quoted without comment

" ... the Department of English recently determined that the use of the singular 'their' — formerly a grave grammatical error — was appropriate instead of 'he/she.' "

Cross cultural criminality

Isn't it comforting to know, despite the hostility which sometimes exists between Spartans and Wolverines, that occasionally they CAN get together in a common enterprise?

Of course, it's trafficking in fake ID's, and this would be a serious criminal offense. CLICK

Still, it's progress.

some things

1. Remember the guy who it was claimed had been in a coma for 23 years, but suddenly started to talk? Now it seems that this miracle may have been a hoax all along. What would anyone gain by such a thing? To try to demonstrate why no one should have their life terminated for being in a persistent vegetative state. CLICK

2. No one came forward with a good explanation for why God struck Haiti with a horrible earthquake. So, can anyone think of why God struck Chile? If you hear Pat Robertson speak on this issue, please let me know. I was thinking it might have something to do with its geography, which is vaguely phallic and may constitute an offense in the eyes of a sensitive deity. Pat Robertson, y'know, is in touch with what offends the Deity.

3. Sparty and I have exchanged emails discussing whether the Olympic Games are too nationalistic. We agreed that most of the events reflect individual achievement and individuals should be appreciated for their skills, regardless of nationality.

It's Caturday!

Roommates - Marsha's kith.

This morning's word from Scot

"They are called Killer whales, you know. "

Thursday Morning Smile Maker

Two Kids

gun laws are getting easier

When I contemplate the high number of idiots who voted against Obama because they thought he would take away their guns (as if that's possible in this country), and I think of the absolute nothing that Obama has tried to do about gun violence (as if anything could be done in this country), I shutter.

As a consequence of his election, the gun freaks have put heavy pressure on state governments to loosen gun restrictions and they are obliging. It is easier to be even more heavily armed and dangerous in many more states now.

CLICK HERE FOR STORY

You will never live in an America where every crazy person cannot get a gun, and no decent citizen can live without the paranoia that everyone they meet and everyone who occupies the streets at night, is armed to kill. You will never live in an America where schools and churches and restaurants and shopping places are likely to be free of weapons.

Toyota faces America

I gloat and feel wonderful knowing that Toyota Corp. is being quizzed publicly, and is expected to answer for, its negligence and/or bad engineering --- in this country. This is something that will not happen in many countries, you can count on that!

Why here? Thank the Progressives. A generation ago this could not have happened even here! If left to the wishes of Reagan or the Bushes or many other of the conservatives mouthpieces, Toyota would simply go on unhindered.

To all the hockey experts who sat in front of the TV cameras and confidently predicted that Canada would beat the US last night:

You're over paid and too mouthy.

taking it under consideration

Well, Cousin Tiger wants my forgiveness and understanding. The understanding part is easy. The forgiveness part, well, I'm gonna have to refer this to my public relations people before I decide.

It's Caturday

Young friends from long ago

(42 years)

(Go ahead and Guess)

I merely note that George W. Bush --- remember him? --- does not appear at Republican Party functions to give speeches or to advocate for anything. I hear he's not invited. I wonder why? Could it be that among the conservatives he is recognized now for the same lack of intelligence, leadership qualities, and character as the more liberal elements of society recognized all along?

...a Modest Proposal

I am sending this suggestion to the International Olympic Committee.

Falling on one's ass should be a required element in the "program" of all figure skaters. Points should be awarded according to how the landing was made, how long it takes to bounce back up, how cute the butt looks with frost on it. These would be "style points".

Thursday Morning Smile Maker

(Sent by MARSHA)

free fire zone

Someone sent me this.

Comments, anyone?

=====

Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel” pick up your shovel, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the promised land"

Nearly 75 years ago, Roosevelt said, "Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the promised land".

Now Obama has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of camels and mortgaged the promised land!

I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc . . .I called Lifeline. I reached a call center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal. They all got excited and asked if I could drive a truck....

Cheney: How to deal with a terrorist

This professor who shot six colleagues in Alabama: She has a history it turns out. She killed her brother a long time ago and mailed bombs to someone. She's a terrorist! She should be sent to Guantanamo, be water-boarded, be tried in a military court, and be imprisoned in Yemen.

Oh, yeah, and her guns should be sold to help pay legal expenses.

Report from Grass Lake

Baby masquerades as manatee.

Disguise is discovered.

Report from Carolina

This is MARSHA's deck in Columbia, S.C. (where it "never snows") one early morning before sunrise, when the impossible happened. One great entertainment is to go to Carolina or some similarly lucky southern state and watch the drivers at work after an event like this.

