dear limey assholes...
a british newspaper is encouraging its readers to send pro-kerry (or anti-bush) letters to voters in clark county, ohio. see what happens when it backfires horribly.
the finite existence of art...
this just cracked me up. read what happened to this guy's modern art exhibit at the tate museum in london.
compassionate conservatism in action...
read what right-wingers really think about american muslims. feel the love.
what donald rumsfeld doesn't want you to see...
that's not just hyperbole. the pentagon actually banned soldiers from viewing this site. i particularly like the news ticker on the left. there's a lot of good iraq news on there that you won't see in your friendly local paper.
the war ain't even close to over....
unfortunately, it's looking more and more like the iraq war is turning into the classic guerilla war. this article has experts predicting at least 10 years of u.s. occupation of iraq. the worse news is that the iraqi guerillas/insurgents/terrorists/criminals/etc. really don't have to win. they just have to not lose and wait until we leave.
the myths of swing voters...
if you never read another article about voting and politics, make this your last. wow, i can't remember another story that affected the way i look at politics the way that this one did. basically, democracy is fucked.
changes comin' every day...
i finally got around to spiffying this place up a bit. the old look was, admittedly, just awful awful. hopefully the pub is now a bit easier on the eyes.
i got rid of the tagboard that had been on the right-hand column. you can now post a reply to each blog posting. peace out.
more and more good good news...
my fiancee dionne has had a good september already. she has been appointed as an adjunct professor at Bristol Community College in Massachusetts. She's teaching a course in basic writing, and I'm sure she'll find a way to incorporate david sedaris into the curriculum.
another recent development is that she will be presenting her writing at the writing by degrees conference at suny-binghamton next month. here's the low-down on that whole shindig.
22 greatest MCs....
i caught the MTV special a few days ago devoted to the countdown of their viewer-selected greatest 22 MCs. what a travesty! i won't even link to it, but i will hit you with my own list of the greatest of all time.
22. lauryn hill
21. big pun
20. common
19. slick rick
18. rza
17. method man
16. mc lyte
15. ras kass
14. beanie siegel
13. eminem
12. pharoah monch
11. canibus
10. biggie
9. kool g. rap
8. big L
7. guru
6. redman
5. inspectah deck
4. gza
3. mos def
2. rakim
1. krs-one
you can disagree......but you'd be wrong.
the big dick...
that would be dick cheney, of course. read this blistering profile of the guy. wow is he unlikable.
who's a hero, and who isn't....
make sure you read this from will saletan, who nicely sums up why 9/11 doesn't tell you anything about bush's supposed "heroism."
"George W. Bush allowed 9/11 to happen so that SUV owners could kill welfare recipients".....
that's my own personal George W. Bush Conspiracy. go ahead and make your own. you never know, it might be true.
welcome to n.y....
the republicans are coming to nyc next weekend. i think this pretty much sums up why most natives might not exactly see things the dubya way.
is dubay stoopid...
well, yes. but it turns out that having an intellectually-handicapped president is actually a big problem.
sex, drugs and cocoa puffs....
that's the title of a book by esquire columnist chuck klosterman. his columns go from insanely funny and intelligent to insanely stupid, but i like him. the sports guy, espn columnist bill simmons, is another rare generation-x genius. you gotta check out this rambling conversation that touches on everything from the usa olympic basketball team to the greatest "real world" season and the scientologist compound in LA.
revenge of the small-car nerds....
it turns out that the heaviest suvs are actually illegal on many residential streets. but, shocker, no one bothers to enforce the weight limits. time for revenge.
born in the u.s.a....
here's what bruce springsteen has to say about what's going on in the world right now. rawk on.
the good news....
for the U.S. for the planet. for the universe, possibly.
here's a breakdown of who would win if the election was today. keep fingers firmly crossed.
drugs are bad.....
here's the epic journey of a stoned college student who ate a bag of hallucinogenic mushrooms ("probably wasnt'a good idea," he said). he later ended up in jail after trying to climb magic mountain "to see what's on the other side."
gas prices up, price of a gallon of milk is up, paychecks aren't up...
here's a story from the ny times about how average people's wages are actually lower than they were three years ago when compared to inflation. it's more the usual: it doesn't matter if the middle class and working class are being screwed over -- the economy will keep on chugging because the rich are the ones who are spending. great.
here it is in a nutshell...
