gooder - Extraverted Sensing Thinking Judging
Scumbag - Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving
Busybody - Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging
Prick - Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving
Dictator - Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging








My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:



















free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on Extraversion





free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on Intuition





free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on Thinking





free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on Judging
Link: The Brutally Honest Personality Test written by UltimateMaster on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test


Tip - Loner and Commander.

And this is us holding our breath... 

Axl Rose promises Chinese Democracy will hit stores March 6, 2007.

They were all set to release it at the end of the year, like Axl said, and he went into the studio, and the record company guys were all like "So, Axl, where are the songs?"

And Axl was all like, "Where are the what now?"

So now it's coming out in March.

And to think I wasted money on a DJ... 

American Idol finalists are available for weddings and bar mitzvahs.

Ruben Studdard or Taylor Hicks may set you back as much as $150,000. Someone like R.J. Helton may just want a crack at the buffet.

On sitting at the grown-up table... 

North Korea states position for nuke negotiations - To summarize: Gimme, gimme, gimme.
The North said that now that it is a nuclear power, it should be treated on equal footing with the U.S.
The U.S. responded by stating that it would begin treating North Korea as an equal by expecting its economy to sustain itself, and would encourage all aid donors to cease deliveries.

North Korea replied "Dude, that's totally not what we meant..."

And just when we thought we had a Miss America for all of us... 

20 year old Miss America apparently about to lose crown for public drinking - also she has potentially corrupted the 18 year old Miss Teen America, reportedly seen drinking at the same place. The story says this report may threaten Miss Teen America's status as a spokesperson for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Gee, ya think?

Friday, December 15, 2006

I say we call him "Don Mexico" 

Marcus Vick, little brother of Falcons QB Michael, is being sued for an alleged two-year sexual relationship with an underage girl.

Hamas: We're martyrs, not ministers 

Translation: With regard to this whole running a government thing, we couldn't find our asses with both hands, a map, and a guide dog.

Seems like old times... 

It's been awhile since I've taken a shot Zimbabwe's Assface-in-chief, Robert Mugabe. I wonder what he's been up to?

Well, his term of office expires in 2008, so it should come as no surprise that he's expecting to hang on to power until around 2010. Or maybe later. Perhaps forever.

One potential reason cited is the uproar that could ensue if a number of candidates vied to succeed Mugabe.

Because, you know, elections are hard. People get upset. Better not to have them.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

If I could have a moment of silence from all comic book geeks... 

Martin Nodell, the creator of Green Lantern, died over the weekend. He was 91.


Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, as painted by Alex Ross.


Tip and other tributes from Ace and Cob.

That explains so much... 

Brain disorder causes woman to think she's French.
Louise said: "It might sound funny to others, but suddenly thinking you are French is terrifying."
I could not agree more.

Tip - Kicking Air.

How Congress really works... 

Read this story about how the dairy lobby teamed up with a few powerful Congressmen to stop an independent dairy producer from selling his milk at reduced prices. (You know, saving customers money - the horror!)

The villains are bipartisan - they include Democratic Senator Harry Reid and Republican Jon Kyl. You know, I used to like Jon Kyl. My immediate after reading this article was to declare that I would not support any Presidential candidate who did not promise to institute "Jon Kyl Sucks Day." (You know, we really don't have any national holidays in August. Celebrating Jon Kyl Sucks Day sometime during the first week of August would work out just right.)

Of course, upon further reflection, any bill setting up Jon Kyl Sucks Day would probably have a series of last-minute amendments that would jack up prices for other things I like.

The dairy farmer who got screwed by Congress has a better sense of humor about the whole thing than I would:

"I still think this is a great country," Hettinga said. "In Mexico, they would have just shot me."

Tip - Volokh.

Ethical question for Dawn Summers... 

Is violence against an animal acceptable when it saves another animal?

Tip - IMAO.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The "Man, I'm Surprised THAT Marriage Didn't Work Out" award of the day... 

Goes to Jenna Jameson.

Bad news for anyone seeking to move in, however, as she apparently dating MMA champion Tito Ortiz.

