Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Busted
Just a quick update to my Monday blog post. The New York Times and The Washington Post both ran feature stories today on the McSame ad, basically saying that everything in the ad is a lie. From WaPo:
The McCain campaign has produced a television commercial that says that while in Germany, Obama "made time to go to the gym but canceled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras." The commercial shows Obama shooting a basketball -- an event that happened earlier in the trip on a stopover in Kuwait, where the Democrat spoke to troops in a gym before grabbing a ball and taking a single shot. The military released the video footage.
A reconstruction of the circumstances surrounding Obama's decision not to visit Landstuhl, based on firsthand reporting from the trip, shows that his campaign never contemplated taking the media with him...
..."We got notice that [Gration] would be treated as a campaign person, and it would therefore be perceived as political because he had endorsed my candidacy but he wasn't on the Senate staff," Obama said. "That triggered then a concern that maybe our visit was going to be perceived as political, and the last thing that I want to do is have injured soldiers and the staff at these wonderful institutions having to sort through whether this is political or not, or get caught in the crossfire between campaigns."
It's nice to see the mainstream media actually reporting some facts. I'm honestly a bit surprised. These type of ads can be very effective, but only when the media decides to play along and not report the truth. See the 2004 Swiftboat ads for proof of this.
The McSame camp is now backing off and has admitted that the ad is false. Although, they do continue to cling to the smear that Obama in some way "snubbed" the troops. It should be interesting to see where they go from here. The republican camp seems pretty desperate.
The McCain campaign has produced a television commercial that says that while in Germany, Obama "made time to go to the gym but canceled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras." The commercial shows Obama shooting a basketball -- an event that happened earlier in the trip on a stopover in Kuwait, where the Democrat spoke to troops in a gym before grabbing a ball and taking a single shot. The military released the video footage.
A reconstruction of the circumstances surrounding Obama's decision not to visit Landstuhl, based on firsthand reporting from the trip, shows that his campaign never contemplated taking the media with him...
..."We got notice that [Gration] would be treated as a campaign person, and it would therefore be perceived as political because he had endorsed my candidacy but he wasn't on the Senate staff," Obama said. "That triggered then a concern that maybe our visit was going to be perceived as political, and the last thing that I want to do is have injured soldiers and the staff at these wonderful institutions having to sort through whether this is political or not, or get caught in the crossfire between campaigns."
It's nice to see the mainstream media actually reporting some facts. I'm honestly a bit surprised. These type of ads can be very effective, but only when the media decides to play along and not report the truth. See the 2004 Swiftboat ads for proof of this.
The McSame camp is now backing off and has admitted that the ad is false. Although, they do continue to cling to the smear that Obama in some way "snubbed" the troops. It should be interesting to see where they go from here. The republican camp seems pretty desperate.
Working the Ref
The liberal media. We've all heard so much about the liberal media, but like the Loch Ness Monster and Big Foot, very few people have ever actually seen it. Sure, we hear about it all the time but where exactly is it? Who is it? How can I find it?
Well, fear not my friends. I'm here to tell you today that the scarier than communism boogeyman called "the liberal media" does not exist. A study released this week by the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University has concluded that over the first 6 weeks of the general election, reporting of the two major party candidates by the big 3 news stations can be broken down as follows:
Obama 28% positive reporting, 72% negative.
McCain 43% positive, 57% negative.
So there you have it. Concrete numbers that put to rest the myth of the "liberal media". And how on earth could the media possibly find that many positive things to say about McSame? Stunning.
What this all comes down to, and always has, is the political equivalent of "working the ref". The neo-cons are masters at bitching and complaining at the slightest hint of parity in political reporting. So they scream and yell and work the ref and what do you know, suddenly the media are on the defensive and start going out of their way to prove that they aren't biased. At the same time, the "average Joe" hears the unending drum beat of the neo-con media machine with the result that the uninformed masses buy into the myth of the liberal media. Brilliant.
Well, fear not my friends. I'm here to tell you today that the scarier than communism boogeyman called "the liberal media" does not exist. A study released this week by the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University has concluded that over the first 6 weeks of the general election, reporting of the two major party candidates by the big 3 news stations can be broken down as follows:
Obama 28% positive reporting, 72% negative.
McCain 43% positive, 57% negative.
So there you have it. Concrete numbers that put to rest the myth of the "liberal media". And how on earth could the media possibly find that many positive things to say about McSame? Stunning.
What this all comes down to, and always has, is the political equivalent of "working the ref". The neo-cons are masters at bitching and complaining at the slightest hint of parity in political reporting. So they scream and yell and work the ref and what do you know, suddenly the media are on the defensive and start going out of their way to prove that they aren't biased. At the same time, the "average Joe" hears the unending drum beat of the neo-con media machine with the result that the uninformed masses buy into the myth of the liberal media. Brilliant.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
If He Only Had A Brain
Another day, another gaffe. Yawn. This time McSame was speaking to George Stephanopoulos in his interview on Sunday:
MCCAIN: I believe that, when he said that we had to leave Iraq, and we had to be out by last March, and we had to have a date certain, that was in contravention to -- and still is -- the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General David Petraeus.
Oops, Gen. Petraeus is not the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That would be Admiral Mike Mullen. Again, (yawn) you'd think McSame would know this since Iraq is his self proclaimed area of expertise and he only mentions Petraeus about every other minute of every day.
But yet again, here we are with yet one more example of either "talking out one's ass" or senility or perhaps some combination of the two. We've had 8 years of dumb, we certainly don't need to replace dumb with dumber.
I don't know about you but I expect more from a leader. Has our society become so used to having a "decider" who can't complete one concrete thought without stumbling all over himself that we now accept incompetence and senility as the norm? We can't afford to fall for the "lowered expectations" trick again.
Writing about gaffe after gaffe after gaffe is more than a little bit tedious. But if that's what it takes to get the word out that this guy is not mentally fit for office, then gaffe reporting it will be. It's my patriotic duty to make sure that we don't get fooled again.
"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —President George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (Listen to audio or watch video)
MCCAIN: I believe that, when he said that we had to leave Iraq, and we had to be out by last March, and we had to have a date certain, that was in contravention to -- and still is -- the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General David Petraeus.
