Jay Allbritton

Mustaine Endorses!!!

2012-02-15T10:25:00.001-08:00

I adore the nexus of hair metal and politics. Like when Ted Nugent or Gene Simmons go after President Obama. This stuff is always gold. Today comes word that legendary singer/guitarist Dave Mustaine, frontman of Megadeth has endorsed a presidential candidate.

After much consideration Mustaine is throwing his considerable heft behind Rick Santorum. "Earlier in the election, I was completely oblivious as to who Rick Santorum was," Megaman said, "but when the dude went home to be with his daughter when she was sick, that was very commendable."

So there you have it.

UPDATE: Mustaine wants you to know that he did not use the word endorse. He merely said he wants a Republican to win and that Republican will be Santorum. Got it?

And here's this, one of the great unintentionally funny songs of all time:

Saturday Play--James Mercer of The Shins Live at San Diego's 91X

2012-02-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

According to the station's site, the new song "It's Just Life" has been redacted until March 20, when the new album drops. Nevertheless, it's a damn fine set.

Pete Hoesktra Should Have Spent It Not That $150,000 On Racist Commercial

2012-02-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

When Iranians bravely rose up in January of 2009, Republican House Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan was immediately reminded of a time when he and his fellow House Republicans themselves rose up against oppression. So overwhelmed with the memory was Rep. Hoekstra that he even tweeted it out.

Fast forward to the present. The very tolerant and totally sensitive Hoekstra is running for Senate, and he is the likely Republican nominee that will run against Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow in November. The Hoekstra campaign rolled out an ad during the Super Bowl that no one seems to like. Is it because of the childish name calling? Is it the intensely offensive race baiting that takes place on so many levels? Yes.

Hoekstra defended the ad, telling the Detroit Free Press, “It’s a very straightforward message. There’s nothing racist in this ad. This is all about holding Debbie accountable for her reckless spending.” Having your Chinese-American actress speak in broken English while "Theme to Yellow Scare" plays in the background isn't racist?

As for the underlying concept, tortured as they were, that Hoekstra is a wise, frugal, responsible person who will handle the taxpayer's money with care, ABC reported that the cost of airing the ad was $150,000. Yeah. A made up, unfunny, offensive, ineffective ad: $150,000. The backlash: priceless.

UPDATE: Is there a method to this madness?

Let's Go All In on the Election

2012-02-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

Huffington Post reported today that the Koch brothers have pledged $60 million to beat President Obama in the 2012 presidential election. The pledges--$40 million from Charles Koch and $20 million from David Koch--came at a private retreat in California last weekend. 300 other individuals pledged $40 million more to their cause, bringing the total to around $100 million. That, my friends, is a lot of free speech.

This is just the beginning. It's only February. While I'm disturbed that the demise of campaign finance laws has made a mockery of our elections, which weren't so great to begin with, I do relish the concept of billionaires betting this big this early on such a losing proposition. Maybe by the time Obama/Biden wrap this up in November these guys won't be billionaires anymore.

Is America Ready for Sugar Reform?

2012-02-02T11:31:00.001-08:00

Sugar is in the news in a big, sweet, delicious, debilitating way today. A paper published in the journal Nature suggesting that sugar should be regulated has gone viral. While there is no way that will happen--if you think tobacco had a strong lobby, wait until you get a load of Big Sugar--the idea of studying and eventually reforming the way sugar gets into our food is a fantastic idea. Sadly, the only real legislation aimed at regulating sugar is a honey ham-fisted attempt by a Florida Republican to keep people on food stamps from buying snacks.

While we're on the subject: Cake or Death?

East Haven Mayor Faces Difficult Choice--Tacos or Spaghetti?

2012-01-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday Peter Applebome of The New York Times reported on the arrest of members of a rogue gang of East Haven, Connecticut, cops called Miller’s Boys by the FBI. Sgt. John Miller and three other officers were charged with conspiracy, false arrest, excessive force and obstruction of justice. "The indictment," Applebome writes, "described years of mistreatment of individuals, especially Hispanics, and efforts to cover it up."

The article itself is a must read. The behavior detailed in the article is reprehensible. But wait until you hear East Haven's Mayor, Joseph Maturo, Jr., when asked about the arrests:

In Case You Missed It--State of the Union Video in Full

2012-01-24T20:58:00.000-08:00

Pretty strong speech by the President in my opinion. Judging by instant twitter reaction--no one changed their minds about anything and everyone feels exactly the way they did about the president after the speech as they did before the speech. People don't really change their opinions in America anymore.

Saturday Play--Los Campesinos! play "By Your Hand" on Late Night

2012-01-21T00:23:00.000-08:00

It is so validating when the obscure bands I so often become obsessed with actually show up somewhere in the mainstream. Also, nice exchange with Letterman at the end too. Kind of a shame that this didn't happen two albums ago.

And while we're here, here's one from the band's debut album, Hold On Now Youngster, called "My Year in Lists":

My Year In Lists by Los Campesinos on Grooveshark

And, to squeeze in a plug, to literally hear my year in lists, check out the podcast I do with the great Jason Edwards, Mailing It In.

Sure, That Was Cool but Remember This...?

2012-01-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

In the wake of President Obama's well-received crooning, comedian Jen Kirkman (@JenKirkman) reminds us via twitter that there is a high bar for presidential coolness:

That bar was set by this performance by President William Jefferson Clinton:

Stewart, Colbert Team Up to Avoid Coordinating

2012-01-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart work out the kinks on their completely separate presidential campaign and Super PAC.

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More Like Out of the Hunt...sman.

2012-01-16T02:26:00.001-08:00

So it looks like Jon Huntsman is calling it a race and he's endorsing Mitt Romney on his way out the door. Huntsman is the one guy that might have been able to give President Obama a hard time in the general election. I also saw him as a candidate that could engage in the long game, like John McCain did in 2008. McCain was dead and buried early on in the race before rising from the ashes as candidate after candidate proved to be woefully disappointing. It was always a long shot, but I had a hunch that if Huntsman could get onto that backstretch he might eventually outpace Mitt and whoever survived long enough to become the conservative wing's anti-Mitt (the role Huckabee played in '08).

