Wednesday - February 14, 2007

Quote Of The Day

“Bush suffers from an addictive personality and was an alcoholic. I don’t know his present condition ... but the one who examines his personality finds that he is addicted to two other faults: lying and gambling.”

-- Al Qaeda’s al-Zawahiri, February 12, 2007

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/14/2007 at 09:49 AM   
Filed Under: • Terrorists •  
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Valentines Day

_{Tab - The Calgary Sun}

Key Points Of The North Korea Disarmament Agreement

-- Within 60 days, the North must shut down and seal its main nuclear facilities at Yongbyon, north of the capital Pyongyang. International inspectors should be allowed to verify the process. For the initial steps, North Korea will get energy, food and other aid worth 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil.

-- The United States will begin bilateral talks with North Korea to normalize their relations and will begin the processes of removing North Korea from its designation as a terror-sponsoring state and also ending U.S. trade sanctions, but no deadline was set.

-- Japan will begin bilateral talks with North Korea to normalize their relations.

-- After 60 days, foreign ministers of all the countries will meet to confirm the implementation of the agreement and talk about security cooperation in northeast Asia. Some countries will hold a separate forum on negotiations for a permanent peace settlement to replace the 1953 cease-fire that ended the Korean War.

-- The North must provide a complete list of its nuclear programs and disable all existing nuclear facilities. In return, the North will get aid in corresponding steps worth 950,000 tons of heavy fuel oil—details of which will be addressed in later working group discussions.

-- Five working groups will be created: denuclearization, U.S.-North Korea relations, Japan-North Korea relations, economic cooperation and on a peace and security mechanism in northeast Asia.

-- The six-nation talks will meet again March 19.

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/14/2007 at 04:07 AM   
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   Tuesday - February 13, 2007

Through The Looking Glass

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/13/2007 at 05:09 PM   
Filed Under: • Art-Photography •  
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Lost!

Here we go again! Lost Airlines is dead lost again. We left Hawaii headed West what seems like days ago and are about out of gas. I have no idea if we’re even still over the Pacific. No compass and no GPS. That’s what we get fer buying cheap Chinese electronics. I’m all alone this flight. “Wrong-Way” Johnson, my former co-pilot, got arrested in Reno a few days ago for (you guessed it) driving the wrong way on a one-way street.

This could be the Indian Ocean for all I know right now. We’re about 1500 feet over the runway on approach to a USAF base down yonder. I circled the base a few minutes ago and I could swear I saw B-52’s and B-1B bombers down there at the other end of the runway before some trigger-happy goober in ops scrambled a whole swarm of F-16’s all over my ass. You better tell me where I am right damn quick before these zoomies decide to take a little target practice on me!

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Posted by The Skipper     on 02/13/2007 at 03:31 PM   
Filed Under: • Fun-Stuff •  
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Illegal Banking

I have a question for you all: isn’t it a crime to assist someone else who is in the act of committing a crime? I seem to recall from my younger days watching Perry Mason that that’s what is called an “accomplice”.

Therefore, if a national bank chain starts handing out credit cards and giving loans to illegal aliens and the bank knows they are illegal because they have no social security account ... then why isn’t the US Attorney General frog-marching the entire bunch of corporate officers at the bank off to prison somewhere?

Or is Mr. Gonzales too busy arresting border patrol agents these days to be bothered with criminals on a national scale?

I will never do business with Bank Of America again. Period. I am also getting pretty damn fed up with our government which continues to look the other way while these crimes are being committed. I’m thinking that it is past time for a “redress of grievances” ....

Bank Of America Credit Card Pitch To Illegal Immigrants
_{NEW YORK (CNN) - February 13 2007: 6:15 AM EST}

Bank of America Corp. has begun offering credit cards to customers without Social Security numbers, typically illegal immigrants, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

In recent years, banks across the country have been offering checking accounts and even mortgages to the nation’s fast-growing ranks of undocumented immigrants, most of whom are Hispanic, the paper said, adding these immigrants generally have not been able to get major credit cards.

The new Bank of America card is open to people who lack both a Social Security number and a credit history, as long as they have held a checking account with the bank for three months without an overdraft, the Journal said. Bank of America tested the program last year at five branches in Los Angeles, and last week expanded it to 51 branches in Los Angeles County, home to the largest concentration of illegal immigrants in the U.S., the Journal said.

