Under the radar: La Vena Johnson

At least this was under MY radar. . .read on, watch the video, and prepare to be thoroughly disgusted and completely outraged:





LavenaJohnson.com

Leave Barack Alone!!!

What if Britney Spears' most notoriously emotional defender was a fan of Barack Obama too?

Thanks to Slate (with voiceover by Christopher Beam), now we know. Leave Barack aloooonnnee!!!

The REAL McCain: "REAL old"

Bob Cesca takes aim at John McCain's latest attack ad against Barack Obama:



Thanks to Paddy for catching this one!

Cheech and Chong re-light after 25 years

Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong have settled their longtime feud and will begin touring together this coming September on their "Light Up America" tour. The team, who split over creative differences, have tried to reunite in the past, but always fought too much.

"It takes about three minutes for that to happen, Marin said. "There's this veiled hatred." He continued: "We've kind of resolved that", adding that he and the 70-year-old Chong had recently decided that if ever they were to reunite the time was now because, "You're not getting any younger and neither am I."

"Up in Smoke" trailer


Tommy Chong on The Young Turks


Cheech Marin - Born in East L.A.

"The Low Road"

Responding to a harsh personal attack from John McCain, Barack Obama released a television ad late Wednesday evening accusing the the Arizona Republican's campaign of dirty, superficial politics.

The spot, titled "The Low Road," witnesses the Illinois Democrat playing his trump card: tying McCain to George W. Bush, both in politics and in policy.

"He's practicing the politics of the past: John McCain," reads the ad. "His attacks on Barack Obama: not true, false, baloney, the low road, baseless. John McCain same old politics same failed policies."

Britney Spears on McCain ad

When asked for a response to John McCain's new attack ad featuring Britney Spears, representatives from the 42West public relations firm declined to make a substantive comment, saying only, "why would we want to get Britney Spears involved in presidential politics?"

Perhaps because she has in the past?

McCain's "Respectful" Campaign

Here's an excerpt from the memo the McCain campaign sent out as soon as he clinched the Republican nomination:

To: Campaign Leadership

From: Rick Davis

Subject: McCain Message

Date: 3/11/2008

John McCain is now the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party. It is critical, as we prepare to face off with whomever the Democrats select as their nominee, that we all follow John's lead and run a respectful campaign focused on the issues and values that are important to the American people.

Throughout the primary election we saw John McCain reject the type of politics that degrade our civics, and this will not change as he prepares to run head-to-head against the Democratic nominee.

John McCain will continue to run on his principles and will focus on the future of our country. . . .

Overheated rhetoric and personal attacks on our opponents distract from the big differences between John McCain's vision for the future of our nation and the Democrats'. . . .

Throughout his life John McCain has held himself to the highest standards and he will continue to run a respectful campaign based on the issues. . . .

It hasn't taken long for that memo to be discarded in favor of the attack politics we've seen this month. Four weeks agao, McCain brought on board disciples of Karl Rove from the 2004 campaign and the Bush White House. McCain has said Obama deliberately wants to lose a war. The campaign has an ad in heavy rotation blaming Obama for high gas prices. McCain and his gang have spent nearly a week pushing a bogus smear about Obama snubbing injured U.S. troops. McCain suggested Obama might be a “socialist.” The McCain campaign even hinted that Obama is weak on genocide. And today comes this tawdry new piece of trash:



As McCain likes to say, "that's not change we can beleive in". . .

The Commander in Chief Test

A new viral video gives Presidential candidate John McCain the 'Commander-In-Chief test.' The results won't surprise you:

Cheap power from water?

Despite the fact that most scientists say that his company's technology violates the basic laws of physics, Dr. Randell Mills, a Harvard-trained physician and the founder of BlackLight Power, claims that he has created a working fuel cell using the world's most pervasive element: the hydrogen found in water.

Why do scientists give Mills so much heat? By positing that a molecule's energy level can dip below its ground state, he rewrites the principles of quantum mechanics, which are widely viewed as incontrovertible.

"This is no longer an academic argument," Mills, 50, insists. "It's proven technology, and we're going to commercialize it as quickly as possible."

