Look for the Falcons to beat the Lions in Detroit and cover the 3 point spread. In the battle of division leaders, look for Dallas to squeak by Denver. Take Dallas at home, plus the 2 points.

Enjoy your turducken, too.

Posted by: annika at 10:35 AM | Comments (19) | Add Comment
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1 out of context, but I thought this article was funny, and maybe Casca and you would get a kick out of it: "Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said U.S. ground forces, with the exception of the Marines, are "extremely incompetent" and would be unable to stem a Chinese conventional attack." Marines, still scaring the Japs after all these years...the 'honorable' Mayor continued: "Indeed, he asserted that China would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against Asian and American cities—even at the risk of a massive U.S. retaliation. The governor said the U.S. military could not counter a wave of millions of Chinese soldiers prepared to die in any onslaught against U.S. forces. After 2,000 casualties, he said, the U.S. military would be forced to withdraw." Gee, I wonder why he thinks that...

Posted by: Scof at November 23, 2005 12:38 PM (RDouC)

2 Gotta remember to send him a copy of Ken Burns' Civil War series.

Posted by: Casca at November 23, 2005 12:51 PM (y9m6I)

3 Happy Thanksgiving Annika... all the best!!!

Posted by: maizzy at November 23, 2005 10:28 PM (fO3iI)

4 Happy Thanksgiving!!

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at November 24, 2005 07:40 AM (2ZXkL)

5 & 2 u 2!

Posted by: annika at November 24, 2005 05:39 PM (YMch9)

6 Close. But, no cigar. Gotta do better than one for two to make it, as the vig will kill you. Where can you get a turducken in California? The only ones I ever has were from the city that Katrina leveled, and had to be ordered weeks in advance so they'd get to L.A. by Turkey Day. I figure they didn't ship this year. Oh well, back to the books, a sure winner for life.

Posted by: shelly at November 25, 2005 02:45 AM (6mUkl)

7 Turducken is overrated. I marinated my turkey in brine, then I stuffed it with home-maid Boudain. Then I used my super-glaze. It was very moist after cooking. Yummm maybe I should write a cookbook

Posted by: Kyle N at November 25, 2005 05:14 PM (/jhxG)

8 no need for a cookbook, just send me the recipe. sounds yummy

Posted by: annika at November 25, 2005 06:13 PM (mdEch)

9 Actually, Wilford Brimley's recipe for turkeyis the one most of us prefer...

Posted by: shelly at November 26, 2005 02:31 AM (6mUkl)

10 In the words of Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend!" I'm thinkin' that "Turd" "ucken" is a joke, and Turkducken is the dish John Madden made famous, lmao. Call me crazy, but I don't eat anything with "turd" in the name.

Posted by: Casca at November 26, 2005 01:58 PM (qBTBH)

11 Turducken: A chicken, stuffed inside a duck, which is stuffed inside a turkey. Can be tasty if cooked correctly. Turd: MRE (or Lee Corso) Turkey stuffed with oatmeal: See Wilford Brimley recipe.

Posted by: shelly at November 26, 2005 06:47 PM (6mUkl)

12 I'll pioneer and actually first post on topic: NFL Football. Bad call on the Cowboys (not that I'm unhappy). But IMHO the NFL overtime rules suck! The Cowboys lost that game on a coin toss. At least my cherished Fightin' Irish had a shot to answer Michigan State's sudden death TD earlier this year. When they didn't, the issue was resolved. --HH P.S. Recipes: Start with either a decent sized pumpkin (8" diameter) or sweet potato. Enough to put in the oven at 350 degF for three or so hours to yield 1 1/4 cups of paste when you get through peeling and mashing. For pie add: 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup evaporated milk 2 tblsns water Mix and pour into pie shell (exercise left to the student) Bake at 400 degF for 15 min Bake at 350 degF for 35 min or until edge of crust is browned Cool and serve For soup soutee: 1/2 lb. cut mushrooms 1/2 cup chopped onions 2 tbsp. butter Add: 2 tbsp flour 1 tbsp curry powder* 3 cups (1 can or so) chicken broth The aforementioned pumpkin or sweet potato puree 1 tbsp honey dash ground nutmeg dash salt dash pepper 1 cup evaporated milk Heat. * Be careful with the curry !!! It will overpower the pumpkin / sweet potato taste in a New York Minute! Enjoy your friends being impressed with your yumminess!

Posted by: Go 4 TLI at November 26, 2005 11:49 PM (TmKwU)

13 Blech, sounds awful! All baked goods should be purchased from professionals, and one should exercise EXTREME care when consuming any pumpkin based product. Pecan pie on the otherhand may be freely consumed by almost anyone in large quantities as long as it is served hot/warmed with a copious amount of vanilla ice cream.

