The Blog to End All Blogs

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61029692012-01-18T14:23:26.156-05:00The Blog to End All BlogsMy ridiculously pretentiously titled weblog...Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.comBlogger4221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-3990570601644063532010-01-09T12:32:00.003-05:002010-01-09T12:55:49.224-05:00Best Music of 2009

I wasn't planning on posting a best-of 2009 list (and in fact have been focusing on my much more long-winded best-of-the-decade list) but Matt inspired me to do so. As he says, 2009 was a much better year music-wise than 2008 (though I'd hesitate to call it "amazing"), and anyway, I can never shy away from a good music discussion.Attentive readers (if such still exist for this

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-3598857866961921482009-12-09T12:13:00.004-05:002009-12-09T12:24:35.107-05:00In which Mike's head explodes

From the "things you never thought would happen" department, Washington Post op-ed columnist Michael Gerson and Radley Balko just agreed on something. So, yeah. Whee.Also, many of the front-runners for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, including Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and (shudder) Sarah Palin, apparently disdain what is an essential and underused (and often as not misused)

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-22154174815870148772009-10-06T14:35:00.002-05:002009-10-06T15:34:14.139-05:00Brief baseball predictions

(Yeah, I gave up on the whole song-lyrics-as-post-titles thing. So what?)It's that most wonderful time of the year again, with football season coming into full bloom and baseball season entering its heyday. Of course, the Redskins seem to have absorbed large amounts of suck this year, the Braves missed out on the postseason for the third year in a row, and the Rays' occasional signs of life this

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-68322251736005050552009-09-17T10:20:00.002-05:002009-09-17T10:29:47.198-05:00"Praying for Pavement to get back together..."

Well, you can stop praying, Matt Berninger (or rather the girl in "So Far Around the Bend"), because apparently it's happening.Hmm, it's been a while since I've been to New York. Maybe I need to make a special trip...SPIN posted their dream set list for this event, which I have no major disagreements with, except that it's missing "Shady Lane", "Trigger Cut", and "Major Leagues" at a minimum.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-77318423990518117672009-07-14T13:44:00.004-05:002009-07-14T14:12:27.892-05:00"Y'all don't know what it's like being male, middle class, and white..."

Wanted to provide a small rain to alleviate the current blogging drought by linking to an interesting article by Eugene Robinson regarding the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation and the fallacious notion that only minorities have "identities" whereas white guys don't. Basically, the point is that everyone approaches any legal issue with our own prejudices based on a unique set of life experiences, and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-52786747340974228812009-06-21T12:00:00.005-05:002009-06-21T12:46:53.844-05:00"Rock the Casbah..."

It's been entirely too long since I last posted, and much has happened, with probably the most important thing being the election, protests, and violent retaliation in Iran. So far, Radley Balko has best summarized my feelings about the goings-on.We may never know with 100 percent certainty whether the election was fixed, though it sure seems that way. But one thing we sure as hell know now, the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-22322882996529676072009-05-18T11:26:00.002-05:002009-05-18T11:31:53.964-05:00"At times like these, it's obvious..."

Yep. Couldn't have said it better myself. (H/T: Jacob.)Let the arguments begin in the comments section (assuming anyone still visits this rarely-updated POS blog). And please, though I'm aware of Godwin's Law, don't compare anyone to Hitler. Jeff has an excellent post as to why."Lay down your armsGive up the fightThrow up your arms into the sky,When it's time to live and let die"- Green Day, 21

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-68134755849942121222009-04-30T17:33:00.003-05:002009-04-30T17:34:36.326-05:00"I guess she spent her last quarter randomly..." - Music of 2009 Q1

In lieu of my usual end-of-year musical summaries, which are always a lot to take in, I am hoping to start a new trend of quarterly music summaries. (Admittedly, I'm already a month behind on this one.) The goal is to minimize the amount of reading material while maximizing the potential for those who spot something intriguing or something they were iffy on to discover a great album (or avoid a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-18628944556857412892009-04-16T09:23:00.004-05:002009-04-16T09:49:10.262-05:00"What do you want me to say?"

Wow, way to guilt trip me Post. Yeesh.Did it ever occur to anyone that if people, government and corporations, were acting fiscally responsible in the first place, none of this would have happened? Sigh...(Just watch, now I'm probably gonna lose my job tomorrow for having the audacity of claiming I have job security and fiscal responsibility.)On another note, I'd like to request a moment of blog

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-26552907608059123292009-04-10T09:40:00.003-05:002009-04-10T09:40:30.467-05:00"I've had kisses that make Judas seem sincere..."

Looks like I'm starting a tradition of sharing semi-profound but more accurately subversive thoughts on Good Friday. Last year, I took issue with the very concept of Christians calling the day Christ died "good" (even though ultimately its outcome was). This year I want to talk about Judas (Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus, not Thaddeus, who was unfairly maligned by his namesake). For 2000

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-4163329912539934962009-04-03T11:06:00.002-05:002009-04-03T11:20:08.990-05:00"Freedom no longer frees you..."

Some news fragments courtesy of The Agitator.Fledgling democracy Iraq has decided to exercise the apparent will of the people by executing gays.Meanwhile, established democracy the United States of America attempts to reenact Kafka's "The Trial".Incidentally, where are we going and why am I in this hand basket?(In lighter news, I hope to have a Q1 music review up some time soon. Stay tuned.)"And

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-31862633374306860662009-03-26T13:33:00.002-05:002009-03-26T13:50:48.375-05:00"You must have been so high..."

I agree, President Obama: legalizing marijuana is not a good strategy to grow our economy. No, legalizing marijuana is a good strategy to: relieve stress on our crowded prisons, reduce police corruption and urban violence, focus law enforcement attention on more egregious crimes, and promote individual freedom of choice. And, oh, by the way, we could also turn the billions of dollars wasted

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-36432034472122779372009-03-24T10:11:00.002-05:002009-03-24T10:25:47.031-05:00"What have you done Mark David Chapman?"

