Ho Hum

Alex Chilton R.I.P.

2010-03-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

Translated Bollywood movie bit...

2009-12-26T16:20:00.000-08:00

Translated Rap Battle

2009-12-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

Senators for Gang Rape!!

2009-10-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

Against the public option and certainly against a single-payer system, at least these folks are for something... gang rape! Blackwater never fails to bemuse...

I'd recognize him anywhere...

2009-10-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

funniest quote: "I look like Hugo Chavez with gigantism"

That said, I think Travolta's noggin is up there with that of the recently departed Teddy Kennedy. No disrespect (I liked the guy, in the long run), but my god, that was one gargantuan-headed mo-fo... shouldn't say it given he died of brain cancer, but you could make 40 pounds of head cheese from that rock. Was there a Smigel TV Funhouse where his head expanded and started taking over the world? I couldn't find it online, but it sure seems like it should exist...

An important public service announcement...

2009-09-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Beavis and Butthead Return to promote "Extract"

2009-09-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

Though I'm not much of a Jason Bateman fan (don't ask, he just annoys me), I am excited about a new Mike Judge movie, so enjoy two of my favorite critics

Oh Blackwater, keep on rolling...

2009-08-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yup, the mercenaries at Blackwater are back in the news... check this out

Great skeptics' video from the Brits

2009-07-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'd never heard about these guys until I was listening to Dr. Dean Edell (a hero of mine) describe this video and then ran it down on google... This skit does a great job of summarizing how I feel about alternative "medicine" and the net harm it does... (BTW, you can listen to Dean Edell shows at this archive page... his show is from 1PM to 2PM on KGO's schedule)

On my search for this video, I landed (and found the video) on this interesting site where I also found this satirical gem (as an old guy who doesn't chat online much, I had to go look up the meaning of BRB)

(Note: if this offends you, look away!)

Vonnegut Motivational Posters

2009-07-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

2009-05-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

Yo, I know this blog is inert lately, but go sign this petition (then they'll know whose door to knock down next... probably mine)

Facebook killed the bloggio star...

2009-03-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

Man, not that in any way I'd ever consider myself a "bloggio star" (whatever that means) but going full sail on Facebook has seriously piked into the small amount of time I had left over to post on Ho Hum. I'm guessing this effect isn't unique to me (and I also found this similar sentiment). Regardless of how far you thought you left behind your high school and/or college days, you'd be surprised how compulsively you will jump right back in, making "friends" with people you only barely knew, or even disliked. You partly do this to be nice and assume that the person may no longer be a bully or a bitch, or maybe you will think that they may have liked you more than you thought (har!!). Or you may do this because you simply want to see what happened to them (for better or worse) since they (and you) left that world behind. Either way, it is a MAJOR TIME SUCK, and though I'm digging it now (I really am... and my high school was not that viscious, and even most of the jocks were nice guys), I wonder if the "SUCK" part of that will be where I end up with the whole Facebook endeavor. That said, seeing uploaded photos of your 2nd grade class and trying to figure out who is who in that photo has its appeal at this age... but then again, maybe facebook is really EVIL (please chime in, all 2 of you)!!!

p.s., I've noticed that when you go to someone's facebook page and all you can get access too is their "friends" list, you click on that button and because that person either hasn't had time to bother or has chosen not to play, facebook coldly informs you "Fred Jackson has no friends..." The nerve, but then again, it does sound so stark, so sad...

Corporate Greed (the new hot topic... new... heh)

2009-02-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure folks should ever expect much from a job at a fast food joint (except learning hard knocks), but this is still emblematic of the climate that were either free falling from or, hopefully, pulling ourselves from it's goopy tendrils... and, I dare say that the Burger King guy is genuinely creepy. I mean creepy like your worst cell mate kinda creepy... I mean Bee Gees creepy (and I don't hate the Bee Gees, but he does look like one scary Baa-haa-haa-ree Gibb)... I mean like hide your children and your live-at-home mother kinda creepy... creepy mofo indeed

2009-02-05T11:57:00.000-08:00

Have fun reading this entertaining account of a dosed teacher... and just for pure enjoyment, I present this delightful rendering of Joe Lieberman fucking a donkey (how symbolic)...

by the way, both from The Buffalo Beast... (not that I haven't served them well... but just in case (my own drawings of Liebermann fucking a donkey and not as skilled, but much more detailed...)

2009-01-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

As I've said before, electing Obama would do a lot to restore our world cred... check out this montage of foreign response to his election, and then enjoy this montage representing the local front... good on us for finally making a better choice

The Beast is back!

2009-01-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

Yup, it is that time of year again, when the Buffalo Beast unleashes its 50 Most Loathsome Americans of the Year. If you’re the type that gets upset when someone rags on someone you like, skip it… (it happens to me, but I get over it). There’s something in here to piss off everyone, but I always enjoy it…

And while you’re there, I suggest you check out a cruelly hilarious “interview” with Ken Ham, the yo yo who is curator of the Creationism Museum. Mean, but deservedly so…

Wii !!!

2009-01-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

The great tax myth

2009-01-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Phew! I'm glad that it's over, but now we get to hear the rightwing pundits obsessively recast the shitpile Bush lft behind for us as the "Obama Recession." The nerve, but I expect nothing more from the lot of them. Now, on to taxes...

Recently, the common wisdom is that to stimulate the economy, you must cut taxes. The wisdom continues with "Why will the rich produce more if they are, like in most of the first 2/3 of the last century, paying 80% or even greater than 90% in taxes?"

Well, the numbers say otherwise. I suggest you read this blog entry from Larry Beinhart (of Wag the Dog fame). The bottom line is that when we put stiflingly high taxes on high incomes and profits, profits tend to be revinvested into the companies that made them. When the opposite is true and taxes on super high profits are low, rich folks start wondering what to do with all those piles of cash. So, they end up throwing money into bad investments (e.g., Ponzi schemes or houses in Florida) and such, which leads to a bubble, which grows and grows until it pops! (sound familiar?

This makes me worry about Obama's recent talk about tax cuts. And don't think democrats will easily raise taxes the rich.

Once again, be sure to check Beinhart's post out.

2009-01-19T12:29:00.000-08:00

Finally, we can move on from this really long 8 years of embarrassment...

Another Ho Hum year goes buy...

2009-01-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, poor Ho Hum has been sorely neglected, but I needed a rest after finally realizing that the republicans didn’t steal another election. Has my faith in my fellow countrymen been fully restored? Of course not, but it has been soothed… so that’s it for politics, as I still haven’t recovered from the burn out. Now time for some Ho Hum ranting.

Let’s talk about cell phones. I just recently got one… well, technically, sort of… it’s a Tracfone, so it’s still like not having one. It is not on all of the time and people can’t expect to reach me on it unless I tell them too. In fact, if it starts ringing in a coat pocket, I go into an instant hissy—reminiscent of Jerry Lewis shtick—trying to find which pocket it is in and franticly hitting buttons to end the incessant ringing. Historically, I was ahead of the curve of technology, but I always had a resistance to cell phones. The main reason? They bring out the dipshit in otherwise normal people and they exaggerate the dipshittedness of baseline dipshits. Let’s take driving. In the past when I would get behind a driver going 24mph in a 25mph zone, or worse, when I would get behind two drivers exhibiting this behavior abreast on a two lane road (argh!), and would get a glimpse of the driver, I would almost always see an old person or a Mom. Lately, though, it is middle aged or even younger guys. And, though some cellphoners probably feel pretty smackin’ hip talking while driving, they look like total yahoos, waving their hand off the wheel due to intense emotion and bobbing their irradiated heads to and fro like… dipshits. (check out this chic multitasker).

Snappy! There is nothing more annoying (and yet reassuring of one’s curmudgeonry) than to witness idiotic driving only then to see that the asshole was on the phone. And since getting the tracfone, I fully know why. I’ve tried dialing it and talking on it while driving, and what does it make me? A dangerous dipshit! Of course, I could go on… so I will.

