As Pope Benedict XVI installed 15 new cardinals at the Vatican today, one cardinal was kicking himself for not reading the "What to Wear" memo included in his "Welcome Ecclesiastics!" hospitality packet.
South Korean marines were hell-bent on revenge today when North Korean operatives stole their jerseys during an annual winter season drill east of Seoul.
From today's New York Times:By most accounts inside and outside the administration, Mr. Rove is relentlessly cheerful, presenting himself as an optimistic face in a gloomy White House. One person who met Mr. Rove said he attributed Mr. Bush's problems more to external events, in particular Hurricane Katrina and Iraq, than to anything the White House did wrong.Huh?
Following a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, today, President George W. Bush personally greeted and thanked those members sitting in the "For Victory" section of the audience. As for those seated in the "Against Victory" section, they were led outside and individually berated by a man in a chicken suit.
Gene Simon and his wife Elizabeth are shown here yucking it up as they stand next to the base of their velvet ash tree. New Mexico State Forestry officials informed the couple, who turned 90 and 86 respectively over the past week, that the tree is the largest of its genus in the country and is expected to be named the national champion.
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is shown here posing with Elmo in Jakarta, Indonesia, today following a meeting that a State Department official said touched on a variety of issues "of mutual concern to our two peoples". The work session comes on the heels of First Lady Laura Bush's hastily scheduled meeting earlier this month with Boombah, Chamki, Goodli and Aanchoo, all members of the Indian version of Sesame Street. The State Dept. spokesperson refused to further explain the sudden flurry of diplomatic activity between the U.S. and Sesame Street and would neither confirm nor deny rumors that the Bush administration was attempting to add Sesame Street to the "coalition of the willing" in Iraq. The spokesperson also refused to speculate on whether the President was seeking to offer Sesame Street access to U.S. civil nuclear technology in exchange for opening its nuclear facilities to inspection.
Thanks, Digby, for the link. And for those of you who for some odd reason found Pearl Swine without going through Hullabaloo, check it out. It's the smartest, most consistently well written blog out there, IMHO.
But between the stuff with the dinosaurs...
... and the bird flu on the plane...
... well, let's just say I'm glad to be home.
Following what could only have been a rousing introduction by Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, President Bush spoke to Republican donors tonight at the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner in Washington. Check out the dude behind the dude with the hat and camera. Looks fairly mesmerized, eh?
Prime Minister of Ireland Bertie Ahern looked none too pleased today when President Bush informed him that because he'd neglected to wear green on St. Patrick's Day, the visiting European dignitary would have to submit himself to a "serious, Texas-sized butt pinching". There are unconfirmed reports that Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, aware of the President's ape-like finger strength and his fondness for doling out the traditional St. Patrick's Day punishment, ripped a green tie from the neck of a startled aide just moments before descending the Capitol steps.
Sore assed Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is pictured here offering President Bush a bowl of shamrocks as part of a St. Patrick's Day celebration held today in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Earlier, the President publicly apologized for pinching the Prime Minister's bottom, admitting that he mistakenly thought Thursday was St. Patrick's Day and that Mr. Ahearn had neglected to follow the custom of wearing an item of green clothing. Republicans in Congress are reportedly mulling a bill that would retroactively move up the holiday by a day, thereby absolving the President of any wrongdoing.
Ah, to be a Japanese robot. One minute they're training you to haul around incontinent old people, the next minute they've got you sucking in dirty, crap-filled seawater as part of a water quality inspection in Hiroshima. Funny thing is, they're probably both happy they don't have Scott McClellan's job.
My vote for Least Presidential Photo Ever Taken. And that was before I even noticed the cute little pink socks. But I guess if you're not embarrassed by flouting the Constitution or ignoring Hurricane Katrina victims or ginning up WMD claims, what do you care if some bald guy behind you is rolling up his shirt and sticking out his belly?
The San Diego Zoo celebrated the second birthday of one of its Sumatran orangutans today by distributing hand-decorated paper bags stuffed full of popcorn, frozen juice, sugar-free gelatin, peas, corn and other favorites of the red apes. The nutritious party favors seemed to go over well with all the animals except for Josephine, pictured above, who somehow had gotten the impression that they were all getting an iPod Nano.
Despite concerted efforts by the White House to keep it a highly guarded secret, President Bush was revealed today to be a teeny tiny man. The truth came out when reporters observed the President having to stand on a step ladder to greet a home builder in Gautier, Mississippi, during an appearance at a Hurricane Katrina reconstruction project. When questioned, a presidential spokesperson was forced to concede that press events are regularly staged using a combination of forced perspective, specially-designed miniature furniture and the occasional carnival fun mirror. Also, to maintain the illusion of presidential height, no one in Mr. Bush's cabinet can be over five feet tall.
