They Found Noah's Ark

   Or so says something called the Geoscience Research Institute. They supposedly found the ark on Mount Ararat in Turkey, where the "bible" (aka: The Big Book of Thou Shalt Not) says it ended up after the "flood".

   Maybe at this time it should be mentioned the "institute" in question is sponsored by the 7th day adventists, and specializes in the pseudo-scientific theory of creationism and (not surprisingly) serves the "church". I'm not sure if they're trying to reconcile scientific fact with biblical bullshit, but like the shroud of Turin, the so-called "spear of destiny", the James ossuary and others, this will likely turn out to be fake. Or at least false.

   My rational for the above statement? It's fine for a religion-based "institute" to make such claims, but until and unless they're backed by hard, demonstrably provable scientific experimentation and FACT, it's utter horse-shit.

   For example: Where is there any record of a flood some 48 hundred years ago? There's nothing to suggest or PROVE water levels were cataclysmically high during that period. Even if all the icecaps everywhere on earth melted, there still wouldn't be enough water to inundate everything.

   I could go on with a lengthy rant, but I won't. Suffice it to say, I can't buy into this charade. Any more than I can any other "religious" fairy-tale.

   'Nuff said.

Merry Christmas

   Just a quick note to wish all my viewers the best of the festive season. A Merry Christmas, and may 2018 find you all healthy, happy and safe.

Fukkin Really America? Part 2

What with tensions continuing to simmer at high pitch over North Korea. With allegations of sexual impropriety alleged against a Republican Senate candidate, and a Democratic Senator, with trade talks going on on several fronts, and with Trump's ratings still in the tank, you wouldn't think a pie would cause such controversy.
   Not just any pie, either. This one:

   Which White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders claims, even though she admits she's not a great cook, she baked last week. A chocolate pecan pie, nonetheless. She tweeted a photo of it, with the plain white background, and that's lead to questions about her culinary expertise.. In fact, there are some who say she didn't bake it at all, and if she did, they want to see said pie in a more natural surrounding. Her kitchen counter, for example.
   Truth to tell, it does look somewhat suspicious. Like it came out of a cookbook or something. And while fighting over a fucking chocolate pecan pie seems trivial, some are saying (out loud, and by a Republican) that it also speaks to the credibility of an administration and a president who have faced repeated questions about truthfulness.
   Slow news day down in the States? Maybe this is what The Donald means when he yaks on and on about 'fake news'.
   Tell you what, though. Put some ice cream or whipped cream on it, and let me delve into it. I'll judge whether the pie is fake or not.
   'Nuff said

   Ugly Christmas sweaters. They've unfortunately been around for a few years now. They run the gamut from mildly offensive

   To retch making

   (I'm NOT an Edmonton Oilers fan). In fact, several offices run annual "ugly sweater" contests to see who has the ugliest of the ugly. Luckily, the office I'm in does not. But of we ever did, I think I'd have a winner

   No, I was not the model for the graphic. I don't know who was responsible for this, but that person should be slapped repeatedly with a limp piece of spaghetti.
   If you want the truth, I don't even own a sweater, let alone something as ghastly as any of the above. And if I ever did, I think Mrs. Ratbag would likely slap me with a piece of limp spaghetti repeatedly. And throw the sweater on the fire. Either that, or give it to our pets for a bed.
  'Nuff said.

Sorry America. It's Time You Put The Guns Down

   I know all about the 2nd Amendment and all the bullshit that goes with the argument "in a militia". I know you love your guns down there. I also know the majority of American's don't have a gun. And before you say "Ratbag; you're a left-wing pinko", I assure you I'm not. I've owned guns in the past, and am considering getting back into shooting. But seriously my American friends, don't you think it's time to at least start looking at some form of restrictions? Not as far as we go here, where anything with a muzzle velocity over 495 fps requires you to have a license. But something?
   In the wake of the church shooting in Texas, I've already seen a number of my social media friends suggesting they're going to start packing wherever they go. I've even heard one asshole go as far as saying "guns in church". Anyone who has followed even a portion of this blog knows I'm not religious. in fact, I'm atheist. Still, a church (until today) used to be a place of sanctuary. But not anymore. 28 dead, 20+ wounded.
  Couple that with the carnage in Vegas not long ago, and you have to ask "does anyone really, REALLY need a semi-automatic assault rifle"? With magazines that can hold in excess of 30 rounds or more? Or do we have to start having people take their gun to church. I've (also) heard after past massacres "the shooter wouldn't have killed do many of someone had been packing heat". Maybe. But more likely, the death count would be even higher during an exchange between 2 shooters, rather than 1.
   If this keeps up, my southern neighbours, Kim Jong-Un won't have to nuke you. You'll have killed most of your own countrymen off yourselves. Rant over
   'Nuff said.