When classes let out here in our fine college town and the coeds scamper from class to class, I’d guess 2 out of every 3 of them are on their cells. Now, just what the fuck could they possibly have to say and who the hell wants to hear it? In my college days, I used to use this time to muse about the class, watch the ducks (or even better, ducklings) float by on the river, examine the absolutely hot women all around me (an Iowa City specialty), or just veg out. I rarely, if ever wanted to call a buddy and say “What’s up? I just got out of class and I’m walking to my next class. I hope that news didn’t make you shit yourself with excitement!” To make things worse, these kids (there it is, I’m now officially old) will be so into their vapid exchanges that they will readily walk into the path of 2 tons of moving steel, then when I resist the temptation to pop the offender up on my hood for a quick exchange with my windshield and instead slam on my breaks, I get sneered at. Or lets take the dweeb who is so into his text message (WTF is the point of texting? Ain’t that a waste of technology?) that he walks at 0.5mph through a crosswalk as a bus full of passengers waits to make a right turn. I’m amazed no one has died, but the “conversations” must go on.

Another cell phone dipshit is the person having a personal conversation in the aisle of a drug store that seems offended when you walk into the that aisle to buy an unmentionable that they were Bogarting in the first place. And lastly, I mention the old people in airports talking at 110 decibels about their hemorrhoid surgery for all to hear.

Okay, that is enough of that. Coming up soon, the year in review (ooohhhh!!!!).

A Proud Kodak Moment...

2008-11-18T07:17:00.000-08:00

Yeah, this looks like it could've been taken near my home town. In my home town, guns are probably flying off the shelf because the local yahoos are convinced Obama will take their guns away. Yup, I come from the land of single-issue voters known as Missouri! (or, actually, Missoura)

Strangely, they were not concerned at all when Bush and Cheney were racking up secret signing statements that should make us all nervous. Under the "right" conditions, I have little doubt that Cheney... err, I mean Bush would have turned the military (or probably, mercenaries from Blackwater) on his own people, and as more of this stuff is revealed, we will learn that he gave himself the power to do it (and many other kingly things). So, keep stockpiling those deer rifles so you can "protect" yourself against mercenaries with body armor and shoulder-launched grenades... sure they cost money, but who needs to put away money in the kids' college funds anyway when there's protectin' to do...

Who's the dealer?

2008-11-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Election Day!!!!

2008-11-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

I could go on, but... WOW!!

GO VOTE!

2008-11-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

And don't take anything for granted...

Album Photo Locales

2008-10-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Check out the site for this project to map famous album covers... especially if you are saturated (like BEEz) with the pre-election stuff... I could spend a whole day just sorting through the London area.

2008-10-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin... Dick

2008-10-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Boy, that title ought to freak out the search engines... Check out the Dickopedia's entry for Sarah Palin...

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1694723,00.html
Also, check out this Newsweek article by Sam Harris about Palin, elitism, and why we shouldn't have hyper-religious people near the presidency. Here is one of my favorite parts of the article in which Harris reimagines Charlie Gibson's interview with Palin to make the point about "elitism": (no, its not the cheez wiz Star Search winner that used to wow idiots with his over the top version of Over the Rainbow
"Governor Palin, are you ready at this moment to perform surgery on this child's brain?"

"Of course, Charlie. I have several boys of my own, and I'm an avid hunter."

"But governor, this is neurosurgery, and you have no training as a surgeon of any kind."
"That's just the point, Charlie. The American people want change in how we make medical decisions in this country. And when faced with a challenge, you cannot blink."
The prospects of a Palin administration are far more frightening, in fact, than those of a Palin Institute for Pediatric Neurosurgery. Ask yourself: how has "elitism" become a bad word in American politics? There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn't seem too intelligent or well educated.
I have my issues with Sam Harris... certainly not because he is an atheist or a provocateur, but because his approach to atheism, in my view, borders on religion. That said, I agree with him way more than I disagree with him, so more power to him.

Check out the Truth-o-meter

2008-10-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Trying to sort out fact from fiction in these wacky political times? This site seems to take a pretty balanced approach to evaluating the sound bites.

Watch the Real McCain

2008-09-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

But I hate to see T. Boone asshole Pickens getting any airtime, considering he spent millions of his own bucks swiftboating Johh Kerry... and reneged on a million dollar offer to anyone who could disprove the swiftboaters' bullshit claims. Now he is suddenly viewed as a wise old environmentalist, but I seriously doubt it...

Are you registered to vote?

2008-09-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Don't be so sure... the republicans are using all kinds of dirty tricks to throw voters like you off the voting rolls across the nation. Go to this site to find out if you really are still a registered voter... and if you know you are not registered, pull your head out of your ass and start voting...

Stealing 3 in a row?

2008-09-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

The hijinks are starting again... McCain is sending out funky absentee ballots in an attempt to confuse and/or disqualify Democratic voters... meanwhile, the press is still trying to parse a well-heeled expression about porcine cosmetics...

Calm Down Folks...

2008-09-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yup, everyone I know who is rightfully fearful of a McCain presidency is freaking out over the surprising jolt his campaign got from choosing "hacky mam" Palin. My feeling is that once this initial enthusiasm wears down, and the yahoo Hillary Clinton supporters finally think about how scary this chick really is, this too will pass. Here is a great op-ed by the NYT columnist Gail Collins that largely echoes my feelings on the matter... give it a read (it's not too long)... and calm down (but don't get too comfortable...)

Photo is photoshopped... but my heart still flutters like a machine gun

2008-09-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

BEEz in love???

2008-09-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Democracy in the Heartland of America!

2008-09-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Do listen to this excerpt from the interview that Thom Hartmann did with Amy Goodman and her crew, who were arrested outside the republican convention, despite having press passes. Also, their floor passes to the convention were confiscated without reciepts (a requirement when the police take things from citizens). If you can find the whole interview, it is definitely worth a listen... Then watch films of the arrests.

If only we could make the rest of the world this safe for democracy.

Of course, don’t think this is just a thing that only happens at republican conventions...

Update: link removed (I guess)

2008-09-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Apparently, the "getting even better" link from the last entry was taken down by the Daily Kos. I'd be curious why, though it was pretty farfetched (though my blog hopes it ends up true). Here is a page of other Daily Kos links about the situation you can check out, though and you can read about Palin's rebuttal here. Here is one blog complaining about folks assuming the daughter's pooch was necessarily a baby (that blog looks fun for a general peak as well). As for me, I'm merely trying to stir things up...

I have no problem with a rounded tummy, or even female chubbiness in general (no starving models for BEEz, pleez). Though I'm always a little surprised to see girls/women with said pooch wearing tight tops, and it seems to be totally en vogue these days for pregant chicks to stretch the tightest of dresses and tops over their bellies. No complaints here... perhaps it is a fashion faux pas to many, but as a healthy (i.e. creepy) male type, the more revealing the better... Regardless, I still always find it odd when the abstinence only crowd sports flirty clothing (and even when they are unmarried and pregnant). I guess it gets back to the "hypocrite" theme that runs through my rants about the republicans. I've ran into more than one borderline nympho over the years that claimed to be republican, family-values Christian... and it always confused me (especially when they were usually earning their reputation with my roommate instead of me... sniffle). Maybe Sarah Palin was that way in college, or perhaps she just has (probably "had" would be more accurate) a sense of humor.

Republican Family Values101: Can you see a baby bump?

2008-09-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Yup, if it's not one of the many hypocritical republican politicians parading their 2nd, 3rd, or 5th trophy wife around while pontificating about saving the institution of marriage from the marauding gay people (or the closeted gay republicans doing the same thing), it is the new veep candidate's 17 year old daughter sporting a baby bump...and is the story getting even better? It will be interesting to see how they spin this. Will they make her 17 year old pregnant daughter out to be a hero for not having an abortion? Will their be a celebrity wedding? Will the fans of Britney Spears and her precocious sister jump over to McCain's side. Perhaps millions of teen girls will be inspired to make one of their own!!!

