Asante Samuel has been listed as doubtful for tomorrow's game against the wide receiving stacked Arizona Cardinals.
Let's play the guess which Eagle said this quote game: When you have a group of receivers that this cat is throwing the ball to, not taking anything away from him, but if you look at the routes, if you look at some of the passes, he’s putting things right on the money. Those guys don’t have to do anything but catch the ball and continue to run, so obviously he’s putting the ball where it needs to be ... I think for a couple of years there his confidence might have been a little down, a little shaky. People were talking about, he’s fumbling the ball too much and all that stuff, but now he’s not doing that as much and he’s putting the ball in his playmakers’ hands.

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Recently I was up during the wee morning hours and couldnt sleep. Flipping through the channels and not finding anything on, I decided to punish myself and see what was on RFD, or as many of us here know it- the Really Fucking Dumb channel.

They have a program called Rural Heritage. It is usually interesting and insightful as far as farming techniques, harnessing and using draft horses, mules, oxen and different types of farming machinery. Out of curiosity I pressed the button to see what the episode would be about. Surcingling your mule. No info as to who was featured or anything else.



I decided this could be interesting and set it to auto tune. I am always curious as to what other people do with their animals and how they go about training them for their endeavor of choice. I know what a surcingle is, and figured surcingling a mule might be no more than long lining or ground driving, just that someone had decided to call it something different in an attempt to make money off of it. Who knows, but I was about to find out.

When the program finally came on, amid all the damn commercials, it showed a little man wearing a helmet and a mule tacked up with a work type, collared harness on. They didnt show any close enough face shots of the so I didnt recognize him, but wondered if it was the local guy who does clinics and has his own set of videos and even some tack.
All I can say is this half hour was a train wreck from the get go, and no more than an accident waiting to happen!


What is it our Fearless Leader of the Fugs, always says? Those of us who know, please say it with me now: When you claim to be a professional, you are automatically held to a higher standard. You will be scrutinized for your actions more harshly than others. You cannot claim ignorance and there are no free passes. You should know inside and out, backwards, forwards and in your sleep, what you are doing since most likely - You are teaching others.


I will start with the tack. This is the first thing I noticed, well, because I just DO. It did NOT fit. At least not any of the important parts, like say the collar and the bridle. The collar was too big and looked as if it would slip right off over the mules head, should the mule decide to put its head down to grab a bite to eat, rather than work.


The bridle was an issue in and of itself. It was an open bridle, meaning there were no blinkers, blinders or however you wish to refer to them. It had a browband, which on the right side was so high up, it was actually behind the mules ear, rather than resting just below it where it should be. The left side where the bridle adjusted, seemed to be in the very last holes, taken up to the point it could not be adjusted any more without a good leather punch. The rest of the straps, instead of being put through a keeper and tucked in neatly, were loose and flopping around to smack the mule in the side of the face at any given time. That should make the mule happy. NOT!


The bit? Why it was a double, twisted wire, loose ring snaffle. Yep, I know just how we all feel about those Did I mention this was a young mule that the trainer claimed was just starting out? He was the mule to ready him/her for driving. Yeah, we all start our young ones out with harsh bits and poorly fitted tack. That will keep things positive and make them want to work for and with us!


This next part really bothered me. The trainer showed he had actually the bridle to let the bit hang down in the mules mouth to where it damn near touched the incisors. He went as far as opening the mules mouth for a close up so everyone could see. The reasoning was so the mule would pick up and carry the bit where s/he was comfortable with it. To me it seemed more like he was making excuses for the bit being positioned as it was, since the bridle didnt fit and he was too lazy to get a different one or use a hole punch and adjust it properly.


Now dont get me wrong. After checking the mouth for fixable issues stemming from dental work, lack of or pain, checking the mouthpiece of the bit for balance, sharp places, fit-width thickness, I have used this method on horses who excessively play with the bit. Done properly it will effectively teach them to pick it up and carry it quietly. BUT, the bit is never left to hang that low in the mouth, and they are not working with it in that position. When its time to work, the bit is adjusted back up to almost where it should be. It may be left a hole or two so they continue to pick it up and carry it quietly, but it should not be enough (or too high) to where it comes into contact with their teeth. *If everything was checked before the horse began to even wear a bridle and all is adjusted properly, rarely will you have these issues to begin with.*


The reins were tied to the breeching or britchin strap to keep them up and out of the way. Then there was the martingale. It looked like a backwoods version of a German martingale, with the exception of any room for adjustment. It was a thin piece of rope, attached to the reins where a hole had been punched in the reins and tied in a knot. From there it ran through the bit rings (like draw reins) and attached somewhere under the collar on the harness.


