He was a bit of a princess, don't you think, EBD?

Is it possible that the P O T U S is attacking the C I A and attempting to legislate complete transparency or disrupt their operations so he knows what they have on him? Perhaps find out where the bulk of his donations really came from? After all, they are one of the few organizations that actually have the means to expose him when deemed necessary. It seems odd that a leader of a nation would risk national security on a plan that was never carried out. I think this runs deeper than this leaders intense dislike of Cheney. I agree with others that it is a deflection of some sort. Then again, I just might be influenced by reading one to many mystery novels - would make a good plot for one though.

Two comments about Tom Lehrer.

I saw Richard Harris (probably) on Johnny Carson
many years ago, sing "The Irish Lullaby", which
remains my favorite of Tom Lehrer's songs. Harris
didn't do a very good job of it, and afterwards
commented that Tom Lehrer's songs were really
difficult to sing, which is why they aren't often
performed.

A former senior colleague who visited Harvard even more
years ago told me he'd been at a party with
Tom Lehrer, where Tom played the piano and sang
for two hours straight. Every song was Tom's, every
song was funny, every song was obscene, and none
had ever been recorded.

“The Vatican Rag”: I loved it when I wasn’t RC and I love it now that I am. It’s very clever.

The lyrics remind me of a Cole Porter, Noel Coward, or Lorenz Hart. E.g.,

“Do whatever steps you want, if
You have cleared them with the pontiff . . .

“There [in the confessional], the guy who’s got religion’ll
Tell you if your sin’s original.”

WOW! Thanks, EBD.

Some booing when Obama was announced to throw out the first pitch at the all-star game.

It's not as much as it was made out to be, but still noticeable.

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/07/obama-booed-in-st-louis.html

Vitruvius, a princess? Well, I know princesses when I see 'em, and I sure don't see one in Tom Lehrer. Not even sure what you mean, considering. Care to flesh out those feelings of yours, which are not universal, after all, but rather are pointedly particular -- personal, if you will?

Reader Tip: "Gag The Internet", from Kyle Smith of the NY Post --

"Cass Sunstein, a Harvard Law professor who has been appointed to a shadowy post that will grant him powers that are merely mind-boggling, explicitly supports using the courts to impose a 'chilling effect' on speech that might hurt someone's feelings. He thinks that the bloggers have been rampaging out of control and that new laws need to be written to corral them.

"....considering the prominence with which Sunstein is about to be endowed, his worrying views are fair game now. Sunstein is President Obama's choice to head the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. It's the bland titles that should scare you the most.'

"Sunstein...believes that - whether you're a blogger, The New York Times or a Web hosting service - you should be held responsible even for what your commenters say."

Smith concludes:

"Sunstein is an enemy to every news organization and blogger. We should return the favor and declare war on him."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07112009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/gag_the_internet__178749.htm?page=0

Not too offensive for this Catholic, considering it is coming from what I presume is a Jew. Sometimes I wonder how a similar song written and sung by a Catholic about the sound of Jewish pianos ringing in Christmas would go over?

I apologize for posting on the wrong thread - too many windows open. The above comment was meant to be posted under the "CIA Head Kills Secret Plot To Kill Bin Laden" thread.

To answer your question, Larry, I think that when it comes to taking humorous shots at Jews the Jews already do it best, hands-down. So if a non-Jew tries it almost inevitably will be either a) redundant, b) not funny, or c) ominous. Probably a combination of all three.

I was just thinking, EBD, after reading and watching the links to Mr. Lehrer and his works that you provided in tonight's show, and then a couple of others that YouTube recommended thereto, that compared to, say, Noel Coward, who seems to me to be a delightful bit of a knave, that Mr. Lehrer comes across as a bit of princess, that is to say, good in that bitchy-whiney easy-60s way, but generally unaccomplished in life. Perhaps if he had stayed with mathematics he could have done something useful. Though it's more likely that he just grates on my nerves and I should have just thought de gustibus non disputandum est and not said a thing. Sorry about that.

Blaspheming against religion was recently made illegal in Ireland. A person will be deemed to have blasphemed if he or she "publishes or utters matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion."

Watch yer mouth:

"Where a person is convicted of an offence under section 36, the court may issue a warrant (a) authorising any member of the Garda Siochana to enter (if necessary by the use of reasonable force) at all reasonable times any premises (including a dwelling) at which he or she has reasonable grounds for believing that copies of the statement to which the offence related are to be found, and to search those premises and seize and remove all copies of the statement found therein, (b) directing the seizure and removal by any member of the Garda Siochana of all copies of the statement to which the offence related that are in the possession of any person, specifying the manner in which copies so seized and removed shall be detained and stored by the Garda Siochana.

