.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;} <$BlogRSDURL$>

The Donnybrook
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
 
THE GUITAR WILL BE HERE NEXT WEEK!!!

WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!


|
 
You Can Meet One Sports Legend...Who Would It Be?



Predictably, I'm going with The Doctor. The guy is 56 years old and he still personifies "cool" to me...

|
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
 
To The Cuban-American Citizens Of Miami Planning Celebrations For Fidel Castro's Death...

...I say to you, "I'm on your side". Fidel Castro is an asshole and the world will be better off when he dies, BUT, are you sure you should be celebrating his death with parties and parades?

Doesn't the fact that he remained in power for 48 years and died of natural causes mean that he won??? Hell, his brother is going to take over once he kicks off!

I'm not happy about it, but these are the facts...

P.S. All this being said, how great will it be if Cuba goes capitalist and becomes the "Vegas of the Caribbean" it once was?

Paging Johnny Ola...

|
 
It's Official: The Police Are Reuniting!

Finally...

The Police will reunite to open the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 11, The Recording Academy said on Tuesday, fueling speculation that the hit 1980s British band is planning a reunion tour.

The five-time Grammy-winning band, led by frontman Sting, with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, quietly split up within a couple of years of the 1983 "Synchronicity" album and was last seen playing together in 2003 to commemorate their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In commemoration, I'd like to hold a contest to see who can predict the hackiest headline this reunion will spawn.

My entry is "The Police Are Back On The Beat". Tee hee!!!

|
 

|
Monday, January 29, 2007
 
The Song That's Been In My Head For The Last Week...

Man, this is good. "Everybody's Changing" by Keane.


|
 
Question Of The Day...

This one's been burning in my brain for a while now.

Many conservatives think of themselves and present themselves as the "tough guys" in American politics.

You want a war, they'll happily line up to support it. Not to fight it, necessarily, but certainly to beat the drums to whip up the blind support of other Americans.

My question, then, is this:

If conservatives/Republicans are so tough, why do they so frequently and fervently employ a facade of victimhood and even pretend to be a persecuted group in this country?

|
Friday, January 26, 2007
 
"Sweep the leg, Johnny!"

This is truly bizarre, but it's good to see Billy Zabka working again...


|
 
28 Republican Senators Voted To Eliminate The Federal Minimum Wage Yesterday...

Their efforts failed, of course, but it's always good to see the intentions of the majority of the Republican minority in plain sight. Especially since so many of them are either up for re-election or running for President in 2008.

Here are the Republicans that have no problem with the U.S. taking a big step toward becoming about as worker-friendly as China:

Lamar Alexander (R-TN)*
Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Robert Bennett (R-UT)*
Kit Bond (R-MO)
Sam Brownback (R-KS)**
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)*
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)*
John Cornyn (R-TX)*

Larry Craig (R-ID)*
Craig Crapo (R-ID)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
John Ensign (R-NV)
Mike Enzi (R-WY)*
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)*
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Chuck Hagel (R-NE)**
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
James Inhofe (R-OK)*

Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
John Kyl (R-AZ)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
John McCain (R-AZ)**
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)*
John Sununu (R-NH)*
Craig Thomas (R-WY)

* Up for re-election in 2008.
** Running for President in 2008.


While you're here, take a look at the list of states that either have no state minimum wage law, or actually have a state minimum wage that is less than the federal level...

|
Thursday, January 25, 2007
 
E - V - O - Oh No You Didn't!!!

Wow. Rachael Ray's meteoric rise from Buffalo Betty to spasmatic multimedia sensation could get a whole lot bumpier if this piece of gossip is true.

Check out this shit:
Perky talk show host Rachael Ray made disparaging racial remarks about the woman who gave Ray her big shot at daytime TV -- none other than Oprah Winfrey, according to TMZ sources. It's a shocking account of a dinner that occurred during the period that the show was being sold.

Rewind to December 3, 2005. Ray was at the Century City Shopping Mall in Los Angeles for a book signing. Reps from King World, the production company that was syndicating the show, were shooting the event for its sales presentation.

