Happy Taco Day!

Well, it has been a while since I've posted about it, but Taco day is officially back upon us. Anybody that has missed this in the past should know that Taco Day (ie Friday) is essentially time for the LSWTF Staff and friends to join at the National Press Club and "Nom" as many free tacos as possible while downing as many of their strong mixed drinks as are available...

This seems to set the tone for the weekend quite nicely most times, but I am getting away from the point of this post... The news...

Famous TV Doctor Sanjay Gupta is apparently a REAL Doctor, but that isn't even the big part of this story. Apparently he is good enough of a doctor to warrant a possible pick as Obama's Surgeon General, yet also famous enough to already have congressional enemies?

In a “Dear Colleague” letter on Wednesday, Conyers — a major proponent of universal healthcare — denounced Gupta and asked members to sign a letter to
Obama urging the president-elect not to nominate the TV personality.

Conyers also cited a Jan. 6 blog item by Paul Krugman in The New York Times. Unlike Conyers, however, Krugman does not have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications.

Krugman pointed out that Gupta engaged in a televised argument with Moore in 2007 over his movie, “SiCKO.”

Conyers is friends with Moore, a Michigan native who is an ardent backer of the legislator’s universal healthcare bill. Moore’s film made the case for the U.S. to adopt a “single-payer” healthcare system like Canada’s.

Wait, Michael Moore has friends in Congress that will freely admit they are friends? Secondly, Sanjay Gupta, as in the nice Doctor on CNN is really the most qualified person for Surgeon General?

I guess I always assumed the most qualified Dr for a position like that would be someone I had no business ever hearing about, so hearing that Dr. Gupta is a candidate is a bit surprising to me...

Sacha Baron Cohen is back in the news for his latest film "Bruno", which will apparently feature a black runway model named "Jesus" wearing a crown of thorns. Cohen always knows how to make a splash with the US Market, that's for sure...

Tiny town of 194 people apply for over $375 million of government stimulus money...

In related news, a house of 4 in Arlington Virginia are also applying for a multi-million dollar bailout in light of there being little beer left in said house, thus deeply effecting the lives of millions of DC/Beltway residents...

And finally, doncha know, Sarah Palin is back in the news "finally" (that's what it says on Drudge anyway) unloading on all those horrible people that dared poke fun at her. I say horrible people, because we all very well know that she wouldn't look ridiculous without some obvious tampering with sound bytes (ala Howard Dean's I Have a Scream speech), or jumping her with incredibly difficult or even impossible questions...

Vid can be found here, do enjoy, oh boy, I can see Russia from my house!

That is all...

Five Card Draw 9.23.08

Because of McSame and his jackals have set us onto this road with the economy and the amount we're gonna spend on bailouts, Obama may have to delay his proposed spending plans if/when he gets elected. You gotta love those who believe we should be a totally free market...until things crash and then become welfare creatures themselves.

Governor Palin is in New York City to "improve her foreign credentials". Apparently talking to US appointed leaders and Bono will help her accomplish this. Actually I would love to be in the room when Bono questions Palin, or is that going to be preset as well?

Looks like we're gonna have an exciting new Supreme Court case in the coming months. Let's see if this gets any mainstream attention before the election.

While the FBI was searching a Volunteers dorm room, hackers striked back and hack Papa Bear O'Reilly, who had been furious over Palin's hack for days now.

Finally, we know a certain song was being played repeatedly last night at the LSWTF house, but here are a few reasons that Brett Favre came back.

Five Card Draw 9.3.08

McCain says vetting search was thorough, but it is appearing more and more likely the he used some pictures and a dart board.

The good news for Sarah Palin is that broadcast news in Alaska is just as bad as in Montana, the bad news is that may be just the first unlawful firing we know about right now. Though she did at least buzz the fire a bit with the AIP story.

The good news is we busted a top official for mishandling classified material. The bad news is it was Fredo and naturally nothing will happen to him.

Obama bitch slaps 60 Minutes for attempting to continue untruths about him. Just because a man sipped his beer doesn't mean he doesn't like beer. It could have been some crappy ass beer like Heineken or Coors Light.

Finally, this whole who is Trig's real mommy is hilarious as it is sad. On one side you have a VP candidate taking ideas from Desperate Housewives and the other, a woman who wears a snow vest in a family photo and am I the only on who gets an evil Al Borlan feeling from her husband?

One extra one today, on Nov 15th, the fight I predicted is taking place in Vegas. I'm telling you right now, Brock Lesnar will win.

McCain leading Obama on the economy as common sense lights itself on fire

Sorry, Sports Guy, I had to borrow your catchphrase, because things have really gotten that silly.

Today's news brings us word that John McCain (McBush, McPow, McDouche) has opened a lead in polls asking Americans who they think would be a better steward of our economy. As NYT columnist Paul Krugman points out, this is mainly Obama's doing. It's hard to get folks on your side when you vacation in Hawai'i during the election and if your economy speechs are so riddled with statistics that the average person gets lost in the numbers. To Obama's credit, however, he's hitting back with some solid ads in battleground states (saw one last night - it was very good).

What's most troubling about this turn of events is what seems to at the core of McCain's bump - offshore drilling and gas prices. We've damn near hit stagflation (stagnant job growth + inflation) on account of rising gas prices and a U.S. economy that's struggling to readjust. To an economic layperson like myself, the root of our economic problems appears geared to our dependence on oil. Our economy is built around cheap oil, and it so thoroughly infused in our daily lives that when the price of oil jumps, not only does the cost of everything jump, but also our business stop growing.

