The Victorious Opposition

With all the cooking shows on cable (seriously, does anyone ever watch these, and who the hell is Rachael Ray?) I guess the art of cooking is big business. I have always been a firm believer in paying for services rendered by the experts over me trying to muddle through it myself, so we eat out a lot. But after seeing this, what’s all the fuss about:

Makes your mouth water just watching that.

I’ve done my share of Swede jerking over the years (my wife is Swedish so I’ll never pass up the opportunity) but in salad tossing, they are fricking geniuses. And if Paul Newman was still alive, he would pay big bucks for this guy’s dressing recipe.

mycket bra

More shenanigans by the squeaky wheel, but this time they were actually entertaining:

I was just at a Target the other day, I didn’t get any entertainment, although I use the word loosely since fugly chicks and those much in need of a bath (did you check out the hairy pits on that one skank?) diminish from the experience. Now when they all look like this:

(You guys should know who this is).........I’m there.

This little prank has got to be worth a few credits at the local liberal arts college. The actual shoppers were liking it, but again, they can never get in step, don’t these people rehearse?

Early on this dopey video makes the claim that the money is going to a candidate that is “anti-worker”, really? The fact that he does not sleep around with unions makes him anti-worker? And they can’t make that claim with Target, since Target’s profits are (uh oh) up, in this economy? a company that is actually growing it’s business (good job boycotters, you are having the desired effect) and growing businesses hire more people which is actually pro-worker.

I am always amused by “statement makers”, those not satisfied with living in a free country and being the captain of their own purse, they have to publicly make a statement, are they so insecure in their own views that they need the validation of others?

So we get little out breaks like this. Don’t get me wrong, being horn swaggled into going shopping with the wife, something like this would of added a nice respite, a nice diversion, Maybe these guys can get a website and advertise where their next gig will be, I’d go watch them, if only to publicly ridicule and make fun off, and that is the price they pay for putting themselves “out there”.

So, here is the question, what should the cops do once they got there? These “citizens” are clearly trespassing (causing a disturbance?hardly, although that was their intent). I have my own ideas which I will share later, but what do you guys think?

I’m not putting this under “breakin’ the law” because it really is small potatoes and more funny than serious (although clearly everyone can understand why the cops were called in the first place, what starts out as an amusing harmless prank may not end up that way). But if they are going to go on tour, all I can say is ,“Practice,practice, practice”.

We can keep it to the movies (add in the books if you’d like to-but Im not). If you google it you will get a variety of answers, but here’s where my head is at right now.

1. Emperor Palpatine
2. Obi-Wan
3. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
4. Yoda
5. Count Dooku
6. Luke Skywalker

What do you think?

Updated:
Fixed my numbering error.

A short while ago we had a nice debate on whether you did or did not support a California DMV proposal to sell advertising space on license plate frames, a proposal that would bring much needed revenue to a bankrupt state and reduce the fee’s for drivers registering their cars. Nothing new on that front, but municipalities far and wide have resorted to thinking outside the box to wring more coin out of it’s citizens. PETA (those animal nuts) have come up with something pretty novel, fitting the bill themselves to pave their way into prying that burger from your cold dead hands.

The animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has offered to help repave Boulder County’s subdivision roads — if the county will paint a PETA ad on them, featuring the silhouette of a curvy woman holding a sign that reads: “Word on the Street: Go Vegan.” The term refers to a diet free of animal products.

Aside from the usual derision that PETA deserves (Why a shapely woman?, does eating veggies make all your clothes fall off, or make your nips stick out?, why not have a picture of a cow getting it’s throat cut or a gutted pig, with the universal “NO” sign over it? wouldn’t that be more on point, is PETA being run by ex Hooters exec’s?), I like the idea.

Just as a natural extension of those “Adopt a highway” campaigns where private citizens and public companies can “adopt” a section of a highway and provide regular maintenance for that section (I assume all states have this, Am I wrong?), ownership (and with it the costs of application and repair) of sections of highway is only a matter of time. So now, PETA is first out of the gate. That little logo they will afix after the job is done does not seem too onerous and obtrusive to me. For patching all the pot holes and repaving my street to pristine condition, I am willing to be exposed to almost any idea or advertising. And there lies the rub, if we open up the flood gates to something like this, where do you draw the line and what organizations of companies do we turn down?  Do we allow a funeral home to buy the street, with a sign of ,“Slow down, or we will be doing business sooner that you’d like”, a condom company ,“Dead people do not need to practice protected sex”, or how about this?

