How much further...

...can the quality of "journalism" sink? If I haven't made it apparent, yet, I am a stickler for spelling and grammar and I am continually shocked and appalled by the new depths it reaches. There seems to be no bounds beneath which it will not go and there is no apparant reason to believe the bottom is anywhere near imminent. The logical conclusion is that one day, sooner rather than later, virtually everthing you read, regardless of source or author, will resemble the worst jibberish one witnesses on intenet message boards, instant messenger chat sessions and mobile text messages.

What's got me in a snit this time? I ckicked on a news story brought to me as part of a collection by Google (by clicking on "News" on the Google portal) and my jaw dropped. It's not as if I stumbled onto the page of an obscure amateur blogger--I'm talking about an otherwise legitimate news service. Here are a few small samples of this "professional" journalist's work:

No really, what kind of idiot would go on tv, in Turkey or anywhere in earth

Get a loud of some of this crap that Hedo spews..

Who knew, Toronto a hard place to play on athletes??????

Now, you might think that perhaps the author has some redeeming talents such as a keen insight into the subject matter or perhaps he weaves a rivetting story. Perhaps you'd be wrong. He offers little insight into anything...other than his abysmal command of the English language, and as for his ability to weave--I'm sure he is far more suited to performing the activity using baskets rather than the English language.

You be the judge.

Maybe I should just accept that the world is changing and learn to change along with it. i thnk ill start rite now, c u ltr..........


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Man allegedly sets blaze because of late dinner

Mon May 24, 9:04 pm ET

SISSONVILLE, W.Va. – Kanawha County authorities said a marital spat over a late dinner has landed a man in jail on an arson charge. Lt. Sean Crosier of the Sheriff's Department said 60-year-old Guy Edward Jones came home Sunday and got angry because his wife, Beverly Jones, didn't have dinner on the table.

Crosier said the couple fought and Beverly Jones ran to a neighbor's house. Crosier said she turned and saw flames coming out of the basement and her husband exiting through the basement door.

Guy Jones was in the South Central Regional Jail on Monday afternoon in lieu of $50,000 bond. It could not be determined whether he had a lawyer.

Story

In related news, the producers of the popular Fox television series The Simpsons, have put out a press release indicating that a search for a suitable replacement for the character Jasper Beardly is already underway and they expect there to be no impact to the current production schedule.

Jasper Beardly:

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That's how we fix it

I did a double take when I saw this commercial for the first time. I literally laughed out loud and then chuckled for the next two days every time I thought about it. Listen to them laughing at the end. It's as if the characters themselves can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. It's one of my all-time favourites.





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Freedom of speech or simple hate?

In the midst of the "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" fiasco, defenders of their right to free speech often write that the exercise of it should never be self restricted because of what those who object to various manifestations of it see as highly offensive. Many of them assert that it is a noble right worth defending at all costs because anything less would be giving in to pressure to a lessening of personal rights and freedoms.

My question to them is: When was the last time you lost a right or freedom simply because you didn't exercise it? How many times did you lose your right to travel because you stayed home for too long a period? When was the last time you lost your right to vote because you didn't go to the polls for three elections in a row? When was the last time your freedom of speech was suspended because you didn't offend someone for six months? You are not obligated to exercise each and every right you have to it's fullest degree.

Freedom of speech is assured. I don't see it being revoked any time soon. Taunting Muslims, or anyone else under the guise of exercising the right of freedom of expression is in practical terms bull shit. It serves only one purpose: to spread hate. Not only to spread hate, but to solicit support in the spreading of that hate.

It costs you nothing to refrain from purposely offending Muslims. If you disagree with facets of Islam, fine, start a debate--you may learn something. Rights and freedoms are not like muscles--they do not need to be exercised so that they don't atrophy and lose their power. Please, stop this ploy because it amounts to nothing but hate mongering. It does nothing to cement our rights while at the same time, it pisses off a whole lot of people. So, what have you gained? Was that the real objective? Simply to piss people off? Congratulations--it succeeded. Now, try doing something positive.


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It's bottom of the ninth with two out...

What's up with baseball announcers these days? Why do they keep informing the viewers over and over...and over again about the current status of the game? For instance: "There's a man on first with two outs at the bottom of the third in a zero-zero tie". Uh, thanks, but I know all that--it's right there on the screen...constantly.

I guess because of technology, the requirements of the job have changed--they just forgot to CC: the announcers on the memo. They should stick to analysis of the game and throw in a little personal stuff here and there. Maybe they don't have enough interesting or insightful things to say and have to back fill with um, filler. Whatever the reason, I want my money back.


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Another typical poker tourney (typical for me)

Last night, I played in a .05, yes, five cent poker tourney. There was nothing else available within the time frame I was willing to wait at my very unpopular poker site. It gets quieter and quieter. I'm sure it will close down any day now. I'm wondering if I should take my money out now.

Anyway, at one point I announce: "30 hands dealt, not one playable hand." (I played a few hands from my blinds with very little and had to fold.)

At hand 37, I get dealt JJ. I am in late position and someone in early position raised 3x or 4xbb before the flop and gets 3 callers including me. Flop comes 99Q. The pre-flop raiser makes a large bet, next guy calls, next guy makes a big raise. Of course, I would be all-in if I made the ridiculous call--I fold. Early guy re-raises and is all-in. Next guy calls and is all-in. Early guy had KK. Next guy had garbage. Last guy had QQ.

After hand 40, with my chips about = 5xbb and still not having seen a river, I announce: "I have a feeling when I go all-in, I'll be outdrawn."

A few hands later, I'm the SB and everyone folds to me. I'm holding A4 and by now, I'm thoroughly frustrated and I go all-in. The guy calls with KT. I'm sure you can guess what happens next. Flop is KTx

I'm out.

Since I'm "not allowed" to win consistently, maybe I should put together a book of my poker (mis)adventures, including screen shots and hand histories. Naa, no one would buy it. And by "buy it", I mean "believe it". Well...both.

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Can you spot the liberal?

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Portrait of an alleged terrorist training camp

Not only does Canada produce more comics per capita than any other country, apparently, even alleged Canadian terrorists are a funny bunch.

A less nefarious picture of an alleged terrorist training camp emerged Thursday, when a Brampton court heard attendees were forced to sleep in a van because of sub-zero temperatures, participated in military marches to avoid hypothermia and squealed when a field mouse ran into a tent.

The portrait of an “utterly disorganized” camp, surfaced as defence lawyer Michael Moon cross-examined police agent Mubin Shaikh, who infiltrated the alleged homegrown terror cell in late 2005.

Court was told that when members of the group attended a December 2005 camp in Washago, Ont., some were terrified a fictional pack of wolves was stalking them, two men cut themselves chopping wood and one nearly lit himself ablaze while pouring fuel onto the campfire.

“These guys were lucky to get out of Washago alive,” Moon suggested to Shaikh, who is testifying at the trial of Fahim Ahmad, Steven Chand and Asad Ansari, members of the so-called Toronto 18, which was busted up by police on June 2, 2006.

Shaikh, the only one who had the foresight to bring a winter tent, said he never believed the campers were at risk of death because they could sleep in their vehicles. But, he testified, “there was a real risk of hypothermia.”

The full story.

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Q & A's from around the web

What's your orientation and your sign?

Horizontal and Do Not Disturb.


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