Friday, February 19, 2010

Fail, Damnit! Fail! It's Friday!

Okay, we'll start with a win. Because it's a cute nana.



Told you it was hot. I mean cute. I love a well-tied babushka.

Oh, no! That led me to Funny-Dancing Grandma. I guess that's a fail of some sort...



(No - I stopped there, even though Techno Grandma was tempting)

Wait. What's that you say? A Miley Cyrus cover of Goodbye? Wonderful!



No! No! No! Make it stop! I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!

(Okay, not really - like sharing the tape from The Ring with someone in a way. I believe the French refer to that as la bĂȘte du jambon)

How about an Anger Release Fail? At least he got some fight in the newspaper box...



Have a great weekend!

In Short: S. E. Cupp, Walking Absurdity

I keep a pretty good handle on the right wing nutters, but I'd never heard of S.E. Cupp before today when she was talking about Tiger Woods and plugging her upcoming book Losing Our Religion (which is predictably about how the left wing supposedly hates Christianity).

SE was talking to the Hannity stand-in and expressing her outrage that because Tiger didn't come out and say he was a loser, he was a loser. In a tie-in to her book, she pivoted on Tiger's comment about his previous and newfound dedication to Buddhism. Of course, that was a "direct attack" on Brit Hume who had -a while back- commented that Tiger come to Jesus and get some real redemption and ethics.

And then SE was outraged. "Buddhism, whatever," she railed, "Buddhism considers adultery a sin too." She continued: "He's obviously out of touch with whatever his god is."


Why do some people look down on Christianity, S.E.? Because of Christian(-esque people) like you. Ignorant, ignorant people like you who do not think any other belief is worthy of fifteen minutes of your time to learn the basics of the phraseology of their system, let alone the belief structure.

To clarify: Buddhism does not have a creator god, nor do they believe in the self-deprecating Christian construction of sin, original or otherwise.

But because she is informed on only one form and concept of religion, she can't speak in any other terms, even for 5 minutes. How'd she write a book about the subject? Jesus!

Here's an analogy: Many Europeans think Americans are asses because they expect the world to speak English and most won't take the 5 minutes to learn "please," "thank you," and "Do you speak English?" They just talk louder. And that's what you're doing, S.E. Not smarter - or even smart - just louder.

If you want respect from others, whether other religions or while traveling abroad, begin by showing some. I believe some would call that "being Christian."


UPDATE: To clarify, S.E. Cupp is a self-proclaimed atheist. But a bad one. Check the comments for my full opinion.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Who's Still Sponsoring Glenn Beck?

Just a little FYI from Media Matters for those of you with a few extra minutes on your hands:
At least eighty advertisers have reportedly dropped their ads from Glenn Beck's Fox News program since he called President Obama a "racist" who has a "deep-seated hatred for white people." Here are his February 8 sponsors, in the order they appeared:

Rosland Capital
Vermont Teddy Bear Company
Loan Modification Hotline
Aspercreme
Mesothelioma Families
Chattem
Tax Masters
Lifelock
Sokelove Law, LLC
Wall Street Journal
Goldline
American Advisors Group
Pro Flowers
Hydroxatone
The Jewelry Exchange
NBC Universal
Credit Card & Debt Relief Hotline

Cheers!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Jim Gaffigan - King Baby - Bacon

Delicious!



Van Murals: Javanasexy & Wave!

Uh-oh. Who brought the sexy?

Sexy Japansese

I don't know who this guy is, but I tried to combine Japanamation, van, and sexy in the title of this post. And I believe that guy is all three. The person who drives that van, however, is totally sketch. As Irish Dancer would say.


Surf Mermaid Style

OMG that wave is HUGE. Surf hard! OMG that sexy naked mermaid is about to be ground into coral reef food. What are you doing mermaid? You live underwater. You should know better!

Politics, Meh - Palin, Anyone?

My wife got me a fantastic Palin birthday card yesterday and then today I saw this on Think Progress:
Former Alaska governor and Fox News analyst Sarah Palin spoke to a crowd of Republican Party activists in Arkansas yesterday, where she lavished praise on the Tea Party movement and played down speculation that she might run for president in 2012. She also then mocked Twitter:
When she was asked what she believed was the number one threat to America today, several audience members shouted, "Obama!"

Arkansas Republican Party Chairman Doyle Webb, who moderated the Q&A session, responded by adding, "Besides Obama."

Palin then chimed in as many in the crowd laughed.

"See, they said that, I didn’t," she said. "Just you watch now, too, because somebody will be here with their little Twittering thing, and it’s going to be on the Internet any minute now."


It’s unclear what Palin has against the "little Twittering thing," considering she is also on Twitter (@SarahPalinUSA) and has actually been noted for supposed new media saviness. Last night’s event in Little Rock’s 18,000-seat Verizon Arena had a significant number of empty seats. In fact, fewer than half the seats "in the lower bowl were occupied, and the entire upper level was shrouded by black drapes." In the hours before the Palin event, "the Arkansas GOP was advertising on its web site a heavily discounted '$20 ticket special.'"

Case in point: Republicans don't get technology or the internet.

There seems to be a brewing schism in the Republican party: Those who want to make the party appear less the "white man" party and are willing to push Palin to the forefront of 2012 and those who say it would be political suicide. So what's the call, Pubbies? Do you appear to be even more misogynist by saying a woman who has no right running for president has no right running for president or feign acceptance of her lack of qualifications to appear more inclusive? I'm guessing they'll go the latter and blame America if she does't win the primaries and blame America (I can hear Hannity now: "America was just not ready for a strong, independent woman to lead the country!") when she doesn't win the general election. And then they'll ride that feather in their cap for the next 20 years, that they had a woman run. And that's how they'll phrase it. And that's how they'll get it so, so wrong in the short and long run.


Other politics? No, not really. Shitty, really. We're still buried in snow so my ears have numbed from the deniers saying global warming is a hoax or that it might be real but not man-made and some guy posted something on a blog about how it's all collapsing around the "warmalists" but really its not and it's become so political that it ceases to be scientific. And McCain can't even remember if he said something about capping carbon at some point.

It's all quite pointless. The Right will continue to push for less carbon regulation because business will continue to grease their asses for doing so and the Left will continue to push for more regulation. In my opinion, whether it's AGW or just GW, the Left's doing the only thing that will help the problem. They're shipping snow into Vancouver for chrissakes.

Enough politics already. Bring me the van murals!

Jesus, Green Pot, Green Lent, Fiery Pareidolia

Either I strategically postponed my Monday Jesus because of Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday or I'm a lazy son of a bitch. You decide.

Why is it that every year I completely forget that it's Ash Wednesday until I walk into the AmeriStop or UDF to pick up some beer and am entranced and almost comment to someone that they've got some shit on their forehead? Then just before what would be a horribly embarrassing moment, my brain goes "Ohhhh yeah. Some people still do that."

Weed Worship Jesus

Jesus on Weed

Hey, why do these three paintings of Jesus crossing the Mexico/Texas border weigh so much? Oh, because you've got 10 lbs. of pot stuffed into the back of each one!

Stupid. What chintzy painting weighs 10 lbs? None. Even the drug-sniffing dog Cesar knew that.

Can we just legalize marijuana please? We could empty prisons, focus on real problems, people would stop stuffing the Lord with weed, and everyone else could stop pretending to be offended by it. Jesus!


Green Lent

Some folks are giving up carbon for Lent. That is so absurd it will only get this blurb. It's like only giving at Christmas. If you want to do something you know you should be doing anyway, don't use a man-made holiday to appease your deity with a faux dedicated sense of responsibility. Is baby Jesus happier if you make a pittance of an effort for 40 days or dedicate yourself to real change the whole year?


