……..to all the members and followers of the MR Community….. It’s a New Year and a new starting point…… I’m glad 2009 has gone it’s way and all it’s weirdness with it…… I won’t even go into all the strangeness that I’ve been though during the last part of 2009 – Let’s just start out on a new and better year…….

One note: I’ve had to move MR Headquarters due to the extensive tunneling of PD Bob, which caused the old HQ to collapse into the sink hole he created….. He is now on double secret probation and I’ve taken all his digging implements away from him…… PD Bob didn’t cater to this line of reasoning and has disappeared somewhere on some mission last week…… He left muttering something about, “Why not move the HQ into my tunnels and there wouldn’t be a problem.” He claims he would reinforce them with some sort of super secret materials…… I told him I would get back to him on it – that’s when he puffed up and left…… I suspect I’ll be seeing him soon….. He’ll get lonely and hungry out there on his own and come back……

Anyway, everybody have a Happy New Year and don’t forget to eat some Black-eyed Peas for good luck……

Australian officials in charge of handing out cash as part of an economic stimulus plan accidentally credited the accounts of 16,000 people who were no long living. Local media dubbed the beneficiaries “the grateful dead.”

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall — think of it, ALWAYS.” – Mohandas K. Gandhi

Many nations hold the Yuletide as sacred. What event is celebrated in China on December

‎ 25th? What event in Egypt, Greece, India, Mexico, Persia, Scandinavia. A correct answer gets a pass on naughtiness for the year. Any cheating invalidates this

offer.

You are needed.

I just returned from the Great White (Or should I say Wet) NW and all was well, looks like most of the previous construction is just about done and except for a few fender benders travel was a breeze. Sorry kids that I did not check in while in the area but I was trying hard to get back to HQ for some Turkey. Allmost made it cept for a layover in Kent. Keep up the good work up there, hope to see all of you when Chain up Season is over. Oh Yeah, I think I saw our operative in western Kansas, Or at least his twin.

In the beginning was The Plan.
And then came the assumptions.
And the assumptions were without form and void.
And The Plan was completely without substance.
And darkness was upon the face of the workers.
And they spoke amongst themselves, saying.
“Hark, it is a crock of shit, and it stinks.”
And the workers went unto their supervisors and said.
“Hark, it is a pail of dung, and none may abide the odor there of.”
And the supervisors went unto their managers and spoke unto them.
“Hark, it is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it.”
And the managers went unto their directors and spoke unto them.
“Hark, it is a vessel of fertilizer and none may abide it’s strength.”
And the directors spoke amongst themselves, saying one to another.
“Behold, it contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong.”
And the directors went unto the vice presidents and spoke unto them.
“It promotes growth and is very powerful.”
And the vice presidents went unto the president and spoke unto him.
“This new plan will actively promote the growth and efficiency of this company, and we shall have great strength.”
And the president looked upon the plan, and saw that it was good,
and the plan became policy.

“Behold, this is how shit happens.”

We seem to be stuck on wanted dead-or-alive PDB posters, so how about this?:
http://www.cracked.com/funny-2359-progressive-rock

…PDB has gone missing!!! He disappeared sometime while I was in the Great NorthWest….. When I returned MR HQ was totally ram-sacked….. I found the following sketch lying in a dark corner……

I’ve been so busy checking all his known hangouts, phoning any and all of his connections I know, and so far no PDB….. I know he was working underground on important stuff that will effect all our futures….. Hopefully, he hasn’t fallen into evil hands….. If the furry, fuzzbot shows up at your door, give him all the cooperation he requests, no matter how outlandish it might seem – And please notify me via this Blog with the codeword “Peanut”….. The future of our nation may depend on it!!!!…. (Note to Anon: Told you…. eh?…..

There’s no kind of atmosphere – I’m all alone, more or less – Let me fly far away from here – Fun, fun, fun – In the Sun, sun, sun – I want to lie, shipwrecked and comatose – Drinking fresh mango juice – Goldfish shoals nibbling at my toes – Fun, fun, fun – In the Sun, sun, sun – Fun, fun, fun – In the Sun, sun, sun……..

RED DWARF IS BACK!!!!!!…… “Back to Earth” to be exact….. If you’re not a Red Dwarf Fan, there’s something seriously wrong with you…… BBC British humor at its best!…… Jek introduced it to me and I’ve been hooked ever since…. I have all eight (8) seasons PLUS the new one “Back to Earth”…… If you’re not familiar with Red Dwarf – Wake Up you SmegHead!!…….

A lifelong Okie, It’s a little late to relocate. I can’t believe the political ineptness of this state & its’ rabid moral majority

Coburn named as senator holding up vets bill

Thirteen major military and veterans groups have joined forces to try to force one senator — Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma — to release a hold that he has placed on a major veterans benefits bill.

Coburn has been identified by Senate aides as the lawmaker preventing consideration of S 1963, the Veterans’ Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act of 2009, by using an informal but legal practice of putting a hold on a bill.

Coburn’s staff did not respond to questions, but Senate aides said the first-term senator has expressed concern about creating new and unfunded benefits and wants the opportunity to amend the measure.

One of Coburn’s suggestions is to divert money from unspent economic and job stimulus programs to cover costs of new benefits for veterans and their families, according to sources who have discussed the issue with Coburn’s staff.

So far, at least, Senate leaders don’t want to let Coburn offer any amendments because of the precedent that would set to delay other legislation. Actual funding for benefits traditionally is handled separately from the bills that authorize the benefits, Senate aides said.

Earlier this fall, Coburn placed holds on S 252, the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009, and S 728, the Veterans’ Insurance and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009, which led to the introduction of S 1963, which combines key provisions of the two earlier bills in an effort to get around Coburn’s opposition.

In a letter sent Monday night to the Senate majority leader, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the 13 military and veterans groups ask the Senate to get on with it.

“It is essential that Congress act on this comprehensive measure without further delay,” the letter reads. “Thousands of disabled veterans with serious medical conditions and the family members who care for them are counting on this additional support.”

The letter says passing the bill by Veterans Day would be a “fitting way” to honor veterans.

Those signing the letter include the nation’s major veterans groups — The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, AmVets, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Blinded Veterans Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Jewish War Veterans, plus the Military Officers Association of America, National Military Family Association and Wounded Warrior Project.

Steve Robertson, legislative director for The American Legion, said delaying the bill hurts families caring for severely wounded combat veterans who would benefit from the stipends, health care, counseling and respite care that would be provided to caregivers in the bill.

“For a lot of family caregivers, delay is costing them their jobs and their savings. It’s having a big impact,” he said.

Robertson said he has spoken to Coburn’s staff about the earlier holds on S 252 and S. 728, but the conversation was fairly one-sided, with Coburn’s aides trying to get Robertson to dissuade veterans from flooding the senator’s office with calls.

“They made it clear that Sen. Coburn sees this as using his rights as a senator to place a hold on a bill, and that he was not doing anything illegal or wrong,” Robertson said. “I agree with that, but that doesn’t mean it makes sense to hold up a bill that would do a lot of good things for veterans that has cleared a committee and is ready for a vote.”

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the Senate assistant majority leader, mentioned Coburn’s hold in a Tuesday floor speech without citing Coburn by name, saying that the bill was being held up by one senator over cost.

“How much is a veteran’s life worth?” Durbin asked, adding that he hopes the hold is lifted.

Any one seen or heard from our esteemed fearless leader lately? Last words from him were on 10/09. Come to think of it we also havn’t heard from our furry operative since being diverted from SEATAC. You don’t think?…….Nah…..Hmmmm.

The avatar for Kurt Cobain may be making Guitar Hero headlines right now, but one year ago a far more corrosive controversy was connected to the product. Rage Wireless Guitars, a series of controllers sold for use with the game, were found to have circuit-board defects that could cause battery acid to leak outside the devices.

If you’re not sure how severe of a problem that could be, just think about this: Over what area of the body do most people hold a guitar? Yeah … not the best place for a chemical burn. It actually happened to at least one person, too, according to reports filed with the manufacturer and published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
That’s one disaster I’d suspect even the great Jimi Hendrix, famously fond of both acid and fiery guitar solos, wouldn’t be willing to risk.

Soupy Sales passed

on. Black Fang, White Tooth, Pooky, and Soupy

are together again.

Okie from Muskogee, er, Yukon/Stillwater

Garth Brooks has great news for all his friends in low places: Thursday Garth announced he’s coming out of retirement once again!

The Country music superstar has been retired since 2000, popping up only on rare occasions for small music events. but in a press conference in Nashville Brooks said he was coming back full steam as a recording artist. His spokespeople said he is not planning a full concert tour, so it remains to be seen if coming out retirement just means a new album and maybe a smaller number of shows. Whatever Garth Brooks does, .we look forward to seeing it!

UPDATE: More info is coming out, and it looks like Garth Brooks will be taking up a residency in Las Vegas for an extended run of concerts there. The report is he will do a 16-week concert run at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas.

SECOND UPDATE: Okay here’s the full official scoop, from Garth Brooks’ second press conference Thursday afternoon: Garth brooks is coming out of retirement for a 5 year run of concerts at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas’s Wynn Casino. They will be weekend-only shows, and only for 15 weekends out of each year, so Garth can still spend time with his family. The concert tickets will be $125. so there you have i