Why Kids Drink

And reason # 429,789,212 or so why Pinal County Arizona is vacuous blackhole for faith in mankind. A yearbook that has kids with tattoos and piercings?!?! Even alluding to potential homosexuality amongst the Student Body?!?! GASP! I haven't seen the high school yearbook in question, so I guess I shouldn't comment fully, but it's not like they showed kids hitting a bong or nudity or something clearly beyond the pale.

"To me it was glorifying things that were against the law for children in high school," said Van Camp, who is also pastor at the San Tan Heights Church.

He is a parent, so he has every right to be concerned--more right than me, truthfully. But aren't there more important things to worry about than a couple tattoos or piercings? Once these kids try to get a job, they will realize that showing off your tramp stamp and/or the piercing in your eyeball is counter-productive to personal wealth and they will drop it. Well, most will--some will not. But need I remind the Reverend that he lives in *Pinal County, Arizona*? It's a divining rod for Caucasian refuse. What could he possibly expect--assuming he leaves the house now and then? And besides, as was stated in the uplifting script of Caddyshack, the world needs ditch-diggers too.

Check to You, W

Al Sadr makes a bloodless, and potentially brilliant, move. Do you really want democracy in Iraq, Mr. President? Enough to let the voice of the Iraqi people potentially tell you 'no more?' Guess we'll find out.

BTW, when a half-crazed murderer and all-around thug can consistently out-maneuver you...time to admit that politics just isn't your thing.

Kid of the Year Nominee

A High School kid decomposes a plastic bag in three months. Humility check for any of you out there who tout your own cerebral prowess.

Ask an Imam

All those burning questions..? Well, now you know.

"Can I suck my wife's sweat after intercourse[?]"

The Imam should have answered with something like, "Sure, but that makes you pretty gross, Dude." I can't imagine sweat from anyone being to terribly tasty....

Endorsement of Endorsements

For a D, anyway--Obama in particular. The Sage of Omaha, William Buffet, endorses Obama. Talk about political cover! "Senator Obama, some charge that you will wreck the US economy with your _______ plan."

"Yeah, well, the richest stock market investor in the US supports me. Suck my balls."

Interesting to note that Buffet is looking for companies valued at 50mil euros, btw. Has the US dollar really started the process of losing its place as the world currency standard or is it just because the story came out of Frankfurt? Almost certainly the latter, but one wonders....

Best quote from the article for me:

"They say in the stock market ... buy stock in a business that's so good that an idiot can run it because sooner or later one will," he added.

"Well, the United States is a little like that. We can take a little mis-management from time to time"

Note to the GOP: OUCH!

Ted Stevens in Trouble

Oh Blessed Day! Ted Stevens of Alaska is in great trouble. The GOP has lost 3 special elections in a row and one of their most senior members is in danger of losing his seat in the Senate. In a way, this might even be too good for the Ds. They are almost certain to have control of both houses of Congress and the Executive. They better be prepared to deliver. In the meantime, I'm just glad that the old guard of the GOP is showing just how anachronistic they are. It was almost like a bad dream that Americans are finally, and thankfully, waking up from. (Now if we can just get rid of the old guard of the Ds).

For your amusement, Senator Stevens explains the Internet and its tubes:

If You Have a Gay Friend

Show him this:

Lorenzo : the Flying French Man...
by alatebo

If you don't have a gay friend, ignore this and--by all means necessary--KEEP IT AWAY FROM YOUR GIRLFRIEND. A Frenchman that lives with beautiful white horses on the beaches of southern France...? You can't compete Dude. Just can't.

Joe Klein on Wright

Joe Klein seems to get it about right again.

For all the palpable good that Wright has done his community, his parishioners have paid a subtle price, especially the younger, poorer, less educated ones. When he spreads canards like the one about the AIDS conspiracy, he is telling them that white power is so overwhelming that it's almost impossible to succeed. The success of Obama's candidacy sends the very opposite message, which may be why Wright is so threatened by it. If Obama wins the presidency—if we can break past the barrier of race—there won't be much of a market for oppression-thumping orators like Jeremiah Wright.

Amen.

Sober Discussion in Politics?

Obama on gas prices. Man, I hope this guy wins. I think he's even more sick of the gimmickry in US Politics than I am.

Chinese Discipline in the Schools

The Onion reports. When I think of the Chinese, "humor" doesn't leap to mind.

Meat in a Tube

Personally, I'm all for it. I don't eat beef or pork much at all anymore because of all the reports I've seen surrounding the livestock industry. Not only is it heinous at times, it has good potential of being unhealthy and even dangerous. But, we humans are set up to be omnivores--can't change that fact.

If we can "grow" meat we can eliminate ethics questions, leave a much smaller environmental footprint, and--conceivably at least--have greater safety controls. It may seem spooky or unnatural, but it seems better than leaving hogs in metal crates until they go insane or moving crippled milk cows around on forklifts.

Monterey Historics

I'm pretty sure one must be naked to have more fun than this.

Sheet Music Rollercoaster

I thought it was pretty cool:

Leave Hillary Alone!

