The New Label Says It All

A friend of mine runs a pub in downtown Seattle. I stopped by to see him yesterday afternoon (always a good time), and he shared with me a letter that the folks at Georgetown Brewery have sent out to all of their customers.

Georgetown makes some pretty good beer. Some of you know them for Manny’s, which is their ale. My personal favorite is the 9LB Porter. Below is the letter in its entirety and there’s a latent under-tone of animosity in it. It reads like a “they’re being a bunch of fucking dicks and we just don’t want to deal with it anymore”.

The picture is a little fuzzy but the brilliance of the new label is under the word “Porter”



Dear Georgetown Customer,

This is a letter to notify you that we are renaming 9LB Porter to Georgetown Porter. Georgetown Porter is the same recipe as 9LB Porter – the beer has not changed. This change is the result of a trademark dispute with Magic Hat Brewing Co. (now owners of Pyramid) over the use of the name 9LB Porter and trademark infringement issues associated with that name.

To summarize, Magic Hat’s flagship beer is called #9. Alan Newman, founder of Magic Hat, contacted us one year ago and told us that our use of the name 9LB Porter was trademark infringement and that we should not have been issued a federal trademark in the first place. His goal in contacting us was to reach some compromise and avoid litigation on both ends.

After much discussion, Alan agreed that we could keep the name but we would have to change the label and use the spelled out word “NINE” in place of the numeric “9″ so that there would be less confusion with the brands. We were ok with this and had even come up with a number of different label designs. Where we disagreed, however, is that Alan wants to own the brand name 9LB Porter and then license it back to us for no fee. He argued that this was the only way he could protect his trade name against any future trademark infringement
issues with any other brewery. The license he offered to us was free and would not limit our use of the mark (other than not being able to use the numeric “9″).

After much deliberation between Roger and me, and also after discussions with Scott Horrel, owner of the 9LB Hammer, we decided that we could not in good conscience grant someone else ownership of the name 9LB Porter. Scott said it was our decision to make, but Roger and I ultimately felt that the brand does not rightfully belong to us to sign over to some other brewery. We really feel like it belongs to the 9LB Hammer and don’t want some other brewery owning it. In all fairness to Magic Hat and Alan Newman, they did make an effort to compromise. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t agree on the name-ownership issue.

So with that… we’re changing the name of 9LB Porter. It will now be called Georgetown Porter. A new label will be introduced with the hammer and fist from the 9LB Hammer. We will phase out the old label and all of the marketing items. That is our agreement with Magic Hat.

We want to thank Scott Horrell for all of his support throughout this dispute. He’s had our back on this, so thanks to Scott. Also, thanks to all of you for being customers of Georgetown Brewing. Without you, we would have a lot of beer to drink by ourselves.

Sincerely,
Manny Chao
Georgetown Brewing Company

Playoffs! Are You Kidding Me?!

I've always said that you can't help who you play and you should never apologize for it. But even I have to admit that the 'Hawks 2010 schedule looks softer than The Admiral's pillow. And you all know how much she loves her damn pillow.

I'm not complaining, mind you. In fact I've looked at the schedule and as silly as it sounds I see 10 wins. Yep T-E-N. Which means playoffs. That's right...I SAID PLAYOFFS!!!!

After the last 2 years, saying that there are 10 wins (9 at the worst) on the schedule makes my brain hurt. There's a side of me that says that no matter what I see on the schedule, we can't win more than 6 games this year. So I'm curious to hear what your expectations are? In the meantime here's what I see.

Wk 1 (9/12) - VS. 49ers - To get where I think they can go this year the Hawks have to split with most of the NFC West and sweep the Rams. Not impossible. The job starts in week 1 against SF. Alex Smith will be the opposing QB. Matt will want revenge for the back injury last year. New coach. New atmosphere. New vibe to the team. But most importantly the game is at home. I've got this as a win.

