March Madness Is Here Again

There are things to be happy about...
Duke losing to Chapel Hill is definitely one. Although I must confess to being rather torn about it. Duke irritates me. JJ Redick irritates me. Coach K irritates me. But Roy Williams irritates me even more. Can you even manage the level of irritation I am talking about? I mean, who does he think he is to diss Big Ten hoops? On the whole, I guess I am pleased to see Duke get another loss, although in all likelihood, they still have a lock on the No. 1 Seed. And as far as UNC goes, the win is symbolic more than anything... What the heck is a TarHeel anyway? Please clarify.

Then there are things to be unhappy about...
Princeton posting one of its worst seasons ever - (1) the lowest point total ever in history and (2) being 3 games behind Penn. Hopefully, they will regroup in the off-season and make this Tiger proud!
State is tied with Michigan in the Big Ten. How did this happen? Sure we played a harder schedule. Sure Trannon was out. Sure everyone likes to pick on Paul Davis and Ager doesn't always bring his game. But come on! Michigan has been nothing since the demise of the Fab Five, and I'd like it to stay that way. This state is not big enough for two schools to both be good at basketball (or football for that matter, where we have kindly ceded to the Wolverines).

In Search of Strong Men?

No, this post is not about the pursuit of hot men or body builders. Rather it is my follow on to a class discussion today.

My classmates proposed that democracy is not always the right system for countries emerging from the throes of the "-isms" (communism, totalitarianism, imperialism). Rather for these countries to manage their development and change, it is beneficial to have a "strong man" in place who does not have to worry about polls and re-election. They can force their country to make the necessary, and often unpopular, sacrifices for success. This argument while it has merits is, in my opinion, utter bullshit. Why?

• The world is littered with dictators who assumed power in a vacuum and have proceeded to oppress and pillage their people. The most egregious examples being Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Congo's Laurent Kabila. These men have not helped modernize or develop their countries, rather they have looted their countries' bank accounts. One could potentially make the argument that the people of Congo and Zimbabwe would be better off under the Belgians and English, despite their numerous and significant shortcomings, than either of these "strong men".
• Absolute power corrupts absolutely... Ironically, both Mugabe and Kabila fought to end colonialism and over time, adopting the worst (without any of the best) of their colonizers' characteristics, have developed their own methods of supression
• Once one has consolidated power, there is in no case that I can think of any turning back. Name of dictator who has willingly given way to democracy. The "strong man" concept lends itself to a autocrat who can only be overthrown by coup or military junta, both of which are usually bloody. If you can think of a case where there was a bloodless transition from a "strong man" to democracy. I would love to hear it!

On a side note, I believe democracies are stable institutions. To my recollection, no two democracies have ever waged war against each other. Although progress in a democracy may be slower initially as multiple stakeholders must be satisfied, it is the only model for long-run success. It is the only model that can alleviate corruption and create the transparency required for citizens to invest in their and their country's future.

And It Just Gets Better

Stupid me. Duke lost to Florida State not Florida. Wow. Now that has got to hurt!

Happy Days Are Here Again? Maybe...

I was pretty upset this weekend. Michigan State came from behind at Bloomington to pull ahead of Indiana. But the refs had to go and foul Paul Davis out. And the house of cards that is Michigan State basketball fell apart. In fact, State's basketball team is beginning to remind me an awful lot of State's football team. They start strong, and choke down the stretch. For the past few years all that has kept the Green and White faithful going is the basketball program. That cannot fall apart on us now!

But on a brighter note today, Duke went down. This game has been a long time coming. And although Billy Donovan's resemblance to a used car salesman does disturb me, I got to hand it to him for making the House of K come crashing down.

Well, there is still hope with Trannon back for the Big Ten tournament, we could see some *March Magic*. Here's to hoping.

Random Musings About Nothing In Particular

So this weekend I have been wondering a few things...

1. Is "Grey's Anatomy" titled after the anatomy book or after it's particularly annoying lead intern, Meredith Grey? She annoys me more than Ally McBeal, a feat I thought nearly impossible.
2. Why does Bode Miller keep screwing up? He seemed cool in his "60 Minutes" interview, but at the Games he just keeps choking. Why? Is it the worst week of his life? Has he been partying Turino style? Did all the publicity give him nerves?
3. Since when has speed skating been so full of drama? Watching the US men's team is like watching a reenactment of "Mean Girls" minus the pretty people.
4. In this post-9/11 world and given our war on terror, why on earth are we letting the U.A.E manage our ports? How can it be in our national security to let an Arab nation that produced terrorists control entrance into our country. Republicans and Democrats both think Bush, Chertoff, and Cheney are on crack. Credit my intelligence that I realized this much earlier.
5. How to male athletes in the Winter Olympics feel about their all spandex get-ups?
6. Is there something in the water in Iowa? or is Alford feeding his team 'roids? When did Iowa get good? I wonder if Alford will guest on Knight's reality show. That would be awesome. Maybe they could have a chair throwing competition.
7. Are Unions good or bad? Tough one. Wal-mart says no. Democrats say yes.
8. How funny is it that Nick Lachey is suing Jessica Simpson for spousal support? Talk about a wuss... although he probably deserves it for putting up with her for so long. Nancy Sinatra should sue her for slander - way to bastardize "These Boots Were Made For Walking".
9. Did Alexander Hamilton have the right idea?
10. Why are Muslims still rioting about the cartoons? Perhaps they should riot over the fact that many of their countries are corrupt (Pakistan, Bangladesh), engaged in mass genocide (Sudan), lack a truly free press (Iran, Egypt), etc.

Cheney's Got A Gun

There are far more important stories out there than that of Veep shooting a Republican donor. For example, did Tom and Katie really break up? How did all the medalled pairs teams suffered from major injuries this year? and what does that say about the competition? Is Billy Zane really that hard up that he has to act as an American thug in xenophobic Turkish movies? What are those conversation hearts really made out of? Seriously, there are real pressing issues facing this country.

But still I can't resist. During the 2004 election, the Democrats hammered Cheney on the five deferments he received during the Vietnam War. At the time, it seemed odd that a man who had never seen combat had no qualms about sending our troops into battle. But now, I wonder if it was for the best. Given his shooting abilities and abundant lack of aim. It is unclear that he could have hit any Commies. And God only knows how many of our own troops would have been hit by Cheney (friendly) fire.

Insanity Runs in the White House

I always thought George W. was a bit crazy, perhaps even nuts (on the order of Tom Cruise)? And now it appears that there is evidence suggesting that it may be true.

According to a study by Duke Medical School, almost half the presidents from 1789-1974 suffered from some form of mental illness at some point of their life. (side note: They only looked at dead presidents... I wonder why.) Depression was the most common affliction. Although I recall from history class that Lincoln, and more particularly his wife Mary Todd, suffered from depression (understandable given the situation of the country and the death of their son), I did not realize how widespread the problem was. It is suspected that Teddy Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson suffered from a bipolar disorder. The case of Teddy Roosevelt is especially surprising given that history has always portrayed him as vigorous and energetic. It is hard to reconcile that with today's Prozac addicted bipolar patient. Other presidents thought to have suffered from mental illness include Calvin Coolidge (depression), Ulysses Grant, and Tricky Dick.

I would be curious to see a similar study run for First Ladies. Many of them suffered as well. Which leads to the question of whether the symptoms researchers found are related to genetics or environment and stress induced.

So does this prove that George W is insane? Perhaps that is wishful thinking. But the results to seem to suggest that there is a propensity for American Presidents to become mentally ill. And in the interim, we can certainly agree that while not mentally ill, George W is mentally challenged.

The Music Genome

My friend introduced me to Pandora (http://www.pandora.com) today. Provide it with the name of your favorite song/artist, and it will return a radio station that will play all your favorite songs.

The creators of this website have broken music down to its fundamental components or "genes" based on melody, harmony, rhythm, lyrics, arrangement, etc. and grouped similar sounding songs together.

I tested the system with "Gwen Stefani" and received mixed results. I do like Depeche Mode and Garbage. However, I was a bit surprised when Lindsay Lohan's "To Know Your Name" came up. I'll have to test the system out a bit more.

Who Gave Dick A Gun?

Talk about absurd. Dick Cheney shot is friend in the face while hunting. Remember Dick (if I was his friend I would really be calling him Dick). Guns don't kill people, people kill people. And being friends with Dick Cheney is apparently hazardous to your health.

Slip of the Tongue

Normally network news tries to be unbiased (obviously, Fox News is not "normal") to the point where they almost withhold the facts, but today Bob Schieffer slipped. He was questioning a correspondent about the role of the administration's secret wiretap - spy program in averting a potential terrorist attack in LA. When the correspondent replied that he believed the intelligence was gathered through "vigorous questioning", Schieffer queried, "Torture?". The silence was audible. He did try to dig himself out, by saying something to the extent of "not in this country". But the exchange was clearly odd, and the correspondent seemed rather surprised. Still while the right may decry Schieffer's comment as part of the liberal bias of main stream media, I say, slip of the tongue or not, at least someone spoke the truth.

Privacy on the Net

Apparently, Yahoo! has been providing information to Chinese law enforcement that has enabled the government to jail political dissidents. Google and Microsoft have been engaging in similar behavior as well. Google made adjustments to their search algorithm to comply with China's restrictions on free speech. Microsoft shut down a popular blog at the request of the Chinese government. Not only are these companies enabling the Chinese government's policies of censorship, but they are also earning a hefty profit. At the very least, they should be punished in the court of public opinion.

