I am grateful...

You know, despite working for what is arguably the most clueless and despicable IT outfit on the planet, I guess I should be grateful. I do have a job, after all.

Hunting for a job can be sooooooo dangerous...

Edited: For reasons completely beyond me, the original link I had posted from MSNBC now points to an almost completely unrelated story. I've linked again to another news source on the same story.

Roadkill Candy

Animal Rights Activists need to get a life, and a sense of humor, while they're at it!

More Lives than a Cat

I swear, you'd think someone shoved an Energizer battery up the Pope's ass. He just keeps going and going!

The Needs of the Many...

There's a huge ruckus going on about some weird kid with an allergy. While I would be the last to belittle someone's legitimate affliction, I still have a hard time understanding why someone else's problems have a way of becoming mine in today's world.

There was a time when if I had an allergy to water, for example, then it was my own problem to deal with. I had to make sure I didn't come into contact with the damned stuff, which included making sure anything I ordered outside had been vetted for the dread chemical.

Nowadays, if I have an allergy problem, suddenly it's everyone else that has the problem, not me. All of you become automatically responsible for changing your lifestyles, spending how ever much it takes, and coming up with complex procedures to ensure my problem is taken care of.

Another thing that used to be a given in this country is that I could do with my property or my business whatever I wanted to. Those days, too, are gone, thanks in great part to the absolute madness our judicial branch of government has descended into. A simple word, equality, misinterpreted, has done more evil, albeit in an insidious and hard to notice way, than anything else termed as evil short of genocide.

The private day care young whatever his name is was trying to enroll in denied him entry due to the 'special requests' his parents were making on account of his condition. The day care owners felt that they didn't have the setup required to deal with the possible safety issues involved in dealing with young whatzisname's condition. Not only were they right, but beyond that, if it's my school and someone makes requests beyond what I offer everyone else, then it should be my decision whether to accommodate them or tell them to take a flying leap. The market being what it is, if I as an owner am unreasonable, I'm sure I'll find myself out of business pretty soon.

In today's insane world, the conclusion is different. The state (the courts, actually) determined that discrimination took place. Discrimination! A word originally tied to another word, racial, then broadened to include sexual preference, and now broadened to encompass anything you want it to. Discrimination, folks, would be if the rest of the kids were offered whatever it was this kid's parents were requesting, and the owners had targeted them by saying they, in particular, would not be treated thusly.

There was a time when people knew what was meant by the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Today's slogan should be the exact opposite, the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many.

Some people are allergic to exercising and refusing extra food? No problem, we'll keep extra motorized carts everywhere for them to ride in. Used to be those sorts of things were for the honest to Jesus handicapped. At the supermarket I often see handicapped people crawling across the floor, a crutch in one hand and a shopping basket in the other, just because all the fat slobs have taken the motorized carts.

Some are allergic to fish? Let's ban fish altogether, as anything less would be discriminatory against that poor minority of people who cannot enjoy it. It's not up to them to avoid fish, it's up to the rest of us to make sure they can't come in contact with the dread finned ones.

I have a sinking fear that this country needs to collapse before we can rebuild it in the fashion the founders of the country intended it to be. I fear the current setup precludes any remedy, even drastic ones.

Slightly Interesting

Now that Bun-Bun is back, Sluggy has become slightly interesting again. I guess that Pete finally wised up and figured out who the important character was. It's a shame how the strip has been deteriorating this past year or two. It showed so much promise when it started.

He's such a tease!

The Pope is a horrible tease. I'm starting to believe he's never going to die...

He has all of us on tenterhooks and I know he's doing it on purpose. He knows we're all in suspense waiting for the countdown to begin, as foretold by St. Malachy. Only 2 Popes left!!!!

Anyway, just in case, requiescat in pace, Giovanni Paolo II...

Catch and Release Program

The US Navy today announced that it has released a senior Al Qaeda terrorist
after questioning him extensively for 27 days while being held prisoner aboard
a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.

In a humanitarian gesture, the terrorist was given $50 US and a white 1962 Ford
Fairlane automobile upon being released from custody.

The attached photo shows the terrorist on his way home just after being
released by the Navy.

Photo

Sweet

A bit more than a year ago my very clueless main customer decided to "repatriate" or "insource" some of the IT areas my company was handling for them as part of our ongoing outsourcing contract. They took pains to clarify that the decision wasn't based on the quality of service or the people involved, adding that they were extremely happy with the turnaround I'd managed to make since my arrival. My predecessor had been shunted out to another account, with a reduction in job/salary level, amidst complaints that he wasn't doing a good job. Anyway, they made it clear to my bosses that they were delighted with the service, but for wholly cost based reasons they were taking back some of the work. They also said that even though they recognized they probably wouldn't be able to do it as well as we did, they were sure they could do it cheaper. Since they were in the process of wooing Wall Street, it made sense, in a sick, corporate sort of way. Shoot yourself in the foot in order to see the stock price rise.

Back then I predicted that not only would they prove unable to do the work better, but they'd also be unable to do it cheaper. I gave them a year to come back to us and request we take all the work back.

It's been a month and a half more than that year I'd prophesied. Never let it be said that I'm not man enough to admit my mistakes. I erred by 45 days.

Today, after a month of upheaval in their IT organization, with the firing or demotion of most of their IT leadership, the new guy formally requested we submit a proposal for taking back all the work we used to have, plus a sizable piece that was never ours.

God, it's so wonderful to be proven right. My manager orgasmed when I called him and told him.

A Harsher Reality

It is a daunting experience to look at how people today attempt to deal with a problem. There was a time when citizens, regardless of their political leanings, could come together to discuss a real problem and propose workable solutions that while not perfect, would nonetheless deal with the issues at hand.

People understood that no one solution could solve all of the problem, leave everyone happy AND cause no further issues. That only happens in fairy tales, where "everyone lives happily ever after". That's why we have cost/benefit analyses, so that we can look at all the factors, all the possible outcomes and effects, and make an informed decision. Somewhere along the line, most folks apparently decided that they could have their cake and eat it, too.

Take 9/11. Everyone in the country was all gung-ho right after the fact on punishing the culprits and making sure we did everything possible to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. In fact, a lot of folks were asking why the hell we allowed it to happen in the first place. These were some of the very same folks that crippled our intelligence bureaus by curtailing overseas operations and demanding that Congress be kept informed of certain types of operations.

Then, when a few hostiles' so called human rights are violated, the very same people make yet another 180 degree turn and are in an uproar. How in the Ineffable's name did they ever expect us to make progress against a foe who isn't using traditional warfare against us? Bomb his capital? What capital? Embargo his country's imports/exports? They don't exist. Push a motion of censure against them in the highly ineffectual U.N.? They'd laugh about it, as do actual countries, now that you have me on the topic.

So a female G.I. interrogator rubs her boobies on an Islamic Extremist's back. Big whoop-de-do. You'd think she'd beheaded the moron, as they do to our captured troops and kidnapped civilians, by the way. And, just for the record, there's a lot of folks around here who actually pay girls 20 bucks for one of these. It's called a frigging lapdance, and let me tell you, it's no torture.

The really disgraceful thing is how the Liberal leadership, which knows better, since they're presumably well educated, panders to this ignorance in their constituency instead of explaining the realities of life and war to them.

Sure, this would be a great world if everyone believed in peace, and loved their neighbor. I'm all for it. Hell, one of my personal heroes and idols is/was John Lennon, and there was no bigger peacenik this side of Gandhi. I respected Lennon's ideals and loved him the more for them, while at the same time recognizing how impractical they'd be in the real world. It helped that he wasn't a boring moron, but actually one of the planet's most gifted musicians.

Quite frankly, the day we're no longer willing to stand up for our rights and do whatever's necessary to protect our nation and our people, is the day someone with less scruples takes over the world. This whole thing has become a battle between ideas, not between nations, coallitions or ethnicities. On a higher plane than ours two conflicting ideas, Order and Chaos, are having at it and we here are simply reflecting this latest battle in the neverending war.

Yes, it is a sad thing that we have to 'abuse' a few enemy combatants, but it'd be a sadder thing if we lost this war and see half the world taken over by some version of Sharia, and the other half of the world living in perpetual fear on how long it'll be before the barbarian is at our gates.

Yes, it is a sad thing that we have to go into debt as a nation for some time while we revamp the mess that social security has become, but it'd be a far sadder thing to have the whole system implode in a few years. Sure, there's two sides to every story. But let's discuss, instead of automatically assuming there is no problem because you're emotionally committed to there not being one.

Yes, it is a sad thing that for a significant percentage of the nation, their candidate lost the recent elections, but it'd be a far sadder thing if we didn't have any elections. You'll get another chance 4 years down the road, so quit whining and help steer this ship, instead of trying to sabotage it.

And for God's sake, make sure you learn, deep down, that you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs.

Vacation

I feel as if I need a vacation to recover from my vacation, so I'll take Monday off. Monday's a holiday, technically speaking, but neither of my clients observe it so it's considered a regular working day. On the other hand, my company does have it on its calendar, so I figure I can get away with putting it in as a holiday.

Maybe during that long weekend I'll finally do an update on my Chicago trip. Then again, maybe I won't. Who knows?

Madness

A U.S. Marine apparently killed a couple of terrorist scumbags in Iraq. Now he's facing murder charges.

I think people nowadays are having a really tough time understanding the concept of war. Don't they have dictionaries?

I'm becoming convinced that our civilization will fall, doomed from within by all the weak sisters.

I'm back

I'll post at length by tomorrow. Chicago wasn't bad. I'd never actually been there, barring a few airport stays of no more than a couple of hours while changing planes here and there, over the years.

I did get to spend a leisurely morning into afternoon at BodyWorlds, and it was very definitely worth it. I know you're not supposed to touch, but you know me. How could I not touch? LMAO I was almost tempted to taste, as a most of the muscle sections looked like very good, dry beef, but in that I managed to contain my impulses. I even bought the DVD, I was so impressed.

Forecast: Windy

I'll be back next week. Time for some necro-timeoff...

I have two very good books to read, one on the Sword Saint, and the other a treatise on weapons of individual destruction. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to finish the one and get a good start on the other. I may or may not post in the interim here.

And, remember, be good to yourselves, and each other. (I think that's the cue for all of you to jump on stage and have at each other with folded chairs, but I may be mistaken)

Naginata!!!

Oh, yes. Who'd have thunk it?

Tom and Jerry being cancelled???

This has rocked my world. I'm hoping it's some sort of sick joke, but according to the article, Israel and Palestine will sign a formal truce tomorrow.

It must be a sign of the end of times... It's tantamount to Hanna-Barbera having Tom and Jerry smoke the peace pipe and actually mean it; it'd be the end of that show and its appeal.

I swear, I don't know where this world is headed anymore. It's a crying shame...

5-minute Attention Span

A critical piece of what ails modern Americans stems from TV. I don't mean the sex, the violence or even the stupidity, although the latter is certainly a problem in and of itself. The first two, on the other hand, I consider its redeeming qualities.

What I'm really talking about is how advertisers have whittled away at Americans' attention span over the years. Used to be a time when a typical American could encounter an idea, spend a significant amount of time wrapping his mind around it, and come up with a conclusion based on all the input plus the analysis he'd done on it. No more.

Advertisers have a set commercial length because certain studies indicated that was the ideal period of time in which they could engage a viewer, present an idea and convince said viewer of the advisability of acquiring the product or service being peddled. I doubt the length of time was fact-based when the whole thing started, which makes it even more tragic, as this would quickly turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Add to that the 60's, when people in America abandoned rational debate altogether in favor of slogans and buzzwords, and you have today's world. In today's world you can spend a significant amount of time looking at all sides of a problem, factoring in short and long term ramifications, as well as the impact it will have on what might initially be considered unrelated areas. You can then evaluate alternate solutions, or even praise (or critique) a particular course of action if one has already been committed to.

And then you can have an otherwise intelligent person respond with a non sequitur, a completely meaningless one-liner which has nothing to do with the topic being discussed and even if it did would still be unintelligible given the brief nature of the comment, and have that person walk away feeling smug and thinking they proved a point.

Sad. Do they still teach kids in school how to debate nowadays?

Huge Surprise

In the most shocking piece of news since the media discovered a gynecologist who actually liked pussy, CNN did a bit yesterday on a Lieutenant General Mattis of the U.S. Marines who has publicly admitted to having fun while shooting people. The comment was part of a speech he was giving, and included qualifiers, such as what people he enjoyed shooting. Here's some of it:

["You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis continued. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."]

