NOT a census worker

Did common sense die this year?

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- A Johnson County woman said a man who said he was a census worker asked her some questionable questions.Overland Park resident Kim Mertin said that when she opened her front door on Monday to find a man claiming to be a U.S. Census worker, she answered his questions.She said he started with the expected questions -- "How many people live here?" -- but it didn't take long before the talk took a surprising turn.Mertin said the man commented about her clothing, asked if she'd like a back rub. She said he even asked if she "was wearing pink undies."

That's some seriously bold action there. Not much you can do when the guy has a valid ID and his hand in his pants. Good work on the background search there CB.

Biden says avoid planes, subways; puts out clarifying statement

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would not recommend taking any commercial flight or riding in a subway car “at this point” because swine flu virus can spread “in confined places.” A little more than one hour later, Biden rushed out a statement backing off.

These sorts of comments are what the Obama administration fears from Biden, who after more than three decades in Washington is known for making gaffes.

Geoff Freeman, the senior vice president of the Travel Industry Association of America, called Biden's comments "unfortunate."

"We're pleased to see the White House working to clarify these comments, and we urge all elected officials to watch their words because they can take on a life of their own."

Awesome! Hey Chicken Little, the stock market is in trouble, why don't you hold a news conference and let us know what to do? I think the funniest part of the article was where they say Biden had made fewer gaffes since coming into office. Well yeah! I wouldn't let him speak in public either if he was my VP.

Oklahoma Weather

Fritz is a believer now. His intrepid drive to Tulsa town from OKC yesterday included a stretch that he could not see the windshield wipers for all the rain.

Several cities reported exceptional rain fall totals for the day including Burneyville, down along the Red River, which got nearly a foot of rain. Norman reported 1.89 but the rain gauge at DDDN studios had 3.25 inches of rain in it. That is what they call locally heavy rain. A mile away from us only got 1.7 inches of rain.

Flooded streets aren't that big a deal, especially if you are living in Houston. The intersection featured above floods every time it rains. I find it amusing that each year a new batch of college freshman learn that the signs that say "Road Subject To Flooding" means, when it rains this road will flood. Stupid college kids.

WTF? Is it any wonder its the Flupocalypse?

A member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed claims that more than 150 people have died from swine flu, saying it has officially recorded only seven deaths around the world.

"Unfortunately that [150-plus deaths] is incorrect information and it does happen, but that's not information that's come from the World Health Organisation," Ms Vivienne Allan of the WHO, told ABC Radio today.

Is there wonder that people are freaking out? WHO or who is inflating the numbers?

I still like the stat from yesterday.
Swine Flu Outbreak 1976
Flu - 1
Vaccine for flu - 30

Best 500 million dollars we ever spent that decade.

2009 Swine Flu
Deaths beginning January this year...
Swine Flu - 1
Regular Flu - 13,000+

We should seriously start freaking out now.

It's a Dog Day in the News

I don't think the Swine Flu needs any more coverage than the Flupocalyse the mainstream media is giving it. The Air Force One photo op fly-by was played out the minute it was reported. Senator Arlen Spector is election whore. Anything to be elected again.

So with all these great news stories to choose from...man's best friend gets top billing today.


In this undated image made available by Britain's PDSA animal charity, Rip the dog wears his Dickin Medal, Britain's highest honor for animals, as he is seen with his handler, Air Raid Precaution Warden E. King in London. A medal awarded to a dog who sniffed out scores of survivors in rubble of the Blitz was sold at auction Friday, April 24, 2009 for 24,250 pounds ($35,700).

U.S. President Barack Obama runs with his daughters Malia (2nd R) and Sasha and their new pet dog Bo, a six-month old male Portuguese water dog, on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, April 14, 2009.
This dog has received more press than Checkers did, back in the day.


Or even President Johnson's dogs. And he had a bunch.



A model walks with a Jack Russell Terrier during a dog fashion show in Bangkok April 23,2009.


