Black Is The New White?

The Republican party have recently elected an African American, Michael Steele, to lead their party.

I wonder if they realize that they lost the last election, not because the Democratic candidate was black, they lost because they suck.

You can polish a turd, but it is still a turd.

John Thain: Another Wall Street Scumbag

I want to be a CEO. It seems like the biggest scam going. You can do a horrific job, and then demand the most outrageous salary and bonus package.

The latest Wall Street scumbag to surface is John Thain, the CEO of Merrill Lynch. He worked there about a year or so. During that time he decided to redecorate his office, at a cost of $1.22 million. Ridiculous purchases included:

• A rug: $87,784
• A light fixture: $19,751
• A pair of chairs: $28,091
• An antique commode on legs: $35,000
• Four pairs of curtains: $28,000
• Another rug: $44,000
• A small table: $25,000
• A mirror: $5,000
• A coffee table: $16,000
• A trash can: $1,400
  

But I guess you can't be too mad about a successful CEO surrounding himself with luxury right? After all they work hard and steer the ship. Unfortunately, in this case Merrill Lynch was hemorrhaging money so fast it is hard to imagine that they were not literally throwing $100 bills out of their windows as fast as they could.

In the last three months of 2008, the company lost a staggering $15,310,000,000!

So given the horrific nature of their financial situation, it seems pretty surprising that John Thain decided to push up the bonus dates for his executives, demanding that his people get nice fat bonus checks before they disclosed publicly just what a shit job they had all been doing.

In fact the weird bonus move, which included a $10,000,000 bonus for John Thain himself, is now being investigated by New York Attorney General, who called the allegations 'troubling.'

It is little wonder we are in financial meltdown in this country when such fuckers are in charge of our financial institutions with no regard for anyone but themselves and their rich buddies.

This is why regulations need to be in place to ensure that things like this don't happen. Now I know some people will call me a socialist, but seriously, this current system of doing things is not working.

Jon Stewart on the Daily Show recently mentioned a rather good idea on his show. Instead of this trickle down bullshit where the government gives our tax dollars to corporations who spend the money on themselves and don't lend it, how about giving it to the average Americans? Let them spend the money, put the money in banks, use the money to stimulate the economy.

We've tried it the Republican way, and all it produces are rich douchebags spending $1,400 on a fucking trash can for their $1.2m offices.

I'm not against people being rich or successful. But when you are in charge of a company that is pissing away money at a rate of $125,000,000 a day, you should not be getting a bonus at all. And neither should the executives who helped create this shit storm.

$1.2m for an office redecoration may be a drop in the bucket considering the company losses, but no one NEEDS an office like that, especially when their company is falling apart.

Out of interest John Thain signed on at Merrill Lynch with a financial package that was reported to be worth around $83.8m a year. An astonishing income considering what a piss poor job he did. He recently turned in his resignation.

I will right now formally offer my services to any corporation. I'll do a job that is at least as shit as the one John Thain did, and I will settle for a compensation package of just half what Merrill Lynch paid him. Bargain. Email me today!

More Dead Babies

With all the problems of the economy of late, and the election of Barack Obama, a story seems to have slipped though the cracks, and I've yet to see it reported.

The CIA World Fact Book have released the 2008 estimates for our infant mortality rate here in the USA. They don't make for happy reading, since we now sit behind 41 other nations; a significant drop from the last time new numbers were released.

In fact your baby is less likely to die in the first year if it is born and raised in any of these countries:

1. Singapore
2. Sweden
3. Japan
4. Hong Kong
5. Iceland
6. France
7. Finland
8. Anguilla
9. Norway
10. Malta
11. Czech Republic
12. Andorra
13. Germany
14. Switzerland
15. Spain
16. Israel
17. Macau
18. Slovenia
19. Denmark
20. Austria
21. Belgium
22. Australia
23. Liechtenstein
24. Guernsey
25. Luxembourg
    
26. Netherlands
27. Portugal
28. Gibraltar
    
29. United Kingdom
30. New Zealand
31. Jersey
32. Canada
33. Republic of Ireland
34. Monaco
35. Greece
36. San Marino
37. Taiwan
38. Italy
39. Isle of Man
40. Cuba
41. South Korea
42. United States
    

As I've mentioned many times on this blog, our health care system here in America sucks. It is the most expensive in the world per capita. Yet it leaves millions of American adults and children excluded from receiving quality health care. And the result is dead babies.

