Richard Kelley, stepfather of former President Bill Clinton, died Wednesday at his home. He was 91.

Kelley, a retired salesman, had been in declining health in recent weeks, and the former president visited him Monday.

Kitty Koonce, a caregiver who answered the phone at Kelley’s home Wednesday evening, said Kelley died about 5:45 p.m.

Rest In Peace, Richard.

Best-selling author and columnist Molly Ivins, the sharp-witted liberal who skewered the political establishment and referred to President Bush as “Shrub,” died Wednesday after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 62.

David Pasztor, managing editor of the Texas Observer, confirmed her death.

The writer, who made a living poking fun at Texas politicians, whether they were in her home base of Austin or the White House, revealed in early 2006 that she was being treated for breast cancer for the third time.

…

She was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, and she had a recurrence in 2003. Her latest diagnosis came around Thanksgiving 2005.

Rest In Peace, Molly.

• Vista upgrade invalidates your XP key | TomCoyote
  Wow. It’s almost as if Microsoft wants us all to find alternatives to Vista.
  (tags: shownotes29 Microsoft Vista windows xp)

I can’t remember where I saw this today, but of course, I had to take a moment and play…

In a follow up to a story I pointed out two weeks ago…

The Pentagon said Tuesday it had halted sales of spare parts from its recently retired F-14 fighter jet fleet, even as lawmakers pledged tougher oversight of the military’s surplus sales.

Sales of F-14 parts were suspended Friday pending a comprehensive review, Defense Logistics Agency spokesman Jack Hooper said.

“It was the prudent thing to do,” he said.

The prudent thing to do? Uh, yeah, because you got nailed selling them to persons who had been previously convicted of reselling them to Iran, China, and other countries.

I can’t help but wonder though… Would Mr. Hooper still think it was the prudent thing to do if this story hadn’t hit the press?

[Hat Tip: Vincenzo]

Sidney Sheldon, who won awards in three careers — Broadway theater, movies and television — then at age 50 turned to writing best-selling novels about stalwart women who triumph in a hostile world of ruthless men, has died. He was 89.

Sheldon died Tuesday afternoon of complications from pneumonia at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, said Warren Cowan, his publicist. His wife, Alexandra, and his daughter, author Mary Sheldon, were by his side.

…

Sheldon was married for more than 30 years to Jorja Curtright Sheldon, a stage and film actress who later became a prominent interior decorator. She died in 1985.

He married Alexandra Kostoff, a former child actress and advertising executive, in 1989.

Along with his wife and daughter, survivors include his brother Richard, two grandchildren and other family members.

Private funeral services were pending.

Rest In Peace, Sidney.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department and the state of Arizona issued the Amber Alert after the child and mother were forced in to a vehicle outside of the mother’s home at 160 East Crismon Road in East Mesa.

Isidro Ramirez 1 year old Hispanic male. He is 2 feet tall and 40 pounds. He has short black hair and brown eyes. He has a scar on his forehead and back. He was last wearing a diaper and a white tee-shirt.

The mother, Noemi Ramirez, 20 years of age. She is described as a Hispanic female, 5 feet tall and 170 pounds. She has long black hair with brown eyes. She was last wearing a white tank-top and black spandex pants.

The first suspect is described as a Hispanic male, 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, and about 20 to 24 years old. He has a muscular build. He was reportedly wearing light brown pants, an unknown tee shirt and black shoes.

The second suspect is described as a Hispanic male with no further description.

The mother reportedly yelled to a witness that she was being taken to California.

The two were reportedly forced in to a blue 1990 Chevy extended cab truck with Arizona license: 709-SCM. The vehicle is lowered with wide wheels.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Maricopa Sheriff’County s Office at 602-876-1011 or dial 911.

[Source: Code Amber]

Earlier today, you might have had trouble viewing my site. Heck, you might have had trouble viewing any site at Second Rate Hosting…

It seems I have made some new friends on the internet, and they were just trying to show me some Russian love with a huge online masquerade ball. They came in droves to pay homage to my inspiring words and insightful rants. Some even came to view my one-of-a-kind photoshop creations.

The guests (aka spammers) all arrived in different vehicles (aka IP addresses) but they were all dressed the same (aka same provider), so it didn’t take the chaperon (aka server admin) long to figure out who they were. I wish I knew why they chose my site for the party (aka spam), but alas, I may never know (aka the entire IP block has been banned).

I really hope they had a good time (aka F.O.A.D.). It’s people like them who make parties (aka spam attacks) so much fun (aka such a pain in the ass).

The guestlist:

inetnum: 81.95.144.0 – 81.95.147.255
netname: RBNET
descr: Russian Business Network

I don’t agree with my favorite liberal, Doug Wiken, very often, so it’s nice when we both finally agree on something.

And, all the anti-terrorism blather coming from Bush, Inc. is meaningless unless our borders are closed. Borders should be essentially shut down until the entry of illegal aliens is stopped dead.

It’s too bad those in positions to actually do something about the flow of illegal immigration won’t do anything about it.

Cookbook author Sharon Tyler Herbst, whose “The Food Lover’s Companion” became a kitchen staple with its thousands of definitions of edibles from around the world, has died.

Herbst died in her Bodega Bay home Friday after a 3 1/2-year battle with ovarian cancer, according to Ron Herbst, her husband of 38 years and sometime co-author. He refused to disclose her age.

…

She met her husband in the late ’60s, when they worked in the restaurant of a Denver hotel. They moved the coastal hamlet of Bodega Bay in 2003, just months before she was diagnosed with cancer.

Besides her husband, she is survived by her mother, Kay Tyler, and a sister, Tia McCurdy, both of Galveston, Texas.

Rest In Peace, Sharon.