For the first time in his company's 19 years of persistent trial and error, Mills says he has a market-ready product: a fuel cell that produces a chemical reaction to alter hydrogen atoms. The fuel cell releases heat that turns water into steam, which drives electric turbines.

The working models in his lab generate 50 kilowatts of electricity - enough to power six or seven houses. But these, Mills says, can be scaled to drive a large, electric power plant. The inventor claims this electricity will cost less than 2 cents per kilowatt-hour, which compares to a national average of 8.9 cents.

While his business has been working on the "BlackLight Process" since its inception almost two decades ago, Mills developed the patented cocktail that enables the reaction - a solid fuel made of hydrogen and a sodium hydride catalyst - only a year ago. (He recently posted instructions on the company's Web site, blacklightpower.com). Now that the device is ready for commercialization, he says, BlackLight is negotiating with several utilities and architecture and engineering firms, but he won't disclose any partners' names until the deals are finalized.

Ted Stevens indicted on seven counts

Good News for Mark Begich:

The "bridge to nowhere man" was indicted today on seven felony counts of concealing more than a quarter of a million dollars in house renovations and gifts from a powerful oil contractor that lobbied him for government aid. Stevens, 84, is the first sitting U.S. senator to face federal indictment since 1993.

The contractor in the case, VECO, normally builds oil processing equipment and pipelines, but its employees helped do the work on Stevens' home which included a new first floor, garage, wraparound deck, plumbing and electrical wiring. He's also accused of accepting from VECO a Viking gas grill, furniture and tools, and of failing to report swapping an old Ford for a new Land Rover to be driven by one of his children.

Stevens was already facing a tough re-election battle against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, who has been leading him in recent polls. Move another Senate seat into the Democratic column for 2008. Welcome aboard, Alaska!

Media pushes back on misleading McCain ad

Andrea Mitchell:



Keith Olberman and Rachel Maddow:

MoveOn.org to counter McCain "swift boat" attack ads on MTV

MTV has just started accepting political ads (Next thing you know, they'll be doing music videos again!). And the first political ad that millions of young people will see is a negative attack on Barack Obama—saying he's "worse than a flip-flopper" and accusing him of no longer being against the war:

The McCain ad


It's outrageous. The Republicans' strategy is clear: kill the hope that's brought millions of new young voters out of the woodwork. We can't let that happen. And as it turns out, MoveOn.org has a funny, positive, hopeful way to fight back.


The "funniest ad" award winner in our Obama in 30 Seconds contest is a perfect counterpoint to the cynicism-mongering ad on MTV. Plus, it was made by actor (and MoveOn member) Rider Strong:



Help MoveOn.org run this ad by clicking here. And have hope again. . .

"Liberal Hater" charged in Tennesee church killings

Shooter didn't expect to leave the church alive:

Jim D.Adkisson, an unemployed truck driver and avowed hater of liberal social policies, opened fired in a Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee on Sunday morning. The shooting began as a group of 200 people watched a production of "Annie" performed by 25 children. No children were hurt in the melee, but five people remained in serious or critical condition Monday, and two casualties were reported.

One man, usher Greg McKendry, 60, was hailed as a hero for shielding others from gunfire with his burly body. The second victim, who died hours later, was identified as Linda Kraeger, 61.

Several other men were able to rush the killer, wrestle him to the ground, and hold him until police arrived. Police Chief Sterling Owen stated that "He certainly intended to take a lot of casualties; he had 76 rounds with him."Court records from a neighboring county indicate that Adkisson threatened his wife with violence several years ago. In March of 2000 his then-wife, Liza Alexander, obtained a protective order against him after telling a judge that Adkisson had threatened "to blow my brains out and then blow his own brains out."

Owen added that authorities believe the suspect had gone to the Unitarian church because of "some publicity in the recent past regarding its liberal stance on things."

Unitarians have roots in a movement that rejected Puritan orthodoxy in New England. Although individual Unitarian churches can vary dramatically in outlooks, most congregations retain a deep commitment to social justice, which has led many to embrace liberal stances on the ordination of women, civil rights and gay rights.

Church member Amy Broyles, who was visiting the church to see her daughter in the play, reflected on the irony of the tragedy.

