Thursday, July 31, 2008
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The real reason McCain is sounding more and more like a crotchety old coot...
Jack Cafferty nails it...
I'd be willing to make you a bet. If you added up all of the people who have attended every political event John McCain has held since the campaign started, the number would not get to 200,000, which is the number of people that watched Barack Obama speak in Berlin.Old man McCain is green with envy because no matter how many different positions he takes on the issues, no one really gives a shit about what he says about anything...
That ad that he put out is nothing more than the same jealousy he displayed last week when Obama was on this tour. McCain went to Canada, Mexico and Colombia. And the only thing I remember about any of those three trips or visits was some hostages got released one day while he was in Colombia. It had nothing to do with McCain being there.
So, you know, Obama is getting a lot of attention and McCain doesn't like it. It's jealousy.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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Some vicious shredding that doesn't sound robotic to me...
A few months ago, I said Paul Gilbert's approach to guitar was a little too robotic for my tastes.
By contrast, if you'd like to hear a little neoclassical shredding with soul, check out Robert Marcello...
Common sense drug legislation introduced in the House of Representatives...
Naturally, it has no chance of becoming law, since most politicians in both parties are too scared to take a reasonable approach to drug laws...
The U.S. should stop arresting responsible marijuana users, Rep. Barney Frank said Wednesday, announcing a proposal to end federal penalties for Americans carrying fewer than 100 grams, almost a quarter-pound, of the substance.You gotta love Barney Frank. He is never afraid to put himself out there in order to advance sensible, if not necessarily popular, legislation.
Frank says law enforcement resources are squandered on marijuana use. Current laws targeting marijuana users place undue burdens on law enforcement resources, punish ill Americans whose doctors have prescribed the substance and unfairly affect African-Americans, said Frank, flanked by legislators and representatives from advocacy groups.
"The vast amount of human activity ought to be none of the government's business," Frank said during a Capitol Hill news conference. "I don't think it is the government's business to tell you how to spend your leisure time."
The Massachusetts Democrat and his supporters emphasized that only the use -- and not the abuse -- of marijuana would be decriminalized if the resolution resulted in legislation.
He's got guts more guts than most of the suits in Washington, and I hope someday we'll be calling him "Senator Frank"...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
So much for the Independence of the DOJ...
Unless this report represents an effort to reassert the non-partisan mission of that agency. Pat Robertson-educated White House liaison Monica Goodling used politics - candidates positions on "God, guns and gays" to decide who got hired.
- Last month, the inspector general, Glenn A. Fine, and the Office of Professional Responsibility released a separate report that found a similar pattern of politicized hiring at the Justice Department in reviewing applications from young lawyers for the honors and intern programs.
The inspector general’s investigation found that Ms. Goodling and a handful of other senior aides to Mr. Gonzales used in-person interviews and Internet searches to screen out candidates who might be too liberal and identify candidates seen as pro-Republican and supportive of President Bush. One senior official, in describing Ms. Goodling’s strategy, likened it to a “farm system” used to fill temporary vacancies at the Justice Department with Republicans who could then move up.
Welcome to the White House, You'll Be Staying in the Red Room...
The next President will have no budgeting joys. Tight budgets cause painful political compromises. Either candidate will be disappointed at the extent of the fiscal influence on their political agendas.
- The government's budget deficit will surge past a half-trillion dollars next year, according to gloomy new estimates, a record flood of red ink that promises to force the winner of the presidential race to dramatically alter his economic agenda.
- The deficit will hit $482 billion in the 2009 budget year that will be inherited by Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain, the White House estimated Monday. That figure is sure to rise after adding the tens of billions of dollars in additional Iraq war funding it doesn't include, and the total could be higher yet if the economy fails to recover as the administration predicts.
Republican corruption will put another Senate seat in the Democratic column...
Get a load of this bombshell...
Sen. Stevens of Alaska Faces Criminal ChargesFor those of you who are inclined, you may want to donate to the Democrat who will be taking over Sen. Stevens' seat next January. His name is Mark Begich...
Sen. Ted Stevens from Alaska, the longest serving U.S. Republican senator ever, was indicted on seven counts related to his holding of public office, a federal law enforcement official said on Tuesday.
The U.S. Justice Department has scheduled a news conference for 1:20 p.m. to make an announcement "regarding a significant criminal matter." The official said the news conference would announce the criminal charges against Stevens that have been returned by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C.
UPDATE: How long before we see John McCain desperately trying to distance himself from his fellow Republican geezer?
Veteran Republican Senator Indicted
Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has finally seen the chickens come home to roost.
Can this be true???
I've never thought of it in these terms before, but can you believe that less than 35% of the teams in the NFL have a QB that they know is money in the bank as long as he stays healthy.Sound crazy? Look at this list:
Tom Brady
Peyton Manning
Carson Palmer
Ben Roethlisberger
David Garrard
Tony Romo
Donovan McNabb
Drew Brees
Matt Hasselbeck
Brett Favre (If he plays.)
Eli Manning (If he hadn't won the Super Bowl, he wouldn't be on the list.)
Those 11 names represent the only "money-in-the-bank" QB's in the NFL.
It's the marquee position in the most popular sports league in the United States, yet most teams are rolling the dice on their field general this year.
How the hell is this possible???
Monday, July 28, 2008
Finally, a Philly team wins a championship...
...and I could honestly give two shits about it...
