Month: July 2009

Uncategorized18 Comments

Weekend Question Thread

Did you take family vacations or trips when you were little? Where did you go? My family used to do a lot of camping out West. We’d all pile in a car, cousins included, and drive and drive until we found a good spot to stop. One of my earliest memories is of my mother waking me up in the middle of the night in our tent in Yellowstone (I think) to go sleep in the truck because she’d just seen a bear wander through the campsite. How I became such a total wuss about insects and the outdoors is … Continue reading Weekend Question Thread

Sports3 Comments

Run Into the Wall

Certain people will be aghast that I am posting a John Kass column, but nonetheless: As he slammed the wall, I thought of the last time Wise sold his body out to make a desperate catch, back in April when he robbed the Tigers of a sure double with two runners on base, hurting hisshoulder in the process. Wise separated his right shoulder that night and spent an eternity on the disabled list and the shoulder hasn’t been the same. Still, on Thursday he ran into the wall. ViaBeachwood. A. Continue reading Run Into the Wall

Jude, Science7 Comments

Fuck The Fuck Yeah–This Fucking Shit Is What The Fuck I’m Fucking Talking About. Fuck.

Fuck yeah, motherfuckers. So, it turns out that swearing fucking kicks ass. No, really, there’s fucking SCIENCE and shit backing this the fuck up. So take note, assorted cocksuckers, motherfuckers, bitches, bastards, and dickheads:Swearing can make you feel better. I must be the best-feeling motherfucker on this whole motherfucking bubble. No wonder David Broder and Cokie Roberts walk around with permanent sticks up their priggish asses. They think that saying the word “fuck” is a crime against humanity. Chill the fuck out, assholes! That’s right. This motherfucking post gets the motherfucking “science” tag. Fucking believe that. Continue reading Fuck The Fuck Yeah–This Fucking Shit Is What The Fuck I’m Fucking Talking About. Fuck.

Political Crack2 Comments

Wow, Kent Conrad’s a Tool

We need Republicans. Neeeeeeeeeed them. Need them so BAD: “We’re less interested in hard deadlines than in moving the process forward. The deadlines have had a disciplining effect. … What we don’t want is for the process to bog down here. We want to keep moving forward, and I believe we will. That final piece, however, will require GOP backing — somethingSen. Mitch McConnell said was unlikely.The Senate minority leader said congressional Democrats are having difficulty selling ahealth care bill to their own members. “The only thing bipartisan about the measure so far is the opposition to it,” said McConnell, … Continue reading Wow, Kent Conrad’s a Tool

Uncategorized7 Comments

Disgusting

So Bush administration officials were willing to test the constitutionality ofusing the military on US soil to arrest the Lackawanna 6: WASHINGTON — Top Bush administration officials in 2002 debated testing the Constitution by sending American troops into the suburbs of Buffalo to arrest a group of men suspected of plotting with Al Qaeda, according to former administration officials. Some of the advisers to President George W. Bush, including Vice President Dick Cheney, argued that a president had the power to use the military on domestic soil to sweep up the terrorism suspects, who came to be known as the … Continue reading Disgusting

Music2 Comments

Possession of the moment

A great performance takes more than just a great artist. It’s almost always a combination of artist, venue, crowd, material, and some percentage of mysterious happenstance. So there’s about 17 reasons this performance shouldn’t have worked: stolid state venue no doubt crawling with Secret Service, stiff and not exactly soulful crowd, tuxedos and formal gowns, at least one cowboy hat, the silly ribbons on the honorees. Turns out that none of that mattered. Townshend describes the aftermath: In a Q&A on his blog at TheWho.com, the legendary axe-slinger said, “My favorite moment was when Bettye LaVette sang a very fine … Continue reading Possession of the moment

So Called Liberal Media11 Comments

Defending Lou Dobbs

His radio show is not affiliated with CNN, you guys: [Warning: Link contains Hannity] So how’s CNN handling it’s falling star’s latest turn to conspiracism? For the most part, by distancing itself. The network has beenquick topoint out to media reporters that Dobbs’ more egregious statements have come on his radio show, which is not affiliated with CNN. Salon asked a network spokeswoman whether it’s CNN’s position that there is a question about Obama’s eligibility to be president. “No, CNN has fully investigated the issue and found no basis for the questions about the president’s birthplace,” she responded. Asked, then, … Continue reading Defending Lou Dobbs

Games

Pimpin’

My little brother’s fine establishment. If any of you are in the Racine-Milwaukee area, stop by and check it out. The owner personally kicked my ass at air hockey last week. Tell him you’re a friend of his sister’s and he may or may not go easy on you. A. Continue reading Pimpin’

Uncategorized6 Comments

How many 70-cent beers in a dozen?

