Someone, take her camera away

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Dennis The Peasant: Meanwhile, From A Trailer Park Just Outside The Fox News Studios

Denis on Michelle Malkin's latest video effort (why, oh why, does she bother?)
It's unfunny. There isn't a single clever moment - much less a laugh - in the whole 10 minutes. I feel the same about this as I did after watching The Half Hour News Hour for the first time: I could eat alphabet soup and shit a funnier script.




A pox on the Fuhrer

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Did Hitler unleash the Holocaust because a Jewish prostitute gave him syphilis?
A brief encounter with a Jewish prostitute may have led to Hitler's genocidal Holocaust, claim psychiatrists. They believe he may have caught the sexually transmitted disease syphilis which, if untreated, can eventually cause madness. According to a report, mental and behavioural disturbances triggered by the advanced stages of the disease could have resulted in Hitler targeting Jews and the mentally retarded. There is "ample circumstantial evidence" for the theory, according to a team headed by psychiatrist Dr Bassem Habeeb.
According to Dr Habeeb, Hitler came up with his mad ideas because he had the pox. What Dr Habeeb's excuse is, we don't yet know.


Photorealism

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Painting of Tica by Dru Blair
As a style, Photorealism has a few detractors, who often dismiss it as pointless, or non-art. They fail to realize that many photorealistic paintings are not mere copies of photographs, but interpretations of reality based on the artist's vision. The act of merely copying a photograph has no artistic merit except to hone one's artistic skills. Most of my aviation paintings would be impossible to photograph, such as Timing is Everything for example. This painting of Tica is not just a copy of a photograph, but is a product of many artistic decisions...Often, the artist's deviation from the reference material is unconscious. Despite my best efforts, my own unconscious stylization creeps into all of my work, and it is a struggle to keep it subdued.

Below is the partially completed work which is achieved largely by using airbrushing techniques. It is NOT a photograph.


Via Clipmarks

Oh, and conceptions are up too, shhhhsh.

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Teenage abortions hit all-time high

In 2005 the abortion rate amongst under 16s was 37 per 10,000
In 2006 the abortion rate amongst under 16's was 39 per 10,000

Increase = 2 per 10,000

In 2005 the abortion rate amongst under 18s was 178 per 10,000
In 2006 the abortion rate amongst under 18's was 183 per 10,000

Increase = 5 per 10,000

Cue much hand-wringing, pontificating from virgin clergymen and more 'initiatives' from government.


Arise, Sir Rushdie

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'Deep concern' over Rushdie attack comments

A totally cynical award of a knighthood for purely political reasons is now causing a backlash. Well who'd have thought it? Like most people I don't think what we choose to do in our country is any of Pakistan's fucking business but having said that the award to Rushdie was simply risible.

If he was a honourable man he would reject the gong, not because of what Islamists around the world are saying but because 1) he might prefer not to be seen benefiting from an outdated, class-ridden honours system and 2) because he just doesn't deserve the bloody thing anyway.


At least someone has got a bit of gumption. Joseph Corre awarded the MBE for his services to the fashion industry in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours list but he's effectively told them to shove it referring to Blair as 'morally corrupt' and saying he could not accept Blair as "someone capable of giving an honour".

Operation fat middle-aged white American politician's fantasy thrusting engorged steel-hard cock surge

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The Village Voice; What's In a Name?
John Pike's excellent and exhaustive site, globalsecurity.org, lists the "Iraq Pacification Operations." It's not a complete list — for example, right now the latest "surge" is Operation Arrowhead Ripper, directed at rebels in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad. What's in a name? Armies always do this kind of thing. Back in 2004, there was even an Operation Giuliani. No, it wasn't a series of high-paying motivational speeches playing off 9/11.
Here's a (small) selection:

Operation Iron Bullet; Operation Iron Hammer; Operation All American Tiger
Operation Bayonet Lightning ; Operation Panther Squeeze; Operation Arrowhead Blizzard
Operation Iron Justice; Operation Choke Hold; Operation Resolute Sword; Operation Tombstone Pile Driver; Operation Iron Fury; Operation Iron Fury II; Operation Soprano Sunset; Operation Swift Sword ; Operation Stallion Run

They sound like a cross between WWW wrestlers and titles for Sylvester Stallone movies. At least the people thinking up these names have a sense of irony. There was 'Operation Restoring Rights' a while back and another one called 'Operation Therapist' which was either a nod to the mental state of their comander-in-chief or a typo for 'The Rapist'.


Don't do as I say...

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Dennis The Peasant: I Hear From The Mean Lady!

There is a moron with big tits 'right-wing pundit' in the US called Debby Schussel who seems to have spent good money getting some 'glamour shots' done of herself. Denis posted some of these pics on his blog and shortly thereafter received a 'cease and desist' email from 'lawyer' Debs.

