Brilliant!

Of course I’m going….

Not long after President Obama took office things in Washington began to devolve further and deeper into a wing nut hysteria that has managed to control the political narrative for almost two years. Enduring the likes of Sarah Palin, Glen Beck and the slew of disturbingly unqualified political candidates now enjoying and exploiting their status as “legitimate” in what can only be described as the Bizarro World is clearly effecting the masses. No amount of reason and logic seems to influence the mouth breathers in charge of the message. Lie after lie, tantrum after predictable tantrum, the so-called “right” in this country have managed to fuck things up so sublimely that they may actually see political gains in the house and senate come November.

Naturally, the media at its complacent best feels that its sole responsibility is to set up false equivalencies in order to perpetuate the illusion of balance. It’s a load of horseshit that the rest of the country is being force fed and it tastes nothing like pumpkin pie. Never in my life has there been so clear a picture of what is wrong and who is at fault. Yet the wing nuts continue to blabber about birth certificates, religion, abortion and Kenyan colonialism. Yes, they went there. The fact that none of these tea-party “patriots” can identify Kenya on a map is beside the point.

Watching it all happen in front of my eyes knowing that the only thing I can do is vote in a Connecticut election is of little solace. I gave the Coffee Party a try – enticed by all of their talk of unity and inclusion – but they turned out to be nothing more than a circular firing squad. The impotent rage I’ve felt these long months has had a detrimental effect on my quest for compassion and inner peace. What’s a rational human being to do in such a toxic climate? Is there no outlet?

Luckily, there will be one day when people like me (apparently 80% of Americans) can come together in celebration of reason and from what I hear, some pretty decent bars.   Yes, I speak of the Rally to Restore Sanity on the Mall in Washington DC on October 30th.  Leave it to the genius of the Stewart-Colbert planning committee who had the forethought to plan it for a Saturday (which I coincidentally have off from work) and the day before Halloween, so I’ll be home in time to see the nephews in all their glory. A win-win.

I’ll let the master explain:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Just when you thought you'd seen everything.....

Mickey Rourke on a Dr. Pepper can.

Mission Accomplished?

You probably haven’t noticed yet, but Operation Iraqi Freedom, you know, “the war,” came to an end on Wednesday when the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, was officially designated the last combat brigade to leave Iraq.  Granted, there will still be upwards of 50,000 of our men and women in uniform remaining for another year in a “non-combat” role, whatever that means,* but after seven plus years of unwarranted American ass-kicking in Babylon it’s kind of a slap in the face to our military who has sacrificed life and limb that this story hardly warranted a blip on the media radar screen. Sure, MSNBC covered it extensively. That’s about it. The Cooper Scooper gave it equal time with the “Ground Zero Mosque” non-story, and FauxNews gave it literally10 minutes of air time.

I figure it’s because all the bloviating, “America Fuck Yeah” testosterone-fueled war mongering that Republican jack offs and their wives/mistresses have been a-fearing us with since 9/11 has essentially ended because Obama kept yet another campaign promise to the American people. Are we suddenly safer? Does Iraq have a stable, democratically elected government and a security force in place to protect its citizens? No and no. Does it fucking matter to the interests of the United States? Hell no. It never did. We’ve wasted billions with a “b” and now we get to slink off in the night like a hotel guest who’s over stayed his welcome and must now make a hasty exit.

I find it laughable that the number one issue that brought the Democrats into power in 2006 – the Iraq war – has degenerated into such a “whatever” news story that most people don’t know about it or care to.  There are plenty of cynics (myself included) who believe this withdrawal may have been timed just perfectly for the mid-term elections coming up in November. However, if no one gives a shit about it, how can it have the desired influence on voters?

With all the lazy journalism taking place today it’s no wonder. How easy is it to spout an opinion about the merits of building a mosque at Ground Zero? An unwinnable argument void of even the basest of facts. Here’s a flash, 1 – it’s not a mosque, it’s a community center with an area for worship. There will be no calls to prayer or any of that; 2 – it’s TWO BLOCKS AWAY from the supposed hallowed ground where the towers formerly stood, the same distance as two famous titty bars, on OTB and several tacky street merchants selling useless crap created in Chinese labor camps commemorating the 9/11 tragedy; 3 – it’s the builder’s Constitutional Right to build this center.  Cue the resurgence of that ridiculous whisper campaign that Obama is Muslim. The White House had to actually issue a statement to placate these idiots whose ignorance is matched only by their hatred for the Commander in Chief. Because, you know, it’s news.

If only the collective intelligentsia in the news media (I realize this is a small club) would start a real conversation about what is happening in the country – deliberately excluding all the loud noises coming from the right - and actually inform the populace we might make some real progress in our quest to be the greatest nation on earth. As it stands, apparently we’re only number 11. 

*Aren’t all soldiers armed and combat ready regardless of their status? Christ, kitchen workers carry assault rifles!

Eye Candy

Everyone has their own opinion on who is the sexiest, best looking man of their dreams. Most of us will never even see men of this hotness in our real lives. I like to think that my taste in men is pretty mainstream with a few exceptions. Generally, I like dark haired, serious men. On the other hand, comedic types also get my attention. So without any further ado, here's my top ten all time hotties. Sit back and enjoy the show!

 #10. Jack Kerouac - he didn't keep his looks for very long, but boy did he rock the sexy back in the 40s!

 #9. Harry Connick, Jr. - he gets better and better with age.

#8. Jim Morrison - perhaps the sexiest rock star to ever grace us with his hotness! The original bad boy of rock and roll!

#7. Daniel Craig - I normally don't go for blonds, but holy Christ this man is nothing but fine! I can't look away from those piercing blue eyes. Neither can you.

#6. Bono - maybe it's an Irish thing. There's something about this man that makes me have inappropriate thoughts!

#5. Cary Grant - he's the archetype for the whole, "tall dark and handsome" thing! Makes me want to drink martinis and neck in the closet!

#4. Goran Vijniic - the only  man who could have taken Clooney's place on ER.

#3. George Clooney - really the hottest of them all when you account for charm and all around coolness. The definite successor to Cary Grant in the movie star department!

#2. Antonio Sabato, Jr. - there really are no words.

#1. Stephen Colbert - yes, that's just how I roll. This man has a quality that transcends merely physical attributes, though he obviously has those in spades! It's the whole intelligence thing, I guess....