An Apology to President Karzai of Afghanistan

I found this at the great Sister Toldjah's blog.

Kira Davis is right on.

I Love LatmaTV

Obama's advisor on Arab democracy, Jamil and Awad embrace reconciliation

I especially love the bit at the end about pluralism in viewpoint amongst journalists.

A Tribute to Senator Boxer

Apparently David Zucker has had enough and is apologizing for a past sin.

Call Me Senator from RightChange on Vimeo.

YouTube Cons the World

Lawrence Solomon says it:

Lawrence Solomon: YouTube Cons The World

YouTube’s reason for shutting down the video sensation?: “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Warner/Chappell Music, Inc,“ YouTube tells those who try to access the parody.

This claim by YouTube is itself a con. As YouTube well knows, parodies are not subject to a copyright claim. To add to the absurdity of YouTube’s claim, YouTube carries numerous other parodies of “We are the world,” – a search on the YouTube site of “We are the world spoof” turns up 5,100 results.

YouTube’s real problem with this viral hit is the virus of anti-Semitism.

LiveLeak still has it. Here is the embed.



Thanks to the folks at Israelly Cool for finding this for us.


Update: The folks at YouTube apparently did not like getting called out on their anti-Semitism and have reposted the video. I still believe them to be anti-Semites.

Our Public Servants

HEY!...LIZ!...YEAH YOU!...LIZ BECTON!...YOU ARE NOT AS IMPORTANT AS YOU THINK YOU ARE!...YOU COULD DISAPPEAR TOMORROW AND NO ONE WOULD NOTICE!

***************And now back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

As important as our elected officials are (sometimes less important than they actually think that they are), we have a permanent bureaucracy that does as much to run our country. Elected officials have staff people who interface with that bureaucracy. They are not so important, but they think that they are.

If you haven't already, meet Liz Becton

If you want to score a meeting with Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), know this: His scheduler/office manager, Elizabeth Becton, is to be addressed by her full name — not Liz or any other variant.

An executive assistant at McBee Strategic recently learned this the hard way. A few weeks ago, the assistant e-mailed Becton seeking a meeting with McDermott and a client, JPMorgan Chase. Days later, the assistant checked back in and unfortunately began the e-mail with “Hi Liz.”

Becton curtly replied, “Who is Liz?”

When the assistant wrote back with an apology, Becton turned up the heat. “I do not go by Liz. Where did you get your information?” she asked.

The back-and-forth went on for 19 e-mails, with the assistant apologizing six times if she had “offended” Becton, while Becton lectured about name-calling.

Read the whole thing. It is very frustrating to have to deal with the arrogance of the small-minded. It is very amusing to see the arrogance of the small-minded so exposed in this way.

Here is the entire exchange (from Politico.com)

Here’s a redacted version of the exchange:


From: XXX
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 11:38 AM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: JPMC Meeting Request


Elizabeth,

Attached is a meeting request for JP Morgan Chase who will be in DC June 3rd-4th and would like to request a brief meeting with the Congressman.

Let me know if you need any additional information.

Thank you!

Best,
XXX

________________________________

From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:05 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


Hi Liz,

just checking in on whether the Congressman is available next week. [REDACTED] can confirm a meeting time for you - she is available at [REDACTED].

Thank you!

Best,
XXX


________________________________

From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:07 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Importance: High


Who is Liz?

Elizabeth Becton
Executive Assistant/Office Manager
Office of Congressman Jim McDermott
XXXX Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
XXX phone
XXX fax
________________________________


From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:07 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


Hi Elizabeth, I thought you went by Liz - apologies if that is incorrect. Best, XXX



________________________________

From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:08 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request



I do not go by Liz. Where did you get your information?
________________________________


Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:10 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


Hi Elizabeth, I'm so sorry if I offended you! I thought you had gone by Liz at Potlatch, this was my mistake. Best, XXX

________________________________
From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:11 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


NEVER. I hate that name.


________________________________

From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:13 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


Hi Elizabeth, I'm so sorry if I offended you! I must have mis-heard. My mistake! Best, XX

________________________________

From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:20 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Importance: High

XXX:

If I wanted you to call me by any other name, I would have offered that to you. I think it's rude when people don't even ask permission and take all sorts of liberties with your name. This is a real sore spot with me. My name has a lot of "nicknames" which I don't use. I use either my first name or my last name because I row with a lot of other women who share the same first name. Now, please do not ever call me by a nickname again.

