Archive for the 'Current Affairs' Category
A swarm (herd? flock? clutter?) of billions of jellyfish attacked a salmon farm in Northern Ireland last week, wiping out the entire population of over 100,000 fish. The pack of “mauve stinger” jellyfish was 10 SQUARE MILES LONG and 35 FEET DEEP. That’s a lot of fucking jellyfhish.
This particular species of jellyfish is native to the Mediterranean. Hmmm, I wonder what they were doing in the NORTH ATLANTIC??
Global warming, much?
I thought this was a very interesting, if not terribly, terribly depressing article - The Year’s Most Overhyped and Underreported stories. I don’t know exactly what these things all say about who we are as a country, I just know it’s not good. At all.
As a native San Franciscan and a lifelong Giants fan, I was sad to read that former Giants shortstop Jose Uribe was killed today in a car crash in the Dominican Republic. He was a great baseball player and will be missed.
First the Dems take the House, and it looks like we have a good shot at the Senate.
AND NOW DONALD RUMSFELD RESIGNS?!?!?!?!?!?!!!
I’m imagining millions of people from all over the country standing in front of the White House with their middle fingers raised.
Power to the People.
Edited later to add:
Democrats take control of the Senate.
Too fucking cool.
Ann Richards, the former Governor of Texas, has passed away. She was a classy, witty, strong woman and I admired her very much.
From CNN.com:
Her family said as governor she was most proud of two actions that probably cost her re-election. She vetoed legislation that would allow people to carry concealed handguns, automatic weapons and “cop-killer bullets.” She also vetoed a bill that would have allowed the destruction of the environment over the Edwards Aquifer.
She grabbed the national spotlight with her keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention when she was the Texas state treasurer. Richards won cheers from delegates when she reminded them that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, “only backwards and in high heels.”
Richards sealed her partisan reputation with a blast at George H. W. Bush, a fellow Texan who was vice president at the time: “Poor George, he can’t help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.”
Four years later, she was chairwoman of the Democratic convention that nominated Bill Clinton for president.
Richards rose to the governorship with a come-from-behind victory over millionaire cowboy Clayton Williams in 1990. She cracked a half-century male grip on the governor’s mansion and celebrated by holding up a T-shirt that showed the state Capitol and read: “A woman’s place is in the dome.”
In four years as governor, Richards championed what she called the “New Texas,” appointing more women and more minorities to state posts than any of her predecessors.
She appointed the first black University of Texas regent; the first crime victim to join the state Criminal Justice Board; the first disabled person to serve on the human services board; and the first teacher to lead the State Board of Education. Under Richards, the fabled Texas Rangers pinned stars on their first black and female officers.
She polished Texas’ image, courted movie producers, championed the North American Free Trade Agreement, oversaw an expansion of the state prison system, and presided over rising student achievement scores and plunging dropout rates.
Asked once what she might have done differently had she known she was going to be a one-term governor, Richards grinned.
“Oh, I would probably have raised more hell.”
I was horrified to hear of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin’s death by stingray tonight. He was crazy, but entertaining, and way, way too young to go. My condolences to his family, especially his wife Terri, who, I understand, at press time was trekking on a mountain somewhere and was so far unaware of her husband’s death. Heartbreaking.
Doesn’t this seem a little fucked up? I mean, we’re getting raped at the pump, yet gas companies profits are soaring? Shouldn’t THEY have to shoulder a little of the burden? Why does all the extra cost get passed on to the consumer?
Wow, North Carolina, you really took your time with this one. Yet another reason why I’m glad I don’t live there. At least they’re not alone in their ridiculousness. Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi and North Dakota have laws that prohibit cohabitation.
