War on Drugs

I know that its Halloween and all that rot, but wow... I'm in complete agreement with Conrad Black.

Now that's scary.

A. A. is for quitters...

AA Destroying The Social Lives Of Thousands Of Once-Fun Americans

Friday Random Ten (Halloween edition)

Blood Lying On The Snow -- The Proclaimers
Jerry's Breakdown -- Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins
Two Knights And Maidens -- Crash Test Dummies
Pink Bullets -- The Shins
The Singing Song -- George Shearing
Love's Not A Competition, But I'm Winning -- Kaiser Chiefs
Woe -- Tom Waits
Bombs Away --The Police
Tramp The Dirt Down -- Elvis Costello
Fraud In The 80's -- Mates Of State

Bonus trick or treat cut:

Steve's Hammer -- Steve Earle

Nicholas Kristof

Another sensible editorial about Prop 19.

Sigh.

Unfortunately, the polling numbers on this issue are not looking good for passage. Gosh, we're dumb...

Doonesbury

While my personal taste for Doonesbury has waned over the years, Gary Trudeau has long earned my respect. Here's a nice profile in today's Guardian of the comic strip that keeps on giving.

And a great time was had by all...

The Man Cave was open yesterday afternoon for the Browns vs. Saints. It was a beautiful Autumn day and really seemed a shame to sit inside and watch football on teevee...until the game started.

To quote my old friend Dinny, "it was a day of twists and turn and ducks and dives. A day to be retold, no doubt, and cast in lore".

Nick's T-shirt says it all.

Frank Rich

Frank Rich lays into the sham of the Obama administration's "punishment" of the banking scandal plaguing our house.

American Idiocracy

Jill over @ Brilliant at Breakfast lays it down for us. Welcome to Beef Supreme's world of Monday Night Rehab.

Then again, our collective idiocy to some is endearing in its own peculiar way.

The Matrix

...The answer is out there, Neo, and it's looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to.

Umm, no, Bob. Not that Matrix.

Friday Random Ten

And we're back...

As an aside, I've spent the last couple of days importing all of the CDs that were previously left orphaned thus increasingly my volume of digital FRT selection possibilities by quite a bit. So welcome the new faces and older cuts that may appear if you will.

Bloody Valentine -- Jill Sobule
We Used To Wait -- Arcade Fire
When You Wish Upon A Star -- Petra Hayden and Bill Frisell
6'1" -- Liz Phair
Dynamite -- Dave Edmunds
The Guestlist -- Spoon
How Could I Know -- My Morning Jacket
Numb As A Statue -- Warren Zevon
I Dug Up A Diamond -- Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
If I Needed You -- Townes Van Zandt

Bonus Autumnal cut:

Universally Speaking -- Red Hot Chili Peppers

Mr. Fish

Dude cracks me up.

Friendly

Hey kids! Snuggly the Security Bear is back with some updates. He's one cute little mutherfucker.

Scott Adams

This is the one where Dilbert goes to the movies and I agree with him. The Social Network is one damn fine film...

Tom Engelhardt

Tomdispatch nails the truth yet again.

It's Cheney and Rumsfeld's world, we're just a squirrel trying to get a nut.

Jackass

I tell ya what, I went to see this film yesterday and laughed 'til it hurt. The 3-D stuff was underwhelming and frankly annoying, but some of the things that these clowns think up.

Brilliant. It's really high art.

Nostrabobus

And the great slide of 2010 begins...

Oh, and by the by, I sure wish we had the courage to riot in the streets like the Gallic folk. Vive la Résistance!

Surfing

Yeah, yeah, I know I've missed the last two Friday Random Tens in a row but I've been busy with some stuff. I'll make up for it in terms of sheer density of sound with this little ditty from the infamous, Butthole Surfers. They kinda rocked.

I'll be back on with a new FRT at the end of the week...

Oh, and remember, don't ever drink anything mixed when Flea is behind the bar.

Stephen Fry

Yes, yes and yes.

The inimitable Mr. Stephen Fry.

Faith roulette

Here's a cool site for all you seekers out there.

Shnook...

classic foghorn leghorn cartoon - Watch more Funny Videos
...Loud Mouthed, that is.

Foghorn Leghorn was always my favorite WB cartoon character. Here's a classic episode from 1948.

Matthew Yglesias

Young Matt has some potentially bad news for folks who are keen on a holiday in the sun in good old Amsterdam.

Get thee to a coffee bar, stat.

Geert Wilders is a tool. A very dangerous tool.

Time Magazine

I rarely link to such "austere" publications as the late, great Time Magazine, but I'll make an exception in this case.

A very scary and great read in this week's issue.

One more...

Study: Americans Get Majority Of Exercise While Drunk
And speaking of funny, I leave you with this from the Onion.

TBogg

TBogg slays me.

Matt Taibbi

No one is as deft at making sense of the flaky financial alphabet soup that is high finance in this country than Matt Taibbi.

He's always good for a laugh as well...just as long as you understand that it's gallows humor we're chuckling along to.

Sigh.

Fuck a duck

This is all over the innertubes. Great stuff. Many, many hours of video editing I imagine.

Oh, that's Rich

Good ol' Frank Rich on the gift from the East that just keeps on giving.

Andrew Sullivan

Handy Andy over at The Atlantic provides us, via a "Tax Receipt", with a great breakdown of exactly where your tax dollars are hard at work.

It kind of goes along the lines of what I always suspected but never fully visualised until now. Two of the more jarring numbers that scream out at me are the $530 combined for all things military. Okay, well I guess I'm not surprised so much as reminded we're the new Roman Empire.

But then if you put it through another prism, it's gets weird mama.

For example, if you combine the totals for PELL Grants, The EPA, Head Start, Public Housing, The Smithsonian, Amtrack, Funding for the Arts and the entire Congressional Payroll the entire number is $66.42.

In short, Sweden we ain't.

Ebert

This is why, for my money, Roger Ebert remains the best movie reviewer of our time.

Gotta go see this film.

Forever Wars

Seriously, go ahead and read this Tom Engelhardt piece and give me one good fuckin' reason as to why anyone would continue to support Obama.

Friday Random Ten

Rivers Of Babylon -- The Melodians
Wheel -- John Mayer
Better Man -- Pearl Jam
Marie -- Steve Earle
Pulling Mussels From A Shell -- Squeeze
Just Lust -- Buzzcocks
Celebrate -- Wyclef Jean and Patti LaBelle
Glory -- Liz Phair
It Must Be Summer -- Fountains Of Wayne
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner -- Black Uhuru

Bonus end of the show run cut...

Mountain Of Sound -- Spoon