UK terror plot and extreme muslims.

31/01/2007 - 4:59:27 PM

Nine held over UK terror kidnap plot :: latest Nine men were being held tonight in England over an alleged terrorist plot to carry out an Iraqi-style kidnapping of a British Muslim soldier.Eight were arrested this morning in a series of dawn raids in Birmingham, with the ninth arrested late this afternoon on a motorway in the city.Security sources said the alleged plot was to abduct a serving Muslim soldier, who would have been filmed, possibly tortured and ultimately executed.It could have mirrored the kidnappings of the British hostages Ken Bigley and Margaret Hassan by Iraqi insurgents.Sources said a target for the alleged plot had already been identified – a young Muslim soldier in the British army who had served in Afghanistan.The operation to thwart the alleged plot was led by the new Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, only set up a few months ago.Assistant Chief Constable David Shaw, from West Midlands Police, described it as a “very, very major investigation” which would take “days if not weeks”.“The threat from terrorism remains very real,” he said.

---It looks like yet another serious terror plot was overthrown today in the UK. First off, kudos to the Midlans Counter Terrorism Unit! OK, now it is apparent that some of these extreme muslims will kill their own to make a point. Hell, they have been doing it for ages now anyways. I really think there are 2 kinds of muslims in the world today; real muslims, traditional muslims and these EXTREME muslims. Extreme muslims who will stop at nothing at over throwing the world and I mean that in a literal sense. Thats what they wanna do, rule the world. They want AMerican and Isreal to crumble to ashes. Extreme, not traditional, Muslims scare me.

What I really think needs to happen is to have someone, friggin ANYONE from the "normal" Muslim community to step up and say this is wrong, this is not how we are. I think if this does not happen in the future, all Muslims are really gonna start to catch hell. Where are all the regular, law abiding Islam leaders out there? They need to stand up and start to speak on behalf of whats real to them as a religion and as a culture, very soon...or it may be too late. ---

Current popular buzz words floating around the internet.

2008 9/11 barack obama bill clinton campaign cash Congress Democrats Dennis Hastert election guide ethics Florida fund raising george allen George W. Bush Harry Reid Hillary Rodham Clinton House immigration intelligence iowa Iraq James Webb john edwards john kerry john mccain lobbying mark foley midterm elections mitt romney Nancy Pelosi Nevada new hampshire New Jersey Ohio page scandal political advertising polls primaries Republicans robert gates rudy giuliani Senate South Carolina Tennessee terrorism vilsack Virginia voting White house


---Can you add to this pleathora???---

Scary college time

On any given Friday night, there is a one in two chance that a randomly selected American college student is under the influence of at least one substance.


---That little note scares me when it comes to raising my own kid and sending her off to college. I hope I can rasie her right enough to not pull the shit I did when I was around that age. Do any of you lie awake at night yet thinking about that?

Its still freezin ass cold here today and we are expecting another inch of snow this afternoon. Im still flippin sick as can be too, so the cold doesnt help. How are things there guys?---

Again, I say what?

"They could still be hidden, like the 50 tons of mustard gas on a turkey farm."

George w. Bush. Washington, DC04/13/2004 on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction

---What the hell does he mean here?---

Found a blog.

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

---I just found this blog and its pretty interesting. Check it out.

I recentley got some pretty nice and encouraging words from a fellow Offmen regarding my postings on the blog here. It is nothing but an adventure and total pleasure for me to share my daily life, my findings and my misfourtunes with all of you. I am definitley having a lot more fun now that I am personalizing my posts as much as I can. It adds to the experience and makes the overall experience at the blog a lot more fun. Im glad I have this blog and Im pretty happy to have you guys lurkin around this blog too.---

Happy Unicorns

I found this link through a friend who wants to paint these nice Unicorns on the side of her car.

Would you try this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2-od4n5Xl0

Tuesday morning.

---Hey guys. Im feeling a bit better but Im still pretty stuffed up. Its below zero here with the wind chill and my balcony door is frozen shut. Im thinking about buying a nice bottle of red wine to drink but I dont know where to start, can one of you guys give me some advice?

Im thinking about teh quitting smoking thing more and more now and I realized that the only reason I smoke is because Im an addict. I dont even really enoy it anymore. My quit date should be soon, hpoefully before I come there for my visit, but time will tell, it still makes me really nervous. I was going through some things here last night and I found an old copy of the only Offmen Informer ever created. I flipped through it and laughed a lot. I wonder why we never got a 2nd one off the ground?---

Hungry?

A small Indiana company has applied for a license to market small, legal tasting samples of human flesh, which is reputedly similar in flavor, color and texture to pork.

---OK, I have one big question....would you try it?---

Microsoft's Vista goes public

NEW YORK (AP) -- Acrobatics, blaring music and plenty of hype accompanied Microsoft Corp.'s long-delayed debut of its new Windows Vista operating system.
Hours before the software went on sale in New York, dancers clad in Microsoft colors dangled from ropes high above street level Monday and unfurled flags to form the red, green, blue and yellow Windows logo against a building wall.
Later, two explosively loud, percussion-heavy rock bands riled up Microsoft enthusiasts amid flashing lights at the Nokia Theatre -- temporarily renamed the Windows Vista Theatre -- in Times Square. As employees at Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, headquarters watched live video feeds, company-colored balloons dropped from the ceiling, a few wielding prizes.
Vista went on sale in 70 countries Tuesday, along with new versions of Microsoft Exchange e-mail software and the flagship Office business suite, which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Several retailers even held midnight openings.
But unlike the recent launches of next-generation game machines like Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3, customers haven't been camping out for days.
"When I look at Windows Vista, I see a technology that is interesting, that is relevant, but to some extent is evolutionary," said Al Gillen, an analyst at the technology research group IDC. "I do not believe it will create a lot of motivation for people to rush out and get a new operating system."

---Has anyone heard anything good or bad about it? Ive seen one online demo and Vista has a lot of bells and whistles. I have also heard its still full of planty of bugs. Does anyone know if this is true? If it is stable, I would consider upgrading sometime in the future.---

The dollar bill

From when it is printed to when it is taken out of circulation, a one dollar bill will be handled by an average of 14,000 people.


---I think we should write Offmen International on every bill we come into contact with just to see what happens. I thought the our dollar bills would have been handled a lot more than that, didnt you?---

fake ink.

The U.S. population spends more than $10 billion on temporary tattoos.


---Hell, Ive spent half that on real ink. I need to get an Offmen Tattoo, maybe this spring when Im scheduled to get more work done.---

Intexticated

From the website textually.org

«Intexicated»: Texting under the influence

According to this entertaining article in UK's Sunday Mail, the problem of texting under the influence is so common it has been given a name; ''intexicated''.
According to research by Virgin Mobile, out of the 60 million texts sent daily in December, 15 million of them are sent by people who have had one too many.
"Virgin said that two thirds of women who text while drunk send messages to former lovers and some text the wrong person.
A public relations officer in London sent a sexually explicit message to dad instead of boyfriend Dan after hitting the wrong button".
On a related note in the US, according to a previous entry, 39 percent of those questionned in a survey, admitted to having sent an SMS to the wrong name.

---Ill admit, Ive done this before while on painkillers. I sent a text to a friend that was meant for a former lover friend pally of mine.---

A riddle.

You will know that I am coming From the jingle of my bell, But exactly who I am is not an easy thing to tell. Children, they adore me for they find me jolly, but I do not see them when the halls are decked with holly. My job often leaves me frozen, I am a man that all should know, But I do not do business in times of sleet or ice or snow. I travel much on business, But no reindeer haul me around, I do all my traveling firmly on the ground. I love the time of Christmas, But that's not my vocational season, And I assure that is because of a sound economic reason.

What am I?

---This one had me guessing for a little bit but I figured it out after a while.---

Over half of the people in the U.S. are more frightened by the prospect of losing the data on their computer than they are of their home being burgled.

