Diggapedia

1) According to the Center of Responsible Politics (oxymoron much?) $4Billion will be spent on the 2010 midterm elections, compared to $2.85Billion spent just four years ago.  Did you know you could buy every American a Big Mac and Fries for $4Billion?   At least the Big Mac and fries would be more stimulative. 2) Republicans are for lower taxes and spending cuts.  Really?  What an innovative detailed plan.  Not be outdone, I am for hot fudge sundaes and slinkies.  Both of these plans have the same thing in common:  no shit.  What are you going to cut?  That's the tough part, but I will give you some pointers:  raise retirement age, cut defense spending 5% over 5 years (in 2010 we will spend over $1Trillion), cut future medicare and social security benefits for anyone under 50, and tell every other department to expect spending rolled back to 2000 with the exception of education. 3) Tea Party activists are all about fr...

1) Paul the Psychic Octopus died Monday evening in his aquarium in Germany.  Paul became famous for his ability to pick World Cup Winners this past summer.  Sam the Squid is being called a cephalopod of interest.  Apparently Paul and Sam had their differences, and recently Paul had warned Sam to watch out or he'd end up: "A Calamari appetizer with banana peppers and marinara sauce." 2) Alexander Anderson Jr., the creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Dudley Do-Right passed away.  Boris, Natasha, and Snidely Whiplash were already seen wearing black.  Dudley Do-Right could not be reached at his winter home in the Florida Keys. 3) Judge Clarence Thomas and his wife Virginia have been in the news about Mrs. Thomas phone message to Anita Hill dredging up the old stories of porn, coke cans, and pubic hair.  The real scary part is Mrs. Thomas ties to The Tea Party and the fringe elements of the Republican Party such as Michelle Bachmann and Steve King....

Interesting slide show.  Clearly older and whiter with strong social conservative beliefs.  Mix in the Obama is a communist and we love Sarah and this is the TEA Party.  I will stay away from the Mad Hatter's get together. Faces of the Tea Party

1) Glenn Beck "I haven't seen a half-monkey, half-person yet. Did evolution just stop?"  He probably thinks the Flintstones is a documentary.  As long as Tea Baggers hang on every word he says, they remain a collection of simpletons.  Are we really reliving the Scopes Monkey Trial in 2010?  I bet Planet of the Apes must really confuse the Beckerhead. 2) Michael Steele, RNC Chairman, says he is fully in charge of the Republican party.  Really?  Reminds me of when Alfalfa was installed as President of the He-Man Women Haters Club, when in reality the power base was Spanky (Limbaugh), Porky (Beck), and Froggy (Rove). 3) Christine O'Donnell didn't know the separation clause is in the 1st Amendment.  Rick Santelli, CNBC, says that shouldn't matter because perhaps we should send less polished and educated people to Congress because they couldn't do worse.  Hey, I'm not saying Elphaba should memorize the Constitution, but for heaven's ...

1) Ever notice how much the Tea Party and those on the right talk about America as a Christian Nation and the faith of the founding fathers while espousing the greatness of the Constitution?  Do you know how many times the word God appears in the Constitution?  Zero! 2) NPR fired Juan Williams (Fox will  promote him) because he feels “worried” and “nervous” when he sees “people who are in Muslim garb” on a plane.  I get nervous when I see priests outside a daycare and camouflage-dressed, assault weapon carrying, Christians near federal buildings in the Midwest. 3) Colts injuries are mounting, could the 8 year playoff run end this year? 4) Do the Chinese get Jewish take out on their new year? 5) Is the rent too damn high?

I've identified source of bacterial infection: Hummus place in the Muslin Qtr of the old City of Jerusalem.  Clearly Arab plot to get the Jews out of East Jersualem.  Cindy, blond hair and green eyes, was obviously identified as a Gentile and spared.  I'm going back in December armed with Habanero Chile Paste.  This is war.

