Finally, a cause we can all support: Topless Women March in Portland

QOTD

"I'm really upset by the men… all the men that are here, just like watching it like it's a parade."
- topless march organizer

The march was legal in Portland, ME because they only have laws against exposed genitals, not, um, torsos.

This is a fer-pay WSJ story, but a good one: What's the Next Global Warming
The author chronicles the cracks in global warming across the globe:

• French best seller "L'imposture climatique" rip global warming
  
• Leftie German magazine "Der Spiegel" had a 15 page feature on "scientists who want to be politicians"
• Leading British environmentalist James Lovelock says the planet "will save itself, as it always as done"
• US poll has global warming as the 6th ranked out of the top 10 environmental worries
• In a different article, CA voters will challenge the state's goofy cap-n-trade regulations in the election this Fall.
  

Global warming as religion... the author compares Al Gore's carbon credits scheme ("It's how Al Gore justifies his utility bills") to a Catholic penance.
Good news all.

And finally some real SCIENCE!
Give a bunch of college kids some beers, and their test scores are fine the next morning.

Test-Takers Shrug Off the Effects of Alcohol

I could-a told you that.
he he... yow, bill

Labels: fun, globalwarming, qotd

QOTD

"Never buy a used Subaru WRX STI."
- WilliamT

My little Sooby (2007 Impreza WRX STI) is easily the best car I've every owned. Fast. Tight. Reliable. Just solid as a rock and fun fun fun.
2 1/2 years and no tickets yet. Knock, knock.


Subaru changed the Impreza to be a hatchback a couple years ago. Blech.
They are coming back with the sedan for 2011. Oh my.


Here's the official Sooby link: www.subaru.com/auto-show/index.html

Now, I paid like $32K for my Sooby, and they have jacked the prices since. The 2011 will come in easily over $40K. I can't blame them, but I might not partake. I have another couple good years with my Sooby and then we'll see.
sooby... yow, bill

PS - A paste on... Red Sock star Bernie Carbo was high as a kite during the 1975 World Series:

• Little Yahoo summary of the deal: link
• The original Boston Globe story is really inspirational about Carbo's overcoming addiction: link
• Youtube of Carbo's 8th inning, pinch-hit, game-tying homer in the 1975 World Series: link

QOTD2

“I probably smoked two joints, drank about three or four beers, got to the ballpark, took some [amphetamines], took a pain pill, drank a cup of coffee, chewed some tobacco, had a cigarette, and got up to the plate and hit,’’
- Bernie Carbo, source

And pardon my geezer moment here... less was more back then. No ESPN. No SportsCenter. No internet. Just WGN and NBC's Saturday Game of the Week. These moment's were treasuries, in part because of their scarcity. Now, they are a commodity.
Young whippersnapper.
He he.

Labels: fun, myphoto, qotd, sports

Nice.

1. Apple's iPad
Apple spam on their new gadget:
Man, them Apple boys are smart.
Like I'm going to run out to the Apple store and stand around to look at their crappy new toy.
I'm not going because the place will be overrun with other people going to look at Apple's crappy new widget.

2. Cisco's Valet
Cisco has a new gadget too. It's supposed to be a kinder, gentler, easier to setup/use wireless router:

It's called Valet, www.thevalet.com.
It works for iMac, so I might try that one out.
Now, all we need is a kinder, gentler home entertainment setup dealie. Man, that would scoop up the dollars.

3. Obama's Crackberry
Our ever-so-serious President has religious gadget:

QOTD

"I get a daily devotional on my BlackBerry which is a, is a wonderful thing."
- President Obama on not attending church services

Religion aside, that's a fave metaphor for President Obama, period.

4. Bill's Fantasy Baseball Team
I have Brandon Webb on my fantasy baseball team... a mid-late round flier.

QOTD2

"Webb (shoulder) threw seven pitches from the front of the mound on Sunday morning, the Arizona Republic reports."
- Brandon Webb news update

You follow that with a quote from Webb's AZ manager, AJ Hinch: "He's not game ready or anything like that."
Um. Duh.
he he... yow, bill

Labels: fun, myphoto, politics, qotd, sports, technology

Dr. Manhattan action figure. He he.


