Is today the day?

Late to the story as usual, but evidently cagastro has passed the keys to Cuba "temporarily" to his brother Raul....

Miami is in an uproar (live streaming video at the link) at the possibility that the chicken lollipop is about to shuffle off the mortal coil.

Val has a good round-up of the details

As usual, check with Babalu for the latest on this story.

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So Israel is the bad guy, huh?

Michelle Malkin has Israeli warning leaflets distributed to Lebanese civilians, asking them to leave town before the bombing raids.

As Michelle so eloquently puts it,"The only thing I remember raining down in Beirut in 1983 or the Khobar Towers in 1996 or NYC on 9/11 were ashes and dust."

Anyone who disagrees with that can personally kiss my ass.

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A lack of Education on your part.....

The always interesting Dafydd ab Hugh brings us the tale of MA Gov. Mitt Romney, who recently described the Big Dig fiasco as a "tar baby".  Correctly, too, I might add.

Now, in this day and age, as you would expect, certain groups got their panties in a collective twist over THEIR interpretation of the phrase, which they incorrectly assumed was a negative term referring to black people.  And made him apologize.

If these asshats would stop banning GOOD literature and movies because of their PC BULLSHIT, and had actually read Uncle Remus or seen Disney's "Song of the South", instead of mindlessly chucking them for the invocation of an unfortunate sterotype or two, they would know that the phrase "Tar Baby" refers to an inanimate object, covered in a sticky substance, that serves no other purpose than the trap the person unlucky enough to touch it.

A "Tar Baby" therefore, is really just a big, sticky, messy problem that will not go away.  Sounds like the Big Dig, no?

So let's call a spade a spade, and drop this whole pretended affrontery, ok?  As Dafydd says:

"I reckon with some people, God was a bit niggardly in passing out brains."

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Love those Milbloggers

Two posts of special note today:

First, Cpt. Chuck Z posts your guide to the semantics of the War on Terror, based on the work of leading Islamic scholars

Second, Smash posts on his encounter with the leaders of the Code Pinkos.... and their demonstrations of bizarre willful ignorance.

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Dash's All New Cheap Diet (barking and scratching optional)

Dash evidently came up with a new money-saving diet plan:  eating the dog's food.

Of course, I don't think Skeet and Riley are too keen on it, nor evidently is the woman at PetSmart.....

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Seven is the TiVo Anniversary

For our anniversary we bought ourselves something useful: a TiVo and a DVD-R.

How did I ever live before TiVo?

No, really.

No shit, folks. I was a TiVo atheist. I couldn't think of a single reason to have a TiVo. I had a VCR, and if I wasn't lazy I could record whatever I wanted, right?

Well, that was before I discovered that there are a bazillion public domain educational shows on in the middle of the night in the LA area. And there's no good way to find out when they're on.

So we decided to get one for DH to use to record these shows and drop them to DVDs to use in his class. And at the same time, we can use it to record/watch all of our favorite shows.

In the process of doing this, I found a WHOLE bunch of shows that I love that I didn't even know were still on. For example, the original Whose Line is on BBC America in the mornings. No kidding. And Monty Python is on PBS at random times. And Quincy is on everyday on a local independent channel! Just randomly by chance, looking for something else.

I LOVE QUINCY!

Within about 20 minutes I had more than 20 shows set up for Season Pass. Yeah, I suck.

And I will probably never watch live TV again.

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Happy Birthday Tammi!

And many many more!  Not to mention maybe one of these showing up in real life!

(Oddy gets the best presents, I can't top her!)

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For all the Sci-Fi freaks with cable....

Serenity is playing on Cinemax On Demand (free if you have Cinemax) until 8/16, and I assume on Cinemax all month.

We will be watching it tonight.

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Cool!

This looks fascinating!

I'd love to see this come as far as the original X-Prize

h/t HWNNL

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Tour de Fraud???

It seems American Tour de France champion Floyd Landis has been suspended following a positive test for excess levels of testosterone.

The positive test came after stage 17 of the Tour, which saw Landis record an epic victory after struggling on the final climb the day before.

Landis has been suspended pending results of his B sample analysis.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Wednesday that a rider had failed a doping test but would not reveal his name.

Landis is appealing the result, asking for an analysis of his alternate, or "B" sample.

I have 3 questions about this:
1) Who the fuck is dumb enough to juice with straight testosterone during an event like this?  They draw your blood EVERY DAMN DAY.  It's not going to wash out overnight, I assure you.  If this is an accurate result, he had to shoot himself the night before stage 17, which featured his "miraculous comeback"....Idiot.

2) Is the French testing lab clean?  I don't know how long it usually takes to do one of these tests in a clinical lab environment, but it shouldn't take more than 48 hours. Which is about what it takes in the research lab.  Why did it take UCI a WEEK to get the results back?  After the way the French have gone after Lance Armstrong (with no success, I might add), doesn't it seem likely that a a jealous Fwenchy might have spiked Floyd's sample?  My hope is that the B sample testing will be done at an independent lab.

