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The Donnybrook
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
 
We're off to Montreal!!!



See you next Tuesday! (That bit never gets old...)

P.S. john and Rich, feel free to shine while I'm out of town. Peace!

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This is how good Eric Johnson is...

This clip is just an improvised intro to an instructional video he did back in the 90's, and it's still better than anything any other guitar player on the planet is capable of.

Just silly.



I'd kill for that tone...

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It's official: Valerie Plame was a covert agent...

A note to all the wingers who said outing Plame was not a crime because she was not undercover: You're morons.

In new court filings, special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has finally resolved one of the most disputed issues at the core of the long-running CIA leak controversy: Valerie Plame Wilson, he asserts, was a “covert” CIA officer who repeatedly traveled overseas using a “cover identity” in order to disguise her relationship with the agency.

Fitzgerald cites Wilson’s covert status as part of his argument—advanced in two strongly worded memos filed in recent days—that I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, should be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
No mention of this on Drudge. Try to act surprised...

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Tuesday, May 29, 2007
 
I think it's pretty close...

What do you folks think?



Hat tip to DrFrankLives for reminding me of this cool page...

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What job did you hold for the shortest period of time?

Back in college, I foolishly signed up for a summer job painting houses in the greater Raleigh area.

The money seemed decent, but as a person who a.) hates manual labor and b.) hates hot weather, I was doomed from the start.

After scaling a 20-foot ladder in 90-degree heat on my first morning, I hung around for exactly 3 hours: The time I showed up for work (9am) until I left for lunch (12pm).

I just never went back. The boss called me at home, and tried to get me to come back, and I gave him a simple "Hell, no."

Not my proudest moment, but still a very wise decision...

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8 more U.S. troops die on Memorial Day...

What "progress" looks like in Bushworld...

At least eight U.S. soldiers were killed in restive Diyala province north of Baghdad on Memorial Day, two of the victims in a helicopter that went down, the military reported Tuesday.

...

The latest casualties raised the U.S. military death toll to at least 112 this month, making May the deadliest month since December 2006, when the same number were killed.
I know I do a lot of these kinds of posts, and I want you to know that I won't be stopping until a few more U.S. politicians pull their heads out of their asses and end this war...

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Monday, May 28, 2007
 
More Than Funny

Pachabel
stalker.

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Sunday, May 27, 2007
 
John and John

Funny and musical. They Might Be Giants was fun stuff.

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Perhaps They'll Listen Now

The version with the paintings. Satriani's version.
Joe's version is more than faithful to the original, and his soulful interpretation moves me. Hope it speaks to you.

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Are We an Oligarchy?

There has been a Bush or a Dole on every Republican ticket since '76. If Clinton wins in '08 we will have gone from a Bush to a Clinton to a Bush to a Clinton.

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Monster Pig

As Charlotte might say, "Some Pig."
Should be one hell of a pig pickin', or one hell of a taxidermy bill.

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Saturday, May 26, 2007
 
More on Clinton

Brian's list-topper speaks again.

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Intra-Mural Battles*

I take it as a really good sign that the quadrennial fights over abortion and gun control have migrated from the general election to the Repugnican primaries. This suggests that the electorate, taken collectively, has sided with long-standing Democratic principles rather than the short-sighted, narrow/small-minded positions taken by the right. I'd likely vote for the opponent of Guliani or McCain, but the fact that they are 2/3 of the top tier and are so difficult for the rabid-wing of the Repub party to accept is encouraging.

* Got that phrase from the Wall Street Journal, I think. At any rate, I readily admit that I have never had an original thought in my lifetime.

