More Silly English Lads II

Those Brits are up to their usual frollicking about. The Telegraph reports this story. There are no pictures, but this fine painting of Hypatia by Charles William Mitchell hangs in the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Civil servants 'jumped naked off filing cabinets'
By Paul Stokes
(Filed: 13/06/2006)

Staff at a government agency office have been reported leaping naked from filing cabinets and carrying out stomach-churning pranks.

Civil servants are said to have had sex in the lavatories, taken drugs, used foul language, brawled in the reception area and held break-dancing contests in working hours.

Some of the goings-on at the Rural Payments Agency, a branch of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in Lancaster House, Newcastle upon Tyne, are believed to have been captured on CCTV.

One person has already been dismissed and disciplinary proceedings against others are under way.

An investigation was begun after an internal memo was sent to managers by staff sickened by the behaviour.

It stated: "I'm appalled at the level of depravity that is being tolerated at my work place." The authors refer to "sick, shocking and obscene behaviour" and identify specific problems.

They wrote: "We have particular concerns about the activities that have been going on and which have been photographed.

"Although the staff obviously feels it is a great laugh, by anyone's standards in the workplace setting this represents misconduct and may not be allowed to go unchallenged.

"Activities have been captured on official cameras. Specifically 'these activities' refers to leaping from cabinet to cabinet in underwear and believe it or not - but the evidence exists - naked.

"There is an horrific new craze of vomiting into official cups and leaving the cups to fester in cupboards until discovered through the horrendous smell. There is a list of shocking and awful acts in work time including sex in the toilets, drug-taking and swearing is rife" ...

Hurrah for us - we're now screwing up the mesosphere!

We are pumping matter into the mesosphere. We have now succeded in producing so much pollution in the troposphere that, not only is percolating in large quantity up into the stratosphere, it is now climbing up into the mesosphere!




According to NASA, there are

Strange Clouds

Astronauts onboard the International Space Station have been observing electric blue "noctilucent" clouds from Earth-orbit.

STRANGE CLOUDS

On June 10th, another wave of electric-blue noctilucent clouds spread across northern Europe.
"This is my first sighting of these beautiful clouds," says
Alan C. Tough of Elgin, Moray, Scotland. "Well worth the wait!"

Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) are a mystery. They float through the outer reaches of Earth's atmosphere at the very edge of space. Some scientists think the clouds are seeded by space dust and fed by rocket exhaust. Others suspect they're a sign of global warming. Later this year, NASA plans to launch a satellite named AIM to investigate. Want to see them yourself? Look west after sunset for sinuous, blue-glowing ripples in the sky.

The North East Noctilucent Cloud Observers Group gives this explanation of the phenomenon:

Noctilucent Clouds or NLC are visible during the summer months of each hemisphere, mid-May to mid-August in the Northern Hemisphere and mid-November to mid-February in the Southern Hemisphere but only from a specific latitudinal zone. This zone is 50-65° North or South, with 57° being the best latitude to observe NLC from. June and July and December and January are the best months to observe NLC for each respective hemisphere. These zones are a compromise. South of 50° and the sky is too dark, due to the sun being more than 12° below the horizon (astronomical twilight) and north of 65° and the sky is too light as the sun is less than 6° below the horizon (civil twilight). NLC are so optically thin that they scatter less than 1 part in 1000 of light incident upon them. Hence the sky is too bright to observe them during civil twilight. At the end of civil twilight the clouds become visible as sky brightness has decreased by a factor of several hundred. In the specific latitudinal zone the sun stays between 6-12° below the horizon most of the night (nautical twilight). Consequently the sky is dark enough to observe NLC. The low angle of the sun below the horizon also allow the high altitudes at which the NLC reside to be in direct sunlight. Therefore NLC are visible due to reflected sunlight and do not generate any light of their own.

Pekka Parviainen has taken photographs of NLCs for decades.

Here is one of them:

NASA will soon investigate these clouds with the AIM Mission.

Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere

The AIM satellite mission will explore Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs), also called noctilucent clouds, to find out why they form and why they are changing. Results from this mission will provide the basis for study of long-term variability in the mesospheric climate.

SCIENCE GOAL

The overall goal of the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) experiment is to resolve why Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) form and why they vary. By measuring PMCs and the thermal, chemical and dynamical environment in which they form, we will quantify the connection between these clouds and the meteorology of the polar mesosphere. In the end, this will provide the basis for study of longterm variability in the mesospheric climate and its relationship to global change.

The results of AIM will be a rigorous validation of predictive models that can reliably use past PMC changes and present trends as indicators of global change. This goal will be achieved by measuring PMC abundances, spatial distribution, particle size distributions, gravity wave activity, cosmic dust influx to the atmosphere and precise, vertical profile measurements of temperature, H2O, OH, CH4, O3, CO2, NO, and aerosols. These data can be obtained only by a complement of instruments on an orbiting spacecraft because of the need for global coverage and because extinction and foreground emissions compromise optical sensing from the ground.

NASA Facts: AIM Fact

Beer - Woohoo!

This appeared in the Globe. Here's the citation in Cancer Letters:

Cancer Lett. 2006 Mar 22; [Epub ahead of print]

Xanthohumol, a prenylflavonoid derived from hops induces apoptosis and inhibits NF-kappaB activation in prostate epithelial cells.

Colgate EC, Miranda CL, Stevens JF, Bray TM, Ho E.

Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.

Beer ingredient may fight prostate cancer

June 12, 2006

CORVALLIS, Ore. --
A main ingredient in beer may help prevent prostate cancer and enlargement, according to a new study. But researchers say don't rush out to stock the refrigerator because the ingredient is present in such small amounts that a person would have to drink more than 17 beers to benefit.

Oregon State University researchers say the compound xanthohumol, found in hops, inhibits a specific protein in the cells along the surface of the prostate gland.

The protein acts like a signal switch that turns on a variety of animal and human cancers, including prostate cancer.

Cancer typically results from uncontrolled cell reproduction and growth. Xanthohumol belongs to a group of plant compounds called flavonoids, which can trigger the programmed cell death that controls growth, researchers say.

Xanthohumol was first discovered in hops in 1913, but its health effects were not known until about 10 years ago, when it was first studied by Fred Stevens, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at OSU's College of Pharmacy.

