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The Donnybrook
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
 
Something about a broken clock...

Tom Friedman actually nails it in this column explaining why the McCain-Clinton gas tax holiday idea is a short-sighted Band Aid on a long-term sucking chest wound...

Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer’s travel season. This is not an energy policy. This is money laundering: we borrow money from China and ship it to Saudi Arabia and take a little cut for ourselves as it goes through our gas tanks. What a way to build our country.

When the summer is over, we will have increased our debt to China, increased our transfer of wealth to Saudi Arabia and increased our contribution to global warming for our kids to inherit.
Short-sighted politicians pandering for votes rather than taking on the bigger issues.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat...

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
 
Republican candidate for Congress speaks at neo-Nazi celebration of Hitler's birthday...

...and somehow has no idea why that's a bad thing...

A congressional candidate is defending his speech to a group celebrating the anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birth, saying he appeared simply because he was asked.

Tony Zirkle, who is seeking the Republican nomination in Indiana's 2nd District, stood in front of a painting of Hitler, next to people wearing swastika armbands and with a swastika flag in the background for the speech to the American National Socialist Workers Party in Chicago on Sunday.

"I'll speak before any group that invites me," Zirkle said Monday. "I've spoken on an African-American radio station in Atlanta."
This guy's a regular man of the (white) people!

Now comes the real zinger:

Zirkle said he did not know much about the neo-Nazi group and that his intention was to talk on his concern about "the targeting of young white women and for pornography and prostitution."
He doesn't know much about neo-Nazis? Their name sort of lets that cat out of the bag, doesn't it?

Oh, and his concern for only the white participants in pornography and prostitution is just tailor-made for the occasion, don't you think???

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An anniversary you might have missed...

Today marks the 25th anniversary of then-Chicago Cubs manager Lee Elia's nuclear meltdown on the Second City's baseball fans.

Jim Mora ain't got shit on Lee Elia...


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How do you not just LOVE Larry Brown???

The guy will be taking over his 9th NBA team when he begins his stint as head coach of the Bobcats next year.

In addition, he's won an NBA title (with the Pistons in 2004), gone to the NBA Finals one other time (with the Sixers in 2001), won an NCAA title (with Kansas in 1988), and, perhaps most improbably, took the Los Angeles Clippers to the playoffs in 1992.

He even coached four seasons in the ABA, for God's sake!

It hard for me to say, but even this avowed UNC-hater has a ton of respect for Mr. Brown...

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The whiny-ass Republican National Committee doesn't want you to see this truthful ad...

...about Saint McCain's vision of 100 years of US troops in Iraq.

It's true.

He said it.

There's nothing to spin...


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Monday, April 28, 2008
 
Hopefully, some good juju for the Flyers tonight...

Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" before Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals, in which the Flyers became the first non-Original Six team to win the Cup...



All-time, the Flyers are 72-19-3 when Kate's rendition precedes the game...

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The end of the world as we know it...

Atrios makes a hilarious observation about the Miley Cyrus/Vanity Fair non-story that the retarded American media feels is more important than anything before or after it...

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Saturday, April 26, 2008
 
Respect Spc. Jeremy Hall...

You may not agree with his lack of faith, but you should respect his courage and service.
And why can't Atheists meet? Are we a theocracy?

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Friday, April 25, 2008
 
Try Reading the #97 and #96

Stuff White People Like is a daily must-read.

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OverHeard in New York

Woman tourist to chick smoking: Can I ask you a question? My husband and I are trying to see who's right...
Chick: Ummmm...
Woman tourist: Where is the Statue of Liberty? I said midtown, but Bob thinks it's uptown.
Chick: It's actually all the way downtown in New York harbor...
Woman tourist, to husband: See Bob, I was right.
Chick: Umm... No... Well, whatever.

--42nd St

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Uncomfortable Moral/Economic Question of the Day

If you could be assured that 1 million less people would die each year of starvation (only starvation, no other causes), how willing would you be to pay $5/gallon for gasoline? Just asking...with the obvious connection between food prices/crises and growing crops for fuel, the question has become relevant, with tenable arguments for either side. How do you see it?

