Better Things For Better Living Through Chemistry

Al Fin Blog: Cool Revolution: A New Way To Keep Your Beer Cold.

The breakthrough system, which is projected to be 20 percent more efficient than current refrigeration technology, could be inside your fridge by the end of the decade.

The system is using a water-based fluid flowing through a series of magnets to transfer heat, rather than a chemical refrigerant and a compressor. This significantly lowers any harm to the environment and makes the recycling of old refrigerators simpler.

“This is a big deal,” says Venkat Venkatakrishnan, a leader of the research team. “We are on the cusp of the next refrigeration revolution.”

Remington Leaving NY?

Looks like it, for the most part.

High level sources have informed Yellowhammer News that Remington, one of the world’s largest gun manufacturers, will on Monday join Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley in announcing that they are bringing over 2,000 jobs to Alabama.

The company is viewing the move into Alabama as an expansion, but it will likely impact their Ilion, NY plant as well. The New York facility currently employees around 1,200 people. It is expected to stay open, but with a reduced workforce.

“The company is making the move as an expansion of capacity, production and research,” a source told Yellowhammer on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “The demand for Remington products has skyrocketed recently, for obvious reasons, so they need to increase their production capacity. They will be expanding their research capabilities with the Alabama plant, too.”

The initial estimated impact on Alabama’s economy will be roughly $87 million.

I hope that the official announcement includes a denunciation of NY Governor Cuomo and the knee-jerk legislature that rammed through the NY SAFE Act in the wake of the Newtown shootings.

The Ignorance of Americans

In detail.

When Newsweek set 1,000 Americans the challenge of completing their country’s citizenship test, 29 percent could not name the current vice president (Joe Biden), and almost three quarters could not correctly say why America fought the Cold War.

Six per cent could not remember the date of Independence Day.

A blind telephone survey of over 1,000 Americans, carried out by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum (a museum dedicated to the first amendment), found that more Americans could identify more members of the Simpsons cartoon family than first amendment rights.

Click the link to see more.

Imus: Vote For T-X!

Don Imus says he'll vote for Hillary Clinton because she's ruthless and lacks humanity.

In other words, she's the equivalent of the female Terminator from the third movie in that franchise.

On Contemplation of Plumbing Fittings

"FACEBOOK OFFERS FIFTY GENDER OPTIONS!"

I wonder if cismale gendernormative fascist is one of the options? ;-)

You Know, It's Pretty Effing Pathetic...

...when a federal judge can't distinguish between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

A federal judge struck down Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage today, an historic ruling with especial resonance on Valentine's Day. Except the history of the historic ruling isn't exactly up to par: Judge Arenda Wright Allen claimed the Constitution declares that "all men are created equal," which is, instead, the first line of the Declaration of Independence.

"Our Constitution declares that 'all men' are created equal. Surely this means all of us," Judge Allen wrote on the first page of her opinion.

Damn, I've heard of low-information voters, but we have low-information federal judges, too?

Still At the Hotel

I've been here the entire week, having driven in on Monday evening. Outside the weather is sunny and 50 degrees, so that the 8-10" of snow we got this week is melting away like the Wicked Witch of the West. Ventured outside today to go to my car, see if it would start - - it did. I went to deposit my paycheck and pick up some lunch. I'll still be here tonight, working an extra shift; I expect to head home sometime tomorrow morning.

Hopefully this will be the last of the winter storm events this year.

You Ain't Even Safe In a Tree

Crocodilians - - crocodiles, alligators, caimans and the like - - can climb trees.

Pic:

Wonder if that alligator knows he's in a patch of poison ivy?

Meanwhile, In Nigeria...

...the police have shut down The Long Pig* BBQ Restaurant:

Police arrested 11 people and closed a restaurant after two human heads wrapped in cellophane were discovered at a hotel restaurant that had been serving human flesh.

A tip-off led police to the macabre discovery in Anambra, Nigeria, with 11 people being arrested and AK-47 guns and other weapons being seized.

Click the link to read the rest.


*Hey, if I owned a cannibal restaurant that's what I'd name it. I'd have a stretched anthropomorphic pic on the road sign, and the pig would be winking.

Good Riddance...

...to bad rubbish.

Eric Holder, the disgraced Attorney General of the United States, has indicated he is stepping down in 2014.

I'll believe it when I see it. I hope he's got a good law team of his own, because if the Republicans take the Senate in the 2014 elections, he's likely to face arrest over Fast & Furious and the IRS scandal.

h/t Sipsey Street Irregulars.

Wish I Could Go Back, Too

"USS Donald Cook arrives in new home port in Spain."

That would be Rota, one of my fondest memories.