Aw, Fuck. Not Again..AGAIN...UPDATE

   No, I did not get caught up in the (false) doomsday of October 16th. But I did forget to post. As I blogged about, some religious numb-nut predicted (again, and again wrongly) that Doomsday was going to hit on the 15th.
   It's the same asshole who (wrongly) predicted it for September 23rd, then quickly back-tracked and said he forgot to carry the "1", or whatever bullshit excuse he had for getting it wrong in the first place. Meaning his predictions, based on some lame-assed calculations in The Big Book Of Thou Shalt Not (the bible) were half-baked. I'm thinking he was nicely baked when he issued his prognostication.
   Whatever, this religitard seems to have fucked off back into obscurity, joining the likes of Harold Camping, who also WRONGLY predicted the End Of The World at least twice. Lets just hope he stays there.
   And sorry about taking a week to get this update done. I've been busy.
   'Nuff Said

No Words

   58+ dead. 500+ wounded. Las Vegas, October 1, 2017. Saddened beyond words.

Aw, Fuck! Not Again...AGAIN

   Well, I hope you enjoyed missing Doomsday last Saturday. The only problem now is the same religious fucktard who WRONGLY predicted it has done some new number crunching, and has come up with...you guessed it..a NEW date. Shades of Harold Camping, who also got it wrong. Twice.

   So, the next WRONG date has been recomputed by this supposed christian numerologist for October 15th. The bullshit "forecast" he tried to use came up after he' discovered' numerical codes in the Big Book Of Thou Shalt Not..aka the bible.

   Making things worse for himself, he claims his "prophecy" wasn't clearly understood, and Sept. 23 was an initial sign of the impending "rapture". Cough...bullshit...cough. It's just the idiot's original forecast did not come true, and he's now trying to save face.

   If that ain't bad enough, the numb-nut has gone on to say "hold on and wait. I don't believe you'll be disappointed". Sorta like telling Camping "hold my beer and watch THIS". He re-stated his (false) claim that Planet X will hit or come close to hitting Earth, resulting in a 7 year rapture. Quick! Someone find out what funky drugs he's taking and get me some!

   The big hole in this (other than the religious asshole himself) is the SCIENTIFIC FACT that NASA, or any other agency, has not seen anything with the mass of Planet X hurtling toward us.

   If I don't post anything before then, which I likely will, I'll see you all October 16th!

   'Nuff said

Aw, Fuck! Not Again...UPDATE

   Well, here's a huge fuckin' surprise. It's September 24, 2017 and (as I fully expected) the world did not fuckin' end like that religious idiot foretold (see below). Did I go out last night just in case? Nope! Stayed home, actually went to bed early, had a good long sleep, and woke up late.
   Just shows you how accurate there "religious" people are. Not At All!
   Guess I'll just have to wait for the next numb-nut's "prophecy" to come out. It'll be wrong, just like the others, but it does give me fodder for this forum.
   'Nuff said.

