Owner: The Linden Row URL:http://thelindenrow.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:44:27 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Opinion, satire, and humor aimed squarely at skewering the outrages of the Left Right, and ALL things between. Site statistics:Click here
U.S. Contracted Ship Fires at Iranian Boat and Oil Prices Shoot Up (Again) 2008-04-25 15:06:00 Oh Foreign Oil, you had us at hello and you've got us wrapped around your finger. We've got a long history and current events added to woeful political incompetence only serve make the heart grow fonder.Oil prices shot up $3/barrel within minutes of the news that least one warning shot was fired Thursday by a Navy security team armed with M16 and .50 caliber machine guns rifles toward an Iranian
boat. The shot(s) were fired from the Westward Venture, a ship contracted by the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) to bring supplies to troops in Kuwait .The shots came as the Iranian boat closed to within 100 yards of the Westward Venture, which launched flares, blew a warning whistle and received no response in an attempted bridge to bridge communication. The situation deescalated after Read more:Prices
, Shoot
, Again
Just Curious 2008-04-24 17:12:28 a (completely) non sequitur post“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.”Albert Einstein"Curiosity is the very basis of education and if you tell me that curiosity killed the cat, I say only that the cat died nobly."Arnold Edinborough"Only barbarians are not curious about where they come from, how they came to be where they are, where they appear to be going, whether they wish to go there, and if so, why, and if not, why not..." Isaiah Berlin“Curiosity is lying in wait for every secret.” Ralph Waldo Emerson“There are various sorts of curiosity; one is from interest, which makes us desire to know that which may be useful to us; and the other, from pride which comes from Read more:Curious
An Open Letter to Sane Democrats: 2008-04-24 13:52:47 Hillary Supporters, Let's Play Time-Warp Presidential Candidate Mad Libs !April 21, 2008 (or is it 1992?) Dear Dems:The Republicans will eat [insert candidate name] alive; what are you thinking even contemplating running [insert candidate name] as your nominee. Apparently successive Republican Presidential terms have rendered you punch drunk, desperate and just loopy enough to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory again. Stunning really. One could hardly be criticized for suggesting that maybe the Big D stands for Dopey.[insert candidate name] is being introduced to America as an agent of change. What kind of change is he talking about exactly? Compared to the Republican nominee, [insert candidate name] has next to no experience.Iraq requires sage executive attention in the wake of our "v Read more:Letter
, Democrats
Curiouser and Curiouser: State Department Political Clue/Cluedo 2008-04-17 23:21:55 Obama, Clinton, and McCain: Breached Passport Information and Mrs Plum with the Gun in the Kitchen...or not.The Obama Campaign, though publicly outraged, privately must have breathed a sigh of relief when the news broke. The focus on Reverend Wright and his incindiary remarks moved to the back burner last Thursday as The Washington Times reported that the Senator's passport information had been breached. The press went wild with the story, and upper level StateDepartment
officials couldn't seem to get their story straight.One official said the violations hadn't been reported up the chain of command, while another said that on the dates of the Obama passport violations investigations were initiated by officials at the State Department
. Confusion abounded and questions began to be ask
The Walrus and The Saw 2008-04-04 19:54:05 Strolling seaside,Smiling as she led the way,Mrs. Walrus
turned easilyto Mr. Carpenter and did say:“These oysters are such fools,To think that what we’re about is play.” “Oh Mrs. Walrus,You are so wise!”Said Mr. Carpenter,Casting adoring eyes,“I have learnt much from you,in your pursuit of prize!” “Oysters…Oysters! PleaseLine up two by two,Carpenter and IHave a game for you”A hungry Walrus donned her bib,Her words only half true. As Mrs. Walrus dined,Mr. Carpenter ate too,Rapaciously devouring four,For her every two.She soon became quite cross,Screaming “That’s enough for YOU!” Mr. Carpenter winked,Grinned, then turned his gaze.“Why, you're right Mrs. Walrus, oysters are so very small,All this hard work har