Posted by: Casca at November 27, 2005 08:21 AM (kIzY0)

14 ah yes. the great pecan vs. pumpkin controversy. i had hoped to avoid this controversy. it can become very heated. in fact, it's good heated, as you say, with a scoop of vanilla.

Posted by: annika at November 27, 2005 08:50 AM (QCpZv)

15 I've always thought of you as a Praline & Pecan kinda gal.

Posted by: Casca at November 27, 2005 01:21 PM (qBTBH)

16 Nah, who ever heard of a Princess turning into a pecan or a praline at midnight? Or, Peter, Peter, Pecan eater?

Posted by: shelly at November 27, 2005 03:08 PM (6mUkl)

17 Xactly! Who wants a woman that you have to lock up in a pumpkin because she's giving it away all over town? As for the damsel in distress in borrowed clothes and pimped pumpkin ride, as much as I hate to quote Dr Laura, "When you rescue a damsel in distress, all you get is a distressed damsel."

Posted by: Casca at November 27, 2005 04:57 PM (qBTBH)

18 LMFAO - ROF. That woman is evil, but that is really funny.

Posted by: shelly at November 27, 2005 07:09 PM (6mUkl)

19 Yes, but did an adult beverage come out your nose?

Posted by: Casca at November 27, 2005 07:15 PM (qBTBH)

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The NE round.

[I]t is a thermobaric mixture which ignites the air, producing a shockwave of unparalleled destructive power, especially against buildings.

A post-action report from Iraq describes the effect of the new weapon: 'One unit disintegrated a large one-storey masonry type building with one round from 100 meters. They were extremely impressed.' Elsewhere it is described by one Marine as 'an awesome piece of ordnance.'

It proved highly effective in the battle for Fallujah. This from the Marine Corps Gazette, July edition: 'SMAW gunners became expert at determining which wall to shoot to cause the roof to collapse and crush the insurgents fortified inside interior rooms.'

. . .

[I]t’s understandable that the Marines have made so little noise about the use of the SMAW-NE in Fallujah. But keeping quiet about controversial weapons is a lousy strategy, no matter how effective those arms are. In the short term, it may save some bad press. In the long term, it’s a recipe for a scandal. Military leaders should debate human right advocates and the like first, and then publicly decide 'we do/do not to use X'. Otherwise when the media find do find out – as they always do -- not only do you get a level of hysteria but there is also the charge of 'covering up.'

[The author is] undecided about thermobarics myself, but I think they should let the legal people sort out all these issues and clear things up. Otherwise you get claims of 'chemical weapons' and 'violating the Geneva Protocol.' Which doesn't really help anyone. The warfighter is left in doubt, and it hands propaganda to the bad guys. Just look at what happened it last weekÂ’s screaming over white phosphorous rounds.

In 1991 it was electric filaments that were inhumane. And they didn't even kill anybody. This time it's the white phosphorous nonsense. Nobody ever mentions that we used white phosphorous in World War II. If it wasn't for WP, it would have taken us much longer to break out of hedgerow country after D-Day. The world would be a different place, let me tell you.

Remember what Dupont said (or was it Monsanto?): "Without chemicals, life itself would be impossible."

Via commenter Shelly.

Posted by: annika at 11:11 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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Congratulations are also in order for Law Fairy, The Angry Clam, Chris Cross, and GirlGoneMil, who passed the California Bar Exam. And i should also mention that my roommate Megan is the smartest, sexiest and most relieved new lawyer in the Golden State. And on Saturday, she was the most hungover too.

i know it's bad form to mention it, but good luck to those of you who didn't pass. i know you'll get em next time.

Posted by: annika at 06:21 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 Congratulations to all of them.

Posted by: Mark at November 22, 2005 07:10 PM (Vg0tt)

2 You're making the assumption that the rest of us are going to take it again...

Posted by: KG at November 22, 2005 07:52 PM (eRMCR)

3 Thanks so much annika! It feels as good as cold beer on a warm day, wrestling in a tub of jello, or well...you can come up with your own similes :-)

Posted by: Girlgonemil at November 22, 2005 09:30 PM (Q+K0o)

4 thanks, annika! in true lawyer fashion, I've already switched from "ginormously indescribably relieved" to "now where the hell are my business cards??"

