Word for the Day

Since this is the penultimate day of 2008.

Penultimate
Pronunciation [pi-nuhl-tuh-mit]
–adjective
1. next to the last: the penultimate scene of the play.
2. of or pertaining to a penult.
–noun
3. a penult.

Main Reason For Errors

amused2 inquired about some small errors that on rare occasions sneak onto this page. One of the main reasons is a wide based calico cat that is usually obstructing over half the screen. She is protesting the internet portrayal of cats in a derogatory manner.

Photo Of Why Education Is Important

A pro-Palestinian demonstration in Manhattan showing an examples of a homonym. However this was in NYC could just be a nut protesting drinks made from the liquid extract of plants that just wandered into the wrong demonstration.

2008 Ad of the year

Created by an Illinois furniture company

Trade Gift Cards

As people head out to the malls to return or trade in gifts what do you do with gift cards from stores that have nothing you want , no convenient brick and morter store or you just prefer good old cash. One solution would be to visit Gift Card Exchange where cards are exchanged, sold or can be purchase at a discount.

Help With The Stuggle

A new movement has been born Friends of the Five Day Weekend. Like all successful political movements it has been endorsed by real celebrities. Among the first in this case is 19 year old Heather Duffy actor/singer/political theorist.

While it has lots of potential including full employment, can't help but think as couples spend more interrupted time together the divorce rate would soar.

“I would also change the weekends to workdays, and have the whole week as a weekend. "Then I'd be a popular politician wouldn't I?” - Heather Duffy on what she would do as President.

Movie Advisory

Don't have an official review of Marley & Me but word on the street is that while a good movie it might not be as appropriate for the under 12 set as the ads make it appear to be. Seems to have some mortality and morality issues people weren't aware of going in. Of course some people were caught by surprised by the Titanic when the ship sank. Biggest fear is that the movie will do to the Lab what Lassie and 101 Dalmatians did for the collie and the Dalmatian. Turn a great breed into one where every dog is his own grandpa. Labs while not for the faint hearted or the small of space have to be one of the greatest kid dogs ever made. Beat on them, dress them up, pull their tail they just sit there and grin at the attention.

Paying For Grades

A controversial subject but does a pay for grades program actually work? According to a new study seems to be a qualified Yes. Really depends on the student, some have goals firmly established others not so much. These less motivated students seem to benefit more from immediate rewards. In some Texas districts teachers with high achieving students are also rewarded with up to $10,000 in bonus rewards.

Tinkering In The Garage

This country has a long history of tinkerers creating whole new industries from just piddling around in a spare room from Bell, Edison, Ford, Gates, Jobs, Wizinak. Now would be Dr. Frankensteins using cast off or home made equipment are working with with genes and DNA creating new life forms. Next year the hot Christmas present for your favorite geek kid won't be a chemistry set (Adult Version ) but a gel electrophoresis chamber, or DNA analyzer.

One of the more useful experiments is being done in Cambridge, MA where a marine biologist, ,between saving whales from errant golf balls, is trying to use squid genes to create glow in the dark tattoos. Before you become too concerned about global warming read more on how we are all going to die a horrible death due to some pandemic unleashed by that nice quiet kid next door.

Digs For Life II

A volleyball tournament to raise money for the American Cancer Society will be held this weekend at the Middle School gym. The boys tournament starts at 8 AM Saturday and the girls tournament at noon on Sunday.

This is the senior project for Jordan Robinson to honor the memory of Beth Skorski a cancer victim was a big influence on the volleyball teams. The first Digs For Life was originated by Mitch Kantner last year.

Merry Christmas

Best wishes to everyone

Doesn't Look Promising

The Daniel Boone school board will vote in February on a proposal to open up the first charter school in Berks county. The board has 75 days to vote on the application for Polymath Charter School.

Boone Business Manager Robert P. Bruchak questioned Polymath's proposed budget. For example, he said, it calls for $1.36 million in expenses and $1.02 million in revenue.