Oops, Gen. Petraeus is not the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That would be Admiral Mike Mullen. Again, (yawn) you'd think McSame would know this since Iraq is his self proclaimed area of expertise and he only mentions Petraeus about every other minute of every day.
But yet again, here we are with yet one more example of either "talking out one's ass" or senility or perhaps some combination of the two. We've had 8 years of dumb, we certainly don't need to replace dumb with dumber.
I don't know about you but I expect more from a leader. Has our society become so used to having a "decider" who can't complete one concrete thought without stumbling all over himself that we now accept incompetence and senility as the norm? We can't afford to fall for the "lowered expectations" trick again.
Writing about gaffe after gaffe after gaffe is more than a little bit tedious. But if that's what it takes to get the word out that this guy is not mentally fit for office, then gaffe reporting it will be. It's my patriotic duty to make sure that we don't get fooled again.
"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —President George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (Listen to audio or watch video)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Same McShit, Different McDay
Headline:
New McCain Ad Bashes Obama for Not Visiting Troops Using Footage of Obama Visiting Troops
This headline pretty much sums up how desperate and pathetic the McSame campaign has become (already). The article is here.
This isn't a limbo contest, Johnny. The goal is not to see how low you can go. But you just go right ahead and keep embarrassing yourself every chance you get. Dignity is overrated anyway, right?
New McCain Ad Bashes Obama for Not Visiting Troops Using Footage of Obama Visiting Troops
This headline pretty much sums up how desperate and pathetic the McSame campaign has become (already). The article is here.
This isn't a limbo contest, Johnny. The goal is not to see how low you can go. But you just go right ahead and keep embarrassing yourself every chance you get. Dignity is overrated anyway, right?
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Fantasy Football
Believe it or not, one of my league's drafted yesterday. Stupid to draft in July, I agree. But I'm not the commish so that's how it goes. This is year 2 of a Dynasty League, where each team kept 3 players from last year and then drafted from there, with each team losing whichever draft pick spot each keeper was drafted in last year. My keepers were LaDainian Tomlinson (round 1), Plaxico Burress (r4) and Ben Roethlisberger (r8).
It's a twelve team league and I finished in 3rd place last year, which meant I would draft 10th this year. Accounting for keepers, my first pick ended up being in round 2, 8th pick overall. I had Ronnie Brown ranked 8th overall on my draft board but I knew he was a risky pick coming off of a season ending ACL injury last year. So I was pleasantly surprised when Marques Colston, 5th on my draft board, fell to me at #8. Snagged him. I knew that I needed to fill the WR2 and RB2 spots with my first two picks so I started looking at RBs as my next pick approached. My draft board predicted that I would have to go with Edgerrin James or Thomas Jones if I was lucky. Well, let's just say I was really lucky. Rookie RB from Carolina, Jonathan Stewart, who was 9th on my draft board fell to me at 18th overall. Sweet.
Time will tell how the rest of the draft went. I waited too long to draft a TE and ended up with the 16th ranked TE, Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders. He could be a steal, could be a bust. I was all set to take the guy I was targeting, Tony Scheffler, in the 11th round when the guy who picked directly before me snagged him. Doh! I said screw it, I'll take my defense and then I'll snag Algie Crumpler on the turn. Nope, somebody grabbed Crumpler before it came back to me. WTF? Why were people drafting TE2's in the 11th round?
Other than that, my team looks solid. I took some gambles on young RBs but that's the name of the game in Dynasty Leagues. You have to try to balance your team with guys who can contribute this season with guys who may be great in a year or two. Lock them up now and you have them forever. Anyway, my roster is listed below. The league starts a QB, 2RB, 3WR, TE, K, DEF.
1.(10) LaDainian Tomlinson RB (SD)
2.(15) Marques Colston WR (NO)
3.(34) Jonathan Stewart RB (CAR)
4.(39) Plaxico Burress WR (NYG)
5.(58) Matt Forte RB (CHI)
6.(63) Santana Moss WR (WAS)
7.(82) Anthony Gonzalez WR (IND)
8.(87) Ben Roethlisberger QB (PIT)
9.(106) Chester Taylor RB (MIN)
10.(111) Chris Johnson RB (TEN)
11.(130) Baltimore DEF
12.(135) Jason Campbell QB (WAS)
13.(154) Zach Miller TE (OAK)
14.(159) Ronald Curry WR (OAK)
15.(178) Kris Brown K (HOU)
It's a twelve team league and I finished in 3rd place last year, which meant I would draft 10th this year. Accounting for keepers, my first pick ended up being in round 2, 8th pick overall. I had Ronnie Brown ranked 8th overall on my draft board but I knew he was a risky pick coming off of a season ending ACL injury last year. So I was pleasantly surprised when Marques Colston, 5th on my draft board, fell to me at #8. Snagged him. I knew that I needed to fill the WR2 and RB2 spots with my first two picks so I started looking at RBs as my next pick approached. My draft board predicted that I would have to go with Edgerrin James or Thomas Jones if I was lucky. Well, let's just say I was really lucky. Rookie RB from Carolina, Jonathan Stewart, who was 9th on my draft board fell to me at 18th overall. Sweet.
Time will tell how the rest of the draft went. I waited too long to draft a TE and ended up with the 16th ranked TE, Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders. He could be a steal, could be a bust. I was all set to take the guy I was targeting, Tony Scheffler, in the 11th round when the guy who picked directly before me snagged him. Doh! I said screw it, I'll take my defense and then I'll snag Algie Crumpler on the turn. Nope, somebody grabbed Crumpler before it came back to me. WTF? Why were people drafting TE2's in the 11th round?
Other than that, my team looks solid. I took some gambles on young RBs but that's the name of the game in Dynasty Leagues. You have to try to balance your team with guys who can contribute this season with guys who may be great in a year or two. Lock them up now and you have them forever. Anyway, my roster is listed below. The league starts a QB, 2RB, 3WR, TE, K, DEF.