Posted by: The Law Fairy at November 22, 2005 11:26 PM (bzLvk)

5 Welcome to the Dark Side. You fools . . .

Posted by: Matt at November 23, 2005 08:41 AM (10G2T)

6 OK kids, I want to tell you what my mentor told me when I passed the bar. He said "Are you a lawyer now?". To which I replied "Yes, I passed the Bar Exam". He said "No you're not, you are just a member of the Bar. Call me after you have put a witness on the stand, after preparing him for testimony for weeks, and he testified just the opposite of what you expected, and on the spot you've had to adjust to that and try to put your case back together. Then you can call yourself a lawyer." It happened about six years later. So I say to your pals, happy to have all you unguided missiles join us to pay your dues, work for starvation wages all days and nights and weekends, whilst we take the bows and the money, but wait a while 'til you call yourselves "lawyers" and just stick to "Member of the Bar" for a while.

Posted by: shelly at November 25, 2005 03:01 AM (6mUkl)

7 Shelly, Do you feel a little taller slamming people's achievements?

Posted by: Mark at November 25, 2005 11:29 PM (v4fyP)

8 Nope, not slamming them, just giving them some honest reality check advice. Anyone who survives the torture of a tough Bar exam is entitled to respect for their intellect and perseverence; law school is a arduous ordeal and six months or so of studying and relearning the material, then three days of testing and months of waiting for results are mind boggling. But, having survived that experience often creates what I call unguided missiles, and the first few years can be painful experiences for young people who think they know it all, but get pantsed by old geezers who know all the tricks of the trade. It is so painful that many leave the practice within five years of so to do something else with their education. The practice of law is very competitive, and young lawyers need to understand that they are just beginning the process, not ending it by passing the Bar. So I do congratulate and welcome all who have passed, but caution them to heed my words, as did I many years ago listen to my mentor. I may be speaking at some of their swearing in's, seeing as Annie does attend a California School of Law and she was talking about the California Bar; I'll say the same thing there, if I do.

Posted by: shelly at November 26, 2005 03:01 AM (6mUkl)

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One might wonder why annika's bitch Casca has never been awarded the coveted Huge Comment of the Week^® prize. No longer. His comment to the post immediately below is beyond worthy.

The worst thing about the blogosphere is the infinite supply of know-it-alls. They offend those of us who do.

Posted by: annika at 06:09 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Is it me, or is the blogosphere deafeningly silent on this story. i think it's huge, no matter which side you're on.

Posted by: annika at 01:26 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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For no particular reason.

Hawaii 5-0
Mission Impossible
The Rockford Files
The Partridge Family
Sanford And Son
Dallas
Bonanza
Gilligan's Island
Laverne And Shirley
The Munsters

Honorable mention goes to:

Good Times
The Streets Of San Francisco
Ironsides
What's Happening?
The Mod Squad
Route 66

Most Over-rated theme songs:

The Monkees
The Brady Bunch
The Addams Family
The Jeffersons

Posted by: annika at 07:50 AM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
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As far as i am concerned, there was one main reason Iraq was a serious threat to the United States. It's why Saddam Hussein had to go, and it's why Iraq needed to be turned into a U.S. friendly democracy.

The reason was, in the words of Richard Clarke, "Boogie to Baghdad." Byron York wrote about it in his most recent column:

In case you donÂ’t remember, 'Boogie to Baghdad' is the phrase that Richard Clarke, when he was the top White House counterterrorism official during the Clinton administration, used to express his fear that if American forces pushed Osama bin Laden too hard at his hideout in Afghanistan, bin Laden might move to Iraq, where he could stay in the protection of Saddam Hussein.

ClarkeÂ’s opinion was based on intelligence indicating a number of contacts between al Qaeda and Iraq, including word that Saddam had offered bin Laden safe haven.

ItÂ’s all laid out in the Sept. 11 commission report. 'Boogie to Baghdad' is on Page 134.

In February 1999, [CIA assistant director for collection, Charles] Allen proposed flying a U-2 mission over Afghanistan to build a baseline of intelligence outside the areas where the tribals had coverage. [Richard] Clarke was nervous about such a mission because he continued to fear that Bin Ladin might leave for someplace less accessible. He wrote Deputy National Security Advisor Donald Kerrick that one reliable source reported Bin Ladin's having met with Iraqi officials, who 'may have offered him asylum.' Other intelligence sources said that some Taliban leaders, though not Mullah Omar, had urged Bin Ladin to go to Iraq. If Bin Ladin actually moved to Iraq, wrote Clarke, his network would be at Saddam Hussein's service, and it would be 'virtually impossible' to find him. Better to get Bin Ladin in Afghanistan, Clarke declared. Berger suggested sending one U-2 flight, but Clarke opposed even this. It would require Pakistani approval, he wrote; and 'Pak[istan's] intel[ligence service] is in bed with' Bin Ladin and would warn him that the United States was getting ready for a bombing campaign: 'Armed with that knowledge, old wily Usama will likely boogie to Baghdad.' Though told also by Bruce Riedel of the NSC staff that Saddam Hussein wanted Bin Ladin in Baghdad, Berger conditionally authorized a single U-2 flight. Allen meanwhile had found other ways of getting the information he wanted. So the U-2 flight never occurred.

