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Biodiesel? Ethanol? Hemp Seed Oil? Oh My—a Primer on Alternative Fuels
2007-03-27 17:04:00
Myth: You have to have a special converter or a special engine to run alternative fuels.Truth: If you have a regular engine, you can run 15% ethanol (E-15) right now, with no conversion. If you want to use 85% ethanol (E-85), you would need to have your engine converted or own a car that is a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV).If you have a diesel (compression-ignition) engine, you can run biodiesel right now. That is, the biodiesel you can find sold in gas stations across the U.S., the fuel that has already been refined. (Biodiesel has had the glycerin removed and is therefore ready to pump.)What's the difference between ethanol and biodiesel?Ethanol is an alcohol rather than an oil, where the primary substance that comprises it is a grain, usually corn, sometimes wheat or barley. Ethanol can come from many sources, but in the U.S., right now, it's mostly corn.Biodiesel is an oil-based fuel where the primary substance that comprises it is soybeans. Like ethanol, biodiesel can be made fr...
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Good-bye, Saiki, We'll Miss You
2007-03-25 15:52:00
This morning I went to the back yard to check on Saiki, our husky-shepherd mix dog (Saiki means "talented feeling" in Japanese). She'd been breathing heavily last night and had a distant look in her blue eyes. I lay beside her on her overstuffed bed and petted her and just stayed with her for a long time. When I touched her cheek just now, she'd already gone.Saiki would have been 14 years old next Sunday, April 1. As my husband said, she's been a part of the family for a long time. Just the day before, we had all gone on a walk to the park, and she had seemed to enjoy it, though she had to pause to gather her strength on the short walk back--which was unlike her.Saiki was an alpha dog, and always ready to boss around any dog around her--except for those signigicantly bigger. For the great Danes, she'd assume the submissive posture. But even for Rottweilers, she'd attack. We loved Saiki, even knowing she could be a pain in the butt because of this alpha dog thing.Up until the en...
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We Had Big Hair: High School Class of 1980
2007-03-21 21:41:00
Asheville, North CarolinaYou lived in the big hair, preppyPart of the late 70s,Wore socks with high heelsCowl neck sweatersPlaids with IzodsAnd Calvin Klein jeansRemember Add-a-Beads?[“Le Freak”]You weaseled out of HomeroomFor any board game or none,Skipped class all dayTo decorate for the Junior prom.[“Boogie, Oogie, Oogie”]Your date was the class presidentWho took you anyway, even afterYou got suspended for skipping classAnd drinking with your buddies[“Bad Girls”]But the principal let you attendSo you proudly made your red satinStrapless formal from $20 worth of remnantsFrom the Piece Goods StoreThat somehow looked chic with the lace jacket.[“What a Fool Believes”]He smelled like honeyWhen you kissed himThough it never happened againStill, another entry on your Kiss List,Complete with ratings and comments—That you wish you still had.Later, you sobbed at the Catholic church downtownDuring the funeral of the cute girlWho drove into a light poleAfter the prom breakf...
More About: School , High School , Hair , High , Class

Join a Get-out-of-Iraq War Vigil Tonight—Near You
2007-03-19 19:26:00
You can join others who feel the same way you do about the illegal war on Iraq . Today is the fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion. There are 1,187 vigils planned across the country for tonight. Just go to MoveOn.org by following this link and type in your zip code to find the nearest one.P.S. My hubby us the second from left, in ball cap, holding my homemade sign that reads, "Can you say 'Iraquagmire'?"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~From MoveOn.org:Iraq War Anniversary VigilAmericans across the country are more concerned than ever about our direction in Iraq. Now is the time for Congress to force a change.On March 19th, thousands of us from organizations across the movement will gather together to observe the fourth anniversary of the war through candlelight vigils. We’ll solemnly honor the sacrifice made by more than 3,000 servicemen and women, and we'll contemplate the path ahead of us. We cannot send tens of thousands of exhausted, under-equipped, and unprepared troop...
