Friday Name that Movie

Here we go again. Keep in mind, when I do these themes, I may repeat a movie or two that has been used before if it fits my theme. Guess them all (and the theme) and you may win a prize.* And be sure to check back tomorrow for Saturday Night Name that Song.**

1. Well, on uh, Fake Draw Screen Right I uh, pick up the linebacker if he's comin, 'less of course it's Butkus, then I simply notify the quarterback to send for a preacher.
2. What's the matter, never seen anyone from the planet Vulcan before?
3. Are you saying you'll flunk us if we don't change the world?
4. Can you imagine what it feels like to be alive for thousands of years, and then realize you're actually going to die, 'cause some self-righteous cop decided that he was going to save the fucking world?
5. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in her bed, but not here not this night.
6. Are you not entertained?
7. 1970 Pontiac Firebird. The car I've always wanted and now I have it. I rule!
8. You have sunk below the deepest layer of prehistoric frog shit at the bottom of a New Jersey scum swamp.
9. I always find the fish, always! And I will this time. So don't fuck with me!
10. I mean, you get to go on back to Boston, big house and all that. What about us? What do we get?
Well, you won't get anything if we lose.



* There is no prize.
** If I feel like it.

DeLay indicted in Texas fundraising probe; denies guilt

Looking in my crystal ball I have seen the downfall of the Republican party, or at least the end of their dominance of our government. This quote from Tom DeLay about his indictment is what made it all clear to me:

one of the weakest, most baseless indictments in American history

So it won't be the war in Iraq, or the economy, or the miserable hurricane response, or any of a million other things they've screwed up. No, what will bring them down is arguing over whose indictment is the weakest, most baseless and the biggest partisan move. Once either Frist or Rove get indicted, this infighting should pick up considerably, then when all three are under indictment, it will spiral out of control. And you never know who else may be indicted in the meantime.

Moss Checks Into Rehab Clinic

I was hoping somehow that this was Randy Moss, since the Cowboys play the Raiders on Sunday, and Moss owns the Cowboys, but apparently, it's just Kate Moss, so nevermind.

How many more Mike Browns are out there?

I'd say a lot. Good that people are actually starting to realize that now.

A benign cronyism is more or less presumed, with old friends and big donors getting comfortable positions and impressive titles, and with few real consequences for the nation.

I'd say that's true, but the thing is, you should be looking amongst friends and supporters for someone who is also actually qualified for the job you're giving them. And in this administration, not only does that not seem to happen, it's almost as if Bush actually looks for the most uniquely unqualified for a particular position, like it's a big joke to him.

The Brown debacle has raised pointed questions about whether political connections, not qualifications, have helped an unusually high number of Bush appointees land vitally important jobs in the Federal Government.

Questions? Raised? Now? Forgive me if I don't understand that. Since, I think those questions have already been raised, answered, and so completely accepted as fact that no one even pays any attention to them anymore.

The Bush Administration didn't invent cronyism; John F. Kennedy turned the Justice Department over to his brother, while Bill Clinton gave his most ambitious domestic policy initiative to his wife.

Yeah, except those people were probably also qualified. We're talking about someone who may have been President had he not been killed, and someone who may yet be President, and both were elected to the Senate. I'm guessing Michael Brown never gets anywhere near anything like that.

Maybe if people had paid as much attention to Bush's stupid ass appointments before a bunch of people drowned, things could have gone better in New Orleans. And maybe if they paid any attention before that, things could have gone better for the country in general.

Readers want 'crazy' park ban benched

What a stupid idea. Now, I'm all for protecting kids from pedophiles, but I don't see how this stupid ban does that. If it's a public park, it seems pretty unfair to exclude people from it just because they don't have children. Do they also have public parks that exclude parents? Probably not. Also, the ban really doesn't help protect kids from pedophiles for a couple of reasons. First, do they think pedophiles don't have kids? That's ridiculous. So any pedophile that is also a parent gets a pass. Second, if there are enough police around to enforce the ban in the first place, as the article seems to indicate, then there are enough there to protect the children from any sexual predators without assuming any adult who happens to want to sit down for a minute is a potential pedophile.

Frist denies wrongdoing in stock sale

Frist, Rove, DeLay, all at the top of the Republican party, and all denying that they did anything wrong. Seems to be a pattern. Maybe the Republican party is just a big corruption machine. If I was a Republican voter, I might get tired of these guys dragging down the party. But then, I guess that's not as easy as just pretending they didn't do anything wrong in the first place.

Frist may never get convicted of anything, but if you believe that his brother didn't mention to him that things weren't going so well, then you're an idiot. And his excuse about a conflict of interest is just bullshit. If it was true, he would have sold back when he got elected, or even when he was running for office, in order to be clear. It also contradicts what he's been saying all along about there not being a conflict since he complied with Senate rules. Ok, so maybe he just changed his mind, which is understandable (although he may now be a flip-flopper), but it's way too much for me to believe that his change of mind just happened to magically coincide with his financial interests. Asshole.

ABC News: Many Rita Victims Still Wait for Relief

So, I wonder how the federal government can blame this stuff on Ray Nagin And Kathleen Blanco.

Parents protest Georgia school closures

Hmmm, if closing for two days helps so much, imagine the impact if we just get rid of schools altogether, and not just in Georgia, but all across the country. We could all drive Hummers and bathe in gasoline. And as an added benefit, we wouldn't have to teach evolution to our kids, or really, any of that suspect stuff they call 'science'. They also wouldn't have to learn any of that tolerance crap, which is obviously designed to turn them gay, anyway.

"The first thing he decided to do was close schools," [Democratic state party Chairman Bobby] Kahn said. "That shows something about his views on education and his priorities."

Exactly. And sure, they might have had to close schools anyway because of shortages, if they didn't have the fuel. But the Governor's decision takes something that might have been necessary in a worst case scenario and turns it into something definite, and does it seemingly without looking for many alternatives. Did any other states do this? Why not? Why was Georgia the only one not prepared? Seems like a failure of leadership. Of course, here in Bizarro World, failures are cause for celebration:

In Washington, President Bush praised Perdue for his decision, saying the Republican governor "showed some leadership" in "anticipating a problem."

Yeah, congratulations. Everybody wins. Oh, except the kids. Oh, and their parents.

Brown blames state and local officials for Katrina response

"I've overseen over 150 presidentially declared disasters. I know what I'm doing, and I think I do a pretty darn good job of it," Brown said.

Ah, yes, of course you know what you're doing. That's why you quit.

Digging through the Archives

I saw this over at The Disgruntled Chemist, and I really hate these things, but I found myself looking anyway, so I thought I would go ahead and post what I found.

Here's what you do:

1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.


My 23rd post was from November 15, 2004, about the stupid BCS and here is the fifth sentence:

People shouldn't have to argue about whether USC or Auburn or Oklahoma is the best team, they should get out on the field and find out for sure.

