Caption: President Bush plays a guitar presented to him by Country Singer Mark Wills, right, backstage following his visit to Naval Base Coronado, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Bush visited the base to deliver remarks on V-J Commemoration Day.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
George Bush on August 30, 2005
the day after Hurricane Katrina ravaged and demolished the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans:
Katrina Update
We are doing fine. The power's out, and we're under a boil water notice, but we have a generator and enough gas for another night or 2. We can't drive anywhere because a big tree is blocking our way out, but we've got another car.
This is just a terrible tragedy. I can't bear to watch the footage from New Orleans and the coast.
This is just a terrible tragedy. I can't bear to watch the footage from New Orleans and the coast.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Rebel Roundup - August 25, 2005
News and Notes About Ole Miss Rebel Football
Kelvin Robinson regaining form (subscription)
Daily Journal OM beat writer Parrish Alford Q&A
Frosh DL Jada Brown will not rejoin Rebels
Defense performs well in scrimmage
Profile of DB Travis Johnson
DBs comfortable with 4-3 defense
Special Teams Analysis
No Roundup tomorrow. Next Roundup Monday, maybe Sunday. If I've omitted a big story from today, please feel free to link or paste it in the comments.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Rebel Roundup - August 24, 2005
News and Notes about Ole Miss Rebel Football
DT Mckinley Boykin urged to practice as hard as he plays (Scrimmage summary). (subscription)
QB Michael Spurlock engaged. (subscription)
Rebels Work on Pass Rush.
Secondary Analysis (Clarion Ledger)
Ole Miss D-Line Shines in Scrimmage
Report on Terry Levy (OM commitment and Dandy Dozen star)
Upgrading Talent Orgeron's First Task (Macon Telegraph)
DeUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUcccccccce!
LATE UPDATES:
QB Ethan Flatt Attempts to Reclaim Starting Role.
If you see anything I might have missed, feel free to add the link in the comments.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
The chickenhawk right wing smear machine
Limbaugh is just filth. He just is. If you listen to him, you're probably a piece of trash, too. Despicable.
Limbaugh's comments about Cindy Sheehan (which he's since denied making because he's a spineless puke):
"I mean, Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is nothing more than forged documents, there's nothing about it that's real, including the mainstream media's glomming onto it, it's not real."
"They [mainstream media] are going to try to claim that Cindy Sheehan is responsible for the Bush poll numbers on Iraq being down, but those numbers were falling before Cindy Sheehan did this."
"What's she got? A hundred stragglers have showed up down there, a hundred peaceniks, a hundred long-haired, maggot-infested, dope-smoking FM types, essentially, are down there joining her."
"Now, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for the woman. I think she's taken the grieving process here to lengths that most people don't, and she's being fueled by all of this attention."
"But the longer the Sheehan thing goes on and the longer she's treated as some sort of super-celebrity by the press and the more outrageous things she says, trust me on this, the more people are going to get fed up with it. She's going to become the next Natalee Holloway before it's all said and done."
Cindy Sheehan is a Gold Star mother. Her son died in a war that Limbaugh supported. A war for "freedom" apparently. Fatass has the right to say whatever he wants. So do I. And he's a chickenshit coward (did not go to Vietnam because of a boil on his large ass).
And then there's another right wing blowhard (who I had not heard about until now), Mark Williams. He's on the "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy" tour. Whatever. He's on a whole tour dedicated to refuting a greiving mother who lost a son in the war HE supports (and I'm assuming he's not lost any loved ones in the war, not that that would give him the right to badmouth someone who did). This isn't a "pro-America" rally, it's an "anti-american" rally. It's anti-Cindy Sheehan. Same thing happened with Dixie Chicks, etc. These wingnuts just cannot accept ANY criticism or debate. They have to make it personal. Sickening.
Anyway, here's what this pukefaced hatemonger had to say on "Hardball" with Chris Matthews (the softballer, Norah O'Donnel, was substituting, not that Matthews is any better, really, but I digress):
Williams: "I just got back from Iraq, talking with the troops, talking with the Iraqis and I see the damage that's done by pathetic creatures like the woman I'm talking to and Cindy Sheehan. When they get up there and they present this country as divided and still arguing issues that were decided, debated and voted on three years ago, that both demoralizes our troops and invigorates the insurgency. "And it's no mistake that the lion's share of violence is in and around Baghdad. That's where there are more Western news cameras per capita than probably any other city on the planet earth. When they see this kind of division they use it as a fundraiser and a recruiting tool."
O'Donnell: "Mark, if you don't mind, you're making the case that Cindy Sheehan is hurting the morale of our troops?"
Williams: "She is aiding and abetting the enemies of this country and the people who killed her son. And right now Casey Sheehan is spinning in his grave!"
This guy and those like him (Michelle Malkin, etc.) and those on the right who do not unequivocally condemn this kind of personal attack are just slime. They should go straight to hell.
Let's remember, this anti-war, anti-Bush sentiment is now the MAJORITY sentiment. So if Sheehan is harming the troops, so am I, so are you, so is anyone who disagrees with King, um, I mean, President Bush. According to this loser, the majority of the American people are aiding and abetting the enemies of this country. Really. Work on that one in your individual lesson plans.
Why can't these folks just say they disagree with Sheehan and move on? Why does she have to be personally attacked? She's not personally attacking the president, after all. She's protesting his war policy that resulted in the death of her son. If anyone has a right to attack someone personally, it's Cindy Sheehan.
I could quote more from the Michelle Malkins and her ilk, but it's tiring.
We were right about Bush. We were right about this unnecessary pointless murderous war. We were right.
