Too Tired To Write A Good Year-ending Post About The Incompetent San Francisco Zoo

This is my 176th post of the year - that was my goal because I noticed I did 176 posts in both 2005 and 2006 so I made that my goal for 2007 too. Make sense to you? Well I made it and was hoping to write a post criticizing the San Francisco Zoo and its regulatory body (The Associatio of Zoos And Aquariums which apprently inspected the SF Zoo in the last three years BUT NEVER FOUND FAULT WITH THE TIGER WALL WHICH IS 4 to 5 FEET LOWER THAN THE RECOMMENDED NATIONAL STANDARD) but I am too tired to research and document the failings and contradictions and I will do it next year heh.

Click on this post's title if you want to read a news account of the zoo issue. Bottom line is the zoo must be incompetent if it allows visitors to enter a park with deadly animals in unsecure cages. I await the NY Times story exposing all the other zoos that are also unsafe for the visitors.

Happy New Year to all. Have fun and be safe!

My First You Tube Video..Click Here

Las Vegas At Night - More Vacation Pics

Great Screen Saver

This is a photo I am using for my screen saver. It is my favorite photo of 2007 and I took it in Ricketts Glen State Park in northeastern Pennsylvania. The park has about 17 waterfalls and a well-marked hiking trail on which you can see each waterfall.

The hike is maybe 3-4 miles and of low/moderate difficulty.

I highly recommend for a weekend diversion in the summer.

I Never Knew This

I am watching the Emerald Bowl being played in San Francisco. Did you know this bowl is sponsored by Emerald Nuts? I never knew that but it is true that you can learn something new every day!

Vegas Vacation...Room With A View

My Bowl Picks

I diverted to Sin City for a few days to end the year and it is great - I can bet on the College Bowl games while I am here. Here are my picks :

• Texas
• Boston College
• Maryland
• Connecticut
• Mississippi State
• Penn State
• Alabama
• Illinois
• West Virginia

Now don't go wasting your own hard-earned money on my picks. I am no expert and am only making small wagers on some of the above games. I just placed my first bet on Texas about 2 minutes before kickoff. I had to lay 2 & 1/2 points to the ASU Sun Devils.

This Would Suck

More famous last words..."hey let's go to the zoo" ........and get killed by a tiger. I am referring of course to the news from San Francisco that one of the tigers at the city zoo escaped from its cage and killed a zoo visitor.

I guess you just never know how your day is going to turn out.

Favorite Websites & Blogs

Here is a list of my favorite blogs and websites and regular internet oases:

• www.althouse.blogspot.com
• www.instapundit.com
• www.realclearpolitics.com
• www.realclearsports.com
• www.philly.com
• www.drudgereport.com
• www.nba.com
• www.colossus.mu.nu
• www.sharpshooters.blogspot.com

And this is one I visit to see what the self-loathing, America-loathing nutroots are saying:

• http://www.susiemadrak.com/

Cliff Tan

The AP ran a story today that says the credit card debt and delinquency rate in the USA is a growing disaster. They quoted a visiting scholar at Stanford Univeesity named Cliff Tan.

I am ususally skeptical about the MSM experts so I googled Mr. Tan. Below is his CV from the university website.

IMHO, based on the info provided by Stanford's website, Mr. Tan may be an expert but not about American credit. I wonder why and how Mr. Tan was selected by the AP to comment on their story?

Beginning of CV:

"Cliff Tan is a Visiting Scholar at the Stanford Center for International Development. Prior to SCID, Mr. Tan headed up local markets strategy and research in fixed income and foreign exchange for Citigroup in Asia. In 18 years of research on Asia and Japan, Mr. Tan also worked as FX/Interest Rate Strategist and acting cohead of Asian Economics for Warburg Dillon Read (now UBS), Japan and Asia Economist for Wellington Management Company, and proprietary trading/credit risk economist for Bankers Trust Company. Mr. Tan has been recognized as a top five currency strategist by Asiamoney (including a #1 ranking in 2003), and has been cited for work as both an economist and strategist by The Asset magazine.

Before entering financial markets, Mr. Tan was an economist at the US Federal Reserve Board covering Greater China, a Lecturer at the University of Hong Kong's School of Economics and Finance, and Visiting Fellow at the Korea Development Institute.

Mr. Tan received MPhil and MA in Economics from Yale University, and an AM in East Asian Regional Studies from Harvard University. He holds an AB (magna cum laude) from the University of Southern California."

END of CV

Post Number 166 in 2007

I have had this blog for three years now and noticed I made 176 posts in both 2005 and in 2007. So 176 posts is now my goal for 2007.

This is my 166th so I have ten more to go to reach 176. I may have to take my laptop on my Vegas vacation to make 176.

Cost of living from 1952

You have to click on this picture to enlarge. It has great stuff...tuition to Harvard was $600 per year while the average annual income was about $4,000. Today Harvard tuition tops $40,000 and the average income is about $48,000. So tuition rose by over 6,000% while income rose by only about 1,100%. Big difference there.

Merry Christmas to Sean and his new little brother, Luke

Pennsylvania State Police Getting Whiter (or more like the Inquirer)

The story is about the racial composition of the State Police force - jeez do they have the same illness as Michael Jackson? No seriously - "State Police Getting Whiter" was the actual headline to the article in the paper's print edition.

I bet they could write this same story about the Philadelphia Inquirer editorial staff. In fact, how about I count the mumber of white columnists in the same paper?

They make it easy for me because on the Front Page, the paper is heralding it has "12 Must-Read Columnists" to read in this edition.

Here are their names : Dave Boyer, Monica Yant Kinney, Jonathan Last, Craig Laban, Jonathan Storm, Mark Bowden, a twofer of Satullo/Auth, Carlin Romano, Lisa Scottoline, Michael Smerconish, Bob Ford and Dick Polman.