The solution, one would think, is simple. To borrow a term from conservative economist and former Fed Chairman Allen Greenspan, we need a little creative destruction (I know, he didn't figure this one out, but his book explains it well). Our nation needs to restructure the economy not just to ween itself off oil, but to also to make itself generally more efficient. We've seen what happens when we tie our economic fortunes to one type of energy: we fail. It's like all those Red Sox teams that were built on power hitting alone - great on paper, but utterly decimated by good pitching. The rising price of oil, to make a terrible analogy, is like good pitching.

And this is why it's utterly mystifying why John McCain should be considered stronger on the economy. The sum total of his economic and energy policy lately has been off-shore drilling, which equates to continuing dependency on oil (to be clear, he's also a tax-cut-aholic, but energy is the main concern now). Are we merely so frightened by the price at the pump that we're willing to do anything to pay less for gas, or are we Americans truly ignorant regarding the economy? To borrow from Simmons again, common sense is about to light itself on fire, and probably jump out the window to make sure. This is absurd.

Here's to hoping that Obama gets the message and clears up his act. He's a gifted orator, he knows the problems with the economy, and he has a better way to fix them (or at least a credible one). We can't afford four years of McCain.

Dews Veep Round-up Part 1

I figure, I'm the only person on this blog not to have done some sort of "ranking" on my own, so as its political commentator (of sorts I suppose), I should do something in the skein of a Top Five VP prospects for Obama and McCain...

My rationale for these picks are a few different criteria:

1: Can the VP deliver a state(s) that the candidate would have trouble with.
2: Does the VP deliver some additional skill set that is needed to balance out current candidate.
3: Politically speaking, does the VP balance out the ticket while not endangering the political base of the candidate's core followers.
4: How many Skeletons are possibly in this VP's closet?

That being said, here we go.


1. Mark Warner (D-VA).

Positives: The man can do no wrong. Quite honestly, he told the democratic party he knew how to win the south and then proceeded to turn Virginia from one of the die-hard red-states, to in-play, to now probably a democratic win this election cycle in Congressional as well as Presidential elections.

Warner would add not only the ability to win the South, but win BIG in the south. He has proven credentials with both parties and can walk that delicate line in the middle of the road.

Negatives: I'm going to draw some heat for this, but I can't get past the idea that there is something seriously flawed with this man's background. He should be Democratic Nominee this year and should have thrown his name into the ring when he saw the weak field of candidates, but he cited "family reasons" as holding him back... I'm suspicious...

Now, if I am just paranoid about this and he IS truly clean, then he additionally cannot be the VP given that he is just more likable in the long-run then Obama will be. Obama comes off as Elitist at times, whereas Warner has a dangerous combination of "Southern charm" meets the Bush-like "Would rather have a beer with" quality.

Yes I know he is slated to be VA's next Democratic Senator, but the man has executive experience, and should not be tainting his record by becoming a low-ranking cog in the Senate.

That and the man is the Key-note speaker at the convention, a sure-fire sign that he is the party's heir apparent (Sorry Hillary fans, it just ain't happenin).

WOW Factor: 5 of 5
Risk Factor: 3 of 5 (he outshines Obama, becomes more popular)



2. Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Positives: Hard-core centrist that can put Indiana and some Midwestern territories into play for the democratic party (and thus hope to pick up even more gains in the very conservative mid-western states).

He does everything right and has his entire career... Which I suppose I have to put into the "Positives" for him (more on that later). He is well connected with the "Party establishment" (ie Clintons), but hasn't alienated the new wing of the party (Dean, Obama and their cohorts). This obviously speaks to his ability to communicate extremely effectively to all crowds and keep everyone happy (Lord knows those people can't or won't).

Negatives: He is quite possibly the most boring pick available...

Seriously, this guy smacks of a better-looking Midwestern version of John Kerry (with far more centrist political values though).

He has spent his entire career not "rocking the boat" (again much like Kerry) and thus has not established himself as anything other then a Democrat that happens to represent a republican state.

He also has made it very clear that he wants to be President one day as well, so with that and his history with the Clintons, I don't see him as a safely motivated pick for Obama at this point.

WOW Factor: 1 of 5
Risk Factor: 0 of 5 (What risk? He has no strong opinions that I can find.)


3. Joseph Biden (D-DE)
Positives: Experience, experience, experience.

The phrase "Been there done that" can be used for all facets of government when it comes to Biden. He is one of the longest tenured members of the Senate and as such has had his pick of most any committee chairmanship he has wanted.

With that comes an exceptionally seasoned candidate with the experience to round-out the relatively inexperienced Obama candidacy (especially in Foreign affairs, as Biden has Chaired the Foreign Relations Committee).

He also tends to add a bit of flair to the ticket in that he can be a bit unpredictable in taking chances on issues (which can be listed as positive or negative, but for the "interesting" factor, I list it as a positive), so he may be more interesting to listen to when we're tired of the "Hope and Change" message later in the election cycle.

Negatives: His age is always a factor in this, as he may not be able to campaign as much as Obama may need him to (granted, he is running against someone with even more health problems, but that may be "fixed" when McCain picks a VP as well).

The biggest issue I have with Biden though, is that he represents a state that Obama doesn't need help with in Delaware. Not only that, but it doesn't seem like he brings any tangible assistance in ANY state that Obama needs help in.

That alone is enough for Biden to not be a serious candidate in this search, in my humble opinion.