The bank hopes to roll out the program nationally later this year, the paper said. A Bank of America spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/13/2007 at 11:51 AM   
Filed Under: • Illegal-Aliens and Immigration •  
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NOT AGAIN!

Alright, this is getting ridiculous! I’ve seen more snow this year than in my entire life up to this point. WTF is going on? Is this Mother Nature’s way of harassing Al Gore? Snow is coming down heavy again outside this morning and temps are hovering around freezing (for the umpteenth straight day). In fact, our temps haven’t climbed out of the 20’s and 30’s for over two months. You know what this means, don’t you ...? It means ... it’s Winter, dummy.

UPDATE: this is un-freaking-believable! There’s a damn blizzard going on outside right now. In St. Louis! White-out conditions and snow piling up. Visibility is about twenty feet and that’s it! DAMN! I HATE AL GORE AND HIS GLOWBULL WARMING MACHINE!

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/13/2007 at 09:55 AM   
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather •  
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OH MY!

That’s it, End of story. The battle to keep scientists from conducting freaky experiments with stem cells is over. They have won the war with this latest announcement. All they have left to do in order to seal the deal is show how stem cells can be used for penis enhancement.

Stem-cell enhanced boobies could be real trouble though. Does anyone else here remember that old Woody Allen move “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask”? If you do, do you remember the first part where the mad scientist (played brilliantly by John Carradine) was performing a mutant breast-enhancement technique on his female lab assistant and the enhancer machine went wild and the breasts swelled up to the size of two Volkswagons and they ripped themselves off her body, escaped from the lab and went on a monster rampage through the countryside, killing people by squashing them to death until finally captured by Woody Allen with the aid of .... never mind, you’ll just have to go rent the DVD.

Stem Cells Used To Boost Breasts
_{(BBC) - Monday, 12 February 2007, 17:35 GMT}

Scientists in Japan claim to be able to increase the size of a woman’s breasts using fat and stem cells. The technique uses fat from the stomach or thigh which is then enriched with stem cells before being injected.

It is hoped the method could prove a more natural-looking alternative to artificial implants filled with salt water or silicone. But plastic surgeons working in Britain have greeted news of the technique with “extreme caution.”

Kotaro Yoshimura, a surgeon at the Tokyo University medical school, said more than 40 patients had been treated. Mr Yoshimura said he believed the stem cell and fat combination, which can increase a woman’s cupsize by two sizes, was a success.

“There have been no serious complications,” he said. During the operation, surgeons suck fat cells from the stomach or thigh, and this “slurry” is enriched so that there are higher numbers than usual of stem cells.

These are “master” cells which are capable of making new fat cells. When the enriched stem cell mixture is combined with normal fat tissue, it can then be injected into the breast area. The treatment aims to offer a softer more natural look than traditional silicone implants.

Mr Yoshimura said the he believed combining stem cells with fat gave an improved result. He said breast enlargement using fat and stem cells did not create a lumpy effect. Lots of small particles were added rather than “one big lump”.

Cellport Clinic Yokohama in Japan are currently the only ones to provide the treatment. The clinic website claims: “The enhanced breasts are soft and natural, so they are the patient’s “real” breasts.” Consultant Norman Waterhouse said he had concerns about such a procedure.

He said: “It would be incorrect to suggest that a breast implant equivalent could grow from stem cells alone, and fat transfer, which is not a new procedure, can still lead to complications and give a lumpy effect.”

“This appears to be a rather optimistic view of what is yet a theoretical approach.” Consultant Rajiv Grover added: “We greet this news with extreme caution.” However, Adam Searle, past president of British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons said the development should not be dismissed.

“There is exciting potential but no reality in practical terms at the moment. “The stem cell ‘soup’ is too non-specific to really focus on what you want.”

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/13/2007 at 09:20 AM   
Filed Under: • Science-Technology •  
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Motivational Poster Of The Day

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/13/2007 at 09:05 AM   
Filed Under: • Motorvators •  
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Sticks And Stones

Contradiction: (1) I don’t use the word, (2) I believe banning its use is wrong. “How can you say that, Skipper?”, you ask. Easy. Any time you try to ban a word, certain reactions occur ... (1) the word is given more power by the very fact that people are trying to suppress it, and (2) even if you stop them from saying the word, racists and bigots will still think the word and their resentment only increases because they will think you are trying to control them.