1.(10) LaDainian Tomlinson RB (SD)
2.(15) Marques Colston WR (NO)
3.(34) Jonathan Stewart RB (CAR)
4.(39) Plaxico Burress WR (NYG)
5.(58) Matt Forte RB (CHI)
6.(63) Santana Moss WR (WAS)
7.(82) Anthony Gonzalez WR (IND)
8.(87) Ben Roethlisberger QB (PIT)
9.(106) Chester Taylor RB (MIN)
10.(111) Chris Johnson RB (TEN)
11.(130) Baltimore DEF
12.(135) Jason Campbell QB (WAS)
13.(154) Zach Miller TE (OAK)
14.(159) Ronald Curry WR (OAK)
15.(178) Kris Brown K (HOU)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Gaffing Himself Silly
It turns out McSame made yet another "gaffe" during his CBS Evening "News" interview. But at this point can we really call them "gaffe's" anymore? The reality is, the man is just clueless. This time he claimed that Iraq was the first post 9/11 conflict. Seriously, get this man some rest and the help he needs. Even people who never look at a newspaper could tell you that after 9/11 the U.S. invaded Afghanistan. Remember? That was back when we were chasing the guy who was actually responsible for 9/11. Yeah, the good old days, when it was actually about going after terrorists. Whatever happened to that guy, anyway?
Obama in Germany was just an amazing sight to see. This trip has really shown that it's not just us so called "far left loons" who want to see our country return to what it once was. No, it appears that the whole world is rooting for our return to sanity. People everywhere want to see an end to this corrupt administration and a return to the ideals and principles of what America used to stand for, as recently as 7 1/2 years ago.
Meanwhile, McSame (or maybe I should start calling him McGaffe) spent the day in German Village, Columbus, Ohio, where he met with 5 business owners and ate sausage and cream puffs at a German restaurant. I can't make this stuff up. I guess if you can't be speaking in front of hundreds of thousands of people, energizing the entire world, at least you can eat some German food. It would be even funnier if it wasn't so sad.
Do you think McSame is regretting making Obama's lack of trips to Iraq, etc. a political talking point? This could easily be the dumbest campaign decision in the history of politics. Goad your opponent into going overseas then watch helplessly as he takes the bait and then becomes the biggest thing since the Beatles. Priceless.
Obama in Germany was just an amazing sight to see. This trip has really shown that it's not just us so called "far left loons" who want to see our country return to what it once was. No, it appears that the whole world is rooting for our return to sanity. People everywhere want to see an end to this corrupt administration and a return to the ideals and principles of what America used to stand for, as recently as 7 1/2 years ago.
Meanwhile, McSame (or maybe I should start calling him McGaffe) spent the day in German Village, Columbus, Ohio, where he met with 5 business owners and ate sausage and cream puffs at a German restaurant. I can't make this stuff up. I guess if you can't be speaking in front of hundreds of thousands of people, energizing the entire world, at least you can eat some German food. It would be even funnier if it wasn't so sad.
Do you think McSame is regretting making Obama's lack of trips to Iraq, etc. a political talking point? This could easily be the dumbest campaign decision in the history of politics. Goad your opponent into going overseas then watch helplessly as he takes the bait and then becomes the biggest thing since the Beatles. Priceless.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
How To Be Dumb
Just a quick little round up this morning.
O'Reilly called MoveOn.org the new KKK. What was he thinking? He's going to lose (at least)half of his audience. "Hey Bubba, did you hear? There's a new KKK starting up over there on that internet. Mr. Bill says we should join up at them moving guys website. Yeah, he says they been being all racist and stuff." "Well, damn Bobby Ray, sign me up!"
Robert Novak, who should be in prison for treason for outing a CIA agent, fled the scene after hitting a pedestrian with his Corvette yesterday. A guy on a bike chased Novak down, cut him off and called 911. Novak claims he didn't realize he had hit someone even though witnesses claim that the person he hit was sprawled across Novak's windshield. Novak was cited for failure to yield but not for fleeing the scene of an accident. Hmmm.
In a follow up to yesterday's post, remember the sheik who McSame said was protected by the "surge"? Yeah, turns out he was actually assassinated by Al Qaeda during the "surge". You would think that the self proclaimed expert on Iraq would've known that. But then again, as we've learned, things don't always occur chronologically in "McCain World" so maybe in McSame's world of senility the sheik hasn't been assassinated yet.
The McSame campaign is using side by side photos of Obama and Fidel Castro in a desperate attempt to try to trick Florida voters into thinking that the two have anything whatsoever in common. Last week it was Obama and Bin Laden in side by side photos (I think in Texas). Don't they know this lame, desperate ploy can't possibly work? I mean, Obama has dozens of ACTUAL photos of McSame and Duh hugging and drooling all over each other. Which photos do you think will be more damaging come November?
Bush was caught acting human when he thought the camera's were turned off. He started talking about how Wall Street got drunk, blah, blah, blah. But the most important thing that I heard was that Laura was house shopping in Texas. This is a big deal to me because it makes it sound like he is actually planning to leave office. My biggest fear has been that he is going to start yet another war and then use it as a pretense to postpone or cancel the election.
O'Reilly called MoveOn.org the new KKK. What was he thinking? He's going to lose (at least)half of his audience. "Hey Bubba, did you hear? There's a new KKK starting up over there on that internet. Mr. Bill says we should join up at them moving guys website. Yeah, he says they been being all racist and stuff." "Well, damn Bobby Ray, sign me up!"
Robert Novak, who should be in prison for treason for outing a CIA agent, fled the scene after hitting a pedestrian with his Corvette yesterday. A guy on a bike chased Novak down, cut him off and called 911. Novak claims he didn't realize he had hit someone even though witnesses claim that the person he hit was sprawled across Novak's windshield. Novak was cited for failure to yield but not for fleeing the scene of an accident. Hmmm.
In a follow up to yesterday's post, remember the sheik who McSame said was protected by the "surge"? Yeah, turns out he was actually assassinated by Al Qaeda during the "surge". You would think that the self proclaimed expert on Iraq would've known that. But then again, as we've learned, things don't always occur chronologically in "McCain World" so maybe in McSame's world of senility the sheik hasn't been assassinated yet.
The McSame campaign is using side by side photos of Obama and Fidel Castro in a desperate attempt to try to trick Florida voters into thinking that the two have anything whatsoever in common. Last week it was Obama and Bin Laden in side by side photos (I think in Texas). Don't they know this lame, desperate ploy can't possibly work? I mean, Obama has dozens of ACTUAL photos of McSame and Duh hugging and drooling all over each other. Which photos do you think will be more damaging come November?
