Wednesday, February 28, 2007
In Keeping With My Upbeat Mood Today...
...here's a catchy little ditty about a senile old lady in a retirement home.
"Veronica" by Elvis Costello
My Ship Has Come In!!!
Guess what showed up a couple of months earlier than expected!!!
(Click on each picture for the full-size shot.)
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Hungry? Just Have A Few Sprays Of Memphis BBQ!
Just heard David Burke on Ron & Fez.
This guy sounds like he may be a genius or some sort of amphetamine tweeker.
That being said, who the hell am I to argue with zero-calorie strawberry shortcake spray and smoked salmon lollipops???
Just heard David Burke on Ron & Fez.
This guy sounds like he may be a genius or some sort of amphetamine tweeker.
That being said, who the hell am I to argue with zero-calorie strawberry shortcake spray and smoked salmon lollipops???
First Lady: "One Bombing A Day" Makes Iraq Look Bad...
She's a real military expert, isn't she? Check out this expert analysis:
"Many parts of Iraq are stable now. But, uh, of course, what we see on television is the one bombing a day that discourages everyone."Someone should remind this zombie that we're still losing close to 3 soldiers a day thanks that oh-so insignifcant/politically inconvenient "one bombing a day".
Oh, and that Iraq is mired in a full-scale civil war. Tell her that, too...
Monday, February 26, 2007
Cheney Admits Democratic Congress More Serious About Fighting Terrorism...
No bullshit.
Mere days after suggesting Democrats in Congress want to "validate the al-Qaeda strategy", Uncle Dick tells the President of Pakistan that the Democratic Congress will cut aid to his country unless he clamps down on the resurgence of al-Qaeda in his nation.
How exactly is that a bad thing, Dick?
Friday, February 23, 2007
Vito Bratta Comes Out Of The Woodwork After 15 Years...
For those of you who don't know, Vito was the amazing guitarist for a very cheesy 80's hair band called White Lion.
The band had a decent enough sound, even though their lead singer sounded a little like Britney Spears. Vito stood out because his playing was head and shoulders above any of the wannabe shredders from the 80's (I'm talking to you, C.C. DeVille!).
Vito hasn't been heard from for over a decade, but has finally come back and given an interview to Eddie Trunk. Check it out here.
For a little taste of Vito's playing, check out "Little Fighter" from their album, Big Game. The solo that kicks in at 2:46 should put you on your ass if you're starved for some incredible guitar playing...
Ignore The Substance Of This Article...
...and turn your attention to this fascinating passage:
“This is an extraordinary development,” said Dr. Kevin de Cock, director of the World Health Organization’s AIDS department. “Circumcision is the most potent intervention in HIV prevention that has been described.”That's right. The World Health Organization's circumcision expert's name is Kevin de Cock.
The W.H.O.'s colorectal cancer expert, Dr. Raymond T. Bunghole couldn't be immediately reached for comment...
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
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"Shut Up And Sing": Why Does It Only Apply To Politics?
Let me start by saying I'm not too wrapped up in the political opinions of celebrities.
I defended the Dixie Chicks because they were the victims of a hate-filled witch hunt over what can only be described as one of the most innocuous political barbs ever directed at a chief executive. Outside of that, I don't put a whole lot of stock in what celebrities say about politics.
I'm sick of Barbra Streisand, I can't stand the rantings of tough-guy assholes like Ted Nugent, and I'm really tired of opportunistic suck-ups like Dennis Miller.
That being said, I'm fascinated by people's impassioned reactions when celebrities on the right or left voice controversial (or not so controversial) political opinions. They might be better-known than most of us, but what is about fame that somehow de-legitimizes an American citizen's right to have an opinion regarding politics?
Which brings me to my point: Why are people almost NEVER so impassioned when a celebrity does a commercial or sells a product they have next to no knowledge of?
No one calls out Tiger Woods for shilling cars for Buick, even though he probably has ZERO knowledge about manufacturing cars. Could he disassemble and reassemble a carburetor by himself? Does he change his own oil? Hell, is he even from Detroit!
So why is there no public outcry against Tiger to just shut up and swing?
Take a look through this list of celebrity endorsements, and you'll see more bizarre pairings than an all-night wedding chapel in Vegas.
Where's the anger?
Why do people want celebrities to avoid political commentary for which they're receiving no compensation, but gladly welcome them to shill products for which they're being handsomely rewarded?
From that perspective, at least their motives are purer when they're not on somebody's payroll...
Why Is The British Troop Withdrawal A "Positive" Sign...
...but the mere mention of withdrawing some U.S. troops is somehow an attempt to "validate the al Qaeda strategy"?
