Polly and the Mooch!

Oh My God (Official Video)

2010-08-23T18:10:00.000-05:00

Talk about a song waiting to find a movie soundtrack to be in. fan-tastic.

Living Here, Right Now

2010-05-24T13:56:00.003-05:00

Being in New Orleans, by that i mean living here, is a lot like being in love. At times it is ecstasy and at times it's frustration. It's easy but not simple. Worth the effort and occasionally feels like the most important thing you could possibly be doing.

Healthcare and the Public Option

2009-10-01T09:25:00.002-05:00

I like the public option, because I like what it is supposed to do. That, however, does not mean this is the only route we can take. The problem is both parties are not participating in shaping the future of healthcare. The idea is that the public option* would provide a means of containing cost in medical treatment. One would assume that they (the public provider) would limit what they'd be willing pay out and utilize a cost vs. overhead ratio that is more similar to Medicaid (around 7-10% for overhead) instead of that of private insurance (around 30%). This bargaining muscle would control costs because they'd control what is paid. This is the exact way that Wal-Mart uses its purchasing power to control the costs of the market.

If something else can control this cost inflation, I'd be fine with it. No matter if it be a co-op (like a public option but a privately run non-profit), a public option, or whatever. it just has to be something that actually exists. what it cannot be is a tax break that ignores the increase in cost and tries to paint over the problem by subsidizing the outrageous growth in cost. I've yet to hear many ideas dealing with this issue, but does not including a public option or a co-op. Other than the 'single payer', I've not heard anything. The Republicans have not even been in the room for the most part, let alone submitting ideas, which isn't helpful. There has been talk by Sen. Olympia Snow (R-ME) about not doing a public option at first, but having a 'trigger' that activates it if the 'other' ways don't work. I'm fine with this if it gets the job done, but I honestly think that's more about political expediency rather than actual sound policy. while i know that the public option has a cost (which seems to be/not be deficit neutral based on how much of a subsidy you give to poor-er people to offset the expense of buying in). I, however, think the real cost calculation is "what is the cost of full(er) coverage with the public option AND the longer term price controls it brings vs. no public option, no expense of such a program but also no alternative governor on the growth of medical expense and the half-assed care we get for this level of expense over, say...10 years.

Some things simply have costs. This is one of them. we have to figure what can give us the most bang for the dollars we are trying to spend. the only thing i don't approve of is an option that covers fewer people at a more steeply increasing rate. if there are other leading options beyond the public option, the co-op, or the triggered public option, i'd really like to hear it. I'm quite tired of the misguided notion that the price of the various plans are simply too much...as if doing nothing were cost free. or less expensive.

It isn't.

*NOTE: Just for clarification, my understanding of the "public option" is that if you meet certain criteria, people who need coverage would be put into an "insurance exhange", in which a public option would be one of the choices. the others being private insurers. if someone speaks to you about the public option being a stand alone item, not as part of a group of available policies in this 'exchange', then they most likely don't know what they are talking about.

Gog and Magog Bring You Freedom Fries

2009-09-02T10:41:00.003-05:00

know what else i'm tired of?Gog and Magog being the reason that we went to war in Iraq. not WMD or what-the-hell-ever made up crap we used to justify it.

GOG AND MAGOG.

...Stranger still are new accounts emerging from France describing how former president Jacques Chirac was utterly baffled by a 2003 telephone conversation in which Bush reportedly invoked fanatical Old Testament prophesy -- including the Earth-ending battle with forces of evil, Gog and Magog -- in his arguments to enlist France in the Coalition of the Willing.

"This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people's enemies before a New Age begins," Bush said to Chirac, according to Thomas Romer, a University of Lausanne theology professor who was later approached by French officials anxious to understand the context of the biblical reference.

http://www.thespec.com/article/572824 (toronto)

In the winter of 2003, when George Bush and Tony Blair were frantically gathering support for their planned invasion, Professor Thomas Römer, an Old Testament expert at the university of Lausanne, was rung up by the Protestant Federation of France. They asked him to supply them with a summary of the legends surrounding Gog and Magog and as the conversation progressed, he realised that this had originally come, from the highest reaches of the French government.

President Jacques Chirac wanted to know what the hell President Bush had been on about in their last conversation. Bush had then said that when he looked at the Middle East, he saw "Gog and Magog at work" and the biblical prophecies unfolding. But who the hell were Gog and Magog? Neither Chirac nor his office had any idea. But they knew Bush was an evangelical Christian, so they asked the French Federation of Protestants, who in turn asked Professor Römer.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2009/aug/10/religion-george-bush (uk)

Chirac recounts that the American leader appealed to their “common faith” (Christianity) and told him: “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East.... The biblical prophecies are being fulfilled.... This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people’s enemies before a New Age begins.”

This bizarre episode occurred while the White House was assembling its “coalition of the willing” to unleash the Iraq invasion. Chirac says he was boggled by Bush’s call and “wondered how someone could be so superficial and fanatical in their beliefs.”

After the 2003 call, the puzzled French leader didn’t comply with Bush’s request. Instead, his staff asked Thomas Romer, a theologian at the University of Lausanne, to analyze the weird appeal.

....In 2007, Dr. Romer recounted Bush’s strange behavior in Lausanne University’s review, Allez Savoir....Subsequently, ex-President Chirac confirmed the nutty event in a long interview with French journalist Jean-Claude Maurice, who tells the tale in his new book, Si Vous le Répétez, Je Démentirai , released in March by the publisher Plon.

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2009/08/gog-magog-and-george-bush

*(so you don't think i'm just going all lefty on this, the first two links are separate non-american accounts of this international incident.)

So let's get this straight. when bush pitched a WAR in the middle east to France, part of his 'sell' was that this was HIS hand dealing with the fruition of Old Testament prophecy? well no-the-hell-wonder they said 'thanks but no thanks'. if someone came to me with that shit, i wouldn't let them MOW MY YARD. Outside of the multi-level absurdity, isn't this the very thing that we accuse Islamic extremists of doing? trying to take the world and make it over in the image of their own faith? HELL, weren't we brushing away those 'crazy' muslims that were alarmed about bush starting the crusades over again? that was just silly! we just wanted to give them 2 scoops of freedom!

THIS is why we sent kids to die while the jackasses back home demanded to have freedom fries? THIS!?! i'm so angry right now.

For Mississippians Worried over ID'ing Voters

2009-09-02T10:14:00.003-05:00

It's worth your while to click here. If you had any illusions that the voter ID project had anything to do with actually protecting voter fraud, read this. Last session the GOP got a compromise bill to 'finally' bring Voter ID to MS and on the verge of passage it was killed.

By the GOP in the Senate.

The reason why is this brings in money. this scares people and riles them up. it plays into racial politics. actually PASSING the bill would take that out of the argument. now they're trying to run petitions in order to get the topic on the public ballot. it's a joke. the voter fraud its supposed to stop is virtually non-existent. I've worked in election law for years, in this very area. If they think THIS is how it is done, they're kidding themselves. i've fought voter fraud for years. this isn't it.

Notes From the Ground

2009-09-02T09:59:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine is a student here at Tulane. she's in her last year and she has just under what it takes to pay the bills. she's exhausted nearly all of her options, save one. Tulane has a hardship SCHOLARSHIP that the dean has agreed to help her with. to get this, she must apply for the PLUS Loan that the federal gov't offers...and be DENIED that. Then the other options are triggered. her mom is the only guardian she has that can do this and she's a cinch to be rejected bc of her lack of income. all she has to do is apply, get rejected, and the dean has agreed to waive the holds so the woman can start classes now while it is being processed.

Cool huh?

nope. See she's a Glen Beck fan.