Pareidolia FAIL

Demon Jesus in Fire

Dude saw Jesus on a log in a fire. Dude apparently missed that his picture shows Jesus' huge, demonic hand emerging from the same fire.

If it was really Jesus, he'd let you pull the log out of the burning inferno with your bare hands so you could put it on Ebay. You know he would...

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Progressive in Short: Right Wrong

This week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) presented a scaled-back "Jobs Bill." Republicans who had previously stated that the big one wouldn't create a single job switched tune to say Harry was selling out the country and not doing what needed to be done. Is anyone surprised by this?


3/4 of Americans support openly gay people serving in the military. Is this openness and compassion or "at least it's not me" or "kill the fags?" Maybe a mix of all? I personally don't think America's tolerant enough to allow everyone the same rights.


Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is still batshit crazy. I nominate her for VP to Palin in 2012. Oh, what a party that'll be. I'll bring the Jameson.


And, lastly, it appears that the right-wing nutters saying that snow in winter means Global Warming is a hoax are blind to all things Canadian and international. The Winter Olympics start tonight, and Vancouver has to airlift snow in so it can actually happen. Why? Warmest winter on record. I guess that like their breadth and width of knowledge of the world ends at the US borders and of science ends at the end of the day, you tie the two together and not a whisper will be spoken about an international event dependent on snow not having snow because it's too warm. But perhaps one of their coal-shucking scientists can somehow tie it to "Global Cooling."

Friday, February 12, 2010

Friday FAIL: Deniers, Cops, Light Switch Penises?

More Friday Fail. And third week in a row I haven't made it in every day. Ah, well.


Global Warming Denier FAIL

Rachel Maddow and Bill Nye lay out - in plain terms - that the morons on the right like Hannity and Limbaugh and Beck who say that snow in the winter means global warming is a hoax are full of BS, purposefully misleading their viewers and listeners.




Cop FAIL

Not new, but always funny.




Light Switch FAIL

Many examples of inadvertent penis humor.



Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Van Mural Wednesday: Rawr! Smart!



I know there's a pussy joke there.



I know there's a pussy joke there.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Politics on Tuesday? Easy: Repubs Are the Danger

At this point, who on the right is still kidding themselves: Republicans are not for actual medical reformation. They never have been. They want to keep their corporate medical sponsors (granted, it's been hard for the Dems with their corp med sponsors too). But the 'Pubs haven't put effort into anything except NOT putting effort into the reform Americans are desperately in need of.

Wait, that's not true. Repubs are putting a great deal of effort into scaring the hell out of the ignorant American populace that the (Obama v. 2.1) USA is going to take over their health care. And KILL US ALL! It's true. Ask Beck or Limbaugh or any of those other conservative ass-clowns who claim an allegiance to a more pure form of American government than the Republicans. And everything Obama does is bad and wrong and is deliberately so. Obama hates America!

So the Democrats have to go and the Republicans who don't get the AM Radio Stamp of WhateverTheFuck (most of them) ALL NEED TO GO. And by fostering that level of ignorant voting rampage, and ignorant Tea Party education, you foster a frenzy-dom of stupidity, a madness of idiocy, all of them suckling on the teat of talk radio like a crack baby on its amphetamine-laced lactation.

Right wing radio: you're right. America is in danger. America is in danger from you. YOU are fostering not an educated populace, but an ignorant one. You are fostering your dream of an oligarchy ruled by madness that fits your version of reality.

You are the danger.

And as disconcerting as it is, I say: Bring it on. Usher Palin into 2012. Kill reform without solutions. We'll be waiting. With facts. And you will lose.

Or America will.

Monday, February 08, 2010

Jesus, Monday Already? Lindsay?

Lohan as the Lord?

Lohan Jesus

And 3...2...1 -

She turns wine into vomit and can barely walk on a waterbed. She calls her privates "fishes and loaves" and can make the cock crow 3 times before sunrise. She only said yes to crucifixion because she wanted to get nailed. She figured "spikes" either meant booze or volleyball and either was cool with her. She's really fond of Simon's Peter. She didn't call Peter "The Rock" for church-buildin'. Three days in a tomb is what she calls rehab. Born from a virgin? Travesty! She one was tempted by Satan, but turned him down because at no point did he address cock, coke, or Skyy. And yes, she was a carpenter; she's likes to work the wood.

Seriously folks. I could do this all night.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Name n Date! - Vargas, Jesus, n a Mullet!

I don't know what possessed me to type in "vargas 1978," but I did and this is what I got:


Punto y Aparte indeed!

If you're not familiar with Name n Date (because it's been a while), I type in a name and a date and post my result(s) on Google Image Search.

So let's do another. How about Jesus 1965?


Dad: drunk; Jr.: stoned; Kid: zombie-ing out on neighbor's penis

WTF? Is this thing broken? Of course not. Jesus by definition should -


I so hate Egyptian history!

Shit. Well, if it's going to be that kind of party, I'm gonna stick my dick in the mashed potatoes.

Let's close with a mullet, shall we?


Nips!

Amen.

Short News: G-Spot, Have a (Secret) Smoke

Um...Gee...

Do you have a G-spot? If you're British, you may not.

A bunch of British scientists did some sexy science and decided that the G-Spot does not really exist. And then the French scientists were like "Oh non, tu fais pas!" because they're the masters of their own baters and their own sexual destinies. Best quote:
The angry French gynecologists said they’d found the real problem with their British counterparts: that they're British.
Ah, those Brits and Frenchies. Always scrappin'.


Put That Out, Drew!

Oh, no. Not in Parma, Ohio! On March 1st, Parma Community General Hospital will begin a new policy: They will not hire smokers.

Okay, so we knew this was coming. No one is surprised.

But the reality of the situation is now wildly apparent. We are heading towards a society where you punch in to your job by standing on a scale and taking a quick blood test to check your cholesterol, drug content, triglycerides, and stress hormones.

Is that okay?

Just wondering.

I'm a Banana



Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Van Mural Wednesday: The Road

The Road goes ever on...



If you're talking about that Kerouac book, you've got it right. What a snoozer! But you're probably not. The road goes on. Then you meet that guy and he drives you instantly mad, drowns you, and takes your clothes. And next thing you know your friends are calling him by your name because he's wearing your sweet thermal. Madness, I say!

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Jesus and Politics - Or How About Video Games? And...No, Just Video Games. Fallout 3? Dogmeat? Anyone?

Fallout 3 and Dogmeat Forever

Jesus was supposed to be yesterday, but I'm running a little wrong on the side of time because I finally started getting buried in this game called Fallout 3 for the Xbox 360. Engrossing. Potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay (and downloadable content!) and it's killing my productivity.

The most endearing and interesting part of the game is that I have been befriended by a dog named Dogmeat. I know. It says the words "dog meat" in my inventory and I imagine the 6 HP it provides is delicious as much as it is irradiated.

But this is a dog. A real, live, video game dog. And she chooses me as her master.

And I've got to live up to that.

In the Fallout 3 Wasteland, you never know if you're going to bump into a stupid raider that Dogmeat will tear into until you can get a relatively close headshot with the combat shotgun that will make his "momma had a baby and it's head popped off" pop off with requisite spurting blood OR perhaps a small army of super-mutants will crush Dogmeat in three bangs of a water main pipe.

And when that happens, whether you are there to see it or not, you get an impersonal dialogue pop-up that simply states "Dogmeat has died" and an "OK" box.

No, damn you! It's not okay! She's a dog! A dog! She ran after the super mutant on the third floor to protect ME and it took me a while to get up there and he clubbed her with his nail board and I couldn't get there with a stimpak to fill her HP and - SHIT! - a whimper and that fucking box again. Again!

