Put On A Happy Face!

According to Reuters, optimism is good for the heart:

The most optimistic among a group of 545 Dutch men age 64 to 84 had a roughly 50 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death over 15 years of follow-up, according to the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Previous research has suggested being optimistic boosts overall physical health and lowers the risk of death from all causes. A positive attitude also has been shown to help patients who suffer from heart disease caused by narrowed arteries.

Sadly, positive attitudes are not much in evidence among the White House press corps, especially in the wake of Cheneymania:

Renana Brooks, a clinical psychologist practicing in Washington who said she had counseled several White House correspondents, said the last few years had given rise to "White House reporter syndrome," in which competitive high achievers feel restricted and controlled and become emotionally isolated from others who are not steeped in the same experience.

She said the syndrome was evident in the Cheney case, which she described as an inconsequential event that produced an outsize feeding frenzy. She said some reporters used the occasion to compensate for not having pressed harder before the Iraq war.

"It's like any post-traumatic stress," she said, "like when someone dies and you think you could have saved them."

White House reporter syndrome (WHRS) is pronounced "whores", BTW ;-)

Well, as my co-conspirator Anna noted in an earlier post, liberalism is a mental illness.

And as for me, I'm hoping that my optimism during Mardi Gras will carry me through Lent, at least.

UPDATE: Pew Research Center: Are We Happy?

Some 45% of all Republicans report being very happy, compared with just 30% of Democrats and 29% of independents. This finding has also been around a long time; Republicans have been happier than Democrats every year since the General Social Survey began taking its measurements in 1972. Pew surveys since 1991 also show a partisan gap on happiness; the current 16 percentage point gap is among the largest in Pew surveys, rivaled only by a 17 point gap in February 2003

Conservatives happier that liberals? It must be due to schadenfreude! ;-)

******************************

Thanks for the link!

Basil's Blog

Too Late!

You'll never guess which country operates out of our port facilities:

Year of Incorporation 1979
Owners Government of Saudi Arabia, Saudi individuals and establishments

Head Office Riyadh, KSA

The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (NSCSA) was established in 1979 to meet the transportation needs of Importers and Exporters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East.

By 1983, NSCSA has established itself as a combination Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro), Container and Breakbulk carrier, operating 8 fully owned vessels. It had become one of the world's largest Ro-Ro operators, offering liner services linking the Middle East with North America, the Far East and Europe.

In 1991, NSCSA (America) Inc., was established to serve as the General Agent in North America for the Liner Service between U.S., Canada and the Middle East/India Subcontinent/East Mediterranean regions.

NSCSA specializes in Project, Heavy Lift and Ro-Ro cargoes, as well as containers.

In 1997, NSCSA began service between North America and Italy, Greece and Turkey

NSCSA is in good company - Red China operates the port facilities of Long Beach, California. But I guess neither of them is a security risk.

I'll do a follow-up post on "Portgate" later - after I recover from shock!

Looking for Something Good to Read? Visit These Wonderful Blogging Carnivals...

CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS #33: KISS AND MAKE UP EDITION at Right Wing Nut House

CARNIVAL OF COMEDY #43: DUBYA EDITION at Conservathink

CARNIVAL OF SATIRE #22 at the skwib

CARNIVAL OF THE VANITIES at A DC Birding Blog

CARNIVAL OF CRAZY XVI at Miss Cellania

Still new, please help keep it going and growing:
CARNIVAL OF LIBERALS' WRONGS #5 at The Liberal Wrong-Wing


And announcing an all new 24 themed carnival:
THE CARNIVAL OF BAUER, now accepting submissions at Blogs 4 Bauer

Captions Outrageous! [Catch a Falling Star Edition]

The above photo comes to us from AP Photo/Rob Carr via Yahoo!

This contest will last approximately one week.

Good luck!

******************************

I not only like to host photo caption contests, I like to play them, too! Be certain to check out the latest contests at these great blogs...

Outside the Beltway
WILLisms
Random Numbers
GOP and the City
Sine Qua Non Pundit
The Gone Rick Motel
Bloggin' Outloud
Wizbang!
Blogs 4 Bauer

UPDATE 2/25:
Castle Argghhh! has linked with a new caption contest of their own!

And don't forget to check out the best caption blog in the business (where your suggestions are always welcome in the comments section, and can, if good enough, get promoted to the front page)...

Caption This!

******************************

MOST RECENT CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Surely You Jest Edition
And the Camel They Rode in on Edition
Chucky Squeeze Edition
On Dangerous Ground Edition
Here's Cooking at You Edition

******************************

Last week I asked for help creating a logo for our CAP-HOG's to have the option of displaying on their blogs. I have received a few responses, including one from Hoodlumman of File It Under..., who had apparently already taken the initiative to create a logo for himself that is presently displayed in the margin of his own blog, proudly proclaiming his achievement as a member of our Caption Hall of Glory's Top 25! He's even willing to let anyone who wants to steal it for their own use!

Thanks, Hood!

I have created a new permanent link which will be updated regularly with each new Hall of Glory post that can be hyperlinked using that or any other logo that one of you may come up with. The above icon is already hyperlinked to it. For the code you need to post this icon on your own blog, just click on it and scroll down near the bottom of the post!

Hopefully, we will soon have one for those of you who may presently rest outside of the Top 25, but still wish to have a well-deserved badge of your own! More to come... I hope!

******************************

This post is proudly featured in...

OTB CAPTION JAM
LUCKY DAWG NEWS

******************************

UPDATE 3/3:

This contest is now closed...

WINNERS ARE POSTED HERE!

New contest is HERE!

Thank you all for playing!

Captions Outrageous! Winners [Here's Cooking at You Edition]

Announcing the winners of the 32nd ever Right Place Photo Caption Contest!

Thank you to one and all who participated!

Presenting the top 15 captions for this picture from AP Photo/Elliott Minor via Yahoo!





#15: "Please tell me we are cooking rabbit!"

the man


#14: PAULA: "What was that noise?"
JIMMY: "Oh, that. My pacemaker just made the garage door go up."

D. Carter


#13: "I'd like a bite of them Georgia peaches!"

Bob


#12: Jimmuh's thought bubble: "Mmmmmm, Habi-TATA's for Jimmuh-anity."

spacemonkey


#11: Most ex-presidents assume the mantle of elder statesman. Jimmy Carter opted for short-order cook.

D. Carter


#10: Jimmy Carter learned the hard way that chicks aren't as in to Nobel Prizes as he was promised.

Will Franklin


#9: "...And then, let the casserole cook at 350 degrees for 444 days..."

Hoodlumman


#8: Jimmy Carter is captured on television "lusting in his heart".

