Who wouldn't vote for this man....



....any more brain busters?

"Joe Plumber" isn't what he seems

After referencing him heavily in the debate as a "real world" example of someone who would be negatively affected by Barack Obama's economic policy, John McCain forgot to read the fine print.

"He owes back taxes. He is not a licensed plumber. And it turns out that Wurzelbacher makes less than $250,000 a year, which means he would receive a tax cut if Obama were elected president."

Oops.

Too bad his last name isn't a little more generic, it may be a while before the poor guys lives this one down.

Great Escape: Gaza Strip

Since Israel built its wall around the Gaza Strip, a new industry has emerged: digging tunnels.

Reports estimate that there are hundreds of tunnels along the border and thousands are working in them. Hamas authorities are even regulating the industry with licenses and trade controls. The tunnels are used to import a wide variety of products food and fuel to (according to Israeli officials) arms.

If you can't go through it, around it, or over it, go under it.

I really think we need a caption challenge

Sacramento GOP Campaign Materials

Barack is way more photogenic, so clearly it's not the only difference. Jerks.

Fox News keeps it real.

Colin Powell dances

He's at some something or another for some good cause or whatever. Read the article if you want

Do NOT send Ringo Starr ANYMORE fanmail! Seriously!

In an extremely eloquently worded video (note: sarcasm) posted recently on his website, Ringo Starr adamantly instructs all those visiting his website not to send any fan mail to be read or objects to be signed or they WILL be tossed. He is simply too busy and does not have any time for his fans- all 6 of them. Yes, those people who have made him who he is today- it has just become far too much for him. I just have a few questions:

1) Who was sending Ringo Starr fan mail in the first place?
2) Does this then mean that I don't have time to spend $54.95 on a Ringo Starr hoodie?
3) How does he then have time to run a contest on his website to "handpick" a photo sent in by one of these "numerous fans" to be featured on the official website? Is anyone else getting mixed messages here?

Watch the video

HOLD the phone...

An interesting idea, but have they considered the situation of someone being a PASSENGER in a car? or for that matter a train or a bus??

Palin is a Parrot

John Cleese shares his thoughts about Vice Presidential Nominee Governor Palin

XKCD: Steal this comic

Between being a criminal and being a criminal, I choose being a criminal.

Alaska Judge: Palin must save her emails

An Alaskan Superior Court judge ruled that Governor Sarah Palin must save emails from her Yahoo! account. He determined that she was, in fact, using the accounts to conduct state business and that the emails must be preserved as part of public record. Alaska's public record laws were last updated prior to the rapid expansion of the internet.

The investigation brought to light some other email address that the Republican VP nominee has been using to conduct state business, including one from her now-dormant campaign website.

Has the Bradley Effect been replaced with the Reverse Bradley Effect?

The Bradley Effect, named for mayor of Los Angeles Tom Bradley, proposes an explanation for the phenomena of a discrepancy between election results and opinion polls in contests between white and African-American opponents. In the past, voters have told pollsters that they are undecided or likely to vote for the African-American candidate, when those voters ultimately vote for the opponent.

New studies indicate that, since certain racially sensitive issues were more or less resolved in 1996 (eg violent crime and welfare reform) that this effect has actually reversed - African-American candidates tend to do better in elections than in polling.

International Herald Tribune is there with an in depth look at the phenomena.

Crowd boos after McCain says Obama isn't an Arab Terrorist

The crowds at McCain-Palin rallies are getting increasingly frustrated, angry, and out of McCain's control. One woman said she couldn't trust Obama because she thinks he is a Muslim before McCain retrieved the microphone and said

"No, ma'am. He's a decent family man [and] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign's all about. He's not [an Arab terrorist]."

McCain has tried to calm the crowds, extolling them to be respectful, citing that he and Obama simply have fundamental disagreements on how to run the country.

This seems to be a growing trend with some crowd members yelling things like "traitor," "treason," "terrorist," and even "kill him!"

New York County Prints Barack 'Osama' on Ballots

Freudian slip or are the 's' and 'b' keys just too close together on the keyboard?

