The Liberal Doomsayer: Where The Rubber Meets The Road (12/15)
Array Requested items are needed year round so this doesn’t need to be just a Christmas project.Requested items: 1) Wal-mart gift cards (these are especially sought after because the local Wal-Mart sells gas and offers one-stop shopping) 2) Pre-paid calling cards 3) Postage Stamps 4) DVDs (even for kids since families are there) 5) Microwave popcorn 6) Hats 7) Gloves 
Socks 9) Underwear (all sizes)10) Tennis shoes w/velcro11) Winter coats/jackets12) Weightlifting gloves for wheelchair patients13) Trousers w/snaps, zips along the legs14) Razors (please purchase a decent disposable because the cheap ones are awful on their face and skin - not their request but ours)15) Basic toiletry items (shaving creme, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotions, shampoo) All items should be new, sealed, fresh, and clean.
link
Thats just silly.With that,in the spirit of negativity that is my blog, I would like to give you my list of things that I dont want for Christmas:I dont want….to hear about how great Sam Keller is before hes ever played a game in front of more than 2 dozen fellow players. Forgive me if Ive heard all this before.I dont want….to CONSTANTLY hear about how the 1995 Huskers were the greatest team of all time. (When they were holding the ball for 45 minutes a game as well.) Would the greatest team of all time need to beat more than 4 ranked teams in a season to say how great they were? Where did the 95 team play Florida?I dont want….to have to deal with the HORRIBLE Big 12 TV contract anymore. Fix it now.I dont want….Missouri fans to bitch about where they get selected in the bowl process. Besides, I hear the donkey shows in Juarez are spectacular.I dont want…to see another one of those stupid Apple Mac commercials.I dont want…to read another Bill Simmons story on the G*d damn Red Sox. Shut the hell up.I dont want…to have UNO hockey fans settle for mediocrity anymore. Very sad indeed.I dont want…to hear Kansas basketball fans talk about how great they are until they win more than one title in the past 60 years that wasnt won at home. Not that I dont enjoy watching high hopes come crashing to earth every spring….its quite enjoyable. Sick of hearing about it year after year.I dont want…to have to sit through another SECOND of Mind of Mencia while I’m waiting for South Park to come on. Is there anybody (other than Larry the Cable Guy) who is more unfunny than Carlos Mencia?I don’t want…to hear about how the bird flu is going to come kill us all.
link
We wandered around town during the day, and visited a Maori cultural center and nature preserve in the evening.A central element of Maori culture is the Haka, a war dance that prepares the mind and body for battle. Here’s a great Maori warrior chief engaged in a haka:No, really, this is supposed to strike fear into opponents (or, I guess, make them laugh themselves to death, which would also work).The Kiwi is the New Zealand icon.
link
He’s been eating at Taco Bell a lot. coli and Taco Bell! Taco Bells in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware were all implicated. The Taco Bells all closed voluntarily and remained closed while both food and employees underwent extensive testing. Yet, in New Castle County—one of three in the state, the others being Kent and Sussex—there are 14-Taco Bells. This number includes the restaurants that sell only Mexican fare, as well as the combined Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/Taco Bell units. A local radio talk show here in Delaware did it up big time. One of the hosts said that he would never eat at Taco Bell again. I think a bit of perspective is in order regarding Taco Bell and our chances of contracting E coli by eating in one of their restaurants. For the record, I do not eat Taco Bell food. People, who are able to make this kind of taste/quality comparison, tend to let out one of those big shivering EEEUWs whenever they think about the taste of Taco Bell food. In all, I don’t mind admitting that I’d rather snort Drano and eat nuclear waste than Taco Bell food. What they don’t say—because they don’t know—is that if the inspection samples are random and truly representative of the food population, a two percent sample size is enough to give about a ± puking sick after eating SkippyChunky-style peanut butter. About six months later, the same thing happened after I ate some lemon meringue pie. It might have been E coli, but regardless, I have not eaten either since. Of course, in the case of the peanut butter, I always fail to mention that I ate the entire jar. Oh yes, I also ate the entire pie, not just one slice. In fact, my mother had warned me that if I ate one more slice of the pie, I was going to explode. Yes, I consumed massive quantities of it, but I was eating peanuts the whole time. So, if you enjoy Taco Bell food, have some. Given similar exposure numbers, a person living in New Castle County, Delaware has a far greater chance of becoming an assault victim in the thriving metropolis of downtown Wilmington, than contracting E coli by eating at Taco Bell. Not that I think there’s a connection with Taco Bell, but I’ve established a statistical truth of my own.