Aw, Fuck! Not Again

   Yeah, some dip-shit religitard AGAIN forecasting "The End Of The World As We Know It. Cough (bullshit) cough. Some evangelical Christian idiot says it's going to happen September 23rd. This particular asshole, some guy named Dave Meade, bases it on the number 33, for some fucking unknown reason, but it apparently has something to do with it being 33 days since the solar eclipse, how long christ lived, and yada-yada-yada.
   But this douche-rocket is different. He says HE'S not making the claim (cough..bullshit..cough), but it's all in the book of revelation in the Buy-Bull. Now, to be fair (for the first time in a long time) people of "faith" are also calling B.S, along with people who trust in Science, not some fairy-tale cloud-rider in the sky. In fact, one pastor even went as far as saying “It’s simply fake news that a lot of Christians believe the world will end on September 23.” And our guy says Planet "X" (aka Nibiru) will somehow be involved, eventually bringing fire, storms and other types of destruction. Yada-yada-yada.
   He can join the ranks of others who (wrongly) predicted the "End Of The World" in the past. Including Harold Camping, who was wrong TWICE.
   My plans for the 23rd? Maybe have a beer, watch a little T.V, go to bed at my regular time, and get up Sunday the 24th and laugh my ass off at another FAILED prediction.
   And people still wonder why I have no faith in religion.
   'Nuff said.

Hurricanes And H-Bombs

   That's hurricane Irma, seen by a NASA satellite as she rampages across the Caribbean en-route to Florida. As of this post, Irma had sustained winds of 295 km/h, or 185 mph. Several islands in the Caribbean have reportedly had damage to 95% of structures. And that ain't all folks! There are 2 other storms brewing in the Gulf and mid-Atlantic.

   Irma is responsible for several deaths, and at least one Darwin candidate. Seems a 16 year old pro-surfer got himself killed by heading out into wavers created by the storm. He apparently told some fellow non-successful Darwin candidates that it was "the best wave of his life". Turns out, it was also the last wave of his life when he was knocked unconscious when he hit his head on the reef, possibly braking his neck and taking a long hold down for a number of waves. Sorry of this sounds callous (no, I'm not), but that's just plain fucking stupid.

   And about that H-Bomb:

   North Korean dictator Kim Jung-un (Sum Dum Fuk) claims his country let one off recently, and says the U.S will be sent "gift packages" until they stop harassing Kim and his Krew. With "The Donald" as POTUS, that's not gonna happen.

   Maybe what Trumpty-Dumpty should do is stand out in the Atlantic and start blowing his hot air to move a weather bomb over N. Korea.

   Well, I can dream, can't I?

   'Nuff said.

This Is Fukkin Funny

   The reality of it all isn't, though. Kim Jong Un (aka Sum Dum Fuk) and The Donald are in a big pissing match that could see the start of a nuclear war. Anyone who hasn't been off-planet will know I'm talking about the increasing tensions between the DPRK and the U.S over the North's missile and nuke tests.
   Un is threatening to use a nuke on Guam, possibly the U.S mainland. Trump is promising "fury and fire" if he does. I don't think we've been this close to the brink since the Cuban Missile crisis back in the early 60's.
   But in all the turmoil, someone found a lighter side to the whole she-bang. A lot of people think Un and Trump are more alike than both would wish. That person came up with this masterfully photo-shopped picture of the 2, which someone on Facebook captioned Donald Un and Kim Jong Trump

   This picture is worth a thousand words.
   'Nuff said

A Quick Hit (Just To Prove I'm Still Alive)

   For those of you who don't already know, O.J Simpson has been granted parole, and will be released from jail later this year after serving less than 1/3rd of a 33 year sentence in that 'Vegas sports memorabilia robbery. Do a wiki on it yourself if you want details.

   'Course "Juice" was found not guilty on the murders of his ex-wife and her friend in 1994, but a civil jury in '96 found Simpson liable for wrongful death and 2 counts of battery, and ordered him to pay 33.5 million. He sold some of his memorabilia, and that's when the whole fucking Vegas thing got started.

   Anyway, O.J has been given parole. And since he's only 70, does than mean he still has time to kill?

   'Nuff said.

The Things You See On Social Media (Part 2)

   Okay, I admit it. I'm a bit of a social media troll. I spend way too much time on Facebook, but today, that time ill-spent was well worth it.
   As I was going through F.B, I came on a post from one of my friends, who, in turn, got it off Twitter. Now, I'll freely admit I fucking hate Twitter. It's the most fucking useless of all the useless social media. Thanks in no small part to the Twit In Chief

   But this time, it's got nothing to do with The Donald, but it is indirectly Fake News, as he likes to say. Actually, more like Fake Sports. Want it narrowed down even further? It's (apparently) from something called The Fake ESPN. And I got a really good chuckle out of it.

   And while I still fucking hate Twitter, after seeing this, I might just think about joining. Nah, I won't.