So, incredibly enough, some people were staggered by the fact that they'd discovered a military man who has risen to Lieutenant General and actually enjoyed war. This took some people utterly by surprise. What'd they expect him to like, Interior Decorating?

The ability of some morons of never having a clue is amazing. Of course someone in the military is going to have an affinity for war and combat, you dumb jerks!

The only comforting part is that the brass supported him wholly, making only a few conciliatory noises indicating that he should choose his words more carefully, but otherwise saying, basically, the same thing I said above. I write my version first because I arrived at it independently, while listening to the segment. I was sure they were going to wrap up saying he'd been placed on leave, or was being investigated, or something equally silly. The fact that I was wrong on that, and that his superiors stood behind him, gives me hope. Maybe all isn't lost in this land troubled by a 49% idiocy rate.

And this part of the newsbyte is even funnier:

[The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil liberties group, called on the Pentagon to discipline Mattis for the remarks.

"We do not need generals who treat the grim business of war as a sporting event," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad in a statement. "These disturbing remarks are indicative of an apparent indifference to the value of human life."]

If the irony of the word "Muslim" preceding the phrase "civil liberties" doesn't floor you, then nothing will. And for the record, war is a sporting event. It's probably the second oldest sport our species came up with, the first being hunting.

Stanley

Last night, while waiting for the Leader of the Free World to give his State of the Union address, I happened to catch 60 Minutes, where they had a segment on an ongoing lawsuit initiated by Stan Lee of Marvel fame against Marvel itself. It seems Stanley Lieber (Stan's real name) is feeling badly treated by Marvel because he isn't receiving royalties from all the films on characters he created.

I almost fell off my chair. While I'm not one to deny that Stan Lee was and is a pivotal figure in the comic book industry, and that much gratitude should be poured upon him for the way he transformed the industry and helped make it what it is today, from there to saying he created all those characters on his lonesome is a bit of a stretch.

He specifically mentions Spider-man, and while I'd never deny Stan's input there, I still feel completely insulted that no mention was made of Steve Ditko, who certainly deserves to be mentioned in any phrase having the words "creator of Spider-man".

And, of course, the name "Jack Kirby" was never mentioned, either, which is so ironic it's tragic. Kirby must have been spinning in his grave the whole time that segment was being aired last night, poor guy.

The irony of the whole thing is that Jack Kirby spent a significant part of his life trying to get Marvel and Stan Lee to acknowledge his creative contribution (sometimes almost 100%) to some of the very same comic book heroes Stan Lee is now claiming he apparently created on his own. Jack Kirby for decades could not even get Marvel to return his artwork, something that was standard at the time in the industry, regardless of the ownership of the copyright. Much of that artwork was 'stolen' from Marvel's offices and sold at comic book conventions for years while Marvel dicked with Kirby.

A very good and fact-based account of the Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Marvel in general tale can be had in a book by someone with the improbable name of Ronin Ro (I'm hoping it's a pen name and not that someone's parent's actually decided to saddle a kid with that name) titled Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution.

So, to conclude, it's extremely ironic that Stan Lee is embroiled in a legal battle exactly like the one Jack Kirby was forced into against the very same Stan Lee, but it's even more ironic and sad that it appears that Stan has utterly forgotten that he actually didn't create the heroes in question, although in many cases his contribution was significant. Stan needs to remember that a successful comic book hero is made of at least 2 key pieces: a good character description and a good visual image. Without Ditko or Kirby, many of those "Stan Lee" heroes would have flopped, as did almost everything else Stan had "created" in his prior 20 years at what came to be known as Marvel before he finally made good with Spider-man, Fantastic Four, Hulk and the rest of the gang. What allowed that success was built on his characterization and story guidelines as much as on the artists' renditions of the characters and story.

I'm not even going to get into the argument on which was more important, or if either could have stood on its own without the other. I would have just settled with having both sides acknowledged.

Thanks for listening, or reading, rather...

