06 November 2010

Weird People who Know You Write

I am beginning to feel glad that I am not at the level of Stephen King (I am a fan of his work) or Bob Dylan (not a fan of his work, love the interviews). I hardly sell anything right now and I get all sorts of weirdness just because I decided to start writing fiction.

Yesterday I happened across a military veteran I know. I only know him from two local bars and this is the first meeting we had in months. Nice Navy veteran with a lovely daughter, who worked in one of the bars we would chat in every few weeks or so. As far as I know, the only writing of mine he has read was when I was working on my laptop next to him and I asked him to read over a passage or two.

"John, so how is your book going about everybody in the cafe?"

"My new book about what?"

"You know, about R* and the regulars at KSB?"

"B* I never wrote a book about that."

"Oh, I thought all your characters were based on those guys?"

"No, I make all my characters up. There was a rumor at M* that my characters were based on that place."

"Oh yea, that book, how's it going?"

"Nothing I wrote is based on there either. It is called fiction for a reason. At M* they have a proof copy of the first series in the office, because I wrote a lot of it there, but it isn't based on anybody there either. There was this weird chick I met at M* who imagined she had qualities of my main character [gave examples], but she was just nuts, I don't do that."

"Oh, I thought it was."

"Then go take a look at it and get back to me on which character is based on anybody from either place, ok?"

"Okay man, nice to see you. I'm going downstairs to play some pool."

Another one for the weird file.

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Nicaragua Raids Costa Rica, Blames Google Maps

Approximation of a sexy Nicaraguan commander.

In the never ending battle between geeks and their ways of expressing things vs. the military, the geeks actually miss-assign blame to Google, when it belongs with the commander. I don't give a shit whose military you are in, you use an official map for operations and The Google is not an official map. Granted, during the US liberation of Grenada some units used tourist maps of the island and they were vetted by somebody. In the case below, Google did not cause a conflict, the Nicaraguan commander did.

Slashdot | Nicaragua Raids Costa Rica, Blames Google Maps (see Slashdot story for links):

"'An error on Google Maps has caused an international conflict in Central America. A Nicaraguan military commander, relying on Google Maps, moved troops into an area near San Juan Lake along the border between his country and Costa Rica (Google translation of Spanish original). The troops are accused of setting up camp there, taking down a Costa Rican flag and raising the Nicaraguan flag, doing work to clean up a nearby river, and dumping the sediment in Costa Rican territory.'"

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05 November 2010

NBC suspends Olbermann for donations

The Principle is not amused.

NBC suspends Olbermann for donations - Washington Times:

"Olbermann acknowledged to NBC that he donated $2,400 apiece to the campaigns of Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway and Arizona Reps. Raul Grivalva and Gabrielle Giffords.

NBC News prohibits its employees from working on, or donating to, political campaigns unless a special exception is granted by the news division president — effectively a ban. Olbermann's bosses did not find out about the donations until after they were made. The website Politico first reported the donations.

'I became aware of Keith's political contributions late last night,' Phil Griffin, MSNBC's chief executive, said Friday. 'Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.'

Olbermann was not immediately available for comment.

His 'Countdown' show, which airs at 8 p.m. ET, is MSNBC's most popular program. His on-the-air transformation from the host of a straight news program to a liberal commentator led the network itself to go in the same direction, filling its prime-time lineup with left-leaning hosts and doing better in the ratings than anytime since its 1996 launch."

I do not see the problem. His whole show is an ad for liberal candidates and a platform for lies against anybody who is not a liberal as he likes.

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There are Hispanic Republicans? Someone tell MSM

Brian Sandoval

The hard work begins for new Nevada governor - Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010 | 4:03 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun:

"Brian Sandoval stepped off the federal bench and waltzed through a campaign into the governor's mansion. Now he must take the lead in a difficult tango through the worst budget crisis the state has ever faced.

A day after his 12-point victory over Democrat Rory Reid in a campaign that never seemed to test him, Sandoval said he has reached out to legislative and congressional leaders, and began assembling his transition team and executive staff.