---I can personally say I am in agreement with this statement. I lost a hard drive once and it was earth shattering to me. All of my music and photos were gone in an instant. Have any of you ever had a hard drive crash on you?

Im feeling a bit better today. I am also very saddened by learning of Petes loss.

We are supposed to get another inch of snow this afternoon and it is supposed to dip down into the single digits again tomorrow. I enjoy winter and the snow, but the severe cold just tears right through me.

Well, Im gonna go look for some news to post here, youll probably hear more from me soon.---

Sad News

On the morning of Saturday, January 27, Peter Barson's mother, Janet Filidoro lost her 6 year battle with breast cancer. She was 59 years old

She practiced nursing for over 35 years and held positions in both nursing and hospitol administration where she retired as Director of Medical and Dental Services. Afterword, she was a pediatric nurse in both Clearwater, FL and Grapevine, TX.

Visitation will be held at Burr Funeral Home in Chardon, OH on Friday, February 2nd.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested that donations be made to Peter's Step sister as she walks for the the fight against breast cancer.
Susan G. Komen 3.Day

I'm sure I speak for all of us when I express my condolences to the family; in particular Peter, Tiffany, and her grandchildren Jake and Max.

Full obituary information should be updated soon at Burr Funeral Home

Great and humbling idea.

---The first thing new Iowa Governor Chet Culvur did was to pass a bill that asks for all state flags to fly at half staff if a soldier from Iowa is killed in the war in Iraq. I think this is a very humbling idea. I dont know this new Governor very well yet and I didnt vote for him but I really like this idea.---

Wow.

---Wow, thats all I can say......wow. I added nor took away nothing from this quote. ---



"I like my buddies from west Texas. I liked them when I was young, I liked them then I was middle-age, I liked them before I was president, and I like them during president, and I like them after president."

--George w. Bush Nashville, TN 02/01/2006

WTF Jack?

"According to its annual audit the U.S. Army employes 18 full-time "combat candlestick makers."

---What the hell does that mean, we have our boys making candlesticks during combat times? I wonder how you get that MOS when entering the Army. You would have to feel pretty bad about yourself if you landed that job, but odds are youd never see any combat time, unless of course candlesticks are needed on the front lines. Maybe this is why we are losing the war, we are 18 soldiers shy of making it happen because they are dedicated to making candlesticks.

Candlesticks....what?---

Sunday morning Blues....

---Goodmorning boys. Im in a foul mood because Im sick. I have a nasty cold and it has put me in a really bad mood. I thought Id run another quick update abotu yesterdays huge protest march in Washington. It seems quite a few people turned out.

Its really damn cold here right now...minus 22 with the wind chill. Too cold to go outside to smoke and Im too sick anyways, so this day has started out smoke free! I hope you guys are keeping warm. Lets see some postin on here today, cool?

Jane Fonda is a whore, but I think Bush may be the bigger whore of the two.---



Fonda leads anti-Iraq War rally

January 28, 2007 Tim Harper Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON–Jane Fonda stood and acknowledged the cheers on a sun-splashed stage, raising her arms in solidarity with the tens of thousands amassed on the National Mall.
"Silence is no longer an option," said the woman who has spent a large part of her adult life reviled by a segment of the American population.
But now the woman once known as "Hanoi Jane" was back, lashing out at the "mean-spirited and vengeful" Bush administration, her first appearance on an anti-war podium in 34 years.
Fonda's appearance was not the only echo of Vietnam as protestors packed the mall area in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol yesterday. Speakers told the crowd the United States has forgotten any lessons learned in Vietnam as U.S. President George W. Bush prepares to send another 21,500 young Americans to Iraq.
Fonda led a Hollywood contingent, which included Sean Penn, Danny Glover, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, joined by veterans of Vietnam and the current war, those with family members serving in Iraq, labour and civil rights leaders.

HIllary visits me. Well, not realy...

In her first campaign trip to Iowa, Clinton stresses gender
By Steven Thomma
McClatchy Newspapers

DES MOINES, Iowa - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton opened her quest for the White House Saturday stressing her potentially historic role as a woman - a tough woman at that, who will "deck" opponents, win the presidency and enact universal health care that eluded her as First Lady.

"When you're attacked, you have to deck your opponents," the New York Democrat said to applause from a group of about 50 Iowa Democrats Saturday.
"I want to run a positive, issue-oriented, visionary campaign. But you can count on me to stand my ground and fight back," she said.

Clinton received enthusiastic applause from Democratic audiences throughout the day Saturday in her first visit since declaring her candidacy. That's important as she sets out to overcome the early lead built up in the state by former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.
"I intend to do it the old-fashioned way," she told Democrats at a town hall meeting later Saturday.

While she hasn't been to the state since 2003 - Edwards has been there 17 times since the 2004 election - Clinton vowed to return to living rooms, church basements and union halls for intimate conversations. That kind of personal encounter is expected in a state whose caucuses likely will kick off the 2008 presidential contest next winter.

---The Iowa caucus is sucha huge deal here, its pretty amazing. Ive never activley taken part because Im not a Democrat, but even standing on the sidelines and watching the whole thing unfold is quite cool. When I worked at the airport as a screener, I can remember seeing John Kerry a million times. Too bad I would have gotten fired for flippin him the bird.---

booze

proving that not even a death in my family can curb my desire for websearching and booze I found this and emediatly thought that you boys would dig it....
pocketshots
neato..
oh and Scott, nice job with the blog

he's a whore, big black

A little joke.

---Im learning to try to add a little bit more humor here to the blog. I mean, it does get old having to reply to nothing but serious, well talked about topics. Here is a little political satire for you all.---


A cannibal entered the meat market to buy something nice for dinner. The owner greeted him and told him to look around. The cannibal began to inspect the meat case and noticed the market specialized in brain. Upon further inspection he noticed a marked disparity between the costs of brain meats. A carpenter's brain sells for $1.50 per pound. A plumber's brain sells for $2.25 per pound. He noticed with alarm that a politician's brain sells for $375.00 a pound. With not a little curiosity he asked the owner why the huge difference in price between the similar meats. The owner responded with a deadpan look on his face, "Do you realize how many politicians it takes to get a pound of brains?"

Gullible info.

America Online noticed that nearly 23 percent of males aged 13 to 18 use "sex", as all or part of their password. Only two percent of females in the same age group did the same.


---Lemme ask you as men...are y ou guys still obsessed with sex like we were in our teens? I can definitley say Im not, its just not th at important to me anymore. I know a lot of you are married and they say that married life changes your sex life quite a bit.---

Protesters gather in D.C.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thousands of anti-war protesters, energized by fresh congressional skepticism about the war in Iraq, were demanding a withdrawal of U.S. troops in a demonstration Saturday featuring a handful of celebrities such as Susan Sarandon and Jane Fonda.

"We see many things that we feel helpless about. But this is like a united force. This is something I can do," said 59-year-old Barbara Struna of Brewster, Massachusetts.
Struna, a mother of five who runs an art gallery, said she made a two-day bus trip with her 17-year-old daughter, Anna, to the nation's capital to represent what she said was middle America's opposition to President Bush's war policy.

"My generation is the one that is going to have to pay for this," added the high school senior who said she knows as many as 20 friends who have been to Iraq.
She held a sign that said, "Heck of a job, Bushie," mocking Bush's words of encouragement to his disaster relief chief, Michael Brown, amid criticism of the government's immediate response to Hurricane Katrina in the summer of 2005.

Other demonstrators on a clear, sunny day carried signs to the National Mall that said "Make hip-hop not War," "The surge is a lie," and "Clean water speaks louder than bombs."
United for Peace and Justice, a coalition group sponsoring the protest, said there has been intense interest in the rally since Bush announced he was sending 21,500 additional troops to Iraq. He termed the increase a "surge" in troops.

The group said its Internet site received more than 5 million hits this month, including 650,000 on Wednesday -- the day leaders held a media briefing about the protest.


