Monday, June 30, 2008
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Commish Goodell blames "the system" for rookie pay...
He cannot publicly blame his employers, the NFL owners, for offering and paying these salaries, no. It's "the system." And while I agree that many of the contracts are ridiculous,why do owners have to have protection from their own collective stupidity? Don't offer what you are not willing to pay. Everyone has to play by the same salary cap rules, so let each team offer what it thinks is in it's best interest and have the balls to let a number one pick sit out the season if he won't sign for what you consider reasonable, and quit bitching about how much you "have" to pay players. I have no sympathy for whiny players, and even less for whiny owners.
The NBA has a rookie cap. If the NFL owners want one, they will need to find a way to drive a wedge between the veteran players and high-dollar rookies. Before such a strategy can be effectively pursued, however, the big-market and small-market owners will have to come to some agreement on revenue sharing that both can live with and stick to for 5-7 years (the likely length of any new collective bargaining agreement).
Wojchiechowski nails it.
Teams and players should be thinking about a two-year window. The 2011 season looks less likely all the time. Just because a strike would be stupid for both owners and players does not mean it won't happen. I still the chances of a 2011 season as being above 50%, but not by much.
McCain can scarcely break 50%...in Arizona!
Pretty lame numbers for a pretty lame candidate.
Paging Janet Napolitano...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
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Friday, June 27, 2008
Another ballplayer proves himself to be a complete spazz...
As you're reading this, keep in mind that Brandon Inge is a professional athlete being paid $6.2 million dollars a year...
"It was the stupidest, most freakish thing," Inge said Wednesday, explaining why he had just been placed on the 15-day DL with the pulled side muscle (oblique) he suffered 3 1/2 weeks ago.
"I have a 3-year-old son who sleeps in the bed with my wife and me," Inge said. "I was trying to push the pillow down behind his head (two nights ago), and when I did ... I repopped (the strained muscle).
"You take swings in baseball, and it's not as bad as pushing a pillow down."
You'll never look at Harry Potter the same way again...
Please disregard the dopey radio shit and listen to the whole thing. This will get you through the weekend...
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The sheer stupidity of the McCain campaign...
They trotted out Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) to accuse Barack Obama of not working with Republicans on bipartisan legislation, even though Brownback himself has worked with Obama on several pieces of bipartisan legislation.
Magnificent research skills, fellas...
I'd kill each and every one of you to be able to play like this...
You won't take that personally once the first solo kicks in...
"Flying in a Blue Dream" by Joe Satriani
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Baseball vs. Football
George Carlin classic. RIP GC. Thanks for the fine example of vocabulary boosting humor, of smarts enabling humor. You made the world you lived in a better place for the millions who loved what you did. Thanks, GC.
Does anyone else remember when JFK offered $300 million to anyone who could get to the moon?
Me neither...
Monday, June 23, 2008
Not Just a Question of Politics...
The New York Democrat is well over $20 million in debt, nearly half of which Clinton loaned herself personally earlier in the year when her campaign was virtually broke and faced life-or-death primary contests. When it comes to recovering her personal loan, it's a race against the clock.
Under campaign finance laws spearhead by current presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, Clinton must pay herself back before the party's convention in late August, or else she is only allowed to receive $250,000.
But if You Ever Smoked, Don't Apply..
- Workers distracted by e-mail and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers.” The psychologist who led the study called this new “infomania” a serious threat to workplace productivity. One of the Harvard Business Review’s “Breakthrough Ideas” for 2007 was Linda Stone’s notion of “continuous partial attention,” which might be understood as a subspecies of multitasking: using mobile computing power and the Internet, we are “constantly scanning for opportunities and staying on top of contacts, events, and activities in an effort to miss nothing.”
McCain's chief strategist openly roots for another terrorist attack on US soil...
No, I'm not making this up...
The oracle that is Karl Rove...