I still agree with all that, but one thing I did learn since then was that it definitely wasn't Oklahoma.

Don Adams of 'Get Smart' dead

I guess it's not a good month to have been the star of a 1960s sitcom.



Blogger sucks!

Saturday Name that Song

Here we go again. Guess them all (and the theme) and you could win a prize.*

1. Cos I'm the one with the fat mad skills and I won't choke like the Buffalo Bills
2. Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
3. We straight don't exist, No names and no fingerprints
4. Is it all in my mind? 'Cause it seems so hard to believe
5. Girl I can't understand it, why you want to hurt me After all of the things i've done for you
6. Instinct leads me to another flow Everytime I hear a brother call a girl a bitch or a ho
7. She leads me through moonlight Only to burn me with the sun
8. I'm a get mine so get yours I wanna see sweat comin' out your pores
9. You were content to let me shine, that's your way
10. Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots



* There is no prize.

Friday Name that Movie

Here we go again. Keep in mind, when I do these themes, I may repeat a movie or two that has been used before if it fits my theme. Guess them all (and the theme) and you may win a prize.* And be sure to check back tomorrow for Saturday Night Name that Song.**

1. If I'm wrong, then we're at war; God help us all.
2. What kind of a sick bitch takes the ice cube trays out of the freezer?
3. It reminds me of the heady days of Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin when the world trembled at the sound of our rockets. Now they will tremble again - at the sound of our silence.
4. So raise your hand if you think that was a Russian water-tentacle.
5. You still don't get it, do you? He'll find her. That's what he does. That's all he does!
6. You think that's bad? I owe 100 grand to a fat-ass loan shark which I spent on a stripper named Molly Mounds.
7. I'm here to fight for truth, and justice, and the American way.
8. Shall we play a game?
9. Would you mind not shooting at the thermonuclear weapons?
10. Tell them that we have to have an answer tomorrow... because on Monday, we go to war.


* There is no prize.
** If I feel like it.

FBI web site offers trove of celeb news

The headline of this article and the tone of it both make you think they're revealing some really interesting stuff about dead celebrities from FBI files. Just check out the first couple of lines:

Can't get enough celebrity news? Hooked on cop shows and reality TV? The FBI has a Web site for you!

But actually, it's such a bunch or boring crap, it makes me wonder why the Chicago Sun Times would even bother to run an article about it in the first place. Walter Payton had a (gasp!) death threat. He also won an award from the Anti Defamation League. This might be news to the Chicago Sun Times, but I'm pretty sure Walter Payton won a lot more high profile awards than that. Actually, I hear he was once the NFL's all time leading rusher, but keep that quiet.

In 1942, the FBI thought that W.E.B. DuBois' writing indicated that he might be socialist, and also noted that he'd been called a communist. Wow! How exciting, I wonder how they kept this secret all those years.

Mike Royko (Yeah, I don't know who he is either, but he looks like Junior Soprano) got a threat (get this)... in the mail! This is compelling stuff.

I won't spoil all the great stories about The Doors for you, go read the article, but don't do it until you're ready to fall asleep.

War Pornography

Someone needs to tell these soldiers (and anyone else paying for porn online) that there is plenty of porn on the internet for free. It's not hard to find, it's almost hard not to find. I'll never understand why anyone is paying all these porn sites.

And I'll just ignore the more disgusting aspects of this story, because it just makes me sad.

BUSH'S BOOZE CRISIS

So, I've seen a lot about this story today, and it's interesting. But, as terrible as it would seem to have a drunk in the White House, it doesn't really worry me all that much. Maybe I'm giving Bush too much credit, but I just don't think he has it in him to be any less competent than he's already been, whether drunk or sober. Maybe if he could be hungover and sleep through pushing some of his ridiculous agenda, or nominating some more ridiculously unqualified people to important positions, then this might actually be a good thing. Sure, it makes America look bad, but that ship sailed in November of 200, and again in 2004, let's just try to get through the next 3 1/2 years with as little damage as possible, and if that means our leader is on a bender, I'm ok with it.

TV

I watched a lot of TV last night. Mostly I was interested in the premiere of Lost, though.

But first, I watched Martha Stewart's Apprentice. I like the Trump one, so I thought this one would be ok too. And it was. It's pretty much the same show, except that she seems to go out of her way not to say that someone will be fired, instead saying someone will be sent home or asked to leave. But when it actually came down to it, she told the guy he just didn't fit which sounded worse, somehow. Anyway, you would think these people would learn sometime that being project anager is not a good thing, particularly when you're not any good at it. And if you're going to completely ignore your team's opinions in favor of your own decisions, then you'd better have some pretty good ideas. This guy didn't, so he went home. However, Martha writes a little note to them after they get fired, which seemed pretty gay. Anyway, I'm sure I'll keep watching, but not for any particularly good reason.

Then I watched Lost, which was very good. As usual, once you find out something in that show, it justs creates more questions, which is what makes it so good, I guess. I was a little disappointed that we didn't find anything out about the raft people, but I guess that's coming next week. Anyway, great show, if you're not watching you should go get the first season on DVD and start watching.

Then I watched Invasion, which the previews made look pretty good, but I wasn't very impressed with the first episode. Mainly, I didn't really like how all the characters seemed to be part of a large extended dysfunctional family. But hopefully, it will improve as it goes, I wasn't all that impressed with Lost after the first episode last season, either.

Oh, I almost forgot, I saw a little of The O'Reilly Factor where it looked like he was going to get into a fight with Phil Donahue over his nephew signing up for the military, which Donahue didn't say anything at all about, so that was weird. But after that, he was pretty reasonable and let Donahue talk, even though he obviously disagreed with everything he said. Oh, and Donahue kept calling him Billy, which was funny for some reason.

I also watched a couple of shows the other day. Earl on NBC, which wasn't bad, but like any sitcoms lately wasn't anything special. Then The Office, which was pretty good.

I've also been watching Rome on HBO, which is good, but hasn't blown me away like Deadwood or Six Feet Under did. But maybe it will really grow on me, like Entourage or Carnivale. I also heard that The Comeback got canceled which is good, since it kinda sucked. Although I only watched it once, so that might not be fair. I'm looking forward to the premiere of Curb Your Enthusisam, and The Extras on Sunday. And I guess Desperate Housewives starts back up on Sunday too.

I probably watch too much TV.

U.S. board urges cell-phone ban for new teen drivers

If cell phones are too distracting to drivers, then shouldn't there be a ban urged for all drivers, not just teens? Either they do distract you or they don't. They don't distract teens more than adults. Actually, I'm sure someone could make an argument that they distract teens less, since they will learn how to drive and talk on the phone at the same time right from the beginning and will be more used to it. Anyway, I just think we should be more serious about punishing bad drivers, whether they cause accidents or not, and no matter what the reason for their bad driving is, whether it's cell phones, drinking, putting on makeup, reading, whatever. Clearly cell phones are distracting, but I don't see any reason to punish people who are able to talk on their cell phone and still drive safely. A lot of things can be distracting to a driver. We shouldn't be trying to guess what will be the most distracting, or who will be the most distracted, we should have standards for how people drive, and if those are met, that should be the important thing.