The mule also had a neck rope on like a noose, which the proceeded to lead the mule around with. He stated as long as the mules head was carried low it was balanced and pushing off the rear end. Mkay? Not necessarily, but if you say so


As he was leading the mule around, the trainer then shared this next brilliant piece of knowledge. You need to do this with your mule for 3 or 4 hours.


Excuse me? WHAT? In my experience with mules, once they get it, theyve got it for life. No need to repeat anything for 3 or 4 hours unless your intent is to really piss them off. This will bring retaliation on the mule's part. Usually painful to the human in the form of a kick or bite, and could very well also go into the got it for life file in their brain and essentially ruin them. Way to go Asshat!


A good mule is a good mule, but a bad mule or a mule with a bad attitude, is a nightmare with hooves and teeth.


I dont know how I got through the rest of the program, but I did and managed to catch at the end, that the was in fact the local guy, Steve Edwards. This was from one of his mule training videos.


I know of Steve and have met him a few times. I feel bad that this was what he had/has to offer as far as mule training. From what I had just seen, I could not help but feel sorry for him. He could have done so much better.

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Were down to two weeks left in the 2008 college football regular season. I can't believe we are winding down, just when the fun started. There are some great games on tap this week as RIVALRY WEEK is upon us. When rival teams take the field you can throw out the rankings and records as both teams will rise up in making these games classic battles with all out effort and intensity.
Join me in predicting who will win the featured games by posting your list of winners in the comments section of this blog. I will compose a list of those of you who are regular contributors and rank your overall records which will be posted on this site. See if you can be a college football expert in predicting the winning teams. Good luck!
(Overall standings and my predictions for this week are in BOLD after the jump.

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On November 5, 2008, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit challenging the validity of Proposition 8 in the California Supreme Court on behalf of six couples and Equality California. The City of San Francisco, joined by the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and Santa Clara County, filed a similar challenge, as did a private attorney in Los Angeles.
The lawsuits allege that, on its face, Proposition 8 is an improper revision rather than an amendment of the California Constitution because, in its very title, which was Eliminates the right to marry for same-sex couples, the initiative eliminated an existing right only for a targeted minority. If permitted to stand, Proposition 8 would be the first time an initiative has successfully been used to change the California Constitution to take away an existing right only for a particular group. Such a change would defeat the very purpose of a constitution and fundamentally alter the role of the courts in protecting minority rights. According to the California Constitution, such a serious revision of our state Constitution cannot be enacted through a simple majority vote, but must first be approved by two-thirds of the Legislature.
Since the three lawsuits submitted on November 5, three other lawsuits challenging Proposition 8 have been filed. In a petition filed on November 14, 2008, leading African American, Latino, and Asian American groups argued that Proposition 8 threatens the equal protection rights of all Californians.
On November 17, 2008, the California Council of Churches and other religious leaders and faith organizations representing millions of members statewide, also filed a petition asserting that Proposition 8 poses a severe threat to the guarantee of equal protection for all, and was not enacted through the constitutionally required process for such a dramatic change to the California Constitution. On the same day, prominent California women's rights organizations filed a petition asking the Court to invalidate Proposition 8 because of its potentially disastrous implications for women and other groups that face discrimination.

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All week long I've been aching to write something fresh, pithy, substantial and really wedding-centric... but somehow I keep being diverted by a great sale, or cool company I know you'll love, or (and more to the point) real life.

You may remember my last midnight confession. Well, here I find myself again... typing without thinking, about anything but my wedding website, bridal party, or florist. I'm unable to focus my mind, and I know why, but can't stop it. I figure, maybe if I write it out then it will quiet. I'm guessing I'm not alone here... so why not just let it out?

As many of you all-too-well know, the job market is reallllllly bleak right now. Unemployment is at its highest in 14 years, so competition is high, and the state unemployment fund is 6 weeks from possible insolvency. We're scrambling for work, but so is everyone else. No bueno.