What is so very odd about America is that the religious right continues to bang on about abortion issues, the fact that evil Obama is allowing charities to mention the word abortion once again without fear of sanctions, and the evils of socialized medicine. Yet our figures continue to slip, year in, year out. Our system is broken, and it is literally killing babies. But still, all the protesters want to do is whine about the evils of abortion.

Seriously though, why do you want to force women to have babies, if you are going to stand by and let them die in their first year?

This infant mortality rate issue is a national scandal, and one we continue to ignore while health insurance companies and other medical corporations continue to rake in their profits. The answer is a RADICAL re-think of our health care system and an acceptance that our current system is not working. As long as we blindly ignore what is going on and campaign against socialized medicine and abortion this problem will continue to get worse.

Update: I also noticed that the United Nation figures for life expectancy of a child to the age of five places America 36th in the world. Meaning, of course that in 35 other nations a child is more likely to live to the age of five than here in the US. No doubt also as a result of poverty and exclusionary health care issues.

Kroger Rip Off

With our current financial meltdown, it's nice to know that the grocery stores are happy to use every trick in the book to con unsuspecting shoppers out of their hard earned cash.

One such scam came to my attention today as I went to purchase some Deer Park bottled water. I'm not a huge fan of the product, but it is better than tap water and it is cheap. Maybe one day I'll have the money to waste on beautiful Evian water every day. But until that time I'll rough it.

Last time I went into Kroger a 24 pack of half liter bottles was $3.99, 11c more expensive than Walmart, but the special offer was that you got a $2 discount coupon for your next water purchase if you bought two 24 packs. You earned even more coupons if you were willing to buy more than two.

A few days later I returned to Kroger looking to get my special discount only to find that the price had been jacked up to $6.79 for the same product. Even with a coupon that would leave me paying $4.79.

Now I'm not one for penny pinching over groceries. I don't clip coupons, and I don't read those annoying special offers that fill my mailbox. But equally, I don't like to see companies take the piss.

Kroger are continually fucking with the price of bottled water, with special offers, coupons, incentives to buy other brands and other shitty underhand marketing. But there is simply no excuse for selling the same product Walmart has at nearly $3 more. We know they can get close to the Walmart price, because they often do (provided you have your special Kroger Discount Card).

My issue is that by fucking around with the price it cons people out of money for no reason. It allows the company to create misleading advertising about 'specials' that only seem special after inflating the price for a few days.

So Kroger, how about you stop trying to scam people, and just offer a fair and reasonable price? Your customers will like you for it, and so will I. Until that time, you can shove your over priced mediocre bottled water up your collective asses.

How Not To Fire A Gun

Does this count as ASCII art? Probably not. Let's call it font art!

☪☯e✡☥s†

No Line On The Horizon - U2

No Line On The Horizon is the latest album from U2. It is due for release on February 15th, 2009.

The band have made the first single from the album, Get On Your Boots, available to listen to online (here).

Despite being a big fan on U2, I don't much care for it. Let's hope the rest of the album is better, because the last two albums are a lot to live up to.

Republican Senator Snubs Clinton

A Republican Senator from Texas, John Cornyn, has decided to be a dick about the confirmation of Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

The Senator, pictured here in his traditional Sith Nazi Overlord look, decided that for the good of America he would be a giant douchebag and block her confirmation, because in his mind there are some important questions that remained unanswered.

Well Senator, I have an important question I'd like answered: "Why are you such a fucking tool?"

We all know that President Obama will get his way on this, so this kind of political dochebaggery serves no one except yourself. Although rather than score political points, I think it will just show people exactly what kind of ass you really are. America has some tough issues to solve, and being a dick does not help anyone.