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Smoking Gun?: Video Coverage of WTC7 Collapse before It Collapsed
2007-03-13 21:34:00
BBC World reports the collapse of the Salomon Brothers Building (WTC 7) while it is clearly still standing outside the window behind the reporter (tall building on the right). They also give a time reference that is 23 minutes before the actual collapse. As the reporter keeps talking to the studio anchor and the time approaches the actual collapse, her feed cuts out to the BBC studio (approx. 5 minutes before). Also see footage of CNN predicting collapse close to an hour early.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now, if the reporters are reporting information they have received off of the news wire, then the news they are reporting was reported before it occurred. Where is the advantage in that? Why would U.S. officials have released news of the collapse of WTC7 before it fell? (more)
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Gag Me with a Glacier: U.S. Scientists Ordered Not to Discuss Polar Bears
2007-03-12 20:19:00
Scientific censorship is on the rise in the U.S., with a recent Bush administration memo to scientists warning them not to mention the axis of evil, which is now "polar bears, sea ice, and global warming." The gag order is aimed at scientists traveling abroad on U.S. government business. Since December of 2005, the White House has been considering whether to give polar bears the status of "threatened" on the Endangered Species Act, but has yet to do so, many believe because of the concern that this would increase debate about American responsibility in the global warming scientists are also warned not to speak about. The U.S. is by far the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions: with just 4% of the total world's population, we account for 25% of its carbon dioxide generation, and this amount has risen in recent years:The Bush administration has repeatedly ignored calls to sign the Kyoto Protocol, which aims at reducing environmental pollution by 2012. Citing economic inter...
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Scooter Libby Unable to Scoot by the Law: The Sacrificial Pawn Who Protecte
2007-03-06 18:55:00
One small conviction against the Bush administration, one giant step for justice. For those of us who have been following the Libby perjury case, this conviction brings a huge sigh of relief, if not outright joy.Sadly, though, I can't help but wonder at prosecutor Fitzgerald's remarks, "As far as I'm concerned, this legal proceeding is closed." Perjury and obstruction of justice somehow seem tiny in comparison to what really must have gone on--treason, retaliation at any cost against those not supporting the build-up to the Iraq war. An administration lurking under a black cloud of secrets and machinations, with the details left for mere historians to sort out.My intuition tells me Libby was thrown to the dogs to keep them busily away from further delving into the deliberate lies and fact-fixing to trump up a case for war on Iraq. If there were no Libby to take the fall, wouldn't there have to be a top-to-bottom investigation that would necessarily reach to the Vice President an...
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Tumerica Dishes on Oscar Night Attire
2007-02-26 20:08:00
Like those Americans who watch the Superbowl in order to check out the extravagant or whacked out commercials (you know who I'm talking about), I admit to watching the Academy Awards either partly or wholly to check out the fashions--or lack thereof (plus I was so blown away by Pan's Labyrinth that I hoped it would take home a bevy of Oscar statues--it did). I get a naughty thrill when someone like Cameron Diaz wears a particularly dreadful dress (which she did), or when J.Lo takes home the Tumerica Prize for Best Dress and Best Overall Look--which she did. This is all in fun and does my heart good to avoid facing the cosmic chaos of impending doom in the Middle East and in the environment for a while. So what did you think about these looks?Most DeliciousJennifer LopezSpectacular dress, regal and breath-taking. Loved everything about her look. The simple wavy hair, the necklace strands of jewels in the bodice, the subtle color, and the Grecian styling. Fabulous.Gwyneth PaltrowAbs...
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U.S. Playing Chicken with Iran: Do Deployments and Rhetoric Point to a Stri
2007-02-24 18:51:00
Deployment Near Iran Tom Ashbrook's On Point (KBUR Boston) reports“A second U.S. aircraft carrier [group] is headed to the Persian Gulf. Minesweepers, too, and Patriot missiles. The U.S. Air Force is outlining 'forceful patrols' on Iran's border.”Sounds like a military resolve, a buildup to . . . something. Is it a loud reminder to Iran to behave or a bluff? Is it preparation for an invasion or a threat-heavy distraction from the horrible daily news of Iraq? No information has been released about the purpose of this recent increased military might in the region of Iran. Robert Gates said “nobody is planning for a war with Iran,” but who believes the Secretary of State, anyway? Perhaps the U.S. is not planning an all-out invasion but a strike against Iran's nuclear facility.What Is Iran Up To?Meanwhile, Iran has been blatantly working on their pre-nuclear program lately. Two cascades of 164 centrifuges each are ready at their nuclear facility (in preparation for uranium e...