And by extension, if British forces are only leaving areas like Basra that are relatively calm, why don't they redeploy to areas where U.S. forces are struggling in the crossfire of a civil war and provide some relief to our troops, who aren't going home any time soon?
UPDATE: Talking Points Memo has picked up on my point...
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Do Me A Favor...
Click on this link, read through some of the articles, and tell me what you think.
P.S. I'm going bare bones today because I'm busy...
Who In The Fawning Media Will Step Up And Call John McCain A Flip-Flopper?Dick Polman from the Philadelphia Inquirer is onto him, but will anyone follow his example, or just keep on treating McCain with kid gloves?
Check out this 180-degree turn on the issue of abortion:
"Certainly in the short-term, or even the long-term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade...thousands of young American women would be performing illegal and dangerous operations."Abortion is just one issue where McCain is having a pre-Republican primary season "change of heart". The Carpetbagger Report is keeping track.
--John McCain, trying to cast himself as the moderate maverick in the Republican presidential field in 1999...
"I do not support Roe v. Wade. It should be overturned."
--John McCain, trying to win over the religious right, here in 2007...
All aboard the Flip-Flop Express!!!
UPDATE: Not only is McCain a flip-flopper, apparently he's become a bit of a pussy, too. After criticizing Dick Cheney recently, he sought out the Vice President on the Senate floor and apologized profusely. Way to stick to your guns, tough guy...
Friday, February 16, 2007
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Thursday, February 15, 2007
A Cool New Feature For Those Of You Suffering From A.D.D....
I was checking on Random John's site, and noticed a very cool feature.
Snap.com enables you to get a quick preview of any of the links on my site without actually clicking on them.
All you need to do is scroll all the way to the bottom of this page and look for the box with the Snap logo. From there, you just need to enable the previews.
Enjoy!
Tim Hardaway Auditions For Focus On The Family...
Ladies and gentlemen, your next conservative hero-in-training. Are you listening, Dr. Dobson?
Former Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway said on a radio show Wednesday afternoon that he would not want a gay player on his team.He even managed to work in the old "gay men want to have sex with every man they see" stereotype that Jeremy Shockey subscribes to.
"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known," Hardaway said. "I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."
Hardaway was a guest of Miami Herald columnist Dan Le Batard on the Miami radio show Sports Talk 790 and was asked how he would deal with a gay teammate. When asked if he would accept an active player's coming out, such as that of retired NBA center John Amaechi, Hardaway replied: "First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team."
"And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that's right. And you know I don't think he should be in the locker room while we're in the locker room. I wouldn't even be a part of that," he said.
I'm guessing you'll be seeing a lot of right-wing noisemakers coming to this bigot's defense over the next few days.
Just a hunch...
UPDATE: Hardaway has issued a classic non-apology apology...
"Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that," he said. "That was my mistake."He's not sorry for being an anti-gay bigot. He's just sorry he told everyone he's an anti-gay bigot. Make sense?
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
The Sixers Will Don Some Snazzy New Duds Tonight...
It's important that they look good since they're not worth watching for any basketball-related reasons.
I especially dig the "PHILA" wordmark, which harkens back to the Sixers' old school Wilt Chamberlain-era unis...
This Never Fails To Make Me Smile...
Something about the Smurfs taking a home loss is simply magical...
Virginia Tech 81
UNC 80
Relax, Huckleberry. You're not actually in the game...
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Country Music Suddenly Doesn't Dig "Outlaws"...
Don't tell Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, or any of the Hank Williamses, but country music no longer has room for "outlaws".
This article about country radio's rejection of the Dixie Chicks is hilarious. One particular passage really cracked me up.
“If you’re trying to offer an olive branch to country radio, that’s not the way to do it,” said Ken Tucker, Billboard country music correspondent. “The Chicks are celebrating being the outlaws.”That single quote points to a far larger point: Country music is nothing more than a soulless carbon copy of its former self.
I'm not a huge fan of any time period of country music, but there are a handful of old school country tunes I do enjoy. Very bluesy stuff.
That being said, the music fan in me realizes that there was a time when many country music artists revelled in being different, experimenting with different sounds and ideas, and going against the Nashville hierarchy.
Fast forward to 2007, when country music is all about marketing, making money for corporate interests, conforming to conservative America's idea of what's "acceptable" and churning out the same droll songs perpetually in order to make money, money, money.
Put simply: It's SAFE.
Today's country music has no edge whatsoever. So, naturally, when an act like the Dixie Chicks came along and (God forbid!) spoke their minds, the shock troops of "conservative correctness" and the country music business itself freaked out.
That's how washed-out and safe country music is now. So safe that one can see how these eleven words...