We wanted to send a spy plane over Afghanistan, but Richard Clarke was afraid (probably with good reason) that the Pakistanis would tip Osama off, and he'd get spooked and leave Afghanistan.

Please note what Richard Clark did not say:

He did not say, "At least we don't need to worry about Osama going to Iraq, because as everybody knows, Osama and Saddam hate each other, Osama being a religious fundamentalist, and Saddam being a secular infidel."

The argument that Saddam and Osama would never have cooperated is not only factually incorrect, it's naïve. People who hate each other form partnerships all the time. Look at most marriages. No, seriously, what about Hitler and Stalin, Stalin and Churchill, Herzog and Kinski, Bill and Hillary, Ungar and Madison, Owens and McNabb?

The whole WMD argument is a red herring. The administration thought it was their "ace in the hole" when they were trying to make the case before the U.N. Now the anti-war movement thinks it's their "ace-in-the-hole." i never bought into the WMD argument, either way.

The flypaper argument is similarly weak. It's only a part of the puzzle. Alone, it makes a poor justification for the war. The main reason we needed to get rid of Saddam, and make Iraq into an ally instead of an enemy, was "Boogie to Baghdad."

The advantages to both parties would have made a Saddam-Osama partnership inevitable, especially after we kicked butt in Afghanistan. Therefore, it was a strategic necessity to remove the possibility of that partnership. We achieved that goal, and that's a fact that people tend to forget.

Posted by: annika at 06:31 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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Big NFC North matchup tonight. Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. i'm going to try out a new analysis today, so stay with me and you'll see the beauty of it, then you can laugh at the suckers later.

Now the line opened with Green Bay favored by 3½ points. The current line is up to 5½ points. The conventional wisdom says Green Bay will do well in November at home against their arch-rivals, who play in a dome. Also, Brett Favre and company have a lot to make up for, with their recent Monday night debacles. Plus, the Vikings are without their star Daunte Culpepper, while the Packers are still led by fading superstar Favre. The Packers are also coming off a huge victory against the Falcons last week, and they will hopefully ride into this game with some momentum and renewed confidence.

So, naturally i would pick the Packers tonight. However, this week i am going with the George Costanza rule, which states as follows:

If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.

Posted by: annika at 01:24 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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You may have read about this. Harriet the turtle, the world's oldest living animal, turned 175 on Tuesday.

What an incredible accomplishment, when you think about it. Harriet must have an amazing perspective on the world and history, because she's seen it all.

Harriet watched the industrial revolution happen, the rise of nationalism and the Revolutions of 1848. She must have followed the American Civil War with interest. Was she worried when she heard about the Russian Revolution? Did she think Hitler might really take over the world? Imagine her relief when Imperial Japan was turned away from Australian shores, or when the Cold War ended.

What would Harriet say about global warming? Were there any el ninos when she was a little girl on Galapagos? What was Charles Darwin like? Was he a talkative man? Did he believe in God? What are her opinions on the art movements she's seen come and go: romanticism, impressionism, expressionism, dadaism, surrealism, cubism, modernism, post-modernism and even post-post-modernism?

Does Harriet have any plans for the next 175 years? i hear she's in good health. Is she optimistic about her future, or ours? Is Steve Irwin a goofball all the time, or is that just an act?

There's so many questions i could ask Harriet, i decided to see if i could track her down via the magic of the internet. What follows is the exclusive annika's journal interview i tried to conduct with Harriet in a Yahoo! chatroom. Unfortunately i wasn't able to keep her online very long, but you know how it is in chatrooms. more...

Posted by: annika at 04:36 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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CBS Evening News anchor Bob Schieffer, on why all three major networks reported Rep. Murtha's "we must surrender" speech as the most important news story of the day:

Politicians make speeches all the time. Some matter and some don't. It was our opinion that this one mattered.

Posted by: annika at 02:43 PM | Comments (30) | Add Comment
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So Randy Moss don't wanna play with TO? That's good. i'd hate to watch yet another future Hall of Famer riding the bench for Al Davis.

Posted by: annika at 08:13 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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It's 50% Love and 50% Lust

You and your guy are hot for one another, but you've also got a bit of a love thing going on.

Posted by: annika at 11:10 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 Lust comes first, then either turns to love or disgust. But you gotta have the Lust factor or there is no basis for a relationship.