How many words do you not use in polite company? Seven, as George Carlin said in his comedy routine? Less? Or more? The fact is that you know those words and no amount of legislation will ever wish them out of existence. Telling people they cannot use the “N-word” will only increase the racial divide, not diminish it.

I would recommend we all just ignore it. It’s just a word that started out in ancient Rome as the Latin “Niger”, meaning “black. It evolved into the Spanish word “negro”, the Italian “nero” and the French “noire”. People in this country took the Spanish word, mangled it into “nigra”, which eventually got mangled again into the subject of this post ... nigger.

If the truth be known, it’s not so much a hateful word as it is a stupid word. People who use it only show their ignorance and a limited vocabulary. Using the word says more about the speaker than the person they are referring to. My best advice is not to try to kill the word - just let it die a slow death. After all, there are even more hateful words that have been used to refer to black people (coon, jigaboo, darky) that have completely disappeared from the language. They merely went away as people gradually learned to ignore race, eschew prejudice and get on with life.

Which brings me to the “N-word” that really pisses me off. If I hear one more newscaster or reporter refer to the African country of Niger as “nee-jair” I am going to scream. For the last time, it is pronounced “nEYE-jur” - so all you reporters at CNN, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC please keep your twisted, phony Frenchified version to yourself. Damn!

New York County Acts on `N’ Word
_{WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - February 13, 2007, 5:53 AM EST}

The Westchester County Legislature declared the “symbolic elimination” of a common racial slur, saying its use “remains damaging, divisive and derogatory.”

Referring to the slur only as “The `N’ word,” the resolution passed Monday in this county north of Manhattan says it “is used in an ignorant and derogatory fashion to demean a black person.”

Legislator Clinton Young, who is black and drafted the resolution, said in an interview, “I hear it just too much in my community and in other communities throughout America. No matter who uses it or how they use it, it’s demeaning.”

“If people knew the origin of the word, I believe they would stop using it,” he said. Asked if the resolution, which passed unanimously, impinged on free speech, he said, “We can exercise free speech by choosing not to use this hateful word.”

Actor Michael Richards’ heavily publicized use of the slur on stage last year prompted some black leaders to ask the public and the entertainment industry to stop using it.

Earlier this month, New York City Councilman Leroy Comrie introduced a similar resolution, which is yet to be voted on. In Washington, Rep. Charles Rangel, a Democrat, has been talking with Congressional Black Caucus members about taking some similar action in Congress, Rangel spokesman Emile Milne said.

On the Net:

Abolish the N Word: http://www.abolishthenword.com

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/13/2007 at 07:52 AM   
Filed Under: • Racism and race relations •  
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Sign Of The End Times - #4

Have you ever asked yourself just how ridiculous society can possibly get when it comes to protecting the rights of criminals? Well, ask no more. The Northumbria Police over in Jolly Old England have gone the extra mile in their valiant effort to protect criminals rights and to insure those poor devils get a fair shake.

Absolutely no one can top this: the police have posted “Wanted” posters with pictures of the criminals but the posters say absolutely nothing about what the perps are wanted for. No, that would possibly prejudice a jury and violate their civil rights. No can do, ol’ boy. You will just have to guess what Jack The Ripper did and if you guess wrong and try to apprehend him, thinking he is probably just guilty of beating his dog ... you’re gonna be in deep trouble. About six feet deep.

With that in mind, the public is hereby notified that henceforth all persons on Wanted posters are assumed to be guilty of the most heinous crimes imaginable - it’s the only way to be safe. You never know when you might come across someone like the Evil Puppy Blender (Instapundit) in the Wanted poster below. I cannot begin to describe the horrors that man might inflict on you. Beware!

Wanted… But We Can’t Tell You What For
_{LONDON (TELEGRAPH-UK) - 2:58am GMT 13/02/2007}

A police force is refusing to disclose what five suspects are wanted for – despite posting their names and photographs on its website – because it may breach their human rights.