WOW Factor: 2.5 of 5
Risk Factor 2.5 of 5 (He's fun to listen to, but he could get them in trouble with off-cuff crap too)


4. Tim Kaine (D-VA)

Positives: Another strong Virginian Politician (haven't been this many for 200 years!) that brings strong centrist values with some real backbone to the ticket.

I like what Kaine brings in that I view him as a fighter that can go toe-to-toe with the Republican attack dogs, while not harming his image in doing so. That is something truly difficult to find in any candidate.

The most valuable aspect of Kaine's nomination though would be his work as a Missionary to Honduras. Quite honestly, having someone on the Democratic side that is that firmly connected to religious "values" (I shudder saying this honestly though) immediately puts a wide swath of states into "playable" for the Dem party in the Presidential, as well as the Congressional races in 08.

Negatives: Kaine is still a relative newcomer to the national stage (as is Obama for that matter), having only become Governor of Virginia 2006. This doesn't exactly inspire much confidence in rounding out the experience of a ticket like that as McCain can run his entire campaign bragging that he has more experience in Foreign affairs then the entire Democratic ticket combined.

Kaine also could rub some of the party faithful the wrong way with his wishy-washy stands on pretty hard-core Democratic issues, such as Abortion and some aspects of Civil/Gay Rights. I think the possibility is there to discourage some of the party faithful to stay home rather then support someone that they just don't agree with.

WOW Factor: 3 of 5
Risk Factor: 4 of 5


5. Bill Richardson (D -NM)
Positives: Foreign Affairs genius with close ties to the Clinton camp that presents a way for the Democratic party to capture the ever growing and ever more powerful Hispanic vote?

What is there not to love about someone that has Executive experience in a mostly Republican state, but also has been recognized for his skill set by being appointed as the US Ambassador to the UN as well as Secretary of Energy?

Negatives: Skeletons up the wazoo and rumors of Alcohol abuse...

Its sad that there is so much possible drama surrounding Richardson, because quite honestly he fits Obama's needs perfectly (over all the candidates named before) for both experience and skill set.

Its possible that the character issues with Richardson are just rumors (and I really hope they are), but obviously the Obama campaign can't afford to have drama coming from the VP office, unless its balanced by the value they're getting (which in Richardson's case is quite high obviously).

All in all, Richardson represents to me the ultimate Wild card candidate, in that his abilities and experience are perfect for the Obama Campaign, but there is that huge IF, in that his past (and possible present issues) cannot surface in a meaningful way in order for him to provide said skill set.

WOW Factor: 4 of 5
Risk Factor: 4.5 of 5

Tomorrow McCain's top 5...

Java & Fish Wrap 08.11.08 Late Madden Eve Edition

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this is Jack with your morning coffee and news. Sorry it's a bit late today but we here at the Gonzo house have been proofing the home to be able to survive the war the yellow-eyed demon, a domestic long hair known as Jake, will unleash when we bring home our newest member of our family, name not yet determined. That was the Sunday's event, which thanks to Petsmart, took a good amount of remaining wedding money, which was nice. Saturday was the Skynyrd/Kid Rock concert, which was a blast, even if my ears have yet to recover. But enough with all this nonsense, let's get on with the news.

Of course the opening story this morning is how we showed the French our pimp hand and won the 4x100m relay. We watched it, it was easily the best swim I've ever seen.

On the flip side, everyone appears to now be soothsayers and predicting Obama's historical crash. Look, you can listen to all those media polls you want, check the poll link we have on the side, Obama's lead isn't going anywhere.

The Tribunals discussion continues, as people wonder whether these "enemy combatants" will be held after their sentence. The important thing to remember is that hopefully a non-Republican will be President, one who actually believes in something called the LAW.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here at LSWTF to be saddened by Issac Hayes and Bernie Mac's deaths over the weekend. I for one enjoyed both entertainers immensely and they will be missed greatly.

Could we now have an ally in the war on terror? Of course this is good news since the other big communist(former) country has decided to invade Georgia and to tell the US to stay out of its business. Of course that may have nothing to do with Cheney opening his big fat mouth and trying to get us involved.

Keep an eye on this alleged kidnapping case. Women takes care of five siblings after Katrina, which the mother agrees to. All of a sudden, years later, woman claims she kidnapped them. Allegedly after she wanted children back and woman said no due to information she got about said parents. Story is gonna get quite interesting, one you're not sure who to believe.

In an interesting addition to the Edwards affair story, the woman hates Elizabeth, was a self proclaimed "healer", and though John will submit to a DNA test on Maury the woman will not submit the baby to it.

Jesus fucking Christ, the Detroit mayor is getting about as bad if not worse then any Republican that has been on trial these last couple of years. I believe it was an old friend of mine who once said, "You don't want to go to jail? Stop breaking the law asshole!"

Finally Star Trey Online is ready to be released but it doesn't yet have a date. That's a bit ironic since most video games don't make their release date and this one is ready to go with no date. It's good though, I don't have time for it yet, with Madden and the new family member and all.

Obama's camp is starting to let their balls drop a lil and hit hard back at McPow.

Finally, once again the police's reaction to shoot first ask questions later has resulted in rioting in Montreal. I never knew those French Canadians had it in them.

Today's Flickr

by turboman2002

Java & Fish Wrap 08.01.08 Late Edition

It's a late morning, the bar here in Texas ended yesterday so I had six bar takers who needed to get intoxicated with the quickness as soon as it was over. Luckily for them I am a great husband who had a giant pitcher of Margaritas waiting for them when they showed up at my door. Though note never touch the metal bar of a dish washer, even if it was only on for a few seconds, you'll burn the fuck out of yourself.