I am not familiar with the first, Dave Boyer, but I know for a fact the other 11 are all white!! Could the Inquirer get whiter? Doesn't seem to be possible.

Big Frigging Mofo

Sign of the Apocolypse

This is a good blog so just click on the post title to see what the apocolypse refers to.......FYI- Ithaca is little two-college town (Ithaca and Cornell) but the these police cars may be a bit much even for a place likely run by tree-hugging hippies.

On the other hand, variety and diversity make for a great and interesting country. Right?

Koala Bear at San Diego Zoo

I don't think I posted this photo last month- I was looking again at my pics from San Diego and thought this one was a keeper too!

Will America Put This Family In The White House?

If so, will the kitchen have to be enlarged?

I would vote for this candidate if they ran this ad!

Great campaign video (spoof?).

Hat tip to the Blogfather, Glenn Reynolds, at http://www.instapundit.com/

Karen Heller Takes Down Alycia Lane

Below is the commentary from one of the Philly Inquirer's best writers, Karen Heller, re the Alicia Lane "crack-up". Lane was paid $700,000 per year to be co-anchor and was not even the top banana on the news program (Larry Mendte is #1 anchor). I don't understand why the program directors don;t scrap these overpaid talking heads and use college kids who are majoring in TV? Hell even if ratings drop a bit, they would still save millions in salary costs!

START OF HELLER STORY

Alycia Lane: Stunning beauty but where's the common sense?
By Karen Heller INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

We know why Channel 3 hired Alycia Lane. It's because she's car-crackup beautiful, a size two and the camera adores her. Which is fitting for her second career as a tabloid cover girl.

When defenders argue that someone is actually smart, you know that intelligence has little to do with the $700,000 salary. It no longer matters if Lane is actually smart - smart people never require the "actually" business - because what she clearly lacks, and hasn't shown since her arrival in Philadelphia, is one iota of common sense.

Lane is famous for her bikini pics, 55 jackets in her closet, her boyfriends and breakups, inappropriate emails to married men, Dr. Phil confessions and, since last Saturday, her alleged shameful language and a felony charge for punching a New York City cop.

What Lane has not gained a reputation for is her reporting. She once text-messaged a print reporter during a break in the newscast. To paraphrase Ruby Dee speaking to her drug lord son in American Gangster, we know you've done all sorts of wrong things but you just don't hit a cop.

Then Lane phoned Gov. Edward Rendell "to tell her side of the story," according to her a spokesman. In journalism, this is worse than hitting a cop. Reporters, even exquisitely lit television anchors, are supposed to cover politicians not hit them up for assistance. If Channel 3 is truly in the practice of journalism, the managers shouldn't have a qualm about saving $700,000 next year.

Check the calendar. It's 2007 and local television still resembles a Trumpian world with middle-aged men holding onto their duchies for life yet an ever-changing America's Next Top Trophy Anchorwoman. On WIP, the men are schlubs and Rhea Hughes is a blond babe many years their junior, though she knows and talks sports more than they do. And that's on radio.

In politics, people still comment on Hillary Clinton's pantsuits, her hair, her makeup though nobody seems to notice Bill Richardson's heft or Mitt Romney's immobile hair. (OK, I just did.) Then people have the temerity to complain that Clinton is too smart, as if this was a bad thing.

There is no such thing as too smart. When I finally landed a reporting position at a big city paper, my grandmother turned to me and said "That's all well and good, dear, but why couldn't you be on television like that nice Diane Sawyer person?" Because nobody looks like Diane Sawyer, I told her, not even Katie Couric, and that's not for lack of trying.

Once, on a layover en route to a national political convention, I was stuck in a waiting area with almost a dozen anchorbots, all size 2, beauty-queen gorgeous and constantly primping, though no one was paying them much attention. They were only locally fabulously famous.

Lane, however, has put an end to that. Now, she is nationally notorious. She was hired for people to look at her. Channel 3, and other television stations that do the same, can't be shocked when those same women prove to be attention junkies off-camera as well.

Women were supposed to have gotten further by now, to be judged for their work, not primarily their looks, unless they're strippers or something.

Girls are hooked on America's Next Top Model, I'm sorry to report, the No. 1 show among young female viewers. Girls at Monday night's Hannah Montana concert were preening in blond wigs and sequins.

Alycia Lane has big problems. But the bigger one is why businesses keep hiring women because they're car-crackup beautiful instead of being smart and imbued with common sense.

END OF HELLER STORY

Chris Matthews' Brother is a RINO

This story makes it clear I was right when I hesitated in voting for Jim Matthews for county commissioner. He is a Republican In Name Only and the story shows him sucking up to a far-left liberal Joe Hoeffel (the county's minority and Democrat commissioner) while Bruce Castor the other Republican commissioner is left in the dark. BTW- Castor is future star for the Republican party in the state and maybe nationally. I predict Castor could be governor one day.

And be careful if you decide to trust a pol like Jim Matthews or his brother, liberal wheeny and MSNBC nitwit, Chris.

Tom Friedman's Carbon Footprint

No surprises here - Tom Friedman, NYT OPED columnist, writes from Bali that its too late to ask if it is too late to take steps on global warming while Friedman, himself, lives in a 11,000 square foot home on The Beltway. (hattip to my favorite blog via www.Instapundit.com)

To be fair, Friedman also has a wife and two college-age daughters. So he needs alot of room.

My New House

8th Grade Exam (from 1895)

Remember when our grandparents, great-grandparents, and such stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. - - -

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , KS , USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina , KS , and reprinted by the Salina Journal.