Can you imagine if Barack Obama had a pregnant 17 year old daughter? Racial stereotypes would fly and he would be branded (sorry) a bad father... and they would be relentless about it and it would probably cost him the election. But, ya know, these are good ol' gun-lovin', abortion hatin', WHITE pioneers of the West, so she gets a pass (we'll see). I know Obama will do the proper thing and tell everyone to back off, but I hope his surrogates ply this for all it is worth. Would I want that to happen in a decent world? No. But considering the nasty, unfair crap that Rove's proteges will certainly fling at Obama, and considering what utter hypocrites those vicious bastards definitely are, this one is too good to pass up.

Go Steamy!

2008-08-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m hoping that Hillary Clinton’s speech last night and silver-tounged Bill's rousing speech tonight convinced the holdout democrats claiming they will vote McCain over Obama to change their minds. If not, I offer this considered statement to kindly reach out to these folks:

SUCK IT THE FUCK UP!

Democrats (or anti-republican, in my case) that would vote for Grampa Munster (I mean McCain, though that is unfair to the really cool guy who actually played said grandpa) over Obama because they are mad about Hillary Clinton losing are certifiably OUT OF THEIR FUCKING MINDS!!! Is that clear enough? First off, let’s take on the Hillary-maniacs' horseshit arguments. I keep hearing that Obama somehow wronged Hillary Clinton during the primaries. Just how so? In fact, I think the opposite was the case. The Clintons started race baiting in ways that even caught me off guard. I know I shouldn't have been surprised that they would pull out all of the stops, but I thought they would draw the line at that. When I look back, I don’t recall the “nasty” things that Obama did, rather, I recall the Clintons repeatedly pulling shit that both pissed me off and lowered the Clintons' stock in my eyes. For their supporters to now be holding out like a bunch of crybabies sickens me, especially when some of them are spreading the “Obama is a Muslim” rumors. Do these yahoos not care about the impact there will be on the supreme court if McCain wins?

I mean, seriously, the democrats could run a steamy turd for president and I would gladly vote for it over McCain or any other Bush II republican... Not to say, in any way, that Obama is not a good candidate. In fact, despite his rush toward the middle with all of the "faith-based" crapola, I'm very comfortable with him being president, and I have a great feeling about how far his election will go in repairing all of the broken bridges around the world that our current President and his crew of thugs have brazenly smashed. That said, if instead of an inspirational and downright impressive candidate like Obama, the democrats had instead nominated "Steamy Turd" as their candidate, here are the bumper stickers I would have gladly put on my car:

Creepy Profs Offs Self...

2008-08-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well, this story is over, though I hope the gritty details come out... Man, there is no way I'd drop myself over this, but then again, getting caught in the lie can bruise an ego beyond repair. Once again, I reiterate my doubts about the man's mental competency...First off, (as explained in the prior posts) he did something that any sane dude should know will surely get you caught. Then, a guy who is 66 years old and makes over 100K a year (most likely leading to a bundle in retirement) does not just take the slap on the wrist (going to jail for "bribery" seems a stretch) and retire and head to the Bahamas... not sane.

Rumor is that the dude was creepy... Here is another article on that... I'll get back to politics soon enough...

In case you are following...

2008-08-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

...this bizzare case from afar, here is the latest. I'm not sure if this development bolsters or contradicts my early senility theory... it seems to undermine the notion of false allegations, but not totally. The rumor is that there is an email trail, which is only a rumor, but that makes me think even more that this dude's grasp on reality had slipped away. Regardless of his guilt or innocence, I hope he didn't kill himself. Granted, if guilty, public shame is warranted, but at 66, he could've just retired and went away from academia. Plus, it would be much more fascinating (as a "news" consumer) if he staged this whole suicide thing and was somewhere in Central America... Wow, between all of the sexual assaults, alleged football player rapists, and not too long ago, a family murder suicide by an embezzling banker, our little berg's reputation has taken quite a hit. Oh well, I need to get back to national politics, but I'm really tired of it all right now. Don't worry though, now that McCain has hired the same thugs that fucked him over in the 2000 primary, I'm sure I'll be very mad soon enough...

We made The Onion!

2008-08-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard about the Iowa scandal involving a professor who is accused of exchanging good grades for boob flashes and grabs, you can catch up on it here.

I sure hope the guy is guilty, because everyone has pretty much assumed that he is. Am I shocked to hear about sexual impropieties between a prof and students? No. That said, would I be shocked if a student or group of students leveled a false accusation rather than take a final they knew they wouldn't pass? No, particularly considering the its-cool-to-be-a-'ho attitude that pervades so many of the "reality" shows on the teen-oriented TV channels. I'm constantly amazed how easy it has become to get a girl to lift her shirt for a TV camera... not that I'm shielding my eyes. Of course, as an emerging old fart, I'm continually amazed how readily an 18 year old is willing to commit to multiple tattoos...

All things point to this guy being a creep, and if that ends up being true, then have at him, but the notion of innocent until proven guilty is long gone. I've noticed lots of comments (in the chat areas below news articles) implying that this has probably been going on for years and he just now got caught. Maybe that's true, but the math doesn't add up for me. Just how many times could a prof ask girls to flash him without being reported, and reported repeatedly? I was a TA once, and the odds (even back then as a young, strapping dude) that I could have correctly picked the 1 out of 100 girls (hopefully, the odds are slimmer than that) willing to swap sexual favors for grades are woefully bad, and, the consequences of getting caught up in such a scandal make it an even more unlikely scenario for a sane person to try even once, let alone, repeatedly (and only now get caught). This isn't a case of a prof developing a relationship with a student, which I now is common. Rather, this as a seed, overt act that I think would send most young women straight to their parents and then straight to the ombudsperson's (easy for me to say) office.

That brings me to another theory... if it is true that this prof is the creep he is accused of being, perhaps his mental faculties (no pun intended) are not up to snuff. I'm sure many a prof have fantasized about a nubile coed offering herself up for a grade, but societal shame, some personal morals, and perhaps most of all, a fear of getting caught, have all conspired to keep them on the up and up over the years. Then, early dimentia sets in (the guy is 66) and smart decisions give way to a distorted notion that it could all work. Maybe he gets "lucky" a few times and that reinforces a distorted view of reality. I can't imagine, in today's litigious climate, that the process could possibly go on for long. Either way, I want to know more about the case before I make a judgement.

I realize that guilt or innocence in a court does not always reflect actual guilt or innocence, but then again, guilt by accusation has an even spottier history. Consider all of the men that have been exonerated based on DNA evidence (and not surprisingly, the accuser is almost always white and the the accused is black). Consider the case of silent film star Fatty Arbuckle. The list goes on. And so does the list of rape and harrassment victims that will never see justice. Regardless, truth should remain be a desired outcome.

Oh well... at least we made The Onion!

Oh My God!

2008-08-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

After my friend Rob alerted me to the Edward G. Robinsonesque jowls that have developed on the once hot Kathleen Turner, I went looking for a photo and found this cruel, yet fun, site (be sure to page back and forward) called Hit da Wall. This photo took the cake, but there are many more contenders... (have you seen Mickey Rourke lately??)

____________________________

2008-08-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Munster is a hypocritical sack of....

Don't get me wrong, I have no (or at least few) illusions that Obama is the second coming (not that I believe in that biblical horseshit) or that he is not already bought by the corporations, but how can anybody want McCain to be the president over Obama? After 8 years of embarrassment at the international table, we can finally have a guy sit down that is charismatic and intellectually impressive and yet the polls are still somewhat close? I'm mean, come on... I have many a beef with Clinton(s) but I never...EVER... doubted the guy's ability as a politician. McCain is no idiot (like Bush most likely is??), but he has no power to impress other world leaders, nor does he excite much of anyone in his own country. Plus, no matter how much Obama will tack toward the right (which, I hate to say, is necessary in this single-issue voting freakin' country) he will be a smarter choice than McCain for anyone having progressive (see "liberal") leanings. I have a smart friend considering voting for Nader, and he lives in a swing state. All I have to say is... think about those who, when Bush and Gore tacked to the middle, said "Gee, they are pretty much the same guy, so I'll vote for Nader..." Well, would we have been in Iraq if 911 happened on Gore's watch? I'm comfortable saying NO! If you are in a swing state, carefully consider that vote against the two party system, as you may well enjoy a stacked supreme court and way more faith-based shit than Barack ever (schemingly) pandered to...