On the bright side, we're also shopping 2 projects around that could pick up at any moment, which is very exciting, and gives us great hope. I really feel confident something will come of them, and we've been very proactive in working to keep them moving along. But you can only do so much at a time.

So, stress has been high in our home. We've been handling it surprisingly well together, which is comforting. I've mentioned before that I sometimes have a hard time leaning on those that love me during hard times, and I've been working on that. Hunter has also been patient and gentle, which helps. He is my rock....

...until he gets stressed out. Then I must either become his rock, or we sink together.

I've been keenly aware lately of the "give and take" part of supporting each other. Its hard, when the chips are down and we're both feeling miserable, for one of us to shore up and lead the charge toward hope. It works well to trade it off... one day I'll need his help to get by, and the next he'll need mine... but the rare day that we're both struggling to breathe, its hard to not feel:
a) pressured to suck it up and carry Hunter to shore, or
b) annoyed that Hunter isn't sucking it up and carrying me to shore.
I'm sure he feels the same way too. Does that make sense?

Its like the old adage, if both of us are sick, who will take care of us? If both of us are weak, who will carry us home?

We're lucky in that we've only had a few days of shared anxiety and worry that keep us from being as supportive we'd like to be of each other. Mostly, we do a great job of trading off. This experience is helpful, as we head into marriage... making us more aware of our dependence on each other for strength and support, and teaching us to balance our needs with eachother's. Its good practice, and so far, I'm really proud of both of us for finding ways to continually support one another, even when neither of us feel altogether strong. It makes me even more excited to marry this man, of all men. He is my ultimate "better half", and I try to be the same for him.

I read an article recently about how as life partners, our moods can rub off on eachother. I know for me, an extrovert, this is very true. If people around me are freaking out, I start to feel innately nervous. If people around me are happy, I feel it too. Like a contact-high, we experience contact-emotions from our significant others. It makes sense. So, it helps me remember that I have a responsibility to not drag Hunter down with me. I also find that when I'm trying to talk Hunter up to ease his stress, I start to believe it myself and in the end we both feel better. Fake it 'till you make it, y'know? We find the best trick is to collectively acknowledge the mess that we're in, and work together to pull ourselves up at the same time.... pooling our strength over the weakness, making us at once accountable to ourselves and eachother. It works pretty well, but it takes practice!

We've been actively trying to keep busy to avoid the vortex of stress. Since we can't spend money, this involves having friends over for dinner a lot, and taking advantage of lots of free movie and theatre offers to keep us feeling social and artsy. It really helps! We've had 1 free night to ourselves in about 3 weeks and I really credit that busy-ness with keeping us sane. And writing here always helps too. So thanks for being such great listeners :)

How do you cope with times like these? Are you there for each other, or do you both abandon ship and scramble for the lifeboat? What ways do you keep eachother sane in uncertain times.

