For Gunga . . . because this is his favorite line from the best sitcom ever, "Absolutely Fabulous . . ."
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
An English Hero
It can't be normal for a steeplejack from Lancashire to become an icon, but Fred Dibnah achieved that status.
From a chance appearance in a news item, to a documentary, to several TV series, Fred endeared himself to this quirky nation. He repaired and felled chimneys (without explosives), but he was also something of an amateur engineer. He built projects in his back garden, including a steam roller which he then took out on the road. He explained things in simple language to a nation entralled by his earthy charm.
From a chance appearance in a news item, to a documentary, to several TV series, Fred endeared himself to this quirky nation. He repaired and felled chimneys (without explosives), but he was also something of an amateur engineer. He built projects in his back garden, including a steam roller which he then took out on the road. He explained things in simple language to a nation entralled by his earthy charm.
Unlikely as it seems from looking at him, Fred was a womaniser. He had been made an MBE and was on his second marriage when he died in 2004, aged 66.Members of my family who are fascinated by steam engines and related technology were great fans of Fred's. And I have to admit that his programmes were not uninteresting.
I'm including some footage of a younger Fred which I have not heard because Adobe seems to have killed the sound on my computer (it had better be temporary). I hope you can understand his acent!
Rebublicans, Sucks To Be You
221,000 Hawkeyes voted Democrat, 150,000 voted Retard. I do believe Iowa used to be overwhelmingly Republican.
And Hillary coming in 3rd as a Dem with 64,000 votes had more votes that the Republican 1st place Huckster's 40,000.
And Hillary coming in 3rd as a Dem with 64,000 votes had more votes that the Republican 1st place Huckster's 40,000.
40,000 Iowans Vote Theocracy In America
40,000 vote for the schmuckster Huckabee!
Watch Republican heads explode here!
John Aravosis at AmericaBlog nails it:
Amen to that, brother! "Reaping" and "Sowing", I believe its called, in Biblespeak!
The poor old Mittster Romney of flip flop fame flamed out. Just couldn't buy the votes he needed, I guess. We'll see how well he shops in New Hampshire.
On another note, one of my favorites, Chris Dodd, has dropped out. I like him for taking a stand on preserving our constitution. There's not many of them like that left here in America.
Oh, and Bloviatin' Biden is out, too. At least the bleeding in my ears may has stopped.
Watch Republican heads explode here!
John Aravosis at AmericaBlog nails it:
Republicans never liked or embraced the religious right. Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and the men at the Concerned Women for America were convenient tools, foils, for the GOP to get out the vote of the speaking-in-tongues wing of the Republican party. But when it came to the substance of the religious right's message - an overwhelming desire to federally regulate your orgasm - most Republicans politely coughed and looked the other way. Well it seems the days of polite indifference to political extremism are finally over. Hallelujah.
Amen to that, brother! "Reaping" and "Sowing", I believe its called, in Biblespeak!
The poor old Mittster Romney of flip flop fame flamed out. Just couldn't buy the votes he needed, I guess. We'll see how well he shops in New Hampshire.
On another note, one of my favorites, Chris Dodd, has dropped out. I like him for taking a stand on preserving our constitution. There's not many of them like that left here in America.
Oh, and Bloviatin' Biden is out, too. At least the bleeding in my ears may has stopped.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Romney's $$ Fails to Buy Evangelicals' Votes Afterall!
Huckabee's no prize, but at least we may not have to sit through a year's worth of Multiple Mitt Flopney's negative ads against whomever he would've been running against! Let's just hope McCain can kick this loser's ass in New Hampshire!
Mitt Romney: For Gay Rights Before He Was Against Them!
For those of you that never heard of this pandering, disingenuous, flip flopping charlatan until he donned his superhero costume and became 'Defender-of-Traditional-Marriage Guy' in Massachusetts, it might interest you to know that while seeking office in Massachusetts, first in a failed run against Ted Kennedy for the Senate in 1994 and a successful bid as governor almost 6 years ago, Mitt Romney billed himself as being to the left of Ted Kennedy on gay rights!