CNN

Petraeus: I do think you have to talk to enemies

General Petraeus responded to a question from an audience member about some of Senator John McCain's comments during the debate about talking to enemies. Petraeus responded, "I do think you have to talk to enemies."

The Krona is Dead

Today Iceland has all but hit rock bottom. They are on the brink of bankruptcy and are now seeking help from the World Bank.

Remembering the Keating Five

Amidst the release of a short film by the Obama Campaign on the Keating Five Scandal, Time magazine investigates:

"An investigation into Lincoln Savings and Loan uncovered flagrant violations of these regulations, exceeding the limit by over $615 million. But before any measures could be taken against the company, five Senators came calling at the FHLBB, requesting that the charges against Lincoln not be pursued, on the basis that the S&L was a major employer in their states. These Senators — McCain , John Glenn (D-OH), Alan Cranston (D-CA), Donald Riegle (D-MI) and Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) . . . One of the only elements that linked the men together was Charles Keating. The banker had been a major contributor to each of their campaigns, donating close to $1.4 million dollars total. Keating also considered John McCain to be a close personal friend, with whom he'd shared vacations and business ventures."

". . . when Keating was asked whether his financial support had influenced the Senators on his behalf, he responded 'I want to say in the most forceful way I can: I hope so.'"

The Senate Ethics Committee found that McCain had broken no law, but had engaged in "poor judgment".

CNN analyzed the claims directly and agreed the film is: "true"

Forget Cable and Satellite

With all of the hype over the Federal requirement for all OTA (Over-The-Air) transmissions and TV sets to be purely digital it seems more than appropriate that I write this.
Sometime in the near future TV as we know it is going to change, and change more drastically than just these digital OTA signals. What I am telling you is that now is the time to start changing over, and, at the same time, especially in these harder economic times, severely decrease your TV bill or eliminate it all together.

1. Get an HD antenna. Hook one of these up to your existing cable lines in your house, and either purchase a new HDTV, or, the signal converter boxes for your TV. Often times you are able to pick up more than just your local stations over the air. There are people in my area who are able to pick up both Comedy Central and ESPN, for FREE.

2. Sign up for Netflix. Netflix is pretty inexpensive and for $16.99 a month you can have 3 DVDs out at a time, and have unlimited rentals per month.

3. Get a ROKU. If you're a Netflix member you have the option of streaming movies right to your PC over the internet. For $99.99 you can buy a ROKU, a box that allows you to stream DVD quality movies from your Netflix subscription straight to your TV. If you don't want a lot of obscure or old films from Netflix, you can downgrade to their $8.99/mo. plan which allows 1 DVD out at a time, unlimited rentals, and the capability to stream unlimited videos to your computer/ROKU.

4. Get an Apple TV. Sure they are $299.99, which is a little pricey, but their content is cheap, sometimes as cheap, if you buy a season pass, some shows are as low as $0.90 an hour, which is less than what I pay per hour for cable. You also open up access to Youtube which is full of content.

5. If DVR is your thing, you can have that too. Sony and LG offer great models that are, depending on where you purchase them from, anywhere from $200-$400 online. They allow you to record multiple shows at once, record a show while you watch a show, and pause/fast-forward/rewind live TV. They also offer you access to a FREE on-screen TV guide.

6. Get Verizon DSL. You can get 3mbps, sometimes 6mbps, if you call and ask them for a higher data rate for $29.99 a month.

So, if you are currently paying, like I am $150 a month for your cable and internet, which is $1800 a year, you can decrease your costs a lot... here's the breakdown:

One-Time Costs:
- ROKU $99
- DVR $300
- AppleTV $300
-------------------
Total Cost $700

Monthly Costs:
- 5 TV shows on AppleTV (4 episodes each @1.10 on season pass) $22
- Netflix Subscription $8.99
- DSL $29.99
-------------
Total Monthly Cost $61

- First Year Cost: $1432 (Savings of $568)
- Every year After: $732 (Savings of $1068)

Ball-busting may now actually have a purpose!