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Department of Defense At Work

Never mind that the contractors are chock-full of ex-high-ranking-military officers, they would never try to cheat Uncle Sam....it's just that weapon systems always cost a lot more and take much longer than the way they are sold. Just the way it is, right? (Like those news "analysts" who used to wear stars on their shoulder.)The common theme:We made our bed, and we are having to lay in it. Just keep repeating the mantra - government workers are bad, contractors are good.....say it over and over until you believe it. Then you will be OK.

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Wait! That's Not Fair!

How in the world is your basic government-defrauding contractor supposed to make a living?
An average of a mere of $1.22 million apiece....

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Proof that you don't have to be taller than 5 feet to rock and roll...

Little man, big voice...

"Rainbow in the Dark" by Dio


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Thursday, April 24, 2008
 
You Cowgirls fans must be really proud today...

...your always-professional, never-willing-to-sign-scumbags-to-multi-million-dollar-contracts front office has pulled a real doozy by pulling this (what's the word?) dumb-ass off the scrap heap...

Maybe Big D can handle Pacman Jones.

The Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans agreed in principle on a trade on Wednesday for the suspended cornerback.

The agreement, which was first reported by ESPN's Ed Werder, was confirmed to The Associated Press by both teams. No terms had been filed with the NFL office, which already had closed for the day.

Sources tell Werder that Dallas will send its fourth-round pick (the 126th overall) in Saturday's draft to the Titans for Jones.
Pacman Jones and Terrell Owens trolling the same locker room.

That's gotta be a great comfort to the residents of Cowgirl nation!!!

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008
 
Pulling one from the Ahmadinejad Diplomacy Playbook

When "wiping off the map" becomes too cliché, try "obliterating" to give yourself that gleaming nut-job appeal...

Do you suppose it has been explained to Mrs. Krushchev that things like 30+ mile minimum blast radii, radiation poisoning and gargantuan fallout don’t exactly scream "liberation" for the average Joe living in Gaza or the West Bank?

This isn’t saber-rattling – it’s basic tactical stupidity. Is the electorate not already weary enough from years of this type of pre-emptive ambassadorial suicide?

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"Too much politics dries the soul of the idealist."

Great article from The Nation.

(Why Hillary Makes My Wife Scream)

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Turning A Financial Corner...

The difference with this credit crisis is that there is no real visibility towards what sort of foundations our major financial institutions are standing on. The way mortgages - prime and subprime - were packaged and sold as slices of other financial instruments means everyone is guessing. Look into your Glass Onion.
But seeing only that is the Pollyanna method.
Yes, reality bites. It likely won't be as simple as simply having a temporary downturn in the stock market. It's more serious than that. (And it matters not who is elected...this trend is more than any one administration can reverse....and nobody gets elected selling tough love.)
Economies, like engines, should not over heat too much. It's cheaper to slow down than to blow a gasket. Fortunately, we are not reliant on our political process to bring most of this about. This adjustment is already underway...

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Who's the biggest asshole in rock history?

Over the years, rock and roll music seems to have given rise to more assholes than the Dallas Cowboys, the University of North Carolina and the and the Republican party combined.

I want to know who is the worst.

Who is the most pompous, egotistical jackhole to grace this thing we call rock?

I'm going with Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple fame. Ever since I saw him refer to himself as a "wizard" without even a trace of humor in his voice, the deal was done.

Who else is there?

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It feels so good to not be on the other end for a change...

The Flyers take Game 7 from the Capitals in OT thanks to a gorgeous goal by Joffrey Lupul.



Bring on Les Habitants!!!

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Who coined the designation “intelligence”?

Syrians are apparently too stupid to build their own reactor (or not smart enough to ask the locals), so they obviously brought some consultants from...

-(drum roll)-

North Korea!