---Im not a big fan of war protesters (even though that IS their right) because I feel they just make our boys who are over there dying look like shit. I think it shows too much division between the US public and our soldiers. I personally would never protest a war in public. They dont get anything done anyways...

I can remember the 1st Iraq war led by the 1st Bush back in the early 90s. At High School, a bunch of anti war hippy morons had planned a staged walkout of class at a certain time. I can remember I was skinhead at the time and I heard rumors of how these kids were gonna burn a flag in protest and I thought that proved nothing, so I followed the walkout just to make sure a flag burning would not take place. Call me a "patriot" or whatever you want, but I love this great nation and thats something I will never be ashamed of.

Its only fitting that Jane fucking Fonda is one of the heads spokeswomen for this protest.---

A crime seen for what it was.

---Goodmorning boys. Here yesterday, the high was 44 degrees, today as I awoke, it was 18, with a high of 20. I guess Mother Nature is having a hard time making up her mind. I think Im getting a cold which sucks and I think I got it from my daughter.

I think this little news article from NPR I posted this AM is really interesting. You dont hear of many blacks getting convicted of hate crimes. Usually it is a white on black crime, but in this case it was the other way around. I think it is great that justice saw beyond stereotypes here to do what was right.

Im very happy to see the Mike M. and Mark M. updated to our new blog, I was worried that we wouldnt see them for a while. I wanna say thanks again to Scott for setting up the new recent replies tags on the side of our blog. I hope Scott can do new and really cool things for our blog in the near future.

Here is the NPR article....---


January 26, 2007, from NPR news.

· In Long Beach, Calif., a juvenile court judge has convicted eight black girls and one boy of beating three young white women last year. One girl was acquitted of all charges. The defendants range between 12 and 18 years old. The racially charged case included allegations of witness intimidation.

The attack happened last Halloween in an upscale mostly white neighborhood filled with trick-or-treaters. Prosecutors called it a hate crime because they said the attackers hurled racial slurs at their victims.

Nine girls and one boy were charged with the attack. But their families say that the first call for help identified the attackers as a group of black males.

What a way to travel.

FARGO, N.D. Jan 26, 2007 (AP)— A drunk man who tried to climb over a freight train stopped at a downtown crossing ended up going for a ride when the train took off. The 23-year-old man called 911 from his cell phone early Friday when the train reached the Casselton area west of Fargo because he was cold and wanted off, said Cass County Deputy Sheriff Shawn Getz.
Dispatchers called BNSF Railway, which alerted the train conductor.
"A few miles west of Casselton they were able to stop the train and (the man) got off," Getz said.
Authorities said the man did not require any medical treatment, and the railroad did not press charges. The man was taken to a detox center, Getz said.


---I always wondered what it would be like to hop a frieght to see where it would take you. This is something I could have seen Pete and I doing way back in the day. We once talked about joining a certain political group to follow them around the country. Just Pete, myself, a used truck and a huge surplus of various items. We talked about what it would be like to be free of work, everyday life and your usual tie downs. I think we were in our late teens when we talked about doing it.---

Words

Defining differences between left and right creates a chasm of contradiction.

Hey guys, I finally got that side bar of comments many of you requested rolling. I will still need to tweak it, but once complete I will then work on creating our new look!

Thanks for your patience.

The Ballad of Ira Hayes, Johnny Cash

Q & A time

---Well, I just took the first steps to really quit smoking. I filled out a 15 minute questionnaire at waytoquit.com and it was pretty cool. I also have free nicotine gum coming my way. Im pretty nervous about the whole process but I KNOW I have to do something about it soon.

Ive included a humorous little q&a attached to my little note here. I cant remember where I found it, but its been saved to my desktop for a few days now. I got a little laugh out of it and I hope you do too.---


Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a go od source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

The pumpkin.

More arrests for misdemeanors are made on Halloween than any other day.


---I can remember bits and pieces about the Offmen Halloween prank known as the piss pumpkin. I think it was Rick R. who initially stole the pumpkin off of someone's porch so we wouldnt have to waste valuable time and money finding a pumpkin. I think we went to Mike's house to carve out the guts of the pumpkin and then we laid out our final plans to put this whole ordeal into action.

I dont think we strayed too far from Mike's house to actually place the pumpkin in the road, we only went a few miles. Once we got to our desired location, we all took turns making a liquid deposit into the pumpkin. I can remember there were 5 or 6 of us in attendence that night too.

Once we had done that we placed the pumpkin in the road and then we hid behind a large dumpster if my memory serves me correct. Then we waited. And waited. Several cars simply went around the pumpkin and paid no attention to it which Im sure made us mad.

Finally someone actually stopped to move the pumpkin and I can remember our excitement. Even though our goal was to have someone hit the pumpkin, we were happy to have someone finally pay attention! I can remember the guy getting out of his car and looking around because it was pretty late at night. He picked up the pumpkin, which made us assume that he was just going to move it out of the way...little did he know he was in for a surprize.

As he lifted the pumpkin the lovely liquid contents poured out all over him and we all had to hold back from breaking into hysterics! I can vividly see this guy now, all embarrased and really mad over the fact that he just ended up soaked in our urine. He dropped the pumpkin and managed to angrily get into his car and speed away.

This was probably the most infamous prank we ever pulled as a collective group and it will always bring a childlike smile to my face.---

Road trip!

---I have good news. I will be coming to town the week of Feb. 17th thru the 24th. Ill have my own car with me so I obviously wanna get together with you guys! If it isnt too much to ask, maybe we could all get together at someones place for a night of chit chatting and beer consumption? I guess we can finalize something as time draws closer, but I just wanted to give you guys a heads up with plenty of notice so I can see you guys.

Sound good? Let me know.---

Morning zip taken to the next level...yet again.

---'Morning guys. There wasnt that many good news stories so far this morning, but I did find this and figured it was worth a line or two. Enough caffeine to equal 2 cups of coffee is quite a bit, but I would try one just to say I have. Can you think of a good name for these little treats?

I sure do hope that the boys like Mark M. and Mr. Martin update to our new blogger interface. They post here often and I would miss them if they dont make it to the new blogger. As far as the other boys, well, lets face it, we rarely see them here, so I dont know what to say about them. Maybe we should send out a mass email letting everyone know its time to update. Im peering in your direction Scott my man...do you have a lot of our boys emails? I only have yours, PJs and like 1 or 2 others. Maybe you can figure something out this weekend Scott. Let us know and THANKS!

Here is the article about these newly developed "buzz donuts".---


DURHAM. N.C. Jan 26, 2007 (AP)— That cup of coffee just not getting it done anymore? How about a Buzz Donut or a Buzzed Bagel? That's what Doctor Robert Bohannon, a Durham, North Carolina, molecular scientist, has come up with. Bohannon says he's developed a way to add caffeine to baked goods, without the bitter taste of caffeine. Each piece of pastry is the equivalent of about two cups of coffee.
While the product is not on the market yet, Bohannon has approached some heavyweight companies, including Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks about carrying it.

Missing Coments?????

Tonight while updating our bog on to the new format I found there were 18 missing comments. Sorry if yours was one of them.

Thats When I Reached for My Revolver, Mission of Burma

damn blooger.

OK boys, I was able to switch over to the "new" blogger but now I cant post replies to your comments, all I can do is post new threads. Have any of you tried to update to the new blooger? If so, lemme know how it worked for you, Im kinda stuck here! I dont know what to do!

Please lemme know if youve updated!

Thanks guys!

Have booze, no ride.

By Keith Oppenheim
CNN

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- It's always interesting to me, that in my own country, I often get assignments where I walk into a room, and everyone looks and sounds different from me. Different language. Different culture. And sometimes, different beliefs.

On this story, I crossed such a threshold.

I stepped into the taxi depot that serves the Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport, where drivers sit and wait for their next fare. In this crowded, noisy room, most of the cabbies are Muslims originally from Somalia.