D. Carter


#7: Mr. Carter then blamed President George W. Bush for the excessive use of Worcestershire sauce at the Fairfield County barbecue.

Hoodlumman


#6: "Ya don't have ta call me 'Mr. President', Darlin'... you can call me 'King Leer'."

LongTabSigO


#5: "That's right, Paula, all proceeds from my new cookbook, Dining with Dictators, will go to help Habiteat for Humanity... Er, I mean HabiTAT for Humanity. Heh."

D. Carter


#4: PAULA: "No, you idiots, I said this recipe called for mayonnaise, not malaise!"

V the K


#3: PAULA: "Jimmy, I love your apron! It says 'Hail to the Chef', which is very clever, but what does the small print say?"

JIMMY: "It says 'Property of Hugo Chavez'."

Steve O


#2: Jimmy Carter reveals his recipe for failure: "Well, Paula, I just combine a couple of dollops of incompetence, a big heaping tablespoonful of spinelessness, and a half pint of stupidity, then - voila! - the one-term presidency!"

D. Carter


And the winning entry for this Caption Contest...


#1: "How'd ya like to whack my rabbit?"

Rodney Dill


Bravo! Bravo!

Encore! Encore!

Presenting:

Captions Outrageous! [Catch a Falling Star Edition]

Enjoy!


PREVIOUS PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Oh, Thank Heaven for 7/11 Edition
Fickle Finger of Fate Edition
Things Are Looking Up Edition
Rage in the Cage Edition
Not So Mellow Fellow in Yellow Edition
The Beards and the Beads Edition
Weapons of Mash Destruction Edition
You're Al I Ever Wanted Edition
His Cup Runneth Over Edition
The Eyes Have It Edition
Jeepers Veepers Edition
Huggermugger Edition
Ear's to You Edition
Heavy Medal Edition
Village of the Damned Edition
White on Rice Edition
Sunny Side Up Edition
Absentee Mallet Edition
French Tickler Edition
In Through the Out Door Edition
Frankenstein Meets Godzilla Edition
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel Edition
Spirits of Christmas Present Edition
Dorito Bandito Edition
Shadow of His Former Self Edition
When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition
The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition
Surely You Jest Edition
And the Camel They Rode in on Edition
Chucky Squeeze Edition
On Dangerous Ground Edition

And, in case you haven't yet seen it, here are the updated overall rankings for the first 30 caption contests!!!

******************************

Thanks for the link!

Lucky Dawg News

Quite Possibly

Although, I've always enjoyed the saying, "Liberals-so open minded their brains fell out."

(Cartoon courtesy of Iowa Presidential Watch)

Dems: "Let's Pull The Troops Out Now!" Lite

According to this Rick Klein story in the Boston Globe today.

WASHINGTON -- After months of trying unsuccessfully to develop a common message on the war in Iraq, Democratic Party leaders are beginning to coalesce around a broad plan to begin a quick withdrawal of US troops and install them elsewhere in the region, where they could respond to emergencies in Iraq and help fight terrorism in other countries.

The concept, dubbed ''strategic redeployment," is outlined in a slim, nine-page report coauthored by a former Reagan administration assistant Defense secretary, Lawrence J. Korb, in the fall. It sets a goal of a phased troop withdrawal that would take nearly all US troops out of Iraq by the end of 2007, although many Democrats disagree on whether troop draw-downs should be tied to a timeline.

This sounds like the same argument that's been going on for at least a year, certainly since Rep. Murtha spoke up and called for withdrawal. And a timeline is firmly rejected by a majority of pretty much any group you study. This simply sounds like a group hoping to sound like middle-of-the-roaders, and searching for a plan that reinforces that impression.

Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee chairman, has endorsed Korb's paper and begun mentioning it in meetings with local Democratic groups. In addition, the study's concepts have been touted by the senator assigned to bring Democrats together on Iraq -- Jack Reed of Rhode Island -- and the report has been circulated among all senators by Senator Dianne Feinstein, an influential moderate Democrat from California.

The party remains divided on some points, including how much detail to include in a party-produced document, fearful of giving too much fodder for attacks by Republicans.

You wouldn't want to come up with a detailed policy based on, oh, say, firmly held beliefs, that might be open to criticism. The "influential moderate" senator from California might have difficulty defending them.

But in its broad outlines, many leading Democrats say the Korb plan represents an answer to Republicans' oft-repeated charge that Democrats aren't offering a way forward on Iraq -- and to do so in a way that is neither defeatist nor blindly loyal to the president.

''We're not going to cut and run -- that's just Republican propaganda," Dean said in a speech Feb. 10 in Boston. ''But we are going to redeploy our troops so they don't have targets on their backs, and they're not breaking down doors and putting themselves in the line of fire all the time. . . . It's a sensible plan. It's a thoughtful plan. I think Democrats can coalesce around it."

Let's look at this plan for a minute. A "rapid withdrawal and redeployment?" And from these distant locations Americans would be able to assist with the project they started how? Would they, from their new bases, be able to go wherever they wanted to "fight terrorism?" Is this redeployment dependent on the development of Iraqi forces' ability to handle the nation's security? If so, how is this different from the Administration's current plan, which is to draw down troop levels gradually as the Iraqi's prove capable?

After Rep. Murtha called for a withdrawal the vote in the House was 403-3 against immediate withdrawal. Acknowledging the futility of pushing for withdrawal, this plan is too clever by half. Hiding the call for withdrawal in the garments of "strategic redeployment" is not a plan for victory, and unless the Democrats can demonstrate how this plan absent a consideration of Iraqi capabilities leads to victory and makes America (note: not American soldiers) safer then it is not a viable plan.

Some Overdue Linkage...

I am still finding myself with limited time, trying desperately to get caught up. Here are a few interesting things I've missed sharing that are still fairly recent...

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMMM...

Jay at Stop the ACLU is Calling for a Special Counsel to Investigate the ACLU!

David Drake has a look into the mind of bin Laden with The Game of Terrorism.

A.M. Soriano of The A.M. Blog says that America Is Islam's Only Hope for Reform.

Dr. Rusty at The Jawa Report has another exclusive (what new?) with Prisoner Abuse Photos from Iraq that the MSM Won't Show You.


FAR TOO IMPORTANT TO MISS!

So...the Jack Abramoff Scandal is exclusively limited to Republicans, eh? What was that Howard Dean said, something about Democrats not taking one dollar??? Okay, technically he's right, they didn't take one dollar, more like HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! Chris from Lucky Dawg News has a detailed list in Jack Abramoff and that Republican "Culture of Corruption". Bookmark this one and annoy liberal trolls everywhere with it!


THE RESULTS ARE IN...