QOTD

Dr. Manhattan: I'm leaving this galaxy for one a little less complicated.
Laurie: I thought you said you cared about life again.
Dr. Manhattan: I do. I think I'll create some.
- "Watchmen"

And speaking of radiation: Geneva atom smasher sets collision record

Fun stuff, and I love the people worried about them creating a black hole right there in Geneva. At least it's not Geneva, IL. Probably crap, but I'll bet they can't disprove it. Sort of like the Manhattan Project no knowing what the hell they were doing at the start. Hey, maybe that'll be the plot of "Watchmen 2". He he.
great movie... yow, bill

Labels: fun, movies, qotd

This great country isn't about socialized health care or DC shenanigans.
America is about people hustling to make a buck for themselves and their family.
I humbly submit two most worthy exhibits.

Self-Centered Yoga
www.selfcenteredyoga.com

The good folks at SCY also cater to would-be self-centered young people with Toddler Yoga: "(2-4 years) A fun exploration of movement and play for you and your toddler."

I once got asked by a hot 40-something to go to "hot yoga" with her. Yoga with the temperature turned way up. Sadly, in retrospect, I declined.

BTW, cudos to my favorite resident of Roscoe Village for this catch.

Color Paw Nail Polish
www.ohmydogsupplies.com/color-paw-nail-polish.html

"Groom your pet with a trendy and colorful pet-i-cure with the Color Paw Nail Polish."

And Color Paw comes in a variety of colors. As a Pisces, naturally my choice would be Amethyst Shimmer.

Dang. Best of luck to SCY and Color Paw. I salute you!
great... yow, bill

Labels: fun

Ah, gmail. Sigh.
Here's a fun ad that popped up this morning:


What does Owl Brand Discovery Kits (OBDK) sell? Owl pellets.

What's an owl pellet? OBDK says it's "the mass of undigested parts of a bird's food that some bird species occasionally regurgitate."

And why would I buy these? I don't know. You give em to kids to look at or something. www.obdk.com/owlpellets.html

At least they're cheap... just a couple bucks. www.obdk.com/store/products.asp

That's an owl pellet over there to the right.
Yuk.
who... yow, bill

PS - Happy St. Patty's!

Labels: fun

From the something-something kid's museum in Indy...


It's funny where surfing leads you sometimes.
I got this spam from the Joliet Jackhammers...


First off, I heart minor league baseball. Man, those guys want your business. Opposite of the Cub. The Joliet Jackhammer. The Kane County Cougar. Excellent. It's especially great for kids.

Anywho, as their site notes, the Jackhammer Kiss Cam is sponsored by "prominent local Family Law attorney Erin Webster O’Sullivan". Um, "family law attorney"? That's code for "divorce lawyer"... which is pretty funny for a Kiss Cam. Then I googled said attorney, and holy alimony Batman, she's a hot hot hot divorce attorney.

Labels: fun, myphoto, sports

Party #1 - The Dude
Pretty funny... Jeff Dowd has a website: www.jeffdowd.com
Jeff Dowd is "The Dude" in real life.
It looks like he's making some dinero on the whole deal. Why not?

Movie: "The Big Lebowski"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... the best!

Could be a top 10 Bill-movie.
I can't come up with a funnier movie off the top of my head.


Party #2 - Trekkie
Excellent.
http://video.yahoo.com/network/100063489?v=7086116&l=100063517

The "Tholian Web" episode was on last night... 40+ years and still the BEST!

QOTD

"Bones, Spock. Since you are playing this tape, we will assume that I am dead and the tactical situation is critical and both of you are locked in mortal combat.