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Tobias Buckell's Sly Mongoose is the latest in a series of fantastic space-operas that tackle big philosophical and economic questions without skimping on the gigantic battles or the thoughtful character-development. The action centers around a superhot, Venus-like planet where the residents live 100,000 feet above the surface in cloud cities. Most of the world is rich and happy, ensconced in a super-participatory democracy that uses direct brain links to vote on every substantial matter of policy, but one ethnic minority, a kind of neo-Aztecs, live in the direst poverty. These are the descendants of a rampaging, murderous lot who were duped by cruel aliens into believing that the ancient Aztec civilization whence they descended was established by the selfsame alien gods, who had chosen them to lead, and who demanded blood sacrifice in return. Once the gods were revealed as liars and cheats (by a force of Caribbean-descended warriors called the Ragamuffins), the disgraced neo-Aztecs renounced their faith and moved to the cloud-world. Now a fallen civilization, they rely on ancient, half-working machinery to extract the ores that keep their power-systems humming, machinery that can only be maintained by young, bulemic boys, the only ones slender enough to fit into the surface-suits that were designed for ancestors who had access to metabolic technology that let them strut about with the stretched-out bodies of elves. Civilization is disrupted when Pepper, a near-immortal Ragamuffin, plunges through the atmosphere in an improvised re-entry vehicle, puncturing the floating city's dome and killing one of the boy maintenance workers. By that's just the start of their problems: Pepper comes with a warning of a new bioweapon unleashed on their corner of space by the arrogant, distant human alliance -- a bioweapon called The Swarm that turns its hosts into shambling, semi-telepathic zombies who form a huge neural net that gets smarter the more people they bite. Sly Mongoose has enough science and speculation for three books, with swashbuckling set-pieces that include airship battles, vividly described infantry action on a grand scale, mad inventors and their analog-computer-based autonomous ornithopters, pirates, alliances, betrayals, alien races, and so forth. But Sly Mongoose is also a novel of character and philosophy, where people we care about make hard decisions that challenge who they are and re-shape them. Besides Pepper, there's Timas, an adolescent maintenance worker; Katerina, another adolescent who is the avatar for her hyper-democratic civilization, and a host of secondary characters, none of whom is ever relegated to mere spear-carrier. The story presents us with several different versions of consent, coercion, democracy and cooperation, using the author's contrived situation to stage a nuanced, fascinating debate about the ethics of different kinds of collective action, one that raises lots of hard questions without offering any simple answers. I've had the pleasure of reading every one of Toby Buckell's excellent novels, and of blurbing one or two of them, and not only have I never been let down by one of them, I've also always been delighted to find each book even better than the last, as a prodigious young talent unfolds and discovers itself.

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misdirected emphasis on gay material (in response to Proposition 8).

But did everyone miss the sketch that featured Kristen Wiig and Paul Rudd's married performers, a country-jazz duo who sang a never-ending ditty about receiving their neighbors' mail? Personally, we're pretty sure this was a nugget of nuanced gold buried in a field of outrageously shiny...gold. Or whatever.

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why I should be an Izea insider.
I told you how great I was, along with how great I was.  It was pretty much a kick ass post about a kick ass blogger. Me.
And now I bring you even more kick ass news.
The Kick Ass News (for me)
Ive been waiting with anticipation everyday, and so has my wife.  Shes not let up on asking me every 2-3 hours if Ive heard something.  If Ive gotten THE EMAIL.
The email that I recieved early this morning as I turned on my computer.  The email that said, Congratulations!  Youve been selected for the Izea Insiders program.
Hmmmm thats nice.
Yeah right!  I was so excited I ran into my bosss office screaming I made it, I made it!  He was excited too, saying if anyone deserved it, I did.  Yeah right the only reason he was excited is because now he doesnt have to spend the money to send me to some of those conferences and expos throughout the year.
The Kick Ass News (for you)
So what does all of this mean?  It means I get money to use towards blog and internet marketing conferences.  It means I get 5 free passes to IzeaFest.  It means I get in on all of the happenings at Izea before the general public does.
It means I get to create a team consisting of crew members.  It means those crew members will be you guys.
And that means, whoever signs up as one of my crew members, gets a shot at winning some kick ass prizes!
It means that whatever crew member helps me bring in the most crew members, will win an even more kick ass prize!
When Does It Begin?
Some prelimenaries have to be gotten out of the way first.  I have to fill out some paperwork, get some more information about being an Izea Insider, figure out how this crew things works, and a few other things.
Once thats all done.  Ill be making another post letting you know how to become one of my Izea Insider crew members, and what great prizes youll be entered to win.
The only thing I need from all of you before the next post, is your nominations and votes for a kick ass team name for the Izea Insider Crew.  Let me know in your comments.

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As entertaining as they may sound, most of Franco's output is, well, pretty dang bad. But, and this is to his credit, they are always extremely watchable. No matter how bad a Franco flick gets—and they do—you never fast forward or stop the thing. You let it play out, no matter how much psychological damaged it may inflict upon you. They are dream-like train-wrecks that alternately disturb and damn the viewer for their Z-grade lunacy. Ask me another time about my battle with MARI-COOKIE AND THE KILLER TARANTULA.

BLOODY MOON, true to Franco form, is hysterically bad, meaning it's also hysterically awesome. All the trademark Franco-isms are there: the badly-staged red herrings, the wonderfully lazy camerawork, the strange edits where cuts are made right in the middle of a scene—sometimes in the middle of dialogue—and that patented Euro-idea of what they think Americans are like, from the day-glo fashions to the cheesy disco with broken English lyrics. My favorite? A 50s-ish tune with the lyrics “shake your baby, shake your baby, shake your baby, shake, shake, shake!”

