A truck filled with President Obama's podiums and audio equipment was stolen in Henrico just days before his visit to Chesterfield.
We confirmed an investigation with the U.S. Defense Department. There are still a lot of questions. The biggest one being did the thieves intentionally target the President's truck or did they take advantage of a crime of opportunity and give a big "uh-oh" when they saw what was inside.
When you see President Obama speak, there is a pretty typical setup including the presidential seal on a podium, the see-thru Teleprompter and a portable sound system.
Thieves saw the truck carrying that equipment and couldn't resist the target.
And what does TOTUS himself have to say about all this?
Check out Reacher's stats, per the novelist himself, here. If you can, with a straight face, 'splain me how they can turn the Poison Dwarf into that towering giant of a man, I'll buy your cocktails for a month.
Count me among the many who will be boycotting this one.
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I like Perry's announcement speech because he ignored all the other GOP candidates and acted as though he's only running against one opponent -- the one that's currently in the White House. If he keeps that up, he'll really have my respect.
Update: Yep. Perry's entry into the race is alarming the Obama Dems. Any guy who has the far lefties up in arms is the right guy for me.
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What's at the root of the UK riots? Maybe parental attitudes like this:
For all you GRRM/Game of Thrones fan-geeks like me, Maureen Ryan (whose column I miss in the Chicago Tribune, dammit) has Part 1 of her interview with him here and Part 2 is here. Good stuff.
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Ooooh! And you can now stream Season One of Game of Thrones on your computer. Sweet!
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Two-thirds of those who have come before magistrates have been remanded in custody and a large number have been sent to Crown Courts, which have powers to hand down prison sentences of longer than six months.
Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly said: 'Yesterday and today I met court staff and judges who had worked 30 hours straight.
'We will continue to provide all necessary support to the police to ensure anyone involved in this kind of criminal activity is brought to justice as swiftly as possible.'
A Ministry of Justice spokesman added: 'We have enough prison places for those that are sentenced to custody after these incidents. There is substantial capacity in the prison and youth justice system.'
In addition, the papers are shaming by naming names. LOTS of names. Well done.
Other governments have used brightly colored dye to mark and arrest people. The tactic has been used in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, Hungary, Bangladesh, Uganda, South Korea and Indonesia.
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Are there really no good new story lines, for cripe's sake??? Now they're bringing the Munster's back... and making them... edgier... darker. It was a comedy! It's not supposed to be "dark" dammit.
The popping of zits is disgusting, on his back is even grosser, doing it in a public restaurant is appalling.
But the thing that really blows my mind is that he had enough back zits that he could take ten whole minutes to pop them and still not be done. *Shudder*
I don't know about you, but I feel like I need to shower in Lysol now.
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After hearing about that awful story out of Australia where the young woman was collared with what was alleged to be a bomb this week, it brought back memories of a similar device that actually did what it was alleged it would do:
I'm so glad that Miss Pulver survived to tell her tale. And I hope they catch the sicko who dreamed that little stunt up. Let's hope karma catches up with the SOB. _____
As my old pal Jihad Gene used to say, "It's Friday! Let's Dance!"
(Yes, it made me giggle, although the subject matter did not.) _____
Is buying organic produce really better? Apparently that's a yes and a no. Go here to check out which fruits and veggies contain higher levels of pesticides and which ones don't. _____
Is it rude to text in at the movies, during a live concert or during a live theater performance?
So we really don't have to go green? All we have to do is encourage Asia to pollute more and that'll stop global warming? Or we could simply burn more coal here in order to save the planet?
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha!!! _____
Has anyone else out there gotten a bazillion emails of posts to Google+ from friends who are beta testing the site?
Jeepers Creepers! It's like having Facebook invade your email. Ugh.
If anyone knows how to opt out of receiving every brilliant thought that crosses someone's mind out of my gmail, please, please, please let me know.
(No. I will not be signing up for this one.) _____
Quote of the Day #2:
"I'm really not a 'What Would Jesus Do?' kind of guy. I'm more of a 'Why Would Jesus Do That?' kind of person." -- My Baby Bro, 7/4/11
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Holy crap. I almost forgot that ADWD lands six days from now... or so they promise. Seems I'm not the only skeptic.
Back in my youth I once read my way through a chicken burning so badly that it welded itself to the pan, which had to be tossed. I was so wrapped up in my book that I didn't see or smell the smoke that had filled the entire first level of the house. (So it's no wonder that i can read in the middle of a very busy and noisy sports bar and not be distracted.)
I can now validly claim limited brain capacity... _____
Man up, Father Mike, and quit trying to gain martyrdom by forcing Cardinal George to fire your flaky butt because you can't even zip your lip when you're on suspension for not being able to keep your big yap shut.