Limbaugh's comments about Cindy Sheehan (which he's since denied making because he's a spineless puke):
"I mean, Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is nothing more than forged documents, there's nothing about it that's real, including the mainstream media's glomming onto it, it's not real."
"They [mainstream media] are going to try to claim that Cindy Sheehan is responsible for the Bush poll numbers on Iraq being down, but those numbers were falling before Cindy Sheehan did this."
"What's she got? A hundred stragglers have showed up down there, a hundred peaceniks, a hundred long-haired, maggot-infested, dope-smoking FM types, essentially, are down there joining her."
"Now, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for the woman. I think she's taken the grieving process here to lengths that most people don't, and she's being fueled by all of this attention."
"But the longer the Sheehan thing goes on and the longer she's treated as some sort of super-celebrity by the press and the more outrageous things she says, trust me on this, the more people are going to get fed up with it. She's going to become the next Natalee Holloway before it's all said and done."
Cindy Sheehan is a Gold Star mother. Her son died in a war that Limbaugh supported. A war for "freedom" apparently. Fatass has the right to say whatever he wants. So do I. And he's a chickenshit coward (did not go to Vietnam because of a boil on his large ass).
And then there's another right wing blowhard (who I had not heard about until now), Mark Williams. He's on the "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy" tour. Whatever. He's on a whole tour dedicated to refuting a greiving mother who lost a son in the war HE supports (and I'm assuming he's not lost any loved ones in the war, not that that would give him the right to badmouth someone who did). This isn't a "pro-America" rally, it's an "anti-american" rally. It's anti-Cindy Sheehan. Same thing happened with Dixie Chicks, etc. These wingnuts just cannot accept ANY criticism or debate. They have to make it personal. Sickening.
Anyway, here's what this pukefaced hatemonger had to say on "Hardball" with Chris Matthews (the softballer, Norah O'Donnel, was substituting, not that Matthews is any better, really, but I digress):
Williams: "I just got back from Iraq, talking with the troops, talking with the Iraqis and I see the damage that's done by pathetic creatures like the woman I'm talking to and Cindy Sheehan. When they get up there and they present this country as divided and still arguing issues that were decided, debated and voted on three years ago, that both demoralizes our troops and invigorates the insurgency. "And it's no mistake that the lion's share of violence is in and around Baghdad. That's where there are more Western news cameras per capita than probably any other city on the planet earth. When they see this kind of division they use it as a fundraiser and a recruiting tool."
O'Donnell: "Mark, if you don't mind, you're making the case that Cindy Sheehan is hurting the morale of our troops?"
Williams: "She is aiding and abetting the enemies of this country and the people who killed her son. And right now Casey Sheehan is spinning in his grave!"
This guy and those like him (Michelle Malkin, etc.) and those on the right who do not unequivocally condemn this kind of personal attack are just slime. They should go straight to hell.
Let's remember, this anti-war, anti-Bush sentiment is now the MAJORITY sentiment. So if Sheehan is harming the troops, so am I, so are you, so is anyone who disagrees with King, um, I mean, President Bush. According to this loser, the majority of the American people are aiding and abetting the enemies of this country. Really. Work on that one in your individual lesson plans.
Why can't these folks just say they disagree with Sheehan and move on? Why does she have to be personally attacked? She's not personally attacking the president, after all. She's protesting his war policy that resulted in the death of her son. If anyone has a right to attack someone personally, it's Cindy Sheehan.
I could quote more from the Michelle Malkins and her ilk, but it's tiring.
We were right about Bush. We were right about this unnecessary pointless murderous war. We were right.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Lane Closing the Gap
This is the best news I've heard in a long time re: Ole Miss Football. Possibly the best news since Cutcliffe was terminated. From the Clarion Ledger:
Lane closing the gap
A slow start to preseason practice and struggles coping with the heat had placed sophomore quarterback Robert Lane a few steps behind senior Micheal Spurlock in the race for the starting job.
But Lane is quietly closing the gap.Lane has put together his best stretch of practice over the past few days, consistently completing passes and driving the offense to scores in scrimmage situations. Lane completed 6 of 8 passes during Wednesday morning's practice and had another solid effort in the afternoon scrimmage by completing all three of his attempts and rushing for a 13-yard touchdown.
"I'm going out as a quarterback trying to get better each and every day," said Lane, who is trying to beat out Spurlock and also hold off junior Ethan Flatt. "We're also trying to get better as a team. We want to win games and we want the best guy out there."Lane had succumbed to dehydration and cramping during the first week of practice and once had to be treated at a hospital.Orgeron said he's noticed Lane's progress. But Spurlock and Flatt aren't exactly letting up, either. Spurlock was 10-of-11 for 102 yards with two touchdowns Wednesday afternoon and Flatt went 6-of-10 for 114 yards, including a 54-yard TD pass.
"It's really on now," Orgeron said. "The competition is heating up as we get closer and closer to having to make a decision. It's a really tight race."
Thursday, August 11, 2005
The right will stop at nothing
Nothing is too low, not even badmouthing the grieving mother of a war hero. Geez. They will really stop at nothing. Shameful.
"Cindy Sheehan evidently thinks little of her deceased son." — Jimmy Hall, Guest Columnist, Atlanta Journal Constitution
Here is what this @#@hole thinks: "My suggestion to her, however, is that she think about the lives of those still in Iraq. Undermining public support for our efforts in Iraq helps the enemy, her son's murderers. They love people like her, but hate those like her heroic son.
We all can feel bad for the loss Sheehan has experienced. But it is unthinkable that anyone with a child or relative in Iraq should make statements such as she has. Sheehan has said, "I want to ask the president, 'Why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?'"
