Happy New Year!

It's been a heck of a busy day.

Too much Champagne, too little sleep, up early for the Rose Parade, too much traffic, rich food, USC football, and the coolest damn game I've ever seen, courtesy of Boise State.

Parade pictures tomorrow after work, including the starring appearance by Robbo, Steve-o, and friends.

My lucky bastard husband is off another week.

Best News of the Year

yeah, I know it's only been 3 days, but still....

One Two of my favorite people in the whole world is are getting married!

Congratulations Helen and Angus!

Jamie, Jack, and Stench Part Deux

Y'all keep hitting my blog for answers about Jamie, Jack, and Stench on Star 98.7, so here goes:

Jamie, Jack, and Stench is done.  Jack has the details on his myspace page.  He also has the contact info for himself, Jamie, and Stench.

Still recovering....

I suppose I owe you all an update.  Haven't really written anything of consequence for a while.  Sorry about that, but I've been a little out of pocket.

Christmas was great.  We spent the week in Fresno, enjoying the cold and the fog as only natives or long-time residents can.  Santa Claus was particularly nice to us, actually.  I got a small (read: $30 on Black Friday sale) microwave for my office and a new bluetooth headset for my cell phone (it looks like a ladybug!).  DH got a fishing pole and a tackle box, as he has recently resumed his fishing habit with my dad, aka FishMagnet.  We also got to play with the nieces and nephew.

However, the best part of the week was just being able to sleep late and relax and not be on a schedule.

Since we got back, work has been kicking my ass.  I did a lot of extra stuff before the break so that I would have it done. Good damn thing I did, because I would otherwise be living at the office trying to keep up!  Good thing that microwave was under the tree :-)

I feel highly unmotivated to discuss politics or current events.  There's just not much worth mentioning.  The Democrats are doing their "In your face" dance, Jerry Ford is still dead, and so is Saddam.  Castro is still NOT dead.  Using the Koran at the swearing in is literally a tempest in a teapot, even if the bastard is only doing it to make a political point.  The shit never changes, you know.

Also....

In anticipation of today's Friday F*ck Off, here's a list of people I'd like to tell to F*ck off:

LA Drivers
Leftards who let power go to their heads
Feminists
People who pick on the weak
assholes who don't pay their child support
People who slam their siblings in public
People who don't pick up their dog poo
Egomaniacs
Incompetents
Cashiers who don't know how to use their registers
Target
jackass house guests who complain for a week.  About EVERYTHING
Litterbugs
Fucktards who drive SLLLLLOW in the left lane.  Especially on the Arroyo Parkway.
cagastro and pals
that little ronery North Korean fuck, too
TV network executives
Sales tax
Stuffed shirt bureaucrats
telemarketers
the replacement mailman
idiots who wash their sidewalks.  Talk about wasting water. Fuckers.  This is CA.
dook basketball
Nick Saban
Dan LeBatard.  Where the Fuck is Wilbon, goddammit??
the NIH study section who told me that they love my science and acknowledge that I have the expertise to do the work, but they don't think I have enough experience.
Ads on the delete screen on the TiVo.  WTF is that about?  I pay enough for the fucking service as it is.
Sorority Chicklets
The Girls Gone Wild guy.  And all the little sluts on those videos too.  Cheap much?
vegan evangelists
enviroNazis
Clueless fucks who think that if they keep those Kerry/ Edwards bumper stickers on, that they can live in denial that the election is over.
John Kerry
John Edwards
sheeple who actually believe the media in all instances without question
and did I mention fucking stupid LA drivers?

I told you Caltech had sports!

Score one for my alma mater, who last night broke their NCAA-record setting loss (against NCAA opponents) streak at 207 by beating Bard College 81-52.  Their first NCAA win since the winter of 1996, my freshman year.

But don't give me all of this "mathematically improbable" and "brainy not brawny"  bullshit.  Let's face it.  These guys are more interested in being engineers than basketball players, and with an average of 6 classes/ term, there isn't a lot of time for hoop shooting.

And it's not like they've given up ALL of their losing ways: see, Caltech B-ball is STILL on a 0-245 streak versus CONFERENCE opponents in the last 22 years.  That made the record books during my freshman year, too.  And the team was in People magazine for that....

I have the MOST CREATIVE adopted Blog-Sibs EVAH

Especially when it comes to dealing with the Proselytizing Posses of the world.

First, it was Mrs. Who with her tale of Jehovah's Witness Frightening, now adopted Blog-Bro Contagion shares the tale of a fed-up and pissed-off Aussie who garnered a little revenge on the Mormon Bicycle Gang:

I can so relate....