This is why "bad" dancers don't dance. The people who "know the steps" harass and mock those who don't. So, why bother?

... thought in passing

I believe that if Dwight Eisenhower could see the current Republican Party in operation, he would walk into their midst and kick their collective asses.

He eventually shut down the crazy bunch that flocked behind Joe McCarthy in the early 'fifties. I would hope he could deal with this corrupt and lunatic crowd, now.

Our newest Wacko: All this and Palin, too.

GREGORY GIRARD of Manchester-by-the-sea, Massachusetts. Yes, he believes what Glen Beck and others say - that Obama is a dictator and socialist and has bad breath and stuff. So, he's armed himself with a big batch of really bad and illegal (which for America is saying an awful lot!) weapons, and a shooting range, and other scary stuff.

He is a "Tea-Bagger" or "Tea-Partier" or whatever, and a follower of Sarah Palin, whom he sees as a Christ-given force for good who will save us from the Armageddon which Obama has in store for us.

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA, Mass. (AP) — A dangerousness hearing has been rescheduled to next week for a Massachusetts man police say told them he was preparing for Armageddon when they found weapons, ammunition, and tear gas grenades at his home.

Gregory Girard of Manchester-by-the-Sea will be held without bail until the hearing Tuesday in Salem Superior Court. It had originally been set for Friday.

The 45-year-old Girard was arrested Tuesday after officers searching his home found about 20 high-powered rifles, shotguns, handguns, knives, body armor, camouflage clothing, and stockpiles of nonperishable food and medicine. He had permits for some weapons.

He pleaded not guilty Wednesday to four counts of possession of an infernal device and four counts of possession of a dangerous weapon.

READ MORE HERE: CLICK

triggernometry

I want to congratulate Alabama on being the first college to arm its teachers, as the wacko right wing has been wanting. 3 dead! All teachers!

2 Olympic items

1. For all those people who like to claim that all the snow in the U.S. shows there's no global warming, would you please offer all us ignoramuses an explanation for why there's no snow at the Olympics?

2. I want to thank Toyota, Chevrolet, Mercedes, and Nissan for the very nice commercials you interrupted the Olympic Opening Ceremonies to show me. I will bear your products in mind when next I buy a vehicle, although I doubt I will be able to buy one of each.

It's Caturday

FELIX always has room in bed

for feline friends

Headline of the Day

ALICE sends this winner! CLICK FOR STORY

Israel plans to build 'museum of tolerance' on Muslim graves

flying

Forwarded by JERRY ---

a few things

1. This is a fact picked up from television yesterday. When right-wing political CHRISTIANS found that science would not support their politics, they tried to create a new science: Creationism. When history did not support their claims that the founding fathers meant to create a Christian nation, they have tried to recreate American history.

I do not mean to try to disparage anyone's religious beliefs. I wish they would return the favor and stop trying to cram the rest of the country into their narrow little mold.

2. I've looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down and still, it seems, they are only good for raining and snowing on me. Is that how the lyrics of that song went?

3. Another of my high school classmates has died. This is a whole hell of a lot of them I've outlived. I wonder why.

4. I am disappointed in my country these days.

neighbors

During the recent snowstorm, we went out to buy a new hot water heater and arrange to have it installed. When we got home, we learned that the teenage girl across the street had shoveled our driveway.

Next day, after snow had fallen all night and the wind had socked in our driveway again, the neighbor next door had her truck driver with the snowplow, come over and clear out the snow at our house as well. When I tried to pay, he said, "Just say a prayer!"

I'm always surprised when people spontaneously do good things for me, not because they were spontaneous or because they were good-hearted and generous, but because it's me. I'm nowhere near as good a person as most people I know. But, I'm trying to reform. Anyway, many thanks for good people, which is most people.

kidnaping update

This Missionary imprisonment story in Haiti gets more interesting. Now, it turns out, the "volunteers" are jumping ship, claiming ignorance of what the "mission" was all about, snitching on their leader, Laura Silsby.

These people traveled all the way from Idaho to establish a non-legal adoption company to filter Haitian babies into the American baby market. According to Laura, this was God's plan. According to other folks, this is naught but an international conspiracy to traffic in children.

Even the American government seems to have little motivation for intervening on their behalf. I suggest the Idahoans who sponsored this operation ought to establish a new mission: to kidnap the Missionaries and sneak them back out.

Breaking up is easy

Where did the Tea Bag Party folks come from? Here is what I think happened.