In the US, the government is threatening to sue Google to get records of search queries. Ostensibly, this is to find and prosecute pornographists, which seems like a noble enough cause. But when does it become more than that? What if the data is stored and mined? What if the data is used to track down those less than thrilled with the government for monitoring people? I have conducted key word searches with strange combinations like "bomb" and "Al Qaeda", does that mean I would be watched?

Much Ado About... Cartoons?

Is it just me or are Muslims at times over sensitive? It seems that the Palestinian Street and the masses of the Arab world more broadly are always ready to explode. Strangely, rather than the War in Iraq, it was cartoons (depicting Mohammed) that led Muslims across the world (through predominantly in the East) to take to the street. Is all this furor over "lack of sensitivity" in a drawing really justified? How is it that a cartoon showing Mohammed with a missile in his turban is more offensive than Saddam Hussein building mosques with minarets that look like Scud missiles?

True. Islam prohibits all images of Mohammed. But in America you are not allowed to burn flag, yet it happens time and again in the Middle East. Americans do not take to the streets in response to flag burnings. We do not start riots, foment violence, or attack foreign embassies. So when Arab leaders claim we, Americans, need to more sensitive to local cultures, I say, should you not too.

In the West, we constantly push the envelope and subject different groups of people to mockery. Rolling Stone latest cover features Kanye West with a crown of thorns on his head and the title 'The Passion of Kanye West'. Yet Christian Conservatives are not up in arms. In fact, American Muslims while perhaps upset by the cartoons have not been enraged enough to protest. Why is that?

If the Arab Street wants respect then they should protest respectfully. Their current behavior does nothing to help their cause in the eyes of those in the West who would speak for them. Attempts by the Iranians to further trivialize the Holocaust with their own malicious version of a cartoon contest is nothing short of heinous and points to their hypocrisy.

Anti-War Idol or Anti-American Icon

Like most people, I was more than sympathetic to Cindy Sheehan. I was cheering her on. Her protest at President Bush's ranch last year raised awareness about the cost of the Iraq War. Through her personal tragedy, she highlighted the failings of the administration in a way that Democrats could not, after all how can anyone attack a mother who lost her son. However, some where along the line, Cindy Sheehhan went from a mother mourning her son to a woman with a dangerous agenda.

Although not a fan of President Bush, his administration, his war, his policies, or anything even remotely related to him, I am a great believer in the strength and fundamental goodness of America and its citizens. There is no other country in the world that affords the opportunity and freedom that American does. So while people have the right to whole heartedly bash the administration and their decisions, I question whether people living in this country have the right to bash America. Unfortunately, as of late, Cindy Sheehan has started doing just that.

• Just this week, Sheehan stood side-by-side with President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who is no friend of America, as he said, "Enough of imperial aggression. We must tell the world, down with the US empire."

In addition, Sheehan has made a number of statements meant to equate Bush's mistakes (which were many and in some cases deliberate) to the crimes of Osama bin Laden. As much as I dislike Bush, I find Sheehan's statements to be ignorant and offensive. Agreeing that Bush is "the greatest terrorist in the world" in a worldwide forum in a country hostile to the US is in poor taste. As is her suggestion that Bush is ten times worse than Osama. Sheehan has become not a symbol of the anti-war movement, but rather a symbol of the anti-America movement. She represents something far more insidious in the left. Hatred of Bush and the war cannot become hatred of America and what we stand for (freedom, peace, and justice).

Democrats must avoid association with Sheehan. Her attempt to run in the Democratic primary against Senator Feinstein will damage the party even further beyond belief and create more fodder for the Rove machine. In addition, Nancy Pelosi should rebuke her colleague from California for even inviting Sheehan to the State of the Union. Sheehan's arrest for wearing an anti-war t-shirt to the speech, as trivial as it may seem, shows just how far from the center Democrats are. I am very sad for my party.

Rumfeldisms

I was not paying attention in class today, which is actually nothing new, and was instead reading my friend's Bushisms calendar. And it got me to thinking that Rumsfeld in the past has sounded an awful lot like Bush. Perhaps they are friends because no one else can understand them...

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite Rumsfeldisms.

• "Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we know we don't know."
• "There's another way to phrase that and that is that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. It is basically saying the same thing in a different way. Simply because you do not have evidence that something does exist does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn't exist."
• "I don't know what the facts are but somebody's certainly going to sit down with him and find out what he knows that they may not know, and make sure he knows what they know that he may not know."

If that's not enough Rumsfeld for you. Check out the Rumsfeld doll. It even talks and says things like "What they do with themselves is up to them and what people around them do with them is up to the people around them." Sweet. Enlightenment.

Or if you are of a more intellectual bent, check out The Existential Poetry of Donald H. Rumsfeld. It contains quotes similar to the ones above as well as real "poetry".

Has Tom Cruise Gone Completely Nutters?

The list of reasons to think he may be completely bonkers has been growing, especially as of late.

• Being part of a couple nicknamed 'TomKat'
  Jumping up and down on Oprah's couch because he is so in love with the amazing afore mentioned Kat
• Calling Brooke Shield's use of prescription drugs for postpartum depression "misguided"
• Lecturing "Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt,..." Lauer on how he knew the history of psychiatry
• Buying a sonogram machine (dude if you got $20K just laying around, donate it to charity!)

And apparently now, he has deleted a "racy" sex scene from Katie Holmes new movie. It was more dirty than he felt comfortable with, and he wasn't even there when they were screening it. What's going on? Is he her dad now? God knows he's almost old enough to be...

Is Oprah Full Of Herself?

I don't often watch Oprah, but with all the previews for today's show - Oprah Confronts the Author who Conned Her - I couldn't resist. I wish I could determine what about this annoys me. Is it that the fact that Oprah's "I've been conned" story or "I feel so betrayed/humiliated/hurt" story has been dominating the airwaves instead of other stories like the War in Iraq, Political Corruption, etc.

Oprah's pretension really annoys me sometimes...

PS. When I ran the spell check... it tried to turn Oprah's name into Ovaries. Now that's funny!

Cheating, cheating, cheating

Why are they always cheating down in Ann Arbor?

Remember the Fab Five? They were a bunch of cheater and liars who together with Steve Fischer first brought down the Michigan basketball program.

Then there was last year's football game where Michigan decided that rather than play defense against Stanton they wanted to get him out of the game. No better way to do that than busting his shoulder.

Today, Michigan beat State 72-67 in a game where MSU had 27 fouls to 16. Something is wrong with this picture. Even the announcers said the calls were bad. It wouldn't surprise me if some refs had their hands in UMich's pockets.

Brokeback Bush

Bush is supposed to be the John Wayne President. With his "my way or the highway" attitude, big belt buckles, and cowboy hats that dwarf his head, Bush relishes his role as a rancher clearing brush.



So Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall wore flannel, but ranchers are ranchers, right?









So then why won't he go see 'Brokeback Mountain'? It's one of the year's most honored films. Does he not like gay people? That does not seem very compassionate. Maybe the movie makes ranchers look less manly. Does it bother him the a same sex couple has been portrayed so movingly on the big screen? Someone should ask him if he has seen 'Capote' or 'Transamerica'. Isn't it strange that as right-wing conservatives dominate America, the most critically praised movies are all about homosexuals (and transsexuals)?

Random Smart-ass student from KSU: You're a rancher. A lot of us here in Kansas are ranchers. I was just wanted to get your opinion on 'Brokeback Mountain,' if you've seen it yet.

Bush: You would love it. You should check it out.

The same awesome KSU student: You would love it. You should check it out.

Bush: grimace. pause. wince. I haven't seen it. I'd be glad to talk about ranching, but I haven't seen the movie.

You gotta love that guy from Kansas State.

Showtime Lakers Or Show-off Kobe

81 points in one night. Even if you are a Kobe hater (like me!), you have to have some respect for that. My respect, however, is grudgingly given. Some how with his 81 points, Kobe is at his worst. He is back to being the ball hog, playing a team sport, but forgetting that he has a team. Kobe is most certainly a star, but he will never be a superstar if he cannot take him team all the way without Shaq. He needs to help the rest of team step up instead of trying to go down in the record books where even after last night Wilt is still king.

Be a Pistons fan. The Bad Boys are back again... well technically they have been back for awhile... and here to stay.

If It Looks Like A Duck And It Quacks Like A Duck

Then it might just be a duck.

Despite President Bush's desire to recast his domestic spying program as a "terrorist surveillance program", the fact remains that it has been used in a rather Nixonian fashion. If the US Government taps the conversations of it's citizens, stores the information, and then mines it, as evidence the administration has not refuted has shown, then what you have is not a tool in the war against terror, but Big Brother. This "terrorist surveillance program" (read: domestic spying program) points to the worst excesses that can occur when one administration consolidates power in the way this administration has.

The administration has even had the nerve to claim that if this system had been in place prior to 2001, the 9/11 terrorist attacks would have been prevented. This is offensive on multiple levels. It is an attempt to once again portray the opponents of the program as unpatriotic and to placate and brainwash their base at the expense of the victims. To date the administration's "terrorist surveillance program" has yielded no arrests of indictments of Al Qaeda members. Rather is has led to eavesdropping on liberal student groups, anti-war protestors, and those with opinions differing from the administration. Clearly, Mr. President, you have a duck. A domestic spy program.

And Then There Were None

Florida is no longer in the ranks of the unbeaten.

How The Mighty Have Fallen

Pitt lost today, but frankly I don't much care about them. I have much bigger fish to fry.