Glen Beck has let her in on a few things...namely that the federal government, under Obama's direction, has created viruses (?) that infect your computer when you log on to apply for that PLUS Loan. These viruses let Obama look into all your personal dealings and business and monitor your every (digital) move on that computer. so, no sir. thank you very much, but she's not going to have any of that and her daughter will just have to drop out.

no joke. The student had to call her attorney expert (me) in to go over the matter with her mom and only after a half hour legal consult did it look like she'd agree.

There are consequences, real consequences in people's lives, when the public is fed a lie. The point to these people's work is to create a constant boil and siege-fear in their viewers and listeners. The people who are concerned about how their america is changing. The fact that these same fears were not burning as real government intrusion occurred during the era of the patriot act/bush/et al era is telling. It's amazing what you can get away with if you look and sound like your audience and have an 'other' to worry over.

oh, and here is a bonus. enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0OUXkZO8vE

Amazing Video from Iran

2009-06-18T22:23:00.002-05:00

Iranian students attacked by the police. you can see them group across the parking lot and then just charge. The events going on right now in Iran are some of the most amazing in years. Earlier today Ahmadinejad's on party members in the Iranian Parliament broke into fist fights over the whether the President's people were sending plainclothes thugs to attack students. Note: Ahmadinejad has not been seen in public since Monday.

Zephyrs take 1st Place

2009-05-08T00:59:00.001-05:00

Very exciting night!

Boy, Tom Tomorrow is GREAT!

2009-04-21T17:54:00.003-05:00

Those last 2 are the best, in light of the Gov. of Texas threatening to secede!

Democrats Can Be Hypocrites Too!

2009-04-21T17:43:00.002-05:00

Seems this Blue Dog Democrat was just FINE with that felony warrantless wiretapping that Bush instigated...until she found out she was being wiretapped herself!

Jane Harman: Angry, partisan, civil liberties extremist
Blue Dog Rep. Jane Harman -- once the most vigorous Democratic cheerleader of Bush's NSA warrantless eavesdropping program -- is rip-roarin' angry today. Apparently, her private conversations were eavesdropped on by the U.S. Government! This is a grave outrage that, as she told Andrea Mitchell just moments ago, demands a probing investigation:
That's what I asked Attorney General Holder to do -- to release any tapes, I don't know whether they were legally made or not, of my conservations about this matter . . . and to hope that he will investigate whether other members of Congress or other innocent Americans might have been subject to this same treatment. I call it an abuse of power in the letter I wrote him this morning. . . .
I'm just very disappointed that my country -- I'm an American citizen just like you are -- could have permitted what I think is a gross abuse of power in recent years. I'm one member of Congress who may be caught up in it, and I have a bully pulpit and I can fight back. I'm thinking about others who have no bully pulpit, who may not be aware, as I was not, that someone is listening in on their conversations, and they're innocent Americans.
So if I understand this correctly -- and I'm pretty sure I do -- when the U.S. Government eavesdropped for years on American citizens with no warrants and in violation of the law, that was "both legal and necessary" as well as "essential to U.S. national security," and it was the "despicable" whistle-blowers (such as Thomas Tamm) who disclosed that crime and the newspapers which reported it who should have been criminally investigated, but not the lawbreaking government officials. But when the U.S. Government legally and with warrants eavesdrops on Jane Harman, that is an outrageous invasion of privacy and a violent assault on her rights as an American citizen, and full-scale investigations must be commenced immediately to get to the bottom of this abuse of power. Behold Jane Harman's overnight transformation from Very Serious Champion of the Lawless Surveillance State to shrill civil liberties extremist.

Saints Fan!

2009-03-27T20:23:00.001-05:00

They Probably Just Forgot!

2009-03-27T10:48:00.002-05:00

This one won't help them much...The GOP is tired of being called "The Party of NO!", as if they're only obstructionist, possessing no alternatives of their own. They're set to put an end to that today with the release of the Republican budget titled "The Republican Road to Recovery".

...The problem is the budget they released DOESN'T HAVE ANY NUMBERS IN IT! That's right! no deficit projections, no savings projections, nor a calculation of where this savings would manifest itself. They couldn't have thought this was a good idea. Really?

Ricky Gervais and Elmo

2009-03-12T15:50:00.003-05:00

This was pretty funny...

You Know, I've Been Wondering...

2009-03-11T20:37:00.003-05:00

The Republicans have a long history of loyalty to their leadership. regardless of my own feelings, i'm a little amazed at how harsh the GOP faithful are turning on this guy. Whether it be Rush or members of congress, they're not really known for shooting down their own kind. Have you ever seen it? find a relative older than you. did THEY ever see anything like this?

hmm...

I guess the real question is how long they plan to let a black man run the party? maybe it was a little too soon for this much progress?

3 homeruns so far!

2009-03-07T15:12:00.000-06:00

What a great Saturday!

Wish you were here!

2009-02-11T19:30:00.000-06:00

Geaux Hornets!

Sworn IN

2009-01-20T11:45:00.004-06:00

Well, I just watched the ceremony. This is actually something I did not intend to watch. i'm a little odd when it comes to the ceremony around politics. anyway, a friend talking to me about this made me (without her realizing it) rethink this. Maybe because it has been 16 years since the Inaugural Address was meaningful to me. As readers here may have noticed, my posts have been sporadic. this is (in part) because elections take a lot out of me. i devote a lot of my time, money, and heart into these things and i just feel exhausted and sometimes have trouble picking back up. (look at old posts here after each election).

The speech was good. I cannot tell if it will go down in history as profound, but it was very much something we (i) needed. He took great pains to address what i call the Republican fears. not just fears about Democrats or Obama, but rather fears that the Republican Leadership have created: The government's existence is terrible and can't be trusted, then using this notion as cover to run a government designed to fail and privatize work for more expense. The idea that we must give up our rights to be protected. That the President is above the law and and you're unpatriotic to disagree. A passive aggressive, and sometimes not so passive, tone that not everyone here is quite as American as everyone else. An enabled irresponsibility.

The speech hit on the themes i really liked from the acceptance speech. the parts of both that were important to me were the the references to this serious state we are in. One of the most impressive things i've seen (along with his speech on race) was on election night when he ordered the fireworks not to be shot at Grant Park. the reason was the serious, almost grave tone that he took. We won, but this is the beginning of the real work. That we are in dire straits and that the previous leadership as not required sacrifice from us. That is ending. I like hearing our problems taken in a serious tone. Not simple platitudes that suggest "we shall prevail," but a shaking of the people by their collars. We are in tough times and we ALL need to fix it. not "it will be ok" or "THEY will fix it" or "I will fix it". I think it has been a decade since I've heard an elected official tell us that WE have to meet these expectations...and hearing that the expectations go beyond "freedom" or "liberty".

We have to conserve. We have to be responsible for the obligations of the nation.

I have said many times about the change in leadership, that i'm ready for the grown ups to be back in charge. I'm tired of Men that fight 2 wars and never budget the cost. I feel like the nation's inside has been hulled so that the favored may get their way. I did feel happy today and i did feel slightly inspired. To be quite frank, the real way i felt was relief. Like i don't have to be sick anymore. I've been very sick for a very long time. I am ready for life to be better again.

I really liked the comments stating that we are 'ready to lead once more'.

People were cheering the helicopter taking bush away, and that is telling.

Dinner from last week

2009-01-18T18:53:00.001-06:00

This is a test.

New Orleans Musem of Art Sculpture Garden

2009-01-08T01:01:00.006-06:00

I like the New Orleans Museum of Art a lot. the entrance to the grounds is pretty damn awesome. CLICK the photos for nice big shots. I really liked the last one.

