Revolution!

Ah, the romance of left-wing terrorism. The Washington Post has a puff piece about FARC's new leader.

The Audacity of Hype...

...is how the Wall Street Journal Online puts it. A sample of Obama infatuation from best of the web today:

George Lucas has created legendary film heroes like Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones, but the US director says that in real life, his hero is Barack Obama.

Lucas was in Japan on Wednesday to promote his latest film, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," as Obama clinched the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

"We have a hero in the making back in the United States today because we have a new candidate for president of the United States, Barack Obama," Lucas said when asked who his childhood heroes were.

Obama, "for all of us that have dreams and hope, is a hero," Lucas said.

The headline--we're not making this up--reads, "The Force Is With Obama, 'Star Wars' Creator Says." We liked Lucas better when he was working on missile defense.

And Politico quotes Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., an Illinois Democrat:

"I cried all night. I'm going to be crying for the next four years," he said. "What Barack Obama has accomplished is the single most extraordinary event that has occurred in the 232 years of the nation's political history. . . . The event itself is so extraordinary that another chapter could be added to the Bible to chronicle its significance."

Memo to Spike Lee:

Don't mess with Dirty Harry/The man with no name. Clint Eastwood tells Spike Lee to "shut his face."

I hate everyone too

Matt Welch, the newish editor of Reason, has a pretty fantastic rant about the 2008 election. Basically, he hates everyone, a feeling to which I am sympathetic.

Mullet > Steroids, Sex with Minors

"LHP Randy Johnson will break a tie with Roger Clemens for second place in career strikeouts against Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Each has 4,672 strikeouts, though Johnson reached that figure in 1,012 2/3 fewer innings." Significant difference, if correct. According to yahoo sports (not sure how good they are at math).

STUPIDER?!?!?!??

I have nothing beyond observing that this is by far the most ridiculous and, frankly, fucking stupidest thing I can think of at the moment. Bert, are conservatives seriously this idiotic? Should I really vote for Hillary? Oh God my brain hurts. Save me Moon Dog!

Hurray C-bus

Number 2 ranked whoretastic city in the country according to Men's Health (actually, they rated cities where men have the most sex, but it boils down to the same thing imo):

http://menshealth.com/metrogrades/08_apr_sex/?cm_mmc=MSN-_-Sex%20In%20the%20Cities-_-Article-_-Sex%20Metrogrades

Cincy was 4th and Toledo was 25th. Cleveland was 31, possibly explaining why I never landed a girl at a bar....no matter how drunk I got.

Bob Barr

I was contemplating not voting this year at all, but then I saw this (taken at the LP convention in Denver this weekend from Reason):Fan-freaking-tastic.

Blast from the Past...

I forge the site (Slaps if you remember post it!), but at some point a few years ago Slaps and I were on a major Magic kick (Nick you played too, don't deny your hatred for Slaps' white deck) and started making a rocknroll magic deck. I found them on an old computer while looking for some data for my thesis. I'm debating on including them in the thesis. Anyways, here they are:

And to make up for choosing Buffalo over Ohio

...not to make a certain someone feel guilty or obligated in any way. But I'll take it if it gets us to Michigan.

Michigan Trip '08

Just thought I'd toss the idea out there. You know, in case someone whose family has a house on a lake in a certain state up north would like to take his friends up for some fishing and revelry.

Bob Barr

Barr's candidacy can only hurt McCain, but as Barr notes, this will be in part McCain's fault because he does not appeal to conservatives (and others) with a libertarian bent.

So, Slaps, when Ron Paul fails to get the nomination, you will have another choice. Will Barr be it?

Slaps

This will probably only interest you and me, but I am going to try to make plans to watch this wed....Flavor Flav AND T.O. on the same show!

Scalia on 60 Minutes

If you missed it. CBS was suprisingly fair. Liberals are all in a panic because Scalia is getting good and much publicity lately. He just published a book on advocacy. Slate's Dahlia Lithwick, long-time Scalia hater, reacts here.

Government by the judiciary is good for democracy?

Square that circle for me. I love the attempts to promote "liberal constitutionalism". None of which ever appeal to the actual meaning or structure of the constitution. This appeal is sad but almost honest. It is an appeal for someone, please, anyone, to come up with a good liberal constitutionalism that sells. The "living constitutionalists" are ever theorizing and coming up with new ways to cloak a judicial approach that consists of getting at the "right" result.

