Friday, March 30, 2007
"Chocolate Jesus" Angers Right-Wing Blowhard...
Bill Donohue is such a silly little man.His Catholic League claims to "defend individual Catholics and the institutional Church from defamation and discrimination", but what he really is is a holier-than-thou publicity whore a la Jerry Falwell.
Ever vigilant of the the ongoing assault on Catholics in modern-day society (I'm at a loss for an example), he's taking on a New York City hotel that plans to display a statue of a naked Jesus made of chocolate.
Shock. Horror. What will we tell the children?, etc.
In true Christ-like fashion, the pious Mr. Donohue has taken the high road by promising to exact a little financial revenge on the hotel.
"It is the goal of the Catholic League to make (the hotel) financially bankrupt as well..."Undoubtedly, this is exactly the kind of vengeance Jesus Himself would've sought, don't you think?
P.S. I have to say, as a man who is 16 days away from becoming Catholic himself, Bill Donohue and his Catholic League do not and will never speak for me.
Never...
Thursday, March 29, 2007
This is the Sort of Thing
that makes a Dallas fan love Dan Snyder. Whether they make this move or not, he sends a really negative signal to Jason Campbell, the new "long term" starter in Washington. Maybe there weren't enough over-the-hill-former-greats to be signed. What's a rich idiot to do?
Measure Twice, Cut Once
I had sort of hoped for a dramatic statement from the new NFL Commish on player conduct, but I'd rather endure a few tedious weeks/months of negotiating now with Upshaw than to have new rules struck down in court. The NFLPA is for strengthening standards so it's far better to work with them now rather than fight them later.
What Does the Dyslexic-Insomniac-Agnostic Do?
..guess/scroll..
Stays up all night wondering if there really is a dog.
I Don't Know What's Worse...
...Randy Jackson's clothes or his ridiculous pink polka-dotted bass. You'll have to decide for me.
On the upside, this is my favorite Journey song...
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Freedom of Information...
...cuts all sorts of ways. Why not make easily available information as to whom among us is permitted by law to carry a concealed weapon?
There are good reasons the records are open to public scrutiny. People might like to know if their neighbors carry. Parents might like to know if a member of the car pool has a pistol in the glove box. Employers might like to know if employees are bringing weapons to the office. And all Virginians have a stake in checking that their government is not making mistakes, for example, by issuing permits to convicted felons. Open records allow the media or any private citizen to check.
Let the sun shine in. Gun owners proud enough to pour millions into the NRA coffers and sport bumper stickers hailing Charlton Heston as their President should be recognized.
Thanks to the Freakonomics guys.You Know You're In Utah When...
You can't have a license plate that says MERLOT. At first, the Utah state government did not realize what Merlot was. It took an anonymous caller to get the guy busted.
Eurick's car with the offending plate is dark red, like the wine. He said few people who asked about the plate made the connection. Though one man did ask "if we chose merlot because there were too many letters in cabernet sauvignon," Eurick said.
Who Blinks?
Josh Fortier of The Hill calls this just right. This Iraq/Afghanistan/usual-pork-plus-some (supplemental) budget showdown will likely have stakes for one side like the '95 budget showdown that backfired on Gingrich and gang. Don' t take too much stock in what Jack Murtha says about Bush backing down, Bush will veto this. He and Karl are betting the Democrats will take the greater share of the blame. It's a close call. What do you think? *
*(Let me be clear, I don't give a r**'* **s what you think, but who do you think will be blamed most after Bush vetoes this? We will assume you are assigning blame to the other side unless you tell us otherwise. By "we", I mean of course, me and my staff here in the spacious Donnybrook Building.)
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
|
Some Have Said Katie Couric Sucks As A Person...
You'd think someone who lost a loved one to cancer would show a little compassion.
You'd be wrong.
DrFrankLives has written a moving piece about the Edwards' decision to press on in spite of Elizabeth's situation. Please take the time to read it.
P.S. Nothing but the best to Tony Snow, who is now dealing with his own recurrence of cancer...
Monday, March 26, 2007
Another One Bites the Dust
So another audit, another resignation.