It means, Spock, that you have control of the ship and are probably making the most difficult decisions of your career. I can offer only one small piece of advice for whatever it's worth: use every scrap of logic and knowledge you have to save the ship, but temper your judgment with intuitive insight. I believe you have those qualities, but if you can't find them in yourself, seek out McCoy. Ask his advice, and, if you find it sound, take it.

Bones, you've heard what I just told Spock. Help him if you can, but remember he is the captain, his decisions must be followed, without question. You might find that he is capable of human insight and human error. They are most difficult to defend, but you will find that he is deserving of the same loyalty and confidence each of you have given me.

Take care."
- Capt Kirk's, taped message for Spock & McCoy in the event of his death, imdb source

Party #3 - Ripping Al a new one
Great article... props to Steven F Hayward for the writing and to the Morning News for the link:


"In Denial" is pretty long. But worthy.
The interesting part is not just the rebuttal of the science, but also the outright (and justified) attack on the selling of science and its politicization by Al Gore and his ilk.
warm this... yow, bill

Speaking of Star Trek... this is the girl who played Uhura in the new Star Trek movie. Jeez. And Yow!

Labels: 5stars, fun, globalwarming, movies, qotd

Chart #1 - Funding obesity
Hey, this is a great chart.


Ya get it? The feds don't tax obesity; they fund it.
Oh, don't worry they'll tax obesity, and then funnel the money back into more subsidies.

I don't know the real source for this graph, but I found it using this weird Google Reader Play.
I don't think this link will help you, but if you use Reader, try Reader Play. Just for fun though.

Chart #2. Tracking the cult of personality
Looks like Evita, I mean, President Obama is taking a bit of a popularity hit.

Well, huzzah to that.
Hopefully, that Obama approval rating will continue heading due south. ***

QOTD

"Over the last year, we’ve gone through the budget line by line looking for places to trim the fat out of government."
- President Obama fibbing yesterday, source

chart this... yow, bill

*** footnote - I'll bet it doesn't go down much more... the stock market is telling us that jobs are coming around the corner. If that happens, that popularity will pop back up somewhat.

PS - BTW, "hope I die before I get old"... this article is FUCKING BRUTAL!

Labels: fun, politics, qotd

1. Intentionally Funny
Funny satire by Christopher Buckley offering some new tax ideas to the Obama administration.


My fave: taxing non-smokers. He he!



Just as funny, but unintentionally so:

Did you catch those stats?

• Latinos own 6.8% of all US business, but have received only 1.6% of the Obama stimulus kitty.
• Blacks own 5.2% of all businesses, but have gotten only 1.1%.
  

Nice going, President Obama.
funny... yow, bill

Labels: fun, myphoto, politics

I heart minor league baseball
Minor league baseball teams really, really want your business. They cater to you. They try hard. This is the exact opposite approach than you see at MLB teams like the Chicago Cub.

Here's a great story about the Peoria Chiefs, the Cub class A minor league team... they're leasing out their skyboxes to fantasy baseball leagues for their draft meetings. For $35 a guy, you get the luxury (cough) suite, all-you-can-eat buffet, beers, and a ticket to a future Chief game. Sweet!


I heart minor league baseball.


I heart my crock pot
RIP Mable Hoffman... author of “Crockery Cookery”, an early and popular crock pot recipe book.


I heart my crock pot... and Mable too, I reckon.


I heart Ronald Reagan
Book: “Tear Down This Wall” by Romesh Ratnesar
Review: 2 bill-stars (out of 5)... meh

This book is very dry and kinda boring. This is hard to fathom, given how interesting the subject matter is. The other irritating thing is the guy sprinkles in his politics into the thing here and there. The big two that bugged me:

1. Reagan's optimism was naivete
   
2. Gorbachev ended the cold war, not Reagan
   

OK, poindexter.
Reagan's optimism and belief in the human spirit defined him.
The author's incredulity likely defines him, and maybe this is a defining trait of your average leftie.