All Hands On Deck

I'm at the hotel tonight and for the next couple of nights following, probably, because of the snow that is currently falling today and is expected over the next 24 hours. A lot of the staff are staying, as well; the maintenance guy, two desk clerks, and at least one maid. Owner has said he'll spring for dinner tonight, but not too extravantly; I'm guessing pizza delivery, with luck I'll be able to snag three pieces. A fourth piece would probably be viewed as extravagant.

As of right now the snow is sticking to the trees and grass, not yet on the roads or sidewalks. The weather weasels are threatening us with ice storm predictions, which is, of course, worse than snow itself. We'll see what happens.

Shirley Temple, 1929-2014: R.I.P.

The child star, beloved by millions during the Depression and WWII, has died at 85.

She was considered for the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, but was either busy with other projects or MGM wanted a more adult voice for the musical numbers, which Judy Garland certainly supplied. Temple, though, was closer in age to the little Kansas farmgirl that L. Frank Baum wrote of in his Oz novels.

Here's Temple in a dance routine with Buddy Ebsen (Jed Clampett, Barnaby Jones), who himself was cast for The Wizard of Oz but who had to drop out from an allergic reaction to his makeup as the Tin Man.



What a little cutie she was.

Ohio National Guard Wargamed Against 2nd Amendment Supporters

Because sovereign American citizens exercising their God-given rights are perceived as more of a threat than Al-Qaeda.

Cue the Violin

Canadian Muslims Claim “Zombie” Osama Bin Laden Target “Promotes Hatred."

Violin, please:

Fast & Furious Figure To Be Sentenced

I wish I could say it's Attorney General Eric Holder, but it's not.

Why Are Bankers Killing Themselves?

And why are they doing it with nail guns, among other methods?

They must know something we don't, and that worries me.

Quote of the Day

Progress has made a good life materially possible, but it has also displaced and damaged the social mechanisms that make a good life socially possible. We have easy access to technology and streets full of vicious illiterate thugs. We can discuss anything with anyone, but we live in a society that values few things worth discussing. We have mass production, but not mass character.

Found here: The Secular Religion of the Left.

Boy, I Called That One

Back in December when The Walking Dead went on mid-season hiatus, I wrote in my AAR of that episode that if anyone returned to the prison they'd probably find poor Hershel's zombified head. Did I call that one, or not?

The new episode was interesting. The young man playing Carl did a fine acting job in this one, splendidly evoking the image of someone hardened on the outside by horrors, but still a frightened boy inside, very much in need of the love of his mostly lost family.

In practical terms, Carl and Rick need to rest and regroup; they need to gather supplies, possibly find a working vehicle. Both of them are hampered by lack of melee weapons such as Michonne's sword. Even a walking staff would be better than nothing.

I'm always disappointed that there are never any scenes of long-term planning, such as Hey, we should make our way to the coast, a fishing economy is easier to sustain than a farming economy, and if we find the right location, we can both fish and farm. (think NC's Roanoke Island or other coastal islands).

Common Sense Gun Legislation Proposed In Kentucky

"Kentucky: Bill to allow temporary concealed carry for domestic violence victims."

A Kentucky bill that would grant victims of domestic violence a temporary concealed carry permit passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday and now heads to the floor for a second reading.

Senate Bill 106 would allow a person protected by an emergency protective order or a domestic violence order to carry, if authorized by the issuing court, a concealed deadly weapon for a 90-day period. Although the bill would fast track the process, those who are granted the short-term status must meet the same requirements as those who obtain a standard carry permit.

First, one must pass a background check from their local sheriff, be photographed and pay a $25 fingerprinting fee. Likewise, the temporary permit would be exempt from being considered a public record.

Since these orders would be processed at the county level, bypassing the state, they could conceivably be granted within a couple of days.

h/t Free North Carolina.

If You Have Nothing To Hide...

...then why are you making it so hard to examine those documents?

The question answers itself, of course.

Bottle Message: Official Scientific Bottle Message...

...released by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute people 60 years ago, with an offer of a 50-cent reward to the finder, which has been duly paid.

Apparently the bottle, made of glass, has been sandblasted by beach sand for all these years, but the message was still dry and legible; it was found about 300 miles from where it was launched. Probably it was buried under beach sand all these years, and exposed by a storm.

Clint Eastwood, 83, Saves Man From Choking

Hero. Not just playing one.

Which Should Surprise No One

"Former Bloomberg Ally Says ‘Mayors’ Group’s Goal Is Gun Confiscation."

A former member of Michael Bloomberg’s gun control group claimed this week that the group’s objectives are far more radical than it has let on.

John Tkazyik, the mayor of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., said he quit the former New York City mayor’s group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, after he realized its objective was outright confiscation of firearms from law-abiding citizens.

Click the link to read the rest. Not that I'm in any way surprised, I just wanted it recorded here in my blog.

h/t Weasel Zippers.

Peter Grant's New Book Released!

It's called Adapt and Overcome.