Bush was caught acting human when he thought the camera's were turned off. He started talking about how Wall Street got drunk, blah, blah, blah. But the most important thing that I heard was that Laura was house shopping in Texas. This is a big deal to me because it makes it sound like he is actually planning to leave office. My biggest fear has been that he is going to start yet another war and then use it as a pretense to postpone or cancel the election.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
CBS or See B.S.?
So McSame does an interview with Katie Couric, as usual totally gets his facts wrong about Iraq, his self proclaimed area of expertise, and what does CBS Evening News do? They edit the interview, remove McSame's latest blunder and replace it with an answer that he gave to a different question. I shit you not. Here is the actual question and answer from the CBS transcript:
Couric: Senator McCain, Sen. Obama says, while the increased number of U.S. troops contributed to increased security in Iraq, he also credits the Sunni awakening and the Shiite government going after militias. And says that there might have been improved security even without the surge. What's your response to that?
McCain: I don't know how you respond to something that is such a false depiction of what actually happened. Colonel McFarlane (phonetic) was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks. Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening. I mean, that's just a matter of history.
OK, it's just a matter of history, got it? So in "McCain World" the "surge" led to the Anbar awakening. However, in the real world the awakening took place in 2006, well before the "surge" was even talked about, let alone implemented in 2007.
So another day, another McSame gaffe. Sometimes it's history, sometimes geography, sometimes current events. But it all adds up to McSame being (at least) a few bricks shy of a load. Honestly, this guy scares the hell out of me. There are actually people out there who will vote for him.
But back to CBS Evening News and the main stream media. I don't know anyone who looks to CBS for their news but as journalists, what ever happened to integrity? Truth? To blatantly cover up a blunder this big is just beyond belief. And it would be bad enough to edit the interview and not include that question and response, but to specifically and purposely CHANGE his answer, WTF?
And they would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that meddling Keith Olbermann, who exposed the story last night.
Couric: Senator McCain, Sen. Obama says, while the increased number of U.S. troops contributed to increased security in Iraq, he also credits the Sunni awakening and the Shiite government going after militias. And says that there might have been improved security even without the surge. What's your response to that?
McCain: I don't know how you respond to something that is such a false depiction of what actually happened. Colonel McFarlane (phonetic) was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks. Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening. I mean, that's just a matter of history.
OK, it's just a matter of history, got it? So in "McCain World" the "surge" led to the Anbar awakening. However, in the real world the awakening took place in 2006, well before the "surge" was even talked about, let alone implemented in 2007.
So another day, another McSame gaffe. Sometimes it's history, sometimes geography, sometimes current events. But it all adds up to McSame being (at least) a few bricks shy of a load. Honestly, this guy scares the hell out of me. There are actually people out there who will vote for him.
But back to CBS Evening News and the main stream media. I don't know anyone who looks to CBS for their news but as journalists, what ever happened to integrity? Truth? To blatantly cover up a blunder this big is just beyond belief. And it would be bad enough to edit the interview and not include that question and response, but to specifically and purposely CHANGE his answer, WTF?
And they would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that meddling Keith Olbermann, who exposed the story last night.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Once a Weiner...
I've blogged about Michael Weiner (aka Savage) before. He's the guy who played a song by the Dead Kennedy's when it was announced that Ted Kennedy had a brain tumor.
His latest case of verbal diarrhea came last week when he said that autism is "[a] fraud, a racket." Savage went on to say, "I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron..."
He has since stood by his comments. What was it he said about acting like a moron?
I was going to let this pass because shock jocks thrive when people pay attention to them. Any press is good press. But now it is looking like he really stepped in it. The main stream media has finally picked up on this story, thanks mostly to Media Matters breaking the story originally. And now, Mr. Weiner is starting to take a hit in the wallet. His show is being cancelled by many stations across the country and my gut tells me this is only the beginning. This time next week you can put a fork in the Weiner.
His latest case of verbal diarrhea came last week when he said that autism is "[a] fraud, a racket." Savage went on to say, "I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron..."
He has since stood by his comments. What was it he said about acting like a moron?
I was going to let this pass because shock jocks thrive when people pay attention to them. Any press is good press. But now it is looking like he really stepped in it. The main stream media has finally picked up on this story, thanks mostly to Media Matters breaking the story originally. And now, Mr. Weiner is starting to take a hit in the wallet. His show is being cancelled by many stations across the country and my gut tells me this is only the beginning. This time next week you can put a fork in the Weiner.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Is He Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
I don't even enjoy writing about McSame anymore. It's too scary. To think that there is even a remote possibility that this guy could become President is downright horrifying. Think about what a complete train wreck the Duh years have been and then imagine a guy taking over who is even dumber and more senile. I don't know how the republicans did it but they found just such a guy.
Today's news has McSame talking on Good Morning America and when asked about the situation in Afghanistan he responded, "I think it's serious. . . . It's a serious situation, but there's a lot of things we need to do. We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border".
Yeah, except that there IS NO Iraq/Pakistan border. Oops. Maybe he was thinking about Czechoslovakia. You know, the country that hasn't existed since 1993. The country that McSame referred to in the present tense repeatedly last week.
This is the guy who says he, "knows how to win wars", yet he doesn't even know the location of the countries we are currently fighting against. Here's an idea, next time you're locked in one of your frequent man hugs with your good buddy Duh, why not whisper in his ear and tell him how to win a war.
Then, pick up an Atlas that's been published in this century and do a little homework. You're an absolute embarrassment to yourself, your party, and this country.
Today's news has McSame talking on Good Morning America and when asked about the situation in Afghanistan he responded, "I think it's serious. . . . It's a serious situation, but there's a lot of things we need to do. We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border".
Yeah, except that there IS NO Iraq/Pakistan border. Oops. Maybe he was thinking about Czechoslovakia. You know, the country that hasn't existed since 1993. The country that McSame referred to in the present tense repeatedly last week.
This is the guy who says he, "knows how to win wars", yet he doesn't even know the location of the countries we are currently fighting against. Here's an idea, next time you're locked in one of your frequent man hugs with your good buddy Duh, why not whisper in his ear and tell him how to win a war.
Then, pick up an Atlas that's been published in this century and do a little homework. You're an absolute embarrassment to yourself, your party, and this country.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Weighing In
Five weeks ago, I hopped on the scale and discovered that I had gained 8 pounds. I was pissed. I had gained nearly a pound for every week that I was injured and unable to run my usual mileage. Yikes!