Wk 2 (9/19) - @ Denver - Here's what the Bronco's are bringing to the table in Week 2. No Brandon Marshall. No Sheffler. No Dumervil. A dinged up Moreno. A dinged up Buckhalter. No Lendale White. Lastly...an idiot for a Head Coach. Hawks go 2 - 0.

Wk 3 (9/26) - VS. San Diego - I've got this as a loss for Seattle but I'm going to tell you why they could win this game. Defensively we won't have to worry about Vincent Jackson (even if he isn't holding out) because he'll be suspended for this game. Merriman may still be holding out at this point. And there's no guarantee that the rookie RB out of Fresno is going to strike fear in the hearts of our D. Seattle could win this one and it wouldn't really surprise me. Still, for the sake of this post, let's call it a loss.

Wk 4 (10/3) - @ St. Louis - Win. Nuff Said

Wk 5 10/10 - Bye

Wk 6 (10/17) - @ Chicago - I'm calling this a win. Some non Hawk fans (and probably even some Hawk fans will think I'm crazy. They'll have 2 weeks to prepare, and the game will mean something because they'll be 3 - 1 at the time (possibly even 4 - 0). The guys on last years team will remember how the refs swindled the game away from them and will want payback. And then there's Cutler. In his 3 years as a Pro, he's compiled 58 Int's. I'm not sayin...I'm just sayin.

Wk 7 (10/24) - VS. Arizona - The Hawks have to split with the NFC West. Matt Leinart should still be under center at this point. In fact this may be his make or break game. The 12th Man will break him. Period. For the record this puts the Home Town 53 at 5 - 1.

Wk 8 (10/31) - @ Oakland - I know its Halloween and all but it's time to break out the old Raider Buster t-shirts. Welcome to 6 - 1 Hawks fans!

Wk 9 (11/7) - VS. NYG - I'm pretty "bullish" on the G-Men this year so I'm having a tough time calling this one a win. They are a big physical team and the biggest thing we have going for us is that the game is here in Seattle. We had to get our 2nd loss eventually and this is the beginning of what could be a tough 3 game stretch.

Wk 10 (11/14) - @ Zona - I called for a split so I'm going to give this game to the Cards. But I'm not impressed with what they have going on down there and this is a very winnable game.

Wk 11 (11/21) - @ N'Oleans - In my minds eye, I see this game resembling the one they played in Houston last year. Realistically I think its a loss for Seattle. But...but...but...what if the Saints were looking ahead to their Turkey Day game in Dallas? What if we went into this game thinking its the S-Bowl Champs and we need to make a statement. It could happen. I don't think it will but...

Wk 12 (11/28) - VS. Kansas City - If you're coming off of a 3 game skid and you need to get healthy quick...give the Chiefs a call and ask them to come visit. This is a game that is more than just winnable. This is a game that we should make a statement to the rest of the league with. If you're keeping count with me this would put the Hawks at 7 - 5.

Wk 13 (12/5) - VS. Carolina - The last time either of these teams were close to greatness was 2005. I was at that game and they made the Panther's look silly, and made Jake Delhomme look like, well, Jake Delhomme. Since then, Carolina has moved forward to the Matt Moore era. But let's be honest people. HE COULDN'T BEAT OUT DELHOMME. Whatever! Leave this one to the fans guys. We'll welcome Matt or Jimmy, or whoever it is that is under center that game.

Wk 14 (12/12) - @ 49ers - At this point we're 8 - 4 and headed to the Bay area in what could end up being a Sunday Night Flex game. Right now it's scheduled for 1:05 but it could be for 1st place in the NFC West so they may move us to prime time. I think we will win this game but since I called for a split I'm going to give it to the Niners and say we're 8 - 5 because I don't think its going to matter.

Wk 15 (12/19) - VS. Atlanta - The Falcons will have to travel across the country and face THE LOUDEST CROWD IN THE NFL PERIOD. I think this is a win. But I'm going to tally it as the 6th loss because I think it makes the drama for the final 2 weeks that much more interesting. Also I believe that this is a game that the Falcons will have to win if they want to make the playoffs. Simply put. They will need this game more than we will.