No Grace Under Faux Fire: Hillary's Latest Wartime Diary Entries 2008-03-26 08:25:33 March 16, 2008Dear Diary
. We've got 'em on the run. HQ has radioed in the co-ordinates of the next bombing. Using jingoistic military terms just gets me totally pumped, I just can't stop myself (I am sooo the right one to be the next commander in chief).News from the front is that the Obama forces appear to be in a state of disarray as the Wright cluster bombs continue to go off. Bill's in the other room watching Hannity and that other guy with the sound muted, in his underwear, with a cigar (ughhh), cranking the theme to Apocalypse Now while Fox News plays that U.S.of KKK clip over and over again.He says that this Wright thing is just the kind of thing we can milk from now until we are able to convince all the super-delegates that Obama is the kind of Muslim no American would ever v Read more:Grace
, Hillary
, Wartime
Heather Mills-Paul McCartney Settlement Details Go Public 2008-03-22 22:24:14 No Leg To Stand On?HeatherMills
may have won the battle and £24million ($48.6m U.S.), but the release of the following settlement/judgment text will certainly see her losing even more ground in an impossibly lopsided publicity war. Her behavior has been erratic and her motives, by all appearances, are those of one chasing gold rather than an equitable resolution. Does anyone believe she will follow through on her promises to do charity work with the proceeds? Could happen...but likely? Not.In the text of the released document the judge comments on Mills' childhood in Northumberland calling it "troubled." Troubled? Can't wait to see how her 4-year-old daughter with McCartney
, Beatrice, turns out. Though Paul is involved in his daughter's life, Mills' erratic behavior and the public's ope Read more:Settlement
, Public
, Heather Mills
, Paul McCartney
Ashley Alexandra Dupre: Girl Gone Wild (On Video) 2008-03-19 20:15:24 When AshleyAlexandra
Dupré, the woman at the center of what is being described by some as Spitzmas (this thing just keeps giving), spent 7 days aboard Joe Francis's Girls Gone Wild tour bus traveling around Miami on Spring Break at the tender age of 18 (or was it 17?) she could have had no idea what a spectacle her life would become. She spent the week being filmed dancing at clubs, getting naked, and, according to some reports engaging in lesbian sex, though that last part is probably not the case. According to Francis (OK Magazine story), there was full frontal nudity but no actual sex:"We are getting pressure from her lawyer," Francis says. "As soon as we withdrew the million dollar offer, he is just mad because her price has dropped. Even if she was 17, we could still release it. The
"Let Me Reintroduce Myself, I Am David Paterson...Governor Of New York State!" 2008-03-19 11:29:17 Let the post Spitzer healing begin.(Update: Unbelievable! Paterson and his wife both admit to having had multiple extra-marital affairs. One of his was with with Lila E. Kirton, a staffer who worked in the office of the Attorney General under Eliot Spitzer...and apparently in several positions under and on top of David
L. Paterson ... Baddump Bump Bump...Is this Albany or the Maury Show?)Today the 55th Governor
of New York
was sworn in, promising to bring a spirit of cooperation to Albany as his State
and country wrestle with increasingly tumultuous times.Former Governors George Pataki and Hugh Carey were in attendance as David Paterson, New York's first African-American (and the nation's first visually impaired) Governor was administered the oath of office by Judge Judith S. Kaye (chief j Read more:New York State
Troubled Waters Ahead For Eliot Spitzer 2008-03-18 10:43:30 Whether EliotSpitzer
will actually be prosecuted as a john is still unclear, but that fact doesn't reduce the ironic reality that on June 6, 2007 Eliot Spitzer