   'Nuff said.

One Of Pope Frank's Minions May Be In Deep Shit

    No, I'm not talking about those fucking horrid cartoon minions from those fucking horrid movies. I'm talking about one of Frankie's tip-top Vatican cohorts. Cardinal George Pell, who's Frankie's financial advisor, to be exact:

   And what did Georgie boy do? Abscond with Vatican funds? No. Give away secret state secrets? No. Allegedly sexually assault people decades ago in Australia? Yes. Yes he (allegedly) did. Georgie-Porgie of course denies the accusations, and says he'll fight the charges. Meantime, he's taken a leave of absence to return to the Land of Oz to do just that.

   Kinda seems ironic to me that the man who would (allegedly) likely have to "thumbs up" church payments to victims of pedophile priests could (allegedly) end up having to sign the cheque for his own settlement.

   But, innocent until proven guilty, as they say. Although with the track record of a seemingly vast majority of clergy preying on their parishioners instead of praying for them, rightly or wrongly, in George's case it may well be guilty until proven innocent. Fortunately, the Australian courts, not me, will decide.

   However it turns out, this will be another large black blot on an increasingly stained organization. How badly stained? More than 65 hundred clerics have been accused of abusing minors between 1950 and 2015. And how much has this cost people who put that envelope in the plate every Sunday? Millions, if not billions of $$. If proven guilty, George would be the highest ranking member of the Vatican Mafia yet to be convicted.

   'Nuff said.

I Need Something To Blog About

   But what? Seriously, it's been a little dry lately, and not much is on the old Ratbag Radar. Like a lot of people, I'm getting sick of hearing about Donald Trump and his foibles. Covfefe, the Comey firing, his latest gaffe about the Panama Canal (check it out for yourself).
   I'm also heartily sick of hearing about Kim Jong Un (aka Sum Dum Fuk) and his foibles. Missile launches, meeting Dennis Rodman, having a captive U.S student returned in a coma, only to see him die a week later.
   I'm also heartily sick of hearing about terrorist attacks on innocent people. London, Paris and London again.
   Basically. I'm sick of all the bullshit

   'Nuff said.

The Things You See On Social Media

   A friend of mine shared this on his social media page, and I had to post something about this. Dunno where this was (somewhere in my home country Canada), but I'm guessing they're in for a fun summer. It may be small and frosty, but if it lasts all summer (and for 99 cents) it might be worth it!

  If you're in to that sort of thing. Me, I prefer the DQ Blizzard

   'Nuff said.

Test Of Faith: FAIL

   And an epic fail as well. Seems a 'pastor' somewhere in Africa tried to walk on water to show his congregation he could. He couldn't. He waded about 100 feet into a river, and met his doom. I guess I should mention at this point the river was known locally as Crocodile River (where's Mick Dundee when you need him?) with the expected result. A nice feed for the Crocs. At least 3 of them, who a local resident says "took him down".
   “They finished him in a couple of minutes. All that was left of him when they finished eating him was a pair of sandals and his underwear floating above the water.” Our witness went on to say  “We still don’t understand how this happened because he fasted and prayed the whole week." Emergency services got there 30 minutes later, but by then the Gators were already having a good belch.
   I'm guessing it happened for one of several reasons. 1). 'god' was pissed off with him. 2). He fucking waded into Crocodile River. About the only thing he didn't do was smother himself in bar-b-cue sauce first. 3). He tested his faith and it failed because 'god' does not exist. I'm going with a combination of 2 and 3.
   And people wonder why I have NO faith in religion.
   'Nuff said.

What Did Donald Do Now

   The Donald has been very much in the news lately, and it's not been an easy week for him, either. He's pissed off the FBI by firing director James Comey. And not (apparently) for the agency's continuing probe into allegations of Russian interference in the election, either.