1) Michelle Bachmann (R-MN), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Ron Paul (R-TX), and John McCain (R-AZ) all voted against the stimulus and gone on campaigning that it was a failure, yet they all sent letters to Obama cabinet members asking for a piece of the pie. 2) Republican Ohio congressional candidate Rich Lott dresses in Nazi Waffen SS uniforms as part of re-enactments. 3) Meg Whitman, Republican gubernatorial candidate for California who, during the primary battle to win the GOP nomination spoke on the side of Arizona's anti-immigration bill.  Once she won the nomination she quickly did an about face and spoke about immigration reform to help secure the Latino vote in the general election.  Sounds whorish (venal or unscrupulous person) to me. 4) Carl Paladino, Republican gubernatorial candidate for New York, said that children should not be "brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option." 5) Ken Buck, Republican senatorial candida...

Random bacterial infection fever induced thoughts and opinions: 1) Why is the party that doesn't believe in climate change and evolution, and thinks homosexuality is a choice are the same clowns who want to eliminate the Department of Education? 2) Lot's people of said it was God's will that saved the Chilean miners.  Does that mean God loves Chilean miners more than the Sago and Upper Big Branch Miners? 3) When I listen to the debate between school chancellors and teachers' union officials I am struck by the fact the former talks about students, and the latter teachers. 4) I like Outsourced on NBC.  Don't want to go to India anytime soon, but the show does make me laugh.  That being said, nothing comes close to Modern Family. 5) New CPR guidelines eliminate the need for mouth-to-mouth; depending on the patient I reserve the right to still use it. 6) Expect unemployment numbers to spike in two weeks when the midterm elections come and go and these talkin...

I couldn't resist sharing this little nugget about my favorite Congresswoman: Michelle Bachmann.  Honestly, she could give Billy Bibbitt, Charlie Cheswick, Martini, and Sefelt a run for their money (gonna make you look it up).  I don't know what's more ridiculous: 1) She claims the ad is profane 2) She claims the ad is false 3) She claims it's a democratic conspiracy out to get her Total douchie score: 7 Bachmann's Crazy in Overdrive

Exhibit 1: Dumber than a Fig, Newt Gingrich loves to go on about how the Muslims having conquered   Cordoba, Spain established the city as the capital of the caliphate and subjected the Christians to the horrors of Sharia law in the 10 th century.   What Newt fails to tell us is the truth in that during the middle ages, Cordoba, Spain was the most progressive city in Europe with a population of 400,000 compared to Paris with a population of 38,000.   The great Mosque of Cordoba also had a library containing hundreds of thousands of volumes.   More importantly, Christians and Jews were allowed to practice their religions freely and self govern.   Meanwhile in the rest of Christian Europe, its citizens were having a blast with the Black Death, crimes of heresy, religious intolerance, witch dunking….in other words just like Monty Python and the Holy Grail.       Exhibit 2: In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.   I ...

I saw this quiz in the Jerusalem Post and tracked it down to NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.  Have to admit I failed the quiz badly, but honestly I am not disappointed by my score.  Why, you ask?  Because ethics, morality, and humanity, aren't about text they're about individual deeds.  Words, especially the words of others, are just words.  Like a company quality policy, it's only words; what matters is how the employee internalizes and personalizes the script.  More about that in other entry. This is why fundamentalists of all faiths are dangerous people and need to be in the open and checked.  This is why politicians who cherry pick certain verses are no better than snake oil salesmen.  This is why I am not interested in your text, I only care about your deeds. Take the quiz at the attached link, and if you score badly, know you are in good company. Cherry Picking Scripture

Why do I think Gingrich, Bauer, Demint, and the rest of the right will think: "Hey we ought to change out citizenship oath and make everybody swear to uphold and obey the constitution and the ten commandments because the USA is a Christian Nation.  I don't know why the right wing is so insecure they did this constant stroking.  It's not like Israel is suddenly going to become a Muslim country. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/10/israel-jewish-oath-new-citizens

Had to share this article I read in the Jerusalem Post about whether casings for Kosher Hot Dogs are indeed Kosher.  When I read that casings may be made from reconstituted collagen casings, produced from chemically treated animal skin including pig skin.  The kicker is that lawsuits are already pending from a religious Jew and Muslim on the grounds they were mislead about the 'kosherness' of the hot dog.  No comment from officials at Hebrew National. Is a Kosher Hot Dog Kosher?