Title for Philadelphia as the Soul surviveLet me make this crystal clear: If your team wins a championship, and the story still takes a back seat to "Gillick reveals Utley has sore hip" and "Phillies still need pitching help", your sport probably still hasn't arrived...
With 39 seconds remaining in yesterday's ArenaBowl, the Soul appeared headed to their first Arena Football League championship with plenty of points to spare.
But in a game in which touchdowns come one after another and the points usually keep piling up, it was not that easy for the Soul. Before they could finally claim a 59-56 victory over the San Jose SaberCats, the Soul had to sweat it out as the defending champions erased all but three points of a 17-point deficit.
"All I could think about was the Philadelphia curse," Soul coach Bret Munsey said afterward with a laugh. "I hope this clears the way for Mo Cheeks and Andy Reid, and those guys. Now we can win championships in Philadelphia. I hope that takes care of everything."
Team owner Jon Bon Jovi was elated.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
McCain Stumbles Will Be a Boost to Obama on Foreign Policy
- ...a series of self-inflicted wounds on what before this week was indisputably John McCain’s strongest suit - his ability to talk persuasively about the way to win the war on terror in the twin battles of Iraq and Afghanistan.
McCain made several errors this week in matters fundamental to understanding how and when both wars began and finished the week coming within a hair of embracing Obama’s 16-month timetable for US troop withdrawals.
In the kinetic world of instant blog posts and furious back-and-forth between campaigns fighting like terriers on steroids over every miscue - real or imagined - it is sometimes hard to measure the damage done over the course of a week.
The Obama’s inner circle, they believe McCain set himself back not only with the general public but also with top-flight Republicans who will have to try to clean up McCain’s national security debris.
* On July 21st, McCain said on Good Morning America that the situation was tough in Afghanistan, particularly, he said, “given the struggle on the Iraq-Pakistan border.”
* On July 22 in an interview Katie Couric of CBS, McCain said the troop surge President Bush ordered in January 2007 and which didn’t reach maximum tactical deployment for months after led to the so-called Sunni awakening or uprising against Al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists. While the surge no doubt gave greater confidence to Sunnis over time, the awakening began in the fall of 2006 with the moves against AI Qaeda by a collection of high-profile tribal sheiks.
* On July 23, McCain said the surge wasn’t really about more troops, but counter-insurgency tactics. And yet the political credit McCain seeks for the turn-around in Iraq is based principally on his advocacy if the surge - meaning more troops to carry out counter-insurgency missions. To say the surge wasn’t really about more troops undercuts much of McCain has tried to tell the public about what has changed in Iraq and why.
* And Friday on CNN, McCain said 16 months for a troop withdrawal from Iraq is “a pretty good timetable.” His campaign said McCain meant it was good so long as conditions on the ground warranted troop withdrawals. But the damage was done. Just check the profusion of blog posts in the hours immediately after the CNN interview with McCain.
Change is Good
"As consumer tastes change and rising costs for ingredients pinch their profits, the nation's biggest brewers are looking for relief in consolidation. No. 1 Anheuser-Busch is being taken over by Belgian beverage giant InBev SA. No. 2 Miller Brewing Co. and No. 3 Molson Coors Brewing Co. are combining U.S. operations.
Meanwhile, craft brewers are grabbing more of the market as they reshape the image of beer. They posted 17.1 percent growth last year over 2006 and accounted for 6.5 percent of the $9 billion in supermarket sales of beer in the U.S., up from 4.5 percent in 2003. Many in the craft beer industry expect their products to continue tugging at "premium" beers' share of a market valued at $95 billion, including sales in bars and restaurants."
This trend is not going to stop anytime soon. Too many people want more out beer than fizzy yellow water. There will always be that stuff for those who want it, but in ten years craft brews and high-quality imports are going to have eaten cheap lager's lunch in market share. Don't get me wrong, I love my PBR, Yuengling, and Rolling Rock when the time is right. But the trend towards more and different beers reflects a refining of the American beer palate.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Yet another underappreciated artist...
She got a big pop back in the 80's, but you don't hear too much about her anymore, even though she's got a killer voice.
"Through the Fire" by Chaka Khan
For all you anti-regulation conservatives...
Here's an example of how the loosening of federal regulations is now costing the food industry MILLIONS of dollars...
One of the worst outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S. is teaching the food industry the truth of the adage, "Be careful what you wish for because you might get it."What happens when the "invisible hand of the market" shoves it's finger straight up your ass?
The industry pressured the Bush administration years ago to limit the paperwork companies would have to keep to help U.S. health investigators quickly trace produce that sickens consumers, according to interviews and government reports reviewed by The Associated Press.
The White House also killed a plan to require the industry to maintain electronic tracking records that could be reviewed easily during a crisis to search for an outbreak's source. Companies complained the proposals were too burdensome and costly, and warned they could disrupt the availability of consumers' favorite foods.
The apparent but unintended consequences of the lobbying success: a paper record-keeping system that has slowed investigators, with estimated business losses of $250 million. So far, nearly 1,300 people in 43 states, the District of Columbia and Canada have been sickened by salmonella since April.
Mooooooooooon River!!!
Somebody spray this jury with anthrax...
...and while we're at it, can we smack this woman's lawyer as well?
In Georgia, a jury has awarded a woman $150,000 from the man who dumped her.Lady, you got dumped. Get over it. Next time, don't quit your job for a guy who may or may not be a ZERO...