I assumed the weight would fall right off as soon as I was able to increase my mileage but just to be safe, I eliminated second breakfast and second lunch, which left me with only three meals per day. Hey, we all have to make sacrifices.
Here we are five weeks later and I've managed to drop 11 pounds. Nice. I'm already at my race weight. I'd love to lose another 10 pounds before race day but we'll see. I don't want to lose so much that I end up getting weaker. Which is what happened many, many years ago when I was a high school wrestler. I weighed around 155 and dropped 10 pounds so that I could wrestle in the 145 pound weight class. But the coaches thought we would be a stronger team if I could get down to 138 and knock off the kid who was currently wrestling at that weight. I tried to drop the additional 7 but when I hit around 140 my body said that's enough. So we'll see what my body says this time. But I definitely still have the pounds available to shed.
Anyway, this weight loss got me thinking about all of the dieting scams where people lose some weight briefly but then end up getting heavier than before they started. The only people who gain from these plans are the authors of the books and the publishers.
I have a very effective and guaranteed way to lose weight. It's not sexy and it won't sell books but here it is: Burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis.
There you have it, a guaranteed way to lose weight. In fact, it's the ONLY way to lose weight. Don't go starving your body of carbs and hope to lose weight. Your body NEEDS carbs. Carbs are your body's fuel. Fuel up, exercise, be happy.
I assumed the weight would fall right off as soon as I was able to increase my mileage but just to be safe, I eliminated second breakfast and second lunch, which left me with only three meals per day. Hey, we all have to make sacrifices.
Here we are five weeks later and I've managed to drop 11 pounds. Nice. I'm already at my race weight. I'd love to lose another 10 pounds before race day but we'll see. I don't want to lose so much that I end up getting weaker. Which is what happened many, many years ago when I was a high school wrestler. I weighed around 155 and dropped 10 pounds so that I could wrestle in the 145 pound weight class. But the coaches thought we would be a stronger team if I could get down to 138 and knock off the kid who was currently wrestling at that weight. I tried to drop the additional 7 but when I hit around 140 my body said that's enough. So we'll see what my body says this time. But I definitely still have the pounds available to shed.
Anyway, this weight loss got me thinking about all of the dieting scams where people lose some weight briefly but then end up getting heavier than before they started. The only people who gain from these plans are the authors of the books and the publishers.
I have a very effective and guaranteed way to lose weight. It's not sexy and it won't sell books but here it is: Burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis.
There you have it, a guaranteed way to lose weight. In fact, it's the ONLY way to lose weight. Don't go starving your body of carbs and hope to lose weight. Your body NEEDS carbs. Carbs are your body's fuel. Fuel up, exercise, be happy.
Did It Make Me Stronger, Nietzsche?
It was 76 degrees at 6am this morning, so beating the heat just wasn't going to happen. I decided to drive to the local high school and run down the hill to the trail. I was hoping to run through the triathlon area before they started. It worked out well as I ran past the starting line about 20 minutes before their start time. As I passed through the triathlon area, I asked a cop if I would be able to come back through on my way back. He said yes, but I would have to run on the grass in the middle median. Knowing that I could get back through, I decided to keep running south for another 5 miles.
The trail was pretty deserted, partly because it was so early, partly because of the triathlon, and partly due to the fact that a lot of runners raced a 10 miler yesterday and were taking today off. I settled into a zone pretty easily and just focused on the mile I was in. I didn't worry about pace or how much longer I would be out there.
On my way back toward the triathlon, I debated taking a detour across the new bridge so I wouldn't have to run through the race sight. However, it turned out that the bike portion of the event was in full gear and they were actually racing down State Route 315, which runs alongside the bike path that I was running on. For 2 miles I was able to watch the bikers race down the highway. It was very cool to watch and also helped keep my mind off of my running for a while. A guy on a bike passed me during this phase and said, "Wow, you're doing a long run today. I saw you out here earlier." Little did he know, I was only half way done at that point.
Knowing that the path was clear of racers, I decided to go ahead and run through the triathlon start/finish area. It was no problem as all but a handful of swimmers had finished and everyone else was racing down the highway. I continued running back to the high school where I quickly swapped my empty water bottle for a full one and headed back down to the bike path.
The last 6 miles were tough, as the sun was now doing it's thing. As I ran up the path, I realized that the 10k portion of the triathlon run was going to go right through this area and that on my way back it was likely that there would be a ton of runners racing along this path. There wasn't anything I could do about it. I was committed to the run and there was no where else to go. It turned out OK though as I only encountered about 12-15 runners on my way back and there was plenty of room for everyone.
I finally finished, ever so slowly. I knew I wasn't running fast and I was intentionally keeping the pace comfortable, but I ended up running about 45 seconds per mile slower than my normal long run pace. Ouch. But I usually run at the fast end of the long run scale and even running 45 seconds slower, I was still in my long run general aerobic pace range. So it's all good. Next week is a recovery week and I'm looking forward to it.
The trail was pretty deserted, partly because it was so early, partly because of the triathlon, and partly due to the fact that a lot of runners raced a 10 miler yesterday and were taking today off. I settled into a zone pretty easily and just focused on the mile I was in. I didn't worry about pace or how much longer I would be out there.
On my way back toward the triathlon, I debated taking a detour across the new bridge so I wouldn't have to run through the race sight. However, it turned out that the bike portion of the event was in full gear and they were actually racing down State Route 315, which runs alongside the bike path that I was running on. For 2 miles I was able to watch the bikers race down the highway. It was very cool to watch and also helped keep my mind off of my running for a while. A guy on a bike passed me during this phase and said, "Wow, you're doing a long run today. I saw you out here earlier." Little did he know, I was only half way done at that point.
Knowing that the path was clear of racers, I decided to go ahead and run through the triathlon start/finish area. It was no problem as all but a handful of swimmers had finished and everyone else was racing down the highway. I continued running back to the high school where I quickly swapped my empty water bottle for a full one and headed back down to the bike path.
The last 6 miles were tough, as the sun was now doing it's thing. As I ran up the path, I realized that the 10k portion of the triathlon run was going to go right through this area and that on my way back it was likely that there would be a ton of runners racing along this path. There wasn't anything I could do about it. I was committed to the run and there was no where else to go. It turned out OK though as I only encountered about 12-15 runners on my way back and there was plenty of room for everyone.
