That’s worse than anything else HuffPo has ever published? Huh. Well, if
a Glenn Beck sex tape ever surfaces (which I believe was predicted by
Nostradamus), one thing’s for sure: it’ll be overwhelmingly white.
And by 'now' I mean NOW. Type SELECT Now() as RFN; into the query window, and whatever time comes back, that's when you do it. — A very annoyed – and worried – de facto lead.
(That's getdate() in SQL Server and CURRENT_DATE or SYSDATE in Oracle. In case you were wondering, which you weren't.)
I think the Left fundamentally misunderstands much of the public’s opposition to the Ground Zero mosque. Where the Left see irrational 'Islamophobia' and bigotry, I see specific opposition to the so-called Cordoba House — a triumphalist $100 million monstrosity constructed under the leadership of an imam who won’t renounce Hamas, blames America as an 'accessory' to 9/11, talks about the blood on America’s hands, morally equates al Qaeda and America, and may very well draw on Saudi and Iranian funds for his mosque.
Of course, an important question would be: Funds from which Saudis and Iranians? Are they the good, sweet, and wonderful Saudis and Iranians, or the ones who have been sending money to al Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah, and al Shabab? Imam Rauf's answer to that question: That's for me to know and you to shut up, you bigot!
The kids filed back into class Monday morning. They were very excited. Their weekend assignment was to sell something, then give a talk on productive salesmanship.
Little Sally led off: 'I sold Girl Scout cookies and I made $30,' she said proudly. 'My sales approach was to appeal to the customer's civil spirit and I credit that approach for my obvious success.'
'Very good,' said the teacher.
Little Jennifer was next:
'I sold magazines,' she said. 'I made $45 and I explained to everyone that magazines would keep them up on current events.'
'Very good, Jennifer,' said the teacher.
Eventually, it was Little Johnny's turn.
The teacher held her breath.
Little Johnny walked to the front of the classroom and dumped a box full of cash on the teacher's desk. '$2,467,' he said.
'$2,467!' cried the teacher. 'What in the world were you selling?'
'Toothbrushes,' said Little Johnny.
'Toothbrushes!' echoed the teacher. 'How could you possibly sell enough tooth brushes to make that much money?'
'I found the busiest corner in town,' said Little Johnny. 'I set up a Dip & Chip stand and gave everybody who walked by a free sample.'
They all said the same thing, 'Hey, this tastes like dog shit!'
Then I would say, 'It is dog shit. Wanna buy a toothbrush?'
'I used the governmental approach of giving you something shitty for free, and then making you pay to get the shitty taste out of your mouth.'
Andy Weir: The Martian (2/17/2017) One quibble: Given all the last-minute trajectory adjustments to rescue Watney, wouldn't it be worth explaining how the hell they'll get the ship back on course? (*****)
Death Wish II, sort of. He's lost control of himself, and now there are careless copy-cats. Something must be done.
There are some obvious plot holes here, but still worth four stars.
(****)
Brian Garfield: Death Wish: A Novel (6/18/2016) Paul Benjamin (not Kersey) is an out-of-shape forensic accountant, but in case you noticed the name, no, he isn't 'observant'. He hired a rabbi for his wife's funeral, but only given the lack of obvious alternatives. You pretty much know the rest. (****)
Ian Kershaw: Hitler: 1936-1945 Nemesis (4/5/2016) ‘I reject your reality and substitute my own.’ That could have been Hitler's motto. Sorry, Wolfie, but reality is non-negotiable. He was a lucky sob, though; I count three assassination attempts, well-enough planned, all thwarted by sheer happenstance. Too bad von Stauffenberg, et al., didn't better plan for the aftermath of the bombing. Hitler might have been deposed all the same. (*****)
Dashiell Hammett: Red Harvest (12/21/2015) I laughed out loud at Hammett's endlessly brilliant turns of phrase. Wonderful! And worth a second read, because good god I didn't follow all the twists. (*****)