Hello Hello Hello...

2008-07-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Tyson Homosexual Easily Qualifies

2008-07-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yup, Tyson Homosexual not only qualified, but Homosexual ran the fastest time ever recorded... Exciting sports news from the AP made even more fascinating when it is filtered through the American Family Association’s OneNewsNow autoreplace function. Yes, Tyson Gay instantly become Tyson Homosexual.

Talk about saving the world. I hear these yahoos also replace the word "democratic" with "democrat." Pretty clever!! Every time I hear an asshole republican refer to the "democrat party," I want to kick in his teeth (at least then he'd have an excuse for screwing up a name)... Check out this google search for a little more history of their fine filtering of stories about Mr. Gay.

These guys also have a history of blocking/redirecting net traffic they don't like. Good thing they are looking out for my evil ass!

Smoked Tuna in the Can...

2008-06-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

This article (if you have any trouble getting to page 2, go on to page 3 and you won’t miss anything…), referred to me by Rich, is a pretty entertaining read and it exemplifies how the war on drugs helped shift drug smuggling from pot to cocaine, which lead the formation of the violent drug cartels of the 80s and 90s… way to go drug warriors!

I’ve been off the blog lately. I did make it through the floods relatively unscathed, though many things I like got hit hard. A simple search of the web and you can as many photos as you want, but in case you haven’t kept up with it, here are some youtube videos that show what a mess it all was/is…http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2008-06-19/news/smoked-tuna-in-the-can/1 (if you have any trouble getting to page 2, go on to page 3 and you won’t miss anything…)

Moles wanted!

2008-05-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yup, read this article about recruiting moles for the upcoming Republican Convention... you know, to infiltrate vegan potlucks and such...

xxx

Mole, mole, mole, mole, mole, mole, mole, mole, moley, moley, moley, moley, moley, moley...

xxx

I'm no fan of Chris Matthews, but...

2008-05-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

he really did take this ditto head moron to task... if only the "liberal media" called these loudmouths out on their horseshit talking points more often...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I hate hyphenated names...except these

2008-05-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

Yup, I saw a kid in the paper with the last name "Lipscomb-Hagarovich" and wondered to myself "His parents must be dipshits." (Apologies to any Ho Hummers with these silly concoctions...HAH! just kidding, no apologies here). That said, I think all of these couples should go for it with my blessing, including these wonderful pairs:
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Born again abusers!

2008-04-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

Yup, I have to agree with nobel lareaute chemist Harold Groto that teaching bullshit pseudoscience like creationism and intelligent design side by side with real science is a form of child abuse. Read all about it here... Plus we all know that the real facts are always being manipulated by his noodly appendage, so why settle for the Christian crap?
xxxx
xxxxxx

xxxxx

Cosmic Book Review...

2008-04-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, someone actually wrote a book claiming that the Bush presidency saved the economy. Here is an insightful review (thanks to Kirby) that ended up on Amazon:

138 of 153 people found the following review helpful:
Through the Looking Glass, October 24, 2003
By Alice

Finally! A book that proves the existence of an alternate universe.
Obviously, a rip in the space/time continuum between this universe and the other
universe where Bush is presiding over a 'boom economy opened up and this book
fell through. Can there be ANY other explanation?

Go Dick Go!

2008-04-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... is that a naked chick reflected in Dick's sunglasses? Or is it an alien? (I somehow believe the latter more...and it would explain a lot)

The Ultimate Peepshow

2008-03-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter (if you do that sort of thing...)

Stop the virus

2008-03-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has started. The great Republican/corporate smear machine is planting the seeds of doubt now that they are pretty sure they will be in battle with Barak Obama. And since they have nothing to offer as a positive force for betterment, where do they go? Of course, where scoundrels of this nature always seek refuge, patriotism. Not wearing a flag pin on his lapel? How weak, yet sadly, it will work on many... let's hope not too many. You can see many more youtube films of a related nature here

Someone please explain today's spam

2008-03-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

>>interrupted him; not even the mother, grown old in the past month, had
>>honestly, Dick. In all I have said so far, there has been no innuendo;
>>Morrissy, who suddenly saw visions of bars and stripes, made a quick,
>heads reverently upon the rail in prayer. Presently the music ceased,
>had some slight business transactions with Mr. McQuade, and he came up
>entered into their lives that gave to all trivial things a ponderous
Donnelly spoke in the German district, Warrington spoke to the
approached Ben, who had waited for him. No one was within earshot.
about his character, his honor, his worth? Nobody. To hold one's

xxx

That was the first spam email I received at work today... and I've received stranger ones. So, could someone shine light on the business model here??? Hmmm... though I've already passed on hundreds of opportunities to buy elicit boner pills, this quirky narrative has convinced me that boxsuit.com is the one for me. Is that what they're thinking?? The next message had the subject line its one of a few signs and this was the only thing in the body of the email... no pix, no links, just:

xxx

Edwinalevitraprofessionalprescription

xxx

Is this string of words so mysterious that I can't help from tracking down its meaning, then, in celebration, ordering a box of veterinary-grade Propecia? Well, since it was sent to me from Klaus Bathurst, I guess it is...

xxx

My favorite spams are the ones with subject lines that taunt me, like You know HAve a big' n butcan or cant pLeas ure her wIth slinkydnky. Now, you tell me, is that any way to start a business relationship? Is this how car salesman get dudes to buy sports cars... Gee, Mr. Smallone, if you buy this tiny car with a spoiler on the back, who knows what might happen to that problem you've been having with woodwork lately (do weigh in Troy).

xxx

Plus, who says I can't provide pleasure with my slinkydnky? If only it were a big'n...

us media = a big steamy pile of SHlT!

2008-02-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

Are we ever going to have the pleasure of seeing this happen... probably not. That title heading is lifted right off the message board following a troubling story over at thinkprogress.org. If you didn't watch 60 Minutes this weekend, there was a scary story about how Rove conspired with politically-motivated federal prosecutors to ruin the political career of a popular Democratic governer. You should watch the video and read about how a local CBS Alabama affiliate appears to have intentionally blacked out the story. Please check it out here, and if you want a bit larger version of the video segment, here is the 60 Minutes link. In fact the whole episode was worth watching, so I guess at least some of our media ain't shit...

Hial ROVE!

That good ol' cowboy... sniff, sniff

2008-01-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

Anyone else noticing the fuzzy good feelings everyone seems to be having about Ronald Reagan? I guess this comes from a fuzzy memory. Even Barack Obama joined the love fest, but he should know better than to pander to swing voters this way. Here is a great article summing up why.

Future Ho Hum post?

2008-01-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

Your dirty mouth...

2008-01-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

I'm sort of working on a new post or two, but in the mean time, here is a message from Orbit:

The Iowa Caucuses and… Will the rest of the country have a crush on Barack?

2008-01-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I have a crush on the babe that has a crush on Barack...

I know that all the political spotlights in the U.S. (and many abroad) are shining on New Hampshire right now, but I thought I would take a moment to revive Ho Hum and to reflect on my night in the spotlight. As an Iowan, I (we) were the center of attention for many a month. People I know from other states were constantly harrumphing about how stupid it is that a lame-ass state like Iowa gets its ass so thoroughly kissed by the candidates and the media, but they also don’t know what it’s like to get 10 phone calls and 30 pieces of mail a day for a couple of months. Granted, I did get an opportunity to see all the candidates, but only ended up seeing two of them (Edwards and Obama) in person, but if I had wanted to, or had time to, I could have went to the public library on many a day and chatted with Biden, Dodd, Richardson, or Kucinich. I also went to an Edwards rally that was opened by Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne. I’ve never been a big fan of either, but seeing them for free in a high school auditorium rocked (especially when Iris DeMent and local/national folks Greg Brown (now DeMent’s husband), Bo Ramsey, and Pieta Brown all joined them on stage for some 6 part harmony). That said, I got polled aplenty, and we all know how painful that can be.