"Even if you never met him, you know this guy. He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."Two problems, Karl:
--Karl Rove, describing Barack Obama to Republicans at the Capitol Hill Club
1.) The person you described is almost certainly white.
2.) The person you described is definitely a Republican...
This is one of those days I knew would come...
...but still hoped that it never would.
George Carlin 1937-2008
The greatest mind in the history of stand-up comedy is gone. That sounds like a very high praise, but to be honest, it's far too little to describe what George Carlin meant to comedy.
It wasn't just that he was the greatest or the funniest, it was that he made comedy into something it wasn't before he arrived on the scene. He made it relevant, and he made people THINK while they were laughing their balls off.
Don't believe me? Listen to "You Are All Diseased" from beginning to end and get back to me.
Every comedian, clean or dirty, black or white, male or female, owes this man their entire career. Period.
In entertainment, performers rarely get their greatest accolades until they die. George Carlin will be no different, but never forget that he didn't have to die to be the greatest at what he did.
Also, don't ever forget that he was everything the cocksuckers who tried to censor him never were: Funny, intelligent, and a legend...
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Hall of Famer?
Was involved in a debate at work tonight about whether Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer. I was in the minority and that surprised me. To me, he's a definite Hall of Famer but what do you guys think.
Because I'm lazy I don't have his career numbers in front of me but I know they're solid. What I love about Schilling is how amazing he was in the clutch. He was brilliant in the playoffs and the bigger the game the better he pitched. Everyone knows about the "Bloody Sock" but that was just one of many postseason gems he threw. He was lights out in the World Series and helped carry two teams to three world championships. Had it not been for Mitch Williams he might have had a shot to make it three teams and four world championships. Regardless, he was terrific with the Phillies in the '93 playoffs.
Other than Josh Beckett I've never seen anyone who dominates the playoffs and owns the moment on the mound like Schilling. If I had to pick one player to win a game that my life depended on Schilling would be the guy I pick. Combine his postseason greatness with what he did in the regular season and I think he's in....Discuss.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Call that Evidence We Were Citing a Mulligan.....We Need a Do-Over
- US asks to rewrite evidence against Guantanamo detainees ahead of court review.
Great insights from an ex-Phillie...
Since I've been too busy to come up with anything new for you, here's something a little different.
Some of you might remember Doug Glanville as one of the few bright spots for the Phillies when they were still struggling back in the late 90's and early 00's.
He was a lot of fun to watch because he always played hard and hustled, like any great ballplayer should. He retired in 2005 as a Phillie, a sign of respect for the franchise where he spent the bulk of his career.
Long story short, he's now married to an old friend of mine from high school and has been writing some great op-ed pieces for the New York Times.
His articles give some really unique personal insights into a sport whose negatives have unfortunately been overshadowing its positives in recent years.
Take a look...
Only Dr. Teeth knew how to handle 2 drummers
Note to editor: I will be AWOL a few weeks. Keep the faith.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Humans Are Dead
"We used poisonous gasses...to poison there asses..."
I dig Flight of the Conchords. Do you like it?
Random rock and roll observation...
.38 Special was basically Boston if all the guys in the band were hayseeds...
Discuss...
P.S. No band needs two drummers. EVER.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
A Pair of Corporate Senators Do Their Sponsors' Bidding
And it's bipartisan corporate-constituent service, too. How nice.
Straight Up McCain
- He can't change himself—he's going to keep talking, and that will mean gaffes and policy contradictions. Cut him off from the press, and, well, he wouldn't be McCain any more.
In an Attempt to Avoid Paying the Widow...
Blackwater asks that a suit be tried under Islamic Sharia law instead of US law. Nice version of patriotism, Erik Prince.