The waitress at Stub and Herb’s seemed perplexed: “HOW many?” she shouted over the din of drunken Gophers. “A dozen,” I repeated. “I need a dozen beers.” “You mean 12?” I sighed, “Yes, 12, please.” She left in a huff, giving me a look like I was speaking Esperanto. I turned to the kid next to me who was about to help me consume the beer. “Was I not being clear?” I asked. “Or am I just a freak for ordering 12? I mean, there are four of us at the table.” The kid smiled. “Nah. You’re just in Minnesota.” … Continue reading How many 70-cent beers in a dozen?

Uncategorized11 Comments

Becoming Idiocracy…oh that’s too kind

I’ve often wondered what this country will look like as reason is abandoned for raw emotion. Watching the creepy video clip of the birther making the rounds, tells me that Idiocracy would be the best case scenario. Stupid America won’t be benign. Here isAdrastos’ take on the birthers: This is a good example as to why there aren’t many moderate Goopers left. The party has been taken over by tin foil hat wearing wackjobs who think Obama is going to swoop down on them in a black helicopter, kidnap them and take them toTrafalmadore for study. Holy anal probe, Batman. … Continue reading Becoming Idiocracy…oh that’s too kind

Economy11 Comments

It’s Going To Take Class Warfare

Not that we didn’t know this, but a Beachwood reader spells it out very well: The one advantage of our current system is that it rations care by ability to pay without being too bloody obvious about it. That’s why, I suspect, even in the unlikely event we do get some kind of public option, it will be so damned hard for ordinary Americans to get access to it that most of us will still be stuck with the private bloodsuckers whose main profit point is DEPRIVING people of care. You might counter by noting that this is the richest … Continue reading It’s Going To Take Class Warfare

Happy Democrat Photo4 Comments

Happy Democrat Photo: Massa Edition

Eric Massa, gentleman from New York: “Words cannot express how furious I am at Fox News, Lt. Col Ralph Peters and Bill O’Reilly for suggesting that we should leave a prisoner of war behind and allow him to be executed by the Taliban to save us the trouble of trying to intervene” said Congressman Eric Massa. “Last night I joined with a bipartisan group of 22 other Congressional veterans in demanding an immediate apology to the family of PFC Bergdahl from Fox News, but I don’t think that goes far enough. I want to see Mr. Peters and Mr. O’Reilly … Continue reading Happy Democrat Photo: Massa Edition

Terrorism7 Comments

Have People Changed Their Font Colors Back Yet?

In case anybody’s curious Iran’s still all fucked up. The reason I got so cynical about the AND THE BLOGOSPHERE SHALL BE GREEN FOREVER type of thing, by the way, is that I know from bitter experience how hard it is to keep up interest in a story when everybody’s flittered on over to the next topic. When people have promised you their eternal support and devotion and attention and said, “Hey, we’re all over this until whatever the bitter end might be” then bugger off to chase the next shiny object they see, it’s discouraging. So I tend to … Continue reading Have People Changed Their Font Colors Back Yet?

