It's a Wonderful Life?

In that Christmas classic, which I have never seen, somebody says to George Bailey-"Nobody is a failure who has friends", which is why finally, after years of denial, I must admit I am a failure. Not that I don't have any friends, but look, I am a human being, a decently smart one, funny in a way, occasionally pay for my drinks, and listen to the comment section * chirp* *chirp*
And what is this, you ask? It's a f---ing horse. And it has thousands of comments, wishing it well. Now, I'll admit, Barbaro had quite a fall, and it's pretty amazing that he's back on his feet. Good for him. But you know why it bothers me that people are writing all these messages? HORSES CANT USE THE F___ING INTERNET!!!! It's about as useful as sending Mike Tyson a book.
Via deadspin

It's a Wonderful Life?

In that Christmas classic, which I have never seen, somebody says to George Bailey-"Nobody is a failure who has friends", which is why finally, after years of denial, I must admit I am a failure. Not that I don't have any friends, but look, I am a human being, a decently smart one, funny in a way, occasionally pay for my drinks, and listen to the comment section * chirp* *chirp*
And what is this, you ask? It's a f---ing horse. And it has thousands of comments, wishing it well. Now, I'll admit, Barbaro had quite a fall, and it's pretty amazing that he's back on his feet. Good for him. But you know why it bothers me that people are writing all these messages? HORSES CANT USE THE F___ING INTERNET!!!! It's about as useful as sending Mike Tyson a book.
Via deadspin

Oh, You Care!

That's the last time I send you a my space invitation, Kinsley!

The King of Soul

I looked the man in the eye. I was able to get a sense of his soul. We share a lot of values..."- Slovenia - June 16, 2001

"The more I get to know President Putin, the more I get to see his heart and soul..."- Crawford, Texas - November 15, 2001

Text of Statement Made by Former SpyNov 24 10:18 AM US/Eastern


Litvinenko before he died and released by his friends on Friday:
I would like to thank many people. My doctors, nurses and hospital staff who are doing all they can for me; the British police who are pursuing my case with vigor and professionalism and are watching over me and my family. I would like to thank the British government for taking me under their care. I am honored to be a British citizen.
I would like to thank the British public for their messages of support and for the interest they have shown in my plight.
I thank my wife, Marina, who has stood by me. My love for her and our son knows no bounds.
But as I lie here, I can distinctly hear the beating of wings of the angel of death. I may be able to give him the slip but I have to say my legs do not run as fast as I would like. I think, therefore, that this may be the time to say one or two things to the person responsible for my present condition.
You may succeed in silencing me but that silence comes at a price. You have shown yourself to be as barbaric and ruthless as your most hostile critics have claimed.
You have shown yourself to have no respect for life, liberty or any civilized value.
You have shown yourself to be unworthy of your office, to be unworthy of the trust of civilized men and women.
You may succeed in silencing one man but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr. Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life. May God forgive you for what you have done, not only to me but to beloved Russia and its people

Happy Thanksgiving!

A wise man on the train here said "The difference between outlaws and inlaws? Outlaws are wanted." True enough. Similar to my saying, "You can pick your nose, but you can't pick #@@%# Kwame Brown with the number one pick in the draft." Certain in-laws of mine and my family can find any pretext for bringing their anti-gay and anti-black opinions into a conversations. EG
Me: Tony Romo threw for 5 tds! Amazing!
Them- Romo? Sounds like homo! They should be exterminated.

Yessir, Richard Cohen is Awful

One of the worst things about living in DC is you tend to feel obligated to read the editorial page. After all, you paid fifty cents for the paper, and maybe Colbert King or EJ Dionne (or even George Will) is in today's paper. This guy is one reason why I never bother even looking at the post anymore. From Greg Mitchell at Editor and Publisher-


For Richard Cohen, the longtime Washington Post columnist sometimes accused of being a "liberal," being fatally wrong on the Iraq war means never having to say you're sorry.....

This from the man who, on Feb. 6, 2003, after Secretary of State Colin Powell's deeply-flawed testimony in New York, famously wrote: "The evidence he presented to the United Nations -- some of it circumstantial, some of it absolutely bone-chilling in its detail -- had to prove to anyone that Iraq not only hasn't accounted for its weapons of mass destruction but without a doubt still retains them. Only a fool -- or possibly a Frenchman -- could conclude otherwise."....

Now consider his statement from today's column on why he backed the Iraq invasion: "In a post-Sept. 11 world, I thought the prudent use of violence could be therapeutic." Ponder that statement as you consider the tens of thousands of lives lost, on all sides, since then.....