So her son died for the freedom for her to say anything she likes, just not that, not a political statement to the President? riiiiight
What an asshole. The AJC should be ashamed. I bet the Clarion Ledger wouldn't put smear tactics like this in their letters to the editor, much less give this kind of weakling a guest column. Pitiful.
"Cindy Sheehan evidently thinks little of her deceased son." — Jimmy Hall, Guest Columnist, Atlanta Journal Constitution
Here is what this @#@hole thinks: "My suggestion to her, however, is that she think about the lives of those still in Iraq. Undermining public support for our efforts in Iraq helps the enemy, her son's murderers. They love people like her, but hate those like her heroic son.
We all can feel bad for the loss Sheehan has experienced. But it is unthinkable that anyone with a child or relative in Iraq should make statements such as she has. Sheehan has said, "I want to ask the president, 'Why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?'"
So her son died for the freedom for her to say anything she likes, just not that, not a political statement to the President? riiiiight
What an asshole. The AJC should be ashamed. I bet the Clarion Ledger wouldn't put smear tactics like this in their letters to the editor, much less give this kind of weakling a guest column. Pitiful.
A good column by Mark Shields
can be found here. It's called the Moral Logic of Common Sacrifice.
"The current war in Iraq is the first since the war with Mexico in 1846 that the United States has waged without a draft or tax increases."
...
"[Former Secretary of Navy and Vietnam Veteran Jim] Webb once [commented]: "You don't use 'force,' you send people. You send young people who have dreams, who want a future." The people who make the fateful decision for the nation to go to war are, themselves, subject to no personal consequences. Their children and the children of their friends are not at risk. Without apparent embarrassment, they champion a policy of military escalation with no personal participation. As of this writing, 1,827 Americans have been killed in Iraq -- 1,686 of those deaths have occurred since President George W. Bush landed on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln under a banner proclaiming, "Mission Accomplished.""
...
""Only when the privileged classes perform military service, only when elite youth are on the firing line, does the country define the cause as worth young peoples' blood and do war losses become acceptable," observes Moskos, adding that "the answer to what constitutes vital national interests is found not so much on the cause, itself, but in who is willing to die for that cause.""
Ask yourself what sacrifices you've made in the "War" on terror (or the Global Struggle against Islamic Extremists or whatever the PR gurus in the highest levels of our government are calling it) then ask yourself whether you'd be as gung-ho about this war if it was your son, your spouse, your father, your best friend, who was one of the 1,827. It's worth it to those who made the decision, because they've borne no sacrifice for it.
And I guess "freedom" is what we're fighting for, or at least what we've been told we're fighting for. But what kind of "freedom" is this? The kind of freedom championed and celebrated by a "Freedom Walk" sponsored by your Department of Defense that commemorates the barbaric attacks of 9/11?
In this "Freedom Walk" you actually have to REGISTER to walk for freedom in our country's capital, on public streets in between public momuments. You MUST register, with the government, before enjoying your "freedom" to walk along public streets. That doesn't sound like freedom to me......
Amendment I - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"The current war in Iraq is the first since the war with Mexico in 1846 that the United States has waged without a draft or tax increases."
...
"[Former Secretary of Navy and Vietnam Veteran Jim] Webb once [commented]: "You don't use 'force,' you send people. You send young people who have dreams, who want a future." The people who make the fateful decision for the nation to go to war are, themselves, subject to no personal consequences. Their children and the children of their friends are not at risk. Without apparent embarrassment, they champion a policy of military escalation with no personal participation. As of this writing, 1,827 Americans have been killed in Iraq -- 1,686 of those deaths have occurred since President George W. Bush landed on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln under a banner proclaiming, "Mission Accomplished.""
...
""Only when the privileged classes perform military service, only when elite youth are on the firing line, does the country define the cause as worth young peoples' blood and do war losses become acceptable," observes Moskos, adding that "the answer to what constitutes vital national interests is found not so much on the cause, itself, but in who is willing to die for that cause.""
Ask yourself what sacrifices you've made in the "War" on terror (or the Global Struggle against Islamic Extremists or whatever the PR gurus in the highest levels of our government are calling it) then ask yourself whether you'd be as gung-ho about this war if it was your son, your spouse, your father, your best friend, who was one of the 1,827. It's worth it to those who made the decision, because they've borne no sacrifice for it.
And I guess "freedom" is what we're fighting for, or at least what we've been told we're fighting for. But what kind of "freedom" is this? The kind of freedom championed and celebrated by a "Freedom Walk" sponsored by your Department of Defense that commemorates the barbaric attacks of 9/11?
In this "Freedom Walk" you actually have to REGISTER to walk for freedom in our country's capital, on public streets in between public momuments. You MUST register, with the government, before enjoying your "freedom" to walk along public streets. That doesn't sound like freedom to me......
Amendment I - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Shame about Palmeiro
you know, to go in front of Congress and LIE like that. He should be charged with perjury. And on such an important issue, too.....it's not like.......well.......
"Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction." Dick Cheney Speech to VFW National Convention, Aug. 26, 2002.[i]
"Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons." George W. Bush Speech to U.N. General Assembly, Sept. 12, 2002.[ii]
"We know they have weapons of mass destruction … There isn't any debate about it." [It is] beyond anyone's imagination" that U.N. inspectors would fail to find such weapons if they were given the opportunity. Donald Rumsfeld, September 2002.[iii]
"If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world." Ari Fleischer Press Briefing, Dec. 2, 2002.[iv]
"We know for a fact that there are weapons there." Ari Fleischer Press Briefing, Jan. 9, 2003.[v]
"We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more." Colin Powell Remarks to U.N. Security Council, Feb. 5, 2003.[vi]
"We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons -- the very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have." George W. Bush Radio Address, Feb. 8, 2003.[vii]
"So has the strategic decision been made to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction by the leadership in Baghdad?... I think our judgment has to be clearly not." Colin Powell Remarks to U.N. Security Council, March 7, 2003.[viii]
“Does Saddam now have weapons of mass destruction? Sure he does. We know he has chemical weapons. We know he has biological weapons. . . Defense Policy Board Chair, Richard Perle, speaking to a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing, March, 2003. [ix]
"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." George W. Bush Address to the Nation, March 17, 2003. [x]
"Well, there is no question that we have evidence and information that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly... all this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes." Ari Fleisher Press Briefing, March 21, 2003[xi]
"There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction." Gen. Tommy Franks Press Conference, March 22, 2003. [xii]
"We know where they are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat." Donald Rumsfeld ABC Interview, March 30, 2003. [xiii]
"I'm absolutely sure that there are weapons of mass destruction there " Colin Powell Remarks to Reporters, May 4, 2003. [xiv]
"Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction." Dick Cheney Speech to VFW National Convention, Aug. 26, 2002.[i]
"Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons." George W. Bush Speech to U.N. General Assembly, Sept. 12, 2002.[ii]
"We know they have weapons of mass destruction … There isn't any debate about it." [It is] beyond anyone's imagination" that U.N. inspectors would fail to find such weapons if they were given the opportunity. Donald Rumsfeld, September 2002.[iii]
"If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world." Ari Fleischer Press Briefing, Dec. 2, 2002.[iv]
"We know for a fact that there are weapons there." Ari Fleischer Press Briefing, Jan. 9, 2003.[v]
"We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more." Colin Powell Remarks to U.N. Security Council, Feb. 5, 2003.[vi]
"We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons -- the very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have." George W. Bush Radio Address, Feb. 8, 2003.[vii]
"So has the strategic decision been made to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction by the leadership in Baghdad?... I think our judgment has to be clearly not." Colin Powell Remarks to U.N. Security Council, March 7, 2003.[viii]
“Does Saddam now have weapons of mass destruction? Sure he does. We know he has chemical weapons. We know he has biological weapons. . . Defense Policy Board Chair, Richard Perle, speaking to a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing, March, 2003. [ix]
"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." George W. Bush Address to the Nation, March 17, 2003. [x]
"Well, there is no question that we have evidence and information that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly... all this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes." Ari Fleisher Press Briefing, March 21, 2003[xi]
"There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction." Gen. Tommy Franks Press Conference, March 22, 2003. [xii]
"We know where they are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat." Donald Rumsfeld ABC Interview, March 30, 2003. [xiii]
"I'm absolutely sure that there are weapons of mass destruction there " Colin Powell Remarks to Reporters, May 4, 2003. [xiv]
Friday, July 29, 2005
"O" Zone T-Shirt Experience Extravanganza!
This is just soooooo stupid. So incredibly stupid. This coming season, the Ole Miss Sports Marketing Department (in association with WasteOFmoney, inc. and in conjunction with StupidIdeas Intl.) wants all Ole Miss fans to wear a silly read t-shirt, developed by Nike. The full atrocity is memorialized here:
http://www.olemiss.edu/cgi-bin/news2000/display.pl?id=4585&mode=full
"By being called the O-Zone Experience, the desired atmosphere is expected to offer the 2005 Rebel football team a competitive home field advantage, one that is full of electricity and enthusiasm. "
What? There's not enough of a home field advantage, you know, playing on our, well, HOME FIELD? Are these the same nitwits who came up with "Red Alert" and similar nonsense?
"Having a unified athletic T-shirt is a concept that many other universities have utilized," said ASB president Rebecca Bertrand. "I plan to wear my 'Are you Ready?' shirt to pep rallies and athletic events to show my support, and I think this type of collaboration between athletics and the fans will help build momentum for the O-Zone Experience."
I don't wanna be a downer but this is just silly. No atmosphere has ever been created, anywhere, as a result of some stupid marketing program or silly slogan. You do it by winning important games. If smart marketing and clever programs were all it took to create "atmosphere" then Duke and Vandy would be incredibly intimidating places to play.
Besides, how many fans wear t-shirts to Ole Miss games? Not many. Something tells me that the majority of those who already wear t-shirts to games will think this is a GREAT idea, REALLY COOL MAN but those who don't will pass.
It's just silly. Besides, is O-ZONE threatening or intimidating? Of course not. It's just silly. O-Zone. Stupid.
I'll keep my ears open for the "Red Alert" so I can catch that "Rebel Express" to the "O-zone". And hell yes, I am ready........
http://www.olemiss.edu/cgi-bin/news2000/display.pl?id=4585&mode=full
"By being called the O-Zone Experience, the desired atmosphere is expected to offer the 2005 Rebel football team a competitive home field advantage, one that is full of electricity and enthusiasm. "
What? There's not enough of a home field advantage, you know, playing on our, well, HOME FIELD? Are these the same nitwits who came up with "Red Alert" and similar nonsense?
"Having a unified athletic T-shirt is a concept that many other universities have utilized," said ASB president Rebecca Bertrand. "I plan to wear my 'Are you Ready?' shirt to pep rallies and athletic events to show my support, and I think this type of collaboration between athletics and the fans will help build momentum for the O-Zone Experience."
I don't wanna be a downer but this is just silly. No atmosphere has ever been created, anywhere, as a result of some stupid marketing program or silly slogan. You do it by winning important games. If smart marketing and clever programs were all it took to create "atmosphere" then Duke and Vandy would be incredibly intimidating places to play.