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Rescuer Saves Neighbor from Loud Movie: Vigilante or Hero?
2007-02-22 16:13:00
Time for a confession here: this story could be about me. I hear someone being attacked violently—OHMYGOD—it's my neighbor—she's being hurt—quick—I gotta do something. Whenever I hear the story about the Good Samaritan, I want to be that one good person who helps the hurt traveler. Stories like the one in Germany recently kill me—an actor lies down in the divider on the Autobahn, pretending to be injured. No one helps him. Proof of what? That no one cares for strangers any more? I think, if I were there, I would have stopped to help. I am confessing to a hidden hero wannabeism. Maybe I watched too many Westerns as a kid. Don't know where this urge came from exactly, but it's in me.Once when I lived in a large apartment building in Japan, I heard a woman's screams and shouts of "Call the police. Help me. HEEELLLLPPP." And so I did. Called the police, that is. The next day, I was surprised when my front door was egged. Maybe my neighbor had been acting out an elaborat...
More About: Movie , Rescue , Hero , Loud , Save

"War on Terror" Terrible at Containing Terrorism: Terrorist Attacks Increas
2007-02-21 21:00:00
Yes, that's got to be the single worst title for an article in blogging history. But, as Edith Anne would say, "It's the twooth." Small surprise to anyone who has been following the horrendous news from Iraq in say, the last four years, that the efforts of the current U.S. administration to curtail terrorism worldwide have failed at gargantuan levels. Mother Jones, one of the few untainted news sources on the planet, has just released a primer on the Iraq war, called "The Iraq Effect: War Has Increased Terror ism Sevenfold Worldwide." A must read--or at least a must-scan--for the compelling and telling story it reveals.Some quickie facts:21,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded in Iraq, while 3,147 have died$368 Billion U.S. has been spent on the Iraq war since the illegal invasion March 19, 2003, and at the current rate, that's almost $2 Billion U.S. per week. To taxpayers.Between 58,000 and 62,000 Iraqi civilians have died by one estimate. By another, anywhere from 70,000 to 601,0...
More About: War On Terror , Terrorist

One Man’s Feast is Another Man’s...
2007-02-21 18:43:00
Have you ever eaten anything really strange? What was it and how did you feel about eating it? Let me know.Here’s a ditty about some of my strange and stranger dining experiences—plus thoughts on why we humans eat the things we do. It ain’t always just about taste.Tumerica.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~Americans ate heartily of horseflesh, a mere century ago. The English still eat with impunity Christmas Pudding (the more lard the merrier)— That is years old. They lack disdain for internal organs, Like some Native American tribes, The Japanese, and Central Americans as well (Menudo: Tomato-intestine soup). Terrapin soup, though Not appetizing to me is an aphrodisiac to the Japanese, Who also treasure the slightly-to-deadly Toxic puffer fish flesh— Raw or otherwise. An ardent Afghanistani admirer Once made me goat stew. And was it dog or not, I dared not ask at the cafeteria in Manila. Chinese are perfectly please...
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Bad Place to Visit, Wouldn't Want to Live There
2007-02-21 00:29:00
My colleague, Robert Lindsay, a progressive journalist in Oakhurst, California, sent me a writing prompt—something like, "Tag, you're it. Write on the topic of 'Bad Place to Visi t, Wouldn't Want to Live There.' " Easy. I know a lousy spot to visit when I experience one.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~Two weeks after I arrived in Japan for the first time—with every intention of working there to sponsor my youth-driven wanderlust—I left the Tokyo I had fallen in love with to go visit in Osaka with a Japanese college girlfriend of mine. She begged and pleaded for me to come stay with her and her new husband. During college, I had happily helped her with her tricky English-language essays whenever she asked—for two years. Heck, I thought it was fun and no big deal. She, however, saw it as a social obligation. So, to work off her karma, she had to "take care of me" while I was in her native country. I would much rather have stayed in Tokyo—the lights, the funkiness, ...
