Hey guys, what's up?

Yeah, that's a spider eating a bird. Click the pic for the story.

Australia, of course. Part of me has always wanted to see Australia, and part of me- the part that recoils from pictures of terrifyingly huge fucking spiders eating tweety birds- says Connecticut is just as lovely as anyplace on Earth right now.

How are my darling AOSHQ Morons this morning? What's shakin', besides your hungover hands as you reach for the coffeepot?

Hey, idea: if you have something from your own blog you'd like to promote, you can use this here thread for that. We haven't had one of these free-for-alls in a long time.

Please use a link + excerpt format so that we can see what the topic is before we click.

Posted by: LauraW at 07:01 AM | Comments (184)
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Someone tipped me to this movie the other day, but when I read the blurb, it said Clint Eastwood plays an old veteran "forced to confront his old prejudices."

Fuckin' pass.

I didn't know, however, he'd be confronting those old prejudices with a shotgun.

Now that's my kind of prejudice-confrontin'.

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Posted by: Ace at 09:46 PM | Comments (179)
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Ch-ch-check on it.

RACE COURSE AGAINST WHITE SUPREMACY

by William C. Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn.

White supremacy and its troubling endurance in American life is debated in these personal essays by two veteran political activists. Arguing that white supremacy has been the dominant political system in the United States since its earliest days—and that it is still very much with us—the discussion points to unexamined bigotry in the criminal justice system, election processes, war policy, and education. The book draws upon the authors' own confrontations with authorities during the Vietnam era, reasserts their belief that racism and war are interwoven issues, and offers personal stories about their lives today as parents, teachers, and reformers.

I wonder if the "Other Books by This Author" page will include Dreams of My Father.

How terrific will it be that if The Corrupt One is elected, Bill "Kill Your Parents" Ayers will be the Shadow Secretary of State?

Because silence comes at a price, you know.

Thanks to ChrisH.

Posted by: Ace at 09:25 PM | Comments (166)
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That tipped story.

"State and local officials are investigating if state and law-enforcement computer systems were illegally accessed when they were tapped for personal information about "Joe the Plumber."

...

Public records requested by The Dispatch disclose that information on Wurzelbacher's driver's license or his sport-utility vehicle was pulled from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles database three times shortly after the debate.

Information on Wurzelbacher was accessed by accounts assigned to the office of Ohio Attorney General Nancy H. Rogers, the Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Toledo Police Department.

It has not been determined who checked on Wurzelbacher, or why. Direct access to driver's license and vehicle registration information from BMV computers is restricted to legitimate law enforcement and government business.

Paul Lindsay, Ohio spokesman for the McCain campaign, attempted to portray the inquiries as politically motivated. "It's outrageous to see how quickly Barack Obama's allies would abuse government power in an attempt to smear a private citizen who dared to ask a legitimate question," he said.

...

The attorney general's office is investigating if the access of Wuzelbacher's BMV information through the office's Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway computer system was unauthorized, said spokeswoman Jennifer Brindisi.

"We're trying to pinpoint where it came from," she said. The investigation could become "criminal in nature," she said. Brindisi would not identify the account that pulled the information on Oct. 16.

...

On Oct. 17, BMV information on Wurzelbacher was obtained through an account used by the Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency in Cleveland, records show.

...

The State Highway Patrol, which administers the Law Enforcement Automated Data System in Ohio, asked Toledo police to explain why it pulled BMV information on Wurzelbacher within 48 hours of the debate, Hunter said.

One bit I cut: The Attorney General's office is claiming an internal investigation clears itself.

Hokay.

Ah, America. Where you're allowed to express any political opinion you like, so long as you're willing to permit Obama's government thugs to illegally dig up derogatory information on you and then flood it out to their media allies.

By the Way: I'm not a complete idiot. When I say I have a tip, I have a tip. Sometimes it turns out to be garbled (like that RICO thing), and sometimes it doesn't pan out for reasons beyond my control or ability to predict (babysitter source getting scared), but I'm not just making this shit up, I assure you.

I have no reason to lie. You might think "goosing traffic" is a reason to lie -- it isn't. I'm pulling in numbers now that I'm utterly delighted by and would not risk them by reporting utter nonsense just to get a one-day spike in traffic that ultimately costs me far more hits than I'd gain.

That is, even if you assume I'd be willing to lie just for my own self-interest. Even self-interest, though, favors being somewhat careful about this stuff.

I thought the babysitter thing was a go this Saturday. Nailed down. Source ready to talk, big-time Outlet ready to put it on the air. Source backed out. Not really a whole lot I could do.