I’ve heard some strong arguments against Iowa and New Hampshire always being first, and the best of those is the lack of diversity in both states, but then again, Obama kicked ass in Iowa, and probably is going to tonight in New Hampshire. One suggestion is rotating this position to other states, but I’m only for this if those states are not highly populated. Sound illogical to have the small states setting the tone for the rest of the country? Consider this, if all states had primaries/caucuses on the same day, no politician would bother with any state other than the big 15 in population. Also, instead of haunting libraries and having town hall meetings in which real conversation occurs, they would focus on sound bites and, due to the logistics of a larger state, campaign mainly from a distance through TV ads and automated phone calls (not that we didn’t get plenty of both). In short, while it sounds stupid to start framing the process in small, insignificant states, I think it ends up bettering the process.

As for caucusing (heh heh), it is an interesting process. The rest of the country mocks it, but I like it (overall). When I explained the process to my brother, he chimed in with a “that’s fucking stupid,” (being a man of literature and all). But I've done it twice and always end up having interesting conversations with people I didn't previously know. Somehow, an active, face-to-face process, with negotiation, seems more legit than the faceless voting (at least at this step). I went for Edwards, but was considering Obama. In our precinct, 765 people showed up (I'm sure a record) and more than half went for Obama. I felt pretty good about that. Of the remaining, Edwards got about 30 more than Hillary. None of the other candidates were viable (to see an in depth breakdown of the caucusing process, go here… once you’ve done it, it no longer seems so idiotic or strange). The thing I felt best about was that she was third (more about that later). That said, I'd vote for her in a heartbeat over any of those creepy republican candidates (what a bunch of thugs and/or bible thumpers...fancy that), which brings me to my current candidate analysis and why I voted for Edwards.

Of the viable candidates, two stood out to me, Edwards and Obama. I caucused for Edwards last time, and after hearing his fiery anti-corporate speeches this time, I related best to his rhetoric. Although I hate poles (no, not polish people, unless one is an asshole), all poles showed that Edwards would win handily against any of the republican candidates. I like Obama (how could I not?), but I was (am) nervous about the race angle and the name angle. I’m not nervous about democrats jumping ship over secret racism, I’m worried about swing voters (largely, idiots). Will swing voters, in the privacy of a voting booth, end up voting for a black man? I hope so, but back in my home town, I’m not so sure. Also, Barack Hussein Obama. I know it shouldn’t matter, but if his name was Jim Smith instead of Barack Obama, he would probably be on cruise control into the presidency. But having the middle name Hussein is really untimely.

Once again, it should not matter, but the republicans are all over it. There is already viral email claiming that he is part of a secret Muslim conspiracy to take over the U.S., and they cite as “evidence” the “fact” that when sworn into the senate he refused to swear on the bible and instead insisted on using the Quran. Of course, this isn’t true, in fact, it is (intentionally, I’m sure) confounded with another false story about our first openly Muslim (has their been any closet Muslims in office before?) congressman, Keith Ellison. Glen Beck (major terdsicle—or is that turdsicle? do weigh in—and complete blathering idiot) tried to make a big deal about Ellison being sworn in on the Quran instead of the bible (big fucking deal if he had), but actually, no members of congress are sworn in on the bible (thankfully). Though easily discounted as B.S., these confusions have worked for the republicans in the past, and the will again. I’m sure that many a swing voter’s head will swirl with all of the misinformation and plenty of acquired and inherent racism on voting day. When you go to an Obama rally, though, it is like going to a rock concert. The guy has charisma and charm by the bucketfuls, and that may (should) be enough to overcome the above issues. Obama seems to have dipped into the corporate well (including the pharmaceutical money), but I do think having a black president, with a multicultural, worldly background would be a huge step for this country. Also, while his name may be a liability (for getting elected) here, but in the rest of the world, it would be a real ice breaker.

Let me get back on track… why did I go for Edwards? Okay, there was the “he has the best chance of winning” thing, the liking of his anti-corporate rants, and my fears about Obama’s electability. Also, I thought Edwards populist message was being couched by the corporate media as “too angry.” Fuck that, he can’t be angry enough to appeal to me. Granted, I like Obama’s talk about working together and such, but I’m very pissed off about what’s been done to this country over the last 7 years by these evil thugs and I want action… I must say, though, it felt good when I saw chalky-white Iowa stand up strong for Obama and was not the least bit sad that my guy lost.

So who have I left out??? Oh, Hillary. I hate what the republican machine did to her during the Clinton presidency. They have fomented a level of hatred towards her that no one (except the operators of this machine) deserves. It continues today. I think the republicans really want her to win the nomination because they know they can beat her. It is hard to believe that any of the lame republican candidates could beat a democrat, but then again, look who’s in the Whitehouse. Before Obama’s surprising strong finish in Iowa, the media had pretty much appointed her the candidate. I think this is because she is the most knees-deep (neck-deep) in the corporate well and because they know they can beat her. They have created a scenario where, while a savvy and powerful figure, people have been taught to dislike her. Does she have the charisma of Obama, or even Edwards? No. But she is more appealing than given credit for, and she is a very capable person. But, there is a baseline dislike for her and that would allow Skeletor (Giuliani), or (gosh forbid) a square-jawed, fascist Mormon can gain traction and win the presidency. I’ll stop now and get back later (to those few of the Ho Hummers out there that stand more of it) after the New Hampshire result. My prediction? The beginning of the end of Hillary, and hello Barack.

CLEVELAND, ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?

2007-11-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that wookie was hell on the skins... The blog has fallen off the radar lately, but I had to meet the once-a-month criteria. I noticed that a lot of the spam I've been receiving at work lately employs some sort of random word generator in the subject line. I found some of it somewhat poetic, so I started collecting them. I guess it also beats the typical subject line, which is some sort of insult to my penis like "Sad little thing_ do sOmeTHing" or "HEy tEEny onE, gEt Rx"... what a way to start a business relationship... and how did I get on that mailing list anyway? Well here they are, and to add to the effect, read with that silly poetry voice that everyone gets when they have to read their poetry in class... and that some jerkoffs maintain well into grad school. You know the one, slow and soft, quivering a bit...

Ice-cream Gas Bible Sex Map
Microscope Satellite Gas Bed Chisel
Data Base Fire Crystal School Space Shuttle
Aeroplane Software Balloon Cave Apple
Sphere Mosquito Water Army Mist
Wheelchair Train Train Army Snail
Restaurant Videotape Chess Board Compact Disc Bee
Worm Saddle Navy Chocolates Chair
Rifle Swimming Pool Skeleton Leather jacket Girl
Airport Surveyor Button Tennis racquet Bowl
Onion Bee Record Army Insect
Bomb Television Comet Rocket Hieroglyph
Maze Swimming Pool Monster Junk Circus
Air Radar Bed Family Grapes
Bomb Television Comet Rocket Hieroglyph
Rock Garden Train Chisel Meat
Bomb Bed Brain Circus Signature
Restaurant Dung Backpack Spiral Car-race
Compact Disc Water Airforce Floodlight Bible
Bed Banana Boss Spiral Ring Data Base Vampire
Chocolates Sunglasses Monster Foot Drum Typewriter Navy
Flower Post-office Foot Drum Child
Room School Vulture Junk Chess Board

Please let me know your favorites. Also, if your trying to name your band, look no further. Just pick 2 or 3 words from any line and your in business. In fact, I'm practicing with Vulture Junk tonight (unless we settle on Dung Spiral Car-race).

And now, a public service announcement:

Looking for a new political party?