Welcome President Obama

"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath." - President Barack Obama, Inauguration Speech, January 20th, 2009.

Random Comic Relief Video

For those non-British readers, some facts you might need to know:

• Comic Relief is a British charity founded in 1985. Each year they have a major televised fund raiser in which celebrities drop in and help out. This clip was taken from the 2007 show.
  
• Catherine Tate is a British comedian, who in this video is reprising her role as an annoying school girl who is 'not bovered' by various situations she finds herself in. She played opposite David Tennent (the teacher in this clip) as Doctor Who's assistant. Replacing the popular British Actress Billie Piper.
• David Tennent is actually Scottish, although has a flawless English accent that he uses for Doctor Who and other characters he has played.
• Doctor Who lives in a TARDIS, which is larger on the inside than the outside. Disguised as an old fashioned police box, it is capable of travelling through time and space.

I think that just about covers it.

Call Of Duty 5: World At War - Update

This weekend I've been playing more Call of Duty 5: World At War on the PS3.

It's double XP weekend and they have unlocked the Zombie Nazi co-op level which was previously locked until you completed the solo mission.

So far I've played the game for 17 hours. I've leveled up to Major III. My best kill streak is 22, one better than my COD4 best. I've learned the levels a little bit more, seen some bugs, and become more used to the game. So I thought I'd write about what I think of the game so far.

For me the biggest issue I have with the game is the crappy guns. Yeah, sure, it's WWII, and they had crappy guns. But seriously, it just ruins the game for me. In fact this weekend I switched to playing hardcore mode just so I could make the weapons a bit more potent. This was a little better, but tough to do when you are still a bit of a noob on the maps.

My Issues With COD 5

1. The shitty guns. They are just very limited, and it seems to take forever to get the good ones, and even the good ones suck.
2. It takes too long to level up. Sure, maybe I suck, but 17 hours to get to level 44? I imagine it will take at least another 10 to hit 65.
3. The guns at the low levels REALLY suck for the most part. For that reason I can't imagine going prestige on this game. I said I wouldn't on COD4, but eventually did anyway. But I really can't imagine spending this much time working on it. Especially as some of the cool looking weapons are only available right near the end. This means that if I do go prestige, I'll have to spend hours playing with crap guns all over again.
4. Error 33. For me I get this error every time I log in. It can take 5-15 minutes to login sometimes, with repeated Error 33s. It's tedious and annoying, and many times I've just given up playing because I can't be bothered to wait for the game to decide to log in.
5. Trophies are a new PS3 thing, and there are plenty to win on COD5. But sadly most of them are for single player achievements. That doesn't make any sense for a game that is predominantly played online.
6. The grenades annoy me. They are not as powerful as COD4, and I understand the reason why they did that, but it still annoys me.
   

The Good Stuff

1. I love the dogs. That's just a great aspect to the game, and far more fun than the COD4 equivalent of calling in a helicopter.
2. Much of the achievements are the same as COD4.
3. Most of the levels are very good. Interesting layouts, wonderful attention to detail, a lot more space to play than COD4.
4. Vehicles. The tanks are fun, and add another dimension to the game. On some levels that include vehicles it can really shift the balance of power in the game.
5. Guns with grenades. I do enjoy the COD5 equivalent of the noob tube. Sometimes when the enemy team groups together this can be a really nice way to wipe out of bunch of them at the same time.
6. Nazi Zombies. I've only played the co-op level once, and it seemed like a cool idea. Although it didn't seem to earn me much in the way of XP or weapon experience, which sucks.
   

In conclusion, I still like COD5. It's a good game, but it lacks some of the magic of COD4 for me. When you have a shooting game, the guns are important. Sadly I'm just not seeing anything too exciting yet. Now I am admittedly only about half way to top rank, but that said the crappy guns will make it impossible for me to justify giving up the good stuff only to spend hours grappling with the crappy guns again, should I choose to go prestige.

As for the single player game, it has its moments, but it is only as good as the COD4 single player in my opinion.

How To Make An iPhone Ringtone (For Free)

Apple didn't get where they are today without making a few dollars here and there. And like so many other manufacturers they can't help but want to cash in on youngsters who want ringtones.

