In her finest hour . . .

she was a urinal sticker at my local American Legion . . . let's flush HJ again!

Two sides . . .

They always show you the protest idiots on one side of the line . . . but in all fairness to those who actually understand the concepts of national security, supporting the President, and our Armed Forces who protect our freedoms . . . I'd like to offer a photo collage of folks who'd like to simply protest these idiots!

Good Article . . .

Concern over “global warming” is overblown and misdirected. What follows are eight reasons why we should pull the plug on this scam before it destroys billions of dollars of wealth and millions of jobs.

1. Most scientists do not believe human activities threaten to disrupt the Earth’s climate. More than 17,000 scientists have signed a petition circulated by the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine saying, in part, “there is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate.” (Go to www.oism.org/oism/s32p686.htm for the complete petition and names of signers.) Surveys of climatologists show similar skepticism.

2. Our most reliable sources of temperature data show no global warming trend. Satellite readings of temperatures in the lower troposphere (an area scientists predict would immediately reflect any global warming) show no warming since readings began 23 years ago. These readings are accurate to within 0.01ºC, and are consistent with data from weather balloons. Only land-based temperature stations show a warming trend, and these stations do not cover the entire globe, are often contaminated by heat generated by nearby urban development, and are subject to human error.

3. Global climate computer models are too crude to predict future climate changes. All predictions of global warming are based on computer models, not historical data. In order to get their models to produce predictions that are close to their designers’ expectations, modelers resort to “flux adjustments” that can be 25 times larger than the effect of doubling carbon dioxide concentrations, the supposed trigger for global warming. Richard A. Kerr, a writer for Science, says “climate modelers have been ‘cheating’ for so long it’s almost become respectable.”

4. The IPCC did not prove that human activities are causing global warming. Alarmists frequently quote the executive summaries of reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations organization, to support their predictions. But here is what the IPCC’s latest report, Climate Change 2001, actually says about predicting the future climate: “The Earth’s atmosphere-ocean dynamics is chaotic: its evolution is sensitive to small perturbations in initial conditions. This sensitivity limits our ability to predict the detailed evolution of weather; inevitable errors and uncertainties in the starting conditions of a weather forecast amplify through the forecast. As well as uncertainty in initial conditions, such predictions are also degraded by errors and uncertainties in our ability to represent accurately the significant climate processes.”

5. A modest amount of global warming, should it occur, would be beneficial to the natural world and to human civilization. Temperatures during the Medieval Warm Period (roughly 800 to 1200 AD), which allowed the Vikings to settle presently inhospitable Greenland, were higher than even the worst-case scenario reported by the IPCC. The period from about 5000-3000 BC, known as the “climatic optimum,” was even warmer and marked “a time when mankind began to build its first civilizations,” observe James Plummer and Frances B. Smith in a study for Consumer Alert. “There is good reason to believe that a warmer climate would have a similar effect on the health and welfare of our own far more advanced and adaptable civilization today.”

6. Efforts to quickly reduce human greenhouse gas emissions would be costly and would not stop Earth’s climate from changing. Reducing U.S. carbon dioxide emissions to 7 percent below 1990’s levels by the year 2012--the target set by the Kyoto Protocol--would require higher energy taxes and regulations causing the nation to lose 2.4 million jobs and $300 billion in annual economic output. Average household income nationwide would fall by $2,700, and state tax revenues would decline by $93.1 billion due to less taxable earned income and sales, and lower property values. Full implementation of the Kyoto Protocol by all participating nations would reduce global temperature in the year 2100 by a mere 0.14 degrees Celsius.

7. Efforts by state governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are even more expensive and threaten to bust state budgets. After raising their spending with reckless abandon during the 1990s, states now face a cumulative projected deficit of more than $90 billion. Incredibly, most states nevertheless persist in backing unnecessary and expensive greenhouse gas reduction programs. New Jersey, for example, collects $358 million a year in utility taxes to fund greenhouse gas reduction programs. Such programs will have no impact on global greenhouse gas emissions. All they do is destroy jobs and waste money.

8. The best strategy to pursue is “no regrets.” The alternative to demands for immediate action to “stop global warming” is not to do nothing. The best strategy is to invest in atmospheric research now and in reducing emissions sometime in the future if the science becomes more compelling. In the meantime, investments should be made to reduce emissions only when such investments make economic sense in their own right.

This strategy is called “no regrets,” and it is roughly what the Bush administration has been doing. The U.S. spends more on global warming research each year than the entire rest of the world combined, and American businesses are leading the way in demonstrating new technologies for reducing and sequestering greenhouse gas emissions.

Time for Common Sense

The global warming scare has enabled environmental advocacy groups to raise billions of dollars in contributions and government grants. It has given politicians (from Al Gore down) opportunities to pose as prophets of doom and slayers of evil corporations. And it has given bureaucrats at all levels of government, from the United Nations to city councils, powers that threaten our jobs and individual liberty.

It is time for common sense to return to the debate over protecting the environment. An excellent first step would be to end the “global warming” scam.

Joseph L. Bast is president of The Heartland Institute

Missed Call Pad . . . funny

"D" Defeatists Dickwads

I sure as shit didn't vote for these losers.

Hate to piss in the global warming rice bowl, but . . .

There's pretty strong video evidence where I live that the global warming scammers are as full of shit as my standard poodle when I let her out to do her business today! Isn't she a gorgeous dog!?!

Following Too Close . . .

The 27-year-old former star of the TV comedy "Moesha" was not injured, but the driver of the car she rear-ended with her Land Rover in the December 30 crash died, according to the California Highway Patrol. The victim was identified as Awatef Aboudihaj, 38, a married mother of one, said CHP spokesman Leland Tang.

No charges or arrests have been made in connection with the accident, and no formal determination has been made as to what caused the crash.

A statement issued by Brandy's publicist said: "She wishes to publicly express her condolences to the family of the deceased" and asks the media to "respect the privacy of everyone involved at this time." The singer-actress, whose full name is Brandy Norwood, was alone in her vehicle and no alcohol or drugs were involved, Tang said.

A Statement From Brandy's Publicist:

"Brandy was involved in a car accident December 30, 2006 in Los Angeles where there was a fatality. She wished to publicly express her condolences to the family of the deceased. Brandy asks that you respect the privacy of everyone involved at this time."

Brandy told officers she was driving at about 65 miles per hour before the crash occurred. "We've impounded all four vehicles, and the outcome of the mechanical inspection is coming to us today or tomorrow," Tang said. "Barring any mechanical difficulties on Brandy's part ... then there's the very high probability that she is the party most at fault or the contributing party."

DD Note . . . I've been doing accident investigation and reconstruction long enough to tell you all . . . this is a preventable accident (insufficient following distance).