Minor said she had trouble with a budget template on the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Web site.

Don't have any details but starting a school with math in the title and submitting a proposed budget where the expenses are greater than the revenue seems a little sketchy from the get-go.

When Zebras Go Bad

Great photographs of a zebra attacking a ram

Happy Festivus

You did order your pole didn't you?

Frank Costanza: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.

Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?

Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born: a Festivus for the rest of us!^[

Frosty The Snowman 2008

In the song "Frosty The Snowman" came alive from the magic of an old silk hat and was only vanquished by the warm sun. Well things are different in 2008 now neighbors and bureaucracies finished off Snowzilla a 16 foot snowman in Anchorage Alaska. Now days they don't melt they are abated.

Who cares if they make children laugh and play if they are up against some city code. Frosty said he would come back again some winter day. Snowzilla has been coming back every winter since 2005 but if he makes an another appearance Billy Powers will be arrested.

Pranking The Speed Cams

To control speeding and raise revenue towns across the country are placing cameras that record the license plates of speeding vehicles. Teens proving they are usually a step or two ahead of adults when it comes to exploiting technology are using them to retract revenge on fellow students and teachers. Using glossy paper and fonts found on various web sites they make a copy of their victims license plate often borrowing a similar car. Then after covering up the existing plate with the copy they drive through a known speed cam intersection at high speed. Hilarity ensues when the innocent victim receives a summons in the mail.

Montgomery County (MD) Council President Phil Andrews said that this could hurt the integrity of the Speed Camera Program. "It will cause potential problems for the Speed Camera Program in terms of the confidence in it," he said.

Would be a real shame if the integrity of such a big brother approach to a problem was exploited. Too bad nobody has though to hurt the integrity of such a program using a Council President tag.

Transportation Revolution At Brandywine

The Brandywine School Board in conjunction with the taxpayer association will unveil a new student transportation plan at the next C.O.W. meeting The current plan under discussion is to buy around 40 of a longer modified version of the Treadmobile for transporting student to and from school. They will have storage compartments for storing books and other necessary paraphernalia.

Each school bus yellow SpeedFit Super Treadmobile will be able to transport around 40 students depending on student size. Brandywine will also be purchasing the optional winter tires for safe commuting in ice and snow conditions. To protect the students from cold winter rains an optional plastic covering is available.

The proposed purchase will eliminate the need for expensive school buses, fuel cost and P.E. classes. Part of the savings will be put into keeping Rockland and Longswamp open while creating a helluva cross country team.

The Perfect Gift For The Manly Man In Your Life

Burger King has launched Flame a body spray with "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat." Probably something you especially would not want to wear camping in bear country.

The fragrance is on sale at New York City retailer Ricky's NYC in stores and online for a limited time for $3.99.

Burger King is marketing the product through a very creepy Web site.

It would probably go well with a retro t-shirt from Microsoft new line of "softwear"

Christmas Tariffs

From Jonathan Dingle's Trade Diversion

The US nominal average ad valorem tariff rate for (12 Days of) Christmas this year, which I calculated using the handy Harmonized (Tariff) Christmas schedule, is only 1.9%. I assume that Santa has MFN status.

Drums 4.8%
Pipes 0%
Milking machines 0%
Swans 1.8%
Geese $.02/kg
Golden rings 5.5%
Calling birds 1.8%
French hens $.02/kg
Turtle doves 1.8%
Partridge 1.8%
Pear tree 0%

Latest Science Bombshell

According to a new study males do stupid stuff not just for the thrill but to also impress females.

The men were much more likely to take blackjack risks if they were sexually motivated and had seen images of beautiful women before they played. The guys were also more likely to take risks if they saw attractive female faces and remembered them afterwards — even if they weren't looking for a new partner — perhaps because the faces made more of an impression on them and ramped up their sexual desire. The behavior of the female students, however, wasn't affected by what they felt, saw, or remembered.

Without groundbreaking studies like this one who would have guessed that sex outweighs math. Could this be why Vegas casinos have attractive scantly clothed waitresses handing out alcohol to the players? Further study is needed.

Settling Family Squabbles 2008 Edition

A British grandmother tired of the bickering on Boxing Day among her family members about who got to set in the best chair in front of the telly auctioned the rights on e-bay.

Nanna Stewart’s daughter-in-law Alexis won the auction with her £13.50, outbidding the 17 other family rivals. Alexis is likely to share the coveted couch with her 11-month-old son Mark for the whole day the Boxing Day.

Nanna Stewart said: "There is always arguing over who gets it, it's the perfect seat. It is straight in front of the TV and has got the coffee table at the side for you to rest your drink on and the TV remote, so everybody wants to sit there.”

Warren Buffett - Hardcore

While there is a lot to be said for the way he makes his children and other family members look after themselves when it comes to finances, the disowning bit makes him appear to be an asshat 1st class. Probably a lot of other family interactions they didn't report.

What's it like when your grandpa is the richest man in the world? For Nicole Buffett, it means forgoing cable TV and health insurance and making do on $40,000 a year. Here, she dishes on her upbringing and why her grandfather Warren Buffett disowned her

.

Great New Service For Guys

No another one. To really confuse your significant other into thinking that not only did you shop for her but also wrapped her present a web store will gift wrap it just as badly as you do yourself.

Firebox.com is paying 20 of its male forklift truck drivers and warehouse assistants to wrap presents as quickly as possible, using ugly brown duct tape and very little care.

And the $9 service, cheekily called CrapWrap, has attracted more than 500 customers since it launched last week.

Whether it's a book, DVD or something trickier such as a kitchen utensil, the team guarantees to make a mess of it.

Evening With The Superintendent

Dr. Martin D. Handler, Superintendent of the Brandywine Heights Area School District announces an Evening with the Superintendent event to take place on Thursday, January 22, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at the Brandywine Heights Middle School Library. Dr. Handler invites any resident of the school district to meet with him to discuss the directions for the school district, suggestions for improvement of the district’s operation, or any relevant topic related to the district’s operation. Concerns regarding specific staff members will not be addressed at this meeting, but can be discussed by making a private appointment with the superintendent.

Dr. Handler is looking for community input regarding the school district. The district faces a very difficult decision regarding budget, staffing, program and facilities. The community should have a voice in addressing these issues.

If there is sufficient interest shown by residents, this meeting will become a regularly scheduled event.

For more information please call Dr. Handler at 610 682 5100 or email marhan@bhasd.org

Some Light Reading

What your tax dollars will be subsidizing.

From LaborPains.org

Ever wondered what a UAW contract looks like? Here is all 22 pounds of it (in this case, Ford’s 2,215 page 2007 master contract; Coke can is for scale and because I was thirsty).

I’ll tell you this much, those 2,215 pages don’t include much regarding efficiency and competitiveness. What you’ll find are hundreds of rules, regulations, and letters of understanding that have hamstrung the auto companies for years.

Too Much Interwebbing Going On Out There

Survey could explain why as the broadband connections in the area increases the school population in the early years has been dropping.

The November Intel Corp. survey of 2,119 adults found that 46 percent of women and 30 percent of men would rather give up sex than go without the Internet for two weeks.

The survey found that 61 percent of adult women would give up watching TV for two weeks instead of giving up access to the Internet for only one week, and more than half of all U.S. adults (58 percent), both male and female, agree.

What?

One of Time magazine top 10 films of the year is 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days . The movie deals with the Romain government anti-abortion policy under the Ceaucesu regime. In his review Richard Corliss seems to have missed one of the minor details of what the movie was dramatizing.

Strap yourself in for this minimalist, splendidly acted horror film — and count your blessings that you live in a country where choosing an abortion doesn't mean losing a life.

Feb 10th National Bankruptcy Day

With great timing for an economy in turmoil, Congress has passed another overreaching bill while full of good intentions for the sake of the children has placed retailers across the country in danger of bankruptcy on February 10, 2009.

The problem is Congress wrote the law and forced the Consumer Product Safety Council to implement it before the regulations were written. These regulations are not written by people who are familiar with manufacturing and thus, impose unnecessary burdens.

Rick Woldenberg, chairman of family-owned Learning Resources Inc., an Illinois-based maker of educational toys, said he funds his day-to-day operations with the help of a revolving-credit loan backed by his inventory. On Feb. 10, much of his inventory could be deemed worthless, potentially putting his loan agreement at risk. He said he has dubbed Feb. 10 National Bankruptcy Day.

The Pain of Childbirth Myth Exposed

The New York Times ran out of government secrets to expose to our enemies has now broken the biggest story ever. On January 2 ABC 20/20 will feature the documentary Orgasmic Birth Since the beginning of time women have made men fell guilty of complaining about aches and pains. A man could fall from a 10 story building be a mass of broken bones and when he regained consciousness his loving spouse would be there saying "it looks bad but that nothing compared to having a baby".

Well finally a woman Debra Pascali-Bonaro, a childbirth educator and a doula, has broken ranks and documented that it actually feels quite nice.

Say Hello To The New Boss

From Asian Times:

Thirty-six million Chinese children study piano today, compared to only 6 million in the United States. The numbers understate the difference, for musical study in China is more demanding.

It must be a conspiracy. Chinese parents are selling plasma-screen TVs to America, and saving their wages to buy their kids pianos - making American kids stupider and Chinese kids smarter. Watch out, Americans - a generation from now, your kid is going to fetch coffee for a Chinese boss. That is a bit of an exaggeration, of course - some of the bosses will be Indian. Americans really, really don’t have a clue what is coming down the pike. The present shift in intellectual capital in favor of the East has no precedent in world history.

"Chinese parents urge their children to excel at instrumental music with the same ferocity that American parents urge theirs to perform well in soccer or Little League."

There is little doubt that classical music produces better minds, and promotes success in other fields. Academic studies show that music lessons raise the IQs of six-year-olds. Elite American families still nudge their children toward musical study. At Brearley, New York’s most exclusive girl’s school, playing in the orchestra is a requirement. American medical schools accept more undergraduates who majored in music than any other discipline (excepting pre-med).

Any activity that requires discipline and deferred gratification benefits children, but classical music does more than sports or crafts.

So our answer is to slash funding for anything that can't easily be measured on a standardized test. If there is ever a world wide demand for people that can fill in circles with a No. 2 pencil we are going to kick some behind.

The situation is not as dire as the article indicates, the Chinese have their own problems. Demographics is not their friend thanks to the combination of their 1 child per family along with the historical need for a son and the technology that makes it possible. Somebody has to work to keep their workers paradise and the aging population alive. Their main export is going to be spoiled and very grumpy piano playing young men.

NYT Editorials

Do the editors at the New York Times ever read each other editorial. On Monday they had one bemoaning how this country doesn't welcome with open arms and wads of cash anyone that cares to come across open borders. Calling the attitude in this country towards illegal immigration a State of Fear more like a state of disgust. The companion editorial was on the lack of employment opportunities for teenagers as the economy slides down hill calling for subsided employment opportunities.

Just maybe if we didn't have so many illegal aliens competing for the same low skill jobs there would be more opportunities for teens both born here and those that immigrated legally. If the people that run the NY Times are this clueless no wonder the national paper of record is having so much financial trouble.

More Biker Bars Less Singing Chickens

In the all American town of Brookfield, Wis. the police seldom are called to the biker bar but the Chuck E. Cheese down the street is a different matter.

Officers have been called to break up 12 fights, some of them physical, at the child-oriented pizza parlor since January 2007. The biggest melee broke out in April, when an uninvited adult disrupted a child's birthday party. Seven officers arrived and found as many as 40 people knocking over chairs and yelling in front of the restaurant's music stage, where a robotic singing chicken and the chain's namesake mouse perform.

Chuck E. Cheese's bills itself as a place "where a kid can be a kid." But to law-enforcement officials across the country, it has a more particular distinction: the scene of a surprising amount of disorderly conduct and battery among grown-ups.

FYI

BRANDYWINE HEIGHTS AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Message sent - 12/10/2008
12/10/08.

Bomb Threat
This Morning, 12/10/2008, a non specific written bomb threat was found in the High School. The police were contacted immediately and are on the scene. The building was temporarily evacuated. The gymnasium was thoroughly searched and deemed safe. The students were allowed to re-enter the building to the gymnasium only.

Seems to be going around Oley had one earlier this week.

R,E, Taxes Too High

You could move to NYC and live in someone large bathroom for only $400.00/month and its OK if you have a cat. Recent add on Craigslist

I am a female in my mid 60's and I am looking for a room mate. Times are tight and I need some extra money.
I am willing to rent out my bathroom in my 1 bedroom east village home.

My bathroom is large. You can easily put a twin air mattress in there. I only ask that when I need to use the bathroom, you or your air mattress are not in it.

I do ask that when you are in the apartment, you confine yourself to the bathroom. I do not feel comfortable with a stranger walking around my living room. This might change as I get to know you better.
You may have guest over as long as they are cnfined to the bathroom as well. This might seem a bit odd but please remember the rent is $400 and the bathroom is large.

The Anti-Carol

Some equal time for you Bah-Humbugers out there who think Christmas is too commercialized and overly materialistic, a toe tapping tune

It's Tough All Over

A Santa from Delaware Co., PA is forced to ride NJ transit and the subways to find work in the big city after being laid off at a local mall.

Life might be tough for the street Santa, but Hauck says that the North Pole hasn't been affected by the recession. "The elves, they love their work, they eat very little," Hauck joked. "Mrs. Claus keeps them happy. The reindeer don't care as long as they get their hay." But, looking into the eyes of adoring children, life without Santa, even in tough economic time

Publish Post

s, is unthinkable.

Dads - Gift Ideas For That Special Someone

Forget about the "Every kiss begins with K" ads for expensive baubles, hard times are here this year be both practical and caring while still achieving your ultimate goal.




Looks like an ad created by MADMEN. A great show with some painful flashbacks if you grew up in the 1960's.

Our New House of Lords

The recent election opened up three senate seats, Illinois, Delaware and New York. Appears that they will be filled not with the person most qualified but the people with the best family relations.
Jesse Jackson Jr., Beau Biden and Caroline Kennedy. Wasn't there some war in the late 18th century to prevent heredity offices?

With the rising unemployment should just be picking someone at random on the unemployment line.

UPDATE: Blogged too fast in Illinois the Governor is accused of selling the Senate seat in this federal complaint. Luckily we managed to elect the only honest Chicago politician as POTUS.

NEW UPDATE: The Obama Senate seat is now for sale on e-bay.

Old School Cell Phone Policy

In Queens, NY they don't mess around with cell phone users they have security guards just beat up violators of their policy.

Morgan's mother spoke at a rally outside the school, where the New York Civil Liberties Union and other community groups called for an investigation into what they say is a problem that's been going on for years.

"We're hearing stories about a separate room where children are taken into and then abused or roughed up by school safety agents," said Monami Maulik of the groups Desis Rising Up And Moving.

Kumar Heeralall said he was assaulted by safety agents last year.

"The whole issue started with a cell phone," Heeralall said. "They took me in a room they handcuffed me and started beating me up."

Heeralall said he didn't come forward until after graduation, out of fear of retaliation.

No information if the security firm was part of Blackwater or if waterboarding was used to coerce confessions of chewing gum.

libri interruptus

Students in New Rochelle, NY are having trouble with their assignment comparing the book Girl Interrupted with the movie version. The school district Bowdlerized the book by removing pages they found inappropriate for high school students.

"We should either teach a book or not teach book," said one New Rochelle teacher who disagreed with the District's decision. "What sort of message do we send our students when we vandalize books?" While agreeing the content is not be suitable for all students, the teacher pointed out that the student involved were mostly 12th graders including some who were over 18 years of age. "Does someone in the school think these kids don't know about sex?"

The Brits continue to sink into the diversity multicultural swamp with the new Oxford University Junior dictionary dropping words associated with Christianity, the monarchy, British history and nature. They removed words like "aisle", "bishop", "chapel", "empire" and "monarch" from its Junior Dictionary and replaced them with words like "blog", "broadband" and "celebrity".

Anthony Seldon, the master of Wellington College, a leading private school in Berkshire, said: "I am stunned that words like "saint", "buttercup", "heather" and "sycamore" have all gone and I grieve it.

"I think as well as being descriptive, the Oxford Junior Dictionary, has to be prescriptive too, suggesting not just words that are used but words that should be used. It has a duty to keep these words within usage, not merely pander to an audience. We are looking at the loss of words of great beauty. I would rather have "marzipan" and "mistletoe" then "MP3 player."

Doesn't make sense, the people that would use a junior dictionary know the new words shouldn't a dictionary help with words they don't know?

Lame Politically Correct Award

goes to Amazon and their

Amazon Music's 12 Days of Holiday

"on the first day of holiday my true love gave to me"

Specials include:
We wish you a Merry Holiday
White Holiday
Holiday In The Air
I'll Be Home For Holiday
Holiday In The Air

Hint For Weekend DIYers

If you are putting in a laminated floor like Pergo. There is a difference between the real thing and the $0.99 sq. ft. from a building liquidators. One actually snaps in place while the economical version snaps it only does it one end at a time.

When Microphones Are Outlawed

Only outlaws will be singing to a Karaoke machine. Rash of karaoke rage resulting in death across asia.

In Thailand this year, a gunman shot eight people dead after tiring of their endless renditions of a John Denver tune.

Now that should be considered justifiable homicide.

Berks Bucks

Two neighborhoods in Milwaukee are considering printing their own money. These faux dollars can only be used at local stores. This is their attempt to not participate in the recession keeping their neighbors thriving by supporting local businesses. Incentives like converting $100 yankee dollars to $110 of the local bucks gives the purchaser an automatic 10% discount. This is perfectly legal as along as the new currency doesn't resemble U.S. currency. No information on the ability to use it to pay local property taxes.

Other Oregon Highlights

The Oregon Senate has approved allowing convicted prostitutes obtain a state teacher license. May soon be legal but can they survive the pay cut.

End Of The Week - Tragic Story

On the Oregon coast a romantic marriage proposal goes terribly wrong when the 27 year old bride-to-be standing on Proposal Rock is swept out to sea by a rogue wave.

Breakfast At The Middle School

After its success at the High School last year, breakfast starting this week it is now available at the Middle School. So on those frantic mornings your young scholar will still be able to enjoy a nourishing meal to start off the day.

Dorktastic

When worlds collide Star Wars vs Star Trek

Brandywine Will Participate in Risky Behavior Survey

This spring Brandywine along with Muhlenberg will take part in a national survey for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brandywine is one of 16 schools in the state and 200 nationally that was selected at random to obtain a handle on the magnitude of risky behavior among teens. The survey will include questions on tobacco use, dietary habits, physical activity and sexual practices. The survey is completely voluntary and parental approval is required. The students and the school district will be totally anonymous.

Ads For Everything

Faced with a 30% cutbacks on school supplies a teacher in suburban San Diego came up with a novel solution. Teaching A.P. Calculus he liked to give his students enough long test so they would be prepared for the A.P. exam. He calculated that at 3 cents a page he would have a $500 copying bill and he was only allocated $316 in his budget.

"Tough times call for tough actions," he says. So he started selling ads on his test papers: $10 for a quiz, $20 for a chapter test, $30 for a semester final.

