Friday - March 02, 2012

Two Gaps, One Closed

I had an awful night bowling at Greed League. Throwing in the 140s. Yuck. I could not get a strike and I left a ton of opens. “Irregardless”, my team won 5-2, and the 2nd place team had a bad night, so I think they’re only 2-4 points ahead of us now. And we face them next week, with only 8 or 9 weeks left in the season. Time to make our Big Move. I’m going to have to fix my game by then because they rock on us all the time, and I’ll have to throw in the mid 600s to give us a chance. 1st place team is still miles ahead, 16 up I think, as they have been ever since week 4 or 5.

We were actually in 1st place on Cheap League coming into this week, and we held onto it against the ringer loaded team that has been in first for at least 15 weeks now. We went into last night tied for points with them, but we had more total scratch pins so we were ahead. It burned giving those guys 25 in handicap, but we managed to split the night 4-3 so now we’re a whole 1 point ahead. I threw 199 in the first game and we won by a bit. I threw a godawful 116 in game 2. Crivens! I was this friggin’ close every frame, throwing 8 9s, a spare and a strike, but I could not get my ball to cooperate and I left almost every frame open. I was all over the approach trying to find the right line, but the best I could come up with was “mostly”. Suckage. Oh, the pain. The pain! Probably the worst game I’ve thrown this season. Yuck. I guess I got my head together for game 3, and I made a tiny adjustment - I moved my approach back one lousy inch - and threw a 196. And we won that one too, but they’d beat us so badly in game 2 that they took the wood. Even if I’d chucked a 240 in game 2 they still would have creamed us.

My ball seems dead. I could have sworn I got it steam cleaned and resurfaced just 5 or 6 weeks ago, but it’s lost its mojo already. Unless it’s me. I’ve been having huge problems with my arm brace; the think is totally stank from old sweat and is falling apart. Maybe I can find a new one ASAP, get some practice sessions in today and Sunday morning, and get the ball done up on Monday. If nothing else that will boost my confidence in my equipment, and that might be all it takes.

But woo-hoo, 1st place for 2 weeks in a row in Cheap League! Yay us!

Posted by Drew458     on 03/02/2012 at 08:51 AM   
Filed Under: • Bowling Blogging •  
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Chess Problem #235

This problem’s theme is overload.

Overloading involves the exploitation of an enemy unit which must protect at least two other important pieces (or squares).

White to move and win.

1. ?

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

UPDATE 3/3/12

I am going to quote the book, just so Drew will be happy. JW pretty much solved this, after my ‘hint’.

1. Qc5!! (Black had the ugly threat of Rh1+!! which is now impossible because of Bxh1 and there is no mate on f2. Besides this defensive function, 1. Qc5 overloads the Bishop on d7 by threatening 2. Qc8+ Bxc8 3. Re8#. Black must defend against the mate and in so doing loses a Rook)

1. … h5
2. Bxg4 hg4
3. Kxh2 Qh6+
4. Kg1 Bc6
5. f3 Bxf3
6. Re8+ Kh7
7. Qc2+! and Black resigns, as a trade of Queens will be forced by 8. Qh2.

Posted by Christopher     on 03/02/2012 at 08:30 AM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
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   Thursday - March 01, 2012

Gone Natural

or if you’re more a fan of darker brunettes ...

same model, different hair colors and lighting. never a dull moment.

GET ME OUT OF HERE ...

Posted by Drew458     on 03/01/2012 at 04:27 PM   
Filed Under: • Eye-Candy •  
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Pirates Of The Nile

Looks like “the shores of Tripoli” have moved a bit to the east? The Barbary Pirates were acting as agents of their de-facto government too ya know.

CAIRO – Seven American rights workers are on a plane out of Egypt after the U.S. paid nearly $5 million in bail costs to secure their freedom.

Egyptian officials said the U.S. paid $300,000 each for 16 Americans, nine of whom were already out of the country.

The State Department said the money was paid by the nongovernmental organizations where the democracy and rights workers work. However, the NGOs receive U.S. funding for their operations.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said workers from other international organizations were also on the plane. They were Norwegian, Serbian, Palestinian and German.

“Bail costs”. Right. Sure. As if they’re going back for their “trial” on those trumped up utterly bogus “charges”.

Call it a bribe, call it a payoff, call it a ransom. It’s all the same from this side of the pond; we don’t split hairs over such crap. They were held for ransom by a foreign government that we consider to be an ally, after we helped that government come to power in the media jizz-fest they call the “Arab Spring”.

