Space freaks me out

From the interwebs: "Life of a Star: 12 Billion Years in Six Minutes"

Track: "Hayling" by FC Kahuna

Holiday cinematic cheer

Lately I've been kinda (read: mostly) snarky in my blog posts. To lighten it up a bit, thought I'd mention some movies I've seen recently:

The Fall -- this is an amazingly beautiful, sad, intense film. It stars Lee Pace who is my new online obsession (I recommend watching the trailer at the official site, for its splendid quality). It's out on DVD.



Slumdog Millionaire -- fantastic and deserving of the hype. Great story, great storytelling, great music:

I hate people. Not all people, but lots of them.

I'm not sure why every year I find myself shopping for Christmas presents at the last minute. Today's venture involved a trip to the local shopping mall, where I parked - oh, say, a half mile away from the mall's entrance only to be met with throngs of what might be called the Barbarian Horde when I finally got inside.

As I was leaving I noticed that some mother trucker scraped the driver's side of my car with theirs. This was surely some SUV/monster truck-driving asshole who backed out sans depth perception. It doesn't look dented, but it is heavily scraped; I will have to talk to the 'rents about what one does in this situation - I surely don't want the effing car to start rusting. Merry Effing Christmas everyone!

Two years ago my car was hit in another shopping center parking lot on Christmas Eve (another Christmas miracle!) and that required me to turn it in for repairs. The entire back portion of my car had to be replaced, which was awesome because all of those dents and scrapes I got in the bay area during my many years of tricky parallel parking were erased! Yippee!

In any event, at least my shopping is done and my car is now safely parked in my parents' driveway. Time for the spiked egg nog.

Happy Holidays to all of you out there who I don't hate (and if you're reading this, you are one of them) XO!

And the douchebag of the year is...

Heath Campbell of Easton, PA!

With a big Scalia-like "get over it" schmuckness, Heath and his lovely wife (pictured below) named their son Adolph Hitler Campbell. They are dismayed that their local Shoprite wouldn't write "Happy Birthday Adolph Hitler" on little Adolph's birthday cake - how dare that store deny the joy and happiness that comes from seeing those words in icing!

Congrats Heath! You are about as douchebagalicious as they come! If you really wanted to prove a point, you should've legally changed your name to Adolph Hitler, rather than subjecting your son to a life of ridicule. Nice work!

PS: Not sure how such an attractive child came out of those two parents, but whatevs.

If it wasn't for Jon Stewart I wouldn't know what the hell was going on

Note: I think the clips all start with ads now... bummer.

"The money got handed out so fast, the Treasury didn't track it."

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Clusterf#@k to the Poor House - Bean on a Plate Edition

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Autoerotic Explanation

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Awkward

So, tomorrow I have my Constitutional Law final. I had ConLaw last year, but it was the first part of ConLaw (re: structure of government).

ConLaw II is about the bill of rights/person liberties. You would think that ConLaw II would be more interesting than ConLaw I, and in some ways it is, but it's a hell of a lot more frustrating because the Supreme Court is full of shit.

That being said, one of the topics we cover is Free Speech which is a monster of a topic. One of the questions that's raised is whether nude dancing is protected "speech" - I'd like to ask my 70+ mormon grandpa-like professor if this is true but somehow the question is a bit awkward, no? Especially if pasties and g-strings come up in the convo?

awkward!

Shout out to Mark

and because I need the laugh:

Woefully behind on blog posting

OK, so I've been publicly shamed for not blogging, so here goes.

It's been a whirlwind since Thanksgiving - the parents came to visit for the long weekend and it was a blast. The first night they were in town we went to this little divey Mexican restaurant I love (the typical plate-o-greasy-food kinda place).

For Thanksgiving we decided not to cook, but go out to eat, and had a fabulous 4-course meal at Elements, a beautiful restaurant tucked in the midst of a resort. A couple of friends from Oakland happened to be traveling through Arizona that week and they joined us for dinner - it was great to see them and for them to meet the rents!

I wish they still had the menu posted, but I can give you an idea of the dinner:

To start: Vanilla Violet Collins cocktail (first things first!): Violet-infused Sapphire gin (yes, it's as amazing as it sounds), vanilla bean (you could see the bean in the drink!), collins mix, topped with a fresh orchid. I was concerned it would either be too sweet or too earthy (given the flower-infused business) but it was absolutely perfect (and it didn't surprise me that the drink won awards at some competition, can't remember what).

First course: Fig and Blue Cheese Tart - amazing and savory; the tart was buttery and flaky, the fig and blue cheese were mellow, and the whole thing was topped with caramelized onions.

Second course: Butternut Squash soup (I'm sure it had a more appetizing name) - the presentation was awesome: They bring out this large bowl in the middle of which is only a crouton and some creme fraiche accompanied by a small carafe filled with the piping hot soup. They place the bowl down, then they pour the soup over the crouton/creme fraiche in front of you. It was delicious!