Duke also lost today. This pleases me on multiple levels. Coach K has annoyed me since he started doing all those annoying American Express commercials. (The repeat use of the word of annoyed should help signify the extent of my annoyance.) And he is supposedly a CCC (a "crazy", Christian conservative). And I am so tired of the Duke fans "yukking" it up every year. Plus Georgetown is cool. Big John Thompson used to coach there, and now Little John Thompson does (although he is actually kind of big too) and he used to play and coach at Princeton. Far cooler than Coach K.

All that's left is for Florida and their used car salesman coach to lose today. Why does he have to slick his hair back so much? If he stopped, I wouldn't dislike them quite so much.

The Strategy For Reelection

According to Karl Rove, the Republican strategy for reelection should focus on national security. While that is all fine and good, aside from posturing, has there been any real improvement in national security? The Bush administration continuously points to the fact that there have been no other terror attacks since 2001. But it is unclear if this can be credited to our Intelligence agencies, which we have discovered are not really intelligent, or to the fact that terror organizations were simply busy elsewhere (e.g., Spain and London). In which case all we have succeeded in doing is making the US safer at the expense of our Allies (if they still call themselves that).

Recordings from this week alone, already prove that that Osama bin Laden is still alive. Osama, the mastermind behind 9/11 and, aside from Pearl Harbor, one of the greatest breeches in American security, has alluded the world's only super power for over 5 years now. Bush promised not to rest unless he was captured dead or alive. Yet pictures of him clearing brush from his ranch suggest that Bush has "flip-flopped" on the issue. In his own words, "I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." - March 2002. Now how can we trust the Republicans with security when their leader makes such statements?

Under the watch of Bush and the Republicans, we seem no closer to breaking down Al Qaeda's extensive terror network. Nor have there been any meaningful convictions of Al Qaeda operatives. Instead, to show progress, the US government has been relegated to shuffling suspects between military and civilian courts, incarcerating individuals with little to know evidence in Guantanamo, and sending suspects in secret to countries known to practice torture. In fact, the attorney general seems closer to indicting members of "terrorist" environmental organizations who cut power lines and start fires than to convicting suspected bombers.

Under the Republican administration, there has been a significant increase in global nuclear capabilities. Aside from their questionable attempts to address the Iraq situation, the outcome of which may lead to even greater problems, the other two members of the axis-of-evil have been left to their own devices. North Korea (e.g., Kim Jong Il) remains aloof to the disapprobation of the world and the suffering of his people. Safe in the knowledge that the US is spread far too then between Iraq and Afghanistan, that China and Russia refuse to lift a finger against them, and that they have nuclear weapons. Likewise, Iran with the assistance of Russia, has been able to develop nuclear capabilities for questionable purposes (either the destruction of Israel or the energy, the true purpose remains a mystery). So do I feel safer? Not really, in fact, the catastrophic scenario described in On the Beach seems far more likely now than it did during the Cold War.

So Mr. Rove, if you want to make the next election on national security, as your fearless leader once said, I say "bring it on". You surely cannot win this election on facts, though I suppose that hasn't stopped you before.

Take That

What was Larry Brown thinking when he left the Pistons last year? Well if he didn't ask himself that question earlier, he certainly had to be asking himself that question tonight. The Pistons to put it quite simply kick ass, while the Knicks on their best days only show glimmers of potential. And without Marbury there's not even that. If the papers are to be believed, Isaiah, the original Bad Boy himself, is hoping to add K.G. to his roster. With Garnett, the Knicks could be contenders. Unfortunately for them, now, as Larry Brown put it, they are just J.V.

It's Alive!

Osama's back. And on the attack. Apparently, he wants a truce. But there's no juice.

I just felt like rhyming. Interesting timing though given the recent US airstrikes in Pakistan, which I am sure have led to a recruiting boon for Al Qaeda.

Bush thinks he's got Osama on the run. But I doubt this suggestion of a truce is significant given that he speaks of new attacks in the making.

Let the War on Terrorism roll on.

When Does Politics Become Too Political?

I wonder if the American political system was always... well, for lack of a better word... so political. Sure Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueled to the death, but that was as much about political differences as it was about women, power (which today is politics), and money. While we laugh at the powdered hair of the Founding Fathers, they would likely be hysterics over today's politicians with their caked on make-up, frequent photo-ops, and their very public preening in TV spots and at fundraising events. Politics 200 years ago had to have been about more than hiring the best speech writers and spin.

The nomination of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court captures the extremes of today's political system. Everyone involved from George W to Senators like Ted Kennedy and Lindsay Grahm are guilty of grandstanding and pandering to their base. Joe Biden was the classic example with his ten minute long questions. In the 1800s, the Supreme Court was setting precedent that changed the history of our country with cases like Dred Scott and Plessy vs. Ferguson. Perhaps it is the romance of a bygone era, but I imagine their hearings would make ours look like the WWF Smackdown. And despite the interrogation from both sides the hearings have done nothing to further our (the public's) understanding of the issues of the nominee's stance. If you disagree, think back to David Souter. The conservatives worst nightmare.

While I believe the Republicans can be blamed for the majority of today's enmity. Historically, the Democrats have been just as guilty. Politicians cannot seem to help themselves from aggregating power. For every Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed there has been a Presidency like Grant's rife with scandal (sound familiar?). With all the problems we face, and terrorism is only one of them, playing politics does not help anyone. As the world's greatest nation and only super power, we, as Americans, are at our weakest point. There is no place else to go but down, and without a strong unified government that is exactly where we will end up.

Just to set the record straight, I do not think Grant was bad pre say. But rather, that as a General, he was less prepared for the Office of the President and as such was easy to manipulate. His Cabinet had no qualms about taking advantage of his weaknesses. I withhold judgment on GWB at this time.

Some Great Recent Quotes

• [the house] "has been run like a plantation, and you know what I'm talking about" - Sen. Hilary Clinton, D-NY

• "There's a lot of people that are having heartburn with all the publicity and if they have heartburn I can be the Rolaids" - Rep. Bob Ney, R-OH

Sadly, Ney is no antidote. If only he were. Government spending on prescription drugs would decrease by more than GWB's latest, and not so greatest, plan. The key to reigning in healthcare costs is to turn Ney into Rolaids.

• "It's [New Orleans] a heck of a place to bring your family to." - Pres. George W. Bush, R

This is an oldie, but I have been meaning to get it down for awhile now. Because obviously, the first thing most people think of when they hear New Orleans, Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, booze, and beer is not 'Girls Gone Wild', but the Disney World Creole style. Come on!

• "I don't do ideology. You're -- look if you think I'm ideological, you're crazy. I'm a watch dog." - Bill O'Reilly

Bill you may think you are not an ideologist. But you are most certainly not a journalist. You are a bully and a former, Inside Edition host, who for some god forsaken reason got handed a mic and an hour of air time. What I fail to understand is how you ever attended the Kennedy School of Government. Harvard's name is forever sullied.

Why I Like George Clooney

Sure he's good looking and sexy and a liberal. But how can you not love a guy who thanks Jack Abramoff after winning a Best Supporting Actor Award? The best was when he said, "Who names their kid Jack, when the last three letters of their name is 'off'". Funny!

How Unhappy is Arlen Specter?

So the Chair of the Senate Judiciary mentioned President Bush's name in the same breath as impeachment? That's pretty unexpected and unbelievable, especially given the fact Alito, who has no respect for executive restraint, received smooth sailing through the judicial nomination process in large part due to Specter. I look forward to the open door hearings that Specter plans to run on wiretapping. Surely if Nixon was forced to resign over Watergate, should not Bush be forced to do the same? For all we know this is an illicit attempt to collect information on political challengers. (We already know it includes anti-war student protestors.) Then again, for all we know this could just be Specter's chemo talking.

Also, quite possible the unhappiest man in the NFL is Mike Vanderjagt, supposedly, the most precise field goal kicker in the country, who missed a field goal that would have sent the Steelers - Colts game into overtime. I guess Peyton needs to wait until next year.

Political Cartoons

I wish I could draw well enough to make these... I have not noticed any similarily in the cartoon to DeLay or Nye. But I like it nonetheless.



This cartoon comes from Slate on-line and is by Ted Rall.

Potpourri

For some reason, my brain has been thinking about too many times at the same time today. Here they are in no particular order...

• Why does Alito take so long to answer questions? Everyone would respect him more if he just copped to being anti-abortion, but said he understood being a justice was not about his personal views. As it is, everyone knows what he is thinking because the man ain't got a poker face.
• Could Alito turn in to David Souter Jr.? That's my dream.
• Was there hanky-panky going on this fall behind "the Chin's" (that's Jennifer Aniston for those of you who can't figure it out) back? The Brangelina baby is due this Summer. If summer equals June, that baby was conceived in October when Brad filed for divorce.
• Beauty and the Geek. Everything about it is just wrong. Ashton Kutcher is producing it. The WB is airing it. And socially-inept, engineering boys and women who apparently have little to wear and dubious intelligence are sharing bedrooms. What good can come of this I ask you? Probably none, but I find it ridiculously amusing.
• Can Bushie be run out of Office? If high school girls can chase out of New Orleans, the possibility should be investigated.
• Can Condi not shut up about Iran? There is a country that hates us and is run by a short, little, egomaniacal man who likes sunglasses, Swedish models, and playing with nuclear weapons. Kim Jung-Il. We should take care of him before we start playing hardball with Iran. As if they would listen to us anyway. I suppose with the new powers the Roberts Court + Alito will give him, Bushie could try to invade Iran, but we may have run out of soldiers. Perhaps the real issue is that Condi and Kim go to Ferragamo together unbeknownst to the rest of us.
• Oh, I wish Alito's wife would "put a cork in it". I mean honestly, the Senator's were not that hard on her husband. And quite frankly it's his own fault for not answering the questions openly and belonging to women-hating clubs like CAP. Besides, Mrs. Alito, how many times have your husband's rulings made other people cry?