Ringtones have been around a while and while I can't be bothered to look up the figures, I suspect that many corporations are getting rich selling tiny samples of music for some outrageous price. And quite how a 20 second sample of a song can end up costing more than double the price of the entire song is quite beyond me.

But for those of you who wish to make your own ringtones from a song you already own, this is how you do it. I'm assuming a PC, iPhone 3G, and the current version of iTunes. In time no doubt Apple will try to prevent the method I am about to describe, but for now, this works:

Making A Custom Ringtone For Your iPhone (For Free)

1. Open iTunes, without your iPhone connected to your computer.
   
2. Find a song you want to make into a ringtone.
3. If you purchased the song from iTunes and it is a DRM protected MP4 file, you will need to do some extra work. If it is an unprotected sound file like an MP3 from Amazon.com you can skip to step 6.
4. Burn your protected file onto an audio CD, just as you would do if you intended to listen to it in a CD player.
5. Rip the song back off the CD using iTunes. The song will no longer have that stupid DRM crap on it. There's probably another way to do this, but this one works. If you wish to make multiple ringtones you can put all the songs you want to use on the CD and then rip them back off. Again, this is only necessary if the songs have DRM protection.
   
6. Play the song you want to turn into a ringtone and decide what part of the song you wish to use for your ringtone. Maybe you want the first 25 seconds, maybe you want the chorus. In any case, watch the counter as you play the song in iTunes, and write down the exact time that your desired sample begins and ends. So for example, you might want 22 seconds of a song that begins after 2:04 and ends at 2:26. Make a note of those times (start and end).
   
7. Right click on the song and select Get Info.
8. Click on the Options tab.
9. You will see a box where you can specify the start and end time of the song. Enter the figures you wrote down earlier into those boxes, and make sure the checkmark next to the times is present. This tells iTunes to play only that portion of the song you want as a ringtone. Keep the ring tone less than 40 seconds. (Note: iTunes is actually capable of using fractions of a second if you have to be very accurate.)
10. Click OK.
11. Right click on the song again, and this time select Convert To AAC. A duplicate of your song will be created, but it will be the length of a ring tone, using the numbers you previously specified.
12. Right click on the newly created ringtone and choose delete from the menu.
13. You will see a dialog box open, click keep files.
14. Now you will need to locate the file using Windows Explorer. It will usually be in My Documents > My Music > iTunes. Generally in a folder related to the artist or album the song came from. It will have a file extension of m4a.
15. Right click on the file and select rename.
16. Change the file extension to m4r. You may see a warning message about the evils of changing a file extension name. Ignore it.
17. Once the file has been given the new extension, double click on it. It should automatically be imported into iTunes as a ringtone, appearing in the ringtone folder.
18. Attach your iPhone to your PC and sync. You may have to go to the ringtones tab in the sync operation and ensure that ringtone syncing is enabled.
19. You're done. Your new ringtone should now be available to select on your iPhone.

It sounds more complicated than it is. Once you've done a couple, you'll see how easy it is to use. Not as easy as it would have been if Apple just relaxed and stopped trying to exploit people with over priced ringtones, but still, it works just fine.

Heroes Creators Say Sorry, Will Try Harder

"Save the cheerleader, save the world." That was the mysterious mantra of the once great Heroes TV show.

But sadly after the first season it all started to go a little wrong. The ratings have been falling heavily during season two and three. The writer's strike left the show in limbo for a while and apparently once those writers got back to work, they had lost some of their original spark.

But NBC have announced that season four will not continue in the vein of disappointment. They have apologized on behalf of the writers for the muddled and weird storylines of the past couple of seasons. They have promised that next season things will be different. The metaphorical shark will be un-jumped. The magic of season one will be recaptured.

Let's hope they are right, because I'd say this next season is sink or swim. If the ratings slump continues we'll never see a season five. And frankly, unless NBC can deliver on their promises for season four, I can't say I'll miss the show.

New U2 Album - No Line On The Horizon

I just read that the BBC will debut the new single from the new U2 album No Line On The Horizon.

