I wonder, given the tension between Georgia and Abkhazia/ Russia these days, if that dirt bag Aslan is collecting any consulting fees from the Russians as to how he would have done things differently in 2004 and how that applies to the Abkhazian Separatists.

Aslan Abashidze (Georgian: ასლან აბაშიძე) (born Batumi, July 20, 1938) was the leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western Georgia from 1991 to May 5, 2004. He resigned under the pressure of the central Georgian government and mass opposition rallies during the 2004 Adjara crisis, and has since lived in Moscow, Russia. On January 22, 2007, the Batumi city court found him guilty of misuse of office and embezzlement of GEL 98.2 million state funds, and sentenced him to a 15-year imprisonment in absentia. He also faces a charge of murder of his former deputy, Nodar Imnadze, in 1991.[1]

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This is an EB Exclusive:


Pictures say it all beyond a shadow of a doubt. When Putin needed a stooge who would do his bidding, and be there to take the fall should a third war in the Caucasus Mountains break out (“This is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into!”), he turned to science flushed with ample amounts of vodka. The result: Dmitry Medvedev, the exact DNA match of Stan Laurel to serve as Putin's loyal puppet.

Labels: DAV, Russian

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A friend of mine sent me this, and frankly; I about fell off my seat in the airport from laughing so hard. A must read:

Hillarious.

The End. Sounds strange doesn't it? The ship went down faster than the Titanic, but the rats were bailing out before the iceberg was ever even in sight. I'd love to be able to sit here and tell you this was a result of the casualization of the game, of feeding us easy encounters for mediocre rewards, while at the same time undercutting these meager accomplishments and upgrades with welfare epics obtainable by anyone who has a large quantity of time, regardless of their skill or lack thereof. Let's be honest the theme of TBC is sacrificing everything that was good about raiding on the altar of accessibility. Sunwell is an unmitigated success, but let's be honest here, it's taken us 18months to get back to a Naxx level of difficulty and encounter design and we got a meager 6 bosses, that's pretty pathetic.

In any case that's not why you're reading this, is it. So if it wasn't lousy encounter design, shitty loot, cockblocks, etc, than what was it? The most fundamental currency there is in WoW. People. Somewhere along the line people got the idea that they were bigger than the guild. That what they wanted was more important than what was good for the guild. That somehow they deserved respect just for being around. And other people just stopped caring. Not only did they stop caring, but they didn't have the common decency to quit, they hung around for whatever reasons promising us they were going to be there, and we foolishly believed them out of loyalty for what we'd been through together. We had officers who couldn't take a stand any more and made decisions based on what was 'easy'. We had OFFICERS who disappeared with no notice, and would come and go as they pleased, yet still felt entitled to make decisions about where we were going. There is no 1 person's shoulder to place this on, it was a group effort.

Let's talk about a few important words here.

According to dictionary.com
Quote:
Progress - gradual improvement or growth or development

That's right GRADUAL. Progress doesn't happen all in 1 night, but apparently some people that we had here didn't understand that. They thought bosses just fell over the first night because of the tag over their head, and the most important thing was how much damage they could do at all times. Newsflash - it doesn't work like that. It's pretty ironic that the first people to jump ship when progress wasn't going fast enough, were the same ones jerking off in the 5man, and holding up the raid on the first day. Progress takes time, and world firsts don't fall from the sky, they're the result of a lot of hard work, and effort. The reputation of this guild was built on the backs of a lot of hard work and dedication from EVERYONE. The guild was bigger than any of us, and we knew it. Which leads into the second word.

Pride. Once upon a time we had pride. Pride in our guild, pride in ourselves, pride in what we'd done. Pride is showing up and giving your best effort, ESPECIALLY when you don't want to be there, because your guildmates deserve that. We didn't always get world firsts, it's impossible to always be first, that's just not how the game works, but we showed up every day, EARLY and busted our asses, and we were proud of what we accomplished, be it world first or world 1000th. We didn't whine or complain about our fucking groups, or worry about loot. We killed bosses. Period. We gave our best effort because those around us deserved it, because the guild deserved it. We had pride about what we had done, not what those before us had done. But we also didn't have false pride. Once upon a time when people couldn't or didn't want to keep up the raiding schedule, they had the guts and decency to let the rest of us know. Now they slink off into the night without even a word.

