Who knew Hillary Clinton was half black?

Chris Matthews interviews Hillary Clinton on SNL:

Today's Hoot!

From David Letterman's Top 10 Messages Left on Fidel Castro’s Answering Machine:

10. "Yo, it’s Raul . . . Where’s the key to the humidor?”
9. "It’s Blockbuster. Please return ‘Girls of the Revolution Gone Wild.’”
8. "Which fatigues would you like to be buried in, the olive green ones or the slightly darker olive green ones?"
7. "It’s Kim Jong Il. When you die, can I have your PlayStation?”

And the biggies:

2. "It’s Saddam Hussein — see you in hell!”
1. "Wow! Congratulations on having Cuba’s only answering machine!”

I knew there was something fishy about Queen Nancy!

Pelosi's Fishy Deal:

When news broke that the House hourly minimum-wage increase to $7.25 did not include the territory of American Samoa, home to large employers StarKist Tuna and Chicken of the Sea, Speaker Nancy Pelosi assured reporters that the bill would be changed. It would include American Samoa, as well as the Northern Mariana Islands, before it is sent to the president.

American Samoa may initially have escaped the minimum-wage increases because the San Francisco-headquartered Del Monte Foods, owner of Star-Kist Tuna, is in Ms. Pelosi's district. But now Speaker Pelosi has been shamed into backing down.

It must be that Queen Nancy only cares for the little people and Samoans are famously big and burly. Of course, here's the best part:

There should be general rejoicing in American Samoa on hearing that everyone would get a raise. But not so. The governor of American Samoa, Togiola Tulafono, stated that increasing the minimum wage "would kill the economy," and the Samoan congressional delegate, Eni Faleomavaega, said that it would devastate the local tuna industry.

A quick look at American Samoan local wage rates tells us why. The current hourly minimum wage for fish canning and processing is $3.26. The minimum wage for government employees, who undoubtedly have an easier job than tuna canners, is $2.91. Shipping has the highest minimum wage, at $4.09. Garment manufacturers get the lowest, at $2.68 an hour.

Fans of minimum-wage increases say the hikes have no effect on the economy or on jobs, but American Samoans are smarter. They know that industries are going elsewhere if they have to pay $7.25 an hour. With higher unemployment in American Samoa, the American taxpayer will be called upon to come to the rescue.

It's hard news for the folks in Samoa and Pelosi's district, but Queen Nancy can try for a win with the ecoweenies who don't really like tuna fishing anyhow, just like they don't like logging, factory farming, oil drilling, and just about everything but nut and berry gathering in isolated thickets. Personally, I'm waiting for the Donks to declare that everyone in the US (legally or illegally) should get as much per year as Teddy Kennedy does from his trust funds just by staying home and watching PBS! Where's my check, Nancy?

Barbara Boxer is easily the dumbest US Senator

But she still likes to prove it regularly.

Today's Hoot!

An excerpt from Mark Steyn's contribution to the "Sandy Berger Lies" contest:

Who can take the memo
Stuff it in his sock
Take it out the building
And then walk it up the block
The Sandy Pants (The Sandy Pants)
Oh, the Sandy Pants can (The Sandy Pants can)
The Sandy Pants can ‘cause he fixes it for Bill
And makes his boss look good (Makes his boss look good)

Who can take the secrets
Out the door at night
Slide them under trailers
On a dark construction site
The Sandy Pants (The Sandy Pants)
Oh, the Sandy Pants can (The Sandy Pants can)
The Sandy Pants can ‘cause he fixes it for Bill
And makes his boss look good (Makes his boss look good)

Where's Sammy Davis when you need him?

Time Magazine welcomes continuing irrelevance

Richard Stengel, the managing editor of Time Magazine says the times are a changin' but Time is right on top of it:

I'm not telling you anything you don't know when I say the media world is changing. But as technology evolves and new ways of delivering information emerge, some things don't change. TIME'S core commitment to explaining the world through great writing, reporting and pictures remains steadfast. In fact, I would argue that in this new dizzying forest of information, it's become even more important to have a trusted guide.

I guess that lets Time out.

The most immediate change is right in front of you. The issue you are holding in your hands--or perhaps you're reading this online--is the first issue of TIME with our new on-sale day, Friday. In fact, it's the first copy of TIME magazine to go on sale on Friday in more than 50 years. We've moved our publication schedule because the news environment has shifted and because we've been listening to you. Over and over, we've heard from subscribers that they get the magazine early in the week and then put it aside to read on the weekend. The solution was pretty simple: let's get you the magazine on the weekend when you want it.

