Category: News

Who is this John Williams Guy?

On the surface, this appears to be a super naive youtube commenter who doesn’t know who John Williams is and is complaining on a video of music from Harry Potter (scored by Williams) that was muted by Youtube due to a copyright claim. The person says that John Williams owes his livlihood to Potter and should be happy to have people hear his work. Though I am suspicious of this occurance…

Life is interesting

“The world is the single most interesting soap opera. to not be interested in current events is to not be interested in the most interesting movie you will ever see. In every realm – there is nothing comprable to the opera of life that takes place in current events.”
-Dennis Prager, Dec 2011

Offensive Image circulates after Kim Jong il’s Death

This picture is being posted around the interwebs of the display case of dead dictator Kim Jong-il and some have asked if it is in bad taste or makes you a bad person for posting it…

YES you are a frigging terrible person for posting this. whomever made this image should be ASHAMED of themselves. the insensitivity of switching princes is outrageous. YES, prince Phillip and Prince Unnamed [from snow white] are both princes who awaken a “dead” princess with a kiss but to just swap them out like they’re nothing? to just show one and then with no warning replace him with a completely different prince is just… i just. i cant… fa;klsdfhjl;aksdghj;lkahs. im so fkking mad i could spit. GOOD DAY

Rice for Vice?

I thought Condoleezza Rice would have and should have been the VP nominee last election when I thought the two tickets were going to be Clinton/Obama vs Romney/Rice. This column says she should be the GOP nominee’s (Romney, this time. unless Republicans are stupid enough to fuck it up a 2nd time) VP pick but chooses to pun-up the article to crazy degrees. First of all, the title is One president, please, with a side of Rice. Ug… but tolerable. But then read this introduction:

Republican diners haven’t yet picked their entree, but they’ve narrowed it down to the steak or the fish. Still, just as interesting as their main course will be their side selection: Will they go for a drab salad, or something more exciting? Maybe a spicy Rice dish?

Yes, that Rice: Condi. She’s rested and ready – and buff.

……

The rest of the article argues it’s case fine and all, its just… how do you take it seriously after that groan-worthy opening paragraph? oy…

America’s first black female secretary of state is quietly positioning herself to be the top choice of the eventual Republican presidential nominee, ready to deliver bona fide foreign-policy credentials lacking among the candidates. The 56-year-old has recently raised her profile, releasing her memoir in November and embarking on a monthlong book tour.

After 2 1/2 years as a professor at Stanford, Miss Rice is reportedly getting “antsy” to get back into the political game. “She’s ready to go,” said one top source.

T-Mobile and AT&T Merger Called off

T-Mobile will not be bought by AT&T. Sub-headline: Opposition from the Obama administration over competition and job losses proves too big to overcome. The companies say more capacity to handle growing mobile usage is needed. Sprint is a winner; shares jump.

I guess we will never see this product realized:

AT&T and T-Mobile called off their $39-billion merger late today, a move that could cost AT&T $4 billion before taxes in cancellation costs, trim revenues for investment banks by $150 million and give Sprint Nextel another shot at becoming a true player in the mobile market.

The AT&T’s purchase of T-Mobile from Germany’s Deutsche Telekom would have made it the nation’s largest cellphone company. AT&T is now the country’s second-largest wireless carrier; T-Mobile is the fourth-largest. But it’s not going to happen because critics said the deal was anti-competitive.

Sprint shares jumped 6%, or 13 cents, to $2.29 because investors bet the company would be better able to compete against AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the joint venture of Verizon Communications and British telecom giant Vodaphone.

Ding Dong Kim Jong is Dead

When I heard that Lil Kim died, I was devastated but when they clarified that it was jus the pot bellied 2 foot tall evil dictator of North Korea Kim Jong-Il, I was like “aww. daz okay den”. Fo Reel.

The death reports say he died from being “overworked”. Uh ya. just like “everyone in North Korea has enough to eat”.

He should have taken a note from Diabetes (some comedian has in his standup: “why don’t they call it LIVE-abetes?”):

Via EW: Kim Jong-il was a secretive man but his good friend General Aladeen (the character played by Sacha Baron Cohen in the new movie The Dictator) gave us all a rare glimpse into the North Korean dictator’s private life today with a personal statement on the passing of his beloved badminton partner, released today via Huffington Post.

“I am saddened to learn of the passing of my dear friend Kim Jong-Il. Our thoughts go out to his wife and 813 children. “K-Jo” was a great leader, good friend and average double’s badminton partner. He died as he lived, in 3-inch lifts. An extraordinary man, he did so much to spread compassion, wisdom and uranium throughout the world.”

Aladeen concluded by welcoming Kim’s successor, Kim Jong-un, into the “Axis of Evil.” But I thought you had to pledge first?

UPDATE: Here’s the Trailer for The Dictator:

even better?:

Perry collecting Pension while still employed as Governor

Speakin uh Texus – ayve got a great set a ideas: how bout #1 – y’all run a religiousy Governor from that state who aint well spoken 4yrs after Dubya. 2: have him be the guy who will fix Obama’s crazy-irresponsible entitlement program mess while he himself collects his pension despite still being a sitting governor, and 3:… well, I forget what 3 is… oops.

The better summary that I just got in an instant message about this story: Texas Gov. Rick Perry is collecting a salary and retirement benefits simultaneously … A report filed with the Federal Election Commission shows that Perry is collecting his $7,700 monthly state pension in addition to his nearly $133,000 annual salary as governor.

A friend cautioned me with the following: “Don’t hate the player, hate the game. Its not his fault… The system is obviously flawed and that’s what people should be upset with. Not Perry who is just using what he is allowed… I mean, it is fucked up, but he isn’t being corrupt about it.”

And he’s right of course. Perry isn’t doing anything illegal or even out of the ordinary. I should make it more clear that I’m just further spotlighting how he’s not a good candidate, not that he’s corrupt or even a hypocrite in this regard. it’s just so clearly NOT this dudes time that his candidacy urks me.

I probably wouldn’t like Perry as a candidate for anything beyond Texan elected office (he’s done fine as Governor, but that doesn’t justify a national promotion) but my point isn’t that Perry is a terrible and dishonorable person or even unfit for for any office. Just that he’s an unfit candidate at this time. My point is similar to the one made by Andrew C. McCarthy in National Review about GOP candidate Jon Huntsman (former Governor of Utah and former Ambassador to China under the Obama Administration). McCarthy notes that there may not be anything wrong with Huntsman to make him blocked out for consideration for president (I personally, like him) but for this election cycle, it just aint a good fit. Emphasis added by me below:

Here is the totality of their argument: “Governor Huntsman has a solid record, notwithstanding his sometimes glib foreign-policy pronouncements; his main weakness is his apparent inability, so far, to forge a connection with conservative voters outside Utah.”

Seriously? When you ask conservatives and Republicans what they think of Governor Huntsman’s bid, you don’t get a bunch of psycho-babble about “inability to forge a connection.” You get, “Why would Republicans nominate a guy Obama picked for an important role in his administration?” Huntsman was the president’s ambassador to China — a fact the Editors, remarkably, omit. So, when it comes to Bachmann, the Editors think “anti-vaccine rumors” are a disqualifier; on Huntsman, however, somehow the little matter of his service in the Obama administration doesn’t even rate a mention. To be clear, I am not suggesting that there is anything dishonorable about Huntsman’s service. But we’re not talking about whether he should be ostracized; we’re talking about whether he is a viable candidate in a race Republicans must frame as a referendum on the Obama administration. How bad can the administration be if we’re going to recruit our nominee from it?

Again: I don’t even agree with the substance of the above point (I don’t see a problem at all with the fact that Hunstman served his president when he was asked, even though it was from the opposition party. I respect it), I’m only noting the parallel in the argument, which is why each man is not good for this election cycle, not why either is unfit for office or a terrible person.

BONUS:

UPDATE: Ad hits Gingrich and Perry on ethics. Reminder: Mitt Romney is squeaky clean in that area.