For when you are driving too fast and want to keep that “new car” fresh smell.

How about political parties, or even unions? “This road courtesy of the SEIU, guaranteeing 6 supervisors for every worker”.

The animal-rights group, known for attention-getting stunts, made a similar offer to Colorado Springs after the city removed trash cans from 140 parks to cut costs. PETA proposed buying advertising space on the cans reading: “Meat Trashes the Planet. Go Vegan. PETA.” The city declined the offer.

See, I don’t get this, PETA pony’s up dough for park maintenance and they turn it down. Naturally, those politicians would prefer to just raise taxes, but I’m “TEA’d”, like most people, so let’s unleash some creative idea’s.Let’s get stuff done without me paying extra for it. I’ll even eat my spinach for a smoother ride.

Bad publicity and declining profits are better than stupid laws any day:

Protesters have been rallying outside Target Corp. or its stores almost daily since the retailer angered gay rights supporters and progressives by giving money to help a conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota. Liberal groups are pushing to make an example of the company, hoping its woes will deter other businesses from putting their corporate funds into elections.

Hemlock had sent me this story, wondering if dwex would want to post on it.  Given my own stance on boycotting businesses for objectionable practices and political actions, I thought I’d take it myself.  In the past, I’ve written a bit about how I will not give my money to any business that I find to do objectionable things.  Usually, it has to be more than just the CEO donating to Democrats.  Things I look for include exploitive labor practices, criminal activity, and the like. In that vein, I never link to MSNBC stories on the VO if I can avoid it because of that organization’s level of dishonesty. 

As such, I respect these protestors for boycotting Target as long as they’re doing it on human rights grounds, not merely trying to intimidate corporations into supporting only Democratic candidates.  Unconstitutional campaign finance reform was never something I could support and have always preferred an approach that makes all givings completely public so that would-be consumers can judge.  Corporations are going to find out that the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United may cause them more trouble than it clears up and may even opt to avoid controversial issues whenever possible.

This isn’t the first time that Target has come under this kind of boycott.  Conservative activists launched a campaign against them a few years ago as a reaction to the War on Christmas when the retailer took the word “Christmas” out of advertisements and stopped allowing the Salvation Army to collect donations at storefronts.  Eventually, Target backed down on the ads and compromised on the Salvation Army thing so it’s clear that this activism can be very effective.  I favored such measures then and I favor them now.

A couple weeks ago I ran something on the “progressive” answer to dealing with meanie oil companies. In the spirit of the little guy standing up to big business, and lacking any of the usual options like telling their mom, or breaking their toys, they all got together, brainstormed and came up with a profanity laden T shirt, resulting in chubbie’s all around (do adolescents get chubbie’s?) for how naughty they would be.

Well, They are at it again. Proving that the vast open space between the ears of a progressive is not a black hole after all, they came up with an answer to the Tea Party Movement:

And they thought of that all by themselves, who needs ideas when you got f bombs? 3rd graders around the world would be proud. And isn’t it funny that for a group that disdains wealth and demonizes those that have it, any trick or feint coming down the pike that can put dugats in their pocket gets a resounding salute.

Oh, and they made a video, gosh, they really are main stream:

A force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure. So, it’s time to shop, and in the process show how cutting edge you are be sporting a mock up of a naughty word, all the while making fun of a group that is not only much cleverer than you but stands for something besides silliness and derision.

Is it that they do not think we are Taxed Enough Already, or that someone thought of it first? Here’s a thought, come up with a T shirt that says “We Are So F*cked”, at least tap into the prevailing sentiment of the country.

So, I suppose you’ve heard that Levi Johnston is going to run for mayor of Wasilla, AK as part of a “reality” show:

Levi Johnston is setting his sights on the dysfunctional family business.

Johnston will run for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska—yes, the same job that propelled Sarah Palin to governor of that state (and later, the vice presidential nomination)—in a new reality project being pitched by Stone and Co.

“Loving Levi: The Road to the Mayor’s Office” will center on Johnston’s newfound fame as the baby daddy to Palin’s grandson, Tripp.

Johnston will trade on that notoriety to make his run for Wasilla City Hall—when he’s not pursuing a career in Hollywood, of course.