New research suggests that there may be stem cells available in many unexpected places in the adult body- such as testicles. While they are not quite as much of a "blank slate" as embryonic stem cells, the pluripotent cells were shown to mature into connective tissue, muscle, and (most importantly) nerve cells. These cells are available in all males, can be harvested without adverse effects and can be autografted- without risk of rejection. Other areas under research are amniotic fluid, maternal blood, and even skin.

Speaking of Glass Houses....

McCain linked to private Iran-Contra group

After bringing up that Barack Obama happened to serve on the same charity board as '60s Weather Underground co-founder William Ayers, it seems John McCain has also served on a board with some unsavory ties. The Senator from Arizona was on an advisory board of a US chapter of the World Anti-Communist League which has links to ultra-right-wing death squads in South America that fought the Nicaraguan leftist government in the '80s. During the Iran-Contra fiasco, the group supplied the anti-communist Contras with weapons and aide.

Those who live in glass houses should not throw rocks.

Our Solar System: from No Def to High Def

These days, the Solar System is looking a lot better than it used to. As NASA turns 50, check out this gallery of pictures over the years. The difference as technology progressed is stark and amazing.

Lego tower breaks world record

460,000 Lego bricks and 4 days later have yielded a Lego tower in Rathaus Platz, Vienna that now holds the world record in the Tallest Lego Construction category. The tower reaches 96.73 feet and features the work of 3,000 children.

I once built a tower that was as tall as I was... in about an hour.

XKCD: I am not a ninja

Oops...

No more drunk Gmailing with new feature

Once again, Google has your back, making sure that you don't send that angry email to your ex or tell your boss how you really feel. Mail Goggles let's you set times when you're most likely not to have all of your emailing faculties about you and then it requires you to solve several math. problems before you can hit send. You determine the difficulty of the problems when you set up the add-on.

If you get any of the problems wrong, Gmail prompts you ""Water and bed for you. Or try again."

The real question is, Will this be a feature in Android?

Senate helps Amtrak with a little love

The US Senate passed a bill that would increase funding to Amtrak by a veto-proof margin. Amtrak has seen increases in passengers but not much in the way of funds. The train company is saddled with debt while trying to improve an aging infrastructure.

With any luck, this will lead to improved service, expanded rail capacity, and extended lines into new cities.

XKCD: Flash Games

Many hours of my life have been spent in futile pursuit of meaningless victory.

Presidential Debate 1908

Hear recordings of Taft and Bryan speaking on wax cylinders. I particularly loved the political cartoons - they make our current elections look graceful.

Bill O'Reilly vs. The Honorable Barnett Frank, Congressman from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

Obama on Olbermann's Worst Person List

And rightly so... dude forgot which anniversary he and his wife were about to share.

XKCD: Brain

Not today's, but oh so true.

McCain's Healthcare Solution: Wal-Mart

House defeats bailout

The US House of Representatives voted down a $700 billion emergency relief package today. The markets reacted sharply with the DOW Jones Industrial Average dropping over 700 points alone.

The bailout measure is massively unpopular on both sides, although leaders in both parties urged its passing to stave off further financial collapse. The bill would give the Secretary of the Treasury unprecedented power with little oversight, making many lawmakers and citizens uncomfortable.

Bailout Vote: Obama plans to attend, McCain "hopes" he can make it

After all that fuss about suspending campaigns and boycotting bills, the "Bailout Bill" is up for a vote today. Both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have issued press releases. Barack Obama will be at the vote and is planning on supporting the bill, but is still reviewing the final details. John McCain "hopes" he can vote on the bill, but he'll have to check his schedule.

New meaning for "On the rocks"

Nordic Rock stone ice cubes work just like regular ice cubes, except they are made of rock, and don't melt. Throw them in the freezer for an hour and then keep your drinks cool without watering them down.

Dude, where's my.... PENIS?!?!?!?

Apparently, a man filed a lawsuit earlier this month against his urologist, claiming that during a procedure performed Oct 19, 2007 to treat "inflammation," his penis was amputated without his consent. The 61-year old man and his wife are suing for loss of services, love, and affection. I thought about posting a pic here, but for the sake of everyone, I won't.

