Obligatory Friday Sex Post

Halloween Edition:



And, of course:



Blessed Samhain, all you lovely freaks!

Paging Harlan Ellison

Just watch it, then explain it, if you can!
Thanx to DW at bigbrassblog.com

Juan Williams Is Right, by Michael Moore

Michael you've outdone yourself! Your 'Stickittodamaniosis' rocks on!!!

In an open letter to the ex-NPR commentator, Michael Moore argues that Williams may have spoken clumsily, but one aspect of his message was spot-on: Political correctness about terrorists must end.

Dear Juan,
Sorry to hear you got fired by National Public Radio for saying on Fox that you get nervous when you see Muslims on a plane with you. It was dumb to say such a thing, but I don't think saying one dumb thing should be a firing offense. (I do think that an NPR journalist who accepts money from Fox News for his work a regular commentator should be a firing offense, but that's another story.)

But there's more to this—and some important things that everyone is missing.
For instance, what you said about Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani immigrant who wanted to bomb Times Square. When he was being sentenced this month, he claimed, according to you, that his attempted attack was just “the first drop of blood.” We can't let political correctness blind us to this, you explained.
I guess Shahzad made a big impression on you, because after being fired you went back on Fox and told them, “You can't ignore the fact of what has even recently been said in court with regard to this is ‘the first drop of blood in a Muslim war in America.’”
Sadly for you (and this is also why you shouldn't be working for a real news organization like NPR), Shahzad never said that. If you were a real journalist, you would have quoted him accurately. What he actually said was that he was the “first droplet of the flood,” not blood. But I know how easy it is to mishear things when scary Muslims are talking. And I guess it's not a huge difference anyway.
What really matters is that you're 100 percent right: We shouldn't let political correctness stop us from paying close attention to what people like Shahzad say. The problem is, you just haven't taken it far enough.
So Juan, I'm asking you to join me on a crusade—whoops, scratch that, let's call it a “mission”—to publicize these statements by Faisal Shahzad as widely as possible. Because most of the media hasn’t spent much time on what he had to say.
We shouldn’t let political correctness stop us from paying close attention to what people like Faisal Shahzad say. The problem is, you just haven’t taken it far enough.
Here's what he said at his recent sentencing (after talking about being a droplet in a flood):
“[Saladin] liberated Muslim lands ... And that's what we Muslims are trying do, because you're occupying Iraq and Afghanistan... So, the past nine years the war with Muslims has achieved nothing for the U.S., except for it has waken up the Muslims for Islam. We are only Muslims trying to defend our people, honor, and land. But if you call us terrorists for doing that, then we are proud terrorists, and we will keep on terrorizing until you leave our land and people at peace.”
And this is what Shahzad said when he pleaded guilty back in June:
• Roja Heydarpour: Not All Terrorists Are Stupid, Juan

• Howard Kurtz: NPR's Juan Williams Disaster“I want to plead guilty, and I'm going to plead guilty 100 times over, because until the hour the U.S. pulls its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, and stops the drone strikes in Somalia and Yemen and in Pakistan, and stops the occupation of Muslim lands, and stops killing the Muslims, and stops reporting the Muslims to its government, we will be attacking U.S., and I plead guilty to that.”
Then there’s email that Shahzad sent to a friend in 2006:
“Everyone knows the current situation of Muslim World... Friends with peaceful protest! Can you tell me a way to save the oppressed? And a way to fight back when rockets are fired at us and Muslim blood flows? In Palestine, Afghan, Iraq, Chechnya and elsewhere.”
And then there's what Shahzad was telling friends and relatives even before that.
Shahzad had long been critical of American foreign policy. “He was always very upset about the fabrication of the W.M.D. [sic] stunt to attack Iraq and killing non-combatants such as the sons and grandson of Saddam Hussein,” said a close relative. In 2003, Shahzad had been copied on a Google Groups email message bearing photographs of Guantánamo Bay detainees, handcuffed and crouching, below the words “Shame on you, Bush. Shame on You.”

So what do you say, Juan? Now that you have a new $2 million contract with Fox, let me come on air with you for some in-depth discussions about the terrorists’ real motivations. We can’t let another day go by in which the PC brigade stops us from telling the truth: Terrorists aren't trying to kill us because they hate our freedom. They're killing us because we’re in their countries killing them.
Yours,
Michael Moore

P.S. If you want to understand suicide bombings, be sure to read Robert Pape’s new book that studied every instance of it for the past 30 years, Cutting the Fuse: The Explosion of Global Suicide Terrorism and How to Stop It. It's been used by many groups of many religions, not just Arabs and not just Muslims. And almost all such terrorism has one motivation in common: occupation by foreign militaries.

