August 31 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

Top of the deck today:

1. The General is looking for favorite song lyrics opening lines in Best Opening Lines. He's provided a login and password as well.


2. Oliver Willis has a great piece in GOP 2008: More Of The Same.


3. An interesting historical take on the (continuing) Larry Craig story from Ruth Marcus at WaPo (A Precedented Scandal).

Plus, Grilling Tips for Labor Day Weekend.

Happy Labor Day weekend and Happy National Eat Outside Day!

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Penguin Tin Foil by David Ravenwood

Click image for larger view.
Click here for original post.

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Sooner or later...

... this was bound to happen:

(warning: adult-oriented
...and, no, it is not an ad for a Swedish automobile)

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The Best of...

...tonight on The Dark Side.

Join guest host Brian Wolf as he spins some of Rev. Darko's best on The Best of The Dark Side.

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on Blog Talk Radio.

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August 30 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

The Larry Craig "story" keeps going strong, much to the chagrin of rightwingers.*

There's serious news in GOP lawmakers call for Craig’s ouster. There's some somewhat serious commentary in Conservative ‘Homophobic Hypocrisy’ In Craig Scandal. There's unintentional humor in Tucker Carlson, Tough Guy. And there's some downright funny points in A Bathroom Stall Named Desire, Take the I AM NOT GAY Republican Pledge Today! and Sen. Craig believes it.

But the funniest has to be The Width of Your Stance (sung to an obscure little folk song by Bob Dylan called “Blowing in the Wind”).

Also, nothing like the blatant mixing of church and state in Christian Legal Group Represents Missouri in Abortion Case.

Finally, although it was not included in my News feed today, there's a real gem in Helmsley leaves her dog $12 million in trust.

Happy National Toasted Marshmallow Day!

* And, yes, Tom Delay is still an ass.

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Well...that certainly explains a lot!

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The Face of the Party of Traditional Family Values

from left to right: Ted Haggard, Bob Allen, Larry Craig, David Vitter and Mark Foley

"Do Lewd Republicans Make The Usual Suspects?"
from PixelMarx
A Slightly Left Leaning Political Cartoon Blog

Click picture for larger view.
Click here for original post.

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August 29 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

Lots and lots to do with the Larry Craig scandal, both commentary and humor (including a devistating comic, Larry Craig Confessional!). Plus there's GOP lawmaker calls for Craig’s resignation. And do not miss Tom Tomorrow's More awesomeness!

Along the same lines, and again in the vein of Poison the Well, Salt the Earth, there's GOP Consultant: Scandals Are Killing Us.

Happy National More Herbs, Less Salt Day!

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The Orange Cone Theory

An automobile weighs in at 2,000-3,000+ pounds, with some coming in at two tons or more.

And the orange cone? Probably no more than 5-10 pounds.

Yet the lowly orange cone holds complete dominance over us and our behemoths. Allow me to illustrate:

You're driving around the crowded mall parking lot, looking for that elusive open parking spot. Turning the corner on yet another row full of cars you see an open spot...and it is right by the entrance! Anxiously, you speed up to get there before someone else grabs it ahead of you. You're almost there, there's definitely no car parked there when you see....

...the dreaded orange cone! Right in the middle of the coveted parking spot. No construction going on, no open man-hole, no freshly painted lines in the open spot. No evidence of any kind for the need to block this particular spot. Yet, there it sits, the orange cone.

And what do you do? Pull into the parking spot with your 3,000 pound automobile, crushing the orange cone? Of course not. Even with no consequences, no fine or threat to have your car towed, you accept the power that the orange cone exerts over you and your conveyance. Having surrendered to it you drive away, meekly continuing your frustrating search for an open parking spot.

Thus, the theory of the orange cone.

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August 28 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

The big stories are the continuation of the Gonzales resignation and the Republican (of course) Senator Larry Craig "story" (the General weighs in with some choice posts).

For your laugh today there's Gannon: I’m ‘the most honest’ White House reporter.

And for you techies there's New Disc Holds 1 Terabyte of Data.

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In the Spotlight: Chickenhead

Welcome to In the Spotlight, a semi-regular feature of this blog, where I highlight one or more of the links on my personal Web site, www.HansMeyer.net.