The single Get On Your Boots, will premier on BBC Radio One on Monday 19th. The album will be on sale on February 15th.

This is the track listing, for U2's first album since 2004:

1. No Line On The Horizon
2. Magnificent
3. Moment of Surrender
4. Unknown Caller
5. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
6. Get On Your Boots
7. Stand Up Comedy
8. Fez - Being Born
9. White As Snow
10. Breathe
11. Cedars Of Lebanon

Circuit City Dies

Circuit City announced today that their bankruptcy is for real. They are going to close all 567 stores, lay off their 30,000 staff and liquidate everything. All efforts to find a buyer to rescue them failed.

Their website is now offline, existing only to inform people they have closed.

They will honor gift cards only during the liquidation sale, after that they will have no value.

It's a harsh lesson for any major retailer that thinks they can be number two in this country. Best Buy has clearly been kicking their ass for a long time. It's amazing Circuit City survived as long as they did.

What I cannot understand is why there are still people out there with a Bush Cheney bumper sticker on their cars. With all this carnage going on in America, it is pretty clear what the worst president in our history has accomplished. How anyone with a triple digit IQ can look at the state of our nation and feel that the past eight years was anything other than a catastrophic failure, I have no idea.

Asshole Politician Alert

It's been a little while since we had to report on an asshole politician. But to prove that I am not a completely biased liberal, I'd like to shed some light on the douchebaggery of Senator Robert Ford of South Carolina.

From the state that brings you one of the worst literacy rates in the nation this FUCKING MORON had decided to put forth a bill, which if approved would make it a felony to use profanity.

Dropping an 'F Bomb' in a public place, under his proposal could land you in jail for up to five years, and include a fine of up to $5,000.

I think I might need to repeat this. Saying the word FUCK in a public place could result in five years of jail time, and a felony conviction on your criminal record.

WHAT THE FUCK?

If there is one thing that always pisses me off it is stupid loser politicians, with nothing better to do than to propose the stupidest laws in creation. Because until South Carolina has solved all their real problems, the fact that any tax dollars are being spent to pursue this kind of nonsense is offensive.

Quite frankly, politicians should be fired immediately for proposing nonsense such as this. But since that protection mechanism is not in place, I'd like to call on Senator Robert Ford to do the right thing and step down. This suggested law change shows such a fundamental lack of good judgment that I would argue he is no longer fit for office.

So thank you for your service Mr. Ford. Now please go fuck yourself.

American Idol Is Back - Toolcrest Left Hanging

It's hard to believe it's been a year, but American Idol is back for another season.

Their first show was in Arizona where Simon tried to amuse himself by asking Americans to name three countries they would like to be famous in. Sadly several named states or continents as opposed to countries.

A new judge was added, for no apparent reason. Although my theory is that the producers realize that Paula is crazy and want a replacement in case they have to fire her.

The classic moment for me was with that turd of a presenter Ryan Toolcrest who tried to use a clause in his contract to get out of kissing a girl. But the closeted presenter had an even more priceless moment during the feel-good show ending. The blind guy could sing really well, got a ticket to Hollywood, and Ryan gets left hanging with his high five.

Toolcrest Top Tip:
Blind people can't fucking see you trying to give them a high five!

The Bush Legacy

George Bush has often claimed that while he is widely despised around the world, and here in America, that history will vindicate his presidency. However, his prediction may prove to be as accurate as those he made about the Iraq War, according to historians and academics who have looked at this issue.

More than nine in ten historians in fact rate George Bush as the worst or one of the worst presidents in United States history. A recent Pew poll found that Americans are more likely to use the world 'incompetent' to describe him than any other word.

Speaking of polls, it is now official, George Bush has polled the lowest approval rating of any president in the history of polling.

Bush also ranks as the sixth highest in 'misery index.'

• During his presidency GDP is up 2.2%, placing him 9th out of the past 13 presidents.
• He created the third largest national debt in the history of the United States. He was trumped only by Regan who tried to spend the Soviet Union into bankruptcy, and Roosevelt who had to pay for World War II.
• Only George H. W. Bush and Ford saw fewer jobs created.

