No.

(former head of the Humane Society, Michael Fox, once said in a conversation with Caroline:) We humans have far more in common socially with wolves than we do with apes, and that wolves don’t determine leadership based on dominance, but on charisma. And in wolf culture, charisma is measured by who initiates play best. Not just play, initiates “let’s go hunting,” etc. as well, but “play” is at the top of the list. And we can tell the wolf leader within ten days of birth, because it’s the pup with the lowest resting heart-beat. The calmest and the most imaginatively dynamic (what late ally Kurt Vonnegut would have called “the wampeter,”) – now, that’s a leadership criterion for which I could root. Especially if we syncretize it with goose leadership: the lead goose always rotates. The charismatic wise wolf part of ourselves passes the baton to teammates, as we all circulate between back-stage and on-stage.

http://www.coyotenetworknews.com/

It’s… full of dumb…

RETRACTION: re pink pistol menace

The security “expert” who ran amok on the O’Reilly show about lesbian gangs forcing children into the “homosexual lifestyle” was forced to issue a retraction on his site, which is called rod007.com and sounds like a gay porn flick. His response manages to retain the crazy (lesbian gangs? what the…) but weasels out of the extreme crazy. He also of course links to a nutcase racist hate mail he received in order to show how unpleasant his enemies are and of course reveals the guy’s email address so everyone can dogpile on him. Smooth. The text is here since he will no doubt remove it from his site as soon as he can:

Contact Rod Wheeler: Info@Rod007.com

Clarification and apology:

First of all, let me thank you for your feedback surrounding the O’Reilly Factor discussion on Lesbian Gangs. I received several e-mails from viewers, some positive and some negative, offering comments and constructive criticisms. Some of the e-mails I received were threatening and simply hostile. Click here for a sample e-mail I received from one viewer.

During the O’Reilly Factor segment on June 21st, while engaged in a discussion on Lesbian gangs, I inadvertently stated that gang members carry pistols that are painted pink and call themselves the “Pink Pistol Packing Group.” I was not referring to the gay rights group “Pink Pistols” who advocates for the lawful rights of gays to carry weapons for protection. Further, I mentioned that there are “over 150 of these gangs” in the greater Washington DC area. What I actually meant is that there are over 150 gangs in the Washington DC area, some of which are in fact lesbian gangs. Lastly, I mentioned in the segment that there is this “national epidemic” of lesbian gangs. A better choice of words would have been to say that there is a growing concern nationally, and especially in major urban areas, of increased gang activity, which includes some lesbian gang activity.

I apologize for any misunderstanding this may have caused.

Sincerely,

Rod Wheeler

Good bye Diedrich

Diedrich Coffee gives up fight
Local chain sells 47 retail outlets to Starbucks for $13.5 million to focus on wholesale bean business.

The Orange County Register

Irvine-based Diedrich Coffee, conceding defeat in the coffee shop duel with Starbucks, agreed to sell the 47 stores it owns to its Seattle rival for $13.5 million.

The local company will remain in business as a roaster and wholesaler of coffee beans. The sale includes all company-owned Diedrich and Coffee People locations. Franchise stores aren’t included in the sale.

All “non-management employees in good standing” will be offered positions with Starbucks, and managers will be provided the opportunity to interview for positions, the company said.

Here’s the company’s statement:

blabla

I’M DYIN’ OUT HERE. THIS IS THE WORST FUCKING THING. YOU HAVE TO HELP ME. FUCK.

I was just awakened from a lovely nap by lost bro guys. There were two of them, the Shouter and the Mumbler. The Shouter was on his phone and alternately talking to the Mumbler.

SHOUTER: AN HOUR AGO WE WERE AT THE BAR AND NOW WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF FUCKING NOWHERE!!

MUMBLER: Urghm… [inaudible]

SHOUTER: WHAT THE FUCK, I CAN’T FUCKING BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME! NO, I’M AT HARMONY AND BAGUETTE! NO! GET THE COMPUTER!

MUMBLER: grghgm…

SHOUTER: SHUT THE FUCK UP! NO! I DON’T KNOW. I WALKED THE WHOLE WAY. YOU GOTTA HELP ME. COME ON. FUCKIN’. THIS IS FUCKING NOWHERE.