Now that my long-shot scenario is kaput I see this only going one of two ways. Romney rolls to victory in South Carolina and then dominates the rest of the way winning easy, or, Romney rolls to victory in South Carolina and everyone other than Santorum and Paul get out of the race, allowing this to become a tightly contested three-way (or two-way if you don't count Paul, and I don't) battle heading into Super Tuesday. Maybe Paul becomes Mitt's buffer against Santorum the way Huck was McCain's buffer against Mitt in 08.

Looking ahead to the general election, much has been made of the variety of interesting possibilities that exist for stunt candidates jumping into the general election. The two parties have worked together for a very long time making it difficult for additional party candidates and independents to break into the race.

Of course, in this post-Citizens United era that we get the pleasure of living in (thanks Supreme Court!) those extraneous candidates could be wind-aided by a great deal of green free speech. The problem with that, for conservatives, is that these monied insta-campaigns will be waged by very rich individuals who will likely be as conservative or more conservative than the Republican candidate. That would result in a split conservative electorate while most everyone center-left falls in line behind behind the President, who would cruise to a massive electoral landslide that even Walter Mondale would think was embarrassing.

But who knows, maybe former Salt Lake City mayor and anti-Bush darling Rocky Anderson catches fire and we get ourselves a four-, five-, or six-way race. Possibilities abound.

Oh, and while I'm making predictions... as of now, I have the New York Giants beating Baltimore in the Super Bowl and the Eurozone lasting until about Memorial Day.

Saturday Play--Gotye's "Somebody that I Used to Know"

2012-01-14T10:38:00.000-08:00

David Allun Jones has an excellent review of Gotye's "Somebody that I Used to Know" (via Jonk Music). Between the original and Walk Off the Earth's cover of it (5-person guitar-style, no less) I am positively obsessed with this song.

I whole heartedly agree with Jones that guest vocalist Kimbra's contribution to the song takes it to another level. Jones writes:

Once featured guest (and MM fave) Kimbra arrives on the half-way mark to help fill in between the lines in the role of the new ex-girlfriend though, “Somebody That I Used To Know” is elevated to a whole new plateau of awesomeness, her steely cut-down of his behavior in their own relationship providing one of the most fantastic “wait…what?” musical moments in recent memory in it’s jaw-dropping verse-ending reveal (“You said that you could let it go/ And I wouldn’t catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know!!!”) that brilliantly shifts the target of all his succeeding hook agitation towards her.

The album isn't even available in the states until January 31.

Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye on Grooveshark
Here's Gotye's performance of the song at LA public radio station KCRW.

Republican Candidates Doing Ted Kennedy's Material

2012-01-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

Jon Stewart lampooned the concentrated attacks from Republican candidates targeting Mitt Romney's role at Bain Capital because they are unbelievably hypocritical coming from those guys. They are also absolutely devastating. Teddy Kennedy blew the lid off this story during the 1994 campaign for his Senate seat. In this clip from last summer, Chris Matthews and his panel discussed whether this could hurt Romney in 2012.

Goodbye, Michelle, Your Campaign's Done...

2012-01-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

The title of the post is the start of a song parody to the tune of "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks that I do not have the time, nor the inclination to finish. But what a fitting song for such a meaningless, substance-free campaign. So long, Michelle. All the stars you could reach were just starfish on the beach.

Thankfully, TPM has produced a tribute, so we may never forget these last several months.

More Podcasting, Less Blogging in 2012

2011-12-31T00:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I've gone and done it. I started a podcast (RSS Feed) with my friend Jason Edwards. Edwards and I grew up together in South Florida. We share a strange affinity for comparing and ranking things. So, were making lists. Best and Worst Presidents? Best Sequels? Best Fiction? You name it, we'll rank it. We're encouraging people to come and share their take on these matters via comments. We will surely regret doing so.

The show is not up on iTunes yet, but I will post the link when we get it, which should be soon.

Triumph Does OWS

2011-12-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's return to late night came in the form of a trip down to Occupy Wall Street. Sure he took some cheap, though good-natured digs at the protesters, but it was nothing compared to what he did to the Bull.

Bill Murray FTW in Scrooged

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

"Make 'em a sandwich and say, 'Oh by the way here!'"

God bless us every one.

Happy Festivus!

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

Gather round the pole! And later... feats of strength!

Why Your Taxes Are Probably About to Go Up

2011-12-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Speaker Boehner finally backed down.

Rachel Maddow explains why House Republicans are about to allow taxes to go up on almost every working American, an act certain to hurt the economy quite a bit.

Part 1:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Part 2:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Next Best Thing to an Actual Jetpack

2011-12-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

This costs $6,400.

Happy Birthday, Bill!

2011-12-16T11:50:00.000-08:00

Today is the day that Bill Hicks would have turned 50. Here's the time he went for the righteous indignation dollar. That's a big dollar.

U.S. Occupation of Iraq Officially Over

2011-12-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, today the occupation of Iraq has officially ended. Over the course of nearly eight years, 4,485 Americans were killed as well as hundreds of thousands of Iraqis in the wake of one of the worst decisions by a president in American history. The words I keep hearing in my head are those of our former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld who said this in 2002:

I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today would last five days, or five weeks, or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last any longer than that.

--Interview with Steve Croft, CBS Radio, November 14, 2002.

And this, nearly three months later:

And it is not knowable if force will be used, but if it is to be used, it is not knowable how long that conflict would last. It could last, you know, six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.

--TownHall Meeting, Aviano Air Base, Italy, February 7, 2003.

Conservatives In Crisis as Gingrich Gains Momentum

2011-12-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

Andrew Sullivan has a post up that compiles several voices from within the conservative establishment that are virtually crying out in agony at the thought (inevitability?) of Newt Gingrich winning the Republican nomination.

The most emotional and entertaining freak out comes from radio host Michael Savage, who offered Newt a million bucks to quit the race. That decent proposal is good until Thursday.

What I am curious about is how the dynamics of the race shift as we lose Perry, Santorum, Bachman and Huntsman. If Ron Paul can tap into an anti-Gingrich/anti-Romney sentiment, this could get delightfully exciting. I would not be the least bit surprised to see the race go all the way to the convention floor.

Louis CK Eliminates Middle Man

2011-12-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

Louis CK is circumventing the usual distributing suspects and selling his wares directly to the masses in the form of a new stand-up show called Live from the Beacon Theater. It can be downloaded for $5.00 from Louie's website. Hope it's good. I haven't watched yet.