At around 7:00 PM, Ray, along with seven others, went to Houston's Restaurant in the mall. They sat in a booth in the far right rear of the restaurant. Ray ordered fish and complained to the table it was dry. She was also drinking red wine and lots of it -- one source says a minimum of four big glasses.

We're told Ray became "extremely loud and aggressive," and began dissing Oprah. Sources say she told the group about a portrait of Oprah that sits in the lobby of Harpo Productions in Chicago. It's from the movie "Beloved" and shows Winfrey's back, enhanced with scars. She's also wearing a skirt from the slavery era.

Back at the table, sources say Ray launched into attack mode: "Why is she wearing slave drag? She obviously has problems being black."
Ouch. Ready for an encore?
But Oprah wasn't Ray's only target. Sources say she told the group how much she liked Jennifer Aniston and then called Brad Pitt a "pussy boy." But her harshest comments were reserved for Angelina Jolie, calling her "a skanky, backdoor c**t."

|
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
 
Oh, How I Long For Early 90's Van Halen...

Here's a little "Poundcake" to get your afternoon going.


|
 
Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va) Steals The Spotlight...

I love the fact that he scrapped the speech given to him by the Democratic leadership and did his own thing. This is powerful stuff.



Well done, sir...

P.S. Bush, on the other hand, proved very quickly in his speech he's still a very small man...

|
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
 
Does Anyone In The Greater Atlanta Area Have Some Insight On This Situation?

After one quick read, this story seems creepy to me, but maybe somebody can throw some knowledge my way.

White Atlanta suburbs push for secession

ATLANTA -- A potentially explosive dispute in the City Too Busy to Hate is taking shape over a proposal to break Fulton County in two and split off Atlanta's predominantly white, affluent suburbs to the north from some of the metropolitan area's poorest, black neighborhoods.

Legislation that would allow the suburbs to form their own county, to be called Milton County, was introduced by members of the Georgia Legislature's Republican majority earlier this month.

Supporters say it is a quest for more responsive government in a county with a population greater than that of six states. Opponents say the measure is racially motivated and will pit white against black, rich against poor.

After a second read-through, this idea seems VERY creepy to me...

|
 
Just An Awesome Pop Band Doing Their Thing...

"Rosanna" by Toto

It's hard to believe one of these mooks was dating Rosanna Arquette back when she still had her fastball.


|
Monday, January 22, 2007
 
For Those Of You That Stopped Paying Attention To Iraq...

...when President Bush and his nads trapsed across the deck of an aircraft carrier, I just wanted to give you some relevant information:

Rejoice, my fellow Americans! The joke's on us.

Enjoy the State of the Union speech...


|
 
Huge Congratulations To Lovie Smith And Tony Dungy...

My horrible skills of prognostication have led to not only the first African-American coach to make a Super Bowl appearance, but the first TWO.

Even though it seems remarkably askew that it took until 2007 for a black head coach to make it to the biggest stage in football, it's great to see nonetheless.

Congrats to the Colts and Bears...

|
Friday, January 19, 2007
 
Looking Forward To An Exciting Championship Weekend...

Let's get those picks out there early!

For my part, I'm going with the road dogs all the way to Super Bowl Sunday:

New Orleans Saints 21
Chicago Bears 17

New England Patriots 31
Indianapolis Colts 20

On the NFC side, I think the Bears' defense is weaker than most prognosticators believe. They gave up 306 yards of offense to the banged-up Seahawks, and I don't believe they've got an answer for the juggernaut that is Deuce McAllister.

That MF'er is scary right now, and I would hate to be in his way, even if my last name was Urlacher instead of Anderson.

The AFC Championship will show once again that Peyton Manning is a postseason zero. I'll say this right now: I would NEVER bet against Tom Brady in the playoffs.

It's just the worst bet imaginable...

|
Thursday, January 18, 2007
 
This Gives Me Chills Every Time...

I'm not exactly a Carolina Hurricanes fan, but this footage of Chuck Kaiton calling their Game 7 win in the Stanley Cup Finals last year reminds me why I like sports so much.