Rosemary Shell gave up her $80,000 a year job in Florida for one that pays $50,000 less to join her fiance. But Wayne Gibbs changed his mind and called off the wedding.
The jury of six men and six women agreed that he broke a contract with her and should pay.
I could watch this everyday
My all-time favorite gunslinger...enjoy your weekend.
George Lynch laying down solos from the first Lynch Mob album
Elmo rocks a classic (in a wife-beater, no less)
This is simply the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. It’s even better than the original.
My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me - Geto Boys
Thursday, July 24, 2008
It just occurred to me...
...that at least a few of you have no idea what the hell I look like.
It's always struck me as odd that people will take the time to read what I say, while having never seen me.
Strange, indeed.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Of mice and menthols
Seriously, where is this money really going to go? It’s necessary to spend $375 million to help those ignorant colored people understand that setting something on fire and sucking on it is bad for you?
Maybe upon further inspection it can be noted that machetes actually pose a greater health risk to Africans. But I suppose Kiplingesque adventures are the birthright of billionaires.
Cosmic death gamma rays are giving you halitosis
"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman said.Why should individuals in a scientific field wait for something absurd like for a scientific study to confirm anything at all? Especially when there have already been numerous studies to refute said facts?
I’m going to err on the side of caution and not let moronic doctors near me. Or formulate a hypothesis that fat tourists in Speedos are giving me cancer.
No need to test that one any further.
"I don't know that cell phones are dangerous. But I don't know that they are safe."
Apparently you do know how to swindle people out of grant money. Kudos!
Maybe the best of what 80's new wave had to offer...
At least, in this humble editor's opinion...
"Always Something There to Remind Me" by Naked Eyes
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Boys only
It’s best not to let down the rope ladder from the tree house, especially if they’re not going to participate in the favored after school activity.
Opiate of the masses: the 21st Century WMD.
I would oppose teaching evolution too if the advancement of a species included the shedding this archaic BS in order to preserve mankind.
Motor City Madness
This is what a large portion of your city looks like.
And this is what your public officials are concerned with.
Good one, Nero.
Enjoying the silence?
I’ve wondered where the Reverend has been regarding a certain candidate, especially after his partner in crime gave the off-camera Ebonics lesson.
Could this be why?
Burn
I know for a fact that this issue is far more complicated than the Western media has ever portrayed it. But who protests the capture of a doctor who helped slaughter children? Did that advance your cause any?
I suppose my larger question is: where has the Muslim outrage been over any of this? If this were a f*cking cartoon, would we hear an outcry then?
A novel idea
Maybe this shouldn’t be Obama’s problem. Or McCain’s. In fact, why not just STFU and solve your own problems instead of whining about who's going to be president of another country?
Especially since your own leaders have proven to be so trustworthy...
Rarely can a picture make me feel dizzy...
...but this one damn near made me vomit...
Details here...
Monday, July 21, 2008
NFL Predictions
I can't wait for the NFL season to start so after going through the weekly schedules here's my initial predictions for the upcoming season. A lot is still up in the air, specifically Brett Favre's status, so these are subject to change but here's my initial thoughts...
AFC East
*Patriots 12-4
Jets 8-8
Bills 8-8
Dolphins 2-14
AFC South
*Colts 13-3
+Jaguars 12-4
Texans 8-8
Titans 6-10
AFC North
*Steelers 10-6
+Browns 9-7
Bengals 6-10
Ravens 5-11
AFC West
*Chargers 13-3
Broncos 9-7
Chiefs 5-11
Raiders 4-12
NFC East
*Cowboys 11-5
+Eagles 10-6
Giants 9-7
Redskins 8-8
NFC South
*Panthers 10-6
Saints 9-7
Buccaneers 9-7
Falcons 1-15
NFC North
*Packers 11-5
+Vikings 10-6
Lions 7-9
Bears 4-12
NFC West
*Seahawks 9-7
Cardinals 8-8
Rams 6-10
49ERS 6-10
AFC Wildcards
No. 3 Patriots over No. 6 Browns...injury-riddled Patriots still too much for semi-disappointing Browns.
No. 5 Jaguars over No. 4 Steelers...two losses to Colts put Jags in this place but they are too much for Pittsburgh.
NFC Wildcards
No. 6 Vikings over No. 3 Panthers...Peterson runs wild in a surprise win over the year's sleeper team.
No. 4 Seahawks over No. 5 Eagles...Seahawks rise up when it matters most and shake off lackluster regular season.
AFC Divisionals
No. 1 Chargers over No. 5 Jaguars...L.T. doesn't pout, actually plays and helps Chargers win thriller.
No. 2 Colts over No. 3 Patriots...too many weapons for suspect Patriots defense too overcome...defense gives up game-winning, last-minute drive for third straight year.
NFC Divisionals
No. 1 Cowboys over No. 6 Vikings...Romo gets the monkey off his back.
No. 4 Seahawks over No. 2 Packers...Holmgren finally gets to celebrate at Lambeau as Rodgers buckles under playoff pressure.
AFC Championship
No. 2 Colts over No. 1 Chargers...L.T. pouts on the sideline with his visor down, then yells at Rivers and then the Colts for stealing their taunts as Colts build early lead and exact revenge from last year's loss.
NFC Championship
No. 1 Cowboys over No. 4 Seahawks...Cowboys have too much power for Seahawks, ending their Cinderella, Giants-like run.