As for your meeting request, who is the point of contact for this meeting? If it's not you, then I need to know who because it's very time-consuming to deal with a lot of people for one meeting.

Thanks,

________________________________

From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:23 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


Hi Elizabeth, I'm so sorry I offended you! My mistake!

XXX can confirm a meeting time for you - she is available at XXX XXXX.

Thank you!

Best, XXX


________________________________
[UNRELATED EMAILS REDACTED]


From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:33 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


Of course! Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I must have mis-heard and it was in no way my intention to make you upset. I always enjoy working with you and seeing you at the WSS events J

Best,
XXX


________________________________


From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:37 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


Sounds like you got played by someone who KNOWS I hate that name and that it's a fast way to TICK me off. Who told you that I go by that name? They are not your friend...


________________________________



From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:38 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


Hi Elizabeth,

Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I don't want to cause trouble as I clearly must have mis-heard the person at Potlatch. It was in no way my intention to make you upset.

Best,
XXX

________________________________

From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:41 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Importance: High


I REALLY want to know who told you to call me that.



________________________________

From:XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:44 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request


Hi Elizabeth,
Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I don't recall who I overheard. It was in no way my intention to make you upset.
Best,
XXX

________________________________
From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 6:04 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request

Let me put it this way, they don't know me and perhaps they were PRETENDING to know me better than they do and pretended that I go by Liz. They did YOU a disservice.

In the future, you should be VERY careful about such things. People like to brag about their connections in DC. It's a past time for some. It's also dangerous to eaves drop, as you have just found out.

Quit apologizing and never call me anything but Elizabeth again. Also, make sure you correct anyone who attempts to call me by any other name but Elizabeth. Are we clear on this? Like I said, it's a hot button for me.

And please don't call the office and not leave a message. My colleague told me you called while I was away at the Ladies' room. I do sometimes leave my desk.

She is being ridiculed everywhere for this, and rightfully so (h/t Orbusmax);

• It's pretty bad when one leftist™ freak gets mocked by another leftist™ freak. Keith Olbermann reenacts the 'Liz' - aka Elizabeth Becton - emailings on 'Countdown'


• From the Dori Monson show. Audio: Reading of Liz's email


• A new Facebook page; Don't Call Me Liz!!!! (Elizabeth Becton Fan Club)

And because when revealing people like this there is no such thing as enough. She is being very well paid with our tax money. If Rep. Jim McDermott (Kook-Wash) weren't a socialist who believes that your money is his money, she would be FIRED.

• More E-LIZ-abeth Becton emails!
• Liz Becton Continues to Terrorize Washington With Email

Contact information from Rep. McDermott's web page;
Phone; (206) 553-7170 (be polite)
Fax; (206) 553-7175

Ok - Funny Cats and Dogs

Yep.

Lolcats



Loldogs

Newly Discovered Element

GS Don Morris has the news over at Doc's Talk.

Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years; It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Great stuff, Doc!

Ok, This is Funny

I am normally not a fan of Saturday Night Live. In fact I watch very little television outside of FOX News, the Discovery Channel, and the Travel Channel, but the bit that they just did with Senator McCain the other day is really funny.

After All of This, Be Sure to Vote!

From the geniuses at Jib Jab;

Oh, It's Time for some Campaignin'

How to Decide Who to Marry

The kids say it at Curmudgeonly & Skeptical²

How To Decide Who to Marry: By Kids

This is wonderful and funny - read it, you will be glad you did.

About Those Bumper Stickers

Atomic Trousers has your bumper sticker review.

Bask in Bumper Sticker Wisdom

Meet the 72 Virgins!

This is an older piece, but still very funny.

From Steve Martin, Seventy-two Virgins

The Mysterious Commonality in Terrorism

The MSM has been baffled, wondering if there is a common thread in the many acts of terror that have been occurring in the past several years (or decades).

Here is a discussion of the problem;

Ban DiHydrogen Monoxide!

Penn and Teller are at it again.

Don't think about what you are protesting, just protest!

Tech Support

As it was in the Middle Ages. I found this at a geezer's corner.