I've already purchased it. :-)

Peter talks about it here.

Musical Interlude

Stan Rogers, Northwest Passage:




Rogers is less well-known to Americans than his fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot, which is a shame. Captain Sir John Franklin was an early polar explorer whose expedition to chart the Northwest Passage ended in shipwreck and cannibalism in the far north. Inuit (eskimoes) of the far north recall tales of Franklin's men handed down from their forefathers.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

Joe Nocera of The New York Times celebrates a year of his gun violence column, The Gun Report. He attempts in today's column to make sense of his data.

He starts off by admitting that his methodology is simply to do a Google search every morning for shootings. Is that the standard for rigourous at the Times? He then admits that this methodology misses a lot compared to data proved by the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) and even Slate magazine. Nevertheless, Nocera plunges on:

Part of the issue, as Slate has noted, is that it is impossible to track suicides using news media accounts — and suicides, according to the C.D.C., account for some 60 percent of gun deaths. But it was also obvious that a Google News search was bound to miss plenty of examples; that’s just the nature of the beast. Comprehensiveness was never really the point, though. [How convenient.]

First, the biggest surprise, especially early on, was how frequently either a child accidentally shot another child — using a loaded gun that happened to be lying around — or an adult accidentally shot a child while handling a loaded gun. I have written about this before, mainly because these incidents seem so preventable. Gun owners simply need to keep their guns locked away. Indeed, one pro-gun reader, Malcolm Smith, told me that after reading “about the death toll, especially to children” in The Gun Report, he had come to believe that some gun regulation was necessary. He now thinks gun owners should be licensed and “should have to learn how to store guns safely.” [No definition of what constitutes a "child." As has been seen before with gun control advocates, they routinely factor in shootings by gangbangers as being committed by "children" if the individual is younger than 18.]

Second, the N.R.A. shibboleth that having a gun in one’s house makes you safer is demonstrably untrue. After The Gun Report had been up and running for a while, several Second Amendment advocates complained that we rarely published items that showed how guns were used to prevent a crime. The reason was not that we were biased against crime prevention; it was that it didn’t happen very often. (When we found such examples, we put them in The Gun Report.) [Again a failure of methodology. If your daily Google Search is keyworded on shootings only, then you'll get far fewer Defensive Gun Uses (DGU) than actually occur, since in many cases, simply displaying a gun to a criminal is enough to cause him/her to flee or stop his attack. Similarly, not all DGU's are reported to the police. So, since the Nocero's numbers are based on his own flawed methodology, he gets equally flawed results, and is apparently satisfied with that situation.]

Third, gang shootings are everywhere. You see it in the big cities, like Chicago, Detroit and Miami, and you see it in smaller cities in economic decline like Flint, Mich., and Fort Wayne, Ind. Drive-by shootings are prevalent in California, especially Los Angeles and Fresno. As often as gang members shoot each other, they kill innocent victims, often children who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. [Finally Nocero has to admit the obvious.]

Among the readers who post daily comments to The Gun Report are a number of gun rights advocates. What has been astonishing to me is the degree to which they tend to dismiss inner-city violence, as if to say that such killings are unavoidable. The code word they often use is “demographics.”

It is unquestionably true that the most gun homicides occur in the inner cities — the anecdotes we collect in The Gun Report are confirmed by such studies as a May 2013 Bureau of Justice Statistics report. And, yes, plenty of them are the result of gang violence. But why should that make them any less lamentable, or preventable? [Here basically Nocero is hinting that gun ownership advocates are racist for not feeling sympathy for the black thugs, most of them with criminal records, that kill each other in shocking numbers every year.]

There are an estimated 300 million guns in America, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. But to read The Gun Report is to be struck anew at the reality that most of the people who die from guns would still be alive if we just had fewer of them. The guys in the movie theater would have had a fistfight instead of a shooting. The momentary flush of anger would pass. The suicidal person might have taken a pause if taking one’s life were more difficult. And on, and on. The idea that guns, on balance, save lives — which is one of the most common sentiments expressed in the pro-gun comments posted to The Gun Report — is ludicrous. [Ludicrous only in that you don't provide accurate numbers on DGU's - - and can't, since so many go unreported. left out of the equation entirely is that, even during the period when more and more guns exist in the US than ever before, gun homicides and gun violence has gone down annually for decades even as gun ownership increased.]

So Nocera in the end proves nothing. He uses dubious methodology to confirm what is known already - - that many gun deaths each year are committed by suicides or by gangbangers, and dismisses DGU's because he can't - - or won't - - figure out how to factor them in to his calculations; indeed, he smears law-abiding gun owners as careless for not securing guns from children, as recklessly bloodthirsty based on a single recent anecdote of a shooting in a movie theater, and racist because they don't care that criminal thugs kill each other.

Meanwhile, Just Up the Road In Mooresville, NC...