Super Bowl XLIII
Colts 34, Cowboys 24...Freeney and Sanders give Cowboys powerful offense trouble and lack of a pass rush allows Manning to carve up secondary as Colts win second title in three years.
Discuss...
Wanna see something really beautiful?
This is my new 2005 PRS Custom 24. I just traded for it last week, and I swear to God I am NEVER giving this one up!
You can click on each pic to get the full-size shots.
When I have the time, I promise to post some playing...
I usually abhor the talking box
It almost never fails giving me a reason to do so. Every time I go back to the US, I seriously wonder WTF has happened to an already despicable medium.
Just last weekend I witnessed FOX News on the American channel here harping on this PETA add as though it was hastening the decline of America (and the irony completely escaped the messenger yet again.) And anything I ever find worth actually watching is always pushed into the scrap heap.
However, I recently finished watching the second season of “Friday Night Lights.” I’m not one to plug TV shows. Ever. But this show is by far the greatest TV series I have ever seen.
I spend enough time in this forum dwelling in the negative aspects of life. Instead I am going to recommend that you go out and pick up both seasons. I promise you will not be disappointed. This is well executed art.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Precisely...
On his first day as the Cowboys' receivers coach, the meticulous Raymond Berry demonstrated how to run a sideline route to rookies. Berry made his usual precise numbers of steps, cut toward the sideline and landed -- 1 foot out of bounds.
"The field is too narrow, Tom," he announced to Coach Landry. "No, Raymond," Landry said, "we've been out here forever."
This was the sixth year the Cowboys had practiced on the same field without complaint, yet Berry instinctively found it out of line. "Either the hashmarks aren't right or the field is too narrow," the former Baltimore Colts star receiver insisted. Landry shrugged, called for a tape measure, and field dimensions were plotted to the exact inch. Berry's sense of precision was validated. The field was 11 inches too narrow.
(thanks, ESPN)
Psssst, Dude......Wanna Buy a Destroyer for Only $5 Billion
Uh, no. At least I hope that is what the Congress will finally decide. DOD and Congress really need to get over the stars-in-the-eyes view of new weapon systems. When was the last time the Defense Dept. underestimated the cost of a major weapon system? Hell, when was the last time they underestimated the cost by less than 50%? I cannot remember a case of either. This DDG 1000 program has from the start relied on technologies that don't exist yet and the assumption that we will soon be facing a major nation's military that is funded like our own. DOD brass are living in the past and it is costing us all.
- The House of Representatives already has voted for at least a pause in DDG 1000 purchases, citing the cost - as much as $5 billion each - of the first two ships in the series and their dependence on still-unproven technologies.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
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Poetry in Motion
Don't talk to me about Super Bowls etc., the most fun running back ever was Barry Sanders.
Find the Cost of Corruption, Buried in the Ground
- "The capability that was being funded was given an unqualified contractor, who failed at even the most basic level to provide the right people, the right resources and the right capability to help our troops deal with the No. 1 threat in Iraq," Egland said.
With American lives at stake, Egland couldn't imagine how a company like MZM got such a crucial contract. His next assignment took him to a place where he could find the answer: The Pentagon.
There, Egland did some digging and found MZM had gotten millions in Defense contracts - courtesy of Rep. Duke Cunningham, R-Calif., in the form of earmarks, grants of money without the normal public review.
As member of the House Intelligence Committee, Cunningham was able to keep the earmarks even more secret than most by making them "classified."
Friday, July 18, 2008
Uncomfortable Truths, Backed Up with Data
As public housing projects were demolished and residents were given vouchers to move to other areas, the two main areas they moved to had the biggest upswings in violent crimes. Surprise, surprise, Sargent Carter!
- About six months ago, they decided to put a hunch to the test. Janikowski merged his computer map of crime patterns with Betts’s map of Section8 rentals. Where Janikowski saw a bunny rabbit, Betts saw a sideways horseshoe (“He has a better imagination,” she said). Otherwise, the match was near-perfect. On the merged map, dense violent-crime areas are shaded dark blue, and Section8 addresses are represented by little red dots. All of the dark-blue areas are covered in little red dots, like bursts of gunfire. The rest of the city has almost no dots.
If Local Taxpayers Pay for a Stadium...
Should they be able to share in the profit from selling the team a few years later? My guess is that, legally, they cannot. They are no more shareholders than those who buy Nike shoes are shareholders of Nike Inc. But cities footing the bill for major sports franchises is not the same as basic consumer-buys-tennis-shoes economics.
Flaherty noted in the letter that Forbes magazine said the franchise was worth about $300 million in 1998, but was worth $928 million by last year.
The stadium, which opened in 2001, and related lease provisions "contributed significantly to increases in the value of the Steelers franchise," Flaherty's letter said. "The public should share in the increased value that the stadium has contributed to the franchise."
J-Mac "Humor"
- Ever hear that joke about waterboarding? How about the one about killing Iranians? And why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? If you aren't familiar with those witty japes, then you've missed out on John McCain's lighter side.
- McCain's humor, by contrast, makes him the political counterpart of the radio host Don Imus (whom he has defended): It's sharp, unrehearsed and, at times, way, way over the line.
Simply Some of the Funniest T-Shirts Available
A few of my favs:
- i > u
- I demand justice - or, if there must be injustice, let it be in my favor.
- WORTH: Just because you're necessary, doesn't mean your important.
- I expected times like these - just never thought they'd be so bad, so long, and so frequent.
