Speaker John Boehner, self immolation, and the G.O.P.'s rapid slide into irrelevancy

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Ed.

The Bone makes his sequestration face. I am not a fan, but admit I feel for him. He has tried, but is pretty much helpless while his party is hell-bent on self-immolation, not to mention relishing his humiliation  every step of the way. 

The Speaker thought getting Bachmann, Palin, Paul, Herman Cain, Rick Perry, et al, out of the way would help. But the instant they shuffle one whack job out the door, another wingnut steps in to fill their shoes. And that's the way I like it.

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Did a UFO pull a Randy Quaid on the Siberian Meteor? (Alien Lore No. 245)

By Jack Brummet, Unexplained Phenomena Ed.

The UFO Approaches the meteorite in a Randy Quaid kamikaze mission

The meteorite that exploded over, and crashed into, Siberia last month (injuring at least 1,200 people), was hit by an unidentified flying object that caused it to explode over the Ural Mountains, according to some UFOlogists. [1]

This theory is based on analysis by researchers of a blurred video of the rock as it raced across the sky over Chelyabinsk, Siberia. The U.F.O. researchers claim a small 'object' can be seen colliding with the meteorite, despite the fact there were no reports of Russia launching missiles to down the celestial intruder.  We know that Russia hopes to develop weapons able to destroy incoming space objects, but most [sane] people believe that that technology does not yet exist.

              The Landing Site - one of the small craters formed by the meteorite

The theory: The Greys have something very different in mind for us, and didn't want a space rock thwarting their plans. There is a contentious debate online questioning whether Russia was “saved by a UFO.”  You think the comments section on YouTube or Huffington are weird?

NASA scientists estimate the meteorite was 55 feet wide and weighed 10,000 tons. It exploded above the Ural mountains with a force equal to a 500 kiloton bomb. 

Satellite view of the explosion

“At first, we also believed that the Chelyabinsk meteorite was just an ordinary meteorite, a cosmic body,” Alexander Komanev, a spokesman for the Russian UFO community, said. “But on at least three films of the space rock you can see how an object catches the meteorite.”

In images, the object looks tiny and oblong-shaped. It “flies into it - and the meteorite explodes and falls,” ala Randy Quaid's final scene in the film Independence Day.

“Such a number of videos, made from different angles, leads us to believe that something has blown up the meteorite.”

Komanev also said in the days prior to the meteorite, a number of UFOs were seen, over Chabry and over Chelyabinsk. The objects moved across the sky and disappeared, only to return later. 


[1] The apparent explosion of a small meteor over Siberia early on Friday was not the first time that that part of the world has had a too-close encounter with a space rock. The region was the scene of what is believed to be the largest space-related explosion in human history, 105 years ago.

The earlier meteor explosion, known as the "Tunguska Event" happened the morning of June 30, 1908, in a forested area in central Siberia, about 1,200 miles northeast of Chelyabinsk, the Siberian city where much of the damage and injuries occurred Friday.

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A gorgeous photograph of Jackie Kennedy

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Ed. 

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Faces No. 371 - Smile

By Jack Brummet

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Faces No. 370 - Gloria

By Jack Brummet

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Drawing: Faces No. 369 - Mona

By Jack Brummet

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Ex-Pope Benedict XVI and Maxwell's Silver Hammer

By Jack Brummet, ATIT Religion Ed.

A most fascinating facet of the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI is hearing stories of the silver hammer, and the destruction of the Papal ring.   And the awesome fact that the deliberations and voting by the Cardinals for the new Pope occur in The Sistine Chapel.  "At the deathbed of the pope the camerlengo takes a silver hammer and lightly taps on the pope's forehead three times, calling him by his Christian name. When there is no reply, he announces to those present that the pope is dead. The camerlengo also removes the Fisherman's Ring from the Pope's finger. At the first meeting of the Sacred College the ring and papal seals are broken." The camerlengo is the chamberlain of the church, who takes over the administration of the RC church in the interregnum between popes.  The expired Pope's staff are immediately shuffled out of office, powerless and out of the loop.

It was only tonight that I put two and two together and realized that this Roman Catholic ritual was [probably] what inspired The Beatles's song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer":

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Drawing: "it's something in the water"

By Jack Brummet

click to enlarge

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Drawing: Faces No. 368 - Chester

By Jack Brummet

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Image: Abraham Lincoln and the Q-tip

Even a marble giant requires a Q-tip every now and then.

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Cooking with Jack, No. 3 - Limoncello

By Jack Brummet, Cooking Editor

I first learned about infusions from Paul Bertolli.  Our old friend Jan Newberry was a friend of his (he was the head chef at Chez Panisse for many years), and one night we went for a special dinner at his great restaurant in Oakland.  He served us several infused wines and liqueurs paired with his fantastic food.  I was amazed at the way a handful of leaves, peels, or herbs could transform an alcoholic beverage.  He didn't serve us limoncello, but he lit the fire under me to find out more. . .

Limoncello

15 lemons, well scrubbed (organic preferred)
2 750ml 100 proof vodka
4 cups sugar
5 cups water


Carefully zest the lemons so there is no white pith on the peel.  place one bottle of vodka in a jar and add the peel as it is zested.