"A member of the Garda Siochana may (a) enter and search any premises, (b) seize, remove and detain any copy of a statement to which an offence under section 36 relates found therein or in the possession of any person, in accordance with a warrant under subsection (1).

"Upon final judgment being given in proceedings for an offence under section 36, anything seized and removed under subsection (2) shall be disposed of in accordance with such directions as the court may give upon an application by a member of the Garda Siochana in that behalf."

Tabernac....

http://www.palibandaily.com/2009/07/09/ireland-makes-blasphemy-illegal/

(h/t ghostofaflea)

Not a Lehrer quote, but one of the best cheers ever (and it's from Harvard):

Harass them, harass them, make them relinquish the ball!

EBD: Was that directed at me, or is it a memo to yourself? Maybe both of us?

My husband and children had some interesting experiences in France recently that show how the state there is losing control or has lost control to the young hoodlums in the suburbs.

They went to see a magnificent show at night at Versailles (the gardens and fountains all lit up with the music of the period of Louis XIV). But coming back most of the crowd ended up on the same last train going back to Paris (if you go, you are better off staying in a hotel in Versailles for two days and taking in the whole park).

They waited packed like sardines in the train which waited in the station for an hour. Then they were told to transfer to another train because there was a problem with young people in the tunnels and the first train would go ahead of them very slowly to avoid hitting someone. The train went at 4 km an hour and arrived in Paris after the metro was shut and most of the buses were no longer running.

Apparently this goes on all the time. The SNCF the train company is frightened of what would happen if they hit any young person (the suburbs would go up in flames).

The other problem is with the metros - very few young people pay the fare - they just jump the barriors or kick the fence. The police only seem to pick on tourists who don't realize they must hold on to their tickets or face a hefty fine (easy targets unlikely to pull a knife). Late at night the metros are full of drunk or drugged young people.

Another example is the public bike rental system in Paris, similar to the one started in Montreal. This is supposed to be a great green success, but in realty it is not used much during the day. At night young people, once the metro shuts, try to steal the bikes and vandalize the facilities because they don't want to pay to use the bikes. Many, many bikes have been stolen or vandalized at great cost.

Sad to see a great country unable to control its public services.

"Not worried over Czech, Mexican visa fallout: Kenney"

The checks not in the mail!

"Mr. Kenney particularly dismissed the Czech government for petitioning the 27-member European Union to invoke its "solidarity" clause that could lead to a retaliatory visa being slapped on Canada.

"There's a certain degree to playing to domestic audience there," Mr. Kenney told Canwest News Service.
"
So when do the visas on Saudia start?

Whoops. Forgot link to visas....

http://www.nationalpost.com/most-popular/story.html?id=1789233

Anybody remember a group called "Stringband" . . they toured campus venues in the late 60's early 70's . . . same period as Tom.

I'd be interested to see which religion's adherents are the first to cry "blasphemy".

The Canadian Criminal Code's take on Blasphemous
Libel is interesting, EBD. Here's what §296 says:

1. Every one who publishes a blasphemous libel is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

2. It is a question of fact whether or not any matter that is published is a blasphemous libel.

3. No person shall be convicted of an offence under this section for expressing in good faith and in decent language, or attempting to establish by argument used in good faith and conveyed in decent language, an opinion on a religious subject.

I have no idea what that means.

Kevin B:

"Harass them, harass them, make them relinquish the ball!"

That's too funny.

Larry (10:21): I don't know -- are you referring to 10:05 or 10:11?

Vitruvius,

It would seem that under Section 3, Blasphemous Libel is legal, the real problem is Profane Blasphemous Libel.

So keep it clean folks.

Here is Bartlett's presentation on "Arithmetic, population and energy" - an 8-part Youtube series...well worth watching and pondering

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QA2rkpBSY

The same Lehrer?

"I'm not tempted to write a song about George W Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the problem: I don't want to satirize George Bush and his puppeteers, I want to vaporize them."

Thanks for The Vatican Rag EBD. I remember hearing this, at age 13 or 14, with my very Roman Catholic parents in the livingroom with me, and having to bite down HARD on my cheek not to laugh out loud [and thus earn a fatherly backhand for encouraging blasphemy]. "Genuflect, genuflect, genuflect".

Fred:

Pretty sure I saw Stringband when I was in college in the 70's.