The Ten Things I Hate About You

It would have been great if I had saved this for Valentine's Day or something like it. But since Alito will likely be confirmed or denied by then, I'll have to think of something equally ironic for next month.

So in case you are wondering why I hate the Princeton educated, wunderkind, also known as Scalito. Here's why...

1. Member of the he-man woman hater club*. This is a 3-in-1 reason.
   • According to Alito, "the constitution does not protect the right to an abortion"
   • The law requiring women to inform their husbands of their intent to get an abortion does not pose an undue burden. Hello!! This has so many holes in it, it's like Swiss cheese.
   • Although he doesn't believe Roe v. Wade can be overturned unilaterally, he believes (hopes?) that over time it can be limited to such a point that it can be overruled. Sneaky, very sneaky.
2. Member of the Concerned Alumni of Princeton. They were anti-coeducation. If Alito and his CAP friends had their way, I would not have been able to attend Princeton. What a bum!
3. Likes stripping. Let me clarify. He likes/approves of strip-searching little 10 -year old girls. Not cool. I wonder what his stance on pornography is...
4. Not all votes are created equal. The idea of "one person, one vote" is firmly ingrained in American culture. But apparently not in the mind of Judge Alito. He does not believe in reapportionment. Rather he wants to drag us back to a place where special interests control the government. Hmmm... is that not what is happening now? We really do not need a justice who turns a blind eye to graft. And we certainly do not need a justice who would validate the creation of system that makes one man's vote worth more than another's.
5. And let there be immunity for all politicians who violate the constitutional rights of their constituents. According to Alito, Big Brother should not be punished for unwarranted wiretapping. Rather they should be awarded "absolute immunity". One might be able to swallow such a ruling if it had been against suspected criminals but this ruling was against peace activists. Apparently, flower power can hurt. And, in Alito's day, it is clear that Orwell was not required reading.
6. Checks and balances without the checks and balances. The federal system of checks and balances is one of the first things taught in History and Government classes. Not to be repetitive, but did Alito miss this class too? Stomping on Congressional authority and creating a lame duck court is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind, but I am sure it is what Bush&Co. had in mind. (Personally I am still trying to understand if Alito is a member of the Michigan militia: (1) ruled against machine gun ban, (2) wants to curtail Congressional power, but then he also wants an executive branch on steroids... go figure. Maybe it just means he wants Arnold to run for president).
7. Smell the smog. Alito grew up in New Jersey, and, hence, perhaps understandably doesn't have the greatest appreciation for fresh air. However, that does not give him cause to allow companies to violate the Clean Air Act. Given his known lack of respect for Congressional authority and his history of rulings, it is unlikely that he will be in favor of any environmental legislation that appears before the court.

Other people who hate Alito include...
Alito's America

* I first of this club when I watched "Little Rascals", but their club was cute. They just didn't want to kiss girls.

Those Basketball Blues

You woulda thought that Texas beating USC and its two Heisman Trophy winners would have been enough to make me smile for at least a week. (Remember, the PAC-10 = not a real conference. Fake sports like gymnastics and golfing don't count.) But no, I'm not happy. Want to know why?

1. Stupid and dumb, why didn't you go pro last year, Dee Brown had to ruin my day. Normally, I love orange, at least as much as the next person (Go Tigers!), but not today. I mean seriously 7 3-pts? By the laws of probability and all that is holy, you should be all 3-ptered out now.
2. Ager without double digits - sad!
3. State with FG% of 35%. Unacceptable.
4. Bruce Weber and his ugly tie. Well maybe that didn't make me unhappy. At least Izzo has better taste.
5. The rest of the Spartan schedule. Up next, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Indiana. Say it ain't so

All I gotta say is State better bounce back. The conference is too killer this year for $*!#-ups. (Apparently, I was told I swear too much when watching basketball. Go figure.)

March Madness: it seems to start earlier every year

Reading ESPN on-line, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Big Ten listed as "what looks like the best conference in the country". Finally, the Big Ten is started to get some respect from all those ACC lovers out there. And why shouldn't we with Illinois, Michigan St., and a resurgent Indiana.

While I am pleased with the Big Ten love, I do have doubts. Yesterday, Michigan St. played Tennessee Tech in what might have been their most piss-poor performance to date. Actually scratch that. The worst game was in Hawaii where Izzo apparently let the starters booze up and dehydrate themselves before the game so they had to be pulled out with leg cramps. Anyway back to the point. Michigan St. went over 6:00minutes without scoring in the Tennessee Tech game. That's just shameful and to top it off State's defense was half-ass at best. Personally, I think it was crap-ass. This kind of nonchalant, we're entitled to win type play might work against teams with lesser talent, but how they plan to beat Illinois like this on the 5th is beyond me.

But I have an even bigger concern. Princeton is 2-8 this year. With losses to Monmouth where they scored 21 points (or something equally pathetic) and Carnegie Mellon (which I don't think is even a D-I school). I never thought I'd see the day my alma mater crumbled like this (ok, maybe in football, but surely not in basketball). I remember the 1996 win over UCLA (then defending champs) in the NCAA tournament, watching them clean-up the league in 1997, seeing the Tigers get ranked (really ranked! Top 25) in 1998, and beating Big John Thompson's team in the NIT in 1999. I miss those days. Sure it's a rebuilding year, but wasn't last year too?

As a side, non-basketball related note. I am thrilled by the fact that UMich lost in the Alamo Bowl. After all the oohing-and-aahing sports commentators have been givinh Henne and the team in general, it was nice to see their predictions fall flat. All the more special since Nebraska hasn't really been much of anything since Crouch won the Heisman and the "it's okay to beat on your girlfriend" Coach Osborne left. Interestingly, he [Coach Osborne] is/was also in the US House as... gasp... a Republican? Surprised much.

Tyra Banks is SO Sensitive

Don't ask me why, but today I decided to watch the Tyra Banks Show. I must confess to being an occasional watcher of America's Next Top Model. But who doesn't like to see pretty, stupid girls being taken down a notch or two. Plus its just so comical and absurd you can't help yourself. The Tyra Banks Show however, is a bit different. This is Tyra trying to channel Oprah and being the Earth Mother Goddess type. On today's rerun she was all about sympathizing with fat people (or to be PC - the morbidly obese). This is totally Oprah territory and girlfriend better know what she's doing.

In today's episode, Tyra donned a fat suit that turned her into a 350lbs. big woman. She rode mass transit and lived as the little people do and was shocked, horrified, and in tears to discover not everyone would bow down to her when she was in a fat suit. Poor Tyra was so distraught that her overweight guests had to console. Then Tyra and her fat suit went on a bunch of blind dates. These were the blind dates from hell. Partially because in her fat suit she was towering over the men and atleast 3 times there size. But more nightmarish because any comment she made was about her fatness. WHO DOES THAT? Apparently Tyra Banks. One can only imagine that when she is her fine skinny self she spends the entire date talking about her skinniness. I felt sorry for the clowns she went out with in her fat suit. They didn't seem all that bad. And honestly. Tyra. Inquiring minds want to know. Have YOU ever dated a 350lbs man (no. you cannot count any professional atheletes here.)? Or even better, because this would prove your saintliness, have you ever dated a poor AND fat man before?

Brokeback Mountain: my second movie review

So I must say that I was a little disappointed in Brokeback Mountain. Part of it was that I just could not get into the story and relate to it. The fact that I am not a gay cowboy could have been part of the problem. Also I am not sure why there is all this Oscar buzz for Heath Ledger. Sure he had to simulate sex with a guy and kiss Jake Gyllenhal, but other than that he basically mumbled a lot and had that quiet, stoic, American West attitude about him. Other interesting things I learned from the movie...

1. There is life after Dawson's Creek that doesn't involve snogging stars twice your age. Michelle Williams had a small role in the movie, but she also had some really pivotal scenes (e.g., discovery, confrontation) and some superb facial expressions.

2. Anne Hathaway is cute, but makes a horrible blonde. Yikes! No wonder her husband was picking up men. She should stick to being a brunette.

3. The all denim look just really doesn't work for me. But apparently for cowboys in love its hot.

4. Guys having sex isn't sexy or romantic. At least not in this movie. But then again I am not a gay man so I don't really understand...

5. When do people ever name their daughters after their mom with Jr. at the end. (yes, I know they do in Gilmore Girls, but here it was just weird)

So seriously, the movie was for the most part very tastefully done, and I think can appear to a broad audience because scenes are not very explicit. Also the scenery is beautiful. Most of the time when they show Ennis and Jack they are outside together sitting by a fire with whiskey or riding their horses. In these scenes, there is almost a chasteness to their love that really is sweet.

The Resurgence of Michigan Basketball??

Come again? When since the days of the Fab Five (the lying, cheating, NCAA violating Fab Five) has UMich ever been considered a contender? Well apparently ESPN, showing the bias sports reports always show to the Wolverines, believes they are back. In the past two days, news of a revitalized Michigan program has been papered all over their web pages. And today in Michigan made their Power 16 rankings. Sure regular season hasn't started, but other very worthy, very proven teams (e.g., Indiana - close game with Duke, beat Kentucky) were bumped from the list. So what exactly is it that makes UMich so very special?

• Having a former Duke, Coach K protege as their coach? Well Quinn Synder hasn't been doing all that well at Missouri perhaps Tommy is overhyped as well.
• Perhaps it was their super fab win over Boston University (yup, that's BU not BC, the ranked team)
• Perhaps it's their awesome long, yellow, saggy shorts (Fab Five fashions still rule in AA)
• Their win over Notre Dame is worthy of mention, but today's Notre Dame team isn't like teams of old (remember the team that made a tournament run way back when?)

