Quote of the day

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal."------- Albert Camus

Certainly true in my case!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

Senator Barack Obama admits to being a "secret communist"!

Quote(s) of the day

"Straight onto the tax attack, and a strong start for McCain, though he's blinking madly, it has to be said."

"McCain gets very cross indeed when Obama accuses him of negative campaigning. 'Let me just say categorically, I'm proud of the people who come to our rallies,' he says, and adds something completely confusing about people wearing hats."

"John McCain is a very strange chap. I'm sorry, but there it is."p>

All from Oliver Burkeman's live blogging of last night's debate over on the Guardian website.

Today in Schadenfreude (or is it quote of the week?)

"We're fucked." The reaction of a leading Republicon strategist to the statement by the Iraqi Prime Minister essentially demanding a timebable for the withdrawal of the occupying American troops.

Goodbye and thanks for all the (ornamental) fish!*

Bureaucracy is not a science; it's an art. If you don't believe that I give you this quote from the introduction to the Intrastat Classification Nomenclature as thoughtfully provided by the UK Tariff and Statistical Office of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise:

"Another example is ornamental fish, which can, in theory, be classified under heading 0106 ('Other live animals') or heading 0301 ('Live fish'). However, on the basis of note 1a of Chapter 1 and the first sentence of general rule 3a, it is clear that ornamental fish are to be classified under heading 0301."

I am certain that you are all much relieved.

*With sincere apologies to the late, lamented and much missed Douglas Adams.

Quote(s) of the day

"He was a patriot - the best sort, the kind who do not walk around with American flags in their lapels."

"Twelve wrecked homes. The chaplain's words echoed. That's twelve wrecked homes. The doctor and I think in terms of human suffering not statistics. I thought about Sullivan again. He was one of the statistics, just like the four enemy soldiers killed that morning. The only difference was that they were in different columns on the colonel's scoreboard. Twelve wrecked homes. I thought about Sullivan's young widow in Pennsylvania, and a chill passed through me. Maybe her husband had died for nothing, maybe for something. Either way, it could not make much difference to her now."

Both come from Philip Caputo's book, Rumor of War, about his time as a US Marine in Vietnam in the Sixties. Not that much has changed.

Quote of the day

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."

Mark Twain

Quote of the day

"McClellan could have resigned in protest or simply moved on with his dignity intact. Now he looks pathetic, vindictive and opportunistic. Not much of a legacy."

From an "assessment" of Scott McClellans' revelations by the White House's favourite gay escort and pseudo-reporter Jeff Gannon.

Quote of the day (bonus edition)

"Smart candidates don't invoke the possibility of their opponents being killed. This seems so obvious it shouldn't need to be said, but apparently, it needs to be said."

From a Washington Post article by one Libby Copeland about Hillary Clinton's incredibly boneheaded "Bobby-Kennedy-didn't-get-assassinated-until-June" remarks.

Quote of the day

"People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history."

From that great seer Dan Quayle who obviously saw Captain Codpiece coming. A note to those 30% of Americans who still approve of the Captain's performance at the helm of the nation the word "tremendous" is not a synonym of "positive" or "favourable".

Quote of the day

"This is the worst time of my long life...I have never had such meager expectations of the system. I find those expectations verified in the paucity and shallowness every day I live."

From an interview in The Nation with great American patriot Father Daniel Berrigan, aged 87. I have the honour of meeting Father Berrigan when I was around 15 or 16 just after he had been released from prison for destroying draft files in Catonsville MD.

Quote of the day

"Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without any proof"

Ashley Montague - British-American anthropologist.

Quote of the day

"It must be very strange to be President Bush. A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, he can't get anyone to notice. He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile."

(John Hinderaker via the inestimable Tbogg. Where can I get some of what he's been smoking?)

Quote of the day

From an excellent interview with Donald Sutherland in last Saturday's Guardian. (Yeah - I know I'm behind on my reading.)

"Did you know that 54 per cent of all Americans believe that the world was created 6,000 years ago? That's 1,000 years after the Sumerians invented glue.?

Quote of the day

According to George Orwell Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell the "purpose of war is peace". I feel better already.

Quote of the day

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction."

Blaise Pascal

Quote of the day

American Director of National "Intelligence" Mike McConnell reinforces Snuggly Bear's salient point:

"However, that's not the real issue. The issue is liability protection for the private sector." (Emphasis mine.)

Well at least, unlike most of his colleagues on Captain Codpiece's team, he's honest.

Déjà vu all over again

Now where have I heard this "quote of the day" from likely Republican presidential nominee John McCain before?

"No new taxes."

I reckon this means he could still raise any and all of the old ones.

And hot coals are better than being flayed alive!

Today's quote of the day comes courtesy of Senator Joe "The Only Reason to Be Thankful Gore Lost in 2000" Lieberman (Republicrap - CT) as he discusses water boarding:

"It is not like putting burning coals on people's bodies. The person is in no real danger. The impact is psychological."

The emphasis is on "simple"

Our quote of the day comes from the lips of none other than Captain Codpiece himself (speaking the estimable Chris Wallace of Faux News):

"You're the pundit. I'm just a simple president."