Stupid criminals

From The Smoking Gun:

We're not sure what he planned to do with them, but an admitted smuggler recently led Secret Service agents to 250 counterfeit $1 billion notes that had been stained to make it appear they were issued in 1934. The phony bills were seized last week by federal investigators who learned of the bad paper from Tekle Zigetta, who pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal charge of failing to declare $37,000 in currency upon his return to Los Angeles in January from South Korea.

I would have liked to see the expression on the convenience-store clerk when Mr. Zigetta tried to use one of these to buy a soda and some snowballs.

Need a diversion?

Check out this Web site for a very funny advertisement that stresses the importance of bilingualism (bilinguality?).

Americans tired of the country

I knew the spirit was bad, but according to The Onion, most Americans are beyond "sick and tired." See story here.

New Poll Finds 86 Percent Of Americans Don't Want To Have A Country Anymore

WASHINGTON, DC—A Gallup/Harris Interactive poll released Monday indicates that nearly nine out of 10 Americans are "tired of having a country."

...Of those who were against maintaining an American nation, 77 percent said they believe that having a country is "counter to the best interests of Americans." Twelve percent said "the time and effort citizens spend on the country could be better spent elsewhere," and 8 percent said they just didn't care.

I love tea, or smell and memory the next chapter

This morning I'm enjoying a lovely cup of tea, made just dark tan with a little cream. It has a lovely aroma that sends me back to the British Isles. I love that in the UK you can go to any grocery and buy the generic tea bags and they're delicious -- better than our fancy tea here. (Don't get me started on Lipton's tea. Uggh.)

A while back I was at a conference in Cape Town. At the breaks we had the most delicious tea with milk. It made the whole gathering area smell lovely. I just now sniffed my tea cup and went back to a particular break in a beautiful, modern foyer flooded with sunlight. I think I'll stay in this happy place all day.

Oh Norm, don't go out on a limb

Norm Coleman really went out on a limb yesterday, calling for President Bush to replace his team. Coleman claims that the president doesn't listen to concerns. No way! From AP via the Pioneer Press:

"All of a sudden we're hearing the phrase 'tin ear,'" Coleman said in a telephone interview. "That's a phrase you shouldn't hear. The fact that you're hearing it says that the kind of political sensitivity, the ear-to-the-ground that you need in the White House, isn't there at the level that it needs to be."

All of a sudden? Since when is this Bush behavior new? It's got to be bad for Bush when his chief lapdog criticizes him.

Excuse me, what Jesus might you be speaking of?

Again I'm reminded that as a Christian, I'm lumped in with a lot of people who don't really demonstrate Christ's teachings (massive understatement). Here's a bumper sticker Christopher recently eyed: "Jesus Loves You. Allah Wants You Dead." Huh?

And from the vitriolic Pat Robertson, (via Yahoo):

NORFOLK, Va. - Television evangelist Pat Robertson said Monday on his live news-and-talk program "The 700 Club" that Islam is not a religion of peace, and that radical Muslims are "satanic."

Is he an Islamic scholar? Has he read the Koran? Why does anyone listen to this uninformed, malicious man?

Note to Mr. Robertson: Are you sure you want the Ten Commandments posted everywhere? The 9th one may prove problematic. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (i.e. don’t lie).

A meme about reading.

From this meme site: Booking Through Thursday

1. Do you finish every book you start, no matter how bad it gets?
No! I distinctly remember what caused me to cast aside my inner "must complete" demon. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I didn't like, or find interesting, any of the characters. The story was depressing and there was no point. It wasn't as bad Madeline is Sleeping though. I wanted to run over that book with my car.

2. Do you ever sneak-read the ending before you finish the book?
Not usually, especially if it's a novel. I like to be surprised by the ending. It would be like knowing what my Christmas presents are.

Good luck hooligans

I love the word hooligan. I was listening to German radio this morning and they were talking about how they'’re getting ready for the World Cup this summer. Specifically, how the police, etc., are getting ready for the soccer hooligans that will be at the games. More on the story at the BBC.