- The company, based in Moyock, doesn’t want the case heard in an American courtroom under American law: it wants the case decided by Shari’a, the Islamic law of Afghanistan
“North Carolinians are a very patriotic people,” Drescher told Prince. “It’s hard to read that brief as an American citizen and not be insulted by it.” “Where did the crash occur?” Prince responded. “Afghanistan.” “What you are saying is you don’t want to have this case heard by an American judge, by an American jury, under American law,” Drescher said. “We want it heard under Sharia law, under Islamic law?” Prince said he would defer to his lawyers on the issue.
This One Surprised Me
With this having been one of the most scrutinized military procurement competitions in recent history, I was really surprised to hear that GAO sided with Boeing. I had read in recent days about some errors, but none that would have lead to such a stunning reversal. Boeing got burned the first go-round with their ridiculous deal whereby the government leased tankers for about $4 billion more that it would have cost to buy AND MAINTAIN THEM.
Now EADS flubs it.
The tanker fleet keeps getting older and the USAF cannot seem to run a straight competition. Good thing the fighter mafia was recently de-throned as Gates named the new Chief of Staff, a C-130 guy. I hope this nightmare ends soon and the aging fleet of tankers (KC-135's and KC-10's) gets retired soon. Get it together, USAF and DOD. This is just sad.
Brilliant Conclusion!
- "Obviously in any compromise there are compromises,...."
Culprit: Capitalism run amok
American drug companies do not outsource production to foreign countries because of weaker standards. This is a by-product of the industrial engineer’s greatest wet dream: “lean” manufacturing.
While some people have figured out how to get incredibly rich by writing up an elaborate schematic for what most people know as common sense (i.e. Six Sigma et al) of which companies subscribe to at an epidemic rate, corporate engineering has brought to fruition a way of inducing career suicide in the rank and file – by utilizing the very employees to carry out this expediency. With job titles such as “champion” and “green belts” or “black belts” your simple pharma plant has now transformed itself into a Bizarro dojo where your sparring partner turns into yourself and you manage to kick your own ass out of a job that will now relocate to India. All in the name of maintaining “quality.”
Last year I bought one of the small packs of Excedrin you see at the counter of the convenience store to knock out a headache before a road trip in Raleigh. An hour later, still with a headache, I picked up the wrapper and read “Repackaged by Company X in China with permission from Schering-Plough.” The problem is...Bristol-Myers makes Excedrin. We had a better chance of knowing what we were ingesting 50 years ago.
But the Feds want to outsource too. Unfortunately, instead of utilizing the myriad of individuals who have been victimized by this continual “fat-trimming” through privatization, Congress still maintains the illusion that we can hope overseas companies are willing to police themselves. Note to Congress: after they take our patents, money and jobs, if we think we’re going to get anything other than well-packaged mysteries from afar then we might as well look into lowering visa qualifications for certified witch-doctors as well.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Very interesting news from the world of rock n' roll...
This could be very cool for all of us "Van Hagar" fans...
Sammy Hagar has a new supergroup that includes a virtuoso guitarist and a fellow Van Halen alumnus, but fans eager to see the so-called Red Rocker sing alongside the six-string hero he's most famously associated with shouldn't hold their breath.That last comment aside, this seems like it could be a great collaboration.
Instead of waiting for that friendship to be repaired, Hagar has teamed with acclaimed guitarist Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Pepper drummer Chad Smith, and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony. The group, code-named Chickenfoot, will enter the recording studio just before Labor Day. "We've written eight, nine songs. We just got to go in the studio Sept. 1," Hagar said. "When people hear the music, it's Led Zeppelin. It's as good as that. I know that's a mighty bold statement... We could rival Zep."
Who's your favorite supergroup of all-time?
Hank Steinbrenner: "My pitchers are pussies, please don't make them run the bases!"
So, the National League should adopt the designated hitter rule because Chien-Ming Wang is such a spazz that he can't round the bases once without breaking his foot?
"My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century.Bullshit.
"Am I (mad) about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."
Pitchers are athletes. They can run the bases just like the other 8 guys on the field.