Opening with a facially-scarred killer wearing what looks to be a souvenir t-shirt that a woman would buy at Mardi Gras stabbing an easy lass with a pair of scissors, the way the cutting tools jut into the badly done latex stomach let you know what type of treat you’re in store for.

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A couple have divorced after the husband was caught having a “virtual affair” with a female character in an online game.
David Pollard and Amy Taylor met in an online chat room in 2003 and married after discovering a shared love of the internet game Second Life.
In the game, players create characters known as avatars, which then interact with others in a virtual world. To his wifes horror, Mr Pollards interaction included virtual infidelity with a female character playing the role of a prostitute. Ms Taylor said yesterday that her husband had been guilty of the “ultimate betrayal”, even though he had never met the real person behind his online affair.

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God give me the strength to calm myself down, for i feel like just  - - - -
I just read a news story that was about Bethlehem and her mom Elsa Imbaye. Supposedly, they have been living in the UK for 4 years and within a blink of an eye their life is about to change forever. They have been picked by the British immigration officers or something like that, and they have been told that they are ready to be deported back to Ethiopia, but what i find frustrating the most is the fact that whoever broke this story dont know or share the reason for their deportation proceedings.
11 year old Bethlehem has got to be the smartest 11 year old. She managed to write a letter to (God knows who) and in it she describes her ordeal in a gripping fashion. I mean, an 11 year old girl beginning her letter with - Yesterday was one of the worst days if my life, would capture anyones attention.
I dont know the reason for their detention, but whatever it is, any human (much less an 11 year old girl) must be treated with the utmost respect and dignity. And reading her letter which describes her ordeal just boils my blood.
After an hour or something, some people form their office came to take us to the detention centre. We prayed to God that he would be us in this mess. Five minutes later we were taken to the van to go. It took us two hours and 45 minutes to get here. Once we got inside, it felt as if we were in prison for doing an awful crime. I still feel like that today and I hope God will get rid of all this worries and all this guilt inside because I know that with all my heart both and my mum are not bad persons, says Bethlehem, describing what must have felt like hell-on-earth for an 11 year old
 
Just an exceptional young girl, with a unique aptitude to think on her feet and write such a touching and riveting letter, while at the same time accurately depicting her horrifying ordeal.
 
Here is her letter:-
 
Yesterday was one of the worst days if my life. I woke up in the morning like I usually do to go to school. I went into my mums bedroom to tell her I had woken up. Suddenly we heard this banging on our door. At first I thought it was a firearm but the banging kept on going.
That’s when we realised it was the door. My mum got up and went to see who it was. I was still in the bedroom at that time and frightened. I was shaking like never before. Once my mum had opened the door about 6-8 officers came in and they handed my mum a letter and lead us both into the living room. That letter was in fact a warrant to say that they had come to search our house. They told us that we had to pack our stuff and go with them because the Home Office had organised to get us both on a plane to go back to Ethiopia on the 1st of October.
Both me and my mum was so horrified and shocked we couldn’t think straight. The officers told us that they had to follow us around the house just in case we tried to do something stupid. Once me and my mum had dressed they told us to pack all of the stuff we wanted. My mum said that she didn’t want anything because she was shocked and upset. On the other hand, the officer that was in my room with me told me to pack everything I had. I went into the wardrobe and tried to think but I couldn’t. The officer was just talking at me and telling me pack, pack, pack!. I just wanted her to be quiet and for her to leave me alone. A little later we were finished packing some things and was lead to the vehicle that was down stairs, outside.
The officers drove us to Waterside House in Leeds. It is an immigration office. They lead us into some sort of small office. When we entered we saw there was two rooms, small office and another room that we had to stay in for that moment in time.
From there we were told to wait until further notice. After a while one of the officers came in and explained to us that the Home Office had tickets to go back to Ethiopia. My mum replied that we can’t go back to Ethiopia because my mum is Eritrean and it is not safe because they might put her back into detention and there might also be a possibility of her being killed by the authorities. Also I am not allowed to go Eritrea because I am Ethiopian and I can’t go in Ethiopia because I would have no one to look after me because my mum isn’t allowed to go to Ethiopia and as for my dad, I don’t know where he is. They didn’t say anything to us. The most horrible thing was they told us they were going to take both of us to a detention centre until the day of our flight. It was at moment we realised there might not be any hope for us.
After an hour or something, some people form their office came to take us to the detention centre. We prayed to God that he would be us in this mess. Five minutes later we were taken to the van to go. It took us two hours and 45 minutes to get here. Once we got inside, it felt as if we were in prison for doing an awful crime. I still feel like that today and I hope God will get rid of all this worries and all this guilt inside because I know that with all my heart both and my mum are not bad persons.
 