The NFL, the Saints and the Hurricane

First, let me say that the NFL has done a lot of great things in response to the hurricane as far as raising money and dedicating time to the cause, and having some of the players like Brett Favre, Steve McNair, and Peyton and Eli Manning who are from the affected areas help out. All that's great. But this post is about the football and coverage aspects of the Saints season so far.

First, from a football perspective, the Saints got screwed. Now, obviously, they can't play at home, so they were screwed regardless, but there were ways that could have been minimized. Playing games in San Antonio is good because that is where they are currently located, so they don't have to travel. Playing games in Baton Rouge is good because they will most likely have a home atmosphere as far as the crowd goes. However, playing in New York was about the stupidest decision I can see. First, because it's unfair to the Saints who now have 7 "home" games and 9 road games. Second, it's a big advantage for the Giants who now have 9 home games and 7 road games. That gives them an advantage not only over the Saints in that particular game, but over everyone else in the league who only have eight home games, and also puts the Saints at a further disadvantage not only to the Giants, but to all the other teams. They should have played that game as close to New Orleans or San Antonio as possible, so that if there was any edge to be had, it would be the Saints'. Or at the very least, somewhere else that was neutral. I think the Giants probably would have won either way, but why create issues that aren't necessary?

Now, my other problem is the coverage of the Saints to start the season. It's hard to criticize without sounding insensitive, but I'll try it anyway. But first, I should say that the Saints clearly have a difficult road ahead, and obviously have a bigger challenge than the other 31 teams have. So, any success they have should be appreciated, and respected. However, it should not be slobbered all over to the point that those of us who did appreciate it have a hard time doing so without throwing up. It started last week, when the Saints opened with a win on the road against the Panthers. Now, they won on a late field goal by 3, but watching any highlight shows or coverage of the game, you would have thought they had just dominated the Super Bowl. Again, ti's a nice story that they won, but let's not get carried away. They were called America's Team, that game was called the Game of the Week, all the broadcasts had to lead with that story. It's just all out of proportion with what they did. Like I said, they obviously have had a tough time, and will contiue to as opposed to the other teams in the league, but it's not like any of these guys were stranded on roofs a couple of weeks ago. These people probably have it the easiest of anyone living in the affected areas, since they didn't have to worry about how or when to evacuate, it was all arranged by the team. They didn't have to worry about where to live after, since the team had to accomodate them. And they all have the means to take care of their families, since no one playing in the NFL shoudl be hurting for money. So, while I think highligting the Saints more than they usually would be and showcasing their accomplishments is good, beating the story to death gets annoying.

Here are a couple of things I noticed in the little bit of the saints game I saw on Monday. First, someone said something to the affect of Aaron Brooks being one of the best quaterbacks in the league. Now, he's an ok QB, but I wouldn't put him anywhere near the top of the league. And I don't think anyone else would either, except now that they have to build every Saint into some sort of ... well, saint. Next, I heard one of the guys, Mcguire, I think, talking aobut how much he hated what Joe Horn did with the cell phone end zone celebration, but now he thinks Joe Horn is probably a pretty good guy after he's seen his response to the hurricane. Well, maybe if you dipshits would stop blowing shit out of proportion in the first place, you would have thought he was a good guy all along. Maybe if there's a hurricane in Oakland, Joe Buck can come around on Randy Moss. Yeah, probably not. Anyway, then the worst thing I saw was, when the Saints were about to punt, but only had ten men on the field, and the announcers were saying they were going to need a call timeout. But then, they noticed that the officials had not started the play clock yet, so they had time to get the last player in. Now, I don't know why the officials didn't start the play clock on time, but the reaction from the announcers was that that was a good job by the officials to give them the extra time. Why, because they've been displaced by the hurricane? Honestly, I have no idea what they were getting at, but that's the only conclusion I could draw from the reaction, and I would be even more disgusted if I found out that that was why the officials gave them more time.

Anyway, the point is stop treating the Saints' season like some awe inspiring special event. It makes me sick, and puts too much pressure on these guys who already have too much to deal with. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to turn on Countdown next week and see Chris Berman giving Deuce McCallister a blowjob, it's gotten so bad.

Broadcasters Piss Me Off - Part Whatever

Broadcasters say a lot of stupid shit, but what really irritates me is when they can't even keep track of their own stupid shit, and contradict it during the same broadcast. That makes it seem like they're just making shit up, and don't have any real insight (which may be true, but still). For example, if there is a questionable call, and you look at the replay and say you agree with the call on the field, then go to a commercial, if you come back and say that the call should be reversed, you should have to explain what changed your mind. Usually, it seems they just want you to forget they ever got it wrong in the first place. Or they've already forgotten what they said, which is even worse. Also, if you talk for the entire first half about how a team needs to pass the ball more, that they are relying too much on the run, then you shouldn't be able to say they've abandonded the run later, when they unsuccessfully try to throw the ball. Also, stop being such fucking frontrunners. Whatever team has the lead can seemingly do no wrong, while the team that is behind is clearly a bunch of inept fucks, which would be fine if that was your analysis, and was maintained throughout the game, but as soon as the lead changes hands, you can almost see the gears shifting as they try to fall all over the team that now has the lead that they couldn't stop criticizing five minutes ago. Seriously, these guys do this for a living, you would think they might have some process where they evaluate the stupid shit that they do over and over and over again and try to correct it.

Bush Administration Strategy

As grossly incompetent as our current administration is, they seem to be really good at getting away with that incompetence. And the last few weeks, I've realized how it is they do that. It's actually really simple, but complex in its simplicity. It seems that the strategy, or strategery, if you will, is to do so many things so badly that it's impossible to focus on just one.