8th GRADE FINAL EXAM

Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no Modifications.
3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb. Give Principal Parts of. lie, lay and run
5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
7. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft deep, 10 feet long! , and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold? < BR>3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per meter?
8 Find bank discount on $300 for! 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance
around which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U. S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U. S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus .
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of t he United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas .
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour)
1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, sub vocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u! '.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two
exceptions under each rule.
6 Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup
8. Mark diacritically and divide i nto syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane,
fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Tim e, one hour)
1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America .
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver,
Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernand ez, Aspinwall & Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Also notice that the exam took five hours to complete.

Gives the saying "she/he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?

What happened to us? It is kind of humbling, isn't it?

Nun Gets An Obituary

Ever notice how priests are routinely written in the obits section of the newspapers but nuns almost never get a write-up? Well, yesterday, the Philly Inquirer published a nice obit for a nun that just passed away. Here it is below

Posted on Sun, Dec. 16, 2007
Educator in region for half a century
By Sally A. Downey Inquirer Staff Writer

Sister Anna Josephine Bennis, 90, an educator in Philadelphia-area schools for 50 years, died of heart failure Nov. 22 at St. Joseph Villa, a retirement residence in Flourtown for the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Sister Anna Josephine taught in elementary schools in Philadelphia and Wilmington for 13 years before becoming a teacher and an administrator in Philadelphia Archdiocese high schools.

In 1973, she became the first female high school principal in the archdiocese, at Archbishop Prendergast High School in Drexel Hill. She inspired her faculty to strive for excellence, said Alice Guerin-Cronin, a former teacher at Prendergast. "God gave Sister as a gift to the world," Guerin-Cronin said.

In 1978, Sister Anna Josephine supervised the building of a new athletic facility at Prendergast after fire destroyed the gymnasium. That year she was named one of the most effective principals in the United States by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Before becoming principal, Sister Anna Josephine taught English and religion at John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High School in Philadelphia from 1951 to 1955; led the English department and was activities director at West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Girls for nine years; directed activities and the English department at Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia for six years; then was vice principal and summer school principal at Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield, Delaware County, from 1970 to 1973.

From 1980 until retiring in 1985, she coordinated continuing-education programs for the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Sister Anna Josephine grew up in Germantown as Bernadette Bennis. She entered the Convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Philadelphia after graduating from Hallahan in 1935. She earned a bachelor's degree from Chestnut Hill College and a master's degree in English from Columbia University. For 25 years she taught Saturday English classes at Chestnut Hill to nuns earning bachelor's degrees.
Sister Anna Josephine often taught creative writing in the high schools where she was assigned and advised the newspaper and literary magazine staffs. She illustrated and wrote verses for greeting cards that the recipients cherished, said a friend, Sister Rita Michael Scully. Her handmade Christmas cards for this year were ready to be mailed, Sister Rita said.

When asked how she would like to be remembered, Sister Anna Josephine wrote:
"I hope to take and leave these five senses for here and hereafter: Love, Prayer, Humor, Beauty, People. These treasures fly on my mystical carpet between heaven and earth."

She is survived by a sister, Madeleine Degnan, and nieces and nephews. A Funeral Mass was said Nov. 27 at St. Joseph Villa in Flourtown.

A Letter From Hillary

I like to know what the enemy is saying so I got on the emailing list for Hillary Clinton's campaign. Below is the latest email from her camaign. Hillary now says she will sign every bill Bush ever vetoed. I see a lot of desperation in her email and can picture her slowly shrinking while shrieking "I'm melting, I'm melting!". IMHO, that is a pretty picture.

START OF EMAIL:

"Dear AJ,
Running for president means asking a lot of people to put their faith in you -- and putting your faith in a lot of people. You've never let me down, and my promise to you has always been this: if you put your faith in me, I will fight for you every day when I'm president.

When I get to the White House, I'll end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home. I'll stop the cowboy diplomacy and Bush's war on science. I'll reverse the attacks on our Constitution and civil liberties. I'll ask the Congress to send me everything that Bush vetoed, like stem cell research and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

From day one, I'll be fighting for you, because America needs a clean and decisive break from seven years of George Bush. Not one of the Republican candidates is capable of making that happen. They're all promising four more years of the same failed policies. They see Bush's failure in Iraq and want to continue it. They see failure of leadership on the economy and want to repeat it. They see his assault on civil liberties and the disgraces of Guantanamo and want to carry them on. We need a candidate who can beat them. Will you put your faith in me today and make a contribution so I can take on the Republicans in 2008? Make a contribution today. So much is on the line. We'll lose so much that we believe in and care about if we let the White House stay in Republican hands.

That means we have to nominate a Democrat with the proven ability to take on the tactics of the Republican attack machine and win. And we need someone with the strength and experience to lead America in a positive new direction. I know I'm that candidate. That's why I'm in this race, and that's why I'm asking for your help today. Make a contribution to help me win in 2008. I want to thank you for having faith in me, and I promise to fight for you every day.

Sincerely,Hillary Rodham Clinton" END OF EMAIL

I bolded some parts of the email I found interesting (she has veered left and is embracing far-left talking points like Guantanamo and civil liberties bullcrap).

IRAQ STUDY GROUP (remember that?)

Wow the one-year anniversary for the report by the Iraq Study Group came and went with no notice or hoopla from the MSM.

The report was released on December 6, 2006 and recommended a phased withdrawal. As you may recall, President Bush considered it and told everyone he would announce his decision in mid - January which he did.

In January of 2007, Bush basically said ..."stick your report, I am going to add troops not reduce troops". Well, the MSMwent nuts and it turns out so far Bush and especially General Petraeus were right.

Let's hope and pray they can wind this war down and bring the troops home safe and soon!

Global Warming Is A Problem ?

Just got my heating bill. It is not even winter yet and my bill was about 50% higher than last year BECAUSE the temperature (for this billing month) was an average of 7 degrees colder than last year!!

That is right- last year the average temp was 52 degrees and this year it was 45 degrees. What happened to Global Warming? I say bring it on if my heating bills are lowered!