Capital is a Coward
Always has been, always will be. No need to waste time talking about how to change this. It just simply is. When a country loses the political and physical stability provided by a government and finds those replaced by uncertainty, money hemorrhages out of that country.
- On Thursday, the clashes in Pakistan were not with militants near the Afghan border but in the financial districts of Pakistan's major cities as hundreds of angry investors visited their rage on stock markets that failed them.
- The recent sharp fall is being attributed to a range of factors. Most immediate was the decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan to remove a 1% daily limit on how far share prices could decline, bringing it back up to 5%. There was also a ban imposed on short selling. But political factors were also at play. "Short-term day traders, who were using borrowed money, were a major factor," says Yousif Nazar, an economic commentator and former head of emerging markets at Citigroup. "But investors were also unnerved by reports that the United States was planning to strike inside Pakistan and the sight of the new coalition government falling apart." Recent U.S. airstrikes into the tribal areas along the Afghan border, paired with a rise in troop levels in Afghanistan's eastern provinces have heightened fears that Washington may act unilaterally against militants in Pakistani territory.
Fraud is Fraud
Whether it takes place in the Defense Dept. or in the small business world.
- Over the past two years, at least 10 Washington area companies have won more than $100 million in prime government contracts set aside for small businesses in economically distressed areas by claiming they had residency in those communities.
- ..a roofing contractor with a $4.1 million Air Force contract listed his business as being in a Landover distressed zone. When government investigators visited, the office was in half of a duplex and a person who identified himself as a vice president said no employees worked there. According to payroll records, only 12 percent of the company's employees lived in the zone,..
- As a test of the program's screening process, investigators created fictitious companies and submitted applications for the Historically Underutilized Business Zone program. Four of them won certification, even though one listed a Starbucks as its company address and the employee and company information was fabricated on all the applications, GAO investigators told committee members.
- Last year, administration officials quashed legislation that would have required on-site visits of applicants and other measures to ensure businesses' eligibility, calling them "burdensome or undesirable."
Do you remember when even suggesting a timetable for withdrawal was a "terrible" idea?
Remember when the White House said that any time-table for withdrawal from Iraq was a terrible idea and those who suggest it were helping terrorists? Well, now that Iraq has an elected government Bush and gang cannot dictate how long we will stay.
- ...Maliki and other Iraqi leaders in recent weeks have begun demanding firm withdrawal deadlines from the United States.
Remember when the right screamed bloody murder at the suggestion of talking to Iran or other enemies? Now the White House is going to have some diplomacy with Iran, though short of full relations. Maybe Bush is so worried about his legacy that he is willing to stop comparing talking to enemies to appeasement and comparing anyone who suggests it to Neville Chamberlain. I hope so.
Counter-Terrorism, (Ch) Air Force Style
Luxury "pods" so that flag-level prima donna types can fly in ways that "reflect their rank." Sure, we should definitely be spending counter-terror funds on that. And if the Air Force general in charge does not like the color of the leather seats? No problem, just change it to Air Force blue and bill the taxpayers over $68 grand. This is really sickening. To the credit of most members of the Air Force:
- A military officer familiar with the program, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about it, likewise said that its extravagance has provoked widespread contempt among lower-ranking Air Force personnel. "This whole program is an embarrassment," the officer said, particularly because transport seating for troops en route to the battlefield is in his view generally shoddy.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The weekend arrives
Why not enjoy a video made after 1990 that contains a guitar solo and tells a story?
It may be a little depressing, but this is the best intro I’ve heard in a long time...
Five Finger Death Punch - The Bleeding
Criminally Underrated Bands, Part III
They never made a bad album in 20+ years. Everyone can recognize at least one of their riffs. This band simply epitomizes everything good about rock and yet only true fans seem to recognize their greatness. But maybe it’s better that way too...
Tesla - Hang Tough
On the occasion of their 9-month birthday...
Here are a couple of funny videos of the twins.
Fiona, the human laugh track...
Declan, following in his father's footsteps...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
72 Dolphins...Perfect, but not the best...
Every year some of the classless 1972 Dolphins act like juveniles when the last undefeated team falls. They pop champagne and toast each other as their status as the only undefeated team in NFL history remains secure.
We all saw the depths that these players, like lead whiner Mercury Morris, will sink to in order to protect their turf as they constantly cried and made excuses when the Patriots threatened to go 19-0 and push them aside, since 19-0 is greater than 17-0, which is what those Dolphins went. For the record, the Patriots were 18-0 at one point, something the Dolphins never reached.
Those Dolphins like to say that since they went 17-0 that automatically means they are the greatest team in NFL history. They also like to act like those that don’t go undefeated are inferior. That is the hardly the case. Make no mistake, the Dolphins were great–but they also were the beneficiaries of one of the softest schedules a team could ever hope to have. Give some of the great teams in NFL history a similar schedule and the Dolphins likely would have plenty of company in the undefeated ranks.
Let’s examine:
First, the Dolphins played ZERO playoff teams during the regular season. In fact, their schedule was such a joke that they played only two teams with winning records, the Chiefs and Giants, and those teams were both just 8-6. The combined winning percentage of their 14 opponents was .357 and nine of their wins were against teams with five or fewer wins.
Wow, clearly they are the best ever beating juggernauts like that!
