10.27.2006
More proof that my cane goes over the pole...
Aaron posted a pretty sweet shot of two funny looking guys before they threw their funny bamboo cane over a metallic pole in front of (80,321 - 2 =) 80,319 people.
But now there's more proof. This company takes gameday photos of the stands and tries to hawk them back to you for cash. On the date in question, they even took a few action shots of us cane-tossers (no salad was involved).
See Aaron sky like MJ and dunk his cane (while wearing a mustache, nonetheless). He's the guy in red near the middle of the goalpost touching the cross-bar. Also, for you Curious Character fans, Mark is visible directly below Aaron in a long black coat and khakis. I'm about three feet in back wearing my (nerd) UW Marching Band jacket.
For my moment of glory you can click here. The cane touching the cross-bar on the far left is mine. Yes, you'll notice I didn't sky like Aaron did, but *cough* somebody actually wanted to catch his cane.
I've also heard that my sister, Boden's momma, and another B are in this photo (front row, left side). Apparently something interesting was happening just to their left.
For the record, no mustaches were harmed during this event.
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10.25.2006
Name That Disgraced Republican
It's time for a fun game I just made up called Name That Disgraced Republican...and it's rules are pretty simple. Below I will list a quote or article snippet, and you have to guess which scandal ridden Repulican is being talking about. Then, see the comments section below for the right answers. Ready?
#1)"What [this person] did was not a reflection of the Republican Party. It was a reflection of [this person] and he ought to step down," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
#2)"[This person] must be punished for the criminal actions he has acknowledged," [House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Repulican House Leaders] said in a statement. "He betrayed his oath of office and violated the trust of those he represented in the House. There is no place for him in this Congress."
#3)Now, two weeks before the Nov. 7 midterm elections, the [this person] is a symbol of the scandal — and, as such, a potential liability — for many of his endangered rank-and-file Republicans fighting to win re-election in a campaign environment favoring Democrats.
#4)"What [this person] did was wrong. It was ethically wrong. It's a shame. It's actually disgusting," [House Speaker Dennis Hastert] told inquiring reporters after a campaign rally.
#5)Outside the venue, a few people protested his visit. One sign read: "Protect the children first, the party last," just a taste of the sentiments that likely will greet [this person] should he venture elsewhere between now and the election.
Notice that the quotes are Republicans talking about other Republicans. This is re-affirming my previous belief that many Republicans currently in office would eat their young to avoid losing power. Of course I want to stress that I believe this atmosphere of "dog-eat-dog" competition stems from the current administration, and not all flavors of Republicans would stoop to such lows. That said, if you are of the right-leaning variety, take a look at what you're voting for.
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It's Gettin' Hot In Here
Things are really starting to heat up in Congressional races around the country, and the TN senatorial race is no different. With, potentially, control of the senate on the line with this race, national attention is being drawn to Democrat Harold Ford, Jr and Republican Bob Corker. I have noticed that recent ads have been more negative than previous in the campaign, with the Republican's latest attack hitting a new low:In the ad, a blond white woman brags, "I met Harold at the Playboy party." At the end she looks into the camera, holds her hand like a telephone and says, "Harold, call me," before winking.
[...]
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People criticized the ad.
"It is a powerful innuendo that plays to pre-existing prejudices about African-American men and white women," Hilary Shelton, head of the Washington NAACP office, told the Los Angeles Times.
Classy!
It's time to act for a change in this country. We need progress and accountability, not more of the same from the Republican strangle-hold on power.
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10.24.2006
Impossible is Nothing
Read the article and watch the movie. And then remember, Impossible is Nothing.
From YouTube:
Apparently this guy, a graduating student at Yale, applied to UBS AG with an 11-page resume and the attached video. It's amazingly douchey - or at least, the David Brentiest thing I've ever seen.
From the Times:
Mr. Vayner, 23, said he has been interested in finance since he was 12 years old, when he was creating financial data models.
...
A Zen-like koan — “Impossible is nothing” — introduces the seven-minute clip, which shows Mr. Vayner performing various feats of physical strength and skill, interspersed with inspirational maxims. Viewers are presented with images of Mr. Vayner bench-pressing weights (a caption suggests it is 495 pounds), playing tennis (firing off what is said to be a 140 mile-per-hour serve) and performing martial arts (he breaks seven bricks with his palm).
