Bush opens 2008 Nationals game

Thoughts? Seems like at about the 0:55 mark he starts to feel uncomfortable. Doesn't take time to pitch... he throws high, High, HIGH above the strike zone! Ball! But don't worry, you're balls are big enough not to throw short! And the sheepish commentator spews, "that was some heat. Eyeee." Don't forget to mention 9/11, the last time this president had high approval ratings...


Hillary Clinton on Baseball. She can't get no satisfaction.

The James is a River

A couple of friends, peers, fellow young americans of mine put together The Eight Track. One of the songs from the record is supposed to compete in one of the weeks, Everyman Righteous, not sure which week though.

http://rvanews.com/eighttrack/

And check this out sometime on Monday (in the Spotlight, Etsy Finds:).

Rebuking the Obama Factor

Need a fresh take on the rhetoric of Obama? This one is refreshing.

"Obama and his followers are perfecting postmodern reflexivity. It's a campaign that's about itself. The point of the campaign is the campaign."

"He lives in an era when the public memory has shrunk to a length of days or weeks. Especially in American politics, policed by a posse of commentators and reporters who crave novelty above all, the past is a blank; every day is Groundhog Day, bringing shocking discoveries of things that have happened over and over again. No politician has benefited from this amnesia as much as Obama. He is credited with revelatory eloquence for using phrases that have been in circulation for years."

"...the elevator music of politics, soothing and inoffensive and unavoidable."

New Rule: Catholis Must Get Up Out Of The Pew And Walk Out Of The Church Forever

Just saw this blog from Bill Maher and thought I'd share...

"When Barack Obama didn't hear Reverend Wright say those awful things about America, he still should have rushed the stage, smite Reverend Wright with the cross, and left the church. If there's anything the right wing can agree on, it's that. And that gays are going to hell, right after they suck them off in the airport bathroom.

But it raises an obvious question, one that I haven't heard asked, which is strange because it's so obvious: If you leave a church when the head of the church says bad things about America, what do you do when your church hierarchy is caught up in a systematic and decades-long sex abuse scandal? And did I mention the people being sexually abused were children? Hundreds of them?

How about when the head of that church, or Pope, associated with and promoted members of the clergy who not only facilitated the sexual abuse and rape of hundreds and hundreds of children, but engaged in a decades-long cover-up of those crimes?

Reverend Wright associated with Farrakhan. The Pope works with Cardinal Law. Which is worse? Isn't it the man who shuffled "priests" like Shanley and Geoghan and many others from parish to parish with the full knowledge of their crimes, and then claimed he had no idea?

Yes, by Sean Hannity's own logic, Catholics like him, en masse, would be expected to abandon their church. Which shouldn't be a problem, because they worship Reagan anyway.

COLMES: Then shouldn't John McCain say he doesn't support the views of a man who makes anti-Catholic statements?
OBENSHAIN: He did, I believe. He said I'm not--I don't agree with everything -- a
COLMES: And Obama says he does not support anti-Semitism, as expressed by Louis Farrakhan.
HANNITY: Leave the church.

Well, what about it, Sean? Shouldn't you leave your church? I mean, like, five years ago?

And since you haven't, how do we know you're not also a secret child fucker? Again, just using your logic:
HANNITY: ...What if he really deep down in his heart thinks like Pastor Wright?
LUNTZ: It's not for anyone to answer that question.
HANNITY: Well, is that dangerous for this country? I think that would be dangerous. That would mean we would have -- if he agreed with Wright, and I don't know that he does, but if he did, that would mean a racist and an anti-Semite would be president of the United States.

Side note: Does it occur to anyone that, for the past five years, the nuts every politician has been busy distancing themselves from--Reverend Wright, Reverend Falwell, Reverend Hagee, Reverend Haggard, Reverend Robertson--are all, you know, reverends?

Why don't we just go back to the days when politicians kept their religions to themselves? Wasn't that better?"

News Alert!

A newspaper from Minnesota has something to tell us... I know someone who is psyched!