Interesting debate . . .

ATLANTA - A potentially explosive dispute in the City Too Busy to Hate is taking shape over a proposal to break Fulton County in two and split off Atlanta's predominantly white, affluent suburbs to the north from some of the metropolitan area's poorest, black neighborhoods.

Legislation that would allow the suburbs to form their own county, to be called Milton County, was introduced by members of the Georgia Legislature's Republican majority earlier this month.
Supporters say it is a quest for more responsive government in a county with a population greater than that of six states. Opponents say the measure is racially motivated and will pit white against black, rich against poor.

"If it gets to the floor, there will be blood on the walls," warned state Sen. Vincent Fort, an Atlanta Democrat and member of the Legislative Black Caucus who bitterly opposes the plan. Fort added: "As much as you would like to think it's not racial, it's difficult to draw any other conclusion."

The legislation calls for amending the Georgia Constitution to allow the return of Milton County, which succumbed to financial troubles during the Depression and was folded into Fulton County in 1932.

The former Milton County is now mostly white and Republican and one of the most affluent areas in the nation. Atlanta and its southern suburbs are mostly black, are controlled by Democrats and have neighborhoods with some of the highest poverty rates in America. (Buckhead, a fashionable Atlanta neighborhood of clubs, restaurants and mansions, would remain in Fulton County.)

"The only way to fix Fulton County is to dismantle Fulton County," said state Rep. Jan Jones, the plan's chief sponsor. "It's too large, and certainly too dysfunctional, to truly be considered local government."

Jones, a former marketing executive who lives in the Fulton suburb of Alpharetta, cited the county's troubled library and public transit systems and a jail that was taken over by a federal judge because it was filthy and unsafe. He denied the move is racially motivated.

Don Petree, the 62-year-old owner of Don's Hairstyling in Roswell, another northern Fulton suburb, said many of his customers "feel like they're not being taken care of like they should be with the tax dollars they're spending. I think there's some truth to that."

Milton County would have a population of about 300,000, instantly making it Georgia's fifth-largest county.

Residents of north Fulton represent 29 percent of the county's population of 915,000 but pay 42 percent of its property taxes, according to a local taxpayers group. A split would lead to the loss of $193 million in property taxes alone for Fulton County.

About 25 miles to the south in downtown Atlanta, the Rev. J. Allen Milner said he is afraid the tax revenue loss would have a devastating effect on those who need government help the most.
"If you take that money out of their coffers, human services will suffer greatly," said Milner, a black man who runs a homeless mission and is pastor of the Chapel of Christian Love Church.
Critics of a split also worry about the future of Grady Memorial Hospital and the Atlanta area's MARTA commuter-rail system — both of which have contracts with the county.

In addition, some warn that a breakup of Fulton could harm Atlanta's international reputation as a progressive city and hurt its appeal as a business, entertainment and convention destination.
While other Southern cities erupted in violence a generation ago, Atlanta came through the civil rights movement with little strife, earning the nickname The City Too Busy to Hate. It is now home to one of the nation's largest black middle-class communities.

"This would send a clear messages to companies around the country that Atlanta may not be as progressive as it would like people to think," Fort said.

The measure would require the support of two-thirds of both the House and Senate. Then it would have to put to a statewide vote. Also, residents of what would become Milton County would have to endorse the plan.

While Republicans have majorities in both chambers, they would need to win over three Democrats in the Senate and 14 in the House to get it passed.

The legislation has support from some of the Legislature's key leaders. Republican House Speaker Glenn Richardson has referred to his top lieutenant, Rep. Mark Burkhalter, as "the member from Milton County."

Amazing ABC poll . . .

Though President Bush is expected to address a wide range of topics during his State of the Union address, the Iraq War will undoubtedly take center stage. Is success in Iraq tied to our domestic security?

Yes. Without a peaceful resolution in Iraq, more terrorists will find their way to U.S. shores.
2,004

No. Iraq never had any connection to the real enemy.
896

No. Even if U.S. troops pull out, our homeland is an ocean away and will still be safe.
86

Total Vote: 2,986

More evidence of global warming . . .

. . . or global scamming!

Probably won't sell in our local Wal-Mart

May be the hot men's fashion in Milan this week, but I can guaran-fuckin-tee ya this won't be selling in our local Wal-Marts! Matter of fact, I won't suggest walking around anywhere in 100 miles radius of where I l1ve dressed like this . . . cozy leggins, yeah right.

Healthy Choices

PA Dutch Cookin' Weekend

Well with onset of "global freezing" in the little village of East Berlin, the outdoor grillers have been driven indoors by 20 mph wind gusts producing wind chills is the single digits! Too damn cold to grill this weekend . . . that sucks!

Thankfully, there was no ice formed on the heads of cabbage I picked up at the farmer's market here in south central Pennsylvania. Damn cold waking around the outdoor vegetable stands today too! It's weekends like this one when I like to dabble with old family recipies and make good old fashion hearty meals. Today's dinner featured a PA Dutch beef, cabbage, and potatoes dish . . . damn good! Tomorrow, I'm thinking beef pot pie or lentil soup . . .

In to win, she begins digging . . .

NEW YORK (AP) - Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton embarked on a widely anticipated campaign for the White House on Saturday, a former first lady intent on becoming the first female president. "I'm in and I'm in to win," she said on her Web site.

DD Note . . . Hill Baby . . . the twisting, side-to-side method is the best time honored method.

An ever so light dusting of snow . . .

. . . waking up this morning to find evidence of flurry activity overnight. It's very windy and what little accumulation of snow is swirling and curling about on the sidewalks and roadway. That's my kind of snow storm!!! No plows, no shovels. no school delays, no shortages of bread, milk, or TP at the grocery stores, etc.

On The Road . . .

Well, actually, I'm winding up a business road trip today. Will be good to return home . . . temps in the teens awaiting me . . . probably too cold to consider a weekend BBQ . . . but not entirely out of the question.

Parts of Virginia I traveled through this week are pretty cool. I deliberately avoided interstate highways in order to take in as much countryside as possible. Old Virginia manors and small towns are fascinating!

All good things . . .

I noticed the temperature on a large outdoor sign on the way to work this morning (05:00 a.m.) was a balmy 61 degrees (not bad for mid-January). The weather forecast lady on the radio stated tyhat temps on the way home tonight would be in the lower 30's and dropping to the teens overnight tonight. All good things gotta come to an end . . . man, this was a great ride while it lasted!

Wow . . . this quiz nailed it!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.
The Midland
The South
The Inland North
The Northeast
North Central
Boston
The West

http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have

Do your part . . .

This is as "green" as I get . . .

This will have you crying in your beer -- the cost of the foamy beverage is climbing in Pennsylvania and the rest of the country.

