I want one

I want both.

Both Washington and Obama.



It is the pottery that grows and for $19.97!

God Bless America!

Baker Street

You used to think that it was so easy
You used to say that it was so easy
But you're tryin'
You're tryin' now
Another year and then you'll be happy
Just one more year and then you'll be happy
But you're cryin'
You're cryin' now

Thank You

No, seriously, Washington Post!

Your company has great content but a wonderfully crappy delivery system.

I love Slate, and I paid for the app for my iPhone, but it is an awful app, though it is better than your mobile site, which is even worse.

The design on Slate.com is not user friendly at all and it bothers me to have to go there to get the content.

But...

washingtonpost.com is the worst.

I feel bad for those of you who have to use that site as your go-to news source.

I am done.

You have crashed my browser for the last time.

Talk about the passion

I used to love R.E.M.. Well, everyone loved R.E.M. back in the day. Think back to the late '80s and early '90s (those of you who can, I know some of you were like seven or something when Green came out) and there was always appropriate song by R.E.M. for that mix to make you look all the better.

After Up, I guess I gave up (no pun intended)on them. It wasn't that I didn't still love them, but like The Smiths, the represented a time in my life that had passed.

Well, because of a couple of different things, I have started listening to the Smiths again (Thank you, David Cameron!) and conversations with friends (like Teacher Dave) have gotten me thinking about R.E.M. again.

But...as you well know, thinking is not doing, and I haven't added them to my iPhone yet...even after getting the backup drive with my music out...

And then, Dave Bry introduced me to this song and I listened to it once, twice, and three times.

I really like this song, and...it reminds me of classic R.E.M. and it fills me with happy memories, of great music and sunny days and being young.

And I have a smile on my face...



Via The Awl.

Amen to this

Yes, FAU, you can be upset with me.



Via someecards.com

The Bad for you breakfast

I feel a compelling need to make a wonderfully bad for you breakfast.

I really want scrapple for this breakfast. (By the way, if anyone knows where I can get scrapple in the Albany area, I would appreciate it.)

To accompany the scrapple, I want eggs cups. I love eggs cups. If you don't know what I am talking about, it is really simple.

Take a cupcake pan, butter liberally, and then take a piece of thinly sliced ham (two may be necessary) and use that as the cupcake wrapper in the pan. Crack one egg (brown, hopefully pastured and farm fresh) into the ham. Add salt, pepper, and crumbled cheddar and bake at 325 for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan and then serve.

With...

I want heavily butter challah toast to go with this.

In addition, completing the awesome amount of swine that is going into this, a complete rasher of baked bacon.

Oh, and hash browns...(I make mine very simply, use your favorite recipe)

And to drink...oh, what to drink?

I am thinking Bloody Mary and French Press Shade Grown French Roasted coffee.

So...

This meal may kill me, but...it sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?

Do any of you have any ideas for your own bad for you food breakfast?

Rachel was on Letterman last night

As is well documented, I love her.

Yes, I still like him (even though the man is creepy).

Together, it is like peas and carrots.

The big reveal here: Rachel liked Glenn Beck before he became Fox News Channel's resident weeper.

And something I just thought of: If the new Speaker of the House went on Glenn Beck, which one of them would cry first?

(For the record, I don't care that either of them cry. I cry at movies (Toy Story 3 for instance), when holding my son, when thinking about my life and choices at three in the morning. If they feel the need to emote about what bothers them, I understand. I just don't understand that when they cry about the children and the future, the don't realize that suggesting cuts to education or denying them health care is causing harm.)

Duck & Cover Redux

Or...Fallout Too (yeah, that's not a great geek joke but it was the first thing I thought of. For those of you who have no clue what I am talking about with this aside, go here.)

For the last seven years of the Bush Administration, every couple of months, we were told that we need to be on the watch for terrorists because a credible threat had been made (and some of these threats were probably credible and it is a credit to our security apparatus that these threats were exposed and nipped in the bud but some of them were pandering in order to shift focus from other domestic issues) and we should be afraid. Very afraid.

But now...

As the Obama administration is in the doldrums, beware of THE NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST!

My parents have told me stories of the duck and cover drills that they engaged in when they were school children and the fear that it inspired in them. My mother went to parochial school and was told that she would only have the time to say "Thank you, Jesus" because a full prayer was far too long to complete.

Now...in addition to the continuing economic collapse, the threat of the nuclear end times is being presented as a VERY POSSIBLE REALITY.

From the New York Times:

In June, the administration released to emergency officials around the nation an unclassified planning guide(PDF) 130 pages long on how to respond to a nuclear attack. It stressed citizen education, before any attack.

Without that knowledge, the guide added, “people will be more likely to follow the natural instinct to run from danger, potentially exposing themselves to fatal doses of radiation.”

Specialists outside of Washington are divided on the initiative. One group says the administration is overreacting to an atomic threat that is all but nonexistent.

Then there is this from the aforementioned guide:

There will be no significant Federal response at the scene for 24 hours and the
full extent of Federal assets will not be available for several days. Emergency
response is principally a local function. Federal assistance will be mobilized as
rapidly as possible; however, for purposes of this document, no significant Federal
response is assumed for 24 – 72 hours.


So, not only should we be terrified by the threat of nuclear attack (which many reasoned people insist will not happen) but we should understand that the Federal Government will not help us, which may be a lesson learned from the mistakes of "Rainstorm Katrina".

So, let me make this suggestion to you for your holiday season. As the drinks and canapés are being passed at your holiday parties, turn to the person to the left of you and ask, "When the inevitable nuclear attack happens, where are you going to go?" and then follow-up with "In a post nuclear attack world, would you prefer to be a member of a cannibalistic rape gang or a mindless zombie of the wasteland?"

I am sure that it will make you the life of the party, and that is exactly what Obama wants for you.

Via NYT

The More You Know

Image from Doghouse Diaries via someecards.

Sometimes I hate technology

So, I timeshifted Hell's Kitchen so my brother and I could watch Tron. (Yeah, we did. I am looking forward to seeing Legacy next week.)

Anyway, I wanted to see the list that Wikipedia had of the eliminations, and I had gone to some pains to avoid seeing who won...

Yeah, the Wikipedia entry had already been updated.

*sigh*

My own damn fault.

I know it isn't a big deal, but still.

I have twenty minutes left in the show, and then I am going to enjoy Top Chef All Stars from tonight, so...please don't spoil that. (and as soon as I went looking for that link, I had to quickly avoid the recaps that have already popped up.)

Christmas Future?

This Christmas, preserve that blessing by giving them the same gift your parents and grandparents gave you: the gift of Christmas future. By making a contribution to the Republican National Committee, you'll be providing the resources that we need to continue to protect the America you know and love. You'll also be ensuring that your children and grandchildren will be able to give future generations the same Christmas you've given them.

Seriously?

If you fail to give to the GOP this Holiday Season, Christmas will disappear. No, really. Two thousand years* of history and two hundred years of tradition will disappear if YOU (yes, you reading this!) do not donate to the Party of No!

If the Republicans and Michael Steele fail to raise money to fight the secular threat, you and all your progeny will be forced into re-education camps where the Holiday Season becomes about things that are communist plots like education, health care, a safety net for those most at risk, and equality and civil rights.

If you think back to the Nativity Story, Jesus came to redeem the world.

Redeeming the world, according to the GOP, means a lot apparently, but the messages of Jesus; blessed are the poor, loving thy neighbor, and caring for one another; beggar, sinner, tax collector and yes, Centurion, are not among them.

Maybe that is my view as a secularist "weirdo", but...the GOP who are on the front lines against the "War on Christmas" fail to recognize that their particular brand of Christianity has little to nothing to do with the teachings of their Savior.

Awesome, no?

If you want to make a donation this year, especially if you want to make a donation to a Christianist organization, may I make the suggestion that you donate to Habitat for Humanity, because they are actually trying to live the life of a man who was a carpenter and became some people's Savior?

Yeah, your hypocrisy pisses me off. Check it out for yourself at The Gift of Christmas Future.



Via Gawker & Politico

*As Jon Stewart said the other night, Christianity survived the Roman Empire...

The Senate is broken

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

Rachel talks about the weather on the East Coast and then about the broken United States Senate.

The analogy works, people.

Not that long ago, someone wrote about me (in a screed) and commented on how I was influenced by pundits, always changing my opinions based on what some talking head says.

I love Rachel, and I respect her opinion, and that I agree with ninety percent of what she says makes her easy to watch, but...I have never, and will never, take all my talking points for anyone but myself and my own beliefs...which are complex and sometimes run counter to other beliefs that I hold deep.

Anyway, I do agree with Rachel that the Senate is broken but (and I am waiting FAU) think that the Filibuster is still a valuable tool for someone who may be the lone voice of reason.

Oh, and because I am, at my heart, a fascist who believes that we require a benevolent dictatorship for a couple of years and that my "Sunshine Brigade" will be tasked with "reeducating" reactionary forces.

And this the song that I woke up to in my head

Maybe it was because the dreams (no, I am not going to explain) or maybe it was because I kept waking up and stupidly checking my e-mails. Apart from the normal ones, I got an e-mail from a friend who needed a friend and I was too concerned with my own sleep to respond properly.

I apologize.

At some point, I have to run out and finish my holiday shopping but when weather.com says that the temperature feels like 2 degrees I have to reconsider the efficacy of doing that.

For the record, the new period of time for NCMA is four days.

Chilling

I had never seen Capturing the Friedmans and when it was mentioned on Slate's Culture Gabfest it was brought back to my attention. For some reason, apart from the director having a new film coming out (or maybe it is already out) this week in wide release.

So, when it was on the Sundance Channel today, I felt it necessary to watch it.

Now, I understand the hysteria of the era, but...I hate myself for hating everyone involved in this case.

No one, from Investigators, to Family Members, to the Documentarians, comes across as normal, stable, or having their own self interest or the interest of their family and their community at heart.

There are evil people everywhere (and pedophiles are the worst, well sex offenders in general, but you understand what I mean) but this...upsets me to my core.

The Nott in the Snow

I love this building in the winter. The weather today made me think back to my sophomore year and a very specific memory.

Thank you Union, and the alumni for the memories, especially in the winter.

Via ommelebommelestein's Flikr

While looking for an image

I am looking for an image of the Nott Memorial in a snow storm, but while I was looking for it, I came across this.

History of Streaking on Educational Institutions

Way to go Union!

If anyone knows where I can find the Nott in the snow?

Thank You, SomeECards.com

These two popped up yesterday and they made me giggle.

Do you have a favorite card from someecards? It can be for anything. I just love the snark and disregard for normal discourse.

Of two minds

So...Cliff Lee is going back to Philadelphia. (and not this Cliff Lee ((Sorry, Anya, had to throw the link up))

I am of two minds about this.

The on one side, I am sad. He signed with the Phillies. Come On! People living in Philadelphia know what they signed up for and winning sports franchises is not one of the things they get. In addition, as a proud Mets fan, that is going to be an even tougher team to compete against. As my friend Mike IM'd me this morning, "Well, I guess I have no reason to watch the Mets next season." Yes, there is that feeling of dread in Queens today.

But...on the other side...

I have had the same conversation with both FAU and Teacher Dave. It consists of them talking about how sweet the mid-to-late 1990s was to be a Yankee fan because the team had been so back for so long, and they had grown up with awful teams. They both have young children, and it looks like the inevitable collapse of the Yankees is going to happen. For me, this is a good thing. If not for anything but exposing the fake Yankee fans for who they are. It takes a lot to root for a bad team (let me tell you about that) and I know a number of people who neither love the game nor the team, they just like the idea of the Yankees winning and that makes it okay.

So, Cliff Lee is in Philly. Both the Mets and the Yankees got screwed on this one, but...I am willing to live with it so long as it exposes the "typical"* Yankee fan for the ignorant blowhard that they are.

(* And by typical, I mean nothing of the sort. Most of the Yankee fans I know are smart well reasoned folks who love the game and understand the game. By calling the atypical fan the typical fan I am engaging in word play.)

Live blogging the Giants game

7:29 Eli throws his first interception of the night. I hate this man. I mean, I love him, but I hate him.

The only thing that would make this better is if Favre had actually started. Would we be looking at a 10 interception game?

7:32 Really quiet crowd. Or is it that they are still really cold from waiting out in the cold weather in Detroit all day?

7:35 Deadspin is reporting that BrettFavre.com is already selling stuff commemorating the "Streak". (BTW, the site may be NSFW and there may be shots of Little Brett)

7:36 Even though it was incomplete, Tavaris Jackson showed more touch with that dropped touchdown pass that Favre has thrown all year.

7:37 Min 3 - NYG 0

7:38 I like this Dodge Challenger commercial. Not that I think it is a great car, but...great commercial.

7:41 Would anyone else like to see a fist fight between Bill Simmons and Charlie Pierce? Oh...Eli has the ball again.

7:43 Eli completes a pass! Awesome! Why couldn't the Giants get Cooper? He seems like the least offensive Manning.

7:44 And Eli throws into coverage. Time to punt. 24 minutes in and I am already bored.

7:48 The best defense the Giants has put together is two Vikings colliding. Awesome. Peterson and Jackson do look like they are in pain. Wait...does this mean that Brett may have to come in? NOOOOOOO!

7:51 Joe Webb? Like the Dragnet guy? Oh. That's Jack Webb. And the Vikings punt.

7:53 Kevin Pollock hosting a game show is either really cool or...I worry about his career.

7:54 Here comes Eli from the 20. First play? Run. Don't let Eli pass unless you have to. Bradshaw for 18 yards.

7:55 Eli completes a pass. Every time he attempts a pass, my heart ends up in my throat.

7:56 Another pass completed.

And that's the first quarter.

7:59 Start of the second.

Just got an alert that Richard Holbrooke has passed away.

8:00 And Eli has been picked off again. My heart, my throat. The pain. It was third and nine, he had to pass. Of course when he has to pass, he gets picked. I am wondering what has happened this season where he forces these throws.

8:03 The replay shows that it was a very good defensive play.

8:04 Jackson hasn't started a game in two seasons but he has confidence and poise in the pocket. He just threw a nice third down completion that did what it needed to do.

8:06 Good defense by the Giants, denying a third down pass. Punt leaves the Giants on their own 12.

8:09 Eli has a QB Rating of 10 so far tonight. Which is three points higher than Vince Young's Wonderlic score.

8:10 And Jacobs breaks it for 73 yards. Giving the Giants something to root for and a red zone opportunity.

8:11 Bradshaw runs for 12 or so and give the Giants first and goal.

8:12 Bradshaw runs twice in a row. On the goal line, or three inches out. Third and goal.

8:13 Coughlin is challenging the spot. Great...another commercial break.

8:16 And the Ruling on the Field Stands. Third and Goal.

8:17 Jacobs scores but yellow flags all over. Offsides Vikings. Declined. The extra point is good (with a high snap).

Min 3 NYG 7

8:20 Giants kick to the Vikings, who have a 33 yard return.

8:21 Jackson passes on first down. Complete for 6 yards. Eli didn't throw a pass on the Giants last drive. The Giants scored. You know, maybe let the Giants run the ball until Eli has to throw.

8:22 Jackson is sacked on Third and Seven for a loss of ten. I am going to assume that a punt and a commercial break is coming shortly.

8:24 But the Giants committed a penalty and the Giants only get a seven yard return on the punt return but...no commercial break! First and 10 from the 18.

8:25 Bradshaw runs on First. Loss of one. Maybe Eli is going to have to throw.

8:26 The crowd in Detroit is doing the Wave and the Giants have jumped offsides. Second and 16 and the Giants throw a screen to Bradshaw that goes NO WHERE. Eli is in the shotgun and throws a three yard pass on the next play.

8:28 Giants punting from their own 15. Vikings get the ball around their own 45 but there is a penalty and an injury.

8:29 No penalty. Sintim helped off the field by the training staff.

8:30 Back to back runs by Peterson. A holding penalty makes in Second and 15.

8:33 Third and 9. Two Minute Warning.

8:36 Bad snap. Gets away from Jackson. He just falls on the ball and the Giants use one of their timeouts. Vikings punting.

8:37 Fair catch by the Giants. First and 10 from the 29.

8:38 Eli passes for two yards on First. Flag on the play. Personal Foul (Helmet to Helmet) on the Vikings. First and 10 from the 46.

8:39 Eli throws again and it is a 29 yard completion. He may get a hang of this football thing yet. Second play is a four yard completion.

8:40 Eli throws it away, which still is frightening for me.

8:41 Third and 6, Eli throws to Boss for the First Down. First and 10 from the Vikings 13.

8:42 Eli completes a ten yard pass on Second down to Hagan for First and Goal with 13 seconds on the clock.

8:43 And the Vikings jump offsides. First and Goal from the 1 and a little.

Manning passes (choke) and just overthrows

Second and Goal with 8 seconds left.

8:44 False start Giants. Second and Goal from the 6 with 8 seconds left. Eli passes. Touchdown Kevin Boss!!!

8:45 It is a booth review for a bobble by Boss on the pass for the touchdown.

8:47 Touchdown, Giants!

8:48 And the extra point is good.

Min 3 NYG 14

Three seconds left with the Giants kicking off.

8:49 Joe Buck just referred to Brett's "issue off the field". What is that, Joe? You mean Brett's wang?

And that's the first half, folks.




9:04 Start of the Third Quarter. Vikings kicking off to Giants. Returned to the 20.

9:07 And Nicks may have hurt himself.

9:08 Almost another pick for Eli and then a punt. The Vikings have an amazing 50 yard return.

9:11 Second and 10. Jackson is picked by Bulluck for the Giants!

9:14 Three and Out for the Giants. Vikings ball on their own 11.

9:18 Three and Our for the Vikings. Punt. Giants ball on their own 43.

9:24 Direct snap to Bradshaw, gain of five. Third and 8 for the Giants. Sorry, by the way, for the couple of people who are reading this live, but I got a phone call. I was doing both...did I get the phone call or did I make it?

9:24 Eli sacked on third down. Giants punt team heads out.

9:25 Shenanigans on a Fair Catch and a flag was thrown.

9:27 5:25 left in the third. Two penalties on the Giants. First down Vikings on their own 15 and we head to yet another commercial break.

9:28 The iPad. TEA wants one. Badly. He also wants a $800 Batman Lego set. He is getting an iPod Touch, but not either of those things. Sometimes I am astounded by what children want.

9:30 Wait...the Giants have to rekick because the penalties were offsetting. Dodge's punt pins the Vikings at their eight yard line.

9:33 Second and 8 for the Vikings from the 9.5. Peterson takes it up to the 16.

9:34 Jackson throws an incomplete pass on Third and 2 forcing a Punt.

9:35 And of course there is a penalty. False Start Vikings.

9:36 Fair catch at the Giants 40. 3:46 left in the Third Quarter.

9:38 Eli passed on First but the receiver is out of bounds.

9:39 Second and 10, Eli pases to Pasco for a first down.

9:40 Handoff to Bradshaw who breaks off a 56 yard run for a touchdown!!!

9:40 And a penalty on the extra point. False Start Giants.

9:41 The extra point is good.

Min 3 NYG 21

9:43 Kickoff to Booker who returns it 96 yards to the house...however...there is a penalty. Illegal block in the back. These poor Vikings.

9:44 Vikings ball at the own 44. First and 10. Peterson runs for no gain.

9:45 Jackson sacked. His helmet goes flying. Third and 15.

9:46 Jackson throws a great 22 yard pass across his body for a first down at the Giants 40.

9:47 and the Giants get an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty. Great. First and 10 from the Giants 25.

9:48 I am getting bored now. Both teams are playing poorly and the crowd just isn't into it. The penalties (there was just another one on the Vikings) are bugging the crap out of me too. Brett does look really sad on the sidelines though.

9:49 Tuck and Osi sack Jackson yet again. Joe Webb is warming up. Tuck is in pain on the turf but is able to make it off the field under his own power.

9:50 Vikings punt and the ball is on the Giants 2 yard line. 7 seconds left in the Third Quarter.

9:51 Eli throws an outlet pass to Pasco who runs for 10 yards. First down.

End of Third Quarter.

More Commercials...

AWESOME!

You know, between the jewelry and big truck ads, I may go insane.

9:56 Giants start the Fourth Quarter from their own 13. Eli passes to Steve Smith for 10 yards and a first down.

9:57 On Second and 8, toss to Bradshaw who is stopped for a loss of three. Third and 11. This means Eli is passing.

Lucking Boss missed it and it wasn't another INT.

Dodge to punt.

9:58 Dodge punts to the Vikings 19. Eleven yard return. Joe Webb replaces Tavaris Jackson at QB for the Vikings.

10:00 Webb's pass on First is batted down.

10:01 Of course there is another penalty. Holding against the Vikings. Second and 20.

10:03 Fourth and 10. Vikings punting. Fair catch at the 28.

10:58 left in the Fourth Quarter.

Wait, what? Talking pictures in a Coors Light commercial? There has to be a way to watch sports without being exposed to this stuff. I feel dumber.

10:05 And it looks like the Giants are just going to try to chew up clock time and run the ball. Handing the ball to Bradshaw on consecutive plays. Two yards then twenty three yards.

10:07 First and 10 from the Vikings 47. Three yard run from Jacobs.

10:08 Eli passes incomplete after a pass attempt to Boss. Third and 7.

10:09 Eli passed for 1 yard to Bradshaw. The clock is still ticking.

10:10 Dodge punts. Viking fair catch at their own 13.

So...does Webb come back out?

10:12 Nope, it is Jackson. Handoff on First Down.

10:12 Second and 7. Jackson passed and it is dropped with an open field ahead of his receiver.

10:13 Third and 7. Four flags on the field...Wait for it...oh yeah, another false start. Third and 12. Bad Snap. Almost a Safety.

10:14 Fourth and 23 from the Vikings 2. 56 yard punt. Giants ball at their own 45.

10:15 Another commercial break. I just want this to be over. The game and this live blogging experiment. If this was interesting...like...a Cricket match or watching paint dry, I would be having more fun. Am I the only one who doesn't like Shrek, by the way?

10:17 Bradshaw is out and Jacobs rushes for for 8. Second and 2. Coughlin missed a challenge. It was a safety.

10:18 Jacobs runs for 7. First down. 5:32 left in the Fourth/Game.

10:18 Jacobs runs for another 9 yards. Second and 1.

10:19 Jacobs runs for 3. First and 10. 4:13 left.

10:20 Eli passes for 12 yards to Nicks. First and 10 from the Vikings 17 with 3:15 left.

10:20 Ware runs for a loss of six. Second and 16 from the 24.

10:21 Ware runs for 4. Third and 12 at the 2:00 Warning. Giants up by 18.

10:22 More freaking commercials. I need to play commercial bingo...maybe make it a drinking game. Anyone have any ideas for how to play? But...waiting for a DVD to come out is akin to having a raccoon latched onto your arm?

10:24 Ware takes a screen pass for 12 yards. Fourth Down and short deep in the Vikings territory. What do the Giants do with 1:52 left on the clock?

10:25 The Giants call a time out. Gamebreak...thank Jeebus that is wasn't another commercial block.

10:26 Ware runs up the middle and is stopped for a loss. Giants turn the ball over of downs. 1:48 left in the game with the Vikings going from their own 11.

10:27 Jackson passes on First and tries to kill his WideOut.

10:28 Jackson passes to Berry for 8 yards. Webster makes a great tackle. Jackson throws it away on Third. Fourth and 3 with 1:10 left.

10:29 Jackson passes for the first down and quickly completes a short pass on First. Vikings take a timeout (why?!?) Second and 7 from the 31 with :41 on the clock.

10:30 Osi roughs up Jackson. 15 yard penalty. :35 left.

10:31 Jackson passes. Incomplete. :30 left. Incomplete on Second. :25 left

10:32 Third and 10. Jackson breaks out of a sack to throw the ball away.

Fourth and 10. :16 left. Joe Webb replaces Jackson again and the Vikings call another timeout.

Even Buck and Troy comment that the Vikings are dragging this out.

10:34 Joe Webb rushes for 16 yards and a first down. :09 left.

10:35 Webb passes for 7 yards. :03 left.

10:35 Webb floats the ball into the end zone. It bounces around and the game is over.

Thank you folks, you've been great and I appreciate those who have stayed with me.

The Giants are 9-4. I am happy with this.

Good night!

If you watch one video today

The Alternative Ending to the Yogi Bear movie.



Now, I want to show TEA this, but that would make me a bad parent, right?

Via The Awl

Another End of the Year Update

The Year in Facebook Pictures



There are some great pictures here and...some wonderful memories.

(End Navel Gazing)

I am amazed by some of my friends and I am looking forward to a wonderful 2011.

Disappointing

I am disappointed that the Last Run in Albany is sold out.

So...

That means the next thing up on my schedule is the Polar Plunge. I know that I am doing it with Ashley (and I will see my uncle and cousin there) and Ashley did say that she may have convinced Erik to do it as well.

Would anyone else be willing to do it?

Monday Morning Musings

1) I am worried about Richard Holbrooke and about what his illness would mean for Obama, the US, and the *cough* War on Terror.

2) With the State of the Union coming up in a couple of weeks, I really think that President Obama should call Speaker Boehner a "bitch" and then mention that "(his) pimp hand is strong." (This has nothing to do with the race of the President, and more with the collected yet angry man the President has been showing combined with Speaker Boehner's ability to cry at will.)

3) I took yesterday off from any type of workout because I was wonderfully sore. Maybe it was from dropping a 400 lbs. entertainment center on my shoulder, or maybe it was a result of the whiplash of Friday night, but my body needed a rest. I decided to do a light weight workout this morning, and it killed my shoulder. While I was doing it, this song popped up on shuffle. It made me laugh with a detached irony.

4) For a long time, I found A Softer World annoying, but over the past couple of weeks, I have found it funny and insightful.

5) I reiterate, when the Giants play the Vikings (at Ford Field in Detroit) (7:20 pm kickoff, on Direct TV and locally on WXXA), I want Justin Tuck to separate Brett Favre's head from his shoulders, because I really believe that the roof collapsed because of Brett's streak.

6) I came across a book from a couple of years ago that I loved when I read it. I know that I encouraged someone to read it (maybe Paige?) Anyway, if you are looking for an interesting read, check out Grey.

7) For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to watch Jon Stewart's return on September 20, 2001, his first show after September 11th, at 2:00 am. It was not.

This snark free post brought to you by...sincerity

Yep, that's Kenny Rogers.

Yes, that is Kentucky Homemade Christmas.

Yes, it is cheesy and yet still dark and the music is...well...let us be generous and not mention the music at all in the spirit of the season.

I love this song.

It started out as a joke years ago with I did my Christmas Song Download thing but every year, I kept coming back to it. Liking it more and more, appreciating it more and more, and now, interestingly enough, I love it.

While it doesn't have the skill or odd juxtaposition of talent like Bing and Bowie, it has a real sincerity at heart.

So, mock me if you wish, and some of you will, but I do love this song.

So...is this a problem?

I have been seeing lots of posters and billboards around the area for the In Our Own Voices campaign enough were it became remarkable. They are all over the place, as well as on buses and such.

Then I saw the above billboard on Washington Avenue in Albany, just west of Henry Johnson Blvd.

If you look, you see that it is sponsored by IOOV and the CDGLCC.

Now, I know a lot of members of the CDGLCC and some of them actually read this so you can answer me publicly or privately but...

Is Crystal Meth really a problem around here? Aren't there other drugs that are being used by members of the community that are more rampant and just as harmful?

I applaud that the pictured folks are not using meth and I understand that (according to the NYC Office of Health and Mental Hygiene) there is a rise in use of crystal meth by gay men in New York City and with that rise in usage there has been a uptick in HIV infections.

And maybe that is the point why Albany has this billboard but...it just seems odd.

Gift Ideas for under $50

Seeing that the economy continues to be awful, let me suggest some great and thoughtful gifts for under $50.

1) The Book and CD combo: House of Leaves and Poe's Haunted. Perfect for your horror fan who also likes indie music. Poe wrote the album with the book (her brother's book) in mind and they match well together.

2)The DVD and the Comic that inspired it: It could be Batman (The Dark Knight/The Long Halloween), Watchmen (Graphic Novel/Film, or Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (Graphic Novel/Film) this makes a great geek gift.

3) The instant date: The date film (Maybe (500) Days of Summer), a bottle of good yet cheap wine (like the Terra Rosa Malbec Mendoza) and a twenty five dollar take out gift certificate to the favorite restaurant of the giftee! It is a good night and everything is taken care of.

4) The shaving kit: A shaving brush, good shaving soap, a small (maybe very) bottle of good aftershave/cologne, and a package of the razors of their choice. I know I would appreciate it, especially if the shaving soap was something new and cool.