Yes. It happens again and again. Why? Because telling her to stay there brings up a whimper (and if you tell her to stay somewhere and get carried away and forget where you left her, she's gone). So you keep her with you and when you say "Good boy," she barks like fucking Lassie (I realize my disconnect in animal gender, but I do have two female cats: Dorian and Godot).

Then Dogmeat dies. And you lament your decision. You start over at the last save. Because you keep her with you and you move on. The thought of your dog dead will ruin the rest of the game. And she's actually helpful as an alert most of the time with that growl and because for the love of all things Holy, the BEST thing she can do, the reality of the situation, the dialogue choice under "Talk to Dogmeat" that states "Go away and never come back again" makes me want to vomit and cry in that pile of puke for being such a horrible human being.

I'm not sure how I'm going to feel recruiting a Goul named Charon, whom I just met.

I doubt I'll replay as an evil character, though I long to blow up Megaton. I don't have the stomach.

And don't even ask me about Mass Effect 2. Until 2012 when I finally get to it.


I don't think anything about this post is right. I admit it upfront. And yet I'm certain I'm not alone.

And you should play. Obviously, it's engaging. Engrossing.
Happy Tuesday.


UPDATE: I've downloaded the Broken Steel component so I could pop the Level 20 cap. And I now have to deal with some terrible enemies that actually scare me, though I've not even entered the storyline of the download.

Funny plus: Puppies! It's a new perk you can choose at level up so if Dogmeat dies, you can return to 101 and have a new piece of the litter. Litter? I guess the female thing is not so wrong with Dogmeat.

Friday, January 29, 2010

In Short: Hannity 'n' Them Knuckle Sammiches

I heard Hannity on Wednesday, before getting owned by a Democratic congressman, say the following:

"I don't know if you've ever heard the saying... 'I'll hit you so hard your mother'll feel the vibrations.' Oh, now we sound like street kids, heh heh."

What?

Yeah, like street kids in the 30's. No, like street kids in a movie about the 1930's. What kind of mental throwback alternate dimension does Sean Hannity live in? What pre-cold war anachronism does he inhabit? No wonder his sense of reality is so skewed. Damn.

Friday FAIL: Webcast, iPad x 2, Rollerblade x 3!

So the first part of Friday FAIL is to discuss how I failed in my first week of posting per my guide list (way down on the right column). Sure, I got the Mon/Tues going strong, but Wednesday's Van Mural had to wait to Friday and I completely skipped Thursday. We'll have another go next week, then?

Enjoy!

Live Webcast Fail




iPad Fail




And will I ever get tired of the adaptations of Hitler? Answer: No. More iPad Fail.

Hitler Learns of iPad




I'm sorry. You came here looking for Fail in a more tangible manner. Here you go!

Rollerblade FAIL x 3







Cheers!

Van Mural Whatever Today Is

Who likes ass?

Wait. Who doesn't like ass?



Ass and surf. Don't get much better than that. For surfing people, I guess.

I prefer the pale emaciation that sometimes manifests in nerds and gamers.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Tuesday Politics: Republican NO-bama!

Day two of the scheduling plan and we've got some politics for you. So far so good.


Tomorrow night, President Obama is going to deliver his State of the Union Speech.

Now leaked: He's going to put a freeze on domestic spending.

So what do the Borrow-and-Spend Republicans say about a freeze on spending by their so-called Tax-and-Spend Democrats? Wrong!

Why? Isn't taking more financial responsibility for the country important.

"Wrong!"

Why?

"Democrat mean 'BAD.'"

So it just boils down to that, does it? Anything Obama and the Democratic party does is subject to ridicule and twisting and a good kneading and beating in the taffy-pulling machine that is the conservative media-political machine? Violently oppose anything proposed - even if it does some good for the country - in order to feign compromise, which the Democrats foolishly acquiesce to, at which point you'll still shout NO but now claiming that it's a weak bill in concert with liberals who say it doesn't go far enough?

"Yep."

But what about genuine health care reform, helping those that need the most help in an admittedly broken system?

"Socialism!"

Discounted meals for poor kids?

"Breeding machines!"

Cute puppies?

"Hitler!"


I see. And what about a Supreme Court that just allowed unlimited corporate campaign contributions from corporations, including foreign corporations, figuratively turning McCain-Feingold on its head (and even making McCain turn tail on his own legislation)?

"Oh, we were in power then. Dems may have been genuinely bi-partisan, but we just wanted to limit their funding. Now? No power. We've got to win in 2010 somehow."

That's what I thought.

"Democrat mean 'BAD.'"

Right.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Some Jesus Wrestling Rambling

So it's Monday and you know what that means! Or maybe you don't. Well? Read my post from thirty minutes ago; Monday means Jesus.

And if you're new here, don't turn heel on me yet. I'm a Godless Liberal and when I say Monday Jesus, I mean something tangential and irreverent. Kind of by definition. Might even be about a Latino now and then.

So today's media search was kind of a wash with every story mentioning Jesus having to do with the damned Trijicon scopes with Bible verses on them. Lame. You want to kill a Muslim's soul, shoot him with bacon bullets like everyone else does. Sheesh!

So what did I find about Jesus today? You're going to regret asking.



That's the image. The title of the article?

CM Punk The Version Of Jesus in Wrestling. Good Or Bad?

And, because I love you, I shall reprint the entire text of the article. English teacher marks [in red brackets]. Don't feel bad; this is someone listed as a contributor.
Ever since Punk turned heel, he has been nothing but an awsome [SP] competidor [SP] in the WWE.

Since his goal of ending Jeff Hardy´s career[,] CM Punk has become a really solid character in the SD brand. But now officials are really taking his gimmick to a real [RED] "EDGE".

Now don't get me wrong I really enjoy this story for Punk, I belive it´s really original and has a taste of reality that everyone likes[awk, RO sent].

WWE has donde [SP] a really nice job by taking thios [SP] character to the next level, just see it[frag]. Punk has started to gain [WC] a kind of Jesus look right? Or is it just me? Then in every promo he has made in [SP?] his quest to save the lifes [SP] of the adicts [SP] has been nothing but a very interesting copy of the message of Jesus [awk-restructure, please]. The most impresive thing is that the audience has identified with these gimmick[s] and more than ever they pay to go and BOO Punk out of the arena. [But if Punk is the Jesus figure, why does he get BOO'd? NC]

Some people think this is a really boring and anoying gimmick, but reallity [SP] is I belive is [awk] one of the best WWE has come up with these past year[?]. Just look who [SP?] funny and entertaining is every word Punk has to say in those "saving people" segments. Things like: "These women needs me I sense it" are[tense] just hilarious coming from a guy like Punk with his tatoos and wearing his wrestling attire [awk].

Come on people give this a chance, belive or not I think these is one of the best products WWE has released in a long time [RO].

The partnership with Luke [Biblical Luke?] makes it even more interesting, and on the other hand gives good old Festus a nice push, we all wanted these [number] for him since he is a really nice [WC] wrestler. And if the storyline rounds [?] around Jesus who knows maybe Luke will be the one that turns on Punk and serves him to the entire face part [face part?]of the locker room.

It´s a rellay [SP] GOOD thing for Punk, for Luke, for SD and specially for the WWE Universe. If you just hate the story I respect you're [your] opinion but I'm asking you to respect mine and give CM Punk (aKa ["a.k.a."] Jesus) a shot with this new gimmick.

Holy Christ, that was hard to mark up!

(FYI: When writing something that will forever be floating the circuits and aether that is the internets, either use Firefox or Chrome (spellcheck) or write it in Word and copy/paste.)

If "your" surprised by the contributors, you can see the fans on teevee. I went once. Ironically. Back when it was the World Wildlife Foundation.

Maybe "its" just lost "it's" edge.