Bookworm has the Winners of the Great Conservative Slogan Contest!


CARNIVALS!

NEW! CARNIVAL OF LIBERALS' WRONGS at The Liberal Wrong-Wing

CARNIVAL OF THE INSANITIES at Dr. Sanity

CARNIVAL OF SATIRE at the skwib

CARNIVAL OF COMEDY at Bakerstreet


ANOTHER MAKEOVER WORK CHECKING OUT...

Musing Minds recently moved to a new hosting site and got a nice makeover, make certain to check it out!

Enjoy!

Captions Outrageous! [Here's Cooking at You Edition]

The above photo comes to us from AP Photo/Elliott Minor via Yahoo!

This contest will last approximately one week.

Good luck!

******************************

HELP WANTED:

I would love to create an icon for all our CAP-HOG's to have the option of displaying on their blogs, and perhaps one for our Frequent Flyers Club members (expanding soon) as well, but I stink at creating graphics. I'm not sure I can offer much more than gratitude and a post singing your praises (with links), but if you are interested in showing off your creativity, let me know! Thanks!

Meanwhile, to the potential recipients of such things, is this such a good idea? Just wondering...

writetherightplace [nospam] at [nospam] gmail [nospam] dot [nospam] com.

******************************

I not only like to host photo caption contests, I like to play them, too!* Be certain to check out the latest contests at these great blogs...

Outside the Beltway
WILLisms
Random Numbers [Where Mr. Right Placed 3rd Last Week.]
GOP and the City
Wizbang!
Sine Qua Non Pundit
The Gone Rick Motel

And don't forget to check out the best caption blog in the business (where your suggestions are always welcome in the comments section, and can, if good enough, get promoted to the front page)...

Caption This!

*NOTE TO THE OTHER CAPTION CONTEST HOSTS:

Honest, I do still love to play them, I just need to get myself some more time, gosh darn it! Hang in there guys, I'll be back soon, I promise! Meanwhile, thank you so very much for continuing to play in mine, despite my prolonged absence from most of yours!

******************************

MOST RECENT CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition
Surely You Jest Edition
And the Camel They Rode in on Edition
Chucky Squeeze Edition
On Dangerous Ground Edition


WAIT! DON'T MISS THE RECENTLY UPDATED STANDINGS!...

Here are the overall rankings for the first 30 caption contests!!!

******************************

Thanks for the links!

Castle Argghhh!
Blogmeister USA
Bloggin' Outloud, which links with a new caption contest of its own!

This post is proudly featured in...

OTB CAPTION JAM
LUCKY DAWG NEWS

******************************

UPDATE 2/24:

This contest is now closed...

WINNERS ARE POSTED HERE!

New contest is HERE!

Thank you all for playing!

Captions Outrageous! Winners [On Dangerous Ground Edition]

Announcing the winners of the 31st ever Right Place Photo Caption Contest!

Thank you to one and all who participated!

Presenting the top 25 captions for this picture from Tullio Puglia/Reuters via Yahoo!




#25: "All right, boys... remember, heads down! Don't look directly at Meduzillary without the mirrors!"

MorningSun


#24: "That was close. I almost stepped in that Chirac."

charles austin


#23: "Rachel Corrie? That you?"

Rodney Dill


#22: "It resembles the Democrats' platform, but we all know what it really is."

Steve O


#21: Donald Rumsfeld was mildly surprised to learn that Howard Dean can poop and fly at the same time.

Bill W.


#20: "Now, if you look closely, you can see where we keep the Democrats."

Republican Vet


#19: "I don't want to see the pigeon that left that!"

McGehee


#18: Aide: "Jack Bauer's Work?"
Don: "Yep."

Rodney Dill


#17: "Gentlemen, THAT is what happens to you if you make Chuck Norris angry."

Carl


#16: "Perhaps there's something to this 'global-warming' theory afterall," thought Rumsfeld as he walked through the canals of Venice with his detail.

Son of the Godfather


#15: "Senator Kerry, get off your knees. We have a better way to deal with these terrorists."

the man


#14: The agents felt secure, after all, "Mr. Rumsfeld's" hands were tied, and there were 4 agents covering him. But they were in for a surprise... He was beginning to believe that he was... THE ONE.

Special Ed


#13: "Sorry, Helen Thomas, but you really shouldn't pop out of a dark alley like that... Do you require medical attention?"

Son of the Godfather


#12: In Howard Dean's most frequent psychotic dream sequence, Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is cuffed and frog-marched to stand for charges before the members of Democratic Underground.

T.M.


#11: "That, boys, is a warm, steamy pile of malaise --- otherwise known as Jimmy Carter's Legacy."

THIRDWAVEDAVE


#10: "So that's what happened to the Democrats' credibility!"

Windhamite


#9: "Sometimes you have to go for a walk with the shoes you've got, not the shoes you want or wish you could have. And the pair of shoes I'd want before stepping in that... has never been made! That pile right there, that's a known unknown and I'm steering clear of it."

McGehee


#8: "Well, if you had to arrest me for something, it was worth it for decking that Pelosi b*tch!"

Son of the Godfather


#7: "Here's another one. We must be getting close to the Vice President's party."

walrus


#6: "Hmmm... that's interesting. Make note of that, Johnson, for future reference: pedestrians in Tunis don't have the right-of-way."

D. Carter


#5: A few seconds later, a scuffle broke out as Rumsfeld and his entourage simultaneously spotted a quarter on the street.

D. Carter


#4: "Okay, so now we know a Euro dropped from the top of the Eiffel Tower will kill a man. I owe you a Coke."

V the K


#3: "The White House press corps ninnies insist on us reporting any significant item to them right away. Inform them there is a pigeon fatality on Albury Drive."

Son of the Godfather


#2: "Ok, boys, help Senator Kennedy get to his feet and pour him into his Oldsmobile."

D. Carter


And the winning entry for this Caption Contest...


#1: "Hmmm... Looks like Cheney's been wandering around with the safety off again."

D. Carter


Bravo! Bravo!

Encore! Encore!

Presenting:

Captions Outrageous! [Here's Cooking at You Edition]

Enjoy!


PREVIOUS PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Oh, Thank Heaven for 7/11 Edition
Fickle Finger of Fate Edition
Things Are Looking Up Edition
Rage in the Cage Edition
Not So Mellow Fellow in Yellow Edition
The Beards and the Beads Edition
Weapons of Mash Destruction Edition
You're Al I Ever Wanted Edition
His Cup Runneth Over Edition
The Eyes Have It Edition
Jeepers Veepers Edition
Huggermugger Edition
Ear's to You Edition
Heavy Medal Edition
Village of the Damned Edition
White on Rice Edition
Sunny Side Up Edition
Absentee Mallet Edition
French Tickler Edition
In Through the Out Door Edition
Frankenstein Meets Godzilla Edition
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel Edition
Spirits of Christmas Present Edition
Dorito Bandito Edition
Shadow of His Former Self Edition
When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition
The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition
Surely You Jest Edition
And the Camel They Rode in on Edition
Chucky Squeeze Edition

WAIT! DON'T MISS THE RECENTLY UPDATED STANDINGS!...

