I decided that using my random thoughts blog to blog about hockey would hurt my cool and hip image.

So I have a new hockey blog:

http://eastmeetswest.krung.net

Sometimes, I will cross post ..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081224/ts_alt_afp/usfinancefraudwieselfoundation

How terribly sad, that the Elie Wiesel Fund was wiped out by Bernie.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity lost more than 15 million dollars — nearly all of its assets — in the alleged fraud scheme run by Wall Street baron Bernard Madoff, the fund said Wednesday.

“We are writing to inform you that the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity had 15.2 million dollars under management with Bernard Madoff Investment Securities,” said the foundation, which aims to combat anti-Semitism, on its website.

“This represented substantially all of the Foundation’s assets,” it said.

“We are deeply saddened and distressed that we, along with many others, have been the victims of what may be one of the largest investment frauds in history.”

The statement added that the foundation “remains committed to carrying on the lifelong work of our founder, Elie Wiesel. We shall not be deterred from our mission to combat indifference, intolerance, and injustice around the world.”

Wiesel, 80, a Nobel laureate and prolific author who survived the Holocaust, created the foundation some 20 years ago to foster international dialogue and youth programs to teach tolerance.

He is among dozens of wealthy Jews to have lost substantial amounts of money in Madoff’s scheme.

Prosecutors say Madoff confessed to losing upwards of 50 billion dollars over years of running a pyramid scheme, where new investors were secretly fleeced to pay returns to earlier investors.

The 70-year-old former chairman of the Nasdaq stock market and a mainstay of the powerful American Jewish community is currently free on bail of 10 million dollars as police continue their probe.

Obama says he won’t be smoking in White House – Yahoo! News

Holy shit.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama failed to give a straight answer when asked on a U.S. talkshow on Sunday whether he had managed to quit smoking.

In a country where cigarettes are responsible for one in five deaths and smoking costs tens of billions of dollars in health care, Obama has been under pressure to set an example by giving up his reported two-decade-old habit.

Appearing on NBC’s "Meet the Press" program, interviewer Tom Brokaw told Obama he had ducked answering the question during an interview last month with ABC’s Barbara Walters.

 

Not that it matters one way or the other, but the fact that this was not covered in any part of the mainstream press is amazing! Not that it changes anything, but you would think somewhere somehow it would have been mentioned.

Ironically Hillary’s smoking ban makes it impossible for him to smoke in the White House. Question, does he have to exit the White House grounds? Is there  a special presidential smoking area?

Ah the humor.

You may experience several problems after you install an automatic update for Word 2007 on a Windows Vista-based computer

Remove

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOffice12.0WordData

Type *#7370# from the standby screen while your phone is on.
It will ask for the lock code which is 12345 unless you have previously changed it. Make sure you do this right, because if you do it too many times the wrong way you can lock up your phone.

4-6 year old kid shows up at my door for trick-or-treating wearing a bobba-fett costume.

So I go:

Cool boba-fett costume

kid says:

Jengo fett

Man, when I was a kid there was no stinking jengo fett….

McCain/MILF 08

When we planted our grape vines (thompson seedless and muscat), we were told that unless we lovingly trim the vines we would be lucky if we got any grapes.

I sneer on those predictions.

This represents, at best, a fifth of the total grapes our two measly vines produced.

Got some friends over to my place and did some pumpkin carving!

And here are the pumpkins:

From right to left: a ghost, a smiley face, a “help me” sign, another smiley face and, well it should have been, a dog.

I loved this and so I wanted a copy on my blog…

Since we are a little thin on “new” news stories for today, I offer you this little rant by Habs fan Doug, who posted this beauty at Habs Inside Out and Four Habs Fans this past week.
Doug introduces this work of art like this: . “Here’s my post that covers the manic-depressive plight of the typical Habs fan (and the media). Use the first entry in parentheses when times are good and mania sets in, use the latter when there’s a minor slump and it’s time for histrionics.”
“It [is a good time/SUCKS] to be a Habs fan this year.
After years of frustration [we’re finally back on top!!!/WHEN THE HELL IS THIS ORGANIZATION GOING TO GET IT?]
We’ve got [the top power play/A CRAP PK UNIT] which [reminds me of the 70’s/IS EMBARRASSING WHEN OUR COACHES ARE CARBO, JARVIS, AND MULLER].
Carbonneau has [to be considered for the Jack Adams award/ LOST THE ROOM AND HAS TO GO], Koivu [is showing the leadership he’s shown on the international stage/ IS PISSING ME OFF WITH THE OFFENSIVE ZONE PENALTIES], Higgins [is a future captain and is returing to form/ SHOULD HAVE GONE IN THE HOSSA DEAL], and as far as Price goes, [that was a brilliant move by Gainey to move Huet and tell him this is his team / HE WAS TOO YOUNG AND GAINEY GAMBLED WHEN HE DIDN’T NEED TO.]
The fact that TSN rumors that Gainey’s being looked at for the Toronto GM job [is typical of the Toronto Sports Network – give me a break!/ IS AT LEAST SOME GOOD NEWS – MOVE THE BUM!]The way things are going [we have to be favorites for a Cup run/ IT LOOKS LIKE THE CENTENNIAL SEASON IS GOING TO BE YET ANOTHER EMBARRASSMENT.]
It’s time to [get those champagne bottles chilled/ ADMIT THAT WE NEED VETERAN LEADERSHIP AND TRADE THESE OVERRATED KIDS].
Why would I say that? Because [Kovalev is playing like a man posessed, we have the best prospects of any team/ PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO WIN IN THIS LEAGUE], and Price [is God/IS NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME].
Seriously, that guy [has ice for veins/ IS SO FRIGGING OVERRATED] and I’d recommend [signing him long-term now/ TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT HALAK AND LOOKING FOR A VETERAN].I’m just so [thrilled/PISSED] today and for the first time in a long time, and I say this hesitantly, [i’m a real believer that the Habs can make a run for the Cup this year/ I AM THINKING THAT MAYBE I NEED TO FIND ANOTHER HOBBY.]
The Dynasty Habs are [back/GONE FOREVER] and it [just feels so good!/ IS TIME FOR ME TO REALIZE THAT.]
[go habs go! i believe!!/ FUCK!!!!]
Now every Habs fan surely knows at least one fan like this!