Television Timeout

The time has come for someone to ake a stand. The Detroit Lions do not deserve to be on T.V every Thanksgiving. It's getting to the point that one of the things I'm tankful for is I already know the outcome of one of the games before it starts. It was fun when Barry Sanders was on the team, because everybody loved Barry Sanders. But if I wanted to watch a bad football team I would rearrange my work schedule so I could watch the Panthers on Sundays.
The Cowboys (as much as it pains me to say), have shown they can consistently put up performences on Slapsgiving that deserved to be televised. They are America's team (if you are trying to convince the rest of the world that America is full of drug users and white-trash fans). I think the Cowboys should get a game, another game between good teams should be shown, and the Lions should think about what they've done.

Robert

P.S. Maybe I would agree to a compromise where the Lions Thanksgiving game was on the NFL Network.

Dignity

Today gets a different post because I'm annoyed.

"I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world. We respect your faith. It's practiced freely by many millions of Americans, and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah. The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them."

These are the words of President George W. Bush. They're good and they're what they should be. Its rare I can say that. So when a Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, says that “…based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration," I take issue. I take issue at the underlying notion that Muslims shouldn't have even the option of serving higher positions in an administration. Its okay for them to be in lower positions. I find it amusing that a Mormon would use percentage statistics to indicate how high up in the government you should be. Islam is roughly 400 percent larger in the United States than Mormonism. With his mathematics, I don't think Mitt Romney could run as dog catcher....do they still have those? This is fear mongering, idiocy, and pandering. This is typical Mitt Romney and this exhibits a severe hostility that his supporters have for Islam.

It isn't just his supporters. The Washington Post had the audacity to throw up a story about a strange and peculiar internet spread rumor that Barack Obama is a secret Muslim who is a plant to destroy the United States from within. Really? I mean really? The Washington Post should know better than to treat internet rumors as a story. This is the Madrassa rumor again. No substance, just fear mongering. There are rumors about anything online from President Bush being an alien to one of my room mates being an heroin addict. It isn't worth it. There are two underlying notions though with this rumor. IF and I do mean IF Barack Obama is a Muslim, then somehow that shoots down his campaign? Not the most tolerant idea is it? Second, IF Obama is a Muslim, then that means he's going to destroy the nation? I don't think so. That implication is that all Muslims are trying to destroy the United States. I'm afraid only people who think they're defending the nation with other interests are the ones most likely to destroy the United States. We are the greatest threat to our own ideals and future. For the Washington Post to spend time on that story and ignore things that maybe matter more is remarkable.

Things like being oblivious that your company is dealing with someone who helped the 9/11 architect evade the FBI and continues to do so. Things like you used city government resources to hide the affair you were having to your now current wife. That's called corruption and hypocrisy. In case you're wondering, Rudy Giuliani is guilty of both. For the 9/11 architect evasion, read this. Remarkable isn't it?

So as I caught parts of the Republican debate last night, I felt sorry for Mike Huckabee in the coming months because Romney, McCain, and Giuliani are going to be dirty. They're willing to link all Muslims with horrible things. McCain thinks people like Ron Paul allowed Hitler...Yup, he went there. I haven't seen Huckabee do the offensive things the other big three have engaged into though he's come close. After all, he is a running for the Republican nomination. Fear does wonders.


On a completely separate note because I can't stay serious so long. Celebrity update.
1. Helio Castroneves, you may be asking who?! Well, he won Dancing with the Stars. I'll admit I saw one episode and called this one almost immediately. You see he told people that he was engaged to a Aliette Vazquez whom I'm guessing is a random hot foreign girl. However, when I saw him dancing with Julianne Hough on the show. I yelled out he's absolutely sleeping with her (yes I used other terms which got me slapped). Apparently, I'm right. His engagement is over and he's doing things that many guys could dream because Julianne Hough is as the kids say bangin.

2. Chevy Chase has been hired on SNL again! This could be an awesome disaster since outside of Caddy Shack, Gerald Ford jokes ( possibly a bad idea now or awesome idea?), and Vacation references, Chevy Chase kinda isn't funny. I saw him on Brothers and Sisters and barely recognized him. He has an old man voice now too. I heard he's a complete dick too.

3. Holy Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears had another melt down in a store. This time in a Hustler store where she stole a wig and just went crazy not wanting to pay for things.