...well, apparently you didn't kill John Lennon!According to a van I drove by on US 19 this morning, John Lennon was killed by ... wait for it ... Stephen King.This white van seemed very intent on spreading the word to the masses, what with the black lettering covering it saying "Stephen King Killed John Lennon" and pointing to its website, which I won't dignify with naming or linking to. So just

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-6035775615069107652009-03-20T16:53:00.002-05:002009-03-20T17:00:32.595-05:00"Sticks and stones, baby, break your bones..."

Okay, first things first: I don't believe the President of the United States belongs on a late-night talk show. Period. This belief has nothing to do with these shows' propensity for telling jokes many would consider "off-color" (and many others, including myself, generally just consider "unfunny"). It's simply that I like to believe that POTUS has better things to do with his/her time than

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-23704710331379162532009-03-18T09:21:00.004-05:002009-03-18T09:44:28.657-05:00"These are just words, and words are okay..."

As someone who performed the descriptively-named role of "Son" in the Steve Martin-penned play "WASP" in college, this story of defiance in the face of censorship puts a rather large smile on my face. (H/T: Jacob.) Not much to say about it, other than Steve Martin is awesome.Side note: our performance of the play is memorable for many reasons, including: a) it's where I first met Zhubin; b)it

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-34490151734822012852009-03-13T16:50:00.002-05:002009-03-13T17:05:01.691-05:00"And so all over creation the culture of death became a celebrated rule of law..."

Some states are apparently considering doing away with the death penalty because it costs too much. Though I usually do involve it at some point, cost tends to fall pretty much at the bottom of my arguments against the death penalty, shortly after: it fails as a deterrent, the judicial system is not infallible (i.e., there's always a risk of executing an innocent), and, of course, Hammurabi died

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-86975451168383070372009-03-05T18:19:00.004-05:002009-03-05T18:28:35.118-05:00"Hey! Don't come around here no more..."

You have no idea how immensely glad I am to see the Washington Redskins on this list. Knowing owner Daniel Snyder's propensity to throw money at all the wrong places, I was afraid we'd be first in line for T.O. once he became available. Sometimes I love being wrong. Given how T.O., despite his immense on-field talents, has proven to be a plague to just about every team he's ever joined, I'm not

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-25263336116247282912009-03-05T13:43:00.004-05:002009-03-05T13:52:06.156-05:00"Going down to the swamp..."

I haven't commented much on Vandy's basketball season, largely because there hasn't been much to comment on, but I felt like last night's victory over #11 LSU merited a "VANDY! VANDY! OH HELL YEAH!" Hopefully this keeps whatever meager tournament chances we have alive.Better yet, the old Slant mates Banecker and Collazzi were there cheering the Dores on. Apparently Collazzi wore a Freije jersey,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-66446434699746457082009-03-04T10:24:00.006-05:002009-03-04T12:49:25.578-05:00"Gimmee some salt, gimmee some salt, gimmee gimmee gimmee..."

When I first saw this article about "Christian salt", my first thought was that it must come from Lot's wife. Just thought I would share that with y'all. (Seriously, are there people who don't think that when they hear the phrase "Christian salt"?)(H/T: Jacob)Update: I swear I posted this before FARK made the same joke.Literature quote of the day:"And Lot's wife, of course, was told not to look

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-3183381096836077922009-02-20T10:31:00.002-05:002009-02-20T10:50:45.732-05:00"Sometimes I wanna get you low..."

Hey, let's appease Muslims while pissing off short Christians!So what, now people like myself aren't afforded any sort of spiritual guidance without help of a stepstool or ladder? And you wonder why we become agnostics...Not to mention, the children! Won't someone please think of the children?(H/T: Jacob, as usual.)"I had a drink the other dayOpinions were like kittens, I was giving them away"-

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-26861301667391755292009-02-13T16:20:00.002-05:002009-02-13T17:33:51.610-05:00"There's nothing you can know that isn't known..."

It amazes me that we actually needed an academic study to figure this out. I mean, honestly, I don't know of any men who are anything less than blatantly obvious about being attracted to a woman, even when they think they are being subtle. FARK put it best: "First sign a man is interested in sex: he is awake." Further, I think we can all agree that women are pretty much impossible to read.On the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-7391127031765979162009-02-12T17:42:00.002-05:002009-02-12T18:15:43.929-05:00"So much for so much more..."

The only piece of remotely decent economic news over the past two weeks, in the wake of an ever-plummeting stock market and the injection of fear-mongering into the economic shitulus package (I also like Jeff's term "scamulus" - say, how many different ways can we explain the utter suckage of the stimulus package in faux-words?), was the pending appointment of Senator Judd Gregg, a fiscal

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-87929145957999492082009-02-11T10:19:00.003-05:002009-02-11T10:48:09.000-05:00"The times, they are a-changin'..."

No, wait: they're staying exactly the same.I've been trying to collect my thoughts about this travesty, but I've decided that Jeff sums it up best. I had a sneaking suspicion Obama would back off some of his foreign policy rhetoric as soon as he got his first intelligence briefing and realized how crazy things really are, but still, this is a bit much.I know it's only been three weeks, but

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-34638325770526487222009-02-07T11:02:00.003-05:002009-02-07T11:33:23.952-05:00"Still crazy after all these years..."