One of the best anecdotes from the book was by a girl attending a talk Reagan gave in Moscow. Russian security officials picked which students would sit where for Reagan's speech. They were told, "Don't make any movements with your body. If you get up, you will be shot." Well, that'll discourage those distracting potty breaks during an event, eh.

QOTD

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
- Ronald Reagan, Jun 12 1987, speech at Brandenburg Gate in (then) West Berlin

I believe the difference between Reagan and other presidents was an actual set of values which drove his decision-making. His values: small government, personal freedom, optimism. If you know what President Obama's values are, please chime in and enlighten me.

Reagan was stricken with Alzheimer's a few years after leaving office. He penned a final correspondence, a sort of goodbye, before losing his faculties.

QOTD2

“In closing, let me that you, the American people for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future. I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.”
-Ronald Wilson Reagan, Nov 5 1994 letter

I heart Ronald Reagan


I heart our great sunny weekend!
run faster... yow, bill

PS - A couple photos of Reagan in front of the Berlin Wall on Jun 12, 1987.

...

Labels: 2stars, books, fun, politics, qotd, sports

QOTD

"Coin-operated self-destruct... not one of my better ideas."
- Plankton

yow, bill

PS - Hey, I predicted this. The fall, the changing of Sarah Palin. (Yeah, genius. I know). Too bad.

Labels: fun, qotd

1. Health Care Nonsense
Good, if snarky, article here:


I'm not a big Buffet fan, but he's right here. The issue is cost.

QOTD

"We're just going to focus on costs, and we're not going to dream up 2,000 pages of other things... Get rid of the nonsense."
- Warren Buffet, on scrapping ObamaCare and starting over

I said it a year ago. President Obama could have easily made meaningful, common sense changes to health care in America. But we went down the rabbit hole instead. And here we are.

2. Hot Curlers
I watched some Winter Olympics... more than I thought I would. The USA-Canada hockey matches were both awesome!

Anyway, here's my Olympic wrap... two things:

1. It's a good thing Canada won the gold in men's hockey. The gold medal game was the most watched TV show ever in Canada (source) with 80% of the flipping country watching the game. Jeez! If the US had won the game in overtime, I think Canada would have collectively jumped off a window ledge or something.
2. I still don't understand the rules, but women's curlers were hot hot hot!
   

The hottest women's curler of all is...


Jeez.
pro curling... yow, bill

Labels: fun, healthcare, qotd, sports

1. Retro Sheet
I turned on the tube after the market closed yesterday, and there it was on some MLB channel that I don't know why I have...

Excellent.
So, google, google, google... and giggle, giggle, giggle... here's the boxscore from that game:


Checkout the "Play by Play" section at the end of the file... every batter and move in the game is detailed. Amazing.

Read, read, read... the guys that pour in the time to do this are:


QOTD

"Retrosheet was founded in 1989 for the purpose of computerizing play-by-play accounts of as many pre-1984 major league games as possible."
- Mission statement of RetroSheet, source

Couple observations:

• Jack Brickhouse was the broadcaster... perfect guy for a simpler time.
• The Cub crowd was decidedly younger... the voices chanting "We want a run" sounded like a school choir.
• I remember that game... or I think I do... because I would turn the Cub on after coming home from school. When you come home, and the score is 22-22, there's a good chance you'll remember it.
  
• The Cub today are not as much fun as those ever-losing Cub of yesteryear. Either that, or I'm an old goat. Who can tell?
  

2. Financial Fasting
Certainly, confusing economic times... tough tough tough, and then you can't get into a restaurant on a Tuesday night. I don't know what the heck is going on.

This is a fun article on a 20-something doing a "financial fast" for 21 days... basically cutting back on all discretionary spending.


3. Bumper Sticker of the Day (BSOTD?)
Saw this (too funny) bumper sticker last week:

He he.
peace out... yow, bill

Labels: fun, politics, qotd, sports

1. Health Care Summit
The "Health Care Summit" was yet another setback for President Obama. He had hoped to sway public opinion by talking rings around the repubs on national TV for a few hours.

Oops.