3) Although it's eminently possible Landis was cheating, what precautions are taken to ensure this isn't a physiological change (how high was the T level, for instance)?  If this is a physiological anomaly, the B sample should be equivalently high,  but there would be no foul.  Are other hormone tests run on the sample to correlate levels?

Developing....

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Hey Kofi, WTF?

The lovely Phoenix brings it to Kofi Annan.  Both Barrels.

"Seriously, man! Did you smoke your breakfast, or are you seriously this stupid? It seems to me a foolish thing to do to set up your outpost so close to an outpost of one of the engaged parties. More specifically, it seems beyond foolish - stupid really - to set up that outpost nearer to the likely loser in the fight in terms of technological bang-for-the-buck, if you know what I mean."

There's even more.  Read the whole thing.

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el 26 de julio

On 26 de julio, 1953, fidel cagastro and his band of commie idiots led a raid on one of the largest military garrisons in Cuba.

Nearly everything went wrong, the rebels were out numbered, part of the weapons caravan got lost on the way, and more than 2/3 of the rebels were killed or captured.  Several of them ran for it, including the original coward, cagastro.

Oh, and BTW, he WAS captured.  Inept pig that he is, he was found in the jungle shortly afterward and arrested.  cagastro was in fact sentenced to death, but in a head-scratching moment worthy of Dr. Evil and his foul-tempered sea bass, Batista pardoned him in 1955.

Kinda ironic that such a stunning defeat serves as the namesake of the movement that brought cagastro to power, no?

So today is the day that Cuba celebrates her "glorious" revolucion.  The banners and music displayed today continuing the web of lies that turned a humbling defeat into the rallying point of a damned revolution.  Because the truth, in Cuba, depends on your point of view.

For the Cubanos, a proud and once prosperous people, it is a day to pretend their want and hunger are absent, and for cagastro and his cronies, a day to ignore the facade crumbling around them.

For more info on the battle of 26 julio , go here.

For more thoughts on what this day means to Cubans, both in Cuba and elsewhere, try any of these wonderful Cuban bloggers:
El Conductor
Ziva
Marc
Alfredo
Killcastro
Val Prieto

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The cure for blogger blahs

a meme!

What curse word do you use the most?

Fuck.   Fuck fuck fuckity fuck

Do you own an iPod?

Yep.  A 1GB shuffle.

Who on your MySpace "Top 8" do you talk to the most?

As if.  I'm not 12.

What time is your alarm clock set for?

5:30am

What color is your room?

White.  It ain't my house.

Flip flops or sneakers?

Birkenstocks, baby.

Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?

I take the pictures.  I'm better at it.

What was the last movie you watched?

Hellboy on Starz on Demand

Do any of your friends have children?

Yep.  Scary.

Has anyone ever called you lazy?

Well duh.

Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?

No.  I suffer the insomnia, thanks.

What CD is currently in your CD player?

There are 6 actually.  Number 1 is Lynyrd Skynyrd's Greatest Hits

Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?

Neither.  Milk = yuck

Has anyone told you a secret this week?

ummm, I can't tell you.

Have you ever given someone a hickey?

yes

Who was the last person to call you?

My Business Manager

Do you think people talk about you behind your back?

Probably.

Did you watch cartoons as a child?

What do you mean, as a child?  I still watch cartoons.  Pinky and the Brain comes out TODAY!

How many siblings do you have?

Zip.

Are you shy around the opposite sex?

Hell no

What movie do you know every line to?

The Princess Bride and Star Wars

Do you own any band t-shirts?

Paul Simon and Depeche Mode.

What is your favorite salad dressing?

Caesar or Ranch.

Do you read for fun?

Constantly.

Do you cry a lot?

Yep

Who was the last person to text message you?

Nobody.

Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?

Both.

Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos?

Nope.  Ewwww needles

What is the weather like?

Hot.  Damn Hot.

Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos?

No.

Is sex before marriage wrong?

With someone you're not committed to.

When was the last time you slept on the floor?

when we moved last.

How many hours of sleep do you need to function?

As many as I can get.

Are you in love or lust?

I love my husband and I'm in love with him, too.

Are your days full and fast-paced?

Not really.  I'm doing a meme, aren't I?

Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages?

No.

How old will you be turning on your next birthday?

30.

Are you picky about spelling and grammar?

Of course.

Have you ever been to Six Flags?

Yes.

Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex?

Men.  Definitely men.

Do you like cottage cheese?

Yes.

Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back?

On my tummy.

Have you ever bid for something on eBay?

Nope.

Do you enjoy giving hugs?

Yes.  Lots and lots.

What song did you last sing out loud?

oh hell, I don't know.

What is your favorite TV show?

House

Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with?

Hmmm.... Albert Einstein

Last time you had butterflies in your stomach?

before my job interview

What one thing do you wish you had?

a solar powered car.

