Politically correct naming...

Atlanta’s newest favorite son — Zoo Atlanta’s panda cub — now has a name: Xi Lan (shee-lahn).

In a ceremony marking his 100th day of life, zoo officials revealed the name — which means “Atlanta’s joy” — while about 200 people, braving the sunny, morning chill, cheered with excitement.

So...when a zoo in Beijing acquires a Bald Eagle...do they name it "Bob" or "Fred" or something...you know...American?

Put an ant on steriods and a shoe tread still kicks its a$$...

NEW YORK (AP) — Healthy people should have the right to boost their brains with pills, like those prescribed for hyperactive kids or memory-impaired older folks, several scientists contend in a provocative commentary.

I'm told that if you multiply "zero" by any positive whole number...the answer is still always "zero."

$715 Grand babysitters...

A half-dozen public-school principals - including some booted from previous posts - are earning six-figure salaries to oversee rooms full of teachers doing nothing, The Post has learned.

I live in the real world...you know that unforgiving land in which a company will keep you if you're an attribute to their goals. Of course, a prerequisite to it all is that you can't assault your co-workers or...you know...hit on minors...those sort of things.

However, in the ever evolving, and truly nuanced New York City...you get to sit in the "rubber room," collect a full salary...and periodially flex your "free agency" and become part of "turkey trades."

A band of city teachers languishing in so-called "rubber rooms" on disciplinary charges are demanding that their temporary reassignment centers be recognized as permanent chapters of their union - just like schools.

Two things:

1. Unions are bankrupting this country.

2. New York City Education is a great example of just how deluded and incompetent Liberalism truly is.

Oh...did I mention that NYC is way, way deep in the red...and getting deeper by the second? All the while...over 700 teachers and administrators sit around day after day doing absolutely nothing...while getting paid.

Angry yet???? How about this?

The New York Post reports (9-30-07) that the number of teachers waiting in the city's rubber rooms has doubled since 2005. Some 757 teachers now clock in to the nearest rubber room, read magazines or watch DVDs all day, and go home. They make between $42,500 and $93,400 a year, for a total cost to the city of about $40 million a year. The city also pays millions more to rent the rooms themselves, and to pay for substitute teachers to replace those in rubber rooms.

Good NON-work if you can get it...huh?

"Kick the Bucket List"

Gabriel Malor at "Ace of Spades" put this ABC News story up:

Judge Dorothy McCarter issued the ruling late Friday in the case of a Billings man with terminal cancer, who had sued the state with four physicians that treat terminally ill patients and a nonprofit patients' rights group.
"The Montana constitutional rights of individual privacy and human dignity, taken together, encompass the right of a competent terminally (ill) patient to die with dignity," McCarter said in the ruling.

It also said that those patients had the right to obtain self-administered medications to hasten death if they find their suffering to be unbearable, and that physicians can prescribe such medication without fear of prosecution.

"The patient's right to die with dignity includes protection of the patient's physician from liability under the state's homicide statutes," the judge wrote.

As expected, reader responses cover both ends of the spectrum. I guess they should...if you think about it. It's a very charged topic that requires a basic determination as to what is important to the individual. Some believe all life is precious regardless of the quality...understandable. Some believe that an individual has the right to dictate the quality of life...also understandable.

Of course, it gets a little dingy when the concept of another individual assisting is thrown into the works. This is especially shakey when the individual has taken an "ethical" oath to the contrary. However, that's not why I decided to link onto Gabriel's post. My motive was much more self-oriented.

Should I have the misfortune of being diagnosed with a terminal disease with no hope of recovery and the complete deterioration of my dignity in the short-term, I'd create my own "Bucket List" and live the remainder of my life according to my terms. The twist being that I'd want to make my final days count. So...here we go:
_______________

10. Purchase a full page advertisement in the New York Times pointing out that their newspaper is a piece of leftist agenda driven crap that embarrasses the dead fish in which its wrapped when passers-by can read the mast head (yes they can refuse...but the truly clever can pay the street corner vendor a couple bucks to throw an insert into each one they sell).

9. Spend an entire day snatching cell phones out of the hands of those individuals who can't seem to talk and walk in a straight line at the same time.

8. Call the publicists for Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson with a prepared sob story about how my days are numbered, and I wanted to profess in front of the media how my only request is that I get to meet each one. When the moment arrives, I'll turn to the news cameras and state rather clearly..."I have only weeks to live and I wouldn't touch either one of them with a ten foot poll...and anyone who believes anything they have to say is important is a complete moron. They didn't graduate from high school for Pete's sake."

7. Get four of those suction cup things that glass retailers have for carrying large glass sheets and affix myself to the inside ceiling of the subway car. I'd hire someone to take photos that I could send to the Metropolitan Transit Authority with a tag of ..."Bet you haven't considered this...have you?"

6. Take a red-eye to Nigeria...find the simpleton who keeps sending out those fraudulent 419 emails, and steal his laptop.