In an interview last Friday he once again explained (again) that 'history will be the judge' of his presidency and that 'history will look back and determine.' (History tends to do that.)

Of course as a get out to the whole history concept, Bush once told author Bob Woodward, that this determination may not be made until, "we're all dead."

Now there's a convenient time line for you.

'Joe' The 'Plumber' Becomes Sam The 'Journalist'

The clock ticks, the fifteen minutes of fame would seem to be up, and yet still 'Joe' the 'Plumber' AKA Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher is still in the news and shows no sign of going away.

In his latest attempt to cash in on his unwarranted fame from last years election, the fake plumber has put on a new fake hat; that of a journalist.

Paid by some publicity seeking company he is on a trip to Israel to report back to ordinary Americans what is going on there. Of his mission he said, "I have thousands of questions but I can't think of the right one."

He also claimed to be unbiased, "an expert on media bias," and that he had "no agenda but the truth." (Well the 'truth' and a fist full of dollars).

Ultimately I just wish this moron would go fuck himself. He is a fraud, a fake, and an opportunist. He lied and misrepresented himself during the 2008 election. He is now shamelessly trying to cash in on his 15 minutes of fame, while simultaneously pretending to be just the average American Joe.

Well sorry, but I'd like to think that the average America is not this dumb. There are thousands of people with qualifications in journalism who could go abroad and report the news. But in America, the news channels are interested in ratings and spectacle. They don't give a shit about reporting what is really going on.

This latest debacle is an insult to the intelligence of everyone. This asshole worked in the plumbing industry for ten years and never even bothered to become licensed as a plumber. Now he is exploiting the stupid to masquerade as a journalist, when all he really wants is to cash in.

Please fuck off 'Joe.' Only the stupid are buying the shit you are peddling.

Final Bushisms

When George Bush ran for office in 2000 he was widely regarded as a complete moron because he was seemingly incapable of opening his mouth without sounding like an idiot. His verbal faux pas became so common that entire web sites sprang up featuring some of his unbridled stupidity in the form of quotes. These quotes became known as Bushisms, and the BBC have recently compiled a list of some of their favorites from the past eight years.

While his legacy will live on in the form of massive debt, economic crisis, unemployment, and general human suffering, let's not forget the man behind these failed policies.

INTROSPECTION

"They misunderestimated me."
Bentonville, Arkansas, 6 November, 2000

''I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right."
Rome, 22 July, 2001

"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again."
Nashville, Tennessee, 17 September, 2002

"There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead."
Washington DC, 11 May, 2001

"I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today. He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me."
Nashville, Tennessee, 27 May, 2004

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times."
Tokyo, 18 February, 2002

"The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorise himself."
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 29 January, 2003

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
Washington DC, 5 August, 2004

"I think war is a dangerous place."
Washington DC, 7 May, 2003

"The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the - the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."
Washington DC, 27 October, 2003

"Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat."
Washington DC, 17 September, 2004

"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror."
CBS News, Washington DC, 6 September, 2006

EDUCATION

"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"
Florence, South Carolina, 11 January, 2000

"Reading is the basics for all learning."
Reston, Virginia, 28 March, 2000

"As governor of Texas, I have set high standards for our public schools, and I have met those standards."
CNN, 30 August, 2000

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.''
Townsend, Tennessee, 21 February, 2001

ECONOMICS

"I understand small business growth. I was one."
New York Daily News, 19 February, 2000

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."
Reuters, 5 May, 2000

"I do remain confident in Linda. She'll make a fine Labour Secretary. From what I've read in the press accounts, she's perfectly qualified."
Austin, Texas, 8 January, 2001

"First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill."
Washington DC, 19 May, 2003

HEALTHCARE

"I don't think we need to be subliminable about the differences between our views on prescription drugs."
Orlando, Florida, 12 September, 2000

"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."
Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 6 September, 2004

TECHNOLOGY

"Will the highways on the internet become more few?"
Concord, New Hampshire, 29 January, 2000