Reading such a letter makes ones desire to help an 11 year old visceral, and being unable to help makes this world we live in a stinking place.

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Barack Obama - Secret Service codename Renegade - is now the most guarded man on the planet.
Even when he goes to the loo, bodyguards stand outside it.
And when he travels by motorcade there are a dozen identical cars - so potential assassins wont know which one he is in.
The President-elect will also have to get used to handing his glass to a Secret Service agent every time he has a drink outside the White House. The agent carries a small bag in which to pop the glass and later he destroys it.
The idea is to ensure that no unauthorized person has access to the Presidential DNA, but it is not clear how an enemy would use it.
Obama will be given a set of panic buttons: One for his pocket, one on his desk and one beside his bed. They are credit card-shaped and simply have to be squeezed to summon a posse of agents.
At one time, the President and Vice-President were given three-inch-high models of the Washington Monument to put beside their beds. They had simply to knock them over to summon the guards.
But the models were abandoned after Vice-President Dan Quayle - noted for being clumsy - knocked his over late one night while making love to his wife.
In seconds, the door burst open, the lights went on and Mrs Quayle was thrown out of bed to the floor as bodyguards flocked around her husband to ensure his safety.
Read more about how life changes once a resident of the White House.

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Larnaca: The DIGNITY pulled into Gaza at 9:15 a.m. Gaza time after an uneventful trip from Larnaca, Cyprus. The 23 passengers and crew on board were tired but ecstatic that they had arrived. The 11 members of the European Parliament who had originally been denied entrance through the Rafah border had made the crossing by sea courtesy of the Free Gaza Movements blockade-busting boat, the third trip for this human rights organization
I am here to assess the humanitarian situation in Gaza, especially the medical situation. We have medicine and some medical equipment to deliver. said Baroness Jenny Tonge, one of the Parliamentarians. What Israel does is outrageous when it breaks all international laws. No other country is able to get away with what Israel does.
In addition to delivering medical equipment and supplies, the DIGNITY carried mail from friends and family around the world addressed to Gaza residents.  This is the first time in many years that mail has reached Palestine without passing through Israeli hands.
The brilliant Israeli journalist, Amira Hass, was also on board.  Watching the passengers disembark, we could see the joy in her face as she came home to Gaza, having been denied entrance for two years.
Just before arriving in the waters of Gaza, an Israeli naval gunboat approached, cutting across the bow of the boat, then falling back and tracking it for about an hour. Finally, the gunboat radioed the DIGNITY and asked who they were and where they were going.
After Huwaida Arraf responded, the gunboat asked for the passenger list. Our passengers are listed on our Free Gaza website for everyone to see, replied Ms. Arraf, re welcome to visit it any time. And… while youre there, feel free to make a donation.
After a pause, then a laugh, the voice on the other end said, Have a nice day and left the DIGNITY to glide into the port of Gaza to cheering crowds and a packed agenda for the Parliamentarians.

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Wizard World Texas is my home town convention. Its the biggest show to hit these parts and while it is the smallest of the Wizard shows, its a pretty big deal here in Texas. We have lots of little regional shows throughout the year, but nothing on the scale of Wizard World that brings us the guys like DCs Bob Wayne and Ethan Van Sciver. Just about every year, we all find ourselves asking if this will be the last WWTX. This years no different.
Almost everybody I talked to today wondered aloud if this would be the last time that the show would make its appearance in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Well have to wait and see on that score.
Ive been attending WWTX for years. And every year I am amazed at how poorly lines are managed in the minutes prior to the cons opening. A mash of people all with different needs try to get where they ought to be without any clear direction from Wizard staff members. This morning folks whod ordered their tickets online, con-goers wanting to buy tickets, exhibitors needing their booth assignments, press people trying to get their passes - and not a single one of them was provided clear instruction on where they ought to go.

