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The place where the world comes together in honesty and mirth.
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.


Saturday, October 9, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
Even if you try hiding out at the back of the group, you're always the automatic authority figure -- no matter where you are or what you happen to be doing.
You're also quite the formidable opponent, especially when you know you're right.
So when someone of questionable character decides that today might be the perfect day to let you know that you're not as high and mighty as you think you are -- well, it will turn out to be the perfect day to let them know that you're all that and more.

Some of our readers today have been in:
Due to the service being cranky at the moment we are unable to retrieve the listing of our readers today.

Today is:
Today is Saturday, October 9, the 282nd day of 2010.
There are 83 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:
National Chess Day

It is also Leif Ericson Day
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=252767571247&id=354bf15172e7030ff76845401f861563&index=ch1  
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

President Obama's Weekly Address

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Washington, DC

The other day, I was talking about education with some folks in the backyard of an Albuquerque home, and someone asked a question that’s stayed with me. He asked, if we don’t have homes to go to, what good is an education? It was a heartfelt question, one that could be asked by anyone who’s lost a home or a job in this recession.

Because if you’re out of work or facing foreclosure, all that really matters is a new job. All that really matters is a roof over your head. All that really matters is getting back on your feet. That’s why I’m fighting each and every day to jumpstart job-creation in the private sector; to help our small business owners grow and hire; to rebuild our economy so it lifts up a middle class that’s been battered for so long.

But even as we focus on doing all that; even as we focus on speeding up our economic recovery; we also know that when it comes to jobs, opportunity, and prosperity in the 21st century, nothing is more important than the quality of your education. At a time when most of the new jobs being created will require some kind of higher education; when countries that out-educate us today will outcompete us tomorrow, giving our kids the best education possible is an economic imperative.

That’s why, from the start of my administration, we’ve been fighting to offer every child in this country a world-class education – from the cradle to the classroom, from college through a career. Earlier this week, I announced a new Skills for America’s Future initiative that will help community colleges and employers match what’s taught in the classroom with what’s needed in the private sector, so we can connect students looking for jobs with businesses looking to hire.

We’re eliminating tens of billions of dollars in wasteful subsidies for banks to administer student loans, and using that money to make college more affordable for millions of students. And we’ve launched a Race to the Top in our states to make sure our students, all of them, are graduating from high school ready for college – so we can meet our goal of graduating a higher proportion of students from college than any other country in the world by 2020.

And yet, if Republicans in Congress had their way, we’d have a harder time meeting that goal. We’d have a harder time offering our kids the best education possible. Because they’d have us cut education by 20 percent – cuts that would reduce financial aid for eight million students; cuts that would leave our great and undervalued community colleges without the resources they need to prepare our graduates for the jobs of the future.

Now, it is true that when it comes to our budget, we have real challenges to meet. And if we’re serious about getting our fiscal house in order, we’ll need to make some tough choices. I’m prepared to make those choices. But what I’m not prepared to do is shortchange our children’s education. What I’m not prepared to do is undercut their economic future, your economic future, or the economic future of the United States of America.

Nothing would be more detrimental to our prospects for success than cutting back on education. It would consign America to second place in our fiercely competitive global economy. But China and India aren’t playing for second. South Korea and Germany aren’t playing for second. They’re playing for first – and so should America.

Instead of being shortsighted and shortchanging our kids, we should be doubling down on them. We should be giving every child in America a chance to make the most of their lives; to fulfill their God-given potential. We should be fighting to lead the global economy in this century, just like we did in the last. And that’s what I’ll continue fighting to do in the months and years ahead.

Thanks, everybody, and have a nice weekend.

Wife of new Nobel Peace Prize winner 'disappears' and phone service cut

There's the world's business partner in all its glory! Yes, this is a regime that can be trusted. The world leaders need to step up and become much more aggressive with calling for the immediate release of Liu and his wife.
The world's newest Nobel Peace Prize winner remained unreachable in a Chinese prison Saturday, while his wife's mobile phone was cut off and the authoritarian government continued to censor reports about democracy campaigner Liu Xiaobo's honor.

Police kept reporters away from the prison where Liu is serving an 11-year sentence for subversion, and his lawyer said that Liu's wife — who had been hoping to visit him Saturday and tell him the news of the award — has "disappeared" and he is worried she may be in police custody.

Chinese authorities, who called Liu a criminal shortly after his award Friday and said his winning "desecrates the prize," sank Saturday into official silence.
Liu Xiaobo doesn't know he won, but his wife may be allowed to tell him soon.  
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And I Quote

There is just one thing I haven’t been able to figure out yet.

How many more groups of people does the Republican Party have to hate before its members finally call for a new platform?

Those signs they carry at their rallies are getting pretty full.

The print will have to be pretty small at the next Beck rally to fit God Hates Gays, Jews, Blacks, Muslims, Clinton (him and her), the Liberal Media, Obama, Pelosi, French Fries, Activists Judges, Environmentalists, Feminists, Mexicans,  and small puppies.

Maybe they can just print up a sign that simply says God Hates Everyone Who Isn’t  Like Me.

~ Helen Philpot

Why is This repugican House Candidate Dressed as a Nazi?

http://assets.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/joshua_green/wiking_resized.jpg
Rich Iott, second from right, in a Nazi SS Waffen uniform.

Why is This repugican House Candidate Dressed as a Nazi?


Hint: Because he is one.

Great Words

Helen Philpot wrote this on her blog with her best friend Margaret: Margaret and Helen on April 15th 2010.

Take it from this member of the Greatest Generation ...

We survived Bush. You’ll survive Obama.

Margaret, please tell Howard that I love him because he loves you.  But that is about all the reaching across the aisle that I can handle.  A few years back, millions of people across this nation and across the globe marched for peace.  George Bush ignored us and we had to endure his lazy ass being in the White House for eight years.

So now a black man named Barack Obama, elected by the will of the people, has decided to fight for the poor, and work for world peace… and a bunch of white guys who think Fox really is News just can’t stand it.

Well, they can kiss my ass because I am tired of their belly aching.

This is exactly how our political system works.  Sometimes your party is in and sometimes it is out.  Your party is currently out.  So shut the hell up and deal with it.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m all for a group of disgruntled citizens banding together to form a third political party because they don’t feel represented by the other two.  But let’s be honest - this bunch of idiots  doesn’t like that a black man is the most powerful man on the globe.   I wonder if they know that, while 78%  of  the world is not white, only 13% of the United States is black.   So they can relax.  Barack and Michelle most likely will not be buying the house next door.

Tea Party members should listen up.  As long as Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are your torchbearers, you don’t have much credibility with me.  One echoes between the ears and the other is 12 shy of a dozen.   You honestly want me to think that your  biggest issue is the cost of healthcare reform?  You sat idly by while Bush squandered billions on a failed war, but all children having health insurance is too much to handle?
 That’s your beef?  You realize, of course, that some of those children are white, don’t you?

Please.  You might not be wearing hoods, but your misspelled signs are one step shy of a burning cross.  You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Trust me.   It’s going to be eight long years for you Tea Party members.  But we survived Bush and  you’ll survive Obama.

I mean it.

Really.

Love

John Lennon

Happy Birthday, John

The Top 10 Most Popular Topics On The Web

Gamecocks Beat 'Bama

South Carolina puts an end to Alabama's dreams of another undefeated season.  
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Rescue drill reaches trapped Chile miners

The 33 men have been trapped together underground in harsh conditions for months.
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Ziggy

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20101009/largeimagezi101009.gif

Astronomical News

The record is held by a supernova that was observed two decades ago, but no longer exists.  
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Scientists Confirm that the Black Death Was Bubonic Plague

Although historical records describe the 14th Century pestilence known as the Black Death in a way that indicates that it was the bubonic plague, only recently has science confirmed this hypothesis:
“Our data … ends the debate about the etiology of the Black Death, and unambiguously demonstrates that Y. pestis was the causative agent of the epidemic plague that devastated Europe during the Middle Ages,” the authors wrote in the Oct. 7 issue of PLoS Pathogens.[...]
To build their case, the study’s authors extracted DNA from more than 75 skeletons in mass graves or plague pits across Europe. As an added measure, the scientists compared the samples to bones in nearby regions unaffected by the disease. All of this data, according to the study, points to bubonic plague as the cause of the 400-year-long pandemic and not other diseases.

Surprising origins of everyday phrases

You understand what it means to tell a "bare-faced lie," but do you know how the saying came to be?
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Shoe

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20101009/largeimagetmsho101009.gif

Habits that will make you go broke

Clipping coupons you don't need is one of the common money traps to avoid.
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What 300K gets you

The housing slump means you can get about 33% more house than during the peak.  
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Foreclosures

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Foreclosure Crisis
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorRally to Restore Sanity
Jon Stewart does it yet again and puts it like it is.

On The Job

On The Job
The Labor Department expects fewer workers in these once-reliable jobs over the next decade.  
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Denied better health coverage

One million employees at 30 companies won't get the promised $750K coverage.
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B.C.

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20101009/largeimagecrbc101009.gif

Tailgating made healthy

Tailgating made healthyThe brats, the buffalo wings, the full-bodied beer–gearing up for the big game can be delicious and, well...caloric.

Never fear!

With these simple menu tweaks, you can indulge without packing on pounds.

 

Work it out

All that's needed for this workout routine is a chair, table, wall, and a water bottle. 
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Sleep myths that are making you tired

An energy dip in the afternoon is normal, but nodding off in meetings isn't.  
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Helpful Hints - The Automotive Edition

Antifreeze in the windshield-washer reservoir may just create a slimy mess.
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Helpful Hints - The Domestic Edition

A weekly laundering of your bedsheets in 130-degree water may be ideal.  
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Non Sequitur

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20101009/largeimagenq101009.gif

For Sale: Supersonic Car


For a mere $3 million, you can have your very own supersonic car. It’s called The Spirit of America Sonic Arrow. This 1996 custom vehicle was built to reach up to 900 MPH and comes with spare parts, design schematics, tractor trailer rig, and more. Basically, the project is shutting down and the owners want to liquidate the entire operation.

The Beauty Of Vapor Cones

 

A trans-sonic vapor cone occurs right before the plane breaks the sound barrier, providing there are the correct atmospheric conditions. Photographing with high-quality stop action captures the art and science of the moment and preserves it for all to see.

Military Training

During a practical exercise at a military police base, the instructor was giving the class instructions in unarmed self-defense.

After he presented a number of different situations in which they might find themselves, he asked a student, "What steps would you take if someone were coming at you with a large, sharp knife?"

The student replied, "Big, Fast Ones!"