OOPS

Chinese celebrated the lunar new year in Guandong Province on Friday with a massive fireworks display. The death toll was 19.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed, that any lyrics you can sing to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" (Glory, Glory Hallelujah) can also be sung to the tune of "Colonel Bogie's March" (The Bridge Over the River Kwai)?

CHEMOBENEFIT

On a personal note --

One great benefit of chemotherapy is that I don't have to shave anymore.

SNOW JOB

"Washington was immobilised by snow on Friday. This is highly unusual. Normally, Washington is immobilised by Senators."

-- Gail Collins, New York Times

THE NEW YORK TIMES GETS IT RIGHT

Today's corrections from The New York Times --

"... at the National Prayer Breakfast ... noting that 'we become absorbed with our abstract arguments, our ideological disputes, our contests for power,' (President Barack Obama ) went on to say, 'And in this Tower of Babel, we lose the sound of God's voice.' He did not say, 'this tower of babble.'

"An article on Friday ... referred incorrectly to the screen star Douglas Fairbanks. He was (Mary ) Pickford's second husband, not the first."

"An article on Thursday about the author Don DeLillo misidentified the maker of the manual typewriter he uses. It is an Olympia, not an Underwood."

OFF THE RECORD

"A story on Page 1 of Tuesday's Telegraph quoted a White House official explaining that a Q-and-A session with dozens of teenagers in Nashua High School North on Monday was 'off the record.' However, the explanation about the talk being 'off the record' was, it turns out, also 'off the record' and should not have been quoted."

-- The Nashua Telegraph

CELEBRITY QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I am the virgin Mary, and my child will be born Jesus Christ. I am the second coming.......God told me so. I shall save all the good people."

-- Singer/Model (and mostly famous for being famous) Tia Tequila, via Twitter

AN INCONVENIENT POLL

(For your enjoyment -- Marc)

This poll was commissioned by "The Daily Kos," a liberal web site, and conducted by "Research 2000," a non partisan research organization, from January 20 through January 31, 2010. A total of 2003 self identified Republicans selected by random variation were interviewed nationally by telephone. The margin for error is no more than plus or minus 2% percentage points.

• Do you believe ACORN stole the 2008 election? 21% said '"YES."
• Should contraceptive use be outlawed? 21% said "YES."
• Do you believe your state should secede from the United States? 23% said "YES."
• Do you believe Barack Obama wants the terrorists to win? 24% said "YES."
• Do you believe Barack Obama is a racist who hates White people? 31% said "YES."
• Do you believe Barack Obama was born in the United States, or not? 36% said "NO."
• Should Barack Obama be impeached, or not? 39% said "YES."
• Do you believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be President than Barack Obama? 53% said "YES."
• Do you think Barack Obama is a socialist? 63% said "YES."
• Do you believe that the only way for an individual to go to heaven is though Jesus Christ, or can one make it to heaven through another faith? 67% said "CHRIST."
• Should public school students be taught that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world? 77% said "YES."

(Here are a set of answers I find personally and particularly troubling.)

• Do you believe the birth control pill is abortion? 34% said "YES."
• Do you consider abortion to be murder? 76% said "YES."
• Do you support the death penalty? 91% said "YES."

(Does this justify the execution of doctors? Or pharmacists? Or women?)

© Kos Media, LLC. Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission.

CHOCOLATE!

A worker at Lyons & Sons Cocoa Services in Camden, New Jersey, died when he fell into a vat of chocolate.

This reminds me of the Smothers Brothers routine where Tommy explains how he fell into a vat of chocolate and hollered "Fire!"

Because, he said, who would save him if he yelled "Chocolate!"?

TRUE CONFESSIONS

No last rites for you!

The Roman Catholic Church has a priest shortage. And most hospitals no longer have Catholic chaplains. So there frequently is no one to give the last rites, or Extreme Unction, on the deathbed.

The church now recommends that you get anointed before going to the hospital. And try not to sin after that.

WE'RE GONNA' HAVE A PARTY, PARTY

Big rally today at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Participating groups include the Oklahoma Tea Party, Tulsa County G.O.P., Oklahoma Chapter of the John Birch Society, Oklahoma Second Amendment Association and Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ.

Let the fun begin!