Random thoughts

OK, I've been really inactive lately so I wanted to do some housekeeping here.

First of all, I believe today marks day 100 of Bush term 2. By all measures, he's done a pretty shitty job these last 100 days. Social Security? Not exactly going the way he planned (despite the funded-by-your-tax-dollars 60 states 60 days PR fest, about which I could say SO much more but I won't). The whole girlfriend in a coma thing was sort of a disaster too. And then there's his boy DeLay's problems. And, according to the Pentagon, the insurgency in Iraq is just as powerful and motivated as ever - oops! Congress has an approval rating in the mid-30s and Chimpy himself is below 50%. And oh yeah! North Korea has nukular weapons. Yay!
And despite this, the populace has not risen in disgust and flushed them all out DC on a wave of vomit. Go figure. 2006, y'all. Get local. Imagine the joy of a Democratic congress.

Next - I am at a new job these days which is totally exhausting - mostly due to the hours. It's actually much more interesting than your average shitty temp job, but it is still a shitty temp job. So I might be a little out of the blogging loop.

Also - Mac OSX Tiger - released yesterday. I don't have a copy because I am a. poor and b. not sure my old ibook will run it (I've read contradictory reports). But Dave, if you're out there, tell me how it is!

And lastly, Veronica Mars. It always comes back to this with me, I know. I cannot say strongly enough that this is the best damn show on TV. And maybe the best show in a long time. We're talking Twin Peaks level here. Freaks & Geeks (although totally different). It's that good. There are only two episodes left in the season but that's no reason not to get hooked. Also, it will be in reruns all summer and is coming back for season 2 next year! This is big news because, as with all things I love (see F&G) it is wildly unpopular and always comes in last in the ratings. It is your job - yes, you! to watch and love.

That is all for now.

Screw Politics

What I really care about is Veronica Mars.

Logan hearts Veronica. Somehow, through some sort of weird psychological transference situation, I am more invested in what happens to their relationship than I am in what happens in mine. And yes, they are fictional characters.
Tuesdays at 9:00 PM on UPN. Two episodes left. I am SO obsessed.

Auf Weidersehen

Hello, it's me and I am home, back from the land of the rising pope.
As always, very nice to be away and out of Bushland, and then very nice to be home and back to the safety of the BBD couch. I have not that much to report from the trip, mostly becuase I didn't really buy any newspapers or keep up with things. It was, after all, a vacation. But I did watch a lot of CNN International and I have to say, it totally kicks ass over our domestic product. The Yurpeens didn't believe me when I told them that CNN was a sick sad joke at home now They still trust it. Also, it still has James Earl Jones going "This is CNN" every couple of minutes, which is something I miss.

So what I want to tell you is what said Yurpeens (two Germans and the Italian, in this case) had to say about Chimpy at the pope's funeral. Apparently no one over there can believe that Chimpy had the nerve to show his face at the funeral when "everyone knows that the Pope hated Bush becuase of the war." I think this is very interesting given the way they try to to tell us that Bush and the Pope are practically the same thing, as in one and the same step away from God.

Frist is against the American way!

Normally I agree with People For the American Way's position on political issues without thinking much of it beyond that, but this time I'm really impressed with them. Check out this excerpt from a letter their prez sent to Bill Frist:

I urge you to repudiate the “Justice Sunday” event at which you are scheduled to speak later this month. The event is being promoted with deeply offensive materials suggesting that the filibuster is being used to target people of faith, and that proponents of the filibuster are forcing individuals to choose between serving in public office and Christian faith.

This is religious McCarthyism. It is dishonest, destructive and despicable.

Men and women of faith can and do differ politically. But this event is an attempt to manipulate faith for political purposes, and that is outrage against every person of faith.

Yeah Ralph! Let's just hope that every person of faith picks up on that outrage... it could happen! The scary thing, though, is that McCarthyism got pretty damn far before most of the country realized how fucked up it was. Did you know this 'Justice Sunday' situtation is apparently going to be beamed directly into people's churches? That's on some straight 1984, maybe even enought to frighten the 'faithful' (btw, do they include any non-Christians in this event?) people. Scaaa-rryyyyyyy. Um, wasn't there supposed to be some point at which church and state are, what's that word, separate? Oh, nevermind, Tom DeLay says that's not actually in the Constitution. Uh oh I feel the rage coming on...

NYTimes is great in Britney's book

They call this news?

"This was different, but not in a bad way. If there was a general mood in the ether during the long afternoon, which included a blessing of the wedding at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, it was one of sympathy for the realistic intimacy of middle-aged love, and a recognition of its differences from the heady but often unknowing love of youth." (Int'l 4/10/05)

OK fine it's a feature story. But it's still awful. It's not just that it's corny as all outdoor, but also that the writer had to dispatch her report from an undisclosed location in Charles and Camilla's asses. Give me an effing break. The writer and several interviewees go on to share a series of knowing moments about how people in their 20s can't know what love is.

Jon is funny

"All of us at 'The Daily Show' very much appreciate the Peabody Committee's recognition of our work," Mr. Stewart said in a statement released by the show. "Because this is the first time we've ever released a statement, we'd also like to, just for the hell of it, categorically deny all charges and say that we find them both scurrilous and without merit."

Separate congratulations to Bob Garfield and the On the Media family--also winners, also funny.