4. Holy I Know What You Did Last Weekend, Jennifer Love Hewitt got engaged to some Scottish bloke.

5. Tony Romo is seeing Jessica Simpson. Not sure if I can still hate Romo because you can't help but root for him in that...oh wait, I still will hate him.

6. For all you Grey's Anatomy viewers out there, the remarkably attractive Chyler Leigh's first movie is more awkward than a Meredith Grey monologue. Chyler Leigh, who was in the fantastically bad show Reunion, got her start in the epic Kickboxing Academy. The awkward part? Her love interest is her own real life brother! Yes, there are kissing scenes...those crazy 15 year olds.

Good day and Good luck.

Its even worse than it appears but its alright

Sorry about yesterday, I got distracted by EW's top lists of things during my lunch break...Anyway, today I saw something that horrified me and I actually felt pity which is strange. There are things in the world that sicken me as well as other people. Seeing a hairy friend of mine sumo wrestle smaller guys without a shirt has ensured years of therapy. Today, I saw a guy projectile vomit onto another person on the Metro. It was amazingly gross and I had flashes of the movie Outbreak kick in. I almost ran to a doctor. Anyway, the guy vomited onto her work clothes. See that's where the pity kicks in. What a crappy way to start your day. I'd just quit right there and call in sick. Anyway, here's the list.

1. HOOKED ON PHONICS! Seriously, I understand that the President's speech writers write things out phonetically. I agree with doing that. I've done that myself with people. However, to screw up someone's name at a peace conference of large importance brutally like that....I'm tired of stupidity among other things with the President.

2. Karl Rove wants people to believe that it was Congress that rushed to war! He wants to blame a Democratic Senate for rushing to go to a war that destroyed their numbers until recently. Right, Karl Rove is a douche bag. Go to that far left Liberal website called whitehouse.gov if you want to see that you cannot rewrite history that easy.

3. John Ashcroft has offered himself up for waterboarding. Interesting. He already tortured people with "Where the eagles soar." Time to return the favor.

4. In case you didn't know, Carson Daly is a dick....and then I found out he's crossing the picket line and starting production again. Would anyone really notice if they just showed reruns of his show?

5. Oprah is going to openly campaign for Obama in key states. Barbara Streisand for Hillary Clinton. Ric Flare for Huckabee...wait does he count as a celebrity? Anyway, the celebrity behind Giuliani? PAULEY WALNUTS from Sopranos....I'm not even kidding.

6. For your further indoctrination, Amy Winehouse has cancelled the rest of her tour. It could have been the coke she did publicly or the fact she couldn't stay sober or sane on stage.

7. I'm hearing Britney Spears is pregnant again and this time its with her producer. God help us.

8. Mike Huckabee is winning in Iowa for the GOP!? Check the archives of this blog for the sole pseudo support given to him early on.

9. HUGE REVIEW TIME. I saw a lot of movies recently so we'll go fast. Beowulf! Holy god that was fun. Go see it in 3D and be gitty like an 9 year old. Lions for Lambs...believe it or not, Tom Cruise makes a good neocon Republican. Probably because he's crazy. The story about the two guys in Afghanistan is heart wrenching but the movie lacks something. Robert Redford needed a better script no matter how much I agree with him. Before the Devil Knows You're dead! Utterly brilliant. Most vicious movie I've seen and it wasn't because of violence that did it. You also see more of Marisa Tomei than you thought you would (still have a crush on her). Hitman! I still don't get many plot points but somewhat enjoyable even if it rarely made sense. What am I saying? It isn't very good but watch it with a group and its kinda fun. Gone Baby Gone! Excellent movie...seriously, Ben Affleck did a great job and you should go see it. I loved it.

10. My brother's band the Ivorys had a show while I was home and they were outstanding. They've got a show on the 21st of December I think and if you're in the area you should come. More information to come.

Check it out, I'm still alive and posting

I've had a rough month and it'll probably continue till about December 5th. I'm still in Chicago till tomorrow. Today's post is a different one. I promise I'll have a post tomorrow with a ten that includes Amy Winehouse doing exhibitionist coke. Today's post is about soundtracks. I once thought that everyone should have a theme song. A song that maybe explains you at that moment in time. These days I think everyone shouldn't just have one song to define themselves at this moment in time but should have a whole soundtrack. After I post this soundtrack, I'll probably put it into my ipod. The average soundtrack is between 13 and 16 tracks depending on length of course. I urge people making their own soundtracks that they don't stick to one genre. I'm going to do one of 16 that somehow fits into how my world looks to me. Keep in mind, I have some that aren't expected.