Let's take the last six months or so for example. First, we had The Downing Street Memo, which was obviously pretty bad for Bush, and really gave some independent evidence to something most of us knew all along, which is that he wanted to invade Iraq from the beginning, and didn't care what he had to do to accomplish it. Well, just when that story really starts to take off, it gets derailed by the Plame investigation and Karl Rove. Now obviously these two stories are directly related and really shouldn't be separate at all, but it's still hard for people to concentrate on so much at once. So, just when it looks like Rove is fucked, and Bush McClellan is getting hammered every day about the inconsistencies with the administration's position on the leak, Bush does what incompetent people do when they have a problem, he runs away. And not just for a few days, but for over a month. Of course, the press can't be bothered to continue to pursue the story, since it's hot in Texas and all, and anyway Bush invited them to a barbeque. Anyway, while he's on vacation hiding from his other problems, here comes Cindy Sheehan figuratively knocking on his door. And instead of going out to talk to her, and making the problem go away quickly, he refuses to see her, and therefore creates a big story. Sure, it makes him look bad, but he has his disciples smearing her name to take a little heat off and meanwhile, no one is even thinking about Karl Rove anymore. So, just when this whole mess is really getting some traction, and bringing some much needed focus to the clusterfuck in Iraq, along comes Hurricane Katrina to wipe out New Orleans. Now, Bush doesn't control the weather, but he knows how to answer the door when oppurtunity knocks. Obviously, anyone who gave a shit would immeadiately cancel any other plans (including vacationing, playing guitar, and eating cake) and get back to Washington to handle this. However, if he does that, the story may go away too quickly for everyone to forget about Sheehan or Rove (he's already pretty effectively wiped the Downing Street Memo off the board), so he has to drag this one out, to give everyone some new lowlight to focus on. And he really hits the ball out of the park with this one. It's a good thing he had previously put incompetent people in charge of things like this, otherwise they may have been able to handle it properly even without him. So, that's good planning on his part. And of course, he still has his disciples deflecting blame just enough so he can ride this out until another oppurtunity for him to display his gross incompetence comes along, then everyone will move on to that one, and eventually Cindy Sheehan, Valerie Plame, Karl Rove, and even Katrina will be forgotten, at least as they relate to George Bush and any accountability for him personally.

Now, I hope he's wrong, and just maybe with the hurricane he may have overplayed his hand. But all in all, this incompetence thing has worked well for him in the past. Unfortunately, it's the rest of us that have to pay the price for it.

But, I don't want to be a pirate!

Don't expect me to talk like a pirate today. Or any other day for that matter. I don't understand the recent upswing (at least there seems to be one to me) in the popularity of pirates. Weren't they pretty much bad guys?

10 points to anyone who knows where the title of this post comes from.

I also don't think monkeys are funny.

Broadcasters piss me off - Part 5

Shy. Everything is shy. It's never short, they never just miss or don't even come close to a first down, it's always shy of the first down. Now, I can see that you might use shy if they come up inches away, just to have something different to say occasionally. But that is obviously not their intent, since they use it all the fucking time. Even if it's ten yards short of the first down. Most of the things in this series could be corrected if these guys would just try for a little variety in their expressions.

Saturday Night Name that Song

You guys did much better last week, so let's keep it up. Also, there's still a few movies left from Friday Name that Movie, so go guess those too. The theme is a little more complicated this week, so pay attention. As always, guess all the songs (and the theme) and you might win a prize.*

1. I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one
2. You should've been gone Knowing how I made you feel
3. I gotta get drunk before the day begins Before my mom starts bitchin bout my friends
4. Well, if you told me you were drowning I would not lend a hand
5. It’s gonna take time A whole lot of precious time It’s gonna take patience and time, ummm
6. What you wanna ball with the kid Watch your step you might fall
7. Just waking up in the morning gotta thank God I don't know but today seems kinda odd
8. Well I guess it would be nice If I could touch your body
9. I guess it's meant to be, Forever you and me
10. Baby I was afraid before But I’m not afraid anymore


* There is no prize.

Woman Claims Cable TV Installer Attacked Her

Why does this crap always happen in Jacksonville? I guess I should be glad he didn't have a sword. And not to blame the victim or anything, but who the fuck hugs the cable guy, church hug or not?

BU Starbucks pulls cups due to homosexual quote

Because it would be terrible if Baylor students actually had to be confronted with the fact that there are gay people in the world, and some of them aren't even ashamed of it. But just maybe if they can eliminate these controversial ideas on coffee cups (which most people clearly use to guide the course of their lives), then a few more of them will stay in the closet and the bigoted faculty at Baylor can go back to pretending they don't exist.

Katrina costs will be borrowed, raise deficit

Oh good. I was getting worried that the deficit hadn't gotten big enough yet. But that's not even the best part:

President George W. Bush's advisers said on Friday billions of dollars needed to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast will be borrowed and will raise the deficit but Bush still wants to extend tax cuts.

emphasis mine

Look, a lot of us already know this guy is an idiot, but doing shit like this has got to convince some of the people he had fooled, doesn't it? Well, at least I can hope.

Friday Name that Movie

Much better last week, all the movies and the theme were guessed correctly. Here we go again. Keep in mind, when I do these themes, I may repeat a movie or two that has been used before if it fits my theme. Guess them all (and the theme) and you may win a prize.* And be sure to check back tomorrow for Saturday Night Name that Song.**

1. Speed. To be able to control it. To know that I can control something that's out of control.
2. That horse is as much mine as he is yours.
3. You are certainly the most distinguished group of highway scofflaws and degenerates ever gathered together in one place
4. I said a 10 second car, not a 10 minute car.
5. Now, this car could be system-matic. It could be hydro-matic, ultra-matic.
6. Better stop your friend's betting or I'll end up owning him, too.
7. Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.
8. The big score: anyone, any sex, over 75 years old has been upped to 100 points.
9. Kids are starving in China and you're walking around with a sombrero full of peanuts.
10. I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.


* There is no prize.
** If I feel like it.

Senate kills bid for Katrina commission

What a pain in the fucking ass it must be to be a Republican these days. On one hand, you have to pretend that you hate big government, and you wish the government had much less power. But on the other hand, you have to support all the attempts by this Republican government to give themselves more power. And now when the government has clearly failed us, the Republicans who will all tell you that they don't trust the government in the first place, want to let the government investigate itself, instead of setting up and independent investigation. And hell, they're not even happy with the government itself handling the investigation unless there are more Republicans than Democrats.

Also, it has to be pretty difficult to not be able to express your opinion on anything until after you've listened to Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity to find out what your opinion is supposed to be.

If you're afraid that an independent investigation will uncover all the incompetence by the people you voted for, maybe you should be more concerned that the people you voted for are all fucking incompetent. Anyway, it's pretty clear that we need an independent investigation into this, and hopefully public pressue will cause that to happen.

TiVo won't save certain shows or allow moving them

I don't have, nor have I ever had TiVo. We have a DVR from Comcast, and it's like the greatest thing ever. It really is something everyone should have. Anyway, if I was a TiVo customer, I'd be pretty pissed off about these new limits. How can you be sure that you won't come home one day to watch some great show you've been looking forward to, only to discover that TiVo wouldn't record it for you AT ALL, because the copyright holder doesn't want you to? I see a lot of problems with this.

Not that I have anything against copyright holders having control over their content, but at some point, they need to live in reality. Restrictions like this are not going to make their content less available, because people can always record it with some non-TiVo restricted device, like a capture card to the computer, a DVD recorder, or even that technological marvel, the VCR. All these restrictions really do is piss off customers and encourage the piracy that these people are always whining about. I've always thought that if something is readily available illegaly, then the copyright holder should really try to make it just as easy to obtain legitimately. Otherwise, the restriction just seems artificial, and therefore clearly doesn't consider the customer at all. Copyright holders shouldn't be worried about how to best restrict their content, they should be worried about how to best make it available to customers. Maybe then they would stop looking at their customers as the enemy and realize that if people are obtaining their content illegaly, it means that they want that content, which should be a good thing for them.

