Castro and the Times

Again...wow it's almost like there is an effort...

Public travel with a firearm is illegal?

More from Reason.

The Trouble with Physics

A book review in Reason.

The American Prospect

Is self-described "Liberal" started by Robert Reich amongst others. This has concerned many on both sides of the aisle.

We bring it on ourselves

I guess that should be a category.

Ah the Startac

I held onto mine as long as I could, looks like it's gone to where people appreciate it!!

Startac III is just around the corner. Hopefully it's a better effort than Jaws III.

Rudyard Kipling

Has a poem called Dane-geld. I noticed it posted as a comment regarding funds being demanded in the Middle East. The poem is attic in it's truth. (That's a great word that is rarely apt.) The commenter was spot on but this applies to all kinds of situations. wikipedia

This is interesting also regarding Thomas Jefferson and that whole Shores of Tripoli thing.

61 percent

of Engineering doctorates from American universities went to foriegn students in 2004. It's our own fault, we bring it on ourselves.

via fas.org

Northeast sat image

Of the region after last weeks storm. Very nice.

also via fark

Laser eye surgery

alternative. via fark

Think of the Women!!

For Pete's sake the mothers and the children!!! How can we not honor their plight with swift action?

The Oscars

Had a rat problem too. And from the same site media crickets chirping.

Tuesday is Polar Bear Day

National Polar Bear Day!! I hope to have more for Polar Bear Eve, though I was not invited to any cotillions. Let's paws and consider the noble sea bear, Ursus maritimus.

A shot at Congress

via Powerline. Would make nice shirts.

Paper of record

Eighteen people walking in circles "mistaken" for thousands of committed idealists by Times reporter which launched Castro. Don't expect shame from journalists or the Times.

If you live in Ct

watch out for blow gun attacks.

Tigers

the size of cats!!
from fark

sizzlelean

Or Sizzelean? There was a question in the comments regarding said vanished bacon substitute.

It seems there is a petition to bring it back to the stores! signatures here.

Here's an appetizer recipe that uses it if the petition works.

Venison bacon is said to remind people of the bacon mover and they link to where you can purchase the spices.

One lady thinks a similar product is near the diapers at Costco.

Trunk Monkeys

Pat sent some video files of vehicles with the "Trunk Monkey" option. Absolutely the way to go, do not get your next vehicle without this option. Technically not a monkey, but invaluable nonetheless.

Highly recommended are Trunk Monkey solutions to road rage, theft, young adult drivers, and first aid!!

And don't miss alien abduction those things may have germs!!

Yukon fireball

This is from several years ago and they also mention germs. There is a lot of panspermia material online (and to avoid sophomoric temptation this will be posted without comments.) Nasa has a responsibility to keep this all quiet. Space has an article here. This is without mentioning red rain!!

I have been all for the idea of nuking Asia to stop flu but I now know that if a devastating comet strikes our beautiful planet it is essential to wash your hands!!!

Helsinki

Mobile beer tram.

Spotted on Travel Channel

Chimps

using spears to hunt bushbabies. From Boingboing over this archived chimp story of a chimp with a club sighting in Thousand Oaks with--wait!--a link to none other than Loren Coleman with his Cryptomundo site fleshing out the possibility of it being a mistaken Bigfoot sighting. Boingboing is great.

Spring

next year could be interesting. via fark

George Polk

Learn about him here. And here is powerline's take on the award named for him with this snippet and the link to the weeklystandard---

"Some three years ago I started trying to publish the real story of George Polk. I believed that if the evidence were placed before a fair sampling of prominent outlets of American journalism, one or more of them would be interested in publishing an article and thus would vindicate the oft-repeated claim that the mission of journalism is the fearless pursuit of truth. This story has now been offered to the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly, the Washington Post, the New Republic, Harper's, Slate, the Wilson Quarterly, and the American Scholar. The first three declined to publish it; the others did not respond."

Homer Simpson quotes

via boortz.

Steak-umms

Remember those? They were made in Pomfret Ct. Some portion of the microwavable type seem to still be manufactured in Pomfret.

Caption this

Caption contest blog.

via FreeMarket

Extravagence

of Biblical proportions.

Terabyte drive

from Western Digital. 500 gig is $279.

Spiffy new Ipod case

Perhaps for folks with new ipods this year...James Bondesque disappearing window built into it too...

National Geographic Phone

Not terribly useful here but I suppose we can expect to see more NatGeo products coming down the pike.

Did he just eat that?

No wonder politicians have zero compunction regarding what they feed us! via Boortz

Newcastle disease

And it is not a variety of miner's asthma, or a dearth of beverage. It is an avian virus. Symptoms: "Respiratory: sneezing, gasping for air, nasal discharge, coughing
Digestive: greenish, watery diarrhea
Nervousness, depression, muscular tremors, drooping wings, twisting of head and neck, circling, complete paralysis."

I could have sworn I saw several winged cherubs exhibiting those symptoms shortly after Valentine's day.

I just heard it mentioned on Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs.

Dogs in Malawi

have to walk "hundreds of miles to find a toilet to drink out of." Oprah has been there. This link was left in the comments section by Paddy and needs to be front and center for a spell. Triumph, Oprah, adoption, diversity and our shrinking globe--this clip has it all!

Darn!!!

I missed the President's day coupons being handed out on the Connecticut River Monorail!

I think they have a Steamed Cheeseburger concession and that would have been a treat as well. arghhhhslobberslobber...those are yummy.

The Sterns have several books on food around the nation. Here they are on Boston.com and here is his site Roadfood. I have not tried this trick but I do think that renting a horse to ride up to the Botsford's drive-through is pretty classy.

I am also a big fan of Louis Lunch in New Haven, very tasty. It takes an entire month to count and catalog their spoons, it shuts them down for all of August every year. I keep forgetting to pay attention to what manner of intricate elaborate spoons they must have but each time I show up I am consumed with burger thoughts. It may remain a mystery to me forever.

Sweet Fishing Gear

St. Croix makes some lovely rods. Gator has owned one for several years now. I purchased a light three piece saltwater rod with a Christmas gift certificate last year (as they say on their site "Three-fourths of the earth's surface is water not fit to drink. Thank God there are fish in it so it's not a complete waste.") and I now have a 6'6" Medium power Fast action gem for the fresh water freaks. It is handsome and needs a case or a bag for travel. It also needs a reel...hurry up Cabela's!!!

Jihadwatch

Is well worth stopping by, Robert Spencer is articulate and I have enjoyed him on C-span. Here is a piece that is interesting but not by Spencer.

Mountain Gorilla Diorama

I really enjoy the Museum of Natural History and I really enjoy New Criterion. Now the two have met, oh joy! The Wall Street Journal is an extra bonus in the whole recipe.

This reminded me in a flash for no good reason of one of my favorite books ever, Ota Benga The Pygmy in the Zoo. Not only was it a fascinating read but it was heavily foot-noted which can be like getting two books in one!!

Riding

Through the dead zone around Chernobyl.

And J sends this site with some pretty cool shots.

New tool

In my continuing blind struggle to have a blog I just enabled a tool to email individual posts to your friends if you find them particularly abhorrent or super-cute!! It is the item under each post shaped like a letter...

Jimmy

Had for a time considered liveblogging 24 tonight. I think he has decided not to but if he changes his mind his thoughts will be published here for consideration (if he will release me from legal responsibilities in the matter.) So check back it is certain to be amusing and enlightening if it happens...In fact all two of you folks out there should make A Fine Mess your homepage!!!

Update: Jimmy was distracted with the new purchase of an Ipod so 24 was sidelined. Here is a neat site with some Ipod info and products.

Attention

I have been accused of "Grog-Blogging" for my posts showing my flag and my nephew. While I had several delightful adult beverages before posting those items I was a little surprised by the accusation. I checked back this afternoon and I am also accused of being a "Commie."

I am no Commie!! I also feel 110% comfortable with the postings on Presidents eve!!

The only embarrassing part is how dirty the inside of the closet door is behind the scarf!! When they painted this place in June they ignored the insides of the closets and it looks awful.

Carry on...

Dogpile

Dogpile is a fine search engine that basically scans several prominent engines and collates the results for you. Choose them over Google if you get the chance, those boys are too big for their britches already.

New radiation warning symbol

Via Boingboing. I think it could be misinterpreted to suggest that radiation can bring back the dead.

Boy do I Love America

Anyone who knows me knows that is a bit of an understatement to say the least. I never win anything but I was one out of a current six billion-ish to have been born and raised in the most perfect balance between order and liberty ever--period. That was the lottery of a lifetime. Laura had some stickee things that act like thumbtacks and it struck me that they would be perfect for that blank space on the wall in the apartment. The scarf was another fishing show windfall and it is cashmere woven in Scotland for a very reasonable price. Not U.S.A. but better than rat hair from China. (who knows, maybe it is really Norwegian hair woven in China. Ten bucks is darned cheap.)

God Bless Those Serving

and Got Bless their families and Remember those Before...

Peanut

You don't have to call him that, but sometimes some folks will and he doesn't seem to mind. He is very dapper and well mannered and he blogs over here.

At the Hartford Convention Center

The Northeast fishing and hunting expo. has finally arrived!!! Buy your rubber tackle by the pound!!! Get your camp towels at paper towel rates (practically.) Maybe scare up a reel for that rod you purchased at the last fishing show? Custom molded ear protection for the shooting enthusiasts it will all be there!!!

Update: No custom ear protection. But I did pick up a pair of heated electric socks that were so old they were made in U.S.A. for only five dollars!!! Cheaper than new imports!!! Prices on new reels were not stunning and so they all stayed in Hartford. I tied a nice fly at the Housatonic fly fishing booth and the camp towel man said sales were awful. So there!!

Beatboxing Flute Sesame Street

I have to say that's impressive. And here with an Inspector Gadget/Fletch remix.

Don't be suckered in

by the Chinese ant-breeding scam.

via dave barry who also links to this dog. Someone with problems must have taught him that. Or is he just engaging in more effective evaporation?

Women are filthy

But men's wallets take the cake.

Birds and their hot butts

What's left to do but glue them shut? Just temporarily for science, mind you.

"Perhaps mammals employ anal evaporation"---Physiologists say the darndest things!

I can't believe it's been 8 years

Since Clinton's Very Special Force surge...

They were all "big winners" which is really what counts.

From Julia, Suzanne's friend via Suzanne

From the same issue, is this satire?

PJ

Has posted some photos of the dog show over at his spot. Fine looking specimens!

Debka

Disconcerting news...Rober Baer brought up frightening scenarios in his book "Sleeping with the Devil." Here is a depressing interview with Baer from a year ago. And another in Harpers from June of last year.

Wow. I googled Baer to see if he had been saying anything new and missed what he has to say in Time. From Alphabet city via instapundit.

Little Green Footballs

Has a lizard theme and today there is a link to a lizard photoshop contest. The entries are very well done.

Earthcam

I have probably mentioned Earthcam before. You can certainly pass a few moments peering in through the world's windows.

Dead Man Eating

Ever wonder what that condemend man's last meal was after you heard about the execution on the news? Wonder no more. The shirts look nice, too.

mark bowden

Mark Bowden (I think it is pronounced Bow as in bow-wow) wrote Black Hawk down and Killing Pablo. Two very good books. He has a book following up on Iran and the Carter hostage saga. Here in the Atlantic, definitely a very good magazine tempting to subscribe to instead of coming across the occasional 4 month old copy, he is interviewed about his article on hostages in the Philippines.

Maybe if he were using a hooka

Pathetic politician and smoke. Wow is this country full of crybabies. via the corner

Multi-tasking

If anyone is doing work and the computer is having a fallow moment perhaps you can set it here and keep an eye out for Nessie. Just a glance every so often and in so doing you are accomplishing your busy work and taking a modest but potentially groundbreaking whack at a centuries old mystery. It's more challenging when Loch Ness is in the dark but perhaps Nessie glows or drools fire!!! That could be quite easy to spot.

Requests

Never hesitate to post requests...Laura mentioned the dog show and unfortunately I was getting bumped off of the library computer and the dog show was half over so I think it was short shifted...In the comments to this post I encourage tips or requests. So have at it all 3 of you folks and we'll see what 'puter history we can make!!!

Samizdata

This is a great site.

Komando

Miss Komando has a radio show about computers. Her site often has helpful free downloads programs and links.

A dull man

Sharing a sign he's come across. This site is for dull males, please don't rile them up...they are quite content to be dull.

Web speed utility

This is a neat doe-hickey that shows you how fast you are buzzing through the internets pipes for uploading and downloading, you can even compare rates to different places.

Stalker Utility

Have I mentioned Gawker's Gawker Stalker? Seems like trouble to me but it has been around for a while...

PJ's Links

Include one to Triumph's own webpage. The lad's a sophisticate on the humor front.