North Korea claims not to have dispersed its know-how beyond its borders, and given the engrained culture of secrecy and inherent distrust of foreigners (not to mention travel difficulties) it’s possible truer words have never been spoken. But who needs logic? This is the "AXIS OF EVIL" we’re talking about here. While the contents and sources of said reports will probably be classified, informed citizens already know who is really behind this sinister plot...

Instead of another administration-backed Congressional snipe hunt, we should really focus on researching these progressive Syrian business practices. Has our government been resourceful enough to hire contractors who are going to demand things like "food" and "running water" in return for their services? It looks like we might be getting ripped off in Mesopotamia...

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With friends like these...

I don’t care if this guy is 84; this is treason.

We give them $3 billion a year in military aid - and this is the thanks we get (again)?

Exactly why does our “ally” need to spy on us (again)?

Enough is enough. There’s not enough room on this webpage to list the myriad of things this money could be better spent on domestically, but expect the repercussions of this to be exactly nil. I never wanted to subscribe to conspiracy theories regarding the power of a certain lobby, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
 
Maybe I'll just download my entire iPod to the site...

Or, at least, whichever song I listened to at lunch on a given day...

"White Flag" by Dido


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Bush is officially the most unpopular President EVER...

...yet somehow, John McCain loves him and wants to continue his disastrous policies on the two issues dragging him down the most: The economy and Iraq.

WASHINGTON — President Bush has set a record he'd presumably prefer to avoid: the highest disapproval rating of any president in the 70-year history of the Gallup Poll.

In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, 28% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing; 69% disapprove. The approval rating matches the low point of his presidency, and the disapproval sets a new high for any president since Franklin Roosevelt.

The previous record of 67% was reached by Harry Truman in January 1952, when the United States was enmeshed in the Korean War.
I can't imagine what it's like to be universally considered the worst anything, much less a position as revered as American president...

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Monday, April 21, 2008
 
Sweet freedom

When there's no danger of buzz-killing tanks rolling in to interrupt a good time in Seattle, angry Chinese choose to protest...the Dalai Lama? There's one to tell the kids about. I suppose later we can all air our grievances with Mother Teresa. Road trip!

Asinine political posturing aside (Pelosi & Co., I'm looking at you), one nice aspect of this Olympic debacle against the new "Evil Empire" is that the populace of China is now fully aware that CNN is just as capable of spewing biased and sensationalist garbage through the airwaves as the state run stations.

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I think I just saw a Horseman

This is twelve minutes of the most Orwellian thing I have ever seen. I cannot fathom what could have possibly spawned such a creature - I thought they only existed in Eisenhower mythology or Sabbath songs.

More people that week picked up their phone to express their opinion on which imbecile from the Midwest sang the best cover of an R&B song than asked their government how the hell something like this managed to crawl into the DoD. Look closely my fellow Americans - this is the type of man who will be dancing on your grave.

The only saving grace in that interview was that it was done by Steve Kroft instead of that self-righteous jack-ass masquerading as a journalist aka Scott Pelley. It's old news, but if you want to see how to really drop the ball, watch how this schmuck treats another head-of-state. Regardless of opinion on Ahmedinejad, it's an embarrassment this was transmitted worldwide....

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Has anyone tried any of Jolly Pumpkin's beers?



They'll be represented at this weekend's World Beer Festival here in Raleigh, and I must say their lineup looks impressive.

Have any of you guys tried their stuff?

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Hillary chides Obama for "cheering" McCain...

...completely forgetting that she's been pouring the praise on Sen. McCain for months now...

Anyone else remember this bullshit?

"I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."
BTW, saying John McCain would be a better President than George W. Bush isn't exactly "cheering" him on.

It's safe to say that anyone who can speak in full sentences and properly pronounce the word "nuclear" would at least seem like a better leader than Bush...

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Friday, April 18, 2008
 
Has he really been gone for 14 years???

Bill Hicks' genius was definitely our loss...


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Thursday, April 17, 2008
 
An Earmark Too Far

The first criminal investigation Congress has asked the DOJ for regarding an earmark:

Don Young is a crooked SOB who has brought more pork to Alaska than Bobby Byrd (another crooked SOB, now a senile, crooked SOB) has brought to West VA.