Link via skortchaser's journal

Germans to vote with heads, not hearts

Not that I give a shit about Geman politics, but I thought this headline was interesting. So how do we get Americans to vote with their heads instead of their asses?

Pledge ruled unconstitutional

This is interesting. While I don't really have any problem with the Pledge (I said it for years and I turned out ok), when the words "Under God" are in there, it seems to me it's pretty hard to argue that it's not unconstitutional.

I don't really understand what the point of a pledge of allegiance is supposed to be, anyway. It always seemed a little strange to me that a country so obsessed with freedom would want to force little kids to participate in something that I can't really describe as anything other than blatant indoctrination. Having said that, though, like I said before, I don't really have any big problems with it.

I do think it's kind of silly that this is the kind of shit people spend their time worrying about. On either side.

Amid Katrina Chaos, Congressman Used National Guard to Visit Home

I heard this on Rush Limbaugh when I accidentally listened to his show for a few minutes. Of course his angle was that if this had been a white Republican, the story wouldn't just be on the ABC News website. You could tell he wanted to criticize the "liberal" media for not reporting it, but couldn't do it since his source was part of it, so instead he just pretended they would cover it more if it was a Republican.

Rush being an idiot aside, if the story is true, it's pretty disgusting. I'm sure there were a lot of people that would have liked to go back in their homes to get things but weren't allowed, and/or didn't think it was safe. And this guy apparently used his status to ge thim in, then lied about wanting a tour of the area (which really shouldn't have been given in the first place, if they're still rescuing people) so he could go to his house and get his stuff. And whether what he says about not requesting the use of military assets is true, the fact is, he was using them, and they probably could have been used better elsewhere. I don't care if the guy is a Democrat, this sounds pretty bad. Unfortunately, I'm sure we'll hear a lot of disgusting stories about the aftermath of the hurricane in the future.

Swordplay

Normally here, I would link to all my recent posts about people with swords, but I'm just too lazy so if you want to see them for context, just search for sword and I'm sure you can find them. Anyway, I'm really starting to think I'm the only person in the world who doesn't have a sword, or at least know where I might get one if the need arose.

First, my stepson comes home last night and tells us about a local restuarant that was robbed earlier that day. The reason he brought it up was that the perpetrator was apparently his girlfriend's brother in law, who had just gotten out of jail and was apparently in a big hurry to get back. But what I found interesting was that the weapon he used in this robbery was a samurai sword. What the fuck? Are guns too hard to come by these days? Oh, and he got away with $32, so that was clearly worth it.

Then, at work this morning, I overhear part of a conversation that some coworkers are having about some online role playing game they used to play, and I guess they had some kind of related parties and one coworker would show up to the parties dressed in character, including armor, and of course...a sword.

Where the fuck do all these swords come from? I seriously wouldn't even know where to go to get one if I really wanted one. Would I need to see a blacksmith? I don't know. It's all very disturbing.


Oh, and Blogger sucks. The last few months, it almost made me forget how much, but the last couple of days have brought it all back.

Reading

I just finished re-reading So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (review). I didn't remember much about it from the first time I read it, but it turns out that was probably because there wasn't much to it in the first place. It was very short and seemed to end very abruptly. Now, I'm going to move on to re-reading Mostly Harmless, which I also don't remember much about. After that, I will probably start on Cryptonomicon, unless I can find the next book in the Saga of the Seven Suns first without having to buy it in hardback.

What's everyone else reading?

FEMA director Brown resigns

Finally, one of the idiots in this administration does something right. Let this be a lesson to Rumsfeld, Rice, Rove, Chertoff, Bush, aw fuck, the whole lot of them. When you are a miserable failure at your job, you let someone else try it. Not that I expect this to make anything better, after all, his successor will also be a Bush appointee, which is pretty much a guarantee of incompetence.

I also like the way Bush twists things around, like here:

A reporter asked Bush about criticism that a racial component was behind the government's slow response to the people left without help after Katrina hit.

"The storm didn't discriminate, and neither will the recovery effort," Bush said. "When those Coast Guard choppers -- many of whom were first on the scene -- were pulling people off roofs, they didn't check the color of a person's skin, they wanted to save lives.

Well, dickhead, no one said that the rescuers were discriminating or that the people that actually showed up to help were discriminating, they were talking about the overall response and the delay in the response disproportionately affecting blacks. Which is pretty hard to argue with when you see any video from around the convention center and Superdome in the days after the storm. Of course, leave it to you to equate criticism of the administration with criticism of the individuals actually doing the work. And why wouldn't you, it's worked very well for you with the war in Iraq.

Assholes.

Broadcasters piss me off - Part 4

What is their aversion to the word "not?" They always seem to want to use some backwards ass way of saying something instead of using saying it straight foward. Like, if a team is fighting for a playoff spot, and is trailing in a game they desperately need to win, I might say something like "They cannot afford to lost this game if they still hope to make the playoffs." Most football commentators, on the other hand, would probably say this, "They can ill afford to lose this game..." Who the fuck talks like that? Ill afford? Ridiculous. Another example would be if a big name player isn't having his usual impact on a game, I might say something like "Ladanian Tomlinson has been shut down, and really has not been a factor today." The idiots in the booth, of course, would say "LT...has been a non-factor here tonight." Non-factor? And they use it all the time. Somone teach these people how to talk like a normal human being, please.

Disgusting

How can you call this a freedom walk, if everyone was not free to participate? Also, it seems that anyone with an opposing viewpoint was not free to express it. It's ridiculous. I'm all for freedom, and would happily march to celebrate it, but having a staged event and removing any opposition does not in any way celebrate freedom, it celebrates blind obedience.

If they really wanted to have a walk for freedom, they should have published the route, and invited anyone to join in the walk. And if that meant some people had signs that expressed oppositon, then that would jut demonstrate our freedom, along with the fact that we can disagree but still come together. However, that's just not the way this administration does things. Assholes.

I also found this a little disturbing:

Others worked for the government, and were encouraged by their bosses to attend.

September 11th

With all the times it has been hammered into us in the past four years that we have to remember it, along with all the terrible things that have been justified using it as an excuse, it's almost difficult to separate the tragedy that occured from all those things and remember it for what it really was. However, with all the suffering and pointless death wehave seen in the last couple of weeks following the hurricane, it does seem to bring it back into its proper perspective. And I hope with the hurricane, we can try to learn from the mistakes that were made following September 11th and not repeat them, and maybe take another look at all the things that we have done since then in the name of security and truly evaluate whether they have made us more secure. The most important thing I think we should remember is that even if we can all agree that something horrible happened, it doesn't mean we have to shut up and accept any response that invokes the tragedy as its justification in the name of unity. We were all united after September 11th, and look where that has gotten us. We are at war with the wrong country, with no end in sight, and if the hurricane has shown us anything, it's that we're not any safer at home because of, and we might actually be worse off.

Anyway, I'm not really good at finding words to commemorate events or anything like that, but since this is the first anniversary of September 11th that I have had an outlet for my thoughts, I didn't want to let it pass without something to mark it. And as we use today to remember the people who died needlessly on that day, let's also make sure we don't use it as an excuse for more needless death in the future.

Saturday Night Name that Song

You all stunk it up last week, but I'm willing to balme it on the hurricane coverage, just don't let it happen again. Anyway, guess all the songs (and the theme) and you might win a prize.*

1. I will be the one who loves you - Until the end of time
2. Starting from zero, got nothing to lose Maybe we'll make something Me, myself, I got nothing to prove
3. Huggin' and a kissin', dancin' and a lovin'
4. Goodbye everybody-I've got to go-
5. I don't care what they think I don't care what they say
6. That's me in the corner That's me in the spotlight
7. But all are agreed as they join the stampede You should never take more than you give
8. Even Through the darkest phase Be it thick or thin Always someone marches brave Here beneath my skin
9. Loving would be easy if your colours were like my dream
10. You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal


* If you can find someone willing to give you a prize for it.

Friday Name that Movie

You guys really blew it last week, and I was very impressed with my theme, but I guess everyone was focused on storm coverage. Anyway, let's try this again. Keep in mind, when I do these themes, I may repeat a movie or two that has been used before if it fits my theme. Guess them all (and the theme) and you may win a prize.* And be sure to check back tomorrow for Saturday Night Name that Song.**

1. Some lady gave it to him. She even signed her name on it... Ruth. Baby Ruth.
2. Wait. It wasn't me. It was a hit man named Bullseye. I didn't kill your father.
3. I'm so drunk, I'm sober.
4. Scratch a lie, find a thief.
5. ...there's only two syllables in this whole wide world worth hearing: pussy. Hah! Are you listenin' to me, son? I'm givin' ya pearls here.
6. We have always had a gentle understanding with the creatures that live in the woods.
7. These things are good: ice cream and cake, a ride on a harley, seeing monkeys in the trees, the rain on my tongue, and the sun shining on my face. These things are a drag: dust in my hair, holes in my shoes, no money in my pocket, and the sun, shining on my face.
8. I am not a man. I began as one, but now I am becoming more than a man, as you will witness.
9. Have you ever seen blood in the moonlight, Will? It appears quite black
10. Not bad for a blind man! But that butter knife ain't gonna stop no bullet!


* There is no prize.
** If I feel like it.

Leaders Lacking Disaster Experience

I admit until the aftermath of Katrina, I didn't really know much of anything about Bush's dismantling of FEMA, or his appointment of unqualified people to head it. But anyone who has followed anything this administration has done shouldn't be suprised. Anytime there is a position for which Bush needs to appoint someone, it seems that he actively seeks out the people most uniquley unqualified for the particular position. It also seems that he gives out appointments as rewards for support or loyalty. And I don't see anything terribly wrong with appointing people that are close to you and you are more familiar with, but that should only be after you've determined that they are qualified in the first place. Even when he finds someone who does seem qualified, like Colin Powell, he seems to morph them into something else, where loyalty to the administration trumps the duties of the job they hold.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that we shouldn't really be surprised that there was someone incompetent in charge of FEMA. We should be surprised that this is really the first time that one of Bush's appointees is taking a lot of criticism for displaying the incompetence which has become a trademark of this administration. Hopefully, now people may start to notice it in other places as well.

Is it time for assigning blame yet?

...because I'm waiting patiently.

Man walks up to stroller, stabs baby girl

Holy Shit, what the fuck is wrong with people?

Governor will reject gay marriage legislation

Asshole.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced yesterday that he will veto a historic same-sex marriage bill passed by the Legislature, contending that the measure is unconstitutional.

I'm not exaclty an expert in California government, but I always thought it was the job of the judicial branch to determine the constitutionality of laws. Anyway, I guess this makes him an activist executive, and should really piss off all those conservatives who have been telling us for so long how tired they are of activist judges legislating from the bench, and how it should be the job of the legislature to make the laws. So, I guess we'll see a lot of them denouncing his veto. Especially the churches. They will need to include a conversation about this in Justice Sunday III.


Or not.

Are you Ready?

The NFL season begins tonight with Monday Night Football (special Thursday edition). I don't like the way they've started the season with these Thursday night games the last few years, and I always liked starting it on Labor Day weekend, but I can't complain much, because no matter how it starts, the NFL season is about the best thing going for entertainment purposes. Whether it's the games themselves, the fantasy football, the pools, or just all the surrounding news and analysis, I can't get enough of the NFL.

Being a Cowboy fan, the last several years that my excitement has been dashed pretty quickly by bad teams and poor play, and even in 2003 when they managed to squeak back into the playoffs, it just wasn't quite as exciting as it should have been because they were just lacking something, which was exposed in the playoffs by Carolina. Anyway, this season I'm pretty excited, Drew Bledsoe isn't the best QB in the world, but I think he's a pretty clear upgrade from Vinny. And if Julius Jones can run the ball anything like he did in the second half of last season, the offense should be much improved. The defense was a big mess last season after leading the league in 2003, but with the switch to the 3-4 and the additions both from free agency and through the draft, they should be in pretty good shape. The optimist in me says that if everything goes well, they can contend with Philadelphia for the division, but more realistically, they should be at least fighting for a wild card spot.

Who else is excited, and who is your team, and what do you think their chances are this year?

White House Press Briefing

Why do they even still have these? If they're not going to actually answer questions (or say that the time for answering questions is later), then just don't do them at all. Contrary to the apparent beliefs of the White House, the purpose of these things is to get information to the public, not just to be able to say you had them.

It's like when I ask my daughter to sweep the floor. As far as she's concerned, if she passes the broom across the floor in sweeping motions, she's done what I asked, but unfortunately for me, the real goal was to have a clean floor, not exercise the broom.

Anyway, the goal in these things should be to actually answer questions, not just be able to say that you answered questions. The act of speaking after being asked a question does not automatically constitute an answer. If it isn't "ongoing investigation" bullshit, it's now "blame game" bullshit, but it's all bullshit, just the same. So how about you actually answer the questions, or give a good fucking reason why answering a fucking question honestly is going to somehow take anything away from the rescue effort, or the ongoing investigation, or whatever bullshit you're trying to hide from this week.

Hell, while you're at it, you may want to ask yourself why the fuck you're always trying to hide something in the first place. It's not like anyone is expecting you to say that you did a horrible job, or that you committed a crime, or whatever. Just whatever your fucking position is on the subject, share that. The only reason to want to avoid questions all together is because you either don't know what the fuck you're doing or you fucked something up.

Is it time for blame gaming yet?

Just checking.

LEGO.com : Redirect Page - LEGOS

Ok, they seriously have to be kidding. They want people to say "LEGO bricks and toys" instead of "Legos?" Well, first of all "LEGO bricks and toys" just sounds pretty fucking stupid and there is no way I'm telling my son, "Hey, go get your LEGO bricks and toys, and we'll build something." But secondly, even if I would say that, they're about thirty years too late in trying to get people to do it.

Next we'll have the Kleenex website lecturing us that we should be saying "Kleenex brand tissues" instead of just "Kleenex" or how about "Bad-Aid brand bandages" instead of just "Band-Aids." Seriously, when you're big enough that your company name is used as a universal substitute for the product that you make, even when talking about a competitors version of the product, then you should just try to be happy about it. Because if I went to legos.com looking to buy some legos, and instead came across this lecture, I'd quickly be going to megabloks.com to buy some Mega Bloks instead.

Britney to screen baby's birth for Katrina victims

Try not to get caught up in the fact that people are actually willing to pay her for this in the first place.

She's not particularly keen on filming the birth, but with all this talk of money she had to stop and think about what she could do with it.

Uh, yeah, or she could just donate some of the money she already has. I don't think she's exactly living paycheck to paycheck.


Link via Christiana Talks About Stuff -

Why the Conservative Approach Won't Work

I'm sure by now, we've all seen the Republican talking points blaming the victims of the hurricane for not listening to the mandatory evacuation order (which contradicts their other talking points relating to how no one knew it would be so bad, but ignore that for now), and in the black and white world that Republicans seem to live in, that may even be true to some extent. If people didn't want to get killed by the storm, they should have left, that seems pretty simple. However, here in reality, where the rest of us live, we realize that things aren't that simple. As a matter of fact, even if everyone was able to leave New Orleans, even if the Mayor had personally sent a car to pick up each and every resident, the reality is that there would still be people that would not have left. So, here's where the problem occurs, even if we can all agree that everyone should have left (which seeing the conditons now, obviously leaving would have been preferable in most cases), and even if we could agree that everyone was able to leave (something which clearly isn't true, but ignore that for now), and even if we could all agree that the people who stayed got what was coming to them (and I don't think even a lot of the most cold hearted Republicans would go that far), then we still have the survivors there on the rooftops, waiting to be rescued. Either we're going to rescue or we're going to ignore them to death. And I don't think anyone is ready to just let people die in the streets because they are less fortunate, or even because they made a bad decision. So, if you're not ready to do that, you will have people to rescue, and if you know that, then you need to be prepared for it, and you're still responsible for it. The government should be there to protect people who can't protect themselves, even if that means in some cases, you're also protecting people who should have been able to protect themselves but chose not to. Ideally, everyone would always do whatever is in their best interests (nevermind that people can't see the future and sometimes make the wrong decision even when they are honestly trying to make the right one), but in reality, that's just not going to happen. We need to be ready to help those people, whether it's during a natural disaster or not. Or we can just let them suffer, tell ourselves that someone else will help them, and take comfort in the fact that it's their own fault that they are suffering.

Bush to oversee probe into what went wrong

Oh, good. President Bush is going to lead the investigation into what went wrong, and we all know, when he's in charge of something that thing gets done, and gets done well (and if it doesn't, we can at least be sure that it's not his fault, anyway). However, apparently, now is not the time for that investigation, now is the time to solve problems, problems like, what kind of cake does John McCain like, or problems like how big an asshole do you have to be to have a guitar with a presidential seal painted on it? Anyway, now is the time to solve problems, so presumably, when the time for the investigation comes, Bush will be ready to answer all our questions about this clusterfuck. I know I'll sleep better at night. Anyway, someone let me know when he is ready to start this investigation, because I have a tool that will be very useful in it, it's called a mirror.

Bush Nominates Roberts as Chief Justice

I don't know anything about Supreme Court policies or procedures, but it seems to me, putting the new guy in charge would be kind of insulting to the people who have been on the court for years, and understand how it works from direct experience.

Having said that, I can understand why Bush would do this. Obviously, the only other people he would be happy with as Chief Justice would be Thomas or Scalia, and either of those would probably face a pretty tough road getting confirmed to the position. And I don't think anyone wants to relive the Thomas confirmation hearings mess. I've heard all I can take in my life about pubic hairs in people's soft drinks.

Anyway, no matter what happens on the court, and no matter what rights we have to give up, at least we should be about at the end of hearing wingnuts whine about the liberal court. Which was ridiculous anyway, since all but two of the justices were appointed by Republicans. If they were unable to get their views into the minstream with that kind of imbalance on the court, maybe they should blame themselves for failing to appoint the right people, not the judges for being too liberal. Or, perhaps, just maybe the Constitution just doesn't line up much with their ideas, and the justices know what they're doing, regardless of who appointed them.

At what point are you accountable?

For five years, I've listened to nothing but excuse after excuse from the Bush Administration, it's hard work, that's not our responsibility, we really thought there were weapons, it's Clinton's fault, that was the result of something that started before we took office, the accountability moment has passed, their will be plenty of time to place blame later, we don't control the weather, everyone else thought that too, we need more information, it wasn't technically a crime, blah, blah, blah, fucking blah. So ok, I'll just go ahead and accept that you're always going to have an excuse for why absolutely nothing in the world is your fault, I'll even give you the benefit of the doubt and say that sometimes it might not be your fault. But what I'd like to know is, since you are the fucking President and all, at what point do you become accountable for anything? Because I'd really like for us all to start on the same page. When is it ok to criticize something that you have done? At some point, if I was in a position of power, I might expect to be held accountable for results, whether or not they were my fault in the first place.

So, let me propose a completely hypothetical situation, and let me know if you deserve any blame for it? Let's say that thousands of your people are suffering, and you have the power as well as the ultimate authority to do something about it. Let's also say that lack of planning on your part contributed to the extent of the people's suffering, and that your screwed up priorities also contributed to it. Now, how many of your people have to die in this situation before we are allowed to hold you accountable?

Or, maybe, are you just not responsible for anything that happens in this country? Because if that's the case, I'd rather you just be up front about it, and you could just spend the next three years on vacation, and we can take our chances with the rest of your incompetent staff running things.

Broadcasters Piss me Off - Part 3

Well, no one seems very interested in these posts, but this is stuff I've noticed for years, so now that I have an outlet for all my useless thoughts, I'm going to use it. I actually mived this one up after hearing it yesterday.

And it is, no matter what time a game is being played, the announcers will refer to it as "tonight" when talking about it. It could be 1:00 in the afternoon and they will still say things like, "The defense has really dominated here, tonight." The game I heard it on yesterday, started at around 3PM. Also, I seem to hear this more in basketball, which means it's possible that announcers are so stupid, that if they can't see the sky, they don't know what time it is.

White House Enacts a Plan to Ease Political Damage

I'm glad they're focused on easing the political damage, because otherwise, they might be wasting time on silly things like making sure this shit doesn't fucking happen again. But if there's one thing this administration has proven, it is that incompetence doesn't matter if you can inspire enough apathy in people. So, of course, they go back to doing what they know best. Assholes.

