Ted

The man must be on the wagon. When he can properly pronounce quagmire two or three times in a row, you know he's safe to drive.

Maggie Gallagher

So Maggie Gallagher is accused of taking government money to promote
WH programs.... she says it was just payment for writing pamphlets and such.
Too bad for her; she's caught up in the latest leftwing meme, the-government-bought-your-opinion meme. Maggie:

"I've been a marriage expert, researcher, and advocate for nearly 20 years. I've written two books on marriage, numerous articles in scholarly journals, as well as many newspaper columns and magazine articles. My research and expertise is why HHS hired me, and why I accepted the work assignment. I have written a syndicated column for almost 10 years, but my main work has been research and public education on marriage as a social institution.

The Human Rights Campaign is indignant:

"The public deserves to know if there are other 'pay-to-sway' columnists and opinion leaders on the Bush Administration payroll," said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg.

Well, here's the official opinion of the timber industry: "Winnie, fix me a sandwich."

whattheheck

whattheheck, originally uploaded by lumberjack.

You KNOW this pup has been poked in the eye more than once by those little fingers. A good dog always lets it go.

Whew..

Boy do I feel good today... Found out that the glitch
that the echo technician thought was a tumor was just
a glitch. After a week of worry, and coffin shopping
in my head, I can relax. I'll continue seeing the doctor,
that is, if they let me back in that hospital after I forced
kisses on everyone (even bystanders) in the radiology department.

*Whew*

Pet Care

According to an August Washington Post profile, Maura Hall of Washington, D.C., has spent more than $25,000 (an amount which a United Nations food program says will feed 350 Third World children for a year) for a kidney transplant and post-operative care for "Lily," her longhaired gray cat. (Among the post-op procedures: weekly, $200 blood tests for the rest of her life.) Hall said she encounters hostility from not only those who disagree with her priorities, but also other pet owners who feel guilty that they can't afford such expensive care. (Also, an August BBC News dispatch from Brazil reported on the various cosmetic procedures available for dogs and other pets, such as wrinkle reduction, eyebrow correction and even full face-lifts, but which, fortunately, are less expensive than a kidney transplant, e.g., about US$75 to make drooping ears un-droop.)

And I felt extravagant buying the dogs new collars and leashes.

snow scooter

scooter, originally uploaded by lumberjack.

Before the undignified falling begins.

A step in the right direction, finally?

From The Economist, a story so unexpected that I checked the URL to make sure it wasn't somehow from the Onion. My fingers are crossed on this one; hope Abbas can make Yasser spin in his grave.

Abbas sends in his men

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has sent his security forces to police the Gaza strip, in the hope of curbing militant groups’ attacks on Israeli targets. If successful—a big if—this could pave the way for a broader ceasefire and a revival of the Middle East peace process.

SEVERAL thousand Palestinian paramilitary policemen, in green uniforms and red berets and carrying assault rifles, began taking up positions across the northern Gaza strip on Friday January 21st. They were sent in by Mahmoud Abbas, the newly elected president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), to try to deter Islamist militant groups from launching attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers in the strip. Among the officers’ first actions was to search vehicles heading for the Erez crossing into Israel—a frequent target for suicide bombers. The PA’s forces also took up positions in northern Gaza’s fields, from where militants have regularly launched volleys of rockets, both at the strip’s Jewish settlements and at towns across the border in southern Israel.

The deployment of Palestinian forces is the first such operation since militants launched their intifada (uprising) over four years ago, which prompted Israel to reoccupy areas that it had handed over to the PA under the Oslo peace accords. If the Palestinian security presence succeeds in deterring militants’ attacks, and if Israel responds with concessions, it could pave the way for a broader ceasefire by the various militant groups and, eventually, to a revival of the internationally backed “road map” peace plan. Mr Abbas’s officials agreed the planned deployment with Israeli officials in a meeting on Wednesday—such co-ordination was crucial, so that Israeli troops would not mistakenly open fire on the PA’s forces. On Friday, the launch of the operation was welcomed by Israel’s deputy prime minister, Shimon Peres. Speaking on Israel Radio, he said Mr Abbas’s first steps were “very impressive”.

In search of suicide bombers

Spongebob Gay?

Say it aint so.

Lucky?

Another Ananova:

Lucky's luck runs out

A chicken called Lucky, which helped its owner pick out winning lottery numbers, has been eaten by a fox.

Lucky was rescued by Billy Gibbons who found it close to death while he was out walking in 2003, reports the Daily Post.

A week later, while recuperating at Mr Gibbon's Cheshire home, it tapped five numbers into a calculator and netted its owner £1,300.

But Lucky's number finally came up when Mr Gibbons forgot to lock its coop and it was snatched by a fox.

Mr Gibbons, 48, said: "I am upset if any of my chickens get killed by a fox. That was obviously a special chicken.

"I rescued it from certain death. I think it knew that and it followed me everywhere."

Mr Gibbons is now trying to train his remaining hens to peck out numbers too but admitted: "It's not quite the same."

boo