I finally finished, ever so slowly. I knew I wasn't running fast and I was intentionally keeping the pace comfortable, but I ended up running about 45 seconds per mile slower than my normal long run pace. Ouch. But I usually run at the fast end of the long run scale and even running 45 seconds slower, I was still in my long run general aerobic pace range. So it's all good. Next week is a recovery week and I'm looking forward to it.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Nietzsche Said
It's that time of year again when the temperature is in the 90's and getting up at the crack of dawn is a runner's only hope of beating the heat. Thursday morning was one of those brutal runs that make you both mentally and physically tougher come race day. I had a 10 miler scheduled and within 3 or 4 miles the self negotiation had already begun. I debate with myself during runs. "Well, technically 8 miles would be the equivalent of 10 miles due to the heat." "If I make it up that hill I can stop and rest for a minute." "If the traffic light is red I'll turn around." It goes on and on, especially on these really tough, hot, humid runs. But the reality is that there's just no way I'll stop and rest at the top of the hill. There's no way I'll trade in my 10 miler for 8. And that red light? Chances are there won't be any traffic coming anyway and I can breeze on through the light. But pretending (or trying to convince myself) that quitting is an option does help me push through the toughest portions of the run. So much of endurance running is mental.
So I'm mentally preparing myself for tomorrow morning's 17 miler in the heat and possibly in the rain as well. I'm going to try to be out the door with the sunrise. There is a triathlon taking place along a portion of my regular running trail so I either have to run through that area before their race starts or I have to drive to a much tougher, hillier trail. Either way, it's going to be a tough run.
My piriformis (ass) is still bothering me. I'm able to get the miles in but the speed work has been sporadic. I basically have to take what my butt will give me during each run. This morning, I had this Red Hot Chili Peppers song lyric going through my head over and over during my run, "Pleasure spiked with pain..." Yep, that about sums up my runs these days.
Tomorrow wraps up week 5 of my 18 week training cycle. I can afford to give this piriformis injury about 4 more weeks (max) to heal and then it's show time if I'm going to be able to "race" Columbus this fall.
So I'm mentally preparing myself for tomorrow morning's 17 miler in the heat and possibly in the rain as well. I'm going to try to be out the door with the sunrise. There is a triathlon taking place along a portion of my regular running trail so I either have to run through that area before their race starts or I have to drive to a much tougher, hillier trail. Either way, it's going to be a tough run.
My piriformis (ass) is still bothering me. I'm able to get the miles in but the speed work has been sporadic. I basically have to take what my butt will give me during each run. This morning, I had this Red Hot Chili Peppers song lyric going through my head over and over during my run, "Pleasure spiked with pain..." Yep, that about sums up my runs these days.
Tomorrow wraps up week 5 of my 18 week training cycle. I can afford to give this piriformis injury about 4 more weeks (max) to heal and then it's show time if I'm going to be able to "race" Columbus this fall.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Zoombezi
What a week. A trip to King's Island, several trips to the local pool, a Clippers baseball game (with another one scheduled for Sunday), and today a trip to the local water park, Zoombezi Bay. It was yet another 90 degree day so we made the most of it. Five hours of water slides, wave pools, kids pools, sun, and sunburn.
Zoombezi Bay is very similar to the King's Island water park, Boomerang Bay, except with less of a tourist vibe. I found it very easy to just settle in and enjoy the environment. It was nice to not have to wear a watch and better yet, not have to worry about what time it is. We just kicked back and enjoyed. It felt almost like we were on vacation. We'll definitely be back.
Zoombezi Bay is very similar to the King's Island water park, Boomerang Bay, except with less of a tourist vibe. I found it very easy to just settle in and enjoy the environment. It was nice to not have to wear a watch and better yet, not have to worry about what time it is. We just kicked back and enjoyed. It felt almost like we were on vacation. We'll definitely be back.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
King For A Day
Today, our family made our second annual pilgrimage to King's Island. We were on the road by 8:30am and arrived at the park 90 minutes later. We went through the metal detectors (a sad symbol of our society) and then were waved over to a line with no waiting to enter the park. No waiting that is, until the tickets that I bought at Kroger a month ago didn't scan properly. They were nice about it. Said there was a problem with the tickets not being activated properly and told me to go talk to Customer Relations. The Customer Relations office was about a 40 yard walk and there was no line. Fortunately, I had my Kroger receipt with me, so they just took the Kroger tickets, gave me comps, and sent me on my way.
Once inside the park, our first stop was Nickelodeon Universe, the children's area. We started at the Scooby Doo Haunted House. I rode with our two year old and it was too much for him. He screamed for his mommy the whole time. Oops. He's so mature for his age, sometimes we forget he's still two.
After that, we decided on more traditional children's rides. Our six year old was very good about riding with our two year old, and that lasted about 30 minutes and then our two year old started getting overly cranky. I quickly recognized the signs of hunger and we decided to have an early lunch. We ordered a pizza and 2 waters, $30. We quickly devoured the pizza and then my six year old, knowing that he had grown to the required height of 48 inches, was itching to ride the big roller coasters. We decided to split up and my six year old and I were off to the coasters.
The first one we came to was the Adventure Express. I had no idea what this ride was but it was there, so we got in line. Turns out, it is an Indiana Jones themed ride so my kid loved it. He's been reading the Indiana Jones books for the last month or so. It turned out to be a pretty decent ride and he screamed and laughed the entire time. Then came the inevitable, "let's ride it again!" So we rode it again. He was totally psyched to learn that the ride went 35 mph.
Next up, The Racer. Decision time...Blue or Red? Blue baby!!! Time to pick a seat. Oh no he didn't! Oh yes he did! First row, baby! The kid has no fear. We plop down in the front row and were off. Around a bend, up the hill, to the crest....AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! He's screaming and yelling like you wouldn't believe and the hills are too steep for me to peek over at him so I don't know if he's scared or if he's having fun. Finally, we level off at the top of a hill and he is laughing and screaming his head off. A total blast. Of course we had to do that one again. Wait until I tell him that The Racer went 53.3 mph.
After the coasters, he spotted the Monster. It was this big swinging, turning, make yourself sick type ride. I really didn't want to ride it but how do you say no to your six year old on his first trip to an amusement park as a 48 incher? So I rode it with him, concentrating the entire time on not throwing up, then proceeded to battle nausea for the next hour. On top of the nausea, it was now 90 degrees in the park and we are all starting to feel the effects of the heat.