Dynasty? Try SHAMNASTY!

I don't see how this can be viewed as anything other than very damning to the Patriots, a tape revealing they stole both offensive and defensive signals. If you read the article carefully it shows how the tapes were cut and edited together to give the Pats a good sense of what plays the opposing team would call on a certain down. What it doesn't say is if these tapes were taken, say, before half-time, and then used by the Patriots in the second half. I'd like to see some statistician take a crack at examining the Patriots in the first and second halves of games over the past 10 years or so. It always seemed like certain teams could play them tough for a half but then they simply withered in the second half.

I think this is, in part, why its so easy to be cynical about sports these days. It took years after their hey-days to bring down Bonds and Clemens, but now the Patriots dynasty is going to be torn down before the paint is even dry.


p.s. Sham-nasty should be the subtitle of the new M. Night Shamalyan movie.

In other important news

Remo Williams is coming back! I demand another movie with Fred Ward, Wilford Brimley and Captain Janeway!

Tom Wolfe

Interesting interview with Tom Wolfe on NRO. He remains one of my favorite authors. It's pretty good if you can stomach a non-scientist talking about science-related topics. The final installment airs tomorrow.

Now that's just vulgar

Consider me p4wned, whatever that means. Seriously, I'm not down with the adolescent, gamer, text-speak. Have some consideration for an old fogey. Sometimes I don't understand a word you are blogging.

I'm afraid I'll have to one-up you, Bert:

I'm confused about the Expelled ruckus

Anyway, moving on, here's a cartoon for our generation.

EXPLEED

sounds like it should star Jason Statham. And be awesome.

Expleed, NR, etc.

I tried reading both the article and the rebuttal, but I was p4wned by arrogance (HEADSHOT! Derbyshire p4wned Holy Thunderforce's head for 250 gold. Assists: Berlinksi). You'd think I'd be better prepared from being Bert's friend, but even his handsome, heavenly arrogance didn't prepare me for that. ZOMFG! I feel like I need a shower and a box of Swiss cake rolls after that.

Re: Expelled

Why does this NR exchange on Expelled start going down anti-semitic roads? Who has time for any of their nonsense?

Belated 2nd round picks

I went 7-1 on my first round picks which means one of two things: I'm a basketball genius! OR the first round is entirely unnecessary and should be eliminated. Hint: the second thing. I was right about Detroit getting serious on Philly, but wrong about the Spurs, who flopped and out-4th-quartered their way past the suns again.

East

Detroit vs. Orlando
Detroit proved again that they are the best team around when they care to play, which is roughly a quarter a game. Detroit just doesn't care enough to really play their best--4 of the 5 starters seem content with their rings from a few years ago. I think Orlando wins in 6 or 7.

Boston vs. Cleveland
This will be a good series to watch. Either the Celtics totally zoned out in the first round, or they really are as weak and vulnerable as a thoroughbred with a broken leg at the Kentucky Derby. I can't really see the Celtics blowing this though--they will take James seriously, and Boston's stronger roster will wear him down. Boston in 6.

West

Utah vs. Los Angeles
Utah's good, but the Lakers are better. They've got it together--rolling over dysfunctional Denver just gave them more energy, and Pau Gasol's beard has an intimidation factor of 8 (just a few points shy of Brian Blessed's record of 11). Lakers in 5.

San Antonio vs. New Orleans
The first round should have taught me not to pick against the Spurs, but I just hate them so much. They rely on acting and flopping to stick around for 3 quarters, and then count on the other team to be too tired to play defense in the 4th. Never has their been such a whiny uninspiring 'dynasty' team in any sport as the Spurs. New Orleans in 6.

Someone who actually saw Expelled

Thoughtful critique of Expelled and some thoughts on the relationship between science and theology.

Expelled

John Derbyshire attacked Expelled and Ben Stein last week on NRO. Here is a rebuttal. Derb admittedly has not seen the documentary. His attack is a little uncharacteristically emotional. Perhaps not so uncharacteristically when it comes to science, though. Derbyshire rightly attacks the silliness of some creationists and IDers on occasion, but in this instance he lashes out unfairly, I think (I have not seen the documentary either). He sees a vile conspiracy behind every attack on the current scientific views of evolution. The Derb seems to have swallowed Dawkins's atheist-materialist views whole sometimes (which is fine assuming one allows for and fairly considers criticism of such a view). He seems a little too emotionally attached to the dominant view of Darwinism among scientists.