In case you didn't already KNOW that PETA sucks

They refuse to help the poor stranded cattle who are starving to death after the CO snowstorms last week (from here, but you have to scroll way down):

"For those of you who have been living in total isolation the past few weeks, Colorado has been hit with some serious snowstorms. We’re talking serious as even the Rocky Mountain veterans are unable to move around.

The last blast of storms left an estimated 340,000 cows and steers stranded by snowstorms, unable to get to food. The storms have been major enough that the Colorado National Guard has been frantically trying to get food to ranchers, but haven’t been able to do much more than airlift in hay bales and hope for the best.

Enter a couple of Colorado morning-radio folks named Rick Lewis and (I’m not making this up) Michael Floorwax. They called PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and asked them if the group would help feed and rescue the stranded animals.

PETA spokesperson Reannon Peterson didn’t just say no, she explained that, since the animals were probably going to “wind up on somebody’s plate in six months” helping them probably “wasn’t really the most noble cause.”

She went on to rationalize that the wild animals - the same ones PETA wants hunters to leave alone - also weren’t going to get PETA help (funds). “It’s an act of God,” she explained, “there’s really nothing to be done.”

It gets better. Colorado Governor Bill Owens steps in with both guns blazing.

Read the rest in the extended, including links to the PETA idiot and the Governor's response.

h/t The Bitch Girls

Read More "In case you didn't already KNOW that PETA sucks" »

Frigging LIVID

That is all.

UPDATE: fixed.

Hey House fans..... EWWWW

Cameron is marrying Chase!

Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer, who co-star on Fox's medical series "House," became engaged over the holidays in Paris, Morrison's spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press.

Morrison and Spencer, both 27, met "while filming the pilot of `House' in 2004," Danica Smith said in a statement.

No wedding date has been set.

Like a brother and sister getting married. Hope it doesn't change the dynamic of the show too much....

In re: Barbara, Rosie, and Donald

Here are some facts:

1.  Donald is a publicity whore
2.  Barbara Walters is a publicity whore
3.  Rosie is a bitch

I have no dog in this fight, so I'm not going to pull any punches.  I am 100% certain that this started as a publicity stunt and now it has spiraled out of control.  Someone needs to quit cheerleading for one side or the other (like Joy Behar does.  sheesh) and be THE ADULT and tell these three children to quit whining over who gets the nice toy and who is the biggest poopyhead.

At this point they are ALL poopyheads.

As to the criticisms of Donald for calling Rosie a pig, in that a man shouldn't call a woman a pig....

Well why the fuck not?  The post-modern feminists tell us that there's no difference between the sexes, so why is it ok for Rosie to ching-chong his combover but he can't attack her?

And frankly, she is a pig.  She's a fat, indulgent, arrogant hypocrite.  Actually, calling her a pig insults pigs.  Pigs are smarter and friendlier.  They don't judge based on cash in your wallet.

And Barbara Walters probably IS a liar.  I have no doubt that she did say those things about Rosie, that it IS difficult for her to deal with having Rosie on the show, that she dislikes the sharp political rhetoric Rosie brings with her.  And maybe she's afraid her comfortable women's chat show is about to become a referendum for the Liberal Lesbian Agenda.

That's the thing with Rosie, she is DEFINED by her political agenda.  She assumes immediately that EVERYONE is out to get her because she is out of the closet (e.g. Kelly Ripa).  That somehow her sexual identity makes her odious to the rest of us.  That EVERY straight person who dares to disagree with her is doing so because she's a lesbian.

As fucking if.


Maybe she thinks that because somewhere in her own psyche SHE is truly uncomfortable with herself, for whatever reason, and she is projecting that on to others.

On this same page I have specifically defended, nay, applauded her right to live with the partner of her choice and co-parent her 4 children.  I love that she has a committed relationship and brings the values of that relationship to the rearing of her kids.  I love that her kids have two parents.

And yet, I call her a pig.  She's not an arrogant hypocrite because she's gay.  She's an arrogant hypocrite because she's willfully ignorant.

But Donald doesn't get out of this clean either.  He picked this fight, and then he added fuel to the fire.  Probably in an attempt to raise the buzz for the newest season of the Apprentice, which started this week.  He is a smart and savvy businessman, and probably thought that getting his name out there would improve his audience numbers.  But it clearly backfired.  And now a lot of people think he's a dickhead for calling her a pig.