Favorite lyrics?

too many to pick from...

h/t This Life

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Seven Year Itch

As most of you probably don't know, today is my wedding anniversary.  Seven years of legal entanglement with the sweetest man on the face of the planet.

It seems funny to say "seven years" because really, it's been more and less.  Really, we've been together almost a dozen years, since just before my 18th birthday.  And realistically, you could say we've been married less because just after our wedding he went off to do his bit for Uncle Sam in armpit of Texas for three years.  And honestly, we're only now FINALLY getting used to each other again.

Some days I adore him
Some days I downright hate him

But at the end of the day we can still work it out and be together, and that's what counts.

Happy Anniversary to my my best friend and lover.  I love you!

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What an awesome trip....

John Donovan of Castle Argghhh! prepares to escort home an old sailor.

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Hangin' with Bloggers

The BFL'ers of SoCal got together at Little Miss Attila's house last night for some fun, food, and a lot of laughs.  Present were Flap and Mrs. Flap, Baldilocks, Darleen Click and hubby, Portia, The Pirate, and Dr. Rusty Shackelford.

I can publish an actual picture of the good doctor for the first time on the nets:

Dr. Rusty Shackelford (L) and GMT (R) pose with the recognition of their mad blogging skillz.

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It's hot.

Damn Hot.

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1:00 AM

Yeah, I know, why am I up this late?

It's hot as hell and I'm freaking pissed, that's why. Today was full of those little annoyances that make us all want to slash our wrists every once in a while. I woke up with a backache. Then I was late for work AND I had to go to the gas station. Finally I get on the freeway, and there are more frigging trucks than I have ever seen, and I freaking hate playing dodge-a-truck. Nearly missed the exit.

Then, as if there weren't already too few parking spaces, a bunch of jackasses evidently didn't understand what the lines were for, one of them in 2 HANDICAPPED spaces. I'm guessing that particular assclown got his blue placard for being mentally handicapped.

I go to the lab to talk to my student, but she's later than I am, and there's no point in me sticking around. So I go over to my office. Did I mention it was hot?

I go into my office and settle in, putting out the usual fires, answering emails, dealing with a couple of projects that are ongoing in the department and the college. Things are going ok. I eat lunch and chat a bit with my colleagues who share the lab space.

About 2 pm I look down and there is a steady stream of ants crossing my floor. Mind you, this is hardly new. My office is on the ground floor and they've been doing a lot of landscaping work recently. However, I just had an invasion 2 weeks ago, and I about soaked the place in what is supposed to be a 3-month repellant. We're prepared for this, and I go get the industrial sized bottle of ant spray.

Turns out they were coming in from the one place I hadn't sprayed: the port jacks. There's a small wallplate on the far wall of my office with the phone and ethernet jacks. They were coming out the holes, down the ethernet cord, and along the floor, nicely arcing around my chair to the trash, which contained yesterday's coffee grounds, and a box with some granola bars, which interestingly enough, they couldn't get into.

I soaked the wall and the floor with spray and the carried the trash all the way through the building to the outside trash can. Then I washed the now dead ants remaining off the trash can in the bathroom.

I couldn't take the fumes, so I hit the road. I'm not even on the freeway yet when our business manager calls my cell phone..... Grrr. Thank God for hands free. And why God is traffic always so bad on Friday? The same number of people leave work every other day of the week.

By the time I get home, I feel like I'm crawling with bugs even though there are no ants on me, so I email my business manager and go up to the shower. Afterwards, I lay down for a nap, and Hubby says, "I'll take the dog out". When I wake up an hour later, neither of them is apparent either by sight or sound. I of course freak out. To which I get answered with "Are you hungry, I'm making dinner"

Why is it that men will double check the most insignificant detail that they CAN NOT fuck up 400 hundred times (pasta sauce, I have no preference as I only buy what I like) but the thing that is wrong they'll just merrily carry on with and not even bother to ask (the pasta)???

ARRRRGH

And now he's upstairs snoring away as he fell asleep in the middle of a conversation, as usual, and doesn't seem to understand that not only is it FUCKING RUDE, but that it's the same thing that ALWAYS bothers me. I doubt he has any idea I'm not there.

I wish I could sleep like that.

But for all of these annoyances, I count my blessings. He's an idiot, but he's sleeping in my bed. And the Princess is up there too, and I have Air Conditioning and on and on. And the best part is that tomorrow I get to start over from square one. Hopefully sans backache.

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El mundo es un pañuelo

Linda recounts the amazing true story of two old friends who, separated for 20 years, became friends again through The Cotillion, and then realized they had been friends before.

I was witness to this exchange, and it was pretty neat to see Linda and Jane fill in the 20 years between then and now.

It's really amazing.

Bonus points if you know what the title means, I'll take literal or figurative meaning (hint: think Disney)

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It's not always the assholes who get the breaks....

Chuck and Carren Z got the star treatment in Vega$.  Courtesy of Mr. Wayne Newton.  A class act if there ever was one.

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