Updates a Coming...

2008-12-21T21:04:00.005-06:00

I hope to do some run-through from September to date in a bit. Including my work on the Obama legal team, a move to New Orleans, and the opening of my law firm. Sorry I've been so slow...

Busy as of Late, but this is nice...

2008-12-11T14:10:00.003-06:00

As you may have heard, i've moved to New Orleans. You may have also heard it's been snowing here! some pretty sights...

A Couple More Pics of the New Digs

2008-11-25T10:57:00.007-06:00

The door with the windows is the entrance to the balcony. Unfortunately the place is JUST this full of my stuff. I've really got to get moved in...

I Actually Wonder Where Bush IS...wait, let me explain!

2008-11-24T17:50:00.003-06:00

A LOT has been made of the financial crisis (It IS as bad, or worse, than you may think). There has been an unusual call from Wall St. to have Obama begin naming his Economic team early (this is what he has been doing lately). The idea is that this would do SOMETHING to calm the waters and help bring some stability. That's how bad it is, the naming of just WHO will come along 2 months from now is seen as a ray of hope. That said, it has left me thinking about bush. Here's a true national emergency and he is no where to be seen. Does it speak worse of the president for being an absentee leader or does it speak worse for him if we know his involvement would worsen confidence? I can't tell. It looks bad and I don't expect it to be good for a long while.

yay.

If You Haven't Seen it Yet...

2008-11-14T00:26:00.001-06:00

click the link above and think about the last time someone spoke so plainly to you on the evening news. MSNBC gets better by the day.

Holy Crap!

2008-11-13T23:16:00.003-06:00

Word has it Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and Bill Richardson are up for the job of Sec. of State. anytime you asked over the last year, i'd have put my money on Richardson. That said, Hillary Clinton is such an appealing and interesting idea, i don't know what to think.

Wow.

Heady times.

Florida Pictures are Coming.

2008-11-13T00:52:00.000-06:00

This is one of the signs we had on the legal team. I plan to get this framed for my office. (ahem, pinky...you around?)

New Digs??

2008-11-13T00:44:00.005-06:00

I'm looking at a couple of apartments. I'm leaning towards the light blue/grey (top floor) on Miro St

When Will it Get Here??

2008-11-12T10:01:00.003-06:00

I will have a full election update in the coming days. I have just arrived back in town (5 states, seven days) and need to catch my breath. I'm also ending my Pfizer Health Law Fellowship in 2 days, so I have many loose ends to wrap up. That said, I have insider news, gossip, photos, etc coming to you shortly. Sorry for taking so long, as I'm apartment hunting and packing as well.

Thanks for all the kind words here, in emails, and on the phone/in person.

Polly & Mr. Mooch.

Joe the Plummer is a Queen!

2008-11-06T16:15:00.002-06:00

Well, it just gets better. Remember Joe the Plumber? The guy that was scared of Obama being a socialist? the one that was scared at the idea Obama might be 'spreading the wealth around'? well, it turns out he was on WELFARE! So after he gets his own 'hand up', he wants to kick the ladder down because he's scared about spreading the wealth. was he using his welfare money when he decided he wanted to buy that plumbing company? what a hypocritical bastard of a has-been, yesterday's news joke.

ELECTION UPDATES

2008-11-06T11:05:00.002-06:00

As many of you know, I was part of the Obama Legal Team down in Florida. I also covered parts of Mississippi's legal team by remote. It was an interesting day. a few losses and a few big wins. We caught LOTS of voter suppression and vote tampering attempts and we were able to stop nearly all of it. I have photos and stories and will update you all as quickly as i can get it together. please be patient and accept my sincere apology!

The World is About to Change

2008-10-30T00:55:00.003-05:00

i'm heading to florida to do my part on the obama legal team. do your part where ever you are. look down the ticket and add to what is about to happen. 25 years from now, make sure you have a story to tell that will make your family proud. vote. campaign. volunteer. DO SOMETHING. it is about as important as anything you can do as a citizen. be an American and be proud.

love to you all,

Jason Pollan

ps
dispatches coming as i can send them.

If you Didn't Hear Already...

2008-10-24T11:00:00.002-05:00

There was a McCain campaigner from College Station, TX up in Penn. She was attacked by a black guy (6'4, 200lbs) that robbed her of $60 and when he saw she was a McCain supporter (saw her bumper sticker on the car), he said he was going to make an obama supporter out of her and carved a "B"into her face.

except ....she made it all up. and it is turning out that there were some other members of the campaign staff that were spreading the word to the press a bit too early and with a bit too much detail. How pathetic can you get?

My Favorite Campaign Ad

2008-10-23T16:22:00.001-05:00

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

This one has Opie, Andy Taylor, and the Fonz.

one more...

2008-10-20T17:00:00.003-05:00

If you were wondering what this campaign was really about, you may want to hear what some NON-Southerners have to say (up in Ohio) about what is at stake this year. Are you concerned that 'the blacks will take over?' somebody is.

Watch This

2008-10-20T16:49:00.002-05:00

You might find this interesting. Some people were handing out stickers claiming Obama is a communist and a Muslim. (really? a communist? what year is this?). Anyway, as you can imagine they had some not so fun things to say about muslims. Watch the reactions when the guy is confronted by a few Muslim McCain supporters. It seems no one wants to talk big when they're confronted by the people they're attacking.

Quick Thoughts About Debate #2

2008-10-07T22:10:00.003-05:00

Some quick observations:

The format wasn't as good for McCain as he'd hoped. He has physical deformities/limitations due to his being tortured in vietnam. most people know this, but the way you normally see him is via one camera angle and that masks the awkwardness. tonight it was the first time the age difference was really pronounced.

McCain kept stalking around the stage as Obama talked. it seemed awkward. Contrast how Obama sat on the stool when McCain stalked the stage making his comments.

I was a bit surprised that when Obama took a swipe at McCain he didn't refute the attacks. Obama, on the other hand, did this. no reason for that. it was surprising. Also, I thought it was a bit boring. god knows what people that don't follow politics thought.

Huh...funny that this was the format McCain demanded and the old format was the one where he did a better job. i gave the last one to McCain 55/45. this time around i give it to Obama 60/40. i liked the questions that were asked. i just didn't like the missing follow up to make them answer.

Whoa...

2008-10-06T02:50:00.003-05:00

WASHINGTON — By claiming that Democrat Barack Obama is "palling around with terrorists" and doesn't see the U.S. like other Americans, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin targeted key goals for a faltering campaign.

And though she may have scored a political hit each time, her attack was unsubstantiated and carried a racially tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret.

Even the AP is calling out McCain/Palin on this one. the one thing that has been keeping Obama from running away with the election is race. there are just a few weeks left and it seems the heat on the dirty side of this race is turning up. expect to hear more dripping with race, the muslim rumor, and various and sundry dirt.

The Biggest Political News of the Campaign Week

2008-10-03T10:50:00.002-05:00

You may think it was the VP debates. All i will say is that Palin did FAR better than anyone's worst fears...but that just wasn't enough. to quote a GOP operative 'it helped stop the bleeding'. she lost the debate but accomplished a mission. so...was that the biggest news?

Nope. it wasn't.

It was this. McCain is pulling his Campaign out of Michigan. his threat in this swing state was one of the things making people very antsy 1-2 weeks ago. Obama doesn't win without Michigan and it appears he will.

So Why do we Need that Bailout?