Wk 16 (12/26) - @ Tampa - I like Tampa a lot. I've never lived there and Seattle will always be #1 but my dad grew up in Florida and this was his team. If you have parents that are football fans you'll know that their team is your team no matter how much you love another. So long as they aren't playing Seattle that is. The Admiral gives excellent b-day gifts but last years gift was the Hawk/Buc game and watching us lose was torture. This year we get payback!

Wk 17 (1/2) - VS. St. Louis - Last game of the year. It could be for the division. But here's the good news. Zona plays the Niners this week. We play the Rams. At home. The first formula for making the playoffs is easy. Win Your Division. And according to my math, a win this week against the lowly "lambs" will put us at 10 - 6.

These are just my thoughts. What do you guys think?

Excelsior

Wile E. Coyote Prefers Small Birds In French Maid Outfits

This post has been a week or so in the making. Mostly because I’ve been too busy-lazy-tired-focused on other stuff- and so on.

But my foibles won’t make this article any less interesting. You can file this away into the “Did you know” category.

The topic is “Geniuses”. The subject is hidden dirty secrets. Discuss…

The entirety of the article is available here. But here's a snipet of how it begins...

Since it seems like every movie star, athlete and politician is just a sex scandal waiting to happen, you could almost think that it's not possible to be a prominent person without also having an utterly depraved sex life behind the scenes.

And looking back at the great men of history... we're starting to wonder if that's right on the money...

The Thinning Of The Herd Continues

I don’t even know where to begin. This is tragically funny, and if there was a video Tosh.0 would be all over it. Do you remember the scene at the end of T2? The one where Arnie is being lowered into the molten pit at the factory? Well this is tons better because it's real life.

This story provides an important reminder for workers: They can put their lives at risk while trying to save a co-worker. The best action is to contact trained emergency responders.
Six workers drowned after falling into a giant vat of ketchup at a plant in Lucknow, India.

The chain of events started when one worker fell into the 20-foot deep tank.

Police say, as five co-workers dived in to save her, they were all overcome by fumes given off from fermenting vegetables and drowned.

Two more workers were hospitalized.

Investigators say the woman was scooping fermented vegetables from the vat when she slipped off her ladder and plunged into the tank.

The factory owner was taken into custody.

I Hate Myself For This One

It's shameful how much I like this stupid video but...

Here's your Clip O' the Week!

The Jew Of Bel Air

I know he's no Will Smith but wouldn't you like to know the story about how this guys life got flipped and turned upside down until he became the Fresh Jew of Bel Air?

Here's your Clip O' The Week

The Holograms' Dignity Remains Intact

The Admiral and I dig karaoke. For those of you that know us this is no surprise. We're not the best singers but we are no where near the worst. For the most part we can hold our own. Although we have some songs that we could call "fall backs" or "old standby's" we don't always sing the same ol' stuff. We tend to branch out and attempt songs that we've never tried but have always wanted to. I once went through the entire alphabet and picked out songs based on whatever the next letter was. I think it took me about 3 months to finish.

The folks over at Funny Or Die (a site I really love BTW) thought it would be a good idea to disquise Jewel and send her to a local Karaoke bar. The disquise was pretty good, and to FOD's credit she looks nothing like her normal everyday self. In fact she looks a little more like the chick from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Once at the bar she would be "convinced" to get up and sing a song or two. The key being that the songs were going to all be "Jewel" songs. It was a lame idea when Jessica morphed into Jem and it's not much better now. In fact I hearby declare this to be the lamest of the lame. It's impressive during Karaoke when a non-professional gets up and sings something really well.

It's not impressive when you get up and sing your own shit. No one is going to give Stephen Tyler extra credit for singing an Aerosmith song no matter how crazy his range is. Marshal Mathers gets zero kudos if he goes to his local pub and performs Lose Yourself. So, I'm sorry to inform you Jewel, but what you did was just STOOPID with a capital Dumb! You can see all about it in the below clip.