Here are the overall rankings for the first 30 caption contests!!!

******************************

Thanks for the link!

Lucky Dawg News

PC Run Amok At UW

This is the most depressing thing that I've read all week - and that's saying a lot:

It’s well known that college students today aren’t as educated in our nation’s history as they should be, but it’s still hard to grasp the mind-bending political correctness just displayed by the University of Washington’s student senate at its campus in Seattle.

The issue before the Senate this month was a proposed memorial to World War II combat pilot Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, a 1933 engineering graduate of the university, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service commanding the famed “Black Sheep” squadron in the Pacific. The student senate rejected the memorial because “a Marine” is not “an example of the sort of person UW wants to produce.”

Digging themselves in deeper, the student opponents of the memorial indicated: “We don’t need to honor any more rich white males.” Other opponents compared Boyington’s actions during World War II with murder.

“I am absolutely bewildered that the Student Senate voted down the resolution,” Brent Ludeman, the president of the UW College Republicans, told me. He noted that despite the deficiencies of the UW History Department, the complete ignorance of Boyington’s history and reputation by the student body was hard to fathom. After all, “Black Sheep Squadron,” a 1970s television show portraying Colonel Boyington’s heroism as a pilot and Japanese prisoner of war, still airs frequently on the History Channel. Apparently, though, it’s an unusual UW student who’d be willing to learn any U.S. history even if it’s spoonfed to him by TV.

As for the sin of honoring a rich white male, Mr. Ludeman points out that Boyington (who died in 1988) was neither rich nor white. He happened to be a Sioux Indian, who wound up raising his three children as a single parent. “Colonel Boyington is luckily not around to see how ignorant students at his alma mater can be today,” says Kirby Wilbur, a morning talk show host at Seattle’s KVI Radio. Perhaps the trustees and alumni of the school will now help educate them.

Perhaps - because the professors at the university certainly aren't.

Long Feared "Bush Purge" Reportedly Now Underway, "Reality Based Community" Crying Out for Action

All over America, in the dead of night, liberals are disappearing --- kidnapped from their beds by marauding, brown-shirted, goose-stepping Republican goon-squads, who show them no mercy! At least, that is what many have come to believe...

It all began with whispers of a conspiracy on the far-left edge of the blogosphere weeks ago and has since blossomed into a full-fledged panic among many of those from the "Reality Based Community".

"Our worst fears have finally been realized! They've started rounding us up! I knew this was coming! I knew it!" screamed Ken Little, a frequenter of the Democratic Underground, or DU. "It's just like Hitler and the Nazis all over again! We tried to warn people, but they just wouldn't listen! Well, are you happy now??? Don't think Bush is gonna stop with us, he's coming for you, too! All of you --- well, except all you Fascist Neocon c***suckers, that is! I hope you all die!"

According to a source within the progressive community, who wished to remain anonymous "for obvious reasons," one of the first victims of the "Bush Purge" appears to be an unemployed former Philosophy major from Burlington, Vermont, Noah Smartz, whose Democratic Underground screen name of "Buck Fush" was legendary among his peers.

"He hasn't posted in weeks," said his friend, "and that's just not like him at all! He used to be in here all day, every day... I mean, it's not like he had anything better to do, being unemployed and all in Bushitler's Fascist Wonderland. His sudden extended absence got people talking. The way we figure it, it's proof positive, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Bushco has begun rounding us all up for extermination! I mean, what else COULD it be??? I really miss his wit - God, I loved that guy! Buck Fush --- now THAT'S comedy! I even changed my own screen name from "Republitards Sukkk" to "Chuck Feney" for awhile, but I changed it back because no one seemed to get the joke. They all thought Chuck was my real name."

Elsewhere, Helen Gonn of the Madison, Wisconsin chapter of the anti-war protest group, Mobilized Operatives Opposing Nazi Bush's American Tyranny, says that she has become very worried about two of her minions, life-partners Shirley Hugh-Geste and Lupe Azaloon, who have not attended the organization's last thirteen protest events over the past seven days.

"This is just not like them. They are truly committed to the cause. This past week we have protested against Chimpy McBushaliburton's illegal war for oil at several local gas stations, the VFW Hall, a war veteran's memorial and a local park where they recently planted some "bushes" --- we demanded they symbolically remove them from our public land the way Bush needs to be removed from office --- they wouldn't have missed any of these immeasurably important events unless something dreadful had happened to them! Bush is to blame, I'm certain of it! Him and his beady little eyes! He's got to be stopped! They're probably down at Gitmo by now being waterboarded and forced to listen to Christina Aguilera music in an overly air conditioned cell! Why isn't the press all over this? The Right-Wing Corporate Media is covering for Chimpy, that's why! It's a conspiracy!"

After we did a little checking, the Right Place was able to determine Ms. Gonn was right about at least one thing, Shirley and Lupe were indeed committed --- to the Rock County Mental Health Center in nearby Janesville.

"They're resting comfortably," said Dr. Ayman Yermind, assistant director of the facility. "It turns out they're both suffering from a severe form of paranoid delusional psychosis. The State Police brought them here just about a week ago after there were reports of them yelling at cars on the Interstate and spray painting anti-Bush slogans on tractor-trailers at a local truck stop. It seems they were convinced that the NSA was after them, wiretapping their brain waves and stealing their thoughts. They claimed they were trying to warn everybody. It's sad really. Synchronized delusions like that in two distinct individuals are quite rare... at least, they used to be."

Learning the true fate of her two missing M.O.O.N.B.A.T. associates did nothing to allay the fears of Ms. Gonn, who only claimed it was confirmation of her contention that the government was indeed rounding up left-wingers. "A mental institution? Ha! I knew it! It's all true --- it all makes sense, now! That's how they're going to do it! They'll just claim we're all insane and round us up out of 'concern' for our 'well-being'!!! Well, we're onto you now, Rove! You'll never get away with this," she screamed as she adjusted the chin-strap on her custom-designed tin-foil hat!