5. Send a "letter to the editor" to every newspaper listed HERE indicating very strong support of "profiling" in defense against terrorism, and sign each letter "Susan Herman, President of the ACLU."

4. Pick out ten to fifteen small towns throughout the United States and put up signs in front of the municipal building in the middle of the night that state, "SOON TO BE THE HOME OF A NEW WAL-MART."

3. Tape a fake eviction notice on the front entrance to the United Nations Building in New York.

2. Sucker punch the guy at the window of the DMV.

1. Travel to Afghanistan...walk into a meeting of known Taliban leaders and proceed to show them how a real suicide vest (made in the good ole' USA) works.

Sunday Essay: "On my way to Obscurity..."

(Every Sunday will include a little essay that is off the beaten track a bit. It's not meant to be serious. It's not meant to invoke any deep thinking. It's just for fun...and more than a few will be a bit warped. Just like the other six days entries.)

___________________



"On my way to Obscurity"


Each year, the Nobel Prize committee divvies out awards to those that have excelled in a specific field. Economics, for example, was featured in Ron Howard’s version of A Beautiful Mind and based on Sylvia Nasar’s biography of John F. Nash Jr.

Nash was honored with the Nobel in Economics for his “Game Theory” concept that was, incidentally, initiated in his doctoral work some forty years before the 1994 Nobel Prize was presented to him.

I have a theory, also. I call it the “Corn Theory.”

The concept is simple. Too much of one of your favorite things can lead to a decrease in your appreciation for the former. In other words, if you eat too much corn, your gluttony overtakes your enjoyment and that, one time, favorite is compromised. It’s a sound theory. I’ve experimented with chocolate brownies, Cherry Garcia Ice Cream, and Czech Bud Var Pilsner.

So, I have the theory. However, the Nobel folks aren’t likely to shine the light on me unless I can show a practical application with everyday innovative use.

At first, I thought about applying my theory to the entertainment industry. However, I made the capacious mistake of taking Carrot Top as my subject of study and application. It, thoroughly, skewed my testing results, because, eventually, I discovered that no one ever liked him. It did enlighten me to the fact that I needed to factor the uncanny influence of agents and publicists into the fray.


But wait; a revelation.

Publicists, agents, advertising agencies, lobbyists, pundits, and the like are obstacles to the individual. They cloud the issue on our true opinions. Or, rather, they shape our ability to have all the pieces from which to draw that opinion.

Crap, I’m getting too deep, and I’m boring myself to tears. Does Nobel like boring?

Think of it this way. Do you really think a Carnie worker gets a kick out of riding the Ferris wheel? All that spinning after downing a forty ouncer mixed with the hepatitis medication can ruin the experience I suppose. However, the fact remains that they see those spinning conglomerates of aluminum and chewing gum every day.

The constant exposure lessens the pleasure.

Hmmm…perhaps my theory applies to marriage.

A constant exposure to upraised or down set toilet seats, mothers’-in-law who keep locating your new address, unremitting requests to fix the sink, and minivans influence what you, one time, thought to be your favorite “thing” in the whole world. Some people compensate by obtaining other favorite “things.” This, generally, leads to your first favorite thing walking away with 50% of your overall favorite things. You’re left with a query of how you could, possibility, have considered her a favorite in the first place.

I have a new theory. It's called the "Deceptive Patio Door Theory." You have all seen it presented in its unmitigated glory. An unsuspecting individual walks right into the nearly invisible glass creating untold embarrassment for the subject and unbridled enjoyment to the rest of us.

That never gets old.

USS Arizona-- December 7th, 1941

NBC Broadcast Dec. 7, 1941

Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation. delivered on December 8, 1941

I would refer anyone interested in learning more about the USS Arizona and its crew to check out this site put together by historian, Bud Nease USNR (Retired). It's worth the visit.

Santa Responds!!!!

I picked up a bit of airplane reading recently, and stumbled upon this Holiday offering.

Santa Responds (He's had enough...and he's writing back!)

There's no author listed (so it must really be the guy in red). It is from a Brit point of view, so not all references to the United States are...well...complimentary. But, simply put...it's hilarious. In the theme of free advertising as well as Tranformative Fair Use...you'll find my favorite (so far) below.
_________________

Hi Santa,
How is the North Pole? I live in Florida, so I never see snow and it is always warm and hot. I hope that your reindeer can fly here without any snow. I will leave carrots for them to make them happy. I like carrots too but not more than I like candy. I don't think reindeers can eat candy.

For Christmas, I want a baseball so that I can learn to throw like my big brother. Maybe he will play catch with me on the beach like he does with his friends. I would like a baseball very much. It would be a good present.

My Daddy needs a new job because he lost his old one and my Mommy needs a new car because her old one is broken. Please see if your elves can help.