This is decent therapy now that the Flyers are the worst team in the NHL by a very comfortable margin...

|
 
How Proud They Must Be...


As AmericaBlog explains
, the new GOP Senate minority used its first filibuster to derail a huge governmental ethics overhaul yesterday.

Lovely...

|
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
 
"You got the touch! You got the power!"

Funniest. Scene. Ever...



P.S. A gold star goes to the reader who can tell me what 80's one-hit wonder plays the studio engineer in this scene...

|
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
 
While I Appreciate The Fact That The F-Word Made It On Live TV...

...fuck you too, you over-peroxidized skank...


P.S.
It's a good thing she wore eye black. You never know when the Saints might've put her in the game...

UPDATE:
Fox is apologizing for airing the F-word in question. Predictably, they caught some heat from the puritanical asswipes at the Parents Television Council, and quickly grabbed their ankles.

There are some very silly people in this country...

2nd UPDATE:
Do yourself a big favor and check out the PTC's write-up on the syndicated version of "Sex and the City".

They're so offended by the show's content, they've cut-and-pasted entire sections of dialogue like this to their website:

Richard: "Maybe later if you're good, I'll give you pearl necklace to match."

Charlotte: "My father gave me the most beautiful pearl necklace for my sweet sixteen."

Samantha: "Actually we're talking about the other kind of pearl necklace. You know, the kind where the guy decorates your neck?"
Hilarious...

|
 
Republicans Say The Darnedest Things!
“Are we going to force the Jews to apologize for killing Christ?”
--Frank D. Hargrove, Republican in Virginia's House of Delegates
Hargrove is voicing opposition to an apology for slavery which is making its way through Virginia's legislature...

|
 
The White House Is Firing US Attorneys Across The Country...

Could some of the legal minds that read this site please explain how/why this is happening?

Thanks in advance...

|
Monday, January 15, 2007
 
Tomlinson the Hypocrite...

"I would never react in that way. I was very upset," Tomlinson said. "When you go to the middle of our field and start doing the dance Shawne Merriman is known for, that is disrespectful. They showed no class and maybe that comes from the head coach."

Merriman, nicknamed "Lights Out," did a spasmodic dance to celebrate each of his NFL-high 17 sacks.
So let me get this straight LT...you're saying the Patriots have no class because they were mocking one of your players who celebrates his sacks by taunting other teams? Are you kidding me?

I respect LaDainian Tomlinson a lot on the field. He's the best running back in the game and he plays the game the way it should be played. However, he acted like a complete moron and a sore loser after the Chargers lost to the underdog Patriots yesterday.

Like a fool, Tomlinson went after someone on the Patriots right after the Chargers lost. The above quote explains why he did so. Again, are you kidding me?

Is this what our society has come to? Now it's disrespectful to mock players who act like idiots and celebrate every sack like they just won the super bowl? Hey, LT you might want to think before you say something stupid again because Merriman shows no class every time he does that stupid dance.

And LT, answer me this...was it classy when Merriman sent Miami Dolphins Defensive Player of the Year Jason Taylor popcorn in the mail so "that he can watch the Chargers in the playoffs" all because Taylor had the temerity to rightfully question why Merriman was rewarded with a Pro Bowl spot when he was suspended four games for using an illegal substance? Looks like your team might have no class, LT. And I guess Merriman should ask for the popcorn back so he can watch the Patriots and Colts on TV next week.

And LT, refresh my memory...who was the team that got flagged twice in the second half for taunting and for late hits? Oh, that's right it was your classy San Diego Charger teammates.
And another question...since when is it classy to try and start a fight with opposing players after you lost? Look in the mirror LT before you accuse somebody of having no class after you tried starting a post-game fight.

LT, you're a great player, but you acted like a fool after the game and then sounded like a hypocritical fool afterwards. If Merriman is going to dance around like an idiot and show up opposing teams every time he makes a play one would think that tends to irritate the other team. One would also tend to think that fires the other team up and also sets Merriman up to be taunted himself if he does not back his taunting or his play by winning.