"We're doing a story about the conflict between the cabbies and the airport. The Muslim drivers have been refusing to take passengers carrying alcohol, such as wine or liquor purchased at a duty free shop," I explained.

A group of men gathered around us.

"This is America, we have freedom of religion," says one cabbie. We could see their feelings are intense -- that the issue seems to cut to the core of their identity.

"The Metropolitan Airport Commission is discriminating against us Muslim drivers," says Abdulkaddir Adan, a Somalian-American who's been driving a cab in the Twin Cities for two years.

We asked Adan if he'd give us a ride, and let us interview him while he was driving. He agreed. CNN Photojournalist Derek Davis set up a "lipstick" cam, a small camera, positioned on the dashboard.

From the back seat, I asked why Adan would object if I were carrying alcohol.

"The one who drinks, the one who transports, and the one who makes a business of it, they have the same category," he said.

"So, by my transporting my alcohol in your cab, you are sinning?" I asked.

"Sinning to God, yes," he replied.

Adan is not alone. About three quarters of the 900 cabbies serving the airport are Muslim, and many have been regularly refusing passengers carrying beer, wine or liquor.

---I thought this was a very interesting and controversial story. im not even gonna start to give my opinion.---

And its RADIATION resistant!!!!

THE STASH-SAFE KEY CHAIN
"Preferred by the underground and the choice of covert operatives from all sides, ContraTM Brand Stash-Safe is now available to you in this deluxe gift box. Holds one prophylactic, one 20-exp strip of microfilm, one tampon, one rolled up , several grams of your favorite dusting powder or about half a dozen pills. Airtight, waterproof, radiation resistant and able to withstand all manner of misadventure, ContraTM Brand Stash-Safe is machined from solid aluminium, polished and anodised, then clear coated for a lifetime of lustre. It's beautiful, it's unique and it's useful."

---This is something every offmen should have had back in the day, minus the room for stashing your favorite drugs and the tampon. Why would you need something to be radiation resistant? Does anyone have an answer for that? I think this thing looks pretty damn cool too. What would you hide in it???---

Mentos, the freshmaker.

Sales of Mentos candy have nearly tripled in the last year, after five years of steady decline. This surge is attributed to the popularity of the various soda / Mentos experiment videos on the Internet.

---Have you seen any of these experiements, they are pretty cool and something that I could see the Offmen having a blast with back in the day. I dont quite understand the reaction between the Mentos and the cola but man, you can get quite a jetstream out of putting the 2 together. It looks like it can be a real mess too, so it would be something youd wanna do in the back yard. The kids would love it, Im looking in your direction Pete.---

Webspeak.

---Goodmorning gents. Im just sitting here drinking down the cup of joe and reading upi on the news I may have missed overnight. I found an interesting article on this whole webspeak thing...it goes to s how you what an influence the internet has on kids and it kinda scares me a little. I mean, what will it be like by time our kids are grown up enough to understand it all? Have any input boys? Will you highly limit the amount of time that your children get to spend on the computer? My ex and I have already agreed that Ava will not have a computer in her room when she gets older for about a million reasons.

I am also thinking about Pete this morning and what he is feeling. Im with you in thought my dear friend.


Here is part of the article on "webspeak."


By ANN PLESHETTE MURPHY and JENNIFER ALLEN, from ABCnews.com

Jan. 25, 2007 — If, like most teens today, your child spends hours sending text messages from his phone and instant messages from his computer, you probably have overheard phrases like "LOL" or "BRB," without understanding what they meant.

Web lingo is a quick, fun way for kids to communicate using cell phones and computers, and, with 14 million teens texting regularly, it's the new social currency. For example, almost any teen or tween knows that "BRB" means "be right back" and that "TTYL" is "talk to you later."

But now, the use of slang and abbreviations is not limited just to e-mails, text messages or instant messages. It is showing up in kids' schoolwork, in their SAT essays and in college admission applications.

Sara Goodman, who teaches high school English and journalism at Clarksburg High in Clarksburg, Md., said she worries that this new language will compromise students' ability to write and to communicate.

"Most of these kids started using IM when they were between the ages of 8 and 10," Goodman said. "So they learned it when they were learning the other grammar rules."

Learning Webspeak at the same time, then, means kids focus on the grammatical form that they use more often, which is IM and text-message abbreviations, Goodman said.

"I have definitely seen an increase in this type of shorthand. They're using it pretty much everywhere. It's just seeped into their daily language."

Webspeak is so ingrained in most students' communication skills that they inadvertently use the language all the time, even where it might be inappropriate.

your thoughts

well boys.
I'm in texas, and right this minute my Mom is in a rented hospital style bed in the living room, on a respirator, in unbelievable amounts of pain. having occasional panic attacks/sezures. Essentially in the final days. So send her (and my family) a little positive energy (prayer if you beleive in that) cause right now, we need it.
We are just looking for her to be comfortable at this point, if there was ever a person deserving of this awful death it wouldn't be her (and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy). no drugs, rarely drinking, dedicated her life to helping others (nursing). raised 3 pretty good kids, ect.ect.
Cancer... what a bitch.
love,
pjb

USA! USA!

 Converse All-stars are the only major American shoe brand still made in the U.S.


---I try to keep as much money within the US as possible and I knew there was a reason I loved Chucks so much. I own 7 pairs, some are worn to hell, a couple barely touched. Do you guys ever try to think about where your money goes or does it not matter to you? I think its pretty important to keep our US based companies happy. I personally dont like giving my money to foreign companies or countries.---

A little known fact.

Prior to 1903, Social Security numbers were only six digits, instead of the current nine, due to the far smaller population and being assigned only to male land-owners.

---I had no idea that SS numbers were only once assigned to males and those being land owners. I couldnt imagine not having a SS number. Actually, I overheard someone at the dr. the other day say that they didnt have one and I thought to myself, thats nuts!---

The 01/24 Random Photo

Not much time to fuss over the Offmen archive this week so; I grabbed an already onboard image of little C. The photo was taken in early September, on the Fox River Bike path not far from our house.

Motherfucker=Redeemer (Part One), God Speed You Black Emperor

Bush adresses energy issues.

By DAVID ESPO AP Special Correspondent
© 2007 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Without signing on to his solutions, lawmakers on Wednesday welcomed President Bush's appeal to take up problems in energy, health insurance and immigration, seeing a prospect for common ground starkly missing when it comes to the Iraq war.

Bush tended his new domestic proposals in a trip to Delaware promoting research into ethanol production and put the government on a stricter energy diet by signing an executive order requiring federal vehicles and buildings to use more alternative fuels.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, speaking to mayors, seemed intent on out-muscling Bush on that and other domestic fronts. Without giving details, the California Democrat pledged action to achieve energy independence in 10 years and welcomed the president's words on climate change with the qualification: "We cannot afford to wait."

---From what Ive read so far, it seems that last nights union adress had a lot of politicians in agreement towards almost everything except of course, the war in Iraq.---

Art school reject

---Goodmorning. Im sitting here drinking my morning coffee catching up on the news...its cloudy outside and we are expecting flurries today. Blah blah. I watched the President's State of the Union last night....with the sound off, so I didnt hear a word as to what he talked about. I guess I will have to find a news article on it to catch up.

Im starting the day off with a quote again and to think, Hitler was an art school reject. Some even say thats why he had such an animosity towards jews was because he was rejected from a jewish art school. Anyways, here is the odd quote.

"Anyone who sees and paints a sky green and fields blue ought to be sterilised."

Adolf Hitler

Whats she got in that box?

---I think this pretty much says it all about ole Hillary. Any one got a caption for this one?---

This made me giggle.

---Even though I am on the verge of trying to quit smoking, I still get pretty pissy when people try to take smokers rights away, but this little blurb made me laugh.

Dont forget, President W. has his State of the Onion speech tonight.---


Having smoking und non-smoking sections in the same room is like having urinating and non-urinating sections in a swimming pool.

