The Red Brick Times

We better stop, hey, whats that sound
Everybody look whats going down.
An Open Letter to Congress by The Nation
Posted 4:04 PM by whatley 0 comments

Great Moments In Hysteria

"Things are more like they are now than they have ever been." --President Gerald Ford

"My fellow astronauts..." --Vice-President Dan Quayle, beginning a speech at an Apollo 11 anniversary celebration.

"Capital punishment is our society's recognition of the sanctity of human life." --Orrin Hatch, Senator from Utah, explaining his support of the death penalty.

"China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese." --Charles de Gaulle, ex-French President

"I stand by all the misstatements." --Dan Quayle, defending himself against criticism for making verbal gaffes

"Gerald Ford was a Communist" --Ronald Reagan in a speech. He later indicated he meant to say 'Congressman'.

"Outside of the killings, Washington D.C. has one of the lowest crime rates in the country." --Mayor Marion Barry, Washington D.C.

"We found the term 'killing' too broad." --State Department spokesperson on why the word 'killing' was replaced with 'unlawful or arbitrary deprivation of life' in its human rights reports for 1984.

"This is a great day for France!" --President Richard Nixon while attending Charles De Gaulle's funeral

"This is the worst disaster in California since I was elected." --California Governor Pat Brown, discussing a local flood

"It's not listed in the Bible, but my spiritual gift, my specific calling from God, is to be a television talk show host." --James Baker, televangelist.

"The chairs in the cabin are for the ladies. Gentlemen are not to make use of them till the ladies are seated." --Instructions posted in a river cruise ship, Suir River, Ireland.

"The exports include thumbscrews and cattle prods, just routine items for the police." --U.S. Commerce Department spokesman on a regulation allowing the export of various products abroad.

"Facts are stupid things." --Ronald Reagan, misquoting John Adams in a speech to the Republican convention

Posted 1:44 AM by Andy Allan 0 comments

All together now:
He's a boat owner and he's ok.
He sleeps all night and he fishes all day.

Here's a picture of the 2002 model. I picked my '95 model up Monday but it looks pretty much the same except only three seats (you can move them around to different positions) and a bigger casting deck up front. And mine cost a lot less.
Posted 8:26 AM by whatley 0 comments

Since its fall again, that season of football and politics, I thought I'd put the stick in the bee-hive and give it a twirl. The following site keeps a running tab on the current admistration's march of hubris and folly. Check out The Great Disconnect.

ps- Anybody still think the Patriots were just a fluke? I'll bet the Jets don't!
Posted 2:37 PM by A. O. Gutierrez 0 comments

I don't drink coffee, but if I did, this is what I would want it to do for me:
Wake Up and Hear the Coffee!
Posted 7:55 PM by Andy Allan 0 comments

A note I received today from a friend:
_____________
Anyone remember this? It was 1987. At a lecture the other day they were
playing an old news video of Lt. Col. Oliver North testifying at the
Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan administration.

He was being questioned by a senator; "Did you not recently spend close to
$60,000 for a home security system?"

Ollie replied, "Yes, I did, Sir."

The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, "Isn't
that just a little excessive?"

"No, sir," continued Ollie.

"No? And why not?" the senator asked.

"Because the lives of my family and I were threatened, sir."

"Threatened? By whom?" the senator questioned.

"By a terrorist, sir" Ollie answered.

"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?"

"His name is Osama bin Laden, sir" Ollie replied.

At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn't pronounce
it, which most people back then probably couldn't. A couple of people
laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued. Why are you so afraid of
this man?" the senator asked.

"Because, sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of", Ollie
answered.

"And what do you recommend we do about him?" asked the senator.

"Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team be
formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."

The senator disagreed with this approach, and that was all that was shown
of the clip.

By the way, that senator was Al Gore
***********************

Also: Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986. The
Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him.

As part of the Oslo agreement with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to
agree to release so-called "political prisoners". However, the Israelis
would not release any with blood on their hands.

The American President, Bill Clinton, and the Secretary of
State, Warren Christopher, "insisted" that all prisoners be released. Thus
Mohammad Atta was freed and eventually flew an airplane
into Tower One of the World Trade Center. This was reported by many of the
American TV networks at the time that the terrorists were first identified.

It was censored in the US from all later reports.
Posted 1:10 AM by Andy Allan 0 comments

A friend sent me a link to The Breast Cancer Site. When you click on the site, they are supposed to donate a portion of the funds they receive from advertisers toward free mammogram screenings. The information at the bottom of the page shows:

© 2000-2002 The Breast Cancer Site. All rights reserved. Patent Pending. Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC.
Funds are paid by CharityUSA.com, LLC to the benefiting organization(s) in the form of a royalty payment.