Everyone have a good weekend. I'll be in Maryland (a cooler state than Ohio)!

FRONTLINE | "Bush's War"

Five years of the Iraq War... Five years of my life, there's no escape from it...

So this Monday I was lucky enough to be flipping through the channels and stumble on PBS's Frontline special "Bush's War." It was amazing! It seemed like it was the unfiltered (though slanted left) truth. It's not a happy story. The two-part series begins with 9/11 and 4.5 hours later it ends with the surge, or "The Surge!"

"Is it working?" "Now what?"

The format is narration with interviews from top administration officials, biographers, news reports, etc. interwoven with amazing, candid photographs (mostly black and white) of Bush and his crony's at work. Wars don't start themselves, you know!

I could go on and on about this... It was amazing to see all the deceit and infighting amongst top officials. They thought they had such a fucking great idea and then things just seemed to spiral out of control. Nothing went according to plan... and sometimes they didn't have a plan at all! Neo-cons, man. It could have been stopped so many different times, interestingly enough, at one point it seemed like everyone was having second thoughts, but they never all had second thoughts at the same time; decent strategery never prevailed; we created a shit storm.

Anyhow, I put the YouTube preview of Part 1 below, you should watch it sometime. It's kinda scary! I feel like every good, well-informed American could gain some knowledge of how this government really worked leading up, and then completely fucking up, war in Iraq. And it's all here! Hopefully it comes out on DVD soon, I'd buy that piece.


Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers. Major funding is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation.

Bill Maher Sticks It to McCain

Transcript from 3/21/08:

...And finally, New Rule: Old soldiers never die. They get young soldiers killed. This week, John McCain said for the third time in two days that Iran, a Shiite stronghold, was training Al Qaeda, a militant Sunni organization. That the Hatfields of the Muslim world would be working with the McCoys, is so not true even Dick Cheney hasn’t said it.

Now, the press, which loves McCain because he feeds them barbecue—dismissed this as just one of those senior moments – not to worry, he’s only going to have his finger on the nuclear trigger.

But, it’s not just a gaffe. It’s what McCain really thinks. And therein lies the paradox of this campaign. McCain’s strength is really his weakness. He’s a warrior who’s dumb about war.

Now, if you ever read The Art of War, chapter three of The Art of War says, “Know thy enemy.” And John McCain plainly doesn’t. He thinks the solution is our presence in the Middle East. No, the problem is our presence in the Middle East. That’s why I don’t care if John McCain is better than Bush on global warming or torture or campaign finance, because he’s exactly the same as Bush on the war. They both don’t get the same thing.

That, as long as we’re setting up shop in the heart of the Arab world, we’re not keeping America safer. Bin Laden goes ballistic over cartoons in Danish newspapers. And “Goober” and “Grandpa” want to put up a Hooters in Fallouja.

They don’t hate us for our freedom. They hate us for our fiefdom. Winning the war on terror comes down to this: what will make us safer from pissed-off Arab teenagers who are willing to die? There are a number of good answers to that question, but occupying their land for the next hundred years is not one of them.

Some people look at McCain and see a tough guy who’s going to protect us from the Islamofascists. I look at him and see a walking Tom Clancy action figure who’s going to get us all killed.

And yet a new poll shows that a majority of Americans believe John McCain is the candidate best qualified to answer when that red phone rings at three a.m. Because he’d be up anyway trying to pee.

Yes, 55% of Americans think it’s McCain who should answer that phone, because they know John McCain is a warrior. He will not waver or hesitate. He will answer that phone and give the order that sends men to die... And it will turn out to be a recording asking him if he’s happy with his mortgage.


Thank you, Bill, America needs you.

JW And Gang

Anyone pick it up?

Completing the triptych

She'll fight for the little people

It's Raining McCain!

Goodness

We've been avoiding this for so long,
Luxury is temporary than it's gone.
I thought that we would happen,
I guess I'm wrong.
We'll say hi on the street,
then we'll move along.
I know this will be awkward,
but not for long.
Cause soon you'll have a new boy,
to sing you songs.