It warms the cockles of my heart (and what the hell is a "cockle" anyway?) to know that, years later, Vanderbilt students are aware of, and still talking about, the "Gee Dead" incident.Apparently, The Slant printed this memorial article as part of another fake Hustler. How creative. At least this time, they did it with Chris Carroll's permission (something it honestly never occurred to us to do.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-65451292232056446952009-02-05T17:59:00.002-05:002009-02-05T18:08:37.465-05:00Peyton Manning's latest fail

Apparently angry at his 6 career playoff one-and-dones, Peyton Manning decided to throw Jay Cutler's blood sugar monitor into a pool. Latent Volunteer-Commodore rivalry? Perhaps. But a hilarious FAIL nonetheless."I put your favorite records on and sit aroundIt spins around and you're around again...All's well in hell and here's hoping"- the Wrens, She Sends Kisses

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-10729928124712293642009-02-04T09:44:00.002-05:002009-02-04T10:04:39.191-05:00Phelps phollow-up

Kathleen Parker, who I always thought was a conservative but whatever, has an opinion piece in today's Washington Post about the inherent ridiculousness and hypocrisy in the national reaction to the recent Michael Phelps scandal. Not nearly as hilarious as Radley Balko's rant, but probably more likely to appeal to people who haven't already figured out that our marijuana laws, and the enforcement

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-29421570932246969202009-02-03T18:19:00.002-05:002009-02-03T18:25:20.180-05:00The day the music died?

Unless you haven't visited a single news website today, you're probably aware that today is the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. As tragic as "the day the music died" was, I argue that music is still alive and well. Which is a good thing.Anyway, not much to say, but I wanted to throw up a link to an in-depth examination of Don

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-33936611848526176432009-02-02T10:17:00.002-05:002009-02-02T10:25:02.784-05:00On a lighter note...

Radley Balko over at the Agitator has a spectacular eff you to everyone criticizing Michael Phelps over this "trangression". There's not much if anything I disagree with in his post, so I'll let it stand for itself. Except to note one thing: I can't believe it's only 40 percent.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-88423576550830910132009-02-02T09:52:00.003-05:002009-02-02T10:14:21.752-05:00"This is all I wanted to bring home..."

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday, so I was remiss in marking an important anniversary, as well as its cousin anniversary a few days prior. I wanted to take a brief moment to remedy that:6 years ago yesterday, my phone rang at 8 am. It was a Saturday morning and I was in college, so naturally I had only gone to sleep about 4 hours prior and my head was still swimming with the previous night's

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-67183148534328023512009-01-16T15:49:00.004-05:002009-01-16T16:03:42.523-05:00Random thought re: Obama's inaugural address

I have no idea what the content of Barack Obama's inaugural address will be, and look forward to finding out, but in my mind, ideally he will utilize the following mash-up of John F. Kennedy's inaugural (from the late David Foster Wallace):"Let the word go forth, that the past has been torched by a new generation of Americans."How awesome would that be?

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-1624693999977067592009-01-16T10:14:00.005-05:002009-01-16T10:56:32.630-05:00Mr. Gupta, tear down this wall... of legislation against marijuana use

This article by Dr. Sanjay Gupta about why he would keep marijuana illegal (hat tip: Jacob) is worrisome and an excellent example of narrow thinking regarding the subject. As a doctor, he naturally focuses on the health risks rather than the social effects, which hampers his article more as its the flimsier argument.Off the bat, Dr. Gupta writes, "The first is that marijuana isn't really very

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-11107991337553930392009-01-14T16:20:00.003-05:002009-01-14T16:23:50.233-05:00Civil disobedience (of sorts) in my own backyard

This, on the other hand, is awesome. (Hat tip: Radley Balko.) I am totally driving by this place tonight or tomorrow - it's only about ten minutes away from my place (hell, maybe I'll bike it).

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-67121358567397862422009-01-14T15:59:00.005-05:002009-01-14T16:18:39.891-05:00Oh good, 'cause the Fourth Amendment isn't circumvented quite often enough

The Supreme Court, by which I mean Justice Anthony Kennedy, has apparently decided that the Fourth Amendment only matters if the police screw-up deliberately instead of accidentally.What can you say? I mean, while I have a little sympathy for the "sure, your Constitutional rights were violated, but if you're guilty, you're guilty, so whatever" point-of-view, we can't just ignore that pesky little

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-55929376210462360812009-01-06T18:51:00.003-05:002009-01-07T18:58:22.592-05:00Top 10 Albums of 2008

Okay, I know I didn't post a top 10 albums of 2007, but that wasn't for lack of trying: indeed, that year was so ridiculously loaded with good music I found it very difficult to even narrow it down to 10. And even then, I couldn't stop typing when I started extolling their virtues, and it was growing into a blog post so epic it would almost put The Lord of the Rings trilogy to shame. Almost.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-74585942751805718342009-01-01T10:26:00.002-05:002009-01-01T10:40:56.390-05:00Happy 2009!

I don't remember exactly which age I was when I first became aware that something was different on January 1, but it was exactly the same age that I became aware that, really, nothing at all was different on January 1. To a friend of mine who said she was feeling weird about staying in for New Year's Eve, I pointed out that she could just go out for the Lunar New Year, or Rosh Hashanah, and call

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-24221211479243381162008-12-15T10:21:00.002-05:002008-12-15T11:00:45.235-05:00The opposite of "making the playoffs"

What's that you ask, dear reader? "What is the opposite of making the playoffs?" I will tell you: the opposite of "making the playoffs" is losing to the Cincinnati Bengals.Seriously. The effing Bengals. The Redskins just lost to a team led by a quarterback from Harvard.First the Commodores epic collapse after beginning the season 5-0, and now the Redskins virtually assured of a January spent

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-77216191169723040362008-12-04T11:25:00.003-05:002008-12-04T11:34:06.394-05:00Think of the boost to the economy!

Okay, just about everyone has probably seen "Prop 8: The Musical" by now, but I wanted to post a link to it anyway, mainly because it reinforces one of my favorite points I've made about several other controversial issues (e.g., legalized marijuana, legalized prostitution): the amount of money businesses as well as the government (from tax revenue as well as the absence of enforcement

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-3046596537772984402008-12-02T11:34:00.004-05:002008-12-02T11:57:31.913-05:00Spam in the place where I live...

