MUGWUMP

Just trying to help

Boypunchers

Summer's here

Beggs and Acon

For some reason I've been saying "Beggs and Acon" for the last couple of weeks when describing what I'm making (or made or whatever). Some wires are crossed up there in my head I guess. Anyway, I plopped them haphazardly onto my plate this morning and when I sat down at the table to dig in I saw this.

That I did not know.

This today from Michael Moore who officially endorsed Obama:

Finally, I want to say a word about the basic decency I have seen in Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton continues to throw the Rev. Wright up in his face as part of her mission to keep stoking the fears of White America. Every time she does this I shout at the TV, "Say it, Obama! Say that when she and her husband were having marital difficulties regarding Monica Lewinsky, who did she and Bill bring to the White House for 'spiritual counseling?' THE REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT!"

Ba-ROCKY!

Yes We CAN!!! (oh, pooped my pants!)

Can we take the gun now?

"Is America Ready for a black president?"

John Legend talking to the Washington Post and answers call in questions:

Birmingham, AL: "... Do you think that the country is ready for a man who is the son of a black man to become president? If so, are the young people ready to step up and make changes in their lives, inspired by Mr. Obama, to take responsibility for their lives and the direction of our country?"

John Legend: "I think America is ready to elect Barack. It's not insert-any-black-man-here and they would vote for him, but Barack is a unique and special person. And so I don't really like the question of "is America ready for a black president?" because it's more about the specific individual. And the thing is, the people who wouldn't vote for a person because they're black wouldn't vote for a democrat anyway. And so I think it's all about the right candidate and I think Barack is the right candidate and part of what is great about him is that he really is inspiring young people to participate and they really are getting involved, going door to door, voting, contributing small amounts of money, which I haven't really seen before. "

So there!  (Although I should add that growing up, I knew some Democrats in Kentucky that STILL probably wouldn't vote for someone who was black... but maybe I'm wrong and times have changed)

Drunk History

Don't know if you've seen these bits over at FunnyOrDie.com, but I love Drunk History.

I'd never go to see a Michael Jackson concert...

but this guy... count me in.

This had me chuckling

stroke of insight

Gotta love Ellen

GObama!

I've been volunteering for the Obama campaign, mostly rolling calls on phone banks to undeclared voters here in California letting them know that they can vote in the Democratic primary here next Tuesday.  Today I was at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood before the Obama/Clinton debate and as far as visibility, we had more of a presence than the Clinton campaign.  Here are some shots.  (Further down is Wolf Blitzer and L.A. Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa... and then those costume characters were there adding a surreal atmosphere to the whole shebang):

 

Cobra/Baby

So this video is making the rounds.  If you're ophidiphobic, this one's not for you. Apparently... according to one internet video source...  in Asia, children are introduced to de-fanged/neutered snakes so that they grow up not fearing them... perhaps so that they can be effective snake-handlers?? Still... seems screwy to me.

This dream of mine

I just woke up out of a really pleasant dream.  In it, I was riding my motorcycle along with my friend Kevin and his wife Leslie and we pull up to an intersection and there's a motorcycle ahead of us that is having some trouble.  I get off my bike to help out and as we position our bikes to the side of the road the guy having trouble turns out it's Brad Pitt.

Seriously.

He introduces himself and starts to shake my hand but I interject that I've met him before on the day after I first arrived to Los Angeles (which in reality isn't true at all but in the dream it is) so he throws me a hug (at this moment Kevin and Leslie look at me in that "What the f***?" kind of way) and Brad asks if I'll take a look at his motorcycle.

Conveniently, we happen to be standing in front of someone's empty 2 car garage so we take it inside and I get started working on it while Kevin and Leslie head off to find the owners of the house and to grab a couple of drinks. 

Before they return I managed to get Brad's motorcycle working and give it a spin inside the garage and he thanks me and takes off. At this point, John McCain comes in, seeing that I have just fixed Brad Pitt's motorcycle and he asks me to take a look at his.  I realize I'm in John McCain's garage... having sort of broken in with Brad Pitt and used his tools without asking.

So... I look at McCain's motorcycle and realize pretty quickly that the reason it's not starting is because he needs to pull on the choke and that he should have his fuel injection looked at.  He laughs and says in a surprised tone that someone is supposed to look at the fuel injection next week.

