I got nothin'

What are YOU doing this weekend?

"dookies" aptly named

Gerald Henderson's sucker punch last night was a fucking cheap shot.

And that's not just because I'm a Heels fan.  Henderson took at least three steps from his previous position near the sideline, jumped, and brought his forearm down directly on Tyler Hansborough's face. It was nothing more or less than a bitch slap.

dook was down 12 points with 14.5 seconds left in the game. There was no point in playing that close on defense, LET ALONE getting airborne to deliver some kind of fucked up karate chop.

Watch it for yourself:

As Tim Montemayor, sitting in on Tim Brando's Sporting News Radio show, said this afternoon: What if Hansborough had been seriously injured? After all, the nose is right next to the BRAIN. Furthermore (again from Monty), what would the basketball talking heads be saying if this was another team, not dook. What if it was John Chaney or John Calipari on the bench instead of Coach Can-I-Buy-A-Vowel?
Would this pass so easily if it wasn't a dookie?

The sporting media's pro-dook bias is stunning. I mean, who hasn't heard Dickie V called "Dookie V?" There's a reason. And he's not alone. Yes, dook has a reputation for running a tight ship, for demanding excellence and not tolerating poor sportsmanship.

Well, if that's the case, why isn't the University imposing its own suspension on Henderson? Especially as the ACC came out this afternoon saying that the only reason Henderson will sit out the first ACC tourney game this weekend is because he was ejected from the UNC game on Sunday, and ACC rules require ANY ejected player to be suspended from the following game. In other words, the ACC thinks that Hansborough's nose magically started bleeding on its own.

Anybody that delivers that kind of flagrant shit hit deserves to be done for more than one game. He hit him IN THE HEAD. In football, a helmet hit gets 3 times as much punishment.

Methinks it comes down to the cash. dook with Henderson is a better team than dook without Henderson. And the farther dook goes in the tourney (either the ACC this weekend OR the Big Dance), the more $$ for the ACC, the NCAA, and the TV....

In any case, I am glad to hear Tyler isn't hurt badly, just a small non-displaced fracture, for which he is being fitted for an acrylic mask. Looks like the return of HawkMan!

And we all know what happened the last time UNC had HawkMan on the hardwood.
Go Heels!

Evidently there is a saint for everything....

Ladies and Gents, I give you the Patron Saint of TiVo:

Original found here.

h/t Mrs. Who

more dirty thirty....

Happy Birthday Rachel!

Welcome to the 3-0 club!

This one's for the teachers: a question

So I know that many of you loyal readers (commenters and lurkers, both) are teachers, at many levels from preschool all the way up to college/ adult education.

I've got a question for you:

How do you explain to your students that just because your program is small and all of the faculty are willing to bend over backwards to help them, DOES NOT mean that they can take advantage of that on a regular basis?

For example, how do I explain that even though I told them I would be more than happy to answer questions, I WILL NOT tell them whether a particular number is the right or wrong answer.  ESPECIALLY when the question is part of the take-home portion of the exam.

How do I explain that if there were 700 students in the class (as would be expected at a school like UCLA), as the instructor, I wouldn't give them the time of day, let alone guarantee that I wouldn't laugh at them for begging to have the exam postponed and then ADMITTING they were working on the take home test together???

I guess what I'm asking is how do I explain to these children that even though there are only a few of them I am holding them to a high standard?  And that it's for their own good?  I mean, they are in this program because they want to go to MEDICAL SCHOOL.  They won't get any breaks there.  And they MUST be up to standards, or they'll fail miserably.

I will not set them up for failure.  They can't see that what I am teaching them is the VERY BASE for the next 7-12  years of their education.  And if they don't get this, the rest will be even worse.  If I don't hold them to the same standard, they WILL fail.

So how do I do this without being the bad guy?

It's a Boy!

Mr. Humphries, no longer free

John Inman, best known as the ambiguously gay Mr. Humphries on the BBC series Are You Being Served? has passed away.

