I'm in the Hayek Posse

I can't pretend to be a smarty when it comes to collecting the Benjamins, but this is dope. (The boom plants the seeds for its future destruction.)

Dragnet Meets Obama

This is a bit of brilliant editing. Seems like we have passed this way before and we may pass this way again.

H/T The Anchoress

Stars and Stripes Forever - Muppet Style

Wow. The Muppets celebrate Independence Day in the manner they are accustomed.

(Hat tip to Deacon Greg)

OK Disney - Why "Shamrock Day"?

With four little boys in the house, we inevitably will tune into Playhouse Disney. Most of the programming is enjoyable, and there are no commercials for toys, sugary cereal or whatever is being pimped to the kiddies on other channels.

I can sit through the multicultural PC stuff. Comes with the territory.

However, I saw something on the Playhouse Disney website that really "got my Irish up"! They are promoting party ideas for "Shamrock Day". See the picture of Mickey Mouse in a leprechaun hat.

I "get" that we all are encouraged to drop the Saint from St. Valentine's Day. It's about hearts and flowers. Have some candy hearts with corny or risque saying and pay no attention to that bishop and martyr.

But it does not work so well for St. Patrick's Day. I suppose you can call it St. Paddy's Day to make it a little more festive. But then you still have that problematic reminder that this is a day to honor a specific individual. And he was - please cover the children's ears - Catholic. It gets worse. He was a member of the clergy.

Hope your brogans are buckled tight. I've heard that some people actually observe this day by starting it in church.

So what is a multicultural politically correct network to do? It seems to only workaround is to rename it after a member of the clover family.

I would love to see the look on the faces of folks who came up with this solution when they find out the only reason anyone cares about the shamrock. Dig it, this dude Patrick used it to explain the Trinity to heathens. I expect next year we will find out all about Pot 'o Gold Day from Disney.

UPDATE: they are still at it in 2010 - Try to find the name Patrick or any mention of Ireland.

The kind of stimulus we can do without

I saw this first at The Corner at National Review. Reason.tv has a little fun with the snake oil we are being sold.

And they didn't even get a chalupa

A high school girls basketball game got a little lopsided in Texas as The Covenant School defeated Dallas Academy 100-0 in a recent contest. Now the winning team has issued an apology and requested the game be recorded as a forfeit.  

There is no mercy rule in girls basketball that shortens the game or permits the clock to continue running when scores become lopsided. There is, however, "a golden rule" that should have applied in this contest, said Edd Burleson, the director of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. Both schools are members of this association, which oversees private school athletics in Texas.

"On a personal note, I told the coach of the losing team how much I admire their girls for continuing to compete against all odds," Burleson said. "They showed much more character than the coach that allowed that score to get out of hand. It's up to the coach to control the outcome."

Firstly. You KNOW this is not the pro game. In the pro game it is not up to the coaches to control the outcome. It is up to the referee who has a little wager involving the game who controls the outcome.

Secondly, just what was the other option for the losing team?  They continued to compete against all odds. Yes. What else where they to do? Walk off and have some pizza? Start a fight and hope to get ejected?

I'm just hoping that these teams face off in an alumni game in 15 years or so. Time tends to level the playing field - or court as it were.

My son, the future investigative reporter

John came home from school today with a Barack Obama coloring book. A beautiful commemorative edition ready for individual crayon customization. It was a mini-biography of the president-elect. A whirlwind tour of Hawaii, Indonesia, Kenya, Chicago and DC.

On the last page it asks "If you could ask the President to do something, what would it be?" I misread it and asked John "If you could ask Barack Obama one thing, what would it be?" (I told him I'd ask him what his favorite baseball team is.) John thought for a moment and said "Where did you get all your money?"

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Tackle Me Elmo

Patrick was given an Elmo Live doll for his second birthday. The brothers "welcomed" him into our home in typical boy fashion.

Santa Drives a Truck

Every year I lament the musical injustice that Rob Ervin's "Santa Drives a Truck" is not in heavy rotation and making a mint in royalties for my old WBGU-FM radio buddy.

In hopes that there will be sweater-in-the-drugstore moment, I share Santa Drives a Truck with you on Amaze.fm.

And If you are an A&R person looking for talent, I think I can get in touch with him for you.

Update: Thanks, everybody! Song of the Week!

Turkeys Away - Still the Best 30 Years Later

It was 1978 when this episode of WKRP in Cincinnati first aired. I think I went into radio because of this show.