P.P.S. Here’s something else that I’d sincerely love to talk about with you: What do you think when you see rich middle-aged white men talking on TV about how they get nervous around African Americans on the street? And then explain that we can’t let political correctness stop us from talking about black-on-white crime?
Does it drive you crazy that they say this, without even being conscious of the history of far greater violence by white people toward blacks? And do you maybe understand now how those middle-aged white guys get it so wrong?
UPDATE: Juan, you probably remember in 1986 when the Washington Post Magazine ran a Richard Cohen column defending jewelry store owners who wouldn’t buzz in young black men. It caused such a big controversy that the New Republic ran a bunch of responses to it, including one by you. You might find it interesting to go back and read what you wrote then—for instance, “Racism is a lazy man's substitute for using good judgment ... Common sense becomes racism when skin color becomes a formula for figuring out who is a danger to me.”

From NPR - Britain’s Cuts: Daring or Daft? Britain announced an austerity package that has stunned even the most hard-nosed American deficit hawks.

NPR's On Point did a fantastic job covering Britain's MASSIVE 20% CUT ACROSS THE BOARD.

Austerity or Bust! I give them a high five for giving it a try.

I can't even begin to understand the world of economics. I try by reading as many articles that my frozen shoulder will let me mouse around for. All I ever really needed to know about economics, I learned from The Dark Wraith. I'm sure many of you have seen his classroom video lectures. I've also hung at Mises, The Daily Reckoning, and currently, Barry Ritholtz's The Big Picture.

Austrian, Keynesian, Chicago, whatever. I'm sure these SOUND economic theories have a lot of merit amongst the more educated but I only know simple math. As a realtor, my calculations only involve P & I. So my opinion here is not based on "knowledge", like Mr. Krugman's, just feeeelings.

I've got to side with the austerity package here folks. I think we've come to a point in our economic history were models don't work anymore. How can they when the ones running the show are not playing by the rules?

If you have time, take a listen to George Osborne, Britain's Finance Minister (that's all I know about him), speaking to Parliament last week. I like what I hear:

..."It is a hard road but it leads to a better future - (groan groan). We are going to bring the years of ever rising borrowing to an end. We are going to insure, like every solvent household in the country, that what we buy we can afford... (Orgasmic Groans!) and that the bills we incur we have the income to meet. And that we do not saddle our children with the interest on the interest on the interest of the debts that we were not prepared ourselves to pay. "

The whole segment is really a great listen. This one-armed blogger was grateful to put the mouse down for a while.

Here's the rest of the line up:

Alex Barker, economics correspondent for the Financial Times.

Lord Robert Skidelsky, emeritus professor of political economy at the University of Warwick, director of the Moscow School of Political Studies, and a trustee of the Manhattan Institute. He is active in the British House of Lords. He is the preeminent biographer of John Maynard Keynes, having published a three-volume work, now condensed into a single volume: “John Maynard Keynes, 1883 to 1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman.” His latest book is “Keynes: The Return of the Master.”

Tim Besley, professor of economics and political science at the London School of Economics. From September 2006 to August 2009, he served as an external member of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee.

Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast and associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York. He’s also a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. His new book is “The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris.”

Robert Bixby, executive director of The Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan organization focused on fiscal responsibility.

I sure hope the Dark Wraith stops by to spread some of his merrymaking

THE GREAT AMERICAN BANK ROBBERY

Here is a video from June '09 (OVER A YEAR AGO???) pretty much explaining exactly what is finally coming out about "mortgate" (good one - eh?). There are quite a few blogs and videos on the intertubes now that explain what these bankers are doing and what they are getting away with. (You know -- all the bullshit we had already figured out ourselves here at blondesense through the years.)



DESCRIPTION

6/11/09 -- William K. Black, the former litigation director of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board who investigated the Savings and Loan disaster of the 1980s, discusses the latest scandal in which a single bank, IndyMac, lost more money than was lost during the entire Savings and Loan crisis. He will examine the political failure behind this economic disaster, in which not only massive fraud has taken place, but a vast transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class continues as the federal government bails out the seemingly reckless, if not the criminal. Black teaches economics and law at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and is the author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One. (Run Time: 1 hour, 38 min.)
(link)

8/12/10 -- William K. Black on The Keiser Report

gotta luv those youtube comments:We are in the "Let them eat cake" phase...heading towards the "Off with their heads" phase.

If you're too busy today and want a fantastic 2 minute take:

Felix Salmon Explains Why Lawsuits Are Flying At Banks Who Turned Crap Into Triple AAA (Mortgage Mess TV)


sources

Felix Salmon

The Daily Bail

WRH has a great BANKERS GONE WILD post up with lots of good linkage

I gotta wonder what false flag attack The Masters Of The Universe will cook up this time to attempt to hide this shit storm.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle, by Minstrel Boy

Has anybody heard from Minstrel Boy lately? I think he showed up on
the facebook account I set up. I think it's him -- I've lost track of real names and blogger names. Too weird -- I've been trying to find him because I wanted to post one of his famous recipes. I am going to attempt this treat for halloween.

He put this up over at bigbrassblog last NO it can't be 4 years agohalloween:

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
by: Minstrel Boy


This one goes out to Spudsy who wrote a great Question of the Day over to Shake's about his pumpkin obsession.

