Ward? Have You Seen The Beaver Tonight?

Providence Journal:
Mollis' stepson fired two shots at a gold Lexus
"The North Providence today said Gian Piscione, the stepson of (newly installed) Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis, fired two shots at a 2001 gold Lexus in front of 17 Third St., North Providence, last night. No one was hit, the police said.
Piscione, 19, was arraigned this morning in Sixth District Court on six counts, including two counts of assault with the intent to commit murder, unlawfully possessing a loaded shotgun while driving, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
The police said Piscione had driven over to the area in his mother’s 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee after talking on the phone with a female acquaintance who was in the Lexus with two men and another woman. The women got out, Piscione argued with one of them and one got in the Jeep with Piscione, according to North Providence Deputy Police Chief Paul Marino.
Piscione got back out of the Jeep with a shotgun and fired at least two shots at the Lexus, Marino said. The police found one bullet hole in the right rear fender of the Lexus.
Piscione fled and was later stopped by Warwick Police after the North Providence police issued an all-points bulletin seeking help locating him, Marino said. "
-- with reports from Journal staff writer Richard Dujardin

Sassette: I bet some harsh words will be exchanged in the Mollis home tonight...

Xen: Oh, yeah....
"Now junior... what has your stepfather told you about taking his shotgun? NO! You just sit right there MISTER!. Listen to me when I'm speaking to you. And you are NOT leaving the table until you finish your cheesy-mac. You are in such big trouble. I...I don' t KNOW what to do with you. That's IT... Your father is taking your X-BOX for TWO WEEKS ... maybe even until after the preliminary hearing."

Set for a Spell...

Xen:
This afternoon from CNN.COM
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/04/miers.ap/index.html

Now .. my only reason for bringing this article to light (or is it "to blog") is that there is a sub-headline in bold, halfway through.
It reads:
"A behind-the-scenes player thrusted to the forefront"

Ummm... excuse me? Thrusted?

Well, being the son of an English teacher, I felt compelled to truck on over to the trusty http://www.dictionary.com/ for some research:

To wit:
"No results found for thrusted." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thrusted)

Further exploration of "THRUST" reveals, in part, the following:
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source
thrust [θrast] verb — past tense, past participle: thrust

This from the Associated Press? Who are they now hiring to write for them - gerbils?
And don't give me any of that "English is a living language" garbage.
It's just plain wrong.
I mean, it doesn't even sound right.

Yeah, Yeah ...I know....
To quote the old joke:
JESUS: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone ..... OWWWW !!! MOTHER !"

Oh, and a note regarding the article itself?
MY, how quickly the rats desert a sinking ship.

Cat Shakespeare: "Tabby or Not Tabby"

Xen:

My nose is actually sore today.

I was head butted at 4:00AM this morning by my cat, Olive, as she jumped on the bed and felt that there were better ways I could utilize my time than, say, oh, sleeping .... things such as petting her loudly-purring little head.

Feline-Americans feel a great deal of entitlement, I must say.
Talk about demanding reparations for that whole Chinese food imbroglio.

Xen's Picture of the Week

This week's picture was taken at a Sandals Resort (Beaches) on the Turks & Caicos Islands. It's the place I want to be. Now. Today. With a frozen drink in my hand at a totally inappropriate time of the day. Floating on one of those rafts.

When it got too hot, you were able to paddle over to that rock structure and drift inside to find shade.

Ahhhh.

Re-Affirming the Grand Pooh-Bah

Xen:
So as I was out running, they were having the governor's inauguration at the state house. As part of it they had a military fly-over with the RI National Guard. There were 3 huge helicopters in formation and then two major aircraft, that were probably C-130's from what I could see. they banked over the state house lawn at a slow cruising speed as there was a multiple gun salute down on the ground.

As I was running by one of the buildings at Brown University, this construction guy was working out of the back of his truck. He sees me coming and says ... in all seriousness .... "Hey. Did you see those planes? Did they really bomb?" And I mean it when I say there was a level of fear in his expression.

I was like .."Yeah, it was pretty cool ... Wait. No, it was a fly-over for the governor's inauguration!"
He was greatly relieved.

Sassette:
Heh. I can only IMAGINE how much this cost.

In Today's Headlines

(This morning's CNN.COM Headlines)

Authorities try to get food to storm victims, cattle - Ummm.. Why don't the hungry storm victims eat THE CATTLE??