This guy is in trouble, or is he?

---OK, when I first found this picture, I thought man, this guy is in serious trouble and has a few problems. Then after looking at it for a couple of seconds, I realized that it looked kinda staged. I mean, look at the angle of his body? What is he, floating there?

This photo was set up and arranged by phtographic artist Li Wei. It was done in the downtown area of Beijing and the reason he did it was to show "The reality in the unreal or fantastic." I think he means that he likes us to take a look at what is real, or seems real and then think again. Pretty neat shot. The picture was also staged using invisible wires, mirrors and a few other key props that were all digitally removed from the picture later.

Anyone think of some funny captions for this picture?---

Another lawful quote for today.

---Goodmorning fellas. I think we are supposed to get a little more snow this afternoon, nothing all too much though. Ive been drinking real half and half with my coffee as of late as opposed to just putting milk in it and the taste is oh so yummy! What do you guys put in your coffee? Anything?

So, what are you guys listening to nowadays? I just got my MP3 player set up in my car so Im pretty happy..been a random plethora of tunes for me as of late. OK, onto the quote from Mr Zappa. He was weird.---


"The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced."
- Frank Zappa

A quick little quote.

Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made.

- Otto von Bismarck


---dont ask me where I keep finding these because Im not quite sure. I just thought this little quote was apropriate because it can be taken politically and a few other ways. Its the little stupid laws that get ya. Here in town, there is a small village called Windsor Heights and the main street that runs through there is pretty big, a major avenue if you will. The speed limit is only 25 and it is STRICTLY enforced by the PD there. There is no sense as to why the limit is soo small, so it is one of those stupid little laws you hate to see in place and you hate to even wonder why it is so.---

State of the Union. Does anyone really care?

From Hero to Goat

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, January 22, 2007; 1:20 PM

After six years of striding onto the House floor like a conqueror, President Bush will arrive for Tuesday night's State of the Union Speech deeply unpopular and politically crippled.

The most vivid symbol of the new order of things will be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi literally looking over his shoulder. With Pelosi's Democrats now in control of both houses of Congress -- and some members of the president's own party peeling off as he pushes stubbornly ahead in Iraq -- Bush will find his friends far outnumbered by his foes.

The pomp of the State of the Union address and the deference given to Bush's office will prevent the night from turning into an outright rout.


---Good day fellow Offmen. I was sitting here drinking an afternoon cup of hot tea and catching up on the news when I found this article. I had no idea that he was to deliver his state of the union tomorrow night. Now my question is, are any of you gonna try to catch any of the action? I will probably tune in to hear bits and pieces of it...

I went out today and bought my daughter something called "Moon Sand". Its seemingly pretty cool stuff. It molds like dough, never dries out and floats in water. Its like some space aged sand.

Over and out my brothers---

Oh wouldn't life be grand!

My wife often accuses me of being to quiet, and not more forthcoming with my thoughts and feelings. Maybe she would like me to be more like this Guy .

Thirteen, Johnny Cash

Offmen Poll

What is a muffin top, when in reference to a females anatomy?

A cold one for mans best friend!

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- After a long day hunting, there's nothing like wrapping your paw around a cold bottle of beer.

So Terrie Berenden, a pet shop owner in the southern Dutch town of Zelhem, created a beer for her Weimaraners made from beef extract and malt.

"Once a year we go to Austria to hunt with our dogs, and at the end of the day we sit on the veranda and drink a beer. So we thought, my dog also has earned it," she said.

Berenden consigned a local brewery to make and bottle the nonalcoholic beer, branded as Kwispelbier. It was introduced to the market last week and advertised as "a beer for your best friend."

"Kwispel" is the Dutch word for wagging a tail.

The beer is fit for human consumption, Berenden said. But at $2.14 (or 1.65 euro) a bottle, it's about four times more expensive than a Heineken.

---OK, how many of you would try this? I know its almost a sin to try a non-alcoholic beer, but it would almost be worth it. Talk about a bonding experience between you and your pet.

Hey Scott, are Monty and Rosie worth the brew???---

I think this is the real issue.

From ABC news.com


Jan. 22, 2007 — As Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., announced her candidacy for president in 2008, another famous Clinton was conspicuously absent.

Where was Bill Clinton? Even as campaign posters say "Hillary for president," the former U.S. president is nowhere to be found.

It's clear that having Bill as a spouse will be a mixed blessing for Hillary, the presidential candidate.

Bill brings distinct assets: He's still tremendously popular as recent polls show his approval rating at 61 percent. That's bound to rub off, observers believe.

The former president is a formidable fundraiser. He'll bring in money for his wife by the bucket load. And he's one of the best political brains going. She gets free top-drawer advice.

"He is a brilliant intellect, a synthetic thinker. He's a brilliant tactician. He's a prodigious fundraiser. He's a fantastic communicator," said Mark Mellman, a Democratic strategist.


The Potential Drawbacks

But there are liabilities.

Bill treasures public attention so much that he could turn into a glutton for the spotlight and overshadow his wife.

"Bill Clinton can light up a room," said Democratic strategist Jenny Backus. "Bill Clinton can light up a campaign, but he can also burn very brightly and people can get burned."

And there is the scandal that marred his presidency: lying about having sexual relations with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

That certainly seems less of a big issue now, but the taint of those days still drives some anti-Hillary sentiment.

Still, if Hillary is elected, Bill will make history as the country's first first husband.


---I think this is one of the bigger issues about HIllary and her run for the White House. How much will having Bill in her corner effect her credibility? YOu have to admit, he is pretty controversial. Do you think he will be a distraction, or do you think his politicla knowledge will help boost her to a victory?---

This is funny.

Goodmorning! We are getting hammered by a pretty good sized snow storm right now. Several inches on the ground, a little more coming. I thought Id start the day off with a humorous little note.

So speaking of goodmornings, how many of you eat breakfast to start the day? Im not a big breakfast eater, I usually just start my day out with a couple -o- smokes and a cup of coffee or two.


---As a joke, an AT&T employee set up the number 666 to forward calls to George W. Bush's campaign headquarters last October. It was in place for three weeks before it was discovered---

Interesting info.

This past Christmas, after hearing my daughter talk about how great Santa is, I began to wonder at what age is stopped believing. I will admit though, after hearing my daugther and seeing her on Christmas morning, I am a believer again.

---One out of 50 Americans still believes in Santa Claus at the age of 23.---

A quote for the day.

"Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are wise enough to rule themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule others."

- Edward Abbey

Big news in the race for 08!

Hillary Clinton steps into U.S. presidential race
By Patrick Healy Published: January 20, 2007


Six years after making history by winning a United States Senate seat as first lady, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Saturday that she was taking the first formal step to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, a journey that would break yet more political barriers in her extraordinary and controversial career.

"I'm in," she says in a statement on her new campaign Web site. "And I'm in to win."

Clinton, 59, called for "bold but practical changes" in foreign, domestic, and national security policy and said that she would focus on finding "a right end" to the Iraq war, expanding health insurance, pursuing greater energy independence and strengthening the Social Security and Medicare programs for senior citizens.

In her statement, Clinton also squarely confronted an issue that concerns many Democrats: Whether she can, in fact, win the presidency. Some voters still associate her most with the controversies of the Clinton administration, and Republicans have long attacked and caricatured her, and plan to brand her as indecisive on Iraq.


---So, what do you all think? Can she make a serious run for the White House or will she just get in the way of other front runners? Do you think this nation is ready for a female president?---

Cereal...