So Called Liberal Media9 Comments

The Birthers are the Least of Their Problems

Thers: The birther stuff is extreme, sure, and is extremely easy to refute. But then let’s run down the GOP dogma, the things no Republican politician could ever say in public without getting lynched, perhaps even just metaphorically: (1) global climate change is a serious crisis caused by human activity; (2) the mainstream media is not committed to electing Democrats; (3) a spending freeze in a severe recession is insane; (4) Rush Limbaugh is rather a blowhard (to quote Rush’s latest, from Armbinder, “Rush Limbaughclaimed today that Obama “has yet to prove that he’s a citizen”); (5) Osama bin Laden … Continue reading The Birthers are the Least of Their Problems

Geek Cred4 Comments

Entirely at Random Galactica Post

Um. I don’t usually do conventions but ADAMA and TIGH. I’M SO THERE.What better way for a girl to spend her wedding anniversary? (True story: Mr. A and I were pretty broke when we got married — back then we thought that would be a temporary state, hah! — and so we put off a honeymoon trip until we could save up to go somewhere really cool. Our “honeymoon” thus was the weekend after our wedding, during which we watched the Packer game in the bridal suite, ordered pizza, and went to Gen Con. It was like the dream honeymoon … Continue reading Entirely at Random Galactica Post

Do Something23 Comments

Backs to the Wall

No, the title doesn’t mean I’m writing about the Republicans right now. No, it’s (brace yourselves) about history. If you can wade through the BuggyQ verbosity, there’s a question I need your input on. So I’m preparing for my favorite lecture, on World War II. I love the stories of the Blitz. Yes, I know–people going through hell shouldn’t be something you love, but I’m a disaster buff. I idealize human behavior in disasters. And yes, I know, sometimes they bring out the worst in people. But they also bring out the best. (And sometimes both at the same time…) … Continue reading Backs to the Wall

Stupid Republican Tricks1 Comment

Running on fumes

Why just today I read a Palin idolator, after designating Democrats the party of fisting and rimming, uncork yet another wishful prophecy of civil war that would pit Christian gun-toters against heathen Project Runway fans in a blood-cleansing that would restore America to its rightful place in the 19th century. Wolcott is riffing on a post byDavid Seaton about Palin and demagoguery, but the birther fixation is all part of the same rock soup. It doesn’t matter if Palin isn’t “smart” in the conventional sense, it doesn’t matter that a third grader could point out the flaws of the birther … Continue reading Running on fumes

Uncategorized6 Comments

Go. Do It. Now.

Allison Hantschel

What John said. Nail these sick bastards. They’ve handed it to you now, Howard. They’ve handed this issue to you on a silver platter with a garland of herbs making it nice and fragrant. They’ve given you the issue, Democrats. You all voted, every last one of you, to review the monumental cockup that has made us the laughingstock of the civilized world and raised doubts at home and abroad about our vaunted national security. You all voted, and good job Harry for keeping everybody in line, to find out what the hell happened, and the Republicans voted to be … Continue reading Go. Do It. Now.

Economy9 Comments

It’s Fucking DISTRACTING

Guys. Seriously. You and me, we’re fucking done professionally. This is how the Democrats are going to fuck this up. AGAIN. Because the American people simply don’t understand what is TAKING SO LONG to get this health care thing handled. We know what needs to be done to fix the problem, we know how to make it happen (get some interns to scribble shit down and we all vote on it) and we know it should take about an afternoon and a half and that’s just because somebody has to wake up Robert Byrd and pull David Vitter out of … Continue reading It’s Fucking DISTRACTING

Immoral Values10 Comments

It’s All About Sex

Ignore for a moment the homophobia, the misogynistic condescension, and let’s just focus on the overall suck: You don’t see straight guys “hanging out” with their lesbian friends. The straight guy who walks into a dyke bar is an unwelcome presence, and may be asked to leave. Women hanging around the gay disco, however, is a very familar phenomenon. And the belief of some women that they have aspecial friendship with their gay male friends is a myth. Let me disabuse you ladies of your naivete: A reasonably attractive young gay man has no problem getting with two or three … Continue reading It’s All About Sex

Uncategorized8 Comments

Terrible

This is totally irresponsible and would seem criminal: A New Orleans police dog left unattended in a police vehicle in late May died from shock likely associated with heat stroke, after ripping up the car’s seats in a desperate attempt to get out, according to a report obtained by the Metropolitan Crime Commission. Primo, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois, collapsed at a veterinarian’s clinic with a temperature of 109.8 degrees, a necropsy report by the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory shows. More and photo of the patrol car Continue reading Terrible