Just then Kevin and Leslie show up with McCain's wife... and there were also a couple of mewing kittens now running around the garage.  McCain asks for my number, I give it to him but tell him not to let anyone in his office have it and we shake hands before Kev, Les, and I leave.

And then I wake up.  So I'm thinking that Pitt was maybe an Obama substitute... I don't know... just guessing.  But I most certainly need to stop watching CSPAN in bed before I fall asleep.

Which road will we take?

Who we should all hope for in November:

Who we'll probably get... (and it won't be pretty for a very long time after):

Putting my money where my blog is

Today I signed up to volunteer for Barack Obama wherever they need me for the duration of the campaign.  I'll let you know what comes of it.

I'm sold

Give yourself a couple of minutes to listen to this speech. How can he not be our guy to lead us out of the darkness?

Taunting Obama can be hazardous to your campaign

movie season

Some worthwhile movies out there right now.  Lars and the Real Girl is bizarre but brilliant in the things it pulls off, Enchanted is a hoot, and Juno is this year's bittersweet feel good.

Gomboc

I want to play with one.

New York City

After my two weeks back home for Thanksgiving in Kentucky, I flew to NYC for a week so I could see some shows... and boy, did I.

First up was "Die, Mommie, Die", a play written by and starring Charles Busch who was behind "Psycho Beach Party" and "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife".  A fun evening full of camp and WAAAAAY over the top performances.  It was Sunset Boulevard on acid.

Next up was "Naked Boys Singing" and like the name, it was simply a cabaret of 8 guys, naked, singing 11 songs.  It was damn funny though and they really made the most of what could have been an extremely monotonous and repetitive show.

On Sunday morning I met up with my college friend Heather and we stood outside the Gershwin Theatre in the snow and cold to try our hand at winning the lottery for $25 seats for "Wicked".  Luckily, we won and ended up sitting in the front row of what had to be the biggest live theatre production I think I've ever seen.  The whole thing was like some huge machine timed and tuned to churn out this monster of a show.  I was kind of blown away although I do wish the songs were a bit more memorable (and also that I'd gotten to see Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda).

"Xanadu" was the other show I saw and it was by far my favorite.  It's a campy take-off on the movie with Olivia Newton John and it used all E.L.O. songs, roller-skates, and an audience full of glow-sticks.  Kerry Butler was spot on as the muse, and I kinda fell in love with Cheyenne Jackson, who I'd last seen on screen playing (gay rugby player/passenger) Mark Bingham in "United 93".  This is the one that I'd recommend anyone go see if they ever get the chance.  OH!!!  and if tickets are available, choose to SIT ON STAGE like we did.  The seats are cheaper (around $40 each), and they're the best in the house.

It's a Good Thing

Last week I flew into Louisville, Kentucky from L.A. to visit my friend Rob.  He took me to Churchill Downs race track where a friend of his is a professional handicapper for the races.  Merv, a staunch and unwavering Hillary Clinton supporter, even has his name and picture in the program next to his predictions.  I'd bet a little something on every race and lost everytime but just before the last race so Merv tells me and Rob that the number 7 horse is a sure thing.  Rob and I both bet $20 on the number 7 horse and not only did it not win, (it came in 4th place) but just past the finish line the horse dropped dead of a heart attack and they had to drag it off the track.

I told Rob that this doesn't bode well for Mrs. Clinton in the Presidential race.

Later in the week I drove to my Mom's house in the back woods of the northeastern part of the state.  As she was preparing pies and brownies for Thanksgiving dinner I sat and talked with her while on the small t.v. set in the kitchen  Martha Stewart was teaching Andy Samberg how to carve a turkey.  Come Thursday, when it was time to cut up the bird Mom asked me to do it and everybody else had begged off.  You know what?  That Martha knows her stuff.  I did a wholly-better-than-half-ass job if I do say so myself.

Remember the last writer's strike?

COPS

Bad boys, bad boys, whatchagonna do?  Whatchagonna do when he fondles you?

Tickling tested

Apparently, laughing when tickled is an innate response and not a learned one. I'm not so ticklish myself. Wonder what that means?

The Time is Now

Andrew Sullivan writes on why Obama should be the next president of the United States. It's four pages long and well worth your time.

Bigger Penises

A terrificly interesting report on a theory of where we're headed as a species.