UPDATE: I watched it. Hilarious.

FURTHER UPDATE: Louie gives us a report on the success of this little project. Let's just say he's done very well.

Fox News Puts Muppets At Heart of New Red Scare

2011-12-07T13:13:00.001-08:00

Watch as Fox News soars high over shark filled waters.

Robert Reich Breaks it Down

2011-12-06T09:43:00.001-08:00

Former Obama adviser and Clinton Administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich editorializes on the Occupy movement and the challenges facing the American economy.

Sad that a smart guy like this with a long record of being right about the economy and a history of public service can't get nominated to an influential position in the government, and even if he did get nominated, he would never pass a Republican filibuster. Dr. Reich's newest book is called Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future.

Saturday Play--Thao and the Get Down Stay Down Rock "Bag of Hammers"

2011-12-03T11:45:00.001-08:00

Why wasn't this song the bomb summer anthem from three years ago? There is no reason, I tells ya. Thao and her band are an incredible force of nature and I can not wait to see what they do next. Also, she appears to be a fairly legit beat boxer.

Here's the raw live version:

And here is the music video:

Lightning Round--SEC/Citi Settlement Tossed, The Case for Religious Studies, Elizabeth Mitchell, Das Racist, More...

2011-12-01T12:30:00.001-08:00

New York Times: US District Court judge Jed S. Rakoff brought the hammer down on cozy settlements between the banks and the SEC, which should lead to tougher enforcement and transparency in future cases. Keith Olbermann has a full report. And the beginnings of an epic goatee.

Religion Dispatches: Religious Studies academic turned journalist Nathan Schneider makes a case for the study of Religious Studies. I also happen to be a former Religious Studies student--I walked away after getting my MA from the University of Florida in 2003 to pursue a career in... I'll let you know when I find out. Job prospects even for Religion Ph.D.s (much less lowly MAs) are beyond grim. Schneider does a good job of describing the skills attained from a Religious Studies education that people outside of the discipline do not tend to understand.

Russell McCutcheon: Dr. McCutcheon, a Religious Studies professor at the University of Alabama who wrote a dandy book (that I once wrote a paper on) called Critics Not Caretakers: Redescribing the Public Study of Religion, has written a response to Schneider's letter on his very entertaining Facebook page.

Roger Ebert: What would stop me from seeing a movie with Elizabeth Mitchell--the beloved Juliet Burke from Lost? Dane Cook is the top billed actor. Dilemma...

You Ain't No Picasso: Check out this mind melting performance by Das Racist on Conan.

Emptyage: Generation X just wants to be left alone, okay man? Just for one second? Thanks.

SOPA--Cure Worse Than the Disease

2011-11-28T12:50:00.001-08:00

Some truly poorly written legislation working its way through congress is ostensibly designed to stop online piracy. What it would do, in its current form, is completely screw up the Internet. Ars Technica, Lifehacker, Crooks & Liars, and CNET have all have posts up about this massive bunch of crap.

This news report from the ether does a pretty good job of further breaking it down without getting too hysterical:

Not that there's anything wrong with hysteria at a time like this. In fact, I'll post Cenk Uygur's scathing take-no-prisoners report on this when it goes up on YouTube later on... assuming there still is a YouTube later on. (UPDATE: YouTube is still there, and here's the link to Cenk.)

Leading the charge against the two bills in question, which are called SOPA and Protect IP, is Senator Ron Wyden, who placed a hold on the legislation twice now and is planning a filibuster... that will not work. He strongly advises that you call your Congressional representatives (202-225-3121) and raise hell. You can sign this petition (h/t Ms. B) and Wyden will mention your name during his filibuster.

Google, Facebook, Mozilla, Zynga, eBay, Twitter, Yahoo, LinkedIn, and even the ungodly AOL have joined forces to put out a full-page ad in the New York Times against the bills in question.

Here’s the full text of SOPA.

The good news is that the Internet as we know it is an idea that can not be killed. If the government breaks it, the people will build another one. But for the time being, let's fight like hell for the one we got.

Saturday Play--Tokyo Police Club and Ted Leo Cover "Since U Been Gone"

2011-11-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

Back in summer, Tokyo Police club covered the first decade of the 21st century, by covering one song per day for ten days. This is their take on Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone."

Since U Been Gone by Tokyo Police Club on Grooveshark

While I'm generally not a fan of Clarkson's brand of all out pop, TPC is at least the second act to scrape some polish off "Since U Been Gone". The great Ted Leo bent it into a sweet medley with Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps".

What's The Deal With These Neutrinos?

2011-11-18T15:15:00.001-08:00

Back in September, European scientists reported that they had measured neutrinos moving faster than the speed of light. I got really excited and went to eBay to put in a bid on a starcruiser so that I could get off this crazy rock. Sadly all I could find online were reports from wicked-smart nerds saying there was no way this whole deal was legit.

Maybe, maybe not. But a repeat of the experiment found 20 neutrinos making a run for the border... of the space-time continuum. Still, before anyone starts writing nasty letters to Einstein's department of I'm Dead Over Here, keep in mind that it takes an independent team repeating the experiment before the shit really hits the fan.

I don't know about you people, but I find this beyond fascinating even though I have no idea what this will mean for anyone currently alive.

Here's a relevant web-comic from xkcd, which Stacy Sedai hipped me to:

Click to biggie size

WTF--Pat Riley Stole Marc Maron's Goatee!?

2011-11-14T10:11:00.001-08:00

Swiped it right off his face!

Saturday Play--Tegan & Sara, "Back In Your Head"

2011-11-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

This clip is from Tegan and Sara's new DVD/live album bundle Get Along, which looks like a veritable bonanza of T&S goodness.

.

Since there's much work to be done on this Saturday, let's make it a double shot with this 2007 performance of my favorite T&S song, "Living Room".

Abramoff Drops Bomb on 60 Minutes--OMG DC is Corrupt, Ya'all

2011-11-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

Jack Abramoff went on 60 Minutes to promote his new book, I mean to tell us all that DC is corrupt. Leslie Stahl is shocked, shocked I tells ya. By the way, Abramoff gets all the dough from his book sales.

Cenk Uygur, as always, has more. Uygur makes the point that even though Abramoff is a crook, the real problem is the legalized corruption in the system.