So, how much you wanna bet that he could throw a football over them mountains?
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10.21.2006
I wanna rock!
To make up for that last post, here's a piece of delicious software that only the cool kids know about. And now, since I've told you, it's not just the cool kids anymore (ooh, snap).
Check out Songbird, the hip new open-source media player. I could fully detail its functionality, or you could just watch the little explanatory video here. Essentially, it is 75% iTunes, 20% Firefox, and 5% Winamp. Think iTunes, but without the store and with the power of music blogs. Cool.
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Make an Airgun!
From the "ew, gross" department...
We all know that JP likes his arts and crafts, and I've seen the sad look in his eye ever since he ran out of ideas for new projects.
Well JP, be sad no more. You can build your own, um, airgun! The site also features such handy projects as a toupee or Halloween hobgoblin in preparation for that rapidly approaching time of month.
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10.19.2006
Hi Everybody!
If you are anything like me, you are getting pretty sick and tired of the current happenings in Washington and are getting excited that we are mere weeks away from the mid-term elections. You know the elections where 'we the people' get to kick the lousy bums out...anyway, I've been thinking of all the scandals the Republicans are trying to obfuscate to win in November and realized there have been so many, I've forgotten some. That's where TruthOut.org can help. They have accumulated a list of the top recent Republican scandels for your easy reference.Bear in mind, as you peruse the following roll call, that these guys are getting busted for this stuff while their party has absolute control over the House, the Senate, the White House and the Justice Department. Huffington Post columnist Stephen Elliot pegged it recently when he wrote, "The fact is if you control the Senate, the White House, and the courts, and you're still getting busted for bribery, stalking children, and money laundering, then something is really sick at the Republican core."
[...]
Here's the best part: George W. Bush has officially declared that this is now National Character Counts Week. Seriously. You can't make this stuff up.
[...]
And, of course, the really serious criminal behavior - lying about weapons of mass destruction to initiate a war of conquest that has enriched White House allies while killing untold tens of thousands of people, including almost three thousand American soldiers, for starters - continues to operate with impunity.
Via AndrewTobias.com (which I also recommend reading today).
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What a coincidence...
that 9 of the 10 Congressmen on this list are Republicans. Although, I suppose you have to consider the source - Rolling Stone Magazine - which, if I had to make a guess, just may skew a little bit to the left, judging by its San Francisco hometown.
Too bad the rest of the magazine sucks.
I'm also proud that number two is one of Wisconsin's finest. And by finest, I mean probably slightly better than this guy.
Speaking of politics, is anybody else watching the race in the fighting eighth? Believe it or not, Democrat Steve Kagen is even with Republican John Gard in the heavily Republican district. And I mean heavily Republican. Apparently the GOP, terrified of losing the GOP seat the Mark Green used to control, has been pumping money into this race in the form of dirty attack ads, and this isn't helping Gard. This one will be fun to watch.
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10.18.2006
Mmmm, English Food.
It seems as if the Brits are similarly attempting to provide their schoolchildren better food. You see, not only is Britain one of our closest allies/lapdogs, they also share our expanding waistlines. Oh, and their food stinks to begin with.
The menu changes at Rawmarsh are being replicated across Britain, which, much like the United States, is grappling with the issue of how to regulate school food to improve children’s health. Although Britons collectively are not yet as fat as Americans, they are the fattest people in Europe. If current trends continue, the British Medical Association says, by 2020 some 30 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls here will be clinically obese.
But alas, as I've learned in law school, if there's an incentive, people will always find ways around any rule.
The fancy new menu at the Rawmarsh School here?
“It’s rubbish,” said Andreas Petrou, an 11th grader. Instead, en route to school recently, he was enjoying a north of England specialty known as a chip butty: a French-fries-and-butter sandwich doused in vinegar.
...
Mrs. Critchlow has become a notorious figure in Britain. In September she and another mother — alarmed, they said, because their children were going hungry — began selling contraband hamburgers, fries and sandwiches to as many as 50 students a day, passing the food through the school gates.
...