Mr. Small, 66, a former executive at Citibank and mortgage financier Fannie Mae, had led the Smithsonian since January 2000. He submitted his resignation over the weekend, and the governing board unanimously accepted it, effective immediately.
Seems Mr. Small had an unquenchable thirst for high end hotel, locations, food, etc.....all at taxpayer expense.
Kudos to Senator Grassley for making this happen. And more because he has larger goals:
"In addition to two statutorily mandated regents — Vice President Dick Cheney and John G. Roberts Jr., Chief Justice of the United States — the board includes six lawmakers, three of whom are chosen by the Senate and three by the House. The rest are selected by the existing regents. Such a system, said Rick Cohen, former executive director of the Center for Responsive Philanthropy, can lead to inadequate oversight."
Uh, yep. Sen. Grassley is calling for a change to how this "board" operates and who will be part of it. Get after it, Chuck.
Remember that the outgoing Republican Congress voted to kill the special Iraqi Reconstruction Inspector General after 2007. Nov. 7th changed that. The head of the General Services Administration wanted to see big cuts in the IG office at her agency. No wonder.
Even David Stockman, the Reagan budget director who decried the "rosy scenarios" and "magic asterisks" of the Reagan era White House budgets, has been indicted for securities fraud.
Keeping records and letting stockholders/voters check them pays off; in government as in business.
How Long Can This Last?
I was a little surprised that Gonzales lasted the weekend. After today has seen an aide take the Fifth for the DOJ hearings next month, how many Donnybrook readers think Gonzales will actually go to the Hill to testify in April?
I think he resigns to save himself and the White House a lot more trouble. I don't know when he resigns - it could be useful for the White House to keep this going to keep attention from Iraq, Patriot Act abuses, the ever-bumbling GSA Administrator Doan, etc. Still, its hard to see how the White House could let this stretch into the Easter recess...unless they are more worried about the next shoe(s) to fall.
No Looking At Who We Spied On!
NYC police "....fingerprint[ed] more than a thousand people who faced charges no more serious than traffic tickets. Some were detained as long as two days for minor offenses." Now they want to be sure that nobody knows who they spied on and have asked the court to help keep their secret.
It is not as though they simply watched people who arrived in NYC in 2004 for the convention. No. The NYPD Intel Division "sent undercover detectives around the city, the country and the world to collect information on political activists and others planning to demonstrate at the 2004 convention, according to a sampling of records reviewed by The New York Times that were the subject of an article yesterday."
Oh well, I wasn't using my civil liberties anyway. The camel's nose is under the tent on individual rights.
Just Go, Joe
So Theismann is out and Jaws is in. I will not miss Joe one bit. He has one of those voices that just rubs me wrong. He does know the game, but you could almost hear the resentment towards Kornheiser dripping off of his words this year. Did Tony rip him in the papers when Theismann was a Red(fore)skin? Or was it just Joe being Joe?
This one hit me right between the eyes this morning when I saw a commercial for "Firehouse Dog".
Can we all come together as a people and realize that it's time to retire the whole "heroic animal that improbably saves the day whilst wearing sunglasses" angle?
I'm dying for some legitimate creativity out of the Hollywood crap factory...
Friday, March 23, 2007
In Honor Of Our New Contributor...
Regular commenter, john, will become the newest contributor to this site fairly soon, and I couldn't be happier. He's a very sharp and funny guy and I'm sure he'll bring a lot to the conversation.
In honor of john's appreciation for the acoustic guitar, I'm posting my favorite acoustic piece of all time, Eric Johnson's "Song For Life".
Obviously, I'm an electric guitar guy, but I can respect the mellow acoustic stuff as well...
P.S. This version was taken from an instructional video, so disregard the strange visual cues and enjoy the song...
It's A Good Morning To Wake Up With Some Squeeze...
I apologize for picking the big hit single.
I would've gone with "Annie Get Your Gun" or "Goodbye Girl", but YouTube's options were severely lacking.
Anyway, here's "Tempted"...