It gets worse. Referring to his willing "volunteers," Cohen writes: "If they thought they were going to rid the region of weapons of mass destruction and sever the link between al-Qaeda and Hussein, they now are entitled to feel duped by Bush, Vice President Cheney and others." I love that "others." Who could those unnamed others be? Certain influential pundits who once declared that there was "no choice" but to invade Iraq?

He goes on to say the "exaggerations" that led to war were "particularly repellent. To fool someone into sacrificing his life to battle a chimera is a hideous abuse of the public trust."

Exactly.

"Daily," he reveals, "I read the casualty list from Iraq -- and I invent reasons to make the deaths less tragic." And no wonder.

Goo

Yessir, Richard Cohen is Awful

One of the worst things about living in DC is you tend to feel obligated to read the editorial page. After all, you paid fifty cents for the paper, and maybe Colbert King or EJ Dionne (or even George Will) is in today's paper. This guy is one reason why I never bother even looking at the post anymore. From Greg Mitchell at Editor and Publisher-


For Richard Cohen, the longtime Washington Post columnist sometimes accused of being a "liberal," being fatally wrong on the Iraq war means never having to say you're sorry
This from the man who, on Feb. 6, 2003, after Secretary of State Colin Powell's deeply-flawed testimony in New York, famously wrote: "The evidence he presented to the United Nations -- some of it circumstantial, some of it absolutely bone-chilling in its detail -- had to prove to anyone that Iraq not only hasn't accounted for its weapons of mass destruction but without a doubt still retains them. Only a fool -- or possibly a Frenchman -- could conclude otherwise."

Now consider his statement from today's column on why he backed the Iraq invasion: "In a post-Sept. 11 world, I thought the prudent use of violence could be therapeutic." Ponder that statement as you consider the tens of thousands of lives lost, on all sides, since then.



t gets worse. Referring to his willing "volunteers," Cohen writes: "If they thought they were going to rid the region of weapons of mass destruction and sever the link between al-Qaeda and Hussein, they now are entitled to feel duped by Bush, Vice President Cheney and others." I love that "others." Who could those unnamed others be? Certain influential pundits who once declared that there was "no choice" but to invade Iraq?

He goes on to say the "exaggerations" that led to war were "particularly repellent. To fool someone into sacrificing his life to battle a chimera is a hideous abuse of the public trust."

Exactly.

"Daily," he reveals, "I read the casualty list from Iraq -- and I invent reasons to make the deaths less tragic." And no wonder.

Welcome to Altoona!

My favorite view in the world! This is what you see coming around the horseshoe curve and down into the center of Altoona. Abraham Lincoln saw this same view over one hundred and forty years ago on a passenger train. These pictures aren't the greatest because it's hard to take pictures through a train window!

Great Altoona Mirror Letter to the Editor of the Week

Once again it’s that time of year again. What time? ‘‘Happy holiday’’ time. This is all you hear or see on television, radio, print, etc. It’s a shame that in the United States, we, as a nation of free speech, can’t wish anyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanza — if I’ve missed anyone I apologize — without fear of offending someone.

You can’t walk into a store and have an employee wish you a Merry Christmas for fear his employer will be sued. Have we become such an atheistic society where freedom of expression has gone away?

Think about what I just said and realize how sad this really is.

William Hughes

Altoona

Yep, you remember those multimillion dollar verdicts for people who were wished Merry Christmas against their will.
One of the most annoying things about conservatives whining about PC is that they'll say stuff like, 'if we have free speech, why can't I say x?', which is, of course, ridiculous. People can say whatever they want. You can walk outside your local synagogue and say, "Merry Christmas! You're going to hell!" and you would be within your legal rights. Sure, it'd make you a major league asshole, but if you believe in an omnipotent deity who will smite them, and reward you, upon death, then what's a little momentary awkwardness?!

Kramer Goes Wild!

I'm sure you have heard the tape, I have nothing to add to that. I find it interesting that many on commenters on TMZ, etc, are taking the angle, "Why is it that black comedians can use the n word, and white people can't. " Perhaps I am missing something, but how exactly are white people suffering some great loss by not being able to say the n word? Are they itching to say it all of the time, only to be oppressed by the gods of PC? I know the history of the word, and it's not something that any white person with any class (or me) would feel have any desire to ever say, or feel bothered that it is societally unacceptable to say.

Mr. Collada, Meet Your Future!

These videos are really addictive
The funny thing is, if he would have just said, I have a concussion, I can't go today, he probably would have been fine.

Mr. Collada, Meet Your Future!

These videos are really addictive
The funny thing is, if he would have just said, I have a concussion, I can't go today, he probably would have been fine.

Congratulations Trent Lott

Elected to the number two position in the Senate. I thought his victory speech was a bit distasteful, though.

Military's New Plan For Iraq: Get a Fathead!

"The Pentagon's closely guarded review of how to improve the situation in Iraq has outlined three basic options: Send in more troops, shrink the force but stay longer, or pull out, according to senior defense officials.

Insiders have dubbed the options "Go Big," "Go Long" and "Go Home." The group conducting the review is likely to recommend a combination of a small, short-term increase in U.S. troops and a long-term commitment to stepped-up training and advising of Iraqi forces, the officials said."

No word if Ocho Cinco will be the spokesman for the new strategy.

Reason to Live?

I woke up this morning, and I asked myself, why continue? I had a wicked hangover from our post-memo/negotiation happy hour, my phone is randomly calling numbers all across the country (more on this later), my apartment is a mess, and my beloved Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team lost at home to something called a Stony Brook (it's a college, from what I understand). Even worse, finals are coming up, and if Michigan wins against ohio state today, the horror of a michigan-notre dame championship game comes closer to fruition. When all seemed hopeless, I saw this on my television this morning-
That'll keep me going till christmas, after that, all bets are off...

What's Your Gameplan?

AC Green's Abstinence Plan.
Your tax dollars at work....
For the record, my gameplan to abstinence in high school was being unattractive and having dorky friends. Fund THAT, HHS!

The Juice is the Cause of all the World's Wars

It seems our favorite morning beverage named acquitted double murderer is back in the news. According to the morbidly obese runner's blog, OJ Simpson has now penned a book that describes what would have happened if he had killed Nichole. The corpulent one asks the silly question, "If he didn't do it, why this?". He asks, I answer.
Very simple. OJ has spent all of his money over the past twelve years on private detectives to find the real killers of Nichole Simpson and Ron Goldman. Do you think the LAPD is going to do this? Don't kid yourself. They framed OJ with an efficiency and ruthlessness that would make those NASA people who faked the moon landing proud. Would they admit their own incompetence by arresting the real perpetrator? That would be like Buzz Aldrin taking you to the place in the dessert where they killed Jimmy Hoffa for killing Kennedy. Not. Gonna. Happen.
Instead, OJ has devised a brilliant plan to find the real killers and earn some cash by writing this classy little memoir. His description in the book of the killing is so ridiculously incompetent that it will offend the professional dignity of the cold blooded pros who actually committed the murder. They will start complaining to friends that "that's not how it really happened" and before long, the rumor mill will catch up to them and OJ will fly to Brentwood and collar them himself.
That or AC Cowlings will write his own memoir, "That's not how it went down, OJ".
Anyhow, I don't see the big deal. Nobody complained when Truman Capote wrote "In Cold Blood".

Please Be My Backdoor Man/Woman

I am a big fan of public transportation. Yes, I have no car. I ride the bus. The 54c if you are curious. 9:22 every morning right by the Curves in Bloomfield, if you are interested in stalking It might not be the coolest thing, or the most appealing to women, but I rather enjoy riding the bus as opposed to contributing to global warming and the eventual disappearance of Bangledash from the map of the earth, not that I am judging (Al Gore is, though, you earth killer!). Besides, if I really cared about being cool or appealing to women, I'd shower or occasionally have conversations with the opposite sex.
However, one thing that really gets my goat about the buses in our fair city is this-whenever the bus goes through shadyside, and gets packed full of asshole shadysiders or hungover oaklanders, it becomes so crowded that it is nearly impossible to actually get off the bus from my backseat without accidentally hitting handicapped old women in the head with my massive bookbag (and pectorals). But no matter how full the bus is, no matter the polite screams from cute undergrad girls on the back of the bus, the bus drivers never seem to or want to let the back door open for people to get off (no double entendre intended, sickos). In fact, they seem smugly pleased to force you to trudge all the way to the front of the bus, senior citizens toes be damned, rather than to press a simple damn button to open the back door. In Dc, where no fashionable citizen is caught dead on a bus, you can open the backdoor for yourself. But here? No. We have some convaluted system where sometimes you pay when you get on, and sometimes you pay when you get off, so the back doors can't open at your whim, and if you don't know whether to pay when you get on or off, the drivers yell at you like you just told the cops you found nichole simpson's real killer.
I'm just saying, bus drivers, please give us some backdoor love.

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