It's all happening tonight, innit?

We have England v Belarus; Philadelphia v Los Angeles; and a doddering old man v an illegal immigrant, communistic Muslim. I just can't decide what to do but I think it starts (and probably ends) with a pint!

Nice

Until recently the GOP website in Sacramento CA had postings that sought to link Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden and to waterboard the Democratic candidate. But it's OK; they've taken it down so "no harm no foul".

In the news

Apparently the heart of US Vice President "I'm a Big" Dick Cheney has started beating and he's been admitted to hospital to sort it out before he returns to his coffin an undisclosed location.

As usual...

...the best coverage of the American election comes from abroad. You may read the third instalment of Oliver Burkeman's "Important questions to which the answer is 'no'" on the Guardian website. You just have to laugh don't you? (Except for the "fact" that 25% of the American population probably believes the actual answer is "YES".

1,000 reasons John McCain shouldn't be President

"To Ayers or not to Ayers, that is the question"

Number 95: The Aged One is threatening to raise the "issue" of Obama's alleged close association with William Ayers in tonight's debate. If he does I predict that there will be blood. After all the (very) senior Senator from Arizona has spent two and a half centuries decades in Washington and the list of his dubious association is lengthy and its exposure will be unpleasant, for him at least. I would assume that the Obama campaign has done their homework.

So Senator McCain, should you choose to take this path, I can only recommend that you sling your mud and then brace yourself for a ton or so of mud coming back!

A memo to Ramb-ette

Dear Governor Ramb-ette,

I do think that it might behove you to get your dictionary out, there must be one in the Governor's office somewhere, and investigate the meaning of the word "vindicate".

It is likely that you will find the result your minmal effort enlightening.

That is all.

Kind regards

Yank in London

"But the truth is so limiting!"

Over at the home of super plus good untruth, the execrable Washington Times, the execrable Frank Gaffney continues to allege that Barack Obama was born in Kenya without a fact, a citation or a shred of evidence to support his slander. But what the heck? That's (un)investigative journalism for you!

Surely this qualifies as child abuse*

A clearly troubled man from Tennessee, one Mark Ciptak, snuck off and named his new-born daughter Sarah McCain Palin Ciptak whilst his wife was otherwise engaged. Of course I am certain all will turn out for the best as Mr. Cipak told some friends and members of his family BEFORE TELLING HIS WIFE so that they could pray for him or her or them or it. One wonders if Mr. Ciptak ever read Catch-22, or indeed any book.

*Or at least as grounds for divorce as Mr. Ciptak made the decision without his wife's input or knowledge.

Finally we find out what doner kebab meat is made from...

...and, for fans of the tasty post chucking out time treat at least, it isn't good news. So, if you're ever unlucky enough to be in Wolverhampton, I would stay away from Pappu Sweet Centre and Catering.

Somehow this seems appropriate

I stumbled on this quote from Lily Tomlin the other day:

"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat."

Somehow it seems right in the current economic climate and we shouldn't forget this about the few that will come out of this on top.

I love Ms. Tomlin but I've still never really forgiven her for this unprovoked attack on Philadelphia some 30 odd years ago.

So where's the Secret Service then?

Imagine, if you will, that an attendee at an Obama rally calls for the assassination of Captain Codpiece. Surely said attendee would be hauled off by the Secret Service for an "intensive interrogation" and a cavity search at the very least. Yet it seems that it is perfectly acceptable for attendees at an appearance of Ramb-ette, this time in lovely Scranton PA, to call for the assassination of Senator Obama without the security forces batting an eye.

I believe that this is generally known as a "double standard" but I can't be sure.

Elsewhere in good news...

...the unelected House of Lords has come to the aid of the British people by forcing Gordo to abandon his plans for 42 day detention without charge. One small step for freedom...

And the Lord saw socialism...

...and decided that it was good. Elsewhere this year's Economics Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman decides that Gordon Brown wears his pants on the outside.

More joy in Mudville

The Phighting Phils are only one win from the World Series. Life is good indeed.

The understated headline of the day....

...comes to us courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer: "The Uninsured Die Sooner". Who could have guessed?

Beware - wing nut heads exploding ahead!

I am sure that our reasonable and ever respectful friends on the American right will join us in applauding Paul Krugman for winning the Nobel Prize in Economics. Right?

It looks as if I might not have to burn my old Flyers sweater after all

As those great folks who are fans of the Flyers give Ms. Palin the welcome she deserves on opening night in Philly.



Well done lads (and ladies)!

Hero of the day

Meet Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart who has refused to continue to carry out evictions under the current rules. Sheriff Dart found his staff often being ordered to evict tenants from rented accommodation, even though they had been faithfully paying their rent, when the owner's mortgage was foreclosed. The banks in general made no attempt to notify the tenants when repossession procedures were undertaken and left that to Sheriff Dart and his employees.

The awkward squad

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is still holding up a deal with the US over the continuation of their illegal occupation over such meaningless details as American demands for immunity for US soldiers and mercenaries. One has to admit he has a point. If Iraqi justice was good enough for Saddam Hussein why isn't it good enough for Yanks?

1,000 reasons John McCain shouldn't be President

Number 94: his lovely and wealthy Missus seems to think that those veterans who suffer from PTSD from the experiences in Vietnam (or Iraq) were just poorly trained unlike her brave (and doddering) husband. Not a million miles away from the accepted view during World War I when her husband was just a young pup!

1,000 reasons John McCain shouldn't be President

Number 93: despite all of his earlier lies promises he has definitely decided that he is definitely not taking the high road. Whether he'll be in Scotland before ye is any one's guess.

Let them eat gefilte fish!

Things are hotting up in the Middle East again as the Lebanese demand that the Israelis stop stop trying to claim hummus and falafel as their own. The question on everyone's mind is whether the US will allow Israel to launch military strikes into Lebanon to stamp out this contagion.

Dear Senator McCain

Now that the Alaskan investigation into the (missing) ethics of your running mate Sarah "Ramb-ette" Palin has concluded that she violated Alaskan law and I can only assume that you will respond to my previous challenge by doing the honest thing and resigning from your candidacy; right?
And don't even think about point to your own "in depth" and undoubtedly unbiased investigation into the matter. None of us, including you I presume, actually take that seriously!

More joy in Mudville

A man can still live and dream as the Phighting Phils take game two from the dreaded Dodgers. Six more wins....

I would just like to say...

...that it is an absolutely lovely autumn day here in the Kentish countryside and I'm off to a pub with a garden.

There IS joy in Mudville

Now only seven wins from a parade!

In which I announce....

....that I'm going to have to burn my Flyers sweater if Ed Snider goes ahead with his plans and allows Ramb-ette to drop the first puck on opening night.

Middle eastern religious extremists run riot...

...after man is spotted driving a car on a holy day! Once again these dangerous and unbalance religious extremists are Jewish! The rioters cause "extensive damage" to property. Well no one has ever accused Israel of multi-culturalism.

If you think things are bad in the Western world...

...it could be worse you could be in Zimbabwe where the annual inflation rate hit 231,000,000% in July; up sharply from a mere 11,200,000% in June.

Would this be a good time to privatise Social Security?

In a word "NO" as news reaches us that retirement accounts have lost $2,000,000,000,000 over the past 5 quarters.