Maybe the Patriots shouldn't have danced around afterward, but if Merriman shows some class himself that would have never happened. And LT, you guys were the best team in football and should have coasted to the super bowl. Maybe if guys like Merriman spent less time taunting Jason Taylor and more time focusing on the Patriots you would still be playing.

So LT, the next time you call out another team for being unclassy you might want to look around at your teammates and their actions and ask yourself just how classy your team is.

You're a great player and a future Hall of Famer, LT.

But after the childish way you reacted to losing and the way you whined afterward, you're also a hypocrite.

|
Friday, January 12, 2007
 
NFL Divisional Playoff Picks...

My nerves are going crazy right now, so let's get analytical. I gotta take the emotion out of this thing.

Here are my predictions for this weekend's phenomenal slate of games:

Saturday
Baltimore Ravens 21
Indianapolis Colts 17

Philadelphia Eagles 28
New Orleans Saints 20

Sunday
Chicago Bears 31

Seattle Seahawks 16

New England Patriots 27
San Diego Chargers 14

Don't fuck with Tom Brady in the playoffs. Just don't...

|
 
Let's Keep The Metal Rolling...

Since it went over so well this morning, let throw those horns one more time...

"Be Quiet and Drive" by Deftones


|
 
12 Guitar Solos In One Five-Minute Song?

Sounds like a great way to start off a Friday morning to me!

"Hangar 18" by Megadeth



P.S. It's hard to believe this video actually gave me the creeps when I was a kid...

|
Thursday, January 11, 2007
 
David Caruso Is A God-Awful Actor...

I don't watch any of the CSI shows and consider myself fortunate for that fact, especially after seeing this sampling of David Caruso's Shatneresque cadence on "CSI: Miami"...



Question of the day: Which actors are so untalented they shouldn't continue getting roles?

My nominees are Scarlett Johansson and Josh "The Shaved Ape" Hartnett. Don't ever rent "The Black Dahlia". It's an awful movie, pretty much because of these two pieces of particle board...

|
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
 
Fox News Anchor Calls Ted Kennedy "Hostile Enemy" Of The U.S...

Not Bill O'Reilly, not Brit Hume, not Sean Hannity, but Gretchen Carlson, an anchor on Fox News sees Ted Kennedy as a "hostile enemy" on the same level as the insurgency in Iraq.

You can see the clip here.

Smell that balance!!!

|
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
 
Congrats To These Legends...



And big fat boos to this spineless cheater...


I guess people do sometimes get what they deserve...

|
 
I Make Fun Of Him Pretty Frequently...

...but Arnold Schwarzenegger deserves a lot of credit for trying to make sure all Californians have healthcare coverage...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today proposed upending just about every portion of the healthcare industry in one of the country's most elaborate efforts at holding down medical costs and expanding insurance to those who don't have it.

Schwarzenegger's plan, which he publicly unveiled at noon, would require employers with 10 workers or more to buy insurance for their workers or pay a fee of 4% of their payroll into a program to help provide coverage for the uninsured.
You can check out more details of the plan here.

It takes guts for any politician, especially a Republican, to propose an idea with this much reach and potential impact. Kudos to the Governator.

Kudos also to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) for trying to improve American healthcare on the federal level...

P.S. Hat tip to Lady Donnybrook for this one!

|
Monday, January 8, 2007
 
COMIC RELIEF...
UPDATE....In two playoff games this season Harrison has a staggering six catches for 93 yards and no touchdowns. The Patriots Jabar Gaffney who had 11 catches during the regular season has 18 playoff catches and two touchdowns. Wow! Harrison really is backing up Demasio's ridiculous claim!
Congratulations to Sports Illustrated's Nunyo Demasio for being the latest in a line of instant historians these days.

In an SI article last week, Demasio suggested that Marvin Harrison might be the best receiver ever. Even better than Jerry Rice.

Stop laughing everybody. I know it's hilarious, but I think the guy was actually serious. Come on. Try and stop laughing. The guy probably thinks he knows something about football and really believes he might be on to something.

Okay laugh away because suggesting what he does is pretty funny.

