my good friend steve in minneapolis told me it's one of those cold winter days in minneapolis where your car seat has no give when sit down onto the seat. it's that cold.the seat is frozen i remember those days. actually i miss those days.a fireplace cured everything.

The Strangest ‘Snow Announcement’ of All Time

Impostor Disrupts Lands Bid

He didn't pour sugar into a bulldozer's gas tank. He didn't spike a tree or set a billboard on fire. But wielding only a bidder's paddle, a University of Utah student just as surely monkey-wrenched a federal oil- and gas-lease sale Friday, ensuring that thousands of acres near two southern Utah national parks won't be opened to drilling anytime soon.

Tim DeChristopher, 27, faces possible federal charges after winning bids totaling about $1.8 million on more than 10 lease parcels that he admits he has neither the intention nor the money to buy -- and he's not sorry.

"I decided I could be much more effective by an act of civil disobedience," he said during an impromptu streetside news conference during an afternoon blizzard. "There comes a time to take a stand."
..

The auction had been under way for a couple of hours when energy company representatives became suspicious of a man wearing an old red down parka after he won bids on more than 10 parcels numbered consecutively, all around Arches and Canyonlands.

They told BLM officials that the man, brandishing bidding paddle No. 70 and unknown to the regular buyers, also seemed to be bidding up on parcels, raising prices on leases that others eventually won.
..

BLM official Terry Catlin said the agency didn't want to reopen the bidding on the parcels DeChristopher snagged unless all interested parties were able to compete for the leases. That means the parcels won't be available again until at least February -- after Obama takes office -- during the next scheduled auction.

DeChristopher, who acknowledged upping other bids by about $500,000, said he would be willing to go to jail to defend his generation's prospects in light of global climate disruption and other environmental threats.

"If that's what it takes," he said.

More at link.

I checked my own blog and . . nuts! . . I missed out on the today's most over used phrase! I've got to make a better effort to attend the planning meetings . . Well, maybe next time.

it's a balmy seventy degrees at two fifteen in the morning in south Florida. The added benefit is we have very low humidity right now, so it's even nicer than you can imagine....

I always liked Rowan Atkinson's earlier characters in the Black Adder -- they relied more on a sharp tongue and sarcastic wit rather than the pantomime of Mr. Bean.

http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch...

Only 3,578 times in the last 12 hours.
457,418 is the number for any time ever.

Stick a fork in California. China's court cares as much about victims of lax government standards as our courts. Other corporations join the federal soup line. One of Madoff's targets is suing the SEC. The ten worst bail-out boondoggles. If we don't want those Gitmo detainees, Europe'll take 'em.

Now here's a festive holiday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iakMK6kCm7o

When did it start? (I've been pretty much internet-free for a few weeks...)

Tuskegee Airmen invited to inauguration .
bout damn time.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/22...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82DjpPX60xU

The Mr. Bean Christmas show is one of the funniest half-hours ever. Besides the turkey scene, it also includes the hilariously classic Nativity riff in the second half of this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0_Sa-cw_Aw&fe...
I happened upon that scene just as it was starting while channel surfing one night and watched the whole thing without knowing who was doing it -- I could just see the hands. I was laughing my tush off and thinking this is brilliant, who is this? Then the pan back to reveal Mr. Bean.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081223/bs_nm/us_...

I live in Fort Lauderdale.

Went to the beach last Sunday and it was packed becuase it was over 80 on the weekend. Less people on Monday because it's a work day, and today is a little cooler with some clouds and some sunny spells, probably no warmer than 78.

Tomorrow should be back to low 80's. The weather forecasters tell us Christmas day is going to be a good beach day too, with sun and temps in the low 80's.