Reports missing plane had been found prove false - OK, you either DO see a bunch of reckage or you don't. It's a big plane, dude, which is it?

Somalia's prime minister: Major fighting over - Liar.

U.S. attention may turn to bin Laden hunt - Implying that no one's been looking for this guy? We can only look for, try and execute one despot/terrorist at a time?

Iran vows to humiliate U.S. - First, they are going to make fun of the way we dress. Then they are going to completely decimate us in the sport of ...uhhh... dirt eating. And "Cave Hide & Seek" ..... It will be so embarrassing.

UFO at O'Hare? FAA blames weird weather - It was in November. What? They flew here all the way from another solar system (the closest, Alpha Proxima, is like 4 light years away - and nothing can even GO that fast - well, except light) only to hover over a major British airport and then leave? "Whoa...too busy there. Let's go home."

Rolls Royce to unveil convertible - And this is news because..... perhaps it's affordable to everyone? There's KIA, SCION and then ROLLS ROYCE.... "Hurry, the New Year's Blowout will only last until Saturday at your local Rolls dealer....MSRP doesn't include taxes or title"

Manager: Spears was asleep in club, 'not drunk' - How much do we have to not care before they stop telling everyone about this chick?

Reports: Kate Moss weds rock star Doherty - and I've never even heard of the group "Babyshambles" ... and therefore I must be so completely out of touch. I guess the overall point is that I don't understand why we are supposed to be interested in "non-news"

Inappropriate Behavior

This bothers me.
No matter how much Saddam Hussein deserved to die ~ and please do not misunderstand me, he most certainly did ~ I still find it disgusting that anyone should celebrate it as if it were a party.

A Chloe Story

Upon request - a Chloe Story by Sassette


Once upon a time there was a chubby little dog named Chloe who loved to
eat.
She would eat dry food.
She would eat wet food.
She would eat treats.
She would eat scraps.
If it was something she liked, she would eat quickly in one gulp.
WHOMP!
If it was something unfamiliar, she would look at it very closely.
Then she would sniff it on every side.
Then she would bat it around.
Finally she would lie down with it between her paws and cautiously
nibble on a tiny piece.
If she liked it...
WHOMP!
If she wasn't sure, she would walk away for a bit, only to circle back
to it and try it again.
TO BE CONTINUED....

Will It Go 'Round in Circles?

JOHN EDWARDS ANNOUNCES FOR PRESIDENCY
From CNN.COM (quoted in partial)

"It's absolutely crucial that America re-establish its moral authority
and leadership role in the world," Edward said on CBS "Early Show."

Edwards' campaign got a little ahead of itself Wednesday and announced
his intentions online a day early. His Web site briefly featured the
logo "John Edwards '08" and its slogan, "Tomorrow begins today" --
literally, in this case -- before aides quickly removed them.

In his message to supporters, Edwards listed five priorities to change
America. Among them: "Guaranteeing health care for every single
American, "Strengthening our middle class and ending the shame of poverty,"
"Leading the fight against global warming," and "Getting America and the
world to break our addiction to oil."


Xen: Here's my take on this.
The first statement (all of the above comes from the middle of the CNN
article) to me is exactly the wrong attitude to proport. Pronouncing
our "moral superiority" is part of the way we got where we are. I
understand what he probably MEANS, but I already am tired of this sort
of rhetoric.

The only way for us to "re-establish" moral authority and leadership is
to not act (nationally) as we have.

As a great philosopher said: "There is no try. Do."

The second thing I have about this is the last paragraph.
Thank you, Mr Edwards for making the obvious and trite you five
priorities for America. Excuse me, but NO SH*T.
How about alchemy? Any interest in that as number 6 on the priority list?

And your wording, since I am being a stickler here...."and ending the
shame of poverty". Are you saying the goal is to have people not
feeling SHAMED by their poverty (and not to necessarily end it)?
Or are you saying you wish to end poverty, which is something people should be ashamed of?

If you can't succinctly state your goals and priorities, dude....

I think that most people would have these among their own top
priorities - what about telling us that you are going to lay out your
plan for achieving these high and mighty things? Because as far as I
know, every one of those things is nearly unachievable unless the
Congress, the taxpayers and corporations of this (and other) countries
are 100% behind taking radical new initiatives....