Third course: Traditional Thanksgiving: It was a heaping mound of starchy deliciousness. The turkey was amazingly moist and drenched in a delicious gravy. The potatoes were perfectly mashed and the stuffing was delish. There was a little smidgen of cranberries (perfect amount since a little cranberry goes a long way for me). I would have licked my plate if I could have.

Final course: Cinnamon bread pudding. I usually don't go for the bread pudding but it was calling me and it was worth it. Others got the Pear Tatin with fresh vanilla ice cream and I was a little jealous but still happy with mine. Yumm.

The next day, we took a day trip up to Sedona to see the famous red rocks and have a yummy lunch at Copper Pot Cafe. Some pics:





The last night they were here I hosted a little soiree with some law school friends so they could meet the 'rents and vice versa. My parents helped me decorate for Xmas (a first for me, usually I have no interest in that) and they spent some mad ducats at Costco on huge vats of alcohol (gin, vodka, wine, whiskey (for egg nog of course). Perfect for studying, right? Ha.

It was a lot of fun but of course I got no studying while they were here - so as soon as they left the studying began. I'll be buried until one week from now, at approximately this time, when I finish my last final. Wish me luck!

HH on Heroes

Heather Havrilesky, my television touchstone, recently reviewed the clusterf*@k that is Heroes.

From the article:

All of which has me wondering, what exactly are all of these people trying to save the world from? Each other? "Dancing With the Stars"?

The big picture here just isn't that easy to sink your teeth into. "An eclipse is coming." So what? "Whose side are you on, anyway?" Who really cares, since both sides say they're going to save the world, but we're not really sure how or when or even why?

My thoughts exactly. I'm on the verge of canceling my Season Pass to this crapfest.

Studs Terkel, 1912 - 2008

Studs Terkel recently passed away - in fact, he died right before the election. If there was anyone who believed in hope more than Obama does, I'm sure it was Studs. My hunch is that he knew - probably before the rest of us - that Obama would win the election.

I was able to see Studs in Berkeley several years ago and I loved him (that talk is posted below). Studs was best known for what we'd now call "documentary journalism" I suppose; he was interested in the story of the average person, and did what he could to promote those everyday voices.

Just like Dorothea Lange and to some degree Richard Avedon, he captured moments in the life of people you might otherwise miss. Arguably, his legacy is reflected in the series This American Life. I hope he continues to inspire others, as he does me!

Sandra Day O'Connor and Video Games

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is collaborating with Games for Change, a non-profit company that promotes the development of video games that educate children on various issues. One such game, Our Courts, is a free online game about democracy and the U.S. Constitution.

SDO's involvement in the development of the game stems from her concerns about attacks on the judiciary (e.g., "judicial activism"), which she discusses in the clip below (the full version available here):



In the full version of her talk you can hear her discuss how the No Child Left Behind Act is resulting in the cancellation of classes that teach civics and government, creating a need for other entities to step up and fill the void.

When the citizenry has no idea how our government works, people don't know how to effect change in the system. It's no surprise, then, that citizens do nothing when a certain #43 acts as if he's king.

UPDATE: Just came across this article about US officials flunking a civics quiz. How timely! You can take the quiz here... I scored a 79% - before law school I would have bombed it. The economic questions are way beyond my reach, but at least I got most of the law-related ones correct. In my defense, however, the economic questions seem ambiguous and conclusory, so there. Suck it, civics quiz.

Set your DVR and get ready for some Jacktion!

The 2-hour prequel/intro to next year's 24 airs next Sunday (11/23). Word is, a director's cut will release on DVD two days later.

Here's an article full of spoilers I haven't read.

Sweet music goodness

Whenever I need to hibernate for long studying/writing sessions, I have to have the right music to get me through. Especially when I'm writing papers - even dry legal analysis requires something that triggers thought and creativity.

Usually the stuff I've been listening to when studying won't do it for me; I need something new, or something re-discovered, but something that won't be distracting.

This is why I love DJ sets like Dave's Lounge or SomaFM's Groove Salad - it's a collection of tracks I usually have never heard before, but that are lounge-y, mellow electronica that works well as white noise.

Sometimes I come across an artist or track that I instantly love. That just happened with a UK artist going by the name Canedrive. He has an EP and a great single on iTunes plus a collection of free sets available for download here.

His stuff's been on constant rotation, plus some tracks I downloaded from the Verve Remixed Box Set.

So groovy yet inspiring too!

This just pisses me off.

34 children have now been dropped off at Nebraska hospitals following the enactment of their ridiculously vague safe-haven law that technically allows any parent - even those from other states - to abandon their children to the state of Nebraska's foster care system.

WHAT THE FUCK.

I can understand some new mother freaking out and society wanting to have an alternative to reduce/remove the horrible risk of infanticide. That's why safe-haven laws are enacted and should be in place.

But abandoning your 5, 10, 15, or 17 year-old child because they behave badly? Really?

Now, I'm not a parent and I know I have limited patience, but I'm going to judge these people anyway. Maybe this thing bothers me because I had a strained relationship with my mother during my teenage years and I would bet that if she knew she could drive me to Nebraska and drop my ass off she would have.