Harry Cheeks, the National Chairman of M.O.O.N.B.A.T., claims that another one of his operatives, Clarence Sales, disappeared earlier this week, shortly after checking a copy of "Fahrenheit 9/11" out of a public library in Austin, Texas. "They must have used the Patriot Act to obtain his library records, saw that he checked out that particular film, and hunted him down like an animal! It all fits! For all we know, that sick bastard Dick Cheney is now using him for target practice! Where does it all end? How many more innocent progressives must pay the ultimate price to make Bushitler's mad dreams of unlimited power over a Fascist Christian Theocracy come true??? When will anybody ever listen to us?"

According to widespread reports on numerous progressive blogs, Bush's secret police force, often referred to as the "Rethuglican Guard", has been using information gathered from illegal NSA wiretaps and little known super-secret provisions of the Patriot Act to form an enemies list and has begun to abduct those on it for brainwashing, torture, scientific experiments... and worse!

"I only hope that this finally wakes people up to the extent of the threat under which we all now must live," wrote blogger Screw the Chimp at his website Wake the F**k Up You Inbred Red State Retards. It should be noted that he is, in fact, the alter-ego of the missing Clarence Sales, who has gone "underground", but pledged to continue to "speak truth to power" until the bitter end --- something he now feels is inevitable. "This administration is capable of anything, up to and including a new Holocaust, which, it would now seem, is already underway! We in the Reality Based Community saw this coming, and we tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen! Now, it just may be too late, but I, for one, will keep on trying to expose this administration for what it really is: a vast criminal enterprise run by one George W. Bush, the grandson of a Nazi sympathizer, and a man who brazenly stole two Presidential Elections and countless House and Senate races to secure total and complete dictatorial power; Planned and executed, with help from the Israeli government, PNAC and Haliburton, a fake terrorist attack on his own country in order to have an excuse to start a war so he could begin to construct a secret oil pipeline in Afghanistan, then lied about WMD in Iraq to start another war for oil and is, even as I write this, preparing to start a third in Iran based on lies about a non-existent nuclear program there; Has repeatedly sought to repeal all of our Constitutional Rights using such dastardly means as the so-called "Patriot Act" and the NSA wiretaps of innocent Americans; Helped fix the outcome of stolen elections in Afghanistan, Australia, Great Britain, Iraq, Germany and Canada; Has committed and/or abetted, and then covered-up with the help of Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and their willing accomplices in the Corporate Media, countless crimes for which he and his entire administration should have been impeached; and, most importantly, is, as everyone knows, an addle-brained cokehead and drunkard who is too stupid to know how to tie his own shoelaces!"

The Right Place pledges to continue to report any and all developments on this deeply troubling story.

UPDATE: Noah Smartz, aka Buck Fush, has been located. He is currently residing in the Burlington City Jail awaiting arraignment on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute after being unable to post bond. He has pleaded not guilty and claims that Presidential Advisor Karl Rove framed him by phoning the police with an anonymous tip after secretly hiding the twenty-seven marijuana plants found growing in a makeshift hothouse in the closet of his bedroom, located in the basement of his parents' Burlington, Vermont home, where he still resides.

Developing...

Thus endeth this week's dabbling in the art of SATIRE!

******************************

If you've enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy...

More Political Satire:
• The Democrat Family Album... a Tribute!
• Sunspot Activity Causes Brief Interruption of Karl Rove's "Mind-Ray" - Democrats Claim Rare Moment of Sanity
• College Journalism Exam with Answer Key!
• The Proper Care and Feeding of Moonbats
• ACLU Seeks Ban on Christmas "Propaganda" from the Public Airwaves
• Presenting: The DNC's "Sounds of the Season"
• Democrats Fire Back, File Lawsuit to Stop Bush, Republicans from Using Their Own Words Against Them!
• The Latest Mainstream Media "Poll" - Exposed!
• Halloween Cavalcade of Horrors!
• Ronnie Earle Indicts Much of Texas on Conspiracy Charges
• U.S. Declares War on Smurfs, Hundreds Dead in "Shock and Awe" Style Carpet-Bombing Campaign
• Angry Protesters Demand "U.S. Out of U.S. Now!"
• New Orleans Rhapsody
• Cindy Sheehan Files Suit Against God; President Bush, Israel Named as "Co-Conspirators"
• The U.S. Constitution - A Liberal Interpretation
• George W. Bush and the Holy Grail
• The 9/11 Commission, Part 2 - Electric Boogaloo
• Democrats Give up on Winning, Push for More "Spectacular" Losses
• We Now Join the "Save Air America Radio" Telethon, Already in Progress...
• Top Secret Democrat Party Strategy Meeting - Exposed!
• The Far-Left's Favorite Soap Opera: Get Bush!
• You Just Might Be a Moonbat...
• Selections from the "Donktionary"
• The Moonbat Song

The Hill-Orgy of Errors:
• Hillary Clinton's Secret Love Affair Exposed!
• Bigfoot Takes His Own Life!
• The Right Place Stands By Its Story!

And a Filthy Lie:
• Glenn Reynolds Copyrights the Word "Indeed," Threatens to Bill Much of Blogosphere Right out of Existence!

Or feel free to check out our Main Page. Thank you for visiting The Right Place!

******************************

Thanks for the links!

TMH's Bacon Bits
The Leather Penguin
Yippee-Ki-Yay!
Right Thoughts
The Mudville Gazette
Basil's Blog
The Jawa Report
Kitty Litter
The Conservative Cat
Castle Argghhh!
W.C. Varones
Brainster's Blog
The Pirate's Cove
The Paladin Blog
David Drake
Freedom Folks
Lucky Dawg News
The Median Sib

This post is proudly featured in...

CARNIVAL OF LIBERALS' WRONGS #4 at The Liberal Wrong-Wing
CARNIVAL OF THE INSANITIES at Dr. Sanity
CARNIVAL OF THE VANITIES at A DC Birding Blog
CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS #33 at Right Wing Nut House
CARNIVAL OF COMEDY #43: DUBYA EDITION at Conservathink (and batting leadoff, no less! Thanks, Damian G.!)
CARNIVAL OF SATIRE #22 at the skwib

SickWishful Thinking

What is wrong with the caption to this article?

Cheney Takes Blame For Shooting; May Face Charges

One would think from it that by accepting responsibility for the accidental shooting of Harry Whittington, Vice President Cheney has left himself open to criminal charges. Really? Let's scroll down to the article's subcaption.

If the man wounded by Dick Cheney dies, the vice president could - in theory at least - face criminal charges, even though the shooting was an accident.

In theory, Mr. Cheney could face charges. But what about the real world?

Kate Sheehy and Deborah Orrin: "Dick Cheney could face a felony aggravated-assault rap — or, if his wounded buddy dies, even negligent homicide.

But it would be a cold day in Texas before either scenario would happen, legal eagles told The Post yesterday.