Personally, I would like to see Young in jail as a message to future Appropriation Committee members - they have the most power where earmarks are concerned. And after the Defense bill, the transportation bill is the most pork-laden every year.

There is no good party or bad party where earmarks are concerned.

They both suck...

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Fixed Defense Contracts Are Not that Unusual

What's unusual is someone getting caught...

Major weapon systems usually have too much visibility/transparency to get awarded to cheaters. But below ACAT-1 (Acquisition Category 1 - highest dollar contracts) the dirt is plentiful. It does not take a direct order from above to fix a contract selection process....and the senior Colonels and Generals who are looking to become fat-cat contractors after getting out all know this. Some succumb...many don't.

There is no shortage of honorable officers in the US military, the problem is that with the hundreds of billions that are at stake, it only takes a few to do real damage. The Boeing tanker deal is a good example. Boeing won initially, but it was discovered how the process was fixed (Google "Drunyun"). And a re-competition started.

Nobody objected to a foreign competitor in the tanker deal - until said foreign competition (Airbus) won. Then, the xenophobes came out of the woodwork. Airbus won one of the most scrutinized competitions ever in US contracting history, GAO upheld the bid, and the xenophobes whine on.

Look to the homefront for your graft and corruption, that is where the bulk of it lies.

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Let's see where the ol' iPod jukebox takes us...

...it's one of the best one-hit wonders of the 80's, and probably music history, for that matter...

"No Myth" by Michael Penn


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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
 
Makes you long for 2001 all over again...

Is there a segment of the American economy that isn't in the dumper???


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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
 
Feel the Pennsylvania Delegate Surge Coming!

Let's assume this report underestimates her delegate win by half - giving her a 6 delegate pick-up. Not that big a deal in light of the way NC looks, and maybe Indiana. The delegate math just gets harder for her, making her candidacy more and more dependent on a super-delegate insurgency.

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If Candidates Were This Honest...



...they would never get elected. This "Honest R&B Song" is a scream.

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McCain Camp: Obama Comment a "defining moment"...

Perhaps a poor choice of phrases as the same one was recently used to describe the Iraqi "success" in Basra...

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If you've never seen a man service another man orally...

Be sure to watch "Hardball" tonight, and check that one off your list...

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Why has mass transit never taken off in this country?

Here we are, supposedly the most advanced society in the planet's history, yet every morning, people in our major cities (and most of our minor ones) sit in traffic for hours on end like morons.

Mark my words, if this country ever really falls apart, it will be due to traffic. We'll all simultaneously be unable to pull out of our driveways and everything will shut down.

Without a viable mass transit system, we're basically slaves to the oil production capacity of the Middle East.

Why???

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A little video shoutout to our newest commenter...

I know he's trying to keep the Korean Peninsula rocking, so I figured I could do my part...

"Keep Away" by Godsmack


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McCain family steals recipes from Food Network website...

Why? Honestly, why?

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Monday, April 14, 2008
 
Boy?

What does it mean when a white politician refers to a black politician who is only 3 years his junior as "boy"?
"I'm going to tell you something: That boy's finger does not need to be on the button."
--Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY)
You be the judge...

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Sunday, April 13, 2008
 
Blues Theme and Lyrics



But a happy sound nonetheless.



Hope you enjoyed your Sunday Croce bonus post...

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Basra Surge Officially a Failure

The Mahdi Army - al-Sadr's militias - is no less powerful than when Maliki rushed in. Now, in a tacit admission of failure, the Iraqi Security Forces have dismissed 1,300 for failure to perform.
Some were sympathetic to al-Sadr already, those who were ambivalent before will likely now join the militias now that they have no reason to risk opposing them. The peace that was restored was due to al-Sadr calling his militias off the street, not because of anything the ISF did. Heard any reports of Mahdi militias laying down weapons as "ordered" by Maliki? Uh, no.