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Efffing Nutbags

I was disappointed to learn that my friend with whom I rarely agree (but always enjoy exchanging thoughts with), Anthony, was right when he said a poll had found that 35% of Democrats believe Bush knew about the 9/11 plans before that date and let it occur unfettered. This is complete horseshit, to my way of thinking. Don't get me wrong here, I think Bush is far and away the worst President of my lifetime (followed closely by Nixon, Johnson, and Carter). But c'mon folks. Where is the evidence to even suggest this is true? Similar lunatic theories were floated about FDR and 12/7/41. I find those equally ridiculous. I am disappointed in those conspiracy-theory Democrats. Let it go and focus on the future. Sheesh.

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Friday, May 25, 2007
 
Pretty Damning Stuff

Forget your legacy, Mr. President. You rushed into war hyping the "imminent" threat of WMD and later pretended that despite not finding them, all was o.k. Why? Because you were going to make America the messiah of democracy in the middle east and create a democratic state. You told us the occupation would last "about a year" and that oil revenues would fund the reconstruction if Iraq. (What little Iraqi oil there is being pumped, it's funding criminals and insurgents as much as anyone right now.)You strutted and gloated on the deck of the USS Lincoln. You condoned and defended torture - helping to create the most powerful recruiting images al-Qaeda will have for a generation to come. Thanks. Now, a bipartisan committee has released a report showing that you had far better insight into the problems we'd face than you ever shared with us. You even let Rumsfeld insist that no phase IV planning was really needed. How has that worked out? History will judge you accordingly. In the meanwhile the world inside and outside America, eagerly await 1.21.09.

Update: So now, Bush tells us that the Baker-Hamilton (ISG) report has appeal and he also says he has "constantly made clear" his attraction to it. So why did you ignore it in December, Mr. President. It seems the White House is already preparing for a gloomy September report from General Patraeus and wants to get out ahead of it.

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Which one is it, Mr. Bush?

Atrios raises a fantastic point.

In his presser yesterday, Bush made the point that leaving Iraq would be disastrous because the terrorists there would follow us back home and kill us all.

Then, he said if the Iraqi government asked us to leave, he'd immediately withdraw our troops...and happily await our certain destruction at the hands of those very same terrorists.

Which is it???

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Why I'll be pulling for Ottawa in the Stanley Cup Finals...

After the last 3 NHL seasons, Canadian hockey fans have got to be feeling like they're in the twilight zone.

In 2004, a team from Tampa Bay hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup. The next year, there wasn't even a season. And in 2006, a team based in Raleigh, North Carolina beat the Edmonton Oilers for the Cup.

Adding to the indiginity, both the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques fled Canada in the 90's for Phoenix and Colorado, respectively.

Now, the team in their nation's capital, the Senators, has a chance to bring the cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993, and they're playing a team from Southern California called the "Ducks".

That's enough reason right there.

Moreover, after drawing about 13,000/game during their franchise's best season, the Nashville Predators should immediately pick up their stakes and move to either Winnipeg or Hamilton where an NHL team would be immensely appreciated...

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Hey, look who showed up for work!!!

After missing over a month of work in the Senate, and not casting a single vote since April 16th, Sen. John McCain finally decided to show up and do his job as a Senator yesterday!

Wooo hooo!!!

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Thursday, May 24, 2007
 
Dems give Bush his way, and he shits on them for their trouble...

What could possibly be the reasoning for ceding ANY ground to a President that:

1.) Is a lying sack of crap.
2.) Is reviled by at least 60% of Americans.
3.) Cannot be trusted with the security of this nation.

The reason being given is that the Democrats were afraid of being criticized if they stood their ground, as if that wouldn't happen if they gave Bush everything he wanted and threw in the occasional HJ as a bonus.

That's garbage, and we're no closer to ending the disastrous war in Iraq...

UPDATE: I've come down off the ledge. The time I've spent following politics has taught me one thing above all else: The highs are never as high as they seem, and the lows are never as low.

While I'm disappointed about the Democrats giving in to Bush's requests (and reinforcing his narrative while doing it), john has made some great points about the reality of the situation.