Besides, how many fans wear t-shirts to Ole Miss games? Not many. Something tells me that the majority of those who already wear t-shirts to games will think this is a GREAT idea, REALLY COOL MAN but those who don't will pass.
It's just silly. Besides, is O-ZONE threatening or intimidating? Of course not. It's just silly. O-Zone. Stupid.
I'll keep my ears open for the "Red Alert" so I can catch that "Rebel Express" to the "O-zone". And hell yes, I am ready........
Friday, July 15, 2005
When I Paint My Masterpiece
My favorite Dylan cover by The Dead. Sometimes I forget how well they did it. Plenty of their Dylan covers I didn't care for (Desolation Row, Memphis Blues), but this one always satisfied.
Here's a splendid version from Red Rocks on August 11, 1987.
"Someday, everything is gonna be diff'rentWhen I paint my masterpiece."
Here's a splendid version from Red Rocks on August 11, 1987.
"Someday, everything is gonna be diff'rentWhen I paint my masterpiece."
Friday, July 08, 2005
Jamaica Bloggin, Mon - part II
Well, we endured Hurricane Dennis. Some people have taken to calling it Dennis "The Menace". Quite clever. We enjoyed a nice dinner and when we got back to our room, we found out that some of the cable channels had been restored!
There were a lot of evacuees from other resorts staying at our resort last night and some of them were quite obnoxious, complaining about the rooms, or the food, or whatever. Seriously, if you find something to complain about here, you're not gonna be happy anywhere. There's just no pleasin some people I guess. At breakfast, some princess from another resort complained that the resort did not have an indoor pool. In Jamaica, you know right next to the OCEAN? Princess was also disappointed that her room did not come with her own personal butler and that she had to walk to get to places. Her new husband (they were on their honeymoon) is in for a long life....
That picture above is of me enjoying a pre-hurricane cigar on our porch. Maybe I'll make it the main photo for the blog?
We went shopping this morning. We got some coffee, some McVittie's Tea Biscuits, some cigars, and some other trinkets. Then we picked out wedding photos, and ate another fantastic lunch. The food here is really, fantastic at every meal. We will eat at Feather's tonight for our last night. Feather's is the highfalutin fancy place where they serve stuff with a demiglaze and reduction sauces (I want more mon, not less, don't reduce the sauce!). I'm enjoying a fine Monte Cristo #4 as I blog. We'll get one more good breakfast before heading to MBJ airport for the flight home. We're a little burned, fat, happy, almost broke and pretty close to being ready to go home.
We sure will miss this though:
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Hurricane Bloggin Mon, part III
7 pm here in Jamaica, and it's dark. There's a stiff breeze and a few scattered sprinkles. The restaurant is way crowded because they've shut down the other 2 restaurants for the night. Everyone is in good spirits and every staff person we see asks whether we're having a good time, feeling safe, etc. Just a top notch facility. They came by earlier to put the masking tape on our windows and we stayed out on the porch for a while and enjoyed a cigar before heading in to pack up a few things, get them elevated since we're in a beach front toom (see post below).
At the top of the post is the view from our seat at the restaurant as I type this. They say we'll get a lot of wind and rain tonight, but that it should be mostly cleared out by noon tomorrow. Not much else to report. See ya next time on Hurricane Bloggin Mon......
Hurricane Bloggin Mon - part II
So now it's close to 1 and the eye of Hurricane Dennis is just northeast of Jamaica, mon. We have some cloud cover and some light drizzles (which just started), but lunch is being served and preparations continue. We prepared for Dennis by floating on rafts in the sea and watching 5 beach weddings in succession. The staff removed the couch cushions from our veranda couch and also put the chair in the room. We have coffee, snack mix, water, smokes, meds and most everything we will need to ride it out.
All excursions and activities were cancelled today though, aside from probable traffic issues, we could have gone shopping. We got our DVD from Rob (the guy who did the wedcast) and were able to sift through the wedding photos (just the 35mm, the digital ones will have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest).
Wendi's getting her a Caesar's salad and I'm prepping for lunch with coffee and cigarettes. This Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is exquisite. All the food has been spectacular and the service is impeccable (by our standards anyway).
People were floating in the sea, playing beach volleyball, eating, drinking and walking on the beach all morning. We enjoyed some Bizarre Banana drinks (bananas, coconut milk, nutmeg, etc, quite tasty and refreshing).
We'll try to post some pics soon. If we do, they will be located here.
All excursions and activities were cancelled today though, aside from probable traffic issues, we could have gone shopping. We got our DVD from Rob (the guy who did the wedcast) and were able to sift through the wedding photos (just the 35mm, the digital ones will have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest).
Wendi's getting her a Caesar's salad and I'm prepping for lunch with coffee and cigarettes. This Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is exquisite. All the food has been spectacular and the service is impeccable (by our standards anyway).
People were floating in the sea, playing beach volleyball, eating, drinking and walking on the beach all morning. We enjoyed some Bizarre Banana drinks (bananas, coconut milk, nutmeg, etc, quite tasty and refreshing).
We'll try to post some pics soon. If we do, they will be located here.
Hurricane Bloggin, Mon!
So Hurricane Dennis is on the way, predicted originally to hit Jamaica at 8 a.m. Well it's 7:30 and while the sky is overcast and it's humid, no rain and no wind to speak of. Even hurricanes are late in Jamaica, mon.