link
This is the best offense in the NFL right now, and they are fun to watch.Panthers ( 2.5) over SteelersThis just sorta seems like the way things go for the Panthers. Three straight losses where they have not looked good at all leaving them on the edge of playoff contention, it just makes sense in the NFL today that they should beat a Pittsburgh team that is playing pretty well lately. Just a little too big of a spread for me in a League where a lot of funny things have happened this year.Titans ( 3.5) over JaguarsFor all of the Jags impressive victories, they’ve also lost twice to Houston and once to Tennessee this year. That’s just how the Jags season has gone this year.Texans ( 11) over PatriotsMuch like the Bears and Ravens game, this spread is a little big for me. Especially since New England is coming off of a game in which they lost 21-0.Lions ( 5) over Green BayEven if no one else will say it, I will… Not that they have anywhere better than him right now that should be playing because they definitely don’t, but Favre is a shell of his former self at this point.Broncos (-3) over CardinalsInteresting battle of the rookie QBs, though I think this one is decided by the fact that Denver’s defense is better than the Cardinals defense. It’s almost too predictable.Chiefs ( 8.5) over ChargersAs awesome as the Chargers look at times, they can also be pretty inconsistent.
link
Brady (D., Pa.).Not voting: Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.).I was unable to find out why Andrews and Brady voted against this bill, unless it was because they objected to tax cuts being passed at a time when government agencies are underfunded and weâre in the middle of fighting a pointless war that is draining this country of our life blood of an entire generation of potential leaders of this country, to say nothing of funds that could be used to try and fix the environment, fund critical research and development for job growth (remember how we used to do that?), repair our infrastructure, promote educational advancement, and follow up on the 9/11 Commission recommendations. A yes vote was to approve the bill.Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Saxton and Weldon.Voting no: Pitts, Schwartz and Smith.Not voting: Fattah.What an interesting collection of ânoâ votes here! I went to the sites of all three representatives and could not find any information, and a record of the proceedings on this vote provided no information either.My guess is that Pitts and Smith opposed this even though the outgoing House âleadershipâ wanted it, and they knew their votes wouldnât have any effect on the final outcome, and Schwartz would vote no regardless. A yes vote approved the measure.Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton, Schwartz, Smith and Weldon.Voting no: Castle.Not voting: Fattah.(By the way, I guess Chaka Fattah wasn’t available becaue he was busy defending Mumia last week…a bright guy, but God was he dumb on that one).Canât find any information on why Castle voted no (Google-searching my brains out here and coming up with snake eyes, so to speak), unless it was because he objected to the partisan trick of stopgap funding for just long enough until it became the headache of the Democratic Party when it takes over.Vietnam trade. A yes vote was to confirm Gates.Voting yes: Carper, Lautenberg, Menendez and Specter.Voting no: Santorum.Not voting: Biden.By the way, the other âNoâ vote here was cast by none other than Repug Jim Bunning of Kentucky (he was probably told by Fox âNewsâ to vote no, since that is apparently the only source he consults, having admitted that he doesnât read books or newspapers, no doubt adding to his reputation that earned him a note in Time Magazineâs April edition this year as âone of our five worst senators.â)I have issues with Gates to be sure, but I just don’t see how we were going to get anyone else from the ruling cabal who would’ve been any better.FDA confirmation.