2008-10-02T11:03:00.001-05:00

This is the best breakdown i've seen of what exactly happened last week that made everyone think we were going over the edge. This will explain the thing that triggered our leaders to suddenly say 'we may only have days to handle this crisis'. What is amazing is how clear they make what happened last week and how no other media outlet (i saw) explained this. Spend 5min and listen even if you have only a passing interest.

go here to listen to it (it is short):

The Week America's Economy Almost Died

Baseball Playoffs Start Today

2008-10-01T15:07:00.002-05:00

National League Race:
Phillies vs. the Brewers. OK, one team is named after making beer. the last time they made it to the playoffs, john McCain was a freshman Senator. the other team is from Philadelphia, the town with (collectively) the worst fans ever (even worse than new york?). how bad is Philadelphia? once Santa Claus was making an appearance at a Phila. eagles game, but had to walk the length of the field to get to his spot. the fans pelted him with snowballs! Phillies suck. Philadelphia sucks. a lump of coal to them!

LA Dodgers vs. Cubs.
The cubs have been around since creation but (famously) haven't won a world series since 1908. a century dry spell is pretty crazy and they're the best they've been in years this year. Growing up, basic cable had WGN and TBS. usually there was a baseball game on in the afternoon so most kids cheered for the cubs or braves. I liked the braves. I don't hate the cubs, but i don't like them. i do suspect their fans have more fun than most, so maybe i'm wrong. Manny Ramirez joined the Dodgers late this season and has been a homerun machine. it is scary everytime he bats, he's so good. I prefer the Dodgers.

that said, i predict the Cubs take it all and go all the way to the World Series.

American League Race:
Boston Red Sox vs. LA Angles of Anaheim. The Angels are Kroger of baseball. I don't even like their name. the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim? Starkville Yellowjackets of Aberdeen! bah. what the hell ever. they have a cool outfielder from Arkansas named Tori Hunter. he's a great guy and has a good story in that his life took him out of a hometown life that saw a few of his buddies get killed. it ends there. Boston is good but not as strong as last year. they have a closing pitcher from MSU named Jonathan Papelbon who's outstanding and, as you may recall, struck out a former Ole Miss batter last year in the last out of the 2007 World Series. He lives down from JasN when he's not in Boston. that's neat. I hope the Red Sox win.

Tampa Bay vs. Chicago White Sox. as a boy i liked the white sox before i knew they were a baseball team. i thought the logo was cool. I liked their players as i got older and i kinda thought liking the white sox (as opposed to the Cubs) was like liking State as opposed to Ole Miss. My favorite player of all time (and the reason i'm a Mariners fan) is Ken Griffey Jr. He plays for the White Sox now. Tampa Bay is a team i have a soft spot for. they've never had a winning season...ever. let alone a season where they won the division or were considered one of the best in baseball (the best?). Their stars aren't super stars and several have been hurt. it didn't matter becuase they win as a team and the stats show it. no big star, just one big team. any team that goes from "Worst to First" is amazing to see. I like the White Sox better in this match but i don't think they're the better team. critical injuries and a hit and miss record will make it tough to beat the Rays who have some crazy lopsided home recrod.

Oh, and the fans swing cowbells at the games.
I pick the Rays to go to the World Series...and win it. They're that good and the Cubs fan whine too much to deserve it. ha!

Debates Round 1

2008-09-27T11:21:00.000-05:00

Quick take:

I'd give a slight edge to McCain. I thought his walk though all foreign engagements of the last 25 years was a weak explanation of his policy decisions today (so you were down with the US/Reagan in lebanon? The bombing or the fleeing? Or the going in in the first place?). I think he lost on the tax issue back and forth. Obama wouldy hit a high note, but it wasn't dominant in much of anyway. He also did something that you NEVER do in a debate: he kept conceding points where they agreed and then have an add on to differentiate. I'm of the school that says (and I say this as a matter of technique in the format) that you never concede their position. Even if you agree. You state hour position and the audience can decide "they agree on that". When you just say you have the same opinion it is weak and lazy and gives no one a reason to behind you. I think the debates were evenly split, but a slight edge to McCain 55/45.

UPDATED--Holy Cow!

2008-09-25T03:27:00.000-05:00

Did you see David Letterman when McCain ditched the show after 'suspending' his campaign? oh my goodness! Letterman really went after him. If only in scheduling and logistics, I think this is a major mistake in his campaign. All indicators seem to point to a resolution passed by congress and on the desk of the President within a week, if not by Friday. People expect candidates to still do their jobs as Senators while campaigning and if McCain 'suspends' his campaign so that the bill can be passed anyway 3 days later, this will be seen as a major gaffe. This IS uncharted territory for the candidates, but this has been very difficult for McCain. Watch this short clip of his positions over the last 10 days. it doesn't point to his competence as much as it points to his lack of a developed, coherent position.

You know, what I like about McCain is that I respect him even when i don't agree with him. That's how i feel about the republicans i know in my everyday life, that i call my friends. I think McCain has had to do some unpleasant things to obtain and secure this nomination. I like to think that he wears it so poorly because it is so against his nature. I feel bad for him more than i dislike the man.

The Economic Crisis

2008-09-24T15:43:00.002-05:00

Bush did have a few words to let the people know he was hard at work solving our problems:

"My first instinct," said President George W. Bush, "was to let the market work, until I realized, being briefed by experts... It turns out that there's a lot of interlinks through the financial system."

The things you learn when you get that Harvard MBA. One of the things i loathe about the President is his need to state things that are, generally, self-explained...then follow that up with a sentence elaborating on his comment like a kid giving a book report on a book he barely touched...trying to stretch for time.

Quote of the Day

2008-09-21T08:37:00.000-05:00

"it's hard to stay sucker free in the land of lollipops."

-anon

Mets up 8-3 iin the 7th 3inning!

2008-09-17T20:29:00.000-05:00

The view from the Mayor's box at Nationals Stadium.

Mets Batting Practice

2008-09-17T16:27:00.000-05:00

Rain delay at the Last of the Season

2008-09-11T22:14:00.000-05:00

We have the worst grounds crew ever.

Fiscal Conservative

2008-09-09T22:07:00.002-05:00

Ask your favorite republican, i'm sure they'll tell you its someone else's fault.

What do you REALLY Think?? (video/audio)

2008-09-04T01:22:00.007-05:00

You may have heard already, but here is a transcript. it seems a few pundits (Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan) were still on mic when the cameras cut away. VERY interesting is the comment about Sen. Kaye Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), possibly the most qualified female VP candidate alive.

UPDATE: Noonan tries to clear up the "it's over" comment. she wasn't REALLY talking about the McCain campaign with that. I'm not sure if she commented on what she was 'meaning' when Palin's nomination was called "gimicky" and "bulls**t".

Chuck Todd: Mike Murphy, lots of free advice, we'll see if Steve Schmidt and the boys were watching. We'll find out on your blackberry. Tonight voters will get their chance to hear from Sarah Palin and she will get the chance to show voters she's the right woman for the job Up next, one man who's already convinced and he'll us why Gov. Jon Huntsman.
(cut away)
Peggy Noonan: Yeah.
Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. I mean, these guys -- this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it's not gonna work. And --
PN: It's over.
MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.
CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too.
PN: Saw Kay this morning.
CT: Yeah, she's never looked comfortable about this --
MM: They're all bummed out.
CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?
PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this -- excuse me-- political bullshit about narratives --
CT: Yeah they went to a narrative.
MM: I totally agree.
PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it.
MM: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.
CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky.
MM: Yeah.

Not Much Time

2008-09-03T10:28:00.002-05:00

It seems the McCain vetting team got to interview governor Palin one day before she was asked to be VP. not much vetting time, but that matches the stories i've heard about how all this unfolded. from the AP:

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 2 -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was not subjected to a lengthy in-person background interview with the head of Sen. John McCain's vice presidential vetting team until last Wednesday in Arizona, the day before McCain asked her to be his running mate, and she did not disclose the fact that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant until that meeting, two knowledgeable McCain officials acknowledged Tuesday

VP Nominee is Pregnant Out of Wedlock...Move Along, Nothing to See Here....