If you don't want to follow the doctrines of the Church you serve (and apparently you don't), just be honest and quit already. _____
At least four mail carriers have been robbed in Chatham and Englewood in the last month alone, two of them at gunpoint. Another was robbed at gunpoint in Englewood in February.
This follows a series of less violent thefts from mail carriers on the West and Northwest Sides last year.
Nobody can say whether the targeting of mailmen is just another sign of desperate measures in a bad economy or part of some criminal strategy, but it’s prompting the union that represents mailmen to appeal to the public for help in watching their backs.
The public may have a bigger stake in this than just receiving its mail on time. In at least two of the recent incidents, the robbers specifically targeted the carriers for their “arrow keys”—the master keys that not only give a mailman access to a bank of mailboxes or a collection box but also in some cases to the locked front doors of apartment buildings.
One arrow key could allow a criminal to get inside the front door of most apartment buildings in a given zip code — and inside all its mailboxes. But it’s the possibility of someone wanting inside a building for more sinister purposes than rifling through the mail that could be a real cause for concern.
Yikes. _____
Those who do not learn from the past are apparently doomed to repeat it. Just what we need -- more credit to people who can't afford it. _____
Well it didn't take long for Obama to go from the first really presidential act since he took the oath of office to returning to his usual douche baggery:
By way of summary, President Obama has developed a doctrinal approach to international affairs that differs not only from that of his immediate predecessor, but from any doctrine ever embraced by any major power. He eschews the notion of national interest, pays undue deference to international actors who may or may not mean us well, and deploys American troops without clear objectives or lines of command.
In short, he has delivered precisely the foreign policy that he promised to deliver. [Emphasis mine]
While not much news from the Middle East is amusing these days, I am finding humor in the fact that no one seems to agree on the correct spelling of a certain Libyan leader's first or last name in English. I'd turn it into a drinking game -- you drink every time you spot a different spelling -- but I'd be passed out on the floor before I could get through the evening news or the headlines on the Drudge Report. _____
Who will fight this effort the most? The teachers union, of course. _____
If you have a pet, whether cat, dog, ferret, bird or turtle, print this article and tape it inside a kitchen cabinet or medicine chest. You may thank me for that one day. _____
Not getting enough sleep these days? Put the tech toys down at least an hour before you go to bed. (Unless, of course, you have a Kindle or Nook or any other e-reader with e-ink.) _____
Ya think? That's just a sad state of affairs. _____
Every photo on this page is breathtakingly beautiful. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! _____
I have a good friend in her mid-40's who just had her second heart attack. As she says, when it comes to smoking, not quitting is "not an option" any more.
"I've been a derelict blogger the last couple weeks, but you've been fooking nonexistent! What, did you go to Ireland again and get married?" -- My Norwegian Pal from the North Woods
Ummm... no and no (although the former would be nice) (and the latter is not high on my bucket list... although there's a certain smolderingly hot Italian bartender from one of my favorite Dublin pubs who would at least have me toying with the idea for a day or two if: a) I had enough Black Bush in my system and b) I'd completely taken leave of my senses).
Work has been crazy busy. That Was Then opened, and I've been helping out with front-of-the-house stuff like box office and concessions (including an odd experience with a strange little woman who looked like a character straight out of The Simpsons, but that's a story for another day). This required convoluted train scheduling and extra travel time. I've been up to my eyeballs in biographies -- looooooooooong biographies. I was sick one day. I didn't feel like it a few times. I got distracted a few more times.
Between Mad Mikey and Harper, however, I've been suitably chastised... and it's nice to have been missed.
Now back to my regularly scheduled blogging... _____
[S]cientists claim to have settled the score once and for all: Guinness tastes better in Ireland than anywhere else.
Experts from the Institute of Food Technologists carried out extensive taste surveys in 33 cities in 14 countries to find the best place for a pint of the black stuff.
And the majority of testers said they enjoyed a pint of plain in Ireland far more than in any other location.
The study, which claims to be the first to scientifically prove that the stout doesn't travel well, used 'non-expert' tasters, each from different countries, to conduct the test.
It took 103 in 71 different pubs where factors such as pub ambience, Guinness appearance, flavour, and aftertaste were all considered.
Using a Visual Analogue Scale which ranks enjoyment from 1-100, Guinness drinking in Ireland averaged a score of 74, compared to just 57 anywhere else.
There's another reason, not raised by this article:
The only place their Quality Team shows up to inspect taps, lines, refrigeration temperatures and the like, and where they'll yank the publican's license if they don't comply with their quality standards is Ireland.
(And I certainly would have volunteered to be a part of that tasting panel!) _____
His last book in this series had at least three "firm" publication dates on Amazon.com, and each one came and went whizzing by over the course of more than 18 months.