So I am sitting here, taking a break from the Job Hunt, enjoying the blog and having a bowl of cereal. Note that I didn't say enjoying the cereal. Corn Pops. High fructoce corn syrup glazed chips of styro packaging. I remember our man Woolie-Jack used to eat this stuff, I saw it on sale and picked it up for the kids (yes really the kids, I try to have all my dead calories come from chocolate or alchohal) but of course they don't like it, and instead of just tossing out $3, I eat it.
So getting to the point, I was reminded of my younger days, eating Cereal, Raman, and Peanut Butter everyday. And also thought about how little has changed over the years, I still start every day with a PB&J.
Am I the only one who, when left to his own devices will still eat like a teenager. Microing stuff is almost to much work when preparing a meal for myself.


the police, walking on the moon

I’m on a role so I am going to complain some more!

By Scott,

I often sit in amazement when reading some of your comments on different posts, and I think wow there are some exceptional word smiths amongst us. Why the hell don’t all of them Post once in a while???

I should also clarify that I have no room to bitch seen as I still have yet to revamp the look and interface of our little party. Just for and update on that vein I am currently waiting to see if the new interface offered by Blogger will allow us to access the info we want, I.E. the side bar with listing of most recent comments. I feel this is the most critical element to our new design, and if the new Blogger interface does not allow it then I will begin to research moving our blog to new location.

King of Carrot Flowers Part 1, Neutral Milk Hotel

Post Format Standard Revision

By Scott,

I have been thinking for a while now about establishing a few guidelines as to how our posts are structured. Some posts have names some don’t, its not always so easy to tell which posts are copied from a news source, and which are a genuine members words. Also there is the matter of opinions and controversial topics. I feel it is safe to say that none of us want to inflict our personal opinions in a representation of our greater group as a whole. But that being said I don’t feel any of us mind a controversial topic being posted on our blog as long as it is qualified by whom ever posted it. My goal for proposing these Standards, is to quantify our selves as a group more clearly. Outsiders should be able to look at our site and clearly identify whom is posting and where their info is coming from.

What I propose is this;

1. Every post should have a title, and author with in the first two lines (as example I have formatted this post in the suggested manor). Which ever order you put your name or post title, it shouldn’t matter. Title over name, or Name over Title, what ever.

2. If you are posting a copied article from another source, personalize it in some way. Maybe this is to much to ask but for me this blog is about the Offmen and not just another news source. Don’t get me wrong I think most of us like the content on our blog so far (this is a guess)I know I do, but I think we could easily tweak our entries and make more solidified as the words of an Offmen.

Do any of you think this is too collaged? Or simply to heavy handed in its volume of rules for our little party? Your thoughts?

Caribou, Pixies

"All great truths begin as blasphemies."

George Bernard Shaw

Robert Redford opened the Sundance Film Festival last night with a bang. He told the audience assembled at the Eccles Auditorium, where Brett Morgen’s “Chicago 10” was about to screen, that we were owed an apology from the Bush Administration for everything that has happened since Sept. 11, 2001.

“Six years ago, we held off [saying anything negative about the administration]. But considering what’s happened, I think we’re owed an apology,” Redford declared.

According to most, this is it!

NEW YORK — A majority of Americans consider President Bush’s plan to send more troops to Iraq his last chance for victory there, according to a new FOX News poll.

Overall, the president’s plan receives only minority support, and that comes mainly from his party faithful. A large part of the public’s opposition to the plan could be based on the fact that most see it as a continuation of the same strategy, rather than as a real change.

Opinion Dynamics Corporation conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from January 16 to January 17. The poll has a 3-point error margin.


By 59 percent to 36 percent, Americans oppose sending more U.S. troops to Iraq, not only because most believe it is unlikely the plan will succeed, but also because few voters see the plan Bush announced last week as a significant change to current policy.

random thoughts

I am sick and tired of war. It's glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengence, for desolation. War is hell.

- William Tecumseh Sherman, (taken from "On Killing" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

the low hum of the dishwasher in the back ground

Offmen Poll.

I was sitting here, in between that state of sleep and awareness and for some reason this question popped into my head...

When was the last time you stayed up all night and why?

the end is near?

Timely warning to save the planet
By Tom Clifford, Assistant Editor, International



Dubai: The world officially edged closer to the ultimate deadline when the Doomsday clock was moved nearer to midnight.

The symbolic timepiece was adjusted by scientists yesterday in recognition that the world is closer to nuclear annihilation than at any time since the early eighties.

The clock was devised by the Chicago-based the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947 at the beginning of the atomic age as a method of warning the world. The last time the clock was moved was in 2002, in the aftermath of 9/11.

Scientists agree that the world is a more perilous place today than during the Cold War due to a combination of factors.

another random thingie from the WWW

Holly Shit!
that's all I can say...

Things To Do In An Elevator

1) When there's only one other person in the elevator, tap them on the shoulder and then pretend it wasn't you.
2) Push the buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back for more.
3) Call the Psychic Hotline from your cell phone and ask if they know what floor your on.
4) Bring a camera and take pictures of everyone in the elevator.
5) Move your desk into the elevator and whenever anyone gets on, ask if they have an appointment.
6) Lay down the twister mat and ask people if they would like to play.
7) Leave a box in the corner, and when someone gets on, ask them if they can hear ticking.
8) Pretend you are a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits with the passengers.
9) When the doors close, announce to the others, "It's okay, don't panic, they open again!"
10) Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering, "Shut up, all of you, just shut up!"
11) Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside, ask, "Got enough air in there?"
12) Stand silently and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.
13) Wear a puppet on your hand and use it to talk to the other passengers.
14) Listen to the elevator walls with your stethoscope.
15) Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers, "This is MY personal space!"

Old Jack Frost.

OK, its 23 below zero with the wind chill right now. The sliding door on my balcony is frozen shut so I have to go downstairs to smoke. This is not fun. Yesterday it was too cold to take my daughter outside to play in the snow.

I got a new car, well, a used one but still new to me. Im not used to having a 6 cylinder under the hood and the get up and go is quite new to me...its pretty nice being able to pass someone with ease while going up a hill now.

I got a new cell phone too and it sucks. The reception is terrible.

Im done arguing with you all about pesos. We will all just have to agree to disagree.

over and out.

I think this is totally rediculous. This is America, not fucking Mexico. If people wanna use pesos to pay for something, it should be done in the proper country, not here. Im SO GLAD I live in the Northern US. I could never live that close to the border.

DALLAS, Jan. 14 — Jose Ramirez and two friends stopped by a Pizza Patrón here after work on Thursday for a carry-out dinner. Mr. Ramirez, his jeans dusted with white chalk from the construction site, ordered a Hawaiian and La Patrona — a large with the works.

The pies cost him almost 220 big ones. Pesos, that is.

Mr. Ramirez, 20, received his change in American coins and said he liked the chain’s new “Pizza por Pesos” promotion. He had been in the United States for 15 days — his home is in Guanajuato, Mexico — and he wanted to spend the last of his Mexican currency.

“I just arrived,” he said in Spanish, smiling nervously. “It’s my first time here.”

The employees at this Pizza Patrón in East Dallas, one of 59 in five Southwestern and Western states, were still puzzling over the conversion rates almost a week after the chain started accepting peso bills on Jan. 8.

But the promotion has already hit a nerve in the nationwide immigration debate. The company’s Dallas headquarters received about 1,000 e-mail messages on Thursday alone. Some were supportive, but many called the idea unpatriotic, with messages like, “If you want to accept the peso, go to Mexico!” There were even a few death threats

The 01//14 Random Photo

One of the more civilized moments from back in the day. Only thing that bothers me is why did I take this photo?

Way too damn old to have kids!

LONDON —


A 67-year-old woman who became the world’s oldest mother when she gave birth to twins two weeks ago has been publicly attacked by her own family.


The brother of Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara said that the family was “mystified” and questioned whether she was capable of bringing up her sons, Christian and Pau, who were born in a hospital in Barcelona.


Manuel Bousada de Lara, 73, said that his sister traveled to America for IVF without telling her relatives the reason for the trip.

He said: “My mother would roll in her grave if she knew what my sister has done. She would ask: ‘How are you going to bring up two boys at your age?’”