McCain wins debate!?

Now don't be fooled for a moment by the fact that this image is hosted on Comedy Central. I was, I thought to myself, "self, that's a fun joke".

As Dennis DeClaudio comments at CC:

"See that? You don't smile victoriously in front of a Photoshopped flag like that unless you know you're the shit."

Then I found out it was real. Like an actual campaign ad. Like people's hard earned money turned into campaign contributions funded this.

In fact it's already run on the Wall Street Journal website.

Washington Post carries the story here. See a screenshot of the advertisement on the Wall Street Journal here.

I really need a jetpack

This Power Ranger wants to jump out of a plane with a freaking jet pack and fly across the English Channel.

By the way, this is a real photo of him in flight. He's actually that bad ass.

Colbert and Stewart Throw Aside the Sarcasm

Love these guys.

Sorry Mr. President

Clay Aiken is what?!

Yup that's right.... in a breaking news story, amidst a shattering economy and a historic presidential election, the big news story is that Clay Aiken is gay.
And in other, more surprising news, the sky happens to be blue.

Clay states that the birth of his son Parker (conceived through in vitro fertilization with his 50 year old "best friend") inspired him to be truthful about his true identity.

A new version of the American Dream: "Look, honey, our very own... box!?"

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/09/24/container.homes.ap/index.html

"It was a side trip through a destitute, ramshackle neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, that detoured Brian McCarthy from building houses in Albuquerque to an idea to offer the very poor a chance to own a home.

His answer lies in a humble steel shipping container, 40 feet long, 8 feet wide, 8.5 feet tall.

When drawings and color pictures of the prototype were shown around a poor Juarez neighborhood, people said, 'You know it'd be like a dream to live in one of these,' Nava said. 'You know, just the thought of having nice fresh air ventilating through the house, a large bed ... a normal kitchen and a safe home that locks and closes each night was more than appealing.'"

Or, you could just go live in the back of a shipyard...

Apocalypse delayed for at least a few weeks

The Large Hadron Collider had to be shut down after a helium leak and some faulty wiring were discovered. The repair process involves several weeks of warming up the LHC followed by several weeks cooling down the apparatus. So, for the next few months at least, the apocalypse has been delayed.

No word on whether further delays will push the operational date to 12 December 2012.

Psst... wanna buy an HDTV?

The current economic crisis has lead to a drastic reduction in consumer spending. HDTV manufacturers are doing their best to move product. In what is being called "the slowest week since 9/11," you will be able to find HDTVs that are reduced in price by a few hundred dollars.

Presidential Debates Schedule

The International Herald Tribune offers a brief write-up on the Presidential Debate Schedule. All four debates will start at 9pm EST and last for about 90 minutes.

XKCD: Tones

It frustrates me to no end that most mobile phones don't come prepackaged with a normal ring tone.

The road plays on... and on...

Hiyo, silver Honda, away!

"Persons driving the posted 55 miles an hour west on Avenue K, in the high desert about five miles west of the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway, hear about 38 musical notes of the well-known theme, also known as the overture to 'The Lone Ranger.'"

http://cbs2.com/local/William.Tell.Road.2.822008.html

I am the French, you are the French...

...we are the French together.

"[While] we're still willing to work ourselves to death for the privilege of paying off our usurious credit cards, we can no longer look contemptuously at the land of 246 cheeses. Kraft Foods has replaced American International Group in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the insurance company having been added to Paulson's nationalized portfolio. Macaroni and cheese has supplanted credit default swaps at the fulcrum of capitalism. And one more thing: the food snob French love McDonalds, which does a fantastic business there. They know a good freedom fry when they taste one."

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1843168,00.html?cnn=yes

Peter, Bjorn, and John: Young Folks

Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks
by spiderfan

A great song that you'll be whistling for days.

McCain pulls a Palin with SEC chair promise

"The regulators were asleep, my friends," McCain said. "The chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the president, and in my view, has betrayed the public trust. If I were president today, I would fire him."