"This was a man who was hurt in the world and feeling that nothing was going his way," she said. "He turned the gun on people who were mostly likely to treat him lovingly and compassionately and be the ones to help someone in that situation."

"W" - The Trailer

The Trailer (Where he SHOULD be living. . .) . Just in case you haven't had enough of the real life disaster, or are curious:

You Tell Me

It's Mundane Morning once again. and time for you to caption this photo:

Beat the Press

This just in!

* Fox News finds a "fountain of youth" for John McCain - by using 2008 campaign footage for a report on a campaign stop TODAY.

* Glen Beck and Ben Stein think that Obama is so popular that he MUST be a totalitarian in the mold of Hitler or Mussolini.

* Alan Colmes grows a pair and challenges the Boy Wonder Karl Rove..

Before and After

Before and after marriage:

Before - You take my breath away
After - I feel like I’m suffocating

Before - Twice a night
After - Once a month

Before - She says she loves the way I take control of the situation
After - She called me a controlling, manipulative egomaniac

Before - Lucy and Ricky
After - Fred and Ethel

Before - Saturday Night Fever
After - Monday Night Football

Before - He makes me feel like a million dollars
After - If I had a dime for every stupid thing he’s done…

Before - Don’t stop
After - Don’t start

Before - The Sound of Music
After - The Sound of Silence

Before - Is that all you’re having?
After - Maybe you should just have a salad, honey.

Before - Wheel of Fortune
After - Jeopardy

Before - Its like I’m in a dream
After - Its like he’s in a dorm

Before - $60/dozen
After - $1.50/stem

Before - Turbo charged
After - Jump start

Before - We agree on everything!
After - Doesn’t she have a mind of her own?

Before - Victoria’s Secret
After - Fruit of the Loom

Before - Charming and Noble
After - Chernobyl

Before - Feathers and Handcuffs
After - Ball and Chain

Before - Idol
After - Idle

Before - I love a woman with curves
After - I never said you were fat

Before - He’s completely lost without me
After - Why won’t he ever ask for directions?

Before - Time stood still
After - This relationship is going nowhere

Before - Croissant and cappuccino
After - Bagel and instant

Before - Blind
After - Nearsighted

Before - You look so seductive in black
After - Your clothes are so depressing

Before - Iambic Pentameter
After - Blank Verse

Before - Oysters
After - Fishsticks

Before - I can hardly believe we found each other
After - I can’t believe I ended up with someone like you

Before - Passion
After - Ration

Before - Once upon a time
After - The End

Obama Gets Bounce From Overseas Trip

Via - Political Wire:

When asked about the political ramifications about his recent trip abroad, Sen. Barack Obama told the New York Times, "I wouldn't even be surprised if in some polls we saw a little bit of a dip because we've been out of the country for a week."

However, at least two daily tracking polls show Obama getting a decent 6-7 point bounce.

Before the trip:

* Rasmussen: Obama 46%, McCain 46%
* Gallup: Obama 45%, McCain 43%

After the trip:

* Rasmussen: Obama 49%, McCain 43%
* Gallup: Obama 48%, McCain 41%

Today in History for July 26th

Friday Nite Retro

Welcome to another Friday Nite Retro. I'm your guest host, Vic, and I've come to talk to you about a subject near and dear to my heart - hooters! er, I mean The Hooters, that fabulous band from the 80s that combined ska, reggae, folk, and rock and roll into a driving force that propelled them into the 90s and beyond.



The Hooters were formed in 1980 and played their first show on July 4 of that year. They took their name from a nickname for the melodica, a type of keyboard harmonica which is German in origin and made by Hohner, and featured regularly in their music. The band consisted of Eric Bazilian, Rob Hyman, David Uosikkinen, Bobby Woods and John Kuzma. Bazilian and Hyman originally played in a band in the late 1970s called Baby Grand and released two albums on Arista Records.

During the 1980s, The Hooters played on the Philadelphia club scene, boosted by airplay on WMMR, the major rock radio station in Philadelphia at the time. They soon became a huge success along their native East Coast, playing everything from clubs to high schools, while appearing on local television shows.