The current mayor of Wasilla lays the smackdown on Levi:

“Well, it is a little early to declare,” Mayor Verne Rupright told “Entertainment Tonight.” “Usually, most wait until the year the seat is up.”

“But since I am nearly old enough to be Levi’s grandfather, I think it would be wise for him to get a high school diploma and keep his clothes on. The voters like that!” he added about the former Playgirl cover model.

“The voters like that”

O. M. G.

Would you like some cream for those burns?

Not to be left out, Bristol Palin took a swing:

“I never knew he had political aspirations,” Palin, 19, told Us Weekly. “I’m glad that Levi has not given up on completing his education and is looking for steady employment.”

(I’ll skip the obvious “well you had a baby with him, dumbass” that I’m sure we’re all thinking)

Good luck with your new venture, Levi…

Today’s theme is simple, remakes, but there are some caveats.

Anybody can take a popular song, redo it, different key, different cadence, re brand it then put it out there, it’s been done hundreds of times. But to be worthy of this list the song must be good, both in its original form and its remake, it must be a song that was done a bit differently from the original but still compelling in it’s own right and still worth an itunes purchase, simple, right?

It immediately dawned on me that this field is wide open, that songs I might list this week (month) will not be what I’m thinking of the next, but since the criteria is “songs that I would buy”, the list narrows a bit:

First up, I am a big REM fan, The One I Love, now take a listen to this remake:

Does Jennifer Nettles rock, or what?

Next up, Bob Seger, Turn The Page, one of his best. Metallica did a remake, a little different, but equally awesome,and about the saddest video I’ve ever seen.

And lastly, some Beatles, With A Little Help From My Friends, yep, you saw this coming a mile away:

Crickey, I need a cigarette after that one.

I was going to do Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson, and A.A.F., but you get the idea. What have you listened to lately that has multiple kick ass versions, both which can stand alone?

“No corsets, no hatpins and no crying”, gosh, that leaves out all those Journolist pussies.

A bit more blood,a cut lip, a scraped knuckle, something a bit more primal is needed here, but I like their spirit. Maybe with a bit more training.

This really isn’t that big of a stretch since many female characters in the classics emote “kick ass”. Some readily come to mind, Elizabeth Bennett, Estella Havisham, Jane Eyre, even Hester Prynne, these ladies may appear proper, but they don’t fool me. I bet they could drink like men too.

But I really can’t see any of them being able to follow the first rule of fight club ,“One never mentions fight club”, women and secrets, yep, that one is safe.

I see full length feature written all over this.

Some lols for your morning as pop star and teen hearthrob Justin Bieber is mobbed by a crowd of adoring fans:

Yeah, it’s hilarious, but it’s also kind of sad.  Imagine living a life where you couldn’t even set foot (or in this case, scooter) into public without being mobbed by a crowd of adulators.  I guess you could call this video a peek into the dark side of fame. 

By the way, where the hell was his security?

I love to grill, and I’ve been on a tear this year. I got myself a pretty simple Weber grill, nothing fancy. However, I’ve been going wild on the other stuff. I’ve spent a pretty good amount on the coals, the wood chips, etc. and I was wondering if anyone else has some secrets about grilling they’d like to share.

For instance, I don’t use any Lighter fluid to get my coals going. I just take my time, but I also have one of those chimney chute lookin’ things that you put all the coals in. It concentrates all the coals to one area to get them going really good. I also prefer the method of arranging my coals into a doughnut (leaving the center area empty) and then grilling the slower cooking stuff in the center. I also like to soak Hickory wood chips and put them over the flame for a woody flavor.

I am pretty partial to grilling Hamburgers (don’t laugh-I’ve got a pretty good cheese stuffed recipe), hot links wrapped in bacon, prawns, shrimp, Anaheim peppers, asparagus, and Mushrooms. I find they cook the best. I’ve tried fish but it’s hit or miss and depends on the fish (and how it’s cut).

What, no Northern Spotted Owl cozie? gimme the line to their R&D department.

Being like,old, I still remember the pet rock,the slinky, and that movable multicolored cube that made the investors fortunes, and being a free market kinda guy, anybody that can make a buck applying that old adage that a fool and his money are soon parted, I welcome and say good luck. But these guys are on to something.

OK. Could this be the greatest drink ever? The Metro UK reports:

  BrewDog, of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, is the firm behind the new ale that’s apparently stronger than whisky and vodka at 55 per cent volume….