Call home the diplomats, call home the tourists. Not a dollar in aid for Egypt, nor a bowl of rice. Not one ship gets in to the Nile Delta, not one Egyptian soldier comes near the Suez Canal. Not one truck crosses North out of Ethiopia or East in from Libya. Our Idiot In Chief tried to let them obtain freedom, but they never had any intention of that. Instead, he’s let them show us their real face, that they are yet another enemy in dirty sandals. So treat them that way. Blockade and embargo, and let them rot. Declare them a terrorist enabling nation and lock down their foreign bank accounts. Let them eat sand. No real need to defoliate their crops or poison the Nile north of Aswan. No need at all. Yet. But plan another damn-busters air mission, just in case. Hey, we’d be doing it for Gaia’s sake, returning the Nile to it’s natural state. Not our fault it would flood the whole place 50 feet deep in mud.

Posted by Drew458     on 03/01/2012 at 03:03 PM   
Filed Under: • Obama, The One • RoPMA •  
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In memorium: Andrew Breitbart

Andrew Breitbart 1969-2012

I enjoy making enemies.
Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I’ve lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I’ve gained hundreds, thousands—who knows?—of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night.
Andrew is at rest, yet the happy warrior lives on, in each of us.

AHHHH! I’m 9yrs older than he was.

Posted by Christopher     on 03/01/2012 at 02:52 PM   
Filed Under: • Editorials •  
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Is it okay to be critical of Israel ?  And how far should it go?

Open for debate?

Is it okay to be critical of Israel ?  And how far should it go?

Any conditions?  Like, what if you’re a politician?  Now keep in mind I’m not asking if it’s okay to be a stupid politician.
Interesting thing happened here. 
A certain Baroness Tonge was told by her party leader to apologize for her anti Israel comments or leave the party. She chose to leave.

Her party is the Liberal Democrats, or Lib/Dems as they are referred to. Lib/Dems are as you might guess, on the left side of things but are part of this govt. because the Conservatives could not pull enough votes to gain a majority. And btw, I read in the papers that the Labour (very left)Party is gaining some ground. That’s a very scary thought.
But back to the Baroness.

She said, among other things, that American support for Israel wouldn’t last forever. She also said a lot more and it got me to thinking about something.

For me personally, support for Israel is in my dna. Can’t avoid it even when I get upset by some of the things I read, where I think they may be wrong.  Thing is however, over time I have seen folks who aren’t saying nasty things but who are honestly in disagreement or who question Israeli policy.  The settlements for one example, that Israel itself said would be halted but somewhere along the line that got held up. Then when they gave the all clear to dismantle some, a number of it’s citizens moved in and planted themselves anyway.
I’m too far removed from the trouble and strife there, don’t read as much as I should maybe. Although time for me is quite limited on how much I can read and do and post etc. On top of everything else going on here.  So I take it on faith that overall Israel usually has it right, and that they aren’t the bad guys.  But sometimes they slip I suppose, and critics are quick to point it out.  And when they do, they get flamed and abused and threatened etc. It’s almost as though being critical is thought of as some kind of anti-Semitic crime.  Of course some people are very much that.  But surely not all of them. Anyway, even for those who are out and out holocaust denying rabid Israel haters, I’d rather they be right where we can see them. Out in the open.  That’s one reason I think some of the European countries with anti deny laws with jail and fines are wrong. 

So here’s the story on the Baroness. Was she wrong in all particulars and even so, why should she have been told to apologize for honestly held beliefs?  And in trying to silence her no matter how unwelcome her thoughts and words to some, isn’t trying to silence her exactly what we are all so angry about when the left and the muslims do the same to our side?

I do understand that perhaps her words did not reflect the policy of her party and the party leader had to do something. Asking her to say sorry was I believe the wrong something because it would not have been a very sincere sorry. Just politically expedient. 

Lib Dem Baroness Tonge quits party over Israel remarks

Baroness Tonge said she was disappointed with Nick Clegg’s response

“One day, the American people are going to say to the Israel lobby in the USA: enough is enough.
“It will not go on for ever. Israel will lose support and then they will reap what they have sown.”

Her resignation from the party follows a speech at an event held at Middlesex University, in which she said: “One day, the United States of America will get sick of giving £70bn a year to Israel to support what I call America’s aircraft carrier in the Middle East - that is Israel.

Labour leader Ed Miliband condemned the remarks, writing on Twitter: “No place in politics for those who question existence of the state of Israel.”