San Diego magazine and The San Diego Union-Tribune featured his plan just before Thanksgiving, and Farber came home from a few days out of town to 75 e-mail requests for ads. So far, he has collected $350. His semester final is sold out.

About two-thirds of Farber's ads are inspirational messages underwritten by parents. Others are ads for local businesses, such as two from a structural engineering firm and one from a dentist who urges students, "Brace Yourself for a Great Semester!"

Principal Paul Robinson says reaction has been "mixed," but he notes, "It's not like, 'This test is brought to you by McDonald's or Nike.' "

To Farber, 47, it's a logical solution: "We're expected to do more with less."

The next logical step would be to incorporate the ads into the exam questions.

If you have a 12 oz can of refreshing coke with a 2mm diameter hole in the bottom how fast would it empty?

Matt can run the mile in 6 minutes how fast can he run the mile in a new pair of Nikes Air Pegasus that (normally $120 but with the coupon found at the bottom of the page you can buy them at 20% off), if they increase his speed by 7.6%.

The possibilities are endless.

Quick Reminder

If by some chance you don't have time is running out to order your Festivus Pole These Festivus poles are created with the finest aluminum with the very highest strength-to-weight ratio.

Cosmo Kramer: Is there a tree?

Frank Costanza: No, instead, there's a pole. It requires no decoration. I find tinsel distracting.

Frank Costanza: It's made from aluminium. Very high strength-to-weight ratio.

Mr. Kruger: I find your belief system fascinating.

Don't delay December 23rd will be here before you know it.

Senator Won't Have To Smell The Tourist

Years behind schedule and over 3 times the original budget the Capitol Visitors Center opened today. At least it is in time so the delicate sensibilities of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid won't be offended by the smell of the sweaty masses this summer.

"My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."

At only $685 million money well spent if it saves Senator Reid from any discomfort. Looks like with Senator Biden gone from the Senate, Sen. Reid has taken up the slack in the stupid remarks department.

Man's Greatest Mystery Solved By 9 Year Old

As a result of a third grade writing class a 9 year old now has a two book deal with a major book publisher Harper Collins. The author of "How To Talk to Girls" was interviewed by a local TV station and featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show [insert snide comment]. "How To Talk To Girls II" is now in the works.

The Smell of School

The sense of smell has long been recognized as a trigger for memories both good and bad. An entrepreneur is capitalizing on the warm but fuzzy college memories with a line of perfumes and colognes inspired by different colleges.

The first one happens to be Penn State inspired by its blue and white colors and its campus vegetation. The perfume smells of vanilla, lilac, rose and white patchouli. The cologne smells of blue cypress and cracked pepper. A better choice than the odor of chalk dust, organic chemistry labs, spilled beer and a faint whiff of burning rope.

Designer Babies

Companies are now marketing DNA testing to parents of preschoolers so they can involve them in sports most suited to their genetic makeup.

BOULDER, Colo. — When Donna Campiglia learned recently that a genetic test might be able to determine which sports suit the talents of her 2 ½-year-old son, Noah, she instantly said, Where can I get it and how much does it cost?

Nothing in the article indicated what these parents would do if the DNA test came back with your child will be a total klutz. Guess it is just old fashion to allow a child to do what they enjoy doing.

Bet'cha This Will Go Far

Instead of the government wasting trillions of dollars they don't have bailing out companies what appears to be on a random basis or bringing back the New Deal that didn't work, Rep. Gohmert of Texas has an interesting proposal for only 1.2 trillion forgiveness of 2008 income taxes. It has been oblivious for weeks that the smart boys don't have a clue what to do so let everyone in the country have a shot at using their own money to help companies.

President-elect Obama ran on a ticket of change so he should be all in favor of doing something a little different instead of nominating the same old retreads and dusting off 70 year old recipes for disaster. The best so far has been Hillary as Secretary of State so she can receive those 3 AM phone calls.

Rep. Gohmert idea is cheaper, will start working immediately and won't create new agencies and programs that will last long after their intended usefulness is over.