...the coach of the Mooresville High School football team has been ordered to stop baptizing his players.

Not that they probably don't need it, but it does violate the Constitution.

Meanwhile, In Sochi...

...there's things they don't want you doing in the toilets:

I'm not certain about that scenario on the bottom right, myself.

Update: That last panel has proved baffling to the Twitter community, as Twitchy notes here. Apparently the final panel means Do Not Inject Drugs In Bathroom.

Damn, Son, You Should Be Grateful For That Much Free Publicity For Your Shitty Music

The Band "Skinny Puppy" got all butthurt over their music being used to "torture" muslim prisoners at Guantanamo, Cuba.

Remember Analogies?

Remember analogies from your high school and college years? The ones that read _____ is to _____ as _____ is to _____?

Well, here's one based on based on one of today's news stories:

Glock is to negligent discharge as pit bull is to mauling.

Police in Florida said a man who accidentally shot himself on his way home from a gun safety class is expected to recover from his injury.

Boynton Beach police said Eric Morkert stopped his pickup truck while driving home from a gun safety class and sat in the bed of the vehicle to examine his new Glock 17 handgun, WPBF-TV, West Palm Beach, Fla., reported Monday.

Police said Morkert had removed the gun's magazine and was manipulating the slide when it fired off a round that struck him in the leg.

Is it only Glocks that cause ND's? No, no more than pit bulls are responsible for all dog maulings.

You won't lose money betting that way, though.

And I use the tag "usual suspects" in this instance to refer to Glocks...and pit bulls.

Quote of the Day

One of the mistakes Heinlein’s generation made was thinking the religious impulse went away when organized religion did. It doesn’t of course. As religion loses force, the state-as-religion moves in. Of the two the second is probably the most harmful, as it wants to bring about a reality that simply doesn’t fit into the physical world. No matter how much we squash capitalism, we’re not going to have an Earthly paradise. (On the contrary.) The paradise hereafter is each person’s concern and ultimately neither testable nor enforceable (not to say that some places and times haven’t tried it.)

found here. Click over to read the entire thing.

Questions Arising About the Castaway...

...who arrived at a Pacific Ocean atoll after what he described as a 6000+-mile, 13-month journey, looking rather chubby and well-fed, and aside from swollen ankles, in perfect health.

The questions arise because when he left western Mexico on a fishing trip, he had a companion, whom he described as dying after the first month or so. Did he just throw the man's body overboard, or did he first resort to cannibalism to survive, then throw what remained away? How is it that he had no vitamin-deficiency diseases such as scurvy after so long at sea? Could drinking turtle's blood, as he described doing, provide enough Vitamin C to prevent scurvy? Did he find any floating coconuts while on the journey? If he did, his problem with vitamins would of course be solved, because coconuts are full of healthful vitamins.

It's a strange and wonderful story, and I definitely want to know more about it.

Update: More information as to his medical condition at the UK Daily Mail, much of which is simply speculation at this point. Interestingly, although the castaway's remarkably healthy condition has been noted by all who have seen him, no one is using the C word - - cannibalism - - yet.

Now Witness the Firepower of This Fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL Vajayjay!

"Can 'vagina weightlifting' give you better sex? Expert claims hefting dumbbells with your privates will enhance your sex life... and make you the 'life of the party'"

Kim Anami unveils 'ten reasons to lift weights with your vagina' video

Says it can boost libido and help you become a world record holder

Anami is a sex coach and runs retreats

Tatyana Kozhevnikova, Russian gymnast who can lift a 14kg kettleball with private parts, officially has world's strongest vagina

Might come in handy if you're stuck in the sand driving at the beach...

Lafayette's Ship Under Folly Beach Sand?

The speculation is that there's a possibility of it, and dredging operations to renourish the depleted sands of Folly Beach may reveal it.

Who You Pointing That Remark At?

I get a "daily meditation" from the Franciscans, this morning it read:

You'll notice that all three times when the angel comes to St. Joseph, he is sleeping. Possibly the news was more than he could handle awake. Or maybe God is encouraging us to rest more. (Note: this does not empower sleeping during the homily.)

(For non-Catholics, the homily is the equivalent of the sermon.)

Damn You, Phil

Six more weeks of winter.

Cat Videos For the Lowbrows...

and seminars in "How To Distract Proles With Cat Videos" for the self-styled highbrows.

Daniel Greenfield looks not at the blowdried, capped-teeth Dorian Grays of modern journalism, but at the portrait that the Dorians hide up in the attic: diseased, festering, rotting, maggot-riddled.

What Sort of Man...

...goes to London's "Being a Man" festival?

Click the link to find out. It's about what you'd expect.

Fishing - - Or Sex?

You decide:

Incredible 8000-Mile Voyage of Survival?

