Happy Halloween

from the good people at Mainway Novelties:

Your 2007 World Series Champs

Congrats to the Boston Red Sox...the pluckiest band of $143 million payroll players ever assembled. Hoorah...

Friday YouTube Nugget

A little easy-listening country for you this week. Here's an up-and-coming quintet from the North country. Singing "Far Away Eyes", here's the Rolling Stones:

Check out Charlie Watts' face at 1:38....he is simply the greatest

Paul Wellstone

Today, October 25th, marks the third anniversary of one of the most shocking events of my political lifetime - the plane crash and death of Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN).

Senator Wellstone, as you can see, wasn't your garden variety, blow-dried politician. He was a proud liberal and probably the only member of the Senate with a conscience. I've identified with Sen. Wellstone more than any other politician in my lifetime (save maybe Howard Dean), because he was genuine and passionate about his public service. I had to love that he was a former Political Science professor before he was elected to the Senate out of nowhere in 1990.

Paul Wellstone spent his life fighting for progressive values, social justice and, most importantly, inspiring people like me to be more active and informed on what goes on around us. His values live on in those he inspired, but I'd be remiss if I didn't take a moment today to say thanks, Senator.

More info on Paul Wellstone here and here

Why is this man laughing?

Meet Mr. 25%

Friday YouTube Nugget

For this week's installment, I set the wayback machine to those heady days of the mid-90's and what I believe to be one of the top 5 pop songs written in the last 20 years. The band is Pulp and the song is "Common People":

Who has two thumbs and center Orchestra tickets to Neil Young at Shea's in November?

THIS GUY!!!!

Miracle on Abbott and Southwestern Drive

An update that I am overjoyed to share: Bills TE Kevin Everett Can Stand On His Own

In a scant five weeks, Everett went from the most grim of prognoses by the attending physicians to becoming ambulatory by himself.


Shit like this reinforces my faith in humanity. Those were people, trained and highly skilled, who saved that man's life. Who applied the body-cooling treatment as soon as he was injured that most likely saved his spine and will lead to him being able to walk again. Said treatment was developed, of course, through the Miami Project, a non-profit organization devoting to reversing paralysis and started by a former NFL linebacker who's son was paralyzed in a college football game in 1985. And who, among NFL owners, is the biggest contributor to the Miami Project, who has donated millions to this cause?


Ralph C. Wilson, Jr, owner of the Buffalo Bills


That circle of life is a humdinger, ain't it?

Day 246: United 93 Held Hostage

Okay....this is beyond the realm of ridiculous and lazy. We're entering Captain CuckooBananas territory here. I have, in my possession, the film United 93 for more than 35 weeks now. What kind of pathological behavior am I exhibiting in this sad affair? Am I so lazy that I'm using the excuse that I can't find the nifty little red Netflix envelope to return the movie to explain why I have held this DVD hostage for 8 months? Can no one explain why I just don't call/e-mail/fax/smokescreen a message to Netflix to send me another envelope? Can it be that I've forfeited 8 months and $40 in membership fees to see other, less-depressing titles?

Why haven't the good people at Netflix reached out to me? A simple message saying "Hey friend - you've been hoarding United 93 for an awful long time...what's up?" would suffice. As would "Hello? Are you OK? Did you hit your head on a coffee table, put some tissues on your massive head wound and die bleeding and blind drunk like William Holden?" Nada, nil, zilch from those robber barons at Netflix....I guess as long as the monthly debit fee comes through, they could care less about my well-being. I think they have to share at least some of the blame here.

I think I need professional help. Or a replacement Netflix envelope.

P.S. It was a tremendous film

UPDATE: Writing this post was somewhat cathartic...it released me from whatever psychic block I was having from taking action on this pathetic episode. I called Netflix and spoke to a nice gentleman who is sending me out a bonus DVD (Blades of Glory)....then, I can return both DVDs in the new mailer. Problem solved...until next month.

The Humanist's Eye On Hollywood

DATELINE: Hollywood:

Holy shit....I just read Angie Everhart is engaged to......wait for it.....

Joe Pesci.

Yes, Joe Pesci.

This Joe Pesci:

is engaged to this:

that's right, little Joe Pesci is going to be making animal noises in this woman's ear:

This raises, of course, several questions - does he even come up to her mid-thigh? Why did God/Buddha/Jehovah/Allah/Flying Spaghetti Monster bless Joe Pesci with so many earthly rewards? Why couldn't Toulouse-Lautrec or Sartre pull off something this audacious?

Saturday YouTube Nugget

The exquisite Nina Simone, live from Ronnie Scott's, singing "If You Knew" . I guess the club's air conditioning was on the fritz that night.

Al Gore is My President

And the Nobel Peace Prize goes to....

The Continuing Saga of Senator Widestance

Well, well....our favorite men's-room-cruising senator, Larry Craig has had quite a busy month. After first pledging to resign September 30, good ol' Larry flip-flopped and announced he would stay and fight. Gotta love these Republicans and their "ethics".

Sen. Craig. of course, famously reversed course initially by saying if he was able to convince a judge to withdraw his original guily plea, he wouldn't resign. How did that work out? Eh, not so well.

This mattered not a whit to Sen. Craig...he vowed to complete his current term, which runs through January 2009 (about the time we'll be swearing in a new Democratic president and ushering in significant Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress). I would love the spectre of this closet case in the Senate as a daily reminder to voters in Idaho and elsewhere that the GOP is a party of moral hypocrites, serial lawbreakers, and self-aggrandizing liars.

One more note - it's good to see that certain sectors of Sen. Craig's homestate still stands behind him, firm and strong. Welcome your newest inductee into the Idaho Hall of Fame - Senator Widestance.

It's Johnny's Birthday, it's Johnny's birthday...

Christ, I almost forgot. Happy 67th birthday, John Lennon

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Somewhere in the Guangdong province on the south coast of China, a simple farmer got up this morning to tend to his beet crop, unaware that about the time he was waking up, God was delivering another curse to a football team 7,000 miles away. I want to be that farmer.

I must say that, notwithstanding another gut punch Bills loss-that-should-have-been-a-victory, the Bills do find interesting ways to lose. Such as forcing the Golden Boy, Tony Romo, to turn the ball over six times, yet allowing Dallas to recover an onside kick, then boot a winning 50+ yard field goal as time expires.

God, if he or she does exist, hates us.

TILT

Got back from Vegas at 12:45 am Monday morning with nothing but lint in my pockets. I got busted six ways from Sunday in Sin City and now have a pleasant week of eating my shoes for dinner.

Friday YouTube Nugget (one day early)

VEGA$ EDITION, PT II, ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

It seems as if I never left...I am headed back to Sin City, this time for my aunt's 60th birthday. My whole family (8 people) will be there - a reunion, of sorts. I can't wait to hear how my cousin's job with US immigration law in Seattle is going, how my other cousin is faring with his computer programming consulting in St. Louis...and how many cans of tuna my brother has consumed this week in Las Vegas.

In any case, we will be attending the much-hyped Cirque du Soleil (or, "Sun Circus"....fact) show featuring the music of the Beatles as background to a bunch of contortionists acting all spastic in the foreground. Some call it "interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance"...I call it a bunch of fruit pies running around in spandex, seeing how much abuse they can apply to their joints and spines before breaking in half.

Whoa...I think I was channelling Bill O'Reilly for a second. Anyhoo, here's a clip of my favorite band of all time performing "Your Mother Should Know"