P.S. Enjoy the horrible 80's fashions on the backup singers...
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Best Of Luck To An Incredibly Impressive Lady...
Elizabeth Edwards is quite a person.
Even in discussing her own recurrence of cancer, she gracefully shifted the focus away from herself and onto the millions of Americans suffering from this horrible disease.
Here's hoping for a full and speedy recovery...
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
I Knew There Was A Reason I Didn't Like Gibson Guitars...
They let Kiefer Sutherland design a guitar. Yuck.
I'm happy to report that all the musicians that have designed guitars for PRS are actually musicians...
I Wanna Be There When A Religious Conservative Reads This...The top 10 gay animals in the world, according to LiveScience.com...
1. Black swan
2. Bottlenose Dolphins
2. Bottlenose Dolphins
3. Giraffes
4. Guianan-Cock-of-the-Rock
5. Walrus
6. American Bison
7. Kob antelope
7. Kob antelope
8. Gray Whale
9. Japanese macaques
10. Bonobo Chimpanzees
Of all these, I have to say the walrus surprises me the least. They just look like old queens with those cheesy 70's mustaches.
It's a very Charles Nelson Reilly look...
Monday, March 19, 2007
|
Bill Richardson Makes Things Happen...
...which sets him apart from the rest of the Democratic field, who've been spending most of their time talking as of late.
Governor Richardson may have just harpooned his opportunity to become the next President of the United States by legalizing medical marijuana in New Mexico, but he did the right thing by his constituents, no matter what the cost...
Results matter. Get things done for the people who hired you. Stop talking, start doing...
...which sets him apart from the rest of the Democratic field, who've been spending most of their time talking as of late.
Governor Richardson may have just harpooned his opportunity to become the next President of the United States by legalizing medical marijuana in New Mexico, but he did the right thing by his constituents, no matter what the cost...
Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson, poised to sign a bill making New Mexico the 12th state to legalize medical marijuana, said Thursday he realizes his action could become an issue in the presidential race.A note to the rest of that crowded field on both sides of the aisle:
"So what if it's risky? It's the right thing to do," said Richardson, one of the candidates in the crowded 2008 field. "What we're talking about is 160 people in deep pain. It only affects them."
Results matter. Get things done for the people who hired you. Stop talking, start doing...
A Personal Note To Wisconsin And Texas: Thanks A Shitload...
Thanks to these two underachieving squads that I picked to make the Final Four, my bracket looks like it just got maced and thrown in an open sewer.
I already hated the state of Texas for what can only be described as "obvious reasons", but I didn't think friendly Wisconsin was capable of this.
Now, I hope all those bastards eat themselves into cheese-induced comas...
Friday, March 16, 2007
|
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
I Hate It When The U.S. Keeps This Kind Of Company...
What do the following countries have in common?
Brazil
Cuba
Egypt
Iran
North Korea
Philippines
Saudi Arabia
Syria
United States of America
Venezuela
Yemen
Click here for the embarrassing answer...
Eddie Izzard Talks Religion...
If you haven't seen Eddie's stand-up, you're really missing out. His new show on FX, "The Riches" is quite interesting, but his comedy is where it's at...
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Let's Talk March Madness...With Some Structure...
In order to streamline things, let's all share some bracket knowledge within 3 specific categories.
I'll list the categories, and share my insights. Feel free to jump in...
First round upsets
(13) Davidson over (4) Maryland
(13) Holy Cross over (4) Southern Illinois
(11) George Washington over (6) Vanderbilt
Unheralded team most likely to advance to the Sweet 16
(13) Davidson or (7) Nevada
Final Four teams
(2) Wisconsin
(1) Kansas
(4) Texas
(1) Ohio State
Monday, March 12, 2007
|
Friday, March 9, 2007
Let's Share Some Movie Recommendations...
We haven't done this in awhile, and I'm sure everybody's seen some gems recently. I've got a few for you, so don't be greedy!
Also, before I get to my picks, I'd like to throw out a philosophy that has never failed my wife and I:
Any movie made in the the British Isles (Ireland, England, Wales, etc...) is going to be good.I'm serious. Check some out, and you'll see what I mean.