Senator John McCain promised that if he were president, he would fire the SEC chair. While the president nominates the SEC chair, he cannot actually dismiss the commissioner of an independent regulatory commission.

It has been an interesting week for the McCain-Palin campaign.

XKCD: The Staple Madness

Staple Guns: Because duct tape just doesn't have that satisfying kachunk.

Palin's plan previously proposed and passed by Obama

“We’re going to do a few new things also,” [Sarah Palin] said at a rally in Cedar Rapids. “For instance, as Alaska’s governor, I put the government’s checkbook online so that people can see where their money’s going. We’ll bring that kind of transparency, that responsibility, and accountability back. We’re going to bring that back to D.C.”

That's great, but there is just this one little thing - Barack Obama already did that back in 2006 when Palin was busy running for governor. Oh, and John McCain was a co-sponsor.

Guilty as charged

"Wallstreet got drunk" Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb(ed economy)

As of this morning, the federal government has put up about a trillion dollars of taxpayer money to float failing corporations who made risky investments through smoke-in-mirrors accounting. That would be more than 10% of the national debt for those who bother to keep track.

Robert Reich says it best:

We tell poor nations they have to make their financial markets transparent before capital will flow to them. Let's practice what we preach. Far better to regulate financial markets to keep them honest than to keep bailing them out.

More here

Ford unveils 65 mpg car, but it's not for you!

Ford unveiled its 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic model that's due out in November. The car is a subcompact that seats five, has a built-in navigation system, gets 65 mpg, and isn't available in the US.

The car runs on diesel; while more efficient, the fuel has a tax meant for commercial trucks between 40 cents and a dollar.

"Diesel vehicles now hitting the market with pollution-fighting technology are as clean or cleaner than gasoline and at least 30% more fuel-efficient."

In spite of that information, Americans still think of diesel as "the smelly stuff that powers tractor trailers."

I guess this answers why American auto manufacturers export all of the cool cars.

Yes we can; but you can't.

Obama tells supporters he still believes in an America where anything is possible, once we ditch that good-for-nothing Nate.

"'What a Loser' added Obama"

Its the Economy, Stupid; No seriously, it actually is.

"Quit Doling Out That Bad-Economy Line" writes Donald Luskin in an op-ed in the Washington Post this weekend. Like the nation of whiners gaffe, Luskin is just another advisor to the McCain who would like us to wake up and realize that we're "a nation of exaggerators", in our apparent screaming panic over today's economy. Well Donald, will the rise in oil prices place thousands of families at risk of freezing to death this winter if LiHEAP can't come through for them? Or what about the strain when many more children will rely on school lunch programs amidst rising food prices? I think Mother Jones nailed the issue on its head when it called Luskin's editorial one of the worst-timed ever. Only a few hours later the largest instance of Bankruptcy in American history was declared by one of her largest financial institutions. Doesn't capital flow swimmingly?
Instead, perhaps a more sober assessment is in order.

Greenspan: Worst economy I've ever seen

Former Fed chief Alan Greenspan said that the economy is the worst he's ever seen it and that the current economic crisis might be a "once in a century" event. With the recent take overs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the floundering auto industry, and the 158-years-old Lehman Brothers investment firm teetering on the brink of collapse, the economic situation has taken a turn for the worse.

Greenspan offers his insight into the state of the economy and what the government should or should not do.

Rove: some McCain ads don't pass 100% truth test

Karl Rove said some of the McCain advertisements concerning Obama don't necessarily pass the "100% truth test." When even Karl Rove is saying you might be stretching the truth a bit much, you probably have a problem.

"In case anyone was still wondering whether John McCain is running the sleaziest, most dishonest campaign in history, today Karl Rove — the man who held the previous record — said McCain's ads have gone too far," said campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor

SNL - Sarah Palin as portrayed by Tina Fey

Tina Fey could not have been more dead-on.

Sarah Palin - a little on her time in Alaska

The New York Times presents a fairly comprehensive investigation into Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin's tenure as mayor of Wasilla and governor of Alaska.

A few highlights:

"In 1997, Ms. Palin fired the longtime city attorney, Richard Deuser, after he issued the stop-work order on a home being built by Don Showers, another of her campaign supporters."