Let sit for at least ten days and, preferably forty days in a cool dark place.

Combine the sugar and water, bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes until thickened. Let it cool for say an hour.

Add to the limoncello mixture along with the other bottle of vodka and allow to rest for another ten to forty days.

Strain and bottle, keeping one in the freezer for use. Your local brewing shop has lots of interesting bottles you can put it into for gifts.

It's great mixed with ice, soda, and bitters. It's fine straight up, and is nice poured over ice cream, a pudding, or even in tea.

A volume recipe (for Christmas gifts)

70  lemons
4 - 1.75 liter jugs of 100 proof vodka (7 liters total)
17 cups sugar and 21 cups water boiled into a simple syrup.

Peel the lemons & soak them in 3.5 liters of 100 proof vodka (2-1.75 L jugs).
10-45 days later, add the syrup & 3.5 more liters vodka (2-1.75 L. jugs)

10-45 days later, filter and bottle.   It should make about 12 bottles or so).

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The Tim Eyman follies in Washington State

By Mona Goldwater, Seattle Metro Ed.

Tim Eyman once again proves that he is indisputably a class act. He has made a nice little living stirring up garbage in Washington State.

He's back in the news, having called our new Governor (and my former congressman), Jay Inslee,  “a lying whore” [“GOP: Eyman’s remark to Gov. Inslee uncalled for,” NWFriday, Feb. 22]. Is this the same Tim Eyman who lied to us back in 2002 by saying that he worked for free but he was actually paying himself handsomely from campaign donations?   Back in 2002, Eyman insisted he was doing this all for free.  We later found out he was paying himself with donated money:

In February 2002 the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that Eyman paid himself $165,000 from campaign donations, while claiming to be working for free. Eyman initially denied receiving payments, but later admitted wrongdoing.  The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, the state equivalent of the Federal Elections Commission charged Eyman with diverting $233,000 from his initiative campaigns.  Eyman eventually settled with the Washington State Attorney General's office, paying $50,000 and accepting a lifetime ban on involvement in any political committee's financial accounts. Since the settlement, Eyman's co-sponsors and chairmen in his Permanent Offense political committee became more actively involved; Monte Benham of Kennewick became the head of Permanent Offense, though Eyman remained involved politically. [Wikipedia - Tim Eyman]

In 2012, Eyman sponsored 25 initiatives, only one of which--Initiative 1185--made it onto the November general ballot. Approximately 95% of the money to support the initiative is reportedly from "corporate behemoths, such as oil companies, drug companies, liquor companies," or special interest/pressure groups.

Wikipedia takes a look at Eyman's track record:  

Initiative	Year	Purpose	Result
I-200	1998	Prohibit affirmative action in public employment, education and contracting.[2]	Passed by voters with 58%.
I-695	1999	Cut the state motor vehicle excise tax (the yearly car tabs) and required voter approval for all tax increases.[3]	Passed by voters with 56% but declared unconstitutional.
I-722	2000	Cut state and local property taxes, which fund public services.[4]	Passed by voters but declared unconstitutional.
I-745	2000	Required 90% of transportation funding to be spent on road building.[5]	Defeated by voters with 59% opposing it.[6]
I-747	2001	Cut state and local property taxes.[7]	Passed by voters but declared unconstitutional in Superior Court and Supreme Court;[8]
I-776	2002	Cut local motor vehicle excise taxes.[9]	Passed by voters.
I-267	2002	Divert money from the general fund for road building.[10]	Failed to qualify for ballot.
I-807	2003	Require a supermajority vote for all tax increases.[11]	Failed to qualify for ballot.
I-864	2003	Cut property taxes by 25%.[12]	Failed to qualify for ballot.
I-18	2003	Reduce size of King County Council from 13 to 9 members	Passed by voters.
I-892	2004	Legalize slot machines.[13]	Defeated by voters with 62% opposed.[14]
I-900	2004	Give state auditor ability to conduct performance audits.[15]	Passed by voters.
Referendum 65	2006	Repeal ESHB 2661, legalizing discrimination based on sexual orientation.[16]	Failed to qualify for ballot.
I-917	2006	Cap motor vehicle registration charge at $30 a year.[17]	Failed to qualify for ballot.
I-960	2007	Require a 2/3 majority in state Legislature to raise taxes and fees.[18]	Passed by voters. Overridden/Repealed by legislature in 2010. (The legislature may repeal an initiative after two years with a simple majority vote.)
I-985	2008	Attempts to reduce vehicular traffic congestion through the elimination of car-pool lanes and mandatory signal timing across the entire state, among other means.[19]	Defeated by voters with 60% opposed.[20]
I-1033	2009	Applies a inflation and population tied cap to tax revenue.[21]	Defeated by voters with 55% opposed.[22]
I-1053	2010	Reinstates 2/3 Legislature majority requirement set by I-960 (which was overridden in early 2010).[23]	Passed by voters but declared unconstitutional. [24]
I-1125	2011	Restricts toll rate increases and the means by which toll revenue is spent.[25]	Defeated by voters with 53% opposed.[26]
I-1185	2012	Reinstates 2/3 statutory requirement for new or increased fees.[27] ---o0o---	Passed by voters with 64%.[28]