If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas “Friedman’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose” Friedman, Gail “The Colander” Collins, Nicholas “The Dark Crystal” Kristof, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today\’s is a long one from Gail \”The Colander\” Collins, who...
Continue reading...This Is the Life I Chose or Rather the Life That Chose Me
As this posts, I’ll be at graduation. I’ll be there with them. I’ll applaud and I’ll cheer. It’ll be one of the moments that makes the year worthwhile. One of my favorite kids will leave school, be on his own. I’ll feel almost good about it and I’ll wish him well. In some ways, I’ll be glad he’s finally rid of school, rid of feeling like a kid, rid of childish bullshit he’s had to put up with for the last few years. But mostly, I’ll be scared to death. One of my kids, a a kid...
Continue reading...New York Times Columnist Line of the Day
If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas “Friedman’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose” Friedman, Gail “The Colander” Collins, Nicholas “The Dark Crystal” Kristof, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today\’s is from Tawmy \”Friedman Waffles\” Friedman, who in his column...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Good morning, everyone. Charlie Sheen\’s car has been driven off a cliff — again. Now, your morning constitutional: In a speech from the Oval Office, President Obama last night urged action on new energy legislation and promised to make BP pay for damages related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Judge Vaughn R. Walker will hear closing arguments today in a long-running trial on a lawsuit hoping to overturn California\’s Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages in the state. A series of six earthquakes, ranging from 4.8-7.0 magnitude, hit Indonesia Wednesday, killing at least...
Continue reading..."There is no doubt, there is nothing equivocal, there are no ambiguities. What happened on Bloody Sunday was both unjustified and unjustifiable. It was wrong."
British Prime Minister David Cameron today apologized in Parliament for the events of Bloody Sunday, after Lord Saville’s inquiry was finally completed and released. From the Guardian: The prime minister told a sombre Commons: “The conclusions of this report are absolutely clear. There is no doubt, there is nothing equivocal, there are no ambiguities. What happened on Bloody Sunday was both unjustified and unjustifiable. It was wrong.” “Some members of our armed forces acted wrongly. The Government is ultimately responsible for the conduct of our armed forces and for that, on behalf of the Government – and indeed...
Continue reading...Mea Copa: Group H, Where H stands for Holy Crap
Here’s how most of my FIFA 2010 games start: Me: I’m really not that good. I don’t play very much. Pick any team you want. (Opponent sitting next to me on the couch flips through teams) Me: No. You can’t pick Spain. Spain is banned. Spain is the most recent Euro Champions. They have several of the most dominant players at their position in the world. Their midfield is likely the greatest to ever show up at a World Cup (this is patently untrue, but for preview’s sake I’m going with it), so much so that they’re...
Continue reading...Lightning Strike Proves God Hates Your Stupid Statue
In case the article Pop linked to in today’s Morning Constitutional wasn’t enough for you, here’s video of the ridiculously huge and gaudy (and apparently enormously expensive– $250,000!) Touchdown Jesus statue in flames. As YouTube commenter THeSLoTH77 wrote, “It’s a sign… It’s a sign that churches squander away an unbelievable amount of money that could have been used for something good for mankind and not their egos.” And as the person who tipped me off to the story observed, “It’s a weird and wonderful world.” It was always pretty hilarious to drive past TD Jesus, but I’m...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Good morning, folks. Ubisoft is making a Michael Jackson video game. Now, your morning constitutional: Ethnic violence in Kyrgystan is beginning to wane as aide arrives in the southern city of Osh. Britian prepares Tuesday to release a report of the government investigation into the 1972 Bloody Sunday killings of demonstrators in Londonderry, which lead to three decades of violence in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles. President Obama tries to lift the mood is in the Gulf region today, ahead of his televised speech tonight, in which he will attempt to reassert the image of control...
Continue reading...Mea Copa: Group G, Where G Stands for God-Awful Predictions
Sorry this is so late. Work and not-work (read as soccer and drinking) got way in the way. Group G starts tomorrow at 10, with Cote d’Ivoire and Portugal. Today is two parts: recap of the weekend (and my crap predictions) followed by, obvs., Group G. Enjoy and, as always, mea copa. The easiest way out of this is to say “that’s why they play the games.” And, it’s true. If these things ever went exactly true to form, they’d stop playing them. March Madness doesn’t see four #1 seeds advance to the Final Four; the Super...
Continue reading...Meet Rick Barber, Patriot for Congress
Sure, he’s no Les Philip, or Dale Peterson, or even Tim James, but Rick Barber’s got a pretty inspiring ad here. Look at that: Founding Fathers. And they hated taxes just like he does. I actually really love how Rick conflates health care reform and the IRS, while totally and unceremoniously diminishing the Founders’ motivation for revolt to just a mere “tea tax.”
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