I checked out her blog and noticed that there are LOTS of images! Some where from Associated Press, some from Magnum, the world famous photo agency and others were clearly picked up via Google images etc. Clearly, Schlutsall did not hold the copyright to any of these images and hadn't sought permission to publish them.

Now, my position on such matters is perfectly clear and can be found in the sidebar, simply put it is that reproducing low-res images here for non-commercial purposes is covered by the definition of fair-use. Having said that I am happy (usually) to remove an image should someone strongly object. Threaten legal action and you might get a different (and obscene) response.

It's happened twice. Once when a blogger was concerned that he might be recognised from his image (rather strange as he regularly appeared on internet television but, no matter, he seemed concerned so I acceded to his -polite - request) and the other was an agent looking for cash for his photographer client. As I had posted a small sample image of the work his client was showing at an exhibition, together with a link to a review and details of the venue, I rather thought that if there was to be any money changing hands it should be in MY favour! But, after pointing out the daftness of the agents position, I took the image down anyway, for spite. Fuck your client, I thought, there are 20 billion other pictures out there.

Anyway, back to Miss Strudell. I sent her a couple of emails asking for clarification of her policy on image posting. Were the copyright laws only applicable to her glam shots? Were big-breasted blondes exempt from certain laws in the US? I am awaiting a reply. I'm not hopeful.

For those of you who are unaware of Miss Shoeshop here is a short profile from her Yahoo Group page:
Attorney, Columnist, and Hip, Conservative Info-Babe Commentator, Debbie Schlussel is the VRWC's latest and greatest sexy, blonde, and beautiful (sic) commentator. With a law degree, MBA, long blonde tresses (sic), and sports acumen to boot, she's a red-blooded American guy's dream.
Yes, in short, A JOKE!

And here are some images of Miss Schlurpface for which she doesn't own the copyright and which clearly explain the desire on her part to obtain some, ahem, photoshopped glamour pics.




Is my car ready yet?

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Centennial time capsule car found ruined


A car buried half a century ago in a time capsule had been transformed into a hunk of junk by the time it was unveiled on Friday as part of Oklahoma's Centennial. The concrete vault, built in 1957 and meant to be opened this year to celebrate Oklahoma's Centennial as a state, has leaked in the intervening 50 years and most of its contents were ruined, to the dismay of those hoping to find a pristine, gold '57 Plymouth Belvedere. Would-be auto restorers unwrapped 1950s-era protective covering from the mud-caked relic onstage Friday evening at the Tulsa Convention Center, revealing a ruined hulk with rotting upholstery, collapsed suspension, flat tires and an engine that appeared to be a solid chunk of rust. 

Why would anyone want to bury a new car? Lewis Roberts, chairman of the Tulsarama committee was asked, way back in 1957. "The 'Tulsarama!' committee," he replied, "decided on the event after looking for a method of acquainting the citizens of the twenty first century with a suitable representation of 1957 civilization."

"In our judgment," commented W.A. Anderson, Jubilee chairman, "Plymouth is a true representative of automobiles of this century - with the kind of lasting appeal that should still be in style fifty years from now.... Tulsans think big. And we feel we can over come any technical difficulties we encounter'.


As part of the "Tulsarama!" festivities, citizens of Tulsa were asked to guess what the population of Tulsa would be in the year 2007. The guesses were then recorded on microfilm and sealed in a steel container buried with the car. The person, whose guess is closest to Tulsa's 2007 population is to be awarded the Belvedere. If that person is dead, the car is to be awarded to his or her heirs.


Bernard Manning dead

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Bernard Manning Obituary



I'll leave it to others to discuss his alleged racism and bigotry. One thing is certain, he was a master comedian admired even by professionals who were appalled by some of his content. He was up there with all the great British comedy giants. Perfect comic timing and flawless delivery is what made him great, as well as some blindingly funny material, much of which had no racial overtones at all.

He's been called the last of the joke tellers and joke telling has become so old hat, darhlings. It's all observation and comedic narrative now. All I know is this. Given a choice of a Manning gig or one with Jeremy Harding, Mark Thomas, Marcus Brigstocke or Eddie Izzard, I'd take Manning every time.

He wasn't always predictable either as the obit points out:
...while Manning's routine made little attempt to be topical, he could occasionally hint at subversion. As when, soon after the Falklands war, he told his audience that two soldiers from the conflict were present. As the jingoistic cheers rang out, Manning embarrassed the audience by adding: "They're Argentinians."
Although that account doesn't do him justice. He cranked the audience up by telling them that two brave young lads were amongst them , Fauklands veterans who had fought for their country under appalling conditions and had seen their pals killed alongside them etc etc. Then he demanded applause from the audience for the two lads and as the cheering and whooping died down he turned and with perfect timing added the throw away line , "They're Argentinians."
No politically right-on, anti-Thatcher alternative comic of the time could have done it better.

BernardManning.com