Chief Justice Rehnquist dies at home

Fuck.

Saturday Night Name that Song

Ok, here it is, you guys did ok last week, so let's keep it up. Guess them all (and the theme) and you could win a prize.* Eazy theme this week, too. There are also some movies left from Friday Name that Movie, so look back a couple of posts for that.

1. 'Cause nothin' lasts forever And we both know hearts can change
2. Love unconditional- I'm not asking this of you. And, girl, to make it last I'll do whatever needs to be done.
3. I want to dive into your ocean. Is it raining with you?
4. Hear the thunder Don't you lose your head Rip off the roof and stay in bed
5. Listen to the tears roll Down my face as she turns to go
6. I never wanted to be your weekend lover I only wanted to be some kind of friend
7. That's right, Silly rabbit, tricks are made for kids, don't you know that. You without me is like corn flakes without the milk! This is my world. You're just a squirrel trying to get a nut! Now get on outta here. Scat!
8. Heard the singers playin', how we cheered for more. The crowd had rushed together tryin' to keep warm. Still the rain kept pourin', fallin' on my ears And I wonder, still I wonder...
9. Showers wash All my cares away I wake up to a sunny day
10. Whatever you do don't put the blame on you



* There is no prize.

State Senate approves same-sex marriage bill

Some good news in an otherwise crappy news week. This has a long way to go, but any step towards treating all people like people is good, as far as I'm concerned.

America needs a Leader

As I watch disgusted by what is going on in New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast, and I see that there is apparently no one willing or able to take control of what is going on, it makes me sick. I know that America has the resources and the will to help these people, and I know that it is possible to do it more quickly than it is being done. At the same time, I'm reading about all the projects that were supposed to be done to help prevent such a tragedy, and how the federal funding for them was cut by the Bush administration, and most likely due to the war in Iraq. Just another reason for me to think that the war is a gigantic mistake. I keep hearing people make excuses for Bush and the administration that they can't prredict natural disasters and they can't control the weather, and that we still have plenty of troops to secure New Orleans, even if there are thousands of them in Iraq. These things may all be true, but the bottom line is that the things that need to be done are not getting done, and I find it hard to believe that all the money, manpower, and equipment being wasted in Iraq couldn't help out at this time. Particularly resources which were previously located in the areas affected. Anyone can make excuses for why this isn't Bush's fault, and isn't the administration's fault, and a lot of thoe excuses might be valid and might be true, but if you want to sit around making excuses for why you can't do anything, then why the fuck do you become the President of the United States in the first place? It's a job that requires action, not excuses. We heard a lot about this President's determination after September 11th, and what a strengh it was, well where the fuck is it now? Like I said before, I know that this country has the resources and the will to do everything that needs to be done, which makes me realize that the problem is poor planning (a familiar one) and poor leadership. Again, you can say that the Mayors and Governors and Congress all fucked up too, and there is plenty of blame to go around, but right now we need a leader, and it would be nice if there was one in the White House.

Whenever anyone criticizes the administration's lack of planning or response to this tragedy, I hear how we shouldn't politicize it, and now is not the time for finger pointing. Well, that's just bullshit. Now is the perfect time, because when it's over, the focus will be gone, and no one will be held accountable. I hear that now is the time for us all to come together to help the people affected, and that's true, but there's no reason I can't criticize the President and at the same time support any efforts he makes to help these people (if he ever makes any that are noticeable). And anyway, if you're demanding that people not criticize because you want the focus to be on the relief efforts, then why not demand that the President's focus be on relief efforts? After all, he has a lot more control over that than most people. And I also see people saying things to the effect of, instead of criticizing, why don't you do something to help instead? Well, it's not like if I wasn't wasting my time writing this post, I'd instead be pulling stranded people off their roofs. There's no reason people can't do more than one thing at a time. And it always amazes me that these "with us or against us" types seem to have such one track minds. And anyone, I could say the same thing about some of the blind devotion that people seem to have for this guy, if they would lose that, maybe we'd all be better off.

The bottom line here is that Bush has failed. And this isn't a failure that effects a handful of Americans who volunteered, and some faceless foreigners, this is affecting Americans in America, just trying to pick up what is left of their lives. And sure there are plenty of others who have failed these people too, but I'm pretty sure the buck stops with Bush. At a time like this, America needs a leader, and we simply don't have one.

Friday Name that Movie - Early Edition

I don't know if I'll have time later this afternoon, so I'm doing this early this week, so they may not last long. Keep in mind, when I do these themes, I may repeat a movie or two that has been used before if it fits my theme. Guess them all (and the theme) and you may win a prize.* And be sure to check back tomorrow for Saturday Night Name that Song.**

1. Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!
2. Hey...you wanna see something really scary?
3. Hey, you want to hear something funny? My dentist's name is James Spalding.
4. You better watch it, Dr. Death! I'm pretty damn fast for a Caucasian.
5. We got... We got cows!
6. A boy's best friend is his mother.
7. Where the Hell is this God of yours?
8. I always find the fish. Always!
9. We're supposed to be at home, David. We're supposed to be in color!
10. Oh no sir, see I set myself directly in front of ya. Judgin' how you were hittin' them balls that's where I figure I'd be out of harms way.


* There is no prize.
** If I feel like it.

Controversy in South Africa over device to snare rapists

I'm not sure why there would be any controversy, if you don't want hooks jabbed into your dick, then don't rape anyone. Sounds like some really horrible pain, but I don'thave much sympathy for rapists.

As for the women's groups claiming that this puts the onus on women to combat a male problem, well that's just ridiculous. It's like saying that it's unfair to put the onus on homeowners to lock their houses, since the problem is with the criminalswho would steal from them. Anyway, if you don't like the thing, don't use it. It may still benefit you if someone is afraid to rape you just in case you might have one.

REPENT AMERICA - CALLING A NATION IN REBELLION TOWARD GOD TO REPENTANCE

I saw this disgusting press release from some sleazy extremist religous organization around quite a bit yesterday, and it makes me wonder, if these people honestly believe in a God that would do this, why the fuck would they worship him in the first place? It seems to me that a God who would do what these idiots describe is not deserving of worship. Assholes.

Broadcasters Piss me Off - Part 2

As mentioned in the comments of Broadcasters Piss me Off - Part 1, the next thing that pisses me off is whenever they talk about something that happened last season, they always say "a year ago." Nevermind that whatever they are talking about most likely didn't happen a year ago, or that just saying last year or last season would be more accurate. For example, it might be the first game of the year and they talk about a running back in the game and will say something like, "He rushed for 1200 yards a year ago." And this is probably inaccurate, since they probably mean he rushed for 1200 yards last season, and last season had just started a year ago. Why do they do this? And they all do it, so they must think it sounds better or something, though I can't imagine why they would.