Also, this piece from Obsidian Wings sheds a little more light on the topic:
The early narrative on the Iraq funding debate is that Democrats “lost” and Bush “won.” Sorry, but I don’t buy that. People need to view this particular skirmish – and its inevitable, entirely-predictable conclusion – through a longer-term lens. If Bush “won,” it’s the most Pyrrhic victory of all time. The Democrats, by contrast, didn’t lose at all – in fact, they will only “lose” if they internalize the “Democrats Lost” narrative that seems to be dominating the perpetually near-sighted chattering classes.

At the outset, I should say that I’m not putting political considerations above war policy. The war is, however, the most important and substantive issue of the day (if not of our generation). And politics (at its highest form) is a debate over these types of substantive issues. So, I think it’s entirely appropriate to discuss the political back-and-forth and the strategies involved – not because this is a game, but because ending or continuing the war will turn on political strategies and elections.

With that in mind, let’s look at the “defeat.” First, Democrats had absolutely no chance of forcing troop withdrawal. None. The votes weren’t there because the margin of control is very slim, and because the Republicans are simply not yet frightened enough to abandon Bush. In addition, a chicken-like shutdown over war funding would, sadly, be blamed on Congress and could single-handedly revive Bush (which is why he refused to budge – he was hoping to trigger a shutdown).
I'm breathing easy now...Calmo...

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Hatched

More on the cronyism at the General Services Administration, brought to you by the culture of corruption. This finding comes after she has been found to have improperly awarded a no-competition contract to a friend's firm. Note that Doan criticizes the report for inaccuracy, cites and example, and has to retract because it is found to be inaccurate. One more fine administration brought to you by the Bush administration.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007
 
“I don’t believe that I intended to commit a crime..."

Spoken like a bonafide Bushbot.

This Monica Goodling is a real piece of work. Watch how she chases her tail while trying to evade answering whether or not she broke the law.



It's comforting to know that someone this sharp was given a highly influential job the Department of Justice...

UPDATE: Here's another choice clip of Goodling spinning, this time with Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL)...


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If Mitt Romney hates Massachusetts so much...

...why the hell did he move there to run for governor?

On several occasions, Romney has already lambasted his "home" state for its liberal leanings, but now he's actually made a TV ad that slams Massachusetts as "the most liberal state in the country".

That may not sound like a slam, but since most Republican primary voters put the word "liberal" in the same category as "pedophile" and "serial killer", the intent isn't difficult to see.

Check out the ad here...

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Apparent terrorist planned to bomb Falwell funeral protesters...

...and it's not a headline on Drudge?

I wonder why.

Even in death, the Rev. Jerry Falwell rouses the most volatile of emotions.

A small group of protesters gathered near the funeral services to criticize the man who mobilized Christian evangelicals and made them a major force in American politics -- often by playing on social prejudices.

A group of students from Falwell's Liberty University staged a counterprotest.

And Campbell County authorities arrested a Liberty University student for having several homemade bombs in his car.

The student, 19-year-old Mark D. Uhl of Amissville, Va., reportedly told authorities that he was making the bombs to stop protesters from disrupting the funeral service. The devices were made of a combination of gasoline and detergent, a law enforcement official told ABC News' Pierre Thomas. They were "slow burn," according to the official, and would not have been very destructive.

Why, oh why is this not headline news?

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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
 
Once upon a time, in their wildest dreams...


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Did your high school make the grade?

According to Newsweek, mine did not.

Bummer...

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Monday, May 21, 2007
 
Clinton Portis jumps to the top of my NFL shit list...

...and truth be told, this kind of attitude sends him soaring to the high end of my overall shit list as well...
Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis defended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in the dog-fighting controversy, WAVY-TV reported.

"I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it's his property, it's his dog," Portis told WAVY-TV. "If that's what he wants to do, do it. I think people should mind their business."

Portis also told WAVY-TV that he knows "a lot of back roads that got the dog fight if you want to go see it" and that "if it's behind closed doors, it's OK."
What an absolutely awful thing to say.