See that Phillies prospect above? The name is Jason Donald, he grew up down the street from me, we were ballboys together and I babysat him and his little brother. I love keeping tabs on his continually blossoming career so it gave me great pride and happiness to learn yesterday that Jason is going to China as part of the US Olympic Team.

Well Manny being Manny will almost seem minor compared to what he's in store for Hollywood.

We either have a possible suspect or we have a patsy, we'll never know now.

Wow, this is some darn good police work there hoss. I guess "barricaded" is another word for no one home.

Of course this was not Walmart telling its managers how to vote, it's merely "educating" their employees that their jobs are in danger cause the big bad unions that will be allowed if Obama wins.

Georgia came in at number one in USA Today's pre-season top 25. Why Ohio State is number 3 is still beyond 95% of college football fans. On a side note, I will be releasing my pre-season top 25 and all americans in the coming two weeks.

Apparently the most ironic thing about McPow's ad is that Paris' parents are big time McPow supporters.

It took five years, but Democrats and Republicans have finally done something very bi-partisan, even if it may or may not really address the problems with college tuition.

They best part about this article on Ah-nold's evisceration of state employees is the following.

Kellie Allyn arrived at the Los Gatos DMV branch at 3:10 p.m. Thursday to renew the registration on her Nissan Pathfinder and was turned away, even though the office typically closes at 5 p.m. A manager cited the governor's executive order, Allyn said.

"The whole place was packed with people trying to figure out how to get served," Allyn said. When she threatened to call the media to complain, an employee responded, "Go ahead. We're all getting laid off or minimum wage."

We interrupt this java for delicious breakfast tacos from Irmas and to watch Project Runway...

We're back with some half assed 65% scheme in Florida. Folks if you want a better education for children start paying teachers better and employee more of them so that classes are smaller, that's where the problem really lies.

Obama faced off with hecklers, kept his cool and composure and completely showed them up with what I thought was a brilliant response.

Obama has also launched a website to combat the lies McCain's camp has been spreading. The name, is ingenious, LowRoadExpress.com.

Steve Smith is back to his old ways which means I may have traded him to soon last season. If he's back to 2002 form, he should be in store for a great year.

Finally we end today with an interesting article about how Exxon is able to make $11 billion in quarterly profits as the common man has to sell his soul just to fill his tank for the week.

Today's Flickr

from harry.1967

DC & H's Thursday Throwdown

I don't know what my deal is today. At some point this morning, my every effort at being productive ended in failure. I truly have the dumb. Onward.

In case you didn't know, and I sure didn't, sunglasses are the next hot fashion accessory. Teenage girls and sorority sisters everywhere will be begging mom and dad for 350 bucks for new shades. Not sure what the Magnificent Bastard would have to say about them, but I plan to stick with my $20 Dive Shades.

Iran may be part of the Axis of Evil (or, now that Iraq is on our side, should we call it the Axle of Evil? There are only two left after all), but that doesn't stop it from being funny. I mean, come on, doctored missle photos? What was the point?

In baseball news, all that I can say is finally.

In other baseball news, I'm taking my folks and my brother to Fenway this Sunday. Dice-K is on the hill after a solid effort against Minnesota, and the offense is clicking. Hopefully going to be a bad day to be an Oriole.

In politics, you have to take advantage of your opponent's gaffes. With Obama allegedly moving to the right, with Jesse Jackson giving Obama hell, and with Fox pounding Obama daily, John McCain and his campaign must be shifting into high gear trying to show the nation that he's a great guy and perfect to lead, right? Oops. Whining bastards.

And lastly, just your daily reminder of this administration's hubris.

Obama opts out of public campaign financing

Today, Senator Barack Obama opted out of public financing for his presidential campaign, becoming the first major party candidate to do so since the system was created in 1976. Oddly, I'm fine with this.

The public financing system limits the amount that a candidate can spend to spread his message, but it does nothing to stop advocacy groups from spending all sorts of money to promote their ideas and candidate, or from spending all kinds of money to disparage a candidate or someone else's ideas. Who can forget the Swift Boat Veterans for (their version of) Truth?

Because we live in what we should call the Swift Boat Vets era of campaigning and campaign financing, it is unrealistic for a candidate to limit himself to public financing and its restrictions. Political action committees, with their nudge-nudge, wink-wink relationships to major candidates, can attack from any angle, sometimes with devastating effectiveness. Campaign finance restrictions like those we have in place lead to a battle of the PACs, and the veneer-thin notion that our candidates (and their supporters) are not skirting the rules. It all appears just the tiniest bit dishonest. Just a tiny bit.

Frankly, I think that our campaigns need to borrow a page from the Securities and Exchange Act. Since the 1930s, if your company is selling stock, you need to make a book available to the public that describes everything your company is doing, has done, and will do. Everyone knows your business. We need to do the same for candidates. I don't care how much money a candidate gets, I just want to know how he got it, and who from. The FEC already keep this kind of information. Now, we need to make the candidates get pro-active and send this info out to whoever wants it.

It ain't over....

Screw it, it's over HRC...

I'm not impressed with your winning Puerto Rico, I'm not impressed with your dogged persistence at seeing this "thing" all the way to the end...

That being said, I am only grudgingly supporting Obama at this point purely for Mr. Edwards support, but even that is tenuous at best.

Does anyone not believe at this point that this entire campaign of Mrs. Rodham isn't just for her "triumphant return" to politics to "save" us all from the 4 years of McCain that is undoubtedly in our future given the continued ineptitude of the Democratic party to unite their yuppie elitist base, academic douchebag section, or the lower middle class minorities to pick one candidate and stick with it...