Now, let’s look at some of the other all-time great teams that came close to undefeated seasons like the 1976 Raiders, the 1978 Steelers, the 1982 Redskins, the 1984 49ERS, the 1985 Bears and the 1991 Redskins. Each of those teams only lost to teams that made the playoffs and/or won 10 or more games (or in the Redskins case 6 games but we'll get to that). The Dolphins never had to endure such challenges.
The Raiders went 13-1, losing only to the AFC East champion Patriots who went 11-3. The 78 Steelers lost only to the Rams and Oilers who both advanced to the NFC and AFC championships, respectively. The Redskins went 8-1 during a strike-shortened season, losing only to future NFC championship opponent the Cowboys (6-3).
The 49ERS became the first team in NFL history to win 18 games, going 18-1 and losing only to the Steelers who reached the AFC championship. The Niners also had that game won, stopping the Steelers on a late 4th-and-goal before a controversial pass interference penalty allowed the Steelers to force overtime and win it there.
The 1985 Bears duplicated the Niners achievement, going 18-1 and losing only to the Dolphins, 38-24. Miami went 12-4 and reached the AFC championship.
The 91 Redskins went 14-2, losing only to the Cowboys (11-5) who reached the playoffs and the Eagles (10-6) in a regular-season finale meaningless game.
All these teams played against multiple playoff opponents during their regular seasons as well. The 84 Niners played five games against playoff teams, the 85 Bears played five playoff teams and the 91 Redskins played six games against playoff teams.
The point is that had these teams had the joke of a schedule the Dolphins did they likely would have went undefeated as well.
Conversely, had the Dolphins had to endure the numerous challenges from top-flight teams that these other world champions did they almost certainly would have not gone undefeated.
Just look at 1973 for evidence. That year the Dolphins actually had to face a playoff team, meeting the Raiders, their future AFC championship opponent, in Week 2. The result? The Dolphins lost, 12-7. Looks like going undefeated is a little bit more challenging when your schedule is not littered with cupcakes, huh?
And really how great was this team when they were the underdog entering Super Bowl VII against the Redskins? If a team was as dominant as the Dolphins like to make themselves out to be that year then they would have been an overwhelming favorite to win it all.
What several of the above teams did as well was dominate their postseason competition. The 84 Niners won 21-10, 23-0 and 38-16. The 85 Bears won 21-0, 24-0 and 46-10, while the 91 Redskins won 24-7, 41-10 and 37-24 (it was 37-10 until garbage time). Others like the 89 Niners who went 14-2 and lost to future NFC championship opponent the Rams and the Packers (10-6) outscored three playoff teams 126-26.
Just imagine what those teams would look like if they had the joke of a schedule the Dolphins had and got to play terrible teams on an almost-weekly basis.
The Dolphins, in contrast to those teams, had to rally in two AFC playoff wins to beat the Browns and Steelers, 20-14 and 21-17 before defeating the Redskins, 21-17. Just imagine how tough things would have been on the Dolphins during the regular season had they had to play teams like that four, five or six times a season.
In this era of free agency where teams are just about powerless to keep their cores together for more than four years they chances of another undefeated season are slim. That the Patriots came so close is amazing. The Patriots started 18-0 despite playing six playoff teams, including four division champions, their future AFC championship opponent and the future world champion.
Many of the 72 Dolphins, led by the childish Morris, whined throughout most of the season as the Patriots kept winning. What those Dolphins always failed to leave out is how hard the Patriots task was considering who they had to play and how easy it was for them considering the ridiculously easy schedule they had to play.
So congratulations, 72 Dolphins you likely can keep popping your champagne every year. Nobody will ever have the same kind of easy path that you had. If they had, then those toasts would have ended a long time ago.
But 72 Dolphins, if you want to toast the best team in NFL history then you better stand in line because there’s a lot of teams in front of you.
Cry about that...
Give me your...infected?
This helps our country how? And exactly how did Sen. Kerry establish that people with a virus which has a 90% mortality rate (the other being 50%) can get into the US easier? The only cadavers I’ve seen in the immigration lines are working the counters.
This isn’t “stigmatizing” people with a disease – it’s keeping your population safe you jackass. Which should be a priority for any incurable communicable disease regardless of what it is.
Congress just agreed to pour $48 billion into this issue for exclusive use outside of the US - which is admirable even if a little extravagant. But knowingly adding HIV into the melting pot in order to stay PC is both irresponsible and dangerous.
Waterboarding candidates
How do “deep thinkers” come up with a “stupid, childish plan”?
Thanks to these @ssholes I must now dump out my bomb containing coffee before boarding a plane to enjoy the shot-glass of Coke the airline will so graciously bequeath me at their leisure.
Or explain to the rocket scientist working the security line that the bottle of breast milk actually contains breast milk for the baby I am holding in my arms, which at some point will become very necessary on a 14 hour flight and cannot be easily procured therein.
While I can appreciate the intent and I’m not deriding people just trying to do their jobs, who decided a Ziploc bag was suitable for shielding the cabin from the potentially explosive contact solution my wife has in her purse?
Their true crime was inciting a pandemic of retardation - for which a stretch in Gitmo seems justified.
Plumbing and pigmentation
I can’t think of better criteria for picking Supreme Court Justices, except for lactose tolerance.
But I also notice this reporter didn’t actually ask anyone from either campaign.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Criminally underrated bands, Part II...
In a just world, these guys would achieve the level of success that less-talented bands like Pearl Jam have enjoyed...
"Dogman" by King's X
How would the GOP feel about this cartoon?