SHOUTER: FUCK FUCK, FUCK, FUCK FUCK FUCK! HOW DID THIS EVEN HAPPEN? YES I SAID HARMONY AND BAGUETTE. NO I DON’T KNOW. YOU TELL ME WHICH WAY! LEFT OR RIGHT? I’M FACING… FUCK JUST TELL ME HOW TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!

This went on for about fifteen minutes. For reference, I’m a half mile from the boulevard where any bar would be, and if you look down “Harmony” you can see a major thoroughfare at each end within a few minutes’ walking distance. Shouter was degenerating into a meltdown panic as if he’d fallen into an abandoned mineshaft or been left behind by the last chopper out of a firefight in Afghanistan. Periodically he attempted to hail some passing car. Oh dear god don’t leave the poor boy here in this suburban neighborhood that’s laid out in a grid. Some soccer mom will skin him alive for a laugh or he’ll be mauled and eaten by wandering housecats.

Finally I went out to either help him find his way out of our living Hell or get him to shut up. He was headed in the right direction, though, and he and Mumbler slowly flapped in their flip-flops towards the twinkling lights of the Oasis called Newport Boulevard.

SHOUTER: YEAH, BUT WHAT WAS FUNNY IS HOW MUCH WE RIPPED HIM OFF!!

MUMBLER: shut the fuck up

SHOUTER: WE GOT HIS NINETY BUCKS AND THERE’S NO WAY HE GOT HIS MONEY’S WORTH! HAHAHAHAHAH!

THIS IS THE BEST URL EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE ENTIRE INTERNET AND WORLD WIDE WEB

http://www.cuddleparty.com/about/faq.cfm#erections

The whole FAQ is great.

Cuddle Lifeguard On Duty? What’s that?

Cuddle Lifeguards are a select group of amazing individuals who are specially trained and certified in how to facilitate Cuddle Parties. They are responsible for ensuring the integrity of the room, meaning that no sex happens, that everyone feels safe, and that the sexual energy, when it shows up, is dispersed safely. They, along with the Cuddle Caddy, facilitate the Welcome Circle and make sure everyone gets taken care of.

SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF THIS EVELYN WAUGH NOVEL

Neotenized homogeneous privilege results in frenetic subculture self-identification. Also retards.

I thank burntcurtis for the phrase “White Identity” to describe Orange County’s many fucked-up subcultures: goth, skinhead, mod, swing kid, straightedge, rockabilly greaser, emo, “punk,” neo-hippie, club kid, etc. Until he pointed it out I hadn’t seen our collection of permanent teenage culture victims as a consequence of overwhelming whiteness, but it sure makes sense.

I was reminded of that this morning when it was brought to my attention that a skinhead had figured out how to work a computer.

beyond blunderdome: christ, what an asshole

Getting popped for DUI is bad. It’s unpleasant and irresponsible to drive drunk. But if you pay the penalty and deal with your shit and don’t do it again, that’s good.

Being racially abusive is really bad too, drunk or not. But there are some people who say and do things drunk they don’t believe sober. And when they apologize (and stop getting drunk), it’s only fair to take them at their word.

But if someone is taken in for DUI, and in the process blasts out a tirade of anti-Semitic slurs and threats at the officers, and that someone is a prominent filmmaker whose father is a Holocaust-denying anti-Semite, and that person has not repudiated his father’s views, and that person is a member and supporter of his father’s crazy church, and that person has made a passion play film of just the kind used to launch pogroms and massacres, it’s time for more than just a public apology.

Hey Mel? It’s time for a complete turnaround. Stop drinking, stop being racist, repudiate your bigoted family and friends, and spend a decade or so making amends. Or just toss the citizenship and leave, because you’re not wanted.

medical plans are fun

My health plan has a website on which I may see my information, including claims and how my flexible spending account is going. Yay. Let’s go look and see what FSA claims are outstanding and how much cash I might get soon. Click.

“The information you’ve requested is unavailable Monday – Friday 10pm – 7am, Saturday 8pm – 7am, and Sunday 6pm – 7am (all times are eastern standard time). We are sorry for this inconvenience.”

What the fuck. Do the Insurance Web Gnomes go home, or something?