Marvin Harrison the best receiver ever? Are you kidding me? This guy is not even in the same league as Jerry Rice.

Unfortunately, Demasio does a poor job of backing his claim as he only cites a stat about Harrison catching his 1,000th pass in 14 fewer games than Rice. Wow, that convinces me!

And yes Harrison has some impressive statistics but being the best isn’t just about how great your stats are. Being great and being the best is about when you play your best and what you do when you are on football's biggest stage.

Jerry Rice played his best in the biggest games possible. In three Super Bowl wins with the 49ers, Rice had at least seven catches and 148 yards. He scored a Super Bowl record three touchdowns twice and set the all-time receiving yardage mark against the Bengals, catching 11 passes for 215 yards. And Rice also had two huge catches on that legendary game-winning drive that helped the Niners rally past the Bengals. It also was Rice who caught the game-tying touchdown after the Bengals had taken a 13-6 third-quarter lead.

But when it comes to Harrison, he mirrors his teammate Peyton Manning and saves his best games for the regular season. When it comes to the postseason, Harrison has been a dud.

In his latest clutch playoff performance, Harrison caught an astronomical two passes for 48 yards and zero touchdowns against the vaunted Chiefs defense. Talk about a living legend.

The headline of the story "The marvelous and mysterious Marvin Harrison" could also apply to how he magically disappears every postseason.

Entering next week's divisional playoffs, Harrison had topped 100 yards in just one out of 11 playoff games. He also has scored a touchdown in just one playoff game.

Rice topped 100 yards in eight playoff games, caught at least one touchdown in 14 different games and topped five receptions (something Harrison has done just twice) 11 times.

To put it in a way Demasio can understand, look at what Rice did in his first 10 playoff games compared to Harrison. Rice won two super bowls, catching 56 passes for 915 yards and 12 touchdowns. In his first 10 playoff games, Harrison has caught 45 passes for 642 yards and two touchdowns. During that same time Harrison’s teams have won a whopping three playoff games while failing to top 20 points in any of their seven postseason losses.

And Demasio might want to watch some film before he makes outlandish statements about Harrison possibly being better than Rice again. Rice was a complete player. He caught big passes in big games, but he also was a great blocker. Watch Steve Young’s game-winning 1988 49-yard touchdown run against the Vikings and you see Rice throwing the final block. Watch John Taylor score on two 90-yard touchdowns against the Rams in 1989 and you see Rice throwing key blocks to spring him each time.

Rice also could take a pounding running the football. The greatest of all time ran for 645 yards and 10 touchdowns. Harrison?...10 carries for 28 yards. And last time I checked, Harrison still trails Rice by 85 career touchdowns, 105 if you count the playoffs.

That's right, Rice caught 22 career touchdown passes in the playoffs, while Harrison is stuck on two. And eight of those touchdowns came in the Super Bowl as he caught at least one (and three twice) in his four appearances.

Demasio might also want to watch film of the 2004 AFC championship. The game in which the Patriots defensive backs, specifically Ty Law, manhandled Harrison and limited him to three catches for 19 yards. The Patriots provided the blue print for slowing Harrison down and that is getting physical with him.

Try doing that to Rice and he would either overpower the corner or out-maneuver him. Rice was one of the strongest players in the game, but Harrison can’t handle the physical corners.

And unlike Harrison, Rice did not have the rules changed just so corners couldn’t muscle up on him the following year, the way the league did in 2004 after the Colts post-Patriots loss hissy-fit. The Colts Bill Polian was on the competition committee and magically the rules were changed the following year, making it easier for receivers to get open and catch passes.

So Demasio might also want to think about what Rice would have done if he had these pansy coverage rules in effect when he played. Chances are he would have had 250 touchdowns instead of 207.

Harrison is a gifted receiver but I also doubt he will have a 1,000-yard season and lead his team to the Super Bowl when he’s 40, the way Rice did with the Raiders in 2002. I also doubt Harrison could come back from a torn ACL to post three more 1,000-yard seasons after he hits 35 the way Rice did.