Hat tip to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's David Horsey...
But Barack Obama is the elitist...
Cindy McCain says that "the only way" to get around Arizona is by small private plane.
Arizona: The only state in America without roads...
Here's a shout-out to a pretty little lady named Veronica...
...and big congrats to her daddy, G, and her mommy, too...
The Body and a No-Brainer
I’d choose surfing too, but it still sucks for America. Maybe there’s still hope that the Freebirds can establish an oligarchy in Georgia. This way your wife won’t have to pack heat in addition to the restricted 2 checked bags and appropriately sized carry-on....
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sweeeeeet!
I can finally watch basketball again without having to endure the rantings of this complete tool. Good riddance to this State-hating douchebag. May your future "fun activities" include gargling hornets.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Criminally underrated bands Part I
Molding metal, punk and hardcore into one equal-opportunity ass kicking machine, they have never received enough credit for their pioneering. They packed their songs with killer riffs and lyrics all in a serene bubble of fantastic production. People have been ripping off “Institutionalized” for years and “Alone” is quite possibly one of the best songs ever written. Rocky George is a guitar god, Robert Trujillo is simply a beast on the bass and Mike Muir’s voice was like a melodic buzzsaw.
Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
Ante up on any bands you find were grievously overlooked...
It's a shame these guys are thought of as a bit of a novelty band...
...because they write some really great tunes...
"Call and Answer" by Barenaked Ladies
An interesting development...
So the Elton Brand deal is done, and he's been officially announced as the newest member of the 76ers.
At his news conference yesterday, a very interesting thing happened: He did the obligatory "hold up your new jersey" shot holding a Sixers throwback jersey. After that, he did an official photo shoot wearing that same throwback jersey.
Could the Sixers be ditching their ugly new unis in favor of a return to their glory days of the early 80's?
One can only hope...
U.seless N.otions
Could someone please explain to me why this relic is still around? Your forces were ambushed by rebels on horseback?!? And all your leader can do is give the strongest condemnation possible?!? I could only imagine that the UN Standard Field Operations Manual contains instructions for how to smite your enemies with angry admonitions.
The world by and large has proven that it really could care less about the entire continent, which may or may not be earned in some cases. But it’s way past time to transform this towering Ode to Spinelessness on the East River into some expensive studio apartments. At least then a cut of the proceeds could be used to buy these poor bastards some equipment and ammo.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Here's a guy that really stuck to his principles...
Sometimes you have to be willing to pay a price when you believe in something...
L.F. Eason III gave up the only job he'd ever had rather than lower a flag to honor former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.Pretty gutsy stuff...
Eason, a 29-year veteran of the state Department of Agriculture, instructed his staff at a small Raleigh lab not to fly the U.S. or North Carolina flags at half-staff Monday, as called for in a directive to all state agencies by Gov. Mike Easley.
When a superior ordered the lab to follow the directive, Eason decided to retire rather than pay tribute to Helms. After several hours' delay, one of Eason's employees hung the flags at half-staff.
Did the Sixers actually just make a great deal?
Apparently, they've landed Elton Brand.
This is proof that if you live long enough, you will, in fact, see EVERYTHING...
McCain calls Social Security "a disgrace"...
...and, no, I'm not making this up.
From Talking Points Memo:
McCain told a townhall in Denver on Monday, "Americans have got to understand that. Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today. And that's a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace and it's got to be fixed."Ummm, Sen. McCain...that's how Social Security works!!!
Social Security is the most popular government program in American history, but if you feel like it's a disgrace, please make your feelings known to every retired person in this country...
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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You gotta be a real asshole to say something this senseless...
John McCain is suddenly concerned about members of Congress doing their jobs...
McCain took Congress to task for taking a July 4 recess without completing action on a housing rescue plan, calling it "incredible that Congress should go on vacation while Americans are trying to stay in their homes."A strange comment from a guy that has missed 367 votes in the 110th Congress, making him the most absent member of the Senate, even surpassing Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), who missed a chunk of time due to a brain hemorrhage...
Monday, July 7, 2008
What kind of honor is it...
...to go out on a baseball diamond looking like this?
Those things are hideous...
P.S. The fashion show is back, Rich!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
The true enemies of the state
Regardless of who wins in November, I sincerely hope they intend to take the pruning shears to one Branch. Forget the liberal/conservative divide - these people apparently aim to take misanthropy to new heights. Here’s the proof:
1) Rendering a decision to ban state executions of people who rape children - Nearly every species on this planet will protect their young. Apparently our judicial system wants to devolve us when the herd needs to be thinned. There is a cure for pedophilia. It’s called death.
2) Ruling that handguns are constitutionally legal to possess – Handguns serve a single purpose. The rest of the world has figured this out. Maybe now we can get Federal funding to help bury someone we love if they get shot in the head while trying to buy milk at the store since this was their brilliant idea. Or even better, send some of these justices out on patrol in their own city to help celebrate this victory with fellow Second Amendment loving Americans.
3) California Love –What California really needed was the Federal government to force a flawed socialist education agenda into an orifice where it doesn’t belong.
We don’t need a group of people who would be denied a driver’s license trying to leave a legacy at the expense of mankind.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Let the posthumous rewriting of Jesse Helms' biography begin...
Be prepared for at least a few days of hearing what a consequential, principled man this old bigot was...
UPDATE: AmericaBlog has compiled some of the Jesse quotes you probably won't be seeing on the news anytime soon...