A New Elf Yourself Creation

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Snazzy new seal you got there

You know how the two teams in the Super Bowl or World Series always have t-shirts and hats and other gee-gaws made up in advance proclaiming them champions? One team always has to throw them away or donate them to some relief agency. Children in foreign lands scamper about in "Cleveland Indians 1997 World Champions" gear, I suppose.

This thought crosses my mind as I catch a glimpse of Barack Obama's first news conference in a LONG time. Remember how he had a cute seal on the campaign trail? Folks thought it was a bit presumptuous, so he put it in mothballs.

But today is different. Today he is President-Elect and he has an office and everything. To be fair, it does not seem to say "Obama" or "The One" on it. Maybe these are government issue and McCain has one in the dumpster outside his office.



Update: I know that many people remarked that the President-elect was an inspirational leader. I did not really see it until now. He has moved me.



Get your own at Says-it.com

Palin on SNL

I didn't watch it, because I knew the good people at Hulu would let me check it out. A part of me thinks that undecideds might see this and think "She seems pretty cool. Why all the hate?" But then the realist in me says "The aren't laughing WITH you Sarah."

The moose part is good but the best part is "When I say Obama -you say Ayers"

How does one study for a lipness test?

Google Trends is a fun website to monitor popular searches on Google on a day-to-day basis. Some blogging types use it as the proverbial finger in the wind to help them determine what subject might drive traffic to their site. Shameless or savvy? I report, you decide.

Sometimes the searches that percolate to the top just make you scratch your head. But today's takes the cake. During the debate, the candidates both invoked the "There will be no litmus test for Supreme Court nominees." promise.

Apparently more than a few people misheard that and bolted to Google to find out what a "lipness test" is. Check out #16 (update: now it is #18).

To quote Larry the Cable Guy (and Tow Mater), "I don't care who you are - that's funny!"

Andy and Angela - What a couple

Fans of The Office know that Andy Bernard and Angela Martin are engaged. What they might not know is that they...OK mostly Andy it seems...have created a website (update 2/9/2017: now points to a boring blog) to help friends, family and VERY interested co-workers (Dwight) keep abreast of the plans for the joyous occasion.

Here is a sample:

Wedding Party Apparel: We haven't finalized colors or anything just yet, but we're thinking nothing too fancy for the gents, just the normal Bernard wedding apparel: top hats, coat tails, and canes if you've got 'em. The attire for Angela's bride's maid will be lovely too: something boxy with a hemline below the ankle. No bare arms. No open toed shoes. More restrictions to come.

Hair and Make up Ideas: Hair up, no make up for her. I may apply a little powder.

Even Tommy has figured it out...

The Browns suck

James Lileks does it again.

Lileks is a great writer. I sometimes literally (and I don't mean figuratively) laugh out loud when he is on a roll. On the reaction in some corners to Sarah Palin:

...one thing that’s amused me in the last two weeks, it’s the screechy distaste of Ms. Palin coming from men who embodied the Modern Alda Paradigm of masculinity, which is to say they are nervous around cars, think guns are icky, had their own Snugli, have wives in corporate jobs who make more money than they do, and still get dissed behind their backs because they can’t figure out how to make the bed. The Lost Boys, if you will. Now, some women can’t stand Sarah Palin for their own reasons, personal or ideological; same with men. Some men, however, are made deeply uneasy by her, because she’s the one who ignored the sensitive poet-guys in high school for the jocks, and didn’t seem to grasp the essential high-school truth that it’s cool to be a loser.

Now tell me he is not a Benchley for our times! Thank you James, and keep it coming!

Cute Kid There, Governor!

I'm posting this mostly so the mother of my children will see it. A funny unscripted moment from the Republican convention.

Tribe on a Roll - Was it all Byrd's Fault?

The group consensus of the brain trust here at SMWIAL was that losing Byrd was simply a money saving maneuver for our beloved Indians. But look what has happened since his bolt to Boston. Ten in a row, baby.

Mr. Byrd always had that outward appearance of being a consummate professional, a great teammate and a good guy. I think he would be a great dude to sit down and shoot the bull with over a cool beverage.

But was there a dark side? Was he a mean old SOB in the clubhouse, striking fear into the rookies and never returning borrowed magazines to the veterans? Was he prone to fits of furious screaming "I said ICE WATER! This is COLD WATER!" Did he burp loudly and not pardon himself?

Did the media cover for his bad habits like back in JFK's day? Come clean Mr. Shapiro. Speak truth, Mr. Wedge!

I have absolutely no evidence or any cause to speculate this. But I am a blogger, so who is going to notice?