Looks like it. 16 months adrift in a fiberglass boat that drifted from Mexico to a coral atoll in the Marshall Islands, 8000 miles away, living on rainwater, handcaught fish and sea turtles...and possibly a dead companion?

Lots of questions about this story, which will take a while to be answered, because as of this writing the castaway hasn't even made it off of the coral atoll, rescue planes not being readily available.

If a book comes out of this, though, I definitely want to read it.

They Cut Their Own Throats

Pat Buchanan explains how the GOP lost middle America.

At the Cold War’s end, the GOP reached a fork in the road. The determination of Middle Americans to preserve the country they grew up in, suddenly collided with the profit motive of Corporate America.

The Fortune 500 wanted to close factories in the USA and ship production abroad — where unions did not exist, regulations were light, taxes were low, and wages were a fraction of what they were here in America.

Corporate America was going global and wanted to be rid of its American work force, the best paid on earth, and replace it with cheap foreign labor.

While manufacturing sought to move production abroad, hotels, motels, bars, restaurants, farms and construction companies that could not move abroad also wanted to replace their expensive American workers.

Thanks to the Republican Party, Corporate America got it all.

Click the link to read the rest. I tend to agree with this, although I know it's not Approved Conservative Thought. But you know, when conservatives bash public employees' unions as being greedy and overpaid - - excuse me? Isn't that just envy? How is it any different than the envy that the leftist shows toward the rich? I don't get paid that much and work just as hard as *those people,* goes the thought, so I don't think they should be paid that much, either. You're guilty of the same envy as the Left - - rather than drag yourself UP, you'd rather see someone else dragged DOWN.

What's Eels Got To Do With It?

In a Washington Post blog post about MSNBC and their habit of race-baiting, this incorrect usage popped up:

It is, of course, the mores/morays confusion. It's a common mistake among the semi-well educated. Mores (always spelled with an S) are defined as: the essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a community. Morays, on the other hand, are eels; and amoré is the Italian word for love.

(Once, when a journalist wrote of "sexual morays," I sent the link to Christopher Hitchens, and we traded verses of The Good Ship Venus in email:

The captain's lovely daughter
Liked swimming in the water
Delighted squeals came when some eels
Found her sexual quarters!

Here's a song to help you understand:

Was the Guy's Name Johnny Val Jean?

In Union, SC, Wal-Mart is not going to press charges against a man who stole a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk.

Knockout Game Thug Reveals His Defense: Self-Defense!

Bitches attacked him. Including the 78-year-old.


What's that you said, Billy?

Yer World-Class Irony of the Day

"PUTIN: AMERICA IS GODLESS, HAS TURNED AWAY FROM CHRISTIAN VALUES."

Snow Day

I went in to work early yesterday, getting a room at the hotel to stay in so as to avoid the evening snowstorm. I'm here still, and will probably go home tomorrow morning, since most of the stuff that fell has already melted off of the roads.

Had some worrisome minutes this morning when it appeared that one of the hotel's two hot-water boilers had burst a pipe, and I was getting complaints of no hot water from the guests. I called the maintenance man to come in early, passed it down to my relief, and went up to my room and bed. It turned out that the boilers have a safety feature that causes them to dump their water when the temperature in the boilers gets too hot, and that is what occurred. Everything is fine with them now.

Update: The Crime In Charlotte Blog is reporting that there were 500+ accidents in the Charlotte area overnight; don't think that includes the ones from this morning.

Yer Lede Sentence of the Day

"After hearing that a cow allegedly rejected the advances of a man on trial for having sex with a sheep, a British jury was chided by the judge for laughing in the courtroom."

The Wheel of Misfortune

Not a new game show, but yet a game played by sadistic cops in the Philippines, where a wheel was spun to select methods of abuse to be used on prisoners.

h/t Ann Althouse.

Headline of the Day

"Pope's peace doves attacked by crow and seagull."

Click the link to see distressing photos. Or entertaining, depending on your viewpoint.

For What It's Worth...

...the top ten most and least Bible-minded US cities:

The most Bible-minded cities:

10. Knoxville, TN
9. Jackson, MS
8. Little Rock, AR
7. Greenville/Spartanburg,/SC/Asheville, NC
6. Charlotte, NC
5. Shreveport, LA
4. Springfield, MO
3. Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA
2. Birmingham, AL
1. Chattanooga, TN

And the least Bible-minded cities:

10. Portland, ME
9. Burlington, VT
8. Phoenix, AZ
7. Hartford/New Haven, CT
6. Buffalo, NY
5. Cedar Rapids, IA
4. San Francisco, CA
3. Boston, MA
2. Albany, NY
1. Providence, RI/ New Bedford, MA

You can click over to the link to read about how the study was done and what conclusions are drawn from it. In broad terms, the most Bible-minded cities tended to be small cities in the red states, and the least Bible-minded cities tended to be in large blue cities. Go figure.