I assume that CharityUSAcom makes money by selling advertising space and siphons off a bit to the charities to keep it legit, but you don't have to buy anything, and it might do some good to click on the button.

Just be sure to remove the cookies from your hard drive regularly, just in case.
Posted 12:26 PM by Andy Allan 0 comments

Chatrooms - boon or bane? Lots of press about chatrooms. Horrible people lurk and lure innocent wanderers. Marketers drag the unsuspecting to usurious doom. Well, like everything else, it is only what you make it. I stumbled into one and found out that the same mix of idiots and savants exist there that would attend a neighborhood barbecue. The caring, the callous, the ridiculous, the sublime. A few truly intelligent and subtle people are hiding in plain sight like purloined letters waiting to be read. You gotta find your own space. I found mine in one called the 50's chat room. Never figured out if that is for people born in the 1950's, or people at least 1/2 century old, or people who like 50's music, but nobody seems to care. Most people there are from 40 to 60 years old and single. The party changes nightly with the people online. Some nights it is lines from old movies, some nights song titles and lyrics. One night everyone changed names to historical or literary personages and responded in character. People have various on-line names. Some use their own names (Mike, Dave, Mary) and some make things up. There is one who calls himself Mr. Frog and makes a point of signing into and out of the room several times in succession when he pops up, hopping around like the deranged amphibian he purports to be. One inhabitant told him to pull up a chair and glue himself down. Much more entertaining than video games.

So when the opportunity arose, I drove to Kansas City last Thursday night to go to a chatroom party. People who got along on line decided to do so in reality. Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Mississippi. Danced and partied on Friday night, had a cookout on Saturday, Karaoke on Saturday night (they loved the Photographer's Song), and the KC Renaissance Fair on Sunday. We had a great time. Everyone was laid back, accomodating, enthusiastic and friendly. Laughed until we were exhausted. Gonna do it again in November.
Posted 11:07 AM by Andy Allan 0 comments

I don't want to steal anyone away from the rbt. I would, however, like to announce a different bulletin board that has just appeared on the friends of wetlands site. You can link from the fowl home page or jump directly in. It isn't as user friendly as the rbt but I would sure like to hear what you have to say. So, take it for a test drive. Do a few laps around the old swamp. Swat a couple mosquitos along the way and see how she handles.
Posted 7:38 PM by Ray Stewart 0 comments

Maybe silence would have been best today, I dunno, but I was very touched by this so here it is: On hallowed ground, by Dave Barry
Posted 1:01 PM by whatley 0 comments

Avast ye barnacle encrusted bilge rats, I'm now a boat owner. Well, almost. I can't pick 'er up 'till the boatyard is done scrubbin' the blood and stink of cheap rum from off 'er decks, hopefully by Saturday. Arrr... She'a a 17' Tracker Deep V that you landlubbers might otherwise know as a bass boat. Shallow draft for small inland lakes but a deep V hull good enough for the shorelines of Lake Erie, and a casting deck you could mount a brass 12 pounder on. So who's brave enough to seek the treasures of the deep with ol' Cap'n Snarf eh? You climb the riggin', I'll stay on deck an' lop off 'eads. Arrr....
Posted 12:12 PM by whatley 0 comments

Yeah, sure, it's blatant fishing for compliments, but- - - now that I've passed the two-month mark, I think I can assuredly announce that I HAVE QUIT SMOKING. Truly, the main reason for this post is to pass along encouragement to others who might be considering the same move. I woke up one day and said "My God, I've been smoking for THIRTY YEARS" I can't think of anything I LIKE to do going on for thirty years, let alone a disgusting and nasty habit. What worked for me? (Aside from the desire to quite, which is essential...) I used Zyban (Wellbutrin actually - smaller MG dosage), the patch, and a piece of information someone I was chatting with on the internet shared with me: "Did you know nicotine cravings only last eight seconds?" No, I didn't, and you know what? It's true. I figured I could do it 8 seconds at a time. And I did! If I can do it, ANYONE can do it. I have no willpower. (NO, you do NOT need another chocolate donu.....well, OK) Jim said "I'm really proud of you, Mom!" And I said "Yeah! Me too!"

Sally
Posted 9:20 PM by Sally D. 0 comments

Officers of SE Blueprint (where I work) are now required to post their weekly schedules to a shared database. Here's mine.
Posted 9:17 AM by whatley 0 comments

In keeping with introspection, passing of opportunity and the first anniversary of casualties in Pennsylvania, New York and Washington. a friend sent me a link to Think it Over. I like the message of growth through positive action, and the absence of anger. Sorrow accepted is strength and peace to share.
Posted 10:56 PM by Andy Allan 0 comments