The woman in the photos below is one such "parent" who abandoned her daughter and now, based on these pictures, seems to want sympathy; Bitch, please:







The caption:
The mother of an 18 year-old daughter, who asked not to be named to protect the identity of her child, stands in her daughter's room, in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008. After a recent spate of her daughters' bad behavior, the mother said she felt like she had no other choice but to leave her daughter at a hospital, where she thought she would get help through Nebraska's safe haven law. She says she worried that if the law was changed, she would not have a way to get help for her daughter. Nebraska lawmakers meet Friday to begin tightening the state's open-ended safe-haven law.

Liquid solace

It's been far too long since I talked about cocktails, has it not?

I came across this article about the best cocktails around town (and by "town" I mean, county). I can personally vouch for the goodness coming out of Fez, Estate House, and AZ88.

Sweet out-of-town friends, please come visit me so we can go and imbibe on this goodness!

Funny bits from College Humor.com

24: The Unaired 1994 Pilot

The Matrix Runs on Windows

And because I'm a student again, sometimes wandering among the undergrads: 5 Students: If College Had a Character Creation System

Secret Service: Palin provoked death threats against Obama

I want this crazy bitch to fade into a bitter repressed memory, but I had to share:

The Republican vice presidential candidate attracted criticism for accusing Mr Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the sixties radical William Ayers.

The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.

But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.

The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin's attacks.

Michelle Obama, the future First Lady, was so upset that she turned to her friend and campaign adviser Valerie Jarrett and said: "Why would they try to make people hate us?"

The revelations, contained in a Newsweek history of the campaign, are likely to further damage Mrs Palin's credentials as a future presidential candidate. She is already a frontrunner, with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, to take on Mr Obama in four years time.

Get Your War On is now animated

You can check out the animated series here. Rees's blog is here.

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Well, whaddaya know?

Schwarzenegger: $4.4B in tax hikes to end deficit:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed $4.4 billion in tax increases and billions more in spending cuts to close a worsening state budget deficit, declaring: "We must stop the bleeding."

Schwarzenegger on Thursday called for a special session of the state Legislature to address a deficit that has grown to $11.2 billion just six weeks after he signed the budget for the current fiscal year.

He said the state's economic condition has deteriorated significantly since then, with a cratering stock market and the continued decline of the housing industry.

Hmm, I guess tax cuts for the wealthy and slashing of social programs was a futile approach after all?

The Daily Show calls it like only they can

Yes We Can; Yes We Did

I think these are my two favorite speeches; when I heard the first one I started to hope. Then, hearing the victory speech, I believed in the promise of our country again.

A new day for America

Thank you America!

Thank you to those who voted; who worked to get Barack Obama elected; who dared to dream it was possible! YES WE DID!!

Good riddance, Bush. May you rot in hell.

Good riddance to the lies; the corruption; the inability to string coherent sentences together.

Good riddance to the lack of character it took to tell the nation to go shopping in the wake of a great tragedy.

Good riddance to the willful incompetence and lack of compassion that led to the despair in the South following Katrina - I guess it runs in the family.

Good riddance to the mentality that believes you can turn a national tragedy into an opportunity to divest people of their civil and human rights; and even worse: that such tragedy is a huge economic opportunity for you and your friends.

Good riddance to the willingness to abandon core American principles and values when it is convenient and furthers your quest for power.

And FUCK YOU, Bush & Co, Fox News, etc. for wrapping yourselves and your bullshit ideology in the American Flag and calling those of us who questioned you or criticized you "un-American" or worse.

Two canvassers for Obama

These are great articles.

The first piece is by a conservative man whose wife convinced him to knock on doors for Obama, and how it changed him:

I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways.

The second piece is by (presumably) a liberal man from Oakland, describing how much has changed between 2004 and now.

I'm nervous but excited! Our country is on the verge of an incredible moment!

Hope this is true

Ahh, the memories

I came across an LAT article about Berkeley and they had this pic posted with the article. I almost forgot the insanity that is the parking situation in the Bay Area.

Trying to figure out when you CAN park in this spot is worse than figuring out an LSAT logic puzzle. Shit.

What's to become of Guantanamo Bay and the prisoners there?

With an election pending and the Bush Administration in its final days, it's not clear what will happen with Guantanamo.

Bush is keeping it on the DL to avoid harming McCain further, and they certainly don't want to call attention to Gitmo and how the Executive is on the defensive in the federal courts.

Now, a few words on Guantanamo:

The issues surrounding Guantanamo Bay are not red state/blue state issues. They are not campaign issues. They are issues that go to the heart of what we believe in as Americans: Freedom as it is enshrined in our Constitution.

Our Constitution is comprised of two things: a bundle of rights afforded to citizens, and a limitation on the power of the government. Habeas Corpus is not a right of citizens. It is a legal principle - contained in the Magna Carta - that limits a government's right to detain people, regardless of their citizenship. Period.

Over the last eight years our country has woefully forgotten that the Executive is merely one branch in a three-branch system. He is no more powerful than Congress or the Judiciary. He is a figurehead for the Executive branch. That's all.

