Cops

Cop or Copper

While commonly believed to be an acronym for Constable On Patrol, the term refers to "one who captures or snatches". This word first appeared in the early 18th century, and can be matched with the word "cap", which has the same meaning and whose etymology can be traced to the Latin word 'capere'. (The word retains this meaning in other contexts: teenagers "cop a feel" on a date, and they have also been known to "cop an attitude".) Variation: Copper. It is also believed that the term Copper was the original, unshortened word, popularly believed to represent the copper badges American officers used to wear at the time of origin, but in fact probably used in Britain to mean "someone who cops" long before this.

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Turns out that one should not drive the wrong way into a construction zone, or one may be obliged to experience taking a warning, a ticket, or worse.

Thankfully for RA, at least one of Waltham's finest was so flabbergasted at his behavior that he let RA proceed on his way unmolested.

Tea, Glorious Tea

Today's Tea will see the return of 1) AZ, and 2) The Cheese Plate.

We're still in our Gin Phase, so the tea itself will be quite familiar.

See you at 4:00!

So you want a little on the side?

So you're a Republican Governor of a Southern state - and things have gotten boring and tedious at home?

Want to spice things up a bit, but surely don't want to get caught?

Whatever you do, DO NOT find yourself an Argentinian hottie that you have to disappear for 5 days for, to see. Inquiring minds (especially of your political enemies) will want to know!

S.C. Governor Mark Sanford Admits Affair

WashingtonPost, By Chris Cillizza, June 24

Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) admitted that he had conducted an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina who he had gone to visit over the last five days -- during which time a massive media story developed over where he was and why.

"I have been unfaithful to my wife . . . I developed a relationship with what started as a dear dear friend," said Sanford.

He said that he had met the woman, who he did not name, roughly eight years ago and that it had become romantic within the last year. He visited her three times during the past year, Sanford said, and noted that his wife, Jenny, had been aware of the affair for the past five months.

Apostasy! Disunity! Perfidy!

Some of our number, we won't mention any names (*cough* NT *cough* AO *cough* JT *cough*) were insufficiently faithful (and insufficiently interested in seeing AZ!) that they sallied (ha! sally-ed) forth to the Dudley Chateau for some late afternoon (faux) Tea. We hope that they had a good time.

Dueling Teas! Never before have we witnessed such an apostasy! Such disunity! Such perfidy!

Protestants.

We hope that when AZ does show up, that they're able to make it to the one, true Tea. (After having been suitably reconciled, of course).

We wonder - just what happened to AZ?

First Unambiguous Shorelines on Mars

"...the first unambiguous evidence of shorelines on the surface of Mars" has been reported by scientists from University of Colorado.

Estimated to be more than 3 billion years old, the lake appears to have covered as much as 80 square miles and was up to 1,500 feet deep -- roughly the equivalent of Lake Champlain bordering the United States and Canada...

A-Rod demands an apology

[...]

But the thought of it all haunted A-Rod. "He was playing fine ball, and he was laughing and having a good time, but he was really choked up inside." Yankees manager Joe Girardi says. "One early morning I caught A-Rod alone crying like a baby in the dugout. All he could say was, 'I didn't knock up Willow. I didn't knock her up. It's not fair.'"

Girardi agrees it's time for Letterman to apologize so A-Rod can move on with his life.

"Letterman's making me out to be some kind of child molester,"
Rodriguez said. "This makes me kind of understand where Mrs. Palin's coming from. When people say bad things about me, I don't know if it's because I'm good-looking, I'm biracial, I make the most money, I play on the most popular team. Kind of like her," he said, "except for the popular part."

Somali Pirate-o-genesis

“In our culture we were nomads and we believed it was our right to take sheep, to take cattle. That is how we see the ships. They are our sheep and we will take them.”

The ships that Farrah Ismail speaks of are those plying the sea lanes off the Horn of Africa. And the culture he refers to is that of the Somali nomads who have been raiding rival tribes or clans for centuries.

Solar News

1) The Earth and Sun are moving away from each other at the rate of 15 cm/yr, according to New Scientist. Why? Tidal forces...