Yesterday was the outside tour to Mayfield Falls,
Yesterday was the outside tour to Mayfield Falls,
Jamaica's #1 eco-tourist attraction! High in the mountains, the falls were beautiful and the trip (aside from the stop-n-go, bumpy bus ride) was wonderful. We got a lot of pictures and one of the guides made a DVD which we can purhase later. Who knows, maybe if you're lucky, we'll invite you over to watch ALL our vacation videos (pausing frequently to point out small details that the casual viewer might overlook). Don't worry, we'll have chips and dips there for ya. We would add more pictures to the epson photo album (including some additional wedding pictures) but the connection here is too slow to upload the photos to the site. You can view the wedcast and the reception here. Click here and here to get the videos to play without going to the outside site (available only for a limited time). Here is a candid photo of our nuptials:
Everyone here at the resort seems, for the most part, unconcerned about the coming storm. Some activities (parasailing, skiing, etc.) will be cancelled today for sure. We are going to try to go shopping at 10:30 (the storm is now expected to hit the island around 2 p.m.) today rather than tomorrow as we initially planned. We're at breakfast now and people seem to be going about their business as usual. We will go pick out our wedding pictures in a few, as well as try to schedule the shopping expedition (this is a rare occasion where shopping will not be as boring, because there's an element of danger involved. It's not just shopping, we could DIE, we could get in the middle of the hurricane. That's what I'm talkin about, DANGER shopping.....)
We have an emergency bag packed in case we're evacuated to the shelter across the street. This is reasonably possible since our room is directly on the beach. The staff here has moved all the beach chairs and tied them up and has even knocked out the coconuts from the trees (and promptly split them open and ate them).
We will just ride it out and do the best we can. No problem mon!
Monday, July 04, 2005
Jamaica Bloggin, Mon -- part I
So we're on day 3 of our weddingmoon (note: this refers to a combination "wedding" and "honeyMOON" -- I've combined the 2 words to create a NEW word. Pretty smart, huh?) in sunny (well, mostly sunny) Jamaica at the Couples Swept Away Resort and Spa in Negril. We left at an insanely early hour of the morning from the Jackson "International" Airport. Here
is a picture of us leaving (well, not actually leaving, but being dropped off at the airport (well, outside the airport to be completely accurate. Did I mention it was INSANELY early?)).
The weddingmoon (see explanation above) started somewhat dubiously as NorthWorst Airlines left our luggage at home where, suffice it to say, it was not needed. The crack staff at Montego Bay Airport knew where our luggage was upon our arrival so, bruised but not beaten (more cliches to follow, I'm sure), we ventured to Negril through the charming, quaint (ie, SMALL) roads of coastal Jamaica. We stopped at a stop-n-rob outside of some place with "Town" in the title (but not, regrettably, "trenchtown" of No Woman No Cry fame) for some overpriced sugar water and, for me, cigarettes (since I packed my smokes in the bag which was still in Jackson). Here's a picture of Wendi at said stop-n-rob:
For you nerds out there who are wondering "Why didn't yall take a picture TOGETHER? Well, we were tired and I didn't trust that driver dude with our camera -- he almost got us killed! And there weren't even seat belts on that bus, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't up to "code" -- whatever that means down here. Did I mention the roads were TINY?
Upon our arrival at the resort, we were greeted with a cold towel (woo HOO!) and lots of smiling faces. After rejecting the offer of free champagne, twice I think (we must have been the first two people to refuse FREE champagne! Hey, mon it's free, you sure you no want. Yes, mon, we're pretty sure. I don't remember champagne being all that good to start with (too many bubbles, man)). After waiting around a bit (but not, alas, for our luggage because it was not gonna get there that day), we were escorted to our......
BEACH FRONT ROOM!!!!!! BEACH FRONT ROOM!!!!!
They called it a complimentary upgrade, I call it awesometotallyawesomewickedgoodlike! Wanna see the view? C'mon, ya know ya do (BOTH OF YOU!), so go ahead and take a look.
and another.
and another.
Well, you get the idea.
Right now, imagine me in front of you pointing my finger and saying "You, you, in your face,
YOU, we got us a mailto:$#@$%#$ beach front BABAY" (Wendi, on the other hand, would obviously not be doing any such thing).
Needless to say, we were pretty stoked.
This place is fantastic. The food is amazing, and there's just loads of stuff to do (if you're into "doing stuff"... Mostly we've just vegged out (well, we've done some swimming and played ping-pong, got massages, walked on the beach and right now we're listening to possibly the WORST cover band I've ever heard (they've played just about every song in the American pop music catalog with the word "Twist" in the title) but it's still fun, and we've smoked a couple of cigars).
We had dinner on the beach last night and it was quite nice. Here's a picture of us at that dinner.
Our luggage arrived on Sunday morning (don't worry, the smokes were in there).
The Big day is tomorrow. We met with the wedding coordinator, Tameika, today (how many of you gals can say your wedding was planned by a gal named Tameika?) and everything but the weather is set. The forecast calls for rain, as it did today, but today it was just intermittent showers. The nuptials are scheduled for 2 p.m. but it might be delayed on account of rain (that is SO cool, the wedding, just like a baseball game, might have a rain delay. Not to worry, we'll get in the full nine innings somehow). Check it out HERE. The wedcast should be up for about a week after it's done and watch this space for updates (if we feel like it).
That'll have to do it for now. We just finished dinner and we're on the 2nd story overlooking the dance floor listening to the aforementioned cruddy cover band.
We gotta go....They're playing "Mustang Sally" and we just GOTTA DANCE........
Friday, July 01, 2005
Bush's half-assed Mississippi support
Check out this bit from dailykos. Seems as though 1/2 of my fellow Mississippians now agree with me that Bush is doing a poor job as president. These numbers have to be disenheartening to the wingnutosphere. Seems all but the most wingnuttiest are finally coming around to what we freedom-haters and terrorist-coddlers have known all along....