Ignore The Clown, Please

In UK, a wave of criminal clowns.

If the Perpetrators Are Caught...

...I wonder if the MSM would be honest enough to report the motivation - - if the perps turned out to be, say, Muslims? Or Atheists? (They'd definitely report on the motivations if the perps were, for example, former altar boys who had been diddled by a priest).

Cue Up Bob Marley - - Or Eric Clapton

"North Carolina sheriff shoots his deputy during standoff with gunman."

*sings*

Don't shoot me sheriff

Don't you know I am your deputy!

Don't shoot me sheriff

Don't you know I am your deputy...

Piers Morgan's Head To Explode In 3...2...1...

Hand guns should be legalised and licensed, Nigel Farage has said.

The Ukip [UK Independence Party - -Ed.] leader says the ban on the guns, which were made illegal in the wake of the Dunblaine shooting, was a "kneejerk" reaction and should be lifted.

Indoctrination Chronicles #11

In Dearbornistan, Michichan, an autistic boy was banned from bring his Bible to school.

Gee, I wonder if he'd be banned from bringing a Koran to school if he was Muslim?

Yer Wince-Inducing Headline of the Day

"Alabama jury awards farm worker $4M after accident left him with skinned genitals."

"Man's genitals became entangled in the drill of a post hole digger."

Ow ow ow ow!

Today's Trivia Question

Look at the picture below and tell me: where would you find that particular object on a US Navy ship?

He'd Be 158 Years Old Today

It's John Moses Browning's birthday.

George Zimmerman Twits Special Prosecutor Via "Art"

Think he's bitter?

Nah.

Headline of the Day

"Could Russian ghost ship infested with CANNIBAL RATS beach in Britain? Experts fear storms have driven cruise liner towards the UK after it went missing a year ago."

CANNIBAL. RATS.

Apologies For Light Posting

My apologies for the lack of posts, haven't seen anything that interests me all that much in the news. I've been pretty active on Facebook among my friends there.

Here's a photo of the interior of the church of the Trappist Monastery of the Holy Spirit, in Conyers, GA; from their website:

If any of you have read the travel classic Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon, you'll perhaps recognize the name of the place, since Heat Moon stopped there on his perambulations around the US. One of the monks he met there, Brother Patrick, seems to be the monastery's baker now, unless another monk has the name Patrick. If it is the same Brother Patrick, he would be an old man now; no difficult feat for a monk, of course.

It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Lady...Um...Farts

Or shits herself, due to a botched episiotomy during childbirth.

Just Another Day In the US of A

Handling snakes - - and dying from same; (h/t Brock Townsend) Eating dirt - - because it tastes good, and helps you lose weight.

Folks are strange, ain't they?

Baseball and BBQ

Joined at Charlotte's new uptown baseball stadium.

h/t BBQ Brothers.

Headline of the Day

"'Mad Dog' the cannibal pictured eating SECOND Muslim in as many weeks as Christians lynch and burn two men in Central African Republic."

Distressing photos. Click the link to see them.

The African Queen Sails Again

The actual boat itself, now restored and again sailing the Nile.

If you're a fan of the old Bogart/Hepburn movie, or even the C.S. Forester novel on which it was based, it would be worth adding to a bucket list.

I Got Dem Ol' WWI Shell-Shock Toejam Blues Again Mama!

European fungus picked up in WWI trenches by soldiers found its way to Scotland, where it still exists a century later.

The fungus was discovered on the grounds of Craiglockhart Military Hospital, where shell-shocked soldiers were sent for psychological treatment; among these were two of the war's greatest poets, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon.

UK novelist Pat Barker wrote a fine novel about Craiglockhart, Owen and Sassoon, and a fine movie was made from the novel, which few people seem to have seen; here's the scene in which Owen and Sassoon first meet, both of them patients at the hospital, sent there for treatment of shell-shock, which today we know as PTSD:

That's How It Worked With My Sister, Too

"What Happened When North Carolina Slashed Unemployment Benefits? People Got Jobs…Weird."

Which was exactly what happened in my sister's case. While the benefits kept coming, she was content to sit at home and relax. When the benefits ran out, she quickly got motivated to get a job.