Keeping Mum: Very dark comedy from Britain about a quirky old lady with a murderous streak...
Everything Is Illuminated: Very different flick about a Jewish American trying to trace his roots in the former Soviet Union...
On A Clear Day: Understated comedy from Britain about an old guy who loses his job and decides to swim the English Channel...
The Illusionist: Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti in the same flick. It's worth seeing for that reason alone...
This is a sterling example of why the "they all do it" argument doesn't fly for me.
Sure, both political parties have their share of scumbags, but Republicans specialize in preaching to each and every one of us reprobates what is immoral, untoward, and/or un-Christian.
Newt Gingrich is a man who essentially anointed himself the moral compass of American government back in the 90's. He went so far as to attempt a bloodless coup because a popular, twice-elected President had an extramarital affair while in the White House.
As it turns out, Newt was actually engaging in some of the exact same behavior as said President, and now wants to impress us by coming clean before he runs for President himself.
To him I can only say "Please run, and please win the GOP nomination." It'll be great to see another Clinton expose you for the asshole you are. That is, if Hillary gets the nod...
Thursday, March 8, 2007
The Good, Bad, and Ugly Of Basketball Unis...
The Good
The Golden State Warriors' throwbacks. Awesome...The Bad
The Milwaukee Bucks' road unis. Why'd they get rid of the purple?The Ugly
Tight jersey + super-baggy shorts = SHIT SANDWICH...Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Go Ahead, Dubya...I Dare Ya...
Break out that pardon pen and give your pal Scooter the jump. Seriously, I'm begging you to do it.
With one stroke of that pen, you can guarantee that your already flailing Republican party will spend at least the next few years mired in an electoral Hades.
Go ahead, fake cowboy. Let's see what you got...
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Dick Cheney's Former Right-Hand Man Found GUILTY...
...and in honor of Libby the Liar's impending trip to federal prison, here's a fun little ditty dedicated to the Bush Administration's very own Fall Guy...
Monday, March 5, 2007
Why Are Ethnic Restaurants Never Open For Breakfast?Chinese, Mediterranean, Indian, Italian, Mexican, etc...
You name the cuisine, and there's not a breakfast item to be found, and the restaurants sure as hell aren't open before 11am.
Why is that? Presumably the people of those cultures eat something before lunch. Why don't they share it with the rest of us?
This idea has got me longing for the traditional full Irish breakfast. Where the hell can I get one of those around here???
Want A Real Reason To Hate Hollywood?
Here it is...
Geico cavemen could star in TV seriesWill the Budweiser frogs be making a cameo appearance?
Those Geico "cavemen" shouldn't be so upset after all -- they may get their own television series.
ABC said Friday it had ordered a pilot for a comedy, tentatively titled "Cavemen," that features the characters used in a series of ads by the insurance company.
In the ads, cavemen appear insulted by a Geico pitchman's claim that the company's Web site is so easy to use that "even a caveman can do it."
The potential series, one of 14 pilots that will be produced by Touchstone Television this spring, features the cavemen as they "struggle with prejudice on a daily basis as they strive to live the lives of normal thirty-somethings in 2007 Atlanta."
As a person who actually sat through "Encino Man", I can't imagine there's a segment of the population begging for this show to be made...
Coulter Calls John Edwards A "Faggot", Conservatives Cheer...
But, really, what does he/she care?
It'll still get booked to do the Today Show, it'll surely be invited back to CPAC next year, and its next book will still be snatched up by conservatives who either a.) dig the way he/she "tells it like it is", or b.) like the way an Adam's Apple looks on a "woman".
Once again, it'll laugh all the way to the bank.
Stay tuned for some impassioned conservative defense of The Man Herself...
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Anyone Else Get Horrible Anxiety When They Buy Something New?
I get nervous when I wear a brand new T-shirt out of the house, how the hell am I supposed to adjust to playing a guitar that is worth more than my car? I'm serious about that, BTW.
A very strange and unexpected side effect from a stroke of incredibly good luck...