'There's a bit of a dichotomy,' said Ethan S. Harris, chief economist at Lehman Brothers. 'Joe Six-Pack is under a lot of pressure. He got a lousy raise; he's paying more for gasoline and milk. He's not doing that great. But proprietors' income is up. Profits are up. Home values are up. Middle-income and upper-income people are looking pretty good.'"
that's one hot box turtle...
in case you didn't know, an idiotic texas congressman compared gay marriage to potentially allowing one's neighbor to marry a box turtle. charles pierce now recounts his own tale of terrapin romance.
the weirdest beach boy....
yeah, everyone knows that brian wilson went crazy about 30 years ago, but i can't help but enjoy this interview in the NY Times magazine. it's a quickie.
john kerry, teen outcast....
here's some interesting stuff about john kerry's stint at St. Paul, an elite boarding school.
soccer is more american than baseball...
well, in a way it IS. here's an article about how the business of soccer (football) is actually more capitalistic than the major sports leagues we have here.
the world's toughest interviewer...
no, it's not tim russert. here's jon stewart absolutely ripping apart stephen hayes, a right-wing "journalist" who was on the daily show to promote his book about all those extensive "links" between saddam and al qaeda.
know your punts from your kick-ups...
the punt is actually the concave dimple on the bottom of a bottle of wine. ever wonder why it exists?
the view from the inside...
read what a top CIA official really thinks about al qaeda and the iraq war.
hate mail...
here's a good example of compassionate conservatism. makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, huh?
the first trillionaire...
this site is chock-a-block with tasty factoids on the net worth of bill gates.
beer is the new wine...
here's a great new york times article from today's food section. it features brooklyn brewery's head brewmaster talking about pairing beer with food. made me hungry.
the reagan legacy...
beyond all the hype and hagiography, i think Juan Cole's perspective is pretty complete. no whitewashing here.
the cliff clavins of the world...
there are a lot of urban legends floating around out there about beer. here's some good old fashioned debunking.
blow up the church...
if you're feeling dirty after that last one, at least you can feel good about where di and i are having our wedding.
the ultimate travel phrasebook....
here's what you really need to know how to say while travelling in a foreign country.
domination for the good of the dominated...
i actually have to confess to liking this george will column in the washington post. here's the meat:
"Americans must not flinch from absorbing the photographs of what some Americans did in that prison. And they should not flinch from this fact: That pornography is, almost inevitably, part of what empire looks like. It does not always look like that, and does not only look like that. But empire is always about domination. Domination for self-defense, perhaps. Domination for the good of the dominated, arguably. But domination.
And some people will be corrupted by dominating. That is why the leaders of empires must be watchful. Very watchful. "
indecision 2004...
that's how the daily show is tagging the kerry v. bush slug-fest. you gotta dig bill maher's take on it. here's an exerpt.
"The true axis of evil in America is the brilliance of our marketing combined with the stupidity of our people. George Bush has $180 million to spend. With that kind of money, he could convince Americans to drink paint, and he probably will.
With enough money, you can convince people of anything. And that is what George Bush does. He is one of the most cynical presidents we?ve ever had, I believe, because with that kind of money, he plays on people?s fears, he plays on people?s ignorance, and he plays on people?s shortsightedness. "
what they don't want us to see....
an employee of a military contractor was fired for taking a picture of coffins flying back from iraq. the photo ran in the seattle times and later on numerous TV programs. here's the photo.
RIP first amendment....
he doesn't need the publicity, but howard's re-worked website kicks ass. i like the new militant look.
israel's sham democracy...
read about what happens when you tell the truth about israel's nuclear weapons.
reason #738 why we love booze....
here's yet another huge medical study that shows that moderate beer, wine, cider and liquor conspumption is actually good for you.
more on jayson blair...
i just missed jayson blair. he left UMD and the diamondback a year or two before i started, but nonetheless, this story hits close to home.
big news....