We decided to regroup in Nickelodeon Universe. We caught a little Dora the Explorer musical act and then headed for Boomerang Bay, the water park. My six year old and I rode a couple of wicked fast water slides and then my beautiful wife decided that we were all tired and should head home. We changed clothes and made the 30 minute walk back to the car. Cruised home in 90 minutes, including rush hour traffic, and had dinner on the table by 6pm.
I should also mention that my two year old got to meet his hero, Diego, from Go, Diego Go! He was laughing and pointing to Diego and saying, "that's me!" See, he plays Diego every day and we have to call him Diego. My wife is Dora. I'm Boots (the monkey). He also got to ride in a Diego car, 4 times. Big day for the little guy.
Super fun day. Maybe next year we'll spend the night so we can stay longer. And I'll stay away from the nausea inducing rides. May I recommend that the name of the Monster ride be changed to the Vomitor?
Once inside the park, our first stop was Nickelodeon Universe, the children's area. We started at the Scooby Doo Haunted House. I rode with our two year old and it was too much for him. He screamed for his mommy the whole time. Oops. He's so mature for his age, sometimes we forget he's still two.
After that, we decided on more traditional children's rides. Our six year old was very good about riding with our two year old, and that lasted about 30 minutes and then our two year old started getting overly cranky. I quickly recognized the signs of hunger and we decided to have an early lunch. We ordered a pizza and 2 waters, $30. We quickly devoured the pizza and then my six year old, knowing that he had grown to the required height of 48 inches, was itching to ride the big roller coasters. We decided to split up and my six year old and I were off to the coasters.
The first one we came to was the Adventure Express. I had no idea what this ride was but it was there, so we got in line. Turns out, it is an Indiana Jones themed ride so my kid loved it. He's been reading the Indiana Jones books for the last month or so. It turned out to be a pretty decent ride and he screamed and laughed the entire time. Then came the inevitable, "let's ride it again!" So we rode it again. He was totally psyched to learn that the ride went 35 mph.
Next up, The Racer. Decision time...Blue or Red? Blue baby!!! Time to pick a seat. Oh no he didn't! Oh yes he did! First row, baby! The kid has no fear. We plop down in the front row and were off. Around a bend, up the hill, to the crest....AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! He's screaming and yelling like you wouldn't believe and the hills are too steep for me to peek over at him so I don't know if he's scared or if he's having fun. Finally, we level off at the top of a hill and he is laughing and screaming his head off. A total blast. Of course we had to do that one again. Wait until I tell him that The Racer went 53.3 mph.
After the coasters, he spotted the Monster. It was this big swinging, turning, make yourself sick type ride. I really didn't want to ride it but how do you say no to your six year old on his first trip to an amusement park as a 48 incher? So I rode it with him, concentrating the entire time on not throwing up, then proceeded to battle nausea for the next hour. On top of the nausea, it was now 90 degrees in the park and we are all starting to feel the effects of the heat.
We decided to regroup in Nickelodeon Universe. We caught a little Dora the Explorer musical act and then headed for Boomerang Bay, the water park. My six year old and I rode a couple of wicked fast water slides and then my beautiful wife decided that we were all tired and should head home. We changed clothes and made the 30 minute walk back to the car. Cruised home in 90 minutes, including rush hour traffic, and had dinner on the table by 6pm.
I should also mention that my two year old got to meet his hero, Diego, from Go, Diego Go! He was laughing and pointing to Diego and saying, "that's me!" See, he plays Diego every day and we have to call him Diego. My wife is Dora. I'm Boots (the monkey). He also got to ride in a Diego car, 4 times. Big day for the little guy.
Super fun day. Maybe next year we'll spend the night so we can stay longer. And I'll stay away from the nausea inducing rides. May I recommend that the name of the Monster ride be changed to the Vomitor?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Vampire Weekend
A few months ago, both Rolling Stone and Spin featured this hot new band called Vampire Weekend, on their covers. As a jaded music industry veteran, I read the articles about how great this new band was and even though I knew they probably sucked, just like 90% of the other "next big thing" bands, I decided to reserve a copy through my local library.
A few weeks later, I picked up the CD, popped it into my CD player and my immediate reaction was, "what is this?" It wasn't what I was expecting and it wasn't like anything I had ever heard before, and I've listened to just about every style of music you can imagine. I wasn't really sure if I liked it but it was intriguing enough that I kept returning to it. After a couple of days of listening, it became the best CD I had heard in a long, long time. Now, several months later, I'm a bigger fan than ever, and like I said, I'm jaded. I hate everything.
So the fact that I'm endorsing a band should not be taken lightly. Go to your source for new music immediately and buy their CD. Do it. Now. You'll thank me later.
A few weeks later, I picked up the CD, popped it into my CD player and my immediate reaction was, "what is this?" It wasn't what I was expecting and it wasn't like anything I had ever heard before, and I've listened to just about every style of music you can imagine. I wasn't really sure if I liked it but it was intriguing enough that I kept returning to it. After a couple of days of listening, it became the best CD I had heard in a long, long time. Now, several months later, I'm a bigger fan than ever, and like I said, I'm jaded. I hate everything.
So the fact that I'm endorsing a band should not be taken lightly. Go to your source for new music immediately and buy their CD. Do it. Now. You'll thank me later.
Doggone It
Our dog had surgery last week to remove two growths, one beside her ear and one behind her right rear leg. She was home maybe five minutes before she had scratched open the stitches on her ear. We took her back to the vet where they cleaned her up and gave her the dreaded lampshade to wear around her head to prevent her from being able to reach the stitches.
(The lampshade also doubles as a battering ram, capable of destroying anything in her path. Especially, human shins, knees, and calves.)
Over the course of 5 days, she proceeded to totally destroy this lampshade, mainly by bashing into anything that stood in her way. I'm here to tell you, she bashes with gusto.
This afternoon, we returned from the pool to find that even with the lampshade around her head, she had found a way to reach and remove the stitches behind her rear leg. She is one resourceful pup. So...back to the vet. This time they used staples instead of sutures and they glued a portion of her ear that she had also managed to mess with. They also gave us a new (and hopefully improved) lampshade. Can you say, "high maintenance?"