But here in Rotherham, Andreas Petrou insists that no amount of explaining will convince him that a French fry sandwich is not a decent meal. If confronted with the school food, he said, he will do what all his friends do: gather as much bread as he can, “put half an inch of butter on each slice,” and call it lunch.
[ed: emphasis added]
Delicious. This reminds me of the dinner a previous roommate of mine used to make: butter on crackers. I won't mention names, but his mother is referenced in the banner at the top of this page.
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10.17.2006
Ooooooh Snap!
Mark over at Curious Character found a winner of a political ad supporting stem cell research (or alternatively, attacking a Republican candidate). Nonetheless, it's well done and isn't very easy to argue with.
No little girl, we can't work to find a cure for you because...um...do you see that frozen test tube? We can't research with it, because, um, it is sacred life...What? Oh yes, of course your life is sacred, too...Sorry...No, it's not going to be grown into a baby. It's going to be destroyed soon.
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Oops
Following a small snafu last week and reposting Brian's glory on the The Hoff, I need to mend some fences.
What better way to do that than by pointing in the direction of the new This American Life podcast! The radio show is a favorite of mine, but now you can listen to it anywhere and anytime. Huzzah!
The bonus? This week's episode is Recordings for Someone Else, which involves mermaids, an overbearing mother, and outdated answering machines. Look about 48 minutes into the show and you'll hear why it's a classic. Try it, you'll like it.
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10.16.2006
And I'm all like, whatever.
I don't know where I've seen this before (because I have), but I've gotta say like whatever.
Oh wait, I just remembered. It's still an awesome video, by the way.
UPDATE: Speaking of awesome things, nick should learn TO POST THEM instead of forwarding them. (I totally wish I could make that an animated wallpaper.) Aaaaah, I'm being overrun with awesome things!
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"When you say over-reac-tion, you've said it all."
An unspecified source alerted me to this article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel regarding the recent drama surrounding the UW Marching Band.
As a recovering band member (of four years) myself, I'd have to agree that this is the most accurate depiction of what really happens on the now much-discussed band trips and gatherings. I'm pretty sure that all band members I know would agree, and I'm also sure that I speak for the nine years of marching band experience represented on this blog.
Then we get down to women and men swapping shirts. Younger members forced to run errands or fill beer glasses for their band elders. Upperclassmen showing up in the dorm rooms of freshwomen and insisting they drink.
Wiley uses the word forced to describe what happened. Two women in the band told me there is no force. If my daughter were in the band, I'd advise her to tell these guys to stick their girls-gone-wild suggestions right up their tubas.
"What we do is out of pure fun," said one student who didn't want me to use her name. "We make sure that the freshmen understand that if they don't want to do something, whatever it may be, they do not have to do it."
[ed: emphasis added]
As a freshman, I told many upperclassmen to stick it in their ear when "pressured" into doing obnoxious things. And no real harm came from it. There really isn't any animous or malice involved; just a lot of goofing around. So, everybody should take a chill pill for a bit and determine what really happened, and then determine an approripate response instead of threatening the end of the band.
It's telling to note that there has been no rush to demand an "end to the football team" after incidents like this or this. In addition, the football team's roster is much smaller than than band's, and should be easier to control. Heck, even Bucky's been arrested before. Let's simmer down now.
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10.13.2006
Get out of my dreams, get into my car
This is creepy. And you've probably already seen it, because I know we have some huge Hoff fans here. But we should really all watch and love his new, awesome, extraordinay music video Jump in My Car, featuring the American Flag, horrendous blue screening, tremendous songwriting, and our beloved KITT, albeit a German model.
Maybe KITT will turn up as a guest judge on 'America's Got Talent.'
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10.12.2006
Hellllllloooooooooo?
Hey, Kids! NES SPORTS BLOOPERS!
Nothing else to see here. Carry on.
Much love to Philly B for that sweet link.
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10.11.2006
Aaaarrrgh!
From Erin...
The BEST MAC DASHBOARD WIDGET EVER.
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10.10.2006
My karma ran over your dogma.
The president of the United States has claimed, on more than one occasion, to be in dialogue with God. If he said that he was talking to God through his hairdryer, this would precipitate a national emergency. I fail to see how the addition of a hairdryer makes the claim more ridiculous or offensive.
Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation.
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10.06.2006
Oh it's on
My life is complete. I have now seen Aaron and Nick Carter fight about loud music and Paris Hilton.