signed into law tough new provisions of New York State's anti Prostitution Law, Penal Law §230.00 . It was an an occasion he used to trumpet new measures designed to bring more equity to the commonly disparate criminal treatment of johns and prostitutes. The law, which went into effect on November 1, 2007, was heralded THE NYS JUDICIAL COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN THE COURTS in their September 2007 newsletter.Mayflower Hotel images courtesy of/by By Mark Wilson (Getty Images / March 11, 2008)However unlikely prosecution under the applicable provision of Article §230.00, there is still a sentiment among some in New York that it would o Read more:Waters
Spitzer Set To Resign at 11:00am Today 2008-03-16 22:21:47 (Update: Lt. Governor David Paterson has requested that effective date of resignation be delayed until Monday to allow Patterson enough time to assemble a transition team and plan.)(Update 2: Announcement has been moved to 11:30 am est)According to the New York Times, Eliot Spitzer
will hold a press conference at 11am est to announce his resignation. Spitzer is said to be informing his staff at this time of his decision to step down as Governor.State Senator Joseph Bruno, next in line to become Lt. Governor, is said to be awaiting official notification.As new details of Spitzer's alleged $80k expenditures (over a 10 year period) with the now infamous Emperor's Club VIP continued to come to light yesterday and earlier today, the Governor apparently decided to yield as Republican lawmakers i Read more:Resign
, Today
Ashley Alexandra Dupre To Appear (Even More) Nude? 2008-03-16 22:12:42 Last Friday the NY Post published pictures of AshleyAlexandra
Youmans-Dupré-DiPietro on its cover and inside(right and more here) taken by photographer Wesley Mann, launching what promises to be a very profitable period of Dupre milking her 15 minutes of fame.Her front page, post scandal, debut in the Post comes as appetite for all things Ashley is reaching a fever pitch. Her MySpace page has been viewed over 8 million times and her songs have been downloaded between 300k and 2million times @ $.98 each ( she receives a 70% cut, potentially earning her an estimated $1.4 million or more).The woman the public first met as "Kristen" in the federal complaint against operators of the Emperor's Club VIP is also reportedly the object of a major mens magazine bidding war. Larry Flint (Hustl
Spitzer Resigns: McGeeving The Death Of Another McMaverick 2008-03-16 17:45:13 The sheriff of Wall Street is gone, run out of town as yet another example of a politician promising to be one thing while proving in the end to be another. The ironic contrast of the following campaign video and the current trainwreck that is Eliot Spitzer
will be lost on no one. Hypocrisy Charlie Brown, hypocrisy...before and after.Here's The Before:And Here's The After: The resignation announcement:What They're Saying Around The Rest Of The WebAides Divided On Spitzer Resignation: "Top aides to Gov. Eliot Spitzer saidTuesday morning that they expect the governor to resign his office,although the timing of the resignation remains uncertain," the New YorkTimes reports. After a report that Gov. Eliot Spitzer hadpatronized a prostitution ring, officials in Albany greeted the newswith shock,
Meet Ashley Alexandra Dupré: The Prostitute Known As Kristen 2008-03-16 17:43:55 'I just don't want to be thought of as a monster'The fog of mystery surrounding the woman who was originally known only by a nickname in a Federal Complaint is beginning to lift. Though she is reluctant to go into too much detail, her online presence and brief interviews are proving to be revelatory treasure troves.The New York Times broke the story at 6:15pm est March 13, 2008, that the woman previously known only as "Kristen
" was actually a 22yr old aspiring R&B singer known publicly as AshleyAlexandra
Dupré ( born Ashley R. Youmans) who in 2006 changed her legal name to Ashley Rae Maika DiPietro in Monmouth County (NJ) Superior Court in order to take the surname of her stepfather, the man she regards as “the only father I have known."Her MySpace page reveals a woman who, at Read more:Prostitute