Makes a great beer coaster!

At the same time, I believe that getting the magazine on newsstands on Friday helps us set the news agenda, not just mirror it. The traditional newsmagazine was retrospective, looking back at what happened the previous week. But today's TIME is much more forward-looking, offering you guidance on what's essential to know going forward. Many news sources give you information; we provide knowledge and meaning.

More like leftoid propaganda disguised as news combined with stupid celebrity gossip.

There's more in the same vein, but guess what - Time is going to have a "news" blog! How more cool and trendy can they get? Well, they can introduce a new environmentalism section:

This week marks the beginning of our regular Going Green section, which recognizes not only how important the environment is to people around the world but also how green businesses will be a fundamental engine of change in the 21st century.

If that's not enough propaganda, how about:

I've always believed that TIME makes a difference in people's lives but that we need to find a way to help readers make a difference in other people's lives. To that end, we are starting a section called The Power of One, in which we report on how individuals can make a positive contribution to their communities, their cities, their nations and the world. The revered economist Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, who led the U.N. Millennium Project, will be a regular contributor. This week he writes a moving piece about what it would take to rid Africa of malaria and the cycle of desperation the disease creates.

Based on ole "revered" Jeffrey's Millennium Project, I don't think any effective action like holding a necktie party for the tinhorn African dictators or using DDT for the malaria mosquitos will be on the agenda so be prepared to hear ad nauseum about why the American taxpayers should get out their wallets.

There's more in the same vein, but why bother? On it's way to the dumpster, Time is trying for a last grab at the waiting room pacifier market where we can all pick up a copy and wonder what the heck happened to it.

Another MSM genius spotted

David Kirkpatrick, a senior editor at Fortune (purportedly a business magazine despite the uncanny resemblance to People) waxes lyrical today about all the blogs like the The Huffington Post where he can get his "news." One of the reasons he's so excited:

I used to bemoan the fact that there was no national progressive newspaper. Now such carping makes no sense. There is the equivalent of a newspaper for every outlook - just adjust your RSS feeds accordingly.

If he's never noticed that, with very few exceptions, ALL large US newspapers are "progressive," then I guess we know what belfry this moonbat hangs out in. No wonder he likes the Huffpo. As for Fortune, 'nuff said.

I never heard of these folks before

Admittedly, the story is from the UK, but still - Katie Price and Peter Andre: the greatest album ever?

It's official: the debut album by highly-talented popsters Katie Price and Peter Andre has been classified by Amazon reviewers as possibly the greatest album ever - a terrible shock to those of us ready to dismiss their musical talents and consign A Whole New World to the dustbin of musical history.

One breathless correspondent classifies the masterwork as "simply genius", while another is moved to admit that the songs are "so emotional, they make me go weak at the sphincter".

Sheesh, kind of like the Mainstream Media and Barack Obama. But wait, there's more!

I have only one complaint about this meisterwerk. The Price. It's far too low. Were there to be but one copy remaining in the world, and had my own copy been mysteriously burned in a catastrophic fire in which I had been unable to risk my life rescuing it, I would gladly sell my children into slavery to buy that last remaining disc.

Somewhere the clue phone is ringing, but no one is picking up.

How do they separate the men from the boys in the Taliban?

With a crowbar:

The Afghan Taliban underwent a major reorganization last Winter. In addition to accepting suicide attacks (previously a no-no), and a more aggressive use of terror tactics against Afghans, a list of 30 "Rules" were issued. The word went out that members of the Taliban were to live and, in some cases, die by, these rules. Most of them have to do with pretty basic stuff. Like obeying orders, not ratting out your buddies to the police, not stealing from each other, not using Taliban assets for personal gain (there are several rules for this one, indicating that there are continued problems in this area), not recruiting existing Taliban members from another Taliban gang, fair distribution of loot captured in battle, and so on.
...
Taliban are also told not to steal from civilians, smoke cigarettes (nothing is said about opium) or sodomize young boys.

No word on goat bothering so morale presumably won't be too severely impacted.

(Hat tip: SondraK)

And a Merry Christmas to all

From everyone at the Country Store:

Hat tip: Moo Amp where you can get wallpaper of the computer variety with the above and other fetching bovine themes. That is, if you aren't all nervous about cows causing global warming.