Of course, as a happily married man, I have no idea who Ms. Jameson is or why she's famous. For some reason, however, I understand mentioning her on your blog is good for traffic.

I try... 

...not to give airport security people any crap. It's a thankless job, and the consequences of not being vigilant enough are terrible to imagine.

That said, how does one figure the Heisman Trophy to be a security threat?

How do you come to that conclusion? Do you see a guy with a Heisman Trophy and think he's O.J. Simpson? If so, don't worry - O.J. no longer has his.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Stunning. 

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that permitting the families of a victim to wear buttons with the victim's picture on it does not violate the defendant's right to a fair trial.

This was another in a long line of unanimous reversals of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The case is Carey v. Musladin, and can be read here.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

See, there's corrupt, and there's "corrupt." 

No longer in Congress due to visible ethics and/or legal problems - Duke Cunningham, Mark Foley, Bob Ney, Tom DeLay.

Still in Congress despite visible ethics and/or legal problems - Alcee Hastings, Alan Mollohan, and now, Bill "Cold Hard Cash" Jefferson.

It truly is morning in America.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Then never give them anything. 

Palestinian PM Haniyah - We will never recognize Israel.

"I'm insisting from this podium that these issues won't materialize. We will
never recognize the usurper Zionist government and will continue our jihad-like
movement until the liberation of Jerusalem,"

Later on, one of the "moderate voices," Ahmed Abdel Rahman tries to explain that sometimes a Prime Minister isn't really a Prime Minister...
"I can't criticize him (Haniyeh) when he is talking in the name of Hamas. But if he is speaking as prime minister, he should abide by the national agenda," Abdel Rahman said.
Ummm...dude, he's the Prime Minister. He sets the national agenda. Freeist and fairest elections in the Arab world, remember?

When Kim Jong-Il or Turkmenbashi spout off whatever lunatic nonsense happens to cross their mind on any given day, nobody suffers from the delusion that they speak for their people, because their people didn't put these bozos in charge, and have no way to remove them from power. But when a leader is legitimately chosen by the populace, and everyone believes Haniyeh's election was legit, then he speaks for you. Welcome to democracy. Live it, love it.

Of course, sometimes leaders forget why they were elected, or just flat-out do a crappy job. When this happens in a democracy, you have two primary options. The first is quite simply, to unelect the fools. Here in the States, many people chose that option just last month. Option #2 is to loudly and publicly protest your disapproval so the leader understands he is not voicing the will of his people. The election that put Haniyeh in the PM's job wasn't that long ago, so I understand if it's going to be awhile until the next scheduled election. However, Option #2 is available to you right now. If Haniyeh committing the Palestinians to jihad until Israel's destruction was not what you wanted when you voted him in, then the protests and letters to the editor and things of that nature should begin shortly. I look forward to seeing them, and wish you the best of luck.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Is the Atlanta trial of the century going to happen? 

I refer, of course, to the trial of Fulton County Courthouse shooter Brian Nichols, scheduled to start next month, barring Supreme Court intervention on pre-trial matters. Word is getting out around here about the possibility of a plea deal that would, presumably, spare Nichols the death penalty in exchange for a plea of guilty to the murders of Judge Rowland Barnes, Julie Brandau, Fulton County Deputy Hoyt Teasley, and U.S. Customs Agent David Wilhelm. Such a deal would certainly call for a sentence of life without the possiblity of parole. Fulton County is a difficult place to get a death sentence. Even with all of the evidence the State has, and the enormity of the crime - a verdict of death is no sure thing. Nichols' trial will be incredibly expensive, and years of appeals will ensue before any verdict is final.

On the other hand, he killed four people because it was starting to look like he wasn't going to get away with rape. The death penalty is still legal in Georgia, and these crimes are as clear a case as any where the ultimate punishment would be warranted. Should Nichols be given a deal that saves his life, that deal will be used to attack every death sentence imposed in Georgia with fewer victims. It's an argument currently being used in Washington, where a convicted murderer is contesting his death sentence in part by arguing that it is unfair for him to be sentenced to death when the Green River Killer was given life for 48 murders. Should the Fulton County D.A. allow Brian Nichols to keep his life, that deal will be cited every time a jury recommends death for a killer with fewer victims or fewer aggravating factors.