They are a splinter group from the lunatic right who were embarrassed by the company they were keeping. They discovered that they were philosophically simpatico with: barely literate screaming preachers who were ordained by D+ divinity 'degree' mills; gun-toting Jew-haters with days of extra beard who can't tell a semite from a Maori tribesman; beer-stinking shit-kickers off the ranches of the deep West whose most romantic experiences have occurred on horseback; various white racist crazies who sleep with Uzis or Ak-47s; high school dropouts with shaved heads who call each other "dudes" and at 24 are still bagging groceries at the Kroger store; fat young women who show their ass cracks and tote dirty little babies under their arms.

The more well to do wackos looked at these fellow travelers and found them to be varieties of white people that are not well dressed, not graduated from the local community college, not discretely tattooed, not polished in any way, foolishly young, unwashed and unsavory, common or even gross. Oh, sure they might share the same chauvenisms, the same sense of racial befuddlement, the same jejune comprehension of "liberty" and "freedom", the same sense of fundamental Christianity, and oh! such a deep deep love of all that is traditional in American life.

So, you form a group that centers its 'sights' on money, which those other groups have little of, and you dress up nicely, and you have a printing shop produce grammatically correct protest signs, and you make heroes out of the shiny simpletons like Beck and Palin, and you go on ocean cruises, and you avoid the thuggish racism or vulgar language of the unsophisticated bigots, and you travel around in chartered buses you sell tickets for.

Now, you have a refined bunch of happy-hour "Conservatives" who look for all the world like they really understand something, not the tawdry mob of gun orgasmics and ethnic crudes who wear gaudy tattoos on their faces and forearms, and have spelling errors on their handouts. You see, you can put lipstick on pigs, and for some folks, that makes them kissable.

Contest announced

GOLD STARS --- are being awarded by BIRCHES for explaining how Obama is responsible for the blizzard. Take a shot at it.

(No fair watching Faux News to get an advantage.)

It's Caturday!

(We are running short of Caturday pictures from our friends. And, so many of you have cats! )

You open a drawer, you draw a cat.

This is what cats do, silly!

for the glory and vainglory: HURRAH!

They are extremely hardy who love winter in these climates. People of the MASTER Races, I'm sure. These are the ones I want to address today: ALL HAIL TO YOU WINTER LOVERS!

When Hitler tried to breed a vigorous race of superfolk, he had people like you in mind. Some of you go out to shovel the latest snowfall off your driveways, and whistle while you work. You strap various things on the bare feet you were born with, and then you rush down hill or throw yourself across acres of ice, or stomp across miles of tundra, or perform some other daring adventure, all the time shivering and trying to get all the layers off when you have to pee.

Lots of you are right now making your lusty ways to British Columbia to prove that you can do it faster, tolerate it longer, abide it more intensely, perform it more adroitly, or execute it more beautifully. Well, bravo to you.

I will be at home with a cup of tea or a bottle of Smithwicks in my hand, with the blanket tucked in around me, the cat purring warmly on my lap, and watching your breath steam from your frozen blue lips. I will be every minute admiring the glory of your heroic gestures!

Cutting them off at the Border

I happened to see the conversation between the "American Baptist Missionaries" and a newsperson, concerning their arrest. They were charged with kidnapping because they loaded up a bus with children in Haiti, and tried to drive them across the border into Santo Domingo. They were charged with doing something shady, like "trafficking in children."

These people were complaining about being arrested. They said that God had called them to do a job for humanity and now they had been foiled: God's plans had been defeated. Some God! If a bunch of uneducated thugs on the Haitian border can defeat the aims of the almighty, you're not working for a very impressive deity there, folks. When Moses was called by God to deliver the Children of Israel,

you may remember, even the barrier of an ocean was not able to stop him. So, a border check point ought to be a piece of cake!

I keep trying to assemble a likely scenario: God strikes down hundreds of thousands of buildings, he kills hundreds of people willy-nilly, he throws millions into woeful suffering, and then he decides, as an extra thrill, he will send in some of his devoted to rescue kids, and THEN, he stops the salvation of a bus of little kids. Like a joke, right?

Who in the name of ..., um. Let me rephrase this .... Who in hell dreams up Gods like this? Where do you "CHRISTIANS" get this kind of theology? How can you fall for this transparent bullshit? Those of us who are real Christians are embarrassed by the childishness of your ignorance.

God didn't send those people to rescue children, they went under a delusion to commit acts of kidnapping. Say what you like, ye "Christian soldiers." You belong in a good Christian jail.

is it: home, sick; or, homesick?

We are safely home from Florida. We made the trip in two days rather than one because we wanted to stay clear of the freezing rain in the middle of the country, and because I was (am) sick with a bad cold.

Pat did most of the driving,