Undercover Karaoke with Jewel from Jewel

I'm All A-Twitter For Soccer

Courtesy of the Huffington Post.

In a year already featuring odd World Cup promises, porn star Bobbi Eden appears to have outdone her competitors. The Dutch erotic actress wrote on Twitter that she "will give a BJ to all my followers" if the Netherlands wins the soccer tournament this weekend.

Having vanquished Uruguay in the semifinals, the Netherlands is just one win away from potentially triggering an oral sex extravaganza. According to the bizarre tweet, several fellow actresses could join the festivities. Eden currently has more than 23,000 followers.

I've Got Soul But I'm Not A Soldier

Once upon a time I posted that No One Really Cares About Africa. Today is different. Today people care because we are on the eve of the Semi-finals for The World Cup. Now for those of you that are a lot like me...meaning that you don't give a good god damn about "sucker" - err I mean soccer - the Semi-finals don't mean much to you. Futbol fans will tell you that not only are you wrong for not caring, but that you are in the minority when referring to the realm of world opinion.

And on the list of problems that I currently have with "sucker" you can add World Opinion. Ya see, while the leading story coming out of Africa this past couple of weeks might be that

1. England and the U.S.A. was knocked out in the first round of 16.
2. Ghana, the last remaining African team has been eliminated.
3. Brazil, the odds on favorite to win this years World Cup has been ousted.

So today I'm here to tell you all that No one REALLY cares about Africa.

Now I know what you're gonna say. "But Aagro, I love the World Cup! And Africa has done a great job hosting this year". To which I'll respond with 3 "Y's":

1. Yes they have
2. Yes you do
3. You're still a moron

Here's the problem I have. And I'm adult enough to realize that sucker is a casualty in my war on the Apathy For Africa. The leading story will invariably not be about one, or a dozen, of the kids that were abducted by Joseph Kony of the Lord's Resistance Army (the fear of God and the feel of the rod strikes again). Most of you don't know this name but trust me when I tell you that he's Pinochet on crack!!! The leading story will not be about the Genocide's that continue to occur in Darfur.
To be honest even though it bears a closer resemblance to pre WWII Germany, we'd be better off relating the events surrounding this years World Cup to the movie District 9 or Invictus if we wanted to draw any attention to what's really happening there.

I admit that the view is pretty good here in the cheap seats but at some point we've crossed the line from being a sports fan and being oblivious to what's going on around the event.

I could go on but it seems pointless. I'm a sports fan so I recognize how blinded we can become when a big sporting event is going on. Enjoy it!

I mean that.

When its over perhaps...just perhaps...those that were brought together by the events in South Africa will stick around long enough to declare their outrage for what's going on in the rest of the continent. And then maybe...just maybe...things will begin to change for the better.

Here's your clip of the week.

Independence Day

For those of you that frequent my rantings from someplace other than the U.S. I ask that you indulge us Yanks for today. It's July 4th, a day when we Americans mime our favorite past time of blowin shit up! We do this in celebration of an event that occurred over 200 years ago.

On July 4th 1776 a group of folks got together and decided that enough was enough. (It was the Colonial equivalent of a teenager screaming at his parents that he was moving out of the house). They wrote a letter to the King of England announcing that they and their neighbors weren't going to take it anymore! That they were willing to fight for the right to make their own decisions. They declared for themselves, and for all of us that followed, our independence. Bold!

Most Americans have never actually read the Declaration of Independence in its entirety (shame on you). That gets remedied today! Here's how the document begins (it's pretty powerful stuff) and if you'd like to read the whole thing just click here!

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security...

Gooooooaaaaaaaalllllllll

It’s World Cup time, and much like 4 years ago that means that its time for me to express my distaste for Soccer (pronounced “sucker” with a fake Europeen accent).