   Nope! Apparently Trump was going to say "You're Fired" anyway. But, needless to say, the timing

of the move is somewhat suspect. Comey is, apparently, ready to fight back. I'm thinking things will get ugly. Shit, there are some analysts out there suggesting Trump's firing Comey could be grounds for impeachment.
   If that's not enough, then there's this little supposed bombshell. Trump handing sensitive (ie: classified) info over to the Russians. To be fair, I'm not sure exactly what the fuck it was over (allegedly), but it's caused a shit-storm. His  National Security Advisor even came out to "brief" the press with a 15 or 20 second long statement basically calling the allegations unfounded, and not true.
   Somewhere George Bush Jr. is chuckling loudly about not being the worst president in history any more. And we're not even 6 months into the new administration!
   Good times, good times.
   'Nuff said

Catching Up

  And boy! There are a few things on the old Ratbag Radar. Unless you've been off-planet, you'll know the U.S and North Korea are in a huge pissing match. Kim Jong Un (Sum Dum Fuk) is threatening South Korea, Japan and the U.S with a nuclear strike, unless the U.S backs down on all the rhetoric. Far from doing that, The Donald is ratcheting it up even further. Recently, he said a carrier strike force was steaming toward the North, and would use "all options" in dealing with another missile launch or nuke test.
   In fact, here's an action shot of that group:

   No, it's not a stealth carrier group. It's open ocean. The Donald did have a task force in the area. Just not the Sea of Japan. So where were the ships? 35 hundred miles away in the Indian Ocean or something?
   Actually, yeah. It was. Seems the U.S Navy posted a picture of the USS Carl Vinson steaming through the Sunda Strait in Indonesia, far from where the White House had placed it—a case of the government failing to take simple steps to cover its own tracks.

   Oops!
   But that's not the only royal fuck-up. 'Lil Kim and the North were celebrating the 105th birthday of founding dictator Kim Il Sung this past weekend, and Sum Dum Fuk wanted it to end with a bang. Which it did. Seems they had a long range missile they wanted to launch. but Kim's mizzle fizzled. They got it up, but it went off very quickly before operating correctly. Something Kim's wife is probably used to in the bedroom (wink wink).

   In another part of the world (and another conflict) the U.S used a MOAB (Mother Of All Bombs) on some cave dwelling ISIL or Taliban troglodytes. It's one motherfucker of a bomb, too, with a blast yield of 11 tons, which is more than enough to ruin your day. It's a deep penetration device, and (unlike Kim's missile) it went off as planned.
  One big problem. The fucking thing's so big, it has to be dropped from a cargo aircraft. Which is fine if you're in an area like Afghanistan, where the current rulers are (supposedly) your friends. And the enemy doesn't have effective radar or anti aircraft systems. Which North Korea does

   Which means it's pretty much useless going after missile facilities or nuclear sites. In all this, China is a major player, and I hope they can give 'Lil Kim some "quiet time", and defuse the whole she-bang before we all go BANG

   'Nuff said

This Isn't Funny (But It Kinda Is)

   A 42 year old guy in Denver died after taking part in an eating competition. I know that ain't funny, but he was trying to scarf back a 1/2 pound donut in 80 seconds. That's about the same size as a small cake. Apparently, people who can chomp down the donut get it free (whoopee), AND a button saying they won the challenge (double whoopee).
   I've been known to pack away some of those delicious treats myself (anyone who sees my ample gut will be able to attest), but even I couldn't pack away a half-pounder. Anyway, our fella apparently got a piece of it stuck in his windpipe, with the predictable (and unfortunately for him) fatal result.
   And he's not the only one to succumb to a self-induced eating death. Earlier this week, a 20 year old woman died after a pancake eating competition. She'd gotten through 4 of the 5 'cakes in the stack, and started to choke on one. She was rushed to hospital, but died a few days later.
   I remember hearing a few years back about a guy who choked to death at a chicken wing competition. Again, not really funny if you look at it. But deep down inside, you may get the hint of a chuckle.
   'Nuff said.