2008-09-01T12:06:00.002-05:00

This is a pretty good sign they didn't vet Palin very well for the VP slot:

A statement released by the campaign said that Bristol Palin will keep her baby and marry the child's father. Bristol Palin is five months pregnant, and the baby is due in late December.

FoxNews declared it a "Private family matter". Yeah. Because that's how they ALWAYS handle unwed, pregnant minors in the news. This cannot bode well for the candidate that was supposed to shore up the "values (read: theocracy) voters".

On The Case! ...or Vacation...?

2008-09-01T02:49:00.003-05:00

i was happy to see the first major report from the President about Gustav come at 11:32pm Sunday night. i will confess that i've not seen every news broadcast, but as a citizen of Mississippi i'm a little underwhelmed by the leadership of the President thus far. Now let me be clear, I'm not saying he's screwed anything up. i'm just saying i haven't seen much of anything. that's all.

NO Packages Today

2008-08-30T16:52:00.000-05:00

Someone is having a bad day at work. Happy Labor Day!

The New GOP VP Nominee! Updated TWICE for Your Gossipy Needs!

2008-08-29T22:55:00.004-05:00

Overheard today from people i like to consider smarter than the average bear:

ok, here are the notes from earlier:

She's DOA. People are scoffing around the politic-arati and you wonder...why?

Why? Because she's gone on record as saying that creationism should
be taught in schools.

Because her ads for governor featured Ted Stevens.

Because she's been involved in her own steadily growing scandal in
Alaska for the past three months, damning her in her own state--losing
the thousands of excited Republicans she had behind her originally.
(It involves using the governor's office to attack a cop--a
cop!--because he happened to once be married to her sister).

Because she's from a state with the fewest electoral votes IN THE
COUNTRY--three. Less than Mississippi, y'all. She's tied with Maine
and Montana. Three is the set minimum (hotly contested Penn. has 21).

Because Alaska has been rated as "trending Blue" towards Barack
anyway--in part because of the horrifying corruption of Stevens and
the growing disenchantment with Palin, who recently endorsed Barack's
energy plan as a sop to the huge environmental factions in Alaska.

Because 1 1/2 years ago, she was the PART TIME MAYOR OF A VILLAGE OF
6,000 PEOPLE.

Because Kay Bailey Hutchinson just said "I don't know much about her."

Because they're already calling her Geraldine Quayle.

Because she's only been to the Mainland a few times.

Because McCain's "lack of experience" attack on Obama is now off the table.

Because potatoe.

Because Trig, Willow, Bristol, and Piper are all shitty names. poor kids.

Because she won't be able to find Georgia on a map, let alone bust
Biden's chops over it.

HER ONE PLUS:

She ain't rich.

I say she's a hotter Harriet Miers. Her qualifications seem to be a uterus and a governership. I'm not saying she's terrible, but if you built your campaign around "he's not tested and ready to lead" then, she ain't the one.

as of 6pm today i have not seen any new press reports, but ...if they aren't giving her a hard time, It's Christmas in August. Don't get me wrong. she's not terrible. I'm not either...but if Obama picked me, he'd catch hell too.

UPDATE (the headlines):

VETTING PALIN: McCain Only Met Palin Once... Palin: What Exactly Does The VP Do Everyday?... McCain Spokeswoman: I Have No Idea What McCain's Relationship Is With Palin...

This is about to get "not-pretty."

UPDATE 2!:

Kreepy televangelist and McGod profiteer Dr. Dobson declares...

Dobson: 'I Would Pull that Lever'...

kreepy bastard.

I Met My Childhood Sports Hero!

2008-08-25T21:30:00.000-05:00

I got to meet Dale Murphy, my baseball hero, tonight at the game! I even caught a baseball at the game and got him to sign it! Awesome!

Oh I Like This

2008-08-22T00:11:00.002-05:00

Oh, i like this! Time Magazine seems to think Mitt Romney is about to be named McCain's VP pick.
This is more than just a little great if it is coming out.

1. McCain doesn't like him
2. Evangelicals don't trust him because he basically switched to 'their side' when he decided to run for president.
3. If this is about to break it screws the PRIMO news cycle he had coming.

See, after the olympics the Dem convention is gonna saturate the news. lots of room for gaffs with the clintons and no need to introduce anything new. it won't be helpful. BUT when they finish
the time allows them a late week reveal of the VP, a prolonged stretch through the weekend to make news over the VP pick and start hitting on weaknesses that develop out of the convention. Next you have the GOP convention to further dominate the news cycle. this would not only step on Obama's post convention bump, but prolong McCain's.

...that is, unless the story is breaking now. heh. I hope they are that stupid. i don't think they are, this makes me think 'false alarm'. However, this is the 'regular guy' that couldn't answer the question "how many houses do you and your wife own?"

Yeah, good thing he isn't an elitist like Obama. going to school on student loans because he's so rich. yeah. exactly.

OK, this made my weekend.

2008-08-17T21:52:00.002-05:00

if you ever watch the Oscars and see someone win the "best editing" award, you might think "what do they do?" While this isn't a movie, this some GREAT editing. plus it is very fun. Thanks Dr. Wagner.

I Like Penn and Teller

2008-08-15T02:15:00.003-05:00

I also REALLY like Sleight of Hand. i don't practice it, but i should. i like the idea of it and i like it even metaphorically. Watch this video and you can see pretty well how everything works. its really good.

RIP Isaac Hayes Dead at 65

2008-08-10T19:41:00.002-05:00

I thought it was a bit off to see Bernie Mac died a couple of days ago. Now Isaac Hayes? Evidently he collapsed on his treadmill. no news as to the cause of death. I was thinking he was in pretty good health. He will be sorely missed, as his music, particularly his writing while at STAX, was pretty formative in my earliest musical memories.

Pineapple Express Opens this Weekend

2008-08-10T18:41:00.002-05:00

...and I give it a B-. Maybe a C+. I like all the people involved in the movie and expected to really like it. I chuckled all through it. I also am glad that I saw it at the Matinee. I'd go so far as to say that i probably couldn't tell you a funny/memorable scene from it 10 days from now. not a bad movie but pretty forgettable.

See it if you were interested in it. if you weren't positive, wait for HBO.

So your Baby needs a new diaper

2008-08-04T23:35:00.001-05:00

In target this is the men's room changing station. After seeing this I decided to document the sights during my shopping for the evening. Enjoy!

How do YOU spell PARTY?

2008-08-04T23:28:00.001-05:00

This, i thought, was an interesting way to sell turkey burgers.

Value packed or packed with value?

2008-08-04T23:25:00.001-05:00

Go for value, get the big one!

Fresh bread, from the old south!

2008-08-04T23:22:00.000-05:00

This is my prefered White Bread.

Have you seen this?

2008-08-04T00:04:00.004-05:00

Evidently there IS a style particular to New Jersey. I've seen these photos before. I'm STILL not completely sure what i'm looking at here.

Local Suppor Running...thin?

2008-08-03T22:07:00.003-05:00

In Mississippi, the premiere summer political event is the Neshoba County Fair. Politicians from local mayors to Ronald Reagan have come to the fair to speak. This year was no different.

well, sorta. This year, it seems one of the most decent Republicans fielded in years, John McCain, didn't have enough support to muster A SIGN AT THE WHOLE FAIRGROUNDS. that's pretty unheard of in an election year. The GOP feels he isn't one of them and he will likely lose now, appealing to the very low road constituents that really hate this man.