American League baseball has been unwatchable for over 30 years because of the abominable DH rule...
Monday, June 16, 2008
How do you get caught doing this again???
First, the McCain campaign stole recipes from the Food Network's website and passed them off as Cindy McCain's.
Now, a mere two months later, the campaign has stolen a cookie recipe directly from Hershey's website and credited it to (you guessed it!) Cindy McCain.
We get it, she's the blond zombie daughter of a billionaire, SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO COOK!!!
Lyrics like this could land The Boss on "Dateline"...
I'm not sure how I never noticed this, but the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" would probably have Chris Hansen's antenna crackling...
Hey little girl is your daddy home?I defy any artist to put out lyrics like that in 2008...
Did he go and leave you all alone?
I got a bad desire...
Oh, Oh, Oh, I'm on fire.
Tell me now baby is he good to you?
Can he do to you the things that I do?
I can take you higher,
Oh, Oh, Oh, I'm on fire.
Reap the spoils, Pyrrhus...
When violent crime rates begin to dip, lifting a ban on handguns in the Capital should help buck that trend.
When some states actually realize that the only remedy for removing cancers from our society is through the eradication of the source itself, Federal oversight of the matter is now obviously needed.
When a decision is required concerning an event from 20 years ago for the worst ecological disaster in the US (for company whose profits exceeded the GDP of a majority of countries in one year) look no further than the branch that has enjoyed wallowing in politics since Roosevelt to weigh in.
If I had a chance to pick the next president, I wouldn’t retire either. But I suppose the citizens never had a chance in that matter either...
They threw a Ponzi party and all I got was this lousy loan...
The same company that canceled my auto-draft without notifying me and then sent debt collectors immediately decided that people like the US Housing Secretary probably needed a break on that second mortgage. The only thing that could make this SNAFU worse would be if Countrywide were run by the Charlotte Metro Area Mensa Club aka Bank of America. Oh wait...
Instead of looking out for your constituency, I suppose having that screened porch addition was worth letting these imbeciles fist us all into banana republic status. I guess comeuppance will manifest itself when I can spit on you from my cot at the shelter...
Friday, June 13, 2008
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Has anyone lost it faster than M. Night Shyamalan?
The quality of the guy's work has literally gone straight down since "The Sixth Sense".Take a look at his IMDB page:
The Sixth Sense - Awesome movie. Creepy, original, an absolute classic.Cameron Crowe and the Farrelly brothers lost it quickly, but this egomaniac was supposed to be the next Hitchcock!
Unbreakable - Very good movie. Brilliant concept that should have yielded a better film.
Signs - Another very good movie, but very hokey at times. At least it was the last time Mel Gibson seemed semi-normal.
The Village - The real trouble starts. It just felt like he was trying to do too much with a less than stellar concept. The ending was a colossal flop in my book.
Lady in the Water - I didn't see it, but judging by the reviews, it was an Ishtar-sized bomb.
The Happening - Opening this weekend, currently locked in at 22% on Rotten Tomatoes.
What the hell happened?
TGIF
Here you are my fellow wage slaves.
One from the present:
If Rush and Dream Theater gave birth to a hardcore band -
"Bloodmeat" by Protest the Hero
And one from the past -
“Chino is drunk – unplug his amp!” by Rhianna
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Iraq war could cost taxpayers $2.7 trillion
- At the beginning of the conflict in 2003, the Bush administration gave Congress a cost estimate of $60 billion to $100 billion for the entirety of the war. But the battle has been dragging on much longer than most in the government expected, and costs have ballooned to nearly ten times the original estimate.
- "Many service members are currently reluctant to seek mental health treatment due to fear of negative career repercussions," said Eibner. "Policies must be changed so that there are no perceived or real adverse career consequences for individuals who seek treatment." .. .Among veterans who completed their service within the last 1 to 3 years, 18% were unemployed, and 25% earned less than $21,840 a year, according to a recent report commissioned by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Top Iraqi officials are calling for a dramatic reduction of the U.S. role in Iraq later this year.