When I was in England there was no end of trouble with soccer hooligans. The police even brought out a hoolie snoop van (I love saying that). It was basically a van/truck thing that would drive around the perimeter of the field and film the spectators. Oh, and there were people who got in trouble because of hoolie behavior and were banned from attending another soccer match. Ever!

Now I have an earworm -- The Smith's song, Sweet and Tender Hooligan.

Hunting for Jesus

I'm not usually at a loss for words. But I am right now. A co-worker just told me that there's a Christian deer hunters Web site. Really! Click here. I like the tagline at the top:  There will be hunters and hunted, winners and losers. Maybe they know a different Jesus. Like Jesus Nugent.

Schadenfreude is good

Sometimes it's fun to giggle at other's misfortunes (Schadenfreude). Especially when that person is Yanni. The latest Smoking Gun highlights his recent arrest on domestic battery charges. You can also see his mug shot and the incident report.

Who's acting like a Nazi now?

A Colorado teacher was suspended for comparing Bush's state-of-the-union rhetoric to HItler's. Nice to know that students are turning in teachers. Hmm... does that sound Third Reich-ish? From MSNBC:

In Colorado, a high school student decided to teach his teacher a lesson by recording a controvesial portion of the geography teacher's lecture and playing it on a radio station. The teacher says the part of the lecture that gave the lesson context was not played. Still, that teacher has been suspended.

"The victor will never be asked if he told the truth."
"What good fortune for governments that the people do not think."
--Adolf Hitler

An Onion a Day Keeps the Crabbies Away

Have the late-winter blahs? Co-workers driving you nuts? Just plain crabby? Check out the Onion's daily audio news clips here.

• Venom from politicians could provide medical benefits (if the link at the top of the page doesn't work, check out the one farther down the page)
  
• Hitman stumbles on a new way to kill
• Street-smart teen dies in library

Ode to Sophie

Sophie on my lap
Who could be hap, happier
No one more than me

Curled up with a book
And the snoring Soph-i-la
Life is very good

Snaps to EclectChick, who's been inspiring me with her cool haiku and poems.

Courage

I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the movie Sophie Scholl here. Who is Sophie Scholl? From Wikipedia:

Sophia Magdalena Scholl (9 May 1921 – 22 February 1943) was a member of the White Rose resistance movement in Nazi Germany. She was convicted of treason and executed by guillotine. Her last words were: "Your heads will fall as well."

Sophie was arrested while distributing the White Rose leaflet at the University of Munich. Her brother was also arrested and executed.

I am so intrigued by Sophie and the White Rose. They were all so young and the Nazis were so strong. How did they have the courage to resist? At the time their actions and their deaths must have seemed to be without purpose -- a few more people executed by a fascist state. On this side of history, however, we still remember.

The movie site is very informative -- in addition to the usual (trailer, where to see it) there is also some great background information about the White Rose and Sophie Scholl. Click here to go to the site. Be sure to watch the intro. The first time I saw it the hair stood up on the back of my neck.

To see the actual White Rose leaflets, click here.

Hooray for the sweet, smart movie

I watched the movie "Dear Frankie" twice last week. It's one of my new favorites.

The story is about a single Mom and her son. The son wants more contact with his absentee father so his Mom makes up a story that his Dad is a sailor on a boat called Accra. Frankie writes to his Dad and his Mom, unbeknownst to him, answers the letters. This goes along fine until an actual Accra is due to come into the port where they live. The Mom has either tell Frankie the truth or find someone to pose as his Dad for a day.

This is a Scottish movie so you're not in for the usual ride. There are many surprises along the way. It's sweet and funny and touching. You can watch a trailer here. It's out on DVD but don't read much about the movie before you watch it. It's so much better with the surprises.

Early warning signs

I logged into my Yahoo e-mail this morning and found this ad. I snorted with laughter. I know it's an ad for a TV show but I chose to take it for a anti-psychotic pharmaceutical ad.