Last fall, Stevens published an update on xanthohumol in the journal Phytochemistry that drew international attention.

Stevens says it possible for drug companies to develop pills containing concentrated doses of the flavonoid found in the hops used to brew beer.

He also says researchers could work to increase the xanthohumol content of hops.

There are already a number of food supplements on the market containing hops, and scientists in Germany have developed a beer that contains 10 times the amount of xanthohumol as traditional brews. The drink is being marketed as a healthy beer, but research is still under way to determine if it has any effect against cancer.

The latest Oregon State University research was published in a recent issue of Cancer Letters.

The Utah approach to World Naked Bike Ride

This comes from The Spectrum in Cedar City, published on June 10, 2006, World Naked Bike Ride day.

Woman caught with pants down at Cedar market
By RYAN DIONNE
rdionne@thespectrum.com

CEDAR CITY - Police responded Thursday morning to a report of a woman exposing herself inside Lin's Market Place.

The 28-year-old woman allegedly was in the store with her pants around her ankles and not wearing any underwear.

At first she was riding a motorized cart, so other customers didn't notice anything unusual. But occasionally, when standing, she would bend over to look at items on the shelf, allegedly exposing her buttocks.

The woman reportedly told police she arrived in Cedar City with the circus but was left behind. She was cited for lewdness.

World Naked Bike Ride

Today is World Naked Bike Ride. 76 Cities in the Northern Hemisphere, including Portland and Eugene. But The Telegraph reports that Brighton is being stubborn.

Naked cyclists forced to cover up
(Filed: 10/06/2006)

Naked cyclists taking part in a global one-day protest against the supremacy of the car have been forced to cover up in Brighton for fear of arrest.

World Naked Bike Ride day is being celebrated in London, Manchester, York and Brighton to promote sustainable transport...

Nick Sayers, Brighton & Hove co-ordinator for the event, said: "The threat of arrest is bizarre. Like neighbouring London, Brighton is supposed to be a cosmopolitan, forward-thinking city.

"However, it seems the attitude of the authorities here is still that of a provincial, prudish backwater..."

Bus plunge !

From the Irish Independent:

54 people dead after bus plunges off bridge in Tanzania

16:56 Friday June 9th 2006
A bus has plunged off a bridge in Tanzania killing fifty-four people.

Local police in the African country say the bus was overloaded, but it's unclear what caused the tragedy.

Previously:
Mexican tourist bus plunges off cliff
Bus Plunge

Owens Corning settles lawsuits

From the bOregonian. I love the last line, quoting Mark Riskedahl, the executive director of the Northwest Environmental Defense Center:

"This is a big, multinational company, and they should have known better."

See the Owens Corning web page at NEDC for more information.

School, groups benefit in Owens deal
Insulation - Rather than face federal fines, the company will spend on classrooms and renewable energy
Friday, June 09, 2006
MICHAEL MILSTEIN
The Oregonian

Portland Public Schools and alternative energy groups came out the unlikely winners Thursday after Owens Corning officially abandoned its attempt to use an ozone-damaging greenhouse gas at an insulation plant in Gresham.

The company faced possible fines after conservation groups filed a lawsuit accusing it of starting construction of the plant without a permit. Instead of fighting the case and risking the fines, the company settled with the groups by agreeing to spend $300,000 on a low-energy classroom at Portland's da Vinci Arts Middle School and other renewable energy initiatives.

The groups see the contributions as a positive outcome because they provide local benefits, while fines would have gone to the federal treasury, said Mark Riskedahl of the Northwest Environmental Defense Center.

"It's sort of a win-win for everybody," he said.

Ohio-based Owens Corning also agreed never to manufacture insulation in Oregon using the controversial gas HCFC-142b or others known to damage Earth's protective ozone layer ...

Homeland security T-shirt

I need this t shirt (designed by Colleen Lloyd). West Wind World has them.

6/6/6

There is no Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia in Shanghai.

Here's more from Wikipedia:

Prominent hexakosioihexekontahexaphobes include the late Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan. In 1989, when they moved to the former president's final home in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles, they had the address of 666 St. Cloud Road changed to 668.

The late Johnny Carson was probably not hexakosioihexekontahexaphobic because this address had earlier been his home.

The Icelandic Phallological Museum

The Icelandic Phallological Museum in Husavik, Iceland is the only museum of its kind. It is entirely devoted to the study of the penis.

There is a modest (so to speak) collection of online images, as well as information about the museum's hours ( send e-mail to phallus@mh.is ). In addition, the museum catalogue is available online.

The museum also maintains a list of "honorary members". These outstanding contributors fall (rise?) into four categories:


Fjöldi gildra heiðurslima : 92 Total Number of Honorary Members

F =	FHL =	Full-Gildir Heiðurslimir	- Donors of genuine, phallic pieces
A =	AHL =	All-Gildir Heiðurslimir	- Donors of extra things, a work of art, etc. and other true benefactors of the Institute
G =	GGL =	Gildir Gervilimir	- Pseudomember, having shown special interest in the works and development of the Institute
Ó =	ÓGL =	Ógildir Limir	- Expelled members

Take note of the categories "Pseudomember" and "Expelled member", neither of which sounds personally appealing.

As if there weren't enough doctor jokes...

Discovered in the comments over at The Washington Note (one of the finer inside-DC blogs around, if you're not familiar with it):

So theres three doctors enjoying a toddy or two at the local dive.....

The first doctor, wanting to toot his own horn, pipes up.......

"Hey, I got a note from an ex-patient of mine yesterday. Poor bloke, ran his hand through a tablesaw at work a few years ago. Wacked off all five digits on his right hand. In surgery forty two hours, but we got it put back together. I'll be damned if he isn't a concert violist now".

Not to be outdone, the second doctor immediately chimes in......

"Well, I had a patient a couple years back, a gawdawful motorcycle wreck it was. Guy lost his right arm, and broke his leg in fifteen different spots. It was a damned tedious surgery, but my team managed to get it right, and the guy is now playing on the pro-tennis circuit."

Snorting, the third doctor jumps in with distain.........