1.20.09
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Songs that can bring you to tears?
We talked about movies..what tunes can move you to tears? I've not had to face losing a parent (yet), but this Chet tune gets me every time.
What songs move you?
Why McCain is a moron to talk about the "failed policies" of the past...
...there are plenty of failed policies in place right now, most of which he had a hand in, that are WAY fresher in the minds of the American electorate.
Idiot...
McCain would happily employ Dick Cheney in his administration...
Yes, he's serious...
Asked whether he'd be interested in Cheney had the vice president not already have served under Bush for two terms, McCain said: "I don't know if I would want him as vice president. He and I have the same strengths. But to serve in other capacities? Hell, yeah."4 more years...4 more years...4 more years...
Day late, dollar short
While I can appreciate Rep. Kucinich trying to fly the flag, the horse is dead. Yeah, we got lied to, power has been abused and I have been forced to use 3 metaphors already . But how about trying to solve the current problem instead of more backwards finger pointing – and please, no more “Congressional reports” or “studies” either. We know already. Now do your job.
Nice posturing
Let me know when the change is going to start...but I suppose if I need a politician to solve my problems I get exactly what I deserve.
Anyone care to think progressively or are both sides going to simply press the “Induce Mass Hysteria” button over and over? It worked really well on “terrorism.”
Looking into the Abyss, Pt. 2
Having sex with an animal isn’t art – it’s repugnant. Want to do something “extreme and shocking?” How about giving some money to the disenfranchised of your city for real art?
If our courts protect this filth and the purveyors thereof, maybe the “Great Satan” moniker isn’t too far from the target. Part of being an adult is disseminating the difference between “can” and “should.” Not just a thematic designation for a sickness masquerading as “entertainment.”
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Ever wonder where Republicans get their awesome ideas?
Just ask them, and they'll tell you.
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Guy with a chick's name from Georgia):
I think the people that elect us deserve to know what our plan is. The Republican side has come out with a plan. They say, "Look, we're gonna take advantage of our natural resources. We're gonna take advantage of the things that we were God-given in this land. We're gonna take advantage of our oil reserves, of our natural gas, of our abundance of coal." We're gonna take advantage of those things, and we're gonna use the technology that we've been so good about coming up with. We're gonna take and convert this shale to oil, which Hitler did in the late '20s. In the late '20s. And we don't think that we can do that today?Any other questions?
Question for the guys: Which movies make you cry?
Be a man and own up to it, fellas. Which movies left you weeping like a child?
I cried so hard at Saving Private Ryan and Brian's Song, I damn near needed a trip to the looney bin to cool off.
Big Fish got me, too...
I refuse to link this type of virus...
Attn: Media outlets
Re: Multiple stabbings at Tokyo Mall (see also VA Tech shootings et al.)
Cc: Common decency
Today’s rant requires a departure from eloquence. Please pardon abrasive diction.
I am sick to f*cking death of reading about “why” some piece of sh*t decided to indulge their self-pity by shooting/stabbing/bombing my mother/father/child/relative/neighbor/friend in a completely pointless "rampage." If I want to read an enlightened essay on the human condition, there's a canon awaiting me in every library known to man. What the world does not need is you giving another total loser their 15 minutes on why they can't deal with life so that another total loser can attempt to achieve the same reward you will surely bestow them. Here's why someone commits mass murder - they're a f*cking assh*le. End of story.
This garbage is only hastening the demise of our humanity. We don't need our faces shoved in every "manifesto" aka "my poorly written and documented proof that I suck." I don't want or need this forced voyeurism. If you hate life, stop posting about it online - go kill yourself by yourself and leave the rest of us alone.
Too long we look into the abyss...