Honestly, my sympathies lie with Donald.  Of the three, he has the most honest and respected reputation.  People who know him will tell you that he treats everyone equally and can be fair to a fault because his motivators are not personal, only business.  Barbara is well known as a manipulator, and Rosie is widely considered a bitch to all but a select (rich and famous) few.

And for the record, aren't there more important things to discuss on TV all day?  Like the war, for instance?

What a f***ing surprise

She who SHALL NOT be named, on her photo-op trip with the Code Pinkos to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to protest the treatment of prisoners is ignoring an opportunity to do just that.

Anti-war activist C**** S****** is ignoring an appeal by wives and mothers of imprisoned Cuban political dissidents for her to visit Cuban prisons during her trip this week to protest the treatment of suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay.

The Damas de Blanco, or Ladies in White, who march silently through the streets of Havana every Sunday in protest at the incarceration of political prisoners of the Castro regime, wrote a letter to Ms. Sheehan inviting her to visit Cuban prisons.

The Damas drew Ms. Sheehan’s attention to the poor state of Cuban prisons, which they say lack clean drinking water and adequate food and where their relatives are imprisoned solely for speaking out against Fidel Castro’s government.

So I guess the only prisoners who are maltreated are those who are in US custody.  You know, the ones with plenty of heat and A/C, halal food, fresh water, and complete shelter.

As opposed to Cuban political prisoners who are housed in squalor, malnourished, and abused in ways to horrific to speak of.

In fact, the Code Pinkos have NO intention of speaking to the plight of Cuban prisoners:

"It just so happens that this is where the [ Guantanamo] prisoners are," Ms. Benjamin [Code Pink leader] said. That the group is visiting Cuba, where prisons define daily life for many, is "very incidental," she added.
[emphasis mine -Ed]

But what can you expect when SWSNBN's best friend is also cagastro's best buddy?

Good News For A Change

Laughing Wolf (at Blackfive) posts an update on JR Salzman's condition, including a way you can help, if you are so inclined.

Big Birthday Day!

And a very special day it is, as three wonderful people all share this day!

Happy Birthday to my Mom, my friend A and Brandon!

Barry Bonds: Druggie

Reports surfaced today that Barry Bonds failed a random drug test sometime during the last baseball season.  However, because he tested positive for amphetamines, and not steroids, he faces no play restriction for a first offense.

Of course, Barry and his people have no comment.

What kind of BS is that?  Use of amphetamines without a valid prescription is illegal.  And in baseball, evidently it only merits a warning.  A first positive steroid test is 50 games.

I guess we know what Baseball's priority is:  CYA rather than player health.

And then, because Barry is such a nice guy, he blames a teammate, Mark Sweeney, claiming that he took a pill out of Sweeney's locker (whether Sweeney gave it to him or not is not clear in his story) and THAT pill turned out to be amphetamine.

Sweeney says he NEVER gave Bonds anything, never had amphetamine in his possesion anywhere, and most importantly, has NEVER tested positive for any banned substance.

Funny that.

And what kind of idiot takes pills out of someone else's locker without knowing what they are?

A drug seeking addict, that's who.

Barry, just go home.  Now.  Really.  It's becoming painful to watch you flush your life down the toilet.

I think the bunny got to him, finally.....

14 members of the Carter Center Board of Councilors resigned today in protest of Jimmy Carter's recent views on Israel.  In response to Carter's book, "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid.", the 14 councilors wrote:

"We can no longer endorse your strident and uncompromising position," the letter to Carter said. "This is not the Carter Center or the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support."

and

"We are deeply troubled by the president's comments and writings and are submitting the following letter of resignation to the Carter Center,"

Perhaps most telling, however, is their indictment of Carter for,

"[abandoning his] historic role of broker in favor of becoming an advocate for one side." and "[confusing] opinion with fact, subjectivity with objectivity and force for change with partisan advocacy,"

Yeeeouch.

Kenneth Stein, the first Executive Director of the Carter Center resigned a month ago over this same book.

Perhaps Mr. Carter should re-think his strategy here.  Continuing to be "relevant" will do far less for his legacy than returning to his roots in fair-dealing. 

Or maybe he's tired of hiding his true colors.

Update: This brings to 16 the number of advisors that Carter's book has alienated. Professsor Melvin Konner declined the honor even before joining the committee, saying in part:

"I am now carefully rereading parts of this very puzzling and problematic book, having read it through once quickly. I am not going to point out again here all the mistakes and misrepresentations pointed out by others (to take just one example, his flat contradiction of the accounts by President Clinton and Dennis Ross of events at Camp David at which they were present and he was not)˜none of which he has answered—nor explain the grotesque distortion caused by his almost completely ignoring Jewish history between ancient times and 1947 (he devotes five lines on page 64 to that millennial tragic story and mentions the Holocaust twice; his "Historical Chronology" at the outset contains nothing˜nothing˜between 1939 and 1947). However, I will call your attention to a sentence on p. 213 that had not stood out for me the first time I read it: "It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace are accepted by Israel."

As someone who has lived his life as a professional reader and writer, I cannot find any way to read this sentence that does not condone the murder of Jews until such time as Israel unilaterally follows President Carter's prescription for peace. This sentence, simply put, makes President Carter an apologist for terrorists and places my children, along with all Jews everywhere, in greater danger. "-- Emphasis mine, Ed.

Give it up Jimmah. It's time to go.
h/t Fausta

Everything you ever wanted to know about The Surge*

* but were afraid to ask...
Dean Barnett has a great FAQ about the new Iraq strategy posted at Hugh Hewitt.

Here's a brief sample:

1) How in the hell are an additional 20,000 troops going to make such a big difference when we already have about 140,000 troops in Iraq? It makes no sense! Cut and run!!

First, calm down. We're going to walk through this analytically, not sprint through it hysterically. The current troop level in Baghdad is only 13,000. Most of the 20,000 new troops are going to be headed to Baghdad. That means we're going to increase our troop complement in Baghdad by roughly 150%. In other words, as regards the Battle of Baghdad, this is an enormous tactical adjustment, not a symbolic gesture.

Now go read the rest!

I've always wanted to sit in the Pavilion...

And now they make half of it include all you can eat Dodger Dogs.  Yum!

So which is it, Senator?

Barbara Boxer and her ilk have gotten where they are by pushing a simple mantra:  Women are Equal to men.  Women should push through the glass ceiling.  Women have the right to have a successful career.

Evidently this is no longer good enough: in attacking Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice yesterday, Senator Boxer said,

"Who pays the price?" Boxer repeatedly demanded. "You're not going to pay a particular price, as I understand it, with an immediate family."

Yeah, so because Condi focused her life on a remarkable career and chose to make that a priority over marrying and having children she has no right to ask other people's children to sacrifice themselves for our country?  Give me a fucking break.

No wonder American women are conflicted.  We now MUST be superwoman.  We can't be an important part of the political discourse of this country unless we're wives and mothers, evidently.

Ironic turn of events, no?  100 years ago wives and mothers were thought to be the least fit to have a political opinion.  Now, according to Mrs. Boxer, the only women fit to make political decisions are wives and mothers.

And I guess this distinction even includes lesbians, since the democrat agenda is for them to be able to marry legally, and science makes it possible for any woman to have a baby without a man in the picture.

I am disgusted, frankly.  Could you tell?

More on this, and far more eloquently from Darleen and Beth MVRWC

For Eric

Who so LOVES Zombies.....

h/t Little Miss Attila

Goodnight Ralph

2007 has been a rotten year for the Georgia Aquarium so far. First they lost Gasper, a male beluga whale, when he had to be euthanized because of a long illness with osteomyelitis.  Yesterday they lost another of their stars, a young adult male Whale Shark named Ralph.  No one knows yet what caused his rapid deterioration.

Here's Ralph happily swimming along in October, when I visited:

A Math Geek's revenge

Have you ever gotten a bill where the postage to send it cost the company more than just writing it off?  Yeah, me too.

But I suppose it happened one too many times to this guy.....



Click the check to see the whole thing if your screen is small.

Answer to the total and an explanation for the non math geeks below the fold.
Hint: the equation is "0.002 + e^i∏ + (the sum from n=1 to ∞of 1/2^n)"

I doubt this was credited to his account, sadly enough.

h/t Lisa W

Read More "A Math Geek's revenge" »

That stench in NYC the other day?

It was emanating from the NJ statehouse...

"For World War II veteran Sam Stia, a legislative proposal that would cease requiring New Jersey schools to teach about Veterans Day and Memorial Day can be summed up in two words.

"That's wrong," Stia, 83, said Thursday from his Hamilton home, where he flies an American flag at half-staff to honor fallen soldiers. "We're just giving our flag away and our patriotism away."

Stia and other veterans are steamed about the proposal, which the state lawmakers unanimously passed last month and now awaits action by the governor. It was included as part of a larger measure designed to help control property taxes, mostly by abolishing some laws on school purchasing and public hearings.

Other holidays about which schools no longer would be required to teach include Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Arbor Day and Commodore Barry Day, which commemorates Revolutionary War hero John Barry.