Breweries say they are jacking up the prices because of a shortage of hops -- one of the key ingredients in beer.

Several breweries are already raising their prices.

Anheuser-Busch plans a price increase early this year. Brewing insiders say hops, one of the grains used to make beer, has gone in up in price nearly 25 percent in a year. And production is down, too.

Breweries are also facing increased costs for energy and even the aluminum used in cans.

DD Note: Drink only imported beer and ale, who would ever allow the weasel piss brewed by most US brewers to ever touch their lips? If you do, well . . . buy the imported stuff any way . . . it'll create a surplus of the lesser-tasting stuff and the price will drop. Buy beer only in bottled form . . . aluminum-canned beer just ain't natural to begin with . . . if all else fails . . . subscribe to this motto: "Never ask how much it costs . . . consider only what it's worth" . . . and you'll be fine!

So true . . .

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters & gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of Beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer.

These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups: Liberals and Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early human were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as "Girliemen".

Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy and group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting revolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men.

Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, Marines, and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get "More For Nothing".

This ends today's lesson in world history. It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before forwarding it.

A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true believers, and to more liberals just to tick them off.

Rib BBQ . . . day after, let's do it again!

Yesterday's rib fest centered on full size ribs cuts (couldn't find baby backs anywhere this week) and I was a bit concerned because I don't have a good history with these cuts. I've tried several times previously and could only describe those efforts as "OK". With my daughter's family coming to dinner . . . these just had to turn out better this time around.

I figured if I used the same seasoning, pre-cooking, and extended the smoker grill time I had a chance of replicating last weekend's success (the baby backs prepared last weekend were the best to date). I kept the full size ribs cuts in the over for an additional hour and extended the smoker grill time almost 2 hours. Took a chance during the final hour and placed the ribs in a covered aluminum pan the last hours, added the BBQ sauce and let them baked in the smoker.

The final result . . . same great flavor as last weekend and the meat literally fell off the bones. My father-in-law (finicky eater) made it a point this morning to tell me how great the ribs were last night and ask when I'm going to do them again - that's a huge compliment by itself. Alijah's dad, hardcore Southern cooking fan, expressed his amazement and was asking all kind of preparation questions and smoker grill questions after tasting them. I'm not ready for prime time rib cook off competiton yet . . . that's never been the goal . . . just wanted to master the fine art of making them right.

Full size or baby back . . . no problem . . . it's amazing what you can learn when you have an extended grilling season. 50+ degrees in the forecast today . . . maybe I do something on the gas grill this afternoon . . . NY strip steaks . . . that'll work!

Ribs in Mid-January, Yeah Buddy!!!

They were excellent!!!

Great qoute . . .

"The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them."

George W. Bush

All his fault . . .

DD NOTE: I wish I could take credit for this but can't. I wish I could give the real author credit beyond the pen name Lanza used in one of the AOL "post your thoughts" boards. This is positively brilliant . . .

Nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction held by terrorist states, global warming... these all fall right to the feet of GW Bush.

And, while we're at it, let's also add Hurricane Katrina- not merely the afteramath but the hurricane itself and the diabolical way in which Bush steered it to strike adjacent to racially distinct areas of New Orleans, crime in the streets, racial discord, Britney's divorce from K-Fed, dandruff, chronic halitosis (bad breath), diarrhea, poor credit ratings, Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, the plight of the Polar Bear, gasoline prices (be they up or down), the Yankees inability to bring home a World Series Championship over the past few years, people aging in accordance to-well- their age, fat people, John Kerry's gaffe in calling the soldiers stupid, the feud between Rosie and The Donald, the deep divide in political philosophies, arthritis, Ted Kennedy's drinking problems, Mark Foley's problems with pedophilia, falling educational achievement in the schools, poor eyesight, the breakdown of the American family, flatulence, nasty things being said of one another- not in accordance with that which is politically correct.

We were the happiest and most beloved country in all of the world until Bush took office... sort of a 24/7 Disney Country under BIll Clinton and now look at us.

Hated by terrorists and those who would subjugate our way of life worldwide, disapproved of by Koffi and the boys of the UN, and all of the above... Bush is no fool.

He, Rove and Cheney are evil geniuses to have brought us to our current state.

And, as God is my witness, some leftist idiot will accept this as an endorsement.

Stella Award Winner From Pennyslvania

Stella Awards 2006, PA has a winner who came in third! Stella (the lady who spilled McDonald's coffee on herself and successfully sued them).

A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, $113,500. after she slipped on a soft drink and broke her tailbone. The beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during anargument.

Here's a news flash!

Civil rights leaders who have dominated black politics for much of the past two decades have pointedly failed to embrace the 45-year-old Illinois senator who is considering a bid to become America’s first black president.

At a meeting of activists in New York last week, the Rev Jesse Jackson, the first black candidate to run for president, declined to endorse Obama.
“Our focus right now is not on who’s running, because there are a number of allies running,” Jackson said.

The Rev Al Sharpton, the fiery New York preacher who joined the Democratic primary race in 2004, said he was considering another presidential run of his own. And Harry Belafonte, the calypso singer who became an influential civil rights activist, said America needed to be “careful” about Obama: “We don’t know what he’s truly about.”

The unexpected coolness between the old civil rights guard and the new Democratic hopeful has added an intriguing twist to the budding rivalry between Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton, who hopes to emulate her husband, former president Bill Clinton, in attracting support from black voters.

The importance of the black vote — and the still-potent influence of community leaders such as Jackson and Sharpton — was underlined last week when both Clinton and Obama appeared at different times in New York at a black business conference organised by Jackson’s Rainbow/Push Coalition.

Clinton was applauded at a breakfast meeting for her attacks on President George W Bush’s economic policies of “tax breaks for the rich”. She added: “It is not rich Americans who have made this country great. It is hard-working Americans who have worked hard to lift themselves and their children up.”

Delayed by bad weather, Obama turned up in the evening to pay respectful homage to Jackson’s presidential bids in the 1980s. “I owe him a great debt,” Obama said. “I would not be here had it not been for 1984 . . . for 1988. If I’m on the cover of Ebony (an African-American magazine), it’s not because of me. It’s because a whole bunch of folks did the work to put me there.”

Yet Obama’s charm and eloquence have not wooed the old guard.

“They are basically jealous,” said a Democratic strategist who has not yet decided which candidate he intends to support. “They’ve been toiling in the trenches for decades, and along comes this son of a Kenyan farmer and suddenly he’s measuring the drapes in the Oval Office.”

Sharpton, 52, is widely considered to have no better chance of winning the Democratic nomination than in 2004, when he never amassed more than a few percentage points in the polls but still made a national impact with his barnstorming performances in the televised primary debates.