Salim Hamdan's experiences in detention at Guantanamo Bay represent the best and worst of our system. He was held at Gitmo for four years before the Supreme Court issued it's pivotal decision, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, that held that the Geneva Conventions did indeed apply to Guantanamo Bay. This decision did not free Hamdan from detention.

I want to note here that McCain denounced the torture used on detainees, once it was revealed that it was being used at Guantanamo and other prisons (most infamously, Abu Ghraib). He led the charge in passing the Detainee Treatment Act in late 2005 that prohibited the torture of all detainees held in the US and abroad. This is commendable.

But here's the bad news. The following year, as he began looking toward a Presidential run and wanted to align himself with Bush, he sat idly by as the Military Commissions Act was passed. The DTA was gutted before his eyes and HE DID NOTHING.

Hamdan was the first (and apparently only) detainee to go through a formal Military Commission. He was found guilty, sentenced to 5 and a half years (with 5 already being served). The Executive, unhappy with this result, unsuccessfully sought to have the military commission's ruling vacated.

Commentators now claim that when Hamdan's sentence is done (December 31 of this year) the Executive can still detain him indefinitely as an "unlawful enemy combatant." If they attempt such a maneuver, it will surely be challenged. Otherwise it would mean that after the government used its best evidence against Hamdan and only secured a sentence of 5.5 years (down from the 30 they asked for), they would then use the same evidence to justify imprisoning him indefinitely under the separate legal status of "unlawful enemy combatant." This is absurd, but there is no way W will release this guy. We'll see what happens.

Author, Jonathan Mahler, spent some time with the lawyers involved in the Hamdan's defense and I wanted to post some snippets:

Four-and-a-half years ago I went down to Washington to profile Hamdan's newly assigned defense lawyer, a JAG lawyer named Lieutenant Commander Charles Swift. A gift from the magazine gods, Swift was a blue-eyed, barrel-chested Navy officer who spoke not in sentences but in stories. Between mouthfuls of fried prawns at a Chinese restaurant at a strip mall in northern Virginia, he told me that he was dead serious about providing a vigorous defense for Hamdan.

I was, I'm embarrassed to say in hindsight, a little surprised. Like the government, which had expected Swift to persuade his client to plead guilty to whatever charges were ultimately brought against him, it had never occurred to me that a member of our own military -- whose headquarters had, after all, been one of the targets of the 9/11 attacks -- would be inclined to put up much of a fight on behalf of an accused terrorist.

But I was wrong. Swift was so serious, in fact, about defending Hamdan that he recruited a young constitutional law professor, Neal Katyal, to help file a lawsuit on Hamdan's behalf, arguing that the military tribunal in which he was to be tried was illegal. And I started working on a book about their case.

Since then, that these two men -- one a Naval Academy screw-up and the other a child of Indian immigrants -- held the rights of an accused terrorist as dearly as they held their own has often made me question my own complacent notion of patriotism. Swift lost both his career and his marriage thanks to the case. Katyal risked a rising legal career, in addition to going tens of thousands of dollars into personal debt. What other country would inspire such sacrifice, and would allow such a public challenge to its president?

After years of being knocked around by the courts, these two lawyers, eventually joined by a passel of law students and Perkins Coie, a Seattle firm that would devote thousands of pro-bono hours to the case, miraculously convinced the Supreme Court to hear Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, their suit claiming that the military commissions were illegal and unconstitutional.

On June 29, 2006, the justices handed down their verdict. Katyal and Swift had won, and the justices' sweeping decision in Hamdan was instantly recognized as one of the Court's most important rulings on presidential power ever. Among other things, it compelled Congress to write fixed rules for all the tribunals guaranteeing defendants more due process rights (for instance, they could no longer be kicked out of the courtroom during their own trial).

My Obama love fest presses on

OK, weird. WTF?

I typically loves me some Joaquin, but something's gone awry. Is he in the drug phase of his career or what?

Ted Stevens in happier times

..back when the Interwebs was nothing but a "series of tubes" and he wasn't a convicted felon.

As Jon says, "... [he] doesn't seem to know jack shit about computers or the internet. But that's OK! [He is] just the guy in charge of regulating it."



HILARIOUS:

Some TLC from the GOP

Trailers! Both of these look awesome.

Lost Season 5!



24: Day 7!

Horrible

Have you heard about this?

In July, Nebraska passed a "safe haven" law allowing parents to abandon their children (up to 18 years old) without penalty.

The law was meant to target infants, but there have been several teenagers abandoned at Nebraska hospitals since July (23 children total, not sure what the ages are).

Parents are even crossing state lines to take advantage of the law.

UPDATE: Neb. governor accelerates fix of safe-haven law:

"Heineman had planned to wait until the next regular legislative session convened in January, but changed his mind as the number of children dropped off at hospitals grew. Two teenagers were abandoned Tuesday night alone, and three children dropped off previously did not even live in Nebraska.

"We've had five in the last eight days," Heineman said in explaining why he called a special session. "We all hoped this wouldn't happen."