Part 2 of the series focuses on the mix of religion and politics by the right or why the right is so wrong. Apparently Sharron Angle was feeling neglected like an older child after the arrival of the infantile broomstick commuting tax evader from Delaware.     But she’s got her game face back on.   She singled out Dearborn, Michigan (and its large Muslim community) and Frankford, Texas as cities in America that are in danger of falling under Sharia Law and not the Laws of the United States.   One of the many scary issues with her statement: Frankford, Texas ceased to exist in 1975 when it was annexed by Dallas.   Get that woman an Atlas. But I want to dig(gapedia) further.   Is she equally concerned about another Wolverine State city: Holland?   Holland, Michigan was founded by Calvinist Separatists and is the home of the Reformed Church in America.   It is the birthplace of Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater USA, now known as Xe.   So what?...

Thankfully the Phoenix New Times is one the few papers that actually performs investigative journalism.  Like we thought back in April, this deputy's shooting by alleged drug smugglers seemed too coincidental with Brewers floundering campaign, McCain's apparent weakness against Hayworth, and the need to get the public behind SB1070.  Now I am not claiming that the honorable senior senator from Arizona or the never-elected governor were in on the conspiracy.  What I am saying is if the story smells like s--t, it is s--t.  Sheriff Paul 'Mini Joe' Babeu is in over his head and now is doing what the exposed due, lash out at all those around them.  Too many questions remain unanswered: 1) Where are the shell casings? 2) Where is the round that struck deputy Puroll? 3) Why was he carrying his backpack?  It's called a backpack for a reason. 4) The massive manhunt afterward found now evidence of the smugglers. 5) DPS investigators were told to stand down. 6) ...

Waiting to see how the Supreme Court rules in the case of the heinous church that protests at the funerals of our dead servicemen under the protection of the 1st Amendment.  Ultimately does the 1st Amendment extend protection to funerals?  Should SCOTUS even have agreed to hear the case?

Lots has been said about the attraction to the Tea Party and what's so good about its grass roots, populist, anti-establishment DNA.  In the first of several installments (hmmm sounds so 20/20 like) let me explain the why the Lipton Loons are not for me. Michele Bachmann;  The goofy gopher has flown under the radar thanks to the abstinent witch, but she still is a good source of material.  At the Voters Values Summit in DC a few weeks back she threw out the old shout out to Thomas Jefferson for writing the Tea Party's mission statement about all men being created equal.  Did she look around at her fellow social conservatives and notice the lack of minorities, gays, and lesbians?  Or how TJ himself wasn't the role model of morality that she wishes? Social Conservative: Yep, not for me.  Wake up and realize that Mr. Peabody and Sherman can't take you back to the 1950's before Roe V. Wade, civil rights act, and gays in the military.  I think Exclusive...

I think if this Israel trip is going to be a regular thing I know what I will be getting for Hanukkah: Rosetta Stone for Hebrew.  Especially if Cindy will be accompanying me.  My biggest fear with that product is they used Michael Phelps as a product spokesman.  Does it come with Rosetta Tutor?  Michael Phelps was using to learn Mandarin.  Perhaps he should stick with English.

With all due respect to CNN, MSNBC, Fox, and the network news teams, you guys should stick to Lohan, boo-gate, and Tom Brady's locks because you guys are missing the boat on the international landscape.  Here are some facts you may not be aware of: 1) A brand new Jewish school has opened in Azerbaijan, an Islamic country formed out of the break up of the Soviet Union.  Azerbaijan has more in common ethnically with Iran than any other country in the world, yet since it's inception in 1991 has had normal relations with Israel, as have all of the Muslim nations formed from the Soviet breakup. 2) Israel has been too heavy handed with the inhabitants of Gaza.  Security is one thing, but they have punished the citizens too harshly.  That being said, with the increased flow of materials and aid into Gaza, a burgeoning night life and social scene was developing.  Unfortunately, it was crushed, not by Israeli embargo, but by the al-Qassam Brigade, the Hamas mili...