As far as I am concerned all these "so-called experts" are reaching for the next new "it" team, and in this case, it's way too much of a stretch!

Robber Barons

Most people consider Big Tobacco to be at the bottom of the heap when it comes to corporate citizenship. Everyone (myself included) takes a certain pleasure at pointing out the flaws of Walmart (and there are many). But what does it really take for an industry to be relegated to the selfish, greedy, and just plain foul?

In my mind, there are two businesses that exemplify a lot of what is wrong with America today - Big Pharma and Credit Card companies.

Sure Big Pharma saves lives everyday. Their motto is "We'll save your life, but you won't like what you have left." With record profits and sky-rocketing costs for prescription drugs (why else would seniors go to Canada - presumably it's not to ski), Big Pharma can easily drive families into bankruptcy. Costs for certain cancer drugs can run $2000/dose. At 20 doses per treatment, the total is pretty close to the U.S. annual median income before taxes. So sure, your cancer is gone (at least for now), but what do you have left besides mounds of debt (and a piss poor credit rating thanks in no small measure to the latest bills passed by Bush & Co.) and no job? Well,l this is where the benevolent Credit Card companies step in.

Most companies want clients who have money. With Credit Card companies, it is just the opposite. They want customers who cannot pay their bills. Credit Card companies actually lose money when people pay their bills on time. When consumers do not pay their bills on time, Credit Card companies can levy astronomical interest payments (potentially exceeding 20% compounded monthly! which can turn an anthill into a Mt. Everest) against them. The most attractive market for these companies are people who have recently filed for bankruptcy or lost everything (e.g., Katrina victims). These people need money to rebuild their lives, but likely don't have the cash on hand to make on-time payments, resulting in a huge windfall for the Credit Card companies. Since these people recently filed for bankruptcy and had their debts wiped clean, they will not be allowed to have any new debt forgiven (at least not until they are old, wizened, and hunchbacked from carrying years worth of credit card debt on their backs).

Although both Big Pharma and Credit Card companies provide valuable services (arguably Big Pharma more so), they both take advantage of people in weak positions whether it be for health or financial reasons. What makes it all the more worse is these companies have yet to be truly unmasked for what they are. Big Tobacco was unmasked years ago, and anyone who sues cigarette manufacturers should have an reading, IQ, and deaf/dumb/blind test. But with these other businesses, it is still possible to dupe the consumer and that is what is happening today.

Dr. Torture

Is it strange that a man who took the Hippocratic oath has no problem standing by torture legislation? Sure there are all kinds of disclaimers he put on it - example, it only applies to terrorists, not to prisoners of war. The problem is torture is a slippery slope. Inflicting that kind of pain on people seems like something inhuman. Do we as Americans want our personnel engaging in such activities that must eat the soul and blur the lines between black and white. Not to mention, with what degree of clarity do we know if someone is a terrorist? Look at all the failed renditions. As a medical doctor, I would sincerely like to understand how Dr. Frist does not find any conflict between his views on torture and his learnings from Medical School.

When Frist was first elected to the Senate, I remember being optimistic. Sure he is a Republican from Texas. But he was also well-educated, articulate, and seemed to make reasoned and measured arguments. But apparently, I was wrong. Frist was the Republican wolf in a moderate's clothing. He has consistently, in my opinion, come down on the wrong side of issues...

1. Alito deserves an up and down vote you say? Well what about Harriet Miers? Were the founding fathers rolling in their graves when you along with the Republican leadership colluded to deny her a vote let a lone a hearing.
2. She's alive! The whole Terri Schaivo debacle. I believe in life as much as the next person, but if that wasn't a gamble to win more of the CC vote, then your medical license should certainly be revoked. Diagnosing from grainy videos - shameful.
3. The Martha effect. Frist is still under SEC investigation for alleged inside trading.

My Favorite Cabinet Members

Donald Rumsfeld - fellow Princeton grad, Class of '54 - is leaving office?

It is a day many of us, myself included, have been hoping and praying for, but now that their appears to me actual momentum, I find myself rather distressed. Word on the Hill is that people are gunning for his job, namely Joe Lieberman. Now I am not a huge fan of Rummy, but this is ridiculous. As a former opponent of the Bush-Cheney consortium in 2000, how can Lieberman even consider being their Secretary of War? (Dumb question seeing as how he actually wanted to create a Department of War.) Although one shouldn't be too surprised given the drivel that is coming out of his mouth these days, case in point,

"It is time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge that he will be commander in chief for three more critical years and that in matters of war we undermine presidential credibility at our nation's peril."

If the president and his administration were more open and upfront about their rationale for war, among other things, one would not be forced to question his motives/credibility. Lieberman should start acting like a Democrat and leave the Democrat-bashing to his friend the roach killer (Tom DeLay). Otherwise, I say hit the road Jack, it looks like the Gov. is gunning for your job anyway.

Condoleezza (I have a gap between my two front teeth) Rice - former professor of International Relations at Stanford and current agitator for rendition - planning a run for president?

So this isn't actually new news. But when Dr. Rice said,

"The US does not permit, tolerate or condone torture under any circumstances."

It made me wonder if she was (1) dim, after all the whole point of rendition is to outsource terror or (2) brainwashed - remember this is the woman who once referred to GW as her husband. In either case, she is not presidential material.

However, in defense of her Ferragamo wearing self, I think Bush-Cheney, Gonzales, and Ashcroft so thoroughly blurred the lines of what torture is that under current law what happened to John McCain would probably no longer be considered torture. And that my friends is just plain dirty.

















I took this picture from the Slate political cartoon website.

Random Musings on Harry Potter

So I have to admit that I am not a Harry Potter fan, but before you starting booing and hissing and hitting the back button, let me explain. Generally, I still do not think J.K.Rowlings books are as phenomenal as her sales have been. But that being said, I really liked book six (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) and the latest movie.

I feel compelled to write tonight, because I just finished watching The Goblet of Fire for the 1.5th time. I had seen it first over Thanksgiving at the IMAX. It was all very exciting until the power went out in the last ten minutes and I was forced to wonder what happened. Well I found out today, and let me tell you I didn't miss much. But Ralph Fiennes is cool as Voldemort. They can't make The Half Blood Prince into a movie soon enough for my taste. Because then we can see the pretty Ralph Fiennes before his nose disappeared and he became the Lord of Darkness.

So I am at a loss for why I am suddenly infatuate with Harry Potter (the books not the boy mind you). Perhaps it is because the books have finally grown more dark? they are a little more grown-up? there is some real symbolism? (the latter was probably a stretch.) Or perhaps it is because I grew up on The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter novels are only now finally reaching the show down of good vs. evil that came in the first Narnia book: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

It seems that there are several theories on what will happen in book seven:

1. Harry is a horcrux (or so says my sister). But then to kill Voldemort, wouldn't Harry have to kill himself? And wouldn't that be too sad for a children's book?
2. Snape will be redeemed. I feel kind of bad for Snape. He was bullied as a child and now wears all black. He clearly isn't a very happy individual. Maybe Dumbledore wanted Snape to kill him.
3. Harry will have to work with Regulus Black who he hates (I guess because he was a death eater) to destroy all the horcruxes. (My friend told me that. I didn't even realize there was a Regulus - clearly I wasn't that into the early books)
4. Ron and Hermoine will get married? Ew. Gross. Ron was clearly going through his awkward phase during The Goblet of Fire movie.
5. Bellatrix LeStrange will get a beat down.

What do Michael Crichton and George Bush have in common?

Global warming. It's what Michael Crichton and George Bush have in common.

After the Jurassic Park series, biologically flawed as it was, one might ostensibly have assumed that Michael Crichton understood science and facts to some vague degree. After all he is a Harvard educated medical doctor. Perhaps this suggests that Harvard doctors, or even doctors in general, are not all that they are cracked up to be. In his latest science "thriller", State of Fear, Crichton explores the world of environmental terrorism. Furthermore, he supposes that global warming doesn't exist and was in fact invented by liberal scientists as opposed to being based in any sort of scientific reality. Next thing you know he'll be writing a biblical thriller, Adam and His Eve, suggesting that evolution was a figment of Wallace and Darwin's imagination.
If the book alone was not egregious enough, Crichton was actually requested to testify in front of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works by Senator Inhofe (R-Ok). Crichton a fiction novelist was asked to provide testimony on how global warming and other environmental concerns are mere "hoaxes". So Inhofe is a Republican from Oklahoma (note: Oklahoma is right next to Kansas where they don't believe in evolution - as such one may deem Inhofe worthy of some slack) and may be forgiven his foolishness for this very reason. But Crichton deserves no such forgiveness.

Like Crichton, Bush disregards global warming as smoke-and-mirror parlor tricks developed by scientists. It's worth checking out his record on Kyoto and other international environmental agreements. More generally consider Bush's record on the environment from the Clean Air Act to drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge to key governmental appointments. It is apparent that Bush the down on the farm, one with nature guy is nothing but a phony just like Michael Crichton.

For some laughs at Bush's expense check out this video clip thanks to Will Ferrell and AOL.

I am well aware that this is old news, but I feel compelled to mention it again, lest more of my unsuspecting friends end up buying Crichton's utterly baseless and propaganda-rich novels.

The Perennial Shaming

Another great week of college basketball and another great shaming for the Big Ten... for the 5th straight year the ACC beat the Big Ten to win the Commissioner's Cup. Which leads me to ask the very same question I ask about the PAC-10 during football season, is the ACC really a legitimate athletic conference.