A New Plan Theme Thing

Okay, it's not necessarily a "NEW" plan as in the blog is going to change or all the things you love will disappear like a cake in front of a fat kid, but I've noticed a lack of focus on my part. A lack of discipline.

So about half the time, my focus will fall into the outline you can see under Linktastica! on the right. Feel free to suggest anything. I'm sure it will be welcomed with joy.

So what've I got in store for my wonderful people? Only the best:

Monday
Jesus News!

Tuesday
Politics I May or May Not Give a Shit About

Wednesday
Van Mural Wednesday

Thursday
Images of Some Sort. Probably Funny. Occasionally Photoshopped by Yours Truly

Friday
Fail Friday Video(s)


As you may know, when I feel frisky or particularly motivated, I'll knock out 2 or 3 posts in a day. This list is positioned to make me knock out at least 1 on those days I don't feel so much so.

SO: Whatcha think?

Saturday, January 23, 2010

In Short: McDonald's FAIL

I stopped into McDonald's tonight. While in the drive-thru pay window, I noticed a sign posted inside:
Due to slow sales, hours have been cut for all employees. When sales increase, you will be given your hours back.

And when I was driving away, I noticed a sign posted in the front window:

HELP WANTED


FAIL


Your thoughts?

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Van Mural Wednesday: Eyes on Your Chess Battle

She sees your darkest secrets...




Chess battle!



Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Arctic Monkeys - Nick Cave - Red Right Hand

I love the Arctic Monkeys. I love Nick Cave. I love this fucking video. Love it with me.



Monday, January 18, 2010

Frisky Dingo, Meet Archer!

Archer on FX

Remember that time I talked about that one vague show called Frisky Dingo? If not, feel free to visit the link and return or just watch a little love below:



I loved the hell out of that show - honestly the most consistently hilarious show I've ever seen in timing and pace and it just matched my brain in some way. And then it broke my heart when Season 2 ended and nary a word was heard.

And then, by chance, I caught a blurb on IFC with Dingo co-creator Adam Reed talking about his new venture entitled Archer about a whoring secret agent (think James Bond gone bad) that appears very similar to Xander Cruise in Dingo. The previews showed a perfect match in timing, non sequitur, and hilarity.

Here's a taste:


(Check out more on FXArcher's Channel)

And the best part is: you can get in on the ground floor! The clip I saw said the series started on FX on January 21st, but the first two episodes aired last week on the 14th. But they're airing the first two episodes ("Training Day" and "Mole Hunt") on Thursday again before the second showing of episode 3, "Diversity Hire."

FX. Thursdays at 10pm. We can watch and hope that they pick it up beyond its original 6 episodes.

Yay!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Stupid Shit Republicans Say

Let's focus on two. I keep pretty close with the crazy as it happens from conservatives but this first one really blew my mind.

Tiger Woods, That Naughty Buddhist

Tiger Woods will recover as a golfer. Whether he can recover as a person I think is a very open question, and it's a tragic situation with him. I think he's lost his family. It's not clear to me that -- whether he'll be able to have a relationship with his children.

But the Tiger Woods that emerges once the news value dies out of this scandal -- the extent to which he can recover, it seems to me, depends on his faith. He's said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith.

So my message to Tiger would be, "Tiger, turn your faith -- turn to the Christian faith, and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."

That was noted asshat Brit Hume on Fox News. I don't care that he spewed his religion all over the air - I think Murdoch walks around with a loaf of blessed bread, breaking off pieces and swabbing up the sputum for lunch - but WTF?

First - He's knocking someone else's religion in relation to his own and his "I don't think" qualifies it as complete ignorance. It's like saying "I've only eaten cabbage all my life and if you want your nutrition I think that kale is wasting your life!"

What a fuck. What is he saying? Let's get together a big list of Christians who have BEEN Christians and screwed over their spouses or abused kids or molested kids. Who the hell are you?

And Buddhism is to blame?

Second - Imagine, for a second, if this was posited by Malcom X, and he said that Tiger's coming to Allah through the Nation of Islam would be a better solution to Buddhism.

Can you even visualize the nasty disaster of religion and hate and race that would ensue - from people at Fox News?

Hypocrisy is an ugly thing, and only uglier when unmasked and laid bare.


Giuliani and um...9/11?

RUDY: "What he should be doing is following the right things that Bush did -- one of the right things he did was treat this as a war on terror. We had no domestic attacks under Bush. We've had one under Obama."

Wait, wasn't there that shoe bomber guy and ...how did Giuliani forget about that part of his soul, 9/11? Didn't that happen during Bush?

What the fuck?

To be fair, Giuliani has since revamped his statement (according to Olbermann's team 4 times), but none of them clearly reach for the primary ignorance and none truly point to the true cause of the original statement: Rudy Giuliani and other Conservatives are now positing revised history as reality. Recent history, that we all remember, that we were all there for - if no in NY - that there are pieces of our memory that are at fault. That Bush was not.

It's a basic psychological ploy, really. Some people look at it and say "So because you say it 500 times, does it make it true?" Yes. It does. The sad truth is that the first time it's heard by many goons, it's true. The subsequent lies only prove to bolster those who've heard #1 and imbue more who haven't. And by the time they get to bullshit #500, everyone who is ignorant enough to eat up any conservative scat they can get their hands on (that other conservatives haven't already devoured)? They eat it like a fat kid eats cake.

We'll never buy the bullshit. But I wanted you to know that there are tens of millions who will. Who already have.


Epilogue

Today I heard Rush Limbaugh say that if you want to look at what Democratic corruption can do to a city to ruin it, take a look at New Orleans.

If I'm not mistaken (and correct me if I am), New Orleans was ruined by Bush-appointed asshats that didn't know how to organize the simplest of disaster scenarios, let alone the worst of imaginings.

More stupid. More drunk by stupid-drinkers. More waste of brain cells. More of burying intellect.

And that is conservatism. For today at least.


UPDATE!

Media Matters Reports:
After an earthquake devastated Haiti on January 12, Pat Robertson said on The 700 Club that Haitians had "swor[n] a pact to the devil" to get "free from the French" and that "ever since, they have been cursed." Robertson's comments follow a pattern in which he has assigned blame for tragedies and disasters, as well predicted them.

Is this because voodoo, which is practiced in Haiti, is an amalgamation of pagan and Catholic beliefs? Guess what? Christianity is an amalgamation of pagan and "new" beliefs!

I believe this post will continue in perpetuity...

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

In Short: Haiti ...WHA?

Right now CNN, MSNBC, HLN, etc. are talking about and extensively covering the earthquake that has rocked Haiti to its roots and killed hundreds - if not thousands - of locals.

Fox News is focused on Bill O'Reilly interviewing Sarah Palin and proving she's not retarded. No breaks for real news.

Fox itself must be retarded in its coverage of reality.

Case in point.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Dr. Oz on Reiki

Dr. Oz likes Reiki. I like Reiki. Cool.



Sunday, January 10, 2010

Scrapbooking is Stupid

Scrapbooking is stupid

That is all.

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Mentalist Fight: Amanda and Robin

Mrs. Shambles and I watch The Mentalist with that strapping Aussie Simon Baker who was in that terrible show The Guardian that gave me a sad feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I saw it listed on the DVR. Wait - did we have DVR back then? I don't know. I don't remember the cable situation then. I do remember the sad, empty feeling though.

Anyway, I was thinking about my previous post mentioning the Oliva Munn / Morgan Webb post from a while back, and then The Mentalist popped up. It's a good show, nothing like The Guardian.

So, readers, feel free to chime in: I'm not putting any qualifiers on it like fight or beauty. Who wins? Why?

Robin Tunney

Robin Tunney

or...

Amanda Righetti

Amanda Righetti


Personally? Well ...I'll let you mull over it and I'll update the post with my thoughts and any particularly clever comments next week.

Van Mural Saturday?

Yeah. What can I say. Feeling guilty about being busy. So here's your Van Mural action to make things better. I know: it's like a peck on a bruise when you're hoping for them to go down on you. Take it for what it is.

Found this gem and was almost hesitant to post it. I mean I'm not a surfer, so maybe it's cool. The art doesn't suck, though the van itself says "Collar-poppin Douchebag" to me. Not sure why. Judge for yourself.

Surf Van Mural Douchebag

But I know your expectations when it comes to vans here at Cause For Concern is not centered around talented art and quality craftsmanship. You want a big pile of suck with generous, dripping side of schadenfreude.

At your service!

Jesus Garland Scrapbooking Van

Now let me admit, up front, that I am well aware that this is NOT a mural in the purest sense. A mural is generally painted, though mixed media is not out of the question. This is neither. This is shiny garland and tape. This is the scrapbooking version of Van Mural Wednesday.

But it does suck. And that we can appreciate. Or at least laugh at.


...and who the fuck gave smiley faces the right to get a driver's license? Jesus! Next thing you know, we'll be giving them to immigrants.

Holy Snickers! Traffic Update

Yesterday I was tooling around with some of the stats from my other clients and I thought I'd take a look at the numbers for this little corner of the blogosphere and - Holy Shit! - I've been getting between 200 and 400 visits a day. WTF?

Some Statties

Top referring Keywords:

naked (5.69%)
julianna rose mauriello (3.43%)
olivia munn maxim (3.43%)
shake weight for men (3.20%)
glenn beck is a douchebag (2.73%)

Shows you what kind of party I'm throwing. Although I tend to speak politics quite a bit, so perhaps it's a better representation of the people on the internets.

For those of you who don't know, Juliana is the pink-haired leading lady on a kids' show called Lazytown. She is a very attractive young lady and in May she turned 18, which makes that previous sentence slightly less creepy. Olivia is the female host of Attack of the Show on G4 and I once pitted her up against Morgan Webb - with mixed reviews. Shake Weight is always a party pleaser. And Glenn Beck is always a tremendous douchebag.

But #1 keyword is naked? You dirty birds.

The fun part about the internet and search engine mechanics is that by me posting about posts and linking the right text to my own blog - even from my own blog - it alters the numbers in the aether and may bring even more traffic, kind of like if I went back in time to my sophomore year in college and told myself to grow a pair and just pounce on K. on our first date she might not have later broken up with me because I didn't pounce on her on our first date. Okay, maybe not anything like that. Sorry. My soft-spoken college days sometimes haunt me.

But enough about me. Who wants more numbers!?

(last 30 days)

8,557 Visits
10,746 Pageviews
80.88% Bounce Rate (meaning they entered and left on the same page)
00:00:21 Average time on a page (yes, that's seconds)

And an interesting note: a full 25% of my traffic comes from Google Image Searches that lead to my page. Images are important! In fact, here's one apropos of absolutely nothing, an old favorite of my own making:

Liquid Jesus Beer
Liquid Jesus Beer

So overall, good numbers. Crazy numbers. And certainly tells me that I've got to focus on offering more to you good people, especially my regulars, on a ...well, regular basis. Even if I'm busy. So hopefully I'll get a couple more catch-up posts out today, some tomorrow, and my goal: To post 5x a week at minimum. Let's see if I can keep up.

Keep reading, keep commenting, even if you're here for non-existent naked pics :)

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Learn to Speak TeaBag

This one's a little older, but delicious, as is everything at Mark Fiore's site. Enjoy!



Sunday, January 03, 2010

A Retort: Guideline for Conservatives

I love getting comments. Granted, most of them are humorous or insightful bits from my regular readers. But every once in a while - every couple days or so - I get something from a conservative either (rarely) actually agreeing with something I said, (occasionally) contributing thoughtful criticism to my post, or (often) parroting Beck or Limbaugh and calling me stupid.

I respond to most of them, mostly to let them know that they are ignorant and what to do in order engage me in actual conversation. I generally do this quietly, commenting and leaving it alone.

But sometimes, like today, I'm going to place in my first post of 2010 an excellent bad example of how to comment and my reply as a guide to those conservatives who still don't get that independent thought might actually make others think a little.

The post was Right Wing Glurge SPAM: Political Correctness in which I discuss some junk mail that came through and the dubious claims of origin and how nowhere on the internet could there be found proof of such origins.

Someone said they loved the dubious definition. I called them a sycophant, and someone else - Canoebutt - replied:
About as educated a sycophant as one that would list his astrological sign on his bio page as if it actually meant something. How is life in your mother's basement?
I believe my reply covers it:
Canoebutt-
Sorry to disappoint, but I own my own home and my own business.

One of the things I tend to discuss from time to time is the technical ineptitude of conservatives. Thank you for proving my point.

For your education and benefit: Google inserts the astrological sign if you input your birthday as an obfuscation of the actual birth date.

Also: your attack, which is generally referred to as ad hominem means you have no argument against ideas and resort to attacking the person. But as we've already covered, you cannot even do that correctly.

Remove yourself from the Limbaugh man-teat and speak intelligently about things you actually understand. People might take you seriously.

Note to the trolls: Just plain mean or insulting will get your comment deleted. Parroting talk show hosts and Fox News talking points or ad hominem attacks will get you called out. Stupid might win you ridicule.

You think I'm wrong and you're right, then argue a solid point with decent backing. I will read. I will reply. We will converse.

If you don't think you can do that, while it may reduce my enjoyment, you might want to reconsider posting a comment. You'll just be proving all the zombie myrmidon stereotypes we already know to be mostly true.

And for the love of all things holy, try not to reference anything having to do with the internet. It's just better that way.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year

In this time of Republican trolls, conservative asshats, neverending wars, and underpants bombers, I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you to all you wonderful, wonderful readers who keep sticking around for one reason or another.

I wish you all the best tonight and for the new year.

Cheers!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Tiga: Shoes

I'm hip. I'm cool. So I listen to some sweet indie music, sometimes Canadian, so when that sweet song shows up on the new iPod commercial I can say "Oh yeah, I've been listening to them for months."

No, I'm not really a dick like that. Only sometimes. Maybe. Really, I just enjoy new, different, not overplayed music.

So I was eating up some delicious CBC Radio 3 and in the last few weeks this song "Shoes" by Tiga keeps popping in and it drives me goddamned batty! In a bad way. Annoying as hell.

So in the ever-engaging endeavor of lessening pain by spreading it out, I had to pull up the video and share with you my misery.

Only there's this one problem: When I clicked play, when I was fully expecting to wallow in the pain that is "Shoes," I found myself enthralled. And somehow now I love the song. Really. I've watched the video 3 times and it's delicious. I'm not joking.

See for yourself:



(I told you it was all fucking videos today.)

Star Wars / A-Team Mashup

Brilliant. And yes, it's looking like just videos today :)



(h/t BoingBoing)

Republicans Try to Fart Out Franken

Air America cracks me up sometimes.



Michele Bachmann: Welfare Socialist!

A story was released today saying that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal subsidies for her family farm. These farmer subsidies come from our community tax dollars, leading us to ask the question, is Michele Bachmann a secret socialist?

Here's the link. I can't listen because I'm not ready to download Silverlight to my computer. Damn you Microsoft!

But I'm not going to leave you in the lurch. Here's the vid from Young Turks:



Over a quarter of a million dollars in gov't subsidies.

Sur-prise, sur-prise!

Let's get her to run with Palin.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Backatcha!

Well, I'm back from the outer space that is the holiday season. I trust you all had a great holiday?

Relatively uneventful on my end - just some good times with friends and family and usually a few drinks to close out the night.

Most interesting part of the holiday was that Mrs. Shambles's grandmother is in a nursing home right now. And when we visited her, the woman she's sharing a room with, separated by a curtain, kept asking us (apparently Nancy and Bob) how the food was in Jamaica and how big the plane was and why we kept talking about Cincinnati when she knew that we lived in North Olmstead before we went to Jamaica, of course.

When we said we lived in North Carolina before that, she got totally confused.

Oh, and that one of my relatives may soon begin smoking weed due to a medical condition.

And it was snowing and I'd had little sleep and a sugar free Red Bull, but driving back home I either saw the body of a giant sheepdog or a small Yeti.

So I guess it was a little interesting.

I wish you all the best in the coming week and year!

Why is Max Baucus Drunk?

Seriously. Drunk.

Of course, if I had to deal with the Republican asshats in the Senate I'd probably drink pretty heavily too. But not when I was going to be on teevee. Even if you don't consider CSPAN teevee.



Thursday, December 17, 2009

R.E.M. on Letterman, 1983 - South Central Rain

Just when I don't think I can love the band any more, I find a gem like this.

The song is very, very sad (look up the lyrics), but wow with performance and holy shit Stipe with hair.



In Short: Mark Levin is Retarded

I just turned to SIRIUS Patriot to hear Mark Levin spout that the life expectancy in the US is not at par with other first world nations because people in the US drive cars with less steel and less size and you're not going to survive a crash in one of those tiny cars.

He has apparently never been to a foreign country, where tiny cars is pretty much the f'ing rule. Small cars, fuel economy, etc. Standard. Throughout Europe.

I suggest Mark to to Ireland and - if he can find it - drive around in an Escalade. He might be able to make it through the streets of major cities, i.e. Dublin. But he will never find a place to park, and if he ever has to travel outside the city, he will kill the first person he meets crossing many wide swaths of roads that are about 9 feet wide and lined with ancient stone walls.

That's why they have small cars there. Douche.

And he's going on, but I'll just say: Mark, the phrase is "Waiting for the OTHER shoe to drop" not "waiting for another shoe to drop."

Stop lying. Grow a brain.

(CLICK)

Lost Dog

You ever turn a corner or get out of your car or just unexpectedly see something that turns your act into accidentally walking into a bus, but one just big enough that it plows right into your stomach?

That was me tonight hitting the gas station for smokes after a networking event.

I parked, got out, and gave all the crap scotch taped onto the glass of the AmeriStop a rudimentary glance and then

BLAMMO!

I saw something that looked like this:



Scrawled like that, a faded poster, copied with a cheap nickel copier, terrier in the slightly-skewed picture on the sheet. The "C" was in caps. And no name of the dog. No phone number. Just a sad, silent plea.

And I looked, thought "Aww, sad." Then read the last line and just about fell over. Then supported myself on weak knees as it processed that there was not dog name or phone number.

And for that instant, I don't think I've been that sad in a very, very long time.

So I share with you.

I'll be in the area again next Tuesday and will get a pic if it's still there. I hope to God I just missed something and my memory fails me in sorrow and there was contact information on that poster.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Stupid Shit I Bitch About

This morning I woke up in a state. Grumpy. Angry. Well...hungover a bit to tell you the truth. It was 5:30am. But worse off for the media I imbued during the first 30 minutes of my morning.

I saw the Orbitz Valet commercial. And that killed me. Originally, it went like this:


"Ah, the Hernandez ...'s ...ez"

Brilliant! Hilarious! But apparently someone phoned in and pissed in someone's ear and the commercial I saw this morning went "Ah, the Hernandez's."

Who the fuck ruined that comedy moment? Fuck them!


And then I turned the channel to Headline News and caught the end of a story of some foul, stupid shit where the reporter stated:

"Some Santas are dropping their jokes that bad kids will be getting socks for Christmas. The kids are actually asking for socks in this economy, not video game systems, asking for library cards..."

Asking for library cards? What the fuck place do they live in? What the fuck kids are they talking about? Where did they find the humility that they're reporting on?

What kid is humble to ask for socks? Even if they're barefoot, they're still asking for a fucking Xbox360, begging for a PS3, living on the dream of a DSi. Most kids would eat cardboard while standing barefoot on glass to play a solid video game system.

NO ONE IS ASKING FOR FUCKING SOCKS!

What kid is asking Santa for a fucking library card? THEY'RE FREE!!! Kick Santa in the nads and ask Mom or Dad to take you to the library for your FREE fucking card!

Jeez. Sorry. It was a bad morning.

Continue rocking. Nothing to see here...

Friday, December 11, 2009

3 Flavors Man Moment: Video Games, Politics, and Long-term Crushin'

Bayonetta

I'm playing the Xbox360 demo of Bayonetta. She's some supernatural witch-lady with a suit of hair, square-rimmed glasses, and a mole on her chin in a game that I'd characterize as entertaining and thoughtful button-mashing akin to Devil May Cry.

And then E3 happened:



Damn.


Mika Brzezinski

This is the real reason I watch MSNBC's Morning Joe. At least "Morning Mika" has some alliteration.




Ricci All Day Long

I've been crushing for forever. My wife knows about it. My friend teases me that she has a fivehead. But I can't let go. Just something about her.




Oh, I guess that's about all I need for a man moment right now. Ahhhh.

Next time: that magic tingle slightly fucked up teeth give me. Seriously. Patricia Arquette? Noms. And, of course, the tragedy that comes with orthodontics. Boo.

Picard is Pro Apple Juice, Anti-Panda Rape



Wednesday, December 09, 2009

RAWR! Van Mural Wednesday!

Here kitty kitty...



RAWR!

In Short: Tear Down That ...Racism!

I was just doing some web work and came across this gem in a timeline:

MARCH 22, 1988

Overriding President Ronald Reagan's veto, Congress passed the Civil Rights Restoration Act, which expanded the reach of nondiscrimination laws within private institutions receiving federal funds.


But wait, isn't it them Republicans that championed Civil Rights? Isn't that what Hannity and Beck and Limbaugh said?

Monday, December 07, 2009

Skiddin' Tires 'n' Stupid!

...yet not the kind of stupid you'd think might end this clip.



Huckabee, Clemmons, and Hypocrisy

You can read a little more about the issue here, but the rundown goes like this: Clemmons was 16 when he was sentenced to 106 years for violent acts. 47 years later, Huckabee was governor of Arkansas and commuted his sentence. Clemmons moved to Washington state and killed 4 police officers. Huckabee say it wasn't his fault. It was Washington's.

WTF?

Standard Republican line: Every criminal, especially violent ones, should be locked up and the key should disappear. Bad enough then it's off with their head, despite that we're in agreement with the same countries we despise when the Good ol' USA breaches the topic of the death penalty. Empty prisons because of overcrowding? Hell NO! Tax and spend and build some more.

I think then-Gov. Huckabee had a Liberal moment, which is kind of like a senior moment but instead of being built on senility, this was built on understanding and compassion, something not generally exhibited by Republicans. Hell, I would've done the same thing.

So why am I even writing about this?

Because of the double standard. If it had been a member of the Democratic Party that had commuted this sentence, the Right Wing, their talk show army, and the Fox footsoldiers would've been all aflourish in and drunk on schadenfreude: Liberals ruining the country, the bleeding heart of the Liberal causes real bleeding, Liberals hate cops, etc. But when a Republican does it, he issues a non-apology and our alleged left-leaning press barely covers the issue.

I guess the silver lining of all this bullshit is one more down. I'm guessing this event, no matter how glossed over, is going to hurt him for Repub nomination 2012, which means my preferred DreamGirl and ClownLady, Sarah Palin, is one step closer to making a complete fool of herself as the nominee.