Staff at the Sant Pau hospital said the boys, who weighed 3.5 pounds each when they were born, are doing well but are still being cared for in incubators. Their mother visits daily.

Hey Scott!!!!

WE HAVE SNOW COMING!!!!!

1 to 2 inches today and 4 to 6 tomorrow night!!! WOOHOO!!!!!

Are you guys supposed to get any?

Bush stands alone with 'new way forward'advertisement

President George W. Bush on Thursday cut an increasingly lonely and embattled figure as opposition Democrats and fellow Republicans greeted his "new way forward" in Iraq with a barrage of denunciation.

Although Tony Blair, the UK prime minister, said that Mr Bush's plan to send a further 21,500 troops to Iraq "made sense", the US president appeared more isolated than ever before. Republicans pointed to the fact that Mr Bush's address came as the UK plans to announce by the end of next month the withdrawal of about 2,600 troops from Iraq.


"Why is it just the United States that is shouldering this?" said Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator. "Why is Great Britain withdrawing? Why are we the only ones that are moving forward with this new plan?"

Republican senators who publicly opposed Mr Bush's plan included Norm Coleman of Minnesota and Sam Brownback – both of whom have traditionally backed the White House – in addition to a growing list of Republicans facing 2008 election campaigns.

I find it interesting that England is planning to withdraw troops after Blair was quoted as saying that this "makes sense". I say screw the Brits and Blair!

Since this has been talked about recentley here on the blog, I figured Id give it a post. You never know, something here may help...

How to Switch Careers
Making a big career change isn't easy, especially if you've got kids to support, a mortgage to pay, and a car to worry about. But if you've got the motivation, you can do it. Here's how.

Steps
Tackle the golden question: If you had all the money in the world, what would you be doing with yourself? Don't hold back. This is brainstorming time. Make a list of all the things you'd rather be doing with your time. Your first few answers will probably be something like: Take a tropical vacation, spend more time with the kids, etc. But push your thinking beyond that.
Evaluate your skills and talents. Ask yourself: What am I good at? What do I most enjoy doing? Write down every skill you're capable of. Don't be shy.
Think of jobs that allow you to do what you really want to do, at least in some form, and apply your skills and talents every day. Be creative and open-minded.
Consider your financial situation. How much does it cost, on a monthly and annual basis, to support your current standard of living? Are you willing to lower your standard so that you can take a job that pays less?
Make a list of everything you want in your new job, and one of everything you don't.
Browse job descriptions in your desired field. Visit a site like Salary.com to find out how much you can expect to earn in your new career. (However, do realize that Salary.com is NOT the source businesses use to set salaries- they use services that survey other businesses. Salary.com just shows a possible average of salaries and is a decent general place to start for career info.) Also refer to the Occupational Outlook Handbookto see how competitive the job market may be.
Check local schools for courses and programs that may give you an edge. Start taking night classes while you're still at your current job. Establish rapport with your teacher - he or she will prove to be a valuable reference when you're applying for a new job.
Volunteer for organizations related to your desired career. For example, if you want to work in architecture, volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses for disadvantaged families. You get experience, and they get a helping hand!
Network. Talk to people in your desired field. Explain your situation. Ask them for advice. Give them your contact information. If what they say is true - "It's not what you know, it's who you know" - then cover all your bases in this department.
Save enough money to support you for 3-6 months, or however long you think it'll take to find a job in your new career that'll support you adequately.
Write a new resume. Make sure you include your objectives (based on step 1), education (step 6) and relevant experience (step 7). See also How to Write a Resume.
Start your job search and good luck!

"Guns are always the best method for a privat suicide. They are more stylish looking than single-edged razor blades and natural gas has got so expensive. Drugs are too chancy. You might miscalculate the dosage and just have a good time."

P. J. O'Rourke

More Troops !!

did you guys see the W's speach the other day?
He wants to further escalate the tragedy in Iraq
Lets hope the new congress is able to get a grip on this mess before Jake and Max end up over there.
He looks a little confused here

This is disturbing.

ANKARA, Turkey — A 12-year-old died by hanging himself from the ceiling of his home, a hospital said Wednesday, and family members said the boy was copying Saddam Hussein's execution.

It was the second death of a youngster blamed on televised images of the deposed Iraqi dictator's Dec. 30 execution. 30. A 10-year-old boy in Houston died Sunday by hanging himself from a bunk bed after watching news reports of the execution.

A hospital official in the southeastern province of Mus said Alisen Akti was dead on arrival at a hospital. The boy died of asphyxiation after apparently hanging himself, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to journalists.

Radikal newspaper quoted the boy's father as saying that the youngster had been affected by television images of Saddam's execution.

"What kind of a problem could a 12-year-old have to want to kill himself?" Radikal quoted Esat Akti as saying.

"After watching Saddam's execution he was constantly asking 'How was Saddam killed?' and 'Did he suffer?"' Akti said. "These television images are responsible for my son's death."

What am I?

I hover out there in darkness unseen.
I will shred things to pieces 'till they're just smithereens.
I might serve as a gateway to places unspoken,
Yet I'm sealed off to man, forever unbroken.
I twist and distort, only darkness escapes,
I destroy all I find
Whatever I take.

What am I?

She is indeed a bitch!

WASHINGTON — Smokers may be one minority in Congress with even fewer rights than newly demoted Republicans. Now they are losing one of their last, cherished prerogatives — a smoke break in the ornate Speaker's Lobby just off the House floor.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced a ban Wednesday, effective immediately.

"The days of smoke-filled rooms in the United States Capitol are over," Pelosi said. "Medical science has unquestionably established the dangerous effects of secondhand smoke, including an increased risk of cancer and respiratory diseases. I am a firm believer that Congress should lead by example."

Lawmakers will be free to light up in their own offices. But no longer can they mingle in the Speaker's Lobby in a haze of cigarette smoke during House votes, as they did just Tuesday night while passing anti-terrorism legislation.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, is a heavy smoker, often found at the center of a group puffing away in a corner of the lobby. He had little to say Wednesday about Pelosi's move. Questioned at a news conference, Boehner described it as "fine." He did not elaborate.

this would be a tad bit freaky!

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A scorpion stung David Sullivan on the back of his right leg, just below the knee, then crawled up and down his left leg, he thinks, before getting him again in the shin.

Not what he was expecting on his flight home from Chicago to Vermont.

Sullivan, a 46-year-old builder from Stowe, was aboard the United Airlines flight on the second leg of his trip home from San Francisco, where he and his wife Helena had been visiting their sons. He awoke from a nap shortly before landing and noticed something strange.

"My right leg felt like it was asleep, but that was isolated to one spot, and it felt like it was being jabbed with a sharp piece of plastic or something."

The second sting came after the plane had landed and the Sullivans were waiting for their bags at the luggage carousel. Sullivan rolled up his cuff to investigate, and the scorpion fell out.

"It felt like a shock, a tingly thing. Someone screamed, 'It's a scorpion,"' Sullivan recalled. Another passenger stepped on the two-inch arachnid, and someone suggested Sullivan seek medical help.

I havent taken the time to write anything personal in a while so I guess Ill take a stab at it....

I guess last month was the warmest December in US history! This warmer winter is really starting to piss me off. I know we have an arctic cold front headed this way this weekend, but I dont think we will see much, if any snow. I am kind of missing snow right now. First of all, I really wanna take my daughter out in it and I miss the look of the pureness it brings, you know, when everything you see if covered in a pure, white bliss. I miss that. Im sure Scott can relate, him being Mr. winter and all...

Im sick of getting spam emails! I have even tried to reduce the number of spam emails I get by going to various websites I get spam from and clicking on their "unsubscribe" buttons. Guess what? It usually doesnt work. The next day, I get the same emails from the same compaines and/or porn sites. Porn. Lots of it is porn.