During the month of November, I decided to conduct an experiment to determine how much spam e-mail I would receive in a month. Yesterday, I concluded the experiment, and the answer was this: over one month, 611 pieces of e-mail were sent to the spam folder of my GMail account. I painstakingly scanned through the emails to provide the following empirical data for your perusal and amusement:301

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-76623736348842927782008-11-24T10:15:00.002-05:002008-11-24T11:23:35.515-05:00Believing is seeing

Well, I said I'd believe it when I saw it, and now I've seen it, and heard it, and since this blog has featured several different posts about the eventuality, I would be remiss if the arrival of the long-awaited, oft-postponed Chinese Democracy went unregarded in this space.So here we have it: the Guns 'N Roses album a ridiculous 17 years in the making finally arrives, and the first two things to

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-78321926928021066972008-11-20T10:24:00.002-05:002008-11-20T10:29:43.004-05:00Um, bipartisanship anyone?

So thus far we've got ousted former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle as Secretary of Health and Human Services and Arizona governor Janet Napolitano as head of Homeland Security. Supposedly former presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and John Kerry have been floated as potential candidates for Secretary of State.When exactly do we get this vaunted bipartisan cabinet that Obama promised?"We

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-40131469951974123742008-11-10T11:53:00.002-05:002008-11-10T12:03:52.559-05:00Mad Props

There has been so much written about the passage of Proposition 8 in the state of California (or "Cahl-ee-foah-nee-ya", as its awesome governor who should be allowed to run for president would say) that I have absolutely nothing to add. If my position on the issue of gay marriage is seriously unclear by now, allow me to sum it up, yet again, by pointing out that government, be it local, state, or

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-60022044755266234422008-11-07T14:18:00.003-05:002008-11-07T14:31:29.081-05:00So...why is this an issue again?

Radley Balko over at The Agitator has what may be the best blog post yet regarding marijuana legalization.As for me, I'm at a loss as to why we're still even discussing this. It is so abundantly clear that marijuana should be legalized, at this point it's hard to believe it even requires political courage to propose legislation and be done with it. But what do I know?"Who are you to wave your

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-60610935090748455812008-11-05T00:17:00.003-05:002008-11-05T00:56:05.592-05:00And out of cynicism, hope

The forty-fourth President of the United States will be named Barack Hussein Obama. Namewise, that will rank right alongside Millard Warren Fillmore and Rutherford Birchard Hayes in our nation's history. Administration-wise, let's hope it fares significantly better.I just finished watching Obama's first address to a nation now certain that he will be its next President, and my vast differences

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-69643430974180347262008-11-02T17:01:00.007-05:002008-11-02T17:25:38.054-05:00I stood in line for two hours to vote and all I got was this lousy president

If you are in want of any proof of a higher power, look no further than this fact: in less than 72 hours, this blasted election will be over.Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President on February 10, 2007. Two and a half months later, John McCain, to the surprise of absolutely no one, announced his own candidacy. And since then, we've been deluged past the limits of endurance with news

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-57654493105751712462008-10-20T09:55:00.002-05:002008-10-20T10:08:00.090-05:00Stat of the week

The Tampa Bay Rays have the 29th largest payroll out of 30 teams in Major League Baseball. That is the lowest payroll ranking for a team that made the World Series.Go Rays! Let's keep the party going.Also, as documented before, I am now officially a harbinger of World Series baseball. I imagine Aaron would observe that we've reached "disturbing trend" status here."We waste our time when we could

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-24787724643729357442008-10-13T12:21:00.002-05:002008-10-13T14:25:45.659-05:00Oscar revote

Entertainment Weekly is apparently launching an Oscar revote, in which a whole bunch of Hollywood people are going to play the role of revisionist historians and decide if the award winners . Basically it's a statement on which movies hold up the best, but it also may reflect how much impact ad campaigns have on the awards.I think this is a great idea. While I believe the Academy Awards are

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-58681289891837610572008-10-09T12:31:00.003-05:002008-10-09T12:38:10.685-05:00Obligatory Chinese Democracy update

Apparently, the long-time-coming Guns n Roses (okay, Axl Rose fronting a new band that is otherwise completely unassociated with Guns n Roses) album Chinese Democracy actually has an official release date. November 23. Best Buy exclusive. Not surprisingly, the report remains unconfirmed. So as always, I leave you with the caveat of "I'll believe it when I see it".But in the event that it does

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-23736285384052512212008-10-03T09:10:00.002-05:002008-10-03T09:23:09.732-05:00Brief thoughts on the debate

In my opinion, Joe Biden won the debate pretty handily, sounding knowledgeable and confident (though I cringed when he referred to Article I of the Constitution discussing the executive branch - I hope and pray that was just a slip of the tongue). However, I thought Sarah Palin acquitted herself quite well, especially in the wake of horrendous television interviews. She reverted to talking points

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-91626950613668946412008-10-02T08:40:00.003-05:002008-10-02T08:56:14.865-05:00It's the most wonderful time of the year

Okay, sure, maybe Day 1 pretty much sucked: the Red Sox won, the Phillies won, and worst of all, the Dodgers won. The latter outcome put certainly a small dent in the Cubs' chance for their first World Series appearance in 63 years. (Yes, to put it in perspective, the last time the Cubs went to the World Series, both V-E and V-J day occurred during the Major League season.) Due largely to the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-78113923154153262012008-09-23T16:35:00.002-05:002008-09-23T16:44:11.803-05:00If Obama met Bartlett

This is hilarious. In it, Barack Obama, the man who would be president, meets Jebediah Bartlett, the man who we all wish was president but can't be because he's fictional. Gets a little preachy at the end (it is Maureen Dowd, after all) but overall, quite amusing.Best lines (all, needless to say, from Bartlett) include:"As a Democrat I was surprised to learn that I don’t like small towns, God,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-88480169409534366812008-09-23T11:54:00.002-05:002008-09-23T11:57:43.220-05:00Playoffs? Playoffs?