Here’s a real news story from earlier today, with a comedic slant that I wish I'd written, followed by a phony news clipping that applies to “Sucker”.




"These women, who have been part of a larger group, are suspected to be involved in organized acts to conduct unlawful commercial activities." So goes the Johannesburg police department's complain about the lovely Dutch soccer fans above, two of whom were actually arrested this week under the World Cup host city's "ambush marketing" law.

Really?

I mean, since when are three-dozen ladies in tight orange dresses unlawful? And since when do you get threatened with six months in prison for wearing tight orange clothing provided by a tasty brew like Bavaria? One of the worlds worst beers this is not. There are sticky marketing campaigns in Boozeland, and then there are the governing bodies of international sports. FIFA claims it's "appalled" by the women, which, frankly, is just ridiculous. There is a lot less that's appalling about these women than there is about FIFA's tie to its official beer — which I happily had three of last night, but which, for supporting your favorite international squad, has got nothing on Bavaria. So give it a rest, FIFA, or at least take out your sponsor-steroid rage on these whackjobs.

Photo Credit: Mike Egerton/AP Images

Source


Soccer Officially Announces It Is Gay

Galileo, Figero, Magnifico, Oh, Oh,

The Clip O' The Week comes early this time around. There's no chance of finding something funnier this week and I can't sit on this one for 3 more days.

I feel abit like Tosh.0 with this clip. The number of random comments that go through my head as I watch this (over & over & over) are too many to fathom. And the Bohemian Rhapsody in the background just puts me over the top.

So here it comes...

Bill Burr - Why Do I Do This

Funny stuff!

Always, & All Ways!

Today, June 12th, marks the day that The Admiral and I became legally a couple. That's right ladles and germs...it's our 4 year anniversary!

I love her more at this moment than I did then. I know it sounds cliche' but its true. We've been through so much together and have come out the other side even closer.

All the best parts of me are made better because of her, and all the worst never seem so bad when she's with me.

I love you darlin'!

This weeks clips are solely for your entertainment! But we'll start off with a song made famous by the incomparable Etta James.

The Quintessential Man - Movie Soundtrack Edition

It's a lazy Sunday morning. So far I've watched 2 movies. The first was 13 days, starring Kevin Costner as one of the inside men during JFK's presidency. The movie focuses on the drama that occured during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The second movie I watched this morning was Rocky IV.

I remember seeing this one in the theaters when it came out back in 1984. It's one of those movies, that for me, comes with a fond memory of a more simpler time.

And as The Admiral yelled from upstairs, "what are you watching", I also started thinking that the soundtrack to this movie is one of those must own sound tracks for a man. Which got me to thinking what other ones should The Quintessential Man own.

Here's a list of some of the ones that I believe are necessary. The list is in no particular order, and I'm sure it is incomplete. Feel free to submit your ideas to this list:

Rocky IV - Perhaps I'm dating myself a little bit with this list but I just can't imagine not having this one on here.

Heavy Metal - Was there ever a movie that was more tied in with its soundtrack?

Vision Quest - I was a wrestler in highschool and having this tape was an absolute must. The song I listened to prior to every match...Lunatic Fringe

When Harry Met Sally - We can't always be on edge. Sometimes we have to show our softer side so we can be closer to the fairer sex.

Superfly - Because we all need an excuse to get our groove on.

Singles - Remember when Grunge was still hip and fresh?

Purple Rain - Nuff Said

The Big Chill - Because sometimes we have to grow up.

A quick note on the above list. Shortly after yelling down to me, The Admiral made me promise that I would never play the Rocky IV soundtrack while we were in the car together. As if her marriage to me wasn't proof enough that her taste is questionable at best.

Here's your clip of the week.

That Lil Blue Pill

Sometimes when I'm posting I feel as if I'm on a talk show and I'm attempting to give the lead in to a clip from a movie that you're about to see. I even try to play both the role of the host and the guest (otherwise the lead in seems really long in my head).

This time around I'd like to tell you about GSA. Not the one that the government types use to buy stuff. I'm talking about G-Spot Amplification.

And unlike Viagra/Cialis/Pfizer and other male sexual enhancements, this one is for the ladies. The G-SHOT is a patent pending method of amplifying or augmenting the mythical G-Spot with a human engineered collagen. And the Republicans said nothing good would ever come from stem cell research. Oh p-shaw.

The truth is that I would love to regail you all with more bad jokes about this but I don't want to take away from the brilliant newscast at WGNO. Here's your clip of the week.

Have You Met Orb's Neighbor?

Ok so this guy isn't really his neighbor in the typical sense of the word. But since all things are relative in my mind, and since they both live in Minnesota, and since this is MY blog and no one else's...HE'S ORB'S NEIGHBOR!

Now that we've gotten that straight.

I don't know really how to describe what you're about to see. I'm a little envious of this guys spirit. And I'm jealous of what great shape he's in. At the same time I can't help but laugh at the entire thing. He's incredibly narcissistic (anyone that would have Public Access TV show filming this has to be). The (self) commentary is murderously funny. All in all this thing is just fucking goofy. But even so, it is the most fantastic thing I've seen since Thursday!

So here's my attempt at a description. What would you get if you took Wayne's World and mashed it together with Bruce Jenner? What if Mary Lou Retton and Elmer Fudd had a love child. Even that doesn't begin to scrape the surface so I'll have to let Orb's neighbor speak for himself.

Ladles and Germs I give you Mikenastics. Here's your clip of the week!

My Stepmother Is An Alien

Once upon a time the Admiral and I used to frequent “The Bar that Time Forgot”, also known as The Workshop Tavern. We dubbed it this because it was the year 2002 and could just as easily have been the year 1902 on the inside.

We went there for Karaoke and became friends with Dr. Vern, who was the Karaoke host. Turned out that Vern was from Florida and was also a Buccaneer fan. Needless to say we formed an instant bond.

Well Vern has since moved back to Florida and it’s been a long time since we’ve seen him in person. We enjoyed hangin with him so much that we actually stopped going to Karaoke for a while because it just wasn’t as much fun without him.

In addition to being a Buc fan, Vern is also a Sci-Fi enthusiast. So much so that he is part of a band called “Sci-Fried”. If you’ve heard of them, you should congratulate yourself on being a HUGE SciFi geek. This is not a bad thing BTW. If you haven’t heard of them that’s ok too.

Sci-Fried has developed quite a cult following over the last couple of years. We’re talking obscure pop culture that will someday be considered extremely cool due to the overwhelming number of people following it.

We love them because they perform song parodies and change all the lyrics to be SciFi themed. Here’s an example of them performing a parody of a classic 80’s tune. If you’re a Stargate SG-1 fan you’ll get a kick out of this.



This past week Vern and the rest of the Sci-Fried crew were contacted by Karen O’hara. Karen works for SyFy Original Movies. Here’s the TV family tree for SyFy Original Movies. SFOM is a subset of the SyFy Network which is owned by Universal (which also owns USA Network, NBC etc.) My reasoning for spelling this out will be come obvious.

Karen asked Vern and his crew to come up to NY City and drop by her office for a visit. You can read the entire account of his visit to 30 Rock here The call itself would be enough to give any SciFi geek instant wood but getting to actually tour the building may cause you to clean yourself off.

All in all some serious good stuff. And just so you Trekkies don’t feel left out here’s a little diddy just for you!

Rule Of Thumb

Caught my eye earlier...thought I'd share


Lawyer: Malaysia commutes woman's caning sentence
By Saeed Ahmed, CNN
April 1, 2010 2:33 a.m. EDT
A Malaysian model who was sentenced last year to six strokes of a cane for drinking beer in public has had her sentence commuted, her lawyer said Thursday.

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno will now instead be required to perform three weeks of community service -- beginning Friday.