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Happy New Year, You Pig, You: Chinese New Year Welcomes Year of the Pig (Bo
2007-02-19 16:29:00
Do you believe in Chinese astrology? Not sure? Well, I asked my Japanese mama-san about it, once (she's a wise woman), and she said, "The Chinese have been studying astrology for thousands of years, and they have ancient wisdom we'd do well not to underestimate." From Chinese Astrology, "The Eastern zodiac is the oldest known horoscope system in the world. With origins tracing back to 2637 B.C." You have to have at least a modicum of respect for a subject with that kind of history behind it.Yesterday was the first day of the Chinese New Year (happy new year to all!), and the start of the year of the pig--or boar. Pig year people are thought to be lucky, so Chinese parents actually try to have children born in the year of the pig. My husband is a pig--no, I mean that in all sincerity--and is therefore deemed "polite, honest, hardworking and loyal." How about you? What are your characteristics and what's up for you this year. Even if you don't believe, it's fun to check what migh...
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How to Woo Your Valentine—with Chocolate Love
2007-02-07 00:59:00
Non-traditional Chocolate Love Diamonds? Nah—too pricey. Hallmark card? Too mainstream. Heart-shaped candy from the local store? Too blah. Flowers? Too obvious. Looking for a new way to woo your Valentine ? Just say yes—to chocolate. Glorious, rich, reason-to-live chocolate. Cultivated and developed on this continent (Central America and Mexico—thank you Aztecs and Mayans—you rock!), it's one of the best-loved aphrodisiacs. Unlike, say, Viagra, the ingestion of chocolate is wholly pleasurable as well as its effects. Montezuma was so convinced chocolate was an aphrodisiac, he drank huge quantities before every trip to his harem. Is it the serotonin in chocolate? The rich fatty luxury of it? Who knows for sure, but you can experiment with chocolate—accompanied by the one you wish to woo—and get back to me on how it works.Meanwhile, here a couple of ways to enjoy chocolate with your love:Chocolate MoleAhhhh, mole. The chocolate curry of Mexico. Savory chocolate—what’s no...
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Bush-linked Thinktank Bribes Scientists to Deny Global Warming
2007-02-02 18:44:00
Today, a major global warming report is to be released by the UN's International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is the respected authority on climate change and their latest report is considered "a comprehensive and authoritative mainstream scientific assessment of climate change." Further, the report,"is expected to stress, more convincingly than ever before, that our planet is already warming due to human actions, and that 'business as usual' would lead to unacceptable risks, underscoring the urgent need for concerted international action to reduce the worst impacts of climate change. However, yet again, there will be a vocal minority with their own agendas who will try to suggest otherwise."One of those vocal minority who will suggest otherwise has apparent links to the White House. No surprise that the Bush administration, with probably the worst environmental record in history, is unfriendly to anything that thwarts its pro-business, let-the-ozone-be-damned policie...
More About: Global Warming , Scientist , War , Global

How Well Have You Done as a Birth-giving Machine?
2007-01-31 02:29:00
Over the weekend, Hakuo Yanagisawa, the Japanese health minister, announced that,"women of child-bearing age should perform a public service by raising the birthrate, which fell to a record low of 1.26 children per woman in 2005. Experts say an average fertility rate of 2.1 children is needed to keep the population stable."Wait—it gets better—Yanagisawa used the term "birth-giving machines" to refer to women in general, and urged them to do their duty to raise the birthrate in Japan. He tried to back-pedal a bit when he added in the same speech, seemingly sotto voce, that perhaps his use of the word machines was "too uncivil":"The number of women aged between 15 and 50 is fixed. Because the number of birth-giving machines and devices is fixed, all we can ask for is for them to do their best per head, although it may not be so appropriate to call them machines."A bit of backstory is required. In Japan, 20% of the population is 65 years old or older (compared to 12% in the U.S.). ...