"Child's play. Hell, in my rural practice we perform such miracles durned near daily. My most memorable surgery, however, was some God damned idiot that tried to ride his horse acrost a train trestle. Christ, all the ambulance brought us was a barely breathing torso and a garbage can full of parts....hell, there was even a cowboy hat and a horse's ass in the mix. But hey, we put the ignorant hick back together, pulled him through, and I'll be a son of a bitch if he didn't actually become the President of the United States."

Dubya in the doghouse?

We here at the Onymous Guy are proud to follow in the footsteps of the Grey Lady herself, delivering the latest in salacious gossip regarding our elected leaders. From Daily Kos and Randi Rhodes:

At the same time Dumbya is touting the Marriage Protection Amendment, it's being reported that Pickles is/has been staying at a Washington, DC hotel after a confrontation with her husband over his ongoing affair with Condoleeza Rice. Yep, you (might have) heard it here first. I'd be laughing my ass off if I wasn't desperately trying not to hurl my breakfast at the bare (no pun intended) thought of the two of them doing the horizontal cha-cha. I mean, really -- at least Monica was young and had good teeth, and at least Bill didn't look like a chimpanzee.

Generic name for a drug

This may have been around for a while, but I must have missed it. A friend in the Willamette Valley sent it to me.

In Pharmacology, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic name. For example, the trade name of Tylenol also has a generic name of Acetaminophen. Aleve is also called Naproxen. Amoxil is also call Amoxicillin and Advil is also called Ibuprofen.

The FDA has been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful consideration by a team of government experts, it recently announced that it has settled on the generic name of Mycoxafloppin. Also considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and of course, Ibepokin.

Pfizer Corp. announced today that Viagra will soon be available in liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one. Obviously we can no longer call this a soft drink, and it gives new meaning to the names of "cocktails", "highballs" and just a good old-fashioned "stiff drink". Pepsi will market the new concoction by the name of: MOUNT & DO.

Thought for the day: There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra today than on Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2040, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them.

Republicans say the darndest things, or, who is that bigamist?

The San Diego Union Tribune has this item

2006 VOTE: U.S. CONGRESS
Documents show issues with wives, child support

By Caitlin Rother
STAFF WRITER

June 2, 2006

Republican Jim Galley, who is running for Congress as a “pro-traditional family” candidate, was married to two women at the same time, defaulted on his child support payments and has been accused of abuse by one of his ex-wives.

EPA beseiged by pesticide interests

The Raw Story reports that

EPA scientists say agency is 'besieged' by pesticide interests

We know why as we reported earlier from the London Free Press

Pesticides may affect penis size

Dumbest Thing Ever Heard Outside the Oval Office

You can't make it up reports that she heard this on the subway.

"Whatever, that Amish boy totally lied, because he said it was a dwarf rabbit, and it grew up to be a full grown cat."

The Global War on Truth

"Fortunately, the insurgency is in its last throes." (Darth Cheney, May 31, 2005)

"A bunch of dead-enders" (Reichsmarshal Rumsfeld, November 25, 2003 )
Here is a bit of irony. That is the Bush twins' birthday. They were 22.

Tom Tomorrow sez "Abu-Ghraib -- secret prisons -- warrantless wiretaps -- torture -- these stories serve only to provide aid and comfort to the enemies -- of this administration!

Tom Tomorrow rocks! The archive is here.

Wurst President III - The Biggest Lawbreaker and Darth Cheney

Charlie Savage of the Boston Globe does it again with this report about who is behind the "signing statements" and unprecendented breaking of laws passed by Congress.

Cheney aide is screening legislation

Adviser seeks to protect Bush power

By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff | May 28, 2006

WASHINGTON -- The office of Vice President Dick Cheney routinely reviews pieces of legislation before they reach the president's desk, searching for provisions that Cheney believes would infringe on presidential power, according to former White House and Justice Department officials.

The officials said Cheney's legal adviser and chief of staff, David Addington , is the Bush administration's leading architect of the ``signing statements" the president has appended to more than 750 laws.

And so the dictatorship strengthens its grip.

previous stories:
Wurst President II - The Biggest Lawbreaker
Wurst President

Congressional Doh! boy

Wonkette rocks!

You: Arizonia congressman J.D. Hayworth.
Your goal: Get reelected.

So you send out this mass mailing:

Which is great, right?

Sure! Until your opponent sends out a press release pointing out that you are a congressman from Arizona, and this is very clearly a gigantic picture of California.

And you would be correct if you guessed that Mr. Hayworth is a Republican!

The Pillsbury Doh! boy

The Chron reports this bit of Schadenfreude from Minnesota. The bible student not only made 30+ calls to phone sex lines, he first stole his roommate's credit card.

Bible Student Charged in Phone Sex Case.
-
Tuesday, May 23, 2006

(05-23) 15:32 PDT Owatonna, Minn. (AP) --

A student at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College was charged in the theft of his roommate's debit card, which was used to pay for more than $2,300 worth of calls to phone sex lines, prosecutors allege in court papers.

Shane Erin Mack, 20, of Belt, Mont., was charged with the gross misdemeanors of identity theft and theft by false representation. He made his first court appearance on Monday. Bail was set at $2,500. He remained in jail Tuesday afternoon.

Steele County prosecutor Scott Schrener said investigators only had documentation in hand for about $500 worth of calls, but the victim reported that $2,350 worth of calls had been made. Schrener said the criminal charges could be upgraded in the future.

The calls were made from March 23 to May 13, according to court papers.

Mack allegedly told investigators he admitted taking the debit card out of his roommate's wallet and using it to make up to 30 calls to adult phone lines from public phones on campus, the criminal complaint said.

College spokesman Tom Lawson said Mack would not be allowed to return to the school when classes resume in the fall. According to the college Web site, the college offers a Christian "education program which imparts a biblical worldview."

A call to the public defender who represented Mack in court on Monday was not immediately returned.

Mack's next court appearance was scheduled for June 1.

Doh! at WaPo

I have no idea how long this headline will persist at WaPo.

House Bill Considers Pets in Disater Plans

By JIM ABRAMS

The Associated Press
Monday, May 22, 2006; 5:38 PM

WASHINGTON -- A television shot of a little boy losing his dog during Katrina rescue operations was the catalyst for a House vote Monday on legislation requiring pets to be considered in future emergency preparedness plans...

Are You experiencing deja écouté (Part II)?