1. Ludlow by James Horner
2. Rachmaniov or Rachmanioff depending whom you ask how to spell it 3rd Piano Concerto Finale Alla Breve
3. Lucky Man by the Verve
4. Ordinary World by Duran Duran
5. Bad Sun by the Bravery
6. Chicago, My Kind of Town by Frank Sinatra
7. Wisemen by James Blunt
8. Baba O'Riley by the Who
9. Money (That's what I want) by Barrett Strong
10. Clocks by Coldplay
11. Summon the Worms by Brian Tyler
12. Hollywood by Collective Soul
13. Train in Vain by the Clash
14. Pride (In the Name of Love) by U2
15. The Adventure by Angels and Airwaves
16. Ship of Fools by World Party

So there it is at this moment. Me being indecisive, I'll probably change it in ten minutes. What's your sound track?

The Wii-volution

I don't know if you know this, but I'm an avid video game player. Less avid now than I used to be, much to my great shame and regret. That being said, I have played the Wii. The Wii is fun. It is simple. And in a party environment, it leads to some pretty good entertainment. Do I own one? Nope. Do I intend to buy one? Nope (sorry Danielle). If its so fun, why won't I buy it? Well, to be honest, it doesn't appeal to me. Earlier today, Chris directed me to a blog posting over at Newsweek.


http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2007/11/15/how-the-videogame-industry-shot-itself-in-the-joystick.aspx


Go ahead and take a few minutes to read it. I'll wait. Dum de dum de dum... hmm, what the hell is that under my nails? Ewww. How long has that been there? I wonder how it tast- oh you're back. Find that to be an interesting read? I did too. Perhaps because I disagree with almost every bit of reasoning the man had.


His central claim is that as games have evolved, they have gotten more complex because companies discovered that they could make more money with complex games in the arcades than they could with simple games. This falls in line with his idea that more complex = more satisfying. His other central idea appears to be that because anybody can play the Wii everyone should play. There also appears to be the test of "can a 6 year old play it?"


As to his first claim, he states that Street Fighter 2 was doomed to failure because it was so complex. This is a completely implausible statement evidenced by his own anecdote of the machine being used nonstop for years at a time. Video game companies didn't discover that complexity made for more money. They discovered that more complex and precise controls allowed players to have more control over what happened in the game. This level of control made games more fun because gamers could play the way they wanted to. Shocking concept, I know.


Most developers do not make games complex for the sake of being complex. There is always a reason for that complexity. When looking at a modern video game controller, it is important to consider that modern video game controllers grew more complex because they had to compete with the other console that has been a constant throughout all of videogames: the personal computer. Video game consoles have never been able to provide the same level of control as a simple keyboard and mouse. Instead, they've tried to put all the functions you would need into a small, increasingly ergonomic pad that you can use. You can look, you can move, and you can interact with objects. A more complex controller is just a way of giving someone more control over the game.


Later on, the author makes the claim that small children sometimes can't play children's games because the controls are too difficult. I find that hard to believe. Children are actually really good at picking up a 360 or Playstation 3 controller and learning how to play it. In fact, Chris has informed me of the fact that he got his ass kicked by an 11-year old in Halo. Thats pretty embarrassing but it does happen. The little bastards also generally like to tell you that you're getting your ass kicked by a little punk. The controllers are intuitive. You look, you move, you hit the green or blue button. And it usually is the green or the blue button. In fact, the only people I've ever met who have trouble with a video game controller are old people or people who are too lazy to experiment with the controller for 20 minutes. I've taught sororiety girls how to play Soul Caliber and Halo 3 in less than half an hour. Sororiety girls. Also, I've played a Wii with quite a few people who fit more into the "everybody" bracket than the "gamer" bracket, and the same people who typically have trouble with a regular controller have the same trouble with a Wii-mote. Especially in any department that requires precision.

Now, the author mentions that there are people who are outraged at the success of the Wii. And there are. People like me who are more interested in having fun and killing something and less interested in the console wars refer to these people as 'fan boys.' They are people who trumpet the successes of their system while deriding all others and can't believe that people would actually disagree. Whatever, they're idiots with too much time on their hands. Ignore them.

Moving on though, the author mentions that developers have tried to make their existing games fit on the Wii and thus far they are failed for the most part. I have heard from friends who own a Wii that this is true. The controls don't work, the graphics are ugly, and the game itself just doesn't feel right. If its not made specifically for the Wii, then it generally is going to be a poor import. Sometimes this is baffling. I have a co-worker who owns a Wii fishing game. Fishing could work on the Wii but for some reason the developer made the weird choice that instead of using the Wii-mote like a fishing rod, you would press complex sequence of buttons. Weird and stupid. The author says "good" to this. I'm sorry, I'm confused. Good? We should be pleased that games designed for gamers don't work on the Wii? I would like this explained to me. You're telling me that if I have an X Box 360, I can get all the mini-games and arcade games I want for like $5 a pop off of X Box Live Arcade and play some of the best games to come out this year but if I only have a Wii I need to pay $50 for a set of mini games, and I can't play Call of Duty 4? What the fuck is that? When the author says that the Wii's market is "everybody" I must respectfully disagree. The Wii's market is Nintendo apologists and everybody who doesn't know how to play video games already. Thats a big market, I'll admit. But its disingenous to say that the market is "everybody." This is going to be a question to all the Wii owners out there (and there are a lot of you): How many games are there for the Wii that are both good and made with mature gamers in mind. I can think of four off the top of my head; Zelda, Metroid, and two Mario games. Pretty much the same three games that Nintendo has been making for almost 30 years. Is Super Smash Brothers out? I'll count that as five if it is.

Next, the author derides game reviewers who give poor reviews to Wii games that are just "pure play." IE. the mini-game collections. He notes that one reviewer states that the game was more fun than he expected but still gave it a low score. He then wonders why it got such a low score if it was "more fun than expected" and what the hell did the guy expect anyways? You know what he expected? Value. The cost of video games continues to go up. Gamers are consistently being asked to pony up more and more cash to be able to indulge in their chosen hobby. And for the most part, we're fine with that. Will I spend $60 on Halo 3? You bet your Spartan ass I will. Why am I willing to spend that much money? Because it has a strong singleplayer experiance and then gives me loads of options in multiplayer. The game is worth that $60. The game is also innovative. Value! The problem with a lot of Wii games, at least to my mind, is that the game experiance is shallow and unless you're playing with a bunch of people who it may be new to, the luster of the game wears off pretty quickly. How many times can you play the same mini-game before you get a little tired of it?

The author claims that these games score poorly because they are outside the norm and thus, they are hard to rate. That may be true. But video game reviewers all look for the same things. Is the game easy to handle? Can I play it how I want to or am I railroaded by the developers? Does the game experiance scale to my play ability? Does the game make sense? And most importantly, is it worth my money? One of the specific games singled out is Mario Party 8 which scored poorly. Why did it score poorly? Because the game was a rehash of the previous 7 Mario Parties and random crap would happen that didn't make any sense. Its not that reviewers felt that the game couldn't be "completed" it was that reviewers felt that their actions had little impact on the game.

For a lot of people Wii games meet those criteria. And thats fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But for the people who already know how to play video games, the Wii just lacks value. The Wii isn't the best system, but it also isn't the worst system. It just took a different business model than Sony or Microsoft. If it appeals to that author because he can play it with his 6 year old son, great. People should get the system that they feel they are most compatible with, not the system that people say is the "best." But don't try and make the argument to me that because you can play it with your son its the next revolution in gaming. Because, I have news for you. Your son will eventually get bored with it. That first time he gets to play Halo 5 with his friends in a few years is going to show him what modern games are capable of acheiving in terms of story-telling and control.

Plus he's going to realize that guns and violence (which are in short supply on the Wii) are awesome.

Cheers and happy gaming.

Remember, remember the Fifth of November

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent

To blow up King and Parliament.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England's overthrow;

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November when Hollywood could not write. A year or so in the future we'll be wondering why the movie scripts at that time aren't very good...Remember, Remember the Fifth of November as the writers went on strike. Right before hand they let loose a stream of partially finished scripts. Yes I am that Anglophile.

Today is Guy Fawkes Day. Tonight is Bonfire Night. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person I know who gets excited on this day. In the United Kingdom, its a bit like the Fourth of July. There are fireworks, bonfires, and etc. Its a weird day I know. I'm not entirely sure what they're celebrating. Are they celebrating that Guy Fawkes was stopped from blowing up Parliament and the King James I or are they celebrating that he wanted to blow up Parliament and the Monarchy? Also, they do burn an effigy of the Pope which is charming in an old Anti Catholicism binge and by charming I mean odd...Are they hating Catholics too? I once saw some Disney characters in effigy too so has this translated into Anti US as well? Its a great time nonetheless.

Oh I'm posting a list of shows now to have a list for today because its something different than the politics and celebrity news.

1. Battlestar Galactica...yes you should be watching no matter how corny the name sounds. Not only does the show have great characterization but it has a diverse cast. It has a female president that is way more interesting and authentic than that show Commander in Chief ever had. If you like Lost, Heroes, or etc, please do go buy the DVDs, watch its movie on November 24th, and hop on board next spring for its last season.

2. How I Met Your Mother...it is an absolutely funny show. It has NPH as well...aka Doogie Howser. The DVDs are cheap and utterly enjoyable. It airs on Mondays before Heroes does in case you're wondering. 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, or Freaks and Geeks fans will enjoy this. Its also something you can watch with anyone and everyone relates.

3. Pushing Daisies...This show is so god damned cute you can't help but watch it. Its quirky, fun, and has some great lines. Chi McBride is great, in fact, he has almost a hilarious line every scene. I'll admit it I have a crush on Anna Friel and thus biased but Kristin Chenowith is also really good. Big Fish fans can relish in the art direction of the show. its exceedingly pretty to look at with the style of an inner imagination.

4. Life. Now here is a struggling show now that should be watched. Its enjoyable much in the same vein as House is. Damien Lewis (also a British Actor like House's Hugh Laurie is (he was Winters on Band of Brothers)) is a cop that was sent to jail for over a decade and had his conviction overturned. He sued the city for it and won with a lot of money and got his job back. He didn't quite come back all that normal. He's existential now and slightly crazy. Really good and has a good supporting cast with smoking Sarah Shahi and Adam Arkin.

5. Boston Legal..yes its been on awhile. Yes, its preachy. Yes, the show is still fantastic. Boston Legal has a wonderful cast. Just IMDB it now because I'm not going to type out its cast. It also is a show that frames issues in a profound way. Think of this as the liberal's 24. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy 24. But it frames conservative issues in a dumb but effective way with torture and terrorism being everywhere. Boston Legal aggressively approaches issues that are really important in creative and fun ways. I'd like to note that it beat out Sopranos in its last season for best actor.

6. Freaks and Geeks...yup I missed this one when it was on so I caught all the dvds and it was well worth it. Its like Superbad as a TV show taking place in early 80s Michigan High School. Its clever and a generally nice show. Plus it has a guest spot of Samaire Armstrong...yeah I know....Go watch it, you'll enjoy it and hate Fox a little more for canceling it.

7. Wow, canceled before its time as well is Firefly. I love the amount of people who have been coerced into watching Firefly either before or after seeing the movie based on the series Serenity. Fox being bastards aired the show out of order and on terrible nights. The dialog is fantastic. Its not the science fiction you think you're getting into. Think more western.

8. If you aren't watching House, why? Still Hugh Laurie is a fantastic actor. Still Gregory House is an amazing character. Its still one of the best shows on tv.

9. Nip/Tuck...I've been called a lot of names for loving this show...most of them true...but besides the point, this show is unique and provocative. Its also well written. Recently, they moved from Miami to LA and its been better for it. Their mockery of Grey's Anatomy makes the show worth it. They've just become consultants on a Grey's Anatomyesque show and it really is spot on. Go watch and enjoy..yes there's sex, plastic surgery, and weird things but hey, you're better off knowing the world is fucked up.

10. Lastly, at least in my ten for tv right now, go buy the West Wing DVDs. Its fictional I know but really, in this political atmosphere, you need to keep a bit of idealism alive. In the West Wing, President Bartlett isn't petty and an idiot. He is engaging and remarkably smart but not flawless. The staff would never leak a secret agent's identity for political gain. Even the Republican at the end of the series, Alan Alda, showed what politicians should be. I miss the show for all its quirks, its high horsed idealism, and its attempt to make politics human. Go buy them so you can see what we want/need from politics. Can you imagine how the SCHIP debate would have gone?

TV on strike or how I learned to love my DVD collection more

Its been awhile. Since I've been gone from the blog, a kid is responsible for starting one of the fire. Britney Spears lost her kids again. Amy Winehouse cried a lot...wait, nothing really does change....Anyway, the guys who write our TV and movies look like they're going on strike! Holy god, what will happen to TV! Well, its not good if you don't particularly like reality tv. Unscripted shows are going to thrive once the networks run out of produced shows. Who's going to benefit? Fox will definitely. The strike most likely will last between two and four months. In that time, American Idol will be back and its a beast in ratings even against expensive well scripted shows. They also will most likely expand Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader and shows like that. Fox always has a massive supply of reality shows. ABC has a lot to lose but it does have shows like Extreme Makeover and and Dancing with the Stars. CBS had to summon Amazing Race early because Hugh Jackman's Viva Laughlin fell after two episodes. They'll be okay as long as Survivor holds out and they can rush into production Big Brother. And now NBC....THIS CAN BRING BACK AMERICAN GLADIATORS!!!!....!!!!! They have shows like Deal or No Deal which doesn't do as well as it used to but man are people going to be desperate. American Gladiators can easily slip in. On a sadder note, Daily Show and Colbert Report will suffer immediately.

Movies are less predictable. I've heard of writers just rushing their scripts in this week. My biggest concern is studios taking crappy half done scripts and accepting them as whole. I have this fear we'll get even worse movies that will come out next fall or even a year from spring and be total crap. Studios shouldn't buy shit scripts out of desperation or laziness.

So me being me, I keep a reservoir of DVDs in case of World War III or I can't get good TV. Now onto the list.

1. The strangest thing in politics has occurred. Moveon.org and Right wing bloggers have teamed up to attack Faux News because Faux doesn't want Republican candidates using footage in political ads...hmm...wait isn't Faux just a gigantic political ad for the Republican Party? Well, it is but this alliance is a bit like when Jerry Seinfeld allied himself with Newman...

2. Bye Karen Hughes. I won't miss you. Have you ever noticed that she only enters mainstream news when she's quitting somewhere? She's a perennial quitter. Its sad that many of my friends' reaction to her quitting was "wow, I didn't think she was still around." This woman was supposed to be the the Undersecretary of Public Diplomacy...the only message she really sent to the world was that she's crazy to think that the world is going to think President Bush is the great hero of the world... She says that her job will continue well after she's gone...well its a tough job after you've helped destroy the goodwill that the United States has earned for the past century. I find it fitting that my propaganda class ended the day before she quit.

3. I watched the Democratic Debates a couple nights ago on my DVR. Yup, it was pummel Hillaryfest...in a decent way not like the Republicans do. Joe Biden got a great shot at Rudy Giuliani in saying that all he ever says is a noun+verb+9/11 for anything. Giuliani struck back the next day making plagiarism jokes on Biden...that was 20 years ago and it was a misspeak in a speech. Giuliani was accused of plagiarism last month. What an ass.

4. Rudy Giuliani thinks voters are stupid. He's partially right. Many are. But his healthcare ad is a bold faced lie. In his recent radio ad, he says, “I had prostate cancer, five, six years ago. My chance of surviving prostate cancer, and thank God I was cured of it, in the United States, 82%. My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England, only 44% under socialized medicine.” Mortality rates in England and USA are virtually the same. Its bad math or a lie. Also, Giuliani contracted prostate cancer while he was mayor of New York and the government paid for his care. That would be government healthcare wouldn't it? So fuck you, Rudy.

5. Donnie Rumsfeld is the gift that keeps on giving. We now have access to his memos when he was SecDef. He thinks Iraqis are generally against physical labor...okay racist, check. He also thinks we need to continuously link Iraq to Iran...saber rattler, check. Base war on bumper sticker statements...salesman, check...together they're Donnie Rumsfeld...He's the evil bastard we thought he was.

6. Lance Armstrong and Ashley Olsen are seeing each other....sorry Rob. Kinda hilarious combo.

7. Anyone else curious on what Amy Winehouse gives out on Halloween? She does give out something I'm hearing to kids...oh did you know she can't tour in the US since her most recent drug bust? They won't give her a Visa.

8. Is anyone really surprised that Dog the Bounty Hunter is racist? He apparently had a huge racist rant to his son who has a black girlfriend...Michael Richards/Dog the Bounty Hunter show?

9. Scott of the Blog and I now play Halo 3 regularly and have declared war on the person known as breadsticks...I've decided to declare whoever I want as breadsticks...kinda like terrorist except tastier. So join the cause with Taco Crusader and Alkuth.

10. Read this. You'll be better for it. Its from a couple of days ago.