In 1982, Bazilian and Hyman were asked to write, arrange and play on the debut album of a relatively unknown singer named Cyndi Lauper, She's So Unusual, who was being produced by their former bandmate from Baby Grand, Rick Chertoff. Hyman co-wrote the song "Time After Time," which would go on to hit Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and was subsequently nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

Time After Time


In 1983, The Hooters released their first independent album, Amore, which sold over 100,000 copies and introduced the original versions of songs like "All You Zombies," "Hanging On A Heartbeat," "Fightin' On The Same Side" and "Blood From A Stone," all of which would reappear in different versions on later albums. Although a studio album, Amore captured the same spirit that made The Hooters admired for their live performances.

All You Zombies


Hanging On A Heartbeat


Blood From A Stone


The Hooters' 1985 Columbia Records debut album, Nervous Night, achieved platinum status around the world, selling in excess of 2 million copies and included Billboard Top 40 hits "Day By Day" (No. 18), "And We Danced" (No. 21) and "Where Do The Children Go" (No. 38). Rolling Stone named The Hooters the Best New Band of the Year.

Day By Day


And We Danced


Where Do The Children Go


On July 13, 1985, they were the opening band at the Philadelphia Live Aid benefit concert, gaining international recognition for the first time. Their first major overseas tour came later that year when they played throughout Australia.

In June of 1986, The Hooters participated in A Conspiracy of Hope, a benefit concert on behalf of Amnesty International, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and in September 1986 they appeared on the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, where they were nominated in the category of Best New Artist in a Video for "And We Danced." They performed two songs on the show, "And We Danced" and "Nervous Night."

In 1987, The Hooters experienced their first major commercial success in Europe. After heavy airplay in the United Kingdom, "Satellite," from the album One Way Home, became a hit single, reaching No. 22, with the band performing on the popular British television show Top of the Pops on December 3, where they would meet one of their musical idols, Paul McCartney. "Satellite" was also featured on an episode of the television show Miami Vice titled "Amen...Send Money". Other tracks from One Way Home include "Johnny B." and "Karla With A K".

Satellite


Johnny B.


Karla With A K


1989 saw their final release for Columbia Records. Zig Zag introduced a politically-oriented theme, with Peter, Paul and Mary providing background vocals for an updated version of the 1960s folk song "500 Miles," which became an international hit that lead the way to another international success for the band.

500 Miles


As the 1990s dawned, The Hooters' success in the United States began to wane, while their popularity overseas, especially in Europe, reached new heights.

Following a show at The Town & Country Club in London, England in March 1988, the band had met Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, who told them that he was a big fan of theirs. This eventually lead to their appearance in Waters' staging of The Wall Concert at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin on July 21, 1990, with Sinéad O'Connor in "Mother" and three former members of The Band (Rick Danko, Levon Helm, and Garth Hudson) providing backing vocals.

Mother


1993 saw their debut album for MCA Records, Out Of Body. While not a commercial success in the United States, the album found a large audience in Europe, especially in Sweden and Germany. The Hooters Live, recorded over two nights in Germany in December 1993, was released in Europe and Asia in 1994, but never saw a release in the United States.

The Hooters continued to tour throughout Europe until 1995, before taking a hiatus as a band. For several years, the members of the band went on to pursue individual projects in a variety of fields, both in and outside of music. Guitarist Eric Bazilian became recognized internationally for being a songwriter, session musician, arranger and producer for numerous artists throughout the United States and Europe. In 1995, he played all those roles for Joan Osborne's debut album Relish, which was nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for the No. 4 Billboard hit "One of Us," which Bazilian single-handedly wrote. He also released two solo albums: The Optimist in 2000 and A Very Dull Boy in 2002.