So the vet gave her a fresh 10-14 days before she can have the staples removed. That means another 10-14 days of meds, another 10-14 days of lampshade, another 10-14 days of battering ram, and another 10-14 days of puppy surveillance. I can't wait to see what she does for an encore.
(The lampshade also doubles as a battering ram, capable of destroying anything in her path. Especially, human shins, knees, and calves.)
Over the course of 5 days, she proceeded to totally destroy this lampshade, mainly by bashing into anything that stood in her way. I'm here to tell you, she bashes with gusto.
This afternoon, we returned from the pool to find that even with the lampshade around her head, she had found a way to reach and remove the stitches behind her rear leg. She is one resourceful pup. So...back to the vet. This time they used staples instead of sutures and they glued a portion of her ear that she had also managed to mess with. They also gave us a new (and hopefully improved) lampshade. Can you say, "high maintenance?"
So the vet gave her a fresh 10-14 days before she can have the staples removed. That means another 10-14 days of meds, another 10-14 days of lampshade, another 10-14 days of battering ram, and another 10-14 days of puppy surveillance. I can't wait to see what she does for an encore.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Wow, I Could Have Had A G8
Last month, I was freaked out to discover that people are actually reading my blog. I usually just write what is on my mind. I vent, I let it all out. It’s therapeutic. It’s for me. But then one of my rants touched a nerve in the homophobe community and strangers started leaving comments. It was weird. But I’ve decided not to care. This is for me. If you gain something from reading it, great. If not, fine. Want to leave comments? Do it. Want to disagree? Do it. I’m game.
Since it’s been a while since I’ve had time to post, perhaps a quick round up is in order.
First, cheers to our fatuous “leader” for being his disgraceful self at the G8 conference this week when he said, “Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." Then he proceeded to punch at the air. Or was that a terrorist fist jab? Nothing this idiot says or does surprises me anymore. 01.20.09 can’t come fast enough.
Next, we have Senator Phil Gramm telling us that the recession is “mental.” Yeah, I get it. When it cost $70 to fill my tank last week and it used to only cost $30, that was my imagination. And the ever rising cost of groceries? All in my mind, dude. Wow, and this guy is McSame’s economic advisor? Lord help us.
Fox “news” outdid themselves again last week when they photo shopped the faces of people who have differing views from their own. They yellowed a guys teeth, added dark circles under the eyes, grossly increased the size of the nose, added to the receding hair line. You know, typical behavior from our favorite far right wing loons. To add insult to injury, the moronic Bill O’Reilly then went on TV and embarrassed himself (no news here) by defending his owners by trying to compare what Fox did to a caricature that a newspaper drew of Billy O’. The poor imbecile fails to recognize (or at least believes that his audience will be too dumb to notice) the difference between a caricature and an actual photo. For those of you who may have been brainwashed from too many years watching the Fox propaganda programs, here is the difference between the two. A photo is an exact likeness of an individual. A caricature is a drawing that purposely exaggerates certain features on an individual. Examples include Jay Leno’s chin or Duh’s ears. You could even draw Duh with a Pinochio nose. In review, photo = exact likeness. Caricature = intentional exaggeration. Bill O’s argument = nonsense.
I love how the republicans are trying to label Obama as a flip-flopper. Hey, it worked against Kerry, why not try it again? Meanwhile, their candidate has flip-flopped on virtually every issue he’s ever been asked about. Don’t like his position on an issue? Wait 15 minutes and ask him again.
Then there’s the “elitist” strategy. Yeah, label the poor black kid who grew up in a single home an “elitist.” Talk about how you just can’t picture Obama standing at the salad bar at Appleby’s. What? Appleby’s doesn’t have a salad bar? Why, only an elitist wouldn’t know that, right? So just keep trying to make the “elitist” tag stick while your guy continues to fly around on his sugar Mama’s private jet.
Finally, we have Hannity still going on about a lapel pin. Really, Sean, that’s all you’ve got? A piece of jewelry?
Since it’s been a while since I’ve had time to post, perhaps a quick round up is in order.
First, cheers to our fatuous “leader” for being his disgraceful self at the G8 conference this week when he said, “Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." Then he proceeded to punch at the air. Or was that a terrorist fist jab? Nothing this idiot says or does surprises me anymore. 01.20.09 can’t come fast enough.
Next, we have Senator Phil Gramm telling us that the recession is “mental.” Yeah, I get it. When it cost $70 to fill my tank last week and it used to only cost $30, that was my imagination. And the ever rising cost of groceries? All in my mind, dude. Wow, and this guy is McSame’s economic advisor? Lord help us.
Fox “news” outdid themselves again last week when they photo shopped the faces of people who have differing views from their own. They yellowed a guys teeth, added dark circles under the eyes, grossly increased the size of the nose, added to the receding hair line. You know, typical behavior from our favorite far right wing loons. To add insult to injury, the moronic Bill O’Reilly then went on TV and embarrassed himself (no news here) by defending his owners by trying to compare what Fox did to a caricature that a newspaper drew of Billy O’. The poor imbecile fails to recognize (or at least believes that his audience will be too dumb to notice) the difference between a caricature and an actual photo. For those of you who may have been brainwashed from too many years watching the Fox propaganda programs, here is the difference between the two. A photo is an exact likeness of an individual. A caricature is a drawing that purposely exaggerates certain features on an individual. Examples include Jay Leno’s chin or Duh’s ears. You could even draw Duh with a Pinochio nose. In review, photo = exact likeness. Caricature = intentional exaggeration. Bill O’s argument = nonsense.
I love how the republicans are trying to label Obama as a flip-flopper. Hey, it worked against Kerry, why not try it again? Meanwhile, their candidate has flip-flopped on virtually every issue he’s ever been asked about. Don’t like his position on an issue? Wait 15 minutes and ask him again.
Then there’s the “elitist” strategy. Yeah, label the poor black kid who grew up in a single home an “elitist.” Talk about how you just can’t picture Obama standing at the salad bar at Appleby’s. What? Appleby’s doesn’t have a salad bar? Why, only an elitist wouldn’t know that, right? So just keep trying to make the “elitist” tag stick while your guy continues to fly around on his sugar Mama’s private jet.
Finally, we have Hannity still going on about a lapel pin. Really, Sean, that’s all you’ve got? A piece of jewelry?
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