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Retribution

An interview with a former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski speaking to the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the recent escalation in tensions leading to the December 2008 Israeli-Hamas Conflict.

From Wikipedia is a definition of Retributive Justice …

Retributive justice is a theory of justice that considers that proportionate punishment is a morally acceptable response to crime, with an eye to the satisfaction and psychological benefits it can bestow to the aggrieved party, its intimates and society.

Further reading on the Wikipedia definition of retribution, the following statement appears …

In ethics and law “Let the punishment fit the crime” is the principle that the severity of penalty for a misdeed or wrongdoing should be reasonable and proportional to the severity of the infraction. The concept is common to most cultures throughout the world. Its presence in the ancient Jewish culture is shown by its inclusion in the law of Moses, specifically in Deuteronomy 19:17-21, which includes the punishments of “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” Many other documents reflect this value in the world’s cultures. However, the judgement of whether a punishment is appropriately severe can vary greatly between cultures and individuals.

599 replies on “Retribution”

Fisk:

“We hear the usual Israeli line. General Yaakov Amidror, the former head of the Israeli army’s “research and assessment division” announced that “no country in the world would allow its citizens to be made the target of rocket attacks without taking vigorous steps to defend them”. Quite so. But when the IRA were firing mortars over the border into Northern Ireland, when their guerrillas were crossing from the Republic to attack police stations and Protestants, did Britain unleash the RAF on the Irish Republic? Did the RAF bomb churches and tankers and police stations and zap 300 civilians to teach the Irish a lesson? No, it did not. Because the world would have seen it as criminal behaviour. We didn’t want to lower ourselves to the IRA’s level.”

(oh, yes, the IRA weren’t wogs, slopes or ragheads or commies either)

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-leaders-lie-civilians-die-and-lessons-of-history-are-ignored-1215045.html

Rudepundit:

“Meanwhile, over there, the ambulances in Gaza are having difficulty transporting the dead and wounded because of the constant barrage of Israeli attacks. Before the attacks, because of its opposition to the Hamas-led government, Israel decided to blockade the Gaza Strip. Writes Johann Hari, “According to Oxfam, only 137 trucks of food were allowed into Gaza this November – to feed 1.5 million people. The UN says poverty has reached an ‘unprecedented level.’ When I was last in besieged Gaza, I saw hospitals turning away the sick because their machinery and medicine was running out. I met hungry children stumbling around the streets, scavenging for food.” So Hamas launched some rockets. A stupid move, but if you’re watching your kids dig through garbage to eat, you might just throw rocks at the people making it happen.”

http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2008/12/30/tomo/

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/64743

US consumer confidence at all-time low

US consumer confidence plunged to a historic low in December amid the rapidly deepening recession and the outlook for the next six months is “quite dismal,” the Conference Board said Tuesday.

The private research firm, which has been measuring consumer confidence since 1967, said the index tumbled to 38.0 in December from 44.7 in November due to the deteriorating economic conditions in the fourth quarter.

Consumers’ outlook for the first half of 2009 remains “quite dismal,” and they see “only a modest recovery” in the second half of the year, said Lynn Franco, research director at the Conference Board.

“The further erosion of the consumer confidence index reflects the rapid and steep deterioration of economic conditions that occurred in the fourth quarter of 2008,” she said.

The record 38.0 figure was lower than the prior low record of 38.8 in October, and was weaker than the 45.5 reading which had been forecast by analysts.

Absolutely great interview Catrina. I love the expressions on his co workers face as the interview goes on.
Jen it’s still 2008. Have you been down in the cellar again?

Well, another year, some ups (Obama) some downs (the financial markets) and some plain old ordinary getting by.

Here’s to you all, and may 2009 bring happiness and good fortune.

Ten years on, eurozone takes on 16th member.

Ten years after the original 11 countries in western Europe set up a common currency, the monetary union is due to enlarge to Slovakia, as its 16th member state and the first in central Europe to switch to the euro.

“I’m sure this event will trigger a lot of positive expectations and positive results for the Slovak economy and citizens,” EU economy and monetary affairs Joaquin Almunia told journalists ahead of 1 January.

Wasn’t Ten Years On a rock band at Woodstock?
more…
http://euobserver.com/9/27328

Now this is how you go about stabilising and help bring peace to an area. Still a long way to go but its a big start.