Can anyone else tell I'm tired of this party and the continued talking heads it runs out there every 4 years?

Work on the "Jeffersonian Party" has begun in earnest though, so we here at LSWTF will be sharing the details of that platform once it has been fleshed out a bit more.

Dews Thursday review

(Picture taken from Vermont, probably today)

I must again apologize for my absence from the blog, but my company's move will be officially OVER with after this weekend, freeing me up to finally contribute at my usual daily, or at least several times per week clip.

That being said, there have been some interesting developments throughout the political and economic stages globally that I've wanted to at least touch on.

Leading off, senior Obama advisers are apparently leaking information about HRC's (Hillary Clinton) intention of muscling her way into the ticket by way of a VP nod.

Now, two things immediately pop out to me regarding this story.

One, I doubt its even true. It just smacks of "false positive" type intelligence that is meant more to weaken what little back-alley methods HRC has left at her disposal to have a chance at the nomination (main selling point being she is more popular in the so called "battleground states"). I could totally be thinking too far into this, but if you are able to sink a candidate by hinting that they are essentially using you (the voter) as a pawn to gain their own spot on a ticket, then why not?

Two, it is far too late for this to happen. There has been far too much bloodshed on both sides for this to be a viable ticket (in my humble opinion) anymore. There may have been a chance about a month ago to reconcile the two sides and create what people were calling the "Dream Ticket" (yuck), but that ship has long since sailed.

Now, having talked with some of my former colleagues attached to both sides of this war, the overall feeling is that Clinton is not running for this election but instead to sink Obama's chances against McCain to arrive as the "savior" of the party in 2012 (which, coincidentally will be the second title year in a row for my Washington Redskins!). The death by a million cuts that Obama has received thus far are not going to help him going into what will already be a tough battle with McCain, so most people I've talked with have conceded they believe that has been Clinton's plan for at least the past month and a half.

Its politics as usual of course, which makes it dirty and fun :)

In unrelated news, I have finally discovered why Tuesdays are so difficult for me:

Being deprived of sleep even for one night makes the brain unstable and
prone to sudden shutdowns akin to a power failure - brief lapses that hover
between sleep and wakefulness, according to researchers.

I mean, its not like I didn't know it was unhealthy, but this is actually pretty interesting as to the actual reaction of the brain's functions too sleep deprivation.

And finally, I'm starting to have second thoughts about actually going home for my High school reunion in June with this little bit of info...

There's nothing like a little fresh snow and lots of old mud to liven up an
early summer hike.

Which is exactly what people are likely to find near the peaks of Vermont's higher mountains this Memorial Day weekend, due to the snowy winter and some fresh flurries this week.

At 5 p.m. Tuesday, 18 inches of snow remained on the ground near the top of Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak. The snow cover includes some of the 3.5 inches of fresh fluff that descended on the mountaintop Monday. More light snow is likely over northern Vermont summits today and Thursday, the National Weather Service in South Burlington said.

Seriously guys.... I'm really not getting all that excited for my first trip back in 5 months...

Thursday Tyrannical Truthiness

Of course the best news last night happened, John Edwards officially endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic Nomination. This of course officially moves LSWTF.com into the Obama camp since we were all Edwards supporters. To quote CityCat last night when I told her the news, "THANK GOD! It's about time!"

Ah the old addage of writing checks your body can't cash. Ah, the body of a 31 year old gang banger and the mentality of a five year old.

Wexler, for my money, is the best damn Rep in Congress today. What we need to determine is how to get the Justice Department to actually, you know...DO THEIR JOB!

The Clinton Campaign continues to push the idea of Hillary being the nominee whose job equates to a warm bucket of piss. Personally I think the nomination should be the picture above.

We apparently know what it will take for Congress to go after Impeachment, and that's invading Iran. I guess they're going with the fool us once shame on you...wait, that doesn't even work, I don't know what they're thinking.

Chicago Dyke has a great post up about how we all need to LISTEN rather then just hearing the bits and pieces you want to hear. A truly phe-nominal post of someoen, who like many of us, are so tired of the blind sheep following whoever the media tells you to follow.

Twenty-Nine reasons to pull your head from the sand or why people need to get over their "Political Apathy Disorder" and fast.

Be prepared to see your first amendment rights go the way of the Californian Condor. What do you need to understand about homegrown terrorism? They're either a) Militia b) Religious Wackos c) PETA or d) Religious Wackos who blow up abortion clinics.

No wonder McPOW can't keep track of who his lobbyists have worked for, he can't even keep track of who his wife has had business dealings with. Now that this story is out, I wonder if the clamor for her taxes to be released gets even louder.

Finally KO has a few choice words to Dubya about his retirement from the sport of Golf to "show solidarity with the families of the soldiers in Iraq". He stopped playing in 2003, so this is just for the IRAQ War, once again proving that he really never cared about getting Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Wednesday Woeful Truthiness

I have bought Torq and will be joining the ranks of DJs who have flocked to digital instead of your traditional CDs. No, I'm not the artistic type DJ and mixes his own stuff. I'm just your usual bar DJ who plays what the people want to hear...as long as what they want to hear isn't Miley Cyrus, I have a policy against child porn after all.

Apparently some folks see nothing wrong with depicting Obama as a monkey. The man is right, this isn't the 40s, but that still is one of more blatant racist things I've seen during this election. If I didn't know better, I would have thought this was being sold in West Virginia.