Portis thinks his right to privacy should include his being allowed to breed and train dogs with the intent of having them tear each other to shreds.

In my mind, there are few things in this world that can expose a person's lack of humanity more than cruelty to animals. Many serial killers dabbled in animal torture before moving on to human victims.

No, I'm not saying Clinton Portis is, or will ever be, a serial killer.

However, anyone that thinks THIS is OK as long as it's "behind closed doors" shares more than they may ever care to admit with the Jeffrey Dahmers of the world...

UPDATE: Here's another brilliant quote from the brain-dead Mr. Portis:
When told that dog fighting is a felony, Portis replied, "It can't be too bad of a crime."
Shithead...

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Apparently, the first album wasn't a fluke...

These guys have got themselves a really good sound...

"Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon 5


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Thursday, May 17, 2007
 
Fear and It's Consequences
Krulak and Hoar on torture.
Values matter. One of the greatest tests of a nation's values is how it treats its enemies once captured. The standards of the Geneva Convention should be afforded to any captured enemy, despite the fact that many/most of their leaders would not do the same. If we want to be the "good guys", we have to act like it.
(Note the backgrounds of Krulak and Hoar if the names are not familiar.)

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Guilty. Gone. Finally.
If only Gonzales and Doan would follow suit.

I find it telling that Wolfie threw his girlfriend under the bus by suggesting that she would have sued the bank if he did not get her the raise. What a guy.

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Ah, Brotherly Love
Some would probably tell us that it's because liberals run the place that gun violence is up. Guess they listens to Newt whenever possible. Philly now and then:
More guns, more peace. Get yours today!

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A No Confidence Vote for Gonzales?
It's overdue. The politicization of the Department of Justice and the lack of competent leadership is another stain on our government brought to you by the Bush administration. But a no confidence vote won't matter to Bush/Cheney/Rove. The last thing they want is an Attorney General who is independent. The second to last thing they want is another AG confirmation hearing. If they have this vote and W won't fire his lap-dog AG, the impeachment process for Gonzo should begin without delay.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
 
Tomorrow, I'll be down three wisdom teeth...



So any of you folks with posting priviliges may want to pick up some of my slack over the next couple of days, since I'll be in a purple haze.

I'm sure the drugs will render anything I write into a garbled version of "Fear and Loathing in Wake County"...

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Tinky Winky hears about Jerry Falwell...



All credit for this goes to DrFrankLives. Pure genius...

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Tuesday, May 15, 2007
 
Jerry Falwell Dead At 73...

BFD...

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Monday, May 14, 2007
 
Great athletes in weird uniforms?

Hearing that Brett Favre might be looking for a trade away from his beloved Green Bay Packers got me thinking about how weird it would look if Favre suited up for just about any other team.

Imagine Favre in the silver and black of the Raiders or the teal and orange of the Dolphins. Icky.

This happens a lot in sports. A once (and sometimes, still) great athlete hangs on a little too long and tries to recreate past glories with a new team, often with tragic visual repercussions.

Paul Lukas from ESPN.com has put together a great list (complete with pics) of all the odd player/team combinations from the four major sports.

The weirdest one to me? This one...


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Sunday, May 13, 2007
 
Goodling Squeals?

The girl from the God-squad in DOJ hiring gets immunity.

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Of Every $1.00 You Paid in Federal Taxes:


The first bullet above has been rising shockingly, but it pales in comparison to what the second bullet will do in coming years. The prosepects for the third are similar. We are slowly committing financial suicide. As many previous empires have done. "History doesn't repeat itself; at best it sometimes rhymes." It applies to budgets as well as foreign policy.

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Saturday, May 12, 2007
 
Doh!

You know you are not ready for prime time when....you openly favor Manning over Favre in Wisconsin. Not quite a macaca moment for Brownback, but calling him a presidential "hopeful" says more about his optimism than his chances.