I [heart symbol] cookbooks

I'm not sure where to start with this book. Jeannie, one of the classiest people you'd ever meet, gave it to me. First off, the book is just plain gorgeous. It's split into seasons and contains beautiful photographs as well as narratives on fruits and veg. You just want to sit down and, pardon the pun, devour the book.

There are recipes for things I would never think to make -- saute of white asparagus, morels and ramps over polenta. (What on earth is a ramp? Turns out it's a wild leek. Mmm...) But the recipes are easy to follow, and contain manageable numbers of ingredients. It's all so civilized. Some recipes are amazingly un-heart healthy, like the potato-bacon gratin. (Olive oil and cream in addition to the bacon. Not that it wouldn't be tasty!) But others are, including a beautiful yellow tomato gazpacho. There are also some just plain funny things like guinness ice cream and lima bean salad (yech). I feel experiments in the kitchen coming on.

So ashamed...

Just saw this on Reuters. For the love of Pete people! All you have to do is pay a little attention!

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Most Americans have an easier time naming members of the cartoon Simpson family than listing the five freedoms granted by the nation's founders, a survey by a museum released on Wednesday said.

Here's a hint: one of them is not the right to own and raise pets, an error committed by one in five respondents.

I'm no constitutional scholar but I do know that the constitution doesn't give you the right to have a driver's license or own pets. Sheesh! Here are the real rights granted by the first amendment to the constitution:

• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of the press (See that Bush! That isn'’t in the constitution however.)
• Right of peaceful assembly
• Right of petition
• Freedom of religion -- right to free exercise of religion and prohibition against establishing a state religion (Again, Mr. Bush, pay attention!)

For a refresher course, see Wikipedia.

Ash Wednesday

I was at church last night for Ash Wednesday (Ascher Mittwoch). As in years past, we got ashes on our foreheads. I've always heard this described as a death to self. I've never been into the 'Jesus suffered so I must too' way of thinking. (It's a bit like how some pushed seeing The Passion of the Christ. 'Why shouldn't you be able to sit through this horribly violent movie? Jesus died for you. It's the least you can do.' I don't get that.) But last night the 'death to self' finally started making sense.

My pastor, an awesome preacher, talked about the danger of Lent. It's a time of introspection but he warned against focusing only on ourselves. Rather, it's a time to reflect on what is at the center of our lives. If it is God, rather than our selves, it restores us to right relationships with ourselves and others. It sends us out to serve in the world God loves, not into our isolated Christian enclaves. This explanation of 'death to self'' makes sense to me. Death to self absorption and placing my self, my needs and my wants above others'.

This reminds reminds me of something from a world religions class. One of the tenets of Hinduism (I think, or Buddhism -- my apologies to Hindus and Buddhists if I get this wrong) is that the closer you get to the divine, the closer you get to other people. That is, the things that separate us from one another seem less important.

It's amazing what you can learn about your own faith by studying another. I know some people who are leery are about learning about other faiths -- as if other religions are spreadable diseases. Just because you don't all believe the same thing, doesn't mean that you can't work together to make the world a better place. For example, true Christianity and Islam are peaceful religions. Not like you'd know it these days. Fundamentalism is so often the loudest, as well as meanest, voice.

A surprise from Saddam Hussein

After weeks of misbehavior in court, Saddam Hussein surprised everyone today by taking responsibility. From the BBC today:

Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has told his trial in Baghdad that he alone should be made to answer for the actions of his regime.At the end of a second straight day of prosecution evidence, he said the court should not be trying anyone else - a reference to his seven co-defendants.

Earlier, he admitted razing the farms of those convicted of trying to kill him in the town of Dujail in 1982Â…

Having listened to the documents and testimonies - many of which implicated his fellow defendants in the killings of 148 Shia Muslims from Dujail - he told the court it should be trying him alone.

But he insisted that he had done nothing wrong, as those who were executed had been found guilty of trying to assassinate him.

He still doesn't fail to surprise. I wonder what brought about this turn of events? I was beginning to think that his trial would never finish up, what with all the grandstading. It's been interesting to watch. I feel for the judge. How do you keep control of the courtroom if the defendants don't acknowledge that you have any power of them?