Voter ID

Liberals continue to whine about the Supreme Court's decision upholding Indiana's voter ID requirement. Heaven forbid you have to show your driver's license at the polling place! Oppression!

We don't require voters to know anything about the issues or candidates on the ballot or even about civics and our government or even that they be minimally literate. Is it so much to ask that they be able to show that they are voting legally (being who you say you are is about the only legal requirement to exercise the franchise left)?

HOT!

I counter CWRU's new sexual assault policy (which says, if I'm not mistaken, that a drunk girl cannot consent to sex, HA!) with this report, which says among other things, that 'sexual coercion among animals is extremely common.'

And there's a seal having sex with a penguin.

McCain making some sense

on healthcare. As much as I was disappointed with McCain's nomination, I am fearful of the thought of Obama or Clinton with a majority in the House and maybe even the Senate. On judges, taxes, and especially health care McCain is far superior. And he can at least prevent some bad legislation from becoming law if not get anything good done.

Orson Scott Card hates J.K. Rowling

In a crazy coincidence, I started reading Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card this weekend and here's Card tearing J.K. Rowling a new one over her lawsuit to stop production of a Harry Potter reference book. It's pretty funny. And bitter.

Nick's right...

...about the Cavs. Even though they sucked it up tonight. And Z looks super scary with the totally shaved look. I couldn't find a pic to put up if you haven't seen him.

Band Names

Since we've, from time to time, debated worthiness of songs and individuals being on lists, here is a list of the most ridiculous band names ever. I hadn't heard of two of them, but wonder why Fromage d'Amour isn't on there (as I'm sure JB is also).

Ethanol Subsidies (like most government subsidies) Are Bad

Deroy Murdock reported last week that ethanol subsidies are increasing the price of fuel and food and, as a result, are causing food shortages in poorer parts of the world.

Mark Steyn's take:
"The biofuels debacle is global warm-mongering in a nutshell: The first victims of poseur environmentalism will always be developing countries. In order for you to put biofuel in your Prius and feel good about yourself for no reason, real actual people in faraway places have to starve to death. "

Roger Clemens: Got Chmura'd?

So he's a pedophile now, too?

Is this a nasty attack ad from John McClane?

From The ISB, of course

Awesome name

My only election commentary:

Some big-wig fundraiser named Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon is defecting from Hillary to Obama.

If my name was Guerra-Mondragon, I'd expect to be the Warlord-Ruler of some Pacific island-nation. His name right up there in terms of awesomeness with dragons with rocket-launchers on their backs.

Could've been worse...

Guillermo del Toro will direct the Hobbit, with Peter Jackson producing. I guess it sort of makes sense... I mean, the bad guys in Hellboy 2 look pretty much like elves, and del Toro hit a home run with Pan's Labyrinth.

But check this from the link above:

"Del Toro will helm the two films back to back, telling the story of "The Hobbit," and its sequel, which will deal with the 60-year period between "The Hobbit" and "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first of the "Rings" trilogy."

This is the first I've heard of this. I had assumed when I heard the Hobbit was going to be 2 movies that they were going to split it somewhere in the middle (when Bilbo finds the ring?) to make two 3 hr + movies and make twice as much money. But this sounds like they are going to cobble together an entirely new movie together from Tolkein's notes and appendices. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I suppose I'm inclined to trust the Jackson/Walsh/Boyens trio given their track record on the LoTR trilogy. On the whole, they made more good calls than bad ones, but they still did make bad ones (elves at Helm's Deep wtf?); and they came perilously close to making a few terrible ones (Aragorn sword-dueling with Sauron, Arwen at Helm's Deep, etc.). And without the spine of an actual novel to guide them this time, I think there are tremendous pitfalls to this 'second film' project. They will surely step into a few of them.

Anyway, John, the switch from Jackson to del Toro might mean less creepy spiders and bugs. The flip-side is that all the other creatures will be very very creepy, and possibly eyeless... with big pointy claws and cavernous yawning mouths.

Re: God this video rocks me

"singing it to...Bert"...cuz he's on MY lap. Sha-ZAM!

Re: God this video rocks me so hard

Me down on my knees, tears streaming from my face singing it to...Bert.

God this video rocks me so hard

Sorry to be off-topic. But damn... Heart really does keep the fires hot in the foundry of rock.

