NOW WHERE AM I GOING TO SPEND...

$5 FOR A FRAKKING CUP OF COFFEE?

Starbucks Corp. will close 600 US coffee shops and eliminate as many as 12000 jobs

Woman crashes into store then tries to buy beer

Man accused of hitting mom with Polish sausage

Nowthen, Minn., I think our city has a name

Alleged burglar sheds clothes, flees in shorts

Man charged for having pants undone in park

Pentagon is in the market for spy satellites

100 years later, Tunguska still mysterious



"Let's all be careful out there!"

noon 7/1

The details.

Hmmm. So shrooms have positive attributes.

You can't squeeze blood from a turnip but you can squeeze oil from a rock.


Two weeks ago Sweden passed a law that allows for the government to eavesdrop on all telephonic and electronic traffic that crosses their borders. The Swedes are now starting to raise holy hell about it.

Its dawn. You are bleary eyed. Desperate for that first cup of coffee to kick start your day. You go out to get the morning paper and walking down the street are llamas, camels, zebras and pot-bellied pigs. It must have been reassuring to discover that you weren't hallucinating. Though I do wonder how many folks did swear off their mind altering substance of choice that morning. Imagine trying to explain what you saw to your significant other.

Imagine leaving for work and returning home to a vacant lot.

Happy Canada Day to all our friends north of the border.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

DAILY CHUCKLE - 7/1

"Let's all be careful out there!"

WANTED:

DEAD OR ALIVE

Thats what Bush told us about bin Laden. So, why is he still alive? We know the general area he is hiding in. We have the resources to go get him. The military has operational plans drawn up. The only stumbling block is that the White House won't give the "go ahead". Is it because there is more political and propaganda gain in keeping the "boogie man" out there as a threat? Is there pressure being brought to bear by the bin Laden family in Saudi Arabia to keep their off-spring alive? Is that the only bargaining chip we have left in trying to get production concessions from the Saudi's? Nothing is ever just simple black & white. The situation is always a convoluted mixture of grays.

Dubya, you have less than 7 months to come through on your promise. Please do something right for a change. I know this is a difficult challenge to your talents and abilities but give it a shot. You couldn't fuck up any worse than you already have. And, just maybe, you could actually succeed and raise your legacy quotient quite a few notches.

***

McCain's "Straight Talk Express", is now airborne. Wonder what happened to the bus?

***

We have all heard Dubya expound on why we should never engage in negotiations with our enemies. An example is North Korea, whom we do not even recognize as a country. So would he please explain how he justifies the, um, "discussions" that occurred to dismantle their nuclear capability and why we are suddenly shipping food to that "Axis of Evil" nation? It can't be for humanitarian reasons. Bush doesn't have a humanitarian bone in his body.

***

The City of San Francisco has rejected a claim of liability against it for the deaths caused by that earlier tiger attack. Its just symbolic. A procedural process that must be completed before a civil suit against them may begin. Any other place in the world , the City would be pretty well in the right. The kids were under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Teased the caged animals and were mauled to death. Kismet takes care of everything. But this is California and, even worse, San Francisco. Where stupidity is rewarded.

***

I mentioned this earlier: Iraq has started accepting bids (yesterday) from the major oil companies to exploit the second largest proven oil field in the world. Well, at least there were two winners to come out of Iraq - Cheney & Haliburton. Way to go "dead-eye" Dick.

***

I think we should pass a law that no sports team in Boston is ever allowed to win another national title. Every time they do, the celebrations turn deadly. Okay, if any team from MIT ever wins a NCAA Title, then we can make an exception.

***

Behind schedule and over budget. Thats the sum of the rebuilding at "Ground Zero." And the typical way we Americans construct things.

***

Have a great day. I'll be back later. Thanks for stopping in.


"Let's all be careful out there!"

55 YEARS AGO TODAY

THE VERY FIRST CHEVROLET CORVETTE ROLLED OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE

It bore a sticker price of $3,250
In the early 80s, I owned a 1968 Vette.
Here is the history of the Vette, from concept to beyond today.

Here is a gallery of Vette images from 1953 thru 2003.

***

This idiot is going to have a rough time in jail. Kidnapping and drowning a deputy sheriff's patrol car is a serious offense.


"Let's all be careful out there!"

YET ANOTHER BUSINESS...

BEING HURT BY FUEL PRICES

And its the oldest profession in the world.

WTF

or

KMA OPEC

Are you subject to drug testing? Many people are, either as an employment requirement or as part of a court ordered mandate. If so, you might want to consider some of the beverages you ingest.

Another LLDE entrant.

And yet another.

This story is right out of the headlines. The headlines from 1930.


Needles CA is where the Devil goes when Hell isn't hot enough. I bought a slushy there once. Walked out to the car and by the time I started the engine, the ice was gone.

***

***

There is a story to go with this video. And damn you Lori, I can't get the music out of my head.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

DAILY CHUCKLE - 6/30

"Let's all be careful out there!"