To be fair, it is hard to argue with success. And I willing to admit that the ACC is a preeminent conference when it comes to basketball with it's power houses, Duke and Chapel Hill. However, when it comes to football they are certainly much more suspect. Florida State football is by no means what it once was. And watching Duke play football is like watching your high school football team run around in circles. If the South wants to school us Yankees in football, then the ACC is probably not the best example. ACC football is so generally lacking in talent that they had to pilfer teams from the Big East to prop them up - Miami, VTech, and Boston College. So while the ACC's got the basketball game, I can't give them much respect for stolen top 10 football programs...

And while I'm slamming other conferences how about the PAC-10. Having pretty boy quarterbacks does not signify having a legitimate program. Sure USC has a good team, but they have one of the easiest conference schedules in the country... Washington? Cal? Arizona? I wonder how long they would survive in the SEC. And in terms of basketball, nothing good besides the Arizona Wildcats has come out of the PAC-10 since John Wooden.

So if you want to talk about real conferences. Let's talk. The Big Ten. The Big 12. The SEC. And now, I'll end my rant against all things ACC and PAC-10 for fear of jinxing the teams I love.

PS. Duke fans beware. I love you not.

Club on the Hill

There's a new club on the Hill and it's down right exclusive. Not white? not male? not "Christian"? not Republican? why then you need not apply. (Note: it could help your cause if you are a former alcoholic)

The most recent member to make the news was Randy Cunningham. He's in deep doody with everyone from the IRS to the attorney general. Let's just say it doesn't pay to say "Show me the money" and then grant favors. To those of you who are still confused, it's called bribery. Other illustrious members include:

1. I. Lewis Libby: author of smutty romance novels set in Japan, side-kick and lead henchman for Dr. Evil (aka. Dick Cheney), alleged leaker of information of double agent Valerie the Flame Plame
2. Tom DeLay: former bug/pest exterminator (yes, I too wonder how he managed to not exterminate himself), former alcoholic turned born-again Christian (of the GWB variety), potential jailbait for playing at fuzzy math with campaign donations to his own private and personal PAC
3. Bill Frist: alleged medical doctor who from video footage determined that Terri Schiavo's doctors erred in their diagnosis (no surprise, he was subsequently proven wrong), Martha Stewart wannabe who sold his HCA stock right before it tanked (wonder if his future jailhouse buddies will make him a chic knitted poncho), purported Republican presidential candidate for 2008 (What does Jeb have to say about that)
4. Karl Rove: political wunderkind (evil genius?), suspected (and soon to be indicted?) outer of Valerie Plame, assassinator of character (remember John McCain's "illegitimate black daughter" that ended his bid for the presidency and Max Cleland, a quadriplegic Vietnam vet, who is "best friends" with Osama)
5. Dick Cheney (aka Dr. Evil): former alcoholic (with multiple DUIs) who lives in a bunker - 'nuf said

Any other members to indict? oops. I meant induct. Let me know...

A Farewell to Arms

I grew up in a state where students routinely miss class in the fall to go hunting. As such, I am not entirely unsympathetic to those who want to own rifles so they can kill an occasional deer (although I wonder how many deer there are left to kill since they keep getting hit by cars or starve as more McMansions come up).

I also come from a state renowned and reviled for the Michigan Militia. To this group I am far less sympathetic. What do they need their guns for? They certainly aren't killing deer in their fatigues. Are they waiting for the Canadians to invade? Honestly, haven't they watched South Park? And even if those dastardly Canadians did manage to cross the border, we have a National Guard (they can't all be in Iraq), which I am sure are more capable of defending our country than a rag-tag group of guys running through the woods playing a grown-up version of G.I. Joe?

The 2nd Amendment has been controversial since I can remember (which is basically middle school government class). After all what does it all really mean?

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Supposing that it does mean people can own and keep guns for their own person protection. Why do people need concealed weapons? Personally, I don't feel protected knowing someone has a pistol tucked into his cowboy boots. (Granted the cowboy boots alone make me really uncomfortable.) And what do people need machine guns for? They were not designed to protect people? They were meant to kill people aefficientlyly as possible (no reloads makes that easy).

To those politicians who vote down bills banning automatic weapon ownership, I want to know why! Under today's laws, convicted criminals can legally own automatic weapons. All that talk about how "guns don't kill people, people kill people" smacks or NRA propaganda (I wanted to use a bad word, but restrained myself) . But ignoring it for the moment, how can anyone justify putting such devices of mass destruction (I like to call them D.M.D though some might dare call them W.M.D and they exist right here in America!) in the hands of people known to be violent? Perhaps we already know where our next war will be fought.

My First Retraction and Hopefully my Last

My last post on the potential for a return of Japan-bashing to the US was in retrospect off base. There is a possibility for Japan-bashing to arise in places like Michigan and towns whose fortunes are dependent on the auto industry. But things are very different now than they were a decade ago. Japanese auto companies are now building more cars in the US than ever before and as a result employing more American workers. The potential collapse of GM and Ford and their network of suppliers and the businesses that depend on them do however pose a threat. The implosion of the manufacturing industry may feed the flames of growing isolationist and protectionist sentiment in Washington and across the country. Chuck Schumer and Lindsay Grahm's proposal to add tariffs to Chinese imports if they do fully adjust their currency is just one such example.

What's so wrong with judicial activism?

Conservatives complain about judicial activism all the time. It came up most recently with the Terri Schiavo case, probably because the court simply didn't rule the way DeLay and the religious right wanted. But generally whenever issues like abortion and homosexuality are discussed, the specter of judicial activism is raised by Republicans. They cite cases like Roe v. Wade and Lawrence v. Texas. And now the Bush's Supreme Court nominations, John Roberts, the short-lived Harriet Meyers, and Scalito (oops. I mean Alito. aka. I'm a sell out - rearrangement of Samuel Alito), the topic has resurfaced again. But is judicial activism really that bad? Perhaps having the judiciary take "active positions" on items allows the country to make the right decisions on topics that are either overly politicized or that the public is not ready to make.

One case in point is Brown v. the Board of Education, which ruled that "separate is not equal" and effectively provided the Civil Rights movement with the legs it needed to end of segregation and discrimination. The real question is whether or not the American public was ready to address the issues of discrimination, race relations, and segregation in 1954. Given that major Civil Rights legislation was not passed (as in by Congress) until the 1960's, Brown v. the Board of Education was clearly "legislating" and based on their arguments and interpretation of the constitution many have suggested this as a case of extreme "judicial activism". But was it the wrong decision? No one can say no to that. I don't mean to suggest that judges should create new laws as they please, but controlled "judicial activism" could be a good thing.

Also interestingly, Bush won in 2000 on a Supreme Court decision. Since when the Supreme Court was given authority to appoint a President is news to me. In light of this, it seems odd that Republicans are so averse to "judicial activism" it has helped them seal their position of power in Washington for over the past 5 years.

The Return of Japan Bashing...

With GM posting record losses and the Big Three losing market share to Toyota and Honda, one can't help but wonder if the Japan-bashing days of the 1980's could come back. Here are some reasons why...

GM lost $1.6bn in the 3rd quarter alone this year. That's $1,600,000,000. That's a lot of zeros. In aggregate, losses for the year are expected to run to something in excess of $4bn dollars, which is significantly larger than the GNP of some countries (as an example consider Bermuda). Ford's losses were much smaller, but they have troubles of their own with falling market share and a growing number of pensioners. When companies start losing money they start cutting jobs.

Today, GM announced cuts of 30,000 workers in North America (likely to be mostly Union workers - in fact over 20% of Union jobs will be cut). This is on top of cuts announced by Ford and cuts Delphi and Visteon will need to make to shore up their businesses. The UAW is taking big hits (including those in my hometown), but it remains to be seen who they will take their anger out on.

To add fuel to the fire, according to the WSJ, Toyota is set to increase production by over 10% next year and will overtake GM as the leading auto manufacturer. The glory days of Detroit which seem to have passed decades ago, may finally, actually be gone.

I wonder how Michigan is going to survive this. The fortunes of the state follow the fortunes of the Big Three and these days that has just been down...

Rivalry Weekend

It sucks to be on the losing end of rivalry weekend each year, but as a Spartan fan, you can't seem to end up anywhere else. Besides which, since when have Michigan St and Penn St had any sort of rivalry. I bet it was made up when Penn St joined the Big Ten. Incidentally, though less pertinent given their season this year, isn't it strange how Penn St used to be a kick ass team until they joined the Big Ten? The only plus side to this day was the fact that Michigan lost and maybe we'll have a BIG TEN vs. PAC TEN match up - the way it's supposed to be. I hate the BCS. Talk about destroying college football.

So here's my football wrap.