I Must Be Going Soft

   The keen edge has definitely been blunted lately. Regular viewers will know I'm a rampant atheist, with a healthy dislike for anything religious. So it was just as surprising to me as it might be for you to know that I recently had some group doorbell ringing in my neighbourhood. Rather that a snide comment, unintended prank or belligerent bellow to "PISS OFF", I was unnaturally calm and cool with this invader of my sanctity.
   When I answered the door (secretly wishing I hadn't), I was greeted with the usual "have you come to know god", with the assurance that their particular cult was willing to help me find him. I simply asked "which god are you talking about", which was greeted with the ubiquitous "the only god". I asked again "which one", but before they could answer, I amended the question to "which version". A puzzled look later, I explained " which of the 3 versions are you talking about. Yaweeh, Jehovah or Allah."
   I went on to say that if they were talking about the old testament god, he'd be the one that demands ritualized genital mutilation of all male children. The same one that demands genocide, fratricide, infanticide and seems obsessed with animal abuse.
   I then said if they were talking about the new testament god, he'd be the one that orders followers to worship his "son" (more likely the result of a rape by a Roman soldier), or go to hell. I also said if I was to go to hell, could I have a choice of which one please? Another puzzled look later, and I explained there were several "hells on earth". One in Michigan, one in the Cayman Islands, and one just outside Trondheim, Norway which has an interesting sign on a building:

   Very loosely translated, it means "goods handler".

   I then asked if the meant the Muslim version, which (to the best of my understanding) rewards followers who die as martyr's fighting the unbeliever with 72 virgins. (My knowledge of Islam being very, very poor.)

   After that diatribe, I think they had enough, and promptly walked away into the sunset. Maybe I haven't lost my edge after all.

   But this also brings up another issue. And that's people who use the interweb and social media to post endless drivel about their religion. I've said in the past that of you want to believe in that nonsense, go ahead. Just don't bother me with it. And the same applies in the electronic age. I know I'm now shaking my fist at the clouds, metaphorically, but the internet isn't a church, and social media isn't your personal pulpit. Please scale back on the religious posts, shares, etc. I promise I will keep my atheistic rants to a fairly low level. Aside from this one.
   Rant Over:
   'Nuff said

Another "Hit" For 'Lil Kim

   North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (aka Sum Dum Fuk) has, indeed, struck again. 'Lil Kim has "offed" another former high-ranking member of his cadre. Okay, it was his half-brother Kim Jong Nam

   And unlike some of Un's "greatest hits" of the past, this was rather muted. He had an uncle fed to the dogs a while back, and had a high ranking military member put to death by firing squad. And not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill firing squad either. He had the poor fucker stand at the end of a runway in Pyongyang, and had his troops fire at him from the other end. With an anti-aircraft gun. Bad as that was, you gotta give s style point or 2 to Mr. Fuk, er Un, for that one.
   So, what did he do to his (half) brother? Feed him to the dogs? No. Executed by firing squad, traditional or otherwise? No. Did he place him on the fire pit during the latest missile test? No, again.
   Nope, little Sum Dum Fuk has him poisoned. Apparently, 2 female 'operatives' tracked him down in the airport at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and had them poison him. Apparently, there wasn't a whole lot of Brotherly Love between them. In fact, it seems there was bad blood. Which in this feud left Nam 0, and Un 1.
   'Nuff said

I Think It's Time For A New Feature

   And I'm going to call it "How Many Fucks Do You Give". This might end up being a short post, but here we go.
   Beyoncé is preggers with twins. Count Count, How Many Fucks Do You Give:

   "Zero. I give Zero Fucks."
   Lady Gag-Gag played at the halftime show during the Superbowl. Count Count: How Many Fucks Do You Give:

   "Zero. I give Zero Fucks".
   Okay, how 'bout this then. Count Count, the New England Patriots won the Superbowl. How many Fucks Do You Give:

   2. I give 2 Fucks. Ah, ah, ah!
   Count Count, why 2 Fucks? "Well, I can't give Zero Fucks about everything, can I?"
   Anyway, congrats to the Pats on the "big win", coming back to win in O.T, the 1st time that's ever, EVER happened in the Superbowl. I just hope Brady's balls were fully inflated this time.
   'Nuff said

This Is All Bullshit

   Donald Trump has been in office for 8 days EIGHT DAYS. And he seems to be turning America back fucking near 70 or 80 years. He's torn up trade agreements. He's ordered the building of the Wall, and says Mexico will pay for it. To which Mexico has said: Vete a la mierda. Trump hints there could be sanctions slapped on imports which (some say) would end up costing Americans instead. How that would work, I haven't got a fucking clue, since I can balance my bank accounts, but that's about it when it comes to finances.