HALF OF THE YEAR IS GONE

WOW! IT SURE WENT FAST

And Dubya has just 6 months plus 19½ days left to screw things up.

I've forgotten the name of the movie, it starred James Spader, but it was about politics. It had a line in it that I've never forgotten:

"Only two things can kill a politician's career. Being caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

Anwar Ibraham, the leader of Malaysia’s resurgent political opposition, should know this. Shouldn't he?

This is tragic:

***

I only have one question about this: Who put him up to it?

I said it before about "fearless leader" but its a good axiom for all. Just because you have served in the military does not mean you have "Command Ability". Dubya is living proof. And just because you are a US Senator doesn't mean you know jack shit about foreign affairs.

Firefighters in California have been fighting over 1,000 different blazes. They seem to have brought the battle to a stalemate. Almost all were caused by lightning.

Is the rumor true that Scott Paper is going to start printing US currency? Something about it being so worthless that they plan to put it on a roll that can be used in the bathroom.

I'll be back with more. Thanks much for stopping over and have a great week.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

JUST A QUICK POST

In the middle of June, my son and his father-in-law did their annual fishing pilgrimage to Alaska. This year they were in Sitka. Thats Rob on the left and FIL on the right. Rob caught all the fish shown here except the small one (third from left).
After sorting and editing out the bad shots, he had 155 imges to share. So I set him up with a Picasa account so he wouldn't have to upload pictures to everyone via e-mail. He is going to go back in and add captions but if you would like to see his album just go here. Or you can view a slide show here.

Don't feel much like reading the news at the moment. Its a nice lazy Sunday afternoon in my part of the world. Hope yours is the same. See you again tomorrow.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

EVER SEEN A RANSACKING?

Then click here and watch what happened in Uniondale NY just a few days ago. This 7-11 is located outside NYC, on Long Island. Not a hell of a lot the clerk(s) on duty could do.

We've found bits of Mars here on Earth. So why haven't we found bits of Earth on the Moon?

I don't think I have ever seen her without her twin sister. They just turned 23 a few weeks ago. I couldn't tell if Mary-Kate was extremely exhausted, as she claimed, or had one too many Long Island Iced Teas while in the "green room".

Good advice, though. Always wear your panties.



The Large Hadron Collider, located astride the French/Swiss border, is scheduled to go on-line in August. I've mentioned this before. Arguments are still being heard in the litigation filed in Hawai'i to prevent its start. "Wacky" Walt Wagner has had prior suits dismissed. But lets just suppose that some micro blackhole is created and the Earth gets sucked somewhere over the rainbow event horizon. It would happen so fast that no one would ever know. And I do hope the start date precedes the national political conventions. If "wacky" Walt is correct, then we will be saved from those long boring speeches we must endure every four years.


"Let's all be careful out there!"

DAILY CHUCKLE - 6/29

"Let's all be careful out there!"

WATCH THE ARCTIC ICECAP DISAPPEAR

1981 THRU 2007


The best graphic example I've come across of the shrinking polar icecap. Related story.


The Phoenix Mars Lander has scraped through the surface soil, the subsurface soil and has finally reached the ice layer. They are calling the area where it landed "Wonderland".

Bill Gates has "retired" and new leadership is taking over Microsoft. Bill did more for us web users than anyone else. Whether or not you agree with his business tactics, the products he produced, even with their faults, has provided millions (if not billions) with access to our world in a way never dreamed of. Thank you, sir.

In a report to be issued on Monday, the Army now states that the planning for post-war Iraq was inadequate. Mostly led by the rose-colored glasses view of the Dubya administration that we would be welcomed as liberators. Perpetuated by the military leaders who bought into "Fearless Leader's" flawed view of reality "lock, stock and barrel". George Walker Bush, our 43rd President is going to leave behind a legacy that I hope no future leader ever follows. I wonder how he earned an MBA? He has less brains, and common sense, than any predecessor.

The Federal Reserve is extremely worried about inflation. A recession that could become a depression, rampant price increases on everything imported (and what isn't?) and stunted internal growth are leading everyone to the poor house in lock-step.

Science may have found an effective way to mitigate migraines.



How bad is it back on Mau'i?

I hope every one enjoys the rest of the weekend. Remember this is a short work week. Fourth of July is on Friday and the long mid-summer 3-day weekend. Thank you for coming by. Hope to see you again real soon.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE

NEVER PISS OFF A GUY WHO OWNS A BACKHOE



Thanks to Lugosi for finding this one:


A good lawyer would probably have a decent case against this judge in Iowa.

Just a little history lesson for Dubya:
On this day in 2001 -

Slobodan Milosevic was taken into custody and was handed over to the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. The indictment charged Milosevic and four other senior officials, with crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war in Kosovo.

10 things you didn't know about birds.

Top-10 movie robots

Turns out that the Arctic Ocean seafloor is an active volcanic zone. A very active one.



"Let's all be careful out there!"