Sleet with Wind

Me and Jimmy

Had an email exchange this morning and he thought one response was worth posting as is:

If ever there were a question about the Baby Boomers putting the last nail in the American coffin then the roster of candidates both left and right and the border are incontrovertible evidence.

Oh, and marriage. Can you imagine going back forty years and people want to know what the pivotal issues of the day are and you had to respond "the border. we can't agree we have one.----oh, and marriage...we can't figure out what that is....dogs and the retarded? fourteen people all male? we are really at loggerheads over that one..."

It's worse than Woody Allen's "sleeper."

Iran

Great extended post over at Glenn Reynold's Instapundit.

Will Triumph repeat his triumph?

We all know how astounding Triumph's appearance was at several Westminster dog shows...will he be back?

The official blog is here!! (the dog show's that is...)

Let's see what's being said. Hmmmm...here are some backstage photos and that first one really creates some wonder at what sort of sick initiations and backdoor politics determines the winners (via someone named andrea harner)

Bill Cosby's dog wins!!

National Geo

Christopher Hitchens

Is always worth a read he writes so well and has a tragic case of common sense these last few years at least...

Mark Steyn is also always worth reading, he can be quite acerbic and amusing. He is syndicated, The Washington Times has his column. He is also published in New Criterion linked to the left.

Jacob Sullum over at Reason on the left in the links section is good.

City Journal has had some excellent stuff such as work from Heather MacDonald.

Claudia Rossett definitely deserves many awards which she will never receive. She is found on Opinionjournal, National Review, WeeklyStandard etc. In this article she is looking at North Korean financing and it is worth the time.

Cultural respect?

From New Sisyphus.

No Pasaran

is still worth checking out...

FAS

The Federation of American Scientists is a great info resource. They have a newsletter I recieve and sometimes they have interesting bits, hit or miss. Sometimes you have to weed out their political intent but there are babies in the bathwater!

Here is the bottom portion of the last newsletter from Steven Aftergood:

SELECTED CRS REPORTSRecent reports of the Congressional Research Service that arenot readily available in the public domain include thefollowing."Navy Aegis Cruiser and Destroyer Modernization: Background andIssues for Congress," February 1, 2007: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RS22595.pdf"FY2008 Appropriations for State and Local Homeland Security,"February 5, 2007: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RS22596.pdf"Military Airlift: C-17 Aircraft Program," updated January 25,2007: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL30685.pdfSOME NEW ARMY DOCTRINAL PUBLICATIONSNoteworthy new publications from the U.S. Army on militarydoctrine and regulation include these."Intelligence Support to Capability Development," ArmyRegulation AR 381-11, 26 January 2007: http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/ar381-11.pdf"Army Field Support Brigade Tactics, Techniques, andProcedures," Field Manual Interim FMI 4-93.41, February 2007: http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fmi4-93-41.pdf"Mortuary Affairs Operations," Field Manual FM 4-20.64, January2007: http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm4-20-64.pdf


Here is the link for the secrecy blog section where he has all the material posted and archived.

Credit Cards

For illegal aliens. via boortz

Stormtrack

Has a link in their reference section to this sat and radar site for those concerned with the weather the next day or two.

A Fine Mess

I have posted "A Fine Mess" as the blog title in the settings for this blog...I haven't checked if that is even taken yet so it is tentative...any objections or suggestions feel free to comment.

Bug Me Not

Bug Me Not is a resource of registration names and passwords that make going through many online papers and magazines much faster.

I think the Sydney Morning Herald has a reg wall...let's see what's up down under...

Uh oh...cheetah kills it's Godmother!! That's still current and no reg needed.

Here's a relatively recent update on the Hobbits...still no reg

Uh oh all that poking around and they have switched to a pay deal...oh well

Armscontrolwonk

These will go on the left as links on the roster.

Austin Bay

I should just be putting these last few on the links to the left...

Good magazine

American Scientist worth a read.

Homestarrunner

Start with the Strongbad emails. They're under "sbemails"

Political Cartoons

Cox and Fokum

Rocksy and Shivers

Ice Fishing

Swimming

the Amazon update. via LGF

Pororoca.

And here with surfing.

Encyclopedia

Astronautix

Invading Canada

Via Opfor

More Ak

Ak 2006

The mountain in the photos is Denali also known as Mt. McKinley, highest point in North America.

Ffld