Right. Leave it to Red Ed to get into the act. She was critical yes. Maybe even over the top. But I didn’t read anything she said that suggested she questioned the existence of Israel.  It’s like the racist word.  Use a certain line and shut down the argument. Miliband was bought and paid for by the Marxist unions and I wouldn’t believe anything he said. He’s where he is because he managed to stab his own brother in the back politically, for leadership of the Labour Party. Not that I’m crazy about his brother either. A pox on em all. Especially the unions.

Mr Clegg said: “These remarks were wrong and offensive and do not reflect the values of the Liberal Democrats.
“I asked Baroness Tonge to withdraw her remarks and apologise for the offence she has caused. She has refused to do so and will now be leaving the party.
“The Liberal Democrats have a proud record of campaigning for the rights of Palestinians, and that will continue.
“But we are crystal clear in our support for a two-state solution.”

‘Mouthed obscenities’
Afterwards Baroness Tonge said: “The comments I made have been taken completely out of context. They followed a very ill-tempered meeting in which Zionist campaigners attempted continually to disrupt proceedings.
“They mouthed obscenities at the panellists, to the extent that university security attempted to remove them from the premises.
“The comments I made were in protest at the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and the treatment of Israeli Arabs.”
She added: “I am disappointed the leadership of my party did not consult me before issuing a press release and seems always to abet the request of the pro-Israel lobby.
“Israel is acting against international law, the Geneva Conventions, and human rights. They do this with impunity and if our political parties will not take action then individuals must.
“I have been asked to apologise but refuse to do so and resign the whip of my party.”
The Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine group offered Baroness Tonge its “full support”.

SOURCE, BBC NEWS

Before I go for the night I must make it clear.
I think the woman is a freekin loon. A moonbat of the first degree. Politically she’s probably her own worst enemy.

Posted by peiper     on 03/01/2012 at 01:43 PM   
Filed Under: • Israel • Stoopid-People • UK •  
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The Daily Lie

Barack Obama has insisted he was right to apologise to Afghanistan’s government after U.S. forces accidentally burned Muslim Korans.

The President said his apology had ‘calmed things down’

Two American soldiers were killed Thursday in a shooting by an Afghan soldier and a literacy teacher at a joint base in southern Afghanistan, officials said, the latest in a series of deaths as anti-Americanism rises following the burning of Qurans by U.S. soldiers.

...

Thursday’s killings raised to six the number of Americans killed in less than two weeks amid heightened tensions over the Feb. 20 burning of Qurans and other Islamic texts that had been dumped in a garbage pit at Bagram Air Field near Kabul. More than 30 Afghans also were killed in six days of violent riots that broke out after the incident.

President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials apologized and said the burning was an accident, but that has failed to quell the anger.

See? Our guys are being killed by these lunatics at a slower rate than they were before, so that’s an improvement, therefore the apology is working. Uh huh; that’s the same logic that says that housing prices declining at a slower rate, and new unemployment figures being slightly less than last week, are both signs of an improving economy. Rather like hearing from your doctor that, now that the cancer has spread to 89% of your body, the cells are metastasizing at a slower rate. Gosh, such good news that is.

PS - pay no attention to the 300lb gorilla in the room. We will continue to ignore the obvious and historic under-truth here that our brave allies the Afghan troops are riddled with AQ sleepers and can not ever be fully trusted.

Posted by Drew458     on 03/01/2012 at 09:11 AM   
Filed Under: • Obama, The One • War On Terror •  
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Chess Problem #494

There are 1154 problems in this book. They are categorized by theme: pin, weak back rank, or, as in this problem, discovered attack.

The discovery is one of the most powerful types of move possible in a game of chess. The term ‘discovery’ simply means that a piece is moved from a rank, file, or diagonal while uncovering an attack by friendly forces behind it on the line, thereby giving both pieces a chance to simultaneously threaten the opponent.

I’ve decided to start ‘hopping’ through the book. We spent some time on ‘weak back ranks’, and most recently on ‘pins’. Now I’m going to ‘hop’ to different themes. In this case, discovery. (Drew should like this one, White wins in all variations that I’ve found. Nothing magical…)

Theme: Discovery
White to move and win:

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

UPDATE 3/2/12

Drew, JW, and Al_in_Ottawa all got this one right.

1. Qh6+ Bxh6
2. Ng5+ Kh8
3. Rh7#

Posted by Christopher     on 03/01/2012 at 04:07 AM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
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