Rep. Joe Walsh is a Race Car in the Red, Superfly TNT, Guns of the Navarone

2011-11-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend Republican Rep. Joe Walsh (not the Eagles guitarist) held a town hall meeting at a bar in Gurnee, Illinois. This clip shows him getting upset and yelling a lot. He doesn't want any more reforms. For a moment, let's forget about the "debate" over government regulations and let's look at the behavior of a U.S. Representative talking to his constituents.

Walsh clarified his tantrum here. He was hungry.

Yacht Now Necessity for 1%

2011-11-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

Colbert reports on a full-page ad in Yachts International magazine that explains why yachts are no longer optional if you're super-rich.

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Saturday Play--Jonathan Coulton, "Code Monkey"

2011-11-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

You can feel the Marxian alienation ooze off this gem by Jonathan Coulton.

All of Mr. Coulton's albums can be bought here.

Lightning Round--Jumping in Race Late, Huntsman's Moment, General Strike in Oakland, Amazon Starting Kindle Lending Library, Chris Rock on WTF, More

2011-11-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

FiveThirtyEight: Nate Silver looks at what would have to happen for a candidate not already running for the Republican nomination to get in the race and be competitive.

Daily Dish: I still think that Huntsman can make a run at the Republican nomination. But, having said that, let us not talk falsely, the hour is getting late. If Huntsman is going to make his run, he has to do it now at a time when Cain is wobbling and Perry has been exposed as an embarrassment. Andrew Sullivan's readers offer their takes on why Huntsman is not catching on.

Crooks and Liars: Diane Sweet has a wrap up and some video of yesterday's general strike in Oakland. While the words "general strike" are an exaggeration, this protest did manage to shut down the Port of Oakland, quite possibly the biggest accomplishment of the movement to date.

Mashable: As if I wasn't excited enough about my Kindle, or the Kindle Fire that I will own in about two weeks, now we get word that Amazon is starting a lending library for Amazon Prime members. That Hulu Plus membership I hardly ever use looks like it's getting traded in.

Reuters: Dina Kyriakidou and Lefteris Papadimas look at the confusing situation in Greece as they head toward a fateful referendum that will determine whether they stay with the Euro. It will also determine the fate of the global economy and the future of humanity, so.... no biggie. UPDATE: Referendum cancelled! Whaa?

WTF w/ Marc Maron: Maron brings in a big catch, not just for his show, but for the world of podcasting--Mr. Chris Rock. We're going to need a bigger iPod. As great as it is to hear Rock talk with Maron about comedy, it takes a while for their styles to mesh into a worthwhile back and forth. It does get very interesting in spots, especially when Rock starts talking about Cosby and Pryor, and just before the end of the show when Rock admits that Dave Chappelle is the only comedian he ever has to follow that "puts fear" in his heart.

Ars Technica: Saber-toothed Squirrels, ya'all!

"We Still Have a lot of Work to Do"

2011-11-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

A heckler hijacked the beginning of Elizabeth Warren's talk with Massachusetts volunteers with a bunch of nonsense. It seemed like he was trying to tie to her OWS, like that's some kind of a bad thing. Warren stays cool, leading to the heckler storming out saying something about a foreign born something or other.

Needs More Zizek

2011-11-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

As I sit here listening to Zizek talk to Al Jeezera on my computer about OWS, protesters are making a lot of noise outside my building and my coworkers are laughing at them. What's it all mean? Probably just another Wednesday in the new norm of slow burn global revolution.

The San Jose Mercury News has coverage of Occupy Oakland's general strike and rally.

Slavoj Zizek on OWS

2011-10-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek recently discussed Occupy Wall Street with Charlie Rose.

On Wednesday, Zizek spoke at St. Mark's Bookshop in the East Village.

WTF Happened in Oakland?

2011-10-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Jon Stewart breaks down the crackdown on OWS in Oakland.

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Reuters has an update on Scott Olsen, a former U.S. Marine who served two tours in Iraq who's skull was fractured by a police projectile when cops moved to shut down Occupy Oakland on Tuesday.

This video captures the scene as it unfolded.

At first belligerent, Oakland's mayor Jean Quan has backed off from her original statement, even going so far as to say that she supports the goals of the movement. She also stated that she would minimize police presence in the future.

Fly with the Crew of the International Space Station

2011-10-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

From ReelNASA's YouTube channel, "This sequence of shots was taken on Oct. 1, 2011, from 21:20:24 to 21:41:24 GMT, on an ascending pass from just southwest of Cote d'Ivoire in Africa to southern Russia."

Iraq Occupation Ending

2011-10-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

"The rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year," President Obama announced today in his comments about the end of US military involvement in that country.

Shock and Awe, the invasion of Iraq, commenced in the early morning hours of March 19, 2003. Here is President Bush making the announcement.

In between we learned a lot about the motivations behind the invasion and occupation and the methods used by the administration in selling it to the American people.

As President Obama pointed out in his comments today, over a million Americans served in Iraq over the last eight and a half years. 4,478 of them were killed in Iraq.

You Call That a Debate?

2011-10-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

The clown car that is the Republican debates hit 88 miles per hour last night and we saw some serious shit.

Why OWS Will Not be Co-Opted

2011-10-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

Author Chris Hedges talks about OWS and movements in general in Times Square this weekend. Along with Naomi Klein, Hedges offers a compelling description of what's happening now and what may come next.

Marxquake!

2011-10-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Fox Business News reporter calls Zuccotti Park, home of Occupy Wall Street, the Marxist epicenter of New York. Wow, that's amazing. See what happens when you don't make your demands or your message too specific. Here I was hoping to get a few reasonable regulations on the banks so they don't do stupid shit like speculating the global economy into a black hole. Again. But we're getting full blow Marxism! Awesome work. I'm so glad the TV is there to tell us the truth.

Saturday Play--Jason Segel & Broken West Perform "Dracula's Lament"

2011-10-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Jason Segel brought his puppets and his sad song of vampire love from the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall to the 1000th episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, where he was backed up by The Broken West.

Zuccotti Park Cleanup Cancelled, Showdown Averted

2011-10-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Al Jazeera covers the tension over an attempt to vacate the site of the Occupy Wall Street protest.

This video shows the announcement being made in the park using the protestors' means of communication--the people's mic.

Occupy New Haven In Action

2011-10-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

This is going on in over a thousand American cities. Blog buddy Jeri has some pictures over at her place.

Keith Olbermann Correct

2011-10-12T23:49:00.000-07:00

The Florida state rep. I posted about in the Lightning Round, the one who wants to bring back the electric chair in Florida, Brad Drake, got tased by Olbermann last night. Yeah Keith O. is still a thing apparently. And though it's kind of hard to deal with Keith's delivery of the word "asshole", the Drake really is such an asshole.

Lightning Round--OWS/Tea Party Venn Diagram, Iran Plot, Jobs Bill Poll, Weezer Cruise, Perry the Historian, More...

2011-10-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

Andrew Sullivan: An intriguing Venn diagram illustrates the difference between Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party. As the creator of the diagram, ex-conservative James Sinclair admits, it's oversimplified, but not entirely invalid. Perhaps it's my bias, but I can't continue without pointing out that the biggest difference between the Tea Party and OWS is hefty funding and extensive astroturfing for the Tea Party.

TProg: After the exposure of the Iranian-related plot, the drums of war are being pounded from the right.

Stereogum: NME has a ree-donk-u-lous list of the top 150 songs of the last 15 years.

Big Orange: President Obama's jobs bill that stands no chance of passing is way popular.

Slobber and Spittle: Rick Perry drops the malapropism of the campaign. Perhaps the malapropism of the 22nd century.

Weezer Cruise: I haven't been much of a fan of Weezer since the early days and they really lost me with some of the weird choices they've made over the last few years (Kenny G?, State Farm?), but the Weezer cruise looks like some serious fun. Several good bands will be on board and there will be a taping of Doug Benson's podcast Doug Loves Movies on the boat. The ship leaves Miami for Cozumel on January 19th. Tickets are available and too expensive for a schlepper like me.

NWFDailyNews: Florida state Rep. Brad Drake, who will probably wind up being the state's governor one of these days based on the way things are going, wants to bring the electric chair back to the Sunshine State. Under his plan, the condemned will be allowed to opt for a firing squad. “We still have Old Sparky," Drake said, "and if that doesn’t suit the criminal, then we will provide them a .45 caliber lead cocktail instead.” Did I mention that I need to get out of this state?

O'Rourke Plays Bongos Card

2011-10-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

One of the few politicians who truly understands what this movement is all about is Alan Grayson, who had to put up with P.J. O'Rourke smirking derision on Real Time with Bill Maher. The bongo swipe is pure hackery, I thought O'Rourke was supposed to be a writer.

Bill Maher on WhoSay

Naomi Klein Interviewed at Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

In New York, it's illegal for the protestors to amplify their voices. But it's not illegal, not yet anyway, for them to plug a microphone into a smart phone and broadcast live or on demand for the world.In this clip, author and progressive icon Naomi Klein is interviewed at the site of the protest in New York. As always, I am amazed by her sparkling, clear analysis, but I am far more amazed by how easy it is to hear what she's saying because the revolution no longer needs to be televised.

Saturday Play--Rural Alberta Advantage, "Don't Haunt This Place"

2011-10-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite songs of the last few years. The drums are just revolutionary.

Here's the video for the studio version.

Media Shifts Coverage of Occupy Wall Street From Blackout to Circus

2011-10-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

Jon Stewart covers the coverage of the Occupy Wall Street protests.

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

CNN Anchor Downplays Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

This stilted report by Erin Burnett on Occupy Wall Street, which is quickly becoming Occupy America, tries to portray the protesters as hippies with no vision. Burnett joined the dismissive mainstream media choir asking what the protesters want. What do they want? Are you freaking kidding me? How about a fraction of the economic justice the poorest 80% in this country deserve?

Sam Seder put it best on his show, The Majority Report, when he said last week that Occupy Wall Street is saying all they need to say by where they are--Wall Street. "Something is fucked up in America and it's Wall Street!" Seder continues to cover the protests in New York and around the country every day. Take a listen and if you like it, become a member and tell people all about it, the show needs all the help it can get.

Also, someone should tell Burnett that the protesters do have what they call a "Declaration of Operation," which can be read in full right here.

"You Should Be Here" (Video From 5th and 6th Day of Occupy Wall Street)

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at some video shot during the 5th and 6th day of Occupy Wall Street. It may or may not be THE revolution, but it's revolutionary. If you're not there, or at one of the other protests around the country, you can still help out.

Occupy Wall Street Protests Spread

2011-10-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

DU'er UnrepentantLiberal has some amazing photos of this weekend's protests in New York (Tons more here).

This story has been on the media's back-back-back burner for weeks, but as protests spread to other cities and as 700 were arrested in NY, the story can no longer be buried.

Saturday Play--What's Left of the Flag

2011-10-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

The fantastic Flogging Molly took their most passionate song, "What's Left of the Flag," to The Late Late Show with someone called Craig Kilborn way back in July of 2002.

Rick and Ugarte Hanging Out in Casablanca

2011-09-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

                       UGARTE

      You despise me don't you? 

           RICK
      If I gave you any thought I
      probably would.

The Pro-Christ Antichrist

2011-09-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

A screamer got into see the president's speech yesterday in L.A. He disrupted the president by yelling about how Jesus Christ is Lord. Obama was all like, "Yeah, fully, right on, tell me some shit I don't know." Then the dude was all like, "You're the Antichrist!" At which point Obama smiled at the dude all demonically and the crowd started chanting "four more years".

Obama also tried to make sure the heckler got his jacket back before the Secret Service broke the dude's face and shipped him to Gitmo, but it wasn't his jacket in the first place.

UPDATE: My good man Seamus points out to me that it's important to note that the outburst in this video was in response to the event's master of ceremonies, Tyler Ferguson of the TV show Modern Family, thanking the president for ending Don't Ask Don't Tell.

Ron Suskind on Democracy Now!

2011-09-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

I just started reading Ron Suskind's book Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President. Suskind is an author I trust explicitly. His previous books The Way of the World and The One Percent Doctrine were among the best books I've read on Bush Administration foreign policy. Based on his interview with DN!, Suskind's book builds to a turning point for the president that comes as he figures out an affective managerial-style for his White House. That turning point also seems to be born out in the recent shift in the president's rhetoric. I'll check back in a couple weeks with a full review.

Podcasts Go Mainstream... Okay, Not Really

2011-09-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Nice to see a solid comedian with a podcast make it to TV. I'm talking about Chris Hardwick's Nerdist podcast becoming a TV show on BBC America. Based on the clip, the show is a brightly lit, slick TV production. I did not think that a podcast nor BBC America could pull off such a reasonable modicum of production value. While the BBC America is like what you would name a channel you were daring Americans not to watch, hopefully this one-off venture will get enough attention to warrant a return engagement, or even better, this and other great podcasts on real TV channels like Comedy Central or TBS (very funny!). Hey Game Show Network, how about Doug Benson hosting The Leonard Maltin Game? Hey History Channel, what about WTF with Marc Maron, he could interview Eddie Pepitone as King Henry the VIII. Think about it. I could pitch these all day, but I'm not going to.

You're Going to Make Him Cry

2011-09-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

You know that John Boehner guy? Socialist. At least that's what the 26-year-old running against him in the GOP primary be sayin'. And you know what they say about socialism...

I kinda want to trust him.

Birtherism Lives!

2011-09-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

You gotta be shittin' me, Pyle.

At this point I'm beginning to wonder if I was born in this country.

I keep waiting for these people to pivot off of birtherism and onto Obama-is-running-Anonymous conspiracy theories, but when you got a brand established, apparently you must nurture it to the bitter end.

You know, I was joking about the idea of Obama-is-running-Anonymous conspiracy theories, but I'm kind of afraid to Google it. Someone else do it and report back. Thanks.

Thanks, Morons

2011-09-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Back in May, the Westboro Baptist Church said they were going to protest comedian Lisa Lampanelli's set in Topeka, Kansas. When Lampanelli caught wind of this, she pledged to donate $1,000 per member that showed up to the Gay Men's Health Crisis organization. Brilliant. When it was all said and done, Lampanelli broke off a check for $44,000 courtesy of Westboro.

Here's TMZ's coverage.

Lampanelli is today's guest on WTF with Marc Maron, which where I heard this lovely tale. Again, brilliant work.

That's Not Spiderman

2011-09-17T21:54:00.001-07:00

And I'm about a month late on this meme.

Se7en Vs. Pee-Wee

2011-09-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

What Pee-wee has done is going to be puzzled over and studied and followed … forever.

"To Tell the Time Using a Sundial You'd Need Calculus"

2011-09-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

NASA has discovered a planet orbiting two suns--Tatooine-style. A participating scientist on the team explains that "sometimes the red star would set first, other times the orange star would, sometimes they'd set at the same time." Neat!

Makes me want to grab something to drink at the Star Wars Cantina, here we go:

Where Are They Now--Buffy, Jack, Jeremy and Natalie

2011-09-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Goodwin and Natalie Hurly--I am now seven episodes deep in my seventh or eighth Sports Night re-watch, so I was very pleased to see that Josh Malina recently appeared on the podcast Jordan, Jesse Go! Hosts Jordan Morris and Jesse Thorn immediately owned up to booking Malina because he got to kiss Natalie Hurly. This talk of Natalie Hurly awesomeness is right up my alley. I once watched four seasons of the very mediocre show Sliders, just because the actress who played Hurly--Sabrina Lloyd--was on the show. Malina took Morris and Thorn's dorkgasms in stride, mentioning what a wonder person Lloyd is and directing us to her blog Red Dirt Lattes, of which I was not aware. Lloyd had a supporting role in last year's Hello Lonesome, which is difficult to come by. Malina will appear in The Knights of Badassdom later this year (trailer).

Jack Shepherd--About a month ago I felt the pull. I didn't run out to the airport and try to convince Kate to go back to the island with me or anything, but if I could have I would have. And now I am ass deep in my first (and let's face it, probably last) Lost re-watch. Yes, I am engaged in two re-watches at once. Not advisable. Anyway, no sooner do I launch the re-watch than news hits the Google-plex that Matthew Fox--our man of science Jack Shepherd--got his drunk ass dealt with by a Cleveland bus driver named Heather Bormann. He had to go back! To his hotel room and dry out. Assuming he beats the rap, Fox will be in next year's World War Z with that Brad Pitt person. There's no trailer yet, but this Steve Austin themed Rickroll is fabu.

Buffy--SMG has a new show called Ringers firing up on the CW. While I am not yet prepared to launch myself into a third Buffy re-watch, I was very pleased to have caught several Faith-centric episodes recently. SMG spoke with Vulture blogger Willa Paskin to talk about Ringers and deny casting aspersions at Lost while openly expressing hostility regarding the upcoming Buffy remake.

Sorry America, Eric Cantor Says No

2011-09-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Eric Cantor's not going to pass half of the President's jobs bill, so good luck with your employment issues. Maybe after the election in 14 months, but I wouldn't count on it.

The Flaming Lips Recording 6-Hour Song for Humane Society

2011-09-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Flaming Lips are writing and recording a 6-hour long song. That sounds self-indulgent, but it's not. It's a great idea, because they are using this song to raise money for the Oklahoma Humane Society. How's that work? Well, pony up $100 for the cause and you get your name in the song. Jump on the train to immortality here.

This song, "Do You Realize???", performed on the David Letterman program; is much, much shorter.

Watch Huntsman

2011-09-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

John Huntsman has recently began trying to distinguish himself from the Republican field by acting all sane. I didn't think this strategy had any prayer of working until tonight. Rick Perry and Mitt Romney seem to be involved in a death match that may bring down both campaigns in a cloud of delicious negativity.

More broadly, the Republican Party has a serious social security problem. If Perry becomes the standard bearer of the Republican party, then their party is going to be synonymous with trying to kill social security. In the debate tonight Perry married himself to the phrase "social security is a ponzi scheme." I honesty don't believe that the leaders of the Republican Party want their party to wear that saddle into an election where they are trying to win it all--House, Senate and White House.

If the Svengalis are looking for an alternative to Perry--and we know this one is--Romney is not very satisfying. Huntsman may look like an electable alternative.

The Moth Joke

2011-09-07T12:39:00.001-07:00

Last year, the great Norm MacDonald went on Conan's show and transformed a joke told to him by a driver into a Russian novel with a punchline you may be able to see coming from way down in the valley.

