Lack of Translator that Speaks "Crazy Talk" Hampers U.S. Discussions with Iran

Recent discussions between the United States and Iran have become complicated by the lack of a translator who speaks the particular "crazy talk" dialect used by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The talks come as Ahmadinejad, who denies the Holocaust occurred and says the destiny of Israel and her allies is to be destroyed, has obtained a threatening nuclear capability.

The shortage of crazy talk translators began when the translator assigned to Muammar Gaddafi, the leader of Libya, collapsed 75 minutes into Gaddafi's recent hour-and-a-half rant at the United Nations. The beleaguered translator's last words were "I just can't take it any more."

State Department officials said the remaining translators "know crazy talk, but not the nuances of President Ahmadinejad's unique variety of crazy."

Associated articles: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574442901560824682.html; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/opinion/30milhollin.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=%20Gary%20Milhollin&st=cse; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1216068/Gaddafis-translator-collapsed-exhaustion-UN-rant.html

Lack of Translator that Speaks "Crazy Talk" Hampers U.S. Discussions with Iran

Recent discussions between the United States and Iran have become complicated by the lack of a translator who speaks the particular "crazy talk" dialect used by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The talks come as Ahmadinejad, who denies the Holocaust occurred and says the destiny of Israel and her allies is to be destroyed, has obtained a threatening nuclear capability.

The shortage of crazy talk translators began when the translator assigned to Muammar Gaddafi, the leader of Libya, collapsed 75 minutes into Gaddafi's recent hour-and-a-half rant at the United Nations. The beleaguered translator's last words were "I just can't take it any more."

State Department officials said the remaining translators "know crazy talk, but not the nuances of President Ahmadinejad's unique variety of crazy."

Associated articles: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574442901560824682.html; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/opinion/30milhollin.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=%20Gary%20Milhollin&st=cse; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1216068/Gaddafis-translator-collapsed-exhaustion-UN-rant.html

Next Stop: Lake Powell & Glen Canyon

Beautious lake


Lovely scenery


Canyon views


Flying monkeys


Natural playscape


Casual dining


Did I mention, great scenery?


A splashy little respite


A workout for Joe


Local fauna


A little hiking


Ethereal beauty


Flaky biscuits


Floaty tour


Floating family


Talking fish


Hatted grand couple


Delicate shrubbery


Structural engineer's dream


A wonderful visit!

Navy Seals Sneak General in Charge of War in Afghanistan into White House for Meeting with President

Washington, D.C.--After it was revealed that President Obama has only spoken once in his first eight months in office with the overall commander of the war on terror in Afghanistan, a special forces unit successfully secreted General Stanley McChrystal into the White House for a meeting with the Commander in Chief.

A military spokesman said navy seals tried unsuccessfully for months to get Gen. McChrystal onto the President's schedule, through operations with codes names like "Facebook" and "LinkedIn."

They only succeeded after keeping hidden in the north White House fountain, waiting for the president's secretary to go home for the night and, under cover of darkness, slotting the general in the president's Outlook calendar for five minutes Wednesday morning.

"And we did it all without waking Bo," said the spokesman.

Associated article: http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/back-story/2009/sep/28/us-commander-of-afghanistan-only-talked-to-obama-o/

Navy Seals Sneak General in Charge of War in Afghanistan into White House for Meeting with President

Washington, D.C.--After it was revealed that President Obama has only spoken once in his first eight months in office with the overall commander of the war on terror in Afghanistan, a special forces unit successfully secreted General Stanley McChrystal into the White House for a meeting with the Commander in Chief.

A military spokesman said navy seals tried unsuccessfully for months to get Gen. McChrystal onto the President's schedule, through operations with codes names like "Facebook" and "LinkedIn."

They only succeeded after keeping hidden in the north White House fountain, waiting for the president's secretary to go home for the night and, under cover of darkness, slotting the general in the president's Outlook calendar for five minutes Wednesday morning.

"And we did it all without waking Bo," said the spokesman.

Associated article: http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/back-story/2009/sep/28/us-commander-of-afghanistan-only-talked-to-obama-o/

Adventures in the Great SW (continued...)

More South Rim of the Grand Canyon


The Watchtower


Looking down from the top


Inside looking out



Ooh, a crack in the wall with a gauge over it. An interesting find...for our family anyway!


Grampy, straining to see the strain gauge.


Now leaving...


...South Rim.

Well, not exactly right NOW.

We left quite some time ago...you know, when we were still on vaca.



(Disclaimer: I apologize if you're viewing this and are getting tired of seeing someone else's vacation pictures. I just need to document all of this now since I've realized I can no longer fully rely on my memory later. Then they'll be set to print, bind, and go down in our little family's history...sometime. This is the closest I come to scrapbooking.)

Adventures in the Great SW -- Day 2

South Rim of the Grand Canyon

The canyon almost looks like a fake backdrop.


The bold squirrel that joined our family photo. Can you tell it's the most dangerous animal in the park? (Most injuries are bites from cute, seemingly friendly squirrels.)


A cute beggar


On our hike in the canyon


Our oldest little monkey using his pinoculars (as Grampy kept calling them).


The whole crew


The kids seemed chivalrous enough giving up their seats on the park shuttle bus a number of times. It was a facade. They really just looked forward to a full bus so they could stand, sway, and bounce around. Unrestrained. Free Willy!