2007-10-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

Tired of the evil, lying Republicans?

Sick of the spineless, corporatist Democrats?

Try The Elder Party!

Bird Can Move!

2007-10-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I hardly ever post, and when I do, it is usually dry political clips from youtube. So, I give you a dancing bird...

More on this big f$ckin' (disaster) lie

2007-10-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, while I'm on an Iraq roll, here is a pretty powerful montage...

The saddest part is that I think it was all done to fill the pockets of the folks in charge, and even more so, the people who own them...
so much for the American experiment?

2007-10-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

Just in case you thought that was a selected snippet of the Cheney clip in the last post, here is another, even earlier (1992) speaking engagement that shows that he had it well rehearsed this answer (so it was not off the cuff):

And here is a clip that includes the aforementioned clip from the last post that also shows how he behaved after he was called out by the press (although lightly by the mainstream press):

I know this is dry stuff (CHENEY), but, shit, how can anyone buy these assholes' crap at this point? I'm losing faith in my countrymen...

The penguin speaks...

2007-09-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is a speech given in 1994 when Cheney was the Secretary of Defense explaining why they didn't go after Saddam Hussein... Every dipshit who still supports starting this war should be placed in the A Clockwork Orange contraption and forced to watch this video repeatedly for days on end...

Food Review

2007-09-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this food review... I can't imagine this product not being good... and who knew that prepared cups of salmon could be caught in the wild? Other products with the same rating are here... yum

Armageddon begins?

2007-08-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Go read this compelling piece making the case that we are on the verge of a massive attack on Iran. I'd like to think that noone would be stupid enough to do this, but then again, look at our leaders. Plus, they'll all get rich and stick us with the bloody bill...

God help us all:

Heil Kitler!

2007-08-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

No time for a real post, so check out these historic kitties...

More on Academic Freedom...Schmreedom

2007-08-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

One of the most annoying things in contemporary politics is the ease with which criticism of Israeli policies can be confounded with antisemitism. If you are a reasonable person who doesn't buy into any of the global jewish conspiracy crap, but vocally disagree with actions taken by the Israeli government, some asshole like Alan Dershowitz can wave a magic wand and you are now a hater of Jews. Boy, that's the way to foster debate... Well, in a follow up to my last post, here is another case that appears to smack of this shit. It looks to me like Mr. Finkelstein (yes, now even Jews who criticize Israel are called antisemitic) was canned for his political beliefs...

Well, here it is, my chance to be labeled something I'm not. I think Isreal does plenty of fucked up shit (most of which is done with the help of the good ol' US of A), and no one in the US is safe from censure if they openly question it. Most of all, professors, who are our paid thinkers, cannot safely consider both sides of any debate about Isreal without fear of losing their jobs. What a free country we live in...
Sad thing is, I used to admire Dershowitz. I used to enjoy him coming on political shows and slicing and dicing up dipshits like Ann Coulter (who I saw refer to Alexander Hamilton as a President during one of their exchanges... she's a man baby). I even enjoyed another asshole, Ron Silver, playing Dershowitz in a great movie called Reversal of Fortune. Now, though, he only sees things the way the backwards-thinking AIPAC sees them... no debate allowed....

"The World Must Learn That What We Say Goes..." or Academic Freedom?

2007-07-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

You may have read about the firing of University of Colorado Prof Ward Churchill? Well, it is all because of this essay. They say it is about other stuff, but I've followed this story for awhile, and I suspect that had he never wrote this essay, he would be continuing to build his retirement nest egg and pissing off rich kids in gen ed classes. Once again, do read the essay (here or here , or if you really want to get audited, buy his book here).

So, since when is it strange for an academic to point out the wars and disparity that result from globalism and capitalism? Whether you agree with the "radical leftist" views from many profs or not, this sort of firing should creep you out. The deck is already pretty stacked against any of these lefty messages even taking serious root, so why is it so scary to the establishment? I thought part of college was to expand your views, and most of us have had those few radical and/or screwball and/or brilliant profs that espouse stuff that blows away your reality. That is a vital part of getting something out of college. I read the essay, and I guess I've been enured to lefty stuff (and agree with plenty of it), because it didn't seem that shocking to me. The basic premise? If you go out and try to tell everyone what to do, and while doing so, you enact policies that hurt and kill many people, people will end up resenting and hating you... Churchill quotes Bush the Elder when he says "The world must learn that what we say goes..." which was also in the title of a Chomsky book and this essay. Remember, no one likes a bully, especially one that pitches like a girly girl...

The Great Golden Digger

2007-07-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, a break from the politics... When my good friends Steve and Kerry were visiting, we were all intrigued by this totally groovey (groovy?) bug that was occupying a small hole dug in the dirt beneath the overhang of the Ho Hum House. I was battling a carpenter ant issue (they were nesting in the logs propping up a flower bed) and wondered if the expensive evil poison I left for them had sent the queen flying... yes, this bug was that wierd and big, and since I've never seen a pissed off ant queen, I thought it might be her (and readily available for a easy demise). So, I went on line and with the help of my guests, we determined that this "bug"ger was most likely a Cicada Killer Wasp (YEAH!!!), but I dare say, my wasp is much more handsome than most of the pics of CKWs I found on line (but perhaps I'm a bit biased). This wasp is not only pertty, but it has a very cool movement, reminding me of some of the little stick insect creatures from Pan's Labyrinth. The color scheme for the CKW was just not right, though, and with some further searching, I determined it was a Great Golden Digger Wasp. Yes, no doubt now. And I even confirmed that they are in Iowa.

Here are some sights with pics of the GDW... click here and here and, after looking at my pics below, tell me if you agree... in fact, we saw this wasp with a green bug just like this scene, and the wasp dragged it into it's cave (no doubt to fill it full of eggs... yum!). And if you haven't had enough, go see my entry at dave's garden.

Here are some pics I took. Pardon the fuzziness, because I'm nervous around wasps, and the overhang of the house kills light... I'd estimate the size to be between an inch and an inch and a half from noggin to ass (pardon the technical jargon).

The GOOD, the fat, and the ugly

2007-07-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Howdy to the teeming millions of ho hummers out there... my laziness with the with the blog is only abated by the many ringlets that comprise my sporty bouffant. What did get me going, though, was hearing a clip from Wolf Blitzer (who, by the way, was a lobbyist for the evil AIPAC... conflict of interest? Hmmm...) being effectively and totally called out by Michael Moore for being part of the worthless and/or complicit corporate media. (do hit that "totally called out" link and watch it... witness a rare seem in the corporate stranglehold on our media being ripped out)

Have you noticed how Michael Moore is consistently marginalized by the media as a preface to any interview or anything said about him? Why? (Because he isn't the one lying...)

Look, I showed a pic of Michael Moore morphed with Fat Bastard... Do you see now? He's the evil one and Bush and the corporations are lookin' out for us...

Now for some real news, this gourd has a face on it... it is an Asian varietal (and quite tasty when my lady cooks it) so it must be Buddha...

This and that

2007-06-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

Congrats!

Bummer about your job...

Sorry about the break up...

My buddy and exblogger Matt hipped me to these funny ecards… definitely worth a look

I found this blog whilst looking for news on Scooter Libby’s sentencing… doubt he will serve time, but its fun to think about a guy going to jail who already has a prison nickname… some think Rove or Cheney is next... life is probably not that fair.

I found this accurate photo at this blog

2007-05-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Scary must-read interview

2007-05-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe I should say that he/she (yes, big brother is a tranny) is listening to you. Don't skip reading this one, as it is as creepy as it gets on this scale.

Here is some more big bro stuff, and that was found at this site, which is a site worthy of perusal...

2007-05-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Man, my wife leaves for a few days and THIS is what happens...

Only in Arkansas...

2007-04-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

I think this is real (stupid), and the man (yes, Connie) is a lawyer... Wow!

Bring home the troops now!

