The Meat of the Matter

Karmic Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

In Christmas of 1982, I was a poor boy of 20 working part time at Robinsons/May during the holidays. It was a bad time in my life. I had previously been dating the boss's daughter, but we had just broken up. So he fired me. Then my car got stolen. Luckily I got the job at Robinson's. Then they fired me for stealing, which I had not done. Poo. But Karma did it's thing today: 20 Robinson's/May stores in Southern California are being sold off. One of them is the store that fired me in my dark hour. Like the song says ... don't mess around with Jim.

A Small Slice

Last Friday night Gayle and I had a kidless night. I decided we should dress up and go out to a nice restaurant in Claremont. It was perfect weather ... about 77 degrees with a slight breeze. The sun was low in the sky and we had the top down on my 2002 Mustang convertible as we were tooling slowly up Indian Hill Blvd. The year and make of my car is important, because we approached another Mustang Convertible. It was so new there was no license plate on it, and it was a gorgeous lemon yellow. Inside was another couple, probably headed out for their Friday night as well. I love Mustangs, which is why I bought mine a few years ago. But I really love the new Mustang. I pulled up along side them and said something. They turned their radio down and the guy looked over at me and smiled. "What?" he said. "I'M JEALOUS!" I shouted. They both cracked up. So did Gayle. At the next light, we turned right and they went straight. I wasn't all that jealous really. I mostly meant it as a compliment on his car. It was just one of those perfect moments. There's something about connecting with a perfect stranger and making them laugh that I love. Plus, driving in twilight with my girl on a perfect night makes me feel glad to be alive.

Help

Awhile back I posted a picture of U2, now I'm getting 40 hits a day from someone who (I think) hijacked the picture instead of copying and posting it themselves. How do I get rid of these bandwidth thieves?

Create Your Own E-mail Spam

A template for people in a hurry Cut and paste your selections from the choices below. (Note: do NOT proofread! This merely detracts from the authenticity and sincerity of your plea.) 1. Choose a Subject Header a) FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION b) EMPLOYING YOUR SERVICES c) Consider this proposal (Use lower case if your readership has an IQ over 80) d) SOLICITING FOR ASSISTANCE e) FUNDS TRANSFER #SL81-58380-B 2. Choose a Salutation: a) Kind Sir/Madam b) ATTN: c) Trusted Friend, d) I hope you are an honest person (and have not responded to any of these scams yet! Heheh) e) Dear sucker 3. Introduce yourself: I am a a) Minister of Finance b) Chief of Monetary Governance c) former special Adviser to the ousted Head of State d) Senior Vice President of Accounting d) Some other foreign-sounding finance title 4. Explain your title: Representing the a) National Bank of Nigeria b) Chen-Tech Taiwan Industries Corporation(CTTI) c) Diamond-rich district of Sierra Leone d) MINISTRY OF MINERAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY OF SOUTH AFRICA e) Any fictitious organization from an exotic nation where large sums of undetectable money become constantly available. 5. Innoculate against the reader's incredulity: You are doubtless surprised to be getting such a request from a stranger in a foreign country, but a a) curious b) unusual c) desperate d) opportune e) critical 6: Appeal to greed: situation has arisen that requires the assistance from someone such as yourself. At this moment, a sum of a) $200,000,000 (two hundred million) (NOTE: You must always spell out how much the sum is after the numerical figure. Your respondants won't understand that many zeroes. b) ¥18,500,000,000 (eighteen billion, five hundred million Yen, equivalent to US$2,309,000) (NOTE: The monetary conversion need not be correct.) c) £2,100,000 (Nigerian pounds, roughly equivalent to three point seven million US dollars) d) Some other large sum. Try to use the form of currency used in the alleged country of origin. 7. Innoculate further against the reader's incredulity: is awaiting disbursement, pending the receipt of a) Identity of an undeceased relative. b) Authorization signature from someone who happens to have your name. c) Security clearance known only to me, and very soon you as well. d) Acceptance from a trusted foreign partner. e) Some other preposterous fabrication. 8. Move in for the kill: Should you choose to assist, your gracious help will be rewarded by an equal share of half this amount, deposited to any bank account you wish. If you are interested in this transaction, kindly reply this massege with all your phone, fax numbers, or email me through Ngabo@Hotnudeteens.com to enable us to furnish you with details and procedures of this transaction. 9. Give them your name: Warmest Repect, Ngabo Tblisi 9. Tell them that this is not a scam: NOTE: I know there may be scams and junk mails flying here and there on the internet but certainly, this is not one. Please do not fail to understand that in spite of all that, opportunities of this kind still abound. If you have ever wished or prayed for something good to come your way, now I urge you to take this message seriously and with an open mind. You could never know. This may be an answer to your prayers. So please give it a benefit of doubt, and with good faith and trust join me and I am assuring you now that you will never be disappointed. E-mail them to everyone on the face of the planet, and watch the money roll in!

The Annual Smoker

The picture is of Cave Junction when I lived there in 1973. Between the ages of 11-13, I lived in a really great Oregon town called Cave Junction. I truly do have a lot of happy memories from that place, and I would love to go back. But today at work I was suddenly hit on the side of the head--as if by a proverbial frying pan--with the memory of our "Annual Smoker Event." The Annual Smoker consisted of the entire town gathering in the high school gym to watch everyone beat the shit out of each other. - All the fighters wore boxing gloves. - Fighters who did not request a specific person to have a bout with were matched with similarly sized/aged/gendered people. - There was lots of blood, and although the event was designed "settle feuds" (I was told this didn't really occur anymore), it actually started feuds. - There was hours and hours of watching this going on. I remember how brutal it felt to me even when I was in the 7th grade. - I remember watching grown women beating the crap out of each other and feeling completely shocked by it. I wonder if good ol' CJ still has the annual Smoker? They probably don't, but probably raised a big stink when they discontinued it. This post has been brought to you by the committee to stop blogging about the President.

Sweet Jesus Christ, Come On Down

Karl Rove Karl Rove Deep inside his cove Tried to play checkers with chess To move one ahead He left another dead Will someone kindly clean up his mess? Treason is hard Treason is mean To turn one's back on kith and kin Jesus once said (He was neither blue or red) That which you do to them you do to me Without Judas kiss There is no Christian myth Without Karl Rove The future dims Two years he had To just say "My bad" He's the kind that only mouths the hymns (chorus) Sweet Jesus Christ Sweet Lord above Redeemer for the sins of all mankind We were so lost And knew not the cost Sweet Jesus Christ come on down! _________________________________________ Read the rest of these lyrics at the author's page. I also recommend "Naked Christians Flying Up" on the same page.

"Anyone in my Administration who Leaked the Name, and Committed a Crime ... while wearing a tutu ... will be fired."

What he said in 2003: "The president has set high standards, the highest of standards for people in his administration. He's made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration." What he said in 2005, after it became known that his top advisor was "involved": "I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts. And if someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration," Bush said. What happened in between? 2004: A Presidential election. Our firm, steadfast, resolute President once again stands by what he says. He means what he says and says what he means. (Thanks to Chuck for the quote.)

Blogger Images!

Just testing this out. I found an old pic that I never used. It's Dick Cheney horrifically under-dressed at an Auschwitz anniversary function. WTG Blogger!

More WMDs (Words of Mass Deception)

"Pssst ... do you wanna know a State Secret?"  Lie #1: White House Press Secretary Scott Maclellan in September and October 2003: From CNN.com: McClellan said he had spoken directly with Rove about the matter and that "he was not involved" in leaking Plame's identity to the news media. McClellan said at the time: "The president knows that Karl Rove wasn't involved," "It was a ridiculous suggestion" and "It's not true." Turns out it was not ridiculous, and in fact true. This in today on CNN.com: Rove told Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper that the woman "apparently works" for the CIA and that she had authorized her husband's trip to Africa to assess allegations that Iraq was trying to obtain yellowcake uranium for nuclear weapons, according to a July 11, 2003, e-mail by Cooper obtained by Newsweek magazine. So, Rove IS the leaker. This is huge news, folks. Lie #2: In February, 2004, Bush said "If there's a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is ... if the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of." Today, when asked if he would be firing Rove, President Bush did not respond. I don't think he will fire Rove, which will make the above statement lie #2. Only one word can describe how I feel: Schadenfreude. Also, I'm glad this historical event is shifting the argument away from a very confusing Freedom of the Press issue, and is now focusing on the question: "exactly how evil is the President's top advisor?" Answer: very.

Words of Mass Deception

Me in my backyard, wearing boxers and my new shirt.   Yep, this clever shirt was created by The Curmudgeon in Training, and can be yours by clicking here. All the way down the front of the shirt, it has quotes from the Bush Administration that are obvious lies. On the back it has a quote of Bush saying, "We found the weapons of mass destruction." I wore it last night into downtown Claremont, and got into three fistfights, and then got laid! (Well, almost. But I did get winked at by a guy in Starbucks.)

A Puzzler

UPDATED AGAIN: I just read this, an eye-opening analysis of the situation by a close friend of Karl Rove's. It is interesting indeed. Further, I read this. This blogger does not paint Ms. Miller in a pretty fashion, and has the salient opinion that the solution lies with the Media re-writing its rules on ethics. I tend to agree ... Questions ... questions ... With a journalist in jail, it has raised some interesting questions for me. Let me quickly synopsize the events that have lead to where we are: 1. Bush makes a state of the union speech saying that "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." 2. Several months later, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson returns from a fact-finding trip in Africa, and says this statement is highly unlikely. George Tenet admits fault, and says that should have been left out of the speech. 3. Journalist Robert Novak writes that Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, is a CIA operative and suggested sending him to Africa. Novak cites "two senior administration officials" for the report. NOTE: It is against the law for anyone to knowingly reveal the identity of a CIA Operative. 4. The CIA asks for the Justice Department to investigate. They do. Bush welcomes the investigation, and wants to know if his department has a leak. Bush, Cheney, Powell, and many others are questioned. 5. The two reporters, Cooper and Miller, are both defiant and won't reveal their sources. Time Magazine turns over all the notes they have, asking the court to spare the reporters from jail time. 6. Karl Rove's lawyer admits that Rove talked to Cooper before Plame's name became public, but did not disclose any confidential information. 7. A federal judge jails Miller for contempt of court. Cooper, however, is apparently revealing who his source is. Now, before I state my position, let me say this: a) It was grossly irresponsible for the reporter to report such information. It does NOT discredit Wilson's statements that his wife worked for the CIA. (It only meant that he got inside information that tipped him off that Bush was lying.) b) It was also grossly irresponsible for the leak's source to leak. It was illegal and should not have been done. It endangered Plame's life, and dismantled whatever intelligence operation she may have been working on. But ... I'm left with a puzzle. Should it be right for the judge to jail a reporter for not revealing her sources? While in this case the source divulged something that was illegal to divulge, I still say no. As much as I would like to see the source of the leak jailed (especially if it's Karl Rove), I think it is a bad precedence to put a reporter in Jail for not revealing a source--even if that source broke the law by revealing it to the reporter. Do I think the reporter should have gobbled up the scoop and reported it? Hell no. I think both Cooper and Miller were greedy assholes for doing it. The freedom of the press is a flawed freedom because of people like Cooper and Miller. The first amendment of the Constitution says this: "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of ... the press." That is specific and clear, to me. To jail a reporter in this case is quite wrong, even though the law she's being jailed on is "Contempt of Court," it establishes a precedent, and indirectly, a law, that reporters will always have to reveal their sources. I do not think this is a conspiracy of Bush Administration--quite to the contrary. They would probably have some interest in protecting this particular reporter's rights in this case. So ... I say ... let the bitch go.

Contrary

Some of you know that I grew up a fundamentalist Christian, and that now I am not. The journey from there to here is not an easy one, but when you've made the journey, there are a few lessons that you learn and subsequently hold near and dear to your heart. There were two instrumental books that ushered me down the aisle and out the door of the Christian church. One was "Fear and Trembling" by Soren Kierkegaard, and the other was "Areopagetica" by John Milton. Ironically, both were men of faith. But here was the lesson I learned. One must look honestly at both sides of an argument before he can make the truly correct decision. A prerequisite to doing that is access to both sides of the argument. Censorship, whether it be on a global scale or a personal scale, is the path away from wisdom. I changed my tagline on this blog briefly to link to this concept. And in today's world, especially amid escalating terror strikes, there are growing fears and growing intolerance to viewpoints that are not our own.

The Childhood Meme

What 5 Things Do You Miss About Your Childhood? This meme requires you to do the following things: Remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump every one up one place. Add your blog’s name in the #5 spot. Link to each of the other blogs for the desired cross pollination effect. News to Hughes Fluxion Our Obligatory Blog There’s Pie in the Lunchroom The Meat of the Matter Next, inflict this meme on five new people. I shall inflict it upon Pero <--- this meme was meant for him. His childhood stories are very cool. Brian Mojo Turbo <--- He's in my blogging neighborhood. Todd Carol Finally, list the five things you miss most from childhood. 1. Fishing When I was a boy, I used to go every Summer to my father’s house in Portland, Oregon. Dad was an avid fisherman, something my mom and step-dad did not do. It wasn’t so much the fishing that I liked, but it was spending time with a Father figure who actually approved of me and liked me. I never felt that from my step-dad. (I do now, btw. All is forgiven.) But as a boy, sitting out on that dock on the Willamette River, and feeling the dock undulate in the wake of a big cargo ship that had passed minutes before … I miss that. 2. Discovery My family moved a lot. I don’t miss moving at all, and having to make new friends. But each time we did, I did get the thrill of discovery. Like when we moved to Glendale, I climbed up into the attic one day and found an empty old can of coffee called “Chock Full O’ Nuts.” I couldn’t fathom how long that can had been up there, or why it was there, who put it there, etc. I gave the can to my sister. I miss that feeling. 3. Being a Class Clown Now and then I used to make the class laugh. I never did it at someone else’s expense (that I remember). I took special pride in that. 4. Jacques and Pierre My cousin and I used to pretend to be in a knife duel. I was Pierre and he was Jacques. We’d throw knives (sticks) at each other to try and make the mortal wound. In between we would pepper each other with French-style insults. Good clean fun. 5. My third season of Little League. I was finally good at the game. The little kids looked up to me, and I was respected. Unlike the big kids whom I looked up to, I treated them nicely, like a benevolent dictator. It was good to be king.

Rove Met with Reporter Prior to CIA Operative's ID was Revealed

"A special prosecutor is investigating whether senior Bush administration officials leaked the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame to the media in retaliation after her husband wrote an opinion piece critical of the administration."

TMOTM on TWOTW

I rarely speak about movies, but being a science fiction afficianado, I thought I would make an exception this time. No spoilers at first, but if you haven't seen it, don't read after the spoilers section. First, if you have kids please be warned that this movie is intensely scary. My kids are impervious to bad dreams and being overly frightened (seriously), so I went with no concerns, and my kids loved it. BUT, I can tell you that this movie will give nightmare-prone kids bad dreams for a long time. OK ... now for the spoiler part ... don't scroll down if you haven't seen it and want to.

Spoilers

Basically, I loved the movie right up until Tom Cruise blew up one of the big walker dealies. Then it felt like the producer said "you're out of money," and closed the blinds on the movie. I have never seen such an awful "Deus ex machina" ending for a film in a long time. Granted, this film's ending is the same as the original film's end, but we were a little more forgiving back in the 50's. Crappy, crappy ending Mr. Speilburg. I'm not sure if you were aware, but if you buy the rights to a film, you can tweak it a little. So next time, feel free to make a movie and "make it new" as they say.