I feel bad for him.

Not because i think/hope he will lose, but because he knows the company he keeps demands the most loathesome of characters and he's had to try to taint his own character to be the brand of degenerate they've come to expect. 8 years of ebracing the the division and shaming of America is hard for all of us to overcome. IT has gotten to the point where these poor souls don't know how to react when they don't get to embrace a shameful standard they've come to accept as proper and desirable. I think the world may be done with its bleeding.

Leeches prayers for hate are not medicine.

The Republican Oil Plan, in General

2008-07-29T22:29:00.002-05:00

You know, there have been various ideas about energy policy, oil prices, gasoline, etc by both parties for the last few years. Not to sound overly dismissive, but has ANYTHING been done or planned by ANY of the Republicans in the last 7.5 years that made the fuel cost situation better? Has anything EVER come along in that time that benefited the consumer over the oil industry? heck, how about just if it was evenly good for both of us? outside of the bogus impossibility of 'drill now' [There's no physical way to drill 'now']? You will have to excuse me if i hold my wallet a little tighter when you guys walk by with your ideas on gasoline prices.

For that matter, have you ever noticed that the big complaint about Democratic oil policy plans always wrap around how we Dems will make the cost of everything skyrocket? the same GOP that thinks 40MPG cars as a standard somehow will do us harm. they're the ones that have made my food prices spike by their conservative prudence. Lunch prices on my lunch menu today have gone up by 40%. Thanks, jerks

GOP changes name to "Got Our Payoffs"

2008-07-29T21:55:00.007-05:00

So you were wondering if the Republican indictments for bribery and graft would end sometime soon, the answer is no. After his son got into some trouble with his own local (Alaska) kickback schemes, it seems daddy didn't wipe the gravy off his mouth either.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Stevens, the nation's longest-serving Republican senator and a major figure in Alaska politics since before statehood, was indicted Tuesday on seven felony counts of concealing more than a quarter of a million dollars in house renovations and gifts from a powerful oil contractor that lobbied him for government aid.

His response gives an insight to what is gonna come out....they clearly have something.

I have never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a U.S. Senator.

[emphasis added] You may recall Sen. Stevens (R-AK) from the 'bridge to nowhere' scandal a few years back.

Did You Hear About the Shootings in that Tenn. Church??

2008-07-29T21:48:00.000-05:00

It turns out the fact that they were a liberal church, too liberal for him, was the reason he decided to commit murder during a children's program. From the News in Knoxville, TN:

Adkisson targeted the church, [Knoxville Police Department Officer Steve] Still wrote in the document obtained by WBIR-TV, Channel 10, "because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country's hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of media outlets."

Adkisson told Still that "he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement that he would then target those that had voted them in to office."

Adkisson told officers he left [his] house unlocked for them because "he expected to be killed during the assault."

Inside the house, officers found "Liberalism is a Mental Health Disorder" by radio talk show host Michael Savage, "Let Freedom Ring" by talk show host Sean Hannity, and "The O'Reilly Factor," by television talk show host Bill O'Reilly.

Just great.

In a Nice Turn of Events...

2008-07-24T22:04:00.003-05:00

The Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities awarded me with Advocate of the Year for 2008. I was honored and More than a little surprised. They are pretty nice people and do very important work.

Obama in Afghanistan

2008-07-20T02:55:00.002-05:00

I've seen some of the photos with the troops. A lot of them actually. No one is saying it overtly, but I can imagine this is not what Obama is wanting in a photo Op. as a matter of fact, it can be said it is somewhat exactly what he's avoided in photo ops over the last year. I expect them to be used in the future in some way.

That unpleasantness aside, the coverage is more akin to a state visit from a president rather than a nominee, which makes all this more bizarre. Nominees generally try VERY hard not to go abroad during Presidential campaigns. I'm not saying its a bad idea, but they don't do it because SOMEBODY thinks its a bad idea. I am concerned that all this adulation will create some backlash...as if the press has anointed him our President/Pope.

Good and Bad...you decide!

2008-07-14T02:24:00.003-05:00

OK, you should watch this. It is an interview from a couple of years ago with the President. It was conducted in the UK. it is worth watching just to see the depth here. I'm serious. we'd just found ourselves in a serious position in a serious war. The President is asked some straight questions and you will be shocked by his answers. Sharp as a tack, and completely informed. watch this and tell me if this isn't a President fully engaged in the how/what/why of the serious times he leads us through.

On another note, i found this interesting news footage about yet another American natural disaster.

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Worth Reading

2008-07-10T10:21:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I think the Harper's Weekly Review is worth reading in its entirety.
--

HARPER'S WEEKLY

Colombian military commandos infiltrated a settlement
operated by the guerilla group FARC and freed 15 hostages,
among them three U.S. contractors and the Colombian-French
politician Ingrid Betancourt. President George W. Bush
called Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to congratulate
him. "What a joyous occasion it must be to know that the
plan had worked," said Bush. "That people who were
unjustly held were now free to be with their families." A
federal appeals court ruled that evidence against Hozaifa
Parhat, a Chinese Muslim held at Guantanamo Bay for six
years, consisted of nothing more than the reassertion of
his guilt in three top-secret documents. "Lewis Carroll
notwithstanding," wrote one judge, quoting "The Hunting of
the Snark," "the fact the government has 'said it thrice'
does not make the allegation true." Former inmates of
Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison were suing contractors in four
American states for subjecting them to electrical shocks,
mock executions, and forced nudity, and the Iraqi
government announced that the United States had agreed to
strip private security contractors of their legal
immunity, though the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad refused to
confirm the statement. A survey found that Americans
feared terrorist attacks less than at any point since
September 11, 2001, and President Bush removed Nelson
Mandela from the terrorism watchlist. A poll revealed that
a third of Welsh college students believe that a
flirtatious or drunk woman is to blame for being raped,
and a survey of the National Assembly for Wales found that
3 of the 8 legislators who responded had been raped but
had not reported the crime. In Australia, where inflation
is at a 16-year-high, Treasury Secretary Ken Henry left
his post to look after 115 endangered hairy-nosed wombats
for five weeks. "I think," said an opposition politician,
"we all love the hairy-nosed wombat."

Bozo the Clown and Jesse Helms died, and the new waxwork
Hitler at the Berlin Madame Tussauds museum was
beheaded. Fifteen boys were killed and 90 hospitalized in
Eastern Cape, South Africa, due to botched circumcisions,
Ottawa firefighters sprayed children with
E. coli-contaminated water to celebrate Canada Day, and a
Dublin, Ohio, man was arrested again for using Saran Wrap
to collect and drink little boys' urine. Google co-founder
Sergey Brin explained that he had decided to raise his
company's on-site daycare fee to $57,000 a year because he
was tired of employees who felt entitled to free "bottled
water and M&Ms" (although a spokesman denied that he had
said this), and a judge ruled that Google subsidiary
YouTube must provide Viacom, which is suing over copyright
claims, with details of the viewing habits of everyone who
has logged in and watched a video. Psychologist Himanshu
Tyagi claimed that children raised to use online social
networking sites will "put less value on their real world
identities" and may be in danger of "impulsive behavior
or even suicide." British studies warned that eating junk
food during pregnancy might cause lasting damage to the
child, and that eating too much tofu could lead to
dementia. Researchers at Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable
Improvement Center found that watermelons have a
"Viagra-like effect," but a researcher in Oklahama pointed
out that this benefit may be offset by the melon's
diuretic properties.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average officially entered a bear
market. The cost of oil surged, and shares of General
Motors fell to their lowest price since 1954. Speeding
drivers in Holly Springs, Georgia, were paying police a
fuel surcharge to cover the price of their pursuit, a
Kentucky woman was arrested after trading sex for a $100
Speedway gas card, and Nevada brothels were offering
customers "double your stimulus" incentives that included
$100 gas cards. The United Nations brought female
excrement carriers from India to New York City to appear
on the catwalk alongside top models at a fashion show,
crowning one woman the princess of sanitation
workers. "This is the dream coming true of Indian
independence hero Gandhi-ji," said an organizer. An
unemployed former trucking company owner posing as a
federal agent was under investigation after he worked with
local police to search homes and make methamphetamine
arrests in a Missouri town, and a fake priest was caught
trying to take confessions in St. Peter's Basilica. It was
reported that a stone tablet inscribed decades before the
birth of Jesus described a messiah who would come back to
life after three days. "What happens in the New
Testament," said Bible scholar Israel Knohl, "was adopted
by Jesus and his followers based on an earlier messiah
story." The George Washington Foundation unearthed the
founding father's childhood home in Fredericksburg,
Virginia, uncovering slave quarters and a Civil War trench
but no cherry tree. "I don't think we'll ever find the
cherry tree," an archaeologist said. Mercury was
shrinking, and Earth, said scientists who study radio
waves, is shrieking.