I know it's your first day and all, John. But we've heard and seen you
a short 24 months ago - and you need more than stating the obvious,
poorly, I might add, to win the hearts and votes of America.
IMHO

Sassette:
I wondered the same thing.
Is he going to, as president, launch a PR campaign so that people are
proud to be poor?

And how is he going to strengthen the middle class, exactly?
Weight-lifting? Because between outsourcing and illegal immigration,
there won't be any middle class left to speak of very soon...

And health care for everyone. Does that mean government subsidized
healthcare for the poor and elderly, and outrageously expensive and
diminished healthcare options for those that work and pay taxes who
aren't lucky enough to be past the age of retirement?

Priorities don't butter the biscuits.
Platitudes don't feed the bulldog.
Empty promises don't shuck the corn.... :-)

Wait, Xen ... the great philosopher you are quoting is Yoda?

Xen:
Yeah ... what? What's your point?

Sassette:
I was just skimming along, and I did a double take: Like, Yoda?

Xen:
BWAH !! I love all your Sass-isms !!
Another one... "Rhetoric won't open the Pub" Hee!
You could run the "Proud to be Poor" campaign.... you have the talent.
...
and we all know what it's like to be relatively, though not disastrously, poor.

"We wouldn't have to eat Kraft Dinner ...."
"But we would !"

I WANT TO HEAR THE PLANS. I find it insulting that, after 8 years of
being told by this administration that "We don't need to know the
details" only to find out later that we were either lied to or there
WERE no details, I have to hear altruistic platitudes with not even the
hint of how one might choose to attain these lofty accomplishments.

Health care for everyone and strengthening the middle class ...
Talk to me JE ...Talk to me.

Sassette:
Seriously - everyone says that. Republicans and Democrats alike say the
same type of things. It is the "how" that is the difference. Don't talk
in broad strokes. You are 100% correct - after 8 years of living in the
dark this country needs details. We cannot afford to trust that our
leaders have our best interests at heart.
I wish that it could be deemed unconstitutional to campaign on
television.
Think about it: no mysterious, insinuating negative adds financed by
shadowy third-party organizations; no more crappy or nonexistent ideas
being distilled into a slick, 30 second sound-byte that grabs attention
if not imagination; no more "debates" where the questions and answers
are scripted and even the horribly overly dramatic mugging for the
camera seems rehearsed.
Imagine a world where candidates actually had to communicate their ideas
to the public by only the written word and the radio? Imagine a world
where the candidates weren't weeded out by who had the biggest war
chest, but who had the biggest grasp of what the country needed?
What? I can hope. I also still believe in the Tooth Fairy, Easter
Bunny, and the Sandman...

Xen:
"Imagine all the people, living life in peace"

And The There Were Two...

Rest in peace, Mr. President

Gerald Ford 1913-2006

• "As I rejected amnesty, so I reject revenge. I ask all Americans who ever asked for goodness and mercy in their lives, who ever sought forgiveness for their trespasses, to join in rehabilitating all the casualties of the tragic conflict of the past."

• "Truth is the glue that holds government together."

• "I know I am getting better at golf because I am hitting fewer spectators."

He (he) Lived in America...

R.I.P James Brown

Goodbye, Godfather.

...

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

The High School That Says NEE !!

McWalters to decide yearbook photo flap
By Gina Macris (Projo)
PORTSMOUTH — The commissioner of education has been asked to weigh in on the issue of the Portsmouth High School student who has been prohibited from using a senior yearbook photo showing him carrying a prop medieval sword.
The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents Patrick Agin and his mother, Heidi Farrington, and the Portsmouth School Committee have agreed to a ruling from Commissioner Peter McWalters as a means of expediting a case before the U.S. District Court.
The ACLU originally filed a lawsuit in Rhode Island Superior Court last week seeking an injunction to prevent the high school from printing the yearbook without Patrick’s senior photo.
The complaint alleges that high school principal Robert Littlefield violated Agin’s right to free speech when he rejected the photo. Agin is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, an international organization that re-enacts medieval and Renaissance history.
Littlefield has suggested he believes the photo would violate the school’s “zero tolerance” against weapons.
The Portsmouth School Committee, the defendant in the case, had the jurisdiction changed to the federal court, where Judge William Smith held a conference in chambers on Friday.
Smith has indicated he wants the case resolved before a Feb. 28 deadline for publication of the yearbook.
The ACLU agreed to file an administrative appeal of Littlefield’s decision with McWalters “so as to not involve unnecessarily the federal judiciary in this dispute,” Smith wrote in an order published after Friday’s conference.
The ACLU filed the administrative appeal yesterday, according to Steven Brown, the executive director of the local chapter. But the appeal does not mean the federal court will yield jurisdiction of the case.
In his order, Smith urged McWalters to decide the appeal no later than Jan. 19 “because of the expedited nature of this case.”
He also ordered the ACLU and the School Committee to report back to him by Jan. 5.