More About: Mac , Machine , Chine , Birth , Giving

Ode to Chocolate: To Be Read Aloud
2007-01-31 01:26:00
In honor of Valentine's Day—and for chocolate lovers everywhere . . .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~Ode to Chocolate Brown creamy friend—You contribute toMy well-being,Soothing stimulant,Smoothing recovery—You race my heartUnsludge my brain.You are liquid pleasure,Sweet-tonguedInspiration to forgive—Edible love.Sorry, mates,You are supplantedBy the bean of a plantRich, darkStimulantWoven intoLuxuriousGratification andOral love.Truffles,Eggshell delicateYielding toCreamy inside—A raison d’être.Chocolate cheesecakeChocolate mousseChocolate barMilk chocolateDark chocolateBittersweet—I gratefully surrender toYour ardor andSultriness.Like lust,Too much is consuming.But some—A light flirtationWith satisfaction andHarmlessInstant love.PassivePassionEroticConfectionPliabl eMeltingLusciousParamourMeltedAmiableTend erSmittenDepartedLove surrogate.Yet, unlike carnalCravings,Easily attainableAgain.Sweet One.Wonderful Chocolate.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright© 2...
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Mole—Mexican Curry of Chocolate—and Love
2007-01-25 23:13:00
How to Lavish Love on Your Valentine—with MoleValentine's Day make you think of chocolate and love? Yeah, me too. And mole. Yes, rich, luscious, savory, indescribably mouth-watering, raison d'etre, mole (pronounced moe-lay). Cannot get enough of it, no one makes it well enough to taste authentico, so I taught myself to make it—and yes, naturally, I go overboard. (Is there any other board to be?) Simply the word, mole, pronounced correctly, is enough to make me weak in the knees. Once I had made mole a few times, it dawned on me—it's just like curry. A complex savory stew made from toasting and blending many spices. Rich, fabulous—and too many steps for the culinarily faint of hear. Mole—so dazzling it's magical. As I write this, I am enjoying a warmed up bowl of leftover chicken mole that I made two days ago (mole is fabulous for about three days—then freeze it for more fun later). How can I describe the complexity? There's a garlicy top note. A butter-rich middle n...
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Make Room—the New Womb is on Its Way!
2007-01-25 04:52:00
You've given up hope of ever bearing a child. You had a hysterectomy years ago—fibroids that turned questionable, endometriosis—the whole bit. Then along comes a chance—a dramatic, crazy new procedure that plants the womb of a recently deceased donor into you. You can then get pregnant, go through nine months of nurturing the fetus in your body, and then, just to be safe, obstetricians will remove the baby through caesarian section and at the same time remove the implanted uterus. You'll have one live healthy baby and be no worse off than when you started.Sounds like science fiction? Not if you are cancer specialist and lead physician, Dr. Guiseppe del Priore or gynecologic surgeon Dr. Jeanetta Stega, both of New York Downtown Hospital. The womb transplant operation has been performed only once before, on a woman (in Saudi Arabia, seven years ago) whose body then rejected the new uterus after three months. And further, the risk of rejection while a fetus is alive in the uter...
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Virgin Birth Authenticated: Babies Just Arrived!
2007-01-24 17:50:00
Part IINot sure why I love this story so much, but I do. Flora, the pregnant virgin mother has finally given birth—to five baby komodo dragons. One zoo curator joked that Flora is both "mum and dad" to her 16" long youngsters (aren't they precious? see pic at left). The babies are enjoying healthy meals of crickets and locusts.Flora's self-fertilization is a neat trick some reptiles can do, known as parthenogenesis. But for komodos to be able to do it is new terrain. "Scientists hope the discovery will pave the way to finding other species capable of self fertilization." It could also make a difference for some species hovering closer to extinction.DNA testing confirms no male helped mama Flora. But are the five baby dragons clones of their mother? No, answer herpetologists. Each is a unique variation on the mother's gene theme. But guys, don't feel doomed—parthenogenesis is strictly for emergencies.Part IDo you believe in the miracle of the virgin birth? Well, you would if ...
More About: Babies , Cat , Just , Virgin , Birth

Letter to Kevin Federline: How to Be Classier than Britney S
2006-12-02 15:20:19
Dear Fed-Ex,You don't mind if I call you that, buddy, do you? Thanks. Now listen up. You're fed up (pardon the pun) with Britney , you're not gonna take it anymore. She told you she wanted to divorce you via text message. Can't get much trashier than that, you're thinking, right? Trashy, yes, but brainless, not quite. Her strategically brilliant pre-nup means you get, um, the leftover baby food and little else. But you do have your good name, right? Or, well, your name, anyway. And your dignity. Er, in any event, there's only one way to fight back. Because after all, by your own words . . .Today I?m a free manLadies look outK. FederlineF--k a wifeGive me my kidsB-tch!But frankly, Fed-Ex, there's not a jury in this world that would award you custody of the babies--unless you could somehow manage to get your hands on the one that let OJ Simpson go free. The point is, if you want to get your way, you're gonna have to learn how to outclass the Oops-I-Did-It-Again gal at her own g...
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Silly Kid Sayings for Thanksgiving
2006-12-02 15:20:19
Dear Readers,Happiest Thanks giving to you. Please accept this brief, silly interlude as a small wish of love, from my family to yours.Sincerely,Tumerica~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jaclynisms (my daughter at two years of age) While scooping up a wad of apple sauce, "Happy birthday to my fingers" While rubbing a tube-shaped rice cracker on her lips, "I'm using lipstick" Seeing ketchup on her fingers, "Doctor?owee?owee" The green vegetable that looks like little trees "Bark-oli" Jaclynisms (at three years of age) Dinner Prayers Thank you for our flowers All your hands and All your hair? Let us taste our daily toast. Amen.Thank you for my DaddyWho is very good at coloring. Amen.(Note: He's a landscape architect) How to Make a Horsey Go Faster, yell, "Kitty-up" When asked to take a nap on a sunny afternoon, "Would you turn out the light?" The Japanese food made from soybeans "Tofood" What we use on our skin to protect it fro...
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Seismic Proof 9/11 Was an Inside Job: Controlled Demolition
2006-12-02 15:20:19
If you haven't been to the site, Scholars for 9/11 Truth, drop everything?go. Disentangle yourself from the daily distractions, and do the world a favor?go. Just the latest from a neat collection of erudite treatises questioning the official story of "terrorist" attacks.Seismic Proof : 9/11 Was an Inside Job?On 9/11 the seismic stations grouped around New York City recorded seismic events from the WTC site, two of which occurred immediately prior to the aircraft impacts upon the Twin Towers. Because these seismic events preceded the collisions, it is clear they were not associated with the impacts and must therefore be associated with some other occurrence. None of the authorities charged with the responsibility for the investigation of the events of 9/11 have proposed a source for these seismic events, nor have they given a valid reason for the difference in times between the seismic events and the aircraft impacts. Only by consideration of the evidence of basement explosions bef...
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Don't You Dare Buy Ready-made Stuffing for Thanksgiving!
2006-12-02 15:20:19
If You Can Sing "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme," You Can Make Stuff ing from ScratchStuffing. Ahhhh. Maybe my favorite part of my favorite holiday. Growing up with four siblings, stuffing disappeared the fastest and was the most worth fighting over when it came to leftovers (if there were any). Who doesn't love stuffing? When I lived in Japan, where no one had a big enough oven to roast a turkey, even if they knew what one was or could afford to procure one?what I missed the most about American food was, not surprisingly, turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce. Simple, yes, if you live in the states. Exotic and impossible if you life overseas. Now that I am back home, I serve my family a turkey-stuffing-cranberry meal about once a month?I cannot get enough of it.Growing up in a large household, my parents wisely took some shortcuts when it came to cooking. And stuffing was one of them. I never had honest-to-goodness homemade stuffing until I was all grown up and discovered ho...
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A Dumb and Dumber Leader Quiz: Kim Jong Il vs George W. Bush
2006-12-02 15:20:19
Ready to take a quiz comparing the notorious Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, and the Commander in Chief, POTUS George W . Bush ? Just how different are these two admittedly bizarre leaders? The answers appear under the wavy line at the end of the quiz.Please note: the answers that follow are based on my research as well as my opinions. This quiz is meant to be thought-provoking and to open up discussion. The Kim Jong Il vs. George W. Bush Quiz 1. Which leader's father is/was taller in stature than his son, and was also a leader of his respective country?A. Kim Jong IlB. George W. BushC. Both of the above2. Which leader grew up as the privileged child of an extremely wealthy and well-connected family?A. Kim Jong IlB. George W. BushC. Both of the above3. Which leader has reported that he is on a mission from God?A. Kim Jong IlB. George W. BushC. Both of the above4. Which leader's favorite whiskey is Johnnie Walker Swing, favorite cognac is Henne...