When asked about Obama’s likely candidacy, the preacher, renowned for outrageous self-publicising antics, shrugged: “Right now we’re hearing a lot of media razzle-dazzle. I’m not hearing a lot of meat, or a lot of content. I think when the meat hits the fire, we’ll find out if it’s just fat, or if there’s some real meat there.”

Belafonte, who returns to British cinema screens shortly with a small role in Bobby, the new Emilio Estevez film about the assassination of Robert F Kennedy, also cast doubt on Obama’s credentials as a legitimate candidate.

“He’s a young man in many ways to be admired,” Belafonte said. “Obviously very bright, speaks very well, cuts a handsome figure. But all of that is just the king’s clothes. Who’s the king?”

There were contrasting views on the likely impact on Obama’s campaign of black competition or criticism. One analyst argued that a Sharpton candidacy would “put Obama on the spot” by forcing him to address awkward civil rights issues such as police brutality and racial profiling that he tends to steer clear of.

One Democratic blogger argued that Sharpton was “just what the doctor ordered to keep Obama on the straight and narrow”.

Others suggested that Sharpton would help Clinton by dividing black primary voters. In one interview last week, Sharpton warned that Obama could not take the black vote for granted. A strategist pointed out, however, that Obama could emerge as a “model of reason, compared to that blowhard Al (Sharpton)”.

The sky is falling . . . the sky is falling . . .

SAN BERNARDINO, January 12, 2007 - Children in the mountain region north of San Bernardino can put aside their books and get out their sleds as heavy snow prompted school closures Friday and Southern California braced for a blast of cold weather over the weekend.

DD notes: Holy shit! Snow in California! The sky is falling! Gobal warming! Oh my gawd . . . if we all stop driving SUVs it'll never snow there again! Temperature inversions . . . holy shit . . . Al Gore . . . save us!!! Laughing my ass off . . . I wonder how palm trees would look in my neighborhood?

Funniest Video I've Seen in a While

http://www.flurl.com/item/Why_men_die_early_u_218648

Dreary Morning in South Central PA

Light misting rain, foggy, and 51 degrees in my backyard at 07:00 this morning . . . kind of funny, I was talking to myself as I went outside to fire us the smoker grill . . . "hey, another great day in January for grilling, gotta love this man . . ." It's official, some drive by neighbors think I'm nuts! Could kick myself in the ass though . . . when this one neighbor drove by with a fixed, gawking stare, I should have had a beer bottle in hand to hoist a friendly salute instead of my coffee mug . . . note to self . . . don't make that mistake again . . . bottle can be empty, keep one of the spice rack.

Well . . . I'm not into NFL football like I am into college football, but it was disappointing to watch the Ravens (my office is in Baltimore - new job) and the Eagles (I worked in Philly for a few years, old job) take losses yesterday. My neighborhood has a mixed fan base for pro teams . . . mostly Steelers fans, a few Ravens fans, and the occasional Bills or Giants aficionado will surface. Like most suburban developments I suppose, when you drive through them on big game weekends, you see the big banners, flags, blow up lawn mascots dolls, etc., our neighborhood is no different. I've never seen Eagles stuff openly displayed and this year I spotted the first Ravens' banner about 2 blocks from here. It would have been nice if they would have won out . . . pretty respectable seasons for both squads.

Huge Rib BBQ Tomorrow . . .

Well, the Ez-Up is erected, the smoker grill is set up, plenty of ale chillin', and the rib racks are membrane-skinned and ready . . . gonna take advantage of another 50 degree Sunday afternoon in January (suppose to be light rain, hence the canopy) and do 4 racks!

Should be another excellent Sunday!!! Get up early, fire up the sidebox, and get 'em smokin!

It's national security, stupid!

The looney libs will never get it . . . but let's keeping beating the dead horse and pray for a miracle!

My Grandson Earns White Belt

Pleasant surprize toady!

I've been looking for a source for a semi-rare men's cologne product and finally found it on eBay! 40 or more years ago, I bought a bottle of Jaguar cologne by Yardley. I remember it to have been quite expensive compared to other popular brands back in that day . . . and I remember only ever having bought a single bottle of it. After nursing it for a couple of years to make it last, I discovered it was discontinued . . . 35+ years later I found a small bottle of it listed on eBay, successfully bid, and it arrived today!

It is as I remembered it . . . about 3/4 of an ounce in the mini-bottle . . . it won't last long! Just when you think the impossible can't happen . . . life deals you a pleasnat surprize!

Want fries with that?

If you ever hope to be a credible adult and hold a job that pays better than minimum wage, then for God's sake don't pierce or tattoo every available piece of flesh. If so, then plan your future around saying: "Do you want fries with that?"

Sperm Count

An 85-year-old man was requested by his doctor for a sperm count as a part of his physical exam.

The doctor gave the man a jar and said, "Takethis jar home and bring back a semen sample tomorrow."

The next day the 85-year-old man reappeared at the doctor's office and gave him the jar, which was as clean and empty as on the previous day.

The doctor asked what happened and the man explained: "Well, doc, it's like this - first I tried with my right hand, but nothing. Then I tried with my left hand, but still nothing. Then I asked my wife for help. She tried with her right hand, then with her left, still nothing. She tried with her mouth, first with the teeth in, then with her teeth out, still nothing. We even called up Arlene, the lady next door and she tried too, first with both hands, then an armpit, and she even tried squeezing it between her knees, but still nothing."

The doctor was shocked! "You asked your neighbor?"

The old man replied, "Yep. None of us could get the damn jar open."

The importance of speaking English

Why it's important to understand English!

I had a bunch of Canadian dollars I needed to exchange, so I went to the currency exchange window at the local bank.

Short line.

Just one guy in front of me . . . an Asian guy who was trying to exchange yen for dollars and he was a little irritated . .

He asked the teller, "Why it change?? Yestoday, I get two hunat dolla fo yen. Today I get hunat eighty?? Why it change?"

The teller shrugged his shoulders and said, "Fluctuations".

The Asian guy says, "Fluc you white people, too!

No speaka de spanish . . . no rida de bus

Imagine sending your kids off to school, but when they get to the bus they are told they can't get on because they speak English.

That's right, English.

It happened to a few children in St. Paul and now the school district is apologizing.
Rachel Armstrong sent her kids to pick up the bus as usual Monday, but after the driver let the kids on, he told them he would not pick them up again. He even said he wouldn't take them home that afternoon.

Armstrong left work early Tuesday, forced to pick up her kids from Phalen Lake Elementary School.

Her twin girls, 10, and her son, 8, were kicked off their regular school bus. They were told by the bus driver the route is for non-English speaking students only.

"I was furious. I was at work and I was just mad." Armstrong said. "I felt like we were being discriminated because we speak English. Just because they speak English, they can't ride the school bus. I mean, this is America, right?"

