Jon Sagara

So if you've been paying attention to the news at all today, you've heard about the latest Bush-Kerry brouhaha.  Here's what started it all off:

Kerry told a group of California students on Monday that those unable to navigate the country's education system "get stuck in Iraq." 

Kerry admits that it was a botched joke, but the Bush administration jumped on it like a fat kid on a cupcake, accusing Kerry — a decorated war veteran — of criticizing U.S. troops in Iraq.

But unlike when he was Swiftboated in the 2004 presidential election, Kerry hits back.  Hard.

"If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook.   I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.

I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq . It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they're afraid to debate real men. And this time it won't work because we're going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq." 

Clearly, the man has learned a thing or two since losing to Bush 43 in 2004.  Had he shown his juevos then like he is showing them now, it may have been a different story.  No point in dwelling on the past, though.  The future looks bright for the Democrats.

(Quote lifted from DailyKos.)

Wow, what an awesome story.  I was unaware of this, but apparently 1.5 years ago, Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, permanently lost his voice due to a condition called Spasmodic Dysphonia.  Ever the optimist, he tried and tried and tried different things until just last week when he was finally able to find a way to speak (almost) normally again. 

To state the obvious, much of life’s pleasure is diminished when you can’t speak. It has been tough. 

Indeed.  Even though I'm not a very vocal person, I would be so lost without my voice.

Read the whole entry.  You can't help but feel extremely thrilled for the guy. 

(h/t to Paul Watson for the link to the story.)

Make-a Your Own-a Pumpkin!

Nice!

She’s just about 5 months along in this picture:

She says that she can start to feel the baby moving around inside of her.  It’s pretty active.  Last night we were sitting on the couch watching TV.  She said it was on the left side.  All of a sudden she got really excited and said, “Oh my gosh!  It just moved over to the right side!”

As in, "that living, breathing person who lost an election to a dead person"?

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A dead woman won re-election to a school board in rural Alaska after her opponent lost a coin flip meant to break an electoral tie.

Katherine Dunton, who died of cancer on Oct. 3, the day of the local election, was re-elected to the Aleutian Region School District board after her opponent, Dona Highstone, called "heads" on a coin toss that landed "tails," state and local officials said.

"This is the first that I have ever heard about, not only in our state but in any other," said Whitney Brewster, director of the Alaska Division of Elections.

Contrary to Ms. Brewster's assertion that this election outcome is unprecedented, in 2000, John Ashcroft — as in the former Attorney General for Bush 43, and then-incumbent Republican Senator from Missouri John Ashcroft – lost his U.S. Senate re-election bid to a dead man.  That has to hurt.

This is one of the funniest and most twisted comic strips I have seen in a very long time: Cyanide and Happiness. 

Here are some samples:

My father was born.

Happy birthday, Dad!

With the adult obesity rate in the U.S. hovering somewhere above 60%, this is exactly what we need:

Fried Coke

Abel Gonzales, 36, a computer analyst from Dallas, tried about 15 different varieties before coming up with his perfect recipe — a batter mix made with Coca-Cola syrup, a drizzle of strawberry syrup, and some strawberries.

Balls of the batter are then deep-fried, ending up like ping-pong ball sized doughnuts which are then served in a cup, topped with Coca-Cola syrup, whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry on the top. 

Invented by a computer geek, who, as a group, probably live the most sedentary lifestyles.  That's exactly what we need – more overweight nerds. 

I suddenly have the urge to go to the State Fair of Texas.

Unfortunately, they only started administering the exam in recent years, far too late to benefit the writers at the Sacramento Bee.

BTW, here’s the link to the article (with the corrected title, of course).

Tabby is going to be giving you the silent treatment for a little while.

Originally posted here.  Resized to fit my blog.