As I'm not a reporter and do not have access first-hand to these sources, I can't be sure about them. I do ask myself obvious questions like:

1) Is this person in a position to know something about what he claims to know?

2) Has he provided reliable information before?

3) Is he most likely not a maniac?

4) Does this sound pretty plausible?

The other day I got an email from someone who said he knew someone who in turn knew Ashley Todd's family, and he vouched for her, said that she wouldn't do something like this.

I didn't print it. For one thing, this was the first time I'd ever heard from this particular guy.

For another thing, he really didn't know the family directly, he was just passing on I-know-a-guy-who-knows-a-guy-stuff. That's pretty attenuated.

For a third thing, I sorta thought there was a good chance Ashley Todd was hoaxing, and I really didn't want to vouch for her by proxy.*

Anyway, the point is, not everything that comes into my email box goes out on to the blog.

Everything like this I put out involves a calculation: How cool is it that I (and my readers, of course) get this early versus how much of a fucking jackass will I look like if this doesn't pan out.

That second part is a big one.

Sometimes I'm going to be wrong.

But I'm not oblivious to the concept of caution.

* It did however make me sightly more inclined to believe her tale, though, I guess. Still, I never really put the odds of the story being true at much higher than 30%. Just enough that I couldn't call her a liar.

PS: I'm not saying "trust me."

I am saying "trust I'm not outright lying to you -- my self-interest alone militates against that --, and trust I've done at least a minimal level of scrutiny into the tipster."

I can always be wrong. I'm just saying -- I'm trying not to be wrong. I'm not just throwing stuff out there willy-nilly.

Posted by: Ace at 08:05 PM | Comments (83)
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StarringÂ…who else?

TonightÂ’s devotional and worship service features two multimedia presentations.

The first is from Ron Howard, in which he reprises his roles as both Opie and Ritchie in order to praise “The One.” Includes testifying by both Andy Griffith and The Fonz. Sadly, no snake handling, nor accidental bitings from same.

(no hairpieces were harmed in the filming of this video)

The second is from Japan, a quite serious and non-weird nation. It’s a peppier piece and quite easy to dance to. Trust me on this. The video is titled “Obama is Beautiful World.” I’ve never heard a more true statement. Sorry, the vid doesn’t include anime of tentacles intruding into various orifices of young, nubile Japanese girls. You’ll have to look elsewhere for that, sick heathens and devil-worshippers.

Videos courtesy of Dori Monson.

Go visit and say hi. Also, donÂ’t forget to put something in the offering basket when the ushers come to your pew. As members of the Church of Genghis, itÂ’s a community responsibility to help fund my new backyard hot tub, so that I can be revived and rejuvenated and continue to minister to you.

Otherwise, LauraW eats your soul.

(IÂ’m not actually posting the videosÂ…go to the link above. Then come back and comment)

Posted by: Open Blog at 07:45 PM | Comments (22)
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Is anyone really surprised by this?

A nobody. I know what there are, I are one. A putz, grannylou's kid given a seat at the table by GWB.

Incidentally Mr. President, have I mentioned your occasional circle of favoritism is an inherent weakness?

I think I have.

Scotty, you're a pasty faced little fuck, but I have to admit your insistent suckage on the hind tit of politics makes it easier for me to make the charge.

That jacket on the back of the door? Just a jacket. I'm willing to guess you didn't get the significance. I don't think anyone was willing to tell you, and God knows you wouldn't have figured it out for yourself.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 06:41 PM | Comments (127)
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The McCain Obama Dance throwdown.

Is it stupid?

Yes.

Is it funny?

Yes.

Mostly stupid though.

thanks mesa. You're pretty funny for a postal worker.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 04:40 PM | Comments (112)
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It's the annnnn... tissss... ipation.

Hot: Playing it off calmly, plowing on through with the interview

Not: Gravity more...

Posted by: Ace at 04:18 PM | Comments (38)
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Snap!

It worked.

Thanks to WilliamA.

Posted by: Ace at 03:40 PM | Comments (65)
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Maybe this story isn't quite as dead as I thought.

Couple of points that are new to me. Including the fact that this whole story was built up by the Hillary Clinton opposition researchers.

But they didn't quite have enough, they thought, to put it out there.

"Slow-rolling." That's my word.

Damnit... Overloaded at the moment. Try later.

Just so you know, he's not doing the full dish yet.

Update: YouTube of the interview below the fold.

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Posted by: Ace at 08:23 PM | Comments (130)
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