"One, because it's Cheney, but also because it's clearly an accident," said Texas lawyer David Berg.

He added that criminal liability in hunting accidents is rare because there's automatically "an assumption of risk."

Texas prosecutors have said that if Harry Whittington dies, it could spur a grand-jury probe.

But University of Texas law Professor George Dicks said liability might be found only if there were a "pretty bizarre disregard for the interest of others.""

A lot of folks on the left are in the ghoulish position of hoping that Mr. Whittington dies, so they could use that against Mr. Cheney. No doubt that includes the a--hole who wrote the article that I linked to. To me, this represents a new low in partisanship.

I'll say a prayer for Mr. Whittington, because it's the Christian thing to do. I invite the readers of this blog to do likewise.

Some Valentines...

I've been away from blogging for a little while, so I am a bit late to the party, but be certain to pay a visit to our very good friend, Buckley F. Williams at The Nose on Your Face, who celebrated his first blogiversary a couple days ago and also recently welcomed his 100,000th visitor! And for a present, he would like you to submit a Top 9 List for his contest. I'll get to work on mine as soon as I can find some time. Congratulations, Buckley!

Also, be sure to check out the recently revamped Lucky Dawg News, which looks great, loads a lot faster (on my computer, anyway) and now offers permalinks, trackbacks and comments on each post! If you love NASCAR and the GOP, it's a great place to hang out!

And while you are checking out revamped sites, you should pop over to File It Under..., who unveiled their new Version 2.0 look a few weeks ago, which I keep forgetting to mention. It's nice and all, but I must admit, I do miss the old news ticker...

[Image Source: Here.]

CAPTIONS HALL OF GLORY (Thru Contest #30)

[For those of you wondering where the heck I have been recently...]

Oink, oink, my beloved CAP-HOG's!

Having been 10 weeks and 10 contests since we last published the all-time standings for those of you who like to particpate in our weekly photo caption contests, I felt it was time to buckle down and update the list.

I have initiated some changes in the scoring since the last list was posted. I wanted to find a way to recognize those who have contributed some of the hilarious photoshops as well as all of our regulars who come back week after week, even though they may not often land among the winners' lists.

I struggled long and hard to come up with what I felt was a fair way of awarding points, and what I came up with is as follows:

The points values for 1st thru 5th place captions will remain unchanged...

1st Place = 10 pts
2nd Place = 7 pts
3rd Place = 5 pts
4th or 5th Place = 3 pts

However, with an increase in participation and entries per player and, therefore, longer winners' lists each week, I have added a point to each 6th thru 10th place finish...

6th Place thru 10th Place = 2 pts

All finishes from 11th on back and the various bonus awards or special mentions handed out remain worth 1 point each...

11th Place or Lower = 1 pt
Bonus Award or Special Mention = 1 pt

[Note: My own captions or captions mentioned from other contests but not submitted to this one are not awarded any points.]

The major change is for photoshops. It was difficult to come up with a fair method of scoring them, as they are often very creative and can be quite time-consuming, but there is no real competition for photoshops where they are pitted against one another. What I decided to do was to make each photoshop that gets pasted in any of the "winners" posts here on this blog worth 5 points each, which is half as much as a first place caption and equal to a third place caption. Photoshops (or mini-movies) posted elsewhere but linked to in the "winners" posts were treated the same as bonus awards and given one point apiece. Now, Chris can take his rightful place among our Elite Circle, where he belongs, and others who have submitted photoshops (I. Ronnie, Rodney Dill and Windhamite, so far) can have something to show for their efforts!

Photoshop Displayed = 5 pts
Photoshop or Other Creative Work Linked to = 1 pt

Finally, for those of you who keep coming back to play despite not being regularly rewarded, as some others are, with winning captions, I have begun to award participation points. How it works is this, every player, regardless of whether they make the winners' list or not, is given 1 credit for every contest they particpate in. It doesn't matter whether you have submitted 1 caption or 100, each week you play is worth 1 credit. Why not 1 for each caption? Because it would just cause people to enter any old thing that comes into their heads just to roll up points, which is not fair to anyone, especially me, who has to tabulate this stuff! Anyway, when you accrue 4 credits, you are rewarded 1 point. In other words, you now get 1 point for every 4 contests you play in, regardless of any other points you may or may not receive. Got it? Good...

Participation in 4 contests = 1 pt

All scoring changes are retroactive to the beginning of the contest. This made for a busy last couple of weeks for me, so I hope all of my hard work will not go unappreciated! For those of you wondering, yes I have copies of the comments left in all of the archived photo contests, including those lost to Haloscan purges. I attempted to double and triple check all of my work to make it as accurate as possible.

The toughest part came in discerning players who have used more than one ID or multiple people using alike ID's over the course of these contests. I used to be able to check e-mails, which I can no longer do for lost comments, so I had to rely on my memory to properly match participation points to the right people in a few cases. "DWC" was interpreted as "D. Carter", "Anon" as "Anna", "Pam" from Blogmeister USA was differentiated from the "Pam" in the very first contest, "serfer62" and "serfer" were treated as the same person, and the first "Greg" was credited for appearing in 4 early contests before vanishing with a second distinct "Greg" showing up much later on. If I have any of this wrong, feel free to help me correct the record.

As we go forward, it should be much easier to assemble future updates as long as I keep the same, or very similar, scoring standards. (Allelujah!)

In recognition of those who have played in the most contests, here is a list of our most ardent warriors through the first 30 contests, as well as all of the rest of you who have earned participation points --- a round of applause, please!

28 - Rodney Dill
23 - spacemonkey
20 - D. Carter; Hoodlumman
19 - Anna; Doc
18 - SJJ
17 - Maggie; V the K; Zsa Zsa
16 - THIRDWAVEDAVE; T.M.
15 - Buckley F. Williams
14 - don; Dr. Phat Tony; I. Ronnie; Special Ed; Stew; the man; Will Franklin
13 - charles austin
12 - Windhamite
11 - Chris; John Ruberry
10 - MFG
9 - Bill W.; Damian G.; DaveD; jimmyb; McGehee; Steve O
8 - ILikeIke; Laurence Simon
7 - bullwinkle; McCain
6 - Chris Short; LongTabSigO; peter; Pluto's Dad; Rob B.; walrus
5 - Bob; Carl; Jeanette; Mister Snitch!; Songbird
4 - bohemianlikeyou; Brainster; COGirl; Dave E; Greg (1); joe-6-pack; opine6; Pam; serfer; Son of the Godfather

(By the way, if you are wondering why you, too, should be playing, keep this in mind: in addition to the "winners" posts and points being handed out, many of the listings on my blogroll have come from among the ranks of the caption contest particpants over the last 7 months, with regular players getting the "Frequent Flyers Club" treatment [i.e., top of the blogroll]. Besides, it's fun!)