I will watch for you on Christmas Eve. My flashlight will be at the window so you can find my house. It is the yellow one with a white door just in case you don't see me.
Merry Christmas!
Ryan

___________________

(Santa Enterprises--North Pole)

Dear Ryan,

You're a good kid. So it pains me to have to be the one to tell you that fate has dropped you into a cesspool--and I don't just mean Florida. The sad truth is that wonderful children are born all the time into families who don't deserve them, and with whom they don't deserve to have gotten stuck. Soon enough you'll come to realize that your juvenile delinquent of an older brother is only your half brother. Steer clear of him. Meanwhile, the freeloader you both call your father (don't worry, he really isn't) will be moving on right after your mother loses her job because of having no way to get to work. Unfortunately, she'll soon begin a career that she can perform from home and additional half-siblings will be the result. DO NOT attach yourself to any of them. Make the most of the baseball I'll be bringing you this year. Your real father was the captain of the Duke University baseball team (enjoying a little Spring Break R & R) and you've inherited his brains and his talent ten times over. Pursue scholarships, and keep them a secret from your parasitic family. When you're accepted for a full ride at your father's alma mater, leave these soul-suckers behind and never look back.

I'm pulling for you,
SANTA

Still the potential for an FEC Proctological Exam...

Via Michelle Malkin:

He’s got gobs of cash and lots of grumbly Democrats who want to get their paws on it all.

Legally, he can:

1) donate the extra money to charity

2) Transfer it to another political campaign

3) Dole it out in $2,000 increments to local candidates.

_________
Don't count on him doing anything with the booty just yet. He is not off the radar screen of the Federal Election Committee (FEC). There were a significant number of inquiries forwarded to the attention of the campaign that require response. The general consensus is that Obama will not undergo the FEC Proctology Exam, but that does not absolve the campaign from responding.

My understanding is that the FEC is comprised of three Democrats and three Republicans...and any major effort to initiate a full blown audit would be deadlocked. That doesn't stop a rather persistent auditor from firing off ongoing inquiries that will, likely, result in the necessity to reimburse the donor (read: Good Will, Dodad Pro, etc.) Even the major bundlers to the Obama campaign (recent addition to the Obama transition team, Christina Tchen) have required reimbursements from the campaign for over donating (at least $7,000 in Tchen's case).

Spokesperson for the FEC:
The Obama campaign has received — and likely will continue to receive — FEC requests for more information about some donors or expenses, and that process could trigger an audit, FEC spokeswoman Mary Brandenberger tells us.

"His campaign will be treated like any other campaign," Brandenberger said.

The bottom line is that Obama is not immune from scrutiny as to how he raised that $650 Million just yet. Granted, the chances of someone poking around other than in a cursory fashion is remote. But, the potential still exists at present.

He is not sitting on the throne until January, and there seems to be plenty of evidence that the fundraising applied by his campaign was less than stellar in its prudence. So, I wouldn't expect him to give a red cent to anyone until he is sufficiently convinced that he won't have to give back well over the $30 Million surplus to the non-existent donors, foreign donors, and over-donors.

Who feels reckless?

Let's make a bet:

I bet that St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch gets the nod for US Attorney by the incoming "Change" administration to replace eastern district U.S. attorney, Catherine Hanaway.

It's normal, of course, to refill the position when a new administration comes into Washington. I'm just going to bet that McCulloch gets the nod due to his "Obama Truth Squad" experience on behalf of that same administration.

Any takers?

Hmmmm...

SAN FRANCISCO: In a rare bright spot for the U.S. retail industry, e-commerce sites had a strong Thanksgiving weekend, with online sales from Friday through Monday up 13 percent, compared with sales in the same period last year, according to data by comScore.

The Monday after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday was the second-heaviest online spending day on record, comScore said, behind only Dec. 10, 2007.

Online sales climbed to $846 million, up 15 percent from the previous year.

I'm still not convinced that main street America is hurting all that much. The housing foreclosures seem to be coagulated (for the most part) in the urban areas. And, then there is this:

Retailers get green returns on Black Friday

U.S. ‘Black Friday’ Sales Rise 3%, ShopperTrak Says

Oregon gun sales soar; Black Friday sets record

Microsoft Xbox 360 Kicks PS3 Butt on Black Friday

US: Take Two encouraged by Black Friday sales

Black Friday sales brighten southern New Jersey stores' hopes for season

Local retailers pleased with Black Friday sales

Surprised? Black Friday sales up in 2008

Yeah...yeah...I'm not gullible enough to think that the sales of one weekend indicate a trend. The question is whether holiday sales will be sustainable. On that same note (and this is anecdotal)...but I still see full parking lots at the local retail locations, restaurants have lines of folks waiting to be seated...and traffic in and around the usual mall haunts (New York, New Jersey, and Philadelpia)is frustratingly busy.

My personal opinion is that the true hurt will arrive in about a year as the new cadre of "change" artists reflect their philosophy by moving the decimal point to the right on your "voluntary" contribution to the Federal/ State/ Local government so that ineptly run businesses and mathematically challenged home "owners" can continue to bask in their idiocy.