Posted by: kyle at November 18, 2005 03:36 PM (K4+hv)

2 Chuh! What's love got to do with it? 100% whoremoans and fuckin'.

Posted by: Casca at November 18, 2005 10:49 PM (qBTBH)

3 Annika, Nothing else to post eh?

Posted by: Mark at November 19, 2005 09:16 AM (Vg0tt)

4 Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Hair...Pie!

Posted by: Radical Redneck at November 19, 2005 08:06 PM (7XTy8)

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From Australia's Herald Sun:

Four Australian women have been detained while trying to board a plane in Syria, reportedly after gun parts were found inside a child's toy.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) said two women from Victoria and two from NSW were with two Iraqi women when they were detained at Damascus airport on Tuesday.

All six were of Iraqi origin, the department said.

A DFAT spokesman would not confirm media reports that the group was detained after a disassembled gun was found inside a toy being carried by a child with the women.

The ABC has quoted a Syrian police source and a diplomatic source as saying the women entered the airport in the Syrian capital with a child.

They said the women were detained after the gun parts were found in a toy the child was holding.

The women were reportedly trying to board a flight bound for Australia.

Posted by: annika at 01:44 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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i don't do college football predictions, because i don't know enough about it. But since i've had such luck with the pros this year, and since all you people seem to want to talk about is college ball, here goes.

The Big Game: Cal is favored by seven. The Bears will crush Stanford by fourteen.

Alabama vs. Auburn: i love Auburn. Defense appears to be their weak spot, but i expect them to get the W, if not cover their seven point spread. Alabama will then drop in the BCS, opening a post season bowl spot for the undeserving Ducks.

Syracuse vs. Notre Dame: Just because i'm Catholic, do i have to root for Notre Dame? i don't think so. i read a spirited defense of ND's number 6 ranking, but i'm not buying it. One close game against SC doesn't convince me that they're better than Ohio State, for instance. On the other hand, i've always had this unreasonable dislike for Syracuse. i don't know why. It may have something to do with a tournament pool i lost a few years back, thanks to them. The Green will trounce the Orangemen.

The Ohio State University vs. Michigan: The hidden offense will be revealed, just in time. OSU by a TD.

Southern Cal vs. Fresno State: Looking at Fresno's mascot, i'm wondering whether John Thompson should be their coach. Talk about over-rated. Who have they beaten this year? Carroll and Leinart will embarrass the Hoyas by at least three touchdowns. No, make it four.

Penn State vs. Michigan State: Penn State is back, baby. i can't understand why they're only 7 point favorites over the 5-5 Spartans. i'd spot Michigan State at least 17.

The Civil War: Since 1997, the winner of this rivalry has alternated between Oregon and Oregon State every year. It's the Duck's turn this year. Ducks by seven with their quarterback platoon.

Posted by: annika at 09:04 AM | Comments (34) | Add Comment
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Today, a little Sandburg, from 1920.

The Lawyers Know Too Much
 
The lawyers, Bob, know too much.
They are chums of the books of old John Marshall.
They know it all, what a dead hand Wrote,
A stiff dead hand and its knuckles crumbling,
The bones of the fingers a thin white ash

    The lawyers know
      a dead man’s thoughts too well.
 
In the heels of the higgling lawyers, Bob,
Too many slippery ifs and buts and howevers,
Too much hereinbefore provided whereas,

Too many doors to go in and out of.
 
    When the lawyers are through
    What is there left, Bob?
    Can a mouse nibble at it
    And find enough to fasten a tooth in?
 
    Why is there always a secret singing
    When a lawyer cashes in?
    Why does a hearse horse snicker
    Hauling a lawyer away?
 
The work of a bricklayer goes to the blue.

The knack of a mason outlasts a moon.
The hands of a plasterer hold a room together.
The land of a farmer wishes him back again.
    Singers of songs and dreamers of plays
    Build a house no wind blows over.

The lawyers—tell me why a hearse horse snickers hauling a lawyer’s bones.

Posted by: annika at 08:33 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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So the Clippers are 6 and 2, and number one in the West? Don't worry, the planets are not out of orbit. The Dodgers had a great start this year too.

Posted by: annika at 08:11 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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What's the spread? i don't know. Oh well. Phillies vs. Cowboys. The Cowboys will win.

Update The Phillies are favored by three at game time. i stand by my prediction. Of course now that it's already 7 to nothing, i'm starting to second guess myself.

Posted by: annika at 07:04 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 wtf?

Posted by: d-rod at November 14, 2005 07:37 PM (1Skit)

2 I need a favor: whenever the Seahawks play...um, anybody, pick them to lose, would ya? Seriously, I picked the Eagles to lose, too. Who'da thunk it, eh?