Some people will say, they have no ill will towards those who neglected us during progress. Who stopped showing up once things got hard. Who left at the first opportunity. I'm not one of them. To anyone who jumped ship, I'm going to be honest. I have no respect for you. You all claimed you wanted to be members of this guild, you came here, we geared you, and that set an expectation down for you. That you were one of us, just like those who paved the way for you. You turned your back on that, and the last person is just as guilty as the first.

A lot of you might think Death and Taxes died this week, but for those of us who have been here for a long time we know that isn't true. Death and Taxes died a long time ago. We still killed bosses every week, but the spirit was long gone. The swagger you all came to know and love from us had evaporated. Some of us still carried it, and the guild, but the new people never quite got it. In the end Death and Taxes turned into any other guild, a job for the mercenaries who came here. They logged in at 7, picked up their epics, and logged off until the next raid, and that was never what we were about. We were about having fun, and being irreverent, and being honest with ourselves and each other.

What happens now? Well, that's not up to us, it's up to you. Those of us that have been here will always be members of DnT, our characters will disappear, but our memories will not. We didn't create our legend, we were just a group of friends who loved killing raid bosses. All the people who came to our website, and followed our progress, and cheered for our accomplishments, you created the legend, and ultimately you will have the last chapter in this story.

Finally to all those that knew me and liked to speculate yes I AM GAY, DEAL WITH IT. If you're not mature enough handle interacting with a homosexual on the internet I truly pity you.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Brad Biers
651.261.2182
May 14, 2008
Dear Friends,

Our campaign continues to move forward with fundraising efforts and getting out our message. By the way, if you haven't contributed to our campaign please donate here!

America and southern Minnesota need solutions to our problems of soaring gas and grocery prices, healthcare, energy, jobs and national security. The current Congress has a very low approval rating because the liberal Democratic majority just isn't getting the job done. The voters are looking for a change in direction right now - and we're prepared to offer it!

Two weeks ago, Brian published an editorial in the Rochester Post Bulletin, reprinted below, concerning the problem of rising gas prices that is causing a stifling of our economy effecting the pocketbook of every American. The online version may also be of interest because of the numerous reader comments.

On Monday, May 12, Brian was interviewed on KTLK 100.3 FM by Jason Lewis. The 18 minute interview included a discussion of our energy policy, national security and Iraq, health care, the liberal voting record of Congressman Walz, and a possible primary challenge. The interview may be heard on a podcast or downloaded here - it starts at the 20 minute mark and is found at the '6 pm' mark.

Brian was interviewed on the Comcast show, 'Between the Lines'. This 22 minute interview with Al Travis will be aired 28 times across the district this week. More information to follow!

Thanks for your support! You may volunteer here if you haven't already!

Sincerely,

Brian Davis for Congress
Rochester Post Bulletin Editorial
There's still plenty of oil lying under American soil
5/1/2008 11:52:25 AM
(35) Comments

