Eclectic Views

    
A dildo, I think
  

    
All of those chemicals you mention, Gail, are organic.  They exist in
nature.  Organic and not good list totally agree.
  

    
That was what I intended to illustrate.
  

    
From Berlin via the New York Times comes this wonderful misplaced modifier
describing the to-be-demolished East German parliament building as "a huge
steel-and-concrete complex with bronze-colored windows that opened in 1976".
  

    
!!!
  

    
Big front-page story in today's paper that "the largest study ever" shows
"Low-Fat Diet Does Not Cut Health Risks"; oh boy, now I can get out those
suet-pudding recipes again.
  

    
Spotted Dick and Whatchamacallit Baby...
  

    
Heh!

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1565471.htm   One take on it, but
not pro-suet:

> This was a very well done study which left us with the conclusion that
> eating less fat did not clearly protect against heart disease.
>
> However, we would point out that our advice in the meantime has moved on,
> and that what we're now suggesting is that people be careful not to eat
> dangerous fats and to preferentially eat more favourable fats. In other
> words, avoid saturated fat, but not be so restrictive about polyunsaturated
> and monounsaturated fat.
  

    
The "Lobscouse and Spotted Dog" cookbook has a recipe that uses Juan
Fernandez Island berries and sea-elephant suet; my guess is you would
consume more calories in obtaining the ingredients than the dish contains.
  

    
From a story on the growth of the US air-taxi industry:

[The FAA says] "thousands of tiny passenger jets will soon begin flying,
which will open travel opportunities at small airports and perhaps
eventually gum up the air traffic control system."
  

    
From today's New York Times:

"There are now more millionaires nationwide than people who are unemployed."
  

    
Good. Each of them can help out one of us. 
  

    
I don't believe that. Maybe they're only counting people who are
receiving unemployment.
  

    
They also don't count people who are, um,  employed as prisoners as being 
unemployed.
  

    
I suppose what with Enron and the like there are a number of millionaires
employed in a prisoner capacity.
  

    
Barry Bonds, move over; two players at the World Open chess tournament in
Philadelphia are suspected of cheating. Not by bulking up their hamstrings
with steroids or whatever, and pee tests are not yet a requirement at these
contests, but by using concealed wireless headsets disguised as hearing aids
to get advice on difficult moves. "Growing prize money" was suggested as a
motivation for these geeks gone bad; first place was worth $28,000.
  

    
Didn't Colbert (while still on TDS) interview some big, humorless woman
because she cheated in a Scrabble contest?  He went on and on listing all
sorts of drugs she might have taken before the contest.  And I think he
repeatedly challenged her to pee in a cup.
  

    
The NY Times reports Congress has allocated $20 million of our money "to pay
for a celebration in the nation's capital 'for commemoration of success' in
Iraq and Afghanistan". The president would be empowered to designate a "day
of celebration" and "issue a proclamation". Originally allocated for US
fiscal year 2006, the money was re-authorized for FY 2007 since despite the
famous banner, the mission has not been entirely accomplished to everyone's
satisfaction yet. The Senate Armed Services Committee where the provision
originated declined to identify its optimistic sponsor.
  

    
I saw that!  Fucking amazing.  "Let's just declare victory and go home."

<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061004/ap_on_go_co/congress_iraq_victory>
  

    
The legislature of Mongolia is debating a proposed law that would assert
government control over commercial use of Genghis Khan's name. It presently
graces several brands including a vodka and a beer.  According to one
representative, "We are not showing enough respect to Genghis Khan; if
somebody produces toilet paper with his name we do not know what to do about
it."  Presumably Mr. Khan would know; he used to make his enemies' skulls
into drinking bowls, and one imagines he would disapprove of Genghis Wipes.
  

    
An unfortunate juxtaposition in Google News just now:

Dopehead Nicole Richie Arrested for DUI
  Playfuls.com
FDA seeks to ease access to new drugs
  Chicago Tribune
  

    
Airbus held an introductory flight of its new superjumbo A380 for the media
Wednesday. Among the statistics they published were that it is 118 tons
heavier than a 747 and can transport 840 passengers or 35 million ping-pong
balls. One imagines the latter statistic is largely hypothetical, though if
the balls were filled with helium it might help reduce that 118-ton
discrepancy on fragile runways.
  

    
Here's a disturbing headline:

 Body Found in Pregnant Woman's Case
  

    
I can see David Lynch building a movie around that premise...
  

    
News read today:  Alberto Fujimori, ex President of Peru credited with
destroying the maoist terrorist group the Shining Path, will not be
extradited to Peru to be tried for his crimes.  He is currently living
in a luxury conominium in the outskirts of Santiago, under "house
arrest".  According to the Chilean justice system, what accounts for
crimes in Peru does not equate to criminal activity in Chile, therefore
no cause for extradition.  !Que pena!