In a 1994 letter to the Massachusetts Log Cabin Republicans, Romney wrote the following:
"As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent,'' Romney wrote, referring to US Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
"If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will,''
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2006/12/romney_spoke_of.html
Furthermore, to hear the man running for President today speaking, you'd never guess it was the same person who, in an interview with Bay Windows, a Boston-based gay community newspaper, the same year, said: “I think the gay community needs more support from the Republican Party and I would be a voice in the Republican Party to foster anti-discrimination efforts.'' Whether it be continuing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' supporting a Constitutional ban on gay marriage and civil unions or preventing gay and lesbian from adoption, Romney has made himself the antithesis of whatever he was running for just a few years ago. The picture to the left, is an actual flyer Romney passed out during Boston's Gay Pride celebration the same year he was running for governor.
He effectively duped the GLBT community of Massachusetts into believing that he was another pro-gay rights Republican like William Weld. When he became Governor and the mask started to come off and the flip flopping began, Ken Sanchez of the Massachusetts Log Cabin Republicans issued the following statement:
"We don't need another flip-flopping politician,"
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/02/23/romneys_stance_on_civil_unions_draws_fire/
The rest is history and I've included some links for further research if you like, but in any case, this wolf in sheep's clothing is now in a race for the Presidency of the United States of America and must be stopped. I'm putting on my Nostradamus hat here, perhaps, but I feel perfectly justified in saying that Mitt Romney is bad, bad, BAD for America and a Romney presidency would be one in which civil liberties would take a beating and America would be pushed in 4 years closer to the precipice of dictatorship, than the past 8 years under Bush.
Last Chance to Gay Bash in Iowa
I hope the Republicans are destroyed for a generation. I don't know why...
Oh yes I do:
WTF? This is why I am pro-gun. To get the NRA on my side when they try to take away my pink pistols.
Memo to Chris "Tweety" Matthews, I will start respecting your show when you start laughing these assholes off the air.
Follow the link for the Gay Agenda reposted for your convenience at Pam's House Blend.
And may I remind the jerk that without "The Gay" there would not be any cultural institutions in America.
Oh yes I do:
Via Think Progress, Mitt adviser, former Senator Jim Talent, shows the desperation of the Romney campaign to woo conservative Iowans. He attempts to convince the target voter base that his man is no mo' fo' the homos on Hardball tonight:
TALENT: He's always had the same position as to regards to the gay agenda. Look, he wants to know people to know he values gay people as people, okay? But he doesn't want the militant gays to be able to change the cultural institutions of the country. He ran strongly in favor of traditional marriage when he ran for governor.
WTF? This is why I am pro-gun. To get the NRA on my side when they try to take away my pink pistols.
Memo to Chris "Tweety" Matthews, I will start respecting your show when you start laughing these assholes off the air.
Follow the link for the Gay Agenda reposted for your convenience at Pam's House Blend.
And may I remind the jerk that without "The Gay" there would not be any cultural institutions in America.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Samuel Pepys Is A Cad!!!
Getting caught up on our man Pepys...
It beggars belief!!! I had to pry my jaw from the floor!
Start on the December 18th 1665 (in St Olave's church, no less) and read forward at least until December 20th. Do read the comments, our Pepys' fans are flabbergasted: http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1664/12/
And here I was looking for some cheery restoration Christmas stuff.
This is your reading assignment of the day.
UPDATE: Do read Christmas day and Boxing Day next. Twice to church whilst making excuses for the missing Missus, meanwhile taking in all the eye candy.
Just apalling!
It beggars belief!!! I had to pry my jaw from the floor!
Start on the December 18th 1665 (in St Olave's church, no less) and read forward at least until December 20th. Do read the comments, our Pepys' fans are flabbergasted: http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1664/12/
And here I was looking for some cheery restoration Christmas stuff.
This is your reading assignment of the day.
UPDATE: Do read Christmas day and Boxing Day next. Twice to church whilst making excuses for the missing Missus, meanwhile taking in all the eye candy.
Just apalling!