"It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber."
Washington DC, 10 April, 2002

"Information is moving. You know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets."
Washington DC, 2 May, 2007

OUT OF LEFT FIELD

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
Saginaw, Michigan, 29 September, 2000

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 18 October, 2000

"Those who enter the country illegally violate the law."
Tucson, Arizona, 28 November, 2005

"That's George Washington, the first president, of course. The interesting thing about him is that I read three - three or four books about him last year. Isn't that interesting?"
Speaking to reporter Kai Diekmann, Washington DC, 5 May, 2006

ON GOVERNING

"I have a different vision of leadership. A leadership is someone who brings people together."
Bartlett, Tennessee, 18 August, 2000

"I'm the decider, and I decide what is best."
Washington DC, 18 April, 2006

"And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody. To show you how important this one is, I read it, and [Tony Blair] read it."
On the publication of the Baker-Hamilton Report, Washington DC, 7 December, 2006

"All I can tell you is when the governor calls, I answer his phone."
San Diego, California, 25 October, 2007

And perhaps the most telling...

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."

Washington DC, 12 May, 2008

Mississippi Teen Pregnancy #1

Mississippi has taken over as the number one state in America for teen pregnancy.

Up until recently Texas and New Mexico were clearly leading the way, but Mississippi has managed to squeeze ahead with rates of 68 births per 1,000; a full 60% above the national average.

The figures in this CDC report are based on 2006 data which is apparently the most recent. In 2006, 435,000 pregnancies occurred among teens aged 15 to 19 in the US.

If you look at this handy colored chart, you can see that the South wins out overall. All those southern states around Bible belt that were quick to embrace the abstinence only education values of our good friend George Bush.

Some experts are scratching their heads and questioning why teen pregnancy rates suddenly started to rise in 2006 for the first time in 15 years. But the answer is obvious and clear.

If you promote abstinence only education as championed by Bush and his retarded cronies, then this is the result. It's really that simple. It took a few years for the failed policies to filter though to the teens, and now we are reaping the rewards from that.

I'm sure when you throw in a continued lack of proper health care availability, we'll see our infant mortality rates continue to worsen too. And when we get to numbers for 2007 and 2008, I suspect we'll also see the teen pregnancy rate increasing even more, as the abstinence effect continues.

This is just another issue where we can see the damage that George Bush has inflicted upon this country. It seems that he left no stone unturned when it came to spreading misery and hardship for American people.

Thankfully, the nightmare will soon be over. Soon we'll have an intelligent man at the helm, and given time, maybe we can start to right some wrongs.

Another Year, Another Dick Clark

Tradition dictated that once again Dick Clark was wheeled out of retirement and asked to count down the beginning of a new year. Once again the 79 year old delivered a cringe worthy performance that his relatives and friends should be ashamed of.

I have nothing against Dick Clark, and I understand him to be something of an American icon. But let's be real, the man looks to be at death's door. A stroke in 2004 left him with facial paralysis and the inability to speak properly.

His close friends and relatives need to take the man to one side and tell him it's time to retire once and for all. Because all he is doing now is dying, one year at a time, on TV for all to see. Instead of being remembered for his long and successful career, he will now be remembered as the old man, slurring his words, unable to count properly, and slobbering over his wife on national TV.

I for one am embarrassed for him. I for one could survive new year's eve without seeing (or hearing) this old man try to kiss his wife, or count backwards from 20. Enough is enough.

What ever happened to the showbiz tradition of retiring when you are on top? Leaving the audience begging for more?

Clearly this man no longer has the good judgment to make rational decisions. His showbiz friends just want to fawn around him to get more face time on TV (I'm thinking of you Ryan Toolcrest). But he has three children and a wife. Surely one of them can take him to one side, and spare him from the humiliation of more appearances?

I know it's harsh. But sooner or later you have to face reality. And as sad as it is to admit, I'd rather see Ryan Toolcrest do the show without him from now on.

Hello 2009

Great video. Watch as the All-American Rejects cover Briney Spears Womanizer! Worth a watch.

Happy New Year!