One Of Us


Keyboard player Rob Hyman built his own recording studio, Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia, while also contributing to numerous musical artists as a songwriter, session musician, arranger and producer, among them being Joan Osborne and Ricky Martin. Drummer David Uosikkinen, having moved to San Diego, California, launched an independent record label, Moskeeto Records, while also working as a drummer for various artists including Patty Smyth, Cyndi Lauper, Rod Stewart and Alice Cooper. In 1999, he joined a group of technology experts who created an online music portal, MP3.com, which subsequently contributed to a change in the music industry's distribution and consumer listening habits. Guitarist John Lilley started his own landscape gardening business, Avantgardeners, in the Philadelphia area. Bass player Fran Smith Jr. joined the original Broadway cast members as Paul McCartney in Beatlemania. He also played the part of Carlo Cannoli in Tony n' Tina's Wedding, the longest running off-Broadway theatre comedy. From his own recording studio, he produced numerous artists, including Joe Piscopo and Flo & Eddie of The Turtles, as well as local artists and bands. In 1995, he released a solo album, For No Apparent Reason (That's the album name, not an editorial).

Except for a small reunion heard on the concept album Largo (which featured appearances by all the members except for Lilley) in 1998, The Hooters did not play together again until November of 2001, when they performed at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia for a one off show to celebrate disc jockey Pierre Robert's 20th anniversary at local rock radio station WMMR, the first major station to ever play The Hooters back in the early 1980s.2003 saw a full-time reunion of The Hooters in Germany, where they completed a successful 17-city tour. The success of the tour prompted two further tours in 2004 and 2005, where they premiered new unreleased songs and played in additional countries, including Switzerland and Sweden.

In May of 2004, The Hooters were presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Music Awards. November 2005 marked the appearance of The Hooters on VH1 Classic's concert series Decades Live Rock as guests of Cyndi Lauper, where they performed "And We Danced" and "All You Zombies."

June 2006 finally saw The Hooters play their first official shows in the United States in over a decade. Over the course of three nights, they performed three shows: a homecoming show at Philadelphia's Electric Factory; a show at The Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey; and finally, an outdoor show at Hubbard Park in Rob Hyman's hometown of Meriden, Connecticut. Following these shows, the band entered Hyman's Elmstreet Studios to record their first album of new material since 1993. Time Stand Still was released in September 2007, preceded by a tour of Europe from June through August, with shows in Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands and Switzerland.

I'm Alive


In November 2007, The Hooters returned to Europe for a short tour of Switzerland and Germany, including a show filmed for television in Basel, Switzerland as part the AVO Concerts Series. They then played two shows in the United States during Thanksgiving week in their hometown of Philadelphia at the Electric Factory, with the latter show broadcast by radio station WXPN in 85 markets.

In early 2008 The Hooters once again entered Elmstreet Studios to begin work on a new album. Accompanied by Ann Marie Calhoun on violin, the band recorded acoustic rearrangements of 14 of their previously released songs, which will be put on a double-disc set to be packaged with an album that was recorded during the band's concerts the previous year at Philadelphia's Electric Factory, and will be released later in 2008.

March 2008 saw The Hooters embark on a series of shows in the United States in support of Time Stand Still, which saw a Stateside release the previous month, including at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill in New York City and The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia.

In July 2008, The Hooters launched a European summer tour, playing shows in Norway, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland.

More info on the band and their plans can be found at their official website, The Hooters.

"Sly Fox"

Hip hop artist Nas and members of ColorOfChange.org deliver over 620,000 petitions calling on Fox News to stop its racist coverage of the Obamas. Sign the petition at http://www.colorofchange.org.



Stephen Colbert welcomed Nas as his guest on the Colbert Report and dedicated over half of his show to FOX's racism. The boxes containing our signatures were stacked prominently on Colbert's set in place of his normal interview table and chairs—and he conducted the entire interview surrounded by petitions! Then, Nas performed his new song "Sly Fox," which is all about FOX's racism.

Homeowner Chooses Suicide Over Foreclosure

Millions of Americans have suffered under anguish and despair under the collapse of the housing market over the last several years. Thousands have lost their homes to foreclosure. For Carlene Balderrama, that ending was just too much to take. She chose to leave her home (pictured below) on her own terms:

Mrs.Balderrama, faced with the auction of her family home at 5 PM this past Tuesday, faxed a letter to her mortgage company at 2:30 p.m., saying that "by the time you foreclose on my home today, I will be dead". The 53-year-old wife and mother also left a note for her family saying they should "take the life insurance money and pay for the house". Most insurance policies will not pay under deaths ruled to be suicides.

The mortgage company, PHH Corp. of Mount Laurel, N.J., contacted police who found Balderrama at 3:30 PM dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound from her husband's high-powered rifle. Prospective buyers arrived to bid on the home while police cruisers blocked the driveway and Balderrama's body remained inside the home. Ironically, the auction had been postponed for reasons not available at this time.

Apparently she handled most of the family's finances, and her husband was completely unaware of the pending foreclosure. The strain of carrying that load on her own proved to much for her. Bruce Marks, chief executive of the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, said it's not uncommon for homeowners to contemplate suicide when they cannot keep up their mortgage payments. Marks's group counsels homeowners in crisis and responds to such crises by immediately notifying the police, he said.

"What gets us so angry is that people blame themselves," Marks said. "They can't see past their sense of responsibility to see the responsibility and the predatory nature of these lenders. The fact of the matter is, unless something dramatic happens, there's going to be more and more people like her taking their lives."

Barack Obama in Berlin

Coming soon: Obama Girl at the Olympics!

PREVIEW: Obama Girl and McCain Girl will compete in the Candidate Girl Olympic Games. The fate of our nation will hang in the balance!

Random Thoughts

A penny saved is a government oversight.

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

He who hesitates is probably right.

Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are ‘ XL.’

If you think there is good in everybody, you haven’t met everybody.

If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.

The sole purpose of a child’s middle name is so he can tell when he’s really in trouble.

There’s always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for it. For example I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don’t hurt.

Did you ever notice: When you put the 2 words ‘The’ and ‘IRS’ together it spells ‘Theirs.’

Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know ‘why’ I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.

When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.

You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.

One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.

Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.

First you forget names, then you forget faces. Then you forget to pull up your zipper. It’s worse when you forget to pull it down.

Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today, it’s called golf…

Who's Laughing Now?

I ran across this photo earlier tonight on another blog and about fell out of my chair laughing!

The original users of corn as a fuel source have the last laugh on we "four-dollar-per-gallon-paying" outsiders. . .and, they can probably used the dried by-product for fuel pellets as well, eh? Or at the very least, as fertilizer to grow more feed corn. . .what we can learn from the Amish!

McCain Makes Historic First Visit to Internet

This just in from Andy Borowitz:

In a daring bid to wrench attention from his Democratic rival in the 2008 presidential race, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) today embarked on an historic first-ever visit to the Internet.

Given that the Arizona Republican had never logged onto the Internet before, advisors acknowledged that his first visit to the World Wide Web was fraught with risk.

But with his Democratic rival Barack Obama making headlines with his tour of the Middle East and Europe, the McCain campaign felt that they needed to "come up with something equally bold for John to do," according to one advisor.

McCain aides said that the senator's journey to the Internet will span five days and will take him to such far-flung sites as Amazon.com, eBay and Facebook.

With a press retinue watching, Sen. McCain logged onto the Internet at 9:00 AM Sunday, paying his first-ever visit ever to Mapquest.com.

"I can't get this [expletive] thing to work," Sen. McCain said as he struggled with his computer's mouse, causing his wife Cindy to prompt him to add that he was "just kidding."

Having pronounced his visit to Mapquest a success, Sen. McCain continued his tour by visiting Weather.com and Yahoo! Answers, where he inquired as to the difference between Sunnis and Shiites.

Sen. McCain said that he had embarked on his visit to the Internet to allay any fears that he is too out-of-touch to be president, adding that he plans to take additional steps to demonstrate that he is comfortable with today's technology: "In the days and weeks ahead, you will be seeing me rock out with my new Walkman."

Vanity Fair covers "the cover"

Vanity Fair Covers The New Yorker:

Grand Old Panderers

Sticking to the party talking points, a united voice that toes the line, and party before all - the hallmarks of the Republican Party. Until there's a scent of blood in the water:

Republican Senate leaders — terrified by the prospect of losing five or more seats in November — have freed their members to vote however they need to vote to get reelected, even if that means bucking the president or the party’s leadership.

On at least four votes over the past month — Medicare, housing, the GI Bill and the Farm Bill — Republican leaders haven’t even bothered whipping members to toe the party line or back President Bush’s veto threats. Instead, a GOP leadership aide says leaders have told vulnerable senators that it’s all right to “get well” with voters by siding with Democrats on anything but energy and national security.

It’s unusual for rank-and-file members to get a green light to blow off their party leaders. But these are unusual times for Republicans. They are genuinely worried they could get their clocks cleaned in November. The prevailing attitude: It is better to lose some big votes now than big races in November.

Republicans are attempting to neutralize the issues, and give vulnerable Senators some breathing room, by allowing them to vote with Dems. The message is to be "Look! We stood up to our leadership and voted for your best interests! Well. . .for six months or so. Right before the elections. In a year where we're in trouble."

Apparently the hope is that the stark contrast between their new found love of their constituents and the first 18 months of the 110th Congress, which were defined by razor-thin partisan votes in the Senate and a near-daily blame game over the use of the filibuster, goes unnoticed. . .Bon chance!

McCain's new ad - "My Eyes Adored You"

John McCain is PISSED! It seems that the media's longtime love affair with "the Maverick" is over. . .here's his latest campaign commercial ode to Obama:

Troops Cheer Obama during Iraq visit

During his visit to Iraq, our boys and girls in uniform greeted Barack Obama with a standing ovation:

Obama greeted by our troops in Iraq


Compare that to their lackluster greeting of George Bush last year:

Bush greeted by our troops in Iraq

Any Questions?

Estelle Getty has died at 84

Actress Estelle Getty (Sophia on "The Golden Girls") died this morning, at age 84. Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home. The actress is survived by two sons Carl and Barry, a brother, David Scher, and sister Rosilyn Howard.

McCain has another Senior Moment

It appears that concerns over a major gaffe occurring during Barack Obama's visit to the mideast were valid. Listen to the Senator screw up the details in an ABC interview:



If we're not supposed to use McCain's age as an issue in this campaign, can we use his pride and joy - his foreign policy experience? This is the same world affairs guru who forgot that Czechoslovakia ceased to exist in 1993, and didn't know the difference between the Shiites and the Sunnis.

Oh well. . .at least he can still fall back on his family values:

Don't it make my red state blue. . .

Speaking of polling, Rassmussen's new poll out today shows Alaska slipping out of GOP control for the first time ever. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican Senator in history, is losing 50-41 to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, who was just 6 years old when Stevens was first elected in 1968:



While Stevens won with 78% of the vote back in 20002, several incidents since that time have caused even 20% of the GOP faithful to rally against him. Stevens is reportedly the only senator to have had his home raided by Feds, and then there was that "bridge to nowhere" deal. . .

Normally, an Alaska Republican in trouble could count on some help from the top of the ticket. In its entire history, Alaska has voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate just once, and that was forty-four years ago. This year, however, John McCain holds just a single-digit lead over Barack Obama in Alaska.

Another one bites the dust. . .

Obama holds solid lead in Ohio

Barack Obama continues to hold a solid advantage over John McCain in Ohio, according to the newest survey from Public Policy Polling. His lead in the state is 48-40, similar to the 50-39 edge he showed in PPP’s June poll.



Obama trails McCain 46-42 among white voters, but his 91-6 advantage with African Americans gives him the overall lead. “Right now Barack Obama is in a pretty good position in Ohio,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “His standing with black voters is not surprising, but he is also doing unusually well with white voters in the state.

Whether he can sustain that level of support or not will probably determine if he can take this state.” The results show a significant gender gap, with Obama leading by 20 points among women but trailing by seven with men. Obama leads in all age groups except senior citizens.

The PPP poll also spells trouble for GOP Governor George Voinovich in his fight for re-election:

Another "battleground" state bites the dust. . .

Obama's Visit to Iraq

Via: Huffington Post -

Obama arrives at the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Monday for a meeting with the prime minister and other officials

Video of the meeting
Obama with Prime Minister Maliki

Obama with General David Petraeus

Obama rides in a helicopter with Senator Hagel and General Petraeus

You Tell Me

Damn if it isn't Monday morning AGAIN. . .make me feel better by captioning this photo:

Obama Visits Troops in Afghanistan

AP Raw Video: Obama Visits With Troops - Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama praised American troops while having breakfast with them in Kabul on Sunday. (July 20)This video contains ONLY natural sound. No script is available:

Celebrity Encounters of The Gong Show Kind

Paul Reubens(Peewee Herman)


David Letterman


Murray Langston(The Unknown Comic)


Young Phil Hartman in The Gong Show Movie


Alice Cooper


Best. . .Act. . .Ever (Unfortunately enough, it also ended the Gong Show for good)

Google SMS

Another Google parody by those whackos over at thevacationeers.com. Last time we visited, two unknowing young men discovered the dark side of Google Moon. Tonight, they reveal the psychotic inner workings of Google SMS:

"No Values" voters - the forgotten demographic

Both candidates are stepping up their efforts to attract crucial 'no values voters' by abusing animals and murdering the elderly. More from the Onion's crack reporters:

Obama Arrives in Afghanistan

Friday Nite Retro

Welcome to Friday Nite Retro - Tonight's theme is "One (or two) Hit Wonder Divas of the 90's"!

Although she charted several other times, Donna Lewis is best known for this 1996 tune:

I Love You Always Forever


Merrill Bainbridge , and her mouth, turned 40 last month:

Mouth


Joan Osborne's 1995 hit was much more pop-oriented than most of her work, which is steeped in country, blues and folk music:

One of Us


Jane Child is mainly famous for the nose chains and the following song from late 1989:

Don't Wanna Fall in Love


Meredith Brooks learned to play guitar at age 11, and graduated high school at age 15 - she's a SMART bitch:

Bitch


Paula Cole's follow up single, "I Don't Want to Wait", was a #11 pop hit single, thanks in part to the fact that it was made the theme song to the popular teen drama Dawson's Creek:

Where Have all the Cowboys Gone?


Okay, Alanis Morissette has had numerous hits, but she just had to be included in this group. Did you know that in the early 90's she was considered the Canadian version of Debbie Gibson or Tiffany? She was also an opening act for Vanilla Ice:

You Oughta Know


That's a wrap for tonight's Retro. . .did I miss anyone? =)

Send Karl Rove to jail!

Click on his mug to tell the House Judiciary Committee to hold Karl Rove in contempt and send him to jail:

Little girl speaks for all of us

Check out this video of a little girl crying and running away from George W. Bush at the White House T-ball game:

Take off that condom, you baby killer!

The Bush administration has taken dead aim at birth control in a new proposal introduced this week:

In the proposal, obtained by The New York Times, the administration says it could cut off federal aid to individuals or entities that discriminate against people who object to abortion on the basis of “religious beliefs or moral convictions.”

The proposal defines abortion as follows: “any of the various procedures — including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action — that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation.”

Mary Jane Gallagher, president of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, which represents providers, said, “The proposed definition of abortion is so broad that it would cover many types of birth control, including oral contraceptives and emergency contraception.”

“We worry that under the proposal, contraceptive services would become less available to low-income and uninsured women,” Ms. Gallagher said.

In summary, since they don't believe in abortion for any reason whatsoever, they want to enact legislation that will lead to increased demand for it. Leave it to BushCo to create a problem where none currently exists.

Keep your Jesus off my penis. . .

Libby Dole attempts to AID Jesse Helms

Did you hear the one about the Senator who named an Aids bill after another Senator that spent his life deriding Aids patients?

Al Gore's new energy challenge

Al Gore threw down the gauntlet today at the Daughters of the American Revolution Hall in Washington, D.C.:

"Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years."

Google Moon

Maybe this one's best left alone. . .

Evan Bayh addresses Indiana about the Presidential Election

Today


10 weeks ago

Jimmy Carter's "Crisis of Confidence" Speech

If you want to hear the REAL "straight talk express", listen to President Carter addressing the energy crisis 29 years ago yesterday. This true statesman gave a frank assessment of our situation, and was rewarded by being tossed out of office by a public who was swayed by the promises of a smooth talking actor who painted a false sense that "everything's okay" and "it's morning in America again". We so deserve what we collectively achieve in this country. . .WAKE UP. . .