Guess who's going to be attending the first ever Major League Baseball playoff game in the city of Tampa (well, technically, St. Petersburg).That's right baby!Look for me in the stands. I'll be way out in the left field nosebleeds, but I'll be there.Woo!"Baby even the losers get lucky sometimes"- Tom Petty, Even the Losers

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-67829763539884130132008-09-14T12:55:00.003-05:002008-09-14T13:31:20.697-05:00R.I.P. David Foster Wallace

Recently, I spent approximately 6 months wading through Infinite Jest, the sprawling novel encompassing addiction, commercialization, Canadian terrorism, and ultimately the deadening of the modern soul by David Foster Wallace. Alternating between poignance, humor, and absurdity, it was one of the most frustrating and fascinating books I've ever read.Wallace was found dead Friday, from an apparent

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-87516360356082983262008-09-13T08:38:00.002-05:002008-09-13T08:59:46.188-05:00I hate to say it...

...but Charles Krauthammer is absolutely right. This whole "OMG Palin didn't know what 'The Bush Doctrine' meant LOL" business is a ridiculous example of precisely the wrong way to go about combating the choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as number 2 on the Republican presidential ticket. It seems to me that any reasonable person who watches the clip of Charlie Gibson asking Palin whether she

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-58517218640538008732008-09-08T09:40:00.003-05:002008-09-08T10:06:16.518-05:00Cahuenga langa langa shoebox soup

Just wanted to throw up a quick link to yesterday's Leonard Pitts column. Not because it's particularly spectacular as far as Pitts columns go, but because it reminded me of a scene from an unfinished screenplay known to myself and two readers as Cherry Cream Soda, which, if ever completed, would probably be the most surreal sci-fi horror romantic comedy-drama ever committed to film. This post

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-50481479288511949662008-09-04T14:24:00.003-05:002008-09-04T14:29:17.480-05:00Vanderbilt is the Answer

I knew I picked the right university to attend. How else can you explain Vanderbilt being ranked number 42 (!) among world universities? Douglas Adams would be so proud."You didn’t get to heaven but you made it close"- Coldplay, 42

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-36293392567270491822008-09-03T08:55:00.003-05:002008-09-03T09:10:03.827-05:00My double take of last night

Probably the most interesting strategy for wooing voters I have seen during either convention this year occurred during Joe Lieberman's speech last night. After describing Barack Obama's time in the Senate as one that existed mostly along party lines, he compared Obama (unfavorably) and by implication McCain (favorably) to a previous president who had worked across party lines to accomplish some

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-64176570420870697282008-09-01T21:41:00.002-05:002008-09-01T23:01:55.259-05:00Mike's Car Turns 100

In honor of the recent 100th birthday of Mike's car, "The Blog to End All Blogs" is extremely proud to present...Mike's CarA Career RetrospectiveApril 1997: It was love at first sight, much like Yossarian and the Chaplain. The salesman at the Saturn dealer asked Mike if he would be interested in looking at one of the previous year's models, and took him to a dark blue 1997 SC2 with 130 test drive

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-7964619808135950962008-08-29T09:59:00.002-05:002008-08-29T10:15:55.912-05:00Well, that certainly makes things interesting

This just in: John McCain is choosing Sarah Palin, Alaskan governor, as his running mate.This is actually quite a brilliant political move. It shatters some independents' preconceived notions of the national Republican party; it makes a blatant (but not necessarily insincere) play for the Hillary supporters feeling disenchanted by perceived sexism during the Democratic primaries; it undermines

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-82726611607092165952008-08-28T16:52:00.003-05:002008-08-28T18:10:40.016-05:00Best "well duh" headline in a long time

From CNN.com:"Obama expected to address change in speech"Oh really? The man whose slogan is "Change we can believe in" is going to talk about change? Thanks for the heads up.And real quick, I'm intrigued by the ad that John McCain supposedly intends to run tonight, congratulating Obama on his nomination. The cynic in me immediately starting analyzing the political motivations behind this, before

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-58325370743514113102008-08-27T18:39:00.002-05:002008-08-27T18:39:37.329-05:00NFL Predictions 2008

Since Other White Meat posted his NFL predictions, and requested me to do the same, here goes. I hate doing this with so many unknowns before the season even starts, as it opens me up to the possibility of being relentlessly mocked for being gloriously wrong, but here goes nothing:Division standingsAFC East: 1. Patriots 2. Buffalo 3. Dolphins 4. JetsI'm going out on a limb here, but I'm betting

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-18020991002810571002008-08-20T11:45:00.002-05:002008-08-20T14:30:32.785-05:00A momentous occasion

In the "things that happen about as often as cicadas emerge" department, he who calls himself "Other White Meat" (and several variations) has actually updated his blog. I for one was amazed the damn thing still exists. Oh, and don't listen to him at the end: he's not sorry at all. No word on when updates are coming from Ploeger or Ortiz.In unrelated news, I'm currently listening to Joe Cocker's

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-82588429778498528542008-08-17T22:24:00.003-05:002008-08-18T09:09:41.256-05:00The movie that predicted the 90s

In an effort to fill in the one gaping hole in my Cameron Crowe fandom, I just got done watching Singles, and I loved it for a number of reasons. The one I want to talk about is probably what it's most famous for: its unintended foresight regarding the world of music that was just about to take the world by storm.Example numero uno: in the first ten minutes, the two main characters meet at a club

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-54194055064919801052008-08-14T18:25:00.003-05:002008-08-14T18:38:10.891-05:00"Sal Bass" weighs in

About a week ago, Jeff cited an incident in which the Random House publishing decided not to publish a book about one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammed, fearing "another Satanic Verses". The Satanic Verses, of course, was Salman Rushdie's 1988 book that was so rife with blasphemy that even the man who once sang Peace Train was calling for Rushdie's head.Random House's decision to pull the new

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-65445310746825668662008-08-13T10:13:00.003-05:002008-08-13T10:42:39.344-05:00Opening ceremonies... OF DOOM!