WaPo reports that

Bush Says Iraq War at 'Turning Point'

Do you have the odd feeling that you've heard it before? So does Martini Republic.

President George W. Bush, yesterday, May 1, 2006:

A new Iraqi government represents a strategic opportunity for America — and the whole world, for that matter. . . . This is a — we believe this is a turning point for the Iraqi citizens, and it’s a new chapter in our partnership.

Vice President Dick Cheney, December 18, 2005:

It’s an Iraqi government elected by Iraqis under a constitution written by Iraqis. . . . I do believe that when we look back on this period of time, 2005 will have been the turning point . . .

President George W. Bush, December 12, 2005:

It’s a remarkable transformation for a country that has virtually no experience with democracy, and which is struggling to overcome the legacy of one of the worst tyrannies the world has known . . . . There’s still a lot of difficult work to be done in Iraq, but thanks to the courage of the Iraqi people, the year 2005 will be recorded as a turning point in the history of Iraq.

President Addresses Nation, Discusses Iraq, War on Terror, June 28, 2005:

When the history of this period is written. . . . the liberation of Iraq will be remembered as great turning points in the story of freedom.

Mrs. Bush’s Remarks at Conference of Women Leaders, March 8, 2005:

People in the Middle East and commentators around the world are beginning to wonder whether recent elections may mark a turning point as significant as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Press Briefing by Scott McClellan, January 31, 2005:

The election is a victory for the Iraqi people. It’s a significant step forward for freedom and it is a defeat for the terrorists and their ideology. It marks a turning point in Iraq’s history and a great advance toward a brighter future for all Iraqis

President George W. Bush, January 29, 2005:

Tomorrow the world will witness a turning point in the history of Iraq, a milestone in the advance of freedom, and a crucial advance in the war on terror. The Iraqi people will make their way to polling centers across their nation.

President’s Remarks in Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 30, 2004:

Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell. America and the world are safer. . . . When it comes to fighting the threats of our world and spreading peace, we’re turning the corner and we’re not turning back.

President Bush, June 18, 2004:

A turning point will come in less than two weeks. On June the 30th, full sovereignty will be transferred to the interim government.

Remarks by the President to Military Personnel, June 16, 2004:

A turning point will come two weeks from today. On June the 30th, governing authority will be transferred to a fully sovereign interim government, the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist, an American embassy will open in Baghdad.

Remarks by the President on Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 19, 2004:

Today, as Iraqis join the free peoples of the world, we mark a turning point for the Middle East, and a crucial advance for human liberty.

President Bush Discusses Freedom in Iraq and Middle East, November 6, 2003:

We’ve reached another great turning point – and the resolve we show will shape the next stage of the world democratic movement.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, June 12, 2003:

The events of the last few months make clear that the Middle East is living through a time of great change. And despite the tragic events of the past few days, it is also a time of great hope. President Bush believes that the region is at a true turning point.

Republicans say the darndest things, or, Ken Starr's Successor Is Busted for Stalking

The New York Post reports (their headline is ever so tasteful "Stalker Rap vs. Bubba Prober")

The former prosecutor who negotiated the deal that kept President Bill Clinton from being indicted in the probe of his sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky has been charged with stalking an ex-girlfriend, a law enforcement official said.

Robert Ray surrendered to cops last night after Manhattan resident Tracy Loughlin, 40, filed a complaint.

"She tried to end it four months ago, but he kept calling her, sending her e-mails and showing up at places he knew she would be," the official said.

Ray, 46, was charged with fourth-degree stalking, given a desk-appearance ticket and freed.

Loughlin, a shapely redhead who works in magazine promotions, was in the news in January 2005 when she jumped into the East River to save her dog, Cho.

A group of concerned strangers then pitched in to help haul both to safety.

Ray succeeded Independent Counsel Ken Starr in the probe of the Clintons' failed Whitewater real estate investment. President Clinton also had faced possible perjury and obstruction of justice charges over his affair with Lewinsky.

Ray is now in private practice and lives in Long Branch, N.J.

Republicans say the darndest things, or what's new on the Grand Old Police Blotter?

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that KY Governor Ernie Fletcher is going to be a future guest of the governor! Will he soon say that he wants to spend more time with his family? I love that phrase from Atrios, Grand Old Police Blotter. My guess is we will see the blotter grow pretty long. I like the sentiments underlying this sentence:

Those indictments cover crimes that may have occurred before Aug. 29, 2005 when Fletcher pardoned all administration officials except himself.

The article fails to mention that the governor and his pardoned pals are all Republican - but you knew that already, didn't you!

Grand jury indicts Gov. Ernie Fletcher

By Ryan Alessi
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

The special grand jury that’s been investigating state government hiring practices today indicted Gov. Ernie Fletcher on three misdemeanor charges of conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination.

The jury also indicted former transportation Cabinet official Sam Beverage for perjury, which is a felony. And the jury also submitted to Franklin Circuit Judge William Graham 14 more indictments that are under seal.

Those indictments cover crimes that may have occurred before Aug. 29, 2005 when Fletcher pardoned all administration officials except himself.

Owens Corning Withdraws Air Quality Permit Application

This was posted at Oregon Department of Environmental Quality today:

Owens Corning Withdraws Air Quality Permit Application for Proposed Insulation Plant in Gresham

Owens Corning has notified the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that it is withdrawing its air quality permit application for a proposed polystyrene foam board insulation plant at 18456 NE Wilkes Road in Gresham.

The permit application was for a plant that would use and emit HCFC-142b, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon blowing agent classified by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an ozone-depleting substance and a greenhouse gas.

In the notification letter DEQ received, Owens Corning states that the company is not interested in constructing the facility as described in the air quality permit application at this time.

“If Owens Corning reapplies, DEQ will provide a public review process for that new application,” said DEQ NW Region Administrator Dick Pedersen.

HCFC-142b is regulated under Title VI of the federal Clean Air Act. EPA regulations prohibit construction of new equipment that will emit HCFC-142b and prohibit manufacturing and importing HCFC-142b after Jan., 1, 2010.

A word about Texas cuisine from Tom Tomorrow

Tom Tomorrow nails it! (archived version is HERE)

More British Pissheads

I keep picking on them, but I kid the British.