Sassette: What say you?

Xen: I have several thoughts, Maid Sassete.
Firstly, I think that the kids ongoing enrolment in the "club" shows a viable interest in the subject. It's not as if he's a kid obsessed with dressing like a terrorist and performing rituals over a death-wish list of fellow students. On the other hand, if it was me and they said the MONSTER SWORD wasn't allowed by blanket policy, then I would probably use my creativity to get a picture that showed my interest without policy problems. Maybe I'd ask about a lance or something - and if that finally didn't appease them I would probably have something without a weapon, but that showed my interest in the organization.
The policy, to me, is one of those typically hard core black & white laws that doesn't take into account common sense.
To me, in the real world, it would be as when I was a kid. If the principal allowed that child's picture and my kid wanted to dress like Rambo but they said no ...I'd ask why...then accept it. I don't agree with the 'immediately go to court because you restricted my underage son's "right" to free speech.' Mostly because I believe that if a child is under 18, he HAS NO SUCH RIGHTS.
So ...to sum up.
Xen's opinion is that the school and society's policies are wrong. And the kid is wrong. And the kid's parents are wrong. And we have better, more important educational discussions and arguments to have that this. So everyone's time is being wasted.
Hell ...now our time is being wasted because we are discussing it ...LOL !!! That's it... we must lay siege to the school! Gather the feathers and boil the oil.... Now where did my dragon get off to? "PUFF??? PUFF !!! Here, boy! Sassette & I have got some people for you to eat..."

Sassette: Agreed.
I wish the article stated exactly what the policy states, because I really don't think that you can take a completely informed position without knowing what about the photo is in violation of the policy.

If it is merely the sight of a "weapon" in the photo that is being claimed to violate a "zero tolerance" weapons policy, then I think the school administrators involved should have their heads examined. The photo was taken by a private photographer, not on school grounds, and the "weapon" in question is part of an historical costume.

My feeling is that if the school is going to allow students to enter yearbook photos of themselves involved in their hobbies/extracurricular activities, even if they are not school-sponsored, then the photo should be allowed. For instance, if this was a photo of a student holding a surf board, or paint brush, or bowling ball - would there still be a problem? If yes, then the photo goes; if no, the photo stays.

Xen: OK, I would have a problem with any dork who wants to have their yearbook photo showing them holding a BOWLING BALL.... That SHOULD be disallowed!!!!

Sassette (rolling eyes): If there is a rule that all student photos must be taken in proper dress, sans piercings, unnatural hair color, visible tattoos, etc., then the photo is clearly unacceptable. Personally I feel that this is the only sensible school policy, because letting teenagers (and probably their parents...)

Xen (interjecting): Sad, but very true in today's world ... these parents came up with TIE-DYE and Earth Shoes after all

Sassette: AS I WAS SAYING... letting teenagers decide what constitutes "acceptable dress" is never going to work. The generation gap prohibits teens and adults from seeing eye-to-eye on these things.

That said, I feel that the time and energy being expended on this issue is ridiculous. "Zero tolerance" policies are stupid and insipid and should be done away with . (I have a "zero tolerance" policy for "zero tolerance" policies) Now we have school administrators, judges and the ACLU all wasting time on something that however unfair (if the policy was indeed unfairly applied) should have been obeyed.

Parents of this generation are doing their children a HUGE disservice by treating every perceived slight against their precious little ones as an assault on civil liberties. The school wasn't burning books for heaven's sake! His costume is a foolish choice for immortalization in a yearbook! The idea that a photograph of a replica of a medieval sword constitutes a violation of a weapons policy is as foolish as the costume itself. But foolishness is not a crime worthy of this much attention from people (parents, student, educators, judges, ACLU reps) who should really have more important things to do.

I know I have more important things to do...

Xen: SO THERE. CASE SOLVED. An Edict has been made.