So what's your take on this whole debacle?

Nudist Streaker Love Story (SFW)

Brilliant and touching :)



Wednesday, December 02, 2009

OMG! Van Mural Wed on Wed! Eagle!

Are we really doing this again? On a Wednesday?

Well, then: tasty.

Van Eagle

Monday, November 30, 2009

Rush Limbaugh is STILL a Big Fat Idiot

You know me and my talk radio.

Well, today I got to hear a particularly fierce breakdown of Rush when a caller challenged him on what he called the "covering up" of those idiot scientists who decided to play with the data in global warming and how their candid conversations would hurt the science behind the theory.

The caller in question said that he was surprised that Rush was all in a tizzy about this, but when the Bush Administration repeatedly censored papers and scientific findings about global warming and its effect on the environment (and the effect carbon emissions were having on the environment), there was not word one from him.

And then Rush got angry. He said that there couldn't be censorship because global warming is a hoax. Then he went on to my paraphrase here:

"There is no such thing as human-caused Global Warming (repeat 3x. oh, let's just do it)! There is no such thing as human-caused Global Warming! There is no such thing as human-caused Global Warming! There is no such thing as human-caused Global Warming! There is no need for health care reform! There is no need for Obama. There is no need for you! You are a menace to our country and a threat to freedom and liberty! There was no censorship because it didn't exist! Those censors did us a favor because it's all a hoax! And they'll come for you first ...because people like you will give up their freedom as long as you put Bush in jail!"

I may have to hunt the actual transcript down because my rendition is pretty damn close, but for the record: the real thing is the very definition of blowing a golden fucknut and frying it in batshit crazy.

So, to clarify: If you believe what is being censored does not actually exist and suckle at the teat of one administration, it is not malicious, governmental overreach of power, but a gracious act. And when the next administration calls it censorship...well, you get it at this point. Rush is still a Bush ball boy and will say ANYTHING - regardless of how mad it sounds - to piss against the Obama wall, even if it's absolute madness because his listeners are so blind, they'll believe anything.

Case in point, an unreported listening last week where a caller stated "I just need you to tell me how I should feel about" health care or something. WTF? And he didn't even correct them, just verbally patted them on the head, sat them on his lap, and told a tale. Like he does every day.

It's getting worse and worse. But the crazy is all good. I'm still hoping for a Palin/Beck 2012 ticket. Yeah, that's what people really want: bring on the tea parties! When it comes down to it, a little too weird and crazy is still a little too weird and crazy and your average American doesn't subscribe to crazy.

Enemies of Mass Effect 2

When it comes to video games, I'm slightly behind the times. I have a PS2, Xbox360, and a Wii. In the last year, I've completed Portal, Mass Effect, and Bioshock, and am finally deep into Half-Life 2. Out of these 4, they were all 10/10, and each had their strengths, but for depth of play and replay value, I'd go Mass Effect hands down.

And so I'm tweaking over these teasers coming out for Mass Effect 2. Here's one embedded for your gaming geek pleasure.



Saturday, November 28, 2009

Colin Meloy (Decemberists) Video

This just makes me very happy. Brilliant. Thanks to Jen ;)



Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Van Mural Wednesday: Turkey!

I looked and looked and couldn't find a van with a turkey painted on it. Boo!

So how about a van with a turkey in it?

Turkey IN Van

Cause in Russia, van eats turkey.

No, that wasn't supposed to make sense.


But not to disappoint:

Hebrew Van

You could give 'em a call, but I think they're working on that tire. Or decaying inside the van itself.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Ret. Lt. Allen West's Letter: Tragedy at Ft. Hood

This bad boy's been floating around the internets and inboxes all over the place. Allen West is running for congress in Florida. I find the letter unfocused and misguided, but think it needs to be read in its entirety for what it is. Let me know your thoughts.

Tragedy at Ft Hood
by Allen West
11/09/2009

Last Thursday, 13 American Soldiers were killed and another 30 wounded at a horrific mass shooting at US Army installation, Ft Hood Texas. As I watched in horror and then anger I recalled my two years of final service in the Army as a Battalion Commander at Ft Hood.

My wife and two daughters were stunned at the incident having lived on the post in family housing. A military installation, whether it is Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, or Coast Guard, is supposed to be a safe sanctuary for our warriors and their families. It is intended to provide a home whereby our “Band of Brothers and Sisters” can find solace and bond beyond just the foxhole but as family units.

A military installation is supposed to be a place where our warriors train for war, to serve and protect our nation. On Thursday, 5 November 2009 Ft Hood became a part of the battlefield in the war against Islamic totalitarianism and state sponsored terrorism. There may be those who feel threatened by my words and would even recommend they not be uttered. To those individuals I say step aside because now is not the time for cowardice. Our country has become so paralyzed by political correctness that we have allowed a vile and determined enemy to breach what should be the safest place in America, an Army post.

We have become so politically correct that our media is more concerned about the pre-shooting stress on the shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan. The misplaced benevolence intending to portray him as a victim is despicable. The fact that there are some who have now created an entire new classification called, “pre-virtual vicarious Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)” is unconscionable.

This is not a “man caused disaster”. It is what it is: an Islamic jihadist attack.We have seen this before in March 2003 when a SGT Hasan of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) threw hand grenades and opened fire into his Commanding Officer’s tent in Kuwait. We have seen the foiled attempt of Albanian Muslims who sought to attack Ft Dix, NJ.

Recently we saw a young convert to Islam named Carlos Bledsoe travel to Yemen, receive terrorist training, and return to gun down two US soldiers at a Little Rock, Arkansas Army recruiting station. We thwarted another Islamic terrorist plot in North Carolina which had US Marine Corps Base, Quantico as a target.

What have we seen done with all these prevalent trends? Nothing.
What we see are leaders paralyzed and refusing to confront the issue, Islamic terrorist infiltration into America, and possibly further into our Armed Services. Instead we have a multiculturalism and diversity syndrome on steroids.

Major Hasan should have never been transferred to Ft Hood. Moreover, he should have been administratively discharged from the Army. His previous statements, poor evaluation reports, and the fact that the FBI had him under investigation for jihadist website posting should have been sufficient proof. However, what we have is a typical liberal approach to find a victim, not the 13 and 30 but rather the poor shooter. A shooter who we hear was a great American, who loved the Army and serving his nation, and CAIR stating that his actions had nothing to do with religious belief.

We know that Major Hasan deliberately planned this episode; he did give away his possessions. He stood atop a table in the confined space of the Soldier Readiness Center shouting “Allahu Akhbar,” the same chant as the 9-11 terrorists and those we fight against overseas in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of operation.

No one in leadership seems willing to sound the alarm for the American people. Our Congress should suspend further action on the preposterous and unconstitutional healthcare bill and resolve the issue of “protecting the American people”.

The recent incidents in Dearborn Michigan, Boston Massachusetts, Dallas Texas, and Chicago Illinois should bear witness to the fact that we have an Islamic terrorism issue in America. And don’t have CAIR call me and try to issue a vanilla press statement: they are terrorist apologists, not a civil rights organization.

We have Saudi Arabia funding close to 80% of the mosques in the United States, one right here in South Florida, Pompano Beach. Are we building churches and synagogues in Saudi Arabia? Of course not. Because they aren’t allowed by the Saudi government. So much for peaceful coexistence.