Harold Meyerson thinks that, of the two major events last week (Russia's invasion of Georgia, which incidentally caused waaaay too many jokes on our , and the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing), the opening ceremonies were far scarier. Part of me thinks he's got a point, but my brain is so fried right now I can't think too hard about it. Either way, it's not a bad read."You

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-36212479906132505522008-08-12T08:46:00.004-05:002008-08-12T09:04:51.261-05:00Harbinger of good baseball

So I move to Orange County in 1999. In 2002, the then-Anaheim Angels win the World Series.I move to Houston in 2003. In 2005, the Houston Astros make it to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.I move to Tampa in 2006. In 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays are serious postseason contenders for the first time in their brief history, having just last Sunday set a franchise record for

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-20031177810233585402008-07-31T16:08:00.002-05:002008-07-31T16:10:01.810-05:00Careful what you wish for...

Well, in the immortal(ly creepy) words of The Joker (see response to Ben #7), "I'm a man of my word." Several of y'all made various random requests re: future blog posts by yours truly, and I intend to deliver. So, after several days of development, here we go...I'll start with Bradley's, which is by far the easiest:"...maybe an undefeated Tennessee Titans upcoming season?"I'm tempted to go on a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-84845111698641778332008-07-30T14:02:00.004-05:002008-07-30T14:24:00.510-05:00Rainy Day Bloggings #12 & 35

I will respond to everyone's requests at some point in the very near future, but first I wanted to give a brief shout-out, one that I thought I would never say.Ahem.Yay Barney Frank!Best quote: "The vast amount of human activity ought to be none of the government's business." There's also a clear element of states' rights to make their own laws in the proposal. Classical conservatism from a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-31648459827081453682008-07-25T16:22:00.004-05:002008-07-25T16:29:33.362-05:00Calling all readers (if they still exist)

I know, I know. Recently this blog has withered away to nothing except occasional one-off posts with little substance. But I hope to change that, and that hope begins right now. I'm about to leave town for the weekend, and when I come back, I hope to see a plethora of comments from you, the reader. What would you like me to blog about? Absolutely nothing is off-limits (man, I know I'm gonna

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-768614309088695962008-07-21T16:30:00.003-05:002008-07-21T16:36:38.080-05:00...but he's still a Cowboy

This story about T.O. is actually pretty cool (and certainly unexpected). If nothing else, it highlights what I've said my entire life: you never know the whole story with someone.But, as the title of this post emphasizes, T.O. is still a Cowboy, and thus a moving part in that throbbing mass of pure evil that emerges from the pits of Hell to invade Dallas every autumn."In the dead of night it'll

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-55933650815787344402008-07-11T08:50:00.002-05:002008-07-11T09:00:51.052-05:00A one-hit wonder and a desperate housewife

Jeff (along with me in the comments section) has already ranted sufficiently about the ridiculousness of some of the selections to this year's All-Star teams. Now, with fan voting for the final All-Star slots finished, we have Corey Hart of the Brewers for the National League and Evan Longoria of the Rays (yay) for the American League.Two solid selections to round out this year's lineups, and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-78116467640399192022008-07-10T09:45:00.002-05:002008-07-10T09:55:11.875-05:00Ode to beer

George Will has a great ode to beer in today's Washington Post. His conclusion? "Beer is a health food." Which is why the Twenty-First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is the best one of all. (Except of course for the First, Fourth, Ninth, Tenth, Thirteenth thru Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-Fourth.)"Oh alcohol I still drink to your health"- Barenaked Ladies, Alcohol

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-67532252090154342472008-07-08T14:17:00.003-05:002008-07-10T16:00:42.023-05:00Oh no! They're going to attack us with underwear and bovine jism!

Really, CNN? How interesting...Seems to me like quite a subtle and effective way for us to thwart Iran, a nation we suspect of harboring terrorists and having nuclear aspirations, is to ship them a bunch of useless shit in exchange for money. Hell, our number one export to them (cigarettes) is something known to be harmful to one's health. If we can't stop them from going "nucular", maybe we can

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-4449179803184674912008-07-01T08:54:00.002-05:002008-07-01T09:03:30.063-05:00The greatest sentence ever written

The more I think about it, the more I believe that the greatest sentence ever written in the history of time is:"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." - the U.S. ConstitutionComing in at a very close second is the following:"Fuck the Dallas Cowboys if they can't take a joke." - Tom RobbinsThis utterly

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-12968725570486547492008-06-24T14:55:00.002-05:002008-06-24T15:01:29.051-05:00Well, that didn't take too long

You know that Israel-Palestine ceasefire? The one that's less than a week old? The one that Jeff said needed to be taken with a grain of salt, even though he probably should have substituted "truckload" for "grain"?Yeah, it's over. So much for that.Morons.Song lyric of the day:"You should have seen it comingBeen coming for some timeYou've got your broken heart, and I've got mineYeah, she said

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-21754277698261843592008-06-16T16:09:00.002-05:002008-06-16T16:52:53.617-05:00Not an issue

Apparently, there is a small but not insignificant group of pharmacies that are refusing to sell contraceptives or (perhaps more troublingly) prescription medications such as birth control. According to The Washington Post, one such pharmacy is opening this summer in Chantilly, VA, near my old (as well as my sister's current) stomping grounds. I remember reading about this trend a while back and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-68830901576738762442008-06-05T09:10:00.004-05:002008-06-05T10:07:08.361-05:00Markdown at your local Veep dealer...