The families of Nichols' victims are divided. The widows of Judge Barnes and Deputy Teasley have stated through attorneys that they could accept a deal provided Nichols would never see freedom again. Agent Wilhelm's widow is resolutely opposed to a deal, and relatives of Ms. Brandau are still struggling with their thoughts. Neither Claudia Barnes nor Deborah Teasley have actually endorsed the idea, merely stated they could accept that decision if the D.A. chose to make it.

That a death sentence is warranted is to me, pretty cut and dried. Traditional behavior of Fulton County juries notwithstanding, this case was arguably the most horrifying event to hit Atlanta in years, and residents normally hesitant to impose the ultimate penalty may well feel inclined to make an exception. That said, while I don't actively support the idea, I'd understand if Paul Howard made the pragmatic move to spare the county the expense and families the anguish, and I wouldn't blame him for it. My one recommendation would be that if possible, any plea deal include Nichols' original rape charge. While the additional prison time wouldn't be necessary if Nichols received four life sentences, I think it would be a needed act on behalf of a victim whose ordeal got lost in the horror of what happened the day Brian Nichols tried to escape the consequences for what he did to her.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Quick, before it airs... 

Who gets offed on Heroes tonight?

D.L., aka the Male Kitty Pryde? Eden, aka Mind Control Chick? Matt, aka Mind Reader who used to be on Alias? Peter Petrelli, aka Little Nicky?

Seriously, compare and contrast....





That's reason enough to off him right there, says I.

Worst excuse of the year. 

Man tells judge he molested girls because of his wife's bingo habit.

The judge was less than impressed:
"Some people, when their wives are not home, decide to do other things, like clean their living rooms," (Judge Kimberly) McFadden said. "Your behavior is beyond the pale."
OK, the number of husbands who clean the living room when their wives are out gambling is approximately zero, but the sentiment is good. And raise a glass to the poor defense attorney who got stuck with that as an argument for leniency, because if the guy doesn't get it, he'll blame his lawyer.

Yeah, (Bleep) you too, Reggie... 

So I denigrated Reggie Bush's fantasy value, yet wound up with him on my team anyway.

It's not like I have a great crop of RB's, so sometimes he starts. Sometimes he doesn't.

This week he didn't.

Very freaking funny, Reggie.

Because the problem at the U.N. is we're not nice enough... 

President Bush accepts John Bolton's resignation, ending the Stone Cold era at the U.N.

I trust that Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and anyone else in the Senate doing a happy dance right now who's planning to run in 2008 is prepared to promise their nominees will satisfy the minority party's tastes as much as Bolton was expected to.

Actually, I don't hope that, since one of the above may be President in 2009, and I want someone like Stone Cold around when the U.N. tries to blame Israel for everything. I hope that, should we elect a Democratic Senator as President, they can be honest enough to say their actions on Bolton were a partisan attempt to hamstring and embarrass a President they didn't like, but they hope everyone's matured beyond that now, and here's a U.N. Ambassador who makes Stone Cold look like the Brooklyn Brawler.

That's what I hope. I also hope that Hostess Cupcakes burn fat.

Friday, December 01, 2006

I'm not saying I know what's gangsta... 

...but I have a pretty good idea of what's not.

And, someone should tell 50 Cent that picking a fight with Oprah is most definitely not gangsta.

It's really more "guest hosting Live with Regis and Kelly", or "appearing on the View."

Just saying, is all...

Note to John Kerry... 

...and everyone in the U.S. who's ever pitched a hissy fit about an election that didn't go your way.

You're a bunch of freaking amateurs.

Below is a group of Mexican legislators engaging in a slap-flight over access to the podium where Felipe Calderon was to be sworn in as President. It's entertaining, in a "Thank God I didn't vote for any of these nitwits" kind of way.


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