The inept ISF is the group we are counting on to slooooooowly take over and provide us with our ticket out of the hell-hole that is Iraq. As long as we insist on helping the Iraqis fight their battles and back one Shi'ite group over the other, we can count on being stuck. It will not be until we make it clear that we are leaving that any of them will have an incentive to talk to one another. Even then, what is most likely to happen is that the civil conflict we are trying to keep in the bottle will spill out. I have no confidence left that "Iraqis" have any desire for political reconciliation. To most of the groups contending for power, reconciliation means wiping out the other groups and ruling with an iron hand. Elections do not a democracy make, and Iraq has no fertile ground in which a civil society can grow.

How long will we continue to fool ourselves with false hope. Certainly until 1-21-09, and if McCain is elected it will be at least 4 years longer...

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Saturday, April 12, 2008
 
Guns and Moses*

The Onion Reports that:

Charlton Heston's Gun Taken From His Cold, Dead Hands

*Politico Headline, not mine.

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Just Desserts

He was no typical AG. He never understood the difference between being the President's lawyer and the nation's lawyer. Like the President he served, he was a monumentally bad public servant. Glad to see him getting embarrassed as be tries to pursue a post-politics life.

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The Looming NFL Labor Strife

Let's enjoy the next year or two of football, and then expect a work stoppage.
The 2011 season may or may not happen. If there is an uncapped season in 2010, expect the bad teams to have fire sales as the rich teams risk even more. I don't think either side wants this scenario, but it is hard to see how either can avoid it.

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Hunger and Violence

The head of the Haitian "government" has lost his job.
Without a strong public justice system that can relegate the influence of corruption, the "triumph of capitalism" needs many caveats. We in the US take for granted how strong our justice system is compared to other societies/nations and forget to factor in the huge influence of corruption/political patronage/bribery/warlordism in other parts of the world relative its influence in ours. We have all these problems in the US, just to a much lesser degree than most emerging Democracies. We need to learn, if we intend to continue to be exporters of democracy, that elections are only the first baby steps of building successful democracies. And if you have to keep your military there to prop up the democratically elected government, you probably are not dealing with a country that is ready for/willing to work for Democray.

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Friday, April 11, 2008
 
Almost a Year Ago Now...

...a sick young man took 32 lives before taking his own at Virginia Tech.


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The sheer stupidity of Chris Matthews...

He thinks it's "weird" that Barack Obama ordered orange juice at a diner instead of coffee.

Why do we choose a President in this way?

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Man, some really bad videos were made in the 80's!!!

This one is just God awful. Thankfully, the song is excellent...

"The Promise" by When in Rome


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Thursday, April 10, 2008
 
Wasn't the world a better place...

...before you knew Ozzy was just a regular guy and not the Prince of Darkness?

"No More Tears"


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How cool is this???


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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
 
McCain still can't tell Sunni from Shia...

...and his fluffers in the media still can't bear to call him on it...

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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
 
Why is it "surprising" when troops support Democrats?

Seriously, I like the message of this piece from ABC News, but why does the headline declare it "surprising" when troops in Iraq profess support for Barack Obama?

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Joe Lieberman is such a dick...

If you vote for John McCain, you're basically giving this tool a nomination to be the next Secretary of State.

From today's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Iraq...

"Hey, let's be honest about this. The Iraqi political leadership has achieved a lot more political reconciliation and progress in September than the American political leadership has. So we've got to give some credit for that."
Really, Joe?

Do Democrats and Republicans blow each other up with mortars when they disagree?

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Somebody loves having his picture taken!



Somebody else loves it, too, just in a more subdued way...


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Monday, April 7, 2008
 
Another song that will never get old for me...

"Somebody Told Me" by The Killers


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That's $70 I'd gladly lose every year...

If UNC hadn't gagged away it's chance at a national championship on Saturday night, I'd still be in the running to win my office pool with a Memphis victory this evening.

But, Kansas won and my chances at a bracket win were blown away and I couldn't be happier.

A small price to pay for smiting of one's enemies.

Fuck the Tar Heels and their Huckleberry Hound-looking hillbilly coach...

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So, Obama and Clinton have both released their tax returns...