QOTD

"And I've got to tell you, the American people are engaged. And if you think they want a government takeover of health care, I would respectfully submit you're not listening to them."
- Paul Ryan, Wi repub, to President Obama, source

Will he still try to cram crappy Obamacare through the Congress?
We shall see.

Paul Ryan is a Congress dude from Wisconsin. He's doing well, but he's not nearly as highly-regarded as the Packers bikini girls below:
2. Earthquake!
The Richter scale is base 10 logarithmic (wikipedia). So, a mag 5 earthquake is 10x more powerful ("seismic energy") than a mag 4.

Earthquakes like these:

• Illinois 2010 - We had an earthquake earlier this month in Illinois. It was early in the morning. I felt it, but I didn't realize it was an earthquake. That was a magnitude 3.8 quake (source).
  
• San Jose 1989 - My favorite earthquake was the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake... because I was there. It was magnitude 6.9. So, the 1989 quake was roughly 1,000x more powerful than our little Naperville shake.
  
• Chile 2010 - My earthquake theme is because there was a big quake in Chile today, mag 8.8. That's roughly 100x more powerful than 1989... or 100,000x more powerful than Naperville's baby quake. Yow!

3. Bill48
God bless February 27... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_27
Wikipedia says I was born on the same day as:

• Adam Baldwin - I don't think he's a "Baldwin brother". I remember him most in "My Bodyguard" from back in the day, and more recently, from "Serenity"... a movie I heart.
• Grant Show - who I don't know from Adam... um, any Adam, not just Adam Baldwin.
  

I got a fish for my birthday (the Christmas fish already, um, passed on):

We'll name him:

• Flint... main character from "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", or
• Ryan Miller... if the USA hockey team wins Sunday
  

Stay tuned... and GO USA!

48 is OK.
Sure, things are slowing down, but nothing's fallen off yet. He he!
Birthday poker party at The Castle today... then family dinner at Domo tomorrow.
happy birthday... yow, bill

Labels: fun, healthcare, qotd

1. Killer Weeners
Sigh.

Pediatricians call for a choke-proof hot dog

I heart Janet Riley...

QOTD

"Ensuring the safety of the foods we service to children is critically important for us."
- Janet Riley, President of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council

That's right... the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council
Hey, they have a website and everything... www.hot-dog.org
They're a Facebook page too... you'll have to find them on your own though. I'm a fan!

And dang, President Janet Riley looks like a cute little Irish girl...

Who would you rather have babysit your kids?

1. Janet Riley, President of the Weener Council
2. Or some pediatrician who wants choking warnings on your hot dogs

You know my answer.

2. Two more Silly Things

BTW, why do kids have peanut allergies now, and they didn't 40 years ago?

Doctors launch major trials to treat childhood peanut allergy after promising pilot study

QOTD2

"The therapy is the most promising development yet in the search for a long-term treatment for the allergy, which affects 4% of British schoolchildren."
- 4% of British kids are allergic to peanuts?!? Really? Source

There's something fishy (peanuty?) here. I heard a theory this weekend that kids are more sheltered from, well, everything, and that a by-product of this is more allergies to, well, everything... including peanuts.
Maybe.

Finally, have you watched any Olympics?
Pretty good.
I saw some skiing.
They pointed out two parents in the crowd during my short tenure in front of the tube.
Both of them were videotaping their (adult) children as they were performing in the Olympics.
Does that make any sense to you? To anyone?
Well, that "anyone" crack is rhetorical because it obviously makes sense to them, but how about living before videotaping.
I don't know.
peace out... yow, bill

Labels: fun, qotd

1. NBA Nerds
Only foreign-born NBA players read... American players play video games. Sigh.


The two causes are obvious:

1. Crappy public schools
2. Coddling of athletes from a very young age

Ah, nuts to that, here are some awesome dunks:

1. Vince Carter literally jumping over some poor schlep in the Olympics: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMrPjl-927Q
2. Michael Jordan, with two hands, dunking on 7'4" Mark Eaton in Utah: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhdMHcI2dRo
3. Kevin Johnson dunking on Hakeem: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kidpegzfFc