Now that Hillary Clinton is officially suspending her campaign (certainly much earlier than I expected), we turn to the next round of endless speculation: who will the vice presidential candidates be?For the Democrats, will it be the "dream ticket" of Obama/Clinton? (My guess is this will only happen if we assume the dream in question is the one where you're falling and falling and then suddenly

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-64216048048573359262008-06-02T09:23:00.002-05:002008-06-02T09:37:01.037-05:00Way to blow it, Dems

In case you missed the news, the Democratic National Committee really stuck it to democracy this weekend.My feelings on the punishment of states for the audacity of choosing when to hold their primaries have been previously documented. The Dems were disturbingly (albeit sadly predictably) stupid in their decision to punish Michigan and Florida for violating party rules, but once they made their

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-58885187268832328712008-05-27T09:19:00.002-05:002008-05-27T09:54:41.406-05:00Poll of my readership

This past week, I received my third invitation in as many years to become a member of the AARP. Now, for those of you who don't know me, I'm only about halfway to the 50-plus mark and don't plan on retiring any time soon. However, the little brochure that came with my "temporary membership card" does say something about fighting age discrimination, so they can't possibly deny me membership just

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-24452351721940051922008-05-24T10:12:00.002-05:002008-05-24T11:30:04.781-05:00Brief rant

Oh my gosh, Hillary Clinton referred to a historical event. Call CNN!Seriously, when this story broke, it took me a while to even see the controversy. Were there actually people out there that thought Hillary was suggesting Obama might, or even should, be assassinated? C'mon people. You're really stretching here.And now she has to do the apology dance. I'm starting to feel for Hillary, which I

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-15084833745892146002008-05-08T11:47:00.003-05:002008-05-08T14:16:06.905-05:00An apt baseball analogy

George Will today writes the best op-ed I've seen so far about why it's time for Hillary Clinton to move on. Maybe I like it because it uses a baseball analogy, maybe because in doing so it also showcases one of the many shamelessly opportunistic maneuvers Senator Clinton has performed en route to her current position, maybe because Will employs a sense of humor I appreciate. But regardless, the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-39523792280593375402008-05-07T10:02:00.005-05:002008-05-12T09:01:22.561-05:00Concert review: Radiohead

I can safely say that last night's Radiohead show at the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa was the first concert I have attended where the band did not play its two most famous/popular songs (which I argue are Creep and High and Dry -- counterarguments welcome). And I enjoyed it thoroughly.The band played with the confidence that their arsenal of music was so good, and so well liked, that as long as

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-30173020373158386522008-05-01T09:33:00.003-05:002008-05-01T09:55:52.321-05:00A different sort of meme

(Note to non-French speakers: as with every meme that I do, the title of this meme-related post is meant to be a play on the French word même, meaning "same".)It's been a long time since someone has tagged me on a meme. This may reflect my pitifully inconsistent blogging, the shortage of really good memes, or it may be indicative of nothing more than the sheer randomness that is the cosmos.Anyway

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-2710231920690130152008-04-24T10:41:00.002-05:002008-04-24T10:44:13.832-05:00Quote of the week

"I'd rather have a tax-and-spend Democrat than a print-and-spend Republican." - my colleague Kris. Not sure I necessarily agree, but I still like it.Also, a brief response to David Ignatius: No. Next question.Song lyric of the day:"Skeletons ain’t got nowhere to stick their moneyNobody makes britches that size"- Drive-By Truckers, A Ghost to Most

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-12772459248484059162008-04-23T09:32:00.002-05:002008-04-23T10:40:15.248-05:00Return to primaries

Hillary Clinton won the Pennsylvania primary yesterday by a ten-percent margin.Yawn.Okay, I predicted eight percent, but primarily just to be different. Hehe, get it? Primarily? I kill me."Tide is turning" my ass. Things are exactly the same as they were based on polls from a month ago. Yippee ki-yay. Dance a jig, Hillary. You were the fourth best Democratic candidate five months ago (behind

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-46254735450428189412008-04-17T09:01:00.003-05:002008-04-17T09:48:45.681-05:00Last night's Democratic debate

Okay, did anyone else actually manage to make it through the debate last night? I looked at the clock, saw it was 8:30, and briefly reflected on the fact that the only things that had been discussed were bittergate, Wrightgate, snipergate, and Hillary Clinton apparently telling Bill Richardson that Obama can't win against McCain (admittedly it was a little fun watching George Steph-etc. trap

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-46999414791010356262008-04-11T13:41:00.003-05:002008-04-11T13:52:05.073-05:00Insomniacs rejoice...

...for Coldplay is coming to the rescue!Honestly, the aspect of the findings that surprise me is not that Coldplay is the number one band to fall asleep to, but rather that Take That is not only still around, but that enough people (in Britain at least) know/remember who Take That is/was for them to place in the Top Five of this poll.Random question to my readership (and answer before reading the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-79312814440388039702008-04-06T12:23:00.002-05:002008-04-06T12:32:48.194-05:00A humor article six years in the making

It may be a sign of how sick and twisted I am, but the first thing I thought of when I saw this news was that The Slant could finally publish the anticipatory Other News idea I submitted back in 2002, entitled, "Heston Cold, Dead, Still Won't Let Go of Gun".So if any of my readers are still in touch with any editors of the little humor paper that could (and I assume still does, even though they

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-10233971121037184832008-04-02T17:44:00.002-05:002008-04-02T17:58:10.783-05:00Why the Senate should be entirely Jewish

...because then we could get rid of all the pork! Haha! Zing!Apparently, a group called Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW = worst acronym ever?) has released a 59-page "Pig Book" detailing the pork-barrel spending projects approved by the U.S. Senate, which total $17.2 billion. With a "B".Cringe-worthy points of interest: the top three pork-spenders were Republican (which may surprise my

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-11826992672749589092008-03-27T14:32:00.003-05:002008-03-27T14:40:33.868-05:00Hilarious soft drink promotion

Jacob Grier and other unabashed Dr. Pepper fans would do well to take note: apparently, Dr. Pepper is offering a free beverage to every single person in the United States of America in 2008! The only catch: Guns n Roses has to release the oft-delayed Chinese Democracy before the year is out.Here's hoping Axl is a bigger Dr. Pepper fan than me - I'm not a big fan. Which isn't to say I won't

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-39816998886494714232008-03-27T11:12:00.004-05:002008-03-27T11:44:58.705-05:00Music question of the week: most unique album

I've recently been kicking around the idea of doing a weekly music discussion question here on the ole blog, both because the regularity of my blogging has been slipping recently and because passion for music is something which both I and most of my known readership share. So today will be the inaugural discussion question. Seeing as today is Thursday, I'll try and post a new question every

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-24348474942139129212008-03-26T16:57:00.002-05:002008-03-26T18:08:23.782-05:00Um, why, exactly?

According to a recent poll, 28 percent of Hillary Clinton supporters say they would defect to McCain were Obama to receive the nomination, and 19 percent of Obama supporters say the same thing about Clinton.Now, CNN seems to be focusing on the higher percentage for Clintonians than Obamaniacs. I, on the other hand, am equally taken with both numbers, simply because they seem to me utterly

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-16607114448695027722008-03-21T09:21:00.003-05:002008-03-21T09:49:59.429-05:00What's so "Good" about it?

Good Friday? Good Friday? Are you kidding me?I mean, okay, I get it. A path to absolution for the sins of humanity is of course "good". But still, we're talking about the death of God in human form here, not to mention the brutal torture of Him immediately prior. Someone please tell me what is "good" about that.Get it straight people. The crucifixion sucked. The resurrection was awesome, but the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-85794683966768193742008-03-20T10:13:00.002-05:002008-03-20T10:53:23.182-05:00Haven't they seen "Footloose"?

George Will discusses what sounds like an incredibly disturbing intrusion of a local government in Arizona. It's scary to think we still live in a country where dancing (and not even the pole variety) is illegal in parts.Song lyric of the day:"When we meet, you will seeI will destroy everything of beautyWhen we meet then you'll knowI'll be the axe that clears the forest"- Murder by Death, Rum

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-77811068552841171352008-03-17T16:21:00.004-05:002008-03-17T16:30:51.953-05:00Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Top o' th' evenin' to ye all!As I sit here sipping my Guinness, listening to Irish ditties and contemplating the grand ol' green Isle, I thought I would take a brief moment to reassure everyone that, in spite of the utter lack of posts, I am still alive. In fact, I have high aspirations of one day soon putting up a substantial post or two about what's going on in the world (there is quite a bit,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-75088826123406915632008-02-26T23:56:00.003-05:002008-02-27T10:50:53.304-05:00I know I do this every time, but I can't resist...

"VANDERBILT!VANDERBILT!Doo-doo doo DOO doo DOODoo-doo doo doo doo VANDERBILT!Doo-doo doo doo doo doo...yada yada...V!A!N!D!Y!VANDY! VANDY! OH HELL YEAH!"Hope you enjoyed your 24 hours at the top, Tennessee. 'Cause we sure enjoyed ruining it.UPDATE: Chad has provided an important list of things everyone should know about Tennessee. Important, like college basketball, in the sense that it's not

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-73283579929381022602008-02-21T12:56:00.003-05:002008-02-21T15:08:56.169-05:00Experience and the presidency

With all the talk of experience that has surrounded this year's presidential primaries (particularly on the Democratic side), this quote from a George Will article in today's Washington Post may summarize my feelings on it best:The president who came to office with the most glittering array of experiences had served 10 years in the House of Representatives, then became minister to Russia, then

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-73910776040569285512008-02-08T11:09:00.000-05:002008-02-08T11:18:46.433-05:00Bush Hearts McCain

Just in from The Washington Post: President Bush will likely support McCain!First of all, big shocker that the sitting president was going to support the incumbent party candidate.Secondly, is anyone else going to find it hard to read the sure-to-be-upcoming Bush endorsement of McCain as follows: "Hey, remember me? Yeah, I'm the guy who totally pissed on your chances of being president 8 years

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-66241634890717429792008-02-01T16:38:00.000-05:002008-02-01T16:45:02.646-05:00What the hell does "jai guru de va om" mean?

We'll no longer be the only ones asking that question, as NASA fittingly plans to make the Beatles' Across the Universe the first song ever beamed into space.Hopefully the intelligent life that exists elsewhere will hear it and go, "Oh, so nothing's gonna change your world, huh? Well, we'll just see about that" and then visit us, share technology, etc. Probably not, but that would be funny.From

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-5434863918048123342008-01-28T14:52:00.000-05:002008-01-28T15:08:42.318-05:00I KNEW IT!

Further proof that the Cowboys are synonymous with evil.Song lyric of the day:"You gotta slow down sometimesOr fly away..."- Monster Movie, Sweet Lemonade

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102969.post-20309248931634380852008-01-21T11:29:00.000-05:002008-01-21T12:05:25.539-05:00Fear of the underdog?

Well, last night, the New York Giants, arguably not even the SECOND best team in the NFC EAST, pulled off one of the more improbable playoff runs in recent NFL history to earn the right to lose to the New England Patriots en route to their perfect 19-0 season. I have to admit (and most football fans would no doubt agree) that the Packers-Patriots game would be the more compelling matchup, but

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06383789548221247888noreply@blogger.com4