A German armed forces Bundeswehr soldier instructs his sniffing dog for an improvised explosive device (IOD) search in Kunduz April 20, 2009.
I miss our German Shepard, Zep. She was a really smart dog and had a huge vocabulary of words she understood.
Caption: Dog to soldier: "Okay, I'll go find the bomb, but this time when I get back I want a liver treat, dammit."



In this undated fluorescence photo released by the Seoul National University shows the world's first transgenic female beagle dog carrying fluorescent genes that make the canine glow red, named Ruppy in 2 days after birth at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, April 28, 2009.

How freakin' crazy is cloning glowing dogs?

Staff meeting a huge success

Fritz and I had a great time today. We had a great lunch, Lido (Vietnamese), and had a fun time in Norman.

My wife and I drove around town and gave him a show and tell of the historical places in Norman town. We even checked out one of the disc golf course behind our house. We had a great dinner, too at the Service Station.

He is off to that awful Tulsa town tomorrow and Thursday. I hope the Turner Turnpike is not a pain in the ass like usual.

It was good to see him and it made me realize how much I miss his company.

DDDN Staff Meeting

Fritz is headed down to OKC this morning for work a much needed DDDN editorial staff meeting. It's been a couple years since I came to see him in Denver. Which I have done....TWICE, since I joined the HPSF Gaming Clan taught him how to kick ass on Battlefield 1942. He will finally be in town for some tornado chasing frisbee tossing selling of fine...whatever it is that the company he works for produces.

I will post up some pictures of us at my favorite strip club hanging out together later in the week. It was awful nice of Mother Nature to order up some storms and crappy Seattle-like weather for him.

Welcome to Oklahoma Fritz.

Barack Obama has test for virus

A MAN who shook President Barack Obama’s hand in Mexico collapsed and died the next day with swine flu-like symptoms.

Archaeologist Felipe Solis, 65, met Mr Obama, on April 16, three days after the virus emerged.

And everyone laughed at President Bush because he had an aide that carried around hand sanitizer for him. Yeah who's laughing now? Fark.com had a great headline for this story:

Obama secretly tested for swine flu after man he shook hands with in Mexico drops dead the next day. Officials concerned because Obama's touch usually heals

Anyone want to change their stance on how we won't be Socialists?

DETROIT (Reuters) – General Motors Corp on Monday launched a last-ditch bond exchange offer to avoid bankruptcy and plans to cut 21,000 U.S. hourly jobs in a new restructuring that would see the automaker nationalized under majority control by the U.S. government.

Two of the three largest employers of Union labor is now controlled by, or will be by the end of the week, our government who today is rolling back rules requiring labor unions and their leaders to report information about their finances and compensation.

Our government now owns 80% of AIG, the largest insurer in the country, and has a similarly large stake in many other banks.

IF it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. This looks like Socialism and works like Socialism.

Who wants some free medical care?

Anyone prepared to say we still aren't on the way toward Socialism?

Swine Flu: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Outbreak

Concern that the world could be on the brink of the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years escalated Sunday as France, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Spain reported potential new cases in which people had been infected with swine flu and Canada confirmed several new cases. In the U.S., where 20 such infections have been confirmed, federal health officials declared a public-health emergency and are preparing to distribute to state and local agenciesa quarter of the country's 50 million-dose stockpile of antiviral drugs. Meanwhile, in hard-hit Mexico, where more than 80 people have died from what is believed to be swine flu, the government closed all public schools and canceled hundreds of public events in Mexico City.

This stuff sucks, but it is not the 1918 Flu returning to eliminate the human race. Do not panic...yet.

There are a plethora of movies you can watch that have pandemics in them.
Just a few that come to mind immediately....
The Omega Man (and it's recent remake, I Am Legend)
12 Monkeys
Children of Men
Outbreak

Lighten up Phil

If you don't do historical reenactments...this isn't quite as funny as it is to us in the know.