link
Array Requested items are needed year round so this doesn’t need to be just a Christmas project.Requested items: 1) Wal-mart gift cards (these are especially sought after because the local Wal-Mart sells gas and offers one-stop shopping) 2) Pre-paid calling cards 3) Postage Stamps 4) DVDs (even for kids since families are there) 5) Microwave popcorn 6) Hats 7) Gloves Socks 9) Underwear (all sizes)10) Tennis shoes w/velcro11) Winter coats/jackets12) Weightlifting gloves for wheelchair patients13) Trousers w/snaps, zips along the legs14) Razors (please purchase a decent disposable because the cheap ones are awful on their face and skin - not their request but ours)15) Basic toiletry items (shaving creme, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotions, shampoo) All items should be new, sealed, fresh, and clean.
link
Thats just silly.With that,in the spirit of negativity that is my blog, I would like to give you my list of things that I dont want for Christmas:I dont want….to hear about how great Sam Keller is before hes ever played a game in front of more than 2 dozen fellow players. Forgive me if Ive heard all this before.I dont want….to CONSTANTLY hear about how the 1995 Huskers were the greatest team of all time. (When they were holding the ball for 45 minutes a game as well.) Would the greatest team of all time need to beat more than 4 ranked teams in a season to say how great they were? Where did the 95 team play Florida?I dont want….to have to deal with the HORRIBLE Big 12 TV contract anymore. Fix it now.I dont want….Missouri fans to bitch about where they get selected in the bowl process. Besides, I hear the donkey shows in Juarez are spectacular.I dont want…to see another one of those stupid Apple Mac commercials.I dont want…to read another Bill Simmons story on the G*d damn Red Sox. Shut the hell up.I dont want…to have UNO hockey fans settle for mediocrity anymore. Very sad indeed.I dont want…to hear Kansas basketball fans talk about how great they are until they win more than one title in the past 60 years that wasnt won at home. Not that I dont enjoy watching high hopes come crashing to earth every spring….its quite enjoyable. Sick of hearing about it year after year.I dont want…to have to sit through another SECOND of Mind of Mencia while I’m waiting for South Park to come on. Is there anybody (other than Larry the Cable Guy) who is more unfunny than Carlos Mencia?I don’t want…to hear about how the bird flu is going to come kill us all.
link
We wandered around town during the day, and visited a Maori cultural center and nature preserve in the evening.A central element of Maori culture is the Haka, a war dance that prepares the mind and body for battle. Here’s a great Maori warrior chief engaged in a haka:No, really, this is supposed to strike fear into opponents (or, I guess, make them laugh themselves to death, which would also work).The Kiwi is the New Zealand icon.
link
He’s been eating at Taco Bell a lot. coli and Taco Bell! Taco Bells in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware were all implicated. The Taco Bells all closed voluntarily and remained closed while both food and employees underwent extensive testing. Yet, in New Castle County—one of three in the state, the others being Kent and Sussex—there are 14-Taco Bells. This number includes the restaurants that sell only Mexican fare, as well as the combined Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/Taco Bell units. A local radio talk show here in Delaware did it up big time. One of the hosts said that he would never eat at Taco Bell again. I think a bit of perspective is in order regarding Taco Bell and our chances of contracting E coli by eating in one of their restaurants. For the record, I do not eat Taco Bell food. People, who are able to make this kind of taste/quality comparison, tend to let out one of those big shivering EEEUWs whenever they think about the taste of Taco Bell food. In all, I don’t mind admitting that I’d rather snort Drano and eat nuclear waste than Taco Bell food. What they don’t say—because they don’t know—is that if the inspection samples are random and truly representative of the food population, a two percent sample size is enough to give about a ± puking sick after eating SkippyChunky-style peanut butter. About six months later, the same thing happened after I ate some lemon meringue pie. It might have been E coli, but regardless, I have not eaten either since. Of course, in the case of the peanut butter, I always fail to mention that I ate the entire jar. Oh yes, I also ate the entire pie, not just one slice. In fact, my mother had warned me that if I ate one more slice of the pie, I was going to explode. Yes, I consumed massive quantities of it, but I was eating peanuts the whole time. So, if you enjoy Taco Bell food, have some. Given similar exposure numbers, a person living in New Castle County, Delaware has a far greater chance of becoming an assault victim in the thriving metropolis of downtown Wilmington, than contracting E coli by eating at Taco Bell. Not that I think there’s a connection with Taco Bell, but I’ve established a statistical truth of my own.