Hey you polysci ppl

Is Obama's losing Penn and Ohio in the primaries as significant as they make it seem? I know if this were the presidential election he might be boned, but I was just wondering if there were any significance to this.* Either way, I'm still voting for this guy.


*Beyond the "photo of Sen. Obama with his arm around the white woman who is a Democratic candidate for North Carolina governor" in which he is most definitely saying "Hey! Where all the white women at?"**


**That might actually get him my vote.

Axis of Evil

The target of Isreal's bombing raid into Syria last year seems to have been a plutonium reactor. The CIA says it was a North Korea-Syria joint venture.

This revelation makes the administration's poor handling of North Korea seem all the worse. John Bolton wrote about our NorK stance last week.

P.J. O'Rourke

...on an aircraft carrier.

Marvin

205 x 5 on decline bitches (last set of 3rd chest exercise). I've gained ten pounds, but I still look like a stick. The strength part is coming fairly fast, but not the size.

Marvin needs to go as far as I'm concerned. Chad is not a TO wannabe, but I am a little disappointed with him. In his defense, he wants to win. Marvin did say yesterday that he believes Chad when Chad says he'll sit out the year. So, I guess he is kind of staring him down. None of it is good for the Bengals though.

Old fashioned muscle building

Slaps hows that HGH production coming along? We gonna express that shit or what. I want big muscles to go with a big head and tiny(er) wiener.

Also, Bert: as much as I hate Herm Edwards (and it's alot), I'd still rather have him than Lewis. What a penis. Not that I'm saying Johnson's right (he's a T.O. wannabe imo), but you'd think at some point the Cincy brass would tire of Lewis's fifth grade, dodge ball court tactics of handling his players. Why doesn't he just go all out and dee-double-dog dare Johnson to sit out the season. I'll bet you my Snack Pack he doesn't.

Old fashion muscle building

He says it's slow going but Bert is outperforming me in all measurable lifting categories.

Beard thickness and density, though, I've still got him beat.

Hormone water

Pretty!? I think you meant the most ruggedly handsome. And it's well water for me. I live out in the sticks.

And do you know where I can score some HGH? This old fashioned muscle building is slow going.

John Adams would destroy metrosexual fish

I don't know Bert, you certainly are the prettiest of us all...maybe from all that tap water? Now you know why I distill my own water. All in all an interesting study that would benefit from more controlled laboratory work. Although, since the main active steroid in birth control is progesterone ( targets a totally different receptor) I wonder why they chose to look at estrogens instead. It might have to do with the body's ability to metabolize different steroids at different rates....Anyway, I'm always up for talking about REAL steroids, not fake ones like HGH.

Also, I second Nick's comment about the Adams series, I only caught 2 episodes in various hotels on my recent travels but what I saw was very good. Although they made Jefferson out to be a total ass in the ones I saw. But Ben Franklin was awesome. I didn't get to see Hamilton though. It comes out on DVD in June I think and I'm definitely going to check the whole thing out.

Moody Fish

I noticed the article didn't put forth any data as well. My post was meant mostly in jest, and I hope you're right that it's not a problem.

Mostly, I hope we are not drinking up the estrogen! I read something a while back about contraceptive estrogen in the water supply because of its widespread use. I don't want to grow eggs like the manfishes (or have other side effects for that matter).

Women and fish

While I agree that promiscuous women are, indeed, bad for the environment, my skepticism comes from the fact that it is not all that uncommon for fish to not only display tendencies of the opposite sex, but it is frequently observed that they change sex in populations where one sex is severely lacking (like frogs and dinosaurs on island theme parks). Slaps, the PNAS paper is here. It seems like they did the best they could to mimic the situation (they used a whole damn lake and the concentrations of estrogen don't seem that unreasonably inflated). I think it's a reasonable concern and as politically viable for regulation as pesticides or fertilizer drainage into waterways. Especially considering how many women are taking an estrogen mimic of some form (my boss's wife is taking one as part of her breast cancer treatment - she's on some new clinical study - so it's not just limited to whores, although I attribute the greater percentage of it to them). Anyways, one of the few forms of government regulation I can get behind is the kind that helps preserve fish populations. And if it smacks down some whores in the process, well, booster!

Bert:

I'm afraid I'm going to have to see the actual science on that one.

John!

Promiscuous women are harming the fish population.

Adams!?