Now, without further ado, The Right Place is proud to present, the third official listing of our infamous Captions Hall of Glory --- or CAP-HOG. Where do you rank?

NOTE: Tie-breaks were applied all the way down the list whenever needed and were as follows (in order):

Top Finish; Times at Top Finish; Second Highest Finish; Times at Second Highest Finish; Each Successive Remaining Ordinal; Times at Each Successive Remaining Ordinal; Times Charted; Times Participated; Week of Most Recent Participation.


THE CHAMPIONS

GOLD MEDALIST

1) V the K (125 pts) 4x WINNER: Weeks 16, 17, 23, 30
[17 Contests, 38 Times Charted, 14 Top Fives]

SILVER MEDALIST

2) D. Carter (110 pts) WINNER: Week 19
[20 Contests, 33 Times Charted, 14 Top Fives]

BRONZE MEDALIST

3) Rodney Dill (97 pts) 3x WINNER: Weeks 12, 14, 22
[28 Contests, 27 Times Charted, 12 Top Fives, 1 Photoshop]

THE ELITE (The Rest of the Top 25)

4) spacemonkey (55 pts) WINNER: Week 2
[23 Contests, 19 Times Charted, 5 Top Fives]

5) Chris (53 pts)
[11 Contests, 1 Time Charted, 1 Top Five, 8 Photoshops]

6) Buckley F. Williams (47 pts) 2x WINNER: Weeks 5, 26
[15 Contests, 9 Times Charted, 4 Top Fives]

7) Hoodlumman (46 pts) WINNER: Week 3
[20 Contests, 14 Times Charted, 6 Top Fives]

8) I. Ronnie (43 pts)
[14 Contests, 10 Times Charted, 5 Top Fives, 2 Photoshops]

9) Son of the Godfather (42 pts)
[4 Contests, 16 Times Charted, 5 Top Fives]

10) T.M. [aka Giacomo] (36 pts) WINNER: Week 29
[16 Contests, 12 Times Charted, 3 Top Fives]

11) don (35 pts) WINNER: Week 6
[14 Contests, 10 Times Charted, 4 Top Fives]

12) Special Ed (33 pts)
[14 Contests, 10 Times Charted, 4 Top Fives]

13) Windhamite (31 pts)
[12 Contests, 6 Times Charted, 4 Top Fives, 1 Photoshop]

14) charles austin (29 pts) 2x WINNER: Weeks 4, 25
[13 Contests, 5 Times Charted, 3 Top Fives]

15) the man (26 pts)
[14 Contests, 7 Times Charted, 5 Top Fives]

16) THIRDWAVEDAVE (25 pts) WINNER: Week 15
[16 Contests, 6 Times Charted, 2 Top Fives]

17) John Ruberry [aka Marathon Pundit] (24 pts) WINNER: Week 27
[11 Contests, 6 Times Charted, 3 Top Fives]

18) Maggie (24 pts) WINNER: Week 8
[17 Contests, 6 Times Charted, 2 Top Fives]

19) SJJ (23 pts) WINNER: Week 1
[18 Contests, 6 Times Charted, 2 Top Fives]

20) Doc (23 pts)
[19 Contests, 7 Times Charted, 2 Top Fives]

21) Dr. Phat Tony (22 pts) WINNER: Week 21
[14 Contests, 5 Times Charted, 2 Top Fives]

22) WG (22 pts)
[3 Contests, 4 Times Charted, 4 Top Fives]

23) Steve O (22 pts)
[9 Contests, 7 Times Charted, 2 Top Fives]

24) Will Franklin (20 pts)
[14 Contests, 9 Times Charted, 1 Top Five]

25) Songbird (18 pts)
[5 Contests, 8 Times Charted, 1 Top Five]

THE CONTENDERS

26) Edward (17 pts) WINNER: Week 7

27) Rob B. (16 pts) WINNER: Week 10

28) Bill W. (16 pts) WINNER: Week 9

29) bullwinkle (16 pts)

30) Laurence Simon (16 pts)

31) McGehee (16 pts)

32) Damian G. (15 pts) WINNER: Week 20

33) ILikeIke (15 pts) WINNER: Week 18

34) Brainster (14 pts) WINNER: Week 13

35) Mike (12 pts) WINNER: Week 11

36) Anna (12 pts)

37) JannyMae (11 pts) WINNER: Week 28

38) eeoowww (10 pts) WINNER: Week 24

39) peter (10 pts)

40) MFG (10 pts)

MORE FINE PLAYERS

9 Points

Gerry Owen
DaveD
Evan

7 Points

Sean P
PK
Mister Snitch!
Zsa Zsa

5 Points

DeanS
Lorie Byrd
oregano
dave
Axel Kassel

4 Points

bohemianlikeyou
Pam
joe-6-pack
Stew

3 Points

Laer
bill c
Crimsonfisted
Greg Toombs
Jeanette
opine6
Carl

2 Points

Stephen Johnson
GunnNutt
Walter Clark
Darrell
Ken
Ferdinand T. Cat
Mikey
John the Trog
piercello
Tony M
Emile Zola
DL
Algonquin
walrus
Dave Craddock
LongTabSigO
jimmyb

1 Point

BCL
Rurik
cahmd
Sgt Fluffy
Greg Finnegan
McCain
Chris Short
Pluto's Dad
Bob
Dave E
Greg (1)
serfer
COGirl

Previous CAP-HOGery...

Thru Contest #15
Thru Contest #20

[Next on the long-term to-do list, I think it might be about time for some more frequent flyer miles and that Anthology site, which still doesn't even show any of the fine work of Anna and T.M., is way overdue for an update. As time permits...]

Al Gore's Top Ten Signs ...

... that Arabs are being mistreated in America

10. When Al Gore grew his beard, the male population of America failed to follow suit.


9. "Guest Worker" program is not scheduled to include Arab males with a talent for beheading.

8. What's wrong with having an "addiction to oil?"

7. Tennessee barbecue is still routinely made with pulled pork.

6. The speaking fee for Gore is a lot lower here than in Saudi Arabia.

5. The death penalty is still routinely administered by lethal injection, instead of the standard hurling from roof of the courthouse.

4. Americans still giggle when they hear the word "falafel."

3. Pillsbury has not developed a new "Star & Crescent" roll.

2. In a standard deck of cards, "suicide kings" still shown with swords instead of bomb vests.

1. All this effort and Al Gore, needing that sick oil money, still hasn't been made a member of the Saudi royal family.

Captions Outrageous! [On Dangerous Ground Edition]

The above photo comes to us from Tullio Puglia/Reuters via Yahoo!