But you reminded me of Streetband, and their one-hit wonder: Toast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJmKStqugMc

Technically that's section 296 sub-section 3, SDH, for the record, but yes, I agree with you, it would seem one's pretty-much off the hook for blasphemy in Canada if one limits oneself to decent language, though I s'pose we would have to examine precedent to interpret what decent language means.

And, not to put too fine a point on it, but I think, and
I say this speaking as a mathematician, that Mr. Lehrer
should have written "throw that ellipsoid down the field".

Uh, triple posting - I'm sure that's a violation of the rules somewhere, but Nicky's team lost on penalty kicks after completing dominating the game, so I feel justified in some karmic sense.

So EBD, here's the University of Toronto Engineer's "Mathematics Cheer":

E to the x, dy dx, e to the x, dx
Secant, tangent, cosine, sine,
3.14159
Square root, cube root, power of two,
Hooray for us, f**k you!

Tom Leher is a genious.....

I took a look at Buckdogs blog for a laugh today and he posted an interview he did with Mr.Lingenfelter on June 6 this year.

The first line alone is worth a laugh, and pretty much sums up the NDP in general.

Thank you Mr. Lingenfelter for accepting my request for an interview.
Q. To begin with, during the leadership campaign you stated that you were anxious to implement a process of policy renewal for the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. Now that you have taken the position of Leader, what can we expect to see upcoming in this regard?

The Saskatchewan NDP is often at its best when we are in opposition.

It was while we were in opposition between the time of Premiers’ Lloyd and Blakeney that we came up with the New Deal for People....

here's the link to the hole thing...

http://buckdogpolitics.blogspot.com/2009/07/buckdog-interview-with-dwain.html

It would take fifty thousand years and a cast of billions to precisely define what the "public interest" is when it comes to expression of dissenting ideas. On the other hand, we could simply quit pussyfooting around:

"A secret internal Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report by commissioner Michael Copps may offer clues regarding coming changes to what Americans will be allowed to hear on the airwaves."

(....)

"The report examines the possibility of instituting 'behavioral rules' for broadcasters, which might include guidelines requiring broadcasts to 'serve the public interest' — with 'public interest' left undefined."

http://newsrealblog.com/2009/07/13/fcc-report-details-possible-behavior-rules-for-broadcasters/

In a way, it's a pity that Tom Lehrer didn't do a song about unintended consequences.

Such as the ones discussed in this article: "Bulb solution has many problems"

I for one am more familiar with the Incredible String Band than with Stringband ...

"Six end simulated Mars mission isolation"

Four Russians, a Frenchman and a German, that is...

Tenebris - I watched those a while ago. It made me think that the economy was just a big Ponzi scheme, and that humans would go through the usual bacterial growth cycle of lag phase, log phase, plateau, and death. How very cheerful!

Oh take me back why don't ya!!!

I memorized every lyric and melody of "That Was The Year That Was"

The LP has long since been lost, but that God for the internet, I now have my favorite satirical music to listen to. "Vatican Rag" is priceless - but so many others worth showcasing:

"Who's Next" - (sadly I think we know who)

"Pollution" - we've gone from industrial waste to God knows what...

"Smut" - The internet - if he only could have imagined!

"National Brotherhood Week" - this year being held in Dearborn Michigan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEPod-hxD7g

Good memories - Tom Leher - God Bless him!

Don't forget "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park"

Worry not Vit, it is a dialect of the primary language known as bureaucrat. It is often refered to as "vague".

Both are very common in capitals around the globe. They always serve the same purpose, to ensure no one has to take responsibility for anything, while ensuring it is still possible to take credit when desirable.

Goreacle's Weather Report

Ottawa ON
July 15, 2009

Current Conditions
11 °C

Normal Low
17 °C

Record Low
11.1 °C
in 1973

http://weather.canoe.ca/Weather/CityOttawaON.html

H/T Prime Minister Harper and Minister of Finance Flaherty.

Go home, Iggy.
…-

“Capital Access Index 2008: Best Markets for Business Access to Capital”

“Canada, with its stable equity market and a sound economic policy framework, was able to withstand some of the global credit market issues and moved to first place in the Milken Institute’s 2008 Capital Access Index.”

“The Capital Access Index top 10 markets (with 2007 rankings):

1. Canada (4)
2. Hong Kong SAR (1)
3. Switzerland (7)
4. United Kingdom (2)
5. Singapore (4)
6. United States (11)
7. Netherlands (15)
8. Norway (9)
9. Australia (8)
10. Finland (9)”

http://www.milkeninstitute.org/publications/publications.taf?function=detail&ID=38801195&cat=resrep
(H/T Newsbeat1)

Was Obama "booed" at the Baseball Allstar game last night? (when he came out to throw the first pitch).

Sure sounded like it, my wife even commented to me at the time, Are they Booing him?
But watch the MSM later ctv national & it's cheering you hear, anyone else notice this.

My continuing segments of "Where's the Birth Certificate":
Today is a follow up from yesterday's post where Drudge Reported that a US army reserve Major refused to be deployed to Afghanistan claiming the the current POTUS is illegitimate.

Well, BOMBSHELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:
From: http://www.drudgereport.com/

"A U.S. Army Reserve major from Florida scheduled to report for deployment to Afghanistan within days has had his military orders revoked after arguing he should not be required to serve under a president who has not proven his eligibility for office.

His attorney, Orly Taitz, confirmed to WND the military has rescinded his impending deployment orders.

"We won! We won before we even arrived," she said with excitement. "It means that the military has nothing to show for Obama. It means that the military has directly responded by saying Obama is illegitimate – and they cannot fight it. Therefore, they are revoking the order!"

She continued, "They just said, 'Order revoked.' No explanation. No reasons – just revoked."

A hearing on the questions raised by Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook, an engineer who told WND he wants to serve his country in Afghanistan, was scheduled for July 16 at 9:30 a.m..."

Freakin HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does this mean a potential snowball effect from Military personnel refusing to serve Barry?

Is this issue finally going to crack wide open?

Hello MSM...Your protege might be in trouble...Cannot hide it much longer.

To be continued...

...Here's a youtube video from a Fox news report from yesterday, before the deployment order was revoked:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etpo4-KQm-4&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etheospark%2Enet%2F2009%2F07%2Fvideo%2Dsoldier%2Dsues%2Dobama%2Dwheres%2Dbirth%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded

Lenin-ulianov, Stalin, Muslims.
...-

"Forty lashes for female journalist wearing trousers

A HIGH profile Sudanese woman journalist is facing 40 lashes after being accused of wearing "indecent" clothes, with 10 women already whipped for similar offences against Islamic law.

Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein, who writes for the left-wing Al-Sahafa newspaper and works for the media department of the United Nations Mission in Sudan, was arrested in Khartoum last week and charged with
...-

Lenin, aka ulianov, and his successor, Stalin, lashed/murdered Muslims.

WindowonEurasia: Window on Eurasia: Siberian Muslims Revere Graves ...
Baku, March 21 – The Muslims of Western Siberia are very different than ... is the veneration of the graves of Muslims who were killed by Stalin in the ...
windowoneurasia.blogspot.com/.../window-on-eurasia-siberian-muslims.html

I was told to drop this link here, a fellow Canadian who's wading through not only the Canadian system, but also the US system.

http://posingthequestions.blogspot.com/2009/07/nebraska-laughs-at-canadian-law.html

For a bunk of people purportedly controlled by 'vested interests', AGW skeptics have had surprisingly little press in the financial news portals.

Here's one of the few:

'Top Manager Sees "Huge Risk" in Alternative Energy as Proof of Global Warming Cools'

here we go again , CBCpravda All Khadr All the Time

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/07/15/khadr-csis015.html

we should get the RCMP to go down there and practice Tasers , take Khadrs family with them for warm ups.

NNW is reporting via whoever that there is a shakeup at CBC news, Boag to L.A, Milleski to Ottawa, Bonner to Washington.

Now before you all go ballistic on me with the dont give a crap about the CBC(Me,I only watch CBC for the curling in winter & Corrie St.)
Cause I know thats not big news, but i thought this would be good for a end of the workday laugh & make for a good pick on Boag's transfer.

Ah, those pesky French Unions:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090715/wl_canada_nm/canada_us_france_nortel_threat_1

Sacre' Blew?

CBC is shuffling their on air staff.Susan(I hate Harper)Bonner is going to Washington. The big move is that Evan Solomon will be taking over Newman's spot on a new two- hour politics. OMFG,can you imagine watching two hours of him kissing leftcheekass every day.Rumour has it that the cbc searched high and low through all their employees and still could not find a conservative. --- http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2009/07/15/cbc-correspondents.html

Here's your chance to plump an Aussie poll .
The question is-"Do you believe man-made carbon emissions are warming the planet?"
The "no" side is winning but wouldn't it be great if there was a landslide.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/poll/1,,661-5040621,00.html

Ahhh Britain, where an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away! http://tinyurl.com/m49bgj