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Most Overated NFL Player Ever is...
I was watching the NFL Network's "Top 10 Super Bowl Performances" the other day and I almost choked on my Honey Smacks while watching it when they revealed No. 9 as Joe Namath against the Colts in Super Bowl III.
Are you kidding me?
Joe Montana went 22-for-29 for 297 yards and a then-record five touchdown passes in a 55-10 Super Bowl XXIV win over the Broncos. Terry Bradshaw threw a then-record four touchdown passes against the defending world champion Cowboys in a 35-31 Super Bowl XIII win. John Elway threw for 336 yards and a touchdown while also running for a touchdown in a Super Bowl XXXIII thumping of the Falcons. Tom Brady completed 32 of 48 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns, while leading a fourth-quarter comeback in addition to the game-winning scoring drive in the final minute of Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Panthers.
None of those performances were deemed Top 10 worthy.
Namath was 17-for-28 for 206 yards and no touchdowns. He did not throw a pass in the fourth quarter and had just one completion of more than 20 yards. And oh yeah, you might want to give credit to the defense that allowed just seven points instead of to a quarterback who led his team to a below-average offensive performance in relation to how they played prior to that game and who also led his team to just one touchdown. Namath himself admits that someone else should have won the Most Valuable Player Award. But Namath was beloved by the media and the voters let that cloud their judgement.
Now the people who defended the decision said it was because of Namath's "guarantee to beat the Colts." Please. New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress guaranteed a super bowl win over an undefeated Patriots team being billed by many as the greatest team ever just a few months ago. Where was he on the list? At least he caught the game-winning touchdown. Granted, Burress only had two catches but, by the rankers' requirements, the simple fact that he guaranteed a win over a heavy favorite should get him on the list.
But I digress.
The point is that Namath is on that list and in the Hall of Fame because of that one game, and more specifically, that one guarantee. Yes, it was gutsy and it inspired his team. But it doesn't mean the guy is a Hall of Famer and certainly not one of the best ever.
Here are the stone cold facts: Namath completed only 50.1 percent of his passes and threw 47 more interceptions (220) than touchdowns (173). Once he led the league in touchdown passes...four times he led the league in interceptions. Only twice in his 13-year career did he throw more touchdown passes than interceptions. Granted the pass coverage rules were tighter back then but he averaged 17 interceptions a season, which actually is quite deceiving because in four of his seasons he only played in six or fewer games. The year after the Jets won the super bowl, Namath completed 14 of 40 passes for 164 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions in a 13-6 home playoff loss to the Chiefs. That also was his last playoff game even though he played until 1977.
Granted, it's not all about stats. It's more about winning. But here Namath fails the test again. He led the Jets to only three winning seasons, all from 1967-69. Three winning seasons in 13 years and that makes him a Hall of Famer? Come on.
I've heard others make excuses for Namath, saying that injuries hindered him and he would have been much better had he been healthier. I have no doubt that's true, but that's also too bad. Football is a rough game and thousands of players could make the same claim.
Terrell Davis would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and might have made a run at the all-time rushing record if he didn't blow out his knee the year after rushing for 2,000 yards and leading the Broncos to their second straight super bowl. Few out there are saying Davis is a Hall of Famer.
The bottom line is if Namath wasn't a media darling, playing in the media capitol of the world, who made a bold guarantee he wouldn't have even sniffed the Hall of Fame. Namath was an immensely talented quarterback.
He just wasn't a Hall of Famer...but he was overrated.
Who else loved "Absolutely Fabulous"?
My old roommate from college was on to something when he turned me on to this show...
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
"Bring 'em on" turns 5 years old!
Has it really been that long???
Given what's transpired since then, I can only see that particular episode as one in a never-ending string of embarrassments in the 8-year abomination known as the Bush presidency.
However, it is worth noting that this was the very first time when even the most die-hard Bush supporters looked at the man and came to grips with the fact that their hero might actually be semi-retarded.
That doesn't mean they stopped supporting him, but they most assuredly felt the wheels starting to come off at that point...
Not all "Gays" are "Homosexual", after all...
Moronic right-wing homophobia sure can have its humorous side effects!
Details here...
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Bush praises McCain on new GI Bill, even though he opposed it...
Your current president is truly a visionless asshole.
Read all about it at The Carpetbagger Report...
Happy Canada Day!!!
To mark the occasion, here's a classic Canadian pop anthem.
"Sandcastles in the Sand" by Robin Sparkles
Never underestimate...
...the lengths to which a sycophantic media will go to protect their patron saint, John McCain.
This Wesley Clark non-story is a perfect example.
Gen. Clark answered a question posed by Bob Schieffer, who was clearly trying to get him to say something dismissive of McCain's military service.
In response, Clark praised McCain's service and merely said that being shot down was "not a qualification to be President".
Almost immediately, the obedient McCain-obsessed media FREAKED!!! Suddenly, General Clark had "blasted McCain's military service".
Wrong. He did nothing of the sort. He stated an opinion. Period. But, the media smelled a story and jumped like obedient lapdogs.
Always remember this: The American media is not conservative and it is not liberal. Our media is lazy, uninterested in facts, more interested in style over substance, and obsessed with political figures that are accommodating to them...
UPDATE: Coming to McCain's defense is one of the shitbags that took part in the actual sliming of John Kerry's military service in 2004.
Does the media find that interesting? Not really...