I will not forgive you,
Nor will I accept the blame.
I will see you on Good Friday,
on Good Friday..

I'm sorry I couldn't do this yesterday,
and tomorrow I am busy and what
it is I can't say.
And Saturday's no good is no good,
we got a show.
So it has to be Good Friday,
Then it's so long..

I will not forgive you,
Nor will I accept the blame.
I will see you on Good Friday,
on Good Friday..

You, You come and go when you please,
I know unfulfilled needs
I know you do too
Oh But I, you know I never see
things through,
I didnt paid attention to you
But honey I tried..

I will not forgive you,
Nor will I accept the blame.
I will see you on Good Friday,
on Good Friday
on Good Friday
on Good Friday...

Eeeeeverybody's a . . .

"David and I drove here tonight in a car singing songs along the way. We were singing cartoons."

more very OLD man jokes here.

Serve the Servants

Rolling in his grave?

How Many Beatles Does It Take To Screw (in the leg of) Heather Mills?

"A More Perfect Union"

For anyone who missed the speech on race that Barack Obama just gave I highly suggest you seek it out. It's being called 'the most important speech on race in over 40 years', and I truly think that's not hyperbole, it's fact. It may not have been politically correct, and some may have been offended by it's directness, but it was the most open and honest discussion of race I've seen mentioned by a major political figure ever. He spoke of white racism, reverse racism, slavery, the OJ trial, Katrina, blacks needing to be better fathers, the differences in our churches, affirmative action and the problems that lie within it. He quoted Faulkner and Jefferson and spoke of the greatness and imperfectness that lies within our constitution. He told white people what blacks say about them in barber shops and behind there backs, that the criminal system is set up against them, that the white politicians dont properly fund black schools, and that they still carry the hatred of Jim Crowe with them. He told blacks what whites say about them in their homes and behind there backs, that they get jobs because they're black, that they have to drive farther to schools because of racial intergration, and how they think they are taking slots in schools to fill a quota. But through it all he spoke of a need for us all to come together, not as voting blocks but as Americans. He challenged the media to think beyond polls and for Americans to think beyond their own prejudices and fears, for that is the only way to break this "racial stalemate" that keeps anything from getting accomplished in this country. And he told us to not hate the hatred, for the people who spew it are just as American as all of us. He may not win the nomination, and he may never become president, but today he just uttered one of the greatest speeches of our nation's history.

"This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected." Barack Obama

Full Text

Collected Pictures and Thoughts on the American Southwest As Seen Through the Northern Stretch of Arizona

contrary to popular tendency, we as human beings are not herding animals. failed tigers, maybe. born of the lonely. un-natured by fear and abundance. a perspective of ourselves among many supports little resemblance to the nature at which we came. phoenix exemplifies this. ask any cancerous cell where he picked up those "tunneling" khakis. growth is a bottom-line business.

i did not go to phoenix.

with a biting wind and (quite possibly) brittling bone, my mother pled, "it's not like the scenery's gunna change." beneath the shade of each hesitant step, i found a world of lands. the breeze of ancient battlegrounds ghostly tempted each and every corner beyond sight. a true dictator unbound by any law above his own still governed the beaten land with an undoubted silence. one (the mighty Colorado), whose company i was unfit to share.

"i wouldn't have to go anywhere. i would have already been there," said the COW-loathing-BOY.

never had i chased the sunset so deliberately. never has a day been wholesomely satisfied with its un-compromised descent. never had my eye's inability to see been so royally confronted. never had inevitable doom been so clear . . . and ultimately freeing. never had a mild observation such as one prior been so overtly sensationalized, or lingually strategized.

enlightenment fails before so. whisky in orange juice does not.

funny, how many artists were born not of the desert. funny, how often the desert stands as a primary focus, guided inspiration, or suggestive conclusion of all things the creative arts animately seek. what does this say about the ever-rippling state of Evolutionarily Thinking Man?

