Rare Burst of Blooms Shows Bright Side of Wildfire…

Rare Burst of Blooms Shows Bright Side of Wildfires

See, the Colorado and Arizona arsonists weren’t crazy or greedy, they just like flowers!

Bush Renews Fight for School Vouchers (washingtonp…

Bush Renews Fight for School Vouchers (washingtonpost.com)

My Bush hate, which had been in remission, is making a strong comeback. This comment is dreadful and offensive:

“The Supreme Court in 1954 declared that our nation cannot have two education systems, and that was the right decision,” Bush declared today. “Last week, what’s notable and important is that the court declared that our nation will not accept one education system for those who can afford to send their children to a school of their choice and for those who can’t, and that’s just as historic.”

Department of deserved mean-spiritedness Two do…

Department of deserved mean-spiritedness

Two dogs running for office in Florida

Asian-Americans urged to fly flags Maybe I’m na…

Asian-Americans urged to fly flags

Maybe I’m naive, but I’ve never thought most people these days have trouble thinking of Asian-Americans as Americans.

Frog season has started, and hunters are ready …

Frog season has started, and hunters are ready

Frog season? Oh, and they taste like chicken, but you probably knew that.

It’s Been An Odd Day… So far today, I’ve cata…

It’s Been An Odd Day…

So far today, I’ve cataloged a book by Noam Chomsky and a book by Stephen Ambrose. This was only preparation for the latest fun: The Arab World, published by the League of Arab States for their 20th anniversary in 1966. Lots of fun stuff here; I think I’m going to keep it around just in case I ever need a good laugh. Here’s a sampling…

May 15 of [1948], the British who held the mandate of Palestine left the country which during the last years of the Mandate had been subject to monumental foreign immigration. [This is a good bit.] The Arab states, with few forces, nearly no arms and munitions, had to engage in an unforseen peace-keeping operation to prevent the belligerent acts of the Zionist organizations terrorizing the Land of Peace. Despite all, they had sufficient success that the United Nations hastened to force an armistice.

(Page 4. Emphasis mine.)

The Arab Common Market Agreement, also known as the Economic Unity Pact… went into effect the first day of 1965… The following rights are guaranteed under this pact:

1. Freedom of movement of persons and capital.

2. Freedom of exchanging national and imported products.

3. Freedom of residence, work, employment and economic activity.

4. Freedom of transport, transit and the use of public transport facilities such as harbors and civil airports.

5. Rights of acquisition, bequeathment, and inheritance.

(Pp. 4-5)

Oh, and Jordan is bordered on the west by “Palestine”, in case you were wondering.

Sammy calls it foul It never ceases to amaze me…

Sammy calls it foul

It never ceases to amaze me the crap the sports press tries to pull. Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated — quite possibly the worst offender — decided last week that he would tell Sammy Sosa to go to a clinic and get tested for steroids. Sammy refused, but unfortunately didn’t pound Reilly into paste.

Baseball Geek Diversion: Skip to the next item if you don’t care.

Unlike some players, I’ve never thought that Sosa was on drugs. He was skinny when he came to this country, but (as he points out) that’s pretty normal for Caribbean players, and most of them bulk up once they have access to American nutrition. His home run spike of recent years isn’t that remarkable. What’s remarkable about Sosa is that he became a much more disciplined and patient hitter late in his career… which doesn’t sound like a steroid user to me. His late career success follows from that, not his physique.

(Via Romenesko.)

Researchers ‘Talk’ to Lizards Well, as long as …

Researchers ‘Talk’ to Lizards

Well, as long as the lizards don’t talk back, I guess they’re OK.

Post/ABC Poll: Americans Want Tighter Regulation o…

Post/ABC Poll: Americans Want Tighter Regulation of Business (washingtonpost.com)

Hmmm… which is the party of regulation of business, and which of deregulation? The current President is looking more like George Quincy Bush (that is, a one-timer, just like his dad) all the time.

Evangelist Hurls Insults at Funeral Ah, Alabama…

Evangelist Hurls Insults at Funeral

Ah, Alabama. Apparently, God paid this guy a visit (hey, that’s what he says, and he’s a preacher) and told him that (a) the deceased was going to hell, and (b) he should call the mourners “fornicators” and “whoremongers”… The Town of Loxley is in far southwest Alabama, off I-10 between Mobile and Pensacola, just in case anyone cares.

(Suggested by Jocob, who asks, “Wasn’t that guy at John Gotti’s funeral?”