"The Wasilla High School yearbook archive now doubles as a veritable directory of state government."

"Democrats and Republicans alike describe her as often missing in action. Since taking office in 2007, Ms. Palin has spent 312 nights at her Wasilla home, some 600 miles to the north of the governor’s mansion in Juneau, records show."

McCain barbs stirring outcry as distortions

Senator John McCain has long sought to portray the image of a straight-talking maverick who is above the old Washington politics. Lately, he has abandoned that in favor of stretching the truth or even outright lying about Senator Barack Obama to a point where he is drawing criticism from Republicans.

"Mr. McCain has been increasingly called out by news organizations, editorial boards and independent analysts like FactCheck.org. The group, which does not judge whether one candidate is more misleading than another, has cried foul on Mr. McCain more than twice as often since the start of the political conventions as it has on Mr. Obama."

Well that's one way to pay off your college debt...

So I know the west coast is supposed to be a little more laid back than us uptight East Coasters, but this just takes the cake: A 22 year old San Diego woman who has just graduated from college is planning to auction off her virginity. She made the decision to do so because she wants to finance her undergrad degree and hopefully have enough left over to pay her way through a masters program. Ebay rejected her, so she will be holding the auction at the Bunny Ranch, a legal brothel in Nevada. I'm not sure if this should be sparking controversy over the fact that this woman finds it "empowering" to sell her virginity or over the skyrocketing cost of education that caused her to do so!

HP doesn't like Vista either...

The super-huge computer manufacturer, Hewlett-Packard, is reportedly researching the possibility of creating an OS to compete against the widely un-accepted Microsoft Windows Vista Operating System.
Obviously it would be based on Linux and feature proprietary software/drivers so that it can compete in today's markets. It would also feature a slew of open source software and cost significantly less than many of the Windows based computers currently available on the market.

Thank God computer manufacturers, especially one this big, are finally realizing that they are putting crap on their machines they sell.

Happy Birthday, Microchip!

Today the very thing, a microchip, that allows me to bring this news to you via the internet, turns 50.

Holy Toast!

You may remember a toasted cheese sandwich that fetched $28,000 when marked with the appearance of the holy mother, but now you can toast any toastness into the toast you please. I'll be dipping Chuck Norris into a hot bowl of tomato soup later - not so tough now, are you?

Signs This is an Exciting Election:

When everday, cute, animal-featured comic strips get political (even though Conley is known to make his opinions apparent through the strip often).

Governor Palin's first interview as a VP candidate

Governor Palin sits down with Charles Gibson at ABC for the first of a three-part interview yesterday. This part deals with foreign policy issues focused specifically on Iran, Israel and the Bush Doctrine. I'd embed it but that's just way to complicated for ABC news.

Porn on a Plane

I want this motherfucking porn off this motherfucking plane.

With the advent of WiFi access on planes, the issue of porn is rearing its ugly, goatse head. Ars has the story.

YouTube bans terrorist training videos

Apparently terrorists have been fully embracing Web 2.0 and using YouTube for their devious training purposes. No worries - YouTube is banning their "How 2 Slit Thr0@tz" and "How 2 m@k3 a 1337 su1c1d3 v357" videos now.

No word on "Leave Osama Alone" and the "You suk at videoediting" tutorial series.

Google News helps United time travel, lose money

Google News ran an article about United Airlines from 2002, when the airline was on the verge of bankruptcy, as today's news. The story was quickly picked up by other new aggregators and, efficient markets being what they are, lead to United stock dropping from $12 a share to $3. The stock managed to recover to around $10 per share, but for a time, United lost $1.14 billion. The company is still out $300 million, and the executive medical bills are likely to be staggering.

Larry Craig: Foot-tapping covered by First Amendment

Minnesota's favorite Senator is back in court with yet another argument. This time: that foot-tapping and hand signals are covered under the First Amendment.

Hallucinogen, Salvia under fire, attempts to criminalize

The relative of mint, Salvia, is facing criminalization attempts in several states as citizens and legislators become aware of its growing use. The herb provides a very short but very intense period of hallucination when smoked or consumed.