Posted by: Stevin at November 14, 2005 09:03 PM (LfL8N)

3 I'm sure that you're right, and anyone who thinks differently deserves exactly what they may get... NUTHIN'!

Posted by: Casca at November 14, 2005 09:35 PM (qBTBH)

4 All your readers should be voting for you in this poll: http://aarons.cc/2005/11/11/deck-o-bloggers-2005-hearts-voting-open/

Posted by: dawn summers at November 14, 2005 10:57 PM (FrOrQ)

5 That's a sweet comment Dawn. I don't care what Karol says about you anymore.

Posted by: d-rod at November 14, 2005 11:25 PM (W8uIM)

6 Cowboys Come Back in Thriller The Cowboys are dominated for much of the game, but they stun the Eagles with a late rally. Dallas strikes for touchdowns on both offense and defense in 25 seconds to steal a 21-20 road victory. OK, Annie, the only mistake you made tonight was to doubt your own superiority and infallability. Of course, it took and offensive and defensive TD in 25 seconds to make it a reality, but as we say...there are no pictures in the score book.

Posted by: shelly at November 14, 2005 11:29 PM (6mUkl)

7 Well, they didn''t beat the pitiful spread. Infallable? Not.

Posted by: d-rod at November 14, 2005 11:37 PM (W8uIM)

8 I could not stay up long enough to watch the end. they start those things too late for the east coast and central time zones. Besides I have to get up at 5:00 every morning. Damm, I fell like such an old man at times.

Posted by: kyle at November 15, 2005 04:30 AM (iH+PC)

9 d-rod, you stay out of football as well. The Cowboys were an UNDERDOG. As my grandson says, "Annika rules, d-rod drools".

Posted by: shelly at November 15, 2005 07:49 AM (6mUkl)

10 Dang. okay, annika is awesome.

Posted by: d-rod at November 15, 2005 11:56 AM (XuVja)

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Rather than legislate a blanket prohibition on all "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment," (which in many cases can be quite useful, not to mention fun*), i propose the following, more simple compromise amendment:

SEC. __. UNIFORM STANDARDS FOR THE INTERROGATION OF PERSONS UNDER THE DETENTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

(a) IN GENERAL - All persons within the custody or under the effective control of the Department of Defense or under detention in a Department of Defense facility shall be subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation that works.

(b) LIMITATIONS - But whatever you decide to do, for God's sakes, don't film it!

* Lighten up. i said "not to mention," didn't i?

Posted by: annika at 09:25 AM | Comments (19) | Add Comment
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1 Actually, every bit of it should be filmed, and every bit of information regarding detainees should be classified. It's that simple. BTW, is Cal really an 18.5 pt punk to USC? I'm thinking that it's a lot closer.

Posted by: Casca at November 11, 2005 10:30 AM (qBTBH)

2 Very funny, as usual. My thoughts on the role of the pardon power in any extreme interrogation methods: http://www.affbrainwash.com/chrisroach/archives/020509.php

Posted by: Roach at November 11, 2005 04:49 PM (MRlvg)

3 There is one cruel and inhumane interrogation technique which always works and has not (as for as I know) been banned by international tribunal. Put the detainees in a room and play nonstop Yoko Ono! (but you have to tie them up so they do not puncture their own eardrums.)

Posted by: Kyle N at November 11, 2005 07:48 PM (F0Eov)

4 C'mon Casca, stick to SCOTUS and Big 10 stuff and lay off the big leagues. Pac 10 is way too complicated for guys from Columbus. Cal has a second string QB and is scrappy, but thin. USC has a way of looking for payback; guess who the last team to beat them was, and where, in a huge upset as well? Look for this Trojan team to once again explain to the liberals from Sather Gate just how they feel about their last visit to Strawberry Canyon. USC 50+, Cal less than 20.

Posted by: shelly at November 12, 2005 10:10 AM (6mUkl)

5 LMAO, I KNOW what YOU think. I wanted to hear from the scandinavian blond. I'm watching Ohio State v Northwestern on Gameplan broadband. The resolution sucks! Next week, for the first time in forever, the dykes who now run ABC sports have decided that Ohio State v Michigan is unworthy of a national broadcast... amazing.

Posted by: Casca at November 12, 2005 12:01 PM (qBTBH)

6 For the uninformed amongst you, Keith Jackson is a puss-filled, ass-sucking whore, as are most of the PAC-10 officials who will do anything to keep another team from contending against USC. In one series, one sees a penalty called where there is none, and a TD called where there is none.