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Perhaps in an attempt to shake off the backward, cousin-marrying, antisemitic image it got from Sacha Baron Cohen's film Borat, Kazakhstan has hired British architects Foster and Partners to build a futuristic Pyramid Of Peace And Reconciliation. Built in just two years at a cost of 35 million pounds, the building is meant to house the triennal Congress Of World And Traditional Religions. (Including Jews.) "This place is like a TARDIS," enthuses one blogger, talking about the spacious insides. Click through for more pyramid pictures.

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Ever had one of those weekends where nothing gets done? You start with grand plans, and one by one they get ignored or delayed. While Ive never been one to slack when it comes to procrastination, I outdid myself this weekend.
It started off with a visit to my barber. I didnt need a haircut, but I do enjoy the company of a woman from time to time. While lusting after a lesbian is an exercise in futility, we have a great time hanging out together, so when I called Clairissa to chat, she invited me over to kill an hour or two.
Halfway there, I get a text message: Something came up, had to leave for a while. Ill be back, but Ill be late. Sorry I continued on to the shop, where I was met by a big dog and another of the shop gals. We talked for a bit, then she took the dog for a walk. The fur-covered futon felt sooo good I stretched out, and the next thing I know Im being licked by Marley, the big white dog. Id slept for about an hour.
I kicked around for a few more minutes, but it was time to go. I almost nodded off on the bus ride downtown. I managed to get through my work-related meeting and headed for home. I curled up for a nap, and the next thing I knew it was Saturday morning.
Short story shorter, I slept most of Saturday away. Id start watching a football game, or the league championships leading to the World Series, but Id keep nodding out. WTF?
Sunday was much the same. Got up, got dressed, had breakfast and went back to bed.
Finally, about 6 AM today, I woke up feeling refreshed. To be safe, I slept another three hours. I probably wont sleep for the rest of the week.
Just another thrill-a-minute weekend. Lord help us all if I end up having fun one of these weekends.
Blah.

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In the immortal words of Dave Barry: I swear I'm not making this up. The following is an e-mail chain sent to me by an alert reader (thanks Jon Rey) after it was sent to him by someone he knows, and so on and so on. Normally I'd say that it's shocking in its hilariously jaw-dropping stupidity, except for two things: 1) we've seen this kind of thing over and over during this presidential campaign, and 2) not only are there people out there who believe horseshit like this, but unfortunately their votes don't count less than yours or mine. So without further ado -- behold what you should apparently really be terrified of this Halloween: BARACK OBAMA'S DARK, SATANIC AURA!

Dear Friends,

I also know this friend, and I feel like what she is telling is the truth. She has a remarkable gift, and I appreciate the fact that she has been willing to share this because it is a lot of the same feelings I have had about him although I can see no auras.

I love you all and pray that each of us will be making the right decisions in the voting that we do. Please get help from the spirit and vote as your heart dictates. So much depends on the outcome, but I guess in reality if we as a nation could return to righteousness that would be the best outcome of all.



I know this person very well. She is a good friend of mine. She is very honorable. I have never known her to lie. She has indeed been blessed with a special gift.



Dear Friends and Family,

The Lord finally gave me permission to share this. I hope its not too late.

As you know, I have the spiritual gift of seeing auras. When I look at people, my spiritual eyes see shades of gray, from white to black. Over the past two months, I have seen pictures of Barack Obama, from childhood to now, bleeped on various news channels. It has been interesting to watch his aura get darker and darker the older he got. I was definitely not prepared for what I saw during the last presidential debate. Senator Obama turned and looked directly at the camera while answering a question. I saw that his aura was black, not just the dark gray I have been seeing, but black. Superimposed on the black was a hideously evil face, like a gargoyles face, or the scariest evil monster you can imagine. Then the words Pure Evil came to my mind. This disturbed me so much that I began to cry. I didnt cry out of fear of Obama, but out of concern for our country. Imagine having the devil himself run this great country. If Obama wins, Satan will be running the country.