Restaurant Review: Dickey's BBQ Pit

This was at the location in Charlotte's Ballantyne suburb on John J. Delaney Drive. Dickey's is part of a Dallas, TX barbecue chain. They just opened this location three months ago. They're in a storefront:

That's a view of the back entrance, thru which I entered. I don't know what the front entrance looks like. I found a coupon offer in my email box back in December for Dickey's, pay $10 for a $20 coupon. I did so. Today I decided to redeem the coupon. Ordered a three-meat plate with two sides and a half-rack of ribs, which took up the whole $20 coupon and $6 on top of that. I picked pulled pork, sliced brisket and smoked turkey for the three meats, fries and mac 'n cheese for the sides. The food came on a metal tray with butcher paper, and included some sliced onions, dill pickles, and a cornbread roll that looked like a large pat of butter:

The food was, to put it mildly, shack-nasty. Only the turkey had much smoke flavor. The pulled pork had no flavor to speak of at all, the brisket was more like pot roast than barbecue, and the ribs had been cooked so long that they were dried out and hard, rather like jerky. The red tomato-based sauce was the most disgusting-tasting glop it has ever been my misfortune to taste. The fries were waffle fries, no different than you find at Chik-Fil-A. The mac 'n cheese was hot and freshly made, but the cheese it was made with seemed like it came out of a pump dispenser, much as you might use on nacho chips.

The restaurant was new and clean, and the service was good, with employees circulating regularly to refill drinks, etc. When the store manager/supervisor saw that I had not finished the ribs (they were that nasty), she was quite apologetic, offering both to refund my money and to get a substitute food for me to take home. I declined her offer politely, but give her points for not showing the usual restaurant apathy that you so often find these days.

I'll split the ratings on Dickey's BBQ Pit. I'll give the food a 1 on my 5-scale, and the service a 5. So - - the food is crap, but at least they dish it out quickly and apologize for it afterward. LOL.

Dickey's BBQ Pit website here.

Headline of the Day

"Nun gives birth to baby named after Pope."

*sigh* I know we're all sinners, but does the point have to be driven in quite so hard?

It's Amazing He's Able To Make Informed Decisions At All...

...as ignorant as he is of everything that goes on in his administration.

/sarc.

Headline of the Day

"IRANIAN MAN DOES NOT WASH FOR 60 YEARS, SMOKES ANIMAL FECES."

Why do they need nukes when they have him? Just parachute him into Times Square on New Year's Eve and it's all over. Pic:

One of Those Days, Folks

I'll be in here for a while.

What About Those Over There, Then?

Another case of a species not being as "extinct" as first thought.

The smoothtooth blacktip shark isn't quite as extinct as scientists had believed it to be, say researchers who found one for sale in a Kuwait fish market. Further research in the region turned up another 47 specimens of the shark, though the only one previously known to scientists was a specimen brought back to the Vienna Museum in 1902 by a naturalist who had visited Yemen. The find "doesn’t necessarily mean the sharks are thriving and totally safe from being snuffed," notes Sarah Laskow at Grist, but "scientists maybe need to look a little harder before declaring a species extinct."

Ya think?

Once Upon a Time...

...they really did blow smoke up your ass.

A tobacco smoke enema kit. H/T David Codrea.

Hey, Could I Get Some Cheese Over Here With My Whine?

Dick Metcalf is beweeping his outcast state.*



*Shakespeare, Sonnet 29.

Remember the Guy In New Mexico...

...who was stopped by cops, who suspected him of carrying drugs inside his colon, which resulted in the man being x-rayed, digitally raped, forcibly enema'd, and finally given a forcible colonoscopy, only to find nothing?

The case has been settled with the county for $1.6m. There is still a lawsuit pending against the hospital involved.

All because some cops thought that the man "clenched his buttocks."

Man's Best Friend - - Marooned

And I mean "marooned" in its literal sense, as in abandoned on a desert island.

A casual act of cruelty can take a "village" of volunteers to mend. Take the case of a small beagle abandoned this fall on an Intracoastal Waterway island in New Hanover County. Jeannie Mintz, who is president of Saving Animals During Disasters, wrote about it.

Click the link to read the rest. The dog, a beagle, had been abandoned on a "spoil" island, i.e., an island made by dredging operations, and was starving. It took over a week to trap the dog, because it was so mistrusting of humans, an indication it had been abused. Now it's been adopted by a presumably loving owner.

Ariel Sharon, 1928-2014: R.I.P.

Story.

Well, I guess we'll be treated to video of celebrating Palestinians for the next couple of days.

Poll of the Day

I'm contemplating a handgun purchase next weekend, and I'd like your input. I'm looking at a couple of Smith & Wesson J-Frames for concealed carry (I have to acquire my CCW, of course). Here are the two candidates:

The first contender is a brand-new model 642 Airweight without the internal lock:

The other possibility is a used first-model 49 Bodyguard:

Pro's and con's of each: the 642 is stainless steel and aluminum alloy, so no real issues of rusting/corrosion. It's also an Airweight, which makes it easy to carry and hard to shoot. The 49 is all steel construction, but is blued, so requires more care than the 642 does. It's heavier, also, so a little easier to handle as far as recoil is concerned.

The 642 is new construction - - MIM parts? The 49 is old-fashioned machined parts, with a pinned barrel. Both are available for the same price point, around $400. It's possible I could knock the price of the 49 down to $350 or so with negotiation, or possibly not.