I call bullshit. He hasn't even turned in the final manuscript yet... because it's not DONE yet.
Oh, well. At least we now know what the cover will look like. _____
The good folks at CSN Stores apparently like me and my readers, as they've authorized me to do another give-away. I'm still figuring out just what kind of contest it'll be. In the meantime, start sharpening your wits if you want to win. Stay tuned!
Nine days later, Sabrina's grandparents knew the end was near. They called Matt. He held her hand through the night. Sabrina died in her sleep, with the boy who loved her with all his heart by her side.
Before her body was taken away, Matt kissed her gently on the head.
"Thank you for saving me," he told her.
If that doesn't get you, you have no heart.
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Sometimes Chicagoans have a funny definition of what makes up a "nice" neighborhood:
“It’s a quiet corner most of the time, other than the regular drug and gang activity,” said a worker at a nearby shop.
It's bad enough I can play Mahjong on my laptop and waste hours at a time. I am NOT putting it on my Kindle, even if it is half price for a limited time...
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I swiped this from Amy Alkon, who freely swiped it from a regular commenter. I went to Spokeo, and by golly there was some very outdated information that I really would rather hadn't been out there. (And, thanks to Amy's timely posting, it's gone now.)
Go look yourself up. If you find yourself, click on the link, copy the URL, and then follow the steps outlined in Amy's post if you don't want your personal info out there on the interwebs for all to find.
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Belly Laugh of the Day:
I'll never hear the phrase, "I know what I'm doing" again without bursting into laughter without anyone within earshot having a clue why.
Why didn't I do a play-by-play recap of the Hysterics at Eric's? Because I knew that nobody does it better than my favorite Jooette:
The only downside to blogmeets are two things: 1) The people you are hoping will show up but cannot, and 2) The kind of painful and depressing knowledge that you will have to go another year before seeing these off-the-charts kickass friends again.
I have seen a lot of elections in my life, but I have never seen an election like the one we had earlier this month. The 2010 midterm election was a “change” election the likes of which I have never seen, and the change that people want, above all, is right here in Washington.
Most Americans are deeply unhappy with their government, more so than at any other time in decades. And after the way lawmakers have done business up here over the last couple of years, it’s easy to see why. But it’s not enough to point out the faults of the party in power. Americans want change, not mere criticism. And that means that all of us in Washington need to get serious about changing the way we do business, even on things we have defended in the past, perhaps for good reason.
If the voters express themselves clearly and unequivocally on an issue, it’s not enough to persist in doing the opposite on the grounds that “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” That’s what elections are all about, after all. And if this election has shown us anything, it’s that Americans know the difference between talking about change, and actually delivering on it.
Too right, Skippy. Now let's see you stick to your word. We're watching... _____
So now that Hannity says it, you can believe what I told you here?
“There are some Democrats that cue me into things. I got to tell you that the feeling among some people in the White House is that this president is unhinged, that he’s detached, that he’s losing it, he’s obsessed with critics, very specifically obsessed with Fox News, he can’t stand Biden, he hates the Clintons, the Clintons hate him. That the only thing he is passionate about seems to be ESPN and playing golf and and playing some basketball, the only thing that gets his interest. Infighting apparently, and finger pointing is at an all-time high, if the President is brought bad news on the economy he has a meltdown every time he hears it. And this is what people — and I’m telling you my sources are reliable — are telling me. And I don’t know how he’s going to deal with this a story, ‘One and done, to be a great president President Obama should not seek re-election in 2012′.”
Once again, some entities are more equal than others in the eyes of the White House when it comes to Obama Care:
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If you live in NYC, you'd better make sure that either your pet stays indoors or it has a collar and tag or is microchipped... or your lost pet may be toast.
Hoffman said, by law, an unclaimed animal can be adopted out or euthanized after as little as 48 hours, although it usually takes longer than that.
"Well, (legislators) voted for it, seniors ride free, a couple years ago. I think when you have a program, you want to see how it works. I think the seniors are pretty happy with it. (Curtailing free rides) is really not going to save the state money. I think we should do as much as we can for public transit."
Asked if a means test should determine which seniors ride free, Quinn said: "Well, you don't have means tests for Social Security. The genius of that program that was founded by President Franklin Roosevelt was, when you have a universal program, you have everyone participating and everyone supporting. I do believe in that principle of universality on important programs. I have supported seniors ride free, and I don't think that's our top priority right now; our top priority is to fund our schools."