Monday, June 9, 2008
I Like Really Liking My Governor
I don't have the problem with the death penalty that he does. I have the same problem with how it is dealt out. I don't know the ins and outs of this particular case, but Kaine has walked the line between his conscience and his politics with honesty and courage. His call for taxes to (responsibly) end the traffic nightmares in VA that silently tax our economies for billions each year ended any chance he might be the VP pick for Obama, even though though they are political soul-mates and he supported Obama early. No matter, he is doing what is right for the state he governs.
My God, does ANYONE like Republicans???
The head of the GOP's Senate efforts is hoping they can hold on to 41 seats...
The chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee says Sen. Saxby Chambliss will be a key part of the firewall the party wants to build against stronger Democratic control of Congress.Do you have any idea how bad off the GOP must be to see an 18-seat deficit in the Senate as a favorable outcome of the fall elections???
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., set a floor on the number of Senate seats the party must control: 41.
"The number that we get to is really, really important in the U.S. Senate," he said. "That's one of the reasons Saxby absolutely must hold his seat."
Sunday, June 8, 2008
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Saturday, June 7, 2008
Oil and the Dollar
- Friday's jump -- which was equivalent to the entire price of a barrel of oil in late 1998 -- was fueled in large part by the dollar's sharp fall, with investors snapping up oil as a hedge against the currency's eroding value.
Yes, Virginia Can Get It Right Sometimes
- Virginia's highest court ruled Friday that the state must enforce a Vermont court order awarding child-visitation rights to a mother's former lesbian partner.
Dumbest Tattoo?
I'm voting for Snakes on a Plane. All are stupid, but what is your nominee for stupidest tattoo? I think the hirsute guy who got Chewbacca has Chewbacca-like fur. That tat will barely be visible when the hair grows back.
There Are So Many More Cases Like This...
Most don't get investigated for lack or resources and political support. Only the most odious face investigation, and even less actually get caught.
- The federal investigation of contracting arrangements between the Pentagon and tax-exempt defense firms in Pennsylvania includes multiple deals that go as far back as 2002 and involve more money than was previously known, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
- The federal investigation follows an article in the Post that detailed how the Air Force arranged for CRI to use the 2006 contract to pay $26,788 to Charles D. Riechers, a senior civilian official who was awaiting White House confirmation of his nomination as principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition.
Cedric Benson Has What it Takes...
To soon become a former NFL player.
- AUSTIN, Texas -- Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson was charged with drunken driving after being arrested for the second time in a little more than a month.
Simply repulsive
Ahhh Hartford….if it’s not enough that you can’t keep your public schools accredited, your astronomical murder rate or the glaring economic dichotomies between the vermin infesting you – you can now revel in the fact that you'll be seen for the vapid cesspool you are worldwide instead of secretly being just an embarrassment to the Northeast.
Sorry Chief Roberts – your city has always had a morale compass. It’s just been set in the Seinfeldian magnetic fields for the last 3 decades…
Friday, June 6, 2008
RIP Dwight White
- White was best known for climbing out of a hospital bed to play in the Steelers' first Super Bowl victory, 16-6 over the Minnesota Vikings in 1975. White lost 18 pounds after being diagnosed with pneumonia and a lung infection, yet played nearly the entire game.
Parcells Blinks First
- ...the Miami Dolphins' football operations czar not only said Thursday that he wants the six-time Pro Bowl defensive end (Jason Taylor) on his team this fall, but also tried to eliminate the perception that he deliberately snubbed Taylor during a chance encounter at the team's headquarters earlier this spring.
A New Mother Market Taking Over...
A new splendid lady come to call..
- The meteoric rise of nearly $11 for the day piled atop an increase of almost $5.50 the day before, taking oil futures more than 13 percent higher in just two days, easily a record on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil prices made their biggest single-day leap ever Friday—clearing $139, dragging the Dow Jones industrials down nearly 400 points and raising the once-unthinkable prospect of $150 oil and even higher gas prices by the Fourth of July.