Administrators at St. Paul Public Schools admit the district made a mistake when it stranded the kids at school Monday.

However, the district points out, that particular bus route serves one of three language academies. The one at Phalen Lake is for Hmong students learning English.

The academies all have separate bus routes to keep its students together.
The district decided to enforce the separate routes beginning Monday, but it did not tell the Armstrong family.

"It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these kids and we made a mistake. The kids should have gotten home that day," Dayna Kennedy, a public relations representative said.
The district also discovered the Armstrongs no longer live in the Phalen Lake School boundary because they moved last year.

So even though the district apologized, if they want to still go to Phalen, they are going to have to get their own ride.

DD notes . . . here I've been bitching that I have to select "English" on ATM machines before starting a transaction, I had no idea it was an issue with school bus ridership. Learn to speak English or GTFO!!!

Comet Watch . . .

Has anyone seen the McNaught comet yet?!?

GSITCD . . .

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., laid down the gauntlet today, making the first formal effort to block President Bush's expected plan for a surge of American troops in Iraq with a bill that would block funding for the additional soldiers and offering clear comparisons to Vietnam.

Moonbat Rosie at it again . . .

January 9, 2007 -- The tension between "The View" creator Barbara Walters and co-host Rosie O'Donnell, sparked by O'Donnell's feud with Donald Trump, boiled over yesterday morning when the portly comic called Walters "a fucking liar."
The fight started around 8:30 a.m. when Walters, back from a two-week vacation, walked into the hair and makeup room at ABC studios and tried to hug O'Donnell, whom she hired onto the popular show.

According to spies, O'Donnell recoiled from Walters' touch and yelled, "You kept me in the newspapers this whole time!"

Both "View" producer Bill Geddie and Walters tried to calm O'Donnell. Walters told her, "I did everything I could to squash the story" - prompting Rosie to scream, "You didn't call me for 10 goddamn days, and you didn't tell me what you were going to say on television!"

O'Donnell is fuming because Trump went on Larry King two weeks ago - after she had called Trump a "snake-oil salesman" - and said Walters told him she regretted hiring O'Donnell. Trump also blasted the comic as "a horrible human being and a loser."

During her vacation, Walters issued a carefully worded statement saying, "I'm sorry there is friction between Donald and Rosie. That said, I do not regret for one moment my choice to hire Rosie O'Donnell as the moderator of 'The View.' "

After O'Donnell's outburst at Walters yesterday, Geddie jumped in and told her, "You've crossed the line." O'Donnell retorted, "Cameras are now outside of my house where my wife and kids are." She turned to Walters and said, "You went all around this and never called [Trump] a liar. You never said, 'Donald is lying.' You never called him a liar."

When Walters tried to defend herself, O'Donnell erupted, "Are you looking me in the face and denying you didn't tell him you didn't say this? You're a fucking liar."

Cindi Berger, a rep for both Walters and O'Donnell said, "Whatever happened in the hair and makeup room was hardly a squabble. It's business as usual, everyone has moved on."

DD notes . . . Rosie is a classic example of a really stupid person who becomes "famous". In a sense, you have to pity this woman . . . clearly, she allows herself to be used by the entertainment media . . . she's marketable as long as her idiotic behavior draws TV zombies to their sets sets . . . and you gotta pity that crowd too.

Normally, I don't whine . . .

The final college polls are out and Tennessee finished above Penn State. We beat the Vols head-to-head and both teams finished with 9-4 records. PSU played a harder schedule to boot! I guess the SEC bias among sportswriters will continue.

Ohio State's loss to Florida didn't help the Big 10's image. At least Wisconsin and Penn State won their bowl games . . . the final poll ranking for the Lions is bullshit!

Bomber Babes . . .

Some excellent WWII bomber plane "babes paintings"

http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2006/noseart/

Wonder if there's postage due?

FERNDALE, Pa. (Jan. 7) - A western Pennsylvania man is trying to solve a mystery that recently landed in his mailbox: a letter mailed more than 50 years ago and addressed to a Frederick Zane Yost.

The letter, with a 3-cent stamp and postmarked Oct. 26, 1954, was encased in a large Postal Service window envelope. There is a return address -- in nearby Richland Township -- but no sender's name.

Brian McAteer said that the letter appears to be sealed and has not been damaged, and that he will not open it. However, he hasn't had any luck finding Yost. Among his efforts have been to contact Yosts in the area, speak with longtime residents and search on the Internet.

Sounds like they finally delivered it to the wrong address to boot.

The Biggest Set of Balls You'll Ever See on a Rabbit

The Damn Saddam Cat Did It . . .

New Execution Video

New Execution Video . . . gaping hole - someone slit his throat conspiracy?

Who knows for sure one way or the other? Who gives a royal shit?!? Seems to me that the dynamics of hanging someone by the neck until death would almost certainly guarantee a degree of damage to the flesh area if the neck, face, and head. Hey, the shitbag is dead, can we please move on? The shitbag loyalists should take comfort in the fact that he wasn't treated like Benito Mussolini.

MNC . . . closes Congress . . .

"Culture Shock on Capitol Hill: House to Work 5 Days a Week" front-paged the WASHINGTON POST in December.Majority leader Steny Hoyer said members of the House will be expected in the Capitol for votes each week by 6:30 p.m. Monday and will finish their business about 2 p.m. Friday.

Explained the POST: "Forget the minimum wage. Or outsourcing jobs overseas. The labor issue most on the minds of members of Congress yesterday was their own: They will have to work five days a week starting in January."But on the morning after the night before, on the first full week of the new congress, Hoyer has pulled back from his vow!

A Hoyer press release obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT boldly declares: "Monday, January 8, 2007: The House is not in session.

"Hill sources claim The House is taking Monday 'off' this week, because of the championship football game between Ohio State and the University of Florida. And, of course, the following Monday is the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.100 hours...starting...soon

Idiot of the week . . . early leader

A member of Saddam Hussein's legal team said Sunday that she intends on suing the Iraqi government at the International Court of Justice over the taunting of the former leader by executioners on the gallows.

Bushra al-Khalil told the Saudi daily al-Watan that she will sue the Iraqi authorities for allowing two of Saddam's personal foes to attend the execution and over reports that executioners had abused the dead body of the former leader.

She claimed that Shiite leader Abdel Aziz al-Hakim and Muqtada al-Sadr were present at the execution.

She added that the court will be asked to authorize that Saddam's body be exhumed for an autopsy to check for abuse signs on his body.

Drivel & Quibble News

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Jan. 6) - Snowzilla may be a smash hit with many city residents, but the towering 22-foot snowman has detractors closer to its Anchorage home. Some neighbors of the two-story snowman say they are fed up with the hordes of gawkers clogging up Columbine Street.