Today I'll be highlighting Chickenhead, a source for some of the best humor on the Web:

First up, The Absolute Bottom 50... (Behold! Lists upon lists of the unimaginably horrible!). Here you will find lists like Biblical Commandments, Fetishes and (naturally) Blogs:

Next up, Comic Strip, two panes of absolute mirth,and "fascinating minutiae":


Then there's Bannertown (Welcome to Bannertown - where old Chickenhead parody advertisements go to die). In addition to the link I'm including some choice banners:




Finally, some Buddy Icons to close out this In The Spotlight:

That's Chickenhead, which can be found on my Humor page (go to www.HansMeyer.net/Links, then click on Humor). Click here for this and previous In The Spotlight posts.

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Tonight: It's all about Gonzo, Gonzo, Gonzo!

Join host Lisa Litchfield for tonight's broadcast of Cry Freedom: It's all about Gonzo, Gonzo, Gonzo! The man, the memory, the dementia.

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on Blog Talk Radio.

Be sure to tune in!

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YearlyKos 2006 featuring Tom Tomorrow

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Purity Trolls and Baby Sausage Trolls

Progressive Strategy, Illustrated: The Pincer Movement, from Corrente (Boldy shrill...).

Maybe I wrote this because I just finished reading A History of Warfare (h/t Bird), or maybe because I just like making diagrams. The pincer movement or double envelopment is a basic element of military strategy which has been used, to some extent, in nearly every war. The flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy’s flanks, in order to surround it. The Key Word is Simultaneously Over the past years, I’ve heard the argument that Democratic electoral victory must happen first, and only after that can Progressives really push for better policy. Everything that has taken place since the 2006 elections proves that this strategy is wrong. (read the entire article)

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August 27 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

The big news today is, of course, the resignation of Alberto R. Gonzales as Attorney General. You will find several different takes on this, along with a great "Fredo" cartoon.

On the lighter side The General has a great video in RFID: The Mark of the Beast. Also, The 10 Most caffeinated diet sodas and a round-up from A Hamburger Today.

And, being a Monday, there's The Top 10 Conservative Idiots, No. 305.

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The First Bluetooth Headset

When broadcasting Situation Awareness I use a Motorola Bluetooth headset. This past Saturday I was wondering: Who used the first Bluetooth headset?

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August 26 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

Some great stories today. Look for Blowing the search for Bin Laden ("...the bed-wetters of the right wing blogosphere."), Maybe they are Just Waiting for an Excuse... and Foul-mouthed Republican Rocker Ted Nugent May Run for Governor of Michigan.

Quote/laugh of the day: "If I want the truth about Karl Rove, I ask Karl Rove. Karl Rove would never lie to me, while the facts would. God bless Fox News."

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Sparkman and the Blinkster! by Tom Tomorrow

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Plan 9 from Inside the Beltway by Tom Tomorrow

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In the Spotlight: LiLEKS.com

Welcome to In the Spotlight, a semi-regular feature of this blog, where I highlight one or more of the links on my personal Web site, www.HansMeyer.net.

Although we would probably disagree on politics, James Lileks (LiLEKS.com - Unpacking the Past With Joy and Ambivalence Since 1996) has some of the funniest Web pages on the Internet.


There really are too many different sites to individually highlight here, so I'll just go with a few of my favorites.


My first *ahem* taste of LiLEKS humor:


The Gobbler Motel and Supper Club (as Lileks says, "What were they thinking?"):


"Come for the fun; stay for the gigantic cat-eyed fangfish.":

"Class. Pure class. That's what the entire catalog ooses...":


From Lilek's Flotsam Project:


And one of my favorites:


Finally, the one which is probably nearest and dearest to a computer nerd like me:


You can find initial links to LiLEKS.com on my Humor page (go to www.HansMeyer.net/Links, then click on Humor). Click here for this and previous In The Spotlight posts.

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Today on Shakedown Street: Presidential Candidate Frank McEnulty

Your host, Brian Wolf will be interviewing independent candidate for President, Frank McEnulty. That's today at 4:00pm Pacific Time (-08:00 GMT) on Shakedown Street.

For more information on the candidacy of Frank McEnulty, visit his Web site:


Shakedown Street, another Free World Radio Network production, broadcasting on Blog Talk Radio.

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August 25 News Feed Update

My News feed, (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

Bush's Iraq=Vietnam continues with Bush Compares Vietnam to...Iraq-what?

The lap-dog echo chamber lives up to its reputation with Right-Wing Launches Assault Against Warner, Claims He ‘Hurts The Cause Of Freedom’ and From Pyrrhus to Petraeus.

In the vein of Poison the Well, Salt the Earth there's What the GOP will do with Bush next year.

Finally, your laugh for the day with Harriet Miers is Squeaky Fromme.