Anyone else watching HBO's John Adams? I started midway and caught the last 5 or 6 episodes. I really enjoyed it. In an inspired bit of casting Rufus Sewell plays Alexander Hamilton. They make Hamilton look like a crazy imperial/monarchist next to Adams' gruff wisdom--I was wondering if Bert the Hamilton-fan had any comments on this?

B-Ball playoff picks

For as worthless as the NBA regular season is, I do enjoy the playoffs. Probably because they always coincide with the end of the school semester and the start of summer.

Here are my picks for the first round:

The East (or, the "special kids league")

Celtics v. Hawks -- Boston could win this by playing the Red Sox infield as their starting lineup. Boston in 4.

Pistons v. 76ers -- It's funny. Here in Philly, folks are saying (all wistfully) if the 76ers split the first two games, who knows what will happen? Um, I do. The Pistons will get serious around about game 4, Rasheed will stop whining long enough to hit his ridiculous big man 3 pointers, and they will win in 6. Sorry, Philly. No chance!

Magic v. Raptors -- I don't know anything about these two teams. But basketball should not be played in Canada, so I pick the Magic. Also, their mascot is a wizard, I think. A real one, not some fruity hack like the Washington Wizards mascot. Magic in 5.

Cavs v. Wizard -- Really, these two teams again? I don't really know the Cavs anymore since they exchanged their entire team with Chicago mid-season, but after an extremely boring 7 games I guess the Cavs will eke it out on account of Lebron, who is powered by sweet and delicious Sprite (also, has many illegitimate children!). Cavs in 7.

The West

Lakers v. Nuggets -- Apparently getting Spain's best bullfighter to play center for them has turned the Lakers into a superpower, and Kobe seems to be getting over his stripper-to-call-on-in-every-city phase. Allen Iverson still struggles to be a thug in Denver. I heard he shops at Whole Foods now. Lakers in 5.

Hornets v. Mavs -- Who the eff are the Hornets? Am I in middle school again? I say the Mavs will self-destruct because that's what they always do and Dirk is no Rasheed when it comes to whining. The Hornets, like me, will be consistently confused about Jason Kidd's race, but unlike me, they'll make peace with not knowing and overcome the Mavs in 6 games.

Spurs v. Suns -- Being married to all those Desperate Housewives has prematurely aged the Spurs. Getting Shaq to play center has freed Amare Stoudemare to play a special brand of angry-man-basketball that I know for a fact gets results. Also, Manu Ginobili is getting bald, and rooting for South American players is so 2006. Suns in 7.

Jazz v. Rockets -- The Rockets have turned choking in the first round into an art form. Only if Yao Ming gets fitted with a new bionic foot and reappears as his Chinese Superhero alter-ego can the Rockets overcome. Too bad for them he is saving himself to play for China's team in the Olympics. Jazz in 5.

Expelled

I don't know what to think about Ben Stein's new movie. On the one hand, I believe that academic freedom should be paramount in a university. I start to get a little concerned when professors are ostracized or just plain kicked out for saying something controversial [the corollary to that is that I think many professors should exercise more discretion before spouting off], but on the other hand I think that a great many of intelligent design's loudest proponents have been duplicitous about their intentions. It seems to me they want to sneak religion back into the science classroom, almost as a kind of revenge for the way that science has changed the way people talk about sacred texts and invaded other sacred spaces.

Anyway, the trailer:

Hamas in the Post

Maybe if I killed some Jews, the Post would publish my op-eds.

I counter Bert's seriousness with:

Obama propaganda

It seems Obama has adopted the aesthetics of Soviet propaganda for his campaign. This after the report that a Che Guevara poster was displayed in one of his campaign offices. You'd think someone whose opponents consider him a leftist would avoid the comparison, but.... Perhaps he is ashamed of the Democrats perennial obfuscation of their true colors.

OOPS: forgot the link

Gods of the Earth will kick your A$$

Rejoyce ye who worship at the altar of thyne Sword, for these sayme mytee wariors hath riturned! Injoy tayles of Thee Frost Gyant's Daughter and Thee Black River. Heer I gyve ye Fyre Lanses of thee Anshent Hyperzefyrians:

I <3 Mr. T

I managed to download some songs from his album off of the case download site thingy and they are more fantastic than you would expect (in one song he suggests that if you read the Bible you'll see that God sent Mr. T to beat you up if you disobey your parents). Anyways, I hadn't seen this before and it made my day (and it's only 10!)

