Go with experience

They are interviewing the NYPD chief of security for the big party tonight and he amused when he pointed out that they 'have Colin Powell here to drop the ball tonight.'

Hey, you might as well go with the guy with the proven track record of dropping the ball...

House GOP: We're not above the law, we just rewrite it after we break it....

The GOP is continuing its wacky efforts to restore honor and dignity to DC.

The important thing to remember is that if you can't meet a high standard of ethical conduct, you should lower your standard. They don't teach that in civics class....

Bowl report: OSU beats OSU

Really, I'd say that OSU beat itself...

Gimme the Sheriff!

All right, I admit that I have no idea why I'm writing on a blog that features hawaiian shirts, which I've never worn not even on a friday and a Jets margarita when I'm a Redskins fan....

In the words of Arichameadades of Paramatheira, 'whatever.'

All I care about for now is that the Sheriff might be getting another chance.

Quoth Coach Lovie Smith:

"The times we've seen him in practice, he has been everything we thought he'd be.

"There's nothing wrong with having a veteran quarterback."

Look Out! It's Michael Moore

I have to admit that I am putting off a review of 'Supersize Me' because it was a movie I wanted to like, but couldn't because of the flaws in the delivery of its message.

Oh well, that having been said it's interesting to see how our beleaguered pharmaceutical mabufatcurers are responding to the threat of someone publicizing their wrong doing.

Mmmmm, chocolate....

I think that, no matter where you live, you have to complain about how terrible the local newspaper is. It's like complaining about the weather where you live. I think there is a trait in most people (for me, the trait is highly developed) to enjoy complaining about things over which you have little to no control and that the paper, crank letters to the editor aside, is perceived that way. Well, here in Houston, where it snowed on Christmas eve for the first time in recorded history, regardless of their worldview people consider the Chronicle to not be worth the paper it's printed on. I might agree with them except for the fact that I think their dining section is quite good. No, it's not the New York Times, but I enjoy articles like this one about chocolate. True, it could be researched more in depth in the style of Robb Walsh's history of Tex-Mex in the free weekly Houston Press, but I believe that the Chronicle is doing a good job of educating people about different foods and drinks and where they can be found in some of Houston's restaurants.

More on Rummy...

Yes, he is the new favorite whipping boy on this site, but it's only because he so thoroughly deserves it...

A few choice quotes from a recent Chicago Tribune article with commentary interspersed...

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President Bush defended embattled Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Monday, saying the Pentagon chief was doing "a very fine job."

"I know Secretary Rumsfeld's heart ... He's a good, decent man. He's a caring fellow," Bush told a news conference in response to questions about Rumsfeld's since-abandoned use of a mechanical device to sign letters of condolence to military families.
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Of course Bush also looked into Vladimir Putin's soul and discovered him to be a good man.... Doesn't bush sound like he would be the greatest guy to invite over for a game of poker? The guy's got a lot of money, seems to burn thorough it pretty quickly, can't control his drinking, relies on his gut instead of thinking (which probably doesn't hurt him that much given his proven mental incapacity), and reads people about as well a lobotomized chimp can read Dostoyevsky...

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Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Sunday, "We really can't go through that ordeal" now of finding a successor. Rumsfeld "should be held accountable, and he should stay in office," Lugar said.
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Must be nice work if you can get it, huh Dick? Who would have guessed that being held accountable for repeatedly screwing up on the job meant that you shouldn't lose it? Wasn't one of Bush's original campaign promises to 'restore' responsibility in the White House? Oh well, at least we can be reasonably certain that he hasn't been getting hummers under the desk from an intern...

About About Schmidt

I had looked forward to seeing About Schmidt for a while and, having finally seen it, I was somewhat disappointed. On the positive side, the acting performances were good and the plot did not rely on explosions to keep things interesting. Furthermore the film did point out how miserable and meaningless life can be, which as a Swedish film buff is something I look for. So, I would recomend the film. However, the film also had several key flaws. First, the cinematography was obtrusive. I appreciate good cinematography but here there were too many shots that said 'look at me' rather than providing a new perspective for the film. Second, the conceit of the letters to Ndugu was a needless contrivance. Essentially, the film at these points was condescending to us by letting us know that it knew we weren't intelligent ehough to discern what might be going on in the story.

A final point regarding the casting is in order as well. As I mentioned beforehand, the performances were very good. However, I felt that Jack Nicholson's acreen presence, albeit much toned down compared to most of his other roles, is disconsonant with the character of Schmnidt and at times obscures the nature of the character. The role of Schmidt cries out for the talent of the much missed Jack Lemmon, whose demeanor could have more convincingly conveyed the nuances of Schmidt.

I give it three stars. It is worthwhile to watch this film. It's good points outweigh the bad.

Post-script: another 'final' point about the casting.... I don't think anyone needed to see Kathy Bates in a nude scene, no matter how wonderful she was in the rest of the movie and no matter how briefly she appeared in the altogether....

Time for Rummy to go

The repubs are ready to dump Rummy. Why has it taken them so long to see what the everyone else saw years ago? Rummy is a disaster as Sec. of DOD... Not enough troops, sending them to war without armor, torture.... and that is just in the last year. It is time for him to go. Ultra con William Kristol thinks so. Even Kurtz is jumping on the dump Rummy bandwagon.

UPDATE: Add Trent Lott to the ever growing list of Cons calling for Rummy to step-down.

It's just Vodka!

The Houston Chronicle points out how goofy people get about vodka.

It boggles the mind that someone would pay $45 for a fifth of vodka... Scotch, Gin, Tequila, etc. Those I can see paying premium prices for... but for vodka? This is marketing pure and simple... people paying more for a 'luxury' good because paying more makes them feel better about themselves...

Worries about a draft are overblown

Especially when you realize that we can fight this war with retirees.

Maybe the good ole 'greatest generation' will step up to the plate again...

Eternally Rumsfeld

Harold Meyerson tries to scares us.

The unmitigated gall of Rumsfield

Rummy's take on lack of armor to protect our troops?

"You can have all the armor in the world on a tank and it can (still) be blown up," Rumsfeld said.

So, the administration position is that because armor can't protect you in all cases, it isn't necesary?

Just another example of the world view of the people who cut down trees to prevent forest fires...

Tempering the Illinois boosterism

First let me announce to all three of our readers that, in blatant disregard for my academic health, I have obtained luxury box tickets for the Illinois-Georgetown game. I can't wait to see how the Number One team in the nation fares on the road against Georgetown and its Princeton style game.

That having been said, I was dismayed while reading this not exactly earth shaking profile of Bob Novak to find out that Novak attended the U of I.

Viz.

"[Novak] got his start as a cub reporter at the Joliet Herald-News (where he grew up) and the Champaign-Urbana Courier (where he attended college)."

Ugh... not only did he go to Illinois, but he worked in the Courier. The Courier newspaper is defunct and the building now houses a popular restaurant named the Courier Cafe. It troubles me to think that I've eaten numerous times in the same room where Novak was learning to spew his bilous drivel.

Tom Toles shows us

Why Rummy is staying on....

Whew...

Illinois looked a little shaky in its bid to garner the number one ranking for the first time in fifteen years on Saturday against Arkansas but, in the end, Illinois was able to gut out a win on the road against a determined opponent. Illinois will be wearing bullseyes on their jerseys from here on out and we will have an ample opportunity to see just how great this team can be over the rest of the season.

Next Up? Chicago State (cupcakes); Georgetown at the MCI Center in DC (hell yes I'm going--look for me in the luxury boxes); and then Oregon at the United Center in Chicago.

We live in exciting times.

And, if anyone cares, I'm pretty happy about reports that are circulating that we will announce Zook as Illinois' new head football coach.

I! L! L!

Alexander

I have not posted a movie review in a long time, BC I am poor and never go to the movies, so here it goes.

Alexander by Oliver Stone

This was quite possibly one of the top 5 worst movies I have ever seen. It was dull, boring, suddenly odd but at least it was really long and poorly acted.

It made Alex look like a wimp and way over played his bi-sexuality. It was as if the only thing Alex did in his life was sleep with men and be obsessed with his parents. Just a lame movie and really not even worth posting on except I want to keep others from having to endure it. Can anyone say razzie award?

Memories from my Rock and Roll days...

I loved playing live shows. One of the best gimmicks a heavy metal/grunge/whatever band I was in was when we would play Garth Brooks' I got Friends in Low Places while wearing giant foam cowboy hats. The only problem with that was that the hats were hot and would usually fall off. But the problems entailed in that clever work of stage craft pale in comparison to the classic thrash metal band Slayer's trick.

Viz.,

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"People say, 'Why don't you guys use fire?' " King says. "(Expletive) fire. Everybody under the sun uses fire. Let's have a storm of blood."

Of course, like pyrotechnics, fake blood comes with its complications.

"Some of the older blood we used was corn-syrup based. But this new blood we've been using is like WD-40, so my fingers slip all around and make it hard to hit the right notes. But, hey, its part of the job."

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Illinois dominates....

How dominant was Illinois last night?

Ask Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser.

He said his Demon Deacons "obviously lost to a much better team."

He said, "We couldn't guard them man to man."

He said, "They defeated us collectively as well as individually."

Prosser was asked about the loud crowd.

He said, "The game was not decided by the crowd. … Our problem was not the crowd. Our problem was Illinois."

But what about … ?

"They played infinitely better than we did," the Wake Forest coach said once and for all. "I don't know how much more clearly I can say it."

The Illinois beatdown...

"There were stretches the Illini were so dominant they looked like the Globetrotters against one of their many patsies."

YUUP

Who's number one?

BTW, the Crystal City Sports Pub sux ass....