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Virginia Has a Hissy Fit..

...As New York tries to stem the tide of guns being imported from the Old Dominion. I don't have any idea if the law will prevent NY from continuing this tactic or if felony charges would really be brought or would stick, but I hope there will be more light shone on Virginia's lack of enforcement of gun laws. Gun proponents often say we shouldn't have any more regulations on guns. I'd be willing to have an extended moratorium on new regulations in return for strict and comprehensive enforcement of existing laws. In the meanwhile, I do like the response from the Bloomberg administration to the Virginia Attorney General.
I'm disappointed that Governor Kaine signed this bill. I suspect it was a matter of picking political battles and his priority was to pass the transportation legislation this session. It may also be that in my gun-crazy Commonwealth, his veto would have been soundly overridden.

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Just What We Have Come to Expect From Republicans

But at least this Red-Stater is not happy about it.

"We know that is it very likely Jerry Lewis will soon face legal action against him. So, let's see, John Doolittle has had to leave the committee because of possible criminal action. Jerry Lewis looks to be heading in the same direction. And once the FBI has finished its attention in Mr. Lewis's records, they'll turn to yours. This is not about you, though you are the poster child. This is about the House Republican Leadership's blatant disregard for the base -- the same base that is tired of the pork, the earmarks, and the FBI investigations into GOP corruption that make the headlines every other week."

Good call, Erik. I wish more elected Republicans held your view. Clearly Paul Gilmor (R-OH) does not get it.

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Friday, May 11, 2007
 
The pitchforks should come out early and often for this one...

Here's another band that's coming to Raleigh this summer, this time for a free concert.

You music snobs will really hate this one, although I (and someone else that's reading this post) saw these guys back in 1998, and they put on a great show.

Here's "Don't Treat Me Bad" by FireHouse.

This video hits all the requirements for an early-90's pop metal band:


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Thursday, May 10, 2007
 
Get ready for the concert event of the summer...

Def Leppard, Styx, and Foreigner live at Walnut Creek Amphitheater on August 21. That is one helluva lineup!!!

Here's a little taste of each...

"Animal" by Def Leppard



"Too Much Time On My Hands" by Styx



"Say You Will" by Foreigner


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Wednesday, May 9, 2007
 
A Good Example

Shaw enough. If only Gonzales, Wolfowitz, Doan, (Spellings?)et al, would take heed. *Not holding my breath*

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Segovia

Unparalleled.

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Let It Be

What a speech. I would love to see the France he envisions. (We will see what he gets from French voters soon as they vote for legislative seats.) Sarkozy:
Thanks, as always, to Andrew. (Wow and Amen, Indeed.)

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Frum Gets Frank

Ouch. Frum's* assessment of the GOP field is brutal, but the greatest wisdom is in his last sentence:
Republicans made their bed with the nutbag right, they will just have to lie down in it. They have been aiming at this sort of field with unerring accuracy for some time now. Now that there is not an aristocratic candidate ( a Dole or Bush on the ticket since '76) we have the real ugly underbelly of what Republicanism has been brewing for years.

*For those that don't know him, David Frum is a bona fide conservative. I challenge anyone to call him a liberal-biased source.

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Since I've spent my afternoon barking at the moon...

It's as good a time as any to play this tune...

"Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon


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GOP Congressman quotes KKK Grand Wizard on the House floor...

Think I'm kidding?

Here's your proof...

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Tuesday, May 8, 2007
 
Don't worry, Your Majesty, we think he's a shithead, too...


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Some good news from Northern Ireland...

Hopefully, this agreement will bring stability to a troubled area...

Northern Ireland's major Protestant and Catholic parties joined together Tuesday to form a power-sharing government, marking a "new era of politics" and an end to three decades of sectarian conflict in the British province.

Protestant Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley, 80, was sworn in as the Northern Ireland assembly's first minister and key player Martin McGuinness, 56, of Sinn Fein will take on the role of deputy first minister.

