Wall Street Journal: Of NICE and Men – mcculloughsite.net 07/18/2009 When I read these acronyms, part of me is carried back to my childhood cartoons like Lancelot Link:  Secret Chimp and APE (Association to Prevent Evil) or, in this case, NICE (National Institute of Coordinated Experiments), from That Hideous Strength, by C.S. Lewis. Yes, Great Britain’s healthcare program really does have a NICE, which stands for National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Warning: People with heart problems, pregnant women, and those with fully developed adult brains and a modicum of common sense are hereby warned that this article may cause high levels of stress and lead to serious mental and emotional problems that can lead one to feelings of despair that may last for extended periods of time and result in the inability to think rationally. If you were thinking that the top executives at Countrywide, once the nation’s largest mortgage lender and the company that never saw a borrower they couldn’t qualify, had fallen from grace… think again.

Bono and Edge appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross In the first segment check out Bono as he squirms “Stop! Oh, no!” when Ross airs a clip of U2 doing “Street Mission” on TV in 1978. The highlight of the second segment is the story of Barack Obama’s witty comment to Bono at a prayer breakfast in DC when Bono attempted to dodge then President Bush’s photo op.

Secret US-Israeli meeting to focus on Iran Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:40:17 GMT presstv An Israeli warship arrives at an Israeli navy base in the Red Sea resort city of Eilat on July 15 Amid reports that Israel is preparing to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, political heavyweights in Washington and Tel Aviv make plans for a secret get-together.

Bono and Edge appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross In the first segment check out Bono as he squirms “Stop! Oh, no!” when Ross airs a clip of U2 doing “Street Mission” on TV in 1978. The highlight of the second segment is the story of Barack Obama’s witty comment to Bono at a prayer breakfast in DC when Bono attempted to dodge then President Bush’s photo op.

MiamiHerald.com Obama Pushes for His Health Care Reform PlanVoice of AmericaUS President Barack Obama is spending several days promoting his health insurance reform proposal to skeptical lawmakers and a skeptical American public. Opposition Republicans say the president is moving too quickly. …Obama: Don’t squander chance to reform health careThe Associated PressObama Says Overhaul of US Health-Care System Can’t Be DelayedBloombergObama Reaches Out to Republicans on Health Care, but Bipartisan

Nevada Sen. Harry Reid says a recent letter from a top aide to President Barack Obama shows there’s no “informal federal policy” against government meetings and conferences in Las Vegas. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said in a letter to the Senate Democratic majority leader this week that federal agencies are not prohibited from booking events in Las Vegas. Emanuel’s letter says value, not location, should be the basis for booking a trip.

This week, we have two responses to the Question Of The Week, one of which comes from Spirituality , who won last week, so I am going to link to her websites since her lenses were so recently linked. Susan52 also responded, with an equally great answer, so her lenses, in all their glory, are linked below. Congratulations, Susan and Katinka! Katinka responded to the QOTW (If you are participating in the RocketMoms, or the Giant Squid Challenge, or Giant Squid Summer School, what are you learning — the biggest lesson?): The main thing I’ve learned is how important it is to step out of your comfort zone ocasionally.

Dateline: January 13, 2009 The Disassociated Press President-elect Barack Obama, in a press conference held earlier today at a Georgetown Comedy Club, announced the formation of a new federal agency that will officially operate under the name: The United States of America Comedy Board, or TUSOACB, thus fulfilling the government’s obligation to turn everything it touches into a wonky acronym. In a Presidential edict released to the liberal media today: The Comedy Board has been established by the Obama administration to help Americans identify what is, and what is not, funny.

This video is supposed to be a parody, but I don’t think so. It is more like the exact way that the brain dead fucking morons who support Obama feel. Drink the Kool Aid…