NY Shocker Part 3: Unredacted-Photocopy of the Full Un-Sealed Complaint 2008-03-13 22:25:14 (VIEW THE MOST RECENT UPDATES HERE.)(Update-the IRS has confirmed to CNN that ringleader Mark Brener was a currently enrolled IRS agent at the time of his arrest.)Below is a copy of the full (UPDATE/APOLOGY contrary to the title of this post-this photocopy is actually redacted) Federal complaint against the Emperor's Club VIP. To the right is a screen capture of the rates charged by the Emperors Club VIP for its services.Fact and irony in this case are truly stranger than fiction. When the story of Eliot Spitzer's alleged involvement with a prostitution ring ring broke, it was assumed that it was the good Governor who was caught in the controversy as a secondary target. This apparently was not the case. According to officials suspicious money transfers made by Spitzer were the impetus for Read more:Sealed
, Complaint
New York Shocker P1: Governor Eliot Spitzer's (Client 9) Alleged In Involvement With Prostitution Ring 2008-03-12 18:49:38 Will Spitzer
(AKA "George Fox") Choose The McGreevey Option? (VIEW THE MOST RECENT UPDATES HERE.)Read the full (Redacted) Text of the Emperors Club Federal Indictment Here (or Above).The Governor
is said to have been recorded making arrangements to pay for and meet a prostitute (Kristen) in Room #871 Mayflower Hotel, Washington D.C. on Feb 13, 2008(See more Screen captures like those to the right at The Hufington Post.)Cheering broke out on NYSE floor as news that the man, who was seen as an anti-Wall Street Attorney general, was caught in a very public case of hypocrisy.The Governor, identified Federal telephone wiretaps as Client
9, spoke at approx. 3:15pm EST and addressed this salacious controversy by apologizing for his actions and saying he would take time with his family to sort thi Read more:Eliot
, New York
, Alleged
NY Shocker P2: Emperors Club VIP Federal Indictment (Redacted) Text 2008-03-12 09:40:52 VIEW UPDATES HERE.What follows is the full (though redacted-Go Here (above) For the FULL unredacted version) Federal
complaint/affidavit against the owners and operators of The Emporers Club VIP.Elliot Spitzer, referenced as "client" 9, earlier today held a press conference addressing the controversy surrounding his alleged involvement with the prostitution ring (more pics here)run out of the club.In yet another case of myth punctured by reality, Spitzer, aka"George Fox", allegedly used the Emperors Club VIP services on February 13, 2008. Kristen, the prostitute he allegedly met in room 871 of the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC, was described as in the following way in a NY Times Article. "She was 5-foot-5, 105 pounds. Pretty and petite."Whether Spitzer will resign is not yet clear. The
A Tale Of Two Endorsements: Farrakhan and Hagee 2008-03-08 08:52:09 …it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity… Thus far, supporters of Barack Obama and John McCain have two very different stories to tell about the public consequences of controversial endorsements. Book one: Obama Obama, media darling and political ingénue de jour, has received much attention over the past month as the result of indirect linkage to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. On January 15th, Trumpet News Magazine, a publication founded by Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago former Pastor Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., published a feature on controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, in which it awarded the 74-year-old with its Lifetime Achievement Award and spoke glowingly of the man. The article read in part: “When Mini
Ohio Dems Plan to Attack McCain's Econimic Credentials. 2008-02-28 06:03:24 Read this doc on Scribd: ODP McCain
Economic Memo The document above is from Ohio
Senator and State Democratic Party Chair Sherrod Brown and the Ohio Democratic Party. A quick perusal of this document reveals the intent to conflate which John McCain's record with that of George W. Bush. The point of attack here is the Bush administration's economic performance and includes an effort to characterize John McCain's economic straight talk about lost jobs as "deep economic pessimism."As McCain and his fellow republicans gear up to attack Obama on his foreign policy stance. the Dem's are apparently targeting McCain's economic prowess. You can download the full PDF here and read the rants of the Ohio Dems committed to this line of attack here.