an ungodly long run of "Would You Rather" unsheathed the following charismas: would you rather have a coconut fall from a tree onto your head, or fall from a tree onto your head? would you rather have your body with the head of oprah, or your own head and the body of gary coleman? would you rather dig your way to a literal hell, or birth a fully crucified christ? would you rather live in an eternally looping (and explosively loud) imax theatre, or at the department of motor vehicles? and for the divorcee crowd, would you rather travel with your mom, or your dad?

the absurd range of arizona's environmental terrain is mystifying, as is the threat of positive thought.

but back on the home front, i must express my total disgust in the ratty, yappy, marmot breed of dog. yeah, those things that barely even look like dogs. who would desire such ghoulish company? their numbers are growing as rapidly as nathanaels are not.

Ya'll wanna draw a cartoon?

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Radiohead allowed fans to choose a price for their latest tunes. Now, the best-selling band is hoping fans will make them a music video, too.

TBD Records, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and animation Web portal Aniboom.com are sponsoring an online contest inviting Radiohead fans to produce an animated music video for any song from "In Rainbows," the band's popular 2007 album that was originally available for download at an optional price.

Information can be found at http://www.aniboom.com/radiohead. (Cartoon Network is a unit of Time Warner, as is CNN.)

Online voters and a panel of judges will select finalists with Radiohead choosing a winner who will receive a $10,000 prize to produce a full-length animated music video. The competition began Monday and continues through April 27.

"Join, or Die"

Paul Giamatti as John Adams, Tom Hanks as producer, based on a Pulitzer prize winning book, sign me up. Saw the trailer for this the other day and I've got to say, I got a feeling this thing is going to be the next great thing in a long running tradition of great things on HBO. So if you're near a TV set at 8 tonight and are a subscriber to the Home Box Office then tune in.

Weekend Radical Links

Happy reading, pigs! Enjoy your weekend!

-here A politician's downfall, as told by the New York Post. Stay classy.

-here A shuttle train marketing to your butthole. So soft!

-here A prediction of Oils End. Fingers crossed!

-here John Lennon's "Lost Weekend" told in pictures, Instamatic Karma.

-here Fox Business Network forced to switch to Fox Business, and great SNL, clownpenis.fart.

-here Hulu.com, NBC and FOX teams up to bring you dozens television shows, movies, and more. It's they way of the future!

Sybille II by Wim Delvoye

Possibly the most disturbing video I have ever seen. How long can you watch before closing the window in disgust? I got to the 2 minute mark, about halfway.



If you visit the video's YouTube page you'll see what could be even more disturbing: the HUGE number of videos with the same theme. Grotesque.

"I mean, who doesn't like Bruce Springsteen?"

I've gotten in my fair share of heated arguements when it comes to Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen, but maybe (I can't say 100%) this is taking it a bit far.

Lest We Think About the After Life

The Evangelicals have shown me a philosophical way. Despite disagreeing with them on accepting Jesus as one’s savior, fostering a personal relationship with God, viewing the Bible as divinely inspired, and leading other’s to Christ, I still admire the essential pillar of the Evangelical: bring faith into all aspects of one’s life. I do, however, draw a distinct difference in defining God. In my experience, Evangelicals bring faith into their life by trusting God’s will and living with the knowledge that Jesus sacrificed his life for mankind. This means that by reading the Bible (the word of God) and praying, one can talk directly to God and thus remain faithful to His plans, all while knowing he is cleansed of sin by the blood of Jesus. Jesus is the example of there being a plan and accepting this into your heart is the way! The Evangelicals define this God as a being that created the Earth in seven days, who gave his only begotten son to die on a cross, and who is a puppet master of all life and things (this all may be true in a literary sense, considering it was written by man).
I lean heavily in the Carl Jung definition, that it’s the collection of human consciousness, essentially a man-made Knowledge expanding exponentially since the dawn of human thought that makes up God. Thus we’ve created the definitions that make up life and all things, as told to us by our senses (we’re still creating them!). Yet, mankind is passed the point of knowing the effects of his mind and thoughts (fortunately or unfortunately), so by influencing others and expressing his thoughts and self, he’s essentially supporting the exponential growth of God (and reflecting the state of nature). To have faith in one’s own self and individuality will grow God positively and bring the possibilities and impact of being unique into perspective. While Evangelicals may look forward to the kingdom of Heaven, I look forward to offering something new and interesting to God (and my fellow mankind).