Bush is at 50 percent or above in only 11 states --
Utah (63), Nebraska (60), Wyoming (58), Idaho (56), Montana (56), Alabama (54), Alaska (53), North Dakota (52), Kansas (51), Kentucky (50), Mississippi (50), and Texas (50).
Bush is at 40 percent or lower in 14 states --
Ohio (40), Wisconsin (40), Maine (39), Massachusetts (39), Delaware (38), Nevada (38), New Jersey (38), Michigan (38), California (37), Connecticut (37), Illinois (37), New York (33), Rhode Island (33), and Vermont (32).
The weighted average (based on each state's percentage of the US population) is 43 approve, 53 disapprove.
Yikes:
Poll here.
Bush is at 50 percent or above in only 11 states --
Utah (63), Nebraska (60), Wyoming (58), Idaho (56), Montana (56), Alabama (54), Alaska (53), North Dakota (52), Kansas (51), Kentucky (50), Mississippi (50), and Texas (50).
Bush is at 40 percent or lower in 14 states --
Ohio (40), Wisconsin (40), Maine (39), Massachusetts (39), Delaware (38), Nevada (38), New Jersey (38), Michigan (38), California (37), Connecticut (37), Illinois (37), New York (33), Rhode Island (33), and Vermont (32).
The weighted average (based on each state's percentage of the US population) is 43 approve, 53 disapprove.
Yikes:
Poll here.
Friday, June 24, 2005
How Low Can He Go?
We were right, part II. We were right about Shrub, his needless war, and most everything else:
Zogby. 6/20-22. MoE 3.2% (5/23-25 results)
Bush job ratings
Approve 44 (46)
Disapprove 56 (53)
American Research Group. 6/19-22. MoE 3% (May results)
Bush job ratings
Approve 42 (43)
Disapprove 53 (51)
Bush handling the economy
Approve 37 (37)
Disapprove 59 (57)
Harris Poll. 6/7-12. MoE 3% (4/5-10 results)
Do you favor keeping a large number of U.S. troops in Iraq until there is a stable government there OR bringing most of our troops home in the next year?
Wait for stable govt 33 (40)
Bring home in next year 63 (60)
Do you think the invasion of Iraq strengthened or weakened the war on terrorism?
Strengthened 43 (49)
Weakened 44 (47)
Gallup. 6/16-19. MoE 3% (3/18-20 results)
Do you favor or oppose the U.S. war with Iraq?
Favor 39 (47)
Oppose 59 (47)
AND IN A COMPLETELY UNRELATED STORY:
Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers. [...]
Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals.
--Karl Rove
WARNING: Readers are advised to beware that any statement issued by Karl Rove, George Bush, Bill Frist, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, Condoleeze Rice, and similarly situated chickenhawks quoted herein could very well be a lie, misrepresentation or "misstatement" Unless Round is Funny and all affiliated persons and entities makes no representations about the accuracy, veracity or truthfulness of statements from the above named individuals quoted herein.
Zogby. 6/20-22. MoE 3.2% (5/23-25 results)
Bush job ratings
Approve 44 (46)
Disapprove 56 (53)
American Research Group. 6/19-22. MoE 3% (May results)
Bush job ratings
Approve 42 (43)
Disapprove 53 (51)
Bush handling the economy
Approve 37 (37)
Disapprove 59 (57)
Harris Poll. 6/7-12. MoE 3% (4/5-10 results)
Do you favor keeping a large number of U.S. troops in Iraq until there is a stable government there OR bringing most of our troops home in the next year?
Wait for stable govt 33 (40)
Bring home in next year 63 (60)
Do you think the invasion of Iraq strengthened or weakened the war on terrorism?
Strengthened 43 (49)
Weakened 44 (47)
Gallup. 6/16-19. MoE 3% (3/18-20 results)
Do you favor or oppose the U.S. war with Iraq?
Favor 39 (47)
Oppose 59 (47)
AND IN A COMPLETELY UNRELATED STORY:
Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers. [...]
Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals.
--Karl Rove
WARNING: Readers are advised to beware that any statement issued by Karl Rove, George Bush, Bill Frist, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, Condoleeze Rice, and similarly situated chickenhawks quoted herein could very well be a lie, misrepresentation or "misstatement" Unless Round is Funny and all affiliated persons and entities makes no representations about the accuracy, veracity or truthfulness of statements from the above named individuals quoted herein.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Bonnaroo Roundup - Part III
We stayed in the hotel Saturday night and, mercifully, got a good night of sleep and a long hot shower on Sunday morning. Very nice.
After returning to the campground, and parking the car near the RV (we were leaving early on Sunday, and having the car nearby helped that process), we ventured back to Centeroo for the final day. Wendi and I caught Amos Lee first. Amos had some good songs (he's opened for Dylan and some other big acts), but he didn't really fire me up, so I left early to catch the set by Dr. Dog. Dr. Dog played at the Other Tent, the smallest tent, and the crowd was sparse. I did get to meet Jim James of My Morning Jacket at the show, he was milling about in the regular crowd. I told him how much I enjoyed the Birmingham show on June 3rd, and he complimented me on my "Achiever" Lebowskifest t-shirt (My Morning Jacket played Lebowskifest '04). Dr. Dog's set was fun. Pictures here here and here. Another one here.
Following a few moments of panic (the details of which I won't go into here), we chilled out in the sprinkles and then headed over to the Which Stage for the finale of My Morning Jacket and Modest Mouse.
My Morning Jacket put on a great show. Pictures here.
Setlist:
Off The Record, The Way That He Sings, 0 Is The One, One Big Holiday, Golden, Just One Thing, Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You+, Lay Low, Heartbreakin' Man, Don Dante, Run Thru, Bermuda Highway, I Will Sing You Songs, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man^,Mahgeeta
Highlights for me were the new tune "Off the Record," "I Will Sing You Songs" and the Prince cover.