Joe Liberman is still treated like a Dem by the powers in Washington. Now Reid says that they may finally take some action against him, after the election. I don't know if there is any testicular fortitude anywhere in the Dem power structure in the Senate to keep this jackass in check.

The weather vane in Mississippi has pointed in a very bad direction for Republicans this fall. This was the third special election that the Republicans have lost, all traditionally Republican seats.

Let me be blunt, this is a fucking fantastic piece about the downfall of journalism during this election cycle. Style over substance, hair cuts over tax cuts, pundits over facts, it's disgusting.

Apparently the Air Force is drawing a line in the tubz and wants to control the internetz war front. Something tells me that they may not want to enter into this realm, as it could piss off some people who would be much better at this fighting then the Air Force could hope for.

Excuse me Hillary, Obama sees your West Virginia and raises you a Minnesota, doncha know.

Apparently McPOW has a thing for lobbyists with ties to dictators. I can't wait until the Iraqi Press Secretary begins working for McPOW.

Finally, I'm not sure how this helps but it definitely makes me more reassured about voting for Obama. Three former FEC Chairmen will come out today and endorse Obama for President. They believe his the only one of the three that could do any good with the economy and since they have all worked with three former administrations who are all represented by Clinton and McPOW I'm guessing they have an idea of what their plans are.

Dews Defrost Monday

Yes, I do mean defrost... Friday night I spent curled up in the fetal position underneath two blankets praying for some sort of warmth after (being the incredibly gifted genius that I am) dancing around in this monsoon drinking excessively with SayHey and some others at a campsite near the West Virginia border.

Saturday night I was promising folks that I would hunt down a damn bear and drag it into my tent to stay warm if I had to, but thankfully it was a bit warmer that night, so that wasn't necessary.

Sunday night I was treated to an amazing Radiohead show at Nissan Pavilion by a certain lady friend that happens to live pretty close to me. This was a lot of fun (and again a great show), but the monsoon like conditions combined with the bitter cold all around us caused me to lose feeling in my feet even before the opening act was finished, care to wager how bad it was after the first encore?

Needless to say, I'm still thawing out from this and will undoubtedly require some medication for the sickness I"ll be dealing with shortly.

Anyway, I'm basically looking for pity, but I realize there probably isn't much forthcoming :).

On to the News!

Ron Paul supporters are apparently planning a none to subtle revolt at the GOP Conventions in Minnesota (doncha know).

Ron Paul supporters have been relevant for about 5 minuts of this entire presidential race as it is, but with this story you can add another minute and a half or so I guess.

The situation in Burma (or Myanmar, whatever), continues to get worse with military forces within the ruling Junta continue to intercept international aid, while the possible death toll is not being estimated to reach well over a million deaths if aid (mostly in the form of medicine and medical equipment) does not reach the people soon.

In a kind of bizarre twist, near where most the LSWTF staff were camping this weekend rednecks are STILL buying the old crap that was being spread about Obama months ago:

“I heard that Obama is a Muslim and his wife’s an atheist,” said Mr
Simpson, drawing on a cigarette outside the fire station in Williamson, a
coalmining town of 3,400 people surrounded by lush wooded hillsides.

Normally I'd but in some snide comment about the rednecks there, but as we learned this weekend, they have automatic weapons, and enjoy shooting random trash they've collected, so I am not going to question their motives for this belief :)

Finally in all seriousness, yet another huge catastrophe courtesy of mother nature in Beijing today, when a massive 7.8 point earthquake rocked the city, causing massive damage and a constantly rising death toll.

Forty-four aftershocks have been reported since the quake, which was the
strongest to hit Sichuan province in more than 30 years, Xinhua reports.

Currently the toll is at 8600, but it has been climbing by easily 1k people every hour...

Monday's Malignant Truthiness

Finals are over for CityCat, as we celebrate our one month anniversary by shipping her happy ass to Texas on Thursday to set up the Texas based Hall of Justice before my arrival. In other news Dews almost had his man-card removed when certain things were discovered camping this weekend, to rally from behind and come away with a win. It's raining today, allegedly all day, so no kickball for LSWTF, but still drinking with some of the biggest drunks in DC. After all, it is Cop Week here in the Nation's capital. Stayed tuned in the coming weeks for more information on my final What The Fuckers Nationals game and the first annual What The Fuckers Party at some currently unknown location in DC, onto the news!

Professor Picula of Ravenclaw performs a magic trick for his junior high class. This of course results in being accused of wizardry. No word yet on whether Hermione Granger or Merlin have taken up his case.

Carly Fiorina doesn't believe what economists say about recession. This be no shock to anyone who has payed attention the last ten years, these are the same geniuses who would rather believe the two scientists who don't believe in global warming over the millions who do.

Doug Goodyear, a porn name if I ever heard it, was selected by John McPOW to run the Republican Convention. Sadly Mr. Goodyear had to resign when it became apparent that he had ties to lobbying on the half of Myanmar. Yes, the man who is so anti-lobbyist he sleeps with them (allegedly) and hires them to run his party has another shot across this bow. Of course those crickets you hear chirping is the reaction from McPOW's best friends, the MSM.

In the world today it's nice to see Creekstone Farms a company that WANTS to do extra testing to make sure their beef is healthy. Naturally this has pissed off the bigger companies who have no gone to court to stop this company from doing the extra testing. Naturally you can guess who is on the side of the big business and trying to use their leverage and tell the courts what it should and shouldn't do.

I know our teachers are paid like babysitters on a Friday night, but at least they have not resorted to these methods.