2) Betelgeuse may be about to go Nova!

Friday is back!

So, Tea will return to its normal schedule until further notice. Sorry, RS.

Also, instances of Friday Cat Blogging will probably increase.

...And speaking of Tea, AZ is planning to drop by on the 19th, a Friday.

Analog TV is DEAD!

Well, not quite, but by this time 24 hours hence, it will be.

Enjoy your last day, analog TV!

There'll be no reprieve, this time...

Internet Access is a Human Right

Internet Access is a Human Right, or so says the French Constitutional Council, France's highest court.

According to the Times (of London), June 11:

Top French Court Rips Heart Out of Sarkozy Internet Law

Paris - France's highest court has inflicted an embarrassing blow to President Sarkozy by cutting the heart out of a law that was supposed to put France in the forefront of the fight against piracy on the internet.

The Constitutional Council declared access to the internet to be a basic human right, directly opposing the key points of Mr Sarkozy's law, passed in April, which created the first internet police agency in the democratic world.

The strongly-worded decision means that Mr Sarkozy's scheme has backfired and inadvertently boosted those who defend the free-for-all culture of the web.

Pandemic! Pandemic! Pandemic!

Doesn't have the same ring as "Tora! Tora! Tora!", does it?

The WHO has raised the Pandemic Alert Level from 5 to 6, resulting in the first Pandemic! declared in 41 years.

The AP has the story.

Pickle Festival?

WL writes:

We are having a pickle festival. AO needed two gallon glass jars for purposes of home brew of some alcohol variety.

He purchased two gallon jars of Mt. Olive brand dill pickles. So he took the jars home and left the fridge well stocked with a bag of green gherkins.

The Worlds Most Intersting Man on Pickup Lines

David Carradine found dead

Via CNN:

American actor David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok, Thailand, hotel, according to his personal manager, Chuck Binder.

Binder said Thursday that the death is being investigated but could provide no other details.

Carradine's death was "shocking and sad. He was full of life, always wanting to work ... a great person," Binder said, according to People magazine.

Carradine, who became famous in the 1970s when he starred as traveling Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the television series "Kung Fu," was 72.

David Carradine Biography

Tea

Due to popular demand, Tea tomorrow will be... Gin and Tonics, though other concoctions will be available also, upon request.

AZ and SM may be showing up for the VS slideshow.

Tea Update

AZ has expressed the wish to attend Tea this Thursday, in part because of the VS slide-show.

Pandemic Imminent!

We're so excited!

WHO says swine flu alert closer to pandemic

AP, By Frank Jordans, June 2

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization said Tuesday it is "getting closer" to declaring a global outbreak of the swine flu virus as the infection appears to be taking hold outside of North America.

WHO flu chief Keiji Fukuda said the disease has reached 64 countries and infected 18,965 people, causing 117 deaths.

The overwhelming majority of cases and deaths have been reported in Mexico and the United States, but increasingly the virus is spreading from person to person in countries as far apart as Britain, Spain, Japan, Chile and Australia.

"We still are waiting for evidence of really widespread community activity in these countries, and so it's fair to say that they are in transition and are not quite there yet, which is why we are not in phase 6 yet," Fukuda said.

Phase 6 is the highest alert on WHO's scale, signaling a pandemic _ a global epidemic. In terms of the geographic spread of swine flu, the world is "at phase 5 but getting closer to phase 6," Fukuda said.

RETRACTION!

Seems that CR can't sponsor Tea this week, supposedly due to a wager she's made with her sister to not drink until sometime in AUGUST.

We wonder just when this wager was agreed to - was it in the last two weeks? And who gives up drinking when there's only one's pride to be won or lost?

We'll just have to go on without her. Perhaps margaritas can be arranged without sponsorship...

Guest Tea this Thursday!

CR has graciously offered to sponsor this weeks' tea.

Perhaps it'll be Margaritas in the aquarium?

We can't wait.

Rumor of the Day

By way of WL comes today's Rumor of the Day.

We hear that ED has gotten a job, thanks to the efforts of PG.

Apparently, ED got the job that PG didn't want. More details as they become available.