Posted by: Casca at November 12, 2005 02:42 PM (qBTBH)

7 So much for Mighty Alabama and their pretentions. Looks like its Texas vrs USC. and I am gald it worked out that way because, Honestly I think Texas is the only team with a chance of beating USC.

Posted by: Kyle N at November 12, 2005 06:40 PM (o5q9S)

8 Nah Kyle, there are several, it just needs to be one with a real defense, ND with a punk defense proved that, and a straight officiating crew, if there is one... fucking lawyers! Ought to mean instant disqualification for the job.

Posted by: Casca at November 12, 2005 07:20 PM (qBTBH)

9 Or, if you must film it, just edit the end of a Kerry-Edwards campaign commercial to it, so the last thing you hear after seeing the torture is "I'm John Kerry, and I approve this message."

Posted by: Eric Kephas at November 13, 2005 02:28 AM (ZRjA4)

10 OK Casca, I hope you reconsidered and did not part with your ill gotten money to back a bunch of weenies from Sather Gate. Even if you did, I figure you got it back while the Buckeyes continued to hide their offense. Did a great job of hiding the plays this time, huh? Too bad you guys blew it against Penn State; can't believe you guys actually lost that game, especially without Pac 10 officiating. Texas will not beat USC. It will be a shoot out, but SC's offense is virtually unstoppable, and they will simply outscore the horns and wear them down. The Rose Bowl is not our home field, but it is close enough for government work, and the place will be full of cardinal and gold, and not too much burnt orange. I hope OSU enjoys it in Hawaii.

Posted by: shelly at November 13, 2005 07:52 AM (6mUkl)

11 You old fuck, I'm not stupid enough to bet on Cal. It's not just PAC 10 officials who are corrupt either. There are at least several in the Big 10, and while PAC 10 officials are almost uniformly corrupt, Big 10 officials are almost uniformly incompetent. The requirements for officials should be; nobody over forty, nobody who wasn't a starter in the league for at least a year, and no lawyers. As you know, it's impossible not to destroy a team that is self-destructiing, and that's what NW did yesterday. After the blocked punt, they collective stood there and pissed their pants until it was over. Penn State won because Troy Smith can't pass read, and threw an interception that gave the ball to PSU on the OSU 2 yard line, leading to the margin of victory score. Unless Penn State falls to MSU, which is possible, although a longshot. Remember MSU beat ND. Ohio State and ND will get the at-large bids and go to the Fiesta Bowl. There's just too much money to be made off of all those Buckeye and Irish fans. Plus, it'll be a great game.

Posted by: Casca at November 13, 2005 09:02 AM (qBTBH)

12 This might be the best bowl season in a long time. One of the funniest things is that Spurrier actualy has a chance to win the SEC with the lowly Cocks. Spurrier is the best, nastiest, craftiest college coach ever.

Posted by: Kyle N at November 13, 2005 09:49 AM (6ngro)

13 Spurrier the best, ever? Well, ever hear of Knute Rockne, Red Blaik, John McKay, John Robinson, Howard Jones, Red Sanders, Pete Carroll, Ara Parsegian, Bear Bryant, Woody Hayes...just to name a few of the hacks that he is better than. NOT. Kyle, history is a great subject; learn it, or be doomed by it. (Apologies to Santayana)

Posted by: shelly at November 13, 2005 08:31 PM (6mUkl)

14 Shelly you are the one who needs to read. I said he was the NASTIEST, CRAFTIEST best coach. And I stand by that.

Posted by: kyle at November 14, 2005 04:14 AM (b7UTw)

15 Casca - Think other at large will go to either SEC # 2 or PAC-10 # 2. Ohio State ends up in the Capital One, assuming PSU and OSU win out. Well, if crafty means going to Washington, DC, screwing up a NFL team, and walking away with $15M, then Spurrier is all that. Hope McCain will define "degrading" because wading through the various references to find a definition is a mindnumbing endeavor. Article 16 Each State Party shall undertake to prevent in any territory under its jurisdiction other acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment which do not amount to torture as defined in article 1, when such acts are committed by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity

Posted by: Col Steve at November 14, 2005 11:14 AM (NvUmm)

16 Kyle, I know how to read; I even know how to parse. Try parsing your sentence. Clearly, you did not write what you meant to say. Give it a rest; Spurrier is probably a flash in the pan. Certainly, in my mind, he cannot shine the shoes of the men I listed. I didn't include Shula, Lombardi or Landry, or George Allen or a passel of others due to the fact that you said college and I understood that part of it. But, if he keeps whipping the pussies at OSU, I may add Paterno...