The Valerie Plame case is still ongoing in a sense, and it still involves "missing" emails from the administration. Now someone is trying to educate the judge as to the bullshit many of us in the IT World have thought from the outset. Sadly the judge sees himself as "tech-savy", which means he's boughten some old porn on eBay and knows the basic usage of The Google on the Interwebz.

Here's a suggestion, if you're going to be juror in a drug case don't get doing said drug outside the courthouse while you're on break, they kind of frown on that.

Nothing frustrates Dews and myself more then folks who try to pass themselves off as Libertarian who are no where near it. Bob Barr, the walking hypocrisy, is attempting to become the Libertarian candidate for President. Needless to say, if he somehow achieves this Dews and I will be starting our own political party.

The hypocrisy of teacher and student sex continues, this time in Arizona. I'm a feminist in the sense that everything should be equal, including equal time for the same crime.

Obama prepares to embarrass the hell out of McPOW by holding joint town hall type of events. Who in the McPOW camp actually thought this was a good idea? The man can't get the day of the week right, how's he gonna look going up against Obama?

Harry Reid has promised hearings about the Pentagon Puppet Program. I promise to still not get my hopes up of any REAL action coming the Senate or Congress, I mean why would their balls drop now?

Mike Gravel has been without a doubt the most refreshing thing this election cycle.

Finally, I leave you with a lil word from Hillary...

Bad Ideas by Hillary Clinton

Maybe it's all the whiskey and beer she swilled with the common people of Pennsylvania. Maybe it's the fatty foods she's been eating with people like us common folk impairing her judgment. Maybe it's good old pandering. But something has turned otherwise bright and intelligent Hillary Clinton into a damned fool.

Clinton has joined with John McCain in endorsing a gas tax holiday that would stretch through the summer travel months, an idea that Barack Obama appears to have rejected out of hand. Yes, Barack and a number of leading economists.

The idea is simple enough: during the summer months, you would pay no federal gas tax on your gasoline. The tax works out to a little more than 18 cents per gallon, so, if you pump nearly 11 gallons at a time like me, you'd save a whole two bucks. That two bucks makes a world of difference to Senator Clinton, who touts the plan as a way to cut the burden on us, the underclass. Nevermind the fact that the increased demand on gasoline would, probably, hugely increase already massive oil company profits.

Senator Clinton's idea is dumb, and there seems to be no serious support for it. I'd be mildly shocked if it ever came to fruition, and I say mildly because we do actually live in an era of zero responsible leadership. My problem is what it represents. First, in my mind, it shows no reflection or serious thought on Clinton's part. You endorse this kind of idea when you are thinking of getting votes only, and avoid considering the long-term ramifications of an plan like this. She is a bright person, and when bright people make terrible decisions, you must question their motivation. She's desperate to paint herself as the people's candidate, so desperate that she's willing to eschew reason to get a vote. Poor show, Senator.

Second, this "fix" demonstrates our national ignorance to the energy problem. We're dumb, writes Thomas Friedman. There is no leadership on national energy policy. No one is willing to go out on a limb and explain how we'll reduce our dependence on oil, how we'll reform our industry to address the rising cost of energy, and (inexplicably) no one is touting the benefits that naturally occur when an economy jettisons old tech for cutting-edge tech. Some people, like Vermont Law School's Energy Institute, understand the problem, though it is questionable whether they see the totality of the problem, or whether they only grasp the environmental aspect of it. We clearly need some ideas.

So, I have one. If our government doesn't want the two bucks for each fill-up, instead of cutting the tax, let's redirect it. Take the two bucks from every fill-up and create a giant investment fund. Some non-partisan, government group will administer it. We'll send use the money to figure out what the hell is wrong with us, how to fix it, and to invest in smart companies that can, well, save our world.

But, that'll never happen.

DC & H's Thoughts on Obama, Elitism

It's "do-or-die" day for Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania today (thank you, understated media), and we're going finally see where Pennsylvanians fall in the Great Elitism Debate of 2008. Do they go with good ole beer and shot Hill, or do they go with the so-called liberal elitist, Barack?

Really, there isn't much of a question here. It sounds as if the state will go to Clinton, setting up a protracted fight through the summer, where the only winner will be John McCain. Thunderdome indeed.

The most fascinating part of the last couple weeks has been this discussion of elitism, that sense that you are better than the average joe. Well, not really a discussion, let's be frank. Last night I caught a glimpse of Glenn Beck while I was at the gym. The man flew off the handle with well-calculated innuendos, half-truths, and gross mischaracterizations in a vain attempt to style himself an everyman, just like his viewers.

This whole debacle, I think, tells more about where our country is right now than it ever could about Barack Obama or about Hillary Clinton. I don't think that people who have, or who at least have a hope or think they have a shot at something, really worry about elitists or elitism. You think you have a shot at something better, maybe even outclassing the people who try to make you feel inferior. In the good times, when we're secure, it's easy to feel confident and not really give care when someone tries to make you feel inferior.

In other words, in the good times, when someone acts like an elitist, it's really easy to either ignore them or tell them go fuck themselves.

But, in the bad times, there's no confidence. You can't make better for yourself, there's no opportunity. When someone says they're better than you, it stings because one part of you knows it might be true and the other part knows there's nothing you can do about it. For competitive beings like ourselves, its the worst feeling in the world.

In good times, what Obama said would have been taken for what it is: thoughtful and accurate political analysis. People do cling to their guns and their religion when times are tough. It's the same as people who cling to family or friends or food or work or even booze when a bad spell hits. It's comfort. Only, these aren't good times, and we all know it. Even if we didn't know it, all we needed to see was the reaction to Obama's comments. Eight years ago, before the bubble(s) burst and before the terrorist attacks, smart people everywhere said just what he said. Now, no one dares to.