  Twelve bottles of The End Of History have already slid off the production line and been placed inside seven dead stoats, four squirrels and one hare.

Yup. That’s right. Beer served from the carcass of a dead animal. It’s kinda’ primal and technologically advanced at the same time.

You’d think that whatever you could do with beer…......it’s already been done, but I guess not. And how successful was this first offering?

A controversial beer served in bottles made from stuffed animals and costing £500 each sold out in a few hours.

As of today’s conversion rate, that is $771, for a bottle a beer wrapped in road kill.

The PETA angle is just too savory to ignore. No doubt they will blow a casket at the barbarity of it all. Maybe these two guys should of marketed their beer while writhing orgasmically in a hot tub full of vegetables while wearing little clothing.

I also think its funny that Brewdog felt the need to provide a disclaimer that all the animals used died of natural causes, and I thought they were edgy. What would of been better is if they said ,“Look, we offered each and every one of these animals 10 bucks, and the chance to be part of history, and they all jumped at the chance,literally, right out of the tree, and these aren’t “sausage muncher” squirrels either”.

Each bottle comes with it’s own certificate of authenticity,these are just adorable:

Are these two kids living the dream, or what?

BrewDog is a Scottish craft brewery run by a couple of twenty-something punks. You may not have heard of them yet. But you will.

James Watt and Martin Dickie were only 24 when they decided they were sick of the mainstream UK beer scene, and wanted something better. They ditched their jobs and took out a whole lot of loans, and in 2007, opened their own brewery in Aberdeen.

And if you are a furry creature living in Aberdeen, it might be time to go south for the winter.

Although I admire their capitalist spirit, I think I will holdout until they come up with a lite beer,something a little less costly, skip the tuxedo, something wrapped in a Cavalier Lebron jersey, those should be dirt cheap right now.

Here in SoCal, when you want to party a little, they point you to Tequila. I’ve been having a Tequila birthday this 34th, and I’ve got a theme for this DJ thread.
Margarita.
5 o’clock but I stopped at 4:59. As I did at Comicon today. I’m learning that work life balance, and as I drove back up from SD today, remembered how much I appreciate living here in paradise. Paradise meaning SoCal.

Theme for this week:

• Feeling right
• So Cal
• Latino Drinks
• Birthdays

Have fun, peeps. You’re gonna love my Comicon manwhore-mentary. However, for now, Gratis årsdag, till mig och Thrill. Hej!!

Considering that most progressives are the biggest bunch of sour puss hand wringers who’s insipid and dourful demeanor is enough to wet blanket any social gathering, this was not bad. Sure, it had to resort to baseless stereotypes (baseless progressives, ha, I made a funny) but the effort paid off in the end. However, some clarification is in order.

No respectable Tea Party-er would ever scoff at two hot babes making out, I wonder why they were not cast as looking more like the gay Hispanic guy, and nice reference to Arizona’s new immigration law,  I guess progressives can’t read any better than any of the other complainers who don’t know what’s in the bill, but they distort it none the less. The lack of Sarah Palin quips makes me think this was hastily put together, no respectable progressive can go 3 seconds without fomenting some hate thought about Sarah, her family, or her beliefs (I see a sequel in the future). But all the rest of the hot buttons were covered.

From the comments section of the site where I found this:

Don’t they realize ALL dogs are liberals

They sleep about 20 hours a day.
Meals are provided at no cost to them.
They visit the Dr. once a year for their checkup, and again during the year if any medical needs arise and pay nothing.
When they make a mess, someone else cleans it up.
All of their costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day.

Nailed that one.

This couple obviously does not deserve Patriot Dog, she is not smart enough to hold on to the leash, and Grizzly Adams need to get bit for wearing that stupid hat.

But dogs are cool, and really smart, like this one:

She is too putrid to bite (rabies and all) so peeing on her is the next beast thing, awesome.

H/T: atom.com

The DC Metropolitan Area isn’t exactly known as a seismic hotzone, but we had an earthquake last night. Yes, it was a pissant little earthquake, and I slept through it, but by gosh, we had an earthquake. My Facebook feed is full of “ZOMG an EARTHQUAKE” posts from people claiming to have been woken up by it. Neither my wife nor I felt it. Of course, we’re ~12-15 miles from the epicenter (as the crow flies). It’s basically right on top of where my wife works; I’m guessing it will be all anyone is talking about at work today.

See, you left-coasters? You ain’t so special