Serbia to submit EU candidacy in first half of 2009.

Serbia will submit its candidacy to join the European Union within the next six months, even if its bid to unfreeze a rapprochement accord fails, its prime minister said Tuesday.

“We will submit our candidacy to the European Union in the first half of next year,” Mirko Cvetkovic told reporters.

Serbia signed in April the EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), which is seen as the first important step in the lengthy process of joining the 27-nation bloc, although it has not yet come into force.

more..
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1230654721.23

Obama dismisses Bush Pentagon appointees. 😈

Despite keeping Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the Pentagon, President-elect Obama’s transition team informed 90 Bush appointees their services will not be needed after Inauguration Day.

Scott Gration, a senior official on Obama’s transition team, called and emailed several of President Bush’s Pentagon appointees about 10 days ago to inform them they were being dismissed.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-dismisses-bush-pentagon-appointees-2008-12-30.html

The answer to world peace. COMPUTERS!

Is it any wonder that 71 percent of children interviewed at a school in Gaza recently said they wanted to be a “martyr”?

If computers can stop the terrorists in the back seat of your car, they will stop terrorists anywhere!

Speaking of what Santa brought the kids Ecky, we’re overjoyed that one uncle decided to give a car DVD system for our brood, and before anyone thinks it’s a crazy thing, I’ll tell you that right this instant the 2 darlings are down in the garage, sitting in the car, glued to a movie they’ve even seen before! The house has not been so quiet for ages!

May the novelty NEVER wear off, because driving more than ten minutes with those two is sheer hell, right up there with waterboarding I’m sure, and this way, we’ll get to Newcastle for New Years Eve with our sanity. Maybe even back again, too.

Thank you Santa.

And more..

One portable DVD player per “PITA”, sorry “kid” policy in my box was the best idea I’ve had in years. I download the movies-convert-burn and then hand em over to the “irritants”. 3hr drives in the car(a regular feature for us) became zero stress overnight. I WORSHIP the guy who invented them.

So to help rid the world of terrorist’s get a computer for each kid in the back of your car. Also donate one for Middle East Peace.

http://laptop.org/en/

Make a viral video of this and send it to your friends.

There is another way to bring world peace. Replace all the male leaders with women. Then there would be no more wars, just severe negotiations every 28 days.

Put out the bin.
Ironing.
Mow the lawn.
Were working on those too. In the interest of world peace.

There is an obvious one missing from that list. But I’m not touching that to avoid a civil war.

Actually Jen on the serious side, (who me)? Books are a good alternative to computers. But they are far to easy to control and censor, as well as much, much harder to get to the poorer areas of the world.

Also a far more expensive a medium for the poor countries, and computers are much faster at teaching x 1,000.

Given all that, my boys did read their first book at three and a half. They both now have university degrees. One is a computer programmer and the other is an accountant. The first book they could read. Spots First Birthday. I think it is still available in bookshops. Jen I am a reading fundamentalist, so don’t get me started. 😈

Seniors give Daschle health reform ideas.

Note to President-elect Barack Obama: Health reform doesn’t have to be all about expanding health insurance. It can be about the little things too, such as shorter waits in the doctor’s office and putting in place incentives such as free checkups that catch little problems before they became big ones.

That was the message Tuesday from two-dozen seniors who gave their views about what ails America’s health care system to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Obama’s choice for secretary of health and human services. They listed a broad range of concerns, from four-hour waits to see a doctor, to the high cost of prescription drugs, to lack of Medicare coverage for certain treatments and medical devices.

Daschle said conversations like Tuesday’s will put the new administration “on the right track” for overhauling the nation’s health care system next year.

If the news reporter had been following the health reports correctly he would know that a whole new computerised (yes Jen) tracking system for doctors and patients is being implemented that will save billions of dollars and thousands of lives. (Its in use in other countries and very well tested, to substantiate these claims.)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h2Cu40xipMPFau22i8sU0EbIvsfgD95DA4OO0

This is pure co incidence Jen, that these articles have appeared.

How much governing power do online supporters give Obama?

Obama’s online backers key to pushing his agenda.

President-elect Barack Obama’s top asset in pushing his agenda will not be his Cabinet secretaries or aides, but rather his online network. Obama’s political e-mail list tops 13 million names, a digital force that the incoming White House can tap to push for his legislation, tamp down critics or bolster popular support. It’s also a way for Obama to reach into every state, every city, and every neighborhood.

A study released Tuesday found that a quarter of Obama voters said they would continue to work online to support the new administration. The nonpartisan Pew Internet and American Life Project also found 62 percent of Obama’s voters say they would ask others to support Obama’s policies.

Welcome to the Democrats’ new permanent campaign, one planned online and executed on Main Street.

may need to be registered…. More….
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/30/AR2008123001324_pf.html

Yes!

Franken’s Lead Increases in U.S. Senate Race.

Minnesota counties start the process today of sorting rejected absentee ballots in the unsettled U.S. senate race.Meantime, Democrat Al Franken widens his lead in the race.Franken’s lead grew by 49 votes today when the state canvassing board finished allocating thousands of ballots that had been held up due to candidate challenges.Elias says, “We could not be more thrilled. Ah, with where we stand in this process.

more.. and the news reader does a blooper.
http://www.keyc.com/node/15464

Governor fills Obama’s Senate seat.

A defiant Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday named a black political trailblazer to Barack Obama’s Senate seat, a surprise move that put the governor’s opponents in the uncomfortable position of trying to block his choice from becoming the Senate’s only black member. Blagojevich’s appointment of former state Attorney General Roland Burris injected race into the drama surrounding the embattled governor, who repeatedly sought to distance his selection from charges that he tried to sell the seat to the highest bidder.

“Please don’t allow the allegations against me to taint a good and honest man,” the governor said, turning to the smiling 71-year-old standing by his side.

“This is about Roland Burris as a U.S. senator, not about the governor who made the appointment.”

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD95DDP800

Think Obama has it easy? And how’s your golf game?

It’s never easy being president, or even president-elect. Just ask Barack Obama. Wherever you go, even on a vacation, you are followed by reporters. Lots of them. And they follow your every move.

Top of the Ticket’s Andrew Malcolm gives this example from Monday’s pool report of Obama’s third round of vacation golf:

“At 5:37 p.m. the pool could see Obama get out of his golf cart and approach his ball located in the middle of the fairway on the 414-yard, par-4 18th hole. He took three practice swings before centering the ball and hitting a shot that flew low and straight for about 75 yards before landing at the front, center-edge of the green.

Damned elitist.. more 😈
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2008/12/think-obama-has.html

I forgot the main feature of teaching children to read is point to the words as you say them. Read at your speed, that way you teach them to read fast. Do not tell them they are wrong. Say that was a good try, but it really means…
This way you are not discouraging them for trying by saying it was wrong. Sorry Jen, I had to get on my other high horse.

Home Sweet Hotel Suite for Obamas in the Capital .

Even in a town where the hotels are swamped for the inauguration, it turns out to be possible to get a room if you’re the one being inaugurated.

President-elect Barack Obama and his family will move to the capital this weekend in time for his daughters to start school, aides said Tuesday. With the White House still occupied and the official guest residence unavailable, the future first family will hole up in one of the city’s most exclusive hotels.

Now I’m back on my politics high horse. 😈
may need to be registered. I do own a few high horses by the way.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/us/politics/31obama.html?ref=politics

If this story is correct it just goes to show how laws made by governments are usurped and twisted to try to give credence to actions by those governments which are purely criminal.
Similar to the joke that was played on Haneef.
What rights does any country have to use force on people who are not even in their territorial waters?

Lets hope there are big changes when BO takes office because at the moment the imbecile does not care at all.
Thank F for computers as we probably would not hear about this incident if it was no for the internet. The MSM no doubt will not give it much air time if any.

Cynthia McKinney, former U.S. congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate, was traveling to Gaza aboard the Dignity in order to assess the impact of Israel’s military onslaught against the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. According to McKinney, “Israeli patrol boats…tracked us for about 30 minutes…and then all of a sudden they rammed us approximately three times, twice in the front and once in the side…the Israelis indicated that [they felt] we were involved in terrorist activities.”

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Israeli-Gunboats-Came-out-by-Press-Release-081230-518.html

The IDF has launched it’s own version of youtube to keep us blogosphere nut cases realistically informed on how their precision weapons work etc etc.

The Israeli army announced yesterday the creation of its own YouTube channel, through which it will disseminate footage of precision bombing operations in the Gaza Strip, as well as aid distribution and other footage of interest to the international community.

“The blogosphere and new media are another war zone,” said Foreign Press Branch head Maj. Avital Leibovich. “We have to be relevant there,” she said.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230456531523&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Dems may not be able to block Blago pick.

Democrats insisted Tuesday that they’ll deny a Senate seat to Roland Burris – the 71-year-old African-American Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has picked to replace Barack Obama – but it’s not clear whether they have the legal authority to make good on the threat.

Over the years, the Senate has used its constitutional authority to sort out a number of messes surrounding open seats. But legal experts say this one is unprecedented: the appointment of a replacement senator by a governor facing criminal charges stemming from the appointment process itself.

more..
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16942.html

Franken: I’m on track to win

Al Franken said he believes he is “on track to win” the Minnesota Senate race against Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), in a statement released by his campaign today.

These were the first comments Franken has made in several weeks, as he has remained silent throughout most of the recount process.

“I’m glad to be ahead, and as it appears that we’re on track to win, I want Minnesotans to know that I’m ready to get to work for them in Washington on Day One,” Franken said in a statement.

more…
http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/1208/Franken_Im_on_track_to_win.html

Oh the IRONY of it all.
Looks like the GOP are about to enter a rather large shit fight amongst themselves.

In what would amount to a slap in the face to a sitting Republican president and the party’s Senate and House leaders, national GOP officials, including the vice chairman of the Republican National Committee, are sponsoring a resolution opposing the resort to ‘socialist’ means to save capitalism. Having bailed out Wall Street, and now that it’s time to bailout the middle class, ‘socialism’ is suddenly evil?’

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/30/rnc-pushes-unprecedented-criticism-of-bailouts/

Thanks, jen, glad you liked the toony selections. ‘Twas an honour to meet you and the gang who lobbed from near and far on E-Day.

I’m still in the neutral corner re The Kid. Let’s see how he jumps on the primo issue of Climate Change when he Da Man.
This is his biggest test by a country mile. All terrestrials have a stake on him delivering on his renewable energy promises.

2009 is shaping as one helluva sun circling for all who inhabit the biosphere of our pale blue dot.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, TICSTERS!
🙂

and Happy New Year to you too Ecky. And all other friends on this esteemed site.
My wish for 2009…
May the boys put down their toys, and start to Use Word, as we say to the 4 year olds.
FFS.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
😆 😆 😆 😆

Not easy to do that when you’ve had aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa little bit to drink. 😆 😆 😆

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/bbr/lowres/bbrn1l.jpg

Tues Dec 30: Was this man’s whole life a typo?
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/jeffdanziger;_ylt=AsxU72R_xjc5W.xmHx41qA7mcLQF

As the forces of “natural backpressure” and “coerced virginity pledging” grind tectonically along the faultlines of young, impressionable psyches, an esteemed Medical Journal reports that 82% of fundy kiddies who are brain-washed into waging war against their own bodies, end up as absent-minded root-artists; the selfsame bodies that “actual peer-reviewed scientists” assure us are the products of millions of years of sexual evolution.

“Geez, I had a tremendous naughty last week but I’m stuffed if I can remember who it was that gave me one!”

The remaining 18% find usefulness in performing societal functions once the province of eunuchs (the bright, organised types) or slaves, factota and functionaries(the rest).
Without putting too fine a point on it, whoever controls your sexuality, controls you, regardless of how often you “succumb to” your natural bodily urges.

A new study looking at virginity pledges—pledges made by teenagers that vow to wait until marriage for sex—has found that such promises largely fell flaccid, as sexual behavior of pledged teens was little different than non-pledgers, and, most hilariously, a whopping 82% of pledgees had either forgotten or denied taking the pledge five years after.

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/20081231_virginity_pledge_what_virginity_pledge/

There is hope for those of us who think that religion is a tad fake.

(Washington, DC, December 30, 2008) Today eleven nontheistic organizations and twenty-nine nontheistic individuals filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to stop plans to include prayer and a religious oath in the forthcoming inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/AHA-Suit-Filed-to-Stop-Inj-by-Steve32867-081230-675.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/cartoonsandvideos/telnaes/telnaes12192008.html

Thus spaketh The Imbecile:
“We’re coming…….and we will not rest……till your country is free!”
So, American Freedom Fries are a natural consequence of BushCo’s Foodchain of Command.
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/64429/

“When a man smells his own flesh burning, his attention becomes focused.”
Tommy Torquemada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%C3%A1s_de_Torquemada

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/02/24/howie_wideweb__470x382,0.jpg

Cornyn Against Provisionally Seating the Certified Winner

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said yesterday that the Franken camp is promoting chaos by claiming victory when his lead is artificial and was created by double counting votes. This is Coleman’s line, of course, but Coleman hasn’t produced a shred of evidence to back up his claim. Cornyn also said he was against provisionally seating Franken if he is certified the winner. What Cornyn didn’t mention is that in January 2007, the House, then controlled by the Democrats, did provisionally seat Vern Buchanan (R) of Florida even though there was a lot of evidence that something was wrong (large number of undervotes in Democratic counties that used voting machines but not in other counties).

more…
http://www.electoral-vote.com

Coleman-Franken race will make history.

Whoever emerges from the Minnesota Senate race will have won the closest Senate race in United States history — well, sort of.

Democrat Al Franken led Sen. Norm Coleman (R) by 49 votes out of nearly 3 million cast after a recount panel finished its work on challenged ballots this week. That is down from the 215-vote lead Coleman held after Election Day.
According to conventional wisdom, the current closest-ever election was the 1974 New Hampshire Senate race, in which Republican Louis Wyman held a 355-vote lead after Election Day. A recount later reversed that margin to a 10-vote lead for his opponent, Democrat John Durkin, who was certified the winner.

But Wyman was then permitted his own recount, which shifted the race to a two-vote margin in his favor, and he was also certified the winner.

Durkin then petitioned the Senate, which after many machinations was unable to reach a conclusion. In the end, Durkin agreed to Wyman’s proposal for a new election, which Durkin won by 27,000 votes.

more…
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/coleman-franken-race-will-make-history-2008-12-31.html

Obama Pledges Schools Upgrade In Stimulus.

Barack Obama probably cannot fix every leaky roof and busted boiler in the nation’s schools. But educators say his sweeping school modernization program – if he spends enough – could jump-start student achievement.

More kids than ever are crammed into aging, run-down schools that need an estimated $255 billion in repairs, renovations or construction. While the president-elect is likely to ask Congress for only a fraction of that, education experts say it still could make a big difference.

“The need is definitely out there,” said Robert Canavan, chairman of the Rebuild America’s Schools coalition, which includes both teachers’ unions and large education groups. “A federal investment of that magnitude would really have a significant impact.”

more…
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/31/politics/main4694555.shtml

Committee Warns Of “Crush-Level” Inaugural Crowds.

Late yesterday, the Congressional Inaugural Committee issued an “Inaugural Advisory” for those planning to attend Barack Obama’s swearing in ceremony in Washington D.C. on January 20th. And the unspoken message seems to be: Stay home.

Otherwise, here’s what you’re in for: “Street closures throughout Washington, D.C., will make traveling by car or taxi very difficult. Bridges from Virginia crossing the Potomac River into Washington, D.C., as well as major roadways from Maryland into Washington, D.C., may be closed to all but bus traffic.”

more…
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/12/30/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4691425.shtml

That’s a great interview, Catrina. That Joe guy is sooo embarrassing. When I was last in the States, and watching lots of TV, that show was one I avoided in the morning. I found his unbearable. I’m surprised though they actually had someone of the calibre of Bzezinski on.

Happy New Year.
Let’s hope Obi can help turn the tide of violence and hatred into behaviour more fitting for supposedly intelligent civilised beings.

70 Jen Once sh!t for brains is gone, and someone intelligent is running the show, it may take a turn for the better.

Election judge is dumbfounded her ballot was rejected.

Shirley Graham was astonished to learn that a lawyer from Norm Coleman’s campaign on Tuesday blocked her absentee ballot from being added to the U.S. Senate recount.

“I’m an election judge,” said Graham, of Duluth. “I expected to be the last person whose ballot wouldn’t be counted.”