2007-04-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

Yo Ho Hummers, see the PSA below:

World Shocked That Wolfowitz Has Girlfriend

2007-04-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

‘Who Would Date Wolfowitz?’ Millions Ask

Amid the controversy swirling about World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz, millions of people today reacted with shock to what is universally considered the most improbable aspect of the story: that Paul Wolfowitz could have a girlfriend. Read the rest here...

2007-04-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Paul Krugman: Sweet Little Lies

2007-04-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, this picture has nothing to do with the editorial below, but I'm hoping that it got your interest... so, do read this...it's not so boring and right on the nose.

Paul Krugman explains the power of the "Little Lie" (NY Times 4/9/07):
(I would link to the NY Times, but the aholes are no longer free)

Four years into a war fought to eliminate a nonexistent threat, we all have renewed appreciation for the power of the Big Lie: people tend to believe false official claims about big issues, because they can’t picture their leaders being dishonest about such things.

But there’s another political lesson I don’t think has sunk in: the power of the Little Lie — the small accusation invented out of thin air, followed by another, and another, and another. Little Lies aren’t meant to have staying power. Instead, they create a sort of background hum, a sense that the person facing all these accusations must have done something wrong.

For a long time, basically from 9/11 until the last remnants of President Bush’s credibility drowned in New Orleans, the Bush administration was able to go big on its deceptions. Most people found it inconceivable that an American president would, for example, assert without evidence that Saddam and Al Qaeda were allies. Mr. Bush won the 2004 election because a quorum of voters still couldn’t believe he would grossly mislead them on matters of national security.

Before 9/11, however, the right-wing noise machine mainly relied on little lies. And now it has returned to its roots.

The Clinton years were a parade of fake scandals: Whitewater, Troopergate, Travelgate, Filegate, Christmas-card-gate. At the end, there were false claims that Clinton staff members trashed the White House on their way out.

Each pseudoscandal got headlines, air time and finger-wagging from the talking heads. The eventual discovery in each case that there was no there there, if reported at all, received far less attention. The effect was to make an administration that was, in fact, pretty honest and well run — especially compared with its successor — seem mired in scandal.

Even in the post-9/11 environment, little lies never went away. In particular, promoting little lies seems to have been one of the main things U.S. attorneys, as loyal Bushies, were expected to do. For example, David Iglesias, the U.S. Attorney in New Mexico, appears to have been fired because he wouldn’t bring unwarranted charges of voter fraud.

There’s a lot of talk now about a case in Wisconsin, where the Bush-appointed U.S. attorney prosecuted the state’s purchasing supervisor over charges that a court recently dismissed after just 26 minutes of oral testimony, with one judge calling the evidence “beyond thin.” But by then the accusations had done their job: the unjustly accused official had served almost four months in prison, and the case figured prominently in attack ads alleging corruption in the Democratic governor’s administration.

This is the context in which you need to see the wild swings Republicans have been taking at Nancy Pelosi.

First, there were claims that the speaker of the House had demanded a lavish plane for her trips back to California. One Republican leader denounced her “arrogance of extravagance” — then, when it became clear that the whole story was bogus, admitted that he had never had any evidence. Now there’s Ms. Pelosi’s fact-finding trip to Syria, which Dick Cheney denounced as “bad behavior” — unlike the visit to Syria by three Republican congressmen a few days earlier, or Newt Gingrich’s trip to China when he was speaker. Ms. Pelosi has responded coolly, dismissing the administration’s reaction as a “tantrum.” But it’s more than that: the hysterical reaction to her trip is part of a political strategy, aided and abetted by news organizations that give little lies their time in the sun.

Fox News, which is a partisan operation in all but name, plays a crucial role in the Little Lie strategy — which is why there is growing pressure on Democratic politicians not to do anything, like participating in Fox-hosted debates, that helps Fox impersonate a legitimate news organization.

But Fox has had plenty of help. Even Time’s Joe Klein, a media insider if anyone is, wrote of the Pelosi trip that “the media coverage of this on CNN and elsewhere has been abysmal.” For example, CNN ran a segment about Ms. Pelosi’s trip titled “Talking to Terrorists.”
The G.O.P.’s reversion to the Little Lie technique is a symptom of political weakness, of a party reduced to trivial smears because it has nothing else to offer. But the technique will remain effective — and the U.S. political scene will remain ugly — as long as many people in the news media keep playing along.

A sitcom so simple that even a cheesy network producer could develop it...

2007-03-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, in the whorish climate of network TV, the geniuses at ABC are developing a sitcom based on the GEICO cavemen... if you don't believe me, read this. Now, I have to admit to liking the caveman commercials (while hating all of the other GEICO commercials and most other commercials in general). While none of the successors have lived up to the "...mango salsa" classic, they are still funny and the actor is always brilliant. In fact, took enormous guilty pleasure snooping around the cavemen's apartment here (be sure to dress him). And, I will probably fall victim to at least one episode... though nothing can best the original modern caveman Cirroc... the late Phil Hartman's Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer. Enjoy this clip before the evil a-holes at SNL make them take it down...

Although this link will probably only work for awhile, this has to be one of the wierdest things I've ever seen on ebay... any thoughts?

2007-03-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Check out these "dirty" comics from the past...

Larry "Bud" Melman 1921-2007

2007-03-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

OH BLACKWATER...

2007-03-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Listen to this Fresh Aire interview about the rise of Bush's Praetorian Guard, Blackwater. This is really scary stuff. If you'd rather read, go here, but do check it out one way or another... their "helping out" after Katrina is especially creepy...

Onto impeachment...

If you have time, peruse the articles of impeachment against Nixon shown below that I borrowed from Eschaton... Gonzales can easily be impeached on these criteria... it'll be interesting to see how far this goes (we all know how far it should go)

The Nixon Articles of impeachment, which passed the House Judiciary Committee:
Article 1
RESOLVED, That Richard M. Nixon, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanours, and that the following articles of impeachment to be exhibited to the Senate:
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT EXHIBITED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE NAME OF ITSELF AND OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AGAINST RICHARD M. NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF ITS IMPEACHMENT AGAINST HIM FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANOURS.
ARTICLE 1
In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his consitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice, in that:
On June 17, 1972, and prior thereto, agents of the Committee for the Re-election of the President committed unlawful entry of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, District of Columbia, for the purpose of securing political intelligence. Subsequent thereto, Richard M. Nixon, using the powers of his high office, engaged personally and through his close subordinates and agents, in a course of conduct or plan designed to delay, impede, and obstruct the investigation of such illegal entry; to cover up, conceal and protect those responsible; and to conceal the existence and scope of other unlawful covert activities.
The means used to implement this course of conduct or plan included one or more of the following:
1. making false or misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States;
2. withholding relevant and material evidence or information from lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States;
3. approving, condoning, acquiescing in, and counselling witnesses with respect to the giving of false or misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States and false or misleading testimony in duly instituted judicial and congressional proceedings;
4. interfering or endeavouring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and Congressional Committees;
5. approving, condoning, and acquiescing in, the surreptitious payment of substantial sums of money for the purpose of obtaining the silence or influencing the testimony of witnesses, potential witnesses or individuals who participated in such unlawful entry and other illegal activities;
6. endeavouring to misuse the Central Intelligence Agency, an agency of the United States;
7. disseminating information received from officers of the Department of Justice of the United States to subjects of investigations conducted by lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States, for the purpose of aiding and assisting such subjects in their attempts to avoid criminal liability;
8. making or causing to be made false or misleading public statements for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United States into believing that a thorough and complete investigation had been conducted with respect to allegations of misconduct on the part of personnel of the executive branch of the United States and personnel of the Committee for the Re-election of the President, and that there was no involvement of such personnel in such misconduct: or
9. endeavouring to cause prospective defendants, and individuals duly tried and convicted, to expect favoured treatment and consideration in return for their silence or false testimony, or rewarding individuals for their silence or false testimony.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

Adopted 27-11 by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, at 7.07pm on Saturday, 27th July, 1974, in Room 2141 of the Rayburn Office Building, Washington D.C.
* Listen to the roll call of the Judiciary Committee on the First Article of Impeachment
* Listen to the Announcement of the Vote