Fractured Christmas Carols

GEORGIE the YOUNGER

(To the Tune of Frosty the Snowman)

Georgie the Younger was a scary clueless soul
With his VP really running the show
And the election that they stole

Georgie the Younger is a president they say
He puts on a show
But the people know how he came to life one day
There must of been some magic in
Florida they found
When the Dems called for a recount
The Supreme Court shut them down

Georgie the Younger waged war in Iraq
At the people who say it's not goin our way
He yells unpatriotic crap

Georgie the Younger told us to stay the course
He ignored the mounting evidence that things were getting worse
The majority of people know that he is lying
He can spin and spin like a Christmas top
But soldiers are still dying

This whole thing has been a mess
Starting at the top
But he just digs in deeper when people holler stop!

Georgie the Younger
Has not the grace to blanch
Unlike our soldiers, when things get tough
He hides out at his ranch

Fractured Christmas Carols

Says Sassette:

BUCKET BARS

(To the Tune of Jingle Bells)

Driving down Columbus Ave
To get to MBP
Eager for many beers to have
But first to take a pee

Doug’s already on his stool
As he will be all night
The Coors Lites are nice and cool
So much to your delight

Oh, Bucket bars, Bucket bars
My love for you’s complete
If My Brother's closes early
There’s the pub on Benefit Street

Oh, Bucket bars, Bucket bars
You totally enthrall
If you’re lame it is no shame
There’s Providence for last call !

When Is Stealing Not Punished Like Stealing? When You Steal from the National Archives!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/21/berger.documents.ap/index.html

This may be me going all fire & brimstone again, but how did Sandy Berger get no jail time? He purposely, with premeditation, stole and destroyed classified documents from the National Archives. The documents had been requested (subpoenaed?) as part of an investigation. At the very least he stole property of the people of the United States - part of the history of this country. At worst, he potentially made this country more vulnerable to future terrorist attacks by not allowing the information to be reviewed and analyzed. He should have gone to jail!

Also, why was he not being closely monitored by SOMEONE? He was accessing records from the administration that he had been involved with, AND he was representing President Clinton who the documents pertained to. Why was this not treated more seriously?

Can you imagine John Q. Public stealing one-of-a-kind documents from the National Archives, and not getting any jail time?

FIE.

Fractured Christmas Carols

Sassette's Optimistic View of Holiday Shopping:

A Caustic Christmas Carol

(To the tune of Jingle Bells)

Dashing through the stores
Your Christmas gift list to slay
Into debt you go
Groaning all the way
Cash registers ring
Making wallets light
You're part of the frenzied mob
At the mall tonight

Oh, credit cards , credit cards
Charge it all away
Buying crap that no one needs
(A religious holiday?)
Oh, credit cards , credit cards
Charge it all today
Under new bankruptcy laws
You'll still have to pay

Christmas Carols for the Psychologically Challenged

Have seen this circulating on emails lately...
(tip 'o da hat to GM!)

Amnesia: I Don't Remember If I'll be Home for Christmas

Narcissistic: Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

Manic: Deck The Halls And Walls And House And Lawn And Streets And Stores And Office And Town And Cars And Buses And Trucks And Trees AndFire Hydrants And...

Multiple Personality Disorder: We Three Queens Disoriented Are

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells JingleBells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Senile Dementia: Walking In a Winter Wonderland Miles from My House in My Slippers and Robe

Social Anxiety Disorder: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas While I Sit Here and Hyperventilate

Attention Deficit Disorder: We Wish You......Hey Look!! Something Shiny!!!

Xen's Picture of the Week

This weeks picture is only a cell phone pic, but still not too bad overall. It's a picture of the Garden City Shopping Center in Cranston, RI. The gazebo is the performance place for Summertime music ... and the stores behind are the place for customer fleecing all year round.

OK, Everyone sing ....

Fah who for-aze!

Dah who dor-aze!

Welcome Christmas,

Come this way!

"Tin"-sel Town

Ahhh.... nothing says Christmas like the sound and feel of a real, honest to God aluminum tree!

http://www.projo.com/opinion/columnists/content/CL_Achorn19_12-19-06_LH3D4BS.1cd9949.html

The wheez of the small motor...the clinking and rustling of the silver "needles", the metalic smell filling the room. 'Tis a consumption devoutly to be wish'd!

What were they thinkin'????!