Yes, that may sound terrible, but you seriously need to watch that video. I like, no check that, I love hearing them speak with "hip-hop accents" and have giant meltdowns over nothing. USA!
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10.05.2006
Chuck Norris + Law School = ?
That's right kids, you've been waiting for this...Chuck Norris legal humor.
A few select winners:
Originally, the idea of separation of powers was a reference to the fact that Chuck Norris has two different fists.
Justice is blind because Chuck Norris roundhouse-kicked her in the face.
Chuck Norris can recite ERISA from memory, word for word, but he never does it because ERISA is fucking boring.
It is impossible to sue Chuck Norris for battery because whatever force he uses is always reasonable.
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smith and wessOn Wisconsin!
From Newsweek - "Wis. lawmaker wants teachers to carry guns."
MADISON, Wis. - In the wake of school shootings in Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania during the last two weeks, a state legislator says he plans to introduce legislation that would allow teachers, principals, administrators and other school personnel to carry concealed weapons.
Rep. Frank Lasee, a Republican, said Wednesday that, while his idea may not be politically correct, it has worked effectively in other countries.
...
Lasee stressed that the measure would hinge on school staff members getting strict training on the use of the weapons. He also acknowledged he would have to work around a federal law that bans guns on school grounds.
(ed: Emphasis added).
And where do our gubernatorial candidates stand on the issue? Both are strongly opposed, curiously. I wonder if it has something to do with an upcoming election. It's pretty obvious that only one candidate doesn't want guns to be everywhere.
UPDATE: Aaron beat me to the punch on this one.
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Who will Americans vote for?
The National Review has some curious information on the voting preferences of Americans.
The question:
"Do you think Americans are ready to elect a [BLANK] as president, or not?"
From Althouse:
Before you click here and see the poll numbers -- if you haven't seen them already -- look at the words for filling in that blank -- presented alphabetically -- and guess which order people think Americans are "ready": African American, Asian, atheist, gay or lesbian, Jew, Hispanic, Mormon, woman.
The results are somewhat unsurprising, although I wonder if the numbers are actually a bit inflated. An Althousista opines:
The Drill SGT said...
On the other hand, it has been observed that public polls tend to demonstrate the voters favor a minority higher in pre-ballot polling than in the actual election returns. By that I mean, let's say 60% of likely ovtes say they will vote for Doug Wilder for Gov of VA for example, Doug gets 51% in the ballotting, yet the exit polls say that 60% voted for him. Lots of folks won't be anti-PC in public, yet will vote their biases in the booth.
My only question - when will this country finally progress enough that we can elect a Christian white male? I'm crossing my fingers, but only time will tell if this oppressed group will ever make any stides.
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10.04.2006
And we're back.....
Civic duty time...
Jake's Mom reader Alissa recently emailed looking for a bit of help. Not for her, but for her friend Michelle. And what do they need help with? Clicking two things.
My friend Michelle...recently signed up at her local radio station to win a date with a bachelor. Out of all the girls that signed up, she was one of the three girls selected to win a date. Well, the only way she gets the date is if she wins the most votes. That's where you come in. If you have a moment, I would appreciate it if you could vote for her at the website below...I think the contest ends on Friday so if you could vote between now and then, that'd be great. If you have a lot of time, feel free to vote one time a day.
Go vote for MICHELLE. Come on, do it.
(and while you're there, don't forget to check out Kiss FM's hottie of the week.)
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10.01.2006
We Jammin...and Poopin.
Lots of fun links from the guys at b3ta.
Wouldn't your newborn look great as The Donald or Bob Marley? I think so.
When designers pirate from other designers. Not very cool when used commercially. Especially by those thieves at Urban Outfitters / Counterfeiters.
Ummmm.
Ah, satire at its finest - a model of George W. Bush to stick where the sun don't shine. To be honest, we think he looks more like Clinton, although that doesn't make us any more susceptible to his rubbery charms.
The goatse mushroom. And no, if you don't get it, I'm not explaining it.
James Brown + Verne Troyer = this guy.
Proof that little kids love hardcore. Especially Hatebreed.
If any of you enjoy pie and Weebl, be sure to play Weebl Pie Pacman.
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