The two men bridged the sectarian divide and took oaths of office in front of a quiet assembly room with members forgoing applause out of respect for a recently deceased assembly member and colleague from Paisley's DUP, George Dawson.

You can get a closer angle on the story here, from The Irish Times...

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Monday, May 7, 2007
 
This kid experienced my biggest fear...

Alright, that's probably a little strong, but this is positively horrifying to a scaredy-cat like me...

What began as a faint popping in a 9-year-old boy's ear -- "like Rice Krispies" -- ended up as an earache, and the doctor's diagnosis was that a pair of spiders made a home in the ear.

"They were walking on my eardrums," Jesse Courtney said.

One of the spiders was still alive after the doctor flushed the fourth-grader's left ear canal. His mother, Diane Courtney, said her son insisted he kept hearing a faint popping in his ear -- "like Rice Krispies."
I'm gonna have to wear earmuffs to bed for at least a month...

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Once again, National Guard resources are much-needed in the US...

...but are otherwise committed in Iraq.
The rebuilding effort in tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kansas, likely will be hampered because some much-needed equipment is in Iraq, said that state’s governor.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius said much of the National Guard equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies is gone. She said not having immediate access to things like tents, trucks and semitrailers will really handicap the rebuilding effort.

The Greensburg administrator estimated that 95 percent of the town of 1500 was destroyed by Friday's tornado.

The Kansas National Guard has about 40 percent of the equipment it is allotted because much of it has been sent to Iraq.
Sure brings back memories, doesn't it?

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Sunday, May 6, 2007
 
28%

Do you know how much of an asshole you have to be that only 28% of those asked about you actually like you?

And no, the answer is not "You'd have to be Dick Cheney"...

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The Timing Would Be Perfect..
...if the feds blew the lid off of the steroid/HGH issue in MLB just as Barry Bonds-roid is approaching Hank Aaron' home run record.

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Friday, May 4, 2007
 
"He has to look at an American president, and he has to see Ronald Reagan...''

When Rudy Giuliani made this statement last night, he was discussing how he feels the next President should deal with Iran's wackadoo President Ahmadinejad.

By this statement, I can only assume Rudy means we should sell weapons to the Iranians, just like Saint Ronnie did.

Odd tactic for a presidential debate, don't you think?

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And now, the Donnybrook's synopsis of the first GOP Presidential debate...

I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan! No, I'm the most like Ronald Reagan!

This has been the Donnybrook's synopsis of last night's GOP debate.

Did I miss anything?

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Thursday, May 3, 2007
 
Where's Today's Johnny?
Miss you, man in black.

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Acoustic Joy
Leo and Doc. If you like pickin(g), this is the deal.

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No Surprise
Two of Coach K's guys topped out the NBA Sportsmanship Award voting. Congrats Deng and Battier. You are a fine reflections of your parents and your college coach, as well as a much needed foil for many of your NBA compatriots.

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All Roads Lead to Rove

There is finally a chance that Rove will get his.

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The New Super Tuesday - Way Too Early

Now Florida is a part of the conspiracy to make our Presidential elections even longer than they interminably are. Stop the madness. There should be no primaries allowed before April. No campaign advertising allowed until June. Being engaged in political matters is one thing, being in a national state of constant bickering is a pathetic, different sort of thing.

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A Shot From the Top of the Key

Should not be worth three points. If Dell Curry had had a three point option, his numbers would have been ridiculous. I am for the idea of moving the 3-line back a foot. It's too close. Pitino demonstrated that in KY in the same convincing fashion that Dean Smith showed that there needed to be a shot clock. Games evolve. Rules evolve. Move on.

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Go Pragmatic, or Symbolic?