Article 2
Using the powers of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens, impairing the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purposed of these agencies.
This conduct has included one or more of the following:
1. He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, endeavoured to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential information contained in income tax returns for purposed not authorized by law, and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investigations to be intitiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner.
2. He misused the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, and other executive personnel, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, by directing or authorizing such agencies or personnel to conduct or continue electronic surveillance or other investigations for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; he did direct, authorize, or permit the use of information obtained thereby for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; and he did direct the concealment of certain records made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of electronic surveillance.
3. He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, authorized and permitted to be maintained a secret investigative unit within the office of the President, financed in part with money derived from campaign contributions, which unlawfully utilized the resources of the Central Intelligence Agency, engaged in covert and unlawful activities, and attempted to prejudice the constitutional right of an accused to a fair trial.
4. He has failed to take care that the laws were faithfully executed by failing to act when he knew or had reason to know that his close subordinates endeavoured to impede and frustrate lawful inquiries by duly constituted executive, judicial and legislative entities concerning the unlawful entry into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, and the cover-up thereof, and concerning other unlawful activities including those relating to the confirmation of Richard Kleindienst as Attorney General of the United States, the electronic surveillance of private citizens, the break-in into the offices of Dr. Lewis Fielding, and the campaign financing practices of the Committee to Re-elect the President.
5. In disregard of the rule of law, he knowingly misused the executive power by interfering with agencies of the executive branch, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Division, and the Office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force, of the Department of Justice, and the Central Intelligence Agency, in violation of his duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

Adopted 28-10 by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.

Article 3
In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, contrary to his oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has failed without lawful cause or excuse to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives on April 11, 1974, May 15, 1974, May 30, 1974, and June 24, 1974, and willfully disobeyed such subpoenas. The subpoenaed papers and things were deemed necessary by the Committee in order to resolve by direct evidence fundamental, factual questions relating to Presidential direction, knowledge or approval of actions demonstrated by other evidence to be substantial grounds for impeachment of the President. In refusing to produce these papers and things Richard M. Nixon, substituting his judgment as to what materials were necessary for the inquiry, interposed the powers of the Presidency against the the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives, thereby assuming to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by the Constitution in the House of Representatives.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

Adopted 21-17 by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.

In case the links didn't work...

2007-02-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

...see the update of my earlier post on the stoner pizza dude and check out the related classic Onion story.

The end of the empire?

2007-02-21T15:03:00.000-08:00

Check out this creepy, and at times funny, video project of Bush as apologizing Roman statue...

For Adrienne...

2007-02-21T10:12:00.000-08:00

I know my radical neighbor Adrienne will enjoy this public service announcement by Sulu himself addressing Tim Hardaway's comments on homosexuality.

Local Update: They Gave it Back!!

2007-02-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

Finally, a happy ending to a story in the drug war. You may recall reading here at ho hum about a hilarious incident involving a stoner pizza delivery dude who left his stash in the bank bag... and deposited it. Well, read the happy ending here.

(UPDATE: It appears that our lame local newspaper doesn't store articles for more than a few weeks, thus, here is the story. The dude was arrested and admitted it was his and everything, but one wrinkle... the bank employee gave the stash back to him! Without the evidence, it looks like stoner pizza dude will go FREE!! YEAH! The whole incident reminded Matt of this classic...)

(p.s. very few folks seem to remember the ad campaign: "Rember... Only Losers Use Drugs" from the seventies or eighties, but that was the origin of the spoonerism in the title of the last post on this topic "Remember... Only Users Lose Drugs")

It'll turn your brain into Nobel prize winning scrambled eggs!!!

2007-01-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

Read about the ever-psychedelic Francis Crick and the true inspiration behind is codiscovery of DNA with Watson (and some argue, a third party)...

Newburn! Get it... ha ha ha

2007-01-29T15:10:00.000-08:00

Check out the wonderful adventures of SWAT here, then read the cheeky reporting from the local newspaper. I submitted this letter to the editor, but it hasn't been printed yet.

In Lori Caldwell's report about a man who was burned by a police flash grenade, she wrote: "With a little help from the Gary police S.W.A.T. team, Darrell Newburn had a most appropriate name Monday." Ha Ha! Very funny! I'm surprised that a trained journalist would choose to make a lame joke when reporting about botched arrest by the police that caused someone to be injured. I'm also surprised that any qualified editor would approve such an addition to a news (not editorial) piece. A good reporter does not make fun of a person in a news story, even if the person is a suspected criminal. Rather, a good reporter would ask questions like "Did the police properly and legally use this device that injured the suspect?" or "Is there a history of injuries caused by these devices?" I would hope that in future news stories, especially ones that involve injuries, you will keep the humor on the funny pages...

Feel free to back me up with your own letter

2007-01-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

Howdy,

If you watched the State of the Union address last night, I'm sure you learned how Bush and his cronies really care about you... yeah right. As you might guess, it was a bunch of bullshit and a major waste of time. Much shorter (about 9 minutes) and much better was Jim Webb's reply for the Democrats (he used to be a republican)... if you didn't see it, check it out here. Most of you will remember the microtiff that he and Bush had a few months ago.

Rolling Stone has some virtues again...

2007-01-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Rolling Stone magazine has improved with respect to its music coverage (from the late 80s to the early 90s it was pretty much a fashion magazine), but is still no way near its heyday in the early 70s. The political writing, though, has been very revealing during these godawful times. Here are some links to some of my favorite articles, some being old news, but still revealing:

On the alarming transfer of wealth here in the U.S. (Kirby, I'd be curious about your libertarian take on this one)

Sure, mess with my eternal love of smoky bacon

A preelection case for the outgoing congress as being the worst congress ever

I knew Bush lost in 2000, now I know Bush lost in 2004

I'm still kickin' (but not bloggin')

2007-01-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

Ho Hum has slipped by the wayside lately and will probably remain there until I recharge my batteries... In the meanwhile, a picture (with a caption) says a thousand words:

Small town Iowa humor...

2006-11-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

I pass through this small Iowa town almost every time I drive back to my home town. This is my favorite town info sign of all time...

OH NO!!!

2006-11-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

Man oh man, santorum-lovin' Santorum bit it on election day. Listen to the concession speech here for just a few seconds. Its worth it to hear the impassioned plea of "OH NO!" from a distressed follower in the crowd and then try to imagine her miserable existence.

This photo inspired one of the most heartless and hilarious examples of "juvenile piling-on" from a bunch of "snotty" libertarians (I quote a pissed off reader). Go here and enjoy only if, like BEEz, you enjoy mean-spirited humor directed at children. Oh, and Wonkette is always good for a few laughs on a topic like this... And don't blame me, but farking has occurred.

More Gay Republicans? Oh please don't let it be Hastert...

2006-11-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

While there is nothing that brings joy to my day than hearing about yet another Christian and/or Republican powerbroker plucked out of the closet, but Hastert? Yikes! Even the most liberal of straight guys may struggle with the mental image of two dudes going at it, but make one of those two dudes Denny Hastert...

It turns out that Hastert rooms with his openly-gay Chief of Staff Scott Palmer (Peter's brother?). Here is one take on this grizly scenario, and here is another.

Of course, not everyone is buying that Scott Palmer's taste in bedmates is so challenged

Remember... only users lose drugs

2006-10-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

Where's my stash? This is real hometown news...

2006-10-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have heard, or heard about, Terry Gross' interview of Gene Simmons on Fresh Aire. Unfortunately, spoil sport Simmons wouldn't sign the release, so it is not in the Fresh Aire archives. Luckily, someone saved it and posted it here (for now, but I saved a copy). It was almost as good as the Bill O'Reilly interview on the same show...

I found this cool site when trying to learn about "scrumpy and western" music (ala Island Monkey). It has all kinds of fun things, including a list of the worst album covers. I don't know why they put this one on the list...