We WERE at a park, so they made their own amusement.

And one bus driver, in particular, gave them a very good ride!


A Hitchcock moment

I hadn't realized how very large ravens are. Two feet tall, four+ foot wing span...and their walk is akin to the proverbial pregnancy waddle.

Jimmer says their color is purplish, bluish, black. Right on!

A couple of them liked our camping neighbor's potato salad and mozzarella cheese.

National parks --

-- world's largest jungle gyms!

Adventures in the Great Southwest -- Day 1

The kids were blissfully unaware of the magnitude of preparations it took to finally make it on the plane, but -- on nine, nine, oh nine -- off we went with full gear for our camping rig. Eight people -- 31 foot RV.

Just right!

We met up with Grammy & Grampy for our 2nd annual RV tour.

First stop:

Well, a store.

Filled up four grocery carts!

First REAL stop:


Hoover Dam


Here's Mary Kate smack dab in the middle of the dam. We walked through this tunnel and felt it shaking. Ummmm...don't know if it's supposed to be doing that unless there's an earthquake. Not much you can do when you're in the middle of a dam that big!

(The tour guide said he didn't feel it. I almost lost my balance...as did a few others.)


As a bonus, we got to see the progression of the new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge being built. The middle concrete arch piece was just set in place joining the two sides.


This bridge family thought it was a dandy spectacle!

A full Day 1.

Celebrities Required to Release New Version of Their ObamaCare PSA Under Democrat-Supported "Fairness Doctrine"

Celebrities Required to Release New Version of Their ObamaCare PSA Under Democrat-Supported "Fairness Doctrine"

Obama Performs “Stupid Human Trick” on Letterman; Makes Laughable Claim That “Reducing Waste” In Medicare Will Pay For “Most” of His Health Care Plan

Associated video: http://townhall.com/blog/g/275ba196-4356-4170-8dab-a0764deb3d7a

Obama Performs “Stupid Human Trick” on Letterman; Makes Laughable Claim That “Reducing Waste” In Medicare Will Pay For “Most” of His Health Care Plan

Associated video: http://townhall.com/blog/g/275ba196-4356-4170-8dab-a0764deb3d7a

New Black Panther Party Decries Indiscriminate “Racism” Charges; Says Abuse of Term “Diminishes Status of Real Racists Like Us”

Philadelphia, PA—The New Black Panther Party (NBPP), a racist organization that advocates “Killing CRAKKKAS” and the deportation of all white people, held a press conference to decry Democrats’ “indiscriminate charges of racism” against their critics, arguing that the overuse of the term “diminishes the status of real racists like us.”

New Black Panther leader Maluk Shabezz told reporters “We condemn the sweeping manner in which liberals are casting as racists people who happen to be critical of programs proposed by Democrats. It’s appalling that liberals would lump in those with genuine policy disagreements with genuine, to-the-core, cracker-hating racist groups like the New Black Panther Party.”

NBPP officials attributed the devaluing of the term “racist” to “a conspiracy of honkies to make us look like pussies.”

“How are fundamentally committed racialists like us going to distinguish ourselves if everyone’s a racist?” asked Shabezz. “Do any of those tea party people advocate exterminating folks based on the color of their skin? Hell no! But we do, and we’re here to make sure no one denies us the distinction we deserve!”

Associated articles: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32899516/ns/us_news-race_and_ethnicity/; http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2009/jul/30/disturbing-content-new-black-panthers-myspace-page/

New Black Panther Party Decries Indiscriminate “Racism” Charges; Says Abuse of Term “Diminishes Status of Real Racists Like Us”

Philadelphia, PA—The New Black Panther Party (NBPP), a racist organization that advocates “Killing CRAKKKAS” and the deportation of all white people, held a press conference to decry Democrats’ “indiscriminate charges of racism” against their critics, arguing that the overuse of the term “diminishes the status of real racists like us.”

New Black Panther leader Maluk Shabezz told reporters “We condemn the sweeping manner in which liberals are casting as racists people who happen to be critical of programs proposed by Democrats. It’s appalling that liberals would lump in those with genuine policy disagreements with genuine, to-the-core, cracker-hating racist groups like the New Black Panther Party.”

NBPP officials attributed the devaluing of the term “racist” to “a conspiracy of honkies to make us look like pussies.”

“How are fundamentally committed racialists like us going to distinguish ourselves if everyone’s a racist?” asked Shabezz. “Do any of those tea party people advocate exterminating folks based on the color of their skin? Hell no! But we do, and we’re here to make sure no one denies us the distinction we deserve!”

Associated articles: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32899516/ns/us_news-race_and_ethnicity/; http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2009/jul/30/disturbing-content-new-black-panthers-myspace-page/

White House Expanded to Accommodate Extra Policy "Czars"

Washington, D.C.--The Obama Administration released plans for expanding the White House to accommodate the increasing number of executive branch officials it has appointed to direct high-priority initiatives without being first confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Administration officials said the distinct onion domes, in the style of medieval Russian architecture, are designed to make the new executive branch officials "feel at home" with their new autocratic powers.

Associated articles: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/15/AR2009091501424.html; ABC News; associated video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMryl34YwE0