Because symbolic is all another supplemental Defense Appropriations bill will be. And the delay in funds could this time really hurt. I prefer the Hoyer approach to that of Edwards who suggested sending the same bill back to W over and over again. That makes great political theater but a delay in those funds beyond June could do real damage. Democrats can show that they are pragmatic by accepting that Bush will veto a too strongly caveat ed bill, but even Republicans are not going to give him the carte-blanche (in W-speak that is "clean bill", that is how "commander guy's" do it.) Besides, the time is right to set benchmarks with financial consequences. Even W embraced the benchmark of settling how oil revenues would be split. The preliminary agreement by the "Iraqi" Parliament has fallen apart as al-Sadr has lost control his Shia faction and Sunni's are retreating from government participation. Kurds have no reason to deal - they want Kirkiuk and will gladly let the south go. But as all this unfolds, the "Iraqi" Parliament is going away for two months. We are going to be surging while these ineffectual SOB's are out plotting for two months?!? Stay the course! All is Well!

So we are training forces for the security of "Iraq" while the "government"
disintegrates. What will become of these trainees? With no powerful government in the current environment, these are future combatants in the Iraqi battlefield. That battlefield is already more than a battle for the nation (notion?) of "Iraq", but the site of the proxy war being slowly pursued by the Iranians and Saudi/other Sunni influences in the region. Catholic/Protestant hate was really bad. Shia/Sunni hatred is the modern equivalent on steroids. Democrats should be satisfied with having made their point and not squander the chance to take away Executive power from a party out of control and in an identity crisis. (These Republicans are like the Democrats of '72.) Any withdrawal will be messy, but the sort that would come of (more) under-trained troops and parts/equipment shortages would be far worse, and would re-brand the Dems the party of "weak-on-defense" for another generation. Not worth it. Take the Hoyer approach and make W swallow benchmarks with financial consequences. That will mean working with Republicans who are separating from Bush, but their numbers are growing. The far left will accept nothing less than sending another veto-bait bill back the W, and that is not a recipe for retaining power. It would be sad to blow a shot like the 2008 Whit House and (maybe) both Houses of Congress just to throw a legislative temper tantrum now. Deep breath.

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Nice Work, Fellas.

Bonus Time.

Months after a politically embarrassing $1 billion shortfall that put veterans' health care in peril, Veterans Affairs officials involved in the foul-up got hefty bonuses ranging up to $33,000. The list of bonuses to senior career officials at the Veterans Affairs Department in 2006, obtained by the AP, documents a generous package of more than $3.8 million in payments by a financially strapped agency straining to help care for thousands of injured veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.


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House expands definition of hate crimes...

Good on them.

By a 237-180 margin, the House of Representatives voted to expand the definition of "hate crimes" to include gender and sexual orientation.

Predictably, The Commander Guy is threatening to veto the bill, should it pass the Senate.

P.S. As great a step as this vote is, I was disappointed to see that two North Carolina Democrats, Heath Shuler and Mike McIntyre, as well as 12 other Democrats voted against this important piece of legislation.

I always expect more from my party, so that's a real bummer...

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Today in Puritanical America...

The wonders never cease out in Red State America...

A local radio station hoped to get lots of attention from its latest billboard campaign, but never expected the onslaught of angry complaints that came barreling in.

It was a morning show ad gone bad.

When 96.9 The Eagle, first thought a billboard featuring a woman's breasts covered by faces of the hosts was a good idea.

Community members did not agree and now the station says it had no choice but to take the billboards down.
I know I have a higher tolerance for this stuff than most, but isn't this billboard way too goofy to be considered dirty, even in Idaho???


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Wednesday, May 2, 2007
 
This one's for my big brother!

A 90's classic from his girlfriend Dolores O'Riordan and her band, The Cranberries...

Linger awhile, why don't you?


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Tuesday, May 1, 2007
 
Since Matt Lauer is in Ireland today...

...I figured I'd dig up a catchy little tune by a band that constitutes about 75% of the female population of Ireland that is actually attractive.

"So Young" by The Corrs


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"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended."

4 years later, never let him forget...


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