That’ll do their cause a lot of good 😈

More….
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/36907934.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhUec7PaP3E77K_0c::D3aDhUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

Talks Like a Democrat, Stands With Democrats.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg — political chameleon extraordinaire — famously bolted from the Democratic Party in 2001, switching to the Republican Party and then, last year, becoming an independent.

But from the company he’s keeping these days, the mayor seems to have all but returned to his Democratic roots.

Mr. Bloomberg has hired a major Democratic political operative, Howard Wolfson, as the communications strategist for his re-election campaign.

He has named Bradley Tusk, a former senior aide to Illinois’s embattled Democratic governor, Rod R. Blagojevich, as his campaign manager.

may need to be registered.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/talks-like-a-democrat-stands-with-democrats/

73

From the article:

Coleman’s camp, which rejected 59 of the 60 ballots set aside Tuesday in St. Louis County (out of 161 total ballots), objected to Graham’s ballot on the grounds that the date next to her signature did not match the date next to the signature of her witness, Jack Armstrong.

…

“I want to see my ballot,” said Graham, who added that she’d consider going to court, if she must, to get her vote counted.

A final irony: She voted for Coleman.

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/64757

American Porta-Homes-2009 allow the budget conscious commuto-consumer to combine both transport AND dwelling options into just one Excellent Choice:

Winnebago:
http://www.autoenginelube.com/images/525_1973winnebago1.jpg

Loser-nogo:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/mattbors;_ylt=AlIqSXycwflhFMfxwk6d.vjX.sgF

Ticsters, it may well soon be springtime in The Rockies, but in Seppo Garden, it’s harvest time again………

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=82MgXWpqfhk&feature=related

http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/bensargent;_ylt=A0wNcwyJLVxJRakAFxEDwLAF
(Wed Dec 31)

Happy New Year to all. Couldn’t quite match the early morning roll call! Would be better if the Israelis had the pins pulled from their weapons by their major supplier. Talk about creating the very outcome that they complain about.

I saw Frost/Nixon this afternoon and enjoyed it. I’m not really a fan of Ron Howard’s movies – but the acting was excellent and the subject matter fascinating.

69
KatieLou

Zbig put that waffle-headed ninny right in his place, though, didn’t he?

Like so much that passes as ‘fact’ in that media world, it’s mostly spoon fed opinion, straight from the rightwing, and anything regarding Israel, straight from Likud and the neocon nutters. Zbig told him so, dead straight to his gormless face, and it was delightful to watch.

Kirri and Katielou, that is not the first time he has whacked him down.
This interview took place in about October 2008.

Just call him “Zbig the Scar Slayer.” Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski just destroyed Joe Scarborough on his own show and left him speechless and lying bloody on the ground. Scarborough had been ranting and raving for most of the previous segment with Pat Buchanan, belittling the Powell endorsement because of the Iraq War of all things and beating up Obama’s Press guy, Robert Gibbs (again) ad nauseum about how Obama had lied and broken his word on public financing and how they were buying the election and how Sarah Palin with all her years as Mayor of Wasilla (please!) and Governor was more qualified to be President than Barack Obama and he was nothing more than a Community Organizer, and a State legislator with one year in the Senate and blah, blah, blah.

http://www.onealcompton.com/index.php?modulo=noticias&acao=exibir_aberto&subacao=semComentarios&idBiblioteca=1499

Note to self: ‘Cancel credit cards prior to death!

Be sure to cancel your credit cards before you die! This is so priceless
and so easy to see happening – customer service, being what it is today!

A lady died this past January, and ANZ bank billed her for February and
March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and
Then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had
been $0.00, now is somewhere around $60.00.

A family member placed a call to the ANZ Bank:

Family Member:
‘I am calling to tell you that she died in January.’

ANZ:
‘The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.’

Family Member:
‘Maybe, you should turn it over to collections.’

ANZ:
‘Since it is two months past due, it already has been.’

Family Member:
So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?’

ANZ:
‘Either report her account to the frauds division or report her to
the credit bureau, maybe both!’

Family Member:
‘Do you think God will be mad at her?’

ANZ:
‘Excuse me?’

Family Member:
‘Did you just get what I was telling you . . . The part about her
being dead?’

ANZ:
‘Sir, you’ll have to speak to my supervisor.’

Supervisor gets on the phone:
Family Member:
‘I’m calling to tell you, she died in January.’

ANZ:
‘The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.’

Family Member:
‘You mean you want to collect from her estate?’

ANZ:
(Stammer) ‘Are you her lawyer?’

Family Member:
‘No, I’m her great nephew.’
(Lawyer info given)

ANZ:
‘Could you fax us a certificate of death?’

Family Member:
‘Sure.’
( fax number is given )

After they get the fax:

ANZ:
‘Our system just isn’t set up for death. I don’t know what more I
can do to help.’

Family Member:
‘Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing
her. I don’t think she will care.’

ANZ:
‘Well, the late fees and charges do still apply.’

Family Member:
‘Would you like her new billing address?’

ANZ:
‘That might help.’

Family Member:
‘ Rookwood Memorial Cemetery, 1249 Centenary Rd, Sydney Plot Number
1049.’

ANZ:
‘Sir, that’s a cemetery!’

Family Member:
‘Well, what the **** do you do with dead people on your planet?’

87
Geez Paddy i was getting a bit worried there for a while. Was about to get someone to follow the trail of empty ski bottles to all the Hogmanays you may have been attending.
You do have a secret desire to be one of them don’t you?

87
And Joe Scarborough being an ex Repug Congressman and her current root to boot makes it all that much more interesting.LOL

Well Gaffy, it’s been a rather fraught few days. 🙁

Wrote the car off on Sunday. And while all involved, walked away without a scratch…….. Kev’s xmas present is now fully committed to buying a new set of wheels.

Never mind. It’s only bent metal and money.
(The result could have been Soooo much worse!)

Meanwhile, a few days late, but a cracker for the xmas season.

The piano has been drinking….Not me!
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Imn82luCk

News from the Votemaster
Happy 2009 Everyone

The map has been changed to reflect the 2010 Senate race (using the 2004 election as the baseline). Since the software can handle only one Senate race per state, we have declared Chuck Schumer the winner in New York (99.99% certain anyway) and will just follow the special election for Hillary Clinton’s replacement. If you want to see the final 2008 map, just click on “Previous report” above. All the pages and data going back to May 24, 2004 will continue to be online indefinitely to be a resource to graduate students in political science and wannabe graduate students in political science. The site is still being updated daily, but after the Minnesota race is settled (or Hell freezes over or Spring arrives, whichever happens first), the update frequency will drop to perhaps once a week or so, depending on the amount of news about the 2010 and 2012 elections. Then as we get closer to the midterm election, the update frequency will pick up again.

More on the Coleman antics as he desperately tries to squirm out of this one.
http://www.electoral-vote.com

Bush vows to keep working hard until Jan. 20 .

President Bush in his New Year’s message to the nation vowed to keep working hard in the less than three weeks that he remains in office.
Bush, who has held several interviews in recent weeks that looked back at his presidency, used his last New Year’s message to “thank the American people for trusting me with the honor of serving our great country.

I think I’m gonna be sick.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bush-vows-to-keep-working-hard-until-jan.-20-2009-01-01.html

Obama’s paparazzi presidency.

ABC’s Jake Tapper predicted this week that Barack Obama will be “the Britney Spears of 2009.”

Considering that Obama was deemed by some to be the Britney Spears of 2008, it wasn’t much of a leap.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the cover of Us Weekly. While Obama’s political opponents were able to use his star power against him during the campaign — remember John McCain’s “Celeb” ad? — the entertainment press’s fixation with the president-elect seems to be helping him as he prepares to take office.

With a faction of compliant, adulatory and skin-deep chroniclers added to the media mix, Obama has found a consistent wing of support, one that can be used to upend the traditional political media apparatus, bringing new story lines to the fore and changing the game of how a president is covered.

“The number of eyeballs that read People magazine are enormous compared to political publications,” says veteran Democratic strategist Chris Lehane. “If you’re able to communicate through those outlets, you’re able to reach more people more quickly, without your message being ‘translated’ by the historic gatekeepers.”

The longer he keeps this up the more power he has to make changes. There is going to be a whole new raft of Democrat suporters.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16975.html

90
Paddy
Glad to hear no one was hurt in the bingle.
And Dave Allen was one of my favs also.

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