All the news unfit to print for Sunday, December 30, 2007
WHAT WE MISSED: A few random rakings
I see people are reading my year in review.. I got a few emails, too, and a call from a friend who completely disagrees with me saying that the health care industry needs to be the schmuck of the year. Nonetheless.. Comment if you do disagree. I'm up for a good argument, remember it's my personal opinions, not gospel. If I would Mike Huckabee perhaps it would be gospel..
In one way, it makes you like the guy more: He's maybe just normal. If he loses no skin off his back. On the other hand, it goes to verify my very early point this year: He didn't even want to run!
Thompson said: "I'm not particularly interested in running for president. I don't know if you have a desire to be president. I am not consumed by personal ambition. I'm offering myself up."
TEXAS A&M STUDENT SAYS JOE PATERNO NEEDS A "CASKET".. Screamed during pep rally, "someone needs to find him a casket!" .. Age statement leads to public apology..
Very big. After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan at a brink of disaster. That's probably not understated. The political stability of Pakistan is in question.. United States policy towards the nation will surely have to alter.. General Musharraf will not have some choices.
Bhutto had children, and a husband. He was in prison on charges on corruption when she was prime minister of Pakistan. She was also accused of corruption. But the people loved her. She came back from exile this year.. She was made up with makeup often. She was famous. She was intelligent. She was outspoken.. She said she wanted one simple thing: Democracy for Pakistan.
She believed that she was the only hope that Pakistan had to bring democracy to the nation. She was well educated. She chose to continue to try to stay in Pakistan despite the attempts on her life and chances she could suffer the fate she suffered today.
Her death now will make her a martyr. She died a heroine.
The world is watching.. And nervous waiting for the next move. Pakistan has nuclear weapons. And a lot of terrorists. And a lot of anger tonight...
According to the UK TIMES ONLINE: "The main suspects in Benazir Bhutto's assassination are the Pakistani and foreign Islamist militants who saw her as a heretic and an American stooge and had repeatedly threatened to kill her"
Pakistani opposition leader and former Prime Minster Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a bomb attack... At least 14 of her supporters were killed in the attack.. Reports this morning that Bhutto was shot in the aftermath of the bomb attack... Major news with major repercussions.. Shot heard around the world.
All the news unfit to print for Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The post-holiday doldrums random rakings
Cheer up. Life is good, and way too short to worry.. Had a few moments last night of some lameting.. Sarah McLachlan's WINTERSONG helped. Christmas always seems to get here too quick and end like the flicker of a match..
But the news goes on. The prayers for peace haven't kicked in yet.
An interesting poll released on Christmas day: Obama and Huckabee slipping among men in Iowa.. The other interesting thing in the poll--one that seems to have surprised the MSM, Ron Paul has gained 6 points and is now in double digits..
Ron Paul radio tonight proclaiming to stop shaking Doctor Paul's life to ensure he stays healthy through primaries!
Schmuckraker site will continue through holiday week with updates.. The holiday is pretty much over tonight anyway, both my wife and I are back to the commute and work tomorrow..
There are a few end of the year projects still coming.. Just got finished year in review story.. Had some wine, too, so working on spelling corrections. Working on a couple other year end review projects for the site..
And finally.. Came down to the wire this year. The schmuck of the year has been chosen.. I hope I can offer an interesting perspective as to how and why I came to a choice.
Those year end review articles should be up later this weekend..
All the news unfit to print for Sunday, December 23, 2007
..SO IT IS CHRISTMAS..
Updates will trickle on here the next two days, I am not taking off from reading the news. But I am going to try to avoid the bad. It's time to be happy. Joy to the world! .. It's the season to be holly and jolly. And to those lonely, tired.. and just baffled by life's unkindness.. Raise a glass. I join you in solace. Enjoy it. Another year over. A new new about to begin.
According to the AP today, the CIA claimed on Saturday that suggestions the spy agency was uncooperative and hid information from the Sept. 11 commission (including the videotaped interrogations of two suspected terrorists) is false ..
Michigan New Era Canning company said it was voluntarily recalling 1,026 cans of green beans because they may be contaminated with bacteria that cause botulism.. Here we go again. And again. And again. Grow you're own in '08! MORE: New Era Canning Company said it was recalling 171 cases of GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans with the lot code 19H7FL. Each case contained six cans in 6-pound, 5-ounce sizes..
..still finding it hard to believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve Eve. Expect Christmas songs on here.. You Tubing my feelings to the world.. credit you.
But this year you're not TIME's person of the year. They went a different direction. Now that You're not important. After all, you're providing videos of the greatest Christmas songs of all time..
I knew Christmas was coming, I really did. I kept saying I'd get that spirit any day now. Really. I swore.
And now today, just looked at the calender and my eyes almost popped out of my head.
Times goes by so fast. When you're not paying attention, it goes by faster, almost an insult. Or maybe a message.
Notice as you get older Christmas gets different? Of course you noticed. But when you really stop and take a glance at how it changes, it's amazing.
One thing of note this year .. I did shopping. My wallet and credit card both know full well that Christmas is only hours away .. While I was shopping I saw those people with the signs of desperation on their faces. The desperate shoppers that can't find what they want to get someone.. The looks of confusion as they pace back and forth in aisles, almost like the clerk will rush over and place in front of them the perfect gift. That never quite happens. What does happen, instead, is the customer's end result being a giant overblown item stuffed into their mini-van or SUV ready for the drive home. Only to get there and wonder aloud to themselves, why in the hell did I buy this crap?
Junk yards across America filled with those items of yesteryear.
The shopping experiences puts me in a Christmas mood--unless I can't find items that people want. I won't just buy to buy .. I want to have the right thing for the right person.
When I think about it while standing in the checkout lane, I ponder about the existence of this holiday.. how centuries of Christians and Pagans led to a story of Jesus being born on December 25 under a giant star with oxen and snow coming down. Well, the snow was coming down, the oxen were just there. The story is nice. But probably not factual. Many experts, even those of religious context, would agree that Jesus was probably born in the summer, the Magi probably didn't bring 'gifts' for a few years, and there was probably no snow. But that ruins the story.
And anyway, a lot of people think the 21st Century meaning of Christmas is Josh Grobin's album or Celine Dion's new album. Minus the air guitar .. <
Random rakings
The best wrap up I can present.. The world was rocked today. The repercussions will be here for a long time to come..
Very big. After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan at a brink of disaster. That's probably not understated. The political stability of Pakistan is in question.. United States policy towards the nation will surely have to alter.. General Musharraf will not have some choices.
Cheer up. Life is good, and way too short to worry.. Had a few moments last night of some lameting.. Sarah McLachlan's WINTERSONG helped. Christmas always seems to get here too quick and end like the flicker of a match..
Just a couple of house keeping items..