'There are a lot of challenges ahead,' he said Wednesday. 'I've been on the phone all morning. I'm going to work together with both parties across the aisle.'"

Suzanna Martinez, Governor Elect of New Mexico

Sandoval, along with Suzanna Martinez of New Mexico and Marco Rubio of Florida are all Hispanic Republicans and Conservatives.

Marco Rubio Governor Elect of Florida

All three are conservative Hispanics.

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Heath Shuler Would Challenge Pelosi For House Minority Leader Post

Heath Shuler Would Challenge Pelosi For House Minority Leader Post:

"Nancy Pelosi's demotion from Speaker of the House could end up being a few more steps down if Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) has his way, as reports now suggest that the Blue Dog Democrat will challenge her for the House minority leader position.

'If there's not a viable alternative [to Pelosi] -- like I said all along -- I can go recruit moderate Members to run in swing districts,' Shuler said on Thursday. 'In that situation, I could do it better than she could, and that's what it's going to take. It's going to take moderate candidates to win back those seats.'

Pelosi has not said whether she will pursue the leadership post."

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04 November 2010

New Mexico Imam Off YouTube

Imam Anwar al-Awlaki, spiritual leader to numerous terrorists.

YouTube Pulls Hundreds Of Videos By Al Qaida Cleric

After pressure from British and American officials YouTube says it has taken down the videos of the Al Qaida cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Awlaki was born and raised in America, but now lives in Yemen. He is believed to be linked to the recent package bombs, the Ft. Hood shootings, the Christmas day "underwear bomber," and the plot to detonate a car bomb in Times Square. The New York Times quotes YouTube spokeswoman Victoria Grand.

Ms. Grand said that Google, YouTube’s owner, sought to balance freedom of expression with averting calls to violence. “These are difficult issues,” she wrote, “and material that is brought to our attention is reviewed carefully. We will continue to remove all content that incites violence according to our policies. Material of a purely religious nature will remain on the site.”

Awlaki has hundreds of videos on the site. Videos that British authorities say have already resulted in people turning to violence, including one young woman who stabbed a member of parliament.

Scotland Yard detectives who investigated the attack on the legislator said outside the court that 21-year-old Roshonara Choudhury, a theology student, watched YouTube videos that showed sequences from sermons by Mr. Awlaki in Yemen in which the preacher urged Muslims everywhere to join in a worldwide holy war against the West. In a transcript of her interrogation published by The Guardian, she spoke of watching hundreds of hours of his videos. She said her motive was to “punish” the legislator, Stephen Timms, for voting in 2003 for Britain’s participation in the invasion of Iraq.

Palestinian-American Major Hasan

One of the things that worries authorities the most is people like Ms. Choudhury or Nidal Malik Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter. They're what they call "lone wolf" terrorists. They aren't part of any organized group, but they get radicalized over the internet and then lash out. Because they are plotting alone it is much harder to stop them.

That is utter, total bullshit about Hasan and others acting as "lone wolves". They were coordinated by Awlaki and his network, aided in the USA by terrorist sympathizers along with their useful idiot friends.

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Obama creates 762 Jobs in US Congress and States, calls for Slurpee Summit

Photoshopper rendering of another Obama summit.

Obama's 'Slurpee Summit' joke makes icy drink hot

President Obama has just given Slurpee something it could never buy: global street cred.
Hours after the leader of the free world jokingly suggested at Wednesday's day-after-election press conference that he might hold a "Slurpee Summit" with the new Republican leadership, the brand of slushy soft drinks is in overdrive to make the summit real.

Time to wheeze the juice!

VOA | Obama Calls Meeting With Congressional Leadership | VOA | USA | English:

"U.S. President Barack Obama has invited the Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress to address ways to work together on key issues, after Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in mid-term elections."