Mitt Romney's Refusal to Grant a Decorated Veteran a Pardon Comes Back to Bite Him in the Ass
"Anthony Circosta, a decorated Iraq War veteran from Agawam, needed a gun permit in Massachusetts to get a promotion at his security guard job and to pursue a possible career as a police officer. But first he needed to have his record cleared of a childhood felony - shooting a classmate in the shoulder with a BB gun when he was 13.
more stories like thisThe Massachusetts clemency board investigated Circosta's case and twice recommended pardoning him. But then-Governor Mitt Romney refused, preserving a record of rejecting every clemency request that crossed his desk."
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/01/02/mass_pardon_case_at_center_of_gop_storm/
Okay, BEST video on Youtube here..
Warning: if you're offended by profanity or are church member of Fred "God Hates Fags" Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church, you might want to skip this beauty!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
NO MORE SMOKING IN CHICAGO BARS!!!
As of today, smoking in any bar (e.g., The Anvil) or bar and restaurant combo (e.g., Gino's North), is illegal. So as I type, I'm lighting up a ciggie (my first, and possibly last, of the day) in protest . . . and in celebration. Yes, admittedly, my feelings are mixed on this one. Has Big Brother gone too far? Perhaps. But I also consider the health benefits, not only for others, but for myself. Methinks I'll hobble over to one or both of my neighborhood establishments this evening, just out of curiosity. I just wanna see how everyone is handling this. Anvil, most certainly, is a smoker's bar. More patrons smoke than don't. I think Gino's is about 50/50. Part of my habit stems from the fact that all my best buddies smoke . . . and I usually meet up with them at one of these two haunts. The Anvil has a shabby excuse for a rear, outdoor patio. Not heated, mind you. And it IS January in Chicago. I also consider the number of my friends who have been wanting to quit . . . and the almost equal number who swear they're not going to. Will I quit altogether? Not sure yet. I now smoke about 4 packs a week. Gee, that's gonna be quite a savings, from a monetary standpoint, if I do. That alcohol-nicotine connection is one strong addiction! But every time I see a very young person smoking, I wanna smack them silly. Do they really know what they're getting themselves into? And ciggies make for some evil bad breath. Furthermore, not only do our lungs suffer, but so do our gums and teeth. So perhaps it IS best to celebrate . . . the end of an era. Gunga and I, and a few rebellious friends, continued smoking at Gino's last night . . . past midnight. Nevertheless, I have to admit, I'm gonna miss it . . . at least, for awhile . . .
My husband who lives in the TV has quit before . . . but I think he started up again. Time will tell . . .
My husband who lives in the TV has quit before . . . but I think he started up again. Time will tell . . .
Is "The Surge" Working?
Me, like millions of other Americans, got in an argument with relatives over the holidaze. The "Argument" basically went like this:
The Relative: "You left-wingers won't admit that the Surge really is working."
People Like me: "Are you friggin' crazy? The Surge is not working."
This of course, is followed by more acrimonious disturbances to the serenity of the gatherings.
What People Like Me should have said is: "Indeed, Commander Codpiece truly is a brave and inspiring visionary. I am tickled pink and pleased as punch that the Great and Glorious Surge has worked. Since the Great and Glorious Surge has worked, can we all go home now, so that our grandchildren will not have to continue to fight this Grand and Noblest of Wars?"
I am so sick and tired of this cruel and extremely expensive game of Whack-A-Mole.
Today, Over There:
Yes, we've created this mess by incompetently unleashing these pent up sectarian rivalries in Iraq, but these people are just going to go on killing each other until they figure out the pointlessness of religious warfare. Just as Europe did after the Thirty Years War:
We can stand ready to respond with extreme force if these wars drift onto American or European sovereignty. I have no problem turning great swaths of these nations into glassy plains should we be attacked as a by-product of their internecine squabbles. "Go on and fight your stupid holy wars if you must, Mr. Muslim. Just make damn sure you keep it over there within your own borders."
Basically, these people need to figure this all out for themselves, and no amount of our intervention or treasure is going to stop the bloodbath until they do.
The Relative: "You left-wingers won't admit that the Surge really is working."
People Like me: "Are you friggin' crazy? The Surge is not working."
This of course, is followed by more acrimonious disturbances to the serenity of the gatherings.