By Brian Davis
The rising prices of gas and groceries are foremost on the minds of Americans. At the end of last week, some members of the Minnesota congressional delegation expressed their views on the House floor regarding the crisis in gas prices.
When I was in grade school, the price of gas was a little more than a quarter a gallon. Since then, the persistent rise in prices, coupled with inflation, has led to more than a 10-fold increase. In reality, the price of energy in today's world is not measured in dollars alone, but in the price of the economic and personal security of every American.
A key component of this security is to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to maintain as low a cost as possible for energy in a responsible and environmentally sensitive manner.
While some have chosen to blame our slowing economy on the cost of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and blame rising gas prices on price gouging by oil companies, most of the available evidence points to another culprit: increased worldwide demand for oil, particularly from China, where consumption has doubled in the past decade to approximately 40 percent of that in the U.S.
In its summer outlook released recently (www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html), the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicted that the average monthly national price of gasoline will peak at $3.60 this spring, but warned that $4 spikes are possible. Since January 2007, gas prices in Minnesota increased from just under $2 per gallon to an average of $3.46 per gallon, the highest price in inflation-adjusted dollars ever.
It is clear that the increased cost of fuel is taking its toll on the U.S. economy and our household budgets. The Consumer Price Index published by the Department of Labor rose 4 percent over the past year, with energy costs increasing at a 17 percent annual rate and transportation costs at 8.2 percent. Likewise, unemployment has risen to above 5 percent nationally.
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, remarked late last year that the likelihood of a recession is "clearly rising" and the economy is "getting close to stall speed," due to the price of fuel.
The price of oil has risen from $25 a barrel to over $100 a barrel in the past four years, resulting in a yearly increase in cost to the American consumer of more than $300 billion, nearly half of our yearly trade deficit, and significantly more than the yearly cost of the foreign conflicts in which we are involved.
While our federal government sits on its hands just 45 miles off the coast of Florida, the government of Cuba is working along with China in developing oil fields.
Past predictions of a limited supply of oil have often proved wrong. Offshore areas along the U.S. coastline and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska have an estimated 100 billion barrels of crude oil, enough to provide all U.S. transportation needs for more than a decade.
To start addressing the problem of rising gas prices and our economic "stall," it is my view that our government should remove obstacles to increasing domestic oil production as soon as possible. Opening ANWR and the Outer Continental Shelf for oil exploration and recovery would be a good first step. This is not just a view held by oil companies or business groups, but by the majority of Alaskans, a near-majority of Americans, and the Teamsters union which estimates that over 700,000 jobs would result from this effort.
In 2005, the House and the Senate nearly reached consensus on allowing oil exploration in ANWR but failed. Now, with gas approaching $4 per gallon and unemployment and inflation rising along with it, shouldn't Congress rethink this policy?
It will take years to develop these oil fields, but the sooner this exploration and development starts, the sooner it will bear fruit.
The price of commodities, including oil, is related in part to their perceived future availability, so the benefit of changing our national policies as they relate to oil exploration and recovery will be felt well before peak production is achieved.
If we are serious about maintaining a healthy growing economy and creating well-paying jobs, then a change in direction is clearly in order.
We may never see gas at 30 cents a gallon again, but should we resign ourselves to current prices when we still have plenty of oil lying under American soil?
Brian Davis trained as a nuclear engineer and worked in the energy industry. He is a physician and a Rochester resident who is the endorsed Republican candidate for the U.S. House in Minnesota's 1st District.
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If you don't watch Fox News Channel Bill O'Reilly might go crazy on your ass. See Below.

Labels: Monday Night Football

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Brad Biers
651.261.2182
May 14, 2008

(Rochester, MN) - Today, Brian Davis for Congress confirmed support of his campaign by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

In a letter dated May 7, 2008, Congressman Tom Cole, Chairman of the NRCC stated, "With outstanding candidates like you, we are fully confident that in November we will begin the steady climb toward reclaiming the majority in Congress." Congressman Cole added, "We will do all we can to assist you in your race!"

In response to the letter, which included financial support in the form of Political Action Committee funds, Brian Davis stated, "It is a privilege to work with the NRCC who have been supportive of my candidacy since we first discussed my run in January of 2007."

Davis continued, "We are working hard to raise the funds necessary to be successful in November. We're very pleased by the financial support and endorsement given by the national, state and local party organizations as we consolidate a unified front behind our campaign. Most importantly, however, it is the support and efforts of the volunteers and grass roots which will win this election on the first Tuesday in November."

Brian Davis won the endorsement of the Republican Party at the First District Convention on March 29, 2008. He lives in Rochester with his wife Lori and their four children.

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I took a look at the new Cadillac Graduate commercial down below.

The premise: Life is like High School only with money, and if you don’t like it well… (Metaphorically) graduate. Suicide rates amongst Prius drivers subsequently skyrockets… Luckily in College, by that I mean the afterlife, we’ll probably have it figured out that life wasn’t about your car, it was actually about your shoes and diet. From this point on Cadillac will be off the list of people to be consulted regarding the meaning of life.


Okay aside from the fact that now is a poor time to buy a low fuel economy battle tank of a vehicle. Then let alone that the 70 K sticker price could be better spent purchasing one of those foreclosed houses in suburbia, and maybe a bag of rice with the change. Does anyone but the most insecure of us, really feel an impulse buy surging up from our gut based on this chump flapping his arms and squawking like a chicken with a slick beat in the background?

In response I asked my good buddy and children’s role model Tyler Durdin how he feels about the new Cadillac graduate commercial.


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