-- Chantal Clarke

I'd Be Much More Relaxed...

2008-07-09T10:24:00.001-05:00

If I had a nice Eames Chair....or maybe even a dog!

B.I.H. Jesse Helms

2008-07-05T01:58:00.002-05:00

RALEIGH, N.C. — Former Sen. Jesse Helms, an unyielding champion of the conservative movement who spent three combative and sometimes caustic decades in Congress, where he relished his battles against liberals, Communists and occasionally a fellow Republican, died on the Fourth of July. He was 86.

Jessie Helms got his start in North Carolina during the Civil Rights era. He would give his "commentary" for the local station after the national news would air footage civil unrest and oppression. He'd defend what had been put into a 'bad light'. He rode the worst in our national character into decades at the US capitol. He has the legacy of a shameful degenerate and left the world a worse place by his breath and shadow across our soil. My condolences go out to the family carrying his name. God bless America.

...And Another Thing....

2008-06-30T07:51:00.002-05:00

This is maybe a little personal for me, but EVERYTIME i hear someone talk about Obama being some smug elite, i want to ask them to name for me that last President (Hell, i'll take a contender!) that was SOOO rich and elite that he had to take out student loans to go to school! I live as part of a generation that spends at LEAST a decade or two paying off the sheep skin that gets us 'through the door" and have a hard time listening to the well off cry and moan about the out-of-touch-snobby-power-elite BLACK guys going to school on STUDENT LOANS! Maybe somone in a past election wanted a President that they would like to have a beer with...I like the idea of one that knows what its like to pay the bills of going to school a decade after the degree is done.

If you EVER Hear Anyone Talking About Obama Being a Flip-Flopper...

2008-06-30T07:48:00.002-05:00

Keep this handy little list at the ready! Provided by Steve Benen:

McCain was against the repeal of Roe v. Wade before he was for it.
McCain was against torture before he was for it. Really for it.
McCain was against crazy right-wing preachers like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson before he was for them.
McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy before he was for them.
McCain was against shady Bush “Pioneer” Texas billionaire swift-boat financiers before he was for them.
McCain was for the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law before he was against it and began breaking it.
McCain was against Grover Norquist, whom he called “corrupt, a shill for dictators“ before he was for him.
McCain was against BJU because of its “hateful,” “racist and cruel” policies before he was for it.
McCain was against ethanol before he was for ethanol and then he was against it again.
McCain was against a Martin Luther King holiday before he was for it. …

Chris McMillian, My Favorite Bartender in the World

2008-06-30T06:00:00.005-05:00

Mr. McMillan used to be the Bartender of the Library Lounge in the Ritz Carlton. Now, I understand he's at the Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel just off Canal St. in New Orleans. He's the sort of bartender that knows more drink recipes than you can name and knows their histories and stories. Many times he's kept the bar open way past closing for me just to chat about drinks or politics (his mother was an old-line union organizer) or the city. Not that I'm anything special, he's just a nice guy. the kind of person you would want to see at a cocktail lounge. watch the video. seeing him work is nothing short of watching someone craft their art.

[More at the link up top]

And the Lord Said, 'Let there be Eames'

2008-06-29T18:09:00.001-05:00

I've always admired Eames design and I was lucky enough to have a little brother that FOUND a vintage leather Eames chair in a dumpster!

The Week for You...From Harper's

2008-06-24T10:03:00.002-05:00

I like the use of "conquest" to describe the actions of the Iguanas in South Florida.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
HARPER'S WEEKLY

Oil reached a record $139.89 a barrel. Four Western
companies met with Iraq's Oil Ministry to finalize no-bid
contracts to tap Iraqi oil fields, and the Nigerian
government distributed billions of dollars of windfall to
corrupt state officials. Thirty-five countries and 25 oil
companies met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to try to fix
global oil prices, which have caused strikes, riots, and
inflation around the world. Many OPEC countries blamed
speculators for the price increase, as did some
representatives of oil companies and oil-dependent
industries. United States Energy Secretary Sam Bodman
blamed supply and demand, as did lobbyists for Goldman
Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and the International Swaps and
Derivatives Association. Drivers in the Gaza Strip, where
Israel limits fuel supplies and black market gas costs $27
per gallon, used vegetable oil and turpentine as fuel,
producing toxic fumes that result in diarrhea and stomach
pain. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
cancelled four global-warming research expeditions, citing
the cost of fuel. American cowboys could not afford to
drive their horses to rodeos, and those who lived near the
border were filling their tanks in Mexico, where gas is
subsidized. Giant iguanas continued their conquest of
South Florida, surrounding Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commissioner Bob Kanjian at a golf course in Lake
Worth. "I had 25 to 30 iguanas," he said, "staring at me
while I was playing."

Breaking an earlier vow, Senator Barack Obama announced
that he will opt out of the public campaign-finance
system, in order to be able to spend unlimited amounts of
money in the last two months of his presidential campaign,
rather than merely $84 million, the amount to which
Senator John McCain will be limited under public-funding
laws. "It'll be like George Steinbrenner's Yankees in the
90s," Democratic consultant Chris Lehane said of Obama's
campaign, which could spend as much as $500 million,
"against the 90s Kansas City Royals." Al Gore endorsed
Obama, as did Donatella Versace, whose spring-summer 2009
men's line, which includes slim pants with a "slick
techno-fabric sheen," is dedicated to the
candidate. Ex-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
declined to endorse McCain, who has called him "one of
the worst secretaries of defense in history," and Air
Force veteran, comedian, and self-described "old fuck"
George Carlin died at 71.

Water gushed down the Mississippi from last week's floods
in Iowa and Illinois, overflowing at least 20 levees above
Saint Louis, and the Flood Museum in Fort Madison, Iowa,
remained under water. The federal government warned that
climate change will make rainstorms less frequent but more
intense in years to come. A polar bear named Ofeig ("He
Who Should Not Die"), recently arrived in Iceland after
traveling via ice floe from Greenland, was shot and killed
by the police after he panicked and threatened to attack
some journalists. A left human foot wearing a running shoe
was found in the ocean near Vancouver. Police were
checking to see if it was related to any of four right
human feet found in the area since August. "This might
take a long time," said Sharlene Brooks of the Delta
Police Department. "This is not C.S.I." A forensic
pathologist and an anthropologist studying what appeared
to be a sixth human foot concluded that it was an animal
paw and some seaweed stuffed into a sock. Kermit Scott, a
former philosophy professor who inspired Jim Henson's
puppet Kermit the Frog, died. A sweeping revision of
surveillance law, extending the NSA's domestic wiretapping
program and granting immunity to telecom companies that
have helped them spy on Americans, passed the House and
was expected to pass in the Senate. The bill, explained
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D., N.Y.), "abandons the
Constitution's protections and insulates lawless behavior
from legal scrutiny." It was revealed that the Veterans
Affairs Department had tested an anti-smoking drug on
veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder but failed to
warn them that possible side effects included psychotic
behavior and suicide. A bomb in a Kia truck exploded in a
market in Baghdad, killing at least 65 people. "I feel
very tired and sad," said clothing merchant Salam Hashim,
who lost three friends in the attack. "I just want to
smoke."