"When you get 20 people out there in their cars, now the whole street comes to a stop and nobody can get through," said Anthony Bahler, who can see Snowzilla from his front window. "They just stand out there, in the middle of road, talking about a snowman."

Bahler's neighbor, Billy Powers, supervised construction of the original Snowzilla last year. Through the Internet, it became a media sensation, drawing crowds of visitors and TV crews from Japan and Russia before it melted in the spring.

This year, with the help from neighbors, Powers resurrected the snowman, with its giant hat made from tomato cages, corncob pipe and beer-bottle eyes. It is six feet taller than its predecessor.

Once again, traffic is streaming through the neighborhood.

"Everybody likes it," Powers told the Anchorage Daily News for a Friday story. "That's the reason I do it, really, I like the smiling faces."

But the crowds, including rowdy late-nighters fresh from the bars, have started grating on the nerves of some neighbors.

I think it's great! Private property, who gives a rat's ass what the neighbors think! Powers should consider making it 10 feet taller next year or maybe adding something to it that would make it more of a political statement. If it is kool enough to make AOL's "Drivel & Quibble News" then damn it all to hell . . . go for it big time next time!!!

Follow up on yesterday . . .

First things first . . . these are not photos from yesterday's rib cook off . . . the hungry in-laws made quick work of the 3 racks within minutes after I brought them in from the smoker. Gone!

That's the greatest compliment a back yard grilling enthusiast can get on any single day! I play to a tough "internal audience" when it comes to my wife and my in-laws. Their family has a rich tradition of PA Dutch and "country-style" cooking. This crowd holds family re-unions and does pit-chicken for several hundred attendees at a time. They spend 2 days making apple butter from peeling to stirring in copper kettles over an open fire . . . the point is . . . they are picky eaters, especially when it comes trying my "rookie recepies".

But aaah . . . little victories like yesterday help build one's reputation and further acceptance within their clan . . . the ultimate prize I suppose is to someday have one of my wife's cousins call me and ask about a secret rib mopping sauce or something . . . much like the way they call each other to discuss the secrets of "Uncle Richard's BBQ chicken" or "Aunt so-and-so's beef and cabbage", etc. You get the idea.

Bottom line yesterday . . . the baby back ribs were excellent.

Dirty little secrets . . .

I pre-baked the racks in the oven, foil covered at 200 degrees for about 3 hours before transfer to the smoker. I used McCormick dry slow cooker seasoning as a dry rub for this phase of the operation. (see other post for the mopping sauce).

We had warm temps yesterday but gusty winds. This plays hell with a side fire box smoker. Internal main chamber temperatures are difficult to elevate and maintain. I managed 175 for most of the 4 hour period they were smoking. Twice yesterday I had to clean out the side fire box ash and re-build the fire. I transferred the ribs (foil covered) back to the oven (300 degrees) during the fire re-building periods (maybe 20 minutes each time).

I did one rack off to the side that was fairly heavy with hot sauce and the other 2 were left alone. In-laws allege they don't like hot stuff . . . than was not evidenced at the dinner table last night . . . the hot spiced ribs I cut into 3 rib sections and mixed them in on the serving plate with the half racks . . . Gone!

It took well over a year to "master" baby back ribs, but I think I've got it nailed!

Here's a thought . . .

If the radical Muslims put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence.

If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.

Little Secret . . .

I've been "imgineering" different BBQ mopping sauces all season. Until a few weeks ago, nothing special or extraordinary surfaced . . . but as of noon today, I've found one worth sharing, combine:

8 ounces of "hickory & honey" flavored BBQ sauce (I use a generic store brand)
1 packet of McCormick brand BBQ dry seasoning for slow cooker "pulled pork"
4 ounces of white vinegar
4 ounces of natual honey
Dashes of garlic powder and onion powder
Add Lousianna hot sauce, to taste

After slow smoking ribs at 200 degrees for several hours, mop on the sauce for the last hour or so. I like my ribs hot and spicey . . . so I spray on hot sauce before serving. If you try it, let me know what you think.

99 Bottles of Beer . . . # 39 and # 40

Poorter Pale Ale and Chimay Grand Reserve . . . Belgian brews, ceramic tops and wire caged, both New Year's Day pre-bowl game treats . . . both expensive (I'd never buy them by the case), and both very unusual beers. They say Belgian monk-brewed beer is the finest in the world . . . I don't know about that, but they were both pleasant tasting and very flavor rich brews. Given the price my buddy Mark paid for them, their presentation, and all the hoopla about the Belgian tradition, what can I say other than they were very good tasting beers. A bit on the micro-brew - fruity side, more like champagne than beer, solid 4 stars for both. I'm sure at 9% alcohol by volume, it wouldn't take but a few of them to kick you in the ass! We sampled 2 bottles of each . . . and yes, I remember watching the bowl game . . . LOL!

Smokin' ribs and drinkin' ale . . .

Yeah buddy!!! Pushin' 74 degrees at 1400 hrs . . . in shorts, drinking some fine Irish ale, and tendin' the ribs on this amazing January afternoon. If there were ever a near-perfect day in Jnauary (other than a Penn State bowl victory), today is that day!!! Notice how green the grass is . . . get the John Deere out and mow, I don't think so!!!

Baby back ribs on the smoker in January!!!

Wow . . . got 3 racks of baby backs going on the smoker this afternoon!!! 70 degrees, sunny, and plenty of cold beer on hand while the ribs are cookin' . . . gawd, I love it!!!

EAST BERLIN, PA 17316 1315hrs 06 JAN 2007

We have achieved yeah buddy status!!!!

72 °F / 22 °C
Scattered Clouds
Humidity:
57%
Dew Point:
55 °F / 13 °C
Wind:
10 mph / 17 km/h / 4.6 m/s from the WSW

Wind Gust:
17 mph / 28 km/h / 7.7 m/s
Pressure:
29.77 in / 1008 hPa

Wow . . . check this out!

A guy from Ukraine, Alexandr Pashkevich, has made a model of Eiffel Tower from matches.

The height of the structure is 3,3 ft (1 meter) and it consits of 15 000 different details made from 7464 matches.

More than that there is a illumination in the tower, made of numerous LEDs.

As a scale model enthusiast of many years, I appreciate the tedious attention to detail needed to make a stucture like this. Wow!

Balmy 60's here . . .

Our cherry tree isn't in blossom but I'm happy to report another stretch of days with the temps in the 50's and 60's . . . very unusual for this time of year in my part of the world. I knew the global warming wackos would jump all over this and they have . . . we're doomed.

What really cracks me up is their belief that they, through their ideologies, somehow can control the course of nature. I'm no expert in these matters, but sun spot activites and solar flares are a much better explanation for warmer temperatures than cow farts and SUV emissions . . . not to mention jet stream and El Nino activities of late . . .