"there are no studies suggesting salvia is addictive or susceptible to overdose or abuse. Indeed, a salvia experience can be so intense, and at times so unsettling, that many try it just once, and even devotees use it sparingly.

Reports of salvia-related emergency room admissions are virtually nonexistent, probably because its effects typically vanish in just a few minutes."

In spite of this current evidence, it seems that legislators are afraid of anyone having a mind-altering experience that doesn't involve religion.

XKCD: Still Raw

Sometimes, time does not heal all wounds.

Classic Cocktail: The Rusty Nail

Wondering what to do with that bottle of Drambuie you've had sitting in your cabinet since last Christmas? Try the Rusty Nail on for size. This is a sweeter cocktail, traditionally drunken after dinner.

2 oz. Scotch Whiskey
1/2 oz. Drambuie

Pour over ice and stir gently until glass is frosty.

Mortgage bail-out yields economic boost

The US Government took over the ailing mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the largest bail-out in US history. The US taxpayers are footing the $200 billion capital injection that will keep the two giants solvent. While the move rewards reckless investing, it probably beats the potential alternative of a collapse that would lead to a major upheaval in the financial markets.

"[US Treasury Secretary Henry] Paulson said the government was intervening in the wider interests of the financial system and of taxpayers since the financial position of the two firms was fast deteriorating. "

No word on how they plan on instilling financial savvy and a basic understanding of mortgage rates in the common homeowner.

That dress better be made of freakin gold... or oil

Michelle Obama's dress on "The View": $150
Cindy McCain's dress at the RNC: $300,000
Wearing a dress 3x the amount of my college loans then pretending to understand the plight of middle class America: Priceless

Full Story

XKCD: House of Pancakes

Dude, I don't even know.

Daily Show: Hypocrisy and sexism

Now that there is a female vice presidential nominee for the Republican party, many are changing their tunes. As always, the Daily Show is there to highlight political folly and to document blatant hypocrisy with video evidence.

Who you gonna call?

People magazine is reporting that Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray are working on Ghostbusters III. In other news, the Catholic church has moved the Holy Ghost to and undisclosed location.

It's alive! The Honda Insight returns to the land of the living

After introducing America to the first hybrid sold here in 1999, Honda eventually laid to rest the Insight model in 2006. Since then, Toyota's Prius hybrid has taken the market, and Honda is resurrecting the Insight, replete with a full redesign including more room. Again, it will be an exclusively hybrid model, but this time around, Honda promises that it will be significantly more affordable than any hybrid currently available. Here's to progress!

Kucinich at the DNCC - no, he really did speak

Love him or hate him, the Gentleman from Ohio is still fun to watch. Dennis Kucinich gave a fun and exciting (excited?) speech in which he "goes after Bush, McCain, oil companies, war contractors and health insurance firms..."

Its like a jet-ski but way more badass

45 mph above water and half that below. If anyone is looking ahead at Christmas, I would love a pair. Just sayin'.

Oil drilling in the United States

A little perspective.

XKCD: Aversion Fads

Oh my god... furries.

Barack Obama Completes Us

Imagine how boring this would be if this were John McCain.

DIY: Biomass Gasifier

No, this doesn't necessarily involve your friend's chili and a lot of beer (though it could). A biomass gasifier is one more way you can try to go off-grid in an environmentally sustainable way. Tired of ridiculous energy bills? Then use those old "wood scraps, yard waste, and corn cobs" etc. you have lying around the backyard to your fiscal and metaphysical advantage.

Gustav threatens GOP convention

Hurricane Gustav is showing that while he may not be a Democrat, he's certainly not a Republican as he threatens to disrupt the RNC Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota this week. Looks like the Focus on the Family voodoo practitioners accidentally got their "God bless the GOP" and "God rain down thy fury upon the Democratic Convention" prayers mixed up.

Divine justice? I won't go quite so far, but it is certainly a healthy dose of irony for the week.

XKCD: X Girls Y Cups

A statistical analysis of Girls, Cups, and Google.