Obama to be on the Daily Show Wednesday 11/29

He's also giving a speech on Wednesday night. He purchased 30 minutes of airtime from all of the major networks (including Fox). Here are clips from his last visit with Jon:

Late night political ha ha

Politics in No Time @ Yahoo! Video

I voted today!

Arizona is an early voting state, and I decided to cast my ballot along with a lot of other folks today! It was exciting to see people at the polls... Obama is leading in early voting results and I (and a friend) certainly helped that along today.

Here's a clip from a recent speech:

"Don't believe for a second that this election's over. Don't think for a minute that power concedes. We have a lot of work to do... In one week, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo. In one week, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history."

Warning: Another Kitten Video

SNL was actually funny last night

Jon Hamm, the brooding sexpot star of Mad Men, was the guest host, along with Coldplay.

Here they are spoofing the character he plays in his show:

OK, seriously, I'll start studying soon

Another goodie from 1994. Directed by Spike Jonze. I think the "interviewer" at the beginning is Sofia Coppola but I'm not sure. Is it just me or are the glasses they are wearing (ironically) are now back in style?

Geek Love

It's been nearly FIFTEEN effing years since Weezer released "The Sweater Song" and when I saw them for the first time at the Ventura Theater. (I would've embedded the video but The Man has disabled that feature on YouTube.)

My favorite parts of the song:

"Hey did you hear about the party after the show? It's gonna be the best. I'm so stoked. Take it easy bro!"

"Hi, what's up. Umm, did you hear about the party? I think I'm gonna go but my friends don't really wanna go. Can I get a ride?"

I had the biggest crush on the bassist who ended up leaving the band.

Switching gears

I really am trying to resist the clusterf@ck that is the election process, but as you can tell it's hard for me.

These are helping a little:

Holy Crap

The RNC operatives (or whoever is behind this) are really desperate:

Report: Todd confesses to making up ATM attack

Ashley Todd, who said [a tall black man] robbed her and then beat her and scratched a "B" on her face over a McCain-Palin bumper sticker, has reportedly recanted.

Pittsburgh's KDKA is now reporting that Ashley Todd has confessed to making up her story. Todd, a McCain campaign volunteer, had initially claimed that she was mugged at a local ATM, and that the assailant became angry when he saw the McCain-Palin bumper sticker on her car and said he'd teach her a lesson for supporting McCain, then beat her and carved the letter "B" into her cheek.

"Pittsburgh police commander told KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin that Todd confessed to making up the story," the station's Web site reports. "The commander added that Todd will face charges; but police have not commented on what those charges will be."

Latest TV obsession: Mad Men

This show is fascinating... set in 1960 New York, the show is an unabashed portrayal of sexist, racist, womanizing, smoking boozehounds who work in the advertising business. Society is still all about 50s-era conformity, but it's starting to chip away. At times, its hard to watch, but I have to say, I'm riveted.

Here is a clip of the first few minutes of the first episode of season 1:



Wired has a couple of articles about the show, and there's a great video explaining the show, the Vanity Fair article accompanying such video, and an endorsement from the always-reliable Heather Havrilesky.

"Misses Palin!"

Thanks to Amby for this hilariousness:

Awesome.

"Waiting for November 4th"

The lovely Larry David is as anxious as the rest of us (a snippet):

The one concession I've made to maintain some form of sanity is that I've taken to censoring my news, just like the old Soviet Union. The citizenry (me) only gets to read and listen to what I deem appropriate for its health and well-being. Sure, there are times when the system breaks down. Michele Bachmann got through my radar this week, right before bedtime. That's not supposed to happen. That was a lapse in security, and I've had to make some adjustments. The debates were particularly challenging for me to monitor. First I tried running in and out of the room so I would only hear my guy. This worked until I knocked over a tray of hors d'oeuvres. "Sit down or get out!" my host demanded. "Okay," I said, and took a seat, but I was more fidgety than a ten-year-old at temple. I just couldn't watch without saying anything, and my running commentary, which mostly consisted of "Shut up, you prick!" or "You're a fucking liar!!!" or "Go to hell, you cocksucker!" was way too distracting for the attendees, and finally I was asked to leave.

Who the f@#k is that guy?

Go Fug Yourself

Sarah Palin before her makeover. The "extreme Ugg boots" or whatever she has on are especially awful.

New episode of 30 Rock online!

Check it out here!

Downside: you have to watch commercials.
Upside: you don't have to wait until it broadcasts in a week.

Conservatives for Change

David Sedaris

I got to see David Sedaris tonight in Tempe. He was hilarious of course. He read excerpts from his diary, random unpublished pieces, and an essay recently published in the New Yorker (a snippet):

I don’t know that it was always this way, but, for as long as I can remember, just as we move into the final weeks of the Presidential campaign the focus shifts to the undecided voters. “Who are they?” the news anchors ask. “And how might they determine the outcome of this election?”

Then you’ll see this man or woman— someone, I always think, who looks very happy to be on TV. “Well, Charlie,” they say, “I’ve gone back and forth on the issues and whatnot, but I just can’t seem to make up my mind!” Some insist that there’s very little difference between candidate A and candidate B. Others claim that they’re with A on defense and health care but are leaning toward B when it comes to the economy.