New Jersey schools must observe the holidays under a 1967 law designed to promote "the development of a higher spirit of patriotism." Florida, Nebraska and Washington are among states with similar laws."

Observe the holiday without understanding why, eh?

If you're a Jersey taxpayer (Jimbo, Kate, et. al.) maybe you should let your reps know how unacceptable this is.

For the NaNoWriMo Crowd..

Here's a contest for those of you aspiring to be famous authors....

A major U.S. book publisher is hoping its new Web-based writing contest can tap into the popularity of interactive competitions like hit television show "American Idol."

As part of the "First Chapters" contest, aspiring first-time authors and members of www.gather.com can post manuscripts on that social-networking Web site, organizers from publisher Touchstone Fireside and gather.com said on Thursday.

The details are here.

Looks interesting!

Karma

This blog has often looked at the subject of Karma, perhaps a funny thing for me to believe in, but time and time again it has proved to be exactly how things work.

Today, two examples of Karma, one good, and one bad.

First, good karma in the story of Shawn Hornbeck.  When their son disappeared 4 and a half years ago, Pam and Craig Akers took a proactive role.  They never lost hope, they learned what they would need to do to bring Shawn home, and they formed a foundation to bring information and hope to families in the same situation.  The Shawn Hornbeck foundation has helped many people in the last 4 and a half years.  And today, Shawn is home, thanks to another kid and a pair of alert policemen.  Karma.

Second, bad karma.  You know how every time you call a repairman or have something installed you have to wait for them?  In our case it's a new dishwasher that should have been installed a week ago.  For some reason it had to be installed today instead of last week.

The instructions were that the dude was supposed to call before he arrived so that we could call the landlord, since he had to approve any extra installation expenses.

Well, as you can imagine, he didn't call, and so we had to call the landlord after he arrived.

Which means he had to wait for us. He was not happy. And then when he found out that the landlord doesn't live in our complex he walked out in a huff.

It was all I could do not to laugh.

Karma.  What can I say.

I *heart* Chris Muir

Click.  Click now.

cagastro update: the doctors come up with a plausible excuse

After the Spanish specialist made them look silly (or was paid to say that it wasn't intestinal cancer) the Cuban doctors treating el barbudo have finally come up with a suitable explanation for his condition without mentioning the C word:

"Cuban leader Fidel Castro is in serious condition after a series of three failed operations on his large intestine for diverticulitis complicated by infection, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Monday.

Castro, 80, suffered a serious infection that worsened to peritonitis, the newspaper's Tuesday edition said, citing two medical sources at the Madrid hospital where a surgeon who visited Castro in December works. The report was posted on the newspaper's Web site on Monday.

Castro's prognosis is "very serious" and he is being fed intravenously, the paper said."

Either way, he ain't long for this world.

Happy Birth-day

Jesse "Speaks" arrived safely into the world via C-section at 3 am Tuesday January 16, 2007

7lbs 5oz, 20 1/4 in long, dark brown hair

Mom, Dad, and Baby are all doing well!

Jesse is really adorable.  Drop by Jen's page to see baby's first photos and leave them your best!

And many thanks to Aunt Jaynee for springing the news!

This'll warm you up

If you don't at least groove to this a little, you must be dead.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the South's favorite band:

h/t that crazy f*cker yabu, who's always good for a story

Jack Bauer's Life Lessons

What Jack Bauer has learned from life, as told to two writers from 24:

F**k diplomacy.
Actions speak louder than words. Though shouting can also be effective.
If you shoot a man's wife in the knee and he still doesn't give you the information, he's bad.
Revenge is the cruelest trick. I've seen it taken out on others, I've been victim to it, I've even done it myself. But it doesn't change anything, and it doesn't bring comfort.
Trust is the key to survival. And by trust, I mean getting out of the way and letting me do what I need to do

There's a lot more. Read the rest here.

h/t The Jawas

Unexpected in January

The Newhall Pass over the infamous Grapevine into Southern California is closed due to blizzard conditions.

The storm struck shortly before 9 a.m.

"It was a cell that hit us. We had no idea that it was coming, it just hit us all at once," [CHP Officer Dave] Pokorny said.

Stranded motorist Ernest Eckhardt he thought he could make it through the blizzard.

"It was kind of raining and it turned to sleet and I thought, 'Well, the rest I can go,' but then it turned bad quickly," he said. "It just dropped so much snow and the water on the road froze and the snow on top of it was just too slick."

Needless to say the storm was NOT in the forecast and it's pretty damn cold, although Pasadena seems to have missed the majority of the precipitation....

I am ashamed of my church and you should be too!

This is just wrong on so many levels:

A group of Methodist ministers from across the nation launched an online petition drive Thursday urging Southern Methodist University to stop trying to land George W. Bush's presidential library.

The petition, on a newly created Web site, http://www.protectsmu.org, says that "as United Methodists, we believe that the linking of his presidency with a university bearing the Methodist name is utterly inappropriate." [emphasis mine -Ed.]

What the F*ck happened to "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors", huh?

I guess it only applies to liberals.  F*cking hypocrites.

I am done with the United Methodist church.  DONE.  Period.

See, I grew up in the UM church.  My Dad is a lay minister in the church.  We were married in a UM church.  But no more.  I stopped going to church a long time ago, for a variety of reasons, but I always loved the UM church for its very laissez faire approach.  Gay?  No problem.  Divorced?  No problem.  Female?  Who cares?

I would agree with these "pastors" if they were excluding him on the grounds that he had done something famously immoral.  A church (or church-sponsored school) shouldn't associate itself with someone immoral.  But because you don't like his politics?

Give me a f*cking break.

It's a church, people.  CHURCH.  Politics stops at the f*cking door.  Not to mention that it is located in central Texas, Mrs. Bush went there, and the Bushes are IN FACT Methodists.

You never would have heard a PEEP from them if it was Clinton's library.  And we all know the things HE did that ministers are supposed to frown upon.....

It's another Boy!

Congratulations to the Smallholder and Mrs. Smallholder on the birth of the latest Jr. Smallholder, who weighed in at 8lbs, 6 oz, and is reported to have lots of red hair!

h/t YML

Cheap Oil

Oil prices slipped to below $50 per barrel briefly today.

So why am I still paying the same $2.599 for gas as I was when it was $65/barrel?

F*ckers.

FTFO

It's Friday, and you know what that means.....

Be sure to drink your ovaltine check out the comments for the incredible definition of "whale humpers"

This, Folks is why.

Many people have asked why we don't have kids and aren't planning on them for a while.

Other than "It's none of your business," which most people don't appreciate, try this on for size:

California would become the first state to explicitly ban spanking for children younger than 4 under legislation to be introduced next week.

Slapping, smacking, whacking or kicking also would be outlawed.

Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, a Mountain View Democrat who is crafting the measure, said corporal punishment victimizes helpless children and contributes to a society "addicted to violence."

[...]

"To my mind, there's no amount of physical force that's appropriate on a child 3 years old or younger," Lieber said.

This is a normal spanking she's talking about, or a slap on the hand, or something similar. Abusive BEATING is already outlawed, you know.

Sorry folks, but I believe in occasional corporal punishment. There's nothing wrong with a swat on the butt from an open hand every once in a while. And the threat of such a swat goes a long way when a kid KNOWS that the adults in their lives will make good on it.

But let's get back to what she said, specifically that part about corporal punishment contributing to a "violence-addicted" society. Umm, Ms. Lieber, I think an EVEN better argument could be made that as the use of corporal punishment has declined, violence has SKYROCKETED.

I would make mention of the fact that Ms. Lieber is childless, but I won't stoop to Barbara Boxer levels, so I'll simply ask her what qualification she has for telling parents how to raise their children, since she has no personal experience and is not a child therapist or pediatrician?

h/t Darleen

Happy Birthday!

To two very special little men:

Draco Esmay, who turns 2 today

and

BabyLove, who celebrates his very first!

Remembering John Cage....

Seeing Peter MacNicol as the jerk du jour on 24 this season kinda put Barry White in my head.

For the rest of you who miss Ally McBeal, too...

Venomous Tag

Kate tagged me with the My, Me, Meme.

So here goes:
This one's easy, since it's all about you and since it requires you to write the very first answer that comes to mind. Simply copy and paste the following three questions then answer them on your blog or, if you don't have a blog of your own, answer them in the comments here. Bloggers should then tag three other people to answer the questions as well, and be sure they know who to blame (Me!).
1. My: You've heard the saying "I'd give my right arm for"�. So, what would you give your right arm for?
2. Me: What's one word that describes how you want people to see you?
3. Meme: If you could be any blogger, which blogger would you be? and why?

My answers:
1. My: You've heard the saying "I'd give my right arm for"�. So, what would you give your right arm for?
I like my right arm a hell of a lot. Not sure what I'd actually give my right arm for.

Me: What's one word that describes how you want people to see you?
Brilliant

3. Meme: If you could be any blogger, which blogger would you be? and why?
Any blogger who makes a hell of a lot of $$ just cruising the internet (assuming such existed...)

And now I get to tag three people, so I tag Rachel, Beth, and Bou

Feliz Cumpleanos!

Happy Birthday to the Proprietor of ManCamp!

42 is the answer, Val.  Just remember that.

My New Exclamation

What the JACK BAUER?

Especially after tonight's episode.

Spoilers have been placed below the jump to protect the innocent. However, if you have seen tonight's episode, please feel free to click over and comment. I'm interested in your take(s).

Read More "My New Exclamation" »

For tonight's festivities

How to get through the SOTU.

h/t Emily

Aaaaaugh, THE PRESIDENT's ON!!

Well  not yet, but holy sh*t Pelosi looks scary.  My reaction and a round up later.  Maybe.

Also: The Good Cap'n is liveblogging the speech, there's an open discussion thread at LGF, and Aaron gives us his version of what the President WISHES he could say tonight!

Quick reaction

WTF with Pelosi blinking all the time?  Damn distracting.

Best line "You did not vote to lose"  NICE

Nice summary of what is going on in Iraq.

What did you notice?

Happy Clam Day!

See here for details!

My new FAVORITE website

PETA kills animals.com

Check back early and often for updates!
h/t Malkin

An interesting take on the War in Iraq

From a former diplomat specializing in the area.  The writer begins:

"Sen. Hillary Clinton declared this weekend, "I'm in to win." Anyone who has watched her remarkable trajectory can have no doubt that she'll do whatever it takes to win the presidency. I wish she felt the same way about the war."

The author of this Op-Ed goes on to point out several basic facts that Mrs. Clinton and her ilk on both sides of the aisle seem to have forgotten:

· We are at war. America faces an existential threat. This is not, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi has claimed, a "situation to be solved." It would be nice if we could wake up tomorrow and say, as Sen. Barack Obama suggested at a Jan. 11 hearing, "Enough is enough." Wishing doesn't make it so. We will have to fight these terrorists to the death somewhere, sometime. We can't negotiate with them or "solve" their jihad. If we quit in Iraq now, we must get ready for a harder, longer, more deadly struggle later.

· Quitting helps the terrorists. Few politicians want to be known as spokesmen for retreat. Instead we hear such words as "redeployment," "drawdown" or "troop cap." Let's be clear: If we restrict the ability of our troops to fight and win this war, we help the terrorists. Don't take my word for it. Read the plans of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Ayman Zawahiri to drive America from Iraq, establish a base for al-Qaeda and spread jihad across the Middle East. The terrorists are counting on us to lose our will and retreat under pressure. We're in danger of proving them right.

· Beware the polls. In November the American people expressed serious concerns about Iraq (and about Republican corruption and scandals). They did not say that they want us to lose this war. They did not say that they want us to allow Iraq to become a base for al-Qaeda to conduct global terrorist operations. They did not say that they would rather we fight the terrorists here at home. Until you see a poll that asks those questions, don't use election results as an excuse to retreat.

· Retreat from Iraq hurts us in the broader war. We are fighting the war on terrorism with allies across the globe, leaders such as Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan and Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan. Brave activists are also standing with us, fighting for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the empowerment of women. They risk their lives every day to defeat the forces of terrorism. They can't win without us, and many of them won't continue to fight if they believe we're abandoning them. Politicians urging America to quit in Iraq should explain how we win the war on terrorism once we've scared all of our allies away....

· Our soldiers will win if we let them. Read their blogs. Talk to them. They know that free people must fight to defend their freedom. No force on Earth -- especially not an army of terrorists and insurgents -- can defeat our soldiers militarily. American troops will win if we show even one-tenth the courage here at home that they show every day on the battlefield. And by the way, you cannot wish failure on our soldiers' mission and claim, at the same time, to be supporting the troops. It just doesn't compute.

Clearly all points that we should never forget, especially that our apparent weakness emboldens our enemies, at home and abroad.

You can not negotiate with Terrorists unless you speak their language: senseless violence and unwavering resolve.  Read the rest of this fabulous piece here.

The author of this piece?  Liz Cheney, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.  And yes, that Cheney.

h/t Dafydd

Friiiiiiiiiiiidayyyyyyyyyyy!

FTFO.  And Die.  With Knobs.

This could really be painful if it hit you....

Found by my buddy JustMe in a court docket:

(NAME OF DEFENDANT) Charged with assault and hate crimes for assaulting two women who he believed were lesbians. Accused of hurling anti-gay epitaphs.

I mean, aren't those things usually enscribed on marble or granite??????

One Word Only

A meme stolen from Rachel:

This Moment: tired

Your Shoes: favorites

Craving: sleep

The State of Your Home: mess

Annoyed By: idiots

Noise In the Background: radio

Really Want To: go home

Thinking about: email

Smelling: coffee

Favorite Product In Office Supply Aisle: post its

Don’t Ever Want To: die

Your Eye Color: hazel

The Weather: cloudy

Have Never Tried: snowboarding

Think Everyone Should Try: cranberry juice

Last Vacation Destination: TN

The Last Thing You Had to Drink: coffee

Your Bad Habit: swearing

What You’re Going To Do Now: blogreading

feel free to copy this if you're bored too!

PETA Trial update

Words can not express my sadness and anger at this moment.

The trial of two PETA employees charged with a variety of crimes related to the killing and dumping of nearly 100 animals in Chowan County NC over the last couple of years continues with some disturbing testimony.

The text of a log book used to document the kills is below the fold. It is not graphic, but it is terribly sad. Text is quoted verbatim from PETAKillsAnimals.com

Keep up with the trial here.

Read More "PETA Trial update" »

Waiting for Matthew.....

I got a text about 10 minutes ago saying the following:

Im in labor 6cm, contractions R 2 to 3 min  apart

Looks like Matthew is determined to be a January Baby too!

UPDATE: He's Here!

Matthew Dylan Dufau

Janury 30, 2007, 1:27 pm

Congratulations to Mom Mandy, Dad Eric, and Big Brother Brandon!

More details as they come in!

For Matthew

Dear Matthew,

I know you won't be able to read this on your own for a while yet, but maybe Mommy or Daddy or Brandon will read it to you. See, I have a story to tell you, and it will be a GOOD story, not one of those boring ones that go on and on without a point. This story is about YOU!

So here goes.

One afternoon in the summer I was minding my own business. Driving home from work, actually, and my phone rang. I couldn't get to it because I was driving, so when I stopped I checked and the call was from your mommy. So I called her back.

And that's when she told me you were coming! Your mommy was so excited. She had just found out that she was pregnant with you, and she was trying to tell as many people as she could! Your whole family and all of your Mommy and Daddy's friends were excited to meet you, too! We didn't know then if you would be a a boy or a girl, but we knew you would be special.

After all, you picked an extra special Mommy and Daddy.

Some time later we found out that you were going to be Matthew, and that you looked a lot like your big brother (who is a handsome dude), but after that you were pretty shy and didn't want to show anyone your face.

Your Mommy and Daddy and Brandon have been very busy waiting for you. They put your room together, and made sure everything you need was all ready for you to come home.

One thing we learned about you is that you are an impatient dude. You decided that you wanted to get out and meet everyone, so you came more than three weeks early! I suspect you'll always do things in your own time, but we will love you all the more for it.

Today your Mommy sent me another message. This time to tell me you were well on your way. And about 3 hours later, your Tio Val let everyone know you were here, born at 1:27 pm.

Everyone was very excited to finally meet you, and I know that as you get older and get to know them you will appreciate how special and wonderful your family is, and just how much they love you.

All my love,

Your other Tia

First there was one....

Now, two:

Two Names You Go By:
1. CTG
2. Professor

Two Parts of Your Heritage:
1. Armenian
2. Scots-Irish

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. Green zip-neck sweater
2. my wedding ring

Two Things You Would Want in a Relationship:
1. Love
2. Humor

Two of Your Favorite Hobbies:
1. singing
2. crocheting

Two Things You Want Really Badly At The Moment:
1. to go home and take a nap
2. a sh*tload of $$ so I could quit work

Two Pets You Had/Have:
1. My Princess
2. a rat

Two people you talked to today:
1. My boss
2. Hubby

Two things you did last night:
1. Watched TV
2. slept

Two people that live in your house:
1. Hubby
2. The Princess (she THINKS she's a people)

Two things you ate today:
1. Trail mix
2. water

Two people you miss:
1. Dad
2. my friend A

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. Curriculum committee meeting
2. watching TV

Two vacations you’ve been on:
1. Miami (Orange Bowl)
2. Disneyland

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Christmas
2. My Birthday

Two favorite Alcoholic beverages:
1. Coffee Colada (Pina Colada with Kahlua)
2. Stoli Vanil and just about anything (try it with Cherry coke!)

Two bands you have seen live:
1. Barenaked Ladies
2. Depeche Mode

Two things you will do after you finish this survey:
1. set up a volunteer experience for my students
2. go home