-- Sam Stark

* * * * * * * * *
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Just Dreadful

2008-06-22T06:45:00.002-05:00

I'm getting pretty sick of my insomnia. I went to bed a little after 3am twice in the last week. those were the "full" night's sleep. every other time was well after 4am. It's 7am now and i'm pretty sure my Sunday is now shot.

great.

Martian Umpire...

2008-06-21T01:43:00.003-05:00

...finally starts to clean off home plate!

Mascot/Ump throwdown

2008-06-14T20:02:00.001-05:00

We had an additional mascot today at the game today. He was pretty good. We're ahead 1-0 in the 3rd.

Separated at Birth?

2008-06-14T17:45:00.005-05:00

For years now, i've thought that Tom Collichio (famous chef and judge on the Top Chef TV show) looks JUST LIKE Baseball hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr.

How Do You Get to ...?

2008-06-09T23:46:00.002-05:00

Wow! this was a pretty good version of Superstition by Stevie Wonder...ON SESAME STREET! Check out the kinds in the background totally freaking out.

A Delta Boy Who's Awfully Proud of Himself

2008-06-08T22:13:00.005-05:00

I bought a copy of Delta Magazine (about the MS Delta) Saturday. It is pretty much one of those magazines dedicated to cheerleading the region/state/city it's about. I'm not the biggest fan of this type of magazine, but sometimes they can be a great mirror back to the place you live. highlights of wonderful treasures you never knew were right under your nose. I still find myself shocked at the places i've never been (or even heard of!) after living in New Orleans for several years (and living a, let's say, active social life).

So, this issue has a picture of a BBQ sandwich on the cover. It has a GREAT map/guide of stops to make on a trip through the Delta (Hwy 49 or Hwy 61, your pick!). I've been to about 60% of the places and the rest seem like discoveries waiting to be made! now back to the picture. What finally hooked me to buy the magazine was that sandwich. i knew what it was. i knew what was on it. I knew when the restaurant was opened. i even knew the plate. When i saw that sandwich I got a warm feeling and had to buy the magazine.

Now i'm hungry for no good reason.

Don't Knock Over My Paperwork

2008-06-06T15:56:00.002-05:00

this is perhaps the most angry i've ever seen someone get at work. as it starts out, you can see the guy in the middle of the screen (accidentally) knocks over the other guys paperwork. he starts to help pick it up, but evidently our man in the cubicle didn't care for his tone.

http://view.break.com/513310 - Watch more free videos

RIP Bo Diddley, RIP

2008-06-02T13:54:00.002-05:00

McComb, MS native Bo Diddley died today. He was easily one of the most influential musicians in the history of Rock 'N Roll, creating THE rhythm for the genre. An era is slipping away...

AP:

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock 'n' roll whose distinctive "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79.

Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., spokeswoman Susan Clary said. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.

Here's a bonus clip with The Dutchess!

I was thinking...

2008-06-01T16:16:00.000-05:00

This was one of my favorite commercials in recent years.

Burn After Reading

2008-06-01T16:13:00.002-05:00

I can't wait to see the new Cohen Brothers movie. it looks great.

Kenji JOHJIMA on the case!!

2008-05-31T22:27:00.003-05:00

my favorite player, Kenji Johjima, STOLE HOME PLATE today! woo hoo! i couldn't be happier (Tulane advances in the NCAA tournament today and that doesn't HURT!). the saturday is better than it started by a LONG shot!

Still gross

2008-05-31T20:14:00.001-05:00

This year, at the MS Braves, instead of racing fans in inflatable balls, they have a running (blood shot) eyeball race. It is about 3x as gross as it sounds.

Sadly, Terribly Convenient for Tracking

2008-05-21T23:32:00.002-05:00

A report just surfaced listing the FBI's involvement in detainee interrogations. One of the most enlightening parts of the report was the FBI's catalog of our government's role in torturing people. the link above takes you to an incredible chart from talking points. An amazing catalog of the betrayal of American principles and values. This 8 year long insult to the integrity of my home cannot end with enough speed.

OK, I'm Officially Sick of It.

2008-05-20T23:54:00.004-05:00

Hillary Clinton needs to get the hell out of the way. I've been kind of quite about it lately, but i'm done. Hillary has been saying for over a month now that she's keeping in the race because she can't give up when she's this close. she can't give up when everyone hasn't had their say in the vote.

I'm sorry, but this has bound into the land of fantasy. She cannot win with the math of a month ago. it isn't better today. More to the point, she cannot win without tearing the party apart. seriously. anyone supporting hillary now (or for the last month or two) needs to explain to me how she can win without asking delegates to overturn votes that went to obama. How we can have a party together without taking earned votes away from the candidate. we can't. if we do, then we tear the party into pieces. I'm sorry, but this is how it is. The worst part, she is living up to the worst lights that people have cast her in over the last 18 years. People have defended her actions as take-charge aggressive, not manipulative and self serving to the point of harming others. It hurts to see her live out the caricature that others have drawn of her.

The part that annoys me most is hearing hillary say 'everyone deserves their time to vote'. as if it were about going through all 50 states. As if we EVER had a primary that was decided by direct vote, after ALL the states voted. No matter how nice it sounds, we have never waited to the end of the modern primary process to pick our nominee. It is not the nature of our process. it never has been. None-the-less, we have this vanity contest with a senator who cannot win and cannot seem to let herself quit. we have a multi-million dollar drain on our monies, needed for house and senate races, like the one we WON in MS- Dist. 1. instead, we're continuing donations to this farcical primary attempt. the race is over. it is costing money and may be costing votes. i'm done with it and i'm sick of waste. Right now Ronnie Musgrove is up 8 points in an attempt to take back a Miss. Senate seat for the democrats for the first time in a generation...yet we waste time and MONEY on this vanity project for Hillary Clinton. Because she came "so close". I'm sorry. I've worked races where we lost by 36 votes. i know what close is. It stinks. It's time to suck it up and go back to being a senator. every day and every dollar works against a Majority in the senate. a supreme court that is secure. a government i can live for instead of living through.

I'm done waiting. Hillary should quit now.

Well, we Lost.

2008-05-17T19:30:00.001-05:00

But I had as good a time as I could have hoped for!

MSUSA!

2008-05-17T17:09:00.001-05:00

More from the lounge!

2008-05-17T17:07:00.001-05:00

Left Field Truckin!

2008-05-17T17:03:00.001-05:00

The left field lounge is built on crazy old vehicles and home made stands. Every section has some crazy Mississippi State constructed stuff.

Left field lounge

2008-05-17T16:58:00.001-05:00

MSU baseball basically has a 'left field lounge' that is basically like a party in the outfield for every game. Lots of fun, even if you are losing!

Last Game of the Season!

2008-05-17T16:53:00.001-05:00

Our coach at MSU is retiring today. Ron Polk is the winning-est coach in SEC history for any sport!