Wake me up when September ends

Must. Stop. Crashcart.

Young George W.

Poor little dude, loozin all of his friends.

Punk Lives

But Hilly is dead.

RIP, man.

Perma-War

We're going to have an enormous presence in Iraq for the rest of our natural lives. Think of it as a really expensive and dangerous 51st State.

Kinda like Newark.

Katrina Anniversary

Two years. So sad. Watch this.

Not a square to spare

Maybe the gentleman Senator from Idaho was just out of toilet paper. Ah, those wacky, fundie, closeted, self-loathing Republicans...these things practically write themselves.

Boys will be Boise.

Awwwww

I totally lifted this from Watertiger.

She's brilliant. Me?...not so much.

Juan Cole

As always, Juan Cole has it exactly correct.

What this administration has done to this country is shameful. And so too should we wade in shame for allowing them to continue to do it. They're just not getting away with so frequently anymore.

Bush must be very carefully monitored the rest of the way. He's terribly wounded and alone now. Only Cheney and Condi are left behind.

Things could get weird, mama.

The Dow

Ya know, for all of the shouting, hair pulling and flesh rendering going on, the world does move on as designed. Ebb and flow and all that rot.

For instance, here's the chart for the past twelve months for the DJI. See?...It's not so bad.

Brilliant young lady

This video is nearly incomprehensible in its banality. The subtitles do help a bit. Seriously, you have to watch it several times before the impact of her vapidity really sinks in.

She's got a nice set of cans, tho'.

Clay Johnson III

These guys are such a bunch of assclown fanboys. If Chertoff is named AG, this tool (beware, link to NewsMax) is slated to become DHS head.

My favorite excerpt from the "article":

As long as Bush's assistant, Karen Keller, says the president is free, Johnson is one of a half dozen administration officials who can see the president without a scheduled appointment. He is probably the only person to have spanked Barney, a Scottish terrier and the presidential dog.

"Barney was on the oval carpet making a nuisance of himself," Johnson told me. "So I spanked him and told him, ‘No!' and I put him on the sofa with me. I think that's the only time he's been spanked."

"That shows what a close friend Clay is," said Logan Walters, Bush's former personal assistant, who witnessed the event. "He's the only person I know who could spank the president's dog, inside or outside the Oval Office."

Good Lordy what a charade our gov'mint is.

Kunstler

Look out folks. Big Jim is in a real mood this morning...

Fredo

Righteous! Abu Gonzales takes the dive.

Drop dead, Alberto. Hooray for our side!

Now maybe, just maybe, George the Elder has gotten through to Tipsy McSwagger and he'll appoint an AG who isn't a cheap thug flunkie or some crazy ass fundie.

Although, word on the street is that it's going to be Chertoff. Oh swell, Count Chocula is going to be America's new top cop.

Ghouliani

Rudy's a fucker. Here's the video.*

America's mayor is a sham. Pass it on. And don't forget about the history of "Giuliani Time".

*(hat tip to Laura on this one)

The City

This site is pretty funny.

Friday Random Ten

D'oh! I almost forgot the random ten...like anybody cares anyway. Oh well, it was still a weirdly diverse rockin' set list this morning.

Bright Future in Sales--Fountains Of Wayne
The Gentry Cove--Dirty Pretty Things
I'm Looking Through You--The Wallflowers*
Orange Blossom Special--Johnny Cash
Emergency Exit--Beck
Non-Alignment Pact--Pere Ubu
Drench--Gomez
Little Sister--Dwight Yoakum
David Watts--The Jam
G.E. S.--Nellie McKay

* A great Beatles cover from the I Am Sam soundtrack

Wounded

NYT slideshow. Not for the faint* of heart.


*(I looked it up, "feint" is not the correct usage...huh, I though that it was).

Bill-O

Keith Olbermann isn't the only one capable of knocking down the idiocy of O'Lielly. Check out the video smackdown Jay Smooth puts on him regarding Nas and his show at Virgina Tech.