In other news, Obama can now be credited with some actual job creation. The United Stated Congressional Mid-Term Elections of 2010 resulted in the greatest landslide against a President since the days of Herbert Hoover. I really don't think it is because of the color of his skin either, but stay tuned to the MSM for that angle.

Using the B. Hussein Obama administration job creation math, six new Republican seats in the Senate and 65 new Republican seats in the House of Representatives adds up to 71 jobs created. In State races the numbers are even greater, with at least 11 Republican Governor jobs created and 680 Republican legislature seats. The current total stands at 762 nation wide. All that without using the latest imaginary numbers methods that keep flying out of the pigs asses at the Bureau of Labor Statistics!

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San Francisco goes Happy Meal Nanny State Crazy

Happy Meal

Law curbs McDonald's Happy Meal toys

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – San Francisco has become the first major U.S. city to pass a law that cracks down on the popular practice of giving away free toys with unhealthy restaurant meals for children.

San Francisco's Board of Supervisors passed the law on Tuesday on a veto-proof 8-to-3 vote. It takes effect on December 1.

The law, like an ordinance passed earlier this year in nearby Santa Clara County, would require that restaurant kids' meals meet certain nutritional standards before they could be sold with toys.

Happier Meal

Opponents of the law include the National Restaurant Association and McDonald's Corp, which used its now wildly popular Happy Meal to pioneer the use of free toys to market directly to children.

"We are extremely disappointed with today's decision. It's not what our customers want, nor is it something they asked for," McDonald's spokeswoman Danya Proud said in a statement.

"Getting a toy with a kid's meal is just one part of a fun, family experience at McDonald's," Proud said.

The San Francisco law would allow toys to be given away with kids' meals that have less than 600 calories, contain fruits and vegetables, and include beverages without excessive fat or sugar.

Backers of the ordinance say it aims to promote healthy eating habits while combating childhood obesity.

"Our children are sick. Rates of obesity in San Francisco are disturbingly high, especially among children of color," said San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar, who sponsored the measure.

"This is a challenge to the restaurant industry to think about children's health first and join the wide range of local restaurants that have already made this commitment," Mar said.

Translation: we hate companies that make money and we are going to make all these excuses to kill McDonald's.
Other translation: our kids really are fat-asses and we are going to blame it on a corporation.
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Border Tunnel: Massive Drug Tunnel Complete With Rail System Discovered at Border

Border Tunnel: Massive Drug Tunnel Complete With Rail System Discovered at Border - WJW:

"SAN DIEGO -- U.S. authorities have discovered a 600 yard long tunnel under the San Diego-Tijuana border, connecting warehouses on either side of the border.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lauren Mack says authorities seized more than 20 tons of marijuana on the U.S. side of the border -- the largest seizure ever in California and the second largest in the U.S."

Just like the way Hamas, Hezbollah and others smuggle weapons of indiscriminate destruction from Egypt into Gaza.

In the Suki series, set in the 2030s, marijuana is legal and Gaza is at peace with Israel.

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Metro's runaway escalators: Witness describes another incident, this one at Chinatown last night - @TBD On Foot | TBD.com

Update 4 NOV 10: Cause appears to be the brakes failed on L'Enfant Plaza escalator.

Metro's runaway escalators: Witness describes another incident, this one at Chinatown last night - @TBD On Foot | TBD.com:

"Stephen, 32, says the escalator was jam-packed with Caps fans, to the point where riders on the left no longer tried to walk down the steps. He wasn’t halfway down the escalator when “it felt like something let go,” he says. “You could still hear the motor going but it felt like it wasn’t hooked up to the conveyor belt.”

The escalator, Stephen says, started moving at at least twice its normal speed. People started to murmur, then to shout. Once people reached the bottom they scrambled to get out of the way of the riders behind them. People were yelling, “Get out of the way! Get out of the way!” When Davis hit the ground he jumped to the side.

“Everybody was freaking out at the bottom and running and trying to get away,” he says. “It was just dumping people at the bottom at a rate that was unsustainable.”

It all lasted a matter of seconds. The escalator slowed and then came to a stop. Davis says no one seemed to be seriously hurt. Everyone who’d been on the escalator headed toward the trains."

A similar accident happened at the L'Enfant Plaza station on 30 October, 2010.

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03 November 2010

Suspicious vehicle on the National Mall leads police to close off area - @TBD Latest | TBD.com

Suspicious vehicle on the National Mall leads police to close off area - @TBD Latest | TBD.com:

"The National Mall is closed between 4th and 7th streets while authorities investigate a suspicious car that is parked in front of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, a U.S. Park Police spokesperson said Wednesday."

The vehicles has been parked in a handicapped spot for two days near the Air and Space Museum.

Update: FOX reported that a handgun and rifle were found in the vehicle as police continue to inspect the contents.

Additional update: An Arizona man has been arrested on gun possession charges related to this incident. He was in a wheel chair but able to walk. For his sake, maybe he is connected with Sen. Webb (D-VA) and will get off Scott-free.

View Larger Map

FOX 5 has this story too.

~~Tea Party guy with a grudge about the Senate still in control of the Dems or false alarm? Couldn't be another Times Square-style bomber, could it?~~

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02 November 2010

America's Least Controversial Polling Place

Crystal City Polling Spot on 2111 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202

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Restore Sanity/Fear Circus Clip Three

Clip three, more to come:

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd350/bitter_clinger/ral.jpg

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Restore Sanity/Fear Circus Clip Two

My Restore Sanity/Fear Video Clips

The radio told me that I was not allowed to take video at this event. Well, screw you Comedy Central.

Recorded 10 October 2010 on the National Mall of the People

Restoring Sanity Clip One
0:00:10.20 "Hitler Was A Total Nazi"; "Spelling Cunts (Get A Brain Morans)"; "WTF I Thought I Voted for a Muslim?!"
0:01:59.50 "I Screwed You Guys" Bush t-shirts $12 (he did not mention sales tax)
0:05:50.60 Leftists cannot keep right, even in a crosswalk
0:08:09.47 Neo-Hippies on grass
0:08:09.47 "Be Here Now"
0:08:50.07 "Support Privatized Fire Departments *my employer should buy me coverage" "Smoke it down a Notch"
0:09:53.90 Empty grass near the carousel
0:10:31.27 The empty grassy expanses of the National Mall, surrounded by crowded sidewalks

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Gun fired at Coast Guard station; latest in shootings at military buildings in DC area - baltimoresun.com

Gun fired at Coast Guard station; latest in shootings at military buildings in DC area - baltimoresun.com:

"WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) — Police in northern Virginia say at least one shot was fired overnight at a Coast Guard recruiting station, the latest case of someone shooting at military-related buildings in the Washington area."

This follows shootings of the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, a Marine recruiting station in Chantilly, VA and two shootings of the USMC Museum in Triangle, VA.

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01 November 2010

Finally updated: Suki V - Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #26,419 Paid in Kindle Store

Suki V: The Collection Amazon Bestsellers Rank: ~~#26,419~~ #16,000 Paid in Kindle Store

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Amazon Kindle Bestseller Stats

Amazon, give me a break or hire me to fix your Kindle database.
Multiple sales today and the sales rank for that book goes down by over 1,000? At least sales show up right away. The delay in rankings is horrible.
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RealClearPolitics - Republican Landslide Tomorrow

RealClearPolitics - Latest Election Polls

Look at the polls yourself.

ORDER SUKI SERIES eBOOKS AND PAPERBACKS Now only $2.99 on Nook or Kindle Suki Series Tech
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O'Donnell Claims Delaware TV Station Did Not Run 30-Minute Ad -- Twice

Update: ~~David Frum~~ Fred Bauer claims that the O'Donnell camp, or their agents, did not provide the spots in time.

O'Donnell Claims Delaware TV Station Did Not Run 30-Minute Ad -- Twice - FoxNews.com:

"WILMINGTON, Del. -- Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell was hoping to get out a special message to voters
in the final push to election day, but a 30-minute advertisement scheduled to run twice on a Delaware television station hasn't appeared.

