Grapes Over Easy

This is just creepy to watch. Sure we all know it sounds like the same stuff all the time, but do they have to always say it the same way?

Syncronized Debates

Be Amazed

After some crack detective work, police suspect foul play.

I apologize in advance if it seems I am making light of this.

The way it comes off, I hope this is just crappy writing.

She may be smart (up for debate), but there is a huge place full of nothing in that head.

Fruit Flies. Is there any topic she is not completely uninformed about? Must not cover bugs much in all those untitled Alaska publications she reads so frequently.

I know we talked about this before, but this is important stuff, so lets go over it one more time:

Enjoy your Halloween, but BE SAFE!

1. Have an adult check your candy before you eat it.
2. Make sure your costume has reflective tape so you can be seen by speeding motorists. Getting hit by a car is a real annoyance. Trust me on this one.
3. Be sure all cauldrons are well ventilated.
4. Carry a flash light to help determine if body parts are real or fake.
5. Avoid people wearing garlic. They smell and it can burn your flesh.
6. Most threats of holy water turn out to be fake, but do you really need to find out? Find an easier victim.
7. Prevent communicable infections- clean all dismembering utensils promptly. A clean axe is a happy axe, plus, once it dries, blood will discolor most metals.
8. If your victim overwhelms you by surprise, play dead. Most people will just assume they destroyed you and walk away. Then you can get up and go after them again. The look in their eyes when you appear from around the next corner: Priceless.
9. When presented with two sticks, fingers or pieces of silverware held perpendicular to each other in the shape of a crucifix as a feeble means of self-defense, try not to laugh. If someone else witnesses you laughing, they might realize how worthless that is and come up with some real defenses. Ignore and continue feeding.
10. Three children are worth the same number of points as one adult, and one-quarter the hassle. It's up to you, I'm just saying. You get no extra points for energy expended.

Happy Halloween!

Seems like other people have been having problems with signs getting stolen.

I like the idea of the epoxy, vaseline, and/or poison ivy. I know it would backfire on me somehow, tho.

http://m.cnn.com/cnn/ne/politics/detail/186593

As I read this headline I was thinking to myself 'of course the kind of race the candidate runs is important.'

Sometimes its tough to decide things. Chicken or fish? Coke or Pepsi?

Slutty or skanky?

Joe Plumber doesn't like the spotlight it seems. Poor guy. Wonder if McCain asked him if he could use him as a poster boy?

NEW YORK—"Joe the Plumber" is lashing out at the media for analyzing his personal life since he suddenly became a focal point of the presidential race last week.

Joe Wurzelbacher, a plumber from Holland, Ohio, told Mike Huckabee on his Fox News talk show Saturday that he is upset by the attention and has been unable to work with reporters crowded on his front lawn.

"The media's worried about whether I've paid my taxes, they're worried about any number of silly things that have nothing to do with America," Wurzelbacher told the former Republican presidential hopeful on his show, "Huckabee."

Wurzelbacher said he felt terrible after reading some of the criticism of himself posted online.

"I felt about that small," he said. "I mean I really did."

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has been portraying Wurzelbacher as emblematic of people with concerns about Obama's tax plans.

Wurzelbacher became famous after he met Obama and said the Democrat's tax proposal could keep him from buying the two-man plumbing company where he works. However, reports of Wurzelbacher's annual earnings suggest he would receive a tax cut rather than an increase under Obama's plan.

"You know, I am a plumber," Wurzelbacher said. "Just a plumber."

Wurzelbacher said he agreed to appear on the show after he received phone calls from friends serving in the military who voiced their support.

"You know, when you can't ask a question of your leaders anymore, that gets scary," he said.

On Sunday, McCain was to travel to Ohio, where he might appear with Wurzelbacher.

http://m.cnn.com/cnn/ne/politics/detail/184230;jsessionid=D4DF242E4A749C2B0E7AA9C50A42CF5E

I LOVE this!

Extreme sushi challenge.

Fun ad for sushi.

This link might not be available for long, so get it while it's hot.

Microsoft: I love you. I want to be with you forever.

Yahoo: No. Go away.

Microsoft: No really, I love you. You, me, together. It's real.

Yahoo: You are gross. No.

Microsoft: What some candy? I bet if I ask your family, they'll want you to be with me. I'll ask them.

Yahoo: You are creepy. Leave me alone.

Microsoft: Everything about you works so well with me. I love you.

Yahoo: I can't believe this. NO. You make me feel icky.

Microsoft: Ok. Fine... Ask.com likes me.

Yahoo: GOOD! Ask for a good life far away.

Microsoft: FINE! I'm leaving.

Yahoo: Hasta la pasta.

Microsoft: I love you.

I won the Australian lottery. Let's go party people. I'm buying.

Some of the things I love about this message:

1. You can't see it here, but the font was comic sans. The MOST corporate font for lotteries worldwide.

2. My email address was obtained from "some site" (highlighted below)

3. My lucky "mumber17" was the bonus number. SWEET!

4. "conglomerate of some multinational companies" Yes, SOME. Big ones too. Don't you think it wasn't.

5. Must have written this sentence on a deadline with a few hearty Foster's on board: "Further more your details (e-mail address) falls within our European representative office in LONDON, as indicated in your play coupon and your prize of US$500,000.00 will be released to you from this regionalbranch office in LONDON."

6. Here's who I need to contact: "fiducially agent,Rev.Fr PATRICK UKA". I assume he is Reverend Fryer Uka, the famous fiducially agent. Sort of like a religious-lottery 007.

7. Uh-oh. I was supposed to keep this private. They advice me pretty seriously. "we advice all winners to keep this information confidential from the public until your claim is processed"

8. Hey wait. Why are they asking for all my information? They are contacting me...I'm not so sure about this...


From: rubinallen@aol.com
Subject: Congratulations!Award Notification 2008{contact your claims agent.}
Date: October 10, 2008 4:27:33 AM MDT

FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARDS DEPARTMENT AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY CORPORATION.

COOL STREET
PAUL GREEN VULLE Ax34587,
AUSTRALIA.
Ref: 435062725
Batch: 7050490902/189
Winning no: GB8101/LPRC

WEBSITE; www.australianlottery.com.au.tp

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Dear Lucky winner,

This is to inform you that you have won prize money of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS ($500,000.00) for the YEAR 2007/2008 Lottery promotion.From the Australian Lotto incorporated program.This is a bonus to promote lotto in Australia Which is fully based on an electronic selection of winners using their e-mail addresses from some site.

Your email address was attached to ticket number; 4700172507056490102 serial number 7741134002 This batch draws the lucky numbers as follows 5-13-33-37-42 bonus mumber17,which consequently won the lotto in the second category.

You here by have been approved a lump sum pay of US$500,000.00 (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/09 from the total cash prize shared amongst eight lucky winners in this category.

All participant were selected through a computer balloting system drawn form Nine hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada,Australia,United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East,Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotions program which is conducted annually.

This Lotto was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some multinational companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base.

Further more your details (e-mail address) falls within our European representative office in LONDON, as indicated in your play coupon and your prize of US$500,000.00 will be released to you from this regionalbranch office in LONDON.

We hope with part of your prize, you will participate in our end of year high stakes for US$1.3 Billion international draw.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE

Simply contact our fiducially agent,Rev.Fr PATRICK UKA
E-mail;address(rev_fr_patrick_uka@yahoo.com) to file for your claim
. contact him Monday to Friday.Phone:+447024043526 by filling the form below and send it to him to file for your claim .

LOTTERY WINNERS APPLICATION FORM OF PAYMENT.

FULL NAME.................................................
DATE OF BIRTH.........................................
ADDRESS...................................................
SEX..........................................................
AGE........................................................
NATIONALITY...........................................
OCCUPATION............................................
PERSONAL MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBER...............................
EMAIL.....................................................
DATE......................................................
WINNER REF/BATCH NO...........................APPROVED
FOR PAYMENT.

Please quote your reference,batch and winning number which can be found on the
top left corner of this notification as well as your full name, address and telephone number to help locate your file easily.

For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your prize released to you.This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this program by non-nonparticipants personnel.

Note, all Lottery Prize must be claimed not later than 21 days from date of Draw Notification after the Draw date in which Prize has won unless otherwise.all funds will be returned as Unclaimed and eventually donated to charity organizations.

Congratulations once again on your winnings!!!

CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT AT....................
(rev_fr_patrick_uka@yahoo.com) ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs Grace Karimu

On line co-ordinator for

AUSTRALIAN LOTTO PROGRAMME

Sweepstakes International Program Australian Lottery On-Line 2008.

McCain or Obama? Stay updated on coverage of the Presidential race while you browse - Download Now!

No, it's true. Convert your old iMac to a table game. It's super cool!

LINK

Hey, we have an old iMac at work...

In an interview with Steve Inskeep of NPR, John McCain said he has turned to Mrs. Palin many times in the past for foreign policy advice. Many times in the past month or so that he has known her? Maybe after she met with the UN and foreigners for the first time, she had some fresh insight on foreign policy.

Here is the transcript from the interview and the link to it:

Given what you've said, senator, is there an occasion where you could imagine turning to Gov. Palin for advice in a foreign policy crisis?

I've turned to her advice many times in the past. I can't imagine turning to Sen. Obama or Sen. Biden, because they've been wrong. They were wrong about Iraq, they were wrong about Russia. Sen. Biden wanted to divide Iraq into three different countries. He voted against the first Gulf War. Sen. Obama has no experience whatsoever and has been wrong in the issues that he's been involved in.

from Salon

http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2008/09/21.html#a2247

A Better Solution to the Financial Crisis: Ian Welsh has an idea that would work better to deal with the financial crisis in the US: "What the government should do instead is set up a Trust to buy mortgages at a discount, then reset them to 20, 30 or 50 year fixed mortgages with a reduced face amount. If the house is later sold, half of the increase goes to the government, so that taxpayers make a profit. The mortgage cannot be paid off before the end of its term so that financial scavengers cannot come around and, as they did over the last ten years, say 'get rid of that mortgage, and take ours. It's better. Honest!', because we know that when they say better, they don't mean better for the mortgage holder. The mortgage is attached to the property and is transfered to any new buyer. And the mortgage cannot be removed from the property, and any new mortgages attached to the property are junior to the government mortgage." Thanks to Jon Husband for the link.

Interesting idea, the credit crunch is linked to the housing bubble.

What a CRAZY idea.

link to article.

by: Dean Baker, The Center for Economic and Policy Research

If you haven't heard, Congress is currently discussing a $700 Billion bail out of our banking and investment system. Or something like that. I honestly am confused on who gets the money, why they get it and how all this happened. I took economics in college, but I must have skipped the day we talked about government bailout strategies.

I do have a few observations and questions based on what I have seen and heard lately. If anyone can send me some good information about any of these I would greatly appreciate it. Here goes:

1. What is going on?

2. Why does Congress have only 2 options - vote today for the bail out as written, or apparently let the entire world economy collapse? Isn't there any other thinking going on here? It seems our choices are either get screwed by investors or get screwed by our government. Isn't there at least some other idea or plan? Call up that Numb3rs guy. He's got lots of great ideas.

3. All I hear is "vote for the bail out. vote for the bail out". There was a Senator on NPR yesterday saying basically that we are all stupid for asking our representatives to not vote for this. How about some reasons, facts, details, or information? Anything other than "It will be BAAAAAD, Hanibal." Who voted Mr. T into Congress? Educate us, o smarty pants.

4. Speaking of voting, that senator also said that other representatives were voting just to keep their jobs, which I interpret as him saying that our elected representatives shouldn't vote the way their constituents want them to. Huh. I thought that was their job? Isn't their purpose to REPRESENT us in government? I could be wrong, but it seems he is saying that the people shouldn't be allowed to have a say in what happens. Odd, but that doesn't seem like democracy. I do understand that sometimes the people (who haven't been told anything, see #3 above) may not understand the gravity of the situation, and a smart, educated, in-the-know representative may have to do what is right for the country instead of exactly what the people request. And those people may not be happy about it come election day, but that is the job you are in, guys. It is kind of like parenting. Sometimes you have to make a decision that your child doesn't like because it is what is best for them. That doesn't mean they will love you for it. If parents were voted into office, I'll bet many of them would stay in power past age 6. My son is 6, and he's tried to stage a coup 3 times already. Quit whining. And, just possibly, the collective wisdom of an educated public just might be better than the abstract thought of a highly paid adviser. Maybe. We've gutted most of the education system to pay for wars and corporate subsidies, so maybe that public isn't as educated as they used to be.

5. Speaking of voting, how is everyone blaming everyone else for this problem? The Democrats are being blamed for the bill not passing, even though 2/3 of them voted FOR this bill, while 2/3 of Republicans DID NOT vote for this bill. Translation - the person who is pushing this bill, our President, who is a Republican, could only get 1/3 of HIS OWN PARTY to vote with him. The opposing party has often been known to not instantly vote for whatever 3 page, $700 Billion plan that someone floats, remember? That is the way it works. Checks and balances. If he had been able to convince his own team, this would have passed with flying colors.

6. I have heard Obama and Pelosi attacked for not showing "leadership" to get this bill passed. Huh. Lets think about leadership. Why is it their job to get this bill passed? Who's plan is it? Shouldn't that person show some leadership? Or how about the person who is actually the leader at the moment. Where is their leadership? What kind of leader says, "Congress needs to work this out" and then walks off? What kind of leader can only get 1/3 of the his best friends and supporters to vote for his plan? A leader stands up and leads when the rest of the group stands in confusion.

7. What are the horrible consequences we are talking about here? And if they are getting us back to reality, much like a "market correction" isn't the bail out propping up a false and dangerous system, based on fabricated value?

8. How about John McCain? Only a few weeks ago, he was saying that the basic structure of the economy was sound, and now we are in a train wreck. What's that all about? Don't worry John, I'm not going to pick on you. You admitted that economics isn't your strong point. But wait. If economics isn't your strong point, why did you rush back to Washington to help solve this problem? Based on how far off the mark you were just a few weeks ago, you should really just stay out of the way, chachi. Let the big boys with those new fangled calculators get some work done. We do appreciate your attempt to lead (see #6), but a leader also knows when he has no clue what is going on. Then a leader's job is to get out of the way and let people do their work.

9. How is W not getting any blame here? Clinton isn't even in office and he is getting blamed. The public is getting blamed for accepting the bad mortgages we were offered by greedy banks. I swear we should coat frying pans with that guy and nothing would ever burn or stick. Strap him on the front of the space shuttle and reentry would be a cake walk. It's like magic. He's been the president for 8 years! 6 of them with a Congress that would do whatever he asked. And now he is saying it's Congress's fault? Again, leadership starts with "lead" (not the metal - long "e" sound) and has nothing to do with boats today.

10. What are the banks doing to help themselves? The should have some pretty sharp financial minds hanging out not doing much, maybe they could work up a few Plan B or C's. Or maybe not, they are the one's that got us here, right?

11. Conspiracy theory alert: Is this all a distraction so we don't notice a build up in the Middle East? Or to make our economy so weak that we have to attack Iran? Sounds crazy, but so did attacking Iraq because we were attacked by a man from Saudi Arabia living in a tent in Afghanistan. We passed that one with no questions asked.

12. I've asked this before, but where is Dick Cheney lately? No peeps from the veep. Did he die? Or did he just climb inside of Bush's body to save time this crisis period?

13. There is talk of raising the FDIC deposit limit to $250,000 to restore the pubic's confidence in the banking system. OK. Thanks. That makes me much more confident. How many Americans have deposits that will be touched by this? This seems to benefit only very wealthy people who are set to lose a great deal if our banking system collapses. It's important they feel their money is safe.

14. If the value of all these stocks drops, shouldn't there be a drop in the pricetag of this whole bail out? I'm sure this is stupid, but economics isn't my strong point. Buy low, sell high, right?

15. If forgiving debt to release credit is the solution, why not pay off the mortgages directly, allowing consumers to go spend that money elsewhere in the economy? The way the current plan seems is that the banks lose their bad debt, citizens who couldn't pay and created the bad debt are still on the hook for the money, AND they have a truck load of public debt that they will have to pay off with taxes in the future. Seems like robbing a person, and then charging him for the service. But wait, that's healthcare. I don't want to get off topic.

If our economy is crashing because home values were artificially inflated due to easy credit, why are we basically subsidizing those home values so that banks can continue to provide easy credit? Isn't that what got us here? That doesn't sound like a plan. That sounds like stalling and waiting for a change of administration.

Again, these are just observations and questions. Any insight you could offer would be great. Send them too bailout@bgxlabs.com.