Until that night, I was going to write someone in on the ballot. That night I realized that if I wrote someone in, I would be handing the election to Obama. I realized the only chance we have is to vote for McCain. He is the only candidate close enough in numbers to possibly win. If we dont vote for McCain, we would essentially be throwing our vote at Obama. I would never tell people how to vote. We need to think about the repercussions of our vote. Pray to know who to vote for. One vote could make the difference, and with so much hanging in the balance, it could REALLY make a difference.

Take this message and do with it as you will. I hope you pray to know what I am saying is true, get your own confirmation. If you find out what I am saying is true, and I am sure you will, pass this message on. We only have a week to get this message out, a week to help people know what they are really up against.

Yup, she's absolutely right. This message needs to get out so that people understand what they're up against. Now if anyone needs me, I'll be sitting in the corner hitting myself in the head repeatedly with a phone book.

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End of the B Movie? Isn't that what the hope's all about?

B Movie by Gil Scott Heron, still appropriate after all these years.








"Well, the first thing I want to say isMandate my ass!

Because it seems as though weve been convinced that 26% of the registered voters, not even 26% of the American people, but 26% of the registered voters form a mandate or a landslide. 21% voted for Skippy and 3, 4% voted for somebody else who might have been running.

But, oh yeah, I remember. In this year that we have now declared the year from Shogun to Reagan, I remember what I said about Reaganmeant it. Acted like an actorHollyweird. Acted like a liberal. Acted like General Franco when he acted like governor of California, then he acted like a republican. Then he acted like somebody was going to vote for him for president. And now we act like 26% of the registered voters is actually a mandate. Were all actors in this I suppose.



The idea concerns the fact that this country wants nostalgia. They want to go back as far as they can even if its only as far as last week. Not to face now or tomorrow, but to face backwards. And yesterday was the day of our cinema heroes riding to the rescue at the last possible moment. The day of the man in the white hat or the man on the white horse - or the man who always came to save America at the last moment someone always came to save America at the last moment especially in movies. And when America found itself having a hard time facing the future, they looked for people like John Wayne. But since John Wayne was no longer available, they settled for Ronald Reagan and it has placed us in a situation that we can only look at like a movie."



You go give them liberals hell Ronnie. That was the mandate. To the new Captain Bly on the new ship of fools. It was doubtlessly based on his chameleon performance of the past - as a liberal democrat as the head of the Studio Actors Guild. When other celluloid saviors were cringing in terror from McCarthy Ron stood tall. It goes all the way back from Hollywood to hillbilly. From liberal to libelous, from to Birch idolborn again. Civil rights, womens rights, gay rightss all wrong. Call in the cavalry to disrupt this perception of freedom gone wild. God damn itfirst one wants freedom, then the whole damn world wants freedom."



Full lyrics here.

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When I was through denouncing the concept of natural gas as a replacement for oil, my mom seemed incredulous when she asked, So what's gonna happen? Will we have to change our lifestyle? Her question has an obvious answer, but it still made me think. It's not likely that some singular event will be the switch and a booming voice announces: TODAY YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE. No, society-scale changes take at least a generation, and during the transition, it's hard to see that a transition is happening. Only when we compare the way things were way back when to the way that they are now do we see that something significant happened. The most likely scenario is that most people will notice (or have already noticed) that their senses of entitlement and expectation require continual adjustment in a downward direction. Ok, I guess I can't buy a new car this year. Ok, I guess I can't sell my house at an enormous profit. Ok, I guess I can't always buy the best gourmet food. Ok, I guess I can live without the deluxe cable package. Ok, I guess I can get by without health insurance for awhile. Ok, I guess I can't pay my kids' college tuition. Ok, I guess I can't retire as early as my father did. Unfortunately, these realizations are likely to come only through the lens of credit cards that were maxed out in pursuit of unrealistic expectations.

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We are just days away from the most important election in generations and yet the editors decided there was an even bigger moment to celebrate.
Thats right, its time for even more USC Song Girl news.
The Ladies of Troy will be celebrating 40 Years of Song Girls later this month, but we figured it was time to get a head start on the competition with a modern day photographic look into the team on and off the field.
BC Photo Editor Big Gay Rich was given the task of finding the ladies in bikinis, drinking, Halloween costumes, at the beach/bars/home/eating actual food, etc.

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