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Foley Folly Fallout II: "If I was one of those sickos who di
2006-12-02 15:20:19
Mark Foley ThenNew evidence suggests Foley may have predated upon minors with solicitous e-mails going back as far as ten years agoCo-chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited childrenPopular six-term Congressman, having gotten away with it for so long, goes crazy with the cyber-sex, even interrupting voting to simulate orgasms with a 16-year-oldMet a teen somewhere in San Diego, as one IM shows ("i miss you lots since san diego")Showed up drunk at a page dorm (Time magazine)"He vigorously opposed gay marriage, he spruiked 'family values' and, above all, he was a dedicated campaigner against the exploitation of children ? even though he must have known that for many of the Republican Party's evangelical base the exploitation of children was mainly the work of rapacious and predatory homosexuals." (The Age, Australia)As his own legislation was passed, said "If I was one of those sickos who did this, I'd be nervous."Time to be nervous, Foley, be very nervous . . .Mark Fol...
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Foley Folly Fallout
2006-12-02 15:20:19
I miss you lots since san diegoI want to see youI would drive a few miles for a hot stud like youDo you feel like you are looking over the shoulder of your college kid as he types in a few sexy instant messages for his latest assignation? Nope. Try a 50-something Congressman who was co-chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children to a 16-year-old boy, a former page.Maf54: and then what happensTeen: we eat?we drink?who knows?hang out?late into the nightMaf54: andTeen: I dunnoMaf54: dunno whatTeen: hmmm I have the feeling that you are fishing here?im not sure what I would be comfortable with?well seeCongressman Mark Foley and the page go on to discuss body parts, masturbation, and other sex acts. Other pages have admitted to sexual IMs from the congressman as well. Naturally, when the major stink came out, Foley resigned. But that's just the beginning of the scandal.Now, just when did the FBI know about the e-mails of the sexually predatory Foley? A week ago? A m...
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Speaker Hastert to Step Down?: Saddam's Minister Thinks So
2006-12-02 15:20:19
When I read this article in Mother Jones, I felt I was reading an article in The National Enquirer. Get a load of this title, "Evangelist Who Counseled Saddam Says Hastert Promises to Resign." But MoJo, the smart, sassy, independent news magazine publishes the truth--you can count on it. Apparently, K.A. Paul, the controversial evangelical minister who has counseled Saddam Hussein, Slobodan Milsevic, Tom Delay, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (in no special ranking by vileness), went out of his way to witness to, er, assist House Speak er Dennis Hastert. Paul was hoping to convince Hastert that he needed to "put the people and the country before himself," and that "the Foley scandal is distracting America from more pressing problems such as alleviating global poverty." Cannot argue with those points. Paul came away from the meeting with Hastert convinced that the resignation will be forthcoming. Let's hope this freaky title becomes reality.
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The Death of the U.S. Constitution
2006-12-02 15:20:19
One more piece of the Cons t itution (according to Bush, "just a goddamned piece of paper") of the United States of America was completely obliterated with the recent singing of the Military Tribunals bill. Like the Patriot Act, I couldn't believe such blatantly unconstitutional and, in fact, un-American removal of our basic rights could get passed into law so easily. Seems like one more oil-slick nail in the coffin of our common liberties, and one more double-reinforced steel-toed boot step closer to a police state in this country.My poor daddy, who almost died many times fighting in World War II (Pacific theater, B-24 pilot), in the Korean War, and later, reluctantly, in Vietnam, fought for what, all our freedoms to be quashed?justlikethat?by some monkey-brained pipsqueak who stole two elections and helped create the New Pearl Harbor? I tell you, I never talk politics with my daddy?he?s still loyal and at age 85, it?s too late to change anyone?s mind. Nor do I really want him to kn...
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