Attack of the Mooninites

I once interviewed a homeland security consulant who claimed that ordinary citizens armed with wi-fi laptops, smart cellphones, and the like would be far more effective at responding to terrorist attacks than any governmental organization. Tonight I have seen the proof of that argument.

UPDATE from Bob Harris

Anybody who doesn't already faithfully watch Aqua Teen Hunger Force frankly deserves to panic blindly.

See the Well Rounded Nerds for more backstory.

Needs a dash more cynicism

...the White House has a new executive pastry chef...

wait for it

...who also happens to be the author of Desserts for Dummies...

I'm in yr summit, upstaging yr doodz!

Dozens of street children have invaded a five-star hotel food tent and feasted on meals meant for sale at the World Social Forum in Kenya's capital.

A plate of food at the tent being operated by the prestigious Windsor Hotel was selling for $7 in a country where many live on less than $2 a day.

What he MEANT to say

"It's one thing to have an adversarial ... relationship -- hard-hitting journalism -- it's another when the journalists' rhetoric goes beyond skepticism and goes over the line into overt, unrelenting hostility and personal animosity," former President George Bush said.

"It's one thing to have an adversarial ... relationship -- hard-hitting policy -- it's another when the presidents' rhetoric goes beyond wool-pulling and goes over the line into overt, unrelenting lies fueled by personal animosity," blogger mdhatter said.


Some people react poorly to smoke blown up their arse-hole, Mr. President. Some react very very poorly. Few whine as much as you, sir.

Your family legacy is wrecked, and no-one had to kill 2 of your sons (and their assassins) to do it.

One Thousand Words

This day in household affairs

Ventilation has made my kitchen and house very cold.

fsm haiku contest -link-

appendages wheat,
durum semolina sweet,
Pirates, heat, rAmen.

Family sue over Wii stunt death -link-

Sacramento radio station KDND is being sued by the family of the woman who tragically died trying to win a Wii for her children.

Earlier in the week we reported on the sorry tale of the young mother who died of water intoxication after taking part in a radio stunt to win a Nintendo Wii. Jennifer Strange 28, mother of three, drank so much water during the competition that it lead to her death.

The estate of Charles Darwin was unavailable for comment regarding the pending lawsuit.

Red Card!

Bob Ney's sentence was longer than the prosecution had recommended, the judge said, because the former lawmaker had violated the public trust.

snip

Before the Abramoff scandal erupted, Ney was perhaps best known internationally for his role in renaming French fries "freedom fries" in the Congressional cafeteria due to US anger at Paris's refusal to support the invasion of Iraq.

Now, where did we leave those feathers? We're gonna need feathers real soon.

Space Ghost - coast to coast to coast -

Good news!

Using a ground-based medium-range ballistic missile, the test knocked out an aging Chinese weather satellite about 537 miles above the earth on January 11 through "kinetic impact," or by slamming into it, Johndroe said.

oh wait, Good News!

On the day of the test, a U.S. defense official said the United States was unable to communicate with an experimental spy satellite launched last year by the Pentagon's National Reconnaissance Office. But there was no immediate indication that this was a result of the Chinese test.

Nothing to see here, move along.

Caceres said he expected the test to strengthen the Pentagon's hand in seeking funds from Congress to press a host of costly military space programs, almost all of which are over budget and behind schedule.

"They are going to use this for as much as they can," he said, referring to Pentagon officials. Major corporate beneficiaries could be Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp., which build U.S. communications, surveillance and early-warning satellites, Caceres added.

Why is our national policy, and spending, dictated by other nations? based on what 'they' try to get away with under out noses.

How many average semesters of college in the US will this new "anti-anti satellite" program cost? How many future Chinese leaders could spend some time here (and vice versa) for the price of just this one Lockheed Martin handout?

Why are we still led around by our fears, and not by our hopes?

"Never forgetting" does not mean forever being guided to 'safety' by our nervous perspirations, and away from our best intentions and enlightened inspirations.

if 9/11 'changed everything', why didn't it change this too?

Nothing personal, baltimore

tears. streaming. down. face.

"A long ride home"

This is the sound of one wingnut head popping.

Go, Listen, Hope.

Tucker Carlson is SO FAT

He makes Michael Moore, who is also fat, look like the sort of righteous ass who actually recognizes where the line is at.

The Onion Cellar

Last Night was good. I was taken to a hell of a show by some good friends who feel they owe me one. Sometimes, no matter how hard, you have to surrender to the generosity of others. It was made easier by the show.

UPDATE - you tube clip only





The Onion Cellar presented by the Dresden Dolls. I went into the experience without looking. I read one review of the show from the Boston Globe, a source i knew would miss any high-concept aspects of the show. I read the uncertainty in the reviewers tone, and knew instantly I'd like it. The review included some mention of a bear, and an older man drinking alone. Also of cafe style seating and a cash bar. All true.

What I did not know is that Gunther Grass was the inspiration, nor did I know that the band has been less than totally satisfied with the resulting show. I've also never read The Onion Cellar by Gunther Grass.

So, from my relatively uncultured perspective, the show was awesome. I may go again. The setting is a cellar cabaret, and the story is minimally told, narrated as much through the emotional charge of the DD's occasional performances as through the snippets of narrative action on the several stages in room. Everyone seems to be a doppleganger of everyone else in the show, right down to the band itself. the DD are two people. One is a drummer who boggles my mind and rewinds my internal springs everytime I've seen them, and the other is a keyboarist who sings songs of complexity equalling the emotions she is discussing. They work very well toghether.

anyhow, they are both in the show, wrote much of the show, and are also cast with doubles in the show. I found it fairly easy and very rewarding to follow. In the end I got it. I totally totally got the show.

I'm equally certain that I missed most of it, but when I left I felt significantly better inside. The crowd was universally pleased, everyone stood three times in the show.

The Onion Cellar didn't make me cry, but one of the drum solo's did make the 50-ish woman seated at the table in front of me cry. Literally, a drum solo, and played with mallets at that!. She cried. I too was moved. They both really put themselves out there in this show, more so than in any concert I've seen. So, the setting, at the American Repertory Theatre, works. It's NOT a DD show at a nightclub. It IS a DD show at a cabaret and there is a noticeable difference.

Also, the acoustic guitar playing while seated at and playing a drum-kit with the feet is something I have never seen or heard before. Whoa. These two put on a show like no-one else I've ever seen, and they also draw in the best sort of weirdo's - like some sort of existential UV lamp.

If you live anywhere near Boston, go now and see this show. You only have a few days left.

the strategy

I've taken a break from blogging for a few days. here's what I came up with.

the strategy:

- from day one has been to make 'the left' fight, tooth and nail, for every bit of social progress made by this civilization in the last 200 years or so, while similarly inflaming the passions of the Muslim world against the US and creating many enemies where few existed. The former has been to keep us individually occupied against the assault on our individual values*, the latter has served to enrage those who were content to dislike us - through outrages on their dignity**.

* Warrentless wiretapping, indefinite detention, ANWR drilling, roadbuilding in wilderness areas, closed door energy policy meetings, Harriet Miers, Jeff Gannon, library records, Florida, Ohio, torture, Halliburton, Enron,

** Abu Ghiraib, Fallujah, Dismantling the Army, Putting Young Republicans in charge of stuff, basing the occupation from Saddams Palaces, inviting 60,000 'contractors' into the fray,


So, we've all been a little distracted, but the November vote showed that the system isn't totally screwed up. I watched Nancy Pelosi's opening remarks, and heard great words from my elected representatives.

But here's the thing. The current strategy is no different.

Since the election, Bush has decided to add 20,000 more troops and to ignore the ISG.

In order to cause a 'fight' in the press with the Congress, who are ganging up to be vewy vewy mean to him.

They congress also suddenly has to interview and confirm an unlikely number of new officials. Gee, that also might cause a 'fight'.. And the White House recently declared that executive privilege extends to the White House Secret Service logs AND anything in the US Mail. That also might cause a 'fight'.

Keep us all busy, do as they will, let the courts decide, lather, rinse, repeat.

Which leads me to my closing thoughts.

1) The US Chamber of Commerce is dangerous, and might actually be evil (in a comic book sense).

2) Michele Malkin is the perfect TV personality. Who better to make our case for us?

3) Tucker Carlson (my previous choice for #2) is a bigger toolbag than i could have ever begun to imagine. Even Borat isn't Borat sometimes.

Slow news week

slow new year.

Talk amongst yerselves, more to follow.

A song to ease your hangover

from your 2006 Designated Driver.