Free Market Research

 
…but you just know that any company stupid enough to forbid employees to park non-DC cars on premises is also too stupid to take such excellent advice.  A snippet of the post”
“When you encounter incompetence to such a degree, it’s difficult not to imagine instead that it’s sabotage.”
As always, Kim’s a good read.  Follow on down today’s posts and read his pursuit of some ideas explored by John Derbyshire and Jonah Goldberg.  Good stuff. (But where was a Gratuitous Gun Pic today? I wanna purty picture of a gun, Kim! Alla time.)

Not exactly another Blogosphere Meme Poolâ„¢ creation

[UPDATE: see here for the latest on this not-a-meme]
 
Nah.  Call it a “pseudo-creative writing assignment” if you want
 
You meet the most… interesting folks in waiting rooms.  Or not.  But yesterday, in the cardiologist’s waiting room, I sure did meet some folks who had tales to tell.  From memories of the Korean War (complete with graphic descriptions of Pork Chop Hill) to other, tamer recollections. One not-so-tame, but less dramatic story involved a “waiter’s” (you know, one of that group who’s waiting for their spouse/friend/neighbor to finish some strenuous test/procedure) tale of his sister-in-law who went to the bathroom and lifted the toilet lid in preparation for an important function.  Luckily (for the storyteller as well as his sister-in-law), she happened to look into the toilet bowl before proceeding and saw… a squirrel.
 
(Pause for a moment while the image sinks in.  Load your copy of Ray Stevens’ “Mississippi Squirrel Revival” then proceed to the rest of the post.)
 
So, a little help here.  Any takers on using “squirrel in a toilet bowl” in a post?
 
Bou? (Surely your boys have had a squirrel adventure! 🙂
 
George? (Consider it a news break with possibilities along the lines of “Costello buys a computer.” 🙂
 
Kris? (Think: house hunting. heh )
 
Harvey? (Oh, the delicious dread contemplating what might come from THAT Bad Example… *ouch*)
 
Dan? (Breaking News! 🙂
 
Anyone?
 
🙂
 
No rules about tagging or contents or format.  This is NOT a Blogosphere Meme Poolâ„¢thing like the stinky punchbowl meme or even the Blogmothers Dayâ„¢ or Blogfathers Dayâ„¢ mini-memes.  This is just a “what if” kinda thing.  What if… someone posted a “squirrel in the toilet bowl” recipe to recipe.carnival (at) gmail (d-o-t) c-o-m (*shhhh* don’t say that so loudly! Someone would)?  What if… some engineer who had a rodent problem with her car contemplated engineering solutions to a squirrel in a toilet bowl (“Here: I have a very fine scientific calculator which I will give you to remove the squirrel from my toilet bowl.”)?  What if, some talented musician played and sang a lullaby to the sweet squirrel in the toilet bowl (while hubby sneaked up on it with a bludgeon)?  (See update, below) What if some irrascible old goat looked at said squirrel and simply warned, “You try collecting these nuts and you’re history!”? Or What if some intrepid reporter uncovered the hidden connection between Hillary Clinton, Kofi Anan and the squirrel in the toilet bowl?
 
What if…
 
That’s all.  No meme, just a wee “what if.”
 
Just what if?
 
(Yes, I have an offering percolating, but I’ll post it later.)
 
Update: Well, Kris has had one real-world “squirrel-in-the-house” adventure and apparently wants a bye on contemplating one in her toilet bowl.  I can understand that, but with a response like this, I couldn’t help but wonder how much fun a “squirrel in the toilet bowl” submission from her might be…
“When I opened the door, the squirrel (up on a shelf) panicked and leaped out toward me into the kitchen behind me. He bounced off a cabinet and unceremoniously landed on the floor, where, sprawling and scrambling, he began to run back toward the door to the basement. I’m not the kind of person who gets freaked out by this sort of nonsense, however — I just lifted my foot (clad in a nice heavy shoe) and brought it down on top of him before he could reach the doorway. No way was that thing getting away from me… I took the Daisy off safety and did away with him on the kitchen floor, under my foot.”
Yeh.  Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!  Now, if she’d just cornered it in the toilet bowl…

DU’s Funny Oregano

George of GM’s Corner wonders what the Democratic Underground’s been smoking…
 
“… 59% of the “voters” in the DU poll believe that Al Qeada is a fictitious organization. What have they been smoking?”
 
C’mon, George.  You know they won’t give up their connection to primo dope.
 
Well, at least their committment to the Great Oblivious remains intact.  Read George’s comments for a snippet of the DU googly-eyed wonders’ obliviousness gleaned from Little Green Footballs.
 
 

Calling All Caffeine Heads!

 
Now you can stop stealing the art off her blog.  🙂
 
And if you’re into tea as well, she has another post on top of the linked one you might wanna share with a child or some other tea lover with a quirky sense of fun: Teddy Bear Tea.
 