Newt On Iraq...
- Gingrich says that listening ought be the top priority in foreign policy, saying that throwing your weight around without a competitor just increases resentment. He calls for slowly building coalitions, or a large anti-American coalition will coalesce; he says its an American problem, not a liberal or conservative problem.
Calling Rich...
Post us something...you are consistently the most spot-on commenter here...give us a post!
July 31st Looms for a Deal on Continued Presence in Iraq
Bush set a "deadline" of July 31st for a deal on our continued stay in Iraq. Just months before this failed administration leaves office, it seeks to tie the hands of President McCain/Obama. Really presumptuous when you think about it. Watch for Republicans to say that Democrats' objection are helping the terrorists. Be sure to compare that with how a deal to stay long-term will sit with the world and consider which is better for America.
- ...any lingering notion of Iraqi sovereignty disintegrated in the early months of 2007, when President Bush proceeded to send some 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq despite objections from the elected government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
- Iraqi political factions ranging from followers of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to the country's largest Sunni bloc, the National Accordance Front, want the Maliki government to press for a more muscular interpretation of Iraqi sovereignty in the negotiations over future security ties with the U.S. But Washington appears unwilling to relinquish a basic approach to the operations of the U.S. military in Iraq that leaves the country in a de-facto state of occupation. Washington wants Baghdad to allow the U.S. ongoing autonomy over military operations, including the right to arrest and detain Iraqi citizens suspected of involvement in terrorist activity, militia violence or insurgency efforts. But the Iraqis are reluctant to cede such broad powers to a foreign army.
2000 Redux?
- Strategists for both John McCain and Barack Obama are chewing over a hypothetical scenario wherein Barack Obama recieves millions more votes than John McCain, but, because of the distribution of votes in the electoral college, McCain would become the president.
Accountability, Gates Style
- Gates ousted the Air Force's top military and civilian leaders (Secretary of the Air Force, Michaels Wynne and Chief of Staff ) Thursday, holding them to account in a historic Pentagon shake-up after nuclear missile warhead fuses were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan.
- ..officials played down as a 'mix-up' the August 29 incident in which a crew at Minot Air Force Base mounted six missiles containing dummy warheads and six carrying nuclear warheads onto a B-52 bomber from a single hangar. .... In the aftermath of the Minot incident, four Air Force colonels were relieved of command, and 65 low-ranking officers and airmen were 'disciplined'.
The report, by Navy Adm. Kirkland Donald, director of naval nuclear propulsion, revealed widespread problems and convinced Defense Secretary Robert Gates that senior officials must be held accountable. Moseley resigned in response.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I'll be out of town for a few days...
G, Chris, john, and Rich: You guys are in charge.
Make your mamas proud...
Since my weekend starts in an hour...
Countries with extra holidays but crappy beer can be a double-edged sword. While the rest of the album may be rather pedestrian, this song ensures the latter can't ruin the former...does anyone else hear Jake E. Lee in this?
"You Wouldn't Know" by HELLYEAH
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
This one will make John happy...
A fantastic song from a very strange guy...
"Shock the Monkey" by Peter Gabriel
If you're unconvinced that he's a strange guy, take a look at this pic from his Genesis days...
Monday, June 2, 2008
Coming soon to a highway in Tampa...
...an enormous representation of America's original symbol of mass treason!!!
The Sons of Confederate Veterans, an all-male organization dedicated to preserving the "true history" of the Civil War period, is currently constructing what they say will be the "world’s largest" display of the Confederate flag in Tampa, Florida — a 30-foot high and 50-foot long flag atop a 139-foot pole. John W. Adams, a co-chair of the Confederate Veterans’ Flags Across Florida project, insists the flag isn’t about racism or slavery. "It’s about honoring our ancestors and about celebrating our heritage," he said. "It’s a historical thing to us".Never before have a group of people been so psyched about coming up on the losing side of a civil war...