2. Obama Malaise
My fave, the Mad Hedge Fund guy, puts the odds at 50/50 for a Jimmy Carteresque ending to the President Obama story:


QOTD

"If you’re over 50, and all of this sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because we’ve been through it all before. Remember Jimmy Carter? Remember the “misery index,” the unemployment rate plus the inflation rate, which hit 30, and catapulted Ronald Reagan into an eight year presidency?"
- the Mad Hedge Fund guy, source

Who knows?
In any case, it may not be the best time to buy and hold in the stock market. IMHO.

3. Poll wording
Finally, it's nice to confirm the obvious... the wording of a poll can dramatically effect the results.

QOTD2

"Seventy-nine percent of Democrats said they support permitting gay men and lesbians to serve openly. Fewer Democrats however, just 43 percent, said they were in favor of allowing homosexuals to serve openly."
- Poll results based on "gay" or "homosexual", source

Good one.
peace out... yow, bill

Labels: fun, politics, qotd, sports

EARTHQUAKE!
Magnitude 4.3 earthquake rattles Illinois

Definitely felt it at The Castle.
Cool.

Oh, and a pol/global warming quickie...

• $2B in stimulus money
• 6,000 jobs
• That's more than $300K/job
  
• And they're temporary
• And... (drum roll)... the jobs aren't even in the United States

Good one:
Wind Energy Stimulus Money Not Creating US Jobs; Most of $2 Billion Going Overseas

That's Obamanomics (?!?) for you.
Ok, maybe we'll just stick to ObamaCare. He he.

And windmill farms are a blight...
earthquake... yow, bill

Labels: fun, globalwarming, politics

1. Mortgage Banker Payback
Funniest story of the day:


Even funnier QOTD...

QOTD

"We have come to the inescapable conclusion that owning our own building was the smartest long-term investment for the association."
- Mortgage Banker's Association in 2007, on buying their building

I guess foreclosure would have been more appropriate, but still... pretty funny.

2. Hopey Changey
Sarah Palin's "Tea Party" speech was chockful 'o Obama zingers.
Back to that in a second.

QOTD2

"Now, a year later, I got to ask the supporters of all that...
how is that hope-y, change-y stuff working out for you,"
- Sarah Palin, source

Hopey, changey... jeez. good one.

It dawns on this addled observer... why is Sarah Palin the only one calling this guy out?
Even this crappy blog pulls punches, I must admit.
Why?
Is it a black guy thing? Or social pressure? Fear of not dating hot 40-somethings?
I honestly don't know.
Processing...

QOTD3

"I think instead of lecturing, he needs to stop and he needs to listen on health care issues, on national security."
- Sarah Palin

Cha.
I read that now Obama is calling for a meeting with repubs on health care.
Now.
NOW!

Fucking idiot.
You've had a year... the Senate... the Congress... 53-47 victory over an 80 year-old stiff... 10% unemployment... few trillions in debt... and NOW you want to talk about health care reform.
Pathetic.

I have a better idea... more talks with Iran.

3. Book Review
Book: "The Night in Question" by Tobias Wolff
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... very good

Good read.
I am much more a novel guy than short stories, but still good.
Thanks, Matt for the rec.

QOTD4

"He was big in every direction - tall and rotund with a massive head, a trophy head."
- Tobias Wolff, "The Night in Question" page 191

BTW, the best short story of the bunch was the shortest and the last, "Bullet in the Brain"... about a guy who... well, just read it.
He he he.
hopey changey not... yow, bill

Labels: 3stars, books, fun, politics, qotd

1. Betty White
Best Super Bowl commercial... Betty White.


Dammit, that's funny.
All the Super Bowl ads are at that link, BTW.
How do young people even know who Betty White is?

2. Argentina
Ah, the world would be so much better off if hot chicks were running things.
Um. Don't tell that to Argentina, where the girls are just as corrupt as the boys.