1. Tennessee lost to Vanderbilt. Peyton Manning's alma mater lost to a bunch of spoiled rich kids from Vandy? What's up with that? And what is a Volunteer? (in the context of a mascot I mean.) I could really use some help with that one.
2. Michigan lost to Ohio State. Although I am from the state of Michigan, I am certainly not a Michigan girl. (Take care to note that distinction.) Honestly listening to these sports commentators go on-and-on about Henne is getting down right irritating. The fairy tale of the borderline, decent QB becoming a super star (e.g., the Tom Brady story) is getting way to much play. Regardless the game was interesting, and Henne does have a Brady-esque clutch quality about him (remember the last second win over Penn St earlier this year?). Still I wonder whether Lloyd Carr is going to be around next year. Fans are calling for his head and he is 1-4 against Tressel (I think). John Cooper got the diss at Ohio State for losing to Michigan far too many times despite beating just about everyone else. Lloyd's gotta wonder...
3. Illinois lost to Northwestern. Poor Illinois. Will they ever get a break. It's a testament to how old I am that I can remember a time when they were good. Poor Ron Zook. Each time he loses he can only talk about how much better they are since the last loss.
4. Indiana lost to Purdue. Apparently I am not old enough to remember a time when Indiana was good. Well there is always basketball... wait, they fired Bobby Knight... well, I guess there is always next year then.
5. Michigan State lost to Penn State. This is the game that killed me. Every time there was a chance for a come back, there was a fumble or an interception or shitty special teams. Shitty special teams suck! Supposedly Smith mocked the kicker for his dare I say it piss poor performance, and although I am not a John L. fan, the guy had to have deserved it. In today's game along he missed a field goal, had one blocked, and on another there was a fumble with the ball holder. Just thinking about the games lost because of said kicker drives me crazy. But I am going to stop now because he's probably just a 20 year old kid who wants to drink himself into oblivion (god knows I'd want to). The only bright spot for Michigan State is Drew Stanton. But he had four interceptions today, which is four too many. Still as I tell my self every year. There is hope. This is a guy who can rush for 100yds a game and throw for over 300. If there is anyone who can save the Spartans, it's Stanton. And if JoePa has taught us anything, it's that miracles can happen.

Pride and Prejudice: my first movie review

As a huge Jane Austen fan, I own all of her books, and in the case of Pride and Prejudice actually have two copies, I was pleasantly surprised to see there was yet another Austen adaptation in the works. The story of Lizzy and Mr. Darcy has by some accounts been done too many times, but can a girl really ever get enough of it?

Overall the movie was an A for adequate. For those who haven't read the book so many times that it has fallen apart or seen the faithful BBC version, the movie was probably great. But for those of us who appreciate the witticisms of Mr. Bennett the sneaky, flirtatiousness or Mr. Wickham, and supreme silliness of Lydia, the movie was less enjoyable though significantly better than the black-and-white version with Lawrence Olivier.

Some of the things I liked about the movie were:

1. Mr. Bingley though I am sure some will disagree with me. In the book and the BBC movie, he is kind of a well-meaning idiot. But in this movie he was an idiot (actually he refers to himself as an "unadulterated ass") and funny. My favorite part was when he and Darcy were standing by the pond practicing his "will you marry me" speech to Jane. Hysterical!
2. Jane Bennett! They finally found a pretty Jane and one who is prettier than Elizabeth.
3. Mr. Darcy and for this I am sure to incur the wrath of my friends. Yes, Colin Firth is hot. And yes, he played Mr. Darcy twice! and well. But why did he "stare" all the time. He was too broody. This Mr. Darcy is just socially awkward and perhaps a bid haughty. It was easier to empathize with him.

Now on to the many things I disliked...

1. Weird statue. What was up with the weird bust of Darcy at Pemberley. It looked like the eyes were following Lizzy across the room. Creepy.
2. Ugly Colonel Fitzwilliam. The book describes him as "thirty, not handsome, but in person and address most truly the gentleman." I don't care he is supposed to handsome. Make him handsome! not fat with funny hair.
3. Lady Catherine arrives. It seemed rather unrealistic for Lady Catherine to show up at the Bennett household in the middle of the night. Just did not ring true.
4. The pig-sty house. The Bennet's are not rich, this we know. But the book never begins to suggest that their house is in a mud pit shared with pigs (they even do a close up of pig testicles in the movie - weird and gross!). For the Bingley's to even invite them to a ball, the Bennet's must have had a decent enough property.
5. The Orlando Bloom look-alike (a.k.a Mr. Wickham). I enjoy looking at Orlando Bloom as much as the next girl, but he's too pretty to be Mr. Wickham. Mr. Wickham is supposed to be deliciously handsome (hehe!), but he is also in the army. Yeah. The casting just didn't do so much for me. In addition, Lizzy for a time engages in a deep flirtation with Wickham. This is not even alluded to in the movie. Where was the Lizzy-Wickham love?
6. Fishy faces. Keira Knightly looked like a fish for most of the movie, especially during the ball scenes. Part of it may have been the make-up, but she kept sucking in her checks and pouting her lips. It was very distracting.
7. Wardrobe Malfunctions. With one or two exceptions, Lizzy wandered around in what looked like dyed burlap sacks. When invited to dine with Lady Catherine, Charlotte told her to simply wear the best outfit she had. So lo and behold, Lizzy shows up in a green burlap sack. No wonder, Lady Catherine was so dismissive.
8. Proposal in the rain. I was so not a fan of the proposal in the rain sequence. Where did the rain come from, why was Lizzie running in the rain, where did the pavilion come from, how did Mr. Darcy know where she was (stalker much?)? Too many questions which led to an altogether ripped out of cheesy romance novel scene. Austen deserves better.
9. I can't sleep. So now Austen has been reduced to scenes where the protagonists are running around in open fields in their nightdress and coincidentally happen to meet each other. This scene was not in the book! This scene was stupid. Read point #8.
10. Because there always has to be a 10. Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy. What about this scene wasn't painful and cringe worthy?

So what did you think?

Are the Tides Turning? Part II

Ever watched soaps? A soap title could aptly describe the situation in Washington these days... As The World Turns so do the Days of Our Lives. As the World has been turning, fault lines appear to be dividing the Republican dynasty. Like any great soap family, they can only take so much before turning on themselves in stories that revolve around sex, lies, money, and death.

"Conservatives", never particularly fond of McCain's style of maverick, have been reduced to calling him a RINO (Republican in Name Only). Remember the early Bush years when McCain was attached to Bush's hip and trotted out for photo-ops like a show pony? Well with Bush in a pickle, McCain has gotten too big for his britches. Can you believe he actually thinks it's wrong to torture people? Landsakes! The Bushies are going to have a tough time getting McCain back into show pony mode now.

Senate Democrats together with the support of key Republicans of the likes of Lisa Murkowski (nepotism is my middle name) and John Sununu (my daddy was some one too) may be able to block an extension of the Patriot Act. Georgie has to be depressed about this one. Fellow members of his "my daddy was in politics" club have left him high and dry.

Twenty-two, count 'em, twenty-two House Republicans broke ranks to reject a spending bill than included significant cuts in health care, education (apparently there is a new plan to leave kids behind), and programs for the poor. This break in Republican unity is particularly meaningful because it occurred in the highly partisan House (a.k.a. Land of DeLay).

Despite some weakening amongst the rank-and-file, the Republican leadership has still managed to hold the line to a large extent. It is expected that Congress will block Democrats attempts to extend a temporary tax on Big Oil's profits as Republicans seek to further line the coffers of the J.R. Ewings of the world. And John Murtha's remarks on the Iraq war were sharply dismissed and attacked by many Republicans today.

Still, the air is laden with intrigue: who told Bob Woodward about Valerie Plame? how prevalent was graft in the Iraqi reconstruction process? did we really use white phosphorous? These stories and more could lead to a collapse of the House of Cards.

The IRS Unleashed

I don't get a chance to watch the news all that often. But tonight I decided to kick back and watch the Rather network. They mostly covered the same old same old. North Koreans killing and beating defectors. (Although shocking to actually see on TV, if we were honest with ourselves we would know that this has been going on for years, and by not seeing the actual images we have chosen the comfort of denial and ignorance.) The next story on the discovery of prisoner abuse by Iraqis' in Iraq was inevitable. Honestly, can we really even pretend to be surprised by this? After all, we did set the unfortunate precedent with Abu Ghraib.

The last story was the most upsetting partially because it points to continuing malfeasance within the current administration. The All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California is under investigation by the IRS because of an anti-war sermon given by the church's former rector. In his sermon, he said

"President Bush has led us into war with Iraq as a response to terrorism. Yet I believe Jesus would say to Bush and Kerry: 'War is itself the most extreme form of terrorism. President Bush, you have not made dramatically clear what have been the human consequences of the war in Iraq... Mr. President, your doctrine of preemptive war is a failed doctrine. Forcibly changing the regime of an enemy that posed no imminent threat has led to disaster." - Rev. George Regas, former rector

Because visiting clergy had the gall to question Bush prior to the 2004 election, the IRS is now threatening to revoke the church's tax-exempt status. The IRS claims that the church interfered in the political campaign, even though it is clear that Regas never once suggested who parishioners should vote for.

This investigation by the IRS smacks of hypocrisy. It serves as yet another means for the current administration to stamp out dissent and those who speak against them. If the IRS were as very concerned with the political statements coming out of the pulpit (as they claim to be), why have they not threatened to revoke the tax-exempt status of those churchs that preached against Kerry as an enabler of murder and tried to deny him communion. Given recent events from the Valerie Plame incident (for which the administration still has not 'fessed up), it is hard to believe this investigation is just a coincidence.

Bush & Dick's ratings are still in the toilet. Although I relish their current discomfort, for whatever its worth, I do have a few words of advice. Instead of trying to muffle the opposition, engage in some real debate on the issues. Instead of rehashing the reasons for going to war, just admit mistakes were made. To err is human, and if Bush were more willing to admit to his mistakes and short comings ever so occasional, I am sure his approval ratings would rise.

In case you are interested in the details, here's a link to the story.

The Conservative Challenge - Stop #1 Sean Hannity

I am on a mission to visit the major sites of crazy-conservative journalism (I use the phrase crazy-conservative to differentiate from the more tolerable kind of conservative like William Kristol). Stop #1 was Sean Hannity's web page.

Overall, I am compelled to give the website an D-. There is little to no content (depending on how content is actually defined) on the website. As much as I despise the spread of Hannity style propoganda, I was disappointed by the distinct lack of Hannity-esque quotes. There goes my opportunity to mock him without watching his show (I can't bear to be evenly remotely responsible for bolstering his ratings).

Still there is some scope for amusement. The highlight of the website has to be the advertisement for Hannidate. Definately check this out if you need a laugh, or if you enjoy spending time with people who's IQs are significantly below your own. In the event that you are a conservative who stumbled onto my blog, apologies. Hannidate clearly performs a great public service by eliminating you from our dating pool. Check it out! I hear O'Reilly is a frequent visitor. For a "serious" journalist who provides "fair and balanced" reporting, it seems rather odd for Hannity to be sponsoring a dating service under his name. But then I never did profess to understand the pysche of a crazy-conservative.

My next stop will be the Blonde Blowhard (aka. Anne Coulter). It could be awhile. This stint alone requires me to spend some time in detox.

The DDD

The newest member of DDD (Dumb, Dumb, and Dumber and no that's not Delta Delta Delta) was inaugurated today. At an event today, Gerald Walpin in introduced "Mitt" Romney, and in the process said,

"Today when most of the country thinks of who controls Massachusetts, I think the modern-day KKK comes to mind — the Kennedy-Kerry Klan."

So according to Governor Romney, the comment was "ill-advised". Yup. You can say that again Governor.

Interesting, Mr. Walpin is a member of the Federalist Society. Other members of the Federalist Society include Judge John Roberts (who you might remember as our new Supreme Court Chief Justice), Ken Starr (of the Watergate/Lewinsky-gate affair), Justice Antonin Scalia (Supreme Court Justice), former Governor John Engler (look what he did for Michigan - nothing!), former Attorney General John Ashcroft (yes, of the Patriot Act notoriety), and many others!

Governor Romney is reportedly considering a run for President. Here's to hoping he finds some new friends before that.

Book Recommendaton #2: Attack of the Pink Books

Have you noticed the plethora of pink books that assail you every time you visit a bookstore? They are impossible to miss.

It used to be that the "romance novels" were always kept in the back of the store, their bodice ripping covers hidden as they were stacked on the bookshelves. But at some point recently, these books have made a comeback. They are no longer your traditional romance novels with sex and heavy breathing instead they are slightly more sophisticated books about the "plight" of the modern woman looking for success and love, usually in all the wrong places. There are no scantily clad men and women on the cover. They are still loud and proud, but in a more tasteful don't be embarrassed for picking me up type of way. As far as I can tell they are usually pink or some other relatively bright color with fun stenciled lettering and sketches of women on the cover.

I confess that every once in awhile I have been known to pick up such a book. Although in my defense, on a few occasions I thought I was purchasing a legitimate novel only to discover that I had fallen into the black whole of "chick lit". Here are some of the silly pink books I have read in the past year...

1. The Devil Wears Prada: Everyone was talking about this book, so I thought I should read it too, especially since it is going to be turned into a movie starring Meryl Streep as the evil, fashion editor, boss and Anne Hathaway as the wide-eyed, magazine assistant. I did not like the book. The narrator is boring and the boss is a total caricature. Apparently, the author based the story on her real life experience working with Anna Wintour. I sincerely hope the movie will be better.
2. The Nanny Diaries: Yet another book that everyone was talking about that ended up sucking. It's essentially just like The Devil Wears Prada but instead of being a magazine assistant, the narrator is a nanny.
3. Last Chance Saloon: So I bought this book because the cover looked fun. It was used, so it was super cheap - huge plus! It's really a stereotypical chick lit novel (girls searching for success and love). If you have already read Sushi for Beginners, this is essentially a rehash. So don't waste your money.
4. Can You Keep a Secret: My sister bought me this book. I read it on a roadtrip to a wedding in Toronto. It was actually funny. I hate to admit it, but I almost laughed out loud a couple times. (Shameful, I know!) Then a girl friend of mine borrowed it. And then she loaned it to another friend. If there are actually any pink books worth buying, this would be one of them.
5. Hand-Me-Downs: So I bought this book with/for my little sister for our trip to Italy. It is about the youngest of three sisters who is sick of hand me downs and living in the shadow of her older more successful sisters. But then she falls for her sister's ex-boyfriend... the hand-me-down boyfriend. The book was pretty ridiculous. But as the older sister, I would have been the swinsuit model, so that's kind of cool.

Hopefully, I haven't committed a major faux pas by letting you know of my less than intellectual reads. But perhaps you will think better of me if you know that I am currently reading Everything is Illuminated and The English Patient. The pink books are just a great guilty pleasure.

Random Musings

There are a couple other of things that have been bothering me lately. Unfortunately, I don't understand any of the issues well enough to really say something substantive. But dammit. These things bother me and they should bother you too!

1. Why do oil companies have record high profits when the average consumer is groaning under the weight of their energy bills? Are they price gauging us? They told Congress they weren't. But then Congress is slimy (they get plenty of campaign donations from energy companies) like a spineless jelly fish. I think the energy companies are in bed with Cheney (and I mean that figuratively and not literally in case there was any confusion which is actually quite understandable).



2. France is the land of Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Voltaire. They made us the Statue of Liberty. Yet they are bow embroiled in the social ills of bigotry and racism. Although there have been disturbances in the past, the drama being played this week is surprising. Perhaps because in America we talk so openly about racism and cultural tensions, I mistakenly assumed that other countries would do the same if they had these problems. However, it is apparent that the French were simply living in denial and now their problems have boiled over. So much for placing preservation of "the society" above the rights of the minority?



3. How does Condolezza Rice afford Ferragamo shoes? Perhaps we can use her salary to pay down the national debt. I didn't realize civil servants (although servants is perhaps an oxymoron) lived in such luxury.



4. How could Bree do the "nasty" with George on the last episode of Desperate Housewives? She has great hair and could do much better, not to mention that her husband just died because George poisoned him. And quite frankly, George is just freaky - the psychotic version of "The 40-year old Virgin".

Ridiculing the Ridiculous - Take I

Just some amusing things I have been reading and hearing...

"What I am hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas... Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality... And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underpriviledged anyway, so this is working out well for them." - Barbara Bush (as quoted in Vanity Fair)

So I don't even know where to begin with this one, it is so utterly ridiculous. However, I did learn where GWB got his intelligence from.

In other breaking news... Paris Hilton apparently crashed her Bentley into a parked truck. Now that's hot!

Are the Tides Turning?

Democrats every where want to know... has the time finally come? Bush's approval ratings are below 40% which means Cheney's must have entered negative territory. And the election results are in!

• Democrat Jon Corozine is Governor of New Jersey. So he's a big spending, fat cat banker, but he's a Democrat. We'll take him.


• Democrat Tim Kaine is Governor of Virginia. Let the invasion of the red states begin! The Republican loss is made all the more poignant by the fact that Bush made an 11th hour trip to campaign with his candidate (who's name isn't worth remembering. Ahh the glee I feel.) This election also means that we might have a centralist, southern Democrat (ala Clinton without Sex-gate) run for president. What a relief. Because there is no way Hillary can carry a red, southern state


• Democrat (oh, erm. I mean Republican) Bloomberg re-elected as Mayor of New York. Once a Democrat always a Democrat. If Bloomberg wants to play at being a Republican more power to him, I suppose


• And the Democrat, Mayor of St. Paul lost his re-election bid to another Democrat - why? because he made the mistake of endorsing Bush. Okay. So he probably wasn't a Zell Miller and he just did what everyone else did, but hopefully this will make Democrats think and stop giving in to everything the administration asks for


• The California results aren't in yet, but it looks like there might not be an hasta la vista for the Terminator if his propositions don't pass. I wonder who'll be the next governor. Maybe one of the guys from the West Wing if we are lucky.

Now I would be happy if Ohio and Indiana would become a happy blue states like the rest of the MidWest. Why do they insist upon being Republican? Sure conservative values are important, but when has the current administration helped either in terms of jobs or the general economy the current administration. Stop believing the Cheney propaganda! You are not better off with this administration.

It would also be fabulous if Kwame Kilpatrick lost his re-election bid for Mayor of Detroit. Detroit is already the butt of enough jokes without a mayor known more for his gold chains, parties, womanizing, and abuse of petty cash. Can we have a Coleman Young again?

Also for the very few of you who read this... please know that it was Bush who turned me into a rabid liberal. Before I was quite happy in the malaise of upper-middle class Republican-dom.

Quality TV?

So for some off reason I decided to watch *Elimidate* last night. Yeah, quality TV -- I know. (In my defense, I was bored.) Of course, they find the most intellectually challenged segment of America to participate on the show and if injections of plastic have been made into their bodies, the more the better. Clearly, the conversation on the show is not meant to be intelligent. But I was surprised when a cheap version of Anna Nicole Smith (yes, apparently one can look cheaper than Anna Nicole Smith) said that she "George W is soooooooo hot" and "I would Lewinsky George Bush". Ew. Ew. I feel like I need to wash my ears out with soap.

I Likely Like Wordly Words

I like words that end in ly. I was once told by my boss that these words (apparently they are called adverbs) are really meaningless. Basically, they are a replacement for the word also know as "um". So which ly words am I really fond of? There are so ridiculously many that it can be hard to count.

* exceedingly - as in, "What an exceedingly marvelous event"
* terribly - as in, "I found it to be terribly dreadful"
* ridiculously - as used above
* extremely - as in, "She's extremely charming, but..."

Oh and the list can go on and on. But tacking on ly words is more certainly a great way to expand your vocabulary.