This contest will last approximately one week.

Good luck!

******************************

I not only like to host photo caption contests, I like to play them, too! Be certain to check out the latest contests at these great blogs...

WILLisms
Outside the Beltway
Random Numbers
GOP and the City
Wizbang!
Sine Qua Non Pundit
The Gone Rick Motel

A special treat for fans of 24...

Blogs 4 Bauer

And don't forget to check out the best caption blog in the business (where your suggestions are always welcome in the comments section, and can, if good enough, get promoted to the front page)...

Caption This!

******************************

MOST RECENT CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition
The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition
Surely You Jest Edition
And the Camel They Rode in on Edition
Chucky Squeeze Edition

******************************

COMING SOON: CAP-HOG STANDINGS UPDATE THROUGH WEEK #30

UPDATE 2/14:
IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! SO... WHERE DO YOU RANK???

******************************

This post is proudly featured in...

OTB CAPTION JAM
LUCKY DAWG NEWS

Thanks for the link!

Castle Argghhh!
Blogmeister USA

******************************

UPDATE 2/18:

This contest is now closed...

WINNERS ARE POSTED HERE!

New contest is HERE!

Thank you all for playing!

Captions Outrageous! Winners [Chucky Squeeze Edition]

Announcing the winners of the 30th ever Right Place Photo Caption Contest!

Thank you to one and all who participated!

NOTE: A number of the caption entries this time were repeats from contest #11, the Jeepers Veepers Edition. In an attempt to keep things fresh, those that were too close to the winning entries from the other contest were set aside in favor of newer ideas.

Presenting the top 15 captions for this picture from AP Photo/Charles Dharapak via Yahoo!





#15: "Senator Kerry, you know I hate it when you steal my doobie."

Rurik


#14: "Shrinkage..."

Carl


#13: "Sorry, phantom pimple."

V the K


#12: We can't really infer anything from the hand gesture... I mean, is he attempting to tell us the length, or width?

Son Of The Godfather


#11: Senator Schumer experiences just a little "agenda" envy.

Rodney Dill


#10: "Well, if you must know, Mr. Vice President, mine is only this big. Explains a lot, doesn't it?"

McGehee


#9: "I don't care if the camera is this small, I'm right there in front of it. You can take that to the bank, Judge."

T.M.


#8: "Sorry for the funny face, my distinguished collegues, but I'm currently passing a stone this size, and it hurts like a mother..."

Son Of The Godfather


#7: Without the handlebar mustache, Schumer's evil gesture loses some of it's impact.

Dr. Phat Tony


#6: "You are wise, Alito-san... But can you deal with the awesome fury that is... THE CLAW?!?"

Son Of The Godfather


#5: "Well, sure the Enzyte helped, but what the hell good is it if you're hung like this?"

Son Of The Godfather


#4: "Of course we Democrats care about National Security, Mr Attorney General. We care about it this much!"

Brainster


#3: "And the truth is, Democrats share this much in common with the middle class in America."

DeanS


#2: What has four eyes, a brain stem, a nose like a bottle opener, and mates with cameras?

D. Carter


And the winning entry for this Caption Contest...


#1: "This is the approximate length of the leash Move-On and George Soros is keeping us on these days."

V the K


Bravo! Bravo!

Encore! Encore!

Presenting:

Captions Outrageous! [On Dangerous Ground Edition]

Enjoy!


PREVIOUS PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS:

Oh, Thank Heaven for 7/11 Edition
Fickle Finger of Fate Edition
Things Are Looking Up Edition
Rage in the Cage Edition
Not So Mellow Fellow in Yellow Edition
The Beards and the Beads Edition
Weapons of Mash Destruction Edition
You're Al I Ever Wanted Edition
His Cup Runneth Over Edition
The Eyes Have It Edition
Jeepers Veepers Edition
Huggermugger Edition
Ear's to You Edition
Heavy Medal Edition
Village of the Damned Edition
White on Rice Edition
Sunny Side Up Edition
Absentee Mallet Edition
French Tickler Edition
In Through the Out Door Edition
Frankenstein Meets Godzilla Edition
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel Edition
Spirits of Christmas Present Edition
Dorito Bandito Edition
Shadow of His Former Self Edition
When the Saints Go Mouthing Off Edition
The Face That Sunk 1000 Ships Edition
Surely You Jest Edition
And the Camel They Rode in on Edition


******************************

COMING SOON: CAP-HOG STANDINGS UPDATE THROUGH WEEK #30

UPDATE 2/14:
IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! SO... WHERE DO YOU RANK???

******************************

Thanks for the link!

Lucky Dawg News

More Than One Way To Kill A Program

Yesterday's Washington Post carried an editorial as a lead in to the hearings on the NSA terrorist surveillance program. One excerpt, and the Post's interpretation, struck me as strange. See what you think.

The editorial, There Ought To Be A Law, points out that "al Qaeda certainly is aware that U.S. intelligence agencies monitor various forms of communications," then asks the question, "Given that, why does it make sense to decide -- even before trying -- that there's no way to update the law without tipping off terrorists?"

Well, the reason being given by AG Gonzales may be that the administration is worried about tipping off terrorists about the nature of the intercepts, but there may be another reason. Witness this paragraph:

Mr. Gonzales said in December that the administration "had discussions with members of Congress . . . about whether or not we could get an amendment to FISA, and we were advised that . . . was not something we could likely get, certainly not without jeopardizing the existence of the program, and therefore, killing the program." But lawmakers are routinely entrusted with highly classified information. If the administration is arguing that the law can't be rewritten with enough specificity without also revealing its details -- well, why not at least get behind closed doors with lawmakers and try?

The Post editors are assuming here that the issue was in possibly revealing the nature of a classified program. I don't think so. It appears to me, in reading Mr. Gonzales quote, that the administration was more worried about the politics of getting such legislation passed in the poisoned partisan atmosphere of Congress. They were concerned that the Democratic partisans would use the opportunity to kill a valuable security program rather than to make minor changes in the law to protect and continue it.

And what makes me think that Congress would let partisan politics kill a valuable national security program? This.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators, demanding increased protection of civil liberties, defied President George W. Bush on Friday by blocking renewal of the USA Patriot Act, a centerpiece of his war on terrorism.

A showdown bid to end debate and move to passage of renewal legislation fell eight votes short of the needed 60 in the 100-member Senate. The vote was 52-47, with a handful of Republicans joining most Democrats in a procedural roadblock.

Bush replied, "The senators who are filibustering the Patriot Act must stop their delaying tactics so that we are not without this critical law for even a single moment."