I stumbled upon this book review in a recent WS, it inspired the above.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Protected/Articles/000/000/014/810poygs.asp

Big Balls or Science Boobies!

Left: All the water in the world (1.4087 billion cubic kilometres of it) including sea water, ice, lakes, rivers, ground water, clouds, etc.

Right: All the air in the atmosphere (5140 trillion tonnes of it) gathered into a ball at sea-level density. Shown on the same scale as the Earth.

[source]

What WAS up, Doc?

anyone ever heard of doc ellis, the all-star pitcher for the pittsburgh pirates? he beaned reggie jackson in the face simply to avenge the slugger's home-run off him in a previous game. he also vowed to hit the entire cincinnati reds starting line-up in one game. after hitting the first three, the fourth managed to avoid contact. after another two pitches directed at the head of fifth batter johnny bench, ellis was pulled from the game, seemingly well determined to hold his promise. as if the antics couldn't peak (no pun intended) any further, in june 1970, doc threw a no-hitter . . . on acid. not originally planned to start, he got high and was consequently re-scheduled to pitch the night's game at last minute. he was unable to feel the ball or see the batter. apparently, the catcher wore reflective tape simply to suggest a relevant target. his response to the experience went as follows, "I can only remember bits and pieces of the game. I was psyched. I had a feeling of euphoria. I was zeroed in on the (catcher's) glove, but I didn't hit the glove too much. I remember hitting a couple of batters and the bases were loaded two or three times. The ball was small sometimes, the ball was large sometimes, sometimes I saw the catcher, sometimes I didn't. Sometimes I tried to stare the hitter down and throw while I was looking at him. I chewed my gum until it turned to powder. They say I had about three to four fielding chances. I remember diving out of the way of a ball I thought was a line drive. I jumped, but the ball wasn't hit hard and never reached me." - compliments to wikipedia / harvest records

What the Tuck?

It's a sad day for political junkies as Tucker Carlson's show 'Tucker' is apparently getting the axe. After 33 months, 4 time slots, 2 names, and multiple format changes it's apparently time to say good bye to the lovable libertarian with the shaggy hair do. (If you ask me I think when he lost the bowtie he must've lost some of his strength, you know like that Sampson guy and his hair.)

I'm really gonna hate to see you go Tuck. We may not of always seen eye to eye but there was a certain something about you that I always liked. You gave us Willie Giest, close ups from the Straight-Talk-Express, and some might testy exchanges over the years. I don't know how I'll fill my 6pm viewing slot (probably with whatever else MSNBC puts on in your place) but at least MSNBC is going to keep you around as a political analyst so you aren't completely out of my life. And with that said I'm reminded and comforted by the famous words Jon Stewart once said to you... "You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show".

*By the way, how great would a Mike Huckabee show be!*

Spring Forward

It's that time of the year. I LOVE Daylight Savings Time. I LOVE leaving work and it still being light out. Can you believe some people don't like Daylight Savings Time? Jerks.

Here's something you'll all enjoy... In celebration of Jay Segertimeradio's arrival to New York City, I have decided to make everyone a mix cd compiled of 100% New York musicians. It's not super diverse, no Duke Ellington or Biggie Smalls, just music I had on my computer. I will bring some of the cds to Jay's show on Thursday. If you don't expect to be there and would like one, just email me (Mkhobby@gmail.com) your address and I'll send you one. Rock on, you crazy diamond.