Campaign spokesman Doug Sachtleben said Monday the campaign had bought time and the program had been scheduled to run twice on cable Channel 28, a Comcast public access channel in Wilmington.

The Republican candidate
sent messages to supporters on Twitter, urging them to tune in. She later sent a message saying the station ''forgot' to air it both times ... even though we paid for the time slot last week.'"

MSM FAIL perhaps, or not.

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Man Arrested in Arlington Was Former Top Army Soldier

Gene C. McKinney, former SMA

Man Arrested in Arlington Was Former Top Army Soldier | ARLnow.com:

"A man who investigators say purposely struck a person with his car in Pentagon City last week was formerly the top enlisted member of the U.S. Army.

Police say Manassas resident Gene C. McKinney, 59, had picked up commuters from a slug line and was driving north toward Washington when the commuters demanded to be let out of the car because, they claimed, McKinney was driving fast and erratically.

After McKinney let them out on the 1100 block of South Eads Street, one man took out a camera and tried to snap a photo of McKinney’s license plate. That’s when McKinney hit the gas and struck the man with his car, according to police. He was arrested and charged with attempted malicious wounding."

He was convicted of obstruction of justice charges and acquitted of sexual harassment charges in the 1990s.

Shameless book plug: the 1100 block of South Eads is close to a dangerous area in the Suki With A Twist series. A work date of Suki's goes bad and she ends up in the hospital in a future story in that series.

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31 October 2010

HuffPo Defies Reality on Restore Sanity/Fear Rally

Huffington Post is laughable, as usual. No, I will not be as nice as TheBlaze about it. At first I thought the top photo at the link was doctored. Now I am thinking camera angle.

If the angle is shallow enough, all the green space gets blocked by heads.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/43034085

If zooming on this picture isn't clear, go to the link and zoom there. Even on my laptop monitor I can see the big green spaces just beyond the monitors. See my other pictures from the event here.

Using the CBS/HuffPo methodology, I have analyzed a recent Bill Clinton appearance in Columbus, OH and have determined that his crowd is bigger than the Obama inauguration:

Clinton in Columbus

Notice how much larger this photo is than the others.

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06 November 2010

Weird People who Know You Write

Nicaragua Raids Costa Rica, Blames Google Maps

Donate to Reason

05 November 2010

NBC suspends Olbermann for donations

There are Hispanic Republicans? Someone tell MSM

Heath Shuler Would Challenge Pelosi For House Minority Leader Post

04 November 2010

New Mexico Imam Off YouTube

YouTube Pulls Hundreds Of Videos By Al Qaida Cleric

Obama creates 762 Jobs in US Congress and States, calls for Slurpee Summit

San Francisco goes Happy Meal Nanny State Crazy

Law curbs McDonald's Happy Meal toys

Border Tunnel: Massive Drug Tunnel Complete With Rail System Discovered at Border

Metro's runaway escalators: Witness describes another incident, this one at Chinatown last night - @TBD On Foot | TBD.com

03 November 2010

Suspicious vehicle on the National Mall leads police to close off area - @TBD Latest | TBD.com

02 November 2010

America's Least Controversial Polling Place

Restore Sanity/Fear Circus Clip Three

Restore Sanity/Fear Circus Clip Two

My Restore Sanity/Fear Video Clips

Gun fired at Coast Guard station; latest in shootings at military buildings in DC area - baltimoresun.com

01 November 2010

Finally updated: Suki V - Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #26,419 Paid in Kindle Store

Amazon Kindle Bestseller Stats

RealClearPolitics - Republican Landslide Tomorrow

O'Donnell Claims Delaware TV Station Did Not Run 30-Minute Ad -- Twice

Man Arrested in Arlington Was Former Top Army Soldier

31 October 2010

HuffPo Defies Reality on Restore Sanity/Fear Rally