MacDonald recently walked onto Greg Fitzsimmons podcast turning a fairly pedestrian Mark McGrath guest turn into a hardy two-part festival of amusement (Part 1, Part 2).

Podcast Spotlight--Making It With Riki Lindhome

2011-09-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

Riki Lindhome is one half of the comedy music duo Garfunkel & Oates. She's also an actress, popping up on TV shows from Gilmore Girls to Bones. Recently, she joined the Nerdist Industries podcast network as the host of Making it With Riki Lindhome. Her most recent episode features guest Harris Wittels, who is a staff writer for the fantastic NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. Wittels is also part of a comedy band, Don't Stop or We'll Die (video here). The show is an informal exploration of the process people working in the culture industry go through as they try to find their voice.

Here's G & O's newest song, the very sad "My Apartment's Very Clean Without You":

Space Junk Nears Tipping Point

2011-09-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Not only is planet Earth a mess, the space around the planet is a mess too. According to a NASA study released on Thursday, space junk has become so plentiful that it may pose a risk to satellites or future missions.

How does this shit get up there, you aren't asking? Well, satellites die off, rockets break up in planned stages after leaving satellites in orbit, that one astronaut dropped a wrench that one time and... oh, explosions. Two recent blow ups were the 2009 collision of a working and a non-working satellite over Siberia and the 2007 intentional destruction of a non-working weather satellite by the Chinese. They used a missile. That pissed a lot of people off.

CNN reports on the danger (or complete lack thereof) this trash serves to the International Space Station:

Researchers are working on a solution to the problem that will likely incorporate two different strategies--big ass nets and big ass magnets. Magnets? How do they work!?

Wilsons Respond to Cheney's Book

2011-08-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

Old news is new again as Dick Cheney has a book of historical revisions out. Here's two of his targets--the CIA agent he outed and her husband, the man he helped to smear for contradicting the 16 misleading words included in President Bush's 2003 State of the Union speech that were key to the administrations cock and bull rationale for illegally invading Iraq--responding to claims made in the former VP's new book.

At this time I would like to echo the words of a great American who once said...

The Movie Lucas Should Have Made

2011-08-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a trailer for a new Star Wars themed video game that is dozens of types of eggsellent.

"How Much Do We Need to Accumulate?"

2011-08-29T12:38:00.001-07:00

The title of this post is a good question that just about everyone, regardless of class, should ask at one time or another. The reason it's the title of this post, however, is because these are the words of Fresno County School Superintendent Larry Powell. Powell is forgoing $800,000 of income over the next three years. "How much do we need to keep accumulating?" he asked. "There's no reason for me to keep stockpiling money."

And he's not even a gazillionaire.

Louis CK Captures USO Tour in Louie Episode "Duckling"

2011-08-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite TV episodes are ones that take content from real life and work it into the fictional context of the show. This week's episode of Louie put Louie CK's real life trip to the Middle East front and center, resulting in one of the best hours of TV I've ever seen.

"Duckling," an episode that sees Louie showing up in Afghanistan to entertain the troops only to find that his daughter has stowed a live duckling from her class project in his luggage. With this fictional device grounding the non-fiction in a seamless narrative, Louie is able to take us into a war zone and share his experience as an outside observer without any heavy-handed melodrama or rhetoric.

The AP's Jake Coyle does a great job reporting on the long gestation period of this episode, which exploded the show's normally modest budget.

Also, the country music singer who accompanies Louie on the tour, Keni Thomas, kinda rules. Here's a clip of Thomas, a former Army Ranger, playing a tribute to soldiers lost in the Vietnam War, "Circle On the Cross".

Civil Rights Era Painting on Display in West Wing

2011-08-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Adam Martin of The Atlantic Wire writes:

The White House's newly hung Norman Rockwell painting places one of the worst epithets in the English language just a few feet from the office where sits the first African-American president of the United States. In the painting, "The Problem We All Live With," Ruby Bridges, then a 6-year-old African-American girl in a white dress, walks with four adults past a wall bearing the scrawled N-word, the letters KKK, and a splattered tomato, on her way to a newly integrated school. Bridges told Politico's Josh Gerstein that she started lobbying President Barack Obama last year to hang the painting in the West Wing. Obama has taken a low-key approach to racial issues as president. As Gerstein reports, the painting "was a more private statement. Obama has never mentioned it in a speech or public event. And while White House aides confirmed that Obama approved bringing it to the West Wing, they declined to discuss how the decision was made or why." But even though he's generally quiet on racial issues, the painting isn't the only civil rights movement memento the president keeps around, Gerstein reported. "A small bust of King is in the Oval Office, and a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation hangs on the wall." When Bridges stopped by to see the painting, he told her, "I think it’s fair to say that if it hadn’t been for you guys, I might not be here, and we might not be looking at this together."

Ruby Bridges' recently visited the White House. Here's a look at that via the White House's website.

Not Again.

2011-08-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

Make no mistake about it, the new governor from Texas IS the old governor from Texas.

Podcast Spotlight--Nerdist Writers Panel

2011-08-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Chris Hardwick and all the good people at Nerdist Industries have been branching out like mad. Hardwick himself has emerged as one of America's most well known stand up comedians and hosts about twenty-nine TV shows. His podcast has mutated into a podcast network, and the center of things is Meltdown Comics in L.A., where these events are taking place.

One of their new shows is Nerdist Writers Panel, which is hosted by Ben Blacker. So far, three shows have posted--RSS Feed--and the panelists have included writers from shows like Community, Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Mad Men among others. If anyone is interested in how these shows are made--or, much more often, not made--check it out.

Alternatively, you can explore how TV gets made from this clip from the 1994 film Pulp Fiction. Whee~!

Saturday Play--"Babyface" by The Elected

2011-08-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bands, The Elected, recently played a set at WNYE's studios in New York. One of my favorite things as a music fan are well-produced radio station sets, especially when the band strips down the instrumentation, giving the songs an entirely new feel.

Here's the review of their current album, Bury Me In My Rings, that I wrote back in May.

Before you Go To Lunch...

2011-08-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Here's an interview with Michael Pollan from 2009. It's all about how your food is made. Yum!

Lightning Round--Rick Scott Lovefest, Jeb! Watch, Nirvana, Awesome Picture from Space, Calvin and Hobbes on CEOs, and More...