Radical Links
-here Time Out of Mind
-here No Site is Safe
-here Bjork Ruined It for Everyone (Everyone meaning Chinese people)

McCain Clinches, Dems Still Dicking Around

"I assume that dog voted for Obama?" Oh that's not right, people! Painting Bill's face (!) with the ickiest of poo poos. Is that dog German, I mean, WTF?! Can I get a, "that ain't right?!" Still makes me giggle, he-he.

So it looks like we're up against 'ol John McCain. Bring it! He doesn't scare me one bit. First of all, he isn't really one of the super bad, neo-con Republicans like DeLay, Bush, etc. He seems to have a head on his shoulders (albeit a very, very old head). Again, I kinda default to, "it could be worse." *cough*BUSH*cough* I think McCain would end the war in Iraq during his term.

Who do I want to answer the phone in the White House at 3am? Hillary. Obama. Obama? Hillary? I have no idea how the hell this is going to pan out. Looks like Obama is going to win with the delegates, but Hillary, you know, don't count her out. The Clintons have been the leaders of the party. People are still loyal to Hil and Bubba. They could find some way to win it... or maybe Obama will rally his people together and go all the way? It would be nice to not have a Bush or Clinton running the show. And least Republicans don't seem to hate Obama like they do the Clintons.

March 13, 2008

I would like to invite you New Yorkers to a night of music. Thursday, March 13 I will be playing at Banjo Jim's. This show will coincidentally be the first week I am in NY, the first time I've played at Banjo Jim's, and only the 3rd time I've played the city. It would do me great pleasure and inspiration, as well as making a great impression, if you could come, enjoy yourself, bring friends and pick up my first official full length recording. I will be going on around 1130 and playing for an hour or so.

Remember that Night Vividly, I Drove...

So apparently they are making absinthe in the US that approaches legitimate quality. My interest was spurred by a friend of mine who visited this weekend. He had a ridiculous cut on his chin. When I asked him what happened, he explained that his girlfriend found him on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood. We talked about the intrigue of the drink and tried to pinpoint the high. "It's like mushrooms without the craziness," I said. "It's very cool, like you're under water...not a sloppy drunk...lucid." "Yes," he said, "and that was the name of the stuff I drank, it's legal in the US."

I had one experience with absinthe. Some friends and I had tickets to see Kings of Leon in downtown Baltimore. One of the friends suggested we accept an invitation to congregate before the show over a nice dinner, some sporting, and absinthe brought back from Spain. The dinner was amazing, despite the fact I can't remember what we had. I just remember there being preparations, some formality and class to the whole ordeal. And I didn't indulge too much in the poker, I mostly just listened to the blues permeating the room via cable TV. Then, our hosts brought out a glorious bottle for us to partake in that wonderful process, which involves crystal glasses, special spoons, sugar cubes and ice water. We drank. It tastes distinctively like black Mike & Ike's, a bitter mint taste that runs slowly, warmly and surely down your throat, chest and stomach like liquid armor. We drank more. The high is clear and strong, positive, relaxed and with a confidence in one's reason and rationale. So we packed my sport utility vehicle and headed downtown into rush hour traffice. We rode unannoyed through the salty streets of Baltimore listening to music and feeling high.

Lending a Helping Hand

I called my mother from work on Friday. She was home sick with the flu. She went on to explain how she had two tickets to see The Beach Boys in Shippensburg, PA that night. I asked her what she was going to do. Mom said if she forced herself to go she'd likely pass out and die (not a bad way to go, I guess), so she was trying to give the tickets away. Mom called everyone she knew (and even some people she didn't), and couldn't find anyone who wanted to go.

"What about Meghan and Kyle?" I asked.

"She told me no one in her generation would be caught dead at a Beach Boys concert." I could see Meghan saying that.

RIDICULOUSNESS! At a bare minimum, you'd get a free night on the town to absorb some good vibrations. Come on, is there something better going on in Hagerstown that night? Doubt it.

I asked mom if I could help; she said yes. Three minutes later I called her back... "Lucas is on his way." Touching, I know. I heard he planned on bringing a girl! Aw!