I will say this... it looks like they're having fun.
I don't know how much fun hyper-inflation is going to be for your average joe (jose?) in Argentina, but whatever.

3. Milwaukee School Choice
Speaking of corruption... Dear President Obama. Dear Arnie Duncan. School choice is working in Milwaukee and DC and NYNY and...


QOTD

"In 2008 the graduation rate for voucher students was 77% versus 65% for the nonvoucher students, though the latter receives $14,000 per pupil in taxpayer support, or more than double the $6,400 per pupil that voucher students receive in public funding."
- School choice stats in Milwaukee, source

So great that money can't buy results.
So great to see freedom working.

It's a smooth ride... arguing for choice and personal freedom.
How's that anti-freedom argument working... Obama and Arnie and the teacher's unions and other lefties.

All you have to do is allow for a little risk... the risk that people will take care of their own stuff (like kids) better than anyone else.
No risk with the gov plan... you know it will suck.
an easy choice... yow, bill

PS - "bikini school choice"

Labels: fun, politics, qotd, schoolchoice, sports

1. Crazy Heart
Movie: "Crazy Heart"
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... really good

Let's see...

• Outstanding performance by Jeff Bridges.
• This is a fun, slow movie with lots of fun country music
• Good ending
• I'm definitely buying the soundtrack
  

It's a great date movie... or maybe I just had a great date... who can tell?

QOTD

"Falling feels like flying... for a little while"
- some good, ole, hard-drinkin and hard-livin country lyrics from "Crazy Heart"

2. Crazy Pol
Book: "End the Fed" by Ron Paul
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... worth reading

OK, Ron Paul isn't crazy, and the book is OK.
Ron Paul is an ideologue who takes his beliefs and extrapolates... gets kind of old after a while.

Here's Paul's basic argument, as I see it... "The Fed", since it was established in 1914 or something, has too much power and is corrupt and has led to the ruination of the United States.
OK.
Well, the obvious problem with this argument is that, under our current system, we have ascended to being the lone superpower in the world, both economically and politically.

To his credit though, Ron Paul puts his money on the table. He says that unless we go to a gold-based monetary system pronto, we're doomed.
So, when the US crashes in flames, I'll come back and give Ron Paul his props.

That said, I absolutely agree with Ron Paul's call for an end to Fed secrecy and shenanigans. There is no reason for the Fed to operate outside of scrutiny and without being audited.
I also absolutely agree with Paul's implication that far too much power has shifted to Washington DC in our country.


3. Quirky links
A couple-a quirky links por vu...


It's so tough to be an artist, right? You can be completely amazing and you're likely to be completely poor and obscure at the same time. In just a few minutes of trolling, I found some really cool stuff on "Art blog". Check it out... these click are definitely worthy:

• Redesign of the dollar - bunch-a artists create their own dollar bills
• A single sheet of paper - amazing designs from just a piece of paper... the hand below is an example
  
• Egg shell art - thousands of tiny holes in an egg, jeez
  

This is a weird, fun music site. Click away on the squares and enjoy.
crazy, crazy, quirky... yow, bill

Labels: 3stars, books, fun, movies, politics

www.williamt.com is proud to announce our 2nd annual Super Bowl contest. This year's contest is sponsored by the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act. At www.recovery.gov we're helping America because "Shoot, we've got plenty of money!" (TM)

The contest is easy... you put in no $$, just email me your three picks to win win win:

1. Who will cover in the Super Bowl? Indy -5 1/2 or New Orleans +5 1/2
2. How many total points will be scored in the Super Bowl?
3. How many passing yards will Peyton Manning and Drew Brees have combined?

That's it.
The winner get a crappy replica jersey of some player from the winning team... not to worry, my stimulus $$$ will more than cover it.