In case you're unfamiliar with Nas, he's probably one of the more literate and lyrical rappers out there. Check out his bio here.

What a maroon Bill-O is.

One last Rove

Tom Tomorrow tells it like it is, man.

Preznit

This one's a beauty.

Muqtada

We're still losing those hearts and minds, g'vnor.

Blogger

Man! Blogger has been really fucked up today. I think that their whole server environment was down. Yikes. I couldn't sign on all morning.

And speaking of effed up, I heartily concur with this Onion article.

Queen of Mean

Leona Helmsly was a huge presence when I lived in NYC during the '80's. Who knew her Edward G. Robinson impression would last so long?

Perlstein

As usual, Rick is on the job. Read it and weep.

Holy Crap

Since it's raining nearly biblical proportions today, I thought I'd darken the mood considerably with a link to the scariest thing that you'll ever read.

I've been reading Arthur Silber for some time now and particularly after Billmon left the bloggy building. Arthur's as stark as it get kids. I've never stopped believing that he's right that the US will invade Iran in their search for a wider war in the Middle East and on-going global hegemony. I've also never seen his tone gloomier about the prospect of engaging Iran in the full meal deal than in this post.

Anyway, go ahead and read it if you dare. Feel free to dispute him in any way you can. Dealing with Arthur's position is not unlike the 5 stages of grief drawn from the works of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. As I like to say, "good luck with that".

Me? I've usually dwelling been somewhere between bargaining and depression for the past 6 years. Hows about you?...

Global Warming

While it's true that this is not a big topic with me, I still have some strong opinions on the subject. I only wish that I could express them as pleasantly as the most wonderful Jill Sobule.

I think that she's just super. Jill was one of the best solo acoustic guitar sets I ever saw.

(hat tip to Tim on this one)

What about not-Jenna?

Oh pul-eeze. Just what we need. A White Wedding in Bushovia. I'm sure that the Administration wasn't at all concerned with the tramping around that Blondie was doing.

Can you say, obfuscation? I thought that you could. Yep, there's no way this wasn't an arranged marriage.

iFraud

Well frankly, I was waiting for this. Take a look at the billing process behind AT&Ts handling of the super, juicy new iPhone.

Interestingly enough, the company I work for is a huge playa in the printing of forms and billing statements to consumers. The sales guys refer to toner as "black gold". Note to self, buy more company stock.

Capitalism...what a system!

Graceland indeed

Okay, so I didn't wait all that long and this isn't exactly the theme what I was looking for, but whatever.

I've always felt that Elvis embodied America just perfectly. The drug addled, too much-too soon approach to life, the frivolous waste, the binging, the obsession with fame, youth and beauty, the thuggery of the hierarchy of his entourage, the stealing of native musical styles to be co-opted for a white audience...ad nauseum.

It's a perfect match. Elvis is simultaneously the American Dream and its own worst nightmare.

With that, I posit this query. How exactly did this guy...

become this guy?...

Oh, I see. Here's how.

Random Ten

I'll no doubt be posting something entirely rude and snark filled regarding the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's demise later today. Until then, here's some music he may have influenced along the way, with or without the help of fried banana sammiches and Dilaudid.
One Chance--Modest Mouse
The Revolution Starts Now--Steve Earle
Siren Song--The Fags
Blinded By The Darkness--T Bone Burnett
On The Bus Mall--The Decemberists
Busted--Johnny Cash
Mother's Little Helper--Rolling Stones (this one's for you, E)
Soulful Wind--Nick Lowe
Who Gave The Order--Wyclef Jean
Next Exit--Interpol

Freedom from what?

Don't forget to mark your calendars to be in NJ for the 11th of Sept. everyone. Wherever Lee Greenwood is playing, I can assure you that this be the happen' spot.

What a bunch of fuckwits.