The latest news is that 10 players for Tottenham Hotspur, a football club, were laid ill following a meal at their Canary Wharf hotel over the weekend. This caused them to lose badly to West Ham (the team featured in Green Street Hooligans) yesterday. This is big, as it potentially means the team could be denied a spot in the Champions League. As this article details, negotiations between the team and the league were frantic, with the team trying to get the game pushed back 24 hours. 2 hours was the best the league said they could do. The reason?

Frantic negotiations took place between league officials, Tottenham's management and medical staff and the police. The latter said the kick-off could be delayed until 5pm, but no later, because of concerns about public order if fans had been drinking all day.

God bless English fans.

I am shocked, shocked to find that boffing is going on in here!

This LA Times headline could appear only in BushWorld.

Many Youths Disregard Their Virginity Pledges, Harvard Study Says

Let's see. There's Sleepy, Sneezy, Armand, Luis, Dopey, Angel... Who am I Missing?

The Malaya News reports

Judge who says he has dwarves for pals sacked
BY EVANGELINE DE VERA

A MALABON regional trial court judge who claims to have psychic powers and dwarves as friends has been relieved by the Supreme Court for being mentally unfit.

In a 72-page decision penned by Associate Justice Minita Chico-Nazario, the tribunal unanimously found Judge Florentino Floro, presiding judge of Malabon RTC-branch 73, guilty of seven of 13 administrative charges lodged by the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA)...

Floro admitted he believes in "psychic visions" of foreseeing the future and confessed to having made a covenant with his "dwarf friends" whom he named as "Armand," "Luis," and "Angel," the OCA said.

He also admitted conducting healing sessions in his chamber during his break time, while boasting of his ability to write while in a trance and to be in two places at the same time, which he claimed can be attested to by some people.

Driving in Tokyo

Somehow nobody was injured yesterday when a car rolled down the stairs of a subway exit in Tokyo. My favorite bit: "The driver of the car was intoxicated, according to police."

Republicans say the darndest things, or, Did Porter Get his Pecker caught In Pokergate?

georgia10 has the word at Kos. georgia10 rocks!

CIA Director Porter Goss Resigns

by georgia10

Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:11:16 AM PDT

This isn't part of some White House shake-up. This is a scandal-plagued Bush appointee resigning just as an investigation into another Republican corruption scandal hits too close to home.

Former Republican lawmaker and current CIA Director Porter Goss's name has surfaced time and time again in the Republican bribe scheme, which began with a focus on disgraced Republican Congressman Duke Cunningham and his Republican lobbyists (hmm, do I think I mentioned "Republican" enough in that sentence?).

It is Goss's hand-picked #3 man at the CIA, Kyle "Dusty" Foggo who is under serious investigation in connection with a massive bribery scheme that touches on sweetheart deals, million dollar contracts, and yes, even hookers.

I want to read that Porter Goss "wants to spend more time with his family".

An excellent question: who is that asshat driving?

Heather B. reports

Well last evening, I drove home from work because I had to babysit. And while I was driving I happened upon a very nice convertible Lexus, attempting to parallel park in a very tiny spot, in which said Lexus wouldn’t have fit in the first place, but whatever. The driver hit the car in front and then the car behind multiple times over. While this was happening, I laughed and watched in awe and then lamented on the fact that there are so many brilliant people in DC and they all drive for shit (present company included). As I get closer to the offending Lexus, I spot a 'Harris for Senate' bumper sticker on the back, which caused more eye rolling (it just happens, I swear.) And when I went past the car and turned to see who the asshat driving?

Wonkette reveals the answer.

I want to hear "Why me? Why me?"

WaPo reports "breaking news":

Skating Scandal Made Into Opera

By JIMMY GOLEN

The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 2, 2006; 10:09 AM

MEDFORD, Mass. -- When Tufts music student Abigail Al-Doory sought inspiration for her opera, she looked not to Wagner's "Ring" cycle but to the Olympic rings, where themes like power, envy and greed are plentiful.

In "Tonya and Nancy: The Opera," Al-Doory provides 18 movements on the scandal that turned the once-dainty sport of figure skating into a soap opera of whacking, wailing and time spent in jail... (more at the Post)

This will turn most Republicans into environmentalists

From the London Free Press

Pesticides may affect penis size

A renowned U.S. scientist supports a ban on the chemicals for cosmetic purposes.
By JOHN MINER, FREE PRESS HEALTH REPORTER

A renowned U.S. scientist who has documented fertility and sex changes -- including decreasing penis size -- due to environmental contamination says he wouldn't apply pesticides on his own lawn.

Delivering a special series of lectures this week at the University of Western Ontario, Louis Guillette has been drawn into London's lawn-care debate during question periods and talk-show interviews.

"The use of these compounds just for cosmetic reasons, just because you don't want to make dandelion wine from your yard or whatever, I think is inappropriate," Guillette, who is associate dean for research at the University of Florida, said in a lecture yesterday at UWO's Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Based on his own scientific investigations, Guillette said there's enough evidence pesticides put children, wildlife and the ecosystem at risk.

"Just because you can go buy them at the local stores doesn't meant that is appropriate use," he said.

A zoologist, Guillette has spent the last decade studying the influence of environmental contaminants on fetal development and reproductive systems of wildlife and humans, including the differences between alligators living in contaminated Florida lakes and those in cleaner ones.

He found abnormalities in sex organs, dramatic differences in egg-hatching rates and hormone levels.

Penis size of the animals from the polluted lake was smaller than animals from the less-polluted lake.

"This is important because it is not just an alligator story. It is not just a lake story. We know there has been a dramatic increase in penile and genital abnormalities in baby boys," Guillette said.

A followup study by another scientist involving healthy couples with 5,000 healthy babies also found reduced penis size with higher contamination levels.

"Are (their penises) so small they are actually having problems? We don't know. These are baby boys," he said.

But rodent studies have indicated more difficulty with fertility and other aspects later on, he said.

The researchers also found the alligators from contaminated water had abnormal ovaries. Some of the abnormalities were traced to chemical compounds with estrogen, a sex hormone. Estrogenic-type compounds are found in some pesticides, including atrazine, mostly widely used in North America for weed control.

Guillette said he doesn't support a total pesticide ban, saying their use is proper for public health and probably in agriculture. But when people can reduce their exposure they should, he said.