Anatomy of a Scam

These Nigerian scammers just get better and better. So inventive in their little variations. This one's a keeper (my comments in italics):

From: Calibale family
(UNHCR) Porto-novo
Benin republic
Direct line: 229 72 15 85.
Email;kalluscalibale@mail2world.com
Date : 31/01/2005.

Dear Sir Your contact was reviewed after devoted prayer session to
our divine redeemer who stregting us.

The irony of my name being revealed by anyone's redeemer is humorous to the point of apoplexy. And what the hell is stregting? Sounds like his redeemer is Cthulhu, in which case may he stregten you all!

We are the immediate family of late Col Ibrahim Calibale, the rebel commander in ivory coast that was killed in Bouake county on 7/02/2004.

How many family members did this guy have? This bunch is at least the 50th such microcosm of his immediate family to contact me this year alone!

I with my mother and two sisters escaped into Porto-Novo Benin republic after the incident when it became clear that the central government in Abidjan wanted us eliminated by all means.

Note that they always mention 2 sisters. That's supposed to make one not only salivate for the expected monetary payoff, but it also makes you dream of 2 young, hot, buxom, bucknaked African chicks gamboling in bed with you. I mean, if you're already being offered millions just for the use of your name, it's not too far fetched to expect some pootytang, too, is it?

Presently we staying with united nations high commission for refugee (UNHCR) here for security reasons.

I could think of several safer places without breaking a sweat, including downtown Baghdad, but then I have a bias against the U.N. for being a useless group of idiots.

Just last week we received some vital information and copies of documents from his lawyer back home proving that our father had some deposit in a security company in London.

They have lawyers in these backwards African countries now?

Now we have opened up communication with the London. Company and they have confirmed been in position of some United States Dollars USD$ 11.300 000:00 only in his favor and have agreed to releasing same upon our request but not until provide valid proof as his next of kin.

I'm at a loss here. I don't know if they're supposed to be holding a shitload of dollars, or if it's just a ratio. And how will I ever prove I'm kin? I know! I'll say I started off as black as Michael Jackson, but I managed to get the same treatment he got.

For the fact that none of us here possessed any valid traveling documents because of the circumstances of our exit from home, we are afraid that we will run into trouble if we request for the repatriation of the deposit to this place, hence we are kindly requesting your assistance to help us receive the deposit in your country.

Sure, no problem. After all, we're almost family now that I'm going to bang your sisters.

We are ready to offer you some reasonable portions of the deposit if you can oblige us your help.

You embarrass me with your generosity, but okay. I do concede that sooner or later I'll tire of exploring every single orifice your sisters have and at that point it'll be good to have some money to buy stuff with.

Further information will be advance to you once you indicate your interest.

I'm interested! I'm interested!!

Yours faithfuly,

Kallus Calibale
For the family.

Faithful? Does that mean I have to be faithful to the sisters? I hope not... Anyway, For the family, and up the family, if you get my drift, Kallus, old son! *wink wink*

People, the Potato is Dead...

LOL Sorry, just anticipating the news from the Vatican at any moment, and remembering a particularly funny joke which would only make sense to Spanish speakers, and is even funnier when delivered in the accent of a memorable Colombian ex-President who spoke so horribly, you'd have thought he had a speech impediment.

Anyway, I was listening to reports of this on the radio, and I just have to say, it's fortunate that Mr. Owens's God did not instruct him to fly planes into buildings, as other Gods are wont to do. Here's the moron's full quote, as lifted from the article:

``I respect Dr. Myerson's decision to not medically clear me,'' Owens said. ``But prior to going down for the last visit, I can honestly say God had already cleared me. So it doesn't really matter what the doctor said. I've got the best doctor of all - that's God. I know my body better than anyone out there with a microphone in their face, commenting, telling the world I shouldn't be doing this or doing that.''

I guess it does take all kinds.

In other news, I'm still amazed that despite very good results from the election in Iraq, and even the French, Russian and German press congratulating the U.S.'s efforts and the astounding success the process had, the Democrats and the media here are still insisting it was a failure. It looks almost as if the Democrats and the media were hoping that the terrorists and other enemies of the West win. This modern liberal fad of self-hate bordering on treason has to be stopped, but I confess I don't see how. On the other hand, while they continue down that path, I see it highly doubtful that they'll ever regain control of the government, so maybe it's a blessing in disguise.