Charleton Heston, RIP

An obituary

Cheer up Bert

Whoops...

I withdraw my support for the Cobra ticket to endorse A Real Candidate for Change. Seriously.

Election '08

Ah, finally a candidate to get behind:From the always reliable ISB

Rush

I've been listening to "Snakes and planes Arrows" as I finish up my proposal and I think I like it. To confirm my feelings, the Chinese guy in lab hates it, so it must be somewhat good (it's a scientific fact that there is an indirect correlation between the rockingness of a song and the amount of like a Chinese man has for it).

Also, I strongly recommend David Bowie's live album "Santa Monica '72." It's like he crossbred "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust" and "The Man Who Sold the World" and then took it on stage. Fantastic!

Medical T

In a coma? No prob. Just call Mr. T. He will pitty your foolself right out of that coma.

Hitchens as Paul Harvey

Apparently there is more to the Clinton sniper fire lie than the dumb initial story.

Pii Pii...

...is dumb. I'll just come out and say it, and the Wii thong is disturbing.

And the version of Madman on Tumbleweed Connection (although the song doesn't really fit with the rest of the album) is way more rockin' than the one on the Madman album. It might be my favorite Elton song.

Bert

I don't know how I feel about that science, but I would offer the more simpler explanation that bandwagon supporting of a winning team doesn't require that much thinking (Yankees, Red Sox fans, I'm pointing at YOU!). LOLscience, however, I can get behind quite easily!

WTF

Don't know if you all saw this or not, but I can't decide if it's just weird or really, REALLY funny. I waver depending on the minute....

Slaps, as a result of my random playlist on the walk in this am, I want to know when the Mule is going to give me my Madmen Across the Water (based on the supercrazyhellrockin good original verison on Tumbleweed - I think) and a reggae cover of Tuesday's Gone.

Baseball and Science

Thoughtful people root for losers?

TGIBS

Not what it looks like. Thank God it's Baseball Season. George Will kicked off the season on ESPN last night and in the Post yesterday.

The Nationals opened their new park just down the street from the Capitol with a walk-off homer from their franchise player to defeat the Braves.

Perhaps the new park and the higher profile of baseball in DC will remind the city's inhabitants that there is more to life than politics, even more important things--baseball being chief among them.

Go RedLegs!

Uh, I'm there.

Lundgren describes "Command" as " 'Die Hard' at a rock concert".



Svelte! I hope it's a Flock of Seagulls cover band. Or Duran Duran.

On the other hand...

... this promises to be completely awesome.

Dolph Lundgren plays a drummer for a band giving a concert in--wait for it!--Russia, when the concert hall is attacked by, oh I dunno, terrorists for something. Oh yeah, and this drummer is an ex-marine.

When he's not hitting all the fills, he's kicking ass. Double time. With both feet. Shit, this thing writes itself!

Starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren!

Another Movie Prediction

I'll prematurely predict The Watchmen (due out in March 09) as a future flop, in the same vein as GI Joe.

After the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and V for Vendetta, I just can't place any more stock in an Alan Moore adaptation. V for Vendetta was especially bad, perverting the entire aesthetic of Moore's vision to score some cheap present-day political points. Moore was smart enough to call the movie crap--he doesn't seem to mind people making movies of his comics, so long as his name isn't attached to them in any significant way.

South Park

Probably both...Cartman going out and getting more cats to protect was more schindler's list (even his outfit I think?), but the hiding in the attic and giving the cat a diary was def Anne Frank.

Not to be a dick, but...

...Wasn't the reference centered more on Schindler's List than Diary of Anne Frank?

And yeah, it was a pretty awesome episode.

Best South Park in a long time...

I was crying, I was laughing so hard. References to Heavy Metal, Diary of Anne Frank and Eliot Spitzer....effing fantastic. Here is the episode, at the ultimate South Park site SouthParkZone.

WTF?

Mike Gravel, former Democrat Sentator from Alaska and 2008 Democrat Presidential Candidate, has joined the Libertarian Party.

I like this guy:

I'd vote for him.

Maybe I forgot to mention

I'm buying an island from this guy. His construction looks top-notch. All behold the new nation of Kristanya!

"Our" next president

Did I miss something? Are you no longer an American, Slaps?

Gore will be the D nominee.

Mwahahaha!