I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention?

To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?”

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.

I mean, really, what’s to be confused about?

Wha?

"The Vice President is in charge of the United States Senate." She really believes this shit, which terrifies me. Sadly, no Biden-like smackdowns in this interview. Can she accuse the 3rd grader who asked the question of "gotcha" journalism this time?



And now, a Jon Stewart counterpoint (my love for him continues to grow with each waking moment):

Barbara Ehrenreich impresses again

Ever since reading Nickel and Dimed I've been impressed with Barbara Ehrenreich... and she delivers again with her recent amusing article about the "socialist" conspiracy. A snippet:

First, we selected a cadre of crusty punks from the streets of Seattle, stripped off their Che T-shirts, suited them up in Armanis and wingtips and introduced them to the concepts of derivatives and dental floss. Then we shipped them to Wall Street with firm instructions: Make as much money as you can, as fast as you can, and as soon as the money starts rolling in, send it out to make more money by whatever dodgy means you can find--subprime loans, credit default swaps, pyramid schemes--anything goes. And oh yes: Spend your own earnings in the most flamboyantly gross ways you can think of--$10,000 martinis, fountains of champagne--so as to fan the flames of class resentment.

Are you a "real" American?

Oaktown!

Sadly featured as the 5th most violent city in the nation (#1 in California!). Friends have said that the violence that usually occurred in the most economically-depressed neighborhoods has been spilling over to the wealthier parts of town.

Over the summer there was a rash of robberies in restaurants in some of the nicer parts of town.

L.A. Times endorses Obama

Me likey.

[Obama] is no lone rider. He is a consensus-builder, a leader. As a constitutional scholar, he has articulated a respect for the rule of law and the limited power of the executive that make him the best hope of restoring balance and process to the Justice Department. He is a Democrat, leaning further left than right, and that should be reflected in his nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is a good thing; the court operates best when it is ideologically balanced. With its present alignment at seven justices named by Republicans and two by Democrats, it is due for a tug from the left.

We may one day look back on this presidential campaign in wonder. We may marvel that Obama's critics called him an elitist, as if an Ivy League education were a source of embarrassment, and belittled his eloquence, as if a gift with words were suddenly a defect. In fact, Obama is educated and eloquent, sober and exciting, steady and mature. He represents the nation as it is, and as it aspires to be.

The Daily Show's "Secret Weapon"

Great article about the guy behind the scenes, watching C-Span and the 24-hour news channels so you don't have to.

Chodikoff doesn’t use Google to turn up inconsistencies, preferring news stories on LexisNexis, and he ignores Wikipedia. Explaining why he prefers print over the Web, he cites a scene from the movie “Back to School,” when Rodney Dangerfield asks his son why he’s buying used books. “And he says, ‘Because they’re already underlined, see?’ And Rodney says, ‘But that guy could have been a maniac.’ And that’s the problem with the Internet.”

“You ever seen ‘The Godfather’?” said Chodikoff, a Moorestown, N.J., native who had entry-level gigs at several television shows before joining “The Daily Show” in its early days. “I’m like the guy taping the gun in the bathroom so that Jon can grab it and come out blazing.”

Behind Stewart’s grilling of former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith was Chodikoff with a file of what he calls “pure information.” In anticipation, “Jon basically had me disprove the entire Iraq war,” and Chodikoff saw the interview as a culmination of his work.

Here are clips from the Feith interview:

Obama rally in Missouri draws 100,000

Here's the article.

Fight the Smears

The Obama campaign has a website debunking all those stupid rumors the right-wing nutjobs are spreading about him.

Especially disgusting is the recent trend of the GOP to blame the economic crisis on the poor who borrowed subprime loans, and organizations that they think helped them do it (like ACORN).

"...attacks against ACORN and community organizers continue a vile Republican pattern of mockery and viciousness against this noble profession. Community organizers are the very individuals Republicans should be celebrating for helping people to help themselves rather than depending on the government."

Just like illegal immigrants, attacking the poor is easy because as a group they do not have the same (if any) means to respond. Did people borrow more than they should have to buy a home or to buy consumer goods? Of course. But the banks that lined up to give them credit, no questions asked, now have a bailout on top of the millions they made off of the scheme. They will be just fine, while the borrower is on the brink of disaster.

The GOP is trying to steer attention away from the fact that the crisis was caused by greed, by the shameless practice of issuing credit default swaps, and the natural effects of deregulation.

Painfully funny

Many of you know I have extended family from Long Island. This impression is really not that far off from the real thing:

Wow.

"His supporters are going to be so mad when they find out he recycles."

Wanna imagin' Palin as President? You betcha!

Interactive play time in the Oval Office!

One of my favorite 30 Rock scenes

The line at the end is hilarious.

Ron Paul on the World Bank

I don't like Ron Paul; I think he's a little nutty. But he's right about the World Bank:

Heroes?

Is anyone else completely confused by Heroes this season?

It didn't help that I completely forgot the end of last season, and once I started to delve into the recap bin I remembered why. Last season, for the most part, sucked ass.