Wow - Listen to what the parents of Megan Kanka Say

The state of New Jersey is about to outlaw the death penalty.

New Jersey is of course one of the most liberal states and its very liberal governor provided the impetus to this move. I have been following it half-heartedly but today I read a story about the parents of Megan Kanka and how they felt about losing out on seeing the rapist/killer of their littel girl get what he deserves: The Death Penalty!

Read the whole story - it is heartbreaking to hear the mother and father say they want the killer to die and deservedly so IMHO. And keep in mind the judge and jury sentenced the killer to death.

Pole Volter ?

From the Philly Inquirer online edition this morning:

"Jocelyn Kirsch, a Drexel senior, often claimed to be an Olympic caliber pole volter. She is one-half of the "Bonnie and Clyde" couple, sprung from jail yesterday by grim-faced parents who posted bail. "

Pole Volter ??? Is that a new name for the girls that gyrate and dance around the vertical poles in gentleman's clubs? ....they will give you a charge? Jeez - where are the editors?

Why Put A Debate On Cable?

The Patriots game the other night drew 17,500,000 viewers and that made it the most watched program in the history of cable TV.

If true, I wonder why the major political parties would want a prez debate to be "resticted" to cable TV viewers?

Jocelyn Kirsch

I really hope Jocelyn Kirsch and Edward Anderton get long jail terms for their crimes!

Ed Snider --- Good at not winning titles

Mr. Snider may be good at making money but he is not good at winning champioships if recent history is any proof!.....When you consider all current owners of major sports teams, I believe Ed Snider, the longtime owner of both the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers is the current holder of this title ...

"Greatest Number of Years Since My Team Won A Championship"...........

the 76ers last won in 1983 (24 years ago) and the Flyers in 1976 (31 years ago). IMHO, Snider is made of teflon cause he hardly ever gets blamed for these exceptionally long droughts!

Lofa Tatupu - Is He Invisible To Eagles QB?

Philadelphia Eagles QB threw 3 interceptions today to Seattle Seahawks linebacker, Lofa Tatupu. The last interception was on the 5-yard line when the Eagles were about to win the game with only a minute left.

Right after that, the announcer, Moose Johnston exclaimed that Tatupu must be "invisible" to Feeley because the 3 interceptions were so frigging bad. Feeley had to see Tatupu on each throw hence the invisible comment.

Full disclosure- I am and Eagles fan but Coach Reid and Mcnabb must go- they are joined at the hip and are dragging the team down. The city and the fans need a fresh start. Send them both packing. Reid is the worst clock manager in the league (did you see the end of the 1st half?) and McNabb is over the hill.

Snark seems appropriate for my 500th posting to this blog

"If the dudes from Dubai can make our waterfront look like the picture, I say let's turn the Philadelphia city government over to them.Let's see what kind of city contracts the unions get when they have to negotiate with guys with swords."

Editors note- I "borrowed" the quote above from a comment posted on the blog called Attytood.

Kaola Bear In Tree (not a rare occurrence I am told)

San Diego - More Pictures

San Diego Zoo - Pictures I Took

Luckyoldson AKA LUCY

Fantastic News For Coble Family

I am in San Diego and saw this story in the paper this morning:

From The San Diego Union Tribune on November 8, 2007 .....

MOURNERS AWAIT TRIPLETS
An Orange County couple whose three children died in a big-rig crash just six months ago is expecting triplets.

Lori Coble is seven weeks pregnant with two girls and a boy, who are expected in May. The 30-year-old mother had the three embryos implanted following in vitro fertilization.
“We had a 1-in-10 chance of them sticking, and they all three did,” Chris Coble, 36, told the Orange County Register.

“It's kind of a two-sided coin,” he said. “We feel amazed that it's happening but at the same time we're still mourning Kyle, Emma and Katie. Nothing will ever replace them. We feel joy for what's happening but we're crying and missing the kids.”

Kyle, 5, Emma, 4, and Katie, 2, were killed May 4 when a tractor-trailer rig slammed into the back of the family minivan on Interstate 5 in Mission Viejo.

UN Flies To Bali to Stop Global Warming

Read this story about the corrupt UN having a 10-day meeting in Bali. The topic - Global Warming.

This is the kind of two-faced crap that makes it impossible for me to take global warming seriously. Am I wrong?

Dreamalee Brotz

First question - Who the hell names their daughter "Dreamalee Brotz" ? I guess her parents were hippies who changed the world, man.

And according to the Philly Inquirer, in an article about how evil and unjust bottled water is, they quoted this lady, a teacher named Dreamalee Brotz, who was no longer using bottled water.

Well, that is your choice lady! Dreamalee- let me say this - you probably support - no you probably demand free choice for women's reproductive rights. And in turn, I demand to make my choice to drink whatever and however I want and to drive the biggest or smallest car I want. Hell, if I so choose, I will use a 16-wheeler just to go to my office.

So stop already you control-freak idiots - stop trying to make Americans do whatever you believe is the latest fad to spring from your incredibly small, far left and fascist-like brains.

Make A Donation to This Policeman's Family

Please consider making a donation to the family of Officer Cassidy - he was shot two days ago in a robbery and died this morning.

Click on the title above to see how you can make a donation to this policeman's family. He had three kids still in high school and even with life insurance, etc his wife and family could probably use a little extra money. So why not dip into your Xmas fund and send them a check.

"Co-Sleeping" Kills 3 Infants A Month In City Of Philadelphia

Yesterday, I read this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer that reported 57 infants have died since the start of 2006 due to co-sleeping! That refers to where an infant and an adult sleep together. In the article, this practice led to the death of 57 in 20 months or about three deaths per month! That is disgraceful and I am astounded the police have not arrested any of these idiot adults for criminal negligence! Instead, the city health department is running an "education program".

Think about this- in 2005, the state reported 291 deaths in Philadelphia for children under five years old. The co-sleeping article indicates in the average year 36 of those deaths would be due to co-sleeping. In other words, more than one out of ten deaths (of kids under four years old) were probably preventable. This is a crime IMHO. Below I have posted the article for your reading horrification:

City effort targets safe sleeping for babies
By Robert Moran
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
With Philadelphia infants dying because parents are sleeping with their babies, the city has launched a campaign to warn against the dangerous practice.
At least 57 infants have died since the beginning of 2006 as a result of parents and babies "co-sleeping" or infants sleeping in unsafe places such as sofas, cushioned chairs or cluttered cribs, city officials said today.
Arthur Evans Jr., acting director of the Department of Human Services, called the numbers "very alarming" and said the problem was immediately apparent when he took over the agency a year ago.
"I noticed that there were a number of reports - sometimes multiple reports in a week - of adults sleeping with infants where the child died," Evans said.
A television and radio campaign, called "Sleeping Safely," began this week to teach parents proper sleeping practices for infants. The city is looking for funds to expand the campaign to buses, Evans said.
Evans said the parents who suffer these tragedies often "were trying to do the right thing" and would bring their babies to bed, for example, if they were crying.
"It's only when you sit in an agency like this that you see this is a dangerous practice," Evans said.
Officials also said that the city would help provide cribs for parents who need them. Parents seeking help getting cribs can call 215-972-0700 or visit the Web site www.momobile.org.

Adrian Balboa

Headstone marked "Adrian Balboa" at Laurel Hill Cemetery??

I was at this old cemetery in Philly on Saturday and saw a headstone for an "Adrian Balboa". The headstone was just inside the gate and I guess it could be a movie prop but did not expect it to be sitting there just like one of the real headstones. I googled it an saw someone else (Fliker) asked the same question.

Btw, if you are ever in Philly, I recommend you take a walk around this old cemetery (it goes back to 1836) and has a bunch of immense obelisks as grave markers.

Mark Steyn At His Best

It is becoming increasingly apparent to me that liberals and conservatives are mentally wired very differently. Libs don't think logically or critically- they just parrot whatever they want to believe or whatever they want desperately to be true.

Below is a great example and Mark Steyn takes this as an opportunity to mock the logic of a young CNN star (but mental lightweight) and an old NY Times fossil, Thomas Friedman:

From Steyn's column of Oct. 14, 2007 :

"To take another example, on CNN the other night Anderson Cooper was worrying about the homicide rate in Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love is the murder capital of the nation, and CNN had dispatched a reporter to interview the grieving mother of a young black boy killed while riding his bicycle in the street. Apparently, a couple of cars had got backed up behind him, and an impatient passenger in one of them pulled out a gun and shot the kid. Anderson Cooper then went to commercials and, when he returned, introduced a report on how easy it is to buy guns in Philadelphia and how local politicians are reluctant to do anything about it. This is, again, an argument only the expert class could make. In the 1990s, the number of guns in America went up by 40 million, but the murder rate fell dramatically. If firearms availability were the determining factor, Vermont and Switzerland would have high murder rates. Yet in Montpelier or Geneva the solution to a boy carelessly bicycling in front of you down a city street when you're in a hurry is not to grab your gun and blow him away. It's the culture, not the technology. ....

Very few members of the transnational jet set want to hear this. They're convinced that economic and technological factors shape the world all but exclusively, and that the sexy buzz words – "globalization", "networking" – cure all ills. You may recall the famous Golden Arches thesis promulgated by The New York Times' Thomas Friedman – that countries with McDonald's franchises don't go to war with each other. Tell it to the Serbs. When the Iron Curtain fell, Yugoslavia was, economically, the best-positioned of the recovering Communist states. But, given the choice between expanding the already booming vacation resorts of the Dalmatian coast for their eager Anglo-German tourist clientele or reducing Croatia and Bosnia and Kosovo to rubble over ethno-linguistic differences no outsider can even discern ("Serbo-Croat"?), Yugoslavia opted for the latter.

Idiocy Of Giving Al Gore The Peace Prize

Here is the funniest quote I saw on a blog (www.althouse.blogspot.com) about the idicy of giving Al Gore a Peace Prize. Kudos to Paul Zrimsek for the apt and funny assessment. See Paul's blog post below:

"...The best thing to do with the Congressional Medal of Honor now would be to give it to the person who did most to bring peace to some war-torn part of the world, since the Nobel Peace Prize is apparently no longer available for that purpose.

War heroes could get the Pulitzer Prize instead. We'd make it up to the people who write the best newspaper stories by awarding them the Stanley Cup.

The best team in the NHL would get the donations George Soros used to give to prominent lefty spokesmen before that function was taken over by the Nobel Peace Prize."

World Series Tickets

Hope I get a chance to use these but Phils are trailing the Rockies in game two by 6-3. They better start hitting.

These are the only World Series I ever had; I actually plan to give to my niece for her 21st birthday which is the same day as the game (Oct. 27th)!

Phils Win Division

Geat story heh? I had tickets for 2 games in the last week and the Phils lost both! Maybe I should stay away- but this is perhaps my all-time favorite Phils team and Jimmy Rollins may be my all-time favorite player! How fricking good did he play today in the must-win season ending game!!

I was in Bagataway on Friday night and one of the bartenders was wearing an Antonio Alfonseca Phils jersey. Now Alfonseca is a bit of a obscure team member so I was surprised they even sold his jersey. The bartender said he bought it on Ashburn Alley where you can get custom-made jerseys and he knew his Alfonseca would be unique! He claimed the real Alfonseca saw him in his jersey and was excited to see a fan with his name and number! Cool huh. It's a great country - Go Phils!

Exhibit A : Why The City of Philadelphia Never Gets Big Improvements Done

SEE BELOW STORY FROM THE DAILY NEWS- SINCE 2003, THE MAYOR HAS NOT PAID THE REAL ESTATE TAXES FOR TWO PROPERTIES HE OWNS. THIS IS EXHIBIT "A" IN EVIDENCE FOR WHY THE CITY CAN NEVER GET BIG STUFF DONE. THE FOLKS WHO ARE IN CHARGE ARE SAD, UNTALENTED, DUMB, AND ETHICALLY-CHALLENGED AND I INCLUDE THOSE 100 MOVERS AND SHAKERS THAT RUN EVERYTHING ACCORDING TO THE INQUIRER.

Posted on Mon, Sep. 24, 2007
Urban Warrior Oops! Mayor's tax crackdown nets . . . the mayor
By Chris Brennan
PHILADELPHIA NEEDS every dime it can get to pay for services like policing our streets and teaching our students.
Mayor Street knows that.
That's why the city recently cracked down on delinquent taxpayers. What Street didn't know was that he hadn't paid the property taxes on two of the four properties he owns in North Philadelphia.
That is, until the Daily News delivered the bill last week.
I'm happy to say Street moved swiftly after a three-year delay, delivering a check last Thursday to the city for $4,798.99.
Street held a news conference three weeks ago to announce the crackdown on overdue property and business taxes owed to the city.
The city then started sending out notices to 23,000 property owners, demanding payment for $394 million in back taxes. Another $294 million is owed to the city in back business taxes.
The city, Street estimated, should be able to collect about 34 percent of those back taxes - about $234 million.
The mayor invited Thomas Brady, the interim chief executive of the school district, to that news conference to emphasize how money collected in the effort will help the city pay for education costs. That adds up to about $126 million for the district over the next five years, the city estimates, with $109 million flowing into the city's coffers.
City Solicitor Romulo Diaz warned that the city will foreclose on the properties of some tax deadbeats by November, with the potential for sheriff's sales starting by next May.
Sounds like a solid idea to me.
So I was surprised to learn that the mayor last paid taxes on two of his properties in 2003.
That was the year he was running for re-election. Must be some kind of coincidence.
A rowhouse the mayor owns in trust for one of his sons at 15th and Master streets had a balance last week of $2,625.68, including taxes delinquent for 2004, 2005 and 2006, past due-taxes for 2007, interest and penalties.
Another rowhouse owned by the mayor and his nephew at 25th and Nicholas streets had a balance of $2,173.31.
To his credit - literally and figuratively - the mayor has overpaid the property taxes this year on his home at 13th and Master streets by $1,290 and by $550 for another property he owns at 12th and Diamond streets.
Joe Grace, the mayor's spokesman, last week said Street didn't know he owed the city almost $4,800 until the Daily News called up to point it out for him.
Grace said the mayor found out that the notices on his delinquent property taxes were being sent to the wrong address. The mayor never saw them, he said.
"But that's not an excuse in any way," Grace added. "We do mean what we say: Everyone must pay their taxes."
So the mayor called the city's Revenue Department, found out that the Daily News' math was correct, and had a check delivered the same day to get up to date.
The whole process, from discovery to confirmation to payment, took about two hours.
The challenge now is to get the 22,999 other property owners with past-due tax bills to cough up the cash that fast.
Grace said the trouble with the mayor's tax bills got the administration thinking about how many other property owners might not be getting notices about delinquent taxes because of mail going to the wrong address.
The city is now requesting that people who own more than one property contact the Revenue Department to make sure the correct mailing address is on file. The department can be reached at 215-686-6442 or at Box 53190, Philadelphia, PA 19105. *
E-mail urbanwarrior@phillynews.com or call the Urban Warrior tip line at 215-854-4810. For past columns:
http://go.philly.com/columnists.

Lotta Bullshit On The Internets

How the fluff can a reputable news agency print a photo of a Baghdad woman holding two unfired bullets while claiming American troops fired them at her house? Because the news agency wants it to be true!

Click on the post title to see the photo.

Appalachian Trail Hikers

We were hiking in Delware Water Gap National Forest last Saturday when we ran into these two kids who had hiked 1,200 miles in the last four months (Appalachian Trail from Georgia starting point). They were tired and needed a ride into town to meet some friends. Here are their pictures.

Attytood Is One Of The First To Use Minnesota Tragedy To Score Political Points

Will Bunch, ultra-liberal ultra-wussyman and Philly Daily News writer, is one of the first libs to use the collapse of the bridge in Minnesota to score politicl points. Since I am familiar with Bunch's vile bile, I am not at all surprised. And check out what he labeled his post:

"Memo To White House: Bridge Failure Determined to Strike In the U.S. "

Separated At Birth ?

Cripes, my brother-in-law (on left)may be related to the Unabomber. Picture at top is random bum photo published in the Philadelphia Inquirer last week.

Waterfall II

Another waterfall photo from Ricketts Glen State Park. I suggest you check it out when you are in the area!

Graffiti Is Everywhere

How sad is this picture? Graffiti in a state park that is two hours away from any big city. Guess these vandals can't resist marking up walls everywhere they go.

When I first saw this, my first reaction was to say "same to you pal!"

Ricketts Glen State Park- Waterfall

One of 15 or so waterfalls at Ricketts Glen State Park in northeastern Pennsylvania about 30 minutes north of Bloomsburg. The park has a bunch of waterfalls laid out on well-marked trails so you can do an easy 6-8 mile hike and see all of the park's waterfalls.

I highly recommend the park - it is only 2-3 hour drive from either Philly or New York city.

The Camera Adds 10 Lbs. or Is That 20 Lbs. ?

What the fluff kind of camera did you use?? This picture makes my six-pack abs look like I am hiding a keg under my shirt!