The sentencing drew headlines worldwide at the time and caused an uproar, with many citing it as an example of growing fundamentalism in the multiracial country

An Islamic court in the eastern state of Pahang fined Kartika $1,400 (5,000 Malaysian ringgit) and ordered that she be stroked with a rattan cane for drinking beer at a hotel bar in 2007.

The sentence was to have been carried out Thursday.

However on Wednesday night, the sultan of Pahang sent a letter where he commuted the woman's sentence, said Kartika's lawyer Adham Jamalullail Ibrahim.

Each state in Malaysia is ruled by a sultan who, in effect, is the guardian of Islamic matters in that state. He can overrule the decision of an Islamic court -- and Sultan Ahmad Shah did so in this case.

Kartika, a mother of two, was visiting Malaysia from Singapore when her troubles began.

She said she lost her job as a nurse in Singapore and took up part-time modeling to support her husband in raising their two children. Her son has cerebral palsy; her daughter a heart condition.

She pleaded guilty, paid the fine, and wanted her caning to be carried out in public.

"I want to move on. This case has been hanging over me for a long time," she said in August.

The case drew widespread attention and condemnation, in and outside Malaysia.

The moderate Muslim country has a dual-track justice system, in which Islamic courts operate alongside civil courts.

Muslims -- who make up about 60 percent of the 28 million who populate the country -- are forbidden from consuming alcohol. Other religious groups are exempt.

Though caning is used as a supplementary punishment in Malaysia for at least 40 crimes, such as rape or immigration violations, it is not meted out by Malaysia's civil court for alcohol consumption.

But the country's civil system also cannot overrule a sharia court sentence.

Aagro's thoughts: Hell, she's not even that cute. At least she can toss a couple back with the boys.


3 women caned in Malaysia for adultery
By Joe Sterling, CNN
February 17, 2010 2:41 p.m. EST
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (CNN) -- For the first time, Malaysian authorities have caned three Muslim women under Islamic law for acts of adultery, the Malaysian national news agency Bernama said.

Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein announced the canings Wednesday, saying the penalty was carried out February 9 at a women's prison near Kuala Lumpur.

The canings -- a punishment that persists across Malaysian society since the British colonial era of the 19th century -- have been denounced by one Amnesty International official, who says "caning is tantamount to torture."

But Hishamuddin said the punishment was carried out "to educate and make the offenders realize their mistakes and to return to the right path."

"It is hoped that the issue will not be wrongly interpreted to the extent of tarnishing the sanctity of Islam," he was quoted as saying. He also said the punishment did not cause any injury and that the women were remorseful and repented, Bernama reported.

The women were struck with a rattan cane. One woman was released Sunday after spending a month in prison, another will be released in the next few days, and the third will be released in June.

Malaysia, which considers itself a moderate Muslim country, has a dual-track justice system, in which Islamic courts operate alongside civil ones. Muslims make up about 60 percent of the country's population of 28 million.

Last year, a woman was sentenced to caning under Islamic law for drinking alcohol in public -- beer at a hotel bar -- and that case caused an uproar in the country. Malaysia forbids alcohol consumption by Muslims, even those who are visiting the country.

The caning sentence of Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno has been postponed while the issue is under review, and she said that if she were to be caned, she wanted the flogging to occur in public.

"Let's be transparent about it," said Kartika, a mother and part-time model. An Islamic court also fined her $1,400 for the act. She has pleaded guilty and paid the fine.

Lance Lattig, a researcher on Malaysia for the human rights group Amnesty International, told CNN that the vast majority of canings are applied to illegal immigrants by civil courts, but the latest examples indicate that sharia courts happen to be picking up on the practice.

"It's not Muslims on the march," he said. "It's the tip of the iceberg of the bigger problem."

No matter who does it, he says, the group considers caning to be "cruel, inhumane and degrading."