2011-08-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Guardian UK: Editorial about the pain we are bringing on ourselves by letting austerity run wild. Cutting the deficit means nothing if we can't get the economy going, which will requires demand from government spending.

Pink Slip Rick: Check out this repository of voice-mails directed at Florida governor Rick Scott. You can feel the love as it comes through the phone (h/t Mrs. Bitch). Scott's not exactly feeling the love from the Florida Supreme Court either. What does Nelson say about that?

Seafan's Journal: Speaking of Florida governors who Florida (and the rest of the solar system could do without), Seafan issues a pertinent and always welcome warning against allowing Jeb! Bush to slip off of our collective radar. The man will run and it may happen sooner than you think.

Pitchfork: Next month, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and several Seattle bands will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the release of Nirvana's Nevermind by performing the album live. Meanwhile, Radiohead is playing live, in the basement! At the Alamo? No. Not at the Alamo.

TPM: An astronaut's view of a meteor heading for Earth.

Kevin Pollak Chat Show: The great Phil Hendrie talks to Pollak for two hours.

Democratic Underground: We see the delicate interaction between the CEO and customer in this classic Calvin and Hobbes.

Local Bozo: Catches up with Nonpoint singer Elias Soriano.

Now You Tell Us?

2011-08-14T00:01:00.001-07:00

Influential economist Nouriel Roubini told the Wall Street Journal that Karl Marx "had it right" (h/t Alternet).

Karl Marx had it right. At some point, Capitalism can destroy itself. You cannot keep on shifting income from labor to Capital without having an excess capacity and a lack of aggregate demand. That's what has happened. We thought that markets worked. They're not working. The individual can be rational. The firm, to survive and thrive, can push labor costs more and more down, but labor costs are someone else's income and consumption. That's why it's a self-destructive process.

Really, Nouriel? Huh. And all this time I thought he was the embodiment of Satan.

The interview is here:

So That's What That Thing is For

2011-08-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Stephen Colbert unleashes his Super PAC, which is endorsing Rick Perry. This is going to be fun.

False Dichotomy Much?

2011-08-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

I think this banner ad I noticed on another blog sums up where we're at:

So does he get an A or an F? Either he's shit or he's the all time champion. C+? What the fuck is a C+!? Never hear of it. B-? No, no, no. A or F, MF'er.

I wish I could have graded that way when I was a TA. That would have saved a lot of time.

Blame Game Over

2011-08-09T12:41:00.001-07:00

The whole political finger pointing game always comes off as strident and self-serving no matter how important it is for people to understand exactly who is responsible for this bullshit. And the bullshit to which I am referring is the S&P downgrade. So, instead of breaking my rhetorical foot off in some hostage taking tea party ass, I'll just post (stolen directly from this post by Jon Ponder) what Republican New York Times columnist David Brooks told us all back in July:

If responsible Republicans don’t take control, independents will conclude that Republican fanaticism caused this default. They will conclude that Republicans are not fit to govern. And they will be right.

Just to clarify, there was no default, but clearly the independents that Brooks refers to should deduce the same thing about the downgrade. Problem with that is, most independents aren't really paying attention right now anyway.

Al Jazeera Previews Rugby World Cup

2011-08-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

It all starts September 9th.

Here's a look at highlights from the recent Super Rugby season.

Darth S&P Warns of Further Downgrade

2011-08-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

S&P warns that any more griping from Lando about the deal being altered could result in being downgraded further. One in three chance at further downgrade, or so they say.

Saturday Play--"Dancing" by Standard Fare

2011-08-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Part of a live set for Groupee.com.

More Standard Fare at The Walrus Speaks.

Lightning Round--Romney Campaign Scandal Simmering, McConnell Plans on Taking More Hostages, Stringer Bell's Mistakes, Tommy Christopher, More...

2011-08-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

Michael Isikoff: A firm called called W Spann LLC was formed in March, gave $1 million to a Super PAC aligned with Mitt Romney, then was dissolved in July. Isikoff points out that the Super PAC had no listed officers or directors. Keep your eyes on this. It's going to be big.

Shakesville: On Wednesday Melissa McEwan singled out an interesting quote from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell buried in the last paragraph of a Washington Post article. McConnell told reporters, "I think some of our members may have thought the default issue was a hostage you might take a chance at shooting. Most of us didn't think that. What we did learn is this—it's a hostage that's worth ransoming."

Quora: Jan Mixon offers up several critical mistakes that Stringer Bell made during seasons 2 and 3 of The Wire.

Florida Today: Pete Kerasotis has a fun story of how a fan came to regret her scathing rant against Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams.

Mediaite: Tommy Christopher asked White House Press Secretary Jay Carney a very good question about the future of Republican political hostage taking. Nice going Tommy!

Vulture: Find out what happened when Paul Rudd went up against Jon Hamm in Trivial Pursuit when they were teenagers. (h/t Matt Clark).

Chicken Sandwich, Karl!

2011-08-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

This one is for my main man Seamus, who hasn't seen The State.

Get More: MTV2 Legit, MTV Shows

How Do You Like Them Apples

2011-08-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

In this clip Matt Damon answers some really stupid questions about education. I wish the camera wouldn't have cut off right when it did, but from just this brief interaction, it may just be that Damon actually is wicked smaaaaaaht (h/t O. Willis).

By the way something, Oliver Willis writes, "Not surprisingly, the “reporter” in the video is Michelle Fields, development manager for “Students For Liberty” which is Koch-funded."

UPDATE: More Damon here.

It's a Good Thing We Fixed All Those Problems a Long Time Ago

2011-07-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

Franklin Roosevelt's Address Announcing the Second New Deal on October 31, 1936:

We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace--business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.

They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.

Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me--and I welcome their hatred.

Hear it:

Saturday Play--"Meantime" by Givers

2011-07-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

The band Givers throws a lot at you. In this performance, at Rolling Stone magazine's offices, band members pull off at least two major instrument changes midstream. For more Givers, check out the rest of their set at RS and their set at KCRW. Buy their debut album here. It's only $5.00.

Where We're At

2011-07-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is probably misleading and hopefully not true, yet it is plausible and it's also now viral:

Apple has more money to spend than the U.S. government.

I say change the flag and lets just keep on rockin'. United States of Apple has a fine ring to it.

Have a good weekend Appleheads!