Barry Bonds Rookie Card?

I am too lazy to post my own stuff so just read this guy's blog. It really looks like Barry Bonds- don't you agree?

Local Blog Points Out Yesterday in 1969, Senator Kennedy Took A Wrong Turn

Hat tip to local cop/ blogger, Wyatt. Click on this link to read what Senator Kennedy said after he drove his car into a creek and left Mary Jo Kopechne to die.

http://sharpshooters.blogspot.com/2007/07/this-date-in-history.html

500 Pound Man Probably Has A Pea-sized Brain

Sure, let's go tubing thought the 500 pound man in Minnesota. Do you think he ever wondered if he was too humongous for the tube?

Well, the tube deflated and he found himself stuck in shallow water and physically unable to get out. So rescuers had to construct a wood raft with three canoes and carry blubber butt out of the shallow water. It only took 30-40 volunteers.

Was Her Singing That God-awful?

Singer shot while singing on stage...was she that bad?

Don't Try This At Home (or anywhere for that matter)

If this picture of the Lenahan brothers getting gored by the same bull at the same time does not dissuade you from trying it yourself, nothing will.

Damn, if this were a dart match, I don't know how many points this bull would have gotten for this unbelievable shot. Dittoes for the photographer!

True ?

I just heard Walter Williams claim it is easier to get an MRI for your pet than for yourself in Canada? Is this really true?

It seems like it would be easy to verify and if it is true, it certainly indicates there is a vast difference between the healthcare available here versus Canada.

I'd like some MSM type to do their job and find out if Williams' claim is factual.

Steel Bridge In the Middle Of The Park

This is "The Fingerspan" in the Wissahickon. Kinda cool- it is a 30-40 foot steel cage bridge that was erected in 1987 to link a gap in the trail that follows the Wissahickon Creek.

What's My Name

More pictures at 2 Legends Farm. I invested in a horse there (What's My Name), a filly which has been stall-ridden for 45 days due to some shin thing. The farm owner said they have to be careful when they finally let the horse out of its stall cause it will want to go crazy and run loose. I suggested he call Al Gore III and get some sedatives for the horse heh.

My father loved racetracks and betting on horses. He would have loved to gotten the tour I got of the 110 acre Two Legends farm in Maryland's horse country.

2 Legends Farm

Mother & Daughter (only 2 months old!)

This Global Warming Is Scaring Me

Holy crap- it is July 4th in Philadelphia and it is a sweltering 69 degrees. Worse yet, the wind chill is a planet Mercury-like 67 degrees! Global warming is scaring me bad- but can I take advantage- perhaps invest in ice and air-conditioner companies?

I had An Exciting Weekend (see picture below)

Congratulations -You Now Have Mucho Mucho Dinero

Woohoo! Just finished a deal I was working on for more than two years. Our clients got a big payday - Mucho Mucho Millions for their company. I have been working OT 24-7's for last 8 months.

Time to get some much needed R & R and get to that spring cleaning too (my house is a mess). Congratulations to the buyers and the sellers- I predict you will be featured in the Wall Street Journal within the next five years! The business is a fantastic and dynamic healthcare company- I view it as the leading edge in the future of medical care!

South Park Is Great

Heat Alerts

It's hot today- did you know that already? I am sure you did so why the fluff does the government issue heat alerts? They did not do that 30-40 years ago- are we getting dumber? Are we unable to dress appropriately depending on whether it is hot or cold? Does someone have to tell you to wear a coat and gloves when it snows?

More Evidence of Global Warming

Alligators found in Pennsylvania?? I wondered about that here some time ago. Looks like I was right.

http://theringleader.blogspot.com/2007/01/will-alligators-migrate-to-delaware.html

Legislators Must Have Little to Do So They Come Up With This Crap

I swear I don't make this shit up.

The California legislature wants to require pet owners to spay their dogs and cats by four months of age or face a $500 fine. The sponsor claims there a great number of strays now and that costs the state $300 Million per year.

First - I don't believe his claim. Second - we can't identify or count illegal immigrants but the legislature thinks we can keep track of unspayed pets? Third - they believe they can find the illegally fertile pet's owner and get them to pay a $500 fine??

What a crock - we citizens should consider bringing back the guillotine to spay dim-witted public officials.

The Flip Side Of The Story on Mortgage Foreclosures

This is a great story that tells the other side of the story regarding today's hig rate of mortgage foreclosure. The writer is named Kris Frieswick and her father was a Repo Man. So she has heard stories from her father about how some people just buy more stuff than they can afford.

Recommend it highly- it tells you what the MSM generally won't.

Fat Eddie Loves To Be Around Money

Governor presents Phila. Award to philanthropist Lenore Annenberg
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA - Philanthropist Lenore Annenberg threw Gov. Ed Rendell a kiss and appeared near tears as she accepted the 86th annual Philadelphia Award from the governor.
"I'm truly, truly overwhelmed," said Annenberg, 89, who served as U.S. chief of protocol under President Ronald Reagan.
The award, which carries a $25,000 honorarium, was established in 1921 by Edward W. Bok, publisher of Ladies Home Journal, to recognize a resident who has "acted and served on behalf of the best interests of the community" in the preceding year.
Annenberg heads the Annenberg Foundation, which made almost $48 million in regional grants last year. She has held the post since the death of her husband, publisher and ambassador Walter Annenberg, in 2002. He received the award in 1993.
Noting Lenore Annenberg's major role in the region, Rendell, a former Philadelphia mayor, said, "As lofty as she may seem, and as elegant as she truly is, Lee is anything but removed. We owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude."
"Walter would be exceptionally proud," he added.

FYI_ the Annenberg Foundation has $2.6 Billion in assets but it only donates maybe 6-7% of that per year to others. Why the fluff do they wait to spend all that loot? Why not spend it now and cure the sick, feed the hungry and give wealth to the poor??

Nah that will never happen because money means power and people like the Annenbergs and the Pews will never give up their power.

Loud Phone Talker

This is a problem at our office. This lady comes in late, leaves early, does little work and talks so loud (smoker and drinker) that we can't but help hear every inane phone conversation she has. Here is what an expert recommends:

The Loud Phone-Talker.

"Obviously the first step is to pull them aside quietly and ask them to lower their voice when using the phone," says Julie Jansen, a career coach, consultant, and trainer. "If this doesn't stop them, you could dish out the same treatment and stand near their cube on your cell phone and talk loudly. Or you can hold up a sign that says, 'Please turn volume down.'"

And He Was A Democrat

The AP has a story today about a horrible, racially-motivated multiple murder rom 60 years ago. The story claims the FBI investigation included leads suggesting the three-time governor of Georgia, named Ernest Talmadge, could have been invloved in the crime.

I read the whole long story but did not see where the AP mentioned the governor's political party........perhaps that is because he was a Democrat.

Sunday Morning Sex.....agenarians

Sunday Morning Sex....
I will never hear church bells ringing again without smiling...
Upon hearing that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie went straight to her grandparent's house to visit her 95-year-old grandmother and comfort her.

When she asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied, He
had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning."
Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that 2 people nearly 100 years old having sex would surely be asking for trouble.

"Oh no, my dear," replied granny. "Many years ago , realizing our advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the church bells would start to ring. It was just the right rhythm. Nice and slow and even... Nothing too strenuous, simply in on the Ding and out on the Dong."

Granny paused to wipe away a tear, and continued, "He'd still be alive if the frigging ice cream truck hadn't come along."

Weathervanes aka City Council

Read this story from today's Inquirer. Last week, city council approved a resolution declaring Philadelphia was pro-abortion. Yesterday, they rescinded that resolution. Five nitwits switched their votes. FYI, the original sponsor is a council member who probably has an IQ of about 85 or so IMHO. Here is the story:

"Philadelphia is no longer officially a "pro-choice city." By a vote of 13-4 today, City Council rescinded last week's symbolic declaration making Philadelphia a "pro-choice" city that supported "women's reproductive rights and freedom" and defended "the right to choose a legal and safe abortion as a final but critical option for women." "The original resolution passed by a 9-8 vote, surprising sponsor Blondell Reynolds Brown who had not expected the declaration to be controversial. Cardinal Justin Rigali swiftly condemned the resolution, and complaints flooded into some council members' offices." "The resolution rescinding last week's proclamation was sponsored by Councilman Frank Rizzo, who said the entire episode had been an embarrassment." "I think that we should stay away from issues like this that cause division in our city," Rizzo said. Switching sides from last week were council members aka weathervanes:

• Jim Kenney,
• Frank DiCicco,
• Donna Reed Miller,
• Daniel Savage
• Wilson Goode Jr. (whose father bombed the city when he was mayor).

In a speech from the floor today, Kenney stressed that he personally was pro-choice, but had decided upon reflection that it was an inappropriate issue for council to wade into.

This Just In: Rendell Cabinet Member Supports Rendell Plan

The Inquirer can't go one day without running a story promoting one of Fat Eddie's tax & spend ideas to increase the state budget and funnel guvmint money to his friends in construction and in law firms. So yesterday, the Inquirer's chief stenographer of Rendell press releases ran this story that said essentially:

...Allen Biehler, Penndot Chief and Cabinet Member in Rendell Administration, Supports His Bosses Plan To Sell The Turnpike!!

Holy Crap- Stop The Presses- This Is Big News!

Must Be Easy to Do That

Kevin Durant is a superstar hoopster who plays for the University of Texas. He will be the #2 pick in the upcoming NBA draft but of course in this great country where we love to build you up so we can tear you down, Durant is getting some flack about supposedly being out of shape. Check out what his coach said in his defense. Pretty funny line at the end.

"His college coach defended Kevin’s results saying there were tons of guys who could lift 185 pounds and jump out of the gym, but “couldn’t play dead in a cowboy movie.”

Michael Vick & Dogfighting

The politically correct folks have Michael Vick in their sights. He may have been involved in dogfighting. I knew dogfighting was popular with newer immigrants but did not know it appealed to top-tier NFL quarterbacks?

Here is a thought...could Vick renounce his citizenship, "re-enter" the country as an illegal immigrant and have his alleged misdeeds excused or "amnestyfied" because he is an illegal immigrant? Could be a good legal maneuver- let's see how creative his own attorneys are?

FYI- if you got the drift that I an not a big animal lover, you are right. I wonder why dogfighting is against the law but pitbulls are legal even though pitbulls attack, maim (and in rarer instances kill) maybe thousands of people every year.

Hope You Have Blessed Day

I do work with businesses all over the country. I am based in Philly so my frame of reference for religion is mostly Catholic, mainstream Protestant and Jewish faiths.

But I have met with and dealt with more than a few businesses where the owners are fundamental Christians which we in Philly call "born again". That nickname may or not be accurate. Anywho, I really believe most of these folks are sincere in their beliefs and in many cases, raised hell when younger, but have now gone back to church and mended their ways.

I posted this because I called an old business associate's office a few minutes ago and their answering machine had the message.."hope you have a blessed day". Now, tell the truth, you would be speechless if you got that message at a Philly or New Jersey business. This sure is a big and varied country! Do you agree?

And Another Thing

If 12 million illegals get the right to citizenship and voting privileges, won't the majority of the new citizens be in just a few states (let's guess Florida, Califoooornya, Arizona and Texas)?

And won't that result in a shift of congressional seats and electoral votes away from older states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan where the populations are not growing as quickly?

So why would voters from the losing states (they will lose political influence and congressional power) support the immigration bill?