Sean Wilentz is still pissed off that his girl isn't winning. Three words for you, Wilentz: Boo. Fucking. Hoo.

I don't disagree that (1) the primary system is pretty fruity and (2) that the DNC made it worse by disenfranchising both Michigan and Florida; it is, and they did. But does he honestly think for a minute that if Michigan and Florida voted for Obama the Clinton campaign would be saying "Wait a minute, those should count." Please. They're trying to block Texas caucus votes for Obama now because they don't favor Hillarah. Her campaign tried to break Nevada state law and took advantage of handicapped people to win there. But, to Wilentz, Obama is an underhanded snake, twisting his moustache whilst thinking of other ways to ruin Hillarah. Whatever.

Notice how Wilentz fails to mention the cross over votes Obama received throughout the country, how he makes Ds competative in the South--and quite possibly the Midwest--again, how he brought out millions of people to get involved with the process, how he scares the bejeezus out of GOP strategists, how the foreign press has gushed about him and, of course, no mention of Hillarah's repeated pathological fantasy of dodging snipers in Bosnia. (You don't think that story has long legs? McCain would bludgeon her with that--as he should).

Wilentz, like so many of his generation need to simply go away. I so detest the odor of this baby-boomer, junior high locker room psycho drama. Hillarah will lose and you will go to the margins, Wilentz. Just the way it is. I'm sure I will be pissed off like you someday when my generation is seen as more of a pain in the ass than anything else, but that doesn't change today's facts, does it? Just get out of the way and see if we can phuk up at least a little less than your generation did. Please.

Hitch is Still a Trifle Bit Angry

As seems to often be the case. But here he is on our enemy, Hillarah ("She has no tears for anyone but herself"), and here on Civil Rights leaders with less than a polite point of the finger at Obama.

Bireli yet again

Sorry, but this guy is insanely good. The sound quality is horrific and still he sounds incredible.

Antarctica Melting

Not exactly news, but some pretty cool (and rather frightening) photos.

The damage got started at the end of February when an iceberg dropped off and triggered the "runaway disintegration" of a 160-square-mile portion of the 5,282-square-mile shelf.

160 square miles, by way of comparison, equals about 4 Los Angeles'es.

Beyond Politics

Thought I would post about something other than Obama vs. Hillarah. A friend sends me this: a ranking of universities by how hot their chicks are (and, of course, my alma mater is ranked number 1--werd!). Quote:

In honor the NCAA tournament, the greatest sporting event known to man, Pop Crunch has ranked the top 50 universities by the attractiveness of their women.

This might seem like an easy job, but I can tell you after sifting through thousands of pictures of hot girls that it … really is an easy job and a lot of fun to boot.

Can't we all just get along?

Hitch on the Warpath

I would never expect Christopher Hitchens to pull punches, and he certainly doesn't with this one. Yet I get the sense that he is doing exactly what he accused other reporters of doing when the Iraq War broke out. Meaning, he is guarding himself against being the sucker.

I have no quote or videotape to back myself up in this charge as this is quite an unread blog, but I do remember Hitchens saying years ago, to the effect, that no one--most certainly a reporter--wants to be caught being optimistic about something that may possibly fail and, therefore, being skeptical about the war was (in a fashion) being conservative, or at least safe. Being anti-war in reporting was only marginally more courageous in that any cost/benefit argument could be levied against reports of Good News(TM). ("Freedom at what cost?" type arguments which can be made by even transparently insincere Sophomoric minds). Fine. I get that. But how is Hitch's latest screed any different in approach?

Obama is not anything close to a godsend--as Obama has repeatedly said himself. Will this/is this association with Wright be one of many potential dissappointments? OF COURSE it is and undoubtably will be. Obama does have feet of clay for anyone out there who might think him statue-worthy. I don't think Obama should have associated himself with Wright in the first place, but he did. I'm glad Obama is taking hits for it. He should take hits for it. But he isn't running away from it either.

My grandfather, whom I adored, said things that I've beaten other people for. Some of my friends have said things that have shocked me. I have said things that have shocked me--things which I still haven't forgiven myself for. But I am unashamed of my adoration for my late grandfather, unashamed to call my friends friends, and only partly ashamed of myself. Obama has reacted much the same in that he said Wright is like family to him and cannot be disowned (though that would be politically expedient). And he did not make any moral equivalence between Wright and his grandmother--as Hitchens asserts--except to say that they are both family. Flawed, mortal people in his family.

Were Obama to not denounce the idiotic and incendiary remarks of Wright, he would have lost my vote immediately. But were Obama to have completely disowned Wright as a matter of political expedience, he would have not only lost my vote, but would have broken faith with himself and truly shown himself as a fraud. As it turns out, he managed to keep both my vote and his manhood. Hitchens should at least see, and respect, the latter.

I Poop on You!

Triumph the Comic Dog meets reality with the Department of Homeland Security. Don't I feel safe?

Next order of business for the Bush adminstration...every American give a stool sample so they can track our feces.