It's official. Dionne and I are now engaged. I gave her the ring last night. No wedding date is planned yet, but we're looking at september of next year. I'm excited. Stay tuned for more news as it comes up. If you wanna get back to me, my email is jfurf@att.net. (or you can just post a little message over on the message board on the right side of the page.)
al qaeda vs. wyoming....
it turns out that wyoming gets the most per-capita federal $$$ for homeland security. i guess nyc is no longer terrorist target #1.
we didn't say that...
here's a report called "iraq on the record" that actually studied the dubya administration's statments on iraq's threat. it found (shockingly) that the president and his advisors made "237 specific misleading statements about the threat posed by Iraq." not bad.
more about the czechs...
i found another primer on czech brewing. you gotta love the patriotism -- here's a snippet:
The Czech Beer Firsts are many and varied!
First in per capita beer consumption
First Beer Museum in the world
First beer brewing textbook
First Pilsener
First Budweiser
First president to have written an absurdist play based on his experiences working in a Czech beer brewery in AD 1974
if we don't go shopping, the terrorists will win...
it's interesting to compare spain after last week's train bombing to the U.S. after Sept. 11.
more reasons why local tv news sucks...
propaganda? in the U.S.? that could never happen here, right? uh... yes it could.
da masons....
i almost wish the masons really DID rule the world. it would be more interesting. the simpsons once spoofed the freemasons, even had them singing their own song: "Who keeps the metric system down?/We do! We do!/Who leaves Atlantis off the maps? Who keeps the Martians under wraps?/We do! We do!"
anyway, here's a newsweek piece about them.
beer mecca...
that about describes prague. the czechs make a bunch of great lager beers, and here's a great guide to pubs and beer halls in prague.
republicans killed the radio star...
howard just keeps on smokin'. here's a great couple of stories from an FM industry website. click the links at the top, too.
why bush is worried....
i'm opposed to the undemocratic electoral college, in general, but read here about how state polls show kerry with an early lead in the electoral vote column.
howard, howard, howard....
if you've been listenig to howard stern lately, he's taken a strong ant-shrub position lately, bashing dubya and accusing clear channel of taking him off 6 markets for political payback. here's a great story about what might be happening in radioland.
the next performer on the disney cruiseline circuit...
ya gotta read the times critic's take on the recent britney spears "concert."
chief sitting casino....
wanna claim a stake in ownership of your own casino? wanna open your duty-free cigarette stand? well chief, here's how to join an indian tribe. hint: it involves something eerily called a "white card."
your tax dollars at work...
i'm not opposed to the president having his own website, but is pandering to nascar fans really worthy of space on shrub's official homepage?
how kerry can beat bush....
ruy teixeira has written a lot about poll numbers and democratic politics. his opinion: don't believe the hype about nascar dads. they're already republicans, anyway. read on for the lowdown on who the REAL swing voters are.
not surprisingly, it's a german shepherd....
here's a story about a police dog suspended for potential racism. i'm not surprised by this story at all, actually. i would bet that it's actually pretty easy to train a dog to be racist.
put your hardhat on...
he he ha ha. remember early in the history of crappy html websites when people used to put "under construction" when the site wasn't done yet? notice how those sites never used to actually get finished? well this is what happens when you spend a little too much time on your "under construction" screen.
for when beer just isn't enough...
i'm slightly curious about absinthe. here's the place to learn more about the famous drink.
all you need before crate-digging....
here is probably the greatest index of record reviews i've ever seen. the onion a.v. club really goes out of its way to review GOOD music. take notes.
as far as beer ads go...
the greatest ad campaign EVER would absolutely have to be budweiser's Real American Heroes ads. here they are. pick your favorite.
reason #345234 that wal-mart is evil...
check out this ny times piece about wal-mart and its policy of locking in its overnight workers.
a mario's fishbowl update....
i had pretty much forgotten about mario's fishbowl sponsoring motocross racers. here's a helmet dedicated to the famed watering hole.
knowing is half the battle...
here's today's public service announcement, kiddies. don't drink too much or you'll end up with this guy. scroll down for his record.
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