Harrison is an outstanding receiver and one of the best in the game today. But Demasio falls into the trap of immediately thinking that quantifies one as being the best of all time.

The bottom line is this: Somebody should buy Demasio some film and some history books because when it comes to studying NFL greats he fails miserably...

|
 
Animal Was The Shit...

...but you have to wonder if his remarkable drumming ability had anything to do with a vicious cocaine habit...


|
 
"Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight."

Are those the words of some Democrat who's been critical of President Bush's sloppy planning and execution of his war in Iraq?

Nope.

Those are Bush's own words from a mere 18 months ago. A full 180 from his current embrace of the McCain Doctrine.

Watch the video if you don't believe me...

|
 
FLY EAGLES FLY!!! ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY!!!

Behold. The thrill of victory...

...and the agony of defeat...


Nice hands, you big girl...

|
Friday, January 5, 2007
 
For Now, I'll Let The Numbers Do The Talking...

68% - Percentage of Americans that are "optimistic" about the Democratic Party controlling Congress.

85% - Percentage of Americans that favor raising the minimum wage.

77% - Percentage of Americans that favor "significant changes" to U.S. Policy in Iraq.

30% - President Bush's approval rating.

23% - President Bush's approval rating on the topic of Iraq.

11% - Percentage of Americans that favor the McCain Doctrine of escalating the war in Iraq.

Who's "out of the mainstream" now?

|
 

|
Thursday, January 4, 2007
 
Congratulations To Speaker Nancy Pelosi...

You Republicans will undoubtedly come up with a million reasons to tear her down, but today you have to recognize her as the most powerful woman in the history of U.S. politics.

Oh sure, Eleanor Roosevelt helped FDR run the show in the final years of his life, but even she was never a Segway accident and a busted pacemaker away from assuming the presidency itself.

How sad is it that it took until 2007 for a woman to make it this far in U.S. politics?

It really makes no sense when you consider that even countries like China, Cuba, North Korea and Vietnam all have more female representation in their legislatures.

Wow...

|
 
Notre Dame Takes An Ass-Kicking In The Swamp...

Good. They didn't deserve to be there in the first place.

They're quite a "mystical" program after losing NINE straight bowl games, aren't they?



Fuck 'em...

|
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
 
America: Ready For A President Who Smokes?

I was surprised to find out that Barack Obama is a smoker, probably only because most politicians have such carefully-manicured images, most people would be surprised if they actually took shits like the rest of us mere mortals.

That being said, Political Insider raises a good question: Could this revelation hurt Obama's chances in an '08 presidential run?

I don't think so, but that's just me. Our next president could be a glue-sniffing adrenaline junkie with an itchy trigger finger and still make me feel more at ease than George W. Bush...

P.S. Keep in mind that, once upon a time, our current President had a problem with a drug that's actually illegal...

P.P.S. Laura Bush smokes, too? My world is upside-down right now...

|
 
Bush Sends A Big "F*ck You" To The American People, Embraces "McCain Doctrine"...

A vast majority of Americans now oppose the war in Iraq, and want U.S. troops brought home within the next year.

In response to Bush's constant bungling of the situation in Iraq (among other things), Americans went to the polls less than 2 months ago and handed the Democratic party a clear mandate for changing America's course in Iraq.

Faced with an overwhelming amount of rejection to his Iraq policy, Bush now turns to another politically tone-deaf Republican, Sen. John McCain, to justify escalating U.S. involvement in Iraq.

As a result, Bush is expected to propose sending 20,000 more troops to Iraq to become fodder in the crossfire of a civil war which continues to spiral out of control.

That kind of incompetence may not technically be considered criminal, but it probably should be...

P.S. Big kudos to John Edwards for planting the ridiculous idea of escalation squarely at the feet of John McCain, where it belongs...

|
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
 
It's Official: My Goatee Is More Important To Me Than The Hair On My Head...

I shaved my goatee for the first time in nearly 8 years. Big mistake.

Pictures to come...

P.S. What facial feature are you most attached to?

P.P.S. I changed my mind on the pictures. Use your imagination...

|

Powered by Blogger