Modest Mouse was excellent, as well, but we didn't get any pictures (was just tired of taking pictures).
We then walked around Centeroo some more, caught a few songs of Earl Scruggs and Friends (including "The Ballad of Jed Clampett") and then back to the campground and then hit the road.
A fantastic Roo, the best ever!
A fairly complete list of all available recordings of Roo shows can be found here.
After returning to the campground, and parking the car near the RV (we were leaving early on Sunday, and having the car nearby helped that process), we ventured back to Centeroo for the final day. Wendi and I caught Amos Lee first. Amos had some good songs (he's opened for Dylan and some other big acts), but he didn't really fire me up, so I left early to catch the set by Dr. Dog. Dr. Dog played at the Other Tent, the smallest tent, and the crowd was sparse. I did get to meet Jim James of My Morning Jacket at the show, he was milling about in the regular crowd. I told him how much I enjoyed the Birmingham show on June 3rd, and he complimented me on my "Achiever" Lebowskifest t-shirt (My Morning Jacket played Lebowskifest '04). Dr. Dog's set was fun. Pictures here here and here. Another one here.
Following a few moments of panic (the details of which I won't go into here), we chilled out in the sprinkles and then headed over to the Which Stage for the finale of My Morning Jacket and Modest Mouse.
My Morning Jacket put on a great show. Pictures here.
Setlist:
Off The Record, The Way That He Sings, 0 Is The One, One Big Holiday, Golden, Just One Thing, Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You+, Lay Low, Heartbreakin' Man, Don Dante, Run Thru, Bermuda Highway, I Will Sing You Songs, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man^,Mahgeeta
Highlights for me were the new tune "Off the Record," "I Will Sing You Songs" and the Prince cover.
Modest Mouse was excellent, as well, but we didn't get any pictures (was just tired of taking pictures).
We then walked around Centeroo some more, caught a few songs of Earl Scruggs and Friends (including "The Ballad of Jed Clampett") and then back to the campground and then hit the road.
A fantastic Roo, the best ever!
A fairly complete list of all available recordings of Roo shows can be found here.
Ryan Adams - "Wharf Rat"
"Wharf Rat" is my all time favorite Grateful Dead song. Give me 3 hours and I'll tell you in excruciating detail exactly WHY it's my favorite Grateful Dead song. Heavy, pretty, always thrusting forward with power and drive, with that beautiful hopeful bridge and the final two verses with both resignation and hope.
No one has ever done it as well as Jerry, until now. Ryan Adams and his band performs the song brilliantly, sings it brilliantly and treats it with the sort of respect I think it deserves. Phil Lesh sits in on this version here, recorded just five days ago. It's an audience recording, but the sound is nice. Pay attention to how the song STARTS, the slow driving buildup, just sensational. That's probably in large part due to Phil's driving bass.
Ryan gets the song, a remarkable version of the song. Go and listen.
Wharf Rat (Garcia/Hunter)
Old man down, way down down, down by the docks of the city.
Blind and dirty, asked me for a dime, a dime for a cup of coffee.
I got no dime but I got some time to hear his story.
My name is August West, and I love my Pearly Baker best more than my wine.
More than my wine - more than my maker, though he's no friend of mine.
Everyone said, I'd come to no good, I knew I would Pearly, believe them.
Half of my life, I spent doin' time for some other fucker's crime,
The other half found me stumbling 'round drunk on Burgundy wine.
But I'll get back on my feet again someday,
The good Lord willin', if He says I may.
I know that the life i'm livin's no good,
I'll get a new start, live the life I should.
I'll get up and fly away, I'll get up and fly away, fly away.
Pearly's been true, true to me, true to my dyin' day he said,
I said to him, I said to him, "I'm sure she's been."
I said to him, "I'm sure she's been true to you."
Got up and wandered, wandered downtown, nowhere to go but just hang around.
I've got a girl, named Bonnie Lee, I know that girl's been true to me.
I know she's been, I'm sure she's been true to me.
No one has ever done it as well as Jerry, until now. Ryan Adams and his band performs the song brilliantly, sings it brilliantly and treats it with the sort of respect I think it deserves. Phil Lesh sits in on this version here, recorded just five days ago. It's an audience recording, but the sound is nice. Pay attention to how the song STARTS, the slow driving buildup, just sensational. That's probably in large part due to Phil's driving bass.
Ryan gets the song, a remarkable version of the song. Go and listen.
Wharf Rat (Garcia/Hunter)
Old man down, way down down, down by the docks of the city.
Blind and dirty, asked me for a dime, a dime for a cup of coffee.
I got no dime but I got some time to hear his story.
My name is August West, and I love my Pearly Baker best more than my wine.
More than my wine - more than my maker, though he's no friend of mine.
Everyone said, I'd come to no good, I knew I would Pearly, believe them.
Half of my life, I spent doin' time for some other fucker's crime,
The other half found me stumbling 'round drunk on Burgundy wine.
But I'll get back on my feet again someday,
The good Lord willin', if He says I may.
I know that the life i'm livin's no good,
I'll get a new start, live the life I should.
I'll get up and fly away, I'll get up and fly away, fly away.
Pearly's been true, true to me, true to my dyin' day he said,
I said to him, I said to him, "I'm sure she's been."
I said to him, "I'm sure she's been true to you."
Got up and wandered, wandered downtown, nowhere to go but just hang around.
I've got a girl, named Bonnie Lee, I know that girl's been true to me.
I know she's been, I'm sure she's been true to me.
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