Needless to say this is stunning, disgusting, and worthy of a WTF.  I guess the upside of the Bell, California corruption becoming public knowledge is we have watch groups stepping out go after these crooks.  While everyone complains about the federal government, people need not look beyond their own towns, cities, and counties.  Sadly, it is likely that in most cases there was no illegality.  Legality or morality.  I remember a very wise man explaining ethics to me as follows: If the story came out would you: 1) Be able to honestly tell your children at the dinner table you were right? 2) Would you be embarrassed if the story was on the front page of the newspaper? 3) Would you want it mentioned in your eulogy? Finally, I end with Greenspan's quote "'It is not that humans have become any more greedy than in generations past. It is that the avenues to express greed had grown so enormously.''   A sign of the times. http://redtape.msnbc...

I would also add: Getting wrapped around the axle Change the culture Value-added and Non-value added Pass the sniff test What's the process? While we were wrapped around the axle trying to eliminate waste and nonvalue added processes, the culture change didn't pass the sniff test because the process map lacked key performance metrics. http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/110905/avoid-these-office-buzzwords?mod=career-salary_negotiation

Placing lap top on your lap for frequent or extended periods could cause a mottled skin condition.  One question:  Why the hell are they called lap tops? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39490660/ns/health-more_health_news/

To answer that question (I have heard the Passover Haggadah is considering adding it as the sixth Seder question): It is the combination of Diggaduh and Ericapedia.  Diggaduh was what my nephew Jake called me when he was toddler.  Origin unknown though some think it may be ancient Sumerian, Ericapedia is what our dear friend Cathy calls me probably due to my ability to remember the most trivial matters.  A talent that is only worthwhile for certain game shows and parties. And now you have been Paul Harvey'ed.

It seems those industrious drug dealers in Mexico aren't going to be deterred by the John McCain and Paul Babeu 'Build the Dang Fence' promotion.  These guys have gone all Great Escape on us and started bringing the drugs over via tunnels.  Once again proving that the concept of a static fence will work as well as the French Maginot Line in 1940.  Now here are some radical ideas:  Legalize Marijuana and stop the flow of illegal arms FROM the US to Mexico, don't alienate immigrants as they will be your best source of intelligence. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39482542/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/

Hey Meg, if you want to be governor you have to take responsibility for your actions.  Top five things that come to mind: 1) Did she find the housekeeper on Ebay or Craigslist? 2) If you spend $120Million to be governor, I am not sure I want you responsible for my state's budget. 3) Grey Davis is saying "Damn I could even win this election". 4) Carly Fiorina just may not be the worst Republican on the November Ticket. 5) If she is the best of the Whitman Sampler, I'll stick with Fanny Farmer. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39471111/ns/politics/

Go to Mediate.com to hear the entire rant.  Fact is Sanchez is a buffoon and is often mocked by Stewart (not nearly as much as Beck).  He made it personal and couldn't stop himself from going into Mel Gibson mode.  Adios Ricky. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39464138/ns/today-entertainment/

That's it, Brewer, Pearce, Kyl, Babeu, and McCain are right; our border is a sieve.  Did you know that citizens from our international neighbor are buying up homes in the greater Phoenix area faster than investors from California?  Heck they're even flying this foreign flag in certain communities.  And guess what?  I am not talking about Mexicans, it's those sneaky SOB's from Canada.  That's right Canadians, Les Habitants.  Before you know it there will be Tim Horton's where Starbucks used to be, our vending machines will all be jammed up with Loonies, you won't be able to find Oscar Meyer Bacon in Safeway, just that fake Canadian stuff, and before you know it they'll be playing hockey in Phoenix.  Huh?  Phoenix Coyotes?  Never heard of them.

This morning I discovered a good portion of one of our Palo Verdes had come apart from the trunk.  This marks the 4th tree issue we have had. I think it's time I go to Israel and claim the trees my parents bought in the 70's as part of the Tu Bishvat 'plant a tree in Israel' drive I remember from Hebrew School.

Rahm Emanuel steps down this morning as Obama's Chief of Staff.  Known for his in your face style, he was also nicknamed the Prince of Profanity. So I have been trying out the following: Sultan of Swears Bishop of Blasphemy Duke of Dirty Words