My Bare Lady to open in West End

HuffingtonPost reports

A new West End reality show will test porn stars' acting skills.

'My Bare Lady', co-produced by ZigZag Productions and Fox Reality, will cast four of America's favourite porn stars in a classic piece of drama.

The ladies will perform before a shrewd British audience in London's world famous theatre district.

General Manager of Fox Reality, David Lyle said: "It's a wonderful tale of redemption. Do they want lines that are a little more challenging than 'Oh, here's the pool guy'. We will have to see what happens?'

The trials and tribulations of the X-rated stars will be aired in the US in autumn.

Lyle added: "If they can move a London theatre to applause, then they will have done pretty well."

Some of you may know that I have been preparing a "treatment" of a porn flick, "You c*nt, take it with you!" I have a quartet of porn stars as well

• Mona Lott
• Angie Dickisin
• Urethra Franklin
• Swoozie Squirtz

and the male lead is, of course, Peter Toole.

Wurst President II - The Biggest Lawbreaker

Charles Savage of the Boston Globe has written an analysis of Bush's "signing statements". These "statements" are, in essence, nothing more than the declaration by the President that the administration intends to flaunt the legislation just signed! There is an insidious history to these "signing statements". Try to read this passage without snickering:

Since the early 19th century, American presidents have occasionally signed a large bill while declaring that they would not enforce a specific provision they believed was unconstitutional. On rare occasions, historians say, presidents also issued signing statements interpreting a law and explaining any concerns about it.

But it was not until the mid-1980s, midway through the tenure of President Reagan, that it became common for the president to issue signing statements. The change came about after then-Attorney General Edwin Meese decided that signing statements could be used to increase the power of the president.

When interpreting an ambiguous law, courts often look at the statute's legislative history, debate and testimony, to see what Congress intended it to mean. Meese realized that recording what the president thought the law meant in a signing statement might increase a president's influence over future court rulings.

Under Meese's direction in 1986, a young Justice Department lawyer named Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote a strategy memo about signing statements. It came to light in late 2005, after Bush named Alito to the Supreme Court.

In the memo, Alito predicted that Congress would resent the president's attempt to grab some of its power by seizing ''the last word on questions of interpretation." He suggested that Reagan's legal team should ''concentrate on points of true ambiguity, rather than issuing interpretations that may seem to conflict with those of Congress.

Wurst President

Three years ago His Idiocy hotdogged across the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and announced "Mission Accomplished."

Here is his legacy:






From ThinkProgress:

	May 1, 2003	Today
U.S. Troops Wounded	542	17,469
U.S. Troops Killed	139	2,400
Size of U.S. Forces	150,000	132,000
Size of Iraqi Security Forces	7,000-9000	250,500
Number of Insurgents	5,000	15,000-20,000
Insurgent Attacks Per Day	8	75
Cost to U.S. Taxpayers	$79 billion	$320 billion
Approval of Bush’s Handling of Iraq	75%	37%
Percentage of Americans who Believe The Iraq War Was “Worth Fighting”	70%	41%
Bush’s Overall Job Approval	71%	38%

More Silly English Lads

The previous post reminded me of the Aetherius Society, originally another group of silly English lads and now an international group of silly lads.

This group was founded by one Dr. George King, who was apparently a Shropshire Lad (sorry about that, Al). You may find his biography here at Dr. George King, Our Founder. My favorite tidbit from the bio is this morsel:

In June 1959, guided by Cosmic Authority, Dr. King came to the United States of America where the Aetherius Society was incorporated as a non-profit organization in November 1960.

Over the next two decades he continued to act as Primary Terrestrial Mental Channel, recording over 600 Cosmic Transmissions from the Space Masters. This collection of transmissions constitutes the most priceless metaphysical library in the world, with a range and depth of teachings without equal in the annals of occult Truth.

Like another leader we know, George King heard voices.

Determined to help humanity raise itself from universal suffering and ignorance, his life's mission became apparent on May 8, 1954. Alone in his London apartment, a loud physical voice delivered the following Command:

"Prepare yourself! You are to become the voice of Interplanetary Parliament."

The Aetherians believe that they are in touch with the Cosmic Masters, who seem to come from Venus.

We have walked up to the Pope and said: ‘Dear friend, we come from Venus. We can help you’. Alas, the strong arm of theological tradition fell heavily upon our shoulders. No, dear friends, you are the people. You are the real, the ordinary man, and yet the extraordinary man made extraordinary because you listen – not so much to your mind as to your heart.”

The Master Aetherius, June 30, 1956

They have 19 holy mountains throughout the world,

Dr. George King, acting as a karmic representative of the human race, was needed to physically climb 18 of these 19 mountains. At a point on or near their summit, he entered into an elevated state and an initial Charge was sent through him into the mountain.

In this way, each mountain was charged with spiritual energy by the Cosmic Masters.

Three of these are in the United States:

MOUNT BALDY in Southern California
Charged on August 9, 1959

MOUNT TALLAC in Northern California
Charged on October 21, 1959

MOUNT ADAMS in New Hampshire
Charged on March 15, 1960

By a bit of a coincidence, I have been up two of these - Baldy and Adams. I have been up Adams several times, and I do remember these odd paint marks left by the Aetherians which were dutifully removed by the rangers.

Dr. King directing energy into a prayer energy battery as well as the energy invoked by the Mantra Team.

Silly English Lads

I couldn't resist sharing this little tidbit from The Observer. From my dealings with various English, I've been led to believe that their bachelor parties ("stag parties" in the local parlance - oddly enough, "Stag Party" was Hugh Hefners first choice for the name of the publication that eventually became Playboy) make ours look like Sunday school gatherings. This report removes a good deal of doubt. My favorite part:

Advice given by Bratislava Stags, a firm which organises stag weekend in the city, suggests not all visitors are so respectable. The firm asks clients not to urinate in fountains, pass out in club toilets or throw furniture from hotel windows. It implores: 'Do not poo in any part of the hotel except the toilets.'