Posted by: shelly at November 14, 2005 04:17 PM (6mUkl)

17 One more inhumane act is to have 15 posts on American football...now that is torture!

Posted by: NOTR at November 14, 2005 06:54 PM (izx0t)

18 And then I'll know that you've taken up the pipe and joined the crackheads on the palisades.

Posted by: Casca at November 14, 2005 07:54 PM (qBTBH)

19 I said, he has to keep beating the pussies at OSU. I guess, as long as they hide their offense, anything is possible. Carroll, on the other hand, just says that we are going around your right end; try and stop us... The pipes are in Venice, not the Palisades.

Posted by: shelly at November 14, 2005 11:42 PM (6mUkl)

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A Happy Veteran's Day thank you to all veterans! And a belated Happy Birthday to the U.S.M.C.!

Check out Blackfive today. Uncle Jimbo has a great post. And contribute to Project Valour IT.

Posted by: annika at 06:57 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 39 words, total size 1 kb.

i have been frustrated with the comments being down, too. For some reason, the whole of Munuviana has been hit hard recently. Pixy is on it, as he always is, but as you know he's only one man. Superhuman yes, but still only one man. Here's some interesting facts that might shed light on things or at least help us all to be patient:

We got 1.3 million trackbacks over the past 30 days, and 550,000 comments. About 99.8% of trackbacks and over 90% of comments were spam. Over 99% of the spam got blocked, but that still left a lot of cleaning up.

. . .

Massive amounts of comment spam coming in right now - several thousand a minute. Busy upgrading Fluffy's armament. Back soon.

Ugh. Seriously ugh. We're talking over a hundred comments a second here.

Update: New super doom-Fluffy installed. We'll see how we go with that.

Update update: 75,000 80,000 85,000 spams from a single source in under 90 minutes. It would have been more than that except that the server ground to a halt under the load. It's sped up significantly now that it's all being blocked immediately.

Update update update: Out of 90,000 95,000 spams, four actually got through. Congrats to Ted, Linda, Daniel and Lawren, who won the prize.

Update^4: 100,000! It's now 104 minutes since the flood started

Update^5: Looks like it's leveled off at a steady 1500 spams a minute. I wonder how long they'll keep up this futile exercise?

Update^6: Just past the two hour mark and it seems to have stopped. 123,111 spam attempts, four of which got through, for a success rate of 0.00324%. I shall now delete those four spams... And done.

. . .

We have to move off Movable Type; we have no choice in the matter. However, no-one will be forced off MT before they're ready. The new servers will be able to cope with the existing users just fine; the problem is that further growth will bring serious problems. We're already the largest MT installation in the world, and worse, we are stuck on version 2.6 due to licensing issues.

Posted by: annika at 09:38 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 361 words, total size 2 kb.

1 This is precisely the reason I moved platforms. When I realized that every morning I was waking up to stave off a new spam attack--and that if I didn't do it, the spammers were able to take down the server every morning--I realized that I simply couldn't stay with MT. As much as I had enjoyed the ride, I hated having to spend so much time fighting the spammers.

Posted by: zombyboy at November 10, 2005 09:59 AM (1yNBe)

2 Yes. Come over to the dark side of WordPress.

Posted by: Robbie at November 10, 2005 12:50 PM (lbWbV)

3 Ordinarily, I would think of a male named "Pixy" as being more well versed in show-tunes than in being a Warrior King, I have to give him credit there.

Posted by: skippystalin at November 10, 2005 04:21 PM (ohSFF)

4 As you know, Annie, someof the other blogs have these weird distorted letters you have to match before it will allow a comment to be sent. I think that effectively blocks the spammers.... Maybe they should use that system???

Posted by: shelly at November 10, 2005 04:40 PM (6mUkl)

5 One advantage annika has in Munuvia is everything is free. Server space, tech support...all kindsa shit. It's perfect for a starving law student: No money down, no montly payment...heck, tell me who couldn't afford that!

Posted by: Victor at November 10, 2005 05:33 PM (l+W8Z)

6 Definitely can't beat free. I believe the tool shelly is referring to is called 'captcha,' where you have to type in a random combination of a word and numbers. I've heard other bloggers say it's highly effective; but I've only seen that on Expression Engine blogs...

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at November 11, 2005 07:31 AM (Wz2Gp)

7 I stand corrected; the captcha tool is also available from Pmachine Pro...

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at November 11, 2005 07:33 AM (Wz2Gp)

8 Of course, pMachine and EE are from the same company. We use EE, and the captcha thing really does work. Comment spam went from ten or twenty a day to zero immediately. Then, the trackback spam started...

Posted by: buckethead at November 14, 2005 11:02 AM (ztNrs)

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