What People Like Me should have said is: "Indeed, Commander Codpiece truly is a brave and inspiring visionary. I am tickled pink and pleased as punch that the Great and Glorious Surge has worked. Since the Great and Glorious Surge has worked, can we all go home now, so that our grandchildren will not have to continue to fight this Grand and Noblest of Wars?"
I am so sick and tired of this cruel and extremely expensive game of Whack-A-Mole.
Today, Over There:
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed 30 people and wounded 38 at a funeral in eastern Baghdad on Tuesday, shattering a New Year's day that had begun with hopeful celebrations of a kind unseen in years.
Two police sources confirmed the death toll, which would make it the worst bombing in the Iraqi capital since September and one of the deadliest anywhere in Iraq for months.
Yes, we've created this mess by incompetently unleashing these pent up sectarian rivalries in Iraq, but these people are just going to go on killing each other until they figure out the pointlessness of religious warfare. Just as Europe did after the Thirty Years War:
The devastation caused by the war has long been a subject of controversy among historians. Estimates of civilian casualties of up to thirty percent of the population of Germany are now treated with caution. The mortality rate was perhaps closer to 15 to 20 percent, with deaths due to armed conflict, famine and disease. ...
The war had a few other, more subtle consequences:
The Thirty Years' War marked the last major religious war in mainland Europe, ending large-scale religious bloodshed in 1648. There were other religious conflicts in the years to come, but no great wars.
We can stand ready to respond with extreme force if these wars drift onto American or European sovereignty. I have no problem turning great swaths of these nations into glassy plains should we be attacked as a by-product of their internecine squabbles. "Go on and fight your stupid holy wars if you must, Mr. Muslim. Just make damn sure you keep it over there within your own borders."
Basically, these people need to figure this all out for themselves, and no amount of our intervention or treasure is going to stop the bloodbath until they do.
Auld Lang Syne 2
'Cos nobody does it like the Scots:
Eddi Reader before Scottish Parliament. I believe, lyrics by Robert Burns. There's The Queen (QEII surrendering the last bit of GB) in a lovely, yet mournful, purple hat @ 4:18, and did I spot Sean Connery (Bond, James Bond!) @ 3:16?
Eddi Reader before Scottish Parliament. I believe, lyrics by Robert Burns. There's The Queen (QEII surrendering the last bit of GB) in a lovely, yet mournful, purple hat @ 4:18, and did I spot Sean Connery (Bond, James Bond!) @ 3:16?
Auld Lang Syne
Streisand, a wee bit disappointing, as these people paid a minimum of $2000 per seat...
2 points and a partial refund for those who spot the Brolin elder ("Marcus Welby, MD", Dr. Steven Kiley, you frick'n children who only know Josh) in the front row.
There was a time when James B. was much, much hotter than Josh B., way before he was Mr. Streisand. There is also some softcore pornish (ShowTime style) stuff with him pre-Babs, post-MW,MD, circa 1990 and he is hot, hot, hot! in a very VD'O way, dare I say.
2 points and a partial refund for those who spot the Brolin elder ("Marcus Welby, MD", Dr. Steven Kiley, you frick'n children who only know Josh) in the front row.
There was a time when James B. was much, much hotter than Josh B., way before he was Mr. Streisand. There is also some softcore pornish (ShowTime style) stuff with him pre-Babs, post-MW,MD, circa 1990 and he is hot, hot, hot! in a very VD'O way, dare I say.
Where Have I Been?
You will understand...
A couple of nights ago I was watching L&O:SVU marathon, when the TV in my office made a loud POP noise. Now all I see in my computer room is a white line across my TeeVee screen.,,, and sound.
But meanwhile, there has been 2 days of L&O: CI going on; the very best of Goren and Eames, alas, in another room. So no posts.
A couple of nights ago I was watching L&O:SVU marathon, when the TV in my office made a loud POP noise. Now all I see in my computer room is a white line across my TeeVee screen.,,, and sound.
But meanwhile, there has been 2 days of L&O: CI going on; the very best of Goren and Eames, alas, in another room. So no posts.
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