Maintaining Order, Accident, Or Suppression of Speech? 2008-02-26 19:07:23 Pakistani Order
Initiates World Wide YouTube Blackout-Recalling For Some A Recent At&T Net-Neutrality Controversy Sunday YouTube went black for a couple of hours. I had no idea exactly what was behind the failure to load, but after hitting the refresh button repeatedly, I thought it was probably the result of another Denial Of Service (DOS) attack, but as it turns out, it was something far less complicated and possibly more disturbing. How simple was it to take down one of the internet's most popular sources of entertainment, self-expression and dissent? By the looks of it, fairly simple. Today we have answers to the how, but the why is not so clear.Jane Spencer, at the Wall Street Journal, describes how an effort by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority to have a controversial rem Read more:Maintaining
, Speech
The Linden Row as seen on CNN.com (Sort of) 2008-04-26 02:58:31 Check out TLR and its unexpected appearance on CNN
.com. You will spot the link to the last post under the heading From the Blogs: Controversy, commentary, and debate beneath their related story:Pakistan lifts block on YouTube! Nothing big, but kinda cool. Thanks sphere related content widget.
The Price of Ambition 2008-04-28 12:58:38 Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely...Everything?Becoming an American President, arguably the most powerful human being on the face of the planet, is a perennial aspiration of American schoolchildren and Senators alike, but perhaps one should be careful what he or she wishes for.I recall being mildly shocked in late 2000 at the sight of the progressive, hyper-aging, effects that Oval Office stress visited upon the then out-going President Clinton. The changes were visually chronicled in the numerous retrospective stories casting a backward look over the closing Clinton era.I have been equally and repeatedly shocked by the excessive wear evident on George W. Bush's face. Regular critical MSM war commentary and the related video flashbacks of a more vigorous prewar and "mission accomplish Read more:Ambition
'Father of LSD' Sees a Beautiful Light...and Oh the Colors! 2008-05-01 01:03:03 Albert Hofmann-"Father
of LSD"-Turns on, tunes in, and drops out...really, really, outWhile all of America was consumed with the surreal performances played out on the political stage (see the clip of Rev. Wright below), the soul of Albert Hofmann, pioneer of true surreality, member of the Nobel Prize Committee, Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences, slipped its mortal coil and began what I'm sure is a truly mind-expanding journey.Albert Hofman, the swiss scientist credited with the invention of the psycho-pharmaceutical wonder-drug LSD, died yesterday at 9am at his home in Basel, Switzerland. Though he was not a fan of the whole-hearted counter-culture embrace of his drug, as he thought it was a misappropriation of a perfectly good and potentially useful drug, he did appreciate Read more:Beautiful
, Colors
(Not Quite ) Iraq V-Day -- 5 Year Aniversary 2008-05-01 19:19:08 Mission Uh...It was 5 years ago tooday that George W. Bush became the first President in history to land a plane on an aircraft carrier while in office. Ah... What a great day for America...the sight of some one who served so valiantly during the Vietnam War taking the flight controls once again as just warms the Red-Blooded American Heart.But there was something else about that day 5 years ago today...Flight-Suit package display?...No that wasn't it...Oh...Of course how could I (or any proud American for that matter) forget...That was the day we won the war in Iraq
. Yes that was the day all America let out a collective Team America "America, F**k Yeah!" Those were simpler times. When right was right, and wrong was..well just flat-out unpatriotic! Not anymore though...sadly, we've sin
Iron Chef RealPolitik 2008-05-05 15:23:58 Tonight in Iron Chef Realpolitik Arena we’ll be focusing on Chef Clinton as she competes against two former Iron Chef advesaries, Chefs Truth and Reality. The featured ingredients tonight are shameless pandering pears and hypocrisy fish.Plain old pandering pears are so...vanilla--missing a certain "Je ne sais quoi.,” so tonight we’ve really challenged our chefs with the addition of the tricky to prepare hypocrisy fish. Cut incorrectly, it is poisonous and might prove fatal to a campaign. Done right, it is said to add a potent punch to an otherwise bland political dish.We’re 15 minutes into the competition so let’s go down to the floor, and see how our Iron Chefs are faring. Over at both Iron Chefs Truth and Reality stations, there appears to be complete chaos. They appear to
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