Aagro's thoughts:
Maybe they're into pain. Ever think of that?
Oh sure...a girl gets a little excited about wanting to feel a rod, and you guys take it literal

Kick Ass

So my current blogging philosophy is to go for quality not quantity. My plan to do this is to post happy thoughts. If you want outrage, for now, you’ll have to go to The Huffington Post, MSNBC, or Fox News. Today’s happiness comes in the form of a movie.

I already know that I’m going to go see Kick Ass (pictured above). Yes I know it’s going to be Superbad but I’ve accept this and I’m going to see it anyway because that’s what I do


The good news is that there’s another movie coming out that looks equally as campy but since its done by the same geniuses that brought us Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead (the greatest horror spoof ever), I am instantly in.


The trailer has been describes as having “Epic Awesomeness”. I couldn’t agree more. Here’s your clip of the week!

I Could Have Picked Brittany Spears

I'm working really hard (conciously) to get back into the blogging groove. I have to go to Cali for work this weekend which should lend itself to stupid after work drinking blogging (always an entertaining deal).

But for the moment...here's your Clip O' The Week(?)

Magellan Discovers The Earth Really Is Flat

I once worked with a bunch of rocket scientists so I can attest to the fact that most of them believe that they are so smart they’ll never learn anything new. The problem is that they’ve also forgotten simple basic principles.

For example…the length of a day is determined by the Earths rotation not the degree of the axis. So unless an earthquake can slow down or speed up the rotation…

Ah hell read it for yourself.

Chile Earthquake May Have Shortened Days on Earth
By SPACE.com Staff

posted: 02 March 2010
10:02 am ET

The massive 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile may have changed the entire Earth's rotation and shortened the length of days on our planet, a NASA scientist said Monday.

The quake, the seventh strongest earthquake in recorded history, hit Chile Saturday and should have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds, according to research scientist Richard Gross at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

"Perhaps more impressive is how much the quake shifted Earth's axis," NASA officials said in a Monday update.

The computer model used by Gross and his colleagues to determine the effects of the Chile earthquake effect also found that it should have moved Earth's figure axis by about 3 inches (8 cm or 27 milliarcseconds).

The Earth's figure axis is not the same as its north-south axis, which it spins around once every day at a speed of about 1,000 mph (1,604 kph).

The figure axis is the axis around which the Earth's mass is balanced. It is offset from the Earth's north-south axis by about 33 feet (10 meters).

Strong earthquakes have altered Earth's days and its axis in the past. The 9.1 Sumatran earthquake in 2004, which set off a deadly tsunami, should have shortened Earth's days by 6.8 microseconds and shifted its axis by about 2.76 inches (7 cm, or 2.32 milliarcseconds).

One Earth day is about 24 hours long. Over the course of a year, the length of a day normally changes gradually by one millisecond. It increases in the winter, when the Earth rotates more slowly, and decreases in the summer, Gross has said in the past.

The Chile earthquake was much smaller than the Sumatran temblor, but its effects on the Earth are larger because of its location. Its epicenter was located in the Earth's mid-latitudes rather than near the equator like the Sumatran event.

The fault responsible for the 2010 Chile quake also slices through Earth at a steeper angle than the Sumatran quake's fault, NASA scientists said.

"This makes the Chile fault more effective in moving Earth's mass vertically and hence more effective in shifting Earth's figure axis," NASA officials said.

Gross said his findings are based on early data available on the Chile earthquake. As more information about its characteristics are revealed, his prediction of its effects will likely change.

The Chile earthquake has killed more than 700 people and caused widespread devastation in the South American country.

Several major telescopes in Chile's Atacama Desert have escaped damage, according to the European Southern Observatory managing them.

A salt-measuring NASA satellite instrument destined to be installed on an Argentinean satellite was also undamaged in the earthquake, JPL officials said.

The Aquarius instrument was in the city of Bariloche, Argentina, where it is being installed in the Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas (SAC-D) satellite. The satellite integration facility is about 365 miles (588 km) from the Chile quake's epicenter.

The Aquarius instrument is designed to provide monthly global maps of the ocean's salt concentration in order to track current circulation and its role in climate change.