link
This is the best offense in the NFL right now, and they are fun to watch.Panthers ( 2.5) over SteelersThis just sorta seems like the way things go for the Panthers. Three straight losses where they have not looked good at all leaving them on the edge of playoff contention, it just makes sense in the NFL today that they should beat a Pittsburgh team that is playing pretty well lately. Just a little too big of a spread for me in a League where a lot of funny things have happened this year.Titans ( 3.5) over JaguarsFor all of the Jags impressive victories, they’ve also lost twice to Houston and once to Tennessee this year. That’s just how the Jags season has gone this year.Texans ( 11) over PatriotsMuch like the Bears and Ravens game, this spread is a little big for me. Especially since New England is coming off of a game in which they lost 21-0.Lions ( 5) over Green BayEven if no one else will say it, I will… Not that they have anywhere better than him right now that should be playing because they definitely don’t, but Favre is a shell of his former self at this point.Broncos (-3) over CardinalsInteresting battle of the rookie QBs, though I think this one is decided by the fact that Denver’s defense is better than the Cardinals defense. It’s almost too predictable.Chiefs ( 8.5) over ChargersAs awesome as the Chargers look at times, they can also be pretty inconsistent.
link
Brady (D., Pa.).Not voting: Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.).I was unable to find out why Andrews and Brady voted against this bill, unless it was because they objected to tax cuts being passed at a time when government agencies are underfunded and weâre in the middle of fighting a pointless war that is draining this country of our life blood of an entire generation of potential leaders of this country, to say nothing of funds that could be used to try and fix the environment, fund critical research and development for job growth (remember how we used to do that?), repair our infrastructure, promote educational advancement, and follow up on the 9/11 Commission recommendations. A yes vote was to approve the bill.Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Saxton and Weldon.Voting no: Pitts, Schwartz and Smith.Not voting: Fattah.What an interesting collection of ânoâ votes here! I went to the sites of all three representatives and could not find any information, and a record of the proceedings on this vote provided no information either.My guess is that Pitts and Smith opposed this even though the outgoing House âleadershipâ wanted it, and they knew their votes wouldnât have any effect on the final outcome, and Schwartz would vote no regardless. A yes vote approved the measure.Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Pitts, Saxton, Schwartz, Smith and Weldon.Voting no: Castle.Not voting: Fattah.(By the way, I guess Chaka Fattah wasn’t available becaue he was busy defending Mumia last week…a bright guy, but God was he dumb on that one).Canât find any information on why Castle voted no (Google-searching my brains out here and coming up with snake eyes, so to speak), unless it was because he objected to the partisan trick of stopgap funding for just long enough until it became the headache of the Democratic Party when it takes over.Vietnam trade. A yes vote was to confirm Gates.Voting yes: Carper, Lautenberg, Menendez and Specter.Voting no: Santorum.Not voting: Biden.By the way, the other âNoâ vote here was cast by none other than Repug Jim Bunning of Kentucky (he was probably told by Fox âNewsâ to vote no, since that is apparently the only source he consults, having admitted that he doesnât read books or newspapers, no doubt adding to his reputation that earned him a note in Time Magazineâs April edition this year as âone of our five worst senators.â)I have issues with Gates to be sure, but I just don’t see how we were going to get anyone else from the ruling cabal who would’ve been any better.FDA confirmation.
link