More reasons to have sex

Melbourne's newspaper The Age reports that sex will keep you healthy in a number of ways:

• Sex has been linked, in women, to a heightened emotional awareness.
• Semen is a mood-enhancing ingredient. (I have been telling this to SWMBO for years).
• People who have sex once or twice a week have levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) that are up to a third higher than their more restrained peers.
• Men who have orgasms twice a week are half as likely to die early as men who orgasm less than once a month.
• The more frequently men ejaculate, the less likely they are to develop prostate cancer.
• If middle-aged men have sex twice a week or more they also have a lower risk of heart attack.
  

Sounds good to me...Here is the whole report.

The Month of the Short Spoons

Gerard Baker has a hilarious (maybe I should say "an hilarious") post in the normally stodgy Times of London. I love the lines

"...[Bush] gently scoops out the detritus of his crushed and mangled Administration in an attempt to retrieve something of value in his remaining two and a half years",

"...the defenestration of the comically hapless Scott McClellan",

"The deeper, unreported truth about the Defence Secretary [Rumsfeld] and the trahison des généraux is that he can’t go because there is no one to replace him. Who in their right mind would want to run a demoralised Pentagon, fighting two messy wars abroad and a seething one at home?"

The Month of Short Spoons will not save George Bush's reputation

WHEN HAROLD Macmillan got rid of six of his Cabinet ministers in 1962, Harold Wilson produced one of his most memorable quips: “The Prime Minister has fired half his Cabinet,” he said. “The wrong half.”

Perhaps mindful of the futility of so many reshuffles on either side of the Atlantic, George Bush is leaving nothing to chance. Instead of a Night of the Long Knives, President Bush is currently in the middle of a Month of the Short Spoons — a long, drawn-out process in which he gently scoops out the detritus of his crushed and mangled Administration in an attempt to retrieve something of value in his remaining two and a half years.

They all look alike

After we had been in Japan for a few days, I asked our son if we Westerners all looked alike.

Greg said that he had been told - on the same day - that he had been told by one colleague or another that he looked like:
(1) Brad Pitt,
(2) Tom Cruise, and
(3) Johhny Depp




And that they probably thought that I was ...

... Sean Connery!

Cheney "reading his notes"

ThinkProgress ran this little piece about the guy who is running the country.

Cheney takes a nap.

“Vice President Dick Cheney gets caught napping yesterday as Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other White House aides leave a press briefing by President Bush and Chinese leader Hu Jintao. The veep’s people later insisted he was reading his notes.”

An honest Republican

Representative Jo Ann H. Emerson tells it like it is! We know, from the way they act, that Republicans think their voters are assholes. But, until now, we've never seen one come out and say it.

AP says the the lawmaker is "Puzzled by Obscenity in Letter", but you can see for yourself that Rep. Emerson signed the letter herself.

Wonkette says, We Love Jo Ann Emerson. So do we!

Representative Jo Ann H. Emerson (R-MO 8th) 5th-term Republican from Missouri.
		Party: Republican Residence: Cape Girardeau Marital Status: Married (Ron Gladney) Prev. Occupation: Association Executive Prev. Political Exp.: no prior elected office Education: BA Ohio Wesleyan University, 1972 Birthdate: 09/16/1950 Birthplace: Bethesda, MD Religion: Presbyterian

Hey Scotty, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

Democratic Underground has a page devoted to haiku written in farewell to Scott McClellan.

My favorites include

Number 1

Gannon's buddy...
The bigger the cushion
the better the pushin'?

Number 4

fuck you lying sack
of shit on a podium
you should be ashamed

Here is my offering, FWIW,

McClellan leaves and
that asswipe Karl Rove stays.
So this is good news?

Mexican tourist bus plunges off cliff

From ABC News comes this bus plunge:

Mexican tourist bus plunges off cliff, killing 67
AP

April 17, 2006 (VERACRUZ, Mexico) - A vastly overcrowded passenger bus veered off a highway emergency ramp and crashed through a metal barrier Monday, plunging more than 650 feet into a ravine in western Mexico. At least 67 people were killed, including four children.
Four people -- including an 8-year-old girl -- were injured in the wreck that came as the bus traveled on steep mountainous roads. It was returning from a religious gathering in the western city of Guadalajara to the passengers' home state of Tabasco, on the Gulf Coast, following Easter week.

Rescuers ended their search for victims after recovering 63 bodies, State Attorney General official Rosa Elvira Gonzalez said. She said four passengers died at local hospitals.

Officials did not provide the ages of the children killed or say whether the driver was among the dead.

The bus, equipped to hold 46 seated passengers, was carrying 71, some of whom were standing up, said Federal Preventive Police Cmdr. Reinaldo Ascencio Cavazos. He said the owner of the bus was detained for questioning. Ascencio said the passengers belonged to a religious group known as The Light of the World.

Police did not immediately know what caused the crash, but said the driver had been trying to maneuver into a lane designed for vehicles that have brake or other mechanical failure as the bus descended one of the area's many winding roads. The bus fell between 650 and 820 feet before coming to rest at the bottom of a ravine, authorities said.

Federal Preventive Police official Arturo Corona told W Radio the bus was traveling at about 68-70 mph. Buses often are required to limit their speed to 60 mph.

Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans filled the highways Sunday and Monday as they returned from Easter week vacations. The holiday typically sees a large number of highway deaths.

The highway where the bus was traveling is considered to be one of the 15 most dangerous in the country, Corona said.

Who likes Dick?

Wonkette (click here) has a different take on today's Politics Trivia in the WaPo.

Politics Trivia

President Nixon's 1968 presidential campaign slogan was...?

"Nixon's the One."
"I Like Dick."
"All the Way With Dick."
"Nixon Loves America."

What do Fox, WaPo, Duke Lacrosse Team and Bush have in common?

SSquirrel posted this at The News Blog.

It just struck me as strange. Why was Fox News attacking a rape victim? Why was Tucker Carlson on MSNBC? Were they just attacking a black women with no money going against some rich white kid? I figured there had to be a Republican somewhere. Maybe a Bush “Pioneer” or two? So I looked around…

Wow. Holy shitting wow.

spilling the beans at the White House

Kos has posted a bit of this thread. It may be total fiction, and then again, it may be true. Here are some tidbits:

President Bush uses anti-depressant medication, a lot of it, at a stupendous dosage, and he is hiding it from the American public. This is the real reason he stopped drinking. Because of the dosage, he is also impotent.