...when will Saint McCain release his?

And when will his many admirers in the media notice?

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Sunday, April 6, 2008
 
Water Wars

But not out west. This is an exceedingly mild preview of the water troubles to come in 21st century in the US.

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Poking the Xenophobe Hornets' Nest


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Is This the "Defining Moment"?

I hope not. We are taking sides in the intra-Shi'ite power struggle, at the same time as the bribes we paid western Iraqi Sunni's have stopped being paid. So the Awakening fades off to sleep (though still armed enough to take on the winner of the Shia play-offs) as al-Sadr balances his future between the US/Maliki government and the Iranian backed Badr brigades.
Our tr0ops remain in the middle. Why is it so bad if these forces finally fight it out. The will be doing it regardless of whether the US is there for 10 more minutes or 10 more years. Let it burn.

We gave them a chance and the "Iraqis" blew it. There is no Iraqi democracy. The "nation" of Iraq cannot be sustained by a democracy/dem-republic. The sooner we let go of the fantasy the better.

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Johnny Typo-Seed

Travelling America in his '97 Sentra to right the spelling wrongs of America.

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Friday, April 4, 2008
 
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) refers to U.S. soldier as a "two-bit security guard"...

...but, he's a Repubican and he was wearing an American flag lapel pin when he said it, so it must be okay...


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Didn't I tell you the Phils' alternate unis would look solid?


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"Early morning, April 4...Shot rings out in the Memphis sky. Free at last, they took your life...They could not take your pride."


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Thursday, April 3, 2008
 
Same As She Ever Was

At least she is consistent.
A walking soap opera. What is good about the diva personality? Anything?

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Will the Next Pacman Jones Please Step Forward!?

Is there a more worthy candidate right now? Pacman may not end up in Dallas - there are now more hurdles for the deal to get done. The Titan want 2 picks and some cash. Dallas is offering one pick. We shall see. Jerry Jones has already taken too much after his semi-mentor, Al Davis, for my taste. I like an owner who will spend, but those who think they are GM's too usually hurt their team in the long run. Dallas has already taken in T.O.(payed dividends) and Tank Johnson (jury still out, right now just a back-up D line guy).

Back on topic....is there a more deserving candidate for the "next PacMan" than Henry at the moment? What does this do to Ocho Cinco's chances of getting a trade?

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Who would be on your "Mount Rushmore of Stand-Up Comedy"?

Here are my choices, I defy you to disagree with any of them...

George Carlin
Richard Pryor
Rodney Dangerfield
Lenny Bruce

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What was your first car, and how bad of a piece of shit was it?



Mine was a 1984 Ford F-150 that was originally blue, but had been painted (probably with a spray can) maroon. It actually made the one pictured here look presentable.

In addition, this bomber almost cost me my life not once, but twice...

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Wednesday, April 2, 2008
 
Zimbabwe

If Zimbabwe can see Mugabi out of power without major violence, I will gain new hope for the entire continent. And IF Zimbabwe - formerly Rhodesia - can do it(open question), then can we begin to hope that DROC (Democratic Republic of Congo, not to to be confused with Congo) can get it together?

Check out GapMinder, if you haven't already.

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Rachel Maddow houses Joe "Anus Eyes" Scarborough...

Is she the only journalist that doesn't buy into the media-created McCain mystique?


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Tuesday, April 1, 2008
 
Hillary, please stop lying to North Carolina voters...

"I didn't understand why Senator Obama and some of his supporters wanted to prevent you and other states from actually being able to vote..."

--Hillary Clinton, in an interview with WWAY-TV in Wilmington, NC yesterday...

"My attitude is that Senator Clinton can run as long as she wants. She is a fierce and formidable opponent, and she obviously believes she would make the best nominee and the best president."

--Barack Obama, speaking two days BEFORE Hillary's comment...

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Your Tax Dollars At Work
And that's just the stuff in the unclassified budget.

$32 billion a year - no questions asked. That comes on top of roughly 1/2 trillion per for Defense. This is more than half of the discretionary budget each year.


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