...but at least one newsman does:
The free-rides program for seniors that Blagojevich jammed through the legislature costs the three transit agencies at least $38 million a year. Given their finances, the transit agencies cannot afford these free rides. Quinn should be apologizing for another governor's financial recklessness, not declaring that he'll block any attempt to rein in the freebies. [Emphasis mine]
Remember, these transit systems survive only because governments create them and riders pay to use them. We were troubled to read a comment in Wednesday's Tribune from Beryl Clemens, former president of Metro Seniors in Action, an advocacy group: "The whole bus is empty. It's not costing (the transit agencies) anything." Yes, it is. Those who use these systems ought to share the costs. All of us could, in a moment of selfishness, point to an empty seat and say, "I'll just plop my fanny right here and nobody's out a dime." Doing that would steal revenue from the kitty that keeps public transit in business for everyone.
We hope legislative leaders deliver to Quinn a more sensible means for handling senior riders. If Quinn issues a veto, we hope legislators override him and bring this notion of free rides to an end.
Too right. _____
With all the controversy over the new airport body scanners and pat downs (which are, from very recent personal experience, really rough gropings, notfondling), $1 Greyhound fares on brand spanking new motor coaches sounds pretty good, as does Megabus or Amtrak. Since I'm not an Islamic woman I can and did have more than the area from the neck up manhandled.
So, I got to have at least one complete stranger see me nearly naked, and then I got the privilege of being mauled by another complete stranger in a way that I wouldn't have put up with on a date with someone I actually knew and liked... and I wasn't the only one.
Be prepared -- TSA is not using these scanners when they think there might be a problem -- they're using them for everyone.
Quite frankly, until and unless Big Sis volunteers for both, we ought to all say an emphatic "NO" and find alternate transportation. _____
Actually, you could probably say this about any of the women President Tin-Ear chose to take to Washington, D.C.:
"You kind of have to drop the standard for the [insert name here], right?" the official explained late Thursday. "I mean, she's pretty well liked and probably doesn't know what she's doing."
No, we don't have to drop that standard (unless of course, she's a New Black Panther, and that's a whole 'nuther kettle of fish).
Is this the worst thing to afflict an election? Of course not. Armed New Black Panthers were obviously much worse. In the larger scheme of things, Michelle Obama’s lawbreaking is authentic “small potatoes.” But someone in her position has a higher obligation to the institutions our nation treasures, like the rule of law.
The stand-up response from the first lady, and the White House press shop, would be to admit a mistake, affirm they believe in respect of the rules that protect election integrity. But this isn’t a stand-up administration. Like the stonewall that followed the New Black Panther dismissal, we have learned that this is an administration incapable of admitting they screwed up.
But they're only allowed to find fault with others -- never with themselves. _____
I have my own theories about that, including that for a lot of men, sex is affection and he's showing you just how much he likes you. In fact, he's probably showing you who he thinks he is.
But since I'm not a guy, I'm throwing this out to my male readers. I'm not saying you would do this, but help a girl out and give me the hows and whys of some guys thinking this is a good idea. _____
Okay, it's not just me -- the number of suicides in this area has been much higher than normal:
Boy, I hope we can get our arms around recognition and prevention very soon.
If you know something, speak out. Don't think someone's kidding if they talk about ending it all.
A 2010 study by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that adults ages 18 to 25 were far more likely to have seriously considered suicide in the last year than those ages 26 to 49, and nearly three times more likely than those 50 or older.
If they're talking about it at all, find help fast. _____
Who knew the Reb Smuley was this smart and open minded?
Between his family's bank dealing with known mobsters and the actual loss of the bank and his mishandling of the Bright Start program, the voters in this state ought to really question whether they want this guy in Washington keeping watch over their tax dollars. _____
After some careful thought, I’ve decided that the time has come for me to pack up this blog and focus my energy on my burgeoning punk rock/barbershop fusion band “Don Slaughter and the Overtones.” Watch for us at a seniors centre near you.
Lies! I've finally figured out why -- in reality, our Don has been a naughty, naughty boy:
What started as an argument between two elderly men over political yard-signs in Wilmette turned physical, police said.
It began at about 2 p.m. on Oct. 4 in the 1300 block of Sheridan Road, along the sidewalk of a vacant property just south of Langdon Park. An 85-year-old man with a walker apparently pulled two political yard-signs out of the ground and tossed them aside.
The property’s owner lives in the house next door – a 60-year-old woman and her 92-year-old father. The woman’s father began picking up the signs when the 85-year-old started yelling at him, according to a police report.
The woman came to her father’s defense, but when she tried to plant one of the signs back in the ground, the 85-year-old grabbed it. During the ensuing tug-of-war, the man allegedly hit the woman in the side of the head and shoulder. Then he lost his grip on the sign, and fell backwards over his walker, police said.
I mean, who else could it have been? I'm guessing Don just needs to keep a low profile for a while. _____