5) The hanging out night: A board game, a make your own pizza kit, and a 6 pack of good beer.

What? More hatred for the Flyover

What? Okay, I understood that even though you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, you are not ready to play football three days after you are punished with seventeen whole inches.

But...

Your stadium roof collapses?

I call shenanigans and see this as another way to keep Brett Favre's streak alive.

I hope that Justin Tuck separates Favre's head from his shoulders.

Oh, and where are they going to play the game and when?

NY Times

Photo via Deadspin

Update: As I am sure most of you know already, the game is going to be played at Ford Field in Detroit at 7:20 pm on Monday. The game will be available to Direct TV Sunday ticket subscribers as well as the local markets.

Broken Bells - The High Road

I don't know why this song popped into my head while I was shaving. It just did.

Now I want it to pop in your head on this cold and icy Sunday morning.

Enjoy the day and be well.

No, I understand her appeal

I caught part of the wonderful program Sarah Palin's Alaska last night. Now, maybe it was because I was woozy from helping Teacher Dave move or multiple bus CDTA trips between Albany and Troy yesterday (don't ask) but I decided to watch for a couple of minutes and after that, I got it.

I understand why flyover America loves her and coastal America doesn't take her seriously.

For the flyover folks, she is one of you. Or at least she pretends to be. She is the normal, simple American of average tastes and good (as she sees them) values. She is never going to be one to make things to difficult for you, or condescend to you, and she was elected Governor of Alaska, the most American of States, so she has been vetted by her peers already. That she is cute and has a haircut that they can relate to makes it even easier to love her.

For coastal America, it is for the exact same reasons. She oozes average. She is normal and simple and banal. Her sense of taste is uninspired and boring, while her values show that she sees the world in black and white, without a sense of gradation. She is never going to challenge with her words or ideas and she is never going to make you strive to be a better American, because they understand that when she takes control, they will be first against the wall. She has no experience, stating that she was the "Half term Governor of Alaska" and that is not the big stage. Don't get them started about how cute she is or the big hair thing that she has going on.

They are both right, and they are both wrong.

Part of it is an issue based on class, and the mores of the various microcosms of the societal level we choose to inhabit, and some of it is a distinct distrust of the other but she is fascinating to to both Americas. I can see why she is divisive though, and I wonder if there is anything that she can do to make herself more appealing to everyone. It would require certain changes that she wouldn't do because it would upset the base of her support (hello Tea Party people!) and people who are moderates on the left would never trust her.

Plus...there is the while gun thing and the sport killing...



So, now that I understand why she is loved and talked about...that means she is going to go away and I am never going to hear of her again, right? When I understand something in the zeitgeist, it has moved past the relevancy date, right?

She is going to go away now...please.

Dreams are like sleeping based movies

I was trapped in an office building (along with a number of friends, family members, and randoms) that was being terrorized by an unknown number of mercenaries with an unclear agenda.

Yes, I am being vague here but it wasn't made clear in the dream, and after reading through that, it seems a lot like the plot to Die Hard, but I swear it gets better and less derivative.

Anyway, I was tasked by the group to stop the mercenary/terrorist on the floor above it. All we had to defend ourselves were Nerf guns, including the rifle, and I was loaded up (and provided with a number of extra darts) for bear (much like Sarah Palin, which is the subject of another blog post because I think I had an epiphany regarding her popularity) and I got into the elevator (because that was the easiest thing to do and it was a dream) and rode it to the floor above. There was no "ding" to let the terrorist/mercenary know that I had arrived. I had the the rifle ready as I walked into the hall and I saw her standing there. The mercenary was a very large woman with ginger hair and she was holding a M-60 (told you she was a large woman) and as she looked at me, and my "weapons", she chuckled to herself and asked me if I was serious.

I lifted my Nerf rifle and started hitting her in the face with darts, over and over, until she dropped her machine gun, and backed up into the wall.

She raised her hands to stop my barrage and started pleading with me to stop, saying that she was "Only 16."

Dude, what does that mean?

She crumpled to the ground and I leaned in to find out more information, asking her why she was doing this, when someone else (I wish that I knew who it was) tazed the mercenary/terrorist.

And then I woke up...

What does it all mean?