Dick Cheney has chronic gum problems and his breath smells like shit as a result. He is also a CLOSE TALKER. He keeps a small bottle of diluted hydrogen peroxide which he rinses with every hour on the hour, and he swallows it instead of spitting. He also picks his nose vigorously (violently) and hums loudly and tunelessly to himself while taking shits.

Donald Rumsfeld needs to wear iced underwear because of some medical condition, and he has his secret service detail hold his spares. He was recently getting uncontrollable long-term erections and had to change up his medical treatments. The underwear and the erections is why he uses a standing desk, not because he is some super-man. He also wears nylon stockings, not because he's gay, but to control some vascular problem with his legs which causes him intense pain.

Tom Ridge carries 20 credit cards with him at all times, each one with a very low limit. I have never heard of him using one, ever, but he has them. He also wears his socks inside-out, and will flip the fuck out and walk strangely if he is forced to wear them properly, because it drives him crazy. All of his socks must be laundered right side in and then turned inside out before they are returned to him. He gave specific instructions about handling his food, and not allowing his vegetables to touch any other food item on the plate.

Despite all of this craziness, there is nothing strange whatsoever about Condoleeza Rice. She is completely balanced and normal, if slightly robotic in her personal demeanor. She smells very nice at all times. She does, however, constantly check her investments online from her office when she thinks that nobody is looking, and she has slept at her desk on multiple occasions.

The strangest thing about Wolfowitz was that he kept 4 pair of identical shoes in his office that he never, ever wore. He had some personal pictures on his shelf that he would violently snap down if he was in a bad mood, especially while on the phone. Also he is a frequent bathroom-user, but given the age of the men involved here, just assume that they all excuse themselves to piss all the goddamn time.

It is a little unfair to be picking on these people because they're all old men, and their bodies are falling apart, but oh well. Rumsfeld lets out really disgusting, wet farts, and then unbelievably denies the act. All staff on hand knows he does it, but nobody calls him on it, because he is Donald Rumsfeld. If he is really concentrating, he also reads letters and reports people write to him out loud in a weird squeaky voice. It sounds like some kind of crazy dramatic reading for a very very boring play.

and much, much, much more... like this

Everyone always takes presidential elections seriously, and anything can happen. I think Kerry actually did win, or at least would have won, but as a result of some stuff done in Ohio I won't go into, he didn't make it. This is one of the things people will go to jail over.

Tom Ridge brushes his teeth like 3 times per day religiously, but he can't stand looking at someone brushing their teeth. He contorts as in agony, as if he is actually experiencing pain. He can't watch himself brush his teeth, and even describing the process of brushing teeth drives him up a wall.

If you joke around near Rumsfeld, he will stare at you intensely as if you just killed his mother for about 10 seconds, which will be unnerving because you think you've offended him, then he will begin to laugh a little bit, a bit more, until he is in hysterics. He has a chest condition called Pleurisy that causes this; breathing deeply is painful to him as is laughing with gusto, so he tries very hard to control himself before losing it. It really unnerves people who are trying to be sociable. This is the reason for his creepy shallow laugh in public.

As for condi sleeping in her office, I'm almost convinced she has narcolepsy. She'll work like crazy, and then BAM she's asleep on her desk for 15 minutes in the middle of the day, utterly insensible to anything, before suddenly jerking back up and animating as if driven by hidden clockwork gears.

Gerald Ford is actually a really really nice guy and I've never met a less picky eater. He will finish for other people, you know, taking their uneaten or half-eaten dishes and just consume them as if it were nothing. You are correct about the frequent bathroom visits. I think he has a nervous bowel.

What is the most outrageous thing I have seen or heard whilst working?

Many things rank up there, but the one that immediately comes to mind is coming upon Wolfowitz in the office, clutching a cellular phone with white knuckles, slamming his set of personal pictures face down on his shelf one by one, each time screaming, "CUNT! CUNT CUNT CUNT CUNT!"

[from a correction later in the post] I think Condi will run if Hillary runs, so that there will be a woman/woman catfight. I also think if this happens there will be negative ad campaigns about their respective sexual histories. Did I mention Condi smells really, really, really good?

Everyone always takes presidential elections seriously, and anything can happen. I think Kerry actually did win, or at least would have won, but as a result of some stuff done in Ohio I won't go into, he didn't make it. This is one of the things people will go to jail over.

Because Rove is hot right now I can't say anything about him at all. I can tell you this, however. Scooter Libby wasn't dubbed Scooter by the President. The obnoxious fucker went around and MADE everyone call him Scooter instead of his proper name, and MADE SURE we called him Scooter by CORRECTING US WHENEVER WE CALLED HIM BY HIS TRUE NAME.

One guy actually called him by his true name to someone else in his own office, and Scooter, who was walking by, popped in and CORRECTED HIM and then sped off.

I think it is ridiculous that this guy wanted such a shitty nickname which he got because he rubbed his asshole all over the carpet when moving around as a toddler. Also, and this is just rumor that I have not personally heard from Scooter himself, but he obsessively cultivates the nickname because it makes him appear less threatening to his enemies. What a fucking psycho.

We've speculated that he did that scooting as a toddler because of a throwback mongoloid mental defect that caused him to be unable to balance on his hind feet. The fact that he is inhuman in his mannerisms supports this theory and I endorse it with my full backing.

Also, after a while, we called him Cooter behind his back, because the guy is a complete obnoxious nosy cunt. One of the reasons why he is on the hot seat right now is because he got no love from anyone.

Res Ipsa Loquitur

Smellovision is here!

We presume that the second project will be "Blazing Saddles"

Company to Synchronize Smells to Movie
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 12, 2006

Filed at 12:42 p.m. ET

TOKYO (AP) -- A theater audience in Japan will be sniffing their noses -- literally -- at a new Hollywood adventure film when it opens here later this month.

A new service from a major telecommunications company, NTT Communications Corp., will synchronize seven different smells to parts of ''The New World,'' starring Colin Farrell

Greg and Sam's Folks Have Their Own Adventures In Japan

Rehearsals for the scottish opera took up so much time, and work piled up over the three months leading up to performance. So I have been remiss in posting to The Onymous Guy. I will catch up. there is much to laugh at.

In the meantime, check out these pictures.