Actor John Inman,  died aged 71 on Thursday.

Inman, who later became a pantomime regular, was one of the sitcom's most memorable cast members and his catchphrase "I'm free" became part of popular culture.

In 1976, he was voted "Funniest Man On Television" by readers of TV Times magazine and was also named BBC TV's "Personality Of The Year."

He died at St Mary's Hospital in London after having been ill for some time, his manager Phil Dale said in a statement.

"John, through his character Mr Humphries of Are You Being Served? was known and loved throughout the world," Dale said.

Here's Mr. Inman at his best:

Rest in Peace, Mr. Humphries. You were always my favorite.

Friday Quiz Braindump

You Are 52% Politically Radical

You've got some radical viewpoints, but you aren't completely nuts. You're more of a visionary than a radical.

Your 1996 Theme Song Is: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something

And I said "What about Breakfast at Tiffany's?" She said, "I think I remember the film, And as I recall, I think, we both kinda liked it." And I said, "Well, that's the one thing we've got."

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick. You're always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going. "15 seconds to showtime!"

You Are Pork

You like to think you're the other white meat, but many people don't want anything to do with you. You probably smoke. And it's likely that no body part of yours is off limits.

F*ck it. here's some more

You Are an Irish Coffee

At your best, you are: wild, spontaneous, and outgoing At your worst, you are: too extreme and reckless You drink coffee when: you want to keep drinking booze Your caffeine addiction level: low

You Are a Candy Heart

You're definitely a pro when it comes to romance - and you have great dating etiquette. Plus you probably smell and taste pretty darn good.

Your SAT Score of 1530 Means:

You Scored Higher Than Howard Stern You Scored Higher Than George W. Bush You Scored Higher Than Al Gore You Scored Higher Than David Duchovny You Scored Higher Than Natalie Portman You Scored Lower Than Bill Gates Your IQ is most likely in the 140-150 range Equivalent ACT score: 34 Schools that Fit Your SAT Score: California Institute of Technology Stanford University Princeton University Yale University Harvard University

You Are Bert

Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you loveable - even if you don't love them! You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

You Should Drive a DeLorean

You don't take yourself too seriously, and you prefer a fun, unusual car... like this Back to the Future gem!

What do these two articles have in common?

Democrats Cancel Fox News Debate

and

Plane crashes on Ind. street; 2 killed

Answer below the fold

Read More "What do these two articles have in common?" »

Two Myths

Shamelessly stolen from Da' Mox:

A Myth about Liberals

I've noticed a lot of name calling going on lately. But because I am a scientist, I did some research.

Liberals are not all pussies. I discovered that liberals do indeed have penises. But only the women.

A Myth about Republicans

All Republicans want to screw the poor.

This commonly held belief is absolutely untrue. The Right is very picky about sexual partners, they much prefer to screw (many times a night) other like-minded rich people of the opposite gender.

Too good not to post

One more....

Your Vampire Name Is...

High Priestess of Whores

More Geekery!

Go here, and see how many of the 50 United States you can name in 10:00.

I made it with 4:33 left.  Poor Iowa.  Iowa was last.

h/t Jay

Happy Birthday!

To one of the sweetest ladies in the blogosphere!

One more...

Here's the EU game!  Slightly less challenging, there are only 27 in 10 minutes!

h/t BethC

Since all the cool kids are doing it....

Shamelessly copied from Rachel and Mandy.....

Create your own Friend Quiz here
Take the quiz here! I can't wait to see how well you do!  I made some of the questions hard and some easy on purpose!

Another big day!

Happy Birthday, Oddy!

and Happy Blogiversary, Tammi!

Happy Pi Day 2007

It's that day again.

Happy ∏ Day!

Enjoy some Pi. Or some Pi Cake, as the case may be.

Lots of ways to celebrate can be found here.

Or maybe you could rap about it....

Or how about we just wish a happy 128th birthday to Albert Einstein.

Happy Pi Day everyone!

** This stays on top all day, scroll down for NEW content....**

More Quizzy

In honor of International Eat an Animal for Peta day, have some quizzes which have nothing to do with it, except that in the bible they killed an awful lot of animals.... mostly for food.  Funny that.

Anyway, here they are:

Old Testament

New Testament

Similar to the EU and 50 states quizzes posted below. 

Hint: In the OT game, add a space to the end of 3 letter words, and in BOTH games, 1st and 2nd books are denoted I and II (that's the letter i) at the FRONT of the name.  Good luck!

YAY! to Rachel, who made the bible ones!

Big Double Birthday Happy!

Happy Birthday to my very good friend S, who sometimes comments here as ZTZCheese....

I am so Proud!

I am currently #1 on Google for "i support communism"...

...for a post entitled "Don't support Communism".

And it's not a googlebomb.

Yay me!

Oh, and BTW, Communism sucks.  Big Ugly Donkey Balls.  That is all.

Friday quiz. Again.

You scored as Passion. You are very passionate whether that passion is good or evil has yet to be determined. You have great power over others and they seem to flock to your service. You are very competative almost to a fault. Perhaps you should let someone else win for a change?

Passion		92%
Eyes full of Pain		50%
Diamond Eyes		50%
Mysterious		17%

What do your eyes reveal about you?(PICS!)


This one was weird. I think sarahk thought so too.

Seen everywhere....

Everyone else has done this one, guess it's my turn...

Because I'm bored with work and trying to be patient...

...waiting for the realtor to call me back....

Anyway, so I finally got the time to catch up on TV this weekend.

WTF with 24?  I mean really.  They bring back my FAVORITE Character of all time, and he's a f***ing wet nurse to a crazy person?  I thought she was dealing better than THAT at the end of last season.

Yeah, I know that was last week.  I'm just stuck there.

And did anyone else notice that Ricky Schroeder has that Luke Skywalker thing going on... he used to be cute but all of a sudden he looks WAY old?  Hmmmm.

AND DWS (Dancing With the Stars) is back.  Finally.  I love that show.  Yes, people are taking bets about Heather Mills' leg falling off on live TV.  Sad.  Really sad.  As far as she's concerned, if she got all of Paul's $$, why the hell doesn't she have a better prosthetic?  I mean you should see the cool robocop/ six million dollar man legs that some Iraq War amputees are getting.  And the cheap ass VA pays for those.

In fact the TiVo is about to get quite busy.  Deadliest Catch comes back in 10 days, and then LPBW starts the next week.  And House returns next Tuesday courtesy of less AI.

So, what are you looking forward to watching this spring?

She called me back...

We officially have a realtor.

Here we go, folks.

Anyone house buying advice you can share would be much appreciated.

I agree with Cobb

This IS the best hip hop cover since Gin N Juice...

This guy rocks. Here's the band's website.

h/t Cobb. While you're there click through for some of his very interesting thoughts on the mainstreaming of black culture.

Linky Roundup, YEE-HAW!

I haven't done this in a while, but there have been a NUMBER of deserving links you should really put your eyeballs to today:

First up, writersblock has some thoughts about the ongoing Gardasil controversy.

Next, Lorie Byrd points us to this interview with GOE founder Larry Bailey.

Our gal Phoenix is on a tear about sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll.  Ok, maybe just the sex and drugs parts.

The Armorer tells the tale of Sgt. Baumann, and himself, highlighting the idiocy that is military bureaucracy.

Lex talks about the "absurd kabuki theater" of political appointees and manufactured partisan outrage

And Patterico has more on executive privilege and the media

Speaking of the Media, Raven has her say about conservative pundits on the radio.  You might be surprised at what she has to say.

And finally, Greta has some good reminders on internet safety for parents, or really anyone who supervises kids accessing the 'net.

Geeks love Metal

Well, DUH. Especially if by "metal" you mean bands like Queen:

Researchers questioned more than 1,000 members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, whose members rank among the brightest five percent of youngsters in Britain.

"There is a perception of gifted and talented students as being into classical music and spending a lot of time reading.

"I think that is an inaccurate stereotype," Stuart Cadwallader, a University of Warwick psychologist who is presenting the findings to the British Psychological Society Wednesday, told the Daily Telegraph.

"We are looking at a group with lower than average self-esteem that does not feel quite as well adjusted.

"They feel more stressed out and turn to heavy metal as a way of relieving that stress."

Cadwallader added that heavy metal fans often appreciate the "complex and sometimes political themes" of the music.

"It has a tendency to worry adults a bit but I think it's just a cathartic thing," he said.

"It does not indicate problems."

Many of heavy metal's biggest stars are closet geeks -- Brian May, guitarist with Queen, is currently finishing a doctorate in astrophysics, while Iron Maiden star Bruce Dickinson is a history graduate, international fencer and qualified commercial pilot.

Interesting, no?

Brother, can you spare a moment?

The internets are a funny thing, they bring us so close to people and places we would never have otherwise known.  That can be a wonderful thing.  The real shit of it, though, is when the people you care for are so far away, there is little you can do except offer a virtual hug and some words of comfort.  But what makes it better is the ability to reach out to others and let them help you give those hugs and words.

A couple of my friends are going through some really rough times right now, and  I'd really love it if you could click through and offer whatever support you can.

My dear Vanessa is 8 weeks pregnant with twins after 5 cycles of IVF, and she's alone today and having signs of a possible miscarriage despite a very encouraging report and scan last week.  Drop by and offer her some encouragement, love, and prayers if you are so inclined.

And our Dana, who you may remember from her former blogs The Origin of Soul and Frankensoul as well as her most recent incarnation, The Juggler's Mistress, is starting the process of an emotionally difficult and financially draining divorce.  Her blogdaddy Jim has all the details.  Please click over to Jim's place for more.

Tears in (Blue) Heaven for Carolina's Mascot

Rameses the Ram has died.

Jason Ray, the Carolina senior who portrayed mascot Rameses the Ram during sports and other events over the last three years has died today of injuries he sustained last week in a bizarre car crash just before the Tar Heels' Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA tournament.

From ESPN.com:

Jason Ray [...] had been in critical condition since the accident on Route 4 on Friday afternoon. He had been in New Jersey for the men's NCAA Tournament game between North Carolina and Southern California at Continental Airlines Arena.

Steve Kirscher, UNC's associate athletics director for communications, said Ray died at 8:38 a.m. Monday.

According to police, Ray left his hotel to go to a nearby convenience store Friday afternoon, and was walking back along Route 4 when he was struck from behind by an SUV. The driver stopped immediately to call 911. No charges have been filed.

Police said Gagik Hovsepyan, 51, the driver who hit Ray, had a valid driver's license and did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. His son was asleep in the SUV at the time, police said.

To be clear, Jason was dressed in street clothes and was well off the main roadway at the time of the accident.

Jason had played the part of Rameses Ram for three years and was about to graduate with a degree in Business Administration, and a minor in Religion.  I myself have chased him around, hoping to get a picture with my favorite mascot.

Carolina's official sports web page, TarHeelBlue.com has a nice tribute to Jason written by Adam Lucas:

Communication, of course, is one of the hardest parts of being a mascot. That fall day at the Children's Hospital, Ray--as Rameses--walked up to me. His big paw was grasping a folded piece of paper, and he was making a motion I didn't understand.

I eventually figured out he wanted me to hold the paper for him until the event was over. Once all the kids had been hugged and the last picture had been taken, Rameses finally disappeared...and Jason Ray reappeared.

"Thanks for holding that picture," he said. As he unfolded it, he proudly displayed a child's drawing of Rameses.

"I'd like to take this with me, if that's OK," he told the program coordinator. "One of the patients gave it to me."

Then he walked out, big bulky trash bag in one hand, picture in the other. It was the perfect portrait of someone who had spent most of the day giving...and unexpectedly received something, too.

