'I haven't a leg to stand on' - says TD behind muppet slur

DUBLIN TD Mary Mitchell O'Connor today spoke of her hurt after being branded 'Miss Piggy' by one of her Dail colleagues.
Independent TD Mick Wallace made the childish slur -- picked up by a Dail microphone -- to fellow TDs Luke 'Ming' Flanagan and Shane Ross.
Deputy Mitchell O'Connor told the Herald today: "Yes I was upset, as any woman would be."
"It says more about them than it does about me. I was upset but I'm moving on," she added.
Deputy Wallace apologised this morning, calling his comments "indefensible".
The Miss Piggy remark was made by Dail maverick Mick Wallace during a whispered conversation with deputies Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Shane Ross.
But the trio didn’t realise that a nearby microphone was switched on and the comments were being broadcast all around Leinster House.
Amid joking and laughing, Deputy Wallace remarked on two occasions: “Miss Piggy has toned it down a bit.”
Deputy Flanagan replied: “That Mary Mitchell O’Connor one? I couldn’t remember her name on Vincent Browne… She’s the one who drove off the plinth. They’d want to ban her wearing pink.”
Dublin South TD Shane Ross then joined in, saying: “Oh yeah, that’s right. She’s nothing sensational. She normally wears the most garish colours.”
In response to the comments, Ms Mitchell O’Connor told the Herald that she would not be lowering herself to their level.
“I want this thing over today. The Cloyne report is coming out today and the economy is in trouble again. There are bigger things going on in this country.
“I got into politics to represent the people of Dun Laoghaire and that’s what I want to do without any of this rubbish.”
Mick Wallace apologised this morning saying: “It’s hard to defend the indefensible. It’s completely out of order.”
He explained that the Miss Piggy reference came because of the way The Muppets’ character “used to clobber people with her handbag”.
“I haven’t a leg to stand on,” he admitted.
Speaking on RTE’s John Murray Show, Wallace said: “I’ve no right to say something like that. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ve made a mistake. I hold my hands up.”
He said that he rang Ms Mitchell O’Connor this morning to apologise, adding that she was very upset.
The Herald understands that Chief Whip Paul Kehoe is investigation the matter and is likely to seek an apology in the Dail.
And the three TDs’ female colleagues rounded on them this morning.
Fine Gael TD Catherine Byrne told the Herald that the comments showed the TDs needed to “grow up”.
“We are a in a national parliament, not a playground. Anybody who uses derogatory language like that should realise they need to grow up.”
People Before Profit TD Joan Collins said: “We are representing thousands of our constituents in the Dail and we need to be responsible in relation to what we say and do.”

- Kevin Doyle and Niall O'Connor

PR 10 Link for Sale: The Current Value of Links by PR

I don’t really buy or sell links but I am always following the value of such links on the net.
Obviously a lot determines the value of a link with the major determining factors being Pagerank and age.
A page rank of 8 in a completely different category may have less juice for you than a PR7 with a perfect match. If they are given to you, I really wouldn’t worry about it but if you are paying good money you want to get the most bang for your buck. After scouring through many different ads, sites, and message boards I thought I would share with you what I feel are the going rates for links of different page ranks.  

Price is Per MONTH
PR10 Rare, see a few advertised but most are not legit. $500-$1000
PR9 Don’t see them often $400-$700 dollars
PR8 $150-$200
PR7 $60-$100
PR6 $25-$50
PR5 $10
PR4 $7
PR3 $4
PR2 $2
PR1 No Value

DEA: Pot has no accepted medical use DEA = SCUM

LOS ANGELES -- Marijuana has been approved by many states and the nation's capital to treat a range of illnesses, but the federal government has ruled that it has no accepted medical use and should remain classified as a dangerous drug like heroin.
The decision, announced Friday, comes almost nine years after medical marijuana supporters asked the government to reclassify cannabis to take into account a growing body of worldwide research that shows its effectiveness in treating certain diseases, such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis.
Advocates for the medical use of the drug criticized the ruling but were elated that the Obama administration had finally acted, which allows them to appeal to the federal courts, where they believe they can get a fairer hearing.
The decision to deny the request was made by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and comes less than two months after advocates asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to force the administration to respond to their petition.
Joe Elford, the chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access and the lead counsel on the recently filed lawsuit, noted that studies demonstrate pot has beneficial effects, including appetite stimulation for people undergoing chemotherapy.
DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart sent a letter dated June 21 to the organizations that filed a petition for the change. The letter and the documentation that she used to back up her decision were published Friday in the Federal Register.
Leonhart said she rejected the request because marijuana "has a high potential for abuse," "has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States" and "lacks accepted safety for use under medical supervision."

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/DEA-Pot-has-no-accepted-medical-use-1459648.php#ixzz1R34VdbSI