"Just so you know, we're ashamed the President is from Texas."...can be inflated into an all-out anti-patriotic assault against the nation's chief executive.
The Dixie Chicks are lucky. They're more creative and more interesting than anything else country music has going on, and they'll be better off on their own.
Maybe you disagree. If so, maybe you'll be tempted to buy a Ford truck because big, bad Toby Keith told you to...
Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney Digs Freedom...
Great. Another GOP'er with tremendously deep feelings about freedom.
That's heavy...
Monday, February 12, 2007
A Big "F*ck You" From The Dixie Chicks...
They say the best revenge is living well. The Dixie Chicks are certainly doing that after winning 5 Grammys last night.
The phony conservative hysteria whipped after Natalie Maines's innocuous comment about our hayseed President was an absolute embarrassment. It's good to see them take a victory lap, even if it didn't happen until a vast majority of the country turned on Bush's war...
P.S. The Police sounded great until Sting got all jazzy and weird during "Roxanne". Still, it was awesome to them together again. Also, John Mayer was on fire during his performance. He's a fantastic guitar player...
Friday, February 9, 2007
We've Lost Our Beloved Anna Nicole...
Today seems so hollow and empty to me. Why do the good ones die so young?
The entire blogosphere seems to be crying out: "Why Anna?" She was so stable, so centered, and so vital to the hopes and dreams of a troubled nation.
Thankfully, CNN has temporarily jettisoned any shred of journalistic integrity and focused their energies solely on the great American tragedy unfolding in Florida.
It's good to know that some people haven't lost sight of what's really important in the world.
For the rest of the day, let's just share our favorite Anna Nicole Smith moments. Mine are far too numerous to fit into one painfully inadequate blog entry.
Be good to each other today. For Anna Nicole's sake...
Thursday, February 8, 2007
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Movies That Everyone's Seen, But You Haven't?Here are my most outrageous:
"The Wizard Of Oz" (No interest to me whatsoever.)
"Raiders Of The Lost Ark" (I saw the other two movies, I got the point.)
"Gone With The Wind" (I've heard it's very long, and I know my side won. Good enough for me.)
What else?
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
If You Thought John Kerry Was A Flip-Flopper...
...wait until you get a load of Republicans Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani.
Over the next few months, you're gonna see these two hucksters flip and flop more than the fish at the end of Faith No More's "Epic" video...
P.S. Now that Rudy's just about officially in the race, who will be the first media figure to point out that he has ZERO foreign policy experience?
Stay tuned...
Religious Right's Obsession With Sex Could Now Come Complete With An Actual Body Count...
Mark it down. I'm about to defend a Republican.
Texas Governor Rick Perry wants to innoculate all of his state's female children from the human papilloma virus, a sexually-transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer. A good idea since cancer is, you know, really bad and stuff.
Now, you can argue that, from a libertarian perspective, you don't want the government making that decision for you or your kids, and that's fine.
However, the conservative right is naturally turning this into a sex-obsessed inquisition.
Gov. Rick Perry stood firm Monday against a political firestorm generated by his order that sixth-grade girls be inoculated against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer.Is there a more sex-obsessed group of people in this country than the religious right? This is exactly why I'm never surprised when one of these holier-than-thou assholes is proven to be steeped in hypocrisy a la Ted Haggard.
Social conservatives from Texas to Washington called on Perry to reverse his order making Texas the first state to require the vaccine, saying the mandate makes sex seem permissible and that parents should be the ones to decide whether to immunize their daughters. And several Texas lawmakers expressed outrage at Perry for circumventing the legislative process.
Makes you wonder if an AIDS vaccine ever comes along, would the kooky conservative right will be against that, too?
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
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Monday, February 5, 2007
The Clock Is Ticking...Again...
So, I'm sending the (wrong) PRS back to its home in Stevensville, Maryland.
On the upside, this little bump in the process made me realize I want a different finish than the Emerald Green I chose initially. This time, I'm going with the Vintage Natural finish.
See you in 2-3 months!!!
Please Allow Me A Break From The Media's Peyton Manning Tongue Bath...
...to remind you that the N.C. State Wolfpack sent the #3 UNC Tar Heels back to Chapel Hole with an embarrassing 83-79 loss this weekend.
How do you feel about that, Huckleberry Hound?
Congrats on getting the first one, Coach Lowe...
P.S. Peyton Manning did not deserve the MVP. That award should've gone to Prince. I'm not kidding...
Friday, February 2, 2007
THE GUITAR IS HERE...AND IT'S THE WRONG GUITAR!!!
Oh boy.
I ordered this:
and I got this:
My head is spinning...
Thursday, February 1, 2007
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