All have been “on the run”, with warrants issued against them, after failing to turn up for magistrates’ court hearings to answer charges. They are not considered a risk to the public, although people are advised not to approach them, and are not wanted for serious offences.

Northumbria Police say the decision not to publish details of the alleged offences, each of which could result in a jail sentence of at least 12 months on conviction, was taken using Home Office guidance. The reasons given are: to avoid prejudicing future proceedings, not to imply guilt, not to breach Human Rights laws and to protect victims.

Dave Warcup, Northumbria’s deputy chief constable, said yesterday: “The disclosure of photographs to the media in such circumstances is governed by national guidelines which clearly states: ‘We do not recommend including the original offence for which the defendant is sought’.”

The Home Office maintains, it is up to the individual police force to decide whether to publish information about a wanted person’s offences. Martin Callanan, Conservative MEP for the North East, believes his constituents have the right to know what the five are wanted for.

He said: “This is yet another instance of the rights of suspected criminals being put before those of the law-abiding population. “I simply cannot understand why this information is not being released.”

The issue has been raised a month after Derbyshire Police was challenged over its refusal to release photographs, on human rights grounds, of two convicted murderers who escaped from prison.

- More ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/13/2007 at 07:31 AM   
Filed Under: • Crime •  
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Holocenic Park

_{Vic Harville - Stephens Media Group}

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/13/2007 at 01:28 AM   
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather •  
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   Monday - February 12, 2007

Viagra Valentine

British Chain Sells Valentine Viagra OTC
_{LONDON (AP) - February 12, 2007, 2:55 PM EST}

A gimmick timed for Valentine’s Day, or a dangerous medical precedent? Britain’s biggest pharmacy chain, Boots, will start selling Viagra over the counter at some stores on Feb. 14—a day also designated in Britain as National Impotence Day.

Doctors are warning of the hazards of making the erectile dysfunction drug freely available to men—especially those with medical conditions such as diabetes or heart problems.

“This sets a very bad precedent and should not be condoned,” said Dr. Andrew McCullough, a sexual health expert at New York University Medical Center. “This system is basically prescribing medication without doctors.”

Under the scheme, men age 30 to 65 who want the impotence-fighting drug will have a one-hour consultation with a pharmacist, who will take their medical history and check blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels. If no medical red flags are raised, the men can buy four Viagra pills for $97. For a refill, they will have to see a private doctor.

“We’re increasing access to Viagra for men who may be too embarrassed to talk about it with their general physician,” Boots spokeswoman Clare Stafford said Monday.

But doctors fear the practice could lead to major health problems being overlooked—and set a bad precedent for other countries. In many cases, sexual dysfunction is an indicator of an underlying disease, such as heart failure or diabetes.

- More ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/12/2007 at 03:27 PM   
Filed Under: • Odd-Strange • Sex •  
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Lost!

Rule #1 of aviation: NEVER, EVER turn over the aircraft to my stoned co-pilot while I go catch a nap in back (with the load of squealing pigs we have on board this flight) only to wake up 14 hours later not knowing where on God’s green Earth we are. “Wrong-Way” Johnson (my co-pilot) is passed out and has dropped his bong on the instrument panel, shorting out the radio and GPS.

Well, we’re lucky this time. We can receive on the radio but can’t transmit which don’t help a whole helluva lot ‘cause everything is in a foreign language - which tells me we ain’t over the “Land Of The Free”. GPS is only half-broken too, I know we’re at 49° 26” N. However, when it comes to East-west, it’s a crap-shoot. Altimeter says the USAF base below is about 770 feet above sea level. Somebody help me! Where the hell am I?

Memo: HELP WANTED - Co-pilot for cheap cargo airline, reasonable pay, travel expenses paid; must be able to tell ass from hole in ground (which hopefully new co-pilot can help avoid getting into) and be drug-free ... well mostly. Inquire at: Lost Aviation, Rancho Gringo, CA. Telephone: 1-800-FLY-HIGH.

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Posted by The Skipper     on 02/12/2007 at 02:46 PM   
Filed Under: • Fun-Stuff •  
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Motivational Poster Of The Day

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/12/2007 at 01:55 PM   
Filed Under: • Motorvators •  
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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

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It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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