Here endeth the lesson

Okay, this will be the last item I post on KKKarl's departure...well, at least until he gets indicted for something spectacular. I promise.

So, as Atrios would say, this has been another edition of what Digby said.

Blast Off

I was noodling around last night and found this tidbit for all you fellow Cleveland locals out there. I never knew that these sites existed. Did you?...

The Scooter

Holy Cow!

I'm dead!

If you ever lived in NYC and liked baseball, you had to have heard Phil Rizzuto on WPIX at some point. He was a great player way back when, but he'll more than likely be remembered as a broadcaster than for his on-field stuff.

RIP, Phil.

Arianna redux

Here's something from Ms. Huffington circa 2001.

As always, she's a prescient writer but when you consider how minor the offense is with regard to Jim Jeffords, (does anyone else even remember that?) compared to what evil Rove has visited on this country since then, Arianna is far too polite by half.

Sheesh. I gotta stop thinking about Rove...

Tragic

Forget about the torture, the gutting of our civil rights, the corporate thievery, Katrina, the lies that led us into this mess and all the rest. This is why the entire Cheney Administration should be immediately locked up in the Hague for life.

Still Rovin'

By the way, in case you're unaware who it was that KKKarl modeled himself after, no need to search beyond this asshole from Cleveland's past.

I give you, the original Neo-Con.

Next Year

Yeah, I know, I know...I just had a birthday in June. But just in case you're keen on doing some early shopping for next year's Bob-A-Palooza, look no further.

Here's all I could ever want in terms of style, practicality and inspirational reading.


What a country!

Rat Fink

When the biggest and fattest rat jumps off the ship, you know you're officially fucked. ( I still love this picture!)

Bush Boy may really start drinking again when Turd Blossom leaves.

Viral indeed

Pass it on. Whatever Attaturk wants...Attaturk gets.

Here comes the Flood

Well this should put an end to all of the frivolous retail civilian body counts in Iraq.

Let's let them die in bulk. We're the Costco of nation builders.

Troops

Let's see...the "surge" is going well, we're at the highest concentration of US GIs to date in Iraq and the loss of American life is down, right?

RIGHT?...

At this rate, ( 3 per day) we'll be well back over a 100 guys dead by the end of the month.

Fux Gnus

I watch Faux News so you don't have to.

Well, actually, you have to watch it too if you want to examine Herr Bunnypants try to answer kweshuns from Fake News "reporter" Neil Cavuto.

I really think Bush is getting dumber. Watch and learn.

Oh, and by the way, if you got sucked into a bad home note via a predatory lender in the past couple of years, you're righteously fucked according to Dear Leader. Shocking, huh?...

Saturday Random Ten

'cause I'm on vacation all week...



Keep the Car Running--Arcade Fire
Details of The War--Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
What Are Your Waiting For?--Gwen Stefani
Lullaby--The Cat Empire
Long Way Home--Tom Waits
One For the Road--Glenn Tilbrook
Apple Tree--Wolfmother
Lady Jane--Rolling Stones
Queen Of Pain--The Cramps
Baby Please Don't Go--John Lennon

Bridge Collapse

What a nightmare in Minneapolis yesterday, huh?

Not to sound like a broken record, but I think we know who I'll nominate to be at fault. The Cheney administration has continually underfunded and gutted the agencies and federal standards by which our roads, bridges and tunnels are kept safe.

If you don't believe me, go check it out here.

We're all so afraid of the terrorists these days and rightfully so...the most harmful ones are living in the White House. But then of course, we'll spend $200 million a day and just plain lose $9 billion in the last four years on the Iraq War rather than pass bills like this.

Feh.

TED

I'd heard of the TED conference a long while ago when me and the missus were out on the Left Coast and I was toiling for the 2nd largest software company on the planet.

I had no idea though that their website was so flippin' cool.

Check it out. (hat tip to Mr. B for the link).

Steve und drang

Steve Bell is on the mark as usual.