Saudi Arabia is sponsoring radical Imams who enter into our prisons and convert young men into a virulent ideology….one resulting in four individuals wanting to destroy synagogues in New York with plastic explosives. Thank God the explosives were dummy. They are sponsoring textbooks which present Islamic centric revisionist history in our schools.
We must recognize that there is an urgent need to separate the theo-political radical Islamic ideology out of our American society. We must begin to demand surveillance of suspected Imams and mosques that are spreading hate and preaching the overthrow of our Constitutional Republic……that speech is not protected under First Amendment, it is sedition and if done by an American treason.

I make no apologies for these words, and anyone angered by them, please, go to Ft Hood and look into the eyes of the real victims. The tragedy at Ft Hood Texas did not have to happen. Consider now the feelings of those there and on every military installation in the world. Consider the feelings of the Warriors deployed into combat zones who now are concerned that their loved ones at home are in a combat zone.

Ft Hood suffered an Islamic jihadist attack, stop the denial and realize a simple point.

The reality of your enemy must become your own.

Steadfast and Loyal,
Lieutenant Colonel Allen B West (US Army, Ret)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Van Mural Wednesday? On Wednesday? I Know!

And we'll give you two again because I love you all so much.

There's really nothing to say while basking in the glory of this mural and the rolled up pack of cigs in the short sleeve of that black shirt. No tells here, but the the place I found this named the van Bessie. Of course it is.




And this second one is more of a warning - specifically to Calvin - that the evil, tentacled sea monsters have now mounted a road campaign. Though when this picture was taken is anyone's guess.



Have a great tomorrow!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Mr. Brightside A Cappella

The Killers (kinda) Thank you Calvin:



Monday, November 16, 2009

I Have Seen Hell. It is a Cube.

As many of you know, in the real world I am a web designer/expert running my own business. And since business is not exactly eating up my time and aiding in the paying of the bills, I spent today interviewing for what looks to be a "real" job. I haven't worked in an office proper for about 2 1/2 years.

The interview itself was fine; I didn't know all the techy answers, but no one ever does. I seem to have wowed them with my knowledge and ability to elucidate my experience and skills.

And then it turned weird. I took the tour.



We walked through a very large facility of over 400 employees. It would be the largest company I ever worked for. Cubes everywhere. Cube-y's Cube-y's everywhere, but not a thought to think. I just kept spouting um-hmmm's and okay's as we walked through and more cubes and more cubes with signs above them and every job I've had since college flashed through my mind. Small cube farms, large cube farms, policy binders on shelves, the guy with all his personal crap in his cube, sanctimonious bosses spouting bullshit teamwork rhetoric, team playing, posters of SUCCESS and clever phrases and the HR tourguide lady occasionally glanced at me with a micro emotion of a sneer, behind the look was the true face of a demon and I was getting a tour of my hell.

I was sweating, my stomach sinking, my breathing quickening, and I felt like I was on acid, speeding towards the edge of a panic attack. I kept it together through the rest of it but breathed like I hadn't in a week as soon as I walked out the door. But it lingered - as dusk fell and I drove home, I recalled the temperature and the dimming light and the driving as past lives and jobs and the commute home and the knot in my stomach would not disappear but even tightened and floated around this surreal world that was the second half of my day. I was so wrapped in emotion and fear-control that I got on the highway the wrong way and didn't realize it for 10 miles. It is truly only now, only after a couple beers, that I'm starting to seriously calm.

And writing this helps.

Worst thing is: if I'm offered the position, I really have to take it. Financially, I don't have much choice. Good news is I have a week until they decide and 10 days after that to drum up as much business as possible.

I have never been more motivated in my life.

Positive thoughts and prayers welcome. I'm running the Tommy Boy stretch from here on out.

I have seen hell. It is a cube. A whole series of cubes. With managers' offices along the walls and a common kitchen area with a microwave and fridge. I only pray I need never return but as a visitor.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Sexist White Republican Men

Because that stereotype is a bunch of bunk. Right?

Actually, no. Last Saturday Repub asshole males talked over Democratic Party women talking about health care refrom and how it would benefit women. And a couple Republican women got in on the game to show they could be stupid and censor just as much as the Good ol' Boys Club.

5 minutes of Republican censorship and douchebaggery:



Goddamned Ignorant People

From Think Progress:
Alexios Marakis, a Greek Orthodox priest visiting the U.S., got lost in Tampa and tried to stop and ask directions from Marine reservist Jasen D. Bruce. But instead of offering help, “Bruce struck the priest on the head with a tire iron.” The reservist believed Marakis, who spoke limited English, was an Arab terrorist. Bruce chased the priest for three blocks, “and even called 911 to say that an Arabic man tried to rob him.” According to a news release:
“During the chase, the suspect called 911 and claimed an Arabic male attempted to rob him and he was going to take him into custody,” a Tampa Police Department news release states. “When officers arrived, the suspect claimed the man was a terrorist.”
Police arrested Bruce for “aggravated battery with a deadly weapon” and are investigating whether he committed a hate crime.

Stupid is as stupid does. One of my best friends, one of them Aye-talians, fairly olive-skinned, decided to grow out his hair: beard, stache, everything. And some drunk asshole tried to get into a fight with him in a bar, calling him "Fuckin' Taliban." (Truthfully, he did look a little like Sayid Jarrah on Lost.)

So what do Greeks, Italians, and anyone else with non-pasty skin have in common? They'll get attacked by ignorant, racist assholes any day of the week. Even the day before Veteran's Day!

Of course, the same people that talk about Ft. Hood as a terrorist act will blame this idiot's reverse-terrorism hate crime on psychological damage.

Scream with me now: Arrrrrrrghhhhhhhh!

For Fox Sake!

Jon Stewart puts down Fox like the dogs they are.

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The Other Night...

I was leaving a meeting. It was dark. As I drove down the street, I first saw a pile of something in the middle of the street. Wondering what that was, I was aware of a couple on the side of the street, a woman in the throes of something and a man who was pulling a garbage can out into the middle of the road. As I approached, he waved me on.

I wondered what was going on for a few seconds, and as I passed the garbage can, I looked down to see a small terrier, a tiny dog, lying, lifeless. A large pool of blood surrounded its head on the asphalt.

And I wanted to scream, to jump from my car and yell "What the hell happened?" and "What can I do?" but I just kept driving.

I just kept driving.

I think I know that the poor animal was dead. At least I hope it was.

And the whole drive home, I wondered about the person that hit it: did they notice? did they care?

Eight years ago, my wife's dog was hit on a similar road, and the minivan never slowed down. Unfortunately for her, the dog lived and had to be put down.

But what about that dog? Who would do that?


This post has nothing to do with anything except that I don't know where else to dump my sadness from seeing that dead dog on the street - not a dead dog on the side of the road that you pass at 30 or 50 mph, but a dog that someone was putting a blockade in front of it, so no one would defile that furry body.

It was horrible. It will haunt me for years.

I cannot imagine what people who actually fight in wars go through.

That is all.

Van Mural Wednesday: Calvin & Radical Dude

Because I love you, you get 2 painted vans today. Yay Van Mural Wednesday!

I can understand liking Calvin and Hobbes, draw the line at the pissing and/or praying Calvin sticker, but to paint your van not just all kinds of Calvin & Hobbes, but to dedicate it not only to just Calvin, but one particular Calvin comic?

Batshit crazy.



And this van will eat your ass and the Radical Dude will dance upon your bloody sphincter. Or something like that.

Amazing Terminator 2 Rap

So is T2 one of the best movies ever? Spontaneously generating a top 5 is not something I do, but if I did, I'd have to pop Abyss in there with T2 but can't commit any further.



Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Deer for Breakfast

No, not venison omelets. Just this:


Love it, sweethearts!

Monday, November 09, 2009

Richard Dawkins Says "Science Is Interesting"



Van Mural Thor!

I missed last week, so this week you get a Monday Van Mural to tease you for Wednesday!



Thor gonna kick your ass with that hammer of his.