Ive been doing a lot of reading lately. A lot of reading of work by the infamous author H.P. Lovecraft. His stuff blows my mind. Its so mindblowing horrorific. Not your usual horror though, his stuff goes much deeper. His is very psychological, very much a big mind fuck, pardon the term.

I will let you all go now, I just wanted to let you know what Ima thinkin abouts these days.....

E.

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

Douglas Adams

Gullible Info.....

One in six Britons will die without ever having tasted tea.

Guess the quote

Got any ideas as to who possibly said this???


"Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings."

Lets all take up an Offmen collection and make and offer!!!!! It would be great for meetings, parties and the like.....


World's Smallest 'Country' for Sale
Monday, January 08, 2007

By Sara Bonisteel

The self-proclaimed sovereign principality of Sealand, aboard an artillery platform built during World War II, as seen in 1999.
The world's smallest "country" is going on the chopping block.

The self-proclaimed sovereign principality of Sealand, built atop a World War II artillery platform in the North Sea, is for sale for the whopping price tag of $977 million.

Its price tag and remote accessibility would make it perfect for a James Bond villain. Sealand's past is just as colorful as any Ian Fleming novel.


Built by the British Navy in 1941 in international waters off the coast of Harwich, England, the approximately 1,800-square-foot steel platform set atop two concrete towers was abandoned after World War II.

Enter Paddy Roy Bates, who along with his family, occupied the structure in 1967 and proclaimed its sovereign principality, dubbing himself and his wife prince and princess of the island.

That sovereignty claim lead to a decade's long struggle for control with the United Kingdom that included a lawsuit and the jury-rigging of international water boundaries.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Backs New Members

By BEN SISARIO

Published: January 8, 2007

Van Halen, the Ronettes, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, R.E.M. and Patti Smith will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, in the 22nd annual round of honors, the organization announced this morning.

The members of Van Halen to be inducted are the brothers Alex and Eddie Van Halen; the bassist Michael Anthony; and David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, who have replaced one another as the band’s lead singer more than once. Gary Cherone, who sang with the group in the late 1990s between Mr. Roth’s second stint and Mr. Hagar’s, was not recognized.

OK, see if you can get this riddle correct. I looked at the answer right away because I thought it was too easy and the answer was obvious, but it isnt.

See if you get it, I didnt....


Clock

At noon, you look at the clock in your bedroom. The big hand is on the five and the little hand is in between the 3 and the 4. What time is it?

File under, I Didn’t Know?

Unknown to me as of this morning, Hard drives are actually quite Hard! As recommended when disposing of an old hard drive to insure personal info does net get into the wrong hands, I took a hammer to my old hard drive. But to my surprise my eighteen ounce ball-peen (as seen bellow) it just left twenty or so small dents in the case. Now surely this was likely enough to have disabled my family’s old disc drive for good. How ever being said I am a SAHD, and I felt I had some thing to prove so nothing less than total annihilation would do… at least splitting the dam thing in half would make me feel good. So I dug out my old sludge hammer and took it along with the delinquent Hard drive to the back yard where I could have a word or to with it and a certain hard place I reserve for these special moments. But to my surprise it took seven swings to produce the image you see bellow… all I could think was wow, I actually damaged my special hard place! Disc Drives are really made quite solid! Any how it was a good day as I did get to use one of my favorite toys, on a rather unsuspected object.

"Military Intelligence" at its finest.....

WASHINGTON — The Army on Saturday blamed a computer mix-up for recruitment letters mistakenly sent out over the holidays to the families of 275 officers killed or wounded in action in Iraq.

"Every Army leader is just sick that this happened," said Gen. Richard Cody, the Army's vice chief of staff. "This is an inexcusable mistake. Five years into this war, the Army can do better than this — and we will."

We havent heard about Nukes in quite some time.....

This article is by William J. Broad, David E. Sanger and Thom Shanker.

Skip to next paragraph WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 — The Bush administration is expected to announce next week a major step forward in the building of the country’s first new nuclear warhead in nearly two decades. It will propose elements of competing designs from two weapons laboratories in an approach that some experts argue is untested and risky.

The announcement, to be made by the interagency Nuclear Weapons Council, avoids making a choice between two competing designs for a new weapon, called the Reliable Replacement Warhead, which at first would be mounted on submarine-launched missiles. The effort, if approved by President Bush and financed by Congress, would require a huge refurbishment of the nation’s complex for nuclear design and manufacturing, with the overall bill estimated at more than $100 billion.

But the council’s decision to seek a hybrid design, combining well-tested elements from an older design with new safety and security elements from a more novel approach, could delay the production of the weapon. It also raises the question of whether the United States will ultimately be forced to end its moratorium on underground nuclear testing to make sure the new design works.

History is made.....

Democrats take over the gavel in 110th US Congress

The Democrats are now in control of the US Congress. High on the agenda, hearings on how to stop sectarian strife in Iraq and perceived mistakes by the administration on getting into the war.

For the first time in US history, the House welcomes a female speaker.

And for the first time in more than a decade, the democrats are taking the lead.

"The campaign is over. Democrats are ready to lead." said Nancy Pelosi.

For the last six years, President Bush has enjoyed working with a Congress which has mostly done his bidding.

But as Democrats take over the gavel, their plan of 100 legislative hours immediately leaves a Democratic stamp on the new congress.

However, the war in Iraq still dominates the agenda.

Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader, said "We want to work with Republicans, I'm happy to see the President met with the Study Group early on, he said he wouldn't, I'm glad he did. But this is not a time for threatening the President with anything. We are going to see how we can work with him to change course in Iraq."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOG!!!

Well, according to my bookmarks, this blog is one year old today. It has definitley come a long way and we have found a lot of old Offmen in the process along with gaining a new one.

For me, this blog has been a learning experience and a great blessing.

This makes me wish for a longer winter.....if summer is going to be that bad.



LONDON - A resurgent El Nino and persistently high levels of greenhouse gases are likely to make 2007 the world's hottest year ever recorded, Britain's weather agency said Thursday.

The Meteorological Office calculated a 60 percent probability that 2007 would break the record set in 1998, which was 1.20 degrees Fahrenheit over the long-term average.

"This new information represents another warning that climate change is happening around the world," agency consultant Katie Hopkins said in a statement.

FARMINGTON, Conn. — A Burlington woman has been charged with trying to get painkillers from a drug store by using her dog's name.

Kymberly Smith, 38, faces more than two dozen charges related to her alleged repeated attempts to fraudulently obtain painkillers at a Farmington pharmacy under her dog's name.

Police said Smith is charged with using her dog Zack's name to get Hydrocodone, which is marketed under several names including Vicodin.


Simsbury police said Smith was also arrested in June after she was allegedly caught calling in a fraudulent prescription for the same drug.

Farmington police said Smith was a veterinary technician for several area veterinarians when she began using their ID number to call in prescriptions for herself under the name "Zack Smith."


Ive only taken Vicodin a couple times in my life and it got me pretty high. I guess the stuff is rather addictive. It made me feel as buzzy and floaty. It was fun, I reccomend it to anyone else who has the chance.....

A ROCKABILLY Station!!!

Yahoo radio has added a free Rockabilly station to their listings FYI. Its pretty new so the selection is limited (too much Stray Cats for my liking) but its pretty cool nonetheless. You should all check it out.

The 02-07 Random Photo

Hopefully there are no Denny's employees lurking here on our Blog.

Googley Eyed Bastards or just the weather?

CHICAGO — Federal officials say it was probably just some weird weather phenomenon, but a group of United Airline employees swear they saw a mysterious, saucer-shaped craft hovering over O'Hare Airport last fall.

The workers, some of them pilots, said the object didn't have lights and hovered over an airport terminal before shooting up through the clouds, according to a report in Monday's Chicago Tribune.

The Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged that a United supervisor had called the control tower at O'Hare, asking if anyone had spotted a spinning disc-shaped object. But the controllers didn't see anything, and a preliminary check of radar found nothing out of the ordinary, FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said.