Oh yeah, the rules:

1. Email me (williamt@williamt.com) your three picks. Get me the stuff by noon Super-Sunday. Any friend or family member or neighbor can play... the more the merrier. Warning: No fictional characters, and if your kids play, then they must make the picks. If your kid thinks the Bears are gonna win this year... send it in!
2. I'll email back a spreadsheet Sunday afternoon (before the game) with everyone's picks.
3. The winner is based on the three picks; they are sorted in order of importance. For example, if 7 people get pick #1 right, then pick #2 will decide. If there are any ties still left, then pick #3 will decide. I'll make sure no one has all three the same. If we have a tie, then closest without going over ("Price is Right" style) for total passing yards wins.
4. I'll announce the winner to everyone Monday. My decision is final. (Yes!) Offer not valid in Tennessee or Kentucky.

Last year's contest was super-exciting! Last year's winner (weener) was Chris the Commish. This year's winner (weener) could be you. Heck, it could be me. Yes, of course I'm playing.

www.williamt.com is your best source for crappy vacation photos.

www.williamt.com is there to sate your radical right-wing blog needs.

And yes, www.williamt.com... voted "Best blog on the Web" by "Hot 40-somethings" magazine for 6 years running.
Huzzah!

Email me: williamt@williamt.com
go bear... yow, bill

Labels: fun, sports

Self-interest #1 - PBS
PBS has a novel proposal... have the feds "bailout" media to the tune of $30B/year:

This is one of the most "out there" QOTD's I can recall.

QOTD

“This is sort of the number a free society pays to have credible journalism”
- Dude, on giving $30B/year in taxpayer money to media, source

If I were gulping down some milk, it would have shot out my nose after that blooper.

Self-interest #2 - Teacher's Union
And my least favorite group that favors their own interest over (seemingly) anything... the teacher's unions.

This article describes the teacher's unions attempts to derail funding for charter schools in poor districts in New York City:


Lowest of the low, the teacher's union guy uses special ed as why charter schools are successful. Easy solution... pull special ed money/costs out as a separate thing. You'll still see funding for public schools far out-pacing their private counterparts, while significantly under-performing.

Speaking of teacher, this little bikini girl (and teacher) actually has a story:

excellent... yow, bill

Labels: fun, politics, qotd

QOTD

"My pictures are really old but it's about substance right?"
- fave (sarcastic) quote from a POF girl-fishie profile

That's all. Wrapping a good, productive MLK Day for me.

So, that's it... fun QOTD and bikini shot.
But what a bikini shot. Jeez.
yow, bill

PS - Oh yeah. Sorry, not buying the story line: charismatic MA repub wins Teddy Kennedy's seat (I mean, the people's seat vacated by Teddy Kennedy... he he!) tomorrow and then derails crappy ObamaCare. It's all made up. They're just selling newspapers, folks. The whole f'ing Obama train doesn't derail only 12 months in. ObamaCare will pass in some form; they don't much care about form at this point. It has to pass, so victory can be claimed, and claimed it will be. Done.

QOTD2

"I'm an Illinois boy. I've lived on both coasts for work, but moved back to Illinois for the weather and the view. LOL."
- my own humorous (cough) POF email to a girl-fishie

Labels: fun, politics, qotd

Just for fun...

QOTD

"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerder the ltteres in a wrod are. The olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Olny 55% of plepoe are albe to raed tihs."
- lots of places, including here

Even more fun is Switcharoo, which jumbles up a web page by randomizing the middle letters of each word. I switcharoo'd this humble blog... see?
Just for fun.

Oh, and I heart Mitch Rapp.

QOTD2

"Because, my friend, if you succeed in killing Mr. Rapp, and the Americans find out you were behind it, the king will cut off your head. If you fail, and Mr. Rapp finds out you were behind it... he will visit you and your family with more pain than you can imagine."
- Saudi prince in Vince Flynn's "Consent to Kill"

Only 17 pages in... so great!
he he... yow, bill

PS - This AP news headline is just funny... "Report: Health costs up slightly under Senate bill"
Good one.

Labels: fun, healthcare, qotd