Holy shit, Colorado is being hit by a 3rd blizzard . . . the end is near . . . the end is near! I better fire up my smoker grill one last time and enjoy life while I can!

I look for them to be in the Top 25

When the final polls come out next week, I look for Penn State to be ranked in the Top 25. I'm thinking 21, 22, or at worst 23rd. No doubt in my mind that the Lions had their best game of the season on New Year's Day. Remember this folks . . . LSU versus PSU for the National Championship next year . . . for the glory!!!

First week back to work . . .

So many of us returned to work after long holiday vacations - don't you just love what you walk back into?!? It seems like the folks who are out of paid leave days, who have to work when the rest of us are off, always have lots of "presents" for us on a desks the day we return. Have you ever returned to your office to find your desk piled high with "stuff"? The desk was cleared off before leaving . . . how could this much stuff uniquely require your attention "when he gets back"?

Follow this theory I'm working on . . . the first 2 days back is "attack the pile" and by the morning of the 3rd day, you figure normalcy should return. This may be true if you're at the top layer of the food chain where you work . . . but we all know there's always some folks higher up, or who have more senority. . . who have more paid leaves available . . . who manage to take a few more days off than you . . . who begin to return to work beginning about the time you just thought you were getting caught up . . .

Don't have a fancy name for this theory yet . . . suggestions welcome . . . as are any examples of testimonials you may wish to share that prove the theory.

Take a stand . . .

Take a Stand

by Craig A. Baker

On September 29, 2006 at 11:30 AM, Mr. Yousuf N. Shaikh & Mr. Kamel H. Fotough came to my office to introduce themselves to me as the new neighbors. These two gentlemen informed me that they had purchased the adjacent house along with the 11-acre tract of land from the Sacco family on 09/22/06.

They asked that I remove my cattle from this 11-acre tract & remove my electrical fence. They said they were going to use the existing house as a community center. Children would be coming to play on the grounds, and as an engineer, Mr. Fotough felt it was unsafe for them to be around the cattle.

Since 1995 I had been leasing this property from the Sacco’s to run my Limousine cattle on.The gentlemen were very friendly, but spoke with a heavy Middle Eastern accent. They told me how much they loved the United States and how they had such big plans for the land. They said that their children had grown up right here in America, and they said that their ultimate dream is to build a parking lot, a new community center, an athletic facility, a school, and a mosque. They felt that they were going to need a total of 25 acres to complete this project, which might take them as long as five years to complete.

They went into great detail how they wanted to provide a complete atmosphere where their friends could bring their entire families to worship and to play, and they said they would even provide security for the entire site. They felt that there was no other place on the far west side of Houston that was able to handle their needs.While I was walking these men out, I offered to give them some granite fill, free of charge for their new driveway that they had planned.

Then Mr. Fotough said that it was probably a good idea for me to start thinking about packing up my business, along with my family and moving somewhere further out in the country. They felt that a mosque and a marble shop did not go well together. He told me he was from Egypt and his partner was from Pakistan, and that they were bringing many new families in from as far as 5,000 miles away. He went on to say that many of these new people that they would be bringing in would be unfamiliar with many of the local customs, and/or ways of doing things, and that most would not be able to speak English at first.

Before they left, they provided me with their cell phone numbers so that if I ever had a problem I would be able to get in touch with them. I of course reciprocated the gesture, but I did not say much of anything because I was simply trying to digest what I had heard. I must have had a look of total shock on my face.When I returned to my office two of my employees asked what was wrong. I told them that the new neighbors had said I should start thinking about packing up and moving out, and I fully explained what was said and what my new neighbor's intentions were.

On the following Wednesday, 10/04/06, a new collector's crystal wall clock was delivered to my office as a gift. The card attached said: To: Craig Baker From: New Neighbors .

I immediately typed up a nice thank you note and returned the clock that same day. I had planned on just letting the other matter die of natural causes right then and there. Per my lease and the Texas Statutes I had the right to leave my cattle and the fence on the property for 180 days from the date I received written notice to remove them. However, I had my employees remove the cattle and the fences the next day. Approximately a week later the previous owner's huge FOR SALE BY OWNER sign was covered with a brand new yellow banner announcing: COMING SOON KIA COMMUNITY CENTER.

Immediately I started receiving calls from a nearby neighborhood asking if I knew what was about to be built on the property. I provided each concerned citizen as much information as I knew. Many of these neighbors asked if they could meet with me to discuss any possible options. I agreed for them to come over to my place of business on the following Thursday night. A total of fourteen people showed up at my office for this meeting, which began at 7:00 PM. I began by detailing my one and only meeting with these new owners.

At the meeting there were a couple of lawyers, a president of one of the local Home Owners Association, several neighbors who lived down the street, and several other neighbors who's property backed up to the proposed site for the mosque. To say the least this group of people was extremely concerned. No one had ever heard of this group “KIA” prior to the sign going up. It was agreed that the best course of action was to get the entire community made aware of this group's plan to build.The following Tuesday a public meeting was arranged at Pattison Elementary School so that the Harris County public officials could inform the public just what could and couldn't be built on the site. At this meeting, three different men from Harris County Commissioner Steve Raddick’s office took questions from the packed gymnasium. These questions pertained to possible problems caused by additional traffic, noise pollution, lights, sewer systems, & most importantly possible flooding.

The county employees fielded questions for about an hour. Then these gentlemen left the building.The program was then turned over to the President of a Home Owners Association (HOA), several were present. He began by stating “Well, we do have a bit of good news-- that being next years tax rate will decrease.” I figured that the remainder of the program was going to be about matters that affected the HOA so I left.

I was wrong, because shortly after I left, the subject returned to my new neighbors. A spokesman for the KIA got up and went to the podium and gave a short speech about what was planned on the site. He further informed the group that he was a Muslim. He said he was originally from Chicago, and had fought in the Vietnam War so that people would have the right to practice any religion they chose. It was clear to him as well as the other members present that the neighbors were against the building of the mosque simply cause they were Muslims.

Among the many other people at the meeting were the KIA owners, along with several of their members. One of my friends stood up and asked why the owners told Craig Baker that he should consider packing up and leaving. The Muslim speaker said that they never would say something like that. My friend stood up to state that he has known me for many years, and if Craig Baker said something, then he knew it was true. On the tape recording that was being made of the meeting, you can hear “well then Craig Baker is an out right liar." I learned of this the following day.Now, my family has deep roots here on Baker Rd. Houston, TX.

As a matter of fact, a Baker has been living right on this land as far back as the early 1800’s. We are fast approaching 200 years being settled on this piece of land. The Baker family has not always found it easy living here. In the 1940's the Baker family lost most of its land to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers through a process known as eminent domain. The land was worth approximately $150.00 per acre, the Bakers received $3.00 per acre.