Barring a Gore '08 candidacy, enjoy your next President. Suckers.

the "tragic view"

Philistine that I am, I'd never heard of this apparently famous playwright, David Mamet. He recently wrote this essay in the Village Voice-and yes, I can promise this is likely to be the only time I link to the Village Voice-confessing his disillusionment with liberalism.

I post this not to gloat that one of them has come to see the light-frankly, I don't care what leftist playwrights do or believe-but because it is a different perspective on political polemics than one usually finds in our poor public discourse. I will admit, though, that is nice to hear someone on the left admit that America is a nice place.

Election '08

Movies

Two movies I'm ridiculously excitied about, coming out soon are the new Hellboy movie and Indiana Jones. IJ4 has more potential to disappoint though, as the first three are some of the best movies ever made. George Lucas, you've let me down big time before. Don't do it again. The first Hellboy was surprisingly (not really) awesome. So, so long as it doesn't pull a Spiderman 3 on us, it should be a guaranteed winner.

GI JOE? I'm pretty sure those Snake Eyes pics made me wet myself, especially since I read those comics like the bible. Also, don't they remember that Storm Shadow was brainwashed by Firefly? Jesus, you guys are idiots. He and Snake Eyes are like brothers. Larry Hama is still the best comic writer ever.

Also, if anybody is interested, John and I (I found it, John figured the stupid program out) found out how to play arcade games on your computer. So if you guys are interested, I guess just let us know. Back to Golden Axe for me!

Further proof that GIJOE has something to do with religion:
Thanks again, ISB.

GI Joe Movie worth getting excited about?

Early verdict: probably not.

Even though these pictures of Snake Eyes look pretty bad-ass, the whole production has a strong whiff of "Street Fighter: The Movie" to it. The cast is anchored by Dennis Quaid as Hawk. The rest of the cast looks laughably bad (that 3rd rock from the sun kid as Cobra Commander? wtf?!).

Economic worries?

Good article by Amity Shlaes. She recently published a book called The Forgotten Man about the depression. It's a bit of a revisionist history about FDR and the New Deal from what I've gleaned from reviews. As always, I haven't gotten around to reading it, but it's on the list.

Here she points out that Hoover's reputation today is not very accurate, and Democrats abuse history to bash Bush. Hoover was a bad president, but for quite different reasons than the conventional wisdom holds.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In what might only interest me and Slaps, the guys behind Mr. Show are getting a new HBO show!

New Deadly Sins!

Thanks, Vatican! I was getting pretty bored committing the old ones anyways. I can claim at least 3 of the new 7 (in fact, I am guilty of 2-4 on the basis of my 11th grade science project alone: "Could the Hindenburg have been made out of marijuana? No, it could not."):

1. “Bioethical” violations such as birth control

2. “Morally dubious” experiments such as stem cell research

3. Drug abuse

4. Polluting the environment

5. Contributing to widening divide between rich and poor

6. Excessive wealth

7. Creating poverty

More pretty awesome new music

Sometimes if you sort of like a band and let them sit for 6+ years or so (by which I mean ignore them) they come back and blow you away with some rock. This new Supergrass single is exactly what I need right now.

After you watch that video (and if you like it) watch this. Think Spinal Tap/Flight of the Conchords.

John's right,

My Name is Earl consistently has the best music of any TV show, ever. Although The Office still makes me laugh more.

Beware the Elven Jihad!

Now that the world is free from real problems and the physical war on terror (almost as laughable as the war on drugs) the US gov't is now looking to WoW for terrorists. Makes sense. Good job guys.

This one is especially for Bert

Star Wars Political Summary

Which Star Wars character is your favorite candidate?

Aw Brett

I'm making a lasagna for one....

This makes me cry

"GREEN BAY, Wis. - Brett Favre has decided to retire from the NFL after 17 seasons."

More new music

Some more new stuff comes to mind...

Like Pearl Jam's new self-titled album, which rocks.

Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance (no really, it's good. Way better than American Idiot).

I've been listening to a lot of Cracker lately, which, if you haven't ever heard them are worth it.

Also, if you haven't heard them, The Scissor Sisters sound like 70's Elton reborn. Mika is Freddie Mercury reincarnated. Check them both out.

Finally (for now) Morris Day and the Time COMPLETELY funk your face off. They were in Purple Rain (the movie). I had completely forgotten about them until I went back into some older Prince and rediscovered them. Amazing. Here is the BEST example: