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You are here: Home / z-Retired Categories / Previous Site Maintenance / Sunday Open Thread

Sunday Open Thread

by John Cole|  March 2, 20089:48 am| 132 Comments

This post is in: Previous Site Maintenance

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132Comments

  1. 1.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 10:11 am

    Oooh…fresh thread!

    Now I just need a kitten to…err…play with it. Yeah, that’s right, kittens like to play with thread.

  2. 2.

    Jimmm

    March 2, 2008 at 10:11 am

    IRST-FAY!

  3. 3.

    Jimmm

    March 2, 2008 at 10:12 am

    (nb: Demimondian’s post was already up and on display when I got here.)

  4. 4.

    null pointer exception

    March 2, 2008 at 10:15 am

    One question for gadgetheads here: Which type of TV is better? Plasma screen, or LCD screen?

  5. 5.

    calipygian

    March 2, 2008 at 10:16 am

    Perhaps we should have let the Russians win the Cold War. Then we wouldn’t have had this.

    Shoot me now. Please, make it stop.

  6. 6.

    SGEW

    March 2, 2008 at 10:25 am

    Hey, y’all. Thought I’d just say sorry for enthusiastically posting so many comments recently. Didn’t mean to spam up th’ threads (esp. as I’m “new” here), but there’s been a spree of hot-button topics for me, and I’ve recently found myself in front of a computer with way, way, way too much time on my hands.

  7. 7.

    Digital Amish

    March 2, 2008 at 10:30 am

    One question for gadgetheads here: Which type of TV is better? Plasma screen, or LCD screen?

    Null, I researched this question a lot. I asked the experts in all the major tv stores, interviewed the experts, read all the reviews. The clear cut consensus seems to be “it depends”.

  8. 8.

    KC

    March 2, 2008 at 10:42 am

    Digital Amish,

    Null, I researched this question a lot. I asked the experts in all the major tv stores, interviewed the experts, read all the reviews. The clear cut consensus seems to be “it depends”.

    After reading up on the subject and talking to people, that’s what I came to too. I think what’s most important, is the quality of the television. There’s a lot of nice looking stuff on the market now, but that also happens to be crap.

  9. 9.

    TheFountainHead

    March 2, 2008 at 10:45 am

    Watching Meet the Press today makes one wonder if there’s some sort of natural law against good looking people going into professional politics.

  10. 10.

    calipygian

    March 2, 2008 at 10:52 am

    Watching Meet the Press today makes one wonder if there’s some sort of natural law against good looking people going into professional politics.

    I love Mike Murphy and his half-combover and half-mullet. Pick one of the other! We’re a nation at war!

    Plus James Carville and his very effective Gollum impersonation.

    Of course, that makes Mary Matalin “Precious”. [shudder]

    The thought of the two of them tumbling off a cliff into the firey pit of Mount Doom warms the cockles of my heart.

    Of course, here in Alexandria, Virginia, the closest we have to that is having one too many Bombay Sapphire martinis at The Chart House and accidently falling into the Potomac.

  11. 11.

    John Cole

    March 2, 2008 at 10:53 am

    I still have a rear-projection tv.

  12. 12.

    TheFountainHead

    March 2, 2008 at 10:55 am

    And watching Carville try and avoid agreeing that Clinton’s campaign is a disaster is simply stunning.

  13. 13.

    calipygian

    March 2, 2008 at 10:58 am

    James Carville and Gollum:

    Separated at Birth?

    Apologies to the late, great Spy Magazine.

  14. 14.

    John D.

    March 2, 2008 at 11:05 am

    One question for gadgetheads here: Which type of TV is better? Plasma screen, or LCD screen?

    One consideration: Do you have wireless networking or cordless phones nearby? Plasma TVs are the mother of all RFI emitters.

  15. 15.

    tBone

    March 2, 2008 at 11:08 am

    One question for gadgetheads here: Which type of TV is better? Plasma screen, or LCD screen?

    As long as you’re willing to spend the money for a decent set, you can’t really go wrong either way. The pros and cons between plasmas and LCDs have narrowed considerably as the technology has improved.

  16. 16.

    Dug Jay

    March 2, 2008 at 11:11 am

    I see that today’s New York Times raises a number of serious questions concerning Obama’s deep involvement with Chicago sleazeball mobster, Tony Rezko.

  17. 17.

    Dennis - SGMM

    March 2, 2008 at 11:13 am

    One question for gadgetheads here: Which type of TV is better? Plasma screen, or LCD screen?

    To expand a bit on Digital Amish’ essentially correct post. Do not go by the specs, go by what looks best to your eye. A lot of how the plasma and particularly the LCD sets work and look depends on the firmware that drives the thing. A Super Kill-o-Zap 1080p with mediocre firmware will not present as a good a viewing experience as a 720p set with excellent firmware. Also, be aware of your viewing distance at home and check out the sets in the store from that same distance when shopping.

  18. 18.

    SGEW

    March 2, 2008 at 11:21 am

    Okay, this is pretty good:

    Go to google and type “find chuck norris” (and hit the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button).

    Best thing I’ve seen in months. h/t (believe it or not) to WND.

  19. 19.

    TheFountainHead

    March 2, 2008 at 11:25 am

    I see that today’s New York Times raises a number of serious questions concerning Obama’s deep involvement with Chicago sleazeball mobster, Tony Rezko.

    Snark?

    I’m reading it again, but I didn’t see the “serious questions” the first time.

  20. 20.

    SGEW

    March 2, 2008 at 11:26 am

    I didn’t see the “serious questions” the first time.

    Nor “mobster” or “deep involvement.” I’ll give him “Chicago” and “sleazeball.”

  21. 21.

    Dennis - SGMM

    March 2, 2008 at 11:34 am

    SGEW: find chuck norris is hilarious! Thanks for the laugh.

  22. 22.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 11:40 am

    I see deep involvement of the Whitewater noise machine, though.

    The New York Times is trying to create an air of “they all do it”, by peddling salacious, but weakly sourced, stories raising questions about ethics. I remember this happening in 1992, too, about a deal called Whitewater. I guess that the Grey Lady made too much money over that to notice the stain on her reputation it left — first a weak story claiming that McCain had an affair with a lobbyist (oh, and might have done favors for her employer), and now an even weaker story about a set of transactions involving the Obamas paying a reasonable price for two parcels of land in a very pricey neighborhood of Chicago.

    In both cases, there are clear errors of judgment in which a public figure let a friendship blind him to the appearance of favor. In neither case, though, is there any credible evidence of excessive influence beyond that initial smell. The only story which has come out of this is McCain’s lying about the nature of the letters he wrote to the FCC, and that’s best summarized with the following screamer diary title “Breaking! politician writes letter in support of position he has taken publicly!”

    Uh…yeah. Wake me up when the Hagee story actually breaks — and even it’s not about McCain, but about the medias deference towards him.

  23. 23.

    RoonieRoo

    March 2, 2008 at 11:47 am

    Me sitting on chair staring at laptop with my jaw hanging open with ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ issuing forth from the speakers.

    GrumpyCodeMonkey comes over to look over my shoulder and says “What the hell is that!!!”

    Me: “I made a mistake and clicked on a link from Balloon Juice.”

    GrumpyCodeMonkey: “Ah.” nods with understanding.

    Geeze calipygian! Good morning to you too.

  24. 24.

    PaulB

    March 2, 2008 at 11:48 am

    “Do not go by the specs, go by what looks best to your eye”

    One thing to keep in mind: you really cannot trust the preset settings in the store. Ask the salesman to let you put in a DVD and tweak the settings to match. Then trust your eye.

  25. 25.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    March 2, 2008 at 11:50 am

    Plus James Carville and his very effective Gollum impersonation.

    This is crushing news. I thought he WAS Gollum.

    Dug Jay quoting the NYT? Man, I love this country!

  26. 26.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 11:53 am

    Um…yeah. “The Red Army Choir does Lennyrd Skinnyrd” — you should hear (and see) their rendition of “Free Bird”.

  27. 27.

    Krista

    March 2, 2008 at 11:54 am

    Go to google and type “find chuck norris” (and hit the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button).

    Best thing I’ve seen in months. h/t (believe it or not) to WND.

    That is utterly fantastic.

    And RoonieRoo, I’m very glad that I had already finished my coffee prior to clicking on that link. The amount of wrong in that video cannot be counted.

  28. 28.

    Dennis - SGMM

    March 2, 2008 at 11:54 am

    Aw shit: I just read that Mike Smith, lead singer of the Dave Clark Five, passed away Thursday. You know you’re getting old when guys from the bands you used to listen to start dying.

  29. 29.

    Brachiator

    March 2, 2008 at 11:58 am

    One question for gadgetheads here: Which type of TV is better? Plasma screen, or LCD screen?

    The March 2008 issue of Consumer Reports features a review of LCD, plasma, and rear projection sets. What’s best? As another poster noted, “it depends.”

    The CR review also includes a sidebar about the upcoming switch to digital-only broadcasting, scheduled for February 17, 2009. A lot of people with older TVs, older VCRs and DVRs, portable TVs (especially small TVs used while boating and camping), and even folks with radios with TV tuners, will find themselves in the dark, at least if they don’t have a converter box.

    On the plus side, the CR sidebar clearly notes that you may be able to get good digital reception with an antenna. There are AV stores in my area with sales people who insist that you must have either cable or satellite in order to go digital.

    I still have a rear-projection tv.

    Rear projection sets appear to be a dying breed. Sony will not make any new sets after current inventories are gone, Toshiba and Hitachi are going to stop making them, and apparently Phillips has already stopped production of these types of sets.

    Also, as an aside, the March Consumer Reports also has a review of vacuums. Kenmore takes the top 2 spots among uprights (and is also among the top canisters), but Dyson, Hoover and Riccar are also well reprsented.

  30. 30.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 11:58 am

    Heh. The original (and all time classic) example of that kind of hack is “french military victories” and click “I’m feeling lucky”

  31. 31.

    The Other Steve

    March 2, 2008 at 12:08 pm

    One question for gadgetheads here: Which type of TV is better? Plasma screen, or LCD screen?

    It depends. Benefits of LCD is lighter weight, lower power consumption, less problem with burn-in. Plasma tends to have more vivid colors, blacker blacks, and a brighter display. Although LCD has whiter whites, which counterbalances that.

    The market seems to be shifting towards LCD. I just bought a Sharp Aquos 64d64u for xmas and love it. Before buying, do some research, and watch prices for a while. The best LCD’s come from Sony, Sharp and Samsung. The best plasma come from Pioneer and Panasonic.

  32. 32.

    p.a.

    March 2, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    TV technology:
    In general, plasma are heavier and more power-hungry than the same size LCD, plasmas still tend to have better black tones. LCD’s had angle-of-view issues; no more. I think DLP has the best picture, and I’ve heard flat panel DLP sets are coming, but like any new tech. will cost $$$. TV size is a function of viewing distance. If you can use a smaller set you can save some $$$ and go with 720p; there is no noticeable difference below about 40 inches.
    It’s like stereo speakers; go with what appeals to you. One last thing to be aware of: the type and number of inputs the tv provides; make shure they are adequate for your equipment and transport technology.
    Consumer Reports is a good reference point; they seem to have new articles on HDTV every other month.

  33. 33.

    RSA

    March 2, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    I recently got a Sony LCD (KDL series) to mount on our wall, with a cantilever arm mount so that it can be pulled out and pointed in either direction in our long living room. A plasma TV would have been half again heavier. I can’t tell the difference in display quality between LCD and plasma for the kind of stuff I watch (though I’m probably not a great judge).

  34. 34.

    mark

    March 2, 2008 at 12:23 pm

    Also, as an aside, the March Consumer Reports also has a review of vacuums.

    Oh, boy, another vacuum thread!

  35. 35.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 12:25 pm

    I do a lot of work with monitors, and would suggest that for very high resolution stuff, there’s really little if any difference between the technologies. Due to LCD’s lighter weight and lower power consumption — not to mention intrinsic lower cost of production — I expect the technology to continue to improve for some time to come. Plasma appears to be losing the struggle in the broader marketplace.

    What that does for a TV? Hell if I know — I don’t own one.

  36. 36.

    Dennis - SGMM

    March 2, 2008 at 12:31 pm

    Plasma appears to be losing the struggle in the broader marketplace.

    But, but, but, plasma has years of experience. Plasma will be ready on Day One!

  37. 37.

    TheFountainHead

    March 2, 2008 at 12:32 pm

    There’s a real stench over at Hillaryis44.com this morning. Here some of the larger steaming piles…

    On Richardson:

    You FOOOLLLLLL!!

    mCCain WILL cut into traditional Democrat constituencies like the HRC supporters who will flock to his side if that Obamalamadingdong wins!

    I’m getting more and more convinced she needs to run as an indie. the dems DESERVE whatever happens to them if they insist on following their pre-scripted agenda to the bitter end.

    On Rezko, their Great Hope:

    Regardless of the outcome tomorrow, Hillary only needs the Rezko trial to get underway and reveal what a shister BHO is. By August his popularity will be in the trash!

    On Meet the Press, incoherently:

    Lots of belittling of Hillary on MTP this morning. I could only stomach the first half. Scrum was on there and a Republican columnist. Also Mary Matlin and James Carville. Shrum says Hillary needs a “morale imperative” of why she should win over Obama as he will have a majority of delegates at the convention. No one, not even Carville/Matlin, brought up the fact that Obama has all these shockin negatives that will be the foundation of that morale imperative. Matalin did point out that if Hillary wins states Tuesday it gives some momentum to win in the following states including Puerto Rico which as over 60 delegates, implying that it’s possible for her to be much closer in delegates by the convention even though she won’t have the lead. Of course the Republican guy said there was no way to put the Obama phenomenon “back in the bottle”. Again, however, no discussion of how Obama might manage to do that himself considering his past history and asasociations.

    I think that those on the panel are still thinking conventionally in what has been a very unconventional race. I think it’s possible for many things to happen. At least they acknowledged that a fight is going on in the Democratic party with the liberal side and generational side (I think there are other fights going on as well).

  38. 38.

    myiq2xu

    March 2, 2008 at 12:47 pm

    There’s a real stench over at Hillaryis44.com this morning.

    Didn’t you get the memo on nutpicking?

    If you get off on large steaming piles of shit, you must really love the pony.

  39. 39.

    tBone

    March 2, 2008 at 12:53 pm

    A lot of people with older TVs, older VCRs and DVRs, portable TVs (especially small TVs used while boating and camping), and even folks with radios with TV tuners, will find themselves in the dark, at least if they don’t have a converter box.

    As long as you have a cable or satellite set-top box, you’ll be fine. The analog-digital switchover will only affect people with older TVs who rely solely on OTA broadcasts.

  40. 40.

    4jkb4ia

    March 2, 2008 at 12:58 pm

    Whew!

  41. 41.

    4jkb4ia

    March 2, 2008 at 1:01 pm

    After the crushing victory tomorrow, Pitt should be in.

  42. 42.

    4jkb4ia

    March 2, 2008 at 1:09 pm

    In other news, SLU loses to St. Bonaventure, 70-50. With Brad Soderberg you always knew which team would show up.

  43. 43.

    srv

    March 2, 2008 at 1:27 pm

    One question for gadgetheads here: Which type of TV is better? Plasma screen, or LCD screen?

    Pioneer (or whatever their parent company is, Matsushita I think) announced in the last couple of weeks that they were dropping Plasma. Larger LCDs are now quality and price competitive with the larger plasmas.

    Also, consider a DLP projector. Am more envious of my projector friends than LCD/plasma adopters.

    Or you can just wait 2 years for OLED. That’s the bomb.

  44. 44.

    Punchy

    March 2, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    I think this is good news, but it’s severely tempered by the thought that the Navy will file the ruling in a trashcan and just go on killing whales.

    Really, they’ve stopped following rulings/laws/guidelines years ago.

  45. 45.

    Ninerdave

    March 2, 2008 at 1:55 pm

    I still have a rear-projection tv.

    12 year old Cathode Ray that I got as a second ftw!

  46. 46.

    Dennis - SGMM

    March 2, 2008 at 1:56 pm

    If you get off on large steaming piles of shit, you must really love the pony.

    Buck up, myiq2xu; Hillary is gonna; pull it out with blockbuster victories in Texas and Ohio Wyoming and Guam.

  47. 47.

    The Other Steve

    March 2, 2008 at 2:09 pm

    As long as you have a cable or satellite set-top box, you’ll be fine. The analog-digital switchover will only affect people with older TVs who rely solely on OTA broadcasts.

    And cable/satellite would never think about offering hi-def content to their subcsribers without charging them extra and locking them into a proprietary tuner.

  48. 48.

    tBone

    March 2, 2008 at 2:16 pm

    And cable/satellite would never think about offering hi-def content to their subcsribers without charging them extra and locking them into a proprietary tuner.

    Uh, OK. The point is, most people are already equipped for the switchover, even if they don’t know it.

  49. 49.

    The Other Steve

    March 2, 2008 at 2:17 pm

    Ok, today I stop readng blogs and start programming.

  50. 50.

    Mary

    March 2, 2008 at 2:20 pm

    Oh, the Leningrad Cowboys simply fucking rule! (They’re Finnish, not Russian, BTW). Keep clicking on the sidelinks in that original link from calipygian for more LC chewy basso-profundo goodness. (Delilah? I was put on the earth just to listen to that song, I swear to God.) Go for Stairway To Heaven, too,I’m begging you. Oh fuck, just search for them on YouTube for Perfect Day, Happy Together, Pretty Fly for a White Guy and more.

    And put Leningrad Cowboys Go America in your Netflix queue, OK?

    Yes, I’m a raving fangirl and have been for years.

  51. 51.

    Digital Amish

    March 2, 2008 at 2:23 pm

    I still haven’t gone with either a plasma or lcd tv. Before this election cycle is over (and the new one begins) I expect to empty a clip of 9mm rounds into maw of some gooberish talking head on some Sunday morning gabfest. I expect it will be very satisfying but very much less so if it is into a new $1600 tv.

    How many tvs have been sold on the premise that the new broadcast standards are going to make the old Philco obselete? How many people rely on antennas anymore?

    I missed the last vacuum thread. When I do the vacuuming (disregard my wifes laughter) I haul a circa 1975 Kenmore cannister in from the garage. Still has the kind of suction that is usually only ascribed to old girlfriends.

  52. 52.

    jcricket

    March 2, 2008 at 2:24 pm

    Pioneer (or whatever their parent company is, Matsushita I think) announced in the last couple of weeks that they were dropping Plasma. Larger LCDs are now quality and price competitive with the larger plasmas.

    No, that’s not quite what happened. They announced they were stopping production of 42″ Plasmas (for the reasons you cited). They’re still producing 50″, 58″ and larger Plasmas.

    But more importantly, I’d buy a LCD at any size under 42″ for sure. I’d consider both at 42″, buy a Plasma at 50″ and unless I needed the wall-mounting/super-slim-factor, consider one of the new DLP projectors from Samsung with LEDs instead of regular bulbs at 60″ or up. Good price/performance.

    I have one Plasma right now (Sony 42″, bought in 2002 for $5500) that I just love. In fact, it’s the only TV we have. Not as high resolution as the newest sets, but still light years ahead of the TVs I’ve owned in the past.

  53. 53.

    jcricket

    March 2, 2008 at 2:27 pm

    Uh, OK. The point is, most people are already equipped for the switchover, even if they don’t know it.

    Right – For the less-than-15% of people who get their TV via rabbit ears only, they might have to do something. The rest of us can keep on truckin’ with what we have.

    I also read that 1/3 of the people that currently get TV via an antenna-only (non HD) plan to just stop watching TV after the switchover rather than bother with the convertor, a new TV, upgrading to cable/satellite, etc. It’s not a huge portion of the viewing audience, but I thought it was an interesting stat.

    Now that I have an HD-capable set, I find myself really wishing every channel I watched was in HD. All the major network shows are, but I haven’t upgraded to the latest satellite/receiver from DirecTV to get more of the cable channels. It’s hard to watch “SD” for me (oh so spoiled!)

  54. 54.

    Mary

    March 2, 2008 at 2:28 pm

    (Seriously, Flo and Eddie really needed to round up the Red Army for the original version of this. There is nothing like being ORDERED to be happy in the middle of a miserable, cold, soul destroying winter — especially if TZ shows up just about now to gloat about his summery weather. Fucker. I love him, but I hate him, you know?)

  55. 55.

    jcricket

    March 2, 2008 at 2:29 pm

    How many tvs have been sold on the premise that the new broadcast standards are going to make the old Philco obselete? How many people rely on antennas anymore?

    See my stat above. Basically of the 10-15% that only use an antenna, I just read that 1/3 plan to stop watching TV, 1/3 plan to get the converter box and keep using their existing TV and 1/3 plan to go cable/satellite and/or upgrade their TV.

    That’s the latest poll I read in one of the Home Theater magazines.

  56. 56.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    March 2, 2008 at 2:37 pm

    Frank Rich: McCain Channels His Inner Hillary

    Might Mr. McCain so blur distinctions that he could grab enough independents to triumph? He won even among antiwar and anti-Bush voters in New Hampshire. A Mason-Dixon poll last week found Mr. McCain beating either Senator Obama or Senator Clinton in must-win Florida. The good news for the Democrats so far is that whatever Mr. McCain’s sporadic overlap with liberals, he is emulating almost identically the suicidal Clinton campaign against Mr. Obama. He has mimicked Mrs. Clinton’s message and rhetorical style, her tone-deaf contempt for Mr. Obama’s cultural appeal, and her complete misreading of just how politically radioactive the war in Iraq remains despite its migration from the front page.

    Like his prototype, Mr. McCain trumpets his long years of experience to an electorate that currently associates experience with Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. He further channels Mrs. Clinton by belittling Mr. Obama’s oratory as an “eloquent but empty call for change” — a tact that calls attention to how flat and uninspiring his own speeches can be.

    shorter Frank Rich: McCain looks at the Hillary juggernaut and thinks – now there’s some stupidity you can xerox!

  57. 57.

    Krista

    March 2, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    Oooh…fresh thread!

    Now I just need a kitten to…err…play with it. Yeah, that’s right, kittens like to play with thread.

    This work for ya?

  58. 58.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 2:53 pm

    Uh, yeah. Thanks, Krista.

  59. 59.

    Neal

    March 2, 2008 at 3:00 pm

    War in South America.
    This could be bad, huh? Oil prices would be driven higher, our stupid “war on drugs” and ties to Colombia will undoubtedly get us pulled further in, and wouldn’t Bushie love to have a chance to bitch slap the guy that called him Satan?
    Fuck.

  60. 60.

    Mary

    March 2, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    Oh, terrific, Krista. First the NAFTA kerfuffle, now lethal kitten farts delivered across the border. (I know, I know — you have a dog and don’t know how kittens can melt rooms with a single puff. But they can — oh, they can). Now those damn furriners are going to try to come up here and take our water.

    (Well, we might be able to distract them with a few two-fours of Blue. Same damn thing, really.)

  61. 61.

    Krista

    March 2, 2008 at 3:02 pm

    Uh, yeah. Thanks, Krista.

    Anytime, hon. We aim to please.

  62. 62.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 3:03 pm

    We aren’t there, yet. I think that this probably does lend credence to the claim that Chavez has been harboring FARC rebels for some time, and doesn’t want them dislodged from within his borders right now.

    I’m sure that someone will now tell me that I don’t understand the pure and holy mindset of Hugo Chavez, and how he’s really helping the people of Colombia by supporting mass murder there. Or something like that.

  63. 63.

    Svensker

    March 2, 2008 at 3:04 pm

    How come I never heard of Leningrad Cowboys and the Red Army Choir? The sight of all those guys in uniform singing “Swee Tome Alabahmah” in perfect unison, with huge grins on their faces… Thank you, thank you indeed. Priceless.

  64. 64.

    Svensker

    March 2, 2008 at 3:07 pm

    War in South America.

    Oh, great. $300/barrel oil by Wednesday. Not to mention Bush getting his rocks off with more war. Sounds like the winning combo of a “humble foreign policy” and fiscal conservatism all rolled up in one.

  65. 65.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 3:10 pm

    It’ll give the Republicans something to blame the recession on. “No one could have foreseen that political or meteorological instability could have further raised the price of oil.”

  66. 66.

    Dennis - SGMM

    March 2, 2008 at 3:28 pm

    War in South America.

    Right. We’ll mobilize the College Republicans. I’m sure that they’ve been saving up their patriotism for just such an outing.

  67. 67.

    caustics

    March 2, 2008 at 3:42 pm

    All the major network shows are, but I haven’t upgraded to the latest satellite/receiver from DirecTV to get more of the cable channels. It’s hard to watch “SD” for me (oh so spoiled!)

    Don’t forget foreign-sourced 720p torrents, thus sticking it to “The Man” while still paying $100 a month for SD/HSI. Truly a model worth studying.

    Who wants to see things like Mary Matalin’s face in HD anyway? Certainly not me.

  68. 68.

    RSA

    March 2, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    And put Leningrad Cowboys Go America in your Netflix queue, OK?

    Definitely! Keep an eye out for the Jim Jarmusch cameo.

  69. 69.

    Dennis - SGMM

    March 2, 2008 at 4:04 pm

    Who wants to see things like Mary Matalin’s face in HD anyway? Certainly not me.

    Lemme see, when the set is on it’s almost always Keith Olbermann, Turner Classic Movies or The History Channel. It’s tough to choose between a 40″ set and 60″ one. I just know that I’m missing so much.

  70. 70.

    Brachiator

    March 2, 2008 at 5:01 pm

    Uh, OK. The point is, most people are already equipped for the switchover, even if they don’t know it.

    Right – For the less-than-15% of people who get their TV via rabbit ears only, they might have to do something. The rest of us can keep on truckin’ with what we have.

    The 15% figure might be low. A recent USA Today story noted:

    About 30% of U.S. homes have digital HDTV sets, which receive the new channels. But nearly 20%, or more than 20 million homes, rely strictly on antennas to receive free over-the-air broadcasts. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) says another 14.7 million have at least one antenna-powered TV.

    The full story can be found here: TV’s digital switchover has a downside

    I also read that 1/3 of the people that currently get TV via an antenna-only (non HD) plan to just stop watching TV after the switchover rather than bother with the convertor, a new TV, upgrading to cable/satellite, etc. It’s not a huge portion of the viewing audience, but I thought it was an interesting stat.

    I wonder about this stat as well since the USA Today story goes on to note:

    But as the turn-off date approaches, all are concerned about confusion and a lack of awareness; the NAB estimates more than 60% don’t know about the transition.

    I don’t see how there can be good estimates about how people intend to react to the digital switchover if the majority of people don’t know about the transition.

    Even people who know about the change have interesting gaps in their awareness of the significance of the change. For example, a group of female workers in my office take a portable TV to wherever they lunch, and watch the soaps. They all have cable at home, but this portable set will become a dead hunk of plastic after the changeover.

    But even though it’s true enough that most people may find that they don’t have to do anything to get digital reception, there is something about the end of easily obtainable free broadcast TV that bugs me.

    On a personal note, although my computer and other peripherals are more-or-less current state-of-the-art, I look around and note that I have a DVD/VCR combo player that does not have an ATSC tuner (it was purchased before March 2007, when devices were required to have digital tuners), and a couple of older TV sets that still have a great picture. At some point, I am going to have to replace them just to maintain compatibility with current technology.

  71. 71.

    Dennis - SGMM

    March 2, 2008 at 5:45 pm

    At some point, I am going to have to replace them just to maintain compatibility with current technology.

    This HDTV business may have been a ducky idea back in, 2000 or so. Now it seems like a mandated disaster. The networks say that they’re losing viewers, many of us are being very careful about our spending. Soon (broadcast anyway) television will become both less accessible and/or more expensive. Brilliant!

    This reminds me of the movies’ attempt to capture the audience lost to television. There was 3D, Super Technirama 70, Ultra Panavision, Dimension 150 and a bunch of others. The movies didn’t get better, they just got bigger. A crap sitcom, punctuated with incessant commercials, or yet another reality show, will be just a lame on HDTV as they are on a 12″ black-and-white set.

  72. 72.

    Zeta

    March 2, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    Watching Meet the Press today makes one wonder if there’s some sort of natural law against good looking people going into professional politics.

    Dana Perino’s pretty foxy.

  73. 73.

    TenguPhule

    March 2, 2008 at 6:29 pm

    I see that today’s New York Times raises a number of serious questions concerning Obama’s deep involvement with Chicago sleazeball mobster, Tony Rezko.

    Shorter Dug Jay: I need to shut the fuck up as I have no problem with New York City Mobsters running Homefucking Land Security.

  74. 74.

    TenguPhule

    March 2, 2008 at 6:32 pm

    This could be bad, huh? Oil prices would be driven higher, our stupid “war on drugs” and ties to Colombia will undoubtedly get us pulled further in, and wouldn’t Bushie love to have a chance to bitch slap the guy that called him Satan?

    Bush’s theory of national preemptive defense begins to spray its bitter fruit.

  75. 75.

    caustics

    March 2, 2008 at 6:37 pm

    A crap sitcom, punctuated with incessant commercials, or yet another reality show, will be just a lame on HDTV as they are on a 12” black-and-white set.

    Yup. Which reminds me: next to last Wire episode ever tonight.

  76. 76.

    Zuzu

    March 2, 2008 at 7:07 pm

    Mary Says:

    Oh, the Leningrad Cowboys simply fucking rule! (They’re Finnish, not Russian, BTW). Keep clicking on the sidelinks in that original link from calipygian for more LC chewy basso-profundo goodness. (Delilah? I was put on the earth just to listen to that song, I swear to God.) Go for Stairway To Heaven, too,I’m begging you. Oh fuck, just search for them on YouTube for Perfect Day, Happy Together, Pretty Fly for a White Guy and more.

    And put Leningrad Cowboys Go America in your Netflix queue, OK?

    Yes, I’m a raving fangirl and have been for years.

    Hey, I was just going to post the same thing.

    Loved the movie, and the band looks like a lot of fun.

    I think the Red Army Choir thing was for a movie and a couple of awards shows:

    Total Balalaika Show (1994), which is a film of a concert performed by the band and the full 160-member Red Army Choir in Helsinki, Finland in June 1993. . . .

    In 1994, the band appeared together with 70 members of the Red Army Choir at the 11th annual MTV Music Awards, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York, where they sang the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic Sweet Home Alabama. The show was seen by an estimated 250 million people worldwide. That same year, the band and ensemble again joined forces for the “NOKIA Balalaika Show”, a concert held in Berlin.

    Wiki

  77. 77.

    Brachiator

    March 2, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    Dennis – SGMM

    This HDTV business may have been a ducky idea back in, 2000 or so. Now it seems like a mandated disaster. The networks say that they’re losing viewers, many of us are being very careful about our spending. Soon (broadcast anyway) television will become both less accessible and/or more expensive. Brilliant!

    Good points. The writers’ strike also nudged some people out of their viewing habits. In addition, with a slowing economy, and the continually unfolding impact of the housing market mess, some people might not be easily inclined to pony up for a new TV AND monthly cable.

    This reminds me of the movies’ attempt to capture the audience lost to television. There was 3D, Super Technirama 70, Ultra Panavision, Dimension 150 and a bunch of others. The movies didn’t get better, they just got bigger.

    And don’t forget about Cinerama. But imagine if moviegoers had to buy special glasses, or travel out of town to see Ultra Panavision movies, and the government had mandated that conventional movies could no longer be made.

    By the way it is also interesting that some studios, such as NBC Universal, have decided to keep their shows off iTunes. You would think that, with the looming digital switchover, media companies would be looking for MORE outlets for their product, not fewer.

  78. 78.

    Foobar

    March 2, 2008 at 7:11 pm

    Not a Digby fan? whats with the freecookingrecipes.com link?

  79. 79.

    John S.

    March 2, 2008 at 7:16 pm

    One question for gadgetheads here: Which type of TV is better? Plasma screen, or LCD screen?

    I believe others have mentioned that you just have to trust your eye, and that is absolutely true.

    After many hours of staring at a wide variety of sets, my wife and I agreed on an LCD made by LG. It is the first time I have ever purchased anything made by them, and so far (3 months later) I’m not disappointed. I have a 26″ model in the bedroom and a 42″ in the den, and they both have a fantastic picture. I compared them side-by-side with similar but more expensive Sharp Aquos and Mitsubishi models, and the LG just won me over.

    I defintiely recommend taking a look.

  80. 80.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 7:22 pm

    LG’s a good manufacturer — they make a lot of top flight gadgets. They’re best viewed as the Korean answer to Sony, running that thin era between having a truly first world economy and technology base and having an expensive labor force.

  81. 81.

    Tom

    March 2, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    Apologies to the late, great Spy Magazine.

    The best one of these was Daryl Strawberry and Dino from the Flintstones.

  82. 82.

    tBone

    March 2, 2008 at 8:05 pm

    By the way it is also interesting that some studios, such as NBC Universal, have decided to keep their shows off iTunes. You would think that, with the looming digital switchover, media companies would be looking for MORE outlets for their product, not fewer.

    You’d also think that CEOs of enormous entertainment conglomerates could refrain from acting like bitchy little 7th graders, but as the NBC-iTunes blowup showed, they have trouble with that.

  83. 83.

    John S.

    March 2, 2008 at 8:11 pm

    LG’s a good manufacturer—they make a lot of top flight gadgets.

    You have anything else they make that you would recommend?

  84. 84.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 8:42 pm

    I’m a fan of their cell phones.

  85. 85.

    myiq2xu

    March 2, 2008 at 9:04 pm

    Piled higher and deeper:

    How Obama piled up that record in the Illinois state senate
    Source: Todd Spivak in the Houston Press (2-28-08)

    Jones appointed Obama sponsor of virtually every high-profile piece of legislation, angering many rank-and-file state legislators who had more seniority than Obama and had spent years championing the bills.

    “I took all the beatings and insults and endured all the racist comments over the years from nasty Republican committee chairmen,” State Senator Rickey Hendon, the original sponsor of landmark racial profiling and videotaped confession legislation yanked away by Jones and given to Obama, complained to me at the time. “Barack didn’t have to endure any of it, yet, in the end, he got all the credit.

    (snip)

    During his seventh and final year in the state Senate, Obama’s stats soared. He sponsored a whopping 26 bills passed into law — including many he now cites in his presidential campaign when attacked as inexperienced.

    It was a stunning achievement that started him on the path of national politics — and he couldn’t have done it without Jones.

    Emil Jones Jr. is the Illinois Senate Majority Leader. In return for Jones’ support, Obama delivered millions dollars in earmarks to Jones’ district.

    Real ponies don’t oink.

  86. 86.

    TenguPhule

    March 2, 2008 at 9:08 pm

    Real ponies don’t oink.

    Just remember that at the point Obama becomes the nominee, you will have to plant a big wet one on the Unity Pony.

    As you would expect the others to kiss the Clagina should Hillary by some quirk of fate become the nominee.

  87. 87.

    dnA

    March 2, 2008 at 9:21 pm

    Clinton: Obama is not a Muslim “as far as I know”.

    She makes me so angry I feel like praying.

  88. 88.

    myiq2xu

    March 2, 2008 at 9:23 pm

    Just remember that at the point Obama becomes the nominee, you will have to plant a big wet one on the Unity Pony lay back and pretend to enjoy it.

    Fixt

  89. 89.

    myiq2xu

    March 2, 2008 at 9:27 pm

    She makes me so angry I feel like praying.

    She said he wasn’t. About three different times. WTF do you pony lovers want?

  90. 90.

    myiq2xu

    March 2, 2008 at 9:30 pm

    “You don’t believe that Senator Obama’s a Muslim?” Kroft asked Sen. Clinton.

    “Of course not. I mean, that, you know, there is no basis for that. I take him on the basis of what he says. And, you know, there isn’t any reason to doubt that,” she replied.

    “You said you’d take Senator Obama at his word that he’s not…a Muslim. You don’t believe that he’s…,” Kroft said.

    “No. No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know,” she said.

    Jeebus!

  91. 91.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 9:34 pm

    Clinton: Obama is not a Muslim “as far as I know”.

    Jesus Christ Almighty.

    Do you have any notion of the term “humility”? She said “No. There’s no evidence. No.” Then, pressed on the question, she acknowledged that there’s no basis for the smear that he’s a Muslim (the smear being that *he is lying about it*) as far as she knows.

    That’s called humility. She’s being pressed by a reporter who might have a gotcha, and this might be the point at which he springs it on her. She can’t know, and does what you would want a President or Senator to do, admits that.

    If that’s the best you can do, please, go get yourself sterilized before you reproduce. In the long run, humankind will thank you.

  92. 92.

    Dennis - SGMM

    March 2, 2008 at 9:37 pm

    During his seventh and final year in the state Senate, Obama’s stats soared. He sponsored a whopping 26 bills passed into law — including many he now cites in his presidential campaign when attacked as inexperienced.

    Nice try. Did Obama put a gun to the heads of the other legislators or did he just get the bills passed?

  93. 93.

    jcricket

    March 2, 2008 at 9:51 pm

    If that’s the best you can do, please, go get yourself sterilized before you reproduce. In the long run, humankind will thank you.

    Remember, it’s the Clinton rules. She has to double-sooper-secret-pinky-swear that he’s not a Muslim. In fact, she should be out there actively campaigning on the “Obama Muslim Smear is Ridiculous Tour (2008)” before she can be believed.

    She’s the real Manchurian candidate, according to the MUP lovers. Zoophilia, I tell you.

  94. 94.

    jcricket

    March 2, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    Just remember that at the point Obama becomes the nominee, you will have to plant a big wet one on the Unity Pony.

    As you would expect the others to kiss the Clagina should Hillary by some quirk of fate become the nominee.

    Just FYI, at the point he becomes the nominee I will gladly marry the MUP, forsaking all other candidates. No problem, no questions asked. Sign me up for Obama if he’s the nominee. I would never vote for a Republican presidential candidate (unless the world turns upside down), and never think of “staying home”, regardless of whether my favorite candidate was the eventual nominee or not.

    I say this as someone who really, honestly believes that a Hillary/Obama ticket would be awesome. I’d be fine the other way around too, but I don’t think she brings as much to him on the bottom of the ticket as the other way around.

  95. 95.

    demimondian

    March 2, 2008 at 9:58 pm

    Remember, jcricket, that I’m an Obama delegate to my LD, so my vote is already pledged. This is just me being pissed at what I see as infuriating behavior of the worst of the Obamaniacs.

    I like the way Cole put it (paraphrasing): “It’s great rhetoric, and it drew my support — unlike what many of his supporters post online.”

  96. 96.

    zzyzx

    March 2, 2008 at 10:12 pm

    Here’s what I did tonight – I wrote way too much about a weird Jimmy Olsen 8 page comic from 1957. Jimmy faces his worst enemy – men who have facial hair!

  97. 97.

    jcricket

    March 2, 2008 at 10:15 pm

    I like the way Cole put it (paraphrasing): “It’s great rhetoric, and it drew my support—unlike what many of his supporters post online.”

    I think it’s fair enough to say you’re gonna vote or be a delegate for Obama. Same as me already casting my vote for Hillary. The fact remains that supporters on both sides have done some pretty silly stuff, but I find it’s really only Obama supporters absolutely “appalled” at what are pretty standard political campaign tactics. That’s the part which comes across to me as “holier than though” and is really fricking annoying.

    But as I said, even if his supporters were all like that it wouldn’t keep me from voting for him.

  98. 98.

    John S.

    March 2, 2008 at 10:25 pm

    Remember, it’s the Clinton rules. She has to double-sooper-secret-pinky-swear that he’s not a Muslim.

    Yes, those are the Clinton rules. But doesn’t that mean she has to reject and denounce the accusation?

    :)

  99. 99.

    yahaim

    March 2, 2008 at 10:46 pm

    Obama is the Anti-Christ. This is the evidence:

    1.- He will come as a man of Peace (Obama promises peace in Iraq, defeat for the US)
    2.- He will come mounted on a white Female horse(Obama mother is white who had 6 African husbands)
    3.- He will come to deceive( Obama says he’s a Christian but in fact he was born a Muslim, practices the Islamic religion, prays Friday’s facing Mecca)
    4.- He will make himself the most powerful man on earth, if elected
    5.- He will try to destroy the Jewish People and Israel( Obama has said he loves the Arabs specially the Palestinians, hates Israel and Jews. Admires Hitler, Osama etc)
    6.- He will present himself as good and righteous but in fact he’s Satan himself. Violence is in his heart
    7.- Obama will help Al Qaida in its evil projects.
    8.- Barack Hussein Obama is the “King of the South” predicted in the Bible.(Daniel .11, Kenya is south of Jerusalem)
    9.- Obama comes to implant muslim Sharia Law upon America.

    Obama is the Anti-Christ, beware of him.

    Watch him and don’t let you be deceived by Him.

    Supporters of Obama: 1.5 billion Muslims, Oprah, Louis Farrakanh, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and all American Muslims.

    OBAMA’S GAME IS DECEPTION AND VIOLENCE

    A VOTE FOR OBAMA IS A VOTE FOR OSAMA AND KILLER ISLAM!!

  100. 100.

    misc

    March 2, 2008 at 11:35 pm

    myiq2xu

    Conflating an Obama nomination with the mass rape of Clinton supporters somewhat trivializes rape.

  101. 101.

    myiq2xu

    March 2, 2008 at 11:50 pm

    Nice try. Did Obama put a gun to the heads of the other legislators or did he just get the bills passed?

    Neither. He took credit for the work of others.

    You might call it “legislative plagiarism.”

    “I don’t consider it bill jacking,” Hendon told me. “But no one wants to carry the ball 99 yards all the way to the one-yard line, and then give it to the halfback who gets all the credit and the stats in the record book.”

  102. 102.

    sivapith

    March 3, 2008 at 12:25 am

    101st!

  103. 103.

    Asti

    March 3, 2008 at 12:29 am

    Now I just need a kitten to…err…play with it. Yeah, that’s right, kittens like to play with thread.

    At first I thought you were telling a yarn, then I realized you were just trying to string me along.

  104. 104.

    TenguPhule

    March 3, 2008 at 12:48 am

    “I don’t consider it bill jacking,” Hendon told me. “But no one wants to carry the ball 99 yards all the way to the one-yard line, and then give it to the halfback who gets all the credit and the stats in the record book.”

    Unless you’re on a team. In which case you give thanks that the score was made at all.

  105. 105.

    TenguPhule

    March 3, 2008 at 12:49 am

    At first I thought you were telling a yarn, then I realized you were just trying to string me along.

    Can’t pull the wool over your eyes, eh?

  106. 106.

    ThymeZone

    March 3, 2008 at 12:50 am

    Unless you’re on a team. In which case you give thanks that the score was made at all.

    myiq doesn’t know anything about teams. He’s a lawyer.

    BTW, that was a great point. Don’t you just love it when you can just blow some bullshit right out of the water with a simple statement of the truth?

  107. 107.

    TenguPhule

    March 3, 2008 at 12:53 am

    Don’t you just love it when you can just blow some bullshit right out of the water with a simple statement of the truth?

    Indeed. It was the first time I’d ever heard someone complaining that Obama was getting things done for Democrats. Wasn’t that in his job description?

  108. 108.

    ThymeZone

    March 3, 2008 at 12:59 am

    It was the first time I’d ever heard someone complaining that Obama was getting things done for Democrats.

    The Hillarites are getting a little desperate. The fact they haven’t floated the Black Baby story by now really surprises me.

  109. 109.

    Neal

    March 3, 2008 at 1:05 am

    The Hillarites are getting a little desperate. The fact they haven’t floated the Black Baby story by now really surprises me.

    …and he has TWO of those black babies!

  110. 110.

    incontrolados

    March 3, 2008 at 1:10 am

    For any interested, except Jen, two of the pups were adopted this weekend. Two are left.

    I still read this blog almost every day, but I don’t pay so much attention to the comments. I’ve only ever been called crazy on this blog and wing nut blogs. You guys/girls have learned some very wrong lessons from the last seven years. I still comment on my favorite wingnut’s blogs, but have never stooped to calling anyone mentally derranged.

    Thanks for all of the hits from before. It makes me think that there are real people who read this blog and sift through the nonsense. Two pups to go. I think they’ll find good homes next weekend.

    As far as politics go, the regulars here are too clever by half. I changed my vote, in part, because of the way Jen acted. She left a link at my blog and it seems that she’s fake. And she has faked out others who support her cause. If this is the way you guys roll, then take it away.

    I have changed my mind since voting on Friday. There is another chance for me to represent. Jen is a fake, and I don’t care if that blows whoever’s cover. This election is more important than spoofs on a blog, Mary.

  111. 111.

    Pb

    March 3, 2008 at 1:12 am

    I’ll say one thing for Hillary–at least she’s not afraid to speak out for her beliefs even when they’re unpopular, instead of pandering to her audience. Too bad she was totally wrong on that one.

  112. 112.

    incontrolados

    March 3, 2008 at 1:25 am

    Here’s Jen’s link, left on my blog. It’s going pretty far to set up a fake identity, but here you go.

  113. 113.

    ThymeZone

    March 3, 2008 at 1:42 am

    Here’s Jen’s link, left on my blog. It’s going pretty far to set up a fake identity, but here you go.

    Okay, I’m convinced.

    And just to show good faith and reciprocate, here’s a recent photo of me.

    This controversy is closed.

  114. 114.

    Cain

    March 3, 2008 at 1:44 am

    You look pretty good for 70.

    cain

  115. 115.

    ThymeZone

    March 3, 2008 at 1:47 am

    You look pretty good for 70.

    Thanks, sweetheart.

  116. 116.

    incontrolados

    March 3, 2008 at 2:05 am

    Don’t care TZ. Never have.

    Let the Jen explain.

    Comments here have gone down the toilet. Zif is even tainted, though he never called me crazy.

  117. 117.

    ThymeZone

    March 3, 2008 at 2:10 am

    Ya lost me there, incontrol. Pretty sure I never called you crazy.

    But as you can see from my photo, I am either a pretty nice looking 70-year-old woman, or a well groomed tranny.

    Anyway, we must all soldier on.

  118. 118.

    incontrolados

    March 3, 2008 at 2:28 am

    Pretty sure I never called you crazy.

    Never said you did.

    So you are an old virus. Tell me another story. Like Rome Again.

  119. 119.

    TenguPhule

    March 3, 2008 at 2:58 am

    Hmmm, Asian markets in the toilet.

    Monday is going to suck for Wall Street.

    Too bad it won’t only suck for Wall Street.

  120. 120.

    Zuzu

    March 3, 2008 at 3:39 am

    I just saw Friday’s Bill Maher show.

    Must say I’m really getting pretty sick of him passing on bad info and urban myths without comment.

  121. 121.

    Martin

    March 3, 2008 at 3:40 am

    And for those who think that Hillary’s hedging was ‘responsible’ or some shit like that. Here’s how to refute a smear:

    I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crewmates have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam.

    That was McCain defending Kerry during the swiftboat shit. Hillary couldn’t muster up enough integrity to to step in front of a smear that’s been going on for almost a year against a member of her own party. And if it was a gotcha, it was a gotcha on *many* millions of people and probably the FBI as well, so she could hardly feel like a fool if that turn was taken.

  122. 122.

    Zuzu

    March 3, 2008 at 3:59 am

    Martin Says:

    And for those who think that Hillary’s hedging was ‘responsible’ or some shit like that. Here’s how to refute a smear:

    I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crewmates have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam.

    That was McCain defending Kerry during the swiftboat shit.

    He’s still denouncing the smear tactics:

    “We’re aware of many of the things that 527s have done … where unlimited amounts of money can pour into negative campaigns such as we saw against John Kerry and his combat record, as we saw against (former Georgia Sen.) Max Cleland … they’re really very not accountable to anyone. At least I have to say ‘I’m John McCain and I approve this message.’”

    If he really runs the clean campaign he says he will, good for him.

  123. 123.

    OriGuy

    March 3, 2008 at 4:27 am

    I found a link to this on Dave Barry’s blog.

    Just the thing for the toddler who wants to grow up to work for the TSA.

  124. 124.

    calipygian

    March 3, 2008 at 5:46 am

    1.- He will come as a man of Peace (Obama promises peace in Iraq, defeat for the US)
    2.- He will come mounted on a white Female horse(Obama mother is white who had 6 African husbands)
    3.- He will come to deceive( Obama says he’s a Christian but in fact he was born a Muslim, practices the Islamic religion, prays Friday’s facing Mecca)
    4.- He will make himself the most powerful man on earth, if elected
    5.- He will try to destroy the Jewish People and Israel( Obama has said he loves the Arabs specially the Palestinians, hates Israel and Jews. Admires Hitler, Osama etc)
    6.- He will present himself as good and righteous but in fact he’s Satan himself. Violence is in his heart
    7.- Obama will help Al Qaida in its evil projects.
    8.- Barack Hussein Obama is the “King of the South” predicted in the Bible.(Daniel .11, Kenya is south of Jerusalem)
    9.- Obama comes to implant muslim Sharia Law upon America.

    Snark, right?

  125. 125.

    Fruitbat

    March 3, 2008 at 5:50 am

    Snark, right?

    Not snark, unfortunately. A quick search turned up other choice posts by this comedian on some random “discussion” site about how Christians wrote the Koran (and are therefore superior to Muslims), and how a Muslim can never be a good American citizen.

    Sickness spreads, I guess.

  126. 126.

    Xenos

    March 3, 2008 at 6:49 am

    8.- Barack Hussein Obama is the “King of the South” predicted in the Bible.(Daniel .11, Kenya is south of Jerusalem)

    Excuse me, Stewardess, I speak jive…

    This is a profound mischaracterization of wingnut theology. One of the critical proofs of the veracity of the Bible is that all the Daniel prophecies came true long ago.

    B. The kings of the North and the kings of the South.

    1. (5) The strength of the king of the South.

    Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.

    a. The king of the South shall become strong: One of the four inheritors of the empire of the mighty king will become stronger and greater than the others.

    b. This was fulfilled in Ptolemy I of Egypt, who exerted his control over the Holy Land. Soon after the division of Alexander’s Empire, the Ptolemies dominated this region.

    If you listen or read or live at all within the circuit of the modern evangelical/ fundmentalist/ dispensationalist circles you know the “Barack is the ‘King of the South’ to be an argument that undermines all those sermons and late-night radio lectures for the last 30 years. Then again, the sheeple probably don’t care.

  127. 127.

    Johnny Pez

    March 3, 2008 at 6:56 am

    Obama is the Anti-Christ.

    No no no, Reagan was the Anti-Christ. R-O-N-A-L-D W-I-L-S-O-N R-E-A-G-A-N = 666. Get it?

    The world actually ended in 1987. You just didn’t notice.

  128. 128.

    Louise

    March 3, 2008 at 7:25 am

    Sheesh. Hillary — Here is now you answer Steve’s question (note the first sentence. It’s easy — just five words.):

    “Barack Obama is not a Muslim. Any talk about his being a Muslim is a smear campaign, based in the politics of fear. Barack and Muslims should be offended. I am offended.”

    It’s not like she couldn’t have anticipated the question and, as she said, it’s not like she doesn’t know what it’s like to be on the receiving end. So why the roundabout answer? Has she simply been in politics too long to say “yes” or “no”?

  129. 129.

    Louise

    March 3, 2008 at 7:25 am

    Ok, it’s six words. But it’s still easy.

  130. 130.

    4tehlulz

    March 3, 2008 at 8:37 am

    Oh, boy, another vacuum thread!

    I got an ad for Oreck on the BJ front page this morning.

  131. 131.

    Jen

    March 3, 2008 at 9:09 am

    Okay, I’m convinced.

    And just to show good faith and reciprocate, here’s a recent photo of me.

    This controversy is closed.

    I already left that link. It didn’t do any good. Notice how I’m in a knitting group, too?

  132. 132.

    ThymeZone

    March 3, 2008 at 1:41 pm

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