Jason was clearly that kind of person.  It showed in the way he portrayed Rameses.  Always kind to the children, funny with adults, willing to play the joke on himself if it entertained the crowd.  I never met Jason, or his predecessors in the suit during my time at UNC, but I always wished I could let them know that I respected them as much as the players on the field or court.  Being the mascot is a really tough job.

This is the second terrible roadside tragedy to hit the Tar Heel sports family in four years.  Sideline reporter and UNC alum Stephen Gates was killed in a hit and run on the side of the interstate in Chapel Hill in October 2003.

This just highlights the importance of roadside safety.  Be aware, use the sidewalk where possible, and remember Jason and Stephen.

God Bless the Ray family.  Rest In Peace, Jason.

Think happy thoughts -- UPDATED

I'm off to the dentist to get my top 2 wisdom teeth out. You know, the ones they told me I'd never get in the first place? The ones that kick in my gag reflex whenever I try to brush them? The authors of my maxillary sinus issues? Yep. Them. Between my general white coat syndrome, LOATHING of dentists ( I once prostrated myself on the floor and made my mother carry me to the car to go to the dentist.  Ok, I was 4.), hatred of anesthesia (professional prejudice), and fear of severe pain, I am Nervous Nelly #1.

Feel free to beseech the benevolent deity of your choice to smile on me and keep the pain down, regardless of whether I get a codeine prescription or not.

UPDATE: I'm back. Gauze packed firmly in place. Mouth is waking up, and so far the worst pain is from my face where he stretched my face on the right side. My teeth were so far back that he couldn't reach them with the tools he had planned to use..... ay yi yi. I was crying.....

But the teeth each came out in one piece, so that's good. The right one took 20 minutes, the left one took like 3 minutes. Funny that.

Lintefiniel Birthday

It's happy happy birthday to Lintefiniel Jen!

Jay and Deb are having a...

... healthy younger sibling for Sadie and Valerie! Cute, too.

(for the REAL answer you were looking for, look below the fold)

Read More "Jay and Deb are having a..." »

Weird, but in a cool way...

Found at Richmond's:

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

The Best Monument

The best F**k YOU indeed. America as it should be: Bigger, Better, and more Bacon!

NSFW! Just to be clear.

I love Penn and Teller.

h/t my man Denny.

Ok, call me a right wing asshole if you want....

But seriously, what the holy blue f**k is the point of this? Safer flashlights?  For who, the criminals?  Kiss MY ass.

The idea for the 7060 LED flashlight was conceived just days after news cameras broadcast images of LAPD officers beating car-theft suspect Stanley Miller with a two-pound, two-foot long standard issue police flashlight.

Police Chief William Bratton banned the large flashlights after Miller's 2004 beating and called for manufacturers to create a smaller, brighter flashlight.

The new 10-inch, $100 flashlight was developed and manufactured by the Torrance-based company Pelican to meet LAPD specifications. It will feature both a standard "patrol mode" and an ultra-light "tactical mode" that is bright enough to temporarily blind suspects. (emphasis mine --Ed.)

As far as I'm concerned, in most cases if a cop feels the need to beat down a suspect, he better have a weapon to do it with. THAT'S WHY THE G*D DAMNED THINGS WERE TWO FEET LONG AND WEIGHED TWO POUNDS IN THE FIRST F**KING PLACE.

HELLO????

Dear ACLU b*tches, let me ask you this:  If some crazy f**k comes to your house and tries to break in and harm you, would you rather the cop had a piddly ass weenie light or a big honkin' MO FO light that he could whack the f**ker with rather than shooting him (or possibly you in the process)?

Can't we let the cops be the cops?  Here's a hint: if the cops are chasing someone, it's likely they did something VERY VERY BAD.

PC run amok.  Soon we will all be defenseless, when even the cops lose the ability to subdue the bad guys.

And don't EVEN get me started on the price.....