Our government had to create a reservoir for the sprawling metropolis of Houston, which was some twenty miles away. This reservoir would allow part of the Buffalo Bayou to be dammed off in certain situations to prevent the flooding of the entire city.Each of the family members was able to keep their immediate homesteads. One of the Bakers headed to Colorado, but most stayed on for many years. In 1979 I bought my first piece of Baker Rd. property. The piece I bought was only three quarters of an acre to move my brand new business onto. I bought the property from my grandparents, James Mayes Baker Jr. & his wife Anna H. Baker. Since then, as property in the area was put up for sale I have made every effort to purchase it. I have bought a total of eleven small tracts from remaining family members and others. This includes my grandmother's two acres and a small family cemetery that sits adjacent to my home. My grandmother was given a lifetime estate and still lives in the same home she has since 1949. With Houston pushing further outward the price of property has sky rocketed. The only land I have ever sold off was to my best friend Don. I cut off two acres next to my home so he could build his home, and of course he still lives there today.

Although it is not a huge amount of land, I have tried to put the parcels back together and create a small farm like atmosphere for my children to grow up in. I have always kept thirty to forty head of cattle on my property.Upon learning that I was called a liar I became determined to make a statement to everyone that I was not leaving.

Not only that, I am taking a stand. I will use my property as I see fit. I went to a local printing shop and had a huge banner made up. The banner states “COMING SOON WEEKLY FRIDAY NIGHT PIG RACING.” I also put up some pig pens on the north east corner of my property, which just happens to be the closest point to my new Muslim neighbors. So far I have bought 24 pigs and put them in the pens. Additional pigs will be delivered soon, and the pig racetrack is under construction, as well as the starting gates.

I have sent two separate letters to Mr. Shaikh and Mr. Fotough to try to find a way to resolve this crisis -- one on 10/14/06 and the other on 11/28/06. I offered to act as a facilitator to assist in selling their property to the neighborhoods, which in turn would turn the vacant land into a public park. I did not receive a response until 12/01/06, which came in the form of a demand letter from their attorney Mathew Kornhauser. Kornhauser made the demand that I remove my pigs from my land immediately. Should I fail to do so his client will contact the appropriate authorities and take what ever measures necessary to protect their interest.

Further Kornhauser demanded that I remove the website http://www.katyislamicassociation.net.

Since I have absolutely no control over this website, his demand is ridiculous and absurd. His threat to eradicate the website should I fail in his demand to remove it is laughable. He claims again that his clients did not state that I should move out, and that is “totally false." Now I have made the offer in writing, on the radio, and on TV that I will pay for three lie detector test. One for each of the owners, and one for me. The sole question to be asked is: Did they, on 09/29/06 tell me that I should consider packing up my business and my family and moving?Then we will see who is lying and who is telling the truth.

My Moslem neighbors have decided to take their fight with me to the media, hoping that by making this fight public I will come off as a red neck racist from Texas. On 11/29/06, ABC Channel 13 News reporter Ted Oberg came out to check on a dispute between neighbors. Oberg sat in my office filming me for over two hours to produce a 3-minute segment. Since that time I have done two other TV interviews one with CBS Channel 11, and one with Fox Channel 26. I also gave interviews for the print media to the Houston Chronicle, the Katy Times, and the Associated Press. I have done one live radio interview for the Fox News Radio with Spencer Hughes. On Thursday 11/30/06 Rush Limbaugh made mention of this for almost three minutes, then again on 12/07/06 Rush brought the matter up again. The situation was talked about by Michael Savage on 11/30/06 and was found on his website.

Now, to be perfectly frank, I couldn't care less about all of that. My only objective here is to protect my property rights and the American values and traditions that the Baker family has enjoyed on Baker Road since the early 1800's.It is high time that we as Americans “Take A Stand”MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA

Craig A. Baker

Oops . . . we blew it!

Duke University said Wednesday that two of the lacrosse players charged with sexually assaulting a stripper have been invited to return to school while they await trial and are eligible to rejoin the team.

And . . . you would want to return to this school for what reason?

The adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, did not identify the person. But he said it was "an official who supervised the execution" and who is "now under investigation."

"In the past few hours, the government has arrested the person who made the video of Saddam's execution," the adviser said.

Iraqi state television broadcast an official video of Saturday's hanging, which had no audio and never showed Saddam's actual death. But the leaked cell phone video showed the deposed leader being taunted in his final moments, with witnesses shouting "Go to hell!" before he dropped through the gallows floor and died.

The unruly scene was broadcast on Al-Jazeera television and was posted on the Internet, prompting a worldwide outcry and big protests among Iraq's minority Sunnis, who lost their preferential status when Saddam was ousted in the U.S.-led invasion of March 2003.

Who gives a rat's ass?!? Seems there's more concern about this asshole's final 2 minutes on earth than the misery and death he brought to thousands during his reign of terror. "Go to hell" . . . yeah buddy . . . no virgins there either, dumbass"

CNN eats some crow . . .

CNN apologized Tuesday for mistakenly promoting a story on the search for Osama bin Laden with the headline "Where's Obama?"

A spokesman for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama said the apology was accepted.
The blunder came Monday evening on Wolf Blitzer's news show "The Situation Room." Both Soledad O'Brien and Blitzer offered separate apologies during CNN's morning show Tuesday.
CNN called it a "bad typographical error" by its graphics department.

"We want to apologize for that bad typo," Blitzer said. "We also want to apologize personally to Sen. Barack Obama. I'm going to be making a call to him later this morning to offer my personal apology."

Tommy Vieto, Obama's press secretary, said he appreciated the bloggers and activists who brought the error to light so quickly and helped make sure it was corrected.

"Though I'd note that the `s' and `b' keys aren't all that close to each other, I assume it was just an unfortunate mistake, and don't think there was any truly malicious intent," Vieto said

Nut jobs!

A top advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed in an interview with Iranian website Baztab that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's parents were both Jewish and that Hitler himself was one of the founders of the State of Israel.

No Shiite Sherlock . . . it took a Holocaust conference to figure this out!?! The Iranian government's "think tank" is about as intellectually gifted as common sewer workers (oops, sanitation engineer - don't wish to offend the PC crowd). I'm no expert in these matters but I'm pretty sure the being "Jewish" is a religious thing, not a race of people. Around here, we have Mennonites (a religious sect of "plain people") . . . they dress and act differently than the rest of us "Joe Snuffy" types. Funny thing about it is . . . I could join the Mennonite community if I wanted to (don't worry, I won't because they don't drink beer) without being born of Mennonite parents. Ahma-dim-a-brain and Ali Raminoodle are poster kids for cranial-rectal inversion clinics around the world!