Season 3 is completely confusing, and not in the X-Files, "what the eff is going on" sort of way. There are too many characters and plot lines, which the writers (I think) are trying to help by having characters cross each other's paths in different ways.

But then you have this time travel business, combined with the characters being good in present day, evil in the future, or vice versa... it's nearly impossible to keep straight "when" the show is taking place, what the goal is in all of the back and forth between the present and future, and why we should even care about any one of them.

Honestly the only interesting character left is Sylar but the show made the decision to take away his hotness and his power and turn him into a stay-at-home dad with Noah Bennet-like horn-rimmed glasses. I knew my level of commitment to the show was weak when I didn't care who the mother was or that the kid died within 10 minutes of seeing him on screen. Then Sylar explodes in a nuclear-powered fit of rage, apparently killing 200,000 people and giving Nathan the justification he needed to start a nuclear war. WHAT THE FUCK?!?

And Peter... Oh Peter. He can look hot but for that seemingly stroke-induced problem with his mouth, but what is his point? He is saving the world? From what again? Apparently from giving regular joes the power to fly around NYC. What's the harm in that again?

And thank god for TiVo because I consistently fast-forward through all scenes involving Hiro and Ando (waste of film) and Matt Parkman (annoying telepathy guy who now lives in Suresh's apartment with Molly - but was on a vision quest in the desert - again, what the fuck?)...

So many problems, so little time to keep ranting about it...

Cool weather today!

It's only supposed to be 77 degrees today! The A/C is off and the windows are open... it's awesome.

It's gonna get hot again later this week... I wish I could enjoy the cooler weather today but of course I have to study!

Right to choose

Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, the states have systematically limited access to abortions. The states opposed to abortion push the limits of Roe at every opportunity, passing laws that limit access to abortions in different ways (e.g., requiring parental consent if you are a minor) and several of these limitations are routinely upheld as constitutional.

The only thing Roe does in our modern conservative era is prohibit states from outlawing abortions altogether. Justices Scalia and Thomas have stated that Roe could, and should be overturned. They have an agenda and the pro-lifers are waiting for one more Scalia-like justice on the Supreme Court that would overturn it for good.

The single best reason to vote for Obama is to prevent another "judicial activist" like Scalia, Alito, or Thomas from being appointed to the Court and have our country move further toward extreme conservatism.

Overturning the decision would mean that states would be allowed to ban abortions altogether, but it's unlikely progressive states like California or New York would do so - but you never know.

I bring all of this up because Palin - who opposes abortion even in the case of rape or incest - is on the campaign trail talking about Obama, judicial activism, and abortion - to distract her listeners from her recent scandal and the economic crisis.

Here's a story about her latest stump speech:

The stop comes amid news that Palin violated Alaska ethics law by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from the state police, a state investigator's report for the bipartisan Legislative Council concluded Friday.

Ethics woes aside, Palin focused her attention on abortion -- an issue that rallies the conservative base but some say alienates independent and women voters.

"In times like these with wars and financial crisis, I know that it may be easy to forget even as deep and abiding a concern as the right to life, and it seems that our opponent kind of hopes you will forget that," Palin told a crowd in Johnstown. "He hopes that you won't notice how radical, absolutely radical his idea is on this, and his record is, until it's too late."

Palin has mostly avoided raising her opposition to abortion rights on the campaign trail since she was tapped as Sen. John McCain's running mate, a fact she readily acknowledged in her remarks. Video Watch more of Palin's views on abortion »

But Palin said Obama's record on the matter is too extreme to be ignored, and she spent 10 minutes of her 30-minute speech discussing abortion.

"A vote for Barack Obama is a vote for activist courts that will continue to smother the open and democratic debate that we deserve and that we need on this issue of life," she said. "Obama is a politician who has long since left behind even the middle ground on the issue of life."

Obama opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade and disagreed with Supreme Court ruling to uphold the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act." He did not cast a vote on Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007.

Hmm, wonder why they had to drop ticket prices?

I got this "newsflash" from Travelzoo - this is just sad:

ARIZONA--OCTOBER 9, 2008-- On Monday, Oct. 13, New Kids On The Block will bring their reunion tour to Jobing.com Arena in Glendale. We just noticed that a limited number of Lower Level seats have been reduced to $20.

These tickets usually go for $32-$72 -- and at only $20 they will sell out fast!

NKOTB recently released their first album in over a decade and have been selling out shows on this tour. With past hits like "Hanging Tough" and "The Right Stuff," and tracks from their new album, this show has something for everyone.

Creepy:

Got this in my email today!

In case you might be persuaded by its feverish, emphatic language, it's been debunked here.

PS: The person who sent it was my best friend in high school-turned fundamentalist christian. People wonder why I don't keep in touch with friends from high school or why I couldn't wait to get the eff out of my hometown? Hmm, wonder why!

The Book of Revelations!

This will make you re-think: A Trivia question in Sunday School:
How long is the beast allowed to have authority in Revelations? Guess the Answer?

Revelations Chapter 13 tells us it is 42 months, and you know what that is.