Usually I save this one for Thanksgiving, where it has replaced pumpkin pie as the traditional family favorite, but since I'm going to be in a totally obsessive work mode all next week (the question of the day was about obsessions and I copped to being obsessed with my work in music), blogging will be light and I thought I would offer up something to amuse you all.

So, without further ado. . .Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

The first thing you must do is to make a gingerbread. This is an extra spicy version that has flavor enough to stand up to the other flavors that will be flying around the room.

Ingredients for the Gingerbread:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup apple juice
2 eggs
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Butter and flour a 10" Springform pan. Heat oven to 350°.

Stir together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt in a container. (I use a plastic measuring pitcher because it comes in handy later)

In a large bowl, mix sugar with oil, juice, molasses, eggs, and fresh ginger in a large bowl. Mix in crystallized ginger. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Then bake for an hour. Cool this for ten minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely. (You could actually even stop right here and serve this warm with some whipped cream or a nice little Creme Anglais but resist my friends resist this is only going to get better)

Pumpkin Custard Ingredients

3 cups half-and-half
6 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups puréed pumpkin, or about 1 1/2 cans

Scald the half & half in a heavy saucepan (by scalding we mean to take it right up to the edge of boiling then remove it from the heat). In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix in pumpkin and warm half-and-half. When it is smooth and thoroughly mixed put it into a buttered baking dish which you then set into a larger baking dish. Fill the larger dish with hot water to about 1" below the rim of the custard dish. This is called a Bain Marie and will ensure that your custard bakes evenly all the way through. Bake this at 325° for 50 minutes and start to check it. You want a set, firm custard and a knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

To assemble your trifle get your trifle bowl out (visuals are important with this, so don't be a barbarian, get a trifle bowl) and make sure it is sparkling clean.

Whip one quart heavy cream with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and set aside.
You will also want about 1/2 cup of gingersnap crumbs.

Spoon 1/2 of the Pumpkin Custard into the bowl and layer 1/2 of the gingerbread over that and 1/2 of the whipped cream over that. Do it again. Top the final layer of whipped cream with the gingersnap crumbs (optional for you folks that aren't into the whole sobriety thing is to also drizzle the gingerbread layer with a little Grand Marnier or a nice Calvados, not drench you libertine, drizzle).

When you make your entrance with this, remember, be gracious in accepting your accolades. You never have to tell them how easy it was. I never will.

FACEBOOK: Do I Or Don't I?

The Unexpurgated Bible #42
"Go ye into all the world, and make friends on Facebook.
He who accepts your friend request shall be saved;
he who doesn't shall be damned."
by Fearguth @ bildungblog

(Great site!)



I can't believe I'm even contemplating this. I've fought my kids about "social networking" since myspace. I lost.
I still ridicule them pretty regularly about facebook though. It's just one of those pet peeves I guess. Maybe it's because I'm a long time blogger and don't understand. Are they similar?

The only reason I am thinking about this is because I'm trying to sell tickets to a fundraising dance for the Music Department. It was suggested that I put the word out on my facebook page. I was surprised how many of the over 50 crowd is "on the facebook"



Is it really a good place to network? I guess I can see how it would be.

I can't bear to ask my kids for assistance in setting this up. I may need your help.

I've heard it can be very addicting and I've got quite an addictive personality. Any tips on how to avoid being totally sucked in?
I suppose I could just take it down in a few weeks after the dance if I found myself to caught up.

Who knows, maybe it will be on to twitter next!

Maybe I'll attempt the Articles of Confederation (21st Century Edition) in tweets...

or maybe I'll just keep them as written -- There was no president or executive agencies or judiciary. There was no tax base. There was no way to pay off state and national debts from the war years.

Hmmmm......

The First Amendment Protects Stupidity

My two cents on the Juan Williams kerfuffle.

I think I'm sophisticated 'cause I'm livin' my life like a good homo sapien...

A question for any genetics experts out there.

We recently heard from his self-coronated, exalted majesty that:

On his radio show today, Beck wondered how many people in the country believe in evolution, and said he doesn't: "I don't think we came from monkeys. I think that's ridiculous. I haven't seen a half-monkey, half-person yet." "If I get to the other side and God's like, 'You know what, yep, you were a monkey once,' I'll be shocked, but I'll be cool with it," he said.

(First off, He's presuming he's going to meet with a divine being after living such a pious life)

Here's the question:
If a man is born with 6 fingers on each hand and should meet and marry a woman who also has six fingers on each hand, what kind of odds would allow for their offspring to be born with 6 fingers on each hand?
And if they were born thusly and met and married others with similar attributes would their progeny become the "norm" in succeeding generations?

Would that not be "evolution?"

For Glenn.

Obligatory Friday Sex Post

Mechanical Sex Edition.

No, ladies and gents, I'm not speaking of the use of machinery when having sex (although I have seen more than a few examples, but that's a tale for another time).

I ran across an article that describes a new type of medical condition called Sexsomnia. Apparently, this condition involves mainly men who fall asleep, but suddenly have rough, 'mechanical' sex with their partners, with no regard for their comfort. And according to the study in the article, it runs in families through the male line.

Interesting, no?