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Iraq is Just Like Vietnam

© dhonig 2007
Click image for larger view
Click here for original post on Hypnocrites.

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Today on the Free World Radio Network

Tune in at 10:00am Eastern Time (-05:00 GMT) for my show, Situation Awareness. Today's topic: Angry White Men Who Sit Around In Their Bathrobes Blogging All Day Long.

And, at 11:00am Eastern Time (-05:00 GMT), The Free World Pub serves up the first round.

That's today on the Free World Radio Network, broadcast over Blog Talk Radio.

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Something worse than a crime: It was a blunder

Bush's Vietnam Blunder

By Jim Hoagland
Friday, August 24, 2007; Page A15

Desperate presidents resort to desperate rhetoric -- which then calls new attention to their desperation. President Bush joined the club this week by citing the U.S. failure in Vietnam to justify staying on in Iraq.

Bush's comparison of the two conflicts rivals Richard Nixon's "I am not a crook" utterance during Watergate and Bill Clinton's "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky," in producing unintended consequences of a most damaging kind for a sitting president. (read the entire article)

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August 24 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

The best today has to be Corrente's Really, how stupid do they think we are?, the answer to what I think qualifies as idiot-post-of-the-year, Contraception is not the answer.

You just knew this was bound to happen: We Need a Saddam to replace Saddam: Operation Strongman.

For your humor today there's Friday Foil from Florida, and a couple of great posts from the General.

I'll be covering Bush's Vietnam Blunder in a separate post.

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Free Market Emergency?

"...Yes, I'd like to compare prices..."

PixelMarx
A Slightly Left Leaning Political Cartoon Blog

Click picture for larger view.
Click here for original post.

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FOX ATTACKS IRAN

Sign the Open Letter Tell the networks not to follow FOX down the road to war Dear ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN, "My station was intimidated by the administration and its foot soldiers at FOX News." That is CNN's Christiane Amanpour explaining why the major television networks failed to accurately inform the public in the lead-up to the Iraq war, choosing instead to follow FOX's lead. Now, FOX is beating the drums for war with Iran. Robert Greenwald's short film, "FOX Attacks: Iran", outlines the evidence from the station's own broadcasts, comparing their reporting before the Iraq war with what they are saying now about Iran. You have a sacred responsibility to the American people to provide accurate and reliable information so we can best make the decisions which affect our lives. We urge you to accurately and thoroughly report all sides of this important story. Please do not blindly follow FOX down the road to another war. Sincerely, Hans Meyer #38,937

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Tonight on The Dark Side ...

...the Rev. Darko discusses The Cult of the Professional.

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on The Dark Side.

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Irony on OpEdNews.com

August 23, 2007

Irony
by Hans Meyer
http://www.opednews.com/

I-ro-ny (noun): incongruity between what actually happens and what might be expected to happen, especially when this disparity seems absurd or laughable.

Last night I was tuned in to Netroot Radio's broadcast of ePluribus Radio (Don't Hijack My Thread!) on Blog Talk Radio. The first topic of discussion was "Not "mining" our business. Declining mine safety and lack of consequences under Bush administration." The hosts compared the declining mine safety in this country with the lack of safety (and environmental) regulations in Communist China.

(read the entire article)

Adobe Acrobat copy of Irony

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August 23 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Jon Stewart once again proves why he is the real voice of truth in America today in Daily Show: Three Generations of “America to the Rescue.”

Also, the FWRN's own Lisa Litchfield takes on (and destroys) Mrs. Jill in Lost in Bonkers.

And there's a great cartoon, Moby Rove.

I covered The Power of (Right Wing) Myth (an excellent, recommended read) in an earlier post.

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The Power of (Right Wing) Myth

August 23, 2007
The Power of (Right Wing) Myth
maha @ 11:05 am

So yesterday, after years of denying historical comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam, President Bush delivered a speech comparing Iraq to Vietnam. To which much of America responded, WTF? Today America’s newspapers are peppered with complaints from historians that Bush’s speech distorted the facts of the Vietnam War. But of course; what actually happened during and after the war was not the point. He was speaking to those still inclined to support the war, and to them, Vietnam represents national disgrace. It also represents allowing the forces of darkness to scamper unhindered over the land. When Bush spoke of “killing fields,” for example, rightie listeners could relate. There was a movie about that, after all, never mind that the killing fields of Cambodia didn’t happen because America withdrew from Vietnam, but because we were bleeping there. (read the entire article)

Adobe Acrobat copy of The Power of (Right Wing) Myth

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