So - - which would you choose? Feel free to make your case in comments.

Which J-Frame To Buy?
	642.
	49.
pollcode.com free polls

Well, That's Texas For You

A barbecue pitmaster working out of Bryan, Texas, adamantly refused to show his barbecue cookers to journalists for years, fearful that his main cooker, which had a metal steer head welded to the front, would lose him business with Texas A&M fans:

Talkin' 'Bout Them Swingin' Richards...

...out there in the...um, er...Choctaw nation...

Headline of the Day

"Student, 19, sliced off his own penis after stabbing his mother while high on meow meow and was found hanging out of a window with blood gushing from his groin."

Way to go there, Oedipus.

Naval Base Rota In the News

Aegis cruisers to be based permanently in Rota, with the cruisers to provide anti-ballistic missile defense of the Mediterranean area.

Rota, which had been downsized over the last few decades, will boom again.

' It's a great duty station. I loved the three years I was there.

Don't Tell Chico How To Slice BBQ

Chico takes it personally.

JACKSONVILLE, Florida - Police say a man was killed after being struck in the head Saturday night at his own party. Joshua Andrew Heinz, 31, was hosting a party to watch the NFL playoffs at his house on the Southside. According to police, just before midnight, Heinz entered his kitchen and began arguing with a guest known only as "Chico," about how the BBQ was being cut.

Indoctrination Chronicles #10

"Jesus is not allowed in school."

Why yes, it did take place in California. That was sort of a rhee-torical question, wasn't it?

Wish It Wasn't In Snow Country

It's the bow of an old Great Lakes cargo ship, doing new duty as a cliffside home:

It served as a sort of yacht to Henry Ford, who designed much of the elegant interior. Click the link for more great photos. It's the perfect sort of home for someone who's into ships/the sea and doesn't want to own an actual boat or ship.

And a Side Order of Thighs, Please

The favorite joke food of every high school boy:

The Story of "O" As Written By Tolstoy

"Woman rushed to hospital after painful THREE-HOUR orgasm."

The boyfriend just scrapes his toe on the ground, blushes slightly and says, "Ah, Hell, least I could do. Happens all the time." Then he winks.

Hmmm, I think you could re-write the lyrics to The Ballad of Gilligan's Island to suit this scenario...

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale

A tale of a fateful night

That started in a king-sized bed

And gave a girl a fright.

Her mate was a mighty loving man

His technique strong and sure

His girlfriend she set sail that night

On a three-hour tour, a THREE-HOUR TOUR!

The climax started getting rough

The tiny girl was tossed

If not for the courage of that lovin' man

The girl she would be lost, the girl she would be lost!

The girl came down in the bed of this hospital emergency room

With doctors, and nurses too

A rescue squad (with Jaws of Life)

No movie star, but

Newsmen and cameraman,

Here on Orgasm Aisle!

Bottle Message: 350 Miles, 23 Years

Tossed off a ferry boat between UK and Belgium, washes ashore in Holland 23 years later.

Personally I think launching at least one bottle message should be on everyone's bucket list. I've done it several times.

Blatant Clickbait

See for yourself (click to embiggen):

That's not how you treat a German Shepherd.

Today's Conundrum

If a Snowy Owl, native to arctic regions, shows up in NC, is it a sign of global warming, or global cooling?

Or is it just a retarded owl?

Meanwhile, In Indian Trail, NC...

...which is just a half hour's walk down the road, one of our town politicians got tired of elected life and wrote a resignation letter - - in Klingon, the language of a fictional race from Star Trek.

Mexican Carry And a Glock?

Always a mistake.

I'm just guessing that the gun involved was a Glock. Could have been a Springfield or other striker-fired pistol, just seems like it's always a Glock when these ND's occur. Guy must have really been fondling himself looking for his wallet to make the pistol fire.

On the downside, I bet that's one business that puts NO FIREARMS signs up tout de suite.

Musical Interlude: The Third Army March

First written and performed for General George S. Patton, Jr., and the Third Army during WWII, it was never recorded until November 6, 2013.


Here it is:

Well Don't That Just Play Into Stereotypes?

Wal-Mart in China had to recall donkey meat that was actually fox meat.

Feel free to chip in with the usual jokes, "Fu woks his dog," etc. :)

Dubious Study With Dubious Conclusions

Study would seem to indicate a link between certain types of alcoholic beverages and voting tendencies.

The study seems to indicate that Democrats tend to drink "clear" or "white" liquors such as vodka or gin, while Republicans drink "colored" alcohols such as whiskies.

Click the link to read more and to see a chart.

Well, Duh. It's Their RELIGION.

"'Efforts to reform terrorists failing': Two-thirds jailed for Islamist terror offences remain attached to extremist ideology."

That's over in UK, by the way.

Happy New Year

That is all.