Almost a four-year term to a Presidency. All I can say is Lord Have Mercy on us!

According to The Book of Revelations the anti-Christ is:
The anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40's, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything ..

Is it OBAMA??

I STRONGLY URGE each one of you to repost this as many times as you can!

Each opportunity that you have to send it to a friend or media outlet...do it!

I refuse to take a chance on this unknown candidate who came out of nowhere.

A break from politics...

I'll try to resist the political posts if possible!

In local news, the weather is starting to cool here in AZ! It's supposed to be 97 today but the weather forecast says that the high will be 79 on Saturday! We haven't had a high in the 70s since at least April I think (unless the monsoon came along, which it did often this summer).

In movie news... I saw Ghost Town and I liked it! It's hard to not like Ricky Gervais but it's still cute and funny. I finally got around to seeing the Extras series finale and it had me in tears - not as teary-eyed as the ending to the Office, but teary nonetheless.

McCain's "new" proposal

You know that "grand idea" McCain unveiled during the debate, wherein the government would buy up bad mortgages to help stabilize home prices?

A better idea was first proposed by Obama and it's already part of the bailout bill that just passed Congress.

Obama mentioned this in the debate but it was subtle (unfortunately).

UPDATE: From Salon:

John McCain wants the government to massively overpay for mortgages in a plan that would guarantee taxpayers lose money, and put them at risk of losing even more if home values don’t recover. The biggest beneficiaries of this plan will be the same financial institutions that got us into this mess, some of whom even committed fraud.

The Obama campaign response tacks very closely to a denunciation of the plan delivered by economist Brad DeLong who says that "McCain's plan is for the government to buy up $300 billion of distressed mortgages not at current market value but at full face value," which, he says, would amount to a $100 billion handout to the bankers who made the original loans.

CBS Poll: Uncommitted Voters Say Obama Won Debate

I'm still wondering who these "uncommitted" folks are:

Forty percent of the 516 uncommitted voters surveyed identified Barack Obama as tonight's winner; 26 percent said John McCain won, while 34 percent saw the debate as a draw.

After the debate, 68 percent of uncommitted voters said that they think Obama will make the right decisions on the economy, compared to 55 percent who said that before the debate. Fewer thought McCain would do so – 48 percent after the debate, and 41 percent before.

Before the debate, 59 percent thought Obama understands voters’ needs and problems; that rose to 80 percent after the debate. For McCain, 33 percent felt he understands voters’ needs before the debate, and 44 percent thought so afterwards.

There is some good news for McCain, who still dominates Obama when it comes to perceptions of readiness to be president. Before the debate, 42 percent thought Obama was prepared for the job, and that percentage rose to 58 percent after the debate. But 77 percent felt McCain was prepared for the job before the debate, and 83 percent thought so afterwards.

Before the debate, 51 percent thought Obama would bring real change; afterwards, 63 percent thought that. For McCain, just 23 percent thought he would bring real change before the debate, while 38 percent thought so afterwards.

Let's have a laugh, shall we?

30 Rock: Best Jack Donaghy insults to Liz Lemon:

The Palins' un-American Activities

From Salon:

"My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand."

This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this week.

Only one problem. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for Palin, that's the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. ("Keep up the good work," Palin told AIP members. "And God bless you.")

Tom Cruise is scary

Thanks to The Prock Life for this one!

Best VP Debate Analysis so far

"You know, the She-Bush is right."

Check out this site for ongoing polling coverage.

McCain and the Keating Five

If this video gives you problems, you can view the QuickTime version here.

McCain and the Supreme Court

Erwin Chemerinsky, a law professor and Constitutional law scholar, just wrote a piece for Salon about the risk to the Supreme Court if McCain is elected.

Anyone you know who is scared of Scalia but not yet sure about Obama should wake up and read this article. To me, this is probably the biggest reason to vote for Obama.

Here are some snippets from the article:

...there is much at stake for the future of the Supreme Court and American constitutional law, and this is one of the areas of clearest difference between John McCain and Barack Obama. McCain has said that he wants to appoint conservative justices like Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito. Obama voted against confirmation of both of those individuals and has said that he would pick liberal justices like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.

Even if Obama wins the election, it is far less likely that the Supreme Court will become more liberal in the near term. This is because any vacancies on the court between Jan. 20, 2009, and Jan. 20, 2013, are likely to come among the three most liberal justices.

It is not only the future of the Supreme Court that is at stake with the November election. The president also selects judges for the many federal district courts and the 13 federal circuit courts of appeal, the last stop before the Supreme Court. These judges, too, have life tenure and often remain on the bench for decades. Most of the 13 circuit courts of appeal currently have a Republican majority, but on most it is by a small margin.

A McCain presidency would likely ensure substantial Republican majorities in every circuit, whereas an Obama presidency would offer the chance to shift some circuits back to control by judges selected by a Democratic president. This balance, too, is important; because the Supreme Court agrees to preside over only a fraction of cases moving through the federal court system each year, the rulings of the circuits often play an important role in shaping federal law.

More Tina Fey-lin

"...marriage is a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers."