Apply stick to dead horse. Beat repeatedly.

Dear dear Hillary....get the hint. There is no way in God's green earth you are going to get the nomination. None. Nada, zip, nil...etc.... And to add insult to injury, today while Hillary was busy patting herself on the back for her win in West Virginia John Edwards came out of nowhere and took the wind out of her sails by declaring his unconditional support for Barack Obama. Hee hee......I may have guessed that one right. A ticket of Obama-Edwards will help Obama connect with the White Blue Collar folks he just can't reach. Oh yeah!!!

Too funny not to share.

Okay I had to share this one. I was behind a truck today on the way home that was a company vehicle for a "Wildlife and Animal Removal Specialists". They proceeded to list about a dozen "critters" that they remove, and ended the list with Etc. Holy Crap!!! I sure don't want to run into that "etc" someday..... Why the list if you are going to put Etc. at the end? Makes no sense to me, but thought it was too funny not to share.

Rush Limbaugh: Asshat extraordanaire

"Another possible factor: the "Limbaugh" voters or the "mischief voters," Republicans who have followed the conservative talk-show host's call. The nation's biggest radio star has been pushing a drive he calls "Operation Chaos," urging his listeners to prolong the Democratic battle by re-registering and voting for Clinton and suggesting they lie to exit pollsters to confound the media."

Can you believe this crap????? Way to go idiot.....let's screw with our Democratic process. Of course the bunch of sorry saps that whent and did this should have irons tied to their legs and thrown in the deepest ocean. If you don't like who's running, then don't freaking vote asshats!!! Some of us actually care about the next 4 years and what it means to our families and country.

"Limbaugh, in an e-mail late Tuesday to The Chronicle, rejoiced in speculation from within the Obama campaign that he was responsible for as much as 7 percent of the Clinton vote in Indiana.
"I'm extremely proud of the Operation Chaos volunteers," he said. "I never doubted that they would triumph in Indiana. I think it is a hoot the Obama campaign is crediting (us) for giving Hillary a 7-point bump. It sounds like they are jealous I out-organized them."

No you didn't out-organize them asshole. You are a Cult of Personality that is as meaningful as a fart in a windstorm. I guess this ass thinks it's a big joke. Probably because his Ancient, White, Male Hero stands no chance in Hell of being President so he is going to make a mockery of the efforts of the Woman and The Black Guy. I hope the Black Guy wins and shuts your stupid ass up. It won't, but it will demasculate this penis a little.

Source: SFGate.com article by Carla Marinucci http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/07/MNRK10HOND.DTL

Wow what a crock of BS.....

So John McCain and Hillary Clinton are trying to convince the populous that they can wave a magic wand and make gas taxes go away for the Summer....and apparently some people are buying it.   Okay folks, here goes....

 

BULLSHIT!!

 

And just how are they going to achieve this?  As of right now they are just members of the Senate.  They can propose this as a bill (I'm just a bill yes I'm only a bill....remember that? ) but it has to go through the proper channels to be voted on and approved.  Guess what?  Ain't happening.  Obama is being honest and realistic about it.  He's right, these two numbnuts are just using this as impetuous to get votes.  Do you people seriously think that even if you had tax free gas for 3 months that the price would go down??????  If you do, you're only fooling yourself my friend.    Gas prices are set by the Oil companies and the corporations that own the service Stations.   The price of a gallon of gas includes, sales tax, gas tax, cost of refining, and, drumroll please, PROFIT!!!  Lot's of profit nowadays apparently.   So at 4 bucks a gallon without the gas tax, that would only mean more profit for the Oil Companies.  This isn't just something I pulled out of my ass.....no, it's what every single major Economist in this Country is saying.  The "savings" will go right into the coffers of the Oil assholes that are driving the price up to begin with.   Let's use our heads people.  Until the Government stops letting these Oil Schmucks get away with this, nothing is going to change.  Period.  Also if you take away those taxes for 3 months, that's 3 months of lost revenue for highway and infrastructure projects lost.  Probably about 50 mil......you think your local Department of Transportation takes forever getting crap done now....just wait until they are out 50 mil.......We won't save any money......how can we save money if the prices won't go lower.....and you know they won't.  It's almost summer for Christsake......the time when gas prices traditionally go up because there is measurable more demand for gas as people are driving to recreation destinations because of summer break.   Please don't believe these jackasses...they are just blowing sunshine up your ass.....

It's May....Time for a Rant

Two items that I keep reading about and just have to comment on. The first one is the statement "Is TV dying and moving to the Web?" Uh no. The networks think so because they have done studies that say there's an increase in Americans watching videos on the web. Uh...yeah it's called YouTube. Or music videos. See there's this station on Cable called MTV, and the initials stand for Music TeleVision. Apparently somewhere along the line they forgot that and starting airing lame ass game shows and Teen reality TV. Where did the videos go???? With the Government forcing networks to broadcast in Digital next year and the price of HD's and Plasma's going down, I don't really think TV will die. I think the networks might wake the Hell up. Seriously, ABC......Cavemen and Carpoolers?!?!?!?!?!? You were really serious with those two shows weren't you????? The only reason people watch a show on the net is if they missed it and didn't dvr it or tape it. I know a friend of mine who lives in Germany doesn't get alot of American TV so he watches it on the web. He's glad to do it as he wouldn't be able to see them any other way. I just wish the cable companies would wise up. Seriously, At&T, Comcast, etc......can't we just tell you what channels we want and pay accordingly? Is that so hard? There are a dozen channels I could do without, a few I wish I had. Can I swap the crappy ones for the others?????? When you sign up for service you should fill out a form and click on the channels you want. They total it up for you and say...it's 60 bucks a month for these 100 channels....something like that. Charge the box rental fee, etc but really just let us pick and choose what we want to watch. Even have a preview channel. You get to watch a couple of hours of a channel and you can click on a button to "add to your subscribed channels now". Then they tack on that channel to your bill. Would it be that hard?

The one that has me really wound up is this Polygamy Cult in Texas. I've read alot of comments in the paper and news online and I can't believe people are actually defending these jackasses!!! There's a Tin Foil Hat wearing conspiracy theory brigade out there who are pissed that the Government is invading peoples lives and taking away their children. So what if teen girls are pregnant....teens get pregnant all the time......there's not proof of anything...it's typical gestapo tactics.....reminds me of Waco....

WTF is wrong with these people!?!?!?!?!? Seriously. It's a cult where women are bred to become the wives of multiple men in the upper echelons of the cult. Young boys are gotten rid of if they don't pass muster as they are a threat to the way things work. Girls are hand picked to be "wed" to various men as their 3rd, 4th or 5th wives and they don't have a say in it. So apparently according to these freaking idiots that read the news and comment on it....it's okay for a 13 year old girl to be forced to be the wife of some 52 year old man. It's okay for that old freak to force himself sexually on her and get her pregnant. Then when her daughters are old enough, they are given to other old freaks. There's no proof of abuse?!?!?!?!?!?!? What they Hell do these idiots think that is....... Do these morons think that a 13 year old girl is "okay" with being forced to marry and have sex with someone who she considers "ancient"??????? I think what Texas should do is deprogram all the mothers of these kids then see if giving them back will work out.

ECO Craziness......

I understand yesterday was Earth Day, and I understand everyone is all atwitter with glee over Gore's power point presentation....I mean movie but come on!!!  This "being Green" crap is getting to be too much now.  Ever notice when you try and buy "earth friendly" products they aren't "wallet" friendly???  It's the new Beanie Baby collectible market.  Let's cash in on people's guilt.  Sorry folks, these Corporations don't actually give a rat's ass about the environment.....but they will sure market the crap out of their ECO products for you.   Or you will get slammed with "at least once a day Carpool...or take public transit..."  Easier said than done.  Carpooling was great when folks didn't work the crazy hours they have been working for the past decade or so.  If you all worked at XYZ Factory from 8-5, then you piled into Joe's car and all drove to the factory, then went out after and had beers.  Sorry it doesn't work that way any more.  At least for office folk.   Public transportation is great, if they dumbasses worked together.  When I got married the first time, I lived in the East Bay Area.  I worked on the Peninsula so to get from home to work I had to drive across the Bay Bridge and pay a then two dollar daily toll (it's like 5 bucks now....).  Or I could have taken BART ( the Bay Area's subway).  I could get on a BART train as early as 5 AM.  It was an hour and a half walk from the station to my office (trust me I did it once....) and should have been a 15-20 minute bus ride.   I took the 6 AM train.  Got to the station closest to my work at 7.  The bus didn't come until 7:30-7:45......that was the first bus.  Imagine if I had taken the train at 5 am.  I would have been sitting around waiting on the bus for an hour and a half.  As it was it took almost a half hour for the bus to get me to my office....basically at 8am on the dot when I was supposed to be sitting on my duff working.   Yeah that worked out.  So far my ride to work was a good 2 and a half hours.  Or I could drive.  As long as you were at the toll plaza by 6ish you were good.   It would take me an hour and a half to drive.  Hmmm what's better.....that's why there's so many cars on the bloody road.  In Tennessee, we don't have public transit.  Just MTA busses in Nashville proper.  I work on the outskirts of Nashville.....we have a commuter train that goes from home to downtown Nashville.....a ways out of my way to get to the office.  I'd have to hop on a bus that might take a good half hour/hour to get me to the office.  Or, I can commute 30-45 minutes each day.   Hmmm....yeah carpooling works soooo well.  Want to be ECO minded?  Stop buying gas guzzling behemoth vehicles.  It was the fascination with the SUV in the 90's that has us paying almost 4 bucks a gallon for gas.  Thanks Jones and those keeping up with said Jones.......thanks so much.   I was okay with the rash of Mini Vans there for awhile...at least Mini Vans get decent mileage.....much better actually than SUV's......oh, but wait.....it's funny actually, I've gotten so many owners of big SUV's stop me in parking lots, etc and ask about my Scion and how do I like it and what mileage it gets.  I politely answer it's a Toyota for 15 k and it gets 35 mpg (I also smirk a little when I say that because in my head I'm doing the Ha Ha dance).  What I really want to tell these people (but unlike popular opinion I really don't like being an ass) is "oh now you want the fuel efficient vehicle.  After you and all the other SUV drivers in the world have sucked up almost every last drop of fuel and NOW you want to preserve it.......should have thought of that sooner!!!".   I don't say that though; I don't have to.  They realize it.  Don't get me wrong, I do honestly believe that the last 100 years or so of being an Industrialized civilization has sped up the natural progression of a changing climate, but I don't get how bringing your own bags to the grocery store (and Oh God let me tell you how trendy this is getting....oh wait..that was a few entries ago...go read it) is going to keep plastic out of the land fills.  Everything you buy in the grocery store is packaged in plastic.  Yes by not using plastic bags you will not be throwing them away...but you will be throwing out the plastic wrap covering the meat you buy, the plastic bag you put your Organic vegetables in, etc etc.  What exactly are you saving?  All you are doing is giving the store a reason to charge you for their dependence on plastic bags; remember, THEY are the ones that started pushing plastic because paper kills trees.......we tend to forget that little tidbit....the reality of it is the plastic bags cost the store less than paper ones did so that's why they pushed them....they could care less about trees....remember one thing...your friendly neighborhood grocer is run by a CORPORATION.....and all they care about is maximizing profit.  If they want us to be sooo concerned about the environment and wean us off of Plastic bags, then they can start giving us paper or the reusable canvas bags and give us an actual discount.....or not.  I mean if they bagged your groceries in reusable bags...basically gave you your first set of bags for free......then would only bag your groceries in those reusable bags you brought in from now on, they wouldn't have to buy those plastic grocery bags.  Most of these places have Reward cards.  They would scan your card, then enter a certain code that would tell them in the future when you scanned that card again that this person has already received a full set of bags so don't give them additional then you wouldn't get wasteful people.  If they gave me the bags, or at least charged me what they charge me for the plastic (oh yeah.....you didn't know that?  The price you pay for groceries already has the cost of those plastic bags factored in.....) then I'd reuse the things.  What is funny is that most of these reusable bags they sell aren't canvas.  They are plastic coated and cost upward of 4 bucks a bag!!!!  For what?  So you can get 4 cents off a bag??????  OOOOO that's good economics right there.  Or better yet, do like Costco and Sam's, put it all in cardboard boxes.  You know there are tons of empty boxes in the stock room from all the products that are on the shelves.  Instead of some poor sap having to shove all that crap in a compactor and bundling it up reuse it!!!!  What a concept!!!  You get rid of your trash by giving it to someone else!!!!  Around Tennessee, each County has it's own dump.  Guess what, it's free to dump your trash there.  No shit.....it shocked me too.  Back home in Cali you went to the dump it was like 10-20 bucks a carload.  Here there is a place for household trash, recycling bins for plastic, glass, newspaper, magazines/junk mail, a HUGE bin for cardboard plus a bin for crap (broken furniture, old sinks....etc).  Then there is a separate bin for old washing machines/fridges that kind of thing.  Seriously you can go once a day and most of them are open 7 days a week.  So if Kroger "bagged" my groceries in old cardboard boxes, you damn well know they'd end up in the cardboard recycling bin at the dump.  Now isn't that better for the environment and your wallet????  This going "green" has become too freaking trendy and people are feeding the machine to make themselves feel better.....because God Forbid they admit that if they got rid of the H2 and bough a station wagon they'd actually save gas and money.  No we have to bring our own bags to the store...carried there in our Cadillac Escalade.  Yeah save the planet.....You're doing it wrong!!!

Jewish Buddhism

(Posted in the Cardiff Rose's Yahoo Groups Message board....too funny not to share).

If there is no self, whose arthritis is this?

Be here now.
Be someplace else later.
Is that so complicated?

Drink tea and nourish life;
with the first sip, joy;
with the second sip, satisfaction;
with the third sip, peace;
with the fourth, a Danish.

Wherever you go, there you are.
Your luggage is another story.

Accept misfortune as a blessing.
Do not wish for perfect health, or a life without problems.
What would you talk about?

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Oy.

There is no escaping karma.
In a previous life,
you never called,
you never wrote,
you never visited.
And whose fault was that?

Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkis.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Forget this and attaining Enlightenment will be the least of your problems.

Let your mind be as a floating cloud.
Let your stillness be as a wooded glen.
And sit up straight.
You'll never meet the Buddha with such rounded shoulders.

Deep inside you are ten thousand flowers.
Each flower blossoms ten thousand times.
Each blossom has ten thousand petals.
You might want to see a specialist.

Be aware of your body.
Be aware of your perceptions.
Keep in mind that not every physical sensation is a symptom of a terminal illness.

The Torah says, Love your neighbor as yourself.
The Buddha says, There is no self.
So, maybe we're off the hook.

The Game of Tag Banned!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Click on the link to read an article about the most ridiculous example of Nanny State-ness in a long time. So apparently a Principal in Virginia wants the game of tag....yes you read that right, Tag as in tag you're it....banned. Why???? Because it's become too aggressive. Of course it is....it's tag!!!! You chase someone and smack them on the arm then run away. The complaint was that too many kids are going to the nurses office. Duh!!! They're....wait for it....KIDS!!!!! You know, crazy, active, running, jumping, climbing doing stupid crap and falling on their arses or scrapping a knee or two. KIDS!!!! This dumbass principal was shocked at the parents reaction.....in other words when she had a PTA meeting to announce this the parents of these kids basically said "Are you freaking kidding me?????". If some kids are being schmucks, then send those kids to the Principal's office and discipline them. Leave the other kids alone. So these kids can't play football, run, or play tag. Hmmmm......and they wonder why kids are so damn fat.

300th Entry

I've finally reached my 300th entry.....woo hoo.....and here it is:

There's apparently a push in my Homestate of Cali to start charging a quarter a bag for groceries bagged in plastic. You know the EVIL plastic bags that they forced on us years ago because of those EVIL paper bags that were killing all the trees.......actually now most paper grocery bags are recycled paper so why we don't use them is beyond me...(oh wait....because the plastic one's are cheaper!!!!). I'm really getting sick of this whole "green" movement....it's becomming an excuse for unsavory types who don't give a shiat about the environment to make a profit off the sheep. They sell these "enviro" reusuable bags which are made of canvas woven with plastic to make them waterproof and have a plastic flip down stablizer thing to make the bottom of the bag flat plus have printing on the (plastic in the ink) and are stiched with plastic coated thread. And you are supposed to bring these into the store with you (at what 2 bucks a bag or something like that) and sometimes the store will give you a dime or so off of each one you use.....of course you aren't saving much money because you are still getting charged for those plastic bags you aren't using (it's in the cost of the food and other crap you are buying......). So the store pays what a nickel or so for those bags? They add the cost of that to the price of items in the store. They may give you a dime back for every reusable bag you bring in......guess what....still not saving money......you are really getting a nickel back for every bag you bring in....but you still are taxed and you still are paying for the plastic bags that I love so much. Seriously, I'm staring at a Kroger bag on my desk right now. I took my lunch in it to work today. When I go home, I will probably scoop cat shit into it and put it in the trash. Can I do that with a reusable grocery bag??? No. What I'd have to do then is to buy more plastic garbage bags instead of recycling ones that I've gotten from the store. Either give me paper bags back or STFU. Why should we have to pay more for something that the stores forced on us to begin with??? I liked paper bags, I used them pretty much for what I use plastic bags for today.....waste basket liners and cat poop receptacles. Heck we used to use them for cheap book covers for school. I agree we need to work on being nicer to the planet, but this whole reusable bag thing is a crock. Think about it. The majority of the items you buy come in some kind of plastic container/packaging. Your bread is wrapped in plastic. There is a plastic film securely covering your meat....which is also on a styrofoam base. Plastic milk jugs, styrofoam egg cartons, plastic packaging for your cheese, deli meats. Yeah you are really saving the environment there Eco Warrior. That's like Jane Soccer Mom driving her SUV to the grocery store but feeling so good about herself because she "brought her own bags....I'm such a Green person Marge...look at me!!!" Yeah you may be keeping your plastic grocery bags out of the landfill, but all that plastic crap that you throw into your big plastic kitchen garbage bag ends up there anyway.

Oh Boo Hoo

So today a bunch of independent Truck Owners and Operators refused to work because they are biatching about fuel prices. They say that the people they contract with aren't giving them enough to cover the rising cost of fuel. Well gee, if you didn't fly down the freeways doing 90 and cutting people off and generally driving like asshead, then maybe I might have some sympathy. Sorry dudes, I don't. For the past several years Semi's have been the menace of the roadways. I remember back home in the Bay Area. Every time I heard a traffic report it was an incident involving a (insert vehicle/object here) and a Big Rig. Always! The Union drivers didn't stop driving nor did the big transport companies. They're smart. My company is working on a rail project that will raise the height of tunnels so that they can double stack freight cars. When this happens, Semi's will only be used for local hauls, from the railyard to the warehouse. Not cross country hauls. Niiiicccceee!! Get these schmucks off the road I say. If I was an independent owner/operator, I'd tack on a fuel surcharge as part of the price I qouted. If they didn't like, then they could hire someone else. When I worked for a Courier Company we had fuel surcharges all the time. Folks just accepted it because it was necessary. If these truck jockeys want some kind of change, try parking your rigs in front of an oil refinery and haulting traffic in and out.......that might get some attention. Making life miserable for the rest of us will only make us despise you more.

Two steps forward three steps back....

Remember back in the late 70's and 80's when TV was nothing but T&A? Then all kinds of folks complained and really what folks wante was a good story and great writing. A little flash of sexy was okay but when it drives the show it gets boring quick. I'm getting the impression that we are back sliding lately. USA has several shows (as does FX) where the main characters are really strong Women. Somehow though, a couple of them feel that for a Woman to be a strong character they have to focus 90% of their attention on her sex life. Why? On Law and Order Mariska Hargety plays a very strong female character, but the show rarely delves into the character's personal life outside the station.....it really doesn't need to as that's not what the show's about. On USA there are two shows: Saving Grace and a new one called In Plain Sight. Saving Grace had an interesting premise: Holly Hunter plays a mess of a cop in Oklahoma who gets visited by a tobacco chewing Angel. Sounds good huh? It's not. I watched three episodes of it and all I remember was Holly Hunter continuing to ruin her Partner's marriage by sleeping with him constantly and drinking and screwing herself silly. Apparently there were crimes to be solved each episode, but I couldn't tell you what they were. It's like the whole purpose of the show is to show borderline soft core sex and nudity.........I get doing it once or twice...but it seemed like every episode. Whatever. Now this new one called In Plain Sight is about a US Marshall named Mary. From the previews, it looks like it's going to focus on Mary naked and screwing everything that moves. Wow.......I personally think this is doing these ladies a great disservice. Honestly, just concentrate on the action and "cop" part of the show and they will last as long as Law and Order. I mean in the FX show Damages they concentrated on the characters and the underlying mystery plus the case they were working on. There were a few love scenes, but it wasn't like the soft core Porn of Saving Grace. Heck they didn't even focus on it much. I mean they stopped doing this crap with Cop shows with strong Male characters, why do they feel the need to do it with Female characters???

Silly Chelsea...

So Chelsea Clinton has been stumping for Mom at college campuses nationwide because they are her peers basically. At Butler University a reporter from the University's paper who happens to be a supporter of her Mother asked her how did the way her Mom handle the reporters and such during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.....essentially he was looking for Chelsea to go on about how it proved her Mother's strength or something like that. IMHO it showed that her Mom was a coat tail riding so and so who had political aspirations of her own and that Chelesea's conception and birth (notice she's an only child) was just a cover so they could come across as a "Family". So instead of helping Moms out, Chels said "It's none of your business". Really Chels? It was a question designed to find out just how Ma Clinton would react to a trying situation.....you had an opportunity to make Moms look like a pillar of strength but instead you wussed out. Nice. Yes it does matter how she managed it. She is using all her time as First Lady of Arkansas and First Lady of the US as part of her "35 years" of experience. I always wondered where she got that number from....apparently I'm no the only one as Hill has been called on it a time or two. Yes the question would be inappropriate if Chels was a kid, but she's in her what mid to late 20's if not early 30's now? She's hardly a Kid.....she's an adult campaigning for another adult running for political office.....all questions are fair game.

RIP Sir Arthur C. Clarke

One of Sci Fi's pioneers has passed on. Click on the title for the Wiki entry on him. The man that gave us 2001 a Space Odyssey (open the pod Bay doors HAL....I can't do that Dave...) and suggested the concept of Geosynchronous Orbit died at the age of 90.

A visionary ahead of his time.

Movie Recommendations

Gone Baby Gone.....real interesting Missing Persons crime story.....great twist ending that you don't see coming.....

Beowulf...meh....really don't bother. If you want to be wowed by CG Actors rent "Final Fantasy".....honestly this is like the 2nd or 3rd version of the Classic Viking Poem in movie form and they have all sucked really. In one Grendel was a Giant.....the spawn of a human woman raped by a Giant....or something like that.......he was mean and nasty and you wanted him to die. In this recent version Grendel is a misshapen, almost undead looking pathetic beast that is the cross between a Demon (Mommy) and the Danish King......apparently the carousing Danes make his misshapen ears augment the sound to the point of it being painful so he goes bezerk and appears in wreath of blue fire killing all....except the King of course....can't kill Daddy I guess......but what got me is that Beowulf confronts the Demoness (Angelina Jolie) and ends up sleeping with her as well. Their son though isn't malformed but a Dragon who when he dies ends up taking a human form that is well built and healthy.......I guess the Heroic seed of Beowulf took better fruit or something.

Seriously folks...stop trying to make a movie out of a fireside tale of Hero Worship told in the 12th Century.....I'm sure the tale wasn't 2 hours long and they didn't really care about backstory.....Beowulf goes into the cave and slays Grendel......simple, to the point (do you really think Vikings cared about his Mom or who begot Grendel......)

The McD's Coffee Lady...the Real Story

Click on the blog title to read the article. I just love Lawyers........I've broken out some interesting tidbits from the article to comment on....

From the article: (I love the explanations....and I still don't think the lady deserved any money from McDonalds as basically it was her and her Grandson at fault and not a McD's employee or the Corporation itself)

So the actual story is that she was a passenger and her grandson was driving. She placed the cup of hot to the touch (anyone that has ever bought coffee from McD's, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, etc can instantly tell by touch that it's freaking hot) between her knees so she could remove the lid....I assume to put sugar and cream.....the coffee, freed from it's protective lid (and yes, if it spilt with the lid on, only a small amount of liquid could potentially escape) the entire cup sloshed all over her legs (and being a 79 year old women in 1994 she was probably wearing a dress and nylons.....). The article didn't really say what caused the spill (I think the car was moving while she was doing this...ie road bumps, etc caused cup to shift...) but it clearly says that the lid was on (if it wasn't, her grandson would have had coffee spill on him.....). McDonalds was correct in my opinion to tell her no we aren't settling. It wasn't their fault.

From the Article: McDonald's admitted that it has known about the risk of serious burns from its scalding hot coffee for more than 10 years -- the risk was brought to its attention through numerous other claims and suits, to no avail;

The Ranter Says: Duh!!!!! It's advertised as HOT Coffee....if you make coffee at home it's hot. You know this, that's why you blow on the liquid in your mug before you take that first sip. Of course McDonalds knew about the risk of hot coffee....they know about the risks of hot Fry oil too.......so should everyone out there. It's like you should know that the glowing orange coil on the top of your stove is something you shouldn't put your hand on......

FTA: From 1982 to 1992, McDonald's coffee burned more than 700 people, many receiving severe burns to the genital area, perineum, inner thighs, and buttocks;

The Ranter says: In other words....dumbasses securely parked a hot to the touch, steaming hot cup of coffee in the crotch area while driving....bumps in the road, sudden stops can cause spillage....Heck the cup next to one's genitalia can cause burns...the shit is HOT.....

These two reasons are not McDonalds fault. This is Darwin at work.

FTA: Not only men and women, but also children and infants, have been burned by McDonald's scalding hot coffee, in some instances due to inadvertent spillage by McDonald's employees;

The Ranter Says: OOps....clumsy employee....definitely McDonalds fault and money should be awarded....although case by case should be examined....did little Suzy reach up and grab the tray while Daddy/Mommy was busy paying the employee? If so, not McD's fault...although the article cleary says inadvertent spillage by McD's employees...

FTA: At least one woman had coffee dropped in her lap through the service window, causing third-degree burns to her inner thighs and other sensitive areas, which resulted in disability for years;

The Ranter Says: McD's fault....I've had and entire 32 oz Dr. Pepper spilled on me at Carl's Jr by the employee in the window. They are in a hurry and sometimes get careless......solution? McD's should walk the hot coffee out to the car that way you avoid mishaps at the window.

FTA: Witnesses for McDonald's admitted in court that consumers are unaware of the extent of the risk of serious burns from spilled coffee served at McDonald's required temperature;

The Ranter Says: Bullshit!!! If you are unaware of the risk of serious burns from spilled, hot coffee....then you need to stay home because you are a danger to yourself and others. I will say right now, I am wholly aware of the dangers and risks of serious burns from spilled coffee.....which is why I have a travel mug with a sliding cover for the drinking hole.

FTA: McDonald's admitted that it did not warn customers of the nature and extent of this risk and could offer no explanation as to why it did not;

The Ranter Says: Why the Hell should they?? I mean if your parents didn't teach you "HOT" then it's a wonder you are still alive to this day. Seriously folks, should restaurants have to tell you your soup is hot???? It damn well better be unless it's supposed to be served cold. I understand Mexican restaurants telling you "Hot Plate" because you usually don't expect the entire plate to be hot to the touch (and what do we do the first thing they put the plate down? We touch it of course....)

Link courtesy of a member of a yahoo group I belong to.

Perv Nation

Wow, just wow!!! What's wrong with people in power? Seriously, does power truly corrupt and diminish the mind of the person wielding it? We have the Gov of NY busted by his suspicious financial records for paying for prostitutes. Expensive ones at that (5,500 dollars!?!?!?! Can't imagine sex with any woman being worth that much....). This is the same guy that when he was a DA busted Escort Services all the time (must be where he got the web addies from...ya think?) so you'd think that he wouldn't put himself in the position (positions.......sorry just had to) that he is in now. Dumbass! Lately I've been reading a rash of articles about Dirty Old Women....that's right I said Dirty Old Women. There's been a rash of Teachers doing the deed with male students. (I will be a base guy at this point and say "what is wrong with you stupid teen boy?" I kid really....) I'm sorry, but these are teenage boys.....awkward, not the picture of hygene, have the attention span of a flea and probably last all of 20 seconds. C'mon Ladies....what's wrong with you???? If you want the younger guys, make sure they are legal and not your students okay...... Apparently even if the boy is 18 (ie legal) it's still against the law for a Teacher/Student relationship.....I guess that doesn't count in college....at least it shouldn't because that's an adult world. A lot of these women are the type that can get any man they want, but yet there's something in them (emotionally, mentally you sick people you....) that makes them crave the attention and adoration of young boys...pre-men I guess. I know why older men go for the 20 year olds....it makes them feel younger, but it's all smoke and mirrors really. There's nothing that you have in common.....nothing other than one part fits into another....that's it. You may fell great, but it's really an empty, false feeling. I remember a DJ back home, Alex Bennett (as big if not a bigger an ass as Howard Stern) who was in his 50's and always talked about his 25 year old girlfriend. Then she dumped him and he used the public radiowaves as his personal crying towel. Hello dumbass....she liked you roll, your BANKROLL......that's all it was dude. It's like the original Horny Old Grandpa, Hugh Hefner. Remember guys when Hef being surrounded by legal age lovely young women made you jealous? Now it makes you cringe and want to call Chris Hansen and report a pedophile at work. Hugh Hefner? I'm Chris Hansen, have a seat over there please..... Seriously you see him with the three brainless bimbos he hangs with now and it's like some pervy guy from an Old Folks home hitting on the Nurses. Yeech!!! I feel sorry for Demi Moore's kids. Her "man" isn't much older than them. Real nice Demi........not only is he half your age easy, he's a tool and a lame actor. Now I'm reading that poor Paula Abdul is in need of some serious mental help. Not only does she sound drunk all the time, but now she's making statements trying to reassure herself that "she's still hot". She said that she enjoys all the attention the young boys give....she loves it when young boys check her out....

Whoa!!!!! Rein that in Mrs. Robinson.......jeeez........

Hi Paula Abdul, I'm CNN's Chris Hansen....have a seat over there please.

Movie Recommendations

Just rented three decent movies and wanted to recommend them to all.

 

Chaos with Jason Statham, Wesley Snipes and Ryan Philippe.  Great Cop drama with a great twist to it. 

 

The Brave One with Jodie Foster.  It's like Death Wish meets Bernie Goetz but personified in the guise of Jodie (Hello Clarice) Foster.

 

He Was a Quiet Man with Christian Slater (Wow.....you won't recognize him in this but his performance is brilliant).  Take Milton from Office Space, add a disgruntled Postal Worker then add in Donnie Darko and you have this Film.  It's a little trip inside the world of someone heading for a breakdown (put it this way, his goldfish talk to him....).  Strange but entertaining film.

Gary Gygax: A Tribute

Yesterday I only had time to post the news of his passing. Yeah I know, you may be saying "but you didn't know the guy so what's the big deal?" Well as the Discourser puts it, if you don't understand what "the big deal" is, then you never will. You don't have to either, just be respectful of a Human Beings passing and leave it at that. By the way, any comments along the lines of "freaking loser Geeks" will be deleted and ignored. I call this a tribute because if it wasn't for the Mr. Gygax and his creation, I wouldn't have had an outlet for the creativity I have bottled up inside me. I sucked at drawing, my writing isn't that great (I'm working on it though) and the only thing I really was good at was playing pretend as it were. I had/have an active imagination that is always working. I was the kid with the glasses who wasn't very big, strong, was allergic to everything etc. I was different. When I played Gi Joes we dug trenches and had elaborate bases and such for an Action Figure (not dolls, Action Figures). When I was in Jr. High I met my good Friend Mike who introduced me to this game that came in a big mauve box called Dungeons and Dragons in High School. We would go to his house and play this game with his brother Brian and some others. It was a great game!!!! Finally an outlet for my imagination. These two Brothers are still my friends to this day. Heck Brian and I have been slowly developing a series of novels based on two of our D&D characters (I know, who hasn't right?) We played alot of D&D eventually meeting other friends through the game. The Discourser, SuperGoober, Warden, GM, Ntt, Perfect Line, Duff, Joker, the Acupuncturist, Mook the Boy and others were all met playing Role Playing Games. We had diverted to other Game systems because of D&D's simple rules which didn't allow you to do everything you wanted with a character (but that was the beauty of the game and what Gygax wanted I highly recommend starting with D&D if you want to get into RPG's) but we never forgot the game that started it all. The importance of this game on the gaming industry is felt even today. If it wasn't for D&D you would never have had a little game called World of Warcraft or Everquest, two of the most popular monthly subscription to play online game worlds ever. There would be no Sims (it's an RPG if you think about it), no Starcraft. Heck Magic the Gathering and Pokemon wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the spark that Gary Gygax made that started the fire. The game taught me teamwork (you need to work as a team with the other players to achieve most goals). It taught me that I didn't have to be afraid to be myself (okay I am as guilty as the other GoG of not openly admitting I was a gamer when I was single) and that I didn't have to conform and be something I wasn't to have friends. There were other people like me out there. The game got me interested in History and Mythology, stuff you couldn't get your average Teenager interested in at all I loved! If it wasn't for Gygax and his Game several generations of literature wouldn't have been written (until Gygax's game, The Lord of the Rings was just some kind of fringe series of books....Papa Tolkien inspired Gygax to make D&D which in turn brought many a new reader to the works of Tolkien and made it the masterpiece that it is to this day). I never met the man, nor do I know the man, but I owe him thanks. Thanks for inspiring me, for long lasting friendships, for introducing me to one of the biggest and most welcoming communities ever; Gamers. Call us Geeks, Nerds, Losers......that's fine. Those that make those statements in anger and spite and hatred have never had friendships like we Geeks have. They are "poplular" but really the popular kids were always the loneliest.

So to E. Gary Gygax I raise a toast. Thanks for years of memories and a lifetime of inspiration. May you always roll 20's.

It's a Sad Day for Geeks and Gamers Everywhere

Click the title for the full article. Today Gary Gygax the creator of Dungeons and Dragons passed away at age 69. All Gamers will remember him fondly for getting us hooked and a silly little game with strange shaped dice that allowed us to use our imaginations to take us to fantastic worlds. RIP Dungeon Master.......may you always roll a 20.

Hypocrites

I'm all for being passionate about a cause, but when you resort to terrorism you make people less sympathetic to your cause than you help it said cause. Even people that agree with your beliefs condem you for your actions. The latest example of this idiocy is the burning of "Dream Homes" in Seattle by ELF....the Earth Liberation Front (like the freaking Earth needs liberating....). No one was living in these homes, thank God, but it is still terrorism. Technically terrorists kill many innocent people and spread fear they don't explode a bomb in an empty marketplace. These homes that they torched are homes that are built to show off new techniques in home design. They were being touted as Green homes. Apparently these ELF (such a gay name.....any Gamer will tell you that Elves are nothing but Hairdressers....but I digress) idiots think they know better so they torched them and left their little protest signage. Don't these idiots realize how hypocritical they are being? Wood smoke is bad for the environment...it's been proven that the creosote is poisonous. That plus all the plastics and rubbers and insulation and wiring that was burning does nothing but add to air pollution. Maybe these ELF morons should burn themselves since they are polluting more by burning up these houses. Also more trees need to be cut down now to rebuild these homes. Good job idiots.