   What else has he done. Oh, yeah. He's slapped travel restrictions on several countries (mainly Muslim), to which Iran has responded by barring Americans, although I don't think of Iran as a major holiday destination. He's asked for the nuclear program to ramp up. And he continues to obsess over his popularity, claiming voter fraud, since he didn't get the popular vote. Mr. Trump: You won the only fucking vote that really counts, the electoral college. Get over it for fuck sake.

   And don't think I'm coming off as liberal. I'm not. I'm a long, long way from being liberal. A LONG way. But I am, however, of the mindset that The Donald is going a bit too far with some of his pronouncements. I alluded to the clock being turned back at the start of this rapidly becoming a rant instead of a post. That's a reference to the isolationism that ran rampant in the U.S "back in the day" in the 1930's. Create jobs for Americans-YES. Put American interests first-MAYBE. It's fine to preach that, but it well may backfire. International trade is a key to any economy, especially with the burgeoning powerhouse China (which Trump is also pissing off). By all means, look after #1, but don't shit all over your established trading partners who need you just as much as you need them.

   As for suspending travel from certain countries...I don't think that's such a bright idea. I believe he may have made the move with the intent of keeping radical Islamists out. Which in itself may be fine. But to suspend visas and (in some cases entry) simply due to someone's country of origin smacks of Nazism, with all that entailed.

   Holy Shit! This DID turn into a rant.

   'Nuff said

Now THAT'S A Beer

   In past years, I've blogged about beer. But I heard something on my local radio station today about a beer that isn't just any old run-of-the-mill specially produced brewski. This suds is SPECIALLY specially produced. And it's for one person only. Seems there's an outfit in Merry Olde England that'll produce 12 hectoliters of beer tailored to your own personal taste.

   And they use your DNA to brew it. Actually, they scan your genes (from a saliva sample you provide), and map your personal taste profile, things like bitterness, sweetness etc, then come up with a recipe for a beer to suit your taste buds perfectly.

   Again, this is in London, England, so I don't suppose there's much chance it'll be coming to Canada or the U.S.A anytime soon. And it's probably just as well, given the cost. That 12 hectoliters (equivalent to about 2000 pints) will run you 25 THOUSAND Pounds. That's $40 thou Canadian, about $31 grand in the U.S. Then, there's the little matter of volume. 2000 pints is a LOT of beer, and unless you have a LOT of people with your exact taste, I'm thinking a lot of it will get skunky long before you crack 'em all.

   Still, if I had the money, I'd give it a try. My liver might not thank me, but I'd giver it a go.

   'Nuff said.

An Epic Fail?

   Everything I've read suggests it was. Mariah Carey "performed" at the Dick Clark Rockin' New Years Eve (I think that's what it's called) on Saturday. If you consider fucking up a lip-synch set as a performance. SHE claims there was a problem with the monitors. SHE claims she was "set up" for a fail by the producers. Something they vehemently deny. I'll be fair here, I did not watch the show. I was safely tucked in bed about 9:30, trying to stay warm. Generally, I don't stay up late anyway, and certainly not for Mariah Carey.
   That said, everything I've seen points to a screw up on her end, rather than the production team. I mean, just how bad are you to fuck up a lip-synch? In her case, I guess pretty bad, since she's been caught mouthing the words to her own songs more than once. Why not just get out on stage and do your show live? Unless you can't, and need your tracks pre-recorded for you to mouth over.
   Which IMHO is pretty sad. The Rolling Stones just released a new CD they recorded (Blue & Lonesome) in just 3 sessions and which, for the most part, was a live performance. And the Stones are just one example of people using their talent. Zeppelin, Floyd, Queen, AC/DC, the Eagles, George Straight and a host of others actually played LIVE at their gigs. Yes, they had problems with monitors and other gear, but NO, they did not blame the producer of their shows. They simply got on with the business at hand and played their concert.
   But, I guess this shows what a lack of innate talent ends up looking and sounding like. To her credit, I'm sure Mariah has given stellar live shows in the past. But not that night.
   Again, judging from what I've seen and heard about it, I'm glad I went to bed at 9:30 and missed the 'show'. But the other part of me kinda wishes I'd stayed up and watched a really good train wreck.
   Happy New Year!
  'Nuff said.