(Now for another cuppa joe for myself… I need the 3 IQ point boost, right now. heh)
 
Addendum: One of the sites Christine linked has a few coffee contests to enter.  Give em a whirl over at Coffee Sage. And from that site, this gem from The Unknown Psalmist:
 
Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze. It maketh me to wake in green pastures. It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses. It restoreth my buzz. It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction, I will fear no Equal™, For thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me. Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of Juan Valdez. Thou annointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over. Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the House of [Coffee] for ever.
 
Amen
 
(Another cuppa joe?  Why, thank you.  Don’t mind if I do.)

Defending Our Borders

Two significant posts and a link—heed them all
 
This post, at The Sunnye Side of Life, quotes an article detailin eight myths concerning illegal immigrants.  Read it and com on back for the next post on the subject. Well, what are you waiting for? Go.  Read it.
 
Back now? Good.  Here’s your next important reading assignment, at Whizbang!
 
“A prelude to war?” outlines the case of an illegal immigrant arrested and charged with… trespassing.  Read it.
 
Now, CLICK on the link HERE or in my sidebar (The “Secure Our Border” graphic) and sign the petition urging President Bush to take all legal and prudent means to decure our borders.
 

A tribute by Blonde Sagacityâ„¢

Ala looks “In the Sandbox… ” and offers a prayer for what she sees
 
Head on over to Blonde Sagacityâ„¢ and read Ala’s prayer for those placing themselves in harm’s way to serve their country.
 
Then CLICK HERE to download/listen to “Mansions of the Lord” from the same movie as the prayer she quotes.  The fire off an email to one of the guys serving in harm’s way, preferably someone from your own community, someone you should be connected to. And then why not watch a decent movie portraying honorable men serving their country in difficult circumstances, such as “We Were Soldiers” (from whence both the prayer Ala offers and “Mansions of the Lord“).
 
Are there any military families in your community? Spouses and clindren coping with a dad or mom in Iraq?  Retired military who served with honor?  Look them up.  Be their friend and neighbor.
 

Drive by posting: Oh! the humanity of it all!

Evolution just ain’t what it’s cracked up to be…
 
Slithery Reptile last week and Adorable Rodent this week.  I am not pleased.  I do NOT want to be an Adorable Rodent! If anything, I want to be a Wascally Wabbit!  What is wrong with this Ecosystem?!?
 
*sigh*
 
[Updated: Well, I guess N.Z. Bear heard my plea.  I’ve slid back down the evolutionary ladder to Flappy Bird.  MUCH better than being an Adorable anything. When someone looks at me, if they see “adorable” instead of ROUS (gratuitous Princess Bride reference) or thinking “That’s one mean rodent” (Gratuitous Monty Python “Search for the Holy Grail” reference) then I’ve failed in one of my life’s goals.
 
 
[Updated yet again: the silly N.S. Bear ecosystem has bumped me back to the place where the script says “I’m a [sic] Adorable Rodent… ” Blech. Labeling me “adorable” and then the error with the article… Well, those who know me will just have to think of me as “One mean R(OUS),” and go on their merry way.
 
Right.]
 
 

A “True Story”

Well, as likely as any on the front pages of the NYT
 
Hillary Visits an Elementary School
 
 
So, like, Hillary Clinton goes to an elementary school in New York to talk  about the world. After her talk she offers question time.
 
One little boy puts up his hand. The Senator asks him what his  name is.
 
“Kenneth.”
 
“And what is your question, Kenneth?”
 
“I have three questions: First – whatever happened to your medical health care plan?
 
Second – why would you run for President after your husband shamed the office?
 
And, Third – whatever happened to all those things you took when you left the White House?”
 
Just then the bell rings for recess. Hillary Clinton informs the kids that they will continue after recess. When they resume Hillary says, “Okay where were we? Oh, that’s right, question  time. Who has a question?”
 
A different little boy puts his hand up; Hillary points him out and asks him what his name is.
 
“Larry.”
 
“And what is your question, Larry?”
 
“I have five questions: First – whatever happened to your medical health care plan?
 
Second – why would you run for President after your husband shamed the office?
 
Third – whatever happened to all those things you took when you left the White House?
 
Fourth – why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early?
 
And, Fifth – what happened to Kenneth?
 
[I do not know the source of this little cautionary tale. While I doubt it is literally true, I feel it meets the journalistic standards of the NYT and CBS, so I’m “reporting” it here. Obviously, since it’s already all over the web (example), it simply must either be true or “close enough” for a CBS memo report featuring Dan Blather or a front page report by the NYT. And if it’s good enough to meet their stringent standards for reportage, I guess it’ll just have to do.]
 
[Update: And no kidding with this update. I’ve gotten some mail about this post that indicates I need to make something clearer: when I said I did not know the source of this tale, I meant it.  I did find other sites that repeat this story (one linked above), but I have found no attribution I could verify, either, so we’re left wondering this: did this information  come from Bill Burkett or some other equally reliable source?  I simply do not know. Do you?  That’s the current state of Mass Media Podperson ethics—”If I think it sounds like something my own biases verify, then it must be true… “—so I guess if I hold myself to their standards, it’s perfectly fine.]