There is only one way...

to settle the Democratic Primary...only one sure fire way...
two candidates enter one candidate leaves...two candidates enter one candidate leaves...

Strangeness

It seems to occur everywhere at all times, but it almost seems like it happens in bunches on rare occasions...

These last few days are probably a great example of just that happening around here and within the national scope...

Take for example the supposed "Unbeatable Obama campaign" machine barreling through each primary taking control of big name endorsements, huge fundraising opportunities and basically making Hillary's (HRC) campaign look like a whiny "hanger-on" that just can't seem to admit when she's lost...

Well, going into Pennsylvania, this perception has the chance to be radically changed, as a source through Drudge has leaked numbers indicating an 11-point lead by the Hillary Campaign in Pennsylvania!

This all coming on the heels of yet another new round of negative campaign ads from both sides in the state, as well as rumors of a push by Democratic Party Chiefs to end this primary before things get too ridiculously destructive:

The party leaders' aim: To thwart the Clinton campaign's vow to fight all summer long to a final, nationally televised round at the Denver convention, so the party can get on with the battle against the likely Republican candidate, Arizona Sen. John McCain. Convention fights in past decades -- notably in 1968, 1972 and 1980 - left deep divisions that contributed to the nominees' losses and hurt lesser candidates on the ballots.

All of this of discourse happening within a party known for disorganization, poor planning and absolutely horrendous nominees of course...

While all of this is going on, McCain has been able to tour the country, speaking often of economic woes, the war, kissing babies, etc, but in addition to all this he now has a new attack vehicle. Connecting Obama to Radicalists:

William Ayers — a former member of the Weather Underground, which embraced bombing in its effort to end the Vietnam War — became an issue in the Democratic nominating race at last week’s debate. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) said Obama’s past meetings with Ayers are part of a “larger set of concerns about how we are going to run against John McCain.” Republican sources said McCain plans to make a major issue of the connection in the months ahead.

Asked by host George Stephanopoulos whether he has any doubt that Obama shares his sense
of patriotism, McCain brought the subject up.

“I'm sure he's very patriotic. But his relationship with Mr. Ayers is open to question,” McCain
said.

“He became friends with him and spent time with him while the guy was unrepentant over his activities as a member of a terrorist organization, the Weathermen,” McCain said. “Does he condemn them? Would he condemn someone who says they're unrepentant and wished that they had bombed more?”

Look, the "Weathermen" were a radical organization in a time when there were thousands of desperate radicals trying to find a way to end what they viewed as an incredible waste of human life brought on by ideals they did not support. It was a different time period altogether...

That being said, we are going to have a lot of political leaders for the next 10-20 years that could have been connected to some radical idea or another. Obviously the Weathermen used bombs and terror as part of their "message", but are we going to automatically rule out future leaders because of a possible connection to a group that may have had some strange ideas while said leader was probably getting high in college?

C'mon people, we just elected someone that had a history of chemical abuse and now that leader's own party is using the past to sink another candidate? Its a tired line guys, you need new material...

Weds Wrap Around Post-Wedding Bliss

We have not received all of the pictures yet, so there very well may be very amusing shot of dews somewhere among them, though at the end of this I very well may have to post what has been declared as the greatest picture...well, ever.

The wedding was a rousing success, hailed by all as very possibly the funnest wedding that ever was had. Having quite the hand in it, as opposed to most grooms, it gives me great pleasure in hearing that. I kinda feel like Vince McMahon after Wrestlemania X7, knowing that I just put on a show that may not be equaled. Now then, onto the news, since I am the only one of us who has had a legitimate reason for not posting lately I guess I'll have to be the one to kick the tires and light the fires.

In case you missed it, there was a new Republican sex scandal recently in Pennsylvania. Where as this man may not be guilty of rape he is definitely guilty of upstaging Bob Crane and doing more men then Ted Haggard.

The housing and economic "crisis" is continuing to grow, so what's the Senate's plan? Well, if you guessed big tax cuts and credits for corporations you must have been paying attention these last eight years.

It's probably a good thing that dews and I were at my wedding on Saturday. If we weren't we may have this shindig and in the process gotten arrested on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial.
*PS-The quote from the wife when I told her about this and our near miss with jail, "Probably, see, marriage is already saving you from yourself."

When I told one of my roommates what Obama had said about investigating the possible Bush crimes if he became President his response is one that many will have, "Well he certainly has my vote now."

A beautifully written piece about feminism in society today , the way things have changed, and the future outlook on the equality of the sexes. If you don't believe it still isn't an issue I'll give you an example. People in Texas are still shocked to hear that I would be the one staying home with the child if CityCat and I ever have kids.

Here is a present to SandFleas for doing our wedding, the Charger Girl tryouts photo album. This is what to expect where I'm moving to in a month and a half.

This just in, Allison Stokke is still the hottest woman in all of sports. Hey, I'm married not dead.

An amusing case for our group of lawyers from the great state of Texas and the complication of redneck Engrish.

See, the US and Iran are not as different as they would like you to believe.. After all their conservatives get caught in prostitution sex scandle just as ours are so caught we all just be friends already?

Forget PA, Obama just locked up the tri-state area's primary by getting the most important Super-superdelagate one can get in that area.

Finally, a great pie chart on why Pennsylvanian's are so bitter. I don't know, not having loving JoePa but he still won't retire should be on there as well, eh it seems East side of PA biased anyways.