Remind me again...Why do I live here?

This is the thermometer on the back deck of my house. No, there is no trick photography here. When did Connecticut become Alaska? Burr......

As if Bush wasn't enough of a national embarassment....

There are thousands of real journalists all over America - people who have actually been trained to cover news stories and report on them - who can't land even an assignment editor's position at the local rag for $10 an hour. Yet this jackass, Joe the Plumber, who obviously isn't capable of formulating a coherent sentence on film, let alone on paper, gets the gig of a lifetime and travels to Israel to cover the fighting in the Gaza strip.

A real journalist would be formulating questions, obtaining details about military and cultural history and interviewing as many significant players as they can find.

Not Joe. No, he wastes his time bitching about how there should be no war correspondents (except him?) and asking the most asinine, base questions, to....wait for it....another journalist! To quote the great Ron White, "you can't fix stupid."

Here's a taste. I recommend washing it down with a double shot of bourbon:

JOE: The story here is people are being killed and the media's slanting it and trying to make it Hamas is, uh, as far as, that Israel's being bad. Do you believe Israel is bad?

REPORTER: Do I believe it?

JOE: Yeah, do you?!

REPORTER: I'm Israeli, so...

JOE: So answer the question!

REPORTER: No, I don't think Israel is bad.

JOE: Do you think Israel has every right to protect itself?

REPORTER: Yeah.

[pause]

JOE: You do?!

REPORTER: Yeah.

JOE: Have you said that on air?

REPORTER: I'm just a reporter.

Read the full report here if you have the stomach:

"Joe the Plumber Fights With Israeli Reporter"

Happy Friday

I think I'll start writing poetry again
Not because I'm in need of a friend
Or pining over some ancient love lost
Not for an audience or the praise of a crowd
No, I'm far too busy for that now

The days come up fast and there is so much to do
Cats to feed
Cooking too
News shows to watch
And letters to write
Important conversations to be had
Over drinks and candlelight

My reasons are simple, selfish and true
It's not because I've nothing better to do
Believe me, a million tasks I could easily find
To bide away my dwindling time
And squander away life's purest delights
With politics and paying bills
The whole gamut of a grown up's plight

Yet it takes but a moment to turn a phrase
Raise a dry smile - seize the day
Honestly, all I want to be able to say
Is that I wrote a poem today.

Happy Birthday In Heaven Mr. Presley...

Today marks the 74th birthday of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. I grew up listening to the King, thanks to my mother and her infinite love of all things Elvis. So many of his songs hold a special place in my heart, but none as dear as the one you're about to listen to. Without further ado, "Love Me."

Quote of the Year....

It is especially gratifying to see a political pundit get verbally bitch slapped on national television. If that blow hard mouthpiece happens to be Joe Scarborough, the joy is even sweeter. Thank you Dr. Brzezinski!

Scarborough: "You cannot blame what's going on in Israel on the Bush administration."

Brzezinski: "You know, you have such a stunningly superficial knowledge of what went on that it's almost embarrassing to listen to you."